#not that i hate all the things mentioned above btw those are just like. the things that cropped up more than once

[cntarella]

i want to make one of those tumblr communities for only the most unreadable books. no rf kuang. no sjm. no ali hazelwoods or magnolia parks or john grisham or percy jackson. i want recommendations of the books only you and four other freaks have reviewed and with an average rating of 3.27

[ddollfface]

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤…

Types of Readers Baki Men Would and Wouldn't Get Along With

Guys, I think I popped off... (don't say anything about my grammar)

Kaiou Retsu 

Like: If we're talking about romantically, I think Retsu would be the best fit with somebody who's strong, confident, and level-headed. To be confident doesn't equate to being loud, instead, I'd think those who are the most silent are the most confident. If you have to scream out to the world that you're strong, then you're likely overcompensating. Retsu doesn't really like those who are loud (as mentioned above), seeing as he wants somebody who's always thinking of different outcomes, trying to defuse the situation as much as possible, but also having strong morals that he aligns with. Retsu would get along best with someone who loves to communicate and is emotionally mature, that is, if you ever want to have a long-lasting relationship with him.

Dislike: Honestly, I think somebody who's very immature and can't sit still. Retsu is very calm, always observing, and then reacting. He doesn't like to be brash or make split-second decisions because he feels that they'll never amount to anything productive (though he does have his moments lol). But, overall, I do think that Retsu would freeze if he was ever around, or romantically involved with a reader who's very confident, loud, and just scatterbrained. It would freak him out, causing his brain to go into overdrive, and unlock all of his protective instincts. I mean, how do you expect him to react when he never knows what you're doing? You're always speaking your mind and acting on impulse! Who knows what trouble you'll get into!

Orochi Katsumi

Like: Katsumi needs someone who can keep up with him, someone who isn't afraid to come out of their shell eventually. He wants someone who’s charismatic, allowing for easy conversions between the two of you. Katsumi wants to date his best friend, his partner in crime, his ride or die, if you will. He won’t get along with someone unless they’re similar to him, in the basic sense. You don’t need to be extremely strong (though, he will find that very hot), too outgoing, or loud, you just need to share some common interests. He doesn’t mind someone who’s more introverted, but he does want to be that person they act a fool around, the person they let loose and be themselves, even if they’re still tame. Katsumi is a bratty kid at heart, and he wants special affection from his lover, something that only he can have. In return, they’ll have all his attention, his heart, and soul, something he’d never give to another person. (puppy!bf energy ngl) 

Dislike: At first, I thought that Katsumi would absolutely loathe a shy darling, but the more I thought about it, I realized that he’d actually hate being with someone who’s aloof, or just disinterested (i.e. Shizuku from HXH). Katsumi loves to talk, to run his mouth all day, and if you’re not listening, then it’ll break his heart. He wants to be seen. Like I said in the paragraph above, he wants his lover to be his best friend, the person he relies on and looks to when in need (depending on the situation). Though I do agree with the idea that Katsumi is very egotistical, he’s still insecure (as are most with such a big ego) and cannot handle someone he holds so dear disregarding with ease. He doesn’t want to be replaceable, seeing as he doesn’t think of his darling as such. Therefore, he’s expectantly the same energy in return. He’s your ride or die, so you gotta match that energy, or else it’s over :/

Matsumoto Kozue (She's my wife btw) 

Likes: Someone who’s playful, caring, and touchy (basically Baki lol). I like to think that Kozue enjoys soft, wholesome relationships, finding comfort in light touches and laying in each other's arms. She wants to be held and cared for, and she holds herself to the same standard. She wants someone who goes with the floor, understanding that life has its ups and downs, and overcoming things as they go. It puts her at ease to know that her partner is competent enough to assess the situation and not get emotionally stunted. Kozue just needs stability in a relationship, and it can be shown in different ways depending on the person she’s dating/and their preferences. You don’t need to be verbally affectionate, telling her that everything is going to be alright, instead, you can use your actions. There are plenty of ways to provide stability, and Kozue eats it up every time. 

Dislikes: Someone who is really hothead and can’t handle change, someone who’s insecure in themselves. Their insecurity (and I mean aggressive insecurity, where they push it onto others, Katou) makes her nervous and it just settles a horrible foundation in the relationship. She gets fidgety, constantly worrying that they’ll have an outburst/mental breakdown. Kozue is a sweetheart, so she obviously cares for her darling, not wanting them to feel unloved and have panic attacks, but it’s difficult since they won’t let her in. She needs someone who’s both physically and emotionally available, someone who won’t push her away when they’re mad. Of course, it makes sense to want space when you’re angry, but when you’re constantly angry, refusing to talk things through, and resorting to violence to get what you want, it’s a no-go for her.

Kiyosumi Katou

Likes: If you were to ask Kiyosumi what his type is, then he’d tell you with a wide grin that he likes them dumb and fuckable, playing up this playboy facade (that majority of people see through). Maybe he’ll even add a cheeky laugh, saying that a shy thing would be pretty cute too, but don’t be fooled. This man is so needy, wanting any affection he can get. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a cinnamon roll or whatever the fuck. Kiyosumi is a grown man with some… violent tendencies, and manipulative ones as well. He isn’t mature and acts brash whenever he can, overestimating himself when face-to-face with a stronger opponent. Nevertheless, Kiyousmi wants a lover who’s motherly, or caring, someone who’ll listen and look through his little facade, caring for him even though he’s being an ass. Or in other words, he just wants patience. Deep down Kiyosumi understands that he’s not the easiest to get along with, but once you get past his original cocky attitude and bitchy presence, then you’ll meet a new side of him. A side that’s far calmer, no longer instigating and picking fights, just watching. If anything, he becomes a little pouty (lol), and he’s far more clingy, wanting more domestic affection. But do keep in mind that this will take years to build up to, he needs a foundation of trust to let himself calm down. Once he realizes that you aren’t going anywhere, then he treats you with care 

Dislikes: He loathes stupid people, and I mean genuinely stupid, like a bimbo, not reckless stupid. He cannot maintain a conversation with someone who cannot comprehend that people in the ‘20s could in fact see color… Though he wouldn’t mind fucking around with a bimbo, having a one-night stand and such, he wouldn’t be able to maintain a long-term relationship with them, nor would he be able to respect them. And that’s a pillar of trust for Kiyosumi, if he doesn’t respect you, then you’re not getting anywhere in the relationship. If Kiyosumi thinks you’re lesser than him (be it through smarts or strength), he’ll absolutely bully you to oblivion, never giving you a moment of rest. If he paired with someone genuinely stupid, no matter how kind they are, he would berate them, creating a toxic relationship. Yeah… I do not recommend, it really would just be a messy, one-sided relationship that would just end in tears.

Hanma Baki 

Likes: This was a little difficult for me since Baki meshes so well with many different types of people, so thinking of a singular personality he goes with is unrealistic. Though if we’re talking about romantic partners, then I think that Baki would really like a S/O who’s kinda bratty, but in a nice way(?). He wants a back-and-forth, some type of conversation that’ll get a chuckle out of him every time he thinks about them. He’d like a comedic darling, whether their comedy is through dark humor, sarcasm, or just being a clutz, he doesn’t care. Baki just wants someone who’s a little lighthearted, who wants to make the situation more enjoyable through humor. This type of darling would have a brighter outlook on the world, seeing the world through a lens of low expectations and easy-flowing thoughts. They don’t have to be loud, nor do they have to be extremely talkative, Baki is okay with some silence. He doesn’t mind just enjoying each other’s presence, but I think he’d like someone with a sense of humor, being drawn in with their witty comebacks/comments.

Dislikes: Honestly, there are not many types of people Baki doesn’t get along with, seeing as he has an easy-going personality that most enjoy. That just means that if he doesn’t like you, then you’re likely a POS. I think that for Baki to not like you, and genuinely dislike your presence, you’d have to be extremely rude and not in a funny way. You’re just annoying and nit-picky, whilst having no accomplishments yourself. Similar to the expression ‘those who live in a glass home shouldn’t throw stones,’ Baki believes that if you haven’t accomplished anything and don’t relate to someone’s struggles, then keep your mouth shut. You don’t have a right to comment and berate others for trying hard, even if they don’t do too well, when you don’t strive for anything yourself. This type of person would just irk Baki, and there’s no way he’d be able to have a romantic (or platonic, for that matter) with them.

Hanma Yujiro 

Likes: Okay, so this is kind of difficult for me to give an exact personality, seeing as Yujiro doesn’t really love. I don’t think he’s made for the romantic, homey type of love most people share with one another, instead, he was made for blood and war. A more primal love is fitting of him, a love might not be even love to begin with. Well, unless he respects you. I think what could really change the type of personality Yujiro likes depends on the type of romantic relationship he has with reader. If the relationship is that of a sugar baby/plaything, then expect the heartless playing that’s a mindfuck for the average person. But if it’s a genuine relationship, where Yujiro somehow got attached, then it’ll be quiet, a little eerie, but it resembles love far more than the usual mindfuck he gives people. I’m sure I could talk about this for days, so I’ll summarize by stating the basic things he’s looking for in both types of relationships. 

For starters, Yujiro isn’t normal, the exact opposite actually. He’s the definition of an anomaly, the unusual, the rare, and irreplaceable. It’s likely that there will be no one like Hanma Yujiro to ever exist after he, eventually, dies, though some don’t even know if he’ll ever pass away. As to be expected, Yujiro wants to surround himself with the unusual, especially if they’re to be his “lover,” or plaything, depending on the relationship. He’s somewhat similar to a crow, he likes new things, things no one has ever seen, the unattainable. This means that you’d have to be crazy special, or hella courageous, to earn the respect of Yujiro. And those are the types of people who attract his affection. Yujiro loves to interact with those who discover new things, whether it be a new fighting style, historical movement, or social change. Though Yujiro is egotistical, I do think that Yujiro likes to learn. Yujiro wants to grow, to accomplish, and to conquer, and how will he do that without learning about the world around him? He wants to be the best at everything, so that’s why he wants a darling who’s a specialist.

This means that you’d have to be smart, extremely so, whether that intellectual talent comes from your brain or your instincts, it doesn’t matter to Yujiro. He sees both types as valuable assets. I do think that he’d mingle better with someone who’s on the more observant side, who’s able to read him like a book. That’s the type of person who’d catch his interest, and if they can maintain his interest for many years, then they’ve successfully earned his respect(?). 

Dislikes: It’s safe to say that Yujiro doesn’t like many people. I could probably write a whole book on the many different types of personalities this man doesn’t mesh well with, but won’t because I think there’s a specific type of a person he absolutely despises, consistently that is. Those who are both lazy and chatty are the type that make Yujiro want to smash his head in, or theirs to be realistic, and I think it stems from his constant need to be fighting, moving, using his hands, anything. Yujiro doesn’t like small talk, wanting to just cut to the chase and get over with it, stop talking, and do some action for God’s sake! He hates mindless banter and believes that real men don’t use filler words to lighten the impact of what they say, instead, they should state their opinions with their chest. Because of this, I think that this would carry over to his love life (which is nonexistent, btw). Yujiro wants someone like himself in a sense, someone who knows when to shut up and just act. He gets pissed whenever a girl just talks his ears off, specifically not saying anything of substance, just babbling off about some useless crap he could care less about.

Biscuit Olivia 

Likes: Honestly, he’s the opposite of Yujiro, instead of hating everyone, this man mixes pretty well. This is likely due to the fact he has quite the ego, leading to him having quite the confidence in everything he does, never doubting himself and how he interacts with others. That being said, I think that Olivia would like someone who’s humble, sweet, and happy. Someone who’s just content being alive and treats everyone with kindness. This type of darling is someone who, though they were kidnapped, and possibly forced into working at the prison, will still reciprocate Olivia’s affections, leaning into his touch, and smiling up at him with kind eyes. They’ll also have a sweet heart, not wanting to spend any of his money. I stand with the Sugar Daddy Olivia movement, there’s no doubt that this man spoils his darling rotten. He spends money on you because he wants to, ‘cause it makes you flush and smile whenever he gives you a bouquet of flowers. But it makes his heart swell, seeing you flush and refuse, saying that it’s far too expensive and that he shouldn’t be spending money left and right. It’s not that they say this from a perspective of insecurity, but that they can’t imagine living a life of complete financial freedom. Of course, he’ll just assure them that he has all the money in the world, there’s nothing to worry about. Just let him take care of you! 

Dislikes: Anyone who doesn’t like Maria is dead in his book. If you don’t rock with his wife, then you don’t rock with him. I cannot imagine Olivia ever having another darling if it isn’t with Maria (in some type of poly relationship), or if she dies from her sickness. If Maria doesn’t like you, then there’s no way for the relationship to work. He needs both of his baby’s to be happy! And how can they both be happy if they’re fighting like cats and dogs? In most situations, Maria likely took an interest in you, and Olivia followed suit. I imagine that Maria doesn’t like many people, so to get on her good side is hella hard. IF you did, then you were probably really genuine, treating her like a normal person, and not the as the Unchainable’s Lover. You may have had some spunk to you, adding some snarky comments, but keeping it respectful and playful. From there, she was attracted to you and thought you were interesting, so she continued to request you (this is assuming that you work at the prison, or Olivia took Maria out somewhere idk). And the rest is history…

Jun Guevara 

Likes: Jun is a simple man with simple interests and wants, not to take away from his character or anything. Of course, as all humans are, he has complex thoughts and feelings, but he just chooses not to think about them too much. Now, that I say that, Jun doesn’t think, he just acts, listening to his feelings in the moment. That doesn’t mean he isn’t smart, his initial action is fueled and spurred on by his emotions, but is guided by his conscience. Because of this, Jun wants someone similar, a free-spirit if you will. Though he wouldn’t mind someone strong-willed, stubborn, or anxious, I think he’d match far better with someone who’s aloof, going with the flow, and speaking from the heart. They don’t think too deeply about things but aren’t stingy about expressing their inner thoughts and turmoil. They’re like an open book, and Jun respects that, finding it to be a breath of fresh air, something to look forward to. They’d have to be his peace in a sense, being his calm before the storm, voicing any ideas that they have without any inner motivation of taking advantage of him. Bonus points if they like the ocean or traveling, by sea preferably. 

Dislikes: Jun loathes those who are motivated by money and physical things, letting it dictate their decision-making, even if it causes others pain and suffering. These are the type of people that’d befriend someone well off just to sink their teeth into their neck like a leech, using them for what they’re worth before dropping them like they never existed. Jun finds these types of people to be corrupt, both mentally and in the way they lead their lives. For some reason, it brings some type of inner turmoil that he doesn’t want to address, and instead just acts on it, deciding to break, crush, and embarrass thoughts with such surface-level care. Another type of person Jun would hate is someone who liters, someone who doesn’t care for nature or those around them, and just lashes out, ruining the things around him. He finds a lack of care for nature to be an utter turn-off, something that’s also a corrupt way of living. So to put it in simple terms, I think that Jun greatly dislikes those who are sociopathic and act out of their own interests. 

inspired by: @iskratempestmadness

[thefatesofspring]

ACOSF RANT/Nesta intervention rant!!!

I would just like to point out that Feyre is a POS when it came to that “intervention” to “help” Nesta…

Remember when Feyre said that Nesta had a CHOICE between a death sentence in the mortal lands or incarceration, torment, harassment & forced military training in the HoW…well Feyre lied not a few seconds later by then saying to Nesta

“you’re going even if you have to be tied up & hauled there” - Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 34

So I thought Nesta had a choice?…so what you’re telling me is that Feyre & of course Rhysand had no intentions of letting Nesta choose because they (more so Rhysand) wanted to CONTROL her

“If my sister cannot be CONTROLLED, then why should we have the rights to rule over anyone else” - Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 34

But again I thought Nesta had a choice?…I thought this was about helping her become better, be better?

“Oh so it’s about you saving face—“ Nesta, Chp 2, Pg 34

“It’s about how it reflects upon me, upon Rhys and upon my court when my damned sister spends our money on wine and gambling and does nothing to contribute to this city” Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 34

But you all only have a problem now because of WHERE Nesta is choosing to drink & gamble because of the TYPES OF PEOPLE Nesta is choosing to fuck and because CASSIAN ISN’T ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, what does Feyre contribute to The Night Court? Can someone please tell me what Feyre’s title of High Lady actually entails her to do? I need specifics…oh that’s right no one can give an actual answer beyond the shit she said & assumed Tamlin wanted from her (which btw is just standard ruling lady of court things), again this isn’t about helping Nesta it’s about their image as Feyre oh so beautifully stated above 👆🏾 it’s about controlling her & trying to hone her into a weapon, it’s about Feyre getting payback for how Nesta spoke/treated her when she was human.

“I won’t be your prisoner—“ - Nesta, Chp 2, Pg 35

Feyre did in fact make Nesta a prisoner…the very same thing she swore blind she hated when Tamlin sealed her in the Spring Court manor & swore she would never be put through again & oh now look at her…doing worse than what Tamlin did & yes I say worse than what Tamlin did because Feyre was in there for all of a few seconds before Mor came in saving her like a prince/ss in shining armour & she the damsel in distress, not to mention Feyre would have been in the manor for what?…a day? & Nesta is in there indefinitely until she has the most physical strength to leave?…she put her sister in a cage, a gold plated gilded cage.

“No. You can go wherever you wish…if you manage to make it down those ten thousand steps” - Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 35

Don’t you just love it when your jailer taunts you knowing physically, mentally/psychologically you’re not in a place to be forcing yourself down 10,000 steps just to have a bit of freedom, oh how endearing Feyre is…SIKE.

I would like to point out that Feyre was sealed in the manor of Spring Court for no more than a few seconds & look at how she reacted but then thinks that Nesta should be grateful for being locked in there for an untold amount of time & furthermore can you imagine being “gifted” your prison as a thank you for saving my mates, son & my own life…I can’t believe the Feysand stans support them.

[desiresloki]

soft!billy hargrove because I got nothing better to do and I know we all need some fluffy, yucky stuff. ( I'm a sucker for those. zzz ) This is also for mi plus size girlies out there ( if you squint), me being one <3 slight enemies to lovers because WHY NOT. This is heavily inspired by robbers by the 1975. English is not my native language but I'm willing to learn, so give it to me. give me criticism and a lil mental stability. Thank you for reading !! ( Am I the only one that thinks the 1975 suits soft!billy so well? ) THIS IS A DRABBLE BTW <333 ( part two )

trigger warnings : uhh... mentioned Neil. I think that's all. Also!! this wasn't proof read, I just trust google docs.

Robbers

She had a pretty face. Billy thought when he rolled his hips into her, thrusting with such vigour. He studied her face at that moment, he listened to her gasps, he saw how glossy her eyes had gotten. At times like this, Billy would chase his own pleasure, but he didn’t. He caressed her body, the curves she hated, he touched with love seeping from his fingertips that made her look up at him with the same gentleness. The kisses he gave upon her face and lips, fierce with need and an unspoken confession, leaving her breathless. She understood them, from his eyes, from the way he held her as his thrusts were painfully slow, suffocating, yet deeply nectarous. She looked pretty like this, beneath him with her hair splayed out messily on the pillow. Her nails dug into his forearm, and her melodic moans filled his ears. He wanted - needed more, thus he re-positioned his hip to hit her sweet spot. The gasp she let out made him groan, burying his face into her neck.

“Is this how much you hate me, doll?” he sighed delightfully, kissing her neck softly which was the opposite of his brutal thrusts. His thrust, rough and deep. It was agonisingly pleasurable. She begged him, unsure for what. He filled her perfectly, up to the point that his tip was bruising her cervix deliciously. She couldn't speak. She was a mess, the strong headed girl he first met was gone. Replaced by a teary - eyed girl that had a light in her eyes, one he has never seen before nor understood. “So much, bee. You ruin me,” She cried, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pulling him impossibly closer. He did, he did ruin her. A selfish part of him wants to keep it that way, to keep her. He was too damaged to be loved by a pretty thing like her, but he wanted it. He wanted all of it. 

“But you don’t want me to stop,” He grunted, nearing his climax and so was she. She shut her eyes, shaking her head. Before she could say anything, he pressed his lips against her with brutal passion then he felt all of it. The hatred from the first day they met at the canteen and to the day he found her crying at her porch in the early morning. “No… don’t want you to stop,” she mumbled against his tears stained lips, her toes curled and her back arch, pressing her body against his and her eyes shut tight as her orgasm washed over her. He groaned and rested his forehead against her, his necklace dangling above her neck, it took him two more thrust before spilling his seed into her. 

A whimper escaped her mouth when she felt full of him, sweats collected on their forehead and his hair was a mess of blond curls that fell to her temple. This felt ordinary, like two people who disliked each other were supposed to be in this mess. Tangled in motel sheets, covered in sweat and breathless. It was complete silence at first, they were kissing each other as though it was their last. It might be their last. That's what she thought.

He didn't leave. He spent the night listening to her god awful snoring, he wished to silence them but at the same time he basked in them for he didn't know how long he has before she puts up that frustrating wall again. Where she hides behind a façade. He sees her now, and she's got a face that was rare to see. Peaceful, pretty and terrifying. Terrified because of how it made him feel deep down. She was like the beach back in California, warm, bright, and ataractic. Surprisingly, she smelt like the ocean. Salty, soft and a tinge of sweetness, but that was from her hair. The more he admired her, the more he knew he should leave. Go back to Neil, and leave her be. 

He didn't listen to his head. He had always been a stubborn fella after all. So he pulled her closer, legs tangled, and slumber took over him, unbeknownst to him that she was woken up the moment his cold hand pulled her waist. Her breath shuddered, but she didn't retaliate against him this time. She let it be. Perhaps, things would be different.

[xclowniex]

Did you see Yuval's new video ..

I'm so fucking angry. As a person of colour, I cannot imagine bending over backwards like that. I cannot believe that even after all the antisemitic shit people said about him, he's still like "aww I'm sorry for being my evil white male self guys. I'm listening and learning to be a #better ally"

What a fucking loser, I'm sorry. I'm not saying he is perfect and above criticism but it is completely clear that people were only bothered by his video because he dared to address antisemitism and they can hide behind "oh he said civilised society" all they fucking want but the reality is that they need the evil Jews to shut up about this thing called antisemitism that they don't believe exists.

And lastly to see this weaponisation of race is horrifying because has the left really become what the right stereotypes them to be? I'm seeing lies of "Yuval is silencing a black woman and being racist" and "Yuval's fans are attacking and being racist towards her!"

Fun fact none of those things happened. The person he responded to just happened to be black and everyone immediately used that to silence Yuval the white man!1!

Then it is not an exaggeration that EVERYONE sided with that other person. Yuval got much more backlash and hate than the person he responded to (they barely got any btw) but because he is white and the person is black it HAS to be the other way around even when it's not. I'm so shocked. This is what the right mocks the left for. I'm so ashamed.

Literally this. I'll include his apology video at the end.

Like people are going "erm your use of the word civilized society is racist" when his usage of it was acknowledging the racism of the term.

Like his whole point was that society viewed Germany as the most civilized society and how it shocked the world that the most civilized society could do something so bad. That was his whole point. He was not saying that he thinks Germany was the most civilized society, he was saying that people of that time thought that. And he even mentioned in his first apology that genuinely believing in civilized society as a concept is racist, but that he was not saying he believed in it, just that people in the 1930's and 1940s did.

Like idk how people can't understand that going "this societal view that was held years ago is a contributing factor in why the holocaust was seen as so bad" is completely different to going "I believe in this thing"

Just because he was for a brief moment, no longer their perfect little token jew, he gets shit thrown at him.

I was rooting for him to let this be is his turning point. For him to realize that the face eating leopards ate his face and will do it again, yet he didn't.

Another thing we was being criticized for was "holocaust exceptionalism" which he was not doing. He went "all genocides are unique and bad in their own way" and people viewed that as him saying that it was the worst genocide ever.

People hate recognizing that jewish suffering was bad

[moongothic]

In reference to this post; I was gonna reply in the comments but once again, it got too long, and I figured I might as well make a brief post about this because shit's interesting but the OG post was getting so long I didn't want to extend it any further. So. New post.

But I'm also going to make this a lowkey follow-up to this post, where I briefly talked about whether or not Crocodile is worthy of a redemption. Because I did have multiple people reply to it, mentioning they don't think Crocodile needs a redemption, which isn't wrong. Villian redemptions come down to personal preference (some people like them more than others generally speaking), and the specific circumstances of a character and the story they go through. (Personally, I am a fucking sucker for a good redemption story, and One Piece? Has how many redeemed villians? Kuma, Hatchan and Bon-chan? Perona too? Buggy and Mr 3 if we're generous??? I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but the ratio is quite low is my point) The reason I want to bring that up again, is that depending on what Crocodile's trauma really boils down to (**since we don't know for sure what it is**), it could go against the very core messages of One Piece if he just dies without that trauma being resolved. And at the same time, if his trauma is what I think it is, then he can not heal from it without being redeemed. And the opposite is true as well, if his trauma isn't what I think it is, then he doesn't need to heal from it, and he doesn't need to be redeemed. I do have a whole separate post slow cooking in my drafts right now so I don't want to go too deep into that subject here and now. But the point is. If we want Crocodile to open up and be vunerable and heal from his shit, it means he's either getting a redemption arc or redemption in death. The latter is way fucking sadder, but again, a whole separate post.

BTW quick apology but I figured since there's a bunch of shit in this post that I've written about separately before, I might as well link to those posts for like context, so people can get where I'm coming from with my nonsense while keeping this post brief-ish

BUT ONTO THE ACTUAL SUBJECT As I have kind of mentioned before, I do think Crocodile probably has multiple layers of trauma going for him

We know losing to Whitebeard Did Things to his psyche for certain

I think it's very plausible he might've been betrayed by his former crew if he ever had one

I think it's likely Dragon didn't take too well to him transitioning

And between that and Crocodile already having tried to kill Luffy multiple times, he probably believes his son would never accept him as his other dad, especially since he already hates him.

(And I do think it's likely he might have some additional early childhood trauma based on how Oda writes these things normally but whatever that could be is an absolute mystery)

And if I'm right and those are (some of) the different layers of his trauma, then for Crocodile to open up and heal from it you'd need to do it step-by-step, layer by layer

I think Luffy accepting Crocodile would be the most important thing, above all else. Because if Crocodile loving and caring about his son is the only shred of humanity left in him, if Luffy is the only thing Crocodile cares about anymore while believing no one else will ever do so for him, then having that feeling returned is the key to getting Crocodile to just start to heal. If his son can't accept and forgive him then what would it matter what anyone else thinks? In my mind, Luffy is The Sledgehammer that can break Crocodile's walls.

But that's the first layer, the first step to getting Crocodile to become vunerable

If he does have that betrayal-based trauma, then I think finding people who would actually follow him and be loyal to him would help him heal on that front. And... This probably sounds strange, but I think Mihawk is the best candidate for it. Not just because he could be to Croc what Zoro is to Luffy (in many ways), and not just because of the Romancing SaGa 2 comparisons, but because Crocodile does already seem to respect Mihawk on some level. Like he specifically invited Mihawk to start Cross Guild with. IDK if they have like shared history before or if it's just because they're Fellow Former Warlords or simply because he knows Mihawk is strong and in a vunerable position (after losing his Shichibukai Rights) or what, but despite Crocodile saying he doesn't trust people, he seems to trust Mihawk enough to invite him. And he seems to respect Mihawk's opinions on things, like he might view themselves as equals. So if Mihawk, The Greatest Swordsman In The World of all people, genuinely expressed faith and loyalty to Crocodile... Yeah, I think that would do a lot for Croc. Especially if Mihawk found out about Crocodile's baggage and chose to follow him despite/because of it.

But if we want Crocodile to Heal ALL THE WAY. He and Dragon need to have a talk.

Which will not be easy, considdering like.

Look at that fucking expression on the panel on the right. Dragon is more than likely beyond furious with Crocodile over what he did in Alabasta. And for good reason. And frankly, I can't tell if they can ever come back from that.

(Sidenote, but this page these panels are from (from Chapter 1058) follows immidiately after the page where Buggy introduces Crocodile and Mihawk to Cross Guild, Dragon's placement on the bottom right of this page matching perfectly where Crocodile was placed in the previous page. So considdering what Dragon says and the expression he makes... Man, if there ever was a way for Oda to tell us what Dragon thinks of Crocodile without explicitly having him say it, yeah, this would be it)

And I'm sure that even if Crocodile got over whatever heartbreak might've happened between him and Dragon and just moved on... The fact that Dragon never called Crocodile and warned him about their son being a pirate, with a bounty, who might be on his way to the Grand Line, where he could stumble his way to Alabasta, where Crocodile was famous for his Pirate Crushing Heroics mind you... Yeah. Crocodile would have a perfectly understandable reason to be furious at Dragon too. He almost killed their son without knowing because Dragon never warned him, never told their son's name to him, never told his OWN full name to Crocodile.

So needless to say.

They have a lot of differences to overcome. Things they've done that they'd both need to look past, forgive and forget. Somehow. And I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'd find it damn near impossible to happen.

But can you imagine, if despite everything, Dragon still loved him? And was sorry about whatever the fuck happened 19 years ago? And didn't want to lose him again?

I think that would be the thing that would help Crocodile heal all the way in the end.

If Luffy is the first step, then Dragon is the last.

[strawberryraviegutz]

I really REALLY hate those kinds of stupid “hot take” posts. I think they’re just garbage to purposely farm more discourse to cause infighting, but I’ve been holding this in for so long and I need to get it out of my system so here it goes.

Alastor fans are allowed to dislike Valentino. Valentino was made to be a dislikable Villain while Alastor BY VIV’S OWN WORDS is a chaotic neutral antihero based off of Dexter with a moral code. Of course people are gonna like Alastor more than Valentino. The antihero/vigilante is a very popular beloved trope. I mean just look at Magneto and Venom.

You guys claim to want more nuanced characters but when we try and tell you that Alastor is more nuanced BASED OFF OF EVIDENCE FROM THE CREATOR and little possible context clues in the show we get accused of “babying/woobifying him”(as if Val fans haven’t done that to Val). This isn’t a hit piece against all Val fans/simps btw. I may hate that moth, but you guys should be allowed like him without receiving hate and or death threats.

It’s not “hypocrisy” to dislike Valentino or the Vees and like Alastor for the reasons I said above and the four of them aren’t comparable. Yeah they share some traits but overall the only thing Alastor and the Vees have in common are the mistreatment of the souls they own. Like I said, Val fans shouldn’t be attacked for liking him but the thing is…if you’re gonna preach those words then do the same for Alastor fans/simps because we get attacked too.

(Again it’s not all Val stans but it sure it a lot of them. I’ve all so seen Val haters do it too.) Yall claim not to harass people over fictional characters yet will go under Alastor posts and or discussion threads and be like “Uhm actually him and Valentino are the same🤓☝️”.

“He’s worse than Val” “Why can’t we just have a good villain” “Just accept that Alastor is a villain stop babying him” when we’re just minding our own business. Not to mention people going under fanart of Angel! Alastor and being like “erm actually he’d never go to heaven🤪”.

Along with yall bullying the hell out of Alastor selfshippers/simps and using tumblr sexyman as an insult(which reaks of internalized misogyny btw because majority of Alastor simps are women + women are always the first to be made fun of when it comes to characters that Classify as tumblr sexymen being found attractive by them or any character you personally wouldn’t find attractive.)

And yall going around and keep calling Alastor ugly under posts about people gushing about him and i don’t mean lighthearted jokes either because i make fun of the back of his head sometimes too. And full blown harassment. When an Alastor fan provided evidence of Alastor being a more nuanced character which were clips from Viv’s streams, people in the comments and qrts were being extremely rude and dismissive. It got so bad that op deleted the og tweet.

Don’t go around and claim to be against cringe culture but then make fun of people for finding Alastor attractive. And for goodness sake STOP FUCKING CALLING HIM A SLAVE OWNER. And yes he owns souls but that doesn’t matter.

Alastor is canonically half black and its overall disgusting to slap the label “slave owner” onto him knowing damn well that he grew up in the Jim Crow era of America in the Deep South of Louisiana. His existence as a mixed black person back then was basically considered an abomination. With how terrible it was for black people back then, Alastor probably bore witness to a lot of messed up shit growing up and if that’s the case then it’s no wonder he’s so messed up in the head.

This type of behavior has been going on since the days where we only had the pilot and it’s only gotten worse since the show came out. As soon as I saw that scene with husk and Alastor in hell’s greatest dad I automatically knew what was coming. I’m not saying that Alastor Is a good person nor am I saying that what he did to husk was ok. But to go after/make fun of Alastor fans,purposely denying evidence of his character while in the same breath preach against bullying people over liking certain characters makes YOU the hypocrites. So much for anti-harassment. I’m tired. Bye.

[rosesocietyy]

Brilliant people have said everything that needs to be said about this much much better and I don't got anything substantial to add but I just have to get this off my chest cause y'all I'm still in disbelief

like this is a grown ass person btw oh I simply have to laugh😭

this perfectly exemplifies literally everything cringe af and wrong with these "assigned welcomers". this is just my scapegoat but there are way worse I've seen

First of all, get a job. how, at your fossil age, do you have time to spend all day scrolling through every single iwtv related post and arguing with people who say anything even slightly damning about lestat (which mind you, is literally just objective facts about things he did). I'll dm you a McDonald's application hell I'll even put in a referral for you out of the goodness of my heart.

Second, Lestat is not a real person. he's fake, a made up character, the figment of someone's imagine, non-existent, people hating him will not affect your life in anyway shape or form. He didn't assign you as his PR agent I promise you'll live. "They'll never accept him" ok and?!?

Question, and I'm genuinely asking, is this their first time in a fandom? why is someone having a different opinion about a character they love enough to send them into hysterics like?? 13 year olds on anime twitter have a better grasp on reality that y'all do get a grip!

And like the above posts have talked extensively about, I most definitely noticed whose posts a specific bunch of them love to go under to share their dog shit "explanation" that nobody asked for. When a black person sees Louis being brutalized by his white lover what do you expect their reaction to be? oaur wow this white french slut is so pussy cunt slay period queen? "but louis is flawed too" do you hear yourself? do you listen to yourself when you speak? can you activate the barest hint of brain activity to understand why we would react differently to what we're watching than you would and that knowledge of the source material has nothing to do with it? Just because you read those shitty books and posses no empathy for black people in media doesn't mean you gain some higher understanding of "gothic romance ".

"No but the thing is you don't understand this is a gothic romance and they're supposed to be monsters and lestat has suffered saur much and he's also the real main character so you must love him" so now how exactly does that negate their point about him being an abuser? quickly! sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up when black people are sharing their thoughts on the show cause who the fuck are you fr and what convinced you that you have the right to argue with them about THEIR experiences. that tweet that said white people act like God left them in charge, yeah.

Funny enough, half the people that are so gung ho about him now didn't even fw him at all when they only read the first book. wow it's almost like you were allowed to sort out your feelings about him on your own without insects disguised as people in your mentions calling you slow for not licking his feet.

I despise so much in this fandom. From the bottom of my heart I really truly do. I don't know what I was expecting, I guess more common sense and maturity because the average age in the fandom is quite high compared to other fandoms I've been in but nah, just mfs screaming and crying bc ppl don't jump up and down and scream yipee! everytime their white fav commits abhorrent, disgusting crimes.

I was so caught up in the euphoria of an anne rice property finally being given to skilled creators who'll pick it apart and say something poignant with it that for a moment, I forgot I lived in a world where majority of its audience would sadly be the anne rice crowd.

[pygmi-says-hi]

I'm writing a fic for perceived academic rivals where A hates B. B does things to annoy A, but later on, a twist will occur where B was purposefully doing things to get attention but also secretly helping A out. However, I can't figure out how to write that 😭 they're percieved academic rivals bc while A tries really hard for recognition. B effortlessly surpasses them without trying at all (or even caring). And are put against each other in a final project which the highest grade would be gifted a prize. One A needs but B doesn't at all.

Idk what to write what B does that might annoy A. B is a great person, whom A will discover over time when they're assigned a project together. This will get them closer, and B will open up about all their past acts that they did out of genuine care. While A saw it as a purposeful annoyance or jab at him. (They are musicians btw competing in a talent show of sorts where the project partners will versus one another for the top spot).

I'm trying to slow burn it where they are apart then slowly put in scenarios where they are together. Then assigned a project that gets them closer and vulnerable. Sorry for the yap, I just don't have any writer friends— or friends at all for that matter— to run this by or talk to.

hi! sounds like a cool idea!

I'm not exactly sure what part you want help with, but it sounds like you want some advice on the pacing and 'inciting incidents' between A and B.

Pacing

Academic rivals to lovers, and any kind of slow burn is (personally) my favorite, and it's a really fun dynamic to play with. Pacing can be whatever you like, although it sounds like you are aiming for the slower end of things.

Something to keep in mind when writing a slow burn is why it's slow. What is getting in the way of them just...falling in love?

You've mentioned that B is kind of a thorn in A's side. Great! There's obstacle number one: Personal beef.

In this case, it seems the beef is around the acquisition of this 'prize,' which A wants and has to beat B to get. The smaller, secondary obstacles could be the little 'pranks' or whatever that B is playing on A.

The 'pacing' revolves around the overcoming of those obstacles, which would be the romantic aspect. How fast do they progressively warm up to each other?

Keep that in mind while pacing. Are the 'falling moments' happening too quickly? They will only fall for each other if something prompts it. That means for every obstacle, there must also be a reward, otherwise nothing will motivate the romance.

Remembering the above advice prevents a rushed conclusion. Every swoon has to have a reason. That will keep the momentum while also building tension, which creates the perfect 'slow burn.'

Obstacles

You also mentioned being unsure of what B could do to piss A off.

To reiterate: the goal is A falling in love with B when they realize B was actually trying to help them out, not hinder them.

Which means, the acts need to be believably malicious, while also holding a sentimental perspective. The best way to make this dynamic work is a lot of miscommunication. A might not know the 'whole story.' give it to them via B's actions, but in disjointed moments that paint a mean picture. Then, when they have a moment to reconcile, B can explain the missing details that fill in the gaps and reveal the true, romantic motive.

B potentially could be sabotaging the competition to defeat A's opponents, but A is angry because they think B is trying to overtake their spot, when in reality it could be a Hunger Games situation where they end up being the final two, and then truce and fall in love anyway.

Idk, just spitballing! Hope this helps, and if it doesn't do not be afraid to ask for clarification!

[helluvatired]

you know what? i'm about to say it

i really like radioapple, but for a month now, the fanart of the characters' characterization is so far from canon???

almost all fanart looks like this image, with lucifer being the uke and alastor being the seme

and i'm not even talking about the sexual thing, but btw i always found it ridiculous to assume just because someone acts some way (and generally the "way" is just being able to open up and talk about feelings, height, etc.) defines whether they likes penetration or not (also top doesn't equals dom and vice versa)

some people are treating it as if lucifer is helpless submissive and alastor is totally dominant and so much stronger than lucifer

i'm missing the dynamics of canon. the enemies to lovers part

the part where alastor knows that he is much weaker than lucifer (in all senses) and this is at least one of the reasons he doesn't like lucifer and that's why he tries to manipulate charlie into pretending that he wants to be like a father figure for her so get to lucifer's nerves and have a minimum of control?

the part where lucifer doesn't do anything to hurt him because he knows that charlie considers alastor as a friend and well, hurting your daughter's friend won't help in the recognition of both (and alastor takes advantage of that)

or the two of them mutually being two grumpy and pity to each other, the rivalry, or both of them being goofy or they acting like the two old men they are (cmon, lucifer doesn't even like watching tv)

and hell, lucifer didn't even know who alastor was and never cared about it, he simply doesn't gives a shit! and now that lucifer and charlie's bond is strong + lucifer will one day or another find out about the deal with alastor, most likely all the manipulation in ep 5 has already fallen apart

anyway, that's my little rant so far. i still like the ship (and mainly for those reasons i mentioned above) but recently i feel the fanarts are so out of character (that i'm almost about to put the tag on the blocklist because all the ooc is getting really annoying for me)

is anyone else feeling what i said? maybe it could just be the algorithm that hates me only recommending me things that i don't like too, who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

if anyone managed to read until the end, thank you for reading!

[liskantope]

Here's a silly question out of left field: in your experience, are the women on dating websites disproportionately dog owners rather than cat owners?

Btw, I ask this as a cat lover who very much feels that female cat owners are not particularly well represented on the sites. Just curious if you've seen this, too, especially if you're a cat person.

(This is one of those asks from ages ago that I meant to answer at the time.)

Yes, one hundred percent, one thousand percent yes. I'm pretty sure I've ranted plenty about this before (I think in more posts than just the one I linked to above). The dog-obsessed dating profiles outnumber cat-owners by probably at least 8-to-1 (I'm not being hyperbolic here), and even more interestingly to me, there doesn't even seem to be such a thing as a cat-obsessed dating profile. Sure, there are women who mention having a cat in their dating profile and a few even say they love their cat. But with the dog-owners it's constantly "must love dogs" (such a common cliche that it's the title of a Family Guy episode!) / "my dog is my world" / some variation on "I like my dog better than all people" or "dogs > people" / "I'll never kick my dog out of bed for you" (my personal "favorite") / some variant of "I'm totally obsessed with my dog" ("my dog" was a frequent answer to Bumble's often-misinterpreted prompt "A fun fact I'm obsessed with:"). Whereas the cat-owners seem to have some awareness that their backs are against the wall as a small minority demographic in the online dating world and so don't dare act too enthusiastic: "must tolerate cats" / "please don't hate cats" / "I have cats and depression" (yes, this is an actual quote and pretty much says it all).

And yes, I am a cat person (although I've never owned one) and honestly don't much care for dogs. So this trend sucks for me personally -- in fact, it's one of several reasons I'm afraid to get a cat even though I often wish I had one.

[theokusgallery]

What do you think about middle aged sunflower ????

Okay I'm going to pretend I'm normal and didn't just have a conversation about it yesterday within which I had to restrict myself because of Discord's stupid character limit

Anyway. Gonna talk about fanfics briefly, because fics tend to get more complex with characterization.

A while ago, I got really into Marvel, and for two months I did nearly nothing except read spideypool fanfic all day and night. If you know anything about these two (that isn't from the MCU) (I hate the MCU, I hate it so so much, this is not who Spidey fundamentally is, he is supposed to be a friendly neighborhood loner loser and you Cannot just give him an Iron Man suit and a mentorship with Stark and intergalactic missions at 16 or however old he is in those movies when the essence of the character is that he is an average struggling teenager who just happens to get superpowers and fucks up a lot at the beginning of his journey and mostly works alone and quit the fucking Avengers himself) (wow I started rambling sorry. Ignore that), you'll know that they are both around... 25-30ish, currently. Something like that. The only other fandom that I read as many fanfics of was Ace Attorney, where depending on the timeline, they can be from 23 to like, 35 with a kid. So I'd say me being so invested in a ship with 16 year-olds is... kind of an anomaly.

I don't usually like the coming-of-age, teenage love stuff, and I honestly have never found a single sunflower schoolfic I liked (except Spiral of course but even then they're in college) because all of them tend to... infantilize both Sunny and Basil at great length. And also tear down anything that makes them interesting characters. I think a lot of OMORI artists (that includes writers) are very afraid of doing anything substantial with teenagers, despite, you know, the actual plot of the game, and as a result, a lot of the time most fics where the characters aren't aged up tend to be... incredibly boring. Of course there are some that are good — exceptional even — but in the end all I can think of is the huge gap in... quality? that sounds wrong to say about a creative thing... interesting-ness, let's say (a very personal and subjective concept), when I stopped reading Marvel and went back to OMORI. I stopped reading fanfics altogether because I just couldn't find one I liked as much as the average Marvel fic that I hadn't already read.

Maybe it's a result of the writers themselves being young? I know OMORI's fanbase is generally a lot younger than Marvel's, so that could affect it. I mentioned schoolfics because there's a lot of them and because they were mentioned in my rant yesterday, but it's not really about the fact that they're schoolfics, it's about the fact that more often than not, the setting is the plot, and since it's just your average highschooler writing their favorite blorbos into their own environment and projecting (which is very cool btw, 99% of my own writing is projecting), the plot is... basically nonexistant. It's boring. It's boring and the characterization is usually dull. But even outside of schoolfics, I think I stopped trying to read fics that start with Sunny getting out of the hospital after the True Ending for the same reason : it's often plain and plotless and boring. And, fuck, my favorite books and mangas and such are slice of life, I'm all for mundane plots! But there's a difference between a mundane plot/realism and just no plot at all.

(This is not, like, an attack of OMORI writers who make schoolfics or fics that start with the above mentioned premise, btw, I want to make that very clear. It's very much a personal preference. I think it's boring because all of the fics I read in Marvel had a very unique plot/premise is my point. And also because the characters were a lot more mature and complex. Different strokes for different folks)

I think that's what I'm kind of sad about. OMORI characters tend to be complex and morally grey in their own way, and people tend to forget about that because they're teenagers and obviously no one can do no wrong before the ripe age of 18. Children are all innocent and therefore cannot be more morally complex than cinnamon roll soft boys/girls (looking pointedly at Sunny, Aubrey and Basil. But mostly Basil). Also, I think people tend to straight-up forget that 16 year-olds aren't, like, 10? Of course they're not going to be as mature as grown adults, especially Sunny OMORI, Dissociative Amnesia World Champion, but like... When I was 16 reading OMORI fanfics, half the time I was like "a 16 year-old would not fucking say that". But also generally more mature characters are inevitably more interesting to explore to me because I prefer more mature themes — I'm simply extremely upset at the fact that people don't explore the complexity that's already there when they're 16, including the very mature themes that are already there.

TL;DR: I love middle aged sunflower, I love middle aged ships in general ! In fact, I will tend to prefer sunflower when it's aged up.

(... I probably should've led with that.)

[herarcadewasteland]

Danger Lurks

A/N: There's a significant lack (pretty much none) of Teddy Lobo x Reader from 2023 Renfield and since I'm fulfilling my own Renfield x Reader fics, I'm doing this for those hoomans who also wanted this but couldn't find it. (Such a good movie btw I've seen it like 4 times now) Nine google doc pages of this shit-

-Teddy Lobo x Reader

-Mentions of drugs, violence and the likes. Swearing. You're old enough to know what you can handle. This is your warning :) (also sui*ide :/.... it turned darker- sorry if you're triggered. this is your warning again)

TW TW TW TW TW TW TW

_______________________

Teddy Lobo. Yeah. Him. Your boyfriend. The one currently ranting about some guy who killed a bunch of his men in Mulates the previous night. A sigh left you as you sat and listened patiently. It wasn’t like you had meant to get involved with a crime family. It just… happened. On a Thursday. A couple years back. It wasn’t worth the mental effort to think on how you had met with each detail in place. So you settled for the simple thought of it all. You were working. He walked in, you smiled at him while everyone looked away. You kept eye contact.

You didn’t look scared, and you didn't know who he was. He took you out a couple times, wined and dined you. Took you places. Treated you right. And then after mind-blowing sex, you met his mother at the breakfast table as she plotted with her son on the next drug deal. There was no out at that point. Plus, Teddy was quite a nice guy… past the killing and cocaine and stuff. So, you stayed. Which landed you here as he continued in disbelief at what had happened to a good number of his men. It wasn’t easy to believe what he told you he saw, but you had to at least try to believe. 

It was a lot easier when he walked up to your chair and landed a kiss on your lips with a pleading expression,

“You have to fucking believe me, Y/N. We’re looking for the fucker right now and when we get him, you’re coming. It’s time you get out there with me. You’ve been staying behind with mother for too long. I’m better with you at my side. You know this, lovely.”

You sighed again and nodded, hands brushing over the stubble on his jaw, 

“I know, Teddy. I’m just worried. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Or anyone else. It’s just not my  thing.”

He sighs in return and pulls you from your chair into a bear hug, his deep breathing calming you against his chest as you snuggled in. His hands stroked over your hair and you hummed while he let out a short chuckle at how cute you were. 

“We’ll have the info by morning. I’ll wake you up an hour before we’re ready to go. There won't be many of us. I’ll keep you safe, lovely.”, his lips pressed against your head and you smiled into his chest, “Now go get some rest. I want you not to be groggy when we go get this dickhead. You’ll need to be alert.”

“Ok. Goodnight Teddy.”

“Goodnight lovely.”

He spun you out of his arms towards the stairs. You giggled and walked up them to the left towards your now shared room with Teddy. You could feel his gaze on you as you walked above him past the railings blocking the fairly large fall. Looking back at him, you smiled. He smiled back with love in his gaze. You felt it too. The love. You loved him. Unfortunately for you, Teddy felt a nagging in the back of his head about the upcoming events. And he didn’t like it one bit. 

—--

The next morning you woke to an empty bed. It was normal, but it felt wrong today. The day just felt wrong. It made your eyes water as Teddy walked into the room looking down at a tablet as he grabbed a suit jacket from the closet. 

“Teddy?”

He visibly jumped at your voice, his eyes searching you out immediately and noting the tears in your eyes. His panic was next. He hated it when you cried. All he wanted was for you to be happy around him and for you to be crying so openly, it was new. Off putting even. Especially for Teddy.

“Love? What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Tell me what’s wrong.”

He rushed to the bed and held your trembling hands in his steady large ones as you looked at him sadly. Just shaking your head, you took your hands from his as he scanned you constantly for any visible wound. 

“N-No I’m…”, your voice cracked and you took a steadying breath, holding Teddy’s hands again to calm him as well as yourself, “I’m okay. Just… today feels wrong. Maybe it’s just one of those days but something feels different and I’m scared. What if the feeling is right, Teddy? I don’t want anything to happen to you… to us… to anyone.”

His grip tightened on your hands as you spoke, his eyes softening further as he watched the tears make a path down your flushed face. You sighed shakily and watched him watch you. It was simple. But it calms you down enough to take a deep breath, loosen your hold on his poor hands and kiss him gently. The kiss was… as it always is, wonderful. His lips cushioned yours in the best way that you never thought possible before kissing Teddy Lobo. It took over the fear as his tongue swiped over your bottom lip, a small groan leaving him as you parted from the kiss. 

“No no, come back. You should stay with me like that forever.”, he falls back onto the bed dramatically, his hand on his forehead as you giggle. “It’s heaven on earth. You can’t take that from me!”

You laugh loudly as you crawl on top of him, his hands resting on your hips as you place kisses around his face, “We have somewhere to be, don’t we? Maybe later, pony boy.”

You wheeze at the confused and nearly offended look on his face as you scramble from the bed, gathering your most Lobo coded outfit from the closet to rush into the ensuite bathroom and change before Teddy could fully recover and get you back with many, many tickles. His huffs reached your ears from the other side of the door as you tugged on the red leather jacket you had gotten for your birthday from Teddy a year back when he first asked you to go public with him. Properly. 

Finishing the outfit with a spray of your favourite perfume, you step back into the bedroom to see Teddy waiting for you on the bed, his eyes trained on you immediately. A whistle filled the room as he clapped you into the room, his applause guiding your steps subconsciously. Placing your hands on his shoulders when you reached him, you played with hair at the nape of his neck, his smirk making you smile shyly as he looked you up and down a few times. 

“Bout fucking time I see you wear this for me. Let’s make it count, lovely. Mother sent word for us to head down. The boys are ready. We have his location.”

You nodded with a sigh and pecked his lips, stepping towards the door and shaking off your hands. You were nervous. Sure you felt a little better but that feeling, that bad one, was still present and somehow got stronger as you loaded into the van with Teddy and a few of the Lobo troops. The drive was longer than you thought but also shorter than a trip to the costco somehow. You forgot to question it all as you pulled up to the very clearly abandoned hospital, pieces of the roof hanging off, boarded windows, broken windows, graffiti. It all screamed sketchy and abandoned. But Teddy was determined. So when he saw your hesitance standing in front of the tall building, he sighed and pulled you into his side with a gentle kiss to the top of your head. 

“Just stay close. I’ve got you.”

You nodded not trusting your voice the moment you stepped into the building. The air was suffocating. Heavy. Musty. Definitely smelled like a place many people died in. That feeling you had increased ten-fold as you continued down the falling hallway, the roof and pipes clanging together and causing a few of the men to hit their heads on the way. Off-handed comments were made along the walk to find something, anything that indicated life, that the place must be haunted. The men made the typical ghost noises as they walked before stopping abruptly in what you assumed to be the reception or waiting room. It was open, large. Echoey. And you hated it more than the man who thought it would be funny to scare you into Teddy’s strong arms. You stayed away from that man for the rest of the walk. But now, standing in the entryway with Teddy as he spewed profanities, you wanted all the knowledge you were surrounded by capable people. 

Glancing around and purposefully avoiding the hundreds of suspended blood bags, you counted each of the men with growing relief that there was no one else. You looked up at Teddy with worried eyes, his own angry ones softening at your fear. HIs large hand rubbed comforting circles into your back as he led you forward to search for this Renfield guy. He called out to his men once you reached a very rank smelling room, the flies making you cringe away from the room while Teddy looked inside.

“Ronnie, call my fucking mom. RIGHT NOW.”

His voice echoed as he shielded your eyes, walking back into the open space, his mom’s voice sounding from a discarded phone that you couldn’t see until Teddy dropped his hand from your eyes to pick it up and freak out. You glanced around again, the feeling back in stronger waves as Teddy grabbed your hand again, your own trembling in his grasp as he talked with his mom before a whooshing met your ears and you both glanced around in panic. 

“Teddy- I don’t like this… Let’s just go.”, your frantic eyes met his and he frowned at the pure fear in your eyes before he glanced at something over your shoulder and froze. “Please, I don’t want to be here anymore. Can we find this Renfield guy another day? Baby...?”

Your pleading fell on deaf ears as he stared over your shoulder with a rapidly paling face. You froze in turn, hearing a dark chuckle over your shoulder. Your first instinct was to step further into Teddy, his arms wrapping around you as you slowly turned in his hold to see what caused him that much fear. Meeting the eyes of the man, you gasped. His lips curled in a smile, his pointed teeth clenched together as he watched you. You let out a shaky breath and tugged at Teddy’s arms to tell him to get you the fuck out of there. Teddy being Teddy guided you closer instead, your body falling further back into his solid frame as you were now at least a foot away from the strange man in a bedazzled suit blazer. 

Teddy’s hand reached out holding his phone, pure confidence on his face until the man took the gap in security to dart a hand out with inhuman speed and grab you from Teddy’s hold, pulling you into his chest with a hand on your neck. You whimpered at his hold, eyes wide as you stared at Teddy, who waved his hands in panic, repeating “Woah” in an attempt at subduing the hold this man had on you. 

“Look, we don’t want any trouble-”

“Who are you? You were sent by the church?”, his last word was dragged out with disgust and contempt. 

“I’m a criminal! My organization is all about evil! We’re evil, okay?!”

“Why are you here?!”, the pale man growled as he jerked you back against him. 

“We’re looking for this guy! I’m tryna find this guy! He meddled in our business and killed a bunch of our guys tryna save a bunch of innocent people.”

The phone held out in front of you showed the man, Renfield. The man holding you growled and tightened his hold on your neck, your own hands grasping at his pale appendage as you gasped at the increased pressure. You didn’t move more than that, too afraid of the claw-like nails on the man's hand to move more than you already dared. Teddy watched you carefully as the man laughed maniacally. The panic in Teddy was clear as he took an almost threatening step forward.

“Do you know who I am?! Who she is?!”

 The guy holding you in a death grip tilted his head in confusion, a nearly mocking “Hmm?”, vibrating your back with his voice.

“I’m Teddy fucking Lobo and that’s my girlfriend!” 

The strange man chuckled and lifted you above him after turning you to face him, his eyes meeting your widened ones as your legs kicked in the air, the lack of ground frightening you enough to struggle in his hold despite the claws so close to your neck.

“I am Count Dracula.”, the man's smile was back as he somehow lifted you higher, your face turning slightly red as you shook your head. 

“You win!”, Teddy shouted as he watched you turn your head to look down at him, the desperation in his eyes so clear to you as the man who claimed he was Dracula brought you down enough to make eye contact with you directly.

“He is my servant.”, Dracula growled as you trembled in his hand, lips parted to take in more air than you could through your nose. Dracula’s eyes focused on the phone again, Teddy’s other hand shaking by his side.

“He doesn’t seem to be serving you very well.”, Teddy chuckled hesitantly as you glared back at him the best you could. 

Dracula’s clawed hand set you on the ground, your back to his chest in a split second as Teddy stepped forward again. Your hands shook as you gripped the arm around your neck again, Dracula’s maniacal, almost hysterical laugh filling your head as you stared down Teddy with a mounting anger. The man's free hand shot out to grab the phone, the looped video of Renfield being stopped as the phone was crushed in his hand like it was nothing more than a piece of paper. You winced, pushing yourself against Dracula in fear before you realized and tried to move forwards, out of his harsh hold. Your attempt failed as Dracula grabbed you again and held you still against him forcefully, your forearm exposed as he twisted your arm around under his hold to drag a claw down the vein. You whimpered and shook, Teddy panicking further and reaching out to you with his shaking hands. 

“Wait, no, no, no, no!”

“This crime family of yours, would it enjoy witnessing the beheading of it’s enemies and the impalement of all who oppose it?”, Dracula's claw traced up and down the vein in your arm, your hand shaking violently at the base of it. 

One cut into it lengthwise and you would bleed out in 2 hours max. A horizontal cut would take multiple and even deeper ones, he would have to cut your vein clean in half to get you dead in that same time frame. It was still a frightening situation, having experienced his strength. The blood around his mouth and dripping down his chin didn’t help your fear. 

“That's like- that’s like our w-whole thing, man.”, Teddy’s voice trembled as he tried to get you free from the man's hold without causing a fight or pain to you.  

“And can the family raise me soldiers?”, Draculas’ tone was curious now, his claw stilling just above your wrist.

“We can… I can make a couple calls, yeah.”, Teddy almost had a smile on his face now from the turn the whole situation took. 

“Whatever pain Renfield caused you, I will return 10, 000 fold.”, he said in a rumble, his claw returning to its original path with a small detour of your neck. “I will unleash an army of death whilst warming my skin next to mountains of burning corpses.” 

The tone of his voice turned whimsical, like he was day-dreaming of the scenario. Teddy watched in concern and growing excitement that this guy seemed to want to hurt this Renfield guy as much as the Lobo’s. 

“How does that sound to you?”, Dracula finished his speech while turning his fanged smile into your neck, his tongue tracing over your pulse point while he made eye contact with your lover. 

Teddy took a steadying breath and released it with a groaned sigh, “It sounds… like you gotta meet my mom.”

You groaned as Dracula burst out laughing a few seconds later. Teddy laughed quietly with him, his eyes focused on you the whole time while you trembled. Dracula’s pure evil laughter got louder and Teddy nearly retreated in fear as he laughed a little more openly, concern growing at the rate the laughter from the other man was. 

“Are you happy or are you gonna fuck us up?”, Teddy’s smile died as he spoke, Dracula laughing still.

His claw made a small cut on your arm as he reached out to Teddy who screamed as his laughter turned into an almost screamed laugh, Teddy’s scream turning into slight laughter as Dracula continued laughing with a hand now on your boyfriend's shoulder. You hissed at the residual sting, sliding from Dracula’s body to Teddy’s side as they laughed continuously until Dracula went stock still. His eyes were staring you down as you hid behind Teddy. You froze your tugging at Teddy’s sleeve in response, his eyes flashing with something before he ended up behind you both, hand trailing over your shoulder before he spun you and grabbed the arm he had sliced. You froze further somehow as he gazed into your eyes with an intensity while Teddy watched in disbelief as his tongue snaked out of his mouth to lick the small trail of blood from your arm. 

“Can you not do that, man? She’s still my girl. You’re scaring her.”

Dracula met Teddy’s eyes with a growl as he dropped your arm, stepping back with a new expression of politeness. Almost like he had been conveniently forgetting that you were in a relationship with the same man who screamed moments before at a hand movement. He knew what he was doing though, he had too. He seemed too self aware to not know exactly what he was doing as he eye-fucked you while you cowered into your lovers body again. 

“My apologies.”, He spoke with reverence that you could tell was a cover, but Teddy accepted it with a simple nod, leading you around the guy with a hand on your back and shoulder.

“We’ll be back in a few moments, we need to gather some more men to bring you to my mom.”

Dracula nodded and watched you go as you looked back at him one last time, hand rubbing over the small laceration he had made on your delicate skin. 

—--- 

It was days later when this Renfield guy burst through the doors, Teddy’s mom standing beside you, her son on your other side, his hands crossed over his chest. 

“Must be nice not having to be invited in.”

You blocked out the conversation from there, watching as the officer’s eyes scanned you with blatant interest, the conversation clearly shifting towards you as everyone looked your way.

“She’s merely a bystander. No harm has to come to her.”

Teddy’s voice had rung across the front room clearly, the two on the ground floor looking at you with increased interest as you shuffled behind Teddy to hide yourself from their searching gazes. Tugging at your newly acquired fiance's sleeve, you mumbled in his ear that you didn’t want to be out front with him, requesting that you go into the back with his mother. He refused, insisting that he could keep you safer while you were with him. You agreed reluctantly and grasped him by the waist as the conversation continued. You felt a pair of eyes on you the entire time but shrugged it off as a few men jumped the railing with increasing dramatics to fight this Renfield guy who now shared powers with a handful of the Lobo men. 

The fight went quickly, Teddy realizing quickly that he may be better off sitting behind the scenes with his mother. You both jogged to the door before you heard a voice calling out to you both. Officer Quincy. You shook your head as you both turned, Teddy pulling his gold pistols from his pants in a threat. Hands reaching up to pull his arms down, you stepped in front of him to stop him. Muttering at him, you sighed. He was stubborn, you knew that but for him to be this stubborn at that particular moment irked you. So you reacted. Grabbing his guns from his hands, you saw his eyes narrow at you. Before you could think on it more, you turned to the railing and leapt over the edge, running for the door as he called after you in urgency.

Nothing stopped you as you booked it for the doors, Renfield’s carnage doing nothing to stop you as you nearly made it to the door before Teddy reached you. His hands grasped your arms as you panicked, hands trembling as his golden eyes looked into your own coloured ones. Dropping the guns, you burst into tears, hiding your face in his chest as his hands rubbed up and down your back to calm you.

“Hey, hey. Look, it’ll be okay. I promise. Let’s get you upstairs to mother and we’ll see each other soon, I promise. I won’t let you get hurt.”

You sighed, wiping your tears with shaky hands as he picked you up, carrying you through everything calmly, the destruction avoiding you narrowly as Renfield downed the last man. You tapped Teddy’s shoulder frantically as you noticed his advance, the cop approaching from the opposite direction as your tapping got more panicked. Teddy noticed quickly, his hands gripping you tighter despite setting you on the ground.

Being exposed more for any attack, you stood still with your back pressed against the chest that had been pressed against yours the night before. The officer quickly approached, Teddy acting quickly and snorting the centipede that had been crawling up and down his arm without you noticing. You cringed away from the sight, Teddy’s eyes flashing gold again as he gently pushed you to the side before he lunged at the officer. That left you completely exposed. 

Renfield took advantage of the situation and pulled you into his hold like his master had done a night or so before. In a few moments, Renfield had you held on the balcony above, arm crossed over your throat as Teddy and the officer fought. It didn’t take long for Teddy to notice, his distraction enough for the officer to pull the shotgun on him and shoot him down. You gasped and fought the hold on you, your eyes stuck on your lover’s as he fell to his knees, bloodied wounds decorating his tattooed chest while you watched, unable to do anything but cry. Renfield took pity on you and let you go, your fist meeting his face before you raced past the murderer of your fiance to the man himself. 

“Teddy! No, no, no no no nonono. You can’t leave me! We were gonna be together forever…”

His pained chuckle met your ears as tears fell from your pained eyes. 

“Don’t you know who I am? I’m Teddy fucking Lobo and I’ll always be with you, lovely.”

Your head shook as you pressed frantically on his wounds, eyes scanning his face continuously as he just watched you, a single tear tracking down his face and meeting the small puddle of yours on the floor beneath him. You chuckled roughly, of course he would say that while dying. Footsteps drew your attention momentarily, the culprits sprinting to get to Dracula while you sat with the love of your life and talked him into the afterlife. You’d meet him there one day. You just hoped it would be sooner… seeing his pistols out of the corner of your eye, you nodded. You’d be with him soon. 

As you held his pistol to your head, you laughed in pain,

“Teddy fucking Lobo... I’ll see you soon, baby.”

-------

A/N: oh man im sorry it got dark :/ if i missed any words im so sorry but hopefully it made some sense. kinda my own take with a few direct quotes from scenes.

[asmolsoulsthoughts]

“It’s better to burn than to fade away, it’s better to leave than to be replaced.”

— Nicotine by Panic! At The Disco

CW// gojo coded! guy x gn! reader pairing, a bit of angst in this one, reader mentioned to have social anxiety and reclusive tendencies, introvert! reader, they/them pronouns for reader, no physical descriptions other than the reader is wearing a hoodie, guy is a bit tsundere (oops), no names used, can be read as platonic or can be read as friends to eventual lovers (non-specified), written from the guy’s pov, word count: 1236 words

Author’s Note// Oof, here’s another one. Just a random thought I had, may add more to it later, may make it into something, or I may just forget it exists. The reader is a little based off of me, personality and behaviors, but I wanted to try depicting how it looks from an outside perspective. As mentioned above, the guy was written with Gojo in mind, but if you feel it fits another character, awesome! Hope you enjoy! <3

Btw, lyrics above don’t relate much, just thought they fit loosely.

They were confusing.

They were confusing in that they seemed like they were confused.

He had noticed how their eyes seemed to light up when they saw him, then that light would fizzle and die almost right after.

It was confusing. Did they like him? Did they hate him? Did they hate that they liked him? He didn’t know. Maybe it was none of those.

They seemed to enjoy his company, and he liked the attention. Maybe they were just being polite. They’ve always been on the reserved side, though as time passed and they’d interacted more, their energy had shifted, became more… friendly?

They opened up a little bit, started to share more about themself, turned down less invitations to hang out, but… It was a little odd, he noted, how their expression would brighten with passion when they’d start to tell a story, but it wasn’t hard for the trained eye to catch when that passion would get cut off. It’s almost as if they’d caught themself becoming invested and squashed it.

He didn’t know what to make of it. For anyone else, it was easy to miss, the way they seemed to maintain a certain distance while making it seem like they opened up. But not for him, after all, he does the same thing. However, he’s starting to suspect they did it for a different reason.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Why did he even care? He didn’t, right? But if he didn’t care, why did it bother him so much? It shouldn’t, they were just some small, weak nobody, so… why?

Then more time passed and they seemed to be growing more and more distant, they started turning down more invitations, made excuses to leave early, stopped sharing their thoughts. They were pushing everyone away, him away, and it made him feel… panic… hurt… over all, even more confusion. They’d gone from strangers, to acquaintances, to friends annoyance and easy entertainment… then slowly back to strangers.

He’d never admit it out loud, but he missed the witty banter and playful jabs… he missed their calming energy and their chaotic mind…

So, he decided he’d just ask them. To ease his confusion and help him understand, of course, definitely not to try and get his friend entertainment back.

“Why are you so distant lately?” He asks, with all the tact in the world.

“Well, hello to you too.”

They look up from their phone to him, and their eyes do it again. Become lively then dim to neutrality.

It frustrates him.

In no mood to beat around the bush, he asks again. “Why are you so distant lately?”

They huff playfully and quip, “I’m pretty sure we’ve already covered this once before. I’m an introvert with reclusive tendencies, remember?”

He rolls his eyes and grunts. “And social anxiety, yes, I remember. But that’s not it, that’s not all there is to it, right? I can tell—and don’t try to deny it, it’s easy for me to see it— you’ve been backing off. Why is that?”

They pause for a moment then sigh and turn their head to look up at the ceiling. Instead of answering, they ask, “Does it matter? I’m sure you can find entertainment in just about anyone, and plenty of others more interesting than me.”

There’s no waver, no insecurity in their voice, just a distant neutrality, like stating a fact that should be common knowledge.

He doesn’t like it one bit.

He crosses his arms and clicks his tongue. “Sure, I could. But I don’t want to.” He’s hoping that by throwing them a bone like this will get them to open up.

“Mm.” They take a moment to mull over their options, and the longer the silence stretches, the more anxious impatient he becomes.

Finally, they take a deep breath and sigh again, lowering their gaze to stare forward. He almost misses the quiet pain in their eyes. Almost.

“… Because it’s bad for my health.”

“Huh?” He raises a brow, not understanding.

“It’s bad for my health.” They repeat. “I was getting… attached. Can’t have that, so, I pulled away. Put myself back in my box, tucked away from sight.”

“Attached?” He murmurs. His eyes widen, then narrow. “So you run away like a coward just when you start to get close to someone?”

They shrug. “If that’s how you want to phrase it, sure. I run away.”

He almost growls. “Why?”

They tongue the inside of their cheek and lick their lips (stalling for time, he thinks).

“Because it’s going to happen one way or another, anyway.”

He scoffs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The look in their eyes turns… wistful, sad. “I’ll end up alone again. I always do, so I figured it may as well be on my terms.”

That makes him stop. He slowly uncrosses his arms and opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

They shake their head and mutter, more to themself than anything, “I can’t let myself get attached, because then I’ll get used or left behind.”

He shakes his head to clear his momentary stupor. “That’s not—“

“It’s okay.” They cut him off. They glance at him and give a bright but melancholy smile. “I’m used to it.”

It makes his heart hurt.

He sighs, his demeanor becoming a great deal softer. He knows he only asked to be able to understand, to not be confused anymore, but he wasn’t expecting this. He realizes now that he’d also grown quite attached, more than he’d ever admit.

They look down at the floor. “…It doesn’t make sense, does it?”

There’s a brief pause before he replies. “It makes sense.”

They blink and look up at him for a moment, surprised, before ducking their head down and clearing their throat. “Ah, um.” Standing to leave, they swallow a bit anxiously and adjust their hoodie. They then make to walk past him, “If you’ll excuse me.”

He holds out his arm to block their path to the door, causing them to bump into it. He doesn’t know why he did that, but he did. “…Don’t run away anymore.” He, uncharacteristically, hesitates. “At least, not from me.”

They’re a bit stunned at the request.

“…Why?” It seems it’s their turn to be confused.

“…Because.” He doesn’t want to say it’s because he misses hanging out with them. He doesn’t want to say it’s because he’s becoming very aware of just how attached to them he is.

The thought of them not being around…

…It scares him.

They raise a brow. “Because?”

He nods, even though he can’t bring himself to say it aloud, his eyes implore them to stay. To not run away from him anymore.

They stare at each other for a long moment, seeming to have a nonverbal conversation.

“I can’t promise that I won’t. It’s a habit that won’t be broken easily.” Their voice is soft, almost vulnerable.

He sucks in a breath. “At least try.”

They bite their lips as they think for a moment.

“You’d have to be very patient with me. And, I’ll be honest, I don’t expect you too. Even I’m not that patient with myself.”

He places his hands on their shoulders and turns them to face him properly.

“I will, just… try. For me.”

A moment of silence passes as those words sink in.

“…Okay.”

[the-belle-siblings]

(Ooc) btw S. V. Left a long message for Terra.

Ooc because this is actually serious stuff to talk about:

Pride wasn't the only thing involved in those situations. It was the will of the individual to act. It cannot all be attributed to something as simple as pride. I didn't even take the comment of being called gay as an insult I was simply explaining that it isn't quite a compliment either. Especially how it's typically used in a derogatory way most times. (It obviously wasn't in your situation but the ask I was given sorta made it out that I had taken it as insult. I did not, Terra was upset that she was told her plans all fail not that she was called gay. I thought it was a point that should be mentioned anyways.)

Being queer is tough, it's full of challenges. It's the power of the individual to realize "Hey, I am actually your equal and your not gonna treat me like crap." That's what gets things done, it's more spite and will then actual pride. That's my point.

Being queer is being beaten down and holding onto the most simple things because we are powerful and spiteful and alive, not prideful. We group around each other, spit on our wounds and stand up even though we're outnumbered, because we know that we don't deserve to be treated as lesser. Pride suggests that we deserve to be put onto a pedestal which isn't at all the case.

Everything we've accomplished is queer spite, queer sweat, queer tears, queer blood, queer love, queer community. We aren't prideful gods above all creation we are simple human beings raising banners with our blood for the sake of life. We are survivors of our every day existence. It is a constant battle and yet recently we have been deceived by our foes and told that the war is over.

It is not over. It has simply just begun.

We still continue to lose our rights because they aren't protected by our government. And we don't fight back! Why? Because "you already have pride month" or "it was worse back in my day." We are actively being gaslit! We hardly have any control over our lives and we're being told "grow up you liberal snowflake."

You can be proud of who you are and not change a damn thing about the world around you. However if you love who you and your community are, you will likely feel spiteful towards those who threaten you. Love is more powerful than pride.

If you love your people you're going to help them. That's where everything comes from. It comes from love and spite. "I hate that you hurt the thing I love so I'll take care of it and show it off!" That's us. It's all about the kindness in our hearts and the motivation for change. Love and Spite. In other words, passion.

Queer Passion > Gay Pride

Pride can only get you so far but with passion, you move forwards no matter what. Because you want that change. You need that change. This whole damn world needs to change.

Oppression is prideful. They view themselves as above others for the reasons they find in a delusional man's novel. They view themselves as above others as a desperate cling to power. They are prideful, selfish, idiotic, and greedy.

That's why I believe in passion over pride.

Though Pride month does sound a bit better than Passion month I must admit.

I'm saying this as queer person who struggles with their gender identity and sexuality. I've been called slurs and misgendered and deadnamed. When it comes to myself I get the adrenaline rush and I drop it. However if I hear it about my brother or one of my friends I'm legit ready to lay someone out.

I have legitimately almost fought someone for calling my brother a slur. That isn't pride! That's love for my family and friends and my community! That's spite and rage towards my oppressors! Me shouting as I'm shaking in anger and fear isn't my pride, it is my individual passion to help those I care about!

We are brave passionate individuals and we need to step up and do something about the way our world is. Boycott products run by homophobic people, spread awareness posts, start protests in the streets, give speeches, run for office, ANYTHING OTHER THAN SITTING AROUND DOING NOTHING!!!

Sorry for the very long rant though I'm just very passionate about this kind of topic.

[blasphemousclaw]

I was losing sleep last night and my brain just decided to connect some dots at like 4 in the morning. I am very sorry if this seem like a long chain of nonsense rambling

The multitude of analysis you had on Rykard (those are really well written btw they have singlehanded sparked my interest in this man) dwelled on his vicious mockery of the Erdtree and the Golden Order through his blasphemous serpentine form being a perversion of these mentioned above yet stands against them, the magma sorceries sharing the same stat requirements as Golden Order Fundamentalism incantations, and how he had immense mechanical and engineering talent from his Carian heritage.

Then I remembered that you can pick up the pulley crossbow from the Craftman’s shack in Mt. Gelmir. The item description have ignited my thoughts: …The complex mechanism, which required advanced mathematical and mechanical understanding to craft, was likely made by a certain genius who learned Golden Order fundamentalism.

Though I would doubt that this crossbow was designed and made by Rykard himself, it seems that his mechanical talent may not be solely established from Carian studies. Knowing that he was one of Radagon’s children and then grew up to be a praetor serving the Golden Order, it is entirely possible that his father’s influence has rooted deep within him long before his duty as a praetor. (Plus, if so - this may be the reason for Rykard to serve the Golden Order, to utilize his talents which resonate with the studies of fundamentalism and to study his father’s ideals, even with Radagon leaving Rennala, breaking her heart and traumatizing all his children?)

And the influence perpetuate further into his life, for his well-documented fondness of torture has been established from when he was still a praetor, and it only seem to aggravate after his betrayal. He started taking victims by force, a behavior “no different” from the gods themselves. The abductor virgins are all works of masterful engineering, reflecting a mind fond to the fundamentalism’s intricate mathematical study. Even after he sacrifice his own flesh and intelligence to the great serpent, his act of devouring countless heroes and champions so that they may be absorbed into his body, be a part of his ‘family’ echoes the rituals of Erdtree burial.

It is almost like a curse that runs within him. The heritage from a god, the great rune, and the golden grace shining through his hair and his eyes.

He did not become the very thing that he has sworn to destroy. He was the very being he has sworn to destroy.

Bonus: Item descriptions of Radagon’s scarseal and Radagon’s soreseal

These seals represent the lifelong duty of those chosen by the gods.

Solemn duty weighs upon the one beholden; not unlike a gnawing curse from which there is no deliverance.

AHH this is such a great exploration on how Rykard reflects Radagon in so many ways…I love the idea that his unique technology could be a mixture of what he learned from both his mother’s and his father’s domains!! And the line that’s killing me is “he was the very being he sought to destroy.” goddd that’s so true!!

All of the Carian children are the product of two lineages that are historically at odds, but still have come together — the Erdtree and the Moon, incantations and sorcery, faith and intelligence. It’s like their very identities are contradictory! And when Radagon left Rennala, they must have felt that contradiction deeply. Radagon’s actions reopen old wounds, reminding his children of why the Moon fought the Erdtree in the first place.

Rykard is full of contradictions in this way… he seeks to destroy the Erdtree, which once sought to destroy his mother’s kingdom. But at the same time, he ends up echoing and recreating many themes of the Erdtree and the Golden Order, albeit in a twisted way. It’s like he can’t help but be drawn towards symbols of the Erdtree, though he hates it, because the Erdtree is fundamentally a part of him — He is Radagon’s son. And Marika’s.