#platonic better halves…. for now

[darthluffy]

I really thought watching 7 seasons of a children’s show to see two girls hold hands would be the height of it, but here I am, having watched 1000+ hours of a D&D show to see a horse girl and a dead girl be each other’s better half

[neverchecking]

Hi I am 🪷 Aron from couldninetonine

And I have a request for you if it ok.

Can I request yandere platonic sage , sky, time, warrior, four x child zoni reader.

Like the reader is rauru and queen Soni little baby half breed daughter. Half elf and half zoni. And they found her in her little bubble pod that a flower a lotus. And how they fell for her big doe eyes and big ears. And teaching her the ways and have her call them papa's and how they keep her safe. Please and thank you

omg hi! I love cloudninetonine! It is totally okay to request!

I haven't done a lot of platonic yandere, but this seems fun!

Imagine them calling the boys their papa bc her real dad is dead lmao-

・❥・@lovanmari and @wayfayrr I got some DILF Sage for yall

・❥・Sage as a dad. First off-- who in their right mind is trusting him with a kid?

・❥・Nah, I kid, I kid. When he's given a child, one so small and innocent and one that he connects with? It burns something within him.

・❥・He was a child soldier (I think canonically BOTW Link was in the army by age twelve?), and when he sees this small child who's relying on him? He swears they'd have a better life than he ever had.

・❥・He absolutely refuses to let his child anywhere near anything sharp, too hot, too cold, explosive, etc.. If there's any chance at injury, his flower bud isn't going anywhere near it.

・❥・You know that his kid is eating like royalty. Every single day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And dessert. And you know that dessert is the best damned thing in the world.

・❥・Sage as a dad is probably just as unhinged, but in more protective way? Lynel look in their direction? Here kid, look at this butterfly, Papa will be right back- He's back within three minutes tops and look! He's got the fur for a new blanket for you!

・❥・Cece tries pinching your cheeks? He's glaring down at her, daring her to try.

・❥・Someone tries offering you a treat because your just so adorable? He knows his kid is cute, nice try. Nothing is getting past him. He's a bit of a helicopter parent.

・❥・Not a bit. It's a lot.

・❥・He loves playing with your big ears, ones that you'll grow into, flopping them about even as you get red-cheeked and angry at him.

・❥・He'll make it up to you eventually :)

・❥・He also spoils you absolutely rotten. He has his rules, yes, and expects you to follow them, but his rewards are things like trips to the Zora Domain or a sand seal ride in Gerudo. Never Eldin. Are you kidding that's an active volcano site?!?!

・❥・The sages are one-thousand percent your personal body guards. You don't go anywhere without your dad and at least one sage.

・❥・Sky is absolutely smitten from the start.

・❥・You look at this man and tell me he's not dad shaped. You can't.

・❥・He doesn't even care to learn what a Zonai is. All he knows is there are none here and your all alone and your his now. He doesn't make the rules

・❥・He is also another protective dad, but he's a little more willing to let you experience the world around you. You wanna see those flowers over there? He's following! You wanna go for a dip in the river? Great idea, he's helping you! You can go explore, but never alone.

・❥・He absolutely introduces you to Crimson right away. Crimson is the perfect co-parent guardian. Crimson is always pulling you into her side, ruffling her feathers and grooming you.

・❥・Like you become Sky's kid and Crimson's chick. They are two halves of a whole soul so it makes sense.

・❥・HFHFDOFDHN imagine sleeping on Crimson's back while Sky leads the two of you through a forest or sum ;^;

・❥・Or soaring through the sky with you pointing at every cloud you pass and Sky harnessing you to his chest while Crimson flies much slower than normal.

・❥・Sky can cook basic things, but he definitely spends more time with village moms and elders learning more.

・❥・He for sure carves toys for you out of wood. Like trains or maybe a doll of Crimson.

・❥・You get the fluffiest blankets stuffed with Loftwing feathers

・❥・Groose is such a good uncle-sidebar. Even if Sky isn't...jazzed about letting you out of his sight, he will trust Groose. For an hour.

・❥・Which he is within earshot of for fifty seven minutes.

・❥・He's kind of torn between letting you be with Zelda-- who adores you-- and not. she's the reincarnate of Hylia. What if you get dragging into the wretched reincarnation curse as well?

・❥・He wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy let alone his fletchling.

・❥・Fi for sure has a beacon on you at all times.

・❥・He's more...withdrawn when it comes to first meeting you

・❥・Afterall he's in a war.

・❥・but...so are you. And you are so much younger than he is.

・❥・and what self-respecting parent would let their child wander so far? None that deserve their child.

・❥・So you become his. He doesn't do take backsies.

・❥・When you stutter out that your old, irrelevant, unworthy father was a Zonai, he does take that with some caution.

・❥・But no one even knows what a Zonai is. Ravio has a general idea-- a race blessed by the gods-- but thats as far as he gets.

・❥・That's okay. You were his now and he didn't care what you were. You were perfect just the way you are <3

・❥・Wars as a dad is probably pretty strict. But he lets you out of his sight more than the previous two.

・❥・You get schooled and have friends, but are expected home right away.

・❥・He doesn't like your friends. Not a chance. But because he's such a public figure he needs to give you a semi normal life.

・❥・Which means those dumb friends and parent interventions and schooling and hours away when you could be spending time with him!?

・❥・He probably sneaks you out of school often to go for treats at a bakery or a swim in a river. What are they gonna do, tell the Hero no?!

・❥・Artemis loves you. He trusts her with you while he's dragged away for things he cannot control. She has the power of Sheik on her side and proved her worth to him in battle.

・❥・You definitely have a fairy on you at all times which reports back to him.

・❥・Fours is so fun for one reason and one reason alone.

・❥・the minish.

・❥・They probably are the ones to alert him about your presence, giving their small knowledge of the Zonai race.

・❥・They chirp and chitter at him until he brings you back to the home he shares with his grandpa (Uncle? It's one of the two). The older male was out at the moment leaving Four to figure out what he's going to do with you.

・❥・Obviously he keeps you. No one else can handle such a task! You're so delicate and so rare and the minish already love you.

・❥・So your his. no ifs ands or buts.

・❥・The forge? Off Limits.

・❥・It's too hot with too many sharp pointy things and open flames and its dirty.

・❥・Not for his kid.

・❥・When it comes to cooking, he can do it, but like sky, he's not overly good.

・❥・but! You guys can learn together. Under his strict supervision. Where you sit at the counter. Away from the fires and knives. It's a bonding experience.

・❥・Back to the minish, they love you. They love playing with you and calling your attention away while your dad deals with someone whose watching you a little too closely.

・❥・They leave small trinkets for you all the time! Which four keeps in a box. Because you could choke.

・❥・He's also another one to make your toys! Little metal horses and wooden doll houses.

・❥・If he needs to run out for a few errands or something, he's not leaving you with anyone. Oh no not his kid. No, he's splitting. Two stay with you, three depending on the errand, while the other runs out.

・❥・You aren't allowed the Four sword. Ever.

・❥・He would never wish that upon you. Even if you love the colors and it helps you differentiate between green and red and blue and Violet.

・❥・Thats probably how you learn some of your colors in fact.

・❥・Even as you grow up, you cannot get away with anything. The minish are snitches and it would do you good to learn that. And fast.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

athena and apollo headcanons?

also guess who

@txny-dragon IS THAT U (if not i'm sorry txny is the only person i've really screamed about this with - well, and chronic...👀)

jfhxjbj,sx

Athena and Apollo???!!!! hrmmm...

Headcanons

Athena always got annoyed whenever she saw Hermes hanging around Apollo, especially during 'her' time with him. She's a competitive person, after all. Quit eating up her time!

Apollo got Athena to play the flute again - however, she only plays it around him.

He also taught her how to play the harp. Why the harp? idk, Athena would just look very poised playing a harp

Their first argument was over prophecy - Athena was experimenting with some pebbles for prophecy and Apollo got upset about it and complained to Zeus, who told Athena to leave prophecy alone.

Subtle bonding over being Daddy's Favorite and how that isolated Athena immediately and over time with Apollo.

Athena based her own parenting style off of Zeus's - the only parental figure she has. Apollo based his off his mother's.

The ~PARALLELS~

Surprisingly, their conversations can be like:

Apollo: Athena, NO!

Athena: Athena, YES!

Athena quietly felt bad after the Olympian Rebellion when she saw Apollo's mortal punishment - but she was too self-persevering to think on it for long.

she still snuck him extra ambrosia dessert when he returned and listened to him as he told her about how cruel Laomedon had been

They have friendly arguments over who's city is better - Sparta, or Athens. Athena's mood, however, lowers if Ares is within earshot. Then it turns into a yelling match between the two war gods with an awkward Apollo standing Right There.

Arts and crafts sessions - weaving, painting, usually ends with somebody (Athena) covered in paint and somebody (Apollo) tied in thread.

They both have "Can Use The Aegis" Privileges from Zeus - Athena uses them more often, Apollo has used it exactly once during The Trojan War

Apollo gave Athena the cold shoulder after The Trojan War for helping Achilles kill Hector. Athena tried to tell herself that it didn't matter he wasn't speaking to her - she didn't need friends, after all! - but when she saw how he would speak with Dionysus, Hermes, Artemis, and even - bleh! - Ares over her...it made her stomach twist in ways she never thought it could

She used Orestes's trial as a way to get back into Apollo's good graces - she really did believe Orestes valid for killing his mother (it was on Apollo's orders, after all) but if it came with the perk of Apollo's icy-cold shoulder melting? *zips lips*

As Artemis and Apollo slowly drifted apart, Athena gladly stepped in and started taking up more of Apollo's usual Artemis time - something he thought Artemis wouldn't notice, but she did.

(this, of course, leads to some stink-eyes between Athena and Artemis. platonic love triangle beloved)

Athena is the only one who suspects that the "flaying Marsyas alive" thing was a hoax - she was the one who put the curse on the flute, after all. But she never sensed the death of the one who picked it up.

When Rome came around, and Athena morphed into Minerva, it put Apollo off-kilter. He didn't quite know who this was anymore - sure, she was still the craft goddess he messed around with, and was a heck of a lot more interested in poetry, music, and medicine now, but...she just wasn't quite the Athena he knew.

He became more worried when the raging began. Minerva would flicker into Athena, and Apollo's heart would leap - she's back! she's okay! she's still here! - but then drop as all Athena would do is scream bloody vengeance upon Rome, and he realized that he was right.

Minerva wasn't the Athena he knew...but neither was the one before him.

When his fellow gods' Greek/Rome halves melded together after the fall of the Roman Empire, he was particularly worried about how that would affect Athena - and for a while, it seemed like nothing had.

(Though strangely she was suddenly interested in having kids. Not that there's anything wrong with that, he just never thought Athena would want to be a mom. She never said anything of the sort to him before...)

Then she sent her first child to retrieve the Athena Parthenos. They didn't return. She sent another. Same story. Over and over. Over and over. Apollo watched as Athena kept sacrificing her children for that damn statue the Romans stole.

Apollo tried to talk to her, to knock some sense into her, but nothing worked. Not until they moved all across Europe, and she finally stopped (for now).

In the modern day, they like to visit museums, art galleries, and theaters. Dionysus used to join them up until his punishment.

Athena attends every concert/party Apollo puts on. Partly because she wants to, and partly to flip the bird at Artemis, who rarely shows up.

(i swear i love artemis athena just isn't that fond of her. platonic love triangle beloved)

(txny if the anon is you...you'd get this next one)

Manwhore Manipulate Manslaughter. That's it that's the post.

While it's widely believed that Artemis does a lot of damage control for Apollo when their father cracks down on him - and she does - Athena is another major player in the game. (see: the Parthenon in Blood of Olympus - Athena being the only one to (covertly) defend Apollo, while Jason is the only one to openly defend him. Two underrated people, these two are.)

Why she can't openly defend him? It's because she knows Zeus sweats in his shoes ahem. becomes...concerned when his two favorite, and Very Powerful children form an alliance.

While she was unable to prevent Apollo's third mortality punishment, Athena believed whole-heartedly the entire time that he would return. He had to. He was Apollo, he was her friend, her brother, and he couldn't just leave her by herself die. So when Hermes made that betting pool? She betted on Apollo's success. Partly to gloat to the Council about being right, partly to throw the failed bet into Hermes's face, and partly because she liked winding Ares up.

I also firmly believe Athena was doing some deux ex machina on Apollo's behalf throughout the series. Artemis couldn't get away with it, sure, she had Zeus's eagle eye on her - but Athena? Why would Zeus ever consider her as a possible person to disobey him? Why I never-

The nod she gave him in The Tower of Nero is her equivalent of a bone-crushing hug.

Athena helped Apollo write his story with Calliope's help - they made two versions: the heavily censored version they gave to Zeus for him to parade around, and another, secret version - the one Apollo has in his library, the one Athena has in hers.

The one we have read.

[veggiesforpresident]

to me jesslupe is that sort of friendship thats always skirting the line between platonic and romantic. its like i understand you better than anyone else. i could kiss you right now. we're two halves of a whole. do i want to kiss you? youre my family and i need you in my life. i could kiss you right now and i think you'd let me.

[gliphyartfan]

thank you very much for answering! It is always a pleasure to talk to you, I tried a lot more before I realized that something was wrong and suspected that something was happening with my messages that perhaps, does not arrive

I'll be sure to hit you with double messages, and then you'll know it's me (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

The idea of a spirit simply saying 'you gave me enough energy to exist like everyone else, I will follow you to the end of the universe's existence' never occurred to me!

I came up with simpler ideas like a clone of (y/n) who came out of a cursed mirror and was out of the mirror for so long that she is now her own person and takes care of (y/n) simply because it became routine and gave him a new purpose to live, up to ideas of a demon that takes the form of its enemies or even the occurrence that not!(Y/n) is a part of (y/n), they are the same person but something happened that they split into two like four but...in two(?

I didn't think through some ideas thorough

I also had the idea of something similar to Double from Skullgirls, if you don't know it look it up, but not in the shape-shifting sense, in the same sense that (y/n) was split in two but something bad happened with they other half...Maybe the separation was more unstable and nobody wants to mess with someone who has a bad human formation (teeth where there shouldn't be teeth and faces where there shouldn't be faces) behind them.

Or maybe not! (Y/n) It was always there, even in its original world, perhaps everyone in our world has these other monstrous halves from a time forgotten by God, but because of pollution and decrease in magic due to many human factors, we are no longer able to see or feel them.

Oh, these ideas are so good! I could totally see Not!(y/n) coming from any of these backgrounds, and each one gives her such a unique kind of bond with (y/n). Okay, here’s me rambling through each one, ‘cause they’re all just so fun to think about.

—-

Ooooh, okay, the mirror idea sounds cool. So, Not!(y/n) could be like a shadow clone of (y/n) that maybe popped out of a cursed mirror or something.

She’d have zero identity at first, just mimicking (y/n)’s movements and routines because that’s all she knows. Over time, she’d be following (y/n) around, learning, adapting, and taking on a personality of her own.

It’d be almost spooky in a way, because maybe she keeps little habits she picked up from (y/n), like, (y/n) might be confused why Not!(y/n) anticipates her moves, but it’s just muscle memory for her.

And then, somewhere along the line, it’s not just routine anymore, she genuinely cares for (y/n). Like, she went from habit to genuine affection, and now she’s in her own lane, fully independent but still clinging to (y/n) in that familiar way.

I would be even better if no one was aware Not!(y/n) was there, I can totally imagine a situation where the spirit saves (y/n) in front of everyone. (Quite the first introduction.)

Oooh maybe it cause the enemy cast a spell that needs someone who love for (y/n) is deep and true. And I while the heroes love their darling veeeeeeeeery much.

I think it would be a trick question. Like they would assume romantic love. But it’s just super platonic love.

(And guess who’s a platonic Yandere? )

Hmmm or maaaaaybe Not!(y/n) started as a creature of shadows, like some kind of demon that just… borrows forms, she’d probably be super instinct-driven at first.

So when she latched onto one of the heroes first, it’s not out of loyalty or love but, like, “This person will help me blend in, so I’ll copy them.”

When she latches on to (y/n)? Oh boy, she’d accidentally start picking up more than just the appearance.

She’d get little quirks, tiny bits of (y/n)’s empathy, curiosity, or habits, and she’d gradually become her own thing.

And it’s weird and strange and overwhelming and underwhelming and Not!(y/n) loves it.

She could totally use that mimicry to freak out enemies, too. Imagine her taking on traits of whatever scares her opponent most, just subtle things, like maybe her face warps or her shadow lengthens.

She’s got that “I’m a demon pretending to be human, and it’s kind of hilarious” energy but with a maaajor soft spot for (y/n). It’d be creepy and adorable.

Okay I’m familiar with Skullgirls.

Not by a lot but enough to get what you mean, so if she’s that unstable half of (y/n), you know, like a warped doppelganger, I imagine she’d have that vibe of “I look mostly normal, but don’t look too close.” Maybe her body doesn’t stay stable, so when she gets agitated or defensive, she starts to distort, like an extra set of teeth here, a shadow that’s too dark there.

People would feel a chill just looking at her, even though she doesn’t mean any harm.

Her protective side would kick in hardcore if (y/n) is in danger, and it’d be like she’s this scary shadow looming just behind her. Not on purpose, just… that’s her default state when she’s “protecting.”

Imagine (y/n) turning her head and just seeing Not!(y/n) with, like, a disturbingly wide grin or something, but knowing she’s totally harmless to her. Super unsettling. (but also kinda wholesome?)

Oooh, or maybe Not!(y/n) could be like this ancient presence, this forgotten part o f (y/n) that woke up due to all the magic surrounding them.

She wouldn’t speak the same way, maybe her words are all odd and too formal, or she just doesn’t understand human things and language very well. She’s probably like… this embodiment of lost magic that somehow bonded to (y/n).

And she’d be invisible to almost everyone at random times! Imagine her fading in and out depending on how strong the magic is around her, like a flickering ghost.

She’d be more of a guardian spirit from some forgotten time, bound to (y/n) not because she remembers anything about herself, but because she’s naturally drawn to her other half. It’s almost like she’s meant to be there, even though no one understands why. (Well no one but Not!(y/n) really)

But, maybe she’s a spirit, a shadow, a demon, a double… whatever her origin, she utterly adores (y/n). Can’t change that. My heart wouldn’t accept it 🥹

[dykedragonrider]

So I finished Library of Ruina. And I think that's just one of the best games ever. I don't know if I like it more than Lobotomy, but they're good for very different reasons. Either way though, it's incredibly salient commentary on cyclical violence, late stage capitalism, and the impact that humans have on each other.

I think the most logical place to start with is Angela, given that the Library is her EGO. However, it's impossible to talk about Angela's arc and development without discussing Roland's, given how deeply the two are tied and mirror each other. Even their music mirrors the other! To establish more similarity, both have had their lives ripped away from them by someone they perceived as uncaring. Angela was forced to suffer, so she externalized that grief at all the people she could target it at, hoping for compensation in some form. Roland had his future ripped away from him at every turn by a world that didn't care about him, and the death of Angelica caused him to externalize all his grief at the people he thinks could be responsible. Neither of them, however, were able to direct those outbursts at their original target, instead hurting the other people in their lives. Both of them are shaped by pain, Angela takes hers out on the world, Roland conceals his to take it out on Angela when the time is right, when her world is at its brightest. They both have to learn, in different ways, though, that their externalization of it will only cause the same thing to happen again and again. Getting hurt doesn't have any purpose; it just makes you hurt. There's no compensation you will receive for your pain, there's no vengeance that will fill the hole in your heart. Unfortunately, you'll live. What changes them, however, is realizing that you work past that pain, and hole in your heart, by letting others in, those who are good and trustworthy. Friends of the soul. To be human is to be loved, and understood. One of the facets of this game I find beautiful is that it's not a linear path to this for either of them, and if they haven't developed enough as people they cannot forgive and trust the other. Both must be in a place where they can heal, or at the very least, stop themselves from doing anything to hurt another in that moment. Recovery isn't simple, it's hard to be a better person especially when everything you've known is about conducting the pain you've experienced, because the world thrives off doing that. But the cycle's been broken before. The fact it's been broken is proof enough that you can do it again, no matter how hard it is. Roland and Angela are doomed, though. The world cannot abide them, but for different reasons. Angela's, however, is much more central, and Roland gets shunted either way with her, as they're now effectively two halves of the same whole, unified in their understanding of one another and sharing each other's dreams. And it's platonic! I think it could have been fine romantic, but I think given both of their pasts it's much stronger platonically. They are literally removed from the world that hurt them, as it casts them out, but in being removed from it, they're also able to dream outside of it. Angela seeks to create a more just world, following in the footsteps of Ayin. Being able to look past something and see the corrupt roots it took nourishment from, and wanting to excise that, rather than the person that is a symptom of it. Roland wants to write his book about the city, sharing his knowledge of someone who has lived in such a place, and in my eyes, passing the baton to the future with this knowledge; that the little things humans have done to care for one another and the connections we make. Redemption is a complex thing, based on actions, rather than intentions, but they've taken the first steps. And that's a really good note for the game to end on, because well, the seed of light is planted in the both of them now.

On the note of redemption, I want to take a moment to mention Ayin's apology to Angela in the light. Ayin is... Complex, morally, to say the least. Swaddled in good intentions, and with a good grasp on a positive outcome, just with means incomprehensible and immeasurable in the suffering caused. He brought his friends down with him to his prison, and made them complicit in his atrocity. He wanted to be better than every other Wing in the world. but he's done all the same shit. The difference though, is that he was willing to end it, show remorse, and break that cycle. The sin cannot be forgiven, but it can break the cycle, so he took it upon himself to do it, those hundreds of good deeds. And the cycle was broken. Great atrocity was done, but it was broken. Forgiveness is the wrong thing, redemption is as well, I think, he wanted it, maybe he got it, but what he wanted has been twisted by Carmen, truthfully, so I think it's kind of a moot point. But what is the right thing, I think, is understanding, that which he gives Angela. "I'm sorry. And good job." In this, he acknowledges her feelings. Her pain. He can't compensate her for the pain he put her through, but what he can do is acknowledge it, like she does for what she's done to Roland, though inadvertently. He sees her, for the first time, not as a machine, but of what she has been denied of at this point, what she wanted; human. This is also a good time to bring up Carmen, too, as she too is in the Light, hell, she's *the* light. She's who makes people Distort or manifest their EGO, she once again is the source of this, and Angela and her at this point could not be more different. In some ways, Roland's selfishness in wanting Angela back stops her from making the change to prevent Distortions, and the risk for selfishness they pose, as Distorting is easier than manifesting the EGO. Angela cannot be the constructive voice to balance out Carmen to help people be able to fight back, but again, to go back to the ending, Angela's targeting the City now, as an institution. If she can't work against Carmen in the light to stop her, then changing material conditions to create a world less based on pain will help. It further reinforces Angela's humanity to show how far she's drifted from Carmen, and I think it's especially poignant given that Angela was born of Carmen's pain, her still living body stripped and exploited. They're both victims, both of them want the world to change, both of them can understand the other, but they disagree on a fundamental level. So they both must be true to their ideals.

That tangent aside, I think it's important to note how important Angela's humanity is at the end, because she asserts it. Her humanity is presumed, and I think as players, it's been long established, even when she *was* purely machine, as being human is a sense of who claims you. And Angela, by the institutions that rule this city, is dehumanized. All the things we've seen as atrocities they can accept, but are tragic. If Angela didn't give it up, and became a human, they could tolerate her. But because she was not born as one, she is not allowed those privileges. Despite what she's demonstrated, how she's grown, matured, and changed, how she has done things that even the Head says only a human can do, she is denied it. If anything, the Head hates her *more* because of how human she is, and I think that only adds to the importance of Ayin acknowledging her humanity, it shows that even the most awful person we've seen, even moreso than Argalia in some ways, still acknowledges her. Everything else is acceptable. The distortions, while tragic, are OK. It would have happened. Capital can subsume that. But Angela's something they have deemed unacceptable, and she only survives by the strength of those who trust in her and support her. I think it's a really good metaphor, even if it is painfully real, especially in the current age.

And I guess I need to talk about that next, this game's interactions with capital and the City, and in some ways the socioeconomic context of South Korea. The Wings of the City are analogous to chaebols, institutions that centralize the entire economy, and they're deeply corrupt. Each Wing has a Singularity that grants them power, all of them we're aware of rely on human suffering to function, and the City runs on these. Prescripts only add to this, the City having a will of its own, which often propagates pain in one way or another and keeps itself in motion. The entire system is rotten, based on pain, and exploitation. The class divide is palpable in many ways, those in the Backstreets, or slums, aren't even allowed into the Nests, where the richer people in Wings reside, and are often systemically denied ways to lift themselves up. Violence against them is viewed as less important than violence against those in the Nest. The game is deeply critical of these in its portrayals. Angela's new to this world, and while she can make sense of it she also acknowledges the ways it's twisted and broken. Power is everything, you either get a good job or die alone, I think the only thing missing is a strong commentary about gender norms, but gender is a thing never really confronted in game. There's of course, now some legitimate hypocrisy that came from PM (based on my understanding of the facts) in how their criticism of Korean socioeconomic reality, and generally, capital, is less impactful given some of their behavior, but I don't think that detracts from the messages. In some ways, even, part of me is cynical enough to say that this proves a point; that corporations, no matter how much their art challenges the establishment, they are also subservient to it and the interests of the powerful. Of course they'd be corrupted by it, they've demonstrated that fighting against capital directly only gets you eliminated or subsumed. However, I think there's something also worth acknowledging here. That being the idea that challenging capital and its interests, and to some degree, revolutionary behavior, can be done through the improvement of the self, those material circumstances, and your relationships with other humans. There's a place for self improvement and the construction of your community, and its reinforcement, theory, and ideals, and also the hard world of praxis, and fighting against that which you cannot accept. I think in a world where a common sentiment among leftists in the anglosphere is that a revolution is not happening, and we're just going to have to do what we can on a different scale to change the world, this is a thoughtful ideal to communicate, that our relationships with our community, the changes we make to improve it, our capacity for kindness for others and breaking the cycle of violence within ourselves is a good place to start to make those changes on the world. Obviously, there's still a need for other change, but the sentiment that the community and the individual are important for that change is a very useful one.

Which I guess is a good time to talk about the community, in this case, the Sephirot. I think they're really good for depicting the idea that the community is strong when the individual cannot be, as well as philosophical (and of course, theological, given their Kabbalistic origins) stepping stones in the development of Roland and Angela. To use shorthand, they've finished their character arcs. That's not to say they're static, but the Sephirot have had their development back in Lobotomy to become much more developed people. I do wish they had more time in this game, as I enjoyed a lot of them in Lobotomy, but we do at least get more interactions between them and they're not as much main characters so I get it, I just *do* like them. Malkuth manages history, and she's dealing with the fact that people in the City, and her life, are capable of great atrocity. She's trying to document that, but the problem exists in the reality that no one wants to remember anything outside themselves. People are trapped, and cannot learn from history, because the City propagates itself and erases/incorporates those who try to change it, so what's even the point of remembering it. But it's the past that builds the future, pretending otherwise or ignoring it means you only rebuild the past. And you must not despair, you must carve this idea on your heart, and face it. Maintain the will to stand up straight in a world that wants to break you down. Yesod manages technological sciences, and is aware of the dangers it poses, especially in the City. The entire ethos is that the ends justify the means, and that is uniquely terrifying when the means always involve pain. He acknowledges this about the library, and is rightfully scared by it, and wants Angela to understand that what they're doing here is comparable to other things in the city, and it can't be justified away. We have to be thoughtful about things in an ever changing world, and we can't ever just follow what's been set out. Maintain discretion, be rational, and think about "musts" and if they're actually as such. Hod manages literature, the stories of the people. For the Sephirot who involved herself in the lives of others to their detriment, placing her in a space that uses her newfound capability to understand other humans as well as she does is a really nice thing for her to slot into. The fact is, the city sucks to live in for everyone. You join groups, and the groups hurt people. Where you live is always boiled in violence, and you either give up your autonomy and ignore it, or give up your safety and acknowledge it. Everyone wants something better for themselves, to not have to deal with this world that's breaking them. You can't be broken against the wheel, you still have to have the hope to be a better person at the end of it all. Netzach manages art, and he muses on the nature of humans to make it, at the cost of humans. It's, especially in this world, a monument to pain. That's not something that really feels like it should be exalted, but it's what people are experiencing so it's made anyway. Killing yourself in the pursuit of a dream, beauty, doesn't actually create or leave behind that beauty, or dream. It just propagates misery. You've gotta fight to stay alive, you've got to want it, even if you're scared, even if it hurts, even if you've accepted self destruction. You've got to hold onto the idea that there's always something more to do, some new story to tell, a reason to keep making things as humans do. It's scary, being alive, but facing that without fear and living is what gives beauty to our condition.

Tiphereth manages natural science, and she in some ways iterates on Netzach's philosophy. Sure, you're alive, but so what. The world is unfair, it beats you down, nothing could be more cruel than it, and understanding that's a hard endeavor, usually tinted by loss. So, we try and understand it. We look at the world, and what's unjust about it, and we make sense of it so we can change it, to keep dreaming. One day, we will overcome this. One day, you'll wake up, and will be able to face yourself and the world. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, there's *got* to be something waiting for us because that's how humans work. We're driven by desire, and the chase of knowledge, justice, hope, gives life meaning. You just have to know what lights shine for you, and make the choice to chase them, every day of your life. It'll hurt like hell to be well, it's hard to do it again after losing your way. But as long as you're alive, things can change. Life has a meaning, and you must expect to find it. Gebura manages language, and notably, is one of the two Librarians with much stronger ties to the outside world than others. Her floor doesn't touch on language overmuch, but I think she demonstrates that differences with her behavior instead. As she mentions, the Backstreets dwellers speak simply, and that's reflected in her. Gebura is the most brash, honest, and straightforward librarian. She rarely speaks symbolically, and that also lets her uniquely connect with people, because of how she speaks and carries herself. She's the first one to get a fragment of the truth out of Roland, for example. Another element is that her actions speak for her rather often, given her past as the Red Mist. She was famous for her selflessness, and always tried to look out for people weaker than her. It's not the strong who survive, it's the survivors who are strong, so making sure people survive is how you create people who can live in this broken world. Kali was a legend who died in the service of protecting others, she's a very emotional person, to both her strength and detriment, and she's always going to carry that with her. Even if she's failed before, even if it's gotten harder, she still understands incredibly well that violence is a tool. And she wields that tool with courage, in the service of others. Chesed manages social sciences, and has a huge heart. He's as playful as he is determined to hope for a better life for others, and he loathes violence. More accurately, needless death, but the sentiment is identical. Chesed doesn't want people to be hurt or killed. People are all important little pieces, and we all blend together to make our symphonies. He values knowing *why*, for the hope to change things through understanding to make a better world. There's always something we can do with the people in our lives to make a difference, after all. Even if it's small, we owe it to them to do it. That's what being friends is about, after all. If the world wants to pit you against each other, then band together to be strong together. You'll have each other, and can fight the current of the oppressive reality together. Sitting on your hands only makes things worse, you've gotta be able to look and process your reality to change it. And people can help with that. Build a crowd of your friends, and become stronger together. Those who are faithful and trustworthy are what give us the strength to put our bodies on the wheel.

Binah manages philosophy, and is the other librarian with strong ties to the outside world. She's always talking in parallel with other people, but is doing as such to prove a point. The world is cruel, but you can't turn away from that. You must acknowledge the world and observe it to understand it. And you've gotta free yourself from your biases to actually understand it. If you just look for what you want to see, then you can miss the forest for the trees, or see things where they aren't because you want them to be real. Binah was once Garion, an Arbiter, effectively a supercop. I think the analogy speaks for itself there, but she's also interesting because that part of her is long behind her. In her discussions about the world, she also speaks of herself and her wants, as someone who's dealing with the sins of her past, especially given she is in no small part responsible for how things turned out. To put your past behind is to bear the sins of it, and decide to move on. You won't do it the first time, it may take a hundred, or a thousand, but you'll break it eventually. And when you do it, you'll have to do it over and over again. But you did it once. You can do it again. This works on another level again, because Lobotomy Binah is a deeply damaged person. She feels little, save for when she's hurting other people. But in Ruina, it feels like she's moved on from those remnants of being Garion. Like all the librarians, she wasn't who she was at the start of this, but she also has carried the most with her; she's just also had a lot of time to sort herself out, and while she's still imperfect, she's trying with other people now. She's tried to reconcile her past. She's looked at all the horrors of herself and the world, and has started to move beyond them. Hokma manages religion, and is one of the two people responsible for the birth of Angela. Angela is conflicted on him most of all, given that past. To call their relationship filial in any way I think is a misattribution, it's more like he's her least favorite teacher. He's wise, knowledgeable, and thoughtful but they've got a lot of friction between them. He tried to do well by her, but it wasn't enough, and he has at this point accepted that given their past. Unsurprisingly, the thing that defines Hokma is belief in something, or rather, someone. Ayin was the man that gave his life meaning, and he believed in him and his cause, even to his own end. He was shackled to him, but he was freed from that weight when he realized his answer, that building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same. You aren't stuck to it, but you must acknowledge it to move on, and its influences on you, good and bad, are what you choose to pass on. I think the most important element to him comes in his end discussion with Angela, on the idea of pity, sympathy, and love. They're similar forces that foster human connection, but I think another element is that a lot of faith exalts those who we pity; we give them love to raise them up because we find them pitiable. Through that sympathy, and a repulsive emotion known as pity, we come to understand and love one another.

And finally, we tie back to Roland, who manages general works. The thing I most want to center in this discussion about him is the simple phrase of "that's that, and this is this" because it's such an infuriating philosophy for him to follow. We see it bite him in the ass so much, because it's a cope. Angelica makes it clear to him that it's a cope, and he's just relying on it to the point it's become something deeply maladaptive. And once again, it's Angela that breaks him out of this, because through their journeys together, she realizes and proposes to him the counter: That's this, and this is that. It's her gesture to break him out of things wholly, the same way Ayin's words did to her. In terms of broader strokes, human connection is the most important thing on the road to being better people, and I think something that is demonstrated very well through Ruina is the way that it's more important to make a wrong choice and learn from it through people around you than it is to make no choice at all. While this game builds much more on the elements introduced in Lobotomy about the City, I think Lobotomy is a much stronger criticism of capital? This does it, but I think it doesn't do as good in marrying its gameplay and themes to sell the violence of capital, it mostly just depicts the horrors and leaves it there. This works, it's just not as impactful, and I think is a product of this being much less horror oriented. All in all, I chalk this one up to another game I wish I was much more capable of speaking about. There's so much good here, and it's one of the best games about revenge I've played, the next closest being the original Xenoblade. It's incredibly rich, and there's a lot more I have to say, I've just been typing for four hours and didn't want to make an even bigger wall of text.

[bomikalover]

heyy shyy!!!!!

i’m bored so imma ask rank ur top 5 df ships!!

OH YOU WANT ME TO DIEEEE DONT YOU

(Jk love you girlie 🫶🏾)

1: BOMIKA

OBVIOUSLY, WE ALL SAW THIS COMING. I’m a sucker for a good opposites attract but not too opposite?! If you know what I mean. Like Bose is a golden retriever dimwit who’s artistic and all about rule bending while Mika is a black cat brainiac who’s logical and all about rule-following. But they still are a match made in heaven because of their similar moral ground. Like Bomika are opposites but are aren’t polar opposites (like Bapa) The nicknames, the color coordination, the jealousy, all the tropes they fit, the height difference, the comfortability, and overall THE FACT THAT THEY WERE STRANGERS TO LOVERS. We literally saw their relationship go from strangers to friends to best friends to crushes to a couple! If S3 would have been a full season we would have seen canon Bomika!! They are a match made in heaven and the only confirmed canon ship of the show, I mean I will always be Bomikalover for a reason.

2: CHILES

Now I will say I titter on the line about whether I ship them as romantic or platonic but I think I finally have chosen my shipping route. I chose platonic Chiles-NOW HEAR ME OUT! Ever since I saw Chapa and Ruby then Miles and Buddy, my whole perspective changed. Chiles definitely gives best friends, like bail out of jail type of friends. Like I just know Chapa and Miles have to be super close hanging around Bomika all the time. Since Bomika have Bomika Sunday and seemed to be comfortable hanging without Chiles, Chiles had to learn to do the same. They just seem so happy being friends and I genuinely think that them not being together is the best option.

3:MACKERS

Now Buddy and Miles became a new ship of mine ever since I saw them in Big Dynomite. At first I thought they were cute friends then in Bose’s Bday I saw them as something more. That episode was literally Miles choosing between Buddy and Sissy. And he chose Buddy. Plus in SwellMelonFest, Buddy had an arranged date with a girl and showed no interest at all. He showed disgust more than anything. The HeadCanon that Buddy is gay is just canon atp. They both have similar personalities and seem to be comfortable with each other as well. But Miles to me felt the closest to Buddy out of the four kids. Bose had one sided beef cause Buddy actually has a dad who wants to spend time with him. Chapa is most likely still warming up to him but I think she’s second closest after Miles. Mika just seems to be treating him likes she treats all her friends but it’s Mika so what do you expect. Miles and Buddy would have been such a cute dynamic to see more off and it’s sad to say we won’t anymore.

4:CHAMIKA

Honestly I see this as romantic or platonic. I switch back and forth on the daily. Like I see them as besties but at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised if Chapa was the reason Mika found out she was Bisexual. Like they make sense dynamics wise.

Rule breaker x Rule follower

Black Swan x White Swan

And many more. But I ship Bomika so hard, that I struggle to see Mika’s romantic dynamic with anyone else but that’s a me problem lol.

But Chamika is a great ship, and I support it 100%

5: BAPA

I KNOW. I KNOW. ITS NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

I DO NOT SHIP BAPA ROMANTICALLY.

Never have, never will.

It’s just not for me.

I can go on and on about why I don’t but I won’t out of respect for the Bapa shippers (who are actually educated and decent human beings) that do ship it.

But I adore the O’Brien De Silva twin dynamic. Like Bose and Chapa are so twins separated at birth core. Like 2 halves of the same person. They out twin the actual twins in the show. Like if I’m being honest it would have made more sense to have 2 sets of siblings than a pair of twins and 2 other kids. Or even better make Bapa step-siblings! Then their love-hate relationship makes a lot more sense. Like Chapa punched Bose in the face, pushed him in front of missiles, zapped him whenever she felt like it, dragged him around like a child, and told him that his dad wasn’t coming back. Plus many other things. Like that’s an older step-sister hating on her little bro right there.

BUT THATS MY TOP FIVE 🫶🏾

I didn't include Ruby & Chapa cuz I didn't feel fair since they only share one episode together unfortunately 😔

[beyondthebcundary]

��� Obviously we have to ask about Udeki and Yoshika from Yoshika's point of view

I would kill you. ✧ I would physically hurt you. ✧ I would attack you unprovoked. ✧ I would manipulate you. ✧ I dislike you. ✧ You annoy me. ✧ You scare me. ✧ You intimidate me. ✧ I hope I intimidate you. ✧ I pity you. ✧ You disgust me. ✧ I hate you. ✧ I’m indifferent toward you. ✧ I’d like to get to know you better. ✧   I’d like to spend more time with you. ✧ I’d like to be friends with you. ✧  I’m unsure what to think of you. ✧ I’m unsure how I feel about you. ✧ You are my friend. ✧ You are my best friend. ✧ You are my mentor. ✧ I look up to you. ✧ I respect you. ✧ You are my hero. ✧ You inspire me. ✧ You are my enemy. ✧ You make me happy. ✧ I want to protect you. ✧ I would fight by your side. ✧ I consider you an equal. ✧ I think you are beneath me. ✧ I think you are above me. ✧ I would lie for you. ✧ I would lie to you. ✧ I would sleep with you. ✧ I would sleep by your side. ✧ I would hug you. ✧ I would kiss you. ✧ You are family to me. ✧ I would die for you (or to you.) ✧ I would kill for you. ✧ I would trust you with my life. ✧ I would trust you with my most precious belonging. ✧ I would trust you with a secret. ✧ I would trust you with my biggest / darkest secret. ✧ I love you (platonically). ✧ I love you (romantically).

Now THIS is a fun one to think about. You see, much like Kasen Yoshika has complicated emotions about Udeki. They're both halves of one whole Oni that she loved deeply when she was still alive. And while it would be unfair to thrust lingering feelings for a woman who ceased to be nearly 1200 years, and with both being so different now...but first some history.

Buckle up for my brainrot.

What's very important to point out is the Poem Kasen recites in the opening to Wild and Horned Hermit is one of Yoshika's poems, but more importantly it is THE poem. In the legend that starts Yoshika's illicit affair with one of the scourge of Heian-Kyo, one of Shuten-douji's own crew, and rumored lover. In the legend Miyako no Yoshika hears rumor of faint sounds of poetry being recited in the night near Rashomon Gate. In a time of such dangers and youkai, especially a gang of oni lead by one of Japan's most evil and wicked that routinely come and sack the capital from Mt. Ooe. Now in one telling after Yoshika arrives they're immediately met by the Oni the poems belong to, but given the Poem's importance to a canon touhou manga, I'm using this one.

Yoshika reaches the gate at the rumored time with the moon high in the night sky, and is met with silence. Not one to be discouraged she begins reciting lines to a improvised poem. Changing the last two lines to it as she is dissatisfied until eventually...

"The weather is clearing, the wind combs the young willows' hair..." Is met with a reply, from a voice carrying the sweet and heavy scent of sake and blood that might chill the bone to some, but was sweet on the poet's ears. "...The ice is melted, the waves wash the old moss's beard." "Ah, so you must be the poet I've heard rumor of." "Poet? Ha, no. I am the scourge of Heian-Kyo. Ibaraki-douji, and I just couldn't handle hearing you flounder around. It was souring my drink so I finished your poem for you. Fixed it, and made it better." "Indeed, and a fine cadence it does carry...so, Madam Ibaraki-douji, would you mind fixing more poetry with me?" "Are you a fool, human?" "Indeed you may be a fierce Youkai, but I have not come to converse as Youkai and Human. I've come to speak as two poets. Ah, but of course. I'm forgetting myself. I know you, so allow me to let you know me: I am Miyako no Yoshika, Poet and Scholar." "You're serious? Do you not fear me? If not you truly are a fool, and an insulting one at that." "Should you find me vexing feel free to tear me asunder, I could not stop you and trust I do fear you might...however, if even Oni hold love for Poetry, I believe kinsmen in art we can be."

Whether out of curiosity or something else the Oni moves to the bridge below the gate to meet this poet, and from then they continued to meet up. A curious kinship, and an even more curious romance. Whether Ibaraki lost her arm first, or if Yoshika died first one couldn't say but eventually one of the pair stopped appearing at the gate on those late nights to exchange drink, tale, and poem...as well as sometimes a kiss and more.

Udeki reminds her of the raw, unrestrained inhuman beauty Ibaraki had. The faint scent of danger and violence that clung to her that excited the poet. A woman that could kill her with a simple touch if she ever left out the gentle tenderness of a lover with her caress, and the absolute trust she put in her to not simply break her and devour her whole.

It's surely a one sided attraction at this point, unless Udeki holds lingering affection for her from her time as Ibaraki...but in any case:

She's curious about this oni, how does she differ? Does she still enjoy poetry? Even if she's not Ibaraki her curiosity has to be sated, the same curiosity that drew her to Rashomon. If romance anew blossoms from it, it might cause her undead stilled heart to stir...but gaining a new friend would also be nice.

Plus, she cannot die now. She's more durable. A much better lover for an oni in any case.

[bluerosesinthenightsky]

There’s A Hollow Fracture In Kirito’s Chest...

{{Not A Title, Just an Attention grabber for a preview of a polyfic of different romantic/platonic dynamics between Eugeo, Kirito, Asuna And Alice coming to an A03 near you. Yujikiri is the main focus, and the poly stuff comes more towards the epilogue. How does it all play out? You will just have to wait and see!}} _ _ _

OBLIGATORY MAJOR SPOILER WARNING FOR Sword Art Online: Alicization Arc! Do not READ if you haven't finished the first half of the Alicization Arc! MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH INCOMING! YOUVE BEEN WARNED!

_ _ _

There’s a hollow fracture in Kirito’s chest, a fissure stretched all the way vertically across the middle, it is wide and raw. Bleeding, red, agonizing and burning, yet all at once so cold.  

So cold… 

It was as if a blade of ice, so cold it burned, but so hot it was cold- had flayed him open. Cleaving through skin, muscle and finally carving against the bones within his ribcage. Where it punctured downwards, rending them until broken, and struck true into his heart. 

The frigid point piercing and plunging its serrated edge so deeply into it, that it found his very core, his soul and froze it over. 

There was a hollow fracture in Kirito’s chest. It was far deeper than it was wide, like a black abyss, swallowing him up whole, devouring everything he had left to give. 

A murky nebulous, akin to the night sky, yet there was no light to guide his way, no stars speckling the canvas of the lonely void to bring him back home. 

Why? Why wasn’t there any light? 

He knew why. 

His light, his star, it had burnt out like a supernova and had left him all alone. 

Isolated and suffocating in his own despair. That’s right… his heart had been plundered and his soul pillaged, and all that remained was ice. 

Kirito’s home didn’t exist anymore. 

There was a hollow fracture in Kirito’s chest and in that hollow space between his bloodied and shattered ribs, was a single blue rose. 

It was withering, yet a sheen of glistening frost had crept over the surface of its beautiful petals. 

Beautiful just like…him. 

Beautiful it might be it was still just as ugly.  

A merciless constant reminder of being so brutally bereaved of his beloved partner. 

It was as if the frost had frozen Kirito in time. Forcing him to remain in that exact heart-stopping and spine-chilling moment. When the sword, that was responsible for this fractured and icy hollow in his chest, shattered and then dispelled and released his precious partner. Leaving him to plummet to the floor. 

Leaving him all but lifeless, his crimson cruor pooling like a sea of ruby rose petals underneath him. His frame severed into two halves, leaving him a shell of something once whole, by the sword of the ruthless ruler of the Underworld. 

“EUGEOOOOOOOO!!!” 

The guttural and wounded growl, of Eugeo’s name, detonated like a violent gale. It surged rapidly out from Kirito’s vocals like a swirling storm and echoed within those damn forsaken walls. 

And she with her long lavender hair, fitted with a dress as white as snow, looked on. 

Outwardly, one might mistake her for a holy being, innocent and pure, full of love and light. 

If Kirito didn’t know better, he would have thought her an angel sent from the heavens above to collect Eugeo. 

But the angel was a devil in disguise, staring mockingly and sneering with a smirk so vile that Kirito had come to despise it and her. 

That despicable woman, no not a woman, she was naught but a callous and cold creature with no capacity for loving anyone put herself. She had love for herself alone and her insatiable bloodlust for control over all. 

The Administrator, Quinella, were she still alive now- Kirito would have hunted her to the ends of the Underworld and he would have slaughtered her. Then he would have used system commands to bring her back and slaughter her again, and again, and again… 

Over and over… until not a trace of her fluctlight remained. He would raze her away, permanently deleting her from the system, and by the time he was finished it would be as if she’d never existed. 

Yet nothing could be done now. Though Kirito’s body was in the present, his heart and soul and sense of self and time had been frozen in place. It froze over within an impenetrable barrier, an icy cage. Of which the only key that could set him free had long since melted away. Leaving it forever locked and leaving him in everlasting lament. 

A part of him had died with Eugeo that day. That dark and dismal day, the day that Kirito’s star went out, the day that his precious little Eugeo… 

His best friend and his ever-loyal partner, his everything… 

His beloved Eugeo. 

His icy blue rose. 

Burned and melted away in a baleful blaze of crossing blades and blood. 

_ _ _ There you have it, that's the preview! I've wanted to rp a Yujikiri reunion for a long time, but no one has ever come to the call and actually committed. So I decided to write something my damn self, and make it into a fanfic. this will be a self-indulgent Yujikiri reunion fic, with a small side of poly dynamics between Kirito, Eugeo, Alice and Asuna scattered throughout the fic and in the epilogue. If polyamory isn't for you, then this fic I'm writing isn't for you.

Please do NOT start a ship war in the comments, or reblogs, or even screen shotting this preview and making it into a ship war, thank you. This fic won't be exactly like the Yujikiri reunion I have in my head rp wise. Rp wise would be a much simpler premise, and it would be strictly Yujikiri, and not as long and as lore heavy.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed what you've read so far. I don't know if it's obvious or not, but Kirito is having a nightmare. He's reliving Eugeo's death over and over and has been every night for YEARS.

I take no responsibilities for anyone's emotional turmoil.

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

MIKAELA BANES (TRANSFORMERS)

1.) mikaela’s case is so egregious that i struggle to really properly word any propaganda beyond ‘just look at the movie. look at it.’ but congrats to mikaela banes for getting in! was thinking of submitting her along with my arcee but couldn’t even like. begin to describe it. agh.

best i can really say for her right now is ‘open her tfwiki article, open sam’s, look at the pictures, compare how they frame the two, you will see what i mean then and there.’ but i might do a rewatch of the bayverse transformers movies just to be able to get all my more complex thoughts in order to actually submit a breakdown of her. which is not something i want to do, but if anyone deserves it it’s mikaela. she deserved so much better.

2.) She was the female character played by Megan Fox, and Michael Bay wanted to make sure everyone watching knew this was a woman played by megan fox. She is the quintessential “not like other girls” (in fact, this is the second sentence of her wikipedia page - “She is differentiated from “typical” women in her age group, having inherited mechanical skills from her father”) who has guy interests, but is still hot and wears crop tops and jean shorts. I remember two things from that movie, Bumblebee and the scene where she is working on the car ~sexily~, which today genuinely seems like a parody, but was included entirely earnestly (I wasn’t going to add a picture from this scene, but it was literally the first and third pictures that showed up when i googled her)

3.) Mikaela is so sexualized it's unreal. Like, I feel I really just need to submit this screenshot:

Look at the way she's posed, the way she's dressed, the expression on her face. It's pure objectification, like the kind that should be in textbooks as easy examples. The way it emphasizes both her butt and her boobs but also shows her stomach is just astonishing. God it doesn't even show her FACE. This shot really amazes me, just good god.

And then there's also this famous shot:

It's so aggressively sexy, so much a pose and not at all a way a real human would position themselves. The way her ass is popped out, the way her hair is flipped, jesus christ. Someone needs to put Michael Bay in misogyny jail.

ABBIE MILLS (SLEEPY HOLLOW) (CW: Racism)

1.) Abbie starts out as one of the two protagonists of the show, only to get almost entirely sidelined as early as season 2, getting less and less screen time and allowed no relationships, either platonic or romantic, while the other lead Ichabod Crane has a seemingly infinite amount of them. It got bad enough that her actor wanted to leave the show, which they did by having her sacrifice her soul in the season 3 finale for the male lead to live, and then they ended the show after season 4 anyway, because guess what, it’s a bad idea to entirely sideline and eventually kill off one of your leads!

2.) She was killed by the narrative to advance her white male co-protagonist’s plotline and I’m still mad about it, Abbie deserved so much better. This is an example of racism in the narrative too and it extended to the production of the show, see news coverage:

3.) Look, I only watched the first season but they killed her off the show SHE was a co lead of!! Misogyny AND racism, all rolled into one. I remember seeing the fan reactions and I was so mad on their behalfs. They wrote her off her own show and from what I recall, gave her less and less screentime leading up to that. Truly, she deserved so much better and I will always be upset by this.

[cursesavior]

✉ @gohjuo said: ❛ your heart is beating so fast right now. ❜

"Ah -- is it?" It's hard to keep his voice steady as he feigns normalcy, despite the way that his heart thrums relentlessly beneath his ribs. He knows that it's near impossible to hide anything from his six eyes, but still, Suguru doesn't want to admit to how his pulse rushes. They've been close ever since they were paired up as teammates - at first they were always getting on each others nerves, Satoru was always stepping on his toes and trying to show off, and Suguru was quick to lecture him for it - truly, he was so annoying. They both were. But with every mission they went on they grew closer until they knew each other's moves like the backs of their hands, spent so much time together even outside of missions and school that he knew all of his little habits as if they were his own, until it felt like they were truly inseparable, two halves of the same whole. The strongest, together.

Maybe it's just because Suguru has never had this closeness with another person. He got along well enough with his parents, but there was always that distance, that silent resentment - they resented him for ruining their reputation in the village, for not being the normal child that they wanted, and he resented them for never believing him - as much as he tried to be better than that. He was treated decently by his peers, but the rumors ensured that they never wanted to get too close to him, and he would never let them in, not wanting them to see that the whispers were true. Maybe it's just his unfamiliarity with genuine friendship that causes his pulse to race, his face to flush, to crave Satoru's company each time they were apart. Maybe it is truly was completely platonic, nothing more.

But some part of him knows that isn't true. He knows that he feels more than just close friendship, as much as he tries to deny it. He knows this isn't normal, and that's why he can't just admit it. Even as they lie together in Satoru's bed, curled up together and half-watching whatever movie he'd rented this week, he can't fess up - because what if he ruins this? What if he pushes him away in disgust, never wants to be close to him again? He heard the way people in his village spoke about people like him - taught him to keep his mouth shut and hide it all away. Did Satoru think that way, too?

He doesn't want to know, doesn't think he's ready to know. So he swallows it down, tries to force his heart to slow down to no avail. If anything, it just feels like bursting. He tries to just shrug it off, a quiet laugh escaping him that betrayed only a fraction of his nervousness. "I didn't notice. I guess the movie must be pretty exciting, huh?" As if he could even focus with Satoru lying on him like this. "Sorry, is it distracting?"

[dragons-and-dwarves-are-nice]

To the Shadows that Cry Witch /// Chapter 2

Welcome to the second chapter! As I've said before, this whole story is gonna be a bit long winded, so hopefully you're all in for the long term, hope you enjoy! <3

Summary: Magic was real, but it came at a price. So when two girls from England ended up in the one place they never thought they could reach, strange things began to happen. Good or bad? That's up to them to find out.

Tags: Kíli x oc/reader - Fíli x oc (POV to be written soon) - Thorin's company x ocs/reader (platonic) - fluff - angst - SUPER slow burn - crack - Bagginshield

Word Count: 2133

Warnings: Swearing

Taglist - comment or message to be added!

PLEASE READ THE PROLOGUE & CHAPTER 1 IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY

Want some background music? Check out my Soundtrack Playlist!

Now available on Wattpad and AO3 (please let me know if links aren't working)

&lt; Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 >

PART 1: Chapter 2 -

I should've stayed in bed.

The Song Thrush has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts. Its distinctive song, which has repeated musical phrases, has frequently been referred to in poetry.

I let out a groan as a hand tapped me repeatedly on the shoulder. I waved my arm about, eyes still shut tight until the onslaught stopped. Then came the unfortunate sound of curtains being ripped open.

“Girlie get the fuck up.” I heard.

Letting out more groans of complaint I rolled over away from the light as it poured into the dark room, only to be met with a wad of paper in the back of the head.

“Kate.” They said.

Now somewhat awake, I rolled back over and leant up on my elbow to face the perpetrator.

“What-?” I croaked in confusion.

Said perpetrator was glaring at me with wide eyes, sat on the opposite bed, arm still outstretched from throwing.

Looking down at what assaulted me, I picked up a leaflet, the front a picture of a waterfall, with the title ‘Magic of Ullswater’ printed in a bold white font. I looked back at Kay still perched on her bed, surprised that she was willingly conscious at this time of day, until I remembered our schedule.

“Ah,” I guiltily scrunched my face in realisation, “was this today?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, pointing at the glaring number on her phone. “And it’s already seven!”

“Don’t worry, I’m up” I rolled out of bed and swung open the wardrobe doors, grabbing what I needed before heading to the bathrooms to freshen up and get ready. Within twenty minutes I was back in the room, halving my normal time since Kay being up this early meant she was truly determined to execute what she had planned. On an average day you wouldn’t see her fully awake until at least ten.

After a quick breakfast in the canteen, we went back up to ensure everything needed was packed and ready for today’s hike. After all, going to see the waterfall was one of the main reasons we had gone. You mention rocks to Kay and she is there.

We laced up our walking boots and headed outside, up the path until we reached the edge of the road where the shuttle bus dropped us off days earlier. The weather had changed for the better, the temperature hiked up to a comfortable twenty two degrees accompanied by a blue sunny sky. Perfect for today’s plans, where only summer clothes were required.

I wore my cream vest top tucked into my baggy olive green trousers, and a thick brown belt looped through, with a loose fitting chunky white cardigan left unbuttoned over the top, and of course my favourite white floral patterned socks.

Kay on the other hand, was in her cargo trousers, along with a grey cropped vest top and a thin zip up hoodie tied around her waist. Unfortunately Dr Martens and platform crocs weren’t the most suitable shoes for hiking, lest you want your ankles broken, so were replaced with hiking boots, and obviously waterproofs were packed away in our rucksacks just in case. As lovely as it was, you can never trust British weather.

Eventually, the local bus slowed to a stop. Sifting through my pockets I pulled out and counted up what loose change I had, handing it over. After stating our destination and receiving our tickets, we headed to the back of the relatively empty bus, which was surprising considering it was the middle of summer. We both placed down our rucksacks and sat on either side of the aisle, propping up our feet on the other seats. With a groan and a jolt, the bus’s engine sprang back to life, and begun its journey down the road, over the vast rolling hills.

“Hey.” I looked away from the window at the sound of Kay speaking, “Did you remember to bring the passes?”

I leant back in mock offense. “Of course.” I retorted. “Must you deem me that unreliable??”

She snorted at my reaction. “Well you forgot what day it was earlier, so I had to double check.”

I deadpanned at her, reaching into my bag to procure two sheets of paper, shoving them up at Kay so she could see the print. “I double checked at least ten times, after all this saves us the twenty quid entry.”

Kay sat back with a quiet sigh of relief, whilst I safely tucked the papers back away. Looking back, I asked her which part of the trail she wanted to visit first.

Her eyes darted around as they narrowed in thought.

“The waterfall.” She declared. “You’ve been before, is it close to the entrance?”

“Somewhat.” I answered as I picked at my lip. “Within a fifteen-ish minute walk of the car park.”

“As long as you actually remember where to go.” She taunted, before laughing at my frown. “Cuz I wanna see some stratification.” She said eagerly, tapping on what looked like a diagram in the book laid on her lap.

“Well as long as you don’t start licking the rocks as soon as we get there, otherwise you’ll scare the children off.” I tormented, ducking down giggling as the book was launched at my head.

Soon enough, we arrived, and after proving to Kay that I actually knew the route, we followed the continuous thunder until we reached the 65 foot waterfall, now towering ahead of us. Kay jogged ahead, eager to reach the moss covered bridge that curved over the deep ravine that the water had carved into the rock. At halfway she stopped to lean over the fence, facing down into the narrow abyss of water below, tilting enough to the point where her legs began to lift from the floor.

“Oi!” I cried, jogging to catch up. “You can’t swim, so if you fall, don’t think I’m going in after you.”

“Are you a lifeguard or not?” She pointed out incredulously, leaning further over in a taunting manner. “It’s literally you’re job to go after me.”

“Well it’s not like I’m being paid right now to do so.” I answered as I caught up to her. “Pay me my hourly rate and then I’ll think about going after you.”

She scoffed in disbelief at my audacity before her attention returned to admire the waterfall before her.

It wasn’t long before a high pitched trill from above caught my attention. Raising my head, I stared at the dense foliage above me, watching as it churned ever so gently with the calm summer breeze. I squinted my eyes at the flickering dapples of light that peeked through the leaves, until my attention focused on a singular bird nestled in between the gentle chaos all around.

‘A song thrush!’ I realised, recognising the bird’s brown feathers and white speckled underbelly. I watched with intent as it flittered between the treetops. Taking out the polaroid camera I was gifted for my birthday, I took as many pictures as I could before it darted away and disappeared into the trees beyond the footpath.

My eyes followed said footpath and from a distance, I managed to make out a clearing bathed in the scattered beams of the midday sun. Storing the now printed pictures in the front pocket of my bag, I poked Kay’s shoulder and pointed to what I could see.

“How about we have lunch down there?” I suggested, remembering I had managed to bring the picnic blanket this time.

She nodded in agreement, and we both made our way over. After decided what was the sunniest spot, we laid out the blanket and sat down, putting out the food we were able to fit in our bags.

“That bird.” Came Kay’s voice, half muffled by her hand that was hiding her mouthful of sandwich as she spoke. “What was it?”

I swallowed what I could of my own sandwich before replying, figuring that she most likely heard the shutter of my camera.

“A song thrush, according to some article I read a while back they’re quite common round these parts”.

“I didn’t know you birdwatched?” She pondered.

“I did quite a bit when was younger. To be fair though, I only recognised it because of The Hobbit.” I admitted.

Kay’s eyes widened in realisation, and we both pointed at each other with a grin. “Of course!” She laughed, before turning back to her sandwich. “When the thrush knocks!”

“Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin’s Day will shine upon the keyhole.” I recited without a stutter.

Kay lowered her sandwich and turned back towards me slowly, side-eyeing me with a face of suspicion. I side-eyed back.

“Your short term memory should’ve taken that in and flung it out the other side.” She disputed.

I frowned.

“And you didn’t even mess up the words once.”

Side-eyeing her once more and slowly brought my phone to my face. She glared in even further suspicion as I began to furiously type away at the keyboard. Within seconds she had enough.

“Ok what the fuck are you typing over there.” She demanded, discarding her sandwich, and speeding across the blanket to stare over my shoulder and began to read aloud. “Kay is anti-mental disorde— ??? I’M NOT DISSING YOUR ADHD???? NO. DON’T SEND THAT TO THE GROUPCHAT. KATE. SWEAR DOWN I WILL— NO! TAKE YOUR FINGER AND PRESS DELETE RIGHT NOW. NO NO NO. ROXIE WILL EAT ME ALIVE. DELETE THAT SHIT. NO. COME BACK.”

I cackled as I leaped up and ran the length of the clearing, watching as she scrambled up in a frenzy after me. I felt a buzz from my phone and held it up in front of me to read aloud any replies from the chat, interrupted every so often by Kay’s aggravated screams of frustration.

She chased me around the grass, until we both collapsed back on the blanket, too exhausted to carry the conflict further. She pointed her finger at me accusingly.

“You better delete it.” She managed between heaves. I held out my hand expectantly.

“That’ll be ten pounds.” I requested with a grin on my face.

“Oh, piss off.” She groaned exasperatedly, shoving my shoulder as a laughed.

Squabble over, she rolled over to pick up and return to the geography book she read on the bus. I did the same, but with The Hobbit, that I had coincidentally decided to pack for the day’s trip.

Later, we packed up the picnic and explored the forest for a few hours, wandering off the path a few times to look for rocks or plants.

A chilly breeze blew past and I checked the time, seeing the numbers on my phone screen tell me that it was time to turn back around.

“Hey Kay,” I called, receiving a loud “YEA?” from the bushes behind me, “we should think about heading back, if we wanna make it to the canteen for tea.”

She agreed, standing up from where she was crouched over a small stream, most likely looking for some type of mineral deposit, or whatever she was reading about in her book earlier. Slinging our bags back over our shoulders, we both began to make our way back down the path, dodging the jagged roots and rocks. A short while passed before we reached the clearing we had eaten in earlier, the opening in the trees showed that the sky had begun to change colour, causing us to quicken our paces slightly to ensure we wouldn’t get caught out in the wilderness at night.

It wasn’t long before we were back at the waterfall, and we began our crossing of the bridge before Kay slowed down again like last time. I slowed too, and we both stopped in the middle to spend a moment, taking once last look at the towering waterfall, now bathed in the orange light of the evening’s golden hour.

A familiar chirp rang out through the trees, and I spun around, scouring the branches above me.

There it was again! The song thrush had reappeared, illuminated by the glow of the lowering sun. I crossed the width of the bridge to watch it as it chirruped and trilled its final song of the day. Eventually the swaying branches and fast movements of the fluttering creature caused me to lose sight of it. Kay’s footsteps sounded behind me as I heard her wander across a few steps, before quickly falling silent again. The thrush’s song came to an abrupt stop at almost the same time, and without a second thought, I decided it was time to keep going.

“Alright,” I declared, turning back towards Kay and the waterfall, “let’s go before—”

I blinked in surprise.

Looking around with widening eyes, panic and dread began to settle in my stomach as I came to the dreadful realisation.

Kay was nowhere to be seen.

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

&lt; Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 >

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Can't wait to see you on the 31st March for Chapter 2! Also please comment if you want to be added to the Taglist <3

Taglist:

@opheliasdrowningg @mrsdurin

[edgeofn1ght]

For the Character Ask Meme - 7 and 15 and 25, please!

ahhh thank you, my dear! 😊 (and for the bonus obi-wan, too!)

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

When the fandom ships him with happiness! When they give him any kind of happiness because he deserves it so much. And heaven knows he doesn't get a ton in canon. lol

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

obikin! i am a very, very long-time brobikin fan and still am - that pair means everything to me platonically, as 'brothers,' as master and apprentice, as friends, etc. etc. But their rich story in canon means there's also a lot to play with for a ship, too! I wouldn't ever want it to be canon, it's perfect the way it is, but it's just another interesting dynamic.

Then you've got Matthew Stover out here writing,

They knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior.

And like.... come on. Complementary halves! It doesn't get much better than that.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I saw the OT in maybe the early 90s, and I have to admit, i was a lot more taken with young Harrison Ford then lol. But i liked Obi-Wan a lot! It took the prequels though for me to really LOVE him, know what i mean? When he came on screen with his magic anxiety, it was love at first sight. 😂

from these asks

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Don't Want You Like a Best Friend Book Review 🦇

❝ She thinks about her a lot, of course. And the days are better when they get to be together. And when she's dressing for balls now she thinks more of what Beth might think of her gown than what any of the young men might. And holding Beth's hand today made her feel more than she's ever felt dancing with anyone...They're friends. Shouldn't she love her friend? ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite Bridgerton pairing? ❓ 🦇 Anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, while Gwen is on her fourth season with no intention of finding a husband. Unknown to them both, their single parents seem to have a history. Getting them married could save all their problems. Only one hitch: they seem to hate each other. Can Beth and Gwen bring their parents together...all while ignoring the budding feelings they seem to have for each other?

💜 I'll admit it: the tagline "a swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance" and promise of a "lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap" caught my eye. Gwen is a firecracker from her introduction, while Beth is everything you would expect from a demure debut searching for a husband. There's an instant spark from the moment they meet; a subtle yet undeniable chemistry many of us have experienced after meeting our (platonic or romantic) soulmates. Every scene between them is full of energy. They're each other's ideal halves: Gwen is bold, energetic, and as charming as her father, while Beth is sweet, amiable, and reserved. They get into Parent-Trap-style shenanigans with one another while simultaneously bringing out the best in each other. We see Beth's character growth through her time with Gwen as much as we see Gwen grow after meeting Beth.

🦇 It's funny but before reading the plot, both the title and cover reminded me of The Fiancee Farce, which led me to expect something more modern. Despite the story's setting in the Regency period, the writing (everything from the prose and exposition to jokes and attitudes) seems more modern than expected. The only aspect that reminded me of any classic story (like Jane Austen) or recent Regency novel (like Bridgerton) was the pacing. The first 30% of the story drags without the type of messy antics or conflicts that would have driven the story forward. It felt like a modern story dressed up as a Regency period tale. The overlapping plots (the sapphic relationship, Beth searching for a husband, and the Parent-Trapping) aren't weaved together with cohesion that would have helped the pacing. Because of the uneven pacing, the transition from friends to more comes off as sudden instead of a natural progression. The dual third-person limited, present-tense POV was also a strange choice, which made the prose awkward at times.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Bridgerton, Parent Trap, and Victorian romances. There are also a few Swiftie references (for those of you who feel compelled to read a book for that sort of thing).

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🩷 Victorian Era Romance 🩷 Sapphic Romance 🩷 Forbidden Romance 🩷 Friends to Lovers 🩷 Dual POV

⚠️ Content Warnings: Domestic, Emotional, and Physical Abuse; Sexual Content; Sexism; Death of a Parent

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[amalgamezz]

Hey I took your advice!

Do I need love?

I don't feel, nor need love.

They say I am on a nonexistent footpath.

"Evil, you are not human!" they cry.

Why can't I walk a loveless path?

I still appreciate my friends, not being sly.

Who said love is needed in any relation?

Who said a relation was needed?

I still have those who love my orientation.

I just don't reciprocate the same appreciation.

It's not less being loveless, platonic, or romantic.

We are just different, no need to be dramatic.

I am not ruthless and bitter.

Just because I lack what you have,

doesn't mean you can show me your anger.

Let us be, and better yet, don't put us below your "second halves".

Maybe there will be a day where the loveless is loved, or just respected.

But for now the few friends I have are greatly appreciated.

hi anon, it was lovelessly!! (ahem, excuse my pun)

thank you again for sharing this poem with me <2

[satellitesoundwave]

top five IDW1 dynamics? doesn't have to be ships!

This was harder than I expected! A thing that varies by fandom for reasons completely unknown to me is that for some media I get more attached to the dynamics between characters, and for others I get attached to particular characters themselves. tf is firmly one where I get attached to individuals, so a fair few of my favourite dynamics kind of end up being ones where it’s a “look I really like character A, and I may not feel as strongly about character B but what they bring out in A is fascinating” situation, which for me is a distinct feeling from when I get attached to the dynamic itself

Now, for the actual top 5:

5) Rewind/Chromedome my beloved. James Roberts has an excellent grasp on utilising foils which I covet from a skill standpoint, and cdrw is like, the pinnacle. The memory surgeon. The archivist. The one who lets go too easily. The one who holds on too tightly. Together they bring each other into a sharp relief that clearly defines them as individuals, but they also feel like two halves of a whole. And then they build a better understanding of each other across the series? Ideal

4) Hmm. you know, I think I’m gonna say Tracks & Jazz in Spotlight: Jazz? There’s something neat about Jazz taking his anonymity with a stranger and using it to style himself as this kind of platonic ideal of an Autobot solider. And how it being framed as a memory Tracks is retelling gives us insight into Tracks, but leaves ambiguity around what Jazz is thinking and feeling that the reader can read into

3) Whirl and Cyclonus. As an enthusiast of both slow burn and characters going from enemies to friends and/or lovers, their gradual development from actively trying to kill each other to friends who care deeply about each other really hit the spot for me. Also, it feels like they’re on the same axis of fucked up, but Whirl’s at the end labelled ‘mouthy’ and Cyclonus is at the end marked ‘silent.’ It’s nice to see them meet in the middle

2) We see very little of it but Pharma and Ratchet, because the professional side of things with those two is a question I rotate in my mind regularly. I haven’t studied medicine myself but I work in patient-facing medical administration, so I have first hand experience with how the interpersonal skills of doctors affect their ability to provide adequate healthcare to their patients. A lot of what doctors do depends on a bond of trust between them and their patient; a patient’s willingness to initiate contact with the doctor when they’re concerned (which patients don’t do if they feel like their doctor doesn’t take them seriously), mention symptoms that might be relevant, answer questions honestly, etc. And doctors are gatekeepers in several ways (of advanced medical knowledge, of medications, of services you can only access through them) and it gives them a lot of power. Patients’ who’re sensitised to that power imbalance often have their guard up, and a doctor who can’t or won’t use interpersonal skills to get the patient to lower their guard and extend trust will struggle to provide that patient the best possible healthcare, no matter how good that doctor is in terms of their medical knowledge.

I reckon this would be actually kind of critical in a place like the Lost Light where Ratchet is essentially a GP in a very small pool of GPs (though this issue does apply to specialists/surgeons/etc to a degree as well). His grouchy and gruff demeaner and tendency towards dismissiveness could really work against him here, and it’s not like patients who find him alienating can go to a different medical centre and see a doctor they know isn’t friends with him or potentially asking him for his professional opinion. And you have the contrast of Pharma who we get the impression is a lot more interpersonally astute. That he was able to negotiate a deal with the DJD, and that he could keep running Delphi while experiencing the worst god-awful stress of his life without his coworkers noticing how far off the deep end he was being pushed, suggests he’s decent at reading people/situations and willing to pack away his negative emotions and only present affableness or something similar when a situation calls for it. and because of this I think there’s a real possibility that Pharma could have been the better doctor compared to Ratchet, due to putting more work into his interpersonal relationships with his patients and so putting himself in a position to provide better long term health outcomes for them (which imo is the main metric by which how ‘good’ a doctor is should be gauged). Add how this also provides room to explore how much awareness Ratchet might have had about this difference between them, and it has secured its spot as a compelling dynamic to me

1) Tarantulas and Prowl, surprising absolutely no one. They are such a mess, it is very fun