#i need to write but i really just dont wanna

[gatorbites-imagines]

Umm so kinda a sad one but how do you think petvincibles would react to reader just shutting down. Getting home from work and just laying on the couch for hours. Think like severe burn out not being able to do anything

Felt like writing what each Mark would do, so here ya go, pookie.

Its just a bit for each, but yeah, there are a lot of Marks,,, 

Sinister Mark 

Just... kinda awkward about it. Like, he doesnt do feelings like that. Hes used to resorting to violence when he feels stuff he doesnt like so,,, wanna,,, go punch something? No? 

Ends up just kinda hovering around the reader the rest of the day. Might try to bring you stuff like how a dog or cat does. Like... heres your favorite blanket, shirt, heres that drink you like from London,,, 

High Top Mark 

Still kinda awkward about it but at least knows more about it than sinister. Hovers for a bit at a distance before coming closer and carefully asking if you wanna talk about it. 

If you dont then he just sits with you, if you want the company. If you just wanna be left alone, then he still hovers, but at a distance. Keeps an eye on you, makes sure you dont need anything. 

Prisoner Mark 

Has days where he breaks down too, more than the other Marks. Hes so used to isolation that being around people can really drive in up the wall, and he gets overwhelmed. 

One of the few situations where he will bark at the other Marks to back off and leave you alone if you need it. Brings you blankets, snacks, pulls the blinds so it gets comfortably dark, etc. 

20/20 Mark 

Guys a freak and energetic as hell, so he wouldnt even notice for a while that the reader is just laying here, quiet and just overwhelmed by everything. Kinda like an overexcited puppy cuz hes just happy to see you. 

When it finally clicks he just, slowly goes quiet and still. Then he kneels down, trying to see your face, trying to ask whats up, whats wrong, etc. Ends up having to be told by the other Marks whats up.  

After that he backs off and lets reader recharge as he needs. 

Flaxan Mark 

Used to feeling overwhelmed and overworked after doing what hes done with the flaxans, so he just sits down by the reader, would pet readers hair and talk softly to him if reader is okay with it. 

I can imagine him sitting there and fixing up his gear as reader rests and just enjoying his company. Would explain each step in a quiet voice, just for some white noise. 

Mohawk Mark 

Just as awkward as sinister Mark, just kinda chews the inside of his cheek and stands there, trying to talk to reader and make him respond or get up. 

Might get a little annoyed after reader just lays there like the dead, but hes been working on his people skills, so he ends up giving reader a slow pat on the back or head, tells him to rest in a bit of a strained tone, and shuffles off cuz he isnt good at comfort. 

Long haired Mark 

I think hes pretty quiet compared to other Marks when it comes to your relationship, and is observant when it comes to your feelings. 

If you are energetic enough, and you need something to do with your hands, then you can mess with his hair all you want. Or he does your hair as you lay with your head in his lap. 

Bug eyed Mark 

Guys a little strange, but observant. You kinda become observant after becoming evil, and all that. Would quietly ask if you are okay, when he doesnt get a reply he shuffles a bit. 

Then he sits on the floor beside you, and holds your hand in his own, and messes with your fingers or rubs the back of your hand. 

Half Mask Mark 

Another freak weirdo who struggles with feelings and comfort. Peeks into the room to see you laying there, awkwardly stands there in the “mom i threw up” pose. 

Shuffles away again, brings your comfort blanket or pillow or something, shuffles it under your head, gives you a kinda choppy kiss on top of the head and stumbles away again. 

Maskless Mark 

Such a softy, such a sweetie. Would walk over, rubbing your back and quietly ask how youre doing, what happened, or if you need anything. 

Takes your shoes off for you, your jacket or hoodie, and lifts you up so he can lay down, and then lay you on top of him. Will lay there for hours with you, petting your hair and back. 

Full mask Mark 

Hes most likely had moments like this too, and he does what his mom used to do when he was just exhausted and worn out from the world. 

You will find a bowl of cut up fruit or snacks, your favorite drink, and he puts on your comfort movie/show on the tv. Somehow it stays cold and crisp until you are ready to come back to reality. 

Moustache Mark 

I don't think that viltrumites take mental health very seriously, so moustache Mark would just kinda stand there awkwardly. Purses his lips a bit, wiggles his moustache, trying to remember how his mom used to help him. 

Ends up just standing behind the couch, rubbing your back for a bit, maybe tells you that you fought hard and deserve to rest. 

Shiesty Mark 

Another awkward guy. Used to being loud and expression himself and letting his anger control him when hes fighting, or in situations where he needs to react somehow. 

Ends up googling and looking at reddit on how to help. Quietly brings you a hot towel, or cold towel depending on preferences, and makes sure to get your favorite takeout for dinner. 

Omni-Mark 

As the housewife he is, or wishes he was, Omni-Mark will notice the exact moment you step in the door that you aren't the same as usual. Will immediately start hovering. 

When you flop down on the couch, Omni-Mark makes quick work of changing your clothes, getting you comfortable, and will sit you up and feed you if he has too. Then he kisses your forehead and tells you to rest for now. 

Viltrumite Mark 

Like moustache Mark, viltrumite Mark doesn't really know too much about what to do when you feel overwhelmed and just tired of the world. 

Would treat you the same way hed treat a tired warrior, ends up rubbing your back or massaging sore areas of your body, might bully you a little to drink and eat, and help you shower if you need it. 

Bulletproof Mark 

I think hes one of the Marks with most connection to humanity still, so he remembers all about being burnt out, so he remembers what to do much better than the rest. 

He would also have observed what you do on days when you are normal amounts of stress, so he does that, and gives you a couple of kisses and lets you recharge for as long as you need. 

Faceless Mark 

Quiet guy for the most part, so he observes, and starts bringing you stuff the same way a loyal pup would. 

Rubs his face into your hair and mumbles that he loves you and that you did well. Also offers to kill your boss if they are the reason you are worn down.  

Empire Mark 

A brat, so he doesn't notice for the first while. Would just crawl onto the couch and lay down on top of you, and after rambling for a while and nuzzling you, then he realizes. 

Mumbles a bit cuz hes also working on his human feelings, but he does help you kick your shoes off and shuffles you into a more comfortable position so he can cuddle you like an angry kitten. 

Original Mark Graysons 

Cyborg Mark 

Has just as many days where hes worn down and exhausted as you, if not more. It depends on how far he is in his healing journey. Chances are, you guys end up just lying there together. 

Since he can vibrate, then he would rub your back, or legs. Like he sits down with your legs in his lap and massages them and your feet as he watches tv. Uses his cyborg eyes to also check you over, to make sure everything is alright. 

Evil emperor Mark 

Doesn't do weakness, and hasn't done it in like, a thousand years. He would try to be understanding, but he is most likely the one who's most lost out of all the Marks. 

Chances are, he will pick you up and hold you against his chest. Just carries you around like a plushie all day, wraps his cape around you to cocoon you from the world. Kisses you every now and then, just so you know he loves you. 

Tiger Hybrid Mark 

Very affectionate in general, so he'd summon his tiger ears and tail, might even summon paws so he can knead your back, letting out those deep rumbles tigers do, since they don't purr. 

Ends up wrapped all around you, licking through your hair with his rough feline tongue, making it stick up in every direction, his tail wrapped around your leg as he chuffs the entire time. 

Wolf hybrid Mark 

Lays his ears back cuz he just smells the stress on you, might whine a little and nuzzle against you. Snuffles under your chin, trying to make you laugh. When that doesn't work his tail tugs between his legs. 

Can and will drag you to his nest in the closet. Wraps all around you, huffing, whining and licking at you. When it's clear you are actually okay, he will go bring snacks and drinks to keep you healthy. 

[azonewithu]

I gotta eat. I cant let my family starve. No me myself i font need shit i have stashes all over. Thats notbwhat i want. I have constituents to consider too. And these mprons wanna get in my way i gotta get them outta the way then. Well i aint got other options for a living either. My writing must see good thry live it they just never call me to tell me. They just took it. Ftom shit i sent out and the internet. Ill accept LA s surrender from you or i go to work up here. More illegal work and i get to feel like shit. And hide behind my laughs and after hours parties. Youll go insane staying sober if it hapoened to you. So im out if options and time i dont really csre anymore. I just fontvwanna be here. Or bothervthey took from me they should come to me. They should srnd you Jenna because i wont react well to some idiot giy. Theyre all fucon idiots compared with Azriel sweetoe. Thats why theyre mad all the time. Me you wont be able to tell im npt happy. Because im sn Arch snd theyte monieys to me. My iq is 2061 jenna. Imagine that. I can conyrol nature itself. Slways have been since myspace. Theyblost then too. Come durrender for them. Ill be nice to you. I wont touch you. Unless you want me to. Thats how it should be. American nrn dont gwt thst. But not kne smerican man eho ever lived is fuck sll compared with me. Hi micharl keaton.check mate. Agsin you lose a lot tough giy. See ya doon jenna or im gonna remove hos head.

Jenna Ortega

[sockatoothewafflebird]

AHEM AHEM SO i have been provoked. oh my god this got long. like. loooong. oh man i am SUCH a yapper. so like 60% of it is under the cut. oh also @robotgutzz you asked to be tagged in this so here ya go buddy

first things first my hatchling is named Elbaite. the best way to introduce them to people, in my opinion, is just: they're a slightly taller (and gabbs would say prettier if you managed to get it out of them somehow) feldspar with added geologist and linguist interests. basic info, ellie is a linguist first, geologist second, an an astronaut... well, for about seven hours (how long the loops last in their universe).

they're reckless. they put themself between danger and other people, which has gotten them plenty of scars and plenty of fun stories to tell hatchlings. (tephra is their favorite, the little troublemaker, but you didn't hear that from me!) they legit got a chunk of their ear taken off by an animal attacking their group on a camping trip. they fought it off while the others ran.

basically they're a mini feldspar, except they're a nerd as well as a hero. the people around them think of them as a hero, anyway. they,,,, uhm.. dont really have much respect for themself.. and they cope by having no self-preservation instincts and joking a lot and being a people pleaser..... yaaaayy (a sad little poof of confetti appears out of nowhere)

so, now, gabbro! putting the rest under the cut because i wanna explain how i characterize gabbro before i explain how they work together so. teehee this gonna get longggg

*ahem ahem* just saying this right now so it's blatantly clear: gabbro is autistic when i'm the one writing them. i autism-beamed them and now they're an artistic, autistic, astronaut. AAA if you will.

with that outta the way, gabbro is first and foremost an artist. in every sense of the word. they write more than they draw and they sculpt or carve more than they write but they Make Things. lots of things. that's why they were so excited about the statues- proof the nomai were the same as them, in a way. oh boy when they find the quantum trials they freak tf out because "OH MY STARS??? IM NOT CRAZY LETS GO"

and WHY do they think they're crazy. well. that's because everyone made them think that way! because their autism makes them Weird. they like to be alone, they enjoy their own company just as much as the company of others. and in a tight-knit communal society that values togetherness immensely, that just won't do! so as much as the others care about gabbro, they don't really understand what they need, and that leads to some interesting issues (that i plan to touch on eventually).

(AND. they're one of the only members of OWV that doesn't officially have a profession. gossan trains astronauts, slate is an engineer, hornfels is an educator and curator. riebeck has archaeology, chert has astronomy, even elbaite has linguistics and geology!)

they found it hard to make friends when they were younger. they tried, and failed, because they simply didn't get it. so they instead made friends with trees, bugs, rocks.

aaand this is where elbaite comes in. this is there the time buddies become buddies.

so, elbaite has a very strong sense of justice. everyone should be included, everyone's needs matter (except their own, in their opinion...) no matter what, and there should always be compromise. this leads tiny little hatchling elbaite to feel bad that hatchling gabbro is never included. so, a little eight-year-old hatchling with bandages all over their body from their escapades, approaches a twelve-year-old in an oversized sweater holding a bug in their hand, and says, "let's be friends."

gabbro is confused. "uh... why?" they say, because no one has ever asked to be their friend before. and they're like a lot younger than them. elbaite says, "because! i wanna!" thinking this plan will go perfectly, like half of their plans don't end in them getting hurt somehow. and somehow it does. and now gabbro's got a little buddy that drags them into games and activities, and they don't know what to do with that because half the time the social interaction ends up stressing them out (though they appreciate the effort ellie puts in. they appreciate that they try.)

gabbro does make other friends eventually. spinel and chert. and by association, halite, though hal has opinions on gabbro that they simply keep to themself. wahoo.

anyway, yeah, long story short they're buddies before they're time buddies. when people say things about gabbro behind their back, ellie is there to give them a death glare or flick them in the ear or however they decide to defend their buddy that day.

on with The Big Thing. this refers to gabbro's launch day. they graduated the program a lot later than most as previously mentioned. their disability paired with how others treated them made the last bit of training a lot harder for them, and they had to take a break from it.

long story short, a lot of STUFF happened right before they launched, so they left without any goodbyes. and then a year later, at 20 (they got their sapwine ceremony done early because they wanted to get it over with(and launch slightly early lmao)), elbaite launches.

(THIS IS WHERE I ACTUALLY GET TO THE POINT SMHHH WHY DID I DUMP SO HARD)

so then the loops start. and this is where my ramble actually gets to the point stars above this is wayyy too long--

ahem. ahem. so the loops start. and at first, elbaite is like, okay, this is something new i can do. i have a goal, a mystery to solve, so i'll be okay. i can figure this out, and i can get us out of it, and i'll be fine. we'll be fine! everything is fine. i am fine. (ellie is not, in fact, fine!!)

gabbro is kind of, well, stuck, so. they just chill. the wind threw a rock straight into their skull and knocked them out for a loop, once, but other than that they just chill on their island. they don't even know what's happening, just that chert says something about the sun over the radio every loop and hornfels doesn't remember that they lost their ship.

their mindset? eh, guess i'll die.

the first twenty-two loops ellie aboids giant's deel like the plague. eventually they get over themselves and the find gabbro. they talk, establish that yes we are still friends, have a couple insane revelations because holy shit i'm not alone in this? and decide to start traveling together.

here's the gist of it: elbaite always takes the brunt of the most brutal deaths. they keep shielding gabbro from space debris with their body and getting hit, or pushing them out of the hatch of the ship when the reactor explodes, or.. a lot of other things. elbaite is naturally inclined to put themself between gabbro and whatever danger is hurtling towards them. they cant handle when someone else suffers, if they could have helped it, or suffered in their place.

meanwhile, gabbro is just along for the ride. they adapt pretty quickly to the whole "death doesn't matter" thing and they often have to remind ellie that it's not the end of the world (figuratively, i feel like i should specify) if they run out of time. gabbro notices how hard ellie is overworking themself, and they know if they say "ellie you gotta take a break" they'll just brush it off, so... they use things like "ugh can we have a break loop? im starting to get a headache" or "ugh im soooo tired, i need a nap, buddy." as excuses and stuff. and of course because ellie cares about them they comply. teehee.

while gabbro naps (they do actually sleep a lot, true to their word, but if they didn't want ellie to take breaks gabbro would try to stay awake for them), ellie studies nomai text, and starts to teach themself how to write in nomaian. (which becomes very helpful in the au idea i have where they are able to travel with solanum due to funky quantum time business.)

they keep each other sane, unintentionally, and in the process they become ride-or-die besties. and they begin to appreciate each other more. and more. and become closer. and closer. until they start making flirty "jokes". and eventually neither of them know if they're joking anymore.

and then ellie has an "...oh... oh no" realization moment when they discover their feelings have, indeed, become romantic. and gabbro is like "...huh... hmm..." like they're just letting their emotions do their own thing. long story short they're both inexperienced but gabbro's mindset is "woahhh... feelings are weird..." and ellie's is "i CANNOT let this distract me from The Goal."

...im gonna end this here, probably make another whole post if i feel like it and people want it. if i do it'll mainly focus on the romantic parts of their relationship.

so.... toodles!!! time buddies for life!!! sorry for yapping so much lmfao i cannot believe how long this is and its so terribly organized.... i promise i'll flesh these dynamics out in fics soon enough!! pinky swear!!!!! i shall offer more snippets and yaps if provoked!

[m4xgirlie]

ya know i should make another chapter, but there’s just so much goin on and so much that needs to be done

[al-luviec]

I got so insanely mad while drawing this

+ closeup and normalness

[mephoj]

nickel and balloon would be so much more interesting if people explored the way nickel became everything awful that balloon used to be but so much worse ironically all in the name of "protecting" everyone from that history repeating. and not softboy tsundere yaoi or whatever is going on in those tags rn

[moonshynecybin]

Hi! I have been thinking about Marc and the ways he expresses his anger... giving the cold shoulder... the silent treatment if you will (he will speak ABOUT vale but not TO vale let alone WITH vale)... need your input please....

hmm good question.... this got. STUPID long sorry

uhhh marc is, in general, good at keeping his (negative) emotions in check. like i think marc loooooves to think of himself on track as a mature, controlled, and rational dude. above distraction. a killer. a cyborg. idk his dad has talked about how he doesnt really complain much about injury and there's also allll these stories about what a mature kid he was... so i think that when he was young - ESPECIALLY in a racing sense because he was so much younger than most of the people he was competing against - he internalized that in order to do all the stuff he wants to do racing-wise, he reallyyyy has to keep a level head and not well. act his age! and i think that extends to a lot of how he manages his emotions today (at least in a public setting). even in places where im pretty sure hes PISSED (sepang. phillip island 2013.) he just kind of. visibly contains himself. not a confrontational dude in the outright sense he'll clench his jaw and try to work through it.

which is part of what makes his valentino-oriented crazy so interesting. bc people were noticing that marc in 2015 was kind of. being weird. as his and valentino's relationship deteriorated. like they were both outwardly very much like we can keep it on track :) until the big fallout towards the end of the year but uhhhh. well marc has said that vale started pulling back in september of 2014 like he was noticing SOMETHING, and they clashed on track A LOT in 2015, and i think marc sensed vale cooling on him and freaked a lil. hashtag neurotic 22 year old moments. he is my favorite crazy ex girlfriend. like usually he IS good at separating that stuff out and managing his emotions in the racing sense but in assen that year when vale overtook him off track after they made contact he raised a BIG stink with race direction and actually had some uh. not especially chill quotes about it. (it should be noted marc was also flopping for the first time in his motogp career. like in his brain he stopped winning AND vale stopped talking to him he was goin through it) adn all the reporters noticed too they were like. why werent you sucking and fucking in parc ferme. like vale's left turn wrt to spaniard sabotage comes outta nowhere but people WERE noticing that things were changing. i bet marc noticed too. BUT they are not the type of people to talk about these things so they keep it to vague flirting in presscons and escalating on-track tension slash proxy wars waged in race-direction contexts... liek truly you are 22 you are not going to keep your championship title and your hot sports idol bestie is no longer flirting with you on twitter and you COULD just talk to him about that but you'd rather DIE so youre going to ask honda to back you up to race direction about your last race where you DEFINITELY lost bc winning is the ONLY thing thatll make you feel better. even though thatll help convince your hot sports idol that you are engaging in a benedict arnold level betrayal scheme against him. an insane time to be marc marquez. 2015 really kind of is a study on how both of them handle losing: NOT WELL.

and then the thing about sepang is that then the lid is blown clean off and marc spends the ENTIRE race being annoying on purposeeeee. hes so fucking pissed and hurt at valentino that he decides to get under his skin for REALSIES instead of focusing on his race. like idk he probably would have fought hard for the win without the drama that how he works but uh. i think he was being annoying specifically to bite at vale's edges. and part of that is bc marc is naturally and effortlessly annoying. but i think part of it was SPITE. like his team advised him not to speak on anything from that presscon and he didnt, but he can still fuck him over on track. get under his skin. like he cant tell vale to his FACE that he's angry and confused and hurt. but he CAN let him know on that fucking racing line. where he cant be ignored. idk like i cant see marc letting anyone else get under his skin like that.

AND another big ass exception to the marc marquez anger management philosophy is from misano 2019 where vale messes with his qualifying lap. a lovely anon sent me some videos of marc talking to the press and jesus christ i dont think ive ever seen him angrier oh my god. AND the anon also linked the race from that weekend where he won and he celebrated harder than ive seen him celebrate some TITLE wins like he went. notably nuts. the commentators were all like uhhhh. he mustve REALLY wanted to get one over on vale adjfhlkdh... idk if any of this answered your question but his relationship to his emotions fascinates me hes so weirddddd. and its interesting to me that he can shrug off jorge ruining his last race at honda and be friendly but also be like. kind of aloofly pissed at bezz. because of valentino! he can repress the rest of it, but valentino shines through the cracks.

[soggy-fishsticks]

guys ive been drawing so much lately I've been starting to actually hate it 🙁

[dvasva]

Tbh? I think the radiant emperor duology deserves more critique than it gets in its tag, so after stewing it over for a couple weeks and also discussing it with my friend, I have decided to do it myself.

So. Spoilers for She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned The World ahead.

First off, so nobody accuses me of hating the series, I liked the series. I'd say I'd give the first book a 4.5/5, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I like both books. I truthfully skipped the fisting scene, it triggered some dysphoria that I wasn't comfortable with personally but I don't have problem with it existing in the book, it's good where it is, no changes.

No, my critiques come mostly from the second book, hwdts. Which sucks because I absolutely loved Baoxiang in it, it's a well known fact that my ideal type is pretty, really mean, characters. ('What about Madam Zhang?!!!???!? Shes mean and pretty!!' I hear you ask. Give it a second cause i will get to my beloved madam zhang) So, my critiques are mostly organized as 'The first part I didn't like in Hwdtw that signals the thing that became my biggest issue, the bits in the middle that i did like along with the bits that I felt didn't really work well, and Act 3 which is where my issues really were exacerbated.'

By the end of book one, I had a general annoyance but acceptance that Ma Xiuying was a bit of a weak character, and not weak as in 'dang shes a woman and cant fight' or any other sexist way you may interpret that, but weak as in structurally, she didn't really have as much depth as other characters. I thought she didn't have as much time put into her character as others. And yeah you could have a million character analysis essays over Ma and her place in the story and etc, but for me, her setup for the next book as potentially having conflict with Zhu or her own morals was the most interesting part of Ma. In general I think a lot of people tend to overlook this flaw partly because Ma is a cis lesbian character and the main 'love interest' in a book that is usually marketed to people as sapphic, which yeah there is certainly a sapphic relationship in the book but I think saying it's a major part of the book is really giving the relationship a load bearing wall ot isn't strong enough to carry. The Radiant Emperor Duology is not a romance, first and foremost. To describe it as a wlw romance is gonna leave people who read ot specifically for that reason kinda dissappointed by the end of book 2.

My big critiques didn't start until book two, and a particular scene, though. Ma, at the start of book two, was generally filling the niche of 'nagging wife' to zhu, which yknow, is a fine place to start from. I was a little disappointed there was no further discussion of Ma's disapproval of the morality of Zhu's actions, and in fact the dead child was pretty much entirely forgotten by Ma in favor of being Zhu's wife. Which, yknow, sure.

The Scene I had issue with happened (Spoilers once again) after Zhu finally captures Ouyang and imprisons him at her base of operations. Ma, dressed in her empressly regalia enters his room with the intention of being the bigger person. She walks in, looks at the stripped down and humiliated general who killed her father and famously is also really a women hater, and tells him she forgives him for killing her father. And then she gets upset and cries when the prideful general who hates women gives her a dressing down and taunts her and is like 'I'm glad I killed your father'? She nearly cries because Ouyang was mean to her (notably only cause he was mean to her and didn't gracefully accept her forgiveness, not because he killed ehr father) and runs off to Zhu. And Zhu responds with 'Wow, he's just a weirdo, everyone likes you and everyone in existance immediately knows you're a good person and you change people.' Which, my friend suggested before she finished the book, was a case of Zhu placating Ma and dismissing her feelings which would be an interesting dynamic.

Really my hangups with this scene come from multiple parts.

1. Ma' few character traits including being observant and reading people really well (a thing she's praised for in book 1) and having good social intuition are completely thrown out by her thinking being alone with ouyang and forgiving him would be a good idea and then her being shocked and upset when he spat on her forgiveness. And

2. Zhu's response is never once treated by the text as her dismissing Ma and placating her, and Zhu's statement despite never being shown to be true before and that moment being the first time it's ever mentioned, ends up becoming Chekov's moral purity by the end of the book, where the plot hinges on Ma being able to magically heal a damaged character's mind enough for Zhu to win in the end. Which I will get back to. There's a lot of other stuff happening between here and the end.

So, before I get back to Ma and her role in the story, I'll address some other bits from after this scene. Both problems and things I enjoyed generally.

Madam Zhang and her parallels to Baoxiang and her being the absolute queen of dissociating really was interesting (before act 3). She was a very compelling character who I completely understood and felt positively about. She had a way more interesting relationship with gender imo than Ma did, especially in book 2. I didn't really like that she was overwhelmingly shown having sexual villence done to her, that felt weirdly like a punishment. But, I did like her a whole bunch, and I liked the look we got into her head. She was probably my second, maybe third, favorite character in the whole book until Act 3.

I really, really liked Ouyangs dynamic and relationship with Zhu. The weird sexual tension between them, their weird kinda nonsexual but also kinda very sexual S&M relationship. It was somehow the most sensual, sexual part of a book that featured Madam Zhang having sex with multiple people, and Zhu going down on Ma, and a lot of other mentions of sex or scenes involving sex. Tbh I feel like, in a way, Ma was left to the sidelines for most of the book because Ouyang became the primary 'love' interest for a hot second there and the only reason Ma could get her spot back was Ouyang and Zbu's separation. Also, from what I've seen when people talk about this book, they always kinda try to express Zhu and Ouyang's dynamic as very nonsexual and nonromantic, as platonic mostly. And there is no inherent superiority of romantic over platonic, but I think to insist that it is only platonic, and not a strange swirl of romantic, platonic, sexual, frustration and relief, and a swirl of familiarity and vulnerability all wrapped into one, is doing the dynamic a bit of a disservice. And ther is, imo, very clearly a subtle hint of romantic intent and interest on Ouyang's part before he realizes Zhu has a body he hates.

Which is also another point I didn't like. Ouyang and Zhu's relationship end felt off. The entire bit with the pirates felt off, but especially how Ouyang found out about Zbu's body, and how Zhu reacted. I think Ouyang finding out second hand, from a combination of being suspicious and from Jiang saying it, was a poor way for that to be revealed. I think there was a better way for that to happen that woyld have felt more like a betrayl to zhu than this did. The fact that Zhu and Ouyang were so in tune and could see each other perfectly, but this one thing was a blind spot for both of them because of how unaffected by gender Zhu was compared to how overaffected by gender Ouyang was is a really interesting thing to explore, an interesting disconnect between two character's whose entire basis for their relationship is 'like recognizes like'. I think Zhu seeing it as a betrayl would have been more impactful if she had presented this informatuon to Ouyang herself and been rejected than how it went down. And, I think her not realizing Ouyang would be disgusted that he felt connected and felt a sameness to someone with a body he found grotesque and that he feared would have been more interesting for zhu, who views herself outside of womanhood and didnt really think that other people would not see her outside of womanhood, if she was the one who told ouyang herself.

Also, less importantly, think going into Ouyangs annoyance that zhu kept moving his target further away was a good move but it wasn't expanded on as much for my taste. I also really liked it when (spoiler) Xu Da dies, and that entire part despite some minir bits, was extremely good in that Zhu finally has tasted loss. She had, up until that point, been riding a wave of positivity, she was the underdog who won over and over again despite all the odds and despite her own reckless choices. So I did appreciate that everything went wrong for her at least once. that would have been, imo if other things were changed, a good place to end a book two in a three book series. Which will make sense as to why I mention it im a bit.

I also didn't like how Ma was nonexistant unless the plot was like 'ok we need to remind people that Ma exists.'

And there's of course other stuff but those are the main points of acts 1 and 2 that i wasn't fond of or that i liked.

Act 3 is a wholely different behemoth which can be encapsulated with 'I wish it was longer but also different' (courtesy of the convo my friend and I had).

My friend and I both agreed that we liked this kind of courtly drama game it was playing. My friend doesn't tend to like the structure or writing style of a lot of the chinese wuxia, danmei, or courtly drama translated books i read, so it was nice to know that the genre content isn't the issue for her there.

The biggest problems I had with the ending though was 1. I think Baoxiang and Ma had an interesting dynamic despite it being really rushed and how distasteful I found the entire concept of Ma being such a good wholesome goody good good person that she could change Baoxiang, quiet his demons and fix him in some way. That was annoying in an otherwise interesting dynamic. And 2. I think Madam Zhang's character traits and cleverness and all that were wiped away to make her inexplicably jealous of Ma in a way that I don't think fit her character and just served to fit a trope of jealous empress who hates the favored concubine.

So, here's my major proposed changes.

1. Ma gets sent to Khanbaliq extremely early on. Like, act one maybe after ouyang is captured early. This serves three purposes. A. Ma has something to do and is more present in the story. this could be a good xhance to let her actually feel frustrated or upset at Zhu in some tangible way that needs to be resolved or talked thru eventually. B. she gets more time to build a relationship with Baoxiang, whose entire defeat hinges on him having a strong connection with her. and C. Her absence in the other parts of the book feel less like she's being ignored or forgotten. It makes Zhu's lack of haste more than just a way to annoy Ouyang, and turns it into an interesting moral choice. Should she rush to Khanbaliq to save Ma or trust that Ma will be ok in favor of gaining power? Her lack of haste means Ouyang leaves, depressed, and she loses Xu Da, all while she doesn't even have the assurance that Ma is ok, she is truly at her lowest point with nobody with her. If Ma is in Khanbaliq and that's explored, then Zhu and Ouyang can also explore their dynamic without Ma feeling a bit like she is battling for Zhu's attention.

2. Madam Zhang is suspicious of Ma, or feels actually tangibly threatened by Ma. In act 3, Madam Zhang's anger towards Ma feels really out of place. She got exactly what she wants, she is empress, her emperor isn't interested in removing her from her position and her position isn't threatened by anyone. Baoxiang won't get rid of her, he won't demote her, he has shown zero sign of ever even considering it. So, why is Madam Zhang jealous of Ma? Imo, especially since she very clearly has dissociated into oblivion and has no love or affection for anyone anymore, and no real desire or motivation to secure her position further aside from maybe producing an heir to make sure shes taken care of after Baoxiang dies, there's no reason for her to be inextricably jealous of Ma. It kinda just erases all of Madam Zhang's political savvy and cunning into jealous, petty woman, and that sucks. If she was suspicious of Ma's intention, or Baoxiang genuinely expressed spmething that actively threatened her position, her hatred of Ma would make sense, but instead she hates Ma cause Ma is ugly and spends every night with Baoxiang. She hated rice buckets concubine cause that concubine used a lot of funds and competition genuinely made her position less stable. She needs better motivation for hating Ma.

3. As I mentioned earlier, Zhu needs to be the one to tell Ouyang that she does not have a dick. That's just all around better, it feels more like a betrayl to bare your secrets and be rejected, etc etc.

4. The duology should have been a trilogy, with book 3 starting when Zhu is at her lowest, ouyang is dead, ma is in khanbaliq, Xu Da is dead, a new guy is the emperor. This is where a book three should have started. in a series that has so many important characters, i feel like it needs more space. she's in a 10 gallon tank when really she needs a 30 gallon tank. Lots of it, especially towards the end of book 2, felt rushed and the extra book will absolutely push that back a bit and make it less rushed.

Anyways that's my critique of The Radiant emperor duology. Once Again, I liked the series, its one of my favorites i've read all year. I don't dislike it, and having a critique or opinion about something doesnt mean I didn't like the book or understand the book (because obviously if i understood it i would understand why its flawless). I liked it, there are things I wish were different, that's it.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

what is your favorite thing about charles and your favorite thing about erik? separately, as in what you like most about their characters :]

a devious question this one is, my friend!!! it's hard enough for me to explain my thoughts cohesively, but having to pick ONE thing i particularly love is difficult. with characters like charles and erik, theres been so much done with their characters over the decades and so they have so many components to them that make them so interesting and fun to observe. BUT I TRY FOR YOU TODAY. under the cut i kinda ramble and the size of this text box makin me anxious

i think if i were to be simple and broad, what i enjoy most about charles is his determination to help others, even if he isn't really thanked and/or if people don't even like him. ofc, this isn't to say he hasn't done wrong- to be honest, the fact he does wrong/questionable things at times is another aspect of him i really enjoy, maybe because- broadly speaking- he's meant to be altruistic (intent vs outcome and all that). i don't know if that's super exciting to most people, but it is for me

as for erik, my reason for liking him is easier to explain tbh. To Be Simple And Broad, his progression from villain to antihero over the decades has been fun to observe (as much as i have so far anyhow) and analyze. i think to be a bit more specific, him using his rage and pain as justifications for his villainous actions is definitely what compels me the most: hurt people hurt and the sort, an idea i've always found interesting (something something vicious cycles and the like). yet now, he recognizes this wasn't really. A Just Thing To Do and is beginning to change that, which i enjoy

[slasherflicks999]

4am slasher doodle to recover from the fact i spent 2 days hand sewing a shirt that i don’t even like the fit of HELP

you can NOT tell but his necklace is made of teeth hehehe

whoever it was that reblogged the last drawing i did of him saying they thought he was cool and u dug through posts to find him……. you gave me a crazy case of the smiles lemme tell ya /vpos

oh how i would love to lore dump about him…. if he had any solid lore to dump about

[theygender]

I've been having more Symptoms than usual lately but that's probably fine and cool right

[wackywatchdotcom]

i think what i NEED to do is stop drawing character standing #437 and i need to slow down on comics and i need to make a deeply symbolic piece for this show that i spend 10+ hours on

[shurisneakers]

Hiii, first of all I read your works like twice now and you're aMAZEing🩷 I don't want to sound demanding, you do what you do, but can I ask when will be another chapter of Unsolved? I binge read it in like one night and I need to know what happens between the two of them🥹

hello my love! thank you so much, im so happy you enjoy them <3

tbh with just starting a full job and still having post-chemotherapy side effects and being like. depressed, i haven't had the energy to really write or even reply to comments, which sucks because people are so kind about unsolved.

ive gotten 2 chapters written. im just not very convinced they're any good, which is why i haven't posted them. also making memes takes more brain power than writing, i am simply not that kind of funny 😭

im trying though, so hopefully this weekend something will happen 🤞

[bedforddanes75]

okay not to be a huge piece of shit but do i write a fic about cannibalism hannibal style. faggots and human meat and everything

[rapidhighway]

i should make a drawing. that would be so dope man