#idk... prolonging the 'argument'

[bitethedevil]

The Science of Why Raphael Won’t Get Tf Out of My Head

It’s your local doctor in cambion physiology here. I’m going to take you through my theory about why Raphael is stuck in our heads. It’s all based on Science™, of course. Some of these carefully studied theories are dependent on the fact that you are the owner of a uterus. If you aren’t, then idk. I can’t help you. You’re a medical anomaly. It’ll all make sense in a moment, don’t worry about it.

There are a couple of things that I believe are necessary for prolonged focus on a specific character (Source: The Devil, Bite. 2024: Pulled it out of my ass):

Attraction: It helps if said character is hot.

Versatility: I’ll explain later.

A feeling of being able to relate to said character

Attraction

There’s this theory about how women’s attraction to men changes in accordance with their menstrual cycles (source and source). Basically the study says that when a woman is at her most fertile, she prefers more traditionally masculine looking men. However, the rest of her cycle she might prefer men who lean more towards the feminine (both in general qualities and physical attributes).

The whole point of this, is that at ones most fertile, it’s full on monkey brain genetics going “he looks strong and male, so he’ll make good offspring”, while for the rest of the time, it’s more attractive to find someone who actually has good partnership potential. Someone who is reliable and caretaking, and who would be stable in a longer relationship.

I suppose you could sum it up to one being a more romantic attraction while the other is more of a primal and carnal attraction.

Now I want you too look at this very educational graph that I used a couple of minutes to slap together:

Basically, my argument is that though Raphael is not stable or caretaking in any form, the difference between the two forms still visually fits into the two respective categories. His human form for the rest of the cycle, and his cambion form (the ascended form too if you’re freaky, I guess) that seems more traditionally masculine when fertility is highest.

That means that you can look at his dumb face throughout your whole cycle, but might feel a shift in which one you find more attractive (if all this science stuff is correct).

Even if the science behind all of this is bullshit, I still believe that different forms help when it comes to not getting tired of looking at someone.

Versatility

I’m just going to say it, even though my heart might disagree: Raphael would not have the effect he has if he was a more explored character with more screentime in canon. We would all love more Raphael, but I really think the reason for his longevity in our minds is that he is still somewhat mysterious.

Which parts are actually him and which parts are performance? What is he like behind closed doors? How much devil and how much man is he? We don’t really know. We have been given puzzle pieces, but there’s still a loooot of space free for interpretation, which is honestly what makes him great.

It’s been said before in this little corner of the internet: there are so many versions of Raphael, and the great thing is that people are never fighting over which Raphael is the “right” one. Some prefer Soft!Raphael, while others prefer Dark!Raphael. The versatility of his character’s representation allows for that, which I know at least has kept me interested for a long time when it comes to writing him.

Being able to relate

In much the same vein as above, people find different ways to relate to him. The thing on top of that is the feeling that we shouldn’t be able to relate to someone like him, which adds a certain level of taboo to it which is interesting.

He is both the smoothest mf alive and the biggest cringefail loser behind closed doors. He’s obsessive, weird, and too fucking much to be near for a longer period of time. He writes his contracts as songs because he likes ‘whimsy’. He’s got daddy issues and makes that everyone’s problem. There’s a lot to him that someone would at least be able to relate to at some level.

In conclusion

He is without a doubt the character I have hyperfixated on for the longest time, and I know it’s the same for a few others. I genuinely believe it’s because there is so much to him. If you get tired of one aspect of him, there are always other aspects of him to focus on, both physically and psychologically, instead.

And there is some variation to the attraction that I atleast can feel myself. If I have written a lot of darker stuff about him for a while, I get the urge to write something softer, and the cool thing is that you can do that and it still makes sense with the character. My preference for his forms vary often too.

Even when I tried to focus on other characters, I found myself returning to Raphael, because those other characters were often too fleshed out canon-wise. It quickly bores me because then there is a limit to what you can do with them.

There is a lot to Raphael and he’s like a glob of clay. You can mold him into whatever you like.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

[rimatsu]

It was amazing!!! The only thing that I didn’t like was the affirmation that he’s using Tommy to avoid being alone…that’s a crappy thing to say…and Maddie saying that that it’s not the way to get back together…I don’t know what to think… but…we know that Tommy comes back for at least 1-2 episodes more…so…what do you think?

i actually appreciate the fact that buck acknowledged he slept with tommy as a distraction from loneliness. tommy and his mountain of insecurities deserve that much honesty — if he's to be considered as a potential partner again, it can't be influenced by outside factors. maddie's right, feeling lonely isn't the best reason to get back together with someone. buck has to approach the possibility of rekindling their relationship with a clear mind and no ulterior motive. it needs to be a deliberate, informed decision, not something he accidentally falls into with the ghost of eddie haunting them both. and it's only by the end of 8x11 that buck reaches emotional catharsis: a new chapter of his life has started. he's accepted his new normal. he's less likely to make decisions he regrets. now is the time for him to examine whether tommy is still someone he wants to pursue after all those months apart.

and i think it's a matter of when and not if. a makeup is the only thing that makes narrative sense: they've set the stage for a reconciliation the moment tommy asked for a second chance and buck was receptive to it. instead of letting their romance naturally fade into the background after the hiatus, the writers reignited the flame. they crafted a scenario meant to prolong uncertainty about their future together instead of closing that door forever. things between them are more unresolved now than 806, which was once presented as their end. after that kitchen argument, they need to have a conversation to clear the air. an apology is necessary: buck didn't accidentally break tommy's heart for cheap drama. that moment was to give more substance and more weight to their relationship — it's an excuse to bring tommy back again outside of his function as a pilot. and that's walking in the opposite direction of closure.

also idk if this a hot take, but buck still lacks clarity when it comes to his feelings for tommy. i don't think 806 was an oh moment for him so much as a step in the right direction. and i believe the two-parter will finally do the trick.

[thinkviolets]

Whisper me Lies

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x Reader Summary: How can something end when it isn't there anymore?

A/n: IDK what category is this word vomit but I am putting this here. First contribution to the fandom and I am craving angst. English is my 3rd language and my first time writing. This piece is devastatingly not proof read and typewritten in my phone. Grammar mistakes ahead ⚠️ Might delete this later who knows?

You know that look in her eyes and have been dreading this for weeks. Gone were the whispered promises, each uttered promises felt even colder than death itself. Silence used to be a comforting warmth between the two of you, now it's choking the life out of you. This shared space was your haven amidst the chaotic life she seems to choose. You love her even before you know what love is. You were her solid ground when this foreign country felt like sinking sand for her. She was your first in everything and probably the last but it seems that wasn't the case for her.

This rift didn't even occur slowly, it came fast and hard. There were no arguments, no fights, just a sudden chasm of emptiness. You wondered what went wrong for the sudden turn in your relationship with Wanda. Everything just seemed to dissipate slowly into the void. She still sleeps with you with her arms around your waist. She still holds your hands and still buys you flowers but you know she doesn't see you that way anymore. You know the both of you we're trying to salvage whatever what's left. Prolonging this will just hurt the both of you, caging her will hurt you more than setting her free.

You already made peace with letting her go, you just didn't expect her to say she can't feel your love anymore. You, who would do everything for her, the only woman you have ever loved more than life itself can't feel your love? You don't want her to say it. You didn't think you failed in showing it and thought it right. Maybe, it does fail to compare when literal cosmic energy connects them. How can you even compete with that when the universe has tied them together.

Despite all those facts you know it in your heart you have given everything to her and never failed your love so she doesn't need to console you. She doesn't need to say that you will love someone else more than her. You don't want to hear her saying you will love someone else. You would rather hear her lie that she hates you than make you love anyone else.

You are ruined for anyone else. You are letting Wanda go so she doesn't need to say it. You'd take all your love for her even as much as asking her to whisper lies in your dying breath.

--

[sk1fanfiction]

(ch. 15 review) — it’s the way i kept trying to prolong this chapter 😭 anyway. i love inconvenienced tom (i’m sure dumbledore does too) like it’s so him to sleep way after curfew but complain about being called to do something during his “sleep time” and then i love how absolutely irritated he is once he enters dumbledores office and sees his two nightmares — harry & mini abraxas reincarnate being there. him using a silencing spell and dumbledore lowkey approving is just hilarious, harry’s a bit too loud for everyone’s taste apparently. i seem to have forgotten that voldemort is gorgeous? but did malfoy not clock the identical faces?… also tom riddle experiencing empathy??? and for abraxas’ clone?? oh dumbledore (and maybe ruby) what have you done to the poor guy ! the parvati and lavender fight… that’s so sad i know she’s in love with her but saying mean things to your friends is never nice and i feel so bad for lavender bc yes she’s a bit boy obsessed (although tbf cedric is beautiful) she’s still a good friend and she’s just a teenage girl !! also ruby doing nothing to help, i feel you girl, it’s awkward getting between two close friends arguments. i also did not realise that draco and pansy were officially dating oops. ALSO DAPHNE AND ANTHONY?? i did not expect that at all idkw but personally i’m thinking good riddance oops, jk but i don’t mind them together but poor ruby she’s a bit confused and bitter (although there is a perfectly handsome single guy who is literally in a blood vow to protect her so, she shouldn’t be too disheartened idk). nice to see blaise getting complimented on his bone structure yearly, it’s quite phenomenal. HARRY AND CHO MY CUTIES, he’s a little awkward and nervous but he’s got the spirit !! lastly that note… i’m wondering who wrote it and i’m leaning towards tom bc of their conversation in the forest when she ran away and also his affinity for participating in writing things for the potters during valentines. ooh and nott is such a dick i kind of love that for him.

I ended up prolonging this chapter to >7k to wrap up dangling plot threads so that's valid (the next one that I accidentally posted earlier is more normal length -- that'll be up on Sunday after I proofread it).

That's on me for giving Tom one of my most unserious habits (pretending to 'go to bed early' so people won't bother you for three hours). Harry is definitely (canonically) too loud (controversial but I like OOTP CAPS-LOCK!Harry). Truly the stuff of nightmares.

Malfoy (nor anyone else who has seen them both, like Narcissa) did indeed not clock the identical faces (Clark Kent effect, ig).

Also I haven't given Voldemort a physical description except for his red eyes in a while (since Three Can Keep A Secret, I think?). That is on purpose, because I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted OG/Snake Face Voldemort. But I came to the conclusion that (I think this is canonically correct?) he got the snake attributes from the regeneration potion in GOF, and in RFMD he gets regenerated by the Elixir of Life, and then Jadis from Narnia lives rent-free in my brain and I was thinking about that scene from The Magician's Nephew where she eats the forbidden apple or whatever, which makes her Beautiful in An Eldritch Way and decided to go with that...

Tom?? Experiencing empathy?? He begs to differ and says it is totally for strategic reasons.

Honestly, I do feel bad for making them fight :( Lavender is a good friend (will never get off my Justice for Lavender Brown soapbox) but the whole situation is just so messy. If I were Ruby I wouldn't know how to intervene either.

I was never sure if Draco and Pansy dated in canon, but I decided, what the hell, I've never done a proper Valentine's Day chapter before, so, why not. And on the note of Daphne and Anthony yeah that was intentional blindsiding (I think the only times they were seen together were Ancient Runes class and the junk shop and both were Ruby-centric things). Confused and bitter -- that's exactly why I said jealousy, jealousy is required listening for this chapter (for Parvati, too).

There is a perfectly handsome single guy who is literally in a blood vow to protect her

👀

I can't decide who would be more horrified by this proposition.

Blaise loves that for himself, too. I was re-reading OOTP to figure out Harry and Cho and then I realised that their #1 pastime is actually talking about sports 🤦🏾‍♀️

Of course it's Tom. Who else lives in the intersection of loving to fuck with people and misuse stationery for nefarious purposes?

[wifetomegatron]

here's to peace ( and those who get in the way of it ) ( first aid / reader )

summary : first aid has dinner with your family for the first time. first contact au pairing : first aid (idw) / gn! reader fandom : transformers idw continuity, more than meets the eye rating : m for mature due to mentions of blood and cursing, generally safe for work (sfw!) warnings : human ignorance. mentions of blood. tags : rewatched the awkward family dinner scene in fleabag and i didn't realise how much i loved it. deeply inspired by that scene, if you're it familiar with it, go have a good laugh and see it. i tried to be funny. idk if it works though.

There's a moment when you were sure that the sinking, churning feeling in your stomach would actually rise and push bile out of your mouth. That the sudden awkwardness in the air, pulled taut by the prolonged silence, will snap and cause your eyes to roll back — fainting would be a great distraction to get you and your boyfriend out of this agonizing position: a formal dinner with your family. 

You've been putting it off for weeks, declining their calls and sneakily texting your sibling back with the brightness of the screen down to zero while First Aid dozes off next to you. Eventually, he confronted you about it —  of course , he would find out. Attentive, doting, First Aid, who would scrub the apartment spotless every Sunday until no speck of dust survived, would find out. The grenade was already in your hands, the pin in your mouth like an apricot seed — and nearly sparked an argument about how you were ashamed of him. You had to calm him down and explain that it wasn't him you were ashamed of. It was the fact that your family told everyone that you were  dating a car . ( " Unfortunately, I can't turn into anything at the moment.") And to think that it's been nearly a decade since first contact, and they still couldn't find anything wrong with calling him an android. To make matters worse, they were referring to the Samsung  tablet —

" Ahem."

You were pulled out of your thoughts, and he gave you a reassuring squeeze, trying to level his vocalizer even if he was sitting as stiff as a rock next to your father. 

" Thank you, for having me here."

And like a kid who threw a rock at a sleeping hive of bees, the table buzzed to life, unapologetic to the fact that they've been staring in stunned, shameless, silence ever since you both arrived in the restaurant — which was, you glanced at your watch, fifteen minutes ago.

" Are you sick, love?" Your stepmother asked him. First Aid looked in your direction, confused until she gestured ( fingers a little too close ) to his mask.

" Oh no... this is just how I...look like."

" Well you're not at the hospital anymore," She chuckled through her teeth, smile stiff and voice so chirpy they grate your ears, " You can, you know, take it off."

" No, it's fine" You interrupted, " It's not a big deal." 

The rest of the people were looking at the menu, brow knitted and deep in thought as if they weren't just choosing whether to get the lamb shank or the vegetarian option for the starters. Cowards.

" It's a bit rude to have the shades and the mask when you're inside." She insisted.

" It's ruder to impose stupid, ignorant customs onto others."

You had to grit your teeth to get the words out. There was a brief pause, and you had to trace the seams on First Aid's arm to calm yourself, focusing on how the light bounced off his armor. And as if slinking back into her cave, retracting her claws, she swallowed the sour look on her face as it flickered back to a faux grin — nose scrunched and teeth bared.

 " Oh silly me. I do apologize."

First Aid let out a shy chuckle, " It's fine I understand —"

" I didn't mean to assume you had a mouth or eyes for that matter. Biology under all that...must be different."

Your stomach dropped. You could have sworn something lagged inside First Aid.   

" It's so lovely to have you here, darling! " Your sibling pans in your direction and smiles, trying to salvage the shattered pieces of the atmosphere, considering that your stepmom had  brutally  whacked a sledgehammer through it. The night is young. You were hopeful. You can count on them to say something reasonable —

" Considering your dating history, I just want to say that it's so refreshing to see you dating someone who's...not human! Diversity in relationships, after all, is the spice of life. Love wins."

Nevermind.

Your father cleared his throat — choked on his wine was more like it. Your sibling's partner talked over them before you could interfere: " Hear, hear! Humans are more compatible with your kind anyway. We're too emotional and fickle-minded. Dating metal must be a real upgrade from your previous relationships. They don't come with the messy, human baggage."

" That's a stereotype," You snapped, lowering your voice once a few heads turned to look, " So you're saying he's incapable of expressing his emotions? Because he's not human?" 

" Now you're just putting words into my mouth. I never said —"

" Do you need anything ?" The needy waitress interrupted, hovering around your table every ten minutes. You wiped your face with both hands. A cluster of arms flew to order drinks. The cutlery was noisy against the table. A headache formed in the back of your skull, and all you could do was anchor yourself to First Aid's palm as they massaged the small of your back. It was too much. The waitress called you twice and you lifted your head to order vodka, and then she gives you a pretty smile and accidentally asks First Aid wine or champagne.

Fuck. It was too late.

When he said no, your sibling-in-law and his disgusting, lazy excuse of a mouth were quick to joke, " What, you're not gonna offer the guy some oil?"

Immediately, at the same time, your father and First Aid placed a hand on your shoulder. Fingers and servos brushed against one another to calm you down, but it turned awkward, and your father pulled back a little too quickly, looking at the ceiling while First Aid crumbled like a wounded puppy. You want to reassure him that your old man's just socially constipated, but you feel the air rush past your lungs. The room felt hot. If there was an invisible camera, tucked away into the corner of the room, you would've stared at it for the crew to stop rolling. It's a shame that life isn't as simple. Or cheesy. And there wasn't a laughing track to wash away the discomfort suffocating everyone like waves bubbling into foam against the shore.

And that was how you ended up in the washroom scrubbing the bloodstain off your clothes. Water splashed all over the sink and onto the floors as you wiped the red pouring down your mouth, your chin, and even your neck. There was talking outside, and you held back tears, remembering the nervous phone call First Aid had with Ratchet in the evening before you had left the house. He told everyone. Your sweet, sweet boy had asked his CMO a week before about getting off early on Friday to meet your family. He told Velocity. He told Ambulon. Hell, Rodimus knew. And whether out of formality for being his previous captain or out of a severe case of 'never knowing when to mind his business', he had phoned your place and wished him luck. 

There was a knock.

" Can I come in? "

You slowly turn to your lover, nodding and finally bursting into tears. He hugged you tight, and you clenched your eyes shut, too ashamed to look at him. He was so gentle it was almost painful. Blood stained his shoulders. You know he's itching to wipe it off. Yet he stood still, steadying your shoulders with both hands. If he understood you less, you would've apologisedBut it was a wordless exchange between the two of you. Always. Only when you've stopped withering did First Aid speak.

" That went well."

You scoffed, " They're idiots."

" But you love them. And you should continue to have dinner with them. Meet them. Talk to them."

You frowned. You don't even know what's going on out there. But from the marks on First Aid's servo, he must have patched up the bleeding, bruised (hopefully not broken ) nose you had given your sibling-in-law. And knowing him, probably also helped ease your father back on his feet after you had accidentally knocked him down amid your little scuffle.

" I'll even go with."

You shook your head incredulously, " Why would you ever want to repeat this?"

" Because they apologized." His tone was soft, quiet almost as he stroked your hair, " And I'm sure, this won't happen again."

" Be realistic."

" At least it won't at least end like this. I know it."

Sometimes loving First Aid was like looking directly into the sun. You can't help but look away, eyes sore and heart bloated with hope. He pulled his mask down and kissed the discomfort away, and for a brief moment, you almost forgot that you still had people outside.

" If it makes you feel better, your stepmom apologized first."

" Really?" You pulled away from him to search his expression, mildly impressed, " And she didn't follow it up with anything?"

" Well, she did say life in the berth — erm, bed room, must be so interesting when you've got so many cables to choose from. She said it must've been a letdown for me to find out you've only got one port."

" Oh, fuck me."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Aita for sending two final message to a guy who is ghosting me?

I have submitted something here about the same person a while ago (like last August).

I (21f) had a friend (22m) last year who, due to a series of miscommunications, thought that we were dating when that had never been established. The gist is that we met on tinder and kissed on a night out, but no conversations were ever had about actually dating. Because we'd met on a dating app and I'd kissed him he thought we were dating, I did not think that because we never discussed dating. It was stupid. I kissed someone else on a different night out - because I was single I didn't even think about it - and he was very upset. I know I should have communicated better. I was in the mindset of "if he wanted to, he would, we talk all the time." I get now that other people won't take the initiative so you've got to do it yourself.

There was a whole thing, we were staying friends, then months after he blew up at me out of the blue, accused me of trying to "psyche him out before exams" because i wished him good luck. He apologised for that. Over the summer he came to me with super personal traumas and I tried to help him through it. We'd met up a few times at the beginning of this academic year for coffee. We had another series of miscommunications because he thought I was mad at him when I wasn't and drew me into a 3 hour argument about whether I was mad. This wasn't a great relationship, I know that.

We were mid conversation in November and he just stopped replying. Zilch. Nothing. I know he's still alive cos he's been posting Instagram stories, but he's just not replying to me. I left it cos fuck him if he wants to play like that. by Christmas though I was a bit worried about him, so I texted him "Hey, I hope you're doing okay. Merry Christmas" on the 20th Dec. No reply. I left it. On New Year's day, I texted him "Hey, happy new year. If I've done something to upset you, I am really sorry. Hope you're well". I've sent nothing since.

I think I may be TA because he clearly does not want to talk to me and I don't want to harass him. I also think I may be TA to myself because this friendship is awful and I'm prolonging it like this.

However, I may not be TA because I think it's pretty normal to want to check up if someone is okay if they just stop replying mid conversation like that.

Idk

What are these acronyms?

[eliteseven]

idk if you’ve talked about this before but what was tav’s and shadowheart’s second kiss like? we all know how the first one played out because we all have that lovely waterfall date but i’m really intrigued as to how their second kiss would happened!

your tav and shadowheart are just so sweet ❤️

🥹 thank you!! I’m so happy you’re enjoying their story. Good question!!

I think it would follow that date and probably just happen naturally, because they’re already so attracted to each other.

Shadowheart still isn’t big on letting the camp see them together in any capacity. But healing is a good excuse to visit Tav’s tent.

She probably settles in there for a moment to close some of Tav’s wounds from a recent battle. Knelt in front of Tav, who’s also sitting cross legged, patiently holding her arm out for healing. When Shadowheart finishes, she doesn’t let go immediately. She traces her fingertips up Tav’s inner arm- she just wants to prolong the contact. Tav thanks her by way of a forehead kiss. Soft, intimate, the only way she can think to say thank you in that moment.

Shadowheart gasps quietly. She’s still not used to anyone being so tender with her. I think she looks up at Tav with wide eyes and steals a kiss. Gentle, sweet and just as innocent as Tav’s lips against her forehead. Their eye contact is charged, breathing picking up- even when they part. Tav rests her chin atop Shadowheart’s head. They hold each other- for a moment. Just a simple embrace.

And then Lae’zel storms in demanding to speak about the crèche and they jump apart. Shadowheart scowls at Tav after that, just to keep up appearances. Tav hides her smiles behind her sleeve and tries to focus on Lae’zel’s complaint.

….OR they’re mid verbal argument and Shadowheart just yanks her by the collar and shuts her up via kisses bc she’s just realized she can do that now. Plus she forgets why she was angry in the first place and she likes watching Tav’s scowl melt into a sheepish look of adoration.

Either way will do 😅

[grimalkinmessor]

afofa 1 + 6 + 16 + 26

💚❤️

1. Describe their first date.

Ooo see now that's a tricky one! Because I don't really see them as the type of people who "date" in a traditional sense. Like,,,,they already live together? Spend all their time together? Dates are usually outings and given AFO's homicidal tendencies and his debilitating need to have Yoichi close at all times, I don't see any outings going well for them 😬

Their first date would probably be after Yoichi tried to rebel and All For One wanted to rekindle the romance between them—in the most horrifying way possible, of course. Like a meal surrounded by the corpses of those that opposed him. Yoichi probably can't even eat because he's so nauseous at the sight and smell and the conversation would be mostly arguments and reminiscing.

6. How do they make up/apologize after an argument?

They don't :D That shit festers and it festers because neither of them will admit that the other is right in any capacity, and they also refuse to address it because furthering the argument after it's "gone cold" would just prolong both their anger and misery. Better to ignore it and sneak around behind each other to try and fix whatever they think is wrong :)

16. Would they ever get matching tattoos? If yes, what would these look like?

Ahhh probably not actually. Which pains me to say as someone who loves tattoos and has several 😭 Idk I just don't think either of them would like the idea of tattoos, especially not one the other has a hand in picking?? Like the closest I can think is if they find someone that's okay working on underaged peeps and get their favorite quote from a book they read together, just for the novelty. But other than that I just don't see them doing anything like that :')

26. What sacrifices do they make for the other?

Well, in canon we see that All For One is willing to sacrifice material things for his brother—probably because he doesn't actually care about them beyond how they make other people perceive him—like clothes, shoes, and food. And Yoichi...well, Yoichi is willing to sacrifice his happiness and freedom. He's okay with never being fully happy as long as his brother is happy, and AFO is okay with never being truly full as long as his brother never goes hungry.

Which makes the vault all the more angsty, but still ✨

[gales-tits]

One of the things I really adore about how @dekariosclan talks about Gale is they talk about him as a rounded human. I see a lot of takes about Gale being like the ideal man, and unfortunately a lot of them fall into like... perfectionism. And Gale, as a person, is not perfect. Even as a pixel husband, he's not perfect. And there's nothing wrong with wanting that; he's not real. sorry sorry I know I know I'm sorry BUT I think for me, as an adult in my thirties, the idea of him being perfect doesn't work because... wait for it...

I'm not either.

As a human person, I'm a fucking disaster. I have issues with touch. I'm asexual. I am weird about prolonged time spent with someone. I am aggressively independant to the point I have to make my partner go in the other room sometimes. I know that I would get on Gale's nerves, and he would get on mine, and it's important to know that. Because that's normal. THAT IS WHAT MOST RELATIONSHIpS ARE LIKE.

There's something nice about a flawed character. There's something nice about the realism of that fact that yeah, you'd have arguments, sometimes one of you would be wrong and one would be right, you'd grate on each other, it wouldn't always be sunshine and rainbows. But the best Gale take I've seen, and it's so true, is that the best thing about Gale is that he is willing to learn. He would understand needing space and not take it personally, he would understand getting frustrated at mess or at yourself, and he would love you regardless of it.

idk this got a bit rambly but my point I guess is, don't fall into the perfect trap, and don't fall into the idea that being 'perfect' is actually what you want.

[marley-manson]

Xena season 4 finale(ish) post, warning for spoilers for certain mutuals who are currently watching the show, or anyone else.

FANTASTIC climax to Gabrielle's arc this season, good god. When she throws that fucking spear... chills. This is another contender for favourite Xena scene of all, it's so incredibly effective. The way these last few episodes have really hammered down Gabrielle's pacifism with her arguments with Amarice, her choice to let Brutus go instead of having him executed, her stupid powder and non-lethal fight shenanigans, the return of Eli in this episode - and it's all there just to make the moment where she picks up that spear as impactful as possible, and it works. Even her first kill and that fallout all the way back in season 3 now feels like it exists just to set up the emotional impact of this scene, it's that good.

And god the scene itself is amazing to watch. The way she mows down soldier after soldier as brutally and efficiently as possible, the way she visibly shifts from fighting to protect Xena to lashing out in frustrated rage as she realizes that escape is impossible, her lack of regret afterwards. The cheffest of kisses.

This episode was fantastic in other ways as well. I love that the show makes it clear that Xena only lost here because Callisto is a fucking cheater lmao. She would've killed Caesar when she intended to if Callisto hadn't intercepted her chakram, and she would've escaped the prison if Callisto hadn't broken her back. Caesar didn't defeat Xena, Callisto did, and only because Callisto has ghost magic going on. And that's very fitting too, because if it was just Xena vs Caesar it might've felt a little thin for an epic conclusion - but with true fan-beloved archnemesis Callisto involved, it feels appropriately impactful. Also love that Xena intended to just quietly assassinate Caesar lol. Circumstances are a little different than The Debt, since Caesar did declare his murderous intentions first, but the vibes are similar and I love them.

Also Caesar's sexualized vulnerability in this ep sure was a choice, but a good one imo - the sex nightmare (including a prolonged shot where they're positioned to mimic gender-reversed missionary) as well as Callisto getting handsy with him. And again like, idk exactly what the intent was here, but the vibes do feel like a call-back to his dubconny sexual encounter with Xena, and the fact (? taking their exchange in When Fates Collide into account, when Xena says she must've been his worst nightmare) that he was/is afraid of her. Idk, it adds a nicely complex layer to their interactions and mutual enmity, not quite undermining Xena's resentful hatred, but suggesting it's a two-way street, and for a good reason, especially with v traumatized Callisto drawing a parallel between the two of them in how Xena fucked them up. And given that they both simultaneously die by each others' hands-by-proxy in a pair of intercut scenes at the end, it does fit this story nicely. Both achieve a cathartic, and arguably deserved, vengeance.

Idk if I can say that was the intent definitively, I mean, the show also just has a hard-on for dominant women lol, it doesn't frame Xena as an actual rapist at any point, and it certainly hasn't made an impression on fans either based on the fact that I've like, never seen this dynamic between them discussed before. But Caesar waking up in terror after dreaming about Xena fucking and then stabbing him - in a context that suggests this is a recurring nightmare, given Caesar saying "dreams" plural and the fact that he hasn't even seen her recently - sure is a striking image to start us off with and contextualize Caesar's obsessive hatred, yk?

Oh man and finally I adore Callisto in this ep, and not just because she looks good with short hair lol. Also like, that shot when Xena and Gabrielle are being brought out to the crosses and she catches a snowflake on her tongue like a delighted child might be my favourite Callisto moment of all <333 And speaking of that moment, the direction and editing of this episode was also just amazing. Beautiful, many striking images, excellently paced.

Basically this was a nearly perfect episode, extremely satisfying and poignant and engaging and intriguing, and if it had actually been the end of the series it would've been a very fitting end. In some ways seasons 5 and 6 almost feel like bonus seasons lol, take them or leave them, with this as the true thematically resonant and emotionally satisfying ending.

[wildpeachfarm]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. She falsely accused him of sexually assaulting her because he kissed her after prolonged period of flirting. In what way is her doing that okay or at all acceptable?

I really don't know anon I feel like we are missing a puzzle piece or something 😭 her argument was that there was no consent even though she admits she led him on and flirted with him many times before this but claimed she didn't think it would actually go anywhere. In her recent post on Twitter she also says he asked if she was okay and then left when she asked him to, so I'm not even sure what's going on

idk man this is so confusing😭😭😭 I don't even wanna dwell on it because I think this is going to be one of those situations where we never get answers.

[the-owl-tree]

Mapleshade is an abusive parent thats my unpopular opinion

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

see i understand where all the pieces for this fit but in the context of clan society and oakstar exiling babies, it just....feels off to me, you know? one of those things where you can see the entire argument and the pieces from the text but it's not working for you. it is bad that mapleshade kind of rushed her kittens into the water and that's on her, but like idk....i gotta think on it. maybe it’s like, such a situational thing than a prolonged act that that’s why I can’t really get behind this.

just from a more personal angle, i always found the inclusion of the bridge to be the coward's way out for the writers so maybe that's why.

[errorscriber]

observing the camera angles in half (with brief analysis)

feeling very fucked up thinking about how Kazui's theatre has balcony viewings, or the reason why the creators chose this theatre as a metaphor for kazui's story.

like aside the fact from the obvious symbolism of how indifferent and indecisive kazui has felt towards his life, or how hes too analytical to a fault where he has no choice but to watch his life unfold, it's just kinda funny and sad that the other reason why is because they have a second floor with balcony viewings. of course!

in the latter half of Half (lol), where Kazui is mask-less, the camera puts a lot of emphasis towards the audience.

the sequence begins with kazui looking upwards to the audience. (you can tell the stage is at the back with the lines and the front having reddish blocks)

kazui turns away from the audience. hes moving as if hes in an argument or in a confrontation with someone. you can see the curves in the side of the room, and the railings next to it. i find this scene to be very notable out of the rest because this is one of the only scenes where we can see the balcony floors in its fullest view.

kazui goes to the front, bowing towards the audience. (again, you can see the lines at his back; that's the curtain/stage walls + before he goes down u can see the stage light at the ceiling) is he apologizing to someone? did he see something fall?

camera changes again. he looks aside police kazui (or the chair), looks at his hands, and then puts his arm up at the air, as if he wants to catch someone? he's staring and putting his arms out towards the balcony floor, as if someone was going to fall. his palms open, and then he grasps them tightly in this scene; did he manage to catch whatever he wanted to catch? is he begging for mercy? is he trying to catch his dreams?

was it futile? the shot of his face prolongs for a little while. we can see his eyes slant. whatever he wanted from up there, it seems like he failed to get what we wanted.

the stage scenes end with kazui bowing towards the chair, like he just finished explaining things, or probably wanting to apologize towards the chair.

...meanwhile, when Kazui was still masked:

the camera is clearly Within the audience, shooting Kazui on the stage (vs the camera With kazui when he's mask-less, shooting Kazui's perspective of him to the audience).

there is no emphasis on the background, but instead, focuses more on kazui himself and what he's doing on the stage.

a lot of people think about the final bits of Cat, or the brief flashbacks in the screen at the final seconds of half as what happened before hinako's death, but i wonder if the mask-less stage scenes have the answers we need? maybe if we combined all of them together...

i have always interpreted the maskless scenes as Kazui re-enacting everything that has happened, and the info we have from Cat proves this even more to me tbh.

thank you for reading this far if you have! this is my first time trying to make a big post about milgram so please forgive me if this was hard to read, idk how to format these types of posts ;;

(this might've already been obvious to some people but I just felt like it was cool to point out, with the information we have from Cat.)

[lovemyromance]

Do you think Sarah and BB not announcing the next book while the shipwar continues is intentional or not? I’ve seen both arguments and I lean toward not because if i’m correct Sarah doesn’t really get on social media and yes BB would most likely have a media team or someone to help Sarah with marketing but I also feel like the shipwar is mostly within the fandom and not something the average reader would know about and so it might just be “a few bad apples” to someone on a media team or something scrolling through tags not like a full blown issue and not just that but you do have to manually turn on timestamps on posts on tumblr and it’s not always obvious when a tiktok was posted and from experience towards the end of TOG while it wasn’t anything as bad as this with tiktok not being around/popular yet it was the same level of anger and hatred over ships on tumblr like it tends to cycle through toward the end of Sarah’s series where things are wrapping up and all the sudden the fandom is in flames for a while

Honestly I think SJM has a really shit PR/Media team. They have never done a really good job with promoting any of her books and other than the random book signing and instagram live here and there, they're really doing a poor job of capitalizing on the popularity of her books.

In regards to the ship war, I think it only really exists online. Most casual readers ship Elriel or Elucien, and do not have any stake of interest in what is endgame or not. Gwynriel isn't even something that ever comes up, let alone is considered.

I don't think festering the ship war is intentional, as I don't think BB even knows of its existence. Even if it did know, it probably wouldn't know how to use it to their advantage anyways (sorry not sorry). I think the only reason it's taken this long to get the next ACOTAR book out is because SJM was working on CC, her tv show thing (idk if it's even happening still), etc.

If they were trying to be intentional about the ship war, the recent articles that have been published would've hinted at that. But most articles only mentioned Elriel, referring to Lucien as just someone who is her mate who she does not speak to lmao. If you think back to the twilight craze, we allllll knew Bella was going to end up with Edward. But there was still such a big ship war and it was purely just marketing. We had celebrities out here putting #team Jacob on their Twitter bios, teenage girls with full Team Edward merch, and whatnot.

So yeah, long story short, the next ACOTAR is taking a while because SJM is the bottleneck here, not BB trying to prolong some toxic ship war

[lorelodge]

♛ — also laszlo & nadja

Who’s more likely to find who wearing their clothes?: Nadja wears his coats & shirts but Laszlo will wear her hair extensions and use some of her beauty products... which aren't strictly clothes but I think it's cute so.

Who enunciates hand holding?: Nadja, but only by a small margin. Truth is they both like to hold the others hand. They want each other close.

Who likes having their hair washed by who?: Laszlo has spent 300+ years learning how to take care of Nadja's hair and help with with her hairdo's. Yes, this includes washing. He'll often do it because he enjoys it and loves her hair, but they're disgustingly affectionate so usually Nadja will wash his hair after.

Who likes to slow dance?: Neither have the patience to slow dance very often. Laszlo enjoys it a little & is more familiar with formal dancing. He's taught Nadja the basics but they both prefer to freestyle.

Muse that’s more likely to fall asleep with their head in the others lap?: Nadja. & Laszlo purrs every time it happens.

Muse that does all the cuddling in a blanket fort?: Nandor. Nadja. Lol.

Who hogs most of the covers at night?: .............Nadja. It's secretly why he suggested separate coffins.

Muse who nuzzles the others shoulder to get them to give them a head rub?: Laszlo.

How do they share a desert? Two forks or one?: Two forks and two deserts. Listen, they love each other but there are limits. Sharing chocolate cake is one of them.

Who gets jealous more easily?: They're not perfect. Both are capable of being jealous, but Nadja is much more obvious about hers.

Who gets angered more easily?: umm...idk

How do they go to sleep at night?: In canon it's two separate coffins because if they didn't they would spend all day & night fucking until they expired from starvation.

Who gets the most shoulder rubs?: Laszlo.

How often do they fight?: Not often. I mean, don't get me wrong. Laszlo & Nadja piss each other off. If so they're prolonged. Taking anywhere from a few hours to a week to sort out. This is partially because they will pause an argument to have angry sex. Genuine fights where they both dig their heels into the ground and are obtuse about communication were more common when they were newlyweds but are fairly rare these days. In general, they were never common. Sometimes they manufacture arguments just for the makeup sex.

What are there arguments/fights like?: Um... it depends. Were feelings hurt? They've been married for 300+ years so bickering is a staple of the relationship. But it rarely escalates. When it does, Nadja tends to "ignore" him. She makes Laszlo sleep in the basement and pretends like her husband is just another piece of furniture. The only problem with her method is Laszlo can 100% outlast her in the ignoring game. When Laszlo is upset he tends to be very moody & cranky. He shuts down communication and puts on his Sad Man pants.

Who is more likely to throw things in fights?: Nadja. She throws anything from paper weights to Laszlo himself.

How do they make it up to each other/apologize after an argument?: Nadja is one of the only people Laszlo will apologize to. He starts with "I'm sorry" and then, when Nadja is ready to forgive him, he showers her in affection & praise. Nadja's methods are much simpler. She will fuck the sad out of him. It has a 10/10 success rate.

Do they have nicknames for each other?: To quote rosey "bear - bull - lion - tiger - rhinoceros - buffalo - stallion - dragon - ostrich - gorilla - monkey ( distinct class from gorilla ) - armadillo," are ones that Nadja has for Laszlo.

Laszlo's are a bit more typical including "my darling, my love, my darling wife."

Caring for each other while ill, how does the other muse go about it?: Who’s more likely to be patching the others wound?: They have super human healing. But it's still Nadja, somehow. Laszlo is prone to forgetting to feed, he leaves random shit lying around to be tripped over, etc. He's just... not always the best at caring for himself.

Muse that says ‘I told you so’, after they come home from the beach and other muse is burnt to a crisp while whining how bad it hurts for not listening and putting on sunblock after the other muse repeatedly told them they’d get burnt?: .... I mean to his credit. He neither told Nadja of his intention to go to the beach nor complained about the horrendous sunburn after. Lol. But it's totally Laszlo.

Your otp has a newborn baby, who gets up in the middle of the night when he/she cries?: Sure as fuck isn't Nadja. If Guillermo isn't there than Laszlo will do it.

Your muse’s of the otp reaction to finding the others crying about something? And how do they make them feel better?: Immediate concern and inquiring as to what's wrong and then figuring out how he can make her feel better. Whether that's by slaying a beastly boyfriend (Gregor) or giving her the moon. Above all else, Laszlo wants Nadja to be happy. His lady wife crying simply isn't acceptable.

What would they be like as parents?: Horrible. Lol. Listen, I love Dadszlo and vodka aunt Nadja, but they are not equipped to be parents (and that's okay!). If they did become parents, regardless of their readiness Laszlo would enjoy being a stay at home dad (once the kids were capable of forming sentences and fine motor function). Nadja would (probably) love the kid(s) but she's very busy being a girl boss. She'll go to the occasional basketball game and scheme to get her kid into the best schools. But when it comes to changing diapers and packing lunches that would be all up to Laszlo... or Guillermo. Probably Guillermo.

What would they have been like as childhood sweethearts?: I think they would be inseparable. Two scrappy kids who constantly get into trouble. Laszlo's family would probably try to keep them apart because of Nadja's status. While they may play a part in Laszlo's initial perception of her, I think he is bound to fall in love with her crazy ass. His father may send his to boarding school sooner and Laszlo would write to her every day. He's more determined to do well in school with varying success, but as with canon his sexuality eventually gets him expelled. From there I think he'd come back feeling very low of himself and gravitate toward Nadja's arms. They'd probably marry very young, against his parents wishes.

Who enunciates taking a bath together?: Laszlo.

Who likes who playing with their hair?: Laszlo loves Nadja's hair but she's actually more likely to play with his unprompted.

The place they mostly likely accidentally fall asleep together?: Either the sofa, watching reality TV or naked on the rug by the fire after serious love making.

[sarnakhwritesthings]

Honorverse question for you, as our resident Grayson expert: do you have any thoughts on how the "fix" for that broken gene are going to change Grayson society? So far as I know, only Joelle Presby's mentioned that it has implications in one of her short stories, and didn't really go into it beyond "guess people will have fewer moms in the future." I can see a whole range of ways it can go. What do you think?

heh, idk if I'm th expert, per se, but i guess if @shannon-foraker is the local Havenite geek and you're a Manty/treecat enthusiast, I suppose someone's got to do it XD

firstly, i think with a much lower infant mortality/miscarriage rate, grayson's population is going to explode. if every one in four babies is a boy, and then that changes to even one in two (1:3 ratio to 1:2 ratio), in about 20 years they're going to have a MUCH bigger population entering the workforce, think Baby Boom writ large on a planetary scale. while this is good for their workforce, military, etc, they're going to need to massively expand their orbital farms and massively expand their on-planet domes, as well as step up the heavy metal filtration industry to try and make the atmosphere less toxic. so there'll be a bunch of economic and logistic-related things to consider. combine that with all the prolong those babies are likely to receive, and grayson may need to shove half it's population into orbit to have enough space, or start leveraging Manty counter-grav tech, but iirc we see in Harrington Steading that the counter-grav wasnt all THAT much employed in hi-rise construction, despite the tech being available to them. (There are some EXCELLENT discussions on the benefits, impacts, and economic discrimination of prolong on the Weber fora, and/or the Pearls of Weber writing pieces, but I dont have them to hand, though iirc Shannon has an account there and may be able to find them easier)

eventually, the population will level off (my friend @hylianengineer knows a lot more about environments and their carry capacities than I do, though ofc ze has no idea what the hell im tagging them about, lmao, hi hylian, imma try and drag you into another of my scifi fandoms), but I don't see that happening for a while.

on one hand, i would like to say that grayson would experience a womens' lib movement. on the other hand, i don't think that the economics of the new population ratios are necessarily going to provide the pressures necessary, because the workforce is going to increase anyway, unlike in the US where the women's rights movement was impactful BECAUSE in part of their participation in the labor force.

obviously, the Lady Dame Steadholder Harrington's very existence is going to strongly push that way culturally, but as more men gain the vote, and assuming a not-insignificant portion of the planet remains culturally conservative (and since some of the older prolong therapies can be applied to non-adolescents, i think that is likely, esp as they raise children to the same ideology), there'd be MORE voting bloc to push against women's suffrage than there would to push for it. And supposing that a hypothetical Grayson man, who doesn't really care much either way, but just wants his wives to shut up about it already, would vote for suffrage because he's getting it on two or three fronts, if he had only one wife, would have less incentive from a point of view of winning or at least not losing an argument.

i dont think we know much about the state of laborer's rights on Grayson, but it doesn't seem late-1800s-early-1900s abysmal, which is where a number of court cases in the USA established anti-discrimination labor precedent, which is another strike against a theoretical impact of increased participation by women in the workforce. (And again, i dont think we know a lot about this, but if there was a Rosie-the-Riveter style push on grayson to free men up from jobs to serve in EXTREMELY-rapidly-expanding fleet, that may be one of the few labor-related impacts in the short term, but with more men entering the labor force in a generation, that has to happen now during the Havenite and Solarian wars to have any effect)

and from a pragmatic, blood-view: If there are more men on grayson, then a woman who oh-so-unfortunately-became-a-widow-oh-isnt-it-so-tragic-he-died-so-suddenly-without-warning with dark sunglasses and heavy makeup would have a LOT more options economically in terms of having a husband to support her.

conversely, a woman who has no sister wives is going to have LESS support in keeping the home (which on Grayson, can literally be a matter of life or death if your heavy metal filters aren't seen to), less support with her children, and no backup against a potential abusive partner. Challenging the idea of 'the wife is subordinate to her husband' will be a lot harder if the husband only has one wife to subordinate. For instance, if a wife wants to implement a more strict form of birth control, and the husband is resistant to the idea, it's going to be harder for her to either win that argument, or have someone in-house help her get around him.

I think Grayson's polygyny does have some benefits when it comes to child-rearing, in the sense that instead of multi-generational households, there's the small 'village' inside the house, but it's not strictly related to the polygyny, and and more to the fact that it's a method of communal child-rearing that would be made difficult by the fact that it's pretty difficult for kids to just Wander Out And Play if they don't live in a dome. And a more balanced polyamory would somewhat do the same thing, too, assuming the Church of Humanity Unchained ever got progressive enough to allow such a thing.

TLDR: massive economic boom about a generation after the fix is widely disseminated across the population, probably a greater pushback against women's rights/suffrage/lib, at least in the short term, and there would probably be an uptick in abusive-spouse death due to additional options available.