#sorry for the incoherency of this long rant

[greenqueenhightower]

I know u won't get my point, but Alicent should have paid more attention to Rhaenyra and respected her and her father's wishes and not have installed her fucking son on the throne. Things started going south when she married Viserys and when she wanted to strip Rhaenyra off her birthright

How about, no?

*Long Rant Incoming:*

1) Viserys didn't talk about "birthright." In the eyes of the smallfolk, Aegon has the "birthright" to rule simply because he is a male Targaryen heir. Alicent's position was vulnerable because Viserys never actually promised Alicent that Aegon would be king but neither did he specify exactly what his role would be and that was the point… all his children wanted his attention and love, and a place to belong. Viserys didn’t know what he wanted. Before naming Rhaenyra his heir, he wanted a son so desperately that he killed his wife for it. His conscience pained him badly afterward, and he decided to name Rhaenyra his heir. Nevertheless, he wanted a young woman to sleep with; he didn’t want a wife, he didn’t want more kids, and he had already named his heir. But he married Alicent and had those kids anyway. He really was so irresponsible and on top of that, he tells Alicent in episode 3 that he thinks he probably was wrong in making Rhaenyra his heir because of his dream/prophecy, so ofc Alicent was worried. Honestly, he could have made his mind up about Rhaenyra and shut up about it. Or he could have actually thought of his other kids and given them some work to do and trained them for some position if he truly cared for them. From the moment they existed, they were his responsibility. And for sure it makes sense why his kids by Alicent, not having known any special love from their father, would want to finally claim a position for themselves.

So, Viserys set the Dance in motion by his choices. If he had supported his Targtower kids and ensured they wouldn’t be threatened by their mad uncle (Daemon; who hated them just because they were Otto's and Alicent's blood) in the succession, then Alicent would have fewer reasons to establish Aegon on the throne.

2) Alicent spent time with Viserys because she had always considered her own self in reference to the Targaryens. What was she if not Rhaenyra’s childhood companion? When Otto compels her to visit Viserys she doesn’t want to. She brings along the book of histories she used to read to Rhaenyra. What else can she offer to the Targaryens? This is what they like: to talk about their legacies and their histories. So she might as well read to him, right? There’s no harm done. And she went. She does the bare minimum whenever they are together: the bare minimum of eye contact and conversation. Viserys was SO PERVERSE that even with the minimum attention from a teenager he wanted to fuck her. Not even make her his wife because he didn’t want another wife. And you see how surprised Alicent is when he declares so matter-of-factly that he will wed Alicent, no questions asked. Because she was the easiest bride-but-no-wife choice of them all. She already had her father in court who was a megalomaniac, and Viserys thought that by marrying Alicent he was giving Otto what he always wanted: greater opportunities for social climbing. So he’d stay out of his way, right? That’s what he wanted all along, right? So I can have your daughter any way I like, right? (Because had he married Laena, can you imagine being so chill with Corlys as a father-in-law? Ofc he wouldn’t desire anything potentially restrictive for him.) And I’m saying that he didn’t want a wife because of what he’d done before to Aemma. He had already made up his mind that (to console his own conscience and to honor Aemma’s memory) he would make Rhaenyra his heir. SO HE DIDN'T NEED ANY MORE HEIRS. Then why does he get married and have some more?? BECAUSE HE IS AN IDIOT and because he just wanted a young bride. He is the reason the war began, and his reckless choices, not Alicent wanting some compensation for her years of mistreatment and suffering. Because even after he got married and had those kids he still had time to make things right but he didn’t.

So Alicent didn’t marry Viserys, it was the other way around. He lusted after her and wed and bed her. Teenage Alicent couldn’t and wouldn't go against the will of the King.

3) Regarding the friendship between Alicent and Rhaenyra it was actually the opposite: Alicent many times tried to defend her and had her back even when Viserys and Otto believed the rumors of her losing her maidenhood (which as an unmarried heir was an insult to the crown). Alicent didn’t want to believe it and she supported her! However, even earlier than that, Rhaenyra cast Alicent off without understanding or offering consolation for the predicament she found herself in. She never tried to understand Alicent and never really paid enough attention to what her friend was going through even before she married Viserys. Alicent was alone and without a friend and Rhaenyra should have paid more attention to her.

4) Things really started to go south when Rhaenyra betrayed Alicent's trust by lying to her and continuing to flout her freedom, special treatment, and life without consequences to Alicent's face. The reason Rhaenyra had bastards and married Laenor was her own fault in the first place. Alicent tried to encourage Viserys to look for any potential suitors for her, and Rhaenyra had every opportunity to make the right choice but no, she messed it up by seeking out Daemon and then sleeping with Criston, so she brought it to herself. After what she did, there was no suitor available apart from Laenor, and her father forced her to marry him because no one else would. And then she had three Strong kids, making every mistake after the other (although I understand her completely: she had to have those kids because she wanted heirs and because that’s her body her choice, you know? She can sleep with whomever she wants) but at the same time, the game they all play is political and during the time and age we’re discussing, it was a big deal if you had bastard kids, especially since there already were THREE legitimate male Targaryen heirs whose fate was unsure and further endangered by Rhaenyra's actions. But it wasn’t Alicent’s fault that Rhaenyra had those kids, it was her own choice and she had to live up to the consequences of her actions. (She did this once by taking her children away from KL because she, too, recognized that they were being pointed at too much and it was getting too obvious).

5) Alicent knew that Rhaenyra wasn’t going to hurt her kids but the system they were born in would. In case she became heir, for Rhaenyra to secure her succession and have no challengers, Alicent’s kids had to die. Those displeased by Rhaenyra could easily dethrone her if there was an active male heir free to roam around Westeros. Alicent's sons would always be a challenge to Rhaenyra. And maybe Rhaenyra hadn’t thought about it per se and I trust that she never had vile intentions towards the kids (despite the deleted scenes where she gives death stares to Aegon) and despite never calling them by their names or developing a relationship with her siblings. Her own council and her uncle-husband would advise her to kill them. Their position wasn’t safe. Viserys could have secured it by giving them land and titles instead of the throne and by having them bend the knee to Rhaenyra but he didn’t. So their position was very much vulnerable because again, he didn’t care at all what happened to them, but Alicent, claiming the throne for her son, and saving his life the only way she knew how, DID.

[honeycreammilkshake]

"you are me."

i have a lot of thoughts on this whole scene, both shipping and non-shipping ones. the relationship between yuuji and sukuna is honestly the most fascinating and complex one that i have seen in anime, and one of the reasons for that is just how much these two actually understand each other, which i don't think a lot of people realize. yuuji and sukuna see right through each other, more than anyone else does, and i think that's why their bond is far more personal than it seems to be.

yuuji and sukuna are enemies. they hate each other for their opposing ideals and characteristics. yuuji is caring, empathetic, protective, kind, and willing to put his life on the line for both friends and strangers. sukuna is narcissistic, self-absorbed, indifferent to suffering, murderous, unfeeling, and unconcerned with any life other than his own. they seem to be polar opposites in every way, so why would yuuji say something as contradicting as "you are me" to sukuna?

i think it's widely overlooked just how complex yuuji's character is. he's overall a "sweet" person, but he isn't very stable (he has been described by quite a few characters as being a bit "crazy"), he has a high tolerance for disturbing or gory things (he took learning about curses and fighting them very easily), he doesn't question the danger he's been put into (he actually runs headfirst into it), and he can be really violent and vengeful as well.

this is all explored very well in his confrontation with mahito, where he also says "i am to you" to the curse.

why are these scenes so different? mahito and sukuna both killed people yuuji knew and cared about as well as strangers that yuuji would die to protect. shouldn't yuuji be approaching sukuna with the same hate, disgust, and vengeance that he shows to mahito? shouldn't he be lashing out and making sukuna pay for all that he did?

why is he showing his "crazy side" to mahito but not to sukuna?

to give some context to this scene with mahito, the curse wanted yuuji to accept their similarities. and, in the end, yuuji did.

yuuji is acknowledging that he serves as nothing more than a weapon to keep killing the curses of the world, perhaps with no other deeper purpose than that. just like curses only exist to bring misery and prey on humans, yuuji's sole existence at this point is just to act on the orders of sorcerers: to keep eradicating curses and eventually help kill sukuna by dying with him. he doesn't need more meaning or roles than that.

but sukuna doesn't see yuuji as just another cog. he doesn't respect yuuji, true, and he loathes to give the brat any kind of credit. but he knows yuuji is the only one who really, truly cares about sukuna's devastating impact. the death of innocent strangers doesn't affect others quite as much as it does yuuji (even nanami in the vs mahito arc noted how much yuuji cared about the suffering of others).

and many of the other sorcerers are also not as horrified or repulsed by sukuna's actions as yuuji is. in fact, sorcerers and curses alike look up to sukuna. gojo actually seems to respect the king of curse's lifestyle. it feels like yuuji is really the only one to truly despise sukuna for his actions and ideals.

and sukuna knows this. sukuna knows how much the suffering of others gets to yuuji. which is why he gives yuuji such special treatment: he saves a unique brand of torment just for yuuji that he doesn't really give to anyone else.

sukuna intentionally returned control to yuuji's body just for yuuji to witness the massive damage and death that sukuna's domain expansion caused. it killed thousands of people, innocent strangers included.

it led to yuuji breaking down, even wishing for his own death. but yuuji is strong and, deep down, sukuna knows this. yuuji doesn't give up and instead uses his rage to fuel his fight with mahito, where he snaps and shows us his vengeful side. he doesn't need any other reason than mahito being a curse to want to kill him, over and over. that is yuuji's purpose. which seems like an uninteresting and boring one to someone like sukuna.

but for all that sukuna keeps calling yuuji uninteresting and boring, he shows a lot of investment in yuuji's growth and in their fights.

he's even invested enough to show disappointment when yuuji lost to choso. (if he thought yuuji was so weak, why did he seem so bothered by yuuji's loss here?)

and then sukuna looked surprised and curious when choso got hit with some kind of false memory empathetic attack that included yuuji in it. he's having a lot of strong reactions to someone he claims isn't interesting enough for him.

sukuna also loves to aggravate yuuji, somehow knowing how to provoke a strong reaction from him.

there's a lot of interesting things about this scene, one of them being that yuuji refers to sukuna as a "curse" which is technically untrue. sukuna is a sorcerer who used a set of cursed objects to send his soul into the future, but he isn't a curse himself.

but to yuuji, sukuna is nothing more than a curse because he doesn't show any sort of positive traits. sukuna's mindset reflects that of a curse since he only exists to please himself and loves to cultivate the kind of negative emotions curses are born of (fear, hate, jealousy, selfishness, etc).

there's also a clever reference to sukuna being a cannibal through yuuji saying "let's see if you can chew up me and my suffering." yet what we've seen throughout this story is yuuji essentially cannibalizing sukuna by eating his cursed fingers, which he calls the taste really gross. so i wonder... what would yuuji taste like to sukuna?

every human has a unique taste but all of them are fleeting to sukuna. there's no actual meaning or savoring to it. it's just a way for him to pass the time until death.

both yuuji and sukuna are cannibalizing as a form of destruction. but while yuuji is eating the cursed fingers so that he can hold all of sukuna inside of him for them to be exorcised together, sukuna was eating humans simply because he wanted to. he ate whatever he wanted because he was at the top. he is an apex predator with no real rivals or threats. it was for a completely self-absorbed and depraved indulgence while yuuji is giving up his life on this plan to save others.

yuuji and his suffering is the complete antithesis to how sukuna's eating only serves himself. which is very interesting to see when yuuji challenges sukuna to "chew him up." yuuji is proving to be more predator than prey and is far more of a challenge than sukuna wants to admit.

but maybe something about yuuji's resilience does please sukuna? maybe he actually finds worth in yuuji never giving up?

though he still underestimates and discredits yuuji's strength, he actually looks impressed with yuuji and seems even a bit eager to take him on again.

for someone who claims to find yuuji not worth his time, sukuna is showing yuuji far too much special treatment that he doesn't give to anyone else. he even calls yuuji a specific name (kozou) that he doesn't use with anyone else. others are just various offensive terms, but only yuuji seems to have a name just for himself.

sukuna is a really contradicting and complex character, and his relationship with yuuji really shows that.

i've seen a lot of anti-sukuna sentiment after his death, and i understand why a lot of fans hate him and celebrated when he died. however, i think a lot of fans have this somewhat inaccurate view of him being nothing more than a static villain with zero complexities and no chance of any kind of character development.

some of sukuna's most underrated and interesting traits are that he is actually pretty smart (he has an overall plan and is making all the right moves to get there), he's cultured (a poetry snob who hired a chef just to cook him humans instead of eating them raw, and perhaps he even knows more about flowers than he lets on), he shows respect to those he deems worthy and even seeks to learn from them, and he might not actually be the most "evil" person in jjk (which I consider to be kenjaku, but that warrants another post).

overall, sukuna is and has always been more than what he first seems, but a lot of fans don't want to see this or they overlook it.

after sukuna reveals he was an unwanted curse of a child, there was pushback against fans who interpreted this line as sukuna having a tragic backstory that explained his current self.

i understand why these fans don't want sukuna to be a sympathetic villain and i've read posts on how gege writes his villains to be intentionally unsympathetic.

from here (https://x.com/soukatsu_/status/1520796590612566022)

sukuna is the perfect example of a villain that is unsympathetic. he is horrifyingly strong, lives as he pleases, murders people for fun, is a literal cannibal, acts and appears monstrous, and makes our protagonist yuuji suffer over and over again. he represents exactly all the ideals and traits yuuji despises and the two of them are fighting each other because of this.

however, one thing i want to point out is just because sukuna is completely unsympathetic now doesn't mean he couldn't have had an actually tragic past that made him into this.

i believe that sukuna was seen as a curse from his birth on. much like how jogo wanted curses to be the true humans (sukuna calls this jogo essentially wanting to become human) sukuna became purely curse-like to escape being human. whether or not you empathize with him is irrelevant, because after he became the king of curses, sukuna has committed countless irredeemable horrors that even i, as a sukuna fan, don't ever want him to be forgiven or easily justified for doing.

having a tragic past doesn't justify his crimes, it only provides a catalyst for them. it explains why he, who was born human, became more of a curse than some curses are. you don't need to have sympathy for him after that. just like he has no sympathy for those he considers weak and inferior, he has no more reason to be a tragic character.

a lot of people acted like sukuna potentially having a tragic past that turned him into the monster he is now makes him "uncool" or "uncharacteristic" of himself but, to me, it makes his character all the more detailed without changing the fact that he is still purely "evil" and irredeemable.

but does this all make him incapable of character development?

i personally believe that yuuji has been affecting sukuna throughout the whole series, especially in these last few chapters.

i recently came across a post on reddit on why sukuna could never be more than a static villain character. one of the arguments was that gege never intended for sukuna to have any kind of redemption arc.

(https://www.reddit.com/r/Jujutsufolk/comments/16vphxl/sukuna_is_different_from_other_strongest/?rdt=36326)

(now, i couldn't find the original source where this interview came from, and it's not worded very well so i'm thinking it's been quickly translated. and there's always missed meanings and alterations to the original message when translations have been made, especially with japanese. i'm also not sure if the "him" being referred to is mahito or sukuna, but i'm assuming it can apply to both of them.)

this post was made about a year ago, so i assume this interview with gege is also a bit dated now. i think gege is intentionally vague in their interviews because they don't want to reveal too much, but my own interpretation of this post is that gege never intended for sukuna to get any sort of redemption because he is incapable of being redeemed through any kind of love.

and i agree with that. i don't want sukuna to get redemption. what he has done is unforgivable and i don't want him to get off easy for it. but him showing character development is not the same as him getting redemption. and him being affected by love isn't the same as him fully accepting it either.

in these last few chapters, yuuji has offered mercy to sukuna multiple times, despite how even he himself considered it to be a lost cause.

as i wrote earlier, yuuji is the only character who really understands how terrible and curse-like sukuna is. he hates sukuna on this fact alone. yuuji told mahito that his purpose is to kill curses, and sukuna - in the end - is nothing more than just another curse.

so why did yuuji suddenly change all that up and show empathy and genuine concern for sukuna in these last few chapters? why was he trying so hard to convince sukuna that they can co-exist?

one of my sukuita-cult friends (flight-of-death) pointed out that during his fight with yuuji, sukuna explicitly recalled his conversation with kashimo about not needing another person to fulfill him.

while sukuna saying he didn't anyone else to fulfill him was relevant during his discussion with kashimo, it's very interesting that he was remembering his own exact words about it while facing down yuuji, who was making sukuna doubt some of his previous statements.

my friend has convinced me that sukuna and yuuji have found a "reluctant fulfillment" in each other. and i think this is proving to be very much possible.

yuuji was alone most of his life. without wasuke there for him, he could have turned into a ruthless monster like sukuna. yuuji has so much physical and emotional strength, but it was the catalyst of wasuke's death that motivated yuuji to use that strength for good. he might have chosen to be selfish and only concerned with his own wants and needs like sukuna did, but wasuke provided the role yuuji needed to be the selfless person he is now.

i think that yuuji, in all his loneliness, found a kind of closeness to sukuna, even if it was unwanted. and sukuna has definitely been affected by yuuji, too.

as sukuna is dying, megumi finally regains control. he notices how sukuna seems to be scared of death.

sukuna genuinely does look concerned about dying. his mouths are in the shape of a grin but are turned upside down and look more like actual dread. for someone who claimed that eating people was only a way to pass the time until death, sukuna now looks unwilling to die.

i think that this shows that sukuna gained some sort of respect for life, even if it was only in his will to keep living. he does seem to want to keep existing, and it's interesting that it's what yuuji offered him.

yuuji was created by kenjaku to be sukuna's vessel. the sorcerers wanted to use yuuji as a vessel to hunt down all the cursed fingers so that yuuji and sukuna would die together. no matter how you see it, sukuna and yuuji were bound to end up either living or dying together. that is their fate. but now that he has more power in making his own choices, yuuji seems to genuinely want to share the kinder fate with sukuna: to live together. and if you think about it, them coexisting makes a lot of sense.

sukuna has been described as a natural disaster, so how can yuuji have any kind of empathy for something as devastating and unfeeling as an earthquake or a tsunami? in truth, the human race has been coexisting with natural disasters since the beginning - especially japan, which has weathered many terrible calamities. yuuji is a lot like the embodiment of the resilience and strength needed to survive such disasters, so i think he's more than capable of handling a life with sukuna, especially if sukuna is far more subdued.

and sukuna being allowed to live isn't redemption at all. though it would be a form of character development for him, it would still be one of the most selfish things he could do, as it would mean condemning yuuji to an indefinite amount of time with sukuna.

but yuuji seems to want that. he is willingly offering up the rest of his life to sukuna, for them to live together.

personally, i don't consider this to be a form of redemption in any way. he is proving sukuna's mindset wrong, not forgiving him. just accepting his nature and still offering a way to coexist.

i think that by offering this to sukuna, yuuji would essentially become that person that sukuna claims he doesn't need to feel fulfillment. but it's clear to me sukuna wasn't satisfied with his life in the past, since he couldn't offer an explanation to kashimo about why he chose to cross the ages as cursed objects. he is obviously lying or beginning to doubt his own words.

and i think that's why he chose death.

accepting yuuji's mercy, finding that fulfillment sukuna denies needing, would be very un-curselike of him and he can't have that. he would rather be seen as an inhuman monster than something capable of accepting love.

so in the end, sukuna is doing exactly what gege said he would: rejecting love and rejecting anything that makes him less of a curse.

but yuuji isn't easily pushed away. he kept coming back for wasuke and i think that if he really does care that much about sukuna, that if he's wiling to live with him even if no one else accepts it, he won't let sukuna go without more of a fight either.

they can still find fulfilment in each other. they are capable of coexisting. and if sukuna decides to make that change, it doesn't necessarily mean he's completely broken character. and if they don't get to survive together in this lifetime, there's still a good chance for change if they're reincarnated.

[a-sad-mage]

Rewatching Slugterra lately, I find it has such untapped potential. I understand it is meant for younger audiences, but if it were instead for from young adults on, it could have truly turned out beautifully, and I'd just like your opinion on that.

First of all, Eli as a character could be much more layered, conflicted and interesting. We have this hero burdened with a legacy he doesn't even fully know the details of, seing the world in black and white terms, but realizing his father operated in a grey area at times, and struggling to understand his own place in all that. Darker sides of him would for sure surface at times, including self doubt which is hardly ever explored.

Also, the dynamics within the gang and its members themselves could have been much more complex. Racism and trolls for example, the whole idea of Pronto leaving his kindgom behind, and some backstory for Trixie which we didn't have. And about that, I honestly think it would be natural for her and Eli to get involved sooner or later. Too many interests and traumatic experiences shared, adding to the fact that the Shane gang would hardly casually go on dates with other people when busy literally saving the world. I see them having something similar to what hiccup&astrid have (I'm referring to the httyd franchise) in a near future.

Also, countless other characters have such great potential in terms of more mature storylines. For example giving Twist a redemption arc, exploring all the shadiness about will shane, the balance between business and darker interests for Black, just to name a few. I also find the Game Master a very interesting character, potentially taunting the gang in a squid game fashion.

Besides, slugs are well and good, but what about real harm? Ghouls are more powerful, but would Black go as far as using them to kill people?

I also find the whole idea of legacy, for eli but also for many of his antagonists, very intriguing and potentially leading to complex plots.

There are definitely so many shows out there, but I definitely feel like, if slugterra was meant for older audiences, it could really have been something, I'm talking Hunger Games-like fame, which was liked by both teens and adults. Other shows similar to Slugterra don't have the same potential imo. For example, Storm Hawks doesn't have that many realistic premises (the binding of capitalistic interests and darker deeds for one). I already mentioned it before, but I find it could have been as known as how to train your dragon (a cartoon liked by basically all ages, each group of which grasps different levels of complexity): the bonds between creatures and their riders/slingers are there already, as well as a tight-knit group having each other's backs, with a gentle giant, a comic relief, a badass no-nonsense female second-in-command, and a reckless protagonist male character (I know many would hate this idea, but I find Junjie's character pointless in a situation where so many other things could have been explored before going to the other side of the world).

Since you seem to have so many interesting takes on slugterra generally, I would like yours! Long message I know, but unexpressed potential taps right into unmentioned things.

Long rants how I missed thee-

also, swears near the end becase I started ranting lmao

Anon, all phenomenal points, that are on point.

Eli is one of those characters who, in my opinion, had a lot of right to get like, extremely angry and lash out justifiably on several occasions, for multiple reasons.

Kid needed, and quite frankly needs to be an angsty, moody, angry at the word teen but was essentially forced to be an adult.

And you may argue yes, Eli made the choice to follow through and take The Drop at 15, but you also kinda have to acknowledge, he like every Shane before him, for as long as they where acting as protectors, was basically groomed to become Slugterra's Protector from a young age.

Said it once, I'll say it again, Eli is justified to have a crash out, and even pull a Spider-Man and quite being Protector for however long he wants, till he genuinely wants to go back to being The Shane. If at all.

-

The relationship and dynamics of the Shane Gang are important and im tired of pretending it's not.

Four very different individuals, a Moleinoid, Cave Troll, Human male and Human female, all live under the same roof, all with different experiences, issues, baggage, and stories as to why they ended up the way they are.

In less than a month they are living together, and it's only hinted at briefly in the first handful of episodes that the shift to all of them living at the Hideout was difficult. They have clear house rules about what not to do in the house, the food preferences the building of small team tradition like a big dinner before an important mission, and so many other little things.

I mentioned briefly in another older post, but you can only take so much living with the same people for so long, no matter how well you all get along. Hence, all the pranks.

Pronto clearly has some self-worth issues, hence his need to be the center of attention.

Kord relies on being the tech guy, because if he's not that, than what is he?

Trixie, while I lover her, her need to film and make it big one day as a real director and not a Slinger implies her want to leave something tangible, and real behind so she is remembered as more than just a Slug Slinger or a member of the Shane Gang. To be more than a foot note in history like many other Slingers.

Personally, while I ship Eli and Trixie, I also do just enjoy them being platonic best friends, as i genuinely love good, well-built friendships with members of the opposing gender without romance, especially since romance was not the focus of the show.

hot take, but romance for the sake of romance is shit and can ruin a character especially if it ends up becoming a main focal point and fuck up a character, especially the 'woman' in the relationship.

[I love HTTYD, it's awesome but the Race to the Edge ep Mi Amore Wing pissed me the hell off because of what it did to Astrid.

While yes, season 5 and 6 had a focus on Hiccup and Astrid's relationship, and how it affects not just them, but the team a whole, something that was carefully developed, but having Astrid becomes self conscious, insecure just because her relationship with Hiccup isn't all lovey dovie was like Mala and Dager's, causing her to act like a brat while they where dealing with something arguably more important, in the middle of what's essentially a war and race to find the King of Dragons was stupid and just drama for the sake of not explicitly having it. it was such a dumb reason for Astrid to be angry at Hiccup I'm sorry. like I get it was also about Hiccup needing to be able to pay attention to the people in his life, and not zero-in and hyperfocus and communicate, but there where just so many better ways to do that,- ]

Not to say I hate romance or no to it entirely, or the idea of Eli and Trixie becoming cannon/getting together. it, like everything needed to be handled carefully, and not rushed, trauma bonding be damned

That's why Aerrow and Piper's relationship felt so organic and natural in Storm Hawks, it was never the main focus, but it was hinted at, the affection was there, and real, and had a purpose. Because yes, a relationship in any story needs a purpose outside of just 'getting to together to the sake of getting together'. Romance outside a romance Story has to have a meaning, hell even Romance's in a Romance have to have substance, out side of the pairing being lead boy and girl, boy and boy, girl and girl or so on and so forth. And while Eli and Trixie have chemistry, it very surface level to me, nothing that tell's me they care about each other more than friends and teammates. but that's just my interpretation of their relationship.

But yeah, the development of their and the rest of the Shane Gangs relationship as a whole is important. And I wish we had more-

And FUCK YES- RACISM BETWEEN CAVERN RESIDENTS- its real, it's so freaking real because of stereotypes and preconceived notions- HOLY FUCK MAN- CONFLICT!

Don't get me started on Twist and EVERY OTHER MINOR VILLAIN/CHARACTER-

Twist's redemption would have been grate as the seeds were planted with the looks of hesitant on his face. I have mentioned it before with him being the Azula to Blakk's Ozai but give him Zuko's redemption arc. And would elevate his character. for me at least I don't know about others-

More and more Blakk Industries workers and highered marks slowly realizing Blakk is a nutcase who had become obsessed, and trying and failing to leave.

Game Master is Jig Saw but rated E for everyone.

As a Caustic main in Apex Legends, and a Toxzon from MaxSteel(2013) sympathizer, I have a special love for Blite.

And just, so many other minor villains/antagonists in the show who, quite frankly where done dirty, like Saturday and his Smoothie obsession. The show introduces so many cool characters but doesn't use them to their fullest of potentials.

And a lot of that has to do with run time, and them making more specialized characters than the story necessarily needs, and giving them complex stories and concepts without the proper help that is minor exploration of the character threw showing up again.

we see this in Storm Hawks. it's a fairly large main primary cast, for the main hero's you have 6 of them, 4 main villains, and serval minor supporting secondary characters and antagonists that all make reoccurring apparencies, with tertiary characters who appear once to fulfill a particular role, for a given storyline that they can't reasonably exist outside of. Like Princess Perri.

Slugterra's problem is that all its secondary and tertiary characters can exists out of their debut episode and relevant story lines, and have reasonable excuses for them to be present in almost any episode.

Also the noticeable lack of 'villain focused' episodes/segments. Storm Hawks had an episode dedicated to the Cyclonians, multiple scene with them to build of their characters, and dynamics as well.

sure Slugterra had it's villain scean's, but they where not all that insightful outside of a few instances, and didn't serve much of a purpose, outside of showing some details, some of which where never followed up on. like Twist's hesitance.

thus leaving a lot be desired in terms of character development and world building. especially when you have to deal with a PG/Teen rating to maintain.

You can very much to talk/reference more mature topics and dynamics with media like Slugterra, and have it be able reach all preserved age groups, while still being tasteful about it.

(don't ask how I know this, I just watch a lot of old cartoons, read a lot and know a weird amount of random shit-)

-

Junjie is love, Junjie is life, I cherish my emotionally unstable Champion of the East, but I fully understand your point, because I'm similar with Tad Blakk. That being said;

Junjie in a lot of ways mirrors both Eli and Twist.

Eli for obvious reasons and Twist for his desire for revenge against the Emperor, as compared to Twist's desire for revenge against the Shane's. Junjie, like Twist, let's his anger get the better of him on a few occasions during the first Eastern Caverns Arc of the show. Do the others draw him back to his senses?

Sure but he has his moments. If the Gang was not there to keep Junjie in check he would be acting impulsively, and making dumb choices, just like Twist. and yes, Twist make's dumb, impulsive choices, even if we see him like, three times-

love my disaster boiz, but DEAR GOD THEY ARE TRAMATIZED IDIOTS

-

Blakk as a character has always been my favorite.

for the simple reason being he came from nothing. and made a name for himself. and the best part, he kept his fathers name and the insignia of the Viggo Dare. The two men who treated him like shit, and out did them in both Slinging, leading and Business, keeping both name, Blakk, and insignia as a massive fuck you.

he became better then them, but also way worse, and I love that for him.

I know it doesn't seem like it, but I am a villain apologist/sympathizer

-

but yess, Anon thank you for sharing! your points where very interesting and I very much so enjoyed reading and overanalyzing it, and everything else!

as always, floor is open to the opinions of others in the community to discuss, add to or just talk about in general!

✧˖°. ⋆｡˚(✿ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)｡･:*˚:✧｡

[read tags]

[sscrambledmeggss]

For the brutally honest opinion on ships, klaine, Finchel and brittana

OKAYOKAY SO, i’ll end with klaine because i don’t like them, so i’ll add a cut off so people don’t have to see that if they don’t want to :) (this post will also be tagged correctly !)

Finchel:

i think finn and rachel definitely have issues and they are not a perfect couple, BUT i appreciate them comedically, LOL. like am i rooting for them to end up together? maybe not. but i am always entertained when they are on screen together. i think they are messy in the way only a glee couple can pull off.

so i guess my “brutally honest opinion” is that i don’t necessarily ship them, but i think they are really funny together :)

brittana:

my favorite canon ship <3 i love them so so much. like any glee couple they are not perfect, but i think their dynamic is really sweet. i am a sucker for best friends to lovers and slowburn. i love how they never try to change each other, but always support each other. :) i will say s4 brittany is a bit hard sometimes because of how they infantilize her (santana is one of the few consistent glee characters imo!), but i absolutely adore s6 brittany and brittana so much.

do not click “read more” if you don’t want to see anti klaine takes 🕺

this is going to be really long 😭 anyone who’s like followed me for awhile knows how annoying i was when i was younger </3 tdlr: it’s complicated, it’s meta, it’s writing.

when i was like 15-18 i was definitely LOUDLY anti klaine, but i am 20 now LOL, so i think although i still dislike them, my reasonings now are more meta/writing based then how i used to view it in the past 😭

i’ll start out with the good of klaine, they mean so much to people and helped SO much with queer representation, because of that i don’t think the show could’ve pulled them off ending up with anyone that wasn’t each other. i could never belittle what they did for gay media, and their impact on the world.

that being said, my issues with klaine rely so much in the writing. yeah they had issues in s2 but there was *promise*. i think as soon as blaine transfers to mckinley things start to fall apart imo.

blaine in s2 was a fully developed character, so when he’s brought back in s3 they basically have to “devolve” him. he also lacked a character outside of “kurt’s boyfriend” my issue is that they proceed to never give him a character outside of that. every action blaine does in the show is literally only because he’s dating kurt. like he doesn’t go to nyada because it makes sense for his character, he goes to nyada because kurt is there. his biggest crime to me now is not his actions, but the way he had potential to be a good character and instead the writers…did that with him. blaine never really faces any obstacles within the show he just kinda, gets stuff?? his biggest consequence for any of his actions was kurt breaking up with him, but then they get married in the end 😭

i am obviously bias and kurt was always my favorite </3 but kurt was also a fully fleshed out character. he had inspirations, goals, etc. outside of his relationship with blaine. but as the show goes on they side step him and put him in the back to just be “blaine’s boyfriend, rachel’s best friend” i LOVE kurt, but in s5 they end up “just some guy-ing” him. i still like him in s5 but they stop caring about his outfits, and he’s just there to be support for blaine and rachel :(

now finally, the relationship of it all: i think it started out with a lot of promise, but in s3 onwards they face A LOT of issues, and none of their issues are ever fully addressed. the scandals parking lot scene is really really bad, and handled just as poorly (also blaine never tells kurt he sleeps with him for WSS, something even rachel is called out for 😭). the tony role scene is bad, and is also handled poorly.

kurt and blaine’s actions are also not handled the same by the narrative (the chandler situation AND sebastian situation being the same exact thing, but only kurt is held accountable for that), and it gets tiring. the s4 cheating plot line is ugh. i don’t think it’s out of character for blaine to do, i think part of his character is that he tends to be emotional and impulsive, while kurt tends to be defensive and avoidant. but the narrative basically begs you to forgive blaine because he’s blaine, and the audience loves klaine.

then they get engaged in s5 with a really manipulative proposal scene :/ and i feel like they haven’t unpacked ANYTHING. then they can’t live together, then they move in together again, and break up. then in s6 they get immediately married. i feel like they never worked on their problems because the writers knew klaine drama would pull in intrigue, and because of this they filled the relationship with senseless drama which made some audience members feel disillusioned with the relationship.

it made kurt fans fill bitter because kurt got sidelined and loss so much of what made him “kurt” solely for the klaine relationship.

and i can see how blaine fans would be bitter because he never fully leaves the role of “kurt’s boyfriend”

i think both characters end up being so vastly different that they are no longer that compatible. kurt is independent, a little mean at times, and not overly affectionate.

blaine is quite codependent, sensitive, and needs a lot of validation.

so at the end of the day, i think the writers accidentally made them out grow each other, and i think they need like different things that they are not really getting from each other 😭 i also wish that we saw more of them actually working through their relationship issues instead of the show just sweeping it under the bus.

i will say, this is just how i view it, because i know a lot of people who love them and i am genuinely glad for that. i do get the appeal because they start out SO sweet, but later on they are just not for me. and i think the people who create stuff for klaine are really talented and nice <3

[lycankeyy]

Old art that was in a doodle compilation from when this fixation STARTED okay. Listen. So the Deal is w Darnell in funkycule I have Established that Darnell Plays with Fire was a class presentation, particularly a Completely Unironic one for like a public speaking class or something. This happens like 1-ish year before PS, like at least in the previous school year, when he's 12.

AFTER this, Darnell gets put into a program for troubled kids, one that is notably Not Good (mostly operates based on shaming the kids, lots of these programs are like this) and instead of like actually helping with his pyromania or low empathy or anything useful, he's just kind of repeatedly told This Is Bad Don't Do That. Which obviously does jack shit for him except making him grow up with the notion that he is innately Bad because there is Something Wrong With Him and there's Nothing To Be Done About It, all this juxtaposed with the fact that he is according to everyone Extremely Smart and also Very Nice. And obviously being a Smart and Nice kid he doesn't Want to be bad so he tries to be "good" but nobody gives him any sense of direction on this. Just like aimlessly attempting to be a decent person while having absolutely no coping strategies for his actual problems so he's constantly lapsing back into firesetting and violence. And *shakes you

Anyway further context for the art is that bf's family moved into the district specifically because of the therapy program bc he's nonverbal and bad at school and gets in fights a lot. So him and Darnell actually met first, Darnell later introduced BF to Pico. The therapy group would take time out of certain school days which is why they weren't present during PS, and the group was dissolved after PS to improve attendance at the school, which is the other half of the reason BF's family was so quick to move. Also the "Darnell has 5 years to live" thing was an inside joke he came up with when people picked on him for being gone from school a lot, he convinced them it was actually because he was dying LMFAO

[outeremissary]

Tell us about the highs and lows of Tokyo Ghoul...

(edit: I think this should be prefaced with the disclaimer I read Tokyo Ghoul mainly when I was a teenager)

Anon I don't know where to even fucking start. Tokyo Ghoul has one of my favorite opening chapters in anything ever and then shattered my young hopes and dreams forevermore. Like you have to understand if you haven't read Tokyo Ghoul that the beginning of it is like the perfect vampire angst urban fantasy in its absolute purest essence. And then it becomes this Fucking Nightmare of shonen power escalation with absolutely no bearing on that early part, but here's the thing. Tokyo Ghoul's quality is like a sine wave. Every time you think fuck man this time it's fallen off for good. I can't fucking take it anymore. Then suddenly it starts to come back. And it comes back HARD. It's like well damn that arc was unforgivable but this is SUCH a cool conclusion, or these new characters are SO compelling, or this fight is so brilliantly choreographed, I can't drop it now. It might come back from this. And the thing is it does. It'll sustain that for chapters. Sometimes even for arcs. It'll come back from the impossible. Tokyo Ghoul made a time skip where the main character gets amnesia and just fucks off to a completely different story work. But it ALWAYS comes crashing back down. It always hits you with something so bad you're embarrassed to be a fan of the series. There will always be a fire breathing sewer ghoul who makes you think "oh my god this is fucking stupid." A secret hundreds of years long conspiracy that makes no goddamn sense and involves every antagonist in the series in completely inexplicable ways. Some fucking bullshit. Or the transphobic plot twist after having one of the best trans characters you in your teenage years have ever been able to see in something- perhaps one of the only at the time it released. And at a point it's just out of miracles, you know? Nightmare fucking series

It's not even like Tokyo Ghoul was good on the merits of its extremely tight writing. It did not have that, ever. But in its good moments it pulled out really competent character beats. It made its corniness and edge work. It had the Vibes to sustain shit, and by the end of the first series it would have this art that could fucking blow you away. The end of the first series is so fucking good. Not because it's like. A good conclusion to the series that it did a really good job of building up across the whole thing, it just suddenly goes "heyyyy the last little while has been bullshit who even knows what this series is about anymore </3 anyway wouldn't it be fun if every other character died a dramatic and tragic death that we set up right now, and also we suddenly bring back the vampire angst, and also there's a kaiju, and also the protagonist who's become totally obnoxious Dies Badly while losing his grasp on reality in an absolutely fucking gorgeous chapter where he fights a guy you've only seen vague allusions to before?" And it's like Tokyo Ghoul you crazy son of a bitch. That sounds fucking awesome, and you pulled it off. Maybe Tokyo Ghoul is good after all because it's so cool and also so vampire angsty.

And Tokyo Ghoul is so good at tricking you into thinking it's going to be Good that it comes back from shit NOTHING can come back from because it's so bad that hitting the "blow up the whole fucking series" button resets it and makes it good again. I cannot stress enough that :re's premise is "let's just keep going off of that miracle conclusion that was good for the first series where the protagonist fails in this spectacular and tragic way and let's give him amnesia and make him a completely different guy and not have him interact with any of the characters he has established connections with AND let's put that after a FUCKING TIME SKIP." :re's premise is irredeemably bad. The first few arcs of :re are the best fucking arcs Tokyo Ghoul ever had. The character writing is more competent than before, it's working with a consistent cast again, it's replaced the protagonist with a guy you might actually care about, there's a lot of charm to the new character dynamics, the big shonen action is good, the art is GORGEOUS, it keeps pulling off the impossible and bringing characters from the first part back in ways that are good and fun and satisfying and at first that even improbably includes the parts where they're like "heyyyyy that character who died in a dramatic and tragic sacrifice actually is alive, and is evil now," That's the Tokyo Ghoul miracle sauce. It's like well. It got really good. Surely it can keep this going on drama alone. Yeah it has issues with misogyny and wildly pernicious transphobic and homophobic stereotypes but it seems to be getting better, maybe it will come back from this. And eventually the other shoe drops and you remember that Tokyo Ghoul is frequently stupid and bad and has no plan at all.

No one should read Tokyo Ghoul and god knows I hit my limit a little ways before the end and just couldn't keep going. But it's burned into my mind forever. Formative media. Tokyo Ghoul If It Was Good. It gave me one of my favorite manga characters ever, darling throwing knife edgelord living weapon turned Real Boy Suzuya Juuzou. It had these great scenes and arcs of high melodrama. It developed into such a gorgeous fucking manga. I own two artbooks for it! It Haunts Me. I didn't watch the anime myself but I guess it's really in the Tokyo Ghoul spirit that visually it isn't good and yet it gave us some INCREDIBLE fucking music.

Uhhhhh TLDR Tokyo Ghoul is the most Thing I Loved As A Teenager That Betrayed Me maybe ever and every time I think about it I get mad all over again. 6/10 would not recommend. Special to me 5ever.

Edit 2 Actually I just remembered that I had to explain the hammer castration in this series to someone once. Bad again.

[lovecolibri]

Somewhat unrelated to the original post but i have to say i love these tags. Tim has been taking some huge swings with the move to abc - 3 part cruise disaster, 3 part beenado/plane, cartel, doppelganger - and the show has lost a bit of itself in the process. I mean, I'd kill for a "boring" episode with 3 or 4 calls that tie in to whatever issue the team is discussing in the engine/firehouse.

Yay for peer-reviewed tags! What I will say about beenado at least is that we did get multiple emergencies out of it just like season opening episodes used to do (if not *quite* so centralized in focus) before moving into the two-part "opening disaster" in episodes 2-3. The plane crash however did suffer from some of the same issue as the cruise disaster which is: making the disaster more police focused and putting Athena in the center which by necessity, somewhat sidelines the firefam and the emergency rescue stuff we used to see with things like the s1 plane crash, earthquake, tsunami, and mudslide. All of which I will say, have some of my absolute FAVORITE Athena moments because we get to see her saving people! The s8 plane crash did do well in the first part by letting the firefam in via over-the-phone rescues, and of course Athena was great! But I miss seeing the firefam work emergency calls!

And while it was good to get some Bobby backstory in s7, we ended up with Bobby missing and some whole cartel storyline and barely saw the firefam at all! Which worked for the first "begins" episodes (Chimney Begins is one of my fave eps of all time and there is basically zero firefam!), but at this point, we are deep enough in the show to want to see these big moments and personal trials play out with the firefam helping! It's why things like the coma arc (sidelining the firefam to center the Buckley parents), the Madney wedding (focusing on Doug instead of doing either a silly Hangover storyline of Chim getting back to Maddie or a "Buck as Kevin" storyline of Chim seeing he still has a brother and Kevin is "passing the torch" to Buck to watch over him), the cartel/trauma porn for Bobby arc, and even to some extent the second episode of the shooting arc basically sidelining Eddie from his own story (without the two scenes Tim insisted on, Eddie and Chris would have had almost NO lines OR scenes in the episode!!), etc haven't really connected with me the way early seasons did.

And it's honestly an issue the show has had pretty consistently since season 5 with that blackout arc centered on a creep being a creep and Athena stalking him instead of like...ANYTHING about trying to do rescues in the dark. Some of which was a showrunner issue, some was a FOX cutting budget issue I'm sure, but now it definitely feels like a "someone said we have to go BIG and *dramatique* at all times for shock value, regardless if it serves the story or characters or not".

I just want to see the firefam on shift together every week (another newer thing where they're suddenly just NOT always on shift together even though several MAJOR plot points have hinged on how shit they are at, and about, having to work with anyone but their regular partners), doing emergency calls that reflect the title of the episode and also several main character's personal struggle arc, and see them be inspired to talk to each other about things! It was the reason this show and all the main characters were so easy to fall in love with and their strongest dynamics are with each other!

I don't need 3 major whole-episode or two emergencies per season! I need an opening "check-in" episode followed by a 2-part natural disaster, and single-episode "big" finale disaster, and the rest of the season is multiple character arcs happening at once, rising and falling at different times so everyone gets the spotlight at different times, but other things are still happening every episode, either starting the wind-up, or winding down. Seasons 2-3 really did have such a great formula and I kinda need Tim to refocus on what makes this show great. It's not the over-the-top ridiculous drama. Those shows are a dime a dozen, as are police procedurals about creeps and kidnapped/brutalized women. This show is always at it's best when the focus is on SAVING people, not finding and punishing people. And to that end, centering the emergencies on the main characters and the victims they are trying to save instead of centering stories on the person perpetrating crimes. And it's the found family dynamics that drew people in in season 1 as we watched it all form, and in those first few seasons where we saw them as a GROUP be the center of the show. I miss it, and I'd like to get back to that.

[tribow]

I don't get the discourse around supporting Tumblr.

Like if you give money to Tumblr you are supporting all of their bad decisions!!!

Okay, but then how do they keep the site alive? Ads? How many people are clicking on ads here? Tumblr hasn't been scraping every tiny piece of data they can get to sell it like Facebook does either. Should they start doing that? Or should they sell more ad space even though they're already known to be a site that isn't all the great for advertisers.

This is the only two routes I can think of for attempting to stay sustainable without the use of getting money directly from their users.

Someone's gotta pay to maintain this site and also pay all employees working to do so. This isn't a one man job you need a whole team for this. Tumblr costs quite a bit to maintain.

Is it wrong to pay for an online service you frequently use? I mean, let's imagine every Tumblr user magically unite to protest against all the changes to Tumblr they disagree with by making sure Tumblr gets no financial support. What would happen? Who is paying Tumblr's staff to listen to the demands of its community? Does anyone know how long that could take? Would that really save the site or would that send it straight to its doom?

To change topic a bit. Is financially supporting a company indicative of you agreeing with what they are doing? Is it not entirely possoble to critique a company in spite of your support? There's still things like review bombing and disrupting customer service. Besides, without being a paying customer you wouldn't have much of anything to threaten Tumblr with. If majority of the userbased was supporting with money it would be very scary for Tumblr if a ton of people really pulled out.

I....

I don't know it just seems to me that people want to protest to Tumblr staff by just....doing nothing and continueing to use Tumblr. What does that do??? Do YOU want to become the product??? Tumblr could axe Tumblr Live right now all of those people complaining wouldn't give Tumblr a dime for it. These devs are fairly communicative. They have several blogs dedicated to development, there's devs with their own blogs who respond to the community and even post surveys for suggestions to other staff, they did a Q&A in Tumblr Live (annoyingly), and have been fairly transparent in clearly communicating their plans while keeping it very open to criticism.

I can't really say that about many other companies. Tumblr staff gives its users SO MANY avenues to communicate. It's almost too open. The staff can get harassed very easily (I'm sure some do). Are the people complaining about this site not using these avenues to get staff's attention? I don't see how not giving them money will get their attention. If anything it would make them more desparate to get money from us through other means than something as inoffensive as merch.

This is a website that you are using. Is it wrong to compensate those maintaining/providing this service as you use it? If it is wrong, then what are the alternatives? Am I just stupid am I missing something?

[sakebytheriver]

I am reminded once again of the incredibly nuanced and well thought out arc we could have had about Nathan Shelley's "villain era" if the Ted Lasso team had taken like 2 seconds to do some research into what it's like being a brown man in a white nation and also what it's like to be an unconventionally masculine brown man in a white nation that really only values men of color in so far as how they can use their athletic ability ie their bodies in service of the state and how that pervades every pore within football culture tying all of this into the ways Nate was picked on by the players as the kitman, if they had the skill and the balls they could have even added the layers of Isaac being a man of color himself and with Colin being kept forcibly in the closet by the culture around him to the whole conversation around why they themselves became Nate's main bullies, using Nate's rise to power and the ultimate corruption that comes with it to show how victims of bullying and abuse are often then themselves turning around and continuing the cycle once they receive enough power to do so, which was obviously what they were trying to do and if they had cast a white man like Nate was originally supposed to be maybe it would have worked, but by then continuing this arc without doing any rewrites where we take into account the racial aspects of this character living in a white dominated world that now pervades every inch of Nate Shelley's life simply by the fact of Nick Mohammed's casting and several other no balls writing choices that do their best to distance Isaac and Colin from their actions at the beginning of the series, not giving them a redemption arc but just sweeping their shitty actions under the rug and hoping you'll forget about all of that so the writers can now make them the sympathetic character of the week the audience has to care about now, throwing in Colin's gay arc almost like an afterthought for a character we've plucked from the sidelines because the showrunner has decided since they totally didn't fuck up how they handled Sam's activism arc and everyone totally loved when Ted Lasso tried to do happy time feel goods about the systemic issue of colonial capitalism (a wholle other essay long post I could write) they might as well take a crack at homophobia this time around and it's not like they could commit to making one of their MAIN characters gay, but that's besides the point, because Colin being gay would have actually added another layer to both Nate's villain arc and Colin's coming out arc if the writers had any idea how to write about social issues that went further than "let's be nice to each other 🤗", because we could have had a conversation between Nate and Colin, they could have talked about how they both came to the point of abusing one another in one way or the other because of the toxic masculinity and the racism surrounding them both, because of the system in place around them that's the silent thing lurking underneath all of Ted Lasso's happy time feel goods, acknowledge that it's there, let them talk about it and then choose to do the opposite

Like I can't even imagine how powerful it could have been to have a real confrontation between Nate and Colin, if Nate was allowed to get angry and pissed off about the abuse he sustained while the kitman, while Colin shoots back about the shit Nate said to him and the fact that he betrayed Ted and left the team to work for Rupert and Nate gets the chance to talk about how he was always being told he was the smartest, he was the best, he was a prodigy, but at the same time his entire life he was looked over, passed on, forgotten about because of how he looks (both in a racial sense and in a nontraditionally masculine sense) that he'd spent his entire life being second best to men like Colin even though as he was being passed over Nate was still being told how great he was and it was finally his chance to get all of the opportunities that Colin gets by default and then we can have Colin relate to that, could have him recognize what he hadn't been acknowledging about Nate's life before that point, that Nate is an outsider because of his race, because of something out of his control. We can have Colin relate back to this with his own expereinces as a gay man, that he too didn't have it as rosy as Nate seems to think he did, that he has something inside of himself that he can't change or control and he may have the privilege to hide it in a way Nate cannot, but at the same time it took a lot of years of conditioning and masking to be able to keep himself safe, that he grew up with the same kind of pressures to be perfect while at the same time he knew and it felt like everyone around him knew that something was wrong with him and he got picked up on the same way Nate did until he realized the only real way to be safe from the bullying was to be the one doing it.

There's just a whole lot of meat on that bone and it could have really been something if the writers thought for even one moment about acknowlegding that Nathan Shelley has to deal with racism

Once again so much potential, so utterly wasted 😪

[zyafics]

i love love love your writing<3

rq: rafe had came up to tanneyhill's balcony for some peace at his own party. though he didn’t expect reader to be there, looking utterly lost. he knows reader is new. seen you before, too, hanging out with sarah’s crowd; under a pogue’s arm whenever they see him around, telling you rafe isn't anything worth talking, or interacting with.

first off, i am so sorry it took me so long to get this done (as with a lot of my requests) but thank you so much for enjoying my writing!! 🩷 i hope i do this prompt justice (literally shaking in my boots as i post this 😭)

ANGRY GOD | Rafe Cameron

MASTERLIST (Series)

Pairing — S2!Rafe Cameron x (F)Reader

Content — fluff, angst, Rafe spiraling (S2 Canons), Enemies Tension, Rafe growing possessive of Reader.

Word Count — 3.2K.

Dedication — to @mintforadollar who listened to me rant about this plot a month ago, only for it to now be completed <3. Prompt credited to this on c.ai!

Rafe wants to be alone.

His mind is caught in a tailspin, muscles singing with ache from his latest altercation. It didn't help that the fucker managed to get some good swings in, ripples of pain spread from his jawline to his left eye. When he enters the second floor of Tannyhill, all he wants is to catch a breath of fresh air away from the party. His party.

He didn't expect to see you.

"Out." Rafe commands gruffly. You flinch at his abrupt command. "Second floor is off-limits."

He adds nothing else as he marches over to the edge of the balcony, digging his scraped palms into the smooth ridges of the handrails. He didn't want anyone here to witness the brunt of his frustration and disappointment, or how his mind swims with disoriented and incoherent thoughts. He wants to be alone.

But you won't let him.

Cautiously, you take a step forward—not in the direction of the exit, as he hoped—but towards Rafe instead. Lifting his head at the sound of your faint footsteps, agitation flushing through his expression at your proximity. "Didn't I tell you to get out?"

"You got into a fight." You mumble your observation, examining his hardened profile to discover the bruise that decorates his jawline, swelling with discoloration, the darkening under his left eye, and the split of open skin right above his brow.

He scoffs. "No shit."

"And you're bleeding."

He is? He didn't know that. All consumed by the adrenaline rushing through his system—that has yet to wind down—Rafe lifts his hand to run his fingers over the most prominent aches around his face. When he presses against something wet, he withdraws, finding a fresh coat of blood over his fingertips.

Rafe grimaces at the sight—not the blood, he's used to that—but the fact that his opponent succeeded in cutting him too.

Now, he definitely doesn't want you here. Before Rafe has the chance to kick you out the third time, you offer assistance. "I can help," you say meekly, messing with the hems of your top.

He didn't catch it over the loud thumping of his heartbeat in his ears. "What?"

"I can help," you repeat, louder this time, wincing at the projection of your own voice. You don't like the strain in your tone, the desperation seeping through. You'd do anything to avoid returning to the party. "I know how to patch up wounds. I'm training to be an EMT."

"I didn't ask for a life story." He snaps, a mechanical response to any aid. The idea of someone taking care of him is unheard of; unfamiliar and uncomfortable. He doesn't know how to react other than complete and utter rejection. "Besides, I can take care of myself."

Rafe assumes his harsh words would drive you away. The bite behind each syllable has been enough to scare off everyone else but you remain firm in your position. If anything, your expression softens, eyes washing over his rigid posture with a sympathetic look. He hates it.

"I know," you start slowly, eyes cascading down his face, carefully monitoring his reaction. "But... wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to?"

His expression breaks.

Your kindness strikes directly to his chest and his heart clutches at the way you address him. With humanity. Even when he's been nothing but a complete asshole to you, demanding your departure, you respond with a sense of warmth. Rafe clenches down his jaw.

When he doesn't answer quickly enough, a sign of his contemplation, you add. "Please."

Reluctantly, Rafe gives in. "Fine."

Rafe moves from the balcony deck to reenter Tannyhill, not bothering to check if you're following behind. He heads straight to the ensuite connected to his bedroom, checking under the sink for his first aid kit, before throwing the box over the counter.

That's when he catches a glimpse of himself through the mirror, the ugly bruising that lines his face, the dried blood that stains his temple. His jaw tightens at the sight.

You enter shortly after, seeing him with his back to the mirror, his spine pressed against the rim of the porcelain sink. Your eyes do a quick sweep of your surroundings, before landing on Rafe and his rigid form, arms crossed over his chest, and a cold look on his face. He just wants to get this over with.

You glance outside, to his room, with its openness, before meeting his gaze. "Can we go to your bed?"

His answer is immediate. "No."

You frown but ask nothing more. Rafe's trying to make this difficult for you, refusing to cooperate because it's easier than submitting to your grace. Easier than admitting he'd like the help. You work around that.

Grabbing the antiseptics from the kit, you proceed to clean his wounds, softly massaging his flesh in the process. For a moment, it feels too good and Rafe fights the urge to lean into your hand before a sharp pain rips through him from the open cut and he hisses.

You immediately pull back, mumbling a quick apology.

His eyes squeeze shut, it takes a moment for the throb to cool down, and once it does, Rafe reconnects his gaze with yours to find the remorseful look behind your stare, the softening of your features met with utmost concern. You don't make another move to try again.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine." He bites out, wanting to rid you of that look. He's not weak. Stop looking at him as if he is. Despite the reassurance, you have yet to continue. "You're not going to be a good doctor if you shy away every time your patient gets hurt."

"I feel bad." You admit, chewing on your bottom lip.

"Why? You didn't do this."

He's the one who got into the fight. The one who swung first. While he may have won in the end, having knocked out the guy in the middle of the yard, it doesn't neglect the damage done to him in the process. But, at the end of the day, it's his fault.

You don't see it that way. "Because you're hurting."

You're too soft. That's what Rafe determines. Every little moment, little sprouts of empathy, every inch of sensitivity, is going to hurt you in the end. It won't save anything.

"I don't need your pity," Rafe snaps, giving you the first taste of reality under his razor-sharp tongue. He could be considerate, and understanding, but he isn't. That's how he learned.

"It's not—" You sigh. You don't want to argue and relent against his jabs. Without further commentary, you continue forward with your duties: aiding in his treatment and biting through the humane urge to sympathize with his pain.

Rafe takes the silence to observe you while you work. He knows you grew quiet because of his rough manners, and he won't lie to himself and say he enjoys it. He doesn't. But it adds to the list of everything else he has done wrong in his life; his long string of failures that his father can't wait to remind him of.

In the quietness, Rafe recognizes something about you. It takes a moment, after all the aches and throbs, but the recognition dawns on him that you're new. You hang out with his sister, Sarah, and the rest of the filthy group of no-good Pogues on the other side of the island. There have even been occasions when he saw you under JJ's arm, slinging around red solo cups and a grim soak of southside.

"Where's your friends?" Rafe asks, surprising you with the roughness behind his voice.

You lift your gaze to his. "Hmm?"

"The Pogues. Don't you hang out with them?"

You swallow hard, feeling like a child being caught with their hand in the cookie jar. You hoped your newcomer status would be enough to shield yourself from Rafe's wraith, especially his hatred towards your selected group. "Why?"

Rafe immediately picks up on the shift in your demeanor, the rigidness in your shoulders that tells him exactly what he needs to know. "You've heard about me, haven't you?"

You hesitate to answer. Rafe presses on. "What'd they say?"

Your friends have told you many warnings about the notorious Rafe Cameron. It all comes down to one conclusion: he's dangerous. He's irrational, self-centered, and narcissistic. He isn't worth talking to because all he cares about is himself.

However, you like to find out for yourself.

Rafe leans forward, lowering himself to meet your height and his face is right in front of yours. An arrogant smirk rises to his lips, a challenge for you to answer. "Come on, princess, don't tell you came up here without doing a bit of research beforehand."

You recognize this as a facade, a way for him to hide his true feelings because it's easier to disturb others. To mess with people and not reflect on your own. You place a hand against the solid of his chest and gently push him back, forcing him to reinstate the safe distance established before. You continue back to your line of work.

Your little push surprises Rafe. It also intrigues him too.

"They said you weren't worth talking to," you say softly, avoiding eye contact as he follows your every move. "That you're dangerous."

He scoffs at the reveal, but it pinches his heart that his own sister would agree. He values her opinion more than he'd like to admit. Drawing out a noncommital shrug, pretending not to care, he declares. "They're right."

You hum. "Maybe."

He looks directly at you with a raised brow. "Maybe?"

Your eyes finally connect with his, "I'm still figuring that out." You pull back, setting the supplies back into his aid box. "Done."

You're about to take a step back when Rafe grabs your wrist, holding you in place. Your breath shortens, and you peer down at the place of your contact before raising your gaze to his.

"What do you mean by that?" He demands, his expression hardens but his eyes are pleading. That juxtaposition, between who he is and what he wants, is the exact thing you're trying to uncover.

You aren't afraid of him. Not like the others.

"I don't know," you answer truthfully, sweeping over his face, reading the conflict his features can't seem to contain. Rafe, you're slowly unraveling, is someone who puts his heart on his sleeves. He just hasn't had anyone who cares enough to look for it. "I just don't know if I truly believe that."

"Why not? The rest of the island does."

It's almost a spiral. An edge closer to it. You think it's because Rafe finally has someone who looks past his mask, his deception that the rest of the island gladly takes. They're afraid of him; he engineered that reputation by hand. But you've met your fair share of burnt souls to know they're all worth saving.

You answer him.

"Your eyes." You explain gently. "They say it's the windows to someone's soul."

"And?"

"And, Rafe Cameron, you're someone who isn't as heartless as you'd like the rest of the world to believe."

His grip loosens from your words and you take the opportunity to slip out of his grasp and settle your arms by your side. Rafe watches as you offer him a soft smile, one that reaches your eyes, and you're about to return to the balcony deck for some peace when he follows you into his bedroom.

"That's not fair." He denounces, halting your exit.

You turn around to face him. "What is?"

"You can't come in here and make those assumptions. You don't know shit about my life."

Rafe doesn't like to be read so clearly; to know that whatever he's trying to front isn't deluding you. For some reason, he needs to convince you that every rumor and gossip is true. That he is bad. The idea of it is embedded so deeply into the crevices of his self-worth, that he's having a hard time believing anything else.

Rafe expects your reaction to meet his fury, but the slope of your brows furrow together calmly. A delicate practice over years of training. "I never said I did."

"You're acting like you do."

You frown. "Now you're making assumptions about me," you refute, pointing out his hypocrisy, and a tinge of sharpness slips through. "You asked and I answered. You can't be mad because you don't like them."

"Then why?" He snaps, irritation spewing with his venom. "Who the fuck are you to make that judgment?"

"I thought you didn't want to hear my life story."

He huffs. Rafe finds himself at a crossroads. While you're standing there, with your collected composure, he feels like he's unraveling by the seams. There's something about you. The way you read through him like glass. He doesn't know if he likes it or not. If he needs it or not.

"Bitch," he mutters under his breath at your lack of compliance, and your breath hitches at the term, a flash of anger goes through you like a surge. He recognized that look; it was something he was all too familiar with.

You turn around, about to sprint for the exit once again when Rafe calls out. "Wait."

You don't want to turn around this time. Rafe had managed to make you break through your own facade, your own composure that you spent years trying to cultivate. Something about being in the same room as the eldest Cameron makes you regress into your formative years.

"Turn around."

Your jaw is slighted, but you try to hold it together. You loosen your features before you turn on your heel. You still don't think Rafe is the person he's trying to present to the world, and you doubt that he truly carries that much cruelty in one body, but that doesn't mean you have to be in the same room as him.

But something made you stay.

Rafe crosses the large space, standing just in front of you. His breath is hot against yours, his eyes sharp. You tilt your head, meeting his stare, but to contrast his intensity, your gaze is soft yet firm, your eyes unwavering. Just because you are kinder than he is doesn't mean you are weak.

"You know what it's like, don't you?" He murmurs gruffly, his voice straining at the exposure. This questioning also carries the weight of admission underneath; to bridge a kinship. "Or are you a liar?"

You're not. But no one's ever asked the questions Rafe is asking either. Not your friends back home or the new ones with the Pogues. They treasure your friendship but they don't understand your depth.

"No."

"No, what?"

"I'm not a liar," you bite out. Rafe's mouth curls into a satisfactory smile, and he gets a glimpse of your real character. The true you underneath all that dignity. It's like his own dirty secret. "I know."

You saw through Rafe because you understood him. You shared the same sentiments. You groomed the same callousness. Every act he performs, you went through first. You can't point at his reflection without looking at the mirror yourself.

But you're a bit different. You learn to control it. You discovered that all that anger was something else. Hurt, pain, injustice. You take it all and put it in a box, caged behind thick chains and hard locks. Never to be touched again. Rafe takes it out to the open, free to play. You may come from the same origin but you take two different routes.

However, Rafe sees you much clearer now. To know you can understand him, see through his perspective, and filter out his incoherent thoughts. That's something he'd never experienced before in his life.

"The voices, anger, and impulses?" His voice shrinks, eyes searching yours. You hesitate before nodding once. "You get that too?"

It comes out when you're most hurt. "I do."

He feels like can breathe for once, to not feel completely isolated from the rest of the world. Rafe always feels off, like something is wrong with him. Nothing can be explained; nothing is allowed to be explored. Even when he sought therapy, his father denied his request. He thought he‘d be forever alone in all this.

He steps forward, closing in the distance until there's only an inch of space separating you. But even that feels too big. Oxygen stuck in your throat, Rafe connects his gaze with yours to whisper. "You're like me, aren't you?"

You swallow hard. You didn't realize understanding someone could be a reflection of your own damning soul. You don't know if it's a good thing. "Yes."

His pupils are dilated and nearly pitch-black. His breathing shortens, and his gaze pools with desire. You feel it too. Your heart accelerates beneath your ribcage, your stomach knotting with want. When Rafe leans forward, about to capture your lips on his, you ready yourself to let it all in.

But you're a bit different.

You turn your head away at the last second, his contact coming to your cheek.

"I'm..." You exhale, squeezing your eyes shut. "I'm with JJ."

The world stills on its axis, and you feel the gravity of it beneath your feet. You slowly peel your eyes open, only to find Rafe having pulled back, his hand, midway through the air to hold your chin, closes into a tight fist.

You let out a shaky breath, your eyes swimming with regret.

The look on his face is heartbreaking because you know him in parallel, you know what he's feeling. You take a step back, for your sanity or his, it’s unclear. All you know is the distance was safe. Until it wasn't.

"I should go." You whisper.

Rafe says nothing as you pad your way across his room, slipping out of the door. He remains motionless in the same spot, his jaw set, his fists clenched by his side. The adrenaline pulses return through his veins.

Fuck.

It takes a minute to gather himself. Hearing nothing but the throbbing bass beneath him, pulsing through the floor. His heart is wretched, his stomach full of nausea.

Rafe returns to the balcony to pull away from his room, the place where you had been, and he steps closer to the ledge. Everything in his mind is too quiet; sterile and white-screeching. He doesn't know how to fathom this change.

His blue eyes search across the lawn and he easily picks you out of the crowd. He knows you well now. Those brief, fleeting moments attached to his soul are permanent memories.

You rejoined the party with Sarah and the rest of the Pogues, while JJ saunters over and throws his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close and whispering something in your ear. You smile and laugh, but it doesn't quite reach your eyes.

When you look up, you find Rafe already watching. His eyes are set on yours, unmoving, and the intimacy of his gaze strikes something deep. You had to turn away to preserve yourself.

Rafe slowly comes to his understanding on his own. He never had someone who understood him, much less in such a short time. You unravel him behind gentle stares and quiet observations. You knew him because you knew yourself, and he doesn't want to lose that. He doesn't want to lose you. He can’t. 

So, he decided.

You weren't his.

But he's taking you anyways.

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Navigation — Part 01 | Part 02

[revolutionsingingintherainnn]

okay so you know how the fia is very infuriating, especially with regards to cursing and all — and you know how a *certain* city is kind of infamous for cursing hehe. i'm imagining a girl from that city, coincidentally dating max, cursing the absolute socks off of an official because if her boyfriend can't curse, *she'll* do it.

lowkey karun chandhok saying that they can't hire people to translate all the languages to keep track of who's cursing or not, and also the song dilliwali girlfriend, inspired me hehe.

dilliwali girlfriend ⊹ᡣ𐭩₊⋆

୨ৎ mv x desi!reader જ⁀➴°⋆

୨ৎ fluff જ⁀➴°⋆

masterlist ☾☼

the air in the fia paddock was charged, not with electricity, but with tension thicker than singapore's humid air. max verstappen stood, jaw gritted, fists clenched, as some suited official prattled on about track limits. you, his girlfriend, stood next to him, a whirlwind of bright delhi energy amidst the sterile atmosphere. you'd been wonderfully quiet, which, for you, was an accomplishment equal to max driving a clean race with not one "b integration" (an achievement you were beginning to think impossible).

the official, a very self-important type with a lemon-faced expression as if he'd swallowed the whole thing whole, finally concluded his rant. max simply nodded stiffly, a muscle clenching in his cheek. he knew better than to take the bait. one misplaced word, one off-key bleep, and he'd be hit with another penalty. it was maddening.

as the official turned to depart, you, who'd been watching the exchange with mounting outrage, interposed yourself. you flashed a smile that didn't really reach your eyes. "excuse me," you cooed, your voice laden with saccharine sweetness, "can i ask you something?"

the official, obviously flattered to be addressed by anyone other than max's always-frazzled pr team, puffed up his chest. "of course, madam."

your smile disappeared. "you know," you started, your voice falling to a low, menacing purr, "we have a saying back home, in delhi. it goes something like this…"

and then, you let loose. a wave of profanity, each phrase more colourful and inventive than the last, streamed from your mouth. it was a symphony of insults, a work of art in invective, a show that would have left even the most experienced sailor blushing. you sprinkled your rant with local delhi slang, adding a few select bollywood references for good measure. it was a verbal attack, a linguistic pummeling of epic proportions.

the jaw of the official dropped. his pale face, already so from the singaporean heat, grew an alarming purple. he sputtered, attempting to get words out, but a string of incoherent gasps were all that managed to emerge.

max, to his credit, was able to maintain a straight face. a small twitch at the corner of his mouth gave away his amusement. he knew better than to laugh. he knew you. he knew delhi. he knew that this was your way of striking back, your way of telling him something he couldn't.

karun chandhok, who just so happened to be passing by, overheard the whole conversation. he grimaced, then laughed, shaking his head. "i warned them," he said to himself, "i warned them they wouldn't be able to recruit enough translators."

you, having completely disembowelled the bureaucrat with your tongue, drew a deep breath and smoothed your dress. you turned to max, the mischief dancing in your eyes. "all done," you said with saccharine sweetness. "now, where were we?"

max, still attempting to keep a stern face, slid his arm over your shoulders. "i believe," he said, "we were discussing strategy."

as you strode off, leaving the flabbergasted official in your wake, you whistled a small tune. it sounded ominously like "dilliwali girlfriend."

˗ˏˋ ꨄ ´ˎ˗

i hope you like this! im sorry it took me so long to write this! i have been taking a bit of a break recently! this is my prompt list, so y'all can select a number, give me a driver and i will write it as soon as possible! i also have a google form for a taglist if anyone's interested! you can sent in your requests here :)

taglist: @maketheshadowsfearyou ; @anamiad00msday ; @imlonelydontsendhelp ; @peterholland04 ; @justaf1girl ; @greantii ; @nocturnalherb16 ; @phobiccneel ; @winkev1 ; @alexxavicry ; @hiireadstuff ; @joannaln4

i'd love your support! https://ko-fi.com/kavi2305

[starrdream]

Unsatisfied apology

Anakin Skywalker x f!reader summary: Anakin wants to make up... includes: not really smut but it's talked about and implied, whiny Anakin, make up sex, fast finishing, no orgasm

Your ex has fucked just about any girl that would let him in hopes of getting over you. As if your friends reminding you constantly wasn’t enough, anyone passing by his room could hear clearly. News flash, it didn’t help him one bit.

Though, the rumor that he still wasn’t over you did feed your ego.

One night, you were mindlessly revising for some tests you had later that week when a knock disturbed you. 

“Baby, please open the door. I need to talk to you.” The whiny yet familiar voice still made your heart skip a beat. Or two.

He must be drunk. You thought.

“What?” You huff as you open the door. Not only were you met with a completely sober Anakin, you were met with a crying one too.

Tears streaked down his rosy cheeks, eyes puffy and red. Who knows how long he was crying for.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, voice laced with concern.

“Can we talk?” He sniffles.

“Yeah” You blurted out before you could even think twice.

Opening the door further, you let him in. Ankin takes a seat on your bed and waits for you to join him.

The second you sat down he started ranting about everything.

“Baby I missed you so much…”

“I fucked up really bad, I know.”

“You’re all I ever think about.”

“I’ll never be over you.”

“I’ve been awful since the day we broke up.”

“No other girl compares to you..”

“Please..Give me another chance, my love.”

He pleaded and whined, all while still sobbing. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t considering it. Just one look at those blue eyes was enough to tear down any kind of resistance you’ve built over time.

“Please baby.” He begged. “Nobody is as good to me as you are. I’m so sorry” He whined, staring at you through teary eyes.

“I don’t know Ani..” You sighed, shoulders slumping.

“But you’re thinking about it.” He straightened up, a hint of excitement in his voice. “Please” He breaks off into a sob. “Let me make it up to you.”

With that, he pushes you down on the bed gently, climbing on top of you.

“Ani-” You try to protest, placing your hand on his upper arm. Unfortunately your voice comes out as a desperate whimper more than anything else, only urging him on.

“I’m so sorry for how I treated you baby” He mumbles, slipping your shirt off. He continues mumbling incoherent words that are interrupted by sobs and hiccups as he undresses you.

“Please say you forgive me..” He stares right into your eyes as he palms himself through his pants before slipping them down to free his rock hard cock.

God knows how long that was there.

“O-okay, I forgive you” You mumble, trying not to laugh at how childish he looks.

“You’re just saying that.” He pouts, sobbing again.

The next 5, 6 minutes of your life were the most confusing ones ever. 

Anakin is borderline desperate and his movements are jerky and uncoordinated. He's ground against your thigh like a puppy for at least 3 minutes before finally pushing his erection into your warmth.

He is good in bed, but this? If you didn’t know any better you could’ve easily brushed him off as a virgin.

He's whining and whimpering with every shallow thrust, his entire body shaking with the force of his sobs.

Obviously, he did NOT make you finish before he did. He didn’t make you finish at all. The second he spilled inside of you, he collapsed on top of you while breathing heavily.

Upon realizing you were still very much unsatisfied he cried again.

"I'm sorry..I'm so sorry baby. I'm sorry.." He kept mumbling over and over for another 5 minutes through his soft cries.

Shoulders shaking, face going numb as he cuddled you. The tight hold he had on you while crying loosened overtime as he fell asleep.

[poeticpoutk]

𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘦 - 𝘱𝘵2

pt 1

────── ⋆⋅ 𖤓 ⋅⋆ ──────

The first few days, he doesn’t say a word.

You keep expecting your phone to light up. A paragraph. A voicemail. One of his rants, maybe. Something. But there’s nothing.

Which, in some twisted way, hurts more than if he’d tried.

You still think about him constantly, though. Of course you do. It’s Rafe.

You sleep with your phone face-down just in case. You avoid your usual spots. You ignore the way your chest tightens every time someone says his name. You try to breathe through the ache.

Then, a week later, it starts.

Rafe (1:12 AM):

| I miss you so much.

| I can’t sleep. Are you okay?

You don’t reply.

The next night, it comes again:

Rafe (12:04 AM):

| You’re so beautiful. I don’t deserve you.

| You’re the best thing I ever had.

You delete the text without reading it twice.

But they keep coming. At weird hours. Sometimes sweet. Sometimes incoherent. Sometimes a photo of something stupid you liked, your favorite seashell he kept on his nightstand. A streetlamp on your block. A song screenshot you once played in his truck.

Rafe (3:07 AM):

| Can we talk?

| Just talk. Please.

And then a switch flips.

Rafe (4:36 AM):

| You were always a stuck-up bitch anyway.

| Acting like you’re some angel. You’re not.

You sit up in bed that night, heart racing. You block his number.

Two days later, it’s a new number.

Unknown (9:52 PM):

| I didn’t mean it. You know I didn’t. I was angry.

| I love you. Don’t leave it like this. Please don’t.

You block that one too.

Eventually, you stop counting how many numbers he’s burned through. Some nights he doesn’t say anything at all. Others, it’s four texts in a row. A missed call. A voicemail you don’t listen to. A photo from a year ago, legs in the sand, his hand over your ankle.

And then it goes quiet again. Really quiet.

Almost long enough for you to breathe.

—

It’s a party. You didn’t want to go.

But your friend was begging, and you haven’t left the house in three days, and honestly... you miss being seventeen. The soft weight of a drink in your hand. The feel of ocean air in your hair. Music pulsing up through your shoes. Being a teenager instead of some girl with a broken heart and a Rafe-shaped hole in her chest.

You’re already three drinks deep when you see him.

He’s standing in the archway of the living room like he’s trying not to be seen. But of course he is. That’s Rafe. He looks… not awful. His shirt’s wrinkled, his jaw clenched, but his eyes catch yours like they never forgot how.

Your stomach drops.

You turn your back to him. You start moving, fast, out the back. Somewhere quieter. The deck. The sea breeze.

But he follows.

You hear it in the way the door shuts behind you. The quiet click. His shoes on the wood.

“Wait,” he says, voice tight. “Can we please talk?”

You don’t turn around. “No.”

“Please.”

His voice is different. Not angry. Not bitter. Just tired.

You glance over your shoulder. His eyes are glassy. You can tell he’s been drinking, but not enough to stumble. Just enough to lower the wall.

“I love you,” he says. Like it’s a fact. Like gravity.

You shake your head. “Don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m trying to get over you,” you whisper. “And you don’t let me.”

“I don’t know how to.”

You look at him. His arms are crossed. He’s swaying slightly with the wind, but his face is steady. For once.

He swallows. “Come talk with me. Out by the dock.”

You hesitate. You shouldn’t. But he looks so human, so quiet, so unlike the storm he always is.

So you follow.

The dock is empty. All the party noise fades behind you as you walk down the wooden planks. The moonlight cuts across the water in ripples. His family’s yacht looms at the far end, silent and pristine like some ghost ship.

You sit on the edge of the dock, legs dangling over the edge. He sits beside you, knees pulled up, elbows resting there.

For a moment, neither of you speak.

Then, softly “I’m sorry.”

You stare at the water. “You’ve said that before.”

“I know. But I mean it now.”

“You always say that, too.”

“I’m not yelling,” he says, glancing sideways at you. “I’m not high. I’m not making excuses. I’m just sitting here. With you.”

You don’t answer. The wind rustles your hair. You feel your heart pounding and hate how much you still want him.

He sighs. “I fucked up.”

You nod slowly. “Yeah.”

“I meant what I said. All of it. That night in my truck? That wasn’t fake. I really thought I could do it.”

“You didn’t,” you say, voice flat.

“No.” He exhales. “I didn’t.”

There’s a long pause.

“I think about you every day,” he says.

You close your eyes. “Rafe-”

“I do,” he insists. “I think about you all the time. I think about how I hate not knowing what's going on between us. I think about a lot of things.”

You say nothing.

“I messed it all up. And I hate myself. I hate that I was the one thing in your life that made it worse, not better.”

Your eyes sting. “You weren't all bad.”

He blinks. “What?”

“You weren’t all bad,” you say. “That’s the worst part. You weren’t just bad. You were… a decent boyfriend half the time. You held my hand when I cried. You taught me how to drive. You kissed my shoulder just to calm me down. You made me feel- i dunno” You stop yourself.

He turns fully toward you. “I made you feel what?”

You look at him. His eyes are wide. Earnest.

“special,” you whisper. “even when it hurt I liked how it felt.”

Silence.

You hear him swallow.

The dock creaks under you. You lean back on your hands, trying to ground yourself. You feel dizzy. Not just from the drinks.

He leans a little closer.

“I don’t want to make you more promises I can’t keep,” he says, voice slower now, quieter. “But I want to try. I want to do it different this time. Slower. Whatever you need.”

You look at him.

He looks like Rafe. But not the Rafe from your nightmares. The Rafe from the morning afters. The one who used to rest his forehead on yours and breathe like he needed you to live.

“I don’t know,” you say honestly. “I don’t trust you.”

“I know,” he says again. “I wouldn’t either.

“I’m tired.”

“I can wait.”

“You say that…”

“I mean it,” he interrupts, gently. “For once, I mean it.”

He stares at the water for a long time, then looks back at you, drunk but steady.

“I'll be patient with you.”

Your heart aches.

“i love you rafe” you say softly.

He nods. “Yeah, I love you too.”

You sit in silence.

The wind is cold on your arms. His presence is warm beside you, familiar in a way that makes you want to curl up and cry.

It’s not fixed. Not even close.

But it’s not nothing.

────── ⋆⋅ 𖤓 ⋅⋆ ──────

Hii guys! I have no school and i'm sick stuck in my room so i'm super bored and just felt like writing. I'm not 100% sure if this is how you wanted the pt 2 to go, or if you even wanted a 2nd part but here you go!

Thanksss.

[themeaningthemeaningthe]

can’t sleep for other reasons and my brain can’t stop thinking about a post i saw and initially ignored but keep having thoughts about. i didn’t comment on it or anything and now it’s lost to the ether and i don’t wanna go looking for it but these thoughts gotta go somewhere.

this will be long and rambling and probably a little incoherent cuz it’s 3am.

the post was someone saying that they finally picked up gideon the ninth after years of seeing locked tomb posts and griddlehark, then dropped it after like 2 chapters bcuz they think the dynamic between gideon and harrow is abusive (which is fair when u first start it) and they can’t believe people are into it as enemies to lovers. on the one hand, people are totally cool to just not like something for whatever reason, i myself just have thoughts about the Nuance that i didn’t express on the post that i now must here.

lots of important spoilers for GtN!! (and maybe accidentally ones to HtN)

ok here’s the rant.

that’s the point!!!!! that’s the point.

they are terrible to each other and they have always been. the growth and the development of their character dynamics together explores how this thing between them that has always been sharp and seething and spiky must buckle under the weight of outside pressure beyond anything they could have imagined.

in a very important pool scene (one that is ubiquitous in fanart and i have to believe this poster saw at least a few times) we get an explanation from harrow! and not only does this give us a more full look into the context of drearbruh outside of gideons narrow point of view, but it also makes more clear why they were like That.

i’m sorry but literally harrow is 200 dead kids that her parents killed to make her, and gideon is the one kid they couldn’t kill. and gideon realizes once told this, she is the living reminder of the war crime committed to save the house, and no one who knows can forget it.

and harrow has known the truth of her origin since she was old enough to comprehend anything!! so yeah, a traumatized child who knows she’s the entirety of a generation of her house is gonna lash out at literally the only other child on the planet who she happens to also have power over.

and i feel like the book makes this pretty clear!! this was bad!! but also, these are two traumatized kids growing up in a dying, creepy, planet that is lowkey hell.

the other key thing about the pool scene, is that it is a Confession. these books are sooo steeped in catholicism. harrow isn’t just explaining the true history of her life, she is Confessing all of the sins that make her up and all of the sins she has committed. bearing the entirety of the wretchedness of her soul for gideon judge. expecting her only friend whom she has made miserable for years to kill her.

and i know we joke about gideon being lesbian jesus, but there’s a reason for that (besides the obvious). bcuz after hearing her Confession, gideon baptized harrow in that pool.

one flesh one end, bitch.

and also like yeah griddlehark is an enemies to lovers in some ways, but i feel like also not in the typical way you would think about that trope?? bcuz correct me if im wrong but they never really become lovers (and i personally am not sure they ever will). yes they love each other and make the grandest gestures of love imaginable. but that love is inevitably fucked up in some ways and it’s impossible for it to not be.

god that was way too long. anyway. some Nuance is necessary.

[ddarker-dreams]

missing scarlet ribbons so bad… brain food for SR: confined space stand that lowkey locks SR reader in a really small alternate dimension space with the bucci gang. like… chest to chest on top like “aughh sorry!! its so cramped in here :((“ and the guys r j internally screaming over it

RETURNING WITH SOME SCARLET RIBBONS !!!!!!!!!!!! i love them your honor <33333333

[Scarlet Ribbons index]

Although Giorno recognizes this predicament's unique benefits, he still prioritizes your well-being. He will check you over, ensuring no harm has been inflicted. Once that’s settled, admittedly, a few mischievous thoughts flit through his mind… none that he’ll act on, however. He accommodates you to the best of his ability. Ever the opportunist, he’ll gratefully accept any physical contact your shuffling around results in. Should you find yourself bored while waiting out the Stand’s effects, he’ll humor (most) requests you make of Gold Experience. And no, he won’t agree to create an elephant, no matter how passionately you plead your case. You’ll have to settle for a duckling or something similarly small. Capybaras aren’t off the table. 

Your level-headed leader, Bruno, finds himself unusually flustered. He recoils a bit too fast from any contact and dedicates a lengthy chunk of time to clearing his throat. He steels his nerves by asking if you’re alright, feeling any adverse side effects, etc. Sticky Fingers is summoned to check for a way out of this pocket dimension, an idea that’s proven implausible. You’ll both have to wait it out. Bruno gives you as much space as he can, to the point his contortions are stressing you out from how uncomfortable they must be. He almost chokes when you offhandedly suggest sitting on his lap to ‘free up space.’ Poor man. 

Fugo’s irritated over the fight’s outcome. He feels useless, since your presence prevents him from utilizing Purple Haze, lest you fall victim to the Stand’s abilities. He critiques your strategies and lists what you should’ve done differently. Don’t take it personally — internally, he’s berating himself for being unable to do more. The self-loathing steadily fades away as he recognizes how close these accommodations have you. Fugo cuts himself off mid rant, sputtering incoherent gibberish. His heart starts beating so hard, he wonders if he might be going into cardiac arrest. Your knees are brushing against each other. Why aren’t you panicking? Why is he panicking? … And why does he feel some gratitude toward the Stand User responsibles for this? 

Narancia considers this a golden opportunity to prove how reliable (and cool!) he is. Will most likely quote an action hero for maximum effect. He reassures you that he’s ‘totally got this’ and suggests shooting the walls with Aerosmith to bust out. You have to talk him out of this brilliant plan, reminding him that ricochet is a thing. Sitting still and waiting for the Stand’s ability to run its course hits him the hardest. He wants to be proactive, primed to pummel the asshole that got you both in this situation. However, your presence greatly decreases the likelihood he’ll do anything rash. At a certain point, he finds the whole thing kinda cool, like a secret base only you two know about. 

Mista used to pray for days like these. He’s thanking all the saints (that he can remember) for this gracious opportunity. Still, he’s mindful of your boundaries, doing his best not to intrude on your space. He will be inhaling your perfume, though. In copious amounts. While escape should be a high priority, seeing as neither of you are dying, he’s rather chill about the entire ordeal. You’re his favorite person to goof around with. He jokes about offering himself up if you’re stuck here long enough for starvation to kick in. You don’t get why his mind always ends up in a Hannibal-Lecter-esque place, but it’s a nice (?) sentiment. The Stand’s ability ends far too fast for his liking. 

Abbacchio is secretly grateful it’s you he’s stuck with and not some other schmuck. He might give you a hard time, but your presence is tolerable, even if you have a proclivity for yapping. The fact that you’re nice on the eyes is an added bonus. Considering his height, it’s impossible for you to have absolutely zero contact. Abbacchio’s always been tough on himself — he wouldn’t blame you if you were repulsed by him. So for you not to shrink away when your hands touch… it warms his heart in a way he hadn’t thought possible. He’ll humor your musings, adding his own dry wit on the occasion until you’re both freed. 

[hysteria-things]

Matt “touches and messes with your bra to sooth him after a long day then eventually sucks your tits calmly” sturniolo

oh, how you love your boyfriend’s voice. he’s going over everything in detail that he’s done today, and it seemed more stressful than usual. you’re straddling his lap, wearing only a bra and his pajama pants. his eyes follow the movements of his pointer finger that’s fidgeting with your bra strap. “i love him obviously, but he gets on my nerves sometimes.” he finishes his rant with a sigh.

“i’m sorry you had a rough day.” you coo, playing with his hair. he mumbles incoherently under his breath, taking both hands this time to softly cup your chest. licking his lips, he starts to lower the straps. you squirm in his lap and pout. “it’s late, matt. i’m tired.”

ignoring you, he reaches to your back to unclip the bra, your tits falling free and bouncing in front of his face. “please, just—” he pauses with a groan, leaving wet kisses or nibbling on your breasts. a gasp turns into a moan when he sucks on your nipple gently before speaking again. “just for a few minutes, okay?”