#no matter how progressive they might outwardly seem

[dolores-slay]

Spring got me feeling like a hounded prey animal

[the-saltiest-saltine]

Noncon Chrollo HCs with fem reader? 🥺 How would he approach getting what he wants from reader? If not willing to compromise does he just take?

I think he would be willing to take what he wants by “force,” but I see him 99% of the time going the gentleman route with reader after taking her. Not just in the intimate sense, but in all aspects of how he interacts with you.

He’s obviously still an ass (he’s Chrollo lol), but I don’t picture him as someone who’d physically punish or outwardly mock his darling. In the same sense, I don’t think he’d immediately go the “pin them down and rip their clothes off” route if he was denied. But I honestly love the high libido Chrollo hc lol.

So, would he be willing to force himself on you? Absolutely. But the way in which he does it would less likely be in the traditional, primitive sense (he sees himself as above that), and more likely to be coercion, manipulation, having you under the influence, or as some sort of deal for privileges or to get out of a punishment or something.

I don’t think he’d necessarily wait until a certain point in the “relationship” to try to get intimate with you. He’s a guy with urges. Regardless of if you’re going on “dates” with him or still try to scratch his eyes out when he looks at you, it’s more a matter of time rather than progress - after a few months, he’s getting seriously pent up.

It’s a sort of dilemma for him. He wants to maintain his gentlemanly façade so he can hopefully ease you into it and get you willing, but he’s so eager that parts of it slip slightly, making you less likely to give in.

If you’re “responsive,” as he puts it, he’ll ease you into things. We all know how great this man would be in bed, especially if it’s your first time - he’d whip out all his best tricks and technique and you’d be just goneee lol

If you’re not, he’ll up the ante. The façade will continue to slip, but he cares less for it now - what’s the point in exerting himself if you aren’t going to give him what he wants either way?

He’d give you more punishments, hoping that you might try and offer him your body to get out of it. If you do, he’ll simply eat up the opportunity, tasting your apprehension and humiliation in more ways than one. He’d love to see the conflict in your eyes as you lie beneath him, trying desperately not to react to his touch or shove him off you.

I think his next step would be slipping you an aphrodisiac. It’d be useful in several ways:

First of all, of course, its effects would make you more likely to give in to his whims, or even ask him for it.

It’d also be a way for him to get you to agree to completely unrelated non-sexual stuff too. If you agree to wear that dress, or be good on a date, or have a conversation with him about his book, he promises he’ll touch you. It’s amusing to see how frantically you agree to whatever he asks for.

Plus, if you somehow manage to deny him (and yourself), the unquelled burning inside of you is a fitting punishment for your stubbornness.

I think the aphrodisiac would be a last-ditch effort. Sure, he could use a Manipulator’s ability to incapacitate you, force you to kiss him, and have you strip and spread your legs while you beg for him. But it’s not just a matter of desire - it’s a matter of pride. To have you wholly under his control while he takes what he wants would ruin an important part of the pleasure for him: knowing that you, on some level, wanted your kidnapper to please you, to touch you, to fuck you.

Eventually, your obstinacy leads Chrollo to his breaking point. He’ll wake up one morning and just know. He’ll give you a stare over breakfast, and it’ll seem off. Sure, none of them were ever particularly comforting, but you can’t help but shiver from his gaze, what’s usually a void in his eyes being filled with something insatiable. The tension throughout the day would be almost tangible, hanging thickly between you two. Eventually, you might catch on to what’s going to happen.

He knows you’re getting paranoid, but can’t really bring himself to care. Of course, he wishes things could’ve been different, if only you weren’t so stubborn.

He’s almost trembling by the time you go to take your evening shower in the bedroom’s ensuite, mind flooding with tainted images of you as always. But there’s an extra element this time, one that sends shocks of electricity through him - tonight, all that he’s pictured is going to happen. You’re at his mercy, and you’ll beg for him.

By the time the water shuts off, his eyes are clouded and his pants are straining. You’re smart enough to always bring your change of clothes to the bathroom, so he won’t see you in nothing but a flimsy towel. But the comfort and protection it brings is purely psychological. The bathroom door opens, steam wafting into the bedroom.

He’s on you before you even know he’s in the room. He picks you up before you have time to react, throwing you on the bed and kissing you. His tongue invades your mouth as you try to pull away, with one hand holding your wrists tight as the other starts to pull down your pyjama shirt.

You’re crying now, but he doesn’t have any sympathy for you. You chose to be stubborn. You chose to test his limits. And now you’ve broken them.

The look of surprise, of confusion in your eyes is what irritates him the most. How could you have possibly not expected this? He’s a thief after all - it’s only natural he takes what he wants, and the fact that it took him so long is a mercy of the highest honour. So you shouldn’t hope for any from him tonight.

[cheeriecherrymain]

Springtime On The Moor [Chapter 3]

Pairing: Viktor x fem!Reader Chapter Rating: T Story Tags: Regency AU|Slow Burn|Arranged Marriage (affectionate)|Strangers to Friends to Lovers|Angst/Comfort Proofread: No lol Taglist: @trfanglophile @fairy-writes @feeiry Chapter Summary: You and Viktor finally have an actual conversation with each other, revealing family secrets and deciding what to do about your future together.

You watch as the maid exits the room quickly, straightening her apron as she goes. Part of you feels bad for demanding she control her temper in the way you did - you could have spoken less harshly, you think, and tried to reason with her.

Instead of insinuating that she owed you respect because you’re her employer.

Your father had always taught you to be kind to the working class, growing up. Explained to you that no one person was inherently worth more than another, and that everyone was just trying to make their way through life and do the best they could.

Maybe she was just having a bad day, you think, slouching back into your chair, worry beginning to creep up in the back of your mind.

What would Viktor think of you, after such a show?

Would he think you a temperamental woman? Too fiery and loud to make a good wife? Would he think you were overbearing, or classist? Or would he-

“Why did you redirect her anger like that?” Viktor asks. His voice is thankfully quiet, and you can’t detect any kind of malice or ill intent. He just sounds curious.

You peek up at him from behind your lashes, and push yourself to sit up straighter.

“I’m your wife,” you explain softly. “Matters of the home fall onto my shoulders. That includes…asking the staff to be kinder.”

You watch as his features pinch together ever so slightly, drawing into the faintest frown you’ve ever seen. The corners of his lips quirked downwards, pressed into a straight line.

“I wasn’t aware our duties varied based on gender,” he admits. “I thought marriage was meant to be a partnership?”

You’re well and truly shocked by his assumption.

Nothing in his posture says he’s being facetious or dishonest, so…what kind of rock has your husband been living under, to not understand the most basic of social systems? Even those who didn’t participate in the kinds of interpersonal games that you did, were still aware of how unions worked.

Understood what kinds of roles everyone was meant to play.

There were, of course, some special exceptions. Your father, for example: a widower of many years, now. He hadn’t grown up knowing all the work it took to run a home. Your mother had shared everything with him, all her decisions and the goings on of the day - he had been forced to play the role of both parents to you and your siblings.

But that was a very special circumstance.

Your husband, on the other hand, just seemed…oblivious.

“Viktor,” you begin, somewhat hesitantly, unsure of how to proceed without offending him in some manner. “Did your parents never teach you about any of this? About what to expect from a marriage?”

You try your best to stay as outwardly kind as you can, knowing that one small slip in tone or posture could push him away from you, and cause him to clam up. He already seemed so reserved and unwilling to socialize, and you don’t want to undo whatever progress you may have made.

But despite your best efforts, you still watch as discomfort makes its way into his expression. The slight tense of his shoulders, and the way in which he so casually avoids eye contact.

“I just want to know where I should start explaining, that’s all,” you tell him, honestly. “You’re not going to face any judgment from me, not for this, and least of all for not knowing something in general.”

You’re still, as his gaze travels over you. Looking for any sign of deceit, anything that might hint to him that you’re trying to set him up for…for something unpleasant.

A joke, you wonder, or maybe just to ridicule him in general?

You would never.

But he doesn’t know that.

Finally, he relaxes in the slightest, mirroring your form to slouch back in his seat.

“You’re aware that I’m adopted, yes?” he asks, and when you give a brief nod of confirmation, he continues. “I am the youngest of six, and I don’t share blood with any of my siblings. When my parents were no longer able to have children of their own, they plucked me out of an orphanage in an attempt to raise one last baby.”

You can feel the surprise stretch across your face, loud and prominent. Had he really been taken in so young? With how your father had spoken of him, and described him as a boy, you’d assumed that he’d been brought home around nine or ten.

But as an infant?

Where did he learn his mannerisms, then?

“We -meaning my siblings and myself- had all assumed that I wouldn’t end up with any kind of claim to the family fortune,” he explains, chewing on the edge of his thumb nail. “Even from a young age, they would not pass up a chance to remind me of my place - I was the outsider, and I had no business trying to continue our parents’ legacy.”

You lean forward, resting your elbows on the table. 

“But you share a surname, don’t you?” you wonder.

Viktor nods to your question.

“We do,” he confirms. “But that hardly matters. Not when the purity of the bloodline is in question.”

Your heart sinks slightly, knowing he must have felt incredibly lonely growing up. Having a family, and being loved by his parents, but otherwise ostracized by the people his own age. Never being allowed to expect the same treatment as his siblings, as if his background made him somehow less.

You watch as he reaches for a bottle of wine that’s been set out on the table, reading the label for a brief moment before uncorking it with a soft pop.

He fills his glass a little more than you would consider polite, but then, you couldn’t really fault him for it, could you? Especially not when he gestures towards your own goblet at the last minute, as if he’s just remembered that you might like some, too.

He’s trying.

You slide the glass towards him, and wave him off when you’ve got a sufficient amount of red nectar - a little more than you’d usually indulge in, but with dinner on the way and a heavy conversation in your midst, you feel as though you’re entitled to it.

“At least,” he finally resumes, swirling the wine around in his cup, “that was what I had thought.”

He takes a sip, and reclines back in his chair again.

“We were of the mind that my brothers would take over the business when my parents either passed or retired, and my sisters would run the estate once they were married,” he goes on. “We assumed that I would be permitted to stay in the manor as long as I pleased, as part of the inheritance conditions. All of us were happy with that outcome. The business has never been in any of my interests.”

He takes another mouthful of drink, his expression pulling into one of frustration.

“Imagine my surprise, upon finding out that my parents willed everything to me.”

He doesn’t sound angry about the situation he’d been given - not really. Fed up, perhaps, and like he had never expected his life could go the way it has.

It makes you sad, the more you think about it. Imagining your husband as a little boy, tormented by the people who he was meant to call family, never allowed to believe that he could be more than their words, or achieve anything. Not even allowed to dream.

And now, forced to marry someone he didn’t know - someone he probably had no desire to know.

“I’m…sure your brothers and sisters were not so pleased?” you suggest, earning dry laugh from your husband.

“That’s one way to phrase it,” he scoffs. “They were outraged. Even when I told them that I had no idea I was in the will - told them that I would be happy to hand over everything they’d been previously promised! All I wanted was a place I could continue working.”

You finally take a sip of the wine in your hand, listening intently to the sweet aftertaste of cherry.

“But there was no reasoning with them,” he laments, his tone growing somber. “They were scorned, and they blamed me. I knew that if I gave them anything, they…would have taken everything. I would have lost years of work - my home, any semblance of a future. Even now, they still…”

Your eyes remain trained on him, following as he stoops forward to lean his elbows on the table, pressing the tips of his fingers into his temples to rub slow circles. 

A very well-practiced motion, you realize.

“My siblings have done everything in their power to drive my life into ruin. I have never been one to care for my social reputation, but…the rumours. Their threats, scaring away most of the staff employed by the estate.”

He finally looks over to you, his eyes wide with a forlorn sense of sadness.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the garden. There’s no one in town who is willing to risk their social life to care for it, so it’s fallen to ruin. I would do it myself, but…” He gestures down towards his leg - out of your line of sight, but you know that he’s pointing towards the shiny metal brace that you’ve never seen him out of.

Of course he’d love the place he’d grown up. Of course he’d want to take care of it. You’re furious with yourself for ever thinking he might have just been a careless man, unconcerned with what other people thought of him.

In truth, he cares quite a bit.

And how frustrating it must be, you think, to see something so beloved falling to ruin around you, unable to do anything to stop it. To have people actively working against you, counting and praying on your downfall.

You quietly drum your fingers on the table.

You can feel Viktor’s eyes on you, questioning and curious - and you can tell that he knows you’re thinking. 

“Has your business been impacted by any of this?” you ask.

Suddenly enough that he hesitates a moment before replying.

“The family business has taken a loss-”

“No, no,” you interrupt with a wave, taking another sip of wine. “I mean your business. The deal you have with Mr. Talis. HexTech, if I’m correct?”

His jaw slackens when you reveal that you know about that. And in truth, it had required quite a bit of digging around and asking questions: you’d been far too curious about the mysterious man who’d appeared out of the darkness to ask for your hand.

He was difficult to find a trace of, you know, always careful to cover up his tracks and make sure no one saw his face or knew his name.

You would have thought him shady, were the HexTech company not so well-known.

“…not thus far, I don’t think,” Viktor finally replies.” My participation in our projects is not typically brought up when speaking to sponsors - Jayce does all the networking, and we do the rest together.”

You drum your fingers on the table some more.

“Your siblings will try, then,” you tell him, bluntly.

Worry falls over him when he figures out what you’re implying: that the people he once called family were ruthless in their endeavors, and would stop at nothing to see him brought to his knees. That they would be willing to ruin anyone’s lives to do it.

Even when they discovered his association and partnership with Mr.Talis, they would simply seek to tear him down, too.

“They have been successful in bringing you to ruin thus far,” you tell him, “No one wants to work for you, save the select few you have employed - but nowhere near enough people to keep up with the work that a house demands. Your estate is in shambles, and your name is so tarnished that the people I considered close friends didn’t show up to our wedding.”

He peers over at you, guilty.

“I’m sorry,” he begins, and you cut him off with a wave.

“Don’t be,” you sigh, taking another sip of your drink. “I will admit that I was upset about it yesterday, but…knowing that very little of your reputation has been your choice has calmed me down a bit.”

You smile at him, sweet yet mischievous.

“I’ve a proposition for you, husband. Something that will benefit both of us.”

Viktor raises a brow, intrigued, and gestures for you to continue.

Your smirk widens.

“I suggest revenge.”

His face falls a fraction, but before he can say anything, you speak over him.

“I’m not suggesting bodily harm. I’m not suggesting any kind of like-minded retaliation, either,” you promise, easing some of his tension. “ I’m well versed in social politics. Quite frankly, I find it entertaining and invigorating - and I enjoy getting to dress up on special occasions. It wouldn’t take a lot of prodding among my typical circle to get your name bouncing around.”

You take the last mouthful of your wine, and set the goblet down on the table.

“ A couple of kind words here and there. Everyone knows that you…lack social prowess, so any word of mine would be considered an absolute truth. I’m your wife, after all - and I’m meant to know you in ways that are far more intimate than your siblings ever would.”

You don’t miss the way he fidgets in his seat at your choice of words, nor the way pink begins to blossom across the tops of his cheeks. His awkwardness is honestly quite charming, in your opinion, if not slightly frustrating.

Frustrating, because how easily does he manage to catch your interest.

“All I’d have to do would be to let slip a few things that directly contradict the rumours spreading around, to the right people,” you finish, proudly knitting your fingers together to set them in your lap.

Unsurprisingly, though, Viktor seems unconvinced.

“Do you really think that all the damage done is so easy to fix?” he wonders, almost incredulous. “Talk to a couple of your friends and let them gossip?”

“No,” you admit. “I don’t. But we don’t need to convince anyone, Viktor. We just need to make them doubt. Doubt your siblings, doubt what they’ve heard. Once people start questioning, they’ll be willing to look a little closer, and be a little closer.”

Finally, finally, he seems to understand what you’re saying.

“What would make someone angrier than thriving, despite their attempts to assure otherwise?” you ask, of no one in particular.

Your husband smiles then, and not just a small quirk of the lip. A genuine smile, laden fully with the same sort of mischief that you have. A giddy, almost playful edge to it, and…something you can’t quite decipher. A sense of longing, perhaps - hope?

“You’ve thought this out very thoroughly,” he says, “and yet you’ve only been here a day.”

“Well, it’s not just your life anymore, now is it?” you tell him, matter-of-factly. “It’s our life. Our name, our home, our reputation. And neither of us deserve to be treated so poorly.”

There’s more you want to say to him - more conversation to be had about how to improve your lives and where to start, how to fix the garden. Your entire plan, really, as unfinished as it is.

Were it not for the servants’ door flinging open, startling the two of you away from each other.

The kitchen staff begin pouring in with dishes of food, setting them out around the table so you might choose what you’d like to eat - much of it which you’d never seen before, spices you’d never smelled, colours you’d never eaten.

Viktor promises you later that you’ll speak on the matter tomorrow, after you’ve both had some time to rest - claiming he still had some work he’d yet to finish that evening, and that he didn’t want to be late on its completion.

You’ve half a mind to ask him to stay with you: to ask him to spend the night with you, as a husband was meant to - even if it just meant sleeping together in the same bed. But with his beliefs and general awkwardness…you know even suggesting something like that would make him retreat back into his shell.

You’ll just have to work on refining your plans for the manor, and hope they would be enough to impress him.

[yestrday]

💖Good afternoon or evening, I'm sorry to bother you, but I really like your AU ://0 But due to changes in the canon of Scaramouche, I wonder if it will change in any way in the Academy AU? And what would happen if the reader from the very beginning was a kuudere?? What about the idea of ​​transferring to another academy?)) (Perhaps the reason for leaving could be Scara himself)

i don't think so! i celebrated a lot when i found out that scara retained most of his sass and brattiness, but toned down to be less evil (if such thing is possible for him). academy! scara is still ver much the same: an evil tsun and a sister complex.

kuudere: i think scara would find a kuudere mc very interesting and amusing at first. it would be like a game to him to get a reaction out of them, no matter what it takes. it starts from mild annoyances and mockery, then a slow progression to just... abuse. tripping, jabbing you with a compass, pulling you back by the hair— he slowly gets annoyed when you don't react whatsoever. the spoiled brat (along with his attention deficiencies) what's you to react, dammit! he's pouting inside as you stare at him blankly.

leaving the academy: mmm, well i wouldn't blame you if you left because of him. your scholarship might be a once in a lifetime chance, but it isn't worth the expense of your mental health. you leave, and scara is all in a rage once he's inside his room. but outwardly, it seems like he doesn't care or even notice.

but he does. he uses his family's money to keep tabs on you all the time, but he doesn't chase after you. he'll let you live your life for a sweet measure of time, but the moment you two coincidentally end up bumping into each other, he's cornering you and sneering because how fucking dare you deprive him of his amusement.

[tommybaholland]

bnha boys as fanfic ship dynamics

based on this post. a fic (concept, blurb, whatever you want to call it) about fics...how meta. enjoy :)

midoriya -> idiot x idiot in progress: he’s not a complete idiot being as observant and problem solving-oriented as he is but he can fall short on the simplest things. being with you has not helped as not only does he get super nervous and flustered around you, you tend to have fleeting thoughts that would influence him instantly. if you asked him to run away with you, he’d do it in a heartbeat. 

bakugo -> rival x rival: ah yes, a good old enemies to lovers type beat where the tension runs incredibly high and everyone knows it but them. or even better, they know it but they would rather die than confess to it. he’s had his eyes on you as his target since day one, practically making it his own personal mission to have you succumb to his greatness. ultimately, you fall for each other along the way but being in a relationship doesn’t mean that you can stop challenging the other, it only makes it more fun if you get to kiss passionately afterward. 

todoroki -> crime-fighting duo: you probably start on opposite ends or as complete strangers being forced to work together as a hero team in which you might seem like you want nothing to do with him. you just want to get the mission done but he wants to be smart about it and also prove that he’s able to work with anyone. unfortunately for you, he grows immensely on you and you’d hate to admit it. it all shows when he gets severely injured and begging you to leave him behind but you go against him, just as you always had but this time out of love. 

kirishima -> proud x shy: it’s very simple: he loves you and wants to make sure everyone knows it. everywhere you go, no matter who you meet, he always emphasizes the ‘my s/o’ part after introducing you. he talks about you all the time when you’re not around but even when you are, he’ll just pull a term of an endearment or compliment out of the blue. he mostly does it to see you blush but being in a relationship with you is his greatest accomplishment and he feels he needs to celebrate that everyday.  

kaminari -> pure lookin x scary lookin: sure, he looks pure and wholesome but he can be quite the opposite, or at least he thinks. he’s more of a dork and obnoxious than anything but will tease you to no end over something small, like mispronouncing a word, just to get you riled up. he is the epitome of the ‘they tease because they love’ trope and actually thinks the world of you. in the end, he is a cute and wholesome boyfriend who sometimes has his dumb moments.

shinso -> shy x emotional dork: he could also fit into the above ship as the scary one but this one felt right for him. outwardly, he doesn’t seem like an emotional person but once you get closer to him, he’s actually very sentimental and compassionate (or ‘mushy’ as he likes to say). he cries a lot more than he lets on, even when he’s extremely happy and especially when it has anything to do with you. every gift you give him or even the smallest acts of kindness that you do for him, he feels warmth everywhere within him and it’s undeniable that he’s in love. 

amajiki -> proud x shy: obviously, he would be the shy one here. despite his outward timidness, you find that he’s actually rather courageous and willing to stand up for the defensless, like a true hero. you cannot help but compliment him on this trait, amongst other things. you’ll make him believe in himself with how proud you are of him, continuing to say it even after he feels more secure. he’s so grateful to have someone as supportive and loving as you by his side, showing his pride and gratitude with hand holding and nose nuzzles. 

dabi -> virtuous ray of sunshine x ex bad guy: probably not super accurate as he still is a bad guy, has done bad things, and wants to continue to do bad things. however, he wasn’t bad at one point in time. he had dreams and aspirations of his own and with you, he feels like he could continue to have them, even if they seem more like fantasies these days. he often thinks about what it would’ve been like to meet you under more ‘normal’ circumstances and how your relationship might be different, even better, or more ideal. 

natsuo -> kind giant x bundle of energy: a lot of people are intimidated by him at first due to his broad stature. contrary to belief, he’s anything but malicious or cruel. he’s actually very easy to talk to and has a sort of charm about him that makes him attractive. he really likes the simple joys that you find in life and wants to do nothing more than spend as much time as he can with you. he’s honored the day that he finally gets to hold you and kiss you and call you his s/o is one that he would never forget, feeling a sense of complete peace.

only the best for bnha night! who’s next for requests....

extremely grateful for the patrons for supporting this blog:

Syd || ruboo 

for exclusive nsfw writing and extras, join us on Patreon!

buy the blog a coffee and receive a shoutout!

[miekasa]

sorry if you've already answered this, but what do you think the aot character's love languages would be? we know levi's is acts of service, but anybody else?

No worries! I don’t think I’ve answered for everyone before, so I’ll take a shot at it now bc I love thinking about people's love languages 😌

LEVI Gives: acts of service

This is one is talked about a lot, but Levi shows his love most often through doing things for you, even if you haven’t asked anything of him.

He’ll go out of his way to make your life easier and/or more comfortable in any way that he sees fit, and he doesn’t expect the same in return; it truly just makes him happy to know that he could have done something for you.

It includes bigger things like assembling furniture for you, building you something completely from scratch, or cleaning your car for; and also small things like making you a cup of coffee or tea, or even just holding your bag for you after a long day.

Needs: physical touch

Classic touch-starved man who doesn’t outwardly ask for physical touch, but doesn’t back away from it when you initiate it.

After some time, he’d begin to initiate himself, he just needs to get comfortable with the idea of it first; but after he is, it’s really cute to see. Catch him on a lazy morning, and he’s especially touchy; or find him after a long day of work, and he’ll cuddle himself right into your shoulder.

It makes him happy to know that you seek him out for physical comfort, and that he can begin to do the same. Also, he loves the feeling of you playing with his hair, it’s a surefire way to get him to fall asleep.

HANGE Gives: quality time, physical touch

Hange likes spending time with you, and loves roping you into their favorite hobbies, activities, and antics. Even something as simple as a 3 minute FaceTime call to ask them a quick question is enough to put a smile on their face.

They really just like to share their interests with you, and would love it if you did the same! Hange is willing to give everything a try at least twice for you.

Also loves physical touch, maybe not even necessarily in traditionally “romantic” ways either—having their hand around your shoulder to show you something on their phone, knocking into your body while they’re laughing, clapping your hands together out of boredom—all simple touches that make Hange happy.

Needs: gifts

Hange looooves presents, and you can’t prove me wrong. To them, it’s really touching to know that you would take the time to pick out or make something that you think they would like.

They cherish any and every gift you get them, even if it’s something as tiny and routine as bringing them a coffee during a busy a day at work, Hange never takes it for granted.

(And they also go on and brag about it to anyone who will listen, “Ah did you see my baby brought me coffee for lunch? Just how I like it too, they know me so well!”)

EREN Gives: quality time, words of affirmation

Quality time for Eren can also be mistaken as him spending all of his free time annoying the hell out of you, but it’s really just him being Loving.

When he’s not annoying you, he really does just like to be in the same space as you, even if you’re doing your own things. He likes having you around because you comfort him even if you’re not directly speaking to or interacting with him.

Words of affirmation come out of him in a very matter-of-fact tone. It’s almost as if he’s not consciously trying to affirm you or flatter you.

To him, he’s just saying what he believes is an objective truth: of course he thinks you’re smart and talented and pretty and fun to be around. If those things make you feel good, then it’s a bonus, but really, he just means it like it’s a fact of the universe.

Needs: gifts, physical touch

He’s not the best at giving gifts, but he does love to receive them, and honestly, he’s very humbled and flattered whenever you give him something that you clearly put a lot of time and/or effort into.

He almost feels undeserving of it, but he loves it all the same, and he really does cherish it. Even if it’s something as generic as a pair of shoes he was talking about, it still means a lot to him that you would remember and buy them for him.

Once he gets a taste of physical touch, he doesn’t know how to let go. All sense of personal space is out of the window, and this goes hand in hand with quality time once he discovers it.

Loves it when you touch him: play with his hair, play with or hold his hands, hug him out of the blue. Also loves to touch you, though he seems to not understand the size of his body when he’s draping himself over your shoulders, or has his leg over your thigh while you’re sitting on the bus.

ARMIN Gives: gifts

To him, it’s the simplest way to express himself without embarrassing himself by potentially tripping over his words. Also, gifts can be given remotely, so he doesn’t have to sit around worrying if you’ll love it or hate it while you open it.

Though, he certainly gains a lot of confidence over time, he still likes to leave you little presents to find when he’s not around. Something as small as buying your favorite candy and putting it in your coat pocket, or leaving flowers at your place.

He’s also very thoughtful, and when he does get you a bigger gift, or something to celebrate an occasion, he always makes sure it’s perfect.

He does it to make you happy, and when you’re happy, it makes him happy.

Needs: words of affirmation

He won’t ask for it, but it’s really reassuring to hear, and it makes him feel really good, and relieved to know that the person he loves thinks highly of him.

If you told him you’re proud of him, he might… he really might malfunction a bit, but your words would stick with him. The next time he was going through something hard or even just doubting himself, he’d remember what you said to him and it would give him a little push to get through it (and maybe be nicer to himself as a consequence).

Not necessarily an affirmation, but it also flatters him to hear that you think he’s attractive. Though, be careful when and how you say this, because he’s very… easy to excite.

MIKASA Gives: words of affirmation, acts of service

Mikasa lets you know how much you mean to her, and how much you mean to everyone in your life all the time. She doesn’t want you to ever feel like you’re less than you are.

She loves hearing about your progress or achievements in work/school and is quick to tell you that she’s happy for you and proud of you.

She’ll also do anything she can to help you out, so acts of service a big thing for her. She doesn’t want you to have to go out of your way to do something she could handle for you.

That isn’t to say that she thinks you’re incapable of fending for yourself; rather, that she would like to ease your pain whenever and wherever she can.

Needs: quality time

She doesn’t realize how much she likes/needs this until you guys start spending more time together; and it’s in your absence that she finds herself missing you more than she’d anticipated.

She doesn’t even mind sitting idly by while you’re busy or doing work, so long as she gets to be by your side. It also brings her a sense of comfort to be able to take care of you during this time; having snack breaks with you, occasional tangent conversations, and reminding you to rest when necessary.

She finds that one of the simplest means of quality time is sleeping next to each other; whether it be for a nap, or going to bed, it’s a kind of intimacy she never thought she’d crave, but comes to really, really enjoy.

JEAN Gives: quality time, gifts

Just. Just let Jean tag along to whatever you’re doing like a little golden retriever and he’ll be so damn happy. It doesn’t matter what—buying makeup, going on a walk, heading to the grocery store—he just likes spending time with you.

Though he—and anyone who expresses themselves in quality time—completely understands there are moments where you need to be by yourself. But if you don’t mind him being there, then he’ll take the opportunity to be with you.

He looooves to give presents, and even though he can get kind of embarrassed by it and try to play it off as nonchalant, he’s quite thoughtful and romantic with his gifts.

Needs: quality time, physical touch

He loves doing what you’re doing, but he would also love to have you around when he’s chilling or running errands or doing whatever, too. He doesn’t care, Jean just likes talking to you, and will take any opportunity to hear you speak to him and be around him.

He shows a normal amount of physical touch and/or PDA throughout your relationship, but really casual and gentle touches by you mean the world to him. When he feels you stroking his face when you think he’s asleep, wrapping your arms around one of his habitually when you’re sleepy after a night out, putting your hands on his face when you kiss him—all those things mean the world to him.

I don’t know if this would fall into words of affirmation, but he also likes it when you tell him that you find him attractive. Call him handsome once and he’ll be thinking about it for the rest of the month. Tell him he’s pretty and you might even get him to blush.

CONNIE Gives: quality time

Similar to Eren, his quality time is most commonly expressed through a little game he likes to call “how many times can I annoy my girlfriend in the span of twenty minutes.”

You could be chilling like normal, having a casual night in and Connie will just come bursting in your room like the loudest mf on the planet, with Monopoly in his left hand, and a six pack of beers in his right.

He lives for doing stupid (borderline illegal) shit with you, and to his credit, you’ve never gotten caught. He really just likes to hang with you and make you laugh and make memories the both of you won’t ever forget.

Needs: acts of service

Help this man. No, really, literally, help him, even if he says he doesn’t need help, he’ll appreciate it in the end.

From stuff like tutoring him for a class, to packing him lunches (beyond Lunchables, but inclusive of a strawberry-kiwi CapriSun, nonetheless); it’s a love language Connie didn’t even think he would like.

He fucking loves it though and never shuts up about anything you might do for him; always thanks you a million times and puts you in a loving chokehold and pinches your cheeks in appreciation.

SASHA Gives: words of affirmation

She’s really good at comforting you, or even just making you feel good about yourself. Sasha might not even realize how much her positive outlook on you might mean, but she sure does love to tell you how much you mean to her.

Adores singing your praises and rewarding you with compliments all the time. She’s so sweet and she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing. Best girl.

Needs: gifts

Sasha loves presents in all shapes in forms: birthday presents, anniversary presents, planned presents, surprise presents. Doesn’t matter, she’s happy to receive any and all of them.

She looks at the gifts you get her with sparkles in her eyes and the widest grin on her face. It means the world to her that you would get her something she loves and she appreciates it so much.

Takes extra special care of your gifts too. If you got her one of something she collects, the ones you give her have their own little special place in her collection and she loves to show them off whenever people ask about them.

PIECK Gives: acts of service, physical touch

Pieck will do just about anything for you, and if she can’t, she’ll commission someone else to get it done for the both of you. (Someone being Porco and Reiner if this act involves lifting or carrying anything heavy).

She adores the smile on your face after she tells you she’s taken care of something you were putting off or having trouble doing; it makes her whole day to see you happy and relieved to have one less task on your to-do list.

She definitely does things because it makes her happy to see you happy, but there’s a small part of her that’s not above admitting she likes to be rewarded for it, too. Even something as small as a hug will do 😌

That’s also where the physical touch comes in: Pieck is kind of handsy, an almost unexpectedly protective kind of way. It’s equal parts of her liking to show you off and have her hands on you, and making sure nobody else thinks about doing the same.

Needs: quality time

Once she discovers the joy of having someone else to laze around with, take naps with, and do… questionable antics with, Pieck feels like she’s discovered the true meaning of life.

Adores when you ask to come along with her to run errands, or when you show interest in any of her many hobbies. She comes to find that she loves sharing them with you.

Napping together is a must, and if you think she’ll let you out of her hold just because your leg cramped or you have to use the bathroom, then think again. There’s a minimum of three one-hour naps per week with her.

PORCO Gives: acts of service, gifts

Gifts might come as a surprise for him, but he’s got a good memory, so when he sees something you’ve been talking about, he’ll just pick it up/buy it for you.

Could be anything from a new pair of house slippers, to a pair of earrings you showed him once. If he sees it and remembers you wanted it, there’s a 9/10 chance he’ll just get it. You can’t say he never did anything for you.

He approaches acts of service the same way, and usually does things he knows he can handle doing for you, like cleaning your car, cooking you dinner, or giving you a massage.

He can get kinda smug about it tho, going off about how you’re his little baby and that you need him to take care of you, as if he didn’t go out of his way to do these things, unprompted 🙄

Needs: physical touch

He’s not going out of his way to do extreme PDA, but he’s not hiding it either; if he feels like touching you, he will. But the first time you initiate it, or the first time you touch him in a gentle way, he’s such a goner.

He doesn’t even know how to process it at a first, and when he does he feels stupid and embarrassed for even liking it, but he certainly likes it that for damn sure.

He gets kinda cranky if you don’t cuddle up to him or hold his hand or poke his cheek (even though he claims it’s oh so annoying, you know he likesssss it).

[altair-interactive-fiction]

Façade is a work-in-progress interactive fiction game; that follows a re-imagining of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this story, you take on the role of both titular characters, shaping their story, their relationships with both themselves and others…and most importantly their ending.

Genres: Gothic Horror, Mystery, and Thriller.

Setting: London, during the late Victorian Era.

Rating and Content Warnings: Façade has been rated 18+, for its depictions of violence, injuries, murder, coarse language, themes, and optional sexual content.

Untold years of sacrifice and research have led you to this moment and now with your goal achieved what will you do with this opportunity? After all, nobody will ever need to know it was you...This experiment could be used for the betterment of humanity, or you could use it selfishly for your own desires. Will you hurt your relationships old and new with your secret, or be able to connect to them through both sides of your face…

But as long as you maintain your façade, find balance, manage all your responsibilities, keep up appearances, don’t draw any prying eyes or anyone’s ire, everything should be fine, right? And yet, whether running around the streets of London in the nightlight or tucked away safely in your laboratory, you still feel like their someone watching you…

 Gabriel Joan Utterson – The Lawyer (Female | Thirty-Six | 6’0)

“You know for you; you wouldn’t even need to ask.” 

Your oldest companion, whether you like it or not; is known to never smile, and to be rather deary in nature, yet she is considered to be enjoyable company by most, you know she would go to any length to get you out of trouble, now if only she felt the same way about your other self.

Doctor Hastie Lanyon – The Scientist (Male | Thirty-Four | 5’8)

“How do you manage to be the most brilliant and yet the most foolish person in attendance.”

A man you first met in college; no matter the relationship you had back then you can call Lanyon a friend now; a boisterous person, who carries himself rather theatrically, he can also be as stubborn as a mule; one of the most brilliant people of the time, if only he didn’t have such a limiting way of thinking. 

 Inspector Monroe T. Newcomen – The Investigator (Nonbinary | Thirty-One | 5’7)

“There’s going to be a point when you realize this is more than just a game.”

The detective inspector that has recently taken interest in both your crimes and adventures; ambitious and determined, with a bit of a reckless streak; you have not had much of a chance to get to know the inspector, with them always attempting to apprehend you and all but maybe with a bit of time (or a different face) you just might get to know them.

Alice Leigh – The Actress (Female | Twenty-Eight | 5’3 )

“I think I see through you more than you think I do, that isn’t the worse thing.”

A woman who has only recently returned to London, to assist her ailing father run his apothecary located in the east end; she is kind and helpful but has a notable nervous disposition that only ever seems to disappear when on stage, running into her early on in your nightlife has allowed you to make a good impression, how long it will last only time will tell.

Janus – The Proprietor (Male | Thirty-Two | 6’3)

“Keep on running, and don’t you worry about who you leave behind.”

The proprietor of quite a few shady businesses but most notable for you is that he runs a popular (and highly seedy) bar in the east end; an outwardly carefree, and relaxed individual, who attempts to hide his bitterness and resentment of the world. The two of you haven’t known each other for long but you know you can find a good time with him around.

It Takes Two - Take on two lives; one the beloved and respected high society Doctor, who’s desperate to maintain that reputation, the other the mischievous and trouble-making Hyde, whose only goal is to have fun and stay alive.

Customization – Including your character’s gender (with trans, nonbinary, and genderfluid options), pronouns (unrelated to gender and custom input), appearance, background, relationship with your other-self, and history with other characters.

Relationships – Five romantic options (2 female, 2 male, 1 nonbinary) to pursue from either or both sides of your life, the choice to romance, befriend or even make an enemy out of them. Three poly-routes between the MCs and the romantic options are planned (being Utterson/Newcomen, Lanyon/Leigh, and Lanyon/Janus).

Character-Driven – A character focus and driven story, where the relationships between the two MCs and the main cast will be at the forefront and will impact the story.

Impactful Choices – The choices you make will have a variety of both short and long-term consequences, affecting how the story unfolds, the world, and the characters in it.

Demo | FAQ | Main Cast | Navigation | Main Cast Physical Description

Playlist | Pinterest

Please note the  Main Cast page, is in the process of being updated. 

[calebdumes]

Oooo for the prompt requests, I've just finished season 2, so maybe Kanan coming back and Hera helping him to adjust to losing his sight?

hi! thank you for the prompt!! (also I love your art!!) I hope you like it, I might have strayed a little because it's less helping him adjust and more like hera just being there for him...but I hope you still like it!

fandom: star wars rebels

relationship: kanan jarrus/hera syndulla

word count: 1.2k

rating: t

~

Hera woke to a crash that echoed loudly throughout the Ghost, her eyes snapping open at the jarring sound. Panic fled through her system, as a million scenarios began to race through her mind, each one of them worse than the last. She tore back her sheets, her hand reaching for her comlink when another crash thundered through the ship, this time followed by a guttural cry that made her blood freeze in her veins.

She was moving before she could even think.

It was dark in Kanan’s cabin, the floor strewn with splinters of wood and broken pieces of clay that Hera distantly recognized as the remains of the tray that held his dinner. In the center of the chaos was Kanan.

“Kanan?” she whispered, taking careful steps around the broken shards of plaster. He tilted his head towards her but said nothing, the ragged sound of his breathing filling the space. “What happened?”

Kanan didn’t respond, he just stood there, his body shaking with angry tremors. Hera bit down on her tongue and forced the swell of emotions building in her throat down until she couldn’t feel them. She reached out, her fingertips grazing his arm, causing him to flinch.

“It’s alright love, it’s just me.” she said.

“Hera?” Kanan’s voice was rough when he spoke, the words scraping out past dry lips.

“I’m right here.” she replied, pushing gently on his arm to get him to move away from the mess that surrounded him. He followed willingly, letting Hera guide him back to his cot. He was trembling under her touch, his skin overheated and damp from sweat.

She helped him sit down, taking his hand into her own “What happened?” she asked again, even though she already knew the answer. Things hadn’t been easy for Kanan since Malachor. He was still learning to adjust to his loss of sight and tasks that used to be simple were now far more complicated.

The crew had done the best they could to keep walkways clear of clutter and always offered to help Kanan get around on the rare occasion that he actually left his cabin yet Kanan had always staunchly refused, determined to do it on his own.

But Hera knew the truth. She knew he was only putting up a front. She knew he was afraid. She knew that he feared he would be seen as a liability, a burden, as if by losing his sight he was somehow less than the man he was before.

It didn’t matter how many times Hera had told him otherwise, he never seemed to believe it.

Kanan swallowed thickly before responding in a stilted manner. “I was going to the fresher and I tripped.” His jaw clenched tightly as he hissed, “I don’t even know where that kriffing tray came from.”

“Sabine brought it in earlier, when you missed dinner.” she told him gently. Kanan’s jaw didn’t relax. “Why didn’t you call for help?”

“I shouldn’t have to!” he exploded, wrenching his hand from her grip.

His words were like a slap to the face. “I-I’m sorry.” she fumbled at the intensity of his anger. He had become more and more withdrawn as the days progressed but he had never been so outwardly angry at her before. It made her stomach twist uncomfortably. “If I had known I would have helped you.”

“That’s not-” Kanan sighed, his chin dropping to his chest. “That’s not what I meant.” He turned his head towards her. Even in the dim lighting Hera could see the bandage around his eyes had become soiled with an unpleasant yellowish brown tinge. The surrounding skin still looked red and inflamed, no doubt burning with a pain that not even bacta could dampen. “I shouldn’t need help getting to the ‘fresher.” he said quietly.

Hera felt her heart splinter.

She reached up and cupped the side of his face, her thumb resting just below his wound. “Kanan,” she said. “You’re still healing, it’s okay to ask for help.”

“I could walk the Ghost blindfolded before all this.” he guestered weakly at his face. “Now I can’t make it two steps without falling over something.” he paused, his frustrations palpable. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Walking around blindfolded isn’t the same thing.” she told him. “You went through a trauma that impacted more than just your sight. Remember what the doctor said? It’s going to take time for you to adjust.”

Kanan nodded, but from the frown on his face, he didn’t seem convinced. “When was the last time you changed your bandage?”

He shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

“C’mon, I’ve got the stuff in my cabin. I’ll help you.”

He let her pull him to his feet, their hands intertwined as she led him around the mess on the floor and into her room. He looked small, sitting on her bed as she drug through the medpac, it was unsettling. Kanan had always been this unshakable presence in her life, seeing him suffer as he was, struggling to adapt to his new way of life made her heart ache and her eyes to sting with tears but Hera pushed them away. Crying wasn’t going to help him heal. He needed support and Hera was more than willing to give it to him.

She’d do anything to make him feel like himself again.

Hera knelt down in front of him on the cot, his long legs brushing against her own. She could see that he was still trembling but it wasn’t as violent as it had been before.

“I’m sorry.” Kanan said as she began her work. She resisted the urge to wince as she peeled the bandage back, exposing the charred wound that cut across his face. Bacta might be a miracle worker but she doubted even it would be able to completely erase the damage Maul had caused.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, love.” she said, gently applying the thick gel like substance to his burned skin.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“No you shouldn’t have, but I can understand why you did.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” his hand caught hers, stopping her ministrations. Eyes that were once a vibrant blue-green now a milky white born into her. “I’m sorry.”

Hera leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. “I forgive you.” she said. “Your healing is going to take time, love. And I know you're frustrated but please don’t pull away from me. Let me help you. I want to help you. Can you promise me that?”

“I can try,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.

“That’s all I ask.” she breathed. “Now let me take care of you.”

Kanan nodded, his forehead moving against hers. “Aye, Captain.” he said with a ghost of a smile. Hera kissed him again, longer this time just to prove her point.

“I love you Kanan Jarrus.” she told him, wishing he could feel just how much she meant those words. He was the center of her universe, the very air in the lungs, her weakness and her strength. He was everything to her.

She loved him totally, completely, unconditionally. She loved him.

Kanan’s grip on her wrist tightened ever so slightly before he let go, letting her finish.

As soon as she had applied the fresh bandage, Kanan pulled her down into his arms, tucking his head under her chin. Hera’s arms wrapped around him on instinct, holding him close. She carded her fingers through the long strands of his hair, letting the sound of his breathing lull her to sleep.

“Thank you.” she felt him say against her skin as she drifted off.

"For what?" she asked, barely conscience.

"For not giving up on me." he shuttered in her arms.

"I'll never give up on you, love." Hera pulled him closer, kissing the top of his head. "You're stuck with me until I say so and I don't feel like giving up up just yet."

"Because of my good looks?" he teased.

"Damn straight." Hera replied.

"I knew you only wanted me for my body."

"Kanan," Hera said. "Please shut up and go to sleep."

She felt Kanan smile against her collarbone. "Love you." he mumbled.

"I love you too." Hera replied.

Things would get better. Kanan would adjust and things would get better and Hera would be there every step of the way.

[townofcrosshollow]

Foundations is a work-in-progress interactive fiction game coded in Twine about the founding of the small, fictional town of Crosshollow. The third full entry into my Crosshollow series and the first to be a long-form narrative, Foundations is a story that has been in the works for years, and I’m excited to tell this story in a way that will do it justice as a standalone work and form a solid backstory for my future projects.

Taking place around the turn of the century, you take on the role of an ancient, incorporeal being. Many centuries ago, following a series of bad decisions, you found yourself here on Earth. To maintain your link to the physical world you must maintain a “tether” to a human- a psychic bond that can only be broken by death. And death is always close at hand, as you are being pursued by another of your kind- somebody with a grudge and infinite patience to take out his revenge.

Alongside your most recent tether, Tobias, you have been traveling around North America and staying far away from your pursuer. Short on cash, the two of you find yourselves hiding out in the remote mining towns of the Colorado mountains. The people here are not quite as they seem, however- and as tensions rise in the community and your pursuer draws near, you find yourself at the center of a conflict of both rural and cosmic proportions.

Tobias Elmore (he/him) - a traveling artist, either a musician, painter, or writer depending on your choices. An idealistic man with a free spirit and a wandering soul, he was happy to welcome you as his companion, and the two of you have become close after a months on the road together.

Edwin Harris (he/him) - a young priest who is struggling to build a sizable congregation among the religiously apathetic local miners. An outwardly respectable man, you sense that there’s something off about him- something he doesn’t want people to know.

Ada Lovett (she/her) - a young mother afflicted with consumption, she came here alongside her husband and daughter in hopes of finding relief for her illness. Instead, she’s found life in the mountains unbearably dull. Her husband’s absence and daughter acting out definitely aren’t helping things.

James Lovett (he/him) - a mining engineer and husband of Ada, he started working with the local mining company to earn a good life for his family and relieve his wife’s illness. With the mine underperforming, however, he’s found himself overworked and unable to balance work and life.

Loretta Lovett (she/her) - the pre-teen daughter of James and Ada, she’s having some trouble adjusting to her new town. Between the lack of many kids her age and the stress of growing up, she’s been acting a bit off- but you can’t help but be fascinated by her affinity for the non-physical world.

Eugene Wilson (he/him) - a mountain man with a superstitious streak, he shows an interest in Tobias his ties to the supernatural.

You are an observer. Play from the perspective of your tether and overlook other characters to change how events unfold.

You influence the people around you. Your choices determine the outcomes of the story and the relationships between the major characters.

You have power over perception. Use your powers as an extra-dimensional being to change how those around you perceive reality, but choose carefully. Power draws you closer to the Abyss.

Your manifestation matters. The appearance you choose to project when you appear before humans determines whether you are seen as an otherworldly horror or a guiding light.

Your history is what led you here. Unlock memories to understand your distant past.

The demo will be releasing on June 12th at 1:30PM EST. For updates and to follow my progress, you can follow me here or over on my itch.io page. If you have any questions about my games, please don’t hesitate to send me an ask. I track the tag "Crosshollow Foundations."

If this story interests you, you might like my previous short game. 13 Laurel Road is a game about our relationships with places, following Noah Lovett as he explores an abandoned house and reconciles with his grief and trauma.

Also, if you’ve enjoyed my games or are looking forward to this project, I humbly ask you to share this post and help me get the word out! Your support means the world to me <3

[imaginedmelody]

I’ve now watched season 1 of Ted Lasso in full three times, and I end up focusing on a different character on each rewatch. The first time, for instance, it was Coach Beard who caught my eye; the third time, I was drawn to Nate. But the character who got my attention the most on my second viewing was none other than Trent Crimm, the Independent- and I was particularly struck by how different my perception of him was from the way the other characters described him. So I decided to give my two cents on it in this post.

I like to unofficially call it ‘Trent Crimm Did Nothing Wrong.’

If you take the other characters’ words as truth in the earlier half of season 1, you don’t get a very favorable impression of Trent Crimm. Roy calls him a prick; by Ted’s slightly kinder estimation, he’s a ‘tough cookie.’ But honestly, I think that paints an unfairly cynical picture of him. To me, he’s not cruel or condescending or overly tough. He’s a serious journalist, and clearly a very perceptive man, but if you look at his reactions (especially to Ted), he warms up right away- just not as enthusiastically as some of the other people Ted comes across.

The first three episodes do a great job developing that progression. Sure, Trent’s “Is this a fucking joke?!” comment isn’t exactly polite...but like I said, this man is a serious journalist. Here comes this guy, Ted Lasso, who has no experience in or even knowledge of the sport he’s now coaching, no professional experience coaching whatsoever, no ties to Richmond or London or even the UK. Of course Trent doesn’t take him seriously. He’s not rude, I’d wager, so much as he is insulted. Because Trent’s accustomed to interviewing professional athletes and top-tier coaches with excellent qualifications. If he’s a little condescending towards Ted, I kind of don’t blame him, because Ted doesn’t seem like a serious person worth his time, and now he’s being made to treat him like he’s on par with the seasoned club managers they normally cover. It’s like if you showed up for your first day of law school and instead of a licensed attorney, your professor was a circus clown. You might find them amusing at first, but if they don’t start spouting legal jargon, before long you’re gonna start to wonder if you really have to take them seriously.

And of course, him asking Ted point-blank in episode 2 to explain the offisde rule isn’t very nice. And Ted reacts pretty much the way he should to that jab- playing it off with a joke- but understandably, it might have annoyed Trent. Ted’s good-natured playfulness, when in the context of explaining a basic concept he should already know, can come across as flippant. And Trent doesn’t strike me as the type of person who particularly enjoys being toyed with.

So when he’s a bit disdainful of Ted in episode 3, I can understand where he’s coming from. But at the same time, I maintain that Trent never seems as aloof toward Ted as he’s made out to be. When Ted compliments him in episode 1, he seems surprised but pleased; when he compares Trent to a Roomba, he strikes me as bemused, but not offended or antagonistic. He’s thorough in his questioning and incisive in his observations, but at the same time, I think he’s reasonably open-minded. Willing to be surprised, at least. He’ll always be kind of like a cat that needs to sniff your hand before you can pet it, but his warmer core is revealed in tiny ways right from the start, if you’re willing to look for it.

And Ted, who has never failed to look for the heart of someone, is absolutely willing to see it.

I think there’s a kind of unspoken agreement between Trent and Ted: Ted knows that Trent won’t shy away from asking the difficult questions no matter how friendly the two of them are personally, and Trent knows Ted won’t try to evade them but will answer genuinely. That’s so clear to me in season 2 episode 1, when Trent asks the question about Earl. He doesn’t spare Ted the tough question even though he clearly likes him as a person, and Ted gives him a thought-out response in return. I also love how those hints of warmth from Trent come out in all the riffs on his trademark “Trent Crimm, the Independent” introduction. You can see a sort of puzzled amusement when he realizes he’s going to be lightly teased. I’d bet most people don’t do that to him, but he seems to enjoy it- even if he doesn’t show it outwardly that much.

In short (lol none of this post is short), I really hope we see more of Trent Crimm this season. Because he’s not as much of an asshole or a stick in the mud as characters like Roy and Rebecca make him out to be. And I think there’s a lot of potential to see beneath the surface of him, to that soft center Ted has so capably found.

[flickeringart]

Planets in retrograde

It seems to me that certain phenomena in astrology should make sense yet the explanations and writings on the subject don’t seem to cut it. Retrograde planets are such a phenomena – they are supposedly moving “backwards in the sky but not really because it’s an optical illusion” and having retrograde planets in the natal chart is translated as having that particular planetary energy expressing itself inwardly instead of outwardly. There’s logic to this explanation, yet what does it actually mean? ”Inwardly” … seems to imply depth and obscurity.

Common, negative interpretations of retrograde planets are, for example, that Mercury Rx can’t keep up small talk, that Venus Rx can’t love anyone but themselves, Mars Rx is lethargic and passive, Jupiter Rx is has difficulty in sharing and that Saturn Rx has problem understanding limits and responsibility.

The inward experience is a subjective one and everything that is subjective is anything but concrete. For people having personal planets in retrograde there’s the faint discomfort of knowing, based on reading interpretations, that something is “debilitated” yet one has no reference for how it would be to not be “debilitated”.

The experience of the retrograde planet is normal to the person it belongs to and there’s no method to use to make it go direct. The natal chart is fixed (although the progressed chart changes).

Some people point out that having planets in retrograde isn’t all bad. It gives the person a deeper, inner experience of the planetary principle that can be very special and valuable. For example, a Venus Rx person can grasp the essence of love more readily than a person having Venus direct because there’s no outward proof of it – it’s the inner experience that counts. It’s as if Venus is encased in the inner realm and encapsulated in the outer forms – invisible, but still there. I should also mention that having certain placement might give rise to a similar experience, Saturn conjunct/square Venus certainly restricts one’s ability to openly show love and appreciation and is similarly to Venus Rx requiring the individual to look deeper for satisfaction and fulfillment. However, the configurations aren’t the same and so the interpretation can’t be exactly the same either. Not to mention that one could have Venus Rx negatively aspecting Saturn and that would mean something different than having Venus direct aspecting Saturn. In the case of Saturn aspecting Venus Rx, I would conclude that Saturn puts strain and blockages in accessing the inner experience - the backtracked implications of love. This is perhaps even more difficult that having Saturn restricting the outward expression of love and value in aspecting Venus direct. For Venus Rx it’s not the experience of love but the implications that are highlighted. Ted Bundy, whose chart I’ve analyzed, had Venus Rx and he allegedly admitted that he didn’t “know what underlay social interactions”, yet he was quite well-liked by people who came into contact with him. It would seem that Venus Rx doesn’t necessarily cause anti-social behavior, but it does rob the individual of the underlying purpose of socializing and having a “good time” in the company of others. In other words, one finds value in hindsight rather through direct experience - if at all. The definition of beauty, happiness and love has to be established through ruminating on it. More often than not one has a fairly unique way of loving and defining love because one has to contend with a delayed response in matters of the heart. For example, one might only discover love in hindsight, after having contemplated events, people and objects.

(Buy product with my art here)

I have natal Mars Rx and I have been pondering how this expresses itself in my life. I wouldn’t say that I’m lazy by nature, or that I have a hard time getting things started. It seems to me that this is more characteristic of Mars in Pisces, Mars conjunct Neptune or even Mars in the 12th  - although one could have these placements and a retrograde Mars. The standard interpretation of Mars Rx would run along the lines of “someone who directs their anger inwardly, is passive aggressive and can’t act on the spot, someone who is non-competitive and has a hard time going for what they want directly”. This could even fit the interpretation of a Cancer Mars when describing superficial attributes. This is why it’s important to understand the underlying mechanisms and not only the outcome as manifested in behavior. Another explanation I’ve come across is that since the drive is turned inward, there’s no momentum building and the person doesn’t have a natural flow to their outward projected activity. This seems to be true for me. Once I’ve started something I’m never “on a roll” – there’s the feeling of having to work to keep myself going. I’m not motivated by encouragement and external rewards, which makes me completely self-driven. I’m never impulsive. I’m going over my actions every step of the way. I would say that I’m inviting action rather than asserting it. Another implication of Mars Rx that I’ve read about is that it “invites aggression” from the outside. Perhaps this is because other people get frustrated that the Rx-person isn’t meeting them with a matching energy. The stalling and non-aggressive Mars Rx can make other people angry - perhaps because they sense that desire is not immediately felt but experiences in hindsight, upon contemplation. Even people who have a weak Mars by placement and aspect seem to have more of a natural flow to their action and assertion. They might have doubts but are still moving forward somehow. Mars Rx seems to reflect a person who can’t pursue goals directly. It’s not necessarily because of doubt, as would be indicative of Mars-Saturn aspects, but rather because of a backtracked desire nature. In fact, one might not have any specific goals at all. Instead of declaring a goal, one would watch one’s actions and then conclude what one’s goal is – quite the reverse way of going about things.

Mercury is the most common planet for people to have in retrograde and it might be easier to interpret for this reason. Having Mercury in Rx is usually associated with a slower learning pace, a slower mental process, a need to go over things mentally many times, self-conscious feelings around communication and potential difficulties with reading and writing. People I’ve met with Mercury Rx simply seem to take communication very seriously and they’re keen on being correct in their formulations and wordings. They’ve not had any learning disabilities to my knowledge, in fact, they seem to value writing and speaking, perhaps because they find it to be an uphill battle. Since I don’t have Mercury Rx in my natal chart, I find that I’m a bit perplexed how heavily words seem to weigh in these people’s minds, not in the sense that everything is taken to heart, but that it’s so laboriously processed. Some are indeed very intelligent, or at least knowledgeable because they’ve had to put in an extra amount of effort. They’re usually said to be self-conscious, absent minded, not inclined to small talk and has a difficulty translating perceptions into words. In a sense, these people think and speak separately. That which reaches these people’s lips has been gone over a million times (figuratively speaking) which might cause a lack of spontaneity and a greater tendency toward introversion. Communication seems to be very deliberate with these people – almost painfully so. There’s the need to “go back on one’s thinking” instead of moving along by adding and reformulating one’s statement in a carefree manner. Mercury in unharmonious aspects to Saturn can similarly cause doubts and struggles in learning and communicating, but the underlying cause is different. I would say that Mercury Rx causes a slower thinking-communicating in people because it has to be generated from within. One does not “pick up” on things automatically - one has to build an inner symbol with deliberation and concentration that can be used to convey something that people can understand. In other words, one has to make an effort to bridge the inner experience with the flow of outward communication. The doubts and strains caused by Saturn conjunct Mercury is more due to external pressure to be smart, to not say anything that’s wrong or out of line with convention. There’s more of a need to prove oneself because of a fear of inadequacy. Of course, one could have Mercury Rx conjunct Saturn, then there’s the added pressure of achieving something of high esteem, to gain respect and authority through the use of one’s mind while having to ponder over everything that one thinks and says to distill the meaning of words effectively.

(Read about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto Retrograde)

[arkus-rhapsode]

MHA Chapter 315 Discussion-An Almost Great Conclusion, But Misses It’s Mark

Hi guys, Rhapsode here and it’s time for another MHA discussion. I haven’t really done one in a while, but after reading 315, I had a lot of thoughts I was working through. And before I start I want to say, I do not think this chapter is overtly bad. I think there’s a lot of good ideas to it, and overall nothing objectively bad. However, as the climax to this Deku vs Lady Nagant fight, I felt it didn’t quite hit its mark (pun not intended).

If you want my brief opinion of this current arc of “solo Deku”, I actually enjoy it quite a bit. I’m happy Horikoshi refocused on Deku after such a long war arc. As well as Deku FINALLY be proactive in his hero duties. No longer on the rails of the school setting. And I have especially enjoyed his current fight with Lady Nagant.

In terms of sheer action, it’s got a tried and true set up of a sniper battle, but then adds to it by taking the fight into the air. The action is hectic in all the right ways with the unpredictable bullets cutting up Deku as he dodges them with Danger Sense. As well as the introduction to a new quirk of OFA.

But where this fight really shines is Nagant and her origin. Lady Nagant was hero assigned to maintain the illusion of order by getting rid of potential threats and heroes up to no good for the Hero Safety Commission. Until being told to kill in the name of improving society and any of her activities being covered up finally weighed on her and she killed the then president of the Commission and placed in Tartarus. While she’s only hunting down Deku because she’s assigned to, she says that even if AFO wants to rule the world, it’d be more transparent than a return to the status quo.

It’s honestly a great reveal as it finally puts out in the open the actual corruption in the system that’s hinted at, but was never really delved into. But now it also finally has Deku confront the problems of the status quo that he’s grown up in. This isn’t an ideological battle like with Stain on the definition of hero or reaching people who have fallen through the cracks of society like Gentle. This is real flaws with the system that people have had faith in from the mouth of someone who has done their dirty work.

It’s something I think a lot of people have wanted to see. And I’m glad Horikoshi finally did dive into it the structural problems of hero society.

So how does this all get resolved in 315? How does all this end? Well after Lady Nagant targets Overhaul and shoots at him to make the situation harder for Deku to focus, Deku without hesitation goes into trying to save Overhaul (despite knowing Overhaul is a villain), Deku homages All Might and then shatters Nagant’s arm, and finally Deku makes an observation that Nagant wasn’t really going to hit Overhaul and that if she seeing the darkness of society, she knows where to expose it as she still has the heart of a hero. Nagant should join Deku.

But then AFO activates an explosive power right as Nagant is coming around. The blast fries her as Hawks arrives and we’re left on the cliffhanger of “is she going to survive.”

Now after reading this, my feelings have been… mixed. Let me get out this out of the way there is nothing with this chapter I disagree with: I have no problem with Deku making an emotional appeal to Nagant, I have no problem with AFO acting like a heel, and I have no problem with Nagant not being fully evil and never intending to kill. I know that last one has upset some people, but given Nagant’s backstory of killing innocent people for others because they told her so is the reason she fell off her path in the first place. So it makes sense she never intended on killing anyone.

And I know some people have nitpicked how it’s the female villain who isn’t fully evil, but that honestly doesn’t matter to me. As narratively, this arc started with the attack by Muscular and Deku couldn’t reach him. So it’d make sense to potentially end this mini arc on an example of Deku reaching and reforming a villain. It also helps that Nagant has actual layers to her motivation that could actually allow her to be swayed away.

Now my real issue with this chapter is honestly a problem that I was afraid Hori would do after he introduced just how messed up the Commissions back dealings, it’s that Deku doesn’t really take any concrete stance on what should be done about this status quo. Instead, Deku focuses more on telling Nagant she is a real hero and he ultimately wins her over after showing how much a real hero he is.

While Nagant uses the term “fake”, “sham”, and “phony” when discussing heroes and hero society, it doesn’t address the bigger issue. Namely that she feels this way because of the corrupt and unheroic things the Commission has done to maintain faith in it. Deku offers no actual answer to the very real and very hard question she poses.

And his only real response is this:

(I’m being generous as there can be something lost in translation here and it’s a bit on the flowery side )

While Deku did acknowledge this world isn’t Black and white and he’s saying she can expose corruption if she works with them, he dodges actually offering a solution to her concerns about the status quo. Instead more time is devoted to the same kind of “I will save anyone” appeal he always does.

And while one could argue Nagant’s only on the side of AFO because his reign would keep the Commission from having the power they did, even if she doesn’t fully believe in him. She still poses why being ruled by AFO has its appeal to her and Deku doesn’t actually counter that. No pointing out the obvious anarchy that could result from this or how AFO uses even the people he claims to love like Shigaraki. Deku doesn’t rebuff anything and once again passes the tough decisions onto other people. With Hawks appearance here at the end and his baggage about killing Twice, I can very easily see cleaning up the commission as becoming his motivation going forward. Once again resolving Deku of actually needing to make hard calls or form stances.

This is compounded by the fact AFO just blows Nagant up. It really doesn’t matter if you rebuff anything that AFO has said or offered to convince Nagant to join you, there’s no way she’d work with him after he attempts to kill her. Which feels like it undercuts this conversation about morally gray society.

Look we all know that AFO is evil. The audience knows and this is absolutely what he would do, but if you’re trying to give all of the illusion that we’re finally confronting issues with society and bringing this up and why we would get people loyal to AFO or people like the liberators or people like stain. And trying to sway someone away, then just having him nuke them for having a change of opinion. then it undercuts any actual ambiguity of a clash built on addressing moral grayness. Which I feel is always been one of the strengths of MHA.

I was not expecting Deku to have a thesis on how he plans to dismantle the shady parts of society. Or go full Eren Yeager and become his own revolutionary. But when confronted by a villain who isn’t like Shigaraki or Toga or Twice, who fell through the cracks in the system and needed a safety net like Deku wants to be, Nagant was a part of the system. The corruption of society runs deep in her motivation and Deku doesn’t really address it beyond acknowledging its flaws. And yet his actions of “true heroism” are enough to sway her. It just feels incomplete. There is a brief line that you can interpret of him wanting to clean up the system, but it feels way too short for a moment like this. Deku being confronted by all the darkness of a system he admires should cause him to make some kind of stance.

And no, I’m not going to speculate on if Lady Nagant is actually dead and this will finally forced Deku to take a firmer stance or what have you. I do want to keep these discussions at least relative to when they are released and in this moment the thing that wins over Nagant is the same “save everyone”/“inspiration by example” Deku usually does. Which doesn’t feel as satisfying a conclusion as it could be.

Not helped by a good chunk of this chapter being taken up by explaining all the bits and bobs of OFA’s power system and finally explaining what exactly his third quirk does. This feels like padding when I wanted the space could’ve been used for character dialogue or a continuation of their conversation about the status quo.

I do want to repeat though that there is nothing outwardly bad with this chapter. There is no real objective failure in the writing. It’s just a case of, “ this could be stronger.” And that’s the frustrating part.

Tl;dr there’s a lot of things that are good about this chapter from a technical and narrative level. The natural progression of characters and the switching of allegiance makes sense.  however it’s just all shy of really living up to a lot of the stuff it sets up about society and going back to the status quo. As Deku doesn’t seem to have any real concrete stance beyond his usual.

And because a lot of the things around it are very good it makes it a lot more noticeable when it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Not helped by what feels like nothing more than padding with the explanation of quirk ability instead of character introspection about this very legit and difficult revelation. There is nothing outwardly bad, it’s one of those cases of something that could be an 8-9/10 ends up more as a 5-6/10.

That’s my opinion at least. But I am extremely interested in seeing where Hori goes with this. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time.

[novantinuum]

On the corrupted!Steven theory...

So, originally when I mused on this yesterday I was just playing around with random possibilities.

After combing the series for info about corruption, though, I’m mildly spooked at the increased potential for this to... perhaps be a thing? I’m not saying that this is what I for sure believe will happen- to be honest, I’m not even sure Crewniverse would go this direction at all- but just for funsies, let’s see what kind of “evidence” or “foreshadowing” exists that might support this potential story path in the context of canon.

(EDIT: 10/7/19 

I honestly no longer think this creature is a worm at all whatsoever, it’s either more akin to a horned caterpillar or potentially has limbs. Either way we can see so little right now that it’s hard to tell. I’m not editing the rest of this post because I want it to exist in its original form- but do keep this in mind reading the rest! XP)

1) The design of this worm creature.

Let’s start simple. Let’s start tangible. 

For future reference and simplicity, I will be henceforth be referring to this creature as... “Wormy Boi.”

So, let’s see what we’ve got here. I’m definitely not the first person to point out this fella’s pink nature, and the jarringly human-like nose they’ve got. (Compared to other corruptions, which have had distinctly non-humanoid features.) In the photo above, we also have Wormy Boi sporting glowing pink eyes, which then send out a flare of pink light/energy. So, seemingly a powerful entity.

If you watch the short segment before they sit upright, you’ll see that Wormy Boi is super, super big. They’re in the background, but BOY do they loom. The shadows cast upon them especially push that sense of size. They’ve also got a whole bunch of spikes on their back and framing their face.

So, then. What evidence could be made for this being a corrupted!Steven, as opposed to some other run-of-the-mill monster?

Steven Universe Future is a limited series, described as ‘tying up loose ends.” To me, as a viewer, it would make far more sense for the antagonists/conflicts to deal with big concepts that have already been established since there’s such a limited amount of time we have left with this world. Introducing a completely alien species in the last act of the show would feel offbeat from both a writing and a viewing perspective. Corruption- on the other hand- is something we don’t have full answers to yet.

We don’t see any gem, yes- but Steven’s gem is- of course- on his belly. If this theory were to be true, that would translate to the gem being on Wormy Boi’s underside, far out of our sight in this shot, due to how massive they are. As an addition to this, not showing the gem gives an air of mystery to this creature’s true nature- which makes it seem like there’s something surprising to discover here.

A corrupted diamond would surely be MASSIVE. Also, very powerful. The beam of pink light hints at Wormy Boi being quite a powerhouse.

The spikes on Wormy Boi’s back and around their face highly resemble rose thorns. We all know how much the Crewniverse loves their rose symbolism, and design wise, this aspect would make a lot of visual sense for a corrupted Steven. Running off of that:

The face/nose shape and the five horns on this creature’s head give off a very Steven-like silhouette. 

The nose, of course. The face has a very Steven-like shape to it, overall- although noticeably more angular and sharp. The mouth is reminiscent of the Watermelon Stevens’ mouths. And as for the horns, there’s five of them positioned equidistant around their face, just as Steven’s hair is always formed from five lil’ bumps at the same positions.

Okay, moving on.

(Read more under the cut!)

2) We do not yet understand the true nature of corruption.

“I guess it’ll take more than a kiss to heal damage from the Diamonds…” -Pearl, Monster Reunion

Corruption is still- bafflingly- a huge mystery. The Gems we’ve watched the CGs bubble since season one have been healed, yes, but there are still many gaps in our understanding of it. With Steven Universe Future’s promise to address some lingering story threads, it would make sense if corruption was on the plate for further discussion. So, what DO we know?

We know it’s something the Diamonds can do. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to require all four diamonds. Three of them together were able to cause all the damage to Earth. There’s also no statement made that more than one Diamond is required to cause effects like that. 

In Legs From Here to Homeworld, Blue and Yellow Diamond weren’t actually aware the corruption was something they were capable of producing. They seemed to assume they obliterated the Gems on Earth. Corruption is then, even a mystery to them. That’s... odd, isn’t it?

Pearl states that it’s “something nearly impossible to describe.” Garnet goes further to say... “It’s sorta like... if MC Bear-Bear didn’t tear the fabric of his arm, but the fabric of his mind.”

"A sound… A song?” There’s a lot of association between corruption and music.

It causes Gems to lose touch with their usual forms, instead warping into a more outwardly "monstrous” version of themselves that appear to be “just a bundle of fight-or-flight reflexes and survival instincts.” As seen by Centipeetle in Monster Buddy and Monster Reunion, it appears as if corrupted Gems try to regenerate with their original forms if unbubbled, but are simply not in a state where they can maintain that.

As seen with Jasper in Earthlings, extreme emotional distress very much seems to speed up corruption’s effects. This is less of a stated fact and more of my read on that episode, but I believe it to be an important tidbit, especially since Garnet states that corruption’s damage is mental rather than physical, at least at its core. This can also be seen in Monster Reunion with how Centipeetle’s partial healing backfires when she remembers the trauma of being corrupted and reacts strongly.

Now, when it comes to healing corruption, Steven tries to heal Centipeetle himself, and does make some nice progress... helping her regain a hold on herself as he treats her with love and compassion and understanding... but it’s ultimately not a healing that can occur in isolation, helping her on his own. She needs more support before she can heal from this corruption to a state where she can truly be herself again.

And that eventually comes in the form of the other Diamonds. So, all four diamonds can help relieve the corruption if they help these Gems all together. 

3) How could this theory potentially fit into the story anyways, you nutter?

Well, here’s the part of this post where I make some broad conjectures. I honestly am shooting fish into a barrel here because again- we know barely anything about how corruption actually happened initially, and my thoughts are very jumbled. Please forgive me.

"I don’t really know how the corruption works. It’s like they’re sick. They don’t remember who they used to be.” -Steven, Gem Hunt

So, corruption seems to be a mental ailment of Gemkind, turned manifest. It also seems to have a deep connection to a Gem’s emotions, with Centipeetle growing smaller and slightly calmer upon feeling more secure in Steven’s presence, and corruption speeding up as Jasper grew more and more emotionally overwrought and self-deriding about herself. 

When it comes to the Diamonds and how they perhaps caused it originally- without fully realizing- we know that at least Blue and White have abilities focused on causing others to act in certain ways. Blue has sway over one’s emotions, and White has a knack for forcing her thoughts and self upon others. (I’m not sure how Yellow’s ability would play in here.) Mayhaps, mixed with their grief and guilt and anger, their power simply pressed all of that hurt emotion onto all the Gems on Earth in one whole fail swoop...? Tearing their minds in the process of it all?

The question I still have, though- is whether a single diamond could produce effects like this. And whether a diamond could turn that ability on themself.

Could Steven accidentally corrupt himself? Why might that happen?

Well, let’s look at our boy here. 

He’s got a wide circle of support at this time in canon, but notably, he’s notorious for bottling up his emotion and not letting others in to help him- instead dropping everything to help them with their problems. Just to name a few examples (a few):

The Test. He feels betrayed and hurt at the Gems for a moment about the way they’re babying him with the rigged test, but instead of admitting the hurt he feels about the scenario, bottles that up to help them feel more like good guardians.

Joy Ride. He opens up to the Cool Kids about deep, incredibly troubling stuff that’s long been on his mind, but he’s never once talked about it with his family.

Mindful Education. The perils of bottling one’s emotions is literally the whole plot of the episode. The kid has a full out sobbing breakdown while he’s plunging to his death. Connie gets through to him a little here, but later episodes show that the resolution we see here is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Steven’s internal issues. 

Storm in the Room. Externally, Steven tries so hard to put on a guise of content and positivity, but once alone in Rose’s room feels safe enough to let the full brunt of his emotional trauma come out in an almost explosive manner. Geeze, get this kid some hugs. 

Gemcation. Steven actually fails bitterly on putting on his customary smile in this episode, simply because the weight of his problems have become such an impossible burden to him. When the other Gems are trying to help him open up, he isn’t immediately responsive to their efforts. 

What’s Your Problem? Amethyst spends the whole episode trying to cheer Steven up and find out how he’s doing, and instead Steven downplays his own feelings on the matter and ends up helping her sort out her own emotional issues.

So to sum: Many an Emotional Issue, a chronic tendency to avoid outwardly addressing said issues in favor of helping everyone else instead... and to avoid accepting other people’s help.

Even if he’s surrounded by all these people who love him, the fact of the matter is that Steven still feels as if he has to face his own inner demons alone.

Now, let’s look at the lil’ teasing synopsis that was given for Steven Universe Future:

“After saving the universe, Steven is still at it, tying up every loose end. But as he runs out of other people’s problems to solve, he’ll finally have to face his own.”

Blatantly sounds like we’re gonna finally get some addressing of Steven’s emotional state, now doesn’t it?

4) A concept on what could, theoretically happen

“Maybe… it IS a guy in a monster costume. I don’t mean literally, silly! What I mean is... there might be a conscious Gem still inside there, somewhere. What if the monster is turning back and forth into its original form? If it is, it might not be as corrupted as we think! There might still be a chance to save it!” -Steven, Gem Hunt

Suppose Steven- by some as-of-yet unknown means- ends up accidentally corrupting himself. His sorry emotional state only further amplifies the effects of this corruption, and makes it really hard to retain control. Wormy Boi as a form could be like... all his inner demons made manifest, a metaphoric mirror into his current mental state. But- as he is half-human- he’s not entirely unaware of what’s happening. Perhaps... as the quote above could be sneaky foreshadowing for... how he’s turning back and forth between this corrupted form and his normal form. 

He likely wouldn’t want everyone to see him like this, doesn’t want everyone to visibly know the sheer depth of how much he’s hurting. But just like the corrupted Gems were only able to be helped in community, with the support of the CGs and the Diamonds in preparing the fountain, Steven can’t fix this on his own. 

He can no longer face the dark alone.

At some point, everyone has to take a brave step. Reach out. Accept help. 

Steven’s helped so many people, and surely he deserves that same love and care in return, too.

And perhaps, when he’s eventually healed from this- and has gotten the opportunity to be open with his family and friends about the hurt he’s facing- he’ll be left with “corruption scars” as well. I think it’s an important thing to address, that no one goes through experiences like these without lingering effects. Stuff stays with you. Healing is not always linear. But life is a continuous journey, and with the support of people who love you surrounding, you too can make a change... can continue to live to the fullest at every moment possible.

I think the above would be a lovely moral for Steven Universe to tackle in its last run of episodes, no matter how they approach it- daft corruption theory or not.

Now, in the end- a reiteration. This is just a wild theory. I’m not trying to be any authoritative voice saying that this is for sure what will happen, because in reality I have no idea what Crewniverse is cooking. However, I do think it’s fun speculation, and I am kinda spooked at how well things fit. 

Whatever happens, I’m sure it will make me weep like a baby, though. Hoh boy. Grant me sanity in these coming months as we wait for answers.

[wield-the-mighty-pen]

The Crows and their love languages

I Don’t know if this has already been done, but this is my interpretation of the love languages of the Crows, feel free to disagree but this is what I felt best fit the characters based on what I’ve read/seen.

Nina

Without a question as both a giver and a receiver, Nina’s love language is physical contact. Though she is seen displaying every other love language, it is through touch that Nina appears to benefit the most. She is offended and subsequently worried about her relationship with Matthias when he avoids touching her and still hadn’t kissed her. Through Inej’s POV, we see a lot of hugs and touches given by Nina. She even uses touch as a heartrender. For her job at the White Rose she is required to touch people to improve their mood and change their appearance. But to focus on the first one, she literally uses touch to make people happy. It makes the most sense to associate Nina with physical contact, which also might be the reason that she and Kaz don’t get along.

Matthias

I found Matthias to actually be the hardest to figure out, he doesn’t really display any specific patterns when it comes to displaying affection. I would say that it is physical contact but he seems to avoid a lot of physical contact with Nina to stay in accordance with the Fjerdan tradition. I guess the love language I see the most with Matthias as both a giver and receiver is acts of service. When he recalls his mother, he remembers aiding her when she was pregnant, he offers on several occasions to do things for Nina, he considers Jarl Brum, a man he was in service as a soldier to, as a father figure. As a receiver, his reaction to Inej’s sacrifice on the first boat indicates that he values acts of service. Additionally, he begins to like Nina (in flashbacks) after she had helped save his life and worked to keep him alive. There are other examples of acts of service being his love language, but I think this suffices.

Wylan

 100% he is in need of some words of affirmation. Though we don’t really see his interactions with the other crows as much since he doesn’t have his own perspective in SOC, in Crooked Kingdom and in the times we see Wylan in Six of Crows, his usage of words of affirmation is evident. As a receiver, he is seen to want approval desperately from his father, to take offense easily at teasing from the other crows, he seems to tie a lot to words. As a giver, his preference for words of affirmation is even more abundant in example. He is always seen giving pep talks to Jesper and is mystified when Kaz refuses to admit the importance of Inej, he becomes angry at the lack of acknowledgement of her merit, of her significance to Kaz. Wylan appears to gather strength from words of affirmation, in fact, after he shares his inability to read with Kaz, it is Kaz’s response that gives him the strength to share with others and even embrace his disability. As a child who so rarely got words of encouragement and affirmation, it makes sense that he places such importance on this particular love language.

Jesper 

Jesper is an interesting case, he, like Nina, likes to utilize all of the love languages. However there are two that he really hones in on. As a giver he is seen to use physical touch and occasionally words of affirmation, as a receiver he requires words of affirmation. Focusing on Jesper as a receiver, the beginning of SOC establishes words of affirmation as his primary love language. He is hurt when Kaz doesn’t acknowledge his trust in Jesper and is seen multiple times throughout the book with hurt feelings when he is excluded from the secrets Kaz shares with Inej, he wants the affirmation of his close relationship with Kaz through the sharing of secrets. As a giver, Jesper uses two different languages. In regards to physical contact, he is shown using this love language a lot with others, there are a plethora of examples within both books, it is shown that he relies on this mode a lot. However, he also employs words of affirmation, the best example of which I can think of is when he lies to Inej about Kaz visiting her to spare her feelings. Though the effort didn’t work, Jesper’s nature is exposed here for being one of comforting words regardless of their accuracy. The other example I think of is from the beginning of Six of Crows, where Kaz remarks that Jesper would pacify the dregs and make Kaz’s victory belong to them all and would boost them up. He is evidently known for his use in this love language, and therefore is still relatively evenly between the two methods of affection.

Inej

Inej uses two different love languages, one as a giver and one as a receiver. As a giver, Inej employs words of affirmation. This can be seen through her various pep-talks given out to the other crows, in her kind words to her hurting friends, and in her exchanges with Kaz. She is good at encouragement and her words are shown to have an impact, specifically seen with exchanges she has with Jesper and Kaz (they both think about and mull over her words in their inner monologues). It is through words she connects with others, however she has relationships and important connections that more often than not do not supply her with words of affirmation back. This leads into her receiver love language, this being quality time. This is not the most intuitive love language for Inej, but through analyzing her character it is plain to see that it is this love language that she responds to the most. The way that Inej recalls her family and her father is through her fond memories of them, is through the good times she spent with them. She does not simply remember her family through traits or through objects or even through words but through scenes, and through the memories that contain the words she remembers. Additionally, when injured on the Ferolind, she requests that Nina stay and spend time with her, she values her presence. With Kaz this love language is a little harder to scope out, after all their relationship also contains acts of service, gift giving, and little bursts of words of affirmation, but Inej seems to appreciate and respond the most to the quality time she spends with Kaz. She is hurt when she learns that he didn’t visit while she was unconscious, there are countless examples of wordless communication as they spend time together, Kaz even points out that he “is here” with Inej, he is present and there to help her, something that she subsequently responds to. In a way, Inej’s relationship with Kaz is unique from her other relationship in that it requires every love language (even physical contact) but quality time is in many ways a significant one.

Kaz

Now that I’ve gone on a tangent for Inej, we finally reach our most complex character when it comes to love languages (I’m sorry please prepare for another tangent). To be clear, Kaz’s love languages are not difficult to decipher from the vantage point of a reader but the way he expresses himself to other characters is in a complex manner that was formed from his upbringing and past trauma. As a giver it is plain and obvious that Kaz is a gift giver, he is constantly seen practicing this love language. He gifts Jesper his guns back after he loses them in Crooked Kingdom, He gifts Wylan his family fortune back. He even yearns to gift his dead brother his avengeance in the form of taking down Pekka Rollins. Of course, this love language can be viewed the most in his interactions with Inej. He notoriously gifts her a ship “The Wraith”, he gifts her her parents, he even gifts her freedom by buying her contract from Per Haskell, each gift allowing her the future she so desires. Although these gifts pain him, although he wants her to stay with him, he still gives and provides her with these tools, because he loves her, because he wants to express to her how much she means to him. Kaz is not a character who outwardly expresses his feelings very often, but through his gift giving it is shown that he does appreciate those around him, that he does care about others. As a receiver however, Kaz appears to appreciate the love language of Acts of Service the most. Though this analysis is about the books I did want to touch upon a scene in the TV show. The scene in question is when Inej kills the inferni. Inej commits her first kill in order to help Kaz and the look he gives her pretty much sums up his feelings on the matter.

 In the books he says in his narration how him making Jesper his only second, shows that he trusts him. He gradually warms up to both Matthias and Wylan as they progress in the mission and continue to aid him. He trusts Nina enough to be a part of the six going to the Ice Court, after using her services as a heart render multiple times. Now, it is possible that he only brought her along because of her powers and her connections to Matthias, but knowing Kaz he could make do without a heartrender and her addition only made things more complicated with Matthias at the beginning. Kaz agrees to free Inej after her words “I can help you”, he responds to that, it is with those words, with that offer to assist that their relationship begins. Inej is portrayed doing acts of service for Kaz nearly every night since her buyout, and Kaz has responded in kind making her his right hand woman. In summation, the way to earn Kaz’s respect, trust, and admiration is through acts of service.

[simp4kuvira]

The Guilty Consequences

My second-ever fanfiction! I tried to approach this using an angsty/hurt/comfort angle. Hopefully it’s satisfactory. Likes and reblogs are always appreciated 💚

Summary: Kuvira has achieved everything she's ever dreamed of. The Avatar and her fiancé are gone, Republic City has fallen, the Earth Empire is fully united, and there's nothing obstructing her goals anymore. But why does she feel the guilty consequences of her actions gnawing at her psyche?

Rating: Mature for foul language and mentions of death and violence.

Pairing: Fem!Reader x Kuvira

Word count: ~3,950 words

To read on fanfiction.net, click here.

To read on AO3, click here.

“Great Uniter?”

Your gentle voice draws Kuvira’s attention away from the cockpit’s windows of her enormous mecha suit, which is currently situated over the rubble of what used to be President Raiko’s office. After successfully stopping Team Avatar from meddling in Kuvira’s efforts to conquer Republic City, the rest of the United Republic of Nations fell neatly into the hands of the Earth Empire. Korra and her friends were clever enough to believe that kidnapping Kuvira’s so-called fiancé and using him as a bargaining chip would convince her to give up the assault on Republic City. Little did they know, Kuvira was ecstatic to seize the opportunity to rid herself of the engagement and wipe out Team Avatar for the good of the empire. One simple blast of her mecha’s spirit cannon directed towards Future Industry’s factory killed two birds with one stone. Of course, Kuvira still had to worry about Korra’s reincarnation when the new earthbending Avatar came of age, but seeing as how they would be reborn into the Earth Empire, the Great Uniter was not concerned about the future Avatar’s actions for now. She would worry about that problem on another day. For now, the aftermath of Republic City’s defeat was a more pressing matter.

The corner of Kuvira’s lip twitches upward in a faint smile when she turns to meet your gaze. You stride towards her and wrap an arm around her waist before planting a quick kiss on the beauty mark underneath her eye. A noise of contentment emanates somewhere deep in her throat as she leans into your touch. “You know you don’t have to call me Great Uniter, Y/N. Especially not when we’re alone.” 

“Oh trust me, I know,” you retorted. “I just thought it would be fitting to use your official title to commemorate you on a job well done. The Earth Empire is completely unified now thanks to you.” 

Kuvira’s eyes flicker back to surveying the remnants of Republic City. “You flatter me, Y/N. I hardly completed the effort on my own. There were my soldiers, my engineers, and don’t forget the radio technician that triangulated Team Avatar and Baatar’s location in Future Industry’s factory. We’d still be at war with Republic City if it weren’t for their intel. I owe my success to my loyal followers, and especially to you. I don’t regret appointing you to draft annexation treaties for the states that yielded peacefully.” She chuckled softly. “I would’ve never gotten to know you so intimately if I hadn’t done that, much less had the privilege to call you mine.” She presses an innocent kiss to the corner of your mouth.  

You scoffed playfully and pulled back from Kuvira’s waist. “You give yourself too little credit! Not many people would’ve had the mental fortitude to take out your strongest opposition using the spirit cannon. The Earth Empire exists because of you.” You lower your voice and snuggle back to Kuvira’s side. “You know… I’m kinda glad that you did it, even if it sounds awful. It’s unfortunate that Korra and Baatar are gone, but at least we don’t have to worry about the Avatar for another sixteen-something years. We don’t have to hide our relationship from everyone anymore, and you don’t have to pretend to be attracted to some gross guy. We can be authentically together in peace while you build your nation. That’s what matters.” A twinge of guilt spreads through your chest when you dare to defile Korra and Baatar, but you ignore it as best as possible. This is for the best, you repeat to yourself. Funnily enough, that phrase has become a personal mantra for both you and your lover.

You felt Kuvira’s muscles stiffen almost imperceptibly when she heard the words “Avatar” and her ex-fiancé’s name on your lips. Surely she must feel relieved that she doesn’t have to fake being in love with a man as a cheap cover-up for her true sexuality, even if he was taken out of the picture a tad bit brusquely, to say the least. She also doesn’t have Korra breathing down her neck anymore, so what gives? Kuvira’s eyes are glued to the windows offering a panoramic view of the leagues and leagues of wreckage. She remains uncomfortably quiet. 

Unsure of whether or not Kuvira wants you to remain clinging onto her, you start pulling away when she shows no sign of breaking the silence. You’ve been romantically involved with Kuvira for three years now, and you know that when she clams up, there’s no use trying to pry her open until she’s ready. During the first few months of your relationship, she would often have trouble separating her outwardly ambitious and cunning persona from her inwardly vulnerable and tender true self. On days where her reunification efforts fell behind schedule or the Avatar knocked her carefully calculated plans awry, Kuvira’s sour mood leaked into your personal lives. At times, she would inadvertently lapse into Great Uniter-mode while you were trying to relax together after a long day’s work. It wasn’t until you gently coaxed her out of her tension that she began to share what was weighing heavily on her mind. You supported her as best as you could, but when it came to more delicate topics, such as her childhood, her relationship with her adoptive family, or her innermost feelings, Kuvira shut down. She would come clean to you when she was prepared to talk. All would reveal itself in due time. 

You murmured something vague about seeing her later as you padded quietly towards the door. Just as you were about to leave the mecha’s cockpit, a feeble voice called out for you to wait. Stopping in your tracks, you spun on your toes to look at Kuvira. The orange sunset filtered in through the windows and outlined her body in a shimmering glow, which seemed to have a softening effect on her unusually tense body language. Her entire frame was as rigid as a steel beam, legs shoulder-width apart, arms poised behind her back. Her brow was furrowed ever-so-slightly and the corner of her eyes were pinched, as if she was lost in thought or fighting off a headache.

“Y/N,” she ventured. She inhaled sharply before continuing. “I thought reuniting the Earth Empire and conquering the United Republic of Nations would be… different. Ever since Suyin refused to stabilize Ba Sing Se and share Zaofu’s progressiveness, I believed I was the only person competent enough to take initiative. I stepped up to the plate and accomplished my goals. The Earth Empire is stronger than ever. I’m finally in the position to launch industrialization and modernization campaigns in villages neglected by that archaic monarchy everyone despised. I restored order where there was anarchy. I stopped lawless bandits stealing from the poor. I gave resources to the needy when we annexed states, yet…” her eyes flutter closed for a moment as she pauses to collect her thoughts. When she reopens her eyes, her jade colored eyes plead silently at you. Even when you’re standing across the cockpit from each other, you notice that her shoulders are trembling ever-so-slightly. 

You’re astonished at Kuvira’s rare moment of vulnerability. Usually it takes her a few hours, maybe a day or two, for her to open up about a touchy subject. Even then, she’s not one to show emotion so openly on her countenance, not unless she’s severely distressed and totally certain that you and her are alone together. You took a few hesitant steps towards her. 

“You thought winning would be different, huh?” Unsure of how to proceed, you decided to try your hand at a bit of light-hearted banter to see if it might have an effect on your lover. “Well, yeah winning was going to be different! You made your plans based on the assumption that Korra would always be a pain in the ass even after we annexed the United Republic and started our projects, but now you don’t have to worry about her anymore! What about the wedding? You don’t have to marry a guy you don’t love, and we don’t have to worry about hiding our relationship from everyone. Isn’t that a weight off your shoulders?” Despite your confession, you knew the loss of life was a tragedy. You convinced yourself that it was for the greater good, and you knew Kuvira shared your sentiment. This is for the best, you recited. You shimmied towards her and reached out to hold her gloved hands in your own. Icy fingers of anxiety began to spider its way throughout your chest when you looked into her eyes plagued by fear. “Kuvira… is everything alright?” You squeezed her quivering hands for emphasis. 

Kuvira’s eyes flitted to a spot right over your shoulder. “That’s not what I meant, Y/N. I meant I thought winning would be better than this.” 

“Better?” 

“Yes. Better.” It appears Kuvira is becoming irritated at you.

“Kuvira, I won’t understand what you’re trying to say if you keep beating around the bush like that. Why isn’t this better?” 

Kuvira lets out an exasperated groan and yanks her hands away from you. “Don’t pretend to be stupid, Y/N. You know what I’m talking about. There’s more good in the Earth Empire than bad. At least, that’s what I keep trying to convince myself. This is for the best, we would always say. I made more progress than what I took away from people. The price I paid— no, the price other people paid— for my progress was justified. Isn’t it?” Kuvira’s voice falters on the last two words tumbling out of her lips. “What good is ruling the Earth Empire if all I have to show for it is a pile of rubble? Just look at this! How am I supposed to uplift my people if this is what I have to work with?” Her voice steadily rose in volume the more she spoke, until she was practically yelling when she swept her arm to the window showcasing Republic City’s destroyed buildings. 

The adrenaline rushing through your body begins to drown out all hopes of rational thought and speech. You find yourself raising your voice to match your lover’s anger. “Kuvira, I thought this is what you wanted. You wanted to tear out the old and bring in the new. That’s all you ever talked about when we were campaigning. Why are you changing your mind now?” 

“For fuck’s sake, don’t you see? You even said it yourself! It’s a tragedy that the Avatar and my ex-fiancé and all these other people are gone.” Kuvira’s eyes flash dangerously with seething rage. “Why did I make other people pay for my hopes and dreams for the Earth Empire? I dethroned Prince Wu and ridiculed him in front of the whole world, I threatened to let people die if they didn’t join me, I forced Varrick to build a weapon of mass destruction, I destroyed the most spiritual and sacred tree in the Foggy Swamp for the sake of violence, I didn’t hesitate to put dissenters in reeducation camps to be brainwashed and dehumanized.” She takes a ragged breath before bellowing “I murdered people with my spirit cannon. Why didn’t you fucking stop me, Y/N?”

Your voice reaches a shrill pitch as you hurl back your rebuttal. “I didn’t stop you because this is what you wanted,” pointing an accusing finger towards Kuvira to accentuate your points. “You’re charismatic enough to make other people agree with you. You convinced yourself you were doing this for everyone else’s good, and you convinced me, too. Don’t you remember? This is for the best. No one stopped you because you locked yourself in an echo chamber filled with people that agreed with your plans. And when someone did have the courage to speak up, you sent them to reeducation camps, threatened their lives, or outright killed them.” 

“So you think this is my fault?” Kuvira takes an intimidating step towards you and looks down upon you threateningly. Her voice drops to a dangerously low growl. “Me? This is all me?” 

“Now it’s your turn to stop being dense, Kuvira. You just admitted that you thought winning would be different and you just gave a guilt-ridden speech about making other people pay for your mistakes. Open your damn eyes!” 

Kuvira abruptly pivots her body away from you and takes several steps back. “You are dismissed, soldier,” she whispered in a cold voice as unyielding as steel. She resumed looking out the window with her arms behind her back. 

“Seriously, Kuvira?” you moan. “You can’t just push me away like that when you’re so close to realizing the truth. Why don’t you listen to me? Why don’t you listen to yourself?” You cautiously take a step closer before she whips around and metalbends a fragment of her shoulder plate in your general direction which misses your face by a mere hairsbreadth. Your body freezes as your mind races to comprehend that Kuvira would dare threaten your safety. 

“Leave me, Y/N.” Kuvira refuses to look at you.

You stand motionless for a moment that stretches on for an eternity as your eyes overflow with bitter tears. The cockpit’s door slams loud enough to reverberate throughout the mecha suit as you plod your way down to the nearest exit and catch a ferry to Kuvira’s base of operations on Air Temple Island, knowing she would meet you there when she was ready to be calm and civilized. The whole time you spent traveling from the giant mecha to Republic City’s docks, throngs of weary-eyed refugees peeking behind piles of rubble plagued your sights. Thankfully, the two bodyguards escorting you to the personal quarters you shared with Kuvira kept the masses at bay, but the stark reality of so many war-torn people suffering from the conflict infected your guilty conscience. You roughly dismissed your bodyguards once you set foot on the Island and wasted no time briskly marching to your shared bedroom. You hoped the evening’s darkness masked the silent tears flowing down your cheeks. 

 Your nightmares consisted of petrified throngs of innocent people fleeing Kuvira’s army. Exhausted bodies toiling away in reeducation camps. The terror etched upon soldiers’ faces as Kuvira intimidated them with violence. And finally, a vision of what you imagined Baatar’s, Korra’s, and the rest of Team Avatar’s last moments on earth must’ve been like before an overpowering purple light burned their bodies out of existence. 

You jolted upright in bed drenched in a cold sweat and gasping for air. “Fuck,” you stammered under your breath over and over. “Fucking fuckity fuck. Kuvira really did convince me that everything was for the best, didn’t she?” You didn’t want to believe it at first, but the nagging voice lingering somewhere in your head relentlessly reminded you that this destruction wasn’t worth thousands upon thousands of ruined lives. 

Your only job in the Earth Empire’s army was to help expedite the political and legal process of unifying a country. If your position was relatively peaceful and bloodless, you couldn’t begin to imagine Kuvira’s guilt about orchestrating this three year long operation. How am I supposed to convince Kuvira to see the light? you pondered. She was so close to realizing it before she snapped at me. Maybe I can talk to her again and—

An abrupt knocking shook you out of your thoughts. I thought I told those guards to leave me alone. You shuffled to the door and slid it open, half expecting for it to be another diplomat’s messenger begging for you to revise this oh-so-important legal paperwork that couldn’t possibly wait until morning, until you looked up and saw Kuvira slouched against the doorframe. Her chocolate-colored hair cascaded about her shoulders, and her uniform was rumpled from head to toe. You could count on one hand the number of times Kuvira allowed herself to look this haggard, and frankly, the fact that she looked this way hours after your fight in the cockpit led you to believe that maybe she had taken your advice seriously. 

“Kuvira?” you gasped.

“Y/N,” she mumbled feebly. “I’m sorry. I know you probably don’t want to see me after how I reacted, but I don’t know where else to go.” Her voice quavered. “I don’t have anyone else who I can trust with these feelings that are eating me up inside, and I thought maybe you could…” her sentence trailed off unfinished. “Before you left, you mentioned that you knew all of this,” she gestured vaguely at the surrounding area, “was wrong, but I convinced you that it was okay, and I convinced myself that it was okay too, but now I realize that it’s wrong and for fuck’s sake I don’t know what to do about it now.” The last of her strength escaped her body and she crumpled to the floor in a heap of unrestrained sobbing.

Swooping down to the floor alongside her, you promptly wrapped your arms around her shoulders and nestled her into your embrace. Whatever animosity you felt because of how she shooed you out of the cockpit had dissipated. Your fingers threaded themselves into the locks of her hair as you whispered soothing words. 

 “I’m so sorry I pulled the entire world down with me. I’m so sorry I ruined nearly everyone’s life.” The full force of her words bubbled out of her mouth uninhibited by her previous attempts of restraint. She couldn’t stop talking now if she tried. “I saw how hopeless my nation was after it descended into lawlessness. I was willing to pay the ultimate price to nurture it into something stronger than ever before, but I didn’t realize I had no authority to take away other people’s autonomy. I had no right to take lives, no right to let people suffer when I didn’t get what I wanted, no right to let people starve on the streets if a state didn’t join the Empire, no right to usurp power, no right to throw the entire world out of balance by murdering the Avatar just to achieve my vision.” She buries her face into your nightshirt before choking out her final sentences. “I’m so sorry I pulled you down with me, Y/N. I especially didn’t want to threaten you the way I did earlier. You’re the last person I ever want to hurt.” 

You feel that Kuvira’s sorrow is rather misplaced. She shouldn’t be entirely apologizing to you, but rather to the whole world and everyone whom’s lives she changed for the worse. But now is not the time to object to her apology. For now, you let her weep into your chest for several minutes until her tears subside and her body stops trembling.

After her emotions have stabilized somewhat, you help your lover stand on her feet and guide her to the edge of the mattress. You gently work out the knots in her hair using your fingers and begin to strip the layers of her uniform off her body. She tries protesting by claiming that she’s perfectly capable of doing it herself, but you discourage her by pressing a finger to her lips and muttering “you’ve had a rough day in more ways than one. Let me help you get ready for bed.” Once you’ve helped her don her nightclothes, you stretched yourself out on the bedsheets and gently pulled her into your protective embrace once more. 

Several minutes of silence pass like this, Kuvira curled up flush against your body, before you felt it was safe to express your thoughts about her confession. “Kuvira, I appreciate you apologizing to me, but I’m not the only person you should be apologizing to. Telling me you’re sorry isn’t going to absolve all of your guilt.” 

“I know,” she said. “I know I have a long journey ahead of me, but you were the first person I felt I needed to apologize to before I kept going.” 

“I say this with love, but I think you owe an apology to the entire world. You can’t keep living in guilt like this.” 

Kuvira pauses briefly before saying “I don’t think I could live with myself if I keep being the Great Uniter. The position I created for myself carries too much blood and suffering.” 

“Does that mean you’re going to stop being the Great Uniter?” 

“I think I’m going to convene with all the major world leaders. Raiko is still around somewhere, and so is Prince Wu, Tenzin, the Beifongs, Fire Lord Izumi. I still want the country to be modernized like the rest of the world, but I think it’s best if they take the reins. I don’t think they’d appreciate me doing the work after how I’ve hurt everyone. I’ll arrange a speech announcing my decision to permanently step down. And then,” she takes a shaky breath, “I’ll happily walk into a courtroom and accept whatever punishment the law deems fit.”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to take such a drastic decision so quickly, but I’m glad you did. I’m not blameless either, Kuvira. I’m sorry for enabling you. I hope I can make up for it by being with you every step of the way.”

An unamused grin creeps upon Kuvira’s face. “Even if it means we’ll go to prison together?”

“Especially if it means we go to prison together,” you chided. “How else would I keep you company? I wouldn’t leave you all by yourself. Maybe we can be cellmates.” Her face is still marred red-rimmed eyes and a slight scowl. If you dared to tickle her, she might crack a genuine smile for the first time since Republic City fell. 

You dig your fingers into Kuvira’s side, eliciting a sharp yelp from her before she’s overcome by a fit of giggles. The sound of Kuvira’s mirth is a treat she rarely shares with anyone, especially since she shouldered this massive enterprise. Who knows when you’d ever get to hear or see her happy like this?

A fraction of the tension in her body has melted away after her laughter subsides. “Thank you sincerely. Your support is priceless, and so is your humor.” She snuggles closer into your body before murmuring “I love you, Y/N” into your shoulder. 

“I love you too,” you whispered before you both drifted off to sleep. The peace between you and Kuvira would be radically different, if not uncertain, by the time she calls upon the world leaders and steps down. For at least this one silent night, you can cherish your last few moments of freedom together with her.

[iturbide]

the fact that edelgard is the villain in 3/4 routes and yet intsys STILL glorifies her to no end enrages and annoys me. no other villain has been given that perspective of “well actually maybe they arent so bad” except for the hypocritical tyrant. even when she has *literally become an inhuman monster* intsys is still like “oh no dont worry she was right actually!” and it upsets me deeply

It upsets me, too, friend.  IntSys seems to really like glorifying people who don’t deserve it, especially in recent games (Walhart in Awakening, Rudolf in Echoes -- I can’t say if his whole ‘orchestrating a plan to have his son murder him’ thing is carry-over from Gaiden or not, but it definitely exists in the recent remake so I’m including it), but Edelgard actually ends up as a bit of a weird case. 

(I have a lot of thoughts about this, so I’m just going to cut preemptively.)

Now, I’m actually not opposed to Edelgard being the protagonist of the fourth route in Three Houses.  Anyone who’s been here a while knows that I generally see Grima, a figure that IntSys generally tries to paint as a rote villain, as at least a sympathetic villain (and possibly even a secret hero in the events of Awakening itself); it’s entirely possible for someone that’s a villain in most of their appearances to have legitimate reasons for what they’re doing and why, and revealing that in their personal route could be incredibly powerful if done well. 

And here’s the thing: Edelgard really is a compelling character, in large part because of her moral ambiguity.  I actually agree with her when she says that the Church of Seiros is corrupt at its core and the system needs to change.  She’s right about that!  While Seiros might have had decent reasons for establishing things this way, over the past thousand years human societies have changed while the church itself remained stagnant -- something potentially exacerbated by her selfish ambition to restore her mother -- and this has led to a structure that once served an important purpose becoming a toxic and destructive mess for humanity at large.  Edelgard has a completely valid point there, and it’s something that I could absolutely get on board with if she had gone about achieving change in some other way, because she does have other methods available to her that she writes off without real reason -- and even that can relate back in part to her deep trauma and difficulty trusting people after the betrayals she faced at the hands of her “uncle” and her own father’s powerlessness to stop the nightmare she and her siblings suffered through. 

IntSys probably could have crafted a narrative that showed from her perspective why she believed war against the Church was the only valid option available to her.  The issue is that she undercuts her own argument by targeting all of Fodlan, rather than specifically going after the Church: she doesn’t give the Kingdom and Alliance a “stay out of my way or else” warning, she literally turns her sights on the Kingdom as soon as the monastery falls and attempts to fully annex it once Cornelia sets up Dimitri’s fall, leaving the Alliance only because she has her hands full with Faerghus.  She didn’t have to take Cornelia up on her offer of making the Kingdom into the Dukedom of Faerghus and sending troops to finish the job: she could have just left the woman to her own devices, forcing the Twisted to utilize their own people to maintain and secure full control of the region while she worked on addressing the systemic issues, which would have had multiple benefits:

The Imperial Army doesn’t get overwhelmed and exhausted fighting in conditions they’re not equipped to deal with, leaving them stronger overall while the Twisted forces are potentially weakened by the same

Hubert is able to better assess the threat they’re dealing with, including learning their capabilities and possibly even where they’re coming from before Merceus

Edelgard actually puts her money where her mouth is and ends up helping the people she claims to be doing this for, rather than just using them as fodder for the war to grind up

Unfortunately, the way she’s written ends up just making her an imperialist.  She’s not just going after the corrupt core of the Church, she’s trying to forcibly unite the continent and return Fodlan to some long gone ideal where it was all united under the Imperial banner because she refuses to believe that Adrestia could have split by natural causes.

Crimson Flower ultimately ends up being a particularly egregious example of this glorification phenomenon in action because they give her a personal route that makes no effort to critically examine her actions and make her face consequences for them.  This, I think, does her a massive disservice as a character, because that aforementioned moral ambiguity that makes her so interesting could have been utilized to great effect -- and the proof is actually there already, because they do it in Dimitri’s route.

Dimitri is himself another interesting character, and outwardly presents as Edelgard’s polar opposite: he recognizes that he doesn’t have all the answers, struggles to figure out the correct course of action when presented with difficult subjects that have  no clear-cut answer -- like the fact that reliance on the Crest system is toxic for noble families, but it’s those very Crest-bearers and their Relics that help keep Faerghus safe from invasion by Sreng -- possesses incredible strength but specifically refrains using it in most cases to avoid harming others, and generally takes everyone’s problems onto himself to his own detriment.  He’s also deeply traumatized and was never given a chance to deal with it in a healthy manner, which contributes to how he snaps -- and Azure Moon starts with Dimitri being so far out of reach that you can’t unlock any of his supports and can’t even engage with him in the weekly discussions.  He’s lost himself to his survivor’s guilt and need for vengeance, considers himself to be nothing more than a monster, and has no qualms about killing if it helps advance his quest; as the story progresses, he faces a direct consequence for this murderous inclination in the form of Fleche who attempts to exact vengeance for her brother’s sake in the same way that he’s attempting to claim it for his family and friends -- only to lose Rodrigue, and have his dying words be a plea for Dimitri to live for himself rather than those who died before him, at which point Dimitri sets his sights on opposing Edelgard rather than killing her and seeing to atone for the crimes he committed.  While I think the game made the change a little too abrupt, it’s handled well overall, and shows a real development arc complete with both actions and their associated consequences that directly relate to Dimitri’s growth as a person.

Contrast this to Edelgard in general and Crimson Flower as a route.  Edelgard believes that she has all the answers despite not trying to engage with anyone outside her own House, decisively chooses what she believes to be the right and proper course of action regardless of how difficult the subject matter, possesses great strength (both physically and of sheer will) that she uses to dominate others, and forces others to join her in addressing what she sees as problems -- such as her line about making her own people into “worthy sacrifices” for her “higher cause.”  Crimson Flower is the only route where her attack on the monastery fails to capture Rhea, but once Byleth returns she sets her sights on attacking and subjugating a territory that has remained entirely neutral through the past five years, turns on the Twisted while she’s still in a vulnerable position which ultimately causes the deaths of at least a third of the forces she left at Arianrhod once they fire their warning shot, lies to her friends and allies about what happened there, murders her step-brother, and allows a city full of trapped civilians to burn unchecked while she deals with what she considers to be the “real” threat on the opposite side of the Faerghus capital -- and all of this is capped off with her never dealing with the Twisted, and cute little endcards that talk about how everything worked out fine and there were no problems ever, The End.  Edelgard doesn’t get a development arc in her route: she’s never challenged, she never faces real consequences (and the one she does face she literally lies about to her friends and then leaves as a problem to deal with later), and she pretty much ends the game exactly where she started it: completely assured that she made the right choices.  The moral ambiguity inherent in her character is instead cast as “of course she’s in the right, she’s so great and there’s nothing at all wrong with what she’s doing or how she’s going about it, isn’t she wonderful?”

At least in the main game, Hegemon Husk Edelgard is treated with real gravity, shown as the pinnacle of her drive to see her ambition come to fruition and the tragic consequence of her inability to change course and find another path.  The Forging Bonds event just takes the CF brush and paints her actions as the right ones, even though what made her so compelling is that her reasons were right while her methods were horrific.  Edelgard really could have been wonderful.  The potential is right there in her character.  But IntSys completely botched the execution of it, so that her route feels rushed, incomplete, and at best unsatisfying (or, if you’re me, utterly disgusting for how it glorifies imperialistic conquest), and her Heroes appearances only make it worse.