#it is simply a fact of the series that you have to develop the power to superimpose a normal human woman over every nami scene

[cosmicrhetoric]

you will never catch me defending the way one piece women are designed post timeskip but i will say what made me make peace w/ it in my brain was fem law. i knew that happened bc the internet blew the fuck up when that ep dropped but when i finally got there and saw it i was like. ah. okay. i understand now. the honkers simply come before all else. it's like a prereq now so if nami or robin or (sorry for saying it. but the wano close up) zoro aren't in the episode someone has to pick up the slack. there was so little chance to sexualize someone in an episode detailing the fight scene of thee ultimate fan fave side character vs thee big bad of the series that oda was like uhhhh and also law has huge tits now. you're welcome.

[flicklikesstuff]

Idk if anyone else has noticed this but no one brought it up so…..

Remember how Viv said that Husk refuses to embrace his demon form and thus, doesn’t use his wings often for flight?

And yeah, we never see Husk fly at all prior to Ep 8. In Ep 3, we see him sneak away from the battle exercise, despite the fact that if Vaggie really did throw him, he could’ve easily just flown and skipped it. But he didn’t. And at least we know why.

(Hence, I just have this headcanon that Husk just secretly never knew how to properly fly ever since he first arrived.

Because he felt like he didn’t need to. He had his powers and can handle himself. He used to be a powerful Overlord. And even now, he’s currently under Alastor’s ‘protection.’ Basically, just never really found a reason to learn it, couldn’t be bothered, and simply just because���.He doesn’t wanna.)

But then the threat of the extermination came and everything he grew to care about was at risk. And what does he do?

He flies.

For the hotel. For his friends.

He even went to see if his bf Angel’s alright. What a sweetie :))

Since Husk presumably doesn’t do flying a lot usually, it makes sense his back would hurt so much from the excessive strain his wings had to do all of a sudden. He’s not used to this much of flying. Heck, even his poor wings completely drooped to the floor!

He literally gave his back out for his friends- :((

This is going to delve a little bit into headcanon territory from this point onwards. You don’t have to read down if you’re not interested. ⬇️

……..

So Personal Headcanon:

I like to think that in Ep 7, while Vaggie is away with Carmilla and Charlie with Alastor, the other 4 were up to their own shenanigans off screen.

I honestly thought their friendship didn’t get to develop as much as I wanted it to. Especially the interactions with Sir Pentious and Niffty weren’t a lot. The series just established them as close friends and expects us to just take it as word but didn’t really show it much. Maybe Pentious’ death would hit harder if we actually saw him get closer to the others rather than being made fun of all the time.

Anyways, back to the HC, these 4 bonded some more while boarding the place. (Awww, all without being told by Charlie).

And since they knew they’re going to be up against FLYING angels, Angel commented that Husk’s wings can be put to good use for once, rather than just being displayed.

Husk was insecure and got defensive at first, eventually sheepishly admitting he doesn’t know how to use them. Slightly opening up how he hates his current form. While Angel and Pentious were confused at first, they both didn’t make fun of it any further. (Because yay! Development! Charlie would be proud.)

Husk warms up a little and claims that “Fine, he’ll try for the hotel’s sake but this is a one time thing…blah blah blah.”

Cue Pentious using and teaching his ‘expertise’ on flight from his machines. Angel smirking every time a clueless Pentious discusses the forces of “Lift, Drag, Weight and…ahem. Thrust.” Meanwhile, Husk attempts to ignore Angel but fails to resist smirking back at times. (Because I know Huskerdust fans love collecting crumbs) And later on, Niffty insisting she wants to be the one to push Husk off the balcony for practice.

Which, she does. On Angel’s count of 3. But she pushes him before Angel could even begin counting. Pentious debating and suggesting whether it’s better for the trial to do it ON 3, BEFORE 3, or start from 1. Regardless, Niffty messes each trial up. And Husk is just regretting everything in this nightmare his 3 friends call “training.” This is just one of their many shenanigans btw.

Eventually though, Husk did get the hang of it….somewhat. He could glide, take off and hover. But couldn’t really stay up long or fly high because his muscles and stamina for flight are terrible since he doesn’t do it often. Thus, why Husk stays very close to the ground during the final battle and only flies short distances. But the 4 considered it good enough.

(Angel made a joke on the “lack of stamina,” and got thrown in the face by a bottle. But yeah, all of them had some fun to a degree and became more emotionally bonded. All before Charlie and Vaggie came back with backup. Woohoo!

Hopefully they won’t see a particular snake die in front of their eyes-)

If any of y’all want to make a fic of this concept, be my guest. The only condition is that you share me the link :))

[aeithalian]

Apollo and the demonization of power

I graduated and I'm back on my shit, y'all.

I saw this post by @apollosgiftofprophecy (hi Alder) about whether or not Apollo should have stayed mortal instead of regaining his godhood, and may I just say I 1000000% agree.

To summarize the post: if Apollo had chosen to stay mortal, his promise to Jason (to remember what it means to be mortal/human) wouldn't have meant nearly the same as if he'd gone back to Olympus. Regaining his godhood allowed him to chose to help people with his full ability and remember his humanity for however long it takes for him to fade.

And if I may add on: Apollo even talks about maybe choosing to stay mortal at some point in the latter half of the series, but eventually comes to the conclusion that to chose to stay mortal would be akin to running away from his problems. And he's right: if he chose to stay mortal, he wouldn't have to face Zeus again and he could shirk his responsibilities as an Olympian. So he decides against it (not that he really ever has the chance to chose). And I just love to take this as a great moment of character development and an insane amount of self-awareness for somebody who started their arc where he did.

But it also got me thinking. And, in short, I came to the conclusion that Apollo must be an idealist simply by the way he views power.

In this case, fiction reflects reality: villains want power. They want control. They want to squash rebellion. And that, typically, is an occurrence we typically only see with villains. Never with the heroes, who rarely want power outside of defeating their enemy. But here we have Apollo, who spends the entire series literally seeking power in his attempt to regain his godhood.

And that has morphed into something really interesting when it comes to representation of power in classical media. More often than not, power is demonized. It's seen as something inherently evil. If a character wants power for themselves, they're likewise seen as evil. Any one of your classical antagonists are going to, at some point in their stories, want power in any which way it presents itself. Voldemort of Harry Potter wanted to live forever. Sauron of Lord of the Rings wanted the Ring of Power. Palpatine of Star Wars wanted control of the galaxy. Zeus wants to rule the Olympians. The list goes on.

On the other hand, in stories where a protagonist seeks power to destroy their opponent, they eventually end up discarding their items of power because they don't want to be 'corrupted'. Harry Potter refused to use the Elder Wand. Frodo destroyed the Ring of Power. Luke Skywalker turned down the Dark Side. Even Percy Jackson declined godhood.

But Rick, in writing Apollo's character, takes an interesting approach and a fun subversion of this trope that I, for one, absolutely love. Previously, he'd written Percy to turn down godhood because he primarily wanted to maintain his humanity. To Percy, being a god and being human are two mutually exclusive concepts. They don't coexist. For Apollo, on the other hand, he accepts power out of a sense of duty, and vows to use it well in the spirit of his promise to Jason. There is no demonization of power. And to Apollo, humanity and godhood are not exclusive concepts. So what does that mean post-trials?

There are two perspectives at battle here. First is demonization: 'power is inherently evil'. But the idea that power corrupts is not necessarily a fact: in my opinion, power in and of itself isn't evil. Yes, it's dangerous, but it's more or less a blank slate. What you do with power, who you are when you have it, is what defines it. And that's a pretty nuanced take, and it comes with its ups and downs, requiring those powerful protagonists to be your most responsible, most dutiful, most kind characters who take up the mantle of power with the full understanding of what it means. Who's to say that you can't achieve power and use it well? So there's the other perspective: 'power is a blank slate'.

Let's look at power from a Zeus vs. Apollo perspective:

Zeus wants power (or at the very least, to maintain his power) as a way of controlling people, squashing rebellion, and maintaining order in the way he sees fit, without any sense of legitimate justice or care for others. It is Zeus' actions that make him evil, not his power.

Apollo, on the other hand, seeks power as a way of solving problems, creating solutions that benefit the greatest amount of people possible, and creating a lasting difference on others to change for the better, just as he did. More often than not, when he reminisces about having power in the series, it's more out of a place of 'this terrible thing wouldn't have happened if I were a god', or 'I could help better if I were a god'. Never once does he view power as a way of controlling or manipulating others. Power, to Apollo, is just the ability to love to the greatest extent possible (re: my meta on Apollo's fatal flaw).

But the interesting thing here is how Apollo views power in general, outside of his own. The idea of demonizing power doesn't even occur to him, despite the fact that he's been the subject of abuse for millennia. What's fascinating to me is the fact that Apollo, having been hurt so often by Zeus' power, doesn't ascribe that same generalization to his own person.

I find that very interesting: abuse does wacky shit to people's brains. By all means, that should have irrevocably changed Apollo's perspective on power as a whole, right? Not if you've learned to view power as something that is part of you, no.

I don't know how other gods besides Apollo view their own power, I actually think it's accurate to say that gods view power as something inherent to their nature. And, honestly, maybe it is. But that's besides the point.

Regardless of whether or not power is inherent to gods, Apollo, throughout his journey, realizes that it must go hand in hand with responsibility and humanity. Power is a privilege. That 'blank slate' perspective is one he learned in his trials, the knowledge that the power he has is something he shapes, and something he has no excuse for. If power is inherent, all of Apollo's wrongdoings are his own failings.

And that's even more interesting when you relate it to his relationship with Zeus. Apollo must likewise know that Zeus' wrongdoings are solely his fault, not a result of his power. It's a fascinating perspective of power coming from somebody who has none, who's been hurt by somebody who has so much. To maintain that optimistic view of power as non-corrosive when faced with your abuser is, I think, the glaring mark of an idealist.

So, what does this mean post-trials?

I think, along the same vein, there is a point where the idealist breaks. They have a glimpse of reality: all is not well. For Apollo, that's at the end of the series where he decides that Zeus is beyond all hope. Take this quote from the Tower of Nero:

Some fathers don't deserve [reconciliation]. Some aren't capable of it. I suppose I could have raged at him and called him bad names. We were alone. He probably expected it. Given his awkward self-consciousness at the moment, he might have even let me get away with it unpunished. But it would not have changed him. It would not have made anything different between us. You cannot change a tyrant by trying to out-ugly him.

More often than not, my favorite stories are the ones where the main character gains power, keeps it, and uses it for good. Aragorn accepted the crown of Gondor. Luke Skywalker chose to train a new order of Jedi. Apollo regained his godhood. And readers of any of my multichap fics know that I love to write this trope as well.

But, much like my mutuals and I have been yelling from the rooftops for LITERAL YEARS, Apollo's story is not over. And once the idealist has 'broken', like we see in the scene above, there's only one way it could go.

To see somebody mishandling their power in a way an idealist knows is corrupt is quite literally a recipe for revolution. Look me in the eye and tell me that the way ToA finished wasn't setting up a revolution. Do it, I dare you.

Regardless, it's safe to say that, at some point, somebody's going to take a look at Zeus and say "you know what? Anybody could do better." Just saying.

Anyways, vive la révolution.

[a masterlist of my other metas]

[g0thnico]

Things that if I were Rick Riordan I would make more dramatic:

Percy and Gabe's relationship. I understand that it's a children's series so it's normal not to be explored as much, but if PJO was written by me, I would be turning this into one of the main points of Percy's traumas

Percy's mortal life. The only times this is introduced in PJO is to show something divine next, usually monsters or new problems. I would have shown more of what Percy was like at school and his relationship with mortals (or lack thereof)

Percy's powers. Okay, Percy is super powerful and doesn't have any conditions for this?? Nico has nothing more fair. For me, Percy's healing should 2hurt, a burning sensation for cuts and the feeling of bones going back into place when he needs to fix them. In addition, his ability to control water will cause hunger that varies according to how much he used his powers

Ares. Okay Ares is the god of war, but also the protector of women, don't you think he would have at least conflicted feelings about Percy because he was abused along with his mother? I think he would have at least a little empathy for him because of Sally

Percy's romantic life. Okay Rick, we already understand that you definitely don't know how to write romance novels, so leave it to me. Your development of Percabeth was crap and Perachel manages to make it worse, don't even talk to me about Percalypso, he accidentally ended up making Percy's romantic development with two of Hades' sons better than the canon couples. Yes, I'm talking about Bianca di Angelo because it seems like no one noticed the way he talked about Bianca (she was different from the other girls and easy to talk to), Nico (he felt a great sense of protection towards him and couldn't stop thinking about the boy who ran away) and HADES (he was amazed by Hades' dark form and would like to sleep at his feet????)

Grover and Percy soul connection. The fact that Grover and Percy are bonded and feel each other's feelings and the fact that if one dies, the other dies with them, has only been explored 2 or 3 times and that is absurd!!!! I would do at least 5 dramatic scenes where Percy feels an indescribable sadness and can't show anything but Grover cries and breaks down in helplessness just by feeling his friend's emotions. Maybe another one where Grover almost dies and Percy spits blood and faints and everyone has to find a way to save both of them or simply undo the bond before one dies, or even take care of one through the other's body (if that's possible) ok I have a lot of ideas

finally, the older brother complex coming from Sally (feeling like the experiment that went wrong and watching what went right grow). Long title, I know, but it's necessary and self-explanatory. Sally had Percy and went through a lot of hardships because he was a demigod and she was practically a single mother (having Gabe as a husband is the same as nothing) so Percy grew up with a lot of trauma and somewhat neglected by his parents and society (don't be fooled, Sally is an excellent mother, but they were a poor family and she had to work, leaving the boy to fend for himself and become somewhat independent too soon). He did everything possible to avoid causing trouble and in Sally's eyes, he really didn't! She sees all the problems they went through as the fault of the gods or monsters, not her son (the victim). So Sally gets rid of Gabe, moves out, marries a good man who understands her and accepts her "we have to deal with half-blood stuff" lifestyle, and has a normal, mortal daughter who has a perfect family. Percy never had that, and when he does, he feels like he's second best in this butter-business family. So he wants his sister to have the best life possible but realizes it's too late for him to live that

and the younger brother complex from Poseidon (feels like he must exceed his expectations, become the hero everyone expects, become as good as all the other sons of Poseidon). Percy is a demigod, accidentally a son of Poseidon and that shouldn't be a big deal. But suddenly there is a prophecy and he is the chosen one, so he is Poseidon's favorite son, strongest demigod, hero of Olympus and he needs to be strong, more than ever Percy needs to be not only good, but the best. Never in his life was he expected to do anything, not even get past the 6th grade so dad God Almighty puts all this weight on his back and he almost dies more times than he can count

[valentine-cafe]

˖⁺. “ r/am I the asshole? ” : 

﹙ various monster characters x gn reader ﹚.𖹭 ݁

. . . various m. characters x gn reader !! 🍓 : ﹙ mercenary  ˖  immortal ˖ bad boy character ˖ mad doctor ˖ snake monster ˖ yandere character ˖ angel character ˖ grim reaper ˖ mortician character ﹚

your partner takes to the internet to question whether they or not they were a bit of an ass during their last encounter with you or alternatively : our characters' biggest red flags

﹙ cws ﹚: yandere behaviour ( on jingyi ) ˖ death mention | wc : 0.5k 

﹙ receipts ﹚: i had this idea and i just need to make this into a series because omg. do note that this is hǎitāo's new and improved character !

꒰  other treats : guidelines ˖ m.list ˖ characters ˖ our lore  ꒱

﹙alessio 781. ﹚. . . not understanding their tears when I die !? 🍒 : “ Yeah you read the title right. I ( 31M ) have what you call a regenerative. Trait. M a fucking enigma. ( Don't try track my IP you asshole ).

I admit I don't have the most charming job in the world but - someone's gotta do it. My powers make me come back from the dead. Frankenstein shit n all. ( I am not about to make a religious joke so fuck with Frankenstein. )

Anyway. It's common fact that I come back. My partner knows this. But every time I die - they cry. Of course like a good boyfriend I comfort them. But recently they been scolding me. Getting more emotional. And I just don't get it. I tried to explain to them that they've seen this waayyyy too many times to think I'm not gonna come back. I asked why do they have to be so dramatic you know?

Long story short, they're not talkin to me for a week now.

Yeah. Last week I took thirteen bullets to the gut. But I came back like I always did. I don't see the fucking issue. ”

꒰ mercenary ˖ immortal ˖ bad boy character ꒱

 

﹙jìngyí 209. ﹚. . . killing their coworker !? 🍓 : “ Please do hear my plight before jumping to conclusions at the title.

I, ( 46 M ), have always considered myself to be quite the possessive man. My beloved knows this well, as I have expressed it to them time and time again. I do not like sharing. Nor the thought of it. It makes my skin crawl.

Now, I understand that my darling is the height of beauty. I have garnered more patience for those that stare. My impulsions have eased for the past few months. However, I have noticed their coworker growing increasingly more. . . friendly.

He has been helping them with their work. Gives them compliments and shares stories as they both relate to interests. I have noticed him a few times when coming to pick up my partner. He always smiles and waves - as though expecting them to run back to him.

Last week was my dear’s birthday. And the bastard gifted them a box full of their favourite treats. So I simply did what any concerned boyfriend would do and. . . took care of it.

My partner is a bit distraught but is not aware that I did it, of course. I cannot help but grow more upset over the fact that they grieve him. Someone please relate to this. ”

꒰ mad doctor ˖ snake monster ˖ yandere character ꒱

 

﹙rishen 9948e. ﹚. . . not having time for them !? 🍒 : “ I would like to start this by saying that I am quite glad for this development in the nadir. It has certainly piqued a lot of interest along the divine realms.

Alas, I digress. I am a guardian angel who is on my way to the next rank. I am also a being granted trust from the divine themselves. Venturing from the abyss, to the abhorration, to across the multiverse. As such, you can decipher that I am quite the busy individual.

I adore my light, my sunshine and mi amanecer with all of my heart. It shatters the very being of my soul to see them weep for me after days of being apart. There are times I cannot attend important events to them. No matter how hard I try.

I am a very lonely angel, you see. I fear that they will leave me behind in search of a lover that will hold them in the night. I yearn to do so, but my duty is too great. My tasks are too plentiful.

Am I the one in the wrong? Should I punish myself for this? ”

꒰ angel character ꒱

 

﹙hǎitāo 9948e. ﹚. . . joking about their coffin !? 🍓 : “ Okay listen. I would like to clarify. I was joking about their coffin. Not their death. Yes those two go hand-in-hand like flowers to a gravestone but! I stand by my statement.

We were just talking about their favourite colour and jewellery. I'd asked for their upcoming graduation. Yknow, celebrate and all? Anyway, they gave me the answer and -

Oh yes. I would like to clarify. I am a mortician. And a grim reaper. Death is my whole shtick, you get me? It's literally in the name! Grim reaper. Not glee reaper.

I am going off topic. In any case. I made a joke - saying that their coffin will be quite easy to make. They gave me a face and I added on that it would be beautiful. A beautiful box for a beautiful corpse.

Apparently, this was not to their fancy. I was greeted with mild disgust and even more disturbia. They have not spoken since yesterday. I don't understand. I was just stating the obvious! ”

꒰ grim reaper ˖ mortician character ꒱

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[lovemyromance]

No bc if ALL SJM was doing with Elriel was setting them up to be the charred ruined ashes from which the Elucien & Gwynriel ships set sail....

Why even include Elriel at ALL?

Sorry - correction - why ONLY include Elriel moments from ACOWAR - ACOSF? And no moments with Elucien? No mention even of Gwyn or Gwynriel?

Feysand had setup and chemistry with each other in ACOTAR. Nessian had setup and chemistry as early as ACOMAF, 3 whole books before we got their story.

But you're telling me, on the eve of an Elucien or Gwynriel book, we have had ZERO displays of their chemistry and setup together?

This is not a standalone series. It's a continuation - a spinoff from Feyre's story. There is no reason why there should be ZERO build up between these alleged couples in a spinoff. That's the exact OPPOSITE of what authors do for spinoffs and sequels.

Elriel is not "build up for Elucien". It can't be - if there's no Elucien in sight. Now, if SJM had written Elriel - but ALSO had Elain & Lucien interact and be in each others orbit over the past 3 books - then I would be more open to considering this argument.

But alas / every plot point Elucien should've had to set them up (rescue scene, power discovery scene, giving Elain an almighty weapon scene, potatoes scene, bonus chapter scene) -> all that has been given to Elain & Azriel.

If SJM planned on EL/GA - all Elain & Azriel would've hypothetically shared is an off page hookup. But that's not what we got. We got scenes where they start to understand and care about each other. We get scenes where they show their subtle attraction (and eventually - right in your face attraction) to each other.

If SJM wanted to make Elain & Azriel a bump in each others roads to HEA -> she would've written them the same way Nesta fucked some nameless fae in the first chapter of ACOSF.

Vaguely. Barely a paragraph. ONE mention.

You don't painstakingly set up quiet moments with them in the background of Feyre or Nesta's book. In fact - you don't even bother with setting up any interactions between them until this supposed Elucien/Gwynriel book.

There is simply no reason to waste words like that. SJM has already said the spinoff is dual POV, one couple.

This is not throne of glass where Aelin went through 2 men in 3 books just to end up with someone new. This is not CC, where Ruhn went through Hypaxia to end up with Lydia. Those were multi-POV, and relationships were developed across multiple books.

And all this is just based on the logic of how Elriel has so many interactions together - let alone the actual quality and significance of the actual scenes. Their stories have been woven together since ACOWAR.

SJM compared Elain's potato steam to Azriel's shadows for fucks sake. Think about how y'all would react if Elain baked a caramel tart that was described as "the same golden hue as Lucien's eyes". Think about how y'all would react if Gwyn gave Azriel a book on how to sing better idk - a gift that made him laugh so hard his eyes brightened / a gift that he stared at for a YEAR

Y'all would go nuts, don't even act otherwise.

The mating bond between Elain & Lucien is the obstacle here. Not Elain & Azriel's blooming relationship.

[iamnmbr3]

How the fuck can you shit on the marauders and not Draco? He was worse than them but “oh no, he was just a child” SO WERE THE MARAUDERS YOU IDIOT! You excuse Snape being a fucken bully to kids too. You’re a blood hypocrite that doesn’t understand anything from the books.

Harry wouldn’t touch Draco’s ugly ass even if he was the last person on the planet. He would choose Ron over Draco ANY DAY, IF Ginny wasn’t around. Hinny is canon and their love story is the hottest. You know what’s not canon and never will be? Drarry 💀

lmao anon i know this wasn't your intent but this ask was so funny. pls. i am begging you. go to clown school. your talents are wasted in my ask box.

omg drarry isn't canon?! what? *begins to faint* please. i beg you. say it isn't so. I can feel the world slipping away as I swoon in shock. surely not. How could it be? Nothing in the 7 book series where it wasn't canon could have prepared me for this moment. but at least there's hope. I am sure it will become canon someday. but wait. what's this? in your ask you also say drarry will NEVER be canon?! You mean JK Rowling, who is homophobic and absolutely loathes drarry and Draco won't make it canon?! Wow. I am in shock. *keels over*

Woe is me. All my hope is gone. Time to delete my blog. The power of your words was simply too much for my frail constitution.

Ah well. What world. What a world..... *fades away*

...

jk im back. *crawls out of my premature grave with an even worse case of drarry shipper brain than before* This ask is dumb. But I do feel obligated to point out that:

1) I don't believe the phrase "oh no, he was just a child” has ever appeared on this blog (until now)

2) Draco has many flaws (which I personally think make him interesting) and which I've discussed many times but at least he did grow and change and regret his actions and unlike the Marauders he never stripped someone naked for sport and in fact lacks a true sadistic streak (which is a huge problem for him). The Marauders never seem to change or regret their behavior and also get a huge pass from the narrative unlike Draco whose bigoted attitudes and bullying behaviors are portrayed as wrong.

3) I have never in my life excused Snape for bullying children. That's just a strawman argument you are invoking to make yourself sound better.

4) hinny is canon...regrettably. I personally don't find unconvincing and poorly developed romance between characters who never have a meaningful conversation after they get together to be hot. But to each their own.

5) While I do read Harry as being attracted to men I don't see him as attracted to Ron. They are super good friends but nothing in the books to me indicates Harry would see Ron in a romantic light or would be likely to choose him as a romantic partner. If ginny and draco were out as options I think he'd go for Cedric.

6) "You’re a blood hypocrite that doesn’t understand anything from the books" is the most hilarious insult I've ever heard. I have no idea what it means but I love it. So right back at you anon. YOU are a blood hypocrite that doesn’t understand anything from the books! So there! Check and mate!

[777gojosgf]

THE POWER OF PROPHECY

777GOJOSGF IS TYPING…

777gojosgf: morally grey!f!reader x satoru gojo

IN WHERE :: you reminisce the night you met him for the first time.

trigger warning: violence, graphic mentions, blood, assault.

a/n: part of the nightcrawler series!

THE FINAL VESTIGES OF THE clan you were exiled from marked you as the blood down your face. there were repercussions to being called a bastard, particularly after losing both of your parents. you were not just an orphan; you got the impression that the world had given up on you as well, leaving you to fend for yourself while avoiding certain death.

you have killed numerous times. sometimes it was a commission because, as a young girl, you had no other means of earning money and surviving in the world. however, that was also how you developed and the outside world got to know you. your identity became anonymous, and it was exciting for commissioners and other establishments to discover who you were.

hell, there was even a bounty on your head.

you had encountered a lot of people in this jujutsu society because of the notorious lifestyle. despite one of them being a member of the zenin clan, he refused to identify as zenin. you simply loved his courage to defy his strength and forge his own path, despite the fact that he was someone to be dreaded. maybe you two weren't as different as you believed.

however the kill this time made you shiver, the fury and vengeance surging through your body made you feel as if you were on fire.

even though you kept promising yourself that you would cease performing other people's dirty work, you had accepted a commission much against your own feelings. however, it was difficult to make money without a job, a degree, or anything else that could even somewhat assist you in that area. at the orphanage, you were undoubtedly taught the fundamental school courses—in which you excelled flawlessly— but at the age of sixteen, you left without saying anything. wishing to leave the place as soon as possible.

and your trainer, the owner of the orphanage, understood.

maybe that’s why he never reached out to you again. because he knew that you would do that yourself.

you settled into a seat in the shinjuku city casino's bar. when the barman asked whether you wanted anything to drink, you graciously declined, not wanting alcohol to tarnish your nightly commission. instead, your left-handed fingers were tapping on your thigh as you calmly anticipated your attack, while your eyes were scanning everyone in the casino like a hawk.

the assignment was to assassinate a businessman who frequently spent company money at the casino. thus individual had, regrettably, meddled with the wrong empire and tried to sue them. he apparently didn't realise how dangerous the business in tokyo is.

their money was paid in blood.

an eye for an eye.

and it was something you respected.

you had swiftly located him seated at the poker table at the rear of the casino. he had his other colleagues and an escort with him. however, your desire to murder him vanished the moment you noticed who else was seated at the poker table. you laughed out loud and attracted unusual glances from the patrons at the bar.

the reassigned heir from the clan you were banished from.

the universe really had its fun with you, didn’t it?

but that wasn’t all, so you got up from your chair right away to take a closer look at the issue. he had an unsettling grin on his face that you didn't like, and it was clear that he was intoxicated. you thought he had finished gambling with all of his money.

your fortune.

however, what enraged you was the way he got up and grabbed the female servers. the heir was discreetly followed by the dreaded clicking of your heels. he caught hold of a waitress, who yelled in shock and attempted to free herself, but she was unable to escape and no one dared to assist her.

He he led her outdoors, but he had been foolish to ignore the person he was following. ultimately, he is the heir to one of the most influential clans, and people would constantly want him dead.

as did you.

you waited two seconds before kicking the back door open through which he fled, still holding her. startled, he turned around and lost his grasp on the waitress, making her yell for help and starting to run for it. you empathized with her and it was time to make sure he wouldn’t dare to lay his hand on another woman ever again.

"who are you?" he screamed, reaching into one pocket for the pocketknife he knew was there. you could only chuckle and put out your foot as he grabbed it and attempted to reach for you, causing him to stumble and fall face-first into the floor in front of you. you gave him a stomach kick that caused him to roll over and lie on his back. the scent of intoxication, which you dismissed, drifted through the air along with the late-night breeze. "i would tell you not to touch a woman ever again, but you would still do it. would you not?”

he shook his head rapidly and tried to form up empty promises but a kick to his lower area made him scream out in pain.

"on my terms, i’ll make sure it doesn't happen again.” you continued, "i hope you know that that was my money you fucked with," and he opened his eyes, trying to figure out if he recognised you. though your mask did a good job of hiding your identity, sadly, the moonlight shone down on the two of you, allowing the violet undertones of your eyes to be seen through the black contacts that were placed over them.

“bastard?”

the hearing of what he called made you go into tunnel vision and you reached for the melee knife that was strapped to your thigh in a holster. without thinking twice, you plunged and the blood splattered across your face.

you felt the blood trailing down your face as you went to grab your knife and wipe it clean with the blazer that he was wearing before putting it back into your holster. “fucking asshole.” you muttered before walking away from the scene, leaving his body alone at the casino.

that would mean that your clan would need a new heir, once more.

how ironic.

sometimes you felt guilty at the lives that you have taken from others even though they were always someone that had done unjustifiable things in their life.

however, this time, every single portion of your body was devoid of any regret. and this served just to fuel the retaliation plans you had been considering ever since you were put in the orphanage. a plan to exact revenge on them all, hold them accountable, and demonstrate to them what a so-called bastard like you was capable of.

killing the heir was only the start of it all.

“you confuse me,” a voice said that was right in front of you and you snapped out of your trance. the cursed energy in front of you was unlike any other you felt, but besides that the man in front of you had a presence of his own unrelated to the energy he possessed.

you stopped in your tracks and your eyes trailed him up to down, and you were quick to recognize him.

that white hair was recognizable anywhere.

“pardon?”

“well, you know— you have so much energy residing inside of you that i could feel it from miles away. i don’t like to say it but, it’s impressive. although i can’t say that i recognize you.” he explained before walking over to lean with his back against the casino. “some would have thought you would kill others with the use of techniques, no?”

your eyebrows knitted in confusion and you debated to perhaps walk away from this conversation. not wanting to get interrogated by a stranger.

well, you were unsure if you could call the satoru gojo a stranger.

he noted that you weren’t going to explain anything to him so he decided to lead the conversation once more. “you’re not a curse user, or perhaps you are and i haven’t been across many to figure out you are one or not. nor are you a former student from jujutsu high but i’m not sure if you have attended any sorcerer establishments at all.”

“what is it to you?” you asked clearly annoyed.

“curiosity is all,” he said with a grin on his face that only added to your confusion that was mixed with your annoyance.

perhaps you should have walked away after all.

“besides, if we look past your little killing scheme,” he paused and gave you a slight side eye which only irritated you even more, “i’d like to invite you to come with me to jujutsu high. you don’t have to become anything, but maybe getting to know the energy that resides inside of you is a good thing.” he proposed while raising his eyebrow, his tone convincing and he truly thought he had you.

but the evil smile that plastered on your face was enough for him to frown.

now you would truly uphold to your promise of no more commissions.

“curiosity killed the cat, gojo. do you plan to use me as a pawn, because you’re foolish if you think you could convince me with such a poor offer.” you started to slowly walk towards him, “you jujutsu idiots have no shame, do you?” you pointed out before walking away from him to go back to haunt the streets of tokyo.

“the offer still stands.” he called out from behind you but you didn’t turn around.

"you better have a greater proposal the next time we see each other, because I'm guessing this won't be the last time." you drawled and swore that you heard a small laugh.

a/n: woah long chapter alert and i didn’t even write this fully like i wanted to…. perhaps an actual fanfic is needed. because i have many ideas for this 🤗🤗

©777gojosgf

[necrotic-nephilim]

I’m gonna be honest I didn’t realize the new 52 messed with Kon that much till I read your post and now I can’t get over the potential. I’m a Tim/Kon girly at heart so I would devour anything you write exploring the 52 vs typical Kon. Also Time being in a clone sandwich is 👌.

the new-52 messed Kon up SO bad it's ridiculous. like, to the point i would personally argue he's a completely unrelated character to pre-Flashpoint/Rebirth Kon. his personality, his suit, his origin, all different. the only real similarities are the name and powerset. and even New-52!Kon's powers are slightly different from pre-Flashpoint!Kon. New-52!Kon is a clone of a future version of Jon Lane Kent, cloned by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to provide genetic material to Jon Lane Kent, whose body was not handling being half human/half Kryptonian well, it was a whole thing. New-52!Kon is also where we get the infamous "Kon-El means 'abomination of the house of El' and Kara basically named him a slur in Kryptonian culture" tidbit, because that is the only time that's canon. (originally Kon-El was a name gifted by Clark to accept Kon as his family way back in the 90s) he also never went by Conner Kent. New-52!Kon just straight up didn't have any real human identity or connections, outside of being very close to Tim and some Titans.

the very TLDR of Kon's history is: during post-Crisis/pre-Flashpoint, a clone called Superboy is created by CADMUS. at first, he's considered to be a clone of a dude named Paul Westfield and is not Kryptonian whatsoever, he was simply made to look like Superman and only has Tactile Telekinesis as a power. then, it was made canon that actually he was a clone of Lex Luthor and Clark Kent, but Lex hid this fact and slowly, Kon developed more Kryptonian powers. he's given the name Kon-El by Clark, and is taken in by the Kents, getting the name Conner Kent. then Flashpoint happens, we get the New-52, and we're given the above version of Kon-El, who is a clone of Jon Lane Kent, created by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. who has mostly very strong telekinesis powers and some Kryptonian powers. he's with the Titans for a bit, then at the end of the New-52, he kills some aliens and feels bad about it so he decides to fuck off and is never seen again, it's presumed he's dead but never confirmed. then Rebirth happens and DC makes Jon Kent the current Superboy, we get Supersons and all that, and it's assumed that no version of Kon-El exists. just at all. he's not around whatsoever, Jon is our only Superboy. *but* in 2019, we get a new Young Justice run and the pre-Flashpoint Kon-El is back, and we're given the explanation of: Kon got accidentally teleported to this alternate realm called Gemworld and then Flashpoint happened, and since that was a Crisis Event that changed the timeline, the poor lad got *erased* from the timeline, causing most people to *not fucking remember him* and for him to remember a timeline that no longer exists. some of the Young Justice team vaguely remember him, Ma and Pa Kent remember him, but notably, Clark *does not remember him*. it's not an issue of "Clark ignored Kon in favor of Jon" it's an issue of "Kon was erased from the timeline and didn't exist for years bc he was stuck in Gemworld and Clark just doesn't remember Kon or Kon's timeline" which to me, is far more tragic but i digress. since then, Kon has been back and is present in most significant Superfamily runs, with his own recent mini-series, Superboy: Man of Tomorrow. (which was very good btw)

so basically: the New-52 fucked Kon up so bad they wrote him out of comics for years and then brought back the pre-Flashpoint version, but never *explicitly* killed the New-52 version off. so hypothetically, it's possible that there are currently two characters existing in the DC universe named Kon-El who have been Superboy. and like i said above, one of New-52!Kon's only real significant relationships was with Tim, it was the only thing the New-52 managed to get right about Superboy, his closeness to Tim. they have a *lot* of moments that read incredibly queer. and ofc, it's just outright confirmed in Dark Crisis: Young Justice that Tim had a crush on pre-Flashpoint!Kon at some point. so while comics are intent on pretending New-52!Kon doesn't exist, i am intent on putting Tim in a clone sandwich.

because i do think it's fun to play with Tim having genuine feelings and potentially a relationship with both of them. and the fucked up nature of him not fully *remembering* his relationship with pre-Flashpoint!Kon (which is a canon thing, in YJ(2019) Tim has vague memories of Kon he's struggling to piece together and understand why he cares about this guy he doesn't recognize so much) and how frustrating that is for Tim. he knows he loves Kon, but it's all foggy besides that. and so it's even *more* fucked up if Tim dated New-52!Kon before he got emo and ran off into the unknown. obviously in canon no one has told current Kon about New-52!Kon bc comics are doing the good ol' tried and true of "sweep that shit under the rug" but for fanfic, i think it's fun to ask the question of: would anyone *tell* Kon? especially Tim? who now remembers dating both versions of them? would he admit to Kon that briefly, he had another Kon? how would Tim cope with that and move on? personality wise, they could not be more different. they dress and act and look different. they're not the same person, but there's certainly a questionable factor of Tim's dating history including two Kon-Els.

the idea i've had for a while is Tim slowly starting to date pre-Flashpoint!Kon again. it feels familiar and like home. and Tim has grieved and accepted that wherever New-52!Kon is, he doesn't want to come home, he didn't love TIm enough to stay and try. so Tim takes the Kon he has, and genuinely has a happy relationship. like for once, life is good and things almost make sense for Tim. but then, of course, New-52!Kon comes back. he decides he wants to try again and he finds Tim. only to find well. he's been replaced. and technically, he's been replaced with the *original* that he didn't even know *existed*. and if being a clone is bad enough, that just makes it a hundred times worse. because imagine knowing you're actually the second Kon-El your boyfriend who you never *technically* broke up with fell in love with. that's gotta give you some kind of complex.

so i think it's fun if both Kons try to step back and let the other Kon date Tim. both of them have reasons to feel like the "replacement" or "fake" Kon, and it makes them incredibly awkward with each other. do they count as the same person? bc they definitely don't *feel* like the same person to each other, but with weird timeline stuff, who can really say. them settling on an awkward throuple that's really meant to be Tim just dating them both but somehow they end up dating each other too is so fun for me. they both feel like imposters to the Superboy name but are so deeply in love with Tim Drake, it's the one thing truly connecting them. and then of course, Tim feels bad in that somehow, he's betraying both of them for having feelings for the other. but they make it work, with a lot of awkward angst and miscommunication. i just think it'd be fun. very difficult to write to get all the weird timeline nuances down in a way that's understandable in a fanfic (bc you can't just. infodump like i did on this post) but doable. also difficult to tag, because even though i argue these are two different characters, i'm pretty sure Ao3 groups them under the same character tag. so it'd be difficult to convey it's not *really* as selfcest-y as it would imply. comics, man. DC will never acknowledge New-52!Kon again, and he's admittedly a terrible adaptation of Kon-El, but. i think he was sort of neat in his own right and i'd *love* for DC to just inexplicably bring him back and make the current Kon deal with the consequences of all that. and them make Tim kiss them both. obviously.

[npdzane]

Hiiiii, could you explain you npd Zane hc to me? As someone who lives with a narcissist, I’m very interested.

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT!!!!!! FOR SO LONG!!!!!!

Tw I think bc ik i will be mentioning sh. But only for a sentence or two.

Mostly just "he's just like me fr". I get how it can sound confusing, especially as a lot of people tend to see Zane as the opposite of what a (stereotypical) narcissist would act like, so I'll try to explain in a way that makes sense.

I'm going to list off traits I see in him, and then what caused it and how it developed over time. Starting with the traits.

- Pixal is 100% his fp. I don't think there's anything to say about it that hasn't been said already. You don't just give a girl half your heart because you "like her a little" without having some issues.

- "Be envious of others/believe others are envious of them". He stated himself that he envied Kai. He also has moments where he does things that make him look better than others ("I personally find old video games to be unchallenging", something about his tone when he was saying "being a nindroid, I wont be able to be digested.", he also just does a lot of random flips and shit when its not needed?? That part may be a stretch though.).

- "Withdrawal from situations where they may fail." In Quest for the Lost Powers, he almost quits out of fear that he won't be able to face the Ice Emperor without breaking down. He also tends to tell someone they shouldn't do something because the chance of failing is too high.

- "Feeling depressed or moody over not reaching perfection/secretly feeling insecure, shameful, and humiliation and fearing being exposed as a failure" In s4, he panics over feeling like he'll always be just a replica of the original Zane. He's desperately begging Pixal to save him from said panic too (which fits into the last trait). He still has similar fears to this day, feeling like being seen as just a robot takes away from his original design. Meaning he failed at fitting in, which was always his goal.

- "Have trouble interacting with others and easily feel sighted" in the entirety of S1-3, he struggles HEAVILY to talk to the others. Granted this does get better throughout the series, but it's getting bad again it seems. He often goes on solo missions or stays in the monastery/Destiny's Bounty. I personally think it's because he feels the others don't see him as vital to the team as they should, or he believes he doesn't need help with anything from anyone (but Pixal). The point is there is some sense of "they don't appreciate me enough".

- "React with rage or contempt to try to belittle others to make them appear superior". Again, bringing back the "I find older video games to be non challenging" quote. As well as the fact that every time Pixal is obviously very annoyed by him, he ignores her and carries on with what he thinks is the right idea (Detective/Pirate Zane obviously was a bad idea, but noooo Zane can't be wrong ever). He doesn't react with rage as much (at least not openly), however he does ignore people when he's doubted.

Ok! That's not as much as I thought! A few other things I wanted to point out, although these are also headcanons:

- His self esteem is TERRIBLE.

- What he believes he doesn't make up for in battle, training, etc, he tries to make up for in smarts and hobbies to impress people.

- He bases his opinions on people based on assumptions. For example, he'll assume everything about a person's personality and hobbies (sometimes even their skill level at those hobbies) based on first impressions. So, say he meets someone like Jay who seems very excited about something he doesn't like, his first assumption will be "this person is most likely annoying and a waste of time because they're trying to be as good as me, that's not egotistical that's just an observation. Everyone complimenting them is simply lying to them.".

- He refuses to believe any of his flaws are his fault, sure he can say he has flaws but they're all someone else's fault. It's never just how he is, it's always because "someone caused me to act like this".

- He switches between "I'm literally amazing I'm so smart I'm funny I'm good at everything" to "Everyone hates me for no reason I dont deserve any of this they're all terrible awful people" and then again to "I'm not good enough yet I need to push myself more so they'll see I'm better than they think". All because of a small bit of criticism. He absolutely cannot handle criticism. ("Why are you doubting me!? I'm a nindroid!" <- when Kai tried helping him, "Not now Pixal!" <- when Pixal told him trying to out-smart Nadakhan was a bad idea)

- I think him and Pixal argue a LOT. It's why I don't openly ship pixane. I believe ever since he found out she was Samurai X his trust issues got way worse (While he is easily trusting, once he does trust someone it's hard to not break it). He constantly uses their "no more secrets" promise agaisnt her, and he thinks that no matter what she or anyone else tells him, the probability of her keeping something from him is high, and he has to stop it (even if it means being extra clingy, possessive, and controling). But the other ninja somehow haven't noticed this from them, they just believe it's normal couple banter.

Sorry, like I said, this headcanon is coming out of my ass. Now I can talk about what caused it.

I see Dr. Julien as a good father to Zane, just not the best one. Like he's at the lower end of average. Not abusive so to speak, just overly critical and slightly neglectful. Zane's a robot, so why can't he do the things Dr. Julien tells him to do well enough! Julien accidentally made him too similar to the (daughter..ftm moment.) son he wanted, so similar that it turns out Zane needed the same amount of attention and support an actual child would've needed, which Julien didn't account for. Zane was used to only receiving the bare minimum of those two by s1. Unfortunately the bare minimum is far from enough. Not to mention the isolation he had to live through living in Birchwood, far from the village.

I think what we see as OG Zane is basically his child/early teen stage. Anything past s4 is late teen/adult, which is when his symptoms started showing up more. The other ninja, especially Wu, noticed he was starting to cling to Pixal much more (especially since she was in his mind). He'd also start spending more time on hobbies and things to impress people. Thinking if they thought his new self was better than his old self, he wouldn't be seen as a failed replica of the original Zane. He thought he could hide the fact it was all just to look better than everyone else, but either Kai or Cole picked up on it (Kai because he acts similarly in that way, and Cole because he's usually the first to notice things wrong with Zane.). When they showed their concern, Zane only saw it as motivation to try harder and them trying to take Pixal from him.

After the Never Realm, his self esteem and worth went to absolute shit. Not only was he abused and manipulated, he was at fault for the deaths of thousands.

But worst of all, he let himself be abused. Or at least that's what he believes (the Quest for the Lost Powers also confirms this!). He blames himself massively. How could he let himself fall for that? Why didn't he fully cover up the cave to stop threats from coming in? Why didn't he kill Vex when he got his memories back? Why did he let Vex control him? Isn't he supposed to be perfect? How could someone who claims to be perfect let himself slip up like that?

He definitely started to push himself more after coming back. In training, in battle, with maintaining the monastery, with cooking for the others, hobbies, you get the point. He'd completely forgotten to be patient with himself while trying to gain control over his powers and his life again. Meaning the next time he tried to use them in training, they were out of control and he ended up failing and hurting himself. But how? How could he not be perfect if he was trying as hard as he could? If he was programmed to be the best, why isn't he?

Pixal was also starting to get annoyed with Zane, he was way too attached and she knew that. It made her fall out of love, if there was any in the first place. Zane refused to let her separate from him though, especially since there was still the idea that she was keeping things from him. He believed Pixal didn't think he was worth caring about, causing him to purposely make himself worse in hopes her pity will keep her with him. He'd already been struggling with self harm, but now it was as a punishment for failing as well as a way to get Pixal not to leave (See why I don't ship them now?). I would love to talk about how I think he s/h but it'd take another post.

Now that Pixal is gone, he's getting way worse mentally. Which is why he seems like he's not working as well as usual (in the tournament). It's not like he's not trying anymore, it's that he hasn't let himself rest enough for his efforts to work.

That was way less than i expected to say (⁠･⁠o⁠･⁠;⁠). Anyway! Yeah!!! It is just mainly headcanons, but if Zane were confirmed to have some kind of personality disorder in a different world where ninjago isn't for tiny kids I wouldn't be surprised!!!

TY TY TY TY FOR ASKING IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG TO YAP ABOUT THIS. 😭😭😭😭

[cannedpickledpeaches]

Insert Your Name (11)

Mafia!Jade Leech x Mafia!Reader

Link to series masterlist!

Notes and TW: Congratulations! You have successfully made it all about you (positive). This series will have mentions of blood, violence, crime (kidnapping, attempted assassination, extortion), and harassment, as one might expect from a mafia AU. Please enjoy!

Sorry that the tags haven't been working for the past couple of posts! I had to go in and edit the html for each individual one T-T please forgive me

Tags: @guava-enjoyer @itszzmoon @twstsandturns @myteacupisempty @rou-luxe @chikitasmol @night-shadowblood-writes2 @haveneulalie @owodi

A strange sense of satisfaction fills you as surprise fills the man’s face, but you don’t show it. You need to see this through. If you’re powerless in the face of his ability, you simply need to borrow his power. So what if he’s akin to a god? All you need to do is bring him to your side. Whoever that author is, whoever took over (Y/N)’s body—maybe they aren’t capable of using such an asset effectively. However, you’re confident you won’t let that advantage go to waste.

The man hums in thought. “I suppose it could be done without much fanfare. I would simply need to shift my attention to your experiences and abandon the current story. However, you would need to have your story recorded somewhere, in whatever form you may wish for it to take.”

You understand what he’s getting at. A story needs a medium, just like that manuscript. There are many options: on film, as a novel, as a collage of pictures. No strict rules exist for expression of self.

“I’ll keep a journal. Every day, I’ll write an entry, and I’ll also use it as a planner. This way, my ‘story’ will have the events that occurred in my life, how they affected my ‘character development,’ and also outline how I expect the story to ‘progress.’ Is that good enough?”

You still don’t think of yourself as a fictional character. You’re real, in every aspect, to yourself. But that doesn’t matter right now. Functionally, you’re a character to this man. You’ll use that assumption to put yourself in the most advantageous position.

“Yes, that would be a rather interesting way to tell your story. There are indeed many stories that were written in the form of diary entries, so this is not an issue at all. This would, in fact, make things easier for me. I would not have to go through the paperwork and expend energy to bring someone from another world since you already exist in Twisted Wonderland as an established character. There is just one thing you should know before you make this decision.”

“Tell me.” Of course there are strings attached. There always are. You prepare yourself. Self-sacrifice in small amounts is necessary, of course, but if there’s anything you can negotiate with . . . .

“I will have to take the previous author’s soul out of (Y/N)’s body. (Y/N)’s soul will regain control of her own body, since it was never removed, only dormant. Since the author’s original body cannot function without a soul, she cannot return to her world. It will disappear, never to be recovered, lost to the fabric of what forms this space. Are you still willing to proceed?”

“Is that it?” You expected something else. This has nothing to do with you giving up anything. In fact, it could even be considered a bonus. This woman whose story made your life and relationships exceedingly difficult will disappear down to the traces of her soul. It’s an easy decision. “Of course.”

“How cold-hearted you are.” He chuckles down at his teacup. It never seems to drain empty no matter how he sips it. “That is not an undesirable quality in protagonists, although they often do not have a happy ending in fairytales.”

“Is that supposed to deter me or something?” You stay resolute. “My future was always uncertain no matter if it’s a story or not. I’m in the mafia. I’ve come to terms that horrible things could happen at any moment because of the nature of my job a long, long time ago. It’s my responsibility to plan so that I reduce those chances as much as possible. And you’re going to help me.”

“Yes, I am.” He glances at the fireplace, which has burned down to glowing red embers. “Perhaps you should count yourself lucky that you are under my jurisdiction. I am partial to tragic endings, but I also do not mind if an amoral character triumphs in the end. Some of my peers would adamantly ensure it does not happen.”

You furrow your brows. This is not the first time he brought up something being under his “jurisdiction.” However, this is the first time he’s mentioned “peers” instead of “characters.”

“There are others like you?”

“Yes, of course. Twisted Wonderland is filled with too many stories for me to manage on my own. Since you are mainly involved with the Leech Mafia and stories of the Coral Sea, you fall under my jurisdiction.”

It makes sense. This man compared himself to a god, but he isn’t one. He isn’t omnipotent or omniscient.

“Who are they?”

He tilts his head. “You would not know us even if I told you.”

“I’m curious. Tell me anyway.”

“Such a curious character.” He glances at the embers again. “Alright, I see no harm in it. My peers overseeing Twisted Wonderland include Walt Disney, the Brothers Grimm, Hanna Diyab, Victor Hugo, and Lewis Carroll, among others.”

None of these names ring a bell. It is just a list of names, but having more information is never a bad thing.

“And your name? I should know how to address you.”

“Oh, I have not yet introduced myself to you? My apologies, I must be turning forgetful in my old age.” He laughs at himself in a good-natured manner. “My name is Hans Christian Anderson. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

You introduce yourself as well. He extends a hand to you. When your hands connect in a firm handshake, the new deal you’ve made feels solidified.

Anderson looks at the fireplace one more time. The light has died completely, the little room lit only by the moonlight pouring in the window. With a gentle but decisive clap of his hands, he stands from his armchair.

“That was a fruitful discussion, and I thank you for your patience and understanding. I fear time has run out, however, and so I will be sending you back shortly. I’ll place you right back where you came from: at the moment when I brought you here.”

“Hold on!” Too soon, too sudden. You still have so much to say. He holds up a hand, stopping your protests.

“If you’d like to communicate with me, simply write a request for it in your new journal. I wish you best of luck.”

And with that, the world goes white again.

This is the story of a girl whose name is no longer hers. A girl so common that she may as well be a faceless background character in another person’s story. A girl who wishes, more than anything, to be the protagonist of a love story that will sweep her off her feet and solve all her problems.

Her family is normal. Her friends, too. And so is she. It isn’t enough for her. The world inside that game she plays is so magical, so whimsical, so perfect. The characters are handsome, powerful, clever, funny, or rich, or some combination of those qualities. If she enters this world, surely all those wonderful characters would treat her as someone special. They’d love and revere her unconditionally. She pines for a man who would love her and her shortcomings in their entirety, no matter what she does.

The beauty about fictional characters is that because they are fictional, they can be whatever she wants them to be. She can wholeheartedly believe they’ll love her, and there is nothing wrong with that. But she isn’t satisfied with that alone. It needs to be real.

Desperately, she writes a story revolving around a faceless, flawless main character who she desperately wishes she could be. Everyday, the writing consumes her, dragging her into a fantasy of bliss. She begins to resent her reality. Nobody in real life will love her the correct way. Nobody can be as good as the characters she pours her love and headcanons on. She doesn’t consider how love can be gradual, nor does realize someone might have to get to know her before loving her. After all, in her fanfiction, the perfect mafioso loves her main character upon the first meeting and devotes himself with no questions asked. Isn’t that the ideal love?

One day, a miracle occurs. She meets a man who offers to make her story into her reality. Jumping on the chance to live her perfectly crafted life of happiness, she agrees. Finally. Finally, she will be loved the way she wants.

At first, everything went perfectly. Real life follows her fanfiction to the letter. Jade is charming, Floyd is endearing, and a string of coincidences leads her to meet Vil, another handsome bachelor. Love surrounds her at every turn. All she needs in this life are the handsome men who give her special treatment. After all, this body, this life—(Y/N)—was created by her, for her use. All of the previous relationships this body entertained no longer matter. They aren’t hers, anyway.

The polaroids that occupied her nightstand are probably in a landfill somewhere. The aesthetic was cute, befitting the tastes of a character she modelled after herself, but the person in them is irrelevant. Some side character she’s never going to see again. No matter; she’ll eventually replace those polaroids with cute photos of herself and her new love. (Y/N)—no, the placeholder—has served its purpose. It will not miss those useless decorations since it will never again have its own consciousness.

So where did it all go wrong? Perhaps it was wrong from the start. She should have cursed that old man for scamming her. Her happy ending was never a guarantee. How dare a throwaway side character upend her perfect, fairy tale ending? Is that even allowed? They’re all just characters anyway. How can they steal from a real person?

Until the very end, she couldn’t see anyone around her as anything other than characters in a story. Maybe if she did, she might have gotten the love she wanted. Now, she disappears, having never achieved the goal she so desperately grasped at. Like seafoam, her hopes and yearning for love bubbles and disappears.

Hans Christian Anderson places a book into an empty spot on one of his many shelves. He has always been fond of tragedies. As for this new story that’s unfolding . . . who’s to say how it will end? He’s a patient man. With a smile, he settles into an armchair and sips from a cup of tea. He’s looking forward to it. When it eventually ends, like all stories inevitably do, he’ll shelve it and find another story to bring to life.

The world suddenly flashes into focus. The sun’s dying embers flicker on the sea. Sand shifts between your toes. Fingers graze your neck. Before you can activate your Signature Spell, (Y/N) crashes into you and you both topple over into a bed of sand. Bloodlust raises the hairs on the back of your neck. But it isn’t coming from (Y/N). Instead, you instinctively wrap one arm around her and hold the other one out in front of you, shielding her from Jade.

“Wait, wait! Jade, it’s fine. I’m okay.”

He freezes. One of his hands stops a centimeter away from (Y/N)’s hair. She doesn’t react. Slowly, you lay back down, heaving a sigh. You shift her face to the side so that she doesn’t suffocate in your shoulder. Her eyelashes flutter against her cheekbones, complementing the slow rise and fall of her ribs.

“See? She’s asleep.”

Jade furrows his brows. “I fail to understand. Most importantly, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah.” You chuckle, staring up at the stars that unveil themselves in the darkening sky. “I’m just a little tired.”

You explain everything to him. He seems skeptical, but eventually, he accepts it. He sits in the sand next to you, his hand covering yours. You pretend not to notice, but it offers a soothing calm to your exhausted mind.

“I’m sorry,” you say, glancing at his side profile. “Even if I write that Vil Schoenheit will cure your parents, it might not happen because of continuity issues. Maybe (Y/N) will still be able to convince him.”

“That’s alright.” He catches your gaze. “It would make the story progress more smoothly if we continue with our talks with Walrus.”

He accepted it so quickly. For that matter, so did you. You wonder briefly if there is something at play that makes you accept the reality of your situation as fact—if it’s because you’re a character after all—but that’s all speculation. Not worth your time and energy to figure out.

“Bottom line is, this is my story now. So I’ll make sure the curse on your parents is dispelled.”

“How reliable.” Jade gives you a gentle smile, one that causes an unfamiliar stirring in your chest. “Thank you. What would you like in recompense?”

You weren’t expecting him to offer anything at all. But since he offered, you aren’t one to refuse.

“Money.”

His quiet laughter blends in with the sound of rushing waves.

“No hesitation at all, I see. Of course, I will pay you adequately for your invaluable help.”

“I also want something else.” You fiddle with the strands of (Y/N)’s hair. “I’d like a vacation. Just a week or two after everything settles down so I can go back to my hometown with my mom.”

“Is that what the money is for?”

“Yeah.” Your heart feels a little lighter. “You should visit the Coral Sea after your parents wake up as well. I’m sure you’ll want to spend time with them.”

A pause. You scrutinize Jade’s expression in the low light, but his expression is wholly unfamiliar to you. He almost looks . . . nervous.

“Would you come with us?”

You blink. “Don’t you want to spend time with just your family?”

“Yes, but my parents would be delighted to have you over again. You have not been to our home under the sea in a long time, and I would be more than happy to show you around again.”

“It won’t be a bother?”

“Far from it.” His thumb rubs softly against the back of your hand. “I . . . We are very fond of you.”

You can’t help but think there’s an ulterior motive, but you accept. This wouldn’t be the first time you’ve travelled to their home under the sea, and this most likely won’t be the last.

Suddenly, (Y/N) shifts on your chest. A soft noise escapes her lips as though she’s finally awakened from a long nap. Her bleary eyes find yours. Kind, lovely, and gentle eyes. The eyes of the (Y/N) you know and love, the eyes of your friend.

“Huh? Are we on the beach? What happened?”

A relieved laugh bubbles out of your throat and you hug her tightly. Confused but sweet, she reciprocates with reassuring pats to your arm.

“Yeah, we’re on the beach. Let’s get you home.” You sit up and smile as she fusses over the sand in your hair. Normalcy is slowly but surely returning. “I’ll tell you everything on the way there.”

[aeithalian]

On Apollo and fatal flaws

Vague question for my fellow apollogists out there: what do we think Apollo's fatal flaw is? I write this realizing that, in all five books of the series, all told from Apollo's point of view, we never actually have it explicitly stated, either from Apollo's knowledge and refusal to share (which, strangely, seems to me like something he would tell us), or from him not actually knowing, either.

Simply stated, a fatal flaw is any kind of weakness of a hero, god or mortal, that can be exploited and can cause the downfall of that character. That being said, we already know some that generally scope out the larger range of what they can be:

Percy: excessive personal loyalty

Annabeth: hubris/pride

Nico: holding grudges

Thalia: ambition

Leo: feeling inferior

Piper: low self-esteem

Luke: wrath

Jason: hesitation and excessive deliberation

And we are certain that immortals have flaws like these, too. Although it isn't explicitly stated in canon what Zeus' fatal flaw is, it's exceedingly obvious that it's paranoia and hunger for power, as well as his sexual infidelity.

I feel like we can easily knock some flaws off the list already:

Holding grudges is off the list for the main reason that, if there's one thing Apollo oozes, it's forgiveness, and the fact that he is always ready to give second chances to people who have wronged him and the world (Lityerses, Luguselwa, Meg, etc.)

For the same reason, I'm going to knock off wrath. Yes, he has moments of rage, but so does everybody else! It's human nature, and, as stated before, it's usually overshadowed by Apollo's choice to let go of that anger and choose forgiveness instead.

Ambition is an interesting one, but it's not at all something that really comes up in the series to the point where it ends up being powerful enough to be his fatal flaw. He rarely seeks power he didn't already have before, especially when you consider he is Zeus' most powerful son, and one of the most powerful gods period. Why would he need more power? Unless, of course, you choose to point out that one time he tried to overthrow Zeus, but I'd argue he was acting more out of a place of 'hey please be better at your job' than 'I want your title and position', which actually falls more under Poseidon's motivations in that myth.

Interestingly, there's a certain aspect of Apollo's character in the myths that totally screws the pooch in terms of this discussion, and that's the fact that Apollo, throughout the stories of Ancient Greece, is a typical example of perfection. Literally, he's written to be virtually flawless, the paragon of young men, and (in the context of Ancient Greek culture) doesn't have many moments of rage, selfishness, or paranoia, or at least, not as many as other gods (looking at you, Artemis).

HOWEVER, as much as the myths seemingly act like he doesn't have a glaringly obvious flaw, we as a part of Apollo's inner circle/audience know he's got one - I mean, look at him! It's in there somewhere, nobody's perfect, and I don't think anybody's pretending as such for Apollo. What irks me is that we know Apollo is not lacking in general character flaws, but there is one, beyond a doubt, that shapes his inner core irreversibly. And we don't know it.

Thankfully, though, we've got five books of content that might help us come to a conclusion.

The Hidden Oracle, being the beginning of the story and the beginning of Apollo's character development, is where we would get an inkling of what Apollo wants us to think his fatal flaw is. To us, Apollo appears vain, self-centered, and, frankly annoying. And he does these things on purpose. Or at least, he tells us these things.

That's the thing: if you look past all the fluff Apollo spits out to the audience throughout the first majority of the book, before his children are taken into the forest, you'd find that his dialogue, aka how the other characters of the story hear and see him, doesn't really reflect that. Most of the annoying, self-centered brattiness is only on the page, and not as obvious in his personal interactions (not saying they're not there, but it's so much worse in his internal monologue). So, what does this tell us?

That those aren't his fatal flaws. He's very good at pretending that they are, probably because, as I've read several other metas very cleverly explain, that this is what gods are supposed to be, and, Apollo, in his desperation be his father's golden child again (or, also to avoid his wrath, take that how you will) has built up a very elaborate mask for thousands of years, because that is what he is not. He's trying to be glossed over in the vast sea that is the gods, and it's not really working because, well, he got turned into a mortal. Again.

As we pass through books 2 and 3, we're still not quite past the whole "pretending to be petty and self-serving because this is what I am supposed to be as dictated by the laws of my immortal people and my father". That, almost certainly, doesn't come until the latter half of The Burning Maze. So it's further safe to assume that our best guess as to his fatal flaw probably coincides with his more honest moments with the audience, eg. books 4 and 5.

Now, I know a popular common answer to this whole question is that it's his ego and his pride. But here's the thing: as we move on to the second half of the series, we get an interesting revealing of Apollo's perception of himself. To put it plainly: Apollo is not a narcissist, as much as he pretends to be (see the above points). Honestly, he might actually hate himself and what he's become as he learns to take a more critical view of himself as the series goes on. Drawn in direct antithesis to his moments in the first two books, when he tells us that he assumes that anybody he meets is willing to help him, after the peak of his development (marked by his promise and Jason's subsequent death), this isn't the case. That's why I'm pretty okay with putting pride and ego towards the bottom of my list of possible fatal flaws for him.

Honestly, if I didn't know any better as we reach the end of the series, I'd say Apollo's fatal flaw might fall somewhere closer to poor self-esteem, insecurity and self-doubt, but for some reason, that doesn't quite fit. I'd argue that a lot of those feelings probably stem from being stuck in the inadequate body of a mortal with a tiny fraction of his usual power - of course he's going to feel like that. That, and it's almost the direct opposite of what his flaw is perceived to be by other sources, so it feels like too large a leap to me.

I'm deliberating from my point, which is this: I still have no clue what his fatal flaw is.

It's not:

narcissism

pride

OR on the other side of the spectrum:

low-self esteem

self-doubt

OR the list of things we knocked off earlier:

holding grudges

wrath

ambition

And when you compare to other characters he might also be like, I would argue he's a totally different animal. The only character I could see a similarity with is Percy. But, again, it's just not the same. Percy's flaw, excessive personal loyalty, still doesn't really fit because, while I'd argue that Apollo's never really put in a situation where he's had to choose to save the life a mortal friend over his task of restoring the Oracles, I do believe he has a strong sense of duty. No, I don't think he would sacrifice Meg's life to do that job, but it's not something we see him forced to pick between (that I can think of, at least). I like to think that, on one hand, Percy would flat-out refuse to do his duty to save the life of a friend out of principle, whereas Apollo might find a clever loophole to save the friend, do the duty, and end up doing harm to himself. If anything, while Percy would be ready to burn the world to save a friend, Apollo would be ready to burn himself first.

That, I think, is our biggest indicator. Apollo loves his friends and the world. He wears his heart on his sleeve, this is something the Triumvirate exploits to no end.

Athena tells Percy something in the PJO series (the Titan's Curse, I think?) and says that the most dangerous fatal flaws are the ones that are good in moderation. And, of course, Apollo is a main character, so naturally his fatal flaw will fall under this category.

I think Apollo's fatal flaw is of the same breed as Percy's, but isn't really the same creature. I'm sure there's a more eloquent way to put this, but it seems to me that his fatal flaw has something to do with his tendency to be self-sacrificing, easily forgiving, and empathetic. He's been stabbed in the back several times and every time chooses instead to show trust and camaraderie, to see the best in people, and give them another chance to prove themselves: with Meg, Crest, Lityerses, Luguselwa, Meg's adoptive siblings, and many, many more. That seems very dangerous in the wrong situation, yes? Especially someone in Apollo's position - there are plenty of bad people who would be ready to take advantage of this.

And what is a story if not the hero learning to overcome their fatal flaw? And, really what is the Trials of Apollo all about? How do we end? What choices does Apollo make for the future at the conclusion of the Tower of Nero that directly contradict his overwhelming urge to choose forgiveness and let others try again?

The Tower of Nero, Chapter 36

At the end of any good epic story, the hero learns to overcome their weaknesses and flaws and do the right thing regardless. For Apollo, this comes when he refuses to forgive one person: Zeus. Apollo ends his pentalogy with coming to an understanding of himself and his relationship with his father, learning to overcome that tendency see the best in everyone, and realize that not everyone can choose to change for the better like Apollo has.

EDIT: a masterlist of my other metas

[zer0-devoox]

My opinion of the ending of Murder Drones (which no one asked for but screw you)

Ugh... Okay, I've been putting off this post for a while, but here it is. I've heard many mixed opinions, "that it was a rushed ending" "that it was the best ending of the animation" and blah blah, well, this is my opinion.

It was... An ending.

X: Lmao, of course it was an ending girl, explain yourself

What I want to say is that we need to put ourselves in context a little, look people. Reality is what it is, Murder drones it was. A. Experiment. Those at Glich told Liam that they will develop the story in eight chapters to see how the project fares, and in the first chapters it looked as if they had a second season planned, only then the amazing digital circus arrived and even though it hurts...

AND NOT! I don't want to say that it's THADC's fault, much less @gooseworx I'm a follower of that series, I love the concept and I wish both series could have forty seasons as far as I'm concerned, but unfortunately, we're not Netflix, we're not Disney ( Thank God)

There were good parts and bad parts, scenes that I loved like N and Uzi formalizing their relationship in some strange way (although I wanted a kiss) and also really scary scenes, like Cyn giving Tessa's voice, and without going any further I am traumatized with a incoming call.

---Were there things to improve/that I didn't like?

Of course yes, for example the climax, yes, yes, I see people saying that Cyn was nerfed but that we are going to make the difficulty of creating such powerful characters, I guess.

One thing that bothered me was the treatment of other characters other than N or Uzi, for example Khan, Nori, or any other sequence, the one that annoys me the most, Lizzy, who is not a character I like, in fact I hate her, but at the very least he could have received SOME consequence for his actions, someone will come out and say that he had his development in the dance chapter, but I don't see it that way, I don't know, say you.

O thad who is top best characters and I love him

--DON'T MAKE ME TALK ABOUT J PLIS---

And what hurts me the most... V

What? Did you think I wasn't even going to talk about her? Well you're wrong!

I feel like the series struggled a lot to develop N and Uzi individually while also developing their relationship, but speaking of V... His development fell short.

I don't want to go on for too long (if you want a deeper analysis of the character, tell me and I'll do it) V had a very serious change from his personality in the mansion to the beginning of everything that happened in Cooper 9, becoming someone more sadistic and aggressive Since murder was her "job" in chapter eight we found out that she knew that Tessa was Cyn, but she was under changate (practically she and N each had a rifle in their heads, for God's sake)

The first time I saw the scene where V tearfully confesses everything to N, it broke me, I admit. But in retrospect, I feel like it wasn't enough. It was good to show the sensitive side of V that we were seeing through the impenetrable diva mask, but she herself tells Cyn that she "still can" which doesn't convince me.

I loved chapter six, it's simply one of my favorites, because with all the reasons to leave Uzi where Alice had them, he chose to save her.

Damn!

He defended her to tooth and nail, he seemed like a beast with -Tessa- and with N, he literally didn't want anyone to touch Uzi because she was hurt, without going any further

his damn last words were for her!

I loved that scene because literally and symbolically V took a step forward to break the block of ice that the two of they had placed in front of each other since chapter two, this is when V first calls her by her name, not cyn, not purple thing, not parasite... Uzi, just that.

And it bothers me that this was completely ignored in chapter eight (I mean, not completely but it was not given the value it deserved) From the bottom of my heart I would have wanted V to apologize to Uzi for everything he had done, for Uzi to somehow thank her and also apologize (because Uzi also almost killed her)

I know that neither of the two characters are the most emotional thing in the world, but I only ask for three dialogues, not a kiss and an emotional thirty-minute speech (which wouldn't have been bad either)

And spoken of the devil... The time

raised the hand who imagined that chapter eight would last (minimum) an hour. Because im yes, I feel that the ending was rushed, don't get me wrong, the final fight was beautiful, with framing shots and very very epic with the background theme. But, I don't know. I think that another ten minutes just to complete the developments, explain the unresolved doubts and give seriousness to some things was worth it (*cough, cough* Doll)

Anyway, this post already seems like a Twitter statement...

I love murder drones.

there isn't a joke that doesn't make me laugh or an emotional scene that doesn't make me cry, I wish with all my might for a second season of this series so much. potential, but it is what it is.

Anyway, I have a little faith in a spin-off or a continuation in some way because of the fucking open ending, nothing and no one is going to stop me from continuing to love these schizophrenic robots, or from continuing to ship my weird ships, far from it. to play eternal dreams at the faculty parties.

Leave your opinions in the comments or reblogs, I'll be reading them! And if you want V's analysis, say so! maybe we could reach 200 notes?? Who knows? Bey-bey devils don't get lost.

[kcokaine]

Long post so sorry but re: jjk characterizations.

I highly disagree about Geto not being well written, because if you think that then by default that means Gojo isn’t well written either. They are both two sides of the same coin or two halves of one whole. The ying and yang correlation between them runs deep and is seen in tons of imagery in the show as well as the openings and Gege’s art up and down the series.

Nothing about Gojo’s character of who he is in Jujutsu society makes sense without Geto and vice-versa. So I understand you may not like Geto’s character/decisions but short changing him as “simply apart of Gojo’s life” is incorrect unless you feel the exact same way about Gojo. I’d argue any development Gojo has post Geto is more a reflection on how others in the series view him and not any real growth of his own, the undertones of the entire series, and the only reason why Kenjaku could trap him, is that he was still hung up on Geto—Gojo spends the entire series low key mourning him. (Something important to consider here, which is a whole dissertation on its own, is the isolation that comes with being the strongest. Other than Geto, Gojo does not have deep relationships in the series. Unlike Sukuna, he doesn’t reject the need for others though, he accepts the isolation but also humbles himself to accept he is just a cog in the wheel. Which is why he tells Yuji its okay if he is forgotten).

The foundation of both Geto and Gojo’s characterizations and diverging of their paths is the star vessel/Riko incident. 

In fact, it’s that incident causes them to swap their budding ideologies. Gojo right after Riko died wanted to kill them all, it’s Geto who stopped him. Had Geto not then him and Gojo would have been ejected from jujutsu society just as Geto was after he lit up that entire village. 

More importantly though, that incident also separated their power levels. Before they were considered relatively equals even if Gojo had the edge of having the legendary inherited ability.

You said re: Geto: “Him being a victim in an unjust system is not portrayed well enough”

Honestly, it's not portrayed at all cause that is not what is defection is about. Ultimately, Geto doesn’t care about the system, he finds fault in all non-sorcerers/cursed users as they cannot control their cursed energy and that is how curses are born. His friends died from protecting civilians from curses, not from the “unjust system”. He is only seen as being against the current system as the current system isn’t in line with his ideologies. Truthfully, Geto could have killed the higher ups by himself, at anytime, but he wants to save all sorcerers/cursed users. He wants to prove to him his ideology is the right way. If Jujutsu society went along with his plan he would find no reason to fight them.

It’s Gojo alone that blame’s the system for Geto’s defection. From Geto's defection Gojo becomes a teacher (which is what Geto would have been) as he feels he can change society by being a direct influence on the next generation to show Geto that he is wrong, but Geto doesn't even care about that (this also underlines the fact that Gojo struggled with connections/relationships as he couldn't identify Geto struggling and he also could not even fully understand his reasons for leaving). As you could argue perfect system or not ultimately curses would be killing Geto’s friends and he still would have came to the same conclusion. The cruelty of the jujutsu world had nothing to do with his defection. Additionally, I have to stop and make clear here that Gojo does NOT have selfless motivations. A good example is Megumi, Megumi being his ward was self-serving so the Zenin's didn’t raise Megumi to try to destroy him like what had happened in the past. Gege even said other than money Gojo was not there for Megumi. Plus the huge fact he didn’t even consider adopting Megumi at all until after Geto left and Gojo decided to try to prove him wrong. But that 3 YEARS LATER after Toji died, but I digress.

Due to Gojo’s “level-up” so to speak in unlocking RCT/purple that completely rips apart the yin-yang that balanced them. Geto isn’t content like Nanami to “just let Gojo handle things” as he knows not even Gojo handling all the missions is the solution to curses being born at all. Geto is perfectly content to be wrong he just wants to live his life in the pursuits of what he thinks are the right choices. That’s why he asks Gojo, are you Gojo Satoru because you are the strongest or are you the strongest because you are Gojo Satoru. It’s Geto in that moment who challenges Gojo not to go along with the get along, he only did that because HE had decided to live his own life the way he thought was best.

Geto’s principles do seem a bit dry but that’s because they are based on utilitarianism (which is pretty cut and dry and not that sexy lol) and he is only driven to be or seen to be a villain because of those principles.

Ultimately you may still not like Geto, and like I said that’s fine, but he and Gojo are cut from the same cloth and Gojo never progresses past Geto and lives his life on that regret. That said, I do feel like fans and fanfiction do Gege's characters better justice than he ever did. The pacing of JJK is too quick and Gege does not do a good job with connecting themes, you really gotta puzzle piece them together.

Also quickly re: Naoya, isn’t liberal, he’s rebellious. There’s a difference in terms of Japanese culture. The culture as a whole doesn’t foster liberal thinking or questioning of ideals (which is literally why Gojo heard from somewhere “black ppl have stronger bodies” and didn’t think to question it because you are literally raised not to question authority to the point they wouldn't even stop to be like "hey this doesn't sound right", its pretty bad and its why Japan as a whole has been terribly slow to progress past archaic laws or thinking.) So while Naoya doesn’t want to be controlled by his family and idolizes Toji—it’s only because of his strength, not his liberal ideals of leaving the family and jujutsu society. Naoya very much wants to be the strongest IN jujutsu society and leader of his clan and by any means necessary. That’s why he becomes a vengeful cursed spirit. However I do not see him as a complex character, only as a allegory in relation to the theme of"those who are the strongest in jujutsu society" vs "those who want to be the strongest in jujutsu society".

You lost me at the comparison of geto and gojo having the same depth and importance

[angelsandemons]

So here's the thing about Stolas.

He's not stupid.

These are all on Stolas' phone. They have been long before Full Moon.

He knows what they mean. He's known for a long time that Blitzø was less than thrilled with this set up outside of the sex. What he never understood was why.

And he still doesn't. That's the issue. That's why he approached his confession the way he did, that's why he jumped to conclusions the way he did. Because even if we set aside all the factors in Stolas' life that have been screaming at him for years that he is just uniquely flawed and unlovable, Stolas also has an immense amount of privilege that comes with being an Ars Goetia.

And the thing about privilege is that having it inherently blinds you to its existence. Because a big part of having privilege is having the luxury of taking something for granted that others are inherently aware they do not have.

A white child might be completely oblivious to the fact that calling the peach-colored crayon "skin color' might be an issue. A straight person might be completely oblivious to the fact that couples merchandise being labeled 'his' and 'hers' might be an issue. A sighted person might be completely oblivious to the fact that an independently developed cartoon never offering audio description might be an issue. And this is exactly why some people get so defensive when their privilege is pointed out to out to them: the very idea that something so big could have existed without their notice for all their lives is embarrassing to some people. It feels like an attack, something akin to calling them stupid.

But back to Stolas. Stolas has never had anyone even attempt to explain the issues the power imbalance between him and Blitzø can hold. He's worked out some for himself, but a prince raised by books from an Ars Goetia library is simply not going to have any knowledge of class dynamics beyond a surface level. He understood he was using Blitzø, but not how him being an Imp factored into that. So he spoke to Blitzø as he would an equal, because that's how he sees him: an equal. He knows the rest of the world may not, but he does. so that's all that matters, right?

Except it's not.

Every single one of his microaggressions in the series people have been pointing out since Full Moon aired are things that have never occured to Stolas as an issue. The way he presented his confession to Blitzø, particularly with Blitzø's past trauma (much of which Stolas is NOT aware of) is not something that would have occured to Stolas as an issue. And until someone sits him down and explains it to him better than Blitzø (sort of?) did in a fit of anger and frustration, Stolas is going to continue to think that the issue is that he is just uniquely flawed and unlovable.

[maxdibert]

What do you think of Voldemort as a villain?

Voldemort works well as a villain in an archetypal sense: he's the 'great evil' that needs to be defeated, and he represents that obsession with absolute power and disdain for humanity. In many ways, he symbolizes the coldness of someone who completely rejects love, empathy, and connection, which makes him terrifying in the world of Harry Potter, where those values are so central. The idea of Voldemort as someone who mutilates his own soul to avoid death adds depth because his fear of mortality makes him a character whose evil has very human roots, albeit taken to the extreme.

However, compared to other more complex and psychologically deep villains, Voldemort is quite one-dimensional. He lacks the moral nuances that might attract sympathy or understanding; at his core, he’s simply evil personified. There are few doubts or internal conflicts in him to give depth to his character, and his lack of empathy and humanity is so absolute that it makes him more of a symbolic figure than a three-dimensional character. This works well in the earlier books, which have a more child-friendly tone where complex moral depth isn’t necessary. But as the series progresses and Rowling tries to give her novels a more serious, mature, and dark tone, the fact that Voldemort is so flat becomes almost laughable. You start questioning why the most prominent aristocrats of the wizarding world would follow a guy with a disfigured face who, when you think about it logically, seems a bit ridiculous. He’s a rather silly villain by adult standards, to be honest.

In a way, Voldemort stands out in contrast to characters like Snape, who is much more morally ambiguous and struggles with his own demons. Snape’s internal struggle makes him psychologically more interesting, while Voldemort follows a path of such pure evil that he almost seems like a force of nature, without redemption or doubt. The problem is that we only get to see this in Snape near the end of the series because Rowling saved the big plot twist for him, and she didn’t really explore it enough—but anyway.

Voldemort’s impact as a villain then depends on how he affects other characters and the world in general rather than on his own complexity. He’s a villain that has a place in a story that needs a ‘great evil,’ but he’s not the kind of villain who becomes fascinating because of his internal conflicts or development. In an adult story, he’d be the equivalent of Joffrey Baratheon, and everyone would be completely fed up with him for acting like a spoiled brat throwing tantrums. But in a way, that’s exactly what he is, right? A kid with abandonment issues who needs to compensate for his insecurities by making everyone else kneel before him.