#i think 14 is an age that makes sense in that she wouldn't be. a /child/ sent to kill in the most literal sense

[wisteriasymphony]

would you guys call me crazy if i said archetype wise that marinette's status as a Plucky Girl-Next-Door takes priority over her status as an Aspirational Everywoman. cause i have thoughts about this

[aphroditeofcnidus]

In Acotar Feyre is shocked by Mor being forced to get married at 17,but she sees no problem with Nesta seducing a duke at 14.She says that while her mother was an unpleasant social climber,Nesta made her own choices.Also,we're supposed to think that Feyre hunting at 14 is appalling,while Nesta seducing a duke at the same age and Illyrian boys training as soldiers under harsh conditions since age 8 aren't that big of a deal.I could get a "different times, different cultures"argument,if there was consistency.In a fantastic ancient or medieval world,an author probably wouldn't have people working or getting married at 18,but much younger.Deanerys in the Game of Thrones books for example marries Khal Drogo at 13.She's older in the show,but that's probably because you need 18+ actors for nude/sex scenes and an 18 year old can't pass for a 13 year old.But,it should be completely normal for Mor to get married so young and her abuse,when she broke off the engagement to be the only problematic thing,then.But it's not,SJM follows modern views in this,when it comes to Mor,but not when it comes to Nesta.Nesta seducing a duke at 14 is some great skill,that can be useful to the NC now.Also,if Nesta can seduce a duke at 14,then there should be no problem with Feyre hunting at 14.In older times,kids younger than that worked hard jobs,like the fields to support their families.It's the same with Illyrians.Is it normal for SJM for them to train under harsh conditions since 8, because it happened in other warrior cultures,like Spartans,who trained since 7?I can accept that,but why Rhys and Cassian,who grew up in such a culture are so shocked with Feyre hunting at 14 and blame her older sister for this?Either all of these things are child labour(in Feyre's case)and child abuse in Nesta's,Mor's and the Illyrians's cases or it's just different times.You can't appeal to modern sensibilities about childhood,when Feyre and Mor are concerned and act like it's just different times,a different world,when it comes to Nesta and Illyrian boys.It makes no sense.

[petermorwood]

Plot Wheels

I showed a couple of examples, one old, one modern, on this post.

The old wheel was one of several supposedly used by "Perry Mason" writer Erle Stanley Gardner, and while the photo on the other post is an exercise in squinting, this website has the transcribed information from at least four wheels.

Here they are, though some - "servant", "heroine's maid" - are showing their age, so tweak and update as required.

I wouldn't suggest relying heavily on these - but at the same time, Gardner produced 119 or 82, the number varies, Perry Mason novels and according to Wikipedia at the time of his death was the best-selling American author of the 20th century.

So he may have been onto something after all... ;->

*****

A: Wheel Of Hostile Minor Characters Whose Function Is Making Complications For The Hero

These folks put obstacles in the hero's way and make it difficult for them to reach their goal.

1. Hick detective. 2. Attorney. 3. Newspaper reporter. 4. Detective. 5. Business rival. 6. Rival in love. 7. Father of heroine. 8. Blackmailer. 9. Gossip. 10. Meddlesome friend. 11. Suspicious servant. 12. Hostile dog. 13. Spy. 14. Incidental crook. 15. Hotel detective. 16. Thickheaded police.

B: Wheel Of Complicating Circumstances

1. Hero is betrayed to villain by spies. 2. Every move the hero makes takes him from the frying pan and puts him into the fire. 3. Heroine's maid is a spy. 4. Father of heroine is hostile to the hero. 5. Detective believes the hero is guilty and tries to arrest him/her at a critical time. 6. Hero commits an incidental crime. For example, he/she is caught speeding and is arrested. 7. Witness mistakes hero for villain. 8. Hero violates the law and is sought. 9. Heroine's mind is poisoned against the hero. 10. Some character is not as represented. 11. Rival in love tries to discredit the hero. 12. Zeal of hick cop upsets plans.

C: Wheel of Blind Trails By Which The Hero Is Misled or Confused

1. Witness lies. 2. A document is forged. 3. A witness is planted. 4. A client conceals something. 5. A client misrepresents something. 6. A friend pretends to betray the hero. 7. The villains assistant pretends to betray the hero. 8. A vital witness refuses to talk. 9. False confessions. 10. Genuine mistakes. 11. A witness takes flight. 12. A witness is kidnapped. 13. A witness commits suicide. 14. A witness sells out. 15. Planted clues. 16. Impossible statements.

D. Wheel of Solutions

How the hero surmounts the obstacles thrown in his way.

1. Gets villain to betray himself through greed. 2. Gets the villain to, of his own free will, plant additional evidence. 3. Plants fake evidence to confuse the villain. 4. Fakes circumstances so the villain will think he / she has been discovered. 5. Tricks the hero's accomplice into confessing. 6. Villain is hoist by his / her own petard. 7. Villain killed while he / she is trying to frame someone. 8. Gets villain to overreach himself/herself. 9. Meets trickery with horse-sense. 10. Squashes obstacles by sheer courage. 11. Turns villains against each other. 12. Traps [tricks?] villain into betraying a hiding place. Hero either a) creates a fake fire, or b) gives him / her something else to conceal, or c) makes it necessary for the villain to flee (and so must take something out of the hiding place).

[skyfallscotland]

Time for another outlandish Onyx Storm theory! Ba dum tiss! 🥁 This one is quite frankly, wilder than all that have come before. This time, I figured I'd tell you all about how I think we might have already met Xaden's mother. Let's dive in!

Oh boy here goes...

So...here's what we know about Xaden: his mum left when he was ten (or disappeared!) under mysterious circumstances and he's still hung up about her (he kept the blanket she made him!) and he has a fascination with Violet's silver-tipped hair.

I honestly cannot believe I'm saying this (it's almost fucking Oedipal, is what it is) but people have suggested the two are related. I shrugged it off, but now I have this weird, unsettling feeling that they might be right...I think there's a possibility that the venin who teleports in chapter two of Onyx Storm could be his mother.

Her long silver braid swings free of her hood as her attention whips in our direction, and her eerie red gaze jumps to mine and widens slightly under a faded tattoo on her forehead. My blood chills when a smirk tilts her mouth, distorting the red veins at her temples, and then she…disappears.

· Firstly, she has a mysterious faded tattoo, potentially a Tyrrish rune, on her forehead, I'll let you connect the dots there. (Really what I mean is I haven't fully fleshed this out yet, I just need to get it off my chest lol sorry)

· She's a sage, based on this information from Drake: Sages’—those responsible for initiates—eyes are permanently red, their veins perpetually distended toward their temples, expanding with age. Which presumably makes a lot of sense given the timeframe (14 years since Xaden last saw her).

· What I think is the most important piece of circumstantial evidence here: she left the room right before he entered it, before he could see her, even though she's probably more powerful than all of them, especially with backup.

· Sages are responsible for initiates. Jack is an initiate and he called Xaden brother. Yeah, this could also be because Xaden is an initiate too, of course, but it's also a little piece of twisty foreshadowing to throw in there and I wouldn't put it past Rebecca to have thrown it in at all given she'd presumably already have known what she planned to do with his mother.

So uhh yeah. Just a thought, pls don't cancel me 🫣 I hope it's not true either, I promise! Just the thought of that hair obsession coming from there... 🥴😭😩 but I thought I'd throw out a whacky one, just to liven things up 🤣

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

hi, i'm fourteen and i have this friend who asked me if i wanted to try eating her out. not a girlfriend, a friend. i don't have any feelings for her but i do think she's gorgeous and she's probably the best friend i have and the most mature 14 year old i know. i trust her a lot. im definitely not opposed to trying to give her head, either. i'm just worried it might be a bad idea, and i'm anxious that i won't do it right and she won't even feel good. i definitely don't want to have sex this early but does giving someone else head even count as real sex? she wouldn't really be touching me at all, except for she did say she'd want us to make out before i did it, though i'm not entirely sure why, but i am okay with it. i'm also worried about, like, STDs, because i've never been with another person like... sexually, i've kissed other people but i haven't in a while. but i think she might have done stuff with people? i don't know how recently. like... i don't know, do you think this is a really bad idea and we're too young or is this fine? how do you even eat someone out, like, what do you do? sorry if this is annoying i just really need an adult to ask about this and it's not like i can ask my parents since i'm not really supposed to do this.

hi anon,

thank you for asking! I'm really grateful to be an adult that you trust enough to talk with about stuff like this. it's not annoying, and I'll do the best I can to give a helpful answer based on everything you've told me.

I think maybe, in your case, this might not be a great idea right now. it sounds like there's a lot about this situation that makes you nervous in a way that's not fun - the kind of nerves that come from being excited to connect with a new person are one thing, but I'm hearing much more anxiety than excitement in the way you're talking about this.

oral sex (using your mouth) definitely counts as real sex - it's definitely not just putting a penis in a vagina! - and can be just as intimate and emotionally complicated as any other kind of sexual expression. you said you don't want to be having sex at your age - which is totally normal, and completely your choice to make! - and that includes oral sex as well, so maybe it's best if you sit this one out for the time being.

I want to be super clear that I'm not saying this out of any sense that no people your age should be sexual; I think wanted sexual exploration between young teens can be a great way to start exploring sexuality and finding what feels good! but that doesn't mean that every teenager has to be having sex, or that they're immature if they don't. people are ready to explore sex at lots of different ages (and some people never do at all), and none of them are weird or wrong. you could feel totally different in ten years, one year, a month, or even a week, but right now you don't feel ready, and what you feel right now is what's most important.

holding off until you've had time to learn more about sex may also help, because every situation is less scary when you feel more prepared. (it's why they make you spend so many godforsaken hours practicing driving before you can take the test to get your license.) in the spirit of learning, I want to share some resources about some of the things you had questions/concerns about.

this page on Planned Parenthood's website talks about lots of different kinds of sexually transmitted infections (STIs, also frequently called sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs), including how they're spread and how to treat them. I don't want to make STIs sound scary - I recently wrote a whole post about how they really shouldn't be! - but because it is important to know what risks there are if you plan to be sexually active so that you can do your best to minimize those risks, and what to do if someone does catch an STI. an important thing to remember is that, at your age, it might be difficult for you or your friend to get tested for STIs without help from your parents, which may be awkward and unpleasant or totally impossible if you're unable to tell them why you need a test in the first place. that's an important factor in deciding whether or not to have sex!

additionally, here's some info about dental dams, which are basically condoms for oral sex - they're a flat piece of latex, like a condom that got rolled out, that goes between the mouth and the hole.

and to help with your question about how going down even works, I recommend this video by sexologist Dr. Lindsey Doe. you won't be seeing any real genitals in this video, although there is a drawing and some nude Barbies, and you'll probably want to listen with headphones unless you're alone. there are also links to more of Dr. Doe's videos on the topic.

and lastly, for more thinking about this topic, I want to direct you to Scarleteen's answer to help figure out when you're ready to start having sex, which is very good on its own and has links to some other good reading on the topic. Scarleteen is a great resource specifically designed and run to help answer teenagers' questions about sex without judgment, and I recommend them very heavily.

I hope that this has been useful, and helps you feel empowered to make whatever decision is best for you.

[iamasimperyk]

Adoption -Rafe Cameron

Warning: Ovulation disorder (Not being able to get pregnant), Fluff, English isn’t my first language

Summary: Since you weren’t able to get pregnant, Rafe came up with an idea and now you couldn’t be happier

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Wife!Reader

You had always loved children. Ever since you started babysitting at the age of 14, you looked forward to the day were you give birth to your own children.

You wanted to provide your child with all the love and opportunities you could. You had a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a good job, so it seemed like the perfect time to have children. However, things didn't go as planned.

One year ago, you and Rafe began trying for a baby. After some time of unsuccessful attempts, you decided to visit your gynecologist for an evaluation. Although you knew that getting pregnant may take some time, you had a sense that something might be wrong.

“I am sorry Mrs. Cameron,” The doctor said, looking at the test results, “But it seems like you have an ovulation disorder.”

“W-what does that mean?” You gulped, already feeling the tears in your eyes.

“I am sorry, but you will not be able to get pregnant anytime soon.” He explained, his face filled with sorrow.

You felt your world crumble around you. Your greatest desire was to become a mother, but it seemed as though fate had other plans.

“Will I ever be able to?” You asked him, tears now streaming down your face.

“There are different treatment options, but the chances are not high for you.” He told you honestly.

The last year you tried everything your doctor had recommend. Medications, lifestyle changes and a hormone replacement therapy. Still, you weren’t pregnant and the feeling of emptiness ate you alive.

Rafe supported you through everything, but it made you feel even more upset that you couldn't give him a child he wanted just as much as you did.

"How did your treatment go today?" your husband asked as he kissed your forehead.

“Unsuccessful. Rafe, I can’t do this anymore,” You mumbled and he nodded in an understanding way.

“It’s alright, my love. I know the past year has been difficult for you, and I noticed how much you suffered.” He kissed you tenderly.

"I really wanted to have a baby and make you a dad, Rafe. I'm sorry I couldn't." You whispered, staring at the white wall in front of you.

“No, no, don’t do this. It’s not your fault. And maybe I have a solution to our problem,” he said with a smile.

You frowned at him, “You find yourself another wife?”

He shook his head “Course not, you are the only woman I could ever love.”

You smiled a little and kissed him.

"I was thinking about adoption. We could provide a loving home for a child who needs it," he suggested, waiting for your response.

Adoption? You never thought about it before. The child may not be biologically yours, but you could still be its mother and Rafe could be its father. You could provide all the love and care that a baby needs. You would support the child in every decision, attend all their school events, and throw the most amazing birthday parties anyone has ever seen.

A big smile appeared on your face and Rafe immediately knew that adoption would be the solution to all your problems.

————

"Come on, Lily. Let's get you changed," you say with a smile, looking at the two-year-old girl in front of you.

She clapped her hands as giggles filled the room.

You and Rafe adopted Lily almost a year ago. Somehow she resembled both Rafe and you, having blue eyes like him and your hair color. Nevertheless, even if she didn't resemble either of you, it wouldn't change how much you loved her.

Lily was an angle, quite a shy child but after she saw people a few times she warmed up to them.

Today the three of you decided to go to the beach. You held two bathing suits in front of her, “What do you say, sweetie, pink or blue?”

“Bwu,” She smiled, her growing teeth showing.

She was adorable and you couldn’t be happier to be her mother.

You helped her into her bathing suit before picking her up and walking downstairs, where Rafe was already waiting.

“Dada!” She shouted, making grabby hands towards him.

“Well, look at you. Such a cute bathing suit.” He smiled, taking her out of your arms.

You couldn't believe how happy you finally were. Maybe you didn't carry Lily for nine months, but you and Rafe were certainly made to be her parents.

[livrere-green]

ATLA x Omegaverse AU

Part 1 | Part 2

I've been thinking about an omegaverse atla au a lot recently, so I'm gonna vent about it cuz it's getting tiring just to have it spiralling in my head ngl

So, the only thing that I need to mention now it's that the standard age at which someone presents is around 13 to 14 years old. Knowing that, lets talk about the main characters.

Aang (12) would be unpresented by the time of the show. Also, I don't believe that being the avatar makes him an alpha perse. I mean, there's a possibility he presents as one (but he could also be a beta), and it wouldn't have anything to do with his avatar status (historically there could be a higher rate of avatars being alphas/betas, but there are some important exceptions... iykwim). Well, I think he'd present at age 13 almost 14.

Katara (14) is one of the characters that confuses me the most in this aspect, but just to add fuel to her fury and her personality, I'll make her an omega, not the kind that rejects her nature but the kind that embraces it and doesn't see it as something that makes her inferior or helpless. Katara would fight against the life society wants to impose on her in the same way she does in canon, maybe even more. She would resent the people who doesn't respect her because of her gender and at some point, she'd get frustrated about it, but she would think that hating herself would mean letting her oppressors win. About her presentation, there's two option: 1. She presented some months before they found Aang, 2. She presented during the first months they were traveling to the NWT (in this case, I think the ideal place would've been Kyoshi Island, because there's people able to take care of her there).

Sokka (15) would be an alpha, he probably presented after Hakoda left (14), he fits the type and the stereotypical personality at the beginning of the show. But I think he would get over it sooner rather than later, because the why he acts has to do more with his perception of himself and the expectations set upon his shoulders than with unshakeable beliefs about the ability of betas and omegas. He would learnt to respect and don't underestimate them quickly. Also, I think that Sokka would scent the Gaang to protect them and particularly to cover Katara's scent as they travel or run away from trouble.

Toph (12) would be unpresented by the time of the show. She'd present as an alpha some time after the end of the war (13). There's not a lot to explain here (talking about her at that age, except for the fact that even during her time with the Gaang, she probably hated Sokka's essence, just as an early hint about her gender). I consider that there's a lot to discuss about her as an adult and how she managed her relationships, but that's a discussion for another time.

Zuko (16) would be an omega, and also a late bloomer, probably presented a couple of years after his banishment (15).. Zuko would be determined to hide his true nature under any circumstances, letting only his Uncle know about it. Ozai would've been informed that his son is a beta, which was already a disappointment for the Royal Family (historically alphas), but it wasn't nearly as negative as being reduced to be treated as an omega. Zuko would end up causing himself a lot of damage in order to disguise as a beta, either by using too many suppressants or other medications, or even hurting himself. He would stop hiding after joining the Gaang but It'll be complicated, since he'd be distressed all the time and even Aang and Toph would be able to notice (their senses are not totally develop, so it'll be kinda alarming).

Suki (15) would be a beta, presented at 14. In her case, the characteristics of its gender would be especially helpful to mediate conflict or get out of it. The scent of a beta has calming effects in both alphas and omegas, so she would use it with her friends, or even in battle, to make her opponents lose focus, particularly if they are driven by rage. The fans are particularly helpful for that.

Azula (14) would present early as an alpha (12/13). At that age, one of the traits she would manifest the most is assuming the position of head of the pact with her friends, she'd probably scent them with the intention of establishing superiority and control over them. In this context, Mai would be a beta and Ty Lee an omega or a beta as well.

That's all for now, I still have some things in mind for this, but I'll share that later, and if you have questions, I'll be happy to answer!

[wordysmith101]

Temari Pregnancy Speculation

Temari being pregnant in blue vortex would make sense. I couldn’t understand why Shikamaru and Kankuro were worried about not telling Temari about what happened to Gaara and Shinki. I mean this was before the speculation about her pregnancy.

You’d think with Temari’s personality, she wouldn't let it slide that nobody told her about what happened to Gaara and Shinki. And both Kankuro and Shikamaru knows her temper. I know she��ll be devasted but what if she was pregnant? What if she was high risk pregnancy too considering the age gap between their kids (Me and my siblings have large age gaps. I have 11 years between my older brother and 14 years between my youngest sister). So, any worries or trauma can really affect both her health and the health of the baby.

Also considering there are only two left of the Kazekage clan, Temari would have been a more likely candidate to take over the village (I am not downplaying Kankuro but we all know Temari is still stronger than the two) until they figure out how to save Gaara and Shinki. Lastly, as the wife of the Hokage during a very difficult time (after Naruto and Hinata’s death which we all know is not true), she would have been confined in the village as it increases her chance as a target especially now that she is also the other remaining Kazekage candidate.

[very-straight-blog]

Many things in this fandom and show puzzle me, but one of the most odd ones to me is the reaction the general public had to Lucerys' death "He was just a baby! Aemond is such a monster! Lucerys was literally just an innocent child!"

Like- I mean, I consider myself team black ig, and I was sad for Luke's death but also ... Aren't these kids kind of all of the same age?

Now, correct me if I am mistaken, but isn't Aegon around 19 (some sources on the internet say even 18? Which seems a bit too young to be believable with the actors-), which makes Helena around 17 which then makes Aemond like 16? Like- yeah Luke was 14, but a mere 2 years difference doesn't seem enough to me to proclaim one a "defenceless innocent baby" and the other "a full grown adult merciless murderer".

I literally had classmates who were 2 years older than me when I was 14/15 because they were repeating the year or whatever, truly, a couple of years don't make THAT much of a difference in maturity. Like yeah, maybe visual wise, the actors look to have a much bigger age gap, but just because a teenager looks "older" physically doesn't mean he is any less of a teenager.

I also don't like the insistence of making Lucerys a "child". Like- yeah, he totally was, but also, is kind of hypocrite ppl then go around claiming that Aemond "deserved it" when he got his eye cut out (and he was even younger than Luke!).

"oh but Aemond stole Vaghar!"

Is literally impossible to STEAL a dragon, especially the biggest dragon alive! If she doesn't like you, she will burn you to a crisp, you cannot force her to do anything at all. Would it have been more "tactful" for him to wait and to claim her in the morning after warning the adults? Sure, but he was also A CHILD? A bullied one at that, ofc he saw his opportunity and he took it! You cannot blame a child for forgetting to be "tactful" or acting on a whim.

Also, people are acting like Lucerys' is the sweetest angel ever. Did we forget he also made fun of Aemond? "Oh but he was just a little kid copying his older brother, cannot blame him for not being tactful" But Aemond, also a child, doesn't get the free pass for not being tactful! I was also a child, and I never made fun of anyone, even if I saw others doing so. Did we forget he literally cut his eye out? Yeah, it was in defense of Jace, but also, is not like after doing it he felt regret or remorse for it. He could have pushed Aemond, or punched him, or kicked him, yeah it wouldn't have taken him down, but would have been enough for him to drop the rock.

Tho, I understand we cannot blame a child for acting impulsively and without tact. He was merely copying the defending the big brother he loves so much.

THEN WHY DID HE LAUGH AT AEMOND'S FACE DURING THE DINNER? Jace was trying to be civil, why wasn't Lucerys copying him then? Now he is old enough to understand bullying is wrong (especially considering he should relate to Aemond? Considering how inferior he feels due not feeling up to standard as lord of the tides). He is also old enough to understand maybe cutting out his eyes warrants some kind of apology-

But NOT- he just laughs at his face! And then gets offended when called a "Strong boy"! And ppl justify him as if he never did anything to warrant Aemond's dislike of him!

Make it make sense!

Sorry for the ramble lol

I can't say for sure if you're right about their age, I don't think the screenwriters themselves know how old their characters are lol.

You know what the problem is, everyone can "just be a kid." Everyone can make mistakes, act on emotions and make rash decisions. Everyone, but not Aemond. If four children are the first to attack one, knock him to the ground and kick him - oh, but he was rude to them, and the girls' mother died, they could be upset! However, Aemond couldn't be rude without thinking, when he had just claimed the world's largest dragon and felt (for the first time in his life) stronger than his abusers. No, he did it on purpose! If Luke cuts out Aemond's eye, it's just a mistake, he was protecting his brother! But Aemond, of course, wanted to kill them (all four of them, yeah) in cold blood with a stone, and not defend himself. It always works only one way.

And Luke wasn't a child at the time of his death, not by Westeros standards. He was literally sent to negotiate like an adult. If you want to judge by modern standards, they were both teenagers.

Some TB fans like to howl that we love the characters because of their looks, but it's amazing how quickly big eyes and a plaintively open mouth can make them forget what a person has done.

[shackledkitty]

Pannacotta Fugo rant idfk (GOLDEN WIND SPOILERS FOR WHOLE SERIES!!!)

I think Fugo should've gotten to be in the series longer, I understand that it's hard to write large groups of characters and one character had to be traded out for another to continue the plot. But I don't think it should've been Fugo. I'm not saying that Narancia or Mista should've been replaced by Trish, but I also don't think that Fugo should've been left behind. Trish did not replace Fugo, I don't think she could've (In no offense to Trish at all) replaced Fugo. Though, it doesn't make sense for Fugo to be left, while simultaneously making a lot of sense for him to be the person who was left.

Fugo was, what we can assume, liked a lot by Bruno. I personally do not think that, if Bruno was alive (in which he wasn't at the time he left him) he would've willingly left Fugo. He wants to protect Trish, but he's also known Fugo since he was from the age of 13-14 years old. I think any other version of Bruno either got off that boat to stay with Fugo or encouraged him onto the boat as well. In the very least, Bruno would've ensured that Fugo would've been in a good position to be left. They were under the belief that Diavolo was still in that tower and actively trying to kill Bruno's team, also we're meant to believe that Fugo wasn't too aware of where he was. Basically, leaving Fugo in the same position he was before he met Bruno. As well as the fact that when Narancia dies, we see Fugo wandering the streets aimlessly in an alley that looked similar to the one we see in Narancia's backstory.

In contrast, I don't think anyone else but Fugo could've been left. Everyone else was far too important for the plot to be left. Which would've been the first time where Fugo knew he wasn't the most important, or impressive, person in a situation. If anyone else was left, it would've heavily affected the plot to a point where the ending would've been affected. Also, Fugo wouldn't have done anything if he joined the group on the boat. He's shown to have a hesitation to using his stand or even a fear of his stand. He doesn't have any skills that could've helped them to tracking the boss. Plus, his stand is too dangerous to be easily used in battle. As well as the fact that his stand seems to get easily distracted by dirt on itself. Fugo wouldn't have been important if he did follow them on the boat.

I think Pannacotta Fugo has wasted potential, I know that's said a lot, but he is a heavily structured and layered character that deserved more than he got.

His anger could've been addressed further than his backstory and I think, speaking on his backstory, his backstory and his distrust of a lot of people could've been spoken on more.

Fugo was given a good backstory, an interesting stand, strange dynamics with Bruno's gang, and a personality that would've been cool to elaborate on.

Why wasn't he given more opportunities to show how his backstory still affects him? If Purple Haze is seemingly sentient, why couldn't we get more scenes of his stand not fighting, more just being there? I don't think there was enough time for Fugo to show his dynamic with Bruno or Abbacchio.

I understand the limitations of animation and manga panels, but I would've liked to see more from Fugo. I don't know, I think I'm just a die hard Fugo fan so this might just be stupid ramblings.

[fromabasementonthehilll]

My Girlfriend Is a Witch (pt.1)

͙⁺･༓☾ - Summary: after finding the cabin, lottie ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎had begun acting weirder than usual.

Pairing: lottie matthews x fem!reader

Warnings: ...

Pt.2

a/n: thinking of making this into 2 or 3 parts?? this is more of a build up so I'm sorry if it's a bit slow!

∘₊✧────────────────────✧₊∘

It had been a week, maybe more, after the crash. You counted the days - believing it wasn't long until you would all be found and saved. Everyone followed the same belief, but it slowly began to lose its appeal as the days got longer and there was no promise of rescue, and you had lost track anyway.

Misty had treated you alongside everyone else, she wrapped your gashed shoulder up with a bandage out of some emergency aid kit in the planes cabinet, which you had been unwrapping everyday to keep clean. It was fine at first, but the shortages of antibiotics and extra bandages had it healing much slower than it should've, it hurt like a bitch and you were putting up the best 'tough' act you could to avoid adding anymore stress to the situation.

You sat outside of the cabin on a broken log, setting up fire to cook dinner, faintly smelling the herbs in the air that Mari managed to find whilst the others were either doing laundry or getting water from the nearby lake. Lottie hadn't been doing much, though. Her mind was in a different place ever since the crash, you noticed as she began to act differently recently, but you thought nothing of it - everyone else had been stressed, unorganised and tired, so why would it be out of the ordinary for Lottie to feel the same?

You and Lottie began dating a month before the flight, she had confessed to you one day after practice - you watched panic on her face as she barely managed to get her words out, before you laughed in reassurance and told her you felt the same way. Neither of you had told anyone about your relationship and wanted to keep it that way - it wouldn't benefit you or her.

"Hey, you okay?" she came up to you, sitting on the log opposite of the one you sat on, her expression ardent each time she saw you.

"Yeah, is Shauna done with the meat yet?" You asked, feeling hunger eat away at your stomach. "No I don't think so, she's trying to get Jackie to do something," she explained, "I'm sure she'll be done by the time you set up the fire, though." you nodded, giving up on rubbing sticks for the time being. "You look real good for someone who's stranded in the wilderness, y'know" she laughed, watching you trying to rub off the ash from last nights fire, "Shut up, Lottie" you teased with the same toothy smile she loved.

It took you a while to get used to the new situation, though more often than not you were helping around with things. In around 5th grade your parents thought it was a good idea to get you into girl scouts, you partially hated them for it - the uniform sucked and you'd always be covered in dirt. You had been mentally reciting the folklore stories told by the counsellors; as the wilderness caved in some of your old memories, often wondering if they had any truth to them. You stayed there until you turned 14, learning a bunch of survival skills that you brushed off as stupid, it was ironic how useful they were now.

"Lot, how are you?" You hadn't asked that in ages, too preoccupied with surviving, just as everyone else had been. Lottie's breath hitched, knowing she wasn't fine at all, considering her meds ran out. "I'm fine, I just missed you (y/n)." She smiled sheepishly, suppressing the doubt she had in her own words. She truly did miss you, the distance that brewed between you two wasn't as bad as it could've been, but she needed you the most right now.

You could sense her unease, standing up to sit next to her, "You can talk to me, you know that right?" You moved your hand towards hers, smiling warmly as you looked at each other. her eyes were filled with anguish, her jaw clenching before she spoke,

"Promise you won't think I'm weird?"

"I promise."

You leaned towards her, watching as she tucked her hair behind her ear before letting loose of her worry, "I've had these strange visions," Her gaze was diverted to the floor, "and I've been hearing things." she shook her head in disbelief, almost shocked; confused. "What kind of visions?" You kept your eyes on her, not thinking any less of her. "I don't know, it's like I can see what happens before it happens." She gave you a sorry look, you opened your mouth to speak before being interrupted by Shauna, "Here." Jackie stood behind her as Shauna handed you the meat, looking at it in complete disgust.

Lottie wasn't given the opportunity to offer you an explanation, but it made sense to you, considering her strange act for the past week.

-

The night grew colder than the last, you had been sleeping in the attic with lottie for the past few days to prove it wasn't haunted, and you struggled to keep heat upstairs. "Just sleep here, near the fire." Shauna stated after you had tried to haggle for more blankets, you refused, though, wanting to spend more time with Lottie and keep an eye on her after she had opened up to you. "well feel free to come downstairs, there's always room." she finished, laying down the pillows.

You climbed the ladder to see lottie already there, facing the window - illuminated by the moon and stars. sitting behind her, you spoke, "Another vision?" It was a couple days after she had spoken to you about them, and she told you what she could. They weren't too frequent, but when they happened you'd stay close to her.

"I heard a baby crying this time, it went on and off for a while, but I cant figure it out." Her words were cold and hurt. You were the only one who knew about her newfound state, since you swore not to tell anybody to avoid Lottie seeming crazy to the others, and that's why you tried your best to understand, to help her. but often your help was useless, you figured it might've just been a trauma response to the crash, and you stuck around. You wrapped your arms around her shoulders, hugging her from behind, bringing your body close to hers and resting your head on the back of her neck.

"Things'll gonna be okay, Lottie." Your voice was warming, bringing slight comfort to her discomfort.

You two sat there for a while, your eyes resting as she gazed at the night sky, before she turned to face you. "What if they won't be?" She bit her lip, making constant eye contact with you. She'd wear your jewellery often, you assumed it just got lost in the crash until you noticed, but she just wanted you close to her when you weren't around, and talking to each other for more than a minute was rare lately, so she had resorted to constant distress and longing.

She couldn't risk hurting you as a result of her own disturbance, just like she had before, and she subconsciously needed your reassurance that things wouldn't go that way.

"Why would you think that?" You shook your head, seeing Lottie avert her gaze to your shoulder, "Because things haven't been in our favour for a while." Her feelings were daunting to figure out, you looked up at her with sad yet hopeful eyes. "Stressing about it isn't gonna make it any better, Lot." You chuckled lightly, sensing tension brewing and wanting to avoid her mind going back into the dark place it would often wander to. She smiled in return, her eyes softening at your remark. "Hey do you remember when we would go on those road trips? you'd be so tired driving, I'd have to remind you not to crash into a tree" Lottie spoke, you saw her jaw soften and heard her laugh filling the wooden room, "And you would play shitty music just to rile me up," You added, "What?? I played it because I liked those songs (y/n), don't judge me,"

You two would often drive to seattle in your old beaten up sedan to visit your family, though you'd always make sure to turn it into a full blown camping roadtrip each time - since Washington was on the complete opposite side of New Jersey.

"You think we can go again after we're back home?" It didn't even cross your mind that Lottie thought there was chance of rescue, you were taken aback for a moment. When Lottie was with you something would alter inside of her, as if everything negative she ever believed had dissipated, you gave her hope.

"We'll go wherever you want."

She smiled a moment before her eyes looked up to yours and then down to your lips - then back to your eyes again, she kissed you and you could've sworn you felt religion in her lips; how they caressed yours with trails of grace.

-

"Are you fucking kidding me lottie?? what's gotten into you?" A riled up voice spat under lottie who had just stood there. "Nat, calm down." Shauna intervened, you walked out of the cabin, rubbing your puffy eyes as they adjusted to the light, woken by the voices after the best sleep you'd had in a while. "What's going on?" You looked towards Nat and Lottie.

"Lottie's acting like she's in The Craft or something, sort her out before she casts a spell on one of us." Natalie faced you with annoyance, your bottom lip slightly hung out - still half asleep. Everyone knew something was up with Lottie after she bashed her head into the window, it wasn't that much of a secret after all. Most were worried and you could tell, and so Natalie's reaction had you confused, you looked around to see everyone waiting for your response.

"She's been through a lot, like the rest of us. just leave her alone, Nat." You sighed, everyone went back inside - Natalie flailing her arms as you gestured for Lottie to follow you somewhere deeper into the forest. "What happened? are you okay?" You stopped amongst the woods, "Yeah, fine." she looked distressed and distant, crossing her arms, "Just ignore her, she didn't mean it," Lottie cut you off as her rushing thoughts came out,

"But what if she's right? what if I really am going crazy?"

"You're not crazy Lottie, you're just as fucked as the rest of us, nothing more." Your reassurance seemed to get through to her, your words meant the world to her and you knew it.

"You don't think there's something wrong with me?" Her face was almost pale, skin rough and almost loving eyes.

"Oh my god, of course not," you faltered into a feathery smile, "You're perfect, Lottie." You watched as her face began to regain her warm colour, softening at your words. Sometimes it felt like the world stopped around you when you were near her, you would've done anything - just to see her okay again, and she would've done anything to see you carefree and happy, just like you used to be.

She looked to the ground, laughing in relief while small tears left her eyes. "And I'm the sappy one?"

"Yeah okay, I'm not the one who wrote a love letter as an apology," She slapped your shoulder and you kept giggling like a maniac, before you were stopped dead in your tracks by Misty carrying an empty water bucket, "Are you two planning on helping?" One hand on her hip and the other holding out the bucket, "It's unfair to think you're exempt from helping when we should all be-"

"Jeez okay we'll fill it up." Lottie suppressed her laughter the best she could, running to take the bucket from an impatient Misty.

After getting back to the cabin, you settled on the living room floor with a blanket and a book. You never read books much before, however somehow it had become a routine by now.

"What're you reading?" Lottie asked, sliding down next to you.

"To the Lighthouse, Virgina Woolf. I found it in one of the drawers in the attic."

"Any good?" You never took Lottie as a reader, her interests only really came to surface when you would talk about yours, "I'll finish it and let you know." You looked at her with a smile, closing the book and resting it to the side for the time being.

-

Your mouth was filled with sickening sweetness as you chewed on the last of your food, which just happened to be the gummies your mom packed you 'for the road'.

There was no food left, and your hunger began to yearn for something else - someone else.

And her winter was cursed with your bewitchment,

the loving haze which she had caused upon you herself.

[emeraldspiral]

So in early development of FFVII there was the idea for Aerith and Sephiroth to be siblings (which is why they look kinda similar with the anime bangs) and later for Sephiroth to be Aerith's ex-boyfriend before they created Zack. Both those ideas sound really compelling and I think would've added a lot more dramatic weight to Aerith's ultimate fate, since she'd have some personal history with him like Cloud and Tifa, rather than him just being a stranger who comes out of nowhere and kills her one day. So when I first heard about it I wondered why the devs changed their mind.

For the sibling angle, it makes sense why that couldn't work with the story they ultimately ended up telling. FFVII draws heavily on Christian and Jewish mythology and in the final version of the story Aerith is clearly a Jesus analogue while Sephiroth is the antichrist and Jenova is the Devil. Sephiroth couldn't be related to Aerith because that would make him a genuine Cetra, but he's meant to be a false messiah while Aerith is the true messiah, so the allegory falls apart if they're siblings and he has the same heritage as her.

For the boyfriend angle, it kinda seems like there's no real reason why they couldn't have done that, until you consider the timeline of the story.

It's non-negotiable that Sephiroth has to be a bit older than Cloud because he's supposed to be the hero he looked up to who inspired him to join SOLDIER. In the final version of the story, Cloud is 14 when he joins, 16 during the events of the Nibelheim incident, and 21 during the main game. Aerith is 1 year older than Cloud and Zack is 2 years older. Aerith and Zack met when Aerith was 15 and Zack was 16 and Aerith was 17 and Zack was 18 when the Nibelheim incident occurred. But Sephiroth is supposed to be 30 in the story's present, which means he would've been 25 when Aerith was 17 and 23 when she was 15.

Now, this wouldn't be a problem if they just made Aerith 18 when she and Sephiroth met. But that would make her 25 in the story's present, and in Japan there's a stigma against unmarried women over the age of 25, so they probably would've felt that they had to justify why Aerith was still single at that age. They could've said that she and Sephiroth actually were married or engaged before he disappeared and she never moved on because she wasn't sure if he was dead or alive. But people might've still thought her being a whole 4 years older than 21-year-old Cloud made her "too old" for him, or if she actually was married to Sephiroth and he turned out to be (technically) alive, that would make her romance with Cloud infidelity.

I don't know if that's the actual reason they decided to pivot away from boyfriend!Seph or if it had more to do with them liking the idea of Cloud basing his identity on another person who had a connection to Aerith and the ambiguity it suggests about the basis for their feelings on either side.

I guess though if Sephiroth couldn't be Aerith's sibling or former lover at the very least they could've met at some point before he killed her. She was dating Zack for 2 years while he was apart of SOLDIER, so he could've introduced her to his coworkers. They could've even made it part of the story of Crisis Core that Sephiroth once protected her when monsters attacked Midgar because Shinra wanted her safe. Would've added an element of tragic irony if she once thought he was a good guy and was sad to hear the man who saved her life had died, only to then learn that he became a monster who wants to destroy the world.

[transmascutena]

Okay a bit related the awful discourse happening right now I would like to say that interpreting Anthy as thousands of years old is just... okay I wouldn't say it's impossible but it feels like such a strange thing to be so ubiquitous in the fandom as opposed to a niche interpretation. Anthy is Utena's age when Utena first meets her. I've never seen a reason for why she's Utena's age in one flashback but is somehow eternally 14. Anthy and Dios's flashback is probably the main reason this reading exists at all, but I think it's safe to say this scene doesn't tie itself to any specific time period and is also not completely literal? I think timeline of the series is actually extremely condensed compared to most peoples interpretations when you consider that Tokiko (who got to age and is still alive at the time of the main plot) and Mikage worked on the perpetual motion machine which plays a huge part in the duels.

Am I making sense?? Does this cohere?? I just hate how gross Anthy is able treated by some fans while they defend it with an incomplete headcanon that doesnt even suit the series very well. My main problem with the reading isnt even the timeline, its that it does Anthy a wild disservice! Shes a child! Shes not an immortal being whos existed for centuries, shes 14! Akio isnt either, for that matter. Propping him up as an all powerful god of patriarchy actively works against the series' conclusions about him as a pathetic manchild who can only have power when its as a figurehead chairman. Thanks for listening to me ramble a bit!!

thank you! just saw this take too and it's one of my most hated interpretations of the show. "anthy is a 1000 year old in the body of a child" as a literal take (as opposed to like. she feels that way because of the nature of her abuse) is so . bad. always used to justify hating her for some shit that is very easily explained by the fact that she is a child. or to say that her and akio's age gap doesn't mean anything. or to say that there is a weird age gap between her and utena when, like you said, they've been the same age in every scene they're in together, including back when they're children. taking the flashback with dios and anthy completely literally as taking place hundreds of years ago, while simultaneously arguing that all of akio's current abuse is strictly metaphorical is just. an incredibly stupid way to read the show.

[ironspdr6700]

WHY IS CLYTEMNESTRA JUST AND GUILTY AT THE SAME TIME (ACCORDING TO AESCHYLUS)?

Medical school, unfortunately, has been taking up more of my reading time than I'd like. But since we're on 14-HOURS blackouts now, it gives me time to at least read my favorite Greek tragedies in more detail. And of the big 3… My favorite by far is Aeschylus.

I recently read some passages from Gilbert Murray's book "Aeschylus: Creator of Greek Tragedy" and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who is a fan of the Oresteia, because you read Murray first and then you re-read Aeschylus in a totally different way and all the parts that seemed incomprehensible at first make sense. I've read a lot of posts here on Tumblr that defend or demonize Agamemnon or Clytemnestra or Electra, defending one, condemning the other or claiming that they are all equally bad, but I think the problem is that we read the saga of the house of Atreus from our modern perspective. And I think that shows that we don't know how to read Greek tragedies. Tragedy… AUTHENTIC GREEK TRAGEDY AS AN ARTISTIC CREATION, according to Aristotle, should provoke TERROR and COMPASSION in the viewer at the same time. Tragic heroes are different from the rest of traditional heroes because they are not worthy of being imitated, but are trapped in a situation that none of us would want to be in. And we regret that because if we were in their place we wouldn't know how to make a better decision.

Precisely because we are a modern audience, we feel more comfortable with Euripides' theatre, his criticism of mythology and the lack of ethics of the gods (don't get me wrong, I love his Medea and the Trojan Women, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest treasures of universal literature), but we find it difficult to get into the thought of Aeschylus.

Because Aeschylus belongs to the last link of Archaic Greece, which was transformed into the Classical and rationalist Greece of Euripides, Socrates and Thucydices. Aeschylus was a deeply religious man who lived through decades of transformation: the passage from tyranny in Athens to aristocracy and then to democracy, the battles of Marathon and Salamis between the small Greek city-states against the "excessive" Persian empire and the beginning of the golden age of Athens marked his vision of the world that Divine Justice had an active participation in the world to always balance the scales.

And this also involves a transformation in the conception of Law and Justice in that period of Greek thought. Like the archaic idea that justice is only a synonym for revenge, it becomes a state-mediated process to maintain social peace. According to the archaic conception EVERY MURDER OF ANY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY MUST BE AVENGEANCE, it is not an option, it is an OBLIGATION. From that point of view, Clytemnestra has every right in the world to take revenge on Agamemnon for the sacrifice of Iphigenia, not even the Furies have anything against her because she is not Agamemnon's blood relative, which, superficially, would seem to close the cycle. The only problem is that this is a cycle of violence, and the more violence you add, the more times the cycle keeps repeating itself and the more the wheel of Ananke, the Need to satisfy the spilled violence, keeps turning.

Clytemnestra calls for help from Zeus, "Zeus, through whom all things come to an end", so that she can succeed in her plan. If Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon, it is because ZEUS HAS ALLOWED HER TO DO SO. In Aeschylus, no event ever happens that was not the will of Zeus. Zeus is the guarantor of destiny, the protector of supplicants, the guardian of hospitality… And he is also Zeus the Avenger, in charge of making sure that everyone pays for their crimes in due time. And Agamemnon has a long list of crimes to carry out, not just Iphigenia; as leader of the expedition against Troy, he has allowed the army to destroy everything during the siege, including the altars of the gods… the refuge for the supplicants.

"The altars and temples of their gods have disappeared; the entire race of a people has been annihilated."

Zeus, as guardian of hospitality, sent Agamemnon and Menelaus against Troy for the abduction of Helen:

"Paris, who, having been welcomed into the home of the Atreids, dishonoured the table of hospitality by the abduction of a wife."

But Agamemnon allows his army to GO TO OVER THE TOP IN REVENGE

"Paris will never boast, nor the city that was his accomplice, that the deed outweighed the punishment… he lost the stolen garment, and ruined the house of his parents along with his own country. WITH DOUBLE PUNISHMENT the sons of Priam PAID FOR THEIR GUILT."

So now it is Zeus, Suppliant and Avenger, who must again balance the scales.

"Now those who conquered my country are in turn sentenced by the gods."

As a second point in favor, Clytemnestra, at least in the first work of the trilogy, is more than just a woman, she seems more like she is possessed by a divinity:

"…say not that I am the wife of Agamemnon. That ancient and fierce spirit of vengeance that garnished the cruel feast of Atreus, that is he who, taking the appearance of the wife of him who lies there, avenged on a man the sacrifice of two children."

This was part of archaic thought, the idea of ​​demons or minor divinities that influence the thought or behavior or actions of human beings and also that the crimes of parents must be paid for by their children if they are not avenged. One of the most interesting posts I read is one that commented that, in archaic literature, one never knows exactly where human freedom begins and where divine will ends. BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT FREE WILL DOES NOT EXIST AND THEREFORE THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE EXEMPT FROM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

And this is where Clytemnestra also becomes guilty. First, because she murders Cassandra, a Trojan princess, a priestess, a slave who has no say.

"I am forced to suffer the yoke of slavery"

She treats her as if she were Agamemnon's lover, which highlights 1) Clytemnestra's hypocrisy, because she had also taken Aegisthus as a lover, and 2) this is more important, THE LACK OF COMPASSION. Greek tragedy must generate terror and compassion because they are the two emotions that make us human. Only the person who is authentically compassionate, that is, literally feels the suffering of others as their own, as a shared experience and inheritance, can be called an authentic human being in the highest spiritual sense of the word. Clytemnestra HAS NO PITY, on the contrary, she delights in the very violence she commits:

"She, after singing her funeral dirges like a swan, fell too, and lies there beside her lover. Delicious contentment that satisfies the pleasures of my loves!"

Clytemnestra triumphs as Iphigenia's mother, but fails as a queen, just as Agamemnon triumphs as a king but fails as Iphigenia's father. Clytemnestra does not care about the opinion of the chorus of elders, she does not care that Aegisthus establishes a tyranny and that the respect for majesty that Agamemnon did have for his subjects is transformed into fear, into threats of hunger and deprivation for those who oppose her.

It is true that Clytemnestra is justified (Justice in the most archaic sense of the word) in her revenge in the first act, but that does not give her the right to laugh, or even to feel proud of what she has just done. "For my own part, I boast of my work. If it were lawful to pour libations on a corpse, they would be just, most just on this occasion." Not even Odysseus, who murdered 108 people in his own house despite having received the approval of Zeus and Athena, takes delight in the slaughter, because "it is not godly to rejoice over the death of these men."

In the end, Clytemnestra does not seem to die for killing Agamemnon (that is Aegisthus). She dies for having killed Cassandra, as she herself prophesies:

"… when a woman pays for my life with her life, and a man atones with his blood for the blood of the unhappy husband of a bad wife… I ask you that my hateful murderers receive from my avengers the payment for the easy death of a defenseless slave."

And that is what leads Orestes to be one step closer to absolution than Clytemnestra will ever be. Orestes obeys Apollo's orders, but against his will, forced by fate, he finds neither pleasure nor satisfaction in matricide. It is the first step that will later lead him to be absolved by Athena. While Clytemnestra, even in death, has no compassion, she cannot forgive even her own son when he sees himself subjected to an unwanted fate.

[gritpyre]

what’s the real reason behind alma‘s avoidance of. any shred of happiness or friends?

well there are many factors really! some of which are her lack of self worth, her self hating nature that leads to self destructive behaviours, growing up severely bullied and neglected, perpetrator trauma etc.

but i think the biggest reason is that she suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (ocd) an anxiety disorder rooted in fear and avoidance - she exhibited symptoms since she was very young, but society at large in my verse isn't well versed in mental illnesses and for the most part there's a rampant belief they don't really exist, that sufferers are exaggerating and should just pray more

back to Alma she has a certain set of beliefs, reocurring intrusive thoughts and compulsions she has gone to great lengths to mask and downplay, her core belief is that horrible things will happen to the people she gets close to (or that she herself will hurt them), and that she can't attain too much happiness at once or else something bad will happen to 'balance the scales'; she's aware on some level that these thoughts are illogical, but the thing about the illness is that the anxiety attached to these thoughts is so relentless she feels compelled to listen to them nonetheless

uncertainty is the bane of those that have ocd, the feeling of not having control over your environment can easily lead to spiraling, which is why she strongly adheres to her own set of rules of keeping distance from everyone and putting a clamp on her feelings to regain some sense of control

^Alma at the tender age of 14 about to create a toxic worldview that will ruin her life

another big thing is a lack of confidence in your own perception of things, social anxiety is a big part of her ocd as well so she for the most part views people as unsafe, she's always hypervigilant and looking for signs of upset or anger directed at herself, or imagining ways in which they may hurt her emotionally or physically, or suspecting that any kind of kindness directed at her is a ploy to get her guard down and make her regret it later

all in all it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say her every decision has been informed by a deep sense of fear, self-disgust, lack of control over her situation and a misguided sense responsibility to protect others from the 'bad luck' she brings

[sailormoonrewatch]

Discussion topic: What did/do you think of the "Rei tries to date Mamoru" subplot?

Rei was hinted at being attracted to Tuxedo Mask in her introduction episode, but it really started to crystallise in episode 015, where she actively decides to pursue Mamoru romantically. This was an anime-only subplot - what are your thoughts on its introduction and execution?

Mod opinion: It makes a lot of sense for anime!Rei's personality that she would want to find a boyfriend with whom she could be a "power couple", and I think she was interested in Mamoru more because it seemed like he would provide her with a certain status than because of a genuine attraction. Rei is shown to be highly goal-oriented and future-focused; I think we all went to school with a girl who had their whole career and every milestone planned out from age 14, regardless of how realistic those plans were, lol. It felt very much like Rei wanted the abstract concept of the "perfect boyfriend" and Mamoru happened to be the ideal candidate for that role rather than being drawn specifically to him.

What makes less sense is why Mamoru went along with it?? It's hard to argue that he's oblivious to Rei's intentions, and had certainly demonstrated that he didn't mind coming off as an asshole if he wanted to reject her, lol. Obviously from a meta perspective the subplot was introduced as a way to progress Usagi & Mamoru's relationship via jealousy in addition to progressing Usagi & Rei's dynamic by generating conflict, but from a character perspective, for as much of a jerk as Mamoru could be in season 1 he never seemed like the type to string a girl along for his own amusement - mostly because he didn't seem to enjoy "dating" her at all?? I can only imagine that Rei basically wouldn't take no for an answer and Mamoru didn't care enough to press the issue. It's not not weird, but it's at least consistent.

But what do you all think? Were you a fan or a hater of this anime-only plot point?