#is this yet another example of bad parenting? yes

[kisses4themissus]

What is this feeling? | M.R x Reader

a/n: yess i'm posting pt2 already, i was excited and this is a bit of story set up for the next upcoming parts! Tysm for all the support and nice comments!! pairing: Michael "Robby" Robinavitch X Single Mom!Reader wc : 2.7k

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The sound of a notification catches your attention during a conversation with another doctor about a patient. You ignored it at first but had to excuse yourself as it dinged once more.

You pulled out your phone, worried it was about your daughter but was relived to see the words.

Floor checks.

Every few months gloria would be forced to do checks of each active hospital floor; you sighed before turning to find the nearest nurse to make her aware of the situation.

Once it had gotten out floor checks would be that day, you watched as nurses and a few doctors help label medication, place caps on all IVs, clean up their stations. Thankfully your departments knew how to work together to get the cleanest result possible.

You walked around the floor, checking with your own eyes.

Noticing when something was missing or wrong, you’d quickly having a nurse fix it. It was a joke among ICU staff you had run them tighter than the navy. “Someone get more green caps for the IVs…and me a redbull please.” You added making some of the nurses chuckle.

“Cafeteria ran out.” One of the nursing assistants infomed you all. “I’ll order some coffee after we’re cleared of gloria.” You waved it off as you resumed your own sweep of the floor.

 - - - - - - - -

“Everything seems to be in order, so it’s gonna be an eight.” Gloria smiled as you beamed at the score. “Thank you gloria!” You smiled and walked with her to the elevators.

“ED’s the last floor this year?” You asked, pressing the elevator’s button. “Yes, thought i’d save the worse for last.” She sighed, shaking her head.

“It wasn’t so bad down there.” You chuckled. 

“And how long ago was that?” She smiled at you before turning to step into the elevator. “Are you calling me old?” You both laughed as you acted flattered.

It was a hidden fact that you were cross trained, between emergency medicine and intensive care. Rarely anyone at the hospital knew of it. Jack was your attending when you worked in the ED.

 - - - - - - - -

Stepping out of the elevator you bounced over to central where around it, all of the ED ran around, trying their best to clean up for floor checks.

“How’d it go?” Langdon asked, making you grin. “Like always…eight!” You watched as langdon playful roll his eyes at you.

“Eight?” Santos asked, sitting away from you both. 

You nod at her tone. “Ten is impossible, like none of the patients are sick, and nine is also insanely ridiculous for example there can’t be any trash in the trashcans kind of ridiculous.” You summarized. 

“So eight is the most realistic?” She finished making you nod with a smile. “Yep, the ICU and neurological are always tied.” You chuckled, langdon just groaned as he walked away and towards a patient’s room.

“What does the pitt always get?” She asked, making you chuckle as robby ran across the ED, helping out his other interns. “Three, or if it’s a miracle than a four.” 

Santos nodded before being pulled away by a patient’s parent.

You stood by central and smiled as you pulled out your phone, your heart began melting as your dad sent you a video of lovebug at soccer practice.

Her tiny pigtails flew behind her as she ran with the ball, laughing as her and her friend bump into each other. 

“With that kind of smile you must have a hot lover?” A voice asked from behind you, making you close your phone and turn back with a grin.

“Hi myrna.” You greeted the older woman, who smirked at you. “No one’s got me hooked yet.” You chuckled, squatting down beside her. “How did you do it this time?” You asked, earning a proud look on myrna’s face, she sat up a bit more in the wheelchair.

“Meat grinder.” She beamed.

You nodded slowly, getting up as you heard the staff elevators open and the familiar clicking of kitten heels. “Well next time, make sure to get one of the automatic ones ok; don’t need you getting arthritis from that meat grinder!” You playfully pointed at the blond who nodded.

She quickly wheeled herself away, leaving you to turn to see robby getting caught by gloria as he tried to sneak past.

Robby groaned, slipping off his glasses before motioning for gloria to follow him. Quickly running up to the pair, robby held in a obnoxious sigh at the sight of your cheeky face. “May I join you both, i mean the ICU is one of the higher scoring departments..” You said, your arms tucked behind your back as you bounced on your heels.

Robby turned to you with a look of distaste. He shook his head no at your request.

Gloria looked around the pitt before nodding at you. “I think a new pair of eyes would do good.” Gloria agreed and began walking ahead.

Like the cheshire cat, your smile grew as you tilted your head at robby and shrugged before walking to catch up with gloria.

 - - - - - - - -

You hadn’t spoken since you had joined the pair in the check, quietly making observations.

As you three entered the last room before the final score, you had spotted a disconnected feeding tube, quickly noticing before robby or gloria. You ran by the monitor and began looking around, using your body to cover the feeding tube.

“I think this is the most decent room i’ve seen so far.” You smiled at the pair, robby raised an eyebrow at your stiff body movement but moved on as gloria exited and walked back to central.

You waited for them to be a bit further before stepping to the door of the room, whitaker stopped as you motioned for him to come into the room with the intubated patient. “You need to change the feeding tube, somehow it got disconnected, now luckily i don’t think gloria or dr. robinavitch noticed.” You softly explained, motions to the tiny puddle of liquid on the ground.

“Oh um, thank you we had to move him on his side, it must’ve disconnected.” He explained, nervous as to why you weren’t yelling at him for the mistake.

“Things happen, just watch for it next time ok, now go get that tube.” You smiled and stepped out of the room.

Whitaker just nodded at your words and made his way to the supply closet for another tube. How could robby not like you? You seemed nice, you had even brought treats for the ED the week before.

 - - - - - - - -

As you approached central, you watched robby throw his hands up both clenched before he stormed off towards the ambulance bay. Dana sighed, her glasses now at the bridge of her nose.

“How low?” You asked dana who sighed, placing her hands on the desk. “...Two, and now robby’s all in a mood so god help us all it’s gonna be hell.” Dana took off her glasses and tossed them aside.

You sucked in a breath, eyeing the ambulance bay. With a swift movement you patted the desk and walked outside, luckily it hadn’t been too busy.

Stopping in your tracks as robby paced outside, his hands behind his head as he muttered curses under his breath. “You doing ok?” You asked cautiously.

Robby let out groan at your voice. “Go back to your uppity tower alright, some of us actually have to work down here.” He barked at you, with a shocked expression you scoffed at him. 

“Excuse you?!” You walked closer to him.

“I’ve covered for your lazy ass so much during this whole floor check!” You laughed at his audacity. “I kept my mouth shut about the amount of wrong labeled medication– Or, or about a leaking feeding tube on the ground!” You began to list off the amount of mistakes you hadn’t brought up to gloria.

“Oh or–or that poor old lady with h.i.t upstairs not a peep, you should be kissing my ass by the way, i managed to persuade her children from a lawsuit!” You scoffed, not caring about the looks you both were getting from the EMTs.

“Oh congratulation on being a manipulator.” Robby scoffed, shaking his head at you.

“I may not save as many lives as you but I sure am saving your ass a lot robinavitch!” You scoffed, walking away from robby and back towards the elevators. 

Robby scoffed and shook his head as you walked away.

Dana quickly walked out on to the ambulance bay and placed her hands on her hips. “Robby, we have an incoming car crash victims, ETA is ten minutes.” She informed him, noticing as robby rubbed his face before nodding.

 - - - - - - - -

After your argument with robby, you had thrown yourself back into your work, checking over patients and their treatment.

Finally you had gotten to sit down at your desk, throwing your head back you sighed. It had only been the late afternoon, few more hours before you could cuddle your lovebug and fall asleep on the couch after a few episodes of my little pony with lovebug.

Buzzing of your phone dragged you back to reality, you quickly picked up, not noticing the contact.

“Hello?” You answered.

“Hi sweetie, listen i justed wanted to call to see if you or lovebuggie wanted to join us for a small dinner tonight for his um- uh anniversary.” 

You heart dropped at the other voice. “Hi lauren, um i’m kind of stuck at work but um, you could call my parents they have her right now..” You faked a happy tone. “Oh alrighty then, get home safe then honey.” 

The line disconnected, looking at the date on your phone made you sigh heavily, quickly standing up and walking out of the ICU.

 - - - - - - - -

Walking into the hospital’s small church felt off, you had noticed one other person in there as well, a younger boy, he had his arms resting on the pew in front of him, his eyes staring at the fake stained window.

You sighed and sat down on the pew a few in front of him, you fidgeted with something inside your jacket pocket before pulling out a small wooden heart charm.

Rubbing the heart made you bust into tears.

Shuffling was heard behind you for a moment, as you leaned your head into your palms as tears fell. “Can i sit here ma’am?” A voice asked beside you, picking up your head you nodded and scooted over to make room for the younger boy and handed you a tissue.

“Thanks.” 

The boy wordlessly nodded and continued to stare at the glass.

“I lost my girlfriend a few months back..” He explained, his own tears falling. You nod at him to continue.

“We were at pittfest, she got shot, the doctors couldn’t even save her.” He sighed, tears now flowing. “She was so young..” He added, now holding his head in his palms.

You nodded and began rubbing his back in comfort, “I know the pain, my boyfriend passed six years ago, he had just moved to his first apartment, i remember how excited he was..” You sighed, wiping your tears away.

“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, he had gotten into an accident, the guys who hit his car jumped him, he wasn’t recognizable when he was brought in..” You paused, trying to stop your tears.

“I was so upset, angry, confused at the doctor, he would save lives constantly but yet he couldn’t save my boyfriend..” 

Jake looked up from his palms to see you taking deep breaths. 

“Does it get easier?” He asked, glancing over at you.

With a tearful shrug you chuckled. “Over time you realize there was nothing that could stop the inevitable from happing, he alway would say that, annoyed me to death.” You laughed, earning a small chuckle from jake.

“Do you wish you had more time?” Jake asked, earning a nod. “Always, i could imagine what our future could’ve been, he loved kids, told me how he had wanted a big family, scared me half to death.” You both laughed, wiping away tears.

“I wish i could take back what i told the doctor, i was a resident, i said things i never meant..i never got to tell him how sorry i was; a year later Covid happened, he had sent a letter before he passed, telling me how he knew deep down i didn’t mean any of it..” You sniffled, jake tiled his head. 

“What doctor?” He asked, You sighed and sat up straighter.

“Doctor adamson; I transferred to ICU not long after, i couldn’t work in the place where i said some bad things.” You motioned for your ICU badge.

Jake sat there and pondered everything with robby.

“I- I did the same with the doctor who treated my girlfriend; would he forgive me after all this time?” Jake asked honestly, making you nod.

“What doctor treated your girlfriend?” You asked, wiping the tears away for a final time.

“Um, dr. robby; he’s sort of been my father figure majority of my life..” Jake explained, looking as you sighed and nodded.

“Robinavitch is a good man, too much like adamson in my opinion.” You both laughed.

“I’m certain he would forgive you in a heartbeat, just if you apologize, don’t be a pussy, hug him; he always looks too grumpy.” You added.

“I think that’s just his face.” Jake joked, earning a laugh from you.

 - - - - - - - -

Robby had grown tired of the day, thankful only two more hours before he’d go home once more.

As he sat at central, a tap on his shoulder, he turned expecting an intern or langdon but was surprised to see jake standing behind him with a neutral face.

“Jake, what are you doing here? Is your mom alright?” Robby hopped up, his mind flying fast, jake only shook his head at robby and looked down at his shoes.

“I- i never meant what i said months ago, about not being your friend or my father..” Jake’s words made the central quiet down around the pair.

“Mom had me go to therapy and it wasn’t really working but i talked to someone and they went through the same thing and she never got to tell the doctor how sorry she was and who she never meant any of her words, and i don’t want that to be us...I’m sorry, robby.” Jake apologized.

Robby nodded, his eyes teared up at jake. The two hugged, a feeling of warmth fell over the pair, their relationship now repaired.

“Who did you talk too that made me cry from that?” Robby asked, laughing as he wiped his eyes.

“Someone from ICU, she had a black jacket on.” Jake answered mindlessly.

You had been right about saving robby a bunch of times.

 - - - - - - - -

Entering the ICU pod once more you noticed the cluster of workers in the nursing station, you chuckled and walked over.

“What are you all hiding over here?” You asked, another ICU doctor handed you a cup of coffee, your name scribbled on the top.

“Who got the coffee?” You asked, noticing as the staff now were returning to their desks.

“I thought you bought it.” One of the nurses said, sipping on her coffee, letting out a squeal. You tilted your head and placed the coffee down and searched for a note but came up empty handed.

With a sigh, you shrugged and went on about your evening, smiling as night shift began to shuffle in over the hours.

You had finished up in a patient’s room as you walked to your desk to collect your bag, stopping as your tupperware sat on your desk, a post it on the lid.

For always saving my ass, enjoy with the decaf coffee - Dr. Robby

Inside sat store bought cookies, you chuckled at the note and collected your things before exiting through the park.

As you walked through, you saw robby from a far, he had also spotted you by your car, he raised his beer can your way; with a quick glance around and held up your cup before getting into your car.

You shook off the weird fluttering in your stomach and placed the car into drive.

As you drove to your parents you couldn’t help but laugh as wicked played on the radio, maybe you and robby were like glinda and elphaba.

next!!

single mom! taglist: @nerdgirljen @whatdoesntkillyoumakesyoustrange @snowflames-world

[pruneunfair]

Tropes in manhwa are awful yet people still defend them

I'm in a bad mood right now so what better way to release all that pent up anger by ranting on what can ruin a good story.

1: Slavery being inserted only for cheap plot and slaves being demonized as obsessive/greedy monsters for "not knowing their place"

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to insert slavery in your story AS LONG as it's not just cheap plot to make your MC look "better" by buying from a single to all of the slaves because let me tell you this: there is no such thing as a good slave owner, you cannot morally own another human being. A lot of manhwa like to have slavery be a part of their plot completely ignoring that just because the MC goes "wow this is terrible" doesn't make them a good person after they buy a slave.

Remarried empress does this with its villian Rashta by pushing the notion that she's being greedy for not wanting to stay in poverty so Navier won't suffer because apparently a slave wanting what the silver spoon mouthed nobles were born into is so terrible not to mention they justify slave owners and slavery in general as a punishment for criminals (neglecting the fact that children can be sold by their parents)

The villainess has fun again justifies a child slave being bought by the lead and he becomes an obsessive shouta love interest, fans continously justify by using the ancient lolicon excuse "he may look young but he's actually 99182823 years old!"

In divorcing my tyrant husband, Robelia buys 30 slaves and the only 2 that consistently show up have no other personality other then "we love you FL we will worship you till the end of time!"

There's a damn manhwa out there literally called the order of slave breeding and even when a story tries to do this correctly such as VADTD with Penelope being portrayed as a bad person for what she did to Eckles, fans have been so deluded by the idea that FL's buying slaves is "girlboss" that they think Eckles should be grateful to be Penelopes "pet"

2: ML's murdering innocent people after one guy hurts the FL

I already made a specific post about it before and I'll say it again: all this does is make your male lead/father figure look like a horrific monster. While you could say it's because its a medieval kingdom (objectively that is true that they would do this) manhwa and OI is the same place where despite in those times taking a mistress was considered normal they still view it as cheating and "how could you pick that slut when you have such a perfect wife!? 🤬" in most stories. So yes, modern morality is still inserted within these tropes. While I can get it's a way to show that the man in questions loves the FL so much he's willing to go to such lengths to protect her I think just mutilating the guy that actually did the sin would be enough because try imagining yourself as a faithful servant who was amazing at your job getting brutally slaughtered by the Emperor because your boss attacked his daughter or lover.

Into the light once again does this with Aishas dad murdering all the relatives and close friends of a count that tried to kill Ysis and Aisha, Aisha doesn't seem to care despite being in a situation where she was wrongfully executed in her past life.

Remarried empress does this too. After Navier is nearly killed by Krista's brother, Heinrey tortures and kills the dad and slaughters the servants of the zemensias. I can't remember if he also murdered the remaining family members but I wouldn't put it past him.

3: protagonist centered morality

Protagonist centered morality is the biggest indicator that a piece of media is dealing with a mary sue FL. Whatever the protagonist says is right is immediately morally correct. This is actually used to justify the last 2 examples with "it was for the FL!" Things like slavery, murder, workplace abuse, union busting, pedophilia, and being a POS to your loved ones are all justified if the protagonist finds a cheap way to justify it and you HAVE to agree with her because her backstory is very tragic 🥺. Protagonist centered morality also ruins the chance for good characters since the FL herself never has to grow as a person so she stays the same exact thing as she was just with more enablers and random characters will be treated as villains even if they aren't actually wrong about being suspicious of the Protagonist or calling out her behavior. It twists the narrative in such incomprehensible ways that you don't even know what your reading anymore. I can't even list all of the manhwas that do this given how many there actually are so I'll just list some that are at least self aware there Protagonist is awful/morally grey or isn't even a bad person but they still have flaws that can be pointed out

Villains are destined to die

My in laws are obsessed with me

Not sew wicked step mom

Depths of malice

The villainess turns the hourglass

Beware of the villainess.

4: villains being dumbed down to make the lead look smarter

This is unfortunately another common staple often used as a quick way to make the FL look smart and witty but is that really hard to look smarter when everyone else around you is an idiot? Not only does the FL not have to put in actual effort to best her enemies but you just start to pity the villain for basically being a punching bag. Dimwitted villains aren't always bad in fact they can be some of those most entertaining characters no matter much they lose but that only works when they are meant to be seen as a goofy character that your not supposed to take seriously. Villains that are written as extremely childish and stupid but your still supposed to treat them as serious antagonists on the other hand are just annoying since you wonder how the protagonist even got killed by them in the first life if they're so stupid.

Isabella de Mare while admitly having a good reason for being dumbed down (she's a teenager in the 2nd life so it's reasonable she wouldnt be as smart as her adult counterpart) is still a joke of a villainess who keeps flipping back and fourth from a snot nosed whiny brat to a mastermind only at convenient opportunities when the plot needs conflict.

Mielle from the villainess turns the hourglass was first portrayed as extremely conniving as she arranged for Arias downfall in the shadows but in the second life she fails at every scheme she has even though she has Emma and Isis to help her out.

Ragibach is a literal demon possessing the body of another woman with the goal of setting demons loose on the word to start another human vs demon war and she succeeded in that the first time, the devastation was all there so clearly she has to be a formidable antagonist right? Well no, she's another case of being dumbed down further and further so Keira can succeed and while they do understand some plot holes such as Ludwig not trusting her as much in the second life it doesn't change the drastic character change from evil genius to bumbling idiot.

In short: dumbing down your villains so your lead can look smarter is essentially going to give the equivalent of a hydrogen bomb vs a coughing baby.

5: feminine women being demonized as basic "other girls" sluts

Okay this one isn't nearly as terrible as the others on this list because we all love the good old "a demon makes itself look beautiful to deceive humans" kind of villain, in fact as you probably know by me by now, white lotuses are my favorite kinds of character and even in media outside of manhwa I always find myself drawn to angelic villains but it seems like this is less of that and more of "Oh those are all the other girls who just want a man to save them, look at how much better my badass rich boss babe is for working for herself while taking all of their men at the time 😎" in manhwa. As soon as a traditionally feminine girl shows up, comments are already calling her a two faced bitch and half the time protagonist is already skeptical of her. This is the opposite of what being a feminist really is, a real feminist wouldn't be putting down other women just because they dress with more pink with bows and skirts and while I do think for most manhwa this is unintentional I do wish that we could have more characters like Psyche, Helena, Athy, and Jennette that prove that being overly feminine doesn't make you a backpedal on feminism. This doesn't make the badass or sexy fl's bad either, it just means they can co-exist.

An angelic villain should be treated as evil for being a well calculated schemer, not because they have a light colored color scheme

6: toxic relationships being romanticized as good

You know for a large community that claims to be about girl code a good chunk sure likes to look the other way when it comes to toxic relationships as long as the abuser is "hot" and theres always the terrible excuse such as "he has trauma!" Or "he doesn't know how to show his love normally!" No just no we aren't doing that here. Cry or better yet beg has this problem with not only the narrative claiming that Matthias graping Layla is okay because she actually loves him and doesn't know it but a large part of the fanbase also defends it, the same goes with try begging, a manhwa written by Solche who also wrote cry or better yet beg and once again despite Leon being an abuser everyone's ready to justify his actions because he's just a soft little boy who ends up falling in love with Grace awww 😍 (what the hell?) Everyones all about not justifying abusers because they had a sad past until it's the "sexy" male leads with daddy issues.

7: maid slapping

This shit isn't asserting your dominance as a boss bitch it's just work place abuse. This trope has gotten so out of hand of being justified by narratives and readers that there is an entire webtoon called this isekai maid is forming a union that's all about criticizing twisted manhwa tropes that get brushed off with maid absuer being at the biggest one. It's funny because a lot of people complain that Isekai maid union villainizes the nobles too much but they never ask the same questions when a OI is demonizing maids as greedy and lazy in order to deserve a beating. This doesn't just stop at hands either it can escalate to threats of mutilation just to assert dominice which is absolutely sick. Most of the time these leads used to be office workers or terminally ill patients, they know how terrible it is to be treated like garbage by their superiors yet they continue to absue every maid who isn't getting on their knees for them. Most maids in real history would not mistreat a noble even if they were the most hated in the house and even if they did they'd be fired without a letter of recommendation so why can't the FL's just fire the rude maid if they care about dignity so much because I'm pretty sure getting violent with a maid isn't very dignified either.

8: disgusting age gaps

Very similar to #6 but in this case while the ML/FL isn't a cruel monster to their partner it doesn't change the fact that grooming and pedophilia is still a crime worthy of life in prison. You'd think "oh no way, this can't be justified can it?" You'd be wrong. Now I belong to house of Castillo thankfully has a larger fanbase of people who think that a relationship between a girl who got groomed by her knight is bad but in cases like into the light once again a lot of people like to say "Well Aisha is technically 28 so it's fine!" When it really isn't since Aisha is still mentally 14. Taming my ex husbands mad dog is another one that does this with Reinhardt grooming a 16 year old boy and its apparently meant to be "cute".

9: claiming a character as unattractive yet giving them a perfect body and appreance

I just think this is a major cop-out since there's time where they want to make a realistic story yet also wanting a fantasy fufilment. I don't think its a coincidence that the only woman in tears of a withered flower that yout supposed to support is a Victoria's secret model body type. Even though she's meant to be an overworked exhausted 33 year old woman being mocked for losing her beauty she sure as hell isn't drawn that way, the only other women around hae soo are all women with smaller boob's and in general more common body types that are either classed as stupid or jealous that Hae soo is so beautiful that all the attractive men want her

how about we don't pit all the women against each other for once? And let's especially not villainize other women because their jealous they could never be have large boob's and tiny arms+waist at the same time?

10: the commoner protagonist actually being a noble rich person all along

Look I know most of us had loved those "the hated child is the lost princess" GLMM but we need to drop it because it's kinda disappointing that the nobody who had to work their way to the top is actually a secret magical princess who had royal blood in them all along. While I did think the villainess turns the hourglass was a pretty decent read I was super disappointed finding out that Aria was of noble descent all along. I liked seeing a commoner protagonist for once and it really felt like it was critiquing the idea that all commoners and poor people who want nice things like the nobility are greedy animals. Something similar can also happen with certain saintess manhwas that decide to twist itself into "the villainess was the true saintess all along!" And I'm just sitting here thinking "well there goes the hope that you didn't need the super duper rare power to be a strong character"

I feel way better now after writing all this.

[galene-gothic]

𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒?

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊ I hope this reading found you in good health, every reblog is appreciated and thank you for everything :) ˖♡ ˎˊ˗ ꒰ 🐇 ꒱

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗             PAID SERVICES

Today we'll take a look at:

- your surface level personality/image

- your inner world

- your soul energy

︎︎⊹ ! ೀ Pile 1 ꒱

꒰ Your surface level personality/image ꒱

You seem to be struggling a lot and even others can see it or at least that’s your image. People think that you have an unwelcome community or no community at all. Even if you have friends, they could leave you out or you feel that way, or others can witness it or this is something of the past. You may feel a strong need for a sense of belonging which could lead to you overextending and being very welcoming, and gullible. However, despite this, you seem to be a bit isolated and seem to need solitude. You seem to be pretty comfortable with being by yourself. You definitely have those who think you are ‘all talk, no action’. People think that you’re judgmental and also have a tendency to overthink, that you have a tendency to overanalyse situations and people. There are people who think that you have unrealistic ideas without much planning or preparation. All of this may have been discouraging to hear but one thing is that you’re not perceived the way you actually are and that is okay, you are currently waiting for some sort of change but you’ve learned how to be patient by now. It’s not like you’re ‘all talk, no action’, you’re just patient and taking things one step at a time. You have learned how to go with the flow and are doing so for now, it’s just that others aren’t being able to see how you’ve cleared obstacles one after another and have had major expansion in comparison to your past. Your hard work is paying off little by little but you’ve not received all the rewards yet. Continue celebrating how far you’ve come, others just don’t know anything about you and your life. They think that you’re not doing well mentally and emotionally, that you’re at a rock bottom. It’s funny how people have such different perspectives of you than who you truly are. You look at it as even if those endings, hurt and situations were hard, you transformed a lot from it and you’re still in a transition period. You’re still letting go and changing. You’ve not fully gotten used to the new beginnings but you’re having a lot of them. Despite the negative feelings that tend to come forth, the fear and sorrow, the cycles have finally ended.

꒰ Your inner world ꒱

YES!! I’m so happy, I was right! Those who think negatively of you based on your surface level personality believe the same about themselves. They think that you’re ‘all talk, no action’ because they know they themselves are ‘all talk, no action’. You have a really rich inner world. At this point, you value balance, i.e. giving and receiving equally. Two people can go through the same or at least similar situations and turn out to be completely different. I wonder if you come from fairly humble beginnings, your family or you had a bankruptcy, you didn’t have a parent so you took up a lot of responsibilities, you grew up with your guardians instead of parents, started earning young or weren’t given much money (it could be a situation similar to all these examples). Even if you did come from a well off family, there was some sort of instability. There was a point when you probably didn’t have anything or didn’t have much. Also, you seem to have lost a lot, many people, things or you may not have had much to lose to begin with. I’m definitely getting that you felt unsupported by others and alone. I’m getting this in every sense, i.e. financially, mentally, physically and emotionally. Your health was bad at that time too. You didn’t look good physically (because you weren’t) and neither did you feel good internally. The loss of connections at that time was the worst thing that they could have done to you because these people definitely weren’t doing things for the sake of their peace or anything of that sort, they wanted to create chaos and pain for you. This is your confirmation that they wanted to break you down, they wanted to knock you down to a peg. You are too kind and strong though, despite all the difficult times and changes, you went within yourself to find answers and move forward. Despite all the distress that you had to experience, the moment you gained just a little more stability, you started wanting to give to others and become more good charactered. You’re grateful for what you have and try to treat everyone equally, and with respect. You already share resources from the good of your heart but you’re focused on your investments, you’re focused on building your money. You’re trying to be responsible and are generous, kind and truly valuable because you value the right things, and you also try to grow and live by certain values, morals and virtues within yourself. However, your past still is affecting you mentally because you were thrown under a bus and you’ve gotten used to thinking about it 💀. The metaphor I’m getting is that you were strolling with your group of best friends or your lover (possibly both) you had their best interests at heart and thought they had the same for you too but suddenly, in the blink of an eye, you were thrown under a bus. It was really difficult to even comprehend, the wheels crushing your bones, the confusion, until you eventually passed sway and when you woke up, you didn’t have those loved ones around you, you found out that your feet aren’t working anymore, you didn’t even receive a call from them to ask about your whereabouts and needs but instead, they started making memes about how you’re unable to walk now. You were hurt, betrayed, lonely but little by little, you tried to walk and even though it took you some time, you started being able to stand by yourself, then you started walking until you were finally sprinting. That’s just a metaphor but it was not an exaggeration, whatever those people did to you was the same level of betrayal that I’ve written in the example above (regardless of whether you realise it or not). You have a scary deal of determination but you also have a lot of energy towards those situations (in the form of aggression and anger) even if you don’t realise it.

You’ve had many revelations and still continue having them. You’ve started seeing the truth about past people and situations. All of you here lead different lives but you’ve learned how to find abundance right where you are. Some of you have good connections, some of you are progressing in your careers, some of you don’t have either of those but what you do have is that inner abundance. You have a strong desire and even daydream (possibly even literally dream) about community, healthy love, a happy family, a happy relationship, good friendships, etc. You already feel as though you have a fairly supportive work and personal environment. You’ve learned how to be emotionally content without experiencing all the highs and lows just because they might be exciting. You value belonging and long term commitments. Despite this, there are times when you get excessively negative though. You have a tendency to hold onto trauma and haven’t fully escaped your past yet. You can definitely feel a bit bitter at times. You also have a tendency to at times, let your emotions overpower your logic and at other times, let your logic overpower your emotions. Emotionally, you love unconditionally but your definition of unconditional love isn’t unconditional as in “even if you disrespect me and don’t love, I’ll still love you” but instead it is “I care about your well-being even when I’m angry at you”, “I love and respect you even when we are fighting”, “I accept your shortcomings for you are also a human”, “no matter how much we change, I’ll always love and devote myself to you”. Your emotions are also something that helps you express yourself better. When you love someone, you wish to express it wholeheartedly. You love everyone like a mother would their child, you’re incredibly giving and have a universal love. I wouldn’t be surprised if recently you’ve developed a love for kids or at least, you always have had compassion for kids and felt strongly against beating kids to discipline them, etc. You’re divine, not only do you love like a mother would their child but you also love like a child would their mother. For a child, their parents are all they know and usually even though times are changing and women work too, fathers still aren’t that actively engaged with kids, so it’s the mother that the child is strongly attached to. When you love someone, you give all of yourself to them and expect the same from them. You also have a praise kink ahahaha. It’s okay, don’t be embarrassed, I’m openly claiming to be one of your kind 😔. You have an innocent way of loving and desire to have people praise you. You are fun loving when you love people, with both friends and lovers. You trust them and can be quite naive to be honest because a child does usually naively trust people and especially they trust their own mother blindly. You’re extremely affectionate and tender, also so sensitive to little things. You could have had a parent, guardian or teacher not prioritise your gift to them or brush your affection off at least once if not multiple times and you’ve unconsciously carried it with you. It was especially bad when you were younger, if someone didn’t react the way you wanted them to, you would feel hurt and it would just make you think. You also develop a psychic connection with those you love, trying to and almost always successfully understanding their wants and needs. You are the type to send soft messages, say kind and sweet words, play around, touch them innocently, etc. Gosh, we don’t deserve you. Just looking at your inner world makes me want to love you and desire your love.

꒰ Your soul energy ꒱

Your soul is going to have to deal with a lot of pessimistic moments. However, the best way that you’re going to learn how to deal with them is by being optimistic. You’re going to experience the most exciting situations going sour and turning out wrong. It’s all so that you learn a certain level of detachment and realise that it’s not that you can’t control anything, it’s that nothing can control you, it’s not that you can’t own anything, it’s that nothing can own you. Just the way the cloud covering the sun doesn’t mean the sun isn’t there, that the sun isn’t the sun, it’s just a cloud that will pass by in its own time. Anything that causes you to not be yourself, anything that causes you to not be seen as yourself by others, i.e. the brightest star in our universe, it’s going to pass by in its own time too. Your soul has signed up for trying multiple times. Which means that your soul has also signed up to experience failures before you finally succeed. You’ll notice that the way your life works is - first you go down, then you eventually rise up, then you go down again and while most people would stay down, you rise up even higher. You’re someone who doubts people’s loyalty and well, unfortunately your soul has signed up to deal with conflicts here and there in your partnerships so that you can work through the trust issues that you’ve carried throughout other lifetimes. You’re going to have to learn overtime that a lost love isn’t real love because real love wouldn’t give up on you just the way you wouldn’t give up on them. Your soul is here to grow and expand, past all these issues. You’re supposed to learn how to just be, to just live in the present moment without any reservations and fears. You’re supposed to put your past behind and move forward while applauding your baby steps and how far you’ve come instead of being all impatient. The cycles that you experience, especially in the earlier stages of your life will come to end with many delays. There are going to be days when you’re left empty handed, also days when you won’t see major wins as victories. Don’t blame yourself for having been emotionally attached to your past at some point, you are supposed to learn how to not waste your life away for moments that have fleeted away. You’re supposed to learn how to not seek closure, how to find closure within people’s character and actions. “Pay attention to people’s actions and you’ll never be fooled by words.” You’re going to suppress pain and anger at some point, eventually overcoming a lot of trauma and emotional pain. You’re going to learn how to free yourself from unnecessary emotional energy and are going to forgive yourself, others and situations for the sake of your own peace. There is definitely going to be a point when you refuse to move on though. Until you finally accept the truth of the situation and move forward with strength. If you’re single, it’s because your type is yourself 😔. You’re emotionally mature, compassionate, caring, empathetic, wise, tolerant, loyal, devoted and passionate, and these are the same qualities that you desire in a partner. You strongly desire the affection of someone who’s emotionally mature and intelligent, and makes a good counsellor. You want to have a partner that’s better than you in some way so that you can learn from them. You want to be able to act like a brat at times. You want them to be empathetic and kind, and understand the matters of the heart by themself. You want them to be open to supporting others and especially you. You want a kind and respectable partner because you are the same way and growing to take on more and more of that identity.

︎︎⊹ ! ೀ Pile 2 ꒱

꒰ Your surface level personality/image ꒱

You seem to be exploring multiple possibilities and options, often finding it challenging to choose a single path. This can lead to confusion and a sense of being overwhelmed by the choices in front of you. However, this exploration is a crucial part of your decision-making process. People might perceive you as indecisive or lost in daydreams but in reality, you're weighing your options and considering all possible outcomes. You may find yourself feeling stuck or encountering delays. Your usual swift movement and energetic pace might seem hindered. This stagnation can be frustrating, leading others to think that you're not making progress. Despite this, you are learning to adapt and move forward at a different pace, which is necessary for your long-term growth. It’s essential to understand that this period of slower movement is temporary and will eventually lead to greater momentum. You still need more experience for spirituality, emotions and love. You might feel hesitant to express your emotions fully, leading to misunderstandings or perceived miscommunications. Others might see you as inexperienced or lacking in depth in these areas. However, this is a period of learning and growth for you. You're developing a deeper understanding of your emotional landscape and how to articulate your feelings better. This phase is crucial for your emotional and creative development. You have a tendency to overanalyse situations and people, reminds me a lot of the previous pile, you may have been drawn to it. You may be too busy on certain aspects of your life which leads you to not having time to focus on the other aspects. You seem to lack direction right now but I would say that as long as you have your priorities straight and make decisions from your heart, you’ll be fine. I think that you have a slow moving body, you seem to give slow reactions but there are other days when you give impulsive and hyperactive responses? It’s quite endearing honestly. Supposing a football was about to hit you but it hit the wall instead, on some days you’ll just stand there and not react much, not even say anything, just blink a few times and go on with your day while on other days, you’ll be like “if this ball had hit me, I swear whoever kicked it!” while waddling around the football field. I’m getting that while others may not fully understand your journey or the depth of your experiences, it is clear that you are on a path of significant personal growth. Keep celebrating your achievements and know that you are progressing, even if the rewards are not yet fully visible. Your hard work and patience will eventually pay off, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

꒰ Your inner world ꒱

This is crazy. Much like the previous pile who were perceived a certain way by other people but were strongly of substance. It’s the same for you. You’re incredibly humble naturally but you still make the conscious effort to maintain and create more humility within yourself? I’ve just started reading this part but I already respect and admire you so that speaks for itself. You could have a few conservative beliefs here and there or just views that are considered to be ‘conservative’ but are actually just basic human decency? It’s very natural for you, you have these qualities innately within yourself and you unconsciously, subconsciously and consciously look for these qualities as well. You really value loyalty ‘stereo heart’ by Gym Class Heroes is playing. You’re not exactly satisfied with your current state of wealth, status and success but you still continue to carry yourself with your head held high. You want something more but you’re not underestimating the journey to get there. You understand just how precious the present moment is and you try your best to appreciate it to the best of your abilities. You’re committed to your present duties and responsibilities while still reaching for more because you understand that doing the best with what you’ve got is the only way to live a life without many regrets. You’re very human and you accept that, that’s a great part of your charm. You know that regrets are inevitable but you still try to make the most out of life. You’re very reliable and loyal. You have dreams but know how to have realistic expectations or even if you have big dreams and unrealistic expectations, you internally have the awareness of that so you aren’t discouraged when reality isn’t living up to such dreams, hopes and expectations. Plus even if you have big dreams before starting to work on a certain goal, once you start the goal, you’re able to appreciate your little steps. You also become very duty focused and wanting to do the best so instead of focusing on what you don’t have, you end up feeling good about how much you do/did and what you did manage to have. “Mindset so good even my failures are a success.” You are strong willed and are currently more interested in financial stability than romance. I’m not getting it being anything superficial. You’re an incredibly well rounded person who would love a stable and loving connection, it’s just that you are a person who understands that you have this one life to live and you don’t want to have a futile life where you didn’t even make the most out of your own potential. Also, your goals seem to be more within your reach than romance. You want romance and relationships in general (platonic ones as well) to not be forced so you’re just patiently working on yourself. You have a grounded approach to success as well.

You aren’t the type to be like “once I become rich, I’ll hang out with successful and rich people, I’ll fly in the sky and forget everyone”, instead once you become successful, you’ll make sure to give credits to those who deserve it. “Thank you for instilling me with such values in the short time that we spent together, I promised to lead a virtuous life back then, maybe not out loud but within myself to honour you. You deserve a large chunk of credit for my success and once again, I promise to lead a virtuous life.” Once you’re rich and successful, you’ll be sure to bow down to those who serve you, to the community, to those who have raised you, to those who are younger, to those who are older, to those who are growing. ‘End of beginning’ by Djo is playing. I feel like there was a certain group of people that you really loved. The feeling that I’m getting is a childlike warmth and fun. It definitely seems to be a whole community with one person or a few people being the most memorable. You seem to have a lot of love for people in general and now that you’re growing, you are more appreciative of those who raised you and taught you certain things despite their own shortcomings but these people touched you on a different level in a very short time. It’s not like you don’t have appreciation for those you’ve grown up with and those who have always been around you or anything like that, it’s just that the tenderness, warmth yet firm boundaries and tough love you received from this community or maybe a certain person/group of people within this community has caused you to become more soft internally yet firm in your approach to the world yet kind, and very comfortable with your internal values of loyalty, living life to the fullest, stability, being virtuous as though it’s your duty, etc. I just heard that their humble and down to earth ways gave you a new life. They seem to be people who you are not around anymore but the warmth and love that they gave you and you have for them remains within you. This is so heartwarming. Some of you may think that you were at your worst when you received their affection, warmth, kindness and love, and it is true for many of you but just think about how loveable you must be to be loved so tenderly, warmly and deeply when you were at your worst. Due to your desire to be a certain kind of character, when you feel as though you didn’t live up to such ideals, you have a tendency to be a bit hard on yourself. You may have felt as though you had really strayed away from your morals at that time, that you had failed to maintain self respect, respect for others, your own morals and values which led you to being a disrespect-able person at that time but think about it, just how respectable of a person you must be to be respected and loved by such kind, courageous (because it takes courage to be kind and loving) and respectable people.

You deserve the world, you’re so precious. You have practical goals and planning, you’re also working hard and remaining patient right now. You’re a diligent person who is creating a stable and strong identity, and future for yourself. You try not to slack off your habits because you understand that your habits make up your identity. Think about it like this, if I smoke for a few days, that might be just for fun, due to peer pressure or something but soon that smoking will likely turn into something more, an addiction to say the least. Soon enough, my identity becomes that of a smoker. “Galene is a smoker.” Externally and action wise, you seem to be pretty well tempered. While, you may get angry here and there, when it comes to even big things, you just deal with them instead of complaining. You’re approaching life with optimism and passion. You also have your own personal philosophy through which you go through life. You’re pretty flexible right now and are just trying to be more harmonious, and cooperative. You are not aware of it but you have a lot of faith in the divine timing of things. You naturally believe and act as though things will turn out to be fine in the end, and are being pretty calm about whatever might be happening. You are just trying to remain grounded and in flow with life. You’re trying to stay true to your purpose and seem to be able to find contentment right where you are, even though you’re trying to reach for more. You have become pretty divine ahaha, you have a natural love for humanity or at least act with it. You’re looking at your life as your journey and just going through it, doing your best. This is very specific but I’m picking up on a man or a guy? I’m not sure who this is but at least one or two of you have learned from them to the point you have become them to a certain extent. Is this someone from that community setting from earlier? This person has affected you positively though. I’m getting something about your standards here. This person has raised your standards significantly. You look for stability, efficiency, mental strength, discipline and safety in your romantic connection and connections in general. This person was really wise and you’ve grown to be really wise. You have always been wise but just hadn’t been able to embrace that wisdom but you are doing so now. You also look for wisdom in your companions especially within your partner. This person looks incredibly sexy when angry. You are both very passionate individuals but your fuse used to lose when you were around them but regardless the connection between the both of you is beautiful. There was a telepathic bond. “Real recognises real”, they recognised your greatness at the worst time of your life. You have grown to become a lot like this person, likely because they actively tried to instil certain qualities, values and virtues within you. They did so because they had faith in you. Be grateful, you’re such a great person, you have great people see your brightness even when you are at your dullest.

꒰ Your soul energy ꒱

Your soul’s energy is one where your mind is often filled with hesitation and uncertainty. There are moments when you feel a lack of inspiration and motivation, which can make it difficult to start new projects or pursue your passions. This might lead to frustration and a sense of being stuck. However, this energy also leads to teaching your soul the importance of patience and the value of waiting for the right moment to act. It's a lesson in finding your inner spark even when the world feels dim. There’s a layer of complexity to your mental energy. It signifies that your mind is deeply influenced by your relationships and connections with others. You have a strong desire for harmony and unity, and your thoughts often revolve around how to maintain balance and peace in your relationships. This can sometimes lead to overthinking and indecisiveness as you weigh the pros and cons of every situation. However, it also highlights your ability to understand different perspectives and your commitment to nurturing meaningful connections. You are someone who was probably a victim of thinking about others before yourself due to how much you loved them (in the past). Your physical energy and actions are marked by a tendency to be cautious and sometimes overly defensive. You are meant to struggle with impulsiveness and a lack of direction in your actions. You will find yourself starting many things but not always following through. This is going to lead to frustration and a feeling of unfulfilled potential. However, this energy also brings a lesson in self-awareness and the importance of planning and thoughtful execution. You’re someone who is deeply involved in the present moment with those you love. Wanting to delve into that love, indulge it wholeheartedly. Due to this, you create really sentimental connections and memories. Even after you grow, you will find yourself functioning from a very childlike form of love and connection, not just that, your actions will be very childlike too. This is going to manifest in all ways, you’re going to be loving and affectionate like a child, sensitive like one too (to the actions and words of those you love) and also having fun, playing, and finding joy in simple things like a child.

Which is why, at some point, you’ll find yourself being deeply connected to your past. You will often find yourself reminiscing about earlier times and drawing comfort from familiar activities and routines. This nostalgia will hold you back from fully engaging with the present at some point, but when you learn how to deal with it and be present, it will provide a rich source of joy and grounding. Embracing the lessons from your past will help you build a more secure and fulfilling present. Emotionally, you tend to hold on tightly to what you have, whether it’s material possessions, relationships or beliefs. You might struggle with letting go and trusting the flow of life. This can lead to feelings of isolation and a fear of change. However, this energy also teaches you the value of stability and the importance of setting boundaries to protect your emotional well-being as you grow. You’re going to have nurturing and sentimental connections that might be short term, likely in community settings, most likely not romantic because you’ll love everyone from that community due to how warmly you feel towards them but leave you touched forever, you’ll learn really valuable lessons from them. You’re have probably already experience deep emotional wounds and heartbreaks in this lifetime. These painful experiences shaped your emotional landscape, leading to moments of sorrow and grief. However, this energy also signifies great healing and growth which leads to lesson being learnt. Through these challenges, you are going to develop resilience and a deeper understanding of your emotional needs. This reading is a reminder that while pain is inevitable, it also paves the way for greater compassion and empathy. Your soul is on a journey of profound transformation. The challenges you face are opportunities for growth, teaching you patience, self-awareness and the importance of emotional resilience. Embrace both the light and dark aspects of your soul’s energy, as they both contribute to your unique and powerful journey.

︎︎⊹ ! ೀ Pile 3 ꒱

꒰ Your surface level personality/image ꒱

You are often perceived as hopeful and idealistic. You possess a sense of optimism and vision for the future that others find inspiring. People see you as someone who looks beyond the present difficulties and focuses on what could be. This perception can lead to others viewing you as a dreamer, someone who is always seeking out new possibilities and ways to make the world a better place. Your ideas are often seen as refreshing and uplifting, even if they seem a bit out of reach at times. People may feel that you have a unique way of thinking and that you bring a sense of calm and guidance, much like a beacon of light in the dark. However, this idealistic nature can sometimes be misinterpreted. Some might think you are unrealistic or too detached from practical concerns. They might see you as someone who spends too much time dreaming and not enough time acting on those dreams. This can lead to misunderstandings about your true intentions and capabilities. Despite this, your hopeful outlook and ability to envision a brighter future are strengths that set you apart and make you a source of inspiration for those who truly understand you. You are perceived as someone who has faced hardships but is in the process of recovery. They think that you’ve been through periods of struggle, possibly related to health, financial stability or general well-being. Others see you as someone who is working hard to overcome these challenges and improve your situation. This perception can evoke sympathy and admiration, as it shows your resilience and determination to rise above difficult circumstances. On the surface, people think that you have experienced exclusion or abandonment in some form, yet you are gradually finding your way back to stability. They notice your efforts to rebuild. This can sometimes be seen as a sign of vulnerability but it also highlights your strength in acknowledging and addressing your difficulties. People admire your tenacity and the steps you are taking to regain control of your life, even if they don’t fully understand the extent of your journey. Emotionally and spiritually, you are seen as someone who values deep connections and harmony in relationships. You have a strong desire for unity and mutual understanding. People perceive you as someone who is compassionate, loving and capable of forming meaningful bonds with others. Your emotional energy is often focused on creating balance and fostering positive interactions, which can make you seem very approachable and caring. You are seen as someone who thrives in partnerships and collaborations. You might have a partner right now? If not, when you do have love interests or even just talk about love, you talk about it in a very pure manner. Whether in friendships, family relationships or romantic connections, you are viewed as a person who brings people together and seeks to maintain harmony. They see you as someone who sometimes prioritises others’ needs over your own, sometimes to your detriment. While your surface-level personality and image may be misunderstood by some, it is clear that you are a person of depth, resilience and compassion. Your mind is a source of hope and inspiration, your actions reflect a journey of recovery and determination, and your emotional world is centered around creating loving and balanced connections. These qualities make you a unique and valuable presence in the lives of those who truly see you for who you are.

꒰ Your inner world ꒱

You’re healing and you’re aware of that. You’ve made some transition and you can feel the shift but what I need to tell you is that you don’t realise that you’re over it all. You are over it but it does not feel like so because not everyday is a fun, roller coaster ride. You’ve undergone empowering emotional changes. You have learned from your mistakes and have found the strength to move forward. You might be realising or may have realised that a lot of the love you received in the past was false. You may be realising that the love you felt then was the love that you were back then? I’m getting an acceptance of the fact that you almost always (if not always) got the shorter end of the stick. You’re interested in living originally, being true to yourself, instead of worrying about what people will say or what’s considered to be orthodox, or the right way of doing things. You have a strong sense of blind faith, as in you know that you’ll be fine? This blind faith doesn’t even seem religious, it’s just innate, it’s because you have great faith in yourself and the flow of life. You’re still changing your views as you’re still learning. “Maybe the happy ending was developing humility while still being proud of myself.” You have developed great humility in the past few years. You are going your own way. You don’t really have mentors or teachers, you’re just doing what you need to do, with whatever resources and knowledge you save or can find. While, you are humble and changing your beliefs, you’re not bending to other people’s beliefs because you have a knowledge of the kind of belief system you possess and wish to move forward with. Many of you contemplate religions a lot. You seem to know that there’s a higher power but for you, religion is trying your best to lead a righteous path. You’re also someone who is working really hard. You tend to get consumed by your work. Also, you prefer it being this way, you like to work in a space where you can be completely devoted, in a way you can be completely devoted, in a field that allows you to do so. Currently, you may not realise how much you’re doing because you’re doing multiple things. You should be more graceful with yourself. You lack elegance in the way you speak to and about yourself. You are critical of yourself and feel as though you fail to present yourself the way you wish to. You wish to be more refined in the way you present yourself. You should be a bit careful, you may be building great success little by little, you may end up with a lifestyle that is really hard to maintain. You’re putting a lot of emphasis on prioritisation and time management because you’re balancing multiple projects plus life outside these endeavours. When you work, you don’t just do things, you devote yourself to it, you pour your all into it. So when you work, you naturally end up putting a cherry on top of all that you were asked to do. You seem to be quite busy. I need to remind you that you don’t have time to waste but please take time to yourself.

I’m not sure who needs to hear this but please don’t start your day with TikTok or Instagram reels, there’s a lot of negative content on those platforms, it’s going to drag your vibe down. Your decisions require adjustments, even in your daily life because you have a lot to do. Everyday, you assess security, risks, calculating and speculating everything. You may be struggling with laze right now but despite this, you’re persistent on your path and growth. You have an inner satisfaction and contentment despite not necessarily being happy. You’ve learned how to think about yourself and put yourself first. You’re very reliable still and are willing to work for connections but now, you’re learning how to be more patient and less controlling with how things flow. You’ve also reached a point where if something is interrupting your peace, you just block it and try to shift your mindset to something better. You’re naturally very patient with people so you are keen on not letting those who are takers and talkers, and not givers and doers enter your life anymore. You’re practical and responsible so due to this, you consider the emotions of those around you. However, now you’re at a point where you don’t try to look at things from other people’s perspective anymore, you just remain practical and try to remain grounded within yourself. When you start focusing on the negative, it becomes really difficult for you to get out because it just pulls you in. You’ve learned a lot about life, you’ve learned how to live, you’ve learned how to be in the world and of the world. You still have slips here and there but I would say that you’re doing pretty well. You’re working for what you want. However, no matter how much you achieve, you feel like there’s always more to reach for, please take the time to assess and make sure that your desires come from the right place and mindset. You seem to be greatly committed to your career, goals, study and growth more than anything. As much as you would love a stable and healthy connection that you can just delve into, if you can’t find something, a connection worth investing in, you’re not interested in putting yourself in compromising situations. You’re emotionally attached to growing. You also tend to feel guilty when you don’t work or miss out on work for a few days due to your desire and almost a need to be, and feel as though you’re remaining consistent. You’ve value a bit more of a conservative approach to connections. You value fidelity, loyalty and strong yet humble, and grounded character in both you and the other person. You wish to have connections that are real, that are grounded, where you’re not looking at your phone when with each other, where you write and receive letters, give and receive flowers, and share and buy each other books. The conclusion is that, you’re very committed to and focused on your own growth and career, and when it comes to connections, you only want those that are long term and stable with trustworthy and reliable people. You’re doing well, all the best going forward!

꒰ Your soul energy ꒱

Right away, you’re bound for success and recognition. Your soul is on a journey of mastering inner peace and clarity. You'll face moments of conflict and competition in this lifetime, you likely already have but instead of being drawn into battles, you'll learn to seek harmony and understanding. You’ll experience many conflicts regarding competition besides the usual ego clashes. However, the thing is, as ambitious and growth focused you may be. I forgot to mention in the ‘inner world’ part of the reading but you value recognition and status. So, as much as you may care about these, you have a very grounded approach to these. You aren’t necessarily competing with people, you’re simply just trying to achieve what you want while you are going to have people in this lifetime who will compete with you over anything and everything. In fact, in the past, you may have been accused of being the competitive and inconsiderate one when in reality even your friends have been really competitive with you at some point. These experiences are here to teach you that true strength that comes from inner calm and being cooperative on the surface. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still very competitive, it’s just that your approach to competition is different. Due to how much others have competed with you, you may have felt the need to be competitive in the same or similar way that they were but you realised that you have an inner abundance that you used to function with but have gotten out of touch with. You’ll get back to your original approach to life and achievements, realising that it’s not about winning every argument or competition but finding peace within yourself and fostering it in your surroundings, regardless of whether or not you get what you worked for. Just as the clouds pass and reveal the sun, your challenges will pass and you'll shine even brighter. You’ll stop associating your self worth with how much you achieve. In your physical pursuits, recognition and success are just destined. Your hard work and persistence are bound to pay off and you’re going to have to celebrate many of your victories. Right now, you’re learning to accept compliments, praise and appreciate yourself and your achievements without doubting your worth. This phase of triumph is here to teach you the value of perseverance and self-belief.

Remember, it's not just about the accolades; it's about the journey and the resilience you've shown. Your soul has signed up for these moments to empower you to take bold steps forward. Emotionally and spiritually, your journey is deeply connected to love and meaningful relationships. You are here to experience profound connections that go beyond the superficial. Your soul seeks unity and balance, integrating different aspects of yourself to create a harmonious inner world. The lessons of love will teach you to make choices that align with your higher self and to embrace the healing power of love. Your soul's growth involves understanding that real connections are worth every trial and triumph, and that true love never gives up. You wish to merge with your loved ones especially romantically. You have a loving and considerate spirit that’s very genuine in nature, and you want to love people as if they were you, as if you are one. You wish to work with their best interests at heart so naturally, you wish to be loved in such a way too. You want to love people who see and treat you, and your connection like team and teamwork instead of working with self serving motivations. Your loving spirit is something that you’ll notice, never dies. You continue loving deeply despite how many times you may hurt because that’s just who you are. Gosh, you’re precious, never change yourself. Overall, your soul is on a transformative path, learning to find peace within, celebrate your successes and embrace the power of love. Each challenge you face is designed to help you grow and evolve. As you navigate through conflicts, rise in your achievements, and deepen your emotional connections, you'll discover your true strength in harmonizing your mind, body, and spirit. Trust that every step you take is leading you toward a higher purpose, and embrace the cycles of ups and downs, knowing each phase is a crucial part of your soul's growth and expansion.

[idrawweirdstuffnominors]

Hello, since then I have been reading your postings for reader x eltingville and so on. I think they're amazing in writing and catching their personalities I enjoy your posts ♥️♥️ If it's not too much trouble, I did find your parent posts with the Eltingville Club interesting. I wanted to know your thoughts on how they might respond to the more difficult parts of parenting. For example having to ground their child or handle tantrums things like that

sorry if this came out too formal or something like that I got really nervous 💔

( YES I LOVE THIS

"So little yet takes up half the bed."

Josh as a dad dealing with his little girl’s tantrum over wanting to sleep in his bed:

Josh is the kind of dad who thinks he’ll lay down the law but crumbles the second he hears sniffles. The moment his daughter starts crying—full-on meltdown, little fists balled up, tears down her cheeks, saying, “But I’m scared, I don’t wanna sleep alone!”—he’s totally thrown off his game.

At first? He tries to argue like she's another adult:

> “Kiddo, we’ve been over this. Your bed is your bed, and my bed is my bed, okay? That’s the system. There’s a system.”

But she just cries harder. And Josh—who can barely regulate his own emotions—starts pacing. Muttering. Maybe rubbing his temples like, God, this is happening again.

> “You can’t manipulate me with crocodile tears. This isn’t the Wrath of Khan, I’m not falling for it.”

But then she pulls out the big guns: trembling lip, reaching for him with tiny arms. Maybe she says, “But I feel safe with you,” and that’s it. He’s toast. His heart does a full-body cringe.

Cue dramatic sigh and grumbling as he throws back the covers:

> “Fine. But just for tonight. And no kicking me in your sleep this time. You elbowed me in the spleen last week.”

Then, as soon as she curls up beside him and drifts off? He softens. Quiet. Protective. One arm loosely draped around her without even realizing it.

Later, he’ll tell someone—

> “I’m not going soft. She’s got this Jedi mind trick thing. It’s psychological warfare.”

But he’ll sleep better with her there. He always does.

—

"Its not poison its a fairy potion."

Jerry handling his daughter’s tantrum over bad-tasting medicine:

The meltdown starts fast—her little face scrunching up as she shouts, “No! It’s yucky! I hate it!” and maybe even kicks the cabinet where the bottle is kept. Jerry flinches at the noise, nearly spilling the dose on the floor.

> “Okay, okay, sweetie—please don’t—let’s not break the furniture, that’s teak—”

He tries to reason, to plead:

> “You have to take it. You’ve got a fever, and I already called the pediatrician, and I can’t not give it to you—please don’t make me call again.”

But when she starts to cry? Jerry breaks into a sweat. His hands start shaking. His brain is racing—he’s imagining CPS kicking down the door, “Eltingville’s Least Liked Club Member Denies Medicine to Child,” and then—

Idea. His voice shifts, awkwardly adopting a whimsical tone like he’s never done a magic trick in his life but he’s trying.

> “Wait, wait—hang on a second. This isn’t just medicine. This is… um… Fairy Potion. Yeah. Straight from Queen Mildew of the Night Grove.”

His daughter blinks at him, sniffling. He’s surprised it worked even that much, so he doubles down.

> “It’s very rare. Only given to brave little girls who’ve proven themselves worthy by surviving… broccoli night. Which you did. With honors.”

He grabs a clean measuring cup like it’s a chalice, pours in the thick purple goo, and solemnly hands it over.

> “One sip, and you’ll get temporary powers of—uh—dreamflight and… itch resistance. And probably something sparkly. But only if you drink the whole thing.”

She’s skeptical. But she’s also five. So she drinks it, grimacing through the taste.

Jerry gasps theatrically:

> “Did you feel that? I think you’re glowing. We better tuck you in before you start levitating.”

And she giggles. It works. He nearly cries from relief.

Later, he’ll stand at the sink, washing the cup, quietly muttering to himself:

> “God. That was exhausting. I’m not cut out for this. I need flash cards or—something.”

—

"But you promised."

Epilogue Pete with his daughter throwing a tantrum because he won’t play dolls with her:

She’s been begging for twenty minutes while Pete’s trying to fix a busted remote. Wires on the table, screwdriver in hand, but over her shrieking? You’d think he was refusing her water in a desert.

> “I said I don’t wanna play dolls without you! You promised! You promised!”

Pete flinches like she just took a bat to his kneecap. He rubs his face with both hands.

> “Kid, come on. I just got home, my back’s killin’ me, and I don’t know if I got the emotional range to be ‘Princess Glitter Sparkle’ right now, alright?”

But she’s already red in the face, crumpling onto the carpet, letting out this shrill “I’ll never be happy ever again!!” that hits him right in the soul. He stares at her. Swears under his breath.

> “Jesus, you're dramatic. You been watchin’ your mother’s telenovelas again?”

She doesn’t answer. Just sobs harder, clutching her Barbie like it’s the corpse of a fallen soldier.

And that’s it. Pete slams the screwdriver down and mutters:

> “Goddammit. Alright, alright—fine. Lemme just—gimme a sec.”

Cut to two minutes later: he’s sitting cross-legged on the rug, looking utterly dead inside, with a plastic crown too small for his head and a Ken doll shoved in his calloused hand. His daughter perks right up like nothing ever happened, suddenly cheery.

> “Okay, Daddy, now Ken’s in love with the fairy queen, and you gotta make him say something romantic!”

Pete groans.

> “Ken’s got commitment issues, baby. I dunno if he’s ready for all that.”

She glares at him, tiny arms crossed.

Pete sighs again. Deeper. Resigned.

> “…Fine. ‘Ya eyes are like two diamonds in the dark, shinin’ right into my soul or whatever. I’m losin’ my freakin’ mind over here, fairy queen.’”

His daughter bursts into giggles like it's the funniest, most romantic thing she's ever heard. Pete stares at the doll in his hand like it just insulted his lineage, then flicks its molded hair.

> “This guy better appreciate you. I had a social life once, ya know.”

But he’d do it again tomorrow. And the next day. Because his principessa runs the joint.

-‐-

"Beauty and the beast—literally."

Epilogue Bill Dickey with his daughter throwing a tantrum because he didn’t tell Mom (you) she looked beautiful after her makeover:

You finally walk out of the bedroom—hair done, lipstick perfect, dress zipped up without a single snag. You've got your heels on. Your daughter gasps. She claps her hands like you’re a fairy godmother emerging from a transformation sequence.

And Bill? He’s on the couch in a stained “Man-Thing vs. Swamp Thing” T-shirt, shoveling cold lo mein into his mouth, barely glances up.

> “Yuh-huh. You do that yourself? Let’s go, I’m starvin’.”

You shoot him a look. Your daughter does more than that.

> “DADDY!!”

He jumps like she set off fireworks under his ass.

> “Jesus Christ, what now?!”

> “You didn’t say Mommy looked beautiful! You’re supposed to say it! You’re being MEAN!”

> “She knows she looks good! What do you want me to do, serenade her? Paint a mural? She’s my wife, not friggin’ Aphrodite!”

But his daughter’s already halfway to a meltdown. She’s got a tight grip on her My First Makeup Bag and the same look in her eye he used to get when some jerk at the comic shop said “Star Wars” was better than “Star Trek.”

> “If you won’t say it right, I’m putting makeup on you!”

> “No, you’re not. Don’t even—HEY! Don’t open that—you get that mascara wand away from me!”

Cut to Bill, slumped in a chair with a face full of blush and sparkles, eyeshadow up to his eyebrows, and lips painted in a wobbly red mess like he lost a fight with a circus clown.

He looks directly at you, dead serious:

> “If you take a picture of this, I swear to God, I will burn every photo album in this house and salt the earth.”

Your daughter beams. She’s got lip gloss on her forehead and zero regrets.

> “Now say Mommy looks beautiful or I’m putting glitter on your comics!”

Bill lets out a guttural sigh, throws his head back.

> “Fine. You look beautiful, okay?! Like you walked outta one of those perfume commercials with the whispery French voice and the dead-eyed anorexic model falling into a pool.”

Your daughter pauses, then nods. “Good. Now kiss her hand.”

> “What is this, Les Misérables?! I—ugh, fine.”

He kisses your hand dramatically, muttering:

> “This is what I get for raising a drama goblin. You’re both outta your minds.”

But as soon as she's not looking, he gives your hand a little squeeze. And when your back is turned, he saves the lipstick-stained napkin like it’s part of a collector’s set.

---

[theangryhistoriananna]

A mate bond isn't something that forces someone to be with someone against their will for breeding purposes. Not even in SJM's world.

The Fated Mates trope (which has been around in fantasy/romantasy for a while now) is another rendition/take of "the destined soulmates" trope and SJM literally spells this out for us when she explains that the mate bond is "A bridge between souls"

A mate bond isn't some weird breeding instinct? If that was the case then like.....it wouldn't have worked the way it did for Feyre and Rhysand, it wouldn't have worked the way it did Nesta and Cassian and it wouldn't have worked the way it did for Elain and Lucien.

A mate bond is a physical manifestation of the fact that two fae are each other's equals in every way. That they are the perfect compliment to each other. That they can see and understand each other in ways no one else can. It's destiny. It's an acknowledgement of the inevitable.

But what about the failed/bad mating bonds you ask? Yes they exist. Yes we have two examples of this: Tamlin's parents and Rhysand's parents. Note that in both examples, the male is also an acknowledged bad person in general who does horrific shit. Tamlin's father especially is noted for being very traditional so I imagine he doesn't exactly view or treat his mate as his equal (which is what a mating bond is supposed to signify). And I don't think Rhys' father viewed anyone as being his equal, so that also is a contributor to the failure. Lucien (as much as yall like to believe he is) isn't a bad person, and he isn't a traditionalist, and he doesn't view females as being lesser than.

You can sit there and debate whether or not Lucien and Elain are a good match (they are) all day and whether they should be mates, that's fine. But to do so, you need to stop willfully misconstruing what a mate bond is.

You'll also need to acknowledge that Elain felt the bond snap first and knew, before Lucien, what they were to each other. But yall really aren't ready for that conversation yet.

[timkontheunsure]

A CBT look at Blitz's core beliefs

Boring explanationy bit

Ok first off a core belief is this how the world works sort of thought. It has a ton of evidence on it side, or some big life altering event. Acting within is designed to kept you safe. And everyone has good and bad ones.

Think of it as of a short bit of base code running in the background, helping you go with your gut. A quick a short cut, but one that's got a lot of logic and past facts behind it.

They're mostly set up in childhood. So if you have an abusive parent, or trauma, you can get ones that become unhelpful for you in other situations. Like with people that really care about you.

A distortion is a little different. They affect how you look at the wold based off your mood, and are always negative. They specifically don't have a lot of evidence on their side. Like a prism that makes things a little different than what's really there.

They are an action to do based on your mood: catastrophizing (when everybody I love leaves me next year)

Black & white thinking (yes there's all this evidence showing Stolas cares, but that doesn't count as it just sex).

Thought spiraling (this one goes to Moxxie heh)

Or snap judgments based only only how your mood is (Ghostfuckers is fun and sexy, so we should take the case when I know they don't exist).

Blitz's core beliefs

So 'all royals are assholes' and 'no royal will care about an imp' are a core beliefs. Because this is definitely true, the 1% don't give a fig. (Stolas and Ozzie are basically round errors from what we've seen).

"I'm going to die alone" is also one.

So is "I make everyone's lives worse"

But his good ones are: "we don't get rid of family",

Ok with these two good ones we're going to have to go into rules for life. Blitz core belief is about family sticks together and protects each other. That's his code that always wants to run.

But he's also got evidence that family will kick you out for not being good enough, and hurting/killing people on accident. When you get code clashing you get cognitive dissidence, which physically hurts.

So you do a patch to reduce that pain. A rule to live by. 'If X is right and Y is right, then the variable that off is me.'

'We don't get rid of family, but we do get rid of me = I'm the only one who we can get rid of'.

With Loona it's we get orphanage lady saying words that could have come straight out of Cash's mouth. (I want Blitz to get a song telling that git off so hard).

Those hit Blitz hard, so hard he changed his mind on adopting a small little child, to a older teenage. CBT says that when something hits that hard it's because it hit at least 1 core belief. He sees himself in Loona in that moment, and never want another kid to be gotten rid of.

And other one could be bad or good depending on what's around it. 'I will be of use to family/people I love'. Blitz needs to feel useful to the people he loves, especially with growing in a family business working from being a kid.

And the rule Blitz has made for himself between the "I'm going to die alone" + 'I will be of use to family' = 'But maybe if I'm useful they won't abandoned of me yet'

(Also how sad it is that Blitz feels he's only allowed help, and support if it's a tit for tat, favours for favours exchange).

So everyone has a mixed bag of these good and bad. The problem happened when trauma responses give you ones that don't help you in a new situation. Like say a demon prince falling head over heels for him.

The idea of CBT is that if your struggling to look at what's changed since the core beliefs were set up. And if it isn't keeping you safe anymore, then you try to replace the old one with a new one; that has new evidence that backs it up. A update.

Like how Millie shows Blitz concrete examples of him improving her life. Just telling him he hasn't wrecked her life wouldn't work.

(This is one of reasons why Stolas' confection doesn't stick with Blitz. Blitz needs to know reasons why someone like Stolas loves him. It why he asks him in apology tour. Stolas tell your boy why he's so amazing for flips' sake).

Millie shows how joining IMP positively improved her live. "He gave me so much...A career, a husband, a future. And now...He's my best friend."

And Blitz helping Millie through alot of her own negative self talk she had. That 'she's not good enough', 'she's only the muscle', 'that Pride's too fancy for imps', and 'no imp works for them selves'.

These we're all Millie's core beliefs before joining IMP, if she still had these Rolando's words would have hurt her. But through having the support and example of Blitz she's removed those old bits of code.

When see her mum it obvious where and why she has these ideas about herself. Lynn describes her full time job, being employed direct by a company; as "Freelance". Because Imps can't work for themselves. (Even if she is impressed by Blitz). It's like different between working for Uber, instead of taxi firm. No protections, and an unsafe unstable job.

She pulls up her daughter's valid explanation why she lost the fight as "Excuses!", because Millie was "'raised better than that' as the muscle of the team.

She's very against Moxxie for being too week, and not having the same melee skills as Millie.

It obvious that she wants her daughter to have a similar life as her, where she keeps her head down, and has a partner that is able to defend Millie. This because there's a level of safety in this crab bucket attitude. She'd very unlikely to come to the notice of higher-ups. Like how Stolas being very involved in IMP and with Blitz.

But Blitz talked Millie round, and also showed her that she doesn't have to pigeon hole herself like that. She has years of evidence that Blitz could do it, and him pointing out how good she is when she fell back into thinking of herself as just the muscle.

Rolando's trying to exploit vulnerability that she's updated against. (It's super ineffective).

Ok after that sight side tangent of with Millie's head, back to Blitz's.

The "your going to die alone" has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, tripping Blitz up alot. Because it comes twofold for his fear of hurting his loved ones, making their life worse, and his fear of abandonment. Because he was abandoned, that did happen.

Making him feel like he has it to push away the people he love for there own, and that they'll leave him eventually so might as well push them away now. He's got a lot of previous evidence tied to this.

It's going to take more then Fizz and Millie telling him he didn't ruin theirs, for him to start to be able to unpick this. Because he's still certain it's true. Even if he's improved the lives of most of the people he knows.

And even Fizz who were directly effected by the mistake Blitz still punishing himself for, has told him that being made disabled didn't ruin his life.

There's a whole debate in my head whether Barbie would have had such trouble with addiction; if she wasn't assuming/told that her brother started the fire on purpose, that killed their mum. I'm honestly not sure. But it does seem like her resentment over it has made it harder on her. And that all seems to stem from Cash abuse. (I'm sure Cash is the one to tell Blitz that Fizz said he'd die alone).

Ok on to how the these are interacting/fucking up his relationship to Stolas. Blitz is definitely is afraid to love Stolas for a number of reasons. (You knew I'd get there at somepoint right 😛).

Cus a whole load are clashes together for him, making it really difficult for him because about see things from the outside. with the "royal demons don't give a shit about guys like us" one.

Making Blitz rationalize that it's gotta be about the sex, and being of use. Anything that shows this assumption is wrong has to be disregarded with distortion.

But when Stolas takes sex off the table, and still talking about feeling, and relationships; it makes Blitz's fear of abandonment go turbo. It's not rational but it's the only rule Blitz has that might make Stolas keep him.

He feels like that sex is all he has to give to a prince after all. And he wanted Stolas to stay for a long while now. It's not a grimoire his hallucinations put on a golden pedestal after all. And there a a lot of similarity to how Stolas and his Mumma vanish.

(Debøra pør favør pointed out this emotion damage so now you have to suffer too 😭https://x.com/_Choco_torta/status/1859028103772955135)

"I'm going to die alone" and 'I must be of use' Blitz freaks out badly in queen Bee after Ozzie's. Blitz believed that he's be rejected by Stolas, he's been shoved back into the box of it just being about lust.

Because he wants more, but feels he's unworthy, it's got him hurt coming and going. He's got to shut down any attempt by Stolas to have something real. But he was also hurt constantly feeling sex is all that he's got to offer, and all Stolas would want.

"I make everyone's lives worse" and "We don't get get rid of family". Ok this is into theory level but think Master Mind and Sinsmas are going hit these last two harddddd. (We're one week from mastermind).

It looks likely that Stolas is going to lose Via, face punishment for the illegal deal, and be dragged for the affair. With Via swallowing a lot gaslighting about not being loved by Stolas (lines from the trailer).

Blitz will probably going assume it's another another life he's made worse, where he's caused them to lose their own family. Don't think this will play well with last guy he fell in love with he blow up.

It's going to make it much harder for him to remove the idea; that that him loving some will only hurt them.

Alot of the reasons Blitz thought it was ok to get close to Stolas are tied up in these beliefs. He assumes Stolas was powerful and immortal, so couldn't be hurt physically like Fizz or Mumma.

He assumed that a prince would never fall for an imp, so only he could get hurt emotionally. It couldn't end the same way as Verosika. Blitz thinking he's the only one to be able to be hurt, and get to be useful not just to Stolas, but provide a better life for his whole family. It would seem like a bargain. (And the self punishment aspect probably wasn't going be a turn off for him, cus Blitz thinks he deserves it).

This season seems slow be eroding that pedestal Blitz put Stolas on (and vice versa). It's hurts, and it's knocking the stuffing out of both of them; but it's bring Stolas to earth for Blitz. Making his more of a real person in his eyes.

Eh probably a lot way to go, but I'm here for it.

(was very loosely based on this post, because it got me thinking about distortions vs core beliefs. But then I went off on a whole thing, so thought it would be weird to put it as a reblog. Still loved @akirathedramaqueen analysis and would recommend giving it a read 😀)

[yoonvvs]

✧ ⠀.·:*¨¨*:·. BUT I PROMISE YOU THIS, ILL ALWAYS LOOK AFTER YOU

BLAISE & SKZ

BLAISE & BANG CHAN !

now playing > saturday nights ( khalid )

blaise & chan have such a sweet friendship. chan is so so so tolerant and patient with blaise, regardless of if she’s joking around with him, full of energy or full of anxiety. chan would 100% go to the moon and back for blaise - blaise knows whenever she gets in a sticky situation, she can run to chan and he will find a way to make the situation all better, after he scolds her for her poor decisions. she knows she can tell him anything - and he knows everything, more than anyone, even her parents - and even though it took awhile, chan knows he can tell blaise anything too, and he does. they care for each other so much.

she’s chan’s passenger princess, he’s the only member that refuses to let her be the driver when they go places together - not that chan thinks blaise is a bad driver, but he much rather not fear for his and hers life in the passenger seat when he can do it in the drivers seat. but blaise mastered being a passenger, she always has the ac on the right temp, great at giving directions and keeps the vibes good with the music! best and most chill duo!

BLAISE & MINHO !

now playing > hits different ( taylor swift )

blaise & minho are constantly on the same brain length - the amount of times they texted each other basically the same thing is unreal - causing stays to call them the “twins”. despite this, they are pretty much polar opposites, for example, to tease one another minho likes to “threaten”, while blaise likes to get overly affectionate and harass him, like “oh, you’re just mad because you think im pretty!” but they get along so well!!! always hanging out! fans also often call them tom & jerry because they are always teasing each other and have chaotic antics. there’s a literal compilation of blaise & minho chasing each other around for stupid reasons.

despite their chaos, minho is the one who gives blaise the most princess treatment. he’s always making sure she’s warm (although he might pretend to be annoyed, “blaise, stop shivering you’re making me dizzy! i’m going to make you run laps to keep you warm!” while taking his hoodie off and giving it to her), he lets her use him as a pillow if she gets sleepy, and always makes sure she has a blanket to cover up with on award shows. the glares he gives staff if she doesn’t have a blanket or is wearing uncomfortable clothes is so scary…he also loves to secretly buy her gifts and just leave it by her door, leaving no note. but blaise knows it’s from him and subtly shows her appreciation in small ways <3

BLAISE & CHANGBIN !

now playing > OMG ( new jeans )

vibes

blaise is a #1 changbin supporter, she looks up to him SO MUCH. she loves his confidence, his humor, and the amount of skill he has. she’s always trying to do his raps, and whenever she does it well SHES SO PROUD OF HERSELF! and so is changbin, he’s like “ i taught her well ☺️ ”. changbin loves that she looks up to him so much, it makes his heart so full knowing that he can be a good example for someone, esp his members! he is lovey dovey towards blaise, always giving her hugs and complimenting her, he’s always poking her cheeks and cheering her on!

changbin also likes to try to take her to the gym, and while blaise likes working out - she does not like to do changbin’s routine. she wants to match his energy…but she is not on his level ( yet ), so they pretty much just go to the gym together…then go their own ways. but besides that, they are such an adorable pairing to watch! their vlives are always so precious, and they are always laughing or giggling. stays love their vibes so much!

BLAISE & HYUNJIN !

now playing > i hope ur miserable until ur dead ( nessa barrett ) | yes, i’m changing ( tame impala )

blaise & hyunjin have a…complicated relationship. pre-debut, before anything happened, they were inseparable. they were always seen together, and they could always find excuses to spend together, pretending like they were “practicing”, while they were just hanging out. when they debuted, they quickly caught feelings for each other. they couldn’t help but fall in love through all of the chaos. fast forward a couple months later, they were dating in secert, eventually coming clean when seungmin caught them kissing…everything was going good - they were happy and in love, until hyunjin did the unforgivable and cheated on her.

for awhile, they could not stand each other, they couldn’t even breathe the same air without getting upset. they were angry, heartbroken, and petty for months. but eventually, hyunjin & blaise cooled down. hyunjin apologized, and promise he’d be better. it was genuine, he stopped being inconsiderate, and put himself in blaise’s shoes. after multiple, long, conversations, they started to heal their friendship. they aren’t back to being best friends, but they’re happy to call each other friends. now, they go on coffee trips, watch movies together, and can now have a peaceful and kind time together! they won’t ever get back to where they were again, but things are better now!

BLAISE & JISUNG !

now playing > the spins ( mac miller & empire of the sun )

the vibes only ok

BESTIES FROM DAY 1! jisung was blaise’s first friend from skz, they both joined the company around the same time, and were paired up together for their first evaluation (as well as other trainees), they showcased fly by got7! out of all the trainees they were paired with in the group, blaise & jisung got the closest. the other two trainees in the group were very rude to blaise, and jisung immediately stuck up for her, without even knowing her! after seeing his kindness, she knew immediately that they had to be friends :)

now, blaise & jisung are SO iconic, the comedic duo we all need! they always match each others craziness, and will never let one be alone in being weird. will constantly bicker like siblings, and are not scared to insult each other with no shame. minho posted a video of them wrestling each other on the beach on his insta, and later shared part two of jisung throwing blaise into the ocean like a menace 😁. blaise couldn’t let stays admire jisung’s strength for long, because she posted the video of her dragging jisung’s ass into the ocean on her own story later! utter chaos.

BLAISE & FELIX !

now playing > birds of a feather ( billie ellish )

blaise is protecting felix WITH HER LIFE! if felix is every getting a penalty and has to do something gross or just something felix is not excited to do, blaise is immediately getting up and doing it with him. she’s his literal “if you go down, we go down together” best friend. blaise also brings out felix’s impulsive side - whenever blaise & felix are together you know you’re going to have a good time.

felix also adores blaise SO MUCH. whenever blaise is off, felix immediately notices and silently tries to make her feel better, like getting her water or food, he’s the first to notice when she’s about to get hangry. that boy always makes sure she’s well fed, or else he knows they are all going to pay for it later 😀. he learned to braid hair for blaise! when they first became friends, he started practicing on her hair, and now he is so good at it! blaise always lets him do her hair whenever he wants to, she loves it so much!

BLAISE & SEUNGMIN !

now playing > best friend ( laufey )

blaise & seungmin are almost always giving each other a hard time, but it’s out of love everytime! somehow, they manage to compliment each other and insult each other all in one sentence, but they know it’s all jokes. stays love their pairing, because they are literally the yapper ( blaise ), and the listener ( seungmin ). blaise will be talking and telling stories, while seungmin is like “why is there a bug buzzing in here”, but he loves to listen to blaise even if he acts like he doesn’t.

they are literal siblings, felix & blaise are the expectation of siblings while seungmin & blaise are the reality. sometimes he just stands in her room and looks at her, giggling and running away when she finally gets annoyed. blaise always gets him back by pranking him in some way, her favorite thing to do is to knock on his door and then run away, finally revealing herself when seungmin gets frustrated. he falls for it everytime. despite their fun & games, they will always make sure they never go too far, and will check in on each other in their own ways, for example, blaise loves to bribe seungmin in running errands with her, when in reality she just wants to take him to lunch!! and she always wins in paying, but seungmin won’t give up until he gets to pay.

BLAISE & JEONGIN !

now playing > sit next to me ( foster the people )

jeongin is the human version of blaise’s impulsive thoughts. this man will encourage her to do anything, just so he can watch and laugh (and later make fun of her). she wants to spend all her money at the mall even though she’s trying to save? jeongin is giving her a long list of reasons to do it. that being said, jeongin and blaise have had countless of chaotic memories together. blaise wants to do something, and jeongin is like “let’s do it!” esp after he became legal and could drink ( blaise’s parents didn’t see this )

jeongin can always make her smile - whenever she’s having a hard time, she’s knocking on jeongin’s door, and sits on his floor - all jeongin needs is a look from her, and he’s turning on their playlist, grabbing a blanket, and sitting on the floor with her. and they will just talk, for hours, and whenever jeongin needs her, she will do the same exact thing. when things got really bad with blaise ( mental health ) jeongin was there to drag her out of the bed and pretty much forced her to live. jeongin & blaise are each other’s soul friends!

[lyngracetalksnwritesnstuff]

Jiang Family Analysis

Ok, so, I've wanted to make this post for a while because I've always had some distinct opinions about the Jiang Family, though not all of them are bad, per se.

Just a few disclaimers before I get started:

THE FOLLOWING IS MY PERSONAL OPINION AND MY OPINION ONLY. I HAVE (WHAT I THINK IS) SOUND REASONING FOR IT, BUT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT OR AGREE WITH IT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THIS. I AM NOT TRYING TO PRESSURE MY VIEWS OF THESE CHARACTERS ON OTHERS. THIS IS SIMPLY HOW I SEE THEM. THIS IS ALSO NOT VERY JIANG PARENT FRIENDLY, SO BE WARNED. IF I AM FACTUALLY INCORRECT, YOU ARE WELCOME TO CORRECT ME IN THE COMMENTS.

Ok, here we go!

Jiang Fengmian:

I honestly have no respect for this man. Like, zero. I am glad he took in Wei Ying and gave him a home, but in doing so, he also destroyed his own home. Obviously, Madam Yu's abuse is not his fault; he didn't force her to abuse Wei Ying, but on that subject, he completely lacks backbone here, as well as pretty much everywhere we see him. The first and main reason I don't like him is the fact that Jiang Cheng's hurt and confusion on why Jiang Fengmian chooses Wei Ying over him is obvious. It's so incredibly clear. Madam Yu straight up tells him he's favoring Wei Ying over Jiang Cheng, and he does nothing to fix it. Over and over again, he's faced with problems he could so easily solve if he were to speak clearly and truthfully for one—because we know that he does love Jiang Cheng—and he chooses not to. Another example of this is the rumours that Wei Ying is Jiang Fengmian's son. I can't quite remember if it is stated directly in the novel, but we do know it was a prevalent rumour that would've certainly made it to Jiang Fengmian's ears. I am certain he knew Madam Yu may have thought Wei Ying was his son, or at least knew many people did, and yet again, he does nothing to address this issue. Another issue we see him use the "if I don't say anything, it can't get worse" approach, is with Wei Ying's abuse. He knew Madan Yu regularly abused Wei Ying, which, yes, while sort of period-appropriate, the level of abuse he received was not the norm, and the time it occurred at never excuses child abuse. Yes, Madam Yu usually did it when Jiang Fengmian wasn't home, but he was well aware of it. He could've put his foot down at any point—he was the godamn sect leader—but he chose not to. While I don't know if this was a sick way to attempt to appease Madam Yu, or just pure cowardice, I do know that no man with enough conviction to bring in an orphan, but without the backbone needed to protect them from abuse, should ever raise a child. We also see this failure to address issues with the general deterioration of his family and how he never seems fully present with them.

My take on this is that it's a sort of defense mechanism he developed from when he was first married to Yu Ziyuan, which was arranged, and I assume neither of them was happy with. Her verbal abuse (educated guess, we don't actually know anything about the state of their marriage pre-Wei Ying, but with Madam Yu's anger issues during the timeline, I kinda doubt they would've been a recent development, especially since anger seems to be how she expresses unhappiness) would've made it hard for him to stand up for himself, and he chose the route of "well, if I don't say anything, it can't possibly get worse" as a way of defending himself and helping himself cope with the unhappy situation. I feel like most of his issues are rooted in a fear of being wrong. Think about it, if he doesn't take a side, he can't get yelled at for choosing the wrong one, and if he never addresses a problem, it can't get worse—at least, so he thinks. Inaction is still abuse and neglect, intentional or not.

Madam Yu:

Again, I have very little respect for her. I enjoy her character base—a strong warrior woman forced into an arranged marriage with a complete pushover, and going mad falling for rumours and whispers about him being unfaithful, but as a person, she disgusts me. First and foremost, her behavior towards Wei Ying. This is the main issue I have with her, though I have bones to pick with her about her treatment of her bio children. Being angry at your husband because people are saying he cheated and then had a child, which he proceeded to bring back to your home to raise, is one thing; that's mostly valid. But taking that anger out on said child and systematically abusing them is completely and totally inexcusable and an abhorrent thing to do. Wei Ying did nothing wrong, a fact that he never seems to grasp, even near the end of the story, where he starts to heal and grow as a person. Madam Yu did such irreparable damage to him that he automatically assumed everything was his fault, even and especially when it was not. And all of that was for no reason other than petty bitterness, anger at his skills, and disdain for his mother. I also believe her behavior towards Jiang Cheng is mostly to blame for his later issues in life. She was the only parental figure who showed him even a shred of attention and investment in his progress, so as any child would do, he tried to model himself after her. This also does kinda loop back around to Jiang Fengmian, as if he'd showed even a little bit more affecttion towards Jiang Cheng, he might've turned out with healthier ways of expressing emotion. Madam Yu showed him that the only way he'd ever be important or worthy to anyone was if he was better than Wei Ying, better than someone—anyone else. This obviously left him with deep-seated self-worth issues and unhealthy ways of coping with grief, guilt, and uselessness. Lastly, her treatment of Jiang Yanli. This isn't something I've seen talked about a lot, but it's definitely there. I feel like Jiang Yanli is Madam Yu's Child She Doen't Pay Attention To like Jiang Cheng is Jiang Fengmian's. But instead of being bitter about it, Jiang Yanli focuses on being a positive parental figure to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian and keeping their broken family together.

I really think Madam Yu's incessant anger is a product of feeling trapped in her environment, with a husband and children she never wanted, in a place she never learned to call home. This obviously doesn't excuse her abuse towards literally everyone in that household. It also doesn't excuse how she constantly would drive a wedge between Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, isolating Jiang Cheng from his peers and driving home the thinking that if he was better than them, he shouldn't associate with them, and if they were better than him, they were rivals.

In summary, for both Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian, I truly believe that had they been in a happy relationship, or not been in a relationship at all, their children's lives would've been so much better. You can blame Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Yanli, all you want, but at the end of the day, it was their parents who taught them how to act, and they were terrible role models. This obviously doesn't excuse any bad decisions they made, but it does explain them.

Wei Ying:

Wei Wuxian is a tragedy. Abandoned as a young child (though not willingly) and taken into an abusive home where he was taught that he could never leave because of the debt he owed them and that everything bad that happened was his fault. Then, as an adult, he was shamed for doing whatever he could to survive and protect his loved ones, even by his own family. He tried everything he could to save everyone and be the good guy because that was his job, in his mind. He had to save everyone and be righteous, but he also wants to, which is what makes him such a fundamentally good person. Then, when he does an objectively good thing and saves innocent people—which is what he's been taught to do his whole life, by the whole cultivation world—he's condemned for it, society telling him, "No, not those innocent people. You can only save the innocents we tell you to; otherwise, you're a villain." He tries everything to be good, to take care of those he cares about, does everything he's told, and fails.

Because he was doing the very thing cultivators prided themselves on, he was pushed off the edge. Even after he comes back and his name is cleared, it's never quite the same, because everyone still associates him with the "Evil" Yilling Laozu who haunted their cautionary tales. Because the cultivation world deemed him unclean and evil, Wei Ying—barely an adult at the time—was pushed to death because he tried to save innocents who deserved to live.

The saddest thing of all is that he never defends himself. He'd defend the Wen Remnants and keep the Yin Tiger Tally out of the hands that would abuse it, but he never once tried to defend his own actions regarding demonic cultivation and why he uses it. He lets people assume the worst of him because he thinks he deserves it.

Jiang Cheng:

Okay, here's a complicated one! I'd like to start this with a message to all the Jiang Cheng haters and stans who claim that Jiang Cheng is purely good/bad and that the other is selectively reading the text: Congratulations, you're both reading the text selectively. Jiang Cheng is a complex characters who makes bad decisions and good decisions and has reasons for most of his actions, just like any well-developed character.

Jiang Cheng is perhaps the most tragic of all the characters. He was happy until Wei Ying came into the picture, and he had to adjust to another sibling in the house. Then his mother started to push him to be better than Wei Ying when he really doesn't want to, but he has to want it, because he can't afford to lose the love his mother gives him when his father ignores his existence exept for an occasional dissapointed glance. He has to show him as well, then he'll love both of them the same. His mother starts to double down on both Wei Ying and him, alienating them further, leaving Jiang Cheng isolated from most of his peers. He only had Wei Ying and Jiang Yanli, and maybe Nie Huaisang. That, along with the poor emotional processing he copied from his mother, causes him to drift further away from others his age and become more attached to Wei Ying, as he's his only friend at this point. He never learned how to properly socialize as a child, and doesn't see the point now, because Wei Ying promised to never leave. Another tragic part of Jiang Cheng is that I don't think he realized how he was trying to chain Wei Ying to him and Lotus Pier. I truly think that he was just desperate and lonely and didn't think about how their promise would affect Wei Ying's life.

When Wei Ying leaves with the Wen Remnants, Jiang Cheng was angry, confused, and terrified of losing Wei Ying, so much so that he was ready to take him back by force. I think that if circumstances had allowed it, he would've taken the Wen Remnants to Yunmeng just to get Wei Ying back because he's his only friend, the only one he has left after Yanli marries out.

I think a lot of Jiang Cheng's character is created from his crippling fear of being alone because he's never had to be before and it terrifies him. Madam Yu, as I explained earlier, was not a good emotional role model and only taught him to mask all of his other emotions and express everything through anger, which makes him come across as rude and asshole-y to others. Often, I see "Jiang Cheng character development" portrayed as Wei Ying learning to read into his anger, but that is NOT character development. Character development is having that man learn to express emotions other than rage and hate. Let him learn to show sadness, happiness, love, fear, all the things! Wei Ying shouldn't have to learn how to read his shouting, and Jiang Cheng should learn how to Emotion properly. This obviously wouldn't be an easy process, but it is something he could do if he pushed himself to, with the help of his family and friends.

Jiang Yanli:

Okay, so first of all, Jiang Yanli is our queen here, okay? I've seen people portray her as more on Wei Ying's side, or more on Jiang Cheng's side, or absent like Jiang Fengmian, and (in my opinion) that is Incorrect. Jiang Yanli is the glue that holds her family together. There is a reason they stayed together for so long, and it was Yanli. I see her as the eldest daughter who sees all the cracks in her family and tries desperately to fix them and put the pieces back together. Siblings suffering from a lack of a positive parental figure? Okay, she'll be the parental figure. An arranged marriage that will help her sect and make her mother happy with her (for once)? Alright, sure. A nephew or niece will surely bring her brothers together. She is also such a tragedy because she never once complains about having to do so much work to keep her family together. She just smiles and makes more soup and tries her best to mediate her brothers' latest argument. She's constantly fixing, mending, mediating, giving advice, and making her brothers smile, and it never shows. She had to give up her childhood to parent her brothers, and she never even mentions it. She gives her brothers both unconditional love and support and hopes it's enough. She may not understand everything they do, but she loves them and will never let them forget it. She tried so hard to keep her family together, and it wasn't enough. It might've been, if she had survived, but even then, Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were already pretty at odds. Honestly, the most impressive thing about her is how she managed to be the perfect, loving, caring shijie to Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying without much parental guidance herself. Madam Yu was never happy with her and ignored her most of the time, and I assume Jiang Fengmian was her main parent until Wei Ying came into their lives and he diverted all his attention to him, which she never held against Wei Ying. She is one of the kindest, gentlest characters in mdzs, yet also one of the strongest.

So, that's my take on the Jiang Family! Remember this is just my opinion and take on these characters, and some of this is pure inference and educated guess, as we don't have a lot of canon evidence for what Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's marriage pre-Wei Ying, and we also don't have a lot of info on the Jiang Family from pre Wei Ying and from when they were children, so I tried my best to fill in the gaps.

Hope you liked this! It's like 2 am where I am rn and I'm exhausted, so sorry if this doesn't make sense lol! I promise I'm still working on Chapter Four of my Yilling Wei Sect AU, I just took a break to write this cause I needed to get it out of my brain. I may do the other main sect families later this week too!

[kaoskuantico]

I hate Act III, sorry. All the second season was too rushed and some characters that didn't deserve a happy ending got it, and those who have been suffering got the worst ending.

Acts I and II were good, but III is the worst.

I still think Arcane is one of the best shows we've gotten and will get for a long time, the art, animation, soundtrack, the characters...I love Arcane, that won't change. And that's exactly why I'm so critical with the second season, because I expected more and better, I know it could have been better. Maybe they only needed another season to not rush all the plot lines, or even discard some of them.

In case someone hasn't seen Act III yet, ARCANE ACT III SPOILERS

I made another post with the things I LIKED (click).

No one cares but here's a list of the things I hated:

Too rushed, I think we needed another season BEFORE this one

WTF Caitvi sex scene IN JINX'S CELL, RIGHT AFTER SHE LEFT. That's so disrespectful and stupid, Vi wasn't in the right state of mind, as much as I love Caitvi, putting that scene there was a mistake

I'm sorry but I also hate Timebomb (I'm a Lightcannon shipper, which is funny because Lux doesn't even show up in Arcane, but one can dream through fanarts)

Jinx surrendering (why we didn't even get a flashback scene?) and being imprisoned like a dog. Yet the enforcers were never punished

Vi not listening to Jinx telling her MULTIPLE TIMES to get out of there, and because of her, Jinx sacrifices herself (yes, I know she's most likely alive. But that brings my next point:)

Jinx not getting a happy ending at all. She lost everyone, right when she was about to get rehabilitated, Isha dies right in front of her. And we didn't get any Sevika dialogue with her, not even trying to save Jinx (Sevika surely didn't know, but at least a scene where she looks for Isha and Jinx???)

The final scene where Vi is only seen with Caitlyn. Yes, I knew they'd end up together and they deserve it, but what about everything that happened? Losing all her family? Learning to fight just to lose everything and everyone? Ekko not talking to Vi at all after the war? Vi not mourning Jinx?

Why make Jayce and Mel be together if they were going to forget about it and act like it didn't happen? (I prefer Jayvik, but that's another story)

Jinx saving Caitlyn, but apparently that didn't matter at all. Jinx killed her mother, yes. But enforcers killed countless of people, including Jinx and Vi's parents. Even if Jinx surrendered, why put her in that isolated jail? That was Caitlyn's grief acting

Honestly I don't know why Isha had to sacrifice herself, I feel it was too unnecessary, just to traumatize Jinx even more and kill Warwick again.

I wanted to see more of Vi, of her life in prison and before their parents died (besides Vander's memories). But they put too much focus on Caitlyn and the Caitvi. As if Vi's entire character is being Cait's girlfriend

Caitlyn (and every enforcer) didn't get punish at all for their crimes. Caitlyn became a dictator because Jinx killed her mother, but countless of children saw their own parents be murdered in front of them, and now they're the bad guys for attacking back? Mind you, at least Jinx aimed her weapon to the Council, the people who oppressed them.

But Piltover kills civilians like nothing, putting CHILDREN in jail. At the end, they end up like the good guys, giving Zaun a seat in the Council. When they should have fought for it, making Piltover pay for everything they've done. Which brings my next two points:

Zaun is never set free, it's still part of Piltover

Following the previous point: Caitlyn becomes a dictator, Viktor a cult god who almost destroys the world. But Jinx is so unredeemable???

Vi accepting Cait immediately, as if act I didn't happen. I understand they wanted to make Caitvi canon, but it was too rushed.

The 'good timeline' being like that because Vi died???? WTF the enforcers wanted a name, ANYONE to put the blame on, so the Council could 'make an example'. And now suddenly everything is okay? The abuse from Piltover is gone? But even if that were true, it's sad it would take Vi's death so peace could exist

Cait put Jinx, a traumatized, suicidal and schizophrenic girl in an ISOLATED CELL.

In a more relaxed note, I hate the design of Powder in the other timeline. I have to admit I absolutely love Jinx's design, with her bang and long braids but damn I expected a Powder with a single braid and a better sense of fashion xd

I understand Ambessa was behind everything, she was using Caitlyn recent grief to manipulate her. But she never apologized, her actions can't be erased, she said it herself.

Jinx giving 'her blessing' to Vi to be with Cait. Jinx has been feeling replaced by Cait since season 1 and right when we thought they could resolve this (before Act III), they do this. If anything, they confirm Cait replaced Jinx and that Jinx had every reason to feel like that

Jinx sacrificing herself (yeah, we know she isn't truly dead, but I'm talking about the symbolism) WASN'T REDEMPTION. IT WAS SUICIDE, A TRAGEDY. Just a few hours ago Jinx tried to kill herself five times, she just saw an opportunity to do it again and not making Vi fight for her, because Jinx feels she doesn't deserve Vi. It wasn't heroic, it was a suicide

Singed getting his happy ending. HIM, OF ALL PEOPLE. He created the Shimmer, made it a drug and created addicts in Zaun just so he could keep experimenting.

Dude, I get it, you want your daughter back, but at that point you should've just accepted she's gone. Vander is gone, Vi and Ekko are left alone (which brings my next point), Jinx killed herself, Jayce spent days, weeks or months alone in an apocalyptic world, Zaun is still under Piltover's power...And HE gets his happy ending? No consequences? No punishment for experimenting on dead bodies/potentially having killed them, for being in Ambessa's side????

Following point 7, why Vi is only seen with Cait at the end? Ekko is truly alone now, and Vi only has the enforcer who betrayed her and never apologized for her actions with her and Zaun. I get it, they wanted to please Caitvi's shippers, but shipping is not the only thing here (which why I hated Timebomb in the alternate timeline)

The whole Noxus thing. It took away the Piltover-Zaun conflict, and it felt too big to make it fit in the second season

Heimerdinger's death. It was so unnecessary and stupid

As I said in point 3, I hate Timebomb. But I expected they'd go this route. What I didn't like is how they made Ekko focus so much on the Firelights just to make it about Powder in the alternate timeline. As far as we were shown (in Arcane only, not counting LOL), Ekko maybe had a crush on her when they were kids, and since Powder went with Silco they were separated and even fighting.

Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't make sense to me why a childhood crush was so important that in the alternate timeline he doesn't hesitate to be with her. Why he doesn't look for the Firelight members, see if they're okay? AND HIS TREE???

Other fans say Ekko loves both Powder and Jinx, but I don't see it that way, even when he came back, he almost calls her Powder again. When he was the one saying she's Jinx now (back in season 1).

They didn't show the conversation after Ekko stopped her five suicide attempts, and even if the creators and writers say they did, I don't like when they don't show it but we have to make the scenes out of what they say afterwards.

Even if it's hinted in LOL, in Arcane there was not enough development to make it believable.

There are so many skipped scenes. Sevika went from leaving the room (not even saying a word, she didn't get any dialogue past Act II) to fighting along other Zaunites and Firelights against Ambessa. No reunion scene between Jinx and Sevika, no Sevika asking where the kid is, no them bonding a bit over the loss.

Maddie being a spy. I knew something was off with her in her first scene, but I feel her traitor reveal was so empty and meaningless.

As I said in other post: I liked how she was presented at first: a (probably) new and naive enforcer who wants to do better, who admires Caitlyn and because of that, she makes wrong decisions such as supporting Ambessa and the Martial Law.

Following in another post because I reached the character limit

[ooctlt]

I think the etiquette of ask blogs is a forgotten art. what I'm saying is (imo) it's not that people don't want to play, it is they don't know HOW, and more importantly they don't understand that the game exists to begin with. obviously you do not have to teach people the rules because your time and energy is finite but idk. it feels like from some of your OOC responses that you assume people know the rules and are playing badly, but I genuinely think people (me) just don't know what you are wanting them (us) to do. and also they (i) don't know how to tell if they (i) are playing the game correctly.

An example I am genuinely confused about is, is inciting a "shut up" answer a signal that the game is being played correctly, because we are inciting a reaction from the character? or is a "shut up" answer a signal that we are playing wrong and need to do something different? I'm sorry. I really love your art and seeing the story unfold but I'm confused and I want to play and I don't understand how.

yeah ive had a couple people tell me this has been the first active askblog in a while and the concept of askblog etiquette has been forgotten- @thatneoncrisis and i made a diagram:

link to full-res image

a "shut up" reaction will hopefully show whether or not it's a closed path of exploration: if you have gideon sweating, going "pshhh its nothinggg" it means there is something worth exploring. if you have harrow slamming the door in your face, that is an advance that wont work on her

transcript under the readmore:

DEAD END QUESTION ANON: CAMILLA DO YOU THINK HARROW'S HOT?

"Please stop talking to me."

This question is BAD because it's BLUNT, INCREDIBLY PERSONAL and founded on INCOMPLETE KNOWLEDGE of their relationship.

NOTE that its not that shitty questions will NEVER be answered, its that 1) they have a LOWER chance of being answered and 2) they have a HIGHER chance of being made fun of in character

gideon: haha who thinks harrow is HOT

DECENT INCONSEQUENTIAL QUESTION ANON: CAMILLA DO YOU LIKE TO DO ANYTHING FUN WITH HARROW?

"Sure. We run a lot of errands together."

This kind of question may not advance the plot, as it is INCREDIBLY BROAD yet NONINVASIVE. They're good for quick 1-3 panel answers. May generally be met with a less EXCITING answer.

It might also be DIFFICULT TO ANSWER because a broad question could include MULTIPLE ANSWERS - asking "do you guys go out" could not be answered SUSTAINABLY, because i cannot draw all the places they visit

ANON: EVERYONE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLOUD / WATER / MOLECULAR STRUCTURE / BONE / CAR / COFFEE BRAND/ BOOK CHARACTER?

me: "i have to do so much research"

NEAT QUESTION CAMILLA HAS HARROW EVER ASKED YOU TO DO SOMETHING WITH HER SHE WAS EXCITED ABOUT?

"Yes, actually. She once invited me to [REDACTED], I didn't know she liked that sort of thing."

This question is SICK AS FUCK because not only do you learn something SUBSTANTIAL about the characters, you have stumbled upon A NEW PLOT BRANCH, one that actively deepens character connections and their past within the world. It specifically remarks upon a MEMORY* rather than AN OPINION and will typically be LONGER.

Another good option is to PROMPT something following this:

ANON: CAMILLA, MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY TAKING HARROW OUT TO DO [REDACTED] THAT SHE LIKES BEFORE XYZ?

and this can then spiral onward…

*DM, ONE TIME I ASKED ABOUT A MEMORY AND I GOT A RUDE ANSWER; WHAT DID I DO WRONG?

It's not that this topic can never be spoken about, it's about WHEN you asked it and HOW you said it, or even WHO you asked.

Some topics, like the nature of HARROW AND GIDEON'S UPBRINGING are too recent for them to talk about, it has only been TWO YEARS since they left and there are SPECIFICS about the situation that the AUDIENCE hasn't discovered yet. There are things like GIDEON'S PARENTS that she CANNOT answer because she DOESN'T KNOW and answering multiple asks with I DON'T KNOW becomes repetitive and dull for both the DM and PLAYER.

BUT! She can learn! Over time, when the time is appropriate and feels the most natural for STORY PROGESSION. Think of it like a BAD ENDING in a visual novel. You START OVER and ask a DIFFERENT QUESTION, or approach it from a DIFFERENT ANGLE. If Gideon reacts poorly to someone congratulating her leaving BAD CIRCUMSTANCES, consider talking to her about the FUTURE. Instead of trying to pry at Camilla to see if she had an INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with Pyrrha, try to ask about other things in that period of her life, like how they met or what caused her to move out.

FINALLY, if you'd like an ask to be answered out of character, your best bet would be to goto @notedchampagne and send it there. If you'd like an ask to be answered SINCERELY or you don't want SNARK, you can specify this in the ask, but know this blog may not be your thing.

[floweringgrotto]

Can we talk about how the kids in the kg series are 5 years old and like every single adult figure in their lives suck. Like 95% of the adults in their schools are incompetent or genuinely evil. Like they either hurt, kill, kidnap, and/or experiment on children, or willing let the others do that.

(yap incoming!)

Out of the games Bob was easily the best guy. You could argue some of the adults in KG3 are good (examples: old principal, nurse, Scippio) but like they also kinda suck! Like can we talk abt how the old principal seemingly cared more for Alice, or at the very least acted in a way that made people think that, than his own son??? Also from what I gathered he made the lab beneath the school? Or at least the technology for it. Yes he didn't exactly mutate/experiment on kids, but he still kind did if you think abt it! He at the very least gave the opportunity and materials for someone to (aka the new principal). At least the nurse tries to be/is mostly good. Shes not the best but at least she actually helps the kids! Yeah shes a smoker and has dangerous equipment in reach of children and has odd reactions but this is leagues better then most other adults in the school. Mr. Scippio is high-key delusional and probably going through an episode, and is an alcoholic, yet Lily says hes probably one of the top 3 adults shes met this week. You could argue that her saying that was purely to placate him (which is partly true!) but also it likely carries some weight. Like basically every adult that was in the game(s) either planned to or successfully killed AT LEAST one person per game. Every lunch lady either didn't care when a child was hurt or helped hurt them. The Janitor is a serial killer and insane. And we all know the Principles are evil! Like???

These 5 year olds have no role models at all, especially considering many of them have alluded or outright stated there's an issue at home! (Based on her playing house) Cindy's dad is in prison w/out parole and her mom has an ankle monitor and one of them is/was an alcoholic. Buggs dad left them and his mom has issues. Billy went missing and it doesn't seem his parents cared all that much. Jerome's dad was the first principal. Penny's mom was the second principal. The Huxley twins are basically forced to fight each other and try and put the other down to gain inheritance and/or praise, even leading to them killing one another. Like the list goes on and on! These guys so, SO traumatized!

And that's not even taking into account the amount of people they've either seen die or be experimented on. The adults suck sure, but they've seen far too much death and horrors than anyone, let alone kindergarteners should see. These kids are NEVER gonna be normal or have normal reactions, and likely have a lot of shitty relationships bc of this!! Like oh my god its almost upsetting how awful it is now and will continue to be in the future for them.

and don't get me STARTED on the time loops i have so much to say abt time loops its like one of my fave things ever! Its so bad for the person experiencing it.

Yap over! If i got anything wrong uh lmk its been a minute since ive watched any playthroughs of kg1/2 and only completed kg3 yesterday so theres prob some wrong info despite me like fixating on this series atleast twice a year since 2019....

[night-raven-tattler]

Say hi to daddy!

Summary: How would these characters behave as fathers? What does their ideal family look like?

Characters: Savanaclaw dorm (Leona, Jack, Ruggie)

Other parts of the series: Heartslabyul, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignyhide, Diasomnia, Royal Sword Academy

Warnings: none

By opening the document, you agree to Mx Tattly's terms of source confidentiality.

-ˋˏ’✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

The chances of Leona agreeing to having kids is very low: he has a lot of baggage and personal beliefs that would make him not be fully on board

Plus, why would he need another screeching box when Cheka is already around?

But then a bit later in life... something happens and suddenly he has a child in his and his partner's care

Because why would anything ever go the way he wants?

Yet, he grows attached, with the help of his partner

He's the only one who can put the kiddo to sleep, and the only one whose hair the kiddo likes to play with

While his lazy predisposition doesn't allow Leona to go too much out his way for the kid, he's far from an absent father

He is not only present but trying his best to be an example

Because, even if the child ends up seeing him as a bad example, he will be satisfied with the lessons he managed to teach

He loves roughhousing with the kid or challenging their young mind

And when he's too overwhelmed, Cousin Cheka is available for babysitting duty

For Leona, fatherhood becomes a time of finally healing inner wounds while becoming more understanding without being dejected: it's the time when he finally finds an inner balance and find some peace

...he still won't ask Falena for fatherly advice though

Leona is, for sure, a girl dad; he also will pump the brakes at 1 child, 2 children would probably open old wounds he's not quite ready to deal with

『••✎••』

Jack is, undeniably, a family man whose life goals follow a pretty traditional route: get married, have children, grow old and see his family thrive

His classmates sometimes teased him lightly about it, but they all were happy for him when they saw Jack's content smile at his wedding and later at the apparition of his first child

From the very beginning, Jack is a good husband and a doting father, and he loves spending one on one time with his kids the most

Jack loves having his little ones join him in his training regimens, even if all they do is watch and ask questions

That's what they do usually anyway, the kiddos have been waddling towards their dad since they were in diapers

Dominant beastmen traits or not, he still expects them to do their best physically, and he's the dad to sign up every kid for a sport

Not that he wouldn't be understanding if any of his kids happened to take a less physically challenging path in life: he'd be just as supportive, but he'd also reflect on his actions and ask his partner if they think he's done something wrong

Parenthood is a chance for Jack to learn how to be more of a team player, not only as part of a parental unit, but also as a dad who needs to meet his kids in the middle and understand that the "pack leader" can still be wrong if he doesn't listen to his pack

Jack would enjoy 3-4 kids, he loves the idea of a big family, and he'd totally be a boy dad

『••✎••』

Ruggie

Ruggie never really thought about having kids, his main focus has always been financial stability and reducing that food anxiety

But it's very likely Ruggie would end up with an unplanned kid

He wasn't completely on board with the idea of parenthood... until his little one looked into his eyes and smiled

Did Ruggie accidentally pass down his pickpocketing skills to this kid? Because they just stole his heart

But that doesn't mean he really has a good grip on what parenting really means; yes, Ruggie is dependable and responsible, but he also is an orphan who has always fought against a lot of prejudice

So he often relies on his grandma for advice, she's the closes thing he has to a parent

He's the dad that really pushes his kid to learn as many things as they can, anything that can become a life skill will eventually come in handy

He helps his kid build up their independence, while they help him become more open and honest

Ruggie is very open with his child about his upbringing from the moment he feels like they are ready to hear it, and he makes them understand that his position in the Sunset Savannah is nowhere near the top as a hyena beastman

But he promises them that they are not any less worth being someone deserving of living comfortably just because of some societal garbage

Ruggie doesn't really have a gender preference, but would prefer 1 child, so the financial burden wouldn't be too heavy

『••✎••』

[violentlilies]

On Anon since I cannot ask this from my sideblog, but do you think that the hyperfocus the fandom has on Slaneesh being as this sex deity in Warhammer fan spaces comes from the perceived connection between Slaneesh and queerness?

I ask because I've seen you talk about similar things in the comments about how Fulgrim was presented; I feel like those issues with understanding Slaneesh also come from how Fulgrim was written being corrupted by them.

Cause, yes Slaneesh has as sexual aspect to them, but it feels like that is all people talk about when discussing it.

Ok. LOOOONG answer so strap in

Well I technically don’t blame them for focusing Slaanesh on sex given that the authors themselves did write Slaanesh as “the sex god” and focused her on “degeneracy” - the word itself being a fascist dogwhistle used against sexual liberation, queerness and many more.

I’m going to post the first part of my essay on this soon but while as a fandom we can analyze Slaanesh from a non-problematic perspective, the way the authors wrote her is focused on “degeneracy” - the (false) concept of which being the only umbrella that fits all slaaneshi things: addiction, sex, sexual perversion, “artistic perversion”, sex crimes, immoral sexual acts, bodily mutilation (the fact that piercings and tattoos are included here in canon is also big time problematic and adds on to the “fascist dogwhistle” pile by alluding to the popular fascist talking point that body modification is “self mutilation”, “destroying your perfect god given body”, “a violation of nature” and “degeneracy”. During Fulgrim’s apotheosis there’s a line where his tattooed skin peels off to reveal his original “perfect, unmarred” skin before he turns into a snake.).

This is the thing with Warhammer man, while I can see that the story was meant to be anti fascist and overall left leaning there are so many elements such as this which are confusing me because they end up supporting right wing viewpoints.

The story of Magnus is another such example: person born with a marginalized identity which is feared by society for being dangerous and demonic, fights for his right to be himself openly, is humiliated publicly, rejected by his family, forced into suppression, his father tells him to suppress himself for his own good yet he keeps fighting for freedom and independence on his own to prove that his identity isn’t dangerous but then the story ends up proving that he indeed is dangerous and demonic, his oppressive father’s cautionary tale became exactly true and he is kidnapped and enslaved by a demon. So what are we supposed to take from this? That when your authoritarian father tells you something you should listen without questioning him? When he tells you to suppress your authentic self just listen to him and assume he knows things you don’t? Be scared to explore your identity because you might ruin your life, everyone’s life and live in eternal regret ? Just accept conformity? Accept that you are inherently dangerous and bad? What are we even meant to take from this?

If I’m being very generous then we could say: support your queer kids and queer ppl otherwise they might fall into the hands of evil ppl who are waiting to take advantage of them at a vulnerable time, I guess? But being a psycher in 40k is still dangerous and demonic, supportive parent or not, so again, idk. Idk where we’re supposed to go here.

Maybe that’s the same take for Fulgrim’s story? Allow people to be themselves and explore themselves or they will be repressed and approach liberation in an unhealthy way and slip down bad paths like addiction, mix in with bad crowds or be taken advantage of? That’s the most generous way you can interpret this

What are we meant to take from Fulgrim’s story? Actually listen to your fascist dad because self exploration and sexual & artistic liberation will lead you to demonic possession and corruption and you will eventually turn into a rapist freak who’s crazy? Exploring art is dangerous? Experimenting with things and trying new things is dangerous? Pleasure is dangerous? Again, what is the message meant to be here

I feel like Warhammer has these core criticisms of the way the Emperor handled the primarchs like in the case of every traitor primarch, but instead of the moral of the story being “the emperor is wrong and fascist and the primarch was right to demand xyz” the moral of the story ends up being “the emperor is always right and the primarch was stupid and naive for wanting xyz, actually their fascist dad wanted what was best for them all along and they should’ve listened to him when he dished out rules with no explanation, no questions asked, life’s tough and unfair, you actually have to live repressed and neglected under fascism and can’t actually be free and happy or demons will kidnap you and society will collapse”.

We see a running theme of “a functioning society demands the sacrifice of your freedom and empathy and wanting all three at once is native and impossible”. - again GW, what are we meant to take from this?

Freedom, liberation, self exploration, self expression, love, happiness, gentle parenting, parental love, fairness, etc are seen as naive, impossible concepts which one should just accept not having because wanting such will lead you to the arms of demons, ruin, degeneracy, getting lost and social collapse - again, maybe I’m just not getting it but that’s the way the message of the Horus Heresy ends up coming across if I’m not doing mental gymnastics

It’s all under the umbrella of degeneracy and fear mongering about letting ppl do what they want to look for happiness and fulfillment in a fascist world under an oppressive neglectful narcissistic father.

Again, the most charitable interpretation I can find is “love your kids or else-“

But then again, the primarch’s falls, except for Lorgar, aren’t even them choosing chaos as an attempt to self liberate but instead being brainwashed and forced / tricked into chaos by magical objects or traps. Neither chose out of true free will. So you built up this whole thing of “cautionary tale for rowdy kids, listen to your dad”, but the kids did listen to their dad and their corruption wasn’t even their choice at all so again, where are we going with this? What are we trying to say?

Again, someone tell me if I’m stupid or I’m not getting it.

The reason Slaanesh is associated with queerness is because ppl are responding to an obvious dogwhistle. Wether the authors meant it or not, they did the thing.

Queerness is one of the first things under attack in a conservative crusade against “degeneracy” and many elements of said “degeneracy” echoed by conservatives are core elements of queerness and queer culture or intersect with it (given that queerness questions, deconstructs and opposes normative white supremacist society and its values which is conservative at its core) like being alternative, bodily autonomy, body modification, bdsm, art (mainly abstract, experimental and modern art), music (same adjectives as above), unique and unconventional fashion and style exploration, sexual diversity such as polyamory or orgies, defying gender norms, camp, taking up space - these are all parts and signifiers of “Slaanesh” the way it’s described in Warhammer.

The authors of Warhammer wanted to make a demon based on “degeneracy” but because “degeneracy” itself is a fake fascist concept made up to hate queer ppl it ended up just echoing queerness (+ a bunch of harmful stereotypes added on which conservatives think queer ppl do or want to do). If that makes sense.

The right-wing fandom is responding by being homophobic and seeing Slaanesh as a caricature and cautionary tale against queerness (which it is) and the queer fandom is responding by reclaiming Slaanesh and Fulgrim as symbols of camp, liberation and free expression, reflecting on their own journeys of living their truth, either with mental gymnastics or simply ignoring the negative aspects.

For me, as a queer person, I can’t do the latter. It’s too obviously a hitpiece against everything I am and makes a mockery out of everything I went thru as a queer artistic person from a conservative christian upbringing.

So many aspects of my journey of self liberation included dying my hair, experimenting with my style, bold makeup, experimenting with my sexuality and myself as a sexual person, wearing sexy clothes, getting deep into art, experimenting with abstracts, looking beyond what’s seen as socially acceptable by my conservative surroundings, unlearning purity culture, close mindedness and anti-intellectualism, letting go of the fear of exploring what is ultimately harmless parts of human existence and have only been demonized and stimgmatized by christianity and conservatives. Reading the Slaanesh story makes me feel like I did something wrong, like what I did was wrong and dangerous, like it’s leading me down a slippery slope where I will eventually end up a crazy evil criminal who hurts people, just like conservatives believe. It’s the whole “if we allow gay ppl to exist they will try to legalize sex with animals next,” argument brought to life.

And unfortunately as much as I love Warhammer I won’t gaslight myself, let other well meaning fans gaslight me or do mental gymnastics to avoid recognizing that clear aspect of the story.

It IS making me heavily uncomfortable because I feel “called out” about something I should not be called out about because I did nothing wrong. Exploring myself as a queer alternative person sexually and artistically isn’t wrong or dangerous. But the story is making me feel guilt and worry and triggering basically all of my traumas, especially religious and moral fears around being demonic, aligned with evil, immoral and mentally corrupted by being who I am. That I’m doing something wrong and if I wanted to “be on the right path” I needed to deny parts of myself and forego my own happiness for the sake of “common sense” and “doing what’s right”. The feeling that I had to choose between my own happiness and freedom vs the right thing. Which is simply wrong. And the story of Fulgrim and Slaanesh is retelling that very “cautionary tale”

It’s the reason you sadly don’t see me engage with that part of the Heresy story or Fulgrim as a character, despite me loving him so so much. It’s all too triggering because I just disagree with the whole notion of his story and I can’t go along and pretend that it’s just fiction, it means nothing, there is no message, I can’t see implications and I’m fine with all of this. At least not me personally.

Very important that I note that this take or stating the obvious fact that this is isn’t an attack to Fulgrim / EC fans, as I said, Fulgrim as a character is my favorite right up there with Konrad, but the story around him makes me so deeply uncomfortable because of all the things I listed and more that I can’t look past it or work within it. If you can, you do you. Every Fulgrim fan I’ve seen is queer, trans or both so if you can reclaim his story and vibe with it then I’m more then happy for you. So please don’t take this as an attack or an offense, all my grudges are with GW / Warhammer and their writing not the Fulgrim fandom. If you can find happiness, love and self expression in the story and it’s characters I’m happy for you.

I hope that gave you the answer you wished for anon. Stay tuned for my essay because it does deeper into this very thing, full Contrapoints style

[sillyyuserr]

A deep dive on the contrasting themes of tbhk (misogyny/breaking gender stereotypes) 🖊️

Tbhk or better know as Toilet-bound hanako kun is a manga both written and illustrated by two woman, that is semi-nonfiction-fiction. It uses themes and/or topics of the supernatural, yet taking place in an accurate highschool setting. The creators of Tbhk, AidaIro, are both presumably in their late 20s, as a past work of theirs, was made in 2011, when they were still students. if we estimate they were both 15 in 2011, they would be 28-29 years old respectively. Despite being on the younger side, and despite both being girls, AidaIro seems very traditional in the sense of norms and values. Yet, they seem open to breaking those same values.

for example, many gender norms are broken. Those being:

Akane/Aoi. This relationship trope has been set up to be the very one sided obsessed type. And it’s not very common to see the guy, be the hopelessly obsessed one. Akane, in a primarily female dominated field.

Kou. A key trait of his is that he’s always cooking or cleaning. He’s the housekeeper, he’s an incredible cook, and he takes care of his little sister. That being a primarily female dominated field.

the contrast to those being: sexism. Examples:

The woman in this manga, do practically nothing. Despite the main character being female, trust me when i say Nene did more heavy lifting in the PILOT CHAPTER.

we don’t see much individuality from any of the woman. Yes aoi’s getting some from akane but at the end of the day you can clearly see no doubt they’re still getting together. Despite all her character growth she’s still just a soon to be wife. And i hate that. I hate that so bad. She had a whole arc where she separated herself from Akane, only spoke to Nene, really stood her ground with boys, only for her to end up right back with him cut it OUTT.

And don’t even get me started on the infantilization of every single woman. I love akane but COME ON. I don’t remember exactly where it is but he’s said things like oh i’d never lay a FINGER on a girl implying he’d never hit a girl which like ok polite thank you but i feel like that shows that he don’t see woman/girls as other people, he views them as more fragile, and that its such a sin to throw a punch at a GIRL. But for guys? nahh nahh he’ll fuck up teru anyday.

Get your twig ass arm away he’s on the other side of the damn QUARRY as you guys smh..

The literal SECOND aoi picks up a sword he takes it from her fucking hands LORD

akane, my guy, that look was so warranted you lucky she’s polite i woulda beat you ass

she even said she knew how to use it he’s just so self righteous FUCK ALL OF YOU

Her ass was NOT playin!!!

Another aspect could be every female character (excluding Tiara) (duh) having a love interest.

EX. Aoi, akane

Nene, hanako/kou

fucking no.2, misaki

every mother in the story ( - Aoi’s), her husband no willing single mothers, just depressed divorced ones. No #feminism#singlemom at all. Aoi’s moms whole character is being divorced, Mitsuba’s moms whole character is being a widow, yet Minamoto’s father (despite being entirely absent) is not known for also being widowed? His wife is dead and he’s not seen as a struggling parent. The single father gets sm grace but he’s clearly having a hard time parenting his own children. Kou doesn’t even set up a spot at their table for him. He’s literally just not there.

Theres a lot more that could be said, but i’m going to just leave it here i’m tired 😭

ALSO I WAS SUPPOSED TO POST THIS WAYY EARILER ABOUT 2 WEEKS EARLIER BUT IM PREPPING FOR EXAMS and i got jumped twice

[demi-god77]

Saw byler doubt on my tl and I won't have it, so I'm here to try and ease your doubts @lucystark12

(English isn't my first language and I'm currently running on zero hours of sleep. This might be a bit incoherent)

BYLER AND CHARACTER ARCS

First of all, you have to think of this in context to El's character arc as well!

Her arc has always been centered around found family and her own sense of self (the things she lacked for most of her life while she was in the lab, especially since her entire identity was reduced to a number.)

Romantic love (ending the show in a relationship with Mike) would not be beneficial for her arc, as it is not something she lacked prior, she didn't even know what a boyfriend IS when she escaped from the lab. It also sets her back on her path of self discovery (+ she is shown to learn the most about herself when she and Mike are apart).

In an arc about found family, self discovery and independence, forcing her into a relationship that actively separates her from said found family and creates conflict (with Hopper and with the rest of their group), that also doesn't let her figure out who she is, what her interests are and overall stuns her self discovery and independence, would make zero sense. It would not be a progression for her character at all. Especially for someone that has been controlled by others (and men specifically) her entire life.

~~~

About Will now, if his arc was actually about moving on, there was absolutely no reason to make him in love with Mike. All of their conflicts COULD be purely platonic, if their purpose was to signify that he needs to move on/grow up. But they weren't. There would be no reason to make him in love with Mike, he arguably wouldn't even have to be gay for this arc. And yet, his sexuality is mentioned even prior to s1, in the pilot script -clearly important for his character. Him moving on from those feelings would not be beneficial for his arc either, especially since he has already tried to. He has tried to hide from the world, he has tried to repress his feelings and it didn't work out. They even straight up told us he's not able to move on ("[I] need you and [I] always will")

Furthermore, he already believes that his feelings will not be reciprocated, that he needs to let go and that he will never experience a romantic relationship, will never find love. To have him be right does not make for a good story. It sets his storyline back to square one. Him coming into his own and confronting his trauma is definitely a part of his arc, no doubt about that. Moving on from his feelings however, giving up on a love he never let himself believe he could have in the first place, is not.

~~~~

Lastly, Mike himself. I honestly don't really think he has that much of a communication issue. His communication skills are of course not great, they are pretty bad yes, and he obviously struggles with verbally explaining his feelings, but he shows his love through actions and not words. That's something that has been shown since s1 and that's always been how he communicates his emotions. Through actions.

But even so, he has been shown to productively communicate using his OWN words and his OWN feelings before, the shed scene in s2 being a prime example of that (arguably the bedroom scene in S4 as well). His parents' main issue with their relationship is not that they don't communicate imo, it's that they never really loved eachother (and that also ties in to Nancy and her relationship with Steve).

Another thing:

Mike needs to be needed, that's when he feels useful, that's when he feels loved. El is coming into her own, becoming independent, realizing she doesn't need to depend on others, on him. But Will in his monologue confessed that he always will need him, something that will never change.

Moreover, if his arc was truly about learning to communicate effectively, I don't think they would put such emphasis on his insecurities, thinking of himself as inferior and trying to conform. (Also, forcing a confession, especially one based on someone else's feelings would be a horrible writing choice in an arc about self expression.)

Mike actively tries to push aside his nerdy interests and the things he enjoys (who he is) while in the relationship, in order to appear cooler, mature, normal. Pretend he's not himself. THAT is something he gets from his parents. And THAT is not something attributed to bad communication skills, but forced conformity.

And after all, forced conformity is killing the kids.

[dismissivedestroyer]

Hi! So I want to make a Spooky Month OC but I suck at drawing, do you have any tips or advices about drawing characters in the Spooky Month artstyle?

Okay so, I might not be the right person for this, cause I also am not all that great at drawing in the Spooky Month artstyle, but I did some character design at school so I might be able to give a few tips! Please do take everything I say with a grain of salt tho!

Spooky Month's strong suit is definitely character design. It's SO expressive and well done it's genuinely unreal. You might want to know exactly what your character is gonna be doing, or how their personality is gonna be like, because character design in Spooky Month cares a lot about things like these. For example: Radford works at a cinema, so of course he's wearing 3D glasses, but also his HAIR IS LITERALLY SHAPED LIKE A POPCORN.

So maybe decide on a job for your character, and try to start from there, get crazy with shapes and have fun! Spooky Month characters have designs that are both extremely simple to draw, since they use mostly basic shapes, but also are extremely thought out and meaningful. Another example of great character design is Pump

Now, I have no idea if you already had an OC in mind, but make sure to choose the right shapes to represent it. Something I see around in the fandom is people making these OCs that are like, serial killers and dangerous people and stuff, but then give them the "Lila"-like oval head. And honestly, nothing wrong with that, that's a choice you can use! But still, shapes allow us to understand a lot about how a character is just by looking at them. So you might want to experiment around a bit!

Ovals in Spooky Month are the "good" shape, let's just say. Most character with an oval head are sweet, helpful, kind-natured! It's often paired with oval eyes, so it's mostly a shape that's used for not villainous characters.

Circles are a bit more complicated, because Spooky Month subvertes the Circle Characters. While yes, they're also used to draw children, such as Skid and Pump, so they may come off as unthreatening at first, most main villains, such as Eyes, Bob and Dexter Doll (which is meant to represent the likes of a child, so that's a nice contrast), are mostly circle-shaped.

There's a very wide range of Square characters in Spooky Month. Square characters are usually bulky, big and strong. They often come off as threatening (such as Moloch), but there are so many other fun things you can do with them. Like, take Frank. EVERYTHING in his design should alarm us, him being square-shaped, the black eyes, the wide smile. Yet, he has a shape of the eyes that's very relaxed and chill, so we end up trusting him. As for Dexter, he's a mix of circles and squares, so we can't really understand his intentions right away, because he's shaped in the most confusing way possible. He's just made to be unsettling and leaving us to wonder if he's a bad guy or just an oddball.

You can do SO MANY fun things by mixing up shapes of faces and eyes it's INSANE. Also, you can mix up other characters' features to create a new one, if you're planning to do a fankid or stuff like that. Look at Ross, he's literally a mixture of all his parents' features!

My main tips for drawing in the Spooky Month artstyle are mostly

1) Play around with shapes. Be as cartoony as possible.

2) Try to be consistent with proportions, because, based on personal experience, if you draw the pupils of the eyes slightly off it changes the whole character's expression drastically

3) don't worry too much about details, Spooky Month has a very simple artstyle. You don't have to draw a perfectly anatomically correct hand, just whip up some cartoony three-to-four fingers and you're good to go

4) try to redraw some pre-existing screenshots from the serie to get familiarity with the way Pelo draws expressions. It helps a bunch.

So yeah, that's all! Good luck with your oc :)