#of purpose-driven personas for him

[acesgroupchat]

Drabbles December 19:

90: “why didn’t you tell me” | A door closing

64: Mei Changsu/Lin Chen/Xiao Jingyan

The door clicks shut and Jingyan immediately drops his forehead onto Lin Chen’s shoulder. Lin Chen’s fingers wind in his hair, steadying his head. Kind of him, since otherwise he would probably be thrown off with how hard Lin Chen is laughing.

“You know, I always assumed he learned that particular act at the palace. I take it he didn’t?”

Jingyan snorts. “Anyone that obnoxious would have gotten banished in a matter of months. I’ve never seen that before.”

Lin Chen’s eyes cut to the door and his mouth goes rueful. “And yet, that’s the man we both love, somehow.”

[mintsuwu]

Took a lil break from the asks in order to cook some ✨SMILING CRITTERS FAMILY TIME✨ with @rexmk0153universe-blog because why the hell not??? I might have to divide it in two parts though-

(1/2)

DogDay

DogDay's journey begins when a stork delivers him to the wrong family of wolves, leading him to be adopted by Big Bad's parents. However, his presence triggers jealousy in Big Bad, his adopted older brother, who resents the attention their parents give to the newcomer.

Despite the pack's focus on abilities related to weather phenomena, Dogday stands out due to his unique qualities and talents. As he grows older, he feels a deep longing for a sense of purpose and identity beyond his wolf upbringing. Seeking to find his true self, he leaves the pack and ventures to Jolly Valley, where he encounters the Smiling Critters and forms close bonds with them. Over time, Dogday becomes a leader among the Smiling Critters, embodying their values of friendship and unity.

Big Bad, driven by pride and a mix of emotions, followed Dogday to Jolly Valley, intending to both antagonize his little brother and secretly monitor his progress. Despite his outward bravado and mischievous nature causing ocassional trouble, Dogday remains welcoming towards his older brother, except when his antics go too far. Hus unwavering cheerfulness and open-heartedness serve as a beacon of hope for both the Smiling Critters and his troubled older brother.

BONUS: "Big Bad" is actually a nickname! His actual name is "WindWolf"... Dogday usually calls him "Big Bro", but the rest of the critters "misheard" it and began calling him "Big Bad", much to his dismay.

CatNap

Catnap shares a unique connection with a deity known as SandMan, who reigns over the Dream Realm, a distinct reality separate from the main universe. The origin of Catnap traces back to a moment when Dogday, as a young member of his pack, made a wish upon a shooting star for a friend, and this wish brought Catnap into existence.

SandMan took particular interest in Catnap due to his remarkable qualities, leading to a special father-son dynamic between them, despite Catnap starting off as just another creation of SandMan like many others.

Catnap, however, felt a strong pull to leave the Dream Realm in search of Dogday, the source of his creation. Eventually, the feline succeeded in finding Dogday and chose to remain by his side, along with the other Smiling Critters. Despite Catnap's origin in the Dream Realm and his connection to SandMan, his loyalty lies with Dogday and their companions, forging a lasting bond beyond the confines of the Dream Realm.

Kickin'Chicken

Kickin'Chicken comes from a predominantly female family, consisting of his mother, sisters, and himself as the middle sibling. His father, known as "Rockin'Rooster," is a famous singer, an example that Kickin' aspires to follow. However, Rockin'Rooster's focus on his career leaves little time for family, causing conflicting emotions for Kickin'. Despite his admiration for his father's success, Kickin' yearns for more attention and connection within the family... Yet he hides it under his "cool and tough guy" persona.

However, among his family members Kickin' has a strong bond with his older sister, Pecky. She is level-headed compared to Kickin', but shares his adventurous spirit and openness to new experiences and people.

BONUS: Kickin's family is quite fond of Bubba Bubbaphant, given how he was Kickin's first friend and all of them consider him another member of the family.

CraftyCorn

Craftycorn, born in a magical kingdom governed by four elemental monarchs (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) was raised as the daughter of the Queen of Spades, destined to become a warrior. However, Crafty harbored a distaste for violence, finding joy in art and nature instead.

Despite her mother's attempts to grant her freedom to choose her path within the elemental realms, the other rulers disapproved, doubting Crafty's suitability for the throne. When Craftycorn was to receive her royal Merry Charm, symbolizing her assigned role, she unexpectedly manifested her own charm—the flower. Fearing disappointment from her mother and influenced by the other monarchs, Craftycorn fled her home, unaware of the devastation her departure caused her mother.

Their relationship is complicated, marked by love and care, yet tinged with Crafty's mixed feelings towards her mother.

LoolaLamb

Loola is a special sheep born into a flock known as the "Sleep Sheep" or "Slumbering Guardians." These sheep have the unique role of wandering through villages, signaling to people that it's time to sleep and seek safety from the dangers of the night. Once their task is complete, SandMan, a mystical entity who the sheep "worship" due to its previous helps toward the flock, can traverse their realm to ensure everyone enjoys peaceful dreams and restful sleep.

She's the daughter of the flock's leader, tasked with protecting the sheep, particularly during the day when they're less vigilant due to needing rest after their nightly duties. However, Loola lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her father, who prepared her to take on a similar role in the future.

Despite her upbringing, Loola yearns for adventure and exploration beyond the confines of her flock's duties. After much persuasion, her father allows her to leave, although they maintain communication through letters.

The lamb often travels alone, but occasionally spends time with the Smiling Critters in Jolly Valley for extended periods of time.

[cjrae]

Carelessness. Or; Lakan's crime in Maomao's eyes is worse than malice.

There is a temptation to take Lakan's character lightly. After his initial, sinister introduction had played out and we are given the story of how Lakan met Maomao's mother, much of Lakan's devotion to his wife and daughter is played for comic relief, allowing him to be the butt of the joke, along with Maomao's exaggerated reactions of disgust and insistence that she has no relation to this man.

It is worth remembering, though, that Lakan is referred to as the fox for good reason - the fox is a trickster figure and Lakan's whole character lies in how he can turn on a dime between being funny in a very pathetic way to those same qualities becoming extremely dangerous when his fun is threatened.

Lakan's heroic qualities do exist, but they are overshadowed by his carelessness and selfishness; it is these qualities that have, so far, doomed the relationship he craves so badly with his daughter.

Spoilers under the cut all the way up to Vol 11's English translation.

Fengxian

We see it in his relationship with Fengxian. While Lakan does not deserve all of the blame for Fengxian's fate, it is his carelessness that puts her in the position of becoming a common prostitute to support Verdigris House after her actions nearly ruined it. Let's pay attention to the sequence of events.

"…Lakan now found himself persona non grata for having been too close to him [Luomen]; he was told to go on a long trip and not come back for awhile. He could have ignored this, but it would have only been a headache later. His father was in the military too, making him not just a parent but a superior officer. At last, he wrote to the brothel saying he would return in half a year's time. This was after he had received a letter saying the contract buy-out had fallen through."

So, first and foremost, we know the following:

1.) Lakan did not strictly have to leave. It was the politic thing to do, but if he had pushed the issue, he could have stayed. If the goal had been to simply have Lakan out of the public eye, while his father may not have been pleased with it, his marriage to Fengxian could have also served a similar purpose as he began to focus on domestic affairs and kept a low profile. But his convenience weighed more heavily than his feelings for Fengxian.

2.) Fengxian tells him that the buy-out has fallen through BEFORE HE LEAVES. Assuming she's just barely pregnant at that point (call it eight weeks, ish) and his letter indicates that he's going to return for her before the baby is born, this is still a terrible sign for her. As he himself puts it later;

"Did he not grasp what happened to such women?

A little thought might have revealed the answer, but his head was full of Go and Shogi and nothing else, and he had been unable to arrive at the truth…It was all his fault for being so impulsive."

But Lakan didn't think and sure enough, three years later, Fengxian isn't waiting for him in her polite little box at the Verdigris House. Because love is not convenient and Lakan values convenience above almost everything else. It's not until he loses Fengxian and their baby (and has the loss driven home to him in a very visceral manner when he finds the fingers in his un-forwarded mail) that it occurs to him that he wants more than endless game playing.

Luomen

We know somebody did check Lakan's mail, though, as the letter with Maomao and Fengxian's fingers is the only piece that's opened. It's easy to guess that it attracted Luomen's attention because it was bloodstained, but Luomen does what Lakan should have - he immediately makes for the pleasure district to find this woman and her child.

It takes him years of patient work on behalf of the Verdigris House to be trusted to adopt Maomao. We know it takes years because Maomao is initially raised by the Three Princesses and the madam, while Luomen is slowly building trust with the courtesans by providing them medical services. At no point does Luomen stride in, demanding to be given custody of his great niece because he's her family. Instead he recognizes that she has a family already in the brothel and works on becoming a part of their lives - because that's what's best for Maomao.

Luomen understands that filial duty goes both ways - a child has responsibilities to the parent, certainly, but those duties imply a reciprocity of care. First, the parent cares for their child, which means that the child's needs must be the priority. What Maomao desperately needs is care, education, safety and stability. All of which, Luomen prioritizes making sure Maomao has to the best of his ability.

Contrast this with Lakan's immediate reaction to finding Maomao in the pleasure district.

"One day, out of the blue, a strange man had appeared and tried to lead her away. The madam had shown up shortly after and beaten him with a broom and the sight of the bruised and bloodied man had inspired fear in her young heart. Anyone would be scared by a man who reached out to them grinning, even as blood poured from his face."

Lakan literally tries to take her off the street, believing he has the right, because he's her father. He doesn't care that he's scaring Maomao, he's described as grinning and reaching for her despite the reactions of everyone around him. Which is why Luomen's reaction to Lakan reception in the pleasure district is very telling - this is a man who is described as far too kind for his own good and having been very close with Lakan.

"Nonetheless, while her old man was compassionate, he did grasp the broader situation, and he never tried to stop the old madam from chasing the other man out of the brothel with her broom. He knew that wrong was wrong."

The manga adds the context that Luomen also "knew the woman with the missing nose." Luomen feels for Lakan, but his duty is to Maomao as her adopted father and to Fengxian as her doctor. His feelings do not outweigh those responsibilities.

Maomao

Lakan adores Maomao from the moment he lays eyes on her. But his love is inherently selfish - the loss of Fengxian and his estrangement from Maomao do not inspire him to do better with his talents consistently.

The ironic part is that Lakan could have made a very compelling argument to be given custody of Maomao. We know that the whole reason he decided to use his strategic brilliance to take back the headship of the La Clan is inspired by Maomao and the life he feels she deserves to have. He also goes back to Verdigris House and although it takes him ten years, he pays off two and a half times the damages he caused - in the world of the red light district, he has paid for his initial crime. So we see that he is capable of putting forth effort when he feels inspired to do so.

If he had applied that same strategy and patience toward working on finding a place in Maomao's life that honored the relationships that supported her when Lakan had abandoned both her and Fengxian, he might have been able to convince those that cared about her that it was in Maomao's best interests to be raised by him as a princess of a named clan.

If we need further evidence that Lakan's carelessness is still a dominant character trait, we can look at a more recent example in the story; the Shi Clan's assassination plot against Jinshi.

Gossip is one of Lakan's hobbies and that, combined with his intuition, means that he's the first person to realize that something is going on. He sees all of these supposedly coincidental acts happening around them and intuits that there is a grander purpose at work. And, to his credit, he doesn't ignore it - he puts his talent of using the people around him to good use. We see him rope Gaoshun into looking into the poisoned seaweed under the guise of a colleague asking for a favor, we see him prod Jinshi into letting Maomao investigate the metalworker. Lihaku is one of his direct subordinates and he's tasked with investigating the explosion at the warehouse and following the trail as they realize that the arson was a diversion.

But at no point is he doing any of this because of anything so prosaic as duty or responsibility. This is a fun game to him that's serving a dual purpose of getting him closer to Maomao. Everything is entirely about what will amuse him or further that one, singular goal. And he's greatly amused - until Maomao puts the pieces together and realizes that this is an assassination attempt.

It never occurs to Lakan that simply maneuvering people around him to get things done and amuse him carries any danger - because he doesn't care that deeply about anyone else aside from a few select individuals. Everything in his mind was entirely about getting him and Maomao into the same place where she couldn't run away from him. Where she would be forced to accept his help.

Which is exactly what happens; Maomao can't get into the temple on her own and she needs Lakan to vouch for her. It is an extremely clumsy, transactional way of trying to build a connection.

So then what happens?

First Maomao is bludgeoned by the guard - a Go stone of a man, unimportant, except for the damage he inflicted on his little girl that Lakan did not anticipate. But worse is when Jinshi carries her out of that temple, bleeding and unconscious, after having saved his life. Everything Lakan has done to try to force his daughter to acknowledge him has instead lead to her being seriously injured.

Maomao points out, later, that if Lakan had simply stepped forward and used his official position as a Grand Commandant to spearhead an investigation, this plot might have been discovered much sooner. Maomao, having a few self-absorbed tendencies of her own, is focused on Suirei's promise of resurrection medicine. But Lakan should be more focused on the fact that, had he actually done something himself, perhaps Maomao wouldn't have been hurt.

Lakan

I said before that Lakan's heroic qualities do exist and it's important to acknowledge them, while also realizing how they are caught up in his self-serving behavior. For all that buying Fengxian out is about Lakan finally getting something he's wanted, there is also virtue in the fact that he does not see the damage the disease has done to Fengxian and think of her as damaged goods. To him Fengxian has just as much value as the day he lost her, simply because she exists. Forget an attitude that's rare in the red-light district, that attitude is rare in the entire setting, which is acknowledged as extremely patriarchal.

Lakan also gets a chance to redeem himself somewhat during the Shi Rebellion. By the time Maomao is kidnapped, it's not because Lakan has been lazy - we see that he's been actively involved in the investigation about the feifa, with a chilling understanding about what improved firearms technology could do for military tactics. He is actually using his position and subordinates appropriately, setting Lahan to investigate the financial trail, which provides Jinshi the concrete proof needed to officially put the rebellion down. This time, the danger to Maomao is not Lakan's fault, and when he realizes she's been kidnapped, he does whatever he must to get Maomao back.

"Silently, Lakan turned toward Jinshi. Then he got up, knelt before Jinshi and pressed his fist into his palm in a gesture of respect. 'I come in supplication. I humbly request that you mobilize the army to strike against the rebel, Shishou.'

Lakan was a grand commandant, in other words, a secretary of military affairs. Jinshi understood what it meant for such a person to ask for the army to be mobilized."

Jinshi observes that his motives have nothing to do with the good of the nation and he is entirely concerned with his own, selfish needs, but while Lakan's motives may be selfish on behalf of the nation, he IS actually acting the way a father should. Maomao is in danger and his priority is doing whatever he must get her to safety, whether that be using the full authority of his rank or putting aside his pride to get Jinshi to mobilize the army.

Neither Malice Nor Virtue

Book 11 gives us an interesting look at Lakan, first in the war conference where Gyoku-ou is gauging Jinshi and Lakan's support for invading another country and we see that Lakan does not care.

"'What do you think, Sir Lakan?'

Lakan once again stopped working his Go problems and studied the map intently. He wore the same look with which he would appraise a board game…

'I don't know about your reasons or excuses. All I know is how to win at Shogi,' Lakan said and then he started arranging the pieces on the map. The aide gave Jinshi an apologetic look.

There was no malice in Lakan - but neither was their virtue. So long as something didn't harm him or his family, he paid it no mind. If there was a chance to participate in an interesting game however - that he wouldn't miss…to the strategist war was just a combination of his favorite games; it was a Shogi match using human pieces and a game of Go in which you captured real territory."

Jinshi's evaluation of Lakan is rather damming. The man has neither malice nor virtue. He cares only about himself, his family and his simple pleasures. This is the core of the issue that has doomed his relationship with Maomao, who despite having inherited a great deal of Lakan's characteristics, values two things above all else in her relationships; work ethic and compassion toward others.

Lakan desperately wants that paternal role with Maomao, but his behavior means that the roles are often reversed - when they are forced to interact, Maomao is often stuck taking care of him, thinking about what will be best for Lakan so that she can maintain her own peace as much as possible. He cannot possibly be her parent if he insists on being a perpetual child to those around him.

And indeed, Jinshi treats him like a child, cutting Lakan's support out from under Gyoku-ou by laying out for him that his daughter and his uncle would both be hurt by this war, giving Lakan a reason to care.

Rikuson

While Book 11 is rather damning in it's evaluation of Lakan as a truly neutral figure, there are hints that Lakan is capable of at least expanding his circle. Rikuson provides first a different perspective of Lakan than we're used to, giving us his first impressions as a child;

"Among the nomadic tribes, it was said that some herdsmen could distinguish each and every one of their sheep - but Rikuson could never do that. Maybe Lakan saw people's faces the same way Rikuson saw sheep.

'Well, what do you do when you really need to remember who someone is?'

Lakan was silent for a moment…"I remember them by the shape of their ears, or their height. I look at the quality of their hair. Memorize the stink of their sweat. Or I listen for the pitch of their voice…'

'Wouldn't it be easier to just remember their face?'

'I don't get faces. I can see people have eyes and a nose and a mouth, but when I try to put them together they get all tangled up and all I can see is a Go stone. Now the size of a person's nostrils, the length of their eyelashes - those, I can understand.'

So he didn't remember an entire face, just specific details about it. That sounded exhausting. No wonder he only did it for the most important people."

Rikuson is right - that DOES sound exhausting. With this perspective in mind, it makes more sense to the reader why Lakan constantly appears lazy and apathetic; because he's always riding the edge of exhaustion just to function. And because Rikuson hasn't had to live with the consequences of Lakan's carelessness, he is better able to empathize with how Lakan interacts with the world around him.

Later, after Rikuson has killed Gyoku-ou, Lakan walks into the situation and instead of exposing his former aide, he protects Rikuson.

"'He was already murdered when you entered the room. So you killed the rebel - is that not right?

It was, of all people, Lakan standing there…What was he doing here?

…Ah, Rikuson thought, it was all over now. There was no hiding anything from Lakan. He had neither good intentions nor bad, but would simply lay out the facts…

'You heard the man,' Lakan said to those around them.

'Wh-What do you mean, Grand Commandant Kan?'

'Hrm? He's telling the truth. He killed the rebel who killed the man. Where's the crime in that? If anything, this is all your fault for leaving such scant security.'

…There was much murmuring, but the general consensus was that if Grand Commandant Kan said it, then that was that…Their suspicion of Rikuson had been dispelled in an instant."

You'll note he doesn't lie for Rikuson. In fact, he offers a perfectly truthful understanding of what happened. The man is Takubatsu, whom Rikuson did in fact find murdered when he entered the room. And Gyoku-ou had essentially taken Jinshi hostage and was actively undermining the Imperial Brother's authority and legitimacy, which does make him a rebel.

But in protecting Rikuson, he offers a counterpoint to both Jinshi and Rikuson's observations that he has neither malice nor virtue, good intentions nor bad. Perhaps it is just that Rikuson has earned Lakan's liking and loyalty over the years, but it is growth.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Where Lakan has earned moments of redemption and growth, it is when he has shown that his fun is less important than those he cares about. There is an opportunity within the story for Lakan to act as Maomao's father in a way Luomen cannot - in the matter of her marriage.

If Lakan is willing to put all of his intuition and political cunning behind Maomao's choices regarding marriage and family, then he has the chance to finally perform an act of duty by his daughter that would establish a reason for Maomao to begin to display filial piety toward him.

But Maomao's marriage would absolutely challenge Lakan's fantasy of playing 'daddy'. It would literally require him to give away his child but more critically, it would mean giving up his fantasy of Maomao as a perpetual little girl and fully acknowledging the grown woman that she has become.

Whether Lakan is wiling to put Maomao's needs first above his own will be the crux of his character development. At no point has Lakan been malicious, but his carelessness has done more to shape Maomao's early life than any other influence. Could he do better? Perhaps. Will he? The answer to that question and how it affects Maomao's adult choices will shape his role within the story going forward - whether he will continue to doom the one relationship he wants more than any other in service of his own needs and fantasies, or if he will sacrifice them to do his duty by his daughter when it matters most.

[miitokii]

can i post this for shuake week day 7 even though it’s late and isn’t really shuake (I LOVE SHUAKE) :,)

joker’s palace! i imagine he has one shadow for each confidant, and they’re all called their respective arcanas.

his palace is a theatre/masquerade, hence they all have masks and gloves

the first one (which i also posted before, is arsène/fool)

the last one is strength (the shadow for the twin wardens). it’s kinda just his inmate outfit so i didn’t line/colour it properly lol

i also have these, which i drew for a different purpose [which has now been posted!] (hence the lack of masks, gloves, and yellow eyes; and the drawings of the confidants; and the relative lack of detail) but if i were to draw them the designs would be similar

warning for long ass dump of my notes on each shadow lol:

each shadow is sort of like how ren tries to portray himself to each of his confidants, like their ideal version of him (at least in joker’s cognition)

joker (fool): his ‘joker’ persona - the leader of the phantom thieves, bold, flamboyant, confident (i.e. how he portrays himself in the metaverse)

ann (lovers): fashionista, model, veering into drag queen territory

i initially drew a suit version but then remembered ren canonically has crossdressed lol (we love the mementos mission manga)

haru (empress): a sweet and gentle prince, detached from okumura foods (like haru’s getaway, prince charming)

makoto (priestess): a model student, smart, serious, but also driven and follows own ideals (like makoto wishes she could)

ryuji (chariot): punkish gym bro

akechi (justice): righteous knight, intellectual and justice driven

morgana (magician): a phantom thief, a cowboy sort of image, sly, cunning, fast

yusuke (emporer): traditional japanese furisode (in modern times this tends to be worn by women, which yusuke could be more drawn to in his models) artistic, down to earth

there’s also a bit about his mother, since a furisode is mostly worn by unmarried women, and since we never hear about yusuke’s biological father, i’d guess she was unmarried? yusuke wants to recapture the beauty of the sayuri (which is a self-portrait) and thinks he could do so with a beautiful model - so ren wears a furisode like an unmarried young woman, like yusuke’s mother

futaba (hermit): otaku, nerd, older brother figure and fellow gamer

sojiro (heirophant): apprentice barista, 2nd boss of leblanc, charming, a ladies man (sorry sojiro your son is gay)

twin wardens (strength): just an inmate lol (focused on fusing lots of personas and filling the compendium, plus listening to igor)

sumi (faith): senior more experienced gymnast/trainer, ‘senpai’

mishima (moon): gentleman thief, but unlike fool and magician, moon would be more secretive and cunning like a traditional gentleman thief

maruki (counsellor): fellow researcher, curious and driven, but very kind and empathetic

maruki would also wish ren was more like him, and agreed with his ideas, since they both lowkey have a savior complex but use different methods. if ren agreed with maruki there would be no conflict in the 3rd semester, which is what maruki would want

sae (judgement): innocent and sweet school boy, model student, unlike priestess who is more self-driven and ambitious, judgement would be more conforming

[bekkandaa]

thank you for your analysis of him!! it's very interesting. especially the part where you mentioned him being a romantic because he's objectively perceived as a cold, cruel, emotionally unavailable person (which he was) but he clearly found grandiose motivations and purposes to justify his crimes. how self-aware do you think he was? and if he was made aware of the outcome of his quest for power, would he do it nonetheless? realistically what would it take for him to have a moral crisis or question his values? was he aromantic and repulsed by human connection by nature or did he actively suppress whatever humanity was left...or maybe just try to be perceived as not needing it? sorry for asking so many questions. i could spend hours attempting to unravel tom's psyche.

thanks in advance

Hello Anon! Thank you for your questions. I want to address the first few in a different post, because I have a few different answers I want to discuss and don't want this post to run on forever. Is Tom Riddle Aromantic?

Before we delve into the intricacies of Tom Riddle's capacity for Romantic love, it is important for me to mention that we'll be disregarding the plot point of his inability to love due to his parents' love potion thing. Instead, our focus will be purely on his psyche and the effect that has on his ability to love. ( Because that's what this blog is for, and the whole love potion thing is silly in my humble opinion)

To address whether Riddle's beliefs and upbringing contribute to an aromantic disposition, I think we first have to consider his own capacity for romantic love. I'll be discussing his capacity for romantic love through the fact of his narcissism, a topic I've explored before here.

Riddle's psychology can largely be understood through the lens of pathological narcissism. While all humans present a public façade, for a pathological narcissist, the gap between this façade and their concealed self is particularly stark. Riddle's charm was a strategic tool to attract admirers who could feed his sense of self. This façade protects the false self from exposure, maintaining his grandiose self-image and fuelling his delusions.

Emotional intimacy is typically outside a narcissist's comfort zone as they are disconnected from their true feelings, driven instead by the need to uphold their grandiose persona. Narcissists often idealise their partners' admirable qualities, using them as a mirror for their own grandiosity. In this context, love becomes a means to an end—a way to support their self-image, making romantic love a form of supply for a narcissist.

Narcissists possess many qualities such as social confidence, likability, and charm, which are optimal for initiating relationships. However, these are coupled with traits like low empathy, a tendency to use others to maintain their false self-image, and overall self-centeredness, which are destructive to functional relationships. A narcissist's partner is usually objectified, unable to retain their own autonomy within the relationship. If the partner shatters the narcissist's illusion, they may become the target of contempt for disrupting the narcissist's grandiose perception they created of their partner. Essentially, the goal of such a relationship is the complete obliteration of the partner's autonomy.

Despite these challenges, it is important to recognise that narcissists can and do love, although their love sometimes differs from a healthy, unconditional relationship. Following this logic, Riddle is capable of romantic love, but it would most likely be an unhealthy relationship where his partner is more objectified than valued as a person.

Having established Riddle's capacity for love, we return to the question of his potential aromanticism. Possible reasons include:

Repulsion by human connection by nature Active suppression of any remaining humanity Intentional portrayal of himself as above human needs

While I do not believe Riddle was innately repulsed by human connection from birth, he likely developed this repulsion through his upbringing. His identity and beliefs were deeply intertwined with his blood status. Discovering his ancestry to Salazar Slytherin inflated his ego and sense of self, fuelling his delusions about an "idealised parent image." However, learning about his Muggle father shattered these notions, inducing an identity crisis and internal conflict. This conflict manifested in his actions, such as punishing his father and changing his name.

Rejection by the family he sought further shattered his grandiose self-image, deepening his mental breakdown. This rejection likely made him feel repulsed by the human connection he sought, leading him to view himself as above such needs. Despite his heritage being a construct to fuel his false-self, the search for a parent and creation of an "idealised parent image" is common among children lacking parental figures. This behaviour signifies Riddle's inherent humanity and need for connection, which he suppressed following the shattering of his idealised image.

According to Freud, human behaviour is more influenced by the unconscious mind rather than the conscious one. The unconscious mind, filled with painful memories, tries to protect the conscious mind by hiding them, influences attitudes, behaviours, and character. For Riddle, the painful memories of his corrupted heritage resurfaced, despite his unconscious mind's attempts to hide them. He then attempted to eradicate his past self, exemplified by his transformation into Lord Voldemort and his agenda concerning blood status.

This brings us to the final point: in eradicating his past, Riddle attempted to portray himself as devoid of human needs through his new persona, Lord Voldemort. ( in all honesty he done the opposite by doing that, just really announced his fear of his own humanity and his disgust of it.)

These points, stemming from his past, suggest that Riddle is most likely aromantic. While he is capable of love, albeit in an unhealthy way, he sees himself above the need for it and suppresses any potential need under the guise of repulsion due to the rejection he faced. TLDR : Tom Riddle is in fact Aromantic, and that was more or less caused by him getting his feelings hurt and choosing to suppress / act like he does not need humanity at all. Just going back to Anon at the beginning talking about how Riddle was a romantic, (which he was, it's a universal fact at this point) I do think it's hilarious how he chose the most 'teenage girl' items for his horcruxes. Diary boy really wanted to go all out and I can respect it.

[crimson-and-clover-1717]

Ed Teach, Gods, and Beautiful Things

We don’t know if Ed ever picked flowers as a boy. But if he did, he’d likely be thinking about the potential in owning a florist’s. Because Ed knows it’s not in god’s plan for him to have beauty for beauty’s sake.

Ed chides himself even in the gravy basket: ‘Everything’s got to have an angle for you’. ‘Hornigold’s’ shoes cannot simply exist as beautifully crafted objects. They need to be monetized. Ed continues to wrestle with his demons a long time.

Ed’s worldview is entirely rational for a child who knew hunger; who saw limited food thrown against walls in acts of domestic violence. Told he wasn’t one of those kinds of people. Who killed a brutal father in order to survive. Leaned into himself, trauma-driven.

But Ed’s also an artist. He thinks in metaphor. He cultivates a larger-than-life persona so convincing it smothers him. He can produce an astonishingly creative fuckery. But there’s motive to his art which usually involves pecuniary interest i.e. the plundering of a ship. Cloud-gazing serves a wider purpose. The romance removed from the rainbow. It’s not that Ed can’t see beauty for beauty’s sake; he believes he doesn’t have the right to see the world with such eyes. Nor the luxury. He’s hidden his silk. No time for sensibility with constant threat of storm. Extrinsic value is what matters. Don’t starve is what counts. Such an approach to life, however, is making Ed increasingly ill and world-weary.

Ed’s quest for security, financial and physical, and the extraordinary pantomime he’s built to achieve it, has buried him alive. He’s trapped within a chrysalis. A butterfly with unspread wings. And he’s attracted the fanatical devotion of a self-appointed little god, entirely in thrall to the hyper-masculine performance, who refuses to let the show end. When Ed wobbles after many years, and hints at changing the script, he is rebuked to his crew as increasingly insane and half-mad. He’s neither; but he is, at the very least, utterly depressed and passively suicidal.

When Ed hears of ‘The Gentleman Pirate’, and despite the obfuscation of his over-zealous prison-guard, he realises the door to the cell has opened a crack - this is a jailbreak. The chasing down of the Revenge is Ed’s decision to live with meaning, and to live freely. To find beauty in the world for beauty’s sake. To attempt to heal his inner child. To flip his middle finger at the gods…all of them. It’s still trauma-driven, but less strategy, more instinct. That in itself is a beginning.

Ed breaks open the chrysalis and heads for the light.

[nori-the-cat]

TWS Shinyu as a Boyfriend (Mini Reading)

Disclaimer: This is a general interpretation based on the tarot cards drawn. It's for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered a definitive statement about personality.

Let's start with how Shinyu would approach someone he likes.

How would Shinyu approach someone he likes?

Cards: the chariot, seven of swords, and the star.

The Chariot suggests Shinyu will be decisive and take charge when pursuing someone he likes. He won't be shy about expressing his interest. Followed by the Seven of Swords implies he can be mischievous or would poke fun at the person he likes. When Seven of Swords appears in a love reading, it can indicate a playful or even mischievous approach. Shinyu might use his charm and wit to impress his crush, perhaps flirting or teasing them playfully.

However, since Shinyu is still young or has a youthful energy. The Star card suggests Shinyu has a pure and genuine heart when it comes to love. He might be drawn to someone kind and compassionate, and he will approach them with sincerity and a positive attitude.

Combining these three cards, I see Shinyu as a confident and playful person who takes control in matters of love. He isn't afraid to make the first move and uses his charm to win someone over. However, beneath the confident exterior, there's a genuine and hopeful romantic at heart. He's looking for a connection based on kindness and shared values.

Now, how would he confess to someone he likes. Aren't you curious?

So, how would he confess?

Cards: the lovers, three of cups, and knight of wands.

The lovers embody choices, connections, and deep emotions. In the context of a confession, it suggests Shinyu will be open and honest about his feelings, allowing his crush to reciprocate. He wants a relationship built on mutual respect and understanding, and his confession will reflect this desire.

I think he had confessed to someone in the past and it was a successful confession. This energy is reflected in my cards. It seems like he genuinely likes this person and they did too.

With the three of cups coming out after the lovers, it means a positive outcome. When this card appears in a love reading, it indicates a positive outcome. When he confesses, the confession might lead to a happy new chapter in their relationship.

The Three of Cups can also represent strong friendships and connections, so even if his feelings aren't reciprocated romantically, the confession could still strengthen their bond and lead to a deeper friendship.

He is the most composed male K-pop idol I have come across. He exudes a sense of maturity and confidence. There is a hint of nonchalance in his persona, but it is not negative in any way. It is like he has this attitude of 'Well, at least I confessed and got these feelings off my chest'.

But keeping in mind Shinyu is still young. I believe he's 20 or has just turned 20? So, there is still that impulsive energy that might indicate he's immature or rush things.

Knight of wands as the last card implies he might or had taken a risk. This card suggests Shinyu might be a bit impulsive when confessing. He might blurt out his feelings in a moment of excitement, driven by his eagerness to let the person he likes know how he feels towards them.

In the context of Shinyu's confession, the Knight of Wands suggests he'll be swept away by his emotions and might blurt out his feelings in a surprising or unexpected way. While his sincerity will come through, his impulsiveness could lead to a slightly awkward confession.

These cards together illustrates Shinyu's confession will be heartfelt and honest (The Lovers). He'll approach it with optimism and hope for a positive outcome (Three of Cups). However, his impulsiveness (Knight of Wands) might lead to a slightly awkward or unexpected confession.

As someone who is a few years older than him, I like his youthful energy and his determination. I think he would be the type to not give up even though you've rejected him many times. HAHAHAHAHAH

Then, what's is he like when you're his partner?

In a relationship, what is Shinyu like as a boyfriend?

Cards: six of wands, the sun, and five of cups.

In a relationship reading, Shinyu is someone thoughtful and supportive (six of wands). He would be optimistic, playful, and create a fun-loving atmosphere in your relationship (the sun)

Imagine a lazy Sunday afternoon spent together. Shinyu might suggest a spontaneous picnic in the park, complete with frisbee throws, laughter, and maybe even a friendly snowball fight in winter. He'd be full of ideas for playful dates and adventures, keeping the relationship exciting and full of life.

Although he is overall a bright and positive person, in a relationship Shinyu could have a tendency to dwell on the past. Five of cups suggest Shinyu might struggle to let go of arguments or disagreements. He could hold onto hurt feelings for a while, impacting the overall mood of the relationship. This could be because Shinyu might take criticism or disagreements a little too personally.

Overall, Shinyu wears his heart on his sleeve (Six of Wands). He would express his love for his partner (you) openly (the sun).

However, the Five of Cups suggests he might struggle with letting go of minor arguments. There might be a case where he would sulk or feel offended.

But, he's overall, playful and sensitive. He feels very warm to me, yet he does have a lot of growing up to do.

Channelled song:

The song below reminds me of him. That impulsive energy or spontaneity fits the song below.

This was a requested reading from user @ttori-jeans

[dotthings]

Thinking about John Silver being the one main character who has no backstory, on a show where all the main characters are so driven and so created and driven by their backstories (Flint most of all but not just Flint). While Silver is left a mystery, on purpose by the writers, and stated outright by the character, that he’s not going to tell and the reasons. That he couldn't find meaning in it and that all it would do is become yet another illustration of how the world is full of horrors. He calls it “irrelevant.”

I’m torn between believing Silver's backstory was prosaic, that he had a decent childhood, with kind parents of modest means, and ran away to become a ship’s cook because he got bored and wanted to see the world vs believing he survived many abuses and tragedies and not telling his tale is his way of shrinking it. It gives him power over what will define him. He starts writing his own story fresh from the first episode of Black Sails. Flint gets almost lost in his own narrative. Max and Eleanor and Anne's back story fuels their anger and keeps them going and gives them determination as they try to become beyond it, not get lost in it. Whereas Silver refuses to let his backstory narrative write him--what happens is that Silver starts letting the freshly created legend of Long John Silver take hold, starts becoming the legend. So he finally gives in to letting a story define him to some extent but he keeps the divide between himself and the persona far more than Flint does

On a show about the power of stories and narratives, Silver, who is a skilled storyteller, and himself becomes a legendary story, the one story he can’t tell and won't use, is his own before Nassau, before he meets Captain Flint.

[thegamingcatmom]

Hi! :3

I come bringing question(s) mostly just one, I have recently started cooking something and I am debating wether I want Miri to be saved or not. Well "save her" i kind of think is a strong word bc she may be unhinged enough to have crossed the point of no return but who cares about that?

My question is, you think Miri is like evil for real? Or you think she has been manipulated by 'The Black God'? I have been reading some crazy theories and stuff so my mind is racing with million ideas mind you, kinda chaotic up there. Like she certainly is no saint, nobody in that forsaken village is but here we are, simping over all of da women, sins ain't stopping us from doing so XD

Their sins are the reason we simp for them. 😏❤️‍🔥

Right so, I know a lot of fics and theories portray Miranda as this divine being/demigod who was sent to bring Judgement or smt. For some, she is The Black God. However-

The Black God is actually the name Miranda herself chose for The Megamycete, also because it holds enough power that bringing back Eva seems entirely possible. As a result, she proclaimed herself a prophet of "The Black God" and started her cult. In other words: "Mother" Miranda was born.

So, what does that tell us?

That whole priestess persona is as much of a disguise as the Old Hag (which she uses to spy on the villagers). She has to keep her flock in check somehow, and what better way to do that than by parading as their sheperd? She´s basically a wolf in sheep´s clothing, snatching them up one by one (to experiment on them) without any of them noticing.

So, there´s no divinity involved here. Not really. Miranda draws all her power from the Megamycete aka The Fungus Root - an ancient entity that stores the genetics as well as the consciousness and memories of those it has come in contact with.

As for whether Miranda is actually evil? Hm...that depends on what you define as "evil". I like to think that there´s never just "good" or "evil". Life´s not that simple.

Like, let´s look at some of the facts here:

Miranda abducted Mia and experimented on her for (probs) multiple reasons. One of them being that she needed her DNA in order to take on her form and infiltrate the Winters household.

She played dead when Chris shot her because she knew it would be the easiest way to "rid" herself of her problems and escape with Rose into the night.

(She´s literally so cunning, I can´t-)

She unleashed the Lycans on the villagers because she had no further use for them.

But also to feed them to The Megamycete and thus, ensuring its power would be sufficient for the ceremony.

She checked the Village to make sure there weren´t any survivors left.

She killed the last one herself (Iulian).

Miranda divided Rose into several pieces. Not just to experiment with them, but also because it kept Ethan busy.

BUT HERE´S THE THING:

She gave each of the Lords one piece because she knew Ethan would kill in his quest to retrieve them.

Miranda basically used Ethan to rid herself of her "children".

She always planned on killing them.

She killed Ethan when he outlived his purpose, meaning she had no further use for him.

All of Shadows of Rose (haven´t played that one yet, but Ik Miranda is even more unhinged in this one)

Sooo, does that make her evil? Some would say yes, others would say she was driven by grief and sorrow over losing her only child. I say-

It´s complicated, lol.

No one is ever entirely "good" or "evil". It´s a mix of both and whether it leans more in either direction depends on your experiences and goals in life, as well as the minds you surround yourself with. And lots of other stuff that would take a lot more than one tumblr post to fully cover. The human psyche is a mystery, after all. 🧠🧐

I do believe no one is beyond redemption, though. Like I said, nobody is ever just evil, that´s a rather naive way to perceive the world, imo. While some certainly lean more in that direction than others, it´s not what makes them, yknow? Nobody is "born" evil, so we shouldn´t reduce them to their worst qualities. Instead, we should help them get better because that will ultimately lead to a better world. ✌️

.

.

.

Thanks a lot for your ask! 💋

[youroriginalsublimecupcakestuff]

Inspired by a fic by setodarkness on ao3 ( about oblivious chuuya and his wall of obliviousness who defeat dazai thirst)

Chuuya get affected by an ability that make that he can read dazai though and his deepest desire which defeat port mafia strongest ability user and one of Yokohama most powerful ability user.

It's an ability so powerful because chuuya is blocked by an embarrassment so strong that he can't leave his bed, dazai is way too thirsty and his imagination is too great for the purpose of imagining perverted scenario including chuuya, even his great wall of obliviousness suffer a crack so great that it end up getting broken in the end.

and this ability have differents level which can made him suffer throught feeling dazai strongest feeling, he feel throught his emptiness which make him realise that he should take his suicidal joke more seriously, he feel how he was feeling when his friend oda died a despair so strong that it make him cry and he feel his longing toward him , hate and love both so strong that you can't differenciate them.

Port mafia especially Verlaine and kouyou who doesn't like that at all and want to protect chuuya's virtue are in overdrive trying to get the ability user especially when they learned because of the agency detective and throught others victims of this ability that at the last stage of this ability , he wouldn't be able to differenciate his though and feeling from dazai feelings which have driven many victims of this ability to madness.

But the person that work the hardest which was in kunikida doppo own words a miracle was dazai osamu, he really didn't like the situation and can't nullify it by touching chuuya so he did the ultra rare coming from him action of doing overwork even nearly going back to his persona as the demon prodigy if his friends at the agency ( and even ango ) didn't stop him.

When they got the ability user, they discovered what does his ability, it make peoples see the hidden though and feeling of the one closest to them, the more intense and restrained those feeling are, the more it will affect you, which make dazai tease a chuuya in denial.

He tried to avoid dazai but dazai caught up to him and they had a long talk aften dazai finished teasing chuuya and decide to try to be more honest with each others and to try on a relationship.

[afreakingdork]

A quiet part of me wonders (mostly because the oc I’m using in the place of Y/N for weak spot is… morally questionable in oc canon) how would the story change if Y/N was a villain themselves? Either former or current.

You got that John Krasinski joint inside you? 👀

Sorry couldn't resist 😂

Put those OC's in! Let's go! We love to hear it!

-cracks knuckles-

BET

So, I think my first immediate thought when I read morally questionable is that it changes nothing!

Anticlimactic, yes I know.

Why?

Because while I've never said such, reader is morally grey. I see comments about how reader is good or reader is becoming bad by being with Donnie. Reader has thought this themselves. Less we not forget, however, that reader is an unreliable narrator. We've seen this occur in a multitude of ways. This is my own personal philosophy coming out (and also plays in conjunction with the themes of Weak Spot, mentioned here) is that, on the whole, most people are morally shades of grey. Very few, if any, people are truly bad or good. It's part of why a good villain is redeemable and people love to see it. It's also why there's sometimes nothing tastier than a hero who's moral compass pushes them too far! Life isn't black and white!

But that's not reading your actual question, that's just me taking a chance to say that. You asked how the story would change if reader was a villain.

Now that changes everything!

First off, the story wouldn't be about if you're worthy of love, we would be playing with a tango! As we've seen, Donnie folds in players he finds useful, takes out those in his way, manipulates them if he finds them beneath him, or further yet, completely ignores them if they don't fall on his radar. He's sort of ambivalent in that way, but it's walking eggshells for another villain. Especially in his younger years, if you toed anywhere near his line, he'd be on your shit. This is a man of information. He is more connected than Big Mama without question. He'd know about you the second you committed your first petty crime. Now the real question would be if he would actually remember your name or if he'd drop it into the monitoring stack where 99.9% of all the other villains go.

As we know in general, he had never once trifled with love and I'm less inclined to think he would do so for another villain. He has his persona to uphold and no matter how much of a small fry you are, you are still another rogue and to him that will always be a threat.

Are you retired? You were weak and couldn't stay in the game. That speaks to your resolve.

Are you small potatoes? You're not hungry enough. Why should he waste his time on you?

Are you in the big leagues? You are an opponent and he will move his chess pieces accordingly.

Dang, here I go again coming up with only bad endings. i swear I'm not doing this on purpose, but this just falls in line with the goals of Weak Spot and how changing the parameters alters the whole thing. The story is meant to be an examination of what makes you worthy of love and if your job really defines you. If you are both evil, of course you are both worthy because there is nothing standing in your way, but from the way Donnie has been crafted and come to be, it's difficult to see him dropping any of that for a fellow villain. The exact same could be said about a hero except we have already have textual examples of that (the other turtles). The thing about reader is they needed to be a regular person, because at his core Donnie just wants a chance to live authentically and who better to illustrate living for the sake of living than the every man? They had to be someone outside his world to open his eyes, otherwise he'd be looking through the exact same lens. No one is driven to crime just for the fun sake of it (look back up to my earlier general consensus, this is simply a blanket statement stemming from that). I'm not saying someone broken or 'bad' couldn't have reached Donnie, if we shift Weak Spot, there is absolutely some hot hot tension to be had of going toe to toe with a villain (case and point chapter 49), but within the framing of Weak Spot, I would say, overall, we have yet another dead end.

Lovely exercise though! Thank you for giving me a chance to answer!

[blackstarchanx3new]

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you dislike the canon manga Red?

This turned into a rant lmfao.

Gotta make Red simps hate me more than they already do X'D

Like a 5 at least.

The problem mainly boils down to how I perceive him due to MY OWN PERSONAL READING OF THE TEXT.

So, the start: I'm not a fan of those types of "i'm so cute teehee" characters to begin with but for Red specifically...I just hate how inconsistent and poorly utilized he is.

He just morphs to be whatever the narrative needs him to be instead of having a real character.

He's a plot device more than a character tbh and it's why I struggled SO MUCH with figuring out a direction for him in FSR.

because...all the plot is character driven.

And I literally had no USE for a character who's soul purpose was filling in gaps when there weren't any with this cast.

His behavior isn't ever fully dived into like the other three.

I've mentioned this before: I think they cut a stand alone Red Chapter somewhere in development because the way his scene ends to where we see him later after they split up is SO WEIRD.

Funnily enough I find Dark Link and Red very similar. (Which is a huge problem but I'll get into that some other time)

Except Dark Link's inconsistencies and overall character loops back to his creation and he himself being a conflict of interest in Vaati's mind when he created Dark. he WANTED HIS Link back the only person he felt a connection to who he last had on good terms with, paired with wanting to HURT and destroy the current incarnation of Link.

making a twisted as hell individual who simultaneously embodies Link and is Link's twisted mirror image.

Naive uncertain and full of inner turmoil due to his purpose.

But when Dark REALIZES what he is to the truest extent he has to justify or crumble under the weight of his reality. There's a reason i described early Dark link as "Delusional" because he was.

Red just...doesn't have any of that kind of retrospection or intrigue in cannon.

Dark's innocence comes from his naivete but where the fuck does it come from with Red? (and it's proven to be fake anyway because he's the first one to stab someone who they think is their knight friends buuuuuut-)

Red's just canonically a contradiction with no real point and it's never pointed out in the narrative so like...it's just weird and kinda unnerving.

Like I pointed out, he literally acts like Lil Gideon before the reveal he's a crazy maniac.

Except we never GET the reveal for Red.

Red doesn't have any flaws that aren't him playing up his baby persona and fucking shit up for the others. He's just stupid af sometimes and helpful others without much rhyme or reason.

...Again I've said this before but if he was smart in areas Vio was dumb in (liKE IF THE DIRECTIONS THING WAS MORE OBVIOUSLY A CANNON THING IDK IF VIO BEING DICK WITH DIRECTIONS WAS JUST SMTH THEY ACCIDENTILY REPEATED A FEW TIMES OR A REAL INTENTIONAL TRAIT OF HIS) it could have been a fun dynamic but Vio and Red barely interact.

Honestly most of the dynamics I find myself WANTING with Red revolve around Vio...

And, imo his persona is blatantly fake from how often he just...drops it when the plot requires him to or when...idk it's just not NEEDED?

Him not shedding a TEAR when Shadow dies continues to creep me out.

because everything we know about Red tells us he should at least LOOK sat but he just...isn't.

And you can't be like "Oh but Shadow was their enemy"

bLUE GOT HIS ASS KICKED BY THIS ASSHOLE SO MANY TIMES AND HE LOOKS SAD. WHY DOESN'T RED WHO CRIES OVER KILLING ROCK MONSTERS IT'S CREEPYYYYYY.

Like no, I didn't want Red to dramatically burst into tears and ruin the moment, but dude didn't even look SAD.

Didn't look sad a dude with his face DIED.

Burned Blue's ass after JUST CRYING about him being DEAD and just WALKED AWAY.

Like if he had any depth to him this shit would be dived into but he's as shallow as a puddle and I dislike it strongly.

Like if ANY of this shit was even addressed in the manga I'd like him WAY MORE.

but it feels UNINENTIONAL which is the issue I have with Red as a character.

Long as hell walk to say:

I don't wanna spoil stuff but I do think you could have fresh ideas with Red being VERY DIFFRENT from link but my main issue with him in the actual cannon manga is:

He doesn't feel realistically like a part of Link due to my interpretation of the text and it's storytelling, and the WAY the text WANTS portrays him doesn't line up with his actions, and I don't like it.

[hauntedwizardmoment]

director's commentary for the chunk from "hollowed out and filled with feathers" that starts with "That night, after they’re settled into their room for the night..." and ends with "he's incredible at his job" 👀

oh my god YAY hollowed out is. kind of my baby <3 theyre all my babies but hollowed out is where Cool Girl Thesis lives and i love Cool Girl Thesis. i stand by my cancelled husband evil bisexual purse dog jace stardiamond. i love it when characters have no sense of their identity outside of what other people demand from them and are driven to madness by their own. well. hollowness.

so like. right before the start of this:

That night, after they’re settled into their room for the night (and the route to Sunpeak is charted out), he buys them several cases of the cheapest beer he can find, and pulls out a deck of cards for Porter’s favorite game. “Strip poker?”

we have porter giving jace a direct order to relax. and like, jace is clearly not relaxed. he's about to watch peregrine (guy he was in love with) and aurora (his fundie ex-coworker who ruined his life) get married. but porter gave him an order, so this is him making a show of how relaxed he is. they're gonna play a game porter likes but jace himself doesn't really care for. it doesnt help jace relax but it makes porter think jace is relaxed, is chill, is Cool Girl, and thats what matters

He loses deliberately, plays terribly on purpose and ignores the math in his head telling him exactly what cards Porter has. The tepid beer tastes disgusting and leaves his mouth dry, but he downs it anyways. Wills his shoulders to slouch, tosses his hair back and laughs as he unbuttons his shirt slowly, teasing, after Porter wins again. The goal is to relax, and godsfuckingdammit, he’ll show Porter how relaxed he can be.

jace dumbing himself down, drinking beer he doesnt like, and playing up the flirty act because again, he gets that when porter says "relax" he doesnt mean "curl up in bed doing crosswords and watch medical dramas until you fall asleep" he means "do something that i find fun and sexy, but don't be better than me because that's threatening."

He’ll show all of them just how much better he’s doing. 

and it's all a show because he's still deeply bitter and angry about losing his party and getting replaced.

His laughter turns genuine after the fifth beer, when he’s down to just his underwear and Porter’s still fully clothed. Even with the capital-P Plan and the thought of seeing his old party weighing on him, Porter still manages to make him smile. “You make me so, so happy,” he’s tipsy and stupid, just the way Porter likes him. “I was so lost without you,” he says, as a pair of strong, firm hands wrap around his waist, holding him still. When Porter lays him out, pins his wrists to the bed and conquers him, he doesn’t need to lie to himself.

there is a part of jace that likes not being so high strung! porter brings that out in him, teases out a humor, a lightness, an ease! hollows him out and fills him with feathers! he wants the persona to be real so badly, to actually be as Chill and Easy as porter thinks he is. he's able to lose himself in alcohol and sex and finally, genuinely relax by the end of this scene, but it's fleeting! he wants it to be real!

i won't lie here and say that i did this on purpose as foreshadowing for LSOP fic because this series is very much "whatever situation i can think to put jace in next" but in hindsight, this is like, very sad when you compare this jace to him in "his tomb by the sounding sea" who is dealing with the ramifications of actually being put in a place where he doesnt have to worry about being in control anymore.

and of course then we cut to:

Let it be known that he’s a complete idiot. A pretty face with nothing to back him up. And as of three days ago, even that’s up for debate.

jace POV for scene iv of "burn away the goodness, you and i remain" before he goes out and faces porter. he's been barely-conscious for three days and he's finally lucid enough to hate himself again!! yippee!! his lies have caught up with him and he's being punished for just how easily he caved to porter:

The problem is that he bought his own bullshit. He actually let himself believe he was the version of himself he invented for Porter: fun, easygoing, unchallenging and uncomplicated. Up for anything and everything, from petty theft to dangerous spellwork to erotic roleplay. He’d made sure any disagreements between them were reserved for the trivial, nothing that would ever get in the way of what Porter wanted or needed from him. Sanded down his edges, made himself the perfect partner and acolyte.

and the minute he disagreed with him, showed any sign of resistance, porter killed him over it and made sure that he wouldnt be able to do that again. this is the schrodinger's cat at he heart of starbreaker, to me: does porter care about jace, or was jace only a stepping stone in The Plan? how much of porter's care for him is an act/manipulation, and how much of it is genuine?

He’d forgotten love, for him, is always predicated on deception. If he was going to lie, he should have been prepared to keep it up forever.

jace genuinely believes this too </3 i dont think hes ever been genuine with anyone in his entire adult life, not since he learned that lying gets you what you want faster and easier and it only backfires when people find out

 He looks completely fucked and utterly unfuckable.   A chill runs through him when he remembers that it’s his own spellcraft that did this, ripped his control to shreds and gave the tattered pieces to someone else. Even now, he can feel an unfamiliar current of magic writhing beneath his skin, alive and with a mind of its own. The sensation turns his stomach, makes bile rise in his throat.

i think i'm like so preoccupied with "lack of control" being one of jace's worst fears because of how sorcerers are in rules-as-written d&d? like it's literally described as innate magic but idk man anything thats come innately to me has still always required me to hone whats already there with precision until it goes from good to really fucking good. also yay to jace selling a piece of himself to porter and for physical descriptions of magic, which i am also very preoccupied with.

He won’t let Porter see how much he’s falling apart.  If he pretends that he’s fine, then he is fine. He can still be everything Porter needs and wants, irreplaceable. He’s incredible at his job.

he's still fighting! he's so angry and spiteful in this, he can't even imagine letting the mask slip mere days after coming back to life. back to work, the show must go on! he's honestly mortified that there were three days where he didnt have the mask on. the performance is forever and it will take everything from him <3

[yanderes-galore]

Mugman romantic concept perhaps?

Sure! I've done a Cuphead one so it's only fair. Aged up as usual.

Yandere! Mugman Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking mention, Fear of abandonment, Implied poor mental state, Insecure mentality, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Dubious if relationship is forced or not.

Mugman is more responsible compared to his brother Cuphead.

He's also the one that's the most anxious and cautious of the two.

Mugman is not as reckless as his brother and would think over his actions towards his darling.

However he's extremely shy towards his crush.

Mugman's caution is both a blessing and a curse.

He really does want to talk to you without stuttering or staring but he's really struggling.

The advantage his cautious and careful persona gives him is he thinks of everything to get his obsession to like him.

Although Mugman is lovable on his own and doesn't need to do much planning.

Mugman is Obsessive, Anxious/Paranoid, Caring, Manipulative, Shy, Clingy and Moral.

Mugman is obsessive about his darling even if he isn't as intense as overbearing as Cuphead.

He has a tendency to lose focus when it comes to his crush.

He doesn't entirely like the idea of stalking but will follow you around.

Mugman likes to feel included around his crush which results in him following you around.

He wants to hang around his darling but is often too shy to ask you directly.

However, soon you'll start to realize meeting him wherever you go isn't a coincidence if he keeps pulling the same excuse over and over again.

Mugman just thinks his crush is dreamy.

He often thinks about the future you two could have!

The thing is... Mugman is a yandere driven by fear and anxiety at times.

He's scared he could lose you to someone else, like his brother for example.

He's not the most courageous or strongest...

You could easily find someone else and ignore him along with his feelings.

Mugman is scared of you hating him and him not being your type.

That's what makes him obsessive about you.

He'd need a lot of reassurance from you that he won't lose you.

The situation that Cuphead dragged him into with the Devil probably did not help him mentally either.

Mugman is extremely caring towards his crush.

It's actually one of the things that makes him insecure as he isn't sure if you'd like someone as soft as him.

Despite this you'll see that Mugman often asks how you are and is there to comfort you if you aren't doing swell.

He's considerate of you which is a nice trait to have when it comes to yandere characters.

Mugman wants to make you happy in any way he can as he enjoys seeing a smile on your face.

Which means he's a yandere that wouldn't kidnap and tries not to hurt anyone close to you.

He would be manipulative to get you and him dating along with insecure about if he's good for you or not.

In terms of yandere behavior, that's pretty tame compared to most.

Mugman overall tries to listen to his own morality.

If he ever inflicted pain of any kind on you then he's begging for your forgiveness.

Mugman hates the idea of you hating him.

He tries his best to have you like him even if it means distancing himself from you for some time.

It's rare to have a yandere respect your boundaries.

Mugman learned to listen to his morals ever since the Devil incident, making him more considerate.

Mugman is a big physical affection person.

He loves hugs the most from his crush and feels at peace whenever he gets one.

The first time he had one he nearly fainted though....

Mugman would not have many arguments with you.

He's so scared to lose you he feels it isn't worth it.

Overall Mugman is a yandere who's more responsible than his brother.

Mugman is more than willing to just be a good person to you in order to have you love him instead of forcing anything with his darling...

Even if he is doing some manipulation behind the scenes... he thinks he's doing it for a good purpose even if it is a little greedy.

[cryptidsncurios]

AU: Crimson Mist

( Supervillain AU )

(Biographical information in the au: night surgeon is the same for this au. However, this is set in a DC/Marvel/superhero kinda stuff universe, therefore containing all kinds of supernatural elements with infinite possibilities.)

Having struggled until the age of 18 to make his mark, Kimbley began to delve into the underbelly of society, getting involved in various illegal dealings and becoming quite wealthy in the process. Eventually, he captured the attention of a secret society known to very few outsiders as “The Alchemists.”* These are not your average criminals, however; they revealed to Kimbley another side of the world little known to humanity—a world rich in the supernatural.

Thus far, very few humans are aware of the truth of the Alchemists' existence—but they considered that Kimbley could be one of those exceptions, based on his already impressive prowess.

However, the Alchemists had to test him first, through the use of "The Gate": a portal into another realm from whence horrific, eldritch wonders originate, and the Alchemists draw their power. Providing him with a Red Stone---a fragment from The Gate itself that would allow him to traverse into that realm---they sent Kimbley to discover his true power. If Kimbley could survive, he would be taken into their ranks---but if not, he would be swallowed by the Infinite Horrors.

Obviously he survived.

In fact, he managed to drag an entire piece of skin from an eldritch creature out of those depths.

Needless to say, he was in.

After gaining the Alchemists' approval, Kimbley was able to create his own secret base of operations on this strange side of the world, all while maintaining a strong status in the normal criminal underground—and, on top of that, keeping up an innocent persona in the “real” world.

The Alchemists dubbed him “Crimson Mist.”

Of course, Kimbley holds no personal allegiance towards The Alchemists. Self-serving first and foremost, his motives driven purely by his psychopathic desires, he will remain compliant so long as they provide him with the means to continue his “hobbies.”

Bonus facts:

His visitation into The Gate was all that Lovecraft bs (indescribable tessellations of inconceivable shapes and blobs, etc), but his mind was fit to delve into these horrors, and allowed him to extract a visceral piece of one of those creatures' manifestations. Which just kinda looks like a scab in the physical world. Don't worry, he gussied it up and made it look presentable in its corporeal form.

"Crimson Mist" is a title wrought with numerous homages: the red hue of the piece of flesh from the creature he encountered, his fondness of blood and violence, the fine splatters of blood appearing as a "mist" on the air---it's all connected and quite purposeful. The Alchemists don't mess around with their naming strategies.

The Red Stone is now embedded into his chest, and where he had touched the creature, his palms are forever etched with the symbols that would provide his alchemical abilities: the marks of the Sun and the Moon.

The eldritch flesh he stole from within The Gate isn't necessarily sentient, but it is in-tune with Kimbley, as it sort of "imprinted" on him upon manifesting in the real world. It's almost like an extension of Kimbley that is on his body at all times, and is bound to Kimbley like some kind of... weird membrane. When it appears, it fashions itself into a "cape," which unfurls into a crimson swath. It's lined with all kinds of creepy-nastiness (to be explored later), and he can store an infinite amount of items within it.

* atm i don't have anything fleshed out for the Alchemists but it'll all somehow be connected to Dante or Father and the Homunculi or whatever, just let your imagination run WILD

(Information subject to change or updates during the development of this AU)

[tobiasdrake]

I like how Danganronpa 2 handles the problem of Junko.

Specifically, the thing about Junko is that this is her franchise. Monokuma is the face of Danganronpa, and Monokuma is Junko Enoshima. Everything that's fun or interesting or entertaining about him came from her. He is the vehicle through which Junko expresses herself within the plot of Danganronpa.

You could have other characters pass the puppet around, but that doesn't generally bode well for a franchise. The Saw franchise started struggling pretty hard after they killed off Jigsaw and started swapping out new characters to take on his mantle. At the end of the day, it's not about the puppet; It's about the persona.

When you take away the persona, it just isn't the same. A Monokuma who isn't driven by Junko just feels like... Like, why even bother having Monokuma at that point? If you're going to swap in a new villain, why not just make a new puppet to represent them? At that point, Monokuma doesn't mean anything more; His inclusion would just be a shallow attempt at franchise-pandering.

Which V3 goes on to do on purpose as part of their whole thing.

The other option is, of course, to do exactly that: To get a new puppet. A new villain with their own puppet somewhat inspired by Monokuma, but that's clearly its own thing independent of Junko and Monokuma. That's what the opening seemed to be doing with Usami before Monokuma arrived to retake control.

But then you have to ask yourself: If you're not using the protagonists of Danganronpa and you're not using the iconic villain of Danganronpa, then why are you making a Danganronpa game? What even makes it Danganronpa if none of the Danganronpa characters are present? You might as well make a spiritual successor, rather than Danganronpa 2.

Horror is defined by its iconic, recurring villains. For Danganronpa, that means Junko Enoshima and her puppet Monokuma.

So there's every reason in the world to use Junko here.

But. There's also a problem with using Junko.

Specifically: What made Junko work in the first game was the surprise. The shocking reveal that she was one of the 16 students all along, and a very unexpected one at that. If you're making a Danganronpa game, you want Monokuma and Junko to be there, but you can't have the nemesis just be some wholly outside force, can you?

The call needs to be coming from inside the house. That's what makes it fun. The mystery and intrigue and paranoia is what Danganronpa's all about.

So the villain needs to be Junko but the villain also needs to be one of the students, and Junko is already well-known to be the villain. How do you reconcile that in a satisfying way?

DR2's answer: Junko is Monokuma and Monokuma is Junko, but Junko/Monokuma are not the Mastermind this time around. There are two villains now, working together to make the Killing Game happen but neither actually working for the other.

That way, we can have our sneaky surprise villain reveal and our franchise-defining iconic horror monster Junko Enoshima at the same time.

Splitting the difference like this is a good way to handle the problem of Junko, and allowed the sequel to move forward in a satisfying way.