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mdhwrites · 9 months ago

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I’ve been watching Amphibia while studying. I should definitely do a rewatch during the summer, but it’s occurred to me that Amphibia’s strengths are criminally underrated.

Amphibia feels like a more focused show than TOH. It has its flaws ofc especially in Season 3, but Amphibia’s cast comes across as a lot more developed than TOH’s cast. I mean, Andrias got a dedicated flashback episode and Belos didn’t???

Amphibia’s execution of the found family trope is one of the best things I’ve seen in animation. In contrast, I always felt that King, Lilith, Eda, and the Hexside crew are plot devices to get Luz where she needs to go. Eda has some depth but generally speaking TOH never “got into their heads,” unlike with the Plantars, Sasha, Marcy, Grime, and Andrias.

And I gotta praise Amphibia’s ending!!! I wish more kids cartoons embraced the idea of permanent, bittersweet change. The idea of letting things go but not forgetting them.

So while I agree Amphibia is more focused, I actually don't think that's what the bigger difference is between TOH and Amphibia that I think needs to be highlighted. No, instead, I'm interrogate something you said: Does Belos not get a dedicated backstory episode? For that matter... Does he potentially get MORE time spent on backstory than Andrias?

Andrias literally only gets The Core and the King. He actually gets VERY little screentime, mostly because the effects of his cruelty are more important than what he does himself. So for backstory, he gets 11 minutes. MAYBE you could stretch to like 12 or 13 if you want to include hints to Lief but that's all post her time with him. So 11 minutes because Andrias only gets one segment, not two.

What does Belos get?

Well... I think everyone just forgets about Elsewhere Elsewhen. That IS backstory. That is previous characterization. It's not a flashback but it is still interacting with a Belos earlier in the timeline, like a backstory exposition dump or a flashback does. And interacting with Philip is the main purpose of the A plot of the episode, even if it takes a bit to get to him and then he dips out before the end.

As the author of the journal though, he also counts for backstory whenever passages of the journal are told to us. It's unreliable but it is still previous characterization. So stuff like Eclipse Lake and the end of Looking Glass Ruins adds a little here and there.

Then of course... What the fuck do you call Hollow Mind if not a dedicated backstory episode to Belos? The majority of the run time is literally go through his brain, and his memories, to show his rise to power. His backstory. And while there is technically a B plot, it doesn't take up much time so probably at least a third of the episode is spent on this and these are 22 minute episodes. If just two thirds get spent on backstory, that's more than Andrias gets.

So why doesn't it feel like that? Why does it feel like we get a VERY complete version of Andrias' backstory, despite seeing cumulatively three days in a row of his life, while it feels like we were never told Belos'?

Efficiency. Amphibia is a VERY efficient work. It crams a LOT into its run times. It's part of why the episodes are so satisfying because they actually manage to tell complete stories with morals, sometimes their own A and B plots in an 11 minute segment and actually move the characters forward a full step within the span of that time. It does this while also being hilarious and action packed, much more than TOH or, honestly, a lot of cartoons. Not every episode segment counts for this but ESPECIALLY the important ones do and The Core and the King should be taught in classes for how to get across a character's motivations and backstory in a nuanced, breezy way while also being DENSE. AS. FUCK.

In eleven minutes, we get a clear idea of the utopia that Andrias used to live in, the cost of that utopia, the pressures upon him as a prince, how deep his relationships are with two other characters, Lief gets some genuinely good characterization that helps explain her choice, a logical progression of events that matches with the sillier side of Andrias we know of, an escalation and then a climax. We can VERY clearly see what Andrias lost, what he is trying to get back, and why he would want it back on multiple levels, both societal, familial and even personal, that will motivate into being a MONSTER for a thousand years. All while still being a lot of fun and having some really great jokes. It introduces so many elements but it never feels bogged down by any of this. Instead, it chose the PERFECT moment to get across everything it needed to and left very few questions that you as an audience couldn't figure out yourselves. This also all while being explicit about much of the motivation and what not instead of relying on background details.

Which TOH can't claim for Belos. In Elsewhere Elsewhen, we see that Philip hates witches, that his journal is unreliable and that he has ALWAYS been an asshole and a manipulator. That's befitting who he will be but doesn't actually tell us jack shit. It also includes I guess how he met the Collector but that's moving plot, not expanding on your villain. Because the journal is unreliable, it tells us very little to nothing about him except for some reason he donated his journal to the people he fucking despised. Then Hollow Mind shows how he came to power... But not who he is. Not his motivation, what he actually wants to accomplish besides murder, etc. like that. The paintings in the background tell you far more just by being far more suggestive of what he's been through.

TOH is fucking awful when it comes to density. Most episodes, not even just Belos, have the problem of only taking half steps. Each of Belos' parts are those half steps. Revealing only one or two elements when it easily could have shown more to be more satisfying. As an example: Amphibia has a GREAT episode between Ivy and her mom about rebellion, the consequences of fighting what your parent wants for you, why they might do the things they do, etc. like that. In 11 minutes, we get a genuinely complex relationship between Ivy and her mom who haven't had much talk about each other or their relationship up until now. Meanwhile, TOH decides to focus on Luz being expelled for the episode about Amity and Odalia, meaning Amity is in like... Three, maybe five minutes of that episode? A full minute of that being the intro to the episode where she's just showing off the abomaton?

Because it isn't actually focused on Amity, the relationship between Amity and Odalia isn't actually explored. Because they can't explore that, they also need to now make Odalia cartoonishly villainous so as to fit the fact that Luz also spends very little time with her due to making the conflict be about Hexside so we have to waste some time with a stock standard montage of Luz, Willow and Gus trying to get back in. And by the end, what is the resolution between Amity and Odalia? "Get in my way again and I will kick your fucking ass."

Much deep. Very brave.

There's TONS of stuff like this where Amphibia is genuinely the work trying to do more interesting, more meaningful and deeper things than TOH and managing to do it in literally half the time. If not even less. That breakneck pace is part of what makes Amphibia feel like a kids show but it's also what makes it just more enjoyable to watch.

Which actually makes TOH fit in better with our current era of streaming television. TOH is constantly baiting you for the payoffs it promises. It keeps swearing that its elements are deeper than they appear so make sure to tune in next week because this SURELY can't be all there is to, right?

Unfortunately, that is all there is to it. And once you realize that and look at the show with that sort of lens, it starts falling apart. It's part of why TOH should be thankful it was shortened. It lets people more easily claim that it just needed another season. Another fourteen episodes. That TOTALLY would have solved all the problems with episodes that happened even before the shortening.

That is extremely rarely how this works everyone. Sorry.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#Emperor Belos #king andrias #toh critical #the owl house criticism #Amphibia

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starmatzz · 30 days ago

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Say Something (I'm Giving Up On You)

hongjoong x seonghwa

emotional | 3.5k | read along with song "Say Something" by A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera🎧 <—spotify link!

read on ao3

Hongjoong faces the heartbreaking end of his relationship with Seonghwa, who feels the need to leave and find himself. Despite Hongjoong’s desperate pleas and promise to change, Seonghwa walks away after a final, bittersweet kiss.

author's note: idk what got into me, and i know i promised another chapter of Utopia, but idk this was like..my brain doing weird things. Also this story was inspired by my first breakup so..yeah😛

Hongjoong sniffled, staring at his phone in the dark apartment, the faint glow casting shadows across his face. The “Find Me” app was open, Seonghwa’s location blinking steadily on the screen. His heart pounded as he watched the little icon inch closer and closer to his apartment.

He wiped at his face with his sleeve, trying to calm the storm of emotions threatening to overflow. What was he supposed to say when Seonghwa arrived? Would he even have the courage to open the door?

The tiny dot stopped just a street away, and Hongjoong’s breath hitched. Seonghwa was almost here.

Suddenly, the weight of everything overwhelmed him, and Hongjoong broke into a sob, the seventh time today. He clutched the phone tighter, his thumb trembling as it hovered over the screen.

He wanted to feel relief knowing Seonghwa was so close, but instead, the tears came harder, raw and unrelenting. It was everything—the loneliness, the regret, the fear of what would happen when Seonghwa knocked on the door.

The blinking dot on the app was now just a block away, and Hongjoong’s cries turned into quiet gasps as he tried to pull himself together. But no matter how hard he tried, the emotions refused to settle.

“I just can’t be here anymore, Hongjoong. I feel stuck. I need to move on,” Seonghwa had said one day, his voice calm but firm, as if he’d rehearsed the words a hundred times.

That one sentence had shattered Hongjoong’s world. It echoed in his mind constantly, a cruel reminder of the moment everything fell apart. For so long, he’d believed Seonghwa was his soulmate—the one person who truly understood him, the love of his life.

But then, out of nowhere, Seonghwa had dropped the bombshell. He wanted to leave. He wanted to move out and start a new life. Alone. Without Hongjoong.

Hongjoong had been frozen in disbelief that day, watching the person he’d built his future around pull away as if it was the easiest decision in the world. It was the beginning of a heartbreak that he still hadn’t figured out how to survive.

It had been two weeks since Seonghwa walked out of his life, leaving behind an emptiness that Hongjoong didn’t know how to fill. And today, after what felt like an eternity, Seonghwa was coming back—not to stay, but to grab his belongings.

Hongjoong stared at the blinking dot on his phone, Seonghwa’s location closing in on his apartment. His heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. Two weeks of silence, two weeks of trying to make sense of the void, and now, he was going to see him again. For the last time.

The thought sent a fresh wave of pain crashing over him. He couldn’t take it. The idea of facing Seonghwa, of seeing him one last time just to say goodbye for good, felt like too much to bear. How was he supposed to let go of someone who still held his entire heart?

The dot on the map stopped just outside his building. Seonghwa was here. And Hongjoong wasn’t ready.

Hongjoong’s heart felt like it could jump out of his chest. His stomach churned violently, and for a moment, he thought he might actually throw up. His hands were clammy, trembling as they gripped the phone, and all he could think about was how desperately he wanted to disappear.

But he wasn’t the one disappearing. Seonghwa was.

The irony stung as much as the reality did. Hongjoong had spent the last two weeks begging the universe for one more moment with Seonghwa, but now that it was here, all he wanted to do was run and hide. He couldn’t bear to look at him, to hear his voice, to watch him pack up the remnants of their life together as if it all meant nothing.

The knock on the door broke the suffocating silence, and Hongjoong froze. This was it. The last time. The moment he’d dreaded more than anything. With a shaky breath, he stepped toward the door, unsure if his legs would even hold him.

Hongjoong took a deep, trembling breath, trying to collect himself as he wiped away the lingering tears on his cheeks. His hand hesitated on the doorknob, his heart pounding so hard it drowned out every other sound. He swallowed the lump in his throat and, with all the courage he could muster, slowly opened the door.

And there he was.

Seonghwa stood on the other side, framed by the soft glow of the hallway light. He was as beautiful as ever, his features delicate yet striking, just as Hongjoong remembered. His dark eyes held a quiet sadness, but his expression was calm, composed—so unlike the storm raging inside Hongjoong.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air between them heavy with everything unsaid. Hongjoong’s chest ached, his throat tightening at the sight of the man who was still, and always would be, the love of his life.

“Hey…” Seonghwa said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. There was pain there—Hongjoong could hear it—but it was controlled, measured. Seonghwa’s calmness felt like a cruel contrast to the mess Hongjoong had been just minutes ago, sobbing uncontrollably in the darkness of his apartment.

Hongjoong tried to respond, but the words caught in his throat. His lips parted, trembling as he struggled to find something, anything, to say. The weight of Seonghwa’s presence, so familiar yet so distant, made his chest tighten.

He bit the inside of his cheek, fighting the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm him again. Seonghwa wasn’t falling apart—not like him—and that hurt more than he cared to admit. It felt unfair, like Hongjoong was the only one drowning while Seonghwa had already learned how to swim away.

“You… look beautiful,” Hongjoong mumbled, his voice barely audible. It was all he could manage, the words spilling out before he could stop them. He knew they sounded out of place, almost pathetic, but they were the truth. Seonghwa always looked beautiful, even now, even like this.

Seonghwa’s expression softened for a fleeting moment, as if he didn’t know how to respond. His lips parted slightly, but no words came.

Without waiting for a reply, Hongjoong stepped aside, his hand still gripping the door tightly as he allowed Seonghwa to come in. His heart ached watching Seonghwa walk past him, the scent of his cologne a bittersweet reminder of all the times this apartment had been filled with laughter, warmth, and love.

Hongjoong closed the door behind him, the click of the lock echoing louder than it should. Turning around, he found Seonghwa standing in the living room, looking around as though it wasn’t the same place they had shared together. As though he were already a stranger in it.

Seonghwa walked silently to the bedroom, a bag clutched in his hand. Hongjoong followed a few steps behind, his heart heavy as he watched Seonghwa move with quiet determination.

Once in the bedroom, Seonghwa placed the bag on the bed, unzipping it with practiced ease. He opened the closet, his movements deliberate, and began taking out his clothes piece by piece. He folded each item carefully, almost methodically, before placing it into the bag.

The sight made Hongjoong’s chest tighten unbearably. This was it—the final act of leaving. Watching Seonghwa pack away not just his clothes, but fragments of their shared life, was like watching their memories being erased piece by piece.

The silence between them was suffocating, broken only by the soft rustle of fabric and the occasional zip of the bag. Hongjoong bit his lip, his hands balled into fists at his sides as he fought the urge to say something, anything, to stop this. But the words wouldn’t come. All he could do was stand there, frozen, as Seonghwa carried out the goodbye neither of them had truly spoken yet.

Seonghwa paused, his fingers trembling slightly as he pulled out a shirt from the back of the closet. It wasn’t his. It was Hongjoong’s. The one he used to sleep in, the one that smelled like him, the one Hongjoong had given him months ago when the nights felt too cold.

Seonghwa stared at it for a long moment, his eyes glassy, as if the fabric held too many memories for him to bear. Hongjoong felt his chest tighten. The sight of Seonghwa looking at the shirt like that was almost too much to handle. It was too real, too painful.

“You… you can keep it… if you want to,” Hongjoong mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper, unsure if Seonghwa would even hear him. His heart ached seeing the tears that shimmered in Seonghwa’s eyes, though he didn’t let them fall.

Seonghwa blinked, his expression firming as he wiped at his eyes quickly. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice steadier than Hongjoong thought it would be. “It’s yours.” With that, Seonghwa folded the shirt gently and placed it back in the closet, as though letting go of something far more significant than just a piece of clothing.

He blinked away the tears, his face set in a way that made Hongjoong feel like he had already lost him, even though he was standing right in front of him.

“How’s work?” Seonghwa asked suddenly, trying to break the tension in the air, his voice lighter than before.

“Good… like always,” Hongjoong replied, his voice quieter than he intended. But the silence hung between them, thick and uncomfortable, so he added, “Accidentally spilled coffee on my coworker on Wednesday…” He couldn’t help but laugh nervously at the memory, even though it felt insignificant compared to everything else.

Seonghwa let out a soft chuckle, and it was a sound Hongjoong hadn’t realized he’d missed so much. “Dummy…” Seonghwa shook his head with a fond, almost teasing smile that made Hongjoong’s heart skip a beat.

Hongjoong’s face flushed a deep red, and he quickly looked away, feeling the warmth creep up his neck. Despite everything, despite how things had changed, that little moment of normalcy made it hurt even more. He wasn’t ready for the awkwardness to feel so familiar again, and yet, here they were—sharing something that felt so simple, but so precious in the midst of all the pain.

For a moment, Hongjoong thought—just for a moment—that maybe, just maybe, Seonghwa might change his mind. Maybe he wasn’t truly ready to leave, maybe he still felt something, and everything could go back to the way it was.

But Seonghwa’s next words shattered that fragile hope.

“Also… I think this is yours,” Seonghwa said suddenly, pulling a small box from his backpack. He handed it to Hongjoong, his gaze briefly meeting his before he turned away. Hongjoong took it with trembling hands, heart racing as he opened the box.

The sight inside made his chest tighten painfully. There, nestled inside the soft velvet lining, were all the handmade gifts he had ever given Seonghwa—each one holding a piece of their shared memories. The bracelet they used to wear together, once a symbol of their bond, lay at the top, worn and faded, but still beautiful.

Hongjoong’s breath caught in his throat as he picked it up, his fingers brushing over the familiar beads. His chest tightened, his emotions crashing in waves, threatening to overwhelm him. The memories of the times they’d spent together, the promises they’d made, all felt so distant now, like a dream he couldn’t quite remember.

Seonghwa had taken the time to keep these things, even after everything, but it still felt like a goodbye—like the final piece of their love had been boxed up and handed back to him.

“Seonghwa, please…” Hongjoong choked out, his voice breaking under the weight of the words. His chest felt tight, suffocating, and he couldn’t hold back the tears that welled up in his eyes. The box in his hands felt heavy, the weight of all their memories pressing down on him, threatening to crush him under its force.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he looked up at Seonghwa, his heart in pieces. “Please… don’t go,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Seonghwa stood there, frozen for a moment, his own expression unreadable. His eyes were filled with something close to sorrow, but he didn’t move, didn’t say anything. Hongjoong felt his world unraveling, the fragile thread that had held them together slipping away with every passing second.

Hongjoong wanted to reach out, to pull Seonghwa back to him, to stop him from walking out of his life, but the space between them felt insurmountable. He was losing him, and all he could do was stand there, shaking, pleading with the only words he could manage.

“I am sorry,” Seonghwa whispered, his voice thick with emotion, his breath shaky. Hongjoong watched helplessly as Seonghwa’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “But you’re strong, Hongjoong, I know it.”

Seonghwa took a step closer, his presence overwhelming, and gently cupped Hongjoong’s face with his hands. The warmth of his touch sent a shock through Hongjoong, his heart hammering in his chest.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop. Hongjoong felt Seonghwa’s fingertips on his skin, felt the tenderness in the way he held him, and for a fleeting instant, he wanted to believe it was a sign, that Seonghwa might change his mind, that this wasn’t the end.

But then, Seonghwa’s face softened in a bittersweet smile, and Hongjoong could see the quiet resolve in his eyes. “I wish things were different,” Seonghwa said softly, his thumb brushing away a tear from Hongjoong’s cheek. “But this is what’s best for both of us.”

Hongjoong’s heart broke at those words, and he wanted to scream, to tell Seonghwa that he didn’t want what was “best” if it meant losing him. But he couldn’t find the strength. Instead, he just stood there, his face in Seonghwa’s hands, unable to let go of the one person who had once been everything to him.

“But… why?” Hongjoong whispered, his voice trembling as the words spilled out. “We were so happy… Please, Seonghwa. I—I will change.” His hand reached out, trembling as he gently touched Seonghwa’s hair, his fingers lingering as though trying to hold onto a part of him that felt like it was slipping away.

Seonghwa’s eyes softened, but there was something in them—an aching sadness—that made Hongjoong’s chest tighten. Slowly, Seonghwa pulled back, his warmth disappearing as he lowered his hands from Hongjoong’s face. The space between them seemed to grow, as though no amount of touch could bridge the gap that had suddenly formed.

“Hongjoong…” Seonghwa’s voice was soft but firm, each word carrying a weight that made Hongjoong’s heart ache. “It’s not you, it’s me.”

Hongjoong blinked, his mind unable to grasp the meaning behind those words. “What do you mean…?” he whispered, voice cracking.

Seonghwa let out a soft sigh, looking down for a moment, gathering his thoughts before he met Hongjoong’s gaze again. “I know you love me, and I love you too. But I’m the one who’s changed. I’m the one who’s lost myself in this… in us. I can’t keep pretending that things are the same when they’re not.”

Hongjoong’s heart pounded in his chest, and his breath caught. “No, Seonghwa… you can’t—”

“It’s not your fault, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa interrupted gently. “You’re not the reason. But I’ve reached a point where I need to figure things out on my own. I need space to breathe, to find myself again. I can’t do that while holding on to what we had.”

The tears that had been building up finally spilled over, and Hongjoong felt a cold emptiness seep into his chest. Seonghwa was letting go, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The words “it’s not you, it’s me” stung in a way Hongjoong never imagined, because deep down, he knew Seonghwa was telling the truth. It was never about him. It was about Seonghwa needing something he couldn’t find with Hongjoong anymore.

As Seonghwa slowly backed away, Hongjoong’s hand fell limply to his side, the last touch of connection slipping away. And for the first time, Hongjoong understood—this really was the end.

“I hope you find someone perfect for you,” Seonghwa said, his voice gentle but laced with a quiet sorrow. He smiled softly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Hongjoong felt a sharp ache in his chest at the words.

'You’re perfect for me' Hongjoong thought to himself, his heart breaking at the irony. It felt like a cruel twist of fate—Seonghwa was standing right there, saying goodbye, and yet Hongjoong couldn’t help but believe that he was still the one who belonged by Seonghwa’s side.

Before he could stop himself, a sob broke free from his throat, raw and unfiltered. His chest heaved with each desperate breath, the tears streaming down his face as everything he held onto slipped through his fingers.

Seonghwa’s eyes softened, and he looked away quickly, blinking back his own tears. He hated this, hated that he had to hurt Hongjoong, but he knew in his heart that this was the only way. The pain of staying, of dragging things out, was something neither of them deserved. Still, it didn’t make the decision any easier.

Seonghwa wiped at his eyes, his shoulders trembling as he fought to keep his composure. He wanted to comfort Hongjoong, wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay, but he couldn’t. Not when the goodbye had already been said without words.

The silence between them grew heavy, both of them crying softly in their own ways—one quietly holding onto the love that was slipping away, and the other silently mourning the loss of what they had tried so hard to protect.

“Can we kiss… for the last time?” Hongjoong choked out, his voice trembling between sobs. His head pounded painfully from the weight of his tears, his heart aching as though it was being torn in two. The simple request felt like a desperate plea, a final wish to hold onto something, anything, that reminded him of the love they once shared.

Seonghwa paused, his chest tightening as he met Hongjoong’s tear-streaked face. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond, his own heart breaking at the rawness of Hongjoong’s words. But slowly, he stepped closer, the space between them narrowing until there was only an inch separating them.

“For the last time…” Seonghwa whispered, his voice soft and tender, almost as if he were afraid to break the fragile moment between them. He reached out, his hand gently hanging around Hongjoong’s neck, pulling him in just slightly.

Hongjoong’s breath hitched, and without thinking, his hand found its place on Seonghwa’s waist, fingers trembling against the warmth of his skin. They leaned in together, their foreheads brushing, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in this fleeting moment, knowing it would be the last.

And then, their lips met.

It wasn’t a kiss of passion or urgency, but one of quiet surrender—both of them giving in to the inevitable. It was bittersweet, filled with love and sorrow, the taste of goodbye lingering on their lips. Hongjoong’s heart shattered with every second, but he let himself savor the touch, the connection, even as it slipped away like sand through his fingers.

Seonghwa pulled away first, his eyes glistening with tears he couldn’t hold back. “I’m sorry,” he whispered once more, his voice breaking, before he gently stepped back, his arms falling to his sides.

And just like that, everything they had shared, everything they were, seemed to slip away.

Hongjoong stood frozen in place, tears falling uncontrollably as he watched Seonghwa grab his bag. Each step Seonghwa took felt like a painful hammer to his chest, the sound of his footsteps echoing louder than anything else in the room. Hongjoong’s body shook with sobs, unable to move, unable to say anything more.

Seonghwa didn’t look back. He walked past Hongjoong, his pace quickening, as though the weight of what was happening was becoming too much for him to bear as well. He didn’t want to stay here any longer and face the consequences of his own decision. He couldn’t watch Hongjoong cry any longer. It broke him in a way that words couldn’t express.

The apartment door creaked open, and Hongjoong’s heart felt like it stopped beating as Seonghwa stepped through it. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes pleading with the empty space where Seonghwa had just been.

And then the door slammed shut.

The sound was final. It was the sound of an ending that Hongjoong didn’t want but couldn’t stop. His chest felt hollow, as if every part of him had been ripped out and left with nothing but aching emptiness.

He stood there for what felt like forever, still crying, still hearing the echo of that door closing in his mind, unable to move, unable to do anything except feel the unbearable loss that had consumed him.

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astronomalyy · 9 months ago

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i remember watching the Land Before Time as a small child and interpreting the ending as some bittersweet moment of respite from the coming apocalypse. the dinosaurs find the valley, united under a common cause, having broken the cycle of hatred and prejudice that their forbearers could not escape. yet their utopia will fall within a generation, the trees stripped bare, the rivers smothered by ash and fire and brimstone and death. ultimately, they amount to nothing. but that doesn't render their lives meaningless. it's such a strange, flawed little film, but it might have been some kid's first exposure to those ideas of transience and mortality and purpose, and i think that's valuable. i like that it dared to be existential. i also like that it had 12 fucking sequels in which everything was fine actually and littlefoot met aliens

#text posting

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letadlock · 7 months ago

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A Place Further Than the Universe

Within the episode, we are introduced to Mari Tamaki, a second year high school student determined to get the most out of her youth. After years of holding back from starting new clubs, adventures, and opportunities, she decides to embark on a journey to the Antarctic with her new friend Shirase Kobuchizawa, whose mother disappeared on an expedition. Within the pilot episode, it is apparent this story will tackle and build upon the idea of finding purpose in youth. However, in order to fund this trip across the Southern Ocean, the girls need to save up. In the second episode, Mari begins the job search where she meets Hinata Miyake, a sixteen year old girl who dropped out of school and spends her time working at a convenience store and preparing for college entrance exams. In the third episode the three girls meet Yuzuki Shiraishi, an idol whose mother plans to have her work as a reporter at a new job in Antarctica. Intrigued by the opportunity to join her, the three girls try to befriend a lonely Yuzuki and convince her to join them on their trip.

While the show primarily centers around the girls strong-willed intentions to go on this expedition to the Antarctic, an underlying need to make money troubles each of them. Shirase is so preoccupied with her after-school job that she does not make any friends before Mari and is even given the name "Antarctica Girl" by classmates who recognize her hard work. Mari spends her time after school working at the convenience store with Hinata who works there all day since she's not in school, and Yuzuki is too busy working under her mother's management as an idol to make friends. Regardless, the girls are bonded together by the idea of going on this journey to Antarctica together. Despite the long hours working and the obstacles they encountered leading up to the expedition, the idea serves as an escape from the working and moral troubles that plague each of them.

Relating back to our readings, Haber's Anti-Utopia argument is harnessed upon in this show where there really is no escape from capitalism anywhere in the world. When Hinata loses her passport the girls even joke about her working at a convenience store in Singapore. Even after the girls successfully arrive to Antarctica and no longer have to work to save up, they must still work hard on the base to keep it operating. The girls bounce around fulfilling various roles and contributing to the labor it takes to both produce the broadcast and operate the base.

In my own experience I definitely relate to the struggles the girls go through prior to the trip about making money. Outside of school and extracurriculars I would work at Starbucks to save up for a trip to Italy I wanted to go on after I graduated. While I was able to save up enough and had a wonderful time with my friends I eventually had to come back from my vacation and work again to save up for future excursions. A seemingly inescapable cycle of needing money.

Personally, I was happy with the ending of this anime. I thought it was bittersweet how even though Shirase had to come to terms with her mother's death she met friends along the way who were willing to go to go all the way to Antarctica for her. While not an anime I would have normally picked to watch I am satisfied I had the opportunity to.

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project1939 · 8 months ago

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200 Films of 1952

Film number 171: The Steel Fist

Release date: January 6th, 1952

Studio: Monogram

Genre: drama, red scare

Director: Wesley Barry

Producer: Wesley Barry

Actors: Roddy McDowall, Kristine Miller, Harry Lauter

Plot Summary: In an unnamed Soviet country, an idealistic student leads a riot, forcing him to flee from the country or face death. He finds a connection into an underground movement that leads others like himself to freedom across the border.

My Rating (out of five stars): ***¼

Another day, another cheap Monogram Red Scare film! And like yesterday’s film, I was pleasantly surprised at how effective it was! It certainly had its flaws, but it also had much to like. Most thankfully, as far as I was concerned, it didn’t become a treatise on U.S. flag waving, apple pie, and religious piety. It stayed in its lane, focusing solely on the injustice and danger of the country it took place in. (spoilers)

The Good:

Roddy McDowell. He looked the part of a very young starry-eyed college student who thinks he can change the world. I thought his acting was excellent- he had a great sensitivity about him.

The whole plot of being on the run in an underground network was exciting and suspenseful, I gotta say.

The early 180 with the character Marlina was exciting. I hated her at first, so the shock that came when I realized I was totally wrong was delicious.

I loved the characters Marlina and Franz as two adult siblings who built up a highly successful escape route for fellow countrymen who need to flee. I thought their coverup to appear like Soviet cooperators within their small town was very clever.

The film did a good job creating an ominous tone that hung over everything.

One of its biggest assets was the way the focus was kept very narrow. This is only the story about a student fleeing his country with the help of some sympathizers. It didn’t delve into wider geo-political issues.

The possible romance was handled relatively subtly. I knew it was strongly hinted at, but we never got a kiss or a real confession of love, which I felt would have been extremely out of place in this kind of movie.

I appreciated that the ending was bittersweet- for a few moments I feared it was going to become an improbable Hollywood ending where all strings are tied up and everything is “happy ever after.”

I also appreciated the lack of any portrayal of America, especially a portrayal of it as a perfect utopia with the freest freedom that e’re were. Given this was 1952 and Jim Crow was strong, HUAC was ruining people’s lives for thought crimes, gays could be arrested and fired, women couldn’t have access to credit, interracial marriage was banned... among many other things (!) listening to the idea that America was a land of perfect freedom can drive me up the wall.

The Bad:

The plot lost a little steam when Eric just stayed in the house with Franz and Marlina.

The undercover cleaning lady at the train station was waaay too obvious! She would easily be spotted in just a few seconds.

Was Eric/Roddy too much of a baby for Marlina? I think they were supposed to be the same age, but he looked very young to be in an adult romance with Marlina. I’m not sure I totally bought the chemistry.

The mountain climbing scenes at the end were kind of over the top for me a few times (pun intended!). It started to feel like utter fiction. Especially when Marlina had time to yell a message to Franz. There were supposed to be soldiers all around the area!

There were some heavy-handed propaganda-ish quotes at both the beginning and the end. Now, I totally agreed with the sentiment in them about people wanting freedom and resisting tyranny... but it felt kind of ham-fisted.

#1952 movies #100 films of 1952 #roddy mcdowall #200 films of 1952 #200 films of 1952 film 171

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kiragecko · 5 months ago

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While I'm with you guys, I do feel compelled to offer a defense for overly simplistic utopias: they're for people like my Husband.

My Husband was shut down as a kid whenever he asked an 'obvious' or hard to answer question. He was shut down when he tried to talk about anything 'silly'. His parents were constantly afraid of what could happen, and tried to teach him not to take risks, or trust people.

And now, at 40-ish, he's learning to imagine better futures. He's not interested in realistic ones. The point isn't to figure out how to make them come true. He just wants to actually consider, rather then avoid, thinking about things that aren't real, but ARE good.

It drives me CRAZY! I've dealt with mental illness all my life and I want painful but 'real' good endings. I want bittersweet hope. I want actionable items. I find pie-in-the-sky unfounded optimism to be ... distressing. Too much like the people who told me to just try harder and it would all work out.

HOW is it going to work out? Is anyone going to support me, or is this dream of yours just another burden for me to bear?

Anon, your idea sounds great! I crave messy successes! And it makes me sulky that there's also a place for unrealistic, conflictless, daydreams.

They actually help some people. Ugh.

regarding your utopian book idea, i've had this idea for a story (in my head it's a tv show but lets be real it's staying in my brain forever) about criminals in a super powered setting going through a restorative justice system, and all the ways that it can be messy as hell.

Like their core belief of "if the worst mass murderer in human history (immortal OC) can take just one step back from the edge, anyone can, over and over again, and we have a duty to help them do it" is *true*, but it is not easy, or even logistically possible in some cases. And human cognition and psychology is so messy and it is human nature to fuck up and there is just. a lot.

anyways just wanted to share i got excited when i saw your post i too. like to think about things.

So many utopian stories I read (and granted, I haven't read a lot, but I've read several) are clearly aiming to imagine a nice and peaceful world, a perfect society one where we believe in restorative justice and all that... but utterly fail to imagine how it would work if it was populated with real human beings, so everyone in the story is incredibly homogeneous and Just Nice. There's no conflict because everybody does the right thing the first time - and if there is any conflict, it's quickly resolved through talking about it and everyone apologizes and makes up within 24 hours. No real differences of opinion exist, and nobody ever does anything actually bad.

It's frequently boring even at the best of times, and at its worst, it does the opposite of the "inspiring hope!" that it intends to do - it makes me cynical. It makes me think, gotcha, you think peace is only possible if everybody has the exact same attitudes and beliefs and personalities and holds no strong opinions because that's the only way to eliminate conflict. That doesn't inspire hope - if anything it inspires despair, because that is not going to happen.

So I would be so interested in a story like this, that takes on the ideals of restorative justice and rehabilitation head-on, that goes, okay, how will this actually work? When people do bad things - and they will - even in a society that raises and educates children to have respect for each other well, that has eliminated structural bigotry, that has eliminated capitalism and poverty, that has a flourishing artistic scene where anyone can express themselves, that has guaranteed food and housing and medical care for everyone with no strings attached, that has the enshrined right and structural support for people (including children) to leave situations they don't want to be in, that has most hard-labor and exploitative jobs replaced by automation - what is the actual response? Even in such a society, some people will still hurt other people. It will happen. There has never been a society on Earth where people didn't hurt other people sometimes. There will be people who want incompatible things. There will be resources that more people want than can have. There will be conflicts that need to be addressed and managed. And obviously writers aren't obligated to solve every world problem perfectly (if it were easy, we'd have done it by now), but attempts at writing utopia that simply go "no there won't!" are both boring and dishonest.

All of that is to say: I would love to watch this hypothetical show, to see a genuine attempt at grappling with such a theme!

#not sure if I'm trying to support people who like this type of story #or vent about how annoying talking with my husband sometimes is #he wants me to engage!#there's nothing to engage with!#that isn't how people WORK Husband!#but it's better than when he couldn't dream at all

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senshi1ra · 3 years ago

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Why I don’t like Crystal Tokyo;

The idea of Crystal Tokyo has always made me uncomfortable. I think we’re supposed to take the idea at a face value; “Usagi is so amazing she created a world wide utopia and is a beloved queen.”, but it’s never quite felt that way to me.

First of all even if it is a utopia for the rest of the world it’s always felt bittersweet. It is not a good ending for our heroes, especially Usagi who only ever wanted to be a normal girl. Usagi being forced to become “Neo-Queen Serenity” a figure who is practically treated like a goddess doesn’t seem like something that would make her happy.

Well that’s my main problem but then there is my other problem. Is it even really a utopia? The Black Moon Clan are people who are rebelling against Crystal Tokyo! Clearly there are people who are unhappy with the system but one thing thing that always stuck with me was the throwaway line “rejecting longevity” for some reason it’s framed as an evil motion but it’s always stuck with me.

Think about the implications of that. People are living into their 10th century and clearly this has completely changed everything and for some people it’s bad enough to fight. Ever read any stories about the horror of time/immortality? Humans weren’t made to live that long and changing their life cycle that much changes what our species is.

I sincerely hope, especially give the theme of “learning from the past” that the changes in timeline mean Crystal Tokyo will never come to be. Both for the sake of our heroes and our species.

#sailor moon #crystal tokyo #anti crystal tokyo #sailor moon timeline #time line #the future

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teashoptiramisu · 3 years ago

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Todosibs (and other BNHA) rec list

I started another BNHA fic reclist and it got long so I'm putting it here as I tend to.... on my ATLA sideblog. Don't worry about the logic of this too much, haha. Anyways, a lot of these are pretty well known, but maybe some are new to you! I'm also giving pitches for why I like them geared towards specific requests, and I'll list the original request at the bottom of the post so if you guys have further recs that meet these requirements let me know!

Not all who wander are lost -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/17950646 -- 27k words, complete -- Has probably been rec’d here before, and I was re-reading it today as a treat, I still love it a lot! All four Todoroki siblings run away together after Rei burns Shouto. I love the characterization, and how the author draws on their own experience as a foreigner working in Japan, and how they did their research on missing child cases and child homelessness in Japan (it doesn't go hugely in depth but I appreciate the authors' notes discussing this, even if it's, well, incredibly tragic. There’s more light hearted cultural notes as well!)

make this feel like home -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/21852745 -- 27k words, complete -- we already rec'd this to you but adding it here for completion. A character-focused Todosibs fic with EXCELLENT portrayal of sibling relationships. I re-read this one A LOT.

Dragon Head, Snake Tail -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195510 -- 61k words, incomplete -- Another Todosib favorite that deals with canon and also an AU in which Rei got a divorce and everyone mostly grew up away from Endeavor. I love how the sibling relationships are depicted, but I also love how the author is a huge kanji nerd who fully lean's into Horikoshi's love for punny names and the long authors notes explaining how they came up with every new name in the fic. It's occasionally bittersweet but mostly a fun & humorous fic.

Twin Swap -- https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867879 -- 55k words, on hiatus with 2 complete arcs -- do you want Todosibs AND great villain characterization? (well mostly Fuyumi & Touya, but Natsuo is there for a bit too). Anyways the fic is mostly pretty lighthearted in tone, but it's also not afraid to hit hard in the characterization department, and I really love how this author wrote all of the League members. I re-read this one a lot.

No Such Thing As a Hopeless Case -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/16806328 -- 14k words, hiatus (and right on a cliffhanger too!) -- All Might accidentally kinda adopts the league of villains? Again, great LOV characterization, and I think you'll like how it explores the societal factors and personal tragedies that lead them to and keep them at the margins of society. also, some really terrible puns, which are my favorite thing

could i but teach the hundreth part -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/12558048 -- 5k words, complete -- a post-canon outsider-POV fic of Class 1-A visiting and taking care of a retried All Might. It’s just short and sweet.

Missing Everything -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/30128547 -- 52k words, in progress -- AU where Izuku doesn't learn of All Might's secret during the slime attack, but manages to befriend him through his civilian identity. Recommending this for the really interesting (to me at least) characterization of All Might and examination of his flaws and the toll of his career, and recently it's gotten into some interesting exploration of the details of the Hero System with the beach clean up.

Q.A.B. -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/27665101 -- 18k words, complete (w/ a sequel just starting out!) -- a really excellent social media fic in which Izuku stays quirkless and doesn't go to UA but does gain a following online for his quirk analysis and hero blogging. Also features great characterization of Todoroki, Kaminari, and some of the Vigilantes crew.

Yesterday Upon the Stair -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/8337607 -- 460k words, complete. You're probably aware of this fic since it's the highest hit count in the fandom, but I really think it fits your requirement and writing and character work! I know some other people who think the writing and character work are mediocre though, which I'm baffled by... but YMMV? The beginning is weaker and my absolute FAVORITE part is the Nighteye arc, which is the last 20% of the fic, but I would say it really starts to hit its stride by chapter 9~10? If you aren't enjoying it by then it's probably fair to expect it won't catch your interest later.

I can't believe no one has written any "self insert as Bakugo" fanfics... - https://archiveofourown.org/works/17662220 -- 70k words, infrequent updates -- I like this one for taking a weird as hell premise and REALLY rolling with it. It's somehow pretty similar to a lot of more positive takes on Bakugo's relationship with the Midoriyas while also being very much it's own thing. The author is NOT "far out of high school" though -- it's hilariously clear from the SI's reactions to certain quirks that the writer started this while taking lower division universtiy physics (and personally I love that). Also appreciate SI!Bakugo's war with Nedzu to get proper counseling and mental health support for class 1-a after all the shit they've been through.

It's Over, Isn't It (it's only yet begun) -- https://archiveofourown.org/series/1269638 -- 66k words, abandoned series with several complete stories -- AU where All Might dies rescuing Tenko from AfO but other than that it's a heartwarming fix-it! Same author as YUTS, very positive portrayal of Nighteye, excellent character writing for many other characters.

Subject: A Comprehensive Report -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/16037609 -- 83k words, infrequent updates -- another very popular fandom staple, but hey it's really good! A social media fic with quirkless Izuku interning with Nighteye as an analyst. Has some very interesting exploration of the legalities of Hero Society and how the status quo developed.

For Fools and Utopias -- https://archiveofourown.org/works/22547254 -- 89k words, updates regularly -- okay grace is the one who rec’d this fic to ME but to anyone stumbling across this reclist on tumblr, THIS FIC IS A MUST READ. Absolutely the BEST, more thought out and gutting portrayal of the flaws of the hero system, and how the different characters struggle with it. This fic GOT to me, hard, I’m still thinking about it a lot. Takes place roughly a decade post-canon, in an AU where Izuku never met All Might or went to UA, and nothing got fixed (yet! they’re trying!!). Features absoulely STELLAR characterization of Midoriya, Shinsou, Todoroki, his sibblings, Ragdoll, and more!!

Here’s the original request:

any of the following in any combination: - really good writing - sophisticated character work - engagements with the ethics of the hero system - some kind of actually nuanced take on the Todoroki family - anything obviously written by people who are long out of high school (sorry for being old) - adults todobaku - good looks at the villains because guess what I continue to be weak for villain stories - basically anything that's Really Good - I like grey areas

(to clarify, I, teashoptiramisu, am not the originator of this request but I’m also interesting in reading more fic exploring these ideas, so if you have any more fic that you think meet it feel free to drop the link(s) in a reblog or send me an ask!)

#fic recs #fic rec #fic recommendation #bnha #not atla #long post

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angelicyoongie · 5 years ago

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desolate (7)

— summary: you just wanted a cute little normal cat to keep you company. so, you're not really sure how you ended up with the grumpiest hybrid on earth that seems hellbent on making your life difficult.

— pairing: cat hybrid yoongi x human reader

— genre: angst, fluff, eventual smut

— word count: 4.7k

— tag list: @mrcleanheichou @ladymidnightt @cheese123344 @xanny91 @dinorahrodriguez @best-space-boy @dulcaet @moccahobi @keijaycreates @staytrillswag @xsmilebitesx @serendipityoreuphoria @jiminot7 @beyond-the-swag @nananaum1 @mult1wh0re @ditttiii @faithsummers11 @twomilkmen-gocomedy @theonewholovestoread @karissassirak @veryuniquenamegoeshere @yourlipssoirresistible @ayoo-bangtan @murderyoursoul @btsxdoll @see3milyblog @gukiyi @officialcarly9701 @mtgforall @narcissism-iskey @sp3ak-yours3lf @cesthoney @imluckybitches @hd-junglebook @sugarrimajins @multifandomgirl29 @beach-bitch-bitch-beach @bangtansleftnut @theresa-nam-nam-me @angeltothecore @ghostkat23 @deathkat657 @awixxx @httpmedxsa @veronawrites @bubbletae7 @serious-addiction @chogiyeol-utopia @nomimits7 @lorielulu7 @1am9root6 @sana-b @diamonddia-mond @jiminiessipabo @myhearttteu @rainbowmagicpixecorn @lidda @rosiethefairy

Part one Part two Part three Part four Part five Part six Part eight Part nine Part ten (M) Part eleven Part twelve Part thirteen Part fourteen (M)

It’s the fifth day in a row you’re waking up to your hand tightly clasped between Yoongi’s. You realized your initial mistake pretty quickly, having given your own rule such a massive loophole. Apparently when you had pointed at Yoongi’s human form and told him he wasn’t allowed in bed when you were there, that didn’t apply to his cat form too. So, you had resigned pretty quickly to the fact that cat Yoongi snuggled up on your bed every night.

You didn’t really mind it too much; you could practically trick yourself into thinking he actually was one. What was harder to ignore however, was the very human man you woke up to every morning. You assume his transformation drops after a certain amount of time if he isn’t awake enough to continue it, and that’s why you find yourself face to face with Yoongi’s pale skin and long lashes every morning.

You’re pretty sure he does wake up during the night to get dressed though, considering the fact that he’s never naked when you wake up – which you’re very thankful for. He could technically transform back when he wakes up, but you also get why he doesn’t. He had been forced to keep up his transformation for such a long time at the shelter, and you don’t want to make him feel any worse. You know he needs a break from it.

The first morning had nearly given you a heart attack, but you found it hard to banish him to the couch when he looked so comfy next to you. And he was technically still on top of the covers, so you’ve let it slide, for now.

You know it before you even open your eyes – the feeling of slender fingers slightly intertwined with yours, the puffs of air hitting the small inches of skin that aren’t covered. Yoongi seems to somehow always manage to bring your intertwined hands close to his face, and you can feel each exhale as he breathes out.

He looks peaceful when he sleeps; cheek pressed into the pillow below him, and pink lips slightly parted. There’s no tension in his face, no frown to pull on his features, and you find that with each morning you wake up to seeing his face like this, the more you wish you could keep it that way.

You sigh softly, slowly trying to worm your hand out of Yoongi’s grasp. His face pinches right away at the moment, annoyed that the warmth in his grasp is moving. He drags your hand even closer, the back of it ending being pressed up against his lips. You feel heat creep into your cheeks as Yoongi lets out an incoherent mumble, his soft lips moving against your skin as he speaks.

He’s inhaling more harshly now that your hand is closer, his fluffy ears twitching slightly with each breath. It would be a lie if you said you hadn’t thought about touching them, the silky fur seeming tantalizingly soft. You haven’t, of course, and there’s no way you’re going to ask Yoongi if you can. You know certain parts are more sensitive for hybrids than they are for humans, and you would never want to put Yoongi into an uncomfortable situation.

You’re so caught up in watching his ears that you hardly even register the wetness on your wrist. Your eyes flicker down to Yoongi’s mouth just as his tongue peeks out from between his lips, giving your wrist another kitten lick.

You suck in a breath, unsure and overwhelmed in the early morning. It becomes obvious to you now that Yoongi is scenting you despite being asleep, and him holding your hand so close every morning makes a little more sense too. He seems to have subconsciously grown attached to your scent, and his instincts probably make him try to get as close to you as possible while still respecting your boundaries.

You bite your lip, wiggling your fingers to test how easy it would be to slip away without waking him up. You don’t know if it’s a good idea to let him know what he’s doing or not. You don’t want to embarrass him now that he’s finally starting to open up, but you don’t know if it’s right to let him go on unknowingly either.

Yoongi suddenly lets up on his grasp around your hand to shift his position, and you use the opportunity to quickly slip out of his hold. He gets an adorable pout on his lips as he loses your touch, but it doesn’t seem to wake him up.

You’re too awake to try to go back to sleep, so you decide that you might as well get up. Sundays are always a little bittersweet. You have the day off, but you also know that you’ll be back at work in less than twenty-four hours.

You shuffle out into the hallway, deciding you might as well do laundry first. Despite your apartment being older, you still consider it a steal since it has its own washing machine in the bathroom. Sure, it makes it pretty cramped, but it beats having to go to a laundromat to get clean clothes.

You rummage through your hamper, pulling out all the dark colours to do the first load. You pause as you pull up your hoodie, a dust bunny still clinging to the fabric. When you first found it under the couch you had just shrugged it off as your cat being weird, but now that he can actually talk? You need an answer to sate your curiosity as to why he would even bring it under there in the first place.

It’s the smell of food that brings Yoongi out into the kitchen, eyes puffy with sleep and black hair sticking up in every direction.

“How do you feel about a haircut?” You ask as you place a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of him. He glances up at you suspiciously from his seat at the small table.

“I noticed your hair keeps getting into your eyes, and it can’t be comfortable,” You shrug as you place down your own food, taking your seat on the opposite side.

“How would I get one? I can’t go to a hairdresser,” Yoongi grumbles as he takes a bite of the toast.

“I was thinking that I could do it,” You offer. Yoongi chokes on a mouthful of eggs, sending you a glare as he tries to wash it down with water.

“You?” He scoffs, pale fingers reaching up to tug at his locks.

“Yeah. Why not? If it turns out bad then no one else will see it anyway,” You reason. You have been cutting your own hair for years, and you feel fairly confident you can do a decent job. It’s just hair after all, it shouldn’t be any different whether you did your own, or Yoongi’s.

Yoongi narrows his eyes, gaze sweeping over your hair as if he’s assessing your work. You can’t really figure out what he’s thinking about, his expression so carefully blank that you struggle to read him.

“I guess,” He huffs, blowing a piece of hair out of his eyes before he takes another bite of food.

You dig into your own, pleased that Yoongi trusts you enough to let you try. You don’t think you need to do much, just trim enough that it won’t irritate his eyes. Lost in your thoughts, your gaze briefly slips up from your plate to Yoongi, fork freezing mid-air as you catch the intense glare he’s sending your way.

“Don’t make me regret it.”

“Sit still,” You mumble, tugging the towel tight around Yoongi’s neck. Yoongi watches the scissors with distrust as you study his hair, trying to figure out the best way to go about cutting it. At least your kitchen has good enough lightning so that you can see everything you’re doing.

“Let’s start with your bangs?” You reach out to gently take the first lock between your fingertips. You bite the inside of your cheek in concentration as you start cutting it, nerves at an all time high as Yoongi’s eyes doesn’t leave your face. You slowly work your way around his head; trying your best to just trim the length, and not really change up his hairstyle too much.

The back of his head proves to be more difficult. You huff, running your fingers through the dark strands to figure out the best way to trim it. The texture is wavier in the back, and you’re scared of cutting too much and leaving it looking weird. Yoongi’s head starts tipping back into your hand the more you move your fingers through his locks, a content sigh falling from his lips as your nails accidently scratch against his scalp.

You stifle a laugh as he practically melts in your hands, slowly removing them before he gets so relaxed that he falls asleep. Yoongi lets out an annoyed growl as you tilt his head back to the position you need it to be to cut it. He keeps still as you cut through the rest of his hair, ears twitching every time the scissors slice through another lock of hair.

Once your deem yourself happy with the result, you move back around the chair to see if there’s any spots you missed. You know you haven’t cut the hair that’s directly surrounding his ears, but you’re honestly a little terrified of doing something wrong and hurting him.

“Are you done?” Yoongi looks up at you through narrowed eyes, tail flicking lazily behind him.

“Almost. I think I might have to touch your ears to cut the hair around them. Is .. is that okay?” You hesitate to ask, fingers curling around the scissors nervously.

Yoongi’s mouth draws into a line at your request, his tail stilling behind him.

“Just be quick,” He mutters. You fight off the blush that threatens to colour your cheeks as Yoongi spreads his legs, allowing you to step up between them. You know it’s only to give you easier access, but being so close feels weird. You’re not sure why it makes your stomach flutter.

You gently grasp one of his ears, moving it carefully to the side as you start trimming the hair around it. His ears are even softer than you imagined, the fur gliding under your fingers as Yoongi’s ear moves around. It proves to be more difficult than what you first thought, seeing as the cat ears can’t help but swivel every time the scissors makes a sound.

You instinctively tighten your hold when Yoongi’s ear suddenly moves dangerously close to being cut, the metal just narrowingly missing the muscle. Yoongi’s hands shoot out to grab your legs, fingertips digging into the flesh of your thigh as he lets out a startled hiss.

You freeze, eyes flying down to Yoongi’s face. The cat hybrid is already staring up at you through hooded lids; pupils so blown out that you can hardly see any colour.

“They’re sensitive,” Yoongi growls, the low sound sending a shiver down your spine.

“Oh, I–“ The fingers wrapped around your thighs give you a warning squeeze, making you lose your train of thought.

You’re struck dumb by how handsome Yoongi looks, how flawless his skin seems up close, how warm and big his hands are splayed across your thighs. He tilts his head back slightly, pink lips parting just an inch.

He has a mole on his cheek, you realize. You don’t know why you’ve never noticed it before, but you suddenly find yourself desperate to commit every inch of Yoongi’s face to your memory, not wanting to leave a single detail out.

Yoongi’s tongue peeks out to wet his lips, the action catching your attention. The cat hybrid is watching you watching him, the corner of his lips twitching up into a smirk as he realizes where your focus is.

“Just hurry up and be careful.”

You have to mentally shake yourself out of your stupor as your brain registers Yoongi’s words. The grip on your thigh pulls you even closer, not stopping until your legs knock against his.

You swallow hard, dry throat dry and itchy as you turn your focus back to Yoongi’s hair. You immediately regret tilting his head forward to get better access, when you feel his breath hit your shirt. You practically hold your breath as you work through his hair, the hands on your legs feeling like they might be more dangerous than the scissor near his ears.

“I’m done,” You step back as quickly as you can after the final snip, Yoongi’s hands lingering on you thighs for a beat too long before he drops them down into his lap.

“You should probably go look and see if it’s okay,” You gesture in direction of the bathroom, busying yourself with sweeping up the hair on the floor with a dustpan to avoid having to meet his gaze. Your heart is hammering so loudly in your chest that there’s not a chance that Yoongi doesn’t hear it.

Yoongi stands up without a word, feet barely even making a sound as he walks out of the room. Once you’re sure he’s out of sight, you smack yourself on the forehead, annoyed by how hot and bothered just standing in front of Yoongi has made you. You don’t understand why you’re suddenly so affected. Yoongi is handsome – but it isn’t like you realized that today. So why is your heart suddenly pounding a mile an hour just from looking at his face?

“It looks fine,” Yoongi’s low voice scares the living daylights out of you. The dustpan clatters to the floor as you whip your head up to look at him. He’s leaning against the doorframe, his dark hair a little wilder than what you left it.

“Shit, you scared me,” You grimace, embarrassed that you were so caught up in thinking about him, that you didn’t even hear the cat hybrid come back into the room.

Yoongi only hums in response, crossing the floor to sweep up the locks that scattered across the ground. A low peep comes from the bathroom as you watch him stand and throw away the hair, alerting you that the second load of clothes is done.

“Hey Yoongi?” You rest your hip against the counter, turning you body slightly to face him as he places the dustbin and the broom back in its place. “Why did my hoodie end up under the couch?” Yoongi freezes, the muscles under his black t-shirt tensing as he faces the wall. “What hoodie?” His voice is nonchalant, barely even interested. But his ears are starting to flatten back against his head, and his tail looks stiff.

“The black one, the one I pulled out in front of you?”

“Oh right, that one,” Yoongi turns then, the light tone in his voice not matching the tightness in his face. He picks at his sweatpants, gaze roaming over the kitchen instead of looking at you.

“It smelled like you. It was comforting. Everything else was so new and you were gone most of the time, so ..” He explains with a shrug. His eyebrows are furrowed, an uneasy expression on his face.

“I’m sorry,” You murmur, stomach dropping at his words.

Yoongi shakes his head, a tight-lipped smile on his face as he finally meets your eyes. He seems uncomfortable to admit it, and the air around you feels awkward. You’re desperate to get rid of it. You catch sight of a bag of kernels on the counter, an idea springing to mind.

“How about we watch a movie?”

The movie helps. The tension in Yoongi’s body slowly slips away as you watch the film play out in front of you, and it’s practically gone when you both laugh at a funny line halfway through it. All the lights in the apartment are off, partly so that you can be more immersed in scenes playing out on your TV, and partly to save some on electricity. Your bills are due to come in soon, and you don’t doubt that everything will be pricier than it was last month. Especially with Yoongi loving to crank the heat up while you’re at work.

You watch the cat hybrid out of the corner of your eye, the blue hue from the screen making his pale skin glow in the darkness. The haircut makes him look more mature, his jawline seeming sharper than before. You’re suddenly struck by the fact that you don’t know just how old he is. You hardly know anything aside from his first name and food preferences.

Somehow, life just carried on as if he was still just your cat. And you never did anything about it.

“Yoongi? How old are you?” His eyes are rapidly following the action scene that’s playing out in front of you, but you see his ear swivel in your direction when you speak.

“Twenty-seven.” He’s older than you, like you thought, but not by much. You’re actually a little surprised he even gave you an answer, considering how reluctant he was to even share the fact that he was human with you, but maybe there’s certain things he’s willing to talk about. His age can’t be very incriminating after all.

A loud sound from the movie snaps your attention back to the screen, and you grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl in between you. You try to time it to when Yoongi isn’t reaching for it, but for some reason you always end up brushing your hand against his as you remove it from the bowl. You tell yourself it has to be a weird coincidence – Yoongi isn’t even looking at you! But the ear closest to you stays turned in your direction despite the noise from the TV. You can almost fool yourself into thinking he’s listening to you move so that he knows when to reach out to make contact with you.

Yoongi suddenly moves the popcorn bowl from the couch to the coffee table in front of you. Holding back an annoyed whine, you’re about to reach for it when a head of black hair plops down into your lap, stopping you in your tracks.

“I’m tired,” Yoongi grumbles, cheek mushed against your thigh. You don’t even have time to become flustered before Yoongi blindly reaches for your hand, pushing your fingers into his hair.

“Pets,” You comply easily, secretly maybe a little ecstatic that you’re allowed to fully run your fingers through his soft hair. It doesn’t take long of you gently scratching along Yoongi’s scalp before you hear a low rumble coming from his chest, the sound ebbing and flowing as he breathes.

He’s purring. You bite down on your lip to stop the coo that desperately wants to escape. Yoongi would probably whoop your ass if he heard it. Despite how cute it is, the sound also makes you a little worried. The purrs sound broken, a little hitching noise that keeps interrupting what should have been a seamless flow. It makes your heart ache, but you don’t ask about it. Instead you only pay more attention to Yoongi’s hair, the movie totally forgotten. You steer clear of his ears, opting to lightly massage the base of his neck.

Something soft brushes against the hand that’s not busy, and looking down, you find that Yoongi’s tail is just ever so slightly curled around your wrist. Yoongi’s breathing is calm and slow, the cat hybrid having fallen asleep in your lap. Your lips tug up in a soft grin, the fluttering feeling in your stomach returning. He might be a bit of a pain in the ass, but it isn’t hard to figure out that Yoongi makes you happy.

“Ah, I swear to god!” Jihyo hisses as she taps furiously against her keyboard. The situation has only been growing worse – new files having been breached every time you get into work. You wince, quickly scanning through your own to see if any files have been accessed recently.

The office is a mess. It’s difficult taking on new cases when it’s such a high risk that it might get hacked into, but the company can’t just stop taking on cases either. It needs funding and clients to function, and the help it offers is invaluable to a lot of hybrid cases.

“Fuck,” Jihyo suddenly whimpers, hiding her face in her hands. You can tell it’s been affecting her too, the dark circles under her eyes still visible under the layer of makeup.

“Breached?” You ask, dreading the answer.

Jihyo nods, taking a deep breath as she spins her chair around. Everyone that has had their files breached needs to report to the boss, and for some reason, the hacker seems to love accessing hers.

“Good luck,” You whisper, Jihyo sending you a pained glance. You watch her until she rounds the corner, a bad feeling festering in your stomach. It obviously isn’t her fault that the system can’t keep outsiders, well, out – but you don’t think it bodes well that Jihyo has been hit so hard. She does take on a lot of higher profile cases, but not enough to be targeted like this.

You can’t find any breaches in yours, but it doesn’t do much to settle the anxiety you feel from just being in such a tense work place. You still have one active case you have to work on, something about an adoption dispute, and you need some files from the archive downstairs to really prove your point. You reach out for a sticky note, but you hand just grasps air. Again. Turning to look, you find that the pad of pink cat-formed sticky notes Jihyo gave you a few weeks ago is gone, no trace of it left behind. It isn’t unusual for other people in the office to take one here and there, but for the whole thing to be gone over the weekend? That doesn’t make sense.

You frown, settling back in your chair as you stare at your desk. This is the second time in only a short while that something has gone missing. You like all of your co-workers, but the fact that they don’t even have the decency to ask before taking something is irking you.

You huff, ripping a piece of paper instead to write down the file numbers. Even just going down one floor to the archives is a breath of fresh air, the atmosphere less tense than upstairs.

You give the IT workers a quick nod as you pass them by, recognizing a few of them after having worked here for so long. You’re not the most tech savvy, and so you’ve had more run-ins with the IT department than you would like to admit.

You make quick work of finding the files, moving through the boxes of files with practiced ease. It’s not that you’re eager to get back upstairs by any means, but you know Jihyo will probably need some emotional support as soon as she’s done in your boss’ office.

Collecting the papers you came for, you leave the archive room, closing the door behind you. Halfway through the room, your step falters slightly as you see a flash of pink out of the corner of your eye as you pass by a desk. You could have sworn it looked like ..

You shake off the thought, annoyed that the paranoia has started seeping into everything else. Of course other people can have pink sticky notes, it’s not like it’s exclusive to you.

You look up to see someone rushing straight at you. You swiftly move out of the way as the other person hurries through the door, not even sparing you a glance. A weird tremor runs down your spine as you notice that it’s the same lanky man you saw lurking outside your boss’ office.

You huff, pushing the reaction to the back of your mind. As you take the stairs up to your floor, you briefly wonder if you should have waited to see what desk he belongs to.

“Stop being ridiculous,” You scoff, rolling your eyes at your overly strung nerves. There’s no reason to suspect him of anything, it’s not like you actually caught him doing anything wrong.

However, even as the morning grows into the afternoon, you can’t seem to shake the feeling that something is just a little off.

“I’m home,” You call out as you lock the door behind you. You’re dead tired. Overthinking all day has left you with a nasty headache, and Jihyo being so upset about her breached cases has just made you feel even worse.

You let your feet carry you over to the couch, not even bothering to stop by your room and change before you collapse against the cushions. Yoongi watches you with curious eyes as you let your head drop back against the wall.

“Rough day at work?” Yoongi’s smooth voice is a welcome sound compared to the loud noises in the open office. You nod – wincing as the motion makes your head throb even more.

You feel the other side of the couch dip as Yoongi stands up, but you’re too tired to look where he’s going. It doesn’t take long before the soft footsteps return, something cold being thrust into your hand.

“Here,” Yoongi closes your hand around a glass of water, placing a painkiller into your other. You offer him a weak smile as thanks before taking the pill, the cool water making you feel a little better.

“Is something wrong?” Yoongi looks you over as he settles back down on the couch, brows pinched with concern.

“Some case files have been breached. It’s a whole mess,” You grimace, turning on your side to face him properly.

“Case files?” Yoongi looks at you with confusion. Ah, you never told him what you do.

“I work with mistreated hybrids. My company provides support and guidance with lawsuits,” Yoongi visibly stiffens, eyes cautiously darting around the room as if he’s expecting someone to pop out. You watch him as he shifts uneasily on the couch, hand gripping the side rest tightly. You don’t understand why he’s suddenly so worried, but you have a feeling it might have to do with why he was hiding out at the shelter in the first place.

“I see,” He finally murmurs; tail flicking back and forth behind his back. You decide that’s a conversation for another day, your brain is currently too incapable of handing any new information or emotions.

Once you realize Yoongi isn’t going to say anything else, you let your eyes glide shut. The darkness eases some of the throbbing in your head, the painkillers not having had enough time to kick in yet. It doesn’t take long before you feel yourself nodding off, your body craving a well-deserved nap.

You don’t pay the hands on your shoulders much mind, nor do you really care that the room seems to be tilting until you hit something solid, yet soft. The pillow underneath your head shifts, and you mutter something under your breath in irritation as you reach up to hold it still.

The fabric you bunch up in your hand is soft, the feeling oddly familiar despite never having it close to your face before. You burrow your face deeper into it, inhaling the comforting scent. It smells like your detergent and your .. cat?

Your eyes snap open, at least long enough to see that what your resting your head on definitely isn’t a pillow, but rather Yoongi’s lap. You’re facing the TV, mirroring how Yoongi laid only the night before.

The room is too bright, forcing your bleary eyes closed again. Maybe the right thing would be to get up from Yoongi’s lap and go to bed, but you’re tired and surprisingly comfortable, and having to stand up and move sounds terrible. So you don’t.

Cautious fingertips run down the length of your hair, stroking your head gently. It feels nice – safe – something you haven’t felt in a while. You focus on the low purr that has started up in Yoongi’s chest, the sound relaxing your body even further. Your headache is all but forgotten, Yoongi’s tentative touches and low, soothing murmurs lulling you off into a peaceful sleep.

- - - -

Hello! Hope you enjoyed the seventh chapter of desolate! Things are going to be heating up from now on, so I hope you’re ready, hehe.

Hope you’re all well and my inbox is always open if you want to chat about the story or just fics or life in general! See you all soon! <3

#hybrid bts #hybrid!bts #cat hybrid yoongi #bts au #yoongi #hybrid au #yoongi x reader #bts x reader #jihyo #min yoongi #fluff #scenting #angst #romance #bts #suga

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horaitos · 1 month ago

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#theyd overthrow L so fkn fast#i wonder if the utopia theyre dreaming of would actually come to fruition this way

@oatmealcrisp-freak WAIT HOLY SHIT what if I include this in my ocd fic.... for reference this idea includes very toxic memory loss lawlight where L encourages light's compulsions, these being confessions, in order to get him to confess... what if misa, being able to recognize trauma-based attachments now, realizes what's going on? hoooly shit holy shit. idk if they'd stay as like. a partnership after that because misa probably needs a new start for her mental health but yeah. bittersweet ending where light is captured by L and misa ends up leaving with rem? or they stay together? maybe light apologizes to misa. maybe misa decides that stalking is bad. who knows

yknow what I'm thinking about. misa and light getting past the 1000 layers of acting and masks they have with each other in the yotsuba arc. misa and light actually talking to each other about the shit they're going through. light actually having a conversation about how he isn't attracted to misa and doesn't want a relationship with her and getting past her walls. misa recognizing the unhealthy trauma-based connection for what it is and how it's hurting her. misa actually getting help for all the shit that's happened to her. both of them confronting the trauma the confinement and the false execution put them through. light finding an identity for himself and confronting his lack of self and stagnant perfectionism. idk man I love it when they're angsty but imagine them actually listening to each other without their memories. oh and maybe light gets over his misogyny here too idk

#death note

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swimfuel · 4 years ago

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Hey!! The X-men are literally my favorite thing and I was wondering if you could elaborate on how Scott is a knight of doom

YES OF COURSE!!!! i'll put it under a cut since i tend to ramble a bit & i'm pulling a bunch of explanations from people smarter than i am

the knight weaponizes their aspect; they have an inherent understanding of their aspect that allows them to exploit it completely. doom is the aspect of systems, restrictions/limitations, sacrifices, and endings.

one of scott's core themes is reclaiming his restrictions in order to serve others/the greater good! he takes the possible liability that are his faulty powers and shifts them to become an advantage, largely through the strength of his restraint and discipline. his role as a tactician and the way he sees sacrifices (more on that later) also mesh EXTREMELY well with the knight of doom.

i feel like the Wh*don run (specifically astonishing x-men #22-23) really highlights how scott can turn a situation on its head through exploiting his disadvantages to the point where they become tactically advantageous!! like, let's count the ways:

the ship the x-men stole from kruun is obviously bugged, so his team won't be able to communicate without being overheard. he realizes this, and uses that restriction (being overheard) as an advantage, by falsifying their course of action.

he has been left "without his powers"—he presents a restriction that lowers the guard of his adversary and grants him entry to their home base. he then subverts this by exploding the shit out of everything when an opportune moment arrives

HE LITERALLY EXPLOITS DEATH...... HE EXPLOITS HIS OWN DEATH...................FOR THE GREATER GOOD..........DUDE???? someone get this man an advil

some more thoughts, followed by some examples by people smarter than me:

he exhibits a similar pattern of idolization/realization with xavier irt karkat/HICand dave/bro.... not sure if this by itself is a knight-y thing but i think the consistent disillusionment with their role in defending their aspect is interesting (aka knight burnout, more on that later)

he is def willing to sacrifice shit for the greater good of mutantkind. the shit in question sometimes being his closest friends and allies. the examples that stick out to me are how he allowed beast to get tortured (utopia era) while executing his plan to solve All His Problems At Once & also when he sent x-force to the future to defend hope knowing it was going to be a one-way trip

that entire issue revolving around just how GOOD scott is at self-repression😭😭😭 i'm pretty sure it's post-schism utopia era i don't remember the exact issue WAIT NVM i'm pretty sure it's uncanny #518

seeing phoenix!scott as an inversion to (rogue of) life is also an interesting concept (unchecked growth!)

the amount of responsibility he feels he has to take on (partially due to his idolization cycle w xavier/xavier's dream) is also both knight-y and doom-y

and of course the instinct to protect the people around him --> being expanded into the whole of mutantkind (which, in turn, expands his sense of obligation)

everything leading up to revolutionary cyclops is also very interesting through this framework because its reminiscent of the knights & doom players in hs! the "taking on an insane burden" (phoenix force, whatever whammied mituna) -> the "resignation to the fate handed to him by his aspect" (his stint in prison, dead daves, sollux in general) -> the "refusal to accept that fate" (prison break, dave not wanting to use time travel, sollux fucking off into the dreambubbles, karkat coming to terms w his relationship w leadership) --> experiencing knight burnout at the end of revolutionary era going into death of x

im not sure exactly how to put it into words but everything about his childhood/teenhood... like being surrounded by forces seeking to control him and use him for their own ends..... idk

(from @/land-of-classpects-and-analysis, sections highlighted red are of particular interest)

HIS GIANT STINKING MARTYR COMPLEX.....DUDE😭😭

side note & ive mentioned this before but scottjean is an interesting parallel to davejade in a way i cant verbalize

Then there are the ones who may accept [the fact of inevitable human suffering], and so choose to live in high alert of any danger - any threats - as well as living in fear of what harm may befall them and/or their loved ones. It is this third and final group of people that so deeply marks that of the Knight of Doom.

Now, this might cause a few eyebrows to become quirked. After all, a Knight? Being fearful of something - nevertheless that thing being related to their Aspect? Knights do often present themselves as ruthless and fearless warriors, yes, but that is only because their Aspects and the world around them raised and called them to act as such.

... A key factor in the Knight’s life, specifically before their journey truly begins, is that they are already well equipped with their Aspect.

... The Knight of Doom is one where their Aspect being all around them is far more bittersweet than anything else.

... What is important to acknowledge is that the facade the Knight of Doom puts up is not only to hide the fear they have for their Aspect, but it is most definitely there to hide the grief and pain they have not yet completely finished going through. Whether it’s been weeks or years, the Knight of Doom is someone who would rather hide themself away from these feelings than find a way to truly mend and heal them ... they have built a false wall between them and their suffering strong and thick enough to partially block it from their memory.

... Knights are known to become extremely stubborn whenever people try to order them around and pressure them into doing something, and the Knight of Doom is no different - especially if they believe what they are doing is for the greater good.

(from @/dahniwitchoflight)

Dahni’s Explanantion: “Doom can be a negative force that rejects and harms, fostering a sense of hostility or sadness. But, it is also the idea that you can pull backwards and cautiously and wisely withdraw into your own self. It can be the idea of Control taken from the sharp Black and White Restrictions that everything in the world gets sorted into. It understands community necessity and need, responsibly pulling back and lowering you down into its lap to help wind yourself down. Doom then is an ultimate gentle Equalizer, instilling its players with an internal sense of Acceptance and eventually true Wisdom.”

Knight of Doom: One who Exploits with Doom or Exploits Doom

Knights hide a fear of a perceived fundamental failure with their Aspect behind a shield of confidence and obsessive effort. Their challenge is to learn to take it down a notch and to understand that they are skilled enough

A Knight is very skilled with using the rules and limitations of any game or session to their advantage. They skillfully fulfill any responsibility or obligation required of them with ease. They might use their natural caution and pessimism to make realistic choices and endeavors. They use and exploit any rule or limit that they can to their advantage. They might also be very good at exploiting any sacrifices made or any obligation or responsibility that they are held to. They might be very good at avoiding any unnecessary thing or person and are very good at recognizing when something is too futile to even bother with.

Likewise they might only focus on the necessary things in their game or session so they are likely to not do much unless it’s absolutely necessary. They would very likely be very meticulous with themselves about following the rules properly and constantly restrict themselves, maybe thinking they aren’t following the rules properly enough or not following the right ones. They might sacrifice anything they consider unnecessary about themselves or the way they live, sometimes even going too far with it, in order to be considered or thought of as less useless. They’re always trying harder and holding themselves to extreme self-imposed standards.

They would likely wait for the opportune moment to strike, though they are slow to move or act, they always will when something necessary needs to happen. Out of all the Doom players, a Knight of Doom seems like the one most likely to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. A Knight of Doom can also expertly use and exploit fire, bombs and explosions to their advantage, maybe they create flashy distractions during fights. They might even use decaying or dying things to their advantage.

(from @/communistvriska)

Role in the Session: Rather like the Prince of Doom, this role’s title kinda has “edgelord” written all over it, but that’s not a set-in-stone character trait. The first thing that comes to mind re: what the Knight Class and the Aspect of Doom have in common is a strong sense of obligation. The Knight of Doom is bound to take their duties and responsibilities Extremely Seriously, perhaps rather too seriously at first ... Knights also tend to be very protective of both their Aspect as a concept, and of themselves and those close to them; while the Knight of Doom isn’t likely to be outwardly aggressive, given Doom’s reserved, slow-burn tendencies, woe betide those who try to deceive or confound the Knight or their allies. One of Doom’s internal contradictions (which I find personally fascinating) is that the aspect is associated both with cynical resignation and with a profound albeit restrained sense of passion and persistence. Doom is what’s left after everything else gets burnt away.

The Knight of Doom will likely be a very skilled combatant, as the Knight is a class strongly associated with Strife / battle, and Doom is one of the more overtly destructive Aspects. I’d put them in the Top 5 Roles to use a cool flamin sword, at least. They’re not going to be eager to fight, per se, but they’re not going to have much trouble scaling the echeladder when it comes to that either. Internally, they’re likely to struggle with a perceived (but largely imagined) inability to fulfill their duties, and they could well stumble once or twice in their quest to be perceived as reliable and stoic, or as someone who their friends can lean on. They’re probably doing more than enough already, but if they’re not careful they might overexert themselves and take on too heavy a burden, and they’re liable to be crushed by their own expectation that they face their challenges alone. This is going to factor into their capital-Q Quest and the environment of their planet, and will be the biggest obstacle in their path to Ascension. A Knight’s duty is to protect their co-players, but their co-players also have to support them.

#mail #scott summers

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darkpoisonouslove · 4 years ago

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Winx Club Rewrite Is a Go

I don’t know how I ended up here because I’ve always maintained that rewrites aren’t my thing (and I still kinda do) because it feels a lot like reading the same thing over and over again and to me it can be annoying. Yet, here I am with my very own Winx Club rewrite.

I started writing the first episode today but I have A LOT planned out already. Seasons 1 and 3 are pretty solid already even if there is still a lot of character work to be done and logistics to be figured out. I also have some structure for seasons 2 and 4 and I figured out the backstory of the Wizards of the Black Circle yesterday and that gave me an indescribable feeling which is pretty much what I took as a sign that it’s time to talk about this project.

To explain what I am doing - I am taking everything and changing it while keeping it the same. If that doesn’t make sense, then imagine that I am keeping the major plot points and most of the episodes (I have removed some because they are just irrelevant) have the same starting and ending point as they do on the show but there are big changes between those. Seasons 5, 6 and - you’ll find out in a sec - are going to have a lot more changes. I have removed transformations and switched around some of the transformations so that they are earned at a different point than in canon. I have picked a place to end this already and I have arcs for each season.

Now when it comes to the seasons, I have removed season 7 which will be done as a “movie” and will have additional plot still because there really is THAT little to season 7. Season 8 becomes season 7 in my rewrite and is the last and final season. It is the end of Winx’ journey and I think it is a satisfying end to a pretty long story. I am keeping the movies but:

1) There will probably be “movies” after seasons 1 and 2 as well just to make the structure make sense and because I feel like there is enough to be talked about between the seasons.

2) SotLK is majorly different from canon because there was no sense to that movie and only plot holes instead. I’ve saved what was salvageable from it and mostly put it in season 3 to free the whole movie for more interesting and logical stuff to happen. The end goal is the same, though - bringing Marion and Oritel (and Domino) back.

3) Magical Adventure is the least changed but there will be several changes here as well. The plan is to make the movie relevant on a wider level than just to Winx and the Specialists but I still don’t have that clear a vision of it. Just some things that I want to see but need piecing together.

3) The “movie” after season 5 will deal with the season 7 plot instead. I have switched them around. There will be Kalshara and Griffin and Faragonda and some major Bloom drama as well. I need to make these pieces connect, too, but this one feels almost coherent at the current time.

4) Politea is saved for the last movie that is after season 6. You’ll see why. Anyway, major Daphne and Bloom feelings are planned for that movie... and I don’t know what else yet. We’ll see.

I am currently working on all of the seasons and all of the movies at once so it is a bit of a mess. I write down and rewrite ideas. Everything is one big map in my head that isn’t completely translatable to someone else. Anyway, you can find everything I have posted about this in the “wc rewrite” tag. You can ask me questions if you have them and I’ll see how much I’ll share while trying to resist the urge to spoil everything because I have been at this for about 5 months now and I have so many ideas that I adore and want to talk about. Despite that I have no idea how quickly I can work on it. This is bound to take years which was the hardest part of this project for me to reconcile with but I really want to do it. So let’s see how that goes.

I want to say that I am planning on doing one episode a chapter but because I have decided to both develop the characters and be self-indulgent, that will make the chapters long. I don’t think that they are devoid of tension or action, however, because this thing is packed with so much stuff happening. Here’s a little sneak peak from the first episode:

“Bloom, honey, wake up,“ Vanessa’s mellow voice reached her through the colorful explosion into which her dream was retreating.

“Just five more minutes, mom,” Bloom mumbled as she wormed her head under the pillow to block out the interruption. She reached for the fairy princess in her dream with hair of liquid light and a touch like sinking through the reflective surface of a mirror that showed none of Bloom’s own features to her. She’d lose not just the way but her own self if she let go of the figure in front of her.

“You’ll be late for school, sleepy head.”

The woman evaporated in a heap of steam with a nasty hissing sound that rattled Bloom’s bones as she jumped into bed. Vanessa’s apologetic smile came into focus to draw a groan out of Bloom’s parched throat as she threw her head back.

“Not funny, mom,” Bloom grabbed her fallen pillow from the floor and plopped herself back down on her mattress, eyes wide open as the image of the fairy burned in her mind. “I wanted to see where she’d lead me!”

“Who?” Vanessa sat down on the edge of the bed.

“The fairy from my dream,” Bloom covered her eyes with her free hand to narrow her focus to the woman. “I’ve seen her before, I just...” she threw the pillow next to her on the mattress. “I can’t remember where.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. You’ve read every book on fairies that you could get your hands on. It’s only natural that they’ve started blurring together,” Vanessa chuckled.

“Yeah, but it’s not that.” Bloom shot up once again, her vision spinning for a moment from the sudden action. “She’s not a character. She’s something... someone else.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger looking for the warmth enveloping her at the presence of the mystery fairy. It couldn’t be the first time she’d dreamed about her but she couldn’t recall more than that. “Grandma always said that dreams are important.” Another reason not to let go of the fleeting imagery in her head.

“I’m pretty sure she meant the other kind of dreams,” Vanessa’s amusement was more of a ghost itself now that Bloom had mentioned the newest loss in their family. It was her who had to stay open and talk to Bloom about Mike’s mother when he froze every time the topic was brought up until Bloom could no longer bear to cause him that. “Did you finish your art project last night? I sure hope it was inspiration that kept you up so late and not the lack of it.”

Bloom beamed despite the deflection. “I did!” She jumped out of bed as her mom made space for her to launch herself at her desk where her masterpiece was covered by stray sheets to keep her parents from peeking without her there to see the reactions. Finals had really inserted themselves in all areas of her life–including dreams–to throw a wrench in her works. Finishing a drawing she’d been sitting on for over a month had let her breathe fresh air again. “Here it is.” She pulled two sheets from the pile. “This is the sketch I did during spring break.” She’d spent a whole day wandering Gardenia looking for the building to put her vision into. “And here is the one I’ve reimagined.”

Vanessa gasped, hands flying to her mouth as her eyes gleamed with unformed tears. Not unlike her response to Bloom’s first steps in art back when she’d been three but, somehow, her reactions had developed to match Bloom’s growing skillset without giving undue credit.

Bloom’s heart swelled in her chest with pride boosted by the trust she had in her mom. Her work was almost complete now that it’d accomplished the desired effect with one parent. She’d been in awe herself by the alterations she’d made to Earth architecture to make it elaborate and alien enough for a fantasy... something. She still couldn’t decide what format she wanted to create her world in. Comics were a handy option but a vision of an elusive deal for a TV show still reared its head every time she reached for a pencil and a blank sheet of paper. And there was, of course, the popularity of video games accompanied by her lack of skills or contacts when it came to coding. There was always one more step to the door of her fairy utopia but she had to focus on the art for now.

“I hope that keeping this up will be easier after school is done stifling my inspiration,” Bloom chewed on her lip as she waited for her mom to collect herself enough to give the verdict of whether a summer job was about to take over that function now.

“Uninspired? You?” Vanessa shook her head in disbelief. “Honey, you have the imagination to create worlds and I am sure that one day you will,” Vanessa reached out cautiously towards the museum Bloom had created for her fantasy world. Her fingers barely brushed the paper to leave no traces of their presence and the bittersweet look on her face was too much for Bloom to stand. Her art was not meant to be an untouchable monument. It was supposed to be a temple, a home. Maybe her yearning had come through too well.

#winx club #wc rewrite #winx bloom #winx vanessa #my wips #my writing #my fanfiction

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snickertoodles · 4 years ago

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Megalist of Tropes and Themes to Tag Your Story With

If you’re prone to staring at your tags on AO3 wondering “what the hell do I put here?”, knowing you want to add a tag like “friends to lovers” or “found family” but not remembering all the popular tropes and themes everyone is into, this is for you. I basically spent an entire night on this so I hope it helps.

Notes:

I tried to keep it general and avoid really obscure tags no one would ever use.

This is made for AO3 and thus there’s a lot of fandom or fannish stuff in here.

I didn’t include any “inappropriate” tags. Feel free to make your own list.

Romance tropes and themes at the bottom. (Not all of them have to be romantic, but if they’re generally associated with romance and there are very few gen fics with that tag, it went there.)

Under cut because I’m probably going to edit this often and I’d like reblogs to be up to date. Please suggest any ideas you have.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse, Contemporary, Comedy/Humor/Parody/Satire, Coming of Age, Crime, Cyberpunk/Steampunk, Drama, Dystopian/Utopia, Fairy Tale, Fantasy/High Fantasy/Low Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Isekai, Family, Friendship, Gothic, Historical Fiction/Alternate History/Period Piece, Horror/Slasher, Mystery/Murder Mystery, Paranormal, Philosophical, Poetry, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural, Surreal, Suspense, Sci-Fi/Science Fiction/Space Opera, Spiritual, Thriller/Psychological Thriller, Tragedy, Urban, Western

Genre (Fandom): Angst/Light Angst, Case Fic, Crack Fic, Crossover/Fusion, Dark Fic, Fix Fic/Fix-It/Deconstruction, Fluff/Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Podfic, Missing Scene/Gap Filler, Self-Insert, Shipping, Sickfic, Songfic, Whump

Length: Drabble, Ficlet, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Novella, Novel, Epic, One-Shot/Two-Shot/etc, Series/Duology/Trilogy/Saga/etc, Long, Short

Pairing: M/F - F/M - M/M - F/F - F/F/M - You get the idea. Also [Character] x [Character], Slash, Yaoi/Yuri (if people still use those...)

POV: POV Alternating, POV Multiple, POV First Person, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, POV Outsider

Ending: Happy Ending, Sad Ending, Bittersweet Ending, Ambiguous Ending

Diverse Characters: Gay Character/Nonbinary Character/Asian Character/Disabled Character/Autistic Character/Jewish Character/etc.

AU/Alternate Universe: (I do not have the time to list out Coffee Shop AU/High School AU/Canon Divergence/What-If/etc, I assume if you’re writing one then you already know to tag it lol)

Abuse

Adoption

Afterlife

Aftermath

Aged Up

Alcohol

Aliens

Amnesia

Androids

Angels

Animal Transformation

Anti-Hero

Awkwardness

Babysitting

Backstory/Origin Story

Band of Misfits

Best Friends

Betrayal

Blood

Bodyswap

Bodyguard

Bonding

Bounty Hunters

Bromance

Bullying

Canon Compliant

Character Development

Character Study

Childhood Friends

Children

Chosen One

College/University/Higher Education

Corruption

Criminals

Crying

Curses

Cute

Death

Delinquents

Demons

Depression

Destiny/Fate

Disability

Domestic/Curtainfic

Dragons

Dreams/Dreamscape

Drugs

Education

Ensemble Cast

Epilogue

Fanon/Headcanon

Father Figure/Mother Figure

Feelings

Feels

Fights

Flashbacks

Forgiveness

Found Family

Freedom Fighters

Frenemies

Future

Genderswap/Gender Change

Ghosts

Gods

Good Versus Evil

Gore

Grief/Mourning

Growing Up

Healing

Heartwarming

Heroes to Villains/Villains to Heroes

Holidays

Homesickness

Hospital

Hurt

I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping (A very legitimate tag.)

Imprisonment

Injury

Introspection

Illness/Sick Character

Immortality

Isolation

Jealousy

Kidnapping

LGBTQ/LGBTQ Character/LGBTQ Themes

Light-Hearted

Locked In

Loss

Love

Mafia

Magic

Magical Girl(s)

Major Character Death/Minor Character Death

Manipulation

Medieval

Medical

Melancholy

Mental Health Issues

Mentors

Merpeople

Mind Control

Military

Misunderstandings

Modern

Monsters

Morally Grey/Ambiguous Characters

Murder

Mythical Beings & Creatures

Mythology

Neighbors

Next Gen/Next Generation

Nightmares

Original Character/OC/OCs

Orphans/Orphanage

Out of Character/OOC

Parenthood

Past Lives

Peggy Sue

Pen Pals

Pirates

Platonic Relationships/No Romance

Platonic Soulmates

Plot Twists

Politics

Possession

Post-Canon/Pre-Canon/Mid-Canon/Bad Ending/etc.

Prompt Fill/Prompt Fic

Protectiveness

Rags to Riches

Rebels

Recovery

Redemption/Redemption Arc

Regret

Reincarnation/Resurrection/Rebirth

Rejection

Relationships

Religion

Rescue/Rescue Missions

Restaurants

Reunion

Revenge

Revolution

Rivalry

Road Trip

Robots

Roommates

Royalty

Sad

School

Secrets

Secret Identity

Self-Discovery

Self-Harm

Shapeshifting

Siblings

Single Parents

Slow Build

Soft

Spies

Spoilers

Substance Abuse

Suicide

Superheroes

Sweet

Sympathetic Villain

Teamwork

Team as Family

Team Bonding

Team Dynamics

Teenagers

Tension

Time Loop

Time Travel

Training

Trapped

Trauma

Travel

Undercover

Unreliable Narrator

Vampires

Villains

Violence

War

Weapons

Wedding

Wilderness

Witchcraft

Worldbuilding

xxx to Friends (Rivals to Friends/Enemies to Friends/etc.)

Zombies

ROMANCE TROPES

Battle Couple

Blind Date

Breakup

Confessions

Dating

Divorce

Dorks in Love

Drunken Confessions

Established Relationship

Eventual Romance

Falling in Love

Fake Relationship/Fake Dating/Pretend Relationship/Pretend Couple

First Kiss

First Love

Forbidden Love

Heartbreak

Idiots in Love

Long-Distance Relationship

Long-Term Relationship

Love/Hate

Love at First Sight

Love Confessions

Love Potion/Love Spell

Love Triangle

Marriage/Accidental Marriage/Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience

Marriage Proposal

Mutual Pining/Pining

OTP

Pregnancy

Rarepair

Secret Relationship

Sharing a Bed

Slow Burn/Slow Romance

Soulmate/Soulmate AU

Tsundere/all of the other -deres

Unrequited Love/One-Sided Attraction

xxx to Lovers (Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers/etc.)

#tagging #archive of our own #ao3 #tumblr #tropes #trope list #tag list #tag ideas #writing #writing resources #toodles talks

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