#since they didn't commit to the reverse thing

[segundaii]

Ok, so i was thinking about the paris special and chloé and like, what if reverse!chloé is mean like the special confirmed, but unlike canon!chloé shes the extremely rules-adherent class president archetype and she bullying marinette consists of going overboard reprimanding her for not adhering to a enforced dresscode and being late all the time

[lala-blahblah]

I will never make this because it would be for an audience of one (me) but ever since reading "If we Were Villains" (story about serious drama kids in college who perform shakespeare and deal with a murder) I have been entertaining the thought of a crack fic crossover with High School Musical The Musical The Series where the staff decides they will no longer put on shakespeare after the tragic accident that happened at Thanksgiving, because Shakespeare plays would only increase the tension and drama. So they hire Ms. Jen who decides their spring play will actually be High School Musical (which exists in the 90s in this universe) and it ruins the vibe so much that everyone gives up on being dark and mysterious because they're universally pissed at Ms Jen for making them learn choreoraphed basketball dancing.

[kiame-sama]

Just wanted to say how much I mad LOVING the monster AU so far. Your writing is so good and I adore the world building. Hadn’t seen your stuff since chapter 9 (thought you may be taking a break or something) then I see chapter 17 pop up on my dash?! Scrolled through all your stuff and caught up :)

I wanted to ask how your AU would react to the MC getting into a magical accident and becoming a child/toddler. We’ve gotten some peaks into how the boys would handle their own children, but how would they handle a human child?

Hope you’re having a great day!

Warnings; hijinx, magical mishap, parental yanderes go into Maximum overdrive, various mentions of kidnapping, confused yanderes, begrudging parental behavior, several delulu yanderes,

~~~~~~~~

- Crowley has a veritable collection of Human artifacts and is thrilled to have the chance to try out all of the Human things meant for infants. Just look how cute his precious little chick is! He doesn't really get the whole 'parent to a human' thing easily, but he is going to try or die trying.

- Lilia is conflicted. He wants to have infants with his Human, not raise them from infancy! He has raised at least one Human child from infancy, so he knows can. Lilia is able to differentiate between how he feels for the Human as an adult and how he feels for the Human as an infant. He just sees it as practice for when he actually gets to have hybrid young with the Human. Still, he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a little odd about the situation.

- Papa Hades is immediately on campus the moment he hears the Human is now an infant. He has raised many of his own descendants, he can raise the Human as well. He understands that it is temporary, but that doesn't mean he isn't melting over the squirming infant Human. Truly someone who is happy to parent and thrilled to be the parent figure for the Human.

- Divus is fully committed to kidnapping the Human and intends to be absconding away to the nearest body of water. He will be entering his full seal form and taking the Human out onto the water if he manages to steal the Human away. His intention behind doing this is to behave in a way similar to an otter, holding the Human-turned-infant on his stomach and guarding them from any other possible threat. He feels most comfortable taking care of the Human in his seal form because he is faster and stronger in his seal form. Any indication that the Human infant is uncomfortable will result in a very stressed Divus. If he does not succeed in his attempts to steal the Human, he will be working on a reversal potion/spell.

- Malleus is following Lilia around while Lilia cradles the Human. Malleus has seen infant Silver before, and even some Fae infants, but he has not seen a Human infant before. He is surprised at how genuinely cute the little Human is and he can only imagine how his own young will look when he gets to finally have them with his Human, once his Human is their normal selves again, of course.

- Rook has woven a web cradle to help carry the Human and is desperate to be of use in any way. He is a hunter that is not so well versed with parenting, but he will absolutely rise to the challenge if it is presented to him.

- Vil is not sure what to really do with an infant, he is a movie star, not a nanny. He will be turning rather broody and mother-hen-ish over the Human-turned-infant. His Harpy instincts demands he keep the Human warm however possible and he will be screeching at anyone who gets too close to the Human. His screech will be making the Human begin to tear-up and cry which will only further anger Vil at whoever dare intrude.

- Leona doesn't like kids, he never has. ... He will make an exception for the Human-turned-infant and the now parentless-cub Grim. It is a role of the dominant male lion to look after the cubs and tolerate them while the child-rearing lionesses hunt. He will complain the entire time, but he will actually be very good at child-rearing because he was expected to take care of Cheka when the cub was first born as Falena and his wife would occasionally need breaks from the needy cub.

- Trey is an old pro at taking care of centaur-infants, but a Human-turned-infant? That's new to him. He won't really understand that the Human needs their head supported as an infant, since centaur infants don't require that same support for their neck. He won't really need to worry about this though, there is very little chance he is going to get to hold the Human, especially with much more experienced caretakers on hand.

- Riddle wants desperately to hold the little Human, curious to see the small creature and may even tear up, so moved with emotion and the idea that this is an innocent creature, so cute and delicate. He will not get to hold the Human. Not only are the staff fighting over who gets to be caretaker of the cute and soft Human, but Lilia, Papa Hades, and the other Housewardens are involved as well.

- Idia has no idea how to take care of an infant and will be passing the Human right off to Papa Hades. He is interested in the process of caretaking- especially when he thinks about raising his own young with the Human once they are back to normal- but he is no where near confident enough to actually try to take care of the Human-turned-infant.

- Azul is cooing and immediately offers his services as a many-limbed nanny. This is one of the rare times Azul breaks character from the suave-businessman to actually be quite gentle and domestic. He talks extensively to the Human-turned infant and will even hold them while his tentacles hit everyone else away. It is his turn with the Human, he is fighting for his right to hold them. He spent the entire time leading up to holding them watching those with more experience so he doesn't risk doing anything wrong or hurting the sweet little Human. He won't even bother with Floyd's teasing over his motherly behavior.

- Jamil is immediately taking over parental duties from Kalim because Kalim would have literally zero clue how to actually be a responsible caretaker. He lifts the Human-turned-infant out of Kalim's arms with his tail the moment Kalim acts like is is going to take the little Human on the flying-carpet. He spends the next few hours with Kalim in coil-jail and holding the sleeping Human, gently rocking them and humming a soft lullaby as he has an unusual adeptness in being paternal. Kalim is whining loudly about not being able to take the Human on the carpet-ride, Jamil is covering Kalim's mouth with his tail to not disturb the sleeping Human-turned-infant.

- Ortho is hovering around Papa Hades and asking every question under the sun about infant Humans. Papa Hades fields the questions with masterful skill all while caring for the soft little infant.

- Jack is going full guard-dog mode and will be guarding whoever is caring for the Human-turned-infant, snarling at anyone who gets too close to the caretaker and infant. He will be on high alert and he will be patrolling.

- Silver and Sebek will be joining Jack in the guard duty, protecting the Human and the one caring for the Human- especially in the case of Lilia- with true ferocity. They actually mesh well with Jack and take up rotating their guard to make sure there is not a single moment the Human-turned-infant is unguarded.

- Poachers- especially those who are Fae that want a Human to raise- will be vicious about getting that small Human, their wishes of parenting a Human being figuratively dangled in front of them and teasing them with the exact thing they so desperately want.

[sparklesandpudding]

Can i ask for Yandere Beelzebub, hades, and Poseidonas. It was soulmate and reverse harem AU. What if the three of them had same soulmate and their soulmate is demigod and sister of Brunhilde and going fo fight in Ragnarok as opposite side? The three seen her getting beaten and hurt. What story and what would they do?

Thank you, sorry for the grammar and asking this. If you are uncomfortable with the theme is okay. Have nice days ahead of you ❤❤

YES!! ID BE HAPPY TO! 😭 Thank you for the idea!

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Token of love | YANDERE ROR × soulmate READER

Hades + Beelzebub + Poseidon × fem!reader

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The gods have never felt pity towards the human race. Most of them despising the mere thought, it disgusted them. All the sins humans have committed against them and the very earth, truly disgusting.

That was until you came to valhalla. Born as the offspring of a human, and a god. That god being, Susanoo. At first, they just thought of you as a lower being, it didn't matter if you had the blood of Susanoo, you also had a mortal's blood within you. It meant you were still weak in their eyes.

Susanoo had fallen for a beautiful woman, who bore him a child, that child being you. So you were raised in the human world. But things didn't go so well for you, ever since they found out you had abilities that slowly started showing, as well as how you stopped aging. That resulted in many townsfolk chasing you down until you stumbled across a young Valkyrie named Brunhilde, who took you in as her sister.

You were brought to valhalla, being introduced to a few of the gods there. Growing up, you had Odin as your father figure, incredibly protective of you since he thought of you as his own daughter, that's why he didn't let you out of the Norse pantheon, which explains why you haven't met the other gods from other pantheons.

But you had friends to keep you company there, a few being Loki and Thor. Loki who loved to chitchat with you and probably make a few sly comments about Thor's little crush on you which would immediately be interrupted by Thor's glare. Luckily for him though, you were a bit oblivious to it.

When you started growing to be strong and pretty, you set out on your journey to know more about everything, still making sure to visit the Norse gods multiple times.

Beelzebub was the first to have met you, when you introduced yourself to him as a demigod. Then Poseidon, who you left with a bitter taste in his mouth from having to face a being that was lower than him. The last was hades, who instead of Poseidon, greeted you formally instead. More mature minded, but that doesn't mean he'll treat you any differently from the rest.

Until you started showing up more and more, getting your name engraved into their heads, which grew overwhelmingly annoying.

Everytime you passed by them, their hearts would beat fast, and they feel a strong connection towards you...it was sick. How dare you make anyone feel that way?

Hades, had heard about it from his dear brother zues, who wouldn't stop talking about it, making Poseidon listen in as well to all his annoying bickering about "soulmates". Beelzebub on the other hand, had read about it after some thorough research in a library, unable to believe that such feelings could even exist, especially inside him. He knew that if his love were to grow too strong, then he'll end up going on a killing spree.

But...it was different...this wasn't just simple love that he felt..it was obssession. An obssesssive type of love. Which is why he hasn't killed anyone yet, making everything more surprising for him. He was never able to love someone so freely without having to face consequences, which is why the feeling that lingered in him..made him long for you. Since you were the only hope he had for love.

Hades, was full of joy that he could find a queen to love and care for. Someone who he could take with him to the lonely place he had to call "home". There was finally something new for him to look forward to, something that could always brighten up his world.

Poseidon... Poseidon was unhappy about the fact that he had to bear feelings for someone... especially the offspring of a human...you were a deity of lesser status, if he ever had to marry anyone, it would be a woman of higher status, but that would mean the marriage was loveless. This however, was a new experience, being able to love someone so much, it was pathetic. Anyone who bore feelings like that were pathetic...but oh how desperate his body ached to see you.

When the Ragnarok came into place, Brunhilde had convinced you to fight as a representative for the human race. Which you kindly accepted, she was your sister after all. How could you ever turn her down when she needed you most?

You walked into the arena, hoping to win for the sake of humanity. As cruel as humans were, there are still a few exceptions who deserved to live. And to your surprise, you saw the faces of Poseidon and hades, as well as Beelzebub. Their eyes watching you like a hawk, they hated how you had to be a representative. It meant that if you ever lost, you'll be gone..forever. that mere thought was enough to make them grit their teeth in anger. What kind of scum would even think of putting their filthy hands on you?

Sadly, you were paired up with a god who was too strong for you to defeat. Your body already covered in bruises and wounds. Your legs grew weak as you pathetically dropped to your knees, throwing up blood. Your weak state...those sad eyes that lost more and more hope every second that passed...

They were enraged.

Luckily for you, you were able to throw one last move in a desperate attempt to kill the god, and it brought you to victory.

Your body immediately slumping down, trembling in pain. Before your eyes shut, unable to remember anything aside from hands carrying you to get treated.

A few hours had passed and you saw three men surrounding you, all of them exchanging glares at each other while you stared weakly.

"can I...help you..? Are you here to...kill me... because I...fought for the humans...?"

Hades was the first to speak, caressing your hair, a sudden spark igniting within his body when he felt you for the first time. "No, not exactly."

Poseidon left the room, gritting his teeth in annoyance as he tried to get some air. Suppressing his urge to kill whoever was in charge of putting you in such a dangerous situation, forced to be talked out of it by zues. Ending in him letting out a "tch" before leaving his brother to soothe his nerves. Oh how good it would feel to kill that skank, but his pride wouldn't let him. He was a god, if he killed a Valkyrie, that would mean he was pathetic and afraid of losing to the challenge.

It's most probably that the gods would force you into a safer place. Believing that it was best for you to stay away from the dangers outside, especially Odin, who caught on to the gods and their 'feelings' towards you.

Odin was incredibly enraged by not only the fact that you nearly lost your life, but, adding salt to the wound, also had a bunch of males trying for your love! That's why he got Loki and Thor to guard you, knowing that it was best. Not uttering a word to the others about your sudden disappearance.

The other gods were pissed when they couldn't find you anywhere. The love that swelled in their chest made them desperate to find you, but they had no idea where you were put after your match.

But don't worry, once they get rid of all the possible threats to you, they'll find you. They'll find you, and take you back to where you belonged. With them.

But for now, you can play your little hide and seek. But beware that it won't last very long once they've got their hands on you.

After all, it was your fault they felt that way, isn't it?

So don't go wondering why you woke up to knocking on your door, and don't be surprised if it wasn't Thor, or Loki, nor Odin...

You have to pay the consequences.

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@kuroi19-blog Hello!!! I'm finally finished with the story. Thank you for requesting! I hope this is good enough for your liking 🥹

[animeaandp]

[emptying drafts-88 to go]

MHA Prompt

Aizawa’s wife forgets him (Wanted to do so much more with this, sad it didn’t work out)

Captured by the league with the intent to transform you like they did to Oboro

You're rescued before the transformation can be completed

No physical damage is done but mentally you weren't the same

you flip flop between yourself and a programmed villain

Aizawa was committed to staying by your side and had total faith that the partial effects could be reversed

You tried your hardest but the following year was turbulent. The outburst and fits created messes sometimes too big to hide from you once you turned back to normal, making you feel guilty and like a burden.

The doctor explained that you were being affected in a way that was somewhere in between of a split personality and alzheimer’s. Slowly this switch would continue to take over; overriding your natural state of mind until you eventually become this other person.

A person with no memory of who they 'used to be'.

A person who didn’t love Aizawa anymore.

It felt like your life ended right there.

You and Aizawa kept trying to make it work, even when you 'went away for a while'.

A unique spin on long distance relationships is how Aizawa tried making light of it but you could see how much he was hurting

Your doctors worked out as many bugs as possible; there's no more 'evil twin' of yours after a year but there was nothing to be done about you still turning into another person.

The switches were increasing in frequency and duration as well.

It wouldn't feel like the end of the world if this 'other you' didn't have zero romantic feelings for Aizawa whatsoever.

You couldn't cope with the knowledge that one day you'd refuse his loving embrace, and not be filled with butterflies when he smiled at you.

You finally snap and Aizawa accepts the reality of the situation

Aizawa couldn't stand it any longer and tried absolutely everything to put it off but you were in so much pain, so was he, and things reached a point that it was unavoidable any longer.

Aizawa divorces you. So when 'the time comes' you can be set free entirely.

You cling to him for every waking moment of sanity that you have left

Then one day you drifted out of his reach for good

People grieved with and comforted Aizawa as best they could

Then struggled to pretend that nothing's happened around you

A year passes and things relatively settled

you lived a brand new life and Aizawa truly wished you a lifetime of happiness

Before your mind completely went, the 'other you' developed a crush on none other than Allmight

It became a nightmare for both men

Allmight wanted to drop dead the first time he realized you were flirting with him, knowing this had to be violating some kind of bro-code or law or moral something!!!!?

He avoided you as best he could, then later, once you were yourself again and full of shame, he'd awkwardly accept your apology

He pleaded with Aizawa to understand he wasn't feeding your crush whatsoever, that this was a very uncomfortable position

Aizawa never thought he'd have to watch you fan over another man with his own eyes and the pain of seeing it is agonizing

But he says it's okay

Because he can't remember how long it's been since he's seen you so happy; so much like yourself again

So Aizawa implores Allmight to give things a chance.

If it meant you'd be well taken care of by someone he knew to be trustworthy and treat you how you deserved, then Aizawa would support it

Allmight is hardly put at ease but Aizawa can no longer hold the torch for you. Who better to carry it for him than Allmight.

Finally, if only for his friend's peace of mind, he agrees to entertain things

At a very VERY slow pace

A snail could run laps around Allmight he took things that slowly

Everyone around you could understand the situation, also wanting the best for you as well, but it took so long to get used to seeing you with someone other than your husband, whom you loved dearly 'til your final days of sanity

Allmight struggled to shake feeling icky about this whole thing but there are moments he could see the silver lining and cherished getting to see you happy again as well

People ask Aizawa how he deals with the agony of seeing you with someone else, acting so normal when you'd come to visit Allmight on campus every now and then, and engage in conversations with you as if you had only ever been acquaintances.

He tells them to just look at you and how full of life you were again

He'd never deny that there isn't a single day he wished this was all a dream or that you'd magically come back to your senses and fall back into his arms. Arms that ached to hold you and a heart that missed you more than it could bare.

Aizawa would never remarry, he'd never consider it.

Aizawa would tell you how he was once married to the love of his life, and how she's long passed, but that he will always love her and couldn't wait until they’d meet again

[flower-boi16]

What Are Helluva Boss' Themes?

This is something I've thought about for a while, especially recently when Viv said that Season 3 will focus on a theme of "family" (clearly relating to Stolas' relationship with Octavia).

After doing some research, apperently at a panel one of the writers said that the series is meant to be about "relationships", either romantic, platonic, professional, etc. You can see that since a lot of the episodes do focus on inter-personal drama between characters.

Now, here's the next question...how well does helluva execute that theme?

Let's take a look at a lot of the relationships in the series, shall we? (Green will be goood, yellow will be meh/okay, and red will be bad)

Blitzo and Moxxie: This one is handled fairly well. Truth Seekers gives both characters fairly solid growth where they learn to start being better friends to each other.

Moxxie and Millie: It's not that developed but it's cute as a romantic relationship.

Blitzo and Loona: This is where things take a turn for the worst sadly. Blitzo and Loona's dynamic was initially endearing in the first season, as it was a loving but overprotective father with a edgy daughter that does still show some care for her father. Unfortunetly, the dynamic suffered in Season 2 due to Loona's character assasination ruining her past development, as I've talked about before, and, so far, Loona hasn't gotten anything in later episodes that have brought back her past characterization so this remains a massive issue.

Millie and Blitzo: Gets good development in GhostFuckers showing how Millie met Blitz and helps give Millie actual character depth for once.

Blitz and Stolas: I don't think I need to explain why I hate this one anymore.

Fizz and Blitz: The relationship is significantly underdeveloped and the resolution to their truama is extremely underwhelming and rushed.

Verosika and Blitz: Verosika gets a good moment showing how she felt when Blitz betrayed her trust but that's it. Aside from that, it suffers from the same issues of underdevelopment that Fizz and Blitz' relationship does.

Octavia and Stolas: Relationship was previously very compelling in Loo Loo Land where the series actually knew that Stolas was a terrible father and didn't try to pretend otherwise. Sadly Seeing Stars came into the mix and the show tried to frame Stolas as a good father to Octavia (which, he is not). Sinsmas does thankfully reverse this framming but we'll have to see if they'll commit to it in Season 3.

Stolas and Stella: This one suffers from Stella being made into nothing but a one-dimensional abusive bitch just to make Stolas look more sympathetic. It's part of the show's trend of demonizing characters that call out Stolas' actions.

Blitzo and Barbie: We know literaly nothing about this one but so far it's fine.

So uh. Ya. Most of the relationships in the show are pretty badly written and they suffer from the major issues in regards to character and how piss poor it is.

[beifong-brainrot]

Tlok is so weird about abuse, particularly when their female charcters are abusive towards their male characters.

Like Eska's abuse by Bolin was played completely for comedy. Despite him being shown as clearly uncomfortable, and crying on multiple occasions.

This is especially upsetting because Bolin has been shown as being a rather vulnerable individual with trouble setting healthy boundaries and an aversion to saying 'no'. But even when he does actively express his discomfort and attempts to end the relationship, his autonomy is violated and he is literally forcefully engaged to Eska. And we are supposed to laugh.

He is shown to be so traumatised by the experience that he still actively panics when shown even a picture of Eska and is clearly very hurt that Mako didn't offer him more help in the situation. Which is honestly understandable.

Speaking of which, Mako and Korra's relationship in B2 was... troubled to say the least. Now, Korra had a lot on her plate and was rightfully stressed by the events happening. However, it seemed that she often took her stress out on Mako, getting into arguments with him and yelling at him.

She kicked his fucking desk across the room. While Mako may have upset her by going behind her back and ratting her out to Raiko, but this is no way to react. But we are supposed to be annoyed and angry with Mako, and we are meant to see Korra reacting so violently as justified. [While I don't like Mako's actions in B2 he didn't deserve this.]

This is not helped in the slightest after Lin enters the scene, and comments on thw mess, saying that he 'got off easy'. And she implies that she committed even more property damage after Tenzin broke up with her.

Ah, Lin. I think while Korra and Eska's actions toward Mako and Bolin have been called out sometimes, we tend to overlook how fucking horrifying what we're told about Lin's reaction to Tenzin breaking up with her is.

Because, if we think about this for a little, this is a scary situation. Lin is a very strong and physical person who has been shown to be quick to violence. Air Temple Island is Tenzin's home, and the home of multiple Air Acolytes, full of fragile artifacts that we are shown that he values tremendously and for which he feels personally responsible for.

Ans it's honestly hard to believe that Lin didn't know this about Tenzin, since they persumably have known each other for a while. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if she damaged the temple because she knew it would hurt him.

And it's understandable that this wasn't presented as a very morally wrong thing to do, since the 'crazy ex girlfriend' isn't an unpopular trope in comedy, but it is damaging. Since it plays women doing genuinely scary and upsetting things towards men for comedy, therefore making it more difficult to take such behaviour seriously.

But hey, I guess we can kinda pretend that Lin most likely damaging Air Temple Island with earthbending is comparable to egging someone's house or keying their car. So let's let that slide.

Oh yeah, she also abused her position as chief of police in order to try and get rid of a romantic rival.

Which is extremely fucked up, especially with how Lin presents herself as extremely professional and serious about her job, yet she apparently used it to terrorise a woman for 'stealing' her partner. What kind of bunny boiler shit is this.

And all of these scenes presenting Lin as a vengeful, borderline abusive ex to Tenzin are presented as comedic, further driving tlok's most likely unintentional message of normalising female on male abuse. It's not as in your face as Eska's abuse of Bolin, to the point that without the context of Eska and Korra's behaviour, I wouldn't really point Lin out, but with this context, you can't help but consider it.

Once is by chance. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.

And I hate to make this argument, but if the genders were reversed in these situations?

If a boy were pressuring a young, emotionally vulnerable girl into marriage, treating her as his slave, manhandling her, getting angry when she speaks to a male friend?

If a young man were to scream at his girlfriend multiple times and go so far as to throw her desk across a room?

If a male policeman implied he caused severe property damage at his ex girlfriend's house after she broke up with him and if he tried to use his status to arrest her new partner? (you know, actually 40% of cops are- *gets shot*)

I feel like we'd have a completely different perspective.

While male on female abuse is still often stigmatised and overlooked, I still think that Eska, Korra and Lin's actions would be scrutinised more closely and reacted to more negatively if they were men. Concurrently, I think we would treat Bolin, Mako and Tenzin with more leniency and gave them more of the benefit of the doubt had they been women.

I want to think that this wasn't a message that was presented on purpose, but it's still one of my least favourite aspects of tlok and I genuinely dislike the part of the fandom that trivialises these actions by Korra, Lin and Eska.

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

Kaveh is like this close to committing a sin with Mehrak, like he's playing a really dangerous game. It's just a matter of time Mehrak gets even more sentient when it's already this far. I know Kaveh keeps it in check, but man... I hope they'll talk about this one day. Either that or Kaveh will always brush it off, as if he didn't get some ancient core to build it??? Also, I always love your thoughts, thanks for loving these two so much!

hiya! thank you for your ask! i'm so glad you enjoy my posts :") <3 Mehrak’s existence is so ??? funny to me. we have tighnari’s story quest detailing the akademiya’s ban on research into mechanical lifeforms, directly alongside kaveh building his own mechanical lifeform and parading it around, sending it on solo coffee retrieving missions whilst everyone in sumeru looks on smiling <3

Mehrak’s legality hasn’t been mentioned at all in-game as of now, and as it’s been used consistently, both in kaveh’s hangout, a parade of providence, and now nahida’s birthday event, with not one mention of legality or potential trespasses, makes it seem that that’s how things will stay - especially since Cyno has met/is aware of mehrak’s existence during the battle scene during a parade of providence (then again, cyno did meet the wanderer during this event, and yet in nahida’s birthday event it seems he’s only HEARD of the wanderer through sethos??) but even then, since Cyno trusts Tighnari with karkata’s continued existence, it’s likely not a stretch to say that to Cyno, Kaveh can be trusted with Mehrak’s existence (it’s all very iffy)

Mehrak’s existence, overall, has had little focus other than its usage in battle, its official introduction in a parade of providence, where kaveh stipulates it has low intelligence, and was built to assist him, as well as being incapable of talking back and giving him ‘attitude’ (implicitly comparing mehrak to alhaitham), and in kaveh’s hangout when he works on designing a building. It’s only in recent events, such as cyno’s second story quest, and now in nahida’s birthday event, that mehrak has gotten more mentions, and now a spotlight, which is all in relation to coffee, tying back to alhaitham and kaveh’s improved relationship (the coffee analysis will be in the updated essay finally!!). as of right now, overall, mehrak doesn’t appear to be a major focus

It might be strange for the game to mention now that mehrak has been an illegal creation all this time, unless it’s a significant plot point that has to be resolved, but if mehrak is further explored, like in the temple of silence for example (hoyoverse I am once again asking), then perhaps this collective ignoring of a crime occurring will be explained away, if mentioned at all? It’s interesting that tighnari says it might be possible that this ban is reversed in the future, but as for whether that will actually happen, and the implications of this, aren’t clear

Mehrak’s accepted existence in general poses so many questions. I’m interested in the specifics of the ban, like does it depend on the autonomy of the machine in question? Abattouy aimed to make Karkata essentially human, capable of individual thought, processing, emotion, and conversation, which definitively broaches on the intersection of mechanical and biological life which caused the Akademiya to ban this type of research in the first place. So if a machine is able to act on its own, irrespective of human interference, then this is what the akademiya would want to prevent

In mehrak’s case, it’s unclear as to what its limits are, but from what has been shown so far, it seems that mehrak can only act on kaveh’s commands and when held in battle – it’s uncertain rn whether mehrak can act independently of this, but as kaveh invented it to only assist in certain matters, it’s doubtful. But then again, we don’t have a great scope of whether it can experience emotions, as it has shown signs of being distressed in a parade of providence when kaveh states that it can’t talk back, and when being scolded by kaveh in nahida’s birthday event

if mehrak has limited intelligence, it's interesting to compare mehrak with karkata. abattouy was attempting to make karkata understand human language, and be able to respond in order to have conversation, which was proved impossible, whereas although mehrak only speaks in beeps, kaveh is shown to have a thorough understanding of what it’s saying? Mehrak can be programmed to recognise people’s voices, but seemingly also language, as mehrak can obey spoken command, which is what abattouy tried to accomplish but was unable to with modern technology.

Mehrak, on the other hand, understands kaveh’s basic requests – which is made even funnier in kaveh’s old sketchbook, where he says that more than anything he really wants mehrak to understand what he’s saying. he got his wish but at what cost???

Mehrak being made from ancient technology, belonging to that of king deshret’s civilisation, offers many interesting paths that could be explored in future events, as besides the primal constructs roaming around, the puzzles in the desert, and now the temple of silence, no technology really exists from that time. Someone commented that mehrak’s presence in nahida’s birthday event, in conjunction with the event being based around ancient technology with the wedjat eye, could be highlighting mehrak’s irregularity in modern day sumeru – potentially foreshadowing for a future event that could further expand upon mehrak? If this is the case, I am all for it, there are so many questions concerning kaveh’s little light <3

[cosmowgyral]

Jude's Main Story

Both Ends Bonus Snippets

So sorry guys for being terribly late with this one. I had typed it down somewhere while reading it back then but couldn't manage to find it in the end. So I had to rewrite it.

MDNI

The story is entirely from Jude's POV.

It's been several seasons since Jude's been 'cursed' and his research for developing a rocket capable of reaching the moon is still ongoing.

MC walks into Jude's office and feels that Jude is in a good mood. Jude claims she must be imagining things, but when she persists, he replies that he received news from the researcher working on the rocket, that the issues of balancing air pressure regulation and oxygen supply have been solved. It had been a concern for a long time.

When they head over to the lab to witness the results for themselves, they discover the debris of the rocket scattered all across. It appears the initial attempt was a success, but the second verification didn't proceed correctly. Jude noticed MC was making a sad face and he realised he had given her false hope and happiness.

Jude states that this was better since it would have caused a larger issue if the rocket had exploded mid-air. He asks the scientist to carry on with his research while he prepares the necessary funds. He doesn't plan to quit halfway as that would mean he spent for nothing.

That night, MC barges into Jude's room and requests him to follow her. Despite his initial reluctance, Jude accompanies her at a lake where she rows them out to the center of the water.

"Jude: A boat in the middle of the night."

"Jude: What? Ya trynna commit suicide now?"

When they arrive, she tells him she wanted to touch the reflection of the moon floating in the sky. Jude understood that although he sensed her sadness back then due to her dream being distant, it was really because she believed that Jude would be upset because of the failure. She had been seeking a method to encourage him following that. She tells him that their dream is certainly absurd and perhaps even unachievable, yet he must always strive for it, regardless of how many times he might fail in the future.

She then asks him to touch the moon's reflection as well, but he refused, stating that his hands would get wet. So, she says she will touch it for him, but then she abruptly leans forward, tilting the boat and sending them both into the water.

Back at the castle, MC regretted disrupting her plan and apologized to Jude for getting him soaked.

"Jude: I'm freezin' 'cause I got wet. So go on 'n warm me up with yer body."

And so... *coughs*

"Jude: You're squeezin' too tight. ...Hah, what a nice 'n sloppy face."

"Jude: Even so, you're really hot. Yer inside, skin 'n everythin'. Make sure to share the whole lot with me."

While at it, Jude recalls how he has always longed for the moon. I am putting an excerpt of his monologue here since it was very soul-stirring.

I've always had a longin' for the moon.

Even though I say I hate it 'n it's annoyin', the truth is, I've always been starin' up at the sky.

In my pitch-black life, far from any bit o' happiness, the moon was the one thing that ever shone.

But then, I thought this to myself.

(This hand o' mine will never reach the moon.)

Never thought anythin' shiny would ever come into my life.

Talkin' of hope-- I was already knackered 'n worn out.

('N yet)

My fingertips are now touchin' the moon.

Sometimes carefree, sometimes brazen, a woman who’s always goin’ on about love to me, nearly every day.

This woman is the moon that suddenly appeared in my pitch-black life.

Only gotta hold the moon 'n live my life, that's all.

Maybe it's 'cause I'm used to misfortune.

But the thought that it might slip through my fingers again pops into my mind.

Like the moon fadin', I wonder if it'll just up 'n vanish off somewhere.

She was on top of him but then he reversed their positions, pinning her down on the bed.

"Jude: If ya ever run away from here on, kill me."

"Jude: 'Cause as long as I live, I ain't lettin' ya go 'till you're nothin' but bones."

(Do you see how deep his feelings run? Who would want to leave you, huh?!)

"Jude: You've completely lost yer crisis management skills 'n yer taste in men, haven'tcha?"

(I don't care, I want you.)

"I laugh 'n say I'm happy, even though every day's soaked in blood."

"I'm sure I'll be laughin', even down in the depths of hell."

A few days later, MC storms into Jude's office again. She says that the researcher has genuinely succeeded with the process this time. Inspite of it being his research, he feels that she is happier than him. He claims her to be as dazzling as the moon that unexpectedly appears during daytime.

"--My fingers are now, touchin' the moon."

(I know this wasn't the first time I'm reading it, but I'm in tears AGAIN. 😭

Oh baby, you deserve ALL the happiness in the world.)

➽──────────────❥

With this, I'm done summarising his route. I will once again say, that I deeply love this man and his route didn't at all disappoint me. It rather made me fall for him more. *sighs*

About the two routes, I liked the BLE a teeny bit more. MLE just had the spicier chapter. But Jude is still Jude no matter which route it is. I love him SOO much ughh.

➽──────────────❥

[Masterlist]

[zarekthelordofthefries]

BG3 Companion Sexuality Headcanons

Astarion: Pansexual. Has a slight preference for men. Has a complicated relationship with feelings of attraction and connection, so doesn't usually like thinking about his own sexual identity. Thinks Wyll is the hottest other party member.

Lae'zel: Pansexual, kind of. Doesn't really relate to sex and gender in the same way as the Faerunian companions. Githyanki socially de-emphasize romance, and all sex is generally for pleasure since Vlaakith decides who bears eggs. Lae'zel is alloromantic, but romance isn't generally at the front of her mind in a relationship. Neither is gender; ultimately Lae'zel is attracted to conviction and fighting prowess, moreso even than anything physical.

Shadowheart: Bisexual. Very slight preference for men. (EDIT: I've rotated this in my mind after people pointed it out and I think actually Shadowheart has a slight preference for women.) Remained closeted into adulthood, not because the other Sharrans would discriminate against her (they generally don't care about sexuality) but because she wanted to impress everyone with how well she could keep the secret. Also, excessively kinky.

Gale: Bisexual. Has more experience with women than with men, but that has more to do with circumstances than preference. Though physical appearance isn't not a factor, he would probably describe himself as a sapiosexual; he's attracted to knowledge, intellectual curiosity, and strong opinions. Had crushes on several teachers in wizard school.

Wyll: Bisexual. Realized he wasn't just attracted to women at a young age, and his father was very supportive. No preference between genders, but one of his favorite things to do is court gentlemen exactly the same way he courts ladies; he likes being the devoted chivalric prince to men since he knows it's less common for them to be flattered and told they're beautiful.

Karlach: Pansexual. Years of being unable to make genuine connections with anyone have made her horny for affection, kindness, and commitment. Maybe had some gender preference before going to Hell, but her time there has given her lots of time to consider basically any options. Has at least a slight crush on basically every other party member.

Halsin: Pansexual. No gender preference. Halsin has had centuries to explore his sexuality, and his robust understanding of nature gives him a non-binary perspective on gender and sex. Nothing is a casual fling for this dude, though -- if you show the slightest bit of interest in him he will dedicate his whole heart to you. And also anyone else who shows interest in him at the same time.

Minthara: I didn't actually have Minthara in my party, but from what I've seen she seems like a pretty traditional drow, and when I think of drow and sexuality I sort of imagine a reverse of ancient Greek customs; bisexuality is the norm, men are prized for their beauty and for marriagibility, but it's expected that women will also have flings with other women, and those relationships are often considered more meaningful. I imagine Minthara follows those lines, being bisexual and assuming she may one day marry a beautiful man but being more inclined to meaningful, affectionate relationships with women, due to her own prejudices moreso than preference between genders.

Jaheira: Thought she was straight for the first century of her life, but has more recently opened up to other possibilities. Isn't particularly interested in marriage or a deep interpersonal romance at this point in her life, but she has entered a state of questioning her sexuality -- she's just not super interested in experimenting with actual relationships. She's got more important stuff to do. Did have a fling with Ninefingers that neither of them tell anyone about.

Minsc: Doesn't like labels. Minsc isn't interested in finding a partner, doesn't really care about sex, and is enthusiastic about romance mainly when other people do it. He hasn't given a lot of thought to where he might fall on any sexual/romantic spectrum, but he definitely sees beauty in all of his friends. He will give you the most heartfelt and often embarassing compliments on your personality, style, and appearance. Does that mean he's attracted to you? Maybe, maybe not, but there's definitely something queerplatonic going on.

[aimmyarrowshigh]

what if feige and the mcu were able to commit to following through on actual story-based storytelling ideas and they'd kept it so that a corrupted wanda were the villain of the next two avengers movies and they ended with a reverse m-day, with her bringing mutants into the mcu

what if they'd let elizabeth olsen and benedict cumberbatch slowly show their characters being driven crazy by the darkhold over the entireties of phases 4-5-6 instead of suddenly doing an about-face from the end of wandavision, the best thing they've made since catws

what if they didn't panic about spoilers so much that they ralph bohner'd us in the first place, instead allowing evan peters!pietro to be the first sign of the multiverse for a wanda searching forever for a way to bring her children back and seeding the idea of mutants

what if they made a fucking second shang-chi movie and tied his ten rings to the goddamn eternals via phastos and then to angelbaby kamala, which would have made eternals actually matter to the mcu and introduced an origin for superpowers besides Science and Infinity Stones and setting up for a dichotomy with Mutations

what if they had actually released their projects in phases 4-5 in the order the story intended, so the marvels came out BEFORE secret invasion, which would have made secret invasion make at least a modicum of sense (but still not really because HOW DO YOU DO SECRET INVASION WITHOUT ANY OF THE SUPERHEROES IN IT THAT'S THE POINT)

what if they didn't fridge maria hill

what if they could decide whether they want casual normies to be the audience of their extremely dense superhero lore or are okay with geeks being the audience for their lore-based extremely dense 90-year-old continuous franchise of facts and figures and soap opera level interconnectivity of relationships

what if steve's ending were good and made any sense at fucking goddamn all

"what if" indeed

[sky-high-standards]

Hi, i saw your requests open and i've been thinking what i should request but an idea came up to me.

What about singer reader x yandere fans? I think is a great idea.

Ah apart from that, what's ur favorite song?

Yandere!!Fans x Singer reader

Thank you so much for requesting and my favorite song is currently either the Daddy issues remix or Everything I wanted.

Yep I decided to redo this thing and I may make it a reverse harem

No one expected you to blow up you took the industry by storm your humble beginning and charming persona first got you a small fan base on TikTok then you only got more and more popular and here you are now sitting pretty on a talk show the bright lights blinding you as the host looks at you eagerly itching to start this interview.

Welcome back everyone today we have hit idol Y/n S/n here with us

The crowd roared when they heard your name thousands of people here just for you their beloved idol.

Host: So y/n what's it like to have such success so quick and young.

Y/n: it's pretty overwhelming that's for sure but I have my adoring and loyal fans supporting me.

You said and smiled at the audience and that sent them over the edge your fans were always quite insane lively but they meant well they got you your success in the first place who are you to complain but idol life was tough enough and you weren't exactly thrilled to see your Instagram filled with desperate fans begging for your attention everyday some even threatening to commit suicide if you didn't reply.

And the things they'd throw on stage when you performed were sometimes sweet like a teddy bear or roses and other times not so sweet the day you were preforming and got hit in the face with a dildo is a day you'll never forget...you still shudder st the memory.

And the amount of secret getaway houses you own are concerningly high since an extra persistent can always manges to follow you home no matter how many detours and lane switches you take.

No one said being famous was easy and all fans act like this right?

It's totally normal that they worship you like a God and it's totally normal to know jars of your sweat and used pads are being sold for millions on the dark and what celebrity doesn't have a dab try to kidnap them twice a week.

And you'd think you'd have your bodyguards preventing most of these things but unfortunately they're fans too and it's common to find your bodyguards being a little too close and going through your dirty laundry...

But unbelievably enough there were certain fans that stood out among the rest in the worst ways possible these fans will do anything and I mean anything for your acknowledgment oh you have an extra mean troll sending nasty comments no less then a day later they send an apology and they've mysteriously gone missing you signed an undeserving fans merch? they were immediately talked down and beaten up for it.

Completely normal fans ☺️

[unexpectedreylo]

So, It Wasn't Planned After All

https://x.com/RichEisenShow/status/1734703529552699725?s=20

While Adam Driver is making the rounds to promote "Ferrari," he drops by the Rich Eisen Show and when asked about Ben Solo during the True or False segment, Adam spills the tea.

He doesn't get asked much about Star Wars so this is the first time I think he's talked about his character arc since TROS was unleashed upon us 4 years ago. And he drops the bomb that the Ben Solo thing wasn't planned from the beginning. That's right, Bendemption happened late in the game. He says that JJ Abrams told him the idea was Vader In Reverse (starts out vulnerable, ends entrenched in the dark side) and he kept that concept in mind throughout the time he filmed the ST, until they changed it with the last film. Adam has alluded to the concept of Vader In Reverse before but this is the first time he's gone into greater detail about it, including the revelation that the decision to turn Kylo from the dark side came during the third film.

This shouldn't be surprising to anyone who read the Duel of the Fates script and it explains why Ben hardly says a word during his scenes on Exegol. Abrams and Co. conceived of Kylo Ren as an evil bastard whose destiny was to get eviller; killing Han Solo was meant to be what sent him down the path of no return. Then two things happened: TLJ and Driver's commitment to humanizing Kylo Ren. People loved Kylo and Rey together (hence Reylo exploding in popularity) and they fell in love with Adam. They empathized with Kylo. So they changed course with TROS, a little. Kylo returns to the light as Ben but he is quickly dispatched once the big battle is over. I believe Ben's death was for two reasons: one, they were less invested and focused in Ben's part of the story than we were and two, there was always the intent to end the Skywalker line so Star Wars could focus on new characters. Remember, Rey essentially turned Skywalker into a title that could be transferred to anyone.

That the story changed over the course of the trilogy isn't that big a deal. There was no Chosen One prophecy until the prequels. Leia wasn't Luke's sister until Lucas wrote ROTJ. Han wasn't guaranteed to get out of carbonite because nobody was sure if Harrison Ford was going to come back. Instead of a tyrannical, ruthless bastard like Lee Pace's emperor in Apple TV's Foundation show, Kylo Ren gave us quivering lips, teary eyes, and mooning over the heroine who is supposed to be his enemy. When Rian Johnson introduced the bond between Rey and Kylo, Abrams and Terrio explained it as a dyad and made it prominent in the film. The kiss got put in because Reylo was so popular. Okay, fine.

The problem was they never should have made the Jedi Killer from early drafts Han and Leia's only child. As an old Star Wars fan who saw every film since 1977 and followed the Skywalker clan for over 40 years, I didn't want to see Anakin Skywalker's grandson end up even more evil than he was. What a huge bummer that would've been, even worse than if Rey was killed off. (For the record, I hated the whole Darth Jacen thing so much in the legends books I stopped reading them.) Abrams and Terrio probably realized it was going to be a problem returning to the idea that Ben was too evil to save; TROS already comes off as a tragic ending rather than a happy, triumphant one. And it goes against the whole message of Star Wars. So it ends up being Vader 2.0 and fans hoping Ben would survive were disappointed. I wasn't fond of the idea of exile or something as Ben's fate prior to TROS, but now I think that probably would've been the best outcome. It would've left a lot of possibilities to explore in future SW stories without having to come up with a convoluted explanation for bringing him back.

As much as they fumbled the ball, I'm glad they at least spared us Evil Kylo 4 Ever and Adam's turn as Ben was great even without anything to say besides "Ow." Adam sounded a little disappointed to me but maybe I'm just reading into it too much. In any case he has also stated in recent interviews he would be open to returning to Star Wars, so I guess we can still be hopeful even if he doesn't appear in the upcoming film. (Just don't wait 30 years, okay?)

[saturnville]

a symphony of regret, corioloanus snow

pairing: young!coriolanus snow x black fem oc (illia furdoix). warning: book accurate snow, arranged marriage, toxic!coriolanus. trigger warning: stupid coriolanus. content: it's been weeks since their tense interaction, which has allowed coriolanus to ponder about his marriage with illia, and he begins to realize what he could lose.

an: I got an ask from @ietss about these two and figured I'd come out of temporary retirement to post it. anyway, I was listening to the "scheming" instrumental and this is what came to mind. by the way, this is long.

tags: @snowlandsontopp @babyzzlove @hlstead @rosewine-5 @unicornqueen05 @thegabbyh @neeville @fastlikealambo @urfavesim to keep your spot on the tag list, you are expected to interact! reblog and comment for continued work!

The air in Coriolanus Snow's office hung heavy with the scent of authority, a blend of polished mahogany and the subtle fragrance of Capitol roses. The room itself was a testament to his ascendancy—ornate furniture, walls adorned with portraits of influential figures, including that of his father, and the sprawling view of the Capitol below from the towering windows.

Coriolanus sat behind his desk, fingertips pressed together in contemplation. The city sprawled before him, a chessboard of power, each move calculated and premeditated.

His piercing blue eyes, cold as the ice in his veins, scanned the landscape below. The serenity of the evening concealed the storm brewing within him. It was a symphony of power and regret, a melody only he could decipher.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting hues of crimson and burnt orange across the sky, Coriolanus's gaze fixated on a figure below. A siren dressed in all black, a stark contrast to the opulence of the Capitol. Illia Furdoix, his wife.

She moved with ethereal grace, scarlet heels clicking against the pavement in a cadence that echoed in his mind. He could recognize its cadence with ease. Her dark hair, meticulously blown out, danced in the evening breeze. A new bag adorned her arm, a silent testament to his observation. When they were engaged, he caught her eyes dancing across the details as they passed through a boutique.

But it was the wedding set on her left hand that held his attention—the flawless oval diamond in a high setting, a public symbol of their union. Only he knew the intricate secret engraved within the bands—his name etched into hers, hers into his. A silent vow, a binding commitment, a show that ended without applause once the audience was no longer around.

On her lips was a smile. It was bright and gleaming as she spoke to the individual in front of her. A man. Another man. A man who was not him. A man who was not him, that made her smile so wide that her dimples made a rare appearance.

Her head flew back in laughter. A sound he was not sure he could recognize by memory. What man didn't recognize his wife's smile and sound of laughter? A man who could only recognize the sound of his wife's cries. Cries that he provoked with ease.

Coriolanus felt a pang of recognition, a revelation unfolding. The grandeur of the Capitol office faded into the background as the weight of his regrets settled upon his shoulders. The realization was a slow burn, a dawning awareness that he had been blind to the depth of his own failings.

He was a terrible husband.

Coriolanus was used to control. He was used to fixing problems immediately, hovering over every move until it was completed to his standard. But, this, his marriage; was the one thing he couldn't control. The potential of losing his marriage, of losing his wife, was great. What could he do to combat that?

No amount of gifts, money, or luxury would change her mind. He couldn't buy her forgiveness. Coriolanus was many things but he was far from a fool. None of that would work on her. He wouldn't be convinced that it would work on him if the roles were reversed.

If the roles were reversed, he pondered. How would he feel? Having been fed a lie by a gold spoon. Having dreams of perfect love and marriage shattered by the hand of the one who was supposed to the heart with care and compassion. Could he imagine her brushing past him as she walked through the door when all he wanted was to feel her lips against his? What about her dismissing his attempts at conversation so she could bury her head in paperwork? Or if she only responded to his touch to get a release and not to feel their souls coming together as one? If she'd bullied him the way he had done her.

His world would crumble.

Coriolanus sat back in his white chair, the cold veneer of authority crumbling alongside the fragments of his self-assuredness. The sun had surrendered to the night, casting long shadows that mirrored the looming darkness enveloping his conscience.

Below, the Capitol glittered with its false promises, a city built on illusions that mirrored his own life. Illia continued her conversation, oblivious to the turmoil she stirred within him. The man by her side, a mere spectator in this intricate dance of revelation, remained blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in the nation's most powerful man.

Coriolanus' eyes, once icy and calculating, betrayed a vulnerability not often seen. A husband's failures, a leader's regrets—all laid bare in the privacy of his office.

Amid the turmoil, a determination ignited within him. He was a political strategist. A machine that could not be shut down or destroyed, If he, the most powerful man in the nation, he could figure out how to control the fate of his marriage. A plan unfolded, a strategy born of desperation and remorse. He would win her back, not with gifts or grand gestures, but with a genuine reformation of character.

The clinking of Illia's scarlet heels against the pavement below echoed in his ears, a haunting reminder of the distance that had grown between them. He rose from his chair, the crimson hues of the city below mirroring the resolve in his eyes. His eyes followed her as she made her way to the Capitol building.

It was not long before he heard soft chatter outside the door. "Is my husband in his office?" Her voice was soft, low.

"Yes, Mrs. Snow." Peacekeepers scrambled to open the door for her. The two doors peeled open, revealing Illia Furdoix Snow in all her wonder. Coriolanus' heart increased in rate for the first time in a long time.

Once the doors closed, the pleasant smile on Illia's lips dropped to a straight line. Her fingers brushed the flyaway hairs away from her face, then gripped her purse. "I cooked. Then I came to the city to look for new towels for the bathroom. Wanted to let you know your plate will be in the oven whenever you get back. I assume I'll see you in the morning, so be safe tonight."

Illia's tone was emotionless and it made his nerves spike. Was this how she felt all this time?

Coriolanus cleared his throat and walked around his desk. His dress shoes kissed the marble floor as he made his way to her. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his perfectly tailored pants. "I, um, I planned on coming home tonight. And eating dinner with you."

Illia's head jerked back and her eyebrows raised. The shock was written over her features like a book. Her lips parted but words did not flow from them. She wasn't convinced.

"Illia," Coriolanus said lowly. "I owe you an apology. It's long overdue and it won't make up for what I've put you through, but I..."

Her gaze remained fixed on him, a mix of skepticism and curiosity playing in her eyes. Coriolanus swallowed the lump forming in his throat, acutely aware of the gravity of his words.

"I've taken you for granted, disregarded your feelings, and failed as a husband. "The man you've seen, the man who rarely came home and when he did, brought nothing but a cold presence—I don't want to be that man anymore."

Coriolanus paused, allowing his words to hang in the air. The vulnerability he displayed was unfamiliar, a crack in the stoic facade he wore so effortlessly. Illia's teeth caught her bottom lip as her eyes welled with tears. She began to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet in anxiousness. Was this truly a reality?

"You deserve more than a distant husband. You deserve someone who cherishes you, who respects you, and who appreciates the warmth and love you bring into our home," he continued, his gaze never leaving hers. "I want to be that person for you. I know you may not believe it right now, I know actions speak louder than words, but I am going to show you that I want to be and can be the man you dreamt of having as a husband...if you'll let me."

The weight of the moment hung in the air, the room silent except for the distant hum of the Capitol outside. Coriolanus awaited her response, his heart pounding with a vulnerability he hadn't felt in years.

For the first time, she cracked a smile in his presence. It was small- and only showed a few of her teeth, but she smiled. She smiled because of him. Illia smiled because of him.

"Thank you for your apology," she started. "Accountability is important when trying to change. I can't make any promises to you, Coriolanus, of how long it will take for me to trust you or for us to get to the point where we would like to be, but, I do believe you're being sincere. So, we'll take it a day at a time."

Coriolanus released the breath he was unaware he held tight within his chest. Maybe he did have control over something after all.

"Let's go home, Coriolanus." Home. The word resonated with a chance at redemption. Taking her hand, Coriolanus followed Illia out of the office, leaving the weight of the past behind and stepping into the uncertain but hopeful future.

[pearypie]

I made a meta post about Ophelia like 3 years ago on a blog I have since deleted. Here's me trying to rewrite it without the twitterspeak.

I feel like a semi-popular take back when LB2 first came out on NA was that Ophelia was not actually in love with Kirschtaria, that she had mistaken admiration for love out of compulsive heterosexuality, and that she was actually in love with Mash.

I think the first two parts of that statement just straight up aren't true. It's a cool idea, but I just don't think you can dismiss her feelings for him as fake without dismissing her arc entirely? At that point, it's just a different character.

Ophelia isn't mistaking admiration for love; the entire first half of her arc is the reverse, with people constantly trying to get her to admit that she is in love as she insists that the only thing she feels for Kirschtaria is admiration. "Admiration" isn't consistent with the weird, singleminded devotion she has towards him. This is pointed out. She eventually admits she is bullshitting you.

Yes, it's true that she makes no real attempt to act on her feelings for him, but she makes no real attempt to act on her feelings about literally anything... which is, you know, the point of her character arc. She doesn't love Kirschtaria because a relationship between them will never happen; I think it's more accurate to say that the impossibility of those feelings are why she refuses to admit she loves him, and why it's so important to her development that she does.

So she expresses her feelings for Kirschtaria by doing her best to advance his goals. It's the only way she knows how. But her behavior towards Mash is actually kind of similar; she debuffs her own servant when he attacks her (knowing damn well that the whole Lostbelt is screwed if he "dies"). That's a bit much for "I want to be her friend." On her deathbed and throughout the Lostbelt, she herself admits that her feelings for Kirschtaria and her "desire to befriend" Mash are in direct conflict; she can't commit to fighting Mash, but she can't betray Kirschtaria, either. It's an either/or. She's being pulled in opposite directions.

Almost as if her feelings for Mash and her feelings for Kirschtaria are similar.

Ophelia doesn't even know Kirschtaria that well. They didn't talk much in Chaldea, no matter how much she wished to. They aren't particularly close. All she really knows is that he risked his life to revive the other Crypters, but that's just one moment she has zero context for. Why would she be in love with him?

Ophelia doesn't know a single thing about Mash except for the general circumstances of her creation, which she can see herself in. They didn't talk at all in Chaldea, no matter how much Ophelia wished to. The Mash she sees now, in front of her in the Lostbelt, is an entirely different person -- strong, beautiful, self-assured, nothing like Ophelia. An enemy that must be defeated at all costs. Why would Ophelia want to get closer to her?

And with Mash, you can read it how you wish -- platonic or romantic doesn't matter so much. The irrational part of Ophelia's feelings for Mash is that they exist in the first place, where the irrational part of her feelings for Kirschtaria is that they're specifically romantic. It makes sense for Ophelia to admire Kirschtaria's power, and it makes sense for her to admire him as a person. These are consistent with the stories she tells about herself. But it doesn't make sense that she's in love with Kirschtaria, and that's why it's important that she does. It doesn't make sense that she'd want to be friends (or more) with Mash; that's why it's important that she does. I'm sure the intention is "just friends", but the way it's positioned in the story -- in opposition to Ophelia's loyalty to Kirschtaria -- implies much more. So YMMV.

Ophelia is ashamed of herself for having feelings she can't explain, for being hopelessly devoted to a man she barely knows, for selfishly wanting to get closer to a sworn enemy. She hates herself for having these desires because she knows they'll never be realized. She's supposed to be competent! She's supposed to have her shit handled! She shouldn't be preoccupied with regrets and impossibilities. That's the central conflict of her emotional development; the "irrationality" is precisely what makes those emotions important.

Her feelings for Kirschtaria and her feelings for Mash are, ultimately, two sides of the same coin. Either/or. So I think that acknowledging Ophelia's feelings for Kirschtaria as valid actually strengthens the argument that she's in love with Mash.

She's torn between her feelings for two people. She doesn't have the strength of will to fully commit to fighting Mash, but she'll never betray Kirschtaria, either. She can't decide whether she loves or resents her parents. She can't decide whether she wants to interact with or shun others.

Ophelia's problem is that she lacks the confidence, maturity, and resolve to follow through on her own emotions. She can't be true to herself. But her emotions contradict themselves, and she herself doesn't know what being "true to herself" would actually look like. So the resolution isn't just to pick a side and stick to it...

Ophelia's coming-of-age story is about having the confidence to acknowledge her own feelings, the maturity to understand that they're still valid despite being irrational, and the resolve to know that she's no less of a person because of it. Yes, she and Kirschtaria wouldn't be a good match. Yes, the idea that she and Mash could have any sort of relationship considering the circumstances is bizarre. But those feelings exist, and there's nothing wrong with her for having them.

She thinks Mash and Kirschtaria are an either/or, but those desires can exist simultaneously. She's fine the way she is, contradictions and all. And it's only when she realizes that that she's able to get up and stop Surtr.

TLDR: Ophelia's feelings for Kirschtaria and her feelings for Mash are inextricably linked because they occupy the same role in Ophelia's character arc. I think she is probably bisexual. I wish she got more screentime. I reread her FLB chapter and now she's my favorite Crypter again.

[incorrect-green-lantern-quotes]

Reverse!Lanterns AU??

The thing with Reverse!Robins is that you could theoretically do it with any hero legacy that has at least three members. It might be a little messier in the cases where mentorship is involved, like in a potential Reverse!Flashes (hahaha) lineup where Wally now comes before Barry, but still doable. With the Earth Green Lanterns at least, that's not a concern since they're all pretty much equals.

So imagine Jo Mullein as Earth's first Green Lantern, recruited by a dying Abin Sur. Since she's filling Hal's role, she'd be the one who was mentored by Sinestro, finds out about Korugar, and takes him down. She becomes the greatest Green Lantern and helps found the Justice League. And she'd also be the one who gets taken over by Parallax and destroys the Corps, before eventually being brought back.

Jessica Cruz is the next one up, and because she's got the position that Guy normally has in history, she narrowly misses being chosen as the first by simply being further away from Abin's crash site. Instead, she takes a power battery explosion to the face and falls into a coma before waking up with a radically different personality and joining the JLI. Perhaps this is the cause of her anxiety struggles in this universe, if the personalities remain the same.

Simon Baz takes John's place. Marries and loses Katma, blows up Xanshi, temporarily becomes a Guardian of the Universe in the whole shebang with Mosaic World, becomes a Darkstar, etc. In the modern day, he's the solid and dependable Green Lantern who leads the Corps through their darkest hours.

Hilariously, because Kyle Rayner sits smack dab in the middle of all this, literally nothing about his story changes aside from it being Jo who becomes Parallax and destroys the Corps. He's still the last Green Lantern, the Torchbearer, Ion, and White Lantern.

John Stewart in this universe is chosen by Jo and Sinestro's combined ring after he's arrested for a crime he didn't actually commit. His introduction to the Corps comes during the weird period in which the Guardians went completely off the rails and tried to zombify all life in the universe.

Guy Gardner gets the dubious honor of being "chosen" as the Power Ring host and having to wield the evil version of the green light before becoming a proper Green Lantern. Shortly thereafter, he gets partnered with John and the two of them are forced to share a power battery for bickering in front of Jo.

And last, we come to Hal Jordan. In this topsy-turvy reality, he's offered a different kind of power ring by a Guardian and sent to the Far Sector to solve the mystery