#purely because they refuse to face any consequences for their actions

[nicastamatis]

@ mouthwashing fans you guys should check out hbo barry starring and co-created by bill hader available to stream on hbo max and now tv and the piracy site of your choice. sound of the summer.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Time to be delulu yet completely serious on my bnha 423 opinions.

Good points: The resolution between AFO and Yoichi was satisfactory, love as a reason for evil and evil deeds, the rooftop trio having one final moment full of emotion, the moment of Kurogiri thinking about Tomura and the LOV, Deku having a quirk of his own born out of determination and hard work, Deku as the protagonist of bnha in general, Tomura's last actions and words.

Bad points: Rushed arc conclusions, moments that felt kinda repetitive or lacked the punch given that we've seen/lived them before, not the best compositions we've seen from Horikoshi on the panels, Tomura's arc being rushed to a martyr ending— for impact???? ( or it ending on another cliffhanger that is gonna turn to be different from what we expected ).

I'll go in depth, so please check under the cut.

GOOD POINTS:

Yoichi and AFO:

The last conversation among these brothers was everything I was expecting. The love was there and it transformed them. It made AFO a monster and Yoichi a ghost.

For me, this time the AFO ending needed to be quick because we've already said goodbye to him too many times. This was supposed to be about AFO's refusal to give up on his brother and the unresolved relationship of those two.

I really liked how Yoichi reminded AFO that he needs to face the consequences of his actions and that he's love won't be able to save them.

Villain love:

Love as a reason for pain and destruction is perhaps one of my favorite tropes. So many stories approach love as this purely morally good feeling, when in the end it is just like any other feeling, you know?

People go to war for love all the time. They kill for love. Die for love. Do unforgivable things for love. Human existence is sooooo complex, why would love be the exception?

Horikoshi has been REALLY careful with the AFO backstory and his motivations. He didn't want an antagonist that felt empty. He made AFO human without redeeming him, okay? Because our ability to sympathize with some of AFO's traits doesn't make him less evil. To put it simply, it means that evil things are also human at heart.

Even those acts that you can't forgive or forget are motivated by something.

Kurogiri and the rooftop trio:

We knew from the beginning they were not the main characters of this manga.

We've gotten their story through glimpses and moments. Their time together had always been somehow rushed. Too many things to say, not enough time and they are on opposite sides of the war after all.

We knew that Kurogiri would go back because we knew he would protect Tomura during the final fight. We knew that he'd help the heroes defeat AFO. We knew he'd have to make his choice and say his goodbyes to his old friends.

Kurogiri, Tomura and the LOV

"He's friends are waiting" along with the image of Spinner asking Kurogiri to bring Tomura back to them was the highlight of this chapter for me. (You all expected it, right?)

Something about the way it reads like a father who wants his son to live because he is being waited for. He has friends who love him and would do anything to protect him, see him safe and sound. Something about the symbolism of Spinner putting Father (aka Kotaro's hand) on Kurogiri's face as he asked for it.

This chapter acknowledged that Kurogiri and Shirakumo share the same character core. They are always the protectors, the ones who would sacrifice themselves to see their charge survive. Similar to how Mic was waiting for Shouta so Shirakumo made sure that Shouta would survive, Kurogiri wants to do the same for Spinner and Tomura.

This alone would require an entire post to elaborate.

Deku's quirk:

The debate between endgame quirkless Deku or endgame OFA user Deku is settle.

I really liked that Deku got a quirk on his own that was born out of his own determination to be a hero. It's a nice representation of all he is as a character and what he stands for. Similarly, I enjoyed a lot the fact that it was short-lived. I'm the type who likes it better when things require a sacrifice or when miracles have their own conditions.

Deku doesn't feel overpowered to me. You get that sense that he really deserves everything he has and that it hasn't been a nonsense gift from the narrative. There's also the human condition, the limitations that keep him grounded.

Bnha and Deku:

Deku defeating AFO 'cause villains and heroes help him, his friends being there for him and being there to cheer for him as he fights, his sensei being there despite the fact that Aizawa at first thought Deku wouldn't make it— all the details that make bnha what it is.

They were good.

The UA kids really keep the story consistent when it is about them. They don't give up on anyone, they fight for each other, they stay to witness things for themselves. I love them <3

Tomura's last actions and words:

Careful here. Listen to what I'm saying.

If the narrative had pointed out to this ending, this would have been a good way to execute it.

Tomura coming back along with the vestiges to pack one final punch to defeat AFO— I know many fans that would be moved to tears and would be super excited to see it. Tomura was on point in this chapter, dialoguing with Deku without the hatred in his heart, his face being clearer and almost tender.

He felt defeated, like he had accepted his death already. There's also the connection to Kurogiri and Nana (who defended him) and his words to Spinner, that are meant as a general message to depict how much Tomura values the LOV.

Even the fact that AFO kept him around 'cause a part of him loved / cared about Tomura feels fitting, but I'm not sure if I correctly read the leaks in that part...

Anyway, we got the old trope of the antagonist who used his last moments to help defeat the real villain. It serves as his redemption and the expectation is for the public to feel sorry bad for him.

BAD POINTS

Rushed conclusions:

In my opinion, this chapter was too fast paced and therefore was not as emotional as it should have been.

It doesn't give the feeling that it's fast because the battle is intense. It gives the feeling of too much information packed on one chapter, so nothing really shines on its own. It's way too informative, not enough action narration.

Like I said before, the fatal mistake of a story is to be boring. Art has to provoke you, it has to engage with you, question you, awake things in you. This chapter tho, many things happened at the same time and it grew a bit murky.

Repetitive moments

Again, personal opinion here.

I think certain bnha movies were a mistake. Not because they were bad or boring or whatever, but because Horikoshi wrote parts of bnha real ending into them to the point you'd say "we've already seen that" while reading bnha 423.

Deku and Bakugo teaming up to defeat AFO was so expected. Not as in "the narrative is making sense", but as in "we saw it on heroes rising".

I feel the same with the students all appearing to help Deku fight AFO. That's a typical shonen structure where the friends making space for the protagonist to reach the main villain. It was already happening, so why bring AFO back?? I think the story is over-explaining here, making everything way too obvious. We could have had AFO's resolution with Yoichi before and the students moment after. In truth, it feels like Horikoshi closed some character arcs before he should and left plot holes without explanation, so he needed to reopen to accommodate.

Panel composition:

I admire Horikoshi when it comes to panel composition. He has some amazing panels that make the story really flow, but bnha 423 isn't there.

There are too many elements clustered and empty spaces that don't feel with purpose (in manga, even the blanks must have a purpose). This chapter should have been at least two, so you wouldn't have to rush Bakugo appearing, Yoichi and AFO resolution, Kurogiri saying his goodbye to the rooftop trio and facing AFO for Tomura's sake, Deku remembering where he started and where he is, Tomura last words and the Tomura and Deku resolution...

Those are too many important plot points to illustrate in a hurry.

Also?? The panel of Tomura and Deku punching AFO is so unserious. Totally wrong place to be funny sjbdjdnd why does it even feel like the vestiges are punching air???

" Tomura's ending " :

I'm not the first to say it feels anticlimactic and as if it isn't the ending at all.

The major problem is that through the manga, Horikoshi has focused a lot on Tomura as a character, carefully developing him, giving him tropes that are often reserved for the hero or the main character, making sure we empathize with him, we understand him, hyping up Deku's journey to rescue him.

We got an entire arc from the LOV perspective. This is not the type of one sentence ending you give to an antagonist you spent so much ink and sweat on. The nonchalant way of Tomura accepting his death? The little reaction from Deku? What was the purpose of the manga building up the LOV friendship to the moment where Kurogiri told AFO that Tomura's friends were waiting for him, if you'd make him just disappear on thin air?

This reads absolutely like a bunny within a hat.

That's being optimistic.

If we want to be cynical, maybe this is all there is. I don't find it readable to end the story with Tomura dying. All that effort to save him and it ends in "oh well, he decayed along with AFO"?!

If you think about it, Toga status is unknown because we don't even know where she went or if she's still alive, Touya status is also unknown although we know he wanted to live and that the ice prevented him from further damage, we haven't seen Spinner, we don't know if Kurogiri vanished with that last attack on AFO and now we saw Tomura decaying into the wind.

Yo kill half the surviving LOV would be a bold move that wouldn't follow the narrative. The reward for the hero students should be being able to save their counterpart, so the world can regard them as the greatest heroes 'cause they save the unsalable and blah blah blah.

There's also the fact Tomura hasn't been saved yet. Tenko? Nana and Deku saved him from Kotaro. The crying kid? Saved from AFO by Deku and the vestiges and the others. Tomura? Nop, he's dying/dead. The one person Spinner really wanted to save was Tomura. He didn't know about the crying kid or Tenko. He wanted to save his friend, the "irredeemable" villain, the young man he played videogames with and fought alongside and vowed to follow.

If this is the end, it's incomplete.

So we might hope it is not the end.

[cosmicjoke]

Yeah, I have to correct you on the "inhumane treatment of Levi and his family". This obsession with absolving Levi of any fault and not have him face the consequences of his deliberate actions is funny to me. Levi was a kill for hire. Erwin knew he was going to kill him and get the papers to a corrupt politician. Levi, Furlan and Isabel, despite of their hardships and horrible livelihoods, were doing illegal activities. They were about to kill someone for citizenship. What was Erwin and scouts supposed to do? Let them go on their marry way with a slap on their wrist? That's totally unrealistic and to be frank, far better than what they were about to receive - jail time.

lol, okay. You do realize that Erwin was the one that SET UP that entire situation, don't you? Erwin was the one who literally came up with the plan to bait Lovof into hiring Levi in the first place, and he did it specifically so he could entrap him and have him removed as an obstacle of the Survey Corps. He USED Levi and his family to further his own agenda, so don't paint Erwin as if he was just some upstanding citizen and soldier doing his job in stopping the nefarious activities of a bunch of Underground hoodlums. Levi and his family never would have gotten the idea into their heads to go to the surface and steal any documents from Erwin, or to attempt to assassinate Erwin if Erwin himself hadn't literally created the scenario to have that happen. He was never in danger because he was in control from the start. He purposefully let the rumor spread that he and the scouts were going to go Underground to try and recruit Levi, because he knew Lovof would hear about it and that he would then take it as an opportunity to hire Levi to steal the documents and kill him, with the promise of citizenship up top. It was pure entrapment.

I'm not absolving Levi of his faults here, I'm simply stating a fact. Levi was willing to kill to help his family. And? I never said it was a good thing that Levi was planning on killing Erwin, but simply stated that Erwin treated Levi and his family inhumanely for daring to resist his demands. We also have to remember that Levi wanted nothing to do with the plan originally and only agreed to it because Furlan pushed him to. If it had been up to Levi, they never would have accepted Lovof's offer at all. Erwin deliberately and with full knowledge pulled three kids out of the Underground and forced them into a branch of military service which had an astronomically high mortality rate. How is that better than prison? Levi and his family never would have ended up in prison or caught by the authorities at all if not for Erwin's very own machinations. Again, Erwin literally created the circumstances of the entire scenario, all so he could rid the SC of a political opponent. He wasn't going after Levi to stop him from committing a crime, he was going after him because he wanted him for the SC and because he wanted to get rid of Lovof. But you want to frame it like it was just him doing his due diligence as an officer of the law, lol.

And when I talk about Erwin's inhumane treatment of Levi and his family, I'm sorry, but having Mike hold Levi's face down in a puddle of sewage for simply refusing to give his name, and then threatening Furlan's and Isabel's lives with swords to their necks if he continued to refuse is the definition of inhumane. And it wasn't just jail time that Erwin was threatening, he made a very specific point of mentioning how the MP's were likely to treat Furlan and Isabel much more harshly than he had, this after threatening their lives. What exactly do you think that implies? Levi and his family were forced to join the most dangerous branch of the military, by far, under duress and under threat of torture and death. That's inhumane.

So later with this framing you're employing, of Erwin just being an innocent bystander who was being kind and generous toward Levi and his family by offering them military service instead of jail time for their "illegal activities". Erwin was the architect of those illegal activities in the first place. He needed Levi to come after him in order to get rid of Lovof. All we saw Levi and his family do themselves, before then, was steal some food from some merchants, that itself a product of the disenfranchised state of their existence from those living on the surface.

[haileyywrites]

Summary: The moment he laid his indigo eyes on you was the moment your fate was sealed, he would have you - no matter what and he would keep you to himself forever no matter how dirty his hands got in the process...

Pairings: Scaramouche/The Balladeer x reader

Notes/Warnings: Reader is completely gender neutral! Poc friendly! Angst! Kidnapping! Forced relationship! Unhealthy relationship! Threats! Isolation! Starvation! Death (not reader or Scara)! Choking!

The Balladeer was a cruel and selfish man who cared about nothing but himself and his own goals. He didn't care who he had to use, what he had to do, no matter the consequences or the price to pay due to his actions. What he wanted was what he would get no matter what, like a spoiled child but far more dangerous...

It was hard to say what exactly made him take an interest in a nobody like you to the point he would claim you as his own... He was a difficult person to understand, perhaps even he himself couldn't fully understand his own heart. Not that he had one, he wasn't human and that's what made him infinitely more dangerous.

He had just returned to Snezhnaya and the sun hadn't even began rising yet when he met you. You were shivering admits the pure white snow and he was surprised to see you weren't dead yet considering the few layers clothing you were wearing... You looked up at him with eyes that looked so hopeless and dead, tear stains covered your cheeks and your eyes burned red from the tears you had shed.

Perhaps he had seen a part of his past self in you and that's what made him claim you as his own. You had nothing, you were no one with no one. You were the most pathetic thing he had ever seen and he just had to have you - not to save you or anything of the sort, but because he could and wanted to have you as his own. It's not like anyone would complain or try to stop him besides you and who cared what you thought?

All things considered he treated you well enough, at least better than what you thought someone who kidnapped you would treat you. He did have some rules like how you were to accompany him everywhere he went and stay silent unless otherwise told, you would sleep in the same bed as him every night and you were forbidden from talking to other people - especially the other Harbingers.

As long as these were followed you would be rewarded and treated like an actual person. He would punish you for disobeying of course, but not with violence like you would have originally thought. He would instead isolate and starve you until he was satisfied that you had learned your lesson... But as a human being it was incredibly difficult to follow them.

Your eyes had wandered for a split second out of curiosity because the new recruit just happened to stand out, yet it was enough for them and him to notice. The foolish recruit likely hadn't been warned before hand about you so their fate was sealed the moment they acknowledged your existence. They smiled brightly before heading towards you...

You wanted to scream at them to back away - to run away while they still could! You wanted to cry as you knew what was going to happen next, you knew it all too well... The horrified expression on your face made the recruit pause with worry, they didn't know what to do or say. But it didn't matter, nothing they did now could save them from what was to come next.

Your body refused to obey your mind. You wanted to run away and not have to witness what was about to happen, but you were completely frozen in place. Only thing you could do was stand there shaking with tears in your eyes, you turned your head the other way. You didn't want to witness this again. Please, not again...

You felt yourself dissociating from your surroundings, from the entire world. Next thing you knew you were in your shared bedroom with him watching over you. His expression was like one you'd see in nightmares. You knew better than to think he would kill you, but it didn't much make you feel better about any of it. Looking down his hands were still covered in blood... How sickening.

“You'd better beg for forgiveness.” He said in a tone that sent shivers down your spine.

You quietly sat up before getting of off the bed and standing before him, face to face. “Scaramouche...”

You were quickly interrupted by his hand that latched onto your throat, he held on so tight you were unable to speak. “I thought I had made myself clear.”

“How many do I need to dispose of for you to finally understand that you're mine? Or maybe, you actually like it when I kill them?” He smirked.

Something inside you snapped and the tears that had threatened to fall suddenly dissapeared. You were filled with rage, absolute rage in a way you had never felt before. Your hands shook and you glared at him with so much hatred that even he was left speechless. You gripped his hand so hard that he loosened his grip enough for you to speak.

“I am nothing like you.” Your words dripped of venom.

Despite your sudden change of character it wasn't long until he was back to his usual self and seemingly ignored what you previously said, this time he wrapped both of his hands around your throat and backed you against the wall. There was an obvious difference between your strength and his, he was the Sixth Harbinger, a creation made by the hands of an Archon and he wasn't human like you.

“I own you! How many times do I need to tell you this?” He shouted as he squeezed your throat tighter. “You're nothing without me!”

“You may own my body, but you'll never own my heart.” You managed to say back.

“Hahaha! Your heart? Why pray tell would I want something as stupid as your heart?” He mockingly laughed.

“Because you don't have your own.” Your words dug deep.

His hold became tighter and expression turned dark. He was seething, shaking almost from his anger. Never had you got him this angry, but you couldn't care less. The lack of air was making everything hazy, including your thoughts. Slowly you because limp in his hold and lost consiounse...

The Balladeer let go of your throat and instead wrapped his arms around you to prevent you from slamming against the hard floor. Humans were pathetically easy to break, a hit to the head and it was all over for most. Despite everything he still owned you and wouldn't let you break no matter how you pushed him. No matter how many times you tried to attack him or escape, you were his until you breathed your very last breath.

He laid you back down on your shared bed and pulled the covers over your body, he used the back of his hand to caress your cheek gently. He didn't wish to touch you with his still bloodstained fingertips, you needed to remain pure and bloodstainless. When in the comfort of his own chembers away from prying eyes he could let his more tender side out, in his own twisted way he did truly love you.

You didn't act out as much anymore but he did love the fire in your eyes when you did... Just like when you told him what you just did, no one dared to act that way towards him beside you. He wouldn't admit it but you were right - he didn't own your heart, not quite yet. There were moments in the past that he could see apart of you care for him despite everything, the human part of you that had a heart cared for him despite your brain telling you otherwise.

At night he would lay beside you and rest, but he couldn't dream like a human - instead he would see glimpses of his past, his memories. He was shaken awake by you and he could feel tears streaming down his face. He would have lashed out at you for seeing him like that, but the look on your face made him pause... You looked worried, genuinely worried about him.

“I'm fine. Go back to sleep.” He grumbled before turning on his side facing away from you.

Why did you make that face? He would have expected you to laugh and taunt him for being so vulnerable - so pathetic. But you didn't. You were actually worried. No matter how much you hated and despised him the human heart you had couldn't help, but care. He was glad he didn't have a heart, what a stupid thing to have. At least he tried convincing himself that he was glad...

His eyes widened and breath hitched loudly as you wrapped your arms around his body, your body pressed against his back with your face in his hair. He hated how much his face heated up and burned red from your breath hitting his neck, but your body was so warm and comforting against his that he couldn't complain.

You would forgive him soon enough and eventually your heart would give in, you would spent the rest of your life with him - there was no way you could resist him forever...

A/N: It was the picture above that fully influenced me to write this so.... Anyway likes, reblogs and or feedback are appreciated <3

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Basil

In Omori, Basil used to be your best friend up until the tragic events 4 years ago, where Sunny accidentally pushed his sister Mari down the stairs. Basil was the one who found Sunny action-paralyzed, realising that his sister was dead because of him. Basil panicked, thinking the police would take his best friend away forever. Thus, he orchestrated making it look like Mari hung herself, worsening the events of the game. Pretty fucked up stuff. Did I mention both Sunny and Basil were 12 years old at the time? Basil is often portrayed as either irrevocably evil or a pure soul who did nothing wrong. Both of these interpretations ignore the central issue that he COVERED UP A POTENTIAL MURDER because he was 12 AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. Prior to meeting Sunny and his group of friends, Basil was said to be isolated and alone. Finally creating this connection with others seemed to have made him terrified to lose these connections, and he's portrayed throughout the game to be haunted by guilt and characterized by his loneliness and fear of losing his friends, but especially his best friend, Sunny. He seems to understand now that he's older that the whole situation was incredibly wrong, and lives in denial mostly about his friend's hand in the events. Nothing seems to suggest that he doesn't realize what he himself did was wrong by the time of the game. He doesn't speak up, though, for the player's sake. After all, Basil has no idea that Mari's death was an accident, and Sunny has retracted into himself and refused to communicate on the issue. The creator themselves descriped the character like this: "OMOCAT describes BASIL as caring and thoughtful in regards to the friends he so deeply cherishes. However, his loneliness and insecurities are what make him dependent on others, sometimes to a dangerous extent." "In fact, OMOCAT adds that BASIL feels deep emotions for those he cares about, and this sometimes places him in situations where he unintentionally hurts others and himself." An additional moment that occassionally garners criticism, is that sometime in the course of those 4 years, Basil marked out Mari's face from his photo album, which he kept of him and all of his friends. This creates conflict between him and another character in-universe. What many fans seem to miss about this issue is that Basil himself is engaging in the same destructive tendency that most of the other characters also are - trying to deal with overwhelming pain with some form of denial and alienation of his old relationships. At no point is there shown any sort of hostility towards Mari from him as a character. Basil is overall a character who used to be a pure small bean but ended up doing something incredibly serious because he was a scared child, unable to deal with the situation at hand rationally. The horrendous guilt and consequences of the tragedy that happened when everyone were too young to process it make up the central themes of the game. By trying to morally simplify Basil's actions, we're also ignoring the overall point of the story; The deeprooted consequences of something extremely traumatic happening to children at an age where they're not able to handle it, and the permanent consequences it's going to have on their lives going forwards.

There's definitely a chunk of the fandom that likes to over-villianize Basil, I suspect to make the main character seem better. A lot of them say Basil forced Sunny into doing something bad, which given what we know about Basil's character seems highly unlikely. And they also give him a lot of flack for (admittedly bad) actions he takes during a mental health crisis.

Yuno Kashiki

She's far more morally grey than folks want to admit. She's not evil, not by a long shot, but she's not exactly innocent either. She's innocent of her (perceived) crime in her media, but in terms of her attitude and outlook on life, I feel people downplay her incredibly grey actions. She uses / used compensated dating as a way to feel "warm" without forming emotional attachments. She hasn't killed anyone, nor has she manipulated anyone into killing for her, but that's why she's a good representative of a more everyday morally grey person. Her actions aren't outlandish or extreme, and if anything she can fade into the background with relative ease, yet I still firmly believe she's morally grey. tldr; Yuno has far more depth than the (general) fandom sees her as having. She gets misrepresented and her voice as a character is often unheard.

Yuno Kashiki is an 18 year old rental girlfriend and sexworker in Japan. She was incarcerated in Milgram for murder at the start of the series in 2020. Since then she has been repeatedly dehumanized by the fandom. Having her agency and statements on her own life overwhelmingly ignored in order to give her a sob story she has consistently rebuked at every turn. Stating from the beginning even if she had to beg for forgiveness like her life depended on it she would. However, it's simply been handed to her as the audience continually goes she was too young and stupid to actually be held accountable for her actions. The same audience that later tries to vote a 12 year old child abuse victim guilty because she has to learn her lesson and she knew what she was doing. Yes the fandom interprets the eighteen year old who chose to work in the profession they did simply because they wanted to something they have no qualms admitting as having less agency than the twelve year old. They treat her like a stupid baby who's only error was not knowing how a condom worked as a sexworker. They say her only crime is an abortion despite her overtly getting upset at other individuals alluded to be clients throughout her songs. Having the literal lyrics of her second song go, ""Poor naive little girl"? So off the mark, what's it to you? It's absurd. Like really who do you think you are? Don't weigh me meassure me against your morality. Just shut it, will you? You know it all." And "Carrssing me with your "good girl". Who needs your self-righteous pardon?" They're so committed to the abortion equating to the murder she's in here for idea that fans got mad at the writer for even writing it that way when at least several other very not fetuses are alluded to throughout her songs and at points literally shown. Her first song even highlighting her clients belongings throughout it with inverted coloring. But instead of thinking she may have just killed a client who was bothering her they've convinced themselves that she's just a silly little outlier who's not meant to be here because abortion isn't murder her body her choice which fair if it wasn't for the fact the only people putting it on the table to compare to murder is the audience themselves. Despite everyone else in here very literally killing actual people with lives, professions, etc as they frame her case as a feminism issue and say if you vote her guilty you just hate women or are anti-abortion. In response to the framing of her situation as she can hear the audiences thoughts on her she's only gotten more depressed and closed off as tge series has progressed blatantly stating to hurry all this up so she can go home. Because it doesn't matter what she says about her situation the audience and the guard by proxy will just end up creating whatever story they want about her so it doesn't matter she's over it. Which in all honesty fucking fair- Wouldn't anyone be after getting treated like that for going on four years.

[fangsandfeels]

i've been thinking about your latest spawn siblings meta since you posted it. i don't know why, but i assumed all the other spawns used the same seduction method as astarion and were probably forced to sleep with cazador's victims, especially since that i saw how petras attempts to reel in tav if they're alone. using similar lines as astarion as if they were trained. astarion says that some of his marks were brothel-goers, so we know cazador forced him to pose as a prostitute, and i assumed that might've been true for all his siblings. (then again, we know astarion was cazador's favorite, and this was a bad thing for him. 'particular attention' was paid to his punishments. so he was also likely more vulnerable to the sexual abuse cazador could force them to endure)

but that was a very good point about the most productive spawns, leon and violet, were both likely able to use magic. it also kinda reinforces what astarion says about himself: sex is "my only talent, i'm fully aware" if you're cruel to him in his act 2 confession, or his breakup dialogue in act 3 if you didn't get the confession "these are the talents i have." even cazador's other spawns had other talents to lure in marks and could preserve some dignity, whereas astarion just had to resort to being used for his body. that must've been so horribly isolating and humiliating for him. it makes me wonder what tactics the others, aurelia dalyria yousen and petras, might've used.

Hi! Sorry for the belated response.

My thoughts about spawns and their differing luring methods are based purely on theory (we have no evidence that other spawns didn't use seduction to lure victims) and Cazador's glaring miserable inferiority complex. Also, when put in an entirely new situation and facing a choice (bring a victim or get flayed), each of the spawns had only what they previously used to be good at as their saving straw - so, to be more precise, Cazador didn't tell them to lure victims in any specific way. He just knew they would have to apply their skills in a new twisted way.

As for Astarion and why his method was mostly seduction...the more I think of it, the darker are my guesses. We all know who had been telling him that sex was his only talent. And if Cazador Turned Astarion when he was a young adult, still figuring himself out...I assume he took particular joy in taking Astarion's future and potential choices away from him, which also included reducing his sense of self-worth and making him think he is only good for his looks and body. He was not to discover any other talents he had. He was not to think that he was good for anything else or worth anything on his own.

So, the deep headcanon of mine is that Astarion was Cazador’s least favored spawn and the most favorite spawn to torture in any way possible because he reminded him of himself. Not in terms of personality, probably, but…maybe his mere existence made him bitter.

A young elf, probably (certainly) a beloved son who got to leave to explore the world, make his mistakes and choices, a beautiful snobby chatterbox who is yet to learn that actions and choices have consequences...All of it made him seethe because Astarion had something Cazador didn’t -- and while he would never admit it (he is a vampire lord! He is powerful! Feared! He has everything he wants!) he became obsessed with the idea of teaching “the boy” some manners, of magnifying his downsides and stripping him of his dignity. And the more he tormented Astarion, the more he saw himself (the part of which he hated and wanted to forget) in him, and the more he saw it, the crueler he got. I think that also explains why he is so fixated on Astarion in his diary; while he would certainly throw a paranoid tantrum if any of his spawns escaped, but in his obsessive notes, he refuses to believe that Astarion got away, that there is an ounce of fight left in him and that he hasn't broken him to the point where he would crawl back, begging for forgiveness. He seems to shun the mere thought that his punching bag, his favorite object for projection, has been stronger than him all along.

It's similar to how an abuser would torment, gaslight, and degrade the shit out of the younger person just because the latter has an entire life ahead of them, which makes the abuser feel inadequate about themselves. So they mask that sense of inadequacy with acts of cruelty, by exerting their power in any way possible -- while endlessly reminding their victim of their worthlessness as a person (without their "guidance", of course).

[mamanbou]

The Roppongi-Yoyogi beef in tmm au lait is something that's so important to me. The hatred they share. Yoyogi obviously hates Roppongi on sight because Roppongi is a narcissistic freak, but I think it goes deeper than that. It's because roppongi is bisexual.

i think yoyogi's closeted-gay in-love-with-his-best-friend doing-mental-gymnastics-to-regularly-kiss-said-best-friend-as-a-bit ass saw roppongi openly flirting with a man onstage and felt a complicated unspeakable blend of emotions and instead of confronting any of that he just decided that, no matter what, he hated him. (Which is quite easy to do given that he's insufferable)

Roppongi, being surprisingly perceptive, is of course fully aware of this. He makes it clear repeatedly, though mostly in extras, that he knows exactly what Yoyogi is.

Like with most other things he perceives about Yoyogi, he finds this fact equal parts frustrating and (sym)pathetic. So he openly tries his best to give yoyogi advice and hints and nudges towards at least realizing his feelings, but it never really works Yoyogi loves both Shibuya and Anzu dearly (in a general sense) and would never seriously take action to jeopardize their relationship, so conceptualizing his own feelings about shibuya as romantic is too dangerous. And also because i think he'd rather die than admit Roppongi was right about something.

Yoyogi is full of himself, but only in that he acknowledges his many strong points in an objective, neutral light without embellishment. He's intelligent, he's physically adept, he's handsome, he's good with women- these are all traits that are societally encouraged. He's also very likely gay, based on. the way he acts the entire series. Like seriously whenever he discusses women (including Anzu, which is very notable as she's kind of the female audience insert when it comes to fanservice) it's "women are attracted to me, I am capable of attracting women". whenever he's deliberately seductive, it's either a means to an end or he's messing around- either way, 110% uninvested. Compare that to his baffling persistence in finding any excuse to kiss Shibuya directly or indirectly... his ass is homosexual.

But being gay isn't rewarded by society. it isn't something that Yoyogi can embrace like he does all his other traits- he can't even bring himself to face it properly, because it would shatter his self-image and public persona of objective superiority. Yoyogi's narcissism isn't an actual obsession with the self, it's more like a dedication to showing off the most accepted version of the self.

Compare that to Roppongi, whose narcissism is 100% pure and all-encompassing. There's not a bit of posturing. He's flamboyant, certain in his own judgement, prioritizes his own wants and needs to an often absurd degree, flirts with anyone he pleases with no pretense... he loves himself, ADORES himself, in his ridiculous entirety. He doesn't feel he has anything to prove, he's just himself- and "himself" is inherently a thing of greatness. So he's happy with his bisexuality, polyamory, and subtly feminine gender expression- unlike Yoyogi. Compare their initial reactions to their mew mew outfits.

So of course Yoyogi immediately hates him. Roppongi receives nothing but adoration for proudly, mindlessly (well, not really, but to the bitter outside observer it would appear mindless) displaying these traits that he keeps locked deep, deep in a closet to protect his social standing.

Anzu calls Yoyogi's dialogue here "Roppongi-kun-ish", but it isn't, really. He's more resigned than anything else. He receives benefits for his attractiveness, it's best (objectively) to be above average, versus Roppongi basking in the grand consequences of his excellence.

Roppongi's issue with Yoyogi is that Yoyogi refuses to face his flaws or work to improve himself for the team's sake. He cares for the guy as a teammate, and shows him special attention as he tries to understand him, but he insists on being incredibly difficult to work/reason with because Yoyogi's issue with Roppongi is that everything about his personality triggers self-loathing.

I just think the contrast in their characters and the background conflict that springs from it is so fun, it would've been so easy to make the two self-absorbed "mature ones" indistinguishable from each other, but the best thing about au lait is the main character writing (aliens notwithstanding fuck those guys). Read au lait for them. In my minds eye they're like a serene worldly mother bird and her baby bird who won't stop pecking the shit out of her leg

[cosmicjoke]

Hi ❤️

Which themes levi character portray or serve ?

Hi!

Well, that's a complicated question, haha. I've talked a lot about what themes and messages Levi represents within the story of SnK, and we would be here all day if I went back over them here in detail.

Just as a short answer, I think the thing Levi most represents within Attack on Titan is this theme of life being precious, being valuable, having worth, whether it's to achieve something great, or simply to be alive for the sake of living. Because Levi values life so much himself, and works so hard to preserve and protect it. He's really the story's stand-in representative for the notion of life having intrinsic value. I also think Levi really represents the ideas of acceptance, non-judgmentalism, compassion and kindness, and how important those things are in this world, which can be so overwhelmingly cruel.

I think Levi also represents the often misunderstood truth that there are good people in the world who can do bad things, and them doing those bad things don't make them bad people. Levi does a lot of supposedly "bad" things, like killing other people, torturing someone, engaging in general acts of violence, etc... but Levi is unquestionably a good person. He's in fact a genuine hero. So his role in the story I think really makes the audience reevaluate what it is they think makes someone good or bad, and whether a person's actions alone, without context, are enough to condemn them as a bad person, or if things are more complex than that, and each case is different and individual and can only be judged with context. Levi shows that you can't just flatly condemn someone as a "bad person" for doing a "bad thing". This really is highlighted most of all during the Uprising Arc, when the 104th scouts are flatly condemning Levi for killing other people, only to learn a hard lesson not long after that choosing to kill or not kill isn't such a simple, black and white question of morality, but rather a very complex and often ambiguous thing. They learn that killing another person is sometimes the only option and that it isn't always wrong, either. It depends on the situation. They learn that holding to a black and white, moralistic view of the world can actually be more harmful than anything, and can actually be extremely selfish and have far reaching, negative consequences for others. One questions if it's more important to uphold ones own moral purity by refusing to do anything morally questionable or ambiguous, or is it more important to save lives by getting ones hands dirty. Is it more important to you to be able to tell yourself you're a "good person" because you refuse to do something bad, or is it more important to you to save lives and protect others by sacrificing your ability to call yourself "good", or present yourself as morally pure, both to yourself and others? Levi forces the audience, and the other characters in the story, to face that question. He shows how a person who refuses to compromise their simplistic moral views in any way can actually be the more morally bankrupt person, because they're often placing their own comfort and peace of mind above the lives of others.

This is also why I laugh when people try to say Levi is a one dimensional or boring character. No, he's really, really not. He's actually one of the more complex and multi-faceted characters in the story.

[ajaxbell]

I finished The Journey of Chong Zi, and I hated it.

Why did I finish it? Out of pure stubbornness, I guess. And my endless desire to watch Deng Wei? The only good character was Qin Ke. Not just because, well Deng Wei, but he was truly the only actually good one of the good guys.

Everyone else was selfish, terrible, and absolutely unsuited for their position on the six worlds. I really hated almost everyone. Well okay some of the demons were okay too.

I am utterly sick of plucky heroines who whine, refuse to do anything they are supposed to, run headlong into trouble, and drag others down. Like why be a cultivator if you never practice, never listen to your shifu, and absolutely refuse to learn from your mistakes? 60% of this show was sullen whining from Chong Zi about mostly how she didn't like the consequences of her own impetuous actions. Was she badly treated? Sometimes, but almost all of it could have been avoided if she'd just considered any action for two seconds or more and just listened, once or twice, to anyone with more knowledge and experience than her.

Early on I liked her shifu, Luo Yinfan, but by the end he seemed insanely stupid and kind of creepy for being in love with her, partly because of the power dynamic, and partly because she was so awful that it was frankly embarrassing that he'd think he was in love with her.

It had great aesthetics though. And some decent acting. Too bad about the script and the directing. And the main character and her voice over artist. I'd be maybe interested in watching Jeremy Tsui in something else, as I thought he had a kind old Hollywood charm and subtlety to his expressions. But his face also looked sort of puffy toward the end, like he'd started drinking heavily by the last few episodes. And given the script and his love interest, who could blame him?

Anyway probably not even worth watching for Deng Wei even if he was absolutely best thing about the whole show. Though shout out to Asher Ma, Wang Zhuocheng, and, of course Li Daikun. But they all deserved to look this good, and be this great, in a much better show.

Despite all my complaints, truly the aesthetics were immaculate. Can't argue with the glittery goth demon realm.

Ultimately this had a decent concept with great potential, excellent visuals and was so wildly disappointing, mostly because the unmet potential was so obvious and it had so many good actors given nothing to work with and abysmal direction. There were also very few decent female characters. The way most the female characters were written and their petty in-fighting felt like deep misogyny on the part of the writers. So deep that I'm actually annoyed at how much it made me hate the titular character. Alas. On to the next show.

[tokiro07]

Martial Master Asumi ch.21 thoughts

[Make Your Choice]

(Contents: thematic analysis)

Aww, Asumi went back to normal so fast. Ah well, I don't think I (or Asumi himself) would have been satisfied with a win he got while blacked out

It's cool to unlock a hidden power or enter a super mode, but it's cooler to win with your own strength and skill. It's very important thematically that, whatever we just saw was, it wasn't the Asumi that we know, and if it had gotten to keep fighting, it would have broken the rules and gotten Asumi disqualified. By disregarding the safety of others and only fighting for the pure enjoyment of it, that side of Asumi would have betrayed everything that our Asumi stands for and potentially ruined his career before it even began

Going forward, I anticipate this inner-Asumi being a problem, and we may even get an internal battle between the two Asumis similar to Jinou in Hinomaru Zumou putting his opponents on trial in his inner world mid-match

Inner-Asumi also seems to have a heavy focus on strikes, Asumi's biggest weakness, so having Asumi win through that method (again, unconsciously) would bring into question whether Asumi is capable of winning as he is with his preferred style in a professional setting. As it stands, though, Asumi snapping out of it and winning with grappling demonstrates definitively that, while he does need to return to his roots to maximize his talents, his philosophy of winning non-violently is a viable one for him to maintain

It also gave him the opportunity to revisit and redeem himself for his "failure" when fighting Sakura; while narratively it isn't wrong for him to have not broken Sakura's arm, it was strategically a bad choice to show leniency, especially when it's the opponent's responsibility to not get their limbs broken. Pitting him against Amagaki, who has made it clear he'll break anything he needs to, also gives Amagaki the opportunity to understand what it's like to be on the other side without being in any real danger; Asumi has grown enough to be capable of breaking an opponent's limbs, but he hasn't lost the fundamental aspect of his character that allows him to be merciful, giving Amagaki enough time to think his actions through and consider the consequences

I would have been really upset to see Asumi break an opponent's limb, at least this early, because going that far would definitely shake him going forward. I'm confident there will come a time when he doesn't have a choice, when someone like Sakura just refuses to give up, but right now it's important that Asumi's mercy and kindness are what allow him to win with a smile on his face. We can worry about the angst later, here he needs confidence at the foundation of his career

[rametarin]

Never let anyone argue for the censorship or removal of works on the basis that, "it features subject matter that is dangerous to the fabric of society and the mental health of the population."

Now you might be reading this and be quick to go, "Ah," Nodnod, "He's talking purely about Nazis and Christian fundamentalists, and maybe Islamists with a fundie bend. Book burners, religious nuts, megachurches, the Klan."

No. Yes, them too, but I'm also talking about left-wingers whom believe, "Unlike those awful fundie conservatives, I'm right." The ones that sincerely take a monolithic view of society, culture and its relationship to media, that the brilliant creatives write the fiction and sacred fantasies from which society gets its morals and the culture gets its coloring outlook. The ones that believe allowing "bad/negative" subject matter to float and exist in the pool of available material in media, that doing so allows such negative things to exist in the culture, somehow promoting and encouraging such behaviors and thoughts and warping people. Even people that have never even read that material before, arguing that they're somehow unconsciously and subconscusly affected by it just by virtue it's in the culture.

These types exist, and THEY comprise the modern segment of fandom that's running around screaming about how and why sexual exploitation and incest are bad to allow in any kind of fiction, and why those that produce such works, even in 18+ only environments, should be ostracized or criminally punished and their works considered harmful to society and culture. It's also why they may be selective about subjects that are bad or good, saying nothing or only positives about things like same sex relationships or mpreg in fiction; those things they see as 'transgressive and progressive' and approve of their messaging. That's how you know this particular population of finger wagging natterers aren't just fundie Christians pushing theologic moralism and their own religious culture under the basis of mental health, but their character comes from something else. They'd be disapproving of the gay stuff, as much as the incest.

But they'll disapprove of large age gaps on the basis that, "the older has more power than the younger", no matter what the age of the younger, and just like anti-gay Hollywood demanded gay characters, "get what's coming to them" in the early days, these ones will demand that those engaging in behaviors they consider to be antisocial or negative and thus negatively affect the culture, be reprimended, punished or redeemed for their crimes in the work in order for it to be considered acceptable. They'll beat around the bush, but hammer them down enough and eventually they'll slip and talk about it's a class power disparity issue, like being 40 inherently makes you somehow more powerful than 20, no other criteria involved.

And they do it to fiction and fandom spaces for the EXACT same reason why, before Separation of Church and State was more widespread, you had cultural religious people trying to filibust and drown out influences and culture that were not explicitly positive and supportive of their own. Because being able to have people in the grassroots that convey they'll reject, ostracize and betray naysayers and defiants to the ignorance of the mob on the grounds of their own "bad moral character," is a power. A silent, passive way to say, "you will submit and cooperate with the rule of the mob, or you'll face the consequences of your own actions. You'll need help, and no one will help you, for fear the mob will turn on them." To own the public sphere and make it acceptable to persecute those that exist or step outside of it as Bad People that society and the population are better off without.

These ones refuse to even coherently write down their ideas into any one book that can be judged, argued and dismissed, but instead network and conspire with like minds and try to operate under the pretense of just the will of the majority, when it's anything but. Their invasion of fantasy and fictional spaces is an expression of power, as much as it is a power grab. It's barely even about the subject matter, so much as imposing the idea they get to make your life miserable for stepping outside of the lines they draw in the sand.

*white knuckling the bathroom sink* do NOT infodump ppl about the fact that the first spn fic was a wincest one and that it was posted mere hours after the pilot and that the founder of ao3 was a wincestie and that the first fic on ao3 was wincest too and that the omegaverse as we know it was created by wincest shippers for jared/jensen fics *pointing at myself in the mirror with a shaky hand* ppl will think you're weird and off-putting you need to control yourself–

[storytimewithnova]

Possessive (yandere bokuto)

They may call me possessive but I don’t like what is mine being touch especially by his so called harem I have no issues ending them every last one of them to protect my baby owl he is mine all mine

Alone hell i would even kill my best friends if they tried to hit on my baby owl

Take his ex bf he is no longer around why because i got rid of him reason he would not stop bothering my baby owl stalking him begging him for chance after chance baby owl has a heart of gold he would of said yes

My possessiveness knew no bounds when it came to protecting my beloved baby owl. People may label me as possessive, but they fail to understand the depth of my love and the lengths I would go to safeguard what is mine.

His so-called harem, a group of individuals who sought to claim a piece of my baby owl's heart, was nothing but a nuisance to me. They believed they had a chance with him, but they couldn't be more mistaken. My baby owl belonged to me, and I would protect him from any intruder, even if it meant eliminating them entirely.

Even my closest friends weren't exempt from my protective nature. If any of them dared to make a move on my baby owl, they would face the consequences. Friendship became irrelevant in the face of my unwavering devotion to him. I would sacrifice even the most significant connections for his happiness and well-being.

One such example was his persistent ex-boyfriend. This individual refused to let go of my baby owl, constantly harassing him, and pleading for another chance. But my baby owl deserved better. His heart, pure and compassionate, had already offered numerous opportunities for reconciliation. Yet, I saw the pain and frustration it caused him.

Unable to witness his suffering, I took matters into my own hands. I made sure that his ex-boyfriend would no longer pose a threat. The details of what transpired are best left unsaid, but it was evident that my actions were driven by an unyielding desire to protect what was rightfully mine.

In the end, my baby owl's heart remained intact, knew no more torment, and found solace in the realms of my love. Our bond grew stronger, fueled by the understanding that I would stop at nothing to ensure his happiness. My possessiveness was born out of a deep love and a primal instinct to shield him from harm.

They may call me possessive, but I am merely a guardian, fiercely devoted to the one I hold dear. And as long as my baby owl is by my side, he will forever remain mine, and I will always be there to protect him, even against the world itself.

[eorumrosae]

personal reading

Card to represent my energy this morning!

I. Ace of Water RV New Emotions, First Love, Infatuation, Attraction, Lust, Longing, Excitement, Passion Blockage: Overwhelmed, denying, or fighting our true feelings. We may love, but be afraid to admit we love. We may yearn for connection but deny our need, and do what we can to prevent connections with others from forming.

Need to let down the barriers I've built around my heart and allow a loving experience or opportunity to unfold free of fear's influence.

Easier said than done - let it begin before deciding whether it's right or wrong for me.

What should I be aware of today?

X. WISDOM Knowledge, Understanding, Awareness, Self-Knowledge, Illumination, Introspection, Withdrawal, Insight, Common Sense You are here to become wise. Time to break a cycle. Apply knowledge, logic and common sense. Knowledge does not make you wise.

Without understanding, knowledge won't make a person wise. Some say wisdom cannot be learned from a book. True wisdom is born of understanding our experiences. Wisdom is born of awareness and discernment that allows you to judge the best course of action.

Look beyond your personal scope, beyond your current opinions. A wise person looks within beyond their conditioning, programming, beyond their opinions, to the truth.

Peel away layers of familial and social indoctrination, fears that have no foundation, insecurity, and doubt, and have revealed a person who understands, loves, and accepts the pure and whole nature of the psyche that remains. Accept your humanity, that humans are multifaceted beings who cannot be defined, nor should they be defined or quantified in a limiting manner. It makes society ill.

You have limitless potential, not only you but humanity in entirety. We're constantly evolving and therefore unknowable. There's beautiful wisdom in accepting that you don't know much, you don't have all the answers - that your opinions and beliefs, what you belief to be truths, are sometimes unimportant in the face of the full of the universe. Personal truth is not absolute, not for you or someone else. We are both wise and ignorant.

How can I have the best day possible?!

IV. Four of Water RV Confidence, Awareness, Self-Acceptance, Forgiving, Self-Belief, Deserving, Receptive, Consequences Four of water sees only beauty, despite his scarred appearance. You are beautiful. Despite having made many mistakes and having many weaknesses he chooses to see the lessons he has learned and forgive himself. Instead of holding on to feelings of shame, regret, and guilt.

He has many strengths to balance out his weaknesses, and it is these strengths on which he chooses to focus. He believes he is deserving of both love and happiness and even when life offers an experience that scars, he refuses to allow hurt or disappointment to erode his self-belief or close his heart.

He isn't blind to his flaws. He accepts them for what they are - parts of a whole that is imperfect and perfect at the same time.

Release any feelings of inadequacy or discomfort. You are, in this moment, everything you are meant to be, and so much more! Love yourself without condition!

Blockage: Because you are worthy and deserving of all that you dream of - but remember so is everyone else. The four of water cautions you against vanity, and arrogance, selfishness, and self-importance. Look yourself in the eyes! Are you about to do something that spells the downfall of another or causes them distress?

Something to keep in mind today.

XIV. King of Earth Virile, Successful, Industrious, Devoted, Steadfast, Authoritative, Reliable, Dedicated The king is a very satisfied man. He's a clear-minded, reliable person. Someone you can trust and depend on. Wise and intelligent.

It's okay to rejoice in your successes - while you can choose your moments and be respectful of others feelings, the King of Earth suggests that you have every right to celebrate your achievements and take pride in your accomplishments.

Notes: From all these cards in the deck, I sure keep picking many of the same ones. I guess their energies are in my mundane life currently, mulling about, trying to be understood, seen and comprehended. And me, being stuck in these themes, struggling to understand, be seen and comprehend it.

[zoobus]

your post on female-targeted isekai subgenres listed as one subgenre: "I woke up in a porn game/novel and I refuse to fuck"

how do i find those 🥺

Why would you want to >:(

I can't think of any off the top of my head besides I Fell Into A Reverse Harem Game,

which is a comic I regret not talking about on here as I read it because I liked it sooo much and I *think* it was heading towards a rather subversive conflict that would punish the heroine for refusing to fuck her harem (you have no idea how common introducing a harem just to reject them is, it drives me up the wall)

Additionally it felt like there might be consequences for imposing her 21st century values on this vaguely historical european world without considering the greater context or how "kindly" actions from a malevolent being might be perceived, and that's a premise I've been starving for since the beginning. I wanted to see someone isekai into a woman who's not just a villainess, but an actual colonizer, a war criminal that the world is correct to despise, and I wanted to see someone try the "I'll just be nice to everyone from now on" school of fixing things only for that to be the worst option.

There's a moment I can only describe as like, imagine Hillary Clinton telling a small child who lost their parents and became a victim of trafficking in the aftermath of the Honduran coup that she's super sorry, to make it up to you she's enrolling you in the finest private schools so you can one day become her personal assistant, maybe even secretary and the face that kid made was so perfect lmaooo. praying this comic ends in it all blowing up in her face. Also it's femdom fr. Before and after the isekaing.

Oh and while writing the following paragraph I remembered Protecting the Female Lead's Brother/Roxana

which I highly recommend if you like problematic girlbosses, good fucked up stories, femdom stockholm type relationships, and a little bit guro! I forgot about this one because while it's still pretty horny, they open it like this

but the actual vibes are more like this

But in general I can't think of many other examples because the otome isekai prompt "I'm suddenly in a +18 dating sim game" is almost always written by someone writing rated-G material. It's pretty annoying. A good percentage of them have so little to do with the original porn story, it's unclear why that was even the premise, like there are teen rated dating games? Why make it about a porn game other than to underline how innocent and pure the main character is. Even the two I'm praising aren't actual porn. It's often a sign that I won't like the book.

Now, I've read a couple actual porn stories using the theme but tbqh they're not good and I'm not posting them. Recurring issue where you realize the mc was brought into a real, existing story that this author hated and said author will interrupt their own story to remind you how much they hate the first author for being such a trash ass hack fraud. Mid-coitus.

[tumblrisweird]

Okay so this is something that's been on my mind a lot the past few weeks. I'm not sure I've reached a firm conclusion on it, but I want to share my thoughts. And know that I am not saying you're wrong for disagreeing with me on this. Also I'm specifically discussing the choices in voting. I'm not someone who thinks voting is the only or even the best way to make your voice heard. Direct action is far more important, especially on specific issues.

I definitely understand the idea of choosing the lesser of two evils. In our stupid fucked up political system, that's often the only real choice we have, especially at the national level. Incremental change is usually better than no change at all, and it's useless to refuse to engage with a problem purely because no option is perfect.

That being said, there are two important things to consider: false dichotomies and long-term effects.

First, your choices in the presidential election are not just vote for Biden or vote for Trump. Choosing not to vote for either candidate is an option you should consider. (Not to mention that there's already someone saying they want to counter Biden in the primary.) If you live somewhere that's not a swing state, you're vote doesn't really have an effect on the national election results. (Again, PLEASE, vote in state and local elections. Your vote actually does matter there.) However, if Biden wins the election but doesn't have nearly the same number of total votes, that signals to the democrats that their actions have cost them support.

That brings me to my second point: long term consequences. If Biden gets reelected, especially with the same level of support he got previously, what message does that send to the Dem leadership? It tells them that people may yell and cry and cause an uproar, but, ultimately, aiding, supplying, and justifying a literal genocide has no substantial consequences for them. If they don't face actual pushback, there's nothing to keep them from continuing their move towards centrism. As for Trump, while he would definitely be worse than Biden in many ways, him being elected didn't end the world last time. If he got elected again, I think he probably would be more ineffective, given that he has less support and people are more wise to his tactics. Ultimately his presidency did a ton of damage to the Republican party and energized the progressive movement. Not saying the same thing would happen exactly, but I don't think it would be the end of the world like people are saying.

Finally, I think it's important to understand that people have a limit for how evil of a lesser evil they are willing to choose. That limit is different for everyone, but I think for myself and many others, Biden has crossed well past the point where we cannot stomach the idea of supporting him in any way at all.

Hey so if you truly think that not voting is neutral or a good form of protest, please take one moment to think about why there are so many bot-written comments and whole misinformation campaigns dedicated to keep you from casting your vote. And why gerrymandering is a thing. Why the right to vote first was only given to the rich and wealthy, why the fight for woman’s suffrage took so long, and why some people are still barred from voting today. Why facists show up at the booth to threaten voters, and why they pass laws that serve no other purpose but voter suppression. Because your vote has power, however little. And if you decide to give that power up, someone else will gladly take it.

[aemonds-sapphire]

Fire Meets Gasoline - Dabi x Reader (Smut)

Summary: Sex with Dabi rarely goes as expected, and that is exactly why you can’t get enough of him.

Warnings: NO MINORS! NSFW. Pure filth (seriously). Cumplay. Quirkplay (? Is this a thing? Basically just Dabi heating up his hands and using them on you), Cockwarming. Creampie. Vaginal fingering. Overstimulation.

Word count: 4.8k

If you had to pinpoint the exact moment when you realized there was no escaping Dabi, it would most likely be the first time he kissed you.

After a month of denying and suppressing how attracted you felt towards him, you finally caved in.

You would potentiate each other just like when fire meets gasoline. It started off as a gentle flame, but it soon increased in both size and intensity.

The young man was filled with anger and was the embodiment of pain and sadness, but you were equally as broken. He hadn’t expected you to retaliate the poison that would drip from his mouth.

What Dabi had failed to consider was that you knew exactly why he was keeping people at bay. He didn’t necessarily hate everyone. But anyone could become a threat.

So he’d rather push people away.

What he had also not considered was that fire needed oxygen to burn. And that most of the time, the walls we build around us aren’t meant to keep others out. They will just fence you in.

You could bear him being cold to you as a defense mechanism, but he couldn’t deny his fiery nature for long.

“Beautiful...”

There was something so innately blissful about having Dabi cracking his hardened surface to display this beautiful side of him.

It would have your heart fluttering and your breath coming out in shallow pants as you experienced having his vulnerability be given to you.

“So. Beautiful.” He went on, accentuating his words with gentle kisses along your jawline.

You allowed your fingers to rake across his scalp, feeling his soft hair tickle your skin.

“Do it.”

He knew exactly what you meant by that. His quirk was powerful and dangerous. You had had the opportunity of witnessing him go berserk with rage and cast his trademark blue flames around his targets. The heatwave that had hit you was surely enough to have you jolt in fear. Dabi had to live with the consequences of not being able to control himself when using his quirk. All the patchwork across his body was licking proof of that.

However, the sense of danger had adrenaline rushing through your veins, and feeling the feared villain light up his quirk just enough to warm his hands was definitely an aphrodisiac.

Dabi stopped and pulled back, beautiful turquoise eyes meeting yours. He was truly breathtaking. No scar in his body would ever be able to take away from how handsome he was.

He flashed a boyish grin at you — one that you had grown to adore — and you felt the mattress shift lightly as he positioned himself between your legs.

The sight alone was enough to send sparks rushing down your spine. Dabi took his sweet time admiring the view, capturing his bottom lip between his teeth.

“See something you like?” You teased as you spread your legs farther apart.

He ran the palms of his hands slowly along your thighs, his eys lingering on your panties. “Pull them to the side, doll.”

You took a deep breath, knowing fully well what came next. He was too fucking good at this, and he was aware of that. Sex with him just felt like a whole new experience each time since he refused to stick to patterns. There was always something new, and that just added to the thrill.

Too bad you weren’t feeling like complying with his demands.

“Do it yourself.” You shrugged, slowly adjusting your panties to further accentuate your pussy lips.

You should know better than to challenge Dabi, but quite frankly you didn’t give a fuck, because it would just work in your favor in the end.

“Don’t be a brat,” he warned, keeping his voice calm, but his hands betraying the impatience as the grip on your knees increased. “Push them to the side... now.”

“Make me.”

Too bad Dabi wasn’t feeling like complying with your demands either.

Even though his room was poorly lit, the moonlight was more than enough to make you your jaw clench when his brought one hand to the waistband of his sweatpants.

Oh, he was fucking cruel.

Another teasing smile danced on his lips as he noticed your eyes glued to his crotch. You were too weak for this man. There was no way around it. No matter how hard you tried to prolong the mouse and cat game, you always caved.

You couldn’t tear your gaze away from his hand, especially when you saw it grip the growing bulge that he squeezed lightly.

“Seems like we have an issue, then, doll,” he chuckled, giving his clothed cock a few pumps. “‘Cause the way I see it... you really want this, uh?”

It took two to tango, so you tugged on the your panties once more, feeling the damp fabric rub against your clit and making you wince. You had underestimated his ability to have you dripping for him.

Your panties perfectly outlined your pussy lips, a silent invitation to the hungry man before you who wasted no time in dragging one finger along your covered slit.

“Doll...”

You flashed a devious grin while arching just slightly. “No.”

He had his other hand tightly gripping his cock, and you could see a discreet wet spot staining his sweatpants.

The scenery had you licking your lips in anticipation. “Let me see your cock, then.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “You first.”

One of you would have to give up first, and there was only so much resistance you could pull off when it came to Dabi leaking precum because of you.

You hooked one finger around the lace of your underwear, painfully slowly pulling it to the side, the wetness clinging onto the fabric.

A low growl erupted from him. “Fuck.”

He pressed on your clit with his thumb just so he could hear you moan for him. It was swollen enough to be seen through your pussy lips, and that drove him crazy. The ultimate proof that you wanted him was at the tip of his fingers, quite literally.

Your eyes instinctively closed as he continued teasing you, spreading wetness along your folds. It came with no surprise that your hips would involuntarily buck against his hand.

“Dabi...”

“Look at me,” he asked, his voice visibly strained as he circled your clit back and forth with the pad of his thumb. “Open your eyes.”

You did as you were told, and, through hooded eyes, you found yourself staring at him dragging the waistband of his pants down, successfully freeing his hard cock.

He halted his ministrations at once, only to have your entire focus on him.

Just as you had imagined, a few strings of precum were dangling from the tip, and he gave his cock a few pumps just to squeeze more from him.

Dabi positioned himself closer to your pussy in order to have his precum drip directly onto your clit.

You bit back a whimper as his thumb mixed the liquid with your wetness. “Dabi... oh my—“

The word died in your throat as you felt the tip pressing against your entrance. Was he that horny to jump right into the main course?

He sighed. “I really need to fuck you.”

It was crude and it surely wouldn’t win any awards as the most romantic declaration ever, but it did win points in getting your pussy to clench as more wetness spilled from you and coated him.

He applied just enough pressure to have his tip slide inside you. “Let me fuck you... please.”

The urgency in his voice had you melting. How could anyone resist this request?

He leaned over, brushing his lips with yours, but keeping his hips in place. You threw one arm around his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. You could feel both hand gripping your things, and you figured it was taking all of his willpower not to slam his cock fully inside you.

But what’s life without a bit of fun, right?

Dabi hungrily suckled on your tongue, but you felt him freeze in shock. Both his eyes shot open and he gasped.

Oh. You loved it whenever you were able to get that reaction from him.

So you did it once again.

And he shuddered.

He was panting heavily as you contracted around his tip. Despite your heavy state of out, you still had a few tricks up your sleeve.

“Fuuuuuuuck....” his voice was coming out in broken and deep breaths.

Self-control definitely wasn’t Dabi’s forte, and you knew that you were playing with fire. Literally. You suddenly felt his palms heat up against your skin as the grip on your thighs tightened.

“Let... me...” He breathed, his face dropping to the crook of your neck. “Just...”

The safest course of action would be to indulge his request, but you also wanted to help him build up the ability to control himself once he got pushed over the edge. He had even asked this of you not long ago. It was hard for him to hold back when using his quirk against heroes and even harder when facing his father. So Dabi craved to be able to do so when having sex with you.

“Reign me in...” He had once asked of you.

He started licking and taking a few bites off your neck, the warmth of his hands never wavering.

You brought on hand to his face, carefully caressing the metal rings that traced his skin.

“How badly do you want it?” You asked him, squeezing around his tip once again. In reality, you knew exactly the answer to that question. His desperation was answer enough.

But you were now treading on a dangerous territory.

His teeth dug into your skin before he let out a moan. “Let me fuck you...”

You angled your hips in order to have him slide out of you. “Tough luck, Dabi. Control yourself better.”

The grin on your face widened when a pair of angry eyes met yours, and the heat coming from his hands increased ever so slightly.

He wasn’t smiling.

Well. Fuck.

He pushed his own hips to meet yours again, but this time he had his cock placed directly between your soaked folds and rubbing up against your clit.

Your grin dropped in an instant, and a he let out a satisfied chuckle. “Not so funny now, right?”

Dabi kept on sliding his cock up and down, coating it in your juices. The wet sounds that filled your ears were enough to have you fists the bedsheets, and it served as a further incentive for him to keep on teasing you.

One hand was placed directly beside your face so he could support himself as the other went to join his cock. The heat coming from is fingers was maddening and he pinched your clit, trapping it and sending jolts of pleasure across your entire body. Goosebumps prickled your skin as you felt a heatwave reach your cheeks. It wasn’t just coming from your own body’s reacting to the stimulation, but also from his own hand.

“Where’s that pretty smile now?” He rasped, focusing on your face twisting from bliss, otherwise he might let his composure falter.

“Dabi... fuck... fuck...”

It was really taxing having to keep his quirk at bay and only allowing a certain amount of heat to flood the palms of his hands. It took a lot from him to having to exert so much self-control. It was twice as demanding having to keep his dick from plunging inside you.

“What do you want, doll?”

“Please... just...”

Not so amusing now that the tables were turned, and you gripped the sheets tighter until your knuckles turned white. You wouldn’t last much longer if he kept sliding his cock in between your pussy lips like that.

Your eyes locked with his, and your opened your mouth in an attempt to say something, but only moans spilled from you.

“Just what?”

He pulled his cock away and replaced it with the palm of his hand. The metallic hoops had heated up significantly and when he dragged a few across your clit, that was when your body reached a new high.

“Oh my — oh my fuck—“

Dabi couldn’t tear his eyes away from you. You looked so delicious, and he didn’t even know how he was being able to withstand the discomfort coming from his cock. He would need to be buried inside you soon. It was such a waste to have you clenching around nothing when you could be milking him instead.

But he wanted you to reach your orgasm first.

He was so used to watching things come undone out of rage, that watching you come undone from the pleasure he gave you just made his cock throb. The thrill of building you up just to have it all crumbling down in the most alluring way possible was something he could not get enough of.

Your body had started writhing and convulsing, forcing him to lean back and press one hand on your hip to keep you in place.

“Good girl... that’s it...”

You had your thighs desperately wrapping around him in the hopes of him filling the emptiness.

Dabi was going insane from how responsive you were being to him. To his quirk. He had grown up forced to live with the remainders of what it had done to him. The thought of having it being used to give someone pleasure was so fucking fascinating. Yes, it was exhausting to keep it at a low intensity, but the high outweighed the exhaustion by far.

The familiar sensation built up more and more, until it washed over you in a deep wave of pleasure. A shriek ripped through your throat from your lungs, and behind closed eyes you could see colors dancing over your vision, accompanying the molten streaks of pure bliss that shot through your entire body with every flick of the metallic hoops on your clit.

Dabi couldn’t resist it any longer.

He needed to feel you.

In one swift motion, he slid his cock balls deep inside you. Your pussy welcomed him with strong and rhythmic contractions that sent his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He had to balance himself on both arms from the sudden overload of pleasure. It was clear he wouldn’t last long. The amount of teasing and foreplay was enough to sent him into overdrive.

Your fingers went up to grip his forearms as if holding on for dear life. Having his cock buried inside your pussy as you came made your mouth drop open. You felt your walls clamp around him viciously. He pulled one of your legs up to rest on his shoulder, spreading you enough before he started slamming against you with such force that the bed started squeaking from the motion.

He was mumbling something, but you couldn’t quite make out what it was as you descended from your peak. Your heart pounded hard against your chest, but still not as hard as he pounded your pussy.

“Stop... squeezing... fuck!”

The overstimulation hit you like a train, and you felt tears stinging your eyes. Your fingers would leave marks on his arms, but you doubted he cared about it.

“D-Dabi... I...” you tried to reign him in, but gave up when his lips crashed into yours.

He was thrusting into you with an animalistic ferocity, all sense of control finally coming to a end. You’d clench around him whenever he hit a sweet spot inside you. The moans that came from within in were so hot that you couldn’t blame your clit for pulsing and your pussy for squeezing his cock.

Suddenly, you felt one hand groping your breast, fully enjoying how it bounced and defied gravity with each snappy strike from his hips. His eyes slid shit and his mouth was hanging open in a silent hiss.

You wanted to bring him over the edge. You wanted him to give it all to you.

To prove your point, you snaked an arm between your bodies and flicked at your clit just so you could your pussy to clench harder around his cock.

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

Through the stings of overstimulation the need to have him come undone for you was just ecstatic.

That it for him. His eyes snapped open and the most beautiful growl rumbled in his chest.

“You are so... fuck...” Was all he managed to say before he began pumping in a final broken rhythm.

“Fill me up...”

The effect those words had on him caught you off guard.

Dabi let out a strangled moan as he buried his cock deep within you. “Oh... fuck...”

He shuddered a few times, emptying himself inside your pussy just like you had encouraged him to. You could feel a few streaks of cum coating your walls, and it almost sent you back to another orgasm.

He was panting heavily above you, cock still lodged inside you. When he looked up to your face he saw a few tears leak from your eyes due to the overwhelming overstimulation. Without thinking, he brought one thumb to wipe a clear droplet from your face.

Dabi no longer remembered how it felt like to cry without physical pain from having bloody tears spilling from where the staples held his skin together.

“Dabi?”

He shook his head and blinked twice. “Sorry...”

You didn’t want him to apologize for this. “It’s okay... don’t be sorry.”

Instead, the young man leaned forward and tasted the salty liquid that smeared your skin, wiping the tears away.

You couldn’t contain the low chuckle that erupted from you. “That tickles...”

He didn’t want to slide out of you just yet. Your warmth was too welcoming and comforting. If he had to find a name for it he’d choose home. Intimacy had been so scary to him. The vulnerability of it all had always frightened him, and for the longest time he didn’t think he would ever have this. Casual sex was good, but sex with someone you had an emotional connection with felt so much better.

Dabi let his body tumble to his side, physical exhaustion finally taking a toll on him. However, he slid one arm over your lower back to keep you tied with him.

His hair was sticking to his forehead from all the sweat, and you took some time to inspect a few strands through hazy eyes.

You gently brushed the damp hair away from his skin. “You need to dye your hair again.”

“Hmm.”

The roots of his white hair were starting to show, and even though you’d love for him to embrace his natural color, you knew this was not something for you to decide.

Some wounds took longer to heal.

His cock was starting to soften inside you, but that had no effect on him.

“Planning on sleeping like this?” You offered, but only half-joking.

His hand thoughtlessly caressed your back, and you shuddered as the metallic rings dragged along your skin. “Actually...”

Wiping a few beads of sweat from your face, you arched a brow. “What?”

A squelching sound filled the room as he slid off of you, and you couldn’t help but to pout at the sudden emptiness.

Dabi, on the other hand, seemed to have something else in mind as he got on his knees again, placing himself in between your legs.

It didn’t take long before you started feeling the warm liquid ooze from you. That definitely earned Dabi’s full attention as he watched in admiration.

“Proud of yourself?” You questioned with a gentle laughter. Just as you were about to prop yourself on both elbows, he had one hand on your shoulder, keeping you in place, as the other hovered near your pussy. “Hey! Dabi...”

“I want to do this...” he whispered, and you couldn’t help but wonder if he was just thinking out loud.

You had a faint idea of what he had planned next, and, if so, it would be something new for you both.

The young man hesitated for a split second before his middle finger joined the index, slowly collecting the few strings of cum that had pooled between you and the sheets. Not even five minutes had passed since your body had been sent into overdrive, and you could feel your insides twist in anticipation and you clit throb from the newfound stimulus.

Dabi paused once more.

Although, you’d been affectionate with each other for over a month now, you could still identify the remnants of his struggles with intimacy in moments like this. It had taken him quite a while to open up to you emotionally. It had taken him a great deal more to give himself to you physically as well.

You couldn’t help the loving smile that tugged at the corners of your mouth. “Go ahead...” two of your fingers rubbed your swollen clit briefly before spreading your pussy lips invitingly.

That was all the incentive he was looking for, and in one swift mention he slide both fingers inside you, dragging his cum back inside once more.

He hissed deliciously when he felt you clamp around him. “Fuck...”

The hand keeping you down faltered, and you immediately seized the opportunity to position yourself in a way that gave you a privileged view of what he was doing to you.

“So much cum... fuck...” Dabi’s words came out in ragged pants as he fingered you slowly. “Don’t clench, doll... it will spill out again.”

“Then stop being so hot...” You half moaned, trying your best to fight against your reflexes. Your pussy was practically on auto-pilot. The obscene sounds that filled the room just made the task so much more difficult.

It didn’t take long before his turquoise eyes darkened and you watched him capture his bottom lip with his canine.

Oh fuck... he was getting hard again.

His cock was twitching ever so slightly, growing before your eager eyes.

“Dabi...” You weren’t even sure of what you wanted to say. The sight alone was enough to have your clit throbbing, but his thumb pressed on it was what had you involuntarily clamp down on his digits in a way that dragged a long groan from him. Even if he was someone who had to ability to mask his true emotions, the pleasure was splattered across his face.

You felt your pulse quicken further and shuddered from all the stimulation.

Knowing fully well you wouldn’t be able to comply with his request, he removed his fingers from inside you at once, bringing out a whine from deep within you.

A faint smile pulled at Dabi’s lips. “So responsive...”

You wrinkled your nose at him. “You’re stalling... please...”

“I’m taking my sweet time with you, doll. What’s the fun in rushing?”

His finger glistened with the mixture of your juices with his cum. Suddenly, his hands went to your ass to positioned you on his thighs. A very effective way of preventing any further leaks, no doubt.

Just as you were about to question why the sudden change in positions, he plunged one single finger back inside your pussy.

“I wonder...” he started out as if lost in contemplation while he coated his fingers once again. “Hmm...”

“Dabi...” you warned him in a low voice.

You were growing impatient. Very impatient. The heat between your legs along with your throbbing clit were driving you absolutely insane.

He was an expert in making you lose your mind, and he’d always use this to his advantage.

His cock was already growing harder and bigger with each passing second. You’d be more than willing to have one more orgasm, and considering the way you were clamping around him, and the blinding heat jolting through your clit and nipples, it wouldn’t take you too long to get there. The young man pressed your clit down with his thumb, circling it with just enough pressure to gather the most delicious moans from you.

“Good girl... you look so hot,” he encouraged, and you felt a pair of fingers spread your pussy lips. “Fuck... I wish you could see this.”

You were so close.

So damn close.

But things with Dabi had a way of rarely going according to plan, and just as you shut your eyes in anticipation for another high, the infuriating sensation of withdrawal made you whine.

“Put that back! Dabi! What the fuck?”

You were left clenching around nothing and he merely chuckled at your distress. “I don’t think I will, doll.”

Propped yourself up on your elbows. “I will end you. Fuck!”

He didn’t really care. Nor did he take you seriously. You sank back into the mattress, wiping the beads of sweat that had formed in your forehead.

“For fuck’s sake...”

You felt the bed shift beneath you as he leaned forward. “Open.”

Wait...

This was new.

Your eyes widened once you understood what he meant. His long index finger was a few inches from touching your lips, a few droplets falling onto your chin. The thick layer of both cum and your wetness covered the entire digit, and you oiled even see some wetness spread along the metal hoops carved into his skin.

Oh. That was fucking hot.

“I won’t ask again,” his demanding voice quickly snapped you out it. “Open. Your. Mouth.”

A part of you wanted to tease him and put up a front just to rule him up, but another part of you — a much more urgent and impatient one — just wanted you to let go and enjoy the ride.

The moment you parted your lips, he promptly shoved his finger inside your wet mouth, faintly teasing your tongue with it.

You suckled on it slowly and sensually, never breaking eye contact with him.

He hissed softly. “How does it taste?”

“You tell me.”

Acting on pure instinct, your hand went to the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss. Dabi’s widened in sheer surprise as you darted your tongue inside his mouth, allowing him to taste the liquid. You weren’t sure if he was enjoying it, but his body language was pretty telling after a while, so you kept going.

There was something really hot about having Dabi taste his own cum directly from your mouth. Maybe next time you’d have him lap at it from your soaked pussy.

He broke the kiss to take a deep breath, thin threads of spit mixed with cum and your wetness linking both of your lips together.

You smiled teasingly. “Good, right?”

Dabi licked his lips before wiping the excess with the back of his hand. “Well played, doll.”

For a few seconds all you could hear were the ragged pants coming from both of you. You looked down and noticed that his cock was fully hard, probably getting ready for the next round.

“Want me to take care of that?” You wiggled your brows at him.

He followed your stare, but rolled over to fall flat on his back, one hand wrapping around his cock while kicking his sweatpants off.

“It’s okay, doll. I know how much you love watching me jerk off.”

Ah. Damn. He was right.

The metallic hoops provided an interesting friction whenever he applied enough pressure. Considering he had nearly half of his palms covered in a single row of staples he just had to get used to the feeling, and soon enough he had found a way to have those work in his favor.

You shifted on the bed to scoot closer to him, and have your head resting on his heaving chest. As expected, you started feeling his cum leak from your pussy.

The two of you lay there in a comfortable silence for a while, until you felt his heartbeat and breathing evening out against your ear. He was lazily pumping his cock, but it didn’t seem like he was too invested in the task at hand.

You raised your head to look at a very much sleepy Dabi.

An instant loving smile fell on your lips.

“You asleep?”

Was that a smirk on his face? Adorable. “Yes, doll.”

He looked so peaceful. You’d never get over post-sex Dabi. Ever. You had witnessed his full potential as a villain, but you were just now getting to experience firsthand what it felt like to have someone like him opening up to you.

A few more minutes passed by, and you watched as he let go of his softening cock. You took his now free hand in yours and laced your fingers with his.

“You’re changing the sheets.” You mumbled to him when you felt more liquid ooze from you. Not that you actually minded the current predicamen.

He scoffed. “Your pillow talk fucking sucks, doll.”