#not that it's much better because it's research time..............

[reshinless]

kinich refuses to put cake on your face in your wedding day

even before back when you still were just boyfriend, girlfriend, the evening he decided to propose; under a stellar night sky, "look a shooting star! quick, make a wish!" you quickly pointed out to the dark azure stratosphere.

"..."

"..did you wish?"

"yeah."

"well then, what was it!!"

"if i tell it now, it won't come true. isn't that what you said?"

"aww c'mon! i'm curious now!"

the tradition of putting cake onto your partner's face never appealed to him. he thought it was rude. he didn't wanna dirty the face he found the prettiest.

so the best he'd do is the smallest bit of icing on the tip of your nose, then put the rest of it in your mouth and lets you do the same.

he knew tonight was a cold night out as well, and gave you the jacket of his suit.

he knew how long it took to do your makeup, so he didn't wanna ruin it.

the cake tradition i'm taking about here usually refers to how your partner will take care of you, in sickness and in health, but when they smash it, it means they won't. so in the most respectful way possible, he didn't wanna disresepct you!

yeah he did his research, its his partner we're talking about. as much as he is blunt, he's quiet because most of the time he's busy paying attention to your likes.

did you notice how the cake was your favorite? did you notice it was your favorite flowers that he put up at every curtain? did you notice it was mixed with his and your culture when it came to traditions as well?

"you feel any better?" is all he says while watching you admire the scenery from a balcony. the venue was up in a tree, and all you wanted to do was admire what felt like a dream below you.

"can i know what you wished for on that day you proposed to me on?" you look over to your now husband.

"i wished for you to accept my proposal, and spend my life with you."

[certifiedsexed]

Hi! Kinda embarrassed to be asking this, but I also kinda need the answer in the near future and google's being royally unhelpful.

How much should a gynecological exam hurt?

I'm ace and never had sex or really masturbated as a result, so idk how much of the pain is not used to penetration and how much is possible vaginismus. I've had a few pap smears and two vaginal ultrasounds over the years, and every time, it's felt like someone is tearing me in half. I will have a death grip on the bed trying to keep silent and not cry out in pain... which might not be normal despite every obgyn I've ever seen behaving like it is??? Like, I've even asked multiple obgyns (I rarely see the same one twice at this point, which is frustrating but beside the point) if it's out of the ordinary, and it's always been dismissed as if it'll get better, but it never has. A friend of mine recently implied this isn't normal, so now I'm wondering if I've just always been stuck with shitty gynecologists.

Hi! No worries, google is universally unhelpful, I get it.

So here's the thing: you shouldn't be experiencing that amount of pain even if you're unused to penetration. Tests like the pap smear can cause discomfort and small amounts of pain [specifically when they collect the sample], but the penetration itself isn't supposed to be causing pain, specifically not at that level.

Also, vaginal ultrasounds are supposed to be very mild.[Sometimes they hurt a little but they're mostly just supposed to be a little uncomfortable.]

There's always the possibility you have trash doctors/nurses [which is unfortunately a common issue] and they're not doing it properly. Sometimes there's pain during procedures like that if someone is especially tense too but it shouldn't be that extreme and if you're having that regularly, something is definitely wrong.

[Which is something you can check if you want, being gentle, using some lube and seeing if general penetration hurts!]

An issue here is that procedures like this are often under-researched and people frequently don't listen about things like vaginal pain. Which is shitty as fuck and inappropriate but it's common.

Vaginismus is definitely a very possible cause. Your best bet might actually be going to an OBG/YN who specifically works with people who experience vaginismus and/or general vulvodynia/dyspareunia and talking to them about what you're experiencing.

Because it sounds like you're probably not experiencing doctors constantly doing the procedures wrong [since you're going to so many different ones], but doctors that are still shitty because they don't care about the pain you're experiencing so maybe talking to a doctor who specializes in what you're experiencing would be more helpful.

(Also, like I said, maybe trying to see yourself if general penetration hurts might give you some clarity on the issue.)

I hope this helps! Lemme know, especially if you want more specific info on all of this. <3

[1dmonthlyficroundup]

— 1D Monthly Fic Roundup —

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for September 2024! Below you’ll find 1D fics that were all published this month. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup​. You can find all our other posts here.

Happy reading!

＊ I long for that feeling to not feel at all by @ineverateakiwi [NR, 2k, Louis/Harry]

When he is not around and Harry needs to feel more grounded, steady on his own feet, he thinks of Louis. It's probably not healthy to rely on someone this heavily, but it's better than nothing. It's what he has right now. And, right now, it's working. Is thinking about that feeling, the feeling of being real, being alive, that he whispers – without thinking – those two words. — "Hurt me."

Harry needs to feel something, even if it's pain. Louis gives what he needs.

＊ where the real you is the superstar by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove [T, 2k, Harry/Louis]

Louis has lived in his tiny beachfront town his whole life, and doesn't know if he'll ever leave. Harry is constantly moving around, but when he meets Louis, he can't help wishing this could be the place he might stay. Just because the summer is temporary doesn't mean it's not worthwhile.

＊ Just a Little Taste, Babe by @allwaswell16 [E, 2k, Louis/Harry]

Harry’s been pining over Louis Tomlinson since their sixth form days. Now, he’s backstage at Louis’ concert and trying not to embarrass himself.

＊ make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face by localopa / @voulezloux [E, 24k, Harry/Louis]

things could be worse. harry doesn’t know what could be worse than being forced to do a tell-all interview with his ex friends with benefits that he still harbors feelings for, the only person he could ever see a future with, the person who truly hates him so much, he can’t help but hate him right back. but surely, worse things have happened at sea, right?

＊ Necessities of Nesting by @haztobegood [G, 5k, Louis/Harry]

“I know this is a sensitive topic and you probably don’t want to talk about your nest with me. But I have a friend that teaches nesting classes. Maybe they could help.”

“So you agree: my nest sucks and I’m a shit omega.”

＊ A Tight Space by haztobegood [T, 2k, Harry/Louis]

Niall pushes the bedroom door open. A huge mass of brown fur bolts between his legs. Louis startles with a hand to his chest.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Oh, that’s the cat. I told you Liam found a stray a few days ago. That’s him.”

“Are you sure that’s a cat?”

＊ The Grundy County Corn Maze Incident by haztobegood [T, 2k, Niall/Greg James]

Niall was getting tired and a bit worried about actually getting out of the corn maze. He had lost track of time and the fun was wearing off. Then, he heard someone shout for help. Part 3 of Grundy County Incidents

＊ Special Instructions by haztobegood [T, 2k, Zayn/Louis]

He didn’t mean for the drawings to become a thing. But they have. Every Tuesday night around eight o’clock, a take out order from Louis T. appears. Each order has new special instructions, requesting some change to the carefully curated dishes that Zayn has concocted. And every Tuesday night, Zayn doodles a response to those special instructions.

＊ A Wrench and a Rodent by haztobegood [T, 5k, Louis/Harry]

Louis just wants to study astrophysics, do some research, and graduate from Casper University. Fate throws a wrench in his plans.

＊ Language Of A Petal by @bittersweetsin [E, 15k, Harry/Louis]

“Wait, you're reading Divin-“

“-Divined Souls? Yup,” Harry finishes for him.

Starving off a grin, Louis says, “Have you actually been stalking me all this time and just lied about not knowing me?”

“Guess we’ll never know.”

or Louis is a librarian, and Harry comes in all the time to return books he’s finished reading. Every time Louis opens the book to check for any damages, there’s always a flower hidden in between one of the pages, specifically on a paragraph that has a deep meaning.

＊ Come and See My Dreams by @lululawrence [NR, 3k, Louis/Harry]

In a world where alphas traditionally built nests as part of the courting rituals for their omegas and rarely outside of that, Louis felt drawn to nest for his best friend from the time he was young.

Now, it was finally time to present the nest to Harry.

＊ a moon, a rainbow, and a carnation by lululawrence [NR, 8k, Louis/Oscar Isaac/Pedro Pascal]

“I swear they’re secretly dating or maybe even married at this point and are just trying to see how long they can keep it under wraps or something. Not quite sure what the deal is, honestly, but they swear up and down that they’re just friends whenever anyone asks.”

Louis chuckled. “Too bad. I’d have happily gone after either one of them, honestly.”

“Or both,” Calvin said, waggling his eyebrows.

Or the five times Louis, Pedro, and Oscar have incredible chemistry and the one time they finally admit to the feelings.

＊ 'Cause What I Want Came True by lululawrence [NR, 1k, Louis/Diego Luna]

Diego had been… unexpected. From the moment that Louis had walked into the coffee shop and seen him sitting there, he was surprised. He’d known Diego was attractive, the few photos he had shared on the dating app had made that clear, but there was something about seeing him in person that made him feel… more.

＊ (Whoops) Here We Go Again by lululawrence [NR, 4k, Louis/Oscar Isaac]

“I’ve got you,” Oscar said as he confidently hit the eight for Louis.

Nodding his thanks as he shyly tucked himself into the corner so the others who needed to could exit easily on their own floors, then Louis sucked his lips into his mouth in an attempt to cover his smile.

It didn’t mean anything, because of course it didn’t. They’d shared an elevator a few mornings a week for months now, but still. He remembered.

Or the one where Louis and Oscar have been seeing each other regularly on the elevator at work for almost nine months. Maybe it’s time for something to finally happen between them.

＊ Duck Crossing by lululawrence [NR, 2k, Louis/Diego Luna]

“So, what exactly are we doing?”

Diego’s brows rose in surprise at the same time Louis started hearing what sounded like quacking. “You don’t know?”

Louis scrunched his nose a bit and looked over towards where the quacking seemed to be getting louder. “I don’t. My sister sent me to the discord without explaining what was so special about the town’s ducks, and when I went to ask about it, I somehow got roped into helping you here tonight instead, so…”

Diego laughed before he looked up and down the road, where several cards were still making their way around. “This is going to be fun for you, then.”

＊ Curiosity by @hellolovers13 [G, 934 words, Louis/Harry]

Fae Harry lets curiosity get the best of him.

Human Louis is intrigued.

＊ Sweetest Poison (series) by @hellolovers13 [E, 7k, Harry/Louis]

It takes all his willpower to keep Harry from devouring it all now. Consume the raw energy that flows through it. Let it become part of him. Let it fuel and rejuvenate him.

But it’s too soon.

or Nothing like starting the day with a little bloodshed.

And coffee.

The barista is cute, too.

or Witch Harry finally gets rid of his latest boy toy. Who will be next?

＊ The Nest by Blue_Green28 / @bluegreen28fics [T, 5k, Harry/Louis]

Harry is a very particular omega who doesn't like to have items of Louis' in his nest until he secretly starts to steal them for it. or, 5 times one of Louis' personal items is missing and 1 time he finally finds them. (5+1 fic for Week 1 of Wordplay Challenge, Prompt: "Nest")

＊ Perfect Now by Blue_Green28 [E, 5k, Louis/Harry]

Timestamp for "We Are World Class" Harry gets frustrated because he wants to wear his wedding suit to the Oscars. After his second pregnancy the trousers don't fit anymore. Louis tries to reassure him that he still looks beautiful. Part 2 of World Class Universe

＊ You make me strong by Blue_Green28 [T, 3k, Harry/Louis]

While Louis is carrying the happiness of Great Britain on his shoulders during the European Championships finale, Harry is carrying something else. (Week 3 of Wordplay Challenge 2024, Prompt: Carry // Time stamp for "We Are World Class", can be read without knowing it) Part 3 of World Class Universe

＊ Home by Blue_Green28 [E, 3k, Louis/Harry]

Louis comes home after his festival tour.

＊ Kiwi - It's your business! by Blue_Green28 [E, 22k, Harry/Louis]

When ex-boybander Louis Tomlinson asks newcomer Harry Styles to be his support act for the next leg of his tour, he has no idea that he will gain more than just a support act. or, the one with the banter on tour

＊ Nest by @kingsofeverything [G, 100 words, Harry/Louis]

Harry wakes up first.

＊ Tight by kingsofeverything [NR, 100 words, Louis/Harry]

Louis comes home early.

＊ Carry by kingsofeverything [NR, 100 words, Harry/Louis]

Baby bump.

＊ Press by kingsofeverything [E, 100 words, Louis/Harry]

Louis asks for it.

＊ now that we're alone (say you hate me) by 28goldensfics / @28goldens [E, 18k, Harry/Louis]

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are Co-Project Managers, constantly bickering at work, always finding themselves at odds, and competing to be the best. When a scheduling mishap with their company’s timeshare forces them to share a summer vacation, they're less than thrilled. But, as they navigate their time together, they realize that their animosity might be masking something a bit deeper than the hate.

＊ my sun, my everything by 28goldensfics / @28goldens [E, 5k, Louis/Harry]

based on the top harry fic fest prompt:

41 - Louis has been making a lot of self-deprecating jokes lately and Harry is sick of it. Ensue Harry worshiping Louis’ body like it’s his favorite god.

“You’re like a god,” Harry said softly, his voice reverent and full of wonder as he pressed a chaste kiss to the peak of Louis’ cheek which caused his eyes to shut gently. “Every part of you is so divine.”

Louis' eyes fluttered open, a mix of surprise and coyness in his gaze. “You think so?”

Harry nodded with absolute sureness, his hands moving slowly to undress Louis. He strategically unbuttoned Louis' shirt, his touch lingering beneath the fabric as if to savor each exposed inch of skin he revealed.

“Your body is a fucking masterpiece,” Harry murmured, his breath warm as he leaned to press a kiss against Louis’ bare chest. “Every curve, every line—it’s all so perfect.”

＊ Do You Know Who You Are? by @eulogiseme [M, 145k+, wip, Harry/Louis]

Doncaster was meant to be a fresh start for Harry, a chance to let go of his past and start a new life. But it doesn’t feel like it when Harry finds himself tormented by the arrival of Louis Tomlinson. Cocky, confident, and a huge flirt, Louis can’t keep away from Harry no matter what Harry says.

Upon his return, Louis is occupied with starting his business with Zayn and dealing with his family’s illegal business. Things start to get messy when Louis is conned by a dealer, and also can’t seem to get a certain pair of green eyes and dimples out of his head.

The one where Louis wants Harry, and Harry doesn’t know what he wants, or who he is. Though, he can take a good chance and guess that perhaps wanting Louis might just cost him everything.

＊ something told me it was you by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed [T, 1k, Zayn/Louis]

Are you ready, 'cause I'm ready to let go Never thought that I'd be ready again

＊ 'til I let go of this moment by we_are_the_same [M, 3k, Zayn/Liam]

Zayn and his terrible horrible no good Olympics. Where he wins gold and Liam’s heart.

Featuring Liam’s unfortunate big penis

＊ and in those rare moments by we_are_the_same [T, 2k, Louis/Harry]

London, May 23rd, 2025

Interview with Harry Styles, popstar, bisexual icon and philanthropist, by Louis W. Tomlinson.

＊ circling the truth by we_are_the_same [T, 3k, Liam/Louis]

Liam Payne has met his soulmate.

He knows he has, because he woke up with his power this morning.

Problem one: he has no idea who his soulmate is. He saw a ton of people last night, because it was the introduction party for the uni he is now attending. He’d talked to at least a dozen people, and he’s unsure on what counts as ‘meeting’ your soulmate, because it might just be someone he’d bumped into on his way to the loo.

Problem two: his power seems to be that he can read minds.

＊ even if it's strange, it's our love by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright [G, 520 words, Zayn/Louis]

Zayn makes a hedgehog friend on his new farm and it changes his life in completely unexpected ways.

＊ I drink the honey inside your hive by yeah_alright [E, 3k, Louis/Harry]

Louis comes home frustrated and riled up in the way that only taking exactly what he needs from Harry can fix.

＊ Help me out of a jam? by yeah_alright [M, 2k, Harry/Louis]

Harry's tightened a jar beyond what he can open. He asks Louis for help, because Louis is always more than obliging.

＊ Carry the One by yeah_alright [T, 100 words, Louis/Harry]

Five times Louis carries her best friend and one time Harry carries the love of her life.

＊ Keep You Sweet in My Memory by yeah_alright [M, 6k, Zayn/Harry]

Of course Harry is the type to have a leather bound journal filled with pressed flowers. Zayn stops at one so delicate looking that he can’t believe it withstood the pressing process. It’s simple – a single layer of small, white petals with just a bit of yellow in the center – but Zayn can’t help but stare. His eyes rove over the subtle details frozen in time, somehow maintaining their softness despite having been crushed into two dimensions, and he feels almost hypnotized. He’s not aware of his hand moving until two fingers brush over the petals.

An image so vivid and sudden that his eyes snap shut in shock floods his mind and he pulls his hand back as though it’s been burned. The second his fingers leave the page, the image is gone, too fleeting for his memory to capture it.

“What the fuck?”

Zayn's only just getting to know Harry when he discovers he's able to store memories of people he loves in pressed flowers. At least that's what Harry tells him. Zayn has a choice: run away or accept Harry's invitation to learn more.

Harry's magic may be too powerful to resist.

＊ this time I'm willing to dance on the wire by yeah_alright [E, 3k, Harry/Louis]

A few days after leaving her shitty boyfriend, Harry goes back with Louis and their friends to collect the rest of her things. When her ex comes home to find them there, Niall, Zayn and Liam keep him away while Louis makes it known how much better off Harry is with her. Part 3 of Sin Wagon AU

＊ Deemed and Delivered a Crime by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28 [E, 35k, Louis/Harry]

Harry keeps his voice low and calm. “I need you to listen very closely because I’m only going to say this once.”

When he’s only greeted with silence on the other end, Harry continues.

“For every hair that is harmed on Louis Tomlinson’s head, I am going to break one of your bones. And then when you’re reduced to a pathetic little pile on the floor, my men and I are going to kick around your limp carcass in my garden for footie practice. Do you understand?”

There’s a few more beats of silence, before the voice on the other line answers. Still sounding calm and unbothered by Harry’s creative threat.

“I’m glad you received our message Mr. Styles. Are you ready to settle on a suitable sum for Mr. Tomlinson’s release?”

(Or the one where Harry is the most feared mob boss in London. Louis is his ex-husband who left that violent life two years ago to teach Uni. His peace is shattered when he’s kidnapped by Harry’s rivals).

＊ The Road So Far (series) by babyhoneyhslt / @babyhoneyheslt [G, 12k, Harry/Louis]

Harry Styles, an Angel Of The Lord, is sent on a mission to save hunter Louis Tomlinson from the deepest pits of Hell in order for him to fulfill Heaven's plan.

＊ hold all our secrets (series) by @justanothershadeofblue [E, 9k, ot5]

One Direction was unusual as a band with two betas in with the expected omega popstars, but they achieved global stardom in spite of it, traveling the world as a five-part sensation until beta Zayn left and the rest of the band went on hiatus shortly after.

Years later, they're all living their separate lives, pursuing separate careers to varying levels of success, until a headline breaks: One Direction had a secret alpha all along.

＊ Buns of a Feather (series) by @tommokat [T, 3k, Louis/Harry]

Bird hybrid Harry has been with his boyfriend, rabbit hybrid Louis, for a while. They're about to take a big step in their relationship and Harry needs to show Louis just how serious he is about him.

＊ I've Got What You're Craving (For Your Misbehaving) by tommokat [E, 2k, Harry/Louis]

"You've been so patient, haven't you, angel?"

"Yes, Mommy."

Sub Louis gets treated by Domme Harry and the age old question of why women go to the bathroom together finally gets answered.

＊ Stand on Holy Ground (series) by @wishingforloushair [E, 17k, Louis/Harry]

Priest Harry eats Louis out and then fucks him on the altar in the Sanctuary of the Church

“Father Styles?” a voice behind him comes, making him jump slightly. He’s used to people interrupting him. After all, that’s why he leaves the large wooden doors propped open. The church was a sanctuary for everyone. Who was he to stop God’s children seeking out the truth? He closes his book, suddenly aware of how much his knees ache from the flagstone floor as he gets back to his feet, turning around slowly. Standing in the centre of the aisle is Louis. Louis, who comes to confess all his sins to Harry, every day on his knees, little begs of forgiveness tumbling from his lips. Louis, whose ridges and bumps Harry feels under his fingertips almost as often as he feels the ridges and bumps of the Word. “Hello, Louis,” he smiles, placing his Bible on the altar next to the Communion chalice. “Come to confess?” He watches carefully as Louis’ eyes darken a little, his lips parting. “Yes, Father.” It’s part of their charade now, a dance that he knows well. “Why don’t you go close the door then? I think you and I, and God, need some alone time, don’t you?”

- Podfics -

＊ [Podfic] White Stripes by @allwaswell16 read by Panda_Podfics / @pandapodfics [E, Louis/Harry]

Harry’s roommate is gorgeous, kind, generous, and basically everything Harry has ever wanted in another alpha. The only problem is that he isn’t even sure that his alpha roommate is into other alphas. In an effort to finally get over him, he lets Niall set him up on a blind date.

- Fic Fests -

＊ Wordplay Fic Challenge / @wordplayfics

Prompt 1: Nest Prompt 2: Tight Prompt 3: Carry Prompt 4: Press Prompt 5: Interference

[dao-the-starlight]

Alright, it's time....

Say hello to my main OLNF MC!!!!!

This is my baby Marceline Jeandel!!! σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡

I want to make a much more formal post about them in the future where I go more in depth into who they are but that'll wait until later because I want to talk about Marceline and I want to talk about them NOW!! So this'll just be a quick intro (under the read more)

So! At 10 years old little Marceline Jeandel moved to Golden Grove all the way from their birthplace, France! The move was a pretty daunting event, especially since they were travelling to a completely different continent, to Marceline it was as if they went to a different dimension entirely! But, Marceline had their Maman, their most loved and trusted figure in their life, if she was there then they'd be able to do anything

Marceline (in this step) is a young transgender boy with He/Him pronouns, their journey with their gender is one filled with quite a few twists, turns, and feelings that I won't delve into in full here, all you really need to know now is that they eventually figure out that they are genderqueer and primarily use they/them pronouns!

For the most part, Marceline is nonverbal in step one (in steps two, three, and four they're not necessarily nonverbal but they still talk very rarely). The reason for this is that they have a fairly severe form of Apraxia of Speech, a neurological disorder that essentially makes it extremely difficult if not impossible for the brain to send signals to the parts of the body that control speech, this renders Marceline unable to form coherent sentences and makes it so they can only really make random vocalizations and maaaybe say a word or two on good days. They are in speech therapy for this and are slowly but steadily getting better at forming proper speech but for now, they only really communicate through various vocalizations when it's needed. I will mention here as well that Marceline is also Autistic! I've done extremely thorough research into both of these conditions to make sure I'm representing both in a respectful way, I'm aware of the stereotypes a nonverbal autistic character can easily fall into and whenever I do anything Marceline related I always make sure I'm not running them right into any possible stereotypes

Lastly! Their relationship with the leads!

When it comes to romance, Marceline is paired with the one and only Qiu Lin, it was a crush at first sight for them, Marceline just couldn't resist the typical Qiu charm! For step one Marceline and Qiu are naturally very close but there is just a tad bit of a distance between the two simply due to the fact that because of their crush, Marceline holds Qiu on an extremely high pedestal and greatly admires them which ends up leading to Marceline never acting like they're on the same level as Qiu and letting them guide everything (basically, Marceline is accidentally feeding into Qiu's self-sacrificing behaviour, but don't worry! They grow out of it by step two I promise!!) Nevertheless, while the two go through many hardships they do end up on the other side as forever lovers <3

As for one Tamarack Baumann, she and Marceline are inseparable lemme tell you- From day one those two became the best of best friends and get along with each other better than anyone else. Their playful and carefree personalities and energy melded together perfectly which led to them almost immediately forming an unbreakable bond with one another that lasts all the way into adulthood. Whatever Tamarack needs Marceline will almost always be there, whether she needs a playmate, support, personal cheerleader, partner in crime, and whatever else Marceline will always be there. The only time there's ever any tension between the dynamic duo is if Tamarack's bossiness gets the better of her and annoys Marceline, but the two are always quick to apologize and make amends (and this pretty much stops being a problem entirely by step two as they both for the most part grow out of these habits)

And I believe that's all the main stuff you need to know about Marceline! Now I can actually talk about them more!! Thank you so much for taking a look at my MC and have a wonderful day!

P.S. Dividers by @cafekitsune

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hello! What do you think about Natalie, her writing and fandom treatment? I find it fascinating that despite all the evil, she has so many fans, and even those who salt on ML and the Agrestes heavily often portray her as cool and/or sympathetic.

Prior to season five, I had mixed feelings about Nathalie. I like badass female villains, but I don't like women being idiots over men. Those were her two defining traits in season three and four, so my attitude was mostly, "can we please switch her motivation so that I can love her? I really want to love her because, if we remove the romance crap, then she reminds me of Shego and the world needs more Shegos!"

Then season five hit....

I utterly despise Nathalie's season five writing and think it makes her look weak, cruel, and ineffectual. I have no idea why so many people adore her and are excited that she's Adrien's new mom. She is not meaningfully better than Gabriel. In fact, season five Nathalie bothers me more than Gabriel. Why? Because Gabriel is the villain. He's allowed to be villainous. When Nathalie was a villain, the same rules applied. But the show claims that she's good now and yet she does nothing meaningful to stop Gabriel even though she could have.

Nathalie lives in the Agreste mansion, knows all of Gabriel's secrets, and has access to his secret lair. We also see her pin Gabriel to a table, undo his senti commands, and boss him around without any retaliation. He just rolls over and takes it. This is not the setup for a weak willed woman who sits idly by crying woe is me because she has no true power, yet that's basically what Nathalie is in season five. The first part of the final even outright confirms that Nathalie knows Gabriel's ultimate plan:

(A Tsurugi Industries pop-up appears on the screen.) Ad voice: After months of research, Tsurugi Labs have found the antidote– Nathalie: (Swipes the pop-up away.) He's going to finally do it...

So why didn't she find a way to contact the heroes and tell them what was going on? Why did she wait until she was dying to do something? Right after the above line, she grabs her crossbow and goes off to find Gabriel in a moment that made me roll my eyes. It's such blatant pathetic fan service. Only now when Nathalie is too weak to make a difference is she finally allowed to make a token effort to stop the man that she's been babying all season.

If Nathalie was allowed to be the kind of character they wrote her to be, then she would have acted much sooner and to greater effect. For example, imagine if her akumatization was just a ruse to get to the heroes. Once she loses and Gabriel can no longer see what's going on, she calls on the heroes to wait and then tells them everything, offering to help stop Gabriel. That's the kind of shit I'd expect from Nathalie's character.

Instead she just lays around in bed and occasionally pleads with Gabriel to change his mind like in this scene from Intuition:

Nathalie: Gabriel, you may only have a few weeks left like this... and I don't have much more than that. Maybe it's time to stop chasing after the Miraculous and start looking for a solution for Adrien. Make sure he's not alone once we're gone. (Hearing these words, Gabriel's eyes start to fill with sadness. Nathalie places her hands over Gabriel's.) Nathalie: Do it. For Emilie.

Nathalie, you have known this man for literal decades. Why do you expect this to work? Wake up and take charge, woman! Tell Adrien yourself! Help the heroes! Right your wrongs! You are literally dying! What do you have to lose? She honestly comes across pretty hypocritically here because, as she pointed out, they are both actively dying, which will leave Adrien alone, and yet Nathalie also does nothing to prepare Adrien for that. She just wrings her hands and hopes that Gabriel will do the right thing for both of them and I just... GAHHHHH!!!

The only semi-meaningful thing that Nathalie does in season five is undo Gabriel's commands, but that's literally just her maintaining the status quo. It's only there so that the writers don't have to deal with the senti stuff having any real consequences beyond delaying the Adrienette kiss a few episodes. Nathalie isn't trying to free Adrien or get his rings into safe hands before her death. She's just withering away and listening to Adrien talk about Marinette while knowing that he will soon lose everything. It's legitimately upsetting to me.

The anger some people feel about Marinette's actions at the end of the final is how I felt about Nathalie for all of season five and Nathalie is a freaking adult who has known everything for years. Matinette only knows the truth in a context where she can tell Adrien for about two on-screen minutes and that's assuming that Marinette figured out that Adrien is a sentimonster from context clues which she may not have! No one ever explicitly told her the truth and she had a lot of things thrown at her in rapid succession. I would not be stunned if season six reveals that she's still in the dark.

Nathalie is not sympathetic. She has had full agency and knowledge throughout the entire show. She has never been forced to do anything. She is the only peacock wielder to wield it knowing that she would die. She willingly supported Gabriel even when it put Adrien at risk. She outed Adrien's identity in Chat Blanc. She snapped away sentiBug! She's a great villain! She is a piss poor maternal figure.

The final annoying thing about her season five writing is that her "changing sides" makes no sense! She has no idea why the time travel plan failed and her own FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE is that Gabriel will put those he loves before defeating Ladybug (see: Ladybug where Gabriel chose Nathalie over winning). It is such a glaring example of bad writing that it infuriates me! This is the exchange I'm talking about:

Nathalie: (on-call) Gabriel, did it work? Gabriel: No, Ladybug tricked me! She stole the Time Miraculous from me! (Nathalie coughs from her sickness.) You have to help me! Come up with a new plan! Ladybug can’t get away with this! Nathalie: (on-call) You had the Time Miraculous. You could’ve chosen to save Emilie! You could’ve chosen to save me! (coughs) But instead, you chose your obsession with Ladybug and Cat Noir. You're insane, Gabriel!

Please remember that Nathalie has been helping him behind the scenes since the start and is fully aware that every plan he's ever made has failed even though she considered many of those dozens-if-not hundreds-of-plans brilliant.

Gabriel: If it were to fail Nathalie, I could never forgive myself. Nathalie: You made a promise to your wife. You've risked so much for the chance to bring her back. (Hands Gabriel her tablet) Lila has been harboring her rage against Ladybug for months, and today wherever she looks, she'll see the object of her hatred, and as predicted, her anger will reach devastating heights. Your plan is perfect, sir. Gabriel: And you're sure you want to do this? Nathalie: I will always be here for you. We will succeed.

Why is she suddenly so sure that this plan was different? What made her go from encouraging Gabriel to take risks to calling him insane? Why is she suddenly convinced that Gabriel can't possibly win and needs to focus on Adrien when she never said a word during the multiple akumas that directly threatened Adrien's life?

The meta reason is that the writers needed her to act as if she'd been watching the episode so that she wouldn't blindly support Gabriel anymore, allowing them to do the senti BS without it being meaningful to the story. The in show reason? I've got nothing. It is jarring to watch this while remembering that season four ended with Nathalie being given ownership of Adrien and willingly accepting that task, even going so far as to issue senti commands to "Adrien" to make him obey, which does not instill confidence in her parenting skills.

It's just so freaking infuriating. It would have been so much better if Nathalie was allowed to die and we got Emilie back. Nathalie did absolutely nothing to deserve a magical healing and I've been curious about Emilie since day one.

[son1c]

In all honesty thank you to responding to that anon like that, I have no idea how to articulate to people that criticism is not negative and it is so necessary to make something better, without people getting defensive and angry.

I will do anything to avoid conflict (due to some personal issues I have to work through) and I feel like I am never allowed to say anything without being put in the firing line of irrationally angry fans.

Anyways, all that to say, thank you for not letting people try to stop you from saying things that are necessary and in all actuality make the content more enjoyable for others

yeah, i feel like "criticism" has gotten a bad rap in recent times.

in reality, taking a "critical look" at things is neither positive nor negative; it, by definition, simply means "to question." why were these decisions made? who benefits from them? what are they trying to accomplish? these questions and more can help you deepen your understanding of a work.

it's unfortunate that so many people are so adverse to criticism. in my opinion, it's fun to think about things on more than just the surface level. to "dig deep" is, to me, what fandom is all about.

but things have changed. people don't want to think too hard about the things they "consume" anymore. "fast fiction" and media that's meant to be binged, not watched slowly and savored, are the norm now. it's created this frantic atmosphere that i don't like. people barely talk about one thing before already moving on to the next. where's the fun in that?

that being said, i don't think a lot of people who are the so-called "critics" do it correctly. i like to be overdramatic as much as the next guy, but spewing endless hate and writing "critical" posts that consist solely of exaggerated statements about things you clearly don't like is not criticism. maybe that's why people conflate criticism with negativity so often now. because those "critics" are really just haters.

it's a fine line. i think being able to tell the difference between good faith, well thought out, well researched criticism and rage-bait hatred is in and of itself, critical thinking. and i think it's a skill people on the internet desperately need to develop or at least improve.

because people getting defensive at the first whiff of anything less than 100% positivity isn't good for them. it makes you complacent. it lowers your standards. don't you want not just good shows, but GREAT shows? don't you want full, rich texts that are meant to be savored, not just consumed in a day and then thrown away?

if the people who make subpar media never get any pushback, then they never have a reason to make anything better, because they know whatever they make, no matter the quality, it will make them money. and i'm just not happy with that. i demand better. don't you?

[averlym]

litany of the martyrs (click for better resolution!)

[spiritofpassionfruit]

A–Aventio TGCF idea?? Wherein Civil God Veritas Ratio meets the infamous Ghost King Aventurine during his first mission cuz cuz like— The "live for me" paralels?!? The one who has all the luck partner as well?!? The villain who was actually not the Villain this whole time!?!? The loving humanity a little too much it causes the downfall of a god?!?!?!?

Rant AU in the tags proceed with caution

[teapot-of-tyrahn]

hello !!! i'm ...

➟ sugar !! i also go by charlie , echo , scott , timmy -- call me whatever's more comfortable for u !!

➟ i'm genderfluid, asexual and biromantic + greyromantic !!

➟ my CURRENT hyperfixations are on NINJAGO and the TRAFFIC LIFE SERIES !! if you're seeing THIS pinned introduction, TRAFFIC LIFE SERIES is currently the MAIN brainrot !

➟ i am a 🚸 MINOR ⚠️ !! please interact with this in mind !!!

➟ i have GAD [ generalized anxiety disorder ] , separation anxiety disorder , social anxiety disorder , selective mutism , depression , DPD [dependent personality disorder] , ARFID [ avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder ] , and involuntary age regression ! though these topics probably won't be discussed at length , please keep them in mind when interacting with me !! at times i may go NON-VERBAL or slip into LITTESPACE , and i ask you be patient with me at those times, thank you !

➟ this is a FANDOM SIDEBLOG - my main blog is @sugrx !! here is where i post FANFICTION, FANART, ANALYSISES , AUS, USERBOXES,,, etc !!

➟ basic ! queerphobes, xenophobes, misognists, sexists, ableists, racists, terfs, maps, pedos, fatphobes, etc - any and all bigots of ANY shape or form !! ➟ nsfw / fetish / kink blogs !! again , i am a MINOR , and though i'm fine with having mutuals who ARE 18+ , i'd rather avoid 18+ content , thank you !!

[snzluv3r]

i actually feel so incredibly uncomfortable and isolated in this space right now and i know that’s silly because of how many people there are just like me who share the same feelings but idk…the fact that people even think this is defensible behavior is making me feel sick

[torgawl]

instead of just cross eyes and star eyes distinguishing dynasties in khaenri'ah, why do some khaenri'ahns cover one eye specifically? there’s many things that seem interconnected regarding the lore:

crimson moon turning around to look like an eye; irmin the one-eyed king; the unknown god’s cubes containing eyes in their design (same ones present in the cataclysm as well as the crimson moon), her glitching looking like arlecchino’s, and the four pointed star pattern that appeared when she showed up to the twins; forbidden knowledge and nibelung’s influence; fischl's auge der verurteilung aka eye of condemnation (crimson eye) and her skin's description "o holiest of sovereigns, high princess of immernachtreich (kingdom of evernight)!".

kaeya's note about the alberich saying "i saved this one memento from the fire 'father' made while he wasn’t paying attention. this was in violation of our principles. our clan's affairs should never be recorded" and "though we could not restore khaenri'ah to life, we of the alberich clan should lead lives as those who blaze like fire, rather than those who wallow in the embers [small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire]", father being in quotation marks and references to fire and ashes; the orphanage in khaenri'ah that wanted to house children from destroyed worlds and non-threats that leaked into the kingdom, in hopes of finding beings from beyond the sky who could transcend the gods; perinheri's first memory being transversing something like a chimney, filled with ash and being asked if he wasn't dead just for him to see the eye (crimson moon) and being told he was reborn; dust and the blood of of dragons (or dragon-like beings like durin and elynas) being connected to rhinedottir and the art of khemia; fire as rebirth and life but also, the balemoon blood specifically being connected to loss of memories and loss of memory being equivalent to death (not physical);  despite the orphanage never being able to find that transcendal person, it had many unusual individuals who became knights of the kingdom.

irmin as the first divine halberd (that once pierced the axis mundi [cosmic/world axis, world pillar, center of the world, world tree, etc.] and connected the nine worlds), the prinzessin der verurteilungas (fischl) as the last one; fischl and kaeya comparing themselves to one another and their parallels to irmin and odin; der ring des nibelungen, in which the dwarf (or nibelung) alberich creates a ring capable of controlling the world, using gold he stole from the rhinemaidens (or rheintöchter "rhine-daughters"). the conflict that arises over the ownership of this ring eventually leads to the destruction of the gods and their home, valhalla.

irminsul (irmin + sul) meaning great pillar and being a reference to the yggdrasil, the tree that supports the universe; the description of the item silver twig – collected in the center of the world - talking about a sage that hanged himself upside down in the irminsul tree to gain knowledge of the runes and the cosmos, then going into a secret kingdom down its roots [also a reference to hanged man in tarot that symbolizes wisdom, divination, sacrifice, prophecy, etc.]; odin who hung himself upside down from the sacred world tree, yggdrasil, for nine days and nights sacrificing his eye and throwing himself on his spear (gungir) as a ritual sacrifice in order to obtain secret wisdom; memories, fire and crimson moon hand in hand with the irminsul, king irmin and the concept of fate; the fake sky, the stars and being able to see fate but also fate being a means of the heavenly principles to control the world (neuvillette calling it puppet strings); khaenri'ah, a supposed godless nation but the crimson moon dynasty revering the moon (and hilichurls worshiping istaroth); the crimson moon having an eye on humanity and always being present associated with punishment and destruction (fall of gurabad, remuria and the catclysm).

crimson moon's semblance (arlecchino’s weapon) implying the crimson moon sought vengeance (“few survived the utter destruction of their kind, hiding in the shadows where the sun did not shine, longing for the crimson moon to decree their desire for vengeance be repaid”); the design of the weapon and arlecchino’s boss attacks resembling the double helix present in deathly statuette material dropped by abyss heralds, abyss lectors and shadowy husks, which has a single red eye. it apparently whispers "see, my child. all that lies under the throne of heaven shall be destroyed by upheaval. the eternal peace of the pitch-dark void shall embrace us all.” as you gaze at it.

the abyss order being founded by chlothar alberich and pierro being the first harbinger; the "sinner" – the crystal in chains from the chasm, protected by an abyss herald - not being a god but still worshipped by the abyss order. the voice stating to chlothar and the traveler’s twin that he "[knows their] fate well" and urged them to become a "transcendent one" saying he would "shed a tear at the end of time... as i gaze back upon your life". he also imbued chlothar with the power of the abyss, which alleviated his worsening conditions. the “sinner” refered to chlothar as “dear creature”; dainsleif, pierro and kaeya being examples of khaenriahns who hide their right eye; dainsleif being called “bough keeper”, bough is a branch of a tree, but also his constellation being a snake ring like ouroboros – representing the eternal renewal cycle of life, death and rebirth; the loom of fate being an operation of the abyss order first encountered during "a herald without adherents" quest.

“the threads of your fate lie in my hands” a quote by fischl connecting to the weaves of fate; fischl stating that if she does not obtain the divine halberd “...this world and everything in it is going to burn in hellfire” (legend of the shattered halberd vol. ii). some other excerpts of the book also include: “but unbeknownst to him, this was the greatest cursed sword of all, that had once burned the entire world to cinders: laevatain [in norse mythology, a weapon crafted by loki and the only capable of defeating the cockerel viðofnir, inhabiting the top of yggdrasil], the sword had extinguished after the world was burned, but... it burned bright once more. ‘the whole world... destroyed again...’ weiyang [fischl] fell unconscious as she spoke” (vol. iv), and, "the world is beyond repair. it shall be born anew from the ashes of the last” (vol. vi); dainsleif saying “none will escape the flames. see for yourself” but also neuvillette’s character story including “the puppet strings glossed as "divine rules" would one day be burned away by the fires of judgment” when talking about constellations; burning away the old world, project stuzha by the fatui and the image of dottore burning the irminsul; nahida saying fontaine's prophecy was engraved in the irminsul, implying the tree also contains the history of the future; sibylla, a prophetess who guarded the irminsul in an ancient city located in what later became the high seas (referred to as abyssal depths). she sacrificed her life for the sake of creating phobos, remus' grand symphony, but her lack of a will ultimately caused the project to fail, as her vague desire to "grant happiness to all in the world who are called humans" caused phobos to attempt to satisfy everyone's desires — including destructive and selfish ones — and set remuria towards the course of its self-destruction (possibly tying concepts of will and fate together); thinking of dottore's plan, it would make sense to burn the tree that holds memories with a fire able to erase them (arlecchino's balemoon powers) so that the world can be born anew breaking away from the shackles of fate.

there’s also the improvisation kaeya does during the play in his hangouts. "do you believe in fate? if fate decreed your life was to end in tragedy, what would you do?". he then throws a prop and we interact, choosing if we would face our fate bravely or challenge it and rise above it. kaeya then goes on saying "then so must it be! yes, so must it be! i shall discard this intaglio and rid myself of the shackles of fate", "fate means to send the machinations of war to every corner of the land to fan the flames of conflict till they ungulf the entire world… fate would see my sword tainted with the blood of innocents, that the bright banner of my homeland might fly in every nation known to mankind. but i shall not bow to the will of fate i am no pawn in heaven’s plan. i, qubad, will spend the rest of my days in a foreign land, 'till i breathe my last in a place far from home" and finishes the play with "but i must walk this path, or freedom dies by my hand. goodbye, my tribe and kin. farewell, sweet land of my birth". the prop we get from kaeya, the intaglio, symbolizes the noble origins of prince qubad in the play and the blood-red jewel (blood, red... funny, uh?) is said to be a crystallization of the question kaeya asked us about destiny. furthermore, an intaglio can be a type of engraved gem or metal signet ring.

[fictionadventurer]

Me: Is this Farmer Boy sequel written in 2012 really going to be able to feel like a legitimate follow-up to the style and atmosphere of the original, or is it just another modern cash-grab?

Heather Williams, on page 2: Best of all, he knew that fall meant crispy spareribs and sweet cider and hot roasted potatoes with melting butter and all the pumpkin pie he could eat.

Me: ....it looks like I can trust you. Carry on.

[alluralater]

super long rant incoming:

the joegoldbergification is super weird. like please please if you’re obsessed with me to an unhealthy and dangerous degree, just keep it to yourself. just don’t tell me, please. the amount of times someone has gotten like this with me and escalated things when i’ve told them to stop is seriously wild. and like wtf is this about saying how you didn’t want to have parasocial interactions like hello?? is my existence a performance to you? am i content created to be fed and consumed by you? and why WHY would you ever think it’s alright to take my kindness as an avenue to then start talking shit about femmes you had falling outs with?? what do you gain from that? certainly not respect from me and that’s why i called you out repeatedly on that shit. so so fucking weird. do you think you gain my pity or my sympathy?? you’re not a beaten dog so please stop. like oh my god the dog metaphor makes me wanna slam my head into a wall. like as someone who has literally been forced to watch animal cruelty take place, shut the fuck up. shut the hell up. your relationship ended and now you wanna demonize people and rewrite history thinking that if certain people don’t know the full story that they’ll just believe you. legitimately how the fuck and why the fuck would i do that when you position yourself as a blameless victim?? it’s so weird and odd. and on top of aaaaaall of that, to obsessively text me and try to like corral me into a corner and say all of this weird stuff like as if you’re spiraling about me when we’d only texted for three days (two of which i wasn’t even responding to you for) is seriously bonkers. like seriously thank fuck something told me not to sext you because i just know things would have gotten awful. it’s not normal and it’s not okay and it’s not healthy. please stop idolizing me. i’m just a person and i am no more interesting than the next person. your obsession is not my responsibility! to try and manipulate me with the way you talk about your ex is super super weird. like extremely weird. i have a mind of my own?? hello?? i make my own judgments myself and i use intuition for a great deal of that. took me all of five seconds after blocking you to check the femme discord and see that i should have already done so but i haven’t because i’ve been busy with family emergencies for like two months. very uncool. very weird, very strange behavior. not my job, not my problem. i am not all of these weird deified titles you like to call me. i don’t have to be ‘omnipotent’ to know that you are trying to bury her and scream your lungs out into the fucking grave as if she deserves it. god i fucking hate when people do this shit. like can toxic mutuals maybe just instead leave me alone?? ‘why are you mutuals with them if they’re toxic” BECAUSE I DIDNT KNOW AND I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO BE SOCIAL AND FIND OUT UNTIL NOW. like fuck dude i hate it here sometimes. if you’re just haha obsessed with me, GREAT. but please don’t start dumping all this weird shit about how i *make* you feel when im not doing anything and i’ve stated that im not encouraging anything and ive communicated that’s a you thing. i literally told you to focus on yourself and stop talking shit about her and you just kept doing it. the whole obsessed with me thing can be what it is, at this point it’s so normal irl and on here that i’m too exhausted to try and do it all, but the decision to keep going and keep talking shit about her and demonizing them and making yourself a blameless victim is fucking gross and no i actually won’t just sit there and listen to it in exchange for your attention or some weird shit like that. i find it super super weird your constant asking of me to tell you what i think about you and what i think about ANYTHING and everything about you. what the actual fuck?? and then to be like ‘i want to take accountability’ after i’ve already told you everything you’re doing wrong and locked my boundaries and said how uncomfortable i am?? that’s hilarious. anyways ugh okay that’s it bye

[dandelion-wings]

kicking wild AUs around with @theabysscomeshome and this is another in the Not Actually Going To Write It category, but this scene really stuck with me, so a brief snippet:

"Grand Sage," Lisa says as sweetly as she can manage, smiling at him. She very carefully doesn't look up and dare draw his attention, or that of the matra with him, to the branches overhead where Kaeya lurks. "How nice to see you. I was just taking my underclassmen to study in the House of Daena." She rests one hand over her catalyst at her belt, casually, as if she's not perfectly positioned to unhook the tome from its strap, and puts the other down on Collei's shoulder. Cyno has better self-restraint; he's rigid at her side, but most of his attention is on her, waiting for instruction. Collei has ducked a little behind her in what she suspects anyone else would take as childish fear. Lisa knows what she's really restraining. His lip curls. "This is exactly why I'm here. You and your instructor have coddled those *subjects* far too much. I'm reassigning them to another research team immediately, before you irreparably taint their research value."

Fury floods crackling through Lisa's veins, and a thousand and one retorts rise to her lips. None of them will make an impression on him, though. She knows what this is really about. Why he's really here.

*Zendik.* Kaeya was right. The strings he's been pulling lead all the way up.

"I haven't received any reassignment paperwork," she says, sweetly, teeth still gritted in a smile. She doesn't dare start to unbuckle her catalyst yet. There's four matra flanking the Grand Sage, and she has no intention of giving them an excuse. Not before Kaeya gets here.

"It will be forthcoming," the Grand Sage says, drawing himself up.

The matra are watching her tensely, and Cyno even more so; they, too, seem to be disregarding Collei as the frightened child she so often seems. So often is, Lisa corrects herself, but that doesn't make her any less dangerous. She's not sure whether to be more insulted on her behalf or on Cyno's that they're tenser about him, as if his desert skin and desert god make him an inherent threat to good order despite all his careful self-discipline, and as if *she* isn't the Witch of the Purple Rose.

"I see. In the meantime, why don't my underclassmen and I-"

"The *subjects*," the Grand Sage says, a muscle in his jaw jumping.

Which was exactly the wrong point to quibble on. Collei gives a choked, furious sob and tears away from Lisa, trying to dart past the matra towards the far edge of the plaza and the ramp down to freedom. The matra, focused on Cyno and Lisa, don't move fast enough; the Grand Sage, unfortunately, has even less ability at threat assessment, and snatches at Collei as she brushes past. He catches a hank of her hair, so recently freed from the bandages, and she screams.

The hair on the back of Lisa's neck goes up. She can feel the power pulsating from Collei's small frame, bare inches from going out of control--from being *unleashed*. Because it will be, if Collei thinks that's the only way out. The matra all quail, crying out in confusion more than in terror, uncertain as to why they're afraid and all the more frightened for it. Lisa steps in front of Cyno, yanks on the strap around her catalyst, and pulls it free, as if it would be any help against the Black Fire.

Kaeya hits the ground directly beside Azar, rolls, and comes up with his catalyst already glowing in his hand. He tosses it up to hover beside him as he reaches out to grab Collei's arm, and he digs his other elbow into the Grand Sage's gut to make him let go as he yanks Collei away. The man grunts and stumbles back, winded by the blow, and catches up against the railing of the platform-

And flails for just a second, eyes wide with terror, before he pitches over to plummet to the ground below. Lisa flinches at the distant, unpleasant *'splat'*.

Pulling Collei in close against him, Kaeya glances over the edge, looks up at Lisa, and shrugs. "Whoops."

"The Grand Sage!" one of the matra cries, comprehension returning and horror infusing his tone as the ominous weight of Collei's nearly-unbound power lifts away. "He's murdered the Grand Sage!"

"We'd been talking about storming the Sanctuary of Surasthana anyway," Kaeya says, throwing Lisa a wry smile before he turns to meet their leveled spears. "We may just have to do it a little ahead of schedule."

"I'm beginning to agree with you about getting answers from the Archon herself," Lisa tells him, ozone filling the air as her own catalyst starts to glow purple-bright along its bindings. "Especially since we can't ask them of Azar any longer. Though if Cyno and Collei could-"

"I don't think we have the time for that. It's fine. Collei, do you still have those daggers I gave you?"

Collei makes a small, determined noise and pulls two wickedly sharp blades out from somewhere in her clothing. Lisa sighs, sets aside the matter of arming small children to discuss with Kaeya *later*, and prepares to pair with him in a Superconduct that will make those blades more effective. There is value, she supposes, in teaching Collei alternative ways to defend herself.

"I don't have a dagger," Cyno mutters behind her, sounding put out. "Why didn't I get a dagger?"

"Later," Lisa tells him, firmly, and lets her Lantern Rose bloom.

[goldkirk]

it’s so scary and so freeing to just be a person.

[tianshiisdead]

im happy my post is garnering discussion but honestly i wasnt around for 2018-2021 fandom on tumblr and i was mainly talking about how its kind of silly to get mad at people for portraying colonizer countries as mean, or calling it demonization and stuff. like its okay not to like personally portraying ur fav characters as mean or part of the state, but getting irritated at the fact that it exists or is popular imo kind of misses the fact that this… is the state and nation personification fandom. and its hard to say its not canon when canon did once portray the characters in uniform and at times involved in their state activities… like the early strips discussing western imperialism in china is literally ‘china being bullied by the allies’ ‘france wanting to grope china’ ‘china being treated like a maid’ etc etc like they were very much. the state LOL also china and japan’s canon relationship, as much as I have my issues with it, has an entire thing about china being stabbed by japan… i do feel like hetalia started out as a history nerd’s history exploration that blended humour with ‘what i find cute’ with satire etc etc, which inevitably involves illustrating the personifications as vessels of state and culture, and although the modern strips have deviated quite a bit… well, different people will approach this series for different reasons, right? Whether its serious or comedic content showing the characters as mean or imperialist or unpleasant, it’s not something that deviates too far from canon (if we take all canon eras into consideration) nor is it surprising given how history laden the topic is.