#i sure love amplifying characters' insecurities

[harmonysanreads]

I like the idea of Phainon with a "stranger" type of darling? Inspired by arranged marriage tropes but in my mind darling ain't married to him, just a one sided crush.

Those arranged marriage tropes where it's clearly loveless but the husband and wife treats each other nicely in a civil yet distant way; that kind of self-aware yet mannered darling seems fun to be paired with a human golden retriever type.

-💅

You make Phainon... nervous, so to say.

It's not that he's unfamiliar with the emotion, quite the opposite. The difference arises in the way he usually handles it, transitioning to something synonymous with terrible when in relation to you. Ordinarily, he's able to dress his doubts with laughter and humor until he can be alone to peacefully marinate in pessimism. When you're passing by, most often not exchanging anything more than a polite nod or greeting, it should be expected of him to take it like a normal human being.

Yet, his mind blanks. If he's lucky, his motor functions might be quick enough to return the gesture. If not, another instance of a flustered Phainon will entertain the other Chrysos Heirs. It was worse in the beginning, when he was still new to the dazzles of Okhema, the unsaid rules of a tasteful culture. You never looked at the clumsy village boy with judgment though. Perhaps you should've, then he wouldn't feel so squeamish, wouldn't be a breath away from his knees buckling at that smile of yours.

It did not take others long to notice the influence you had on him. What would take hours of lecturing from Aglaea to get through to Phainon's head, he'd do so with vigor if you even mentioned it. Upon realizing how much more cooperative he is when you are the incentive, the Dress-master just had to utilize it. It's no harm, just weaving and pulling a few strings — ultimately, it's for the welfare of Amphoreus anyway.

But Phainon himself did not seize the opportunity like she'd hoped, how can he when he's still so unworthy of standing next to you? Lend him some time, until he's a better man, at the very least. After all, he despises the thought of not knowing how to treat you the way you deserve to be treated.

[angstywaifu]

Mirror Sex - Kai Azer

Kai Azer x Reader Summary: On the most important night of her fathers career, reader feels extremely insecure in how they look thanks to Blair. Kai notices it immediately, vowing to make her feel as beautiful as she is in his eyes. warnings: nsfw 18+, mirror sex, chair sex, p in v, pet names, slightly dom Kai, dirty talk, fingering. Slight spoilers for character traits/details in books.

Kinktober MasterList

I couldn’t help but fidget with the dress as I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was absolutely gorgeous. One of the most beautiful I had ever seen. The dark blue material complimenting my hair and skin colour. Yet I felt so insecure as I looked at myself in the mirror. I’d honestly felt like that the last few days. Blair making comments about how I looked any chance she got. Clearly trying to get in my head. Which she had. I silently cursed myself for letting her get to me.

“Stop fidgeting, you look great.” Lilliana says to me as she places some more pins in my hair, securing the messy bun she’d styled my hair into.

”I don’t feel it.” I say back glumly as I smooth out the material.

“She got in your head didn’t she?” She asks as she tightens the dress a little.

I sigh and nod. I’d told Lilliana about the comments Blair had been making about me. She’d told me to tell Kai or Kitt, knowing they wouldn’t stand for it. But I told her it was nothing. I didn’t need to worry the prince’s with more of Blair’s petty comments.

”I wish she hadn’t. All I want to do is sit in here and read, rather than face a ballroom full of people looking at me.” I admit as I meet her eyes in the mirror.

”You will do no such thing. You look stunning. And you know how much tonight means to your father. And I’m sure Kai will love how you look.”

Tonight was a big night for my father. He was getting promoted within the King’s court, hence the ball tonight. I couldn’t skip out on it. And Kai…. I cursed myself for telling Lilliana my feelings about the future Enforcer. We’d grown up together. Done everything together. He was my best friend. Until my feelings changed a few months ago. I’d started to see him in a different light. It didn’t help the way he talked to me. He had such a way with words that had me in a puddle every time he spoke. Which is probably what infuriated Blair. Encouraged her to be the way she was. We’d all grown up together. But once we got into our teenage years, she’d turned on me. Our friendship now long forgotten.

“We shall see.” I say with a sad smile as a knock sounds at my door.

Lilliana turns to open it, despite us both knowing who awaits on the other side. She opens the door to reveal my father, decked out in his most formal attire. His medals on full display. He very much looks the part of someone about to take one of the most senior positions in the King’s court.

”Well don’t you look beautiful.” He gushes as a grin adorns his lips.

”You have Lilliana to thank for that.” I say as I gesture to her, which doesn’t seem to please either of them as they share a look.

”Nonsense. I just amplified what was already there.” Her tone hinting this was not up for discussion, and I didn’t want to start an argument in front of my father. Especially not tonight.

“Exactly. Now we should get going. Can’t leave the King waiting too long on us.” He says proudly as he holds his arm out for me to take.

In normal circumstances his wife would be who he escorted in tonight. But as she’d died a few years back, I was to accompany my father into the ball tonight. A ball all for him and his promotion. Hence why my dress was blue tonight instead of the usual green required for these balls. This night was about my father. About our family. And our family colour was blue.

I reach out and lay my hand on his arm as he leads us out the door. As was pass into the hallway, a figure stops to let us pass. I know who it is before I look at him fully. I know that black hair anywhere. Kai. He bows at my father and I as we pass, my father returning the gesture with a bow of his head.

As I meet his grey eyes, he smirks at me. It’s like he knows how much I love that damn smirk of his. But for the first time in a long time, I don’t return it. My lips barely lifting at the corners as I attempt to smile at him before my father and I walk past him.

Kai

I nod and smile at the servants as they rush around to get last minute things sorted for the ball that was about to start. A ball I was very eager to attend. All afternoon I’d had to listen to Kitt’s teasing about her. I often hated how easily he my true feelings. How well he could read me. But I was glad he kept the teasing minimal when others were around.

In my nervousness and rush to leave, I’d forgotten my cufflinks for my suit jacket. And I know I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I wasn’t dressed appropriately. As I approach the hallway that leads to my room I can’t help but smile at the thought I might see her. And as if fate we’re reading my thoughts her father steps out of her room with her on his arm. I’m glad they don’t see me at first, because I’m pretty sure my mouth hits the floor with how quickly it drops open at the sight of her.

The girls always wear green to the balls held here. It’s not an official rule, but its a heavily weighted unspoken one that no one has dared to break in many years. And as much as I loved seeing her in green, I definitely preferred seeing her in blue. Blue which was now my favourite colour due to how good it looked on her.

I bow as they approach me, which her father returns with a nod of his head. I shift my attention to her, using that smirk I know she loves even though she will never admit it. But instead of an eyeroll or the reciprocated smirk she would normally give me, she barely smiles. A sadness reflected in her eyes, that should not be there tonight. All week she’s been so excited for tonight. For her fathers promotion. But right now she looks anything but excited. As they pass me, movement from her door catches my eye as her maid Lilliana pokes her head out into the hallway. She’ll know what’s going on with her. She tells Lilliana everything.

”What happened?” I demand a little too aggressively as I approach Lilliana.

She sighs and motions for me to follow her into the room before quickly closing the door behind us. “It’s Blair. She’s been saying some quite nasty things about Miss Y/N.”

Anger immediately flairs within me, and I know if Kitt was close enough I would have conjured flames in my now clenched fists.

”What did she say to her?” I ask, emphasising each word.

”I don’t know the exact things. She was quite vague on them, probably scared I’d come tell you or Kitt. But I know they were to do with how she looks. Things about her weight, and how people were only being polite if they complimented her. And I think it finally got to her after dealing with it multiple times a day.”

I squeeze my eyes shut in an effort to calm myself down. But it was hard. I had approached Blair multiple times about how she treated Y/N. But each time I did it seemed to make it worse and worse. As if me defending her only poked the fire that was Blair.

I storm out of the room, quickly heading to my own to get the cufflinks I was originally heading down here to get. But now I had a different task. Tonight I would make sure Y/N felt as beautiful as I saw her. And I would do whatever it took.

Reader

I grasp onto my fathers arm tightly as we stand in front of the closed doors the lead into the ballroom. Behind it hundreds of people were waiting for us to enter. Normally that wouldn’t phase me, as I had done it a few times before when I’d been escorted by Kitt or Kai. But thanks to Blair and her comments about me the past two weeks, all my confidence was gone. I knew her words would play on my mind as we entered that room, with everyone starting at me.

”You ok sweetheart? You seem nervous.” My father asks, dragging me from my thoughts.

I look up at him and smile. “Yeah, just lost in thought. I’m good.”

He doesn’t seem convinced by my words, but he smiles down at me and nods. He knows me well enough there’s no point in pushing the subject. If I wanted to I would tell him. And I didn’t need to bother him with some silly Blair drama right before we walked into a ballroom full of people all here for him.

The doors to the ballroom are pulled open, and I can see everyone turn to watch us enter. My heart rate picking up in response. I silently cursed Blair for making me feel this way as we made our way into the ballroom. Applause fills the air as we walk down the stairs. Everyone smiling and watching us. I sweep my gaze across the crowd, smiling at everyone around us. But as my gaze sweeps near the alter at the top of the room, I see Blair standing near it in front of Kai and Kitt. Her lips pulled into a smug smile as if she knows the affect she’s had on me. She cocks an eyebrow at me before miming throwing up in response to me. I turn my gaze downwards, a slight panic setting in as we reach the bottom of the stairs.

Everyone returns to their normal conversation as our entrance is complete, a few people rushing forward to greet and congratulate my father on his promotion. I remove myself from his arm, desperate to find a corner to hide in away from prying eyes. I spot a table hidden away in a corner that no one has occupied. Perfect.

I go to make my way over to it before a strong had lightly grasps my arm, spinning me around to them. I raise my gaze to see Kai smiling down at me . His black hair falling in its usually messy waves, and his stormy grey eyes piercing into mine.

”Where are you rushing off to so quickly?” He muses as his gaze trails over me.

I resist the urge to recoil at his gaze, Blairs words from yesterday echoing in my ears. “The princes will never want you. You’re not good enough for them. They’re only nice to you because of your father.”

“Just find spot to sit down.” I tell him, which earns him a frown.

”You know you have a spot at our usual table right?” Cocking an eyebrow at my odd behaviour.

I know I did. But as I glance over at the table I would normally sit at, I spy Blair sitting there with Kitt smirking at me. She knows she’s won. She knows she’s gotten into my head.

“I know. I just wanted a quieter spot to sit in.” I insist as I go to walk away.

Before I can get far Kai grips my hand tightly in his, pulling me towards the dancefloor in the middle of the room. It’s early in the evening so only a few couples are dancing on it, but that doesn’t seem to deter Kai who would normally wait till it was more occupied. He quickly pulls us into a dance, gliding easily across the floor as if second nature. Which it was. These dances were drilled into us from a young age. I could probably do most of these in my sleep.

“So do you want to tell me whats going on?” He asks as he spins me around.

”It’s nothing.” I tell him sternly.

I feel his grip on my hand and waist tighten before he pulls me closer, our bodies far closer than necessary for this dance.

”Oh it isn’t nothing Darling.” He growls next to my ear, my heels giving me the height to allow him to do so. “You have once chance to tell me before I reveal what I already know.”

My head snaps to him, our eyes locking with each other. He know. The cocky bastard knew somehow. And I knew exactly how. Lilliana. He must have gone to her after seeing me in the hallway earlier.

”It’s nothing. Just Blair being Blair and trying to get into my head.” I admit as I tear my gaze from his.

”It’s not nothing. She succeeded and it’s making you act weird. What did she say?”

As he asks the question we rotate on the floor, putting Blair firmly in my gaze. Her eyes already locked onto Kai and I.

”That I’m not as pretty as everyone says. Everyone just says it because of who my father is. And…”

”And what darling?” He asks as his grip tightens on me again.

”That I’m not good enough for you or Kitt. That you’re only my friend because of my father as well.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth Kai turns and pulls me off the dancefloor with him. Pulling me through the crowd in a way only the future Enforcer could. No one bats an eye at us, completely oblivious to who pushes past them. He leads us through a side door we’ve used countless times before to escape various balls. But this time we are leaving far earlier than normal.

”Kai we’re going to get in trouble. The ball has barely started.” I tell him sternly as he pulls me down a hall, leading us back to our rooms.

“Don’t worry darling, I’ll have you back before anything important happens.” He tells me as he leans around the corner to check the coast is clear before leading us down another hallway.

He pulls me down the last hallway, past my room and around a corner that I know leads to his room. A door I’ve knocked on many times. A door I’ve walked through many times but this time it feels very different as he pulls me through the doorway before closing it behind us. He leads me to the centre on the room in front of his bed, turning me to face the large mirror.

”Look at you Y/N. How could anyone think you are anything but beautiful?” He tells me, his voice barely above a whisper as he stands behind me.

I shake my head and laugh, dropping my gaze to my hands where my fingers fidget nervously. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

Kai growls from behind me as he steps forward, his chest flush to my back as his fingers grasp my chin, tilting my head up to look at my self in the mirror. “Trust me darling, I am not saying anything to make you feel better. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

My heart beats loudly in my chest at the close proximity to Kai and the way he holds me. His other hand trailing down my side before gripping tightly onto my waist. As he pulls me flush against him, there’s no denying the truth behind his words. I can feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, as well as his arousal pushing into my lower back.

His fingers release my chin, tracing lightly down my neck, over my collarbones before skimming over the fabric of my dress that separates my breasts from his fingers. Instinctively I arch into his touch, a low chuckle rumbling through his chest as I do so.

His other hand moves from my waist, moving lower and lower, down towards the slit in my dress. His fingers find the slit with ease, slipping between the folds of the fabric to trace along the sensitive skin of my thigh. I clamp my thighs together, hoping to hide the evidence of my arousal. But I knew it was futile. He knew what he was doing. He knew how my body reacted even though we’d never been in this situation before. Kai Azer knew me better than myself. And he knew exactly what he was doing to me right now. And I had to admit, watching him trail his hands all over me in the mirror had definitely awoken something inside me.

His fingers trace where my thighs are squeezed together before trailing upwards, lightly tracing over the black underwear I’d chosen to wear for tonight. My body shivering as his touch, leaning back into him as a sigh escapes my lips.

”K-kai.” I practically moan out in the most sinful way.

”Yes darling?” His breath tickling my ear before moving hips lips to kiss down my neck.

”You don’t have t-to d-do this to m-make me feel b-better.” I stutter out as his fingers apply more pressure as they trace over the black fabric separating his fingers from where I want them most.

A low growl rumbles though his chest at my words, the hand tracing over the bodice of my dress moving towards the ties on the back. “Darling, I have been wanting this for far too long. Been longing for the day you would let me touch you like this. Making you realise how beautiful and wanted you are is just the cherry on top.”

His fingers pull on the ties with ease, the corseted back coming apart with ease and skill. Kai removes his hand from beneath the dress, causing me to whimper at the loss of the touch I was craving so much. His hands push open the corseted back before guiding it down my body. Leaving me in my black underwear and heels. I go to reach up and cover my now exposed breasts, but Kai reaches out and grasps my wrists in his hands.

”Don’t cover yourself up. You’re beautiful.” He whispers against my neck, his eyes locking with mine in the mirror.

I lose myself in those grey eyes, so fixated on them as he guides me to step out of the dress. Watching as he kneels behind me, his hands helping me step out of the heels I’d chosen for the night. As he stands up to his full height, he now towers over me. His chin resting atop my head with ease.

His fingers go back to tracing lightly over my body. But unlike before there is an urgency to them. With the dress now gone and exposing everything to Kai, I can see the control Kai is wielding over himself. I can see the fight in those stormy grey eyes as his fingers skim the bottom of my breast.

”Keep your eyes on yourself Darling. I want you to see how pretty you are while I fuck you.” He whispers in my ear.

I turn my head to look at him in shock, giving him the lul in my defence to push his other hand beneath the black underwear I still wore. His fingers sliding between my folds with ease do to how aroused I’d gotten from him barely touching me. His fingers sliding up and down before circling over the bundle of nerves that has my hips bucking into his hand earning me a chuckle.

I look back in the mirror to see Kai trail his fingers up my breast to caress the now peaked nipple. Goosebumps forming on my arm at the sensation. My body shaking as he holds me against him. And I was suddenly very glad he’d helped me remove my shoes before he started this.

As my eyes meet his, a devilish smirk forms on his face, seconds later his fingers leave the bundle of nerves he’d been toying with causing me to whimper, but it’s long forgotten and he inserts two of his fingers into me. My hands fly out, one grasping tightly onto his arm connected to the fingers he pumps slowly in and out of me. The other flying up to tangle my fingers in his curly black hair, tugging on them as my body shakes against his, earning a groan of pleasure.

Still keeping his fingers inside me and adding a third to the mix, Kai removes his other hand from me. I don’t know how he does it but he makes quick work of unbuttoning his shirt with one hand, the tie quickly discarded to the floor before he shoves half his jacket and shirt off. With equal precision and ease, his free hand caresses along the back of my thigh before joining his other hand, swiftly swapping them over before shrugging off the other half of his jacket and shirt.

He kicks his shoes off with ease, his free hand making quick work of his belt and pants which swiftly make a pile at his feet before he steps out of them and kicks them away. Due to his position behind me I don’t realise he’s stripped himself off all his clothing till arousal meets my back as his grips my hips and pulls me flush against him.

”I will make you see what I see when I look at you. Make you feel what I feel when I look at you.” He whisper against my neck as he kisses down it. His eyes flicker up and meet mine in the mirror. “And once all that is done sweetheart, I will worship you like the queen you are and have you scream my name.”

I don’t have time to respond to his words, Kai lowering us into a chair I had no idea was near us. His free hand reaching between us to grasp his thick member I barely see before he removes his fingers from me and lowers me slowly on his cock. My hands fly out, grasping on to his thighs as he slowly lowers me down. It feels like I’m being torn apart, but in the most divine way. My body shifting to accommodate Kai and his size as my head rolls back to rest on his shoulder.

Kai’s hands roam over my body, kneeding and groping whatever they can. One of his hands trailing up my side before squeezing my breast, rolling the perked nipple between his fingers as I gasp and arch my back. My eyes fly open as I lift my head from his shoulders as his other hand reaches down and plays with the bundle of nerves at my centre. In the mirror my eyes meet Kai’s as he continues to play with my most sensitive parts as I adjust to his size.

Soon I’m wriggling in his lap, my hips rocking back and forth as I seek the pleasure my body now craves from Kai and the cock he’s impaled me on. I watch as Kai smirks at me in the mirror over my shoulder. His grey eyes clouding over with a look I’d only ever seen when he shifted into his Enforcer persona. Which normally would terrify me. But as his hand guides my legs to sit either side of his before slowing sliding up between my breast and grasping me lightly around my neck, I can’t help the way I clamp around him, my body wanting to experience this new side of Kai and I.

His hips thrust up into me hard, a moan ripping from my throat as I clamp around him again, earning a guttural growl from him that vibrates through me. “See what you do to me darling. See how feral you make me.”

I do my best to nod in response, but his grip on my neck tightens.

”Words sweetheart. Use them.” He growls against my neck before bitting me lightly.

”Y-yes. I see it.” I gasp out as his fingers apply more pressure on my clit, making me shudder against him.

”Good. Because this is how I feel whenever I’m around you. Caging a beast inside me that wants to ruin you in everyway possible. To make you mine.”

I grasp onto the arms that cage me against him, holding my prisoner as I come undone against him. Becoming a mumbling and moaning mess as he continues to thrust up into me again and again. His pace never faltering, if anything increasing as the seconds tick by. Within minutes I’m nearly screaming his name. Sensing I’m close to finishing, he holds me close to him as he stands, kicking the chair away before kneeling on the ground, placing me on my hands and knees in front of him.

The new position feeling so heavenly I can’t help but lean back into him, rocking back and forth to chase the final bits of pleasure I need from him to reach my climax. I raise my head, looking up at Kai in the mirror as his hand weaves its way into my hair, using it as a way to anchor him self before slamming his hips into me as I cry out in pleasure.

”Look at yourself while I finish you. I want you to see how beautiful you look when you come undone. And know that Blair’s words are nothing but lies. Can you do that sweetheart?” He growls out, fingers tightening in my hair.

I go to nod, but I know Kai wants to hear my words. Hear me acknowledge that everything Blair said about me wasn’t true. Just a way to get at me and get in my head. Because now, kneeling on the floor in front of Kai as he fucked me into oblivion, I knew all her words were lies.

”Yes Enforcer.” I moan out.

Something in Kai’s grey eyes shifts as I use the title he will one day bear. A title that will bring fear to all those he is set loose on. But not me. I cry out again as he starts slamming into me, the tip of his cock hitting the perfect spot every time.

”Come with me sweetheart.” He almost pleas as his movements become erratic, each thrust bringing us both closer to our climax.

I look him dead in the eye as I manage to push myself up, bringing my back flush with his chest. His hands instantly caging me against him.

”Yes Enforcer.” I moan out as I place a chaste kiss to his jaw.

Kai growl echoes around the room as he grips me tightly before slamming into me one more time, both our cries echoing off the room as we tip over the edge. Both of us tumbling towards the floor before Kai cushions our fall with the air magic he borrows from me as he cradles me in his arms as we ride out our high. Both of us trying to catch our breath as we lie in peaceful bliss on his bedroom floor. Blair’s words now long forgotten as I lie in the safety of Kai’s arms.

@zaraaaabear @bingazer @katanadoesnotexist @strangeeaglepost @puttyly @kyl13sm1l3y @wildflowermooon @oliviajm2 @honethatty12 @lesehexe

[the-peak-tmnt]

I want to say that I like that your fic is mostly Raph centric because those fics are rare and he deserves more love and pain lol

Raph: Mom says it's my turn with the trauma

Thank you so much! I'm seriously so grateful for people who are willing to give a Raph-centric fic a shot!

I knew writing Raph-centric fic that's also a Mutant Mayhem fic was gonna turn a lot of people off from giving it a try, which I totally understand because I usually go for Leo-centric fics myself lol. It also doesn't help that Mutant Mayhem still isn't super popular.

But Mutant Mayhem Raph is an exciting new version of Raph that's been SO fun to explore, and I'm gonna go on a little rant about why I'm enjoying writing (and torturing) him so much!

[Initiating Raph Rant] So, almost all Raphs are tough guys who also wear their hearts on their sleeves, which is what makes him such a fun character. He's "the angry one", but usually also super emotional in other ways:

Because MM feels more like an actual teenager than most other iterations, his moments of emotional vulnerability feel particularly raw and relatable. I might be old as dirt now, but I do still remember what it was like to be a teenager still trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted in life.

Mutant Mayhem does such an amazing job of hitting on those teenage insecurities and desires. The turtles whole goal in the movie is to be accepted. All teenagers feel like outsiders and want acceptance at some point. That teenage desire for acceptance is amplified for the turtles because they're not just teenagers, but mutants as well. The moment where Raph's voice sort of wavers as he says "we're never gonna be normal" breaks my heart every time, because they're so sure acceptance is completely out of reach for them 😭

...but the MM boys do get acceptance by the human world by the end of the film. Raph even seems to find his place own at Eastman on the wrestling team in the post-credit scene.

I think this is what has turned a lot of fans off MM, though, because the turtles' need for secrecy and using their ninja skills to remain hidden has always been an integral part of the TMNT franchise. Personally, I actually love that departure from the typical TMNT format and talked about it once before.

But there are some traditional TMNT elements that I did miss in MM, one of those being the fact that in most iterations, Raph is an outsider even amongst outsiders. His anger is what alienates him from his brothers at times, and it often gets him into trouble. It’s also what almost always leads to his friendship with Casey (another outsider).

Tales of the TMNT isn't out yet, and we don't how this series will give Raph that traditional outsider treatment, or if it will at all. They could save it for Mutant Mayhem 2, but that's still years away. And even then they might decide not to go that route because so far, MM Raph's rage has mostly just manifested in a propensity for fighting & violence rather than interpersonal issues with his brothers & other people. His rage is even framed as useful in the final fight against Superfly.

So anyway...as canon stands right now pre-tottmnt/MM 2, Raph is an "insider". He and his brothers can have a life on the surface, and Raph even seems to have found his own place at Eastman on the wrestling team. Again, I'm all for this happy ending and a brand new experience for the turtles, but I was also missing my personal favorite flavor of Raph...which is angry and alienated lol.

After I saw MM in theaters, I started looking at a lot of the concept art and other production material floating around on the internet and I came across this concept art by Garrett Lee:

And it was like "oh shit, there he is! Outsider Raph!"

He looks so lonely and separate from everyone else here, and I was obsessed with this idea of Raph somehow still being an outsider even after the mutants were accepted by humans. But again, we're still waiting for tottmnt and MM 2, and even then there's no guarantee we'll get an Angry & Sad Outsider Raph out of either of those.

So I asked myself "how can I ruin MM Raph's life so that he's as lonely and miserable as he looks in this concept art???"

...and Reciprocity was born 😅

[flameohotwife]

We've talked so much about kataang parenthood and the cloud babies, but I'm always up for hearing more of your thoughts on them. Really, I'd just give you that and let you talk away wherever it takes you, but how about this for more of a prompt.

Here's one that's been percolating for me lately. The cloudbabies grow up in a family that's not just their parents, but their entire community. Both Aang and Katara grew up in communities full of extended aunts/uncles/cousins (whether biological or not) surrounding them, and likewise their kids grow up on an island full of Air Acolytes that act as extended family for them. They're emersed in Air Nomad culture as a daily part of their lives. Both Aang and Katara would work to make sure they have traditional Water Tribe culture as part of their upbringing too, of course. (As you know I HC that Uncle Sokka is heavily involved in all their upbingings.)

I'd just love to hear your thoughts on anything extending form that or related.

Oh, absolutely. You knew what to send to make me go off, hahaha. Kataang as parents gets, I think, wholly misrepresented based on a couple one-off lines in LoK that were meant to show that even our favorites weren't perfect in parenthood (really, who is? I try my best but I know I fail my kids in different ways all the time), the same way the writers were able to show that each character had flaws in the original series. Aang has so much on his shoulders that OF COURSE he's not going to be able to balance that perfectly. And sometimes he (AND KATARA) will be too tired at the end of the day to think straight and might not be as attentive as they could/should be. I don't know how much of the criticisms are coming from people who are actually parents, though; who know intimately the constant daily (hourly?) pressures parents of multiple kids with widely varying personalities and needs are under. None of the parents I've talked to have felt this way.

I also love this idea of the cloudbabies being raised in a communal lifestyle, because you're right that both Aang and Katara grew up that way. Everyone always paints that as a point of conflict for Aang and Katara--that Aang wouldn't know anything of a nuclear family structure but really, as much as Katara did know that, her tribe was so close-knit that they were all like family as well. This was only amplified after the men went off to war and only the women and children were left behind. The cloudbabies probably have favorite acolytes that they run to when their parents are busy, and of course Sokka and Suki and Toph and Lin and Su are always around, too, or they're in the city visiting them.

And Aang and Katara take care of Toph's and Zuko's (and potentially Sokka's if he had any) kids like their own, too, whenever they're at their house. Once they're teens/preteens, the kids all cross the bay on the ferry themselves and hang out together when they can, and all the adults just know to feed whoever is there and have extra just in case their parents come looking. I'm reaching this stage with my oldest and I can really see Aang leaning hard into this, giving Bumi's friends a ride over on Appa when he sees them in town, telling stories from the war (maybe embellishing a bit) to Bumi's intense embarrassment but his friends' joy, making sure they have an extra fruit pie to take home to their parents after... Aang might not be anybody's pro-bending coach but you can bet he finds other ways to be involved in his kids' lives and is always so, so proud of the little humans he and Katara created, regardless of bending ability, grades, or anything else (though I hc that all the cloudbabies are pretty brilliant in school). They're going to have insecurities and complaints because they're all HUMAN, but they won't doubt for a second that they are loved ("That's one happy family")

Well that became a novel, haha. Thanks for sending me your kataang thoughts(/thots) and for asking for mine, too!

[thewickedkat]

100% love your analysis on laudna and her handling of the current situation!!! This is a tangent off of that because this isn’t meant to detract from your really good take on laudna’s current state of mind! But I also have a thought that in that whole altercation a more prevalent part of Delilah was influencing her to the point of even her motives and fears were mingling with Delilah’s so the moment/ the way she snaps at Chetney abt how he had ‘no right to talk about loss to her’ gave me the impression that that was Delilah helming the reigns more so than laudna. Idk I think the lines between them have blurred so much since laudna has been feeding her more and more. I really worry about how she hasn’t even acknowledged that aloud because she really is becoming Delilah. It definitely lends itself to the self sabotage that you talked abt already, but you can really see the flaws laudna already carries being amplified and influenced by Delilah to get her ultimate goal. And as a viewer gotta give it to marisha because her rping as always is so layered and interesting

(I also haven’t really paid attention to how the cr fandom is reacting to the current debacle, but I’m sure it’s rancid lmaoo ‘xD just want to say I really like your take being able to acknowledge the extremely flawed characters without infantilizing them or condemning them to be without any redemption and how this is also a show made for entertainment)

oh, i think Delilah is definitely influencing Laudna more than even Laudna realises, and when she is aware of it, i think that knowledge brings a deep and abiding shame, which only further fuels her self-sabotage. because in all honesty, here is a woman who, in her life, apparently had little: Laudna didn't have money, or lands, or a title; she was a simple farm girl who had a budding propensity for magic. by her own account, she had few friends. by the time the Briarwoods came to Whitestone, she was just ordinary, a little lonely, and then the new lady of the land comes and acknowledges her, seems to see her, and invites her up to the castle. what common person wouldn't be a little starstruck by that?

then the most horrible thing happens to her. she wasn't special, after all, just bore a passing resemblance to someone the Lady hated, and her corpse was strung up for all to see after it was altered. and then she is 'restored' to something that only passes for life, scares townspeople through no fault of her own, and is summarily run out of town and left to subsist in isolation, always on the fringes of civilisation, for the next thirty-odd years.

it's awful. and of course Delilah is going to take full advantage of that, no one knows you like I do, dear, no one understands what it's like to be able to do what you can and be what you are, but I do, I've always seen that within you and I can teach you, I can help you do so much more; all you need to do is let me in.

even if Laudna despised Delilah in the beginning (and from what we know, she absolutely did), after a while, with only her as company, Delilah is going to erode Laudna's resolve like water on a stone. it's grooming, without the gross sex connotations. all Delilah has to do is hammer down on the point that she has known Laudna the longest and still 'chooses' to 'help' her grow in power, remind her that she has seen Laudna at her worst and hasn't forsaken her. that's it, that's the crack she gets her narsty bitch fingers in and pries open. not even Imogen knows Laudna's darknesses and insecurities, not like Delilah, and Imogen will never need Laudna the way Delilah does--she's eminently capable, Imogen is.

Laudna is terrified she will be left alone again, and so she swallows down those parts of herself that seem to cause friction: when she got angry after the party split and the half that went to Uthodurn seemed to have a good time (Letters found FRIDA; Fearne and Chet and Deanna knocked boots; they had a shopping spree), she choked that anger back so as not to upset Imogen. when she tried, later, to talk to Imogen about Delilah, Imogen literally cut her off with a kiss and derailed that conversation. every time a serious discussion potentially crops up between those two, the words I love you are deployed (not just by Imogen, to be fair) almost as a stop sign, to quell any unpleasantness between them.

(not that either of them know what a healthy relationship is like, having grown up alone and isolated, whether emotionally or physically or both. not that either of them know what stable love is like, how good it can be despite spats or arguments.)

so Laudna keeps quiet on a great many things and Delilah isn't one to sleep on an opportunity.

see, i think Laudna knows she isn't special but deeply wants to be, just like any person does. i think she very much wants to belong, to be part of something, and i think she is afraid that if she is 100% wholly open, she will run everyone off--after all, it's happened before, repeatedly. and Delilah just gleefully pours gasoline on that fire, amplifying the self-sabotage and self-destructive tendencies.

but after all of that empathising, after all the tragic backstory and yes, Bad Things happened to you, Laudna, i get it, i think it is completely possible that even if Delilah weren't riding shotgun in her head, Laudna would be just as much of a mess--i just think it would happen much more slowly, with less bang and more whimper. Delilah just turns up the volume on the ugly.

conversely, i feel there's also cognitive dissonance within Laudna in that she doesn't want to admit that she's becoming more Delilah, that she's abrogating her own autonomy and giving slivers of herself up. because she's worked so hard, recently, to be herself, to become herself and feel comfortable in her own skin. because she has friends that worked so hard to bring her back, friends who don't run from her scariness, friends who like her and want to be around her and who understand even just a little about how awful the world can be to the smallfolk who live in it. and if she admits that Delilah is beginning to suffuse her, then all that work and effort and time? means nothing, doesn't it? means Laudna isn't worth it, means that her self is just something to be absorbed and used and ground into dust. so she clings to the idea of I'm fine, I know what I'm doing, this is my choice because the alternative is too awful to think about.

all that being said, all she had to do with Orym was say 'Can we talk about that sword? Cause it gives me the ick.'

[silentmagi]

You mentioned traumas in The Amazing Heroic Academia. Could you elaborate?

My Heroic Digital Academia

Why, yes. I could.

Izuku - Hyperfixation on comics, All Might's story in particular, so much so that kids would bully him for his love of the comic world. Escapism is a possible side effect he may have had, often gets lost in fantasies. As such he is given a wildcard of quirks, that will unlock overtime, Nezu believes he will be the most entertaining.

Mashirao - He was often overlooked in the real world, forgotten, as others drew more attention. He hated the feeling of being not worth the notice, or only being brought to mind when someone needed him for something. He wanted something to stand out, and had some martial arts training. The tail is a focal point to draw attention to him.

Shoto - Enji Todoroki is a man of fiery passion and icy cold control. His father wanted Shoto to become a child hood star like his older brother Touya, especially after his brother vanished in a fire on set. Going for more of an action star than romantic lead, Enji had him training harshly as a stuntman (his father is always playing a backup character to All Might in movies). Rei was a movie starlet herself, and tries to hold herself together. This hot and cold parenting is shown in the ice and fire powers that he has to learn to balance and control, before one or the other consumes him.

Kyoka - Being the child of two musicians that were popular meant that she was often on the road, isolated from others her age, and grew up with a shell to prevent others from getting in. She often felt she heard too much, and couldn't be heard when she spoke out. Her earjacks amplify sounds, but gives her heart a chance to be heard.

Ochaco - Her parents ran a construction company, however they were not popular due to a rival company in the area with deep pockets and connections. She always wanted to work for them to save them costs, however, they wanted her to follow her dreams. She loved the stars, and wanted to be an astronaut, as military people could set aside money for their family, and she'd be able to go into space eventually. Her gravity powers are borne from this love, and the desire to lighten burdens.

Mina - Is the life of the party, and tries to keep smiles on everyone's faces. However, she is often insecure about her appearance due to Vitiligo, and extremely curly hair (wanna say she's like a 4b-4c hair naturally). She actually loves having bright pink skin and horns more than having acid powers, as the acid reminds her of the caustic nicknames people gave her.

Aizawa - He was a programmer, and made Nezu to help him with some projects that were keeping him up late into the night. After losing his friend Oboro in a predecessor to the Heroic Digital Academy, he devoted a lot of his time to trying to find the secrets of the Shigiraki company, and erase their criminal empire with the help of the police. Sadly, he was the one that got 'erased' in a way, and is being kept safe in the academy. He's not sure what the data packets that the kids are getting on their missions, and hates that they are the ones that have to get them, but he has a feeling Nezu has a plan that he is a pawn in all along.

[sankatsuka]

Haruka & Tsukasa Character Discussion - HFD: The Joy of Being Someone Else, Someone Who Makes Everyone Smile

I've been feeling like talking about Haruka and Tsukasa for the longest time... The intentions behind Project Sekai's writing still does confuse me, but I decided to take a personal approach as to what Haruka and Tsukasa mean to me.

Warning:

There will be HCs to fill in gaps

Spoilers up to BURN MY SOUL.

Mentions of ED

I am using my own experience with HFD to explain Haruka and Tsukasa's character

Messy. IT'S SO HARD TO TALK ABOUT PROSEKA CHARACTERS!!

Edit: Felt compelled to add more. I also just found out that it may be more appropriately called dysthymia?

The desire to become someone else is an ongoing theme in Project Sekai, an emotion insecure characters like Ichika and Akito have. I feel like it's very easy to see in both their characters - Ichika is definitely most obvious, Akito takes a little tiny bit of psycho-analysis but his commissions scream obvious. The two characters I feel these emotions are very prominent in as well, but aren't clearly shown are Haruka and Tsukasa, and I want to discuss this because of how interesting I find it to be.

Haruka's desire to become 'someone else' really only became crystal clear in That Day's Dream. The story made it very obvious with how she wished she could be like the Smiling Princess as a child. As for Tsukasa, that desire has ironically always been crystal clear in his claims to "Future Star". What these two share in common is that neither of them seem to be insecure. But... if you're able to tell Akito is insecure from how hard he pushes himself because he can't reach his goal - it's really the same with Haruka and Tsukasa, they are extremely hard on themselves when they can't deliver hope/become a star (Haruka's rehabilitation, Sky's Edge). It just isn't as obvious as Akito's because they are both capable of becoming that 'someone else': they don't have to push themselves to the brink of death like Akito to be stopped and realize an alternative: that you have your own light. (Haruka is slowly realizing it... not Tsukasa)

Haruka and Tsukasa's feelings to "become someone else" seem to come from a similar place: not being able to make their loved ones happy as children. Haruka as a child laments making her mother sad, whereas Tsukasa has once said in passing in Hinamatsuri that he always makes Saki sad. It's completely normal to let people down from time to time, but both Haruka and Tsukasa express a desire of wanting to make sure this never happens again (Haruka as a child working on her smile, Tsukasa trying to buy Hina dolls). We see this sense of responsibility in their present again and again: Haruka being extremely hard on herself for accidentally hurting Mai, Tsukasa continuously criticizing himself for his mistake in unit story. It's like it's unacceptable for them to make mistakes, even when it's not entirely their fault nor responsibility (Mai should have stopped herself, Nene and Rui were the ones who made the mistake in the first place and anyone serious about it would have gotten angry). This sense of responsibility is what's hurting them, but the question is: where did it come from? Why is it so strong?

We don't know, so it's theory zone here. Haruka's monotonousness as a child and her few facial expressions at present (when off-stage) to me seems like a general difficulty to feel positive emotions strongly. I like to think this is genetic, linked to high-functioning depression (HFD) and/or anxiety. Further evidence of this is in how Haruka randomly expresses discomfort being in crowds as a child, and how her parents have to check if she's fine with walking more - we see a bunch of negative emotions amplified with child Haruka, even in the present-day where she's the one who constantly worries for MMJ. Haruka is more capable of expressions when on stage as an idol, and to me that's because she's acting as someone cute who makes everyone smile. Perceiving something as 'cute' fills us with a pure sense of happiness. As someone who suffers from HFD, I feel happiest when I can make other people happy, with the things I love. I know I enjoy them, but I cannot feel it strongly. But when I create something out of the things I enjoy, and someone else enjoys it - it elates me beyond anything. As if your dull emotions reached someone who feels it strongly in your stead... It gives you a reason to work hard and live your life to the fullest and nothing else can make you that happy to look forward to the next day. I'm inclined to believe this is what makes Haruka feel so strongly responsible for others, she lives for them and wants to deliver only the best hope for them.

But having HFD also means you've suppressed the pain that comes with dulled emotions, that it becomes the norm to suppress other pains too to keep meeting expectations of the people you live for. It's where I think her ED stems from, and why she herself isn't fully aware of all the pain that comes with her perfect lifestyle in Break Time - because she's suppressed it all.

As for Tsukasa, it's more ambiguous. There are tons of theories with how little we still know about him - but this is one way to look at it at an angle of HFD. Most kids in his position wouldn't be as empathetic with being neglected for their sickly sibling, and children don't have empathy at a young age - we see how Rui couldn't understand why his classmates were afraid and how An gets angry when she doesn't get attention. Tsukasa demonstrates emotonal maturity at a young age, being able to just accept the situation without throwing a tantrum about why it has to be that way (so far). On top of that, he also has the emotional clarity to see that Saki is lonely and that she has to continuously force her smile. It again stems from emotional maturity - always putting himself in the other's shoes: in Hinamatsuri, instead of fixating on how hurt he was from the fall, he thinks more about how Saki must be sad about having to see the dolls she longed for all dirtied up like that.

But just how is he able to be this... easily selfless, without harbouring any spite for having to neglect his own desires? Once again, my HC is that this has to do with being born with HFD, that spending time with his family doesn't spark that much joy for him to get strongly upset over. But what he does express is a desire not to be left alone for too long, a primitive human emotion, but only to himself. But even with this loneliness, he prioritizes the emotions of his family. Because they're all having a hard time, what he can do is make them happy. Shows gave him his answer: becoming a star like Amami would let him give the best smile to his family and friends. He naturally wants to entertain them as much as that show excited them so they didn't have to keep suffering, and stardom was the answer to that.

For Tsukasa, this is the reason why he must be at Amami's level no matter what. He views this as the only way for him to deliver the best possible smile, to fulfil his life's purpose. As I said, with HFD you live for people - your life's purpose is to make other people happy with what you enjoy. Tsukasa didn't think much about the performance in the prologue, but he does note how just singing and dancing made everyone smile, which could be a hint to what about shows he enjoys (like how Haruka finds idols cute). But I think he's also been heavily misled to think being the top star is the only way - because, why not just be a star in your own right, as Tsukasa Tenma and not having anything to do with Seiichi Amami?

A notable difference about Haruka and Tsukasa's discoveries of their dreams is how they were introduced to it. Haruka was invited on stage as her own idol, Tsukasa was an audience. Haruka can be her own idol, whereas Tsukasa lacks this reference point of himself. And another difference is how their families treat their dreams - Tsukasa's family seem to view it as just an odd trait of his, whereas Haruka's parents took it very seriously when she expressed her desire to become an idol. In fact, Haruka's mother's words were probably most important in making sure Haruka remembered that she would always, always, always be enough as herself:

"Yeah. Because Haruka's smile... is the cutest in the world!"

It's Haruka's smile that's the cutest in the world to her beloved mother, and not just on stage. Wherever it was that Haruka was smiling, wherever it was that she found her happiness, it'd be the cutest for her mother. Her mother wants her to smile, to be happy, to remember idolhood is for her own happiness above all. Whereas for Tsukasa, his family was smiling at the star in front of them, not him. His own performance won't make anyone happy.

It doesn't change that Haruka is hard on herself though. Habits of taking on too much responsibility for the only thing you care about don't die easily, and the idol world is tough... But she has people who care about her, who were there for her when she was at her worst, and now she has MMJ. There's also the difference of how Haruka wants to be seen as a normal schoolgirl, whereas Tsukasa is always in future star mode and has never expressed a desire to be normal. Haruka can probably cling onto her normal self after quitting idolhood and not feel overly responsible about letting people down, because she knows it's just right that her real, non-idol self should be loved too. But for Tsukasa, this common sense doesn't exist, not when he isn't convinced that him just being there, being normal is enough to make Saki happy (Hinamatsuri):

Saki: "W-Wait, onii-chan! It's fine to be more normal about it! Icchan and the others will get surprised!

Tsukasa: "I-Is that so?"

Saki: "It is! Besides, it's enough fun with you just being here with me!"

Tsukasa: "Just being with me makes you have fun... That is indeed something only a star can do!"

Saki: "Ahahaha..."

This common sense doesn't exist because his upbringing has taught him that only through stardom will he be accepted and loved normally. Because he couldn't give anyone a smile when he was just himself, but they all smiled at the star - this is who he has to be in order for people to love him and so he can bring happiness to them. Unlike Haruka's parents who made it a point to show her how her own happiness is what makes them happy. And no one thinks there's anything wrong with Tsukasa's pursuits because he seems to be having fun, but he can only really have fun because of the false sense of security and belonging that the title of 'future star' creates for him. That we see the excruciating pain he goes through when suddenly, that dream of becoming a star seems to be impossible.

Because his parents never seemed to take his dream seriously like Haruka's (which is possibly the reason she was able to become an idol so early), Tsukasa has to work on the stardom he desperately wants on his own with no guidance since childhood. There's no reference point other than the star on the TV, no teacher to help him shape his very own acting style, so he has to imitate all of the star's mannerisms to get closer to them. It's similar to Minori, but because she was pursuing idolhood out of her own passion for it there wasn't as much pressure to get there quickly and do it right. But for Tsukasa, being a proper star is the only place he thinks he'll be happy in - a place he can finally make people smile and for the happiness he brings them to colour his dull world and save him, like how Haruka was saved with idolhood (HFD tingz). Unfortunately, that proper path was closed off from the beginning for him, because of the lack of parenting.

Minori once viewed idolhood as being just like Haruka, until her first live made her realize how idolhood was about working hard and shining as yourself over naively yearning to be someone you admire. Haruka always knew this because of how she was introduced to idolhood in way of 'you can be an idol, too!'. Tsukasa only seems to be realizing that now: his obsession with colouring his dull world with stardom made him not see how he as a person, his own emotions, has a role in achieving it as well. He can't just be a copy of others. As we can see from how he currently has a hard time grasping deeply emotional roles, it isn't far-off to deduce that his continuous emotional suppression, learning-from-imitation and lack of focus on self have hampered his ability to feel emotions purely as himself, and instead understands emotions from other people's perspectives - reflected in his empathy as a child.

Sky's Edge portrays Tsukasa's soul-crushing pain of being far away from the star of that day, of the impossibility of being that star, exactly because of how obsessed he is with stardom saving his dull, worthless days. The world became grey and colourless for Haruka when she suddenly became incapable of standing on the stage as an idol. But for Haruka... there was still a tiny bit of hope she can return to the stage by a miracle, because her own guilt was what was stopping her and her past proved that she always had the ability to. So more than permanent loss, it was frustration at being the way she was, how her own emotional weakness made the world became grey and made her unable to be an idol, when it was just... right... there. But MMJ showed her that it was fine to be that way, that she can still be an idol even as someone like that. Everyone has emotions, so she doesn't have to be hard on herself for it - share that pain with them, and then try again tomorrow.

Haruka's feelings in Painful Hope can be seen as a similar pain as the powerlessness and self-hatred that Tsukasa felt in Sky's Edge, but the difference is that Tsukasa doesn't have the hope she has. He never got a place on the stage as his ideal star before and now it's being shown to him how he will never get it because he may have reached his limit. Even though he tried so hard, getting past all the times he felt weak and wanted to give up - because something about him just wasn't enough (his emotions). It's as if it was all pointless. There's no proof to Tsukasa that his efforts were never pointless, like how Haruka's past successes prove to her. And this is all because Tsukasa never had the proper path to stardom in the first place, because his parents for some reason just didn't push him onto it despite how passionate he was.

But Tsukasa still reaches out, because he wants it and wants to be saved. Even the tiniest bit of hope that's there for his dream, he'll reach out for it. Just like Haruka did after she experienced her trauma on stage, until... it all felt impossible. Tsukasa seemed about ready to give up too at the end of Sky's Edge and just gave it his all, not expecting his performance to be any great but still wanting to try his best. Luckily for Tsukasa it worked, but for Haruka... it never did, until she met MMJ. But it may be better if things don't work out for Tsukasa at some point, like it was with Haruka - because it led her to meeting MMJ who taught her a happiness of not holding all her pain to herself anymore. Tsukasa and Haruka are humans, so getting too caught up pursuing an ideal without considering your own emotions is like rejecting your humanity, placing inhuman expectations on yourself. As If's lyrics goes, "A never-ending story? That's boring. I want to see a dawn that won't come 'forever'."

But... It may get very messy if stardom doesn't work out with Tsukasa, especially with his upbringing of 'not feeling loved as just himself'. Without stardom, Tsukasa will have nowhere to go. It will probably be a necessary mess at some point in the future so he can finally learn to embrace his humanity...

Maybe I'm biased, but with how Mafuyu and Touya have highly similar upbringings, maybe it's the same for the other SEKAI creator (Tsukasa) and Haruka. The difference does seem to be that the non-SEKAI creators were still loved. Even Touya by his own family, despite being wronged by them - he could tell his father was passionate, to the point he loved his father's music and he's still able to voice his complaints, but with Mafuyu it's just cold iciness. As if Touya can feel that his family will always care no matter how he expresses himself, whereas Mafuyu can feel that if she isn't the person her mother wants her to be, then she will lose the love her mother has for her (emotional manipulation...). And with Haruka and Tsukasa, this whole post details it - how Haruka's family's proper support is what has gotten her this far whereas Tsukasa's lack of it is what has led him astray.

If Mafuyu and Touya share 'winter' in their name, then Haruka and Tsukasa's relationship is in Tsukasa's use of the word 'haruka' in describing how far his dreams are 🤪

[jungkoode]

I just wanna say! I love how you wrote the internal monologue for both characters in strings attached! But I am really into how emotionally layered and complex your characters are. I guess I am just curious as to how your thought process works but! Why did Jungkook cry after cumming? Because I thought he was crying because he feels bad. But he starts crying when she says she likes it. I really want to read your explanation!

First off, thank you so much for this thoughtful comment! It’s such a joy to hear when readers connect with the emotional layers of my characters because that’s the part I obsess over the most. So, truly, this means a lot. 🥹

Now, about Jungkook and the tears—it’s such an important moment for him, and I love diving into the "why" behind it. Jungkook's reaction is raw and messy, but it makes perfect sense for someone in his situation. He’s young, relatively inexperienced, and completely overwhelmed—not just by the physical sensations, but by the emotional weight of the encounter. Everything about the moment is heightened for him. The way I see it, his tears are the result of several overlapping emotions.

There’s the physical overstimulation, sure—let’s be real, this is likely the most intense thing he’s ever felt. The way his body just gives in so completely to the moment would be enough to rattle anyone, but for someone like Jungkook, who’s probably so desperate to "do well" and impress Y/N, it’s also laced with shame. He’s crying because he’s mortified about how quickly he lost control, but that’s only the surface.

The deeper reason? It’s the vulnerability. Jungkook isn’t just exposing his body here; he’s exposing his feelings—his neediness, his inexperience, the raw edges of how much he wants her. And then, Y/N says something that completely flips his expectations: she likes it. She likes the desperation, the vulnerability, the part of him he was so sure would disgust her. That reassurance is like pulling the rug out from under him. He’s been bracing for rejection, convinced that his inexperience or his messy reaction would drive her away, and instead, she tells him it’s exactly what she wanted.

I think that moment hits him so deeply because it’s not just validation of his body; it’s validation of his emotions. Y/N’s acceptance tells him that his vulnerability isn’t just okay—it’s desirable. And that level of acceptance, especially when he’s been holding onto so much insecurity, is absolutely overwhelming. It’s a mix of relief, disbelief, and gratitude, all bubbling to the surface at once.

There’s also something to be said about Jungkook’s inexperience amplifying everything he feels. This isn’t just a physical first for him; it’s an emotional one, too. He’s never been this close to someone he cares about in this way, never had his feelings laid so bare, and when Y/N not only accepts but embraces all of it, it cracks him wide open. The tears aren’t just about the orgasm—they’re about the flood of emotions he’s been holding back, finally spilling over now that the dam’s been broken.

So, to answer your question, Jungkook’s tears start when Y/N tells him she likes it because that’s the moment he realizes he’s safe. Safe to feel, safe to want, safe to let go of all the fear that she’ll reject him. It’s relief, catharsis, and the sheer vulnerability of being truly seen and accepted in a way he’s never been before. That’s why he cries—not because he feels bad, but because he feels too much.

Thank you again for asking this. Comments like yours remind me why I put so much thought into moments like these. You’re amazing, and I’m so grateful for readers like you! 💛

[bambirex]

Maybe Loving Is Sharing: Chapter 10

Pairings: Geraskefer, Geraskier, Yenralt, Yennskier

Characters: Jaskier, Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, Triss Merigold, Vesemir, Eskel, Lambert, Coen

Additional tags: genderbending, alternate universe - modern setting, polyamory, matchmaking, pining, unrequited love, or is it?, mutual pining, friends to lovers, awkwardness, fem!Geralt, fem!Jaskier, bunch of helpless sapphics, everyone is confused, crushes, disability, emotionally constipated Yennefer of Vengerberg, oblivious Geralt of Rivia, oblivious Yennefer of Vengerberg, oblivious Jaskier, everyone is fucking oblivious, insecurity, misunderstandings, lack of communication, light angst

Rating: mature

Full word count: 16, 976 words

Chapter word count: 1,679 words

Chapters: 10/16

Summary: The plan is simple: help your best friend get together with the girl of her dreams. What could go wrong?

Well, when everyone is confused and pining but also very oblivious, pretty much everything.

Chapter summary: Difficult conversations are had.

Author's notes: This fic is going to be finished one day, I promise.

Read on Ao3

*

It was a surprise Yennefer even agreed to see them again.

Geraldine has completely given up on it- on Yennefer, on Jaskier, everything. After the disaster that happened in Jaskier's flat, Geraldine was convinced this was it. What she was so scared of, actually happened. She did lose her best friend as well as the love of her life. Maybe communication wasn't always the key, or she just truly sucked at it.

After days of wallowing in self-pity and constant doubts, she got a text from Jaskier asking her to come see her, and she apparently invited Yennefer as well. Just reading the text made Geraldine's heart jump with nerves. She had no idea what to expect, but somehow she was sure not a great day was ahead of her.

Jaskier and Yennefer were already waiting for her in the small café. Geraldine swallowed when she spotted them sitting together at a table. They both looked gloomy, sitting way too far from each other. It appeared as if they haven't even spoken a word to each other since they got there.

With Yennefer being so distant, and Jaskier freaking out after their kiss, Geraldine didn't blame them. But that didn't mean her heart didn't ache all the same.

She approached them slowly. Jaskier looked up at her, with an unreadable expression on her face. Yennefer stared down on her hands, picking at her black nail polish.

"Hey," Geraldine's voice came out weak as she greeted them. She pulled out a chair and sat down in front of them. She wiped her clammy palms on her jeans, fidgeting in her seat with discomfort.

The silence seemed to stretch on for hours. Geraldine barely dared to look at the other two.

"So," Jaskier eventually started, "I figured we should all put an end to this mess."

Geraldine looked up. Jaskier looked uncharacteristically sad, her usual bright smile nowhere to be seen. Geraldine hated seeing that look on her face

"End to it...?" Geraldine asked carefully. Jaskier nodded, biting her lower lip.

"Yeah. I mean, that's the smartest decision, isn't it?"

"It is," Yennefer replied. She was still looking at her hand, her eyes distant, tired. "You guys deserve so much better than this."

She finally looked up, something like guilt seeping into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, to both of you. I know you guys wanted something different, something more. That's not what I wanted."

Geraldine tried to ignore the ache in her chest that amplified with each passing second.

"What did you want, then?" She asked, already dreading the answer. Yennefer sent her a glance full of guilt.

"Sex. Nothing else."

Geraldine closed her eyes for a second. Maybe if she opened them again, she would find out this was all just a dream- but clearly, this was more like a nightmare. Honestly, what did she expect? She was right when she said relationships weren't for her. The first time she seriously considered entering one, it all backfired, blew up in her face. She truly fell for Yennefer and she truly loved Jaskier as more than a friend, and what did it get her? A confession that broke her heart.

"Nothing else?" Jaskier checked quietly. She stirred her Frappuccino, her eyes sadder than Geraldine has ever seen them. "Not even for a second?"

Yennefer was silent for a while. Her own coffee remained untouched, going cold as she sat above it with a gloomy expression, guilt and sorrow radiating off her.

"No," she eventually said. Every word she said was like a dagger straight into Geraldine's heart.

"I did find both of you endearing, that's true. But I'm not built for relationships, and I know you want something more, Geraldine. And I wish... I really, really wish I could give you that. Because you deserve it. That safe, steady relationship that you need. But I can't give you that. I can't... I can't give either of you that."

She looked at Jaskier fleetingly. "I never really knew what to make of you, but I did know that I was very attracted to you, and I didn't have very innocent intentions with you, either. Two things were clear to me right away: you played matchmaker for Geraldine, trying to get her and me together, but you're also in love with her."

Jaskier made a small sound at the back of her throat. She pointedly avoided Geraldine's eyes when she tried to look at her.

"And Geraldine is in love with you, too. I don't even understand why you guys don't get together. Why chase after me, when the best thing is right in front of you? You're just wasting your time with me. You're both such amazing people. Seriously. And that's why I'm telling you this, because I don't wanna keep playing with either of you."

She swallowed heavily. Her lips wobbled, but she pulled herself together with a sharp intake of breath.

"That's my explanation. I was not looking for anything serious, and I never will be. I'm sorry."

"Yen..." Geraldine whispered. Her throat was tight around her name, and she wasn't even sure what she wanted to say. She was bad at reading social cues, that was for sure, but she truly believed that maybe something could've come out of her and Yennefer. That Yennefer felt the same - but apparently, she was wrong. And she dragged Jaskier into this for no reason, she forced her into this stupid game for a woman that wouldn't even consider her feelings. It was all pointless, much ado for nothing.

"My turn, then," the pain was evident in Jaskier's voice. Geraldine desperately wanted to hold her hand, but after their disastrous kiss, it was clear it was better not to do that.

"Yennefer, you're right. I played matchmaker. Geraldine asked me to, because she immediately developed a massive crush on you. And I helped her, of course, I did. Because she's my friend, and because..."

She took a shaky breath. Geraldine noticed that she was blinking rapidly to try and keep the tears at bay.

"I'm in love with her. Of course I am. But I was ready to let it go for good. I didn't wanna come between you two. I didn't wanna be a burden."

"You're not," Geraldine said quickly. Unable to resist the urge anymore, she grabbed Jaskier's hand. Her heart leapt up to her throat. "But when I kissed you, you..."

"Geraldine, don't," Jaskier warned her softly. Geraldine felt her heart shatter when Jaskier yanked her hand out of her grasp. "I know why that kiss happened. You wanted to get over Yennefer rejecting you... rejecting us. Because, for fuck's sake, I like you, too, Yennefer. And that's the worst part, that I'm trying to shove myself into an equation that doesn't need me."

"There's no equation," Yennefer told her. "I just told you, I'm retreating. I don't want a relationship. I can't... You should go for each other."

"Well, no, because I feel like Geraldine would only pick the donkey because the horse ran away," Jaskier scoffed. "I don't want to be a last resort. I kept pining for you all my life, Geraldine, but I'm done now. I'm still your friend, but please, keep me out of your love life. I can't handle this."

Geraldine was sure she was going to pass out. First Yennefer telling her she never had genuine feelings for her, and now Jaskier confessing that she did - but somehow, she was scared of those feelings.

"I love you both," Geraldine whispered. She sighed heavily. Instead of the weight from her shoulders disappearing with relief after she said these words out, she just felt wrong. It felt almost pointless to tell them now.

"But I know it doesn't make sense. I can't have both of you. I never could, and now this is clearer more than ever. One of you never loved me for a second, the other did but wouldn't believe I could ever feel the same way. And you're right, this is a mess, and maybe stopping this is the right choice, after all."

She looked up at them. They all looked just as miserable as she felt. Jaskier's eyes were wet with tears. Yennefer's cheeks went pale.

Geraldine wasn't even sure what she was supposed to feel when Yennefer finally stood from the table and left. She limped a little, and leant more heavily on her cane. Geraldine offered her an arm but Yennefer refused, making her exit still as quick as possible. All Geraldine knew in that moment was that she felt empty, hollow. Like someone just ripped out a piece of her.

She carefully searched for Jaskier's eyes. Those beautiful, blue eyes that were full of sadness as they peered up at her from under long lashes.

"Are we still friends, then?" Geraldine asked quietly. Jaskier sniffled softly before she nodded.

"We are."

That, at least, was still in one piece, if everything else fell apart. But even that felt bittersweet, because Geraldine knew that these revelations, and everything that led up to them would affect her friendship with Jaskier heavily. Things would never be the same again. They both knew how the other felt now, but instead of being happy about it and falling into each other's arms, it just made things even more complicated.

And there was Yennefer, the missing piece that clearly meant a lot to both of them, but who did not feel the same way. Geraldine wished she could be mad at her, but she found herself unable to be.

She just felt extremely disappointed and wished she could turn back time to the day she met Yennefer, and that she could somehow erase that moment. Or, maybe even further back, the day she met Jaskier. Because if she didn't meet these wonderful women, she wouldn't have fallen in love with them and wouldn't have ruined everything, wouldn't have broken her own heart.

Geraldine wanted both of them, and in the end she got none of them - wasn't this just beautifully ironic?

[lune-moon-nuit]

I completely, 100% agree with the theory that the cliff scene from Season 1 is being utilized in Season 5. Even before finishing the series, when I saw that scene for the very first time, I truly paused, perplexed: how could a 12-year-old boy be so desperate that he would actually end up jumping off a cliff? And I was genuinely astonished to see that the general audience either forgot about this scene entirely (in the worst cases) or simply summed it up as, "He sacrificed himself for his friend; he’s so heroic."

Sure, from that perspective, it’s heroic... but when you look at the bigger picture, you see a 12-year-old child who has clearly been bullied his entire life, whose best friend has disappeared, whose lifeless body was found and even had a funeral. Despite the faint hope offered by the mysterious girl with supernatural powers, whom he met the day after his best friend’s disappearance, she ran away, and he couldn’t find her again. This crushed any remaining hope of finding his friend alive. At this moment, the most likely explanation for Will’s "death" was either a homophobic hate crime or suicide, given that Will was bullied for being—or appearing to be—gay. This mindset was normalized and widespread, even among Mike’s conservative parents.

To top it all off, the bullies who had humiliated and hurt him and his friends continued to insult Will (missing and presumed dead) with homophobic slurs and threatened to harm Dustin by aggravating his disability to force Mike off the cliff. Mike, at this point, literally believed he was worth less than Dustin’s baby teeth. Let that sink in. Viewed this way, it changes everything, doesn’t it? It becomes much less heroic, doesn’t it?

And let’s not forget that the fall was deadly—there was no question about it. The water at the base of that cliff was where Will’s body was found. Mike had no idea that El would be there to save him. He deliberately jumped off the cliff, fully aware of the outcome. He heard the second bully realizing it was going too far and trying to reason with Troy. He heard Dustin pleading with him not to jump. Even the existence of his friends and family wasn’t enough to activate his survival instinct. He jumped off a cliff at 12 years old, knowing full well he wouldn’t survive. That act wasn’t heroic; it was suicidal.

This scene is, in truth, evidence that Mike has been depressed and suicidal since Season 1—that losing hope of finding Will alive caused him to lose his will to live. Numerous analyses have already done an excellent job explaining why Mike’s character in Seasons 1 and 2 feels so "different" in Seasons 3 and 4, so I won’t delve into that here. But it’s clear that puberty, combined with the increasingly concrete realization of what he feels for Will as a teenager in rural 1980s America, and his overwhelming guilt toward El—whom he cherishes but feels responsible for—have amplified his depression.

He feels obligated to love El as she wishes to be loved because she sacrificed herself to save his life, but he knows he has failed to love her the way he "should," even though he deeply cares for her. While Will being alive has given him one less reason to jump off a cliff, it hasn’t changed the fact that he places no value on his own life. This is evident in how recklessly he endangers himself to protect the people he loves (fighting the Mind Flayer, standing up to Billy, exposing himself to gunfire in Season 4 during the shootout at the house to clear the way for others).

I also won’t dive into Mike’s low self-esteem and insecurities, as these have been repeatedly pointed out and are particularly clear in his own words during the van scene (before Will reassures him). But all this is to say: this scene would be perfect to use in Season 5—not only as a memory Vecna could exploit against him but also as a way to remind the audience of this moment. It would finally highlight all the pain Mike has been carrying silently and hiding from everyone in the series and the audience by internalizing all his emotions.

We need to see Mike undergo a catharsis—potentially triggered by Vecna—to show the depths of his suffering and the factors fueling his depression: his love for Will, his internalized homophobia, his fear of losing Will, his fear of losing El, his fear of losing his family’s love, his self-hatred, his guilt for hurting both El and Will, and his sense of never being good enough despite trying so hard to help those he loves while being completely lost himself.

It’s time for the audience to finally see things from Mike’s perspective and realize just how much he’s been bottling up, only for the pressure to make everything crack. Mike needs that breaking point, the moment where he finally lets it all out, so he can begin to heal and move forward. So he can find himself. So the audience can rediscover him. So he can rediscover happiness—and love, too.

(2/3) Stranger Things/Labyrinth Theory: MC Escher's Relativity Prediction (LONG)

PART TWO IS REAL?! (sorry for the wait, i got busy). As I was saying in part one, I think there's a chance that the climax of Mike's arc in Stranger Things will parallel Sarah's from the movie Labyrinth.

In the movie Labyrinth, Sarah had exactly thirteen hours to rescue her baby brother Toby after accidentally wishing for him to be taken away. In the climax of the movie, she finally spots him crawling up (and down) a trippy ass staircase.

As one of Sarah's last challenges within the Labyrinth, she runs throughout this maze trying to catch up to her little brother. The laws of gravity and physics do not apply here. At one moment, little Toby might be crawling across the ceiling, in the next he might be catching a crystal bouncing up a flight of steps.- fandom wiki

In Labyrinth, the setting of the “endless stairs” scene is based on M.C Escher’s ‘Relativity’.

Which is foreshadowed earlier in the movie, by a poster hanging on Sarah’s bedroom wall:

And as you know from my earlier post, I think this MC Escher poster hanging in Mike's room, was a reference to Sarah's from Labyrinth.

Because it could potentially foreshadow a Snowball/GoblinBall parallel going down in season 5. (read theory: here)

I ended part one on a cliffhanger (cue uncontrollable laughter), by hinting that Sarah's "Relativity" poster might ALSO relate to a potential s5 Mike scene (the cliff). Because, based off of pure unadulterated vibes, the "endless staircase scene" from Labyrinth seemed like the perfect opportunity to visually parallel Mike's Cliff Jump to Sarah's Staircase Jump...

AND GUESS WHAT, THE VIBES WHERE PROPHETIC OR SOME SHIT, BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT THAT A POSTER OF RELATIVITY IS ALSO HANGING IN MIKE'S ROOM?!😱WHICH MAKES THIS THEORY (SLIGHTLY) LESS RANDOM?!

(thank you to @strangerchicka for telling me this, because when i originally paused to screenshot Mike's room, he was covering it LMAOOO)

Not only that, but it's hung directly underneath the notorious One Way Sign pointing directly into Mike's closet. The one way sign isn’t just pointing into his closet, though, it's also pointing at a mirror. Maybe this is because the upside-down is a mirrored version of the other side? In any case, its Suspicious as hell. So, hear me out:

What if the scene of Mike jumping off the cliff comes full circle in s5.

because it’s the only way (?)

Which leads me back to Labyrinth:

The Climax:

the final confrontation between Sarah and Jareth happens in the Relativity-themed room. When she finally reaches the top of the staircase, she looks down and spots sweet lil baby Toby.

but lil homie is contemplating life, staring into the abyss. He's looking over the edge of what appears to be a pretty steep drop.

When Sarah looks down and sees Toby...she JUMPS.

which successfully breaks her out of the spell!

According to multiple credible academic sources (LitCharts and Reddit) Toby the physical embodiment of Sarah's own childhood innocence👼

Which got me thinking: What if the baby is the physical embodiment of Mike’s childhood as well? In other words, what if the baby parallels s1 Mike, and Sarah parallels s5 Mike

(Disclaimer: If you think I sound like a crazy person rn....you're absolutely right. I'm fully aware of my own confirmation bias, and I recognize that, while it's fun to speculate, we really shouldn't expect any of this to actually happen. It's impossible to accur-

YOU THOUGHT BITCH, the voices are back and louder then ever! :D Before escaping from their basement, the Duffers told me (in cryptic riddles ofc) that the cliff scene WILL be brought back in s5, and that they will do it through either time travel or memories. Working backwards from this (highly classified) information, I came up with a few potential scenarios which could be used to write this in:

SPECIFIC S5 CLIFF SCENE PREDICTIONS:

1: MEMORY/ILLUSION: The baby is s1 Mike, and Sarah is s5 Mike. When Mike sees his s1 self on the cliff within a memory/illusion, he has to jump off the cliff again in s5, as it's the ONE WAY to break out of the illusion.

2: TIME TRAVEL TOMFOOLERY: Somehow, going back in time causes Mike to die on the cliff in s1. For example, if El never escaped from the lab in the first place, she wouldn't have been there to save Mike on the cliff in s1 (although he prob wouldn't have in that situation in the first place, but just ignore that for now). If changing the past is THE ONE WAY to stop Vecna, this might mean in s5, Mike is forced to watch s1 Mike jump off the cliff with no one there to save him. (This scenario doesn't seem very likely to me atm,idk why)

MY FAVORITE IDEA?!:

3: TIME TRAVEL TOMFOOLERY: This one is kinda edgy, but the writers almost made El mercy kill her mom in s2, so how crazy is it REALLY?

OKAY. So what if the ONE WAY to stop the end of the world, is go back in time and change things, but Mike unexpectedly dies as a result of this?

What if in s1, Mike still jumps off the cliff despite the bullies never threatening Dustin's teeth in the first place?

Let me explain: if time travel tomfoolery DOES have to go down in s5, then that means they might never meet El or get involved in any supernatural antics.

Meaning that in s1, Mike would't learn the truth about what actually happened to Will after his body was found in the quarry.

The Cliff overlooking The Quarry is the key to all of this.

Why? because if Will's "body" was found in the quarry, then the leading theory as to the cause of his death would probably be this:

Police would suspect that Will was either:

A: hate-crimed/pushed off of the cliff

B. committed sewerslide via jumping

In this altered timeline, Mike might still watch Will's body get pulled out of the quarry. Only this time, he would falsely believe that the cause of will's death was his sexuality.

Police would probably tell him that Will died as a result of the town's homophobia:

and this isn't a crazy assumption to make in the 80’s, which is why Hopper kept pressing Joyce about Will's perceived sexuality. It is a significant factor to consider, if being gay caused his death.

Ted knows this same thing, which is why he subtly implied to Mike that Will's disappearance wasn't shocking to him:

This implication wasn't lost on Mike either, who was understandably upset by it. One can only image how he'd react if it turned out to be true...oh wait,

What if after he finds out that Will "jumped" into the quarry, Mike jumps too

I think Mike's decision to jump will remain unchanged in this timeline, despite Dustin's baby teeth never being threatened. This reveal would reframe the s1 cliff scene, by giving his choice a more profound underlying cause

Only this time when Mike jumps, El won't there to save him:

Which might be why Mike was paralleled to Romeo in s4. Because just like Romeo, what if Mike tragically dies by his own hand after finding out about Will's fake "death" and seeing the body

(someone send me the Montegue image to inset here, i'm feeling lazy)

This scenario would conveniently add a whole new layer of meaning to this joke made by Ted in s2:

“So if your friend jumps off a cliff, you’re going to jump too?”

Might this line be yet another classic case of reverse story telling antics within Stranger Things???

no, cause hear me out! Reverse Storytelling is literally how they constructed Mike and Will's entire relationship! Which suggests that reframing prior seasons and Mike himself will be a pretty major focus of the final season.

If this joke is only supposed to be fully understood in reverse it would make a lot of sense because, as of now, it’s a pretty mid joke. Considering that Mike jumped off of the cliff to save Dustin's baby teeth, the dramatic irony only applies to the fact that Mike also "jumped off a cliff". The implication that he jumped "because his friend did" doesn't even apply to the s1 cliff scene!( I’m the comedy police, and your under arrest!😡👮‍♀️)

UNLESS this joke is actually in reference to the season 5 cliff scene😨Because in s5, Mike jumps off the cliff after finding out that his friend Will did!

Side note: If they can't figure out why Mike dies when they go back in time, maybe the ONE WAY to prevent his own death will be to realize WHY he still jumps (bc he loves will+his internalized homophobia). And so the one way to survive might actually be to admit his true feelings by coming out of the closet to the party/himself! GODDAMNNNN that would be such a cool freaking twist! (Not the unaliving himself part. actually, no yeah that part. I just mean the idea would be creative, but don’t get your hopes up. IF this does actually happen, I doubt Mike would actually stay dead. The duffers are WAY too pussy to kill him off fr, so don’t worry!👍)

Who do I need to bribe in order to get the writers to see this??? because NOT using Ted’s throw-away line to set up the most legendary case of foreshadowing and time travel fuckshit in the history of the universe would be SUCH a missed opportunity!!!! It would simultaneously shed a light on Mike’s internalized homophobia, PLUS demonstrate his love for Will since s1?! just a humble suggestion! 🤷‍♀️(i'm dead fucking serious).

4. Mike has powers: Mike was the one to freeze time in the upside down and/or make it look like Hawkins, not Will. He's the "babe with the power". I'll explain why I think this could be a possible in Labyrinthgate part 3. If the ONE WAY to resolve everything, is to take control of his powers by accepting himself/and coming out of the closet, ig the cliff scene could play into somehow by visually symbolizing Mike's internal struggle ? (link to theory here later)

5. ALTERNATE DIMENSION ANTICS: The baby is s1 Mike, and Sarah is s5 Mike. THE ONE WAY to get back to the other side/upside-down, is to jump off the cliff again, because the water becomes a portal (Bc of Donnie Darco LMAOSK I’ll explain later💀it doesn't make much sense, but i'm still gonna write a theory about it just for funzies . I'll link it here at some point)

Mark my words, something VAGUELY close to at least ONE of these scenarios WILL happen in s5. And that's a connect-dots7 promise🫵. (i'm talking out of my booty hole rn)

Also-

Reframing to the cliff scene in the final season makes sense from a writing perspective:

I mean, Mike jumped off A CLIFF. He was ready to DIE over some baby teeth?! Get real🥱Even if this was the original intent of the scene back when it was first written, there's definitely potential for the writers to reframe it now. Considering the direction Mike's arc is taking, it's a wee bit suspicious how after season one, this event is never brought up again (aside from Ted's cheeky lil joke). Almost like the writers are leaving the door open to potentially revisit it later perhaps??🤨🤨

The GA still needs to be convinced that there was evidence of Mike's internal struggle from the very beginning, which the cliff scene could be utilized to do. Considering that his POV has become increasingly hidden from the audience, it leaves the door open for Mike's character motivations to be "rewritten" in s5. To me, reframing the s1 cliff scene seems like THE PERFECT opportunity to also reframe his character’s perspective. The cliff scene is one of his most memorable scenes in general, and a key moment of characterization for Mike in s1. Also: him readily jumping off a cliff is lowkey sewerslide coded?🤨and if he’s struggling mentally that’s a lil suspicious. just sayingggg🤷‍♀️ btw, that isn’t to say necessarily that Mike jumped off the cliff in s1 bc he was actually just sewerslidal (unless option 3 ends up happening lol). It could also (pretty easily) just be re-framed, or paralleled with s5 Mike, in order to visually allude to/symbolically represent his internalized homophobia. I don’t know how exactly, but (for example) I could see Vecna spelling out for the audience Mike's internal struggle, and info dumping Mike’s secret feelings while a memory of the cliff scene happens, kind of like when Vecna exposed Max for her conflicted feelings about Billy. (this would be kinda bad writing tho imo, so I hope not. I kinda just really want option 3 to happen tbh😗)

More Potential Foreshadowing (Mike/Water)(watergate?!?)

I already thought another cliff scene was a possibility (before all this Labyrinth delusion started), based off of the water imagery surrounding Mike throughout s4:

link to that here

idk guuuuys...something something about all that water symbolism around Mike really makes me of the quarry, since it’s one of the only significant bodies of water in the show. It's also literally the setting where both Mike and Will briefly "died" in s1, cementing it as a pretty significant water themed setting for both of them, but especially for Mike. Of course, the water symbolism might also foreshadow him drowning in Lover's Lake. (more on that later maybe?)

Along with this, I also think that Mike's death will end up referencing Artax's in the Never-ending Story. If Will is Bastian, and El is Ateyu...then who's Mike?

HE'S THE DAMN HORSE. Arguably the most iconic scenes in the Neverending Story is when that depressed horse Artax drowns. (just tryna think outside the box guys, idfk)

the end! hope you liked it!

[wisperwind22612]

How beautiful to find another fan. I can only recommend this show. I watched it again now that I am studying English and literature, so excuse my following ramble about how great this is.

The protagonist is set up to be the hero archetype with the trickster as his trusty friend/sidekick and an antagonist to go up against. However, he fits more the mentor archetype, despite being the definite protagonist. He is usually the most powerful in the room or even on the planet and sometimes things probably only work because he wills them to, but he avoids violence as best as he can.

His antagonist, the Serpent, takes your bad thoughts, insecurities, selfish needs, worries, pride... And amplifies it, until it overwhelmes you to the point that you can't get out of your spiraling bad thoughts on your own anymore. Then, the Serpent makes sure the victim isolates themselves completely by suggesting their moments of weakness will be mocked and no one would help them if they ask. This isolation leads to further doubt.

The Little Prince is not the saviour, he brings people with broken relationships back together, mediates conflicts, helps finding solutions and compromises for the characters. They save themselves, which creates long lasting solutions. He often refuses to engage in conflict or even save himself because he trusts that the people can surpass themselves in these situations and gain confidence and experience for future problems.

This could have easily been an action series, but instead it's about mental health, facing your fears, taking care of yourself and your environment and all that with a gentle heart, kindness and an unwavering belief in the good in people. I can barely put into words how much I love this show as child as well as a grown up. It helped me see the beauty in a world again when my depression was at its worst. Thanks for reading☺️

What were your favourite cartoons to watch when you were a kid?

The obvious aside, I was in LOVE with a German-French show called Der Kleine Prinz (“The little prince”) based on Saint-Exupéry's novel with the very same name. It would air on the German kids' channel every day, without fail, at 7 pm, and since the 20 minute episodes were two-parters, I absolutely could not bear missing one, or I’d never know how the plot of the episode resolves. Woe is me pre-internet.

Seriously though, I cannot describe the hold this had on little me. This is pretty much the only show I can think of that can be describes as “magical girl for boys”, the costumes and character designs were STUNNING and don’t get me started on the world building for each planet. The little prince's German voice was the softest, warmest and most trustworthy voice IN EXISTENCE, and the magical chimes that came every time he transformed still bring tears to my eyes.

The plot is pretty simple, basically he and his snarky animal companion, Fox, travel the universe chasing the Snake, who ALSO had an amazing voice and design, to foil his evil machinations. I am now noticing that the Snake also had a bit of an obsessive villain crush on the Rose, who the Little Prince writes letters to each episodes and who had to stay behind on his home planet due to being, well. Rooted to the spot. I am now realizing this may be a pattern for me. But that really wasn’t the focus here.

Anyway, the story, safe for that very weird finale, was so. Good. Very slow and nuanced, treating each character with care and understanding, even though most of them never appear beyond their two episodes. The story arcs were always closed, no open ends, but never felt meaningless. And even though every one of them had a different plot with different points of focus and different flaws to overcome, they were incredibly consistent in their messages of growth, compassion and forgiveness. The Snake was a very thinly veiled devil-metaphor I think, befriending characters at their lowest point or using their greatest fears, and helping/controlling them to reach their ends while dooming their planets in the process. Until the Little Prince arrives and begins his work to figure out what the problem is and how to defeat the Snake here, before it moves on to the next world.

[acefaun]

Yandere Star Crossed Myth Masterlist

~~UPDATED NOV 03, 2024~~

✨Masterlist✨ (the masterlist of fandoms) ✨AO3 Link✨ (all these scm yandere fics in one place!)

(Note: I like reading the scary yandere stuff, but I'm insecure about writing it so... be gentle, please. Have mercy.)

Yandere Zodiacs Pt.1(request)- The 12 gods of the Zodiac are absolutely obsessed with the fem-reader who is absolutely opposed to staying with these scarily possessive gods. Regardless of what she thinks, the gods are intent on keeping her in any way necessary. (10,654words) Warning: gore, violence

Yandere Zodiacs Pt.2(request)- It's hard to please 12 gods, but they still expect her to obey them. She's their goldfish, when will she learn? Anxiety? That's not an excuse. Do better. That's a high order considering her new home is soon to be the Heavens. (10,175words) Warning: violence, blood

Yandere Zodiacs Pt.3- Finally at home in the heavens, the fem-reader has to learn to play a submissive and compliant role if she wants to survive around 12 men. Finding out the dark secrets behind her captivity, she finally snaps, leading to a cascade of unfortunate events. (12,346words) Warning: violence, suicide, sexual harassment

Yandere Zodiacs Pt.4- Finally rescued from her dreadful yandere Zodiacs, these ‘new’ gods do their best to guide the fem-mc through the healing process until her memories of them return. Hopefully, this is her happy ending… Right? (10,675words) Warning: trauma, mentions of suicide

You Broke Me First(request)- Unable to become an immortal goddess, MC is rejected by the Zodiacs, the loves of her life. She'll make sure they regret leaving her for noble goddesses, but to do so, she needs to do something terrible: become a demoness. (5300words) Warning: gore, minor character death, violence, manipulation

Zyglavis- Denying a relationship with a god, MC decides to date a human man. However, Zyglavis hates that he's been replaced. Visiting the mansion once again, MC realizes that returning was a mistake. Not even the wishes gods can help them get out of Zyglavis' grasp. (8,157words) Warning: stalking, violence, mentions of death

Scorpio- Being a god, Scorpio never had to face the same hardships he did as a human, and punishing humans was something he was genuinely good at. He's not familiar with loving someone else, can MC really blame him when he resorts to what he's best at? (7,998words) Warning: violence, manipulation, language, abuse, blood

Dui- Shadow Dui was never familiar with love, so he doesn't understand that his possessiveness over MC isn't healthy. Dui tries his best to keep his relationship with MC intact, but that grows difficult when he can't even keep a firm grip over his alternate self. MC is in trouble when Shadow Dui can't decide between killing them or keeping them locked away forever. (WORK IN PROGRESS) Warning: violence

Partheno- Partheno gave up his demon roots to be with MC, only for them to reject him for another god. Without them, who was to stop Partheno from resorting to his original plans? Whether he had MC beside him or devoured their soul, it was the same thing to him. (12,414words) Warning: violence, sexual harassment, mentioned death

Ichthys(request)- Ichthys has a childish crush that MC doesn't return. The only logical choice left is to back MC into a corner from which only Ichthys can help them. But Ichthys can't have MC undoing all his hard work. Desperate times mean desperate measures. (11,773words) Warning: violence, mentions of death, manipulation

Krioff- Warning: WORK IN PROGRESS

Leon- He almost lost MC once before for reasons outside his control. This time he's losing them because of himself, and he doesn't understand why. But even if he has to go against the universe itself, nothing's going to keep them away from him. MC doesn't comprehend the lengths Leon is willing to go to for them. (WORK IN PROGRESS) Warning: violence, manipulation

Karno- Karno's powers can amplify anything. It was proven that he could amplify the amount of love in the Fountain of Love, so technically he could manipulate the way MC feels about something, particularly how they feel about him and the other gods. (8,210words) Warning: violence, manipulation, mentions of death

Huedhaut- Huedhaut is probably the least suspecting yandere—as should be from the smartest man in the Heavens. He plans and he plots, but no one would ever suspect him to be a puppet master, cleverly pulling all the strings. (19,954words) Warning: violence, manipulation, mentions of death

Huedhaut II~ The Protector- Not long after returning to Huedhaut, your long-time crush, Krioff, finally comes to save you and vows to protect you from any more danger you might be threatened with. (4,504words) Warnings: just a few verbal threats thrown here and there

Aigonorus- Warning: WORK IN PROGRESS

Tauxolouve- Tauxolouve was a very loving boyfriend… too loving, in fact. Well, maybe love was too kind of a word. The best way to describe someone like Tauxolouve was obsessed and unhinged. (17,286words) Warnings: violence, major character death, stalking, captivity, manipulation

Tauxolouve II~ The Outcome- Facing his fate, Tauxolouve is disowned and left a broken man, stripped of all powers, dignity, and title. Looking back… he only wanted to love you… and he hated himself for it. (2,945words) Warnings: N/A

Teorus- Warning: WORK IN PROGRESS

[paramordor]

The Big, Fat, Problem in Publishing.

In the publishing industry it seems like every company, agency, and authority on books has the same problem - diversity in hiring. As a white woman I am in no way qualified to talk about the struggles of people of colour, and I would much rather amplify their voices for this, but as a fat white woman I have a few things to say.

It is no secret that fat woman are discriminated against in the modern workplace though it still comes as a surprise to many. It can be a lot more subtle than racism but is still an issue that needs addressing; especially in publishing.

As a society we have become so used to reading about slim heroines with their fat friends who are there solely to provide comic relief or advice to the protagonist. We see it so much that it warps our perception of our own fat bodies, even with leading characters as famous as Bridget Jones lamenting that she weighs in at a “whopping” 136 pounds - or 9 stone and 7 ounces in old money. Yikes. Especially when the ‘average’ woman in the UK weighs 155 pounds (11 stone) but we’re told that Bridget is ‘fat’ and therefore, unhappy.

Of course, Bridget is just a character, and characters are only able to feel what the author writes that they can, but why aren’t there more fat authors writing fat characters? Where is the authenticity? It is assumed, wrongly, that if a woman is fat then she must be lazy. Or unhealthy. Or not working hard enough. Or any number of things that a slim woman could also be, but the slim woman would not face the same judgement from her employers or coworkers.

In workplaces across the UK women are facing discrimination for their size every day. It comes from all angles - coworkers, supervisors, even HR professionals - with biases towards fat women that are, hopefully, unconscious. Sadly, a lot of these women will experience this ‘sizeism’ more than once in their working life. Publishing is no different. An editor for Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House (yes, that Penguin Random House), once said that an author of theirs would have been paid the same even if “she weighed 500 pounds and was really hard to look at”. Really. 

For fat writers another obstacle is presented - class. In the UK a lot of our cheapest food is the most calorie dense and not necessarily the most nutritious, meaning that those who grow up with food insecurity or little money are more likely to be fat without a say or a ‘solution’. On top of this, working class authors often make more from their work outside of writing, a lot of the time due to having to pursue other careers in order to make enough money to simply survive. Their middle class counterparts don’t share this struggle at all and a higher percentage of middle class writers make more money from their writing than from their work outside of it.

Fat authors writing fat characters starts at the publishing company. If more fat people - editors, designers, marketers - are hired by these companies in the first place then there are people in place that know the value of a story being told in which they can see themselves. Not just as an afterthought or a laugh but as a fully fleshed out character where their fatness is just a fact.

This is probably easier said than done, we all have internal biases that we don’t necessarily even recognise until it’s too late, and it is likely that a hiring manager will unconsciously choose a slim employee over a fat one. Most people, when applying for a job, would not fill out a form if it asked them to check a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ box if the question was ‘are you fat?’ I’m sure there is a way to eventually overcome the obstacles fat women face on their journey into the publishing industry - perhaps interviews over zoom with no camera? - but for now we must keep fighting to be heard.

One day we will read about the fat heroine falling in love and it will not be revolutionary. We will understand that fat women are deserving of love and respect. We will know that fatness is not a flaw.

[portsidewonderland]

Okay, I’ve been wanting to write this for the last three weeks, but I’m finally - finally - sitting down to do just that.

First, I’m a Rogan shipper. I’ve been a Rogan shipper for the last 20 years, but in that time, I’ve grown, I’ve experienced my own sense of love, and I’m a writer so I’d like to think I’m familiar with structure, characterization, and the like.

Second, I’m focused on the film franchise, strictly speaking. Just wanted to make sure that is clear.

Having said that, when I discuss how utterly wrong the X-Men franchise is, I’m talking about from a story standpoint. When I speak of Logan and Rogue, if that ship isn’t your jam, fine, but the points I make still stand.

Finally, spoiler alert for all of the movies.

Okay, I think we’re ready to jump in.

1. After the first movie, everyone forgot the heart of what made the first movie so special: Wolverine & Rogue

I don’t necessarily mean together. I mean, the movie focused primarily on Logan’s story and Rogue’s story. It was told through THEIR POV. This is important because, essentially, we’re asked to connect with these two characters AND WE DO.

The dialogue, the acting, and their stories (which reflect each other’s as well as stand on their own) draw us in and we are hooked.

Even the critics thought some of the best scenes are the ones Logan and Marie share together. Multiple critics discuss chemistry, how they add to the scene, etc.

Regardless of whether you ship them or not, there’s a compelling story between the two. This vulnerable, slip of a girl is the most powerful X-men out there (or one of) and this growly, fierce angry, broken man who’s been alone for so long that out of everyone he’s met and seen, THIS girl brings him to his knees.

And it’s because she isn’t scared of him.

Even after watching him beat the shit out of his opponent, even after seeing the claws threaten humans and slice through a barrel of a gun, she still thinks, I can trust him.

And when he catches her in his trailer, she STILL isn’t afraid of him. She gives him lip. She calls him out on his shit.

That’s how she manages to slide through the cracks.

And that is BEAUTIFUL.

I’m not here to talk about the performances, but Jesus Christ, I love this scene so damn much. The chemistry RADIATES. The glances, the confusion, the curiosity, and the attraction. (Sorry not sorry, it’s there on both parts, I’ll die on this hill.)

Anyway, the first movie is about how this girl brings the savage, feral Wolverine to his knees. How she gets him to STAY. How she gets him to open up.

Yes, Logan wants info on his past, but he’s staying for Marie. We all know it.

When he threatens Jean after first waking up, Jean is scared. And for good reason, obviously.

But Logan STABS Marie with his claws, and guess what? She’s still not scared of him. She’s worried about him.

This is THEIR story.

Do you really think Wolverine is going to go running around in leather for anyone but Marie? Yeah, I don’t think so. I mean, he literally STABS HIMSELF IN THE CHEST to free himself and get to her.

He PROMISES her that he’d take care of her. Do you think Wolverine bullshits? Hell no, he doesn’t.

And that’s why....

2. The whole Jean thing was just not great.

Okay, can I tell you something?

I don’t see Jean as a sympathetic character. She’s engaged to Scott and suddenly, Wolverine comes strolling in and she can’t get her shit together?

I mean, okay, I get it, let’s be real.

But Scott isn’t a bad guy. He nay be a dick, but he treats Jean well. Because we’re not in Cyclops’ or Jean’s head, we as the audience don’t see any marital/romantic issues between them. Hence, when Jean gets flustered by Wolverine to the point where she lets him goad her into reading his mind, she knows what she’s doing. She likes it. She likes Logan’s attention.

Not because she likes Logan.

(I read this fic where basically Jean tells Logan he could have been anybody, and I thought that was so perfect)

But because he’s giving her attention. He makes her feel desired.

And she leads him on.

Right there, I don’t like her, and I think that’s why a lot of Rogan shippers don’t like her is that she has no problem toying not only with Logan’s feelings, but with Scott’s.

But that’s not even the worst part of this.

At the end, when Logan asks for Marie and Jean makes her comment, she adds, “I think she’s taken with you.”

Like - why would Jean say that? Why mention it?

That’s petty ass shit right there.

To me, what she’s trying to do is align herself with Logan as adults and belittle Marie for having a little crush on him. Like it’s so juvenile.

And the worst line of this whole movie is when he says, “Tell her my heart belongs to another.”

Want to know why?

Because the writers/director haven’t SHOWN this. This line is forced here to TELL the audience that we should be shipping Jean and Wolverine. It’s sloppy writing. It tells me they think the audience are idiots.

Really, Logan?

Jean has your heart even though you completely go against Tall Dark and Feral to pick up a girl, then stay at the school with her, leave a fucking mansion to bring her back, make a promise to her, go after her after she’s kidnapped, stab yourself in the chest, fling yourself on the Statue of Liberty AND RISK YOUR FUCKING LIFE TO SAVE ROGUE’S JUST BY TOUCHING HER and you want me to believe your heart belongs to Jean????

Please, tell me, why the FUCK should I buy that?

Oh, because they’re the same age?

LOL no.

Anyway, I didn’t like Jean’s characterization because of that. Because she’s leading people on, because she needs to put down Marie’s feelings after her ordeal because of her insecurity, because of it all.

Which is why I’ll never ship them together.

Logan is at his worst when he’s around Jean.

Anyway.

And Jean is just the worst.

3. They took something meaningful and they fucked it

Logan promises to take care of Rogue. Do you know important that is for both of them as individuals and their relationship?

Rogue only goes back because of Logan. Not for anyone else. Not even Bobby. She comes back, she stays, for Logan.

Where do we see that after the second movie?

He’s so goddamned focused on Jean, on everything about her, that he barely notices that Rogue is ready to get the cure.

I’m GLAD they got a scene together. Because of their looks.

I am.

But shit.

It’s like Logan has completely forgotten all about Rogue, and I’m sorry, but after that first movie, I just can’t buy that.

I can buy that he leaves to check out his past. The dog tag scene is one of my absolute favorites. That’s perfect. Makes sense.

(Also, side note: Fic is so beautiful about this but he isn’t afraid to touch her. Like, he doesn’t HAVE to play with her hair but he does. It’s playful and flirty. It IS. He could have just said he liked her hair BUT HE HAD TO TOUCH IT. And this is HUGE for Rogue because honestly SHE’S afraid to touch and of herself but if Logan isn’t afraid, she stops being afraid - if that makes sense.)

But seriously? He’s not calling the mansion, not writing to Rogue?

I don’t believe that for one second.

This is why I will never watch The Wolverine after that first time (I refuse especially after the director said he was contemplating adding Rogue at the end and didn’t and FUCK EVERYTHING.) because he just leaves because he’s upset about fucking JEAN

I’m sorry but the Wolverine isn’t ABOUT Jean.

If that was the case, we should have had point of views between Logan and Jean in the first movie, not Rogue.

We should have SEEN their development, but we didn’t.

We’re TOLD it.

I’m sorry, but how do you want me to believe that the big bad Wolverine runs off to Japan because he’s sad about Jean? Like, so he’s just going to leave Rogue alone with all of those threats? Are you fucking kidding me?

Show them keeping in touch or SOMETHING. You can’t expect me to see such a huge transformation arc in Logan in the first movie that just gets shit on in every other movie (besides the second). Because that makes Wolverine look like a big, gigantic ASSHOLE and I get that he’s supposed to be that way, but NOT with Rogue.

Which is why Days of Future Past pisses me off as much of the rest them (I’m only discussing the Rogue Cut because I refuse to acknowledge that Bryan Singer - who gave us the first movies - regulated Rogue to such a fucking small cameo.) because Rogue was treated as garbage.

Now, I’m going to assume Logan doesn’t know about what really happened to Rogue because no one told him. But honestly? If he cares about Rogue the way I know he does, he should be asking about her every single time he and Xavier talk.

I love that Logan can sense Rogue when she steps in to help. I love that Rogue refuses to let go of Logan’s mind even in the heart of danger (@bigfrogbestfrogs has an awesome breakdown of these scenes). But I’m appalled at how Kitty is chosen before Rogue? Like, even when coming up with the idea for this movie, why not involve Rogue more?

I refuse to discuss Bobby and her together at the end.

Fuck that.

4. The timelines

Look, I’m not even going to go into the shit that is the timelines.

But honestly?

Fuck everything about that.

I get Singer wanted to retcon X3, but I don’t care.

Based on Apocalypse, the future still sucks so everything failed and then the movie LOGAN takes that shit and amplifies it.

5. LOGAN (the movie)

I’m sorry, but this movie is amazing in some ways and sucks in others.

Want to know why?

Because it takes everything about what made the first movie great and emphasized it.

Laura is too young to be a love interest, so clearly, it’s paternal, and I’m here for it.

But there are so many parallels between logan and Laura and Logan and Rogue that for Logan not to say anything or feel anything in a way tgat tells the audience he’s feeling something just boggles my mind.

Even if he carried HER picture or played with the dog tags and thought of her, something that shows the audience he remembers her, dammit, and she MEANT something to him.

But FUCK how could he NOT?

And that’s why the scene where he’s reading that comic book and he sees himself saving Rogue is so poignant.

Because his gaze lingers.

I mean, obviously I’m assuming she’s dead (which is bullshit but whatever). But still.

And then when he’s dying and Laura is holding his hands and you get that prophecy of him dying with his heart in his hand and I loved how they paired it with the Logan and Rogue song. I loved that callback.

And if the films in between them weren’t such shit, it would be enough.

But it’s not enough for me.

There was so much potential and everything got shit on and it angers me soooo much.

Anyway.

That’s me venting.

Luckily we have so many talented Rogan fic writers and that our ship has survived 20 years.

But still.

What could have been...

Shit.

[hamliet]

Hi, hamliet....why do you like hamlet, romeo & juliet, and othello .....? Now I know what hamliet stands for (so cool)....Thanks...

I find each play (along with many others of Shakespeare’s!) deeply psychologically and thematically interesting. They capture the intrinsic complexity of humanity in how they explore the characters, and that makes them timeless in a sense--you can still read and relate to the characters today, even though they were written 500 years ago.

Othello tackles racism (and sexism and arguably homophobia--Shakespeare was almost certainly bisexual, so that’s not anachronism), and while it is certainly antiquated in certain aspects, it is also sharply relevant. It’s difficult to hate any of the characters except Iago, who provides a meta commentary that makes him fascinating. He never tells the audience what his motive is, and while he drops some hints, the hints all contradict each other, making it utterly impossible to definitively nail down Iago’s motives. These hints are that he’s angry Othello promoted Cassio over him, he’s angry Othello slept with his wife (while not true, we don’t know whether Iago believes this or not), and that he might himself have feelings of a romantic/sexual nature for Othello and projects them onto Othello (he paraphrases Shakespearean marriage vows when discussing Othello). 

Iago manipulates different factions of society together, preying on societal flaws (toxic masculinity, racism) to amplify the flaws inside Othello’s character (jealous, insecurity, and a fear of being dehumanizeD) to turn him into a man who commits monstrous acts (murdering his beloved wife), Desdemona’s (she laid it all down and was disowned for eloping with Othello, which isolates her from any person who might be able to save her from Othello’s growing instability), Roderigo’s, Cassio’s, even his own wife Emilia’s. Iago’s lack of transparency behind his motives is actually extremely important in a meta sense: it reinforces that societal flaws (racism, sexism, possibly homophobia), have no purpose or logic to them, yet bring about tragedy. Similarly, Iago’ actions are inscrutable and probably pointless. 

Hamlet... oh, where to begin here? Hamlet is The Tragedy of Passivity. Many writers attempt to write passive protagonists with passivity framed as a flaw, few succeed, and none succeed so well as Shakespeare with Hamlet. It posits the question of how, if we pretend to be something, where is the line between pretending and actually being that? To quote Vonnegut (in another story unrelated, but the quote has always applied to Hamlet) “we are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” 

There’s also a brilliant ambiguity in how we never find out if the ghost, the instigator of this whole drama, is actually Hamlet’s father. Hamlet himself muses it might be a demon, and surely, its never appearing again and the utter tragedy that consumes everyone in the play hint that it may have in fact been a demon. However, it also told the truth about the king’s murder, so... much like Hamlet, the audience has no clear answer, and thus we empathize with him. 

Anyways, while for most authors ambiguity can be frustrating, Shakespeare brilliantly crafts it to emphasize his themes. Troilus and Cressida, although often considered a problem play, is underrated and perhaps one of Shakespeare’s best uses of ambiguity. 

Lastly, Romeo and Juliet. This tragedy is actually significantly more optimistic than Othello or Hamlet, and is more a tragic romance (romance in both the modern understanding and the literary sense, a la Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, and Cymbeline, the latter of which I adore alongside these three I’m discussing here.) See, while Othello and Hamlet’s flaws bring destruction to everyone around them and indict society for its flaws, Romeo and Juliet’s flaws might lead to their own deaths, but their strengths lead to the salvation of their society. 

The “it’s not a love story, it’s about two stupid impulsive teenagers and their hormones” is a cynical modern take that is not textually supported. Yes, impulsivity is a flaw for both Romeo and Juliet, but they are the victims of the feud in society more so than anyone else. The play emphasizes parental and mentor figures epically failing both of them, failing the youth, bringing death upon them all. It is only through love that everyone is saved: because they loved each other, Montague and Capulet make peace at last. It’s actually kind of thematically similar to Eremika’s relationship in SnK, in that yeah it’s flawed, but that love is still what saves everyone. The play also directly states that their love is what saves Verona, and their deaths bring life (it’s alchemy; actually, seriously, it’s alchemical; think of Mercutio’s name). It’s a beautiful love story. 

[mhevarujta]

The Darkling’s manipulation in the show is SO BADLY WRITTEN

-In the books he is the one to tell Alina of the stag. He makes her feel she is special and has her wait for her special amplifier. He only wants her to unlock his power but he does not want her control over them to grow. She wants her grasp over her power to be reliant to the amplifier and by extent to himself. Also, he monitors her training closely to make sure that she is exactly where he wants her.

-In the show he does not tell her of the amplifier. He does not even seem to have thought of the amplifiers too much until he gets the idea from her drawing (because apparently Alina is connected to the Stag, even though she supposedly isn’t because she had to show mercy to earn it, but if she HAD to earn it why were they connected in the first place?). And the gloves, which only helped her to develop her own power in the books, are made into an attempt at weakening her grasp over her power even though they only give her a very small edge. As for monitoring her training, pffffff, why bother?

-In the books the Darkling uses Alina’s insecurities and her need to feel desired and wanted to cloud her judgement and, when she sees glimpses of what lies beyond his mask, he uses half-truths to muddle the water. 

-In the show he is just always overemotional, almost at the point of crying, he slightly flirts with her and she is the one who goes to him more and more as she wants a distraction from her pain over Mal. But we don’t see him putting that much effort.

In the books I LOVED the dynamic because it was a power struggle. I felt that Alina was being manipulated but I couldn’t help being enticed by him alongside her. And I saw both characters’ spirit. The Darkling felt ancient and the emotion he gave was more controlled but, when we got glimpses of feelings that he had never meant to be there, I could FEEL their intensity and his struggle. Alina was questioning things, but she also couldn’t help feeling intrigued and attracted.

In the show it just felt like the Darkling was a centuries-old angsty teenaged who wasn’t that smart and Alina felt really simple. We are TOLD that he is good at manipulating etc. but, to be frank, I don’t think that the statement was supported by the writing.