#like i dont even necessarily need a romance

[shivsghost]

I miss my pookie (takemura)

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

lying face flat on the floor passed out, vatican trio and their "if i get news of you dying another time i'll fucking get you" and "please take care of my friend this time as well".

the way that their designs are both archetypes that suggest they're not super in touch with their emotions (aloof black-haired guy and airheaded jock) but they're in fact both so casual and vocal about how much tesilid means to them

[laikabu]

saw someone who hc kabru as aromantic bisexual. thats actually kinda good. i dont necessarily subscribe to it but i could see it. not fully aro but in the spectrum i guess

im now just going to ramble about how i think this would work in my head. also labru bc this is my page

he sees flirting more as a game n marriage as something convenient than something he aspires to achieve w the one he loves

flirting n dating is more of a tool to make friends. he isn’t interested in getting serious so that usually turns them off, so he gets labeled as a ‘player’

he doesn’t return rin’s feelings even though he finds her physically attractive, because he genuinely values her friendship and the way he views romance is incompatible with hers and would just break her heart

ok labru territory turn away now sorry im pulling shit out of my ass atp

laios would fit right in with his preferences, because their relationship would be boiled down to “best friends who have sex” like, the easiest way for them to explain their thing

even if they go on dates, they’d be more interested in talking about a current topic or something they need to do, than super sappy stuff. they still do it! but kabru would kinda get uncomfortable with saying sappy stuff, it’s different from flirting. once laios recognizes this, he tells him he doesnt have to do that

it works out because while laios is kinda sentimental, he isn’t really a romantic person. when they were still figuring stuff out, laios just goes “x is mad at me because they think not doing y makes me a bad partner” but really, kabru doesn’t care whether he does it or not

if laios is saying this about a different partner, kabru would chastise him, but since it’s him, he’s totally fine with none of that happening

when it comes to them becoming spouses, they would rather forgo a real wedding and just do the paperwork to make it happen. marcille takes offense to this n thinks its an “affront to romance” esp since kabru wants to plan HER wedding, but neither of them think it’s a big deal

laios has a very hard time distinguishing his platonic feelings to his romantic feelings. he’s just very happy kabru that wouldn’t leave him or get bored of him. getting to kiss him and have sex with him is just a nice bonus.

kissing and cuddling is more of an emotional recharge or comfort etc for kabru than a romantic activity. his friends don’t get it at all.

even in my stupid baby universe its just “kabru wants to have a baby with me for the kingdom? he’s such a nice guy. he told me he wants utaya to live on too… thats so thoughtful.” their relationship is ‘blunt’ and ‘convenient’. the marriage was just to legitimize the heir and otherwise it was just a regular wednesday.

they love each other, but kabru expresses it to the extent that he could, and that works out for laios.

tl;dr basically someone who views romance as a performance than something ingrained w him x someone who struggles w romance. its totally fine if you dont see kabru on the aromantic spectrum, i don’t necessarily see it that way either! i just want to think about how it would work in my fanworks. what do u think. i should add more but im just going off at the top of my head LOL

[d4rkpluto]

𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔪𝔞 𝔞𝔯𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔱𝔶𝔭𝔢

[I AM FOLLOWING AYESHA K.FAINES RESEARCH OF FEMININE ARCHETYPES]

↳ the sexual feminine archetype of the mystic archetype.

♇ when your percentage of the lover percentage is 70% and over. and when your personal score matches with your percentage engima the most.

♇ the enigma is one of the sexual feminine archetypes that belong to the feminine archetype the mystic, whereas the other sexual feminine archetype is the goddess.

♇ people who belong to the enigma archetype are perceived as earthy and have this mesmerising and magnetic energy that can be depicted as positive.

♇ some of them could be seen as very aloof and can have a resting bitch face. they're spiritual people and positive enigmas have a hard time being narcissistic and cold.

♇ they're people who dont necessarily need fame or attention, [they just focus on what they create and people are attracted to], these women are more focused on their inner peace.

♇ they are people who feel like they need to connect to a higher source of power, its comforting for them to know that there is something bigger than them that they can be lenient on.

♇ since they're people who like peace so much, they could have this tendency of fleeing from situations when they recognise that trouble would be led to them in the end. they're women who are likely to have a sense of high value of themselves and to reach that, they like to ground their energy.

♇ when it comes to romance, they like to make their lover feel seen and heard. enigmas are HUGE lovers, and most of them express their love for them within their music. like when i was writing the enigma post, fka twig's song, pendulum kept on playing in my head.

♇ the lyric "dying to be yours" repeated in my head, sometimes, enigmas are the type of women to drop everything to be and please their significant other. the link to the song :)

♇ they can sometimes overlook their lover's very bad flaws, and can be the type of people to be into open-relationships.

♇ when it comes to non-romantic situations, or in general, they're people who keep a big part of themselves only to themselves, they don't like the idea of people knowing about them 100%.

♇ as it comes to people interacting with them, people might give them the burden of having to fix them.

♇ they can get into episodes where they have a lot of blockages when it comes to expressing their sensuality or creativity. enigmas are the type of people to live in their head than executing their ideas.

when it is not blocked you'll find them to be people with very artistic and original.

♇ though, enigmas come in many forms, even though they are people who can love very deeply, they're also very closed off women. watching interviews of them, most of them have reminded me of manic pixie girls.

♇ they're women who are very strong with their opinions, and since they're strong about their thoughts they can be very poetic. they're woman who can easily express their feelings so people can understand where they are coming from.

♇ when around the right people, they can come off as very chatty but they're the type to speak about everything but themselves.

♇ i have noted that many of them do know how to sing, i've implied that they're creative and enigmas are likely going to be those who take the musician route.

♇ are aware of how society and how poorly it treats people, so they try and help others, [and the earth]. they're people who always like to be prepared and can be considered as very cute. they have this earthy energy to them but still like to indulge in luxury, chiefly for their jewellery.

♇ they like to nurture things so they are the type to get plants or even pets. [and as a stretch could be open to having kids].

♇ when enigmas are really in love with someone or just take a liking too much for a person, they can become very agreeable people, they sometimes become a walking mat or you could say people-pleaser.

♇ after watching tons of interviews many of them do have a raspiness to their voice, could sometimes be because of weed. or just smoking in general.

♇ as it comes to their aesthetic, i have observed many of them like neutral colours and are into self-care. the type to have many skin products.

♇ scent/senses is very important for them and they tend to be very hygienic people.

♇ out of all the feminine archetypes, enigma archetypes are the ones who have the most diverse personalities, makes sense to the title of their archetype, not knowing who or what they specifically are.

♇ are women who are direct with what they want, especially when it does come to romance, confident enigmas know what they want and they get it. they could have many romances but not marry, plus, if they're famous they're likely tired with the attention they get.

♇ are sexually fluid people and love to express their sensuality within their art. many of them love memories and will always be grateful with what they have been taught in the past.

♇ moreover, when i was watching interviews of them, many of them had voices i did not expect them to have. if not careful can get pressured easily and hastily anxious. the type to want to make others feel included. they like to heal, very spiritual people, and as i have said that they remind me of manic pixies, the more i did my research on them, the more i realised they're very fairy-like.

♇ they're people who are interested in research and like to embrace their powerful feminine side. the type to indulge in witch-craft; some enigmas can be very insecure about their face, can be interested in cosmetic surgery, [even though all of them are gorgeous]. + also noticed many of them have very curvy bodies.

♇ can appear as two-faced or fake because they want to set a certain reputation of themselves. don't like drama or would walk away from the mess they made. they do like to be left alone and due to this people might consider them as boring, but they just have a wall in front of their real personality.

♇ as they are people who like to ground themselves, they are people who are long to temper, or try not to be easily tempered.

fashion wise, they are people who know their colours really well. are likely going to wear gold jewellery.

♇ and can sometimes come off as very bimbo-like because of their lack of care for things. they are people who are very open about their past, and majority of the time, young enigmas were forced into the spotlight. [asia monet ray + kourtney kardashian].

♇ they are great entertainers and can be favoured in what they do. what makes them more likeable is their sunny appearance. some of them display themselves as delicate. on the other hand, people might find them to be weird.

♇ sometimes enigmas can come off as childlike and a lot of them have chubby-cheeks.

other enigmas ↴

♇ enigmas i put above are fka twigs, krotchy, frida kahlo, greta garbo, kourtney kardashian and nicole kidman.

♇ understanding the enigma archetype, is that it shows that they are women who are usually deeply underestimated when it comes to their intelligence, spiritual women who are on a hermit path of understanding themselves and others.

♇ and to make the enigma archetype easier to comprehend i gathered characters from different tv shows or films that come under the archetype.

⟶ harry potter franchise - luna lovegood, embodies the shy and kept to themselves side of the enigmas, [as i said they are a very fluid and diverse archetype], as enigmas, luna is perceived to be someone who is strange but doesnt allow it to make her feel insecure. she helps other people and is kind, embraces her quirkiness.

⟶ from american horror story [coven] - misty day, the stereotypical spiritual enigma who cares for nature and the earth. has a special connection with animals and with life itself, very caring and eccentric, and as a healthy enigma, she doesnt allow people's views of her to bring her down.

⟶ avatar the way of water - kiri, when i was thinking of fictional characters who are the enigma, kiri was the first character that appeared in my head. she is connected with the earth, creative and connects herself to a higher source of power, [even though she is already connected to eywa from what i believe]. is connected to life and death.

⟶ from friends - phoebe buffay, embodies the childlike nature of the enigma, the nature where people perceive them to be "ditzy". when she is around the people she likes, she can come off as very chatty.

⟶ naruto franchise - hinata hyuga/uzumaki, embodies the shy nature of the enigma. the enigma that loves with their all, can have creative blockages and people underestimate who she is and her power. hinata is aware of how the world poorly treats people as she did belong to clan that didnt really care for their people. [ex. neji]. sometimes expresses the mysterious side an enigma can be.

⟶ from the original franchise - freya mikaelson, is the witch of her family and is very connected to nature, chiefly because of the time she was born. she is someone who likes to ground herself and is one of the siblings who thinks things out the most, will do anything for the sake of love and family. strong opinions and holds a strong bond of life and death, like misty day.

⟶ the last of us - dina woodward, likes to be connected to a higher source, shows when she gives ellie the evil eye bracelet, embodies the expressive side of the enigma and is likely open to "open-relationships" chiefly due to her bond with jesse and ellie. she is direct with what she wants, does like her peace.

⟶ from the haunting of hill house - nell crain, some people overlook her connection to a higher source of power; to see how you are going to die since you were young is pretty psychic. had spiritual phases and like many enigma characters is very connected with death, had tried to ground herself but wasnt able, especially becuase of her therapist. does keep a big part of herself but she normally did that because she didnt want to burden her siblings.

⟶ winx club - flora, represents the kind, nature-loving and mysterious side of the enigma, especially with the vibrant colours she wears, it might not really appear that there's this secrecy and mystery to flora's character but ever since i've watched the show when i was young, i've always noted an essence of puzzle and unsolved problem when it comes to her. like she's there but not at the same time.

⟶ from euphoria - cassie howard, you might wonder how cassie belongs to the enigma archetype and the girl embodies everything that an underdeveloped enigma is. is willing to drop everything for her lover, look past the red-flags and become what their lovers wants them to be. cassie is a big lover girl, and likes to make her lovers feel seen and heard, especially for what she did to nate, telling him she can be whatever he wants her to be.

♇ as i have done my research, i gathered that a lot of enigmas are are likely going to have capricorn, leo and pisces in their big three; in order of how much they appeared.

♇ they are also going to have leo, capricorn and taurus appear in their dominant signs; in order of how much they appeared.

♇ the planets jupiter, sun and pluto appeared in their dominant planets the most; in order of how much they appeared.

♇ the element that appeared the most was earth, second was fire and third was water.

♇ lastly, when it comes to the modality, what appeared the most was fixed and the second modality was mutable.

♇ feminine archetype masterlist

to find out what feminine archetype and sexual feminine archetype you are

buy a natal chart reading from me

masterlist

♇ pluto

[thebibliosphere]

Hi! How are you doing? Sorry to bother you, but i dont know many scottish people and idk who to talk to about this book I found on audible. It's called Imogène, by french author Charles Exbrayat. Do you know him /the book? I've started reading it but I had to pause because, while being sold as a "humorous spy story" I find the protagonist, a "very proudly scottish" woman, to be... an offensive caricature? Like she acts like a fool, honestly. This book contains some interesting points about sexism (it was published in 1959), and ridiculous british habits (such as employees forced to give money for princess anna's birthday or being socially scorned). I'm sure the shared dislike / distrust the protagonist and her british colleagues feel are (were?) realistic. But she is so extra, and the story keeps telling how lonely she is, even after working 20 years in london. She has No friends, most acquitances dont talk to her for various motivations, her bosses hates her ... idk I feel this book is actually mocking scottish people? Or scottish women??? I was SO there for a "strong woman protagonist who gives cutting remarks to her boss or peers", but this looks wrong. Idk. I didnt know whom ask for inputs. Maybe i'm reading too much into it. Feel free to ignore this mega rant. Have a good day!

I think cultural and historical context and time of publication-- which was almost 70 years ago --are important factors to take into consideration when we look at fiction through our current expectations.

I can’t speak to the book as I’ve never read it, but speaking as a Scots woman who worked for an English publishing house for a while, being made to feel alienated by my boss and others due to being Scottish was unfortunately still something going on in 2011.

I’d get lots of “Oh but you sound so eloquent” remarks regarding my thinned-out accent (something I did on purpose to avoid being told to “speak properly” which was also something I heard a lot in school if I ever used my native Scots language instead of “Queen’s English.”) and one time my boss referred to me as “their civilized Scot” to an American author, whose Scottish romance book I was supposed to be fixing the dialogue on.

The phrasing was along the lines of, “Don’t worry, you’ll be able to understand her. Joy is our civilized Scot.”

The author laughed and made another derogatory comment about how they just loved Scottish accents even if it was unintelligible a lot of the time. I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to lose my first career job.

I kept my mouth shut a lot in that job.

In that regard I could very well empathize with the character being lonely and not engaging with anyone, even after 20 years.

The proud Scottish woman can be a bit of a caricature, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is intended as mocking.

Again, cultural/historical context matters.

I wasn’t alive in 1959, but I know there was a lot of Scottish media about the time that leaned into the stubbornness and pride of Scots women both for humor and to make societal commentary on the fact that women were strong and more independent than they’d ever been following two world two and a lot of men weren’t happy about it and wanted them to go back into their boxes. As a result the mouthy, proud Scots woman became a mockable caricature that turned women into shrill, over proud scolds.

Get back in your box or we’ll make fun of you, basically.

So is this book being mocking, or is it employing popular tropes of the time, knowing that audience will understand what it means and that the female protagonist is being subversive despite what others expect from her?

I can’t say. Again, haven’t read it. It could be utter dogshit and making total fun of my culture. But I do think when looking at older media we need to put our thinking caps on and think, “How would the audience of the time, 1959, have viewed and engaged with this?”

Expecting a “strong female protagonist” as we know it from media today isn’t going to work with media that’s almost 70 years old.

Hell, the “strong woman protagonist” wasn’t even something any piece of media could agree on when I was growing up in the 90s.

Times change. Literary tropes and preferences change. It helps to keep that in mind.

[ot3]

people are like the BG3 companions are sooo diverse it's HUGE for video games when there's literally only two LGBTQ+ identities represented like just say irl you think everyone is ~a little bit bi~ and be done games have been doing better representation for literally fifteen years

im someone who finds the concept of 'representation' to be a fundamentally flawed way to engage with media critique and i think the fact that it is the primary lens used to engage with characters sexuality in media has caused a lot of people to sort of miss the forest for the trees in these kinds of discussions.

imo saying 'these characters aren't playersexual theyre all just bi and you're a biphobe for saying otherwise' is pretty much the same level of engaging with a text that 'this female character needs to wear a skimpy outfit because her super power is stronger when her skin is exposed' is. you're saying something that is technically true within the fiction you're being presented but really overlooking an absolutely titanic amount of cultural forces that have come together to influence the result you're seeing, and prioritizing the imagined agency of fictional characters over critiquing the intent of the writers

don't get me wrong i'm not saying that people shouldnt enjoy the fact that these characters are functionally, mechanically bisexual in the game. i dont want to take that away from anyone who gets something out of that. but i do think it's kind of strange how infrequently people discuss the fact that Bisexual becomes just the default character sexuality of romanceable play characters so gamers don't get mad that they can't fuck the 3d model they want to. in function, what you get a lot of the time isn't people going out of their way to meaningfully write a bisexual character but rather people abstaining from writing characters with any true sexual/romantic preference in order to please the larger portion of their consumer base.

i don't think it's really fair to claim that these people must automatically assume everyone in real life is a little bit bi because assuming peoples opinions on sexuality apply to real people the way they apply to fictional characters is bad in either direction. but i do think it's a little bit strange that you can see something where characters are made bisexual for the express purpose of being romantically/sexually available to any type of character you could throw at them in order to maximize the appeal of a commercial product and not even stop to consider whether or not that's a dynamic that's worth critiquing a little. considering how much of the way biphobia manifesting in real life is bi people needing to remind everyone that being bi does not, in fact, automatically make you romantically and sexually available to any conceivable type of person on earth.

anyway i don't think Playersexual characters are necessarily a bad or harmful thing but they're certainly something i don't like. and i certainly think that trying to act like any criticism of it is secret biphobia is pretty ridiculous.

[dapper-lil-arts]

What is your opinion on appledash and twipie?

hoo boy. I was wondering when someone would ask me the burning question about super popular ships.

Okay before i get into it I'll say right now that I'm an extensive romance writer. I've done multiple fics who focus strongly on romance, it's my favorite genre, I've done a LOT of it, and I work on multigenre so I'm always like. Trying to work extra hard to make stories interesting, compelling, character driven, etc etc.

If you want to say "volume doesn't equal quality" to me, i dont fucking know, read my fics before saying that my writing sucks lmao.

And this is just a little bit, I started writing these in january. Anyways, what I mean by this is that I tend to think a LOT when thinkin about romance, I consider every angle, every possibility, I'm not the kinda person that goes "I ship them bc theyre cute" And nothing else, yknow? Yeah you can consider me pretentious if you want, i'm that family guy suit wearing meme lmao.

Anyways, when it comes to writing romance on adapting characters, I often consider multiple angles, such as canon chemistry, fanon chemistry, tropes the characters exist on and tropes they can easily build upon, and one of the most important: What does each of these individual characters want/don't want in a relationship, and what can they provide each other.

There are characters for example that dont express any interest in romance, but that doesnt mean they wouldnt have an ideal partner n whatnot. (Like Twilight not rly ever expressing desire for romance, but very much benefiting from ruling alongside someone) There are characters that are obsessed with romance, but might actually be best with an ideal that isnt what they expected. (How rarity wanted a handsome prince, but might instead just want a fiercely loyal partner that fullfils her emotionally and phisically etc.)

So now we get to the ships that you mentioned.

Twilight sparkle is a studious nerd who enjoys a quiet day reading and relaxing, she loves learning and exploring ideas quietly. How the hell would she ever be happy with Pinkie, who CANNOT sit still, clearly doesnt care for studying or being quiet, and wants to be the center of attention all the time. Sure you could try to spin it as an "Aww the kitty want's attention" But that really isn't enough for me; And it's kinda messed up to HAVE to put your interests aside to give attention to your partner. ...Especially when canon Pinkie's track record with twilight is usually just annoying her over anything and everything.

anyways, canon Pinkie gets together with Cheese sandwich, which is essentially a copy of her. A bit lame, sure, but with it we can understand what she wants in a relationship; she want's to be challenged, she wants someone to match her freak, or at least accompany it. Yeah it's still lame to have a copy of her, but we can take it from the canon exactly what she wants, even if it isn't necessarily what she needs.

What the hell does Twilight provide that Pinkie wants? How does Twilight challenge pinkie on her favorite things, on partying, on living wild? Twilight wants to be chill and read books, why would that be anything but excruciating to pinkie, ESPECIALLY canon pinkie who revels on interrupting and annoying and making the whole room pay attention to her?

This is elementary stuff to me, it's one of the reasons why Sunset x Pinkie works so much, because although Sunset is NOT a copy of Pinkie, she absolutely can match her freak, they can challenge each other and push each other further, they can be a dynamic duo that both love their respective methods of partying. It's lovely! (And hey Sunset has amazing chemistry with twilight for similar reasons, they were both studious under the same teacher, magical overachievers, etc etc etc.)

Imagining that Pinkie has to mellow out to get with someone is kinda weird, since, its the cornerstone of her character that shes bubbly, hiperactive, and loud. And in sunpie you got the brilliant "People that cheerful make me nervous-- Well, not all people, hi Pinkie." ANYWAYS lets get to appledash, I've written enough and got more stuff to do.

In the subject of tropes, this ain't opposites attract, but it isn't equals attract either. People tried convincing me that its smth related to butch v butch romance? but idk if I'm sold on it, generally like... Even if you don't take canon Rainbow into account and how she antagonizes AJ (and most people frankly) and you take it as it is, why would Applejack want to settle down with someone that doesn't care about family or farm work and has no business experience and whatever?

And why, goddamn why, would rainbow dash, the flyby crazy soaring high girl that loves to always be in the skies want to live in a goddamn farm, idk man idk. Sure you can make the argument that it's cute that they'd 'settle' for each other after a rivalry, but eh, they're not even official rivals like lightning Dust, and still! And if you want Rainbow to settle for a quiet life with someone she cares about... Fluttershy is right there, and she is much more chill, much more dedicated to a quiet life, AND she's a childhood friend. If you want Rainbow to get with a rival or with someone that can match her freak, both Lightning Dust and Spitfire are right there, both pegasi, both characters that have this importance and connection to her favorite thing: FLYING (Maybe rainbow is a little bit racist??! Lmao) I also think it doesn't help that AJ has history with so many femme girls that are all rly fun pairs with her (Rarity, Rara, Autumn blaze, Cherry, etc etc) So Rainbow 'the girl that doesn't shower Dash' feels like a sore thumb sticking out on that trend.

Applejack wants someone she can be fiercely loyal and loving with, she's a family mare and she is (by obvious reasons) grounded. Those aren't exactly the perfect fit for Dash, it feels like they'd have to compromise too much to be together.

generally for me is hard to multiship when there's a bunch of better character chemistries surrounding these character. I've refrained from mentioning rarijack too much on this whole shebang but like CMON. And hey. Appledash shippers. If you try to 'gotcha' me and say that appledash is canon, I'll remind you that you have less content than Korrasami. If that satisfies you, lmao, then you have my pity

[hadescabin]

TW// GROOMING, MANIPULATION breaking down tigerheartstar and dovewing and why i think its awful ik I said that I dont really like warrior cats anymore but recently i've been thinking about some stuff regarding the series and its fandom and there's one thing that's been particularly bothering me. dovewing and tigerheart. it's just crazy to see the shift of support for tigerdove considering early 2010s warriors fandom seemed mixed on them. now there seems to be this equivocal support for them, probably because most of the fandom's exposure to the couple has been the recent books which frames them as man who loves his wife x burnt out prophecy kid who will do anything for her malewife. which theres nothing wrong with that dynamic, i think it's cute, but people really seem to forget about how tigerheart straight up groomed and treated dovewing awfully throughout oots and even in tigerheart's shadow. it seems to be a forgotten fact that tigerheart was a full grown warrior by the time he was pursuing dovepaw, who was a newly made apprentice. for perspective, this was a 6-7 moon teenager with someone almost the age of her mentor (a little younger). people try to use the excuse "oh but they're cats" and "the age gap isnt that bad" but even the recent books acknowledge with frostpaw and splashtail, that a warrior and apprentice dating is WEIRD. tbf oots was released in the early 2000s, but the fact that canonically speaking the age gap is seen as a teenager and adult relationship gives me the ick. it really puzzles me to see people get on ships like dustfern and bramblesquirrel (both of which i hate btw) for their age gaps but come up with every excuse in the books to defend tigerdove. its not even just the age gap too, again, their relationship has consisted of tigerheart manipulating and grooming dovepaw to do what he wants. in the first two books (esp the second book of oots) dovepaw is presented as someone who got attached to the cats from the journey and doesnt necessarily understand why they must act like they shouldnt exist anymore due to the borders. this is something that tigerheart LEARNS and actively takes advantage of when dovepaw questions why hes at their borders (tldr its dark forest stuff). he shifts the topic and then goes on about the journey and how he felt that they almost became friends, and that if they were in the same clan things would be easier. this may not seem like a big deal, but this goes on for the rest of their interactions whenever tiger needs to pressure her to do something she doesnt want (meeting up, trusting him, etc.) He realizes that the subject of different borders resonates with her and uses it to his advantage whenever he wants something out of her. This can especially be seen in the next book, “Night Whispers”, which kickstarted their relationship. Dovepaw accidentally ran into ShadowClan territory while hunting, and Tigerheart happens to find her there. Once again, he gives her a speech about borders being meaningless, before asking her to meet up with him before the ShadowClan patrol catches them. There’s also other examples in later books where he coerces her into meeting up or trusting him since “that’s what friends are for” or even later in that book, where he manipulates her into using Ivypaw as a captive for herbs. 

When you take this into account, plus him as a full grown warrior, starting a romantic relationship with a barely apprenticed Dovepaw who is shown as having a childish/ immature perception on romance/mates (such as her argument with Ivypaw and claiming that she should “find her own mate”), Tigerdove feels very much like grooming to me. According to the dictionary definition grooming is, “the action of attempting to form a relationship with a child or young person, with the intention of sexually assaulting them”. Of course, in this case, since it’s a young adult book, it’s to form a romantic relationship, which could also be another goal of grooming. Groomers tend to display manipulative behaviors towards the victims in order to coerce them into trusting them more. Whether that be through compliments, gifts, trying to resonate with them or make them feel special. They tend to try to get them to keep and “share” secrets, which is another tactic they utilize both to isolate the victim and to get them to feel more comfortable. 

A lot of behaviors that Tigerheart displays towards Dovepaw falls under this, including the examples I mentioned. There are a couple of other comments that he makes which come off as creepy such as Dovepaw “being his favorite sister”, which as I established, is something a groomer would say in order to make the victim feel as though they’re special and garner their trust. Which is especially the case when you note that he makes that comment in reference to Dovepaw asking about his ties to Ivypaw, which he actively lies about, and quickly reassures her that there’s nothing going on. 

This tactic of manipulation, where he either makes her feel special, or even love bombs and dissuade her from standing up for herself, doesn’t stop when she’s an apprentice. It continues when she’s a warrior, and is constantly used throughout OOTS and “Tigerheart’s Shadow”. At one point in the series, Dovewing and Tigerheart get into an argument about Dawnpelt wrongfully accusing Jayfeather of murder. When Tigerheart defends his sister, Dovewing stands up for Jayfeather, which prompts Tigerheart to try and manipulate her out of the conversation. He jumps straight to talking about how much he loved and missed her, and guilts her by asking why they had to argue like this, and why they couldn’t just “meet like before”. As for Tigerheart's Shadow, he actively goes against what she wants (to raise her kits outside the clan) and actively pressures and guilts her into coming back, before she finally relents. He doesn't care about what SHE wants, it's always about him. Whether it be secretly meeting up, or in The Last Hope, he tries to pressure her to date him again (which she FINALLY refuses and scolds him for thinking about his own needs when they're right before a final battle. as she should). It's especially upsetting in the newest book that tigerheart seems to be the only think at the center of her character. when she argues with ivypool, it's less about the two sister's interpersonal conflicts and more about her and tigerheart's relationship. which...feels like a lot of missed potential to me? i want them to argue, i want dovewing to stand up to herself against ivypool, but why does the entire conflict have to revolve around him? why can't dovewing have her own thoughts and feelings without it tying back to her awful husband?

[hugemilkshake]

Broooo your insect cookies are SOOOO CUTE AND AWESOME!!!

Can I ask for Y/N x all of them (preferably romantic [poly if that’s allowed], but if platonic is better that’s fine-) and Y/N just cannot stop praising them and looking at their features? Just Y/N admiring them and cooing them like I, ME a person would to other insects.

(I must know more about them. I’m obsessed with them and I’m not ashamed to admit this-)

Enjoy the milkshake! I am excluding three cookies from the main group, these cookies are blushing snail bc they aren’t interested in romance and cinnamon spider and minty snail because they don’t live in the same area-

Bug pile!

-romantic for everyone except Blushing Snail-

Pink Mantis, Emperor Caterpillar, Peach Novius & Leaf Sheep Slug

This batch of cookies are very… interesting

Now they are nice and affectionate but very different from one another

For example Pink Mantis is the most affectionate out of the bunch

The most common thing to do with them is to walk on the beach but it and always to send a letter to the cookie over on beast yeasts shores

And that causes problems because Pink Mantis never gets a response and they don’t understand that they won’t ever get a response

Emperor Caterpillar is vastly different from Pink Mantis

Emperor Caterpillar will get you anything and everything that you ask

But he will flaunt you around and that can be a little annoying

But Peach Novius is more reserved

Peach Novius will attempt to read you romantic poetry but will fail because she struggles to read

And it honestly quite cute because of how embarrassed she gets (don’t make fun of her she’s trying)

Now if you do show some discomfort with something the others did then she will advocate for you but is usually unheard due to her quiet nature

But Leaf Sheep Slug is less quiet than Peach Novius.

Leaf Sheep Slug might be rude and brash but is actually pretty chill when you get to know him

He is the one you can rant to for hours and not be interrupted

Cinnamon Spider

Now to be with this bounty hunter you have to be okay with him being gone for days on end

Now Cinnamon Spider doesn’t enjoy leaving but has too because of work

But when the two of you are together he is such a sweet and caring partner

Blankets, cuddles and some hot chocolate (or cold since it’s the dessert-) are musts haves

Now Cinnamon Spider can’t cook but he will do his best for you

Minty Snail

Minty Snail is a nerd. Need I say less?

Minty Snail will definitely get you anything you need for your hobby

Now they aren’t very cuddly but they are very sweet and thoughtful when it comes to gifts

But he will cry if you give him a gift

Blushing Snail (platonic)

Blushing Snail is a very good friend

Might be clumsy but they are doing their best

They know the best spots to chill at

And they are actually very talkative even though they look very shy

Now Blushing Snail is quite adventurous and curious, wanting to actually travel into beast yeast and see where all of Pink Mantis’s letters actually go to

You have to convince them to not do that.

But the one common thing among theses cookies that that you make sure to tell them that they are beautiful because they dont necessarily look like other cookies

[fereldanwench]

thoughts as i watch:

environments are gorgeous but we knew that'd be the case tbh. they were gorgeous in dai too

i dont feel strongly one way or the other about a more action-oriented combat approach, but i can see this being a controversial choice (although i would say even with dai's tactical cam, the series has been headed in this direction since da2)

still not sure how i feel about the style. the venatori are standing out to me especially--they looked eerie and unsettling in dai; i feel like the simpler design has definitely lost some presence here. it's not enough to make me not want to play or anything, but my criticisms of the trailer in this regard are more or less still standing

the demons were another thing i liked in DAI--i know some demons have been reworked across all the games, but the pride demon remained consistent and was iconic. i feel like it didn't need to be changed here

also not sure about the UI--it's very clean and well-designed but as with just about everything else from graphic design elements, it just doesnt evoke dragon age to me. minrathous is obviously very different from other thedosian locations we've seen--maybe the sleeker visuals there will help the UI feel more in place. but i still like a grungier da, personally

the first thing im gonna do when i recruit neve is get that goddamn graduation cap thing off her head lmao

definitely building some tension with varric and solas D:

approval system still in play, guessing that'll factor into romances

solas' teeth are really distracting me lmao did he get veneers

ooooooh what just popped outta the fade i actually dont want to know or speculate too hard dont tell me

didn't really get a sense of the protagonist, but that's not necessarily a bad thing if we're gonna be able to really customize and roleplay our own character. i did notice harding's comment about who he is and his skills--felt a little shoehorned as a way to let the player know "hey, your choices matter" but im not mad about it

it looks fun. it looks like a game i will enjoy. still not sure if it'll be a day one purchase, but all things considered given what has gone down at bioware since inquisition (since even before that really), this does look pretty polished

i'm going to be very restrictive on what else i willingly expose myself to between now and the release. i am interested in seeing the CC and i would like to see a little more about lucanis, maybe a little more combat from the other classes, but i think i've seen what i need to for now

[the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see]

what is this jean/Jeremy/Kevin thing it looks interesting and the art is cool

oh boy oh boy!!!!!!!! i am absolutely going through it anon. so basically there is this book series called all for the game by nora sakavic that you should totally read (the first book is called the foxhole court -- but please check out a list of trigger warnings for it because it is very heavy and deals with a lot of serious and painful topics. i myself have had to disconnect for some of the scenes and come back when i was ready; its completely okay to do so, or to not read the books at all if its uncomfortable). its about gay athletes, guys just going through the absolute worst, the yakuza, fucked up families, a running game of how pathetic can you get answered in 15 different ways by each person, fucked up relationships, all not-so-neatly packaged into a completely made up fictional sport. (its funny because i am NOT a sports person and barely even understand cricket even though i watch it all the time, but i know the rules of exy forwards, backwards, and inside out. its that serious.)

i also need to warn you that the first book is slow. the second book is also kind of slow. i personally didnt have any trouble with it because im more of a character reader and aftg had PLENTYYY to keep me busy, but i think its a fair warning if youre sensitive to pace. however. the payoff is so incredibly worth it. its an amazing read with obsession-worthy characters, detailed and balanced plot beats, flowing and natural dialogue, very creative sports , and the relationships will make you want to reread it twenty thousand times. the romance is also the slowest burn to ever burn. if youre going in for romance at the start, you Will Not Get what you want -- but you will get it. i think we as a fandom focus on the romances a lot (im new so dont take my word for it) but its 1) because we're tumblr dont come and 2) because the romances and relationships are incredibly interesting to see through the lens of the books and vice versa. what i really love most (and youll see this in the ec doc) is that it feels like each and every choice was deliberately made by the author to make the book. like. down to the ice cream flavor they get at one point. especially with the sunshine court, i feel like i can see exactly where she made a choice and what mightve happened if that choice wasnt made. its intoxicated to read. it feels like breathing and it feels like drowning.

i just read the sunshine court (where jean and jeremy are more from) so thats what all the recent stuff has been, but you should read the foxhole court series first for it to make sense. i think tsc is 100000x times better and better written than tfc but you have to work for it lol. and!!!!! the author is on tumblr (@/korakos)! also if you do read it, please tell me!!!!!! you can keep sending anons or you can dm me or you can come to my house and live in my room but tell me!!!!! theres also an extra content doc (thanks @jeansyvesmoreau for sending this to me) between the series' (so after the kings men, before the sunshine court) that you should definitely definitely read. but im getting ahead of myself.

i hope that helps?? or at least doesnt hurt. if you liked the raven cycle by maggie stiefvater, i think this is a good step up. let me know if you have any questions at all!!

okay ive been normal for this whole thing, ranting and incoherent noises below cut:

ANON ITS SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD ITS SO GOOD. ITS SO GOOD. i told mel this but i cant possibly say i love these books because its not necessarily love. its not something i can explain but youll get it if you read it. there is a piece of my soul that was carved out, reformed, and then put back into me by nora sakavic. i dont think ill ever be the same again. i need a therapist who has read these books so they can understand exactly what im going through. each character was like a bomb to me. jean moreau is like a straitjacket. they mean so much to me. theyre nothing. i hate them. i need to feed them breakfast. OUGHHHHHHHHORGHEURGHEOGH. there is so much grief entangled with them but they are so vibrant and full of life it hurts. i cant stop thinking about them. i finished tsc yesterday and ive been sobbing ever since. i am dead serious. i cried myself to sleep last night thinking about one of the characters. i need you to know how real i am being.

i think if i meet nora sakavic i will probably kill her. just fully black out and kill her and not even know it. so i wont meet her for the better! but i need this to be out there. my fingers hurt from typing all this but know that there is MORE in my head. so much more. i am fit to burst with it all. love you anon thanks for asking

[kakishirocream]

Breaking down a bad Frisk and Chara analysis

Honestly, in my opinion this has to be one of the worst analysis on Frisk and Chara

Im not going to elaborate on the AU “Stand In” much. All you have to know is that its vile like all fr*ns aus are, convoluted, and a bland sci fi romance with undertale painted on. Anyways onto my point. And yes, this was made back in 2016 but the OP still believes in that fanon.

They arent a goody two shoes, theyre far from it and they can be sadistic and they dont do things because its good, they do things because “i need to know” “i have to” and does things for fun

Yes, the last image can refer to the Player but in universe it talks about Frisk. This isnt deltarune and undertale’s meta is completely different from deltarune because in undertale the player is non diegetic. while in deltarune the player is diegetic and the meta is more “in your face.” Yes you can bring up Flowey talking to “the player” but thats supposed to be ambiguous about who he is talking to and honestly it is kinda irrelevant if Chara is talking to Frisk or the player at the end of the geno route because again its a in-universe vs out of universe thing. Keep in mind that Undertale isnt necessarily a meta game (aka knows its a game, etc) its a game with Meta themes and things like resets, etc are an in universe thing that can be explained in universe.

Yes, Frisk and Chara represent a mindset of a player but not in that way.

Frisk is not “mercy” they are completionism, curiosity, emotional attachment (which can be perverted sentimentality), child like wonder, and the memories you cherish and the joy you have from playing the game, enjoying heartfelt stories and characters you grow to love. The memories you cherish and the joy transcends video game metrics and number based rewards.

However again like mentioned Earlier, Frisk has no morals whatsoever and does things because they're curious and does things for fun even things that are depraved and disgusting.

Chara not just “fight” they are your True RPG character and their name is whatever you want. Theyre the representation of the addiction to number based rewards and the desire to reach “the absolute.” Theyre represented by the number 9 the final single digit number.

Even in the pacifist route there is that feeling of wanting a number based reward. Even by just wanting more GOLD they are that feeling.

*sigh*

OF FUHCKING COURSE YOU ARE ALSO TRYING TO JUSTIFY YOUR BELOVED SHIP BY MAKING THINGS UP AND SEVERELY MISCHARACTERIZING AND MISSING THE POINT.

Again, Chara is the addictive feeling to numbers going up in games however they are not that’s doing the murders nor they even want to kill monsters until the end. Again, Frisk is NOT the innocent uwu bean, they are pretty much as just as responsible because they have the right mindset to even ensure the geno route is possible from the very start as mentioned. Also, i have to bring up the fact the player is non diegetic in UT AGAIN like i had to bring up previous points again.

Im not gonna bother diving into the au parts of the analysis, just the OPs thoughts on what they think the meta is. The last part just completely gets frisk‘s personality wrong. They are NOT introverted and Quiet

Thank you for reading, im concluding this thread. PLEASE do not harass the OP because it will cause more harm than good

These docs by @lazynickname would be useful if you want to know more about frisk and chara.

[fairykery]

If not canon, then why flashy?

Eyesex and a smile?

The guy that hates physical contact is smiling as kohaku hugged him? Not only that but he also looked into her eyes tenderly? LIKE? The other girl going "it wasn't that type of hug" was just referring to the fact that they aren't gf and bf because technically THEY AREN'T and the one girl still assumed that they were. So when they got touch- feely and the girl covered her eyes thinking they were a couple(thanks to the kiss situation) the other girl calmed her down saying they weren't really a couple sharing a hug; but two people that care about each other hugging. While Senku did not return the hug because he is never/and has never been forward about that type of situation, Kohaku is the first he's smiles at, lets hug, and has had people wonder the state of their relationship when being hugged by. She is also the only girl he is close with, that has been hinted at having feelings for him.

The KISS

Sorry, No I get it. It was too soon for this to be a romantic moment. I get it. It was for the sake of comic relief. But if you pay attention. The context of the scene didn't necessarily have to be written romantically, NOT EVEN for the sake of the plot. Cause them kissing had nothing to do with the situation; BUT the mangaka STILL specifically chose to go THAT route with the scene. He, HIMSELF, chose to use a romantic excuse(even if a comical one) as a plot device to move the story forward. And on top of that made them kiss(even if they were both uncomfortable by it still at this point in the manga). With that, making Kohaku the girl he's closest to who he has had the most physical contact with and even shared a kiss with(even if it was just a chin kiss and they both were practically uncomfortable for being forced to do.). No but seriously, the mangaka using SenHaku as a plot device to move the story forward WHEN it is NOT needed should provide some insight of what he thinks of the pairing. Which is that: "it is fun to write about" and "he likes to write about it".

NO TIME?

I like how he reponds with something that implies. "Maybe i'll blush later....not rn we gotta find a way out of here". Can we also take a moment to realize the mangaka/writter interrupted this moment before Senku could respond to the: "and the way i see it that is so very-" from kohaku? Subtle behavior on his part. Is there something on Senku's mind he doesn't want fans to know for the sake of avoiding ship wars? I wouldn't be surprised if this was what was stopping him from making the ship more explicit. Cause shippers get kind of crazy with the wars and MOST mangakas KNOW this and dont want that to affect the sales.

BRIDE STYLE?

He specifically chose one of the most romantic tropes to draw them In? Sorry no. This has nothing to do with their dynamic; but he still drew them like this? In THIS pose? Mangaka definitely shipped them.

Nah; but like never have i ever seen him so touchy feeling with anyone?

idk idk they remain sus. Especially with all of his guy friends hoping him to experince romantic love.

SenHaku also kinda parallel His adoptive dad and his lover(maybe not in the sense of dynamic; but in color aesthetic and how they are portrayed in the covers)

[also look at them being bride style like the senhaku cover lol]

I don't know why people say this ship is impossible because Senku says he isn't interested in romance. Like he also hinted at the fact that he has sex drive, just not a crazy active one where he would attack a female for, especially one stronger than him.

And if you ACTUALLY pay attention every time that topic of romance comes up is not that he COMPLETELY dismisses it. It is more because he does not prioritize it or care to look for it, especially considering that he is so goal-driven. At the same time, it is already revealed that not everything he says(especially when it comes to relationships/bonds)does he mean. He only, like i said, likes to remain goal-oriented and doesn't want anything to distract him.

He also acted pretty detached towards his own father and rejected his overly affections of love. So much so, that Byakuya tried to adapt to his own love language of science. But at the end of the day,it is not that Senku is 100% against those concepts(of romanticized bonds) it is just that he finds them to be waste of time. But despite that, he is still human. He still feels despite how much he doesn't allow himself to do so:

And Riri herself pointed how Senku only acts tough and detached when it comes to relationships/bonds(when talking about his care for the village) but a part of him does care. This is because she is the only one whose seen him cry at his father grave, despite how detached he acted about his father dying at the beginning. But again, he remembered that he had a goal, and wiped his tears; because for him "there's no time for that". It's all about prioritizing his goals, especially when about science.

And there's ALOT of emphasis on THAT.

Even so, so many characters in shounen have ended up marrying/having feelings despite saying/or there being no indicator that they are interested in romance. It is a common trope of it. So even if it were because Senku is not into romance it wouldn't sink the ship. I mean look at Sasuke(another goal-oritented character) said that romance had no place in his revolution; but at the end of the day married sakura and even gave her a ring to ward off insects

[note: is important to note that sasuke was not rejecting sakura here. More like trying to convince kakashi that romance had no place in his revolution. Because he was goal oriented, like Senku(that and the fact that he was still struggling with his darkness). In fact Sakura said that she wanted things to go back to the way they used to be and he assumed that was romance, without anyone saying anything of that sort. And Sakura had already left it clear that she wanted team 7 back; but then sasuke mentioned romance lol]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Something else worth mentioning is the fact that Senku hates clingy overly-romantic girls or the girls that fall in love too fast with him, as we've seen him cringe or act annoyed with those type of acts. But still, he was able to manage to say something about a type, despite his dismissive behavior. Even tho it was just to brush the conversation off, the fact that he answered his type of girl with "someone that could bring him materials" and then calls Kohaku a lioness, and him as a scientist knows that usually a lioness is one to provide their mates with food from hunting. I don't know. It seemed like a sweet nickname to give her. Especially when in his time period, that type of nickname is considered flirtatious. What is more, is that he initially brought Taiju back because of his usefulness in strength(and the fact he knew he could trust him) & Senku himself noticed the exact same quality in Kohaku.

So someone that could fit his description of his type would definitely be kohaku and seeing that she is the girl who he is the closest, and HAS brought him materials before so i dont see why not. I mean he was already pretty impressed with her first meeting her. Even after having worked with her, he was still impressed by her strength, and doesn't stop talking about it:

There's also people who always dismiss Kohaku's feelings. I mean i think it's already pretty clear

His physical aspect she seems pleased with

And well he already fits the EXACT description of her EXACT type. So it is 100% safe to say that she has feelings for him. It may not be explicitly stated but it was just the right amount of sublte. Similar to Mikasa Ackerman/Touka Kirishima, whose feelings were never explicitly stated; but were always quite obvious. That was the type of subtlety the mangaka was aiming at. And i think there's a reason for that.

Because Senku hates fast paced relationships/love at first sight/mushy girls. Building Kohaku's feelings in a slowburn manner makes Kohaku stand out from all the other girls that have feelings for him/have flirted with him/felt attracted to him. Because, as i said, he doesn't like that kind of stuff. And since he is still sciency I don't think he would ever fall for a romantic type of girl; but rather a useful one that can serve as his partner. The way I see them happening would be by Kohaku being accepting of his anti-romantic nature, and Senku seeing her as worthy Mate that he could reproduce with so that the sciene can live on and keep developing. While he did teach Chrome alot, Chrome also says he wants Senku to live. I think he also meant it in a metaphorical way. Chrome, next to his other male friends kept pushing for or looking for an indicator of him feeling attraction for a girl/or at least want him to understand romantic love so that he doesn't keep downplaying the feelings that they have towards their crushes. Even Gen seemed pretty excited at the thought of him kissing a girl lol. So it's safe to say that the mangaka writing this was him rooting for the same thing for Senku; but not in the way that we exepect.

Again, if he ever did develop a relationsip with kohaku to another level. I dont think he would confess/or admit his physical attraction to her, if he did feel any. I think he would find himself content that he has found a useful girl, that can bring him materials, and doesn't ask much of him(in a romantic light). This would push Senku to allow Kohaku as his partner. I don't think Kohaku would mind it either as long as she knows Senku is willing to reciprocate in terms of just the right amount of romantic gestures/or sexual entanglement(when senku finds the time for her)

Because as he has stated he does not NOT have a sex drive(just not active) nor is he COMPLETELY against chivalry (which is rooted in romance).

So i think if he did develop feelings for Kohaku he will not do much to figure out the why and would instead only try to rationalize it by saying Kohaku is the perfect partner. He would agree to a wedding for the sake of his friends and act like he was peer pressured to doing it, and would probably ONLY compliment Kohaku's looks by saying something like "You know, according to the symmetrical proportions of your face, you'd be considered to be living up to the beauty standards of my time" and Kohaku would be fine with that thanks to the reassurance of her sister about how "he is not the type of guy to be completely against the tradition of bonds/feelings. He just doesn't prioritize them". So kohaku would be fine with that. Especially because she herself has been swayed by his way of living.

As long as she knows that Senku considers her his mate, partner, and important person, I think she'd be okay with that. Especially since Senku is logical enough to understand that he needs to put effort into the relationship with his mate. So he'd do soft gestures for her that will keep her happy in order to maintain their relationship, even if she doesn't ask for it. And that will be enough because by the end of the day that's what most relationships are, Senku just doesn't feel the need to romanticize them, unless it's for the sake of following through with a logical situation. And well him maintaining his relationship with Kohaku would be logical as it would avoid conflict and prevent him from seeking a mate elsewhere. We all know Senku doesn't like to bother with those things. He just goes with the flow of whatever is convenient.

I also think that even though he doesn't like physical contact he'd probably do soft things like touch her hand in reassurance,(he's held her hand), smile at her(as he has done so before), look tenderly at her with pride(has looked and felt proud of her) and lean on her when he is tired(they have leaned on each other metaphorically). Those would be indicators.of him caring for her, but he won't ever stop to think about them, even if his heart rate actually does start to raise he will only rationalize it with talks about "dopamine/serotonin" and Kohaku being his chosen partner; but overall, he'd be most ecstatic about having a partner by his side, and the fact that he cares for such partner. Kohaku won't ask for more and will come to understand that she has what any other girl has(when it comes to romantic relationships), and she SIMPLY has a partner that tends to rationalize everything and dislikes romance; but is willing to do it for the sake of logic.

[lepoppeta]

Vox x Alastor?? For the ship bingo

oh my god okay so radiostatic means everything to me

its so gut-wrenchingly sad and also hilarious and also off-putting and also so steeped in devotion and romance it makes me want to scream ??? i want them to metaphorically kiss and make up but i also know that would never fucking happen and thats also good ??? they make my head spin.

alastor is a shameless theatre kid who LOVES being the center of attention — vox is OBSESSED with alastor, and is thus a consistent source of that attention. vox is distressingly easy to tease and alastor feeds off of his passionate responses like a leech. theyre so codependant on each others apparent hatred. i need to bite something.

my favourite version of their relationship that ive made up (and this only works with their series iterations — imo their pilot/comic counterparts have never even considered an acquaintanceship, let alone a romance) is that their falling out was one huge, violent misunderstanding. alastor began to lose his power and status within the overlord hierarchy when he refused to adapt over time (can you IMAGINE how fucking powerful he would be if he just stopped being such a stubborn asshole and decided to start including podcasts under the "radio" umbrella?) and vox swiftly surpassed him. vox didnt want alastor to be left behind, and offered a partnership where they could operate in tandem and basically control almost all media output in hell. alastor mistook this for vox saying that alastor wasnt interesting enough as he was and HAD to change, and as we all know alastor DESPISES being thought of as uninteresting. he tells vox to fuck off and vox is left wondering what the hell just happened.

objectively i dont think theyd ever make up — alastor is FAR too prideful to ever consider the idea that HE was the one who was mistaken, and i dont think he particularly likes the idea of emotional or physical vulnerability either. regardless, what i would love to imagine is that eventually, SOMEHOW, they do, and that their relationship is... actually so easy. this is most likely just me projecting, but i like to think of vox as just wanted alastor as an actual partner, not a fuck buddy (his "relationship" with valentino is a coping mechanism for his anxiety and confusion and doesnt necessarily reflect on how he would be with alastor, someone i like to think he actually appreciates as a person). vox is a complete lovesick FOOL.

this is so long already so im sticking some extra spicy headcanons below the cut!

if their relationship ever edged (hah) into sexual territory, i actually think it could work, but it definitely wouldnt be vanilla (absolutely zero penetration in this relationship). i think a fair amount of voyerism, dom/sub play, and hypnotism is involved — vox obviously has his hypnotic stare, and i like to personally headcanon that alastor can hypnotise people with his voice. like... idk, alastor i feel like would get a lot of enjoyment (sexual or not) out of toying with people and seeing them squirm, and vox would respond really well to some level of praise + orgasm denial.

for me i can imagine alastor ranging from completely sex-repulsed and having no libido at all, to being appreciative enough of the sensation but disliking the vulnerability and general grossness of bodily fluids that comes (ha-ha) with it. i think vox wouldnt care either way — as long as he gets to have alastor, hes beyond thrilled.

i LOVE thinking about the potential for predator/prey dynamics too. i like to headcanon that alastor actually has to spend a lot of energy fighting off his very annoying prey instincts on the daily and maintaining a mask of indifference. deer/elk iirc are naturally very skittish — alastors hearing is terribly accute and a lot of the time hell ends up being too LOUD for him. his ears are a huge indicator of his emotions so he has to force them to be still so no-one knows how hes feeling. compared to this, despite not being an actual shark, vox has a lot of shark themes, and his obsession with alastor may be in part due to having the desire to "hunt" him and eat him (not that he actually would — the most he would do would probably be to chew/drool on him a little bit). in point of fact, i think is he ever let this desire slip, alastor, being a maybe-cannibal, would probably be find it to be weirdly flattering — after all, some say consumption is the highest form of devotion.

tying back into the hypnotism thing — alastor generally avoids looks vox directly in the eye, both because of the hypnotism thing and also because his face is literally one big bright light ("deer in the headlights"), but in a more sexually-driven situation i think hed actually find it oddly comforting because it dampens his prey instincts for a little while, and (eventually) he trusts that vox isnt going to embarrass him or make him look the fool. vox lovingly coaxes him through orgasm and takes care of all of the gross stuff before alastor even has a chance to be fully coherent.

[lavendercarnation]

god i just need to rant about the veilguard world state choices

it's incredibly disappointing that nothing we did in inqusition will matter or even be mentioned in any way. i didn't expect the choices to necessarily be important to veilguards story or even cameos but i wanted at least some one-liners or codex entries. i wanted something similar to how varric mentioned the companions from da2 in dai. but we wont even get that. varric cant mention cassandra because she could be the divine. he cant mention iron bull because he could be dead. he cant mention cole because he could be either human or spirit. the game literally wont mention any character from dai except solas and maybe dorian.

and even the choices they did include are insanely badly implemented. you can choose if you romanced iron bull but not specify weather he betrayed you or not so that world state just can't exist. what was the point of including the romance option if they werent going to implement them properly? they shouldve just had a choice that said "did you romance solas?" since that is clearly the only thing that will matter. i'm guessing unless it's solas or dorian whoever you romanced wont even be mentioned.

i'm still going to play the game but this has really made me less excited for it. those little references to previous game matters! that's what makes the game feel like your own story!

and it's annoying the fuck out of me how much emphasis they're putting on solas and solavellan in these articles?? i dont even dislike solavellan, i actually find it very compelling, but there's more to the game than one ship and it sucks that nothing else from dai will be brought over.

[sassykinzonline]

what’s your opinion on people who say sns is platonic? like i’ll see well done essays about sns and how they changed each other for the better and their love. then… theyll say its platonic.

is it just blissful ignorance or? 😭

oh wow this is a really good question, thank you.

um hm, i never really want to totally shit on anyone's interpretation of anything so long as its accurate to the information thats presented so im not really against any interpretation thats well-defended. i havent read the kind of opinion youre talking about so i cant really say anything more specific than that.

what i will say though is that i think sometimes some snsers get caught up in "fighting homophobia" that they kind of miss the essence of naruto and i's specific relationship: that we are every type of attraction and every kind of love. its obvious in the manga's arts, the different parallels, the words we use to describe each other, the progression of our relationship, the intimacy we share with each other, i could go on and on.

so, do i think our relationship is presented in a way thats exclusively platonic? nope and the only way you could come to that conclusion is either a) homophobia or b) genuinely not being able to grasp the storytelling elements in the manga (ie. you dont necessarily need to be able to understand or feel romantic/sexual attraction to see that the manga shows you it exists between us explicitly). the anime is a bit...worse but i still feel like most people have seen the anime ONLY and still feel discomfort because they cant figure out if we're gay or not, and ive never heard of another shonen anime with a problem that big.

however, the platonic element is a huge and important part of our relationship. there was no one among our "friends" that could truly understand, sympathize, or care for us. but at the same time, that wasnt enough. there's the familial element too, in the sense that we wanted the safety that we knew a family should make you feel. we knew the "family" we had (iruka and itachi) were broken. there's a professional side to it too, where our profession is so intimately tied to our sense of self that thats how we communicate our feelings to each other. there's a romantic element yes, the feeling of completion and feeling that someone is "for you". there's even a sexual/aesthetic element, where just the appearance of someone overwhelms your senses and consumes your body. i would also look at the relationships you have with other people and ask if they dont include different kinds of love/attraction despite mainly being one thing.

ultimately though, i think that the way the narrative is presented (and the way i feel), the point is meant to be that we have all those different types of love except because of our context (familial, political, social, whatever) its difficult to realize the romance that we both desperately wanted from the other. the manga presents the double suicide proposal as romantic, and thats the climax of the story. so the relationship should be looked at as a romantic one. at the same time though, if people feel like "well just because the manga says its a romantic relationship doesnt mean this is inherently romantic, theyre exclusive queer platonic soulmates that kiss and bone" or something then i think thats fine too. so long as they understand that naruto and i will always come before anyone else to each other, and that whatever we feel for the other is not only mutual but mutually desired and all encompassing.