#i think the lack of it also makes for a very interesting relationship. the absence of something etc

[ripclaudia]

hiiiiiii. you have probably answered this many times but i can’t find it so if you don’t mind repeating yourself: why do you think romangerri stopped being a thing? when? was it is gerri deciding to not be into mess anymore as a ceo and roman not taking a no for an answer? why did she get so upset with him firing her in s4 when just talking about firing was a constant thing? was it that finally gerri felt the power roman had over her and finally realised she can’t play around with that? the photo to logan obviously fucked her and it’s roman’s fault. hm. i think im explaining it to myself out loud. but s3 is more interesting i thought itd be explored more. was it just about avoiding mess then?

if i have answered this it has definitely been a while so i don't mind doing it again! honestly i don't think romangerri ever stopped being a thing. even on s4 when they're cross with each other it is absolutely undeniable that they're still very much affected by each other! but if we're talking about gerri trying her most to erase the mess from their relationship, i think the danger of it caught up to her. roman's refusal to focus on the business aspect of their relationship and his inability to consider consequences combined with gerri's role as the interim ceo and the fact that if anything came out, it would be gerri who suffered – of course she tried to get the situation back under control by not engaging in the sexual aspect of their relationship.

i also think gerri never envisioned anything else for them than the business relationship. j just talked about this in an interview, but apparently gerri thought for a long time that roman was just fucking with her with the suggestions and all that. she didn't take him very seriously and i think the situation kind of crept on her, too. and ultimately she never would have considered anything serious with him, either, not in the timeline of s2/s3. what she wanted with him was the dynamic duo, her being the brains and him being the beauty, but i think roman sort of lost the focus on that especially in late s3.

of course she got upset when he fired her twice on s4? yeah, no one was really safe in waystar during logan's reign, but it's a fact that logan absolutely wouldn't have soured on gerri to that degree without the dick pic fiasco. and the second time – roman making a rash choice to fire her because of his inability to deal with logan's death and the fact she refused to lie to his face, insulting her in the worst possible way in the process? i'd be upset too. both of those times were proof of how associating with roman quite literally hurt her career.

but to return to your original question, i just really feel like the two major reasons were gerri realizing the possible consequences and the differences in what they wanted, which ultimately drove them apart. but what's fascinating is that at the point when it all falls apart, they are unable to just forget about each other. even when roman fires gerri in the beginning of connor's wedding, gerri sees right through him and it's clear that having to do it makes roman's tummy hurt exceptionally bad. and when everything goes to even more shit, gerri is visibly worried about roman (the funeral) and he literally breaks down when he sees her (board meeting). they're far from being over, baby <3

and of course we'll never know what the post-series romangerri dynamic looks like, but at least i can always comfort myself with the words of the world's leading gerri kellman expert, miss jsc herself: i don't know at what point she'd thought about it as a romantic thing. except if somebody young and wealthy and charismatic had a silly crush that they kept insisting on when they were around you, you'd have to be made of stone to not eventually respond to that. i could see them getting tipsy and making out in a bar once he's not her boss.

[mythalism]

my #1 complaint with veilguard is probably the lack of moral complexity and maturity and how much of northern thedas is sanitized and almost all issues (outside of solas and mythal, which they knocked out of the park imo, but the moral complexity of them as characters and of their relationship makes the lack of nuance in every other faction and relationship stand out even worse) are presented as black and white, good vs. evil. i think the absence of the presence of slavery in northern thedas is the most egregious example of this. the crows are found-family heroes with absolutely no mention of the fact that they canonically populate their ranks with abused elven child slaves and kill them if they try to escape. we know minrathous to be the capital of a massive empire that was built and founded on slave labor and blood magic. the slave trade is baked into every single stone of that city, and it should be everywhere in a disenfranchised area like docktown. and yet.... its nowhere? its like they went, "okay well the factions all need to be GOOD and slavery is BAD so lets just pretend it doesnt exist so we dont have to talk about the way these factions have historically participated in it!" a few codex entries? a few mentions of freeing slaves by the shadow dragons and by solas but its never actually depicted? i think its something a lot of people have picked up on in accusations of the game feeling like something made by marvel or disney, and a lot of people are attributing that mostly to the art style and cheugy dialogue, but i honestly think it is the very simplistic and juvenile presentation of what should be complex issues diluted down to the sort of hero vs. villain, good vs. evil no-nuance conflicts that is creating that juvenile feeling, rather than the art style. past games have always had cheesy-ass dialogue and the graphics have never been the highlight of the game, but neither had the same feeling of playing something incredibly glossy but also incredibly shallow, especially in a franchise that is famed for its complex and nuanced (though, often poorly done and racist - looking at you qunari and dalish) depictions of sociopolitical issues through a fantasy lens.

but whats especially interesting is that the artbook (just the first 50 pages that are free) reveals that... this was present in the early stages of the game. the concept art of tevinter is full of disturbing depictions of slavery, as is the concept art of arlathan. now, to be clear, slavery is not a morally complex or ambiguous issue. slavery in fantasy is often depicted in ways that is damaging and problematic, especially when written by people who have no real understanding of it and its lasting effects on a group of people. bioware has been guilty of this in the past.

however, i think it is the best example of the shallowness of veilguard when compared to both the past games and the concept art. other examples, however, include literally the Qun as a whole suddenly being UNAMBIGUOUSLY EVIL combined with, imo, a super racist depiction of the antaam as mindless and animalistic, absolutely no exploration of racism against elves other than like, one mention from davrin in a game that is basically all about elves, blood magic being unambiguously evil rather than exploring how it is being used and for what purposes, the complete absence of the mage-templar mass incarceration and mass-lobotimization conflict, isseya being afforded none of the empathy that solas is given and instead presented as unambiguously evil and deserves to die, the grey wardens being heroes who definitely do not manipulate disenfranchised people into escaping their lives to join an order that will steal their bodies and eventually their minds and futures from them, and much more. going from a world that was so willing to at least ATTEMPT to depict the horrors of empires that utilized slave labor to build, the way dehumanization facilitates and interacts with these issues, violent class disparities and how poverty forces people into crime, the effects of institutionalized racism even after slavery has been legally abolished, with stories like that of varania and fenris, of zevran and taliesin, to.... finally going to the site of the horrors they faced and to find it to be completely sanitized? and yes, they did not always land, and i have a lot of issues with their execution of some of these representations (the option to give fenris back to danarius and having anders approve??????? HELLO?), but at least they TRIED to tell a story about a man recovering from the trauma of something so horrible and learning to trust again. so what happened in the middle? were they afraid of their own ability to handle the topic due to past criticism instead of attempting to learn from it? instead we are just going to pretend like it doesnt exist? we're not going to talk about it? its literally the most insane elephant in the room. of course fenris and zevran couldn't make cameos in this game, because then they'd have to make a statement on a painful, real, and difficult to discuss topic that actually means something, instead of using a warehouse full of elves being guarded by armed police at the docks as a hollywood-style backlot and depict an empire built on the blood sacrifices of the poor and enslaved as just another fun little area to explore. how does neve fight for the people of docktown but slavery literally never comes up in her story????? we know that blood magic exists but we never see who is being disproportionately used for those blood sacrifices?

i think its especially interesting considering how explicitly supportive of trans people this game is, which is fantastic and i admire bioware deeply for making such a strong and unapologetic statement of their values of acceptance. but that strong statement makes the lack of any other strong statements or exploration of issues even mildly contentious (again, slavery is not even a contentious issue, and i think that's why their fear to depict it at all, much less as unambiguously horrifying, is so insane) leaves the world of northern thedas feeling so shallow and sterile. it is as if bioware doesnt trust me to engage with topics like an adult capable of using critical thinking skills, and did not trust themselves to depict these issues like adults capable of critical thinking skills either. maybe, considering the presence of these things in the artbook, this was on EA for pushing for more mass-market appeal, or maybe it was really the bioware devs backing away from difficult topics due to a lack of confidence to do them justice. idk. but its really disappointing to me

[flowersforchoso]

—Bi-han courting you ᥫ᭡

it's hard to imagine this blizzard of a man ever falling for someone, but he does, and he falls pretty hard when it happens although it's like, an extremely rare occurrence.

it's the classic love-at-first-sight scenario. you're at the restaurant, conversing with madame bo from a distance, when you catch his attention. he likes what he sees, and like the typical man, he discreetly stares until you're out of sight

he doesn't think much about you afterwards, but the seed of attraction has already been planted and soon grows.

somehow, coincidentally, he meets you again at the same place (fate perhaps?) but this time, it's different—you're both face-to-face and introductions ensue.

since the lin kuei trio occasionally unwind at the establishment after a mission, and you're a healer who madame bo often consults, it's no surprise your paths cross

bi-han is laser focused on you as the said woman introduces you to the group, observing you like a specimen: your physicality, mannerisms, demeanour, and finds himself magnetized by your graceful aura

but he doesn't speak to you at all while pleasantries are exchanged, making him the odd one out. however, his assessment of you is positive indicating a romantic interest.

despite the brief interaction, you leave a lasting impression on him and have begun to take up permanent residence in his mind.

but it doesn't end there; he sees you quite often due to your affiliation with the old woman, and each time he does, his heart skips a beat; he's emotionally incapacitated, rendered powerless (proximity to him is the only way anything can happen tbh)

he represses this newfound emotion until he's unable to resist, ultimately surrendering to it. and believe it or not, he makes the first move. surprisingly

i know the consensus is that he's pretty much inexperienced in romantic relationships and hence wouldn't approach, but for a man of his calibre, there's no way he hasn't been in a committed relationship, even if short-lived. moreover, he goes after what he wants, romantic matters are no different; the only issue is it'll take him forever to get to it.

he has to first wrestle with himself over his feelings towards you. and once he overcomes this internal struggle, it'll take your sustained absence to propel him to finally pursue you out of fear that you might slip away from his grasp.

while he won't directly approach you, he communicates his interest via subordinates, which leads to unexpected appearances—a blue-clad ninja at your doorstep bearing gifts

you're very confused, but they explain they've been sent by their grandmaster. it is then you come to the realization that the standoffish, intimidating man you encountered at the restaurant has taken a liking to you! but wait- how does he know where you live? (he's gathered bits of information about you)

in his quest to conquer your heart and claim it as his, he first aims to impress. expect to be bombarded by gifts or flowers every fortnight. he also does this for ego reasons, to flaunt his status before eventually requesting a date—through a mouthpiece, of course.

the occasion is quite awkward, overly formal, with you doing most of the talking because he wants to know all about you like the back of his hand

if you attempt to redirect focus on him to satisfy any curiosity you may have, he basically shuts it down by saying something along the lines of, "i lead a formidable warrior clan, that is sufficient enough." you can't tell if he's just reserved or severely lacking in social skills, but if you peer hard enough, the lines are blurred.

he is actually very mindful of his words and respectful towards you. he is aware of how blunt and abrasive he can come across and doesn't want to scare you away; that would undo all his efforts and bring them to naught, and he isn't going to self-sabotage, not after coming this far

he's gentlemanly, and its obvious from his body language and actions he's infatuated with you. but being a conversationalist and showing affection aren't his strong suits, so this is where you come in. the ball is in your court to steer the budding relationship forward otherwise it'll stagnate

[temis-de-leon]

Dateables as Single Fathers

Characters: Diavolo, Barbatos, Solomon and Simeon, gn!kid, Luke and gn!MC

Part 1

Main Masterlist

CW: nothing, I think? Correct me if you feel something should be warned, but I think we're good to go. Just like in the other one, these HCs explain the characters' relationships with their kids and a romantic interest in MC at the end.

.

Diavolo

This one has to be the most difficult situation out of all, considering his political position.

He either had a child outside of marriage, who I think would’ve been considered a bastard, or he had the next heir with his wife, who would’ve eventually become the queen of the Devildom beside him.

No matter the option, each one would have had significant consequences.

Fortunately for his country, he’s too respectful and responsible to fool around and risk the chance of leaving his offspring behind, so political marriage it is.

I already used the ‘mother died in childbirth’ reason for Lucifer’s HCs, but I can’t see any other explanation for Diavolo being a single father. Both of them would be loyal and committed to their partners and Diavolo has the additional duty of keeping a kingdom going.

Now, we could do some AUs that could explain the future queen’s absence, but that isn’t what this post is about, so let’s leave it at that.

In the end, Diavolo is left with a child that is deeply loved and well taken care of.

I think Beautiful Boy by John Lennon would describe their relationship perfectly.

Loving his kid is not his only priority; raising him is also as important. He’s a caring parent, very attentive, protective and stern when necessary.

Diavolo is too aware of their duties as royals and future monarchs but tries not to act on them. Since he is already preparing himself to become king, there’s no need for his kid to lose their freedom and their childhood.

However, as occupied as he is, he tries to put his work on hold each time the child calls for his attention. They drew themselves with him and Barbatos? Okay, let him set these documents aside so he can admire the drawing properly. They saw a cool bug outside? Say no more, he needs a break anyway. They had a nightmare? Maybe they should have a sleepover!

The kid just needs to be careful not to do many of those things in front of Barbatos. Otherwise, the butler would chastise both.

He’s highly proud of them when they dive into a friendship with you; seeing their eagerness and comfortability around your presence as a sign for keeping the student exchange program going.

Still, he finds the need to have a somewhat serious conversation with them about you, your purpose in the Devildom and your status as a human; the imbalance in power and biology that makes you both so different.

As time passes and his own friendship with you deepens, so do his feelings. He isn’t obvious about it, or at least he tries, but his kid inherited his observation skills and soon innocent suggestive comments are trailing behind him everywhere he goes.

The situation amuses him and makes his heart flutter with enthusiasm.

With encouragement like this, how could he not try to pursue you?

Barbatos

I like to think there’s some kind of errand boy roaming around the castle. Not necessarily a boy, but still a child doing a little bit of everything and helping whoever gives an order. They’re quick and cheeky, making the staff cheerier and less stressed about their chores, and Barbatos finds them surprisingly charming.

He doesn’t mind them running between his legs as long as they know when to stop and don’t hinder his work and, unlike the little Ds, that turns out to be what happens.

Barbatos tries not to get attached at first and a long time passes until he can’t deny the affection he feels for the little devil.

When I say long, I mean long.

Decades, even a couple of centuries, unable to ignore the lack of parental presence in the child’s life. They’re always in the castle, going from one point to another, talking to everyone and sticking to no one. The few moments they have to rest are spent with the prince’s butler, talking about their day with breathless excitement.

It’s a nice dynamic that Barbatos enjoys more and more with each passing day, but it isn’t until the rest of the staff informs him of every little thing the kid does that he finally realizes how deep he has fallen into the rabbit hole.

He is a father figure.

Again.

He isn’t complaining, not at all, but it still surprises him.

More time passes until he gathers the courage to ask Lord Diavolo for a room inside the castle for the child to sleep in. His cheeks are warm when he specifies he’d prefer if the room were close to his and the embarrassment only grows when the prince laughs out loud with excitement.

By the time you are introduced as the second human exchange student, everyone treats the kid as Barbatos’s and they even call him ‘father’ when they’re alone. Neither are ashamed of their mutual affection, but they’d rather keep it private.

The child likes to tease you harmlessly, joking around, asking pertinent questions under the disguise of childish innocence and appearing out of nowhere when you least expect it.

They won’t mind if you lightly reprimand them for their constant playful behaviour, that’s what their father does after all, but they’ll quickly love you if you joke back.

Either way, he likes to follow you around and Barbatos instantly notices. It piques his curiosity and warms his heart, but with how highly the child talks about you and how much you captivate him on your own, he starts to wonder if he should’ve pulled the kid away from you since the beginning.

His strong feelings for you are foreign, but not unwelcomed. He’s just too vigilant of all the possible outcomes.

Fortunately for you, for every doubt Barbatos has about these feelings, the child has a dozen reasons to make them stronger.

Solomon

How many wives did King Solomon have again? How many concubines? How many children out of all of those partners?

I’m not saying that any of those children succeeded in achieving immortality like him, I doubt that could’ve happened so early in his life, but outliving human partners doesn’t mean that Solomon chose to refuse to have any more partners at all.

I can see him entering a relationship with someone who has a longer lifespan and, regardless of that arrangement being casual or committed, having a child with them.

Maybe the other parent passed away, maybe they didn’t want to be in a relationship, maybe they tried and failed to stay together… who knows, you can choose your favourite. The conclusion here is that Solomon kept the child and raised them alone.

Feral child vibes, I fear.

As devious as their father and completely oblivious to it, they are too curious for their own good. Exploration and experimentation through trial and error are fairly common practices in the family and the only reason Solomon isn’t worried is because he’s sure nothing wrong will happen as long as he is there.

The kid may appear at the front door of their house with an eldritch horror-looking creature and Solomon would be like: ‘You’re doing amazing, sweetie’.

He knows introducing his child to a human infant is not the best of ideas. They would have to move places constantly due to their slow ageing to not raise suspicion and that would be completely unfair to the kid. They’re allowed to have permanent friends their age, after all, not a playmate turned into a babysitter or faceless companions that would disappear in their memories over time.

So they mostly engage with other immortal beings, like witches, demons and fellow sorcerers.

That saddens Solomon in a way; the human part he passed to his child is slowly dying due to lack of interaction.

This is why the human exchange program Diavolo proposes is so interesting to him.

Not only is he going to meet one of his kind in a world he easily moves around, but his child is also going to get the opportunity to be with another human in an environment they feel comfortable in.

It goes as well as you could expect.

Both of them are curious and eager to meet you, but at the beginning of your friendship it feels more like academic research. You stick to the brothers and their antics and they stick to the angels and their kindness.

If Luke is a Chihuahua, then Solomon’s kid is a thirteen-year-old delirious Yorkie.

As time passes and your friendship develops into something more genuine, Solomon can’t help but feel like he’s finally breathing fresh air after being locked in a cave for years.

His child still explores their surroundings, but there’s a new hope in their actions that he knows doesn’t come from him. It’s true childlike wonder and care towards their subject of study. An appreciation of life only a mortal would express.

You don’t understand how much you changed his child’s life.

And you don’t understand how much he loves you for it.

Simeon

I mean.

Luke.

He already is a single father in canon.

I don’t know how angels are born in the game, but they do grow up. Maybe Luke just spawned and was put under Simeon’s direct care, but there isn’t any mention of other parental figures in Luke’s life back in the Celestial Realm (although that may be due to the game being lazy with lore).

We know Michael is Luke’s hero, but not a father figure, so Simeon as a single father makes total sense.

A single mom who works two jobs and loves her kids and never stops.

Jk, jk…

But for real, though.

Simeon is thoughtful, affectionate, careful with Luke’s emotions and conscious about his need to mature and grow up. He treats him like a child, because that’s what he is, but tries not to infantilize him to not hurt his dignity.

While proud of Luke’s morals and golden heart, Simeon wants to make him see not everything is black and white and he’s allowed to have opinions that can differ from what they’ve been taught.

Some demons are good, some humans are consciously devious and some angels need to reevaluate their priorities.

It is a difficult task since Luke is certainly stubborn, but spending time in the Devildom is the perfect opportunity to prove that point.

Thankfully, your presence only helps Simeon change Luke’s judgemental thoughts. You are patient, easy-going and lighthearted and don’t get too stressed when the young angel refuses to reject his views on demons.

They both enjoy spending time with you because your soul is still kind and free of punishment, but for Simeon is much more than that.

He enjoys being with you because it feels natural and because knowing you feels like the greatest gift he has received in a very long time.

Believe him, Luke’s praises about you have nothing to do with the love he has for you. Those are just an additional bonus.

.

.

Taglist: @ilovecandys2010  @ollieoven @kingofspadesdelusion @whimsybloom

[vintage-fuzz]

Some McGucket Family/Emma-May & Fiddleford Headcanons!

- I do personally believe that Emma-May is also from Tennessee & that she probably grew up near Fiddleford & his family’s farm. This is primarily based on her name (with Dixon being a common surname throughout the US & Emma-May being an incredibly folksy sounding name) & the fact that she & Fiddleford seem to have gotten married very soon after Fidds graduated/left BMU, implying a preexisting relationship between them.

- I also like to think that perhaps she & Fiddleford attended school together, not university but grade/high school (if Fiddleford had an actual education prior to attending college) & that part of the reason she & Fidds are (presumably) so quick to marry is because he made a promise to marry her/got engaged to her before he left the state for BMU.

- This is more of a Fiddleford specific headcanon/thought but I think that he may have decided to attend BMU specifically because of a few factors. One of which being its affordability, possibly offering him a full-ride scholarship based on his grades/academic intelligence & another being its location. If Ford & Fidds are attending their first year of uni in the late 60s to early 70s & if BMU is located in the northeastern US, then it’s entirely possible that Fidds wanted to spend his young adulthood in a more socially/politically liberal area, especially if he’s a queer man, in order to explore his identity/not live in fear of being outed (this also works if you hc him as being a bit of a hippie too, finding himself through his newfound freedom away from home basically).

- As for the actual relationship & marriage between Emma-May & Fidds, I think it started off somewhat decently, at the very least, there was the impression of mutual love & attraction between them initially. I do think that, ultimately, Fiddleford saw her more as a friend at best, or, at worst, a means to an end (his beard). I think that Emma-May might have gradually realized that he wasn’t actually interested in her in the way that she had thought he was, potentially having to come to terms with her husband being a queer man. I do think that Fiddleford’s sexuality/ lack of attraction to her was one of the defining factors in their marriage souring prior to him losing his sanity (possibly coinciding with his general absence & his failure to provide a reliable source of income through his freelance computer business). (It is also entirely possible that there was a kind of lavender-marriage arrangement going on but there’s really no definite answer.)

- Regarding Tate, I personally believe that he was either an unintentional pregnancy or the result of Fiddleford & Emma-May feeling pressured into adhering to social conventions surrounding marriage, especially during the 70s with both of their families likely encouraging them to have children. I also like to think that Tate was conceived out of wedlock, forcing Fidds & Emma-May into a holding a shotgun wedding.

- Adding to their actual wedding, I like the idea of Ford having been present in some capacity & Emma-May having met him to some extent. Also, Fiddleford probably wanted for Ford to be his best man, to which, Ford likely would’ve accepted (unless his academics/research intervened).

- I do think that despite his less-than-ideal circumstances, Fiddleford genuinely wanted to be a good father to Tate. I also think that he never intended to hurt Emma-May the way he did, with him at least trying to make their relationship work while compromising his actual feelings. I feel like Fiddleford took to fatherhood well & was very supportive & affectionate towards Tate, hence why Tate stays with & cares for his father despite his extended absence throughout most of his life.

- When Fiddleford leaves for Gravity Falls, I think that he probably tries to call/keep in contact with his family, especially Tate, semi-regularly. After he creates the memory gun, however, his calls become less frequent & more brief until he simply stops calling completely once he abandons the project & dedicates himself to his cult. This extended absence culminates in Emma-May setting out to Gravity Falls in order to find him after potential months to years of silence.

- Also, when Fiddleford is away in Gravity Falls with Ford, I don’t think that he ever actually cheats on Emma-May. If Ford & Fidds ever did have anything, it was most likely during their time at BMU together. At this point, they’re at different places in their lives & have a professional relationship & friendship (although they may both harbor some lingering feelings, which they do not act upon). Also, I feel like Ford would be extremely hesitant to pursue such a relationship w/ Fidds knowing that he’s married & a father & because Ford is primarily focused on completing his portal project & continuing his research. Fidds also doesn’t strike me as someone who would go out of his way to commit infidelity, he may be willing to be near Ford but he wouldn’t go as far as to betray his wife’s trust like that.

- When or if Emma-May heads to Gravity Falls in search of her husband, I’d like to think that she encountered Stanley, who, at this point has assumed Ford’s identity. She would most likely approach him first, at the shack, knowing that Fiddleford was working with Ford & that Ford was likely the last person to see him. Stan somehow has to diffuse this situation while pretending to be Ford & facing the brunt of her ire. (Not entirely sure how he’d pull that off…)

- Eventually, Emma-May does find Fiddleford (whether Tate is present is unclear) & it’s when he’s at his absolute worst. I imagine that he’s either well within the throes of his role as a cult leader & has visibly changed, becoming seriously unstable, possibly lashing out at her, & even going as far as attempting to erase her memory. The alternative is that he’s just left/been ousted from the cult & is mentally beyond repair & either living at a cheap motel or at the dump. Whichever the case, Emma-May seeing him so unwell ultimately culminates in her decision to file for divorce.

- After the divorce, which escalates to Fiddleford’s attempt to enact vengeance on his ex-wife through building a giant, homicidal robot to harass her, I think that she returns to Palo Alto & tries to move on in her life, resuming caring for Tate & possibly getting a job to support him & herself. Meanwhile, she keeps her distance from Fiddleford, not speaking to him for years.

- When Tate gets older he makes the decision to head to Gravity Falls in order to find his father, hoping for closure & generally worrying for his health/safety. Perhaps Emma-May & Tate are somewhat emotionally distant/ have a strained relationship which could’ve prompted him to reach out to his father (side note but I also have a small headcanon that Tate could be a queer man himself & his decision to stay with Fiddleford stemming from him being the only person in his family that would be accepting towards/ understand him or Tate having an idea that his father may have been queer himself).

- After the events of the series, perhaps Tate reaches out to his mother (with the assumption that she’d still be alive & that Tate would still have a relationship with her) to inform her about his father’s improved condition, newfound success & Ford’s sudden reemergence, perhaps he tries to mediate between his parents while encouraging them to, at the very minimum, open up to each other & allow for his father & Ford to properly apologize to Emma-May for the grief they’ve caused her over the past few decades. Perhaps Emma-May has completely moved on in her life, maybe she’s remarried & has her own successful career, perhaps she’s moved away from Palo Alto. Whatever the case, she’s should at least be afforded closure & honesty from her ex & the man that inadvertently destroyed their marriage.

[animeyanderelover]

Hi 🌸Can I request Hashirama,Tobirama,Madara,Itachi,Sasuke,pein ,Indra,Shisui and Tsunade with a darling that has a weaken immune system so they are often sick?Thank you 👽

@shumidehiro @swagenemyartisan

Tw: Yandere themes, toxic relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional mindset, overprotective behavior, clinginess, stalking, isolation

Darling has a weak immune system

Indra Otsutsuki

💜​There is a tiny part that obviously enjoys your weak condition because it enables him to have better control over you. Since you are so often sick as you are, you have very little chances of trying to escape him nor do you have the needed strength to fight him. Instead you are one way or another forced to rely on him and you'd be a fool to think that he doesn't enjoy your dependency on him. Yet there is always a limit with Indra and it is the sheer amount of times you fall ill that manages to get on his nerves. Yes, you have no control over it since you have always had a weak immune system but that doesn't stop him from using this annoyed and irritated tone when he talks to you. Indra doesn't want to be degraded to your personal nurse yet he is as he hasn't really allowed you to see anyone else since he has abducted you. Considering your frail health though, he eventually sees himself forced to assign a medic to you who is tasked to take care of you in his absence.

💜​Indra has better things to do than caring for you the entire day but at the same time he isn't heartless enough to leave you to battle on your own so hiring a medic seems like the best choice. Since the medic is much more trained than Indra is though, he expects them to do an excellent job now that they were assigned to you. They would also do better to know that their only task is nursing you back to health whenever you are sick. Indra is aware that this medic will be your only daily social interaction next to him but he would hate for you to get attached which is why he clarifies via intimidation and threats that he doesn't want them to entertain your feeble hopes of bonding with someone else and potentially even getting their help. There are a lot of doctors out there so if they dare to displease him, he will murder them and just find someone else. He is very surveiling even if he also spends time training to see if the medic has done a good job taking care of you.

Madara Uchiha

🌑​Ever since Madara has announced you as the spouse he wants, the elders haven't given him a day of rest. It has come as a huge shock to all of them that from all potential spouses they had suggested, he has chosen you. What witchery did you even use to gain Madara's interest even with your delicate health? Surely he is joking as it is unacceptable for him to marry someone who is as weak and feeble as you are. When Madara fights back though, they all know that he is serious. What you lack in your health is after all more than made up in your temper and your sharp tongue. Maybe it is the constant pain of illness that makes you as grumpy as you are but even if he knows that he shouldn't think about it this way, to Madara your angry mood is adorable. You are almost rivaling him in your sheer stubbornness as you are unwilling to yield to your body and gladly ignore the doctor's advice to do what you wish to do. As you always say, it's all mental. Very cute.

🌑​You can only get that far though until Madara has to stop you by lifting you up and carrying you back to your room. Don't get him wrong, he admires your fighting spirit but he'll only let you push your body that far. He wouldn't want you to strain your immune system even more than it is already. Only the best medics are allowed to attend to your needs and even if you refuse their help, Madara has the last word. If you refuse to take the medicine when you are especially ill, he will gladly help to get it past your lips and down your throat and drag you back to your futon if he catches you in an attempt to escape your room. He only lets a handful of people visit you in your room and the elder definitely don't belong to those guests. Madara is surprisingly accepting of your weak immune system overall because he respects that you power through it all with such determination. He just expects you to not be dumb and push your body to a limit that will only cause you more suffering.

Hashirama Senju

🌳​His clan is going to give him an earful when they find out that he plans to marry you as they expected more. Hashirama is a man blessed with power and skills beyond imagination and to think that he would choose you from all people is a pill hard to swallow for many of the Senju clan. Honestly, Hashirama is busy with other things than worrying about what his clan thinks. He has to take care of you after all. Hashirama is already under normal circumstances a pretty obsessive man but with your frail health, you are even more on his mind than you would be normally. He loathes it when he has to sit in his office and has to work even if he is also dedicated to his position as the Hokage. He's wondering how you are doing and if you're fine in this moment and it often causes him to space out as his mind wanders to you. It can be pretty bad at times and Tobirama has been lecturing him for it every time. To allow his brother to focus on his work, him and Mito are volunteering to look after you when he's in his office.

🌳​Whilst Hashirama knows that you are in good hands when Tobirama or Mito are looking out after you, he still finds himself spacing out. Sometimes he's begging his brother if he can do all the paperwork at home where he can be with you and he has to deliver all of the work finished to Tobirama so that his younger brother can be sure that Hashirama has done his job instead of just doting on you. The Hokage is quite clingy and caring whenever he is with you though as he makes sure to give you support and enough love. He is very overprotective due to your poor immune system but he's also very prone to feel affected by your own feelings. He understands and he feels your frustration as you hate being isolated and stuck like this most of the time. In order to keep you happy, he makes sure to take you out as soon as you are in a better condition, even if he usually accompanies you to be prepared if anything should happen to you. After all Hashirama is skilled in medical jutsu too and can help you when you need medical assistance.

Tobirama Senju

🌊​Tobirama is already pretty prepared when it comes to surveiling his darling since they might be targeted due to his position as the Second Hokage. With the situation at hand that you are often prone to falling ill, he tightens the security around you even more. He is very picky as he selects a few medics who will cater to your needs during the time where he is in his office and doing his work and only those who meet his high expectations will be chosen. Any arguments the elder of his clan may try to have with him will be mercilessly cut short by him. He is a busy man and he has not as much time for a meaningless dispute as those people might think, even if he highly respects his clan. His decision remains firm though so really, it'll be no use to argue with him over his choice of partner as Tobirama is very stubborn and determined once he has chosen someone for himself. You have other qualities he respects about you after all as he knows that you can't really control your immune system.

🌊​He studies more medical ninjutsu ever since he has fallen in love with you as he is pretty dedicated to keep you as healthy as possible by not only relying on others but also by using his own skills. Similar to Madara he expects you not be reckless though by pushing your limits and he is going to be quite strict about any instructions he or your other medics give you as those are given for you to feel better and not for you to ignore them and risk to make everything even worse. Don't be too stubborn. If you have work that you still want to continue even despite your constantly ill health, Tobirama does his best to find a way to enable you to do work even when you are ill. Surely you can do some paperwork from home too if you are too sick to go outside. He's actually very mindful to never insult you for your sick body as he knows that no one is more frustrated about it than you are and is very pissed if someone were to insult you for it.

Tsunade Senju

🐌​Tsunade is going to be just like her grandfather quite the mother hen as she is almost constantly making a fuss over your sick condition. Since she is a medic, the best one to exist next to the pupils she is personally training, she is also very fixated on being the one to cater to your health and to your needs. This desire to take care of you stands in conflict to her position as the Fifth Hokage as she also has other work to do. It needs the combined power of Shizune and Sakura to see it through that she does her paperwork instead of only spending her time with you whilst her two students keep an eye on you in the meantime. They know that their sensei is very sceptical to let someone else take care of you aside from her so it is always the easiest to promise Tsunade that they will look out for you as Tsunade trusts both of her students. She is quite prone to be a tad bit more unproductive though as she is with her mind constantly by you. The fine lady is maybe a tiny bit paranoid about your condition.

🐌​Whilst there is an aspect of dependence that you automatically have as you have to rely on her as your medic, Tsunade doesn't find herself enjoying this as much as some others could. She is a doctor after all who is dedicated to nurse her patients back to health and she has enough experience to know that a immune system as weak as yours can be dangerous if you were to catch a serious illness. So you often find yourself in a room in the hospital which is sanitised to lower to risk of any bacteria finding their way to you as well as limited to only a few visitors. Her heart breaks to see you so sad and lonely though so she starts searching for a way to boost your immune system somehow. She even promises you to create a medicine or a jutsu to help you and that promise she has made to you is from that day on a pressure and determination constantly on her mind as she spends hours reading books and thinking about how to go about this. She just wants to make you happy after all.

Pain

🌧️​Not only do you happen to have a very weak immune system but you also just happen to be stuck in a cold tower in a city where the rain has never really stopped. Truly, everything just appears to be against you as you are knocked down with one fever after another and constantly suffer from something. Nagato doesn't exactly have any expertise to take the role as a medic. He has wrecked his own body beyond repair and mostly interacts with you through one of the other bodies, mainly through Yahiko's. Whilst he can keep his composure when he uses one of the other bodies of pain, his real body certainly panics at times when he comes to learn just how severely he underestimated your frail health. He was too focused on his own possessive desires when he took you as Pain and whilst he doesn't regret the act of abducting you, he is worried about how little he is actually prepared for your constant sick condition. Worst is that he is very unwilling to let anyone else besides Konan see you.

🌧️​So all the work has to fall upon Konan and his other bodies who have to get the medicine and everything else that is needed to cure you somewhat back to health. Nagato is actually worried but that concern he feels will come over as pure intimidation and forceful gestures in all of the pther bodies of Pain who force every medicine down your throat and completely isolate you within the walls of your room to lower the risk of you falling ill once again. His bodies see it through that your room is kept warm when she comments that your room isn't exactly heated and that the constant rain has made the air quite chilly. Within a few days you get a lot of blankets and other stuff to keep you warm and it would be laughable if you wouldn't have one of his bodies observing you as often as they do. It is creepy and uncomfortable even if Nagato is just intending to be more attentive by letting one of the bodies of Pain constantly watch over you. He just wants to be in control of the situation and prevent you to get even worse.

Shisui Uchiha

🍂​You truly make it not easy for him to balance his life out the right way. Being obsessed with you is one thing but having a darling who is so prone to all illnesses is another thing that is making it even harder on his part. Shisui grows much more protective over you thanks to your weak condition and this doesn't mash well because he is a part of the Anbu and is often away on missions. He feels very conflicted, torn apart between the duty for his village and the dedication he harbors for you. He knows that he can't leave the Anbu though because a lot of people would have objections and he doesn't want to drag you into any unnecessary drama as you have already enough to deal with. Instead he just makes sure to have you surrounded by competent medics and if you don't have that just yet he makes sure to have a word with the Hokage to request him to assign some good doctors to you. Shisui just needs to be able to know that you are in good hands when he is away on missions.

🍂​He feels constantly like he wants to hover over you as he feels very protective but he knows that he has to be tactful about it as he is very careful to give no one even the slightest doubt that his feelings for you could be something much more dark. That certainly doesn't stop him from stalking you though at night but you are probably too exhausted to notice the shadow on the roof of your house who slowly makes sure to take a look inside your window. Even if you were to notice him, he would be gone within the blink of an eye which would make you dismiss it as nothing but your sick imagination. He's very sweet and attentive when he visits you, sympathetic for your obvious frustration as you are constantly sheltered due to being so physically prone to everything. At times you beg him to take you outside as you are sometimes days on end stuck in your house and your bed and whilst his heart aches a bit for you when he sees you so saddened, he is not as careless as to risk only worsening your condition. Just be patient for a bit longer.

Itachi Uchiha

🍡​It is safe to say that Itachi has known about your feeble health long before he has kidnapped you. How couldn't he? It has caused him on numerous occasions to hesitate whenever his darker urges got the better of him. Ultimately he still gave in to his obsession but not without at least a bit of preparation. The whole cottage where he keeps you from that day on is filled with medicine, herbs and everything else he has been able to gather by learning through stalking what the doctor in your former village has always prescripted you to use. Nevertheless though Itachi feels somewhat overwhelmed. On the one hand he has to work for the Akatsuki and missions can take him weeks but now there is also you who needs attention and care due to your constant relapse of health. Itachi is stuck in an organisation he can't leave because it could endanger you but he also doesn't want to leave you alone if he really is gone for a long time. Not like you would care if he would be gone as you are very skittish around him after the abduction.

🍡​Sometimes he uses shadow clones to stay back and take care of you although there is always the risk that the jutsu may undo itself, either because of his choice or because of another factor. At least it can give him a certain amount of peace as you are in the care of one of his clones who feels about you exactly the same as he does. As soon as he undoes the jutsu, he always receives all of the memories his clone has made and is up to date with your current condition. Whenever Itachi is home though, he spends the majority of his time catering to whatever illness you have been taken down with. You may fear that he might be annoyed as he is a notorious criminal but catering to your needs grounds him and gives him a routine to his life that he appreciates. He knows he shouldn't feel this way since you are always ill but there is a joy inside of him he knows he shouldn't have. Maybe it is the isolation he has put himself through that is talking out of him but there is happiness he feels for being able to provide to the person he loves so much.

Sasuke Uchiha

💙​There are going to be some unkind words directed against you every once in a while as Sasuke sometimes feels quite drained from your weak health condition as well. You always require special needs and his journey is often put on hold whenever you come down with the next illness he doesn't even know where you got it from. Of course his mood is sometimes strained about it but if you even suggest for a moment that he should probably leave you behind, he will very quickly make you shut up. Despite all of the troubles you put him through, he will never abandon you. Sasuke is far too possessive, controlling and loyal to ever do that to you. Especially since your health is so utterly frail would he never allow to leave you unattended and in the care of someone else. He relies on medics for the majority of the time but he soon starts picking up on some medical jutsus himself, not only to be prepared in case you should fall ill or injure yourself somewhere where no medics are around but also to take better care of you by himself.

💙​What he can find in some moments annoying, Sasuke can enjoy in other moments just as much. There is an undeniable level of dependency you have on him over time and sometimes he can't help but be smug enough to rub this under your nose. He ignores the fact that he is the one who has dragged you onto this journey in the first place because it is much more efficient for his own ego to remind you that without his help and protection you wouldn't be able to survive on your own. Not when you are constantly as weak and sickly as you are. If you should catch something very serious, Sasuke stops in the closest town to let you rest in a proper bed until he deems you to be fit enough to continue with the journey. Your common state of sickness has made him much more protective and overbearing as he has to constantly check on your current health status and never allows you to leave his vision because even the simplest thing could trigger your immune system.

[sailforvalinor]

As I've finally finished Ten's run...my thoughts on all of Ten's companions (in an order that makes sense to no one but me)

Martha:

I have...complicated feelings about Martha. I'm going to be honest, for her first few episodes, I did not like her all that much. Of course, the thing is, you're almost not supposed to like her at first. One of my favorite things about series 3 and 4 is that Rose very much haunts the narrative--you can feel her presence in Ten's thoughts, how her absence informs his decisions, almost as if she never left. Martha's role, at least in those first few episodes, is to make us miss Rose. She's a plot device. I don't think this is the case for the rest of the season, she has a lot of compelling things going for her character--her complicated relationship with her family and her desire to travel with Ten partially being due to her wanting to escape their chaos were really interesting. Also, her studying to be a doctor while traveling with the Doctor could have been a fascinating plot point if it had been utilized more often--but unfortunately, I think everything her character had going for it was too often muddied up by the "one-sided pining for Ten" plotline. I'm by no means opposed to the plotline in and of itself, I actually quite like it, but halfway through the season it started to get annoying to me. Like, I get it, him kissing her in episode 1 and then asking her to travel with him is really confusing, that's totally understandable, but after that long of traveling with the guy and him making it extremely clear that he doesn't like her like that...like, girl. Give it a rest.

(Not that Ten is entirely blameless in this situation--this man has never heard of a healthy coping mechanism. He just wanted Martha to travel with him because he was lonely, nothing else, but didn't make that clear at all. His refusal to even acknowledge her feelings, which he was perfectly aware of, and have a healthy conversation about it wasn't helping matters.)

I loved how they handled her exit in Series 3, however--I loved how Martha acknowledged that their relationship wasn't healthy for either of them, and that she needed to get out. (Ten staring as his shoes in that scene...gosh...)

And, with the one-sided pining plotline out of the way, I loved her appearances in Series 4! I loved how she actually got to be a doctor and do cool stuff! Also, I know her ending up with Mickey in the end is a very blatant Pair the Spares move, but have you considered: I do not care. I love them. They are so cute. (Didn't Martha have a fiancé in Series 4 though? What happened to him? Did he die or something and I missed it?)

Also, Martha is the most obvious example of what the Dalek's argue in the Series 4 finale--that the Doctor cannot help but make his companions into soldiers.

Donna:

Donna!!! I'll admit, I was pretty neutral about her in her first appearance--but I was so excited to have her back in Series 4. It was a breath of fresh air to have a companion who was very clearly a friend rather than another love interest, and her dynamic with Ten was so different than with any other companion. Their banter was so entertaining, and her lack of tact, though it got her into trouble sometimes, enabled her to say important things to Ten that Rose avoided saying for fear of jeopardizing their relationship, and Martha would have regulated to passive-aggressive muttering under her breath. (Thinking of "you talk all the time, but you never say anything" -esque conversations.) She cuts through Ten's bluster with relative ease, and it's fascinating to watch.

I also love that her traveling with the Doctor helps her grow as a person, flying in the face of Ten's belief that he destroys everything he touches--until the memory wipe, of course. Still, the Doctor Donna is still in there. (Also, was I supposed to think that the woman in white in The End of Time was Donna? That's what I assumed, but I'm not sure if I'm right.)

Rose:

Believe it or not, when I was thirteen years old and tried to watch Doctor Who for the first time, I did not like Rose Tyler. I thought that Rose was annoying, and that Nine was too angry and scary. (Thirteen year old me only got as far as The Doctor Dances, forgive her.)

I liked her much better the second go-round--I think the moment I was really sold on her character was her whole Bad Wolf moment, which makes sense. Her character growth throughout the series is by far my favorite, though I'm not sure I could tell you why. I'm going to try, though!

I think one thing that's pretty easy to forget about Rose is that she begins as quite a similar character to Donna, in that she doesn't have all that much going for her in her day-to-day life--she didn't do all that well in school, didn't go to university, is working at a department store (a job which she loses in the first episode), is living with her caring but rather foolish mother, and is dating a well-intentioned but pretty immature guy. It's a little startling at first glance how quickly she's totally on-board with traveling with the Doctor and being in so much danger all the time (even before she's in love with him), but it makes sense when you consider how little there is left for her at home. There's her mother, there's Mickey. That's it. And once she's seen the beauty of the universe, despite how dangerous it is, she just can't go back.

Just how sold-out she is for Ten (and vice-versa) is one of my favorite things, but also, one of her greatest strengths is her empathy. She's not brilliant like Martha, or a soldier like Jack, or a Time Lord-to be like Donna. What she has is a compassion that allows her to connect with all kinds of people--with a dying Dalek, with a terror-inducing little boy who is really just looking for his mother, with a housewife who is terrified of her abusive husband, even with a time-traveling man responsible for a war-ending genocide of millions.

I'm not going to go too much into Tenrose here (because I talk about it enough on this blog), but I find it so interesting that Rose represents healing to both Nine and Ten. Ten makes it very clear in the Series 4 finale that Rose saved him from himself--and not even intentionally, just by being who she is. Her influence on him is just that strong. (Please excuse me while I weep.)

As I mentioned earlier, I love how in Series 3 and 4, Rose is not physically present, but you can feel her haunting the narrative. You can almost tell when Ten is thinking of her, when her absence or influence on him causes him to make certain decisions, even though he talks about her pretty rarely. And how rarely he talks about her makes her into a sort of mythic figure for both Martha and Donna, making her return all the more incredible.

I also love that it is Donna who keeps seeing Rose everywhere and is so involved with her return. I sort of see Donna as someone Rose could have very easily become if she had never met the Doctor. They both also understand him in a similar way, though their relationships with him are fundamentally different. If the universe had allowed it, they would have been best friends.

Also, while it's sad for Ten, I loved the Tentoorose ending. I honestly couldn't see ending it any other way and keeping the integrity of Doctor Who's themes.

Finally, it has to be said—Ten and Rose are just so much fun to watch. They’re so happy together. They grin at each other like idiots. Ten does not smile like that with that amount of frequency for anyone else in the series, and I’m so unhinged about it.

A few random thoughts on some other assorted companions:

Mickey: Mickey my beloved!!! One of the things I love about the writing of these four seasons is that they are very aware of their own writing--they know that they're making Mickey into the third wheel, but they're also very aware of that fact. Seeing an arc like this handled with such self-awareness was so cool to see. I liked how Rose didn't immediately leave Mickey for the Doctor, she tried to make their relationship work, but they both eventually came to see that their relationship was immature. I also loved how he had his own arcs independent of Rose, and his character growth in those arcs were just incredible. I also think he has some of the most underrated performances in the show--the scene in Pete's World where he finds his grandmother makes me want to weep. And, of course, I love him and Martha together.

Astrid: Liked her quite a lot, I just don't get why we need to be throwing love interests at Ten all the time. Give him a break.

Jackson and Rosita: I mean, I get it, but also...huh??

Christina: Why. Why. Why.

Wilfred: 10/10. No notes.

[kewltie]

when deku is hit w a quirk that make the ppl be completely smitten w him & the caveat is that the person isnt already in love with someone else already and ofc he's their type (i.e. like a lesbian would have zero interest in him), dynamight is tasked to 'protect' his chastity lol. katsuki is chosen bc he's the no.2 hero, strong enough to deter izuku's very vapid and insistence suitors, and is completely immune to izuku's 'charm' so it makes sense. nobody is worry that katsuki is going to attack izuku when he drop his guard bc obviously izuku isnt his type.

katsuki isnt in a relationship and the fact that the charm quirk has no effect on him clearly translate to katsuki having no romantic feeling toward so it's fine. izuku's chastity is in good hands as katsuki acts as a his temporary guard against his aggressive admirers. it's not like the entire world fell head over heel over izuku due to he quirk but bc of the stipulations not everyone he encounter go crazy over him but the fact that like 1/4 ppl are affected by this quirk... surprised izuku so much bc he doesnt think hes even that likeable :P.

izuku going into work and one of his senpai who always been nice and good to him suddenly hit on him and IZUKU IS LIKE SO FLUSTERED bc he never though his senpai would think he's remotely attractive as katsuki glowers and shoves the guy away bc this is becoming really annoying. even when izuku is out on patrol VILLAINS start proposing marriage to him or fighting each other for his attention and katsuki gives a bloodthirsty smile as he happily beats them all to the ground and drag them to prison and izuku is like maybe i should take a leave of absence.

it only last a week but bkdk encounter various hijinks of the quirk attracting a lot of unwanted attention and izuku is constantly surprised by how many ppl actually think he's APPEALING. katsuki's annoyance only grows more that he considers locking izuku up to save the headache. during this time katsuki remains immune and unaffected by izuku's charm, treating him the same as always. izuku is ever grateful that he never has to worry about katsuki waxing poetry about his eyes or kidnap him for marriage but it's also painful to realize that katsuki never thought of him that way at all :(.

at the end though when ppl are no longer throwing themselves at him, he tells katsuki isnt it fortunate that katsuki's lack of interest in izuku save him...? katsuki stares at him and quietly but firmly reveals that the quirk doesnt work on him bc he's in love with izuku already.

[xiphiaarts]

Still solidifying the relationship between Starscream and Megatron for my au

I don't know the fine details of it yet, But I know I don't want to go the 'Starscream gets pimpslapped for every small mistake' route

I rather go for like the corrupt military official route, who may very well be sabotaging his own affiliation in order to have it's people turn against their leader, and elect him, the one who supposedly knew Megatron didn't have to steel for leadership all along, as new ruler (Also known as Starscream talking sweet in Megatron's face and talking shit about him when he isn't around.)

Soundwave and his cassettes are spared Starscream backstabbing musings, his loyalty to Megatron and the decepticon cause poses a threat to Starscreams plans

I also like to think Starscream wants to lead based off of the idea of being loved/feared by all, being seen as a revolutionary like Megatron, untouchable like him too, though he usually lacks the compassion to be the kind of leader Megatron started out as, the compassion Megatron has slowly but surely lost.

I also like to think another part of it is the idea of 'if I can just get x thing I'll be good enough' or 'if I can just get x thing I'll be happy', he's tunnel visioned onto ruling the decepticons as his object of happiness, he assumes the role comes with power, respect, and safety, but never considers factors like maximizing your troops survival or an end goal *if* the decepticons ever manage to truly trump the autobots.

He wants the power, but he has no righteous goal he wishes to see through, he has no guilt for those weaker than him because he was never fighting for them, only for the chance of being the one on the throne and calling the shots, to be the one wearing the crown

I can't imagine if they (the cons) win Starscream will be satisfied, there will always be a bigger fish, such leadership won't make him happy so there will always be another 'x thing' for him to pursue, it will never end unless he changes his goals entirely.

He isn't in the cons to make a difference, he's there to highjack what power and notoriety Megatron has achieved with his own two hands by soaring straight to the top with little effort besides his manipulation. He works hard but he works hard for his own interests and nothing more, he figures he's done being used and he has the right to use everyone else, like some twisted sense of vengeance

I like to think only after Starscream manages to kill off most of the decepticon ranks does Megatron's trust in him waver, even if he doesn't say anything to Starscreams face, he knows of the whisperings Starscream spreads about him (he's been told many a time to ensure the loyalty of his second in command by other cons, hes not nearly as sneaky as he thinks he is) But Megatron keeps him close to keep an eye on him, to keep him sharp in the face of fake friends, and to utilize what resourcefulness Starscream does posses.

This is why plans may be made or revised in the absence of Starscream, his second in command left out of the loop to make it more difficult for him to orchestrate decepticon failures. He knows of plan A, But not plan B Through Q, the backups Incase something interferes, autobot or traitor.

Though Megatron does bestow him with 'decepticon hospitality', the base layer of hostility all decepticons treat eachother with, he doesn't particularly aim his frustration at him, he more sees his disloyalty as a challenge, a way to keep his processor on its toes and to expect every bad thing.

His punishment may come in the forms of suicide missions, but the wonder that is Starscream always returns from them, bruised, beaten, maybe missing a few operatives assigned to him, maybe even dead. But he always returns

That's all for now, I'm still thinking about it, thanku for coming to my Ted talk

[mightdeletelater]

I often think about the absence of parasocial relationships in my life. To be candid, I believed I had outgrown them. Celebrity culture is something that I have come to dislike a lot. I really try and refrain from investing excessive energy into one-sided and distant connections. We all have our moments every once in a while, though. Last night, I stayed up to watch Usher's halftime Super Bowl performance. I enjoyed it, sang along to my favourites, and that was that.

The gravity of current global events, particularly Gaza, really makes me reassess.

Amidst countless headlines celebrating the Chiefs and Taylor Swift's love life, my attention remains fixated on the bombing of Rafah by Israel. Rafah, a place where civilians were told would be safe was heavily targetted all the while Israel ran a propoganda ad during the biggest annual sporting event in America (newsflash: if you can afford to run ads like last night's during the biggest NFL weekend, then you're not the victim, sorry). The juxtaposition of reports from Gaza during a Super Bowl served as a stark reminder of the world's pressing issues.

I don't advocate for people to cease enjoying sports. That's lame and not realistic. But I urge us (myself included!) to scrutinise our relationships, especially parasocial ones. These one-sided relationships, where emotional energy, interest, time, and, worst of all, money are directed towards an entity that is unaware of the other's existence, permeate our society.

Adults may believe they are immune to such connections. But many still form strong bonds with sports teams, athletes, artists, actors, and online influencers. Adult men especially will make fun of teenage girls for their interests but have the same one-sided relationship with athletes and Twitch streamers. They are not free from it. None of us are. It's all the same. These relationships wield such influence over us as individuals, and they truly transcend age and gender boundaries. Addressing this issue requires a collective effort to de-emphasise or, ideally, render parasocial relationships unnecessary.

The dismantling of community structures has exacerbated this problem. The decline of social organisations, the lack of third places, the consequences of suburban living, and the increasing loneliness point to a broader societal issue. As our communal ties weaken, we not only experience individual isolation but also lose collective influence over our lives. Political and economic forces contribute to this isolation, making it challenging to resist gentrification and maintain connected communities.

How many of us constantly think about these systemic issues? I understand that this being at the forefront of our minds would be extremely exhausting, but we should at least be aware, no? Depoliticization and a plethora of distractions, from social media to celebrity culture, is really limiting us, as individuals and as a society. I am not sure if I am ready to go down the full conspiracy rabbit and say that these distractions are intentional political tools, but they do serve capitalists seeking profits from individuals seeking connection and fulfilment in the frankly very fucked up world we find ourselves in.

Substituting real relationships with parasocial ones may seem convenient, even momentarily fulfilling, in our current environment saturated with online connections. Yet, these connections prove to be shallow and hollow substitutes for genuine human connection, intimacy, and collective participation. On a personal level, it is time to intentionally prioritise meaningful relationships with neighbours, coworkers, family, and friends. On a communal level, we must build and rebuild structures and organisations that facilitate collective gatherings, fostering connections and consolidating our collective power for positive change.

As headlines continue to feature Taylor Swift, the Super Bowl, the Oscars, etc... I believe that there should be an urgency in redirecting our attention to critical issues, such as Gaza and the recent attack on Rafah. While transitioning from a world dominated by parasocial relationships to one marked by justice, connection, and peace may seem daunting, it starts with individual efforts – reaching out, engaging in one-on-one conversations, and building relationships. Over time, these personal connections will empower us to act collectively, contributing to a world where inter-connectedness and reciprocity prevail.

[brw]

People claiming Vision is an absent parent irritates me for a lot of reasons, but I think most majorly the idea that because writers are not interested in Vision, that means their absence from Billy and Tommy's lives must be a personal decision.

The reality is, not a lot of writers care about Vision. This is fine; they are primarily a supporting cast side character these days, and long have the days when they were one of the main sources of drama and storytelling on the Avengers past. Vision is not active in Billy and Tommy's life, because Vision isn't active in anybody's life right now. Very few of their major relationships are particularly defined right now, with the only exception really being Viv and maybe Wanda. And even with Viv, we don't know what her day to day life looks like, how she and Vision interact with each other at home, if Vision still wants Viv to attend higher education. How does Vision feel about Amka still living with them? We don't know, and we likely never will.

Or, Vision's relationship to Simon. What's that like, right now? Other than vague amicability with no explanation of how these two, who historically have had a very fraught and tense relationship, got to that place. Does Simon know Viv? Does he care about any of his nephews? Does he have any opinions on Vision being a full time Avenger? We don't know! Or, Ultron. How does Vision feel about their abusive father coming back as a hero? Is Vision going to project the fatherhood they've always wanted but never had onto Mark 12, or will Vision try to be amicable but ultimately reject him because the pain of Ultron's neglect and abuse is too much? We probably won't ever know, either.

None of the relationships that Vision should have been large and consistent and clear in their life are there. Vision is a side character for whoever needs it, and this is fine, but it makes it very frustrating when readers take this absence as proof Vision is negligent and doesn't care about Tommy and Billy and in fact barely knows their names, when the reason is very clearly "Vision is not a major character and not someone any writer particularly cares enough to dive in deep to their own relationships with their children".

And, just in case it needs to be said, Tommy and Billy I don't think particularly want or need Vision in their lives, anyway. It's upsetting, because I'd like to see those dynamics explored, but they both knew and were friends with Jonas, the dead teen Young Avengers version of Vision. It makes sense they wouldn't be falling over themselves to acquaint themselves with Vision, when the ghost of their dead friend is essentially staring back.

Basically, I just think genuinely trying to claim Vision is an absent parent to Billy and Tommy is ridiculous for a lot of reasons. It's a very Watsonian way to look at something that has a very clear answer as to why we don't see that relationship; none of the writers handling Billy or Tommy or even Wanda have a particular desire to expand on Vision's relationships with these three in any detailed or nuanced way. This is again, fine; I would not expect these comics to become the Vision hour, because this ain't about them. But it's odd to me to act like this lack of care is due to a moral failing on Vision's part, and not just a long history of contemporary writers not really knowing to do with Vision, which is why something as bad as Tom King's character assassination series was allowed to exist.

Also, like, name one time Wanda has ever spoken to Tommy outside of Billy. The reasoning for this is very much the same; very few writers care about Tommy outside of Billy, and it shows in how underdeveloped his dynamic is with her. But you don't see people applying the same absent parent narrative, assumedly because people recognise the reason just is that Tommy unfortunately plays second fiddle to his twin, as is the unfortunate case for every pair of Marvel twins, more or less.

[sara-did-not-find-a-cool-name]

Discovery of my futur subject ?

TW : SEXUAL VIOLENCE, please, if you are sensible to the subject, read carefully what follows <3

Hi everyone !

Today I will begin to work on an artist that I like a lot who must be the subject of our final exam ! 

He lives in Los Angeles, surely is in his late twenties but we don’t really care about that… The topics and how he covers them in his pop/rock songs are very interesting for me, adding to that he writes, produces and sings them. I learned about him through social media thanks to the covers of famous songs he was doing and I discovered his own titles at their reveals.

His name is Stevie Howie.

I think he has a very recognisable deep voice that suits so well to what he does. His songs mostly talk about relationships, and more specifically about toxic ex-partners. I will introduce one of them, maybe the hardest one : Nameless. Nameless has a particularity I find very important nowadays. In fact, he addresses this song to the rapist of his girlfriend. Usually in feminist movements like #metoo men are pretty invisible : either because they are absents or because only few of them act in favor of women. But he takes a strong position through this song. 

Here the link to Nameless : https://youtu.be/jiAO22jLw-4?si=J9GlgrXnlyZpLKh3. You will be able to find the lyrics at the end of the post. 

I will present you a few key points I found while working on the lyrics of the song. I will keep the study of the video clip and the music for next time. 

At first, Stevie Howie makes three statements :

- one against the rapist,

- one about rape,

- one as a protector (of what ? Whom ? We will see it).

In the first statement, we can talk about the fact he addresses his song directly to the rapist of his girlfriend, but also to all the other ones by using ‘you’, comparing them to a devil by saying ‘fuck you up for good’ but also by the slant rhymes. I’m not sure about my interpretation, but I would say that the song is like a poem but by looking at the slant characteristics, you can say that it’s more like an argument against the rapist(s) or the thoughts of the people impacted by a rape (here it is the point of view of the boyfriend of the victim but the song look like even a victim could say it). At the same time, I can’t talk about the song without mentioning the death wishes he expressed. You can find a gradation of them as the angryness is raising :

‘I'd pray to God that you would choke

If I had one

I'd put a noose around your throat

If I had one

Now, I'd put this bullet through your skull 

[…]

I’d love to torture you to death’.

Even by saying in parentheses what he should not say out loud :

 ‘(If I only could)

Put poison thoughts inside your head

(Fuck you up for good)

I'd love to torture you to death

(And you know I would)’

The second statement, about rape, contains the definition of what a rape is : ‘You took her choice away’. Here defining a rape by the absence of consent of the victim. He also make a statement about the lack of justice regarding the case of rape. He mentions that he has to do justice himself and we will talk about it in the third point. He also tells the truth about the consequences of this crime on the victims : the feeling of being ‘a prey’, the fact that it’s something that never leaves their mind but also the fear of the unknown number of rapists in liberty : ‘how many men like you remain nameless ?’. 

The third statement is the one of a protector. But the protector of what ? Whom ? First, we can talk about a protector of woman by speaking directly to the rapists, threatening them, but also by sacrificing himself and making a ‘confession’ about his want to kill them. Moreover, he is also a protector of justice by wanting to do it himself but most importantly by denouncing the crime.

In fact, he puts shame on the rapists and not on the victims that he defends with this song.

Thank you for reading my post ! (The point of view of his girlfriend will be released this month 👀)

Lyrics :

I'd pray to God that you would choke If I had one I'd put a noose around your throat If I had one Now, I'd put this bullet through your skull If I had one No, I don't have proof, but I would kill you If I had some I'd go right back to when we met (If I only could) Put poison thoughts inside your head (Fuck you up for good) I'd love to torture you to death (And you know I would) To make sure the cancer doesn't spread You've got my confession You can write this down You ain't got no business So shut your mouth Now if they find you face down in a ditch I hope they don't hear this You took her choice away Like she was your prey And I bet she's not the only one If you think it's in the past And you're over that I would only ask What would happen if I said your name? (What would happen if I said your name?) What would happen if I said your name? (What would happen if I said your name?) What would happen if I said your name? I'd put a scar in you for life If I had the chance I'd make it hurt but keep you alive And I bet I can I'd make you feel the way she did With the worst parts enhanced And then you'll be the victim of a man You've got my confession You can write this down You ain't got no business So shut your mouth Now if they find you face down in a ditch I hope they don't hear this You took her choice away Like she was your prey And I bet she's not the only one If you think it's in the past And you're over that I would only ask What would happen if I said your name? (What would happen if I said your name?) What would happen if I said your name? (What would happen if I said your name?) What would happen if I said your name? How many men like you remain nameless

[moltensmusings]

Ok there’s this fic I read where Lucy doesn’t do the s class trials because she becomes the temporary guild master and it’s her building relationships with other characters and making sure Fairytail doesn’t fall behind and I was wondering how that would work in your redesign and rewrite of Fairytail? I think it would make her and Juvia closer and allowing her to become more confident in herself as a mage and leader! (Also jellal is in that fic and it’s so cool how the two interact and it gave jude a redemption arc)

So short of it: within my rewrite it wouldn't fit, but that doesn't mean it's not an interesting concept to explore!

Longer explanation, starting with why i'd keep lucy not staying behind and also explaining how it would effect her dynamic with Juvia if she did stay behind:

while it's been years since I watched Tenrou Island, so much happens in that arc that I feel Lucy being absent would make it feel incomplete. Mashima isn't the best at showing it but she is the main character and should he present for canon major events that happen throughout the show timeline.

I really loved seeing her bond with Cana and I think the tragedy of her being just barely too late to see her father again was one of the few heavy plot points we got that actually made me emotional (shocker most of those moments happened when lucy got actual focus.) I also like the idea of us getting a fair bit of chapters showing the people that stayed behind and what was going on with them to lead up to the tenrou crew returning. So I think not having major players for a bit of the series to allow the side cast to shine would be really cool.

That said: how would lucy staying behind and eventually taking over as guild master change things in my opinion. I think we'd see Lucy bonding with a lot of characters she has minimal interaction with. Macao being one as he'd no doubt be the one to acknowledge her skill and potiential. Since Lucy is so young even in canon I don't think she'd actually get the role for a few years. She'd have a proving stage where she showcases her skills and gains the guilds trust as an authority.

For juvia, I've always imagined Lucy was one of the people who encouraged Juvia to befriend Droy, getting him to teach her about plants as a hobby which leads to Juvia joining shadowgear. I could see Lucy actually kind of integrating into shadowgear in the absence of her normal team and running missions with them to both improve her abilities and help people. They started out on very rough terms due to Juvia's obsession with Gray, but with Juvia actively working to change herself and figure out things she enjoyed, I think Lucy's friendly nature and incredibly supportive attitude when it comes to creativity would've lead to a strong friendship and trust forming. Lucy likely being the first person Juvia makes something for.

Now I can't really speak on jellal because it has been a hot minute since I watched any of his arcs and I honestly just kind of thought he was so-so as a teenager (no hate, just wasnt personally for me. Its one of the reasons im lacking in content for him rn 😔). But I do know he really was lacking in interactions with anyone on team natsu outside of Erza, so him and Lucy would be very interesting to see unfold.

All in all fun idea to play around with but within how I imagine canon not for me.

Thank you for the question and I hope this answered things for you!

[stanielman]

Mike's Going to Die in Season Five

I’ve sort of given up theorizing what will happen in the final season of Stranger Things because I have no idea what’s going to happen! I don’t know what the Duffers are going to do, I don’t know if they even knew back in season one so I don’t want to bother with putting puzzle pieces together from back then. I like connecting dots after the fact rather than being disappointed from the outcome of what happened or didn’t happen.

And I think that all comes to a head with a main reason why I don’t want to theorize which is that it is an unignorable fact to me that Mike Wheeler is going to die in the final season. Again, who knows for sure, but the future sure looks bleak to me! I have never in my life seen a character so death coded, never seen a show so afraid to make real sacrifices that I cannot help but to believe that it’s all for a reason and that reason is that they’re saving their big death for the kid that started it all sacrificing himself.

If you think Mike is not the central protagonist, I pity you. I know that Winona Ryder gets paid more, I know that El is the main character and I know that Will is the inciting incident, but it’s also important to remember that Mike has always been the kid that started it all. Without him, the party wouldn’t have banded together to find Will, they wouldn’t have found El, they wouldn’t have refused to give up on their search, they wouldn’t have done half the shit that they did! He’s the heart my guys, he brought everyone together and he will be the final step that they need.

Let’s walk through all of the little context clues that follow Mike around relentlessly. Firstly, the start of every single season shows our little protagonist running late for something, running out of time. In season one, he didn’t have time to finish the campaign, season two was late to the arcade, season three was late to the movies and season four was late for school. It’s interesting to me too that the theme of him running late starts after El is introduced in his life, because that first example is simply that he ran out of time to play and he begs for more time, but then in season two he was trying to find her on the walkie, forgetting to get ready for the arcade. In season three, he was hanging out with her for too long. In season four, he was reading the letter from her. Maybe that’s all an example of saying that El may be the Monster, she’s what’s putting him in danger and taking away his life and if she’s gone then he will once again be protected, but even so he couldn’t finish the campaign on his own. Bottom line is that Mike is running out of time. And we know that Vecna has a whole thing with clocks.

Going deeper into his relationship with time, if we want to talk about him running out of time, what about his love confession to El? That was fueled in not having enough time, not having enough time to tell her his feelings, her not having enough time to, I don’t know, breath, the world ending without that time. But he’s also given time, when he grieves the loss of Will, is parents decide to just give him time, which is juxtaposed in season two when he gets that time taken away when they tell him to grow up, or in season four he’s lectured about what time to be home after Hellfire. 

Or, let’s flip into presence and lack there of. The fact of unpredictability with his actions and no one knowing his true self. He lies to his mom about going to school, he’s not there for the Starcourt battle which we’ll talk about later, he’s missing for all of season four. And these absences are noticed, Dustin and Lucas point out his empty seat in season one. And even further with presence, what about where he actually is? He is present in Nancy’s vision about her whole family dying, you know the vision that we never saw but is showing some truth already. And what do you know, the Wheelers are staying through the storm. He’s also very close to Will who has Upside Down danger written all over him, really close with El who is Vecna’s entire target. He even is the only one shown noticing Max’s symptoms before she sees Vecna, that awkward moment in class where he sees her have a bloody nose. 

And that’s because of his role in the story. He’s a protector, he will protect these people no matter the cost. He is the group’s leader, their Dungeon Master. DMs are constantly propelling others by building a story and a world for them and guiding them through their decisions. Who else are DMs that we see? Will is, but that is a wildly different topic, and, of course, Eddie. Who Mike bases his entire season four identity off of in adoration, trying to be Eddie and then Eddie dies. And interestingly enough, when Mike does DM for the group, we see that he’s not playing with them, he’s not a part of the party. He is not meant to save the world with them.

Which isn’t a wild claim, Mike is famously not useful in final battles. In season one, he just stands there and watches El and even gets pushed back, hindering any ability to fight. In season two, while he does come up with the plan to set fire to the hub, he also trips on the way out and holds up the group. In season three, he’s knocked out, not there for any of the fight against the Mind Flayer. Side note, who’s also not there? Max, who, conveniently enough, was the downfall of season four, that last piece before the world split open. Who was the other downfall of season four? Mike Wheeler, whose speech to try to give El confidence ultimately backfired and still allowed for the world to get torn in two. It goes even further with little examples of him grabbing bad weapons or being a terrible runner, always underprepared and a step behind everyone else. It’s shown relentlessly that he’s not needed on the team, especially with how Dustin steals his role as ideas man in season four in his absence. They can get along without him just fine. There’s such juxtaposition with how he says in season four that it’s up to him and Will again to save the world, when the two of them did nothing then. But somehow he knows that he is one of the keys for saving the world.

Because he is. The group does need him. They need his guidance. Season two is the best example, without his plan to light the thing on fire, everything would be fucked. During the Hellfire game in season four, Dustin looks to him for his opinion on how to save the day, a natural response of looking to his leader despite the fact that Mike’s character has already died in the game! They do need Mike for ideas. For inspiration.

And what’s better inspiration than being everyone’s heart? Than sacrificing himself so they can live on?

Remember when Mike jumped off a cliff in season one to protect Dustin? A moment everyone always says we don’t talk about enough but then actually don’t provide any substance to a conversation about it. He doesn’t jump off the cliff because he’s suicidal or because he wants to die, he sits there and thinks about it a lot actually. He does it to protect Dustin. He proves in that moment that he is not afraid to die and would do anything for his friends. Including, sacrificing himself. 

It works wonderfully narratively, his parents don’t know the truth about what’s been going on with him and nobody is there to save him in that moment. Nobody cares about Mike, there aren’t any Mike heart to hearts and when there are, they’re about El, or Will’s veiled own feelings. We don’t know his true feelings, nobody knows his true feelings. He forces honesty out of everyone but always hold something back and lies through his teeth. Nobody agrees about his personality, Will adores him and El is in love with him and Hopper hates him and Max is grossed out by him. What we do know about Mike, and thank you Will, is that he is what holds the party together. And he will keep holding them together even in his absence, which is present enough with how they were still able to stay afloat in season four without him. In fact, it’s when he does get involved and does that speech to El that throws everything off and Max dies.

There is something coming for him in season five. There is a pointed moment every season where Mike cries, when Will dies, when El comes back, when the Byers move away, and then nothing in season four. Which is very interesting because all 6 other main party kids cried in this season. His strange lack of character and motivation is season four is just a huge red flag that he has something bad coming. That he has run out of time and nobody will be able to save him.

My one and only hope that he won’t die is byler. Because while I know the Duffers are committed to telling a story, I also know that branding matters and with branding comes the image of the most popular show in the world leaving their gay main character with an unhappy ending. Will is in love with Mike and if Mike is gone that leaves Will with unhappiness. Unless Will dies too but also I have no idea if they have the balls to do that. Or if they have the balls to kill El off. Will and El are such important characters, but Mike is just slightly less important. 

[recurring-polynya]

Hi ! I originally found you through your Ikkayumi fic you posted, and I was sooo very happy to find that you had so many renruki fics/were a regular author that focused on them !

I reel over any fic that focuses on whatever Renji was doing in the space between him and Rukia disconnecting, and especially whatever that man was doing in his stint at squad eleven back then.

I think that Renji is only helplessly pathetic whenever it comes to Rukia, and I always wonder what he did to cope with that ( if he successfully coped with it at all ) in her absence, or how long he managed to avoid talking about her. For as much as he was around them, I’d like to imagine he probably caved and dumped that info off on Ikkaku or Yumichika at some point. Unfortunately, both of them are emotionally constipated people, and they’ve got no idea what the hell to do to cheer him up bc they’re not the kind of guys who are great at emotional kouhai support.

They collaborate on a miraculously decent plan to get their guy out of the dumps, and though the plan is pretty great, shit hits the fan and it all falls to pieces. Renji enjoys every minute of it, even though he’s got no idea what they’re doing, and ends up satisfied with their horrible attempt because he knows this isn’t their specialty but because they do care.

I always juggle between hyper fixating on either of them, but as much as I enjoy both pairings, the best thing is always getting to see any match of them interacting with each other.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this if you do !! I seriously admire your writing and I appreciate your dedication to Rukia and Renji, and I love how canonically accurate you write them. Your fics always really make my day, so thank you for sharing as well !

Thank you so much!! I am also fascinated with this period of history. It's hard for me to write about, although I've made a few attempts.

Renji-without-Rukia is an interesting creature. Here's my take on it: I think that he's competent at least in the ways that are expected of Gotei officers, which is to say, he is very good at sticking his sword in things. On the other hand, he's also low-key self-destructive, in the way that you don't especially notice, especially if you're used to hanging out with the general populace of Squad 11. He's a fine soldier, hard-working, driven, even, but he lacks all of the qualities of the Renji we know now--his aura of friendship, his first-into-the-breach enthusiasm, his patience and empathy toward his younger squadmates. Of course, Ikkaku and Yumichika don't really know there's anything wrong with him, at least not at first, but the longer they get to know him, Yumichika, specifically, might realize that there's someone better buried down in there. Yumichika would probably break out in a rash if he tried to be kind to someone, especially to a youth, but there if there is a thing Yumichika will do, it is give beauty advice and so he started harassing Renji about his skincare and hair routines which you can't do if you can't learn to care about yourself, and that was a real turning point for Renji.

Personally, I think Renji was at Eleven for a long time before he told anyone about Rukia (the one exception was Iba, his roommate, who was frequently subjected to late-night rambles on her when Renji was absolutely sloshed, but Iba is Iba). I'm actually always very touched by the seriousness with which Kubo portrays Ikkaku and Yumichika's reactions to the Rukia story.

To me, the best way to cheer Renji up about all of this is to take his goals seriously and to otherwise just treat him like a normal member of the Eleventh, which is exactly what he needed at that time.

I'm really only an IkkaYumi casual at best, but one thing I do really like about them is that I think Renji sees them as the blueprint for the relationship he would like to have with Rukia: battle partners first and foremost, tough as Hell and twice as hot, different but complementary, two halves of one whole idiot. He is absolutely deranged for this, but I think it's very charming, and to be honest, I think Rukia would, too.

[holdoncallfailed]

hey, ace person here! I've messaged you before about feeling similarly "left out" of a lot of cultural milestones including dating+sex and I totally sympathize with there not being more discussion about how to live your life as a young adult in the absence of those things. and I agree that sometimes the identity labels definitely get in the way of that discussion.

the asexuality label has felt less and less helpful as I've gotten older, and lately it just makes more sense to say that I'm straight or straight ace, because there is a very small demographic of the opposite gender who I am interested in, and when I do pursue a partner that's the kind of person I want to be with, so it seems like a helpful shorthand. however it still feels useful for me to say that I'm on the asexuality spectrum, because it's very clear to me that my experience of the cultural norms of sexual attraction/dating just do not conform to the ways that other people experience them.

as someone who is also decidedly not aro I also tend to stay out of ace spaces because it annoys me how the two get conflated and how everyone has the idea that asexuality = not having sex/not wanting to have sex/not dating. the sex negativity in those spaces can be super annoying and immature. like for me at least my asexuality is literally just an absence of sexual attraction which is all that asexuality is supposed to mean but it gets wrapped up in all these other cultural meanings about partners and romance and whether or not you want to have sex which is really not what it's about and not the point at all.

also personally the "queerplatonic" label has always bothered me because it seems to be implying that relationships without sex/romance are so wildly different that we need to invent a different term for them. like, you can just have a relationship without those things or a friendship that includes them, the terminology doesn't really matter, all that a relationship is is an agreement between two people.

I think identity in most cases is going to have more nuance and complexity than any single identity label will convey, and I also get exhausted of the microidentities bc like, at the end of the day, my relationship with sexuality (or lack thereof) will not be easy to explain no matter the shorthand. and maybe your lack of dating/sex experience has something to do with being on the asexuality spectrum, and maybe it doesn't, and there still needs to be room for those people in discussions, too. because it's totally normal for sex not to be a part of your life, whether you want it to be or not.

and like yeah, my biggest problems that arise from ny asexuality are not whether or not I'm included in the LBGT+ club, they're more about how the perception of being outside of cultural norms affects me and how people treat me because of it.

idk exactly what my point is but these are complicated ideas and it's hard to talk about. also I get the sense, though I may be wrong, that you personally do actually want to be someone who dates but doesn't know how to go about it, and I greatly empathize with the bitterness that comes with feeling left out from something you desperately want. it might not be something that I ever understand in the way that other people do, but there is still room in the world for people like me and you to have relationships. and I hope that if that is something you want that you find it someday; and if it isn't, I hope you can find the acceptance in yourself that this doesn't mean you're broken or wrong and that there is just as much value in being a single person in the world.

I hope that none of this comes across as rude or snarky, I'm just interested in the discussion and it really is a complicated topic. enjoy the rest of your day~

not rude or snarky at all, thank you for such a thoughtful message especially the last bit, i appreciate it a lot. 🥲

i agree with a lot of what you said and i think you've phrased it all much more reasonably than i would (could?) have lol so i also appreciate that.

i guess my leeriness of the term 'asexual'/its definition as a 'lack of sexual attraction' is that for me PERSONALLY it's not so much a lack of attraction as it is an attraction + lack of follow through. like, i feel attraction toward women and i have a libido but neither have intersected to the extent that i felt compelled to act on it. like why would i try to get another person involved when i could just not go through the trouble of all that. but also i'm aware that that has to do with the deplorably low image i have of myself which i'm allegedly working on with my therapist lmfao...

so in that vein i think i would actually say i would prefer 'asexual' to be understood as a lack of sex because in my mind my issue with having a relationship is that i'm there too, rather than the other person. and it disturbs me to consider that as an immutable identity as opposed to an objective state of being because i know how much it's intertwined FOR ME with my own self-esteem issues but i realize that doesn't apply to everyone. but all of that is very difficult to convey succinctly in a way that doesn't seem pathological. but i guess it is kind of pathological for me personally so.

and anyway there ARE people like yourself who genuinely just don't experience sexual attraction and that's it! so it isn't your or anyone else's fault that that language does fit your experiences (or theoretically could/should). i guess i am resentful of not having the language in the first place and then having the conversation obscured even further by all this gooooooofy microidentity discourse.

i would like to be able to just live as a solitary woman and have that be a neutral 'lifestyle choice' like idk having a pet or not having one. but that is not possible. and i would argue that the 'ace pride' stuff contributes to its impossibility just from the other direction. idk lol

it's just frustrating that evidently there was some move toward trying to address this stuff on a wider level but it doesn't appear that it was a particularly productive dialogue except on a very granular personal level. but tbh maybe that's OK and also just the nature of these sort of conversations about the human experience...regardless of what Society says people can understand each other one-on-one if they both want to understand each other.

it's very clear to me that my experience of the cultural norms of sexual attraction/dating just do not conform to the ways that other people experience them.

i think even just describing it very simply like that without any labels or identities attached is much more meaningful and easy to understand. and i guess it doesn't have to be so hard to just say it. even if it's just to myself