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norrizzandpia · 1 year ago

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Could you please write something about lando and some sort of enemies thing? even just a blurb, i just need lando fucking the sassiness out of someone.

Ok so i loved this but it isnt smut and its very angsty and i kinda just took the idea and ran with it

IM SO SORRY IF THIS ISNT WHAT YOU WANTED PLZ FORGIVE ME 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Enemies To Lovers, Ya Know? (LN4)

Summary: They’ve always hated each other. Always. Right?

Warnings: language, lando being highkey toxic but we can just ignore that!, im sorry i dont know if i like this plz let me know if its shit in the comments 🤞🏻, gender stereotyping? Im not sure the term lmk 💗

Note: SHES A LONG ONE SO GRAB THAT POPCORN also very cutesy and fluffy ones are on the way in apology for this

It wasn’t a secret to the fans, media, or the entirety of the grid.

Lando and Y/n hated each other.

No one was quite sure when it started or how it happened, but it was clear that the two couldn’t stand each other. Through menacing glares and snide comments, both of them showed how much loathing really went on behind the scenes. It didn’t help that they were teammates, both of them driving for the beautiful papaya, as it brought on horrible reviews and narratives. Continuously making McLaren look reckless, Lando and Y/n had gotten countless amounts of scoldings from the PR team, the employees pleading with them to stop the games and just get along, but, for some reason, they never could.

Y/n hated the sight of his face and the sound of his voice, and Lando…

Well, Lando didn’t exactly know why he hated her. She had never done anything to him, in fact, she had been so sweet to him the first time they met he had been convinced he was going to fall in love with her, but, over time, the anticipation of his inevitable love for her transformed into pure annoyance at her presence.

“Can you please stop breathing so loud?” Her voice broke through his thoughts as they waited for their next interview.

Rolling his eyes, Lando set his gaze on her, “Are you asking me to stop breathing?”

“No, I’m asking you to stop doing it so loud.” She countered.

Usually, he wouldn’t comment on someone’s bad behavior, but she made him so aggravated that he couldn’t help but look her in the eyes and say, “No.”

His sickly sweet smile made her fist twitch at her side as she got up from her chair and gathered her things, “God, you never stop, do you?”

He laughed as she left, “Not for you.”

—

“How do you guys even coexist let alone be teammates?” Daniel asked Y/n as they sat and ate lunch in Alpine Hospitality.

She shrugged, “I don’t know.”

He sat back, his fork falling to the side of his salad as he stared at her intently, “Would this have anything to do with that conversation you had with me when you first started racing for McLaren?”

Her head lulled against the table as she groaned, “Daniel, I’m so sick of you bringing that up. I was just hyped up with excitement over being the first girl to race in F1. What I said to you then was the product of delusion and a charming smile.”

His head tilted, “Mhm, sure. So, when you said you loved him, that was fabricated too?”

Her heart sped up and her cheeks burned at the inference, “Yes. You can’t love someone within a few months of knowing them.”

His eyes told her he knew exactly the kind of war that was going on in her head, “Y/n, it’s okay to love someone. It’s okay to put yourself out there.”

She saw the way his hand reached for hers lying on the table, but she pulled it back to dodge his digits trying to comfort her, “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t love him then.”

His mischievous smile haunted her, “I didn’t say his name, Y/n. All I said was it’s okay to love someone. I never said ‘Lando’”.

—

“So, your rivalry is one of the main things you two are known for on the track. How has this affected your relationship off the track? What I mean to ask is does the distaste come from what’s going on on track or just a wavelength you two can’t catch?” The reporter asked, his eyes searching for real answers in the PR-trained athletes.

Y/n opened her mouth to answer, the planned words ready to fly off her tongue, but Lando’s scoffing and interruption stopped her, “There isn’t a rivalry on track. If you know what I mean.”

The reporter’s eyebrows shot up, the opportunity for a juicy story right in front of him, “Are you saying Y/n doesn’t compare to your level of driving skills?”

Even though she hated him and expected nothing but the worst, she was still surprised when he didn’t hesitate to nod, “Well, she hasn’t been in Formula 1 for as long as I have. I have more experience and, therefore, I’m a better driver.”

His lack of humbleness had her blood boiling, “You’re answering this question as if I’m not sitting right here.”

All the men in the room turned at her voice, seemingly realizing she was sitting up there just like he was. The obliviousness to her presence wasn’t something she wasn’t familiar with, it happening on a daily basis, but that didn’t stop the sinking feeling from setting in.

“Do you have something to add?” The reporter shot out, his gaze flipping from both drivers.

She turned her head, glancing at Lando, before continuing, “I think it’s inappropriate for you to ask about Lando and I’s relationship. That’s something between him and I, not anyone else, and I think Lando’s answer is arrogant and inappropriate as well seeing as I’m actually ahead of him in the Constructer’s Championship.”

Each of the men addressed in her statement went to defend themselves, but she put up her hands, “I’m not done. As a woman in this sport, you have to be able to set boundaries with the people around you, especially teammates,” She glared at Lando, “It is clear you were and are trying to start something by your question and Lando may be too naive to see it, but I do not appreciate it. Next question.”

The room was silent before another reporter stood up, a woman this time, and asked her own question. A good, informative one that had Y/n smiling at her in gratefulness.

She answered it with ease even with Lando’s death stare drilling into her side.

—

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? YOU MADE ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL!” He screamed as soon as they were alone. She knew it was coming. He had given her rude looks all throughout the panel ever since she shut him and that reporter down.

Looking at him like he had grown two heads, Y/n waved her arms around, “What did you want me to do, Lando? Let you talk shit on me while I was right there?”

His annoyed groan echoed throughout the room as he took a moment to reel himself in before looking at her like she could die and he wouldn’t care, “I wasn’t talking shit and you know it. All you did was take an opportunity to make me look stupid in front of people who control my reputation.”

“Oh, wow I didn’t know that, Lan! Thanks for clearing it up!” She said sarcastically.

His finger came to point at her, “I worked so hard to get where I am, I love my job, and yet you make me question leaving every single day.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, “Worked hard? Are you kidding me, Lando? Your daddy paid for your way in here and we both know it.”

That seemed to strike a nerve as his face heated up in anger before he hit the wall in a sheer mask of rage, “WHERE DO YOU GET OFF, BITCH?”

Her eyes closed and she inhaled a slow breath before saying, “Is bitch all you have? Really?”

He stalked towards her quickly, his frame towering over hers as he stared her down, “I have so much more, but, for the sake of your feelings, I won’t do that to you.”

She laughed with a dry, short sound, “Try me.”

His eyebrows lifted, “Really?”

“Go right ahead.”

Those three words seemingly ruined her life as Lando went into a full-fledged monologue about why he hated her with every cell in his body, “I think it’s crazy the amount of ego you have because all you really are is a PR stunt, so McLaren looks good. Why do you think they would sign a 20-year-old girl who can’t drive for shit? It’s because you’re a girl, Y/n. Your whole message about this industry needing to stop using women as pawns is bullshit. You wanna know why? It’s because you’re the epitome of that with the way you were only signed and you were only ever going to be signed because of your gender and the things it could do for our image. Do you understand me? You don’t mean shit to this team.”

It was as if he had pulled her greatest fears from the depths of her body and presented them in front of her, confirming them. Her eyes watered and her hands shook. Not from anger, but from the crushing reality that Lando never cared about her. From their early days when she thought he was flirting with her and that the jacket he draped over her shoulders when it was cold meant something more to now, where he was yelling at her and tearing her down piece by piece, she didn’t recognize him.

No amount of time spent in bed trying to understand what she had done to him to make him hate her in the way he did would never be enough to conjure up some form of an explanation.

She would have to live with the fact that the man she loved hated her more than anything else in the world. That he could see her lying wounded on the street and he would swerve his car to injure her more.

Somewhere in the span of her thinking, she had begun to cry. The soft, wet tears slowly made their way down her face as if to tease Lando and the mistake he had just made. The meaningless words dawned on him too late as Y/n roughly turned away from him and made her way to the door, slamming it shut and being as loud as she could be.

The knowing faces she saw as she ran out of the hospitality told her that their yelling had been heard by everyone. Something which made her skin crawl and stomach churn at the thought of.

Her head throbbed as one idea bounced around its walls.

Her time at McLaren was effectively over.

—

Whispering increased as Lando made his way through the doors of McLaren’s Headquarters. He had been called for an impromptu meeting with Charlotte and Zak, a pairing that scared him shitless.

His footsteps halted when her short bob caught his eye outside of Zak’s office, “Hey, is everything okay?”

Her panicked gaze met him and she aggressively grabbed the sleeve of his sweatshirt and pulled him into the room, Zak already standing there in wait, “What did you do?”

His hard tone made Lando rethink his entire life, “What do you mean?”

Charlotte hit his chest, “Don’t be stupid, Lando. What did you say to her?”

He shook his head, “I seriously have no clue what you two are talking about.”

Zak yelled in annoyance, “Did you not check your phone? Your teammate’s just resigned because, and I quote, ‘it wasn’t the right fit’. Lando, what did you say to her?”

The air in the room disappeared as Lando’s eyes narrowed, “She what?”

He couldn’t think, all he could do was slowly slide down to sit in the chair behind him as his legs gave out under him.

“She quit, Lando,” Charlotte repeated.

“Lando, if you don’t tell us what you said to her right now, you won’t be the only driver out of a seat.” Zak threatened.

He put his head in his hands as he mumbled, “I told her she was only here because we wanted to sign a woman for good PR.”

A creepy, deafening silence fell upon the room as Zak and Charlotte gazed at each other. The two of them were finally at their wits end with the two driver’s misplaced dislike for each other.

Charlotte cleared her throat, “What?”

“I told her she was only here becaus-” He began to repeat, but she interrupted him.

“I heard you.”

At that, Zak leaned forward on his desk, his intimidating stance making Lando straighten up, “You better go to her and apologize for what you said. Lando, if she doesn’t come back here tomorrow asking for her seat back, I will personally ensure that your next years with us are pure hell. If you just drove one of the best drivers we have ever seen out because you couldn’t man up enough to tell her you love her and instead created this narrative where you hated her, I will ruin your career. I don’t care what kind of relationship we have built over the time you’ve been with us.”

Charlotte rested her hand on his shoulder, “Where’d you even get the idea that that was why we signed her?”

He shook his head, “Nowhere! I just wanted to hit her where it hurt because that’s what she did to me. I know we didn’t sign her on for that reason and I know the kind of talent she has! I don’t know why I did that! I-” He looked at them helplessly, “I’m sorry.”

“Save it for her,” Charlotte said sternly as she gestured for him to leave.

It didn’t take his body any moment longer to leap from his chair and go into autopilot, speeding to her apartment. There had been a few car crash scares on the way there, but he, ultimately, made it to her place with just a shaken feeling.

His hand wrapped against the wooden door, praying she would answer. The sound of her footsteps sounded from behind the door as the lock clicked and it squeezed open.

“What are you doing here? You got what you wanted. I left McLaren.” She said quietly and it was then that Lando realized how exhausted she was of their ongoing feud.

“Y/n, I never wanted that.” He said softly as he rested against the edge of her door, looking down at her adoringly.

His quiet words seemed to aggravate her as she swung the door open and yelled, “THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT? I WENT QUIET WHEN YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE ANNOYED WITH HOW MUCH I SPOKE OUT, I STOPPED MAKING JOKES WHEN YOU TOLD ME I WASN’T FUNNY, AND I LEFT WHEN YOU TOLD ME I DIDN’T HAVE A REAL PLACE ON THE TEAM. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?”

He couldn’t help the way his heart sunk at the hell he had put her through.

All because he couldn’t be honest with himself.

“I want you.” He whispered, looking in her eyes like it would help her understand.

However, it didn’t and she scoffed, “Oh, so you hated me yesterday, but you want me today? Real mature, Lando. How about you leave me alone, okay? I can’t take your mood swings anymore.”

The door began to close on him, but he stopped it with his hand. Pushing it open and stepping into her apartment, he forced her to hear him, “I never hated you. Never. I know it seemed like it and the things I said to you yesterday were absolutely disgusting. I don’t blame you for being confused about why I’m telling you this now with the way I have treated you over the time we’ve been teammates. But, and just listen to me here, I never hated you. I hated the way you made me feel. I hated the fact that I loved you more than I ever could’ve loved Luisinha, I hated the way you made me want to give up a Grand Prix just so you could win it and feel happy, and I hate the way you’re right there yet I can’t have you.”

Her resolve cracked, he could tell, but she still held her ground, “You think you coming over here and telling me what I’ve been wanting to hear for years will erase what you said to me yesterday?”

His hands came to gently rest over her arms, trying so hard to show her how much she meant to him, “No, I don’t think that. I know what I said to you will always be something you think about, an insecurity that will never go away, and I hate myself for doing that to you. But, I would hate myself more if I let you walk away from F1 and McLaren thinking all you ever were was some ploy.”

She stared at him, clearly dodgy and untrusting of his words, but the look in his eyes, soft and pleading, told her that he had come here with good intentions.

Trying to stop herself from caving in, she looked away, “Okay, you’ve made your point. You can leave now.”

He shook his head, “No.”

Groaning, “Why? You told me what you wanted to and I believe you so what else is there?”

“You haven’t told me that you’re coming back to McLaren.” He said as he pulled her face back to look at him with his fingers.

“Why would I do that? How do I know this thing between us stops here?” She asked hesitantly.

“It won’t,” He began, his words causing her eyebrows to furrow, “It won’t because I still love you. I can’t make up for the things I said to you nor can I take them back, but what I can do is show you that I never meant any of it. If you come back, I’m telling you our hostile relationship won’t be hostile anymore, but I can’t promise I won’t work to get you to love me too.”

Her head fell down, so close to leaning into his chest, as she whispered, “I already do.”

He lightly nudged her head to rest against him as he softly said, “Well, that cuts down my workload by a lot.”

She chuckled, the sound reminding him that he might just be out of the woods, as she looked up at him, “And what if I gave you a chance?”

His smile reached his eyes, “I wouldn’t let you down.”

“Well, then maybe I’ll give you a chance.”

He kissed her forehead lightly before her tone shifted, “Is it true what you said yesterday? Did McLaren only sign me because it helped their image?”

He rapidly shook his head, “No, that was a stupid comment to make. That has never and will never be true. Your skill and talent speaks for itself, Y/n. Do you wonder why I get so defensive when someone talks about our ‘rivalry’? It’s because I know you’re better than me.”

“Don’t do that.” She said.

“Don’t do what?” He asked.

“Lie to me.”

He smiled at her, “Love, you said it yourself yesterday. You’re beating me in the Constructer’s Championship. If you look at our numbers side by side, it’s a fact you’re the better driver.”

Her mischievous smile greeted him, “I know. I just wanted you to say it out loud.”

Scoffing with a loving smile on his face, “Oh, you drive me crazy.”

She returned his smile, the look telling him she was in this with him for a long time, “Enemies to lovers, baby. Enemies to lovers.”

#f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 x reader #lando norris imagine #lando norris x reader #mclaren #lando norris fanfic #lando norris fluff #lando norris imagines #lando norris #lando norris fanfiction #lando norris x you #lando norris edit #lando norris smut #daniel ricciardo #daniel riccardo x reader #daniel riccardo imagine

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pennyblossom-meta · 7 months ago

Text

L Lawliet: a deep dive into the expanded universe pt.01

EDIT (07/04/2024): Added some imgs.

Apologies for being so late to give this a follow up to @maevearcher's meta which can be found here and here. As usual, she’s made excellent points and I'll try to answer the ones which caught my eye.

Since this post ended up gaining a life of its own and becoming a bit too long, I’m splitting it in 2 or 3 parts. The core of the content for part 01 starts after under the button to Read More.

Here we talk about L's humanity.

I'll start with a disclaimer of my own: while I consider the manga as the base for the story, I'm very much open to the expanded DN universe as a complementary study of the characters and their motivations — sometimes even filling in the blanks for some of the background mysteries, such as the dynamics of Wammy's House and how L's successors view him.

To further clarify: by canon I mean the manga and any works by Tsugumi Ohba as the base material. I think @maevearcher and I are more or less in agreement on that, from what she mentioned in her own posts. As she said, the written word is indeed the baseline truth.

The expansion of the DN universe also has its own very special set of problems; for example, in many ways, L:CtW (L: Change the WorLd) commits the sin of overindulgence by throwing in considerations that, arguably, go against canon. Besides the ending where L lives for a final 23 days and Watari dies, the portrayal of Near in the movie (though in the novel he's also walking a fine line between becoming partially and very much OOC) is also a point of contention. I confess that I really wasn't fond of the way they portrayed Misa as a potential crush of L given canon insights on his opinion about Light whether in the role of Kira or as a person (pg.64 of Vol 13: How to Read, henceforth referred to as V13:HTR), but aligning L to become more humane and forgiving was at least interesting.

The same happens with the live action movies, the 2015 series, and the musical. At least the game Spiraling Trap isn't clashing with canon elements — that I could tell. The main plot is separate from the events of DN and the dating sim is a little slice of heaven into L's thoughts and emotions which I dearly love.

However, while L:CtW does indeed overindulge, the novel AN:LABB (Another Note: LA BB Murder Cases) gives us a singular glimpse into L through the eyes of Mello while keeping the events mostly accurate to the main plot, even with its slight deviations. It's certainly an optional perspective to the core of DN, but one that I always found very insightful. In V13:HTR, Obha mentions how he would’ve liked that there were more novels about L and how he solved previous cases, in a similar fashion to how Nisio Isin approaches AN:LABB. Here’s what Ohba says in pg.61 of V13:HTR:

(...) I didn’t think up much for [L’s] past. For him to be in such an influential position, he must have solved an amazing amount of cases, but I have no idea what kind of cases they were or how he solved them. But I would love for NISIOISIN, who wrote the Death Note novel, to write more stories about that (...)

This means that, to some extent, even the original author, Ohba, accepts AN:LABB as close to canon — or rather, as canon as it can get given the creative liberties allowed to a third party writer. To that point, Nisio Isin took L’s capoeira demonstration during the Yotsuba arc and made it a whole thing in the novel, with L taking inspiration from Naomi Misora’s skills. However, given the importance of that event, in the main story, L takes a while to even remember Misora so we can infer that either the stress of the case is getting to him OR learning capoeira and subsequently Misora’s role in it didn’t leave that much of an imprint on him because true canon didn’t really put that much emphasis into it. Either way, it’s an extrapolation that works. The technicalities can be overlooked given how ambiguous the scene is, as there is more than room to deduce a different past.

At the same time, I am an apologist that there are shared characteristics to L throughout the different mediums. My own interpretation of L's character has the manga as a baseline, but the expanded universe has taught me that there are sides to him that might not be so easy to perceive in dialogue bubbles or illustrations alone. Little things like L's addictive personality or the way he represses feelings are visible in the manga but caught beautifully in the novels, for example.

Going from the written word into the screen also represents a loss of the purity achievable only within the narrative in-book, where you can extrapolate and reach your own conclusions without being subject to the bias of sound and movement — though manga aggregates the visual to words and with it an altogether different dimension of meaning. That's one of the many things I enjoy about elements of fiction introduced through books; the stillness of the images and the narrative are more complex. Every time the baseline gets adapted, it loses something or that something shifts to fit into the perception of others. It ceases being pure and its essence is fundamentally shattered. Like the concept of a musical score on paper that gets played by an orchestra, there will never be an adaptation as good as the source material because it breaks the illusion.

While I can certainly extrapolate and accept the loss, I find that the written word from the novels, the tone of a VA's voice and the body movements in a live action still complement the manga well, despite narrative clashes.

About L’s humanity

Recently I've been re-watching the anime and it's incredible how Alessandro Juliani's understanding of the character resulted in such a well-rounded voice for L. I actually prefer the EN version to the JP because of the voice acting. It's superbly brilliant, even if L becomes less listless. He's certainly still aloof, but his aggressiveness is portrayed more vividly; in contrast, L in the manga feels a bit more dangerous and scary to me due to the range of expressions that the anime didn't manage to add in due to time and budget constraints. If anything L tones down how dangerous he can be. He does this on purpose so that he can trick and trip his adversary, as can be seen during his earlier interactions with Light. At times, L makes a mockery of himself, apparently placing himself in the position of a more demure individual while sharply observing the world around him and forming conclusions.

As to @maevearcher ‘s first point:

(...) An image of this lonely autistic genius, locked inside the confines of his ways, waiting for the right person to come along and save him from the banes of his solitary existence…until he meets Light and realises there’s someone out there who he can relate to, for understanding and stuff. I personally don’t buy too much into that.

The depth to which L relates to Light can be overestimated, but not without reason. Theirs is mostly an adversarial relationship with varying deviations throughout the expanded universe, but if we solely consider the manga then we get this comment from Ohba regarding whether L has any friends on pg.64 of V13: HTR:

Nope. And when he says that Light is his first friend that’s a big lie. He never considers him a friend. He probably secretly thinks really negative things about him.

During the Yotsuba arc, L is at a disadvantage. Light has turned the tables, tricked him into what Beyond Birthday could not do and thus gained a solid position into rendering L almost powerless to charge him. To elaborate on the latter point: BB wanted to create the perfect, unsolvable crime to humiliate L, making him lose, and thus “spend the rest of his life trembling in fear of B’s shadow” (pg.163, AA:LABB); L would know who the guilty party was but wouldn’t be able to prove it or bring that person to justice. As such, L would not be able to solve the mystery. At the end of the novel BB fails due to Misora’s quick thinking and that’s that. However, Light has several advantages that BB lacked, starting with his own social position, charm and the impeccable reputation of a model student and the prized son of a police chief who helps solve cases every now and then.

We can argue that, what truly happens in manga canon, is L and Light showing how much they respect each other for their detective skills, forming a sort of strange kinship within the cat and mouse game, especially when Light loses his memories of the Death Note. The game thrills them and they enjoy pushing each other’s buttons. No one else has ever challenged them like this. That being said, the first time they meet up for coffee after the tennis match, L is observing Light like a hawk, keeps testing him for a reaction and seems somewhat irritated at how much Light talks. I would venture a guess that L doesn’t actually like Light that much, even when he loses his memories. He might even find Light a nuisance when he waves the flag of morality — though this is a common problem L is confronted with when dealing with the Task Force, in particular Chief Yagami and Aizawa. This also places him at another gruesome disadvantage, as he’s surrounded by people who openly dislike and criticise his methods. The Task Force is also extremely wary of the way L pursues Light and think he’s being stubborn without proof to substantiate his reasoning. Ironically, it’s Aizawa, one of L’s most critical subordinates, who initiates Light’s downfall years later once he starts to consider L’s suspicions in light of Near and Mello’s tactics.

Both L and Light respect the game, no matter where it takes them. I would further make an educated guess that Light even preyed on L’s vulnerabilities during the Yotsuba arc, predicting how L might fall into depression for failing at the game. Light was more than capable of understanding that L’s competitive and childish side would make him a sore loser, especially given that he had already “lost” the first round of battles just by showing his face. Even if there is a sliver of friendship between both during Light’s months of amnesia, it’s dead and buried the moment he becomes Kira again.

My conclusion here would be that, while what happened with Light was extreme, it was also somewhat similar to Beyond Birthday’s eternal enmity towards L: the challenge, the need to humiliate and take down the greatest detective, one of the most brilliant minds to ever walk the Earth. There are some notable quotes from AA:LABB that reference what it is to be L, surrounded by future challengers and individuals who both look up to L and want to prove they’re better than him:

Pg.69

By simple arithmetic, L's ability in 2002 was the equivalent of five ordinary investigative bureaus, and seven intelligence agencies (and by the time he faced off against Kira, those numbers had leapt upward several more notches). This is easy to think of as a reason to respect and admire someone, but let me say this as clearly as possible: that much ability in one human is extremely dangerous. Modern danger management techniques rely heavily on diffusing the risk, but his very existence was the exact opposite. In other words, if someone was planning to commit a crime, they could greatly increase their chances of getting away with it by simply killing L before they began. That was why L hid his identity Not because he was shy or because he never left the house. To ensure his own safety For a detective of L's ability, self-preservation and the preservation of world peace were one and the same, and it would not be correct to describe his actions as cowardly or self-centered.

Pg. 117

L was the goal of everyone in Wammy's House. Everyone of us wanted to surpass him. To step over him. To step on him. M did, N did, and B did. M as a challenger, N as a successor. B as a criminal.

Pg. 160:

B approached Naomi Misora, calling himself Rue Ryuzaki. Rue Ryuzaki - L.L. For anyone from Wammy's House, there could be no higher goal than identifying yourself with that letter - and Beyond Birthday seized this case as his chance.

One of the biggest problems with these quotes is that they paint a very complicated — and, ultimately, suffocating — picture of what it is like to be L. Ohba himself mentions Watari’s predisposition towards collecting geniuses from all over the world and what Wammy’s House has turned into, under the snippet for Watari’s character (pg.60 V13:HTR):

He’s a guy who cultivates detectives for fun. That’s kind of terrible, isn’t it?

Everyone profits from L. Watari becomes richer than ever. Wammy's House becomes breeding ground for geniuses who end up dreaming of a life where they enjoy constant thrill and challenge. However, in order to do so, the dream cannot be complete until the successor crushes the original; until M, N, B and A defeat L. At least one of L’s successors couldn’t handle the pressure and committed suicide. B, known as Backup, runs away from the orphanage and goes on a murder rampage. Having never met L in person, he deduces several personality quirks that the “original” demonstrates, going as far as exacerbating them in order to be creepy and repulsive. Mello, who boasts of having met L in person and being privy to stories about how he defeated several other detectives (then taking their aliases as a trophy) both fervently admires L and wants to step on him.

Step on him. That’s quite the turn of phrase. It does sound scary, doesn’t it? To be surrounded by people who would take the opportunity to pull you down, no matter how much they admire you. They want to be you, to prove that they’re better than you. It’s game and ego. Life and death. Winner and loser.

And that’s perhaps the most blatant summary in approved canon of what it is like to be L that we’ll ever get. We can, of course, argue that Watari cares about L. He’s not only his handler, but also the one who brought him into Wammy’s House. It’s fairly clear that he nurtured (and even enabled) some of L’s most distressing character traits, though I wouldn’t necessarily say it was with a purely utilitarian agenda. It’s perfectly acceptable to extrapolate how Watari might’ve wanted to keep L, a child of great intellectual genius, happy by allowing him to be challenged and properly educated. In fact, AN:LABB (pg. 145-46) even gives us L’s perspective on the kindness that justice can achieve, which is confirmed within the expanded universe to be similar to Watari’s teachings as L confronts Kujo in L:CtW.

"I have nothing to do with him," L said. "To be completely accurate, I do not even know B. He is simply someone I am aware of. But none of this affects my judgment. Certainly I was interested in this case, and began to investigate it because I knew who the killer was. But that did not alter the way I investigated it, or the manner in which my investigation proceeded. Naomi Misora, I cannot overlook evil. I cannot forgive it. It does not matter if I know the person who commits evil or not. I am only interested in justice." "Only... in justice... " Misora gasped. "Then ... nothing else matters?" "I wouldn't say that, but it is not a priority." “You won't forgive any evil, no matter what the evil is?" "I wouldn't say that, but it is not a priority." "'But..." Like a thirteen-year-old victim. "There are people who justice cannot save." Like a thirteen-year-old criminal. “And there are people who evil can save." "There are. But even so," L said, his tone not changing at all. As if gently admonishing Naomi Misora. “Justice has more power than anything else." "Power? By power ... you mean strength?" "No. I mean kindness." He said it so easily. Misora almost dropped the phone. L The century's greatest detective, L. The detective of justice, L. Who solved every case, no matter how difficult... " ...I misunderstood you, L." "Did you? Well, I'm glad we cleared that up."

I would, once again, venture another educated guess that, while Watari’s primary reasons for starting a program of successors to L was noble, it ultimately backfired on an individual level. Society wise, the letters, as L calls them in L:CtW, are a force for good. They solve crimes, help law forces around the world to keep peace. Some of them even become scientists like Dr Kujo — though she becomes the main antagonist in the spin-off novel. However, the pressure this kind of lifestyle fostered creates a group of individuals who are highly competitive and manipulative. Some, like A, can’t handle it. Even L has his own troubles, being called a reclusive sociopath, possibly by the police forces who treat him as a utility rather than a person. He’s someone they admire and resent, who is tolerated given how effective he is at cracking down cases.

This passage from L:CtW paints a grim picture of the way L suppresses his own feelings as he breaks down for not being able to prevent Maki from being kidnapped (pg. 150-51):

"Light...it hurts. My heart--" It was a hurt that L Lawliet had suppressed, that he had to suppress in order to continue his existence as the peerless Detective L. How had the world's top detective been described in regard to facets of his personality rather than his ability as a detective? He had been called a kinky detective who relished bizarre murders, a human computer capable only of measuring mass murders in terms of cold numbers, a reclusive sociopath. What L thought of such estimations of his personality only L could know. But no one could truly understand L. How L did not and could not forget the faces of thousands of victims. Who could comprehend the man who had lived his life, and had to live confronting all the lives that ended prematurely, the tears of grief-stricken survivors, the devaluing of life as a daily reality. How was it possible to measure the pain of such a man? Was it a strain so heavy that L's back curved under all its weight? Was it an agony so terribly to leave the indelible dark circles around his eyes? Was it a feeling so bitter that every bite he took needed to be coated in sugar? The chronically rounded shoulders, the inevitable dark circles, the eccentric tastes--L suppressed the pain of being a champion of justice, but the evidence of the pain was moulded into his very body.”

Even within the clear disparity from the official canon, this passage slaps. It humanises L further, making the detective become a person and not just a machine who is content with his lifestyle. I know there’s a tendency for those who prefer the manga to see L as someone who is unabashedly himself and perfectly alright with the life he lives. I would argue that the Kira case was not only the most difficult challenge L ever faced, but also a series of moments where he had to be at his best — and at his worst. He had to do everything within his power to solve the case, not only because of his pride but because of what he considers to be his sense of justice. Saying with such confidence ‘I am justice’ is a rather cheesy and childish thing to say out loud, though I read it as both what started as a child’s stubbornness and what L became, as he positioned himself as a barrier to prevent crimes.

L suppresses himself, represses his emotions; he tries to control them, as Fu Takashi says in an interview, he is “dependent on games or battles of the mind”. Perhaps this is a consequence of the foundations of his personality. Despite L’s innate stubbornness, it could be argued that this is as much his fault as it is Watari’s, who didn’t nurture L’s social skills as he should have when he was a child. By not having an outlet outside of his hobby, L is trapped in a prison of his own making. Superficially, L is a “smart guy who hates losing”, but what about the rest? What about the things that make him human, the connections with others? In the same interview, it is mentioned how L feels lonely and needs affection. But what affection can you get when you isolate yourself from the world and keep everyone at arm’s length? He’s not a machine. Even machines become obsolete with time, and need outside help to keep functioning.

As for the latter point, if everyone around L is trying to step on him, humiliate him and surpass him, then it’s only natural that his emotional defences would be up. Aside from Watari, whose loyalty he can count on, he’s alone. L has no one else. And everyone around him will have a dangerous, significant probability to betray him.

Next in part 02: About romance, having someone close and intimate, the meaning of the Monster speech.

Tagging @rinneroraito and @sharkiethrts who might be interested in this meta.

#death note #l lawliet #death note meta #light yagami #spiraling trap #l lawliet headcanons #l lawliet x reader #watari #mello #mello death note #nate river #mihael keehl #near death note #beyond birthday #another note #l change the world #l death note #l lawliet death note

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kohabielnin · 6 months ago

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Helo,hello , I really really enjoy your Truth and inference series, and I'm so happy that your request box is open.

/*excited noises

Can I request the whole truth and inference cast reacting to a modern reader?(I really think there should be more idv x modernreader fictions),thank you, thank you.😘

Of course, I love exploring more of the T&I universe so it always excites me to be asked something about

D.M/Désire Mélodis

• When he discovered it, it was as if a million new possibilities had appeared to him,

• If with the knowledge of the time, it was already dangerous, with modern knowledge then...

• Everyone realized that he was treating you better than he treated others, just so he wouldn't lose you to Mr. Inference,

• Tuberose got a little jealous when he realized that D.M was treating you well and Gatto was deeply afraid of that,

• Passing on the knowledge you have to D.M can be one of the most dangerous things to do, you can't predict what this man will do,

• In general, even though he has ulterior motives for you, he seems to treat you well because he wants to, not to get information out of you, he is a real mystery

Noir/Saphir Mélodis

• He found this extremely interesting when he learned,

• Just as he found it interesting, the concern came in threefold,

• He doesn't want D.M to find out for fear of what his brother might do to you,

• Crimson also helps you hide your secret, since according to herself, nothing will stop her from treating you like a little sister,

• Sometimes, out of curiosity, Noir asks what things are like in the modern world and never ceases to be surprised by his answers,

• According to him, he would love to see how everything will turn out, but he knows he won't live long enough for that, so he is content just listening to their stories

Gatto/Aesop Carl

• First he was shocked, then excited, and finally confused,

• What would a person from the future be doing in the past, he thought, but the excitement of learning new things about chemistry was greater,

• He asked, even in a shy way, for you to teach everything you knew about medicine and modern chemistry,

• I can say that I have never seen a Gatto as excited as he was while you explained and demonstrated everything you knew to him,

• Even Cat was fascinated by his knowledge after making a delicious salmon dish that she had never even dreamed of trying before,

• You and Gatto made a promise that this would be your secret and no one else would know

Mr. Inference/Naib Subedar

• He was very excited for several reasons and one of them was that with his knowledge of his time, he would get evidence to put D.M behind bars,

• Lady Truth scolded him for thinking about using you to get rid of D.M, then he apologized to you,

• To make up for what he wanted to do, he bought you a basket of sweets which he shared with White and Lady Truth,

• You taught Mr. Inference everything you knew out of your own free will and he learned much faster than you imagined,

• For him, meeting you was like a blessing from the gods, after all, even if you weren't someone from modern times, you were still a great companion for him and his friends, so he felt grateful for that

White/Saphir Mélodis

• When you felt comfortable telling him, it was his happiest day, even though he already knew,

• Every fraction of a second, this boy asked a different question,

• Even though it was tiring answering so many questions, seeing his surprised and interested look, it was worth all the tiredness,

• Whenever you finish answering his questions, q he will say that I would love to be able to see with my own eyes what you are talking about,

• Even if it feels sad in your chest to hear him say that and know it's a lie, you still smile and say, who knows...

�� Of course he notices that you are sad and showers you with affection, after all, for him, seeing your sad face is worse than death

#identity v x reader #joseph desaulnier x reader #identity v truth & inference #joseph desaulnier d.m #aesop carl x reader #naib subedar x reader #aesop carl gatto #eli clark noir #eli clark x reader #eli clark white #naib subedar mr. inference

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paintingpuff · 5 months ago

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HB The Full Moon, and Stolas' Mistakes from Trauma

A lot of people have correctly pointed out that Blitzø lashing out in TFM is a trauma response, but what I haven't seen as many talk about is how Stolas’ reactions are also a trauma response.

Longer analysis under the cut

Throughout the series you can see that when Stolas is upset or vulnerable in front of other people, he defaults to politeness and royal decorum.

Some good examples of him doing this in front of Blitzø is Ozzie’s. When Blitzø insults his date outfit Stolas is visibly upset, but quickly regains his composure into a noble strut, and when Blitzø pushes him away at the end of the episode Stolas gives him a formal bow. Only when Blitzø drives away does Stolas give himself the freedom to cry (and even then it looks like he's holding himself back, even when alone).

Stolas not being willing to cry (especially in front of other people) is also a common through line, and both of these behaviors can be very easily rooted back to his father. Throughout The Circus we see Paimon policing the way Stolas expresses himself, such as scolding him for crying or bowing to an imp.

This is also why he got such a thrill when flirting with Blitzø, since that’s one of the only times where he can be very outgoing and crass.

In regards to his relationship with Octavia and Stella, Stolas clearly is taking on the role of the Peacemaker for the sake of Octavia. This is pretty explicitly stated in The Circus, but can also be inferred from the fact that Octavia didn't realize her parents hated each other so much until she was older back in LooLoo Land.

So Stolas’ strategy for dealing with Stella is not to match her anger and potentially escalate the conflict, but instead quietly endure for the sake of peace (and appearances). Even when he's visibly angry at Stella during their Still-Not-Divorced party, he doesn’t even speak to her. He just withdraws with some alcohol (and then Blitzø). His strategy to things that upset him (and especially anger or cruelty directed at him) seems to be to just leave as soon as he possibly can, and if he can't then endure it without showing how upset he is.

(It's also worth pointing out that what Stella described when she and Stolas sleep together also looks like withdrawing behavior. It's just all over their marriage, really.)

So during their confrontation in The Half Moon, you can see Stolas go through every single one of these trauma responses as he feels like Blitzø rejects him.

When Blitzø harshly pushes back against Stolas’ confession (because Blitzø cannot comprehend someone sincerely liking him like that), you see Stolas put his regal hat back on and emotionally retreat to his usual politeness with "I wish you the best for your business," before physically retreating by walking out of the room.

My guess is he was already close to crying by this point and was trying to withdraw from the situation before Blitzø could see it, but Blitzø chases after him. Even as Blitzø yells at him, he keeps his face turned away as much as possible.

He never interrupts or argues back when Blitzø lashes out at him (which could be reminiscent of the way Stella always lashed out). He then gives his single response, unable to hold back the tears anymore (which Stolas only barely turns for Blitzø to see), before a quick goodbye and teleporting Blitzø away before he can even receive an apology.

(Also, since this is definitely the first time Blitzø has ever seen Stolas cry, this moment hits even harder for the both of them.)

If Stolas had waited a little longer to hear that apology, or just stayed to let Blitzø process what he was hearing, the break up might not have happened. But then he wouldn't be acting like Stolas, would he?

A lot of people have correctly pointed out that Stolas was incorrect in not giving Blitzø the proper time to process any of their conversation, and that Blitzø’s trauma made him react the way he did. But what I do love about how the confrontation was written is that it's not all one party's fault or the other. Both of their traumas have instilled certain responses that clash beautifully this episode, between Blitzø’s instinct to push back and Stolas’ instinct to pull away.

It's a goddamn soap opera and I love it.

(Side note: the trailer revealed clips that seems to show Stolas' going on a petty revenge streak with Blitzø due to this breakup, which I think will be both fun to watch and a good/interesting step for Stolas' character. It will be one of the few times he properly expresses his anger and makes a scene rather than placate one. Though with that kind of intoxicating rage I can definitely see him taking it too far, especially since the breakup wasn't solely Blitzø's fault, but both parties are likely to interpret it that way. Thus, the soap opera continues.)

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #stolas #stolitz #blitzo #puff talks #puff analysis #helluva boss analysis #also immensely funny this episode came out right at the end of may #truly a way to celebrate pride month for the sad gays

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neteyamslovrr · 2 years ago

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Fly With You

summary: Y/N desperately wants to ride along with Neteyam during the raids but he is hugely against it leading to some cruel words and meaningful apologies.

neteyam x fem!reader, one-shot, hurt comfort, 1.1k words

──── ⑅*❀*⑅ ────

Neteyam rubbed his face in frustration looking down at you and your pleading look.

“Please Neteyam, ask your father if I can join these raids. I’m as good a warrior as the rest of you!” You pleaded with him holding your hands together looking up at Neteyam with pursed lips.

“I already said no Y/N, I refuse to ask, and I refuse to let you go.” He stated in a harsh tone making you frown more then you already were. You both had been alone in the Sully’s tent arguing about the planned raid for hours, yet no progress had been made between the two of you.

You turned to sit on a small log like stool still looking up at Neteyam with an ever-hopeful look. He was your best friend, but not only that. You were to be promised mates soon, to be forever lovers to look over the Omatikaya clan. You were stubborn about following them to the raid tomorrow, you were just as good as a warrior and deserved to be there. But as stubborn as you were, so was Neteyam and he refused to allow you within a 100km radius from the raid.

“Do you not think I deserve to fly with you Neteyam?” The moment you said this you knew it pissed him off. The flicker of fury behind his eyes and slight shake of his head making his braid beads click made you nervously fidget for his response.

“You know I did not say that Y/N” Neteyam replied stoically not a single ounce of emotion in his voice. “You know I did not say that!” he slightly raised his voice pacing backwards away from you.

“It’s called inferring, it’s not hard to tell” you scoffed, rolling your eyes at him. Slightly turning in your seat to face away from your fuming lover. “I just want to be a good warrior! I need to help my people!”

“Why can’t you just listen Y/N?” He pleaded with you; a begging tone interlaced into his voice. Stepping towards you again he faces you. “I refuse to ask to let you go! You cannot come to the raid. It’s dangerous!” Maybe it was the fact that he said that you cannot come or the way he refused to even give you the possibility to let you join him. But it made you jolt up off your seat and be within fingers reach distance to Neteyam. You looked into his golden eyes watching them sparkle with frustration.

“Am I not a good enough warrior for you Neteyam?! Do I not fly my ikran well enough to fly with you?” You threw your hands in the air in frustration. Maybe you were trying to rile him up, get him to react. You just wanted him to agree with you. But the beast you awakened within Neteyam was not worth it.

“You know what Y/N- fine. You’re not a good enough warrior! Did you want me to say it right here? Loud enough for the furthest creatures to hear me! You cannot fly with the warriors tomorrow! Father would never let you! I refuse to fly with you! You are not good enough!” He spat in your face, his face burning and his heartbeat quick. He was left shaking with the anger inside him.

You looked up at him, never had you seen him this way, so angry, so upset with you. Your eyes burned as you held your tears in. His words hurt but you worked them out of him. Yet, that did not stop the ache in your chest, the feeling of your heart beating deep in your stomach.

Just as you were about to say something, you heard the rustle of the tent opening and there stood Jake and Lo’ak back from a flight together.

“I’ve got to go. Neteyam don’t follow me.” You rushed out of the tent smashing your shoulder against Neteyam’s chest.

“Wait no Y/N.” He quietly pleaded watching you whisp away as he facepalmed himself.

“I thought I taught you how to treat your woman well” Jake sneered flicking the back of Neteyam’s head.

It was now the day of the raid, and you laid sulking in your family’s tent recapping the argument between you and your lover. You knew you stirred him up yet that didn’t make his words hurt any less. ‘You are not good enough’ replayed in your mind over and over.

Neteyam knew he must apologize to you. None of the words he meant, he was just sick and tired of arguing with you and hit a breaking point. He saw you curled into yourself on your bed and his heart ached. This is not how he is meant to treat his mate; he is supposed to cherish her and yet here you lay in front of him.

“Y/N” he spoke softly sitting beside you. You shuffle to sit upwards still a great distance further then you would usually sit by him. “I need to apologize to you, I should not-“

You interrupted him by putting your hand on his knee. “Am I really not good enough?” the way your voice cracked slightly and the tears you had tried to hold in hopelessly fell down your blue cheeks made Neteyams heart feel like it shattered into pieces. He grabbed your hips and pulled you into his lap to face him.

“Y/N you are the best being Eywa has blessed upon me, I am grateful every day to share the same air as you. I wake up excited every day knowing I one day will get to wake up next to you for eternity. You are more than good enough. You are the clan’s best warrior and best to be Tsa’hik. I promise every word I said yesterday was because of my anger and was not a true reflection of the utter love I carry for you.” Neteyam held onto you tightly staring into your eyes waiting eagerly for some sort of response from you.

“But why couldn’t I come” You asked with your head resting on his shoulder so he couldn’t see the tears you were still crying. He lightly traced his fingers along the stripes of your back with a deep sigh.

“I cannot bare the thought of losing you, I fear a world where you do not reside in it, my beautiful Y/N.” Your quiet sobs turned into loud apologies to Neteyam as you pepper him with kisses.

“I’m so sorry my love, I was too stubborn with you.”

“Do not cry my love, the day is ahead of us.” He kissed your lips softly, smiling sweetly still tracing your back, and together you stayed intertwined with each other enjoying the others company until it was time for Neteyam to board his Ikran for the raid.

──── ⑅*❀*⑅ ────

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readychilledwine · 2 months ago

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Hiraeth (Elain's version)

Elain Archeron Week - Day 4 - Home

Summary - Longing for home brings Elain to search for happiness in places she least expects it

Warnings - Food fighting

A/N - A little late for @elainarcheronweek day 4! I apologize. One of my favorite things in SJM's series is specifically the found sisterhood she always seems to give her characters, and I'm very excited for Elain to find hers.

🌸Elain Week Masterlist🌸Master Masterlist🌸

The screaming from the kitchen was enough to make the Inner Circle run in, thoughts of the absolute worst happening in their minds. The scene that stood before them was the opposite of what they had in mind, though.

Nuala was hiding, ducked behind the kitchen island as she threw flour at Elain. Elain had hidden behind a pantry door and quickly ducked before tossing a blueberry back at the shadow wraith. Cerridwen was stuck between them, ingredients raining on her as she tried to dodge things and threw partially cracked eggs at both females.

The normally sparkling kitchen was covered with ingredients and ringing with laughter. Everyone looked to Azriel, silently inferring he would have to be the one to break it up, but the male stood there, rapidly shaking his head with a soft smile.

The twins needed this, Elain needed this. Elain for months now had been stuck in this state of limbo. Nesta had found sisterhood in Emerie and Gwyn, her time now occupied by them and books. Feyre had found it in Mor and Amren, quiet giggles shared between the 3 of them. But Elain, sweet Elain had been alone. She ached for the feeling of home. For a place she never knew.

She was happy for her sisters, undeniably. Feyre had sacrificed so much, so her happiness was something Elain celebrated. Nesta has fought to recover and better herself, so to Elain the new friendships made sense.

But it is lonely when you watch the ones you love the most climb to their peak. Especially when you are stuck in a valley.

That valley became crowded slowly, though. Twin shadows lingering at her side had become that sense she was looking for, and it was clear to everyone as Elain sent more blueberries flying, a wide rare smile on her flawless face.

She saw Rhysand's eye twitching from the corner of her vision, saw him becoming frustrated as the mess grew and grew, and it only furthered her ambition for fun. Fruit went his way quickly, the room falling silently as he stood there shocked. Nuala doubled down, throwing flour at the High Lord, an almost shriek coming from his throat, “Don't you dare,” he pointed to Cerridwen.

The female was covered in things as well, glaring softly at her sister and Elain. Time beat on slowly as the three of them stared each other down, waiting to see who would make the next move.

“No,” Rhys said firmly. “Outside. You three can continue outside.”

That day became nights, weeks spent with the three of them in Velaris, in the kitchen, in Elain's room. She learned their differences, they're favorite treats. She learned of the burdens the twin wraiths carried as Azriel's right hand spies.

Her nights without them were empty and passed with her sitting in the window, waiting for their return home.

When they were gone, the Riverhouse was nothing more than 4 walls, empty silent halls, and stale air. But when they were with her, when they were home, Elain felt the house was alive. Like it could breathe with every breath, like it had a heart beat in sync with their own. She began to associate their scent with safety. The sound of their footsteps with happiness. Their laughter with music.

Elain found herself in them and they echoed that sentiment.

Another month passed and the food war began again over cookies. Dresses stained with chocolate, sugar leaving granules in every crevice. Yet no one from the Inner Circle came. The screams of laughter were welcomed, the mess expected.

All they had wanted was for Elain to find her place.

And in the shadow wraith twins, she did.

General Taglist:

@hnyclover @glitterypirateduck @slytherinindisguise @mischiefmanagers @bloodicka @starsinyourseyes @the-sweet-psycho @mariahoedt @rinalouu @sarawritestories @starryhiraeth @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @loneliestluvr @eternallyelvish @azrielsmate3 @daughterofthemoons-stuff @meritxellao @aria-chikage @hungryforbatboys @lilah-asteria @fandomrejects @sleepybesson @tayswhp @itsswritten @milswrites @littlest-w01f

#elizabeths.updates #send asks #send anons #acotar #elain archeron acotar #elain archeron #pro elain #elain archeron week #elain archeron week day 4

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fishsticksloser · 2 years ago

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Hi its 🐺 anon! Could you write the rise turtles with an s/o who looks really intimidating at first but is a total cinnamon Roll?

Intimidating!Reader

RotTMNT x gn!reader

Warnings: fluff, aged up, inferred to be yo'kai/mutant but not explicitly mentioned

A/N: I've been told I'm pretty intimidating, so I tried my best! Raph is definitely like this...

Donnie

Normally people stayed away from him

He wasn't intimidating so to speak, but he just looked mean

Like one wrong move/word and he would destroy you verbally

Then he saw you

It wasn't love at first sight, he doesn't believe in that

But after seeing you interact with Mikey he started having feelings

If you get along with his favorite brother, you're gold in his eyes

People didn't approach you because you were intimating, could probably beat up anyone that laid eyes on you

No one approached Donnie because he will destroy their confidence, ego

But he knew the real you

He'd do anything to make you smile because it made him happy

In turn, you'd try to make him smile

You were always gentle with things, especially Donnie's projects

You gushed every time he made you something

He's down bad

Leo

He's extremely friendly

He's charismatic and sassy

People tended to like him or be pretty neutral towards him

You made him anxious, all he could think about was how you could obliterate him with a snap of your fingers

Once he saw you out with friends, you guys were grocery shopping for an elderly lady that lived next door

He fell hard

The next time Leo saw you he swallowed his anxiety and talked to you

When you started dating, he realized just how soft you were

Always putting others before yourself, like he did

You would bake and cook with his brothers

You cried almost every time he bought something for you

You protect Leo at all costs

It made him realize why his brothers hated it when he did the same thing

Mikey

He can make friends with anyone

He's sweet and playful, an absolute joy to be around

So when he met you, he was terrified.

You were intimating like Raph, but he didn't know if you had the same soft center he did

One day when Mikey was out with Todd in the woods and he saw you

You were picking flowers with some kids

You'd told him you were a teacher and you came here with the kids often

Outdoor teaching and everything

He knew he had to ask you out

You beat him to it though

Dating was a blast with you

He joins you and your class outside most days, enjoying the sun

He spent a lot of time painting with you and other hobbies you both enjoyed

No matter how gently you held out touched him, you'd apologize

He never has to use Dr. Feelings or Dr. Delicate Touch

Raph

He's pretty intimidating

People avoided him, worried he'd pulverize them

The embodiment of "looks like he can kill you, is a cinnamon roll"

Much like you

When you 2 meet, he was very guarded, wouldn't let you close to his brothers

Raph saw you volunteering, helping others and he saw that you were like him

He made a plan to ask you out

Which failed, but you 2 ended up spending a lot of time alone together

You never ended up talking about dating, but seemed to come to that agreement

You regarded his siblings with soft words

You knew they weren't kids, but because of your intimating nature, you had a habit of doing so

Raph loves cuddling with you, although it's a little rough with his spikes and shell, it's enjoyable

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createandconstruct · 3 months ago

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Any dadmight headcanons?? 👀👉👈

An excuse to gush about dadmight?????? Anon...thank you so much 🥹

I don't even know how to organize these so I'm just gonna start??? (Under read more cause we kinda lost control?)

During those 10 months of training Izuku actually opened up a lot to All Might. Some of this is Toshi probing but it's also because for the first time Izuku actually feels like someone is really, truly listening to him

Toshi knows (but also infers because Izuku isn't one to point blame) the extent of the bullying and Bakugou's involvement in it, but Izuku made him promise not to do or say anything about it

Which yes Toshi kept his word but he also made sure the behavior was absolutely not continuing as Izuku promised it wasn't (cue Toshinori texting Izuku more frequently, eyeing him for injury a little more carefully during training, asking a few more questions about his day, and giving him a ride home even when Izuku insists he doesn't need it)

This, on top of answering Izuku's training questions for days they don't meet, actually opens the floodgates for them to start messaging each other quite frequently

Though Toshinori definitely prefers talking face to face or on a phone call. Case in point: he's horrible at responding. The first couple weeks of their messaging this stresses Izuku the fuck out because he follows hero news so he knows when All Might is out fighting so when the man isn't and isn't answering - well obviously Izuku screwed something up, All Might's annoyed, and Izuku's ruined the one single great thing he's ever gotten

What follows is a training session where Izuku is sullen and not at all as energetic as he usually is which prompts Toshi to so gently ask him what's wrong. It's so caring and sincere that Izuku crumbles stammering out apologies for bothering All Might with his over texting and Toshi is simply ?????? because he was convinced he had responded? And Izuku is just ?????? And they both look at their messages and then All Might is apologizing because he saw those messages and really thought he had texted Izuku back! And oh! It was a misunderstanding! Thank goodness! Training ends early as Izuku can't stop crying with relief. It leaves Toshi flailing a bit at the reaction and it's what really solidifies how easy to tears the kid actually is.

But this is what forces Toshi to realize he needs to get a little better at being a bit more prompt with his replies. He's a little out of practice considering the only person he's talked to in the last few years in Tsukauchi

Once Izuku starts UA they don't message each other as often since they pretty much see each other everyday but Izuku will sometimes send off a little report about how his day or a specific class went if he doesn't have heroics

Toshi is also very much an emote/emoji user and loves the thumbs up. Izuku loves it too because whenever Toshi sends one he can practically envision his hero throwing it up with a smile right there in front of him.

(Spoilers for the end of manga) I imagine that when Izuku graduates and starts attending university for teaching things slightly shift though and he is absolutely FLOODED by messages. Toshi steps back from teaching and actually takes time to enjoy his retirement. He travels quite a bit (in part because of the Iron Deku armor) but it barely even feels like he's gone for Izuku because legit Every. Free. Moment Toshinori is sending Izuku pictures and little updates from his trips

And the messages are a spectrum. Izuku either gets random photos with 0 context and no caption while he's in the middle of lecture OR Toshinori sends a picture with some silly caption or pun followed by an entire PARAGRAPH of what he's up to

And while the novelty of All Might texting him never truly wears off sometimes Izuku's so busy that he can't respond right away

There's a one time where Toshi, all the way across the Pacific, doesn't get a response (because Izuku has just stayed up all night writing a term paper like the good little college student he is) and (admittedly, a little selfishly, cause Toshi's allowed to be) he just sends Izuku a : (

Izuku wakes up, sees it, and is h o r r i f i e d

He sends a frantic apologetic message and Toshi calls him back laughing and telling him not worry. He tells Izuku to make it up to him by taking a break from studying to go out to eat with him once he's back in Japan

On the topic of traveling, Toshi also ALWAYS brings Izuku souvenirs back. The first few trips he gets little touristy items per the location and while Izuku is always happy and appreciative Toshi ends up going back to gifting rare, exclusive hero merch he sometimes finds (searches/pulls some strings for) because that's still the thing that makes Izuku beam and that's all Toshinori wants to do in his later years

And whenever Toshi is back home they spend quite a lot of time together. They'll see movies together, go out for food, and sometimes Izuku will drop by Toshi's place and just to do homework since it's quiet and they both appreciate the company. Izuku has even fall asleep a few times there and it always makes Toshinori all the more thankful he'd gotten a place with a guest room. One that is specifically tailored to Izuku's preferences mind you.

#okay I'm cutting myself off there because I could keep GOING #this doesn't even include the toshinko dadmight headcanons #or the ANGST headcanons #thanks anon I love you this was so fun #mha #dad might #izuku midoriya #yagi toshinori #all might #dadmight #bnha #asks

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sirenjose · 19 days ago

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Truth & Inference - The Voyage of Oceanus, Noir, and The Proof of Azoth's Theorem

I got questions from @empireofvampires and @meyjhii involving Truth & Inference. Apologies it's taken me this long to get around to answering them! I posted some thoughts on the event when it first came out (the 1st were my "predictions", and the 2nd were my thoughts once we the 2nd trailer came out), but I'll work on the summary and any analyses that I can do for the Voyage of Oceanus, as well as my thoughts on Noir/White and whether he was experimented on, and a small summary and a couple of the major points of the Proof of Azoth's Theorem (sorry I didn't think there was enough to do much, but I can if someone's really desperate for it).

(I have not proofread this, sorry. I'll try to edit out any mistakes later.)

The Voyage of Oceanus - Summary

So we know Frederick's (Phantom Sail's) dad, Professor Schelling, was part of a research team on the research vessel "Isembard". Also on that voyage was Violetta's (Mercator Projection) dad, Professor Branley. Branley experimented with the mutated jellyfish's toxins on the rest of the vessel's passengers, causing hallucinations and eventually to the ship sinking. Professor Schelling as well as all his students died that day, 25 years before the present. Frederick was too young to inherit any of his father's knowledge or "academic achievements", but he discovers the truth of that voyage by the time he grew up. 25 years later, he recreates the voyage (with the help of DM) as closely as possible, even ensuring the passengers are similar to the original ones and play their assigned roles.

Mr. Inference is requested to solve the mystery of the Isembard by "Richard Worthington", the supposed last survivor of the sinking. Soon after, he is offered an identity (Theodore Banks) to allow Inference to partake in the voyage by an anonymous individual, who states their reason for doing so is because their "interests are aligned in this matter".

Professor Branley's daughter is also included in the voyage. She is to be the cartographer whose chart will retrace the route of the original Isembard. During the voyage, passengers start hallucinating due to poisoning from the jellyfish toxins. Inference discovers this as well as that the chart Violetta is using is incorrect, and that Frederick is the one behind everything. Frederick wanted to investigate the jellyfish at the "heart of Oceanus" and has been testing "refined" toxins (as part of a new drug) on the passengers. Even Inference was affected, who passed out after confronting Frederick about the truth, with Frederick also eventually finding out that he was Inference. Frederick later states that if Violetta charts them a route home and if the other passengers stay ignorant of the experiments, he won't do anything to them. Additionally, Frederick wants Inference to help "thwart a certain scheme" concocted by DM. To all this, Inference agrees, and after dropping off the other passengers, he then departs to fulfill the new request.

So, the few things that catch my eye is the anonymous individual who provided Inference his fake identity to board the Isembard, the drugs (made from "refined" jellyfish toxins) that Frederick is using to poison everyone, and whatever "scheme" of DM's that Frederick wants Inference to stop.

The Anonymous Individual

The anonymous individual is someone who was aware that Inference had gotten a request regarding the Isembard, and thus at least is someone who's heard of Inference's name and works as a detective. It's possible that whoever it is relates to wherever Inference is being sent next, and whatever this "scheme" is.

Initially, I wondered if the client that originally hired Inference to investigate the Isembard was Frederick and if the anonymous person was DM.

The former idea I now believe is incorrect as Frederick implies he wasn't originally aware: "Had I uncovered your identity, perhaps you truly would have met your end on the deck that day".

As for the latter, I'm not 100% certain it is based on how the person says: "I did conduct a little private investigation into you and your firm in advance, but considering how quickly our time is running out, please forgive me for forcing such a bold introduction". This makes it sound like someone who's not super familiar with Inference and his detective agency. Not to mention how the person talks about "our time is running out". That doesn't sound quite like DM, who I don't think is ever in any hurry to sound like that, unless he's acting since Inference has no idea who he's talking to. But still. At the moment, I'm leaning more towards this being someone we will be introduced to in the next event, when we get to find out where Inference was sent to.

However, an idea I’ll get more into later, I wonder if this person may be Gatto.

We already got a small reference to him in the Zinaida event (the doctor who gave the drug that helped Ada with the outbreak at the children’s hospital), so maybe we’ll finally be able to see him appear in an event. Gatto would be someone who isn’t super familiar with Mr. Inference, but we have seen him “[conducting] a little private investigation into you and your firm in advance” based on the article we see Gatto reading at the end of his comic. That and the cork board in front of Gatto’s desk at the end of his trailer that details many of the events tied to Mr. Inference and his detective agency.

We even see him communicating with Inference in Gatto’s trailer based on the paper Inference is holding with the image of Gatto’s cat on it.

To go along with this, there is even a mention in the comic that would fit with the idea Gatto would sound like he’s in a hurry like the anonymous person sounds in their message to Inference. In the comic, he has a message from the Ulliel family stating they’ve prepared the lab and everything he needs to do the experiments now that he’s joined the Ulliel family. At the end of that message though, it states “Please do not forget about the agreement between us. Time has a limit”. If Gatto is facing a time limit, that’d explain why he sounds rushed and has little time to talk with Inference.

That and Gatto, due to his connection to the Ulliel family, would be familiar with DM (we even see them in the same place in Gatto’s comic and trailer).

DM is connected to Frederick, with DM being the one to fund the whole recreation of the Isembard and the voyage itself. Therefore, that means there’s a chance Gatto would have heard about this upcoming voyage DM (and Frederick) have planned and he would have an interest in the matter due to the involvement of the drugs (and the anonymous individual implies they have a shared interest), which Gatto’s trailer and end of his comic imply he wants to stop (or at least investigate).

But I’ll get more into this idea a little later when we discuss the “scheme” Frederick wants Inference to stop.

Frederick's Drug

Regarding the drugs, it's possible it may be connected to 1 of the drugs we're already aware of. This includes "Eternal Beauty" and "Delphi".

Delphi was a product of 1 of the failures of the Eternal Beauty experiments. It is a hallucinogenic that smells like datura and can cause death in large quantities (it is corrosive).

Eternal Beauty is a drug we know Ulliel (and Gatto) was attempting to create, and the successful version of the Delphi drug DM referenced. We know Eternal Beauty helped Ada (Else Goodwin) treat an outbreak at the children's hospital and had the side effect of causing drowsiness.

Both drugs were created using the same "ferns" (which based on implications regarding the doctor Ada got the drugs from, Ulliel is closely connected to these "ferns").

Hallucinations and drowsiness link these 2 drugs to the paint Tuberose used on Bélóstáin. That paint was made using the "special plant specimens" on that island, which are created by Rosemary via a "secret formula". Rosemary had created these plants to allow her to "[take] control of the island". We know DM eventually gained her trust, thus resulting in Rosemary sharing her formula with DM, who we know is invested in the above drug experiments.

Regarding the drug/toxins Frederick used on the Isembard, we know it causes hallucinations (which Inference first witnesses via Alice aka Candid Portrait), unconsciousness (Violetta aka Mercator Projection), and Frederick essentially implied it can cause death too based on his threats. Due to the similarities, it's possible his drug is Delphi or is an improved version of it.

The other difference I wondered about is Frederick seems to possess both “a poison derived from the toxins” of the jellyfish as well as a “highly effective antidote”. When Delphi was 1st introduced to us, we never learned about an “antidote” (likely since Zinaida had already died due to the drug, so there was no point), though it did say death is only caused via “large quantities”. This makes me think, if less of the drug was used on Zinaida, maybe she would’ve been like the passengers of the Isembard after they were poisoned. I wonder, if this is indeed a difference, maybe this could be part of Frederick’s goal for this voyage. To investigate the jellyfish at the heart of Oceanus, test out his poison, but to also test out his antidote? Unless he already developed the antidote and knew it work, but again it’s just a thought since I can’t help wondering.

DM's Scheme

There is little we can say about whatever scheme Frederick is asking Inference to stop, as unfortunately he gave no details. But I did want to bring up 1 idea based on the theory the "anonymous individual" is Gatto.

In the comic with his package, Gatto wants to complete his experiments to create a successful Eternal Beauty. The 1 subject that showed some success is stolen by Noir. Paranormal Detective tries to dissuade Gatto from continuing to work with the Ulliel family, saying they may be conducting unlawful/illegal experiments (and even calls the origins of the experimental products "suspicious"). Gatto says they only want to "help the living attain eternal youth", though he is beginning to have some doubts in the back of his head. Paranormal Detective then warns Gatto to be cautious of the Ulliel family and pay attention to their actions. Sometime later, we see Gatto mention the research will continue once the new experimental equipment arrive. Gatto is looking at an article on the detective Mr. Inference. After which, he puts on a gas mask and thinks to himself that, if he really is mistaken, he'll "need the detectives' assistance".

Therefore, I wonder if the "scheme" Frederick wants Inference to stop involves DM's drug experiments with the Ulliel family. Frederick said he'd take him to the "requisite location", which could be the Ulliel facility we see in Gatto's trailer and comic. At the end, he adds Inference can leave once the task is complete, at which point he says "the decision will be entirely yours if you choose to make these events known to the world or seek to apprehend their designer and pursue legal action". This implies the "scheme" is potentially illegal/unlawful enough where Inference will have the option to "pursue legal action" if he wants, which would fit the situation with the Ulliel family implied by Paranormal Detective.

It's possible this "scheme" and the anonymous individual are completely different from any of my guesses here, but this is just the only one that I was able to develop enough to guess what the "scheme" was. Otherwise, it'll just be someone new and a scheme we'll have to wait until the next T&I event to see.

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Noir/White - Experiment?

Speaking of Eternal Beauty, someone had asked about the “001” marking on White/Noir’s collarbone and whether he was experimented on.

The “001” I believe lines up with the “M001” one 1 of the pages (the 1 labeled “Diagnostic Center”) from White’s package.

The file labeled “Diagnostic Center” mentions White’s “physical dysfunction and memory loss were probably caused by poisoning. This can match with how in White’s regular file (labeled Orpheus Detective Agency) Inference says “his body seems to have been affected by some kind of drug”.

White was found unconscious outside their detective agency with amnesia and “instinctively resistant” to recall his past.

The diagnostic file in comparison refers to him being in a “coma” and unable to recall any memories from before it.

In addition, White’s report describes him possessing a fear of heat and sunlight.

The diagnostic file does not make any mention to this, though it does state he was extremely thirsty and had a dry throat upon awakening. Besides that, it also lists him having headaches and “visual and auditory hallucinations”.

As for my thoughts, White was found “unconscious”/in a “coma” and experiences “hallucinations”, with his body affected by “some kind of drug” and his other symptoms caused by “poisoning”. This somewhat makes me think of the symptoms experienced by Violetta on the Isembard. Details are scant, but we know she was knocked out after being “poisoned” by Frederick’s drug made from “refined jellyfish toxins”. It doesn’t say she was in a “coma”, but it does say she had “entered a deep state of unconsciousness” and did not respond to noise while in this state. It also said her “breathing is weak”, which makes me think of White’s report mentioning hypopnea, which causes shallow breathing and reduced oxygen levels. She also only recovers once Frederick cures her, and it seems she might’ve stayed unconscious until that happened as it says later, once Frederick cures her, that was when she finally “[regained] her senses”. She doesn’t appear to have any loss of memory, though we don’t have all the details of the scene when she awakes. And even if she didn’t experience hallucinations, we know the other passengers who were poisoned did.

I do wonder if Frederick’s antidote is something new, and in which case if it’d help White at all? It’s possible it wouldn’t since Frederick’s poisoned is described to use “refined” toxins, and thus it might be different version than whatever was used on White, but still just a thought I had.

Continuing with my other thoughts, we know Noir stole some variant of Eternal Beauty. 1 that seemingly showed at least some success.

Based on Gatto’s comic, I wonder if the “experimental subjects” used for his Eternal Beauty experiments were derived from or used on the individuals from the missing persons cases referenced in Gatto’s trailer.

Later in that trailer, we see Gatto and Paranormal Detective looking shocked at some medical room with a number of bodies (likely dead) atop the tables there.

This is likely tied to why Gatto then says “All for that damn drug from that insane family”.

So Gatto and the Ulliel family were already using people as subjects for the Eternal Beauty experiments. It would follow then that DM, who’s shown tied to the Ulliel’s (and how he describes Delphi as a product of 1 of the failed experiments for Eternal Beauty, we can say he’s likely working with them to some degree), would also test sample he stole from the Ulliel’s on a person too. Noir is the 1 who took the drug, so I could see (with what we know of DM) that he’d test it out on Noir.

A thought I had in combination with this, we see in Gatto’s comic that an explosion occurs after he mentions “[adding] the wrong solvent” while working on creating Eternal Beauty. However, it is only after this that 1 of his subjects seems to show some signs of success. What if, once DM got his hands on the sample Noir stole for him (and once he did any further experiments on his own without Ulliel’s involvement, if he did do more experiments or tried to recreate what he had stolen), when he tried to either recreate the drug or test it on Noir, maybe a similar explosion occurred, or a fire started. If that solvent Gatto added is necessary for a successful version of Eternal Beauty, and it is at all capable of causing an explosion depending on the amount and what it’s combined with, maybe this could relate to Noir’s fear of heat?

Either way, Noir/White’s symptoms sound a lot like Orpheus’ after the final game when he was in a coma for a time and woke up without memories. We also see Orpheus hallucinating while at the manor, so he matches up quite a bit with Noir/White.

You could also say Orpheus is also resistant to an extent to recall his (true) memories, regarding the Final Game (which likely causes him to lose Alice) and the tragedy (the death of the DeRoss couple and his involvement in it, as his real parents helped cause it). Orpheus is creating Hydra that can be used to “reconstruct” memories, meaning create new ones that may be close to reality but aren’t the truth (like the Oracle drug from the 2nd anniversary package). It’s possible he’s doing this because he doesn’t want to remember, based on Alice’s letter to Orpheus in the 2nd anniversary package where she says “Please don’t blame yourself for father and mother’s death” and later “I could feel your pain”, while the original backstory for Oletus manor mentions (after their deaths) him being “in a trance for a long time due to the powerful mental shock, and protected himself by closing himself off”.

And speaking of similarities with Orpheus, we know there was a fire at the manor when Orpheus was found in a coma after the final game. In the original backstory, it actually mentions “the cause of the fire was the explosion of the incinerator in the absence of supervision”, so now we have an explosion to connect to the 1 we saw happening to Gatto as he attempted to create Eternal Beauty, while also relates to how these games were happening as part of Orpheus’ own drug experiments and creation of Hydra.

The issue with both “Eternal Beauty” and Orpheus’ experiments is we still aren’t 100% sure of the truth. We know that Gatto says eternal beauty will allow “eternal youth”, but we are also aware that Gatto doesn’t know everything about the Ulliel family and the truth of their unlawful experiments, so we don’t know for sure if that’s all this drug is being created for, or if that’s what it’ll really do. I mean, we know Ulliel has been kidnapping people based on the “missing persons” cases and see their likely bodies in Gatto’s trailer, the same bodies that Gatto may be using in his comic, including the 1 that showed some signs of success.

If these are dead bodies, it does make me question if their purpose is just “eternal youth”.

It does remind me of another thing that has appeared in the main storyline with the manor games. Specifically, a line from Violetta’s 4th letter: “We will forget everything in the past and gain new life”. I forget if this has appeared elsewhere, but the idea that the participants will “forget” but “gain new life” seems to fit Orpheus, who has “forgotten” and has gained “new life” considering he’s not like how he used to be. I do wonder if it’s possible the same sort of thing might’ve happened to the other participants, that they “forgot” everything and thus had to start a “new life”.

The same sort of thing has happened now to Noir/White. He’s forgotten everything and we know he’s different from before, since we’ve seen how he acts as Noir based on his trailer and Gatto’s comic (compared to White’s comic).

This is still an incomplete thought, as this is what I’ve been able to come up with so far. No way to know for certain what’s right or not. These are just theories at the moment until we get answers.

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The Proof of Azoth's Theorem - Important Points

I thought about whether to do something for The Proof of Azoth’s Theorem, but I felt there wasn’t much of note from that event that would be important for the main plot of the series.

Truth reunites with Clio (Arya Miller), who’s inheriting Azoth’s Library from her grandfather.

Helios is obsessed with making the Philosopher’s Stone, and kills the other directors, including his brother (Director Waning Crescent), as well as lures Arya to help with the creation of the stone. Eventually, Helios takes Arya captive, tries to use her blood to make the stone, but it fails. Officer Jose, who had come with Truth to the Library, swims across the “opposite bank” (because “some nuisance pulled up the drawbridge early”) to sneak to a window, break it, then shoot Helios before he can do anything else.

This was the one part I took note of, based on what Officer Jose says to Truth:

“Although I haven't exactly been active in the field for a long while, I haven't lost my touch! Back in the army, even Inference ranked below me!”

When Truth asks about Inference’s rank, Jose responds by saying: “Inference was third, I second...” in terms of rank.

This back-and-forth is the first time we’ve heard anything about Inference’s and Jose’s background. It’s not much, but it does tell us Inference’s position, his relation to Officer Jose, how the 2 met and likely got to know each other, and also the way it leaves open whoever was 1st in rank implies it’s likely something important to note. It could be DM, as we know he was in the military with Inference, or it could be someone else. I’d also like to add, as we know Ronald was also in the army with Inference, if Inference was 3rd and Jose 2nd, Ronald was likely at (if there was more than 1 at the third position) or below 3rd.

Jose’s “pinpoint precision” is another minor detail, and something I’d imagine is shared by the others from the military.

Otherwise, the only other bit from this event that may matter is it’s been 3 months since Inference left on the request regarding the Isembard, and we know he’s already accepted Frederick’s request. I’m unsure how long the Isembard’s voyage from start to finish took and thus how long since then Inference has been away, but noting the time is still good.

#idv #identity v #Truth & Inference #Truth and Inference #T&I #idv truth & inference #idv truth and inference #identity v truth and inference #identity v truth & inference #idv t&i #identity v t&i

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goldenwitherphoenix13 · 1 year ago

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A long post is under the cut, but I think we, as a fandom, moved on far too quickly from the endings of empires smp season 2.

Almost everyone got a happy ending.

Fwhip resigned from the role of the Goblin king.

Joel accended to true God hood.

Sausage grew old in sanctuary and raised Hermes to be an interdimentional warrior.

Gem finished Dawn and chose to stay in Hermitcraft because it was the best choice.

Katherine cured the curse plaguing her land.

Joey got to go on all sorts of adventures after defeating his arch-nemesis Skeletron.

Pix, while not finishing his work, got to tell the story of the ancient ruins.

Lizzie created a fully functioning city of animals to live as they want.

Shelby became one of the most powerful witches and got that date with Katherine.

Scott went off into the sunset with Owen to discover new lands and treasures to steal.

Heck, even Oli got out of debt, even if he ended up accidentally time travelling.

And while False never uploaded her finale, we can easily infer that she continued to expand her empire and make her name for herself.

Who did I miss?

Sheriff Jimmy.

The sheriff, who all the other emperors abandoned. The sheriff, nearly loosing his own identity to a joke. The sheriff, who lost his town to the fae.

Let's not forget Jimmy never left tumble town willingly. He was booted out when the fae corrupted his lands, spreading it throughout his home. He and the old sheriff, Roswell, made the best of a bad situation. I mean, what else can they do? Fight the fae? Fae are powerful creature. Not to be messed with. Fighting them is a one-way ticket to death if they don't decide to hold you a prisoner in their realm.

Jimmy also never got the chance to say goodbye to anyone. Everyone had already left him behind. Joel had accended without saying goodbye to his supposed best bud. Sausage never thought to check in on tumble town. There was no final passing of words—just a note from Fwhip.

And, let's not forget this big bit of information, the thing that still grinds my gears about empires season 2. He is the only villain of season 2 who got no closure, redemption or apology. Shelby was uncorrupted and saved. Sausage supreme was fused into Sausages soul. Skeletron was killed by Katherine, Joey and Shelby. They all got an end to their villainy, wether through being saved or killed.

Jimmy got nothing.

His ending was, in multiple ways, left unfinished. He was still bitter towards the emperors. He was still lacking any human respect. He wasn't given any apology or forgiveness. He was forced out of his home by powerful creatures, trying his best to make good of the darkness left to him.

But it's not all darkness. This isn't a bad ending. I think this end has an underlying subtext not even Jimmy planned for. Something I've seen almost no one talking about.

The sheriff walked away from a toxic environment.

Now is an excellent time to remind you that this is all about the characters. Not the actual content creators. Got it? Good.

Let's be honest. None of the characters in Empires Season 2 were 100% innocent besides maybe Katherine. Some were thieves. Some were filled with pride, some made dubious choices, and some were even a little corrupt. And Jimmy isn't an exception. He was a lil bit dishonest with power sometimes and a lil bit prideful in his name. But the sheriff wasn't evil at first. He still did things to help people. He helped Katherine arrest Joey for theft. He did his best to follow the rules, and he actively sought to stop those committing crimes and try to understand the issue at hand, like with Shelby. And his reward. Constant teasing and mockery.

Everyone, including his allies, still made fun of him. Even his best bud said things behind his back. And this is what made him snap. Not the jokes, but that no one, not even his allies, seemed to show any human decency to him.

And he never got an apology or a moment to put them in their place to tell them that they have done goofed. The sheriff was barely given a chance to build, hardly a chance to breathe. He knows he probably couldn't take them in a fight, but they didn't even give him a chance to talk. They made him sit there and take it like he had no choice.

The sheriff instead chose to walk away. Everyone had left him behind. And with the threat of the fae above him, he decided that the best course of action was to leave the toxic lands behind. Lands full of pranks and mistakes that would only ever remind him of his negative attributes.

The sheriff stayed with the one person who ever showed him any sliver of true friendship—the old sheriff. The old sheriff helped reverse the effects of the lore potion with an unnamed potion he found at Shelbys. He helped Jimmy defend the town from a raid. He stayed with him through thick and thin. Sure, he isn't the best influence, but he's better than the world around them.

Ultimately, Jimmy's finale wasn't the good ending like everyone else's. Villains rarely ever get those. Instead, it's a bittersweet goodbye from the two sheriffs off to find a new home far away to the lands of one that brought sorrow, even if at least one of them has some anger issues to work through.

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maleyanderecafe · 1 year ago

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Mad Room No.3 (Visual Novel)

Created by: bbboxxx

Genre: Visual Novel

Mad Room No.3 is a Japanese game translated into English with an interesting vibe. I believe that Sasagawa is a sub in this one (it's a little hard to tell with the translations but his actions do seem to suggest that it is). It took me forever to get the endings because the guide itself is hard to decipher but I finally get them so I can take the proper pictures for it.

The story starts out with Louise waking up in a red room with a saucer of milk in front of her. She sees her classmate Sasagawa in front of her. A few days ago Sasagawa made a strange confession, telling her that she looked like a white cat in her Judo outfit before confessing properly. It seemes that Sasagawa kidnapped Louise and has tied her up in his room. He wants Louise to drink out of the saucer like a cat.

There are four endings depending on how much you get to learn about Sasagawa and interact with the room.

The first ending is when Louise drinks out of the saucer, causing her to pass out, with Sasagawa claiming that she is his.

The second ending happens if Louise flips over the milk bowl and looks coldly upon him, causing him to get turned on. Louise also sees the collar on top of her blazer, to which Sasagawa states that it's his and that the two should get a matching pair. Sasagawa will remark that she isn't able to do it properly because of the restraints and takes it off of her so she can drink out of the bowl. Louise splashes the milk onto Sasagawa and restrains his hands with the collar. Sasagawa seems happy about this, stating that collars are meant to be worn around the neck and happily offers to put it around his neck. He accepts being her white cat.

In the third ending, upon flipping over the milk bowl twice. Sasagawa will then carry her to bed and lick(?) the milk off of her face. He states he would be happy to be eaten by Louise and if she runs out of things to eat, she can eat him. Observing the room, we find that the walls are red because it's Louise's favorite color. There are photos on the wall of her that Sasagawa looks at, and he promises to fold her blazer afterwards. On the third attempt, Louise will splash the milk onto his face, getting angry that he keeps calling her a cat and making her drink this milk. Sasagawa apologizes but he seems happy that he's been splashed. Louise gets him to leave, and while he does he seems to be ready to come back at any time.

In the fourth ending, instead of flipping the milk bowl like in the third ending, Louise can instead drink the milk. Doing this will cause Sasagawa to call her cute and asking her to marry him. He confesses his love to her over and over again. Louise agrees to date him before Sasagawa happily agrees and tells her he loves her.

The game itself is mostly translated through machine translation, which is why a lot of things are a bit weird, grammar wise, but it is still a pretty fun and simple game. You can only really interact with a couple of things in the room and either flip over or drink the milk. I've read somewhere that the reason Sasagawa calls Louise a "white cat" is because neko is slang for bottom and since this game is based off Hentai culture, kind of does make sense here. Even though Sasagawa calls her a "white cat", throughout the game she does mention that he is more like a neko than she is, with him licking her face when splashed with milk, admitting that the collar is his, letting her put the collar on him during one of the endings and being happy when she flips the milk bowl onto him. Still given that he's probably more of a switch since he does drug Louise and still calls her a cat. He'd probably be happy regardless of if he were berated by her or if she passed out from drinking the milk-a win win.

Sasagawa as a yandere is mostly inferred through the interactions in the room, namely things like the fact that he colored his room red because Louise's favorite color is red, photos of her that he looks at periodically, the fact that he was gonna get a collar for her to match his, amongst other things. In the fourth ending, Sasagawa declares his love for Louise so much that he wants to marry her. Even the ending where Louise kicks him out (of his own room?) has the name "I'm always ready" implying that he won't let go so easily. It is nice that there's a happy ending for the fourth ending, since it seems like the two of them still date despite the weird first encounter of Sasagawa kidnapping her.

The music, artwork and UI are pretty well made for this game. It definitely adds to the atmosphere in the game of being secluded in this weird but oddly regal room.

Anyways, if you are interested in this strange but charming game, please give it a shot. I think the art and atmosphere are pretty nice and it has a fun premise.

#Mad Room No. 3 #male yandere #yandere #yandere boy #recommendations #completed #visual novel

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i-heart-hxh · 1 year ago

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Reason for Hope: A Gon and Killua Meta

I’m surprised by how frequently I see people saying that they think Gon and Killua’s story arcs are over for good; that we likely won’t see them again in the series, or if we do it’ll only be brief and they won’t reunite.

After spending years obsessively analyzing Hunter x Hunter, I disagree with this viewpoint, and I wanted to lay out some reasons as to why I anticipate an eventual reunion and reconciliation between Gon and Killua. This will be long, but bear with me!

The Separation

So, after thousands of pages of development between Gon and Killua, many things unfinished and unresolved between the two, at a point where the audience is expecting a big, maybe tearful reconciliation between Gon and Killua, instead we get…a mere 5 pages devoted to their separation. Many of the words on these five pages aren’t even dialogue between them, but rather setting details about the World Tree.

What we get is complicated; they seem on good terms, but it’s also somewhat fraught–they must have had a conversation before this, when they initially reunited, but Togashi opts to skip that entirely and only show us the aftermath, what’s happening right as they’re about to go their separate ways.

Killua teases Gon about that painful line where Gon told Killua it wasn’t his business, and Gon quickly apologizes, but this is a very light conversation where Killua is clearly prodding Gon to make him feel bad. In the original Japanese version, Killua then says that Gon “already (もう/mou)” apologized, which implies they did talk enough for Gon to apologize in another conversation, but clearly this prior conversation also wasn’t in-depth enough for Killua to explain how Gon was healed and by whom. I also assume in this conversation that they discussed parting ways, as their parting doesn’t seem to be a shock or surprise to either of them.

Togashi is known for his anti-climaxes to arcs–often he’ll build an audience expectation up, only for things to go a completely different way than what it initially seemed he was building towards. It’s one of the things that makes his writing brilliant. It applies to this scene, in a way, in that he doesn’t give us the big, cathartic, emotional conversation we’re expecting at this point, and much is left unsaid between the two boys. However, I don’t think Togashi’s tendency for anti-climax means that this is it, the end, all we get is this parting with ambiguity and Gon and Killua’s arcs are over. There are a bunch of questions left unanswered here, even though they’re not stated outright. The central one is: Why, exactly, are they parting ways?

There are a bunch of reasons one can come up with, both emotional and practical: Killua may need a break from Gon after all of that (because he feels unwanted/rejected by Gon or he just needs to heal, or he may feel it’s unfair to Alluka/Nanika to split attention); he may feel he can’t be with Gon and also fully focus on protecting Alluka/Nanika; he may be concerned about Illumi pursuing them and the danger this may pose to Gon; he may simply feel he has no excuse to be with Gon any more now that Gon is about to fulfill his mission and Killua found something he wants and needs to do (going back to the promise they made under the stars previously); he may feel he’s already failed at protecting Gon (particularly after what Bisky said in Chimera Ant Arc) and what right does he still have to be with him? It’s possible Gon has reasons for them to part too–we’re not given reasons so we have no choice but to infer. It likely could be a combination of these reasons, too.

It’s hard to feel closure with a parting that we don’t even entirely know the reason for, and I do think eventually Togashi intends to give us more answers. He even indirectly makes us a promise, through Alluka.

I come back to this line over and over again, and I truly think this is Togashi reassuring the audience that this isn’t forever. I think that’s 100% what this line is here for.

There’s a lot of ambiguity in these few pages, between Killua teasing Gon in a way that feels pointed at times (the instance I discussed above, as well as the scene after Alluka says she’ll let Killua go, where Killua tells Gon he’s second place to Alluka), to the specific word (仲間/nakama, essentially teammate or comrade) Gon quoted from Kite being tied to Killua’s “friend vs teammate” concerns, and where we leave off is with a lot of tension and uncertainty even if overall they leave off on good terms.

It is made clear several times that neither of them fully want this parting to happen: Gon’s “I’d better go… Any longer and I’ll…” (Not be able to let you go, it implies.) Gon looks crushed. Killua agrees, also with a sad/resigned expression. Gon also says, “Wish you could go [meet Ging].” Both of their expressions change to sadness as soon as they turn away from each other. Neither wants to show the other how much this hurts. We get the sense that there’s a lot more they want and need to say to each other, things they’re saving for another time, once they’ve had some time apart to heal and grow on their own.

These are two of Togashi’s main characters, and the two he has spent the most time developing and portraying throughout the story. This parting is confusing, bittersweet, ambiguous, and unresolved. It’s dense and thought-provoking even in its brevity. It also doesn’t feel like a permanent endpoint.

Apologies

Ging tells Gon, “There are rules when you apologize to friends. You promise what you’ll do next time. And then you keep that promise!!”

Gon is talking about Kite when Ging says this, but even within the same conversation, Ging tries to tell Gon that what happened to Kite is not his fault. When Gon apologizes to Kite, Kite also asks “Apologize for what?”

I don’t think most of the audience blames Gon for what happened to Kite. The narrative makes it clear that Gon, Killua, and Kite were all simply outclassed by Pitou’s strength, they had been ambushed suddenly, and Gon and Killua fleeing was the only way they could survive. Gon didn’t even flee willingly, Killua made that decision for him.

So, why include this whole lesson on how to apologize to a friend, when neither the audience, nor Ging, nor Kite think Gon needs to apologize to Kite?

Isn’t there someone else Gon needs to apologize to–someone Gon did in fact hurt deeply with his actions?

As stated above, Gon likely did apologize to Killua, especially because he already brought up that he needed to in the conversation he had with Leorio in the car. Chances are, he did that as soon as they were reunited. But…also as stated above, there’s likely a deeper apology that Gon needs to give Killua; one where he fully understands what happened, and one where he can promise not to hurt Killua like that again.

I believe Togashi included this whole dialogue and conversation with Gon apologizing to Killua in mind, not Kite. We never saw this apology, and I believe it’s something that will happen when they see each other again.

Unfinished Plot Threads

While Gon and Killua’s original goals have been achieved, there are still a number of plot threads dangling for both characters. If the parting between them was supposed to be the end of the road for these characters, why bother building up so much unfinished business for both of them? Here are just some of the things in the story related to Gon and Killua that have not yet been addressed:

Gon meeting Gyro, which Togashi explicitly says is supposed to happen.

Gon fighting Hisoka again (assuming Hisoka survives the Black Whale).

What will happen with Gon’s nen? Will he remain nen-less forever or be able to restore it?

What will Gon do with his life now that he’s no longer hunting Ging? Hopefully not do homework on Whale Island forever!

Don Freecss and how he may or may not relate to Gon’s story.

Nanika came from the Dark Continent, something only brought up after Gon and Killua part. This gives Killua a direct link to the Dark Continent arc. How did Alluka come to be possessed by Nanika, an Ai creature from the Dark Continent? Will Alluka have this incredible power via Nanika forever (I suspect not)?

Illumi vowing to hunt Alluka/Nanika down, and also generally will Killua manage to cut ties with his family altogether, to have the kind of future he wants?

Kalluto, now with Illumi and the Phantom Troupe on the Black Whale, has mentioned wanting to bring his brother home, presumably/most likely Killua.

Gon’s mother or origin remains a mystery. While Gon himself didn’t want to know, that doesn’t mean the audience is satisfied by the non-answer.

While none of these guarantee a reunion between Gon and Killua, they certainly signal that Togashi is not done with these characters.

Killua’s Birthday

When Togashi gives his characters birthdays, he does it thoughtfully–imbuing them with both numerical and other symbolic meanings. Killua’s birthday is Tanabata, a Japanese holiday wherein two separated lovers are reunited every year. There’s an excellent piece of meta here that explores a lot of the parallels between Tanabata and Killua’s story and character trajectory, as there’s more to this than I can easily explore in this meta. Note how many similarities exist between the legend of Tanabata and Gon and Killua, particularly in the Zoldyck Family arc.

Gon and Killua have been separated once and brought back together again. With the legend of Tanabata, there are many meetings between the separated lovers, so the motif tends to lean towards them separating and then reuniting again, as they already did once in the Zoldyck Family arc. This leads me to believe that their parting is not forever.

Togashi Exhibition Promotion Video

As a lead-up to the Togashi Exhibition, a video showcasing Gon and Killua was released with newly recorded lines by their voice actresses from the 2011 anime, Megumi Han and Mariya Ise. The vast majority of the lines in this video are actually re-recorded major lines from the series summarizing the relationship between the two. But there are a few brand new lines. One of these is, essentially, “We’re so far away from each other right now, but I believe we’ll meet again someday!”

This video is a promotion for an exhibition devoted to his works, so Togashi himself must have approved this video. Why would this be one of the only brand new lines in the whole video if he has no intentions of reuniting them within the series? It would have been a simple matter not to mention any sort of reunion between them, but the fact that it was one of only a handful of truly new lines feels important and noteworthy.

Off-Screen

Just a small point, but one worth considering. At the end of the Yorknew City arc, Leorio and Kurapika go their separate ways as they fade out of the focus of the story for a while, only to be put in the same stage together once it’s their turn to be a point of focus again. (Never mind that they haven’t gotten much time together in this arc yet, but I’m sure they’re in the same place for a reason.)

One of the reasons Togashi may have chosen to separate Gon and Killua at the end of the Election Arc is that they, too, are out of focus for a while. This makes sense if you think about it–Togashi spends all this time developing the relationships between these two pairs of characters, having them remain together while the focus is not on them means the audience would miss out on developments and interactions between them. It’s easier to separate them and then reunite them again when it’s time for them to have the spotlight again.

The Little Detours

This is more abstract than the other points, but I think it’s just as important.

One of the most prominent themes of Hunter x Hunter is summed up in Ging’s words, “You should enjoy the little detours to the fullest. Because that's where you'll find the things more important than what you want.” This is what Gon learns when reaching his goal–that the most important things in life are not the achievements you make nor the way your journey ends, but the people you meet along the way, the enjoyment of the journey itself, all the places it takes you, continuing to seek more throughout life.

Gon meets Ging at the end of the Election Arc, his original goal, but is this truly the heart of Gon’s story? Killua finds something to do, as he told Gon he wanted to do, but is this truly the heart of Killua’s story? The heart of their stories is finding each other, the ways they changed and helped each other, the joy and solace and pain they found in each other. That’s ultimately what their stories are about–not simply achieving their goals. To say that their goals are achieved and their story is done now misses what Togashi is trying to say.

Hunter x Hunter is filled with characters whose life trajectories were changed by an encounter with one important person. Many of these characters also had their life trajectories changed by losing those people. Togashi can be a harsh storyteller at times, but I don’t believe he’s crafting a story in which his two main characters find each other and change each other so deeply, tragic circumstances and painful misunderstandings happen between them, much remains unsaid, and then they simply part, never be seen again in the story.

In my viewpoint, the only major obstacle standing in the way of an eventual reunion between Gon and Killua is Togashi’s health and how that affects his ability to tell what he has planned of the series. He has stated a commitment to finishing the series to the best of his ability, so it’s just a matter of what his body’s limitations will allow him to do.

At the very least, for all of the above reasons and more, I do think Togashi fully intends to give us a reunion between Gon and Killua in the future. I hope that in time, we will get to see him share the rest of what he has planned for these two characters.

#hunter x hunter #hxh #killugon #gonkillu #gon #killua #hxh meta #meta #separation meta #long post #my posts #I've been working on this for so long!#it feels weird to finally post it but it's TIME #I hope this is reassuring to people who have been concerned about this #especially because I see people saying we won't see them again all the time both in western and eastern parts of the fandom #and I just really don't think that's togashi's intent #he wouldn't include all of this for no reason

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kiwinatorwaffles · 9 months ago

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hmm. i'm usually not one to post about these topics but i think i've gathered enough thoughts on wilbur's abysmal apology towards shelby to form a cohesive message.

WARNING: the rest of the post will discuss abuse and also a lot of my personal experiences as someone who has hurt other people in the past. obviously not to the extent that wilbur has, but please move on it you don’t want to see it. thank you and stay safe.

being stuck in a hard place, whether it be living conditions, mental conditions, or any other factor, will naturally hurt the person going through those tough times. and hurt people hurt people. but i think there's a pretty Big Fucking Difference between doing bad things in the past and actually owning up to your actions after regretting it VS doing bad things in the past and turning a blind eye against those you've hurt to wallow in your own ego and misery.

i’ve experienced my fair share of abusive friendships, but when i was fifteen, i WAS the toxic friend. (yes, i’m aroace. friendships aren’t the same as a romantic relationship but they can be just as strong. i value my platonic bonds as much as allos value their marriages or date partners.) i was going through a huge depressive episode. it was tough for me, but during that time, i made fun of my friends' interests to their faces because i couldn't personally understand it, and i also vagueposted about the little things they did that ticked me off right where they could see it. it got to the point where they had to make a separate group chat to talk about their interests where i wouldn’t see it. i hurt all of them, and it ended in them confronting me about my actions. they put me in my place and called me out for my horrible attitude.

after seeing my friends' perspectives, i realized just how awful i was to them and sincerely apologized to each of them. i recognized their feelings towards my actions and didn't make excuses. even though i was going through a hard time myself, my abuse towards them was absolutely NOT justified. as i recovered, i made sure not to hurt them any more, and years later, our friendships are still going strong.

my experiences aren't nearly as extreme as what wilbur has done to shelby, but i think it's pretty fucking clear that his apology was flaming dog shit served on a trash dump. like, i was a fifteen year old. he's a Grown Ass Man with a big platform. he dug his own grave by talking about himself first instead of actually addressing his mistreatment of shelby first and foremost. he didn't even MENTION shelby by name. talking about his "strides to betterment" without even directing his apology towards the person he actually hurt is just pathetic. that whole spiel about how he "thought" the whole exchange was consensual is fucking wild. he didn't even apologize for that; he moved on right afterwards.

we can infer that wilbur has been struggling with being a person who has done bad things through his songs and lovejoy's music. he might have been going through a hard time and maybe even regretted it (though his apology really makes it seem like he's just doing it for damage control), that STILL doesn't validate any hurt he might have caused. the least he could’ve done is to sincerely apologize to shelby, even if she didn’t accept it. but he couldn’t even do that.

it's just disappointing that, as someone who has a platform of millions of followers, he displayed an act of shallowness. in the end, his attempt at sincerity fell flat and benefited no one, especially not the people he abused. if he had properly apologized, even if his apology wasn't accepted, it would've shown people in a similar situation how to apologize to the people they hurt in the past in a mature and sincere way.

so, yeah. FUCK wilbur soot. focus not on the fact that he has done bad, but that the one he abused didn’t get a proper apology. support shelby and other victims of abuse. listen to their experiences and spread awareness of these cautions. uplift their voices, not his.

for those who have connected to his and lovejoy's music that have gone through a similar dark time in their lives, i also extend my heart out to you. it must also be hard to see someone who reflected your struggles of betterment reveal himself to be someone who really hasn't gotten better at all.

but you don’t have to be like him. you don’t need to follow in his steps as long as you own up to your mistakes, even if you can’t talk to those you hurt anymore. in the end, what matters most is that you apologize in a sincere way and make sure you don’t repeat those mistakes going forward.

you CAN get better. if anything just so spite that british boy’s ass

thank you. kiwi out ✌️

#ask to tag #discourse #am i yapping? maybe #but i just really wanted to say something about it because. ugh #actually not sure how i feel about tagging him any more but i do want to spread the word and trigger tag #shubble #wilbur soot #tw abuse #abuse ment #also after all this i still can’t hate lovejoy. their songs portray the aromantic struggle in ways not many other bands have #but that doesn’t mean i won’t replace their songs in my playlist with a local file upload get fucked lmaooo no money for you until #you get your shit together #kiwi’s calls

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bluethepineapple · 2 years ago

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Harry and Hermione: Balancing Acts, Effort, and Compromise

One of my favorite aspects of Harry and Hermione's dynamic is the way it is marked by conflict. @ashesandhackles' meta over here expands on the way Harry's relationship with conflict evolve over time. For my own piece however, I wish to focus on the nature of Harry and Hermione's conflict, especially, and the way they add nuance and complexity of their relationship.

Given that the height of their tension appears in Order of the Phoenix, I will focus my exploration on their dynamic in this book.

Hermione has Harry's number. She gets how he thinks, how he feels, and knows full well how he will react in any situation they come across. We see this in how she greeted him when they first meet in OotP.

"HARRY! Ron, he’s here, Harry’s here! We didn’t hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless — but we couldn’t tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn’t, oh, we’ve got so much to tell you, and you’ve got to tell us..."

She knows full well that the silence will bother him. She understands that he would feel angry at the isolation and opens up their conversation with an apology and explanation.

This is an ongoing theme in OotP. The problem with Hermione is that as much as she understands how Harry's head is going, her position in whatever argument they are having is often diametrically opposite to his. And she doesn't know how to get him to see her side of the bargain.

Harry is itching to join the Order and fight, but Hermione understands (and agrees) with the need to keep them out of the loop. Harry doesn't feel qualified to teach DADA, but Hermione believes he can succeed. Harry doesn't want to share his experiences in the graveyard with anyone, feeling that what he had given should have been enough, but Hermione understands the curiosity and skepticism of everyone else and so pushes him to share anyway.

In OotP, Hermione is dealing with two separate and often conflicting agendas when it comes Harry. There is the war effort (eg. Umbridge, the DA, counter-propaganda) in which she recognizes Harry to be an extremely valuable resources, and there is Harry himself, her friend who is hurting deeply.

OotP is a balancing act for Hermione, and the problem in their relationship is that there is actually no way to balance both. Giving Harry the time and space he needs requires that she put her plans on hold. Her plans mean pretty much forcing Harry to do extremely painful things he would rather not do.

And so, failing to strike a balance that works, we see Hermione choose the war over Harry's well-being. It's not an easy choice though, and we see her try to be Harry's friend even if that friendship jeopardizes her painstaking plans.

We see this best in the Hog's Head. This chapter opens with Hermione's repeated assurance to Harry that these people just want to hear Harry's side.

We can therefore infer that her pitch to them was that they come to Hog's Head and Harry will tell them what they need to know.

"I’ve told you, they just want to hear what you’ve got to say,” said Hermione soothingly; but Harry continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, “You don’t have to do anything yet, I’ll speak to them first."

But the moment the meeting shifts, and these newcomers demand the story that was promised to them, Hermione backpedals hard.

"Zacharias Smith,” said the boy, “and I think we’ve got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who’s back." “Look,” said Hermione, intervening swiftly, “that’s really not what this meeting was supposed to be about —"

She sees Harry's discomfort, and despite the success of the meeting hinging on his story, she tries to divert the attention away from him anyway. She's protecting him at the expense of her meeting.

But an interesting thing happens - stubborn Harry Potter CONCEDES.

“It’s okay, Hermione,” said Harry. It had just dawned upon him why there were so many people there. He felt that Hermione should have seen this coming. Some of these people — maybe even most of them — had turned up in the hope of hearing Harry’s story firsthand. “What makes me say You-Know-Who’s back?” he asked, looking Zacharias straight in the face. “I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn’t believe him, you don’t believe me, and I’m not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone.”

He tells her it's okay and then proceeds to give up his stubborn reticence to support her. He compromises and tells them a version of the story he feels comfortable sharing with these strangers.

While understanding doesn't come easily to both of them, there is clear and concentrated effort from both parties to try. They listen to what the other person has to say. They freely voice their counter-arguments. They figure out compromises and accommodations that they can both live with.

We see this best even in what is arguably one of the biggest and most important fight between them: Sirius's rescue in OotP.

The interesting part here is that Hermione's approach is actually all wrong (at least at first). Her comment on his saving-people-thing has him becoming defensive. And upon seeing this, Hermione CHANGES track.

"I’m trying to say — Voldemort knows you, Harry! He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there, it’s the kind of thing he does, he knows you’re the — the sort of person who’d go to Sirius’s aid! What if he’s just trying to get you into the Department of Myst —"

She elaborates on her points, explains what she means in ways that not only Harry can understand, but also makes him feel less judged and attacked.

And it works - Harry understands. More importantly he LISTENS.

"But if this is a trick of V-Voldemort’s — Harry, we’ve got to check, we’ve got to —” “How?” Harry demanded. “How’re we going to check?"

Considering Harry's mindset here, it's actually quite impressive that Hermione managed to change his mind as much as she did. We can see here that he is in complete panic. He dismissed Ron and Ginny's protests outright. He is losing his head and wants to go charging ahead, Voldemort be damned.

But he listens to Hermione. He pays attention to what she has to say, and he does adjust his course of action according to her advice no matter how begrudgingly.

All of this is to say that Harry and Hermione's relationship is defined by compromise above all. It is a constant negotiation between the two of them, and this pattern persists all the way through HBP and DH.

Hermione insists that something dodgy is going on with the Potions book, so Harry let's her check it. Harry wants to stay in Grimmauld Place in DH, so Hermione goes with him. They both decide to go to Godric's Hollow, and while Hermione wants to focus on finding mission-relevant information, she looks for the Potter's graves too. Because that mattered to Harry.

What makes Harry and Hermione's relationship so compelling is how hard they try for each other. Their relationship only survives through a lot of effort on both sides. There is nothing instinctive or easy about the way communicate with each other. But they also love and respect each other enough that they willingly put in all the effort necessary to make it work between them.

From OotP onwards, Harry and Hermione stand as equals. They fight together, support each other, and it is only when they work together that they manage to see their missions through.

#harmione #harry-hermione friendship #depending on how you read it #hermione granger #harry potter #hermione meta #harry meta #hp meta #since ttb is having ootp discussion #ive decided to dust this off and post here lol #my metas

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