#others are here too but they're not that important

[lobautumny]

So, emptyheadgamer's reply here illustrates a sort of lack of understanding of how writing works, and it's a fairly common misunderstanding too. Not every detail of the world a story takes place in does or should make it into the story itself on a direct textual level. That's not what's being suggested, here (at least, not inherently.) Rather, this is about worldbuilding, a process that is majorily writing things that will never be directly addressed for more than a passing remark within the text of your story.

The reason this is important is because the more well-considered your world is, the more it feels like your story takes place within the world as a part of it and its history, rather than the world existing as a formality/convenience to justify the story. It also gives you more points of attachment to naturally come up with plot threads and events that can intertwine with the story that feel natural and grounded and immersive.

Considering things like trade relations between nations, or the force of imperialism, or the effect of climate on available crops, or domestic political tensions, or natural disasters happening outside of where the story is explicitly set, or whatever else fits along these lines adds texture and life to your world, and can easily set the groundwork for things your audience didn't anticipate happening to your characters that don't feel forced or like a deus ex machina. It lets you indirectly add more personality to your characters.

If your setting has a bunch of miscreants randomly jumping adventurers on the road just because you wanted to have some bandit encounters, then sure, you can just leave it at that. But that's a lot less interesting and dynamic than considering why the nearby government doesn't do something about the bandits. Are they particularly well-defended and just more trouble than it's worth to clear out? Are they well-funded organized criminals who bribe law enforcement to look the other way? Do they live in some extremely treacherous area that the guards simply refuse to enter? Are new bandit groups literally just popping up faster than the guards can stomp them down? Really, who even are the bandits? Why did they form their groups? What draws in new members, and why are they robbing people on the streets? Is everyone from these groups attacking people, or are the ones who do fringe lunatics? Militia members who feel they're protecting their communities? What are the relationships between different bandit factions? Etc.

Sure, the answers to most of these questions will likely never reach the text of your story and be largely invisible to your audience on a micro level even when they are explicitly referenced unless you decide to base a plotline on said worldbuilding. But it's still valuable to consider these sorts of things because they get you in the habit of thinking about your own world on a deeper level as a world in which things happen even when they aren't happening to/because of your major characters, and which your characters live within and interact with. It's easier to write a more in-depth backstory for your bandit-turned-goodguy character if you already know why and how the bandits exist. It's easier to have the main road west be blocked off by ransom-demanding bandits who are simply too strong for your protagonists to pass if you know why the guards won't or can't sort the issue out quickly. It grounds your story when the audience hears characters reference goings-on in the world around them that don't explicitly have anything to do with your protagonist's adventure. It lets you subtly establish the groundwork for future surprise plot events such that they feel like a natural consequence of events in the world and not an out-of-nowhere twist that was written for the sake of having a random twist.

Beyond the very interesting political point raised by the original posts here, this toy cannot stress enough that thinking about these kinds of things will literally lead to you writing better stories. It's not just frivolous details that exist for no reason.

👀

[essycogany]

Sonic And Amy Are A Unique Couple

This is a quick Sonamy rant /ramble session. With a few added clarifications too. Enjoy!

This couple is more unique than you’d think. It’s cool if anyone disagrees. I'm all for a polite debate and respect your opinion. But if you're willing to hear me out, I'll be willing to explain myself as clearly as possible. Great? Awesome! Let’s get started!

Amy doesn't want to change Sonic. I will scream this until I'm not able to speak any more that Amy loves Sonic for who he is. She always has but it wasn't until IDW that she expressed it out loud. Still one of my favorite moments between them.

Does that make their relationship unique? Not really. What makes their relationship unique is what Amy loves about Sonic is kind of the reason they're not a couple yet. Sonic is an ongoing force that can’t be stopped or changed. Of course, he’ll allow someone to join him on a race, but he still keeps going. Not to say Sonic won’t stop to smell the roses (pun not intended) but he’ll do it on his own time. Amy always likes to take advantage of those moments and best of all, Sonic doesn’t mind. Even during their old chases, he’d slow down for her. Says a lot about the connection they have but there’s more

Their chemistry is…something for lack of a better term. Their back and forth is so interesting to me. Sonic does like Amy back. Notable examples here but to put it shortly, Sonic doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to romance. Sometimes he’s not into it and other times he’s chill. Sometimes Amy is ecstatic and other times she's bashful. I'm looking at you Sonic X.

Every time Amy’s occupied, is when Sonic wants her the most. Amy on the other hand wants Sonic to enjoy his freedom. Neither of them stops to think about how maybe they can have it both ways.

I'll also mention romance isn’t about “being tied down.” That paints romance as if it’s some kind of chain being rapt around your neck or being forced to be with the person. That is not romance. It’s keeping someone hostage. Something Amy would not do. Every time she’d joke around about marrying him Sonic didn’t take it seriously. Heroes included.

Sonic’s line in Heros: “Amy, knock it off. There's no time to play!” Dude knows Amy was messing with him. She was written to be girly, childish, adventurous, and cartoony. No, it wasn’t always executed well. Hello, Sonic Freeriders Amy! But I think this scene summons it up the best.

Important thing to mention as well is Sonic is an outspoken and honest character who rarely lies. It’s either you get the truth or you get nothing. He’s not the type to spare people’s feelings either, so if he had a problem with Amy in the past, he’d tell her directly. I do think she'd also stop if he genuinely told her to. The last thing Amy would want is to tarnish their friendship because of her actions. This loyal girl is so sweet.

Not to mention this is a popular trope in Japan too. The trope was what their relationship was based on.

Back to my original point Sonic and Amy aren’t a traditional couple. That’s a good thing. If they became canon their relationship wouldn’t change if they got together, but also they don’t need labels either. Romance isn’t or shouldn’t be a burden on you. That’s not how love works and that’s not what Sonic believes Amy to be. If that’s the case he wouldn’t be friends with her. Whether you ship Sonic with Amy, someone else, or no one, there should be no doubt Sonic values her friendship.

I’ll also add that Amy is just as up for an adventure as Sonic is. It’s why she loves him so much. They’re a power couple and love going out to travel, so there’s no staying in one place for these two.

In Sonic Adventure 2 you can tell Amy’s intuition when it comes to Sonic. Close to the end, she saw him looking a bit down and noticed his mood shifting a bit. “What’s the matter, Sonic?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” She knows him so well. I don't know what connection they run on but it’s inspiring.

These two don’t have a typical girl/boy relationship. I know some people say, “Well, why can't Sonic and Amy stay friends? Not every male and female relationship needs to be romantic.” You're 100% correct. Here are some examples.

The difference between other relationships is that Amy was created to be a Minnie to Sonic’s Mickey. Which is why these two are treated differently compared to others. Including in merch. There are more examples but I digress. The point is this specific pair is always going to have nuance even if they’re only friends. It doesn’t stop until Amy doesn’t love Sonic and even if it shouldn’t define her, it should still be a part of her. She might work without romance, but we already have other amazing female characters for that.

No one’s obligated to ship them because of this of course. Again, your opinion is still valid, and I will always stick to that point.

Last but not least is their friendship (or situationship) as a whole.

The funny thing is their friendship is what makes their romance the most compelling. The appeal to Sonic and Amy’s dynamic is how much platonic energy they have. Romance doesn’t always mean you need to be lovey-dovey. With Sonamy it’s their powerful friendship that makes the (somewhat not platonic) interactions memorable. You don’t have to choose romantic or platonic. It can be both. I wouldn't be a Sonamy fan if I didn't think their relationship was plain. I'm here because of how different they are.

And I love them to bits. Look at this panel and tell me it isn't running with situationship fuel.

Another fun detail is in recent years despite knowing Amy still loves him, Sonic hugs her back. Even the moments in Sonic X he carries her are moments he offers to. Even when it wasn't necessary.

Can’t forget about the recent asking Amy out to a dinner panel in IDW. He's never done that before. There's a familiarity between the two of them however you look at it. I LOVE them for it.

His moments of genuinely being excited to see her are not due to some development but because Sonic’s passion for Amy has noticeably increased. Why am I bringing these up? It’s because one thing that hasn’t been talked about when it comes to romance is actions. Sure, Sonic doesn't fully confess his feelings to her outwardly. But why do you have to be obvious and in people’s face when it comes to loving someone? In Japan, love is mostly shown through what you do more than what you say. That stuff can happen there but it doesn't always have to. The “Sharing an Umbrella, Amy,” line in Frontiers carries a lot more weight when you think about the implications.

Please read this post by @egalitarian-tomboy if you're interested in the implications of Sonamy in Frontiers.

The up-to-interpretation view of whatever they have together is the main reason I and so many people ship them. It’s not the fact that they are close, but the progression of their closeness. To make a long story short, the appeal of Sonamy is the fact that they don’t have to be traditionally romantic to be an interesting couple. Amy represents expressive love and Sonic represents emotional love.

Stay creative! 💜

[tiredandoptimistic]

The thing about Herondaisy is that they just enjoy being around each other so damn much! I remember reading Chain of Iron, and their marriage of convenience felt realer to me than any other relationship because they clearly were so content to spend time together as much as possible. Aside from the fact that James knew Cordelia well enough to tailor the house to her exact tastes, they were excited to get home and talk and play games and learn more about each other even when they already felt so familiar. It's such a great contrast to James claiming to be in love with Grace without displaying any actual affection for who she is. He may think of his marriage to Cordelia as an act of friendship because of the bracelet suppressing his emotions, but he still wants to be married to her because he likes being around her. It is a friendship, and a real one, before it's able to be a romance. And once the bracelet is gone and James is able to properly sort out his feelings, it's clear that James and Cordelia still like being together in any capacity. They're perfect partners because they are always happier when they can share things with each other, and they're always excited to go home because it means more time together.

[captain-huggy-bear]

How does Jack ask you to be his valentine ?

Oh he's a sweetheart but also pretty conventional as well. I think he goes with your standard ideas of flowers, and chocolates, probably turning up at your door on the day itself because that's traditional and he just smirks and asks. The sort of lazy confidence in him that says he knows you're going to say yes, that it would be impossible for you to say no.

Totally happy to take requests/ideas/prompts at the moment in my ask box :) Writing Masterlist

It's still new, this thing you have with Jack, early days as it were. Not quite boyfriend and girlfriend yet, but not just two strangers who've been on a singular date either. Talking wasn't the right term and dating was maybe closer to it, figuring out whether this was going to be something long term or just a drop in the ocean. So you didn't really expect anything from him on Valentine's day, especially not when he'd said he had a game that night and wouldn't be able to take you out in the evening like he wanted to. You'd accepted that because at the end of the day you knew what you were getting into when you agreed to the very first date with him. Hockey meant things wouldn't always go as expected, not all events would be commemorated. It also wasn't a given considering the early nature of your relationship.

It's why you're not expecting it when your front door bell rings and you're certainly not expect to look through your peephole to see Jack Hughes standing on the other side in a suit and tie holding what might be the largest bouquet of pink roses you'd ever seen. So large that they'd block out his entire head and shoulders if he held them upright.

"Jack?" You open the door to him, feeling decidedly underdressed in your casual everyday clothes when compared with Jack and his suit. The black one that he's matched with a black tie like he's going to a formal event rather than standing in front of your house on the 14th February in the cold.

"Hey..." The smile he gives you is nearly a smirk, that confidence that first drew you to him, firmly in place. His hair has grown longer at the moment, nearly reaching his shoulders, tucked behind his ears.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the rink for morning skate...?"

"Already been, decided this was more important than my post practice nap." It makes you feel warm all over, the way he says that so easily, like it's a given that seeing you is more important than his routines and rituals, things you know hockey players hold dear to their hearts.

"Oh?"

"Here," He hands you the bouquet that takes up your entire arm space, larger than a toddler and smelling sweetly of rose. He'd picked the scented roses, ones that smell strongly too a little detail that you can't help but take note of. "I picked the pink ones, thought it'd be a little less cliché."

You can't help the soft smile you give him because it really is sweet and unexpected. More romantic than any of your past boyfriends had ever been and he's not even in a relationship with you yet.

"They're lovely, Jack...you really didn't have to..." You feel bad knowing you hadn't expected anything and so hadn't got anything for him.

"I wanted to. I can't exactly ask you to be my valentine without flowers now, can I, angel?" Your positive reception of the flowers has him relaxing further, a smile turning into a smirk, leaning closer to you, arm leaning against your door frame. The invasion of your personal space makes you nervous in the best sort of way, giddy.

"You want to be my valentine?" You can't actually remember the last time you were actually asked to be someone's valentine...it makes butterflies flutter about in your stomach.

"Sweetheart, who else would I ask?"

You shrug, pursing your lips as you look up at him from under your lashes, all of a sudden unsure and lacking confidence because neither of you ever said you were only seeing each other. That you were exclusive. While you certainly weren't seeing any other guys, it would make sense for someone like Jack, popular and famous, to have a whole roster of girls waiting on him. It wouldn't surprise you if he had other girls he was testing the waters with, figuring out who was the best fit.

He seems to sense that your thoughts have gone that way, or maybe he just has good timing.

"You're the only girl I'm seeing and the only one I want to see, angel...I've not gone on a date with anyone else since before our first one." He doesn't like that it's clearly shocking to you, the way you look up him like he's just given you the world. Jack thinks it should be obvious to you that he's all in, that he's completely taken with you and has been since the first date. He's only waiting to ask you to be his girlfriend because he knows you need a little more time, not because he's not ready or doesn't want to.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Why waste my time with anyone else? They wouldn't be you." It's simply really. You're perfect for him. You're kind, you're caring, pretty and smart. You're understanding of his schedule and his moods. You get along with Luke and you treat him like Jack, just Jack. Not Jack Hughes, hockey superstar. Why waste his time on girls who fawn and giggle over his title, his status but don't really like him for him?

"Jack..."

He diffuses some of the heavy tension with his next question, not wanting to make things too serious too fast, not wanting you to feel pressure to respond in kind, "You still haven't answered my question. Will you be my valentine?"

"Yes, I'll be your valentine." You smile up at him all giddy and sweet and he wants to kiss you all over your cheeks, lift you until you're giggling uncontrollably, but he controls himself. Jack has to remind himself you're not his girlfriend yet, he's trying to take this slow, easy for you, a love confession might be a bit much 3 months in.

"Good because we have a lunch date, so go get changed into something nice." Not that you don't look nice, you always look nice, but he knows you'll feel self conscious if he takes you into a nice restaurant in casual clothes while he's in a full suit and tie.

"A lunch date?"

"Well, I can't take you out for dinner because of the game, but I figured lunch would work?" Your hesitation has Jack questioning himself, starting to second guess if this was a good idea, maybe you already had plans, "Or...you don't have to, we can stay here or...or I can go?"

"No, no! Lunch sounds...it sounds perfect."

The smile you receive is enough. It's more than enough, you think you might just do anything to be on the receiving end of that smile.

[asneakyfox]

if i'm reading you right, you're pointing out four reasons the scenes aren't the same:

ed doesn't choke izzy in the exact same way

the lighthouses don't look like the same lighthouse

the blocking for the two scenes is mirrored rather than identical, with ed on the left side in the izzy scene and on the right side in the scene with his dad

the lighthouse symbolizes stede, and stede isn't important to the first scene

i have to say the first three honestly strike me as entirely irrelevant. i would not generally expect tv to indicate that two scenes are similar by making them as close to literally identical as you're suggesting, although there's exceptions like a situation where it's meant as a very overt comedy beat. you could also point out other differences, like the fact that one takes place on a sunny day and the other on a rainy night, or that one is set in a cabin on a ship and the other outdoors on land, or that if you look closely con o'neill and damien gerard are technically two different guys. if the show could only indicate parallels between two scenes by making the second scene an exact beat-for-beat shot-for-shot recreation of the first it would rapidly become extremely boring. you could just as well argue that if the 2x05 moonlight scene had been intended as a parallel to the one from 1x05 they would have made the moon full instead of gibbous, and since they didn't do that it must mean all the similarities that are present are just coincidence. (that's a scene that is making its parallels unusually on-the-nose for cutsey romcom reasons and there's still major differences!)

#4 is puzzling to me because you've answered it yourself - the show has never treated lighthouses as a symbol of just one thing, we are told explicitly that it means multiple things, both a guide and a warning. and if a warning is what it means in the patricide scene then very obviously that's at least part of what it means in the izzy scene! that scene is very overtly the start of ed going down a path we don't want him to take, he's about to crack up on the rocks!

in fact he's about to crack up on the same rocks, which is kind of the whole point of this. like the real meat of the parallel here would be there even without any visual reinforcement - the only reason we're talking about the visuals is that they're what make it clear the creators were conscious of the parallel and considered it an important thing to reinforce. the heart of it is in both scenes:

ed is dealing with an angry older white man who is a significant part of his life, who has been threatening to both ed himself and other people ed loves (and, if you include the cut lines from his dad, both men have been trying to pressure ed himself to perform masculinity in specific ways). after putting up with it for a long time, ed is pushed too far and reacts with defensive physical violence. although he succeeds in the immediate act of self-defense, the scene leaves ed traumatized, believing that his own act of violence proves he is an unlovable monster.

there are also some significant differences between the two scenarios, like the fact that izzy is doing all this on purpose, while there's no suggestion that ed's dad intended to provoke his son to violence. the presence of those differences don't change the core parallel though. the scenes are variations on the same theme, and the variation does matter, but the theme is consistent.

this is central to ed's character arc. it's the center of ed's character arc in season 1, the thing it pivots on. the reason ed becomes the kraken is because the scene with izzy triggered the exact same trauma he's carried from the act that defined his childhood, that's the throughline. if the two scenes weren't striking the same trauma then ed wouldn't react the way he does to the second one.

(that didn't have to mean q.e.d. izzy is ed's father figure for all time and that had to be the main theme of their relationship. it just means there's one scene in which izzy played a role that paralleled ed's dad - but it's a pretty important scene. the show could have played that as a thing that happened only once. but it still would have happened, it would have been something that was there at least in one pivotal scene whether or not they chose to expand on the theme in s2.)

anyway back to what lighthouses symbolize. i would suggest that while the lighthouse definitely signifies a warning signal in both scenes, it's an entirely plausible read that it symbolizes stede in both scenes in addition to that. this show is a romance, and it's the kind of romance where people turn into hallucinatory mermaids and call their lovers back from the land of the dead. it is not at all surprising to me that in a scene set long before ed and stede meet, there would be a symbolic reminder that even in this darkest moment of ed's life the love of his life was already out there waiting for him, warning him away from the path he was on, calling him back to land. that kind of soulmate stuff, portraying the two lovers' stories as having been intertwined before they ever met, that's totally in-genre here.

finally i did say i thought points 1-3 were irrelevant, so i don't think this matters, but i want to point out that #3 is also not quite right; you've got the wrong flashback there. as you noted earlier, we see two versions of ed's father's death, and no lighthouse is visible in the "real" one, because the camera is always facing either inland or down. (the fact that the lighthouse is only clearly even there in ed's imagination probably says something interesting about the symbolism - there might not be a lighthouse at all in the real scene, it's unclear in that version if the flashing could be just lightning - but that's kind of outside the scope of this.) if you positioned the camera behind them facing the sea, so that the lighthouse (if it exists) were in frame like it is in the other scene, the way they're positioned would of course put ed on the left.

but the version of the scene where you do see the lighthouse is the one where ed is supposedly only present as a watcher; ed's actions in this scene are displaced onto the literal kraken, the kraken is symbolically replacing ed himself. you'll never guess which side of the screen the kraken is on.

ed's dad is even positioned here directly in front of the lighthouse, blocking our (and young ed's) view of it, like you pointed out that izzy walks forward into the center of the frame to block our view of the painting, while ed is still positioned on the left.

like i said i don't think the blocking is an element that needs to be exactly the same for the scenes to work as parallels, so personally i wouldn't count this as a particularly important part of the whole visual parallel situation. but if you're concerned about it, that's something there.

So I’m up to episode 10 of my most recent rewatch and I noticed something interesting in the scene where Izzy confronts Ed. At the beginning of the conversation the camera tends to stay with Ed in the left side of the frame and Izzy on the right, with the space between them in center. We do get some shots of just Ed where he’s in center (not included) but any shots that focus on Izzy still keep Ed in the frame with Izzy staying right of center.

So I am not a cinematographer by any stretch, but this seems all pretty straight forward to me? Like, we’ve got these two people having an argument so we’re showing them on literal opposite sides, and our shots are biasing toward whoever is speaking at the moment, but with an overall bias toward Ed, who we’re supposed to sympathize with.

But where it gets interesting is when Izzy makes his namby-pamby comment, and Ed pushes Izzy up against the wall. Izzy is still right of center, but take a closer look at what is now in the center of the frame.

The lighthouse painting. The lighthouse which represents both Stede and Stede & Ed together. In this moment while Ed briefly appears to have control of the conversation, this painting representing many of the things Ed wants and wants to be is prominently in the shot even while we’re supposed to be focused on Izzy. And as an added bonus just as Ed is consistently on the left side of the frame in this argument, the lighthouse is on the left side of the painting.

But then Izzy takes back control over the conversation. He reaches out and strokes Ed’s face, causing Ed to jerk back and let go of Izzy.

Izzy takes advantage of this to step closer to Ed, bringing him to center frame.

And even then he continues to get closer and closer.

And as Izzy whispers his threat to Ed we’re left with this: Izzy filling the center of the frame, with Ed only barely visible at the very edge, and the lighthouse missing from the painting, completely blocked out by Izzy.

[justleaveacommentfest]

Not an ask, but a story about leaving comments -- not long ago, I left a comment on a fic from almost 10 years ago where the author, in their end notes, discussed how proud they were to have finished this fic (it was an incredible fic that was over 100,000 words long because they're a god and I would also just be shaky in the knees if I accomplished something so long and profound); and they also talked in their author's note how strange it was to be the ages of 22-24 when they were writing this fic and how things weren't always easy, and that they hoped the future was bright for them.

I commented about my life, right now, how I came to find their fic a decade years later from when they finished (a little sheepishly, it feels weird to talk about yourself, but it felt important somehow) -- anyways, I also talked about how reading their author's note reminded me very much of how I felt right now, and how different the world is now from 2015, and how this fic made me feel all kinds of nostalgic and good and hopeful about growing older, and how my god they were this good at 22 and I hope they're still writing -- and even if not, I hope all these years later they really are in a better place.

They replied. They replied! I was so delighted! They are indeed in their thirties! and they are indeed still writing! Things haven't gone as expected, but they've got a healthier dose of perspective on life and how to cope with the hard times now. And it was just so heartwarming to hear and learn about them. And to know that they're still around!

Just seeing that, seeing these people who write about hard times nine years ago, and leaving a comment and getting a reply, it just brings so much hope. Because you never know! You never know if someone's still going to be here, and so when they are it's kind of a-- not a miracle, but it just feels like I'm suddenly so very aware of my existence in the world and theirs too and it just -- it MATTERS. And ao3 and fanfiction in general is so unique to most media where you stare at a television or read a book, you can engage with the creator of that thing you're reading RIGHT THEN AND THERE. And you may not get a reply, or you might get this touching response that lets you feel like you're less alone in the world. It's worth the chance, right? That's what building community and stuff is all about! You can make so many friends this way!

And even if they never reply, don't you want them to know how important their story was to you? And it doesn't matter if the story was finished a decade ago or just posted yesterday, there's still a person that's there that gets to see how their art made an impact on the world. I've made a couple of friends doing this -- and even if I'm not making a friend, I hope I make someone's day a little brighter. God knows I'm always delighted whenever someone comments on my fics.

I admit I'm not perfect -- I don't always comment on fics that I read. I'm trying to be better, I've got a list of fics that I definitely should have written a comment on that I've been going through and writing out how I feel about their writing because damn people are just so talented. This wasn't for just leave a comment fest, I admit, but I do love to see your blog and your drive because it is such an important thing for writers.

I didn't know you were doing a valentines day thing, but what a great idea! I wanted to share my experience, hopefully inspire some other people to go out and comment, and now I'm going to go check another fic off my list of ones that I'd like to comment on. Better late than never!

Have a great day! and Happy Valentine's Day Just Leave a Comment Mini Fest!

I AM HOOTING AND HOLLERING I AM PLAYING THE XYLOPHONE ON MY RIB CAGE WHAT A STORY!!!! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CONNECTION TO HAVE MADE THROUGH COMMENTS!!! WHAT A WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE TO HAVE HAD!!

ANON THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS HAS MADE THIS SKELETON'S DAY

[thedolmainblog]

hi!! i've been looking at your oc blythe and wreckofwafers yunie, they're so cute together! i wonder what they're like together, if you don't mind me asking?

okay funniest thing is that wreck told me they got a pretty similar question so either its a WILD coincidence or youre the same anon. i must say i admire your curiosity.....

so! what im gonna do is that im gonna explain things from blythe's point of view :3 here we go! under the cut bc it got long lol. as always, yuniekins and the art below belongs to @wreckowafer .

yunie essentially took the Sex route of romancing him, which basically is a series of lewd encounters between the two.....so yes before they even confessed their feelings yunie has given him a blowie, has been fingered multiple times by him and has been throughly thigh fucked.....that last part is what made him snap and finally take yunie for himself

blythe doesnt know this himself but yunie allowing him to take his virginity is a Huge Deal bc she's essentially handing him her highly important bargaining chips to him. but in blythes perspective he sees this as something very precious, something very important (not in the same way yunie sees it, but nevertheless) and seeing her halo crack because of him is. hes so normal about it is what im trying to say.

after the whole bunnyfuck sesh love claim, blythe isnt like. SURE what their relationship is at this point but he was sure of two things : he himself at the very least is very fond of yunie, and he doesn't want this....relationship to end somehow. and so the lewd encounter ensues!

but also he is treating her with small bits of affection. he doesnt want her to think hes a WEIRDO!!!!! even when his heart is bursting with love and affection. small kisses to her forehead, appreciative rub here and there, he protects her from people who bother her and the praises he gives her never ceases. he will get more Insane about it later. hes already happy with what they have going on!!!! and because he eases her into rather than just plunging her in she starts reciprocating the affection too, esp kissing u_u they start kissing on the mouth and both of them are obsessed by it!!!

the event that sealed them as a couple is blythe saving yunie instead of yunie having to save herself!! it was either kidnapping or a group of molester getting to her and blythe Just So Happen in the area, and of course he cant just!! let that slide!! and yall saw how he is when The One is hurt. he nearly beats everyone involved to death with one or two escaping. while hes mentally taking note of the one who escapes, he then turns to yunie to check up on her to see if shes okay (with blood on his hands still!!) and her response is to say i love you. ah.

with i love yous exchanged and yunie feeling safe in his arms 100% (he still thinks that he shouldve been able to prevent the whole thing from happening, but alas) they become rapechesters MOST ANNOYING COUPLE!!!! constantly in honeymoon phase, always near and touching each other. half of the people who know blythe is happy that he isnt grouchy all the time but also oh my god we can hear those two fucking in the back!!!!

like how i always describe blythe when he finally finds The One, everything else becomes a trivial matter compared to yunie. he starts prioritizing her over everything, why spend time doing useless things if he can take care of yunie instead? he has to provide a reason for her to stay with him. he also molds his catastrophic brain damage around HER brain damage and thinks everything she says is right. if they HAVE to be separated for a while, yunie already has a brand new phone blythe gave her to communicate. (somewhere, rhett is pissed off and has put blythe in his shit list for this)

yunie becomes somewhat of his assistant! she has no problem handling paperwork involving shady work and what is essentially money laundering. shes faster at it than he is, so shes always there when he deals with his shady practices. its also a good excuse to keep her near him at all times u_u people know not to touch her anyways

all in all everything she does (only smiling at him, confessing why she feels this way, clinging onto him constantly, wanting to be the goodest girl in the whole world when hes a bit mean to her during sex) only makes blythe fall deeper and deeper to the hole that is I LOVE YUNIE!!!!! he is never going to recover, and he is so, so happy about it. after everything hes been through, he finally found his true love.

[engie-ivy]

(Not really micro and a day late, but I had to write the Valentine's prompt!)

@wolfstarmicrofic 14th: First I Love You

1110 words

Director's assistant Remus never expected to be working together with famous actor Sirius Black.

Never Expected

Remus never expected to have a crush on a filmstar. As a self-proclaimed film connoisseur (or a film snob as Mary calls it), he had always considered himself to be above such things. He judges actors purely on their performance, their persuasiveness, their story-telling abilities, always impartial and always objective.

Until he saw his first film starring Sirius Black.

Remus was floored. Turned out, he wasn't as above crushing bad on an actor as he thought he was. After being exposed to a couple more films with Sirius Black, once he got a bit more used to those piercing grey eyes with that mischievous glint and that ever-perfect hair effortlessly elegantly falling over that gorgeous face, he could see that Sirius Black is also a great actor. He can make you laugh, he can make you cry, he can make you love him and he can make you hate him, and as much as Remus hates the term, he eventually accepted that he is and always will be a fan.

Remus never expected to have a career in the film industry. He did go to the Film Academy, because he just has such a passion for films, he couldn't ignore that calling. But he isn't the type to go to all the industry parties to make connections with important people and build a career. He had expected that he would be doomed to doing one unpaid internship after the other, while making his money serving coffee.

During one of his internships, however, he met famous ex-filmstar and now famous film director Minerva McGonagall. Remus is nothing if not opinionated when it comes to films, and especially the techniques that go into making films, and he likes to share that opinion, doesn't matter how high a status the other person has. Surprisingly though, Minerva McGonagall wasn't offended by Remus’... outspokenness, but rather impressed, and she offered Remus an actual job in the film industry as her assistant director.

Remus never expected to be making a film with Sirius Black, to be on the same set as Sirius Black, to interact with Sirius Black, to give directions to Sirius Black, but yet, here he is.

And what Remus never ever expected was for Sirius Black to one day after filming ask Remus to practice lines with him. Practicing lines lead to conversations about, of course, films, films they love, films they hate, films they think are overrated and films they can watch over and over again. And when Remus talks about films, he forgets to be nervous, he forgets to be star-struck, and he just talks.

Though talks about films also lead to talks about their lives, about their experiences in the industry, the people they love, their hopes for the future. And Remus learns that in real life, Sirius Black is still breathtaking, still charming, still effortlessly elegant, but he's also a person. A person with a troubled past, with family issues, with fears and insecurities, and Remus loves him all the more for it.

Remus never expected to find Sirius looking at him so many times when they are on set together, for Sirius’ hand to linger on his when they reach for the script at the same time, for Sirius’ eyes to dart over to his lips when they're having their private conversations.

But there's always that voice in Remus’ head that's constantly telling him

He's too good for you

So when Sirius’ fingers stroke the back of his hand, Remus quickly jerks his hand back, when Sirius holds him a little too long hugging him goodbye, Remus pulls away, and when Sirius slowly leans in, Remus takes a step backward.

Sirius plays an eighteenth century nobleman who's struggling to stay in power as head of his family, without becoming as morally corrupt as the rest of them. They're currently filming a scene regarding a subplot where Sirius’ character has feelings for someone who's only second in line of a struggling family.

“Lupin, you're frowning,” McGonagall says. “Give me your thoughts.”

“It just…” Remus begins, trying to voice his thoughts. “Seems a little far-fetched that someone without money or social status could catch the eye of someone like Sirius’ character.”

McGonagall opens her mouth to respond, but Sirius is first.

“Why on earth would my character be concerned with money or social status when it comes to how he feels about someone?”

“They have nothing to offer him!” Remus says. “And I just don't think your character should ignore that!”

“He's not ignoring it,” Sirius counters. “It just doesn't matter to him.”

“But those things do matter,” Remus insists. “Pretending they don't would be naive, and naivety goes against everything your character stands for.”

“My character also stands for persuasiveness and going after what he wants despite the obstacles, and that includes the person he wants.”

“But he's also a man driven by ambition who's always thinking about his place within high society and never takes any unnecessary risks when it comes to everything he has achieved!”

“He can be all that when it comes to business, but still follow his heart in other matters.”

“His heart?” Remus asks.

“Yes,” Sirius says defiantly. “His heart. His brain is undoubtedly telling him all about the world of differences between them, and how difficult this is going to be, but in these matters, he listens to his heart.”

Remus shakes his head. “How can he be so sure what his heart wants after such a short time?”

“There's a connection between them, a connection you don't find often,” Sirius says. “Surely you must see that?”

“I do,” Remus admits. “But what remains if that fades?”

“It won't just fade,” Sirius says confidently.

"But how do you know that?” Remus asks almost desperately.

“Because I love you!”

A silence falls.

“He,” Sirius stammers. “He loves…”

“Maybe it's time for a break,” McGonagall says, looking from Remus to Sirius.

The set empties, until it's just Remus and Sirius left.

Remus says nothing, but just gets up and walks over to Sirius, until he's standing right in front of him, searching his eyes for the confirmation of his words.

“Do you really not want to give us a chance?” Sirius asks hoarsely.

Remus opens his mouth, but then closes it again and he can't help but laugh. Remus places his hand on Sirius’ cheek. “I was an idiot for thinking I could fight this,” he says. “But I still think you're going to break my heart.”

Sirius covers Remus’ hand with his own. “And I still think I can prove you wrong.”

Remus never expected he would ever want to be wrong so bad.

[tucsonhorse]

@notenderlaith has good points here about considering inequality, the effect it would have on the land and most marginalized people, and where the resources would come from. These are all very important factors that must be considered and weighed.

As someone who lives in the middle part of the country where we're too far to benefit from sea commerce, too vital resource lacking to claim our own industry, and whose town in fact was a boom town when the railroads were built, I say the rest is patronizing bullshit. Let me cover some of the specific points here. (This is not intended to be condescending, this is the easiest way for me to organize my thoughts and a bit sarcastic because the tone I got from your post feels extremely paternalistic to me)

"Most parts of the US are livable from the land itself when it is taken care of". This is true, especially with trading with neighbors. It also ignores the need/desire for material goods that are unavailable and cannot be created in all locations. Do you like cotton clothes? You better live in the south cause without long distance trade you won't be able to have them. Do you enjoy things constructed of wood? Better not live on the great plains cause there's very little wood there, definitely not enough to support the needs of a full community. Need healthcare? Better hope it's only basic stuff cause individual towns aren't going to have enough call for specialists for it to be worth training any.

Oh, but you say that people could still travel between places? You're right, but if we rely on cars and individual transport alone that's going to continue being extremely harmful to the environment. And you mention the concern for Indigenous people, the poor and others. It's good you're concerned, because they're the ones who are going to have the most trouble traveling between places by car alone. The people who use our current passenger train options, at least out here in the empty middle of the country, are the poorest among us. Because train travel is far more affordable for them.

"ultimately the whole reason those trains exist is the reason the poor communities exist in the first place. Greed." So you're saying that isolated, poor communities in the middle of the country didn't exist before the railroad? You're going to want to learn about the history of these places because for one the Indigenous people already lived out here (and the ones I know rather like having inexpensive and easy transport to other places when they want to go there) and for another, people wanted the land and the freedom promised. Not everyone wants to live in a city, and a whole lot of people lived in the center of the country before the railroads and were poor then too, not because someone was greedily keeping things from them but because it's just plain difficult to get things across that long a distance any way but railroads. So if the people living here, especially the poor people as you point out, want access to anything that cannot be made right in their town it's going to have to be transported long distance over land.

"America got out of the great depression through infrastructure building..." No, America got out of the great depression through WW2 and the massive changes it caused.

"reworking the rail system would be a further driving force of capitalistic greed" The thing is that the rail system as it is right now is *great* for the capitalists. It is constantly moving huge amounts of freight, especially fossil fuels like oil and coal, and doing it really damn well. Reworking the rail system to make it both more useful for passenger rail and primarily passenger rail would actually counteract that. Passenger rail is not lucrative. If it were there are lots of companies that would jump right on to developing it further. It is something that only makes sense as a project done for the good of the people at large.

What it comes down to is that you can say "we should" all you want, but our communities becoming more self sufficient is not going to happen easily and even if it does happen it won't be anywhere near soon enough to stem the damage being done by fossil fuels. And remember that "self sufficiency" is itself a very colonialist mindset.

Improving the current rail system to make it better for passenger rail, and yes expanding it, would be far less damaging than continuing to use gas powered cars to move people (and goods) through and to those same areas. You're right that the expansion would create jobs immediately, it would also create significant physical mobility for people. And people aren't going to just stop wanting that even if individual communities were to become perfectly self sufficient over night.

Your comments suggest to me that you likely live in a city, though I do not claim to know this for sure. Creating self sufficient communities would require significant changes in what labor is being done, primarily requiring many more farmers, which will likely be difficult seeing as the current number of farmers is rapidly dwindling because children don't want to take over and their parents are unable to farm any more. It also means a significant change in what food people eat and how we store it. If anyone in the north wants any fruit or vegetables, really any produce, from November (some years October) to maybe June those have to be imported from warmer climes or preserved from the previous growing season. The physical distribution of people would also need to be significantly altered in order to add people to the small towns that have as few as 5 (there's even some with just 1 but at that point I wouldn't even call it a town) up to 50-100 people and significantly decrease the size of cities. Small towns will need far more people in order to complete just the basic tasks required to feed and clothe the town year round, and cities wouldn't have nearly enough land within easy travel distance to support all the people living there.

All of these changes can probably be made, *if* millions of people can be convinced that they need to be made and the logistics are somehow coordinated. But in the meantime goods and people will need to be moved, which would be more energy efficient and eco friendly if done by train.

I don't have a problem with anarchist philosophy, though I do think it ignores some basic realities, and I am very definitely anti-capitalist. I also am very aware of the reality we live in and just how slowly any societal level change will happen. I do not think that people will ever be willing en masse to go back to living as "simple farmers" and I know that the current lifestyle of your average US resident cannot be maintained in self sufficient communities. So we need to focus on making the current lifestyle less toxic and harmful to ourselves and the earth, rather than refusing to accept any option that is not the perfect ideal of the end result we want, because if we will accept only perfect then we will never change from where we are now.

yankee train posters be like "we should electrify [network that specifically exists to transport the largest amount of imperial loot inland]". deeply concerning

Do you want to rip out every rail line on the North American continent, you do realize how damaging that would be for the environment, if the infrastructure already exists, we should use and improve it

[vandme12]

This has been rotting in my head for so long, how would the KC cast react to a powerful figure Mc? Ronin added mc because he just thought they were a writer needing inspiration, but what if they were actually a big influential figure in politics, media etc? Maybe they’ve hired Misaki before to get rid of someone? Maybe V knows them from charity meetings? How would it all unfold?

I really loved writing this! Whoever asked, Please ask me more head canons! The concept, would be they're a powerful "person" who usually gets people to kill off "bad" people! This is my longest head canon!

Ronin Beaufort!

At first, you were just a fun little distraction. Some writer looking for inspiration in the darkest parts of the world? Yeah, yeah, he’s heard that one before. But you were flirty, sharp, and a little too comfortable around him, which made you interesting.

So, he let you stick around. Took you to some bloody, brutal places, spun his words like knives, toyed with you just to see if you’d flinch.

But you didn’t.

You kept up. You even pushed back.

And damn it, he loved that.

You made things fun.

So fun, in fact, that he didn’t question it. Didn’t stop to wonder how you were able to navigate his world so easily, how you had this natural charisma that could turn heads, how your words carried weight in a way that felt… important.

He didn’t put the pieces together—until he saw your face on the news.

He’s at some dive bar, half-watching the TV, when he sees it. Some big political scandal. Some business shake-up. And right there, center screen, is you.

Your name. Your title. Your power.

His brain short-circuits.

He just stares for a good five seconds, drink frozen halfway to his lips.

“What.”

Immediate, sharp, loud laughter.

“Oh, what the FUCK?! You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

He’s laughing so hard he slaps the bar. The bartender jumps. Other people in the bar look at him like he’s crazy.

Because of course. Of course, the one person he’s been dragging into the worst places, letting into his world, kissing, touching, —

Is actually one of the most powerful people in the world.

The moment he gets his laughter under control, he’s grinning. Big. Sharp. Wild.

“Well, well, well. Ain’t this a fuckin’ surprise.”

The next time he sees you? Oh, he is not letting you live this down.

He’s leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, smirking like the devil himself.

“Sooo, babe. Anythin’ you wanna tell me? Y’know, like—what the fuck?”

If you try to act casual about it? He grabs your chin, tilts your head up, and just grins.

“Nah, nah, don’t gimme that. You mean to tell me I’ve been callin’ you ‘sweetheart’ and sneakin’ you into crime scenes, when I should’ve been callin’ you Boss?”

If you flirt back? Oh, he eats that shit up.

“Ohoho, you’re playin’ dangerous now, darlin’. You know what happens to people who turn me on and surprise me? Bad, bad things.”

He’s so into this.

Like, obnoxiously into it.

He starts calling you titles sarcastically.

“Ahh, my beloved CEO, let me open the door for ya.”

“Oh no, did my precious politician have a rough day? C’mere, lemme make it all better.”

“D’you think world leaders would shit themselves if they knew you were makin’ out with a serial killer? ‘Cause that’s funny as hell.”

But beneath the teasing? Oh, he’s obsessed.

He already thought you were a perfect match for him, but now?

Now, you’re not just smart. Not just dangerous in your own way.

You’re untouchable.

Bottom line? He is so in love with you it’s disgusting.

You’re powerful, you’re dangerous, and you’re his.

And that? That’s all he ever needed to know..

“So, what’s the play here, sweetheart? You gonna bring me down? Put me in the headlines? C’mon, gimme a scandal—make it a good one.”

If you tell him you have no intention of exposing him, that you’re here for your own reasons, he’s intrigued.

“Ahhh, so you’re just a little freak, huh? Love that for you.”

“So, tell me, baby—how’s it feel, bein’ the most dangerous person in the room for once?”

And when you smirk and say, “I’m always the most dangerous person in the room,”—Oh.

Oh, he loves you. Because it’s true, isn’t it? Ronin might be a killer, but you—you have real power. The kind of power that doesn’t need a knife to cut people down. AND that? That’s hot as hell.

Misaki

At first, Misaki thought you were just some random writer that Ronin picked up for fun. Maybe you were looking for inspiration in the darkest corners of the world, and hey, Misaki could respect that.

Until, one day, they’re watching TV in their bunker, shoveling cup noodles into their mouth, and—

Your face is on the news.

Immediate choking.

They nearly drop the noodles.

They stare.

Blink once. Twice.

Wait. What the fuck.

They scramble for the remote, turn the volume up, and suddenly, their world is spinning.

"HOLD ON—"

Because there you are, center screen, name plastered in bold letters. Some scandal, some massive political shift, some media shake-up—and at the heart of it all? You.

The person they’ve been flirting with. The person they’ve been spending nights with in calls.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, BACK THE HELL UP—!"

They’re gripping their head, pacing their bunker, absolutely spiraling.

“You mean—you mean to tell me I’ve been flirting with someone who can LITERALLY change the world?! Oh my god—oh my god, I’m so broke, I can’t handle this—"

The next time they see you? They’re standing there, arms crossed, clearly trying to look intimidating but failing miserably because their face is still stuck in pure existential crisis mode.

“Sooo. You got anythin’ you wanna tell me, boss?”

If you just smirk and go, “Oh? You didn’t know?”

They groan loudly.

"OF COURSE I DIDN’T KNOW, YOU JERK! Oh my god, I was out here thinking you were some struggling writer, and now you’re telling me you could probably buy my entire life with a single check?!"

Cue another breakdown.

And if you’ve hired them before? Oh. Oh, that’s interesting.

“Hold on—wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me I’ve been talking to one of my clients this whole time?!”

They go through a full existential crisis.

But once the initial shock wears off? They’re intrigued.

“Okay, okay, but real talk—why the hell are you hanging out with us? You could be anywhere, doing anything, running the world, and yet, you’re here. Why?”

If you flirt with them? They malfunction.

“H-Hey, don’t distract me! This is serious! You—wait, what do you mean I look cute when I’m panicking?! That’s—STOP.”

But deep down? They FEEL KYAH!

If you say something like “Because I like you”

—They malfunction.“LIES. YOU’RE A LIAR. DON’T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT—”

But deep down? They’re kicking their feet.Because holy shit.

Someone that important thinks they’re important.

It’s the worst and best thing to ever happen to them.

Angel

At first, Angel just thought you were another charismatic, ambitious person—someone drawn into her orbit the way most people were. She didn’t question it too much. You were charming, clever, and played along with her public persona so well it was almost addictive.

Then, one day, she sees you on the news. Not in the background. Not as a guest. You are the news.

Maybe you’re a political powerhouse, a media mogul, an elite CEO—whatever it is, you’re big.

Cue an instant mental shutdown. She’s staring at the screen, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, and for once in her life, completely speechless.

“… Wait, wait, wait. What?!”

First, she replays every conversation the two of you have ever had, wondering how she missed the signs.

Second, she assumes you just didn’t tell her because… well, why would you? She wouldn’t have believed it anyway.

Third? Immediate concern.

Because she knows powerful people. She’s been around them.

And most of them are monsters.

But you? You’ve always been kind to her. Sweet. Playful. The same way she is with you.

…So why does this still feel like a dream?

When you finally come home, Angel is sitting on the couch, arms crossed, a frown on her lips—but her eyes are soft.

"Sooo…" she tilts her head. "Is this the part where you tell me I’ve been secretly dating royalty, or—?"

You try to explain, but she just leans closer.

"And when, exactly, were you gonna tell me that you're kind of a big deal?"

Pout. Full pout.

But she’s not actually mad. Just incredibly intrigued.

The more she learns about your influence, the more protective she gets.

She knows the price of power. She knows the pressure. The weight. The expectations.

And she knows what it’s like to need approval.

She’s quiet for a moment before reaching for your hand.

“Are you happy?” Her voice is gentle.

You nod, but she studies your face carefully, trying to find the cracks.

“You promise?”

If you squeeze her hand, reassure her? She melts.

She wants to believe you. So badly.

Angel is soft with you in ways she isn’t with the world.

She may be a perfectionist. She may be needy for attention. But with you?

She doesn’t have to perform.

She can just… be.

And that’s a rare, precious thing.

And she will make fun of you for the way you talk in "serious mode."

"Ooooh, look at you~ all professional and intimidating~"

But deep down? She’s proud.

She just expresses it through teasing.

She knows power changes people.

And she worries about that. About what it might do to you.

But she also loves you too much to let it push her away.

“No matter how big or important you are…” she murmurs, curling up against you. “You’re still mine.”

And honestly? There’s no one else in the world she’d rather love.

V

The moment, you open your video feed to see him for the first time he knows who you are.

V already knows who you are.

He’s rich. Powerful. Connected. No one reaches his radar without him knowing everything about them.

So when your face appears on his screen, he isn’t surprised.

What surprises him is the fact that you recognize him, too.

You tilt your head, lips curling into an amused smirk.

“Mr Valentin Viljoen, right? We’ve met before.”

His eyes narrow slightly. “Yes. And you are—”

“I'm your kind!” you interrupt smoothly, leaning back in your chair. “Without ever spilling a drop of blood.”

That makes him pause.

His posture tenses. Just for a second.

Because… that’s not wrong.

He’s seen your name in places that matter—a ghost behind the curtains of power.

You don’t get blood on your hands.

You hire people to do it for you.

At first, he’s wary.

You are the kind of person he hunts. The kind who orchestrates death while keeping their hands clean.

The kind that believes their cause justifies the means.

And yet…

You don’t silence everyone. You don’t kill for profit or ego.

You kill corrupt politician. The ones who slip through the cracks of the system. Like him.

He watches you closely after that.

“You play God,” he says one night, his voice measured. “Deciding who lives and who dies.”

You meet his gaze, unshaken.

“So do you.”

The two of you challenge each other constantly.

You push him to see the necessity of what you do.

He pushes you to consider the weight of it.

“Your assassins are no different than the people I kill,” he says coldly. “They’re just a tool you use to maintain control.”

You hum thoughtfully. “And you’re just a weapon that wields itself.”

Silence.

A game of chess with no clear winner.

But there’s one thing he can’t ignore.

You don’t kill the innocent.

Your network, your power—it’s built on a foundation of purpose.

And whether he likes it or not…

You’re not the villain he expected.

He watches you more than he should.

He listens to how smoothly you speak, how effortlessly you manipulate a conversation without a single lie.

He hates how drawn he is to it.

“You play dangerous games,” he mutters one night.

You smirk. “So do you.”

And he hates that you’re right.

He’s used to keeping his distance.

But you make that impossible.

The sharp way you tease him, the way you dance on the edge of his moral code.

It gets under his skin.

“What the hell are you?” you ask one night, head tilted. “A hero? A killer?”

His lips press into a thin line.

“What are you?” he counters.

It happens slowly.

At first, he tells himself he’s just keeping an eye on you.

But then it becomes habit.

Seeking your voice, waiting for your messages, analyzing your movements.

He finds himself protecting you before he even realizes why.

Because the moment someone tries to take you down?

He’s already one step ahead.

“You should leave,” he mutters after taking care of a hitman sent after you. “Disappear.”

You laugh softly. “And let them win?”

His jaw clenches.

He should walk away from you.

But he won’t.

Because for all his righteousness…

He can’t let you go.

[adrift-in-my-own-thoughts]

Yknow, what hurts me the most about Luka and Hyuna's relationship isn't even the fact that after god knows how many years without seeing her, Luka's first reaction to seeing Hyuna again is to smile. Because he's so in love with her that the literal gun against his head means nothing, just the fact that she's there is enough for him, allows him to feel truly happy, and his first thought is probably something along the lines of I missed you or I'm glad you're here or I want to hold you, to hug you again. Nor is it the fact that again, despite however many years it's surely been since she last saw him, Hyuna's immediate instinct to seeing Luka in potential danger is to throw herself into harm's way instead, sacrificing her own life just to make sure this boy with so many health issues, this puppet of the aliens, can live for a little longer.

No.

What saddens me the most about their relationship is the fact that Hyuna didn't hate him because she disliked Luka, she hated him because it was too dangerous to care about him. The only other person she ever loved that much was her brother Hyun Woo, and she watched him die in front of her eyes when they were all still children. This forced Hyuna to learn and accept that loving someone was too dangerous, risked both parties getting hurt whether with the intentions go hurt both or just as a side effect of one being hurt anyway. And so this other boy she loves, perfect, innocent Luka? What other choice does she have but to push him away to keep them both safe? She says at the end of Wiege that he was her only weakness, and I don't think that Hyuna meant because he was soft or weak himself (although that most likely is also true, judging from all his health conditions and etc), but because she couldn't possible bear the thought of losing someone else, and she couldn't let him get hurt from losing her like she was from losing Hyun Woo, either. She also said she had to keep moving forward, probably meaning she couldn't be held back by the fear or burden of caring about another as well.

So she's basically forced herself into hating Luka in order to protect them both, and I imagine she's managed to push him somewhere in the back of her mind for the last few years somewhat successfully, and yet. Yet she still rushes to save him when she sees that gun pointed at his head. She's injured and probably desperately needs medical care and is who knows how important a member of the rebels considering what we've seen her do for them so far and she still just runs as fast as she possibly can in that moment to move Luka out of the way and take the bullet herself. Luka probably wasn't even aware of what she was doing until the last second, when he was watching the life slowly leave Hyuna's eyes as he finally gets to hold her in his arms like he did when they were kids once more. And he will have to spend the rest of his life knowing that Hyuna's last action was to make sure he could live, knowing that her last breaths were spent telling him to forgive himself and live with love. And what do you do with that? When the one you love probably more than you even love yourself suddenly shows up out of nowhere and you can't even say a single word to them before they're just. Dead in your arms after literally giving more than they had to save you.

That's what hurts me the most about Luka and Hyuna's relationship. Despite everything, despite her best efforts, Hyuna still loved him so much that she sacrificed not only her own life, but potentially others as well if her role within the rebels or her knowledge was important enough. That Luka loves her so much he disregards his own safety to just rejoice in seeing her again. That he would've died happy knowing she was still safe, and yet she died instead so that he would be the one to stay safe, without even a second thought.

[rei-ismyname]

Cyclops earns Logan's respect through violence

The X-Men have just tangled with Proteus (and Moira, kinda) for the first time. It didn't go well, with Kurt and Logan feeling it the most after going through the looking glass. Logan is shutting down but Scott has an idea - insulting the fuck out of him. Really going to town emasculating, embarrassing, and provoking him into a fight. Are they lovers? Worse.

Scott knows what buttons to push. Chuck would be proud.

He figures he needs to speak Logan's language - toxic masculinity and ultraviolence. Kurt is like wtf are you doing? so Scott starts on him but it's in service of comparing him to Logan, accusing him of faking trauma.

Cyclops throws a drink in Wolverine's face and basically calls him a bitch, challenging him on their long rivalry. Logan takes the bait and stands up to fight. It's what Scott wanted but now he has to fight an angry and emasculated Wolverine. He keeps pushing him verbally during their fight, with his thought bubbles taking a very different tone. A judo flip and Logan is on his back, but he's up quickly and swinging to kill, bub.

Scott's shit talking intensifies, even as he's thinking about how difficult and dangerous this is. After framing the situation as 'man-to-man roughhousing' (so homoerotic) he moves to draw the other X-Men into the fight. There's a lot of drill sergeant vibes going on here, antagonising the team by giving them something to unite against. Scott flings Logan at Kurt, who is really not loving this at all.

'What's the matter shorty?' hits different

Banshee is wigging out, thinking they're going to kill each other - so he asks Colossus to break it up before someone dies. Jean knows what's going on, however, and tells them to stay out of it. Cyke is running rings around Logan, even reflecting an optic blast off Colossus to hit him from behind.

Woo, violence!

Kurt even speculates that Scott might be possessed, lol, so he tries to teleport in for a strike. Cyke has clearly played Space Invaders though, and he has his number, blasting him out of the sky.

With the others temporarily down, Ororo has finally had enough of this shit and she summons a lightning bolt as a warning. Cyclops plays possum a little then rolls into an optic blast right at her feet.

With three X-Men after him and more likely to join the fray (or just Storm getting serious) Scott quits while he's ahead, calling for peace. Logan especially doesn't think much of that notion until Scott and Jean explain. This was Scott leading and making sure the team was okay, Logan most of all.

Logan even opens up a little, admitting he was spooked. He says the obvious, that he hasn't thought much of Scott but is happy to concede he was wrong. I think Scott appreciates that more than he admits, and this is not the last time he'll have to fight all the X-Men. All that danger room training paid off. I could write a dozen essays on this issue but for now I'll just say it's an important one for the X-Men as a team as well as the Scott/Logan relationship.

I've never been in a paramilitary group, though I have had people try the tough love approach to my trauma. I don't speak to them anymore, because it's a messed up way to act. It's pretty satisfying here, and might even be the right decision. It's hard to argue with the results, but FR the X-Men all need therapy. Logan needs super therapy, or you know, to fight his friends every few months. This ISN'T Logan Behavior, not yet. It's messed up, but he's still a reasonable person at this point trying to be better. Havok and Polaris just watch without comment, which is kinda funny too.

[babybearnation]

esteban (alpha), mick (alpha) and lance (omega) with reader (omega)

(either poly or individual i do not mind :) )

- 🥄

why not both!?

gn!omega!reader

alpha!esteban ocon:

very protective over you, especially after he started getting waves of hate thrown his way, simply for existing

despite being protective, he isn't possessive - you are your own person, after all, and just because he's your mate, that doesn't mean he gets to control you and your actions

treats every day with you like he's still courting you - genuinely, he's the sweetest alpha ever, the best you could ask for

races his heart out for you but never pushes himself too far - he doesn't want to get hurt because he knows how much that'd ruin you

convinced you build the best nests even if your nests are just two of his jackets and a plushie - they're perfect to him because you made them

speaking of plushies - definitely gets you a custom made plushie that is imbued with his scent so, when you can't accompany him to races, you'll still have something to remind you of him

alpha!mick schumacher:

refuses to let you get into situations that are too dangerous not because he thinks you're incapable but because he worries about you a lot

much like esteban, mick isn't possessive at all, in fact he's very soft and sweet and he knows you're mated to him so why act all over the top, insane alpha with you?

everyone can tell that you two are in love because, whenever you're around, his scent turns so sweet and addictive

knows that, no matter what happens, you'll still be his biggest fan and for that he tries his best to give you the world

even though he's an alpha, mick actually loves building nests and will always offer to help you make one any time

loves scenting you and often does it without meaning to because he's too busy taking in your own scent to realise he's smothering you in his

omega!lance stroll:

an omega x omega pairing is very rare so that, coupled with all the hate lance gets, makes lance very protective over you and he does not care what people think

super possessive but only around unfamiliar alphas or alphas he dislikes because he worries you'll be swayed by their supposed ~alpha charms~ and leave him for one of them

your two sweet omega scents bounce off of and amplify each other so much that you're banned from the paddock unless one or both of you smothers yourselves in scent blockers

doesn't care about anyone else's opinion of him as long as you keep him happy and loved, and you do!

building nests is a team effort for you two - he can be chill and lazy sometimes but never when it comes to nests for you two

even though he can't get scentdrunk off of you because you're an omega, he's convinced that if he tries hard enough, he'll succeed, and that leads to him having his face in your scent glands 24/7

polyamorous!esteban/mick/lance:

two alphas and two omegas? heats and ruts are the easiest thing ever and the four of you are so happy together that no one can get in between you

you've got a whole big bundle of protectiveness and the smallest dash of possessiveness here - you all take care of each other in equal measures because balance is important

your combined scents are very potent and therefore you have to wear scent blockers when in the various different paddocks but when you're at home, the four of you stink up the place without care

if any of you need an opinion on something, the other three will happily provide their thoughts and give feedback - communication is very key for you four

you and lance are in charge of the nests but you really love it when mick and esteban help out too because they feel that much more homely when you work at them as a four

its not uncommon for you or lance to end up scentdrunk because your two alphas accidentally smothered you in their scent - they always take care of you when it happens though

© all rights to babybearnation 2025.

[howlingday]

Cotta Arc BossBattle

Ruby: Got it... Now, time for me to make my way back to my tea-

STOP RIGHT THERE, THIEF!

Ruby: Huh?

Adrian: You put that back right now! Stealing is wrong!

Ruby: I'm just taking it for a little bit. They won't even notice it's gone.

Adrian: But it's wrong! Stealing is wrong! My mommies told me so!

Ruby: I don't have time for this. Get out of my way, kid.

Adrian: NO! Put it back right now, or... or... I'LL BITE YOU!

Ruby: ...Hey, guys? Could you help me out here, please?

Weiss: Oh no, Miss Leader! You dug yourself into this, now dig yourself out!

Ruby: Ugh... Fine...

--------------------------------------------------

Ruby: GET OUT OF MY WAY, KID!

Adrian: I'M NOT A KID!

--------------------------------------------------

Adrian: M... M-M-M...

Adrian: MOMMYYY~!

Terra: What's going on over here?

Ruby: Oh, you're his mom, right? Look, it's just a big misunderstanding.

Adrian: Mommy, she stole Great-Grandpa Arc's sword and then beat me up!

Terra: Oh, did she now? Hmph... Another bully pretending to be a huntress. You think just because you put on a cape that everyone is just going to let you do whatever you want, even if it's something like stealing and picking on a small child?!

Ruby: What?! No, no, no! I didn't... I mean, he started it, and...

Ruby: Yang, you're good with words! Help me out here!

Yang: Ohoho no, Rubes! This is YOUR side-quest, remember? Don't worry! I know you've got this~!

Ruby: ...

--------------------------------------------------

Ruby: YOUR SON IS A MENACE!

Terra: MY SON IS AN ANGEL!

--------------------------------------------------

Terra: Whoa! Be careful where you swing that thing! You could lop off somebody's arm with it!

Do I need to come over there?

Adrian: Uh oh...

Terra: Now you've done it.

Adrian: Yeah! My mommy is gonna kick your butt~!

Saphron: I heard everything. Stealing from my grandfather. Fighting my own wife and son. All in my own house...

Saphron: YOU are a bad influence on little my Adrian!

Adrian: Yeah, a bad influence!

Ruby: (Gulps) Uh, g-guys? She looks really tough... I would really like some help over here!

Blake: That's very astute of you, Weiss. Yes, the ninjato isn't a real sword by historical means, though it is inspired by real ninja blades like the katana and the oodachi. There are many distinctions between the blades, such as length and material, though I'd say the most important is the difference in culture.

Yang: Like where the sword's made?

Blake: Yes, but also no. See, it's also important to recognize WHO holds the blade, why they're wielding it, and what role they play in their society. Some wielders might be seen as great warriors while others are more metaphorical in their power.

Weiss: This is so fascinating... I almost feel like there should have been a detailed class about this.

Ruby: I KNOW ALL OF YOU CAN HEAR ME!

Ruby: Hoo... Okay, fine. Let's get this over with.

--------------------------------------------------

Ruby: YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF JERKS!

Saphron: And you are a petulant child. You have a lot of growing up to do.

--------------------------------------------------

Saphron: ...Hmph! You're not half bad.

Terra: Would you like some help, dear?

Adrian: Let me help, too, mommies~!

Saphron: Mm... Maybe... But then again...

Saphron: It was about time we got rid of that old hunk of rusty metal... Should we really bother stopping her from taking it? Please make sure you take care of it, Miss.

Adrian: But stealing is WRONG, Mommy!

Saphron: You're right, Adrian, but sharing is also right. And any friend of Jaune's a friend of ours, as well. You remember Miss Ruby, don't you~?

Ruby: You mean... You knew the whole time?

Saphron: Mhm... Jaune called me earlier. Say hi to him for me, would you~?

Ruby: (Rejoins her team)

Weiss: ...All done~?

Ruby: (LEVEL UP~!)

Weiss: Fantastic. Let's move on.

[edwardsissyhandsthtdanceslikeabb]

so tumblr decided to double gulp fuck a post i uploaded from mobile but im still begrudgingly brainrotting so here's the deal. this scene. This scene right here - Freaky. Fawk the nuance, fawk the qualifiers. This scene is inherently weirdo shit and that is the most important premise.

Like, yada yada complexity, blah blah wilful misinterpretation, etc etc pathologizing male intimacy. idc. Guilty as charged.

Sure, this is an isolated incident im inherently reading into, and it's obviously meant to be endearing above anything else ─ yes, in a vacuum I feel it conveys a mentor - mentee dynamic & Irving is meant to be charmed, and so touched, by Dylan's rawness, as Dylan unveils a shade of juvenile vulnerability in turn. Out of his depth and so consumed by desperation and a sporadic feverishness. As they're all inextricably tied to each other and so there's inherent intimacy to their bonds.

But the scene is also obviously packed with nuance & double speak and using the other as a conduit for greater / vicarious ideas, yet also so unabashed and pointed in its evocations??

Like this line. Its imagery. Skirts lines, holds layers, that are emblematic of not just an exclusivity, a weight, but of the scene's totality ─ From Irving reducing himself to a perk, a consumable, given by an authority for peak performance, enjoyed and used at the recipient's leisure. And yet there being pride, an amusement, at that perspective, in this self objectification. Given it's mollifying nature, it's no surprise that there's a personal appeal, an enjoyment of this prospect. But the reality of perks, are one of centerality to Dylan's person.

Once a metric of his worth, of meaning, and made too, a facsimile of gratification and purpose, to obfuscate and whitewash real significance and fulfillment. Once central to his personhood, as a Northstar of his work, and so his world, his life. And though tongue in cheek, Dylan reveals a possessiveness, a sanctification of perks, of work through protesting their invocation. While ❝Don't bring them into this❞ is meant to invoke levity, comfort, still, Dylan does not deny Irving's claim. And so inadvertently affirms his value.

And from his face, to his tone, his physical desperation, there is no shorthand, no banter, that could distract from this gravity. Even while the menial, vapid meaning he once derived from perks have been naturally overshadowed, substituted given the prospect of something personal, real, through his kids, his family, yet Dylan still sacrificed a moment of outside connection for his MDR family, his Team. And sure, it serves Dylan's interests to have Irving as an asset, plus the significance of the situation, and just their friendship alone, is reason enough to not be Business Casual abt Irving's professed Self Deletion attempt, but Dylan's pain, his desperation, is personal. Is entwined with his own personhood. Despite Irving's pain, despite his fragmentation, Dylan is distressed at the idea of Irving needing more than them, by the idea of them, of him, not being enough, not filling in the cracks. Unable to stomach the idea that Irving would take himself from them. Unable to even entertain his claim to brokenness.

Even as Irving is overcome by a sense of loss, as love, companionship, have bled into him, just as The Team have bled into each other, become inextricable. And now Irving feels something irreplaceable has come undone. Cannot recognize himself anymore. Still, it is not entirely for Irving's pain that Dylan fears, mourns, but rather, their own bond. Not to undermine Irving's love, or erase his other half, but bc his own personal afflictedness has bled through. Thusly he allows himself to seek kinship in Burt's likeness. To envision himself as important. With Burt then becoming a positionality, the foreground, a conduit for their emotions. As the two MDR mutineers are the true pairing sharing in the narrative's focus. Why? How? Well ，despite invoking Burt ─ Irving's love interest, he platforms his own emotions.

Burt is then the verbiage, the symbology, but Irving and Dylan are the substance, are channeling their exclusivity. Dylan doesn't act with maliciousness or selfishness, but rather, the desire to matter too. To martyr one's significance to another in the hopes you matter enough that they stay. To equate smth they see as all encompassing to something you have been encompassed by too, to have that gravity ascribed to you. Hence when faced with Irving's heartbreak, with someone who's consumed his heart, a man he is willing to erase his existence over, when asked to invoke his lover's interiority and intimate feelings he speaks abt... Himself? As if their perspectives are aligned?

As if he shares in Burt's sentiments??? As if invoking the imagery of Burt to speak vicariously through him ??? This practically transplants Burt's proximity onto his personal feelings, his own vulnerability. And sure, it's probably meant to be a sweet, innocent moment, a show of desperation and personal attachment that demonstrates the sprawling, interconnectedness of their relationships and affinity for each other. I mean Dylan himself reaffirms a championing of their relationship, and is the person most suited to understand his predicament, yet when asked abt the probable love of Irving's life, a love so impactful he is willing to relinquish his remaining personhood over it, when asked abt that man's specific experience - Dylan opts to frame that intensity, that romance, through himself??? Like ok. 😃 Sure. Yay character vulnerability and the transcendent, universal nature of connection, but no no, uh oh inadvertent romantic implications and framing of character dynamics. Oops?

Like buddy... I thought we were talking abt Burt?? I mean, even down to the technical framing of the scene, there is an undercurrent, a subtext, an intimacy. And while certainly reflective of Dylan's emotional volatility and desperation, and how he's thusly pushed to measures he wouldn't otherwise entertain, even physically restraining him ─ despite it all, there's a lingering, an affection, that exceeds that. From the ultra close up (which follows in the cinematic tradition of romantic framing and an invitation into the characters' affection and unity ─ thusly characterizing their exchange as singular, special). To their physicality. Their proximity, shifting hands, breathing, the whispering, weighted looks. Like that is not a universal way they interact with each other ??? Yes it serves a function, but it's doubly pretty overt and kinda suggestive. And its also kind of in everything? Yes, also the dialogue.

Like this. Is loaded. Firstly, Irving chose to frame himself as a “perk”, which is primarily contextualized by their position in Burt's life, as well commercialization formerly defining them both.

Even outtie Dylan's bonds are tied to perks. A version of him sequestered from work, viewed as unburdened. And so more connected, more human, defined by domestic mundanity. And still has perks tied to him ─ (from their weaponization by Milchik to try force his compliance in s1, acting as a dilution and whitewashing of the real, human bonds and struggles of The Team with a perfunctory, sterile promise of facile gratification. To now, when once again he's coerced, ensnared through rewards, gratification, family, made accessible only through Lumon's bureaucratic control. Gained foremost, through acting in their service, reducing oneself to an implement. Dylan is the only who maintains etiquette by applauding Lumon's ridiculous PR appropriating their struggle and suppressing the reality of their demands. And so naturally, the only one offered family, intimacy, love, obfuscated through the lens of Lumon's control. Of their entrapment.)

Superficially, Dylan's dispassionate, sanitized jargon reads as sterile, impersonal, yet, is revelatory of a deeper significance. A smuggling of sentimentalism that has wounded them both, through the veneer of business, their language of understanding, of mirrored suffering, doubly indicative of their undoing, their deprivation, as it is demonstrative of their connection, their singularity. This. It. Is now their own. When they both had connection, vulnerability, weaponized against them, had personal bonds and care parasitized and warped. They, who were once sated by the mundane triviality of purposeless continuity, corporate mechanization. And are left now, craving it, latently.

So that value, ascribed to these corporatized relationships, commodified connections, this intimacy and meaning, that Dylan imbues into work, is shared, truly, between them. Where Helly and Mark communicate intimacy through generic, digestible symbology: couple photos and degrees of attraction, there instead lies a depth, an enmeshment ─ the personal bleeding into the bureaucratic, with Dylan and Irving. The impersonal, the perfunctory, once manufactured by Lumon, disguised through useless perks and hollow niceties, are instead made genuine, warm through them. They, who are tethered through work alongside human connections in a way Helly and Mark just... aren't? They make it smth more, smth special. Packaging their emotions, their closeness, in layers, through the language of business. Bc it's not just abt business. It never was. Obviously.

Dylan isn't saddened bc he'll lose a work partner. Realistically, he doesn't mourn his ability to benefit corporate agendas or be an exemplar of his work. He values Irving's expertise, his graceful passion, bc they're an irreplaceable part of him, a distillation of his skill, determination, his personhood. As they have been imparted onto Dylan. Have made him better, more. More present, more intricate, more influenced. And just as Irving influences him, allows him to exist as he is. Be a person unto his himself. He does the same for him. Bc this is all he's known, all they have. And Irving's capacity to be present, to exist, is dependent upon him staying. His capacity to heal, to stay nuanced and affected and loving, are dependent on him not exicising the pain. On valuing himself and the bonds he still has around him. In finding solace now in someone who understands, who has had their ability to singularly love, care, bond, warped by Lumon's control. And yet pushing through it. Learning to feel something real. To stay for someone else.

It's raw and real and darkly sad. And there's definitely a degree of selfishness involved but they also mutually understand that to love is to hurt. That to mean something is to exist, to be known. And Dylan wants most of all to be known by him. To be seen.

Well, anyways, this isn't meant to shit on or erase the old man yaoi. I'm not feeding some delusion that this is more than it was. Like actors have chemistry, scenes evolve past the text. But I'm also being real. And my real virgin eyes saw the unnecessary cocky boing boing vibes. They know the truth. The scene was charged as hell and idk if they realize the homoerotic chicanery they've unleashed upon this earth but I'm elated frankly, ecstatic maybe. Like more of that pls. They should have sucked face honestly. They won't. Maybe. But they should. They will? Pls.

[sebadztian]

So, I saw a couple of posts about a topic that's so common in Kuro, it's starting to get old: How antis despise Sbcl (and its shippers) and what's wrong with this pairing (and Yana too somehow??).

Those who've been following me for a while know that I kind of ship Sebaciel. I might even have written a fanfic or two about them.

In most of my works, they're often decipted as this lovey-dovey romantic couple who are so attached to each other. They're this 'perfect' couple that everyone envied because they're just so sweet. A lovely story about a boy and his domesticated demon butler-slash-boyfriend.

But here's the thing...

If they started to hug and kiss and says 'I love you's in the manga, I'm probably going to drop it real quick. Why? Because that's not what Kuro is about.

Kuro is a dark story about a boy who has lost everything, who has had his world taken away from him and the length that he's willing to go to achieve his goals.

It's a story about humanity and its ugliness, about what being human is like, about how manipulative, greedy, deceiving, revolting, and ignorant humans could be. But at the same time, it also talks about humanity's strength, resilience, empathy, and forgiving nature.

Even the way 'love' is decipted in the story is not the kind of 'love' that would make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

In the Kuroverse, the word 'love' has different meanings for different characters.

For Lizzy, love means being Ciel's 'perfect' wife, even if she has to sacrifice a part of herself.

For Madam Red, she had loved - and lost - two of the most important people in her life and her conflicted feelings were what led her down that path.

For Sieglinde's mother, her love for her country and her husband has pushed her to sacrifice her own daughter.

For Agni, his love and devotion to Soma has led him to a path of redemption and in the end, it has cost him his own life.

For Joker and the rest of the circus troupe, they love each other so much, they chose to turn a blind eye towards the error of their way, choosing to sacrifice their own humanity for each other's sake.

And for our Ciel, he loved his brother so much that he chose to 'kill' himself to keep his brother 'alive'. (Of course there's also the whole thing about the low self-esteem stuff, but we're not going to talk about that here).

And for Sebastian, well, love means cats. He's simple like that.

So, if you're here screamig at us Sebaciel shippers about a pedo demon, about how Ciel & Sebas hate each other, about how wrong it is to ship them, and how Yana has never meant for them to be a couple...

My friend, you're wasting your time, breath, and energy because WE KNOW.

We know Kuro is not about some romantic couple who lived in a nice neighbourhood and they're friends with their neighbours whom they say 'Good morning' to whenever they leave the house in the morning.

We know that Kuro is not a story about love and romance and all things awesome. In fact, Kuro is very, very ugly. And yet, it's exactly why it's also so fascinating and beautiful.

This is a story where the protagonist is a demon who sees humans as grasshoppers. But at the same time, he also finds them fascinating. It's like this whole Kuroverse is Sebastian's own personal research lab and the other characters are his lab rats, with Ciel being his favourite hamster.

If you're looking for sweet romance, you're not going to find it in Kuro. That's what fanfics and AUs and all those headcanons are for.

And if you still don't get it... Well, then you probably should read something more lighthearted...