#nothing for this persona. for that mask. for their dynamic. nothing at all

[the-kipsabian]

(so it turns out i never posted this actual video so like.. here. i have so many brain worms about this now cause like. holy shit my dude. once again asking where. OH WHERE. the fuck is/was this character after his return and why wasnt he given a fair chance when all the building blocks were so obviously fucking there.......)

[mtkay13]

Gonna post TWO hoboxus today because I CAN! (still desperately trying to catch up with my twitter posts LOL help I'm terrible at this)

From a meme based on art by KOTTERI, the author of Veil (among amazing other things). Find them on twitter @_K0TTERl_!

More musing below, as per usual! (Be ready it's a LONG one again)

I really hesitated with how I wanted to do this. The original had this gorgeous red poster that seemed like a perfect fit for WKX:

(@_K0TTERl_)

Either I went for the imagery of ZZS wistfully gazing upon the mysterious and eccentric WKX, which would definitely have been more aesthetic and undeniably fitting, or I went the semi-humorous route of channelling the "WKX fell for that ugly hobo and his gorgeous shoulder blades" meme-ified side of their dynamic.

Well, clearly that's where I ended up going, but I feel like explaining a bit.

For me, this picture was three-folds:

First part is the meme; it's kind of funny, kind of ridiculous, and sets the tone of what TYK starts off as; rather absurd, with its reasonable dose of dark humor, and the (at first seemingly improbable) meeting and love story between a silly dying hobo and a strange, suspicious, hedonistic gentleman. It felt thematically appropriate for TYK to twist the original image and put the obviously uglier one on the poster since TYK relies heavily on genre subversion to begin with.

Secondly, there is WKX. So, controversial opinion (/jk) but I don't think WKX was necessarily convinced or even really thought that ZZS was "a beauty" underneath his alleged mask. It was probably a mix of various feelings and teasing/provoking which lead to this joke. First, everything he expresses throughout the book and in extra 4; the fascination for this man who seemed too hide great strength and was of no known identity--who was probably more than what he seemed.

(I'm gonna push it just a little bit ((but isn't that the fun of literary interpretation)), but the "beauty under the mask" is not only physical. It could be a way to say, I think that beneath your raunchy, ridiculous attitude, beneath your gross appearance, beneath the pretense that you're a nobody, that you're a peasant, you're probably someone of great importance and great accomplishments, someone much stronger than you pretend to be--someone like me, perhaps, even. The shoulder blades references are, besides of course WKX *actually* noticing them, the observation of how ZZS moves, of how agile his body is, etc...)

Anyway-- the entire point of this intro is to say that to me, this isn't actually referring to that whole side of their dynamic (or not entirely), but rather to that passage that I am STILL OBSESSED WITH where Wen Kexing recognizes ZZS just from the way he's sitting in a restaurant, and that makes him feel things not entirely positive:

Zhou Zishu stepped into an inn alone. He chose a seat by a window, ordered a few side dishes and a jug of mulled rice wine, and drank it slowly while soaking in the sunshine. As soon as Wen Kexing walked in, he saw Zhou Zishu from behind. He didn’t know why, but he thought that this view was quite special—he could always pick it out of a crowd. Zhou Zishu did not sit with his back straight. Most of the time, he lounged indolently at an angle that looked exceptionally comfortable. Wen Kexing thought that it seemed as though nothing weighed on him; seeing him was enough to ease the heart. Wen Kexing unconsciously halted his steps. He stared at Zhou Zishu’s relaxed silhouette for a while, with no trace of an expression in his face or eyes. His heart swelled with some strange feeling—strange, in that it was no feeling at all. He felt as though this man was mocking him with this wordless posture; he who rushed around for one thing or another, who was burdened with so many cares, yet obstinately put on a devil-may-care persona. Zhou Xu—as carefree as duckweed, he thought, with a body like willow catkins. In all the world, with its boundless perspectives, where could you find someone who walked their path alone and never allowed anything to trouble them? Yet he was not apathetic—he had his joy, his anger, his sorrow—and they came in a flash as quickly as they went. Within the blink of an eye, he had forgotten it already.

(Tian Ya Ke, chapter 18, TL by Lianzi) (have I quoted this already??? If not I should have I love this passage so much)

AND THEN QUOTING ANOTHER PASSAGE (LOL), TL by me this time:

From the moment he'd noticed his shoulderblades, felt this rush of excitement, to when he'd started liking who Zhou Zishu was, when he'd thought——so this is the Commander of Tian Chuang. Suddenly, he'd felt as if he'd met his other self. Both of them, lone wolves caught in a hunter's trap, struggling for freedom to no avail, until they had resolved to coldly gnawing off their own legs in the end. He'd felt compelled to follow him around, watched him, until he suddenly realised—if Zhou Zishu could live like this, then surely, so could he?

(Full passage in this other post LOL)

So yes, THIS. Those two things. That's it. Need I say more? HAH OF COURSE I DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO (help)

More seriously--the way WKX is captivated by ZZS' apparent carefreeness and freedom, all the different feelings (or absence thereof, as he puts it, which I interpret as so distant from what he's used to feel that it almost feels like nothing at all) is what I was going for here.... By not showing his face at all LMAO

The envy, the frustration--the impression of being mocked, but also the longing, how it inspired him to follow along and try to be free like he was.

-cough- yes, so that was point 2 out of 3.

Now lastly, about ZZS himself and my representation of him as hoboxu. I think (?) I've written enough about him that I think I can keep this succint. I love how priest often makes a point of expliciting, in the book, how he's so often smiling, and how he's always incredibly energetic in the morning, as if the night of pain had never happened. I like to think that hoboxu is both a carricature of a ridiculous character that ZZS has fun embodying---but also a liberated expression of his deeper self.

WKX feels like he's mocking him, but ZZS is also mocking himself relentlessly, when he feels like the outside resembles the inside finally, when he feels ridiculous in these new robes, when he allows himself the most outrageous behavior---and then there's mocking life itself, mocking jianghu, mocking everything that he nonetheless deeply cherishes. It's almost... gently mocking, affectionate mocking of everything because his own life has become a joke yet he's still going to enjoy it to the fullest--drinking to his heart's content, rolling in the mud and visiting touristy sites (or so he intended).

In the end... the world is still in his own hands. He chose everything, chose the way he lived, the way he (would have) died and still has the power to dissappear at will--but he stays. Stays and endures what he pretends annoys him, because he can't help himself, because he's ridiculous and is aware of it and may as well have some fun while being so.

I can't seem to ever have enough of this, of this vibe. I wanted to have him laugh at and with WKX, at and with the people seeing him, at and with himself, at and with the narrative.

SO YEAH HAH THATS HUM THAT'S IT. You know what they say, it's only a fun meme if there's an essay behind it (noone says that help 😭😭😭😭)

I hope you had fun reading it and have a nice weeked 🤪

[transhawks]

Top Ten Hawks Moments of 2023

For Keigo's Birthday and for the end of this year, I have decided to make my top ten Hawks moments for all the chapters published this year.

10. "Hawks" gets torn into shreds by AFO

we had a lot of near-deaths for Hawks this year, but I think this was the most memorable as it happened, giving a very needed burst of humor to the AFO vs Hawks and the Heroes fight. Tokoyami's reaction was particularity heartbreaking.

9. Whatever Level of Gay was Achieved Here

This entire chapter was framed in a way that constantly put Hawks and AFO contrasting and melding and there are panels where their thoughts connect. I thought it was a very good way for Hori to make their dynamic fighting each other stand out. Also, the fight was ridiculously homoerotic.

8. Hawks Reminds Us It's About Connections, Stupid.

A theme for the post-Jaku part of this manga has always been heroes needing to bridge that gap and see if they can connect with the villains. It's interesting that Hawks has been the canon mouthpiece among the adults for that view when he so utterly failed his own narrative-assigned connection. I know there was so much pushback in this moment because Keigo again thought of Endeavor, but it stood out to me in repeating this allegory of OFA linking everyone as the solution to the conflict in the first place.

7. Realizing They All Have the Power to Make Their Own Narrative

Against a villain like One For All who wants to believe he's in his own light-novel, Keigo's own issues distinguishing reality and fantasies managed to settle down. He's always resigned himself to being a caged bird and a martyr, so being pitted against a villain so into life being a foregone conclusion helped Keigo remember they all have more agency than they give them credit for.

6. I think all of Keigo's Rizz was in Fierce Wings

Seriously, this is his normal fake hero persona on STEROIDS? It's fascinating how naturally this stuff comes to him. Like damn, he even has his tongue out, mocking All For One as he gets hoisted by his own petard, and has an arm around a vestige lady who looks suspiciously like All For One's mom, which I am accepting as canon until told otherwise. Say what you want about Hawks, for all his failures and paradoxes, the dude has serious BDE. I'd rate this higher but he had a lot of good moments.

5. Nothing beside remains, round the decay

Probably one of the most striking panels this year, seeing a defeated, quirkless Keigo struggle to get up and meet the horde of encroaching Toga-Twice clones, holding the last remaining feather in a landscape of complete destruction made me think heavily of the Ozymandias poem. Keigo, who has always represented the hero system with his whole diamond-insignia carrying chest, seeing all the consequences of his actions and the futility of his actions in stopping the very future he'd allowed himself to commit murder to prevent. I wonder if it struck him how little it all meant as he faced his "presumed" doom.

4. Farewell, Fierce Wings!

we bid goodbye to the quirk that continued to fight even as it was stolen into the eldritchian amalgamation that is All For One! The look in the vestige's face is so resigned and bitter-sweet as he decays away. Keigo isn't his quirk, but it's remarkable how willing to face death both of them are.

3. What he really wants

The interesting thing is the narration implies that either Keigo was telling Naomasa that the aging made AFO stronger as the battle happened, or still had enough control over his emotional state after being left in the dirt to tell him what he observed. The latter is, well, not that surprising when it comes to Keigo, who won't let being quirkless or maimed or delimbed get in the way of being at his job, but that's not what Hori shows us.

No, Hori doesn't show us Keigo standing up or sitting up, no he shows us a Keigo clinging to Tokoyami, a complete break in the many masks he wears to show actual devastation and need for comfort.

There's no Keigo pretending he's okay. There's just one panel showing us a young man embracing his unconscious student after probably one of the most horrific experiences in his life. Keigo, who has been mentioned to be a person who puts so much distance himself and other people, is the one the one clinging to Fumikage.

2. He really was, wasn't he?

As the Twice clones disappear, we see a melting Toga-Twice on the brink of killing Keigo, who makes no move to stop her as she slices him open. No, he seems almost penitent as he accepts death, only pausing to tell her he knows why she's killing him. Make no mistake, the moment he saw Twice back, he knew what this was all about; killing Jin. In this moment, he doesn't hold himself back with saying killing Jin was necessary - the future Jin's murder was meant to prevent came about anyway, no, this is just Keigo being honest that he really liked Jin, anyway. This panel might show the first real regret we've gotten from him, which is likely why he was so open about not fighting back. Because Keigo knows that he does "deserve" this.

1. Haven’t you already done your best, Hawks?

Chapter 185, this panel introduces us to Hawks.

Two hundred chapters later and we finally see Hawks, for all intents and purposes, resoundingly defeated. His quirk is gone. The army he had as back up, defeated. His student lying defenseless beside him. His hero-partner having left to fight his own battles.

And yet, despite it all, despite losing his quirk, despite every sign of failure around him, especially as he now has to reckon with his own moral event horizon, Keigo's capable of saying one thing:

[rotdistressxox]

IM CRYING OLS THE AGITO THING IM GONNA MAKE THAT RN 😭😭

but you COOKED with that req🙏 thank you for feeding me, I'm reading abt the ghouls but the ghoullettes catch my eye more.. THEYRE SO PRETTY IM CRYING..might...try and buy a ghoullette mask......

can i ask..for..agito..and..a few other characters of your choice (throw in ghost characters if you want make it a hybrid ask LMFAO) experiencing a soft dom partner who pegs..them.........

—🪡anon

O la la, okay! Rip ur wallet.

I'm actually most likely gonna make a separate post for this for the Ghouls. Look out for that one.

Kengan Men with a Soft Dom S/O

!Nsfw!: Hinted Afab reader (no bodyparts mentioned), M sub, Anal fingering, Pegging

Kanoh Agito

• This dynamic between him and you is something extremely special. One of the strongest fighters alive, weak and on his knees for you.

• Worshipping his body whilst you undress him. Climbing ontop while you describe what you're going to do to him.

• He likes to see you dominate him. Being cared for is so new and nice that he can't live any other way.

• Holding his face as you softly grind on his cock, telling him that you're feeling good and that his body was made for you.

• He knows nothing about sex outside of what you usually do, or the mainstream. You have to explain in detail what it is before even suggesting it.

• Is a little mortified by it, but nonetheless, willing to try pegging.

• It takes a few weeks to loosen him up, slowly fingering him as he clenches around your digits. Trying his best to be strong for you.

• Then comes the day that you try it. With lube all over the strap on and his legs open, you slowly enter him. He grunts and squeezes his eyes shut.

• "Shhh it's okay, you're doing well. You worked really hard for me and I'm going to reward you for it"

• Slow thrusts through and through. He doesn't like it rough, he finds out.

• He has a verryyy sensitive g-spot. His back arches every time you hit it. It's almost heavenly. His body compulsing as he huffs, muscles flexed, and his mind in ecstasy.

• You don't need to jerk him off while doing it. He can cum hands free, groaning as he tenses up. Tears of pleasure running from the corners of his eyes. His hips twitching as he rides out his climax.

Ohma Tokita

• Yes, despite popular opinion, he knows what sex is. It was always an after thought and wasn't on his mind as much as other people. That was when he wasn't with you, of course.

• Never knew how good it felt to be dominated by somebody else. You're his teacher when it comes to intimacy. What feels good to him, what doesn't, what turns him on.

• He likes to be rewarded with being able to eat you out / you sitting on his face as he goes to town.

• You let him be on top sometimes. You command him to speed up or slow down. He can only cum when you say he can.

• You've brought up the idea of using a strap before, he brushes it off. That, goes in there? Not a chance.

• One time you teased him for being 'scared', and he took that as a challenge. To prepare him, you sit on his face whilst massaging his insides with your middle finger. He grumbled the whole time to cover up his panting.

• Foreplay is very important, you make sure he gets all the attention he needs before you start. You propped his back up on the pillow as you squeezed his thighs. Relaxing him.

• The noise he made when you hit his sweet spot for the first time was priceless.

• He likes it a bit rough, not fast, but rough. Swearing under his breath as your thrusts make his cock dribble with cum.

• Doesn't like out right asking you to peg him, so another way he'll do it is dropping it on you or by you.

Lihito / Ichiro Nakata

• Though he puts on a tough and dominant guy persona, you know who's really in charge. And you let him know.

• He is absolutely pathetic when you have him pinned down in bed. Edging him while calling him your good little fuck toy.

• Is a bit of a brat. You aren't a hard-core dom, but sometimes you have to put him in his place by cuffing him to the bed while he watches you touch yourself.

• "Pegging... Isn't that kinda gay?" You wack him over the head and tell him to not judge it unless he's tried it.

• Is in denial about wanting to try it. He's had multiple wet dreams about you absolutely railing the shit out of him. The dreams keep happening and he can't take it anymore. He fingers himself to the thought of you bending him over and degrading him.

• With a painful boner in his boxers, he asks you to bring out the strap on. You oblige. Towel, laid down. Lube, applied. Dildo, STRAPPED.

• Prefers a bit a Foreplay before going in even though he's mentally and physically prepared. He's on his stomach with his ass up.

• A moaning mess. Likes it when you smack his butt while your thrusts render his mind useless.

Goah Ryuki

• Is a bottom from the get-go. Very submissive but can top if you asked him to.

• Ugh the way he whimpers sends a shock through your body. He likes to be edged, overstimulated, and teased.

• Thigh jobs are his favorite thing ever. The way your muscles tense around his sensitive and raw cock which you already had overstimulated beforehand.

• He actually brought up the idea of Pegging. You let him chose and buy the strap you'll use on him.

• In the time you wait for it to arrive, you have him bent over your lap with a smaller dildo you had kept in safe keeping. He was twitching and moaning so loud you had to cover his mouth so the neighbors wouldn't hear.

• He's so desperate for you to put it in him, you have to hold him down by his hips. Which is a struggle because of his strength.

• There's no going back once you put it inside him. He likes it rough and fast. You'll get a full work out once you're done with him.

A/n: DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU TRY ANYTHING WITH YOUR PARTNER, THATS AN ORDER

• Asks you grab his hair and go harder. Your legs are already on fire, but god damn is he hot when he's like this.

[escaping-thoughts-reviews]

So, basically according to TA... What the fans "want":

A well written story;

Likable characters with a tangible character growth (no resets);

Sympathetic villain (wants to bring Emilie back for Adrien's sake);

Main couple has chemistry in all versions of themselves (Marinette/LB has feelings for CN unlike in the show, Marinette can actually talk to Adrien, and he's in love with "the girl behind the mask" not just LB);

Ladybug and Chat Noir being equals and working together to defeat Hawkmoth;

Adrien standing up to his father and telling him how he feels;

Chat Noir being in the final battle against his father!;

"Ladybug doesn't exist without Marinette", her powers are not what makes her special;

Gabriel's love for his son being more powerful than his hatered for Ladybug and Chat Noir;

Marinette and Adrien know each other's identities before getting together (no lies);

The heroes winning in the end and saving the world.

-

What the fans "need":

Thin-as-air badly written story full of retcons;

Obnoxious female lead with obsessive stalker tendencies (that are rewarded at the end);

Male protagonist that is not allowed to take charge of his situation and is nothing but a trophy for the female lead (TA described Adrien as being Marinette's "Ken", so... he's canonically just an accessory for her character. That's... nice...);

Badly written villain (inconsistent as the rest of the plot, they wanted him to be sympathetic, but ends up coming across as just selfish, then downright deranged in s5);

Unhealty dynamics (Marinette stalking Adrien, CN not taking "no" for an answer, pictures of their person of interest on walls and pc) and there's only interest for one of their personas, Marinette-> Adrien, Adrien-> Labybug (Marinette is not interested in CN and Adrien doesn't show romantic interest in Marinette up until s5);

"I don't need Chat Noir for every mission. He's just like any other temporary holder". LB is the only leader (everybody is beneath her, even CN);

Chat Noir (one of the titular characters) not being in the final battle against his own father;

Adrien never learns the truth about his family or himself, meanwhile Marinette does (thus having more power over him... once again.... *cough* Chat Blanc) and still dates him;

Marinette has all the power, she's the bestest ever and she can do everything by herself (CN not needed);

Villain wins, destroys the world and recreates it to his desires;

Ladybug fails as a hero.

You know what? I'm pretty sure no one "needs" that. I'll stick with the movie. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's lightyears better than the show.

[lilybecca1]

Hi...if you don't mind, can I ask something from BNHA? What do you think are Midoriya and Bakugou’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Since what moment that you start shipping them? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....

(Okay so I kinda realized at the end that this actually turned into a complete BKDK personality analysis and dynamic breakdown, so sorry in advance lmao)

Hi, of course! I actually love analysis so I don't mind talking about their characters and dynamic. Though I do have to say that if I wanted to make a full on analysis, it would probably take me hours, if not days 😂 when I say their characters and dynamic are literally the deepest and most complex out there, I mean it.

But to answer your first question:

Let's talk about Bakugo first.

I think throughout the entire manga, his character has literally been laid bare in front of the whole world to see. His character development was one of the most important aspects in the entire manga, and we have a ton of resources to analyze his character on. If I were to answer what his greatest strengths and weaknesses are on a superficial level, I'd say this: his weakness is that he hides his true feelings behind a mask of anger, and he's so intent on dealing with his problems alone that he ends up pushing people away. His greatest strength is his ability to never give up on winning, his determination to succeed and become his best, and strongest self.

But that is not entirely true. In reality, his weakness comes from his insecurities, his fear of showing vulnerability to others. Throughout his whole life, everyone praised him for his quirk and told him he'd be the best hero out there, and because of this, he has developed an unhealthy superiority/inferiority complex. He's afraid that he'll fail, because in his mind, his whole persona, his whole self worth is developed around the strength of his quirk and the desire to become the number one hero. He's too afraid to accept his "human" side and human emotions. Thus, he feels like he always has to maintain this image of perfection, being on top of the food chain so that no one sees past his façade and sees just how insecure and sensitive he really is inside.

And his greatest strength? It's not about winning or never giving up. His greatest strength is how sensitive, how fiercely loyal he is at his core. His trust is very hard to earn, but once someone does earn his trust and respect, he will devote his entire LIFE to that person. Initially, it's very hard to break down his walls, and on the outside he seems like someone that only cares about himself and his own goals, but that's so far from the truth.

Just look at his relationship with Deku over time. Bakugo wanted to ignore him and push him away at first, because he triggered Bakugo's deepest insecurities, he saw right through him, he saw the person he was past that anger. And over the manga, Deku has broken down his walls little by little, earned his understanding, his trust, his respect. He broke his walls down until there was nothing left to hide for Bakugo anymore. And once that happened, Bakugo gave Izuku his all, his 100%. His care, his life, his devotion. Because once you look deeper, you'll see that Bakugo's biggest strength lies in his selflessness, and how he'll put the people that mean the most to him above everything, even his own self.

So now, what about Midoriya? Well, in all honestly, I still have absolutely no idea. It irks me to this day when I read fanfictions that simplify Midoriya's character so much that he ends up just being this crybaby version of himself who puts everyone above himself and is too kind of a soul for this world. That might be true in a sense, but that's also far from what his true character really is about. It's like when you see him first, you see this simple version of him that he shows to the whole world, but as you get to know him, the outer layer starts to peel off and you start to see the inner layers of him. Except, when you thought that you finally got to know all the sides to him, you suddenly find yourself face to face with yet another layer.

It's very hard to pin down his character, which is generally true for most INFJs. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he completely stays true to his character, his core essence is rock-solid and immutable, yet for some reason, it's impossible to understand him, because he probably doesn't understand himself either.

So in short: his weakness is that he always puts everyone above himself and doesn't care about his own well-being, and his greatest strength is that he always follows his dream and his desire to save others, even when life throws all odds against him.

Long answer (buckle up): through his entire childhood, he has been bullied for being quirkless, for simply being who he is. He had to learn from a very young age that he has no worth, that his existence is meaningless, and his life is absolutely worthless (which has been even more solidified after Bakugo told him to take a swan dive). It has been practically beaten into his brain and mindset that he, as a person, doesn't mean anything. In his mind, he doesn't have a sense of self. His core essence, his raw character has been built around his dream of being a hero, his desire to save others. His sense of self is built upon a base of a desire, a dream. Not his personality, not his character, not who he truly is as a person inside. Nor he, nor anyone else has cared to learn more about him, about who he is as a person.

So, to put it simply, his core character is versatile, unpredictable, and unknown, even to himself. His weakness is that he is constantly misunderstood, and that no one will ever be able to understand who he really is inside. The fact is that he and Bakugo are two sides of the same coin. On the outside, it would seem like Bakugo is the one who's misunderstood, who hides himself behind a mask, and Deku is the one that wears his heart on his sleeve, and is open with his emotions.

In reality, Bakugo is the one that is true to his own character, meanwhile Midoriya is the person whose real personality hides behind his mask of cheerfulness, hope, optimism and determination, whether he knows it or not. He never once stopped to think about himself, so he wears this mask completely subconsciously, and even if he wanted to, he probably wouldn't know how to NOT be like this. So, basically his weakness is that he hides and bottles up his real emotions, and most of the time even he doesn't know it. Like y'all thought Bakugo was the repressed one? News flash, Deku is the true repressed MF, he is the one that pushes down his "unwanted" emotions and desires.

Just a couple of examples: when his desire to win surpasses his desire to save and he starts to imitate Bakugo. Why? Because his whole persona is built around the desire to save, yet when these "unwanted", supressed emotions surface, he copies the image of what that emotion is supposed to look like. AKA, copies Bakugo, because the image of desiring to win is the image of Bakugo inside of his head, so he mirrors Bakugo's personality during those moments.

Another example? He literally gave up on winning during the Sports Tournament and hurt himself over and over again just to prove his point. He's not as innocent and sweet as people think he is, he purposefully riled up Todoroki just to prove his point. He's stubborn, reckless, and spiteful to the point he did THAT just to win an argument.

And the Control your heart moment? That was literally THE biggest weakness that Shigaraki even exploited and used against him, because he saw the side that Deku tried so hard to suppress, and he knew that hurting Bakugo was the one thing that could get that side out of him. But I'll talk more about that later.

So, with that out of the way, what about his strengths? Well, in the short answer, I said that it was his ability to keep pushing forward and chase his dreams even when life throws all odds against him. Which isn't false, because that is indeed probably his biggest strength. Since he's kind of a "chameleon", he's able to adapt and devote his own self to the one cause and desire that he built it upon. Which is his dream to save others and become a hero. But that's not all there is to his character. His strength is the ability to devote his entire character, his sense of self, his energy, his everything to one specific goal that he sets his mind to. That what makes him Midoriya Izuku. It's that inner strength to be able to devote his 100% to his beliefs and what he wants. And when he does, it's impossible to stop him. What does he believe in? Saving others and helping them, no matter what. What does he want? Well, most of the time, it's to become a hero and do exactly that, save others. Some other times, it's to win. Other times, he simply wants Bakugo, which is a raw possessiveness that even he cannot control sometimes(which I'll also explain in a bit). We'll never understand what he's fully capable of, because we'll never understand every side and emotion there is to him deep down. Only one thing is for sure, that he is someone who pushes forward to reach his dream and follow his beliefs with all his heart, no matter how many times he's pushed down. Is it unhealthy? Probably. Safe to say that Midoriya still has a lot to learn and figure out, even more so than Bakugo did.

Okay, that did actually end up pretty long, but anywayyy

Onto next question:

What do I love about their dynamic? Well, more like what do I NOT love 😂 I mean if people thought their characters were deep, they're in for even more of a surprise. Because if there is one thing deeper and more complex than anything in the world, then it's their relationship and dynamic.

I mean, you mix two characters together that literally steal every single trope there is, enemies to lovers, rivals to friends, childhood friends, forced proximity, twin flames, soulmates, literally EVERYTHING

What do you get? A whole lot of complicated shit, that's what

First, let's see what Bakugo's perspective is in the whole relationship. The School Briefs Snowy Mountain Camping chapter basically gave us a complete explanation on Bakugo's perspective of Midoriya and the reason he behaved the way he did with him. There was always something that irked him, something that creeped him out about Midoriya, and that something is Midoriya's habit of meddling with other people's problems and caring about them, even when he doesn't need to. Young Katsuki realized that this is exactly what being a hero is about, and he knew deep down that Izuku's core essence was much closer to the ideal of being a hero than himself was. And that triggered his insecurities, because he thought that Deku was better than him, he thought that Deku was much closer to achieving that dream of being a hero than he was.

So, Bakugo developed a superiority complex and disguised that deep-seated fear as rage, and settled for denial for years. That is until they entered UA, and he started to understand and accept the fact that Deku didn't look down on him, but actually cared for him. His anger subdued, but for a long while, there was still something that frustrated him and pissed him off to no end about Midoriya.

His own anger came from inability to explain what was the thing that still irritated him. He was essentially angry at himself for being in denial for so long, and then for not being able to explain what it was that angered him about Deku, even when he knew he wasn't looking down on him. But then, he realized what caused his irritation. To quote him, "Deku never took his own needs into account, always giving 100% of himself to whatever cause had his attention". He feared that Deku's pure, genuine spirit would collapse under its own weight some day, bringing it all crashing down. In other words, he was afraid for him, because he saw how amazing of a person he was inside, and he knew Izuku would rather bear the weight of the whole world on his shoulders than to share the pain with anyone else. This is when he realized he cared for him.

Everyone else cared about Izuku too, but Bakugo was the only one who saw this, and who saw who Izuku was at his core. Unlike everyone else, he wasn't surprised when Izuku left UA during his Vigilante Arc, because deep down he knew this was bound to happen some day. And he took it upon himself to apologize to Izuku, lay himself and his own weakness bare in front of him, in the rain. Which is something that goes against who he was before that. But he showed Izuku that he had his complete trust in him, and told him to share that responsibility of OFA with him. At this point, Bakugo has long threw away what held him back from accepting his connection with Izuku. It wasn't even about the desire to surpass him anymore. He knew that was futile because in his eyes, Izuku was such an amazing person that he knew he'd never be able to surpass him. "Hey, Izuku...Can I still catch up to you?"

He accepted the defeat, that he wasn't a better person, that he wasn't the best. Because time and time again Izuku showed him how amazing he was. So Deku isn't the only one who views Katsuki as amazing. Katsuki just needed time to come to terms with it. But once he did, he completely devoted himself to Izuku, he died for him, he devoted 8 years to him after the war just so he can become a hero again. He doesn't care about him being quirkless anymore, none of that means anything to him anymore. All that's left inside him is the pure, genuine desire to have Izuku by his side for the rest of his life. Izuku will always remain more special to him than anyone else.

His love for Izuku goes much deeper than platonic or romantic, and that's the beauty in it. Izuku has earned every kind of love that Bakugos could give him. And it couldn't have been anyone else, because in order for Bakugo to have this deep of a connection, they needed to have a mutual background, they needed to have history. Bakugo needed that person to see him for who he is at his rawest, he needed someone to accept his feelings and understand who he truly is, and how he became who he is, what made him into who he is today. And that person could have only been Izuku. Because Izuku has been there since the very beginning, Izuku showed a mirror to Bakugo and made him face his own flaws. Izuku made Bakugo accept his own flaws and realize that he isn't perfect, just like everyone else. Without Izuku, he would have never realized what it meant to be a true hero, and that he needs to accept the other side of the coin too.

And for Izuku, he always saw Kacchan as amazing, ever since Day 1, and he viewed him as his image of victory. I mentioned before how he built his core personality around the dream of becoming a hero, but that was not all. There is another pillar that holds his life, holds his dream together, and that is Katsuki. He had this ideal that came from All Might, but like Izuku said, Kacchan was the one in his life. Izuku's body only moved on it's own once he realized it was Katsuki in danger. In Izuku's mind, Katsuki is the image of what victory is supposed to look like. Or, to sum it up, Katsuki is the reason Izuku was able to achieve his dream of becoming a hero(which I also explained in one of my other analysis).

Why is this important? It's because Izuku can't imagine a world without Katsuki in it.

There is a reason why it's always "Kacchan and the others". It's not simply because Kacchan is his closest friend. It's because Bakugo means more than anything to him. Bakugo is the one pillar in Deku's life that's always there, that he can always rely on. If you take that away, his entire core would collapse, because there would be nothing holding it together anymore. Like in that new Blue Encount MV that came out, and how it was Kacchan's hand that held together his shattered dream.

Because Katsuki is the one who he shares that dream with. Both of their dreams were born at the same moment, their literal core is tied together with eachother. This is why Izuku told Bakugo the secret of OFA so easily. The two of them together were the ones that held that responsibility, that knowledge that came with OFA. And to prove it to you, let me talk about his Vigilante Arc, and when the whole class came to convince him to come back.

Right at the last moment when Izuku was at his breaking point, this is what the second user said:

“If there’s anything that could bolster Midoriya Izuku right now, it would be…”

And who did the next panel show? Bakugo.

Bakugo said he wanted to talk with Izuku, and Izuku knew that if he heard him out, he wouldn't be able to resist, he wouldn't be able to hold it together anymore. That's why he ran away without talking to him, but it didn't work out. And when Bakugo apologized to him, it was over. The one person that meant more to him than the whole world, apologized for everything he has done, and showed him that he WANTED to be there by Deku's side, which is what Izuku has wanted ever since they were children, yet he gave up the hope of ever being able to talk normally with Kacchan again. And now here he was, doing just that, and it broke something in him. He wasn't able to hold himself together anymore, to keep up his façade of wanting to bear the responsibility on his shoulders only. It was Katsuki's words that made him give in and share the burden, accepting that he doesn't have to do it all alone.

It was always Kacchan, and it was always the others.

And why was it that he always lost control of his heart when Bakugo was in danger and threatened to be taken away from him? Like when he was kidnapped. It's because Katsuki isn't just simply a really close friend. It's because Katsuki is literally his ideal, his image of victory. If he was taken away from him, that would rock Midoriya's entire mindset, his entire world. Katsuki is something that his childlike self desperately needs to hold onto, because without him, Izuku would be lost. The one thing would be gone that was always in his life, that gave him the meaning of being a hero. Take Kacchan away from him, and you literally rip half of his heart out. Without Kacchan, he's incomplete. So when he screamed "Give me MY Kacchan back!", it was because he literally felt so threatened that it awakened a raw possessiveness inside of him.

Just like when Monoma insulted Kacchan. Midoriya didn't lose control simply because he talked badly about Bakugo. It was because to him, it felt like a personal attack to the core essence of who HE is. It felt like it was a direct attack on Midoriya's beliefs, like someone just insulted his entire mindset that he has believed in ever since childhood. It's literally true, an attack on Bakugo is a personal attack towards Izuku as well.

So now we understand why he went crazy when he lost Katsuki. His entire inner world was shaken up, threatening to collapse in on itself. If we think about it, it isn't so surprising that he went feral over Bakugo's death. He lost control of his heart, because Katsuki is the one in his heart. Who Izuku is today has been directly influenced by Kacchan in his life. Losing Kacchan means losing a part of himself.

And this is exactly why I absolutely love their dynamic. They mean so much to each other, and their love for each other grows so much deeper than just romantic or platonic. They mean the world to each other. They are soulmates, they are twin flames, their entire life and persona is so tied together with each other that it's impossible to say where one of them ends and the other begins. Because they are two halves of a whole, and their love and connection is something that we are unable to comprehend. It goes way beyond simply loving each other.

And to answer your last question,

well I technically started shipping them since Deku vs Kacchan 2, but I kind of already were shipping them in a way ever since Episode 1. Not in a romantic sense, but I immediately saw that there was much more to their connection than with anyone else. But Deku vs Kacchan 2 fight scene definitely took the cake 😂 nothing will ever top the tension they had during that episode...like okay, before I would have accepted that there wasn't anything romantic between them, but after that? KISS GODDAMNIT

Okay so this has kind of turned into a veeery long analysis, sorry, I talk too much 🤣 I hope I answered all your questions 💚

[dokidokitsuna]

Rise of the Mammalians: Deep Cut Sketches

So…I’ve never really cared much about Deep Cut. On one hand, this keeps me out of a lot of drama, especially around Splatfest time. ^^; But on the other hand, it means that I’m constantly forced to stare at these ubiquitous mascot characters that I should care about, but just…can’t.

Basically, I think they’re shallow and underutilized, and lacking in unique characterization.

For example: The Squid Sisters are weirdo goofballs who are more like living cartoons than actual people, with their constant quips, puns, and random references to their personal lives. And Off the Hook swings to the opposite extreme, with more grounded personalities dripping in charisma, and edgier backstories that flesh them out further, connect them thematically, and chronicle their development as characters.

And then we have Deep Cut, who just sits awkwardly in the middle. They’re not as goofy and campy as the Squid Sisters, but they’re not as edgy and dynamic as Off the Hook, either. They’re kinda just…there, acting out their basic ‘cool’, ‘peppy’, and ‘airhead’ archetypes. Apparently, a shallow anarchy aesthetic (???) and references to their childhood friendship is all we can expect in terms of character depth. Needless to say, it’s not enough. :/

So how did I flesh them out further for their new, more involved roles in this re-concept? The answer is very simple: I just decided to actually make use of that ‘anarchy’ aesthetic.

I found it…actually really disappointing that the word is constantly tossed around in-game, but apparently means absolutely nothing. Considering the original Japanese equivalents of the phrases where it’s used, it might as well be a mistranslation, and it’s honestly such a waste. Whether there’s any true anarchist ideology in Splatsville culture or not, it’s still most definitely the ‘city of chaos’, and yet we really don’t see any of that, especially not in the behavior of the idols that supposedly represent the city. In fact, rather than being rougher around the edges, they seem to be more privileged than any of the previous idols, being essentially born into nobility…

Anyway-- the real kicker for this weird ‘rebels in name only’ attempt at characterization is their secret motivation: the revelation that they’re searching for treasure in Alterna so they can sell it and give the money to the poor of the Splatlands. I KNOW it’s supposed to be sweet and heartwarming, but to me it was just another letdown. Like…that’s probably the most lukewarm ‘bandit’ characterization you could possibly do. T_T They’re essentially dumpster diving for the needy, rather than, I dunno, stealing resources directly from the capitalist overlord next door…??

Like, Deep Cut are supposed to be rebels with hearts of gold who aren’t afraid to use violence to achieve their goals, and Mr. Grizz is literally right there in front of them, hoarding money and energy for his own ends. The dynamic writes itself, but instead the game totally ignores the possibility of connecting the characters at all.

Well, I don’t. ^^ And I think the combination of the two ideas-- ‘rebels in name only’ AND ‘actual rebels who join the protagonist in opposing the final boss’-- is more interesting than either one alone. Like, by day, they really are ordinary idols, who are even willing to shill for Grizzco on the Anarchy Splatcast. They talk tough to appeal to their fanbase, but at the end of the day they do what they need to do to maintain their civilian personas and uphold their family names.

But by night, they reject all of that posturing and take direct action to help people in need. Under the cover of their masks, they become freer, wilder, more honest versions of themselves that can achieve anything together. And this version of Deep Cut is the one that accompanies you through the story mode. ^^

[prince-liest]

Omg, I just wanted to say I ADORE your characterization of Al and Vox! I don't even have the words to express how much I love reading your stuff, especially the Anon responses you post on here. The behind the scenes thoughts are literally my food, lifesource, its so good when people not only write characters IN CHARACTER, but also include stuff about their analysis/understanding of the character too.. I'm literally obsessed with breaking down characters and yk, cracking their chrome domes open to see how they work (which admittedly, I am not the best at <_< but I love reading them). Just wanted to say how much I love your writing. I had maybe 2 questions, please don't feel pressured to answer them :>

What in your mind (in reference to the 66.6 fics) would motivate Alastor to let Val get close to him in the first place? Or was that more you picking these two characters up by the scruff of their necks and plopping them into a hypothetical scenario to explore their character and write some fun intimate thingsTM?

What do you think of the dynamic of Vox and Al vs something like Lucifer and Al? Personally I've noticed that something Alastor craves, behind the mask of his static smiling persona, is attention. He's (at least how I saw it) usually peeved when people don't care about his absence, and seems especially bothered by the King of Hell refusing to really acknowledge him, so he goes out of his way to push Lucifers buttons (like calling himself a father figure to Charlie, IN FRONT OF HER ACTUAL FATHER LOL) whereas with Vox, Vox is literally CONSTANTLY thinking about Alastor. Man literally interrupted his regular TV program to do a segment about how much he totally didn't at ALL care about Alastors dissapearance or the fact that he returned (suree buddy). So Alastor can have more fun with him and annoy him by ignoring and messing with him on purpose.

ty if you do respond to this, sorry if it was hard to understand, sometimes I forget how to put the thoughts in my brain into coherent words!

Ahhhh, thank you very much, anon! I'm especially happy that you're enjoying my commentary on Tumblr, haha - I spent a while on Twitter because that's where all the fandom zines I was in were being hosted, but nothing beats Tumblr for giving me a nigh-unlimited word count and a captive audience for my rambling! >:D <3 I'm back to cocooning myself on the OG hell site.

Thank you for this ask, it really brightened my day! :D

As for your questions:

1. I'm assuming that was a typo and that you mean Vox (but in case you did mean Val: that was just a funny accident of him walking by the room! Alastor wasn't paying enough attention until it was too late), and to that I say:

I think Alastor allows Vox to take a go at him in canon because he finds Vox's obsession with him to be entertaining, but also because Alastor is kind of a narcissist and that same obsession massively feeds his ego, especially in a political climate that otherwise forgot about Alastor. Vox's whole "Who gives a shit about Alastor coming back?! Haha, now let me have a public meltdown and short out power to the whole city about it! Oh, fuck, why is he back, though?? Can we send a spy in to find out??" is exactly the reaction that Alastor wants every time he mentions his mysterious absence and gets brushed off.

At the same time, Alastor doesn't seem to register Vox as a sincere and genuine threat. He's a big enough fish in the Pride Ring pond that his obsession with Alastor is gratifying, but Alastor's self-absorption also doesn't really allow him to treat Vox as a threat tier above "annoying in a funny way, and also television is stupid." (Perhaps this will change in season 2... :eyes: (or perhaps Alastor will get Even Worse) (please god let him get even worse))

So those two things in combination make Vox the perfect candidate for Alastor to experiment with while maintaining his ego and not feeling particularly threatened. Despite Vox's Safeword 101 talk, Alastor would never put stock into that system with Vox unless he was certain that he himself would be able to back up a 'no' with overwhelming force. Him even considering safewords in the Live On Air! series is less for his own sake and more a politesse he offers on Vox's request to warn Vox to slow the fuck down before Alastor tries to put his insides on the outside.

2. And in direct contrast, we have Lucifer...

... Who Alastor obviously actually cares quite a bit about, because he's a whole nother power tier from both Vox and Alastor, and furthermore and possibly even more importantly, a credible threat to Alastor's relationships and standing in the hotel. I think a lot of discussion I see about Alastor prodding Lucifer seems to talk about how quickly he got annoyed about Lucifer's comments, but that misses the fact that he was pissed off before Lucifer even showed up. He got pissy the moment he saw the welcome sign, actually! And I wager that he was narratively absent for the scene where Charlie actually calls Lucifer because he would have done his best to manipulate her out of doing so had be been there.

And given that the two clearly haven't met before (though obviously Alastor knows of Lucifer - and hates that the inverse isn't true, hah), it's not 100% clear exactly why he's immediately so annoyed, but in my personal view of things and barring something like "he's projecting onto Lucifer because his contract is with Lilith," I think that what we know of Alastor's personality points most strongly to "he liked being the hotel's benefactor and sees it as His Project, and doesn't like the idea that Charlie called daddy for something that she thought mysterious, powerful Alastor couldn't handle." He distracts a lot with obviously-goading comments about practically being Charlie's dad in his duet with Lucifer, but underneath that he puts a lot of emphasis on the work he's done for the hotel and the fact that he's been supporting Charlie and the hotel from the start, so why the fuck is this deadbeat asshole suddenly turning up?!

Tl;dr: Charlie missed her insight roll on Alastor's personal investments and he's sooooo offended - and taking it out on Lucifer!

I think one of my favorite things about both Lucifer and Alastor is that they both sooo obviously belong in the Pride Ring, hahaha.

[nose-nippin-fun]

Hazbin Hotel Episode 4 Discussion:

I’ve seen a lot of nasty posts floating around today criticizing Vivzie and the show. I’m not here to discredit your feelings, but I think that the darker tone of episode 4 merits some constructive discussion beyond a knee-jerk, pearl-clutching reaction.

From what I’ve seen, the biggest complaint from viewers, myself included, is that this emotional episode with some fairly intense depictions of SA/r*pe was not prefaced with a content warning aside from the usual small text in the top left corner. I truly do believe Amazon should correct this going forward so that viewers can feel better prepared for tone shifts between episodes. That being said, here are my defenses of the show.

Hazbin Hotel has had a huge fan following since the pilot release back in 2019, which set the tone of the show. Between the pilot and Addict music video, people had a pretty clear indication of the adult themes that would be present in the project moving forward. The show is set in Hell, the place where the world’s worst sinners are trapped in the afterlife. This is not an excuse, this is an explanation. There are going to be several characters with tainted morality, some of whom are irredeemable. That’s why they’re in Hell. This show is not meant to glorify sins, but to shine a light on flawed, relatable characters who will grapple with ethics and other struggles and come out changed in the end.

“I can’t believe Angel doesn’t leave his situation and stays stagnant.” Have you ever lived through/witnessed abuse? It is never this easy to sever ties with an abuser. They position themselves in power to control and manipulate, and many times, it’s not physically safe to get away from them. Also, this has been ONE EPISODE, you cannot expect a character with deep trauma to be totally different after a 20-30 minute episode. Angel’s character arc will take time, but his interaction with Husk at the end is an important first step in that direction.

“So Angel is supposed to just get over his trauma because he and Husk sang a song about it?” No. If that was your takeaway, I’m truly sorry you missed the point. Husk is the only person who’s been raw and blunt with Angel (on screen) about dropping the Angel Dust persona and being Anthony. Angel is used to having to put on a flawless, sexy act at all times, so much so that that’s how people really believe he is at all times. Husk sees through this mask Angel developed to protect himself and tell him through their song that imperfect and broken as he feels, Angel isn’t alone in struggling with feelings of powerlessness and addiction. He’s not comparing his loss of overlord status to Angel’s horrible SA, he’s finding common ground and empathizing (the best way a Hellbound soul can). This song wasn’t a solution, it was a gateway to vulnerability and the beginning of change for both characters.

“We’re expected to just ship Huskerdust after Angel has done nothing but sexually harass and push Husk’s boundaries?” No. That’s absolutely the wrong reason to ship anything. While it’s true that in the first three episodes, Angel sees Husk as eye candy who might be able to distract him from his suffering, episode 4 brings a necessary shift in their dynamic. Angel is used to everyone around him wanting Angel Dust, the pornstar. But for the first time, someone doesn’t want that coveted persona, and he can’t comprehend this. Angel has no control over anything except the act he keeps up, so he clings to it as a false sense of power. It’s only after Husk tells him that he likes Angel for everything he is off camera that Angel starts to treat Husk with respect, which will pave the way for any future Huskerdust shipping.

You don’t have to agree with what I’ve written, and I absolutely don’t blame you if you’ve realized this show is not content you can comfortably consume, but please understand that depicting difficult material is not the same as glorifying or excusing it. This episode was hard for me too, because I care about Angel Dust, and I am so eager to watch his growth as the show continues. My heart goes out to anyone struggling from triggering this episode caused. I hope you’re able to safely navigate away from this show while respecting the viewers who continue to watch.

[voidbeau]

!!!🌹Thorn and Mr. Flower🌿 tiiime!!!

And boy I will never not be so so enthusiastic about these guyz <333

I touched on the dynamics of their relationship in a previous post on my last account before it was terminated. But seeing as that post is lost at sea now, I'll do a bit of recap on that.

Just to have everything neatly in one post.

And then I gotta remember to save this post in a separate document or something in case something happens to this account...

Anyway, the boyz 🌹🌿

---

So, as I've mentioned previously, I've always pictured Mr. Flower and Thorn's relationship to have extremely rocky beginnings.

We're talking, tons of baggage on both sides.

Trust issues from one end and desperate clinging on the other in the form of big promises and what may or may not be tons of lip service.

Not to mention all the potential secret guarding.

Thorn has some form of charm, sure.

Enough that in the beginning he was able to garner interest from Mr. Flower.

"Sure, maybe we'll see where this goes..."

But as I've said before, my take on Mr. Flower is that he's a very closed off individual.

Getting him to open up is like trying to pry open iron doors with nothing but a couple of toothpicks.

Most people aren't likely to have known anything other than an idealized version of himself. The Mr. Flower he wants you to see.

And that version of Mr. Flower can certainly seem pleasant and easy to talk to, but when exposed to it long enough, it becomes obvious how very surface level it all is, but to Mr. Flower, it's preferable to how he knows he can be.

And if you manage to speak with him with his mask off, then you might find yourself wondering if maybe you prefer the performative version of Mr. Flower.

But that was the idea of course.

Give people a better, more palatable alternative.

There have been very few people who have found the real Mr. Flower tolerable to be around and as such, there have been very few people who have found any reason to stick around.

And that's sort of the expected outcome Mr. Flower has of any potential relationship he gets involved in, whether romantic or platonic or whatever else!

He's learned over the years that it's much easier to just to keep his expectations low and others an arm's length away.

And if anyone gets too close, it's best to retreat before things are liable to become painful.

And if for whatever reason, someone tries to persist when pulling away, it's good to remind that person why they thought to keep a distance in the first place, in whatever manner seems necessary in the moment.

Even if feelings are hurt.

Even if it ends the relationship in that moment.

Better to leave than to be left behind yet again.

"It was doomed to fail anyway..."

This man is walled in on all sides.

And yet despite this, Mr. Flower is plagued by the thinnest rays of troubling thoughts and emotions.

Hopefulness and desire for genuine, lasting companionship appear as annoying cracks in the walls Mr. Flower so carefully built up over the years, and despite the constant reminders why it's best not to leave his miserable fortress of self preservation, he often finds himself with one foot out the front gates far too often.

And that was exactly where Thorn found Mr. Flower, hovering just beyond his gates. Open enough to the world that he began his journey with Mr. Flower with a mask half off.

With a glimpse of a real person behind a carefully crafted persona.

Not enough to tell the whole story, but enough to want to uncover that story. To get the full picture.

How desperately Mr. Flower has tried to slip that mask of his back on as soon as he realizes whats been done.

Unfortunately...

"You should know better sweetheart, your tricks don't work on me."

Because Thorn's already gotten a glimpse, so what on earth is this funny little act you're putting on, Mr. Flower? This isn't the you I remember meeting on that rainy evening.

And while this has ignited the tiny embers of hope in Mr. Flower into a small flame, it's also bewildered and frustrated him.

Because Thorn insists on tugging on the edges of Mr. Flower's mask and unraveling his disguise thread by nervous thread. And it would seem that no amount of pulling away or lashing out is doing anything to dissuade this baffling rose man.

Not for long, at least.

And sure, they get into fights- frustrated back and fourths over each other's characters, and despite Mr. Flower thinking,

"This is it. This time for sure, it has to be. This time he's gone for good..."

Thorn always surprises Mr. Flower when he's the one to come back with an apology. When Thorn assumes he's done something to deserve Mr. Flower's ire. When Thorn goes on to admire those things Mr. Flower tries so hard to keep buried.

"I like that part of you. The real you, and how unapologetically you it is." He says through a toothy grin and an airy chuckle.

And Mr. Flower's stomach twists into knots.

"I love how fiery you are when you're not holding yourself back and I admire the honesty, even if it's a little hard to hear sometimes." Says Thorn.

"And though I wish you'd be just a bit more gentle, I also understand the world hasn't exactly been the most gentle with you."

And as Thorn reaches out to gingerly grab at Mr. Flower's hands, all Mr. Flower can do is swallow back the lump in his throat and watch while Thorn plants a soft kiss on those tense hands of his.

"I wouldn't change a thing about you." He says.

He insists.

"I don't understand you..." Says Mr. Flower, quiet and deadpan as he looks up, searching those half lidded, spiral eyes.

Thorn chuckles again, finding amusement over the concern and confusion on Mr. Flower's face, yet never missing the detail of those fanned out ear petals and how they twitch so enthusiastically every so often.

"It's easier to see the details close up." Thorn says, his thumbs caressing Mr. Flower's hands now. "Let me in and I promise it'll make sense."

A simple request, barely above a whisper and it sends Mr. Flower's heart racing and his mind screaming.

He's flooded with thoughts and emotions pulling him in every which direction.

Does he just let that happen? Or does he run as far and fast as his legs can take him?

He isn't sure, and he's frozen in place while Thorn waits patiently for an answer, until he realizes he may not get one in the moment.

"But-... if you're not ready that's okay. I can wait." Says Thorn now, gently letting those hands go as he takes a step back.

And Mr. Flower has to stamp out that desire to close the gap again.

The problem here is that Thorn is all Mr. Flower has left with in the moment.

Perhaps its not so much a problem as it is a solution?

But the idea of relying so heavily on someone is terrifying to Mr. Flower, especially when he knows so little about them.

And while Thorn continues to insist things will be okay and strives to convince Mr. Flower he can be trusted with the monumental task of getting to really know Mr. Flower.

Some things come up.

Something always comes up.

Time goes on and everytime Mr. Flower is at the threshold of his decision, something new comes to light about Thorn that leaves Mr. Flower second guessing everytime.

And everytime he considers that it might be best to leave this one in the dust with all the others, Thorn tugs Mr. Flower back into the same confusing cycle.

"C'mon, babe. It's not like that!"

"I promise it'll make sense, love just give it time."

"I know it sounds crazy, but..."

"I want to tell you, but...

And Mr. Flower is getting tired.

Tired of the secrets, the excuses the half truths. Tired of being talked up and let down every. single. time.

"You keep telling me to open up when I'm not even sure I've ever known who you are!"

And indeed, how can any man be expected to trust a stranger and to love someone you've hardly met?

And yet Mr. Flower is caught in the thickest part of a thorny bramble patch, unable to leave either by his own indecisiveness or because Thorn simply won't let him.

Because despite all the turmoil and uncertainty, there have been very real moments of that genuine connection Mr. Flower craved for so long.

Or at least, he thought there had been.

It's hard to say, and while Thorn insists that yes, of course they were genuine, it's difficult to take him at his word when he's constantly sneaking off late at night, constantly preoccupied with an old flame and always going off about these grand claims he swears are true, in place of the answers Mr. Flower so consistently pleads for.

"I don't understand you..."

"I know, sweetheart I know. Please give it some more time.

I promise it will all make sense."

A few things are for certain about Thorn that Mr. Flower has come to learn.

One is that he is a very busy and singularly minded man, and two is that there are very few things in the world that will come between Thorn and his many mysterious plans.

And the third, it would seem, is that Mr. Flower is not among the exceptions, no matter how much Thorn insists how important Mr. Flower is to him.

There are things that absolutely need changing, and while there are ways in which I could see the two working things out, they are not Without their trials.

Physically, mentally, emotionally, nobody is coming out unscathed. But sometimes you need to tear things apart in order to build anew.

A lot of Thorn's secretiveness is for valid reasons, though I won't go into too much detail cause I have fics planned- even if they take me YEARS to finish.

I will say, he is genuinely in love with Mr. Flower, and while he's not in the greatest place for him to be able to express it like he wants to, I've always imagined that Mr. Flower has a way of grounding Thorn when he gets all caught up in all his mystery work.

And boy howdy is it work.

But it's all worth it if it means securing a future where he can live in peace with his beloved Mr. Flower.

So long as they can weather the current storm.

The way I've seen it is that Thorn showed up around the time Mr. Flower and Mr. Plant began drifting, and since Mr. Flower doesn't have a lot of actual friends, losing the only one he felt he had was surprisingly hard for Mr. Flower to navigate.

He's been alone so long he thought he'd be fine. But thats the issue, Mr. Flower has been alone so long that he's not equipped with the proper tools for maintaining and fixing proper relationships.

Thorn has been a real conundrum for Mr. Flower on top of it all.

He's been as much of a learning experience in the department of communication as he has been a source of stress.

He's been an unlikely steadying hand and also another reason for Mr. Flower to be cautious.

He's heard and learned more about Thorn from others than he's ever learned from Thorn himself, except that Thorn is one large, walking, frustrating mystery to Mr. Flower.

There is definitely more to Thorn than meets the eye and as things progress and Mr. Flower is faced with terrifying revelations about Mr. Plant, Mr. Flower becomes more and more terrified about the things Thorn could actively be hiding.

They are just two performers on separate stages.

And they need to start learning how to get their act together because there's a lot more uncertainty and terrors on the horizon for these two.

----

And also @thatgirlwithasquid since you said you'd be interested in the read. ; v;

[captain-mj]

WEREBEAR KÖNIG, WEREBEAR KÖNIG, WEREBEAR KÖNIG

First of all thank you for indulging my König x Ghost brainworms. SECOND, I loved it. The implication that König has been heavily collared and probably controlled in the past. *Mwah* good shit. Ghost going feral when he shifts? I need to know more! König and Ghost fully shifted encounter when? I think their dynamic here has a lot of potential.

If you are up for another part I will stay away from your teeth for now, but they are on thin ice.

I’ve thought about this more and I’m prepared!!

Part 1

König was cautious for a while. Being stripped of his mask by Ghost had caught him off guard. He felt weird about it. Not quite as angry as he should be honestly. More just... flustered and embarrassed. Ghost had immediately looked at his scars.

König had at one point started to consider himself handsome. It took him ages honestly, he had just joined the army and bulked up a little instead of being as skinny as a twig. Finally eating properly probably helped.

Then the scars happened. The ones across his face at the very least came from the battlefield. While he definitely thought they were ugly, hideous, nothing like Horangi's or Stilleto's, he didn't hate them quite as much as the ones around his throat. Shame filled him.

He honestly wanted to head back to KorTac. This was only temporary after all, but he needed to stay a bit longer. They were partnering with SpecGru for the time being which means he had to be here... With the angry, scary.... kinda hot lieutenant.

König blushed, wondering where that came. Yes, Ghost was tall. Not König height, but tall enough that he didn't feel like he had to back up and look down to speak to him. Ghost was also so commanding. Broad shouldered and willing to put whoever and whatever in their place. It was admirable. König wished he had that confidence.

One thing they had in common though was the unearthly silence they both had. With Ghost, it felt right. He was The Ghost. A Specter more than a Man. When König snuck up on his teammates or appeared out of nowhere, it was creepy. Off-putting. Where Ghost could lean in that, his whole persona hinging on it, König couldn't. Instead he just freaked people out and got called out for sneaking up on them.

König did not like training very much, Yes, he was well aware he needed to and he did regularly, but he didn't like it. And today, something in the air felt wrong.

He told himself it was just his anxiety again, but it didn't feel like he was being stared at. The air itself had a charge to it. König hesitated and considered just leaving. If anyone asked him why he was leaving before touching a single machine, he'd claim he suddenly remembered a meeting he had to go to. Yeah. That made sense. He could...

Ghost moved to spar. The hoodie he wore over his clothing fell to the floor with a thump, leaving him in an short sleeved shirt. König didn't recognize the other person, so not 141 and not KorTac. Maybe some recruit? Or another person like him from a different group? He didn't know.

They sized each other up. The other person looked very, very determined, but that was how most people looked when sparring with Ghost. König wasn't sure why because Ghost was willing to spar anyone if asked. Just no one was brave enough to ask half the time.

"Need me to go easy on you? Don't really learn if its just me tossing you around." Anyone else and König would've rolled his eyes and chalked it up to him being cocky. But with Ghost, it was just true. He was extremely adept at fighting and sparring was pointless if it was just getting your ass handed to you.

König decided to watch. As did half the room.

"For the first round. Need to warm up." Their voice was deep. König tried to guess his accent, but nothing really came to mind.

They were off. The stranger mostly went with quick jabs and tried their best to avoid Ghost. It wasn't the worst strategy, but Ghost had an impressive amount of stamina for his size, so it wasn't the most effective either.

König noticed someone recording and he thought that was odd. Some people recorded their workouts but this was sparring and it didn’t seem like Ghost to allow it. He shrugged it off. What was the saying? Not my circus, not my monkeys?

Ghost took the person down and they bounced right back up. “How did you do that exactly?”

König crossed his arms. Were they… flirting? Gross. Ghost didn’t pick up on it, instead actually instructing them on exactly how.

König noticed seconds before Ghost did.

The recruit grabbed the back of his mask and yanked.

There was a list of reasons this was bad. Besides the fact that Ghost had broken someone’s arm for touching him before (he insisted it was an accident but didn’t apologize) and could be downright evil in his cruelty with people he interrogated, it was also just mean. Why would someone want to do that? Ghost could be a hardass but never without reason. He was never mean without reason. He was cold and distant but König had a feeling that had little to do with his actual personality.

Of course every one was curious about his face. No one got to see it.

Before the cloth had moved an inch, Ghost shredded his clothing with his shift. People started screaming and fleeing, most of them having intimate knowledge of the fact that Wolf Ghost and Human Ghost were very different creatures.

König decided to stop this before there was a casualty. If he took a second to walk forward, he’d blame it on surprise.

The stranger currently had one of the ropes of the arena in front of them as Ghost frantically tried to get to them through it. Ghost hadn’t had time to think, to busy trying to go right for the throat.

König slammed into his side, sending him skidding across the floor. He stood up and quickly realized his mistake.

Ghost was big. It made sense. Big human equals big animal. But he looked more like the direwolves his omi would tell him than the wolves he had seen on missions.

Ghost had intense black fur and he stalked around König, snarling. But König didn’t think he looked angry. No, he looked scared. It made sense. Wolves were not supposed to be alone and not only did Ghost probably feel alone, this person had just cruelly tricked him.

“Simon.” König tried to reason. Someone was yelling about tranquilizers and he immediately grimaced. “No, just all of you leave.”

Ghost threw himself at König, teeth bared. König quickly tried to dodge, watching those giant dripping fangs almost graze him. He panted softly, backing up.

Ghost stalked forward, standing defensively when König simply stepped forward as well. He knew if he shifted, he could more easily pin Ghost down BUT an equal amount of pettiness for getting yelled at and worry they’d both end up tranqued and with giant headaches later kept him from doing so.

König snapped his fingers and Ghost’s attention fell on his hand. He spoke calmly to the stranger. “Go. Quietly. But keep close by. I’m sure Captain Price will be happy to hear of this.” The confidence he usually got on missions kept him steady.

Ghost glared at him. Bright brown eyes That struck fear into people’s hearts. That appeared from the shadows and dragged the soul to the ferryman personally.

Right now, he looked like a nervous puppy.

König softened a tad, now that everyone was gone he took off his hood slowly and then his jacket, glad he went with a zip up one. They had the room and no one else would come in until one of them gave the all clear. Its why they paired them up.

“You’re not feral.” He spoke softly. “Just spooked. Like a horse. Shifting has never been pleasant for you, has it?”

If Ghost could understand him was still up for debate. But clearly something agitated him because he was trying to get to König’s throat again. Killing bite, fast and efficient.

König finally shifted and they wrestled with each other. He knew normally, Ghost could beat his ass. Hell, if he was a bit more sound, he probably could with both of them shifted. But as is, Ghost couldn’t strategize and König could. Its how he ended up with Ghost on his back, König’s teeth around his throat, careful not to sink in, and his paw on Ghost’s surprisingly soft feeling tummy.

They sat there a while. König able to feel the pulse through his teeth.

It slowed once he realized König wasn’t killing him. He tried to wiggle away but König applied more pressure to his paw and he stilled.

Ghost melted back to a person. It was… shockingly graceful considering how he had acted. König suddenly dwarfed him. He pulled back slowly, ignoring the copious amounts of drool on Ghost’s throat.

Oh.

Ghost was pretty.

He had a strong nose, soft lips and a lot more hair than König had been expecting. It looked bleached and slightly curly, maybe wavy was better. Like König, he had scars. Glasgows along with a few on his cheek that connected to a slice on his ear. König wondered if he had been able to pay attention, if he would’ve seen the chunk from his ear in wolf form too.

Ghost stared at him. Both of them were half naked, bodies aching from unexpected shifts. Ghost also looked lost. Something soft in his eyes. König was careful not to look down, both of them remaining eye contact as is making sure neither broke that rule.

His eyes seemed to freeze over as he came back to himself. “Fucking bastard. Ill eat him alive, shifted or not.” He grimaced as he moved and König wanted to ask how long it had been. Ghost kept himself under wraps pretty well but tons of people snuck out too shift occasionally. Let out steam.

Ghost’s mask had been torn to shreds in the shift. “Fucking hell.”

König didn’t let himself think. He dropped the sniper hood over Ghost. “I had been wearing a neck gaiter in case the hood got too hot. Ill wear that.”

Ghost looked up at him and the word pitiful came to mind. König didn’t like it. “Thank you, König.” He pulled on the hoodie he had dropped before going into the ring. His pants were half shredded but he pulled those on anyway. It would have to do until they got to their room.

König also pulled on his half shredded clothing to follow him.

He wondered if Ghost would join him on a night out if he asked.

[sillydummydum]

*DROPS S/I ON THE GROUND*

*RUNS AWAY IN SHAME*

S/I Yap time!!

OK SO-- I made this little S/I art yesterday and felt like sharing!! My Persona 5 S/I is basically-- well, me (bubbly and annoying) and nothing else lolol I literally insert myself in the universe with some plot changes and it's fun!! She likes space and music! Cuz i do too! :D She's also an indie musical artist but it's like more of a hobbie than anything! (Even if it does helps with money and all! she also does haves some good amount of followers on the niche! But nothing big out of the indie bubble) She wants to work as a songwriter for a famous singer one day!

Her background is nothing crazy but I made some silly changes, like aging up my irl brother (he's currently a lil baby and I made him a lil kid :3) and making me live with my grandma! (fucking love my grandma kisses grandma!!) Also some dramatic aah stuff like dead mom and no dad for me (the basics) 😭😭 My S/I has a strong special interest in space!!! Which is something I'm getting really into lately! So I made mommy an astronomer! She was like best friends with Wakaba (scientific nerds lol) and Sojiro so S/I was very close to Futaba since childhood for that reason!

She is a phantom thieve (shockerz) and uhm I wanted to use my personal experience as a bullied child growing up (mostly because of ableism) and turn that into motivation to make justice, since no one did that for me before!! (Grr goddamn adults!) And finding my own group of weird little people made me much more open and generally happy in real life! So that's what I'm doing on this universe as well! ^^

Yes she entered in kamoshida's case cuz I wanna imagine myself in every little story event.

Yes I study at Shujin.

Yes I am basic. /j

Even tho when it's for self shipping purposes I usually make my stuff in the 3rd semester because... life is beautiful and husby has no filter so it's funnier ✨️ AND YES I AM HELPING THE ROYAL TRIO WITH MARUKI FUCK IT NOW WE ARE FOUR!! (Depression afterwards :<)

Her Persona is called Selene! Based off the greek goddess of the moon!! She has nuclear/almighty based skills simply because it's chaotic and looks cool!! FUCKING MEGIDOLAON ON THEM!!! POOOWWW BOOM KABOOM!! 💥👊ALSO FUN FACT SHE'S VERY CHAOTIC!! (just like me fr maybe because it is me duh) often being too dramatic, explosive and loud!!! totally ruining stealth when it comes to infiltrating palaces, which usually makes some funny aah scenes because she was dumb-- maybe she's not a good phantom thief...

maybe.

Talking about metaverse stuff! Her clothes are based off Magicians! Because of her lil show off nature, making everything a explosive dramatic spectacle! And uhm magicians are cool!! -v-"

This concept was made with the help of my bestie! Helping me take a more Kaito kid/Tuxedo Mask inspired design, which i really like allot! big thanks to him!! <3

Relationship dynamics:

On this section I wanted to give a small little insights on her relationships with most characters! Since I felt like it would be fun to do so! :3

☆~☆~☆

Akira Kurusu/Ren Amamiya

- Her relationship with Akira is pretty much like a siblings relationship, Luna looks up to him allot and is the "I wanna be like you when I grow up" type lol even if they are the same age. He is her inspiration to get better, so she will get at his level one day! He also makes extra suggary cappuccino to her when she goes to Leblanc 🤝 ☕️

Ryuji Sakamoto

- Her relationship with him is pretty much the chaotic duo type, shes always giving him death stares when he starts to talk about girls or some dumb Ryuji shit like that 😭 Her and Morgana are constantly slandering him for the funzys, but Ryuji also likes to pick up on her so they're eternally on a war-- and in general they are two loud dumbasses who share the same braincells and have little silly banters 🤲 also HC that Luna helps him dye his hair 🫡

Ann Takamaki

- Her relationship with Ann is the girly besties type, constantly going out shopping, Ann usually helps her to buy her clothes since Luna definitely can't pick her clothes on her own without it looking weird 😭 they also go out allot to eat! Try the newest deserts all around Tokyo! Those two would probably kill for a chocolate cake. And they are getting progressively more poor because of that... She likes to paint Ann's nails and style her hair for fun! because she personally thinks Ann looks like a pretty porcelain doll!

Yusuke Kitagawa

- Her relationship with Yusuke is another of pure admiration!! Yusuke admire Luna for her artistic side on the music and Luna's eyes sparkle at every little sketch he does, I like to think that Luna (just like me) is an artist for fun who really has allot of trouble with drawing certain things that aren't fanart lol, and they go out on little panting sessions togheter. Like I dunno go to Inokashira Park to draw the scenario and his comes out like the next monalisa and hers is like... Blue and Green all mixed up togheter. And she probably got her clothes dirty in the process. He does encourages her to continue tho! And gives her tips that she usually doesn't get-- so uhm sensei Yusuke Ig?

Makoto Nijima

- Her relationship with Makoto is... *sighs* very sibling-like too. Luna isn't the best at school, and always cry for help when it's exams week 💔 Makoto usually scolds her for being too careless at everything, school, metaverse, crossing the road-- but only because she really cares about her. Luna is like the little sister she needs to lookout for so she doesn't get herself killed by accident. Oh fun fact but Luna is also very afraid of Sae (just like me im afraid of pretty woman) so yeah she freezes when she steps in the room 😭

Futaba Sakura

- Oh boooyyy Futaba time!! My relationship with Futaba is so silly and fun and I wanna yap about it!! Ok third person mode on--

So, since they were basically raised togheter, they are pretty close to one another, and have gathered the same types of interests through the years. Since I have the Autistic Futaba HC, I like to imagine that they get each other more than anything, engaging in parallel play most of the time when she was a shut-in. And I like to imagine that Luna was pretty much the only person she talked to at first after her Palace. Also HC that they play Pokemon United togheter. Cuz I said so. They exchange allot of gifts related to their special interests too! Ugh I have so many HC's for us but basically we are best friends forever two little chaotic autistic sillys but i help Futaba with her social anxiety! yipeee :3

Haru Okumura

- Her relationship with Haru is the tea time besties, they talk all day over a good cup of tea and Haru frequently gives her tips of how not make her plants die (very important, I never can make them live...) which is a hobby Luna really is trying to... make possible... (plz don't die this time) and generally her time yapping with Haru is a very comforting one, usually when shes feeling dramatic she goes and hugs Haru and makes her little drama, and Haru is usually the only one who's like "Oh dear :(" and stands her when she's being extra or cheers her up when shes actually sad too! 😭 shes such a sweetheart! <3 don't be mean with Mona and Luna! Haru is gonna politely ask you to stop. (Looking at you ryuji)

Morgana

- Her relationship with our favorite not cat! He's... Morgana. We know him. But Luna can be considered pretty much his #1 fan???? She thinks he's HELLA COOL like the best phantom thieve ever!! (I love morgana!!!) She really respects him and Morgana is really grateful to have someone that looks up to him (Luna looks up to lots of people! ><") Luna also likes to pat him. Allot. (IM A CAT PERSON OK) which well he doesn't mind but still he's not a kitty that you can just pat like that!!! (He's purring)

Sumire Yoshizawa

- Her relationship with Sumire is... damn, Luna is LOUD. And well we know that Sumi isn't exactly as extroverted as she makes herself seem when she takes on the Kasumi role. So uhm let's say Luna is overwhelming-- very overwhelming! 😭 She's always jumpy and bubbly and is constantly trying to cheer Sumire up, turning into some type of cheerleader for her when she starts to self-depreciate in any way, being overly affectionate and in general being extra EXTRA around her since she gets very worried about Sumire's mental health-- So yeah, Luna is basically constantly cheering her on and admiring her for being able to make things she can't (Even if Sumire doesn't think they're that great :< )... ooh we have another extreme admiration case here!!! Maybe the person she admires the most! Hell yeah! Give my girly some love!~ My bestie <3

Haha that's the end nothing more to see here... hah... haha.... bye...

Ok...

*sighs*

Goro Akechi

- That's probably the most important relationship of all-- why did I put him in last? I'm embarrassed. Uh... shy? 😭 gonna be more personal about this one uhm-- well

That's my boyfriend over there, I hate him I don't really enjoy his company and I hope he gets therapy. /hj

No, really tho, our relationship is... I can't even describe it, but our dynamic is DEFINITELY the "aww they do care about each other" type-- I constantly enjoy to annoy the hell out of him, just because it's funny?? I'm the devil from the bible. Er... so... the thing is, Akechi constantly get dismissed through story for obvious reasons, he's openly agaisn't the Phantom Thieves and later they do have much MUCH more motives to not fuck with him-- but Luna? DAMN. That girl is I N V E S T E D In being friends with him. Specially on the start, his sob stories actually made her pity him and get all "aw he's miserable... 🥺" lol so she constantly insisted on being his friend, even tho he was internally screaming and trying to push her away, she was CONVICTED. SHES A FRIENDSHIP MACHINE BABY. YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HER!!

So with that forced proximity, they eventually started getting closer, and it was something very... slow? Definitely. Luna never cared about hiding herself no matter how weird people seemed to find her, maybe he would admire that... envy that? Who knows.

Suddenly he started to enjoy her company. Even if she was... oh well a little dumb, yeah, he definitely thinks she is-- He never had people who were close to him, and definitely didn't had someone THAT determined to bother him 24/7. Maaaybe he could call her something close to a friend... right? (Yes they were she stated that every 3 seconds and Luna rules 🫡) And that was before he "entered" to the Phantom Thieves, and when he did? Damn she was kinda happy! Don't talk about the blackmail part showing off to him and telling him all the cool things she could do as she ""teached"" him about the metaverse (lol like this bitch needed to) and they got even closer!! Damn! Let's go play darts togheter and silly around! Yay! :D

I also like to HC that he would eventually let some good amount of things about his real self slip, and Luna would be like totally clueless and okay about it, when most people would think it was weird or out of character. Maybe that's why he got so weirdly comfortable around her? She didn't gave a fuck-- and oh well he wasn't THAT detective princefied around her by that time. Yeah she's probably the closest he got to it... (sweeps Akira under the rug)

And uh... let's skip allot of things so I won't yap about the whole Akechi arc here. Maybe another day.

But Luna was utterly miserable after everything (yall know what), she wasn't angry... just... shocked. Maybe a bit quieter? Less energetic? She was since the revelation, but it was worse now... and the penny dropped at the worst time-- And uh yeah sad above everything I think that's pretty much expected when you lose someone you really like. Despite everything, he was a friend... someone she cared about... maybe more than she should...

Wait.

Cared about, huh? OH FUCK SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM!!! (Shockerz) GASP WOW WOAH! *VINE BOOM* Who would've guessed. So uhm yeah that sucks, now it's too late...

A little more timeskip--

Oh well damn hi Goro!! What the fuck??? :D

That's where most of the romantic relationship aspects take part, damn he was there now???? It was literally her chance!! To what? Nothing really-- just spend more time to him and get more clingy (like she wasn't enough before) and even MORE bubbly than before!! She was genuinely happy! And now with the useless knowledge that she was utterly and absolutely in love with him. Oh well. And... damn she fell even more for him now! LIKE 20× MORE!! STOP HER PLEASE!!

And uh well she's not very good at hiding it so yeah her secret didn't last long, maybe i'll write how the confession went someday! :)

So basically... at first he was like "What the fuck?? Why????" But uhm maybe er... maybe he uhm... you know-- maaaybeeeee--- okay im flustered BUT MAYBE he would realize in the moment that he was in... love too? Uhm... get a little... yk... awkward there... ,÷*×&×(× er-- I don't know!! I MEAN FUCK OF COURSE HE DID I LITERALLY SELF SHIPP WITH HIM UGH IM DUMB--

OKAY WE ARE DATING NOW. That's the point. 😭😭

It's awkward, not ideal for what people expect of a couple, we definitely still have our little silly banters, he does want to kill me! and i do like to annoy him!! BUT I LIKE IT THAT WAY!! We aren't a veeeery affectionate openly lovey dovey couple but we are deeply in love! And when we do have our little lovey dovey moments it's just us being two dumb messes who don't know a thing about what we are doing! Hand holding? Just the little fingers! Kisses? Barely cheek ones! (On my part obviously im kissing the hell outta his cheeks mwah mwah mwah) I mean, we are trying! I love him and he loves me!! Allot!!! Even if we get a little weird and flustered about it!

>//<

I like awkward dating. It's fun. I love my boyfriend. :>

Oh damn I realized I yapped allot, more than I should-- I was about to write my relationship with other minor characters in the game but uhm that's too much already! Sorry for making you read that much! ^^"

But thank you for reading anyways!! I really appreciate it <3 for reading to my ULTIMATE s/I yapping!! Or... well, a yapping about me! I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to ask questions about my s/i or my self ship if you have any! Oh damn even yap back at me about your S/I's! F/O's? I would love to hear it! ^^

Bye everyone!!!~ ☆

[mollypollykinz]

Hello! I’ve been binge reading Throw Away Your Mask and now that I’m caught up, I’d love to know more about your thought process on how you set up Akechi’s social links if you’re cool with discussing it! Specifically I’m kind of curious about how you chose which characters to have him bond with / how you determined which arcana to use (especially for characters with a different arcana compared to their bond with the protagonist of their respective game).

Ooooo good question! So I did some planning before I actually started writing the fic. There were some characters I Knew right away I wanted Goro to have social links with (like Ken, Shinjiro, and Kanji). Some social links were fill-ins for arcana I was still missing. I also really wanted to write an original character (in the same vein as marigolds), especially since I did want a child classmate character who really displayed childishness in a way that Goro and Ken were never gonna bring to the table. I wrote a list of the major arcana in my notes and then matched the names up like this (i copied and pasted this straight from my notes):

Arcana Social Links for pic -Priestess - Kurusu Akira -Tower - Shido Masayoshi -Fool - “Kurusu Tsuyoshi” Nyarlathotep -Judgement - Velvet Room Attendants -Sun - Dojima Nanako -Fortune - Naoto -Emperor - Kanji -Aeon - Teddie -Magician - Hanamura Yosuke -Star - Narukami Yu -Hierophant - Kanji’s mom -Temperance - Junpei -Hanged man - Kirijo Takeharu -Lovers - Ryoji -Chariot - Dojima Ryataro -Empress - Kirijo Mitsuru -Moon - Aragaki Shinjiro -Justice - Amada Ken -Hermit - Takaya -Jester- Adachi Tohru -Strength - Yamamoto Emiko -Death - Minato -Devil - Ikutski Shuji

I decided who was matched with which arcana based off of the arcana definitions in the persona wiki. The arcana pages in the persona wiki also gives common themes between social links within that arcana, so that impacted my decision too. Sometimes, i looked up the definition of an arcana outside of the wiki tho. My sister also came up with some of the matches when I had some blank spots (like Shido being Tower and Dojima being Chariot). I didn't want all of the characters to have the same arcana as they do in canon because I thought that was less fun than mixing it up. Obviously some arcana were too good to not keep, such as Ken being Justice. Another issue that came up is that I would use the canon arcana for one character (Ken), but then I obviously couldn't use it on Nanako too. When choosing arcana I also didn't really care about the 'gender roles' of each arcana. I honestly had a lot of fun giving Akira priestess (because the arcana meaning really fit the way I was characterizing him in this fic) and Ryoji Lovers (because Lovers always goes to a girl but it represents crossroads and Ryoji is a pretty big crossroads).

For a lot of the social links (not all lol), I also planned out each rank up. I tended to change certain details while writing, so this is what it kinda looked like:

Rank 3: Wednesday 13 May: After Akechi joins SEES, he meets up with Shinji. He asks why Shinji isn’t in SEES and Shinji says nothing. akechi is frustrated by this but drops it. RANK UP Rank 4: Wednesday September 2: Shinji joins SEES and Akechi’s like dude finally and Shinji says something about his past beginning to catch up with him and Akechi’s like what the hell bro. Rank 5: Sunday September 6: Shinji offers to teach Akechi how to cook. Akechi can always appreciate good life skills and accepts his offer. They make a tradition out of it.

Finally, I decided which characters to give social links just based off of who I think would have the most interesting character dynamics with Akechi/who would bring something new to the table. Also some characters' plots would make Akechi feel bigger feelings than others. But like part of the reason Shinji gets a social link and Akihiko doesn't is because Akihiko is kinda attached to Shinjiro's social link with Goro (think sorta daisuke and kou in persona 4). Naoto got a social link because *Detective Prince* TM, that sort of thing. Obviously other characters who didn't get social links also had a lot of potential, but I was already stretching my limit by including aeon and jester (jester was originally not going to be used but then takaya became a social link by hijacking the plot so i had to give up adachi's hermit status to takaya, which worked much better anyway).

So yeah. I put a lot of thought into it.

[frozenhi-chews]

starlo would ramble and rant about u to ceroba but insist its a hatred thing (during the rivals part of ur relationship) (it is definitely not a hatred thing.)

OOOO YES ROTTEN STAR DYNAMICS!!! YEAAAASSSSSS!!!

Oh gosh this DEFINITELY happens!! It even happens unprompted, like the two of them sit at the saloon for a drink, Ceroba hoping it'd be a calm day, when Starlo immediately starts on a rant about how much he Does Not Like Rotten Jack. And she's all 'ohh boy, here we go again.'

A lot of the time he doesn't even realize his ranting, to Ceroba or the Four or anyone else, doesn't sound like he hates her. It sounds like he...ADMIRES her. And not just in a "I have respect for her" way, it sounds like someone in denial that he likes her! Like, LIKES HER likes her! How well she focuses, how strong she is, how intense that glare of hers is, that stupid nickname she called him that tooootally didn't make his insides flip and his soul skip a beat, ohhh he HAAATES it ALLL!!

It doesn't help that it sounds like they're flirting when they're fighting. Or that North Star seemed rather flustered when Rotten Jack pushed him against a wall. Or her her smirk when he pulls his gun on her and presses it against her throat.

It's all flirting, but it's the fronts playing with each other while the people themselves are freaking out on the inside. It's also why their relationship could only be flirting but nothing more when they were rivals, as fun as it was to fling those around like no ones business. They only knew the FRONTS, and not the people behind the masks.

Which is why I love the Rotten Star dynamic, it could have only gone so far. Both secretly yearning for the other, but only knowing the surface level, and it couldn't go further than that. It was also safer to flirt because the personas were easy to deal with, because they could brush it off. However, once the hat and bandana came off, it was a much different story. Out in the open, but finally able to PROGRESS with that relationship

Ask game here

[cuntylouis]

I just wanted to say, since you and the other anon are talking about it, about that dreamstat scene in the museum, even Sam said during an interview (it might have been at sdcc) that he had no idea why Lestat was there in the first place and there was no explanation in the script or to him why he was reacting that way. If you look at how people reacted to the scene and how the majority online describe it, the take away is that Louis does not give a shit about Armand. I think that's what your other anon meant, the show missed an opportunity to have this one single scene be serious between just Louis and Armand, but by adding Lestat they handed people who already dislike both Louis and Armand more "evidence" for their interpretations, because I agree with you, that the scene does not mean Louis feels nothing about Armand's sex slavery, but the same people who go on about Louis' pimp persona, him lying about Lestat's abuse, and Armand lying all the time, use this scene to back up their opinions. I think it's clear that this really comes down to amc wanting Lestat in every episode despite this particular instance not needing him at all and it did the overall scene and dynamic between Louis and Armand a huge disservice in my eyes. And going back to your original post about that Armand/Marius take from reddit, there was an interview with Assad where he said that the two truest scenes for Armand, basically dropping any mask or pretense, was this one and the one with Madeleine and people who are desperately trying to make it into "Armand bad, always lying" thing are just braindead.

Yeah i wish there would've been less dreamstat because i think it slightly weakened the impact of some scenes and also of real Lestat coming back (could you imagine how more impactful that scene at the end of 2.6 would've been if it had been the first or almost first time we saw Lestat after s1). Like it didn't ruin anything for me personally and i still enjoyed those scenes he appears in but i can understand why it annoyed people especially when it sometimes distracted from other things happening in the scene. We know there was some sort of 'Lestat in every episode' mandate from the network but they presumably didn't specify what scenes he should be in so the writers themselves chose to include Lestat in that museum scene and thought it would add something to it. Of course YMMV did it work. And yes Assad saying that about the museum scene and the scene with Madeleine being Armand's most true moments was interesting! I can really see it in Assad's performance how those moments in different ways aren't performative for Armand and are a glimpse of him under the masks

[ukelele-boy]

How would Artemis (ideally) realize who her brother really is under all the masks and get closer to him in ur mind? Because that would make an amazing fic

Ooh great question!

I feel like a good way is to go on an quest with him. Just the two of them. Nothing helps bonding than spending prolonged time together in an emergency situation haha.

This is because:

a) we need to get them away from godly influences (Olympus, etc) and places where they feel like they need put on a persona to do their duties

B) the situation has to be dire enough that they actually need to communicate, but not so dire that they shut down. Because I feel if left alone they might just fall into old habits again.

C) they need to rebuild their sense of trust in each other. Its started during TOA but I think a push is needed for more.

D) Artemis needs to realize her twin's issue with Zeus and his punishments is deadly serious. She needs to come to terms with her part in the abusive family dynamic of Olympus. This is the most important one. Even at the very end of TOA, she was still falling for Zeus' tricks (and part of that is definetly due to her own denial. Artemis isn't that dumb. She can clearly see something is wrong. She just doesn't want to accept it.)

Apollo is going to never open up if he sees that ommiting the truth still protects her. (and to be honest, Artemis in her denial can say some really oblivious things. (etc: in Blood of Olympus where she was convinced she could still reason with Zeus about Apollo and also said Apollo should not get on his nerves (paraphrased))

I think Apollo does want to open up to her. But he's afraid of her rejection, with good reason. She's the person who matters the most and can hence wound him the most.

But yes a fic that can tear the veil from artemis' eyes and put them in a bonding situation! It would be great.