#or actually giving her a backbone and making her be kind

[killrisma]

“Never be cruel nor cowardly” no one tell 12 that 13 is somehow a centrist!

[blackbirdie1234]

Hey!! I love your fic's so much!

Can I request a Jacob x Fem!reader where they are friends but reader has a crush on Jacob. When he shifts he leaves and does what he did to Bella like ignoring her and Billy won't answer the door.

Mutual pinning but neither knows. He imprints on reader.

Thank you so much keep up the great writing :)

Also, I was wondering if you are going to be doing the vampires as well?

Hi!, Thank you so much for the request! I appreciate the kind words <3

I will be doing fanfics for the vampires as well! As of right now I only have the wolves, but I am planning on making a master list for the vamps and Bella. If you want to make a request for them I can definitely do that! I am planning on making a fic for Jasper soon!

A/N: Not proofread! I aged Jacob up a bit, you both are seventeen here. I didn't know exactly how to end this but I think I might do a spin-off series off of this fic so if you are interested in that let me know. Also, sorry for the late posting I am currently sick and going through it lmao. Hope you enjoy <3

Warnings: Jacob being an ass, cursing, angst, Y/N with a backbone.

Wolf’s Out Of The Bag

Jacob Black x Fem!reader

You were staring blankly down at your phone. Ten phone calls, ten phone calls sent to voicemail. Ten desperate, pleading voicemails. No callback, no text, nothing received. You snapped your phone closed and threw it down on the bed.

It had been two weeks since Jacob stormed off from your house after getting into a small disagreement, at least it started off that way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"It's nothing you need to worry about, Jacob," You grumbled with a slight roll of your eyes. Hoping he would drop the subject.

He was giving you an irritated look. You lightly pushed him with your shoulder giving him a small smile.

"I didn't think you'd care that much, it was one date and it's never happening again," you noted with a light-hearted laugh to ease the tension.

He turned to face you, irritation turning to anger. You could actually feel the heat radiating off of his body next to yours.

"Wow you must be really dumb, I mean how could you even think about going on a date with that pig. He's not good enough for you, but then again if you were desperate enough to give him a chance maybe I'm wrong" He barked getting more bitter with each word.

You look at him in shock.

"Why would you say that to me" You said not believing what you were hearing. "It's really none of your business who I go out with, you aren't my bodyguard, you don't have to 'protect' me. When did you get the right to decide who is 'good enough' for me? Huh? You're being a dick and I don't know why but it better change right now." You say sternly. He has never acted like this before and this sudden behavior change is not sitting well with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob left shortly after that. He had gotten so angry he was shaking, you can't even remember the words that were thrown after that. Now, he wasn't answering the phone. Billy said he came down with mono, you didn't know how much you believed it but decided to trust that Billy wouldn't lie to you.

Jacob was your best friend, you loved him a lot. You had never had such an intense fight, you never thought he would react the way he did. You only went on the stupid date to get Jacob out of your head, you thought that maybe you would get over Jacob if you found someone else to pay attention to. You were wrong, no one made you feel the way that Jacob did. Jacob made you feel at home, you couldn't explain why but it was like he was the person you were meant to be with. He was the one who understood you fully and would never judge you for anything you said or did. Until now......

You were deeply hurt by what Jacob said to you, and if he thought that you would get over it he was surely mistaken. He had never said anything more hurtful to you in your entire friendship. You had thought about just letting it go, letting life run its course even if it meant Jacob being out of your life, but you couldn't just sit and let him speak to you that way. You wanted answers. Sitting in your room waiting for him to call and explain was becoming too stressful. You sat there for hours overthinking and no matter what you were doing you were replaying the moment in your mind.

You must be going crazy. At least that's what you were trying to convince yourself after seeing Jacob cliff-jumping with Sam Uley and his gang. You had decided that you would go to La Push, and relax your body and mind on one of the only partly cloudy days in Forks. The skies were pretty clear but there was a storm coming soon, so you decided to do it now. Never in your life did you think you would see what you were seeing now. Are you fucking serious? was all you could think as you drove your car straight to Billy Black's house. You wanted to make sure it was really Jacob, so you went to the man who had told you how 'serious' his condition was in the first place.

As you pulled into the driveway the clouds began covering the sky in a dark grey mass. You hopped out of the car and began walking to the front door, Billy had opened the door as soon as you stepped onto the wood. His face had a mix of concern and confusion as he noticed your agitated expression and the way your chest was slightly heaving from anger.

"Where is he" you say with a grumble.

"He's not here, he went out," He says seriously but looking down a bit not wanting to make eye contact. Billy didn't like lying to you and to your face it was even worse.

Just as you were about to speak you looked to the side and saw that far away down the hill, Jacob stood playfully nudging another man as a few more came out of the woods.

"Don't Y/N" Billy said in warning.

You started stomping down the hill, ignoring Billy's yells. Billy calling your name caught the attention of Jacob, as his face shifted from laughing to completely still. You continued to walk towards Jacob as the rain started, it quickly went from a drizzle to full pouring as you finally reached him.

To say you were fuming would be an understatement.

"What the actual fuck Jacob!" you say basically screaming at the shirtless man, who was now staring directly into your eyes with what looked like pure amazement but you ignored it the best you could, whatever love for him you felt in that moment may have been strong but you were too angry to care so you continued.

"So we have one fight and you ignore me for two weeks?! I called you ten times, ten times Jacob. You couldn't bother picking up the phone at least once, you could've told me you didn't want to be friends but no! You had your daddy lie to me" You say with an angry laugh.

"I thought you were sick Jacob! Too sick to pick up the damn phone and text me! Come to find out you were just having too much fun cliff jumping with the guys we used to make fun of! You know what you can have them, If you want to throw away seventeen years of friendship then be my guest." You say finally taking a breath.

The weight off of your chest feels amazing, but as you finish Jacob falls to his knees. The boys behind him look between you two with pure shock on their faces before they start laughing and smiling. You look up at them shocked and confused thinking they were making fun of you. They start walking away but not before patting Jake on the back. Sam leans down and whispers something to him as he sits there still on his knees staring at you.

"Do you even care about a word I just said to you? You know what never mind if you think this is a joke I might as well leave," You say turning around and starting to walk away.

Jacob suddenly found his voice as he quickly got to his feet and stumbled trying to reach you.

"WAIT! Wait, wait, Y/N please hold on!" He spoke hurriedly. Grasping for your hand and pulling you around. Hand now resting on your waist.

"I am so, so sorry. Please let me explain everything, I promise I won't lie to you anymore. I can explain everything now, just come inside and dry off." He said pleadingly, trying his best to get you to listen to him.

You thought for a moment, you didn't trust him at all but the way he was speaking you knew he was telling the truth to some extent. It was hard for him to lie to you, you know how Jacob works, you know the subtle mannerisms he has when he's not telling the truth. Considering all of this you finally speak.

"Fine, but if things don't add up or I find out you are still lying, I am gone," You say sternly, pulling his hands away from you and walking up the hill.

When you get to the house, Jacob gives you warm tea and a blanket which you take from him without a word. He comes over and sits across from you. He almost reaches for your hand but stops himself.

"The day that I left your house, something changed, I changed...." He claimed, looking at your reaction with a hint of fear but continued "This is going to sound crazy, but you have to believe me on this..... I am a werewolf"

You stared at him for a moment before throwing the blanket off and standing up, Jacob followed suit immediately. You threw him a glare before starting to walk out.

"No, No, Y/N wait!" he shouted after you, reaching out and grabbing your hand. "I am telling the truth let me show you" He spoke as he continued outside your hand still in his.

" I swear Jacob if this is a pra....."

You went dead silent as he began taking his boots, and then his shorts off. Now standing in just his underwear. He gave you a curt nod and then started bending and shaking profusely. You could barely blink before your best friend stood in front of you only he wasn't human anymore, he was a massive wolf.

You jumped back a bit as the wolf started coming towards you, noticing your fear he slowly laid down on the ground and gave out a small whine to signal he would not hurt you. You were in complete shock, how was this possible? Everything you ever heard about the stories of the Quileute tribe growing up was true, and your best friend was living proof. A thousand thoughts ran through your mind, but they were silenced by the wolf standing up and trotting to the back of the house. Jacob then emerged in different clothes than before.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you Y/N" Jacob expressed, grabbing your hands hesitantly until you leaned into the touch slightly.

"Why couldn't you tell me, you know I would never judge you, nor would I ever tell anyone " You pressed before giving him a confused stare "Wait why are you telling me now?"

He looked at you a gave you a crooked smile.

"It's one of the rules that came with the gig" He laughs a bit before pulling you a bit closer. "The reason I can tell you now is because you are my soulmate," He says beaming down at you.

You stare up at him with a bewildered expression.

"I'm your what?" you say breathing out.

"You are my imprint, Y/N. It's a wolf's soulmate, it is the reason for their existence, you feel like it isn't gravity holding you to the ground anymore, it's them. You can be anything the imprint wants you to be, a friend, a protector, a lover, all that matters is that the two are connected. Like vines on trees overlapping each other both on the same path, interlocked." He pauses, putting his hand on your face and caressing your cheek gently.

"I know this might be overwhelming and a lot to handle. I really want you to know how deeply sorry I am for everything that I said. I'm not going to sit here and blame it all on the wolf because it wasn't, I was jealous. I was jealous that you went on that date with someone that wasn't me and I didn't mean a word that I said about you. I'm going to be fully honest with you from now on, starting with the fact that I have been in love with you since the second grade. I know that trusting me will take time, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to earn it back. I understand that I have hurt you, so it might take a very long time but I will always be there for you. Everything is up to you, I understand if you want to reject the connection. The connection can be anything you want it to be, but I really truly do not want to lose you and the past two weeks without you have been hell on earth for me. I'm just really sorry Y/N." He pleads letting go of your hands and allowing you to process.

"I... I love you too Jacob. I have for a while now. I'm not going to forgive you easily but I am glad you understand how much you have hurt me. I am willing to give this a shot, mainly because I can feel the connection and would be an idiot if I said that I didn't." You laugh a bit as he looks at you with the biggest smile on his face.

"But if you ever say or do that to me again I will put you in a dog house and leave you there," You say with an evil smile laughing at the way his face drops before he joins in.

You two get out of the rain and drive separately to Emily's house where you meet the pack and they explain in much more detail what being a wolf really entails. You and Emily become quick friends, and as the days go on you slowly fall into a routine that is pure chaos but you wouldn't have it any other way. You and Jacob work on your relationship, slowly building back trust and falling deeper and deeper into love with each other. You have fully accepted your place in a world filled with wolves and life seems to be going great, that is until they tell you exactly why they turn into the big ferocious beasts....... there are vampires in Forks.

[rewriterory]

Why Aventurine Joined The IPC in The First Place- An Essay

Hi tumblr !! I'm back once again analyzing Aventurine bc he makes me sick and crazy ^_^

I wanna talk about a really, REALLY important part of his character that I haven't really seen a big comprehensive analysis on- the reason why Kakavasha chose to be Aventurine in the first place.

Some people headcanon that his owner was the last Aventurine, and that he got screwed into having to take his place since he killed him. Other people think that he joined the IPC for revenge, and that he was always planning on climbing to the top and destroying them from the inside out. Most people seem to think he was forced to join the IPC and he didn't have a say in the matter. While I do see where these ideas are coming from I guess, they lack evidence and, more importantly, leave out an incredibly tragic and ironic piece of Aventurine's character, a piece that I think is absolutely crucial to understanding him / appreciating this sad, sad man as a whole:

Kakavasha chose to be Aventurine for himself, and now he regrets it.

I'm going to dive really deep into this, so do some stretches / grab a snack if you wanna keep reading.

I could argue that his regret is the backbone to his entire character. On a surface level, I understand the other theories, but I want to dive DEEP into the mind of this miserable blond man and expose the most vulnerable parts of his character. So, let's start right at the trial with Jade. Why was he on trial in the first place? What did he originally want? TLDR, Vasha killed his owner, he fucked with the IPC, and he let the IPC capture him so he could be on trial (preferably in front of the head honcho Diamond, but alas, he got Jade instead).

On trial, Vasha explains that he wants 30 tanba: no more, no less. I think we can infer that he wanted to earn back the other half of his market value and finally be at peace with that part of his life (as much as you can be after experiencing something so awful). He makes a bet with her, and what does he bet? His life. He bets that she wont kill him, and instead, she'll give him what he's asking for. But Jade offers him more than that. She explains to him that she can give him everything he wants and everything he’s never had, so long as he forfeits everything he has to the IPC and gives her some collateral, something of equal value. Being a literal slave, the only thing he has is…himself, really. Which, funny enough, that's what he offered up in the first place: his life. The trade offer is, kill your old identity and everything that has to do with it, and start a new life as somebody 'better'. Jade didn't tell him he had to join the IPC or the Stonehearts. He wasn't in debt with them, there's no proof that he 'owed them' 1 Aventurine, nobody ever mentions this. All she did was offer it to him.

I know what you're probably thinking: he didn't really have a choice, though. It was either join the IPC or die.

But oh, that's where the deliciously painful detail comes in- he absolutely did have a choice. Never said it was a good choice, but still. He could have said no, and he could have accepted his death sentence. Jade did initially say she'd give him the pocket change he wanted (I did the math actually and concluded that 60 tanbas is roughly the equivalent to $3, which is also the standard value of a caret of Aventurine) so he could have left it there, be satisfied with earning his 'worth', and died. But, he didn't. After all, he fought tooth and nail to stay alive, right? He just killed 35 people with his bare hands to save his own life. Death is so final, and it's scary, and he spent so long trying to run from it. Though he was probably anticipating the IPC would want him dead after his trial was over, he was more focused on earning back his money. After all, his luck would surly come through and save him...and it did (kind of). Jade offered him more than he could ever want, and it got him thinking. Up until this point, he had been nothing but a lowly Avgin: a slave, a victim of poverty and genocide, a child who was supposedly blessed by Gaithra but still saw nothing but pain and suffering his entire life. He's being offered an opportunity that sounds too good to be true. Finally, he'd have a chance to prove his worth. How lucky!

And, I think it's interesting that while she's saying this, he doesn't really say anything. That's what personally leaves me to believe he wasn't expecting such an offer and it lowkey caught him off guard, and he didn't even have to verbally agree before Jade was telling him to go pick out a new outfit that matched his new identity. And after that flashback scene, Aventurine is quiet for a hot minute, and then says in reflection:

Objectively, he made the 'correct' choice to show the world his value, and he did! He's one of the most powerful people in the IPC, richer than anybody could imagine, and he's feared and respected as a shrewd, brilliant business man. The problem now is that he has no value for himself. Why not? Let's remember what his sister said to him before she died:

She told him, "never resent the pain and poverty you're going through", because their mother had told them, "pain and poverty are the trials of Giathra Triclops". What did he do in that moment with Jade? He resented the pain and poverty he went through. He resented the Katicans, the IPC, the people who enslaved him + man who bought him, the world for screwing him over, everybody. He was probably thinking, "I can be worth more than $3, I can earn a seat at any table I want, I can prove that I'm important and powerful and not to be messed with. Everybody thinks Avgins are worthless, I can prove them wrong." I think he also justified it by thinking, "if I'm in a place of power, I can help the Avgins, I can help people, I'm not just doing this for me" (yes he is).

Also extremely important moment in this same scene, his sister was scolding him for risking his life to save her gold necklace. He made a bet with the Katicans who stole it and won, and what does his sister say? She tells him that it was a foolish decision and he had her worried sick, and he should never risk his life for something as stupid as a necklace. Vasha is confused, because he thought she'd be happy. He's like, but it's your gold necklace, the only thing you have left from mama ): and she's like well yes but at the end of the day it's just an object, YOU are what matters in my life. YOU are my only brother, my only family, the most important thing. YOU have to live on.

Coincidence that he ended up killing off Kakavasha to be Aventurine? Not at all. And you know what? I fully believe after he agreed to be Aventurine, he regretted not choosing death. When I first mentioned that he did have a choice: be Aventurine or die, I bet a lot of people read that and scoffed like, "pft, that's hardly a choice" but this is Aventurine we're talking about! Such a massive part of his character is surrounding death! His entire arc is centered around how desperately he hates himself and how much he wants to die, doesn't it make so much more sense why when you unpack his character this way?

I bet he thinks about going back and getting executed by the IPC. At least he could have died as someone he knew, someone he could recognize in a mirror (even though he never had one of those until he joined the IPC, so he only ever saw himself as Aventurine...painful, right?) He could have died as Kakavsha, someone he knew that his mother and sister loved. Now, though? Would his mother and sister love someone like him? A selfish, cruel, top executive for the IPC? Would they love him if they knew what he was doing? Would they love 'Aventurine'?...does anybody love 'Aventurine'? His sister made him swear he'd 'protect this wealth', but he sold it in a heartbeat. Now all he has is material wealth- what he grew up without, and ended up envying. The IPC quite literally owns him now- I know people insist on saying this isn't true and he still has some autonomy but be serious please, even though they don't outright say that once you're a Stoneheart you are one for the rest of your life, they really shouldn't have to. If you're given a position as one of the ten most powerful humans in...basically, the entire world, a branch of people that work for the scary government who basically owns...the entire world, do you honestly think they'd ever just let you go? You think they'd fire you like a normal ass person and tell you to pack up your cubical and hit the unemployment office? The IPC, the people who are literally cartoon super villain levels of evil?? Of course not. Aventurine is stuck there forever now, held on a rather tight chain, and he knows that, he knows the only way out would be to die (wink) or disappear off the face of the earth (wink wink).

Also, not for nothing, but he managed to cost the IPC literal billions of dollars by tricking them into looking for resources that don't fucking exist as a slave. He didn't have to be in the IPC to screw with them. If he really wanted to, he's clearly capable of causing massive damage to them all on his own. Yes, it would be easier to destroy the IPC while inside of it and I guess you could argue that's why he joined them, but again, I just don't think that view point does much for his character.

AND the very, very important piece of information that debunks the 'revenge' theory for me is that he didn't know the Avgins were gone until AFTER he became Aventurine. There was no way he went into that situation knowing that the IPC got them all killed. Sure, he probably knew the IPC was evil / that they're the ones who enslaved him (the people in black comment) but knowing they're evil isnt the same as knowing they wiped out the Avgin race. He probably figured, even if they're evil, they have the power to help people. Even though they don't, if I'm in the IPC, I can.

Let's take a look at character story Part III: (yes I quote this ALL the time in my essays but it's SO important so I will continue to do so)

.

"The Avgins in Sigonia... what happened to them afterward?"

"Unfortunately, there are no more Avgins in Sigonia. You're the last lucky dog."

"What about those people who helped me on planet ██? Now I can finally repay their kindness."

"They are no more, either."

...

He returns to his office in a daze. The aventurine stone emits a peculiar glow on his desk, seemingly congratulating and mocking him at the same time.

"Was luck truly on your side when you wrestled with fate?"

.

That justification I mentioned, where he was probably thinking he could do some good with such a high position? Immediately not an option anymore. Everybody he wanted to help is already dead, and who is responsible? Drumroll, please! The people he now belongs to! And now, he's screwed! It's too late to go back. Was luck on his side in that trial? He bet his life, after all...and he lost it. He got a new, shiny one in return, but still, he lost HIS. The first time in his entire life he had a choice, he had an ounce of autonomy, he chose wrong. And now it haunts him (literally and figuratively).

I really believe this was the catalyst for his regret and the start of his downward spiral. And this is, again, why the revenge theory just doesn't pack enough of a punch for me. Why does he hate himself so much? Why is he constantly trying to get himself killed?

Sure, I absolutely think being enslaved for several years didn't help his self worth. I think it instilled some extremely damaging beliefs, like thinking his worth is represented by a price tag over his head. He got attached to the idea of gaining wealth, earning a seat at the table, proving he's 'worth' a lot. The more money he accumulates, the more he can hide behind. The bigger the bet, the bigger the win, the bigger the payout. The more jewelry and clothing and liquor, the more masks he can wear, the more frivolous shit to hide behind. It gives him control. He can see his worth laid out in front of him. And since his luck never fails, he just keeps getting more. But, he's always hanging onto one chip, one last chip because he knows that unlike other people, his worth can be lost all in an instant. Its all material. 'Aventurine' is all material- he's glitz and glamour and wealth. God forbid he loses that...what's he left with? Himself? Who's that? It's not Kakavasha anymore. It's a made up character, a role he plays everyday.

Which, is why I don't think the concept of his worth is the only reason for his self-hatred. I think the majority of it is because he became exactly who he used to resent. He's reckless with his life because he doesn't want it, because he regrets getting it in the first place, because...is it even his? It's why he considers himself, more than anything else, a MASSIVE loser, even though he wins every gamble he takes, because he has 'everything' and lost the one thing he wanted.

Of course, he keeps a tiny shred of his original identity. He embraces his roots and recognizes himself as the last Avgin alive, but one who now shares traits with the Katicans. Selfish, cruel, blood-thirsty, these are all words he and his sister used to describe the Katicans in the past, which he now uses to describe himself. He literally describes himself as a selfish crazy murderer:

Also, when asked why the Katicans were so cruel, his sister told him, "they want everything, only to end up with nothing." That's the exact mistake Aventurine made. And idk if I'd necessarily call him cruel, but he's definitely not very nice! As much as I love Aventurine with my entire heart, and even though I do think these parts of his personality are a mix of 'persona I have to keep up' and 'I'm fucking miserable and even though it's my fault I'm going to make it everybody else's problem', that doesn't change the fact that he's problematic. He's manipulative, bitchy, condescending, bratty, and he's selfish (despite him being pretty generous with his money, he's giving people money + gifts in hopes that he'll get their attention or support in return, and the general choices he makes during Penacony are inherently selfish. Not to mention he has more money than any person could ever need, but again, that ties back to his obsession with his 'worth'). That ofc isn't all he is, and I do hate it when people characterize him to just be a crazy evil asshole with no conscience because he has lots of good qualities, but it just furthers my point that he has quite literally become everything he used to hate.

I don’t think I even need to mention the fact that he’s literally haunted by Aventurine AND Kakavasha in his quest line, both of them are there with present him, who is seemingly weird combination of the two of them. The guy who "never changed", but did, in reality.

So TLDR, based on all of this, I interpret his character like this:

He chose to join the IPC for himself. He wanted the money, he wanted the power, he wanted the glory. But, he felt guilty for wanting it because in the back of his head, he thought of his mother and his sister who told him that nothing is more valuable than your life or your family, everything else is just material. Even so, he wanted it. For once in his life, he wants to be the one sitting at the table. So, he did it, and he justified it to himself by saying "well, this must be my good luck at work! Maybe this is the reward for all my pain and suffering! I'll join the IPC and I'll use the resources to help the Avgins, and to help the people who need it." Of course, that doesn't happen because the IPC is literally full of cartoon supervillains, and he feels that first sting of oh...shit, that wasn't supposed to happen. It's giving, "I told myself I'd use this position to help people, that this was the best choice for everybody, but I actually made the decision out of selfishness. I learned too late that the Avgins are gone and I can't help them anymore, so now I'm bitter af because I'm still a slave, I just belong to the people who killed my race rather than the dirty old man who bought me. I made a mistake and I wanted the Aventurine stone, but now that I have it, it doesn't feel how I thought it would, and the price I paid was more than anything I can ever win in a casino. My life is a meaningless performance now, so everyday I fill the void in my chest with money and superficial relationships and liquor and poker and try not to think about how fucking miserable I am." And he has nobody to "blame" for it but himself. Ofc he can blame the Katicans, the IPC, the entire world, but the person he resents the most will always be himself, because at the end of the day, this was his choice.

Do I blame him? Absolutely not! That's why I put scare quotes around the word, because that's what's so tragic about him. Anybody would have made that choice. People in WAY better positions than him would have sold their soul for WAY less. He had a fucked up ass life, and one of my favorite parts about his character (ironically) is how human he is. Ironic, imo, because he's constantly viewed as anything other than human. A slave, a stone, a flashy persona, a ruthless executive, but never just what he IS at his core, which is a terrified twenty something year old guy who made a mistake. It's incredibly human to want things, to want money and status and respect, ESPECIALLY when you grew up facing nothing but abuse. But he was so focused on worth, on proving his worth to himself and everybody else, he was so stuck on that price tag attached to him that he wanted to prove he was better than that. And he did, at the detriment to himself.

So...sneaky guy who wants revenge on the IPC and just happens to be a really suicidal / jaded (no pun intended) person as a result of trauma? Sure, I guess. But internally tortured guy who lives every second of his life riddled with guilt, cant even look in the mirror without seeing his mother's and sister's eyes on someone he doesn't even recognize? MUCH better, imo. Obviously anybody can interpret his character however they want to, but thank you for hearing me out (:

Aventurine ur my pookie bear princess ilu

[numberonetrashwitch]

Some observations about Baldurs Gate 3 that hit too close to home.

After another few runs i will probably just make an in-Depth Character Analysis for every character simply because they are good reflections of actual trauma-manifestations and how abuse can manifest in people. They are also so well written that it serves a narrative purpose to explore all the material that is out there about them. I am also personally cursed with actual medically-relevant levels of Empathy and Hyperfixation; so writing this helps me put a pin in it and move on.

But so far here are my highlights

(SPOILERS and obviously content warning bc these are deep)

before you ask; i have almost 300h in this game.

You have to convince Shadowheart to eat the Noblestalk. She actually stells you she rather get her memories back from Shar but when you hit the persuasion or intimidation (what the fuck) check to get her to eat it she'll tell you about her childhood friend. Not her name, not her parents but her best firend. Possibly because she has had a closer bond to that person after being abducted and indoctrinated. With her believing herself to be an orphan, she would've looked elsewhere for comfort and sought out her own family, this is why she falls hard and heavy for Shar and builds the backbone of her indoctrination. She is literally ripped out of her home & given a new identity to server her from all she has known. Religious indoctrination, Gaslighting, Abduction, being forced to let go of your personality are her main themes.

There is a scene out there floating around in which you see Astarions pespective of the night when he bites Tav for the first time, in his meditations he is confronted with the rules Cazador put on him, including that he can't eat intelligent creatures, can't be away from Cazador unless allowed to, has to obey every command and that they are should know that they are property. Which in turn means that Astarion literally didn't just have any autonomy, he was objectified (and not just through seductive/sexual measures) and that is really the crux to understanding why he doesn't believe in kindness, but rather shows self-serving behavior in most cases. Since we know that Astarion was extremely young for an elf before he died and became immortal (literally stopping the aging /maturing process) it is also very telling that Cazador constantly calls him brat, boy or other very juvanile names, refering to them as a family... well it is also the story of a very controlling parent. Themes of (Bodily) autonomy, infantilization ( & puer aeternus, forever-child), slavery, depersonalisation, corruption of life and torture to break someone.

Gale isn't just a guy hung up on his Ex, but also a victim of abuse. In this case a power imbalance none of us can fathom; She is described as being a jealous goddess and rules over the domain of mysteries and magic. So with Gale being a Wizard, she is literally his boss. He admits that he was foolish enough to aspire to be an equal to her, but she is so jealous that she tells him he can't really be worthy as long as he takes breath. She could just take his powers away and be done with it, that would be more than enough punishment for a guy who literally made Mystra and her domain his life's purpose, but she rather makes him do it himself. Add to that, that she literally only tells him this after years of self-isolation (after he put down so many wards that he could've blown up a whole army as he says if you click the right dialogue) to really fuck him up well. He also talks about death pretty much constantly, not surprising giving your situation, but he will tell you that he will kill himself at several points in the game, for instance after he comes clear about his nethrese orb. Themes of romantic abuse, power-imbalance, toxic work enviorment, self-isolating behavior, suicidal ideation

Wyll ... well from the looks of it he is the most well adjusted of all the companions (my opinion) but he has something that i'd describe as the "eldest daughter"-syndrome, more commonly known as parentification. This pattern usually occurs within single-household parents and is commonly described as a parent looking to their child for emotional or practical support, rather than providing it to their kid. We meet Ulder and see that he talks over Wyll a lot, not listening but expecting him to follow the standard he sets for him. That is also why Wyll repeats his fathers words like gospel (because this is what, in his mind, fullfills the expectations bestowed upon him) and why he loves fairytales / bard tales so much (because they are an ecapist view of the job he set out to do) Ulder literally exiled his teenage son because Wyll did the only thing he could to save an entire city, by sacrificing himself. Thats a lot to expect from a 17 year old - even more so, he doesn't stop with the heroics. He expects himself, as a human who hasn't even reached the age of 30 to hold up to mystical creatures such as Astarion or Karlach, or even Gale who is a accomplished Wizard. Themes of parentification, escapism, self-harming through putting himself in danger, chronic-self-sacrifice

In plain words; Gortash, Karlach's Idol sold her to a Devil. But add to that that she must have been pretty young when she was sold (late teens to early twenties possibly) and being that if you play as a Tiefling, you face a lot of predjudice she was likely forced into that position as well. Starstruck she was, with a juvenile naitivy that Gortash used. Appropriately, as he is the chosen of Bane the god of "tyrannical oppression, terror, and hate, known across Faerûn as the face of pure evil through malevolent despotism" (Source: Forgotten-Realms Wiki / Bane) So she pretty much was raised in a toxic enviorment, which forced her to become a killing-machine, first figuretively, then with the extraction of her heart, literally. Themes of slavery, oppression, misuse of trust, being taken advantage by a more powerful/older(?) person, being drafted.

Jaheira - to be honest, you need to know the lore of the previous baldurs gate games or just listen to her dialouge, ask her all the questions. She is a war-veteran against Bhaal, the good of ritual murder, and has a long history of fighting to achieve some sort of balance of power. She lost her husband and several close people all to this, or any other war, but due to her wisdom and strength people look to her for guidance. Themes of: Survivors Guilt.

Halsin - he is really closed off at first but then just casually hits you with "i was captured in the underdark and spent 3 years chained to a bedroom wall by a pair of drows who used me as they pleased". He is reprimanded by some of his druids for leaving the grove as soon as opportunity struck, just to get back and leave the next day, and if you talk to him about his position in the grove he is actually very forthcomming. He actively holds himself back; indulging in simple hobbies because he knows what lies within his heart. He is afraid of himself and his potential (canonnically he can't control his wildshape, which is very weird for an ARCH-druid) Themes of: impostor syndrome, avoidant-based self-harm, sexual opression, loss of control, emotional regulation.

Lae'zel is a very tragic case, and one that closely resembles the stories of Shadowheart and Karlach. Her entire existence is based upon a matriachial war society allowing her to live if she proves she can be of use and that in a culture which only values brutality, dominance & service. All of that culimating in her finding out that her oh-so-beloved Queen is actually just an imposter, and that everything she has lived for up to that point is merely political propaganda created to make her, and the rest of her entire species, willing pawns in a war that has no longer bearing on their survival alone, but is fought to justify Vlaakith's (the reigning monarchs) personal ambitions. Not only is she forced to reconcile that she is turned into the thing that controlled her kind for hundreds of years, that the only cure she knows of would kill her and then on top of that, that her hopes and dreams were lies and that she is now the Nr 1 enemy of the person she has served with all her being. themes of: oppression, propaganda, casual violence, objectification, child-warfare, eternal warfare

Minthara in short, her story is about being shamed for growing up in the same scenario that Lae'zel grew up in. Lolth, the god of the Lolth-sworn drows is a crazy queen who values scheming & backstabbing so much and is so volatile that you can't know what to expect of your deeds (and i mean it; there were people who were appraised by her for scheming against her, but also those who were killed. It's almost random.) She considers Lolth to be cruel and abandoned her for the Absolute, only to then be used and abused the same way Lae'zel has. Not with promises, but erasing her memory and exposing her perceived weakness. Themes of: casual violence, violent culture, her own ambition colliding with her desire to be safe, being a pawn in a larger game.

[b1eedthefreak]

Attached To The Hip

Daryl x F!Reader x Bestfriend!Beth

Summary: Beth and Y/N are attached to Daryl by the hip

Warnings: USE OF Y/N…..(I’m sorry), This is not a ship Daryl is like Beth and Y/N’s dad :3

—

Daryl had no idea how it happened. One second, he was minding his own business, doing his usual hunting and scouting, and the next, he had two little shadows following him everywhere he went—Beth and Y/N. It was like they had come to some unspoken agreement that they were going to attach themselves to his hip, and no amount of grumbling, sighing, or deadpan stares could shake them off.

At first, he thought they were just tagging along for the hell of it, but after a few weeks, he realized—no, they were committed to this. If he was out reinforcing the fences, they were there, handing him zip ties and chatting his ear off. If he went on a supply run, they were right behind him, trying to make bets on how many squirrels he’d shoot. And worst of all?

They had made it their personal mission to shower him in relentless affection.

“Oh my gosh, Daryl, your arms are HUGE. Have you been working out?” Y/N gushed dramatically one afternoon while he was sharpening his knife.

“Wow Daryl, you’re just so talented, tracking and hunting and being all mysterious!” Beth added, grinning like she was having the time of her life.

Daryl froze mid sharpen, giving them a slow, exasperated look. “The hell’s wrong with y’all?”

“Nothing! We just think you need more appreciation.” Y/N grinned. “You’re, like, the backbone of this group, y’know? We’re just pointing out the obvious.”

“Uh-huh.” He went back to sharpening, ignoring the warmth creeping up his neck. “Y’all need a damn hobby.”

But they didn’t stop. It got worse. They started dropping compliments at random times.

“Daryl, did I ever tell you that you have, like, the best posture when you’re aiming that crossbow? It’s actually so majestic.”

“Daryl, if the apocalypse never happened, you totally could’ve been a supermodel. No, I’m serious. Those cheekbones? Unreal.”

“Daryl… your hair is getting so long. Have you ever considered letting us braid it?”

That was where he drew the line.

“Ain’t no way I’m lettin’ y’all braid my goddamn hair.”

Beth pouted. “But it’d be so cute!”

“Yeah, and you never let yourself relax. This could be, like, self care,” Y/N chimed in, clearly fighting a smile.

“This could be y’all mindin’ yer business,” he shot back, standing up to make his escape—

But then Beth did the look. Big, sad eyes. A little frown. Even Y/N joined in, tilting her head like some kind of kicked puppy, blinking at him all sweet and hopeful.

Daryl felt cornered. Trapped.

He exhaled sharply. “Five minutes.”

Which was how he ended up sitting on a crate outside the prison, arms crossed, staring at the dirt while Beth and Y/N excitedly braided his hair. He swore he could hear Rick and Glenn laughing from somewhere behind him.

“Oh my god. This is adorable.” Y/N whispered as she twisted a strand of hair.

“I know right? I feel like we’re unlocking a new version of him!” Beth giggled.

“Y’all done yet?” Daryl grumbled.

Before they could answer, Carol walked by, took one look at him, and nearly dropped the laundry basket she was holding. A smirk tugged at her lips.

“Nice look, Pookie.”

Daryl immediately ripped the braids out, face burning as Beth and Y/N cackled. He stormed off without another word.

That night, while everyone else was settling in, Y/N walked past his room and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands fiddling with a tiny little section of his hair.

Re-braiding it.

She leaned against the doorway, grinning. “I knew you liked it.”

Daryl’s hands stilled.

“Shut up.”

—

a/n: i just stated season 4 i was actually crying when Carol called Daryl pookie but anyways do yall like this pleaseee let me know i need feedback okay love yall

[truuskn]

The way I see it: Ratchet and Elita are similar in a way that makes them get eachother like no one would. Ratchet and Prowl are similar in a way that makes them want to jump at the other's throat 24/7

what actually fascinates me about this trio is how similar they all are to each other to some extent. of course, the main reason is that every time one of them is introduced as op's right-hand man, their character is, to one degree or another, tailored to his needs and the needs of the plot, but still... i mean, just look at them!! they are so alike and so different at the same time. it's amazing

each of them is optimus' closest associate, a hard realist who truly believes in his leader, ready to follow him to the ends of the earth, but not blinded by the faith in him. they are always here for him, to support unconditionally one moment… and to knock some sense into him on another :D

by the way a little addition to this topic, did you notice how differently (but still similar!) they react to optimus' death?? ratchet wallows in despair until he remembers that he's not alone. prowl is being torn apart by pain, continuing to follow the beliefs of his prime, but slowly losing himself. elita is crushed and broken but she doesn't let herself give up, never ceasing the fight for the cause that optimus thought was right. MAN---

so now about the duos. yes, i agree and this is the way i see them:

elita-1 and ratchet

oh, those two will never let optimus get away with anything. i think that's what makes prowl different from them, even when he disagrees with his prime, he'd rather keep his opinion to himself, believing in op's and the matrix's rightness, knowing that everything happens for a reason. but with ratchet and elita it won't be that easy. they're a sobering effect. a hard fair slap. but they're prime's backbone also. they're here to open his eyes to what's going on, just as they're here to proudly stand by his side. they're optimus' oldest friends, they know him in a way that no one else does, and sometimes they feel that this is the reason for their closeness, the reason they understand each other so well. they share a common history, views and responsibilities. when advice, support, respite, comfortable understanding silence is needed, getting together is all they require. when they want to rest, to let go of the cares and burdens of their lives, this company is their joint salvation. i'll say something that not everyone will agree with, but i don't particularly like the fact that the place of prime's closest friend is now being taken by bumblebee. i like him and i'm also glad that elita is coming back and becoming an important part of optimus' life too, but i'm saddened by the fact that ratchet is being distanced from him :(

prowl and elita-1

prowl deeply respects elita, admires her, he sees her not as a soul mate, but as a worthy loyal companion to whom he would trust his life without questions. these two share the concerns of the leaders, it is because of them the autobots stand and will continue to stand, unable to break under any pressure or obstacle. elita is glad to have someone like prowl on optimus's side, she's not always ready to give her dear prime that kind of support and protection, and it scared her until she realised that she doesn't always have to be strong for him - if she can't, prowl will. they only know the military versions of each other, but they are glad that fate brought them together, albeit under these circumstances. they feel stronger, braver together, thanks to each other, they don't give up and keep fighting. we had a few scenes with them in wfc and tfe and i'll be honest i was ready to explode every time i saw them together :DD

ratchet and prowl

sometimes they are frightened by how similar they can be. it's like looking in a mirror. they are alike in so many details, from a banal grumpy temper to much smaller, more specific things: boundless care and love for their people, tenderness hidden behind layers of callousness, unfair self-hatred for not trying hard enough, for not being able to help everyone. this "unity of souls", of course, does not prevent them from arguing with each other to the gills every chance they get, but that's the beauty of having such a friend, isn't it? :) there is no anger or desire for offence in their quarrels, and nothing will ever undo the fact of what a close-knit and powerful team they can be. prowl knows he can always rely on ratchet, knows that there is no one kinder or more devoted than he is, and ratchet knows that autobots are in good hands, that they are always protected and safe. really love their little duo in marvel comics and also genuinely think ratchet would be very happy to have prowl as part of the tfp team. the main thing they also have in common, i think, is a sincere belief that the two of them are the only reasonable beings in the entire galaxy. or at least within this faction...

[siggiedraws]

As someone who considers Silver to be her favorite Sonic character, I had spent a good while wondering why I keep feeling frustrated with him in the IDW comics as compared to Archie and I think you might had put into words why. His lack of a backbone is kind of weakening him in hindsight. I still like him all around and there are parts of IDW that do justice to his character and even expand on it (I will never not be happy for his journey as a gardener cause that is both in line with his love of nature and very refreshing to see for a male character to have unabashedly, especially someone Silver's age). Though I will disagree with you saying that Archie had NO backbone. He was constantly in conflict with Sonic over finding out who the traitor to the Freedom Fighters that lead to his bleak future is and he consistently makes mistakes that make him come off as cocky and bratty, to the point that Sonic eventually grows to hate Silver and even disregard his warnings when he does discover the actual truth until it's too late (that truth of course being that Sally betrayed everyone unintentionally with her Robotinazation, something no one wants to be true until they have to face it after the fact). Archie Silver is still flawed, but he is closer to his game counterpart more than IDW Silver is, at least in my opinion he is.

Thank you for your sharing your opinion and being very polite about it! To clarify something, I did not mean to say Archie Silver had no backbone. I was using him as a point of comparison because I noticed similarities with IDW, in that he is portrayed as more polite/timid than his game counterpart. I understand your interpretation of my previous post because I didn't get into it for the sake of not getting off topic. In the future, I will avoid making points without providing evidence in order to avoid confusing people or derailing my argument.

What I want to argue here is that I think your point arguing that Archie Silver has a backbone is still compatible with my position of both comic Silvers possessing noticeable character differences from game Silver that share the same problem with Silver being portrayed as polite or timid, just to different degrees.

I absolutely do not want to be unreasonable here! I agree with you that he is more similar to his game counterpart than IDW is and I won't deny the examples you just listed. I hope the examples I bring up can help illuminate my perspective a little bit and why Archie Silver is a bit too similar to IDW Silver for my liking.

Sonic the Hedgehog #195 - Silver tries to politely interject in on the fight, to the point of saying "excuse me" and "ma'am."

I am aware that he stops them all directly after this moment, however, it should not have happened in the first place if Archie Silver was aiming to be like Game Silver.

Sonic the Hedgehog #235 - Silver stammering in front of Sonic and allowing himself to get dragged through the dirt by his quills.

I think it's not in-line with the games for Silver to allow himself to be disrespected like this. If the Rivals games teach us anything, he gives back equal if not more aggressive energy when he perceives that someone is disrespecting him. Silver calling Sonic a jerk is really small potatoes.

If Silver reacts this way to being called crazy, how do you think he would react to being dragged through the mud by his quills? Not well, I can tell you that.

Silver's stammering here is also of note because it communicates that he's intimidated by Sonic when he has no reason to be if this were an accurate portrayal to the games.

Sonic Universe #43 - Silver tries to lie.

In the games, Silver is so honest and sincere when he speaks that it could be attributed to a source of his rudeness. Lying and deception is simply not something he ever considers doing. We've been shown in Rivals 2 quite clearly that Silver is honest to a fault. This panel also shows Silver being polite and timid in his mannerisms.

Silver attempting to lie happens to be a trait that is shared with IDW Silver in the 2022 annual.

Sonic Universe #25 - Another example of Silver not defending himself from being disrespected and using the term "sir."

Silver's childlikeness is emphasized here, as he is put in direct contrast with an elderly character who comes across as an authority figure, one he seemingly accepts and calls "sir" to be polite. This is an example of what I meant in my post when I say that Silver's naivety keeps getting conflated with being childish. He even says "b-but he started it" like a child telling on a sibling to their parents.

I acknowledge there is a tiny moment where Silver speaks passive-aggressively in the second to last panel, but Silver listening to the order of "don't sass your elders" directly afterwards quickly negates this moment.

Another moment from the same issue shows Silver becoming timid and lacking in confidence when faced with six enemies.

This directly contradicts the games where Silver is very confident in his abilities when faced with a horde of enemies. In Colours DS, he shows an eager willingness to fight and gets disappointed when Orbot and Cubot flee instead, which is opposite to how Silver attempts to avoid fighting in Archie.

Now, in the Archie example, Silver gets defeated by the enemies, which indicates that his timidness is because he is outmatched. I would argue that this is still not true to Game Silver. In '06, Silver readily and confidently fights Iblis, despite Iblis coming back time and time again and never truly being defeated.

Another example is when he fights Shadow. Despite losing to Shadow, and being told that it's no use fighting Shadow due to his Chaos Control ability, Silver does not start behaving timidly. He is still as determined as ever.

-

Thank you very much for your ask! I hope the examples provided illustrate why I brought up Archie Silver as an example in my previous post about this topic. I agree with you about gardening being a good recent addition to Silver's character, it's very wholesome to see him indulge in his love for the world around him.

[bitchqueenofthebitchsquad]

Okay, I think the removal of Sky's agency, the way the show didn't give her much of an inner world, is really sad. The trope of innocent do-gooder woman who dies to further the man's story line, or disappears when having her around would be inconvenient, it's very tired.

She never had much substance, unfortunately, but what was there I liked. I like that she wants to help people, that she's implied to be smart enough to assist with the hex tech stuff, and that she isn't portrayed as ableist which takes some doing in a show like arcane where ableism is deeply engrained in the world. That shows some backbone right? to resist the socialization that you grew up with. I like what that implies about her character.

Now, real talk, I'm partially so sad about her because I automatically and fiercely attach to any black girl character in any media. But the other reason is that I know she won't get a second chance in fandom. Sometimes characters like Sky, side characters that the writers didn't have time or interest to develop or that they forgot about, can find a second life in fandom and I really enjoy when that happens

If she'd been a skinny even slightly effeminate white man she'd be everyone's fave blorbo but instead the takes I see about her in fandom are mostly about how she needs to either get out of the way or assist in the Jayvik romance. If her inner world was taken seriously, I doubt we'd so often see people having her cheer for her own crush to get with someone else.

Also, I hate to see the take that she's just a figment of Viktors imagination. At first I was on board for this, though I didn't ever love it, but I actually prefer that she be an agent with her own goals, maybe goals that conflict with Viktors, then literally only exist to help him do whatever incoherent nonsense the writers were doing with his character this season.

I don't think the text fully supports this interpretation either (though I agree there's some evidence for it). For example, when Sky and Viktor are running around in Vanders mind palace, we see Sky looking around in wonder. Viktor isn't looking at her when she's doing this. In fact there are a couple moments when Viktor can't actually see her.

What kind of 4D chess is the arcane playing that, even when Viktor (who would be the one being manipulated by the arcane pretending to be Sky) isn't looking at sky, the arcane is still in character as Sky. Why would the arcane, which wants to corrupt Viktor, have Sky caution him not to try and save Vander/Warwick? You would think the arcane, this mysterious entity that wants to live and spread itself through Viktor (again not my impression but according to this argument) be gungho about getting another potential puppet like Warwick which could help Viktor live.

Idk I hope the fandom takes a turn and decide they love her actually and need to make art about her. Give her a second life fandom!

[darkmagyk]

percabeth pregnancy fic/teacher au

Stole this premise from @demigodsanswer future canon. But I'm trying!

“Congratulations.”

“What?” Clarisse looked up at her student teacher. Serena. Clarisse normally growled it out. Too much. Too close.

“Congratulations on the baby.”

“Excuse me?”

Serena leaned back just a step, “I heard some people talking in the break room at lunch…”

“That I’m having a baby?”

“Um…yes…” Her face was directed at Clarisse’s middle, which she had absolutely no plans on putting another baby in ever again. She had 3, and that was enough. She didn’t know why anyone else would think she wanted more. Or why…

“What exactly was said at lunch?”

“What?”

Clarisse sighed, Serena was 22, and supposed to be in charge of students in about 6 months. But it would go badly if the woman did not gain a backbone. The freshmen were going to eat her alive. Clarisse thought that was why Demigods made the best teachers.

Speaking of “Jackson!” She called out into the hallway, where he just happened to be walking by. He really did always have the best timing. Asshole.

He came in, a smile on his face, which wasn’t actually unusual, but make extra since now. “Congratulations.” She said.

“You heard?” “I’m hurt I didn’t get a call,” She said, and it was just a little true, “And I don’t know why she keeps letting you do that to her. But I’m sure Annabeth will insure they’re an ok kid.”

Percy rolled his eyes at her, and then nodded at Serena, giving her the kind of smile that got girls with more backbone in trouble in camp. “You gossiping about me?”

 “Um…” Eaten alive.

“Also, apparently it’s gotten around again that we’re married.”

Percy let out half a laugh, and then wrinkled his nose.

“I don’t think two teacher’s salaries would cover my mortgage.”

“You father-in-law bought you the brownstone to try and buy Annabeth’s love.”

“And it was remarkably effective,” Percy nodded. “I have wedding pictures on my desk. Maybe you need to get some pictures of you and Chris being adorable.” Which wasn’t a terrible idea, if even Serena thought it. But she wasn’t going to tell Percy that. “Whatever, make it clearer going forward. I can’t having people thinking I have such…fish-y tastes.”

“Right back at you,” He said, waving at he headed back, probably for his next period class.

“So, I’m assuming at lunch they said Mr. Jackson’s wife was pregnant?” “Yes…”

“Is it worth asking why you got that idea in your head.”

“I know you’re close and…” “We grew up together,” Clarisse sighed, “Maybe I do need to bring in a picture of Chris.”

[wisesweetsqueen]

They're Products of the Pony Express

The theory is that each members personality is represented by one of the culinary products of Pony Express. Could even be how Curly feels about his crew.(It's Just my personal take on the pre-existing theory.)

Curly- The Cake symbolizes transformation, togetherness, and sharing happiness. Curly however is a pony express cake, a successful "unification" of ingredients (except for Tonic). The cake is "Mediocre at best" according to Jimmy, and "awful f***ing cake" according to hallucination Curly. Similar to a cake, Curly tries to appease everyone. But he ends up only mildly satiating people. "It's nothing special."

Daisuke- Sweetener, something unsubstantial but adds a sweet impression. I think it's referring to Daisuke's unwavering appetite for dopamine/new experiences. It implies that Daisuke's attitude is something the other crew members secretly admire and want to have within themselves. The truth is Daisuke downplays & avoids his pain to cope with a verbally abusive mother. "A mockery of sugar."

Swansea- Gelatin, gives slight pushback, and structure. Swansea is truly the backbone of the Tulpar. We associate gelatin with familial desserts, and a marker of a fulfilling lifestyle. Swansea is a great example of a well depicted tough love character :3. Gelatin sounds awful on paper and doesn't taste good on its own, but has a lot of strengthening health benefits. "The lumps are probably normal."

Anya- Water has a calming aura. Representing healing, purification, resilience, and flexibility. Her job is to make sure that everyone is doing well mentally and physically. Is says that the water was pasteurized, cleansed of its impurities (foreshadowing her death?). Anya seems very matter of fact, outwardly kind & clinical. She was vital to their wellbeing, much like water."Tastes like warm plastic."

Jimmy- Tonic...Bitter and zesty, is a spot on characterization of Jimmy. He really is a phony tonic that Curly fell hook line and sinker for. Jimmys presence gave Curly a sense of relief, even though Jimmy wasn't actually effective as a crew member. Ineffective medicine seems to be a running theme for Jimmy. Jimmy is unpleasant, and clearly an acquired taste."It's better than nothing."

I'd love to know ya'lls take on the theory.

[ms-cartoon]

Charlie genuinley annoyed me this ep.

I get that she means well and didn't intend for anything bad to happen, but she was a real burden during her appearance here. I also understand that she has such high positivity about all the sinners in hell, but she needs to get a clue. She may be naive, but she's not blind. Actually, it's not really her that I'm annoyed with but more or less how she's written so far.

She tried to keep Angel from leaving the hotel because she wanted him to focus more on her redemption exercises and looking back on it, she was kind of coming off as selfish here. Uh, ma'am? Did it ever occur to you that these people have (after)lives to live apart from staying at your hotel? If Alastor is allowed to participate in his radio shows, then Angel can do his job as a pornstar. You do not need him to stick around that badly. He lives there! Your exercises can be saved at a later date.

That was her first step in being a nuisance, but then she makes it worse by showing up on Val's set unannounced. She really should've thought this through a little bit. Idk what she thought talking with Val would do for Angel. And when Angel frantically tells her to leave, she hardly bats an eye at this. Like he's obviously panicking as if he's going to get in trouble and she doesn't get a clue at this? Like I said- she's naive, but she's not BLIND!

Plus, you'd think that miss "I don't take shit from other demons" Would have a little bit more backbone in her when she's disrespected in the slightest. She literally gets harassed at work and she doesn't give Val a new one for it. Girl, if you don't rock his shit-!

Also, while it probably wouldn't have solved anything for Angel, maybe if Charlie just stood to the side and waited for the porn scene to end instead of talking to the film staff while they were in the middle of a shoot, things wouldn't have escalated to a literal fire hazard. And then she starts suggesting to Val of different scenarios for the porno they're filming?? Like- Girl, can you not--!

I'm sorry! I know this is coming off as ranting and not critiquing, but pondering about all this irritates me and I can't think straight when typing.

[writers-potion]

when writing enemies to lovers, how to I avoid the trope of “hes mean to me but it’s okay because he likes me” and make the mmc redeemable after being mean, because so far all I have is have her be just as bad 😭 (I don’t know if I worded that right)

Redeeming The Bad Boy Character

Drop Subtle Hints of Redeemability

Okay. Rule Number 1 for romance heroes: They need to be LOVABLE. Full stop. 

Before you start coming up with possible justifications, place the actions of your bad boy on the emotional balancing scale of your girl. Do his real feelings shine through the meanness on the surface?

What readers usually DON’T want to see redeemed is:

Outright lying/manipulating the girl 

Being obsessive and controlling 

Physical/emotional bullying (i.e. stuff that real bullies would do)

“Crossing the line”: This will depend on character - like insulting a disabled sister the girl character feels super protective towards (like NO PLEASE NO)

Even if the “enemy” phase of your romance is meant to be intense, your bad boy needs to display “goodness of heart”. This is easy if you’re switching POVs or 3rd person omniscient where you can show him secretly beating himself in regret, trying to make up with her behind her back although she doesn’t know, etc. 

Even if you’re doing the girl’s 1st person POV, drop subtle hints that the guy character isn’t as mean as the girl is made to believe:

Him having the reputation with friends/teachers/neighbors for being kind 

Him being awarded in school for good deeds

The girl’s friend telling her stories about how the guy actually seems nice. If this is a YA setting, you can even get away with explicit comments like, “maybe you’re judging him too hard”, etc. 

A good example is Bryce  in <Flipped>:

Bryce is an innately shy middle schooler who finds himself inadvertently influenced by his toxic dad, who looks down on the girl (Juli) and her family. 

By flipping over to Bryce’s POV, his reluctance for the “mean” things he’s done is revealed (he’s kinda scared of his dad + he’s never been taught better)

Eventually, Bryce grows up and learns to treat Juli better. 

If you’re going to use family history/backstory as justification, remember:

The backstory doesn’t justify anything by just existing. That’s called an excuse. 

The bad boy needs to have a point of realization and grow up, moving away from his dark past into the light, towards the love interest. 

Misunderstanding

Another way to redeem a bad boy character is to shift some blame on the female character too. In fact, every story has two sides - the girl has her own goals and biases. 

For example:

Academic or workplace rivals: since the girl has to compete with him, she will tend to take offhand comments offensively, etc. 

A third person badmouthing the buy deliberately to the girl

The girl overhearing the guy saying something bad about her (which wasn’t in fact the case) and being determined to not like anything he does after

Make Him Suffer 

If you want to give your girl some backbone, just make her fight back! “Fighting back” can be in different forms:

Ignoring the guy outright

Just giving her another potential love interest who treats her better 

She literally correcting him with awesome logic and maturity that make him shut up

She crying (either out of madness or sadness), then proceeding to avoid him actively

Write about how your bad boy will eventually realize his mistakes and come around after he takes a real blow. Think about why your bad boy is being mean in the first place: it’s to get her attention. Tit-for-tat can work for female characters who have some teeth, but doing the same things he does would mean that she IS giving him attention, which ironically fulfills his initial motives. 

Personally, I think the best way to “fight back” is to no longer give him the attention, hinting that the girl wishes to move on from this unhelpful relationship status. This will set off warning signs in the MMC’s head that if he doesn’t change his ways, she would be gone for good. 

The point is, if your girl cannot tolerate something, you can’t make her sit around. If your boy is mean and immature, she needs to be the one to take the mature step - and walk away.

Apologizing in the Other Character’s Style

What the MMC will need to do to gain the girl’s attention back will depend on what she thinks, but this will often involve:

Explaining his true motivations/resolving the misunderstanding

A genuine apology 

Spending some time apart during which he can reflect and make up to her 

Undoing the damage, if this is possible

If she’s been just as bad as him on occasions, make her reciprocate the apology! Re-establish healthy boundaries that didn’t exist before, and show how they stick to it. 

[freyafrida]

rilla of ingleside, chapter six

fairly short and less heavy chapter -- i mean, it's still quite sad buuuut less to grapple with re: the righteousness of WWI and speeches about whether or not it was worthwhile whew

“Who would be president? Not she. The older girls would not like that. Irene Howard? No, somehow Irene was not quite as popular as she deserved to be. Marjorie Drew? No, Marjorie hadn’t enough backbone. She was too prone to agree with the last speaker. Betty Mead—calm, capable, tactful Betty—the very one!”

Rilla puts together a Junior Red Cross! On the one hand, always appreciate indications that the Blythes and Merediths are not the only people in the Glen, on the other hand, who are these people

(My girl Una is treasurer! Why? Who knows. I do headcanon that she's probably a bit careful about money, having grown up somewhat shabbily in Rainbow Valley. I am intrigued by Rilla wanting to put her in any kind of official role if only because Una gives the vibe -- and Rilla herself later says -- that she's happy just doing whatever.) (Also inch resting choice to put Una in the Junior Red Cross -- she's ten in RV which takes place in 1906 iirc? So she's about three years older than Rilla; RV says she's also only a year younger than Faith/Nan/Di, who are in the regular Red Cross. Some older girls like Irene are also in the Junior Reds, idk if the split is between the social circles of the girls that went to college and not.)

Rilla herself thinks that she has an aptitude for planning and organizing that surprises her, and we also see her perceptiveness about people again here, figuring out how everyone's personalities will fit in the Red Cross group. I love it, although I'm trying to imagine how that would play into her future? Tbh she actually would've made a good teacher, had she gone to Queen's. I guess she probably would make a good society wife, assuming she marries Ken and they throw a bunch of parties in Jazz Age Toronto together. rilla/carl agenda time: they travel the world together looking for bugs and rilla organizes all the train and ship schedules

“You have basted the top hem of that sheet on one side and the bottom hem on the other,” said Di.”

aaand this is the only thing Di says to Rilla across three books 💀 (is this Di's only line of dialogue in this book entirely?)

The bit where Anne mentions wanting to pick baby Jem up at night and Gilbert saying it would foster bad habits sounds so familiar but it's not in House of Dreams, so I can only assume it's because I've read this book eighty million times (the closest thing in HOD is their little discussion about baby talk, although Gilbert never quite protests against baby talk; the narration only notes he's not entirely sure the anti-baby talk author -- predecessor to Morgan? lol -- is wrong).

“Jem Blythe and Jerry Meredith left next morning. It was a dull day, threatening rain, and the clouds lay in heavy grey rolls over the sky”

😢 Heartbreaking to think that their families thought they'd see Jem and Jerry again in a few months -- if the worst didn't happen -- only for the two of them to serve the entire war. (also the running bits of the bravery and stoicism of the women at home are here again, idk perhaps I'll think of more to say when that pops up again in the future)

(Mary cries over Jem and Jerry enlisting!!! I love her idc.)

“but almost everybody in the Glen and Four Winds and Harbour Head and Upper Glen and over-harbour--except Whiskers-on-the-moon--were there to see them off.”

Sometimes when I write fanfic I just stick one of these names in there for the setting bc I really have no idea where any of these places are in relation to each other or if they're all considered separate towns or what

“Mrs. Drew did not understand but Rilla did. She flung up her head. Her brother did not have to be urged to go.”

@theincorrigiblemagpie brought up the good point that Rilla is very proud of Jem and a bit scornful of the families whose sons don't enlist, while simultaneously reassuring Walter that it's fine for him to be too afraid to enlist. My feeling is that...yeah, Rilla is just being hypocritical about her favorite brother lmao -- although with further thought, I do wonder if part of it is also defensiveness, as several people actually are a bit discouraging of Jem and Jerry enlisting. (Jem and Jerry are the only ones, it seems, that enlist from the Glen.) There's criticism from some of the characters (Mary, Mrs. Drew, the Reeses) that the war is a lot of fuss over nothing, and the boys rushing off to fight are doing something stupid.

“A queer little wind of desolation that even Jem’s going had not caused, blew over Rilla’s spirit.”

LMAOOO this is in relation to Ken going back to Toronto. Your brother is leaving for war, Rilla 💀 Honestly, I was never a huge Jem fan (too well-liked and well-adjusted to interest me I'm afraid) but I'm starting to come around on him, mostly because I feel bad that Nan and Rilla are freaking out about Jerry, Walter, and Ken enlisting/not enlisting and then are like "Oh yeah and it's sad Jem is going too." lmao, jeez guys.

(Also, totally didn't notice in the lighthouse dance chapters, but Mary is always calling Ken "Ken", while Rilla calls him "Kenneth" up until midway through the book. Idt Ken and Mary know each other like that? It would be so on-brand for Mary to assume familiarity with him, though, and I say this with affection.)

The bit with all the snatches of conversation -- everyone moving on with their lives, offering opinions on the men's enlistment though they aren't the ones affected -- feels so real. "A Long, Long Way to Tipperary" is referenced! It predates WWI but is v. much associated with it (per the glossary, it gained popularity as a marching song) although idk if it would be anachronistic for a rando Canadian to know it that well before any Canadians had gone overseas to fight. Anyway, ngl it's a catchy song.

“Jem kissed Faith before everybody”

in front of God and everybody!!! not to be my grandma or anything. Intrigued by Rilla saying she "thinks" they are really engaged last chapter -- that makes it seem like it's not really a formal thing? I suppose maybe they just...agreed upon it between each other, and Jem would later tell their families and it would become official? (I briefly thought an informal engagement right before going off to war was insanity but then remembered that Jem almost certainly didn't think he'd be gone that long.)

“Nobody missed Dog Monday at first. When they did Shirley went back for him. He found Dog Monday curled up in one of the shipping sheds near the station and tried to coax him home. Dog Monday would not move. He wagged his tail to show he had no hard feelings but no blandishments availed to budge him. “Guess Monday has made up his mind to wait there till Jem comes back,” said Shirley, trying to laugh as he rejoined the rest.”

Shirley! \o/ Brief insight to his personality here (trying to crack a joke to ease the atmosphere).

I have no real feelings on Monday waiting for Jem and I feel kinda bad :( I find it cute but not super moving. Dogs are to me what babies are to Rilla, I guess -- I like them but that's about it? Lmao sorry Monday. Glad there's another member of the Blythe family that cares about Jem's enlistment ❤️

Also I was reminded that the way Monday is described (yellow with black spots) honestly has always made me picture him as a banana slug. Sorry Monday (again some more)

glossary bits:

Readying Rilla bits:

Rilla originally thinks of putting in "Jen Vickers" as treasurer; the name later pops up as a girl Rilla doesn't like.

Two cut instances of Selwyn Ken calling Rilla "Rilla-my-Rilla"; he doesn't call her that at all in the final version.

Repeated references to Monday as "Rags" in the draft of this chapter as well.

There's a cut mention of "the other three volunteers" leaving with Jem and Jerry, presumably the three boys who "followed their example" that were cut from chapter 5 -- which leaves Jem and Jerry as the only ones that rushed to enlist from the Glen? (It feels obvious now but idk, Jem says "scores" of men are enlisting, I always assumed that maybe there were some people from over-harbor or Four Winds or one of those towns who enlisted and just weren't mentioned.)

Ken originally refers to his ankle as "blooming" instead of "bally", lmao.

Rilla originally lisps and calls Selwyn/Ken (Kenwyn?) "Thelwyn."

Cut line of Rilla wanting to "scratch Nathan's eyes out" (re: Nathan Crawford, who says "them young fools are just going for adventure). There's def. moments of Rilla getting angry in the book, but not quite this kind of violence, so that's interesting.

Di was forgotten from the group of Blythe kids walking back from the station (it says "Walter and Una and Shirley and Carl and Rilla"), I guess it happens to all Blythe kids eventually!

Walter originally goes back for Monday; he's replaced by Shirley (Walter originally makes Shirley's joke about Monday waiting there for Jem, which def. doesn't sound entirely like him!)

[jimmyjamz10]

Gord Vendome headcannons

hhaaah i love gord i want him and his mousey little cutie face. lowkey these are just weird ass little mini rants

Despite being a bit prissy at times, it was all for show to stay with the preps. His father was friends with Derby’s father, so he felt obligated to stay friends with Derby and has little to no backbone due to this feeling.

He wouldn’t actually care if his s/o was less fortunate than him. He has no problem giving gifts!

Infact, his love language is gift giving and words of affirmation. His favorite thing to do is to give you things that he knew you wanted deep down, no matter how much you said you didn’t want him to buy it because it was ‘too much’, while calling you the prettiest girl/boy in school.

I’d say he’s omnisexual. He has dated girls before, and doesn’t mind it, but prefers boys, getting more kind-hearted pleasure out of making guys feel special because the world doesn’t do that much.

His family’s probably only supportive of him and his ‘dating choices’ as his mother would say, because they want Gord to feel appreciated or wanted enough to actually want to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Doesn’t expect anything from anybody. He acts all high and mighty, but really he’s a sweetheart and even a little shy sometimes. He thinks he’s unworthy of gifts so when his s/o gives him anything, it could be even a little rock that made them think of him, he would tear up and thank them for hours.

Even though he’s a little bit of a pushover, he’ll defend his s/o until his last breath. He absolutely would not stand around and let someone lie about them or harrass them.

Also extremely adamant on things. NOBODY can convince him not to get a little Dachshund and name her Pixie when he’s older.

[drdemonprince]

Any advice for supporting someone who’s being publicly called out in a pretty vile transmisogynist way? This feels worse because it’s something in the local scene (small city where everyone knows each other) rather than purely online. Don’t wanna re-litigate the merits of the callout - this is a girl I know somewhat but don’t talk to and there are a few friends of mine either spreading the callout or who are friends w/ someone who got in a public shouting match with her over it all. Feels fucking slimy and gross regardless of whether there’s merit to the claims - I’ve never cut ppl off before (avoidant & cowardly) but idk. It’s coming off rlly nasty and hypocritical from ppl who espouse a radical politic, i wanna dm her some words of support but I wanna do so knowing I got the backbone to stop fucking with these ppl. Better to talk to these friends abt it or ice them out? How do u talk to ppl who feel they’re doing this shit for the common good / social murder can be justified and is only a problem when it’s not

I'd check in with the cancelled person first and see what it is that she wants. She might be very uncomfortable with the idea of you cutting of a segment of your own social circle as a principled stand in her defense, or it might have broader social consequences that kind of escalates things or creates a sense of different "camps" existing in ways that could absolutely make life way worse for her. Before you throw yourself into this fight, best make sure it's a fight of only your own making and that it doesn't go back to her. Typically, it's the trans woman who gets blamed for fucking everything.

I think it's best to just keep in mind that certain friends of yours are willing to take these kinds of actions, and let that inform your trust of them and your degree of social exposure to them. If they did this to her, they can do it to you, and they might do it to her even further to punish her for whatever you do about it. It's much better potentially to de-escalate, keep yourself out of the noxious feedback loop of the cancellers entirely, not give them any fresh information or drama to become incensed about.

Quietly and *privately* do what you can honestly do to show up for the trans woman herself. Hang out with her. Invite her to private gatherings with people who don't know or care about this dumb bullshit. Help her pay her rent if her living situation is now threatened. Cook her a meal. Just listen to her vent.

Only offer support that you are actually prepared to consistently provide, whatever that might be, don't do so out of guilt or pity or abstract obligation, that will not be sustainable.

To the extent that you can, build social networks that are not dependent upon this scene that is currently cancelling her. Find some older queer people's running club or a book club or something completely divorced from this shit. It will help you see your way over and above the tangled mess of the people doing the cancelling, and less alone in your resistance to it. I understand it is far harder to escape the blast radius of in a small city with a highly interwoven scene, but there are almost always other people out there who don't care about this shit and have a different perspective on life and treat people differently. And you can help build those kinds of social connections, too.

[auroralwriting]

auroral writing's readersona masterlist

melody (daisy jones & the six)

melody is a rock singer in the 1970s. she befriends warren rojas who introduces her to the band. from there, melody falls in love with billy, determined to make him like her. somehow, it works out very well for her, as billy dunne falls in love with her.

melody is kind hearted, free spirited, but she still is a rockstar. she’s got quick quit, a silver tongue, and a backbone to her, so don’t push her too far.

࿐ timeline

melody and billy meet and she becomes obsessed with bothering him

he hated it and was so sick of her in the beginning

she is convinced she can make him hers and it lowkey ends up working after they kiss at a while songwriting once and just sort of.. become boyfriend/girlfriend over time

they become a very sweet couple, actually. melody gives him the endless, undying love he always wanted and craved

you can find more on melody by using the #melody🎵 hashtag on my page.

sugar (the hunger games)

sugar is the 69th hunger games victor from district 8. she blends into the capitol well to keep herself safe. she does not like finnick odair in the beginning, but slowly, she learns to trust him. over time, she learns to love him, too.

sugar keeps her guard up. she doesn’t trust easily and comes off cold and calculated. deep down, all she wants is to be able to trust someone again and receive love. it just takes her a while to open up again.

࿐ timeline

reaped into the 69th hunger games. her arena was a shifting biomes arena. she won by adapting to the biome shifts and using it to her advantage.

she met finnick before the first round of interviews. he offered her a sugar cube and she threw it at him, angry she was in the games in the first place.

at a watch party, sugar watches her tribute that she truly believed in die. finnick took her to a seperate room and comforted her for as long as she allowed, which wasn’t long.

kissed haymitch at some point but that’s irrelevant.

you can find more on sugar by using the #sugar🍰 hashtag on my page.

cherry (daisy jones & the six)

cherry is a groupie in the 1970s. she is very picky with who she chooses to give her attention to. after meeting bully dunne, she quickly begins to give all her attention to him, leading to the most drama you could ever imagine a rock group to have.

cherry is a wild child. she’s fun, energetic, and lively. she’s young and free. however, this can get her into tough situations sometimes, especially being from a totally different world than the rockstars she surrounds herself with.

࿐ timeline

cherry meets eddie and hooks up with him at a dive bar.

she asks eddie to introduce her to his band and he says yes. she sees billy and instantly decides that she has to be with him. so, she sleeps with him.

they instantly become obsessed with each other after and start a relationship that goes unlabeled for a while, but they are dating. eddie is pissed off he lost cherry.

the next night they also sleep together and the next morning billy takes her to brunch which is their “first date”-ish.

you can find more on cherry by using the #cherry🍒 hashtag on my page.

darling (daisy jones & the six)

darling is eddie roundtree's girlfriend and stage manager for daisy jones & the six. however, deep down, darling's true love is camila dunne, her best friend and billy dunne's ex-wife.

darling is a true angel. soft spoken, big heart, sweet eyes and voice. she’s gentle and wears her heart on her sleeve.

࿐ timeline

was djats’ stage manager before she got with eddie. she was with him for around a year before they broke up.

after cami and billy divorced, they moved in with darling where their relationship blossomed slowly from their close friendship

you can find more on darling by using the #darling🧸 hashtag on my page.

lace (daisy jones & the six)

lace is warren rojas's girlfriend. lace is a fashion designer who is known for being fashion forward and best of the best, especially for her young age. she's very picky with who she works with, but she agrees to work with daisy jones & the six where she quickly falls for warren.

lace is very grounded and calm. she’s got a soft-spoken voice that just sounds like silk. she’s level headed, a much needed contrast to warren’s lively and crazy rockstar life and personality.

࿐ timeline

met warren at her studio for the first time before djats' tour

you can find more on lace by using the #lace🪡 hashtag on my page.

poppy (the hunger games)

poppy is the victor of the 71st hunger games from district 12 (johanna won the 72nd in this world). she helped raise most of the younger mellark children, especially peeta. she is his protector. while katniss may be haymitch’s, peeta is poppy’s. she was peeta’s main mentor in his game. she met finnick odair in the capitol. they corresponded over secret messages until the quarter quell. they slowly fell in love without hardly ever seeing each other.

poppy is sweet. she isn't a fighter, but she can play the capitol's game. she's kind to everyone, but don't mistake her kindness for weakness. she's very smart and understand the capitol better than any victor.

࿐ timeline

no timeline yet!

you can find more on poppy by using the #poppy🌸 hashtag on my page.

raindrop (the hunger games)

raindrop is president snow’s eldest granddaughter. capitol born and raised, her life only really begins to change when she meets finnick odair, a victor only a year older than her. when they fall in love, it’s both the best and worst thing to ever happen to them.

raindrop starts out a little naive, knowing what her family does is bad but refusing to believe it. when she gets close to finnick, she sees it, and the fire of rebellion sparks in her. she's immensely brave, outspoken, and kind hearted.

࿐ timeline

no timeline yet!

you can find more on raindrop by using the #raindrop🫐 hashtag on my page.

more on their personalities and relationship dynamics