#in spite of them not being ‘show quality’ or whatever

[lazywriters-blog]

A PINCH OF HATE

AVENTURINE x FEMALE!READER + DR. RATIO

Summary: Just Aventurine being a little brat and poking fun at Ratio- trying to make him jealous and showing off, and trying his best to spite Dr. Ratio. After all, the doctor might have feelings for his darling as well. [This is a little silly lol but I tried.]

Warning: Possessiveness, angst? Jealousy. Overall a lot of touching from Aventurine, he's lowkey obsessed.

"Perhaps you should learn from your companion a bit of self-restraint, gambler."

"Whatever do you mean doctor, I'm plenty patient." Aventurine ever the smug, slippery little guy grins and purs out a retort, she was hoping his grip on her waist would loosen and drift away but that hasn't happened yet and it's making her uneasy.

"Oh! Do you find her fascinating perhaps? Taken a liking to my darling, now that won't do." he giggled to himself, and if she hadn't been forced to stay with him for an entire week, she wouldn't have noticed his slight change in tone.

"Don't be ridiculous, I find her qualities to be much more preferable than yours."

"Sheesh, it almost sounds like you're after my darling here, doctor." Dr. Ratio ignored the blonde and turned his attention to her, asking, "Why do you stick around with idiots? You should have better places to be than here."

"Umm... I-" Aventurine pulled her close to his body and pouted, "I suppose we are idiots in love, doctor."

She couldn't tell him what happened for her to end up miserably hopeless beside Aventurine, or if she could even get a chance.

'Do you like him or do you not?' She was cornered one afternoon. During that time she began regretting stepping out of her office, Aventurine was just outside waiting for her and she didn't know what he had in mind. 'where's this coming from?' she tried to pry in-between them some space, nervously smiling and looking to her right but he kept nearing her with a smug smile.

'Come on, we are friends... Right? Don't friends share their secrets?' she hadn't considered him a close friend, though she did enjoy his company.

'I mean he considers me to be much inferior to him... Probably, I'm likely too dumb to be with a genius.'

'Ah~ I didn't mention who 'he' was.'

She playfully pushed him back and shyly looked down, 'You and your stupid mind games.'

'Let's make a bet.' He grinned, and she groaned. Though she did win some of his bets, it remained difficult. 'Not this one again.' she took a step back.

'Come on don't be like that~ it will be fun.' She sighed and he took it as his cue to carry on. He took long strides towards her and smiled wide.

'Go on a date with me or...' he leaned into her ear, breathing out the last of his wager, 'stop liking him.'

He was testing her, making good use of her feelings and manifesting everything in his favor, though she wasn't surprised. Aventurine was always one step ahead and she was an idiot.

She likely didn't stand a chance against him. Whatever he had planned for them both, she doubted he would consider her livelihood. Aventurine can be selfish with the things he wants, she's realized that.

Aventurine took his time rubbing salt into Dr. Ratio's unseen wound, slyly smirking and giving her a quick kiss on her lip and clearly, it left her bewildered.

Was that her first lip-to-lip contact?

"Ugh-" Dr. Ratio released a disgusted noise and clutched his book closer to his chest, "take your lovey-dovey display somewhere else." Aventurine let out a haughty laugh and grinned, "Shouldn't you be saying how wonderful of a couple we are? Are you jealous of me Doctor?"

"With you being a shameless gambler and her a decent lady, I don't find anything much appealing."

Aventurine faked a sad sigh and looked at her, "Don't mind him, he's being salty he hasn't acquired a beautiful maiden like yourself." he kissed her cheek and she was tempted to say she didn't mind him, at all but decided to remain silent. "Let's go select some of the rings I've prepared for you!" he leaned back a little and gently stirred her around to the exit with his hand still holding onto her hip.

"What? Surely you aren't thinking of involving her in your cunning schemes and putting her in grave danger. Or perhaps you've lost your mind." That made Aventurine stop and she took a peek at his face, he wasn't showing any emotion but she could sense some spitefulness.

Eventually, Aventurine turned his face and grinned back at Dr. Ratio, "You shouldn't care about what belongs to me, doctor."

She didn't get to see what expression Ratio had wore as Aventurine was quick on his feet and quickly dragged her along with him. She let him sit beside her during the ride back to his place, and though she had meant to keep her lips sealed and tucked tight, curiosity had begun to gnaw away her peace.

So she asked, "Does he like me too?" if it were anybody else, anybody like Dr. Ratio she would be given a scowl and a complicated response of yes and no, but this was Aventurine and he would have known something she didn't beforehand.

His hand gently touched her knee, and he gave her his signature smile, "Oh, it seems like the doctor isn't very good at being subtle, but I digress, as a potential partner doctor would be horrible and it would be a nightmare for both parties. So it shouldn't matter whether he liked you or not."

"Right." She didn't know how to respond and it wasn't like she was hoping for the doctor to return her feelings or share her sentiment.

Aventurine turned towards her and smiled, "Moving on, I think we should wear a matching pair of attire tomorrow, so let's go shopping!"

She nodded, she couldn't lie she was enjoying the attention Aventurine was showering her with.

[demiesworld]

jjk men and how they show their love for you

☆ characters: satoru gojo, suguru geto, toji fushiguro, kento nanami, + choso

☆ genre: fluff, romantic, domestic

☆ contents: mentions of abuse & death in toji's part, but nothing graphic

☆ notes: reader is a female and uses she/her pronouns. ages are not mentioned in this, but the reader is of legal age. curse spirits, sorcerers, etc. do not exist. everything is purely fictional.

— satoru gojo: cuddling

he likes it when you two are alone together in the privacy of your home, cuddling together underneath a warm blanket while watching a really bad (in his opinion) movie that you picked out. and even though he really wants to critique the writer's script of the characters, and the actors acting performance, satoru doesn't say not a word to you about it. he just holds you around your waist tighter and nuzzles his nose into your neck. he likes the smell of you after a shower because you smell fresh and it's comforting to him.

— suguru geto: quality time

to suguru, there's no better way to keep your attention on him than taking you out somewhere or just spending time together. when he takes you out on a date, he encourages you to silence your phone (or better yet turn it off) to avoid any distractions. same goes for when you two are being intimate. he's a man that wants eyes on him and for you to listen to him. he does the same thing for you. you want to tell suguru about the nosy bitch at work? he's listening and giving you advice. you want to go to the netherlands? he's buying a plane ticket in business class for you two. whatever it is, suguru loves to spend time with you as long as you are on the same page as him.

— toji fushiguro: acts of service

growing up in the zenin family and being abused by them sculpted toji into the cold, callous man he is today. followed by the sudden and tragic death of his previous wife he didn't think he could find love ever again. not until he met you. you warmed this man's heart at the first time he saw you. he likes to show you that he loves you by doing things that makes your life easier. he'll pay and put gas in your car. he will help you with cleaning the dishes after a meal that you've cooked for. if you're running short on money for you rent, he'll even cover it for you and doesn't expect for you to pay him back. just the thought of you being comfortable is a good enough reward.

— kento nanami: words of affirmation

with kento, you would wake up in the mornings to a good morning text followed by him reminding you of your beauty, your excellence, and telling you not to let menial things get you in a bad mood. in your lunches you would find a hand-written note from kento complimenting you. in spite of being a full-time salaryman, kento would call you during his lunch break to talk to you and listen as you complain about your coworkers. he loves hearing your voice. at night, just before your head hits the pillow he would kiss your forehead and wish you a good night's rest. kento can be quite the charming man when it comes to you.

— choso: gift giving

choso... precious choso. he likes to shower you with gifts as a way to show his undying love and appreciation for you. if you mention that you like something, but you couldn't get it, best believe it will be either on your doorstep or in your hand within the next day. when he sees you eyeing something in the store for even a second, choso will buy it for you. he won't take any "no's", "stops", or returning the item back. choso bought it FOR you. if you return any of his gifts it will hurt his feelings and he'll think you don't love him. so be careful when you are trying to let choso know not to get you gifts.

letter from demi: i have adopted a new style of how i do... idk what you call these blurbs? headcanons? idk. anyways im changing some things up with how my posts are... styled. i hope the work and the way it is made looks good! lmk what you think babes!

[ieafy]

I'm going to be asking a lot of artists I follow this question, but how did you develop your style? It SEEMS like most people find their style and stick with it forever, just making improvements and iterations. I tend to work in a lot of different styles because I enjoy doing that, though I know there are things I gravitate towards as well. But I wonder what your journey was and how you got feedback and improved while staying true to what you enjoyed?

There are a few parts to this answer, the first being that I don't feel I'm one of those artists who had a main style and stuck with it, altering along the way. I'll be speaking to my art journey over 12 years so far

For the first 8 years of taking art seriously, I was stressed about not having 'my style', and I stressed about not producing work to a standard I could really appreciate nearly everyday. I've let this stress go since, and I accept whatever my body/mind feels like making...

Whether it's working with a theme for a period of time, experimenting for a piece, etc

For me, accepting variety in my own work (in quality, in style, in medium, in success) relied on self acceptance outside of my art. Basically, practicing accepting good/bad/different/a variety of aspects of myself, and showing up for them as they are/showing up for myself as I am, taught me how to tolerate the same in my art work. A genuine non-judgement approach to myself, and now my art.

I don't worry about 'art style' anymore, I only care about authentically growing in my work/life.

So, notice things away from art. Notice yourself caringly. How you are feeling? What is a desire that comes up today? Where are you drawing your energy from by today? Is it others or love, growth, spite, joy? Notice with curiosity and courage.

And notice what draws your observation in real life: a collection of clovers and rocks, the way light bounces off of and within transparent stones, how plants and trees glisten in the morning dew, a particular hue of blue, particular textures of a flower, etc

Your real voice in your work and art will reflect what you are genuinely drawn to, not what you think your art "should be" like

Today, I notice desire to look at birds, to draw birds, and experiment with traditional inking. I feel unattached to the judgements of others, and want to feel gentle, draw gently.

[merbear25]

eeeee congrats!! your writing is beautiful and you are very dear to me!!

requesting fem!reader w/zoro + 7 for the event 👉👈

Eeeeee thank you for sending in a request, lovely! Your words are so very kind and you are so dear to me, too 💜💜 I hope you like what I've written for you!

Holding on

CW: SFW, fem!reader, fluff

With the stars scattered across the nighttime sky, such beauty was meant to be relished in with someone close to you―near and dear to your heart. You counted your blessings that such a person existed for you. Although your feelings were reciprocated, they were still newfound. Being in the early stages meant they required delicate tending to so as to ensure the budding romance could flourish into an ever-lasting love.

Staring up at the wonders which the universe had in store, the warm breeze from the sea wafted over the both of you. Casting a sense of tranquility over you, while you laid shoulder to shoulder with Zoro. You closed your delicate lashes to allow yourself to bask in the hushed quiet you were often in search for.

However, those intruding thoughts of reality impeded on your time together. Knowing you'd have to leave his side whenever the Sunny eventually docked, not wanting to think about what lay ahead on those shores, the encompassing fear of 'what if': such intrusion opened the floodgates and carried you out to the raging seas.

There weren't as many moments as you would've liked to just be able to breathe and appreciate each other's company―fragments that you had to be quick to grab or else they'd fade into the nullity of whatever else had been lost.

Turning to him, your shallow breaths spoke volumes. "What's on your mind?" He asked without meeting your gaze.

With your eyes falling from his face, you thoughtfully crafted one of your deepest desires, "Can we just stay like this?" Wincing at your own display of raw emotion, you couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that it was a silly thing for a grown woman to say.

As the breeze picked up and carried more of a bite to it, your body shivered at the chilled teeth being sunk into it. The sudden shift in temperature alluded to a brewing storm, its whirling dark clouds itching to cast harsh force on your promising love.

Zoro still hadn't responded, which left your words suspended and further let doubt as to whether it was childish for you to say them blanket over you.

In spite of taking his time to respond to you, such worries as to why he was hesitatng were mute. Hearing you express such a simple, yet vulnerable want struck him to his core. He yearned for the same, though he felt as if whatever he said wouldn't do his innermost thoughts justice.

Instead, he reached for your hand, lacing his fingers with yours, and held on firmly. Showing you that he shared in your want to cling to this moment for as long as you could―grasping at this petal of elation fluttering past―was the most competent way for him to bear his heart.

The blanket that'd been thrown on you was now tossed aside, allowing you to breathe easily. A smile repelled the troubling thoughts that were creeping in, its warmth consuming the darkness that trailed alongside them. Such an inviting radiance was contagious; even without having to look at you, your tenderness made itself known to Zoro. His own satisfaction was shown on his expression.

The petals of your blossoming love bathed in the moonlight and shine of the stars, soaking up their softened rays. Despite the storm drawing nearer, threatening the foundations of it, your adoration for each other was securely planted. Such forces wouldn't dare be given the chance to uproot what the both of you were nurturing.

You could rest assured that whatever came your way, you both would be there to trek through it together. Even though the quality time that did manage to find you was short-lived, leaving your heart aching for more, you tried not to dwell on it. The present was worth giving your full attention to, holding on to that fragment for as long as you could.

[inkhornism]

DESPITE HIS FOOL DESIGNATION, AKIRA ISN’T STUPID BY ANY MEANS. He’s more than aware that coming to Mementos with only the crow for company can’t spell anything good, not with what he knows, but curiosity, little regard for himself and a constant bleeding heart are a too terrible combination hanging heavily on his already fractured soul for him to turn down such a request. They’ve explored just the two of them before, when they’d occasionally split into pairs in order to cover more ground a lot quicker, so he’s not worried about Shadows possibly getting the better of them – after all, there are safe rooms every five floors or so and he has a multitude of Personas he can call upon for any kind of situation ( as one does when running solo trips ).

A big, spacious room that until recently housed only a lonely Shadow and two chests is where all pretences are dropped similar to the way a chill suddenly turns the air around them frigid. Trickster senses are a lot sharper than even the other Thieves think they are, help him narrowly avoid being skewered by a bright lightsaber ironically bought by the raven himself. So long Goro is accompanying them, Akira is responsible for making sure that his gear is up to snuff ( though, always, the highest quality ) no matter how many times he tries to stop him from spending all that money on ‘things that aren’t necessary’. And always, always, Akira only shakes his head and just hands the stuff over, saying that the only way to repay him is to make good use of the items; no doubt pissing the other off considerably.

In the darkness only illuminated by the odd stray light and red wisps, the sparks flying off every time they cross weapons are the only way to reliably follow the fight. Two steps forward, a step backward, a long swipe that would normally leave him open, but he’s nimble and the gymnastics learnt from Kasumi have come in handy more times than not. His opponent moves to mirror his approach, elegantly avoiding even letting the knife graze him, quickly slashing at any opportunity should he catch the dancing shadow on the wrong foot. This back and forth of theirs feels wrong, feels right, feels strangely familiar in ways Akira doesn’t want to think about because thinking about it means inviting the scrapes he’s already acquired to end up as permanent marks on his heart instead.

( It’s far too late, a voice whispers bitterly at the back of his mind. )

But Akira started the fight already exhausted from a previous run through Mementos by himself and this confrontation is starting to wear what little energy ( and confidence to not let the pain he’s in show on his face ) wear thin. Equally matched by their temporary ally, blows traded almost one for one, he still finds himself somehow cornered in spite of the space chosen to be their one-off arena. Backed against the wall, this surely must be the end of their little scuffle – whatever it is that Goro wanted to test for himself, to see in opposing the Leader of the Phantom Thieves, he must have certainly gotten it by now.

Or not.

Definitely not.

It’s impossible to not feel his heart skip a beat, then, when the barrel of a gun is pressed against his chest. Goro is an excellent shot, he’d already known this from back when they played that game at the arcade for the first time and he wiped the floor with him flawlessly. He’d seen it in the Metaverse as well, how calmly he wields such a weapon, firing it with a precision that even he doesn’t quite have yet – and only makes up for by being as extra about it as possible.

Strangely enough, Akira doesn’t fear death. Or, rather, it would be more accurate to say that Joker doesn’t. Joker would gladly die for his friends if it meant that they escape alive. After all, it’s his own fault that they are in this situation to begin with, that they are risking their lives every day for something that may or may not work, for something that may fail them one day, for somebody who they fully believe in as if he were incapable of making any mistakes – why don’t they hate him? They have every reason to do so, to leave the team, to back out and never return. And he’d never blame them for any of it, would probably, quite honestly, quietly thank them for it.

Why is the boy currently pinning him against the wall, a gun they both know is fake, but not, pressed firmly in the center of his chest also listening to him? Because Akira Joker is the leader? Because Akira Joker can be trusted to make the right call no matter the situation?

( He wants to crumble to dust, but he feels as if he’s been affixed to the wall by a giant metal pin. )

He’s not sure when he finds his voice again, nor is he sure who is talking; ❝ This is not the most efficient way and you know it, darling. ❞ accompanied by a hand heavy as lead and yet moving as if it doesn’t belong to him reaching to correct the gun’s aim ❝ You know that the most vulnerable spot, especially in the Metaverse, is the heart. ❞ the Phantom Thieves’ heart, hisheart. Shoot him and watch everything fold onto itself akin to a house of cards that never stood a chance against the wind’s howl.

❝ Just pull the trigger, ❞ Crow Akechi ❝ Goro. ❞

[xerith-42]

Some Slightly More Coherent Thoughts about Void Paradox

Riveting title, I know, but this is the quality content I'm sure... 50 of you signed up for? When the fuck...? How are there so many of you?? And in spite of that title, this post is still long as fuck

Anyways I finished Void Paradox and it sure made me feel a certain way. [Cut to footage of me literally screaming anytime Laurance showed emotion in the series]. Gotta say, as a long time Laurance fan, this is really nice to have. I've been going on my tirades about how Jess ruined Laurance for the sake of Aaron, and how Laurance never really bounced back from this character assassination, but I wasn't entirely right. He sort of bounced back?

Well, we got this. I still would have liked Laurance in Love-Love Paradise but I guess I'll take him in this series. And honestly, it's the best Laurance content I've gotten that isn't fan content since... well, since I first watched the show back in 2015 when I was a literal fetus. Every time after I've gone back and watched as Laurance got written poorly from honestly really early episodes sometimes (looking at you Episode 65), and had to deal with the unfortunate truth that he was essentially unimportant to the story Jess decided to tell with both her series, despite being the main character of one of them.

It's so refreshing to have quality Laurance content, and we got a variety of it in this show. He's so expressive, so alive, so emotional. I've always loved Laurance because surprise surprise, the men in my life weren't always the most emotionally vulnerable, so I latched onto fictional men who were as a coping mechanism! Yayyy! And Laurance has always been a very emotionally vulnerable character, at least in the beginning. It's part of the tragedy that is his character arc in Season 2. That Laurance is usually vulnerable, that he's the one who's always willing to talk about his emotions, but the calling is making it harder to open up, and the world has only become crueler to men like him who dare to feel too much.

Wow I just keep sliding into depressing content in this post, I'm trying to praise Laurance's writing in this series. Because it's good. I have my problems with Void Paradox as a whole, but as a showing for my favorite character in the entire Aphverse, a chance at redemption, it's fantastic. As I said Laurance is so expressive in this series, largely thanks to Sebastian Todd being an absolutely phenomenal voice actor who clearly knows and cares about this character. His performance is absolutely excellent and a great high note for this character to go off on.

I cannot emphasize how much I adore every little thing about Laurance's portrayal. The flirtiness, the smug bastard energy, the very sincere and open care, that one scene where he gets super embarrassed and then whimpers that I haven't listened to like eighteen times. The whole thing is great. His dynamic with this alternate version of Aphmau is so good, it's so great to see him bounce off of other characters. I just love it so much.

That scene where he realizes that he's in a similar scenario to the Nether and literally instantly jumps to "If it comes down to it, let me sacrifice myself," I SCREAMED AT THIS. The whole series whenever he angsts over his old world I scream, but that line really hit me. Fuck whatever you say about Laurmau in every universe, the universal truth of Laurmau, nay the universal truth of Laurance is this;

"I would sacrifice myself so you could live in every universe."

That's Laurance! That's Laurance with literally anyone you want!! This is the best characterization Laurance has ever gotten. It's consistent with his character, and I love the fact that Mod Aphmau doesn't even let him finish his consideration of self-sacrifice, she just shuts it down and it's a great contrast to what Laurance is used to. I adore how that's what he jumps to, I adore the fact that he's as clueless as I am about the lore this season, I love the rivals esque thing he's got going on with Jaiden, that was fun. Lotta potential there. This was just a good time. I cannot emphasize how delightful Laurance was in this series. How his delightful presence is the most enjoyable thing in the series, and a literal blessing unto us all.

Wasn't it nice to feel good about an Aphmau series for like.. two minutes. Anyways here's the part where I get a little salty with Jess, as per usual. I'm not going to go too in depth on my problems with Void Paradox as a story because it's mercifully short and a lot of my complaints did come from a standpoint of not knowing any of the lore of Mod Mod World which might have hindered my full ability to understand the larger story.

I can however get VERY salty about the fact that I didn't even know Void Paradox was a thing that had Laurance in it until 2024!! It came out in 2018! How did this happen? Well the answer is very simple, the cause is the bane of my very existence. My Street Season 6 When Angels Fall. [I am shaking with rage]

I know you've likely read how much I can tear into season 2 Episode 95, and oh my Irene can I tear into that episode, but there's a similar but differently visceral emotion When Angels Fall makes me feel. Let's call it a sort of divine rage. And now, I have one more reason to hate it. Because Void Paradox, a series with actual quality content, was released at the same time as whatever the fuck that was, meaning it never had a chance.

For a bit of personal context, I briefly became active in the Aphmau fanbase when this season came out and during the time leading up to it. I had seen every season of My Street, and despite not being the biggest fan of where Jess took the series, I liked a lot of the characters and was invested in where they would go from here. I was knee deep in the My Street trenches when the many many different bombs dropped. Melissa dying but then she didn't but maybe she did and I literally spent hours arguing with people on this, Ein is turning everyone evil, there's a doomsday device, forever potion nonsense is happening, Travis' dad is evil maybe, Aaron is going insane, the multiverse is falling apart, and then Jess just killed the best character in the entire series, dare I say the entire Aphverse, dare I say the entire universe of existence as we know it--

It was a lot. And in all the chaos Void Paradox just... came out. It came out right before episode 9 of When Angels Fall came out. And anyone else who was there during the war... they know what that episode did to us. What it did to me. I wasn't the same after that episode came out. I felt like I had lost a part of myself. Something I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to get back...

And as a result, I and a lot of people didn't see Void Paradox. Looking at the numbers, Void Paradox struggled to get above 1 million viewers for most episodes, while the lowest viewed episode of When Angels Fall sits at a cozy 2.9 million as an established series. Void Paradox is objectively better as a series and deserves to have a second season. We deserve to explore more of the weird ideas Jess clearly had while making it, we deserve to know if a cure can be found, and we, or maybe just me and I'm feeling selfish here, deserve to know if Laurance is okay.

Jess has already taken one comfort character away from me. I'll be damned if she takes another.

[soracities]

how do you deal with not trying to please others and/or not caring how others see you? i'm always trying so hard, and i don't even know if i like myself

this is something that is always incredibly tricky to navigate and i admire you so much for continuing to try in spite of all that anon 💗 i think, though, that you've identified the biggest obstacle already: until we are able to genuinely like but, more importantly, fully accept ourselves as we are it is always going to be difficult to not be swayed by what others think.

i'm not saying this in the "if you don't love yourself no one will love you" vein which i think is predominantly nonsense, but what i am saying is that, until you are able to build a solid base for yourself--a base that's rooted in self-compassion, self-honesty, and acceptance of both your flaws, limitations and your worth as a person, without pitting one over the other--it is going to be hard to hold your ground and not project your own worries and insecurities about yourself into your interpretation of what other people may or may not think (and i guarantee you, most of the time they are not thinking or looking at you anywhere near as harshly nor in the judgemental way you look at yourself).

being able to fully let go of and not worry about other people's opinions relies, first of all, on trust--not so much trust in other people but chiefly trust in yourself. trust in your ability to assert your own value for yourself, trust in your ability to make the choices you make and trust in your ability to make the mistakes you make and grow from them as a result. trust in the belief and the knowledge that you are a worthy and important person, that your flaws don't undo or erase your virtues, that you can show up as you are and that this isn't something you need to mediate or dress up for someone else's approval, that you are allowed (and expected) to struggle and be imperfect without your dignity or humanity being put on trial for it.

until you are able to slowly cultivate this kind of foundation for yourself, anything else will be built on sand; an inconsequential look, or a thoughtless word from someone (regardless of how harmless it actually is) will feel like the end of the world; it'll be like a gust of wind scattering everything you are trying to do because there is very little internal resistance to meet it or even question it. it can also, in a variety of subtle ways, affect the quality of the relationships around you: if you do not trust yourself to be open and present as you are, and be accepted as you are, you will never attain the quality of the relationships you think you are protecting by showing up in whatever guise you think people most want to see. when we don't allow ourselves to say how we feel, and be who we are, when we veil that with whatever role we think will allow us to be most liked or less likely to be rejected, we rob ourselves of genuine connection--you rob the other person of being able to actually connect honestly with you, and you rob yourself of being able to connect honestly with them. showing up as who you think they want is imposing your own perceptions on them in turn and not giving them the actual freedom to live and experience the truth of their relationship with you. and if they cannot experience that truth, then neither can you. everybody has their insecurities and everybody has their own worries--most of the time these, literally, have nothing to do with you: people project and act out of their own experiences and this happens regardless of what you do. and if it so happens that being yourself does cause the judgement you fear then ask yourself: what is the value of a relationship that can thrive only on one party's dishonesty? what is the value of a relationship that requires one party be constantly hiding?

i'm not saying that any of this is easy, or that it won't take time and effort, nor am i saying that you won't have setbacks. i'm not even saying that you have to love every single part of yourself and that you've failed if you don't--but it is, right now, vitally important for you to find some way of recognizing and affirming your own value for yourself-- not in spite of your flaws but alongside them. it requires a lot of clear-eyed honesty, not for the sake of castigating yourself ("i'm not good at xyz, therefore i can never be abc") but for the sake of being able to recognize where most of your fears and insecurities come from, how they make you act, and how you can then address them in turn. it's putting the things you most dislike about yourself alongside the things you don't, it's seeing how circumstances may have hindered you and affected you badly in the past and putting that alongside everything that you have made it through regardless and recognising that you cannot (you will not) always act "perfectly" or in the way you imagined or wanted, but that are doing so in the best way you can at any given time. and it's recognising that "the best i can" looks different on different days, that they are all bounded by whatever tools you have available to you at any given moment, that you cannot do better until you know better, and knowing better is a skill you grow, slowly, gently, patiently, like a plant you tend from first seed to first leaf.

again, i know it is difficult and i'm not trying to dismiss or diminish that at all. but you will get there, anon, and one day you will get to a point where you no longer recall how difficult it was to begin because you've come so far and grown so much since then. no matter how long, or how you choose to go about this, i will be rooting for you and believing in you with all my heart 🤍

[daughterthethird]

SIIIIIIIIIIIGH well if you're still taking ocs then I GUESS Razz since Junipurr is already a thing ✋️🙄

YOUR LUCKY IM NICE. 👊💥👊💥👊💥👊💥

Warrior-fication under the cut:

Hummingpaw was born from two (ex)clan leaders after the abolishment of the old Warrior code and (insert warrior cats Belos here). Despite their parents being officially retired leaders, they still tend to garner unwanted attention solely from the fact that they are leader-born (But also cause junipurr is just mighty popular amongst the clans i guess). Not only was the attention incredibly annoying, it also causes their gifted “powers” to flare up unpredictably.

Ever since they were a kit, they’ve been having unusually vivid dreams that keep reccuring. They quickly figured out that, for whatever reason, these dreams seem to foretell incidents that will happen in the future no matter how big or small. But it didn’t stop at just dreams, throughout the day they would get visions of other clanmates future. As you could imagine it rapidly became overwhelming. But while they kept this information to themselves and their family, it didn’t take long until the clan found out about their secret.

It was a joyous day for the clan—Starclan has chosen this young apprentice as their guide! It’s clear to them that Hummingpaw was a gifted cat, their “strong connection to Starclan” pretty much says it all. After they discovered their hidden powers, they were swiftly transferred to the medicine den and began training as a medicine cat… without asking how Hummingpaw thought of all of this.

Which ofc leads to alot of religious spite and hatred towards Starclan for “cursing” them, even if they dont show it 👍 and yeah theyre still gonna get the “seeing ghost/spirits” stuff btw cause thats actually a canon thing that happens in the books—one character even became a lil crazy cause of it !!! 😋

———————————————————

OH OH OH and as a special bonus for ya- heres a slight junipurr redesign + vitimeow doodle teehee ;3 i wanted to design the parents first so id know how ill go about razz… i def had way more fun than i shouldve LMAOAOOAO

(The quality is kinda garbage but just bear w me ok 💔)

[mikuni14]

Dead Friend Forever - Ep 8

One of the reasons I love DFF so much is the fact that we already have 8 episodes and NONE of them are bad or worse than the previous one, there is no annoying fluctuation or drop in quality. From the first episode, the series maintains a constant, very high level, which is almost unheard of in BL series, or in series in general ✨

DFF has the perfect storytelling for a show about crime and mystery. It is as if we were in a dark room surrounded by vague shapes and with one light source, and with each episode the light gets stronger brings new shapes out of the darkness. In this episode, it was Tee's involvement in Non's disappearance. And also Keng's fate. The crew's behavior at the beginning of the series, their sense of guilt mixed with persistent and aggressive convincing themselves that Non simply disappeared (also - as if it were normal, such a disappearance), and Tee and Top's belief that Non is a ghost (i.e. dead), found a perfect explanation. Because when they see Non for the last time, he is alive. And Tee (and possibly Top because he was there) know more, but not everything. What is clear, however, is the power of delulu in all of them and the creeping, repressed subconscious knowledge that no, Non did not run away with Keng...

My personal comment: while I can objectively consider their shades, greyness, nuances and so on, the fact that they lied to the police without hesitation in Non's case and then everyone preyed and fed on his work and basked in the light of success, eliminates all their "shades". And yes, even Jin showing off his pained face. I'm a fan of PheeJin, but I want to make one thing clear: I'm not interested in his remorse, his or Tee's motivations. I'm interested in the result and how they behaved. I'm interested in their choices. And in the case of these guys, the truth is really clear and out there. It's not about one choice, one mistake. What I mean, an endless SERIES of choices and mistakes ending with Non's disappearance, who no one knows where he is, doesn't go to school, is with some shady adult, doesn't live a normal teenager's life. The way THEY ALL LIVE.

Non's relationship with his parents was amazingly presented, as well as the accusations about which one of them was responsible for his sexuality, which is such a rl experience. It's also telling, that neither of his parents asked him how you were feeling? Do you need help? No, they just made it all about themselves, thought that the teenage child, THEIR CHILD, just did it on its own, probably to spite them. And they immediately compared him to his brother who "would never do something like that." Also Non's mental breakdown, his manic episode, but also how he didn't get rid of his old habits, his gullibility, because he gave in to Tee very easily and drank water from him. This is all very credible. Barcode played phenomenally in this episode, his sobs, screams, laughter, the way he flinches when someone says something to him or touches him. Amazing.

Por is happy with himself and his success and then his father's words "My help in this is not in vain" bring him back to reality. I love his reaction to it, how all his satisfaction disappears. I wonder how many times Por realized that he was just an extension of his father's political career. And that he will never do anything on his own, whatever success he has will always be the work of others, his mother, his father even fucking Greasy. Even Tee said that if it weren't for Por's father, this movie would never have been made.

SPOILER FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN THE PREVIEW OF THE NEXT EPISODE: It seems strange to me that Phee and Tan spent 3 years investigating Non's disapperance, being friends with his bullies and, in Phee's case, sleeping with his potential bully. And only on this trip did they finally decide to uncover Non's fate (I tend to believe that Phee and Tan are not murderers and are conducting a psychological war with these boys, and the murderer acts independently of them). I don't question the fact that it was difficult to get anything out of them, because it was obvious that no one would want to talk about their involvement in something like that (which is why I believe that Phee and Tan came up with a plan to scare them and get information out of them). The only thing that worries me is time. 3 years in the company of your loved one's/ your brother's bullies is A LOT and a very heavy mental burden to bear. But I believe in this series and I know it will explain everything 😍

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

do we think it’s a little shitty that people are trying to bribe votes on the finale using non-poll related things? like offering free commissions / content / etc in exchange for votes from ppl who don’t know the show.. is that like, i don’t want to say cheating, but just a little??? like cmon yknow???? it’s supposed to be the sexiest podcast character bracket, not the popularity, who-can-convince-more-people-to-vote bracket. just kinda wanted to express that :/

I mean, I personally don't think it's shitty. Especially when a majority of the bribes are coming from the losing side and an overlapping majority of the bribes are about the specific podcast characters (art, fic, songs). I especially especially think it's fair game when they're up against Carlos the Scientist from Welcome to Night Vale. Whose husband got over 106,000 votes less than a year ago, and yet Carlos beat Cecil by more than 2-to-1.

Nobody needs to be swayed by a bribe, they make a conscious choice to take it. Plus, I am interested in making fence-sitters and those unfamiliar with both characters vote, which is one of the reasons I don't have a "show results" option on the tournament polls. Additionally, people are always going to vote for reasons unrelated to sexiness and I can't stop that, whether it's to spite a character that knocked out their fave in an earlier round, or one of the contestants earned their respect by knocking out their fave, or their friend told them to, or they like how much propaganda a side has posted even if they find the quality of that propaganda unconvincing, or they're annoyed by the propaganda and petty about it, or they like the art used, or they personally have gender preferences in their sexual attraction, or they listened to one of the podcasts first, or they have a longstanding grudge against a podcast for reasons unrelated to the character, etc.

You, Anon, can of course think it's shitty and be annoyed or bummed out or whatever. I agree that it shouldn't be a popularity contest, but unfortunately there isn't a way to stop tumblr tournaments from being popularity contests unless it's one of those tournaments where they strip all titles and names and you must vote on description only. And my personal understanding is that on Tumblr, Welcome to Night Vale is the most popular fiction podcast.

[la-pheacienne]

The 💖💖"where is duty where is sacrifice"💖💖 line being tossed around as the ultimate motto/inspiration of green stans is genuinely the most pathetic thing that happened to this fandom and an undeniable proof of most people's Americans's functional illiteracy.

You are literally preaching for institutionalising internalised misogyny, and sounding like that disgusting woman from the Handmaid's tale I don't even remember her name cause I don't watch the show that held the female protagonist so that her own husband can rape her.

Of course you're gonna tell me oh you're a hypocrite shipping incestous couples and promoting feudal ideology, everything is permitted in the context of the story, right. Everything is permitted. The difference is that it's according to the context of the story that Alicent and her clan are the antagonists, something that many people have forgotten and I don't entirely blame you for that because the shitshow is very confusing. Still, according to the context of the story Alicent is a spiteful, vengeful and treasonous conservative freak, who slut-shames, slanders and undermines the heir which directly led to her horrible death, and all of this because she's a woman. So yeah, according to the context of the story, using her ridiculous line as words to live by is really problematic and that's code for fucking disgusting.

I even saw a person saying that they don't blame Alicent for wanting to usurp Rhaenyra because Rhaenyra made it so easy for them. And why is that ? Because she had sex and kids with another man, because of that she made it easy for them so she deserves being eaten by a dragon on the orders of her brother. Because she had sex. This is the level of clownery we're at.

Green stans literally don't realise that the Hightowers' aim was power all along, that their main quality is greed and they used whatever they could to slander and undermine the rightful heir weaponising her gender against her. It was never about her supposed immoral lifestyle, it was always about her fucking vagina and Hightowers' greed and misogyny and that's literally supposed to be the reason why they are the bad guys but people are literally using the very reason they are the bad guys as a means to defend them? Like??????

Honestly I can't block fast enough.

[borninwinter81]

Quick and simple t-shirt mod

My Subspecies shirt arrived, and thankfully its a good quality one, not a dropshipper or an Ali Express resell. It actually despatched from the UK in spite of the pricing being in dollars, so I think it might be print to order and they just send the order to a printer in whatever country the customer is in. Link for the site here, they have a few other horror shirts but seem to mostly sell merch for the Australian extreme metal band, Portal - I would highly recommend this band to anyone who likes bizarre, avant-garde, experimental or just fucking weird extreme music.

Anyway, I almost always mod my shirts to make them a little more interesting. I crop them because although I'm pretty slim I have hyperlordosis (a slight inward spinal curvature) that makes certain clothing including long shirts look really unflattering on me. If I crop a shirt to my natural waist it looks way better, though sometimes if the design is large I have to make a decision between losing part of it, or having it look unflattering. Not a problem with this one thankfully, the design is printed pretty high on the shirt.

I also usually cut out the neck and cut the sleeves off. Partially to show more of my tattoos but also because I prefer the way it looks. If I leave the sleeves on it, it tends to be a skinny-fit shirt.

After that I would usually cut and weave the sides or the back (there are many tutorials for different ways to do this online), but for this shirt I had the idea to add eyelets and laces. The shoulder stitching tends to come undone when you cut out the neck and sleeves of a t shirt so I needed some way of securing that part back together anyway, and they're nice and visible there.

Eyelets are cheap, and inserting them is super easy - just make a hole with something sharp. Though I have a leather punch, for this kind of thin stretchy fabric I usually use my scratch awl, but you can easily do it with scissors. Eyelets come in a pack with a tool for setting them in place, and you need a hammer to hit them a few times. Make sure you're on a very sturdy surface as you need plenty of resistance to get them nice and secure. A concrete floor is best.

I just folded the fabric in half to get the middle ones in the right spot but you can measure the spacing if you have more to put in.

I had boot laces to hand because I always save them if I get rid of a pair of old boots, but you could use pretty much anything you have available- ribbon, lace, even long strips of the t shirt fabric that you cut off.

I laced them up, tied them very tightly and then covered the knots in fabric glue to make sure they don't come undone. Then I trimmed them to the right length, and as they're synthetic (so, plastic) I used a lighter to melt the ends slightly to make sure they won't fray.

I had the bright idea to also singe the knots, forgetting of course that the glue would be flammable so the whole knot caught fire, but thankfully I reacted quick and blew it out straight away! At least they're very unlikely to come undone now, but please be extremely careful if you choose to do anything involving a naked flame!

I was going to add more eyelets down the sides to make it tighter, but I don't have enough left, and actually it's fairly tight already. I also may do something to the back as there's no print there and it looks a little plain, but for now I'm very happy with this.

[cuddlefishextrodinaire]

i just finished reading the first book in the Tale of Magic series(it's called "Tale of Magic"), the prequal to the Land of Stories series, and i think it's actually quite interesting, at least in the aspect of Madame Weatherberry.

see, it's a common trope among books to show characters, especially the mc, to reject the lifestyle of hatred and choose to be hopeful and nice and all that, but this book, while it does that exact trope with Brystal (the main character) it also does the exact OPPOSITE with Madame Weatherberry.

correct me if i got some parts wrong, but Madame Celeste Weatherberyy was obviously very strong in magic, and even at that time, there was a lot of hatred towards the magic kin, and she saw this, but didn't choose to act on it, insetad choosing to take the more common high road, where they choose to stay above the depraved depths of people who choose to act on the hate in unhealthy ways, and stay above it all. But see, where it gets interesting is that it. . .doesnt really work. Like, she TRIED but she still ended up hateful and spiteful and literally transformed into a murder machine that was her best representation for all of the hatred and anger she had had directed towards her even when she was just a child, just because she was magical.

now, in the end, she/the ice queen are sent off, far away from humanity, too some distant mountain, so that she can't harm anyone else. Now, this is all pretty stereotypical, but i thought it was interesting that the author chose to show what happens when someone internalizes all of the hate, and doesnt deal with it, but still presents them in a (realitevly) positive light. like, yeah, the snow queen was slaughtering folks and all that, but Madame Weatherberry was shown to be kind and loving, and i think that's a good representation of the double-sidedness that can be found in people.

i think that i am hateful and embittered, with a lot of anger bottled up that i occasioanlly deal with by lashing out at people with and just generally degrading the quality of life i experience, so i liked seeing someone who was a major character, who wasn't the villain, and wasn't the main character who heroically fights of the evilness of hate and all that. that's bullshit and i hate that trope. i think, for once, we should have a mc who EMBRACES the hatred and USES it. like, hatred can be used for more than what caused it, you know?

also, i know this might be obvious, but i think that this series might be an alagory for the homosexual experience. like, people are hated for being the way they are(homosexuals and gender queer), and the reason for that is that there is a holy religion (christianity, catholcism and islam, perhaps?) that says that it is immoral and frankly, disgusting to be that way, and there are places you can send your kids to "fix" them (conversion therapy). now naturally, this theor doesnt hold up everywhere, like how the Book of Faith is changed to fit the men's narrative and agenda (the bible isn't changed, which i assume is what this analogy is suggesting) and there are several other things that don't fit, but my theory is further suppoted by how in book three, i think, Xanthous confesses to Emerelda that he's gay, so i actually do think that this series is meant to be a representation for the homosexual/gender queer experience.

idk.

this was longer than i was planning but whatever, i know no one will se it anyway.

[brynn-lear]

Dear Brynlee,

I hope my letter finds you in good health. I appreciate your swift and kind response. I'm quite relieved you do not mind my ignorance at times.

Moving on, I'm quite glad to hear your fondness for both the architect and the Duke. I favour the architect a lot, agreeing that he does put other artists at peace with his reliable nature. His way of communication is certainly one I nod at with great appreciation, and his sentimental disposition easily captures my curiosity.

As for the Duke though, my gaze of favour does not have any particular cause; it is simply that Monsieur Neuvillette an I happen to be close associates, and a friend of a friend certainly deserves my favour.

Of course, though, much like you, even I retain my appreciation for them away from romance. I simply adore them, is all.

Lord Kamisato is a curious one indeed... in spite of his status, it's safe to say that I consider myself quite fortunate to never have had the privilege bad luck to have a chance at interacting with him.

The Bough keeper is a more fascinating character though; I have never exactly been able to pin down his personality in spite of having had multiple chances to speak to him, in all of whom he has been nothing short of poised, respectful, and brilliant.

I believe he drapes on himself the title of a mourner, shading all other of his brighter qualities with its dull colour. He is illusive, but quietly so, never entirely being honest, or a liar; masterfully treading the lines that separate all that is good and evil.

Who dares to observe the observer? I do, of course. I await the day he shows his true nature; perhaps eagerly so.

I would share my enthusiasm for Sir Dmitri as well, should I have known him better; but considering that you adore him so, I believe he must be a good man. He certainly deserves my curiosity, then.

May I ask yet another question? Who do you adore from yet another parallel universe where the star of Stelle/Caelus finds home?

I hope my letters do not disturb you.

Yours Truly,

Chryseis Valois.

Dearest Chryseis,

You have no idea how much happy I was to receive another letter from you. I agree with most of your points, and I can definitely understand your relationship with the Iudex.

You better thank the God you believe in that you've never encountered Lord Kamisato. The Kamisato Commissioner is the elusive type. Perhaps one day you would encounter him. Who knows? Well, perhaps I do. I am an overseer after all.

I think I have a grasp on the former Black Serpent Knight's personality. He is someone I have the privilege of working with as of late, alongside Black Swan and "Medjed". Dainsleif may seem hard to understand upon first meeting, but the subtleties in his speech and humor shines the mote you interact. Though, considering that you are one of our guests, perhaps limited interacts is better. You know well that he asks the most mind boggling questions.

Interest in His Majesty...? Oh, no, you must've misunderstood our relationship. If you saw me inquiring women and men alike about their opinions of our King— it's an act done for my duties rather than... Whatever romantic airs people will label them as. I'm just helping a friend find someone to love him. That's all. Really. Please, believe me. Please.

As for the that other realm... Hmm. Well, Dr. Ratio and Aventurine are very similar to the Professor Veritas and Kakavasha I know— so it's no secret I'm fond of them. Though we'd never met, I think I would get along with Captain Gepard of the Silvermane Guards just fine. Jing Yuan is very hospitable, Kafka is charmingly persuasive, Sparkle is easy to befriend, and Blade is... Something. Hilarious how I found him most difficult to describe when he is my closest friend from that realm. His circumstances are unique, and I suppose I can relate to his... "tendencies".

Well, how about you? Who do you favor from that realm? I don't suppose Mister Aventurine is also in that list? Most people I know are quite obsessed with him. Do tell me your opinion. I'd love to know!

Sincerely,

- Brynlee <3

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; lady tremaine

requested by ; anonymous (28/05/23)

fandom(s) ; disney animated films / cinderella

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; lady tremaine

outline ; “Since I really liked the smut hcs, can I also request sfw relationship hcs with Mother Gothel, Lady Tremaine, Maleficent, and Queen Elinor when you get the chance, please? Thank you (✿◠ᴗ◠)”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

she’s incredibly spoiled and has been all of her life — so she expects nothing short of being waited on hand and foot by you and/or your staff

that being said she does care about you as her partner and makes that much as clear as she can within the limits of social propriety — she’s always holding onto your arm, she always addresses you directly and she always refers to you as ‘my love’ or ‘my dear’, but that’s as far as she’ll go publicly

she has an excellent memory when it comes to the things you love or desire which makes her an incredible and thoughtful gift giver — she also keeps track of any appointments, birthdays, holidays and other important information and sets up reminders so you never fall short or forget anything

she’s incredibly protective of you and incredibly spiteful, but she will never directly attack someone — rather she’ll make full use of her status and reputation to work the rumour mill, slowly but surely eroding the offending party’s reputation until they have no choice but to leave your town

whilst she tends to mix and match her wide array of jewellery based on whatever outfit she’s wearing, she always wears a long-chained locket no matter the setting or circumstance — it has a picture of the two of you from your wedding day on it and she vehemently refuses to take it off unless it’s absolutely necessary (such as when she’s bathing)

feigns disinterest when you talk about anything beyond the household (such as your hobbies and interests), but she somehow always asks the right questions and always knows exactly what materials you need to pursue them anyway

so, yeah, acts of service is 100% her love language and anything else other than quality time is going to be something she struggles with — her upbringing was incredibly restrictive, as was expected of the era, so compliments and physical affection don’t just come naturally to lady tremaine as they might others

always kisses you on the cheek before you leave the house, making you promise to come home safe — that’s the closest you’ll get to a major show of affection from her

[cozage]

If we're getting another chapter for made for two can we know the real reason why Zoro decided to end the relationship? I feel like there's something more than him getting annoyed at us like cheating or jealousy or whatever

Hello dear reader!

I'm so glad you're enjoying the fic and are super invested in it all! I actually did consider having Zoro do something awful like cheat on you or something, but (even for the sake of moving the story forward) I don't think he'd do that. Let me explain more below the cut (and show you why it's still just as tragic)

TL;DR: Zoro and the reader do love each other, but show it in very different ways, and they were doomed from the start because of it.

I think Zoro does care about and loves the reader in his own way, but Zoro doesn't show it in the same way other people on the crew do, especially you. Just because he cares about you doesn't mean he's going to alter his day to be with you more often, and in his mind, training (so he can protect you and the other people he cares about on the crew) is the most important thing. He's selfish, and he doesn't care about large romantic gestures. He doesn't remember important events like birthdays or anniversaries or even what day it is in general.

He's the kind of person who likes you around when he needs you around - which we see at the beginning of the story when he's playful in bed. But after his morning shower, his mindset shifts to training, and he doesn't need you around anymore because you'll just distract him. He's not the kind to spare feelings or tell you unnecessary words of affirmation. He gets to the point because that's what he understands, especially when he's upset.

And then we have the reader, who is someone that loves quality time, and wants to spend time together with not just Zoro but everyone on the ship. They love loudly and they want to be loved the same, which is something that Zoro has never had the capacity to understand or appreciate. This has resulted in months of arguments; most days looking like the one I had written.

The day written wasn't any different than most island days, expect for the date. The island you all landed on marked 6 months of you all dating, and Zoro never commented on it, he didn't want to be around you, he broke his promise and his compromise made with you, and he purposely avoided the one thing you guys do on a normal day (watching the sunset). He was angry with you and purposely avoided it all out of spite. He was itching for a screaming match because normally those types of fights end with you begging for forgiveness and you tiptoeing around him for the next few days because you don't want to lose him, and thats what he expected. But today was the day you gave up fighting, because of how hurt you were over the 6 months being forgotten by him. It was the straw that broke the camels back.

Sometimes people love each other deeply, but they simply aren't compatible. Such is the case with the reader and Zoro (which we can see from your POV and Zoro's argument with Sanji). That doesn't nullify the love that still remains between you two, in fact it makes it all the more painful. It's the reason I added a very small line into Dance for Two, actually.

"You wanted to run away, restart the day, or just go back to when you and Zoro first broke up and beg for his forgiveness."

It's a line that most people probably miss or doesn't mean anything to them. But the reader is used to this to portray just how messy their relationship is with Zoro. They're used to screaming and fighting, just to make up the next. This is the way their relationship has always been, so it must be normal.

You know how you're in a dimly lit room and you can almost see everything then a bright light blinds you? But when your eyes adjust, you realize you've been missing out on so many details and colors while you were sitting in the dark. It's a whole new world now, something you didn't know was possible.

I imagine Sanji is that light for the reader, and now that you've learned that there are people who will sacrifice for you rather than give you an occasional compromise, it's impossible to go back to the way it was before.

I must admit, I know this is not as enthralling as catching him cheating or having some other big thing happen that is earth-shattering for the reader. I don't think Zoro is a bad person, after all. He's just bad for you.