#i just love how they both acted as catalysts for each others' development

[cloudinal]

Junpei birthday !!

[ohodie]

SETTLE DOWN!

luke castellan x reader

★ “for crying out loud, settle down!”

ABOUT - you hate his guts. he hates yours. but you’d by lying if you said you didn’t want to make out with him until his lips start bleeding. and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like that idea.

WARNINGS - sexual references, sexual comments, enemies to lovers, steamy makeout scenes, no explicit smut. both luke and reader are very horny and very mean sooo two red flags lol

A/N - please don’t make fun of my english/australian vocabulary. i know americans don’t use the word ‘fit’ but LET ME LIVE IN PEACE!!!let me know if you’d fancy a part 2 <3

WC - 3.7k words

it’s hard to recall when exactly your distaste towards luke castellan first developed.

maybe it started off as rude comments and shoved shoulders, or simply the act of tripping over each other's shoes, paired with a few nasty glances. either way, you hated his guts.

this sentiment was obviously returned by luke, who was eager to constantly egg you on and rile you up. maybe he found it amusing- watching the ever so calm and collected eldest daughter of the hypnos cabin going absolutely ballistic whenever luke did something slightly annoying. he loved the way her mature and gentle persona shattered as soon as he provoked her.

it was rather strange how quickly they let their masks slip, letting themselves shout foul obscenities at each other as soon as a conflict arose between the two of them. it was like being near each other was the primary catalyst for their arguments and squabbles- not the actual contents of the disagreement itself, but the players involved.

curiously, luke’s terrible attitude was never extended to anyone other than you. around everyone else at camp half-blood, luke was the perfect gentleman. warm and welcoming to anyone who happened to walk past him, a great swordsman, well-kept, respectful and polite, the list goes on. he was perfect. but as soon as his eyes met yours, his entire body shifted. he became something colder, something ravenous- something hungry. he was out for blood, he just didn’t understand why.

you were slumped over a picnic table near the cabins, tiredly observing all handful of half-blood kids from various cabins making friendship bracelets.

it was dark out, the moon and the embers of the nearby fire acting as the sole providers of light for the camp that night.

truthfully, you didn’t want to be there. you would rather be in bed, coddled up between your sheets for hours before heading down to the infirmary to help out the younger kids with their sleeping troubles. maybe afterwards you could go down to the theatre and join in on a few songs with the apollo kids, or even practice sparring with clarisse.

whatever it was, you didn’t want to be there. not with luke castellan’s eyes studying your every move. you didn’t need to lift your head to know he was looking at you- you could feel it. the arrogance was radiating off him and you could smell his pride from across the picnic table. your nose easily picked up on notes of wet grass, a neutral deodorant, pure spite, and vanilla candles.

after what seemed like an eternity, you eventually shot your head up to meet luke’s unwavering gaze.

“someone’s sleepy.” he smirked, his voice calm and cold. he looked satisfied; content with watching you slowly rise in anger as he began to coddle you and patronise your every move.

you ran a hand through your hair, fixing the messy state it was in after laying down for so long. “i’m not sleepy, just bored.” you retorted, letting your hands hold up your head as you stared deeply into his eyes, not breaking eye contact.

luke played along, refusing to blink as he picked up on the competitive gesture. “bored, huh?” he mused, shooting you a cocky grin as he leaned forward over the table. “you’re never satisfied, are you, princess?”

you rolled your eyes, letting your pupils meet the back of your head as you stifled a groan. you slowly covered one side of your face in your hand, hiding your pink cheeks as a result of his use of the nickname ‘princess’.

“don’t you have a loser convention to get to?” you asked, referring to the cabin councillors meeting that he was supposed to be at.

luke shrugged, looking to his side as he watched a young demeter boy making a bracelet. “got cancelled. now i get to look at your pretty little face for an hour straight.”

“i’m going to bed.” you grumbled, standing up from the picnic table, an unfinished friendship bracelet left discarded. you walked away, hearing little to no protests from the rest of the table.

luke’s eyes met the bracelet you left behind, studying it for a moment. the colours were cute and the beads were placed strategically along the string, creating an interesting and visually pleasing combination of textures and shapes. luke’s hand wandered over to the bracelet, quickly snatching it before securely tying it and stuffing it in his pocket.

luke wasn’t sure why he stole the bracelet. maybe he thought he could taunt you with it, or maybe he could just wear it for shits and gigs. it was a pretty bracelet- why wouldn’t he want to wear it?

a week passed by, and it was time for capture the flag.

luke had consistently come out of the games a champion, securing his place as the best swordsman at camp half-blood whenever possible.

you were tired of it. you promised yourself that when the opportunity arose, you would beat him to it. you would earn the praise he revived so effortlessly.

your determination to win capture the flag was also partially encouraged by the events of the previous tuesday.

you, luke, and a few other older demi-gods were forced to monitor the younger campers on a trip to the nearby lake. simple, right? wrong.

things went south fast when luke ‘accidentally’ nudged your shoulder a bit too hard, forcing you to fall into the lake. luckily, you were a strong enough swimmer and were able to get back on land safely.

“sorry about that, y/n. maybe next time you should keep out of the way?” he leaned in close, whispering in your ear.

luke smirked lightly as his dry hand rubbed the soaking wet and now transparent fabric covering your shoulder. his lips softly grazed your neck as you released yourself from his grip, shooting him a dirty look.

“you should watch your step, castellan. things like this happen to anyone.”

luke scoffed, looking you up and down as he took in the sight of your shivering body. “do they now?” he asked, his head turning to follow your figure as you walked past him.

as you walked away, luke couldn’t help but study your body as it became revealed by the fabric of the camp t-shirt sticking to your skin. how could he not admire the way he could see the vague outline of a lacy black bra underneath your top? or the way your wet hair was framing your angry little face? how you stared him down as your friend offered you a towel.

if you weren’t so acutely aware of how your figure was on full display, you would’ve pushed him in as well- but you were way too infuriated to even get close to him at this point… as well as the fact you didn’t think you could handle the idea of him taking off your shirt in front of you, all wet as his hair let water droplets roll down his torso.

maybe you could handle hitting him with a baseball bat a few times, but the idea of his face all beaten and bloodied was strangely appetising as well.

in all fairness, luke’s actions were not unprovoked. it’s not like you didn’t also tease him and fuck around with his temper.

for example, the very day before the incident at the lake, you had used your abilities as a daughter of hypnos to put him to sleep… for 19 hours, causing him to miss out on camp activities and lose hours of valuable training time.

you felt pure bliss watching him as he stepped out of the hermes cabin, confused and disoriented as hoards of campers instantly surrounded him.

“are you okay luke?”

“i heard you were in a coma!”

“we thought you were a goner,”

luke blocked out the concerned comments of his peers as soon as he caught you gazing over at him from the deck of the hypnos cabin.

with that ‘i got you good’ smirk plastered across your face, luke knew he had to get you back. getting to see your semi-exposed and cold, shuddering body in the process of doing so was only a bonus.

he felt a high from getting to see what he caused. what he did to you. it made him hungry for more. how else could he anger you? get you to show him more? how could you return the favour? would you? he didn’t know if you realised the effect you had on him- but he was going to do anything in his power for you to feel it too.

but those incidents were nothing compared to what was about to go down.

2 hours into capture the flag, and you had managed to fool and scare off enough members of the blue team, causing many individual members to go off track. those hours practising sword fighting with clarisse were definitely worth it.

you leaned against a nearby tree, closing your eyes for a moment as you fiddled with your sword. lost in thought, you heard something coming. more specifically, someone. you didn’t even have to open your eyes to know who it was.

“oh, hey castellan. isn’t it past your bedtime?” you asked, rubbing your eyes open as you lazily swung your sword back and forth.

luke scoffed, taking a step towards you. “i think i like you better when you’re drenched in lake water.” he smirked, looking into your eyes without breaking contact. he couldn’t look away. it wasn’t even because he wanted to intimidate you; he simply couldn’t stand to have you exit his field of vision. not right now, at least.

you look a step backwards, getting into position as you use your shield to protect yourself. “are you gonna try to maim me or what?”

luke took another step forward, mirroring your stance as he took the defensive. “and hurt your pretty little body? i’d rather die.”

you turned red, your mouth agape as you processed what he had said. “excuse me?” you spat, your voice breathy as your eyes widened.

“you heard me,” he smiled innocently, deceiving you before beginning to attack. you blocked every move, pacing around the area as you swung your sword at him. “you’re such a fucking prick!” you grumbled, trying to catch your breath as you struggled to mark him with your blade.

“language, princess.” he scolded, still smiling at you as he continued his attempts at disarming you.

that was the moment when you realised something.

you can play dirty.

not with your sleep-themed party tricks or your weak little fists, but with the power of unpredictability. the element of surprise.

you let him get closer to you, pretending to settle down before him. luke chuckled at the sight of your loosened grip on your shield and increasingly tired eyes, noticing the way your footsteps shuffled backwards and forwards.

“someone’s getting tired-“ his cocky sentiment was quickly cut off by the feeling of your hands tightly gripping his arm- his shock only furthering as your teeth dug into the soft skin on his wrist.

he instantly dropped his shield, his sword still held firmly in his other hand. you quickly released him from your bite, taking a step forwards as you put your weight on his shield. “ow- what the fuck?!” he stammered, looking up at you with red cheeks and a bleeding hand.

you were stumped. you hadn’t thought further than getting rid of his shield. “i didn’t mean to break skin to be honest. sorry.” you shrugged, picking up his shield and throwing it far away while he was still frozen in shock.

luke continued looking at you, silent as he became overwhelmed by the feeling of a ruthless war finally coming to an end within his mind.

obviously, he found you attractive. you were a pretty girl. sure, a lot of girls at camp half-blood were pretty. but for some odd reason, he thought you were much prettier. the type of pretty girl that deserved to be called cute nicknames every day and covered in gentle kisses every night. he wanted to kiss you softly, hold you tightly, say you looked gorgeous, make you tacky beaded bracelets that were the same colour as your eyes. he wanted to make you feel loved.

but he also thought you were a brat. always teasing him and only him. driving him insane with targeted comments and insults. purposefully making him look stupid in front of the younger campers and even patronising him for it. luke wanted to put you in your place. he wanted nothing more than to push you onto his bed in the dead of night, marking you as his. he yearned to hear your strained voice whimpering his name as he towered over you. he wanted to exchange knowing glances and pretend nothing had changed, despite the images of your hands gripping his bedsheets as you let out stifled moans etched into his mind.

luke often wondered how the two could overlap. how the fuck could these two perceptions of this one girl coexist? but luke didn’t wonder how it was possible to think about anymore, he didn’t care about that. now, he wondered if it was possible to act on both of his separate desires for her. he wondered if she even wanted him as much as he wanted her- if she wanted him at all.

“hey, i said i was sorry for making you bleed!” you called out, snapping him out of it.

“stop sulking! what, do you want me to kiss it better or something?”

luke blinked for the first time in what felt like centuries, shrugging as he let a sly smile creepy onto his face. “oh, im not sulking.” he insisted as he stepped closer towards the shorter girl.

he extended his wrist out towards you, a deep and bleeding bite mark engraved into the skin. “you gonna kiss it better, or…?”

you turned red, shaking your head. “i was just joking, castellan.” you murmured coldly, trying to avoid his gaze.

he kept his hand extended towards you, temping you to just take it and kiss it to get him to leave. “fucking loser…” you grumbled, holding his hand in yours as you gave his wrist a soft kiss.

“there, better?” you scoffed before luke’s hands began to tightly grip your wrist, spinning you gently onto your back as he pushed you to the ground, hovering over you. luckily, you still had your sword in your hand. you quickly moved it in front of you, holding the blade close to his neck.

“be careful, princess” he cooed, his sword digging into the dirt ground, standing upright in is position as the skin of your right thigh pressed against the blade. his hands gripped your shoulder and waist, keeping you bound to the floor as you began to squirm under his grip. “ugh, are you kidding me?!” you huffed, your face red from the feeling of intimacy between the two of you arising.

luke was basking in it, relishing the moment as he became almost addicted to the feeling of your skin against his. he let out a hitched breath, his eyes trailing down her frame as he finally realised just how close they were. the vulnerable yet stubborn look in her eyes set off a switch in him. you watched him curiously as he suddenly became a flustered mess, quickly scrambling off of you and standing up.

you lifted your back off the ground, using your hands to rid yourself of the dirt that had accumulated on your shirt.

“are you gonna explain whatever the fuck just happened, luke?” you asked, calling out to him from your spot on the ground.

he rolled his eyes, turning around to face you. “shit, y/n- are you fucking stupid?” he questioned, his voice reeking of irritation and frustration. you furrowed your brows, standing up as you approached him, sword and shield in hand. “oh, alright. forgive me for wondering why the dickhead who threw me into a lake a few days ago was pinning me to the ground in the middle of capture the flag for no reason?” i explained, seething as i pushed him back by the shoulders.

“what the fuck is your problem?” you asked again, letting yourself back him up against a nearby tree.

the game didn’t matter to you anymore. what mattered was getting to the bottom of why this prick was fucking around with you. sure, you liked how it felt being pushed against the ground. you liked the feeling of his blade pressing against your thigh. but you liked the boy more than his actions. you hated yourself for it, of course. this was the dude who’s been teasing you about and pushing you around for 3 summers straight- so why the fuck did you think he was the fittest guy you had ever laid your eyes on?

why did you want him to run his hands through your hair? suck on your neck till it went purple? why on earth did you spend countless nights dreaming about him holding you close as he slept next to you?

you were the eldest hypnos daughter at camp half-blood. you could’ve changed your dream easily; came up with literally any other fantasy at the drop of a hat- but you didn’t. you let it continue. because as much as you hated to admit it, you liked him. you wanted him bad. every last inch of him.

luke let your words echo through his mind for a bit. ‘what is my problem?’ he thought, his expression blank as he stared at you. “i don’t know, y/n! maybe my problem is you?” he said, his voice strained, yet still snarky and somewhat dramatic.

you rolled your eyes again, stepping forward. you kept your hands on his shoulders, pressing him further against the tree he was pinned against. “i’m your problem?!” you asked angrily, holding your sword against his neck once more.

“yes! you make me feel fucking weak.” luke confessed, gripping your wrist tightly as he pushed your hand away in order to create some space between his neck and the sword. “i can’t control myself around you.” he exclaimed, pushing his hand against yours as you retracted the blade from his neck.

“you bring out the worst in me, and i hate you for that.” you arched your brows, leaning forward. “that sounds like a you problem.” you quipped, defeatedly pushing the top of the blade of your sword into the ground as you let your newly free hand grip his chin- forcing him to look down at you.

luke’s hand wandered over to your face, his thumb softly grazing your bottom lip as you tilted his chin downwards, letting him look you in the eyes.

“don’t act like you don’t get exactly what i mean, princess.” he cooed, his voice low as his fingers traced over your lips and cheekbones, his other hand gently caressing your jawline as his fingertips wrapped around your neck.

you grumbled, standing on your toes to reach his height. “you’re a prick.” you scoffed, your eyes fluttering closed as you eagerly kissed him on the lips, his cheeks turning red as he mirrored your movements. he let his hands run through you hair, his other hand resting on your waist as he turned you around- pushing you against the tree now.

his hands ravenously scattered across your delicate frame, trying to feel every curve and dent on your face, back and waist. you pressed your body against his as his hands travelled across your form, closing any and all distance between the two.

after a few straight minutes of violently making out, you pulled away for air, staring into his eyes as your lower lip trembled in shock. you both tried to steady your breathing, lost in each other's eyes as your heartbeats returned back to normal.

“i’ll kiss you again if you turn around and let us win.” you said quickly, the offer seemingly the first thing you could think to say.

luke stayed quiet for a moment, before bursting out into hesitant laughter. “i mean, that’s a pretty good offer…” he said softly, letting his fingers trace your facial features as he studied the colour of your eyes.

“sure.” he said, a little smile on his face as you both leaned in again, the kiss a lot more passionate this time around. you held a clump of his hair in your hand, lightly pulling on on it as luke’s fingers jumped between gripping your neck and shoulders- the other hand running up and down your waist and hips.

you felt his knee hit the bark of the tree, slightly bent as it lightly pressed against the inside of your thigh. that’s when your hands began to grip the back of his shirt, your lips gliding down to the side of his neck. quiet moans escaped luke’s lips, only encouraging you to keep going. he moved his hand downwards, tracing circles into your hips as he moved his other arm hand upwards, cupping the space on the side of your breast with his thumb, lightly rubbing your ribcage.

the moment was only increasing in intensity- before luke was cut off my the sounds of someone calling his name. he quickly pulled away, leaving a gentle kiss on your lips before stepping back.

“right, time to hold up my end of the deal.” he chirped up, leaving one more needy kiss on your forehead.

“oh, by the way-“ he paused, before quickly pulling the bracelet you made the week before out of his pocket. “did you want this back, princess? or can i have it?” he asked cheerfully, his voice low as he looked over you.

“keep it.” you said hastily, your cheeks a vibrant shade of red. luke nodded, giving you one final kiss on the lips as he put the bracelet on the same wrist you had bitten earlier. he gave you a subtle wink and a smile, before jogging away- leaving you frozen in place.

you could hear him talking to his friend from a distance, noting on how he lied to effortlessly- saving your arse over a few kisses.

needless to say, the red team won capture the flag. but luke couldn’t bring himself to care about losing. how could he care about anything other than y/n and her hands and her smile and her eyes? her witty comments and remarks? the way she tilted her head up to look up at him? the way his face fits perfectly in her palm? how could he care about anything else ever again?

[inamindfarfaraway]

why do you ship poppy and sparrow from eah?thoughts on duchess swan and sparrow?

I have nothing against shipping Duchess and Sparrow! I just slightly prefer to think of them as best friends. Honestly, considering how she’s lived in the shadow of tragic doomed romance her whole life, I think it would be really nice for Duchess to find her happiness without any long-term romantic partner. I feel like she’d have anxiety about romance ending badly for her. Yeah, it turns out destiny is fake, but fifteen or so years of having the inevitable narrative of your future drilled into you and knowing that you are meant, you exist, to be hurt and betrayed and doomed by your romantic partner? That’s gonna mess your attitude to dating up. And since destiny is fake, non-doomed lovers are just one bad day away doom. There is no permanent happily ever after. Anyone could hurt her for any reason; and as she hopefully matures to be nicer and more moral, she could be afraid of hurting her lover too based on her past actions. But to learn that she doesn’t need to be anyone’s love interest could be empowering and liberating. She and Sparrow are definitely each other’s true loves in some way. I personally enjoy the platonic sense better, but the romantic option is just as valid an interpretation.

Okay. Duchess tangent over. Now, as for what I like about Poppy/Sparrow.

Poppy says in her bio that she finds Sparrow cute, but would like him more if he weren’t so arrogant. That’s a good foundation on her part. She sees worth in him, but also his flaws. If he ever wanted to play around with her, her standards and boundaries (and Holly) would force him to get his act together at least a little, which could be a catalyst for his character development.

They both have themes of freedom and rebellion. Sparrow is a Rebel more because he values his personal freedom than because he’s invested in human rights, refusing to conform to the law by stealing, his story by keeping the gains for himself and social norms by being an ass. Poppy loves not having a predetermined future and officially becomes a Rebel to avoid being the next Rapunzel and queen. Her least favourite class is Princessology, where you learn to be a responsible, respectable princess. Sparrow gets that. But she can show him how to express himself and defy social mores without being obnoxious about it.

They’re both creative types with unconventional styles and adventurous spirits, Poppy’s medium being hair and fashion while Sparrow’s is music. However, Poppy is a great, popular hairdresser. She’s good at listening to her clients’ input and giving them what they want, without sacrificing her own integrity. Sparrow is technically a skilled guitarist, but he hasn’t bothered to become as that good a singer, only cares about what he wants and is terrible at responding to criticism. He could learn from her to be a better artist. And I think their alternative aesthetics (I know Poppy’s is still pretty tame and feminine, but that feels more like Mattel being Mattel than the ultimate expression of her alleged personality; fanart that depicts Poppy with a wilder fashion sense my beloved) could complement each other really well.

Conversely, Poppy has sometimes been known to be unsure of new situations or herself, like that whole time she was on the fence between the Royal and Rebel ideologies or when she was nervous about ice-skating for the first time. It’s easy to extrapolate that being raised as the spare to Holly’s heir with the glaring lack of a destiny could have given her some identity issues in general. (Canon doesn’t really show that, but canon shows us so little depth that we have to fill in the blanks.) Sparrow does not have that problem. Ever. He knows who is and what he wants in life, and he’s gonna take it. Maybe he could influence her to be more confident.

It’s less much less obvious because Poppy is genuinely kind and morally principled and socially competent to balance it out, but she has a selfish streak too. She regularly cuts off her magically strong, long and fast-growing hair and sells it. Why sell it? Why not just donate it? Because despite having all the money she could ever need, she wants a little more for herself. She makes a steady profit by selling something she doesn’t have to work for and doesn’t want. That’s a shrewdness and initiative Sparrow can appreciate. I think her choosing centrism wasn’t as callous or stupid as some fans have made out; the Royals have a lot of understandable, sympathetic arguments, the Rebels at this time can’t prove that the other shoe won’t drop and with a Royal sister who’s probably afraid of her going poof, it would realistically be an emotionally fraught political debate for a teenager. But her “Roybel” identity is still a safe position where she tries to have the best of both worlds and can feel vindicated no matter which side wins. And it’s interesting that for as good a person she is and as many friends she has with Rebel stances and/or tragic fates, what drives her from “The face-eating leopards have pros and cons, let’s see how things go” to “Face-eating leopards are bad and need to be fought” is literally “Wait, the leopards want to eat my face?” If anything, I think her selfishness is wiser and more effective than Sparrow’s - she stays inside the law and benefits others enough to have strong friendships and a glowing reputation.

We also see in the ice-skating webisode that Duchess develops respect for Poppy and her courage after initially viewing her as a rival, setting up a friendship and a fun dynamic as Sparrow’s two true loves. Especially if, as I suspect, Poppy wouldn’t make a half-bad partner in crime herself. And on the other hand… Sparrow and Holly. Sweet, gentle, polite Holly who finds nothing more exciting than reading. And Sparrow Hood. Needing to coexist and learn to get along. That’s hilarious. Imagine the wedding speeches.

In the original Rapunzel tale, she was born to poor farmers and married into royalty, so an O’Hair falling for a commoner is at once a reversal and a return to form. It feels fitting.

Likewise, the original Robin Hood was in some versions a nobleman who abandoned his decadent lifestyle to serve the lower classes. (They weren’t always comfortable having a true peasant hero.) So I like the idea of Sparrow inverting that with his journey, being a greedy, selfish scoundrel as a poor kid and then only gaining riches after becoming equally rich in compassion and generosity. Only once he’s ready to share the wealth does he get access to a royal treasury. Legally, even!

Thanks for the ask! It was very fun articulating my thoughts and feelings about these characters, I’d never done that before and I thought of a few new arguments while I was writing this. I love all of them even more now.

[haleigh-sloth]

But which one do u prefer isagi getting worse or getting better

I think my heart truly just wants Isagi to continue being the shining light that he's been described as. One of the entertaining things about the manga I've enjoyed a LOT is watching Isagi just be Some Guy playing soccer and watching everyone do one of two things: be inspired and use that as a catalyst for change OR be fucking insane and use that as a catalyst for becoming self-destructive and miserable.

I was going back and forth on which route the story would take, but then I saw translated answers from a recent panel Kaneshiro did where he mentioned some things about the next arc, one of which including Isagi and Sae "teaming up". So I'm unsure how Isagi "getting worse" could contribute to that.

But I'm preparing myself for multiple possibilities. I'm less convinced of Isagi "getting worse" in the sense that he becomes an insufferable asshole (he's already done that and been called out on it point blank and reflected and changed his attitude--so revisiting that would be stupid and redundant) and I'm more convinced of Isagi facing a similar problem to all the other characters in Blue Lock where he focuses a little too much on winning and loses sight of what brings him joy from playing soccer. Like yes winning feels good and that's what started his story--being devastated about not winning. But he also plays soccer because he loves it! And I do think the development in the current arc shows that he may be losing sight of that a little, which is okay. He's gotta go through some internal conflict at some point, and that's the most likely and most reasonable conflict I see. Him saying "I'll just be a tool without emotions and feelings so we can win" is not like, the worst development ever, because he's even said he wants to see what happens if he views himself as a machine on the field focused on victory and not worry about who scores what goals. This is just one of his many experiments on how to overcome obstacles on the field, it's not really any different from previous arcs.

HOWEVER--the difference between now and previous arcs is his environment. Kaiser for one, creating a hellish environment for Isagi and forcing him to explore his ego in different ways and see what makes him win. Kaiser is also a self-serving dick, and so Isagi just dished out what he'd been taking from Kaiser the whole time. And now they're both just setting all that aside to win, which to me is whatever, it's fine. Kaiser has issues and some soul searching to do but that's nothing to really do with Isagi anymore since he somewhat overcame that obsessive behavior toward Isagi.

To me the one factor that would really shake things up and make Isagi act differently from previous arcs is Rin. Rin is really desperate and falling really low and showing no signs of getting over this obsession with Isagi. He and Isagi both view each other as this impenetrable wall that they can't break through or climb over. I'm seeing Isagi still focus on beating Rin and I COULD see Isagi carrying that a little more than usual in future matches and making it harder for him to remember why he's playing soccer in the first place. He said he let go of his rivalry toward Rin but then right before teaming up with Kaiser he said "I can still beat Rin". So clearly neither of them are willing to let this rivalry go. I think Isagi is absorbing Rin's feelings (which are just really intense and out of proportion to reality--which is why this particular rivalry isn't great) and letting them affect him a little more than previous obstacles he's faced.

So I'm prepared for the route where Isagi is still the way he is, Rin gets worse on his own and eventually needs help and Isagi being the shining light that he is breaks through to Rin the way he did everyone else. Then I'm also prepared for the route where Isagi can't really break away from Rin (because Rin won't leave him alone) and he kind of spirals alongside Rin and before we know it they both need help and both need to be reminded of why soccer is important to them.

Also important to note that Isagi has reasons for playing soccer that feed his ego and bring him joy, which is good. He might just need to remember. Rin on the other hand has never really had that from the beginning. He'll take a lot more work and effort from everyone around him to pull him back up.

Short answer: I'd prefer Isagi staying fine, but I don't hate him getting worse, because if he does he won't be the only one (thanks Rin!).

[nyaboshi]

❤️‍🩹,😎,🥰

Ooo

❤️‍🩹 Oh my gosh, that is 100% The World Ends With You. God used that game to shape my understanding of the world, I am so sure of it. That game truly helped me to come out of the shell I had locked myself into! There are so many morals in that game that just.. spoke so my to my 13-year-old self. It's the #1 reason why it will always and forever be my favorite game! I don't know if this counts toward a fandom in particular that helped me, but I'm saying it does.

😎 My favorite part is always the friends I make. I've made so many friends just because I've been part of a fandom, and I think that's beautiful. I met these people because we have one thing in common, but now I'm talking to some of them almost daily and consider them some of my closest friends!

🥰 GRAH RAAAAA APBJEOAOEWJA

THESE TWO!! Neku Sakuraba and Shiki Misaki from The World Ends With You. These two– Oh GOSH these two. They have my heart, for real man. They're just so perfect for one another, and like– They both went through so much character development BECAUSE of each other, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT FORMING RELATIONSHIPS IS SUPPOSED TO DO! And I'm not just talking about romantic relationships! This game is so good because the main focus is about forming relationships with people so that you clash with them and ricochet to become a better person because of the relationships you formed and GRAAHHHHH

Anyways– Neku and Shiki are a perfect example of this particular moral of the game because they build off of each other's personality traits and become SUCH better people! At the start of the game, Neku is – for lack of a better, family-friendly descriptor – a complete and total douchebag. He's super self centered and outright rude with how he treats other people. Wants nothing to do with them and just wants to shut them all out. But underneath it all, he's actually just a boy who's very much hurting from trauma (they imply that in the past he very abruptly lost his best friend and he hasn't gotten over it) and is using his walls as a defense mechanism. On the other hand, Shiki is super cheery and peppy (at first) and tends to bend over backwards for people. But when you get past all of that, she's an incredibly insecure girl who has almost zero confidence in herself. Put them together and what do you get? They hate each other. :D Or, to put it more accurately, their surface personalities hate each other. But once they start to get to know each other a little more, they realize, "Oh hey. They're actually not that bad..." Neku helps Shiki with her confidence via administering some tough love, and Shiki acts as the catalyst that pushes Neku to break down his walls and actually interact and bond with people for a change!

This post by @altorav (my favorite artist to scroll through for NeShiki brainrot, btw) pretty much sums it up. XD Although Neku and Shiki aren't technically canon, they are so heavily implied, man... They have so much chemistry, and there's literally a scene in the game where a guy mistakes them for lovers and they both FREAK. I love them so much.

A close second OTP would be Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Kirigiri from Danganronpa.

But I'll save you from another long ramble about these two, because I have a lot to say about them as well. XD Just know that they are the epitome of Black Cat GF and Golden Retriever BF. :3 And they are also another couple that isn't directly stated to be canon, but is heavily implied AND IT PAINS ME TO NO END, GRAAAAHHHHHH

Thanks for the ask, May! <3

[gingerylangylang1979]

Carmy is a problematic fuck boi who doesn't deserve Sydney at the moment. But look at how Rick and Michonne turned out.

I really actually don't begrudge anyone who questions Carmy's worthiness of Sydney, shipper or not. Like, I get it. I was ready to drop his ass so many times both seasons. But... this is how these stories go. If you have a traumatized leading man, he's going to make you give him side-eye, you're going to think he's not made for love, and as much as I hate it, you are going to see him be a raging dick and disappointment to the woman he loves... until, he isn't. This isn't me excusing good women being with bad men. This is me explaining the trope of a good men, acting bad, who becomes a good man, acting good, because this woman inspires his transformation. Please note, I didn't say fix. She doesn't do the work for him, she is the catalyst for him deciding to change and she will support him and check him along the way and he will be what she needs in time. That's just how this works folks.

When Rick first meets Michonne, he doesn't even think she's real. His wife just died, a woman who left him with a baby fathered by his best friend, who he had to kill before he killed him. He's delusional, distrustful, hopeless. He sees this woman in the distance who is in dire need and despite his trauma, his instinct is to bring her in. Once in camp, he inspects her in the most intimate way, a way that is way over the top. He is already drawn to touch her. Once she is conscious again he is suspicious, he says he wants her gone, he sets up scenarios that should drive her away... yet, whenever she is gone he freaks out. He will welcome her back each time.

My favorite is when he literally has her at gunpoint because he just made up that she is a threat, and he takes her sword, disarms her, but he still welcomes her back. He just doesn't want her to be able to hurt him. Get it? And we know she's important to him, even if he doesn't admit it, because when their enemy demanded her in exchange for the safety of the rest of the camp, he wouldn't do it. I don't even think he knew why. But he couldn't do it. And even before he actually really knew her, he entrusted her with his most precious love, his child. And when she went out on her own mission, he was sad and worried. He was upset when she didn't need his help.

I could go on. But the point is he treated her like shit and then things slowly changed. By the time they became a couple he went off the rails quite a few times, had a love interest, etc. but the whole time, in the background, Michonne was becoming his partner not only in leadership, but in life. If she was ok, he was ok. If she wanted to make a move, he made the move. If he needed a second by his side, it was her no doubt. And Michonne could handle shit on her own, wanted to for a long time, but then through meeting Rick she decided to let someone in and wanted it, knew she wasn't whole without it. So by the time they became a couple, it was earned by both of them. The both had to change. But before that change, Rick was erratic, insane, often irrational, and he was sometimes that way with her, at one point mostly with her. But it changed. Because that is growth, that is character development, that is good storytelling.

So, when I see Carmy still struggling so hard and Syd struggling so hard at his side, because of him, I remember that this is that kind of love story. It's a love story seeded in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, distrust, but also an undeniable pull to each other that is at times inexplicable, questionable, but fated in a way only two broken people can be. They aren't going to have the kind of love story where he is a perfect prince from day one or his progress is linear. And that makes it better because look at what happened with Richonne. They became co-leaders, family, lovers. It's possible. So, I'm going to continue to be patient with Carmy Bear and see where this goes.

[vai3-writes]

Hey! Your match up is complete! @inbetweentojiandshiu

Barely proofread and awful punctuation, my apologies for any mistakes!

Sorry for any mistakes - I don't have anger issues myself and I am going off of information on the internet

English is not my native language

Any critique is greatly appreciated :)

word count ~ 1k

possible tw - /

And it's..

Yuji Itadori !!

While not the most common pair, INFP - ESFJ has the potential for a deeply fulfilling and transformative relationship between both partners. Your differences can be a catalyst for growth.

As an INFP, you're the Mediator, and your MBTI is described as a poetic, kind, and altruistic individual who strives for authenticity and a deep connection. Yujis' MBTI is ESFJ - The Consul is very caring, social, and eager to help.

You have similar motivations and comparable approach to many situations in life, resulting in the capability to build a very strong and admirable bond.

On the zodiac wheel, Virgo and Pisces are on opposite sides of each other - this relationship is sometimes described as being "sister signs." This dynamic suggests that they are complete opposites, yet together, they achieve a harmonious balance. They challenge one another to grow and learn, fostering continuous development and understanding. You provide each other with what the other person is lacking, making you an amazing duo that compliments one another.

I imagine a vibrant dynamic between the two of you. Yuji is a talkative and open-minded individual with an easygoing nature. You two would get close through Yuji, finding you intriguing and deciding to talk to you more. Your relationship would likely follow a "friends to lovers" trope. It's hard not to enjoy being around Yuji through his presence with his extroverted and positive personality, which would make it effortless for you to warm up to him. He's the kind of person who brings energy and enthusiasm to any situation. He finds your support and loyalty to your loved ones very endearing, yet it irks him when he sees you give undeserving people multiple chances, he would start talking you out of it later on.

Wanting someone authentic and willing to listen to you is not a problem with Yuji, he's honest and not the type of person to "lead someone on," anything you tell him is 1. confidential and 2. remembered by him, in case said thing is something you like/dislike, feel uncomfortable with, etc.

Whenever he sees you disregarding yourself to help someone else he would confront you about it, telling you that you should be your own focus, and can't make everyone like you. You weren't put on this world for that.

I headcanon Yuji as fairly clingy, so whenever you're together, he's always holding your hand, locking arms, leaning on you, etc. You're gonna have to tell him when you don't feel like it, but he doesn't mind - happy that you trust him enough to just tell him. He finds it funny how you're so chaotic yet so tidy at the same time, I think he's very similar to you in that aspect.

Yuji is supportive of anything you do and finds you wanting to be a voice actor really cool, he asks you to repeat certain things his favorite characters say just because he finds it endearing. He's fascinated by all of your musical skills, especially by your singing. His favorite activity became dragging you to karaoke clubs just because he likes hearing you sing. As I already mentioned, Yuji is incredibly open-minded, so count him in on any activity you want to do. Cosplay? He's in! Playing games together? The consoles already on! Listening to music? Sure, let's go!

To continue on that point, he's ready to do anything - as long as it's with you, but I do imagine that he really likes going to fairs or theme parks, winning you some random plushie you want, and dragging you on rides.

Arguments with Yuji aren't very common, but if they do occur, I can imagine Yuji getting somewhat emotional too, he will try and clear it up immediately because he tends to act like it never happened if he doesn't do so.

I can't see Yuji only showing his love in one way, I think he does a bit of every love language there is, inviting you to go out, gifts, pda, etc. Every time you do something something for him, he feels like he falls for you 1000x again.

I think Yuji doesn't like random silences either, he probably starts rambling himself, so he finds it cute when you do the same. He finds your dislikes very relatable and shares similar views with you on those things. Loves hearing you speak Italian, he finds it really charming and learns some phrases to impress you.

Now, last but not least coming to speak about appearance! While we all know the famous „I like a tall woman with a nice big ass“ scene, I‘m quite confident that Yuji isn‘t superficial. He loves your long nails and trust he wants to pay for them!! Your hair is one of his fav things about you - appearance-wise. He finds it gorgeous.

• headcanons

-

Going to a big amusement park that just opened up and getting a bunch of delicious fair food. You, noticing a cute plushie that you really like and stare at it for a second longer than you usually would. So naturally, Yuji is off to win it for you, and even with the rigged game he manages to get it!!

-

After you mention to Yuji that you‘d like to try baking together he suddenly gets the appeal that your idea has. Yet the only problem is - he can’t bake either... But that‘s not a problem! He finds the cutest baking workshop in a cafe, which you even went to once. Next thing you know, you’re baking bento cakes together!!

-

Playing a multiplayer game with Yuji, sitting beside each other as it jumps to a dialogue in which the villain is speaking. Yuji giggling to himself before begging you to repeat what the character just said. He just loves it so much when you repeat the deep and gloomy rumble of the villain's voice with your own- not so villain-esque one.

-

I procrastinated way too much while writing this my god

Anyway hope you enjoy lol

[jessaerys]

hate to say it but skins is getting better on rewatch; the queer politics are batshit insane 

the second half of s1 built up the tony-maxxie relationship as plot-critical: tony trying to hook up with maxxie to "try something new" is the catalyst of tony’s social and then physical+mental downfall. and it is very interesting to me that it is tony’s latent homosexual curiosity that michelle, (and by extension the narrative, which ultimately wants us to root for a michelletony endgame despite how miserable they make each other) finally considers too immoral to ignore (despite the open secret of tony’s many infidelities and plenty of unethical behaviors, as  well as his subtext infatuation with sid)

like it is textually tony’s  attempt to finally act upon this incorrect masculinity that becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back and brings about plenty of narrative punishment that is a clear tool to make him a “better” person (rn i think skins gen1 is pretty straightforwardly a punitive justice narrative)

anyway, all of this said, we are obviously meant to empathize with maxxie. his s1 conflict is his best friend won’t tell his parents that he is gay; it’s a pretty basic 2007 stuff.  he is the token gay character but he is written as a fully fledged human being (in some cases even more than other members of the cast) though i think this is partially very good acting carrying the character’s depth. he even goes from a secondary cast member in s1 to a primary one in s2, even being the opener of the season. 

what i find interesting is that maxxie is posited as gay from the beginning;  it is the challenging of the main character’s heterosexual status quo that the narrative seems to resent and punish

so we get to s2 and tune in again to see that maxxie’s & tony’s relationship has become one of ongoing intimate/tender/nurturing friendship with undeniable homoeroticism/queer subtext, which seems debatably intentional to me  in a queerbait/fanservice way that is pretty standard for the 00s (with an implied: it’s never going to happen) and this newfound intimacy both heightens the subtext of tony’s queerness while simultaneously neutering it. another reason why i think this development is a response to the audience (and i’ve done zero research so im just extrapolating here) is the plotline that’s just gotten introduced about maxxie’s straight female stalker, which feels like some sort of jab, possibly, to fangirls and fandom

so we’ve got tony, punished for his sexual deviance just when he was beginning to return to the “correct” gender performance (falling in love with michelle rather than just toying with her), and now he is helpless, disabled, and most importantly desexualized, and he is being tended to by the single queer character and all the while michelle waits it out because — well im running out of steam, but something something, michelle cant tend to tony while he is disabled because there’s no eroticism in it, heterosexual intimacy does not involve vulnerability, does not involve caretaking, does not involve emotional and mental support, only the passion of conflict and empty declarations of undying love 

meanwhile, hilariously enough, instead of having sid take care of tony and therefore show a distinct dynamic between michelle and the guy who pretty much says he “belongs to tony,” he is also sulking with michelle and waiting it out like a second love interest because uhhh [checks notes] we also need sid-tony passionate conflict don’t think too hard about it. i love when things are both gay and homophobic 

[himboskywalker]

I adore how you write anakin and Obi-Wans character, how do you do it? I would love to start writing but I have a hard time getting in a character, so I would love to hear how you do it. 🤗

Thank you so much! I feel like I have a harder time getting Obi-Wan's characterization right, so I'm always highly honored when anyone thinks I do lol I'm going to give you both some general writing advice and then a personalized approach for how I tackle characterization!

To start,good characterization sits on the foundation of each of your characters needs a motivation. Everyone that has ever existed in the whole world had wanted something, no matter how big or how small. Your character can be solely driven to survive the apocalypse because he wants a twinkie, or they can just want to get home to their cat, or it can be something deeper like wanting to belong or wanting to be loved or wanting power. But it is the human condition to want, and you cannot have a well written character if they don't want something. So let's narrow this down to Anakin and Obi-Wan, what do they want, and how does this want motivate and inform how they act, aka what are they going to do to get what they want?

What does Obi-Wan's canon character want? He wants to serve the Jedi, he wants to protect people, he wants peace, he wants to also serve and protect the galaxy. He also wants Anakin's friendship, and to be a good mentor, and that he could have saved his master. He wants quiet and probably a good cup of tea.

What does canon Anakin want? He wants to protect the people he loves to the marrow of his bones. He wants to protect and keep them so close he is terrified more than anything of losing them. Anakin wants the power and strength to protect his loved ones no matter the cost. He wants the exhilarating strength of being a Jedi and a general, but he also wants to be able to have conflicts of interest outside of his duty to the Jedi. He also wants, not just to be good at what he does, but the best.

They both want to protect, but this mutual want is driven by differing motivators. Obi-Wan's by selflessness, Anakin's by covetous fear. They are foils, two sides of the same coin. Obi-Wan wants to do his best, Anakin wants to be the best.

Storytelling is a journey of plot and development, but good characterization is also creating a person who goes on a journey, either externally or internally. Your character needs reasons for the way they think and act, and you show this either directly, by telling your audience, or indirectly through the character's thoughts, mannerisms and dialogue. And always remember, characters need agency. Your character wants something, and they should take actions in accordance to their motivations, and those actions drive the story. This is what is called a dynamic character.

We'll take Obi-Wan and Anakin out of their canon story and focus on a vague obikin oneshot, as I follow pretty much the same formula for every one I write. We know who Obi-Wan and Anakin are and their character drivers, but we'll also add in romantic want. Anakin wants to be a Jedi Knight and a General, he wants to fight and to protect those he cares about. He also wants Obi-Wan desperately, but he's more afraid of loss than he is motivated by romance. At least that's how I usually write him. Or we write the oneshot from Obi-Wan's pov. Obi-Wan wants to serve the Jedi and the GAR and the galaxy, and he wants the war to end, and maybe he deep down wants Anakin romantically. But Obi-Wan's sense of duty and morality trumps his longing, or at least that's how I write him. So we introduce a catalyst to override these foundational pillars to their characterizations. It can be reactional to each other's actions or words, or it can be due to their environment.

Another key to characterization is allowing your characters to change, just as real people do. Obi-Wan and Anakin change through the canon story arc of Star Wars. And in your story they will change too. Perhaps Anakin comes very close to dying and Obi-Wan is there, this would change Obi-Wan, how does that affect him emotionally, how would this inform his decisions, his perspective of the world, and his actions? Maybe on a mission Obi-Wan does his usual flirtatious shtick, does this change Anakin's internal balance of fear versus want? How would this inform his internal resolve, his perspective of others and himself, how would this motivate his actions?

I also recommend going to the drawing board and looking at the archetypes Obi-Wan and Anakin represent. What do they represent and how does this mold who they are? Obi-Wan is the older, wiser, steadier mentor. Anakin is the younger, tempestuous, rasher student. What do they thrive doing, what do they like, what do they not like? What aggravates them, what brings them joy? Humans are made of a trillion little pieces all jumbled together and your characters are too.

Obi-Wan is his wants and motivations, but he is also the way he speaks, the way he moves, the things he engages with and likes and the things he avoids and hates. Anakin is his wants and fears, but he too is the way he talks and carries himself and his interests and what he gravitates to and what he instinctively shirks. I recommend watching the prequels and literally writing down observations of their characters in real time. Notice how Ewan strokes his beard or the wonky way he smiles, notice how Hayden talks and that bashful way he holds his head.

[relaxxattack]

hwy so i saw ur poll ab arasol and f they were matesprits or not and ive been into homestuck for about 7 years and its a special interest and im autistic and thwy are my first and tbh only otp anf so if this is ok i wld like to infodump my opinion/hcs ab them bc i just 🥰 i love them sm 🥰 (def not frothing at the mouth at the idea of an audience for my opinions bc everyone irl is sikc of me lmao /lh)

ok so i deffo think they ar e matesprits BUT i think they never liie. clearly confirmwd it while aradia was alive. and once she became ghost aradia i think she got so distant and aloof (i think thats the right word?) about everytuing that it made sollux feel like she disnt love him anymore, and he eventually just had to move on, even thouvh it hurt. and feferi was there, not necessarily as a "rebound" but as a shoulder to cry on. someone for sollux to confide in, and to listen to him because he didnt have anyonw else he felt like woild. and i feel like feferi was def nto him and wanted to be his matesprit but i think sollux wasnt really. and i think they developed a kind of mixed/blurred lines relationship and the whole ghost and aradiabot phases pushed him and aradia furhter apart because aradia was dealinf wth so so much and in turn sollux was dealinf with the loss of his presumed (unofficial, wtv) matesprit, because that wasnt the aradia he knew and had fallen in love with. the ghost thing wasnt a bother - he loved her, not her physical form - it was the personality shift, i think.

and so when she reached god tier and regained her body nd her sense of identity, ithink they started to rekindle what they had nefore, if that makes sense? like aradia was his aradia again, an aradia interested in life and adventuee and archaeology and not this stupid, stupid game and suddenly not everything felt like it was collapsing around him and he felt like things could be okay again. and she helped him and he helped her and together they did make thinfs okay again. with each other.

and i think aradia's living>ghost>aradiabot>godtier timeline is a good allegory for depression and how it can absolutely shatter your sense of self and strip your world of colour and how that can make you push people away and self isolate and whatnot. idk thats just how i see it but :3 yea

i havet checkwd out the epilogues or homestuck^2 btw so this is based solely off of andrew hussie's homestuck bc i love it sososo much anyways yea !!!! tysm if anybody took the time to read this i love u all!! and ty for letting me drop this in ur askbox lolz and yea :3 srry if this isnt v comprehensive i just got off an 8hr closing shift at work lmao <3

this is a REALLY good analysis and i really love it, thank you for sharing! this makes complete sense to me.

aradia's depression being the catalyst for their split is very true! especially since she then sort of broke his trust with the whole sgrub thing-- and before that interacting with her was hard because sollux felt so guilty about what he did to her. it's just sad on all accounts, and i'm glad they both got better

honestly my poll was more to ask the question; "so we all agree that aradia and sollux were matesprits right because they do NOT act like moirails lol but it's funny because if they're matesprits that makes the feferi business weirder", but i don't think it came across in the post correctly, pfft

yes i definitely agree that they were matesprits, and also the idea that feferi was more into sollux than he was her is a really interesting one-- i also wonder if maybe feferi was maybe less into sollux than she thought, herself-- it's possible she threw herself into that relationship because she was just so relieved to be finally cut off from eridan and "allowed" to have relationships like that. but that's just my thought!

at the end of the day they're all just kids trying stuff out and it's kind of adorable and not that serious. i'm an arasoler at heart but there's nothing wrong with solfef either

[south-park-meta]

I think I agree with it as a character regression actually.

It feels like ever since the Post Covid there’s been this like… Undoing of a lot of the character development the kids have had. And I kind of get why they’ve done it- characters like Stan and Kyle for example felt like they’d been written into a miserable wall where it was hard to approach them in new ways. And like, this was because they had built on and on with this rising action of character development for them and then just… Sort of gave up on it? And we got Post Covid to “resolve it”, and dgmw I love Post Covid but it hardly was enough to meaningfully fix the damage between Stan and Kyle’s relationship the last ten seasons or so, or their own issues that have just built on to be worse and worse and weigh on them more and more heavily.

And so like. Idk where I’m going with this. I get why they reversed it to bring the show back to feeling fresher and more like a bunch of kids going through crazy little adventures rather than the depressing reality they’d written them into. Like, I don’t hate seeing them act more naive and innocent and happy as opposed to the broken messes they’d both became (and other characters as well, though I do feel like it’s just so especially prominent with Stan and Kyle specifically) but it’s kind of frustrating at times? To see them relearn things or to have never gotten any real conclusion or closure on where their characters had been going for a long time? I’d loved to have gotten a real resolution to any of that but. Idk.

Idk if this exactly matches your perspective on this, but idk, I’ve definitely felt similar to your thoughts here! Sorry to ramble about it in ur ask box lmao

Yeah I think it comes down to Post Covid, too. They've hand waved a lot of Stan and Kyle's issues which is like fine, I guess. Like, whatever, they've never been great at discussing their problems so there's arguably been improvement by Stan admitting jealousy outright recently... though Stan's also been VERY consistent in having emotions build, dumping them out when they're too much to handle, and then not really doing anything more with them lol which...is the same thing that happened with regards to being jealous over Kyle and Tolkien.

Whatever though, I guess.

Stan in particular I feel is The Problem with the show growing. He actually HAS to be regressed quite a bit to reset the show the way they want to. This isn't something that's really true for the other boys because the catalyst to their friendship breaking apart...was Stan. Of course there were fissures, there were REASONS, but those things are irrelevant. The other kids, on a whole, were fine with the status quo. If their friendship ultimately completely broke apart into smithereens based on the Pre-Post Covid episodes, it is CLEAR that Stan is the one who's going to end it. No matter how the other kids feel or don't feel, it's Stan who's pulling the plug.

How do you keep going forward with the main character who's willing to end ALL of his meaningful relationships when you don't want to do anything but band-aid fix the problems that he's had? South Park has a major story problem and it is, primarily, there is no REAL new reason for Stan to stay friends with people he thought 'didn't like each other'. The narrative problem is Stan. Fixing the narrative problem means dialing back Stan's relationship growth, it means tamping down the depression they've been building (even in terms of situational depression regarding Tegridy this has been dialed WAAAAY way back).

Stan IS the problem with fixing things.

Unfortunately putting him in a place where things can be magically fixed also means completely jacking up his growth pretty much from around season 15/YGO.

[thatgirl4815]

Hi! I'm the anon who sent the ask about the fight in Sand's apartment. In light of the ask you just got about Ray hate, I want to clarify that I do not hate Ray! He is my pookie and I love him, just as Sand is my pookie and I love him. I have all the empathy in the world for Ray finally getting his chance to be with Mew in the worst possible way, and I expect that he knows deep down that this isn't going to work out the way he wants it to - but he had to take the chance anyway. It honestly feels like a form of self-harm for him (or at least accepting the love he thinks he deserves). And I will still have all the empathy in the world when it inevitably blows up in his face. Honestly, I hope he gets the chance to see for himself that a relationship with Mew isn't what he's been imagining it to be because of the ways Mew himself is flawed, and that he gets a chance to feel dissatisfied with it in his own right rather than Mew just throwing him over for Top. Honestly, I don't think his behaviour toward Sand up to this point has been anything to criticise overmuch - they're both guilty of letting the lines blur, and touting the "we're just friends with benefits" party line when that lines up less and less with how they were acting. Sand saying they weren't friends isn't entirely fair - I do think their friendship was honest, even if there was more romantic interest than either was admitting to. Still, it's good that he finally drew the line and admitted it isn't what he wants. And Ray admitting to romantic interest of his own is also good, even if the I can have feelings for as many people as I want, but don't you dare make out with anyone else display was not it. I want the jealousy from Ray not to punish him, but because I think it's important to their relationship progression that he either develops or acknowledges the strength of that romantic interest (especially in contrast to his Mew feels) if they're going to have a hope of being endgame. And I want Sand to remember he's a catch and deserves someone who wants him wholeheartedly. (And if that's Ray, apologises for calling him a whore.) Anyway, sorry if you felt like I wanted Ray punished by the narrative - I wanted to give you a better explanation of where I'm coming from in case my ask was upsetting!

Hi! No need to apologize at all! :) As I said before, I think everybody's opinion on this is valid because it's ultimately such a messy situation. I think my biggest point is that having empathy for both Sand and Ray makes the viewing experience that much more rich and complex. Nobody is 100% good or 100% bad.

For the record, I also want Ray to feel jealousy. I want Ray to hurt for all the hurt that he has caused Sand (and as the catalyst for showing him just how much he cares about Sand). And I agree that up until this point, Ray hasn't really done too much bad to Sand aside from calling him a whore. He hasn't been super upfront with Sand about his feelings for Mew, but he didn't owe him that in the beginning, and even recently he tried to open a dialogue about it, but Sand is the one who shut it down.

Where things get messy is in what is said besides what is implicitly understood. I agree that Sand and Ray's friendship is honest, and I also think that their romantic pull to each other has been a dominant force in that relationship; they might not have vocalized it, but I don't believe for a moment that either of them ever thought this was purely a friendship (besides maybe episode 2?). The problem is denial. Ray is denying because of Mew. And he knows it. I'd argue that Ray is very aware of his affection for Sand, but he isn't allowing himself to consider it too deeply lest it take away from his feelings for Mew.

It's like when you develop a hyperfixation, and while in that hyperfixation you start getting interested in something else, and the thought of liking anything more than your hyperfixation starts to freak you out so you immediately start to shut down the new interest. (Does that make sense? Maybe that's a bad analogy, but I have that experience a lot haha).

[richincolor]

Book Review: Queen Bee

Title: Queen Bee

Author: Amalie Howard

Genres:  Historical Fiction/Romance

Pages: 368 

Publisher: Joy Revolution

Review Copy: ARC by publisher

Availability: Available now

Summary: Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever changed—when her best friend, Poppy, betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. She was sent away in disgrace, her reputation ruined.

Nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with bitterness and a desire for . . . revenge. Her enemy is quickly joining the crème de la crème of high society while she withers away in the English countryside.

With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London’s elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she’s ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire.

Review: If you love the Bridgerton show on Netflix, you’ll love this book. It was so much fun! This was another one of those times where I intended to read the book slowly but was so drawn into the drama that I couldn’t put it down. I was smiling all throughout as Howard contrasts Ela’s heart-wrenching betrayal by Poppy and her life immediately after with the implantation and acts of her plans for revenge. The novel is somewhat an “enemies to lovers” trope as Keston Osborn (the duke’s son) somewhat played a role, unwillingly, in in the events that led Ela being sent away by her father. Being that Keston has no clue Ela sees him as an enemy makes for a lovely twist on the trope and great romantic tension.  

I won’t give spoilers as to how Poppy completely ruins Ela’s life (and you will absolutely hate her for it), but after the event Ela is sent away to a strict religious boarding school where, despite the harshness of the headmistresses and their routines, she mends her broken heart through the friendships she makes with other girls who have been sent away, and develop an almost mother-daughter like relationship with a Church, a woman who lived on the grounds. It is also where Ela concocts her plan for getting back at Poppy and ruining her life. With Church she creates her alter ego, Lyra Whitely, and manages to return to London for the summer social season and the Ton. Her plan seems flawless - ingratiate herself into Poppy��s social circle, then bring Poppy down, and restore her own family’s social status. Now you might be wondering, won’t anyone recognize her? I had that thought initially and well, let’s just saw Howard does a great job of explaining Ela/Lyra’s deception. I was so impressed with the detail Ela/Lyra displayed in her plan and was rooting for her to win. And while Ela/Lyra is focused on revenge, she is not a cold-hearted character. As she is enacting her plan and creating friendships with Poppy’s friends, whom Poppy is a typical mean girl too, Ela/Lyra’s conscience forces her to examine her true motivations as she realizes that her revenge would end up hurting more than just Poppy. She finds a sense of community with certain members of the ton and she questions whether or not to continue with her plan. This internal conflict that Howard writes for Ela/Lyra is another reason why I was so drawn to her. The novel really examines whether revenge is truly ever worth it and the power of forgiveness, which Ela/Lyra learns through her newly developed friendships. 

Since this one of Joy Revolution’s first publications, I have to mention the romance between Keston and Ela/Lyra. But…I don’t want to give any spoilers away so I’ll just say that part of Ela/Lyra’s growth towards forgiveness comes from her new relationship with Keston. They had been good friends before  Poppy used him as the catalyst for the betrayal, but when they reconnect, their attraction and chemistry is still just as strong. I loved their scenes, both when they were younger at the sweetness and innocence of it all and when they were older and able to truly challenge each other as young adults. 

Overall, this is a great read if you love historical fiction romance, enemies to lovers, and a good revenge story. I can tell you how much I loved it and what I recommend by this conversation I had with one of my students:

Student: *whispers* Do you have any romance books I could borrow? 

Me: I have just the book for you! *hands her Queen Bee*

Go buy this book! I guarantee you will love it. 

[abigailzimmer]

Favorite Reads of 2024

This year has included a lot of scholarly reading for work, and so it's been harder to turn to reading for pleasure. When I did, it was easiest to escape into fiction, letting the story do the work of hooking me, rather than quieting my mind enough to engage with poetry or being able to take in more information through nonfiction. I've missed them both, though, especially as reading more fiction led to more encounters with books I didn't care as much about. Whatever I read, though, most often was read on my porch—the first one I've had in a long time, and I can't enthuse enough over a porch space, a book (and a blanket in spring/fall), my pup Olive and a glass of tea/coffee/wine/dark beer, and dreamy gazing at the birds and blossoms nearby...

1. Perhaps my favorite fiction read was Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, who writes about the power of stories in our individual lives and the way one story can connect us across time, place, and circumstance. In the book, a story is just barely rescued from obscurity, existing only in fragments. Centuries later, it is translated from Greek by a Vietnam War veteran and performed as a play in the middle of winter by elementary school kids. Centuries after that, a young girl on a spaceship whose destination won't arrive in her lifetime finds this particular story and its history at a time when she needs it most. Because of illiteracy, a minority status, or circumstance, each character exists in a small or somewhat isolated world, which the fragmented story helps expand, both figuratively and then literally by being a catalyst that throws them alongside others. It's a beautiful novel about why we read, and Doerr's steady weaving together of the timelines has a very satisfying ending.

A lot of the book focuses on the act of translation and Doerr draws a line from being a good writer or creator to also being a good reader. One reads and is transformed by it, and then further transforms by embedding the insight into new fiction or another creative work, so that we are always building upon what's come before us, and in this way continue our connection.

2. Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is, on the surface, about video games, which doesn't actually appeal to me, but on a deeper level, about the unique space friendship holds in our lives and in the creative life and about the energy of collaboration and telling a good story. Sadie and Sam are people who love video games and so become friends who make video games together. Zevin captures the messy and petty parts of being alongside humans for any length of time as well as that thrilling focus beyond yourself that comes when you join together. Sadie and Sam often interpret periods of their lives differently, assuming the other knows what's going on with them and feeling resentful by subsequent actions—a very human centering of ourselves. But there's also real care between them and figuring out how to show up for each other in their own ways. It's not feel-good, but it is rewarding.

3. As a time-traveling story, The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley takes a very thoughtful and fresh approach. The story revolves around a handful of "expats" from various time periods who the British government brings in to study how they adjust to time travel. The expats are each assigned a "bridge," who helps ease their way. Our protagonist is the bridge for a Victorian arctic explorer, pulled from an expedition before he would have starved to death. Each of the characters are well written with distinct dialogue, and the expats' reactions to elements of modern life and the love story that develops, full of cross-cultural challenges, felt original. When the trust between two characters is ruptured, one character realizes they've read the other "as empire" and the other has read the protagonist as "nonconformist," each thinking they were on the same page but really seeing what they wanted to see, which is what they valued in themselves. The shock when they see each other anew felt very true. I wish the story went on a little longer, but the book overall was such a pleasure. It has the perfect last line, which I won't spoil.

4. In Memory of James Wright, Whose Poem I Ate by Tyler Cain Lacy is a novella told from the perspective of a swaybacked horse in Minnesota who ate one of Wright's poems, leaving us with a new poem of only a title and a blank page. David, the horse, has complaints—about the poem's reception and Wright's slowness in understanding the horse's lessons on writing and the very human interpretation generally assigned to the poem—as well as ideas of why the poem "works," what matters in poetry, and how rapture may be found. It's a clever folding in of both a close reading and ars poetica in a story, as well as being funny—every time the story leans more deeply into criticism, you're suddenly reminded this is coming from a horse, and a grumpy one at that. I would take a class with David the horse.

"[the poem] suggests that rapture is random and leads to nowhere but right back here. And this isn't a depressing conclusion nor a throwing-up of hands in defeat, but a liberating awareness that in the well-worn paths of our quotidian ambling, in our passive lapping at the algae-streaked trough, lay the meaning of our galloping lives."

5. I really delighted in Mathematics for Ladies by Jessy Randall, especially as I've been reading more science for work. Randall's persona poems highlight women scientists whose contributions have been overlooked or buried. The poems are funny and clever and distilled from a lot of reading and thinking about each scientist and the obstacles to her work. In the back of the book, a few of the scientists' stories are further detailed, but I don't think it hinders the reading experience not to know everyone's story; the women's passion for their subject matter and their perseverance in their discipline shine through. It is a book that leads to further rabbit holes.

6. Opening up Modern Poetry by Diane Seuss felt a little like coming home after reading much less poetry this year. It was easy to fall into the rhythms and play and leaps of her work. "The grooves were dug deep," Diane writes, about where we come from. Her newest collection is very much a love song to poetry: the love of it, the companionship of it, the boredom of it, the evolution of it. In long poems that end in satisfying callbacks and call to be read aloud, which I often did, my dog an indifferent audience, she wanders through memories, anger and hardship, practicality and wonder in an acceptance of what life is, the good and bad and hope of it. "Still, I'm copious," she writes about what can be taken, "and so are you."

7. Sarahland by Sam Cohen is weird and wild in the best ways possible. Each story in this collection is about a Sarah. I loved "Gossip," about the rise and fall of a brief relationship as interpreted by surrounding friends; "The First Sarah," which retells the story of Abraham and Sari, with Sari as a trans women; and "Becoming Trees," in which a couple decides they've explored their humanness enough and begin their preparations for becoming trees. There are a lot of funny lines and over-the-top situations grounded in some very big heart, and I couldn't put it down.

"There just aren't as many options for how to be human as people think."

8. Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel has a really interesting premise, taking place over the course of a two-day youth women's boxing match. Each chapter narrates one of the match's brackets and how the two teens come together not just with their fists but their whole selves, past and future, worldviews and personalities. Bullwinkel merges so well a present moment, staying with the circling of an opponent, and the larger picture of what brought someone to this moment and how it might define them in one way or another. Whether the match is a big deal to them or not, going through it adds a layer to their emerging self, shaped by how the teen integrates this moment into her larger story. It was an engrossing read with some great moments of prose throughout.

9. North Woods by Daniel Mason I knew would be nature-focused, but I did not expect it to be a ghost story! The book follows the history of a tract of land in New England and a couple fleeing the Puritans who build on it, and then the generations of people passing through the house, while the land and house change. The various stories are funny, moving, and bumbling, but all are immersed in the flora and fauna of the place.

What I loved about the book were the many moments where the history of a previous character was about to be unearthed in some way, and then something happened to hinder that: redecoration or death, the words getting lost in translation or reinterpreted. It shows how fragile, perhaps, but also mysterious history is and the many stories that aren't documented and so don't get told. Still, for the reader outside this world, Mason drops little callbacks throughout, a character encountering the same mossy stone or hearing words that someone else spoke into the earth that shows just how much we are influenced by the past, even without realizing it. A book club friend noted that in this way the book is also instructing on how to read a landscape, rewarding close attention with small variations and patterns, essential for us in understanding an environment and conserving it, and I loved that.

10. Though I've read individual pieces by Lydia Davis over the years, can't and won't was the first short story collection of hers that I've read in full. And it was riveting, focused as she is on the minutiae of the every day, of how an object or person "is taking action in its own little way." Rather than telling us a story of ambitions, desire, and change, she tells us the story of the moments that don't seem to matter, as in what happens during the act of walking: "But I am told that I must pause at each step, letting my foot rest on the ground for a moment, if I want to develop its full power and reach, before taking the next." Exactly my cup of tea. I loved it.

[domoz]

somehow, now i have a lot of tobi/hikaku thoughts? like jesus christ this is halfway to a fic outline so i might as well add it onto my endless list of things to write. so uh:

In the early days of the village Tobirama and Hikaku quickly come to realize that the other is one of the only others around who will just buckle down and Do Their Fucking Job without causing a bunch of unneeded drama. They start to see the other as dependable and even though they have their prejudices they’re both willing to hear the other out on things without immediately starting arguments (unlike Tobi with SOME people). Tobirama maybe even fully admits that he has trouble fully trusting the peace/the Uchiha, but  Hikaku finds that when he takes the time to explain the logic of why the Uchiha do things the way they do.Tobirama is able to accept them and start to move past it. (Hikaku also probably spends a lot of time carefully bringing up Tobirama’s ideas to Madara in a way that makes him think HE thought of them, just so they actually get done). So they work together a lot and end up being like. Office buddies with a pretty big mutual respect, and as time goes on they just become full out friends going out for drinks after work etc etc.

Hikaku slowly becomes a victim of the dangerous+pretty+competent problem Tobirama poses and starts catching feelings. Like he ends up pining and ANNOYED that he’s pining because not only is this not his first time w/ a stupid unrequited crush (Madara and/or Izuna take your pick) he knows that even IF his feelings were returned actually doing anything about them would be a huge political nightmare. He’s got this feeling of maybe being a little inferior -- he’s a good shinobi, sure, but he doesn’t hold a flame to Madara/Izuna/Hashirama/Tobirama when it comes down to it. A lot of his best skills are in like, logistics, not decimating the battlefield (which Tobirama likes quite a lot actually cough cough). He’d have to do something crazy to attract someone like Tobirama’s attention (which during the war was actually a good thing!!)

Tobirama meanwhile is in denial that they are even friends for a while, but I think when he realizes that they are (the catalyst probably being like. Hikaku just does something Nice for him b/c he’s a nice guy. Which no one really does for him! but Hikaku did!) he dives straight from ‘oh we are friends’ to ‘oh i’m kind of in love with him’ and then gets PISSED at himself, because surely he’s not the kind of person who will just fall for the first person who is kind of nice to him?? It takes him a while to work through his feelings. But in the end Hikaku is someone who he respects a great deal which is why that act of kindness mattered so much to him in the first place.

I’ve got no idea how the confession happens. tobirama is probably really straightforward about it (or god, maybe hes like “you’ve always been good at explaining things so riddle me THIS why do i like you so much??” and he is genuinely asking). From there like you could go “they both know they like each other but because the Uchiha as a Whole still hate tobirama there’s nothing they can do it about it and it sucks” (and if this is in a more canon compliant situation. good lord but tobirama as the hokage and hes in love with Hikaku and this is their best chance to do something about it and they STILL can’t) or you could have the Very Funny Scene of Tobirama trying to figure out Uchiha courting customs + what the fuck he has to do to convince Madara to allow him to try them.

(also as a bonus thought. Hikaku developing his mangeko bc of tobirama dying/almost dying thank you for your time)

and FURTHERMORE I also had thoughts about tobirama/hikaku/madara vis a vis tobirama/hikaku ending up in a relationship.

ver 1 is like -- he allows tobirama to court hikaku but he DOES NOT trust itand keeps inserting himself into the entire process, and in the end tobirama and Hikaku are kind of powerless to really stop him? from doing that. Madara is so mad that they’re actually kind of romantic with each other?? But also somehow in the process he ends up endearing himself to tobirama by being cringefail (and Hikaku already liked him on the dl) They end up bringing him into the relationship before he even realizes he wants to be in it.

ver 2 is Tobirama and Hikaku ending up married and like. Domestic and happy much to literally everyone’s surprise. Madara wants that SO BADLY that he keeps going to all the married people he knows just to get a mere hint of it. But Hashirama sees him as a good friend/brother, and Izuna, whatever the hell is going on with him, is his actual brother and doesn’t see much weird with Madara wanting to hang out with him, even if him wanting to hang out with him and his S/O specifically all the time is a little weird.

But Tobirama and Hikaku are Not Related to him and draw very different conclusions about what he wants to get out of spending time with them. I think Tobirama maybe relates to Madara a little more than he wants to here because he, too, was desperate for intimacy before he had it, and Madara must be down BAD if he’s willing to spend time with Tobirama. Which, he is, but I think Madara saw how happy they ended up -- reverse relating to Tobirama bc he saw how Tobirama was before and how he is NOW, and decided ‘they can fix me.’

[blues-valentine]

A long rant about teen wolf because why not (finale + stalia)

I’m here watching old episodes of TW and i’m still trying to understand why last season sucked and it’s simply because it destroyed and minimized so many great relationships in order to force Stiles + Lydia at the end. I roll my eyes every time people pull the "they were a slow burn" card because you can tell the writing wasn’t going to go there anymore.

Lydia and Stiles had the typical manic pixie girl dynamic and nice guy syndrome trope for 2 seasons, and it doesn’t matter how many scenes you pull out, it wasn’t reciprocated romantically because Lydia on season 3 was obviously falling in love with Aiden. That awful panic attack kiss happened on 3A season finale and it should’ve worked as a catalyst for romantic feelings through out season 3B but it didn’t — they continued Lydia’s romantic plot with the twin and the kiss wasn’t mentioned nor did it seem to impact them differently. As I said in an old post, the only way I could’ve believed them romantically would’ve been starting off their romantic development on season 3 after Stiles outgrew the nice guy syndrome and they started to have a mutual friendship but the only thing it did was solidify Lydia with Aiden. Also, you can tell that the writers were going to set up Stiles with a romantic interest all season 3. They were trying it with Cora Hale until Adelaide Kane had to leave the show for Reign so they wrote her off. They moved on introducing Malia on 3B, and funny enough, her plot gets immediately linked to Stiles. 3B could’ve been the perfect set up for a Stdia romance but they didn’t do it.

As opposed to what people think, Stiles and Malia had a solid start. Stiles being the only one that could understand Malia even in her coyote form and having this need to protect her. Malia immediately acting as a catalyst for Stiles' nogitsune multiple times and just the nogitsune understanding right away that Stiles was attached to Malia and could use her to get him. Malia waking Stiles up from the nogitsune. Their relationship ever since it started has been about understanding and dealing with the guilt of the things you do when you don’t have control of your own body. You can tell right away in the Echo House episode that Malia is extremely loyal by nature and she saw Stiles as someone she could trust. They were in a very weird situation and found confort in each other.

Season 4 to me just completely solidified their relationship. It was a season were you could tell both Stiles and Malia need each other strongly and even if the "i love you" was never spoken it was pretty much understood in context. Stiles was really to leave his jet to search after Malia. People saying Stiles never loved Malia are delusional. "I’ll never leave you behind" was their own version of i love you. We saw both Stiles and Malia going through a fight that made them stronger. Malia felt integrated to the pack and as part of Stiles' family. We saw a Stiles terrified of the idea of losing her. Stiles for the first time had someone that would put him first, that appreciated his efforts. We know he couldn’t sleep without her. The show made it clear how serious their relationship was by making Stiles become Malia's anchor and help her in her during full moon. By S4, there wasn’t even a mention of Stdia as a romantic pairing and all of their scenes were platonic at best.

The Stiles and Malia "break up" on season 5 was so strange because it made not sense character and plot wise. Stiles being mad about Malia knowing he killed Donovan and at her for saying "it didn’t matter to me" and proceeding to dump her without explanations doesn’t make sense because Stalia's whole relationship was about accepting the bad parts of each other and giving themselves a break to deal with trauma and emotions. Malia didn’t care about it not because death or killing wasn’t important to her but because she understands the person Stiles is and was giving him space to come clean. We are talking about the same Malia that was scared on season 4 about being a monster like Peter and was still dealing with the guilt for the things she did as a coyote. The Stiles and Malia they showed us would’ve talked about it and overcome it together. The season started with both Stiles and Malia speaking about their future together. We saw Stiles being terrified of Malia hurting herself — and he dumped her because she knew him the best (?). Then you have a cheap line about Stiles always liking Lydia by season finale said by Kira of all people (that wasn’t even there until 3B) and it was also an episode in which they made up an excuse so they won’t have Malia in the episode with the group so they could pull that fan-service when we know Malia would never leave Stiles or the pack alone when she’s needed, especially not in Echo House, a place she knows well. In fact, Stiles not caring about Malia and what she was going through with her mom on season 5 was extremely out of character. It’s the same Stiles that set up a clues board without Malia knowing to find her mother in the first place.

Season 6 was the nail in the coffin for me. Arden Cho/Kira gets written off because apparently "Kira's story line has wrapped up" according to the writers which was so weird because she was the character with the strongest background and so much could've been done with her relationship with Scott but they needed her out of the way to sell the season. The whole memory wipe of Stiles from everyone’s memory (except Lydia) was such a forced way for the writers to throw a romance between Scott and Malia now with Kira out. That relationship was weird especially when it was established Malia considered Stiles as basically her one pair (like a mate) and there was never a romantic inclination between them expect for pack member and leader. I said it before and will said it again, forcing the "Lydia is a banshee and that’s why she was the only one to remember him" was so they could force Stdia on the audience and you can tell served as a way to revisionist the way their interactions were portrayed before. Lydia being so magically in love with Stiles was sudden and fake. Most importantly, the season did a huge disservice to the heart of the show: the friendship between Scott and Stiles. Scott should’ve been the one to remember Stiles. His best friend, his family, a member of his pack. That would’ve given the show a nice full circle moment — but offering ship fan service was more important.