#not necessarily what would be objectively best for the show

[wildeoscars]

Excerpts from 20 Questions: Eric Bogosian

Playboy, July 1991

The raging monologist who gave us “talk radio” raps about street life, horny guys and the redemptive joys of gardening.

Playboy: Your characters plead, cajole, threaten, offer skewed insights, and exhibit paranoia. Is your stage act a cry for help?

Bogosian: I need to solve my own personal problems. I know nowhere to look other than to myself, so I look at my own questionable traits. And then I personify them in a character. Early in my career, I spent a lot of time on things that had to do with sex, because I wanted to have better relationships with women. FunHouse was about pure, unadulterated fear, because at that point, I was just freaked out. My wife, Joann, and I were impoverished; we lived in this tiny apartment. Drinking in America, written when I became more successful, was about a hunger for power and success. Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll asks, How do you live when all you know how to do is party?

Playboy: You honed your performance style in New York’s downtown art scene. Was it easier and cheaper than enrolling in drama school?

Bogosian: The downtown scene allowed me to walk out on stage every night and say and do whatever I wanted. I would go out and insult the shit out of the audience. There were nights when I took all my clothes off. I had fights with the audience. The best thing about the scene was that we were making our work and having a good time entertaining one another. I would perform in front of audiences that were guaranteed smart and hip. They didn’t care whether or not I was doing something right, like some acting teacher had taught me. They would tell me whether or not they got it. I was performing loud, nasty, insulting stuff.

Playboy: Does The Stud, your monolog about one man’s extraordinary endowment, reflect your own desire for a larger penis?

Bogosian: I was taking a pee one day and I looked down and wished I had an eight-inch dick. You’re going to quote me on that. Don’t quote me on that. It’s part of men’s fascination with themselves. I wanted to take something out of the back room of male mentality and stick it right out in front of everybody. The Stud is one of my oldest pieces. Doing things about giant dicks is not that far out at the moment. There are probably twenty comics out there doing dick things. But when I started ten years ago, it was extremely embarrassing for men in the audience; they’d sit there with their hands folded over their crotches, not laughing, and the women would be laughing their guts out and the men would be getting angry. I thought it was great stuff going on between people in the theater.

Playboy: Horny guys populate your monologs. Do you claim special knowledge of America’s testosterone level?

Bogosian: I’m very average in what I want. And my desires point me towards centerfold models as the ultimate, the ultimate, the ultimate. The ultimate accomplishment in my sexual life would be to ball a centerfold model. For a pretty girl with large breasts to be the object of delight to millions of red-blooded American men is perfectly normal. Nothing wrong with that. Guys get horny and need to focus on something. Large breasts are great. A large breast is a lovely thing at a particular moment. But as I become old and wise, I think the really important thing is being oriented towards something and understanding that you don’t necessarily have to have the thing to enjoy the thing. I happen to be in love with a woman who has medium-sized breasts.

Playboy: You are synonymous with the downtown New York scene. Do you dream crossover dreams?

Bogosian: At this time, I don’t think I’m going to show up as some kind of box office attraction. But you never know. I’d like to be a star. There’s always the challenge, especially when you’re surrounded by agents and producers, to see if you can really catch the gold ring. Can I fill Madison Square Garden? Can I go on Johnny and do a killer five minutes? I can’t imagine getting on Letterman, people would watch and say they knew what I was doing: This guy plays thugs from New Jersey and subway panhandlers. They wouldn’t see the irony; it would be like I’m just making cruel fun on these guys. I need an audience to be with me for a little while.

Playboy: You’ve bought a house in New Jersey. Will crab grass begin to crop up in your monologs?

Bogosian: It has already. I did a monolog called Normal Guy. I like gardening a lot. Gardening gets me real mellow. I grow twenty-five kinds of vegetables, and when I’m lucky, like last summer, a lot of things come up very nicely. I grow lettuce and beets and carrots and different varieties of cucumbers. I grow different varieties of corn and tomatoes and squash and pumpkins and peppers and okra and all kinds of neat stuff. And early in August, you get to a point where everything you’re eating that night at dinner was grown in your own garden. That’s nice. However, when you garden, you find out that in order to get your vegetables to look good, you have to kill everything within a hundred yards: animals, plants, and little insects. And you realize that after you do all that, you still end up with this gnarled little carrot. Then you go to the supermarket and you get this perfect carrot and you wonder, What are they killing to make these?

Playboy: One of your characters defines being civilized as sitting on a couch with a babe, watching TV, eating clam dip on a ripple potato chip, smoking joints, snorting coke–and swilling bourbon, beer and champagne. What’s your vision of the civilized life?

Bogosian: In New Jersey, we have a fireplace and we’re very, very civilized. I’m sitting on the couch and the fire is going and snow is falling outside and I’m reading a pulp novel by Stephen King. Being over thirty-five, there’s no question that there is a vibe in me that’s moving toward a Stratolounger with a bowl of potato chips and a cable TV with a channel selector. I will fight that tooth and nail. It scares me. I like middle-class life. I don’t think it’s a sin to be middle class. I don’t have to be mainstream to be comfortable. I’ve spent time with Frank Zappa, and he has a very normal, middle-class existence. He’s a daddy and has a whole family and they have pizza for lunch and they have pets and it’s a very normal life. But he’s not mainstream and never will be.

[bulbabutt]

okay. lets bite the bullet and talk about 2012. lets talk about child abuse, familial abuse, generational abuse, toxic family units, whatever you wanna call it. lets talk about it and whether it exists in this show. i actually encourage you to read this no matter what your take is, just to hear it out. let me be FUCKING clear: i love this show, but i get scared to talk about it seriously. everyone on every side is defensive all the time but i love every turtles show to no end.

this post is going to go over so well and not controversially at all.

precursor: every splinter is some level of shitty dad. he always has been. the fucking bare bones of the character is that he raised his children to kill the man who killed his own father. thats inherently fucked up. every splinter has some level of fucked up about him. maybe hes inattentive, or neglectful, or strict, or secretive, maybe hes just not very good at dealing with his kids. splinter is supposed to be far from perfect. thats what makes him splinter. maybe he grows over the course of a series, maybe he doesnt. maybe hes supposed to be shitty his whole life, maybe hes not. thats just splinter. each is adapted differently depending on the story being told.

and 2012 has a very interesting tone to its story.

lets start at the beginning, back in japan. this is season 3, was this story what they intended when they started writing the show back in season 1? probably not, theres probably things they would have written differently had they known this was where splinter's story started. thats kind of the way tv works, you add the details later. but for our sake of analyzing the character of splinter as a whole, it seems best to start here as if its all intentional.

hamato yoshi is a member of the hamato clan. theyre a very traditional old ninja clan in the modern world, they have old feuds and theyre trying to keep their culture alive. they're literally the last of a clan of ninjas like this, having (supposedly) defeated the foot clan (their generational enemies) back when yoshi was a baby. hes set out to lead next, and its very important to him. and yet hes married to a woman who works in the city, a modern woman who doesnt live the life he does. she even moved to be with him. i feel the need to compare this to how men in the real world who want traditional wives never go for women who are willing to be their housewives, always try to break down the independent ones. splinter seems unconcerned with how his wife wants to live. with how she wants their daughter to be raised.

im not necessarily saying this is how this comes off in the show, but i find it interesting to think about. this is absolutely the most rounded version of tang shen as a character (thus far) it stops her being just a name on a page "hamato yoshi's love and the object of his enemies affections who died" and turns her into a woman who has a stake in the story. gives her more agency.

its very interesting that this show implies an actual relationship between tang shen and oroku saki, albeit a one-sided one that didnt work out, but they do seem to have parted on equal ground. the pair of them discuss yoshi's inattentive duties as a husband and father, that he's too obsessed with the tradition and lineage of his clan. honestly, if this woman just took her baby and left no one would blame her! he has his priorities set, and it leaves no room for her and their newborn baby. if she ran away with saki at this point, the story would make just as much sense.

but then disaster strikes, saki learns the truth about his family, that he was actually a child of the foot clan (honestly i wish we saw this play out instead of jumping ahead in the story but thats not what this post is about) and he kills he and yoshi's father. revenge for him having killed his. cycles of abuse and revenge that never end. the pair of them were raised in this society that values lineage like this, that would kill for it. its no wonder they both grew up this way.

anyway, tang shen is killed by a blow meant for yoshi, and saki takes their child and raises her. based on splinter's lack of desire to be a father so far in the story, its honestly not one you can blame him for. its fucked up, but it makes sense. saki does to miwa exactly what his father did to him. cycles of abuse and revenge.

yoshi loses everything, and moves to america. he's turned into splinter the mutant rat, and gains four turtle sons.

so as established, he's not exactly grown up with a stable family life. he obviously, while human, wasnt acting as a stable father for the child he intended to have. so how good is he at this?

ive talked before about how the 2003 show treats the turtles as kind of one whole unit. they don't have individual relationship arcs, they dont have overarching storylines where they grow apart or closer, they're always in each other's corner.

2012 makes this more dynamic. here we see that 15 years seeing no one but each other, growing under this splinter has come with its own quirks. these brothers dont understand each other that well. they get jealous of each others treatment, some are left out, some are misunderstood. raph resents leo, none of them appreciate what donnie does, mikey bothers everyone else for attention, etc. it creates a really good starting place for this show.

(the issue i have with this show is more that they never really open or close any of these beats, at least not in ways that last. but boy does it make for some good dramatic scenes)

we see over the course of this first season that splinter treats his children just as he was, as little ninjas more so than sons. he raises them to follow his traditions, the ones tang shen never cared for. but this is all he knows how to be! you cant really blame him.

most people bring up mikey as the quintessential example when they talk about this, i dont want to do that cuz i know you've all heard it. while i think his father does disrespect him and i think it is paid forward and his brothers do too, i'd rather talk about raph for a change.

in one episode, raph loses his temper. to teach him a lesson, splinter makes his brothers pelt him in training while insulting him any way they can, and tells him to just... not lose his temper. this is a terrible lesson in general. instead of trying to coax out why he might be angry, it just plays up that if he loses his temper bad things happen.

splinter in this episode basically encourages bullying. this comes up a lot when it comes to raph. to compare, in 2003 when raph loses his temper, hes told to blow off steam which he does. his brothers don't blame him for having emotional outbursts, they know thats just how he is so they know how he needs to cope with it. he's given the physical space to let it out.

im not saying this show needs to be like that show, im just saying thats a version of this story where the outcome is better for raph as a whole. since this outcome is not as good for him emotionally, you can tell why he's still got these emotional issues. splinter never helps him more than that. thats more why this raph differs from that one, if that makes sense. one has his family in his corner more than the other.

speaking of. raph has a pet turtle. this turtle is the only one he can talk to about how he feels. why might that be? it's the only thing hes kind and gentle to, and he refuses to let his brothers make him feel weak for being kind to it. where did he learn to be ashamed of being kind and gentle? thats a learned behaviour. in a house full of other men... yeah, that would happen. but whos values start that?

when this turtle gets some mutagen spilled on it, it tries to get revenge on his family. there is such a resentment going on here, its extremely juicy. the show chalks this up to "post mutation insanity", but its just as easy to think that everything raph has experienced has made him seem angry and resentful and perhaps scared to his pet, and that former pet wants raph to himself so they can be free. the frustrated venting of a child complaining about how no one understands him in such a big way turns slash into a vengeful monster, cuz thats all he's ever heard. it makes sense, he went from a little turtle to a fully cognizant adult aged being in an instant. emotionally no one would handle that well, and definitely not someone whos only ever heard the worst about people.

he comes around later. notably by being on his own, away from the hamatos.

again, im not saying the show is writing this intentionally, but i think tonally its in the zone where you could see this analysis as being canon. that these little pieces of narrative fit the worldview of a toxic family unit that isnt dealing with its problems in a healthy way.

there's other small aspects. leo slaps mikey early on, having seen it on his favourite show be used as a way of getting someone to calm down. mikey questions this behaviour, leo seems to feel bad about it when questioned. if we know that that behaviour was bad, what other things might he emulate in a similar way?

there's things like donnie's predatory behaviour towards april. in a world where all they ever knew was splinter's stories of the outside world (and perhaps television from decades earlier), hearing splinter's story of his love for tang shen, his rivalry with his own brother over her, you could actually see why he would behave the way he does, why he claims her the way he does. not as an excuse, but as a reason he learned the behaviour. and there's multiple opportunities for his father to tell him off. he never does. why would he? he knows no better.

this splinter, unlike every other, is not old or disabled. he doesnt require a cane (at the start, but also was never a good cane) and its interesting that despite being like... a 40 year old man in the peak of his life he does not accompany his sons on missions. he sits around doing nothing and disproves of his sons heroic actions. april literally calls him out for this at one point. the show is actually telling us some of this man's behaviour is wrong.

one of the more upsetting things that happens in this household is a lot of physical hitting. "theyre training" you might say. understandable. but when you see a lot of hitting come from the father in this show, played for a laugh, when you see splinter play the "drunk master" bit it makes you think. is that okay? isnt that a bit much?

the end of the muckman episode is a freeze frame of splinter (after having knocked out all of his sons to punish them for leaving while grounded) turning his anger on april and her running away. idk thats just not funny to me. this is a bit of the dating of the show, 2012 was a time where character's in shows were meaner, less affectionate, more bullying in nature. that was the sense of humour at the time. that isnt me making a judgment, it's just kind of the era. a pre steven universe world, if that makes sense. so many of the jokes that end in a hit aren't funny in 2024. especially not when they come from a parent.

when this splinter speaks about his kids to their brothers he often ends up insulting them. "you should be like mikey, he never overthinks because he doesn't think", this would be a big reason the boys speak about each other the way they do to their faces. puts forward a bit more of that bullying thing i mentioned earlier. if their own father talks about them like this, of course their brothers do too. so of course they join in and give payback.

again. splinter wasnt raised in a normal family. he was raised in a ninja commune with a bunch of murderers. he wasn't great with his wife and baby daughter. its not surprising that he's bad at this.

so, ive just said a bunch of things about what's wrong with this household as a whole. i think ive explained why the family unit behaves the way it does: generational teachings of feuds and traditional values. i dont think this makes the show bad! i, in fact, wish there was more of it. i think theres so much low hanging fruit that the show kind of wants to play with, but cant fully bring itself to.

specific example: during the space arc on a planet thats driving all the characters emotions against each other we get this amazing scene where raph screams at leo for being splinter's favourite. leo responds by hugging him. its really well done!

however its never brought up again, never actually getting into the nitty gritty of why raph feels like that is exactly what i think makes this show resonate with so many people

its dark! it pulls at your heart strings! it makes people feel seen! we go in mikey's head at one point and see such splintered (lol) personalities in his head. he has a huge anger problem (much like raph) in there. he retreats into imagination land when stressed. the show kind of toys with "these kids are fucked up!" but never lets those character moments go anywhere. i love how fucked up this family is. its so complex, it feels real. at least real to me. i wish it went that little step further and let the characters talk about these things a little more.

maybe you have a different experience, and thats fine! but i wouldnt brush off people like me who look at 2012 and say "these dynamics make me uncomfortable". to excuse it by saying "my family is like that and we're fine" sometimes i just wanna say... <:/ are you? have you talked about that? and if that's your read on it is that its fine, thats great. but some people notice patterns and those patterns can make them uncomfortable. i hope ive explained the patterns here.

i think thats why the fandom is as big as it is. this show would lead to the most amazing deep introspective fan-works youve ever seen, it lays the pieces out so perfectly for you to draw your own conclusions about why they are this way. you cant really blame people for talking about it as if its got a way higher rating than it does. it feels like it does.

i should say, i dont even know if i blame the show on its own for leaving those pieces laying there, it was on nickelodeon. i sense studio meddling in the tone. i mean, given that the show wanted to end with the big mutant apocalypse storyline, and yet the network wanted to end it with the big 87 crossover..... yeah i think its safe to say nick would rather they keep it light.

which is funny, because i think the most controversial thing i can say is i personally love the finale arc as the mutant apocalypse. it so encapsulates my favorite part of this show. to end this show in the darkest timeline and say "even though these characters are so far removed from who they used to be and even though the entire world is over they still have each other in the end" and i find that so perfect.

so. i understand that this is always a touchy topic. i know people want to brush it off as "people say the 12 brothers are abusive to mikey but mikey is fine", and i think thats a really skewed version of it from both sides. first of all. mikey is not fine, look in that boys head. look how he copes. he's not. but also, mikey is not the only victim. they all are. these turtles are victims of their upbringing, victims of generational war. of men who didnt know how to be good fathers in the first place. and thats good writing! it feels deep! it connects!

for more context: any fucked up way you can think of karai being raised by shredder? its probably the same way here. splinter and shredder were raised the same way.

i guess i think about this a lot, cuz i always see things like "oh, rise fans write crossovers where the rise boys love each other and have to teach the 12 boys how to be nice cuz they dont like 2012!" and i just think to myself:

guys. do you understand why a person might do that? why would someone (likely a teenager) want 2012 mikey to be treated nicely by a kinder more openly affectionate version of his own family? do i need to spell that out for you? why do we connect with media at all, why do we write our own stories about it?

if you genuinely dont. i mean, im glad for you. but sometimes you wanna imagine a world in which your own family is more openly affectionate with you. where they hug and tell you theyre proud and love you and you never have to question it, never have to look elsewhere for that kind of approval. its less that they're idolizing rise, and more that they're looking at the two families and saying "this one is emotionally mature and in touch with their feelings more than that one. how would that play out?"

doctor feelings ass response.

look, im not saying everyone understands 2012, that everyone likes or needs to like it. im just trying to say that i think these fucked up parts of 2012 are all around my favourite parts of the show. its an inspiring story about this fucked up little family that has no one but each other, and they're not great about it. they try, but they don't always get it right. i just wish the show would have talked about that part more. but i think that since it doesnt people get to fill in those blanks themselves, and they do it so beautifully. and i really wish people on the internet would be more kind to one another when they wanted to discuss these darker themes they find in it.

these are the reasons i love this show. i think its so very interesting that splinter dies this fucked up father figure who never really apologized for his behaviour. i like that raph needs to be held to stop punching his brothers. that leo doesnt have a good grip on what it is to be a leader, that he tries bad ways of doing it. i like that no one copes well! i like that their relationships are so complex! this show is messy! its good! i wish it was more messy!

and id love if we could be more honest about these things and how they make us feel instead of just brushing each other off as "likes the show" or "doesnt like the show". the things that make me uncomfortable are why i love this show and i'm pretty sure i'm not alone there.

[fatcatlittlebox]

I think a lot about the first time Halbrand watched Galadriel fall. How afterwards, he held onto that rope to save her life and how he has held it since. Then she fell again, off the cliff and away from him. He watched their thread and his future unravel in front of him but still he held fast. And I think the impact of that was what she felt more than anything else. She felt it and then she awoke. Of all the things he has done, he has always had that ability. He awakens her. And yet he doesn't pass judgement on what that power would or could do.

The idea of threads and strings is a prevalent one in TROP. First, with the rope that bound Galadriel on the raft, then again with the image of the puppet in her likeness. At first glance, this looks like an ominous allusion to Sauron being a puppet master. Yet upon closer examination, I don't think it is. The best way to interpret these visual clues is to usually look at the preceding scene.

In this case, it is a disagreement about destiny and fate between Nori and Marigold. And the Stranger, after eavesdropping, stays silent and looks up questioningly, as if to stare at the stars or gods -- whoever is pulling the strings. The next scene shows three puppets. Sauron is one of them. And three sets of hands. Sauron is not the actual puppeteer. I think this scene is symbolic of the Three Fates instead. And I love the idea that it is not yet clear to the audience and even the characters themselves who is actually in control. Is this all Sauron’s design? Or are these threads unspooling and unraveling as they were always meant to?

This image comes up again when Galadriel compares herself to a harp, a stringed instrument, being played. This is a great insight into what she feels. The threads that keep them together do not make her feel entrapped or ensnared. They make her feel music. She feels Sauron playing that string, pulling the thread between them taut. It resonates. And music, as anyone familiar with the lore of Tolkien, is creative. It is life. Their bond is creating something and they aren’t even aware of it. Their threads are weaving into a greater tapestry.

Furthermore, it’s interesting and important to note that despite being bound in such a way, Sauron has not and never will use that thread as a leash. Yes, Sauron used the crown of Morgoth upon her. But he remembers what it was like to be lured and brought to heel by Morgoth and he never does that to Galadriel.

Galadriel will not be kept low. Not by him. How tempting that must be for an ancient and powerful entity obsessed with dominating the world? How different he is from his former master. Because think about it. In this vision he shared with Galadriel, she was at his side, shoulder to shoulder. I think that's important to note if we're looking for signs or symbols that Sauron was manipulating her. In fact, their bodies are turned towards each other suggesting intimacy and synchrony. And while some may say this was also an insincere ploy, I don't believe so. He wants her to be at his side. It shows even in the way he fights. In the heat of combat, he always treats it as a duel of equals.

In fact, whenever they are fighting, he never keeps her down. Even if he knocks her over or if she falls (which was a lot) he waits for her to bring herself back up. Every time. Shoulder to shoulder and face to face.

Which should be contrasted with what happens with her elven peers. Time and time again, she was held back. She was exiled to Valinor, doubted by her regiment, demoted and made to be supervised by Elrond. And even though they use words of loyalty and trust, it is all conditional. This is not necessarily through any fault or lack of wisdom on their part, from an objective point of view. But I like to think about how frustrating that is for Galadriel. Morfydd has talked repeatedly about how lonely and isolated her character often feels. She is put on a pedestal where she is celebrated for her light and power, only to be knocked down from it time and time again. Being alone in the light can sometimes make you feel exposed, vulnerable, scrutinized. You cannot falter. You cannot have a shadow of doubt or weakness. And then there is Sauron. Alone in his darkness. What must that feel like? A different kind of solitude, I think. He also once basked in the light and adulation. Now he is treated as an abomination, undesirable and abhorred. Sometimes worse. In Numenor, he was underestimated and humbled. He was bloodied and brought low again. This time by mortal men. Except he is not shunned entirely. Galadriel comes back. She takes that thread that intertwines them and follows her way back to him. And look at Halbrand -- he's clutching the rope of his necklace tight, as if he's tugging on that string (clever right?)

Then we have the scene where he is Adar's captive. He is alone, with nothing but time to contemplate the moments he's been in this position before: forgotten and cast out. He remembers being betrayed, slain and left in the chilling darkness. Countless years he spent like this. And then there was light, Galadriel. She is radiance and fire. The memory of that feeling still lingering, so he replays it in his mind as she did of him: She goes to him. Tells him that she sees him and that she knows him. Knows what he's capable of and what he desires. It is a speech a Lady of Gifts would give. After so many years, to have someone say aloud the very thoughts that spring forth from your mind?

And even though they are so very different, I wonder if in moments of self-doubt or on the precipice of failure, they touch that thread for reassurance. Like running your hand over a scar or taking a deep breath before leaping. I wonder if they reach back for that thread to feel what it must be like to be understood and known, to remember who you are and what you are capable of.

[clevercorvidae]

Why Viktor from Arcane is WRONG About Evolution

Right so, I'm getting my degree in evolutionary biology and evolution as a subject is my absolute bread and butter, so I thought I'd give some insight into a particular line from Arcane and why it both infuriated me AND is also brilliant writing.

(Quick note: I'm not writing this to say the SHOW is wrong about evolution or that the writing is bad. The writing around this is actually amazing and I'll get into that. This IS NOT a critique.)

The line in question happens during episode 6 of season 2 of the show during a conversation between Singed and Viktor where Viktor states the following:

"Evolution has a destination, not to combat nature, but to supercede it. The final, glorious evolution."

Every single thing about this statement is disastrously incorrect. And when I first heard it, it took everything in me not to scream in frustration, but I think I get it now.

The rest of this essay will be me picking apart this quote piece by piece, both to explain WHY its incorrect, but also why that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"Evolution Has a Destination"

We'll start with his first assertion, that evolution has a destination. This is patently false on every level. Evolution occurs constantly, it never ceases.

This is actually a really, really common misconception when it comes to evolution. Many people see the explanation for natural selection, survival of the fittest, and assume that that means evolution is a constant trend of "improvement". There's an assumption that, as we continue to evolve, we become "better".

But that's NOT what "survival of the fittest" means (nor is natural selection the only mechanism of evolution but I digress). "Fitness" is not some overall objective best form, it has a VERY specific definition.

Fitness, when discussing evolutionary biology, refers to your ability to survive within your environment long enough to produce viable offspring. It doesn't mean "fastest" or "strongest", and it's incredibly circumstantial. Every species encounters DIFFERENT challenges based on the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors of their environment. These pressures are what define "fitness". It's different for all species.

And those pressures are NOT static either. Your environment changes. Plate tectonics shift, natural disasters occur, weather patterns change, other species evolve alongside you, your circumstances as a species will never remain stagnant. New challenges WILL befall you in your environment and you WILL have to evolve new adaptations for continued success.

Even if you tailored everything to perfection, eliminated all challenges, and somehow obtained infinite resources, EVEN THEN you cannot escape the finite resource of SPACE. Your population's density will grow and eventually you will run out of space, and you'd need to, once again, adapt.

(Now, there is a concept in ecology called "climax", where an ecosystem could theoretically perfectly balance itself and remain unchanged for a statistically long period of time, exiting the cycle of succession and in essence, slowing evolution to a crawl at best.

However, this is not only purely hypothetical and heavily debated, it also is not permanent. Even this "perfectly" balanced state of equilibrium cannot compete with the force that is geology and time. Even an ecosystem in climax would eventually be torn asunder by the changing climate and plate tectonics, not to mention neighboring ecosystems.)

There is no static environment and there is no static life, so it's impossible for there to be a "perfect" lifeform. There is no destination, there can't be.

"Not to Combat Nature"

This is Viktor's second statement, and it's... a very interesting choice of words.

Because this... is not actually in response to what Singed says about evolution. His statement is in response to what Viktor has to say about fate:

Viktor: Do you believe in fate, Doctor? Our paths, carved before us guided by... an invisible hand.

Singed: Not fate, evolution. Nature's greatest force, forever in flux.

Singed says he believes in THIS in place of a belief in fate. He doesn't see it as combating nature, but as a force of nature itself. Instead this is actually Viktor's own initial assumption and interpretation of evolution. That evolution combats nature. This is obviously false, and Singed is the one with the right idea.

Evolution is, in fact, a facit of nature itself, of life itself. It is an inseparable part of what defines life; the essence of something being organic in the first place. As I said before, all life evolves CONSTANTLY. We NEVER stop evolving. The results of evolution are often too slow for us to see within our lifetimes, but its still happening. As Singed says, we are "forever in flux".

But Viktor is arguing against something else entirely: that evolution combats nature, that it is an aggressive force, maybe even a destructive one.

Most importantly, to meet something in combat is to be on equal footing, presumably, a mutual struggle. Nature and evolution, equals in a battle that will never end, oscillating between perfection and flaw. This is Viktor's view of Singed's response and of evolution as it currently stands.

"But to Supercede It."

Viktor, however, does not see evolution and nature as equals. Instead, he sees the path of evolution as one that will overtake nature and surpass it. In Viktor's mind humanity is destined to break out of the chains of the organic concept of flaw itself.

But that's impossible, because evolution requires flaws in the first place.

I've talked about how there's no such thing as a perfect, ideal life form, and that alone squanders Viktor's idea of evolution. But it's not just his end goal that doesn't mesh with reality, but the very function of evolution itself.

Evolution relies on diversity. In order for a trait to be selected for or against it must first EXIST within the population. A trait cannot be selected for if the genes that encode for it aren't present, and what is the only way for new alleles come into existence? Mutation. Mistakes. You could even call them imperfections.

Everything that makes us human originated as an inconsistency in the process of DNA replication. We are a tapestry of imperfections, every single living organism on earth. If we didn't have diversity in our gene pools we would have never even become multicellular, we would not have been able to keep up with the changing world at all.

How can you supercede nature via evolution when its made us everything that we are BECAUSE of how messy and flawed nature is in the first place. It's a paradox.

Altogether, Viktor's idea of a destination is impossible, and the very foundations of evolution are built on imperfections. So you may ask yourself: Why does he even believe in this? Why does he say all of this despite being such an intelligent character? Surely he knows he's wrong, right?

"The Final, Glorious Evolution"

Viktor as a character is a lot of things. He's shown to be incredibly intelligent and hyper-competent. He wants to make the world a better place for people suffering because he himself suffered greatly. He's also a perfectionist.

When we first meet Viktor, we're introduced to him as the assistant to the dean of the academy who holds his head high and isn't afraid to be snarky with Jayce for blowing up his apartment. On a whim he chooses to help Jayce, to inspire him to risk it all for Hextech, to improve lives.

He stands with Jayce on the ledge saying no one ever believed in him, so instead he believed in himself. He appears to be incredibly confident.

But we see through the rest of season one that that confidence doesn't come from a place of genuine self love, it comes from security in his abilities. His self-worth is tied to his usefulness, to his impact on the world. Imperfections, in Viktor's eyes, are a mere hindrance.

Viktor isn't actually as confident in himself as he first appears. He postures himself with a lot of faith in what he's able to do, but when it comes to what he IS NOT able to do, he shrivels. He's a deeply insecure person. His disability and his status as a Zaunite have done little for him but hold him back. He thinks he needs fixing, that the undercity needs fixing, that humanity as a whole needs fixing.

So when the hexcore is manipulating him, of course it targets this view in him. Like Viktor, the hexcore wants to change the world to be in its image. It wants to replace all that is organic with that which is artificial, ideal. And so it sings the song of the glorious evolution to Viktor.

Imagine it, a world with no pain, no conflict, no struggle. No environmental pressures to contend with, because a perfect being cannot struggle, it can't make mistakes that lead to pain.

But when we see that imagined world, its a wasteland. In Viktor's own words, a field of dreamless solitude. A flat expanse where nothing can change or grow, nothing new can be experienced, none of humanity's warmth and emotion exist anymore.

"There Is No Prize to Perfection, Only an End to Pursuit"

At first I thought it was kind of silly that a scientist would ever misunderstand evolution to the degree Viktor has with this line. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Viktor misunderstanding evolution is just another extension of his perfectionism. It's IMPORTANT that he's wrong actually, it's essential to his arc.

He can't perceive the truth of what evolution is at this point in the story because accepting that means accepting that there is beauty in imperfections.

And I think we all know that that lesson is one that he hadn't quit learned yet.

Thanks for reading my insane ramblings.

"There is beauty in imperfections. They made you who you are. An inseparable piece of everything I admired about you." - Jayce Talis

[gummilutt]

250 followers Custom Memory Bonanza

It's finally time! To thank all you lovely people for your support, I have been working hard to get this ready for upload and here we are. Today I am sharing my custom memory object, and my library of a whopping 201 custom memories. Based on the wonderful Tattered Diary by DiLight over on MTS, and the tutorial she shared of how to make your own custom memories.

I've always cared a lot about memories, to me they tell the story of the Sims life. Some of you from MTS may recall when I did the whole several year rebuild of my hood, replicating every last detail of the original. I'm memory crazy, okay? And when DiLight gave me the power to make my own, I may have gone a tad overboard. Or just the right amount, you get to decide :P DiLight taught me most of what I know about making custom memories, and the base BHAVs are from her, but as I've learned more I've added some bells and whistles that I hope you will enjoy. It's a new clone and separate GUID from the original tutorial object set up by DiLight, so if you have your own you can have mine too without issues :) Found in misc/misc, costs 1 simoleon.

Download on simfileshare

Features - Brand new form, created by me. Resized BV photo album with new mapping and new texture (seen above, in game pictures at the end of this post). I wanted something that was uniquely mine, and that you don't necessarily have to hide away in the attic or under the foundation. If you don't like it, you also have some additional model forms you can switch between through the pie menu. - Adaptable dynamic menu. Thanks to a really neat trick from @picknmixsims the menu reflects the memories you put in your downloads. If no file with the correct guid is found, the option for it won't show. Which means that although I am crazy enough to have 201, you can go ahead and only pick your favorite ones and the object will automatically detect and adapt the menu to that selection. - Memories all have a custom icon, that's made from game icons from TS2 or TS3. Some I am quite proud of, some are admittedly not great. Not everything is easy to convey through game icons, but I've tried my best, I hope the effort shows. 5 memories have icons that are not from the game, but I tried to match them to the aesthetic as best I could. - Memory subject menu shows only relevant age groups. For example, if the memory is about having a baby, only baby/toddler Sims will show as options. Goal being to keep menu as concise as possible. If you wish to assign memories retroactively, please see jonasn's excellent Memory Commander object, which has support to add my custom memories without age limitations. As well as a whole lot of other useful memory-related stuff. - Extensive documentation detailing everything you may need to know about the memories (text, icon, background, who can get it, who they can get it about, repeatability, where to find it on the object) to help you select the ones you want for your game, and familiarize yourself with them. - English and Swedish translations of memories, and object menu. If someone wants to add their language, that would be great but it's a lot of work so I don't expect it. You are welcome to share your translated versions directly if you wish, or you can send them to me for me to update files shared here :) If you want to learn how to translate the files directly, Episims has a great tutorial found here.

Examples of types of custom memories included - Extended family members memories (got cousin, got aunt/uncle, got sibling, got twin sibling, got great grandchild, got stepparent, got stepchild) - Birth related memories (pregnancy, becoming parent, late in life parent, had multiples birth, premature baby) - Marriage related memories (divorce, parental divorce, custody things, alimony) - Relationship related memories (fighting, breakups, additional love memories) - Woohoo related (memories for specific woohoo locations, repeatable generic woohoo/public woohoo) - University degree related (declared major memories, got a minor degree memories, got a major degree memories, for remembering having studied multiple things and being able to see what major your Sim chose without looking at their diploma) - Loan related, for remembering taking and paying off loans of different types - Moving memories (first apartment, child moves out, various memories for sims moving in with others) - Kids related (child's first day in school, got their own pet, nursery rhyme, giving up for adoption, living at orphanage)

Mods automating delivery of my CC memories (more to come) Learned nursery rhyme from - Found here, by me Wrote restaurant guide - Found here, part of jonasn "Novel Writing Improvements" mod

Credits: DiLight, @picknmixsims, @morepopcorn, @latmosims, @joplayingthesims, maxon, @keoni-chan. For detailed info on how they all impacted the creation of this, see readme :) Policy: Give credit to DiLight, beyond that, totally open. Enjoy!

[harris-the-great]

I love ii but it WILL be the death of me. I keep thinking about how Baseball's storyline is just so damn tragic, and nobody notices. "Always strikes out", And he 𝘩𝘢𝘴 his whole life (his whole time on the show).

Not rejoining, even when he earned it (Paper most likely had the sympathy of fans due to Paper having been there the longest, but Baseball had also been there almost just as long, and- 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. He 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 threaten to kill anyone upon his release! /sarc)

having a constant stream of ridicule from the other contestants regarding his weight lasting S1 AND the start of S2. Why do they even CARE about his weight brah. Ohhh, that's right! Meshart4 fated him to never get what he wants, like people 𝘯𝘰𝘵 seeing him for only his weight. Womp womp, I guess. Wow Mephone, projecting, much? (Also [in my opinion] weight seems VERY irrelevant for objects to care about, due to how most things that could change the appearance of a human [such as; diet, physical strength, hygiene.] Don't really change an object's appearance.) ((Also also being criticized for his armless-.. ness(?) Ouch.))

As much as being a team leader seems like it would be a 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 thing, with the team he had, it was like being a single mom of 10. Having to mediate all of the drama in his team whilst leading it in the first place put so much pressure on him, not to mention having the weight of his friend's problems weighing on him making things harder to deal with. The reason he and Nickel had that lil tussle back in s2e10, was BECAUSE Baseball had so many bad things happening to him. He just wanted that little reassurance that even with all the crap happening, he was an at least half-decent leader, and all he got was his best friend making a joke about it, and downplaying Baseball's very real feelings. He tried to save it, but just that first comment I feel definitely affected Baseball in a negative way.

//(Lil detour time, I wanna talk about how Nickel affected Baseball in GENERAL [for the better AND the worse.], Baseball clearly views Nickel as his best friend, even after everything they've gone through in season 2, but I don't think that's necessarily a good thing. I think it shows that Baseball was too scared to try and make new friends in the game, as to not accidentally make an enemy. I feel this is because Baseball was slowly realizing that most things he tried to do wouldn't go his way, so he'd cling on to Nickel as his only friend, hoping not to lose him, feeling lucky to have him at all (and Nickel would know all about luck/jjjjjjj). This lead to Baseball disregarding some of Nickel's actions towards himself and Suitcase as to preserve his relationship with Nickel. Though, I do feel that the bond they had was real. It started in season 1, where there was less drama built up over time(ex; Tophy and Knife in s2e1 planting the seed for their inevitable rivalry, vs Taco randomly being that bitch and that hoe. /silly), so Baseball most likely wasn't thinking about "preserving his friendship" with Nickel, but rather being friends with him in general. This gave them that time to have genuine interactions that build up the trust between the two. This is why Baseball played along with whatever Nickel did, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮. That friendship was real, and Nickel was taking advantage of Baseball without even realizing it. I doubt his did this consciously due to his s3 arc, and how he was programmed that way. Nta. /silly. Nickel getting eliminated was a real roadblock for Baseball because (as aforementioned) Nickel was Baseball's only real friend in the game at this point, and Baseball still had that very real connection with him. This is why I feel he was so awkward in s2e14, as he was trying to have that confidence that Nickel had, and he never did. As much as that's really good for him- like, yay! You go girl!! It's inadvertently horrible for him specifically, because he is hardwired to have all of his efforts for naught. It took Baseball all of s2e15 talking to Suitcase to realize all of Nickel's wrongs, and how ignoring them put him in the wrong too. Once he finally realized that, it seemed like Baseball was really coming into his own! Working out his own issues bit by bit.

WRONG!!🤑👅💜 s2e16. We got only one Baseball and Nickel interaction, but it was enough to change Baseball for the rest of the life he had left. Watching Nickel die/get X'd was like s2e13's elimination put to an extreme. It's clear that - even thought he was working out his issues - Baseball still had that strong attachment to Nickel. People respond to grief in many ways, but when things get too much for one person, they can simply go numb. Baseball was in a very sensitive mental state, and this really hit him where it hurts most. His best friend. He went numb, not telling anyone what he saw. Even in Baseball's last moments, he tried to take that leader-like stance, and help everyone but himself, just as Nickel told him he could.) // lil detour over (I say lil as if this wasn't long as HELL💜)

Though I did connect back to the main claim occasionally, Nickel was a very important part of Baseball's character development that matters to this conversation imo.

Getting out in s2e15 was also (possibly) a place where Baseball's programming played a part (alternatively, he got out because Suitcase had too many negative experiences with Baseball, and thought that her deep emotional views of him would impair her gameplay in the finale.) "Always strikes out", even with the people he thought were friends. Even with the person he thought was his friend. Even with Suitcase. I feel the reason Baseball had the response he did, was him coming to terms with things just not going his way, which sets him up in that sensitive mental state in s2e16. He seemed to have come to terms with Suitcase choosing Knife, and didn't want to procrastinate on the obvious, that he was just never enough. Not enough for Suitcase, not enough for his team, not enough to win the game.

He just wasn't the guy who could do it. And he knew he never would be.

He always strikes out.

[atlaculture]

hiii! i was just wondering are there any traditional thai dances that could be incorporated into a firebending character? i’m trying to make a very heavily thai inspired oc but im worried, as im not thai myself, that i may make a bad choice and use something that shouldn’t be used.

thank you!!

Thai Dances with a Fire Nation Vibe - Part 1

Going to split this post into two parts...

Before I delve into detail, I want to establish my lack of credentials on the matter, haha. I'm of Cambodian heritage, and while there's a lot of similarities between Thai and Cambodian culture due to a shared history and geographic proximity, I don't want to set myself up as a Thai cultural expert. Also, I grew up in America and in a fairly secular environment at that. My family would go to the Buddhist temple for holidays and funerals, but I don't necessarily have the best sense for what would be considered offensive in a Hindu-Buddhist context.

With that disclaimer out of the way, there's actually a Thai dance known as Fawn Tian (กวางเทียน) or "The Candle Dance". It's very ethereal and it reminds me of Zuko and Aang's firebending adventure. This type of gentle firebending would definitely have been banned in a post-Sozin Fire Nation. According to Wikipedia, the female dancers pay homage to the divinities that protect the eight cardinal points of the Earth, asking them to pass through the candlelight.

There's also Wai Khru Ram Muay (ไหว้ครูรำมวย), which roughly translates to "Mentor-Honoring Boxing Dance". Wikipedia put it best:

...the Ram muay is a series of choreographed movements often performed before a Muay Thai bout to show respect and gratitude to the fighter's teacher, parents, and ancestors... Upon entering the ring, fighters circle the ring in a counter-clockwise direction and pray at each corner. They bow their heads at every corner three times in salutation to Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha of monks... The ram muay is a personal ritual, ranging from the very complex to the very simple, and often contains clues about who trained the fighter and where the fighter is from.

I could see this being a ritual performed before an Agni Kai, pre-Sozin. I imagine that dance was phased out of Fire Nation society because it doesn't center the Fire Lord or the nation as the object of respect.

Similar war dances (wai khru ram/ไหว้ครูรำ) are performed when wielding weapons. Below is one for dual-sword wielders, called "Standing Bhramma, Four Corners". I could see Zuko doing this one before doing anything Blue Spirit-related.

Here's two guys doing some ritualized dual sword fighting:

In part 2, I'll go over some bouncy Thai dances that are reminiscent of a flickering fire and some dances that I think the Fire Nation ladies would enjoy.

[letmeoutofthebasementt]

Would SKZ not let their s/o wear certain clothes?

Chan

Maybe? It depends. He doesn’t want to be controlling, or for them to feel some type of way about it. He’ll also eventually get comfortable if that’s all they wear, like if they’re the type who likes to show a lot of skin. He just wants his partner to wear what they’re comfortable and confident in. What makes them feel beautiful and what really speaks to them. He’s happy if they’re happy. And if they’re flaunting what they have at least he can rub it in people’s face that he has them and not someone else.

Minho

Yeah, he most definitely wouldn’t let his partner wear just anything. He wants them to be independent and have their own style, he likes that, but he also just gets very jealous if they show off a lot of their body and everyone is oggling them. Their body should be for his eyes only, not for just anybody who wants to look.

Changbin

Another maybe. He doesn’t want to drive them away, but he also isn’t necessarily comfortable with certain things? He’s very protective, so his protectiveness will be on another level if his partner is in revealing clothes because men are weird. And so he’ll be constantly on edge. He’ll also feel like someone may see his partner in revealing clothes and try to take them? And he doesn’t want to lose them.

Hyunjin

Hell yeah. Listen…If you’re going out with Hyunjin you need to look a certain way. If you’re serving hobo chic or unicorn vomit core he’d probably crash out. Hyunjin likes whoever he’s with to look good. They can have their own style, but their style has to be objectively (or at least to Hyunjin) good looking. If not he’s definitely like “Who are you going out with looking like that? Is this a joke? You think you’re so fucking funny huh?🤨” probably the one who minds his partner wearing revealing clothes the least. Actually, he enjoys it.

Han

The only firm no to not letting them wear certain clothes. He likes people who are firmly and confidently them. Why would he try to cramp their style? He’s secure enough in himself and the relationship not to care and just generally not the hovery controlling domineering territorial type like Hyung line seems to be. He likes someone who can confidently embrace their own style.

Felix

He wouldn’t let them wear certain things. Like, if you’re going out to dinner and wearing club clothing, he’d have you go change. The clothing needs to fit the environment and place. Probably likes people who dress more classy and refined, not with their titties and ass hanging out of their clothes. He wants whoever he’s with to be presentable and not have to bare all to look their best. He’d probably feel embarrassed.

Seungmin

He can settle, but generally he wouldn’t let them wear just anything. A mix of Hyunjin and Felix. He likes people who dress more classy, and also just like…Look nice? You don’t have to be dressed to the nines but he’s not going out with you if you’re in neon green basketball shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. That’s not happening. He’d laugh you to hell and back. Hed probably settle with his partner. Like “Okay instead of a crop top and a miniskirt to a nice dinner how about a blouse and a miniskirt” or some shit I dunno.

Jeongin

He’s mature enough to know that his partner can wear what they want. Doesn’t mean he has to like it. Or go down without a fight. Another on the side of wouldn’t let his partner wear just anything. He loves whoever he’s with unconditionally. But Mr. Wannabe priest would be clutching his pearls if his partner tried to wear something crazily revealing. Im getting ‘virtue’ here. He’s very sensitive to what his partner wears. Not in a controlling way but in an…Uncomfortable way.

[eightyonekilograms]

Obviously, JD Vance's proposal to give parents additional votes stirred up a furor from progressives saying it's anti-feminist, reactionary, trying to keep women in the kitcen, etc.

And I agree with them. Frankly I wouldn't shed a single tear if Trump "who will rid me of this meddlesome running mate"-d a second VP in a row and I never had to hear from Vance or his 2010!NRx ideas ever again. But I have a more prosaic objection also: if implemented, I don't think this plan would actually work?

Like, as I understand it, there are two proposed justifications for how this might be a good idea, but I don't think either of them stand up to scrutiny.

The first (and less plausible) one is, people who selfishly want more votes will have more children in order to get more political leverage for [whatever they want]. Even though they're doing it for selfish reasons, children are a public good, and so on net this is good for society.

I think this theory can be dispensed with pretty easily. It sounds just like one of those $1000 payments for having another child that budges the birth rate not at all because it's way too small a reward for the expense involved. Even speaking as someone intensely annoyed by trendy anti-electoralist cynicism, I know the EV of an additional vote is microscopic compared to the expense of having children. It won't move anyone except at the very bleeding edge of the margin.

But that's the easy case. The much more interesting theory of the Vance Plan is that of fixing broken incentives. The story goes like this: one feature of democracy, for better or worse, is that it rewards those who show up. If you have no vote (or don't use your vote), you are invisible to democracy, so your wants will be systematically underrepresented. This is why wealthy first-world countries are increasingly gerontocratic in both legislative makeup and resulting policy: old people reliably vote, young people don't, so even with no conspiracy involved, democracy gravitates to favoring the wants of the old. Vance says, hey, children cannot vote, so just as you'd predict, their interests (as a class!) get ignored, so we end up with a legislative landscape that doesn't favor children and makes it harder to raise them.

It makes perfect sense on paper! But I think in the real world it falls apart.

What are the actual bits of legislation and policy which discourage people from having more children? I mean, people can and do argue furiously over this question, but IMO three of the most significant ones are:

NIMBY localist housing policy locking young potential parents out of the housing market

More localist tax and education policy making competition for "good schools" a Red Queen Race which drives up house prices still further, requiring two working parents

Safetyist legislation which, while well-intentioned, is making everything from cars to child care more expensive than it necessarily needs to be

In order to believe that giving parents additional votes will cause a more child-friendly society to emerge via electoral pressure, you have to believe that parents are more likely than non-parents to oppose 1, 2 and 3. And that just... doesn't seem true? At best there's no difference, and to be blunt, I think as a class parents tend to be worse than non-parents on all three. #NotAllParents, of course, there are plenty of people with kids who still want good abundance policy, but averaged over everybody I think it's hard to deny that parenthood tends to push people toward defensive, loss-averting "protect the children" mentalities which, on a global scale, fuck everyone else over. That talking point you constantly see among the Very Online Right that parents are more likely than non-parents to think Beyond Themselves and want to build a stable world for the long term, just seems obviously false to me. Or at least if it is true, it's true in a way which is mostly irrelevant, since these "long-view parents" don't know how to turn those wants into policy which actually achieves them.

Frankly, I think it's easy to envision a world where the Vance Plan makes all policy around child-rearing worse instead of better, and depresses the birth rate even further.

[punksocks]

Placements For Romantic Archetypes Pt.1: Accidental Playboy (18+ Only)

*Adults only! Minors dni

*just based on my experiences, only takes what resonates

Someone whose usually monogamous that has dated/hooked up with a lot of their friends and stays friends with their exes. They just have a lot of attachments and a lot of love to give ! This may be a phase for most of them (if they’re developed) and they tend to settle down with one person whenever they find their twin flame.

***

-Cancer Venus: just a lot of affection for the people they hang out with, if you’re in their circle they can feel a lot for you and depending on their other placements this can turn into hooking up with their friends. They also don’t really let go of relationships, this placement is most likely to stay friends with their exes as well imo. They also tend to do anything to make their friends/significant others happy which is very sweet …but can lead to some awkwardness on occasion. (Like I knew someone that had a ex turned friend and she would like show him her lewds before she sent them to guys she was asking out and he was like yeah we’re just friends! He stopped that in a relationship, but then she said that they would’ve ended up together when she broke up with someone she was seeing and he was like oblivious and just said haha no, that was only the tip of the iceberg, I was like dude get a boundary.)

-Venus in 11th: A tendency to only get intimately involved with people after they’ve become good friends anyway. Also a tendency to hold onto all their friendships if they can. Can create a like web of attachments, of friends and old flames.

-Cancer Mars & Earth/Air Moon: Needing to be emotionally drawn to someone in order to find them s*xy and hookup… but also this like detachment underneath that. Like a deep amount of emotional investment and fixation but also like being pretty emotionally removed behind it all. So a tendency to pursue like friendships with objects of desire but not too much behind that (not that there’s anything wrong with that, it can just quickly turn into a string of affairs)

-Virgo Mars: This placement usually acts in their relationships through acts of service to express their commitment and affection. Due to Virgo being mutable, I’ve found that they’ll often have a more flexible approach to how they handle their relationships. Like I’ve just seen a lot of Virgo mars natives that would perform acts of service for current and ex partners because of how helpful they want to be to everyone. (Not necessarily a bad thing but a little messy if you’re in a relationship and doing favors for your exes). Lots of checking up in on people and trying to help manage them that can turn into them hooking up in order to be “helpful” (especially after they’re emotionally involved)

-Sagittarius Venus/Mars: just a placement with a lot of abundance, so they tend to date around and explore with many options. Depends on the other placements with how they handle this, (I find fire signs to be more up front about it, but they catch feelings like water signs) but they tend to want to move through relationships on as best of terms as they can.

-Libra Sun: kind of a stereotype due to Libra’s indecisive nature and how because they’re viewed as typically being attractive and charming, due to Venus they tend to draw people into them. I also believe that Libras don’t like to be on anyone’s sh*t list, so like they may hookup and date around and try to do a lot of work on the back end to make sure their past relationships still view them in a positive way… and sometimes they may reopen that door to see if they can reconnect to an old flame. (When they find their other half they won’t really do this anymore, but they charm everyone into thinking they’re the one so it can be hard to tell when they really feel this way imo, the moon sign would help with this)

-Leo Sun: This may not be true for every Leo out there, but they usually have a phase of really basking in all of the attention they pull in. (Leo in the big 6 tends to show someone who goes through a period of being ignored or not receiving enough attention before they become a sort of magnet for other people’s attention) That tends to set up Leos for a period when they’re indulging in that attention in all their relationships. Like they’re getting a bit of ego validation by how much all their friends are into them and they go with it and sort of ignore any emotional consequences until they can’t.

-Neptune hard aspects (esp square/opposition) to Moon/Mars: they tend to have a deep fantasy life that affects how they move in the world. They build up their fantasies of the people they’re into being their perfect hook up and they can get “confused” about their feelings about someone. Like they get closer to a friend and hook up and may entertain the idea of dating and a future together but they just don’t actually feel that way about them. Or they break up with someone and still see them in a certain way so they work to please them to some degree in entertaining the idea of getting together again. It’s like future faking but lowkey the native is doing this the most to themselves and trying to figure out what they actually want long term. Sometimes they only understand what they want after an option has been cut off from them.

-Mars hard aspects (esp square/opposition) to Moon: their heart and their d*ck want different things. No but for real though if they have insane s*xual chemistry with someone they’re probably overwhelmed and overthinking it. If they have a deep emotional connection with someone, they may be torn because they lack chemistry with the person. It’s a lot of internal strife of like wanting people to fit together with the perfect traits in the perfect way but the native has to actually figure out what that means for them before they’re able to settle down.

-How do you know if you’re the one? I hate to be blunt about this, but you connection with this guy will take top priority over the others. But dear god you will have to communicate so much to like work through this. You’ll probably have to be a bit patient as you guys get past all of this messiness. The good thing is, that if he’s a good guy he’ll make you feel like you’re in a rom com in a good way, like you’re really loved and cared for, despite all of this. If he’s underdeveloped? Don’t do it girl, he’ll never know what he wants and he’ll stress you tf out (i mean do whatever you want, you’ve just got to figure out if it’s worth the headache and possible heartbreak for you).

(I hope you all liked this! If you did I have a few more types I have in mind to post about ;0)

[5a-alf]

I have been obsessing over this perfect court!AU and have literally like one irl friend to talk about it with. So.

The thing about Riko is that he never ever ever could have been anything different. He has at least one but probably two personality disorders (narcisism and antisocial i'd argue), which are the result of the abuse he endured. From a young age he was only an object, a spare, or the embodiment of an idea.

Others are redeemable because they are people, but he never really was a person in his own right. So he got worse and worse and worse, and we all know what he did.

I wanted a story where he could have something different, for i feel there is no universe in which he ends in a different way: everything he has is a childish dream, and that would have failed at some point anyway. And with failure comes death. I think his brother would have killed him even without the whole clusterfuck of the last game, just because without Kengo the main line was now only one adult and the 'branch' one was 2, which is one too many. Between Riko and Testuji, killing Riko made the most sense because Testuji had no interest in power, he just liked his dolls; also he was already an expert at his job, while Riko would have to learn/train to fill that role. And obviously age is also a factor, Riko is young, Testuji is middle-aged: for ichirou, a young man, the second is less threatening.

I could go on for hours guys im not even joking

For him to have a different future, he is not even the only thing that needs to change. If he was a good person, he'd have been dead earlier. If he was an okay person too. Maybe as morally gray he'd have the same exact life with a little less enemies.

What needs to change with him is the people he has around, his safety net. He has zero people on his side in canon (And he shouldn't have them, mind, he's horrid. But still, out of every bad person in aftg he is the only one who no one loves), he only has followers and pawns. So for an AU to work, he would need to change in a way that would affect the people he surrounds himself with enough to once again reach the show down with Ichirou and "win" against Testuji.

To do that, i think he needs Neil on his side. Kevin is great dont get me wrong, but he doesnt get it the way neil does. Neil gets the mafia, its way of thinking, its deals and the way power moves. Neil know how to be vicious and how to read people and how to push just enough.

To have a 'good' relationship with neil something needs to go differently during the selling, so that his mom doesnt run away with him. But he'd also need to have a good relationship with kevin first. For him to have a different relationship woth kevin i dont think he'd necessarily need to be better morally, he'd just need to be a better manipulator. In canon he controls people with fear/violence/money, but the best way to control people is actually through love/favors. To train a dog, you better give it treats than beat it. I think this way they would end up with a better relationship but also, the better relationship would in turn make him a better person, and the two things would continue to feed each other.

Neil comes in now. He is 10, Riko and Kevin are 12. The thing with Neil (aside from all i've already said) is that Riko would quite literally own him at this point, the same way he then owns Jean. The main difference between the two situations i think would be 1) their personalities 2) their age. At 16 (Jean 14) Riko is already off the deep end. Waay too deep. But at 12? Different story.

For the first point, mostly i'd say that Neil grew up in an abusive household like jean did, but he knew his father as the butcher, as a mafioso, and he was taught how to use knives ecc as a kid. He knew the drill, he knew the life. Jean was completely uprooted, brought into a different country, told to play a game i dont think he knew anything about. Much more jarring. Neil already loved Exy, he wanted to play it all the time; the sport itself would be a good motivator for good behaviour. Jean was just angry angry angry (fair.) and alone in a different country. So. Not the same. I think Raven!Neil would be the one person on the team not afraid to tell Riko off, but also not afraid of his violence (much more restricted in this au guys), and riko is also not scared of Neil's violence (a bit more than in canon, he grew at castle evermore; he is nathaniel) so they find solace in each other. He'd know when to listen and when to mouth off [Riko saying "nathaniel" vs "neil" and things like that]

Second point is their age, because at 12 riko is more susceptible to change than he is at 16, so building a rapport with neil would prove more beneficial, for all i've said in point one.

Jean would be a harder case. Bringing him to heel is much more complicated, because riko doesnt have anything to leverage against him nor offer him, the guy has nothing to lose anymore and now is not enough of a person to desire anything (well. Anything obtainable. He'd like to be free for sure). I think again a lot of the work would be done by neil (and kevin too obv, but neil mostly, as his partner) because they are the same age, play the same role, are partners. Neil would be a centainty. And this better riko wouldnt be violent to destroy his spirit, he'd be "forgiving" (when useful) and bandage his wounds when the Master beats him, and be generally kind to a kid who is so starved for kindness he'd kill himself to at least get the touch of death. That + group mentality and i think jean would be on board too.

Andrew also factors in all of this, but i'll go on later this has gotten SO LONG and i wont even reread it gosh i hope it makes sense.

Basically this whole thing ends up in: take the insanity that is andreil as a couple but that somehow is the sanest couple out there but extend it to the perfect court 5.

[aro-problems]

Since this blog is dedicated to aro problems, I am going to attempt to explain one of the biggest problems that I see people confused about, which is how to recognize romantic attraction.

Here are signs you are experiencing romantic attraction, from a fellow arospec person who started experiencing it out of nowhere:

1. You can’t stop thinking about the person. It’s nonstop. They’re stuck in your head and they won’t leave. Your brain keeps going back to them constantly. All thoughts seem to lead back to them. After a while, you really start to notice just how much you are thinking about this person.

2. You feel really intense emotions towards them. Like, more so than you would for anyone else. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a specific “romantic” feeling, your emotions are just suddenly over the top in regard to that person.

3. You want them really bad. Like, really bad. Craving being around them, feeling clingy, etc.

4. You let them get closer than you would anyone else. For some reason, you feel extra comfortable around them, and you can’t seem to explain why, other than you really want them around.

5. For some reason, their clothes make you feel safer and comfier. You generally feel very comfortable around them and get extra emotional at objects that remind you of them. Far more comfortable than you normally are.

6. If you’re autistic, they might not drain your social battery nearly as much as others would, or at all. You also feel “hyperfixated” on them, if that makes sense.

7. You can’t stop thinking about the things that make them happy. You are constantly thinking about that book they recommended you, or that show they like, for example. You are often thinking about new things they might like, because you want very desperately to get closer to them.

8. You have a very strong, overwhelming urge to get closer to this person, in any way you can.

In conclusion, romantic feelings are incredibly difficult to differentiate from platonic/acquaintance feelings for aros who are unsure. “Romance” as an overall concept is deeply complex. The key takeaway here is that whatever feelings and behaviors you might normally have for a person, will likely be strongly magnified once you experience romantic attraction. It even feels like obsession once you do feel it finally, because everything is suddenly so strong out of nowhere, if that makes sense. This has been my personal experience with it, and the best hint I can give to help you determine your own experience.

There is so much overlap between platonic romantic and platonic attraction, because you can feel similar levels of emotion in platonic friendships. This makes it very hard to tell the difference. Therefore, I also feel that romantic attraction is really only there if you want to define it that way. The catch here is that you might feel that your feelings can be described as platonic instead, so it’s really up to you to decide and define what you are feeling. I know that sounds confusing, but because of the overlap between platonic and romantic attraction, I don’t think there is actually a single, overarching way to experience romantic attraction. Instead, romantic attraction is highly personalized, and you can really define it in whatever way you feel makes sense to you.

[ewingstan]

Worm and other media that won't just let you shoot the Joker, part 1:

Worm comments on the structure of stories, especially superhero stories, in some interesting ways. There's a lot of stuff that happen in superhero comics for no real reason than that it needs to happen for the story to be interesting; a huge amount of Worm's worldbuilding is devoted to taking these things and making the fact that they have to happen an explicit in-setting constraint. For instance, superhero stories tend to have more powerful heroes face off against much more powerful villains than their less-powerful allies, to the point where it seems like super-powerful threats are coming to earth every few weeks just because it wouldn't be interesting to read that comic otherwise. It gets weirder when you compare what villains end up visiting the cities of uber-powerful heroes vs the cities of less powerful heroes: Gotham mostly just has to deal with serial killers while Metropolis is a magnet for evil gods. Worm plays with this by having the Endbringers exist only because the big hero needed something to fight in-text: it changes "powerful heroes need powerful villains or else it wouldn't be interesting" from a Doylist justification to a Watsonian one. Then there's the fact that so much of the horrible conflict in Earth Bet is explicitly caused by Gods making sure the powers they grant people lead to increased conflict, the fact that one of the most powerful characters does what she does because the plot path to victory says she needs to, etc.

But the big one is Jack Slash, and how he's only able to get away with his bullshit because he has plot armor as a secondary power. As WB says here, "Jack's a reconstruction of the Joker type character in the sense that you can't have such a character take such a high profile position in the setting, without having there be a cheat." The Joker and similar characters are only able to keep being relevant threats in their stories because the narrative bends to let them win and stops them from being killed. Jack Slash is only able to keep being a relevant threat because his power makes the universe bend to let him win in the same way. Not only does this make for an interesting obstacle (its almost like they're fighting an authorial mandate!), but it skewers the use of similar character's plot armor and how unrealistic and unsatisfying it makes their stories.

But wait, what does it mean for a story to be "unrealistic" in the context of superpowers? Is being unrealistic in those contexts actually a problem? For that matter, what does it mean for a narrative to bend to let someone win? Its not like there's an objective way fighting the Joker would go, which the author is deviating from by letting him survive.

[Stuff under readbelow contains spoilers fo, the movie Funny Games and the book Anybody Home?]

Maybe we could say that if characters like the Joker were real, and put in the situations they are in their stories, they would end up being killed really quickly. But is that a reasonable way to judge stories? A narrative where such a character is killed unceremoniously to satisfy a need for realism isn't any less an expression of the author's deliberate choices than a story where the character keeps showing back up to satisfy a desire for fan-favorite characters. And while Jack Slash's arcs help show why deviating from "realistic consequences" in the service of keeping a character alive can make a story exhausting and screw with an audiences' appreciation of stakes, it doesn't make a strong case against the concept of villains having plot armor in general. A story isn't necessarily worse just for being constructed to keep the villains alive—all stories are constructed, and sometimes being constructed that way makes for the best story.

That becomes more clear when you take the premise of Jack Slash as "killer who wins because the mechanics of the universe says so" and make clear just how much "the mechanics of the universe" really just means "the story". Which is how you get Peter and Paul from Funny Games.

I'd highly recommend watching Funny Games (though for the love of god check content warnings), as well as Patricia Taxxon's review of it that I'm cribbing a lot from here. But to summarize, Funny Games is a movie written and directed by Michael Haneke about a family's lakeside vacation being interrupted by the appearance of two murderous young men, who capture them in their own house and slowly torture and kill them off. At least, that's what it seems to be about initially. It marketed itself as a somewhat standard entry in the genres of torture porn and home invasion thrillers, and played itself straight as one for the majority of its runtime. But then one of the two villains of the pair, "Paul," starts talking to the audience.

It starts small: after crippling the family's father and revealing that he killed their dog, Paul has the wife look for its corpse outside. While giving her hints, he slowly turns back towards the camera and smirks, before turning back. In isolation, maybe it could be interpreted as Paul smirking at Peter, seeming to look out at the audience only because of clumsy blocking. But then it happens again. Paul tells the family, who are completely at their mercy at this point, that they're gonna bet that they'll all be dead within twelve hours. When the family refuses to take the bet, asking how they could hope to win it when he can clearly off them all whenever they wish, Paul turns towards the audience and asks "what do you think? Do you think they stand a chance? Well you're on their side aren't you. Who you betting on, eh?" The audience is being acknowledged; their role as someone invested in the story is being examined by the ones introducing the stakes.

But the biggest moment comes near the end, when the mother grabs the shotgun she's being threatened with and blasts Peter. Paul startles, grins, and then hurredly grabs a tv remote and presses rewind. The movie itself suddenly rewinds to right before the mother grabs the gun, and plays again with Paul grabbing the shotgun right before the mother reaches for it.

Its a truly incredible moment, in that its the perfect way to forcibly take away the audience's suspension of disbelief. It forces the audience to acknowledge that they're viewing a story, not something happening to a real family. After their moment of catharsis against the villains, Paul makes the confront the fact that the movie will end however the creators want it to, and if they want the villains to win they'll will regardless of how little sense it makes. Fuck you, we can go from being set in the normal world with normal rules to the villains traveling back in time with a tv remote, because a story does whatever its creators want. Haneke just decided to make that obvious in the most jarring way imaginable.

But maybe the best way to illustrate Funny Games effectiveness at this type of artful unveiling is comparing it to its less-effective imitators. I've recently finished Anybody Home?, a recently-published book by Michael J. Seidlinger. It has the conceit of being narrated by an unnamed mass-murderer, guiding a new killer in their first home invasion. I started reading it before I watched Funny Games, and even afterwards took a while to realize the unnamed narrator wasn’t just a pastiche of a Paul-like character but was actually supposed to be read as Paul himself. Seidlinger was having his book be a sort of unofficial sequel to Funny Games, narrated by its star. Once I realized, a lot of the books details suddenly clicked. The big one was the constant references to “the camera" and the idea of murder being a performance for an audience, one that needed to be fresh and original to make “the cults” enjoy it. Take these passages from page 77:

If it happened, it would perturb. It would create suspicion. It wouldn’t end up ruining the performance, and yet, it could have derailed our casing. The camera can have all it wants; either way, it’ll make it look better than it really was. It’ll strip away the cues and other planned orchestrations and it’ll show the action—the actuality of each scene, each suggestion…

This is a spectacle, above all. The craft pertains to keeping and maintaining a captive audience; behind the camera, you’ll never know how it happened—the trickery that made the impossible possible, the insanity so close to home. It is spectacle.

Through online activity, the son made it clear that something is happening at home, yet we cannot be certain if he has noticed the camera.

These all point to the idea that the murders are being viewed by an audience rather than just by intruders, that this is a performance for said audience's benefit more than anything else. But notably, it also reinforces the idea of these characters having an existence outside of the camera: the camera shows the action and "strips away" the cues behind it, the victims have a life outside the camera such that they could plausibly sense that the camera is now here. The victims are sometimes described as playing into their role, but always metaphorically; always as if normal people start acting like characters when put in certain circumstances. Whereas Funny Games posits that characters will behave however the author wants them to, denying the claim that stories are realistic simulations of hypothetical scenarios.

The whole thing is predicated on the idea that there needs to be a guide, that the villain of a home invader movie is really in danger of something going wrong. Paul/The narrator keeps giving directions on what needs to be double checked, what needs to X, and its completely against the spirit of the role Paul served in Funny Games. If something goes wrong for the villain they should just be able to rewind and do it over, because the story was written for them to succeed. Anybody Home? throws out Funny Games theme of the story being on rails, of the winner being whoever the author wants it to be and the events following whatever the author wanted rather than what would "really" happen. It throws out the whole idea that it’s all just a story, by supporting the idea that the characters have lives not captured by the camera—or more relevantly, not captured on-page.

Because Seidlinger using the language of film in a book leads to different things going on with the fourth wall. The way Funny Games and Anybody Home? make the camera explicit are just different, and the former does it much more interestingly than the latter. Seildinger’s characters aren’t looking back at the reader, the fourth wall is never actually breached. Funny Games has Paul look into the camera to address the audience, making clear how it’s a story being set up for the audience's benefit. Anybody Home? invokes the idea of a camera tracking everything home invaders do in general, having it be a third-party force that’s itself an unseen character contained within the story, observing the intruder's crime rather than the reader. Why is it still a camera, if we're in a book rather than a movie? A character in a book talking about a camera watching them does not convey any of the same meaning as a character in a movie suddenly looking into a camera and smirking at the audience!

By the end, you realize that this is caused in part by the book's bizarro take on how horror movies exist in this world. It reveals that in its setting, all horror movies are adaptations of real home invasions, which get recorded by unseen mysterious forces. Killers enter a home and enact violence, are filmed by some supernatural camera, the footage gets leaked to the public, and then the killers sell the rights to the work to studios. The events of SAW really happened, but the movie was just an adaptation. Funny Games really happened, but the Paul in the movies was just an actor playing the Paul narrating this book. The killer's victims eventually realize that they're "victims," but not in the sense that they realize their characters in a story, only in a sense that they realize they got sucked into their world's magical realism bullshit.

Ultimately, while the book does the same trick of being all about how horror stories are “for” us, it gets rid of all the tricks that made it work for Funny Games. It even strips it's in-universe version of what made it special; Funny Games is just another adaptation of a real home invasion. All the meta stuff that makes it interesting in its genre are just gestured at as aesthetics.

So what makes Jack Slash in Worm succeed where the killers in Anybody Home? fail? Both are constructed to be entertaining for a 3rd party who stand-in for but aren't actually the audience; the entities in Worm, the cults in Anybody Home?. But Jack Slash doesn't mix his metaphors. Worm may turn various real-life factors affecting a work into in-story mechanisms of the world in the same way Anybody Home? does. But it doesn't also base itself off a text that takes in-story mechanisms and breaks them to force the audience to see the various real-life factors affecting the work. In effect, WB pulls off a trick Seidlinger tries and fails because WB wasn't taking another metatexual story and stripping it of what made it interesting.

Though that introduces the question: can such meta-moves be mixed? Can you have a text where story conceits become explicit plot mechanics the characters are aware of, while also having characters really look at the camera and tell the audience that its all just a story? Can you actually sell it and make it something interesting?

There is one story that tries this. I don't know if it pulls it off, but it certainly makes a lot of interesting moves that create a fascinating whole. It even comments on the Joker in the same way Worm does, having a character who seemingly cant die because the roll they play in the story is too impor—

Ah fuck.

Continued in part 2.

[hongcherry]

rating svt from husband, boyfriend, bestie material

pairing/genres: svt x reader (gn); fluff

warnings: lots of nana tour (NT) and in the soop (ITS) references, as well as others but wanted to give specific warnings for those two shows bc spoilers

author's note: for 🍉 anon. THIS WAS TOUGH LMAO. I’d also like to say this is kinda biased!!! I tried to be objective despite having strong feelings toward certain members 🥲 But just a general disclaimer: I do not know them personally, so I'm going off of what they've shown to the public. I know there will be people who disagree because we all have different ideas/preferences in a partner/best friend. So, please, keep that in mind! Each member can mean something different depending on the person 💞

seventeen masterlist | main masterlist

Husband Material

1. Mingyu — This man can cook, clean, is intelligent, handsome, funny, etc etc etc~. I believe he’s also one of the first members to comfort others. And his sister has mentioned she wants a partner like Mingyu. Enough said lol.

2. Seungcheol — He’s caring, loyal, reliable, and dependable (cough that one jeongcheol clip cough). He’s not afraid to stand up for those he cares about (i.e., members > company). He’ll be the protector type (wbk). I sense the relationship would feel stable and secure.

3. Joshua — This man has always screamed husband material. He truly IS a gentleman. He has a good balance of playfulness and seriousness, which would make the relationship fun. He’s also very caring (flashback to ITS with Seungkwan (even NT as well)) and has a great heart.

4. Chan — In his Weverse interview, he mentioned how he wants to be there for his members no matter what. He’s also very passionate about his craft, and I think that attribute would cross into his love life. And did you see the video of him with that carat and holding their purse while they got in the car?!?!

5. Minghao — I’m reminded of that video of him saying he’s always dreamed of getting married and having kids (ironically saw this again on my tl recently). And watching NT, it’s so easy to imagine him with his family in an artsy town. Also, he’d be loyal (I recall all the anti-delulu fancalls and lives LOL; this doesn't necessarily show loyalty but yk... it can *wink wonk*) and caring (as seen with Vernon).

Boyfriend Material

6. Seokmin — He’s so precious and sweet. Definitely someone you would want to take home to your family. He’s so full of love and happiness. I think he’ll care for his partner a lot and shower them with love. The relationship with him would be so wholesome.

7. Wonwoo — Have you seen the way he treats Chan?! Imagine him with his partner *sobs* I get the sense (one of) his love language(s) is acts of service, so he’d treat his partner sweetly and tenderly. He’ll be a soft and supportive lover.

8. Jun — I recall how he made breakfast for SVT during predebut because he couldn’t speak Korean well at the time but wanted to do something nice/show his love for his members. I also saw a recent video of him making sure one of the members didn’t fall when they stumbled. So, I think he’d be very attentive to his partner’s needs. Also, imagine bf!Jun cooking you hot pot. Yes, please.

9. Jeonghan — I think he teeters on the boyfriend and bestie line (his face also gives off fwb vibes lmao), but since Jeonghan is one of my biases, he gets put in this category (semi-sorry). This man said, “You’re supposed to wait endlessly for people you like” in NT. He has said he wants to be an island to people in ITS. He’s also supportive of others as we’ve seen when he co-parents with Cheol lol. I think he wouldn’t be afraid to do something for his partner if they needed him to as well (i.e., that live when Seungkwan wanted to sing but it was late, so Jeonghan said he’ll ask for others to understand. It may have been a joke, but it was still kind to say).

Bestie Material

10. Soonyoung — He’s the person I would swap with Jeonghan since he also is on the borderline. He’s very energetic with people he’s comfortable with so his friends get to see that side a lot. He’s also cuddly as we’ve seen in several clips of him snuggling his members lol. I get the “you’re so comfortable around each other it’s almost like you’re dating” vibes LOL.

11. Seungkwan — He’d be so fun to be around. A lot of fun memories will be created with him. He’s the life of the party, and I just imagine him popping around here and there at an event lol (I think I’m overprojecting slightly, but he would still be well-known to others!). I think Seungkwan just needs/likes to be around people regardless of whether they’re a partner or a friend.

12. Vernon — He feels like a free spirit. I believe he’s mentioned before that he’s more of a personality person, so he’s not focused on looks in his partner. He’s very chill and already is confident in his own skin. I get the sense he’s content being alone (or w a friend) but also having a partner if the right one comes around.

13. Jihoon — It’s not impossible to have a relationship when he’s busy, but it def would be harder to balance. Even though he’s quiet, he cares. This is evident in the songs he’s made for certain members. I think he wouldn’t mind a partner, but they’d need to be understanding of his lifestyle (and accept he’s not big on showing affection directly). I think his partner would be someone who is similar to him but also would be able to introduce him to things he doesn’t do (like go outside lol. I say this bc he was loving the NT experience).

divider credit

©️hongcherry // DO NOT REPOST OR MODIFY Please consider reblogging if you liked this work to show your support. Feedback/commentary is always welcomed.

[haine-kleine]

my extremely petty and self-indulgent headcanon is that Dabi had started regularly visiting Rei after he joined the League of Villains.

the basis? he lived with a guy who had the best teleportation quirk in the mha universe. and one thing about that guy? he was the dad of the group. sorry not sorry but Mr Daddy Issues was doomed to imprint on him.

more basis? the first thing Touya thought about when he woke up after almost burning to death and spending 3 years in a coma with no idea how he survived or even where he is? 'i need to apologize to mom'. he would be taking that chance if he had it at all.

what about Rei? there's really no reason for her to be faithful to the system the way she for some reason is in the latter part of the manga. some facts from her biography include: being sold by her own family to the man who would offer to buy her, with no possibility to object, becoming an incubator for said man even when she plainly stated she didn't want to have more kids, being abused so badly she was slowly driven into psychosis while being the primary caretaker of 4 children, being aware of her slipping mental state, begging her mother to help her on the phone and being denied that help. then she spent 10 years in a mental hospital and the only people who visited her were her children. this woman's entire life was ruined by the system and by a hero number two personally. the only reason she had started recovering at all and didn't lose her sanity completely was her children, who became her new reason to live and work harder on her recovery. until Shouto came to visit her, 10 years after they were separated by Enji, only Fuyumi and Natsuo were visiting her. and neither of these two was in a good place mentally, both having to raise themselves after their nanny had left and Enji didn't hire anyone else to take care of his teenage children. that, coupled with her guilt over hurting Shouto and mourning Touya's death when he died so young and neither she nor Enji did anything to save her, is an very heavy burden to bear.

with that basis, I truly think Rei not caring about her son being a villain would have been fully in character, had he sought her out before the war. she would have jumped on the first chance to have her eldest son back in her life, and she would have supported him just the same as she supported Shouto. she cares about her children's well-being first and foremost and her life experience allows her to be aware that public approval does not necessarily mean a good thing. she knows her children and she encourages them while being respectful of their boundaries. she never told anything to Natsuo about him moving out and leaving Fuyumi alone with Enji in the family house. she was never showed scornful or disapproving of Touya's training despite the fact Enji literally beat her for it, because she recognized how important that was to Touya. when she started a conversation with him on that topic, she asked 'do you even want to be a hero?'. little Shouto hated the thought of becoming a hero because he hated his father, but Rei still encouraged him, because she saw his admiration of Allmight.

so, if Dabi showed up in her hospital room and announced himself as a villain, I don't think this would make Rei any less motivated to reconnect with her long-lost son. she would want to know everything about his life in the past 10 years, and she wouldn't judge him for any of it. just like with Shouto, she would meet his apology with one of her own, because she felt genuinely guilty and responsible for the way he suffered throughout his childhood, and she would make amends by giving him as much of her attention and support as he would allow her.

also I just adore the image of the three Todoroki siblings coming to visit her unannounced and Dabi hastily hiding under Rei's bed. the funniest family reunion possible.

and Rei listening to Dabi's tales of League's antics just the same way she listens to Shouto talking about his classmates? top tier content

[maple-the-awesome]

When Another Finds Out About His Crush Part 2/3

Part 1 || Part 3

Pairings: Sky, Time, Twilight x GN Reader

Overview: What happens when someone else in the Chain finds out about his feelings towards you?

Zelda Masterlist 💙 Fandom Masterlist

Sky is arguably one of the most passive Links in the chain. Laid back, often tired, and a ‘dripping optimistic’ (as Legend once complained), it would be easy to forget that he's the one who had gone face-to-face with a demon god before. His ability to be cheerful and kind is not something he takes lightly, though, so with that in mind, he's reeeally trying to bite back his irritation right now and keep smiling.

Sky was in such a good mood earlier today - better than usual - because yesterday afternoon, the group had found themselves in his Hyrule - Skyloft, to be exact. That means that he's not only been temporarily reunited with his friends and the world he knows best, but that he also gets to show it all off to his new companions as well. Stretching the meaning even further, this translates to him finally getting to show you around his home!

He was overjoyed when you agreed to a personal tour of Skyloft. You'd get to see where he's grown up, meet his people, and (hopefully) fall just as in love with this little island as he is until you (maybe) decide you might actually like to move here yourself. That's why he promised to show you everything and to have a wonderful afternoon together. Just him, you...and Wind.

Oh, Wind...Why couldn't he be more like the others, so worn and drained of energy that the very last thing they wanted was to be dragged around an entire island all day with an unusually (and scarily) vibrant Sky who woke up before noon for once? Why couldn't Wind have just taken the hint when Sky tried to divert his attention, doing his best to turn down the young pirate's requests to tag along without downright saying 'no' because at that point, it would've gained suspicion from everyone else, tempting them to ask why you, out of all of them, get a private tour of Skyloft?

Don't get him wrong: Sky is by no means ashamed of his feelings. They're only natural especially when faced with such beauty. He just wants his confession to be on his own terms, not due to some likely inappropriate jokes that would come from some of the other boys' teasing (particularly from the likes of Legend or Warrior). In his mind, he's decided that you deserve something romantic and sweet - a tender moment shared between only the two of you so that you may understand his affections without any pressure to agree to them. It just...takes a bit of courage to finally plan that moment out is all, but he'll be sure to tell you some day...Someday when Wind isn't around to play the role of an awkward third wheel…

Wind clearly means well. He’s still young - a child even, some would say despite his objections. It isn't necessarily his fault that he's running around asking question after question about Skyloft or that he likes to call your attention to anything he's found that can be deemed 'cool'. It isn't your fault either that you answer to his beckoning, simply being the caring person that you are. Now, Sky would also argue that it isn't his fault for being so jealous right now, but if he truly believed that, there probably wouldn't be even a hint of shame in his heart like there currently is.

He's reeeally doing his best to keep positive. You look so adorable playing with a litter of remlit kittens. His only critique is that he wishes to be the one sitting next to you in the place of that pirate. Instead, he sits a few feet away, his chin against his palm as he huffs bitterly for what feels like the hundredth time, the childish side of him hoping you'll hear and inquire about what's on his mind, yet once again, you don't. You're too busy squealing over the fluffy little creatures who curl up on top of your lap for a nice nap. For Hylia's Sake! Even those little gremlins are luckier than him!

As a more rational person would point out, there's nothing actually preventing Sky from sitting next to you, after all, Wind is to your right and there's plenty of room to your left if he just moves the remlit mother laying there. A few scratches would be worth your company surely, but no, Sky would rather mope here alone, waiting rather (extremely) impatiently for the moment you stand to dust yourself off.

"Alright! I think the longer I sit here, the less strength I'll have to leave and I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of Skyloft while we're here, so what's next, knight?" At long last, your glowing eyes finally bless Sky with your attention, your joyful smile almost instantly making him forget about his previous dread.

"We haven't seen my loftwing yet. Wanna meet him?"

He didn't think it was possible for your eyes to get any brighter, however he stands corrected, "Do I!"

There's no way Sky could ever let you down, so he wastes no time leading you to the edge of the island where he calls his loftwing. Perhaps due to the surprise of not having seen his master in months, the large bird appears swiftly, announcing his arrival with a loud 'squawk' before gracefully landing on the platform in front of you.

You're in awe, as Sky had hoped, unable to tear your eyes away from the shimmer of the loftwing's crimson feathers which are just as impressive as your friend has described to you. Unfortunately, before he can comment on your amazement, he’s reminded once again that the two of you aren't the only ones here. In seconds of the loftwing landing, Wind's presence is once again made apparent, "WOAH! He's so cool! This is how you get around these islands? I wish I had a bird to explore the sky with - I mean, I prefer keeping to the sea with the company of a good ship - but just to see what's above the clouds or to go over large mountains instead of around would be awesome!"

"Wind's right! To be among the clouds and see the world from a bird's eye view...What I wouldn't give to see that - Although, I'm sure you're pretty accustomed to flying yourself, huh Sky -?" Your smile disappears when you look back to your friend only to finally notice his pout. You don't think you've ever seen him look so upset aside from whenever he's 'woken up too early', "...Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." He grumbles, however the worry never leaves you nor does the frown. It feels like a stab to his heart, reminding him of how unfair he's truly being today. Wind is his friend who’s merely expressing interest in his home and culture. It isn't like he's purposely trying to step on Sky's toes or be an annoyance, he's just having fun during one of their rare days off. As for you, you've been looking forward to seeing Skyloft ever since you first learned of it. You deserve to have a nice day to relax and fulfill your wish, not have it bittered because of Sky's selfish mood. He should be ashamed of himself for not valuing his time with you as it is, alone or not.

"...I can always take you flying, you know?"

"Really?!"

He nods, giving a more genuine smile than the forced ones he's worn previously today, "It sounds like we'll be staying here for the rest of the day. I'm sure we could squeeze in some time later -"

"- Why don't you just go now?" Wind quizzes with a perked eyebrow, making Sky flinch.

Despite deciding that he'll no longer be jealous or annoyed with the younger boy, he finds himself fearful over the idea of being stuck in the sky for hours with him. Yes, his loftwing can technically carry the weight of all three of you, but how awkward would that be? He'd much rather wait and find a moment to sneak off with you later than somehow become the third wheel on his own non-official date, "Uh, n-no. Not right now. I'm sure you two want to keep going with the tour, so -"

"- Actually I was gonna head back anyway," Wind mentions with a casual shrug, surprising Sky, "It's almost lunch and last time I was late, Wild gave me cold soup. Good soup isn't meant to be cold! Never again!"

Sky hesitates, perhaps expecting Wind to actually change his mind once he agrees to take you on a flight, however to his continued surprise, the Sailor doesn't.

"As much as I've been loving the tour, I wouldn't mind cutting some time off of it for a tour of the sky instead," You add, innocently fluttering your eyelashes in hopes that it will be a good enough argument.

“O-Oh? Then I’m sure going now would be fine. If Wind could update the others so that they don’t get worried looking for us?” A blushing Sky glances to the boy in question who eagerly nods and, for a second, the knight almost sighs aloud in relief.

Pleased with this, you happily turn your attention away from the two to pet the loftwing who leans into your touch, “You wouldn’t mind giving us a ride, right buddy? It would be greatly appreciated.”

Sky’s smile is hardly hidden as he lovingly watches you interact with his beloved loftwing, although he is quickly torn away from the moment by Wind’s sudden voice. He didn’t even realize the boy hadn’t left yet, "You know, just because I'm the youngest doesn't mean I'm blind, right? If you wanted to take them on a date, you should've just said something back at the Academy."

Sky stammers in response, whipping his head around to face the boy as he finally runs off while waving back at you both. Of course, Sky doesn't miss the mischievous smirk he wears, "Have fun you two!"

"’you sure you’re alright, knight?" You ask once finally joined by your friend, noticing the slight red to his cheeks as he wobbles on over, "If you aren't feeling well, we don't have to go today."

"No, I'm fine…'just not the biggest fan of pirates sometimes."

Time has encountered his fair share of mountains - both literally and figuratively, although the former applies here. He's hiked up the steepest of trails where his knees nearly touch the ground and has traced enough cliff edges for the fear to feel numb. Now, that doesn't mean he doesn't get tired or has ever stopped grumbling inside at the sight of such challenges, but he's learned to keep all complaints internal, after all whining has never fixed a problem...If only these boys would learn the same lesson.

There is no silence between the howls of the wind and the dramatic moaning that follows behind him. It's become apparent that not all heroes are as accustomed to trekking over slopes as he is, although that doesn't earn them much sympathy. They're all capable young men who have held their own against even the most fearsome of monsters, so he expects they won't be waving any white flags in defeat to mother nature.

Some are clearly doing better than others in the sense of swallowing their own misery. Wild leads a few yards ahead of the group, arguably faring the best even in comparison to Time which can be blamed on his adaptability gained from his own travels (or the climbing armor he currently wears; a mix of both?).

Warrior and Twilight follow closest behind Time. Every once in a while Warrior will mumble something about being hot to which Twilight will grumble for him to take off his scarf then. Sometimes they bicker beyond that, sometimes Warrior merely huffs and wordlessly adjusts his scarf to be looser around his neck. Although he doesn't spare the Rancher much concern, he seems to find joy in picking on the poor trio who heave behind them - Legend, Hyrule, and four - once making a smug comment about their 'short legs'. Legend would've no doubt whacked or thrown something at him if he wasn't so worn out at the moment.

Sky and Wind follow the three, seeming to lean on each other for support as they whine of burning lungs. While not fully out of their realm, the poor Hylians aren't as used to traveling in the same way as the others, often having the luxury of a loftwing or boat to carry them across the furthest of distances.

Then there's you...At the very back of the line, silent aside from your huffs and puffs, but struggling nevertheless. You’re completely out of your realm here, not having a background comparable to any of the boys, really. You've done hikes, you've walked around town, and maybe you've taken part in some races before, however none of those compare to the exact workout you're currently being subjected to.

You're tired, sweaty, and your legs shake with every step, threatening to collapse at any moment as they curse you for your resistance, but you say nothing of it aloud nor do you complain whenever looking up to see this damn mountain just keeps going and going...Truthfully, you're not sure how much longer you'll be able to drag yourself forward, however you refuse to admit defeat in fear of being thought any less of by the heroes you travel with. You refuse to be their burden and you refuse to act as any kind of annoyance to Time who's obviously wanting to reach the other side sooner than later.

Words can say a lot, but appearances can sometimes say more. It only takes one look at you to see your distress as you stray further and further behind the others, none of whom notice except for Sky who offers aid you brush off and Time who stops at the top of a slope to watch you sympathetically. He may hold the boys to high standards given their titles as heroes, however he understands that doing so to you, at least to the exact extent, would be unfair if not plain cruel.

“Let’s take a break here.”

A chorus of relieved sighs and praises to Hylia follow save for Wild who keeps marching onward until looking back in confusion once he finally notices the group is no longer following his example.

You’re particularly happy to be presented with the gift of rest. Unlike the others who at least have the decency to walk off trail and step into some shade, you collapse to your knees right where you formerly stood, taking a few heavy breathes there before shamelessly crawling under a nearby tree yourself.

“...How much further do we have?” You manage to ask Sky at last after regaining some of your breath. His hesitance is answer enough, causing you to groan.

“The trip down will be much easier than going up,” Time approaches, speaking before the knight can. You notice that he eyes you specifically, “...But we can take another break at the peak once we get there.”

“Thank you Goddesses!” Wind cries - literally, you think there might be tears in his eyes - and it seems that everyone else in the group shares similar thoughts as they relax a bit more, however to Time’s surprise, you no longer share their cheer.

You look down at your sprawled out legs and narrow your eyes as if they’ve done something terrible to you, “...We don’t need to take another break after this one. If we keep stopping, we’ll never reach the base before sundown.”

“Then we make camp on the mountain after going as far as we can in daylight. The terrain might be different than what we’re used to, but we’ll get by.”

“That wasn’t in the original plan.”

“I underestimated the distance we’d be covering. It’s not a massive overwrite -”

“- And it’s one you don’t have to make for my sake,” You click your tongue in annoyance when Time merely blinks at you in wide eyes; the face of mocked innocence that displays his surprise over you having discovered his true motives…as if they were ever that well hidden, “I’m not blind, you know? I can see what you’re doing - you all do the same. I’m not a seasoned traveler like the rest of you, I get it, but that doesn’t mean you have to treat me as such. I can keep up without anyone babying me or, Hylia forbid, thinking any less of me.”

Your last words are mumbled bitterly under your breath, yet Time picks up on the slight sorrow behind them which goes straight to his heart and softens it greatly.

"I don't think any less of you?”

"Clearly you do," You huff, although your eyes focus on the ground sadly as you complain quietly, "You ignored everyone else except for me. When they fall behind, you tell them to keep up. When I fall behind, you stop the world to wait. It’s ‘cause you think I can’t possibly keep up, isn’t it? …You pity me..."

Time frowns deeply at this, wanting so desperately for you to understand that isn't the case. It pains him greatly to hear you believe he looks down upon you. If anything, it's the opposite. Everyone else here has had life experience to train them. You haven’t. So what? That isn’t a bad thing, in fact he thinks it’s wonderful that you haven’t been subjected to the same horrors that he had grown up with. You are a kind and strong soul who deserves nothing but the best in life instead of being beaten down. The very last thing Time would want would be to cause you suffering of any form even if it’s just a bit of exhaustion on a simple hike.

"You weren't able to get up the mountain in one go. So what?" Warrior invites himself into the conversation with a roll of his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest as he makes his way over, “That doesn't mean anyone here is ‘pitying’ you. Failure is just a part of life as is struggle. We've all encountered it. Hell, you think I would've been able to go up this mountain before I joined the military? The first time I trekked up Death Mountain, I was just as worn out as you. I've had practice since then, and one day you will, too. The important thing is that you've pressed on without arguing, complaining, or giving up. You took on this challenge bravely despite knowing it would be difficult. Getting as far as you have is crazy impressive for someone who's never done it before.”

All of the boys are quick to nod along, some adding their own compliments towards your endurance which leaves you blushing in embarrassment yet feeling touched nevertheless. The only one not to respond immediately is Time. He finds himself jealous of this, wishing he could voice his inner thoughts and admiration towards you as easily as the others do, however when you glance at him - almost as if you’re waiting expectantly for him to add a comment of his own - he loses all courage which is replaced by a heavy thumping in his heart. And here he was starting to think he had outgrown this teenage awkwardness.

“You, uh…If anything, your strength is inspiring. Try not to underestimate it. I assure you, we haven’t.”

You hum with a nod, a bit of cheer returning through your smile; a glowing look Time definitely prefers on you compared to any gloom, “Thanks…Really. It means a lot.”

Soon, the group begins their journey again and like the others, Time is ready to move onwards without anything else said, however his attention is drawn to Warrior when he could’ve sworn he heard the Captain suddenly scoff from his side. The smirk playing on the blond’s face only proves that Time’s ears are still working just fine despite their age.

“That was a good save. I think you owe me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I must say, lifting (Y/n)’s spirits by complementing their skill provided a far less awkward outcome for everyone compared to having to listen to you deny and eventually stumble over a confession - despite how long one is overdue.”

“...What are you trying to imply?” Time narrows his eye at the Captain who is hardly fazed, in fact he fights the urge to roll his eyes when looking back over his shoulder at the older hero. He can try being as intimidating as he wants, but one look at the man’s dusted red cheeks is all it takes to have Warrior smirking again.

“Ooh, I think you know, Old Man - we all do. I mean, it’s not exactly science to find out why you’re so lenient on (Y/n) and only (Y/n). ‘can’t say favoritism is the most professional for leadership to take part in, buuut it’s nice to see you lighten up a bit and actually act human for once. ‘keep scowling all the damn time and your face will get stuck like that.”

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"You keep fidgeting with your tunic. I swear, you're worse than Wars."

Twilight huffs at your comment, although that doesn't stop him from slapping more dust off of himself despite how doing so wordlessly proves your point, "That's a mighty hard bar to pass, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, you're probably right...But seriously though, what's got you so worried all of the sudden? You act like we're about to walk into Hyrule Castle. You're a ranchhand, for crying out loud! This is where you should feel most comfortable, is it not?" While others might think you're teasing him, he knows you well enough to catch that genuine concern held within your voice. He also knows you well enough to understand that you won't be as willing to drop this topic until it's resolved.

"This isn't just any farm we're headin' to. This is the farm."

"I don't follow," but then you give it some thought, skillfully connecting the dots between Twilight's behavior and the particular home your group approaches, "...Oh...'cause it's Time's place?"

He hums in confirmation as he fights back the urge to ask you about the status of his hair, although if he does that, you'll surely roll over laughing and never let him criticize Warrior's daily 'beauty routine' again.

"Twi, it's Time! Sure, he can come across as a little...stern sometimes, but he isn't Princess Zelda! Just don't kick your muddy boots up on his table or anything like that. Follow those small town manners I know you live by and you'll be fine."

"But -"

"- Besides, I'm like, ninety-seven percent certain that Time favors you out of everyone, so you have nothing to worry about -"

"- It's not that simple!" Twilight pouts, stopping dead in his tracks which consequently causes you to do the same, "...I wanna make a good impression here. It...means a lot to me that I do…”

You sigh before stepping closer to him. There, you take his hand gently and give him an encouraging smile, "And you will. Just be yourself, Twi. There's no shame in that. You're already a great guy, after all - a model, country gentleman, if I've ever met one."

Twilight ducks his head, his cheeks burning due to your words, although luckily for his sake, if you've noticed, you don't comment on it. Instead, your attention is stolen away by the others as the group finally arrives at your long awaited destination: Lon Lon Ranch.

Normally, it would make him beyond nervous (a rambling mess, at best) to have your hand intertwined so tightly in his as you excitedly drag him along, however today can be an expectation. To feel your support quite literally in his grasp means the world to Twilight and does wonders to calm him when it comes to enter the threshold of Time’s cozy little home.

Much to Twilight’s relief, you seem to hold some type of power when it comes to predicting the future. All he had to do was simply stumble out a greeting and Time’s lovely wife, Malon, was already overjoyed to accept him, especially impressed to realize he shares a similar farming background as herself. From there, the day continues at a relaxed pace that calms Twilight’s internal worries, although the passage of time nor the many chores the boys are offered to keep busy can’t be given too much credit for that.

While it’s nice to see his brothers let loose for a day and enjoy themselves in a more domestic atmosphere than some of them have ever had the delight of knowing, Twilight finds himself glued to your side the most, particularly keen on sharing this moment with you for embarrassing reasons he’d rather keep to secret for now. As far as you should be aware, he’s excited to be meeting the closest blood relatives he’ll ever know (at least for many years to come), not that he’s also giddy that you get to meet them as well.

Twilight’s here to make a good impression with his mentor, although he finds himself inclined to soak up all your reactions to Lon Lon Ranch, in fact, he’s a bit desperate to decipher just how you’d possibly feel about one day living at a place like this yourself. You seemed unfazed by the farm chores and you’ve openly expressed to Malon your jealousy of her peaceful home which is a far cry from life in the city. Perhaps you’re only being a kind guest, although Twilight won’t let go of the idea that you might just be honest with those words, truly desiring a more easy going atmosphere he’ll happily help you build if you’ll allow him.

Although the work has been simple and laidback, you aren’t alone in your tiredness by the time day turns into night. You had been yawning already after dinner, so Twilight’s rather surprised to see you still awake when he returns from his talk with Time, your sudden whispered voice amongst the darkness actually managing to startle him slightly, “You’re back. How’d it go? Was it all you hoped for?”

Tiptoeing around those who have already fallen asleep, Twilight finds his own sleeping back while only sparing a quick, awkward glance in your direction, “Yeah…”

“Oh, come on. What did you guys talk about? Don’t leave me in suspense.”

“Nothin’...Nothin’ important.”

Although tucked into his sleeping bag with his back turned towards you, he can hear you sit up straighter and can use his imagination to see your pout, “You seriously think I’d believe that? I’ll find out one way or another, you know. In fact, I’ll start bugging you about it again first thing in the morning, so don’t sleep too comfortably, you hear?”

“Goodnight,” Thank Hylia you have no way of seeing his boyish grin or burning blush given his position and the lack of light. When you huff and lay back down to finally sleep, you allow him to drift back into his thoughts, his mind too awake for rest as he reviews his previous conversation with Time and Malon.

It went well, officially extinguishing his prior worries once and for all. The feeling in Twilight’s chest was indescribable as he listened to their pride in him, something that hit much deeper than any other direct compliments he’s received. 

As the conversation reached its end, he was sure there could be nothing else said to add fuel to those feelings, already feeling light as a feather when Malon awed with a slight giggle, “Oh, and your partner was beautiful. (Y/n), right? I’m afraid we didn’t get too much of a chance to talk today with all the excitement, but we’ll have to sit down for a private chat tomorrow. You know, in-law to in-law?”

“H-Huh? Ah, I-I’m afraid we’re not actually…together like that.”

"You're not? I could've sworn..." Malon had looked to her husband in disbelief, a point where Twilight would’ve expected his mentor to confirm his statement, after all, Time’s been journeying with you both for the last few months, so he should’ve known the truth, however he had instead shrugged with a hand placed on Malon’s shoulder.

"They're in denial still, dear."

"I suppose it runs in the family then for you boys to be easily intimidated,” Malon placed a hand on her hip with a slight shake of her head, “Link - My Link was the same way. Took it him ages to ask me to be his own -"

"- Hey now -"

"- In fact, it was me who had to take that first step,” She then stepped over to take Twilight’s hands, ignoring how bright red and caught off guard he was. Her smile - innocent yet holding a hint of mischief to it - is one he won’t forget anytime soon nor will he forget Time’s smirk in the background, “The way you look at each other doesn’t leave much to question, hon. Clearly you care for (Y/n) and it seems to me the feeling must be very much mutual given how you’ve been trailing each other all day, so try not to concern yourself too much with all those ‘if’s and ‘but’s. The sooner you leap over your nerves, the more time you’ll have to spend together. Hylia knows after everything you boys have been put through, you deserve all the happiness you can soak in.”

“It’s something you’ll regret if you let it slip through your fingers,” Time had added, pulling his wife to his side as they both smiled at each other lovingly.

Even now, their words echo in Twilight’s head and he finds it impossible to close his eyes without seeing you both in a similar position, you pulled to his side with the overwhelming feeling that everything is just right with the world so long as you’re together….‘wouldn’t be a bad thing at all…