#inferiority complex is NOT SELFISH

[chronicsymptomsyndrome]

Why is “selfish” a bad word?? If you don’t ever put yourself first you will die?? I don’t mean to sound facetious or hyperbolic but I feel very strongly about this. Be selfish. Be your own biggest supporter. Love and care for yourself in a way that nobody else ever would. Why wouldn’t you?? You’re the only one that has to live your whole life as you. You’re the only one that has no escape from your own company. Be selfish.

If the only reason you help others is because it feels good to be helpful, or because you want to be perceived as a good person, or because you like when people are indebted to you, that’s not bad that’s just human. Be selfish. Good for you for looking out for yourself. Bonus points if you’re able help other in the process, regardless of your motivation for doing so.

(Inspired by this post)

[hyenakat]

did you hear? our high priest is slowly disassembling into a mass of serpents

[distant-velleity]

lmao for the record this is not very... coherent or well-paced but-- it definitely exists so 🙂 yeah!!!

yuhua's book 7 dream in tgtwst (before he gets sent to silver's dream by the System)

(warning for floyu crumbs; explanation of the dream in the tags)

~

“You’re saying Azul wanted to see me?” Yuhua asks for what must be the second time now. He follows Chrysos along the oft-walked path to the Hall of Mirrors, adjusting his winter coat to better shield him from the January chill.

Thankfully, Chrysos has the miraculous patience of a saint, at least when it comes to him. “Yes. Truly, it’s an urgent matter; both he and I agree on that.” 

They enter the hall and take a soft right veer into the alcove for the Octavinelle mirror.

“Of course,” Chrysos says, right before they enter, “if it helps, Floyd is rather insistent that you come as well.”

Something strange flutters in Yuhua’s chest, the beginning traces of a feeling he can’t allow himself to feel. He silently stamps it down, though he can’t stop himself from smiling regardless. “Really, now?”

“And there it is.” Knowingly, the corners of Chrysos’ mouth quirk up in a faint smirk. He gestures towards the mirror invitingly. “Go ahead. You know the route to the Mostro Lounge.”

“Right.”

Yuhua steps through the mirror and experiences the usual weightlessness for the briefest of seconds. His foot finds solid ground again on pale lilac tiling, the reflections of the water from above warped over his shoes. Having walked this route countless times now, it’s through muscle memory that he follows the path to the Mostro Lounge; Chrysos isn’t far behind him.

“Ah, wait—” Yuhua looks behind at Chrysos before he opens the door. “...is it locked? Or—”

Chrysos shrugs one shoulder, a non-answer. “It’s unlocked right now, I can assure you.”

“Really? Okay.”

Yuhua grabs the handle and pulls the door open to see utter darkness inside. He blinks, wondering if it’s merely the effect of his eyes adjusting to the light, but no—only the lights from within the tanks are on, and those do little to make the interior any more visible.

Skepticism sinks into his chest. “Chrysos, are you sure—”

“SURPRISE!” shout a pair—no, a chorus of familiar voices. A burst of magic, a showy effect of harmless sparkles, erupts before Yuhua as the Lounge is once again illuminated. Ace, Deuce, Epel, Jack, and Santiago are right there by the door, their eyes bright.

“Happy birthday, Yu,” Deuce says first, a sincere smile on his face. 

“Ya didn’t think we forgot, now did ya?” asks Epel. He partially covers his good-humored laughter at Yuhua’s face with a fist. 

Jack crosses his arms and looks at the others. “...C’mon, guys. Give him some room.”

Indeed, Yuhua needs it—he can’t quite believe his eyes. Looking past the first-years, he can see the Lounge decorated, not too flamboyantly but not too modestly; he also spots other familiar students gathered around, watching the door or sitting at tables and chatting among themselves.

“I—I…” 

His grasp on the door handle grows weak; Chrysos takes it and makes sure he doesn’t make a fool of himself by letting the door crash straight into him.

“...This is for… me?” Yuhua finally wonders aloud.

Ace snorts at that and shoves a bundle of clothing into his arms. “Who else? I don’t know any other January 27th birthday boys at this school.”

“Um—but I never told you guys my—” 

“Don’t underestimate our combined deductive abilities.” Santiago winks at him, dangling a bolo-style tie around his finger for a second before handing it to Yuhua. “We figured it out just in time.”

“Together? Don’t you guys hate each oth—”

“We’ve learned how to put aside our differences sometimes,” Chrysos assures him, though judging by Ace’s stink-eye, it seems to be a one-time occurrence and nothing better. “And we decided to hold it here at the Lounge as a compromise.”

“But, I…” Yuhua’s mouth remains open even as he falls silent, trying to form questions he doesn’t quite know how to vocalize. “...I… Is this really okay… The Lounge, I mean, and my birthday…”

He doesn’t know quite what he’s feeling, just that the feeling is so immense it stops him from forming coherent sentences. 

“Who else decides if it’s okay or not?” At the imminent approach of a very familiar and very welcome sophomore trio, the first-years scatter like minnows. Floyd easily snakes a hand behind him to place on Yuhua’s opposite shoulder and walks him in. “C’mon, it’s your birthday, li’l Koi! A day just for you!”

“Surely, someone else was—”

“My, my.” Jade hides an amused smile behind a delicate gloved hand. “Are you just going to tell all of these people to go back to their dorms after they’ve already arrived?”

“Come on, now,” Azul agrees. “We were even able to coordinate such a well-timed surprise.”

“Well—” Yuhua sputters, flustered. He hugs the clothes to his chest. There’s a million arguments for his case, but just as many against it. “This is all really impressive, yeah—”

“So there we got it!” exclaims Floyd. “It’s your birthday, and we’re gonna celebrate it. Now, are ya gonna go get changed or what?”

Happiness. Like a soap bubble popping, Yuhua comes to the realization when he looks at Floyd’s infectious smile and feels the warmth surrounding him. This overwhelming, confusing, dizzying feeling—is happiness.

“I…” What is he waiting around for? If everyone’s already gathered… Like a fool, Yuhua laughs at himself sheepishly. “Yeah. Just wait for me a sec, I’ll borrow one of the bathrooms.”

…

“Hold still,” Vil demands, stopping Yuhua as soon as he steps out of the bathroom.

“I—Huh?”

Yuhua stays frozen in his tracks as Vil steps around to stand behind him. Rook takes Vil’s initial place as the housewarden sets to work on Yuhua’s hair.

“Bonjour, monsieur,” Rook sing-songs. 

“Hi, Rook,” answers Yuhua. “Are you also here for—?”

“The celebration? Why, of course~” With a flourish, Rook bends into a bow and extends an open palm forward. “May you have a very happy birthday on this fine day.”

“Don’t distract him while I’m doing his hair, Rook,” Vil says curtly.

“But of course, my Roi de Poison.” Still, Rook smiles at Yuhua in his poetically pleasant, friendly way.

Finally, Vil steps back to appreciate his work. Yuhua, after awaiting the approval of a quick “Go ahead,” gently feels at the braid his hair has been done into.

“Wow, I…” Yuhua turns around. “Thank you, Vil. You didn’t have to.”

“Mm, is that so?” Vil lets out something of an almost-content hum, as usual. “I couldn’t have the birthday boy walking around with his hair the same as his day-to-day look.”

“Your beauty has only been enhanced, monsieur,” Rook declares. “Now, shall we return to the party?”

“They’re all waiting on you,” adds Vil.

“Ah—” 

They’re waiting on him. They actually want him there.

Yuhua nods slowly. “Okay. Let’s go.”

They leave the side hallway to return to the Lounge. Almost immediately, Yuhua catches sight of a certain redhead waving madly at him from one of the tables. It seems like Ace has fervently and insistently claimed himself a spot at the table with the cake, alongside others like Floyd, Deuce, and Chrysos.

“Over here, over here!” calls Ace, earning himself a simultaneous flick to the forehead from Chrysos and a punch in the arm from Deuce. “Ow!”

“Yelling isn’t going to make me get there any faster,” Yuhua retorts, though he’s still laughing when he squeezes in to sit between Ace and Floyd. “I bet you just wanna eat the cake already.”

“You’re pretty greedy, Crabby,” agrees Floyd, just to get a jab in at the first-year.

“Hmph.” Ace grins mischievously, neither confirming nor denying. “Maybe I just wanna know what the birthday boy’s gonna wish for.”

The candles on the cake flicker. It’s just a birthday wish, and it doesn’t mean much. Not much is riding on it.

“I don’t really—” Yuhua pauses, and then huffs a laugh. “Yeah, like I’d tell you. That ruins the whole point.”

“Aww,” whines Ace, batting his eyelashes. “Seriously?”

“Seriously, you dork.”

“What about me?” ventures Floyd, a shit-eating smile on his face.

“Come on.” Yuhua rolls his eyes affectionately. “It’s supposed to be a secret. That means I don’t tell you guys until it comes true. And it’s not that big of a deal anyway—I bet you can guess what it is pretty easily.”

That seems to appease them into staying silent, each thinking about what it could be.

…Again, it’s a wish that doesn’t mean much. With nothing too big to relegate to a birthday wish but nothing memorable enough to immediately ask for, Yuhua more or less has to make it up on the spot. He takes a deep breath before he silently thinks—

I hope I can celebrate my birthday like this again in the future.

—and blows out all the candles in one clean exhale. 

Ace whoops, and somewhere in the Lounge the sound is repeated. Cheers and clapping, from the people celebrating for the sake of it  and the people who want food, echo through the room. “Alright! Now the party’s really begun!”

“I want the first slice of cake!” Floyd insists abruptly.

“No way. It’s mine!”

“Huuuuh?”

“Hey, you two, don’t fight in the middle of Yuhua’s party—!”

Chrysos leans over the table to Yuhua while the other two bicker and Deuce tries to play mediator. “You’re giving it to me, obviously. Right?”

Yuhua sighs, meant to sound long-suffering but instead reflecting his muffled giddiness. “You guys…”

…

Once the food is eaten and the gifts are given, Yuhua finds himself sitting on a stool by the counter while the others mingle among themselves. 

He isn’t mad that he’s seemingly being neglected, no—because he isn’t. People are still checking in on him: Jamil, stopping by to offer him a hair clip; Idia being nudged by Ortho to make Yuhua aware of his attendance (haha); Riddle personally wishing him a happy birthday before being accidentally warded off by Floyd; so on and so forth.

And people are gathered here because of him. They’re all getting along, making merry because of him, in a way. It feels nice, to see everyone not at each other’s throats for once—to see Azul and Leona talking civilly, to see Sebek and the other freshmen having an eating competition… To have people still asking him if he wants to try this food or play this game with them, and knowing that he can just join in whenever he feels back up to it.

This happiness, that knowledge—they form a pool of warmth in his heart, a pool running so deep that Yuhua thinks he might burst if he does anything other than sit. He’s happy to be here, happy to be a part of the celebrations; so happy to be acknowledged as something important to people. Happy to be more than a thought that fades away once the moment has passed.

He’s happy to belong.

Are you really happy? asks a voice in his head—

“Hey, li’l Koi!” Floyd shouts from a table. “Wanna play a game with us?”

—The easy, obvious answer is an unhesitant yes.

Yuhua smiles and nods his answer. A fluttery, bubbly feeling in his heart fills his veins with excitement as he stands up—

The world spins; his vision swims. His foot doesn’t meet the floor, his stomach sinks, and suddenly he’s falling with all the weightlessness of a dreamer being awakened.

~

taglist (ask to be added or removed): @thehollowwriter @theleechyskrunkly @elenauaurs @casp1an-sea @nahelenia

@skriblee-ksk @boopshoops @scint1llat3 @nyx-of-night @nemisisnemi

@sillyslipperybananapeel @beneathsakurashade @kathxrat-01 @lumdays @twistedwonderlandshenanigans

@taruruchi

[loudmound]

think one of the smartest things i've done as of late is effectively take my favorite problematic gem that i woobified the fuck out of from land of the lustrous out of that story and turn them into a nearly 7ft cunty alien scientist that actually gets to be a better person bcs i'm the one that's writing them.

it's an incredibly obvious expy if you're familiar at all with the manga. this is what i mean when i say "make an oc about it."

[fast-burn]

You are so on the mark. The combination of Max’s daddy issues and Daniel’s Max issues makes for a truly delicious angst smut combo meal.

listen, i just think they should TRY making out a bit and see where it goes because i'm pretty sure it'd be absolute rocket fuel

[johnnyinmysilverhand]

bumble and anessa could have some side lesbianism going on if they weren't so focused on revenge and killing

[honestcompassion]

𝐄𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓. state of being overly involved in a relationship

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 yandere pure vanilla cookie headcanons

warnings: obsessive and possessive behavior, moral ambiguity, inferiority complex, guilt complex, emotional dependence, guilt tripping, stalking, potentially ooc

A/N: The ribbon has been cut, the store is now open, and here comes our very first customer! I lost the request for this one but they asked for one order of yandere pure vanilla cookie headcanons. I apologize for the mistake this early on, I hope you enjoy this sweet treat!

Pure Vanilla Cookie as a yandere would be as sweet as a soft, fluffy cloud of whipped cream atop a slice of warm pie, light and tender, yet undeniably indulgent. His sweetness is the kind that brings a sense of peace, like the first sip of a perfectly brewed cup of tea on a quiet morning. He'd be so endearing and affectionate that you'll fail to notice just how much he's slowly changing as his love for you grows more and more.

He would dedicate himself entirely to your happiness, attending to every need and want with almost unnatural precision. He notices the tiniest details—your favorite treats, the way you prefer your tea, and even your smallest habits—and adjusts his behavior to cater to them perfectly. However, this attentiveness comes at a price: he begins to believe that no one else could possibly care for you as deeply as he does.

Pure Vanilla Cookie’s adoration for you is boundless, but beneath his gentle exterior lies a storm of conflicting emotions. To him, you are the epitome of perfection—kind, radiant, and far beyond anything he could ever hope to be. The way you carry yourself, the light in your eyes, even the simplest of your actions—they all leave him in awe. He holds you on a pedestal so high that he feels utterly insignificant in comparison.

He tells himself that his feelings are wrong, that someone like him—flawed and unworthy—has no right to desire someone as extraordinary as you. The guilt eats away at him, a gnawing ache in his chest every time he catches himself lingering too long on the thought of you. "How selfish of me," he thinks, "to want someone so pure, so beautiful, for myself."

Yet no matter how hard he tries, he cannot let go. You are his light, his guiding star, the only thing that makes the world seem bearable. He convinces himself that his love is selfless, that all he wants is your happiness. But even that reasoning begins to crumble when he realizes just how dependent he has become on you.

Every time you speak, every time you smile, he feels a pang of inadequacy. He wonders how someone like you could even spare him a glance. He berates himself for his shortcomings, for the things he cannot do, and he becomes obsessed with trying to be better for you. Yet, no matter how much he does, it never feels like enough. "You deserve so much more than I can give," he whispers to himself in the quiet of the night. But even as he thinks this, he cannot bring himself to let you go.

His love for you blurs the lines between right and wrong. He knows it’s wrong to follow you when you don’t know he’s there. He knows it’s wrong to memorize every detail of your life, from the places you visit to the people you speak to. But the thought of not knowing where you are, of not being able to protect you, fills him with such dread that he convinces himself it’s for your own good. The guilt of his actions warring with his desperate need to keep you safe.

Your happiness becomes his only source of joy. If you’re upset, he feels as though the world has lost its color. He tries to fix everything, bending over backward to ensure you’re content, even at the cost of his own well-being. If you’re happy, he feels like he can breathe again. But this dependence is suffocating—not for you, but for him. He begins to tie his entire sense of self-worth to your approval. If you were to reject him, he feels he would shatter completely.

While he is too kind to voice his jealousy, it festers beneath the surface. When others take up your time or attention, he feels a pang of envy so sharp it makes him sick. He tries to rationalize it, telling himself that he has no right to feel this way. But the more it happens, the harder it becomes for him to suppress. He starts to find small ways to keep you close—insisting on helping you with tasks, offering to walk you home, always being there when you need him.

His love drives him to extremes he never thought himself capable of. He follows you from a distance, his heart pounding as he watches over you. He tells himself it’s only to make sure you’re safe, but deep down, he knows it’s more than that. He needs to be near you, to feel connected to you in some way, even if you don’t know he’s there. The guilt eats at him, but he can’t stop. You are his everything, and he’ll do anything to ensure you’re protected.

In the end, Pure Vanilla Cookie’s love is as sweet as it is tragic. His selfless devotion becomes tangled with his selfish need to keep you by his side. He struggles to reconcile his guilt with his desires, walking a thin line between love and obsession. All he knows is that you are his one constant, his one truth, and no matter how much he doubts himself, he will always choose you.

The night was still, the castle shrouded in silence save for the occasional whisper of the wind against the stained-glass windows. You stirred in your bed, the faint feeling of being watched prickling at the edges of your awareness. Slowly, you opened your eyes to find a familiar figure standing at the foot of your bed, bathed in the faint glow of his staff.

"Pure Vanilla?" you murmured, your voice heavy with sleep. "What are you doing here?"

He stepped closer, his beautiful eyes shining with an intensity that made your heart race. His usual gentle smile was there, but something about it seemed… strained, as if it masked something deeper.

"I’m sorry if I startled you, my love," he said softly, his voice carrying the same warmth you knew so well. Yet, the way he said my love felt heavier tonight, almost possessive. "I couldn’t sleep knowing you were here all alone. What if something happened while I wasn’t here to protect you?"

Your brows furrowed. "Pure Vanilla, it’s the middle of the night. I’m safe here, aren’t I?"

He hesitated, his grip tightening slightly around his staff. "Yes, but… I can’t help worrying. The world is unpredictable, and I’ve seen too much to take your safety for granted. You mean everything to me."

The intensity in his words made you sit up, the sleepiness fading from your mind. "You don’t need to worry so much," you reassured him. "I’m fine, really."

But he shook his head, his expression almost pained. "You don’t understand," he murmured, stepping even closer until he was at your bedside. "I can’t bear the thought of losing you. Every moment you’re out of my sight, I feel this… emptiness. This fear that I’m not doing enough."

You felt a chill creep over you. "Pure Vanilla, I appreciate your care, but… you’re scaring me a little."

At your words, his eyes widened, and he dropped to his knees beside your bed, reaching out to take your hands in his. His touch was trembling, desperate. "I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I don’t mean to frighten you. I just… I love you so much, more than words can say. You’re the only light in my life, and I don’t know what I’d do without you. Please, forgive me if I seem overbearing. It’s only because I want to keep you safe."

You hesitated, the raw emotion in his voice tugging at your heart despite the unease creeping up your spine. "I forgive you," you said quietly, trying to steady your voice. "But you have to trust me too. I can take care of myself."

He nodded slowly, though the look in his eyes told you he wasn’t entirely convinced. As he rose to his feet, he lingered for a moment, his gaze softening as he looked at you. "Rest well, my love," he said finally, his voice tender. "I’ll be just outside if you need me."

Something is wrong.

[thepixelblender]

I will now confidently inform the board that this post was about seil chang of buried stars and he did NOT disappoint I love a petty bitch entangled in the emotional complexities of his own failure desperately clinging onto the strings like struggling in quicksand and unable to face reality either way

a reoccurring flaw of mine is that a videogame will present me with a bespectacled male character whose concept ties to envy spite and entitlement with -2 redeeming qualities and it activates the In Depth Media Analysis Of The Stupidest Variety part of my brain

[verdantwyrm]

Something that really bothers me is how people write Jimmy to be this horrible, all knowing cruel entity that isn't human.. but also write in the fact that he actively enjoys being like this too. At no point in the game does Jimmy ever express he's having fun or enjoying himself doing what he does.

People write him like he's intentionally harmful, abusive, cruel and selfish when all he ever expresses in the game is an overwhelming sense of shame, self doubt and anxiety over everything he does. Paranoid, flighty, escalates situations for no reason, constantly on his back legs getting ready to bite and kick all the time. Doesn't this all line up with the potential of him to being apart of the cycle of abuse?

Jimmy isn't a crazed maniac with a insatiable bloodlust, to me, he seems like a caged, wild animal that just scratches and bites everything it can, protective of itself to a fault in self-destruction, but so wrapped up in his self-loathing and inferiority complex. Making him out to be a ruthless, pathological abuser and a murderer right from the start discredits everything about his character and the people that are like him, the people that find relatability in his panic and temperament.

Jimmy is a victim too, of his own self-destruction most definitely, but he is very much apart of the abuse that is the capitalist hellhole he lives in, even if he momentarily benefits from it.

[moon-ttokki-x]

minty - bf!han jisung x female reader

pairing: han jisung x female reader

summary: when everything bursts into flames, there will always be someone to put it out.

genre: fluff, idol! au, heavy on the angst, panic attack, sensory overload, anger outburst out of frustration, negative thoughts, inferiority complex, feeling left behind. this one is a little sadder, not my usual writing, so read ahead at your own risk.

a/n: kinda having a bad time rn so i wrote this. also my masterlist just deadass stopped working so i have to remake it TT new masterlist will be up soon don't panic guys

You're laying on the floor face-down when Jisung comes home from the company.

He enters your shared bedroom, humming a new unreleased track, and finds you near to the floor-to-ceiling window, curled up in a ball. Your jacket is tossed somewhere behind you and you're not even aware that Jisung is home until he bends down and taps your shoulder.

"Jagi," he says, smiling in greeting.

You don't turn. Your head feels like it's made of lead and you can't seem to find the energy to even twitch a finger. And you feel bad because you know Jisung is tired too, and here you are, ignoring him because you're selfish and lazy and not good enough for anything-

"Y/n," Jisung says again, a little softer.

You do turn your head then. It's not much of a turn, to be honest; more like a slow, sluggish effort to move your head to the right. Your look over your shoulder and he's sitting there, knees to his chest, smiling down at you.

His headphones are slung around his neck as per usual, the headphone cord wrapped loosely around his wrist. His blue hair is flopping attractively into his eyes and the neckline of his band shirt slips a little to the left, revealing a sliver of collarbone.

Some of the skin there is slightly red, and you know it's because he probably worked out his shoulders and torso before coming back home.

You feel even worse at the thought of him working out; why can't you be the same? Why can't you just get up and be productive and multitask and live a good life and be happy like everyone else? Like him? Was that sort of thing not meant for you? Success and friendships and contentment and normalcy?

Because here is Jisung, so many achievements under his belt, so many talents and aspirations and thoughts and dreams, and there you are behind him, struggling to keep up with even the simplest of tasks in your own life.

And it's not just him; lately it feels like everyone else is sprinting ahead, while you're lagging behind, confused. Winded. Out of breath.

Losing energy.

It feels the same even now. Usually making eye contact and being close to Jisung fills you with strength, but today it seems even he can't wash away your thoughts. You wonder how bad it can be if even Jisung, your number one supporter, can't seem to even slightly unclasp the boulder shackles from around your ankles.

And the yet-again nagging thought of always being left behind culminates the peak of your bottled desperation.

And everything is Wrong.

The floor feels rough and uncomfortable all of a sudden, grating against your skin, scratching at the pores, and your clothes are too tight and restricting, digging into the soft curves and peaks of your figure, tightening around you like a python winds about its prey.

Jisung is still sitting there next to you; he must have realised you didn't feel like talking. He's staring out the window, still singing softly to the track, gaze unfocused but content. He understands; he has days like yours too. But right now it feels different, and suddenly you want nothing more than for him to just leave. To just go.

And that thought makes you feel awful.

You feel all hot and irritated like you've been put into an oven on high heat, and you rake a hand through the limp strands of your hair, the tickling flyaways suddenly causing a sudden surge of boiling hot frustration to pour through your veins.

Everything goes up in flames and before you know it, you're shoving Jisung's hand away and storming into the living room, throwing yourself down on the couch and then violently tossing yourself about because even touching the couch feels Wrong too. The leather sticks to your skin and the shuffling sounds are too noisy and sound more like nails being dragged down a chalkboard.

You let out a half-hearted scream and even that feels pathetic. Like you've tried to blow a whistle and all that came out was a sad little wheeze. The noise floats into the air and absorbs into the stillness. You want to scream again but it won't help; no matter how much noise you make, it will never be enough to quiet the wildfires searing across your nerves and seemingly into the core of your brain.

But the flames begin to sizzle, and like all fires do, it begins to die down.

You're left in the smoldering aftermath; the human form of it, anyway, which consists of sobbing like a child face-down in the couch, your body draped uncomfortably across the lounge.

It's almost an hour before Jisung tiptoes into the living room; he peeks over the back of the couch before cautiously moving to sit in front of you, about a metre away. And it's not that he's afraid of your sudden outburst, no, not at all. He knows not to touch you for now, to keep a distance, so as not to trigger you further.

He's silent for a moment; you miserably raise your head, a picture of defeat, eyes puffy and red with tears. You sniff and scrub at your face, wanting to get rid of the Feeling, the one that makes your jaw feel all sour and your head dizzy, the way it always feels after you cry.

Jisung chides you softly, gently reaching out to smooth a singular finger over the irritation you've caused across the delicate skin of your cheekbones. He's testing the water, so when nothing bursts out to bite his hand off, and the temperature seems reasonably cool, he moves just a little closer and gently pats your shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he says softly, almost inaudibly.

"Everything," you sob, the sound causing a terrible racking pain through Jisung's chest. It sounds so hollow, so lonely and desperate.

And yet so filled with hope, but hope that is slowly dying, losing its intensity, like you know in your heart that utilizing it won't really help anything. At least not anymore.

You don't expect Jisung to understand. How could he ever, when the terrible, tumultuous storm of horrible thoughts and feelings in your head is making it hard to understand yourself in the first place?

And you're right. Jisung doesn't understand. He looks bewildered but also empathetic. He looks the way people look when they sort of expect something to happen but it still shocks them when it does.

So he sits, not understanding but also knowing, and strokes your shoulder, keeping the rhythm of it, smooth and constant and flowing, dousing the flames, ever so slowly.

And you can't even try to explain how you feel, or what's wrong, and you can't even find it in yourself to apologise for so violently bursting out at him, but the look in Jisung's eyes tell you that no words are necessary. Not from you anyway.

"I love you," he says quietly after a while, still soft, still a little bit bewildered. But there is no doubt in his words.

And a weak, watery smile manages to tug at the corners of your mouth. At least you think it does; in reality, your face doesn't move an inch, still drawn tensely in rife and despair. But something in your eyes shifts slightly and Jisung knows you well enough to know what that shift means.

The searing flames die down completely, the ash rising and dissipating into a quiet, still, air, and when Jisung draws his hand back, his fingers are stained in still-warm charcoal.

You look at him, still heaving and exhausted; he smiles a tiny bit, like he's not sure whether it might set you off again or make you feel worse. But he does anyway, and the air begins to feel a lot cooler around you as he speaks.

"I brought you something from the company," he whispers, his fingers dancing along the thick seams of the leather couch.

You blink once, slowly, the movement taking a ridiculous amount of energy, which has dwindled to its last stores.

Jisung smiles, almost uncharacteristically shyly, and draws a little rectangular tin out of his dark, worn jeans. He lifts it to your eye level and holds it out on his palm.

On closer inspection, you see it's a little container, the plastic dyed a cool blue-green. There's a small flap on the top for flicking open and dispensing what looks like little sweets.

"Peppermints," Jisung says softly, a little shyly. "They help me when I feel all shaky and irritable. Chan-hyung keeps a pack in his bag for me too, just in case I start feeling anxious at events or concerts... maybe it'll help you too."

You sniff and let him put one of the mints on your palm. You lift it to your mouth and the sensation is immediately refreshing, a growing, almost cool-burn that seems to ease the aching tension that's set itself into your muscles.

It tastes slightly salty from the sweat on your palms, but it disappears as you roll it over your tongue. You exhale a tense breath you didn't know you'd been holding.

You blink again, even slower, hoping that Jisung knows it means thankyou. And he seems to understand, because he tips the container up a little, taking one of the mints himself with a grin.

a/n: hello yes i would like to order one jisung please

[flowerofbenevolence]

Royal Sword Academy Headcanons

Background information (mostly canon):

As it is canon, Royal Sword Academy, also known as RSA, is one of the top two most powerful and famous magic academies in the world of Twisted Wonderland alongside Night Raven College, also known as NRC. It is also sometimes revered as THE MOST powerful, famous, and best magic arcane academy due to having triumphed over Night Raven College in the SpellDrive/Magift Tournaments for nearly a century. It is also known for educating its students to not only be the most excellent of mages, but also the most noble and virtuous of bachelors.

Much like Night Raven College, Royal Sword Academy is an all-boys school. However, instead of being selfish, arrogant narcissists like the staff and students of Night Raven College, the staff and students of Royal Sword Academy are generally selfless, caring, and compassionate. Some are noble, princely, and heroic, while others are gentle, humble, and pure. Some are curious, adventurous, and outgoing, while others are reserved, brooding, and deeply thoughtful. However, one thing remains the same - the inhabitants of the school are natural leaders.

In contrast to how Night Raven College students tend to overblot due to being overly ambitious, confident, and competitive, Royal Sword Academy students sometimes struggle with low self-esteems, inferiority complexes, and expressing themselves, their needs, wants, and identities. For that reason, Royal Sword Academy students would also require a magicless, penniless prefect to guide them into being assertive, confident, and competitive by making them realize just how lucky they are to have such powerful magic and end up in such an amazing school.

Appearance and Location (also mostly canon):

Royal Sword Academy's main campus is located on the southernmost end of the tiny Isle of Sages, or Sage's Island. It is south of Night Raven College, which lies in the northern mountains of the island as well as the island's central village. Most of the school building's color palette consists of white and blue, and the school building itself resembles that of a castle. The school has a small bridge or moat that crosses over to the academy's main building, and behind that is the school's entire campus.

Emblem (also mostly canon):

Royal Sword Academy's school emblem resembles that of a shield, consisting of a light blue elongated pentagon topped with a matching, long, thin, horizontal rectangle, lined with a thin, dark blue inner rim, and a thicker, silver outer rim. Within the shield is a sword with a silver blade and golden hilt topped with a red, golden-striped crown or hat piercing through a golden shield with a castle-like top that has a royal blue shield inside with the words "Royal Sword Academy" written in white inside. At the side of the sword and castle-like topped shield are two white horses with dark blue manes and silver collars. At the bottom of the sword and horses and at the sides of the sword's tip are two pairs of bundles of laurel leaves, which are a symbol of glory.

Orientation Ceremony:

The students of Royal Sword Academy arrive at the school sleeping in a glass coffin in the Platinum Pumpkin Coach pulled by pristine white horses. Upon awakening, the students are ushered by the staff and upperclassmen to the Chamber of the Sacred Well, where they are sorted in one of the seven dorms the school in founded on based on the nature of their soul. After being sorted into a dorm, the students are also given a long, thin, silver baton that resembles a sword and is embedded with a magestone of their dorm's color. When the ceremony is over, the students are led by their dorm leaders to their dorms.

Dorms:

Royal Sword Academy is founded on the noble personality traits of the Magnificent Seven - seven mages, most of whom were royalty, that were said to uphold the most noble of virtues, were companions of the Great Seven, and are idolized as role models by those of Twisted Wonderland.

Wondaventure - The dorm based on the creative imagination of The Wondrous Lady in Blue (Alice from Alice in Wonderland). The students of this dorm seem to be crazy and insane at first glance, but they are also innovative, imaginative, and creative. They also seem to struggle with being misunderstood, though, and struggle to express themselves. Their main color is sky blue. Their secondary color is white. The magestones in their magestone brooches are also sky blue. 

Alexander “Alex” Wondrionne (twisted from Alice) - The Housewarden of Wondaventure. His adventurous, curious, and rebellious attitude contrasts greatly to his noble status and quickly led to the ending of his betrothal.

Chenille Sommerfly (twisted from Blue Caterpillar) - The Vice-Housewarden of Wondaventure. A quiet, composed, and serious yet forgetful and short-tempered young man who is known for giving useful advice and telling complicated riddles.

Che’nya (twisted from Chesire Cat) - A mischievous, whimsical, and mysterious cat beastman who often teases people and gets them into trouble.

Michael Bavarder (twisted from Tweedle Dee) - A playful and talkative gossip who often quarrels and competes with his twin brother whom he insists is younger than him. Always loves a game.

Gabriel Bavarder (twisted from Tweedle Dum) - A cheerful yet competitive social butterfly who often accompanies his twin brother despite frequently arguing with him. His slanderous gossip often leads to chaotic drama.

Safarimane - The dorm based on the noble leadership of The Royal Lion (Simba from The Lion King). The students of this dorm strive to be excellent leaders and are ambitious, hardworking, adventurous, curious, and eager to learn. However, they struggle with large egos and the great amount of responsibility being a leader comes with. Their main color is golden. Their secondary color is reddish orange. Their magestones are the same color as their main color.

Mfalme Lionheart (twisted from Adult Simba) - The ambitious and adventurous yet impressionable housewarden of Safarimane who is also a prince. Excited yet nervous about his position, he yearns to be the perfect leader.

Kufu Heshima (twisted from Timon) - A self-centered and lazy pariah who has been friends with Moyo for many years and has become a recent companion of Mfalme. Coming from a poor background, he deeply cares for his family.

Moyo Guluwe (twisted from Pumbaa) - A dimwitted and foolish outcast alongside Kufu, whom he has been friends with for many years. He is the smarter of the two and often tries to teach him.

Tritonelle - the dorm based on the adventurous curiosity of The First Mermaid out of Water (Ariel from The Little Mermaid). The students of this dorm are adventurous, inquisitive, and rebellious to a fault. Because of their curiosity, they often struggle with being contained and restrained. Their main color is emerald green and their secondary color is purple. The color of their magestones are green.

Rielle Poseidonius (twisted from Ariel) - The curious housewarden of Tritonelle who is inquisitive to the extent of rebelliousness. Hailing from merfolk royalty, he is extremely fascinated by humans and the world above.

Sean Hummer (twisted from Sebastian) - A strict and serious disciplinarian who was sent by the royal family to keep Rielle in check as his vice-housewarden. Believes spending time gaining knew knowledge is dangerous folly.

Flynn Fiskene (twisted from Flounder) - A shy, anxious, and timid boy who often accompanies Rielle wherever he goes, even if they are dangerous or against the rules. Loyal and protective, but a bit of a coward and rule-breaker.

Yatasima - The dorm founded on the cunning wit of The Prince who was also a Thief (Aladdin from Aladdin). The students of this dorm are observant, intelligent, and ambitious as well as kind, compassionate, and selfless. Their main color is dark indigo. Their secondary color is crimson. Their magestones are dark indigo. 

Jasim Al-Malik (twisted from Jasmine) - The housewarden of Yatasima. An icily cold crown prince who will have to find a wife one day amongst the vast nobility of his home country. Once someone wins his trust, his loyalty will know no bounds.

Jinn Thalatha (twisted from Genie) - A bright and cheerful boy whose posivity rivals the sun. While he loves granting wishes and seeing a smile on people's faces, he also has wishes of his own and secretly envies Jasim's housewarden position.

Apfelreine - the dorm based on the benevolent purity of The Fairest Maiden of All (Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). The students of this dorm are benevolent, gentle, and selfless. However, they struggle with naivety. Due to their purity, they are blissfully unaware of the ill-intentions of others and the envy of other people. Their main color is bright red. Their secondary color is dark blue. Their magestones are red as it is canon.

Neige LeBlanche (twisted from Snow White) - The delicately beautiful housewarden of Apfelreine known for being the most beautiful in all of Twisted Wonderland. Pure and innocent, he is blissfully unaware of all those who wish him ill will.

Dominic (twisted from Doc) - An intelligent, responsible, and hardworking dwarf who is the housewarden of Apfelreine as well as the leader of the Seven Swords. While many would question why or how someone who short and childish-looking could possibly serve as a leader, he has never failed in his duties.

Grum (twisted from Grumpy) - A cranky and temperamental dwarf whose tough love often gets mistaken for rudeness. He detests it when people mistake him for a child, even though he sometimes acts like one.

Shelphie (twisted from Sleepy) - A somnolent and drowsy dwarf whose attempts to stay awake always end up in vain. As a result, he sometimes pretends to be awake using his sleeping mask.

Hop (twiste from Happy) - An optimistic and exuberant dwarf who vows to always see the bright side of things and is always seen with a smile on his adorable face.

Timmy (twisted from Timid) - A meek and bashful dwarf who often gets nervous around people. For that reason, he covers his eyes with his hair to avoid eye contact.

Snick (twisted from Sneezy) - A sickly and ailing dwarf with a weak immune system. He almost always has to wear his face mask due to frequently sneezing and wheezing.

Toby (twisted from Dopey) - A scatterbrained and empty-minded dwarf who forgets a lot of things, including his own name. His flightiness and immaturity often annoys the other dwarves.

Kyle Reinheit (twisted from True Love’s Kiss) - An ethereally beauteous hopeless romantic known for his stunning lip products. He despises being seen as weak.

Irotheikos - The dorm based on the heroic courage of the Hero in the Stars (Hercules from Hercules). The students of this dorm are ambitious, tenacious, and hardworking. Their flaw is vanity, as they often get caught up in their current achievements and stray from their initial objective. Their main color is royal blue, and their secondary color is golden yellow. Their magestones are royal blue.

Hector Dyneam (twisted from Hercules) - The flashy and boastful housewarden of Irotheikos who wants to help and save people even in the most dire of situations. His achievements sometimes get to his head, though.

Phillipe Daskalo (twisted from Philoctetes) - A gruff, easily-annoyed, and ornery goat beastman who is the vice-housewarden of Irotheikos. Always scolding the underclassmen for their mistakes and failures.

Angeamouria - The dorm based on the graceful virtues of The Slumbering Princess of Roses (Aurora from Sleeping Beauty). The students in this dorm are graceful, elegant, and virtuous. Their only flaw is being painfully shy and being extremely nervous around strangers. Their main color is purple. Their secondary color is golden. Their magestones are also purple.

Aurelius Rosantine (twisted from the Spinning Wheel of Sleep) - The housewarden of Angeamouria. An elegant and beneficent prince that struggles to approach people and make friends.

Florian DeCadeau (twisted from Flora) - A headstrong and no-nonsense fairy with very high and strict moral standards. Often frets over Aurelius' appearance.

Faunus DeCadeau (twisted from Fauna) - A gentle and loving young man who often comforts Aurelius during tough times and gives him singing lessons.

Merwin Decadeau (twisted from Merriweather) - A bold and hot-tempered fairy who is the youngest of his brothers and protects Aurelius with his life.

Tumbledown - An abandoned dorm that was once prosperous with students bustling about, but currently is vacant with its only inhabitants being a bunch of friendly, well-behaved ghosts. It is unknown why, how, or when it became abandoned, but some, particularly a magicless prefect, has begun to suspect that it may have something to do with a magical well just outside the dorm.

Yuu (twisted from ???) - Tell us about yourself

Hanns (twisted from Hans Christian Andersen) - Will be mentioned in the staff.

Uniform:

The school has several uniforms due to how the staff of the school view preparation for every occasion is imperative as well as a sign of sophisticated up-bringing, which the type of image they want to project. For that reason, the students of Royal Sword Academy not only possess a Daily School Day Uniform, a P.E. Uniform, Labwear, Ceremonial Robes, or a Dorm Signature Uniform, but also an Outside-School Special Events Uniform, a School Signature Sports Outfit, and Dorm Pajamas.

Daily School Day Uniform:

(Photo by @twistinghearts)

The schools' Daily School Uniform resembles that of men's fashion during the French Rococo Era as well as the outfit on the left (worn by Farena) in the image above. It consists of a white silk jacket that extends to their knees and is lined with gold lace trim, a silk vest of the student's respective dorm color, a white jabot collar, royal blue pants, a pair of black leather boots with golden trim, an armband of the student's respective dorm colors, white silk gloves, and a golden sword sheath belt that carries their sword-like, magestone-encrusted baton. The light colors and intricacy of the uniform's details are intentional and are purposefully meant to train the wearer to move with delicacy and grace and keep themselves clean.

P.E. Uniform:

Their P.E. Uniform is much less graceful and delicate. It consists of a white shirt lined with the student wearer's main dorm color and blue, as well as navy blue pants lined with the same main dorm color. The students are required to wear white sneakers and bring their magestone baton.

Labwear:

Their Labwear Uniform is perhaps the most practical, and similar to NRC's. It is comprised of a pair of lab goggles, a white lab coat that covers their jabot collar and collarbones, pockets with striped rims based on the student's dorm colors, black rubber gloves, and their golden sword sheath belt carrying their magestone baton.

Ceremonial Robes:

There are, surprisingly, actually two Ceremonial Robe Uniforms - one for the freshmen, and one for the upperclassmen. The Freshmen Ceremonial Robe Uniforms are white, with a few blue parts and minimal gold details. Its white color is meant to symbolize the purity and innocence of the freshmen's youth and how they have yet to learn, while the partial blue and minimal gold parts are made to represent their low rank amongst the student body. The Upperclassmen Ceremonial Robe Uniforms are much more extravagant, being bright royal blue, rimmed with silvery white, and embroidered and embellished with gold silk brocade. Its extravagance and dark color are made to represent nobility and wisdom. Both uniforms are made of silk, are long, flowy, and warm, and bear a resemblance to Headmage Ambrose' uniform and the other two uniforms above. They also contain a golden sword sheath for when they receive their baton.

Dorm Signature Uniform:

The Dorm Signature Uniform differs per dorm. For that reason, it will only be described in different posts where a specific dorm is being discussed.

Outside-School Special Events Uniform:

The Outside-School Special Events Uniform has been seen in-game since it is what RSA students wore during the VDC. It is what is worn during special events that take place outside the school itself. It consists of a white shirt lined with navy with golden buttons, a navy sash lined with white that ties into a bow at the wearer's right hip, navy pants, and black shoes. Unlike the other uniforms, the Outside-School Special Events Uniform is the only uniform to consist of a magestone brooch rather than a golden sword sheath and magestone baton. The reason behind this is because it would be too much to handle.

School Signature Sports Uniform:

The School Signature Sports Uniform is what is worn during the Spelldrive Tournament between RSA and NRC at the end of the school year. It resembles a knight's uniform. It is brilliant white, lined with blue and having blue letters on it, accented with golden shoulder pads, elbow pads, wrist pads, knee pads, and ankle pads, and of course, has a golden belt, sword sheath, and their magestone baton.

Dorm Pajamas:

The Dorm Pajamas differ from dorm to dorm. Therefore, like the Specialized Dorm Uniform, they will only be discussed in later posts.

School Subjects:

(Credits to @twstarchives and @phoenix-manga for inspiration!)

Practical Magic - The understanding, study, practice, and performance of spells, curses, hexes, and incantations

Magic Analysis - Analyse and observe demonstrations of magic

Ancient Curses - the study, analysis, and sometimes even the performance of casting a spell that has a negative intention and effect on another person or being

Conjuration - To create, summon, or transform objects

Defense Magic - Magic used to defend oneself from attacks

Alchemy/Potionology - the use of minerals, plants, and other substances to create potions and other things.

Astrology - The study and analysis of the stars and their magical connection

Biology - the study and understanding of life, specifically magical organisms

Poison Making - The usage of potionology and alchemy to create even the most lethal of poisons. Perfect for an assassin.

Mathematics - The study of numbers and quantities ranging from algebra, mental math, and geometry

Animal Linguistics - The study of animal communication. Talk with your favorite pet!

Etiquette - learn how to become a proper gentleman or lady through sophisticated manners, posture, and poise.

History of Magic - Discover magical developments, historical figures, and significant events and revolutions

Politics and Kingship - Perfect for all the royal and noble students, or anyone who wants to be a world leader one day. Learn and discover diplomacy, hierarchy, and monarchy.

Art - the understanding and creation of beauty that cannot be described.

Music - the students learn how to sing, play an instrument, understand music, or even compose

School Choir - Practically all the Disney Princes and Princesses sing. RSA would be incomplete without it!

Dance - Carry, move, and conduct yourself with grace beyond imagination

Staff:

Ambrose LXIII (twisted from Merlin) - The wise, old headmage of Royal Sword Academy who has held his position for many years. Hailing from a noble family with many ancestors that have done the same, his wisdom knows no bounds. Generously, he lends the player/reader the status of a student and the title of Tumbldown Prefect.

Hanns - A direbeast dog who dreams of becoming the greatest mage ever lived. Well-behaved and respectful yet mischievous and adventurous, he often accompanies the player/reader and leads them on a path to adventure.

Pierre Chenine (twisted from Pongo) - The goofy, fun-loving science professor of Royal Sword Academy who is also the son of a musician and the father of many. He believes strongly about caring for animals, especially canines and is always willing to help his students when they're struggling in his class.

Cendrionne Ashe - RSA's history professor who is renowned by the staff and students for his benevolence and diligence. Not only is he a great teacher, but he also great at chores! However, he is rumored to be the stepson of the history professor at Night Raven College . . .

Daniel Pedrosa (twisted from Beast/Prince Adam) - The kind yet tough-loving P.E. teacher at Royal Sword Academy known for his forgiving nature and belief in second chances. Rumored to be crushing on the town librarian.

Max (twisted from Tiana) - The owner of a small shop and restaurant located on school campus. His store supplies students with school supplies or whatever they need, and his restaurant serves the most delicious food.

Clubs:

Future Rulers Association - the members of this club learn how to become better, natural leaders for when they have to inherit a throne or start their own empire. They learn what it takes to be a leader and how to improve the school.

Theatre & Movie Research Club - The RSA equivalent of the Film Studies Club at NRC. The students hear strive to be the best actors they can be or work in the tech crew.

Magift/Spelldrive Club - These students strive to be the most competitive during the Interdorm Spelldrive Tournament as well as the Inter-scholastic Magift/Spelldrive Tournament.

School Band & Music Club - The most gorgeous melodies come from this club. The students here play a variety of instruments and some can sing.

Science Club - The same as NRC. The club members hold outstanding knowledge of potionology, alchemy, biology, astrology, etc. They perform countless experiments and conduct lots of research.

Inter-Species Culture Club - Inspired by how the First Mermaid out of Water managed to bring peace between the humans and merfolk, this club discusses the importance of learning about different cultures, breaking language barriers, and how to make peace.

Knights-In-Training Camp - this club is similar to NRC's Equestrian Club, except the students here not only learn how to ride and tend to horses, but also how to protect their future lords and rulers.

Basketball Club - The same as Night Raven College. The students here partake in the fun and hustle of the sport basketball.

Track & Field Club - The students here enjoy the thrill of running, racing, and winning.

Boardgame Club - The students here are hard at work challenging themselves and their minds on any kind of board game.

Relationship with Night Raven College:

As it is canon, Royal Sword Academy and Night Raven College are currently in a bitter rivalry. This is mainly due to the fact that Royal Sword Academy has beaten Night Raven College in the Inter-Scholastic Magift/Spelldrive Tournament for nearly a century in the past. As a result, Royal Sword Academy students tend to look down upon Night Raven's college's many failures and lack of sportsmanship and refer to them as "a slew of petty, uncultured fools".

Royal Sword Academy students also look at Night Raven College's style in contempt. They think the school's buildings and uniforms are "dreadfully plain" and "with no sense of style".

Author's Note: Most of this is fanon. Everything that is canon and the photos are NOT mine!

[blueteller]

Introducing Character Trope: STEBS (Stoic Traumatized Epic Bastard Softie)

I have tried to look this up on TV tropes, but it does not exist. Not officially, at least. So I decided – I'm introducing new trope. It already exist, someone might as well try and give it a name.

And yeah, this acronym SUCKS, feel free to come up with a better one! But let's talk about what a "STEBS" character is for me, because I've come to the conclusion that it is actually my favorite character type.

First, context. Ever since I've read TCF, I have come across other medias and I was often like, "Hey, this character is basically just like Cale!" – which I feel like, it isn't really fair? I mean, Cale is a great and complex character, but making this comparison constantly makes me feel like I'm undermining the complexity of OTHER characters. Just because Cale shares similarities with other characters doesn't make them copies of him.

So, what exactly is a STEBS?

1) Stoic

This character has a very specific way of acting in non-confrontational situations. It can be respectful, it can be casual, but it is neither extremely friendly nor extremely rude. It's in a calm, pleasant zone, where the character treats others like... well, people. The character doesn't make themselves superior nor inferior, it doesn't matter to them if the other is a beggar or a king. They just are, calm and casual. That's what makes them stoic - NOT lack of expressions or emotions, or lack of humor. It's the way they carry themselves on the regular. This character type makes others feel relaxed because of it, and subconsciously encourages trust and friendship (much to the character's confusion). They will also make a great educator because of it, and will likely act as a mentor or a teacher more than once.

2) Traumatized

Despite the stoicism in their behavior, they actually have a complicated background. Commonly an orphan, even though not always, this person has been through a LOT. But, they don't usually express it. Seeing this character cry or break down is EXTREMELY rare and always a very important scene in a story. It's not that they're not emotional or they always try to bury their trauma, although that does usually apply to them; they're just not vocal about it due to their personality. But oh boy, are they traumatized! Wait for that reveal later in the story though, when it actually becomes plot-relevant.

3) Epic

Despite the character being a stoic type, with a backstory that makes them crave very simple things – be it retirement, respect from their peers, a safe house to live in, a stable job, a family, a specific successful career – they are actually freaking epic where it comes to things they do. They either have great knowledge, memory, or skills in a particular field and they always manage to surprise others with just how competent they are. It can be literal combat skills, magic, being a life-saving surgeon, or even a therapist. But whenever they get their chance to shine, they become a real star.

4) Bastard

A trait that adds a surprising amount of charm and humor to their other traits. Being stoic makes them likeable, being traumatized makes them sympathetic, being epic makes them cool – but being a bastard? It actually just means they're mischievous and have a penchant for chaos. Because this character is meant to make changes in the narrative, like an accidental revolutionary or a transmigrator, they have to possess a cunning streak that might seem mean or selfish at first, but actually never crosses the line into making them despicable. It just makes them an occasional manipulator, but it's usually portrayed in a way that still makes it impossible to make you hate them. In fact, it makes you love them more for it. They are not naive, even if they can be oblivious or silly at times; being a bastard to those who deserve it means being able to get out of sticky situations that would be problematic for paragon heroes. It includes stuff like acting, pranks, cheating, manipulation, shady deals, gambling, stealing, and even criminal behavior, that is actually very understandable due to their specific circumstances.

5) Softie

And if all the previous traits haven't convinced you to love this character yet, the last one surely will. This character, despite having a mean streak, is in fact never mean to innocent people. Actually, they are surprising soft and/or sentimental, especially towards the helpless and children. This character will probably have at least one animal sidekick, at least one paragon protagonist type on their payroll, and most importantly an adopted child - if the previous two don't already fill that spot. This character will make excuses of course, they will claim that they are taking care of others for their own benefits. But you will see quickly that they don't treat others like a heartless manipulator, but more of an overprotective mother-hen. This character, no matter their gender, will eventually become the typical Mom Friend. They will make sure everybody eats well, sleeps well, they get their allowance, pack their lunch before heading out to participate in the plot and probably try to sacrifice themselves for them more than once. They will of course become the mentor figure on top of it, and possibly even be a straight up legal guardian and/or teacher to other important characters.

And this, my friends, is what I call a STEBS character. While it outlines a general, it's not a strict definition, mind you. Even if a character exhibit one trait less than the others (for example not being much of a bastard, or not being very stoic), it still counts as long as you still recognize them as fitting in this "category".

Characters in this category include:

Cale Henituse from Trash of the Count's Family

Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars

Aizawa Shota from My Hero Academia

Kakashi from Naruto

Remus Lupin from Harry Potter

Faramir from Lord of the Rings

Kim Dokja from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

Rimuru Tempest from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Park Moondae from Debut or Die

Won Hwabu from I Reincarnated as a Legendary Surgeon

And many, many others.

Let me know if you have a better name for this very specific character type!

[nanonezmayonez]

These oumota mitsukou interactions is making me think abt oumota mitsukou au im gonna start going insane.

Im gonna do a whole rantbc…Oumota as mitsukou has been on my mind for AGES bc they do kinda remind me of eachother but they also dont at the same time..idk like mitsuba is a lot more gullible and even tho its not a lot hes more open about his feelings unlike kokichi whod rather get hit by a truck than reveal his actual feelings. And kou is more selfless than kaito in my opinion like ofcourse kaito was selfless too but i feel like his selflessness had selfish intentions behind it like he wanted to be seen as the hero probably to prove his inferiority complex wrong or smt? Idk I never really gave kaitos character much of a thought if im being honest bc i didnt really like him until a few months ago😓😓 but that was also bc i didnt like characters who tried so hard to look like a hero and shi but unlike kaito kou never gave me that impression bc i never felt like kou actually cared how people saw him he just never cared what happened to him as long as the people he loves are okay which is an actual hero mindset imo but i might be wrong too these are just my opinions and im no character analyizer (idk how to spell that) or whatever they say

[sepublic]

            The thing I dig about TSSM Doctor Octopus is that he’s another fun example of that type of villain who on the surface does seem pretty tragic and misunderstood, ultimately a victim of circumstance… Except if you pay attention, you realize that this IS his choice. This is what he always wanted, deep down. His little fantasy of smashing Norman against a wall is a dead give-away.

            Otto always wanted to snap and stop caring about other people, and lash out at the world; He had a bit of compassion, but not enough to really care, and where did that even get him anyway? Even if one undid the damage to his spine and nervous system and removed the tentacles, I’m positive Otto would be the exact same; All the accident did was remove the inhibitions to reveal the festering resentment that was there all along.

            At most, Otto without the brain damage might still have self-doubts that flash into his mind from time to time; But ultimately, he’s seen what he can do when he doesn’t worry, so he likely wouldn’t struggle anymore. He wouldn’t need a grisly medical condition, he’d realize it’s just Dumbo’s feather, a placebo. His inferiority complex would thrive in the revelation that it was in him all along, and he would never go back, Otto couldn’t bear that timid existence any longer.

            Even if you were to show Otto kindness and compassion, his only takeaway, probably, would be that he appreciates it from you, from those who are nice to him, but he’s still going to be selfish towards everyone else who hasn’t proven why he should give them the time of day. Imagine that distinction coming up, if TSSM actually adapted his marriage to Aunt May, with Adrian as his best man…!

[neverpathia]

okay, gang. I can't decide on how I want to characterise our Miserably Wretched Sneaky Bastard #2 (Opportunist) so I'll see which version has a more positive reception.

(Miserably Wretched Sneaky Bastard #1 is Witch, by the way.)

[skylerbluexd]

Who would win in a fight? - among (some of) the characters played by Park Sunghoon

Cho Hyun-ju (Squid Game 2) => Ex-special forces who deserves the entire world 🥺

Verdict: She's thoroughly beating all of their asses, honestly, I don't make the rules :) She's for the girls and she will not let these men spew their crap (she'll team up if they're nice tho)

Jeon Jae-jun (The Glory) => Tiny selfish colourblind misogynistic abusive arrogant insufferable little bastard

Verdict: This pathetic man cannot fight, he just knows how to run his mouth and be a piece of shit - also, don't say to his face that he's colourblind, or he'll whack your kneecaps off

Yoon Eun-sung (Queen of Tears) => An obsessive sociopath who is also an unstable man wielding a shotgun on his really bad days

Verdict: Will not win the fight but will be dangerous if given a shotgun or rifle, or anything he can use to try and shoot his one-sided love with

Seo In-woo (Psychopath Diary) => Being gay and committing crime: wet little meow meow who also happens to be a manipulative serial killer with a self-pitying inferiority complex

Verdict: Also dangerous if given a shotgun, fortunately, he is from a romcom and will therefore miss every shot he fires

Go Jin-cheol (Mad Dog) => Essentially a slimy weasel of a life insurance scammer and murderer for hire

Verdict: Doesn't hold a candle to any of the other mofos in the fight and will lose as soon as the fight starts - if able, he would try to team up with the rich bastards first, because he is a greedy sob

Eun Jae-won (Not Others) => Station director just trying to do his job, has way too much shit to deal with

Verdict: He shouldn't have to be in this fight at all, because he's already bruised up, but he had to follow the actual criminals - he likely teams up with Hyun-ju, so he wouldn't lose at least

Park Sang-yoon (The Kidnapping Day) => A detective that I don't think fully follows the rules while investigating, but good for him I guess, it works out in the end 👍

Verdict: Can surely keep up in the fight, he has received training, after all - but he would most likely also team up with the non-criminals

(Ps. I haven't fully seen all of the shows above, but I wanted to introduce some of Park Sunghoon's other roles. I knew him from Psychopath Diary, which is one of my favourite dramas. He is also known for his roles in Into the Ring and My Only One)