#putting aside differences to work towards a better world for everyone

[existentialcrisis-24-7]

Okay but season 4 of winx had a really good point in the fact that blinding rage and violence does far more harm than it ever will good and while revenge is good an all, if it ends up getting others hurt then it’s really not worth it.

[zentraex]

Summary: Amorica is a virus that makes people turn yandere. Never would you have thought, that your boyfriend Izuku would be one of the infected.

Pairings: Yandere! Izuku x Reader Warnings: Yandere behavior, violence Remember: English differs a lot from German, so I apologize for possible mistakes:

Love-Virus: Amorica

"Deku! Here, here! HELP!" shouts a young girl, whose legs are mercilessly smashed in a pile of rubble. She is small and petite, has her whole life ahead of her. She can't give up yet, not if she has to see someone else. 

Her boyfriend, her darling, her everything. 

She MUST see him again, she still MUST spend time with him like she planned it and she MUST marry him, start a family with him and grow old together. 

She just has to!

"HELP!!!! DEKU! I'M HERE!" she screams with full force and thankfully her cry for help is finally heard. In front of her appears a muscular green-haired man, number one among all heroes, one who goes by the hero's name Deku. He has saved thousands, no, even millions of people. Today he is there for her, for the poor little girl who whimpers and shivers in pain. 

"Don't worry, I'm here now," he says and puts on his broad and wide smile that everyone in Japan, no, even the whole world, knows.  He lifts the debris aside and pulls her out so gently, even though his hands look like they could crush someone.

She breathes a sigh of relief as the pressure on her body subsides. It was really hard to bear. She sweats all over her body, the stress brought her into high gear. 

"Thank you, Deku!"

The hero only nods in response, but his smile hasn't even left his face. Not even when the girl's sweat mixes with his and causes a tingling sensation in the affected areas.

_

"Izuku, you're scorching hot!" you realize when your hand almost burns on his forehead. 

It's been a day since the earthquake. Your boyfriend was on duty and once again saved countless lives. 

Your boyfriend is a good person, maybe even the best.

You're incredibly happy to have him and when you look at his reddened face, you can see that he feels the same way.

He always forgets to think about himself.

You just smile as you put a cool rag on his forehead and give him a tender kiss on the cheek. 

"I'll make you chicken broth, okay? Rest until then, you will certainly feel better."

Izuku just nods and closes his eyes. Just a few seconds later, you hear slight snoring from the living room. 

You smile. 

Even if you don't like it when he's sick, you still like to nurse him back to health.  

_

"Izuku, your fever won't go down! You've been on 39 degrees for three days! You have to go to the doctor!" you shout through the house.

Your boyfriend just shakes his head.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow."

"Don't kid yourself, Izuku. That's what you said two days ago."

You're worried, no, scared, because you don't know what to do about it. 

Izuku just lifts the blanket and opens his arms. 

"Just come here, please. Then I’ll feel better."

You frown, but you still comply with his wish. Usually, your boyfriend doesn't want you to get too close to him when he's sick. He is always afraid that he could infect you.

That's why you're surprised when he hugs you and gives you a kiss on the forehead. 

More worry spreads through you. 

Maybe it's really something so serious....

_

"Do you really have to go to work?" your sick boyfriend asks you as he makes his way to you. Today is the fifth day that Izuku has his fever. You had the days off, but now you have to go to work today. 

"I'd rather take care of you, but I have to."

Izuku hugs you, his strong muscles holding you firmly in place.

"Why don't you take the day off?"

Laughing, you shake your head and give him a kiss on the cheek. Reluctantly, Izuku lets go of you, a pout on his lips. 

_

"Darling!", Izuku greets you as you get home. He has already torn the door open before you have even arrived at your house. 

With your eyebrows drawn together, you walk towards him. Usually, you both always call each other by name.

Izuku was never the type for pet names.

Is it his illness?

Izuku has never waited so eagerly for you.

Is it his illness? 

Izuku has also never hugged you as tightly as he does now.

Is it his illness?

Today is the sixth day. Will he get well soon? Hopefully he will get well soon. It makes you nervous, worries you and gives you a little anxiety.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Better, but I missed you so much."

You put your hand on his forehead: it really seems to be cooler now.

_

"36.5 degrees. Congratulations, you're officially healthy today," you smile. Izuku returns your smile and gives you a kiss on the forehead. "Are you going on patrol right away?"

"Yes, of course. I've rested far too long, haven't I?"

You just nod and laugh. You can't wait to get back to your usual everyday life. 

_

"The virus, Amorica, spreads through bodily fluids among people. The exact number of people affected is still unknown, as it is not noticeable to the infected and the people around them. Symptoms include exaggerated longing for one's partner, unhealthy jealousy or immoral behavior. Those affected explain that they have begun to no longer perceive their actions as bad.  How contagious the virus is, is still unknown at the moment. However, scientists suspect that some are immune to it. 

Today we tell the story of Molly. She is a 20-year-old lawyer who is infected with the virus. Molly doesn't know how long she has been ill, but her boyfriend pointed out that her controlling behavior began a month ago. At first, the signs were only vague, there were only frequent questions about her boyfriend’s well-being. After a few weeks, Molly started following her boyfriend everywhere. Days later, Molly committed her first murder out of jealousy. Although her boyfriend was in constant contact with her, he has no symptoms.

How-"

You change the channel in shock. For some time now, the news have been reporting on such cases. Izuku also tells you that there are frequent cases. The infected act out of unhealthy love: they stalk, kidnap, even kill. The victims are usually distraught afterwards and have to seek therapeutic help. 

Society is afraid, people are becoming suspicious, you also have concerns.

What if you annoy someone infected? 

A shiver runs down your spine. 

Hopefully not...

_ _

Meanwhile, Izuku watches you from the door frame. 

For some time now, his desire for you has become bigger. He can't really explain it, but somehow, he wants your attention especially often, want to hug you especially often and wants to kiss you especially often – from head to toe.

What's wrong with him?

Of course, he loved you before, otherwise you wouldn't be in a relationship. For some reason, however, he can't let you out of his sight, as soon as he averts his gaze, his heart aches. 

It hurts, cramps and contracts. 

It's like he needs you to survive, because without you, his heart doesn't beat anymore. 

It's worse when he's at work. He can't think of anything but you! 

All the injured people he saves suddenly have your face!

Then his breathing becomes more and more heavy until at some point he can't breathe at all, suffocates almost at nothing. 

He always comes home immediately afterwards, so, he can calm down when you greet him at the door, with your sweet loving smile. Every tension, every worry and every fear that ran through his whole body until now dissolves and is replaced by a feeling of warmth and security. 

Even now, as he watches you from a distance, it feels like everything is in harmony. 

He breathes in and out in a relaxed manner as he lets the situation sink in and then sits down next to you. However, when he looks at your face, he notices the deep wrinkles of your forehead and the look of worry in your eyes. He copies your facial expression and puts an arm around you, pushing you close to him. 

Your scent rises to his nose and despite the situation, he has to suppress a moan as his eyes roll back. 

Had your smell always such an intoxicating effect on him?

"What's the matter, darling? Is something bothering you?" he murmurs as he rests his chin on your head. 

"No... well, yes, sort of," you say and return his hug. Izuku's heart seems to jump happily as your tender arms wrap around him. 

"Well then, go on! What's going through your pretty head?"

"Well, there's this infection going around right now and I'm afraid of what people are capable now. What if someone is after me because I'm only talking to her lover?"

Then don't talk to anyone, you only need me. Just stay here, then nothing happens. I protect you, with me you are safest. 

Izuku would like to say that, but before he can say the words, the penny drops. His eyes widen when realization hits him: he is infected. 

"Don't worry, nothing will happen," he says, gives you a kiss on the forehead and goes into his study room, locks himself in.

That explains everything! That's why he's no longer himself!

Oh no.

Oh no.

Oh no.

What is he doing now!? Is there a cure? Not yet, right?

He grabs his green curls tightly as he drops into the chair. 

What if he endangers you because of this virus! You would leave him!

No, you would never leave me, I wouldn't let that happen.

No, no, no, away with these thoughts. That's not him! These are not his thoughts; this is the virus! 

His heart beats like crazy and his breath becomes heavy as panic runs through his veins. 

He already had to deal with a few cases involving the virus. Some infected people locked their loved ones in the basement so that they could not leave them, some broke their legs for the same reason. As a sign of love, some carved their name into their partners skin with a knife. 

What if Izuku will do something like that to you?

At the thought, he quickly rushes to his trash can as he vomits. 

These are horrifying ideas! He doesn't want that, he's afraid, so incredibly afraid. 

The only thing he can do now, is to get out of your way and hope that he will heal for some reason, or you will leave him and go somewhere, where you are safe of him.

Leave? No, you can’t abandon me! I'm nothing without you!

The thought makes him vomit again.

_

It's been a week since Izuku started to avoid you like the pest. You're worried, something is bothering him and he refuses to talk to you about it. He locks himself in his room, sleeps there and doesn't even come out to eat. 

Today, you made ramen the way he likes it best. You knock gently at his door, but there is no answer.

"Izuku? I made ramen. Would you like to come out and eat with me?" you finally ask after a while.

He doesn't even open the door when he answers you, his voice only sounds distant and quiet from the other room. 

"No, I'm not hungry, but thanks for preparing."

Tears form in the corners of your eyes as you are rejected yet again. He always says that, but even if you leave him a bowl, it's still left untouched the next day.

"Izuku, what's wrong with you? Please talk to me!"

There is no answer and then you sob loudly as the tears flow. 

"Izuku, did I do something wrong? If so, I'm sorry, but please stop avoiding me!"

Again, no answer and then you leave, crying and heartbroken. 

_ _

Behind the door, Izuku's world collapses when he hears your crying. His heart splits into thousands of shards with every sob. 

He tied himself up at the other end of the room so he can’t go to you. 

He had a hard time getting through the first two days, but at the third he couldn't stand it anymore and stood next to your bed at night and watched you. For this moment, all his thoughts were in harmony and he had been able to relax again after two days of suffering.

That was the last time he saw you, because he realized how sick his behavior was. 

Then he tied himself up so he would not be tempted to get too close to you again. Deep down, he knows that these shackles are of no use at all and that he could break them with ease, but he tells himself that they are indestructible. 

For the sake of both of you. 

_

Three days later, he hears a man's voice from the living room. 

Who is this?

He doesn't know this voice. Has the time finally come? Are you leaving him now?

No, no, no! You wouldn't do that to him, would you? You wouldn't replace him just because he doesn't show up for a few days, would you? 

Who is this?

Who dares to get too close to you? 

"Make yourself comfortable on the sofa," you say. 

"Thank you, I'm glad that we're doing something together again. How long ago was the last time? Three years?"

"Yes, maybe. It definitely feels like an eternity. What a coincidence that I saw you on the street today."

So, you know each other from the past? Why doesn't he know about him? Why didn't you tell him about this guy? Why is he in your apartment?

Why are you doing this to him?

He is trying so hard for you, and you!? You're cheating on him!

No, no, no. You wouldn’t, you would never do something like that. He has to calm down, otherwise he will do something he might regret. 

Izuku doesn't know how long they guy stayed already, but every second feels like torture. He doesn't want to keep himself restrained anymore. He misses you so much. 

So so so much. 

He will certainly never hurt you, right? 

The victims of infected people are usually distraught afterwards and have to seek therapeutic help. 

But with him, it will never come to that. He will treat you like a princess as you deserve. He will carry you on his hands and make sure that you lack nothing, that you are always well. 

So, he can stop, right? He can go out, right?

"By the way, are you single? You know, I've always had that huge crush on you and always hoped to see you again. Maybe you can give me a chance, hm?" says your visitor. 

_ _

Before you can answer, the door of the study suddenly breaks and dust and smoke is blocking your view. 

What the…?

You only hear breaking bones.

Your heart pounds rapidly against your chest as it begs you to run away. But you can't help but be glued to the ground as panic flows through you. 

Only when the view clears, you recognize Izuku, who is holding the smashed skull of your childhood friend and looks at him deranged, breathing heavily. Then his eyes suddenly wander to yours and a big smile pulls onto his lips.

"Darling!" he says and throws the skull away like it’s garbage. When he takes a step towards you, you take one back, shivering. Izuku's smile falls and he looks at you anxiously.

"Don't be afraid, I would never do something like that to you!"

You can only cry as you stretch out your arms in front of you, hoping it will keep him away and protect you. 

"Don't cry, darling, please. Everything’s okay!"

"No, stay away."

You know that if Izuku really wanted to do something to you, he would so already. He has the power to do so. 

Who would have thought that your beloved boyfriend would ever kill someone? Number one hero? The best person out there? The hero, who saved thousands, no, millions of lives?

That you'd ever be afraid of him?

Who would have thought that a virus could change a person in such a way that you finally decide to rush to the exit. 

But you don't get far when two muscular arms wrap around your stomach and capture you. Izuku pushes you close to him as he buries his nose in your hair. You hear him inhale loudly and exhale contentedly as he squeezes you even harder.

"Finally," he says. "Finally, I have you in my arms again, darling. I promise that I will never avoid you again. I have no idea why I did this in the first place. How did I come up with this idea? Am I stupid? This feels like heaven!"

More tears flow down your cheek as he drags you further and further away from the door. 

"We have so much to catch up on for the long time we haven't seen each other."

[the-travelling-witch]

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬

Riddle :: Wrath

A tiny spark is all it takes to ignite a fire that burns blindingly bright. If they won’t respect you and the rules on their own, you’ll just have to make them listen. After all, your wrath is justified, you are in the right here. It’s not you who is blinded, it’s everyone else who just can’t see.

Leona :: Sloth

Work smart not hard. Or don’t work at all; let someone else do the heavy lifting to get their hands dirty. And why not? After all, lazing around in the sun is what you deserve after being the brain behind this whole operation. There’s really no need to exert yourself when someone else can get it done too. Being awake, being asleep, what difference does it make? Why put in the effort when you will always be second best anyway?

Azul :: Greed

What’s so wrong with wanting it all? And who cares if you’ll ever find use for any of it, it’s more important that you could. Whether it’s money, knowledge or power, more is better and your desire to have more of it is valid. Avarice and success are two sides of the same coin and it’s golden gleam is oh so enticing.

Kalim :: Lust

Don’t think too hard about what pains you, just close your eyes and focus on what makes you happy. It’s so much easier than plaguing yourself with arduous topics such as betrayal and intrigues. It’s okay if the world is burning as long as it’s at your fingertips, so just indulge a little. Ignorance is bliss and bliss is what makes life fun, right?

Vil :: Gluttony

Never satisfied, never sated, you crave improvement the same way a starving man craves food and water. When you finally achieve something you have meticulously worked towards, there is no time to rest on your laurels, your eyes are already fixed on a new way to make yourself better, more beautiful, all in a never ending hunger for unreachable perfection. Would you be satisfied with being the fairest one of all?

Idia :: Envy

Sure, you’ve had some achievements in the fields you’re interested in but what else do you have going for yourself, nerd? This one remarkable trait aside, who’d be impressed by the rest of you? And it’s oh so easy too, to compare yourself with the people around you and the people you see online, only to find that you just don’t measure up. You’re envious of the people with normal lives, who get to choose what they want to do, who aren’t stuck and who easily fit in. Maybe you’re even envious of your past, where everything was still alright and within reach.

Malleus :: Pride

Being proud isn’t wrong, is it? Surely, everyone would feel that way if they were you. Just look at what you can effortlessly achieve, whereas others struggle so much with it. But you realise maybe too late that pride is often accompanied by solitude. After all, you don’t need anyone by your side, so why would anyone be willing to stand there? At the end of it all, you are too proud to lose to someone and too lonely to lose someone.

Yuu :: The Deadliest Sin

You know you’re doing it again. You just can't stop, can you? Sitting hunched over like an invertebrate when you really should know better. Have you eaten anything yet, drank enough water? Seen the sun, taken a walk and gotten enough sleep? I thought so. The time will come where you must answer for your sins, so don’t add to the tally.

© the-travelling-witch 2024 - do not repost, translate, copy or edit

if you like my content, reblogs, comments and asks are always much appreciated (also, yes, there will be second parts for the characters) ♡

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[ratherbefangirling]

Mi casa (2)

Genre: Omegaverse AU, Angst

Pairing: Ot7 x alpha!reader

Summary : Namjoon wonders if letting you in thier home will destroy it? He hopes it won't but if it does. He will start from scratch again because for his soulmate there isn't anything he wouldn't do.

Warnings: past mentioned abuse.

PREVIOUS | NEXT

Yoongi sits in his office working. After his comment about you possibly being Namjoon's mate. Namjoon sweared at him and left. Before Yoongi would have made a fuss about it but now he knew better, understood the more nuanced sides of his packmates including Namjoon.

Yoongi and Namjoon had both gone to the same middle school and high school and hated each other to the core. Or Yoongi hated that Namjoon was more alpha like and smart, always at the top of his academics. Namjoon on the other hand was jealous of Yoongi's more omega like features and his ability to not care about anyone's opinion.

They had gone to different colleges. They had met once again when Jin and Namjoon's pack had decided to introduce them. They surprisingly melded well. At that time Yoongi and Jin had already decided to form a pack and Jungkook and Namjoon were roommates.

Yoongi had a rough time accepting Namjoon as his future pack. The first time they met again had been, for a lack of better word disastrous.

Still even though they had their differences most of the time they could put aside thier petty personal grudges for the sake of the pack.

Yoongi still remembers the day they had come to the conclusion to put the people they cared for before thier frankly childish behaviour.

Working for the shelter was a tough job. In a day Yoongi sees more terrible things than most people do in months. As much as he finds his job fulfilling it makes him tired and angry and it's made worse for having to show up at a job where everyone else is also tired and angry and there's nothing he could do about it (not to mention dealing with officials, lawyers and policemen most of whom are entitled and haven't suffered a day in thier lives.)

Despite the majority of their time together being spent in arguments both firm in their beliefs (which is why they often seek each other out) he actually hates fighting with Namjoon.

In the pack he is usually agreeable with Jin and Hobi, Jungkook is his baby, Taehyung and him may have different world views but usually the younger one is very doting taking full advantage of calming Yoongi after riling him up because they are pack. He does bicker a lot with Jimin but its nothing like how Namjoon and him fight.

Thus only Hoseok or sometimes Jin who ends up using his alpha command can interfere. The alpha command (which Jin uses sparingly and in absolute necessity) is reserved between the pack and only works towards the pack. It has no effect in ruts and only the pack alpha's command has any noticeable effect.

Just like the other times the matter of concern hadn't been huge. Towards the end of the winter Jungkook had fallen sick. Incidentally everyone was busy. Hobi and Jin had to leave to Hoseoks close cousins wedding. Jimin and Taehyung had to give finals of their masters degree. Which left Yoongi and Namjoon.

That day Namjoon had an important meeting for the project he had spent months working for.

"I'm leaving hyung." Namjoon said picking up a bun to have in transit.

"Namjoon. Stay and help. You know I have to start with a lot of work.

"Hyung can't it wait. I have an important meeting." While the statement wasn't meant to be dismissive but Yoongi felt anger bubble through.

"What do you mean can't it wait"

"I said what I said hyung." Namjoon says irritated. "I have an important presentation I can't miss."

"Are you trying to say my work isn't important."

"I didn't say that hyung but you work in a shelter when I have an actual job." Later Namjoon would feel immense guilt because of his careless words. But then he was one tracked towards his job. Not ready to back down at all. Corporate wasn't kind to omegas.

"I'll stay back." Hoseok says.

"But your cousins wedding." Namjoon mumbles.

"Taehyung and Jimin will be done early because of their exams." Jin says.

"Yes we can come early don't worry.." Jimin says.

And that was that. Namjoon and Yoongi resolve their fight and treat the pack to a nice dinner. Making a pact to be more careful in the future.

//

It might be a little irresponsible but Namjoon needs to think and he hopes Yoongi won't tell on him to Jin.

But it's not very simple for Namjoon to decide.

Namjoon has a soulmate. A real soulmate.

Namjoon remembers vividly being alone. So alone that it ate him inside. For a long long time he felt unlovable. Unwanted. Being part of the pack helped alleviate some of those feelings. But being part of a seven member pack sometimes someone felt like a seventh wheel. And he would rather it be him than anyone else.

But having a soulmate. His soulmate meant nobody would be lonely. He would have his own person. He didn't doubt the packs love no but he was ultimately selfish and he wanted something that was entirely his. Someone that was his.

His alpha.

He got butterflies just thinking of it.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy. The pack may not approve but he wasn't going to abandon her. No matter what. You were his. Only his. His own Alpha.

And if he had to fight the world or his own pack to have you. Namjoon realised he would. Because you needed him too. He would take care of his alpha. He would make everything okay again.

The atmosphere in the house is tense, Jungkook notes. Yoongi is irritable and in one of those moods where he needs to be left alone. Namjoon has gone camping with his friend Jackson. Jin seems antsy and Hoseok looks like he's waiting for a bomb to drop. Jimin and Taehyung are as clueless as him.

The Maknae line decided to have a sleepover trip. A staycation at a nearby hotel. Its partially to give the hyungs space and and partially because its been a while since the three hung out together.

They spend part of the night gaming into the late hours of the morning together. As the morning sun rises Taehyung nudges Jungkook.

"Go get food. Junkookie.."

"I dont want to you get it if you're hungry" Jungkook says still busy in his game.

"Rock paper Scissors the Looser gets the food."

"Fine." Jungkook agrees. He ends up loosing against Taehyung who hi fives Jimin happily and they continue with the game.

Jungkook stretches. His muscles aching since he's been in the same position for so long. He grabs the car key and drives to a convenience store nearby.

He spots Namjoon and Jackson talking and goes near them.

"Are you sure Namjoon? Don't you think you're taking it way to far?" Jackson asks Namjoon.

"If I have to leave the pack I will."

Jungkook's mind blanks. Everything seems immaterial. He leaves the cart He was holding to run back to the hotel. This couldn't be happening.

When Jungkook more or less storms in both Taehyung and Jimin look up.

"What's wrong? Where's the food?" Taehyung asks.

"Namjoon's going to leave the pack."

"What the hell Jungkook?" Taehyung swears.

"What? Tell me clearly what happened?"

"He was talking to Jackson. He said he'll leave the pack."

"But that makes no sense." Jimin said.

"I'm not lying I swear." Jungkook says.

"Is that's why the hyungs are so on edge." Taehyung pointed.

Silence fell.

"Surely they wouldn't hide things from us right?" Jungkook asked tearing up at the thought of their family breaking.

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding and it'll sort itself." Jimin tried to reassure the maknae and hugged him.

"You must have misheard it. There's no reason to leave the pack." Taehyung reiterates.

"But I heard him"

"You must have heard wrong." Taehyung says anger evident in voice.

"Taehyungie calm down. You too kookie. It could easily be a misunderstanding like taetae said there's no reason to leave the pack" Jimin says.

Jungkook nods sniffing. The thought of Namjoon leaving scares him to death. He wonders if Namjoon feels unloved or unwanted. He decides he's going change Namjoon's mind.

"Let's just order room service OK?" Jimin says

Taehyung nods and calls. Making sure to order extra icecream because he thinks they'll need it.

So yeah that's it. It's been a while since I wrote anything. I just can't seem to these days. I miss the boys terribly. I hope you liked this. Mostly I'll try to finish this in the next part. I felt I had to end this part because it would go way too long though it ended up in the shorter side and feels slightly unbalanced to me. Tell me what you think.

Taglist : @kaceypdf ; @ghostlyworld ; @thelilbutifulthings ; @hijabae2019

Permanent taglist : @exfolitae ; @cryingpages ; @outrobtsnd

[comikadraws]

Sasuke and the Final Battle

Alright! So personally, I dislike the conclusion that Sasuke's character got in canon. Here's why!

I am putting in pluses between panels to ensure nobody thinks those panels belong together.

The premise of the battle is as follows: Sasuke, motivated by the loss of his family, comes up with a plan to rectify the injustice he experienced which involves killing Naruto - not just because it promises him the power he seeks but also because he wants to cut that bond. It's a direct parallel to the first VotE fight.

Now, I still think Sasuke deserved better and I am very sorry to all Sasuke fans, but we need to get this one out of the way first.

While Sasuke's plans in the first VotE fight made a lot of sense, here, in the second fight, they are downright insane. He essentially plans to take over the world, become a dictator, and maintain his rule in neverending loneliness by becoming immortal. It doesn't need a genius to see that this should probably be considered tyrannical and self-destructive. And yes, he absolutely needed someone to knock some sense into him. But please keep in mind that the degree of Sasuke's insanity is a deliberate choice of the writer. A plot device for picking sides.

And it also makes a lot of sense for Konoha to be wary of him. Outside of this fight, he switched sides like five times. That's not something that would make you look particularly trustworthy or reliable.

It makes sense for Sasuke to feel guilty for his actions. He tried to kill his friends and comrades on multiple occasions. That's not something anybody would feel proud of.

But now, here are the issues I have with this battle and its conclusion:

Sasuke's core motivation is being glossed over

There's a huge bias going on in favor of Konoha and Naruto

Sasuke's sudden change of heart is abrupt and inconsistent with his character

The conclusion of Sasuke's character only exists in theory

Core Motivation

Sasuke's core motivation is the injustice experienced by the victims of the Uchiha massacre. His pain, loneliness, or even his wish for change are merely symptomatic, yet they are the only motivations ever acknowledged throughout the battle - even by Sasuke himself. I repeat: The systemic injustice that caused the massacre gets borderline ignored.

And if you ask me, there's a reason for that. Naruto needs to physically and ideologically defeat Sasuke - preferably without looking like the bad guy for shutting down a victim's cry for change and justice. But that only works by erasing and not ever talking about the corruption of the system. As a consequence, only Sasuke's "symptoms" remain - his detachment from everyone, the pain he embraces and causes, the unrealistic demands he has - and he ends up looking insane to the reader.

But defeating Sasuke and reducing his motivation to insanity like that, not acknowledging and condemning the injustice that motivates him, can only come at the cost of his depth, authenticity, and readability as a character.

The Konoha Bias

This also makes Kishimoto seem incredibly biased when it comes to Konoha. The crimes the village has committed, be it genocide, slavery, or child abuse, usually merely fulfill the purpose of "sad backstories" rather than being given the time and dignity to be properly identified, criticized, and rectified in the story. Injustice is allowed to be a character motivation or a flavor in the story, but it is not allowed to be a theme. That is no different here. Sasuke's traumas (though not their origin) are used to inform his actions but not shown as the result of the depravity of the system.

Aside from this linking back to Sasuke's character being deprived of his ideological value in the story (due to being a victim of the system and demanding change), this lack of attention and awareness toward the injustice reads like propaganda from an irl perspective. These are some of the most contemptworthy acts in existence we are talking about. And yet Konoha gets away unscathed.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, who is seemingly the only person demanding change, is intentionally characterized as "crazy", inevitably invalidating him and his desire for change. It basically reads as "yes, this system is rotten but everybody wanting to change it is evil". Change becomes evil by association. It's disheartening, demoralizing, and disappointing.

The Change of Heart

Now let's take a look at how his character actually progresses during this battle.

Sasuke wants to change the world even if that means killing Naruto or being lonely

Sasuke re-evaluates his relationship with Naruto

Sasuke realizes he no longer wants to kill Naruto or be lonely even if that means the world never changes

Now. Rethinking his self-destructive approach is, without question, a positive change. But that is not the problem here.

The problem is that this change in his character occurs rather unprompted. Sasuke, the entirety of the story, has ignored his own suffering in favor of justice. He has ignored every single character crying over him or telling him that they don't want him to ruin or endanger himself. But then Naruto basically says "it hurts to watch you suffer" and Sasuke suddenly rethinks his entire ideology. Naruto is basically only treating one of Sasuke's symptoms but not their origin.

This is unrealistic for his character and hurts his coherence (as well a invalidating him). It is a forced plot convenience to avoid any sort of compromise between Naruto and Sasuke. Both because Naruto has to come out on top due to genre conventions and also because Konoha cannot be questioned.

Missing Conclusion

Furthermore, this results in Sasuke's arc never coming to an actual "conclusion". As a victim, he should have been given justice. As someone who was supposedly suffering under his loneliness, he should have been given companionship. As a villain, somebody should have pointed out his hypocrisy and the wrongs he has committed.

None of that happened. Sasuke is not given justice and is even incarcerated in the most undignified and dehumanizing fashion possible in the anime. Afterward, he takes off alone. So in the end, even the "power of friendship" resolution that Kishimoto attempted to write only occurred on a surface level and failed in its execution. Sasuke is not changed because he realizes he is a hypocrite and doing more harm than good but because of a plot convenience. Sasuke internalized none of what he supposedly learned and practically had no conclusion whatsoever. He is still suffering. Nothing has changed.

The Point

And at this point, I'm just wondering "what was the point?". Clearly, the point of Sasuke's character wasn't to explore the darkness of the shinobi system. And it wasn't to seek justice for the horrors it has committed. It also wasn't about helping Sasuke heal from any of the hardships he's endured. Of course, all of these points were acknowledged by the story but never truly dealt with. A story can make as many promises as it wants and still follow up on none.

The point was, unfortunately, to be Naruto's trophy. Naruto is the main character, therefore he must remain ideologically unchallenged and perfect, he must have the strongest jutsu arsenal and he must have the most unwavering determination. Even if that means bending the other characters to the plot's needs. Sasuke is, thanks to genre conventions, not allowed to be right and Naruto cannot be wrong. A compromise or any justice at all become impossible unless they are a perfect match for Naruto's ideas of compromise and justice. While this doesn't mean that Kishimoto didn't care for Sasuke's story, Naruto's goal of saving Sasuke and becoming Hokage played a bigger role as compared to Sasuke's of changing the shinobi system, to the point that the latter was ignored whenever it inconvenienced Konoha's image.

[adrealucia]

hiiiiiiii

Can I pls request an art class Sean? Or maybe one night he can't stop drawing you? Super excited for pt 4 of New Beginnings btw!! (you inspired me to start a fic tooo hehe)

omg, I absolutely LOVED writing this, thank you so much for this req <33 and omg I am so happy to hear that I inspired you to write a fic as well! I hope I'll be able to read it hihi

Sean's muse

Art class was Sean Diaz’s sanctuary. The scent of paint and the symphony of pencils scratching against paper were his escape from the tumultuous reality outside. Within these walls, creativity reigned supreme.

Sean sat in his usual spot in the corner of the art studio, where he could observe without being observed. Today, the model posed in the center of the room, perfectly poised, but Sean’s attention was elsewhere. His eyes kept drifting to you, sitting a few seats away, completely absorbed in your work. Your presence had become his new source of inspiration.

You had joined the class a few weeks ago, and Sean found himself captivated by you from the moment you walked in. There was something magnetic about the way you focused on your art, the way you held your pencil with such intent, the way you furrowed your brow in concentration. He couldn’t help but steal glances, his curiosity growing with each passing day.

Today, he couldn’t resist any longer. His sketch of the model was nearly complete, but it lacked the spark that your presence ignited within him. His hands moved almost of their own accord, tracing the lines of your face instead. He captured the way the light danced on your hair, the curve of your lips, and the intensity in your eyes. His gaze flicked up to you, hoping you wouldn’t notice his stolen glances, but you were lost in your own world.

The class ended, and as everyone packed up, Sean hurried to gather his things. He didn’t want you to see his drawing. He wasn’t ready for you to know. He barely knew you, but already, you had stirred something deep within him.

Walking home, Sean's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

He replayed the way you looked in his mind, trying to capture every detail. The way your eyes narrowed slightly when you concentrated, the delicate curve of your smile when you were pleased with your work. There was a serenity about you that he longed to understand, a depth he wanted to explore. He had never felt this way before, this pull towards someone he barely knew.

When he got home, he dropped his bag and immediately sat at his desk, surrounded by sketchbooks and pencils. He had to draw you again, to capture that feeling that you invoked within him. Each stroke of his pencil was a tribute to the fascination he felt. He drew you smiling, lost in thought, and even imagined the sound of your laughter. He wondered what your voice sounded like, what kind of things made you laugh.

Hours passed, and Sean lost himself in the process. His room became a gallery of your images, each sketch a testament to his growing obsession. He knew he had to talk to you, to see if you were as incredible as he imagined. The thought of it both excited and terrified him.

For the next art class, Sean arrived early, his heart pounding with anticipation.

He rehearsed his words over and over, imagining different scenarios in his mind. He feared rejection, but the thought of not knowing you at all was worse. When you walked in, you took your usual seat, completely unaware of the effect you had on him.

Sean took a deep breath and approached you, his heart racing. "Hey," he said, trying to sound casual, though his voice wavered slightly. "Can I see what you're working on?"

You looked up, surprised, but smiled warmly. "Sure," you said, moving aside to give him a better view.

Sean studied your drawing, impressed by the skill and emotion you put into it. "This is amazing," he said sincerely, feeling a pang of admiration.

"Thanks," you replied, a slight blush coloring your cheeks. "I've seen your work too. You're really talented."

Sean’s heart skipped a beat. "Thanks. Actually, I was wondering if you might want to... I don't know, maybe grab a coffee sometime? I'd love to talk about art and, you know, get to know you better."

Your smile widened, and it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds. "I'd like that," you said, your eyes sparkling with interest.

As you both returned to your seats, Sean couldn’t stop smiling. The rest of the class passed in a blur, but he didn’t mind. He had taken the first step, and that was enough for now.

That evening, Sean found himself drawing again, but this time, he was drawing from a place of hope. He sketched the way you smiled when he asked you out, the way your eyes lit up when you talked about art. Each drawing was more vibrant, more alive. He imagined conversations with you, learning about your passions, your dreams, and your fears. He wondered what it would be like to make you laugh, to see you happy.

In his room, surrounded by his drawings of you, Sean felt a sense of contentment he had never known before.

You were his muse, and he was ready to explore whatever this new chapter might bring. He knew that these feelings were just the beginning, and he couldn’t wait to see where they would lead. With every sketch, every thought of you, he felt more connected to you, more inspired. He realized that art had brought him more than just a way to express himself—it had brought him to you.

authors note: this was just such a goood request!! I feel like Sean can get pretty obsessive when it comes to drawing or sketching so I hope I didn't write him too creepy. hope you liked it <33

[thearcanawearcrocs]

As a poly person myself I find the potential dynamics of an mc who is dating two or more of the main 6 fascinating so I’ve decided to rank them. For simplicity’s sake I’ve decided to only do the dynamic of an mc dating two of the main 6 for now but I’m happy to make more later if people are interested

Asra and Nadia

Interesting but I see them more as friends

I think they would both be eager to provide mc with anything they could possibly want

Nadia clearly values Asra’s opinion and they have a mutual respect and friendship

I think they could pretty easily share mc

4/10

Asra and Julian

These two have a lot of history together

I think it would be fascinating to watch them rekindle their old relationship but this time with more healthy and open communication and under better circumstances

Julian and Asra bonding as two people who have given everything to keep you alive/bring you back

Overall I really enjoy this one

Lots of potential for angst

9/10

Asra and Muriel

Childhood besties who only have each other for so long and now they are both dating the same person? Absolutely

I love the idea of mc dating both of them

It makes a lot of sense for them to become a triad

I think it would be a very positive experience for everyone involved

10/10

Asra and Portia

This would be fun but I personally don’t see a lot of romance coming with it

Asra and Portia would be adventure buddies and drag mc across the earth to show them the world

I think Faust and Pepi would get along

3/10

Asra and Lucio

Now this is fascinating to me

These two do not like each other at all in canon and have had almost no positive interactions

However I find the idea of them strangely compelling

I think it a world where mc chose Lucio it would be neat to watch Asra struggle to put aside his own feelings about Lucio to keep his apprentice close

It would get messy but honestly that’s part of what makes it interesting

7/10

Nadia and Julian

Another one that I think would come fairly easily

Nadia and Julian have chemistry in canon and I don’t think either one of them would object to mc also being in the mix

As countess Nadia can afford to take care of two partners

5/10

Nadia and Muriel

This one’s cute

Nadia who lives to shower her loved ones in gifts and luxury vs Muriel who struggles to believe he deserves basic comfort

You can’t tell me Nadia wouldn’t love to slip away into the woods from time to time to get away from the stress of her work

Also Nadia proving herself to be nothing like Lucio as a leader and taking steps to correct the issues in the city that hurt Muriel most

9/10

Nadia and Portia

I mean yeah absolutely

The two of them already fall in love in routes where mc doesn’t choose either of them so why wouldn’t they also fall in love in a route where mc did?

The trust and affection they already have for one another would be a pretty solid foundation to add mc to

10/10

Nadia and Lucio

I mean they were once married

Nadia would hold Lucio to his word and encourage his efforts to make amends for what he’s done wrong

I think she is one of the main 6 who would be able to forgive him fully with enough time and if she saw him putting in real effort

I also love the idea of her knowing Lucio the way he was before dying and being able to truly see and appreciate the difference

Lucio seems to harbor no real ill will towards Nadia either and I think they could make peace with one another

7/10

Julian and Muriel

The loudest most dramatic man you know breaks down the door of the most introverted quiet guy in existence

This can only end well

I think that they honestly would end up getting along but it would take a while

They would balance each other out in some respects

I think they would also eventually bond over trauma. They both lost their families at a young age, were both hurt by Lucio and have permanent physical marks of that trauma, and both struggle to see themselves as worthy of good things

If they don’t kill each other in the first month I think they could be great together

8/10

Julian and Portia

I mean they’re siblings so

I guess mc could just be dating both separately but that still feels weird to me

0/10

Julian and Lucio

I love these two together a lot

Julian “I only consider others and never myself” devorak meets Lucio “I only consider myself and not others” morgasson

It would be so incredibly messy

They will absolutely hurt one another but I think they may also help one another grow a great deal

They are both very dramatic and passionate and would play off one another well

10/10

Muriel and Portia

This is cute

I think Portia would be incredibly understanding

Her constant optimism and belief in those around her would be very good for Muriel I think

Also they are both animal lovers which is important

7/10

Muriel and Lucio

Oh god no

I don’t think Muriel ever could (or really ever should) forgive Lucio for what he’s done to him

I love Lucio but what he did to Muriel is beyond fucked and I truly could not see the two of them ever being able to be so much a friends

Could be an interesting dynamic to play with in a dark fic though

1/10

Portia and Lucio

Lucio would be like her silly little guy

I think Portia would be fine with having him around

Lucio would think she was a lot of fun

Portia is the character who was hurt by lucio the least and so I believe she would be one of the first to be able to forgive him

6/10

[okkottsus]

I usually dont mind ppl having different interpretations of characters and relationships, but this is just an insult to my boy’s character and his connection to nagi.

Reo may have developed an interest in nagi bc of his talent (and i find the notion of him doing the same thing he hated his family for at the start very interesting btw), but since then he obviously has developed an emotional attachment, and to him, it has to be nagi. he’s met people with even more skill than him in blk but he still hasnt spared them a 1/100 of the attention he gives to his best friend.

ofc i think it was important for them to improve on their own and maybe it was premature of him to go back to devoting himself to nagi so quickly, but i truly believe its bc he understood nagi’s perspective since he “abandoned him” and his true intentions.

the difference in their perspectives is very clear even before they enter blue lock:

at that point winning the world cup was just reo’s dream but even then, to reo, the most important thing was for them to be together until the end (nagi was the one who made him promise that would be the case too !!) , while nagi was content with just going along with him bc he started caring abt him as a person

until they lost to isagi’s team. from that moment, he decided (and was right imo) that they need to do whatever they can, even if they have to take separate paths for some time, to get stronger.

and nagi didnt “lose sight of their og goal” what are they talking about?? nagi literally mentions/thinks about their dream to be the best together every chance he gets?? he even got mad at reo cause he thought his friend was the one who forgot about their dream. he thought he was taking the vital steps to make it a reality and was frustrated reo couldnt see that:

reo felt betrayed because he cared about nagi himself as much as he cared about their dream and thought that nagi used him as a stepping stone to move forward alone, when actually it would be more accurate to say that nagi views everyone except for reo as a stepping stone. (i dont blame reo for this, since even tho nagi tried to communicate that hes doing it for them, he did a terrible job of it).

but during their latest talk reo had already worked on himself and had acknowledged the fact that he was in the wrong for assuming that them being together no matter the cost was the right thing

so when nagi approached him and explained himself a little better this time (boy was shocked when he realised how reo took their separation and put in a little bit more effort lol)

reo finally understood how their desires intertwine now. how can people claim that reo sees nagi as a tool when its more of the other way around; meaning reo sees himself as a tool for making nagi the best striker in the world and he already declared that to Ego before:

and again now:

plus saying that he and nagi arent friends and they are just using each other is so out of touch with everything we’ve seen so far. reo’s devotion to nagi aside, nagi too cares for reo a lot outside of soccer. even after he left reo, he still got excited to see him and talk to him despite everything; to him it was obvious they would continue to interact no matter which team each of them was on:

and he also felt bad for hurting him and expressed the hope that he would forgive him

the only thing that i wish would happen now is for nagi to apologise to reo face to face instead of only doing it in his own thoughts, and for reo to also talk about why he was hurt. but i feel like they understood each other either way without many words, because in the end, their bond is just that strong.

they now both want to succeed more than they ever have before and have stopped being their complacent selves we met during the first selection. they are both thinking far into the future and not just within blue lock, so whether they keep moving forward together or separated from now on, it will be knowing they are working towards their shared dream.

[itsblasttothepast]

Now I can provide the longer rant I promised and answer your question: I have a whole conspiracy theory around what is going on at RBR or rather what is going on inside RBR around Sergio. As we said before, I think all that is happening is just to make Checo quit on his own, to destroy him mentally and make him look ridiculous in front of the whole world. But aside from just being a frustrated fan, let's just look at the facts we know.

Bird is still with Sergio (I don't care about his contract, he could still work on the pitwall, just in a different position) even thought it's obvious Sergio doesn't feel comfortable with him, they do not work well together - Bird is too quiet, doesn't give necessary information and just ignores Sergio's questions sometimes. We saw that when Woody was there (Baku) Checo's performance was much much better and more important he looked relaxed and confident, something he doesn't have with Bird. So why is RBR not swapping them?

The chassis bs is just too much for my brain, the gave him a broken car and they trying to say it's becasue they want Sergio to feel more comfortable in the car? What? The thing was glued with duct tape and is falling apart so how is it for Sergio's comfort? The RB20 is shit, everyone knows it, even Max said so (aside from saying that Sergio's car is not the same), Checo can't break in any race, if he brakes he locks up and no one is trying to fix it and yet, RBR is playing the good guy game, trying to tell us they are doing what they can? Crazy;

Helmut and Marko are doing mental chess on another level, always changing their opinions, always switching points of view and always talking shit, pointing at a new driver to replace Sergio every week and then saying they want him - it's all to slowly kill Checo's confidance and honestly, it's cruel. Let's just not mention how they left him alone to face the hate and death threats TOWARDS HIS FAMILY, fueling the rumours and negativity while at the same time saying they are there to support him;

Sergio was saying the car is bad long before the summer break, before Max started to struggle too, and noone listened to him, happy to just say it's his poor driving skills and then apologising and then going back to saying it's Sergio's falut? How do you even do this much logic laps in such a short time?

To answear your question about Jos and Helmut: I think it's obvious they are on the same side so if one says shit the other will too and if one says a tiny praise the other will follow (I assume the power struggle is still going strong inside RBR but the CEO told them to shut up for the season and they want an united front to show that Horner is weaker). I also think you might be right with that third person who is pulling the strings and telling them to cool it every now and then (without that I doubt a good word about Checo could even leave Jos's mouth) - I think it might be the menagement because let's be honest and admit that the Ford deal happened thanks to Checo (I believe he was a huge part of them signing the contract even if it's not official) and they don't want to make their future partner angry; But if I had to come up with different thing, I would say Helmut is just playing his old 'all press is a good press' strategy (taking the media attention away from the team crumbling form inside out and people leaving left and right) and he just likes to make a mess. He also has that weird idea (that Toto had with Valtteri) that putting a driver until as much pressure as they can take is some sort of motivation (he admited that he does that with Yuki, I can't remember when but he said that). And about Jos... Well, aside from him just being an asshole in general I think he wanted to impress Nelson (that he was in the garage is a disgrace but whatever), maybe they have a bet who will be the bigger racist or something like that. But don't worry! They said that Lawson would be a great partner for Max so we just have to wait for Horner to say that Checo is the best driver in the world. As I was writting this another idea came to my mind - do't you think it's funny how this year is a reverse of 2021? Back then Sergio had to fit in because RBR needed him and he did a great job with that, the praises were comming even from the British media but now? Now they don't want him anymore and they are shutting him out from the team, slowly separating him and creating tensions just to make him break. Like it wasn't enough that in 2022 they made sure Sergio was aware he will never get a shot at WDC with them (also funny how the small problems inside the team started to appear when Checo disobeyed for the first time, huh?) If the contract is really ironclad I think the team decided to double on the toxicity and see how far they can push. Now it's rumour time but I will try to add a realistic sound to it: I really believe the whole deal with Franco is just to see if he can replace Checo. As in if he can create the same interest and bring as many sponsors as Sergio does and if he will be able to create this many sells and so on. I think he will be able too (because let's be honest, the kid is briliant) but I doubt RBR will sign him, maybe as a reserve or something; Another rumour is connected to the fact that I'm weirdly anxious about the silence around Daniel after he was fired, I think Horner migh still be pushing for his comeback (the only obstacle being Marko, who wants a rookie) and they are staying quiet because nothing is certain - if they manage to break Sergio, then the seat will be free (I just hope that if this happens Checo will make them pay dearly, for every little thing he gave them with nothing in return.); About the strange Jos-Nelson-Marko-Horner-Max meeting - I think it's possible they talked about the second seat but I doubt they would do it so openly in front of Piquet (maybe he is a friend but he is not a part of the team and I doubt they want to show the issues just like that in front of everyone), even if they talked about what to do I choose to belive in the contract and that they can't do anything about it; on the other hand maybe it was just a 'old friends meeting' or something, maybe Sergio wasn't there because honestly, in his position I would avoid every single one of the gang; Max was probably just frustrated with the same question over and over again

In all honesty (and to sum up the rant) I think Sergio would've been already fired (because Horner and Helmut hate him) but the contract is not easy to dismantle, Checo isn't stupid and he wouldn't allow another Racing Point to happen to him; I think right now negotiations are going strong but I really don't think they will demote or fire Checo next year. If he leaves, he will do so on his own (and good for him, even if I love watching him race); But one more thing - wouldn't it be funny if at the end of next season (since Sergio said many times he will be in F1) Sergio said he is retiring and Max does so too? Then RBR would be left with nothing and the karma would be perfect.

I totally agree with the mind games RBR are playing with Checo, it's like slowly pushing him to quit so they don't have to pay whatever it will cost them to end his contract, which it must be A LOT, I hope they go broke if that happens (I'm petty, I know).

Bird being still his engineer baffles me so much! they clearly don't work well together, and Bird keeps screwing up the strategies and being silent on the radio; this, the fucked up car and the evil enviroment... recipe to destroy anyone's mental health and stability.

You know what are we leaving out of our theories? The dinner Checo had with the RBR owner Chalerm Yoovidhya (who owns the 51% of the company) and his family. What if Checo was planning ahead, and this is why he knows he won't be fired? I just remember about the dinner because I saw an insta picture, but... how this could fit our crazy narrative?

My theory: Chalerm Yoovidhya is a Chestappen believer and wants them together.

On the other hand, I feel the reunion between the Markorner and Jos was to see how the roster to throwing rumors to the press would be. You know, which one would be first, and then who would follow. Everything to keep the bad press around Checo in this mini-break until Las Vegas.

Don't let me get started about Nelson Piquet being in the paddock this weekend. I can't believe people are defending this guy and saying he deserves to be there if Jos was also there (like they have a contest of who is the awfuler option, it was horrible).

Oh yes, it's quite ironic, when in 2021 Checo was an instrument for Max to use to win his Championship, everyone loved him, but now, they no longer see the use of him, and I suspect it is because Checo started complaining and being more outspoken about things. RBR don't like people airing things unless they are the Markorners or Jos Verstappen (who has nothing to do here, but he keeps getting in the way).

In my opinion, the Daniel thing is a long stretch but plausible because Horner loves him so much and he probably would marry him if he wasn't already with Geri.

My conspiracy theory: Checo is telling himself in the mirror to just hold on to finish the season, probably like this:

Until the new contract enters in 2025, and then...

But if they somehow manage to end Checo's contract, I hope he takes everything with him and burn them to the ground.

But something you are totally right is that Checo learned his lesson in Racing Point: Trust no contract, protect yourself. So if they can fire him, he must have a guarantee about it, his manager said that a very big sum of money, but maybe also guarantee him a seat in other team.

Checo and Max riding together into the sunset in the end of 2025, leaving RBR behind is one of my dreams, honestly! I thank you for that vision.

[hibiscusangel15]

Entity Horror Movie Rec List: The Stranger

The Stranger is an entity that personally freaks me out. I already don’t like interacting with strangers if I can help it, and the idea of a creature completely stripping away all that you are and no one, not even those closest to you, being able to tell the difference is horrifying.

A lot of the movies on this list rightfully feature aliens, specifically those of the shape-shifting or infiltrating society variety, and loss of humanity.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

The original nightmare that threatened the world!

I didn’t put a specific year for this one because honestly both the 1956 and 1978 versions are great movies in their own rights. The ‘56 version is a bit cheesy by today’s standards, but honestly, the first time I saw it, I was freaked out by the concept for days after. It’s still pretty effective, in my opinion.

Both versions depict the fear of The Stranger the best of the movies on this list. The infused paranoia of the ‘78 version is near-perfect for it. Noticing something is wrong with the people around you, but not exactly knowing what is something The Stranger adores playing around with. That and clowns, I guess.

Fun fact: The ‘56 version was originally set to have a more miserable ending, but the studio forced the director to shove in some feel-good end instead. I think the more nihilistic ‘78 version revels in that opportunity instead. It also features a cameo by the main character of the original, so it’s almost a self-titled sequel, in a way.

The Thing (1982)

The ultimate in alien terror.

What is there to say about The Thing that hasn’t already been said? Its practical effects are disgusting, grotesque, and unlike anything that has come before (or since). My favorite John Carpenter movie bar-none. Everyone from Kurt Russel to Keith David to even the dog is so good in this movie.

The main characters getting picked off by a bloodthirsty creature that can look like any one of them at any time makes this movie a paranoia-fueled, tense nightmare and I love it. They work through who among them (lol) might be an alien in really smart ways. It has quite a bit of body horror and nasty practical effects, but I would still recommend you watch this anyway.

Games like Among Us are heavily inspired by its premise (and I think InnerSloth credits this movie directly for inspiration). If you haven’t seen The Thing (1982) yet, I cannot recommend this movie enough. Just watch it.

IT

Listen, a movie rec list covering The Stranger wouldn’t be complete without some reference to clowns or the circus. What shape-shifting, fear-hungry clown suits this Entity better than Pennywise? If you say the Killer Klowns from Outer Space, I stg...

Obvious references to Tumblr’s obsession with 2017′s Pennywise aside, both iterations of Stephen King’s IT are fun in different ways. Tim Curry’s 1990 mini-series Pennywise is a lot goofier while still being off-putting while Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise leans more towards being sinister.

Both operate like a creature of The Stranger, in that they lure in their victims with something seemingly innocent and familiar before flipping it into something unfamiliar and wrong. Literally the definition of stranger danger.

To be honest (and I think most people agree), the kids’ half of the story is way more fun than the adult stuff. It: Chapter Two’s cast is fantastic, but it doesn’t totally save the latter half of the story being a bit laughable compared to what their kid versions faced. Probably because (spoilers) they literally bully Pennywise to death. Like how can you not find that fucking hilarious what the fuck.

(Spoilers over) Obligatory clown/circus-related movie lol. They’re both set in different time periods, which reflect different kinds of fears of the time. The 1990 version is set in the 1950s/1970s and the 2017 version is set in the 1980s/2010s. I think both are worth a watch, though you can watch whichever you feel like and you’ll get pretty much the same experience.

They Live (1988)

If I had a nickel for every time John Carpenter made a movie in the 80s about aliens disguising themselves as human, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

All jokes aside, They Live is a horror-comedy that definitely leans more into the comedy and social commentary than horror. Whether you find the alien designs horrifying is more personal preference (I find them kinda goofy), but what they set out to accomplish is still pretty relevant today.

Even the regular humans in this movie fail to trust each other or are immediately shut down when they try. It also has one of the LONGEST fight scenes I’ve ever seen in my life (it’s kinda hilarious how long it goes on tbh). Definitely recommend if you need something light to start off with.

Under the Skin (2013)

“You don't want to wake up, do you?”

I will admit, Under the Skin is an artsy film that will not be to everyone’s tastes, but I think it’s accessible enough for those new to horror to try out, too. It definitely requires subtitles if you have trouble understanding thick accents, though.

Under the Skin is about an alien disguised as a human woman luring unsuspecting men to her domain. What ends up happening to them is something I don’t want to spoil. The imagery is so haunting and surreal that it’s hard for me to describe, anyway.

I also think it’s an interesting look into what an alien (or in TMA, any Entity-born creature) might do if it wanted to look beyond its purpose and join humanity. Think Agnes Montague if she was an Avatar of The Stranger instead of The Desolation, I suppose. It’s as tragic as it is unsettling.

END

That’s it for The Stranger! Most of these are classics that most people have seen, but I still feel like these are very fitting.

If you guys want a Part 2, I could definitely delve into movies that dive more into Uncanny Valley territory. I want these rec lists to be more a crash course into horror rather than digging deep into the weirder stuff I’ve seen (just yet).

More Entity rec lists:

The Eye

[sagesilentfire]

1

the character everyone gets wrong

Glossaryck. Even the people friendly to Toffee and the monsters don't get that he's the singular most important problem with Mewni. He has literally all the power in the goddamn world and uses it stupidly and irresponsibly and never to save lives.

He gave the Mewmans the wand and didn't take it away when they used it to commit genocide.

He created children and put them to war and abused them. Anyone who hates any member of the High Commission must hate Glossaryck as well, because they are 100% his fault. He says he regrets giving them free will, but the decisions they make on their own (Hekapoo saving everyone from Mina, Rhombulus freeing Star and Marco and revealing the Eclipsa lie, Omnitraxus helping Rhombulus reveal the Eclipsa lie and advocating for the monsters in meetings, Reynaldo and Lekmet... I presume they've done something) are the only good decisions they've made and also that's a godawful way to act towards your goddamn children. You don't regret giving your CHILDREN free will. That is freak behavior. You guide them the best you can and if they grow into someone you hate, you still love them but regret YOUR actions that lead to that. I explore this in samatfoe: Sílthéy loves Glossaryck, even though he hurt her and others horribly because she cares about him, despite it all. And they don't even have the traditional parent-child bond! He was a character collab between her and two of her siblings. But she knows she's his mother, and she regrets her own actions as much as his. And this doesn't even cover that the first onscreen appearance of the MHC has him almost kill Rhombulus. He would have at the least severely hurt him had Moon not stopped him. And then there's him convincing Star to destroy the magic, which, aside from the horrifying implications, would kill his children. But that doesn't matter at all to him.

Then there's the cowardly pissbaby side of him. He was MIA during Solaria's reign, saying he "doesn't dabble in politics" as if he didn't CREATE those politics. This jackass is every morally corrupt centrist rolled into one. He could've stopped Solaria. He could've stopped Crescenta, and Moon, and Mina. He could've stopped every queen there is. If he had the modicum of sense the creators so desperately want him to have, he could've guided Mewni to a better future himself instead of whining about how the queen HE TRAINED is creepy or genocidal or evil. Glossaryck is the city mayor who condemns racism while shoveling money into the police department. This awful, inactive jackass could've stopped everything bad in the series and he doesn't.

In samatfoe, and in other stories I plan to tell, I have Sílthéy, who is on paper a lot like Glossaryck. Omniscient, omnipotent, flaws extremely evident but still usually on the good side, really goofy and weird. But the difference I hope to show with Sílthéy is that she tries to be a good person. She guides societies towards kindness and equality. She tries to promote fairness, communism, and yes, self-reliance, since it's part of the rules of the universe that she can't always be there and may leave at any moment. The only reason she didn't obliterate the Mewmans where they stood when they killed millions of people is because she was bound by oath. In my next WIP, she only interacts with Iako's world once a century because that's how the universe works. She tries. That's the difference.

[sophieinwonderland]

Positivity anon.

You will fail then, simply put. If you continue to make yourself out as a monster, you will be reinforcing all of the things anti endos believe. You will be proving that endogenic systems are ableist towards CDD systems, in their minds, regardless of how you treat pro-endo CDD systems.

Did you treat SAS like this? I’ve been around in syscourse far longer than you have, nearly for that decade that you’ve mentioned, and on the internet for far longer than that still. I don’t remember seeing vitriol like this back then. I don’t remember you treating known “monstrous” anti-endos that way.

I don’t remember anything but kindness making this world a better place.

It’s not tone policing to let you know that actively retraumatizing anti endos will do nothing but retraumatize them. You will not make less anti endos this way. You will not make things any safer for endogenjc systems. You won’t be working toward plural acceptance.

Meanwhile, I just had another anti-endo friend of mine come to me to tell me they’ve changed, and they regret how they’ve acted. I’ve worked with this friend to remind them that, while I thought their beliefs about endogenic were horrible and dehumanizing and wrong, I believed they could be a better person, and I knew our differences couldn’t stop us from co-existing. I was the first endogenic system they knew who didn’t treat them like a monster.

When all you’re treated as is a monster, then you will stay a monster. And most days, it feels like that’s what you want. After all, if you didn’t have anti-endos, what would be left of your blog? Isn’t this all you do now? Attacking anti endos as much as possible to further instigate and traumatize them into becoming so monstrous that (somehow) they become irrelevant? I still don’t understand your logic.

This isn’t the plural future I want. When you said the future is plural, I thought you meant we would accept all systems — traumatized or not. Traumatized people will fuck up and make mistakes. Being anti endo is one of those mistakes. What you show to everyone is that making that mistake makes people irredeemable, worthy of the trauma they’ve experienced, and bigots with no hope of reaching a safe environment where they no longer feel the need to lash out.

I just want to show anti endos that there’s a way to change and grow.

Did you treat SAS like this?

Like what?

SAS and I had lots of back and forths, and they certainly weren't always kind on either side.

I didn't yell at them. I tried not to call them names. I didn't use profanity. But at least aside from the very early beginning, I wasn't warm and cuddly to them either.

But if you look at how I handle anti-endos directly when I talk to them... I don't think I've changed my tactics that much. I think if you compared how I responded to SAS 2 years ago, it's probably not much different from how I handle anti-endos directly today.

I'll make the big scary posts every now and then, but those are separate from my direct interactions with anti-endos.

I think that how I engage with individual anti-endos is the same as it's always been. I'll point out flaws in their arguments, I'll counter them with links to academic resources, etc.

I don’t remember anything but kindness making this world a better place.

What about passion?

What about righteous anger?

Would LGBT acceptance have made it as far as it has today (even with as far as it has yet to go) without the Stonewall Riots?

I am not suggesting that we are to the point where we need riots either. Nor that we're enduring the level of systematic oppression as LGBT people in the 60s. But what I am saying is that there's an alternate universe where, when the police raided, the LGBT community at the time bowed their heads and went along in silence because they didn't want to create stir. A universe where there were no riots and no gay pride parade to mark its anniversary.

In that universe, would gay marriage even be legal today?

I look around at this community, and I see so many people who are mistreated by society for being plural. But despite this, they have been conditioned to accept it. They've been conditioned to feel like there is something wrong with them for the way they are, for being plural.

And I want them to know that it's not their fault that they've been mistreated. That they've been bullied. That they've been accused of faking.

And that this shouldn't have to be the way the world is.

That we can change it.

But we can't change it if we aren't angry about it first. If we're complacent and just accept it the way it is, nothing will change.

We need to be willing to come together and loudly proclaim that we will not tolerate intolerance.

I respect what you're doing. I truly do. And I think the endogenic community needs people like you in it, who are willing to reach across to the other side.

But I think it also needs people who are willing to call bigotry what it is.

Because while kindness is great, kindness alone without passion will simply be complacency with the status quo, and acceptance of hate.

And that is unacceptable.

[bonefall]

unrelated to much, but can you give a few fun factoids about russetfur and blackstar ? they’re my favorite duo and i really love what you’ve done with them 🥰

Sure! I can conjure up some. Glad to see my platonic MLM/WLW Black/Russet agenda is spreading across the masses!

Blackstar and Russetfur are lifelong friends, each other’s closest confidants. There’s no person in the world that Blackstar trusts more to be his deputy. He hasn’t always been at her side, and that is one of Blackstar’s deepest regrets. If things had gone just a little bit differently in TigerClan, he would have killed her just like he killed Stonefur.

That is a reality that sits with him, though Russetfur has long since moved past it. He doesn’t feel like that’s something a person should be capable of moving past, and if it is, he’s not a cat who should be on the receiving end of such forgiveness. She thinks the way he tears over these sorts of questions is ridiculous and unhelpful; grief fills no bellies, it only empties them.

They meant the WORLD to each other. When Russetfur died, he felt aimless and broken. He had no idea how to function without her. In my rewrite, Sol’s manipulation is coming AFTER the death of Russet. Not before. It is this loss that causes him to be so susceptible to it.

Russetfur

She was the sort of person who forgets to have hobbies.

Her mind is always focused on practical matters, never had any patience for drama.

Russetfur loves the way a Clan is so personal and connected. Everyone looks out for each other.

BloodClan was so much looser organized... more cats, less personal.

She appreciates having people around who remind her to take breaks

ESPECIALLY people who can cut through her intimidating aura

If you're a cute girl who bosses her around she is already in love with you.

Her friends (and Blackstar especially) make sure to set aside a fat rat for her when she comes off patrol. That’s how you get her to switch off of work-mode.

She actually was pro-Brokenstar, waaaay back in the day, but had loyalty to the Clan above him. So she did not follow his elite into exile.

She was NOT a member of Deerfoot's rebels... but Tigerstar had his eye on her.

The day of Stonefur’s execution a voice in the back of her head told her, “That could have been you.“

Blackstar’s complicity with Tigerstar’s plans put a massive rift between them.

It took a long time to mend that trust, but there was no cat in the world he trusted more to be his deputy... and she agreed that someone had to keep his butt in check.

Blackstar

He broke a tooth biting Deadfoot’s gauntlet during the bloody WindClan massacre. When he thinks about his mistakes, he licks it. 

If you're familiar with ShadowClan culture, you'll realize Blackstar is surprisingly fun-loving.

His punishments are VERY creative and usually have an edge of irony. Like making the cats who watched Berrykit writhe in pain humble themselves at a Gathering by reciting Darkstar’s Commandment.

He's Ivytail's embarrassing uncle.

Very critical of himself, though.

He has come a very, very long way from the person he was in TPB.

He sometimes denies himself of pleasures out of guilt.

Him and Russet don't have a lot of ACTUAL arguments, but the ones they do have tend to be about this.

The way Russetfur looked at him after Stonefur’s execution was one of the major reasons he set himself on the path towards redemption after becoming leader.

StarClan did not give him his lives all at once; they made him come back over many years, slowly earning them through trials and reckonings.

He could give in at any time and take the lives from the Dark Forest... but that would mean taking one from Tigerstar. Never. He couldn’t look Russetfur, or Fernshade, or ANY of his Clanmates in the eyes ever again if he did that. Better to have just the 1 life he was born with than 9 from him.

Because of the way he earned his lives over time, his very last life... was from Russetfur, just before the Great Battle.

“Get off the floor, you sad sack. I’m not giving you a life for crying like a big baby.”

He rises, tired, still feeling as heavy as a stone. His executioner’s hood has worn away over countless seasons, leaving only a dark cowl on the back of his head. A thin stripe of black still crosses his chest, like a string dangling threadbare. When she touches her nose to his, he feels a hot surge in his heart.

The black thread snaps.

“With this life, Blackstar, I give you... freedom. Your growth hangs fat on the vine. I give you the taste of the fruits of your labor; the sense to recognize a debt long since lived and repaid.“

[caluski]

again, a brief moment of self-reflection :-)

turning a little older yet again, i think its funny to see myself changing still. i wont lie that my life feels that much different from what it used to be - but other than boring things such as employment or housing or the lack of relationships, something has perhaps shifted in a bit quiet way, one you usually notice upon retrospection much later.

i think im still pretty much a hopeless romantic, in that stupid, proud, dramatic way that makes me absolutely fucking insufferable. everything must be either grand or tragic. obviously, its not a bad thing in itself, but it does make me far too self indulgent for my own good. i know i have to learn patience towards others, and domesticate my solitude, otherwise soon life will drive me even madder... there is a lot to reconsider when it comes to what i expect from life and people in my life, even if it feels like i overthought everything to death and back already.

the big goals for 29th year is definitely going back on meds. or should i say, finding meds that actually work for me. theres a lot that i want - such as moving out and becoming independent, having a stable job i dont have to worry about losing, or finding companionship in my daily life - but i want to be realistic just once. last year, i remember finding out about the layoffs right before summer ended, and i thought - my next job will be the one that fixes everything. obviously, its not, not yet at least. even the minimum wage aside, im annoyed with lots of aspects of it, so its far from perfect. i wish i could land a safe, corporate job that pays enough to keep me afloat on my own, but, well.

but like, other than all my actual flaws, i dont think my attempt to romanticize everything is that bad in itself. it does make good-but-normal things seem far too good to be true (like having friends, being loved, having a safe home - how can it ever be real for me, if its so beautiful???), but other than that, i do like the way it makes me feel. i like treating every coffee like the biggest blessing of the day. i like how good music makes me tear up. i like it when days are so good, theyll feel like a dream when i look back at them. i just have to keep it under a little bit of control. i have to get used to the thought that the world is not out there to cater for me, that i am not in fact the center of the universe, that everything goes on no matter what. i always liked the thought of being not the main character of life, but more of a best friend or love interest; youre still there, you can participate, you can be significant if you put your mind to it, but the world wont stop for you. also, i do like the sentiment of someone's main purpose in life being both giving and receiving of love. i might lack the brains and beauty for much more, but love, i think everyone is capable of, no matter what - and it includes me, in the end.

i want to spend more time taking pictures and listening to music. going to cafes and having long walks. i want to try going back to drawing. i wanna get better at writing - god, if this wall of text alongside all my other silly little posts arent a proof of that...... - which of course, means reading more, too. i wanna hear more live music. local, or maybe the big performances, if artists i like come over to warszawa or kraków or something. also, i wanna travel a little more. even if just to sit in a local cafe and watch the traffic. i wanna visit żmija (if youre reading this, i swearrrrrrr im not trying to invite myself over - but maybe if im in kraków or something, we could see each other closer to your home. which could also be fun because its such a big city, so much to see, so many cafes to experience. maybe a gay bar to visit? are there any worth dancing in?). and i do wanna continue collecting vinyls - slowly, as they are so costly, but still. and i do wanna become more outgoing, i want to take more risks, even if it leaves my stupid little heart sore and exposed.... rejection is inevitable, right? and i do want to catch up with romantic experiences, too. i want to feel something for someone again, even if its one-sided and desperate and miserable. but i miss it so badly, so so badly. i want to have someone to pour out my affection on - consensually. i want someone to want to be loved by me as i am, with all this mess of loud, intense feelings, without being freaked out. or maybe getting freaked out in a good way.

anyway. such a gloomy day calls for love & food playlist promo. have a good evening everyone! mwah

[monstersinthecosmos]

I have no intention of watching the new IWTV show, but I was wondering why you think Armand's characterization was so bad. I kinda hated how Antonio Banderas played him in the 1994 movie (not on its own, just in comparison to the books - I feel like his personality/demeanor was totally different), so it's sad that they still haven't gotten him right... Judging from pictures alone, I did think the casting for him was more fitting this time. Anyway, just curious to hear your thoughts!

Oh man!!!!!!!!! I do wanna say up front, I think Antonio was NOT A GREAT ARMAND but I like those scenes in the movie so much because they feel SO RICEY to me. Like I LOVE Movie!Armand even though he isn't Book!Armand, and if you read IWTV in good faith it's the only book that doens't harp on Armand looking like a smol uwu cherub so like ! SURE. He definitely still brings the calm nurturing mentor vibe in a huge way and the scenes in his room feel the most like the books to me.

I also know from the director's commentary that they specifically wanted Armand to look like that so that the Europe vampires would feel like OLD WORLD SCARY vs like, another twink lol. So he's got a little more of a tropey Dracula vibe going on and I think like as a visual contrast it works really well.

As far as the show; I think Assad is EXCELLENT. And like the whole fandom was joking even when the credits hit IMDB that it was gonna be Armand because everyone was like "OHH ARRIGHT.. LOUIS'S """""ASSISTANT"""""" OKAY !" so like I was one of the conspiracy theorists looking for clues the whole time. And his MANNERISMS are dead on and gave him away before anything else did. I have zero issue with the actor, I think he's so spooky and a complete smokeshow which Armand DESERVES. And I wish I could like the show for him, I really do! But it's just NOT WORKING FOR ME.

I'll put the rest under a cut cause it got lengthy and I'm not trying to like be a downer on anyone's dashboard but TLDR the show is so completely unrecognizable to me and I think it would've been so much better as an original concept, and personally I'm not excited by randos who share names with the books I read. The show is a hit! People really like it! But idk like showing me these two random ass men and saying "Hey this is Daniel and Armand" doesn't excite me because the story they're showing me actually ISNT Daniel and Armand lol. I'm here for the story!!! I'm not here for Easter Eggs!

Here's my main few gripes with how they wrote Armand which I find mega disappointing:

He spends 6.9/7 episodes pretending to be Louis's assistant named Rashid. WHY! LOL. Why would he do that! DANIEL DOESN'T REMEMBER HIM ANYWAY SO WHY???????? I DONT UNDERSTAND. Like Armand is a weirdo but is he THIS WEIRD? idk. idk.

The show also (in my opinion!) horrifically botched Lestat, but there's like this grain of doubt because the show has a theme of memory being unreliable, so the speculation is that maybe Armand planted a skewed version of events in Louis's head? Even the show runner sort of hinted at this? LIKE I HATE THIS?? Because if we get to S2 and it turns out that Lestat's been misrepresented, it then turns the tables and makes it that ARMAND is the one who's horrifically botched????? Like I'm all for silly Armand jokes and memes and whatever but like. sigh idk i just looked really forward to this show and hoped to see Armand on screen and I didn't really want a meme version of him. ((Also as an aside I really dislike the unreliable memory themes on the show the way they're presented because like the books frame unreliable narration as like interpretive and emotional but the vampire lore canonically is that they have like mega supernatural photographic memory? idk. If memory is faulty because they still have that human fallibility it's one thing unless they're saying Armand planted memories in Louis's head??? idk idk.))

And like speaking towards whether or not Armand is a person who would plant false memories in Louis's head; I concede that he psychically influenced Louis to join him in IWTV but like. ARMAND IS A NUANCED CHARACTER WHO ACTS FROM A PLACE OF NEED AND HURT. And idk it's just so fucking clunky I can't imagine the manipulation taking this type of shape. There's just, to me LOL, a huge difference between the mental nudge of "You are lonely and you need guidance please come with me" and "Lestat was a horrific domestic abuser." And like. idk. Just within the package of the whole rest of the season, this team has the subtlety of dropping a fucking piano so I just have no trust in them to write him with any sense of nuance.

AND THE BIGGEST OFFENSE THAT I'M JUST COMPLETELY DISGUSTED BY IS THAT HE'S A DAYWALKER?????????????????????????????????????????????????

I just hate the daywalking shit so fucking much I can't even start. Like the show changes a lot of the lore which is fine whatever it's their show change lore if you feel like it whatever but like. ARMAND'S ENTIRE LIFE IS THEMATICALLY BOOKENDED BY DARKNESS. He grows up in a CAVE. He lives in a CULT BENEATH A CEMETARY. He tries to KILL HIMSELF by GOING INTO THE SUN.

Like. And he's only 500? That's like adolescent for a vampire LOL.

There were a couple times in the season where they had some continuity errors on the show!lore so I got the vibe that the writers didn't really care about all the VAMPIRE STUFF which is kinda disappointing to me bc I'm a nerd lol but it felt like they used Armand in the sun to just give the audience a red herring and it came across as really cheap to me. So I wouldn't put it past this team to kinda be like DAYWALKING SURE LOL and not really take it seriously or think about the larger picture of how that unfolds for the character over more seasons.

IT'S WHATEVER, I JUST. I know it wouldn't make good television but I like VC because it's like existential dread and consuming darkness, I want it to hurt me, I want it to feel bleak, I want Armand's entire arc to be about how much he struggles with the idea that there's no God. It just feels like if you can make it a few centuries and be able to withstand the sun, what's the fucking point? What sacrifice did you make for being immortal? Especially for a character like Armand who so fully believes himself to be damned and would never want to make another vampire, would never subject even an enemy to it.

Especially bc like in the show the vampires can like ? Smoke? And have sex? And they can eat food (even though it tastes like paste but they can eat food). IF YOU CAN SMOKE AND FUCK AND GO IN THE SUN YOU'RE JUST A GUY. Where's the fucking DAMNATION OF IT ALL? Also what's the fucking point of Those Who Must Be Kept if you can go in the sun lol. I just . Ugh what a clusterfuck.

The show turns vampirism into more of a power fantasy than the way the books treat it as damnation or a symbol of being othered so it doesn't really mesh with like, my idea of VC and what I want out of it.

So Armand being a daywalker = Instant Nope From Me. I'm not interested in whatever they're trying to sell me lol.

A few other things that are NOT confirmed but generally just giving me the ick that I worry about:

I really, really, deeply, truly, hated how they wrote Claudia's character and how they wrote about rape, and that gives me a really bad feeling about how they'd potentially tackle Armand's canon background. The two options are: They don't, and he's a completely different character with a different background, with completely different context for his personality/motivations/etc (in which case who the fuck cares he's just some guy who shares a name with the book I like, and not really Armand), or: They GO THERE and it's just extremely heavy handed and insensitive and not fun to watch. I think show!Claudia maybe has more in common with Armand than book!Claudia because they aged her up to be a teenager so it's just, yikes. THEN AGAIN ARMAND IS NO LONGER A TEENAGER ON THE SHOW?

And to that point like. I don't need a bunch of fucking conservatives getting in my face about how I want to see a teenager sexualized because that's not the point; logistically for TV it makes sense that he's older, but again, it changes his backstory so much. imho, Armand being turned as a teenager and looking like a teenager is a huge element of his character! It's important! It just is! And I'm sorry that the show decided that the vampires could have sex, because they invented this problem for themselves! If they kept the canon lore you wouldn't have to see them have sex anyway LOL.

I also was not a fan of the truncated timeline of the show; season 1 takes place in like 30 years I think? And covers from the beginning of the story until Lestat's murder. And I believe Louis will meet Armand in the 1940s; they have the original interview in the 70s and they're together then, and they're together in the present in 2022. Idk I'm just not impressed; humans can get divorced after 30 years too, what's the point of having immortal characters if you're not gonna stretch out the timeline? And so much happens for Armand and Louis in canon and I have no idea what's happened or not happened on the show yet, no one's really sure which events have happened yet in the present day segments of the show. So like idk there's just a lot of Armand/Louis stuff to be smushing into 70 years lol and I'm bummed that they're rushing through the timeline so much.

So I just. Sigh. There's a lot of themes in VC that I really adore that the show doesn't care about, like being VERY OLD and NEVER SEEING THE SUN AGAIN but. I'm in the minority on this one because people love the show LOL. I'm happy for everyone who likes it, but it's not for me.

And like. Just! I knew going in that it would be the Loustat Show, I think everyone knew that, I didn't have huge expectations for Armand/Daniel content but it's such a small part of the books that like it would've been nice to get a couple scenes or some gifs out of it or whatever. It just sucks that like they SET UP the series in a way that the Devil's Minion won't happen on screen. And it sucks that like, depending how long the show runs for or how long AMC retains the rights, this might be the only chance in my lifetime that I had to see Devil's Minion on screen and it's not going to happen.

It's just a bummer man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry to anyone who likes the show lol I just found it to be like mega disappointing and I don't think I'm going to watch S2, I'm too upset about Armand & Daniel LOL.

[sexysilverstrider]

Irresolute Feelings (Chapter 1) | Volokari

   If someone had told Akari that she would find her soulmate 500 years in the past, she would have either dismissed it or laughed it off.

   It’s stupid, unbelievable, and downright impossible. She would have a better chance to find a shiny Feebas than the possibility of her love interest being someone who existed way before her own grandparents.

   And what if her love interest was a man who was hell bent on killing her and wiping the entire world from its existence? What if they had a horrible fallout that would surely confirm the very idea of them never seeing each other again? What if they had to reunite a year later after being forced to face another unspeakable danger that threatened the past, present, and future?

   What if they put their differences aside and worked together which ensured not only the world’s safety, but also their intense feelings for each other?

   It was hilarious. Unbelievable and hilarious. Akari might have to smack some senses if someone told her that.

   And yet...

   “Akari?”

   His voice snapped her back to reality. A jump and a short peep, then a blush on the cheeks when the other’s reaction was a laugh. “Don’t startle me like that.” She spoke as a glare was given to the tall man.

   Not a guilt was hinted when Volo replied, “Sorry, my dear.” Seeing the puff of her cheeks was a delight. Baring a sense of confidence, he leaned towards her and gave a quick kiss on the top of her head.

   Ah, those cheeks got cuter every time he saw her.

   “You were staring off in the distance.” One hand teasingly pinched her cheek. “Get distracted any further and I would have loved to bite this red mochi.” His smile curled swirls when he saw her pout and push his hand away.

   Truly, ever since they were in a relationship—as shocking as it was to both of them—Volo found absolute delight in teasing her. What was once a tool of manipulation, now became a natural habit. He never knew the young woman could be so expressive and responsive. In the few years they knew each other, Volo had observed the many faces of The Chosen One.

   He had seen how she pined for him as he blinded her with lies. He had seen unbearable heartbreak when they fought their final battle in The Temple of Sinnoh. He had witnessed her rage when fate forced them together. He had witnessed her indifference when he stood by her side against a common, treacherous enemy.

   He felt the horrifying fear of seeing her almost lifeless for the second time in their battle against her past—to get a glimpse of never, ever feeling her warmth ever again.

   He felt the agony, the breathless pain when she was blinded with a choice to go home—knowing very well that he may never, ever see her again.

   It was something he wanted. Something he should have wanted.

   And yet, the memory of losing his family, his tribe, his light—everything—Volo soon found out that Arceus was both cruel and merciful.

   As the new year soon rolled by in the corner, Volo now saw pure love emanating from Akari. And how selfish, how powerful he felt to know that that genuine love poured endlessly for him—and only him.

   “I’m not food, you know.”

   Her voice brought him back. It always did.

   “Ah,” Quickly he recollected his sense, “but you do taste delicious.” His smile stayed, sly as a Zoroark that could almost everyone thinking he was one. “I, for one, definitely remembered how delicious you tasted last night—”

   “Okay!” A shout echoed inside the house, tone slightly pitched to match the burning red in her cheeks. “You need to get to work before I sic Belial on you.” Without waiting for his response, Akari—still with cheeks ablaze—swatted his hands away and spun him around.

   As much as their feelings were mutual, Volo still found utter disgust in that Hisuian Typhlosion of hers.

   Granted, he tried to kill the starter’s wielder in the past, but the Pokémon needed to know that people change.

   “Yes, yes.” Shaking in mock defeat, Volo easily spun his heel and held her hands. “I’m off to work now. I’m sad to see my beloved Akari shooing me when all I did was giving her affection.” A sorrowful tone bounced with every word. His smile still stayed in place, Volo bit back a smirk to see her jutted lower lip.

   Truly, she tempted him so.

   “I’m not shooing you,” she grumbled, knowing very well he was just toying with her. “We’re both going to be late and I can’t afford to have Commander Kamado giving me a lecture again.”

   He knew she was somewhat joking, but a part of him twitched at the mention of another man’s name.

   “Hmm...” Lips pursed, Volo bobbed his head and casually reached for the Ginkgo hat near the entrance. His eyes on her broke for a moment, and Volo immediately wore the hat to hide such a flickering glare in his iris.

   Unaware of his actions, Akari took a deep breath and held her head high. “Well, if that ever happens again, I’ll have Nobunaga to fight him in my stead. In the meantime, I’ve been practicing some fighting moves with Rei so the Commander will never know what’s coming!” She flexed one arm, actually showing a bicep that had become proof of her survival skills in Hisui.

   As proud as she was—and she deserved to be—Volo couldn’t fight the crack in his heart at the mention of another man’s name.

   He despised it. He truly despised it.

   “Well—” he clipped, tone light yet sharp, “in that case, I should have no worries in the world.” A smile curled his lips, perfect and still. Her gaze on him only fell for only a few seconds, for Volo knew, if she looked at him any longer, she would see the true emotion that gritted behind tight lips.

   In the guise of looking at the sky through the opened door, Volo gently patted her head. “Be careful out there, Akari.” Volo looked at her again, assured that this time, his smile was masked to perfection. “I’ll see you later tonight.” A kiss was bestowed on her forehead; pride beamed in his chest to hear the soft squeak of his beloved.

   His beloved.

   His. No one else.

   One hand cupped the place that he kissed, Akari gave a little pout. “Mm…” Sound meek as the red in her cheeks, Akari cupped his cheek with her other hand. “I’ll see you tonight, Volo.” Her mouth remained parted, hesitant at the next words that lingered at the tip of her tongue. Her heart yearned for the words to be released, yet her mind held back with a fear that choked her throat.

   “I love you.”

   Finally, she said it. Again and again.

   Her heart triumphed at the success.

   “I…do too.”

   That success however was short-lived and extinguished.

   A glimmer of disappointment dimmed the colour of such mesmerizing black irises. But just as it came, it quickly then disappeared. With a quick breath, Akari quickly regained her pride—this was not the first time after all.

   With silence and a smile, Volo excused himself and left their home.

   Leaving Akari standing by the entrance, once again mending a withered heart that ached for the one word it so desperately needed.

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

   The Chosen One was a human girl who fell from the sky and became the voice of those who ruled them all.

   She was the strongest in her time, and now the strongest in theirs. Her capability to handle Pokémon as if they weren’t beasts that could easily kill both placed such awe and horror in people. Everyone praised her. Everyone derided her. At first, humans formed distances among themselves in fear that she was a curse that would rob them of their living. As time went by, such baseless rumours faded as she proved herself to be helpful and heroic.

   The rumours started again—growing intensely even—when the sky turned red, and all the attention fell upon the human girl who had done nothing but sacrifice herself for the greater good.

   Humans were stupid. Idiotic.

   And she was far stupider.

   “I love you.”

   A sharp breath hitched as her words lingered. Volo shook his head lightly, walking forward and trying his damnedest to ignore the burning pain in his chest.

   He should have said it back. He should have confessed as well. He should have bared himself open to the woman who saved him from an abyss that swallowed him whole.

   And yet…

   “I love you.”

   Another breath. Sharper. More strained.

   “How foolish…” A low hiss spat through gritted teeth. Knowing that he couldn’t keep his mask on in front of customers, Volo quietly walked towards an alley. Once assured that he was alone, he placed his bag and lazily leaned against a wooden hut. One arm draped across closed eyes, though regret them loomed once he realized it only made him see the smile that brought back hope into him.

   Suddenly, a bright red light zipped past his bag. Volo didn’t need to look to see who it was.

   ‘Volo?’ Togekiss chirped lightly, concern etched on her face. Her wielder didn’t respond immediately, but she knew he heard her perfectly. ‘Do you need to talk about it?’ She knew he couldn’t understand her, but Togekiss hoped that the low tone in her voice was enough to convey the message.

   In a way, it did.

   “I’m just…” A grunt. “A lot of things in my mind, dear.” Slowly, his arm dropped to his side. A woeful smile was given to the Jubilee Pokémon. One hand gently petted her, fingers ruffled through the soft white feathers.

   She squeaked at the affection, but kept her worries on him still. ‘Akari?’

   Volo shouldn’t understand her, yet the intonation that she gave was so familiar.

   His smile quivered. “I—” His hand stopped on her head. “She…” Akari’s fate. Her presence. Her feelings. Her. Volo had grown through so much the moment she invaded his life. At first, all he ever wanted was to get rid of her. She was an obstacle. A plague that needed to be exterminated in order for him to reach his goal. As time rolled by, he soon realized that she was the key to his new world. He just needed to use to her. To guide her to the plates that would ensure Arceus’ presence.

   Volo then realized her feelings for him.

   He was disgusted. Revolted. Excited.

   He could use this. He could use her. Love is a disease that could weaken even the strongest. A man who had seen colours and light could go blind so easily if love asked them to burst their eyeballs. If Volo played his cards right, he could convince her to give him all his plates.

   If not, he could always kill her like he planned.

   Alas, Arceus had other plans for him—for better or for worse.

   “I’m…” His heart hurt. “…afraid.”

   Togekiss remained quiet, patient and waiting, never surprised as Volo bared his feelings.

   “She’s mine now and I…” His mouth gaped. A bitter chuckle escaped through. “I often think that I will wake up soon.”

   Surprise finally widened the Pokémon’s eyes.

   He looked at her. Sorrow clouded his vision. Despondence lined the corners of his smile. “We should have been in our new world right now. We would be happier. Free from the suffering and pain that we’re forced to face. Free from Arceus’ judgement since I would now hold his powers.” The hand by his side curled to fists. “And yet, none of that ever happened. Here we are—here I am—still in this damn world I hate. In this damn universe that condemns my every waking day.”

   Togekiss merely listened, her frown deepened by his confession.

   “And yet…I don’t mind it now.”

   Surely, she was surprised at the fact that he was still able to surprise her every now and then. ‘Meaning?’ Casting a quick glance at his bag, Togekiss perched on it before giving her full attention back at him.

   “I don’t mind living in this damn world. I don’t mind breathing in this cursed universe.” Grey eyes looked at the sky, blue and clear with hope.

   He despised it.

   “I don’t mind all of that now because…because now I have her.”

   The pain in his chest tightened at the memory of Akari. 

   The Chosen One who saved the world from falling into ruin. The Chosen One who saw the good in everyone even from those who exiled her. The Chosen One who sacrificed her own happiness if it means others were able to feel joy.

   The Chosen One who finds the chances of this timeline after losing her own in an aftermath of a demonic destruction.

   She should be broken. She should have lost hope. The moment her world was destroyed right before her very eyes, she should have numbed all senses and used the blasted deity to recreate her world.

   And yet, she didn’t.

   To make matters worse, neither did Arceus.

   It may have saved her from the brink of death. But to deny her the wish of ever returning home was something any human would have a reason to lose their sanity.

   Volo could never know the conversation they had between the two, but once the Alpha Pokémon finally granted his wish of its presence, all he remembered was the sound of its haunting voice: ‘This is meant to be.’

   The last thing Volo remembered was seeing Akari. Lifeless and unmoving as she lay on an open meadow.

   His emotions were bare as a newborn baby as he cradled her into his arms. His laughter and tears mingled as he saw her grumble awake.

   Their old worlds may be gone, but Arceus had given them a chance to start a new world together.

   A smile he didn’t realize he had trembled. “That’s why I’m afraid.” His head dropped. “What if this was all another dream? Another cruel play by Arceus? I’ve done so many things to blaspheme it, it’s not a surprise that I’m being punished now.” Both fists were raised, shaken and tight. “To feel this happiness. To get a second chance. To receive her forgiveness. To taste her love. All of these are things that I should never deserve…”

   His voice lowered, quivered.

   “I love you.”

   “Her words ring so true and I…I want to believe her. I do…” Slowly, his back slid down. “I do…” Curled hands resting on the top of his knees, Volo weakly bent until his forehead landed on his fists. “But if do believe her, if I do say it in return, what if this little world shatters? What if she fades away and I can’t do anything to reach her…?” His voice cracked. Blonde bangs shielded the side of his face.

   “I love you.”

   “I can’t lose her too…”

   Silence was the answer to all his sorrows.

   A lone man knelt in the alleyway, hidden and quiet amidst the lively sound of the village. He remained still, lost in his despair. Togekiss only watched him, sad and even more concerned as she listened to his fears.

   ‘Volo…’ she peeped. Carefully, she hopped off the bag and towards him. ‘You won’t lose her.’ The Jubilee Pokémon softly bopped his head with her own. ‘It’s been almost a year and you’re still together. If this really was a cruel game by Arceus, she would have left or died by now.’ Togekiss tried her best to cheer him up—tried being the keyword. ‘But she didn’t. She’s here and she loves you. Even if she’s terribly sad that her world is gone, she didn’t lose hope because you are there for her.’

   Her comfort was given in sounds of chirps and cheeps. Even if Volo couldn’t understand, Togekiss would try her best to make sure that his friend was happy again.

   ‘Akari truly loves you.’

   The familiar tune of her name brought his head up. Volo looked at his childhood friend, mouth frowned and eyes gloomy. However, a part of him fizzled a numbing warmth at the sight of her confident smile.

   Maybe he did understand her a little bit.

   “Thank you, Togekiss.” Back straightened against the wooden wall, Volo gave her another pat. “Thank you…”

   A triumphant coo actually tickled a laugh out of him.

   ‘You should tell Akari how you feel too.’ She tried again. Knowing that this message was very important, Togekiss took flight and started flying in front of him. She zipped to the left then upwards, then turned upside-down for a mere second before flying right-side-up, then downwards and to the right, right at the starting point.

   It took Volo a few seconds to realize what she was trying to convey.

   “Ah.” was all the man said.

   He wanted to laugh to see such exuberance on the Jubilee Pokémon’s face.

   “I—” The hesitance was back. “That…requires time.”

   Togekiss frowned. ‘A year is considered time enough.’

   He knew damn well that she was chastising him.

   “I do love her!” Finally, the words Akari yearned for echoed in the alley. Alas, only a Pokémon was able to hear it. “I… She knows that.” Back was his smug, cocky attitude. “She knows damn well I love her since I clearly show it. Many times with the help I do ever since we live together and many, many, many times with my body.”

   Togekiss looked utterly unimpressed.

   It was a stab to his pride.

   “Togekiss, I—” He stopped, then huffed. “I will—tell her.” Admitting defeat, Volo waved his hands. “I will. Soon.”

   The muscles above her right eye was raised.

   “As soon as possible.”

   A single tilt of her head was given.

   Another sigh. “Tonight.”

   Finally, Togekiss chirped in glee.

   Truly, he couldn’t win with her.

   Relishing on her jubilance, Volo casually stood up and wiped the dirt off his butt. “Well then, since my persistent friend is encouraging me, who am I to deny—?”

   “I’m so glad you’re here, Akari.”

   The sound of a familiar voice saying a dear name stopped Volo in his tracks.

   He didn’t know when he started moving. He didn’t know when his head started turning. He didn’t even realize Togekiss chirping in surprise as he walked past her.

   Once grey eyes spotted them, he felt his breathing hitch uncontrollably.

   There she was. His Akari. His beloved. Having her arm around Rei. Standing so close as the young man leaned against her.

   His muscles tensed. His thoughts numbed. One hand that was pressed on a wooden wall curled slowly, roughly until nails scraped against the thick material of wood. His heart raced. Screamed. Howled. Banged madly inside his chest, bellowing for freedom. His breathing grew ragged, flaring through nostrils before seething through gritted teeth. A shadow loomed on his face, hiding what’s left that blonde bangs had covered.

   Eyes were wide as saucers. Pupils shrunk madly, shaking as he watched her hold his hand.

   Togekiss quickly hopped next to him. Surprise widened her eyes to see the topic of their conversation. ‘Oh, there she is!’ she chirped, giving a little bounce. ‘Do you want to go and say hell…’ She looked up at him, voice then dulled to a murmur as she saw his manic expression. ‘…o…’

   Neither a response nor reply was given.

   In a blink of an eye, Volo turned around, snatched his backpack, and marched away on the other side of the alley.

   Horror immediately dawned upon her.

   ‘Oh no…’ Sensing pure malice that emanated from her dear friend, Togekiss quickly took flight towards him. ‘Oh no no…’

   Deep in her heart, the Jubilee Pokémon prayed for the impossible.