#obviously I pointed it out but like My Guy

[imalonerdottie-arebel]

Yeah... I think this applies to the hatred of luigi supporters. If you take away luigi the human being, you take away most of his support. I just don't think silencing any of his support is a good idea. I think most of his supporters are supporting him because of *who he is*, who luigi mangione the human fucking being is. Stop with the "divide and conquer" tactic. I feel like it actually is working because most of what I see on reddit regarding luigi is negativity and hate, if not for him then for his so-called fans. If people are going to dump on ANY of his support, even if it's about how hot he is and his personal life details (as long as it's not crossing a line), that makes supporters feel ashamed and they won't post about him anymore. His "fans" are humanizing him and that's super fucking important. The more the public sees him as the human being he is, the more they will feel empathetic and not view him as a "bad guy". If we don't have anything to humanize him, then how will the public see him? Luigi is one hell of a person with a lot of accomplishments. He has bragging rights for sure. He had everything in life one could only dream of having.

The only support luigi has right now outside of his family and friends is his internet support, and that largely includes his own social media, miscellaneous internet profiles, and friends' pictures and stories that were already made public. Everybody else has turned against him - tabloids labeling him a murderer with his face on the front page, useless documentaries about how he is a heartless killer, media talking heads calling him stupid and mentally unstable, politicians and many other public figures dragging him, etc. If we're not allowed to post his pictures, videos and share stories about him, what are we left with? A husk of a person being accused of a crime. Anybody would think an empty husk of a person who is accused of killing somebody is a dangerous criminal. There are no other details to know about them, so they must be a bad person with no friends and family and no life worth living.

I do agree that people should not be harassing his family and friends. Obviously that goes without saying - anybody who has doxxed the people pictured with him, contacted his loved ones trying to get information, just any harassment at all IS insane and those people SHOULD be shamed for it. There are a few people crossing the line when it comes to his personal life, and those people don't reflect any of his other supporters. Not all of us are obsessed and unhinged lunatics.

My point is that the less public support he has will not bode well for him, and most of what I see online right now is negating his public support. Considering what he did for a living, what his interests are and his college degrees, I think it's safe to say that he is fully aware of how much of his life is on the internet. He is a very intelligent person. If he did commit the crime and if he wrote that manifesto, then he even mentioned in that manifesto how the feds won't be able to find anything incriminating about him online due to his engineering skills. These Debbie downers complaining about his life being posted on social media are out of touch.

[pumpkin-writes]

— ୨୧ close call

pairing: rafe cameron x maybank!reader

warnings: mentions of sex & being naked but nothing super detailed or that i would deem explicit, sneaking around, established-ish relationship, some kissin' & cuddlin' toward the end <3

word count: > 1k

notes: this was just a little blurb i was thinking about, i loveee rafe x maybank!reader so don't be surprised if you see more of this duo on my page!!

you and rafe are experts on keeping your relationship hidden for a long time, much to his annoyance. you often meet in secluded spots, like his truck by the dunes, your room when jj’s out or going for late-night rides on his yatch. the thrill of secrecy adds to the tension between you, though it also leads to close calls that almost expose you, like the time your brother—and all the other pogues—came home while you and rafe lay naked in your bed. 

“y/n! you home, sis?” jj maybanks’s voice rang out through the old house, making your breath catch in your throat as you clutched the bed sheet, attempting to be as quiet as possible as you looked over at rafe, who seemed to remain comfortable in the spot he’d claimed in your bed. “you need to leave,” you whisper-yelled, reaching for his clothes that were balled up on the floor beside you, shoving them toward him, “rafe, get up and gooo.” you tried to keep your voice down, pointing at the window. it wouldn’t be the first time he climbed in and out of your bedroom window, but he didn’t see the cause for concern. instead, he shifted rather casually in his spot—he actually looked like he was ready to fall asleep—and it made your blood boil. when you heard footsteps approaching your door, you gave him that look—that ‘if you make a sound i will end you’ look—rapid knocking on your door to follow. “come on, we can hear you in there. come hang with us!” kie's voice spoke from the other side of your door, which was thankfully locked, as the knob began to turn back and forth in an attempt to open it. “why is your door locked? since when do you lock your door? hello?” your brother’s voice was calling to you, and you finally spoke up, not before putting your finger up to your lips to shush rafe, who was obviously eating this up, with that stupid smirk on his face. 

“i—i was trying to take a nap, not feeling well guys, sorry.” you lied, trying to keep your voice steady, hoping they’d believe you and buzz off. despite the moment of hushed whispers being exchanged in the hall, they bought it. “oh gross, feel better y/n/n. we’ll go outside so you can get some sleep. love you.” as grateful as you was to have gotten out of what could have been a very bad situation, you hated that you couldn’t just tell your brother and your friends the truth. “love you,” you called back weakly, letting out a sigh of guilt, but then relief as the sounds of their wild footsteps all made their way out of the house, leaving you and rafe in your familiar silence. “i could literally kill you,” you shoved him hard, pushing him away as he tried to pull you back into his arms in bed. “yeah, but you won’t.” he was cocky, and while it should have pissed you off even more, the feeling of his hands on your bare skin made you melt into his touch, and you let yourself roll back into his embrace. “i’ll leave as soon as the coast is clear, okay?” he spoke low into your ear now, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. “but until then, i think we have time for round two?” he pressed a kiss on the shell of your ear before littering your neck with more and it wasn’t long before you were getting lost in each other again ( quietly, of course )

[impactrueno]

some stuff about lydia's jacket in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. hope you guys are ready for another thinkpiece no one asked for:

right so. colleen atwood decided to give lydia (and rory) these garments that seemed so unfinished it was distracting me. but i know there's a reason for every costume choice, so i watched this super short rundown she gave about a few of the outfits in one of the promotional videos for the movie, but i was disappointed that she didn't say anything about this one. i knew i had to draw it at some point so i really needed to know what it's supposed to be. a friend who went to the Afterlife Experience prop exhibition even took photos of the damn thing up close at my request, just so i could take a closer look and see if i could figure it out. but nothing. i didn't know how to draw it and it was driving me insane. i felt stupid. like what am i missing here

months later here i am, browsing pinterest for my beetlejuice inspo boards and i randomly find it and others like it:

and this is how i learned that these were created by british designer elena dawson. the way this article described this style made everything make sense:

Her Victorian frocks with unfinished seams and hanging fabric strips speak of ghostly things, simultaneously ephemeral and imprinted with history, the stuff of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, a witchy presence in the world that no longer cares for fairy tales.

more:

Maybe it is this ghostly presence that informs Dawson’s work, which reflects her fascination with death. “The relation between clothing, ritual, and death is of great interest to me,” says she. “In some respects, through clothing I am also working through my relationship to death.”

and the way she described it herself:

“When you work on alterations you are really tearing the guts out of the garment, performing a sort of autopsy—you really get to see a garment at its most vulnerable point. Observing this state of semi deconstruction in the making of a garment or shoe is what I like to retain in my finished work.“

oh my god.

the clothes are lydia. they are purposefully incomplete.

lydia's whole deal in the movie was that she was messed up from of all the shit she's been through to the point where she's no longer herself. the events in her life have been slowly picking the threads of what kept her together, what makes her her. delia has this great line that basically sums up lydia's pathos in the movie: "you need to take back your life from those hanger-onners, from this thing," meaning rory and beetlejuice. "where's the obnoxious little goth girl who tormented me all those years ago? it's time to find her."

i'd wager they made rory wear the same style of deconstructed jacket for the funeral specifically because he was trying to come off like this was a tragedy to him just as much, that he's "vulnerable" like the deetz women right now. you know, his whole modus operandi and all (unnecessarily large handkerchief included.) interestingly enough, lydia does NOT wear the loose thread jacket that would match rory's coat here. her own outfit is still by the same designer though, so it's like...they match, but also don't. they're in a relationship, but don't fit together.

according to interviews, using elena dawson designs was winona ryder and justin theroux's idea that they brought up to colleen atwood, and can i just say that i love how much input they had on their characters? justin in particular had SO much fun playing rory, his interviews are great. he owned the role. he knows a lot about fashion, so he was the first one to suggest this look and vibe for him.

as for winona, she wore dawson herself multiple times during the promotional tour for the movie. like, this is just her actual wardrobe. you can tell she had fun trying to emulate lydia's bangs and ponytail with these fits too.

i don't know much about fashion, honestly. but i love character design and telling a story through a character's clothes. so obviously i'm nerding out about this hardcore. perhaps i should learn more about fashion so i can do cool stuff like this too.

[archangeldyke-all]

ANGELBEARRRR!!! IM GLAD YOU’RE FEELING BETTER MY BABY 🤎🤎🤎 i’ve had this thought floating around in my head for months but i can’t be arsed to write it so it’s yours now 🤭

imagine sleeping over at sevika’s place (probably before you move in together) and it’s getting late so she’s like “alright… well… lemme go get my jammies on…” and she comes back wearing FULL bear pjs, like she has a sleep shirt with a bear on it, bear pants, a bear ears headband to keep her hair out of her face, those ugly bear slippers, and she’s holding a teddy bear or two… and you just take a second to realize that THIS is the scary lady of zaun….

hehehehe i love youuuuuu

ENNABEAR I PASSED OUT FROM CUTENESS OVERLOAD OH MY GOD also this reminds me of some fantastic @dykesevika fanart that i will reblog so u guys can soak up the bear sevika vision. ooh ooh also shoutout to @fyeahnix as always for creating the adorable, perfect nickname for sev: sevi-bear. EEEEK

men and minors dni

you and sevika have been dating for about half a year now. you've spent the night at both your places, but those have always been sleepovers after sex, rushed and unplanned.

tonight, for the first time, you're having a sleepover. sure, you might end up having sex at some point, but that's not the point of tonight. the point of tonight is for you and sevika to just spend the evening together, giggling and gossiping and watching movies.

sevika ordered pizza, you built a nice little nest on her couch, and you've been each other's arms since then.

"where're you going?" you pout as your girlfriend tries to escape your arms. she chuckles.

"i wanna get my jammies on before the food gets here. you look so cozy in yours." she whines. you chuckle and shoo her away.

"fine, but hurry. i'm cold without you.

sevika grins and darts to her bedroom. you're curious to know what her jammies are-- she's only slept in boxers and socks beside you.

you're expecting her to wear a t-shirt and flannel bottoms, or something simple like that.

you certainly aren't expecting the full-body bear onsie, with a hoodie included, two little brown ears popping up on her head. her feet have little cloth claws embroidered into them. you almost pass out.

"oh. my. god."

"what?" sevika asks, frowning and crossing her arms over her chest, grumpily.

"sevika. did you buy that for me?" you ask.

sevika huffs and rolls her eyes. "no, these are my winter jammies."

you finally let out the squeal that's been bubbling up inside you, falling onto your back to kick your legs. sevika glares at you the entire time. you pull a pillow to your face to muffle your squeal.

eventually, sevika storms over and pulls the pillow away from your mouth. "don't suffocate yourself, jackass."

"sevika, this is the cutest fucking thing i've ever seen in my entire fucking life! you coo, pulling her down to rest on top of you. sevika grunts. you just giggle.

"they're... cozy." she tries to defend. you cackle.

"i'm sure they are, sevi-bear."

sevika groans at her new nickname. you pull her hood back so you can plant a wet smooch on her forehead.

"bears are my favorite animal, y'know." she pouts. you nod, your excited smile not fading in the slightest at the new information.

"any specific species?" you ask.

it's the right question. sevika perks up in your arms, and her embarrassment melts as a sparkle glimmers in her eye. "y'know there's only eight species of bear in the world?" she asks with wonder. you raise an eyebrow at her.

"no way, there's gotta be more."

"no! polar bear, brown bear, american black bear, asian black bear, sun bear, panda bear, and andean bear. that's it."

"what about koala?" you ask. sevika snorts and bites your neck. you cackle. "so, which one is your favorite?" you ask, nudging her butt with your heel. your heart does a somersault when you feel a plush little tail sewn on the back of her jammies.

"brown bear. obviously." she huffs, gesturing at herself.

"obviously." you giggle, kissing her. "and which one am i?" you ask.

sevika studies you for a second before speaking with a mischevious smirk. "panda."

you giggle. "why panda?"

"'cause they're useless on their own in the wild."

you gasp and kick her harder. sevika bursts into giggles. "i'm not useless!"

"well, you're not exactly brown-bear-ferocious."

"oh please. brown bears hibernate through winter and eat honey and salmon in the summer. deep down you just wanna be spoiled."

sevika sputters and glares at you, but before she can argue further, the doorbell rings with your pizza.

you giggle as you watch her shoulders fly up to her ears. "will you get it?" she asks meekly-- not wanting to be seen by a stranger in her cute pajamas.

you giggle and kiss her nose. "'course i will, sevi-bear."

you roll your eyes as you turn to answer the door. ferocious brown bear my ass. she's more like a teddy bear.

taglist!

@fyeahnix @lavendersgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner

@kissyslut @chuucanchuucan @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther

@lavenderbabu @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai @my-taintedheart

@glass-apothecary @macaroni676 @artinvain @k3n-dyll @sevsdollette

@ellieslob @xayn-xd @keikuahh @maneskinwh0re @raphaellearp

@iamastar @sevikitty @mascdom @nhaaauyen @annesunshiner

@mirconreadzztuff22 @veoomvroom @lushh-s3vik4s @katyawooga @lesbodietcoke

@strawberrykidneystone @vkumi @fict1onallyobsessed @dvrkhcld @sweetybuzz25

@sluttysierraaa @snake-in-a-flower-crown @ruiwonderz @littlemisszaunite @biblicalcrybaby

@blackgaladriel @nightlyconfusion @dancingqu33n17 @losernb @p1nkearth

taglist!!

@sevikas-baby @ghostscandys

[cottoncandybaby]

𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋

𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡. - "𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢'𝐦 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?"

Summary: Fem¡Reader x Steve Harrington. You two were always just "casual." Just two co-workers who would come out from the break room flushed, zipping your clothes up. Just two co-workers who bought an apartment together and would host sleepovers with the kids there. Just co-workers...right?

TW: Language, Sexual Innuendos, Angst, Miscommunication

Based off the song "Casual" by Chappel Roan

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────

Your fingers tightened around the tapes in your hand, feeling the way your body tensed. The knot in your throat held a grip on your tongue that you bit on, jaw clenched. Your guts churned, nostrils flaring slightly. All because you caught sight of Steve Harrington flirting with a girl during both of your shifts.

' Why am I even jealous...he's not my boyfriend anyway.'

Your eyes widened slightly at the sight of Steve handing her a small ripped up piece of paper, surely his number. You leaned further against the counter to eavesdrop, accidentally knocking over a stack of tapes when doing so. You jumped, shoulders tense as he glanced over his shoulder and gave you a chuckle before turning back to the girl.

'He's not my boyfriend.'

'Steve is not my boyfriend,' you think to yourself as you unlock the apartment door - the apartment in which you shared. You let out a small sigh, lips thrusted down in a frown before your eyes widened at the sight of your co-worker even near the stove. You undid the lace of your sneakers, placing strands of hair behind your ear as you did so. "Who are you cooking for?" You scrunched your nose, 'Jesus - I sound nosy and jealous.' You mentally pace palmed but luckily Steve didn't take it that way.

Instead he gave you a cheeky smile, shifting a bit from the stove so you could get a slight view of the pan. The sizzling of the butter on the toast made the buds of your tongue wet, biting your bottom lip with a smile. "For us, obviously." He muttered with a snort, placing a hand on his hip while the other hand held on the arm of the pan.

You don't even know how it happened or even started, or how this was 'accidental' just like the other seven nights - but you ended up bare under Steve's sheets. The soft rising of your chest fluttered his blankets, your eyes darting to the arm - his arm - draped along your waist. His warmth pressed behind you as he softly snored, head stuffed in the pillow to slightly muffle them. Just normal co-worker habits.

It was no surprise when you caught feelings for Steve, after all that happened. You could never forget the first time you guys kissed at the Family Video; the way his lips brushed against yours in quick firm kiss after you went on a rampage about the whole Star Wars plotline - he couldn't help but gawk in awe. You knew Steve was always meant for casual, especially after Nancy. You knew Steve never actually liked you and always saw you as a friend. He called it casual.

Was it casual? Yes, no attachments.

Your forearms pressed against the counter of the shop, fingers tracing the page of the magazine you had just bought. You hummed as Robin went on her usual ramble about band and how she prefers a certain sheet of music over another. You raised a puzzled brow when her eyes widened, pausing in her words with a finger lifted pointed at you. Your eyes slightly widened when you realized she had seen the hickey planted on your neck - the hickey Steve gave you.

"Holy moly what vampire got ahold of you?" She snorted, playfully slapping her knee. You blushed a shade of pink, furrowing your brows. Steve lifted his head, lips parted with blush ridden cheeks. Robin somehow caught on, lifting a pointed finger with a gasp. "Wait hold on did y-"

"Oh, look!" You cut her off with a smile, clapping her hands. "Customer!" Robin nodded, saluting you like a soldier. "Customer, I shall go do my job." Robin teasingly winked, snapping her fingers before trotting to the new customer. Steve's lips twisted into a small smile, nudging your side. "Close one huh?" He chuckled, you nodded eagerly. "Way too close, try other areas Harrington." He pouted, "well that's no fun."

"You're such a tease," you placed a hand on his chest and shoved him away gently - he placed a hand on yours that was on his chest. "Just for you," he winked.

Just for me? Your face fell a bit. Then stop letting this be casual, just for me. Stop giving your number out to other girls, just for me. Stop disappearing out of my bed, just for me. Stop giving up on us, just for me. Somehow Steve could detect the switch in you because he tilted his head, hand still on yours. "(Y/n), what's wrong?-"

You took a few steps back but still had your hand remaining on his chest, your own chest rose quickly up and down. "No-Nothing!" You panicked, your tone snappier on accident which is something you tended to do when you were nervous. "I'm fine." He furrowed his brows, jaw slightly clenched. Steve dropped your hand, dropped his hand from yours, and nodded coldly. "M'kay." He walked away simply, eyes glared slightly. Robin immediately slid along the counter towards you, eyeing you.

"Shit...look, (Y/n)," she sighed and placed hand circles around her eyes like goggles. "I may need glasses but I'm not blind, that is not so 'they're just my co-worker' of you guys." She snapped a finger towards you with raised brows. "That's-"

"Casual," you nodded with a muffled sigh by your sleeve, hips leaning against the wooden counter. Robin blinked with tilted head, "casual? Casual my ass!" You shushed her, blinking with a scoff. "Just relax, I don't really care either way."

Bullshit, you did. And you cared a lot.

I try to be the chill girl, but honestly I'm not.

Your breath mingled with Steve's as you both lay in his bed, again, same as the other past months. His hand rested against your hip, his hair ruffled as yours messily slumped over your shoulders. Steve cleared his throat, letting out a shaky breath. "(Y/n), I kinda need a favor and...and I figured you'd give in." Your heart paced, sitting p slightly but shifting on your side to get a good look at him. "Hm?"

He removed his hand from your waist, fingers running through his hair. "I lied and told my parents I had a girlfriend, and now they're committed to meeting her except-"

"You don't have a girlfriend."

"Exactly," he nodded as he rubbed his face - you knew exactly what was on his mind and what question he was about to ask. And you knew you'd never say no. "I-I just wanted to ask, feel free to say no but...could you just pretend to be my girlfriend?" You furrowed your brows, fumbling with your fingers. He observed your face, trying to detect for some sort of signal.

"Sure, fine...just pretend." You nodded, clicking your tongue. You could see Steve's face practically light up, eyes glistening. Before you could even question anything else he pecked your lips, softer than usual. "Holy shit, thank you - thank you (Y/n)!" The way his hands felt on your cheeks, the way they rested, almost felt like your cheek was made for his hand...made you uneasy about 'pretend.'

If Steve wanted to play pretend then you will. Since that moment and on, any feelings or warmth you had towards Steve Harrington was thrown out the window.

Fucked you in the bathroom, when we went to dinner, your parents at the table

Your hands shimmied your dress down your body after Steve had bunched it up your waist for easier access, the sound of him zipping up his pants echoed around the restaurant bathroom. You fixed the front of your now wrinkled dress as Steve fixed the collar of his shirt behind you.

"Your parents won't suspect a thing right? I don't look like I just got banged in a bathroom?" You playfully jabber, hands fixing your hair as you turned to Steve. Something different was in his eyes, something...unfamiliar. The way his eyes softened tenderly, his lips parted with a soft gasp. He eyed you, taking his time as if he tried memorizing every curve and every detail. "You look...beautiful." He whispered.

You tilted your head, hands fixing the ruffled collar of his shirt. "Thank you," you smiled sweetly with a quick peck to his cheek. "We should head back and play pretend." You scoffed, opening the door and making your way back. Steve leaned against the sink counter, cheeks flushed as his eyes followed you. Fuck, he's fallen for you.

Before you could even get closer you felt a hand pull you back into the middle of the restaurant where servers would almost run into you. "What the hell?" You muttered, taking your hand back from Steve who could feel his heart pound so heavily he could throw up.

"I love you."

What? You gulp, 'no he doesn't.' You let out a shaky chuckle, "good acting." Steve eagerly nodded no, taking your hand back and placing it against his chest like he did days ago. "No, (Y/n). I love you." By the tone of his voice, this wasn't pretending anymore. Your face fell, bottom lip trembled with a gulp. "No, don't." You whispered, he tilted his head. "Yes, I do. (Y/n), I've loved you since-"

"No," you cut him off. "You..." you looked around with a distressed expression as the servers attempted dodging you both. "You don't get to do this, that's not fair." Your voice was more stern now, he blinked - gulping, "I can't help it anymore (Y/n)...I've always loved y-"

"Bullshit!" You snapped, shoving past him and storming out the restaurant.

You wonder why I'm bitter?

[allfattenedup]

do you catch people ever reacting to your body in public?

Yes! Not all the time but often enough and especially if I’m wearing something too tight. This literally just happened today so I’ll tell you the most recent one. I was walking into a building that had a bunch of different businesses and one of them was a gym (obviously not the one I was going to lol). As I got close to the front doors, this guy was walking in ahead of me dressed in workout clothes, great body, etc and was obviously going to the gym. I had been feeling a little, shall we say, excited this morning when I was getting dressed so today I’m wearing a grey tshirt that’s very tight and clingy and these… I don’t know what they’re called actually, the cut is like sweatpants but they’re a different fabric and have a firmer waistband and zipper. I wear those out when I’m really craving a good blush because the way they’re cut, being tapered around my ankles and flared up towards my hips and thighs, they make me look so bottom heavy, like to a truly embarrassing extreme. And with my belly hanging over the waistband, my appearance is wildly intoxicating. My tshirt is cupping my hang and my whole stomach is bouncing and the point is, I made a point to look a bit obscene today 🥵🫣😫 And the guy in front of me glanced over his shoulder, caught sight of me, and then did a full double take directly at my belly. 😮‍💨 Moments like that make me so aware of how provocative I’m looking and then it’s all I can think about for the rest of the day. 😵‍💫

[xyywrites]

How to write believable enemies-to-lovers dynamics.

Enemies-to-lovers is a beloved trope, but it’s also tricky to execute. The transformation from animosity to love needs to feel organic, not forced. 

1. Establish the Initial Conflict

Give your characters a solid, believable reason to dislike each other. It could be ideological differences, personal betrayal, or clashing goals. The conflict must be significant enough to justify their animosity.

“You stole my promotion. Do you have any idea how hard I worked for it?” “You mean the one you weren’t qualified for? Grow up, Lena.”

2. Show the Nuance in Their Dislike

Enemies don’t always have to hate each other completely. Maybe they grudgingly respect one another’s skills or admire each other’s dedication, even if it drives them crazy.

“For someone so insufferable, you sure know how to shoot straight.” “And for someone so arrogant, you’re surprisingly not dead yet.”

“She’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met.” “And yet you can’t stop watching her, can you?”

3. Create Forced Proximity

Give them a reason to spend time together despite their dislike. Forced proximity allows them to see past their assumptions and grow closer.

“If we don’t get this presentation done by morning, we’re both fired. So, shut up and start typing.” “Only if you stop chewing on that pen. It’s distracting.”

“You’re bleeding.” “Yeah, and whose fault is that?” “Mine, obviously. Now sit down so I can patch you up.”

4. Allow Their Views to Shift Gradually

The transition from enemies to lovers isn’t instant. Let them experience small moments of vulnerability, trust, or understanding that slowly chip away at their hostility.

“You think I wanted this? That I enjoy being the bad guy?” “I didn’t think you cared.” “Well, maybe I do.”

“You fight so hard for your people.” “You do too. I guess we’re not so different after all.”

5. Use Banter to Build Chemistry

Snarky, sharp dialogue is the lifeblood of enemies-to-lovers. Their verbal sparring should reveal their personalities, highlight their tension, and hint at deeper feelings.

“Careful, you almost sounded like you cared about me for a second.” “Don’t flatter yourself. I care about not dying, and you happen to be useful.”

“If you were half as smart as you think you are—” “I’d still be twice as smart as you.”

6. Show the Cost of Falling for Each Other

Enemies-to-lovers works best when there are stakes. Their relationship should challenge their beliefs, goals, or loyalties, forcing them to make difficult choices.

“If I help you, I’ll lose everything I’ve worked for.” “Then why are you still standing here?”

7. Add a “Breaking Point”

There should be a moment where their growing feelings clash with their existing animosity, leading to explosive tension.

“You lied to me!” “What did you expect? You’re the enemy!” “Not anymore. Or at least, I thought I wasn’t.”

“Why do you care what happens to me?” “Because I can’t stand the thought of losing you, okay? Happy now?”

8. Use Physicality Subtly

Small gestures can reveal their shifting feelings—hesitant touches, lingering glances, or protective instincts.

“Watch out!” He shoved her out of the way, taking the brunt of the explosion. “You idiot. You could’ve been killed.” “Yeah, but you’re okay.”

She caught him staring at her, his usual scowl softened. He looked away quickly, muttering something under his breath.

9. Build Toward a Satisfying Payoff

Enemies-to-lovers works because of the build-up. Don’t rush the resolution. Let their relationship evolve naturally before culminating in a moment that feels earned.

“I don’t want to fight you anymore.” “Neither do I.” “Then come here.”

10. Maintain Their Individuality

Their love shouldn’t erase who they are. They’re still the same people who clashed in the beginning, but now they’ve grown to understand each other.

“I’m still not letting you win.” “Good. I’d be worried if you did.”

“You’re still annoying.” “And you’re still impossible. But I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

[k9emote]

(making my own post about this because it wouldn't let me reblog for whatever reason)

Here is an unedited speed paint of that emoji. I did not trace Reki. However; I see that I was subconsciously referencing/inspired by Reki's emoji and I'm very sorry. I hadn't ever realized that. I had no intention of copying it, and I hope my screen-recording proves that. I was trying to remake Custom Emotes cheek kiss. To Reki; I'm genuinely sorry. I will take the emote down and recreate it more originally.

Unfortunately I don't have many speedpaints due to the fact I do not have a good ipad and its storage is very bad. I often have to delete past canvases to make room for new ones when I'm done, or the app won't work. I hope the speedpaint I've shared is able to prove that we have issues subconsciously redrawing emojis we've seen. It doesn't make it okay — but it is not intentional as many claim. We have gone back and apologized for this issue and have stopped & double checked every new emoji we make now, just to be sure.

We checked this artists boundaries with staff beforehand and credited the artist. We are willing to take this down if it's too close, it is not traced. It is heavily inspired; and that was said publicly.

That's the point. It's supposed to look similar. It was one of our first ever interactions on our new tumblr account, and we wanted to make a matching emoji guy to the one they'd sent as a silly response. It isn't meant to be used as a public emoji. The credit obviously goes to that person because our emoji was posted in response to them. They never brought this up as an issue with us. If it is a problem, we will take it down if that creator reaches out.

This isn't traced. None of the lines match. The only similar quality is the expression which, again, is easy to subconsciously recreate. Especially because of the fact we used this emoji a few times in the past. This doesn't make it okay and we will take the emojis down due to unoriginality, but this isn't traced and the artist has stated in the past that they were okay with inspiration.

I have nothing to say here besides sorry. It is obvious that in the past we have had a blatant issue with accidentally recreating emojis/art we had internalized, and we've apologized for that multiple times publicly and stopped. We now double check everything we make to make sure we're not accidentally copying someone. I have no recollection of making this emoji, but we obviously must've referenced this artist while trying to make spider emotes and forgot about it before posting. (We used to draw emojis and let them sit in our ibis paint before posting them.) Before we had a bigger audience we really didn't take crediting or this issue seriously and we understand now, especially with our own boundaries, that it wasn't okay. We haven't been shown this before to my memory and I'm really, genuinely sorry. That does NOT make it okay and I am completely at fault for the lack of credit. I've background searched the art but I can't find the artist. Those emotes will be taken down, and if anyone knows who drew this, please let me know.

I've never said people have to like me. I've said the exact opposite, but at least bring things to me before saying stuff that isn't true. I have been open with the fact that this was an issue witn us, but we've worked really hard to fix it. This wasn't a simple issue to be fixed; it was literally how our mind, memory and creativity worked. Still, I'm sorry. Like we've said before, we won't let it happen again.

https://discord.com/channels/1222249319240040501/1222250341228089465/1295186047344447589

[chromatic-crooked-crocodile]

TLDR: Jackie and Travis have a lot of narrative similarities and it’s fun to look at that through the lense of Jackie’s quote from the Pilot, “if we’re each others firsts we will be linked forever, it’s more poetic that way.”

I think it’s worth wondering about Jackie’s line “if we’re each others first we’ll be linked forever, it’s more poetic that way” and how we can juxtapose Jackie and Travis since they lost it to each other.

It’s already interesting that to do what she thought was hurting Shauna, Jackie slept with somebody else’s boyfriend. Nat’s boyfriend. Interesting because it gives insight into why exactly Jackie was so hurt. Obviously finding out your best friend has been sleeping with your boyfriend would be Earth shattering for anyone but she turned around and did the same thing to Nat, so clearly the cheating wasn’t really the issue (and yes I think Jackie considered Shauna having sex with Jeff to be Shauna cheating on her, even if you aren’t a jackieshauna truther there is a possessiveness they have about each other that can’t be denied). The issue for Jackie in my opinion is that Shauna had those big life moments and secrets without her. Shauna kept a pregnancy from her. Was having a romantic affair and didn’t tell Jackie. If she wasn’t having the affair with Jeff, I’m sure these are the type of things Jackie and Shauna would have shared with each other. So Jackie in her infinite wisdom assumed that if this revelation hurt her so much, she could likely hurt Shauna by behaving the same way. She hooks up with Travis.

Travis was a virgin. He was anxious about having sex with Nat because she had more experience than him. He let that fear turn him into someone who than vilified Nat for simply having sex with other people prior to him finding out that Nat lied about hooking up with the guy who viciously bullied him back home. Nat simply withheld information that she knew would hurt him, she didn’t backstab him in such an obvious way like Shauna did to Jackie, but ultimately he felt lied to and betrayed.

So they hook up and she literally dies the next day. Very 1970s horror film of her. The both of them have the two worst nights of their lives, for Jackie the last worst nights of her life and for Travis it was only the beginning. Jackie was of course doomed by the plot and she set off a chain of events that leads to the Antler Queen and Travis dying 25 years later. I’ve seen before someone mention that the Wilderness didn’t give the survivors anything for Travis’ death. Maybe it’s because the Wilderness didn’t demand it, he effectively did just kill himself. No one drew a card, there was no hunt, and he died. The same happened with Jackie. There was no hunt, no cards, she had the situationship ending fight with Shauna and goes outside and freezes during the night. I’ve also seen people interpret her death as a suicide. Where they contrast is that Jackie at that point had no will to live, and Travis did. I can’t exactly remember what Lottie said he was hoping to say to the Wilderness when he brought it back by walking the line of life and death, or if she even said, but I can imagine he wanted atonement. Or maybe just wanted to prove a point. That feels a lot like what Jackie wanted when she lost her virginity to Travis.

I wonder if he thought of her during that experience? If he saw the connection between that first hunt he was supposed to be the victim of the night he lost his virginity to Jackie, and then her being cast out and dying the next night, and then the hunt Nat was supposed to be the victim of but the “Wilderness” taking Javi instead. Jackie was not part of the hunt for Travis, she was not part of the “Wilderness”. So she died. Travis lost a lot during the course of his time out there. He lost his dad, his brother, his mind, and then he comes back home and after 25 years he dies for the Wilderness but not at the hands of the Wilderness. The Wilderness basically took out Travis’ whole bloodline and he was doomed from the start. His mother wanted the boys to go with their father to Nationals, he otherwise would not have been there but Jackie was always there. We wouldn’t have a show without her. It’s all so tragic and human and interesting to think of Travis and Jackie as being just as bound together as any of the other survivors/victims were. Even if their friendship/relationship/whatever began and ended with them having sex. They were bound together, just like Jackie said when she thought she was talking about Jeff. It’s even more interesting to look at the inverse and compare and contrast Nat and Shauna. The way Jackie dying directly leads to Nat eventually pulling the Queen, and then Travis dying which indirectly leads to Shauna pulling the Queen. Nat is a clear leader and contender for Antler Queen and judging from the trailers we’ve seen for season 3, Shauna might be initiating a power struggle to overthrow Nat’s leadership so Shauna could be Antler Queen after all. Now with Nat’s death and Shauna’s drawing of the Queen maybe they will be bound in death too.

[miriammctroi]

The Engagement Party

Jegulus Micro Fic

A year ago, Regulus had this mad idea of reconnecting with his older brother, who had broken with the family a decade ago. They had some good times, fought, talked, and even laughed on occasion. What he didn’t know at the time was that if one reconnected with their older brother, one was forced to attend their social gatherings.

So, now, he was standing quietly by a table, nipping on a drink, wondering when an appropriate amount of time had passed for me to leave without it looking weird.

He loved his brother Sirius, and his fiancé, Remus, was quite wonderful, truly. He just wasn’t good with the whole social thing.

Then there was the other thing. His brother had that obnoxious friend with the loud laugh and wild hair who was always part of these parties: James.

He was also set to be Sirius’s best man for the wedding – which was totally fine for Regulus! They’ve only just started speaking again and James has been in his life for, what, twenty years now? Without a ten-year break, at that. So, Regulus was totally okay with him being chosen as the best man instead. Totally.

James was holding a speech at the moment, reminiscing about childhood mischief with Sirius and how Remus brought out the best in him, bla, bla, bla. The crowd laughed with him. He told a dirty joke and smirked in that very annoying, unreasonably attractive, cocky witch's-weekly-cover way. In general, he wasn’t ugly. Everyone had dressed up for the engagement party: The girls were wearing knee-long, colourful dresses, the guys, button-ups and trousers which weren’t jeans. James had put on a red patterned waistcoat and dark trousers, which was altogether very respectable, except that the shirt underneath was too tight and the sleeves were rolled up, effectively showing off his gym-bro arms. He could probably pick Regulus up and toss him around if he wanted.

James told another joke and let his eyes roam through the room, halting near the table where he was standing. James winked. Regulus didn’t listen to the joke and had no idea what that was about. It didn’t matter anyway. He was just some pretentious idiot doing idiotic things.

James finally left the stage. Regulus checked the time on his phone. Another half hour and he could claim to be tired and go home.

“Hey,” James appeared next to me. He had the magazine-cover smirk again.

“Hello,” Regulus said.

“You didn’t laugh at my jokes.”

“You weren’t funny.”

He gasped and put a hand to his heart. “You wound me!”

Good. Regulus rolled his eyes at him.

“You look handsome today,” he said, ignoring Regulus's obvious attempt at killing the conversation.

“Same can’t be said about you. Your hair’s a mess, as always. You’re going to embarrass my brother at the altar.”

James ran a hand through his hair, making it even worse. There was no gel in it to keep it in place. It was probably soft and fluffy.

“You know? I like you, you’re funny.”

Huh? James smiled at him. Was he taking the piss? Or was he just being weird? From all he has seen so far, it could be either.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re funny,” he insisted. “With the way you roll those pretty little eyes of yours, and so obviously fight making rude remarks to every other person you meet, except me.”

Regulus wasn't planning to start fights with all of his brother’s friends, so what? It wasn't his fault that most of his friends were utterly boring or wanted to test him by not so subtly stirring the conversation towards women's rights, people of colour, gays and trans people.

Did he just call his eyes pretty? Maybe it was another test.

James pointed at his glass. “Are you actually going to drink that or keep nipping on it like it’s broccoli juice?”

“I’m drinking.”

“Sure.” He winked at him and turned to the room. Someone else was holding a speech now, Fleamont Potter, if Regulus recognised him correctly. “I bet you’re drinking so slowly because in your mind, as soon as it’s empty at this rate, an appropriate amount of time has passed for you to leave.”

That might have been the first non-idiotic thing he had ever heard him say. Nevertheless, he prepared to deny everything.

“He won’t mind you leaving early, you know? He has told all of us that you hate crowds before we first met you, and not to read anything into it when you leave early.”

“I see. So, he wants me to leave?”

“No, not in the slightest. It’s his engagement party and he keeps looking over here. He’d rather have you at the table and talk to us.”

“Then, you want me to leave.”

James glanced at him with a smile, it was different than the obnoxious smirk from before. Dirtier, somehow. He had a dimple.

“What I want is for you to give me that glass so I can finish it, then take you out of here and back to my place, where I’ll very slowly and gently get you out of these clothes, put you on the bed and then do decidedly less gentle and slow things to you.”

Oh. Oh.

Regulus's eyes got distracted by James's neck, then his arms, down along the lines of the waistcoat.

Without further hesitation, he pushed his glass into his hands and walked away to tell his brother he'd be leaving soon.

[db0xtae]

Winning the Breakup | Chapter 2

- Minho (Xo Kitty) X Reader

𝜗𝜚⋆ Summary : Y/N, a talented and athletic after an intense breakup, Y/N reluctantly agrees to fake date Minho, to make their exes jealous. What begins as a mutual arrangement soon turns complicated when their fake relationship starts to feel all too real. With humor, bickering, and tender moments, Minho and Y/N's journey proves that sometimes the best way to heal from heartbreak is to allow yourself to fall in love.

𝜗𝜚⋆ Warnings : None

𝜗𝜚⋆ Word Count : 858

𝜗𝜚⋆ Chapters : 1

𝜗𝜚⋆ A/N : Hope you guys enjoy!!!

˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖

Chapter 2: The Rules of Engagement

The next morning, Y/N regretted nothing—well, almost nothing. She wasn’t entirely sure agreeing to Minho’s plan was the best decision, but the image of Alex’s dumbfounded face as she and Minho danced at the social was enough to keep her second thoughts at bay.

It was Saturday morning, and the KISS campus was quiet. Most students were either still asleep or lounging in their dorms, but Y/N was already up and dressed, sitting at a small café table in the library courtyard. She was sipping on a latte and going over her notes for an upcoming quiz when a familiar, annoyingly confident voice interrupted her focus.

“Morning, darling,” Minho said, sliding into the chair across from her.

Y/N didn’t even look up. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? We’re dating now,” he said, leaning back in his chair with that smug grin she was already tired of seeing.

“Fake dating,” she corrected, finally meeting his eyes. “Let’s not forget the fake part.”

“Details,” Minho said, waving a hand dismissively. “Anyway, we need to set some ground rules.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Rules?”

“Obviously,” Minho replied, pulling out his phone. “If we’re going to pull this off, we need to be on the same page. Can’t have you ruining my image.”

She snorted. “Your image? Please, enlighten me.”

Minho ignored the jab, opening a notes app on his phone. “Rule one: public displays of affection. We’ll need to sell the relationship, so a little hand-holding, hugging, maybe the occasional kiss—”

“No,” Y/N cut him off, her tone firm. “We’re not kissing.”

He looked up, feigning disappointment. “You wound me. What, you think I’m a bad kisser?”

“I think I don’t want to catch whatever inflated ego disease you’re carrying,” she shot back, smirking when Minho gave an exaggerated gasp.

“Fine,” he relented, typing something into his phone. “No kissing…unless absolutely necessary.”

“There will be no ‘necessary,’” Y/N clarified.

Minho shrugged. “We’ll see. Rule two: we text daily. It doesn’t have to be anything deep, but it’ll look weird if we’re not in constant communication. People will notice.”

“Fine,” she agreed. “But no texting me at 2 a.m. with some nonsense about how amazing you are.”

“I would never,” Minho said, looking offended.

Y/N gave him a flat look.

“Okay, I would,” he admitted with a grin. “But I’ll restrain myself.”

“Good. Next?”

“Rule three: we go on at least one ‘date’ per week. People need to see us together outside of school events. And no ditching me halfway through because you get bored,” he added, pointing at her.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Like I’d be the one ditching.”

“Trust me, darling, I’m a delight,” Minho said, flashing his most charming smile.

“Stop calling me that,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“Rule four,” Minho continued, ignoring her complaint. “We don’t tell anyone it’s fake. Not even our friends.”

Y/N hesitated. “Not even Kitty?”

“Especially not Kitty,” Minho said firmly. “She has the biggest mouth at KISS. She’d blow our cover in two seconds.”

“She’d probably make a PowerPoint about it,” Y/N murmured, earning a chuckle from Minho.

“Exactly. So, we keep it between us. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” she said reluctantly.

“Great,” Minho said, setting his phone down. “This is going to be fun.”

“Fun isn’t the word I’d use,” Y/N muttered, taking a sip of her latte.

By lunchtime, news of Y/N and Minho’s “relationship” had spread like wildfire. As they walked into the cafeteria together, side by side, the stares and whispers were impossible to ignore.

“You’d think people have never seen two attractive people together before,” Minho said, loud enough for the nearby tables to hear.

“Subtle,” Y/N muttered under her breath, elbowing him in the side.

“What? I’m just stating facts,” he said with a grin, guiding her to their usual table.

Kitty was already there, along with Dae, Yuri, and Q. The moment they sat down, Kitty leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Okay, spill,” she said. “How did this happen?”

Y/N opened her mouth, but Minho beat her to it.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, slinging an arm around Y/N’s shoulders. “She couldn’t resist my charm.”

Y/N shoved his arm off. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“What’s there to regret, darling?” he teased, winking at her.

Yuri raised an eyebrow. “You two are…dating?”

“Yep,” Minho said confidently.

“Since when?” Dae asked, looking genuinely confused.

“A few days ago,” Y/N lied smoothly. “It just…happened.”

Kitty frowned, clearly trying to piece things together. “But you’ve always been at each other’s throats. What changed?”

Minho leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. “She finally realized how amazing I am.”

“I realized you’d never shut up about it if I didn’t give you a chance,” Y/N shot back, earning a laugh from Q.

“This is going to be interesting,” Yuri said, smirking as she sipped her drink.

That evening, Minho texted her.

Minho: “Tomorrow. 2 p.m. Meet me at the park.”

Y/N: “Why?”

Minho: “Date #1, duh. Don’t bail on me.”

Y/N sighed, tossing her phone onto her bed. She had a feeling this was going to be a long few weeks.

[janecuppa]

Greetings Jane, I hope you post this. I'm in the marketing & advertising industry on Social Media (Yes, I'm that overworked). This is my professional opinion about this pap walk: DISASTER.

Allow me to explain my opinion. I tried to condense it to a more understandable approach, and I hope anyone who reads this understands my point.

The marketing of this power couple is atrocious. I'm not including the early period. I'm going to focus on this Golden Coast Pap walk. This is definitely not planned carefully. In marketing, you have to identify what the people need, which in this case is: -To dispel the rumor that Natalie is not with Henry. -The reason why she didn't post about the baby. -The well-being of Henry & Natalie's relationship -The well being of the baby

They successfully checked the first one. How about the other 3? I'd like your followers to answer that.

Next, they didn't anticipate what the people's reaction on this pap walk would be. Shocks!!! They actually didn't even think about it. They didn't think that people have eyes. They didn't consider that people will scrutinize every photo. Henry & Natalie, people have EYES! What if it's caught on VIDEO? Hecking heck.

How about on advertising? Backgrid, & the published articles… I would like to surgically examine each word in those obviously PAID articles, but it will take a very long essay. I'll let the YouTube documentary channels have a closer look at that. If Rotten Mango got a wind of this circus, they will definitely have millions of views.

What I'm also pointing out is that the INTERNET IS FOREVER. Everything about you (Henry & Natalie) will get scrutinized. It's almost a week, and people, especially on Facebook, see through this. Henry, does your PR even look at Social Media? Do they even research what people's opinion about you & Natalie is? There's a large amount of time to prove that you two are a family from July up to December. Henry, you only post from mid-July, September, October, and November. While you, Natalie, posts on story mode. You two never ever showed a hint that you are together on those months. Not even a hint of the baby. That's what the people are looking at. But what do you show this January? A dysfunctional couple! This is the picture of co-parenting. My colleagues who don't recognize you two thought that it's a stock photo. STOCK PHOTOS!!! That's the worst description for a pap walk, guys.

I agree with the anon that said that the 2nd up to the 99th pap walk will not convince the people anymore.

In my industry, our goal in marketing campaign is to win the customers on the 1st advertisement campaign. It's what you call the hook. You two successfully hooked people that your relationship is on the rocks. Especially where you, Henry, are undeniably angry, while Natalie's face shows the expression that she wins.

The engagement ring! Heck! Natalie, try typing in the Google search engine "Zendaya engagement ring" and/or "Selena Gomez engagement ring."

You saw the articles? Now type this "Natalie Viscuso engagement ring." Would you like the worse effect on that engagement ring? Go to the 2nd page and scroll down until you see the Twitter of Daily Mail which says: "Henry Cavill and Natalie Viscuso are engaged! Hollywood hunk's girlfriend steps out with a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger - as the couple welcomes their first baby to the world."

9,130+ views, 1 comment that got unpublished, 5 retweets & 3 bookmarks published at January 19, 2025 6:40 AM.

Girl, you f up. Do you now understand that people are not interested in you? It's been 6 days. That's all the buzz that the pap walk generated?

Jane, I hope you publish this. Thank you for you & your followers' time to read my opinion on this disaster.

Have the stage.

[moeitsu]

I’m curious to hear people’s thoughts on this:

How young is too young for someone to be romantically involved with Arthur? What do you think his minimum age cut-off would be for a partner?

For context, if anyone is wondering how far behind tiktok is on rdr conversations, I’ve been debating with a woman who is adamant about the fact that Arthur had feelings for Abigail simply because he said he would marry her in his journal. But that’s not what surprised me.

How this conversation started you ask? They made and edit of Arthur and Mary-Beth with the caption saying they would have made such a cute couple. To which i commented “they’re cute because they act like siblings. But Arthur is way too old for her.” Ofc they pointed out that in 1899 she would not have been too young. And i answered by saying Arthur specifically, wouldn’t date someone that young.

We both agreed that Mary Beth is younger than Abigail, who is 22. But they think Arthur would have no problem dating someone as young as 20. Which blows my mind because Tilly is not much younger than Mary-Beth, and both Arthur and John see her as a little sister.

Aside from those x readers where there’s a huge age gap (which obviously those are just for fun and not canon)

I feel like there’s a huge mischaracterization going on here. Arthur is not the kind of man to date a girl who is 16 years younger than him. Obviously I dont know the guy personally but that just feels so…icky?

Like, that’s just not who he is? I don’t even know how to properly defend this argument bc tbh it feels gross to imply that he would do that.

Arthur Morgan is an intelligent, deeply empathetic man who feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he is far from blind to the struggles women face, particularly in the harsh realities of his time. Having witnessed firsthand the hardships and injustices endured by the women in camp and beyond, he carries a profound understanding of their experiences.

His loyalty and responsibility make him more than capable of protecting and providing for a young woman, but romantic involvement with someone significantly younger just doesn’t align with his character.

Arthur would never take advantage of an imbalance of power or maturity in a romantic context.

[meear]

umineko fans are the original "if you don't like it you just didn't understand it" people. I genuinely cannot think of anyone more annoying and obnoxious, except SNK fans, except not even them, because in Umineko's case that behavior is enabled by the author himself. It's crazy how a story that spent hundreds of hours discussing the value in several coexisting interpetations will have both characters and fans turning around and tell you that actually you're completely wrong for thinking a certain way

The crazy part is they don't even realise how their smug attitude about being part of R07's very special club of people who "have love" and the superior way they act about holding the true answer are EXACTLY the Erika traits they criticise in readers who don't think like them. "He spells it out but you still cannot see it? Lol" "are there still people who can't accept the literal canon answer? lmfao" "you know you're exactly the goats r07 wrote about right?" (Because r07 is a god who cannot possibly be contradicted, this is supposed to be the worst insult somehow) (these fans cannot seem to decide who the goats are an analogy for, considering they'll scramble to say they only represent the story's witch hunters as a criticism of true crime fans when you call out r07's arrogance, yet they'll smugly tell you you're just a goat when you question the story itself. Thank you, it's nice to know that Ryukishi wrote about me, but that doesn't answer the fucking question, Brian)

It's incredibly ironic. How did a story like Umineko create and encourage so many people to sanctify one "official answer" and taking any other attempt as an insult?? Like is anyone feeling how ryu07 completely fucked up at what he was trying to do?

"So I won't open the catbox and reveal what actually happened on the island." oh, that's cool, I actually really like that! I agree that ultimately the true events of that day are a pretty trivial part of the story, and it's way more interesting not to know - "anyway it's Rudolf and Kyrie and it happened exactly like so and so, and Shkanontrice did this and that".

... Okay, well I really wish that had remained a mystery forever, since the point was that any truth would've been anticlimatic, and the choice to reveal that genuinely kills a lot of what made Umineko's appeal to me, but I guess we can still have fun with EP1-4 and try several alternative theories for the sequence of events- "here's the manga explaining everything in detail and if you didn't get it have you tried maybe having some more love? It would be sooo clear if you had love lmfao. you literally cannot comprehend my work unless you have"

... I really wish that guy would stop making assumptions about the inner mind of complete strangers who read his work, but I do enjoy getting to choose an ending! it really fits in with Umineko's theme of choosing the truth for yourself and making your own path that you can be happy with, as long as you keep thinking- "the Magic ending is meant to be the true end btw. if you prefer the other one you pretty much have no heart lol, it's obviously framed like a bad ending and there's only one acceptable choice and one way ange can find happiness"

... man, I'm so bored. Why write a game like that and then make it so that some choices are better than others instead of letting people think for themselves? Why would you force an interpretation on people/Ange when I've been led to believe that the narrative was against that sort of things? You want to highlight the value in your vision of "magic", fine, but why am I the heartless bitch for disliking that perspective and even trying to see things differently?

Why would you write a whole game around the really fun concept of several tales happening at the same time and the existence of endless truths inside the same catbox only to open the catbox and tell me "NO, you need to think a certain way, and if you don't like my answer FUCK YOU"

I understand that maybe he just had a specific answer in mind but I'm sorry the way he write the ending simply does not match the vision he seemed to have in the earlier chapters.

I genuinely respect Umineko as a work, I think it's one of the most ambitious stories I've seen and there is some amazing writing in there, but if Ryukishi wanted to allow for people to keep thinking and discussing what it means, he has failed miserably and I'm not talking about confession of the golden witch, I'm talking about the way he and his minions have shut down any possible discussion under the guise of "you just don't get it" (rephrased to "you don't have love" to make it sound more enlightened) and it's soured my enjoyment of something that should've been an amazing story. What is even left to discuss here when everyone has pretty much already made up their mind?

[natsgirl222]

okay suits hot take don’t kill me

so i’m obviously a marvey shipper (look at them they’re in LOVE) but i haven’t posted anything yet abt the canon ships. IMO, you can’t rlly watch the entire show and completely hate both the ships, but i DO think it could be better. Obv marvey is my OTP (do ppl say this anymore) but if i had to choose between the canon ships??

HAS to be darvey. Like yeah it was superrrr slow burn to the point that it literally felt like the writers forgot abt getting them together - but it still makes sense yk? They understood each other so well, and Donna’s loyalty to Harvey kinda felt like longggg term pining lol. Yeah it takes Harvey a shit ton of time to get that he loves Donna but yk he was focused on mike LMAO

Right so yeah i like darvey. Machel on the other hand?? I do not get. Like season one and two they were cute, obviously liked each other okay they were the ROMANCE of the show. But as the show progressed Mike’s fraud kept getting brought up as a problem in their relationship, and after the first time where i think it was just that she was hesitant to introduce mike to her parents, it got old. And it was like every couple of episodes she basically just got mad at him all over again for not going to Harvard?? Like tbh i think she didn’t actually like Mike yk i think she had an idea of what her Husband™️ would be like and she was constantly trying to shove mike into that box yk??

ALSO IM NOT SAYING THAT IT WOULDNT BE A PROBLEM of fucking course it would be a problem if the guy ur dating turns out to be a criminal but like it gets to a point where it’s like why don’t u just leave him if it’s this big of a problem?? OMG I JUST REMEMBERED AND THEN SHE CHEATED ON HIM?? why TF would they get back together after that omfgggg

marvey literally made so much sense for endgame

ok rant is over for now this most likely doesn’t make sense sorry

[starshower1215]

So, I read the comments, and one thing you didn't address was the use of, as I learned it to be, "opaque lenses." This is a device used with a generally negative connotation of the character to depict suspicion. An interpretation was presented in the comments that Hange was manipulating the trio for their knowledge of ODM gear, using the glasses as evidence, and also Hange's generosity specifically towards Isabel, who they recognise as the "weak link" of the group, as is depicted with the glasses after Isabel stutters (see image no.1).

That's a really good point about the glasses, and that's right, the "opaque lenses" would be out of place without that intention. But while I also interpreted it as a sign of suspicion, I don't think Hange would be manipulative to gain knowledge, even with the high value they place on it. Manipulation always includes some subtle manner of obscuring intention, thus obscuring that knowledge from the other person, and therefore it would go against their morals. I'm saying this because I can't recall any instance, pre-time-skip, of their dishonesty or intentional manipulation that is comparable to this one.

So that in mind, I think it's also pretty important to see whose perspective Hange is being drawn from. I wrote this post a while ago comparing No Regrets Hange to the man in Bad Boy, and how their glasses increase Levi's suspicion of them on top of the initial dubious attitude he has simply due to the unfamiliarity of their kindness. But my main point was that glasses are a sign of education (not intelligence), which was mainly accessible by the rich, and Levi has a bad impression of the rich. We see where it could have begun in Bad Boy, with this guy (on the right):

With his fancy glasses and clothes and cigarette. He's obviously a rich guy. He's also the last man that Levi kills — the same one who started trying to manipulate Levi with his "kindness."

And anyway, with the way the rich seem to treat Levi, telling him something like, "It must have been too much to expect the son of a whore from the Underground to understand the consequences of his actions," it's pretty clear, too, that the rich see him bad lighting on the basis of his birthplace and heritage. Connecting this all back to the glasses, we see glasses as a sign of education (nobody has glasses in the Underground), and thus a sign of the rich, and Levi is only exposed to rich men like this guy. Therefore, to Levi, glasses = rich = bad = suspicion.

A lot of the panels where Hange has "opaque lenses" can arguably be from Levi's perspective. Note their positions (Levi across from Furlan and Isabel, who are beside each other, with Hange in between; No one but Levi has a front view of them) and then compare the images:

Furlan and Isabel's perspectives of Hange:

And Levi's perspective of Hange:

Every single usage of opaque lenses is from Levi's perspective. Therefore, it's possible to assume that Levi is suspicious of them, due to his past. But it's still a mystery whether or not Hange is being manipulative here (intentionally...?) because we see their supposed innocence from Isabel and Furlan's perspectives. I definitely think that in the moment, it makes perfect sense for Levi to be suspicious of Hange's kindness. In fact, it's probably more likely of him to be suspicious of their genuine kindness than their manipulative kindness, lol, given his past, but of course, that's hard to differentiate.

Of course, Levi's increased exposure to bad people gives him an advantage over Isabel and Furlan in picking out suspicious characters, but I'm sure it also creates a bias in which he interprets things as suspicious which really aren't in their nature. Isabel and Furlan may have the more objective lense here in that sense. They're exposed to bad stuff, but maybe not to the same level as Levi, and not at such an early age where it would heavily skew his perspectives of life.

So, in short, there's definite suspicion here, but does suspicion equate to manipulation on Hange's end? Just my thoughts.

Hange and Levi's first meeting in No Regrets and what it means to Levi

I'd like to talk about a scene in No Regrets that gets brought up sometimes by certain people in the fandom, which is Levi and Hange's first meeting, but I don't think fandom talks enough about the emotional impact this scene must've had on Levi, or why that first meeting is so important to him. This scene always manages to make me feel emotional no matter how many times I think about it, hence why it's my favourite part of the manga, because for the first time since Levi, Furlan and Isabel got in the Survey Corps, someone treated them with kindness and didn't look down on them.

The first thing we can notice from the way Hange approached them is how genuine and excited Hange is with what they achieved with the Titan, making sure to include them all in the achievement and not only Levi as seen here by how Isabel tells Hange that their group is amazing and Hange agreeing with her.

Hange is interested in getting to know more about Levi's strength, but it's in a way where they want to learn from him and get taught by him rather than in an idea of using his strength as a tool. By bringing the other Scouts in the conversation as seen below, Hange encourages Levi to teach them his tricks so they can all have better chances of survival and also kill Titans more efficiently from now on.

Hange wants to get to know Levi as a person first and foremost, which does impact Levi who hasn't really met anyone in the Survey Corps until that point to be interested in himself as a person and not just as a tool, and in his friends too as he's inseparable from them. Hange doesn't forget about them and even includes them in the conversation in their own easygoing way as seen in this panel.

Continuing on this idea, one of the most important parts of this scene is how Hange isn't only friendly with Levi, but they're friendly with Isabel and Furlan too, going so far as to give Isabel a treat for the start of their new friendship. It might not mean much, but for people who recently left the Underground where getting treats was probably a luxury or at best hard to come by, Hange's action will impact them far more than some people might realize. These three have constantly been called thugs or have been disrespected until they showed their technical prowess with Titans during their first expedition, so to see Hange push past that barrier by wanting a genuine friendship with them is such a contrast to the way they have been treated by the others all this time. And even when Levi is curt with Hange, they don't give up, inviting them all to a meal after the expedition is over, which shows how much Hange wants to get to know them better as people, and not only as soldiers skilled with ODM gear.

I think what impacted Levi the most out of that exchange wasn't necessarily that Hange was kind with him. It's definitely important, but when we know how much Levi cares about the ones he loves, how he values their lives much more than his own, it's that Hange was so kind with his friends that really impacted him the most, and I don't think fandom talks enough about it. How affected Levi must've been by Hange's sheer kindness without expecting anything in return from him in a world where that concept simply didn't exist. Levi was being kind with others, but this is the first time we see someone else that isn't part of his group be kind to him in return. I think what Hange did that day for him and his friends meant a lot more to Levi than we realize. Someone in the Survey Corps finally treated them as they should've always been treated, with respect and kindness and not with disdain or even coercion. And Hange isn't bothered by his refusal to communicate with them as seen by Furlan's reply here: "Anyway, Hange doesn't seem particularly bothered."

They respect his boundaries when Levi doesn't feel like answering since he doesn't want to get attached to new people (we know how that plan failed in retrospect, but he still tried), and that's because Hange doesn't try to force anything out of him. They tried and he didn't want to engage, that was fine with them, they'll still want to be his friend in the future regardless of Levi's answer. And I don't think fandom gives enough credit to Hange in this scene.

This scene will forever remain my favourite in No Regrets because it shows just how incredibly kind and friendly Hange was with Levi since the very beginning. Yes, this has to do with Hange's personality, that it's just like them to be attracted by the new outsiders or misfits and try to befriend them, but the important part is that someone at least tried. And it makes total sense how out of everyone we know, it had to be Hange to carry out that role. Someone caring as much about his friends as Levi simply cannot be hated by him. This scene actually destroys that claim even more, because by this definition, Levi would have to hate the first person in the Survey Corps to actually be friendly with his friends, the most important people in his life at that moment in time. It's again completely nonsensical to say that, and I do think the people who keep saying it either have forgotten this scene exists or they'd rather ignore it because it wasn't included in the OVA. But regardless of the reason, the fact remains this scene is part of the No Regrets manga and is important to delve even further into the relationship of Levi and Hange as it presents the blueprint of their relationship. Supportive and caring for each other until the very end.