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chatonarya · 2 months ago

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The Faithful Gambler: A Post-Rides Enciodes Silverash Retrospective

Spoiler warning for Keen-Edge, Silver Blade, The Rides to Lake Silberneherze, Gnosis's oprec, and Degenbrecher's module.

I’d like to take a minute to talk about the character development of our favorite CEO and industrialist in the wake of The Rides to Lake Silberneherze. Although not the focal point of the story nor given as much attention as he was in Break The Ice, Enciodes Silverash still received a hefty amount of development in RS and the accompanying material that further expanded his character in ways that I very much enjoyed. Let’s dig in, shall we?

Beginning with some background: one of the most glaring criticisms (and character flaws) often leveled at him is the fact that he does not treat people as people but rather as chess pieces. While this is not an inaccurate statement, neither is it fully accurate, and the release of RS and Gnosis’s oprec have given us some additional background to this. We see by Gnosis’s oprec that rather than stemming from some innate emotional lack, Enciodes has in fact been brought up to think this way. As Enciodes discovers Gnosis’s quiz results are different from his, his tutor assures him that it’s nothing to get worked up over as Gnosis’s smarts will benefit him in the future when he is the leader of the clan.

This demonstrates clearly how he’s effectively been groomed for politics from a young age, trained to look at people and see how they might be useful to him first and everything else second. Ever since he was a child, his role as the future clan leader has been pressed upon him—but Enciodes has embraced this role, as he possesses a natural leader personality. This is explicitly stated in Gnosis’s oprec, with Gnosis commenting that Enciodes acts as if he was born to lead. In “Browntail,” the vignette in To Be Continued, Ratatos enviously guesses when Enciodes goes to Victoria that he’s simply chosen to abandon his post, that he’s had enough of his burdens and responsibilities, but in fact, the opposite is true: he not only understands that this is what is expected of him, but he wishes to excel in his role and achieve more.

It's also clear that he internalizes his position as “a Silverash” as an extension of this. Enciodes has inherited the legacy not just of his father, but of his grandfather, who began the Silverashes’ exploration of the outside world; Enciodes is the third generation to bring new things to Kjerag. As he says in BI, “We must take that step forward while we still have control. That's the Silverash tradition.” The Silverashes do not sit idly by: they always explore, look forward, and seek new routes.

We see this as well in how he impresses upon Enya that it is practically her duty to take the opportunity and become the Saintess, tit-for-tat deal it may have been behind the scenes, and how she knew he would answer her doubts by reminding her of what she was: “a Silverash,” and thus also possessing that duty to answer the responsibility to lead. Presumably, Ensia is somewhat exempt from this on account of her Oripathy and being the youngest (traditionally sent out to seek their fortune), but it can be taken that even her adventurer’s nature indeed stems from her Silverash blood, as well as her new position as ambassador to Laterano.

It is here that I must note that this is a very aristocratic attitude; noblesse oblige isn’t merely an idea, but seems to be the way of things in Kjerag by Enciodes’s own recitation of the ‘Kjeragandr’, Kjerag’s holy book, where he states, “the three clans formed a covenant with Kjeragandr to lead the people. The mantle of authority is merely an insignificant reward.” He takes this idea completely to heart, taking each of the responsibilities that come with his position as clan leader very seriously. He is prepared to shoulder the burden of all of Kjerag, and likely believes that it is in fact his duty to do so, both as the Silverash patriarch and the only person with such deep knowledge of the outside world.

This is perhaps Enciodes’s greatest flaw and the core of his arrogance: his belief that he and he alone must take on the entirety of Kjerag and lead it into the future, that he and he alone must protect Kjerag from the impending avalanche from outside, and he is the only one who can, forming a sort of savior complex. It is this that Enya rebukes him for in BI (telling him that nobody has the right to choose for all of Kjerag), this that forms the primary conflict between him and other clans. He states in BI-ST-4 that Kjerag is out of time, and if there is anyone who objects to the fact that they must move forward then he can only deprive them of their right to do so, and he’s not wrong, exactly—we know both from a meta perspective and now with additional knowledge that he’s completely correct and that the danger is on Kjerag’s doorstep. Even without his debt to Duke Caster, it’s obvious that had Kjerag remained as it was, sooner or later, it would have been either gobbled up or simply crushed by another more powerful nation. His actions, however forceful, were necessary at the time and understandable.

We also know that Enciodes did not do what he did without some reluctance and emotional distress. He makes it clear that he feels he is being forced into taking matters into his own hands, and in ideal circumstances, he would not do such a thing, much preferring to convince others of his point of view. We see by Gnosis’s oprec once again, as well as in Keen-Edge, Silver Blade, that Enciodes has a relatively normal emotional baseline: he complains about his father not smiling with his family and constantly engaged in battles of wit with the foreign merchants, and doesn't want to become like that in the future, or at least, if he does, then he wants to make sure he smiles and laughs to his heart’s content first. (This explains why he dresses up as a pirate to go to the beach, I suppose.) He's very tense and nervous throughout the entirety of the manga and dealing with Viscount Walden, despite the fact that he’s been prepared for such things since he was young. Even Enciodes feels (or felt) unease at the prospect of being sucked into the whirlpool of Victorian aristocratic conflict. This demonstrates as well how much Enciodes emotionally represses and restrains himself in order to pursue what he deems necessary; how much his great endeavor costs him on a mental level.

Yet despite the somewhat cold, lofty, and arrogant persona he had in Break The Ice that cloaked his passionate heart, we see a more human and emotional side to Enciodes in RS, expanding upon his characterization in BI—indeed, I would say in RS, he shows some remarkable character growth and his savior complex barely rears its head. And in conjunction, we also see what inspires such powerful and unwavering loyalty from his companions, not just his employees, most strongly demonstrated through his bonds with Degenbrecher and Gnosis, his closest friends. Through them, we also see a new and fascinating depth to Enciodes: that of personal faith.

Interestingly, despite his position, it’s heavily implied if not outright confirmed in both BI and RS that Enciodes is actually something of a non-believer in Kjerag. He pays lip service to Kjeragandr when it is necessary and demanded of him, but ironically, he places the most belief in himself and his own assets—that is, his people and his friends.

In stark contrast to his claims in his second oprec (something I will likely address separately later), Enciodes has an incredibly strong friendship with Degenbrecher. We’ve seen its roots in Keen-Edge, Silver Blade, where he wins her over with his daring but primarily with his trust. In the final few pages, Degenbrecher is startled, touched, and moved by the fact that Enciodes completely placed his life in her hands, refusing to dodge the blade Baron Stuart was swinging towards him because he fully believed that she would not allow him to come to harm, no matter what. He had utter faith in her protection, despite the fact that at that point Enciodes had only known Degenbrecher for three months. Upon leaving Kazimierz and being free of the Armorless Union, it would be completely within Degenbrecher’s power to simply dump him and go her merry way with no consequences to herself, rather than repaying her debt—but once again, from the very first, Enciodes placed his trust and faith in her that she would keep her word.

It’s one of the most remarkable things about their relationship, and indeed, Enciodes as a person: his ability to hold out his hand to someone and move and befriend them with his sincerity, and it’s even more remarkable that he’s actually done this twice. It also puts into perspective how his actions in BI were truly a last resort for him. Wherever possible, Enciodes actually prefers not to use force and would infinitely rather employ diplomacy.

With this solid foundation as their basis of their friendship, this friendship has continued for ten years as of RS, and we see further hints of it sprinkled throughout: from the casual way they speak to each other in oprec1 and BI, to the more open and intimate camaraderie we see between them in RS, especially RS-ST-2, where it’s clearly emphasized that they do not keep up pretenses with each other and show each other their true faces, something which is of particular note for Enciodes.

If I may digress for a moment: in BI, we only see him truly drop his guard and speak frankly during BI-6, when he is alone with Gnosis while the latter is imprisoned. In RS, by contrast, Enciodes is more open with others around him, as well: he listens closely to Weiss’s estimation of Viscount Harold and praises Weiss’s pessimistic streak as one of his virtues; he reassures Matterhorn’s doubts about a potential client he’s caring for; he bickers with Enya about their childhood escapades for the first time in ten years; he gets along much more smoothly with Ratatos in their collaboration; and on the whole, seems much less intent on “shouldering all of Kjerag” by his lonesome than before, though he remains the spearhead of Kjerag’s modernization efforts.

As I said in the introduction, for Enciodes to accomplish his goals, he must emotionally repress himself to a certain degree, and RS-ST-2 shows who Enciodes truly is when there is no gambit, no plot, no ongoing game—how he’s not incapable of honesty or joking around or teasing. We see the glimmer of the bold, outgoing boy he used to be and still is deep down, and how he can be quite caring (though I suppose it’s worth mentioning that the relationship he has with Gnosis is somewhat different from others). It is only before Gnosis and Degenbrecher that Enciodes lets down the facade he wears for the rest of the world; the two people he truly trusts and cares for the most.

Returning to the previous point, the moment which demonstrates Enciodes and Degenbrecher’s relationship most strongly is when Degenbrecher makes the decision to take on Harold’s army by her lonesome. This is one of my favorite moments in RS for what it shows of Enciodes’s character and his friendship with Degenbrecher both: as he watches Degenbrecher battle, he is increasingly agitated, and it is one of the exceedingly few times in the present day that we see him actually lose his cool and his stoic facade slip. Not even during the gambit in BI do we see him ill at ease for even a moment, yet it is here, during arguably the biggest and most personal gamble he has ever made, that we see the pain in his heart.

He also says this, which gorgeously lays out just the kind of person he is:

Enciodes: Even I might say [Degenbrecher has] changed some. Thus I've trusted her this once—I've gambled on her. Enciodes: Had I not, you might have watched that affable Viscount lose his life to a few 'panicked tourists'. Enciodes: We gamble for a best case scenario. Enya: ...... Enya: 'Gamble'. Enciodes: I have always considered the success or failure of anything to hinge on one's own grasp, and not entreaties to gods. Enciodes: Nothing goes unaccounted for. I put all the chips down. I see it through, win or lose. I've never complained about it.

These few lines beautifully encapsulate Enciodes down to the core. His appraising way of looking at the world not out of preference but out of necessity; his reliance not on luck or blessings but on skill and talent; his gambler’s heart steadfastly taking on the risk for the worthwhile reward, beginning to end, staking everything he has; and indeed, his arrogance, believing that so long as he has enough cards in his hand, enough chips to gamble with, enough assets and information at his disposal and every tiny detail taken into account, he can somehow arrange a victory solely through his own powers. (And in a way, this does have a basis, as it’s not a strategy that has failed him thus far.)

This gambler’s streak of Enciodes’s isn't something new, technically: Gnosis chews him out over his gambling in BI, as well, and his enjoyment of the thrill of the challenge and situation; and in RS-ST-2, we see Enya reprimanding him for his overly risky behavior and reminding him that unlike in his childhood, she won’t be able to bail him out if he loses everything. (I’m hard-pressed to imagine just what Enciodes was gambling on as a youngster to lose all his allowance and his younger sister have to bail him out, but nevertheless, the point stands.) We also see it in the manga via his plot with Viscount Walden, which Degenbrecher comments is fraught with risk and nearly costs Enciodes his life, as I said above—no matter the danger to himself, he goes through with this gamble, steady and resolute though his hands may tremble behind his back.

He does the same thing in this moment in RS, too: although he’s so nervous watching Degenbrecher that he bruises his own hands from clasping them so tightly (mirroring the way he did so in Keen-Edge, Silver Blade), and goes against his own status as a non-believer to ask Enya to pray for Degenbrecher, he still waits, still places all of his belief and faith in Degenbrecher, rejecting Gnosis’s suggestion of escalating the conflict (which Gnosis would have already long since done) in favor of truly gambling everything on her. He clenches his hands, refuses to avert his gaze from the scene before him, and sees it through, no matter how painful it is. And for Enciodes, to whom Degenbrecher is one of his closest and most trusted companions, it is painful. Should the worse come to worst, he has his contingency plans and more cards stuffed up his sleeves, but he puts all of his power behind the ideal scenario—and anything, really, always believing that there is a path to victory.

In RS-ST-3, following the battle, he has an extended conversation with Degenbrecher regarding the events of the past, not just of the story itself but of their entire relationship and bond. Enciodes speaks of his growing debt to her and tells her she can name her price, but Degenbrecher dismisses this statement, calling it an act and claiming that she stayed in Kjerag for reasons unrelated to him—in a roundabout way, absolving him of the very idea of his owing her a debt. Similarly to what I said above, nothing is stopping Degenbrecher from theoretically extorting Enciodes for whatever she wants, as she is his most potent asset and they both know it, or simply deciding she’s had enough of him and his nonsense and walking away. Yet instead, she makes this gesture of generosity in response to his.

After they are interrupted by the young campaign knights who are eager for Degenbrecher’s autograph, Enciodes rounds out the conversation by stating playfully that perhaps he’s no different from the Kazimierz she so loathed; perhaps he too uses her as a bargaining chip and a tool, and asks her if she finds this unacceptable. Degenbrecher’s stunning reply is to smile back and say that she’s gotten used to it. Degenbrecher loathes being controlled, with her third championship being solely to spite the KGCC even if it cost her life in the end, yet she doesn’t bat an eye at being moved about by Enciodes as his ‘queen’ on the chessboard. Why? Because Enciodes, contrary to his words, has never once used her nor treated her as a chess piece, which they both know, and that’s the reason behind Degenbrecher’s reply. She’s used to it—used to Enciodes asking her to do things for him, and if it’s Enciodes asking her to do something, she doesn’t mind. “Who do you think is the first person Enciodes always calls?” she comments to Gnosis before she goes to face Harold’s army. She’s so used to it that she makes a joke, chuckles, and smiles before she heads out; indeed, it’s Degenbrecher who first volunteers to hold Harold back, and then Enciodes asks her if she can do it.

And thus we come full circle: she doesn’t mind because Enciodes is her friend; he’s her friend because he trusts her and has faith in her; and because he believes in her she doesn’t mind. And because he’s her friend, there is no debt between them, and hasn’t been ever since they began their partnership ten years prior after Walden’s banquet. Fundamentally, it’s a completely different relationship from the one she had with the KGCC, and indeed, with anyone, and it’s through the mutual knowledge of the power of their bond that they can joke about it like this. “Maybe I’m just another unscrupulous businessman,” Enciodes jokes, completely aware of the fact that if he was, Degenbrecher would not be there in the first place.

And we know that Enciodes’s comments about treating Degenbrecher as a chip and a tool are patently false due to the rest of the story and some of the supplemental text. His terror at the prospect of her death; the way they converse casually after Harold’s banquet; Degenbrecher’s commentary about him in her voice lines; her feelings when she sees them coming to meet her after the battle; and the two anecdotes from her module story.

His overreaction to her forgetting his friendship medal ‘The Silverashes’ Sword & Shield’, and his second medal to her, ‘Ten Years,’ which demonstrates how Enciodes doesn’t take her for granted and, fully aware that only her own will binds her to him, he takes it upon himself to make sure she knows how important she is to him on this occasion and remind her that he hasn’t changed. He’s still the same person she chose to follow ten years prior, with the same dreams and ambitions and goals. And Degenbrecher grasps his implied meaning immediately, demonstrating the depth and mutual understanding of their relationship. At heart, he’s still the same person who placed his life willingly in her hands when they first met; and so as he hasn’t changed, he will continue placing his faith in her as well.

This faith also appears in his relationship with Gnosis. From the very beginning of their friendship, Enciodes has always believed the best of Gnosis. Even when Gnosis sells out Enciodes to kidnappers in a misbegotten attempt to escape Kjerag as a child, Enciodes immediately forgives him and omits Gnosis’s initial role in the whole plot from Olafur so as not to get him into trouble. Instead, he states that Gnosis is his friend—his first true friend, unlike any other, because they share similar thoughts and viewpoints, and because Enciodes sees Gnosis not as a future asset as his tutor told him, but as an equal. He also makes a truly staggering promise with Gnosis of and for the future, a mutual promise that he, again, trusts Gnosis will uphold.

Enciodes and Gnosis have been friends for twenty years, and throughout this time, we see more of the same: Enciodes refuses to believe Gnosis or his family have anything to do with the deaths of his parents; Enciodes forgives Gnosis for his standoffishness and curtness when they reunite in Victoria; Enciodes is perfectly fine with Gnosis’s radical nature during their plot with Viscount Walden, only bidding Gnosis to stay safe; Enciodes ignores majority opinion in making Gnosis his CTO. In fact, an argument can be made that Enciodes has more faith in Gnosis than Gnosis has in himself: even as Gnosis sees himself as a villain, the son of a sinner, an outcast with no home, Enciodes continues to believe the best of him. It’s Gnosis who pushes for the plan of playing the scapegoat while Enciodes wants to discard it, not because Enciodes doesn’t think they can’t pull it off but because he simply doesn’t want Gnosis to worsen his own standing. But even so, unhappy though he may be, Enciodes puts up little resistance, allowing Gnosis to execute this plan, whilst maintaining the faith that Gnosis would never actually become a traitor to him in full.

Enciodes states this most explicitly to Doctor in BI-ST-4:

Enciodes: But I understand him. As long as we share the same purpose, he will not betray me, nor do I need to exchange any information with him while executing a plan. Enciodes: I could sit back and let him employ all his resources in whatever way he deemed efficacious to stymieing the power of the Browntail clan. Destroying the railroad tracks was just a clever trick. Gnosis gained Ratatos's trust, and also blocked access to spies and Messengers from other countries.

Gnosis operates best when he is given free rein to arrange things as he pleases, and it is likely the heart of his comment in BI-2 that he needs “a partner [he] can work with” rather than pawns. It’s here that I must remind gently that in truth, per his RIIC talent, Gnosis was the “hidden mastermind” behind the majority of the events of BI. It was Gnosis who instigated the chain of events leading up to the Snowcap Incident, and Gnosis who took charge of their resources to pull off their coup, heedless of Enciodes’s explicit approval. Enciodes did, in fact, step back and permit Gnosis to take control, reacting to Gnosis’s moves and reading the meaning behind them with their usual silent rapport. Gnosis comments to Enciodes that he is neither Enciodes’s pawn nor underling, but rather, his partner-in-crime, and indeed, Enciodes does not treat him as anything else but a partner, emphasizing repeatedly that it is “[their] undertaking together.”

Gnosis’s module also makes clear that Gnosis (in his mind) is most loyal to his own choices and not Enciodes specifically. If, at any moment, their differing perspectives diverge too much (in other words, if Enciodes loses sight of their mutual dream and goal) and they fail to reach an agreement, then Gnosis will likely cut ties with him. However, they never reach this point emotionally because Enciodes is always figuratively (and literally) holding out his hand towards Gnosis, reminding Gnosis of his own sincerity and their friendship, of their shared dream, of their promise, always with complete calmness and faith that Gnosis will stay beside him—and with faith in Gnosis as well. Faith in Gnosis’s abilities and judgment, but also faith that Gnosis will always choose him, because he is, in turn, choosing Gnosis. Beneath this trust, their friendship remains unbreakable.

And so we see that both Gnosis and Degenbrecher, two strong-willed characters who refuse to allow others to control them, willingly choose to remain by Enciodes’s side and do as he asks. Because he has faith in them. Not only does he treat them both as his genuine and dear friends, which they are, but rather than leashing his two most potent assets and holding their debt over their heads, he allows them freedom to do as they please with the complete assurance that they will never leave him.

Certainly, this is in part because they all share the same goal—Kjerag—and this is what unites them, but I must state that it is actually Enciodes who infected Gnosis and Degenbrecher with his dream of the ideal Kjerag. He shared his thoughts about what Kjerag could be to Gnosis and promised he’d make Kjerag a true home for Gnosis; Gnosis replied that in that case, Kjerag had to be big enough for Enciodes, too, and they would do it together. Enciodes opened Kjerag’s borders to the world and helped the Kjerag people become more tolerant of outsiders; Degenbrecher found herself charmed by the Kjerag people and culture after she sampled it, and was thus loved and accepted by them and found Kjerag to be a place that makes sense to her.

Were it not for Enciodes and his actions, neither Gnosis nor Degenbrecher would make Kjerag their home. Gnosis has yearned for the outside world ever since he was a child and finds Kjerag backwards and stifling, yet he is there to build it up; Degenbrecher continually complains that Kjerag is boring and there are no opponents or challenges there for her, yet she is there happily doing farmwork and copying scripture.

Enciodes’s faith in the ideal Kjerag is so strong that not only does he make it reality by staking everything he has upon it, but he spreads this dream to others as well, either directly through speaking of it as he did with Gnosis or by simply making it manifest as he did with Degenbrecher (and, one may argue, with Harold and Trilby Asher, too). This is even explicitly stated in the description for his newest skin, Never-Melting Ice: “He believed that Kjerag would eventually amaze all the world that would view it,” as well as in RS-ST-3: “There will come a day when people from the outside will know more than just Karlan Trade, see more than just the snow, mountains and valleys. They'll remember the name 'Kjerag'.”

Degenbrecher tells him in RS-ST-3 that now, not only Victoria but also Kazimierz and Columbia have their sights on Kjerag, and that means there will only be more trouble for them in the future, and more people will hate him for bringing chaos to the country. But Enciodes quite happily and contentedly replies, “I don’t care. Let them,” because the ideal Kjerag he's built up can handle anything, the same way the Kjerag he built up achieved its independence. And even if he has to stake everything he has on it in a life-or-death gamble all over again, he'll see that gamble through to the end—not just because he's never lost, but because he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t believe in it down to his very core.

#arknights #silverash #arknights essay #my essays

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siflshonen · 4 months ago

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when you say there is nothing of substance in regards to izuku, what exactly are you referring to? what would you have liked to see in the ending between bakugo and izuku?

It actually has less to do with Katsuki and more to do with Izuku and everyone else.

I would have liked to see him talk more with All Might about life after all for one and the possibility of loss. I would have liked to explore the drama of Izuku being the last wielder a little more from a personal perspective. It seems like Katsuki did most of the work exploring how Izuku returning to quirkless life would be a big adjustment.

I would have liked to see Izuku grapple more with understanding that while Shigaraki is someone he wanted to save, he also hated him. I would have liked to see him realize that besides just saving Shigaraki, he might have to spare a thought about what might happen next even if it didn’t happen. Ochako did, even in passing.

I would have liked to see more emotional impact regarding Izuku having the epiphany that he wants to save someone who has wronged him in a permanent way that matters. That wasn’t Katsuki, but Shigaraki/All for One, who have put Katsuki in jeopardy three times and Toshinori in the same position at least twice when Izuku was present. We go through this briefly, but it’s more like watching it go by as something we’re meant to expect rather than something we explore.

I would have liked to see Izuku, Ochako (with Ochako lurking on the sidelines and keeping her thoughts to herself a little, just as she was), AND Shoto discussing the very real possibility that the people they might try to save will die, and the public WILL try to martyr them a la Curious to Himiko, and they WILL have to discuss their actions. In the epilogue it seems Ochako has found a way to talk about Himiko with the public without talking about Himiko directly, which is its own thing, but I would like to see Izuku actually try to handle the consequences of his sudden fame since it is directly affected to what Heroes (career Heroes) value and strive for.

Katsuki, I think, also has an opportunity to act as a counterpoint because he killed his opponent and it was never some deep, emotional debate. I wouldn’t expect it to give Katsuki any existential angst, because I feel like it would be absurd if he OR the public gave TWO SHITS about whether All for One lived or died, but he and Izuku did enact two differing functions and methods of Pro Heroing that have to be discussed. Izuku can feel however he likes about his role in Shigaraki’s death, but he should also recognize that the people around him and that he respects and love did arrive with the intention to kill, and even that Katsuki put himself in that position SO IZUKU DID NOT HAVE TO HANDLE IT.

I would have liked to see Izuku questioning, at many points throughout the series, what it is exactly a pro Hero does and what they protect and value before he thinks about extending that nebulous definition to include trying to save Shigaraki Tomura. I don’t even necessarily want him to have to try and fix it in the story, but I would like for him to identify it beyond being “kinda weird”. From Ochako’s comments on finding Himiko a potential heroic purpose (meaning, the fact that she knows saving Himiko must be justified to the public to have some kind of purpose, or even that it COULD be) I think she understands what she is grappling with much better than Izuku does.

I don’t mind or disagree with him being a teacher, but I don’t get the sense how helping pro Hero students, who still have to be incredibly powerful to qualify for the career, apparently, makes him heroic. What the hell is he teaching them if I’m not convinced he learned much besides the taste of failure in his own heroic story?

I’d like for Izuku Midoriya to have more going for him as an individual character with a more extreme internal monologue and desires with fears, doubts, and explored resolutions to any of these things. He has them at the start, but by the end I personally don’t find them interesting or or well explored, and he does not connect with me.

And, yes, as a cherry on top, I do wish he had the balls to tell Kacchan that he has value in his life as something besides a rival. He can smile and have his shiny eyes all he likes and let it be implied or self-evident all he likes, but I would like for him to acknowledge it instead of always being a recipient. It was pretty gratifying to see him take the time to go speak with Ochako and tell her how heroic she is, finally, now at the end, but it would be nice if he did that for Toshinori, his mom, Katsuki, or a slew of other characters who have always saved him, helped him, or held their feelings inside for the sake of him or others.

While he uses stupid machismo and yelling, Katsuki has hidden his true feelings a lot not just as a shield for his fragile ego in the second half, but to keep Izuku from worrying. So nice of you to notice, Izuku.

#bnha manga spoilers #bnha critical #Izuku midoriya retrospective

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humdinky · 1 year ago

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hey all! i just wanted to take a minute to stand on my little soap box and tell you about a manga i picked up last december. it has gotten much more attention since then, but i'd still like to throw my thoughts into the mix.

on the surface, the summer hikaru died explores a pretty common horror trope: what if a person you loved changed into something unrecognizable? do you reject them, or try to connect to the person that they have become? of course, this fear is twisted into something more threatening in a supernatural horror format. what if they literally died and came back as something else that could potentially harm you and your family?

we follow two teenage boys: yoshiki and his best friend (and one sided crush) hikaru, who goes missing in the mountains for a week and miraculously reappears unscathed. he looks the same as ever, but yoshiki can tell that what came back is no longer the hikaru that he once knew. now, yoshiki must come to grips with the fact that something sinister has taken over his friend’s body - and that it has a strong attachment to him.

that's the basic premise, but this manga is still ongoing and there are plenty of different directions it could take. if you haven't read it yet, it's worth experiencing firsthand. beyond the body horror are themes of grief and repressed homosexuality, as well as subtext to read into. i'm not going to be spoiling any explicit plot details, but i'd encourage you to stop reading this and go check it out if a bl manga with gorgeous art, toxic but engaging romance, and body horror sounds appealing to you.

the first thing you'll notice about this manga is that *chef's kiss* gorgeous art! it is uncanny, as you would expect, but it is drawn with so much care. the heavily detailed background art and visual horror create a rather oppressive atmosphere. the author also really excels at conveying character emotions through facial expressions, and there's a lot of very subtle bits of information that you can pick up from them.

being a body horror manga, this aspect is of course given extra care. when it gets supernatural, it takes on an oddly surreal quality. i'd even say that the transformations of hikaru take on an air of eroticism. that sounds out of place, but the author understands that the line between fear and attraction is thin. there is one scene in particular that would be very sexual if not for the absolute nightmare scenario unfolding before my eyes.

one of my favorite things about this manga is the confidence the author has in the reader. yoshiki having had feelings towards' the previous hikaru is never outright stated, it's just assumed that the reader will pick up on it. the village yoshiki lives in views homosexuality as some kind of curse, and the insecurity this creates in him is shown very subtly. the camera's gaze and the little things he says all convey this, like his apparent guilt over staring at hikaru shown through the shadow on his face. his fear of and attraction to hikaru's transformations also conveys this idea. he's also coping with grief in an unhealthy manner, and this is shown through the almost experimental way he's sometimes drawn. but yoshiki is not the only important character, and hikaru also has some depth. his character is harder to parse, but there's more to him lurking below the surface. he's more delicate than his outgoing demeanor would suggest. hell, it's understandable - being a literal monster means his position in yoshiki's life is extremely tenuous. our two main characters form a codependent relationship based on a fear of being alone, something very human and compelling in a messy sort of way.

something that i do not see being brought up quite as much is how tshd uses horror elements to discuss the fears around coming out and dealing with same-sex attraction. so much of hikaru’s internal struggle is such a wonderful metaphor. many of the moments between him and yoshiki serve as a dual narrative - the surface-level narrative but also this very delicate story about two boys from a rural village who realize they have feelings for one another. the whole story in fact is one giant metaphor for dealing with the anxiety losing who you thought you were and embracing concrete truths about sexuality and love.

overall it left me with some very strong first impressions. it is both an excellent horror manga and a nuanced exploration of loss and sexuality. i also find it very refreshing that their relationship isn’t built on any sort of deception or lies, and that yoshiki is aware that he’s an imposter, just not the extent of what exactly he is or what is happening in the town.

#the summer hikaru died #hikaru ga shinda natsu #hgsn #tshd #txt #manga #shounen ai #bl manga #manga recommendation #lgbtq #gay #horror #romance #certainly brings a new meaning to 'exploring each others bodies'#when im in a who loses his head first competition and my oponent is a gay white haired dude 😨

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avelera · 8 months ago

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So I’ve gone back and I’ve been reading some Old Guard fic (as I try to get motivated to write the last damn chapter of my one damn TOG WIP finished so I can finally moved on), and I must admit, one silly and very minor pet peeve I have in some Nicky/Joe fics for the Old Guard that explore their Crusader days is the trope of having them go a really long time without being able to understand each other. Because based on Nicky’s path as a Crusader even getting to the Holy Land, and the various hints we have that Joe has a pretty worldly background, I would suggest they should have had a baseline to communicate already when they met and that bridging the gap would have gone very quickly for one or both of them once they committed to learning.

There’s a few reasons I find them going a really long time without speaking each other’s language (most likely Nicky picking up Arabic) somewhat implausible:

- First, just based on my own personal experience: I went through a full language immersion experience myself and yes it was painful and yes, having textbooks and classes certainly helped, but all told it was 3-4 months from almost zero before I could start doing normal things for my age group like read simple books and do homework. However, the most effective language learning program in the country, Middlebury, does a full immersion program that gets people to baseline functionality in 6 weeks. Yes, learning a language is hard and I will be the first to say that mastery takes years and mastery without immersion is nearly impossible, but if you’re completely immersed there, without options, it goes much faster. You won’t be fluent of course but you will be conversational. Also, by all accounts, being illiterate or otherwise not bothering to learn how to read and write at the same time and ONLY going for verbal communication actually makes things go even faster.

- People who pick up by speaking (rather than reading and writing) and people who speak multiple languages already tend to pick up other languages even more quickly. Once you learn one or two, a lot of polyglots don’t stop there. There is that old joke: the word for speaking three languages is trilingual, two languages is bilingual, and speaking only one language is American. Which is to say I think native English speaking writers might be the ones underestimating how quickly a language can be learned (at least to a conversational level).

- Now throw in the fact that both Nicky and Joe have been recently in multilingual societies or organizations as a requirement of their meeting during the First Crusade, no matter how you slice it. Either as both coming from a merchant trading backgrounds traveling across international (so to speak) lands, or Nicky being part of the pan-European Christian army where multiple languages would be spoken across the camp, to him possibly having a priest background which would mean Latin as well. Not to mention Greek if Nicky picked up anything while in Constantinople (if he came over land). Nicky also would have been on the road to the Holy Land, if he went overland, for as long as 3 years and in Antioch before Jerusalem.

- Now, as an admitted caveat to all of this, I’ve lived overseas and it is absolutely common for expats to live in a country for years without bothering to pick up the local language at all. There were cultural and societal reasons that European Crusaders and the Egyptian Fatimids who lost Jerusalem wouldn’t bother to learn each other’s languages or any of the common merchants tongue or other common languages like Greek to bother to talk to each other. That’s absolutely fair to invoke for why they wouldn’t have a single word of any language in common.

- However, I will say, once both or either of them decided to try, I think some writers don’t give enough credit for how quickly one or the other would pick a language up, especially if it’s the language of the country they’re in (basically, I think once he tried, Nicky would pick up Arabic very quickly if he’s still in the Holy Land by the time he and Joe start trying to communicate). Effort plus full immersion is probably the single fastest way to learn a language, you’d be able to have rudimentary conversations within a few months at most. Really from there it’s just a question of whose country are they in once they start talking and stop trying to kill each other.

TL;DR I will be the first to say an author should go with what makes their story work best BUT there’s plenty of historically backed reasons why Nicky and Joe should have been able to carry on a basic conversation with each other from when they first met, and not be completely stymied in communicating with each other because of a language barrier.

#the old guard #tog meta #kaysanova #tog fic

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bombingqueen · 1 year ago

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I might make a rec list of all my favorite wincest and j2 fics. I wouldn't mind receiving some recs if anyone is interested. I decided to just list my wincest recs because I read more sam/dean fics then J2. I have no idea how many parts I'm gonna have.

Updated:

Wincest Recs Part 1

Favorites (these are pretty much rated E):

the blood in your mouth (5306 words) by hathfrozen Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Dean wishes he could sink his hands right through Sam’s skin, his ribs, wishes he could touch straight down to Sam’s heart. He’d feel the strong muscle of it, the clench and release of every beat, the thick heat of blood. He could take a bite, all for himself. (In which Dean starts experiencing cannibalistic thoughts about Sam, and Sam just needs his brother. Season 11.)

take the things you love (4784 words) by hathfrozen Chapters: 1/1 Summary: The thing is, Sam’s reinforcing every bad behavior Dean’s ever had with this kind of shit. Fucking Sam stupid over the hood of the Impala? Dean’s wet dream—unfortunately also Sam’s—but more importantly the implicit validation of every claim Dean thinks he has on Sam—unfortunately every claim Sam’s lizard brain wants Dean to have. (Sam knows his brother wants to possess him. It's a point of internal conflict.)

brother only wants (64098 words) by hathfrozen Chapters: 11/11 Summary: Sam breathes like it takes effort, and then he says, "Wanting you was the very first thing I realized was wrong with me. It was how I knew there was something sick inside." (One of them had to fall first. A story about devotion.)

an act of faith against the night (5953 words) by hathfrozen Chapters: 1/1 Summary: When Dean kisses him again, he tastes like Sam's tears. "I hate you," Sam whispers into Dean's mouth, still trying to get Dean to fuck him faster. No one should ever love this much. "It's your fault, this is your fault." Dean gave him this, everything that Sam never wants to lose, and now Dean's just going to tear it all away. He's going to throw himself away, like he's nothing, if Sam can't save him. (Angsty porn set sometime in Season 3. In lieu of actually talking things out, Sam and Dean have a lot of sex. Sometimes, like now, Sam breaks down.)

Bullet for my Valentine (8840 words) by merle_p Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Summary: Stupid. He is so goddamn fucking stupid. Running his mouth like a fucking idiot, not knowing when to leave well enough alone. Bad enough that he just practically talked dirty to his little brother, which, Christ – he must be more stressed than he thought if his self-control mechanisms have started malfunctioning that badly. But no, no, he came up with a scenario straight out of a bad slasher film, as if that is something normal people talk dirty about, as if that is something Sam would seriously enjoy. As if – As if Dean hadn’t hunted his own brother through the maze of the bunker, eyes black and hammer raised to strike, not even a full year ago. As if Sam hadn’t, just a few weeks back, knelt at his feet, neck bared, waiting for Dean to deal a fatal blow with a fucking scythe

Sam has a serial killer kink and Dean indulges him. There is no explicit consent discussion prior to the kink exploration. But there is a safeword that Sam is fully able to use.

With Your Dreams Untold (10157 words) by waywardelle Chapters: 1/1 Summary: For the past ten years, Dean has been bookmarking porn on the laptop for Sam to watch. Sam figured it would never go further than that, until one night, not long after killing Hitler, Dean decides to be brave. One thing is for sure: Dean is never going to let Sam live down the fact that porn is what brought them together, in the end. Set between 12x06 & 12x07, but not necessarily a coda.

Walkin' the Tightrope (24702 words) by non_tiembo_mala Chapters: 1/1 Summary: It’s 2036, and twenty years since Sam and Dean called it quits on hunting to take up a secluded, quiet life. Maybe Jesse and Cesar gave them the idea, but after Amara, they realized they’d done enough. And they wanted a proper life together even more. Known as Sam Wesson and Dean Smith to the residents of the nearby town they call home, Sam and Dean keep mostly to themselves, their immaculately kept ‘67 Chevy Impala, and their cabin in the woods. That is, until someone from their past tracks them down, desperate for help. Sam and Dean can’t say no, not when it’s their dear friend Jody Mills in deep trouble – she’s missing – but the wedding bands they wear make going back to their old life just that little bit more complicated…

because you want to die for love (27299 words) by hathfrozen Chapters: 1/1 Series: Part 1 of Heaven verse Summary: He almost misses it. “Seventy-eight days.” A beat passes. “What?” That’s the face of twenty-four year old Sam staring at Dean with the eyes of the thirty-six year old Sam he left behind. Dean can’t get a read on him, on the expression there when Sam clarifies, “It was only seventy-eight days. I lived for seventy-eight days without you, and then I ended up here.” (Sam and Dean settle into their Heaven—and into each other, too.)

Just about everything by hathfrozen is awesome. The author really knows Sam and Dean and hathfrozen explores their unhinged dynamics well.

Strange How the Night Moves (2282 words) by dollylux Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam and Dean talk about Sam's night with Piper.

Kings of Christmas (4987 words) by brokenlittleboy Chapters: 1/1 Summary: During the holidays at the bunker, Sam and Dean engage in a tense competition over who can decorate the bunker the best. Things get out of hand, but in a good way.

The Exodus (14189 words) by waywardelle Chapters: 1/1 Summary: So. Dean left with Cas over a week ago on some sort of recon mission, and yeah, Sam has been trying to bury himself in research, but he's just not coping all that well with the long-term separation. He wakes up early one morning, expecting the day to be like all the rest, except it's even worse than all the rest, because he's completely and totally alone on his (brother-less) thirty-fourth birthday. His bleak outlook quickly changes with an unexpected phone call, and he has to admit that maybe someone, somewhere answered his embarrassingly needy birthday wish, despite his lack of candles to blow out.

Promise Me (9281 words) by brokenlittleboy Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel Additional Tags: Soulmates, Fluff, Romance, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Men of Letters Bunker, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Winchesters, Canon Compliant, Top Dean, Bottom Sam, Frottage, Anal Sex, Sleepy Kisses, Minor Character(s) Series: Part 4 of Commissions Summary: Dean makes a promise to Sam. He'd already made a commitment to his brother in a church, but this time is more significant and meaningful. Their lives are already weird enough that one incestuous marriage proposal won't flip things upside down.

Sweet Sin, So Naked and Bare (16105 words) by HandsAcrossTheSea Chapters: 1/1 Summary: “Have you ever thought about us doing it bare?” Sam pauses with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth and brings his gaze up. “What do you mean?” “You know. Fucking bareback.” Dean’s not looking at him and Sam really, really wishes he would. Sam sets the cup down and exhales slowly. “Maybe.”

the need to choose (4542 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Castiel tells Dean something he never expected to hear.

This is an amazing fic. It does involve Mpreg and Non-traditional A/B/O dynamics. Dean is told he is pregnant. It also discusses the possibility of abortion due to the possibility of Sam and Dean being vessels and their war with Heaven and Hell. I think the concept is utterly brilliant. Sam and Dean having a child would really make it so that Heaven and Hell hunt them down or they give up their child.

reclamation (4152 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Once they're finally on the same page again, once things are okay, Sam realizes there's just one thing missing.

femme (4460 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Rummaging around the internet, Dean finds a kink he hadn't seen before; Sam explains, and demonstrates.

the beams of our house are cedar (7864 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: While they're still cementing the bunker as theirs, Dean remembers something he used to play with, when he was younger. He decides to give Sam a surprise, whenever he gets home.

there will be better days (9430 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam and Dean settle into their heaven.

ambiguity (4155 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam has a fantasy that he's long wanted to see realized. Dean misunderstands, at first, but Sam sets him straight.

a gift; win-win (967 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam wants to watch; Dean obliges.

oh so good, oh so fine (7580 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Series: Part 1 of it started with the kinks Summary: Zachariah gave them their memories back, but he didn't erase what had happened in the time they were other people. Dean Smith made a mistake, and Dean Winchester--well. He's still living with it.

kansas city (4231 words) by deadlybride Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam dies in a barn, and Dean tries to live, after.

deadlybride is one of my favorite wincest authors. everything they write is certified gold. Also, I'm a simple woman, I enjoy reading about Dean in panties.

Good Clean Fun (6050 words) by nigeltde Summary: Loose lips sink ships.

Fair warning, if Sam and Dean having sex when Sam may not be fully with reality squicks you then proceed with caution. It is not stated out right and it is left ambiguous.

Lips That Unlock Doors (2668 words) by AlulaSpeaks Chapters: 1/1 Dean may have the lips that unlock doors, but it’s Sam’s mouth that drives Dean crazy.

Dean just wanted a taste.

You Have Always Been a Fire, Burning Under My Skin (6037 words) by faequeentitania Chapters: 1/1 Series: Part 1 of Sharing is Caring Summary: The first time Sam woke up to the sound of Dean jerking off, he was twelve. Hearing your brother stroking himself in the middle of the night shouldn't be a turn on at twelve. And it definitely shouldn't be a turn on at twenty-two, either. But here he was.

The entire series is awesome. There is hetero sex but Sam/Dean has a pretty established thing going on throughout. Sam and Dean enjoy sharing their sexual experiences with women and they enjoy having threesomes.

Giving Thanks (23271 words) by chiquititasnewsong Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam forgets it’s Thanksgiving until he finds Dean in the kitchen at the bunker getting ready for a huge holiday spread. Whether it’s the day or the atmosphere or some kind of odd cosmic synchronicity, Sam takes a chance that turns out to change his life in ways he never dreamed possible.

I love this fic so fuckin much. The mutual pining and the increasing sexual tension is everything to me.

To Have and To Hold (3668 words) by fallingintodivinity Chapters: 1/1 Summary: It’s while standing in the middle of the vegetable aisle at a Wal-Mart, a slightly wilted head of lettuce in one hand and a six-pack of beer in the other, that Dean Winchester realizes he’s married.

A Warm Respite from a Chilly Night (1854 words) by doilycoffin Chapters: 1/1 After spending a good chunk of their evening freezing their asses off, Dean decides to warm him and Sam up with some good old fashioned spiked hot cocoa. And if it results in him getting to have a little fun with a very tipsy and horny Sam, then who is he to complain?

It's all consensual.

In the Chair Next to Mine (14407 words) by chiquititasnewsong Chapters: 1/1 Summary: This was written for this prompt from the SPN Masquerade Round 10: WINCEST - CAMPBELL BROTHERS, MARRIAGE KINK from: (anonymous) they really do love their little life in lebanon; the cozy quaint togetherness, the domestic bliss of coupledom, and they definitely get off on fooling the townspeople—letting everyone think they're mr. and mr. for real. (matching rings, the occasional pet name slipped, no one around them realizing they're getting an eyeful of incest every time a kiss is shared in public.)

Sam has a serious and intense incest kink. Dean gets into it.

Cri de Cœur [The Heart's Cry] (37817 words) by kelleigh Chapters: 7/7 Summary:

Sam and Dean could use a break after banishing God’s sister to the far reaches of oblivion. However, a new case drops into their laps when they receive a message sent to the Men of Letters using a strange old code. The name Campbell makes it impossible for them to refuse. The hunt takes the Winchesters back to Charleston, South Carolina, a city they haven’t been through in almost twenty years. It plunges them into the obscure and bloody history of an old plantation where ghost sightings and a consuming madness mean the clock is ticking.

Using every resource they have, including the help of the last Campbell ancestor in the South, the testimony of a powerless ghost, and the expertise of a handsome young historian, Sam and Dean need to uncover the truth behind the haunting before it claims another innocent victim. Based on the short story, The Yellow Wallpaper.

This is the second part of a series but it can be read as a stand alone. I love reading case fics and love reading ones that read like it could be on the show. This is awesome. Takes a divergence after Amara reunites with Chuck.

Sticking With You (10522 words) by smalltrolven Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam’s soul has been stretched to the limit after being attached to Chuck via the damn bullet in his shoulder. But now he has something to decide: whether or not to fill Dean in about what had really happened to Sam while Dean was off hunting on his own and killing his old buddy. It takes him the whole drive to Alaska, and nearly the whole way back to work up the courage to spill the whole story.

Dean helps Sam's soul heal and it is a beautiful thing.

nothing's gonna hurt you, baby (17652 words) by orphan_account Chapters: 1/1 Summary: “You get to have this, Dean.” The brush of Sam’s mouth against his own is the sweetest ache. Lips catch and drag and Sam whispers into his mouth, “You get to have this. If you want this, I’m giving it to you. Let me give this to you.” Dean wants to say yes. He wants to say please and I love you and thank you. For the trust, the devotion, the care. It’s not something that has ever needed to be verbalised but god, in this moment Dean wants nothing more than to tell this boy just how much he loves him. “Yeah. Yeah, Sam — I want this.” The words taste like the sweetest freedom and a thousand more years of damnation but Sam’s tongue soothes the burn of them. Long fingers cradle the back of his head tenderly, so tenderly, like he’s something precious to be taken care of, and Dean’s chest feels fit to bursting with how much he loves this kid.

I adore this fic. I really really do. and its sexy hot. This has Daddy kink. Sam calls Dean Daddy and it has undertones of subdropping.

Every New Beginning (1881 words) by remy Chapters: 1/1 Summary: one night you realize you love him, you love him in a way you shouldn’t, in a way you can never tell anyone, least of all him because he is not here. he is miles and miles and miles below your feet, so far out of your reach that you can’t even imagine it, and your chest hurts so sharp and vindictive you can’t breathe. and here’s the thing – without him, you don’t want to.

This is written in second person but it is an honestly beautiful depiction of Dean's feelings for Sam.

they were each other's toxic cure called codependency (2172 words) by nowhere_blake Series: Part 8 of codas for the damned and the brokenhearted Summary: Mary’s back, Dean is gone and Sam stops sleeping. She thought she understood how deep her boys' relationship goes, but when Michael takes over and Dean disappears, she needs to reevaluate just exactly how scarily codependent the two of them are. Coda to 14x01 Stranger in a Strange Land.

There's No Normal After That (6274 words) by Fenix21 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Dean discovers the truth behind the words of what it really means to love his brother.

Dean's turmoil after Sam's non-death is good stuff. This fic is set after Red Meat.

O Heavenly Christmas (8124 words) by SmackTheDevil Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Reunited on a bridge in Heaven, Sam and Dean have much to catch up on and slide back into their close relationship as if they had never been apart. Sam is reflective about a life long lived, while Dean is his usual self; cracking jokes and teasing his brother. But without the weight of the world on their shoulders, for the first time, in a long time they are both able to relax and talk about their time together on Earth, relive a few memories and enjoy their first Christmas together in Heaven.

amazing work and the progress of their re-joining is beautiful

ain't it a gentle sound, the rolling in the graves? (ain't you my baby?) (3367 words) by pilotflyingj Summary: Five times Dean calls Sam "baby," and one time he doesn't.

Monsters Are Always Hungry (27458 words) by untraceablegirl23 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: He peers down at him for just a second, a second that skips on like hours, because looking at Sam is like giving something up, like air, like space, and being replaced entirely with devotion. (Nonlinear depiction of the time Sam and Dean are found out and how it all comes to in the months beforehand which are Heaven and Hell at once. Or an acknowledgement of just how far they’d go for each other, even when it’s beyond wrong, because how can you hide when you’re entirely made for someone else?)

Midnight Ride (2749 words) by ani_coolgirl Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Sam really just means to get some sleep. But if he wants Dean’s good mood to last, he may as well indulge and enjoy the ride.

Sam indulging Dean's cowboy while Castiel and Jack are in the next room.

#wincest #I have over 100 saved wincest fics #I have a problem #personal #wincest fic recs

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safetycar-restart · 1 year ago

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hiii!! i come to you with a logan and oscar idea, poly or separate, idc. so it’s established that what leads to oscar joining logan and his dom is logan finding him in subspace but alternatively going with the past d/s au, what if logan knew that oscar had this horrible dom and it shattered his heart everytime he thought about it like “i have a good dom, why can’t oscar? oscars good too, why can’t he have good things?”

so this leads to Logan talking to his dom about oscar and his dom saying yes because well all oscar and Logan really want is to be good, at their cores they are good boys. so logan finds oscar and that time and brings him with him back to his dom and at this point they are both sobbing, oscar from his bad drop with his (team assigned) dom and logan because once again he can’t really rationalize in this headspace that oscar can’t have as good a dom as he does. so you end up talking with both of them when they are out of subspace and coming to an agreement that oscar is now your sub. i think that with logan being collared it might cause some issues like internally for oscar, especially when he enters subspace like “am i not good enough to be collared too?” :(. which of course he is and you end up having to have a long conversation with oscar about how you love him just as much as you love logan. and thought number 2 which is far less developed: what do you think logan is like as a little? cause i personally see him as being more laidback, kind of like max but with less trauma. but he still has his moments unlike when he’s not little, little!logan is wayyyyyyyy more hurt by you (his mommy/daddy) talking to other littles. ESPECIALLY ones he feels like are better than him. he’s always afraid you’re going to leave him for a “better” little. feel free to add any of your thoughts (also sorry for any mistakes, english is my third language) -love 🎾anon

Firstly, please know that you guys can always send ideas that don't merge with the 'canon' of our verses! Nothing is set in stone and I love exploring different ideas. Anyway, I love this so much.

I love how pure Logan is about it? He's really just there like 'I good boy, I have good dom. But Oscar good boy? Why no good dom for Oscar? MUST FIX" and that's it. That's far as the plan goes.

He's long since decided that when it comes to anything to do with scening and dynamics, it is your problem. Ever since you collared him, he kinda just tells you his vague thoughts and lets you do the rest cause you're his dom and he trusts you.

So with this, he thought no further than the fact that Oscar deserves a better dom and you are a better dom therefore you must dom Oscar and him together.

Of course you say yes when Logan brought it up to you. Not only because you would do anything to make Logan never look so sad again, but also because you genuinely love Oscar and it breaks your heart to know he's not getting what he needs.

You except Oscar to be upset when he comes to you, but you don't Logan to also be in a breakdown. Logan is just crying and hugging Oscar, mumbling that it isnt fair! Oscar should be with you and him, not some terrible mclaren dom!

Of course hearing this makes Oscar cry even more, because he wants what you and Logan have so bad.

You don't actually scene with them properly, because you havent been able to talk to Oscar about his limits yet and because they're both far too upset. Maybe you let them kneel for you? They get to kneel right next to each other, their legs pressed against each other and they can even hold hands. Within ten minutes they've formed a cuddle pile at your feet and honestly it's just the cutest?

You've got two good boys cuddling at your feet, looking up at you for praise and reassurance.

Oscar spends the night, cuddles between you and Logan and has the best sleep he's had in a long time. You discuss everything in the morning and all of three you realise that Oscar needs to also be your sub.

So that's what happens.

But yeah Oscar definitely has a problem with Logan having a collar, and it's actually so difficult for him to workout what his problem even is? Because he's not upset that Logan is collared, he's happy! He loves watching you and Logan together, and his heart would break if you took Logan's collar away.

But at the same time, his heart just aches sometimes? Cause he... he wants a collar too. He wants to really feel like he belongs to you.

And I think Logan feels really guilty about that? He can see that it's upsetting Oscar and he doesn't know what to do. Oscar just joined, so he knows it's too early for Oscar to be collared, but he also knows that there's no way in hell he's going to take his collar off around Oscar. He hasn't been without a collar for over three years and he's not about to start now, it would break him.

Maybe you get Oscar a play collar? A collar that he only wears during scenes and that he can request to wear around the house too. He can't put his own play collar on, it has to be you that does it and if you aren't there, then it can be Logan but you must order Logan to do it.

Oscar ADORES his play collar, and pretty soon he's always wearing it around the house.

Within two months he's gotten his own day collar, because once he knows what it's like to wear your collar, he doesn't ever want to stop.

Maybe Oscar and Logan get each other bracelets? So it's like they've kinda collared each other too.

LITTLE!LOGAN:

I'm not gonna spend too much time on this because of how long the d/s au idea was, but I do want to say this: I love the idea that he's jealous?

He's actually a pretty independent little, happy to watch cartoons and drink from his sippy cup while you work or chat to another caregiver but the moment you even look at another little, he's pouting and whining and fussing. HE'S your baby boy, no one else!

(Except... except he doesn't mind when you look after Oscar.)

#d/s au #poly!Logan/oscar #sub!Logan #sub!oscar #nsfw.#gn!reader #little!driver/rider #little!logan #lsargeant #oscarp #🎾

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beskarandkyber · 2 years ago

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I must say that Bo Katan's conversion to Din's "cult" has got to be one of the worst things I've seen in tv recently. For many reasons. It was so terrible in fact that it has well and truly kicked my interest in the show down a terrifying hundred degrees.

I know a lot of people are up in arms about this season. And I'm devastated to be thinking so negatively of a show that has only ever brought me joy. Writing for The Mandalorian has never been amazing, but I was okay with that because I love Din and his weird little attitude and position towards the galaxy. The characters on the show were enough to keep it alive and fun and carry it without relying too heavily on a fantastically written script. And scenes that were meant to make you feel something did. Stakes were good, and the story progressed just fine. It was a fun, heartwarming show with some badassery tossed in. But holy moly and pie.

To start I can only guess at this point what the point behind Din being excommunicated was. He was obviously messed up over the fact that his family and clan let him go so easily but he understood and accepted the creed. I was excited after he had taken off his helmet and broken the Creed because it opened up this new way to explore the clan and the possible problematic aspects of how he was living and how the the clan worked. This in turn exploring Din's identity as a Mandalorian with the knowledge he's gained from Boba and the other Mandos from season 2. Maybe there is more than one way. Tie this to Bo Katan and her vehement dislike for the clan and the fact that they were together when he broke his own Creed we could have had a huge a fun and impactful conversation about mandalorians, his Creed, where Din stands when he's placed in the gray area of the Mandalorian identity. I'm not saying that the clan is inherently problematic or evil, none of that because subjectively, it's not, but there should have been some type of nuanced conversation that affected Din and his place in the galaxy and the fact that he had a foundling. Not only this but the fact that he had recently come into ownership of the dark saber which places him by Mandalorian tradition and culture at the head of Mandalore. Perhaps predictably I thought that season 3 would contain his battle and internal and external struggle as he's fitted into this place that he never thought he would be in. I was excited to see his relationship with his clan completely changed especially as he sees that he has a new place in the galaxy and starts to perhaps grow away from them which could have led to either an antagonist in Bo Katan or a reluctant ally, or both!

Din felt too listless over the entire situation. That was his family the people who raised him, the people he had sworn his allegiance to, were so quick to dismiss him without hearing him out. But nothing really came out of it, no emotion no internal battles, no anything. We were simply told that he needed to go and get baptized to be redeemed.

I struggle also with the concept of bathing in the living Waters and Bo Katan joining the clan. Baptism is just bathing if there is no intent behind the action. Din was baptized because of his intention and he has a little like prayer thing he said. Bo Katan on the other hand went into the waters to save him and nothing more. There was no intent behind her actions, in the ritualistic sense that there was for Din, which means she was not baptized. And technically, at least in my eyes, it should be null and void the fact that she went after him into the water. And if the show simply was implying that the water held special magical properties the whole thing feels cheap and fake and I hate it.

I think perhaps a lot of my discontentment with this season and Bo Katan's sudden acceptance into a clan that she had previously considered a cult, looked upon with disgust and disdain, came from the fact that we did not get to see this change resonate enough within Din, not even in the book of Boba Fett. Her being accepted so readily into the clan cheapened everything that we were supposed to care about when it came to Din and his redemption. It was humorous in the way that it felt like a slap in the face and salt on the wound, I can only imagine how frustrated I would be if I were in Din's position.

It also cheapens Bo Katan's character as well. What was the point in never showing us any kind of character development in her and then suddenly sticking her in this clan and making the audience think that that was natural and fine? If this was where her character was going since we introduced to her in season 2 I never saw it coming and I find it a strange diminishing of her character, when she could have been a wonderful foil to Din, an antagonist a roadblock, but also someone who he would eventually have to confide in in order to properly handle his new position with the dark saber and eventually maybe it would lead to them having a dual where Bo Katan could win back the dark saber and everything before worked up to put her back on the throne and she learned valuable life lessons made her more tolerable of more people in the galaxy.

Or maybe she would see how much of a failed leader she's been and would come to accept that Din is the Mand'alor. I don't know. And I never will get to know.

I would say more but I think I have too much to say truthfully. All I know is for the first time I've felt disappointment and disinterest in a show I absolutely adore and it's heartbreaking. But I'm tired of accepting poorly made choices in writing for shows this big though. I'm sick of being told to sit and enjoy it and stop complaining when it genuinely sucks. No matter how much I love it. I'm not happy with it and as a viewer I deserve more than half baked plot points and non existent character arcs.

#mini rant #mandalore din #din djarin #the mandalorian #frustrated #disney #din and grogu #the mandalorion spoilers #the mandalorion season 3

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strawhatyami · 2 years ago

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Why you absolutely should bother with watching One Piece in 2022:

Alright I'm going to get straight to the point.

Usually when you ask people “what’s so great about One Piece�� the most popular answers will be about the loveable characters, good world building and great foreshadowing.

Which is all very true and I’m here to delve into why, starting with the main character :

Monkey D. Luffy:

I once saw someone describe Luffy as a "pretty simple character that is done right". And I must say that’s the best way to describe him. His straightforward, curious, extroverted nature is the is the perfect window to explore such a vast interesting world.

Luffy does his own thing, he’s selfish in many ways, his main goal of becoming the king of pirates itself is rooted in selfishness and greed. But he’s still a chill and kind-hearted dude. It just so happens that the selfish things he wants in life are fairly tame things like eating lots of meat and punching those who hurt his friends or innocent people in the face.

And in truth, he’s quite the emotionally intelligent character which is such a charming quality that has landed him allies and friends all over the world.

In short: He’s just goofy and loveable and I like the fact that Oda ditched trying to force a "relatable" protagonist (him not having any internal monologues is a nice touch that fits his character well imo).

And before we move on, I’d like to give an honorable mention to Tanaka Mayumi who is such a wonderful voice actress<3

Next up : World Building and character design

This anime undoubtedly has some of the best world-building that I’ve ever seen.

Which is great because at its core, One Piece is an adventure manga not a battle manga. Sure fights and matchups are important and epic and Haki is one of the coolest power systems out there.

But also watching the heart wrenching relations and back stories of the characters and seeing everything connect and having characters from 400 episodes ago make a comeback and be relevant to the plot in ways you never expected is WHERE IT’S AT.

Oda plays a lot with foreshadowing and he’s very good with continuity and revisiting small details which makes the story a lot more cohesive as a whole.

Watching this show feels like an adventure which is what Oda was going for. It’s so immersive and really plunges you into this fictional world that is so well built and versatile that you will never find yourself bored because each island is a new story. A new adventure.

The character design is also top-notch.

Oda has opened many possibilities for himself with the art style as the cartoony style helps in creating a fantasy world, you get more design freedom when you're not limited to proper proportions and things like that.

And he uses that freedom to create memorable characters but also to integrate parts of their personalities into their designs. Some of my favorite character designs include Sir crocodile, Franky, Kuzan, Doflamingo, Boa Hancock and Baby 5 just to name a few.

Last but not least, The humor :

Okay so humor is subjective. However I can confidently say that no anime has ever made me laugh my guts out the way OP did, the humor is elite and the jokes (especially pre-time skip) hold up even 20+ years later which says a lot.

And I think what plays a big role in that isn’t so much the joke itself but the (often) deadpan and downright hilarious delivery from the talented voice actors.

SO TO RECAP:

Cool mc, watching him punch bad guys is satisfying af.

Great worldbuilding.

Lots of heartwarming moments.

Characters be silly and loveable.

Lots of tiddies. Male AND female.

It has Trafalgar Law in it.

But yeah real talk this show has been a source of comfort for me lately and I believe it has something for everyone (especially if you're a sucker for the found family trope, it does it really well.)

Plus with the manga drawing to an end now would be the perfect time to catch up~

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torturedpoetsofpemberley · 2 months ago

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For this post, I chose to make my own meme inspired by the recent epidemic of "brat summer." I see Elinor Dashwood as fitting perfectly into this archetype, or rather, as Charli XCX would say, she is "so Julia." Despite her attempts to remain calm and composed, Elinor is undeniably the "It Girl" of her world—London and Sussex. Not only does she play the lead role in the story, but she gracefully shoulders her family's burdens after her father's death, taking on numerous responsibilities to maintain stability. Is there anything more quintessentially "It Girl" than that?

From the novel's title, Elinor embodies "sense." She is logical, restrained, and a master of controlling her emotions, even under great emotional strain. She represents the expectations of the eldest daughter -- to always be polite and say the right thing at the right time with the right people. She is also presented as a slightly controlling older sister who is constantly forced to correct or apologize on behalf of her impulsive sister. The significance of her role as the eldest daughter is displayed in the quote above, when she essentially states that just because something appears outwardly agreeable or comfortable does not mean it is right or just, evident when we explore Elinor's role as the eldest daughter and her societal "employment" of keeping up appearances, maintaining composure, and shouldering responsibilities. While she executes these duties with grace, it doesn't mean they are proper or fair for her to bear alone. This line underscores the pressures on women like Elinor, the eldest daughters of their households, who are expected to perform their roles with ease, even when those roles are rooted in oppressive societal norms. This ties into the idea that Elinor's pleasant demeanor and calm judgment—traits society praises—are not necessarily reflective of a fulfilling life or personal freedom. Instead, they represent the emotional labor she must perform to survive in a world where propriety often stifles true expression and individuality.

It's the novel's ending that led me to label Jane Austen a "fake feminist" in the meme. At the end of the novel, Elinor finally lets some of her emotions out when Edward tells her that he has not married Lucy, and she bursts into tears. After marrying Edward, Elinor settles down into a comfortable, happy life. The conclusion of her marrying Edward feels like a regression—Elinor only seems to fully express herself and release her carefully controlled image once she has secured a man. It's not a story of love overcoming obstacles; rather, it suggests a deep-seated internalized misogyny, implying that a woman can only let go of her perfect exterior when she finally wins the romantic prize.

In the broader conversation about whether Jane Austen was misogynistic, I don’t believe she harbored hatred for women. Austen’s limitations reflect the society she was part of, and her heroines operate within its rules. Her characters so far play by society's rules, yes, but I argue feminism is nothing if not rebellion against society, and this is where Austen’s heroines fall short. They aren’t rebels—they are women surviving a patriarchal world, but not necessarily challenging it. In fact, Austen’s stories often pit women against one another, with petty, manipulative women serving as the antagonists. Her vision of womanhood, therefore, isn't inherently liberating.

While Elinor represents sense and calm, her arc reveals that even the most "rational" women are still bound by societal expectations and limitations, both in Austen's time and today. So maybe Elinor is "so Julia," but I doubt she would enjoy brat summer.

#english literature #jane austen #sense and sensibility #elinor dashwood #charli xcx #music #feminism #misogny #eldest daughter

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usergreenpixel · 1 year ago

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MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 18: EL ENCARGO DEL MAESTRO GOYA (2021)

1. The Introduction

Hello, my dear Neighbors! I’m finally back with a freshly made review in tow!

So, this particular book (available on Amazon and ebook websites but only in Spanish) first came to my attention me due to my interest in Napoleonic era and, as of recently, Francisco Goya’s works. Naturally, this book caught my attention right off the bat because it’s a fucking jackpot!

Okay, Goya is actually a fairly minor character but he has an extremely important role in the story. More on that later!

(Also, tomorrow I will reblog this review to add my song because I’m having headaches today… Those bitches are bothering me again)

Anyway, I loved this book even more than I expected I would, so let’s analyze it to the best of my ability! This review is dedicated to @that-enragee . Enjoy!

2. The Summary

This novel tells a story of three siblings - Mercedes, Salvador and Marta. They are on the way to the city of Santander in order to receive their late aunt’s inheritance. However, another reason for the journey is a task given to Marta by her mentor, Goya. She must make a copy of a painting so that the French don’t loot the real thing.

3. The Story

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the romantic subplots! And that’s really rare for me. But here the subplots are written MASTERFULLY and progress naturally. Yes, there’s more than one romantic subplot. In fact, there’s two (both Mercedes and Marta find love).

I also appreciate the lack of a villain in the story. The take on events is very nuanced and awful people are shown to exist on all sides, so the take is more or less objective, not unlike Goya’s etchings with the theme of war. This nuance makes the story that much more enjoyable.

The pacing is also very good, but sometimes there are annoying flashbacks. Luckily, those are not extensive.

On a slightly darker note, props to the author for killing off some of the characters and making it stick. I know it’s a war story, but some writers don’t have the balls to include this degree of realism.

4. The Characters

Since the narrative takes place away from the frontlines, we don’t really have historical figures as major characters. Even Goya is a minor character in the book and he only appears properly in the end.

I actually liked his portrayal because he truly doesn’t want the French to loot precious artworks but also has an agenda. See, the painting Marta is to forge is a depiction of Santa Casilda by Zurbarán (a painting that actually WAS stolen during the war historically).

This is important because, according to rumors, praying to this particular depiction can cure ailments, including permanent deafness. Since Goya went deaf due to an illness at around 45 years of age, he believes that this painting is his last hope to get his hearing back.

Although I am aware of the ableist implications of the trope of a disabled person seeking a “cure”, it’s important to note that the world back then wasn’t accommodating to the disabled at all and views ranged from them being innocent at best to burdens at worst. Besides, Goya historically would always portray the disabled as helpless in his art, so it’s safe to assume that he internalized the views of the time period.

(Spoiler alert: No worries, dear disabled readers, the author doesn’t pull a magical cure out of her ass and disabled characters stay disabled.)

Goya is also supportive and proud of his pupil, Marta, which is the sweetest thing ever, so we get to see that he truly cares about her.

Speaking of disability, we also have another deaf character, Marta. As one of the main characters, she is naturally explored in more depth than Goya and we get to see her realistic struggle with her own deafness. Unlike Goya, she was born deaf and therefore doesn’t speak, instead communicating with some signs and writing.

She starts out seeking this alleged cure too, but mostly because she is done with being coddled and treated like a child by her siblings, especially Mercedes. She is naïve and somewhat innocent due to being very young (19ish), but she is also kind, brave, compassionate and a bit mischievous, using her painting skills to help pull a prank at one point.

She also embraces her deafness as the story progresses, finds a man who loves her the way she is and learns to respect her as her own person and not the innocent deaf girl she’s assumed to be. There’s a lot of depth and nuance to her character, and I truly appreciate it.

Mercedes, the other protagonist and the oldest sibling in her family is motherly and protective to the point of coddling Marta and being understandably angry that Goya got her involved in a dangerous mission for the sake of some fake “cure”. Mercedes is also a widow and and more cynical than her siblings, but mellows out over the course of her story.

As an older sister myself, I can definitely relate to her wanting to protect her siblings so I enjoyed her character too. I also think that making her a widow instead of an ingenue is a somewhat bold choice for a romantic subplot, but it definitely suits her and gives additional context to her character.

Claude Cornulier, a soldier sent to Santander to try and curb the atrocities, is sweet and a philosopher. He also understands that war is hell and expresses true empathy towards Spanish people. He also falls for Mercedes but never forces her into a relationship. Instead, he is a true gentleman and treats her with the utmost respect so their romance is healthy and entirely consensual.

Then there is Lieutenant Alfonso Bustamante, a fairly young but retired soldier from the Spanish Navy who feels insecure about having scars and only one eye. His health is in the shit as well, but we later learn that he helps local guerillas and has a ring of informants in the area, so he too fights for his country in whatever way he can.

Bustamante is also a gentleman and forms a friendship with Mercedes while also, eventually, falling for Marta. Although he does make the mistake of coddling her somewhat, he eventually realizes that it’s not the best approach and cuts it out, leading to a healthy relationship.

Salvador is a passionate young man who is also fiercely protective of his sisters, as the only living family member.

At one point the painter David is namedropped in the book and the French troops also joke about Soult looting too many paintings, but those two don’t appear in person.

5. The Setting

The descriptions are wonderful and not too long, thank goodness. I really liked them and they helped me become immersed into the story.

6. The Writing

Reading in Spanish was a challenge at times, but I like the style. It has a nice flow, doesn’t feel inappropriately modern and is fairly easy to read for those fluent in Spanish.

7. The Conclusion

Overall, an excellent book that really captured my imagination and attention! If you are fluent in Spanish, I can’t recommend it enough.

Either way, this concludes the 18th soirée at the Malmaison Media Salon.

Stay tuned for future reviews and tomorrow’s reblog with the song, everyone!

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

#jacques louis david #napoleon bonaparte #francisco goya #napoleonic era #napoleonic media #el encargo del maestro goya #guerras napoleónicas #Guerra peninsular #novelas históricas #malmaison media salon

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dashielldeveron · 1 month ago

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thinking about the katsuki office kiss scene (feat izuku) and the potential unwritten freak it holds is absolutely driving me insane and i have to voice my thoughts before they brain rot me like termites eating the foundations of a house. (also quick disclaimer that I’m sosososos understanding of why this more horny aspect was not explored in fic [goes against like the whole message, and how the harem is handled in fic is one of my favourite aspects of the whole thing] i just thought itd would be fun to explore as it’s own seperate thing)

not to thirst on anon (and please feel free to nuke the fuck out of this ask if it’s too thirsty because i totally understand) but the fact that the reader is too busy freaking the fuck out to notice the reaction of izuku across the room and the unspoken interactions happening between katsuki and him leaving it all deliciously unwritten and completely up however insane the audience interpretation of it is. and im a very insane audience!

like. do you think the katsuki looked izuku straight in the eye and then proceeded to open his mouth and start full on making out with reader?? you think that katsuki saw izuku glare at him with the most restrained desire to kill him and he put his hand on her neck, spurring him on to kiss her deeper??? (because while their more intense high school rivalry has been settled long ago i don’t think they’ll ever fully dull the urge to, at least, be in competition with each other, especially if they both are interested in the same person, katsuki is probably having such an inappropriately good time like ‘the girl i want is sitting in my lap and making out with me and im simultaneously beating izuku at something !! yay!!!’ [he does love to win, and in his mind having izukus soulmate want to make out with him probably registers as some fucked up form of ‘winning’ lmao this guy and his deranged inner world i love you freak number 2])

Do you think when reader sat fully down on katsuki’s lap it was taking so much (sexy) control of his not to march over there and get reader off of him immediately?? do you think that he was looking at the way katsuki was kissing reader and already was making notes on how he could do it so much better???? im going insane. internal battle between him being so pissed that katsuki is getting the makeup session he has been (literally) dying for, being incredibly concerned for your mental well-being and paying attention to how you kiss so he can better his plan to sexually infuriate you till you break.

^ (this led to a very long tangent on me talking about which of the soulmate troupe guys have some kind of jealousy issues, then further spiralled out of control to me rereading some of the chapters again so I could attempt to create a numbered ‘from least to jealous soulmate troupe guy’ list. it’ll have to be it’s own separate deranged ask).

lmaooooo sorry for this very strange ramble (again), i just love freak number one (izuku) and freak number two (katsuki). expect another ridiculously long ask in your inbox again soon

(also it was not a typo izuku is hoe 100% insane and that’s why he is matching my freak like take a look at this ask and tell me he wouldn’t also hyper-analyse literally one thing reader has done and think about all the horny subtext. hoe insane matched my freak.)

-cork board anon

everybody leave i wanna be alone with cork board anon

GOD IZUKU'S REACTION. and none of what i'm about to say is necessarily canonical to the fic, bc, like you said, it's unwritten so that the audience can imagine :)

so. ofc we don't see izuku's reaction bc reader is panicking. but like??? he's right there??? on the other side of the desk?? and he could OFA zip over there and tear them apart, but since it's a choice reader's decided to make, he's going to let her, and izuku knows she's worried about all her potential soulmates, so he just can't bring himself to stop her. which must hurt him so badly.

so holy FUCK the idea of bakugou staring izuku down while he's kissing her. oh my god. that brings izuku into the potential romantic dynamic, so instead of bakugou/reader like reader thinks, it's a fucked-up bakugou/reader/izuku. oh fuck. and i mean this in a sexy, jarring way: what you said reminded me of these CGs in jumin han's route in mystic messenger:

bc jumin is trying to make a point to the people watching him kiss MC and UGH it shooketh me the first time i experienced it. of course it's not a perfect comparison, bc reader's more in control/desperation than either jumin or MC are here, but i think the Vibe could fit. dear GOD bakugou opening his mouth while staring down izuku--would katsuki be more exerting a sort of bragging dominance over izuku, or would he be more surprised at the situation, just going along? bc for the moment, katsuki's winning. he doesn't know why, but he'll take it. and izuku can't do anything about it, because his soulmate would see him act poorly. i fully think that if reader hadn't been having a panic attack and vomiting, then it could've escalated to, like, katsuki sucking a hickey onto the top of her boob, or something, before he felt like he was going too far. and katsuki would be all smug about it, probably laying reader on her back on his desk, and once he surfaced, he'd wipe the back of his mouth with a wry grin and say something like "had to have some taste of you, sweetheart." and then he'd give her waist a final squeeze and say, "she's all yours, izuku." and he proceeds to bring this incident up for the rest of your lives. offers to relieve you if izuku's giving you a hard time (it's brushed off as a joke; he half means it and half doesn't--izuku rolls his eyes from across the restaurant booth and irritatedly peels at the wrapper on his beer bottle, and his grip around your shoulder tightens).

you see, your honour, i'll kill him :) :) :)

but UGH you're so RIGHT it was probably torturing izuku to see his soulmate kiss someone else, but he probably couldn't tear his gaze away because he wanted to see how she kisses people, so he could learn more about what she likes.......you're so big-brained. i love to see a man who is morally tortured inside. imagine his muscles tensing while he's going through all of the options in his brain. imagine him his mouth and nose twitching in fury. but he can't. do. anything. because that's his best friend and his soulmate, the two people (besides his mom and all might) that he loves more than anyone else in the world. he's not gonna hurt them. he understands how violence could be brought into the situation. but. but he's not gonna.

i would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the soulmates and jealousy 👀👀👀 bc i think i've really only thought about izuku's and a tiny bit of tenko's--because i feel like izuku gets INSANELY jealous but also has insanely high self-control--like in fic when reader kisses shinsou and midoriya seems all calm (he is NOT CALM on the inside) and is like "she knows what she's doing wrong." 👀👀👀 and i think that is SO sexy of him. because he COULD be possessive and controlling. it's his first instinct. but he won't. he won't. bc that would make us sad and perhaps a little scared. (and then tenko's jealousy--i've only thought about it in the context of touya, bc to tenko, touya seems confident and charismatic and very capable of stealing his girl away from him. so his jealousy comes from awfulllllll insecurity that he's not good enough :( but we love him very much, so hopefully he'll get over that in time.)

i appreciate you so much. you feel just as crazy insane about these ideas as i am. and yeah lol izuku would prob be into this, the over-analysis for fun and enjoyment. GOOD. we want to attract freaks!!! freaks only zone!!!! i love HIM i love YOU i hope your day is peaceful!!!!!!! xx.

#dash it all #📌 anon

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dimiclaudeblaigan · 1 year ago

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uh-oh she's gushing about shinon again and it's super long

So you guys know I love Shinaff. BUT!!! I would like to explain to you part of how that came to be, i.e. how Janaff's supports with Shinon were both different and important!!! In other words, a direct exploration of his development involving laguz and how he's turning out for the better post Janaff A support and RD (and how it makes the most sense to have their A support slotted between the beginning of PoR and the end of RD for a full progression of his development)!

First of all, Shinon only has three supports; so unlike most characters, every line counts and needs to hold more weight to his conversations.

Rolf and Gatrie's supports portray different sides of him: the mentor and the friend. What we see in these supports is stuff we essentially already knew about him, but we're given more depth. The thing to note here is, again, we already knew these things about him. This is the man we started with.

What we don't get in these supports is proper development. Janaff is the only support he has that gives him that. Janaff's supports with him are the only ones that gives him any self reflection and improvement. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for the other supports, but it's more that it props up these ones a little bit more.

Also, when you get to RD, Shinon comes off as though he's already gotten this development. He feels like he's grown as a person. While that makes sense, from a player's perspective, we didn't really see that development in him (like we would have with characters like Ike, Mist, Soren, etc)... unless you supported him with Janaff.

In RD, Shinon has Gatrie and Rolf as bonded by defaults. These are basically internal bonds in RD - ones that aren't needed by supports. You can carry over support data from PoR to RD, and characters will receive a bond with the character they A supported. For some, like Ranulf and Ike, these bonds will be there regardless of if they got an A support.

That means that even without supporting them in PoR, Shinon will bonded to these two by default. Janaff is his only other support, so if they reach an A support and that data is carried over to RD, he now has his full list of supports bonded to him. Mind you, that's a liiittle bit of a big deal (and kinda cool to me!) as nobody else can do that (or almost nobody, since I'm not totally positive what Stefan and Volke's situations are and would have to check on that in my game, as the only other characters with an extremely low amount of supports).

So why do I say that's important? Because the only character he won't have by default as a bond is Janaff. You have to go out of your way to get their support bond (and when I say out of your way, I mean it pretty literally if you don't normally use one or both of them, due to how PoR's support system works). Janaff is the only character Shinon has to build up a bond with from scratch, which is something the player has to decide to do.

Gatrie and Rolf are the base - the bare minimum. It's given to you, no questions asked. Shinon doesn't have to develop as a person to have those bonds. When Janaff arrives in 3-7, if they were A supported in PoR (and your data was carried over), he and Shinon automatically have their bond show up in the bond list on each of their profiles as of the turn Janaff is on the map. This also means they can get a double A support, which is, again, something Shinon has very few options for.

Without Janaff, Shinon doesn't get that extremely direct development. In RD it's assumed all the characters had development of some sort (example, Shinon is much more chilled out and takes a much more active role in watching out for the GMs and making sure they're properly funded). However, with the way Shinon's development toward laguz went, you'd think something must have happened for him to change his mind.

However, it's an uncontestable fact that Ike stated everyone in the GMs decided to stay knowing full well they'd be fighting for the Laguz Alliance:

"I told the others they could leave if they didn’t want to work with laguz, but everybody decided they’d rather stay. Don’t worry about it, Ranulf."

If they didn't want to work with laguz (Shinon and Soren would be the primary candidates he brought this up for), they didn't have to go. They didn't have to take part. They didn't have to be there. Shinon decided to stay despite fully aware they would be the only beorc there. That's development already... but if he supported Janaff, it starts to make more sense and feels like a proper linear path for his development.

"But DCB, he was racist toward Lyre!" Sure! He's not perfect and there's still room for growth. In fact, Shinon started out calling her a sub-human but referred to her as a laguz when Gatrie was the only one left to hear him, so he either:

is trying to keep up appearances in front of laguz he doesn't like, using sub-human to their face but not using that term in private anymore (or to laguz he doesn't hate, i.e. Janaff in their A support where he catches himself about to use that term. Though he wasn't quite ready to say "laguz" yet, he stopped himself from using "you sub-humans" and instead said "you guys").

slipped up in using sub-human (from habit*) and called her a laguz when speaking to Gatrie because he's becoming more used to using that term regularly. That is to say, it's becoming more natural for him to say.

If you got his A support with Janaff, it makes sense that he slips up sometimes still but is trying to speak more properly about laguz. Getting out of old habits is hard. Feeling differently about something you've had a steady mindset for (in his case for 27 years as per his support with Janaff) is hard. There will be slip ups.

*It's possible Shinon uses "sub-human" as an insult aimed at individuals he doesn't like while not meaning it toward others (i.e. he doesn't like Kyza and Lyre). Yes, this is a big flaw! He could very well be using a racist term to express distaste toward someone specific but not mean it toward the whole of laguz. It's still racist and shouldn't be done, but the fact that he turned around and said "laguz" only a couple sentences later (if that) means that something is kicking in and some gears are turning.

Again, if you look at his A support with Janaff, he wasn't even at the point of using "laguz" at all! If you consider their A support part of his linear development, he starts as he is in PoR, supports Janaff and goes through their conversations while seeing laguz differently now, and ultimately ends at respecting Janaff. Despite this, he's not ready to use "laguz" yet because he experiences with laguz to date, prior to Janaff, had all been presumably negative enough for him to develop this racist mindset.

Linearly, that brings us to RD. He's suddenly fine staying with the GMs and fighting a war on behalf of the Laguz Alliance, even when he was directly given an out. Next, we have him refer to a laguz as a laguz - something he wasn't able to do yet in PoR.

Does the linear progression stop there? Not if you supported Janaff! Following those things, again, when Janaff arrives in 3-7, their bond will show up in their profiles. These bonds are separate from RD support bonds in that they're basically saying these characters were bonded before the events of RD and thus have special bonuses near each other, regardless of if you support them in RD.

So where does this lead us? Well, like in PoR, we start to lose focus on the GMs as a whole and only end up with focus on a few of them. Our next line of progression can only come from supports again. These are notable and extremely important if he's supported with a laguz.

If it's Janaff you support him with in RD, he gets one of his standard support quotes in battle. Maybe you're thinking that sounds unimpressive and unimportant... but this means he's responding to Janaff as someone he's familiar with and not treating differently from the others (which is not the case when responding to several others, which I'll get to). Normally you'd expect him to treat a laguz differently, but he speaks with Janaff like he would to any beorc.

It gives off an air of familiarity - like they already know each other, are passed all that nonsense and aren't even thinking about it anymore. This is, of course, the case regardless of if you supported them in PoR (but again, I find their PoR supports to be important in terms of a proper, full linear progression of Shinon's development, which is something not every character actually even gets, i.e. they don't get a fully fleshed out and ongoing development story between both games if they're not a main character).

It's almost like it's considering that you may have gotten their PoR supports. It has to leave it up in the air as to whether or not you did, because it'd be odd if he was suddenly treating Janaff like they weren't as familiar with each other after getting their PoR supports. In other words, by default, their relationship in RD is not as bad as it starts in PoR in their C support. It feels like they've already supported and are closer now to be at this point.

So why is it important that he acts no different with Janaff than anyone else? Because he does act different near laguz kings. He's given special, personalized lines to the laguz kings and refers to them sincerely as laguz. Important to note is that the laguz kings only become playable in part four (Tibarn and Naesala) and Endgame (Caineghis).

These are characters he would have absolutely no chance at having any development with in either game prior (even if you consider time spent in PoR, Tibarn and Naesala are not playable until the final chapter and you can only pick one of them. Caineghis, plain and simple, is not even an option). That means his supports with them are the very beginning of their relationship.

This is by part four. There's been development since part three in his character that we don't see. He's now openly referring to them as only "laguz" (remember, he was back and forth earlier in RD). He treats them with respect.

"But DCB, of course he does! They're kings! They're powerful!" But the Shinon we started out with in PoR wouldn't have cared less. To him back then a sub-human was a sub-human. Even as allies, he wouldn't have respected them (re: his C support with Janaff). Instead, here, in RD with these supports, he can talk with laguz directly, refer to them as such, and give them respect.

He also doesn't start out being intentionally racist toward them. He's at the point, by the time he can support the laguz kings, where he skips right past the active "sub-human" bullshit.

What do I mean by that? Well... I mean with Tibarn, he almost says sub-human but catches himself and doesn't just say "you guys" like he did with Janaff in their A support (which came before his C support with Tibarn if you consider his development linear and including Janaff). He corrects himself, and instead uses "a king" - similar to his "you guys" pull back, but outright referring to him as a king is actually a step above that (and again, this is their C support).

King Tibarn. It seems like a sub-hu– I mean–a king such as yourself can hold your own.

He's learning! He's growing! He's maturing! He's realizing he can get out of that mindset! All his experiences prior to PoR, based on his supports with Janaff, would imply he's only ever known that he has to protect himself against them. He never got to actually meet one. When he did, it was hard to pull himself out of old habits for new experiences. He was trying for Janaff, but he wasn't quite there yet. Here, he does something very similar.

With the other kings, he just outright refers to them as kings with no stumbles.

Hey, Lion King! Of anybody here, it seems like you’d be just fine.

Raven King, you seem all right. No need to be babied, I hope.

Mind you, the latter is pretty standard Shinon in personality. It's unrelated to Naesala being a laguz. However, both are these are completely respectful as a person talking to another person.

For his B supports we have:

I thought you were the all-conquering King Caineghis! And yet, you mess up. Bizarre. You better stay by me.

Hawk King, whew, even you mess up sometimes. Kinda makes me nervous. You better stay by me.

Raven King–your fighting? Not good. Just…stay by me and let me handle this.

Bizarre, he says, that one of the strongest people he knows is having trouble. He's actually surprised. No comment about how sub-humans suck or anything, not here!

Similarly, even Tibarn messes up sometimes. He's surprised. He expects basically perfectly from Tibarn (so this presumes he has positive expectations of him from what he knows of Tibarn).

Naesala's fighting isn't good? Well what does PoR Shinon care! Let him die! But that's not RD Shinon (and remember, these quotes could've been anything else considering he got specifically personalized quotes with these three, and personalized quotes for RD supports are somewhat few and tend to be for specific pairs).

Stay by me, he says! The same things he'll say to anyone! To any beorc and to any laguz. Again, personalized quotes did exist and they were there for certain pairs. Those pairs got special quotes specifically for their relationship). He didn't avoid saying "stay by me" just because they were laguz.

Mind you, his support quotes with these three are much more respectful than usual Shinon. He's very, uh, hilariously Shinon (there is a word for this, however at this time I cannot think of it 😔. I am not thinking of sarcastic, I am thinking of... something else. Granted, these lines are directed to Reyson and Rafiel, who technically can't fight... so I'll give him a break on that one) in most of his quotes, and some don't sound particularly respectful ("Prince ___, it’s really hard to watch you fight. Why don’t you stay by me and let me handle this?").

Now for the A supports (and BOY HOWDY I'M EATIN' GOOD HERE)...

You know, I’m not one for making friends and being nice. But, Caineghis, I gotta say, you are one bad laguz. In a good way! Hang in there.

I gotta admit… I didn’t like you when I first met you. But, Prince ___, I hope you make it through all this. I was wrong about you.

You know, I really don’t care who lives and who dies. But, Hawk King, for a laguz– hey, for anyone–you seem pretty decent. I hope you make it.

You know, I never thought I’d say this, but… King ___, I’m thinkin’ you should live. Don’t ask me why! Just a crazy notion. Maybe I like you?

Not one for making friends and being nice in general, with beorc, but he's befriending a laguz? Well now! What would PoR Shinon pre-Janaff say!

If you need me to explain the lines to Reyson and Rafiel to you, I have no hope for you at this point. If you can't read "I was wrong about you" and understand what that means, you might need to go back to school. In fact you definitely do.

For a laguz - no, scratch that because that doesn't fucking matter anymore - for anyone - you seem pretty decent (<-- this is the way Shinon talks to everyone).

Maybe he likes Naesala? Maybe they're friends? Maybe he just admitted he's fond of a laguz? Maybe he just said he likes a laguz??? Gosh jolly, early PoR Shinon is rolling in his grave!

So uhhh, what does this have to do with Janaff? Well, like I said, I feel like their supports slot perfectly into Shinon's development that's going to exist anyway. It's like the middle part of it that you get to see but also may miss out on. It's like jumping from PoR to RD and wondering what on earth happened in between to bring Shinon to that point... and if you consider his A support with Janaff, it makes sense that that's what happened. It fills that gap, and it also slots in perfectly with where he is in his development as a character between two games.

Timeline:

PoR start - Shinon hates laguz. He seems to hate them for reasons unknown. Greil dies; Shinon leaves. Chapter 18 is reached and Shinon is recruited back into the GMs. Despite that the GMs are now working with the Crimean army which has actively allied itself with the beast and bird tribes, Shinon whatevers his way through that fact and rejoins. He'll tolerate, he guesses. Fam is here.

Cue Janaff supports. New birb, who dis, except he's rude! Yes folks, it was Janaff who was rude first (his lines were also very Janaff... who is very like Shinon, so it makes sense that would get a negative reaction from Shinon even if he was a beorc). Shinon is set off and now thinks he was right to hate laguz. Look at this annoying birb face and his dumb lil hat!!! Better threaten to kill him just to be safe...

B support, they're having a conversation and learning from each other because Janaff came over to apologize. He knows he was in the wrong to nag at Shinon just for being an unfamiliar face. Shinon is still pissy though because it's a goddamn birb with a hat!!! Their conversation is a mix of ugh fuck this annoying guy to actually talking things out... and Shinon admitting why he hates laguz - because he's always needed to protect himself from "those half breeds". Sounds like his only experiences were very negative, so he ends up racist. Well, Janaff was also racist until very recently for similar reasons, and he used to think all beorc liked to kill. He, too, had misconceptions that bred a racist hatred. Now, though, with Shinon talking to him, he's realized he was wrong about beorc and is open to seeing things differently. Shinon backtracks, realizing he's having this conversation with the birb with a hat and wonders why.

A support, they talk more and it's getting better... and Janaff not only admits to relating to Shinon - which is a nice touch because they're two sides of the same coin who are both still very much learning about each other's races - and mind you Janaff was racist at 110 years old so he's been doing this shit for a while! It was because he talked with Shinon and learned more about beorc that, on top of what Ike did for Leanne, he's being more open minded now. Janaff, understanding where Shinon is coming from (ignorance and misconceptions), is much more polite and kind to him. Shinon, in response, backtracks when he almost uses the racist term "sub-human" so as not to offend Janaff, leaves off here respecting him and, when Janaff has to leave because the support is over, calls him back because he wants to hear more about the world from him because Janaff has lived for so much longer. Maybe the birb with the hat isn't so bad at all after all!!

From here the GMs fight with laguz allies until the end of PoR. Two or three years pass idk shit's inconsistent I guess, and we get to RD.

By this point Shinon has already been in an army that allied with and fought alongside laguz, and maybe that's tempered his feelings. When given an out from joining the other GMs in their aiding of the Laguz Alliance, and as the only beorc, he chooses to stay with the group.

At this point he's back and forth with "sub-human" and "laguz". There's definitely improvement, but old habits still get out sometimes. Still though, he's progressed from "you guys" to outright using "laguz".

The laguz kings join in the fight against Ashera. Shinon can support them, getting personalized quotes specifically for them (and for the herons). With Tibarn, he catches himself and corrects what he almost said - something he did once before with Janaff as per this linear timeline. That's the only instance left of a mistake in his wording. By now he's not using "sub-human" at all (B and A support with Tibarn or C-A with Caineghis or Naesala), or he's freely and without stumbling using "laguz" with no "you guys" esque backtrack.

This is obviously only one aspect of Shinon's development, i.e. the development of him growing out of racism similar to Janaff, and there are more aspects to him that did develop and grow throughout both games, but this post was specifically to highlight the importance of having Janaff there as part of his growth. Without it, it's like a blank, empty spot in his development where you don't know how it started happening and to such a degree (how did he go from outright using sub-human to using laguz at all? It feels like there had to be something in the middle of that growth, and without Janaff's supports it's just missing.

With them though, it's quite clear how he reasonably went from sub-human to "you guys" to laguz with some slip ups (ones that he corrects himself with if he actually respects the person, in this case Tibarn. He didn't bother correcting it with Lyre and Kyza because he didn't like them, which again, is still a flaw, but that was prior to his ability to support the laguz kings. It would be more reasonable to say he's starting to grow out of using "sub-human" just to specific people as an insult by this point.

Mans ain't perfect, but he's trying and he's working on it. Why is that without Janaff involved in his development? I 'unno, I guess he just had some random offscreen development between the games. With Janaff though? It actually works, fits and makes sense. It feels like that part of his development is meant to be there, as it compliments his development going forward.

that's it that's all i had to say bye now

#Shinon #there is quoted evidence so nobody can say im just bias and making shit up 😤#anyway he's a multi faceted character AND gets development which FE does NOT usually do for non-main characters!#they especially don't usually get BOTH of those things!#Shinon's extremely lucky in that regard (especially bc not even all of the GMs were given this treatment and good fortune)#It's also very fun seeing Shinon and Janaff develop simultaneously. you get Janaff a SINGLE chapter before you can #get Shinon back (actually use him again) and the very first time you can ever use Janaff is ON the chapter Shinon returns #cooooincidence? maybe but I choose not to think so #Janaff feels so integral in Shinon's character growth in this regard #at this point my brain has cemented their supports as canon #anyway they're a great couple they never kiss and they definitely don't admit to being in love #they think y'all are delulu for thinking they're dating but actually they're the ones who are delulu #i have a do not separate policy for them in part four so shinon always ends up in the hawk army #which rly i don't need to do bc it's not like i need as many shrieks as i end up with #so really janaff doesn't HAVE to be with ulki and tibarn but it feels right #also it's like the one time i have everyone from a respective class type (archer classes) in every army #ALSO also I think it's an interesting situation to have Shinon in the final chapter before endgame 1 #maybe it would be cool to write about someday. him seeing the feral drugged laguz and how nastily mindless/cruel/violent/etc they are #compared to the people he knows and starting to realize this was how he used to see ALL laguz #and now seeing it's only these mindless drugged ones and how the people he knows are nothing like this...

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