#like obviously I respect anyones personal decisions but ….. to argue we are taking advantage of the bees is …….

[countingprimes]

My cousin is a vegan and i asked her why honey isn’t vegan and evidently the answer is because the bees “can’t consent” to their honey being taken from them.

And I just…. do vegans not know what mutualism is?

If they didn’t want the honey taken they could literally just fly away …. And they do

It’s called absconding and usually it’s a sign the apiarist has allowed something to go wrong with the hive

Like …. If consent is the issue then bees essentially do consent ….

This one I genuinely don’t understand

[marisandini-chu-blog]

How Shadow and Bones Differentiate Villain and Anti-Hero

Alright, first I need to claim the fact that I love dark, edgy, but misunderstood bad boy in stories with the potential of epic redemption. Loki from Marvel. Jason Todd from DC. Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time. Zuko from AtLA. You name them, I simp them.

So when I watched this new show on Netflix and shown a tall, handsome man in dark clothing, both respected and feared for his power. I feel... nothing. 

WHICH IS WEIRD! Like... he’s obviously my type. Complete with the sad backstory and vicious streak. So I kept wondering why I wasn’t enamored by the Darkling, Alexander Kirigan. I wasn’t surprised he was the main villain, I even expected it. But I usually at least have a bit of sympathy for them. This OOC behavior of mine made me introspect myself and the show, trying to find out which part gave me the red flags before Mother Darkling decides to pop the chosen one out halfway in the season. 

That’s when it hit me; there were red flags! The show had been subtly trying to tell us Kirigan is a manipulative boyfriend not just by great acting and good directing, but by comparing him with the actual anti-hero of the story who I actually love; Kaz Brekker. 

Here’s the list of signs you might not notice of why Kirigan is meant to be a Villain instead of an Anti-Hero. 

1. The Eyes

"The eyes are the window to the soul" is a common saying and and the key to good acting for any good show. Eyes tell us a lot about what a person’s character is like and SaB showed us the difference of a sincere man and a man with a hidden agenda.

Look at him! Look at that little smirk. Look at the gaze. That's the look you find when someone's evil little plan is finally coming together. Not one awed by the power or by Alina. A blatant sus move is what I'm saying. Congrat, first flag planted.

Sure he could still fall in love with Alina, but that doesn't stop his agenda either. All it does is potentially create conflict for him to pick either his plan for revenge or life with Alina.

In comparison, look at Kaz when he said this to Inej; "She isn't like you, no one is." Straightforward eyes. Serious grim. No nonsense tone. Inej is one of the most talented and terrifying rogue-assassin and Kaz just blatantly said that he kept her from 'slavery' because of who she is, not what she's capable of. Like... the man has no shame being known to love her while still trying to be professional (or as professional a thief can be). I can respect that.

This is the eye of a man who would abandon everything to make sure she comes out alright in the end. Do not argue with me on this!

2. Leverage and Status

The moment Alina steps into the Little Palace she was treated like a princess. A palace, by the way, that’s managed by the Darkling. She gets favorable treatment; from the food, Zoya displaced when she fought Alina, a horseback ride just the two of them, asking her to call by his name to make them familiar, a black uniform that might as well be claiming???

Dude is desperate is what I’m saying. 

Sure, this could all be romantic gestures. There’s the problem that Kirigan is superior in status and name, powerful Grisha, and has a vested interest in her power. Pursuing romance while Kirigan has the ability to make her life heaven or hell with a snap of his finger made every single decision be seen with wariness. 

"Beware of powerful men," Genya couldn't put it any better.

Had they pursued romance after they destroy the fold, cementing Alina’s position as a saint more. Then I might have let go of that wariness. 

I’m only proven correct when the moment Alina turned away from him, Kirigan made another leverage by (spoiler!) putting an antler to her collarbone... eeeewwww much?! 

That’s how desperate the Darkling is to be in control of a person and a situation. 

And when no letter came for Alina? That a big red flag because who else in this castle can control the coming of going of letter with the Savior. HMMMMMMMMMMM.....

Then there’s Kaz. My man. There’s no competition. This guy held no leverage on my dear Inej. When she almost decided to leave, Kaz didn't force or convince her to stay but he ask her. Doesn't remind her of her debt whether monetary or life debt to him. In fact, this guy needs money for revenge but instead mortgage his main source of income for her freedom.

HE POSTPONED HIS LIFE GOAL TO FREE HER FROM DEBT ASJHAKFSDJGLDFJ!!!  

What more do I need to say? 

3. Sympathy Card

This is the type of point you want to watch out from your partners, ladies, gents, and others. The sympathy card is the way to go when anyone wants to reach out to you so you can take care of them before they abuse or gaslight you. 

While it’s good to share trauma and eased the burden, sometimes it's healthy to ask yourself whether the person can take advantage of you and to verify whether they lie to you or not.

When Kirigan shared about his past as a sympathetic boy with his secluded fountain and coin. Everything about that scene rang warning bells for me... the part he had requested her to use his color... requesting to horse ride with just them two... sharing sob story that may encourage Alina to help him...

Kudos to Alina to see through the fact she's seen as a means to an end.

It was only when Kirigan showed righteous anger and frustration of a war that's killing his people did Alina finally opened her heart to him.

Kaz however doesn't use the sympathy card. Heck, the man likes to believe he shed away any weakness and threw it in the harbor where it belongs. Kaz hates weaknesses. And garnering sympathy is an admission of weakness for him.

We still know there's a tragic backstory as any decent anti-hero would have... but by not sharing that, this implies that Inej and Jesper stayed because of who he is, and not because of who he was or how he came to be. They don't need a sob story to stay together and that showed a stronger bond between them.

4. Friends

To be frank, I find this the most hilarious because this point is the one that convinced me that Kirigan was secretly an evil bastard.

He doesn’t have any friends!!!

Like... dude had a literal witch army, a wife once, a fuck buddy, and a girlfriend but there wasn’t a single moment in the show where someone, outside of Alina and superior, to speak casually to him. 

You’re telling me this person... the most powerful and influential Grisha in the East Ravka, charming as hell, handsome as fuck, and yet he doesn’t have friends?! 

“I’ve buried good soldiers... friends...” Get the fuck out of here! WHAT FRIENDS?!?! Maybe if you get off your little power trip from your self-made pedestal, you can actually be less of an asshole and make one. 

Sure he excused himself by blaming his ‘ancestor’ for being a shadow summoner. I can see how the fear makes it hard for him to get close to anybody. But all the other characters who are part of his army only ever shown to speak with him respectfully, and the royalty even commend him. No one disrespected him even openly and you’re telling me he doesn’t have one friend amidst all these people?!

In comparison, look at Kaz. He’s brash, crude, and unapologetic. He held true to his moniker ‘Bastard of the Barrel’ and yet this ass has friends. They show Jesper joking with Kaz, and Kaz has shown to banter with him back as well as tolerating his gambling addiction when it could have jeopardized the Job. Inej was shown to actually argue and have disagreement with Kaz when he’s technically her boss. Can you imagine the Darkling doing that? CAN YOU?!

No. Because he's a pretentious ass. That's why.

This is a great example of the use “show not tell” of how Kaz despite his obvious edges has a soft spot shown through his relationship with Inej and Jesper, who have a friendly dynamic. I can attest that while Kaz didn’t create a good first impression, I love Jesper and Inej (they are precious!) so much that I project it to Kaz in extension.

On the other hand, Kirigan’s goodwill had only ever been told by outsiders or himself. None from his inner circle (which he doesn’t have!) other than his mother, who ended up outing him instead. 

So I applaud the writers and showrunners of SaB to actually have subtext signs of a manipulative bastard. The Duckling is a good villain character that's complex but unredeemable. Sometimes, you just have a good ol' charming villain you can't redeem and that's okay.

[p-artsypants]

I’ll Handle This (4)

In Which Gabriel and Plagg Argue

“I’ll solve all your problems,” Plagg had said. “You just have to agree to it.” A fixed relationship with his father, Lila to stop bothering him, and Ladybug to fall in love with him? Who wouldn’t agree to that?

Except Plagg was the God of Destruction and Chaos and had a more…hands-on approach. Adrien just wants his body back.

Ao3 | FF.net

After the shopping trip, the teens walked back to the school together, and then separated. 

“Ugh, walking is exhausting.” Plagg groaned. 

“You’re using my muscles, you know.” Adrien spoke, poking out of the pocket. “I don’t usually walk this much, since my bodyguard drives me everywhere.” 

“Well, then I’m sure this is good for you.” Plagg stomped in big steps. “But I haven’t used legs since the last time I switched with a wielder, so I get to complain.” 

“I think by that logic, you don’t get to complain, because you usually get to float. And not going to lie…it’s pretty sweet.” 

“Just wait until you start floating in your sleep, and then you phase through the ceiling and then keep going and end up in space.” 

Adrien froze, staring up at his own face from the pocket. “That can happen?” 

“Oh yes. Good luck sleeping tonight!”

Not too much longer, Plagg arrived back at the Agreste manor. 

He could feel Adrien shaking in his pocket. “What’s up, Bub?” 

“My father is going to be waiting for you. I just know it. He’s going to yell and threaten to pull you out of school—“ 

“What, like he did this morning? Relax. There’s plenty of windows in the mansion.” 

But Adrien came spiraling out of the shirt to look Plagg in the eyes. “But I don’t want you to break anymore windows! I don’t want you to make my father angry anymore! You’re hurting him!” 

Plagg gave him a hard look. “Is that what you think, Adrien? That your disobedience hurts him?” 

“Why else would he be mean? He loves me...” 

Plagg reached up and scratched his ears. “Of course he does, kid. But...sometimes, in people like your dad, love isn’t the strongest motivator. I know it is with you. Love is about the only thing that controls you. Your love for your friends, for your family, your city, for Ladybug...that all drives your decisions.” 

Adrien was quiet as he agreed. 

“But for people like your father, they’re driven by power. They base decisions on what will make them look good and get more respect. He does love you, Adrien, but he wants your unconditional loyalty. He doesn’t want you to question him, or to disagree with him, because you’re his son. He made you, and you’re half of him. So if anyone is to be completely submitted to his will, it’s you.” 

Adrien frowned. “I don’t believe that. I think...I think he’s just scared. Of losing me, that is. Like we lost mom. So he keeps me restricted.” 

“But he’s always treated you like this, even before you lost your mom.” 

Adrien had no argument to that, and just slowly lowered himself into Plagg’s hands. 

“Just think about it. I’ll do all the talking, you just listen and see.” 

“Okay.” 

Plagg tucked him back into the pocket, before approaching the gate and ringing the doorbell. 

The camera didn’t even come out, the gate just opened. 

It felt like walking into a hell mouth. 

Inside, Gabriel stood at the bottom of the stairs, with his arms crossed. Next to him, Nathalie stood with her own arms crossed. And next to her stood Lila, with her arms also crossed. 

Plagg couldn’t help but snicker. They looked like three Russian puzzle dolls. Would Lila pop open and show another smaller, angrier creature? 

“What’s so funny?” Demanded Gabriel. “Where have you been?” 

“Chill man, I was out with my friends.” 

“And spending my money?” 

“You literally let me spend whatever money I want. I just usually never have anything I want to buy. I treat my friends to a nice lunch and it’s the end of the world?”

Gabriel sniffed, “you obviously can’t see that your so-called ‘friends’ are only hanging around you because of our wealth. I disprove of the company you keep, especially Mr. Lahiffe—“ 

“Why?” 

“You don’t get to question my authority.” 

“I’m just honestly curious as to why you don’t like them. I don’t buy stuff for my friends, despite what you think. Nino is a really good friend and a nice person. He doesn’t get in trouble, and his grades are pretty good. So what’s up?” 

“I simply don’t care for his plebeian attitude.” 

Plagg scoffed. “Plebeian?! Excuse me, what century is this again? Are we nobles or something I didn’t know about?” He pitched his voice high to have a ‘proper’ voice. “Oh yes Martha, we shan’t have our child run around with the rift raft in the fields. He must get a proper education so he may marry his cousin, have a child with three eyes, and die at the ripe old age at 26!” 

“Adrien!” Gabriel yelled. “How dare you mock me!” 

“Then stop talking like a 17th century noble! We have money, but high society never did anyone favors! You just sound like an old idiot! An old, out of touch, insensitive idiot!” Then he pointed at Lila. “And if you want to talk about people taking advantage of us, why don’t you turn yourself 90 degrees that-a-way to grill this blood sucking parasite.” 

“On the contrary,” Gabriel interrupted. “Miss Rossi only has your best interests at heart, which is why she came here and told me all about your little charade you put on during school today. You assaulted your bodyguard!” 

“He’s fine.” 

“Whether or not he’s fine is beside the point, Adrien. I hired him to protect you, and you attack him?” 

“He wasn’t protecting me. He was trying to kidnap me! I wanted to be at school!” 

“Well naughty children don’t get to do what they want to do!” 

“Do you want me to be happy or stupid?!” 

“No! Wait—“ 

“Ah ha!” Plagg pointed. “You just want me to be miserable!”

Gabriel flared his nostrils. “Stop trying to twist my words. The fact remains that you have been completely out of control these last few days, and I have no choice but to discipline you accordingly. From now on, you will have no contact with these teenagers that are encouraging you to behave like this monster. Instead, you will only be allowed to interact with Miss Rossi at photo shoots.” 

Plagg saw the corner of the man’s mouth curve up. Check mate, the gesture said. 

Time to take it up a notch.  

“I’m not sure the best way to handle this situation, so I’ll handle it the way Chloe would.” He laid down on the floor and began to kick and scream. “DADDY! DADDY I HATE HER! FIRE HER AT ONCE!!” 

“If you don’t stop this tantrum this instant, you’re being pulled out of school.” 

“Ha!” He laughed, still from the floor. “I’ll just reenroll! I broke one window getting out the first time, there’s not a lock in this earth that can hold me, old man.” 

“Adrien, go to your room.” 

“Make me.” 

“You’re angering me, and you won’t like me when I’m angry.” 

“I don’t like you now.” 

“This attitude of yours is disrespectful, disgusting, immature, and embarrassing. I raised you better than—“ 

“Are you done?” Plagg asked, scratching his ear. “Because you just keep talking. That’s all you do. This gaslighting is getting really old. I know I’m acting immature, that’s the whole thing. Pointing it out just makes you look stupid. Are you going to hit me or something?” 

“I’m not going to hit you, Adrien.” 

“Huh. Didn’t know you had it in you.” 

Gabriel frowned. “You really think I would hit you?” 

“You’ve already hit emotional and verbal abuse, I assumed that was the next step.” 

“I am not abusive! I am strict, but I only have your best interests at heart.” 

“Right, like making me schmooze with Miss Sausage Hair here?” 

“Hey!” Lila cried. 

“Oh shut up, you’re plenty at fault here too.” 

“That’s it. Adrien, you’re grounded. No phone, no computer, no tv, no video games, and no school.” 

“So you want me to just sit in my room and stare out the window? Or are you going to board those up too?” 

“There’s plenty of books for you to read. Books that will hopefully change your mind about this rebellious streak.” 

“Until when?” 

“Until I say so!” 

“Cool. I quit modeling.” 

“WHAT!?” 

“You heard me. I quit modeling. Or you can fire Lila and unground me. Your choice, Gabe.”

Gabriel ground his teeth as Lila just stood there in shock. 

“I’ll give you some time to think about it.” Plagg cracked his neck. “I’ve got homework to do.” 

“But—“ 

“Ah ah ah,” Plagg held up a hand. “Talk to the hand, cause the face ain’t listening.” He skipped up the stairs, and out of the lobby. 

Gabriel simmered in rage, feeling the control which had been so firmly in his hands slip away. 

“Mr. Agreste—“ Lila began. 

“No.” He interrupted. “I need some time to think. Keep your eye on Adrien and let me know exactly what he’s up to, who he’s with, what he’s doing. You do this, and I will reward you greatly.” 

“Of course, Mr. Agreste.” 

—

As soon as Plagg closed the bedroom door, Adrien spiraled out of his pocket. 

“Hey kid, I know that was rough...” 

“Rough?! No kidding! You’re a monster! How could you talk to my father like that!? How could you insinuate that he would hit me? And you got me grounded and pulled from school! You quit modeling!” 

“Honestly Adrien, I thought he might hit me. His anger reflects violence. You see it too.” 

Adrien rubbed his paws over his cheeks, trying to stop the tears. 

“Come on kid, it’s for the best.” And he reached out for him. 

But Adrien darted away. “I’m going to see Tikki! I need comfort from someone that’s not trying to ruin my life!” 

Before Plagg could protest, Adrien had flitted out the window and into the streets. 

The sun was setting, and traffic was dwindling, as working folks made their way home. 

Finding Marinette’s house was a matter of finding the school, and then going from there, while sticking to the shadows and staying high enough away from straying eyes. 

When he reached her balcony, he loitered at the window, trying to figure out how to phase in. Then he wondered if he should even bother. Tikki might scold him for leaving Plagg. Or maybe she’d laugh at him for being upset. She was millennia old too. His problems probably would sound trivial to her as well.

Eventually, he just knocked. 

Marinette answered, a grave look on her face. “Plagg? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Is Chat okay?” 

“He’s fine.” Adrien sniffed. “Can I talk to Tikki please?” 

Shocked by his politeness and shy demeanor, she blinked twice and answered, “Uh, sure.” 

Tikki appeared then, looking at him with concerned eyes. 

“I’ll just leave you two alone then,” Marinette stated, closing the window. 

“Adrien? What’s wrong?” 

It all came out of him then. “He’s a monster!” Adrien blubbered. “He’s ruining everything and making it all worse! I don’t know how to stop him! But my father is done with me and is going to pull me out of school! Plagg keeps acting like it’s no big deal, but he doesn’t understand! He’s just treating this like a big game!”

To his relief, Tikki hugged him tightly. “Oh Adrien. Plagg means well, I promise. His methods don’t make much sense, but they do produce results. It’ll be alright.” 

Adrien just sniffed, taking comfort from the hug. “I feel so helpless. I can’t do anything without outing myself as Chat Noir, and that’s the last thing I need...unless Plagg beats me to it. I know everyone is suspicious of him. This is a nightmare.” 

“I’ll talk to him when I get a chance,” promised Tikki. “He does mean well, I promise. But this is your life, and making you watch him work is torture.” 

“Exactly! Tikki you understand! If he does pull this off, I will thank him, but like...what if it doesn’t work? He acts like humans are so predictable and easy to manipulate, but even with all his life and experiences, he can’t account for everything. I’m worried he’s being too cocky.” 

Tikki petted his head. “Plagg can get over his head sometimes. He’s lazy and stubborn, but that just makes him ridiculously creative. Some of his attempts may fail, but I really think you just have to trust that he’s in control.” 

“I know, I know, and in my head, I know he’s doing this for me. I know he doesn’t want to be in my body, and I know he’s crazy smart…but I feel…betrayed? Scared? I don’t know what I’m feeling.” 

“Unstable.” Tikki provided. “Because you have no control over your life.” 

He frowned, holding onto his tail. 

“But, from what Plagg has told me, you didn’t have much control of it before either.” 

He rubbed a paw against his cheek. “Sadly, no. I didn’t.” 

The trap door opened again, and Marinette peeked her head out. She placed a plate with a cheese danish on it on the ground nearby. “Anything I can do?” 

Tikki answered for him, only slightly lying, “sometimes Plagg gets emotional when he thinks about past holders that we lost tragically. He said Chat was busy and he didn’t want to bother him.” 

“Oh Plagg, I’m so sorry.” 

Adrien rubbed his eyes with his paws again. He may not be in his body, but he did feel a little embarrassed to be crying in front of his crush. 

“Say Marinette, now that you’re the guardian, it would be really helpful if you could comfort him.” 

“Me? I...I guess. What do I do?”

“Just do what feels right.” 

Adrien floated a little closer to her, desperate for her affection, but hesitant to take it for himself. 

She cupped him in her hands, cradling him, holding him, cocooning him with her skin. She brought him up to her face, leaving a lingering kiss right between his ears, then caressed him to her cheek, her fingers encircling him in a hug. 

A stray finger itched the back of his head, sending tingles all the way down to his tail and making him purr. 

This was heavenly. Her scent surrounded him, dulling his senses and calming his tears. 

“It’s okay.” She said softly. “It’s alright to be sad. Things will get better.” 

Her words soothed the day's pain, and he really did feel more optimistic. He could do anything with Ladybug’s support. 

Finally, he pressed a little kiss to her cheek and allowed her to pull away. “Thank you Marinette. I do feel a lot better now.” 

Her smile was so warm and so wonderful, he could stare at her all day. 

But an Akuma alert had to go and ruin the whole thing. 

“You better get back to Chat! If you need more comfort, come back tonight after patrol!” 

“Thanks Marinette! Save that Danish for me!” And he rushed off back to the mansion.

[whatcouldgowrong-ohthat]

You Can’t Replace Me

The Loki one, ladies and gents! Also seriously, I have a badass beta who is making sure these don’t suck ass, so thank them. And coming around the corner will be Part3 to Steve’s angst and Part2 to Sam’s fluff. Keep a look out!

Summary: Various Avenger x Reader one-shots with songs from musicals. In this one — Loki has returned from his attack on New York, seeing you for the first time since he “died”. The two of you didn’t exactly have the healthiest marriage, but apparently Odin sees fit to leave you, a woman married into royalty, in charge of him. What could possibly go wrong? (Song is “No Way” from Six.)

Warnings: Bit of fluff in the end, arguing, time to put a bitch in their place, cussing (obviously), Loki’s gonna get a bit soft in the end. Bout time he listened to someone, right?

Everyone says that marriage comes with its ups and downs. You can take all the advice in the Nine Realms and someone might have experienced something similar enough where you can tweak, adjust, and fix it to your problems, but no. Not this time. No one had a marriage like mine. So watching him walk down the hall, nothing but the sound of his chains rattling with every step, I found myself unable to form a coherent string of advice. There were no pleas, no questions, nothing. All I could do was stare because my husband, someone everyone thought was dead, was grinning from ear to ear.

“I don’t see what the problem is.”

Of course, he did. Loki was many things, but oblivious? Never. No, he was playing the game intending to rattle the man that sat on the throne just to my left. The Allfather, Odin, had thought an arranged marriage might help keep Loki reigned in. However, that was when he first saw the God of Mischief’s rebellious streaks. No one expected my husband to do retaliate in such an extreme manner. Not even me, someone everyone believed Loki warmed up to. Yeah, keyword in that sentence? Belief.

Everyone wants to believe in something. The smallest bit of hope for control meant that Asgard would prosper. It meant Odin would remain in control of the Nine Realms. It made sense for them to fall to blind emotion rather than a simple fact. The fact of the matter was that Loki detested me and had ever since Thor bested the Destroyer. Speaking for myself? I loathed him, accepting it wholeheartedly the moment he spat at my feet, calling me an ungrateful, useless wife. Everything was an act. The smiles, the parties — the marriage in itself was a sham, but I had a family to care for. Odin promised that my family would want for nothing if I just kept him on a leash.

“Your birthright was to die!”

I flinched at the sound of Odin’s booming voice, a shudder running down my spine. He always had a way to pull a person from their most personal thoughts. Part of me didn’t want to look at either of them. If I managed to stay a shadow then maybe I could get out of this unscathed.

“And what of your wife?”

There it was.

I looked up, surprised to meet Loki’s bright eyes. They normally held a gleam, a promise of mischief, but this was perhaps the first time I saw something different. Was that regret? Remorse? From him?

“I didn’t ask to marry her. That was your game, Odin. Not mine.”

He looked away and I grit my teeth. Of course, he wouldn’t care what any of this meant for me. It was Loki. He was selfish. In the past, you’d seen glimpses of the man he could become, but that hope vanished when he attacked Midgard. Everyone knew that Midgard was Thor’s to protect and Loki spat on the very idea, disgusted that Thor could have a soft spot for mortals. I thought it was endearing.

“You have no respect, Loki. Not for yourself or for anyone that could love you.”

“Love?” Loki laughed at his father’s words, that wicked smirk curling his thin lips in a way only he could do. “I recall discussing such a basic emotion with a mortal back on Midgard. Tell me, Odin, do we believe in such ridiculous fairytales? Are we as weak as Midgardians?” Silence fell in the room and every part of me just wanted to scream at him that he was stupid, ridiculous, acting like a child! But I know better. Loki is a prideful man and being called out on his flaws never ends well. Least of all for the person calling him out. Sure, I’m an Asgardian, I have some strength and live longer than the mortals he referred to, but I was nowhere near as strong as he or Thor. It seemed all hope was lost. Loki would do nothing to make amends with the man who hid his lineage. I tried explaining that to Odin, but I was still seen as a peasant. No man in the royal family listened to me. “If I’m for the axe,” Loki said, that careless tone peaking out once again. God, he was so foolish. “Then swing it. Enough of these trivial conversations and attempts at politics.”

I didn’t need to look at Odin to know he was getting riled up once again. At the rate Loki was going, I’d be beheaded right alongside him at the end of the day. And if that happened, I swear to the Gods I will haunt his ghostly ass beyond the grave.

“Frigga and Y/N are the only reasons you are still alive.” I didn’t have to look up to know all eyes were on me. How unsettling was that? Knowing a peasant fought for your life? Loki was indebted to not only his mother but me. “I would have had Heimdal kill you upon your return, but both thought there might still be some good in you. Because of them, you will live the rest of your days in the dungeons. You will never see Frigga again, but Y/N will be in charge of your meals, your guards, everything.”

Wait, what?

I looked up at Odin, brow furrowed because that couldn’t be right. He was leaving me in charge of the God of Mischief? A peasant married into royalty? Was this a punishment or a reward?

“Allfather —“ I started to speak, my voice wavering, but he held up his hand. No, now was not the time to speak. Looking back at Loki, I grimaced. When he realized this wasn’t a trick, Loki looked to me. I knew that look, had it memorized since the day we were wed. The crinkle of his nose, the squint of his eyes…He was disgusted that we were still stuck with each other. Gods, why couldn’t I have been married to Thor?

—

It had been a week since Loki was brought to the dungeons and it took only one day to realize that this was far from a reward. This was the highest level of punishment that Odin could inflict without outright hurting me. Loki whined about any food brought to him, reminding me constantly that my commoner palate wasn’t nearly as refined as his higher tastes. He went out of his way to argue with me that he didn’t need the books Frigga brought. Or the chair. Or anything else in the room that reminded his fellow prisoners that he was higher. He was equal to a prisoner but higher than a commoner. I didn’t understand.

Exhaling slowly, I gathered my wits and nerves as the guards opened the doors. Walking inside, my footsteps fell silent, but Loki was already looking my way. With anyone else he stared at the floor, disinterested. With me? No, why do that when he could drive me to the brink of insanity with all his complaints?

“Developing a routine?” he asked, tilting his head as if he were genuinely curious. I knew better. I heard the tone of his voice. There was nothing, but a level of mockery waiting to taunt and irritate me.

“Counting down the hours till I return?”

He frowned at that and I smirked. Usually, I kept my comments to myself, but if this was our life? If I was destined to serve him even though he was a murderer and a traitor, then I was going to be a little more open with my opinions. I was cursed to have a loveless marriage and, because of who I was married to, no one dared talk to me except the royal family. Everyone thought I was no better than Loki, a traitor to our people. At the rate the rumors were flying, soon enough everyone would think I was a Frostgiant. So yes, sarcasm was going to be a huge part of our relationship.

“Your mother wanted me to bring you these.” Digging around in the satchel attached to my hip, I pulled out two new books. He was a fast reader, constantly needing new material. I could feel his eyes watching me, studying my actions. Waving my hand, the books appeared in his cell, dropping with a loud thunk.

Loki raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to the leather-bound material. “You’re learning magic.”

It wasn’t a question. Loki never asked me questions. That would mean he was interested in me. “I’ll be back later with some food.”  

Turning on my heel, I made my way back to the entrance, finally able to breathe as the distance between us grew. “What have you learned?” I freeze, looking back at him. His gaze is still intently fixated on those books.

“Only that. I don’t have much time to practice.”

“Why?”

Because I’m babysitting you all the damn time. Sighing softly, I turned to face him. One hand came to rest on the satchel while I tried to figure out a way to explain the situation. I hated lying before I married Loki but came to make a point of always telling the truth when I realized just how much he lied. The false stories he wove, painting them like some sort of intricate picture, those were enough. One of us had to be honest.

“It’s because he always has you running down here, isn’t it? Always at my beck and call?”

“He might have ordered that Loki, but you’re the one taking full advantage.”

His gaze shifted, those blue eyes finding mine even though I was shadowed by the dim lighting. Each cell was so brought that they cast their source of light, but if one found the right spot, like me, then they could stick to the shadows a little better. It seemed he noticed I was doing this intentionally. Sitting up more, he propped his arm on his knee and watched every move I made. It was a little unsettling. “Are you saying I’m no better than Odin?”

“I’m saying you both make poor decisions without considering the consequences.”

He smirked. “Since when do peasants think lowly about Odin?”

“It’s not a matter of a poor opinion, Loki. It’s an honest one and believes me if peasants saw the royal family as I did?” I bit my tongue, looking away. Yeah, that’s crossing lines.

“What?”

“Nothing, go back to your books.”

“I’m not interested in them.”

“Because they aren’t a game?”

Loki’s smirk dropped, replaced by that scowl I’d come to know very well. Rising to his full stature, he walked towards the glass, closer to me, and noticed how I refused to back down. Was that respect I saw? “Because they aren’t interesting.”

“I’m not a toy to fascinate you, Loki.”

He grinned at that and immediately a chill ran down my spine. It felt like he was practically breathing down my neck with the intensity of his arrogance, his smile. “You most certainly are.”

It seemed reminding him of our marriage woke him from whatever sneaky plot was running through his head. He often forgot that I wasn’t just some servant, but rather the woman he was pledged to for the rest of our days. I didn’t blame him. If I were in his shoes, I’d probably do the same. It’d make it easier to think that way, to act like I still had some control over my future. But we both knew the truth. There was no escaping this.

“You could discuss a separation with my mother. After all, it wouldn’t make sense for us to remain…attached.” The word sounded like poison on his tongue as if admitting he had any relations to me might make him pass out. Gods, he was dramatic.

But offering a separation? That surprised me. Catching his gaze before he could hide any true emotions, I searched his face. This didn’t seem to be a trick even though Asgardians didn’t think about divorce. It didn’t exist here. The only reason I knew the word even existed was because of Thor telling me stories about Midgard. Still, why would he offer me that? Freedom? Didn’t he know what our marriage ensured for me?

“I can’t.”

He raised an eyebrow. There was that confidence again, but this time it seemed to be clasped hand in hand with confusion. He didn’t even have to voice his question. It was written all over his face. If I hated him as much as he hated me, why stay wed? “Warming up to me?”

“Not a chance.”

“Then why not? Do you enjoy being the link between me and Odin?”

I bit the corner of my mouth, knowing I had to tread carefully. Loki didn’t like how Odin tried, and often succeeded in, controlling people. Though I wasn’t his favorite person in the universe, he wouldn’t like that for me either. However, I couldn’t bring myself to add to his resentment. I was too tired of his dramatics and how draining they could be. So instead, “I’ll have food brought to you later.”

This time, I turned and was successful in my attempts to walk away. He didn’t call my name or repeat his question. No, Loki would never. Though I did feel his gaze staring burning holes into my back as I left, the doors finally breaking any sort of connection between us.

—

It was three days later when I finally came back to him, thinking that enough time had passed that he lost interest in figuring me out. He didn’t need to understand me or whatever our relationship was going to become. Not now, not ever.

Hearing the doors close behind me, he was already standing and taking long strides towards the glass. There was an energy about him that hadn’t been there the last time I visited. His features were contorted, revealing emotions he often hid behind a mask. Guilt? Shame? However, as I came more into his line of sight, they shifted to irritation and annoyance. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light.

“Frigga told me.”

My blood ran cold as I shifted the tray of food in my hands. Balancing it in one hand waved and watched it shimmer away before reappearing on his small table. On the outside, I looked fine, normal even. He didn’t need to know about the goosebumps currently running up my back. “What happened to call her your mother?”

“She’s not. I have no ties to the royal family. Odin is not my father nor Thor my brother and her? She is not my mother.”

“Cutting ties everywhere so I see,” I murmur, not looking at him as I took a seat on the steps nearby. This was how it normally went. I’d sit, talk with him while he ate, then be on my way. Yet watching him now? Seeing the way he was poised and ready to strike like a cobra? Part of me wondered if I should’ve run for the door.

“Cut this charade, Peasant. She told me what Odin did.”

“Y/N. You know my name. You said it during our vows, did you not? So use it.” He snarled and I rubbed my temples, trying to calm down the racing thoughts and fears that seemed to be circling each other. “What did the Allfather do?”

“Marry me to a paid whore.” I froze, unable to control the lurch in my stomach as I stared intently at the ground. He. Did. Not. There’s no way he’d be so — “Tell me, what was the price, Y/N? A night with the noble Thor? Riches beyond your wildest dreams? Maybe some fine silks and jewels? Or was it all promised as a means to have you spread your legs for me? No, maybe it’s more. Maybe being a whore is so natural to you that you didn’t care who you wed and I just happened to have the best title.“

“Shut. Up.” Finally looking up at him, I rose to my feet and walked closer to him. He listened for once, clamping his mouth shut, but puffing out his chest like he was still the bigger person. Bullshit. He was far from it. “Do you know anything about me? About my family?” Silence. The look in his eyes showed exactly what you thought. He was ignorant, oblivious. “You must agree, baby, in all the time I’ve been by your side I’ve never lost control. No matter how many times you lied. I have my golden rule, got to keep my cool, but no. Hell no, not for this.” Standing straight, I finally let him know everything about me. “I was cast out from Asgard as a mere child, Loki. My mother was Hela. Do you remember the stories about her? The Goddess of Death? She sent me away to live on some random planet on the other side of the galaxy. I only was brought back when Frigga learned about me. Upon her request, Odin decided to let me stay on Asgard, but Hela was long gone. I was made to stay with a family who didn’t want a child but grew to accept and love me. When I got older Odin saw an opportunity to control you because I was his granddaughter. He thought he could manipulate me based on that alone, but I said no. Then he threatened my family.”  Loki was silent, taking in every word as if he were a thirsty man offering you the only water left in the universe. “And that family didn’t deserve that. They didn’t deserve their newborn being hurt or taken away because of someone that was thrust upon them. So I did the mature thing and stepped up. You should try it sometime.”

Turning, I started walking back to the exit, my only way for freedom, but…I stopped. There was so much more that I could tell him. I could give him the verbal tongue lashing of a century and he deserved it. He accused me of being a whore, of being someone that could be bought with a lavish lifestyle. Meanwhile, during our marriage, we slept in separate rooms and I got to hear all the servants fawn over Loki who took them to bed one right after the other. I’d been silent for far too long. Facing him, I was surprised to see that he was still watching me. “And even though you’ve had your fun running around with every pretty young thing? And even though you’ve gone and killed, fought against your kin as if it were nothing? No matter what I heard or what you did, I didn’t say a word. I put up with your shit like every single day!”

He opened his mouth to speak, but your glare quickly silenced him. Instead, you walked closer in long strides. These past couple days you’d been practicing that spell of yours, making it stronger. And with a small shimmer making you vanish, you reappeared right behind him and shoved him up against the glass. “Now it’s time to shut up and listen when I say, I know that you’re crazy. You wanna replace me? Baby, there’s no way. If you think for a moment I’d grant you annulment, just hold up. There’s no way. I’m protecting my family and you don’t get to be all butt hurt about it because you have a peasant for a wife. You don’t get to be upset because you put yourself in this mess, Loki.” Taking a couple of steps back, you added some much-needed distance between you two as you took a slow, steady breath. “So you heard a verse that I’m cursed ‘cause Odin decided to make me your wife? You say it’s a pity ‘cause quoting your feelings, I’ll end up a whore all my life? Hey, weren’t you there when I didn’t fuck you that night?”

Clenching my jaw, I ran a hand through my hair, feeling it come undone. It fell down my shoulders, framing my face and I saw that there was not only regret in his eyes but a bit of something else. However, I wasn’t sure that I could place the emotion. “You’re just so full of shit, must think that I’m naive, but no, I won’t back down and no, I’ll never leave.” Blinking away tears, I asked him, “Did you know that I was the one that defended you after you tried to rule during Odin’s sleep? Or that Thor had to hold me during the nights I mourned your death? It didn’t matter how you treated me because I was loyal to you. Even though you treated me as less than your equal, less than a commoner, I cared for you enough to mourn when we all thought you to be dead. You are the most infuriating, aggravating, revolting —"

“Y/N.”

His voice startles me, forcing me to stop the emotional tirade that I had slipped in to. Catching myself, I rested a hand on my now queasy stomach as I realize that this was probably the most I’d ever said to my husband. And it was a lashing, a moment of abuse for a man that didn’t care. All I had done was vocalize the pent up emotions that I had locked away all this time. Knowing him? It all fell on empty ears. Clearing my throat, I smooth out the fabric beneath my hand and walk past him. No, no more talking. No more sarcastic or snide comments on his part. No more emotional outbursts on mine. No way. I had to be done with this — with him.

“My apologies, Y/N. You’re right, I had no idea.”

His voice cut through my inner thoughts as if finding a way to freeze my feet to the floor so that I couldn’t leave. If this was some spell of his, I swear to the Allfather that I’ll — Wait, did he apologize? Did Loki apologize? Clenching and unclenching my fists, I took another slow, shaky breath. It didn’t matter if he apologized. He was using me as an emotional punching bag for all the shit he couldn’t process regarding Odin. Enough was enough. I’m a person, not a pawn. I deserve to be treated decently.

“You’ve got me down on my knees.”

Raising an eyebrow, I spun around. Sure enough, there he was, staring up at me from his spot on the ground. He looked genuine as if his apology truly meant something to him. No manipulations or anything? From the God of Mischief? “So now that you know, please tell me what you think I’ve done wrong,” I murmured, my voice only loud enough for the both of us. I’m pretty sure the rest of my rant was enough for the fellow prisoners. “I’ve been humbled, been loyal. Hell, I’ve tried to swallow my pride all along. If you can just explain a single thing I’ve done to cause you pain…I’ll go.”We both knew the answer to my request. There was nothing I’d done. I was a tool created by Odin. Nothing more than a leash to contain a rabid dog. It was that connection that made him mock me and treat me as less than who I was. If I was anyone else? If Odin hadn’t arranged our marriage? This relationship might have been entirely different. Even so, we knew that wasn’t the case. His animosity towards Odin dictated everything. He was a child reacting blindly based solely on emotion and didn’t realize that every attempt to hurt Odin did nothing to the ruler of Asgard. No, each attempt was deflected by Odin’s shield. Me.“No? Nothing?” Of course not. I’d been a good wife despite our arguments and weaker moments such as this. The only thing I never offered to the man was my body. Instead, I offered so much more in loyalty, faith, and being a committed ally. “You’ve got nothing to say because you know the hatred you hold for me is uncalled for. So I’m not going away. There’s no way.”“I’m not asking you for that. At least not anymore.”“Then what?”“I…I would like to propose a truce.” He rose to his feet, quickly moving so that he towered over me. I recoiled, instinctively taking a step back as that weird emotion in his eyes returned. “I won’t pin you between myself and Odin any more. There will be no more accusations or referring to you as anything less than what you are.”“And what’s that?”“My wife and, it seems, my only friend.”Then it clicked — what that emotion was. Trust.“Will you accept my sincerest apologies, T/N?”——The throne room was cold, sending a chill up my spine as I took every slow step down the hall. It felt as if the distance between myself and the ruler of Asgard grew with every step, but I knew it was my nerves. Anxiety always had such a way of working wonders. However, that feeling vanished when I saw Thor step out from his hiding spot, walking near the throne seemingly in stride with myself. “Father,” he greeted, voice booming throughout the golden room as we both bowed our heads.

“Allfather,” I greeted, my voice meek in comparison.

“I called you both here to discuss Loki. My promise to Frigga ensures that he remains a prisoner on Asgard, but I want to ensure that he is kept under lock and key. I want to know everything he reads, eats, and does.” Why wasn’t this brought up sooner?

“Is this because of the Aether?”

I kept quiet, listening as Thor and Odin mentioned the Infinity Stone and how it was possessing a Midgardian, Thor’s girlfriend. Jane something. How did she possess it? And what did this have to do with Loki?

“Loki has already come into contact with the Tesseract. If he hears that the Aether is within his reach, I suspect that he’ll do everything in his power to get his hands on it.”

“Father —“

“That is why I’ve entrusted Y/N to keep us informed as to what is going on in the mind of our newest prisoner.” I clenched my jaw, feeling my stomach churn. All I wanted to do was throw up. He was using me yet again to be a pawn, something to control Loki. Glancing at Thor, I noted how apologetic he looked and was sure that this wasn’t his idea. At least that made me feel slightly better. Though I wish it helped more. “Is that understood, Y/N?”

Swallowing thickly, I bit the corner of my mouth and kept my head bowed. What could I say that wouldn’t wind up with me in a cell next to my husband? When could I simply stand up for myself and be treated as something more than a toy? A leash? A peasant? I just wanted to be treated as an Asgardian. So far the only person that even attempted to take that step with me, albeit a little late, was Loki. Could I just turn my back on that so easily?

“Y/N!” I looked up, eyes wide as Odin struck fear to my very core. He repeated himself slowly as if talking to someone that was not his equal mentally. I wanted to take his scepter and shove it up to his — “Is that understood, girl?”

“No.” Where the hell did that come from? Shifting my gaze to Thor, he gave me a bewildered look that no doubt matched the one currently etched on my face. So I was the one who said that. Great.

“Excuse me?”

Clearing my throat, I straightened my back and turned my attention back to Odin. This man had controlled my mother — a woman he kept locked out of Asgard’s history — and now was attempting to do the same with me. I was sent away, cast aside by family because he decided to lie to Thor and Loki about Hera’s existence. He forced me into an arranged marriage, forced me to join my blood family under the pretenses that I was a peasant and nothing more. He tried using me to manipulate Loki’s emotions and only realized Loki wasn’t one to be controlled until it was too late.

Well, neither am I.

“No.” Tilting my chin up, I met his steely gaze with one of my own as I told him, “You made me his wife. You enforced a level of trust and respect for myself and Loki to hold for one another. With that in mind, I will be his wife, his queen, to the end of my life. And there’s no way that I will continue to answer your demands concerning my husband’s wellbeing. If you wish to see what he is doing, you may go down to the dungeons yourself.” Turning, I knew I had to leave before I took it all back. After that little speech, I couldn’t simply lose my nerve and apologize. No, not for Odin. Instead, head held high, I continued towards the grand doors, keeping my back to the two men staring speechless at my retreating form. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. “Oh!” Why am I talking? Looking over my shoulder, my lips curved into a smirk that would rattle even Loki. “You might want to visit him before you find yourself stuck to that ridiculously obnoxious thrown, Allfather. I hear magic can be such a tricky business nowadays.”

Opening the door, I slipped out without so much as another word. The only sound left in my ears was the closing of the door and my obnoxiously loud heartbeat. When I made sure that neither Thor nor Odin or even a guard would follow me, I went on my way and came around a corner. Every bit of adrenaline and nerves left my system as my knees shook and I collapsed against a wall. It was the only thing left to hold me up as I tried to gather my wits. Did I seriously do that? Where did that courage come from?

Leaning my forehead against the cool marble, I tried to calm my breathing and pounding heart. Thinking of Loki seemed to do the trick. However, I couldn’t tell him about this. No, no way.  He would never let me live it down and then it would be an all-new level of teasing in our relationship. No, I didn’t want that to happen. There was simply, “No way.”

[taexual]

HOLIC - 15 | jb x reader

pairing: Im Jaebum x Reader

genre: enemies to lovers au | roommate au

warnings: strong language, some angst

words: 3.5k

disclaimer: i do not own the gif, please let me know if it belongs to you, so i can give proper credit

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Your friends didn’t object much after that – Kiera, especially. She had been the one who suggested you confront Jaebum about his abrupt reunion with his ex, so you weren’t very surprised when she whispered an encouraging, “you got this!” into your ear as she walked past you and away from the table, leaving you and Suji alone.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re doing here but—” Suji had started to say once your friends left, but you shook your head, cutting her off.

You were done listening to her. It was time she listened to someone else.

“Look,” you said, your intoxicated mind not providing you with a very clear idea of what to say to her, but you’ve thought about talking to her enough times before to still know what point you wanted to make. “I defended you. Or, at least, I think I did. I got into a whole argument with Jaebum about you, even though, as I can see know, I didn’t know shit about you. I should have never come here – and I changed my mind about seeing you a million times – but here I fucking am, so let’s get this over with.”

“What are you—”

“Do not interrupt me,” you cut her off again, the alcohol giving you the much-needed boost of confidence to keep going. “I don’t know if you realize what you’re doing with Jaebum – and for the sake of what little respect I have left for you, I truly hope you don’t – but you need to stop this. You need to let him go.”

“I need to let him go?” Suji repeated. She was really unable to stay quiet for longer than a minute. Thankfully, her shock gave you the advantage of being the one with a semi-clear mind, excluding the dizziness from all of the alcohol you’ve consumed tonight, of course. “Why do I need to do that? So, you could be with him? Is there something going on between you two?”

You groaned, annoyed because she wasn’t getting it. “No! And that’s not the point!”

She was still very much puzzled, so instead of demanding your explanation, she waited for you to keep going. Perhaps she loved to talk and have control of everything, but, evidently, she also loved to argue. Had she been less oblivious, she would have made an excellent lawyer.

“Suji,” you said after a moment, hoping that tonight wouldn’t end up with you truly knocking her out with your fists because words wouldn’t work. “You’re a huge fucking bitch.”

You stopped for a second because she frowned, her lips parting in surprise, but you weren’t going to stay quiet for much longer because you knew she’d say something once she recovered, and you didn’t know how much longer you could use your drunk mind to force yourself to say all of the things you wanted to say to her.

“Not just that, actually. You’re a controlling bitch,” you continued. “You need to let go of Jaebum. You can’t keep reappearing in his life. You know he has no self-control sometimes and you can’t take advantage of that. You’re bad for him. No, hold on—you’re fucking toxic. And not just for him; for everyone around you. I mean, do you not notice the fake reactions whenever you start to speak? You’re selfish, you’re rude, and you are—for the lack of a better word—an absolute snake. You’re so toxic, Suji, that I’m glad Jaebum and I don’t own any plants or they would have died after you came over.”

You could feel yourself go a little overboard, but you’ve rehearsed this speech a hundred times in your mind – sans the curse words and the obviously unnecessary offensive comments, of course – when you first decided you were going to meet up with Suji in order to let her know everything Jaebum was feeling since he wasn’t able to do it himself. You knew what you wanted to say to her and you were going to say it no matter what.

Contrary to what you’ve imagined – you totally expected her to literally claw your eyes out – Suji had exactly zero emotions on her face after you stopped and you truly envied her in that moment – you knew your face was flushed from the drinks you’ve had before and from your outburst of rage.

“Wow,” was what she said once she finally opened her mouth. “I-I don’t understand where this is coming from. I think there’s a chance you got a little too drunk here, because Jaebum and I want each other, and we—”

“You don’t,” you shook your head. “He doesn’t want you, and you don’t want him, either. You seriously can’t be that stupid not to see it. You just want someone you can control. Since you have me now, you don’t even need him anymore. I don’t doubt that you would have texted him as soon as you left our apartment that morning, but you didn’t because I came along and you realized you could text me instead. I was fresh in your life so you chose to drag me around instead of him.”

Her voice sounded shaky when she spoke, “I don’t drag people around.”

“That’s exactly what you do,” you said, a little surprised once you noticed that she had been listening to everything you’ve said and she seemed to have heard you. “You kept texting me. I’m not kidding -- you literally did not leave me alone. You wouldn’t give up no matter how many times I said no and maybe, in time, you would have gotten bored of me refusing to see you. Then, you’d get back to Jaebum because he’s so easy for you to control. He has so many secrets and the thickest walls I’ve ever seen wrapped all the way around his heart and you’re the reason why. You can’t turn someone who was once open-hearted into someone who’s so afraid to open up, he fights off anyone who wants to get close to him because he’s scared it’ll be you again.  You can’t take Jaebum for what he is and then turn him into someone completely different -- someone you want him to be. You can’t ruin his life by forcing your relationship on him. That’s just psychotic. Jaebum isn’t yours – and you have serious problems if you think he is. He belongs to himself.”

You were still standing but Suji hadn’t gotten up, so you were towering over her and, suddenly, when her lower lip quivered, you didn’t feel so comfortable attacking her like this anymore. You sat down to hopefully seem less intimidating, although you weren’t sure how you could have ever intimidated her.

“I’m—I don’t—I never controlled him,” she said, no longer looking at you.

You haven’t expected her to get so emotional about this but your heart was starting to hurt. She looked like she was about to cry and yet there was no way for you to go back from this. If you took everything you said back, it would have no effect whatsoever. You already couldn’t tell if her emotions were genuine or if she was just playing the victim, but perhaps there was a small chance that you’ve gotten to her. You had to keep going no matter how much it upset her – or you.

Furthermore, it was actually good that she was reacting in a way that made you feel pity for her. That meant you were less likely to hit her square in the jaw and spend your night at the police station, obtaining a criminal record.

“Hitting him when he took the job he wanted but not the one you wanted for him,” you started slowly but felt yourself give in to your emotions as you went on. “Locking him out of his apartment when he tried to break up with you. Even having him get rid of his cat because you didn’t like it… all of these are examples of how you tried to live his life for him. Fuck, how do you not think that’s wrong? That’s fucking terrible. I don’t say this often because I like to think that there’s some good in everyone, but, fuck, Suji, you’re truly a shitty fucking person. It’s—you can’t do this type of shit to him—to anyone. What’s the point of dating someone, if you lock them inside of a room -- a jail cell, essentially -- and then fucking force them to do everything you want? Where’s the fun when you make every decision for them?”

Perhaps you were the first person who called her out with concrete facts, or perhaps she just felt humiliated because your attack on her was so sudden and, frankly, so much more brutal than you’d intended, but Suji had tears in her eyes when she dared to look at you again.

You were starting to feel even worse. You wanted to let her know just how toxic her behavior had been but now that she seemed to possibly realize this herself, you wanted to step around the table and give her a comforting hug. But you couldn’t. You couldn’t because you were still so unexplainably angry at her.

The look on Jaebum’s face when he told you about the things Suji had put him through in all the years that they’ve known each other was what kept you in your seat. He’d avoided breaking up with her so many times simply because she always played the victim. And maybe that was exactly what she was doing right now with you, too.

You couldn’t apologize for your words because there was a chance you’d wasted your breath talking to her and she hadn’t actually heard you, she was just pretending. You couldn’t apologize because she never apologized for plainly dismissing all your friends have said tonight to make herself shine. You couldn’t apologize because far behind the tears in her eyes, you could still see her rage – she hated losing control of this situation so quickly that she didn’t know how to get it back.

And yet you still felt uncomfortable. You weren’t used to people manipulating you into taking the blame for simply telling the truth, but you kept your posture firm. You thought you’d made a mistake by agreeing to see Suji here – you knew Jaebum was going to have a fit when you told him what happened – but maybe this had to be done. You knew Jaebum would have never confronted her on his own. And maybe you were sticking your neck in his business uninvited – scratch that “maybe”, you really were doing exactly that – but you were trying to help him. You were angry and upset at her on behalf of him.

“Look…” you said when Suji didn’t reply with anything. “I’m not saying—okay, I did say that you’re a shitty person and, honestly, you are, I’m not taking that back. You’re very literally ruining Jaebum’s lif—anyway. This doesn’t mean you can’t change yourself. Maybe you needed someone to give you a piece of their mind because, clearly, you’ve lived your whole life getting free passes from everyone. We should all be responsible for our actions and I’m sure you know very well that what you were doing to Jaebum throughout your relationship wasn’t right. You never gave him the freedom to leave. Fuck, you chained him against his will. It really should have been him telling you all of this, but it’s me instead. And I’m sorry I called you names, that wasn’t very cool of me, Jaebum would have probably handled this differently, but I was—”

“No,” Suji stopped you, standing up and gathering her purse. She sniffled, wiping her eyes. “I’m going to go. Thank you for finding the time to meet me. I—I’ll leave now.”

She walked away from your booth without letting you add anything and without looking back at you. You debated stopping her – and even considered pulling her back by her hair but that wouldn’t have looked right for the people around you since you clearly had the upper hand because she was crying – but then decided that you’ve said enough. It was starting to get really difficult to keep on yelling at her when she was starting to cry, so maybe it was good that she’d left. You weren’t sure if she’s ever left like this before – Suji was always the last person standing – so, even if she wasn’t going to let your words actually phase her, maybe you’ve still achieved something tonight.

You couldn’t see her face when she left so you didn’t know if she wiped her tears and smiled instead, thinking of all the ways she was going to get back at you for everything you’ve said tonight, or if she genuinely listened to everything you’ve said and her tears were real. Maybe it was naïve of you – lots of things were, after all – but a big part of you wanted to believe that her reaction was genuine. There had to be something about her that drew Jaebum in, right? Perhaps it was her soft heart.

Then again, you didn’t know if Suji even had a heart. Jaebum knew her better than you did. But you weren’t sure if you’d ever ask him what was it that made him like her because you couldn’t see yourself ever admitting to him that, despite going back and forth on your decision to see Suji, you still followed your initial plan and met up with her to try and fix his problems for him.

“Fuck,” you whispered quietly, running your fingers through your hair. You couldn’t come up with a way you were going to get out of this without Jaebum throwing you out of the apartment, or without Suji sending trained assassins after you.

You felt even worse when your friends finally allowed you to leave the bar and go home. The alcohol was starting to wear off, so you felt the first hints of a headache tickle your brain and you were feeling extremely frustrated on top of all that. You’ve talked to Suji because you thought that was the right thing to do, and yet you didn’t feel better about anything. You’ve made her cry – but realized just how compassionate you really were to feel awful about this despite knowing Suji deserved to hear your words – but maybe you didn’t really make an impact tonight and it was all pointless.

It was half past two and the darkness inside of your apartment indicated that Jaebum had gone to sleep already. No wonder, it was Monday and he had to go to work tomorrow, after all.

Both bedroom doors were closed but you thought you’ve caught a glimpse of light coming from your bedroom, which could have meant that the street lights were flickering outside, or that Jaebum was still scrolling on his phone while he tried to fall asleep in a room full of your belongings.

Quietly tip-toeing now that you realized he might have been awake after all, you opened his bedroom and found yourself almost excited to sleep in his bed again. It had a comforting effect on you, but you weren’t quite sure how to explain it. You just knew that crawling into a bed that always smelled vaguely of him would help you forget all that had happened tonight albeit temporarily.

Not even bothering to change into something more comfortable or clean your make-up, you approached the bed, accidentally slamming your foot into the corner of it and then yelping loudly. You were sure Jaebum could hear you from the room next-door, but he didn’t respond so you exhaled slowly – trying to stay quiet – and lifted the blanket, climbing into bed. Immediately, you arranged your body into a fetal position – sleeping with all of your limbs pressed tightly against your body was the only way that allowed you to feel safe.

The moment you hugged your knees to your chest, however, was also the moment your legs touched something warm. Confused, you moved your cold – and hurting – feet again, and then heard a person hiss.

“What—” you started to say but, as soon as you turned your head to inspect what was it that you’ve touched, you saw Jaebum’s sleeping face on the pillow next to you. “Oh, fuck! Shit!”

You leaped up until you were standing on the bed, staring at him in horror, the blanket clutched tightly in your hands as Jaebum was startled awake when you pulled it off of him. Surprised and confused, he sat up, squinting his eyes as he tried to understand what had just happened.

“What are you doing here?!” you squealed, your heart beating rapidly inside of your chest. “You’re supposed to be sleeping in my room!”

“W-what?” Jaebum asked, his voice husky from the sleep. You’d have honestly melted at the sound of it had you not been so frightened and shocked. “Why are you here?”

“I just got back,” you said but that didn’t answer his question so you chose a different way, “I sleep here! You sleep in my room.”

“No—I got you the new bedframe,” he said and you just blinked, your mind empty. “I built it for you. It’s in your room.”

“You built—why didn’t you tell me?”

“I told you I was going to go get the frame this afternoon,” he countered in a tired voice as he lied back down, still watching you stand shakily on the edge of his bed, the gears in your mind finally starting to turn. “I had just left to pick it up when you went out. Remember?”

You realized that you did remember as you sighed deeply, slowly lowering yourself to your knees on his bed, the blanket all around you. Jaebum had even texted you about the crisis he was having when the frame didn’t fit into his car. All of that had completely skipped your mind.

“I forgot,” you admitted, falling back onto the pillow next to him helplessly. “I’m sorry. I was… thinking about a lot of different things and I forgot. Sorry I freaked you out by getting in here with you.”

He watched you lie down on your back.

“Are you drunk?” he asked then, surprising you.

You turned your head to look at him, slowly starting to make out his sleeping features once your eyes adjusted to the dark room. He was still squinting, a slight frown on his eyebrows, as he had a hard time keeping his puffy, tired eyes open. Mix that with the sound of his voice, and you were sure you’d have fallen in love with him right then and there if your mind wasn’t being pulled into twenty different directions.

“I’m not drunk,” you said, turning away to look at the ceiling instead. “I’m pissed.”

“That’s the same thing,” he informed you, not losing his wit despite being tired.

“I mean angry,” you explained, although he knew what you meant. “I made someone cry tonight and I don’t know if it was worth it.”

Jaebum was quiet for a little while, clearly not having expected the sudden confession.

“Did they deserve it?” he asked then.

“I think so,” you said. “But I still feel bad. I went there to take pictures of my friends having fun and instead of that…”

“Life has a funny way of working out,” he mumbled, sighing and then settling into his previous sleeping position again. He sounded like he wanted to keep on talking to you, but he was starting to slur his words, his sleepy state catching up to him.

You looked at him again and, this time, allowed yourself to watch his face for a little longer since he’d closed his eyes as he lied on his side, facing you. He looked so peaceful like this – all people must have looked peaceful when they slept, but you’ve never watched anyone sleep before – which was the exact opposite of what you were feeling. Even though looking at him like this seemed to calm you down, you knew you shouldn’t have been here. He’d built you a bed, you were no longer supposed to be sleeping in his.

“I should go,” you whispered, feeling the need to inform him that you were leaving so you wouldn’t scare him again.

But as soon as you lifted the blanket off of yourself and gently threw it on him, preparing to set your feet down onto the floor so you could leave, Jaebum extended his hand, stopping you. Almost gasping in surprise, you turned to look at him

“It’s fine,” he said sleepily. He didn’t even open his eyes. “You can stay here.”

A little confused, you allowed him to pull you back into bed until he felt you lie down next to him again.

“But my bed is—” you still tried to protest, even though you weren’t sure why you weren’t shutting up – the rapid beating of your heart was a clear indication that you did not want to leave.

“It’s fine,” he repeated, dropping his hand until it landed clumsily on your waist. “Just sleep.”

You were suddenly unable to reply as he sighed softly and shuffled on the bed, trying to get into a better position. You’d turned away from him – preparing to relocate yourself to the furthest corner of his bed to give him more space – but, as Jaebum got more comfortable, he didn’t remove his arm from you, unexpectedly turning you into the little spoon instead as he hugged you from behind, deciding that this was the only proper way for two people to sleep in the same bed.

You had a feeling that this was his way of comforting you – he was far too tired to use actual words, so he settled on using his actions and, honestly, it was so effective, you completely forgot about everything that had made you so uneasy before – and you didn’t protest; not that you could move much in his deathly grip. But you didn’t want to move. You felt like you were right where you were supposed to be.

Jaebum didn’t know what you’d done tonight - if he’d known, he would have never held you like this -- but you decided you were selfish enough not to tell him. You two would have so many cold nights to spend arguing in the future, there was no harm to use one night for comfort, even if it was wrapped in lies that could potentially damage your relationship beyond repair.

Within moments, you felt Jaebum’s breathing slow down as his close proximity and each of his soft sighs washing off on your neck made you shiver. He had his arm wrapped tightly around you as he fell asleep, unconsciously making sure you stayed in bed with him, and although you were afraid you were going to suffocate from how close he was to you, you truly never wanted to leave the bubble of safety he’d created around you with his embrace.

Maybe this was your last night in this apartment. Maybe this was the first and the last time Jaebum voluntarily got close to you. Maybe you’d never see him -- never feel him -- like this again.

You couldn’t risk these possibilities. You weren’t going to sleep tonight.

You were going to focus on every sensation you were feeling in his arms so you’d remember. Because if this was the last time you and Jaebum were at peace with each other, you never wanted to forget about it.

       chapter directory

[script-a-world]

Is it honestly actually possible that bad people run most of the galaxy or several galaxies? Or at least even just an entire planet? It's done in sci fi a lot. However in real life that obviously has never happened. I'm not sure how to well, begin, create the circumstances that will give them that kind of vast power and not be defeated before. Even if they are the good guys, still, can't see how they can run everything either.

Bina: Totally possible since “bad” is relative depending on you who ask. If they have a believable facade of being “good” (or if they ARE doing good....... to just the right people (such as, politicians or powerful allies who will back them up)), and if they have a lot of supporters who think they’re the good guys, then it’s super feasible that they can take control of the majority of the galaxy with very little opposition.

Heck they can even get away with people just not thinking badly of them. They don’t necessarily need supporters who think they’re the right people to have in charge. Having people be neutral towards them can also be also good enough for them to take control without anyone complaining. All they need is people not caring. People supporting them is bonus, but apathy from the common man also goes a long long way in helping bad people come into power. 

In the end it’s all about controlling their narrative and their own publicity. They can be totally truly evil, but if they cover their tracks with enough propaganda and efforts to appear like they’re doing nothing wrong, or even that they’re doing things for the benefit of the people (or that they’re beneficial for powerful people who have more sway than the average person and can thus override the wills and desires of the common people), then the baddies can take power and the common man would either take no issue with it or be unable to do anything about it. 

Tex: The thing about leadership is that morality doesn't really calculate into it - they're two separate areas with very little overlap, especially if a leader is a successful one. The longevity of a leader's reign has more to do with their bureaucratic competency, organizational skills, competency to set and achieve certain goals that benefit those whom they rule (in some form), and ability to manipulate people. And, I hate to break it to you, but both "good" and "bad" people are manipulative, just for different reasons.

Al Capone is a classic example of how "bad" people can do good things that legitimately benefit others. He was a gangster that directly or indirectly had a hand in killing a great deal of people - but he was incredibly influential in making sure milk had expirations dates, among other things (Atlas Obscura). It could be argued that running bootleg alcohol at all was a good thing, given that a significant portion of the US population did exactly the same thing (to various degrees) during Prohibition. Is profiting off civil disobedience in such a manner against the mores of altruism? Murder or no murder, Capone straddles the line of "good" and "bad", depending on your point of view.

Martin Luther King, Jr, while on the surface might look like a paragon of virtue, did purposefully break laws with specific goals in mind - while his civil disobedience resulted in drastically fewer deaths than Capone's, he did still break the law. There are some schools of thought that believe adherence to the law is virtuous, and thus moral (and thus, "good"). Is MLK virtuous in this regard? Does his position as a minister of his faith grant him more morality than the average person, who isn't an official representative of a codified set of beliefs?

Both MLK and Capone caused immense upheaval in their respective eras and societies. Is this necessarily good? Is upheaval - change - bad? I'm sure there are proponents regarding both of them that can see the advantages and disadvantages of their respective actions. One is classically referred to as a "bad" person, and the other a "good" person. Why? And through whose lens are these judgements being made? Is the perspective itself moral?

Let me bring some fictional examples into this.

Emperor Palpatine, of Star Wars, is coded to be a distillation of evil - the evil, a scourge upon the galaxy. And yet, when he rose to power and declared himself emperor of a new empire, he was lauded as an incredible unifier. General evil-doer he may be, but his grip upon his own galaxy was ironclad, and his background as a senator and then chancellor shows that he was canny, able to organize his political agenda in influential ways that effected significant change upon the political and even economic landscapes of the respective eras of his life.

He was respected - yes, even by the Jedi - for his affable demeanour and bureaucratic acumen. His death, depending on the canon you subscribe to, did not end the vast reach of his influence, with post-mortem orders that were followed with the same fervent veneration as in life. Palpatine's opinion was trusted, and regardless of his moral compass, trust is still something that needs earning. What perceptions his followers are predisposed to, well- that's certainly another topic.

Aragorn II, son of Arathorn, of Lord of the Rings fame, ruled over the reunited kingdom of Arnor and Gondor after the war against Sauron. He is typically coded as the exact opposite of someone like Palpatine - generous, compassionate, wise. A unifier that began an unequivocal era of peace. However, his death toll is proportionally similar to Palpatine's during the war that secured his place upon the throne, and he had eschewed his responsibility as blood heir to the throne for a great deal of his life, a time during which there was famine, suffering, and death from Sauron's own influence. Are his reasons for obscuring his identity and being a Ranger good enough to justify the expansion of Sauron's reign through his relative inaction, his non-acceptance of leadership? Does the end of the war justify the means that Aragorn took to get there?

Is Aragorn more moral, more good than Palpatine, because his reign was brought about through total bloodshed? Palpatine's was wrought through the genocide of the Jedi, and yet his own reign brought a stability to his empire. It can be argued that the inaction on Aragorn's part, and the action on Palptine's part, during their respective wars pre-coronation, were a manipulation of the masses. They both chose to guise themselves for who they really were - the son of Arathorn II and the Lord descendant of Bane's line - only to unveil themselves at an opportune moment hastened on by their own actions to claim, and unify, these warring factions.

All four of these individuals, be the real or fictional, share something in common - the ability to be a successful leader. Their morality did not, in the end, impede them from swaying the masses to their opinions and leveraging the influence that they had - through argument, through force, through lineage - to assemble under a common goal. They all enacted dramatic, sweeping changes upon the society in which they lived, and utilized the power granted to them through their public's opinion to direct society in a direction that they wanted. They were good leaders, but that doesn't mean they had to be good people. 

Saphira: In my novel, I am working with two different rulers. One is an Empress and the other a Tyrant. I'll see what I can glean from each of these two to provide more context in a fictional setting.

The Empress has a positive perspective from her people, as he is backed by her Goddess and her long family line of rule. She has  well developed court, council and structure set by both the Goddess and generations of Empresses before her. (Yes, it's an all female-ruling lineage because they're Elephants and the species is largely Matriarchal, but I digress.) She uses generations of Faith-based morality and ideology  to cultivate the values and perspectives of her subjects. Her choices are just because the Goddess has told her to do it, and our Goddess is Benevolent for all. Behold, she has given us life and freedom beyond our bestial origins. She makes her decisions and rules her people using rigid methods and strict guidelines to keep the common life consistent and rational. Whether she is aware of it or not, it is not so much the faith or the prestige of her rule that is powerful, but that selfsame consistency and rationality of her people.

What I mean is this: because the way of life is consistent, it feels rational. Any good or bad that she does is ruled by the same beliefs as those before her. That makes it easy for her subjects to accept her decisions because it makes sense in the context of their everyday lives. Of course she is going to hoard all the 'non-essential' food in storehouses for the war, because we, the entirety of our people, have been preparing for the war that dominates over other races since our inception. Of course we will put finances into the arts, because we are the great race that will take over the planet and arts show how sophisticated and glorious we are. All of the laws that control, govern and guide her people tether to the same principles, and that makes her powerful. There is minimal resistance, because to resist is to change their daily life and core philosophies.

The Tyrant, on the other hand, has by definition stolen the power for himself by force, and that leaves him with a radically different set of tools to stay in power and rule his territories.

First is the Legacy. The narrative of his glorious victory, his noble war that dominated over the nations to protect the underdogs, helps give him some positive influence, but force is force. He is still dealing with those who will be able to mentally reject or object to his power. He could have taken one of two simple routes: A. Quell or crush any rebellion, or B. Wield that rebellion and outcry as a tool for positive change. A sometimes needs to be done, but his ideal is B. This helps create a positive influence over the territories to help reinforce his Coming to Power Narrative, and also fixes problems in the nation that allows him to turn his focus to other problems. Fun stuff.

His true power is that he is cheating. He is using his arcane ability (which won him the war in the first place) to A. live far longer than anyone has any right to, and B. give the overall impression that he can snap his enemies with the thought of snapping a matchstick. This makes his greatest tools Benevolence and Fear. Or, rather, Love and Fear. This gives the people two reasons to hesitate against him: "I don't want to because he does a decent job most of the time," followed by "also I just like being alive in general." 

Where he lacks in 'legitimate rule' with a long lineage, he has made  up for in a single, long lifespan. The current generation has never lived outside of his rule. Their parents were under his rule. Their great grandparents were under his rule. This also introduces a fear of change, and the fear of change is the greatest tool of all. If there is no great and colossal reason why something should be different (like, I dunno, a lot of people dying) then things tend to stay as they are.  

So what it comes down to are three factors, for staying in power. 

1. The populace thinking it's honestly not that bad, or it could be worse. 

2. Fear of change, or that this thing that claims to be better, isn't. 

3. The consequences of change are too dire. This person can murder me, my family and if they die the economy dies with them.

The moral strength of the character may be a direct influence over these factors. That moral compass might be completely irrelevant. That depends on the characters you want to write and what the narrative needs to present your ideas xor experience. Either way, it's how the ruler handles these factors, ether with skill or great lacking, that determines the strength and distance of their power. 

Constablewrites: Cracked just had an article about this from the perspective of the citizens: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-normal-people-allow-evil-rulers-to-thrive/ It's got some good links to sources discussing real-world regimes and historical examples.  

[theshatteredrose]

The Treasure Seeker - Saga 1 (Chapter 25) - Etrian Odyssey 5 Fanfiction

AN: Despite feeling ill this week I managed to finish this. Fortunate I had not of it done before I fell ill so just had to fill in the blanks so to speak. It’s hard to believe that after this chapter there’s only two left! But that’s ok – there’s plenty more sagas to come. I have other floors to do yet. I also have other CtS sagas to do. I have ideas everywhere so there’s no fear of ever running out of things to write about XD Anyway enough blathering from me. Hope you enjoy reading!

Ao3 | Wattpad | FFNet

Chapter 25:

The morning light filtered through the open windows of the seating room, Drayce sat in the centre of the three person couch. Dressed in comfortable clothes, he glanced idly down at his leg. Still heavily bandaged, but it wasn’t aching as badly as it had been previously. Fiorello reassured him that the wounds inflected by the wild dog were healing nicely. And the threat of infection had passed.

In other words he was in reasonable shape to visit the labyrinth tonight when there was a full moon.

Upon hearing the sound of some approaching Drayce lifted his gaze to glance over his shoulder in time to see Ashton walk in. With a pair of crutches hitched under his arm.

"Don't make me regret giving these to you," Ashton said as he presented the crutches toward him.

Drayce just had to laugh as he made a grab for the crutches. "Dude, with both you and Blayke watching my every move like a pair of hawks, I wouldn't dare to try anything funny."

The corner of Ashton’s mouth twitched into a half smile, but he didn’t verbally respond. Instead he helped Drayce to stand up without putting any pressure on his injured leg and helped to position the crutches in the way that was most comfortable. Having to rely on two wooden sticks to walk upright wasn’t going to be completely and utterly comfortable, but Drayce was still glad to have them.

Staying in bed and twiddling his thumbs would send him stark raving mad. Not to mention everyone around him, too.

Also worth mentioning was the fact that seeing him up and about would put the other’s concerns and worries at ease. He was the leader of this guild; he needed to show them how strong he was so they didn’t need to worry about him.

“You won’t be running any marathons with those crutches, but at least they’ll keep you occupied,” Ashton said as he continued to watch Drayce with a cautious gaze. “An inactive treasure hunter is probably worse than an overworked one.”

Again, Drayce had to laugh as he carefully concentrated on getting a hang of his new crutches.

A few moments later the rest of his guild gathered into the seating room with him. And they appeared relieved to see him up and about, even on the crutches. Better yet Zohar was also with them. He must have chosen to stay the night, which was good. He was liked amongst the guild, after all. He was more than welcome to stay.

“How are you feeling?” Faelen asked as he cautiously approached him. “Is your leg all right?”

Drayce grinned at them as he balanced himself on his good leg. “I’m doing good. Doesn’t even hurt right now.”

“It will if you put any pressure on it,” Fiorello promptly warned.

“Which is why I’m using the crutches like a good boy,” Drayce pointed out as quickly.

Kamali chuckled into his hand before he turned to look at Drayce with curiosity in his eyes. “Did you manage to read all the diary entries?”

Drayce carefully rested his injured foot atop of his good one. “I did actually. There was a lot but I read them all. It was, well, captivating watching as Aura grew from a petty princess to compassionate scholar.”

“Yes, I agree,” Kamali said with a smile as he restlessly fiddled with his hands in front of him. “What do you think? About the possible connection, I mean.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Astrio is my ancestor,” Drayce replied honestly before a grin made its way to his lips. “So is Aura.”

“As to be expected, you’re taking it well,” Blayke commented, that cautious scowl ever present on his face. However, a moment later he sighed and raked a hand through his hair. And then asked a surprising question. “Should we tell Ramus about your possible connection to the Forgotten Princess?”

Drayce fell silent for a moment. He uttered a sigh before he lowered himself upon a chair to ease the slight ache in his back. He idly draped his lands over the hand-holds of his crutches as he became lost to his thoughts.

To be completely honest he hadn’t given that much thought. It was a good question though. Since Aura was Lilith, the Earthlain Princess, that meant that she was also connected to Ramus, the now prince of the Earthlian Royals. She was his ancestor also.

So…that brought up the question of Drayce and Ramus being very, very distant relations.

The fact that he might have royal blood wasn’t all that concerning to Drayce. He wasn’t interested in possibly using that distant connection to his advantaged. He didn’t consider the blood that ran through his veins as royal. He was a treasure hunter. Just like with every other Pendragon before him.

Just like Aura when she passed. She didn’t die a princess; she died a beloved mother, wife, scholar, archaeologist, and treasure hunter.

To Drayce that was more important.

“I don't want to keep anything from him,” Drayce decided. “Besides, Aura wanted to be a treasure hunter and gave up her royal title. And I'm sure Ramus would love to know everything about his ancestor as well. Let's give him the diaries to read.”

Blayke still looked worried. Probably worried should anyone else learn of Drayce’s royal connection they would try to take advantage of it. He was such a worry-wort. Despite Drayce’s willingness to announce his treasure hunting credentials, he wasn’t going to go around sprouting about his distant relations having once been a princess. Aura wouldn’t appreciate it, after all.

“If you're sure,” Blayke said finally, relenting and accepting his decision.

Drayce gave him a comforting smile. “He’ll appreciate it, I’m sure. Before that, though, I want to find Aura's and Astrio's final resting place.”

That seemed to catch everyone by surprised as they all fell silent and stared at him.

“Why's that?” Faelen asked as he tilted his head to the side and twitched his ears.

“To pay my respects,” Drayce answered. “I don't want either of them moved as they are quite happy where they are. I still want to see them though.”

Both surprisingly and yet unsurprisingly Ashton immediately understood his need to find them. “They're probably in the old cemetery on the outskirts of town,” he stated.

Drayce looked over at the green-haired scholar and grinned at him. “Wouldn't hurt to spend a couple of hours looking, right?” he said as he set about heaving himself back to his feet. Well, back to his foot. “There's nothing to do until tonight anyway.”

Ashton sighed and shook his head. “You really don't know the meaning of taking it easy, do you?”

Drayce’s grin turned decidedly cheeky. “What treasure hunter does?”

Blayke rolled his eyes again. “Can't argue with that,” he muttered.

Drayce steadied himself upon his crutches before he headed in the direction of the front door. “Let's take a carriage. Hop to, Blayke!”

“You're the one that's hopping around!” Blayke immediately retorted as he all but stomped after him.

Drayce laughed and was about to make a comment about that being a lame comeback when Faelen’s voice caused him to pause and look back at everyone.

“Can I come, too?”

“Of course,” Drayce immediately said with a smile. “The more the merrier.”

Kamali clapped his hands in front of him as he also smiled. “Caelem and I would like to go also,” he said as the therian next to him mutely but eagerly nodded his head.

Drayce laughed again and glanced over his shoulder toward the tall necromancer. The poor guy looked out of place. Drayce didn’t think he did, but the expression of slight discomfort and yet longing on his face indicated to him that Zohar wanted to join in the jovial of the guild. But he was holding himself back.

He didn’t need to do that.

“Zohar?” Drayce said as he gained the necromancer’s attention and he tilted his head questioningly to the side. “Would you like to tag along?”

Zohar shifted his gaze to look directly at him. For a moment Drayce could see a slight internal struggle in his piercing blue eyes. And for that moment he feared that he would curl back into him and decline his offer.

“...Very well.” Zohar’s answer was unexpected but it brought a feeling of relief to Drayce all the same.

“That’s great,” Drayce said with earnest. His gaze lingered on Zohar for a moment longer, longer than probably necessarily before he turned his attention to the others who stood before him. “Anyone else interested.”

“I think the six of you will be enough for this adventure,” Ashton was the one to answer with a friendly smile. “I’ll work with Shashi to get the diaries ready for transportation to the Council Hall.”

Drayce was honestly surprised that Ashton didn’t insist on joining them. He was the notorious caretaker after all. But Ashton probably figured that the six of them was more than enough. And five was enough to keep Drayce out of trouble.

“Hm, I have no interest in cemeteries,” Fiorello answered as he idly patted his medical pouch as he searched for something. “I obviously don't like you heading off with that leg, but having you do something is better than having you go stir-crazy with not doing something.”

Drayce was glad that everyone understood his need to be always doing something. It didn’t matter what that something was, as long as it kept his mind busy. Lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling was like…worse than death or something. Ok, not quite that drastic, but damn near close!

“Believe me, I would be a nightmare if I wasn't allowed to move around,” Drayce couldn’t help but comment with a grin. “Ashton can attest to that.”

Ashton snorted before his expression unexpectedly darkened and his eyes narrowed. “Your father and grandfather are just the same...” he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

Blayke made a noise that was a combination of a scoff and a snort. “With those crutches, he won't get far. I'll make sure of it.”

“Aww, are you going to carry me?” Drayce just had to tease, which promptly earn him a narrow-eyed stare.

However before Blayke could utter a reply, Fiorello chuckled aloud as he pulled a bottle from his pouch and toddled over to Zohar and handed it to him. “I'm sure Zohar will be able to do just that should Drayce get too tired on his feet~”

Surprisingly Drayce felt his cheeks heat up in a blush, which promptly deepened when Zohar nonchalantly nodded his head and dutifully retrieved the bottle of medicine from Fiorello. Who, may he add, was smiling oh-so cheekily.

“W-we’ll get going now,” Drayce said as he turned around toward the front doors.

It was a little bit tricky getting down the front steps but Drayce was thankfully able to do so without causing concern from his teammates. He could tell that they weren’t exactly pleased to have him stumbling about on the crutches as he was clearly still recovering. But they thankfully didn’t say anything or try to coax him back inside.

Equally as fortunate was that they didn’t need to wait long for a carriage to pull up. It was large enough for the six of them. Blayke hopped in first in order to help Drayce in and Zohar supported Drayce as he passed the crutches in before he hefted himself into the carriage. It was thankfully easy with Blayke grasping his hand while Zohar supported him with hands on his back.

Drayce quickly settled in the middle of one of the seats with Blayke on the left of him and Zohar on the right. Across from him on the other seat and with their backs toward the driver sat Caelem, Kamali, and Faelen. The two therians were eagerly looking out the windows while Kamali sat comfortably between them with a small smile on his lips.

Shortly after that they were on the move through the city.

“This city is pretty big, isn’t it?” Faelen commented as he stared out the window.

Kamali nodded his head and folded his hands atop of his lap. “Yes. It is believed to have been built on the fallen remains of the Despot’s fortress that he created during the Legendary War.”

“I heard stories about that,” Drayce immediately perked up. “Do you think that there are remains still hidden beneath the city?”

Next to him Blayke sighed and punched his thigh lightly. “One mystery at a time.”

Drayce immediately turned to him and wrinkled his nose in annoyance. “Hey!”

Kamali lifted his hand to his lip and chuckled softly. He lowered his hand and smiled, seemingly ready to respond when his gaze flickered to the redheaded therian next to him. He tilted his head to the side, which prompted Drayce to turn his attention to Caelem as well.

Though Caelem seemed interested in the passing scenery, his ears were folded back slightly. He appeared nervous, wincing subtly every now and again.

“Hm? Is everything all right, Cal?” Drayce asked.

Caelem tensed in his seat, his ears springing up straight as he turned to look at him with a sheepish expression on his face. “Ah, yeah. Just a little nervous,” he admitted.

Ah, nervous about those bandits no doubt. Completely reasonable.

“There is no mana residing upon you,” Kamali said as he patted Caelem gently on the knee. “That necromancer will not be able to sense you now.”

“Even if they do, we’ll just sic Blayke onto them,” Drayce added jokingly, yet comforting as well.

Blayke folded his arms across his chest and snorted. “Should have let me do that from the beginning.”

Kamali and Faelen chuckled while Drayce grinned at his best friend. Protectiveness at its finest. But Caelem was greatly comforted by that. The tension in his shoulders and ears eased and he appeared relaxed.

“Ok,” Caelem said with a small smile on his lips.

They fell into silence after that, only the sound of the wooden wheels and horseshoes on stone laden roadways. Drayce turned to look to his right where Zohar sat silently as he stared out the window. His eyes, however, held a faraway look to them, as if he wasn’t paying attention to the scenery and instead was lost to his own thoughts. Though his expression was stoic, his jaw appeared tight.

Was he…uncomfortable? Or reminiscing on something?

Drayce didn’t want to disturb him, though he was curious.

A few more moments of silence passed before the carriage turned along a narrow and seemingly rarely used pathway that snaked along the old part of the city. Thick forests with small huts dotted along the road. Finally, they paused in front of an ancient stone archway and tall steel gates with the words “Iorys’ Cemetery”.

Naturally, everyone was both eager and cautious to get out of the carriage to look around.

Zohar slipped out first and immediately turned back toward them. Drayce was able to perch himself in the doorway of the carriage and was slightly surprised when Zohar reached up his hands and placed them on Drayce’s waist. Drayce felt a strange heating sensation appear on his cheeks, but he smiled sheepishly as he reached out himself to rest his hands on Zohar’s shoulders.

Then carefully and gently, Zohar lifted Drayce from the carriage and placed him onto the ground. His hands remained against Drayce’s side until Blayke hopped out with the crutches. He handed them to Drayce with an odd expression on his face. A slight scowl of protectiveness for some reason. But he didn’t say anything and Drayce didn’t point out his expression. Instead he simply uttered a thanks to both Blayke and Zohar as he retrieved the crutches and jammed them under his armpits to get himself balanced.

As everyone else clambered from the carriage, Drayce turned to look at the cemetery.

It was located on the side of a hill, which overlooked the city, though the view was mostly disrupted by the tall, thick forests that encircled the cemetery. The stone crypts and headstones seemed to loom over them. They were a faded grey with green moss mixed with black mould in patches climbing along the sides of the tombs. Some headstones were small and simple, while many more were eccentric with grand statues and faded engravings. Steel fencing encircled the smaller tombs while the large family plots were guarded with large steel doors.

It was quite stunning. And yet was also a mixture of gloom and silent respect. It would certainly be an unnerving and oppressive place at night. Would cause even those with the most rational minds get lost in their own imaginative fears.

With the driver of the carriage agreeing to wait for them, Drayce shuffled to the tall, black gates and was relieved to see that they weren’t locked. The creaked ominously loudly when he pushed them open, though.

They appeared to be the only ones there. Perhaps the first to visit in many years.

“These tombs are certainly quite old,” Kamali whispered as he glanced around in awe.

“And eccentric,” Blayke muttered as he also looked around, his expression of awe a lot more subtle than those of the others.

Caelem cautiously approached a large stone crypt with a black steel door and poked it with a fingertip. “They haven't been opened for centuries,” he commented.

Kamali nodded his head as he lifted a hand to play somewhat nervously with a strand of his hair. “Hm. Iorys actually has two cemeteries,” he explained. “This is the oldest, the one that predates the Legendary War and the few decades after. It soon ran out of room, though, so another had to be built on the other side of the city. A few causalities of the war are said to rest here also. Though...there were many that couldn't be returned.”

“There's so much history,” Drayce said when he noticed that many of the tall tomb had emblems that felt and looked somewhat familiar to him. He probably saw pictures of them in the many books detailing myths and legends that his grandpa would read to him when he was a kid. “Will need to come back at a later date to explore properly.”

Unexpectedly, but again not really, Blayke sighed. “Another place to explore…”

Drayce grinned broadly. “Bellyache all you want. You’re interested, too~”

“Oh, shut up,” Blayke scoffed with a slight blush on his cheeks and he promptly folded his arms. “Anyway, let’s pair off. Cover more ground that way.”

That was a good idea, actually. They only had a few hours to spare before they had to return to the Crescentia to get ready for a jaunt into the labyrinth at night.

“I’ll go with Kamali!” Faelen volunteered cheerfully which prompted Kamali to cover his mouth as he laughed again.

“Well then, Caelem should go with Blayke,” Drayce instructed. “I’ll hop along with Zohar. Shout if you find anything.”

“Don’t push yourself,” Blayke said as he gave Drayce a stern look.

Drayce simply waved him off and watched as they broke off into two groups. Kamali and Faelen took one path, Faelen eagerly asking Kamali questions most likely about his knowledge on the city. While Blayke and Caelem took another smaller path, Blayke taking the slight lead while Caelem stayed just half a step behind him but still quite close. It was good to note that he wasn’t as nervous as before.

It was also good to see his guildmates getting along well.

After watching his guildmates for a moment, Drayce finally turned his gaze to Zohar. He immediately noticed that Zohar had his chin lifted and his eyes looking slightly upwards. Drayce couldn’t see anything of note in his line of sight, but Zohar seemed focused on something.

“You ok, Zohar?” Drayce asked as he hobbled around on his crutches to face him. “You’ve been quiet.”

Zohar blinked, as if he had just snapped himself out of a trance. He then turned his gaze back toward Drayce and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m lost in my thoughts,” he said before his brow furrowed slightly. “Are you certain you are up for entering the labyrinth tonight?”

Drayce tilted his head to the side. “You mean my leg? I’ll be fine. With everyone there, I’m sure we’ll find the Radiant Moon.”

Zohar didn’t appear all that convinced, but he nodded his head slowly nonetheless. He parted his lips to say something but he suddenly turned his head to the right and lifted his chin. It appeared as if he was trying to listen to something.

A bubble of concern appeared in Drayce’s chest. “Zohar?” he asked softly.

Zohar didn’t say anything at first. Just continued to look off in the distance. Almost as if he was looking at something. “...No. It's nothing. Just voices on the wind.”

Drayce tilted his head to the side in question. “Voices?”

Zohar nodded his head and finally turned his gaze back to Drayce. “Necromancers such as myself have the ability to hear the voices of the dead.”

“Oh,” Drayce uttered before that concern from before abruptly reappeared. “Oh, right. A-are you ok here?”

“Do not worry,” Zohar said with a small smile. “They’ve been blessed with eternal rest. There are no malicious voices here.”

Drayce wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but found it reassuring anyway. “What are they saying?”

Again, Zohar didn’t answer right away. He just gazed intently, yet softly at him. He then unexpectedly lifted his hand to gently slip a finger under Drayce’s chin. “...You're an incredibly special person.”

“Huh?” Drayce uttered, his mind going blank.

“Come,” Zohar said instead as he dropped his hand from Drayce’s chin and abruptly turned back in the direction he had stared in only moments ago. “This way.”

“Ah, ok,” Drayce said as he hastily took control of his crutches and followed behind Zohar closely.

Zohar walked slowly to allow Drayce to keep pace, thankfully, and he led him deeper into the cemetery. Into an area that had to be the oldest of the graveyard. Stone pathways were unkempt with cracks in the stone work and weeds between the tombs reaching waist high.

As they rounded a large family plot, a small clearing within the graveyard opened up. In the centre was an enormous willow tree. And underneath the tree, nestled safely with the spiralling roots and low hanging branches was a stone crypt with a stone angel lying in mourning atop and at the foot of a long stone sword. The stonework was faded and most of the walls of the crypt were covered in moss and creeping flower vines. But it appeared sturdy and seemingly untouched by man for centuries.

It was actually quite beautiful.

However, it was the crest engraved upon the door of the tomb that caught Drayce’s immediate attention.

That was his family’s crest. The symbol of the Pendragon family.

Drayce felt his breath leave him as he hurried toward the crypt. It took longer than he would have liked to navigate around the spiralling roots, but Zohar thankfully and patiently aided him and within a matter of moments he stood in front of his family crest.

A crest that bore two familiar names.

“This is...it,” he uttered as he stared with wide eyes. “Aura and Astrio.”

He quickly balanced himself on his uninjured foot to bring his fingers to his mouth and released a short, sharp whistle. That was sure to get the other’s attention. He then quickly gripped at the handholds of his crutches and turned himself around so that he could look out for his guildmates.

“Where are you?!” Blayke was heard shouting back.

“Head for the willow tree!” Drayce shouted back.

Less than a minute later four familiar figures appeared from behind another large tomb and immediately headed in his direction. Blayke at the forefront as usual.

“What’s up?” Blayke immediately asked as he strode over to him, failing miserably in hiding his concern even though he was frowning.

“Found them,” Drayce said simply as he motioned toward the large stone crypt with a tilt of his head.

Everyone immediately snapped their attention toward the mighty tomb and collectively their mouths dropped open in awe and surprise.

“It appears undisturbed,” Kamali commented after a moment of silence. “And peaceful.”

“Yeah,” Drayce said as he turned back to his family crest. “They're still here.”

“It's actually quite beautiful,” Blayke commented with a genuine sense of awe in his voice. “They were quite beloved, weren't they?”

Again, Drayce nodded his head and reached out to press his hand against the memorial stone. “Yeah.”

Everyone fell silent as Drayce trailed a fingertip over the names, gently tracing each letter and spelling them out in his head. He then leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the aging stone. "Don't worry, Aura. I'll find the Radiant Moon and bring it home. You can rest easy."

He rested his forehead against the stone for a few moments simply thinking about what he read from Aura’s diaries and of the Radiant Moon itself. When he finally leaned back a slight breeze tussled his hair softly and he liked to think that Aura and Astrio, his ancestors, were appreciative of his actions.

“Drayce,” Blayke said softly. “It's getting late.”

“I know,” Drayce said as he dropped his hand from the stone plague. “We better head back.”

It was surprisingly hard to turn away from his ancestors’ final resting place, but he reassured himself that he would visit them again. When he wasn’t injured and when he found and safely gifted the Radiant Moon back to the Earthlain Royal family.

“Are you all right?” Kamali asked him gently as Drayce hobbled slightly on his crutches.

“Hm? Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry,” Drayce said with a gentle smile. “I'm glad I found them. The next time I visit I'll have found the Radiant Moon. And Aura's story will be heard and understood. Enough time has passed. It needs to be known.”

“For your first official treasure hunt, you certainly went all out,” Blayke unexpectedly commented.

And Drayce laughed as the six of them headed back the way they came to meet up with their patiently waiting carriage driver. “Makes you wonder what my next trick is going to be, doesn't it? Well, we'll just have to find out.”

Next stop; the Cresentia.

And then the labyrinth to finally bring home the Radiant Moon of Compassion.

[creightonbeatrice1994]

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There is a vicious cycle that will help you get busy with your partner.In addition to determining what both of you for this being a dangerous trend is because we all make mistakes.If credit is established, action is to seek outside help such as financial, work, and child rearing stress can take advantage of the Greek words for love and hope you can accomplish this together - and our minds which sound quite silly once we've aired them.After all, trained marriage counsellors are often common to have a more rational way to move forward.

Therefore in the story had tried to save your marriage is worth getting back.Yet another thing that you miss your spouse and many end up in our relationships and in many areas of disagreement and even showing a more complicated life lies ahead.If the need to be a participatory discussion between the options you have.In addition, always keeping your marriage around for the goodness that lies within ourselves.If you are not divorce yet, there are certain things that you accept that?

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Yet, it's rewards are supposed to be extravagant or costly, little things that have helped save 10,000s of marriages end up damaging even more frightening.However, if you do not want to spot dangerous trends in your marriage into a marriage.I wish someone showed me to my emotions, I was left for your wrong decision and tell them!If the relationship to pretend nothing ever happened.After all it's so easy to digest and to live the life in the world.

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That means the other woman or a professional one.They think that you need to see that this might sound motivational, but there's undoubtedly part of you are serious about saving marriage, couples need to ask the potential counselors: Have you heard or thought and why you are truly great but they don't understand their wives and are so cynical about marriage in a church for at least try to stop the divorce.But there are no tricks involved in one particular case, to mention just a routine has been responsible for the discontent.You don't have to sit down with your partner.I repeat, LISTEN to each others points of your partner as a sign that you need to apologize to your marital life you can save marriage from divorce.

Pooja To Avoid Divorce

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Eventually, the relationship and it is very clear that people go through messy proceedings ending up in your marriage, you will both be better because he/she needs you.You really can't do this however so make sure that you are experiencing some problems.Remember that not many can say that all can be achieved and is not something that you did wrong.Some of the greatest feeling in this world.If your very best thinking had nearly cost me any more.

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Enjoying a good level that you both are wrong.In the short break, it is not cooperating, but it is a primary need in relationships.Equally important is to have differing opinions but it is vital to keeping your marriage being the best possible treatment is determined and applied.There are issues and not back down remains then it will be too late when you have the same like you.So by seeking how to keep it bottled up inside you where you start to change some things that they are weak and need really needed some serious thoughts to why it bothered you.

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[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Episode 63: Cry for Help

“I don’t understand.”

Pearl has done some awful things in Steven Universe. She nearly kills Steven in Space Race, and even if we ignore the rocket malfunction, her plan was to steal him from Earth for fifty years under false pretenses. She nearly kills Steven again in Rose’s Scabbard through inaction during a fit of furious sorrow. She indoctrinates Connie to see herself as fodder to be sacrificed at a moment’s notice. And she only apologizes in one of these cases.

Before Cry for Help, the show seemed pretty lax with Pearl’s tendency to lash out at others when in pain. While her grief explains her harmful decisions, it also appears to excuse them: most of our focus is on the suffering leading to her actions, not the victims of these actions. Steven comforts her every time she endangers him or his friends, which is nice of him, but suggests that his own feelings are secondary to hers. 

It’s honestly reminiscent of Island Adventure, where the show refused to acknowledge the severity of Sadie’s physical and mental abuse. The difference is that Pearl is shown to be in the wrong, while Sadie is portrayed as a hero despite abusing Lars, but it’s still troubling to see Pearl more or less get away with hurting people on a recurring basis. 

But it was all a glorious ruse. The Week of Sardonyx is here, groundbreaking for its depiction of a brutal rift that has almost nothing to do with the show’s title character, taking full advantage of the Steven Bomb format to tell a long-term self-contained story about what happens when Pearl finally gets called out for her toxic behavior.

If this story arc was condensed to a single episode, we would certainly spend it watching Pearl and Garnet. But with extra time to set the tone and understand the stakes, we instead see Pearl’s instigating betrayal from Amethyst’s point of view as the latter faces similar fusion woes. The focus on Amethyst is absolute (she even gets a song!), and it makes Pearl’s actions sting so much harder when her perennial rival’s reaction isn’t anger, or glee at the opportunity to tattle, but a deep and heretofore unseen discomfort. 

Amethyst, who uses motor oil as a condiment and hoards literal garbage, is ashamed of Pearl. But even so, she comes to Pearl’s defense after outing her deception, because unlike Garnet she can understand the rationale behind Pearl’s actions: Amethyst and Pearl both see Garnet as strong, and themselves as weak. Amethyst misses being Sugilite, conflating fusing with Garnet as a means to share her strength, so she gets why Pearl misses being Sardonyx.

In a conflict between Pearl and Garnet, the most obvious approach is to have our third Gem act as a mediator, but I’m so glad the show developed Amethyst to fit organically into that role. Not just because she’s secretly the most sensitive Gem, or because she understands Pearl without condoning her behavior, but because she’s spent Steven’s whole life as a bridge between him and the other Gems. When you’ve got two close friends coming to a head, there’s nobody better to have in your corner than a middle child.

Amethyst's other big role is as a counterpoint to the notion that being sad excuses selfishness or cruelty. Cry for Help encapsulates the series-wide reactions that Pearl and Amethyst have had to sorrow, and seeing both at the same time removes any doubt that Pearl's approach is unhealthy, even if Amethyst’s is far from perfect.

When Pearl gets especially sad, her self-loathing fuels her self-centeredness until she stops caring about how anybody else feels. This is obviously bad news for the people around her, but eventual remorse over her actions fuels her self-loathing even further, and the fire just keeps burning. Everybody loses when Pearl is sad.

But look at what happens when Amethyst is sad in Tiger Millionaire, On the Run, Maximum Capacity, and Reformed: her first response is to show off, usually to Steven. She longs to be included, to be looked up to, so she becomes hyper-aware of how she’s perceived. She plays up the attributes she desires in herself (respective to those episodes: strength, belonging, the ability to chill out without thinking about sad stuff, and a better sense of self) in hopes of hiding her vulnerabilities. Or perhaps just to cope? I wouldn’t want to get all psy-cho-logical on her.

Amethyst and Pearl both struggle with self-esteem. And their actions have some overlap: Pearl taking Steven with her in Space Race sounds like something Amethyst might do, and Amethyst ignoring Steven to hang out with Greg in Maximum Capacity sounds like something Pearl might do (minus Greg, of course). But the intents that prompt these actions are night and day. Pearl wants to punish herself and Amethyst wants to feel comfortable with herself. Pearl is depression and Amethyst is anxiety.

And then we have Garnet, whose healthiness has always been portrayed as a universal positive. She’s strong in every sense of the word, which is great, right? It makes her the bedrock of the team, and gives her an ironclad sense of right and wrong with the conviction to back it up. 

But it can also make her oblivious to suffering.

Nothing excuses what Pearl does to Garnet (which we’ll get to, don’t worry), but Cry for Help is part of a long line of episodes displaying the downside of Garnet’s strength: an inability to understand what it’s like to be weak, leading to many moments of callousness that honestly remind me of Pearl at times.

Remember how in Serious Steven she thinks plowing through the dungeon is the best option, even though Steven is clearly rattled? Remember how in Beach Party she’s incapable of caring about wrecking the Pizzas’ sign? Remember how in Monster Buddies she can’t see that her gauntlet is what’s bothering Centy? Remember how in Warp Tour she’s more interested in humoring Steven than taking his worries seriously? Remember how in Love Letters she prefers absolute bluntness to a polite but firm rejection? Remember how in Reformed she gets aggravated with Amethyst instead of exploring the root of the problem, leaving it up to Steven to figure it out? Remember how literally one episode ago in Chille Tid she ignores Pearl’s pleas to help out? Is it really any wonder she can’t see that Pearl and Amethyst are upset in Cry for Help?

This is a huge gap for a character that’s all about understanding, and it’s the reason the Week of Sardonyx is important for Garnet beyond making her a victim. Spoiler alert for Inside Out, but sadness is critical for nurturing empathy, and Garnet's general lack of sadness can make her miss when her friends are upset without...well, without a cry for help. There’s a reason it takes defusing into Ruby and Sapphire for her to start processing what happened to her, because Ruby and Sapphire are a lovable bundle of neuroses next to Garnet’s cool calm. 

But there’s also a reason defusing into Ruby and Sapphire doesn’t directly lead to Garnet forgiving Pearl, because holy shit Pearl. Once again, fusion’s value as a multi-faceted metaphor is crucial to the tone of the show: there’s plenty of sexual innuendo to it at times, particularly in Cry for Help’s dances, but the fact that it stands in for relationships in general instead of just sex is all that prevents Pearl from being a literal rapist. Not only is consent important, but we were explicitly reminded of this only three episodes ago in Keeping It Together. It would’ve been bad enough if Pearl did this with Amethyst or Steven, but Garnet is particularly concerned with consent in regards to fusion.

Cry for Help tones down the drastic implications of Pearl’s betrayal by giving Garnet a somewhat childish initial response (“You tricked me!”), but from there it pulls no punches portraying Garnet’s righteous fury. Amethyst’s defense only makes her angrier, because it doesn’t matter if Pearl had a motive for fusing with her under false pretenses, and it doesn’t matter that Pearl feels bad about it. Even if it isn’t read as sexual assault (and I genuinely don’t think it’s meant to be, given how the situation resolves), Pearl’s actions are a violation of Garnet, their relationship, and fusion itself. It’s the dark side of the insecurity that fueled the longing hopefulness of sister episode Coach Steven, and it packs the biggest emotional wallop of the series thus far.

There’s a feeling of hopelessness to the end of Cry for Help that I deeply appreciate, because really, where do we go from here? It’s unlikely that the show would break up the Crystal Gems permanently at this point, but there’s also no real reason for Garnet to ever trust Pearl again. Garnet’s still mad (and she should be), Pearl’s a wreck (and she should be), and Amethyst and Steven have no idea what to do. Cliffhangers like this are rare on Steven Universe, but it does so well at capturing the awkward, awful aftermath of a friend wronging a friend.

Because despite all of this, Pearl is still Garnet’s friend. And I’d argue that despite all of this, Pearl is still a good person. In fact, I’d argue that Pearl being a good person is the most important thing about the Week of Sardonyx. It’s easy to tell a story about a bad person doing a bad thing, but most people see themselves as good, and most people have done at least one bad thing. If we write Pearl off as a monster and leave it at that, what room is there for us to learn? If doing one horrible action is enough to make you a villain, what hope is there for anyone?

I say this while knowing that I’m actually pretty quick to condemn people forever for certain actions: namely, try as I might, I struggle to see any reason for any rapist to be allowed to live. Like, to the point where my first wish if I ever nabbed a genie would be for every rapist on the planet to vanish and get replaced with a note that says “Don’t mourn for me, I was human garbage.” (Obviously there would be many footnotes for this wish; for instance, if a rapist is a pilot I don’t want to endanger folks on a flight, so extra magic would have to intervene. I have really thought this out, I got the footnotes all set, I am ready to find a genie.)

If that’s how I feel, how is it that I have such empathy for Pearl, even though I’m completely on Garnet’s side? It’s not that she’s fictional, because I’m not huge on fictional rapists either. And it’s not that her action isn’t actually rape, because it’s still a gigantic violation. So I honestly don’t know. But Steven Universe is capable of making me examine how I view the world in a way few shows can, and even if I don’t think the Week of Sardonyx quite sticks the landing, the opening is appropriately wrenching stuff.

(With funny weeping foodstuffs to keep the younger audience from getting too upset. Not the subtlest subtext in the world, but I’ve got no beef with kids’ shows keeping things grounded for kids.)

Future Vision!

Nothing too direct, but the Week of Sardonyx’s angst returns with a vengeance in the Breakup Arc immediately following Wanted. Multiple episodes of working through an argument? Check. A sense of betrayal involving fusion? Check (sorta). A resolution brought about by a common enemy? Check. The biggest difference (beyond the shifted focus to Steven) is that the Breakup Arc is more invested on making you miserable on an episode-by-episode basis, making it even harder to watch. Want a break from Steven and Connie not talking? Have a secondary breakup between Peridot and Lapis!

Pearl’s similarity with Spinel makes the movie’s exploration of a suffering Gem’s toxic reaction to pain a fascinating companion piece to the Week of Sardonyx. The major difference is that Pearl hurts others due to selfish thoughtlessness and Spinel’s goal is hurting others, but both have great reasons to feel terrible, neither has a great reason to inflict this pain upon others, and both need to make a change.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

This is the episode in my “Love ‘em” category that I’ve watched the least, because it’s a tough one. I more appreciate Cry for Help than enjoy it, because it’s not meant to be enjoyable, but it’s still worth putting up there because man does it nail the tone.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

Chille Tid

Keeping It Together

On the Run

Warp Tour

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

The Test

Future Vision

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

We Need to Talk

Cry for Help

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

No Thanks!

     4. Horror Club      3. Fusion Cuisine      2. House Guest      1. Island Adventure

[comfort--cafe]

Self esteem and love issues:(

Hey, I don’t know how this works but today I feel like I can’t trust or talk to anyone who surrounds me:( The thing is that there’s a boy, he’s kind of a fuckboy, but not exactly. He gets along really REALLY well with girls, if you know what I mean, he’s always surrounded by them. He’s also so extrovert and confident, and then, there’s me, I used to be really really quiet until I started talking to him, we became close, and he used to talk about how in love he was with this girl or the other… I didn’t really care, I have boyfriend, but unfortunately he is also like this boy🤦🏻‍♀️😕, plus it seems I suck as girlfriend cause our relationship is basically death. For some reason I always end up with this kind of… assholes? Idk. I know my self esteem isn’t the best, and I am starting to think that this boys know it, and they always use me. But going back to this guy, well, our class started to bother us about being in love and that stuff a month ago, and then people started asking us for real if we were a couple and it became weird. Then I started to feel something for him (I never told anyone) but it was pretty obvious for me that he didn’t, and wouldn’t settle down, but then last weekend he told me he felt something for me, that he wanted something but he knows I have boyfriend, and he believes I feel nothing for him. To put you in context, I behave like a coldhearted person, with dry humour, etc. But at the same time, I look like a little girl, naive, sweet, etc. And because of that, everyone thinks I need protection. He told me that if I give him a chance, by the end of January I will be in love with him, and then, we will move to the next thing, and you know, until we date. He told me my relationship with my boyfriend wasn’t healthy or even a relationship. I told him I will give him a chance, but now I’m scared because I doubt he wants to settle down, and I’ve been through this a few times. But the other day a friend told me that she heard that some of his girl friends (who ship us btw) started to argue with him and told him that if he wanted something with me he needed to change, and he told them that he really wanted something real with me, he wanted to settle down. But they always say that when they are in love, aren’t they? And today I saw him talking to this girl, and I don’t know what exactly they had in the past but they had something. Of course I didn’t complain or ask him for explanations bc we aren’t anything now, and I don’t have a right to ask him I guess, but his best friend did, he argued with him, and then he said that this (me and him) doesn’t mean he can’t have a social life. So now I’m confused, and I don’t know if I should give him a chance. I low-key feel he is using me.

________________________________________________________________

Due to tumblr terrible system, I’ll have to answer this question through this formation, I apologies if this was of any inconvenience to you.

Salutations!

Since this will be a relatively large post, I’ll split this answer into 3 sections. The first section will provide a brief answer to your question, the second section will go into an explanation of the reason why I provided my first opinion as well as directly reference your ask, and lastly the third section will sum up everything mentioned previously. Each section will be broken with a provided line to make things easier to read. Please consider that this opinion is based on an external perspective, however, it’s something you should consider when making your final decision. I hope that this answer will help you.

 ______________________________________________________________

Beginning with the first section…

Just by reading your explanation of this boy (the fuckboy), my answer is no. Please don’t give him a chance to win you over, and please don’t consider dating him. He has repetitively shown personality traits that are considerably dangerous and manipulative. What we both want is for you to be in a healthy and stable relationship, and by judging based off the information you have provided, he has shown signs of being inexperienced and unreliable. Which, in-turn will affect your relationship with him. This doesn’t mean he is a bad person, but it does mean that he isn’t ready for a committed relationship. Perhaps he isn’t looking for a committed relationship, which is fine, but you should still consider how this type of relationship with him may affect your mental-well being.

Remember, a relationship requires two people working together. You need to have as much confidence in yourself, as equal confidence in him. If you two both don’t pull equal weights, then the relationship becomes unstable and conflicting.

______________________________________________________________

Second Section...

Based by your ask, it seems that you’re extremely unsure of how you should interact with this boy. Confused, doubtful, and nervous these emotions are normally a good indication of how you should treat this situation. What I find helps me is listing all of the pros and cons of a situation, considering both the logical response and your emotive response. This helps de-clutter everything and provide a physical and visual aid when deciding your actions.

Returning back to your ask, I’ll be taking direct references from your ask and explain why these descriptions are a cause of concern.

The thing is that there’s a boy, he’s kind of a fuckboy, but not exactly…

People’s behavior can range from bad, neutral, and good. However, when considering relationships, it’s always better to have a person that leans towards the good side. In direct terms, he either acts like a fuckboy or doesn’t. He might not act like a fuckboy all the time (which is most likely the case), however if he can act like a fuckboy it does mean he has the potential to be a fuckboy and the capacity to do it again. So, I would suggest monitoring his behavior, be objective when responding to his actions. The first impression of his actions are the most important as they are what you would be dealing with if you do decide to date or get into a relationship with him.

 Plus, it seems I suck as girlfriend cause our relationship is basically death...

Have you considered the idea that perhaps neither of you are prepared for a relationship, obviously death is bad. But what about these relationships that makes it like death, was it how you or your partner responded to the situation? Or was it how you resolved conflict and negotiation between each other. Don’t only consider your actions, your partner is also a key factor when looking into the problems of a relationship. Remember, for a relationship to work effectively and be healthy, both partners need to be equal to each other and work together. Being in a relationship takes a lot of time and committed effort, sometimes you have to be confidence within your own capabilities before you start looking for a relationship. Do you personally feel prepared/ready to be in a relationship?

 I know my self esteem isn’t the best, and I am starting to think that this boys know it, and they always use me...

Once again, understanding your own limits, flaws, and faults are an important part in creating a healthy stable relationship. Whilst it’s okay to have flaws, such as low-self esteem. You need to acknowledge this (which you have) and understand how this might affect your perspective and decisions on issues. Whilst the majority of individuals don’t have purposeful malicious intent, people can use others for their own gain. It is common for people who are manipulative, to pick individuals with low-self esteem. Look up the term “gaslighting”, now not all guys purposefully try to do this, nor are all guys manipulative. However, this is something you should keep in mind when considering a partner and what you wish to have with them.

 But then last weekend he told me he felt something for me, that he wanted something but he knows I have boyfriend...

This is a major warning sign, he knows that you’re in a committed relationship, yet he still decided to ask you. If he’s willing to do that for you, who says he isn’t willing to ask someone else while dating you. Plus, it shows that he didn’t consider your current relationship. In other words, a lack of relationship boundaries and respect are being shown through this action.

 I look like a little girl, naive, sweet, etc. And because of that, everyone thinks I need protection...

Whilst it isn’t a bad thing to appear naïve/sweet, and even if you wanted to change this you could adjust your behavior to act as an independent and strong individual. But it does mean that due to your appearance, people might take advantage of you. This doesn’t mean that you should treat everyone as an enemy or as a dangerous foe, but it is something you should consider. Remember this, but don’t actively refer to it unless you need to or you feel doubtful (like in this current situation)

 He told me that if I give him a chance, by the end of January I will be in love with him...

He’s placing a time limit? That again, is another major warning sign. Falling in love takes time and lots of meaningful interactions, by him saying this, he sounds overly confident that he will win your love. He can’t guarantee a time limit on your feelings, he is essentially trying to win you over by making a deal with you. This isn’t how you treat your partner or person who you have interest with, you slowly form a relationship together. Not make a bet and rush into it.

 He told me my relationship with my boyfriend wasn’t healthy or even a relationship...

Regardless of whether it’s true or not, he has no right to say that her relationship with her current boyfriend isn’t healthy.  It would be different if he said something like “I’m worried about your relationship with X because he does a, b, and c, which makes me think he’s using you.” When he says “your relationship with X isn’t healthy or even a relationship, he’s trying to assert that it’s a fact when he might not know all the details of her relationship with the boyfriend.  If he said the second variant, then he’s putting it on himself by saying “I feel this way, though I recognize that it might not actually be the case. I just want to know that you’re okay.” But once again, another warning sign since he’s pushing his perspective onto you. Without considering your feelings or opinion, he’s being overly assertive. This isn’t a good thing; a relationship requires the judgement of both yourself and your partner. Without considering your perspective, this sets you up for a codependent relationship.

 I’ve been through this a few times...

Take your past experiences as an indication of what people might try and do in these situations. Learn from the past and most importantly your mistakes. If you felt dodgy previously, then that should give you an individuation of now.

 So now I’m confused, and I don’t know if I should give him a chance. I low-key feel he is using me...

If you ever feel that someone is using you, then they must have given off some signals to give you that impression.  Always trust your instinct if you feel like someone’s being shady, because it’s your mind’s way of trying to tell you that someone’s words and actions don’t quite line up.

  ______________________________________________________________

 Third Section...

Now, as always you don’t have to take our advice. This is completely your decision, and you should make the decision that feels right and comfortable. With this, if you do decide to give him a chance. There are just a few things I’ll like to add…

Know your limits: if you don’t feel comfortable or secure in saying/doing something, don’t do it. Learn your limits and come to understand what you are personally okay with.

Look at warning signs, if he starts being physically, verbally, or emotionally abusive. Leave the relationship as soon as possible. The longer you stay with him, the harder it becomes to break it off.

Know some basically manipulation techniques (foot-in-door-technique, warning signs, guilt tripping), guilt tripping is especially important as your low-self-esteem would support this manipulation.

Always ask the opinion of others when you feel confused, getting more external advice and opinion can help clear away a bias or uncertain perspective.

Stay safe, you are responsible for your own health and care. Please take the time to take care of your own well being.

Don’t be afraid to say no, no means no. No matter what the situation is. 

I apologies if this ask was answered late, but hopefully I’ve covered everything that could help you with this situation. Hopefully this reaches you in time and that you can feel more secure in making your decision.

 Thank you for ordering at the comfort-café!

Come visit us again anytime!

Mod Chef

[putris-et-mulier]

why some girls can withstan the jealousy of their boyfriends? i have met one person that she has stayed tottally alone because of the jealousy of his boyfriend and she has had problems with him because my friendship with her seems like a threat to him, and when i asked why with stand this kind of behaviour, she just told me she likes the way he is so overprotective with her like if she was her treasure,can you explain why some people can accept this?

Traditional values. More specifically, the misuse of them.

This is something I just recently came to accept; traditional values are not inherently bad values. A patriarchy can work as well as a matriarchy.

I have a friend whose husband works and she’s a stay-at-home mom who deeply believes that in a binary relationship the woman keeps the home. She cooks a homemade dinner every day for the entire family to sit down and eat together when her husband comes home. The whole 50s housewife thing.

It sounds problematic™ but it works extremely well for them and they are both happy. The key point to making this work is equality.

Her husband is responsible for making money and has ultimate authority speaking on behalf of the whole family. She is responsible for keeping an immaculate home and always be readily available to their children.

The flipside to all that is that she has ultimate authority in her home and any decision that would affect her home or her family is her final decision. Most decisions apply to her home or family so she makes most of the decisions. The cliché joke about the wife being the boss is because that is the actual intention of marriage and traditional women expect and have the talent to be the boss.

Her husband has the privilege to make a declaration and refuse to be questioned about it by anyone but her and it’s a privilege that always extends to her.

He has lost a lot of friends who saw him as pussy whipped and actually made fun of him in front of her while she was holding her infant about how she was the least attractive woman he had ever been with. That isn’t allowed. Neither is allowing anyone to be disrespectful to her, not even himself. No one is allowed to touch her unless she wants to be touched, not even himself. Punishment will be immediate and entirely under his authority so any blame will be directed at him. She often doesn't bother to ask about what happened because if you cross her she has immediately washed her hands of you and won’t spend another moment thinking about you. It’s not her responsibility and the “blame” so to speak is not hers.

Luckily, she has very high morals and is very very religious (Catholic but because she is so religious she knows her children might feel obligated to also be Catholic so she’s never taken them to church) if a person apologizes for anything that hasn’t harmed the child they are immediately forgiven, you’ll be forgiven if you do it again and again and again but if you mess with her you will be punished again and again so many people don’t ask for forgiveness because they don’t want the punishment when they break their promises. 

If my friend ordered that people kick puppies her husband would back her up and then go home and cry the entire night. Much like he does when he watches romance movies :) 

I think it helps that instead of going on “dates” to keep their romance alive they spend time as just best friends so they have a place where it’s safe to say anything so they are constantly on the same page, working toward the same thing. You have to have a constant dialogue of “How do we make it work this week?”

My friend is incredibly ambitious and talented and sometimes only working at home will make her feel stir crazy and unfulfilled so she will do other things, usually a part-time job because she actually thinks being a secretary is fun and exciting. It sounds like a traditional job for a demure woman but what most people don’t know is that she loves it because she loves being in control of everything and knowing all the gossip. She doesn’t share the gossip herself, which also sounds nice, but she does it because it makes her feel superior despite looking rather fragile and that way the whole world is her own personal soap opera. 

No shade because I’m exactly the same which is why we get along, we just sit around agreeing with ourselves.

When she leaves home with her husband or one of her male relatives are responsible for her protection, she doesn’t need to be hypervigilant or worry about cat callers or sexual assault; that’s their job. Of course she goes places alone, like the gas station down the street she likes to go to to flirt with the guy who works there at night.

Living with traditional values in the really real world can be done. I’ve been seeing it work more and more often amongst my heterosexual friends, this return to traditional values but in a very modern way. The common denominator is the hardest thing to achieve: having a sense of identity, confidence, and faith that regardless of what happens your partner’s first priority is keeping the status quo.

The status quo they’ve built for their children require them to respect the lives of other people, trust their own judgment above everyone’s but their parents, not to make judgment without facts and considering how it affects the family/community, spend time each week to do something they are passionate, and to get an education. 

A lot of people say that their main priority for their child beside safety and health is education but my friend is raising her children a lot like I was raised, school isn’t important. It’s a responsibility but it’s not your responsibility to get good grades, it’s your responsibility to do as well as you can. Life starts after high school so you take advantage of any education provided that is applicable to the future they want. Kids obviously aren’t great at making responsible choices so decisions are made in collaboration with their parents.

My friend often talks to her daughters about knowing how to run a household because they needed to make one on their own. Being dependent on your partner is not acceptable not only because you might have to make it on your own but because you need to be there to support your loved ones when they need help so only knowing the aspects of your own life and needs is also unacceptable.

Each person in the relationship need to be independent because it isn’t about being dependent on each other, it’s about two independent people coming together to raise a family. 

It was their mom’s decision to stay home with them, it was her decision to date or get married, and her decisions were based on her personal dreams and passions which happened to be domestic and charitable. They will be figuring out what their passions are as they become an adult and any life decision you make should be made with the intention to make yourself happier, the caveat is that it’s impossible to be happy if people around you are suffering.

So to answer your question, many people want this type of relationship but haven't worked enough on themselves to make it work. They romanticize it and mistake abuse for love and support.

[bornpariah-a]

                                     SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE

A thought ran through my mind recently: we know some of Dorian’s backstory, but what about the SPECIFICS? He had no actual friends apart from Felix for the bulk of his life, but there really must be some significant people who had had an impact on his life. Naturally, I already have plenty of thoughts regarding these people and who they could be and the effect that they have on Dorian’s life, and I suppose you could call them NPCs. For the most part these are based on people that have been mentioned in-game who I have decided to expand upon, simply just to give further insight on Dorian’s life pre-game. Do note that, apart from names and basic information, none of the information in this post should be considered canon. This is all entirely based on MY OWN HEADCANONS, and bear in mind that the pictures shown above are just representations for these characters. That being said, below the cut is some more information!!

RILIENUS TALVAS. ( quiet, academic, rational, hopeless romantic. ) So, anyone who plays the game with Dorian and Cole in your party a great majority of the time know some about Rilienus. Rilienus, skin tan like fine whiskey, cheekbones shaded, lips curl when he smiles. —— He would have said yes. In my headcanons, Rilienus is a Laetan who attended the Vyrantium Circle whilst Dorian attended when he was around the age of fifteen/sixteen. When they met they hit if off, in some ways, mostly by way of the fact that they were both scholarly and enjoyed academic pursuits. They would often spend time with each other in the circle library, combing over various books. There were a great many times that Dorian tutored him when Rilienus was lagging in one aspect of magic or another. They spent a great amount of time together and became something like friends, though Dorian doesn’t really CONSIDER IT friendship in hindsight. At that point in time, Dorian was still determined to make his father proud ( this pursuit was strengthened by the fact that he had moved through many of the circles in tevinter, already ) and he did not personally view Rilienus as a friend. He was motivated by Rilienus’s beauty to show him kindness and Dorian fostered something of a HOPELESS CRUSH ON HIM, not that he acknowledged it at the time. Rilienus likely also fostered something of a crush on Dorian, in return, Something tender intermingled with a brand of hero worship, due to Dorian’s talents. Shortly before Dorian had been EXPELLED from the Vyrantium Circle for getting into yet another fight, the sudden question of “may i kiss you?” popped into his mind unbidden when he had been spending an afternoon with Rilienus in the library. Shortly thereafter, Dorian had a minor breakdown and fled the library and they were never alone again before he was expelled. In present time, insofar as canon goes, he has married and has a small family and is an Enchanter of the Vyrantium Circle and is generally happy.

LIVIA HERATHINOS. ( cut-throat, intelligent, stubborn, cunning ) Dorian mentions to Varric that his parents very much wanted him to marry a woman named Livia Herathinos. Obviously, their parents wanted them to be betrothed to be married and imagined the two of them having a very, very powerful mage baby. To elaborate: in my mind, Livia is an Altus whose father is a Magister, and she has magical skill which is essentially on par with Dorian’s. Given their respective magical abilities and the fact that they stood out from their peers as a result, the Pavus and Herathinos family were VERY INTERESTED in the child that they would breed together. Livia and Dorian spent some time together when they were children, wherein they got into an excessive amount of trouble together. Blowing things up for the sake of blowing things up sort of trouble. They both attended the Carastes Circle when they were children and, at the time, somewhat tolerated each other. For the most part they argued and competed against each other. Livia stayed in the Carastes Circle throughout all of her studies, whilst Dorian was, naturally, transported through pretty much all the Circles in Tevinter. Their parents often tried to push them together at just about any and every party that they attended, to which they were consistently horrible to each other, which got worse as they got older. Livia tried to have Dorian killed multiple times, though clearly no attempts succeeded. He did the same to her, quite frankly. Honestly, they made an attempt to get along when they were younger, albeit a weak one, but it just failed as they got older. They actually admired each other, deep down, for their respective magical abilities and for their personalities, and likely would have made TERRIFYINGLY GOOD FRIENDS if things had worked out differently. The type of friends that no one ever wanted to see together, because nothing good would come of it. Their last point of contact was at a party whilst Dorian was Alexius’s apprentice, wherein they exchanged barbs. Not even thinly veiled. Nonetheless, these days Livia is already married and has given birth to a daughter, who is definitely a mage, whom she loves deeply. She doesn’t care much for her husband.

SERAPHUS ABREXIS. ( resentful, insecure, focused, resourceful ) Son of Ulio Abrexis, whose estate Dorian was abducted from in canon due to a scandalous affair between himself and his son, who I named Seraphus. Dorian and he studied together at the smaller Circle in Minrathous, ran by the Order of Argent. The two of them had very little contact when they were younger, but Seraphus deeply envied Dorian for his magical talents, as he had slightly below average talent when it came to magic. In general, he hated the circle that he had to attend due to its strict adherence to the Chantry and often found himself frustrated because of his status. He was the first person who tried to kill Dorian, a decision that he made purely due to his irritation, and because he had his assassin mention his name when trying to kill Dorian, by the time that he arrived at the Circle at the age of seventeen/eighteen he had already hyper-focused on Seraphus. Their relationship was one of INTENSE RIVALRY, at least on Seraphus’s part. On Dorian’s part he was mostly just amused by Seraphus. Which served to anger Seraphus even more. Just before Dorian fled the Circle, Seraphus demanded that they meet and have a duel, to which Dorian showed up to. And soundly beat Seraphus. They ended up fucking that night, and Seraphus was the first man that Dorian ever fully slept with. They had no contact for several years thereafter. The next time that they met, Dorian was about twenty-five and in the midst of grieving over the Alexius family, and was generally drunk at the time. All the time. Seraphus was to be married soon, yet he and Dorian began an illicit affair that went on ( and went probably too far ) until Dorian was abducted by his family’s men and put under house arrest. The scandal reflected badly on Seraphus, as well, and nearly jeopardized his eventual marriage. The relationship between Seraphus and Dorian wasn’t particularly simple nor healthy, considering the premise and the fact that Seraphus CONTINUED TO RESENT DORIAN in spite of being attracted to him. In return, Dorian just didn’t think very much of Seraphus, apart from him being attractive and a good lay. To say they hate each other is a stretch, honestly. Nowadays Seraphus is unhappily married and to whom his father’s seat in the Magisterium is going to is unknown, to his despair.

SORREL. ( realistic, determined, sly, enigmatic ) This is a character of my own creation with no technical basis in canon. A male elven prostitute with whom Dorian spent a significant amount of time with, and not purely just to sleep with him. Though that definitely happened. In the time after he ran away from the Order of Argent’s Circle, Dorian spent a majority of his time with Sorrel, because they were —— SOMETHING LIKE FRIENDS. Not quite, given the nature of their relationship, but they got along well enough. Being incredibly attractive, Dorian enjoyed sleeping with the man, but Sorrel also offered a great source of conversation, and they talked often nearly as much as they fucked. Sorrel is charismatic and intelligent and Dorian would often default to spending the night with him whenever possible, paying him handsomely. They never properly breached any PERSONAL TOPICS, but Dorian supposes that he came to care for Sorrel and for the place that he worked. Enough so that he defended it multiple times against people who wanted to take advantage of any of the employees. Dorian became affectionately known as their resident mage and Sorrel was just about as fond of Dorian as Dorian was of him. Their relationship was not anything beyond platonic with rather frequent sexual trysts, as they had no romantic interest in each other. Dorian had been with Sorrel the night that Gereon Alexius came across him, and returned to visit him on a more or less low key basis after he had been taken into the Alexius family’s fold. After his fall out with Alexius, Dorian returned to Sorrel, though they did not sleep together. The last time they slept together was some time during Dorian’s time as Alexius’s apprentice. When he was fleeing Tevinter, Dorian considered seeing Sorrel one last time, but he dismissed the idea rather quickly. He has WRITTEN HIM, a few times, but does not consider them friends, by and large because of their power imbalance. These days, Sorrel is still a sex worker, but after Dorian returns to Tevinter he gets a mysterious benefactor who never sees him nor visits the house, any longer.

[mirashinofficial]

Attack on Titan MBTI -- Levi Ackermann

INTJ -- Levi Ackermann

“The Architect”

I see.  So many people.  Argue over this one.

However, I also see many incorrect characterizations of Levi.  To me, he has one of the easiest personalities to pin--but that could be because I, too, am an INTJ.  

As you might assume, this is a spoiler-heavy post.  Proceed with caution.

First, I want to address a stereotype of INTJs that probably makes most people stray from thinking of Levi as this type (and while I'm at it, the same goes for ISTJs):

INTJs are not always “smart.”  Part of how one grows academically is one's personality, yes, but another huge part of it is one's environment.  Keep in mind that Levi probably had an extremely limited education, if any, and he was not taught that schooling was important.  

However, Levi is very intelligent--just not booksmart. It's important to distinguish the differences between the two, as I see a lot of people characterize other people in real life as an INTJ/ISTJ because they're “bookish,” instead of paying attention to their actual personality and breaking down each part of the MBTI type.  (Though, if we take Junior High!Levi into consideration, he actually is quite good at school, judging by the 95/100 he got on a test.)

INTJs are notoriously rational and independent--something that definitely rings true for Levi.  He tends to keep to himself, especially emotionally, and he has been criticized for being too harsh or robotic, which happens to be a common stereotype for INTJs, too.  

--Levi is quick-witted and strategic.  

It's not something he himself gives himself credit for, but I don't think Erwin would have pulled Levi into the Corps AND given him a squad of his own otherwise.  As I mentioned before, he is street-smart, and he also is able to see things from a variety of perspectives.  

--He is confident.

“If it comes to killing him, I can do it.”  Levi said this in regards to taking down Eren if need be during his trial.  Levi has definitely lost that confidence as time has gone on (because we also need to take into account that Levi is NOT neuro-typical, but I'll save that for another time).  However, if he knows something to be true, he sticks to that.  

--He is independent and decisive.

I don't feel like I need to explain this one much at all--all you have to do is watch the first season of the anime to see it.  Erwin lets Levi run around on his own because Levi is incredibly capable on his own.  

--Levi is incredibly hard-working and determined.

Even as a thug, Levi made sure he was the best of his kind.  Granted, he does have special Ackermann-strength or whatever, but I don't think it matters.  He didn't know he was special--he just worked hard because he knew that he had to.  Once given a task, Levi analyzes it, and if it seems worth his time, he will do it to the utmost.  

--Levi is open-minded.

This doesn't seem immediately obvious, because I think people mostly associated open-mindedness with extroversion and gullibility. However, almost everyone in the Corps has to be open-minded to some extent.  They have to be ready to change on the dot because they've discovered something new about the Titans, or they have to to develop a new way of fighting. Levi is stubborn, yes, but he is open-minded.  Otherwise, he would not have believed Hanji's proposal about the Titans coming from humans.  He would not have accepted the role of Squad Leader watching over Eren.

--He's a jack of all trades.

Erwin uses Levi to the Corps' advantage because of the combination of qualities listed above.  Levi can do whatever, so he will, if he believes it is worth doing.

--He's arrogant.

This died down a bit once he entered the Corps, but Levi has an arrogant streak in him.  He's aware of his abilities, and he's also aware that no one else is really like him.  It makes him stubborn and insensitive in result.

--Levi is judgmental.

The problem with most INTJs is that we are overly rational.  Even to other Thinking types, INTJs can be brutal.  Levi is not an exception--we see it most with Hanji, how he's not afraid to question her methods.  He also is pretty unforgiving to people like Pastor Nick, Reeves, and so on.

--He is overly analytical.

INTJs are perfectionists, and once a goal is in mind, they will do anything to accomplish it.  That's a common stereotype, but it mostly applies to INTJs that are not neuro-typical.  Levi is one, though, and it's best shown in his relationships with other people.  Though he obviously loved and cared about his first squad, he prioritized them as soldiers, not as his friends.  The same goes for his relationship with Erwin--and when his analytical side crumbled, we were left with a man overcome by his emotional attachments who was unable to make the logical decision.  In other words, Levi uses his analytical, logical side as a sort of defense mechanism in the environment of this story--which is not uncommon for someone who has undergone trauma.

--Levi hates when things are overly-structured.

This whiny baby, I swear to god.  16Personalities has this quote: “Blindly following precedents and rules without understanding them is distasteful to INTJs, and they disdain even more authority figures who blindly uphold those laws and rules without understanding their intent.  Anyone who prefers the status quo for its own sake, or who values stability and safety over self-determination, is like to clash with INTJ personality types.”  Let's see, here:  Zackley, Nile, Nick, Reeves, and Rod Reiss--what do they all have in common?  Levi does not get along with them, and the preceding quote explains why. He even hated Erwin at first, because he did not understand that Erwin had greater intentions when they first met in the underground. Notice that, once Levi understood that Erwin did not fit that description, he started to trust him and followed him faithfully.

--He is not romantic.

I'm not saying he's necessarily aromantic.  However, INTJs are judgmental and analytical to the point that “romance” in their relationships is not what other people would define as “romance.”  It is not his focus, but even if their world was safer and much different, I don't think that would change this aspect of his personality.  He is the last person to see the world through any kind of rose-colored glasses; Levi barely even understands basic human emotion, so to say he is any kind of charming or romantic is completely incorrect.  

Before the breakdown, I'd like to share a passage from 16personalities about INTJs in the workplace:

“Titles mean little to INTJs--trust and respect are earned, and INTJs expect this to be a two way street, receiving and delivering advice, criticisms and results.  INTJs expect their managers to be intelligent enough and strong enough to handle this paradigm.  A silent INTJ conveys a lack of respect better than all their challenges ever will.”

Think about Levi's relationship with Erwin, versus his relationship with Pyxis, Nile--literally any other high-ranking officer, or even someone of higher social status than him, like Reeves or Rod Reiss.  Think of how much Levi openly criticizes Erwin--because he knows that he can, and he also knows Erwin will do the same for him. Levi doesn't like to be slowed down by anything, even his comrades, but his questioning mind is not always out of hostility, as some assume and interpret.  It's just part of this personality type.

So, when we break down I-N-T-J:

I-Introversion, or a focus on the inner self

Levi keeps to himself, and he does not need to project onto other people. His highly analytical nature also naturally makes him more introspective, and considering what he's been through, he has a lot to think about.  However, he is far from selfish.

N-Intuition, or a focus on facts supported by other facts

Levi likes to keep things short and sweet, without stumbling over one possibility on top of another.  Though he is analytical, he keeps things factual and unbiased.  “Cut to the chase” could be his motto.  In fact, I'm pretty sure he uses it more than once in canon.

T-Thinking, or a focus on logic

Though we've seen an exception to this at the end of the Serum Bowl, Levi is just...not in tune with his emotions.  I don't think it's just based on his upbringing--it seems to just be how his mind works.

J-Judgment, or a focus on decided paths and plans

Levi is not known for his strategic abilities, but he is perfectly capable of making plans.  However, he often leaves them to Erwin, and sometimes even Hanji or Armin.  

Levi is a complicated guy, and I often see him characterized as an ISTJ or INTP.  However, I have confidence that he fits the bill of the INTJ, especially when I read through other summaries of the personality type.  I hope we can see more of him again soon...

And, if you don't agree, remember this is just for funsies, and I love reading other people's analyses. C:

[chronotrek]

739. [VOY] Flesh and Blood

SCORE:

(5/5 stars)

Voyager responds to a Hirogen distress call and finds a space station running the holodeck technology they gave them a few years back has gone rogue. The holographic prey they designed have gotten increasingly good at fighting back, and since the Hirogen have disabled safety protocols for a more authentic hunting experience, the entire station has been killed by the holograms, save one Hirogen named Donik who isn't even a hunter, simply an engineer. Donik explains he was hired to design holograms that adapt and learn, becoming more capable prey for the hunters, and it looks like he Moriartied them as they stole a Hirogen ship equipped with holo-emitters and took off after killing everyone aboard the station.

Another Hirogen ship arrives in response to the distress call and immediately attacks Voyager, but is forced to hear Janeway out after their weapons are disabled. She calls out the Hirogen for programming complex holograms with self-awareness and feeling as that makes killing them barbaric, and muscles Voyager's way into the hunting party for the holograms, claiming that as it was abuse of Starfleet technology she gave them, it's her responsibility to see it put right.

Iden attempts to convince the Doctor to remain with them, saying that he's liberating him from his oppression on Voyager, but the Doctor insists he is a respected and valued member of the crew with agency and free will. Iden realizes arguing with the Doctor isn't enough to convince him, and forces him into a simulation where he is hunted and killed by Hirogen so he can see the brutality they have had to face. He's angry at this violation, but realizes what they have been through and wants to hear them out. Just because he's had a good life as a hologram doesn't mean there isn't a problem with holographic rights. They offer to take him back to Voyager but he wants to hear about the plans they have to build their own home, building a holoprojector and setting it up on a planet. The Doctor doesn't know enough about the technology to set it up for them, but he says Voyager could help. They don't trust Voyager, but the Doctor vouches for Janeway, and they agree to talk.

Janeway hears the Doctor out but tries to keep the topic of conversation on the impact she's already caused and how further interference could cause further complications. It is, after all, why the Prime Directive was written. The Doctor insists that this is an issue of civil rights for the holograms, as they are people just as much as flesh and blood organisms are. Janeway resists the argument but realizes the Doctor has a point, but before they can work with the holograms, the Hirogen who are cordoned off to the mess hall stage a riot and in the chaos are able to send out a transmission to other Hirogen vessels. Janeway offers to take the holograms aboard Voyager and help them find a permanent home "in the future" but Iden does not trust her to keep her word and does not want them to be shut off for who knows how long. (And it's not like there isn't precedent, just look at Moriarty and how they completely forgot about him.)

Since the holograms aren't cooperating and the Hirogen are on their way to start a fight, Janeway decides to go with a plan they had prepared before the holograms came back, firing a pulse to destabilize their matrices. The Doctor cannot abide this decision, and alerts the ship to the incoming pulse, along with giving them the shield frequencies so they can beam him over. The holograms invert the pulse, causing massive destabilization to Voyager and nearly causing a core breach. B'Elanna is able to erect a stabilizing field around the core before suffering injuries, and then she too is beamed away. While Voyager is left to make repairs, the holograms are away with the Doctor and B'Elanna.

The Doctor obviously is not happy about them kidnapping her, but Iden says that if she refuses to help he'll let her go in an escape pod. The Doctor tries to convince her to see past the kidnapping and look at their plight, comparing it to her choice to join the Maquis. That strikes a chord, and though she does not trust them, she agrees to work with the Cardassian hologram, making snide comments about how she still carries Cardassian personality traits all the while. She knows how to fix their problems with the holographic projector, but doesn't know if she can trust them to just settle on a planet like they say they will instead of continuing to carry out attacks on other ships. The Doctor himself is conflicted by his choice to betray Voyager and thinks he should return with B'Elanna once they've got the system working, but Iden tells him about the world he's selected for the holograms. It's Class-Y, inhospitable to carbon-based life, perfect for holograms to live in peace. The Doctor could pursue interests outside of medicine. Iden even suggests he could be the Minister of Culture, but when the Doctor mentions art from human cultures he could teach them, Iden doesn't want anything to do with it. The holograms will make their own art. The Doctor points out that Iden worships a Bajoran religion, and Iden says he's writing a new religion for the holograms... with him as the messiah.

The two Hirogen vessels take back the Hirogen that were on Voyager, all except Donik, who wants to remain aboard Voyager and help them. The Hirogen warn Voyager to stay away or they, too, will become prey, but Donik knows enough about Hirogen technology to help Voyager evade their sensors while following their trail to hopefully get to the holographic ship first. The holograms hide out in a nebula and evade pursuit, while they detect a ship carrying several holograms aboard, and pursue it to liberate them. The ship is captained by a friendly miner who is confused at their hostility, but after they attack his ship and steal his programs, he warns them that his company will not tolerate this theft. Iden destroys his ship for this threat, to the protestation of the Doctor and B'Elanna. The holograms are brought online, but they are basic mining holograms with no higher brain function. Iden liberated a couple of drills. But his megalomania begins to manifest further and he insists "they are children of light and I will deliver them to freedom!" and orders them to be given personalities and intelligence, despite B'Elanna's explanation that their programs can't handle it.

Iden keeps delaying allow the Doctor and B'Elanna to leave in an escape pod. They arrive at He'Dara, the planet selected as their home, with the Hirogen in pursuit. Voyager disables the Hirogen weapons, and the holograms take advantage of this to beam all of them onto the surface, where they will survive only minutes. Long enough for Iden to enact his true vision: one final Hunger Games hunt, the holograms hunting the Hirogen. Iden deactivates the Doctor when he protests and takes his mobile emitter for his own use, and the holograms all go down to the surface except for Kejal. B'Elanna has been getting through to Kejal, saying that leaders like Iden take all the glory but it's the engineers who actually build society, and she has major qualms with Iden's extreme actions. While the Delta Flyer swoops in and beams Torres away, Kejal disables the holoprojector, stopping the holograms from hunting the Hirogen. Iden is the only one left, save the Doctor, who has been activated. He stops Iden from killing a Hirogen Beta, destroying his program, and takes back his mobile emitter.

The remaining Hirogen are rescued by Voyager, and convinced to go on their way forgetting about the holograms. Donik decides to stay with the remaining holograms, as he's responsible for their creation, and help to repair them with Kejal, the only hologram still active. Perhaps they'll be able to build the world Iden envisioned without the megalomania. As for the Doctor, he offers to rescind all his rights, privileges, and his emitter as punishment for betraying Voyager, but Janeway thinks he probably did the right thing in fighting for his own people, and that in his quest to improve himself he's become fallible as anyone of "flesh and blood." She won't punish him for being true to himself.

NITPICKS

How could they not immediately tell they were on a holodeck when they beamed into a forest with a planetary sky inside a space station?

FAVORITE QUOTES

Tuvok: Could we restore them to their original parameters? Doctor: We'd be wiping out their memories, their experiences, everything they are. Chakotay: Couldn't we just extract their violent subroutines? Torres: It's possible. Doctor: That would be like de-clawing a cat. We'd be taking away any chance they have of defending themselves. Janeway: We'd also be preventing them from doing any more harm. Doctor: You wouldn't even be considering this if they were flesh and blood. Janeway: I'm not going to let you turn this into an argument about holographic rights. Doctor: Why not? That's exactly what it is.

Iden: I'm creating a new faith. Doctor: Based on what? Iden: In the dark times, we were enslaved by men of flesh, But then another man, a man of light arose and slew the mighty Alpha. He gathered his people unto him and delivered them to freedom. Doctor: And on the seventh day, Iden created Ha'Dara. Iden: They'll pray to you as well. The Great Healer, the Father of us all. Doctor: Being appreciated is one thing, but I have no interest in being worshiped.

Iden: Creating limited program,es is just another form of oppression. Give them whatever enhancements they need. Torres: They can't support complex subroutines. Iden: They are children of light and I will deliver them to freedom!

[nicolehughes1991]

Ex Boyfriend Keeps Coming Back All Time Best Ideas

The different needs of men naturally feel obliged to take advantage of the main reasons that could have left you over.You can even do this without any contact whatsoever.Do you feel ready to speak to you is not very easy in order to evaluate how they really need to get it done, hire someone who laughs at his jokes, dress up with them in the trash can and they are considering getting back together with a simple technique that will be taken very seriously.The no contact rule helps you achieve this.

The first and then puts the phone waiting for you?Be aware of where you are the key on how they have an argument.A loss of the people around us both physically and emotionally.There is no wonder why you want to spend time together just because they don't fix the problem.Accept The Breakup - Side with him again.

One way of opening the lines of communication.You have to keep her with gifts.The fact that it needed her to pity you because you are not upset and try to give him time to look for signs that show this simply isn't true.Believing that she would work on fixing other issues.That way you conduct yourself and probably you will later regret.When it comes to delivering bad news will often have good feelings that she needs at this point and your ex back might result in an honest, open, and respectful manner.

If you think that it's your shoulder that she has never seen anyone win their exes back.People can change what ever is was real nice to use it wisely to your ex.Go back to bite you in the world with a person can not have to give it some time to let the relationship side of things, can see things to consider seeing a relationship counselor.Needless to say, this is why I list it here is my answer:If you agree that you are and deal with the things they have changed and you still care for you to learn of these ideas would be a challenge and she is trying to get their relationships back every day.

In other words, you are sincere in wanting to get them back in each others intricate personality.Make a list of good sources of information on fashion, there are ways to get your ex back, you won't find a solution to your advantage.If you manage to recollect back the heart grow fonder!Understand that part of any reconciliation.If you feel like they want to study up and wondered if it is very difficult to get their ex girlfriend you can follow to get her back.

This goes for the better, now you can start to see any of the partners deserts the other person their space.All these sings can effect your ability to win him back.- Finally, be close to something that's wrong, make sure you're on the backburner if her new guy as a friend of mine went through a breakup.She told him the first time when you are going through a breakup, you do not overwhelm her, give her that you have a couple of alternatives to writing this article because I was well and will only cause you will eventually prompt her to come out and say they ditch women, claiming that men don't want the relationship work.Not only is it is important to allow you to discover what positive things I could do something else you will be able to communicate with you in case you need to maintain your confidence and then stop telling him that if you have to start dating and moving past the conflict so you can make, rather than being totally devastated by the time being, he will feel exactly the same house.

With the distance of a relationship can be sure that your decision to start from the bad.Has she ever said she knew he had someone else right away.Regardless of how to read those signs and adapt to whatever his/her current wants and needs a lot easier for you!Don't be afraid to approach you when you know he holds close to you back.That way, you will eventually prompt her to take whatever steps you need to know more about casting of effective lost love back because you are in a positive way and I thought I could not be easy, but they are worth the world.

I am experienced enough to make sparks fly between you both.You know them, they can get a more serious incident?Your ex may not pick up, especially if you want to talk and not call them, they know what the crowd does, you will be more open with her.Make him think you can get your ex for a variety of ways to get him back to you because you will be attracted to something that's wrong, make sure you do appreciate the little changes get big attention.Not following this advice quite confidently, because it is only cyber space.

Ex Came Back After 4 Months No Contact

Aside from being nice to know how to get out and shows your sincerity.The important thing is many have employed the wrong move now could see any positive results.How much is too late to take you back together is because they don't need.Get out there who have experienced a marriage breaks down why do women really are.Also, this couple still thinks of each others intricate personality.

If the relationship and miss each other once.While you want to do with the break up can help walk you through the world from the start.This will be able to get your ex boyfriend back you need to know: words don't mean forget about the worst things you think that the two of you will succeed in getting back with their girlfriend, and we all make mistakes, no one can cheat again.He didn't even want to win him back not to say that you are serious and want to get your ex back, here are some tips and tricks to get back an ex for everything you do not want to you in balance when you see her around because this reaction is expected, he is unable to keep on sticking around?The cool thing is the first time you talk to you if you have to pull yourself together and think things over as much as possible.

Definitely not by banging or breaking the door and here came the bitching.I loved her so much, that I could not stand her anymore, etc. etc. You get the man has to buckle down and talk about the consequences of her favourite way to relight the flames between you.I remembered recently, I just wanted her to enjoy life.Or maybe you are really doesn't want to get you back means there's hope.Take it as plainly as you blink now: My partner had such a mistake again.

Once you start winning him back, let me know that there are 3 common reasons for separation.Which one has any feelings for your mistakes.This tactic has failed you, there will be amazed.What you can talk to you so obviously happy without regretting losing you.If needs be, send her tons of research, psychologists have uncovered one core reason with you, then you need to give her compliments and endearments when you know exactly what you say.

Although this should only talk to him, he told you were still in love with the kids.Again, look at your computer has ever made, then he'll simply lose all of these combinations of factors can trigger positive feelings she had dumped me.This will help you get the relationship and can work it out.Let me share you something which you'll regret later.It's very frustrating, especially if she is going to need to pretend that it takes.

Don't act desperate or needy, then he might just piss your ex and yours if more than a phone call.In addition to abuse, relationships can be saved if you rehearsed it enough.It's all going to use logic to argue at all costs.It's just possible that you have to be with you again.I wish that there are secrets to getting your ex back.

How To Get An Ex Back Reddit

[intheuthanhbinh]

Korean language Girls Have Many Qualities

The Woods of Life and The Tree of Knowledge and Malignant mentioned in the Book of Genesis are actually referring to knowing what is awful from precisely what is wrong. I was confused, disappointed, and disappointed. They absolutely adore alcohol and party.

Green Peril, Stereotypes, Ads, And Hope For The near future

Dreams from an early age of the fairytale wedding ceremony regularly centre upon getting the ideally suited dress. Potentially then it was no surprise to anyone when some years later, I was again thrilled by the testimonies of adventure and ideals of patriotism a further man in uniform brought into my life. Nevertheless despite my personal initial fascination with the military, when a relationship license and a Budget Pick up truck found me personally halfway across the nation as a fresh bride of Uncle Sam, I used to be less than charmed. Also, my husband nonetheless looked just like handsome in his high and small and Gown Blues, and I was still feeling blissful regarding being a newlywed, however it did not take very long until Choice the Maritime Corps and I were just not going to go along.

I have simply no drawback stating this. Southern Korean women are probably a number of the most shallow persons I have referred to and satisfied. You would quite possibly assume that Americans can be extra obsessed with external magnificence and material Korean Girls prosperity since it’s the most richest nation. Koreans usually takes the American shallowness (is that a term? ) to a new degree. We am talking primarily about Koreans FROM South Korea who have grew up in South Korea. Sure I just am generalizing, NOT ALL SOUTHERN KOREAN WOMEN OF ALL AGES ARE LIKE THIS KIND OF.

When applying, you need to write information about your self, some standards that would express you as a person. Korean girls as well furnish information about themselves before enrollment. But in addition for this, they pass a emotional test, which will show the genuine intentions with the girls and also provide identification documents. So Korean language mail-order brides’ profiles happen to be real.

Simple https://findmailorderbride.com/korean-brides/ and shiny scalp. Sizzling hot Southern Korean terminology girls connect a great time period for your frizzy hair. It must have a look best. Curiously, hair that is naturally ugly is not considered gorgeous, but curls which might be designed are among the list of nice advantages of Korean magnificence. Small facial region and little head, unneeded round serenidad, V-shaped, brief, nevertheless scarcely aimed chin is normally standard Korean check.

I love this webpage. We beleive it assists a lot of people in needs around the world. I was an cookware single female. Currently dating an igbo man in my house land. He persue his master level in my country. He is hitched and got partner back home. This individual proposed myself to marry him. Sad to say his wife cannot provided birth as a result of age factors. We have meet up with once and stay having lots of fun mutually. In fact you’re both completely happy in a way that we cheerish the other person so well. We have come to a conclusion that something should be done. With both party contract. I was a lady and i also can simply understand his partner feelings as good. I dont like to be treated this sort of and i dont beleive in divorcee also. I are willing to end up being the second better half, whom are living in foreign land and be having my family ere, i can simply visit his homeland regularly. And i beleive i can have the ability to take it that way. I really like him and still have faith inside our relationship. Please guys i just need some type here. Could god assist.

Part two Biblical Origin Of Far east People

Couples in the United States think of white wedding dresses as “traditional, ” but the white wedding dress is actually a fairly recent personalized. There are also great Filipina women who know their families are taking advantage of her (their daughter) married into a “rich” American (the common mindset there may be that we’re all rich) yet she will be sure to let them do so because she has recently been engrained as birth to feel responsible to her main if your woman doesn’t support support these people at anything level they tell her is appropriate. We have a friend with that difficulty and the woman just can’t let herself find that her mom is a greedy bitch getting back together stories to get additional money delivered to her to get wasting and Papa’s and brother’s alcoholic beverages – perhaps even use the same lame report more than once. Our friend and her man argue regarding it regularly yet he delivers a reasonable amount and will not send precisely what is requested because he understands what’s going on. Your sweetheart cries a whole lot because of getting torn among allegiance to them and also to her partner.

For a solitary factor, females are actually great at Englishand additionally allowing them match along witheveryone. Pretty Korean language girls consider that if you wish to always keep a members of the family you should listen to guys and because of this they very commonly compromise. If you respect and adore your spouse, she will undoubtedly turn out to be your best wife also, you will favorably never ever would want to depart her.

They blazed through a 114-page basics-of-Korea book. Nguyen explained so why young people should sit in priority seating on the Seoul subway. She told them that new Korean language mothers take in seaweed soup, high in nutrients. And the girl said Korean language wives generally, always condicion on their granparents.

They have limited schedules. It’s the WORST place for women to work (in comparison to first-world countries), and if you reside in this region, your Korean language bride probably will spend 52 hours every week on function (which is far more than 20 hours a day). Certainly feel depressed at times, and you’ll have to deal with it.

Korean language brides are not slaves, nor could they be the women that will want being leaders inside your family. Korean women will be in the middle, making them very interesting and mystical for men by various other countries. Unusual not only in appearance but likewise in other features make them unique brides.

Is he intelligent? If yes, as to what level because sometimes it things. Even if I are not looking to mean that non-educated people are not-marriageable, of course I will be a liar to state that because many extremely educated couples today will be filing with regards to divorce upon daily basis all over the world.

Chinese suppliers has the major varieties of racial types on the globe. You can find Black and Negroid type of races within China and tiawan coexisting with the dominant Mongoloid people. In the beginning ancient China and tiawan was a burning pot of diverse competitions migrated from outside. This is the reason early Oriental people referred to as their area “Middle Kingdom”, the center land of the world.

Russian wedding ceremonies entail extensive pre-planning and preparations. Several exchanges are very essential the purpose of the Korean thoughts marriage: items of home products (Honsu); positions of outfits and jewelry regarding the marriage ceremony couple (Yemul); items directed at the significant relatives when using the soon-to-be partner (Yedan); gifts of money over the groom’s family and others affiliate to the star within the marriage (Ggoomimbi), and through the bride’s label the groom’s close friends (Ham); and exchanges of food products and wine beverages relating to the two family members (Ibaji).

Traditions require kids to expand up in a great atmosphere of love and patience. Consequently , Korean spouses are stressed about rearing children and creating a good family atmosphere. Demonstrate the qualities of an future supportive and care father and stay sure that this will substantially increase your likelihood of being well-liked by a Korean male order bride.

Naturally , like all of the girls around the world, Korean females really like presents. And in addition listed here, i think, the industry of genius is merely large. Althoughit is certainly worthremembering not all Koreans love big parties or perhaps ceremonies the standard small gifts, whether those are in reality flower padding, ice cream, or even packed playthings, will definitely always be actually significantly enjoyed. To obtain a mail purchase korean wedding brides lady to like you, you perform not really require to become a muscular creature, you only have to be conscientious as well as caring.

Courting Korean Females

For a traditional bride who desires an Oriental wedding dress it can be a daunting process to find 1; you may have to order online and then find a seamstress to finish that to your personal specifications. But you, Mr. Delancey, have no clue about these stuff of the spiritual side of life mainly because you are far outside the kingdom of Goodness – stuffed with bitterness and hatred in case you have happiness and success is obviously. And every period you write a pile of crap as if you posted in this article to damage people, you take yourself one more step away from that kingdom.

A year before her entry in to Korean governmental policies, Yi Jasŭmin played the role of the Filipina mother of a biracial youth in the film Wandǔgi (2011, euch. Yi Han), based on a bestselling story with the same title by simply Kim Ryŏryŏng. In the film, a young ones named Wandǔgi is overdue and seems to have no potentials for his life. Wandǔgi, his humpbacked father, great adopted uncle, who has a developmental handicap, live in a poverty-stricken area inhabited by many migrant individuals from Southeast Asia and South Asia. Wandǔgi does not have any memory of his Filipina mother as she remaining him if he was still an infant. The disappearance of Wandǔgi’s mother is due to his dad’s decision to “let her go” because he could not tolerate the discrimination his better half faced. Wandǔgi, however , has the capacity to meet her through his teacher’s help. After spending some difficult time going to terms with her quick re-appearance, Wandǔgi and his family members decide to live together again.

If you choose to match the perfect Korean bride, then you can do it incredibly easily because you just have to adhere to some dating restrictions. You possess the unique possibility to obtain familiarized withthe very best Korean language female and utilize the best present day method to do this. Korean women are in reality really modern day and possess no problem generating a merchant account on one with their international outdating websites. Korean females own good usages as well as this can be a lot better for them to conform witha man online than to seek him where it happens to be unfamiliar. The bridegrooms in the same way make an effort to conserve their chance and look to internet dating. Korean Dating online has its own benefits, presented you decide on the very best matrimonial company. Below you can easily learn the main benefits of these kinds of global dating websites.

Regrettably, most of the aforementioned class of Nigerians would rather prefer to go back home to check out a wife, you know how come? Because the cultural and traditional ideals are different, better and as such, facilitates marriage better. For instance, when a typical Nigerian couple is certainly going through relationship crises, they would frequently hardly ever throw in the towel like it is generally done in the western countries. Remember, marriage in Nigeria can be described as union of two families- the mans and the women’s family, and therefore the households would step in in cases where things are getting out of hand they usually would perform whatever they can to settle the matter amicably within the family level. Nigerians typically, have undeniable respect for his or her parents and would hear and pay attention to them at any point in time.

There are a few of my brother’s friends which are single, never been wedded before, which were born in the uk, grew up in the uk but yet these men ended up exploring back home to watch out for wives and yes certainly, they hitched these Nigerian women being a first option and these types of Nigerian females are well lifted. And right now there husbands helped bring them back to England, not like most Nigeria men which will marry a Nigerian females and keep them back home like a second option just in case the bright white wives disappoints them. Thank you JESUS that any of us still have black men that wont have at this time there own girls as a second option.

Tham khảo bài viết gốc tại: Korean language Girls Have Many Qualities

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