#is interesting to me because they are kind of polar opposites in concept you know? but its definitely possible for someone to-

[mad-hunts]

the amount of people that matilda actually let in to catch a glimpse of what was the closest thing to being the 'real her' — and by that, i mean sometimes even she herself didn't know who she was, really — was so little thus far... it could be counted on one hand. for also like barton, matilda had this ability to 'chameleon' her way into people's good graces by telling them exactly what they wanted to hear, and being exactly what they wanted her to be in general. though that was mostly when matilda was 'procuring' victims for herself; so around people like jervis, she acted as close as she could to her actual personality with the added condition of not allowing him any room to quote unquote 'figure her out.'

matilda didn't exactly want the other to know exactly who she was after all. doing that would be compromising the one advantage she seemed to have over jervis, just in case he got any weird ideas that he wanted to turn on her, or her father: and that was the quality of being unpredictable. while this was something she did consciously, though, matilda also found that she did or said things that came from an actually authentic part of her deep down inside. which therein, she supposed, lied a paradox. people always liked to compare her to her father as he always seemed to operate under the same confusing logic; but matilda liked to think she was more than just a copy of him despite her adopting a good amount of his behaviors.

matilda found herself humming along to a jazz song that she'd heard a band playing in a dance hall while her and jack were out on a 'night on the town.' they were just planning on passing by it until her younger brother stopped to listen to it when the trombone player came on. they were really good but still, the place was mostly deserted. so jack saw it fit to tell matilda they should go in there. which, indeed, they did. it was strange for someone to tell her that she'd been a part of making someone's day but that is what one of the band members told the both of them at the end of their set. she'd expressed that it was really nice to see people dancing to their music again.

and even though it was a small thing, it stuck in her mind like glue for some reason. matilda had actually gotten the number of the trombone player as he invited her to go to their next show and jack had teased her endlessly about it for the rest of the night. 'he was making such big googly eyes at you, sis — so now you have to go and see him the next time they play or you're gonna make him completely devastated.' it made matilda feel like a normal human being for a moment. something she hadn't felt in a long time, and that she liked. matilda simply blinked down at the peeling skin on barton's hand then. the trombone player, ramses, was in new york city now as part of a tour after being discovered and she was stuck here.

killing people. matilda inhaled sharply as she tried not to think about him anymore, and sat next to jervis, though with enough distance between them that she wasn't in his 'bubble.' she had once been told that she was off-putting by someone at gotham university and that was the whole reason why they left her to do all the work on their group project. for a moment, matilda wondered whether jervis felt the same way about her and if he had the choice, he'd rather be dealing with her father than her. but she shut down that thought upon seeing the thumbnail of the video. it was crazy what they were showing on this news channel when they supposedly wanted to be taken seriously.

this thought made her laugh as the broadcast showed those two god awful pictures of them, as if they hand-picked those just because they made them look as unhinged as possible. coughing, matilda nodded in response to jervis's questions before saying, ❝ yeah. i mean, if i didn't know any better, i'd say you'd done something personal to these news-people and they picked these photos purely out of spite. ❞ she cleared her throat before she could no longer hide her laughter and did so in her hands. ❝ oh, my god. it's funny because i actually know the story behind that photo of dad and it is... just, ❞ matilda didn't have the words for it at the time, so she simply made a 'chef's kiss' gesture with her hand.

when the time for the so-called 'character witnesses' to make their statements, she listened to the ones regarding jervis and appreciated them as one might appreciate a movie that was 'so bad, its good.' though the ones talking about her dad were somehow even worse... at least, in her opinion. there was a farmer on there who was actually partially telling the truth because barton had found himself taking shelter in the hayloft of that man's barn, but he clearly had a few screws loose by the way he stretched the scenario on the other half of things. and his southern accent just made things a bit more funny. 'so, this one afternoon en october about two years ago, aah went to go check own the chickens en mah barn. which is just something i do every day as a part of mah routine, you know? but... '

but this guy proceeded to say that he found this weird blonde man in his hayloft that looked like he'd just come out of the movie 'carrie' with how much blood he had on him. and that he was convinced barton was a cultist because he kept on murmuring something in tongues, when matilda was pretty sure he was probably just speaking in french. another one of the 'character witnesses' was someone who fit in the category of wanting their fifteen minutes of fame however. it was a professor that barton had once, after all, but she'd gotten all of the details about barton's appearance wrong and so the reporter had to correct her about it while trying not to laugh. this professor then said she'd seen him following her for a long distance once before saying he must've been doing it because she was a 'christian woman,' and she'd seen him reading a 'devil's book.'

but of course, in reality, this book was literally just the mysterious stranger by mark twain. matilda could hardly contain herself at that, as well as that jervis was a puppet. thus, she felt it was necessary to take a drink of water to stop herself from waking barton up. matilda was nearly tearing up by how badly she wanted to laugh but couldn't, ❝ ooh, my god. that is never going to get old... if i could, i would put that professor's quote and that quote about you being a puppet framed on the wall. ❞ she snorted through her nostrils then and ran her hands down her face to try to regain her composure. the whole thing was just so ridiculous, it was like they were in an episode of the twilight zone, or something. matilda let out a 'phew' sound once she was finally able to gather her bearings once more.

she nodded, ❝ pretty much, yeah. anyways, i hope you ejoyed that as much as i did, because we probably could all use a little more humor around here. ❞ matilda's eyes flitted from the other to her phone screen as a barely audible chime wrang from it. she went to check her notifications then and squinted at what she saw, before looking back up at her father. all it was was a news alert that the police were offering a cash reward for any information people may be able to give them on either barton's or jervis's location. which, in theory, could be bad. though no one else knew they were here to her knowledge.

matilda's heart nearly jumped out of her chest then when she saw that barton was starting to vomit while laying on his back. there was serious danger in that, so she ran over to the bed to flip him on his side and that way, barton wouldn't aspirate. it was all stomach acid but if he breathed that in it would still be very bad. ❝ jesus christ — i'm sorry, matilda. that was so gross and i got some on you, ❞ yeah, he did, matilda thought as she looked down at the now ruined undershirt to her tux. she could hardly be mad at barton though when he sounded like he was about to cry in that barely audible voice of his. wait, he was about to cry?

god's, barton was burning up. and he had a history of getting slightly to moderately delirious depending on how bad it was. matilda was able to tell this by laying the back of her hand across his forehead. barton maneuvered himself into sitting on the bed and matilda threw off whatever covers were on himself while she struggled to figure out what to do. ❝ yeah, you just stay there while i go get a thermometer. ❞ she looked over to jervis in the corner then and mouthed the words 'he is as hot as an oven. i am calling someone.' with that, she went into the kitchen-like area, leaving jervis alone with barton. the doctor cleared his throat then and closed his eyes after briefly looking at where jervis was. ❝ ugh... well, it appears as if you two are buddies now. did you tell my daughter you have synesthesia yet? ❞

This struck a nerve, all right.

Jervis kept his eyes on Matilda as she flitted from one spot to the next, trying to read her, to gauge what was really going on beneath that cool, collected exterior. She was like some storm he could never predict—one moment, raging and untouchable, the next, calm and almost… kind. Her moods shifted like the tides, and it made her hard to trust, hard to pin down. That bothered him. It gnawed at the edges of his mind, poking at old wounds, stirring up old fears.

He supposed it made sense, though, that she’d be like this. After all, Barton had the same unpredictable streak, that same capacity for both violence and unexpected kindness. Maybe it was something in their blood, some shared trait that made them swing between extremes. Jervis wasn’t sure if it was comforting to think of them as merely human, prone to the same fluctuations and inconsistencies as anyone else, or if it just made them all the more dangerous.

Still, he couldn’t shake the unease that lingered in the back of his mind. He’d spent too long surviving on suspicion and caution to let his guard down so easily. He eyed the water bottle again, then glanced at Matilda as she busied herself with tending to Barton’s wounds. She moved with a kind of precision that suggested she knew exactly what she was doing, every action deliberate and controlled, even if her emotions weren’t always so steady.

Jervis found himself wondering what she made of him. Did she see through his caution, his wariness? Did she know how he hesitated to trust the water she’d given him? It wouldn’t surprise him if she did. Matilda seemed the type to understand the darker parts of human nature—after all, she lived in those shadows herself, and the butterfly sword on her person indicated she herself was no stranger to violence. He could respect that, in a way. It was twisted, sure, but there was a certain integrity in it. It was a far cry from the deceptive kindnesses of others he’d encountered, those who smiled while slipping a knife between your ribs. Matilda’s honesty, brutal though it might be, was something Jervis could understand, even if he couldn’t bring himself to fully trust it.

As she sighed and turned Barton’s hand over, Jervis caught a glimpse of the raw, peeling skin where the chain had bitten into flesh; goose pimples prickled across his own skin as the ghost of her fingers trailed along the lines of his palm. It was a stark reminder of the violence that had brought them here, and Matilda’s calm, almost clinical demeanor as she tended to Barton made Jervis feel a strange sense of disconnect. Here was someone who could compartmentalize, who could push aside the emotional fallout of their actions and focus on the task at hand. But then she broke the silence, her tone shifting to something lighter as she pulled out her phone. Jervis watched as she crossed the room to sit near him, just close enough to share the screen without encroaching on his space. It was a small gesture, but it made a difference. It made him feel like she was trying to include him in something, like she was offering a bridge between them, however tentative.

When she handed him the phone, Jervis hesitated for a moment before taking it, the warmth of her hand lingering on the device. Her words were casual, almost teasing, as she explained her original intent to show the video to Barton. There was no bitterness in her voice, no resentment. Just… acceptance. It was a simple statement of fact, and somehow, that was what really got under his skin, what he truly didn’t get.

How could she be so accepting of this, of everything? The violence, the madness, the constant danger. How could she still find a way to laugh at the absurdity of it all when it felt like the world was always on the verge of caving in? He glanced down at the video, just in time to catch the mugshots: him and Barton, plastered up on the screen like some low-rent Bonnie and Clyde. That’s when he almost lost it—because they really had chosen the worst photos possible. Barton looked like he just rolled out of bed, barely surviving some week-long bender, and Jervis himself appeared to be auditioning for the part of “Most Disgruntled Librarian” with a black eye to boot.

God help him, he couldn’t help it; he snorted. It’s ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous. Here they were, labeled as ‘dangerous’—and he supposed they were—but the picture they’ve painted? It’s so far removed from the truth it’s almost comedic. All the same, Jervis lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, trying to push down the mix of shame and anger bubbling up inside. This was how they saw him—how the world saw him. Just another broken piece of the puzzle, just another madman to be feared and avoided. But Matilda? She coughed to cover her laugh, and in that moment, he almost envied her. Though there was something almost… playful about it, too. He glanced at her, catching the small, amused smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Christ, they always manage to make us look like a couple of lunatics, don't they?" Jervis muttered, his voice laced with a mix of exasperation and sardonic amusement. "Not that they’re far off, but still…” His words hung in the air, more for his own benefit than Matilda’s, as if he needed to hear them aloud to process the irrationality of their situation. Half an attempt to engage and half a way to vent, though they barely registered with him as they left his lips. And as the video continued, Matilda fortunately kept her word, fast-forwarding through the monotonous parts — skipping the drivel that passed for analysis — and pausing only when something particularly ludicrous surfaced. The screen flickered with the faces of so-called 'witnesses,' each one more eager than the last to spout their fabricated nonsense. Jervis’ patience was already worn dangerously thin, and yet, there was something almost cathartic about it—watching these idiots make fools of themselves while pretending to know anything about their lives.

The first glimpse of the self-appointed 'character witnesses' was some pimple-ridden bloke who looked like he hadn’t left his mother’s basement in years claiming Jervis once glared at him at a bookshop, and some woman with more makeup than sense insisting she could "just tell" by his eyes that he was pure evil. What utter gobshite, he thought, the senselessness almost too much to process, and yet, not worth the effort to truly be outraged about. He had bigger things to worry about than the rantings of people who were clearly in it for their own fifteen minutes of fame. Their words slipped through his mind like water through a sieve—one ear, out the other, leaving only the residue of irritation behind.

Beside him, Matilda’s smirk grew to “cat that caught the canary” proportions as she paused on a particularly ludicrous claim—that he was actually a puppet for a secret society… it was infectious, and for a moment, Jervis found himself smirking too, even with the gnawing frustration that simmered just beneath the surface. "Really?" he muttered, half to himself. "What a sorry lot… They’ll believe anything these days." But the words were more of a reflex, a way to acknowledge how asinine it all was without really engaging. It felt almost like a bad joke—one he was too weary to laugh at but not quite angry enough to fully reject. Besides, these people had no idea who he really was, no understanding of the things that had shaped him, the struggles he had endured. They were content to paint him as a villain because it was easier than seeing him as a person. It was easier to believe that monsters were born, not made. It made them feel safer, more in control of a world that was anything but. It was infuriating, but what could he do? This was how the world worked. Truth didn’t matter—perception did.

Jervis handed the phone back to Matilda, his expression a mixture of bitterness and wry resignation. “They’re all the same, aren’t they?”Nonplussed, he reached into his pocket, removed his lighter and the bag of weed. Smoke curled from the joint as he took a practiced breath. For a brief moment, the tension that had gripped him since they arrived at the warehouse began to loosen its hold. He found himself easing back against the wall, his shoulders relaxing as the ridiculousness of it all took center stage. It was hard not to get caught up in the shared absurdity, to momentarily set aside his anger and exhaustion. It was a small moment, a fleeting one, but even as he thought it, that little voice in the back of his mind whispered a warning. Don’t get too comfortable. Don’t forget who she is. Who you are.

Jervis glanced at the girl, wondering what it would take to really crack that shell of hers. To see what was underneath the calm, underneath the dark humor and the sharp edges. Was there anything more, or was this all there was? Was Matilda just another mirror, reflecting whatever the world threw at her, never letting it leave a mark? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. He knew better than to voice those thoughts aloud.

And so, while he allowed himself to enjoy this moment, he kept his guard up, wary of the storm that he knew would eventually follow the calm. Because if there was one thing Jervis Tetch knew for certain, it was that nothing good ever lasted. Not for him. And certainly not in a world as twisted as this one. Maybe, just maybe, that was something he could learn from her. From everything that had transpired since the moment he and Barton were apprehended.

Provided, of course, he didn’t let her or her father kill him first.

[dekusleftsock]

“You should know more than anyone what a soul can do when they take charge of their own fate”—an analysis/accumulation of how Alastor views choice, redemption, and most importantly, Heaven

This quote I feel has gone… surprisingly unnoticed fandom wise. Hell, I haven’t even seen shippers address it. The reason? It destroys any and all ideas that Alastor doesn’t believe in redemption.

Now, why do I say this? We don’t know how Adam got into heaven in the first place, that is true, however we DO HAVE the context of the biblical story of Adam and Eve.

The story never tells us where they go. The Bible never outright says whether they fell because of the ultimate sin of temptation, nor does it say they repented themselves in their living life. However, because in Hazbin we have the context that Adam is both a winner and the leader of the angelic army, PROVES to me that in some way some how, Adam repented for his crime and the ultimate sin.

Adam, the person who literally made the worst sin in all of creation with the biggest impact, is in heaven. Not only that, but he’s the leader of the Angelic army, he has control. He has influence. He has power.

Fundamentally, repenting in the afterlife and in the living life work the same. They both take steps in betterment, and you can and should be forgiven for crimes that were committed. Because betterment isn’t just some selfish choice to make yourself happy, it’s for everyone. When you improve yourself, the people around you tend to be happier. Regardless of how heaven feels about it, or how YOU feel about it, improvement of any kind helps the world go round.

Alastor isn’t stupid, he isn’t naive, he isn’t even power hungry. He’s intelligent, he can put two and two together. If a winner who made the ultimate sin was somehow able to repent, anyone can. And that is dangerous information.

He sings about how he refuses to be altruistic, how he refuses to care. Not because he never BELIEVED in redemption, oh no, he does. He knows it’s possible, everyone can change—cut from the same fabric, a winner can just as much fall as a sinner can rise.

No, the reason Alastor hates this altruistic behavior or genuine care for others, is that it challenges the belief that he is unfeeling, inhuman. That he can rip himself from his very fundamentals.

Alastor is prideful. Aside from the serial killer aspect, it’s probably why he’s in hell in the first place. There’s a reason he parallels Lucifer so much, a reason his narrative foil is vox. Both of these men suffer from their abilities to look past their own power and reach, to the point one of them is the ruler of the pride ring.

And this prideful problem is what keeps him from accepting change—he has to be special, he has to be different, he has to be the performer, he has to be in control. Why wouldn’t a man so obsessed with control over his status and the people around him NOT BELIEVE in redemption? That’s so unbelievably far from that concept. It’s the polar opposite even.

Alastor is actively choosing not to redeem himself. It’s honestly the main flaw in Charlie’s plan to begin with—the average sinner is far more likely to choose redemption because they have been put in a place of genuine suffering; however, overlords are unique in the ways that overindulgence actively empowers them. They are choosing to bad things, not because of happenstance or even trauma. It’s why characters like Valentino are so easily dislikable, even though other characters or other sinners have or are actively doing as bad or worse things than him. (I trust the fandom on here understands that liking a character vs liking their actions are different and that it makes sense for people to genuinely like Valentino 🙏🙏- signed by someone who isn’t necessarily a Val fan just someone who enjoys his interest and what he brings to the table antagonist wise)

Val, Vox, and Vell all choose to do bad things. They are one of the few sinners within hell who HAVE the choice to make others happier/make themself better without Charlie’s involvement, which is why they ARE such good antagonists. It challenges Charlie’s beliefs in whether every sinner can or should be redeemed, and for that reason alone I find them an interesting concept.

Getting back to Alastor specifically, however, he chooses to carry himself as someone who cares most about the entertainment of himself and the general population. He is untouchable, sadistic, unfeeling, uncaring, and most importantly, he is irredeemable. Charlie cannot and should not touch him with a twelve foot stick of empathy if she wishes to keep her dream alive. <- this is how I think he wants himself to be perceived

This was my thought process of him—at least up until the finale—he doesn’t want anyone to know what’s going on underneath that smile; there’s this post that was made on an Alastor ask blog a while ago, I’ll link it here, but I think it speaks to such an important part of Alastor and his character.

"The clothes I wear—to finally loop back to your original question, terribly sorry for the digression!—they serve two purposes. One, they consistently identify me, like a uniform. Two, they keep your damn eyes off everything but my smile."

It’s an amazing monologue and is apart of a very funny fic based off of the ask blog, which I’ll link here, but I think it articulated something about Alastor that, up until the point where I’d read that fic, had felt unexplainable.

Alastor’s smile has never been “forced” upon by anything. And if it is, well I guess I’ll eat my words and complain about how very uncreative it is, but this is his choice and his alone. Just as Alastor is choosing not to redeem himself, he is also choosing to smile, day in and day out, when he’s stressed out of his mind or having a good ol’ meltdown. It’s not that he physically can’t do so, but that a mental key is unable to be pushed into a misshapen lock.

Alastor, is a performer. At heart he’s a radio host. Why would a radio host have to smile? Why, you can hear it in his voice of course! It promotes a feeling. Studies upon studies have been done about how acting like an emotion you WANT to have can bring you closer to that emotion. Like, say, smiling while performing a radio broadcast after staying up all night killing people can help you stay chipper and professional!

And, as Alastor explains, a smile to him is a tool. The first thing you notice about someone at any given moment is their face.

But, I made a specific bit of wording earlier. I said my perspective was that he is someone who wants to be perceived as irredeemable.

But, given how he chose to reveal that aspect of himself with Charlie, I almost feel unsure now.

Obviously Alastor was never an angel. Viv is so obvious about it visually with vaggie and possibly carmilla, that atp I think I could point out anyone who came along and looked vaguely angelic and be right. He wasn’t. Unclipping his wings meant something like, trying to take control back. Everyone perceived this “thing” he’s describing, as a who.

Who has control over Alastor, who has him on a leash, who makes Alastor feel genuine, unable to hide, overwhelming fear. And this could still be a who.

But it could also be a what. Or a place. Or a noun. Unclipping his wings may even mean… going to heaven.

Do I think he wants to do this the fair and just way? No. No he doesn’t. He’s fucking Alastor. Whenever we think about him being empathetic, I will remind us that he is still Alastor who has killed thousands. He should redeem himself, he should want to, he should try, but he’s not doing that. Not yet.

So, to get back to our boy Adam and Alastor’s little monologue to him, it’s clear to me that Alastor believes anyone can take charge. God, angels, demons, Lucifer, they don’t have power. Not really. Because when it comes down to it, your soul and what you do with it is still yours. That’s power. It’s why I used that monologue and explained my perspective on his smile, just as much as he chooses his fate, chooses his words, chooses his smile—having a choice and control over oneself is power.

“What a soul can do when they take charge of their own fate.” Taking charge of one’s fate is what Alastor perceives to be true power. He tries to enact this through his fight with Adam, yet fails spectacularly when he lacks the true nuance to having control over one’s soul—care. Love. Fighting for something or someone else.

Everyone else in this fight wins a major battle in some way—Angel saves one of the egg boys/protects the hotel(I’m including husker in this example), Charlie saves her dad, Vaggie saves Charlie, Sir pentious by all accounts still wins in the end against Adam because he becomes a winner after fighting for Cherri, so on and so forth—the only one fighting for no one or nothing here is Alastor. Funny how, in the one fight in sir pentious’ life where he fights for someone else or something else, he gets his cake and eats it too. He becomes a winner. Adam still dies. He doesn’t win but he does.

Alastor is choosing to not redeem himself, to not care, because he doesn’t have to as an overlord—but if he wants to prove himself, if he wants control, if he wants to take charge of his fate… he has to let himself. He has to choose to care about something outside of himself. Being in denial that your plan may be inherently altruistic and that you only care to the extent that you have to, isn’t fighting for something.

And this is Adam’s problem too! He’s long since stopped fighting for any real purpose than getting hard on beating people who can’t fight back, and this is WHY he loses! He isn’t fighting for anyone! He isn’t even fighting to protect the institution of heaven. This is why someone like Sera is dangerous, she cares about something outside of being an authority over a place. She cares about Emily.

And I have to say, I’m rooting for Alastor. Regardless of how selfish his plan may be, I’m still rooting for him—because for him to do what he wants done, he has to better himself.

I think remembering the context that Hazbin is inherently about choosing to stand back up after being kicked down, is so so important. It’s about choosing to love yourself, choosing to care, choosing to improve. And I love that Viv is making her message about how no one can be better without choosing to do so. You can’t make someone fix themself, you can’t make someone care, you can’t make someone love themself.

And I know this is a thing said often times to put people with mental health issues down, but it does have some merit to it. You can’t get better unless you try. Nothing will make you, that has been and always will be, your choice.

[tempests-bards-and-birds]

venti

I’m sure you don’t talk about him enough ; )

ah anon. you know me so well. anyway *cracks knuckles* here we go

how i feel about this character: i think about this character so much it's probably worrying. he's just so complex and compelling - from the moment you first meet him you realise that he has a really unique relationship with the world in general, and just. every time he makes an allusion to something that he doesn't expand upon either because he feels he shouldn't yet or because he's perhaps trying to protect himself i simultaneously want to throw him in the horse plinko and hug him. how do you even live after the first person who was ever really your friend, whose wish was to see the sky from beyond the barrier that was made by a god, dies after you fought for that with him and barely even got a glimpse of the freedom that he strived so hard for. how do you live after you take his form when you end up becoming the very thing that was the cause of your friends' suffering because you maybe feel that it's the only way to keep his ambition and hope for freedom living on after he died because maybe having a god's ideal be a human's wish for freedom is one of the only ways to negate the inherent respect that godhood commands but also probably because you just can't bear to let him go, at least for a period. how do you- *gets dragged forcibly off-stage*

all the people i ship romantically with this character: i can appreciate a lot of the popular venti ships however the only two that have ever really appealed massively to me are xiaoven and zhongven. you can see my post for this ask game about xiao for some my thoughts on xiaoven (i can elaborate if need be though) but for zhongven i just find their relationship sooo fascinating. they've lived through wars together, so chances are they've seen each other do utterly unspeakable things, and even that by itself can produce a very close kind of relationship. on the surface they're polar opposites but when you actually think about it they are fundamentally quite similar, despite their opposing natures. idk something something about a mountain that can erode and change but won't fall or move and the wind that comes and goes as it pleases but can still change it's course and can still come to rest sometimes. you get it right

my non-romantic otp for this character: *chanting* venti and jean. venti and jean. venti and jean. venti and jean-

ok but in all seriousness i just think that explorations of jean's religious devotion to barbatos being put under insane amounts of duress after the events of the mond archon quests very interesting. what do you do when you find out that the god that you devoted your entire life to is not just a concept and is, in fact, a person who's probably pretty depressed. idk. "met god and he's just some guy" type shit

my unpopular opinion about this character: uhhh i can't really think of anything right now? maybe how i actually think he's way more moon-coded as a character than sun-coded but i don't see many people on here actually talking about that so idk

one thing i wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: hehe. haha. forced barbatos reveal to all of mondstadt babyyyyy i feel like backing him into a corner and stopping him from running away from his problems so much would be good for him in the long run

[ladyfranklin]

Oh..A new customer, why must I always deal with such people?? If only Rosie were here instead to speak with yo— Oh? A person of riches you say? Well, why didn't you say so at first my darling~? Surely I can assist you with whatever thing you may need, unless you're looking for romantic and or relationship advice..I'm not a master at such subjects If I'm being honest, my dear..

INDIE/CANON & CANON- DIVERGENT / Nonselective RP / Ask Blog / RP Blog / 18+/ OCs welcomed / Heavy HCs / AUs welcomed

{{Now! Let's get onto info and rules!}}

• Hello there, my name is Vanilla or Nilla for short and I've been roleplaying for atleast 4 years and find it very entertaining

• I prefer paragraphs, whether short or big as it gives me more to work with but make sure it's atleast more than three lines <33

•18+ content

• I will NOT tolerate racism, sexism, etc.

• I do have quite alot of freetime but are sometimes busy with irl stuff

• Any questions? PM me!

• Single line RPs are for asks

• Don't be shy to interact, I enjoy it very much :DD

• If you tag me in hashtags and such just put: lady franklin

{{Content of this blog}}

• Foul and Insensitive language

• Description of heavy violent acts, cannibalism, and death, suggestive actions, and all that fun stuff!

• Fancy talking and complex language

• A temperamental double dead woman

• Franklin secretly fawning over Rosie even if the latter has had many husbands

• Decay, rotting and zombie like descriptions

{{What you'll expect of how I portray Franklin}}

• Before her death, Franklin shared the overlord title with Rosie

• Due to many people not knowing whether to say they're a man or woman I decided to make her a transgender woman, in life she would pretend to be a woman to commit her crimes

• She is secretly inlove with Rosie but believes she herself is not worthy of somebody so kind, and so Franklin sees her as a friend/business partner

• Franklin is seen more like a joke by the other overlords since she is not as capable as Rosie is

• Based off a Victorian Era Porcelain Doll.

• This inspired her to try and get rid of Rosie as a way to keep the colony for herself

• She is passive aggressive, temperamental, emotional, rude, and the polar opposite of Rosie, not having the motherly touch that she does

• Loses control of her cannibalistic urges most of the time

• Secretly insecure of her looks and appearance, this is why her hair and hat cover the upper part of her face

• Would not hesitate to eat or cook a child, the only reason she hasn't is because of Rosie so do be careful

• Will get physical with those she considers lower than her along with her future meals

• Enjoys discussing torture methods and is amused/interested by anatomy and death

• Loves getting messy

• Franklin is the one who'd draw and make designs for the Emporium along with having her dresses and suits shown on the display window, even after her second death, a book of concepts with clothes that she never got to make was left for Rosie to use

• Goes ballistic in her full demon form, while in this form her skin does harden and crack like any porcelain doll would, the sides of her mouth open, and she becomes lankier and taller

• Since Rosie was described by Rosie to be like Dolly from Hello Dolly! and Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins Returns! I based Franklin off the Other Mother from Coraline and Joan Crawford from Mommie Dearest.

• A very manipulative and fake woman who pretends to be sweet to the people of Cannibal Town but secretly despises some of the townsfolk

• Franklin was born around 1855 and died in 1900 as one of her victims escaped and killed her, yabbing two big knitting needles into her eyes

{{More will be added soon!!}}

[yoonia]

Hey Dia, I meant to add this to my last ask but have you ever had (or do you have) any desire to write a seven deadly sins AU at some point? And if you do, do you know who you would cast as who? And if it’s cool sharing with you, I have 2 different fic outlines; one I made back in 2020 and another one more recently (which is a remake more or less).

From what I’ve read in the past, a lot of times the members (as the embodiments of the 7 sins) are portrayed as being pure evil and stuff, which isn’t bad by any means. If I ever write my own fic though, I would probably do something slightly different. Like yeah, I’d likely write the members as the embodiments of the 7 sins (like other fics) and maybe they would appear evil at first, but I would also probably humanize them and then get redeemed. Another idea I’ve had in mind is writing them as separate stories with different OCs, but they would all be in 1 book and in the same universe.

As for who I would cast as each of the sins, I’m still figuring it out. Like, I’d probably cast someone with a sin that would either be the polar opposite of their personality irl, or just simply choose one that I think the members give vibes of. For example, I’ve thought about associating Yoongi with the sin of sloth because he’s known to be a hard-working person, which would make a nice contrast. But in more recent memory, now I think he gives off a lot more wrath vibes. I mean, look at his solo albums. He’s savage spitfire straight up, lol. But hey, that’s just my opinion 😉

I was inspired from a video I saw on a YouTube channel called “school of life”. If you’re curious, you should totally look up their seven deadly sins video. Even if you don’t have plans to write a fic on this au, I’d still give it a watch. It really goes deep in depth with how the 7 sins align from a psychological perspective.

Anyway, take care again!💜

(Actually, come to think of it, it’s good that I sent this ask separately because I tend to underestimate how much I tend to write when sending messages, haha…😅)

Don't worry about sending long messages haha I always love it when you come and share with me your ideas and stories since they're so creative. You know, I always love the idea of portraying the members as the seven deadly sins. I know I've read some of the good ones written in the past under this same trope.

I also love your idea about writing them as the embodiment of the seven sins but not at all evil. I think it'll be more interesting to write something more human out of this trope, since a lot what I've seen always lean towards a darker theme. Which is understandable since they are meant to be sins.

As a matter of fact, I did plan a series based on the seven deadly sins. It was published for a while (with only one story out) before I decided not to continue it. The series was called Ghostown which is now saved in my archive, and it was meant to be progressively darker as the chapters continue. I didn't specify which sins the members were in the masterlist since I was planning to do a little game with the readers and have them guess who was which, but things didn't go as planned because I've discontinued it since. Here's the overall role placements though if you're interested (under cut because spoilers lol)

Gosh, you got me opening an old draft again haha. I also only realised now that I named Jungkook's part as Dreamers...long before his song came out...and I mean looonnng ago lol

Anyway, I fully support you for writing this idea if you ever get the chance to. I also always love the concept of writing different stories in one universe. It just gives us a different kind of experience when you create an entire universe that way with interlinked stories made in it.

ps. Yoongi as wrath??? I'm seeing it. I think the character he portrayed in Hageum MV totally showed this side of him.

[mixxdpunch]

fuck it, I'm doing an astrology chart reading on Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

I think he believes in it, so I wanna make fun of his chart (this has become my new hobby someone save me)

Anyway, the chart (This is just the irl Fyodor's but it works just fine tbh)

Im gonna go by what's in the House and the Planets in them, since he kinda has some interesting stuff going on tbh

So, first of all, he's a Sagittarius rising - you'd think this is a polar opposite trait for Fyodor, since Sag is known for being rather sporty and positive, but with a sign that's ruled by Jupiter, it kind of feeds into how charismatic he appears. He also truly believes in his mission from god, which is clearly shown in the way he carries himself (his natal Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, is also in the 4th house which kinda ads to this)

His 1st house also has a stellium - Mercury, Venus, and Neptune.

The first house affects appearance and personality quite a lot, more than the sun sometimes, so having all these planets here affects that. He has 3 planets here in Capricorn, which might explain why he appears to be rather conservative compared to someone like Nikolai Gogol (despite his Uranus indicating that he indeed is rather the same, shocking and weird. He likes to be eradic despite his careful nature). He also has Neptune and venus, which explains the petite and feminine appearance he has (sorry but like it's true tho). Also, with Neptune - it's the planet of illusions, which indicates that he has that quality about him (shown in how he manipulates people rather well)

Ok so onto the second house, which is Capricorn with a Pisces north node.

The second house is typically just called the "money house" but it's also the house of material goods and value - so what we actually believe to be valuable, at least in the real world.

So having Capricorn here means he's pretty ambitious and conservative here in some way, kind of like an old man.

Unfortunately, his 0-degree Pisces north node really doesn't help him here at all - the north node means he has to learn the concept of value in this lifetime, but Pisces sucks at that, and at 0 degrees they uber suck at that. (I might be saying that because of hindsight tho. IRL Fyodor was a known gambler who lived broke as shit. Anime Fyodor just looks greasy so I make assumptions)

3rd house is where it's interesting for me tbh - he has a Pluto retrograde here, in Pisces god forbid (sorry Pisces but damn you really have that energy about you)

The 3rd house is the house of writing and communication. It's about intelligence, which is what Fyodor is known for. Having Pisces here indicates that he isn't someone who uses "cold hard logic" - he can rather empathize with people, to gather information. "Put yourself in someone else's shoes" and all that.

This also has Pluto, the planet of death. It doesn't always involve a physical death, it can very well mean metaphysical death (still quite painful to go through) - but in the context of the 3rd house, I believe it relates to his philosophy about ability users, and how detached he can become when it involves the deaths of those he's known for a while.

Even if he has a rather 'sympathetic' sort of intellect, having the planet of death here, one that is deeply internalized (retrograde causes this effect for him, rip) means that he can go through a rapid transformation of his mind once new information is revealed to him. It's why he's so smart but also so callous, I believe.

Anyway, another doozy - the 4th house.

This is the house of family, which might not be too important here since idk what happened to Fyodor in the series yet but I wanna cover it here.

His 4th house is kind of full - set in Aries (an ambitious sign that isn't known for domestics) with Saturn (strict and conservative) and Jupiter (expansive and knowledgeable)

We don't know anime Fyodor's childhood, but IRL Fyodor had a pretty privileged one - his father was a doctor (they made good money too, although not a whole lot since he worked with the poor) and his mother introduced him to literature at a young age. His dad was strict though (saturn energy) and his interactions with his father's patients led to a lot of the literature he wrote later in life(jupiter expansive influence)

idk what this means for anime Fyodor but it's interesting at least. also what is with Asagari and doctors?

moving on now.

Both his 5th and 6th are in the sign of Taurus. The ruler of both of these houses (Venus) is in the first house, so things like his health are going to be quite visible and in the open for others to see.

The 5th house is the house of hobbies, lovers, and (first) children. With an empty house here, it may not be a notable thing in the grand scheme of his life - that isn't to say, shit won't happen.

The 6th house is the house of health and routines, and really what you make of yourself. Taurus is in its natural element, as this is typically an earthhouse. I like to think Taurus has a sort of smug energy to it, which kind of fits Fyodor in some way - in the day-to-day world, Fyodor would carry himself like he knows that he's doing what's right (combined with other aspects of his chart, it makes sense. he's delulu)

With a Taurus moon, he has patience for his endeavors as well. This is the planet (not a planet ik but astrology calls it one) of mentality - your mental state, how you feel about things. That conservative nature, the one that desires a sort of stable security - it fits Fyodor.

I don't have too much to say on the 7th house for him - it's the house of open enemies, as well partnerships (business but as well marriage. This house is usually first looked at for any possible future spouses, as well as the 5th house)

Having nothing here doesn't indicate he won't ever marry (he did it twice IRL) - it just indicates that his mind isn't preoccupied with those people. He's more self-centered, I suppose.

However, the 7th house is also the house of open enemies, and most notably, his falls into Gemini - the same sign as Dazai's sun.

It might be a coincidence - but it's ironic tbh.

So 8th house is something I see people obsess over - the house of death and inheritance, rebirth and sex, and just in general the taboos of society. It's probably why astrologers love this house so much (and the 12th house) since they probably fall into this house.

Anyway, Fyodor's 8th house falls into another conservative sign, which pretty much follows the trend for him - his is cancer, which is a fixed water sign, meaning that lots of things involving this house are rather viewed through the continuing trend of religion and conservatism started with his Capricorn stellium in the 1st house.

If you've read his books you'd know that he views a lot of these topics in a pretty negative light too - sex, addiction, and death.

He has a Leo mars here - mars is also the ruler of his 4th house, which shows that they very clearly shaped his views of these topics.

How he interacts with death and the 'taboo' (ie, terrorism, abilities, death) are heavily biased towards his own views - he needs his religious lens, to clean the world in his eyes. He hates ability users while being one, he is religious but breaks the 10 commandments every day (he literally killed a child) - water signs have an insane ability to jump around and justify their actions, as shown here.

The Leo Mars isn't helping, pushing forward that same attitude into his actions.

Ok only 4 more houses to go, hooray! Then I wanna talk about the mega trine he has going on in his chart, which is really interesting tbh.

So - 9th house. This one is short. It's empty, and is ruled by Virgo (i hate this sign so fucking much)

This is the earth sign of routines and health. so, everything Fyodor lacks, considering how fragile this mother fucker is.

In the 9th house, this is the house of philosophy and higher learning, as well as international travels - so university, or moving abroad. It's also about truth and morals.

Virgo in here shows his diligence - he is a careful planner, and it coincides with his natural intelligence from the 3rd house.

Now, his 10th house is also empty, but the 10th house is considered pretty important - it's the career factor. His is in Libra, which is the first thing I've found that isn't him being obsessed over his religious philosophy tbh. Sorry, I'm mean.

Having libra here means he's more likely to be equal in his dealings with people he works with - despite being a murderer who manipulates others to get his way, he's rather fair in his dealings with colleagues.

11th house - Scorpio. With the sun. No one tell the tiktok girlies they'll jump his ass (jk but Scorpios are either jumped on sight or people wanna fuck them like rabbits, lord help them)

The 11th house is the house of technology and friends. this is also the house of aspirations. aw.

His sun in here indicates that he really does put a lot of himself into what he believes. Plus, he has made friends (or, whatever he can consider friends) in order to achieve that goal.

I think this is similar to Nikolai in a way - the fact that he believes in something very strongly, and heavily relies on people for it. While Nikolai believed he needed to kill Fyodor - poor Fyodor, probably can't even figure out why he truly identifies with what he has. (Like Dazai said, his mistrust is an enemy of his)

I blame the scorpio sun in the 11th house and his pluto 3rd house, since scorpio is ruled by pluto and with it in retrograde in the third house it made him intellectualize everything so much that he cant even identify a feeling called "friendship" anymore.

Im talking out of my ass.

Ok last house. yippee! A favorite!

12th house - Scorpio, featuring a Sagittarius mercury (in retrograde)!

the 12th house is the best/worst house depending on who you ask. It's a sort of psychic and mystery house, dealing with more mental and internal issues like addiction (that's why I relate it to the 8th house) and psychology and spirituality.

Some people here think having this house activated can indicate psychic abilities (idk wtf that means, just repeating what I heard) and being more in tune with the universe. I think having this house activated (live having planets and shit) means you're more likely to fall into the class of spiritual people.

I think this is a really important part of his philosophy since he has a mercury retrograde here - he has an active 12th house, meaning that he thinks a lot more about the mystic, spiritual, and mysterious than an average Joe would.

It's a Scorpio house for him, so these take on a much darker tone - his thoughts have most likely stemmed from a darker time since that's just in Scorpio's nature. Having mercury in here I think is in part why he is the way he really is, since he was forced to confront dark times and it was in his nature to intellectualize it.

Of course, with the mercury being in Sagittarius, a sign that's rebellious and ready for revolution, the way he began to think about these things changed into a rather dark way.

I think the way IRL Fyodor confronted was different, idk i dont know the fucking guy but like read his novels he def was a hater for the era.

But anime Fyodor became a terrorist and killed people so like. I guess people cope in different way.

IDK I'm assuming he had to have something dark happen to him.

Anyway, thats the houses and planets, onto the the grand trine thing

so in his chart, he had a fuck load of triangles, called trines. I'm calling it a grand trine cuz I forgot if there's an actual name for this or not.

I wanna point this out because this is actually a rather typical thing in some charts - a sort of distribution pattern to show that there is a balance in their life, working together to make up the person.

It shows that throughout the stages of life he's been through, there is an overarching theme that he is following - literally like a literary novel.

you can see that

he fucking sucks at money management (irl Fyodor did for sure)

he desires something greatly

rather conservative

intelligent but really dark-minded

Anyway, IDK if anyone read this but I firmly believe Fyodor believes in Astrology like a fucking nerd, so I needed to do this for him. I'll do a Nikolai one next at some point probably cuz I think it's funny, even if these are terrible and non-accurate.

[gummybugg]

*asking to multiple writeblrs*

I'm not sure if this is accurate, but there's a concept in Buddhist artistry where it isn't the art that is celebrated, but how the art helped/changed the artist.

So how did writing Crater City affect you? Do you have a new perspective on the world because of a character? Do you have a new interest because of research? Is there something you learned? Something life-changing? Something overly specific? Something mundane?

/not forced btw <3

Yeehaw get ready for a little ramble (thank you for this ask, I had to sit on it a bit because I'm not great with words hehe)

I like the idea of remembering the process in which something is created, like for physical art (there's some artists out there that focus on the process more than the art piece itself which I find very interesting). But hoo boy I'm not sure what anyone's gonna get out of asking me what I learned in boating school because it is not easy to answer. I had to reedit this like so many times.

So how did writing Crater City affect you?

Currently still writing it, and I have to say it's still poisoning my brain. I think it affects the way I view myself because of the inner work writing does. I discover more about myself and others, like life experiences, hindsight, identity, etc etc. I'm not sure how much Crater City has affected me since I have been going through many changes recently, but this story has stuck with me through many shitty and great times, so it played some part in my life. It's kind of like a diary at times. I add whatever new thing I discover and look back at it later like "oh yeah I remember what happened when I decided to put that in." Kinda like when you draw something and remember the time and place you did it, if you know what I mean. It's like a time capsule, I really like that part about the arts/language.

I think what affected me most was learning about fluidity, whether that means gender expression/identity, sexuality, fashion, ideas, morals, blah blah blah. The way my brain works is that it's very staunch until I have a routine epiphany that's like, "Oh yeah, I just remembered I have free will [to an extent]."

Do you have a new perspective on the world because of a character?

I've become a bit more confident in my identity thanks to really all of my characters (more specifically Blair). When I write them, I can express bits of myself and experiences that I don’t really talk about around people I know in real life. I'm a very reserved person & extremely introspective.

Blair is the polar opposite of me and tends to just be himself in general. His perspective that masculinity (or life in general) is what you make it gives me hope for a better future. I wonder if that's the point of his character, but I'm not sure.

Blair helped me realize there's more than one way to be a man than what mainstream makes it appear. He allowed me to figure out who I am freely and without much limitation because when you're alone writing a story about a character you don't percieve as a direct extension of yourself, you can create more freely and access thoughts you didn't know you had until you looks back in hindsight like "oh damn well I guess that's kinda relatable."

Blair is the first trans character I've created and at first he wasn't until it slowly crept up on me that he definitely was (which is usually the case when I create trans characters for some reason; it's like they just come out on their own). It may not seem remarkable to others, but for me it is a huge deal that he is confident and can embrace femininity without doubting his gender identity. He (and the rest of the male cast) does not shy away from makeup or wearing a dress (partly because I have created a genderless formal dress code norm).

He holds a special place in my heart. His name is Blair Heart, whether intentional or not. So I guess I'd say that he, while very flawed in every sense of the word, helped me understand who I am and want to be no matter how lame that sounds. Sometimes it takes writing the same character for years until you finally have a eureka moment.

Do you have a new interest because of research?

I've grown [more] interested in psychology. It's thanks to really every character I make (in this story, it's mostly due to Darcy, Blair, and Elijah). I love making mentally ill characters. It's what I've always focused on in my writing. It's important to me to make sure no dark corner goes unturned or that nothing is glorified when adding it to the mix. I also just like hiding little shards of "deep" shit among the light-heartedness because I think it's whimsical and clowns on life.

Playing with philosophies of the meaning of life is also kinda fun. Only got into that when I took that one philosophy course in college but of course it spiraled from there. If I were smarter I'd say that Crater City is about some philosophical rant about nihilism or hedonism or free will or whatever but I don't have TIME to talk about that in this post and even if I did, I'm not sure I have the brain power to churn out what I mean. I'm not great explaining things. But for now just accept the explanation that it's about funny little guys running around trying to find a purpose.

I'm sure there's more things, but I learn so many new things all the time that I'm too lazy to explain. Everything excites me. I learn all the time & I love it.

Is there something you learned? Something life-changing? Something overly specific? Something mundane?

Life changing: I guess like my outlook on life? Like my mind tends to be stuck in routines and shit but saying no to rigid things like how something should be has taught me to enjoy writing/hobbies/life and not treat everything like a chore. Like we all have a place somewhere but we dont have to be stuck doing the same shit forever because we're not npcs. I think that would be something writing Darcy teaches me. Not to be like him.

Something overly-specific/mundane: I'm more interested in coding now because that's Elijah's hobby (except I'm focusing on web design at the moment; he's more into video games). I'm currently learning html, css, and Java. I'm still trying to work on creating a personal web page. When I accrue enough money, I'll learn guitar again after 14 years. Thanks Elijah for these new hobbies.

...

I hope that answered most of it because I'm tired and haven't had much free time to spare lately teehee

Tl;dr: writing makes you gay

Tagging for Crater City adjacent content:

@writeouswriter @lyra-brie @digitalsatyr23 @talesfromtheunknowable @joswriting @mysticstarlightduck

[whumpitisthen]

5 and 7 for the dark oc asks?

For this ask game :)

I will do these for Auden and Grim as they have been my main bois for the most part! (and are the most developed because of that)

Read more because this came out way longer than it had any business being (i get so excited when someone sends me an ask i just have to deliver!! you know!! I didn't even expect someone to send me anything from that i just thought the questions were cool 👉👈)

5. What is their moral code?

Moral code in Hell is... An interesting concept. Generally speaking most people who live in Hell have grayer morality than those that do not, as Hell allows for depravity that will ruin you unless you grow used to it. Bearing that in mind:

Auden is an angel, fresh out of Heaven. A righteous one too, as he is a Guardian, meant to be a protector of the innocent. Even if he wasn't being abused and picked on by everyone, he'd still have awful trouble coming to terms with how life is down here for everyone. He finds the hurting of anything living unbearable, even for those that may deserve it — which separates him from other angels, because no matter how hard he tries to put on this face of rage and disgust whenever faced with a hellspawn, seeing someone like Mori being not only hurt, but tortured so casually and undeservedly put him in more distress than what Heaven deems rational. He is meant to feel nothing but hatred for demons. He is meant to be pure, above them all. He should know and understand that not a single one of them deserve mercy. But he can't. He tries, he parrots every awful expression angels use to spew their vitriol at demonkind, but he is such a bleeding heart, he can't help it. If possible, he is even more morally soft than Heaven wants him to be, and that is unfortunately not a good thing to be according to the rules of neither Hell, nor Heaven.

Grim, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. He is so far above the question of this made up concept. He is a god, for crying out loud, if anything, he should be able to decide with finality what is and isn't morally correct. He spends most of his time in the ethically questionable Hell, but he doesn't truly belong on anywhere but Earth — the moral dilemmas of Heaven and Hell are meaningless to him. What is important is his fun. If faced with a seemingly obvious question of mortality, like 'would you help the helpless?', he would not think of morals and ethics, he would think of what answer would be funnier. Or more beneficial to him. Morals will not even come to mind. His answer will be highly dependent on his current mood. He understands the concept, well enough to use it to taunt and mock, but he does not take part in philosophies like this. Rights and wrongs are a part of life, and why would any of it matter if every person has their own minds made up about what counts as what? It only serves to feed judgement, and judgement is not part his field of work. And in any case, did you ever know Death to be fair? I doubt it!

7. How far are they willing to go to get what they want?

(ive actually been doing a little character study and one of the questions was what is it that they want, or if they have it already, how do they hold onto it? And im thinking of posting that at some point too :3 let me know if youd like to see it im just fleshing them out — i think this is the first time I've ever written out that expression, and it sounds so metal and torturous??? "Fleshing Them Out" it sounds like gore i love it)

Auden wants a lot of things, probably the main one being acceptance. He has tried so hard all his life to get such a simple thing, but he has unfortunately been looking in the wrong places, asking for it from the wrong people, and never managed to grasp it for long. If there was some kind of miracle worker who could just magically make all the other angels accept him as he is, he would do just about anything. If Grim, for example, being the powerful deity he is, could make something like this happen, Auden would give up everything he has for it. Every bit of dignity, all morals, even body parts maybe. He is so desperate for it, however, that he would do all that for less. His thirst for belonging started in Heaven, but by the time he arrives in Hell, all he truly wants is for someone to see him and appreciate him for himself, to tell him he is perfect as he is. Grim has shown he understands this part of Auden in little ways already, seeing how unconfident he is and how entranced he became with him at the slightest sign of respect and love, even if clearly fake. A couple kind, understanding words; an 'I know you can't help it, it's okay' can melt Auden, even bring him to tears on bad days. Now he is more desperate than ever before, all alone in the worst place imaginable, so it's not surprising how he clings to those words like his life depends on it, even if the one cooing them at him is someone who only does so to hurt him.

Grim is a tenacious bastard. What he wants is power to do whatever he wants to and to keep everyone in a chokehold with nothing but his intimidating presence. He wants that fear he causes, and he already has it. Yet, he holds onto it carelessly. He is not worried about it ever fizzling out, because even if some are truly unafraid of Death, the vast majority will always shiver at his cold presence. While he likes showing off his powers every once in a while, he does not need to do that for that fearful respect to remain. He has a reputation, and to break that reputation he has built up over millenia is no easy feat. If his status is ever threatened, however, he will become enraged, murderous, threatening, dangerous, desperate, unstoppable, and near inconsolable. While he is awfully difficult to get to this point, what with his mastery of keeping all eyes on him and proficiency at leading social situations, it is not impossible. He will lose all the theatrics and replace them with a chilling lack of emotion, brutal efficiency and uncontrollable thirst for blood. He would not stop the slaughter until he is not only respected, but Worshipped by every mortal and immortal at his feet, begging for forgiveness in terror. He will burn the world to the ground. He will kill without reason or care, until someone stops him. The one trusted to do that is his Lord, usually. These "hissy fits", as his Lord calls them, could be world ending. Luckily, they don't happen often, as you'd need someone just as tenacious as Grim to be able to tilt him that bad, and as powerful as his Lord to strip him of his effortless control. If we're talking about something way lower scale, like a single person like Auden, who is also something he wanted, things aren't that much different. If he wants something, he takes it. If there's resistance, he overpowers them, at first through words, then through violence. If he cannot, he will keep being a pest until they give up, having fun toying with them, as he still remains the true one in control. He is not used to not getting what he wants. But if nothing works, sooner or later he will be pissed off enough to start throwing one of his infamous, catastrophic hissy fits, and start levelling buildings.

Taglist: @whumpsday @whump-me-all-night-long @whumpifi

[septembersghost]

The parallels between ootw and tvfn is also a very intriguing and seems almost intentional. Like if tvfn was written first why would she use those parallels to describe a guy who was polar opposite to jake. If jake introduced her to Polaroids or had Polaroid memories with him I think Taylor somehow would have sneaked those references at least in the short film.She even showed the guitar he gave her. She made CIWYW lyric video cover Polaroid and mentioned it in NYD because she and joe shared some fondness for it.

Take me away to you//take me home . I also read an article were Julien brunnetta(?) said harry was adamant about calling iicf 'if I could fly ' instead of 'for your eyes only.' Also on the childish thing,wasn't 1d releasing tvfn style pop music in their first two albums. It looks like she is trying to link him with pop like the way she used 'guitar' works for dear john.

But who knows.......maybe we're wrong maybe not. Its not like Taylor would come and say tvfn is about jake/harry/connor. I think it's ok to have different opinions on art unless you are crossing the line

I think it's ok to have different opinions on art unless you are crossing the line agree, and most of us (and everyone i've discussed music with here on my blog, i appreciate you all very much!) do tackle these concepts and subjects with genuine care for her, and respectfully, i think. we're not wildly spinning or fabricating, we're just having fun looking at the known information and the lyrical pictures she paints, and wondering about why she chooses to depict certain situations in specific ways!

part of analysis is laying pieces out and deciding for ourselves where they fit and how they tell the story. and as i've said, we also then make them completely our own with personal meaning! that's the magic of it all, it's her story however she intended it, and then it's part of us and our memories too. <3

(i'm only putting these under cuts because i talk a lot lol)

this is kind of topic adjacent, but it's very warm to me how she's reclaimed and reconnected to things, both on her own, and with joe and the love they've built and that healing process. the rep polaroids are so special.

the typewriter reference is such a powerful metaphor in the atw short film, the fact that he would give her an instrument that she then uses to write the story down, and to make it hers and her legacy, and i love how that connects directly to the guitar. little lived-in flourishes like that are part of what makes it affecting.

it's definitely interesting that there's no mention of polaroids specifically elsewhere on red (or photographs even? *except* the photo album on the counter where he's a little kid with glasses). there are so many other tangible pieces - lockets and keychains and handwritten notes and scarves. but it's like she keeps the pictures in her own mind. which, for me, also speaks quite a bit to maroon, the bruise of it, and the way she looks back at that.

"for your eyes only" is a famous song by sheena easton from a james bond movie of the same title, i always just though maybe there was a conflict! but you're right: "Songwriter Julian Bunetta talked to Rolling Stone about hearing If I Could Fly for the first time, stating "I remember when Harry first played it to me. That one I didn't write, but I remember when I first heard it. We were in Westlake Studio for a week. I kept asking why he wanted to call it 'If I Could Fly.' It's a great song, so it doesn't really matter what it's called, does it?" it's something i personally love about that song, that its title is its first line, and that while it isn't repeated, it shifts the meaning in a way. because the center isn't the intimacy shared with the other person - for their eyes only - it's the longing to go back to them. (full disclosure, if i could fly is, like, my second favorite song of their entire catalog, so i have Feelings.) it makes that lyric poignant and particularly vital - which is exactly why the similar one caught my attention in the very first night.

it does intrigue me that there seem to be links between tvfn and ootw, and of course taylor does repeat themes that aren't connected, or take on different meaning in new situations, so i don't want to make random parallels between completely unrelated things (unlike some genius annotators haha), BUT it's a case where i find it quite magnetic emotionally, because either that's intended, or she entirely reframed her experiences from one to the other. both are interesting to consider!

i think it's a pretty common opinion that hygtg itself is a nod to 1D's early music stylistically, and while tvfn is very tayloresque, sonically it wouldn't be out of place alongside tracks on take me home. message in a bottle definitely would too, it's classic pop of the early 2010s (complimentary!). like i said, it's just such a sweet pop song and she wasn't really pointing that type of innocent reminiscence at jg, everything with him is more mature and emotionally loaded. we for sure could be wrong on this one, but it doesn't make the connections less curious!

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 17: The Expanse 2x12

Hmmm, I don’t know how I feel about this one. I think overall I found it pretty depressing to no real purpose. I like this show when it moves its plot forward and especially when it gets deep into world building, but it spends a lot of time on briefly intense scenarios that take up a lot of screen time in any given episode but don’t really contribute to a larger story. I don’t have a lot of patience for that in 2024, personally, which is not at all the fault of The Expanse.

For example, I understood the gist most of a season ago re: how Eros has affected Holden and Naomi in polar opposite ways. I don’t need to hear him continuously screaming at people or her taking the bleeding heart route at every turn. I especially don’t need to see it because I have watched this dynamic before—again, not this show’s fault. So her whole story in this episode just struck me as kind of pointlessly sad. I see my emotions being manipulated and I refuse to let it happen! I don’t know all of these refugees and I’m fairly sure we’ll never see them again so what is the point of me being depressed about them other than the depression itself and showing where Naomi is as a character right now, which is something I already know? Also I really thought she was going to be stampeded when she got off the ship, because that was a wild sort of naivete, but though it was rewarded—a mob listened to reason and carefully separated itself into survivors and victims, how… sweet?—the back patting at the end was a little strange given that her actual initial plan (trust her boyfriend to bring his second ship around and save everyone actually) would have worked? Like you took a middle ground and saved who you could save today but you could have done more, technically. Is the compromise good enough in these stakes, is what I’m saying really.

I would have liked to see more of the Holden plotline, not because I care about his Big Rage but because I like Prax and the most interesting concept explored in this episode was the hunt for the x-files alien hybrid or whatever. Is it his little girl? Another melding with the unknown as with Julie and Miller? Has potential. But not when it’s given like 3 seconds of plot time. I also continue to enjoy Alex a bizarre amount. I like how every time he gets stressed his Southern Cowboy accent jacks up by a power of ten.

Chrisjen and Bobbie remain a nice pair though that story line, again, could have taken up more space imo. Like they have a good dynamic but not a lot of time together. Nonetheless, standout moments for me include Chrisjen entering the ship (that’s how I should walk into every room lololol) and Bobbie immediately going to the little sandwiches. Relatable.

Errinwright was really depressing me at the beginning of the episode but I’ll admit, this was a he had me in the first half situation. I think he is a sociopath perhaps. The way he just turned on the screaming and the waterworks, I mean, that was more legitimately chilling than anything else in this episode, possibly this season. Also I love a character with clear and totally selfish motivations. I mean sorry he cares about Earth, whatever. Finally some machinations is what I’m saying.

[youknowwhoiamperiod]

sweet girl ariel, i hope you're doing well!! i'm bringing you some shells and bits of coral as offerings, as well as some nosy questions:

how do you and jason part with summer? are there any special traditions you guys have? and what are your favourite things to do in fall, both by yourself and with him?

if jariel was a season, which do you think you guys would be?

and if you went on a holiday abroad, where would you guys choose to go? what would be on the itinerary?

all my love <3333

aurore sweetheart!! taking your little offering so delicately and cherishing it forever :((( i've had by far the roughest week this year but!! trying to stay positive!! (tearing my shirt like that wolf pic or wtv) i hope you're doing well angel <333

oof parting with summer for him is probably the best time of the year, jason's totally the type to hate warm weather and can't handle heat. fall/winter are probably his favourite seasons so he's definitely having an amazing transition which is NOT my case at all. summer's my fav ever :(( parting with it is so sad and i hate hate hate the cold weather. we're literal polar opposites but i think he'd still feel super bad for me so he'd take me for one last trip to the beach, one last long midnight drive, a full pool day at the manor and an ice cream date!!!

we do have a couple of traditions with fall!! it's when uni starts, so i like to think that in an au where we both attend it we'd start going on study dates in libraries or just go on week ends to read together (i find that libraries tend to become even warmer and cozier during autumn). we'd also start going on more and more coffee and restaurant dates. during colder days or rainy ones we cuddle together under warm blankets and have a period movies/shows marathon. but my favourite (and most self indulgent one) is the fact that my birthday is during fall (i like to think it's the main reason why he loves it sm :,) )... so he takes it very seriously and makes the most of it, to the point that if i mention my hatred for it and how i'd rather not have a big celebration he genuinely gets offended. i know that he's cooking up something for me when i hear him blasting red (taylor's version), this is what it feels like or hozier, he says it's so he can get into the mood and get inspired lol. during the "happy" day he wakes me up with midnights because that's MY album like taylor literally dropped it on my day so it's a gift so it's mine. (and he also really likes it) (he won't admit it tho). we'd also do halloween!! it's my fav holiday and even if it's not as celebrated as it used to be we still do. we definitely buy themed decorations for our apartment and even go pumpkin craving. some years i succeed in convincing him to attend a friend's party but we only stay for 3 hours max because we get horny halfway through it and need to get back home asap. but we never miss the halloween mini gathering at the manor where we have dinner and spend the night telling stupid spooky stories or playing one of those detective games (all the guys are (un)surprisingly bad at it, for top tier daily detectives)

sunnie kind of beat you to this question i've already answered it here hahah!! but to keep it short. if jariel were to fit in a trope it'd ennemies to friends to lovers , so it's very much winter slowly turning into spring vibes. we're very moody, so we go back and forth between cold and warm, sometimes we want each other's head on a spike and 5 minutes later we're giving each other head, but we know our banter is most of the time never that serious.

aaaaaah this question is so interesting because i love the concept of exploring new places with different traditions and cultures but i actually hate travelling lawl. it makes me so nostalgic. but i think that in this case he's the living version of home so i'd be more than happy to go anywhere!! we're both from different countries so i'd very much enjoy it if he took me anywhere in the us. in this universe i'd probably been there multiple times but i'd still love to experience it with him, plus he probably knows some niche spots i don't. then i'd take him to my home country morocco, he'll probably complain about it at first because of how hot it is but he'll adjust to it lol. and i love the beaches there so he's in for a ride. i think he'd enjoy it a lot once i take him to museums and historical sites. or just having moroccan tea and some dinner with my mom is enough fun for him. but i'd also sooo enjoy going on a european tour with him. i live in france now so i'd bring him here too. 100% taking him to paris even if it's much more dangerous and less friendly than it looks but. still paris. we're going on multiple dates there and what better place to get him more into french literature. but i'd also love to visit italy or greece with him. actually i'd love to go anywhere as long as it's with him.

thank you so so so much for sending this aurore i had so much fun thinking about these questions and answering them!!! nosy questions are the best ever love you so much sending you so much kisses mwah <333

[nitunio]

uggggghhhhhhhhhh i need more gentle ryou (looks at wip) and im Not creating it (aaaa)

i know that none of the ryomomo past interactions were shown and his backstory was not explored at all, and it really works as a story choice to keep him detached from the rest of the cast, alienated from the emotions they share (which is also detailed in how he has zero empathy) BUT i would die for even one scene of their interactions in the past

because it's interesting to think that their relationship kept escalating until pt 3 came and Oh, Momo is still in Re:vale? which is a plot drive for Ryou to start his plan of destroying idols.

who else for would he wait 5 years? WHICH IS OH LORD . THAT IS SUCH A CONTRAST TO THE YUKI/MOMO PROMISE. if for Ryou it was five years of inaction, stagnation, as they kind of just were friends (to not assume sex/romance, which i always do but its half-relevant here specifically), with Yuki it was five years of uplifting each other and reaching new heights, hence their popularity in spite of their small agency, and IT'S ALSO DETAILED in Re:vale (as mentioned by Yaopapa) having more of a "grounded" image, of idols that are closer to people, more earnest and sincere, which draws many different people in. the whole concept of Re:vale goes against Ryou's lack of emotion, lack of connection with others, be it friendship or simple relatability.

and to think that Momo was kind of between FUCK LET ME SHOW YOU IN COLOURS BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT IN COLOURS INTO THIS TOO

SO HOW DO I EXPLAIN IT WITHOUT SOUNDING LESS NORMAL THAN I AM.

From the cards in the game the takeaway is Red = Shout, Green is Beat, and Blue is Melody. (i have zero skills to articulate that into emotions expressed by people, but go off the feels please this will make much sense probably later)

Yuki and Momo are polar opposites, they lack that which the other can help them with (Yuki has no red colour in him, which is mostly what Momo has, Momo has no green colour in him, which is mostly what Yuki has). When they meet halfway, they create a harmony, that which is gray and calm, and when they sing, they blend into an explosion of both of them, together like patterns of vivid colours.

And the person closest to Yuki is Banri, with his colour that has equal parts green and blue, and less red, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN HIS PERSONALITY, and that's why Momo is much better fit for Yuki, and that's why Banri looks after Momo too.

AND THEN WE HAVE RYOU AND I'LL USE TWO COLOURS BECAUSE THERE IS NO COLOUR THAT IS HIS (since he has no idol image)

it's not getting more clear is it

We have purple, that which is dull and bordering on grays. perfectly balanced (lists his own talents and skills) and nothing special (hated and overlooked by family) at the same time - that is Ryou, and we have Momo, full of red, full of Saturation and Contrast, someone that Ryou spent five years with, albeit their time together got shorter and shorter ---------- When we're talking about these five years, I like to imagine Momo having No Colour, and as time goes on, it starts showing up on him, and Ryou sees that the distance between them is far more than it was.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU OVERLAY RYOU AND MOMO'S HAIR COLOURS, YOU GET THIS. Momo is closer to Yuki and Banri colour-wise, and Ryou is there, near, too. And seeing the dynamic between Yuki and Momo, the obviously better matchup they have, starts escalating what Ryou and Momo have -- into resentment, hatred, expectations not being met, and it hurts both parties.

And when we move past part 4, we have Ryou's second colour, which is his eyes, and most importantly, probably his true colour (like Momo's colour being his eye colour also). Not only is it "past" Momo (thinking about moving clockwise, as time goes on), but it's also perfectly inbetween Re:vale. Rather than being in the idols' way, he is now standing as an observer (it's his Eye color after all of course it's about observing)

Not only that, but you can also see with this colour choice that he has pulled himself upwards, more saturated and bright, closer to Momo, but not near. It's also worth noting that the colour has lots more red and green in it than before (Re:vale influence + ZOOL, Haruka esp since he's green, and most ZOOLs having somewhat of a red-ish orange-ish brown-ish colours you get me?????)

And with that, I say,

I truly need more gentle RyoMomo

[szintalikedthat]

Hello! I’m very interest in playlist requests :) I hope you don’t mind this is sort of two requests- if you know of any, I’d like songs that fit the vibes of these two characters and their dynamic. So it could be one or three playlists! Though I’d like to hear which is which

The Corbin is a very odd critter, as most are- ray sticks rare nose where it shouldn’t be, so ray often gets in trouble… ray do magic tricks (poorly) and arson (worse). Rare a triple S villain (Silly! Stupid! Sacrilegious!)

But ray also has a very superstitious side, and it most often comes up around Voyzuv. See, Corbin’s life used to be a lot better than it is- ray was powerful, if not respected, and now rare just a shell of remself.

And Voyzuv, in Corbin’s eyes, only exists to keep rem repressed. Ray can’t stand that Rat, so ray keeps all these warding spells and protection charms- they don’t work, of course, but it doesn’t stop Corbin from trying.

(2 songs that fit rem are the main character by will wood and way out there by lord huron!)

(also, ray/rem/rare are Story based neopronouns >:))

This is the other character for that request!

Voyzuv is a simple little creature who would love nothing more than to curl up in the coziest place it can find and make art, read book, nap- but, unfortunately, in order to have those cozy places the world needs to have some sense of order. Unfortunately, as the Voice Of Reason, it’s Voyzuv’s job to keep that order.

In trying to chase ghosts of a past that wasn’t all that good anyway, Corbin could seriously fuck things up. So, of course, Voyzuv occasionally needs to step in.

It feels bad for Corbin. It’s hardly Corbin’s fault ray were made this way, but everyone has their role and Voyzuv will play its part as Corbin does rare own.

(2 songs that fit it are tarigrade by cosmo sheldrake and my ragneesh by sufjan stevens)

Anon. To be born in the same timeline as you. To receive all of this in my askbox, for free. Like some sort of trickster god you dropped this story into my inbox nameless, for me to be blessed, and cursed. Because truly, now i will never know what happened to Corbin and Voyzuv and i will wonder for the rest of my life. Where are the 5 seasons of this?! I want you to remember me when you sign your 5 movie deal of the Corbin-Voyzuv Cinematic Universe that i was your first fan.

When trickster gods call, cowards may run, but I answer. And i feel like there is a lot to unpack here (complimentary) but can we just stop for a moment to appreciate the poetic beauty of Ray, Rem, Rare Pronouns. They are like words!!! The poetry! I'm losing my mind.

Anyway.

You asked for possibly three playlists. And in the end I made you just the one... but in turn i made it extra long (im aiming for 5-8 songs usually, not more) and i put a TON of effort into it with an extremely detailed and high concept. I think you will not be disappointed.

Corbin vs Voyzuv: The Playlist, The Mirror, The Movie!

See, Corbin and Voyzuv reminded me of two of my OCs. They are not really like real people, as they are both a little extreme of what makes them them, and they were intentionally crafted to be polar opposites that for some strange reason cannot let go of each other... because in reality, even in their surface differences, in some kind of overarching way They Are The Same... like a mirror image.

The reason why the playlist is called a "mirror" is because it works in the following way: it's split down in the middle, the upper half for Corbin and the lower for Voyzuv, but each song has a corresponding counterpart on the opposing end of the playlist that is The Same Song, but The Other One. So its more like two playlists welded together on one side, and I hope for their interaction to emerge sort of... metatextually from the way that the song pairs are interact. In the end, the playlist comes together in a song that has no pair because it is a perfect intersection between them both... finally proving my thesis statement that even though they are very different people with extremely different goals and personalities, They Are Somehow Deep Down The Same.

The playlist is shaped in this mirror way as I described but I'm going to discuss the songs in pairs because it will be easier to talk about it that way. I think you can listen to this playlist in the mirror-way and also the paired-up way and both of them will give a well formed, varied experience, which I am very proud of.

I highlighted the songs that you recommended. Btw i can't believe that i didn't think of this but that was SUCH a good idea that you gave me songs to work with. They not only gave the backbone of the concept, effectively doing almost half the job for me, but also offered me a good gauge on what genres of music you are looking for. It made everything SO much easier.

Pyre - Son Lux

My Rajneesh - Sufjan Stevens

I want you to know that this was the spark that started the entire concept. I was listening to My Rajneesh and i was thinking... oh, I know a song that is exactly the same... just with arson. So, perfectly fitting for Corbin. The rest is history.

Bury Me Face Down - grandson

Tardigrade Song - Cosmo Sheldrake

I think that... oh, this is kind of a difficult concept for me to explain, but do you know this concept from psychology... Okay, i gave up and googled it. I didnt know the name for it but i'm thinking about the Johari Window Model. So, for example, you have things that you know about yourself but you hide from everyone - or things that you dont know about yourself but they are obvious to other people. Well, what I'm thinking of, is that this is their Arena Song. Which is to say that this is the motto that they tell themselves to live by, and what they are also perceived as. This is true but also not the full truth. I think it would also be interesting to explore how much that perception has shaped their own internal narrative and why they settled into this narrative specifically.

The Main Character - Will Wood

Inexplicable - The Correspondents

Speaking of narratives, I would like to imagine that they both have this sense of awareness in the back of their minds that they are being observed each as characters in their own stories, and i mean this both the in-universe person way and the fourth wall breaking made up OC way.

We Are Number One - Tardigrade Inferno

Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright

No, this is exactly what you think it is. First of all, you said it yourself that one of the three S's is Silly. Secondly, this is entirely your fault for putting tardigrades into my mind. You brought this upon yourself. As for my choice for Voyzuv, i have no explanation that i can clearly put into reasoning, I thought about it long and hard what Meme Song should i assign to it, and this is what i felt in my heart and soul. I just know it that i'm correct, and you do too.

I'm Gonna Win - Rob Cantor

Lightworker - Devin Townsend

For one, these are songs about what I think keeps your characters motivated. But also, these songs are both a Gift. The first one, with much love, from the playlist of one of my OCs who, much like Corbin, Does Not Know When To Quit. And the second one i wanted to put here because after hearing My Rajneesh i was under the impression that you would LOVE Devin Townsend. Well, he's an incredibly varied artist, even switching genres mid-song is not unheard of with him. But there is a specific type of Devin Townsend Type of Song that you would really like, imo. Like this one.

Way Out There - Lord Huron

Sleepwalk - Forrest Day

In my perception this song was about some of Corbin's deep down fears that ray are, somewhat unaware, trying to run away from with a matchstick in rare hand. So this is for them the song of the Blind Spot. Voyzuv sounds like a deep down very anxious person who has a lot of fear especially about losing control. Sleepwalking i want you to understand as more of a metaphor, for being so reactive and fear-motivated and yet completely oblivious to it all. But it kinda works I think.

Godspeed - Shayfer James

Human (Acoustic) - Rag'n'Bone Man

This is what i think each would tell the other one if they could, but for some reason they probably never do.

Iconic - PrototypeRaptor

I was thinking about it for a long time what should be their overlapping song in the middle, with no answer, but then I thought, maybe I'm not seeing the forest from the trees. This song is clearly about Corbin, but it also kinda works from Voyzuv's perspective, like it is told from their viewpoint I mean? And it bops so hard. Which means that it could both be a reinvigorating, refreshing center to a playlist just before it would lose momentum, or an upbeat and catchy farewell.

So, that would be it, my dear trickster figure. I think the hardest part was that I'm not that familiar with the genre that I perceive you were looking for, and some of the songs on the playlist I also heard for the first time ever when I found them, which took a lot of research. But thanks to you now I also have a few new favorites and I really hope overall the playlist will be to your satisfaction.

[glitterslag]

can i request an eddissy (smutty?) ficlet plz... like, i headcanon that Eddie has a crush on Chrissy since middle school. it didn't turn into an obsession but, like, basically, all his one-night stands more or less looks like Chrissy -the strawberry hair, the short green skirt, her height or her grey/blue eyes... he tends to never use their names during the act bc 1) he forgot most of the time lol and 2) he perfer to use nicknames so he can pretend they are Chrissy... idk, but Eddie fantasying about Chrissy when he f*cks other girls is great imho :)

Bro

I am literally being torn apart by this concept

I literally wrote a essay I'm sorry (also nsfw ahead be warned) -

I too am a proud member of the Eddie Fucks Brigade. He definitely gets p**sy, but I think you're right in the sense that it's mostly one night stands. I just know he has a network of other metalhead types that he meets up with at concerts in other cities/states, and maybe sometimes crashes with afterwards. He's also in the local bar scene because of his band, and he's gotta be notorious in the local drug scene, too. So he definitely rubs shoulders with a lot of people outside of hawkins high - other metalheads, people who are on the fringes of society like him and who don't view him as some freak like at school. So you can't tell me he doesn't fuck!!!

He's definitely hooked up with girls in his van after concerts or round the back of bars. He's also probably slept with a few of the people he's sold to. Like, he's not exactly a player or anything; he doesn't get lucky all the time but it does happen. He's had one or two short-lived flings as well, but nothing close to a relationship.

I don't think Eddie necessarily has a "type" when it comes to his track record of hookups. He's a very open person who gets attracted to people's hearts and their personality rather than a specific set of criteria. But he's for sure mostly been with other metalheads. As I said, those are the people he's around most often, and he's naturally gonna be drawn to people who have similar interests to him. Also, he's obviously a big fan of the metalhead look, especially on girls.

But when it comes to like, celebrity crushes however? Or even just his ideal type if he had the ability to be more choosy? That's where things start to differ. Eddie is definitely not immune to sweet, preppy, clean cut, sporty cuties (i.e. Chrissy fucking cunningham). He loves the whole polar opposites thing. And yeah, if he thinks about it too hard it probably does stem from the idea of taking someone sweet and innocent and then corrupting them. 😈 That's the sort of thing that fuels his m*sturbation fantasies anyway.

I think Chris and Eddie start hanging out around winter time in Chrissy's senior year, after she approaches him for weed. It takes Eddie a little while to realise he has a full blown crush. Obviously, he's always known he was attracted to her. She's the lil cute smiley cheerleader from back in middle school!!! But he doesn't really tend to get intense crushes on people (probably bc his fear of rejection doesn't allow him to - hello anxious-avoidant attachment style!!), plus he's aware they're a bit of an unlikely pair so it would probably never happen. He's also kind of compartmentalised high school from his life outside of it. He has his friends from band and hellfire, sure, but anyone outside of that he just kind of writes off as lame/irrelevant and tries not to think about them too much when he's not in school. It's a defense mechanism - his way of surviving high school. So yeah, it's definitely more of a slow realisation.

- sidenote: his friends asbolutely figure it out before he does. And they totally laugh about it behind his back. Poor guy is oblivious -

Anyway. Even though Eddie doesn't realise his feelings for Chrissy straight away, anyone keeping track of the people he's hooking up with would be able to take an educated guess. It's not that he's deliberately seeking out people who look like her, but on a subconscious level that's what he's doing. All of a sudden he's not interested in the metalhead girls anymore. He starts going after girls who look progressively less hardcore and more preppy. Maybe his attention will be captured by a velvet scrunchy in a girl's hair. A pair of clean white trainers or cute tube socks pulled up to the knees. He always feels this deep ache in his chest afterwards, but he doesn't put two and two together for a while, cause you know our boy can be a dumbdumb sometimes😓😓

Once he admits to himself that he has feelings for Chrissy, he only hooks up with one or two more girls. He isn't cold with them or anything but yeah, he deliberately doesn't use their names during it and he definitely isn't sticking around to cuddle after he's come to his senses. He's not proud of it, but he basically just closes his eyes and imagines its Chrissy he's with. Honestly, it's embarrassing. It probably doesn't help that he's a little drunk both times, either. It just makes the horny yearning™ that much worse.

One of the aforementioned hookups is in his van after a concert up in Cincinnati, and he lies and tells her he has to drive back home to Hawkins that night cause he has work in the morning. The other one he can't even be bothered to feed an excuse to, so he just tells her he has to go pretty much straight after they're done. She slaps him in the face and calls him a pig as she leaves, and trust me, he's thoroughly aware that he is indeed being a pig so he just takes it on the chin like yep, fair enough. Probably deserved that. It's a personal low point for Eds. Both times, he just lights up a cigarette and mopes afterwards, daydreaming about Chrissy. Wishing he'd just blown off the gig to spend the night smoking with her instead.

After that, he stops bothering with girls altogether. It just feels wrong at this point. Poor guy doesn't even have any intention of trying to get over Chrissy. Nope, his long term plan literally consists of being painfully into her for the next few months and then hopefully she'll graduate, leave Hawkins forever and maybe then he'll make an attempt to move on. But for now? Nah, he's not even gonna try. By the time he and Chrissy actually do get together, Eddie hasn't been with another girl in months.

In this blurb I wrote, where the two of them are in the car that night and Eddie finds out Chrissy and Jason haven't slept together??? I think that's the point when things start to become absolutely unbearable for him. At first, he feels plain relief. Not because he gives a shit about all that purity culture bullshit. He doesn't at all. He wouldn't care if Chrissy had slept with a million guys. But to find out that she hasn't done it with Jason - the guy Eddie hates more than anyone, and who, quite frankly, is nowhere near deserving enough to have her? Oh man, it feels good. It feels so, sooo good.

Eddie fantasizes about being the one to give Chrissy her first time CONSTANTLY. See, that's another thing you should know about Eddie. He's a romantic. People have this idea that he's some sort of sadistic, kinky freak (and yeah he can blow that way, sometimes, which I'll elaborate on at some point), but he loves imagining how he'd be with someone who's really special to him. Sweet. Tender. Loving.

He finds himself obsessing over it - wondering just how far she's gotten and when and with whom. Chrissy said her and Jason did "stuff". He wants so desperately to ask what it was, wants to know everything, but he won't ever ask cause he's too polite. Also knowing the details would probably just about kill him. I mean, when she'd told him, that night while he drove her home, he could've thrown up. He barely stopped himself from swerving the car into a ditch or something. It's too much for his poor heart to handle.

Sooo yeah. Again apologies for writing a whole ass essay reply to this, but thanks for the opportunity to get all that off my chest and elaborate more on where Eddie's head is at around the time of my latest ficlet!!!

[sour-n-salty-citrus]

Jonadio legit just makes Part 1 so much more interesting. It's like the missing cog that makes the Phantom Blood machine go brrrrrr

YESSS absolutely. I love this ship so much, words cant even begin hdhhdhdhd.

Like? The whole concept of Jonathan (and by extension all the Joestars too ig but hshshsh-) being bound to Dio by fate itself is so good. Literally? Can't believe Araki invented soulmates, wow-

Ok but seriously, their dynamic is so interesting. We don't really see Dio's interactions with other people whom he doesn't just see as a subordinate or tool

Well, there's Pucci, but (going off of what my brother has told me because I- haven't read the manga yet hsgshsgsh) he isn't really an equal to Dio. The circumstances considered, there's definitely far too much manipulation and power imbalance for the two to truly be considered on equal standing. (And this isn't to say that diopucci isn't a great ship, it is! I just prefer DJD for those reasons).

Aside from Jotaro, Jonathan is the only one who Dio could ever consider a genuine threat. A rival. Someone actually worthy of his respect and attention. I think he really does value (even if he realises it too late) having someone who can hold that position. That can test him, and push him to his limits. That stops everything from going his way, and forces him to really give it his all. Jonathan is the polar opposite of Dio in so many ways, a true gentleman, kind and with the kind of compassion that could only be rivalled by a saint. If Dio was to be loved by anyone unconditionally, it's him (it could only be him!). On the flip side Jonathan sees through Dio. The wool is never really pulled over his eyes, and he's probably the only person who can really read him, see Dio for what he is. He sheds tears when he believes Dio to be dead, yes, partly because Jonathan is also that kind, but I believe partly because he genuinely saw the good in him and something that could have been worth saving. Much in the way Dio is challenged by Jonathan, Jojo is also challenged by Dio, and with him he is confronted with ideas and behaviours he never usually would have in his (admittedly) privileged life.

Even if their 7 year relationship was mostly a facade in order to keep the peace, I firmly believe not all of it was a lie. I think it's impossible- you just don't spend that long close to a person (especially growing up with them) without developing some kind of sentiment towards them (even if they might not deserve it in your eyes-). It only makes me wonder about the kind of quiet, intimate moments they must have shared. When one of them fell asleep at their desk, did the other take a moment to appreciate their sleeping form? In the early morning, when they ate breakfast and sipped tea whilst reading the newspaper, did the peace last? When one was sick, did the other begrudgingly look after them, only to complain when they too fell ill the next day?

You know, I don't really think that love and hate are all that different. Two sides of the same coin, you know? I never really thought the opposite of love was hate, but rather- indifference. Because whether you love someone or hate them, you still feel strongly towards them, no? Jonathan and Dio may have hated each other. I think they loved each other too. Whatever was between them, though, I think we can all agree, it sure as hell wasn't indifference.

AH sorry for rambling so much akdjskdjskdjsjs, I just- mmmm this ship is so good. It really is the highlight of PB for me. I mean, when the relationship between these two characters pretty much forms the base for the series as a whole, how can i not be invested???

[beevean]

Shizune and Hanako are more similar than it looks.

Both of them are pretty lonely. Both of them have experience with being rejected and cast aside: Hanako was bullied for her scars, Shizune drives everyone away with her strong, pushy personality.

Both of them are childish, and have learned to amuse themselves like children would do. Hanako jumps on black tiles; Shizune plays with a box after losing a challenge that she imposed.

Both of them are very, very aware of their surroundings, and catch the minutest details. Shizune out of necessity, due to being deaf; Hanako because she’s painfully self-conscious.

Both of them have trouble communicating: Shizune has to rely on another person to interact with anyone, plus her personality is hard to understand and like, and Hanako is crippingly shy and passive.

There are two main differences between them: one, the most obvious, Shizune is fierce, strong willed, and intimidating, while Hanako is timid and scared. Two, Shizune desperately wants friends, while Hanako has long given up on the concept of anyone wanting to befriend her.

I’ve seen people ask about the meaning of this scene. For me, it’s heartbreaking. Shizune and Hanako accidentally found something in common: they like to play games, and they both know how to play chess (Shizune doesn’t like it, but she seems willing to play for the sake of playing). But Shizune declares at the end that they cannot bond over this shared trait:

MISHA: "That girl isn't very good at chess."

MISHA: "Chess is a formulaic game. So~! It's a game that isn't suited for her... There was nothing formulaic about her. Someone who plays chess like that, looking only at the next piece, playing so shallowly, can't be called a serious chess player. Anyone who loves chess to the point where their eyes sparkle like that when they see a chessboard would be the kind of person who would study the game. If you study it just casually, you can learn to see at least two moves ahead, even against pros. Why would someone who loves the game so much... with that enthusiasm... know so little about it? Even less than someone with just a passing interest in it?"

MISHA: "Her feelings are real, but her feelings for the game aren't real. Do you understand, Hicchan~? There is no luck in chess~! It's very important to realize that. Luck in games is good because it gives everyone a chance. Just enough to matter, but not so much that skill is penalized. Chess is boring because it's not a game; to me, it seems like formulas. Hanako isn't the kind of person who would love something like that either~."

[...]

MISHA: "I tried to fight her, chasing around her king, and trying to bait her. I didn't succeed though, because she stuck to only what would work. The trickiest moments were when she moved the fastest. That means she knew exactly how to deal with those situations. That means someone taught her. Do you understand, Hicchan~?"

HISAO: "Not really."

MISHA: "If you love chess that much, but you can't give it your all, it's because you love the memories attached to it and not the game;it's too precious to her to see as a tool for true competition."

MISHA: "Due to that, you can't become friends over it. Not without words."

“Not without words”. You can almost hear how much Shizune feels the desperate need to bond with people without verbal communication. And you would think that Hanako would be the perfect candidate, as she also doesn’t really like to talk (and is not utterly incomprehensible like the other girl who hates talking, Rin). But no. Even if Hanako wasn’t attached to Lilly’s hip, these two people that would greatly benefit from becoming friends can’t bond, because their issues are similar, but the way they deal with them is the polar opposite.