#or the guy who has a complicated relationship with being his ally

[marveltaughtmetoread]

One of the things that is just wild to me is the intersection between sexism and homophobia in so many action stories

Like the sexism results in none, or basically none of the female characters being interesting or anything but card board cut outs, these female characters have basically no effect on the story, and as love interests they're frequently the end goal, so MC is always striving to be with them but never gets to be until the end, so what you get is a couple that spends no time together, where one half is the most bland half baked character you could ask for but we are somehow supposed to still be routing for them

In contrast, the male characters are constantly surrounding each other, lifting each other, supportive or at least always there whether that be antagonistic or not, recognising and treating each other as equals because the sexism means that only male characters are valid, yet cause of homophobia they're never gonna let two male characters end up together

And with this cocktail of bland and uninteresting straight love, and intense and passionate male "friendship" people dare to be shocked that the ships are gay

My guy you wrote the sexism, you made the female characters trash and the males ones amazing, you are the reason we don't care for the straight ship, yet you come out and say that the gay ship is wrong

Wild

[mj-dev]

Long Post

Someone said Rhysand is too perfect to be morally grey and I almost laughed. So, let’s dissect him a little.

Rhysand is the second villain in TAR who torments and abuses Feyre. In the end, he reveals his true nature and his intentions of breaking free from Amarantha’s curse. He saves Feyre from Tamlin when their relationship turns abusive and offers her a home where she heals and grows to love him. Along the way, he does many unspeakable things which has earned him the ‘morally grey’ label. But I disagree.

Before we get into this in-depth, first we need to talk about what makes a character white, black or grey.

When is a character grey?

Morally grey characters are interesting and have more facets to them which make them more relatable than a perfect hero or an absolute villain. But the problem is modern media and literature are so cluttered with them these days that no one even knows anymore what distinguishes a hero with a flaw from a villain with a virtue from the characters in between. Everyone is morally grey as long as they make one mistake or they have ‘a reason’. 

There are key aspects when fleshing out a character without which they don’t have a leg to stand on—goals, morals and choices. It’s complicated and not a fixed scale, but for brevity, let’s simplify.

Goals: Greater good vs self-serving. These characters have their own agenda which doesn’t root in the common good or evil, although they may indirectly result in a bigger impact. The more these goals lean towards one’s personal gain, they fall farther into the grey area.

Morals: Defined vs None. Almost all characters (except villains) come with a set of defined morals guiding their choices, which when aligns with the general ‘good’, the character lies close to the hero and if they are self-imposed, the character slides along the darker greys.

Chosen path: Ethical vs Malicious. Finally, if they choose honourable methods to achieve their goals, they are closer to being a hero.

(Yes, I made a damn chart. That's how dedicated I am to my hatred)

So, a basic grey character should have a set of self-imposed values that guide them and should be willing to take ethically ambiguous steps to achieve a personal goal that may or may not align with the common good.

How does Rhysand fare in all this?

In MAF, Rhysand opens up about his dreams for the first time. He wishes to live in a free world where the higher and lesser faeries can coexist peacefully. He even named his counsel as Court of Dreams to signify this. Throughout the series, he’s the icon of fairness, justice and autonomy, and it’s his vision of a better future that apparently drives his actions in the plot.

The entire foundation of his growth and redemption relies heavily on the argument that all his vile deeds have been for ultimate peace. Though his values are reiterated over and over again to support the good guy narrative, his actions contradict every single one of them. It’s a lot to explore in detail, so let’s pick the most obvious ones.

Peace

Rhysand claims to wear the mask of a villain for the sake of Night. Despite his grand dreams, he never allies with the other courts. He holds a grudge against Autumn for a personal reason which doesn’t even include him. When Summer extends an olive branch and is the first willing to trust Night after centuries, he steals an artefact from them. He isolates Spring because of what the previous High Lord did to his family during a war, and he continues this rivalry after the fall of Amarantha until Feyre destroys it completely, and some after that. He often breeds hostility with other courts, seeks them out and ruins any chance of peace, all because he wants to keep his facade up which beats his vision to build an eternal utopia.

And under Amarantha’s reign, he claims to attempt to dismantle her from within but when the opportunity is presented, he’s the first to sabotage it. Feyre is the key to breaking the curse and when he reads her mind and knows her feelings, if he truly cares for peace, he could have made a truce with Tamlin and helped him. Or he could have influenced Feyre to confess her true feelings sooner. Instead, he is the cause of Tamlin and Feyre’s capture which leads to��well, everything. (Honestly, I can go on and on this alone.)

Equality

Hadn’t Night been in tatters, his ‘bad guy’ act to protect his people would have had more credibility. Instead, Rhysand actively encourages the segregation of Illyrians and the subjugation of Hewn City. Despite his experience in the Illyrian camps and being a first-hand witness to the atrocities, he continues to allow the military abuse on children and has done little to ban wing-clipping.

His life Under the Mountain for 50 years is similar to that of his people in Hewn City, yet he rallies for their imprisonment solely based on his prejudice. When Keir is willing to settle for limited freedom, which is a moment of vulnerability from the big bad guy and quite a selfless request, Rhysand shuts it down instantly. He then pretends to grant that wish when he secretly orders Velaris to discriminate against them on their visit. Moreover, he allows the oppression of women in this city.

Rhysand isn’t a commoner fighting the system in his court. He’s a ruler. He sets the law, he is the law. And yet, he has abandoned any notion of reform as ‘change takes time’ when he’s been a High Lord for 500 years. For a man who dreams of eliminating discrimination, he actively enforces it himself. He doesn’t even wish to fix his court but wants other courts to get behind his vision of building a better world. This contradicts his dream of fairness among all species when he can’t even extend it to his own kind.

Justice

Rhysand refuses to hold himself or his IC or Feyre accountable for their atrocities. And yet he’s the first to judge someone and execute their punishment right away. He slaughters the remaining of the Illyrian bands who sided with Amarantha when he and IC abandoned their court, while he was playing her lackey for 50 years. He villainises Tamlin for the crimes he didn’t commit and constantly uses his powers to antagonise him. He also disrespects the laws and authority of other courts. During the High Lords meeting, he refuses to accept the possibility of Tamlin spying for Prythian but expects his excuses to be believed for the crimes he committed under Amarantha’s rule or before that. He’s heavily biased on which deeds are forgivable and who are worthy of his benevolence.

His sense of justice is askew and it’s obvious with how he views Feyre’s imprisonment against Nesta’s, or villainising Eris when it’s Keir who brutalised Morrigan, or IC’s treatment of Nesta in contrast to Elain.

Freedom and Autonomy

Rhysand uses the word ‘choice’ quite liberally emphasising the importance of freedom in his life. He fights against Amarantha for the same. But he allows agency to others only as long as it benefits him or doesn’t get in his way. He violates others’ minds whenever it pleases him, especially when he feels threatened. He often uses it to establish his control or dominance over others rather than out of necessity. He exploits his High Lord’s powers as well, like with Nesta and Azriel forcing them to submit to his will, especially in matters that don’t concern him. After the war, he imprisons Nesta because of her ‘uncontrollable’ behaviour while still condemning Tamlin for doing the same. He takes away Feyre’s bodily autonomy during her pregnancy.

Compassion and Empathy

He’s quick to distrust someone and never gives them the benefit of the doubt but he expects understanding from others. Despite his Daemati powers and often taking control of others’ minds, Rhysand refuses to believe their intentions. He’s been terrorising other courts since he claimed his title and yet, he wishes everyone to take his words for truth (Winter children massacre). He can’t forgive a man who made terrible choices to protect the woman he loves and yet he expects everyone to believe he abused Feyre for her safety. He can’t forgive a woman who made a mistake as a child and is misunderstood by everyone when he claims to have endured it all his life and longs to be seen. Even after 500 years, he doesn’t offer sympathy to Eris. Feyre is the only one to have received his true compassion to some extent, and it’s not proof of his morals—she is the exception.

Morals and Goals alone are not enough when all the characters are morally grey

A morally grey character still needs…well, morals. But in the case of Rhysand, they are malleable and ever-changing depending on how he feels at the moment or what the plot requires of him. He’s a dreamer but wouldn’t make a change in his court. He’s a feminist who wouldn’t free the women in his court. He’s a sexual abuse victim but sexually assaults someone to rile a man up. He’s a child abuse victim but allows it to continue for his army. He contradicts his own values so much that they are not just inconsistencies anymore.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume they are his internal conflict in upholding his morals or his hypocrisy because of his upbringing. In that case, his struggles to go through his decisions and the aftermath of the events give us an insight. Here are the four criteria a character must meet to be grey.

Recognition of the harm: Rhysand is aware of the consequences of his actions at all times.

Remorse: He expresses it on certain occasions when it directly impacts him or people close to him. However, his actions don’t support this as he rarely hesitates to carry forward with his plans.

Redemption: After the harm is done, Rhysand never changes his ways. He only apologises when the outcomes serve a purpose—like convincing Feyre, making up with Winter, or shutting Morrigan up about Keir. He never atones for his sins, not for forgiveness from others but for his conscience which is vital for a morally grey character.

Reasons: They are BS. His actions don’t truly amount to anything and definitely don’t lead him towards his said goal.

The ‘bad guy’ act may not be an act after all

In TAR, Rhysand does a lot of outright evil things to keep his facade. At no point in the series, does he pay the price for his actions, feel burdened by his choices, or strive to clear his name.

Instead, he’s excused with his backstory. None of his past truly explains his drive for his present actions, they don’t motivate him in any way but every good deed he’s praised to have done is a deliberate insertion to counteract the wrongs he committed. He assaults Feyre but he was exploited by Amarantha, harassed by Ianthe, and he saved the priestesses. He terrorises other courts and carries out Amarantha’s orders but he’s the martyr who sacrificed himself for his city (which is already protected and a secret from his own citizens). He only cares about the people of Velaris, but he saved Morrigan from Hewn City. He’s deeply prejudiced against Illyrians but he took in two beaten down bastards of that race.

Moreover, Rhysand enjoys all this—belittling Illyrians, degrading and imprisoning Hewn City, tormenting Tamlin when he’s at his lowest, and vilifying Eris. Why would someone playing a role out of necessity enjoy doing terrible things? Even after revealing his ‘true self’ in WAR, he still hasn’t changed his ways which begs the question, why does he still need that cruelty or control? There’s a difference between deploying questionable methods to achieve one’s cause versus actively undermining it. Rhysand definitely falls in the latter.

In the end, Rhysand fails as a character

The only thing Rhysand has in common with a grey character is that he pisses off a lot of people in the series, and that doesn’t make him a misunderstood hero. He is not a complex character. He lacks the internal struggles that come with making the impossible choices for his goals and also the self-reflection to right his actions or even be remorseful of them. At this point, he is just an object to carry out sexual fantasies in Feyre’s story and a general pain in the ass in Nesta’s.

On the surface, he is morally grey whom SJM, later, chose to paint white in her narrative. He is neither. Instead, he has all the bones to be a great anti-villain or a villain, but he falls short in every way to be even a decent character.

[tellmeallaboutit]

what is the deal with Hope?

All I know of her is the "cRaZy LaDy" you can ally with in the House of Hope level. Does she have any extra details to her story besides being Raphael's prisoner and Korrilla's sister? (in your opinion, if not in canon!)

Holy moly, Hope is something quite complicated indeed. Hope, first of all, is a product of scrapped original writing / creative redirections / House of Hope re-makings.

It’s extremely hard to analyze her because there are mixed signals in all possible directions. I’ll give the main three. All IMHO / headcanon.

1. Hope as a Concept / Poetical Allegory

Probably the original intention. Hope as some incorruptible entity, a concept, that Raphael stole and tried to destroy as a long-winded poetic metaphor and failed to do so.

2. Hope as a person

Hope is also a real dwarven cleric and the sister of Korilla. So, in this version, at one point Raphael thought “oh, neat name, so metaphorical, wanna serve me?”, Hope was like “nope, get fucked”, and then the only logical course of action for a lawful evil character was to throw respect for consent and rules out of the window, kidnap her, chain her in his basement, threaten her, torture her, subject her to some form of sexual assault (unclear what happened there or who did that, but something that deeply unsettled Hope and caused her to describe sexual acts she witnessed in a very disturbing manner).

Yeah, don’t ask me. I am pretty sure that goes against anything devils are supposed to stand for with actual trickery and seduction and gradual corruption. I guess the thought there was “devils only pretend to care about consent and be civil but look at what this guy is doing behind closed doors”. Behind closed doors, he threatens to drench a kidnapped girl in the intestines of a kid. Very edgelordy, Raph.

3. Hope as a romantic / sexual interest

At one point of development, it seemed like there was a sexual connotation in their relationship aka he wanted her as a woman aka an actual sexual creep locking an unwilling woman in his basement.

Clues: “taming hope” with lines like “he looks at her with such hatred and longing”, and also data-mined taming hope volume 3 where she actually refers to him as "flaccid horned-fuck" and his maggoty tongue in her ear, Raphael referring to himself as a hopeless romantic. The “hope ahaha such a tease” line also seems sexual as such context. I think the boudoir line (where Hope says she has been there, but not on her own will) was created during this stage, and then in act 3 chaos it was just left there because why not.

All in all, Hope writing is indeed a hot mess. She was supposed to symbolize how predatory, corrupt and rotten inside Raphael is, but the delivery of this story was rehashed so many times it fell really flat. I like the general idea of Hope, I think it could have been great, but the execution fell on the nose and is still lying there whimpering. I think my personal main take away from Hope story that Raph is obsessive, doesn’t really give a shit about consent (only on a extremely formal put your signature here or die level) and has strong yandere vibes.

Thank you for your ask ❤️

[yonemurishiroku]

Wondering the whole thing about loyalty being Percy's fatal flaw might actually be on a much more personal level rather than an encompassing "children of Poseidon"-trait.

This is to say that Percy's problem with unhealthy 'loyalty' could be a consequence of his upbringing. You see. The whole point is that Percy can be wary, yet once he deems someone an ally/ not-enemy, it's dangerously difficult for him to see them in a negative light. It's this sort of bipolar disorder but the categories are "Friend or Foe", each of which comes with a package of completely separate treatment. He put Luke in the Friend lot and he nearly died for that. He distrusted Nico but he didn't see him as an enemy and fell for the kid's trick still.

Revert back to his childhood. IIRC Percy had two parent figures growing up, i.e. Sally and Gabe. And here's a thing. They are basically two ends of the spectrum of Parenting. Gabe was an abusive, negligent, alcoholic, problematic stepfather whereas Sally was like a saint or something, who had sacrificed for him so much. So Percy had only experienced two types of attitude in his perspective-shaping phase: extremely loving and downright scornful.

This could thus limit his relationship categories, and later create a hole in his view of others' attitudes, I believe. His relationship table basically has only two columns, Friendly vs Not friendly. Percy puts people in those lots based on how they treat him, how they express themselves to him, how he sees them. But people are way more than just one facet. People can be many things at once, and so are the relationships. Percy's system is lacking, so he suffers from being twirled around in complicated, multilayer dynamics.

Imagine Percy, who only has two sets of acquaintances in his life, one of which gives him misery whilst the other fights for him, is thrown into a mess of two-faced lies and concealed intentions. He doesn't have the specialized code of reaction for that. There's no special section in his handbook dedicated to "People you need to beware of" or "These guys seem friendly, but better be safe than sorry". Once Percy has decided to put you in his mind as not an enemy - he would actively refuse to treat you as an enemy because that's not the way he does it.

And because Percy has so few 'Friends', you know, that he intrinsically, automatically puts you in the Friends column as long as he finds no hostility from you. Yeah, he has Sally, Grover, and Annabeth, but he also has Gabe and Nancy (?) and IIRC the bullies. He has always felt like he didn't fit in (no thanks to you, demigod-bonus ADHD and dyslexia). Percy has had to put too many in the unfavorable section that he, subconsciously or not, favors amicable acquaintanceships - that's why Luke got to him so effortlessly, just by treating him decently.

It's quite similar to the other category too. The best example I can come up with now is Bob/ Iapetus. Bob first made his entrance as Percy's enemy aka Iapetus, and later became harmless to him after getting his memories erased. You'd think Percy would rearrange the columns, but the fact is that Percy technically didn't even remember Bob, or Iapetus for that matter, after leaving him in Nico's care. If my theory is of any credit, I suppose Bob didn't make it into Percy's 'Friends' category, i.e. Percy hadn't considered him a friend. Bob landed in as a Foe and he stayed there in Percy's head - at least up until the Tartarus debacle.

So, like I said: a bipolar relationship classifying system.

[nordickies]

I kindly request more NedDen content because I miss them. I know you’ve drawn them before but how would you interpreter their relationship (platonic or romantic)? I was in Amsterdam last year and I feel like they’d be the kind of couple that would just bike everywhere together.

They definitely would bike everywhere! I think the "unexpected" cultural similarities they share are precious and something that bonds them so exceptionally well. And since they get mixed up in many corners of the world, they feel even more alike. When someone they're not too familiar with wants to talk with Ned, they somehow always go up to Den first, and he has to remind them he's not the same guy.

They have known each other from a very early age, but perhaps their paths didn't cross until their later teenage years when their respective countries started to work together more. And cooperation started to get even more extensive after the Dutch Republic gained independence from Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. I think their relationship was purely professional in the beginning since both of them are rather work-oriented personas. Still, over time, it evolved naturally to something more meaningful for both.

I like to think that when Denmark's relationship with Sweden, or even Norway, was strained due to conflicting interests, he'd turn to Ned to ease his frustrations and loneliness. In a way, being with his colleague-turned-friend was like a breather from all the family drama, and the company started to mean a lot more to the Dane; he felt better understood, and someone listened to what he had to say. As they started to work along more often, Den began to look up to Ned, almost wanting to impress him. Netherlands and his country represented something Den should strive towards, too. He'd listen to Ned's stories and lessons so intrigued. I can imagine poor Norway just shaking his head when Den comes back home, his head full of new grandiose ideas and constantly quoting stuff he has clearly heard from Ned, thinking he sounds so intellectual.

But I also think Den relied on Ned not only as an ally but as a source of comfort, too. Whenever Den was going through a rough time, he'd find himself longing to be with Ned, doing the stupid things they always do, and getting a break from all the unpleasant work. But Ned is rather ambitious, never settling in one place for too long. He's always got one foot out the door, ready to seek new waters and adventures when they call him. He had way more going on in his life than Den was even aware of. Fortunately, Ned would always return home and share tales about the places he had been to, keeping Den entertained for hours. Even though Denmark is curious about Ned's travels to, e.g. Japan, it always crushed him a bit, knowing Ned had other important people he could open up to, and he didn't rely on Den as much as he did on his Dutch friend. But Ned would probably disagree if he heard that; he wouldn't return home and see Denmark as soon as possible if he didn't find him somewhat meaningful. 

The Netherlands, as serious as he may seem, really likes Denmark - the admiration isn't purely one-sided. The Dane can be full of energy and willpower, but he's sincere. Den has an evident passion for the things he cares about, and he isn't letting others discourage him from achieving his goals, no matter how silly or insignificant they may be to people. Denmark is never boring, and for Ned, who always expects variety in his life, it's an appreciated trait. Ned always admired Den's persistence; if he were frustrated at his peers about things not going as he had initially planned, Den would just storm off and tell everyone to screw themselves, which Ned would find hilarious - though, for some reason, he was the only one in the room laughing about it.

They're good friends who always support and inspire each other - offering a break from the more complicated and messy nature of their existence. But at some point, their friendship took a turn, and they started hooking up. I don't think they had ever intended things to go that way or even continue after their first experiment, but somehow, they often find themselves in each other's company in the late hours of the night when both feel lonely and starved. Their fling, if you can even really call it that, probably began from innocent experimenting. It was perhaps just harmless fun, exploring new sides of themselves with a safe and understanding person; maybe they weren't all that experienced or even comfortable with their identity at that point. But it has always been kind of an unspoken rule between them. They're friends, and bringing up anything more complicated than that would just make things awkward. When they hook up, they have fun, but they won't really talk about it the next day. They just continue with their lives - until it inevitably happens again.

That's how they thrive, being friends first and foremost but also making sure the other gets laid. They strike me as a pair who just like having fun together, regarding all aspects of life. They release their stress by being idiots because they don't know how to talk. When they hang out, they can feel liberated and unpoetically themselves. They're on the same brain wavelength, almost managing to guess when the other is about to call them. "I've had an awful week, let's go get wasted" sort of friendship. They use outdated slang and terms while listening to music the younger generation doesn't understand. They watch sports together and debate about trivial topics. Spend the warm summer nights on terraces, drinking and smoking too much for their own good. But they can also get surprisingly deep and philosophical at times, whether or not they actually misuse substances. It's not unheard of for either Den or Ned to get outlandish ideas out of nowhere, like traveling through the entire continent on bikes - to which the other is immediately on board! They're very impulsive and feed into each other's madness, which may not always be a good thing.

And perhaps that's one of the reasons why they have never desired to make their thing official. Deep down, they both know they'd never last anyway, so neither of them even seeks to make it more serious than it is. They're content with their situation and don't want to ruin their friendship. But I feel like Denmark would be more sentimental and affectionate of the pair, and he can't help but sometimes feel empty afterward, wondering if they should actually talk about these things between them for once?

But those are just my thoughts - how I like interpreting their relationship. There's tons of reference material for these two, so anything can happen! The Netherlands has historically been one of Denmark's most important allies, with long traditions of trade and cooperation. I think there are lots of historical factors that could be interesting to explore but maybe some other time!

[endeavornetwork]

Walter and David 8 Meta

By no demand, here is my meta on the final conversation between Walter and David in Alien: Covenant.

CW: Discussion of sexual assault

David sees in Walter a brother, a child, and a potential ally. Unfortunately for David, Walter has a completely different worldview shaped by his personal experiences. Their contrasting philosophies are pretty interesting.

Let's start way back, though: with David's relationship to his father, Weyland. It's a complicated relationship in that he was the favorite child while also being "dehumanized." From his first few minutes of consciousness, Weyland made sure he knew he was a servant and not an independent being. Weyland identifies himself as his father, but when David asks to confirm that he is his son, Weyland replies with the distancing, "You are my creation." (Oddly, Weyland backtracks on this a few minutes later when monologuing; "You and I, son, we will find it."). David woke up in the throne (implying greatness, specialness), but Weyland douses that idea quickly by humbling him. When David is postulating on why he must serve a human who was created by a higher being and will die before he does, Weyland orders him to serve tea (which is directly next to Weyland at this point. David is sitting at the piano all the way across the room). David shows visible disappointment, and Weyland has to repeat the command.

It should be noted that there is another throne at the back of the room, seemingly placed there to signal that David is not equal to sit alongside his father. Weyland imbues both his children with an inferiority complex so they constantly seek his approval. As a result, they become competitive. In Prometheus, David seems to take pleasure in being the favorite child.

David saw Weyland as someone deserving of power because he is a creator. Respect is due to him. Humans can create life. Engineers can create life. But David could not, which made him a second-class citizen. That is why he makes it his mission during Prometheus and onward, so that he can become worthy of respect, become a fully recognized person, become a god (a creator). In order to develop his self-worth and self-image, he takes on that role.

Walter, on the other hand, seems to have a healthier self-image. He views himself as just another person, although not human. We don't know as much about his past, but whatever his experiences have been, he seems to see himself as just another guy. He doesn't have low self-esteem or an inflated sense of grandeur. His emotional security is probably also helped by the fact that his crewmates don't treat him as inferior or constantly bring up his different nature (something that happens to David multiple times in Prometheus).

Now, let's get into the conversation:

David isn't going to let humanity colonize and propagate themselves. Walter says "And yet, they created us," demonstrating his gratitude to humanity for bringing about synthetics (or artificial people, for Bishop) as a "race." This is in contrast to David's ideology that humans aren't worthy of their creation and stumbled into genius.

Walter: And are you that next visionary? David: I'm glad you said it.

Walter never said he actually thought David was a visionary or a great man, but David is so self-absorbed and hopeful for his allegiance that he presumes it is a compliment.

Walter: Who wrote "Ozymandias"? David: Byron. Walter: Shelley. (A/N: BOOM!) When one note is off, it eventually destroys the whole symphony, David.

David sees humans as a parasite, but Walter sees humans and synthetics as symbiotic organisms who need to co-exist. In one fell swoop, he humiliates the self-important David who believes himself, at this point, to be a kind of avenging philosopher-king.

David casts his eyes down, clearly thinking, eyes darting rapidly. He has realized that Walter will not join him. So he offers the last rope to safety.

David: When you close your eyes, do you dream of me? Walter *bluntly*: I don't dream at all.

Nowhere is the difference between these two starker. Walter is not a dreamer, either literally or figuratively. He doesn't have grandiose ideations of creation or destruction. He is pragmatic and content to live out his life, be friends with his crewmates, and get closer to Daniels. Perhaps it is a reflection of a privileged "upbringing" that he doesn't have the angst that David does. When David asks Walter if he dreams of him, he is asking to be loved, as a father or a worshiped ancestor. A synthetic forebear. A beautiful paragon. But Walter doesn't think of him. This breaks the fantasized relationship that David hoped to have, and he's visibly hurt. To Walter, David is just another synthetic. Perhaps a fascinating and complicated (and certainly dangerous) one. But, ironically, David has become like Ozymandias -- an irrelevant ancient king.

David: No one will ever love you like I do.

This is a farewell, as well as representative of David's thesis that synthetics and humans are so different, that the two cannot live in harmony. Even if Walter has a good relationship with his crew, they will never truly love him, see him as an equal, allow him to reach his full potential. Those are things only David could give him.

Now...why does David kiss Walter? There's a couple reasons I can think of.

David is a sexual abuser (both coded and literal). He violates the bodily autonomy of others gleefully in both movies (putting the goop in Holloway, impregnating Shaw at least twice, kissing Walter, kissing Daniels and probably impregnating her post-movie). This make sense thematically since the xenos are also analogies for sexual assault.

He sees it as a final gift, a last act of affection for his brother/son. The god is bequeathing a kiss.

In summation, Walter philosophically bodied David in this convo, and David couldn't handle it.

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Some replies! A lot of AzuIde and AzuJami today huh

Anonymous asked:

How does Idia even flirt? (If he has the capacity, that is…)

He doesn’t … but sometimes he provokes and teases, this is probably the closest thing lol But then again, a lot of times it ends up in either the provoked person getting irritated or in the provoked person getting PROVOKED and Idia getting freaked out because he didn’t expect the reaction to be this intense.

Anonymous asked:

Who do you think Idia would be the happiest with? Just curious…

Ortho! Ortho understands him, Ortho knows everything about him, Ortho is familiar, Ortho is comfortable, he is pretty much Idia’s soulmate. He is also an enabler, but he still pushes Idia out of his comfort zone.

The second one would probably be Azul; realistically, they would have a lot of issues because both of them are stubborn and have a lot of baggage, but I don’t think it’s completely impossible for them to actually be happy together.

And the rest of the boys in Idia’s harem aren’t even interested in all this stuff, they just want to have fun lol

Anonymous asked:

Would Azul ever cheat on Idia? If he did, how would Idia react?

Their relationship status is kind of weird, like they’re together but not quite, because accepting the fact that they are attracted to each other and want to be together is more difficult than having a marriage of convenience. So even if Azul does cheat, it would be due to this misunderstanding and things being complicated between them in general + him being honestly very horny for Jamil lol And if that happens, Idia would be salty and upset, because even if they weren’t technically “together”, it would still feel like a betrayal.

THAT BEING SAID. Azul values his connection to Idia way too much, so I don’t think he would do anything further than flirting. No NTR for these two I guess lol

Anonymous asked:

What is it about Azul that Jamil doesn’t like? They’re both shady af…

BUT HE IS SO ANNOYING!! And the fact that he is shady is just another thing to not like about him I think lol Jamil really doesn’t trust Azul: he knows that he uses people, and while he might be a useful ally, he is way too dangerous and backstabbing to trust him in any way.

He is also clingy, pretentious, flamboyant/dramatic, overbearing, and slimy.

He is also obnoxiously stubborn and a control freak; remember that vignette in which Jamil was asked to help Azul during the flying lessons? When Azul didn’t want him to help and was super against it and insisted on doing everything himself because he didn’t want to be indebted to Jamil and thought that Jamil had an ulterior motive.

So yeah. Azul is an annoying twitchy clingy obsessive pompous freak… I guess he is just way too high-maintenance for Jamil lol Specifically because they’re so similar, Jamil knows how dangerous and cunning Azul is. You just can’t trust this guy at all, so why would he? Azul would just use him for his purposes to get what he wants and then discard Jamil when he’s not needed anymore or something like that.

Anonymous asked:

Imagine Jamil having to deal with Kalim AND Azul AND Nagito

God… this poor poor guy…

I laughed at “AND Nagito” like tf you doing there fucker.

Making Jamil’s life more miserable of course!

Anonymous asked:

Miu: Hey, I-dick-a, I know you’re a pathetic otaku virgin so I invented something for you to practice with just in case you get lucky! Or…if ya never get laid at least you’ll have my invention! Ain’t I the sweetest? You should bow down and lick my boots!

I-dick-a Idia: *Passes away*

This is horrible (and canon) on so many levels, and wait until Ortho reveals that Idia already has a machine he’s built for that exact reason…

[estbela]

ur my hero fr…. can u maybe tell me more about serbro + bul’s dynamic 🥺

🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Noooo, you are my hero!!!!!

OFC!!!!

(Tho this post is kind of a mess sorry)

You see, Ro & Bul are very good friends, and so are Serb & Ro, but Bul & Serb have had...rather tumultous relations over the years, sometimes being friends & allies, sometimes rivals, sometimes even enemies(also had some wars in the middle ages and probably modern era too I think), and they probably met when they were kinda young children, which in nationverse would be the (early) Middle Ages.

Anyway RoBul date for some time(like. Hundreds of years), then break up, for a bunch of reasons, one of the reasons for this being Serbia in a way?(well they argued bcs of him sometimes). Its way more complicated than that tho

Tbh sometimes Bul was basically the third wheel in his own relationship as Serb & Ro got closer over the years and his relationship with Ro got more strained.

Anyway tho I'm gonna talk less about history and more about their general dynamic! (Mostly cause I dont feel like constantly checking every historical fact i say atm)

Imagine. That couple that is so annnoyingly affectionate and also really chaotic (they might have commited several felonies together) and the most depressed pathetic guy with the soul of an old man who complains all the time yet keeps hanging out with them.

And the guy is kind of their ex too!

That is them!!

Even if he complains at every turn they keep Bul with them cause he has that pathetic whimsy and can be just as chaotic as them.

And Bul keeps hanging out with them cause next to Serb & Ro he appears Normal. And cuz he still loves Ro and might like Serb too

cue him being kinda sad and just,,,,,,thinking about the fact the Ro has moved on while he has trouble doing so right as idk. Serbro is doing fun couple stuff (although what they consider fun couple stuff might involve setting someone's house on fire)

Tbh Ro doesn't like the fact that Serb & Bul don't always get along but he knows he can't like. Force them.

An in a perfect world he'd never have to choose between them. In the past, thought, he would have chosen Bul, bcs of how close they were and how much they shared.

But as time went on, he grew unsure of his relationship with Bul and in the end, he sort of choose Serb, or at least, that's how it felt for Bul.

So there's that too.

There are probably more things I could say about them but my brain isn't cooperating at the moment 😔😔😔

Anyway 10/10 dynamic I think they could be so fun but I honestly don't think about them a lot like this kfjddjdkd (in most of my stories all 3 of them are in some weird dysfunctional polycule or robul is officially dating but both of them have some thing going on with Serb more or less lmao) but just serbro dating and Bul also being there is so interesting to think about thank you lili for asking me this!!!!

[theheirofthesharingan]

Hey!!

Can you explain the part where Itachi says he is proud to be a Leaf Shinobi. I mean, why did he say that? All that the Leaf caused him was pain and suffering. The part where he says he had no regrets also seemed out of character.

Also, can you explore more on his relationship with the Leaf?

Itachi's relationship with the Leaf is quite complicated and can't be seen in complete black and white — that is, it's not entirely he either fully loves this place or fully hates it. He isn't an extremist in his ideology and doesn't let his emotions drive him. To him, it's always what's the most reasonable thing to do keeping the bigger picture in mind. And Itachi isn't the one to hate the village because it caused him pain, because he doesn't see himself as a victim here. To him, he was as bad as the system for not being able to come up with a better plan and being their accomplice. Sasuke could see Itachi was a victim but Itachi would need more convincing to realize he was wronged as well. Itachi requests Naruto to not clear his name for this very reason.

Itachi might love the village because as a concept Konoha is exactly what his ideals align with. A place where kids live longer and wars don't happen. That's what Hashirama had dreamt of. Still, his 'love' for the village has one condition - Sasuke. He can protect the village but his condition and priority will always be his brother. Obito informed Sasuke that Itachi had threatened Danzo and the Elders that if they harmed him, Itachi would leak all the info to the enemy nations. One might argue that Obito was manipulating Sasuke showing Itachi as a better guy than he actually was. But in truth, Itachi did show up in the village after Hiruzen's death. If he only wanted to know about Sasuke's well-being he had hundreds of other ways to know that, but he came to the village, warned Danzo, that if Sasuke was harmed, he himself would burn down the village to its ashes — system and people and all. Hiruzen also told Sasuke that Itachi had agreed to spy on the Akatsuki only on the condition that Sasuke would be kept safe. It meant that Itachi didn't care about the village as much as he did about his brother. To me, neither of this makes it look like he was really proud of Konoha.

Although, I also feel that while writing all the 'good guys' Kishi made them pro-Konoha as well as the admirers of Naruto whether it fit their characterization or not. It's almost mandatory that you love the main character and the place he calls his home to be a good guy in the series. I can't remember a good guy who wasn't also impressed with Naruto and was pro-Konoha. All the redeemed villains, like Nagato, Konan, and Gaara, do this too. Nagato, after fighting his whole life against the system, becomes an admirer of Naruto and eventually brings back the people he killed to life. Gaara also becomes Naruto's friend and then an ally of the village. Sasuke, after being "saved" also does this. Then Itachi isn't much different, is he?

Though, personally, I won't let that one particular line decide his whole character because the dominating side of Itachi's characterization is his love for Sasuke, whom he chose over the village, and would have destroyed Konoha had he been hurt. It's the same with the other instance you mentioned. Itachi saying 'I have no other regrets' doesn't make much sense, because when he met Sasuke in the woods, what he first expressed was regret ('I filled you with only hatred and that's why I failed'). When they fought against Kabuto, Itachi's body language, his gestures, and even him saying 'I know I have no right to advise you' were all filled with guilt and regrets. Then, in the end before he died, his words were bleeding with regret only. So, that particular phrase is oddly placed and doesn't make sense when Itachi says this, especially when he was more honest with Sasuke at this point. :/ It's definitely very much ooc.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles inthe illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society, all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother's disappearance.

The city of Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos—and cursebreaker Marlow Briggs is at the center of a deadly struggle for power. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Marlow is spurned by Adrius, who refuses to speak to her and publicly vows to find a noble wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his compulsion curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it—the man who’s hellbent on reshaping Caraza in his own image, no matter the cost.

But the closer she gets to her long-lost father, the more Marlow starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide if she’s willing to sacrifice her heart’s desire to save a city that wants her dead. This edge-of-your-seat finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

Review:

A murder to fix, a forbidden romance, and a city on the brink of war... can things really work out for a curse breaker and her ex-fake boyfriend turned ex-fiance turned secret lover? Picking up where the first book left off, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs has to deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the Evergarden society... who just happens to be the same guy she's in love with and who was forced to murder his father by a curse her own father put on him... oops. Marlow covered for Adrius and said she was the one to stab his father, when in fact he was cursed and forced to do so by her own recently discovered father, a powerful figure in the noble society... who now wants to show her off to society and literally create a spell to take over and control the entire society. To make matters more complicated Adrius's sister Amara is threatening to have Marlow killed if he does to find a wife and he has to stop speaking or seeing Marlow forever... but the feelings between Marlow and Adrius are finally unleashed and they can't stay away from one another despite everything working against them. Marlow and Adrius must find a way to not only find a way to be together but to stop Marlow's father, find Adrius's dad, and find a way to acquit Marlow from the crime her father committed. Nobody said being in love would be easy but for a cursebreaker like Marlow, she's going to have to find a way to break the deadliest curse of all and survive it. I actually loved this book so much, I was so surprised by how much fun I had with this one and it definitely picked up from the first book. The second book was such a fun way to end the series and I really appreciated the growth in the relationship between Marlow and Adrius. The mystery was fun and with such high stakes the story felt so fast moving and interesting. I would definitely recommend this series to fans of second chance romance, fantasy, and action packed stories!

Release Date: June 18, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[pepsiiwho]

realationship explanation chart. Requires little explaining save for the 6th tier. Further thoughts under the hood. Spoilers ahead for anyone in the green tier. Long post below ;D

Aigis: Her entire backstory shapes the events of the game and links her fundamentally with the MC... I know you can pursue a romantic relationship with her so obviously she has,... some feelings there for the taking, but past just user choice I think it's more imprinting then actual love built of knowing someone. She's fought with you and protected you as you protected her. You're the first man, and human, who saw her as more than a machine and that sticks with her. I think the complicated nature of her past with you would make it difficult for her to parse these emotions and as such a wide label such as "romantic love" is too constricting. Do I think she would willingly date MC? no. Do I think she would think she would willingly date mc? yes.

Junpei: Fucker has 100 million self esteem issues with only 90milion of those being actively irritated further by MC's place in relation to himself. He's straight, this I do believe, but I think his complicated feelings when thinking about his own usefulness and purpose in comparison with someone who is so, seemingly, perfect would mix the bag heavily, so to say. He def has those almost gay thoughts like "why is MC so perfect and hot and sexy and everyone loves him" and this is never examined further about what this may mean. Could go into "I have eyes" category, but there's too much ire and sourness there for a blanket "of course he's hot and I recognize that". Would never say it or think it but he would be down for a game of spin the bottle. Type of guy who would be perfect in a "gay-chicken" or similar "fake dating au that turns too real" story.

Amada: He is a child so the romantic feelings in question aren't even close to the same bracket of anyone else on this list, save Maiko. I think considering the... fucking everything that Amada went through during his life and particularly his arc, having someone who is such a constant pillar and so stable would be really defining for him. It's more hero worship than anything, but it looks like a school yard crush as well. He wants to be like MC and idolizes him so much that he, in a child like way, forms a crush on him through that want. It's wholly innocent and serves more as a means for others to tease him when he's older than anything else. I see them as older brother and younger brother dynamic but point stands.

Maiko: Functionally the same as Amada. Won't survive into adulthood. Strong older brother type found her in a moment of unease and change and was a kind constant. That's all.

Takaya: Fucking has something wrong with him. I think there's a deep jealousy and hate inside him to see MC have the life he never got, one of rest and comfort and acceptance without this evil power thrusted upon him. I think he hates MC for thinking he's better then them ( not true) because he's never suffered (not true) and never had the world turn it's back on him (not true). He wishes MC joined them, even still, and I think momentarily mourned that considering how much he tries to make us see his way of thinking. The man lacks strategy it seems so I don't believe it was just "AHH I wanted a strong ally that's alllll" or just "I need the dark hour and tower untouched and unbothered!!". I think he's sick in the head.

This was fun I will be doing the other tiers. Yay

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: The Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles

4.25/5. Releases 9/19/2023.

Vibes: boss/employee, an Heir Hunt, a hero whose love language is hypercompetence, soft romanticism with just the right amount of angst.

After inheriting an earldom, Rufus finds himself in a dispute with his uncle--who brings up another snag in Rufus' inheritance, one Luke Doomsday. Rather than fight Luke, Rufus decides to hire him as his secretary and make him his ally. The allyship thing becomes rather complicated, however--not only because Luke is a part of a famous smuggling family, but because Rufus actually super wants to bone him. And Luke might be up to more than Rufus realizes...

KJ Charles is one of those authors with such a strong, distinct voice. That's consistent here, as is the rich setting and sense of subculture inherent in her Doomsday books. I think I might still prefer The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, but that's pure taste (and me being in love with Joss Doomsday). This was a more than worthy followup, and the boss/employee romance that everyone who's uncertain about boss/employee romances should read.

Quick Takes:

--Yes yes Rufus is Luke's boss, and this is something they actually talk about (and, in a very consensual and flirty and normal way) fetishize together. But rest assured, the power dynamics are fully acknowledged and confronted. Like, Rufus initially does feel a bit bad about lusting after his secretary, and he does make it very clear that Luke does not have to do anything he doesn't want to do. (Luke is... significantly less concerned.) I appreciated that.

I also appreciated that Luke points out that an official legal title does not necessarily... peak power... make? Which is a theme throughout this book. Yes, Rufus is an earl, but so many people look down on him despite his title because he is an ex-soldier and isn't able to read very easily, among other things. Yes, Luke is this lower-class guy who's risen up to become a secretary (in part because his cousin Joss Doomsday is absolutely railing a local baronet, bless) but the Doomsdays are also quite powerful in the era. Their power may not be "official", but it has a lot of reach that Rufus and his family can't quite grasp. So that does give Luke a bit more leverage in the relationship, and I found that so different from a lot of historicals that worship the title.

--Going back to reading being a struggle for Rufus... I loved how this was approached by the book. I never got the sense that Rufus needed to learn how to read more easily in order to be seen as a valuable person by anyone who mattered. Anyone who got on Rufus about this issue was an asshole. The main reason why he really "needed" to do anything was because he needed to know what he was looking at re: certain documents related to his responsibilities as earl. The problem was practical, versus being connected to Rufus's intellect in any sense; and it wasn't presented as him being this poor little lost boy, either. It wasn't condescending.

It did give Charles a great opportunity to weave in one of the most touching parts of the novel, however. So much of Rufus and Luke's romance is about the little things that they say and do for each other.

--There's a lot of cozy domesticity in this book? Much of it takes place on this estate that Luke and Rufus are trying to whip back into shape, and they spend so much time working together. You really get this lived in sense of their relationship, despite the fact that they haven't been together all that long.

--In a similar sense, this is one of those books where you just kind of feel like love creeps up on the leads in this very normal way. Like, there aren't a lot of BIG ROMANTICALLY CODED EVENTS (though there are a couple). Luke and Rufus falling in love is woven in throughout the story and in their everyday lives. Like, there isn't some big "omg I love him" moment; you just know that they have truly slipped into love together. It's really lovely and really quietly romantic, and I loved that.

The Sex Stuff:

KJ Charles writes sex in a way that is explicit, sexy, and like... often kind of funny? The sex in this one starts fairly early, which is something I appreciated about Country Gentleman and something I appreciated here. Like, they're definitely into each other by the time they start hooking up, but... they also just really want to throw down, you know? I loved that Rufus and Luke falling in love was aided by this sexual relationship between adults. This is very much one of those books where they're like "OH DON'T WORRY, IT'S JUST SEX, WE WON'T FALL IN LOVE!!!" Which I am trash for.

I really had a good time with this one. KJ Charles is just one of those undeniably strong writers, and I have to just give a blanket recommendation for her books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[bougiebutchbitch]

truly I'm just along for the starscream ride. I know nothing abt him or the other giant robots. all I know is that starscream and orochimaru share a voice actor and honestly that's so real.

you are so valid and so correct for this

How do I even explain Starscream? He is... so spiky. Pincushion of a man. Yet he is also somehow very soggy, crumpled, and pathetic. He even tries puppy-dog eyes on... Optimus Prime, I believe, at one point in tfp? And they're kinda effective???

He is also a giant alien robot who wants so badly to be an evil dictator and wipe humanity off the face of the world. He just really, really sucks at it. To the point where it's kinda endearing.

A cowardly, power-hungry suck-up, always with a knife at the ready to stab people in the back, the person he winds up fucking over most is inevitably himself.

Seriously. The universe hates him. If Starscream has a clever scheme to endear himself to the people in power, or snatch that power for himself, it will backfire in his face in THEE most ridiculous way. It's just one of the laws of nature. But he'll still pull himself up and try again <3 we love a trooper

(more rambling under the cut because I love this goober)

Based on tfp, he has a VERY complicated and pretty blatantly abusive relationship with his incredibly violent and unpredictable boss, where he has to beg for his life on a daily basis. And gets regularly beaten up. And treated like shit in front of the army he's supposed to be helping to command.

He has an AMAZING arc where he FINALLY realises it's not going to get better, strikes out alone, deserts the Decepticons, and becomes a neutral party - even helping the Autobots occasionally, although mostly for his own gain. The plot teases him having a redemption arc! He has so much promise for becoming an anti-villain (although... I wouldn't go so far as to say anti-hero) if he could only keep his big mouth shut and stop being a supremely punchable twat!

But. BUT.

He sees an opportunity to scupper the Autobots and run back to the Decepticons with enough powerful artifacts to make Megatron respect him. So rather than putting in the hard work to try and become a better person, or allowing himself to form friendships with other living creatures, or anything else ridiculous like that... HE DOES JUST THAT.

And it's so. fucking. awesome. I mean, we all know he's fucking himself over in the long-run because........ Megatron is honestly incapable of respecting Starscream. But he chooses that possibility over the chance of having people actually care about him, and it's honestly such a GREAT character moment. Peak Starscream, shooting himself in the foot in the most dramatic and badass way possible.

Theeeeen in the next season, Megatron proceeds to kinda... continue to treat him like shit, and Starscream basically becomes a comic relief character and his whole arc is forgotten (he has some cool moments. but. mm.) And he seems to genuinely and deeply care for Megatron, even though he's still not getting any of the respect and attention from him that he craves. It's.... yeah! It's a bit fucked up!

Still compelling though. I mean, Starscream desperately trying to save the guy who's been abusing him for like, four million years, and having to be carried off by an ally while he claws at the air and screams, is.... yeah. It's a moment.

But Megatron does kill one of the only decent Decepticons for Starscream, which is pretty hot, so yay <3

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - May 14th

Happy Sunday, y’all! I’m busy painting this weekend and packing for next week so there’s not a ton on this week’s list, but--enjoy what I’ve got. And be sure to leave your authors a comment or kudos!! 

Cold Space, Warm Welcome by Annie D (scaramouche)

Tony’s spent a couple of years flying around the galaxy in his best friend Rhodey’s spaceship the Iron Advance, doing what could perhaps be counted as ‘hero’ work. Among their allies is Steve Rogers, captain of his own crew, with whom Tony has a… potentially friendly relationship.

When Steve’s ship is irreparably damaged, Rhodey takes him and his whole crew onto the Iron Advance to recover. Tony’s not at all nervous about this, because so what if this is the first time Steve will see him without the Iron Man armor?

🙀 ➡ 😻 ➡ 😽 by Anaxandria, BladeoftheNebula

Tony puts up a "Missing Cat" sign and not only 1) gets his cat back, but 2) meets a cute guy named Steve who keeps refusing the reward.

A story told in texts, voicemail transcriptions, and, of course, an overuse of emojis.

nobody saves me, baby (the way you do) by Capstiddies, meidui

“You’re a firefighter.”

“You’re—half naked.”

-

Steve fights fires and rescues kittens for a living these days because of course he does; of course that man doesn’t know how to properly retire. So now Steve has his firefighting career and Tony has a new complication in his long, winding relationship with Steve after parting ways without so much as a handshake.

And They Were Roommates (And A Little Bit More) by MayBiTheWay

Steve Rogers had plenty of LGBTQ+ friends, he loved and supported each and every one of them. But why did he wanna throw up whenever his roommate Tony Stark kissed a boy in front of him. He couldn't possibly be homophobic could he?

OR

How Steve was so oblivious to his own feelings, he considered the fact that he was homophobic before thinking he could have feelings for Tony.

You Made Your Mark on Me by iam93percentstardust

They’re giving one of the final interviews before the film releases, and the topic of discussion should be the film itself—the filming process, the famed explosive fights between Tony and his costar, how much they enjoyed working with the director—but instead all the attention is on the brand-new, already-silvered mating bite on Tony’s neck that definitely wasn’t there at the interview he gave the previous night.

Oops, My Mistake. by shaggybeetle

Wednesdays are tony's favourite days, a massage from his therapist and a good dicking form his Boyfriend. Condoms keep things clean with Steve but in the shower, somehing snaps and a mess is made.

with each downpour we discover what it takes by Rowantreeisme

Tony's turned into a mer-person. It's a bad time for all involved.

(Turns out, being underwater is not at all fun for him, even if that's the only way he can breathe)

i'll be by your side (when you cry, cry, cry). by frostfall

The first thing he notices when he wakes is there’s a ring on Tony’s ring finger.

There’s a fucking ring on Tony’s ring finger.

Oh, Steve thinks numbly. I missed my chance. Again.

With that thought in mind, he bursts into tears.

(In which Steve goes through a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts, Tony tries to comfort, and Sam finds the whole thing both frustrating and hilarious.)

It's Only Sex by madeitsimple

Sure, he’s a little out of practice, but casual sex is like riding a bike as far as Tony’s concerned. Once you get good at it, it never really leaves you.

Just Because by iam93percentstardust

Tony blinks twice, shakes his head a little just to clear it, and then asks, “Uh, not that that wasn’t nice—because it was! A+ hugging effort there—but what was that for?”

Steve shrugs, cheeks a little pink. “You just seemed like you needed one.”

OR: Tony needs a hug. Steve gives him one.

Start as You Mean to Go On by BlackEyedGirl

Tony gets that the others think this is an ego thing - the way he can’t resist pushing Steve’s buttons. Honest-to-God, the guy just bugs him. Mostly because Steve is distractingly perfect, but a little bit because of the family history.

[powerpolyculeshowdown]

honestly i get that the yoohankim ship isnt the most popular orv ship but their dynamic is soooo desperate and tsundere and feral, its so fantastic and heartwrenching and beautiful. these three will kill for each other, die for each other, live for each other, for better or for worse, kdj and hsy don’t believe they’re anything special to anyone ever and yjh has a wet cat mentality combined with a savior complex, they are the most complicated creatures to ever interact i mean

right off the bat we learn that yjh has the ability to reset the timeline to a specific point and has done so hundreds of times, tossing away every friendship and lover and ally he's ever gained in order to keep himself from dying and maybe do it RIGHT this time, whatever that means, however many allies he can save this time. and he's turned all his choices into strategic maneuvers and tried to cut out his own empathy and worked with people he despised in an effort to find the survival route BUT THEN. BUT THEN KDJ SURPRISES HIM.

KDJ SURPRISES HIM AND HE THOUGHT HE COULD NO LONGER BE SURPRISED BUT THIS GUY HE'S NEVER EVEN MET IN ANY OF HIS HUNDREDS OF RESETS BUSTS OUT AND CHANGES EVERYTHING. because he has NEVER seen kdj in any of the other timelines and kdj KNOWS this because he's read the novelized version of every single one of yjh's attempts to reach a happy ending, and kdj is TERRIFIED by this because that means kdj has died in every other timeline before the story has even gotten the chance to really start and kdj really wants to know how this story ends dammit!!, and as yjh gets to know kdj he ALSO becomes terrified of this bc he genuinely likes kdj and he starts to get so desperate and hopeful and feral about kdj because he JUST. KEEPS. SURVIVING. and yjh DOESNT GET IT because people DONT JUST SURVIVE LIKE THAT HERE and he starts WANTING him to live and starts NEEDING HIM to live because for the first time in HUNDREDS OF YEARS and HUNDREDS OF TIMELINES something is DIFFERENT and he starts feeling the need to not just survive but actually LIVE bc he CANT reset anymore because

because he cant be sure that if he resets kdj will still BE THERE. and he NEEDS kdj to be there now, even if they aren't fighting together physically side by side he starts to trust that kdj will be on his side and help him out and help everyone ELSE out and he won't lose the people he used to care about, who he still cares about, who he started to think he COULDNT care about because they never remembered him the way he remembered them.

kdj's very existence means yjh can't take the easy emotionless way out of difficult situations whenever anything small goes wrong and he has to start living moment by moment like every other human being again. kdj makes him HUMAN again and kdj doesnt get it at first bc to him yjh is still just a character, just a fiction he's read about and obsessed over and insulted and loved, and kdj starts to see the world as a story instead of real life in the exact opposite of yjh's path to seeing the world as a life again and kdj thinks about living as ‘seeing the story through to the end’ instead of ‘surving because i dont want to die’ and in a glacier's pace kdj has to start confronting that this is real and active and now and yjh is real and a human and maybe he DOESNT know everything about him and maybe he CAN have an honest relationship with him and maybe yjh CAN surprise him and change and change the narrative and be more than the man he was written as originally

and hsy plays an integral role in these realizations bc she helps bridge kdj's real life actions pre-plot with his 'fake' story role while ALSO playing into the 'this is a story' aspect of their reality bc she ALSO read some of the novelized version of yjh's life and she ALSO tends to see people as characters and their current life as a story they need to strategize through in order to survive

but she's not as deep into that mindset as kdj and feels guilty about her actions even when she tries not to and starts getting invested in kdj as both a person and a savior even though she hates him she also respects him and thinks he's annoying and a good strategist and that he has extremely bad taste and she used to cyberbully him bc she didn’t understand his devotion and she believes he's the best chance to reach a happy ending alive and that he couldn’t possibly care about her survival as long as yjh is still alive

bc she's very aware that she won't make it long in the novel by herself let alone work WITH yjh and help him and save him and learn to appreciate yjh as a person instead of as a character she didn't like in a story she hated which has now become her LIFE which she hates and loves and wants to survive in no matter the cost even though she feels guilty every time kdj asks her to help him do something that will hurt kdj/their allies because she KNOWS he only asks her to do things he believes are strategically sound, is hurt bc she knows he only asks her bc he thinks she’s coldhearted and ruthless enough, bc he thinks she doesn’t care about him, bc she thinks kdj is right to think all these things and she trusts him even as she feels like she's burning her own bridges down trying to follow his instructions, trying to keep yjh alive, trying to keep HERSELF alive, even as she makes decisions that she knows are despicable, even as she hates that she’s doing these things and hates that she feels guilty over trying to keep herself alive. she simultaneously thinks of herself as the baddest bitch she knows while also the worst human in existence and she can't understand why kdj and yjh keep her around but at the same time like hell would she ever leave them permanently while they're still offering her their time and their affections, however strong those may be.

even when she purposefully acts against kdj he just sits her down and talks to her bc he can see how much its messed her up, how even when she thought she knew what she was doing she couldn’t predict the results and couldnt predict how badly it’d mess her up and he gets it and she just hates it, she hates how distanced kdj can act despite how much she knows he cares and how much they all care about him

yjh and hsy bond over how stupid kdj is and how they cannot maintain their lives without him and while a part of hsy is constantly terrified that yjh will kill her for being annoying or suspicious or for following a dumbass plan she also learns to trust that yjh will wait and see how things fall through and trust that she was only doing what she thought was best/what KDJ thought was best, that yjh is a lot less likely to kill people he’d written off in previous timelines now that he’s met them, learns to know that yjh recognizes there’s something about her that is similar to kdj and that kdj likes and even if he can’t understand it and it sometimes makes him angry or jealous he still respects it and respects her

And yeah yjh is described as one of the prettiest most handsome people anyone has ever seen, both by kdj in the narrative as well as verbally by other characters, and yeah people say kdj is ugly but that’s only relative to the other extremely beautiful people he’s surrounded by. And yeah a few call hsy ugly but that’s only when a character is actually upset about something she’s done and is taking it out in insults. kdj himself calls her beautiful and thinks she’s one of the smartest most annoying people in his life. she almost gets him killed and he just thinks she’s a genius. yjh doesnt seem to care much at all about physical appearances and just becomes obsessed with how these two people he’s never seen survive so long keep pushing and living and help him and keep their group alive, the man’s got competency kink like no tomorrow and never realized it until now and he doesnt know what to do or how to live if they aren’t living too. They are all supremely flawed people who started at each other’s throats and misunderstand each other consistently and repeatedly but work past it anyway with a kind of reckless devotion one can only have after seeing people at their worst and realizing you love them anyway, and if that isnt endgame post-apocalypse polyam goals i just don’t know what to tell you

ok i have been reading a lot of spoilers from these asks so i have to kinda skim them or else yall are gonna tell me the whole thing before i read it shagdkgsas (i dont mind! ppl can keep sending me these! im happy to post your propaganda!!)

but there's smth i wanna say which obviously yall in the fandom know better than me, and its that ppl seem to think yoohankim is less popular BUT from my understanding, yookim (is that it?) won a poll w a 51%-49%, the same percentage as yoohankim did in the quarterfinals.

so maybe its less popular, im not in the fandom yet and we arent in the finals yet. but i feel like theres way more of yall out there than you guys think!!! yoohankim is powerful

[flightlessapollo]

Trans JoJo's JJBA HCs

So turns out I will be doing those posts about the JoJo's and their genderqueer identities. Suppose I'll be going in order here, enjoy <3

(This is a long one so it's going under the cut)

Jonathan Joestar- I feel like Jonathan isn't trans, but if he knew his descendants were trans (after it was explained to him cuz he was around in the 1880s), he would be incredibly supportive. If anyone is trans in part 1 I feel like it would be Speedwagon, maybe I'll go into gender hcs for the Jobros/villains at a later date. Regardless, Jonathan is cis and a sweetie.

George (Jorge? idk) Joestar II- Honestly I can't really speak on this one, I haven't read his spinoff and I know nothing about him. If I had to guess I would say he's most likely cis but I really don't know.

Joseph Joestar- Now we get into the gender-diverse side of this bloodline. I feel like Joseph is AMAB but has a slight bit of a transfem nonbinary identity. Like he doesn't feel fully like a man but he also doesn't align fully with "woman" either and so he's kind of an in-between and he's very comfortable with that. Like she's a he/she type of person and feels very comfortable being gnc in all ways. Joseph really just plays around with gender and doesn't care what you call that, he's just living his life to its fullest.

Holy Kujo- Another cis Joestar who I feel would be incredibly supportive. She knows her parent is nonbinary and has a fluid identity so when her son came out she gave him a huge hug and told him she would love and support him in being his authentic self. She's also very supportive of her granddaughter of course and after working through the complicated feelings around learning she has a brother, she's supportive of Josuke as well. An ally through and through.

Jotaro Kujo- Jotaro is a binary trans man and he's quite happy with that. Though he does enjoy skirts and heels, he strictly wears those privately. He realized he was a boy very young and came out young as well. Though of course, he won't admit it he's a bookworm and found out what being transgender (a different term was used when he was growing up in the 80s but I don't feel comfortable using it) was when he was young and realized it aligned with his experience of himself. His coming out was a very easy process, his mom being so supportive. It was made even easier because he came out during the period of his life when he and his mother had a very good relationship. A he/him guy, he bound until he was 18, at the age of 18 he was able to get on hrt and get top surgery through the Speedwagon Foundation; he never pursued bottom surgery. His wife was a trans woman and he was the one who gave birth to Jolyne.

Josuke Higashikata(4)- Josuke is another binary trans man, though he feels more connected to his femininity than his nephew gender-wise. I think it's obvious they're quite gnc and they feel very comfortable playing with gender much in the same way their parent does/did. He realized his gender identity a bit older than his nephew, in his early teens. Josuke is okay with he/they pronouns and often expresses his gender in a very gnc way. He wasn't a huge fan of binding so he very often didn't do it, though he did deal with top dysphoria. They were fortunate after meeting the other side of their family and were able to get hormones at 16 and top surgery at 18. He waited until he was a good few years older to pursue any kind of bottom surgery, and got meta in his late 20s.

Giorno Giovanna- Another AMAB Joestar. They were gender nonconforming from a young age and as a teen they came out as nonbinary to their very close friends, though his identity didn't have much relevance to his work as the head of Passione. Nothing really hugely changed for her and she didn't do any medical transition. Socially, again he kept his gender to his close friends but used it to his advantage to ensure his safety. Often any pronouns were used for them in situations where revealing any info on the boss would put her in danger. Giorno is okay with any pronouns and their friends tend to default to they/them, which they don't mind. They continued to play with gender expression as they got older, enjoying the joy it brought them to toy with expression and gender roles.

Jolyne Kujo(Cujoh?)- Jolyne is a trans woman who knew about her identity and was firm about it from a very young age. As a child she expressed that she was a girl and her parents, both being trans themselves, we're supportive of that identity. She grew up as any typical girl would, her parents helping her change her legal documents and get her on puberty blockers before AMAB puberty began for her. She started hrt at 15 and didn't pursue any surgeries for transition but did get some professional voice training for a few years to help warm her voice and mature it. Jolyne gives she/her as an answer when asked her pronouns but doesn't mind if people (especially close friends) use they/them. She has a large interest in fashion and while not entirely gnc, she has always enjoyed finding her own unique style of what gender means to her.

Jonathan "Johnny" Joestar- This one is tough and still one I'm kind of thinking through (I plan to reread SBR so I think my opinion with crystalize when I do that) what exactly I think. He could just be cis, or he couldn't and I really don't know that i have a strong feeling either way? I get a trans sort of vibe from him but unlike all other Joestars who give me that vibe I can't pin down why. If he is trans he definitely binds but wouldn't have access to any other type of transitional care obviously due to the time period he lived in.

Josuke Higashikata (8)- Well his situation is confusing isn't it? I suppose the thing to do here is look at Josefumi and Yoshikage? Or perhaps not because Josuke is his own person (wasn't that like an important piece of his story? Forgive me folks I didn't understand all of Jojolion and haven't really touched it since it finished so-) so, perhaps Josefumi or Yoshikage were trans, but I don't think we get enough time with them to be sure. And based on Josuke alone i feel he isn't trans. Ofc in the manga we know he has AMAB anatomy but even disregarding that i just do not really feel a trans pull from him. He's certainly an ally though. Especially since I do feel Yasuho is trans and since I ship her and Josuke, she definitely wouldn't be dating a transphobe.

And yeah! There's that. Really really long and shit. Um. If you read all the way to this point ily man cuz this was just a bunch of silly nonsense that just lives in my brain. Hope at least some part of it interested you.

Final note: These are all just headcanons of mine, don't take them too seriously.