#the circle answers asks

[hypewinter]

Danny can no longer Go Ghost. Oh his powers work perfectly fine, but whenever he tries to transform, it seems as if the universe itself is screaming and begging him to not transform

So he goes to Clockwork who explains that Phantom has simply grown too powerful and that Danny simply needs to empower someone to act in his stead like an avatar

Unfortunately, Danny can't really choose anyone he knows. Tucker is not responsible with powers and the less is said about an empowered Sam, the better

It'd be absolutely hilarious if the avatar gets selected via a tournament arc. I imagine it wasn't Danny's idea but he was taking too long since he didn't want to burden anyone with this responsibility leading to the Observants deciding they'll take care of it. Cue all of Earth's heroes being summoned to an arena and told to fight until a victor is crowned. Really? This again? They all collectively groan. Meanwhile Danny is blissfully unaware of what's going on as he's back at the Clocktower trying to figure out the best candidate (the Observants thought they'd gain favor if they just surprised him with a new avatar).

I'm not honestly too sure how the tournament itself would turn out. Maybe the heroes would go along with it until they could figure out just what the reason for the tournament is this time. Maybe they would immediately jump to revolt. Punch first, ask questions later and all that. I could go either way to be honest.

All I really want is for the heroes to bust down the door and confront Danny about this whole tournament, ready to take down another crazy in power, only for this painful sleep deprived child to blink up at them, "What tournament?"

[temeyes]

the way you draw is so edible I wanna see them run around in circles

teehee thank you, anon!!! enjoy the little gerbils!!

[circlesuponcircles]

Mira, does the Head Housemaiden react to anyone else in the waiting time? Or is it just Siffrin that makes her do it? Can you stand, like, right next to her next time, since she's not responsive enough for you to trigger it? Then there's no way you can't overhear.

(As you watch Siffrin leave to go and talk to everyone else, you stand up, trying to approach Euphrasie as casually as possible.)

(Maybe she says something important? Maybe she knows what's causing this?)

(You stand near her, trying to look distracted. You shouldn't bring attention to yourself!)

(It'll be fine, it'll be fine, it'll be fine!)

(...Siffrin is here. Just act normal.)

🌕: Traveling one! Are you done talking with your companions? Yes, wonderful, wonderful!

(...She's... saying normal things, so far.)

(You listen in, trying to seem like you aren't.)

🌕: I'd like to thank you for accompanying young Mirabelle this far. I'm very grateful.

🌕: Siffrin, yes? If there's anything I can do to thank you, please don't hesitate to let me know!

🌕: I know you will go back on your travels soon, but I do hope you'll keep in touch, if only for young Mirabelle...

🌕: But no matter what, know that Dormont will always be open to you! Please come back... any... time...

(...)

(...your head hurts. You stumble.)

(No, no, no, not yet, you need to hear her, you need to help her--)

🌕: Oh, Siffrin...!

🌕: I'm so sorry! There's no way we can stop it now...!

(Everything around you is muffled. You feel sick.)

(You try to open your mouth, to say something, to yell out her name, to do anything-)

(You fall to your knees. Your lungs feel like sandpaper.)

(Like the world is trying to digest you.)

(The air feels heavy. The smell of burnt sugar fills your nostrills.)

(You can't go back yet, you can't, you can't, you can't--)

(You have to help her )

(With the last of your energy, you reach out for Euphrasie, holding on.)

(She doesn't move.)

(you feel a tug on your stomach)

[dunmeshistash]

The thing about Laios as well, is what if Kui genuinely didn't intentionally write him to be autistic? It's impossible to know how much she does or doesn't know about autism or if that was ever something she was directly considering in the process of making him. People have been joking (?) about how angry they'll be and how they'll lose faith in her as an author if she says she didn't write him to be autistic and it feels like it's putting really pressure on her (with no knowledge of her personal life and experiences in a culture that stigmatizes autism greatly) and putting autistic fans in a bad situation no matter what happens, because ableists aren't suddenly going to be any more positive about it if she says he is and if she says he's not or doesn't give an answer then that'll just embolden more people to be hateful, especially if people do react badly to that. With the way people have been getting really invasive about Kui's sexuality for ages now, too, I'm worried about how entitled people feel to her living up to their idea of her as a person and that the same kind of parasocial treatment could happen over this.

I'm autistic and think Laios is an autistic character regardless of if Kui would describe him by that word and that it's important to discuss that in a positive light. I don't think that's any less the case even if she does say directly that's not how she wrote him. But it feels like the pressure on her to confirm it is a situation that could go very badly in a lot of ways.

Kui has written about mental health in other situations, more specifically she has a whole one shot that uses being a werewolf as a metaphor to being a special needs child and one which compares socializing to a rythym game because it feels so hard to the main character. (Edit: Oh yeah the werewolf one is a little... idk how much I agree with it, it's negative about medication use so you might want to not read it)

I think is HIGHLY unlikely it wasn't on purpose, there's details about Laios that have no need to be there otherwise like the fact he has texture issues

tbh I think it's a little rude to imply she wrote a perfect autism representation by accident?

People are overreacting as usual about whether she admits it out loud or not tbh. I see it as them having no respect for her as a real person only wanting the image they have of her to fit.

[arkarti]

Henry live reaction to oiled up william?

well, if it's the younger edition (pre murders):

he would look very respectfully not blushing haha what? and inform him that that's not the right kind of oil ~haha oh no, now he has to help him get cleaned 😳

post murders:

he would be very delighted in another way because it's the right kind of oil 😊 haha Henry where did you get that lighter from? Wh-

[monkesupreme]

As cute as that post is, the hc i live behind is that Bruce has been surrounded by rich people all his life and is so aware of the kind of nasty shit they do that hes like hyperaware of protecting his kids in the Right way, and that means being extremely blunt and nonchalant about sexual things they may or may not do. Hes the dad thats constantly reminding them to use condoms or buy this kind of lube for these kinds of toys and the kids HATE ITTTTT theyre like PLEASE OLD MAN. ENOUGH. I GET IT !!!!

Hes like got a million answers for everything bc HE did so much shit in his lifetime that hes a walking encyclopedia but they would literally Die before coming up to him for any sex related questions. Which is really unfortunate (for them) bc at least TWO of his children are dating aliens and old enough to Do Things and its impossible to just google [insert alien race] anatomy; the only people who have that information are the aliens in question and BRUCE bc hes the only fucker that keeps track of this shit !!! Going to Bruce for anything is soooo dire bc the reminder that he FUCKS is like too much for them to bear, esp when hes out patrolling w Selina or Clark and hes like smiling and bickering w them its like NOOOO THATS RIGHT NOT THEM TOO ‘oh my fucking goddd not uncle clark’ <- jason about to literally explode from how red his fucking face is

[mysterycitrus]

it is kind of sad though because even in the actual comics they don't really show dick as a great leader (thinking about ntt rn but there are others), they just dumb everyone else down. like there are so many different things you could pull on to make him the great leader he's supposed to be but they are rarely willing to put in the effort of thinking about why this guy is leading among so many people who are incredibly powerful and able to avoid a lot of the physical limitations he has

honestly like…. such a good point. i try really hard to write smart characters in my fic (even if they make silly choices) because it’s so crucial to how the bats operate and tbh dick should be on a whole other level of people managing. i think my fave examples of some of his leadership are from titans99 or outsiders2003 because they portray thee most interesting parts of how he communicates with others — the fact that he’ll make shitty choices that people disagree with and that the people he’s leading will disagree with him but still trust him anyway. that’s partially why i love the fab5 so much, cause when they’re written well they absolutely will call him out on his horseshit. but there’s still that absolute trust in his capabilities as a tactician.

like dick as a leader makes a lot of sense on paper — he has one of the longest tenures in the community, he housetrained the biggest bitch on the league, he’s rigorously moral, and he has broad emotional intelligence (even if he frequently uses it for evil). it makes sense that people, especially those with powers, would want to trust someone else to handle the logistics of working in a team with others with the same capacity for destruction. his specific skillset of thinking on his feet while calculating ten steps ahead makes him more popular than bruce and more outwardly confident than tim.

the downside to this tho is like u said — it relies on the other members of the group being written well. roy harper would not bend to dicks will just cause he said so. kory can and will kill against dicks orders. wally forces him into the leadership role to stop him from becoming like bruce. and if ur a writer who doesn’t give a shit he’s an easy character to just insist is smart and talented and trusted “just cause ❤️” rather than proving any of it in the text

[luck-of-the-drawings]

"I think this is the most inhuman; and human, that I've ever felt.." MUCH CAN HAPPEN IN A YEAR. IN FIVE YEARS. A DECADE. imagine how much can happen in a century. just ONE (1). How will you grow? what phases do you find? even in 5 years, you will find patterns.

[canisalbus]

Role-Reversal guy here again, your addition to the AU was so sweet and so true. Love the idea that what gets Machete to finally let go of his desire of power and control is seeing Vasco dejected and trapped. Having too choose between his life's work and the political influence that probably took him years to build (especially as a "low born") and the love of his life in another universe, but this time, he can't find a way to compromise.

This Vasco can't love him the same way and be himself the same way if Machete doesn't finally take the bullet and realize that abandoning all for love is a option. Having to go back to his roots and having to live a quaint life is probably really hard for him, especially with Vasco taking years to fully recover of the indoctrination and pain, but I think reopening a small library in the country-side and having Vasco as his "totally platonic roommate" makes everything worth it in the end.

Thank U for listening to my rambling, you answering to the first ask really made my day. Continue being a amazing artist and honestly, a amazing writer <3

.

[capricioussun]

Just wanna say?! Though I never check consistently I am Always thinking about UF Papyrus Monday. I think 'man, is it Monday yet? I wanna see my guy...' and then get so busy with work come monday!!! So :) thank you for everything ig

Aaa that's so sweet of you to say!!! And also so real, he is Always on my mind as well ✌️😔

^ I'm showing him all the nice comments and things ppl have said about him, he is surprised and a little overwhelmed!

Special shout out in particular to @/fluo-skeletons for starting it all by wishing a happy uf papyrus monday randomly in that one server, if it weren't for that I would probably...well, I'd still draw uf papyrus too much but there wouldn't be an established schedule that we can celebrate together <3

[teecupangel]

sooo Desmond is an Irish name, so fae Desmond?? 👀 haven’t been able to get to my laptop to search your blog if you've already done this idea, but I thought I’d throw it out there anyway!

am a big fan of Weird fae, like when you look at them you think they should be human but something about them is so obviously not. uncanny valley with a side of fight-flight-or-freeze instincts kicking in just from being around them.

is this something something that comes from his parents? is it all Isu bullshit? is it something he changes into or is he born with it?? on that vein, what if he was a changeling child? lots of ways of incorporating the Isu and the calculations into that for sure

(am one of the anons who keeps coming back for renaissance baker Desmond, so thank you very much for answering those asks, and also for just being a rad individual in general. am still catching up on Eagle of Alamut, I think I’m around chapter 30, and absolutely LOVE what you've already done with it and where you’re taking it. my sib assures me Altaïr makes his appearance soon, and I'm GREATLY looking forward to it.

thanks again, I hope you're well 🧡) —bread anon

(Thank you! I try my best hahahaha. I am so sorry for being slow on asks and replies TTATT

I hope you’re enjoying the rest of Eagle of Alamut… especially Altaïr’s appearance hehehe)

Desmond Miles always knew he was different.

The other kids call him ‘ugly’ and they don’t like to play with him.

He had cried in his mother’s arms and told her what happened and she just… she looked somber.

She patted his head and held him close, comforted him with soft words and a warm hug.

Never once did she say anything about his face.

He was a little bit older when he realized why they think he was ugly.

There were no mirrors in their home.

Or even in the training building he spent most of his childhood in.

But there was a hand mirror in the infirmary.

Desmond never had a reason to go there. What he lacked in brute strength, he made up by being faster than anyone on the Farm.

He had went to the infirmary to take the first aid kit. One of the other kids had a painful gash on his arm. It wasn’t life-threatening but it needed to be cleaned and disinfected.

Desmond had been ordered to get the first aid.

He supposed it was because he had been the reason the boy had hurt himself, trying to run away from him like he was being chased by demons during a ‘game’ of tag.

They always run like they were scared for their lives when Desmond was ‘it’.

The doctor wasn’t inside so Desmond went towards the cupboard that would have the small boxes of first aids stacked on the bottom shelf.

He stopped when he noticed the hand mirror.

And saw his reflection for the first time.

Desmond Miles was not ugly.

But there was something in his features that made him seemed… strange.

It wasn’t anything that can be physically described about his facial structure.

He looked human but there was something in the human brain that just made it scream ‘danger’.

Desmond couldn’t explain it.

But he could see it.

He didn’t bring the first aid back to training.

He went home.

His mother was cooking something.

“What am I, mama?”

She didn’t seemed surprised by the question. She looked resigned.

She looked like she had been waiting for the day he would ask the very same question.

She led him to the dining room, letting whatever was on the stove continue to simmer in low heat.

“You’re my son, my dear little fairy.”

She didn’t held the same unnatural feel as he felt when he looked at his reflection.

But it didn’t sound like a lie.

Her hands trembled as she caressed his cheeks.

Her smile was genuine as she whispered, “You will always be my baby.”

But he could hear it.

The fear in the voice.

Whatever he was…

He was affecting her too.

Yet she didn’t try to run.

So he hugged her, pressing his face against her stomach.

Her trembling stopped and she held him like she was afraid he was going to disappear from her grasps.

She didn’t fear him if she didn’t see his face.

Whatever he was…

It was the face that scared all of them.

.

Once upon a time, a young woman married a young man by the orders of her father. The man loved her but she did not. No matter what she did, she could not. She tried to be the best wife she could be.

She did not love him but she bore him a son. A weak little thing, more fragile than glass and smaller than any other child in their little commune.

She loved her child more than anything in the world.

But the world did not.

The child died during one cold winter night while her husband had been away.

In her grief, she took the cold body of her dead child and ran towards the forest, as silent as she was taught by her own father.

She came across a circle of mushrooms.

And heard the whispers of the fairy queen when she stood in the circle of it.

The fairy queen will save her child.

But he will become one of them.

“Yes! I agree! Please, save him!” The mother begged on her knees.

The fairy queen did not do it out of the goodness of her heart.

She was one of three rulers of their little fairy kingdom, long destroyed by the wrath of the sun.

She was nothing more than a ghost, traveling to the far future.

The mother gave the corpse to the ghost.

And the ghost gave it new life.

The mother thanked her as she held the warm body of her son.

And the ghost disappeared.

The mushroom circle melted like metal.

And mother and child returned to their home.

.

Centuries ago, Minerva saw a future which the Assassins and Templars waste years fighting each other instead of finding a way to save the world.

She saw a future where Desmond Miles would die to save the world in their stead.

So she made a different choice.

There was no one to stop her.

Tinia had long given up, waiting for the end as he drinks and drinks and drinks.

Juno remains imprisoned in the Grand Temple.

She was the only one left.

She changed the trajectory of the Calculations to one where Desmond Miles died as a weak human baby.

She created a device and had it transported to where his mother would walk into in her grief, her mind weakened to the point of thinking of falling off the cliff nearby with her dead son in her arms.

It was a device she had created using Consus’ research.

Consus’ research cannot bring back the dead.

But with Minerva’s modification…

It could clone the dead.

But she didn’t clone the weak human baby that would die centuries from now.

She created a child made of Desmond Miles’ DNA from that tragic future.

And added her own DNA to reinforce his body and mind.

A new future the Calculations could not predict.

A new future where Desmond Miles is both human and not.

Minerva did not know if this would be a better future.

Still…

She does not regret it.

At the very least, before she died…

She was able to save someone.

[fire-lizard-ro]

Ah yes. I've come to inquire about a certain blond fellow with the pretty eyes. Aventurine

So here's my bit. Reader is going through a break up with Aventurine and then they make up. I'm writing this while attention (females perspective)is playing in my mind. Maybe you could like incorporate it into the ask. Because I'm thinking in a way that the reader is trying to get Aventurines attention whilst keeping him at a distance. Sor of cat and mouse. And he's buying into it though he's much prefer without the sneakiness.

Also I hope this asks finds you in good spirits and a joyful mood. Caio.

Okay, okay- I have no clue what attention is. A song? I’m not good at this game help-

Anyways I will try my best.

Thank you sm for the ask. 🫶

I really do love this twinky little blond man and I’m happy to be writing about him.

It’s like two in the morning rn and I’m rambling here to distract myself from things. ANY!!! WAYS!!!

No gender is mentioned for the reader.

CW: exactly one (1) 2.1 spoiler (Aventurine’s real name- It’s at the very end), break up-make up time, mild angst bc ofc there is it’s Aventurine, hurt/comfort, happy ending hehe 🫶

Writing under the cut (SFW):

You couldn’t help but smile as you saw a certain someone’s nickname flashing across your screen. Right on time.

Though you supposed he knew what you were doing. After all, Aventurine is smart. Even if he didn’t realize it right away, he had to know by now.

You picked up the phone.

“Well hello, stranger. To what do I owe the honor?” It was hard to keep the sly lilt and inflection out of your voice when you knew he was definitely gripping his phone tightly on the other end of the line.

“I’m sure you know, dear. You’re slick but not that slick. You’ll have to do better than that to outplay me,” Aventurine said, his voice still fixed in that unhurried cadence and unbothered tone like usual despite the situation.

You rested your cheek on a hand and leaned back in your seat with a smile. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. In any case, it’s a bit odd of you to call me. After all, we did break up. You remember that, I’m sure.”

You could practically hear the leather of his gloves crunching (is it crunching I forgot-) as he clenched a fist, keeping hold of his restraint.

The two of you had been dancing around each other like cat and mouse. Though at this point, who was the cat and who was the mouse was anyone’s guess.

Despite having gotten to the point of breaking up, you ended up missing him a lot. And thus you began the dance only to find his hand already waiting for you. It was unspoken that you both wanted the same thing. But every time he drew closer, you’d pull back. A frustrating back and forth that seemed to confuse him. Aventurine was sure you wanted him back. And yet you never let the cat finally catch his prey. Why? He didn’t get it.

“Oh sweetheart- Let’s not keep pretending, yes? I know you’ve been trying to catch my attention. You can’t hide your intentions.”

“Seems it’s working, then.”

It was true. You had been doing things to keep Aventurine’s eyes on you. Despite playing a game of keep away with him with how you’d draw him in and push him away, you didn’t want him looking at anyone else. At the same time, you weren’t sure if you’d truly be willing to get together again. What if the train went off the tracks again? The first time had been rough enough with the two of you waging a passive aggressive war and pointedly ignoring each other at some points.

And thus, this odd little game of yours. One that Aventurine was growing tired of it he had finally called you.

“Let’s talk in person, shall we?” “What-?”

A knock at the door. No fucking way- You opened the door to see your favorite the blond man himself.

“Hiya, darling dearest~”

“Aventurine.”

“No need to be like that. I was serious about that talk.” He then pulled a bouquet of your favorite flowers out from behind his back. “For you,” Aventurine said with that stupid charming smirk of his. You squinted at him for a moment before accepting the flowers with a huff and a faux annoyed, “Fine.”

You were a bit conflicted. You were excited that he was here. Especially because he seemed desperate enough to actually seek you out and talk to you in person. But at the same time this was not something you calculated or expected to happen.

“I know you’re glad to see me. You don’t have to pretend,” he practically purred as you shot a glare over your shoulder, still keeping up appearances. “Oh but of course- I’m absolutely just tickled pink.”

Aventurine chuckled, tipping his head down to look at you over his shades, lids low and eyes practically glowing. “You always did have a way with words, sweetheart.”

He then took off the sunglasses (and oh that was another stupid, dorky little thing about him you found oddly endearing- shades inside a building- stupid silly adorable man-) and plopped down on your couch while you put the flowers down on the counter in the kitchen. You’d deal with them later. For now you had him to deal with. You sat in the chair instead of the couch. He pouted playfully about it, but didn’t comment. “I’ll cut to the chase- I want you back. And I know you want me back, too. I just can’t figure out why you’re leading me closer and then shoving me away. I’m starting to get the feeling you just like my attention. But even so- We both know the truth. So why don’t you just give in, lovely? I know you want to,” he said, surprisingly not using the old song and dance of leading someone around to get the information he wanted. He didn’t talk in circles and didn’t even seem all that flirty despite his words. He was… oddly serious.

“And what about the reason we broke up before?” You didn’t even try to pretend anymore. Aventurine has always been able to see right through you. That ability had clearly not gone anywhere. “I can’t make promises, but we can talk. We’ll work something out. I’ll even compromise on it.” Compromise was not an Aventurine word. Any deals he made were made in his favor without the other person even knowing what they were going to lose. Your incredulity must have been showing on your face more than you thought because he laughed lightly, the sound somehow dry- tired and heavy. “I see that look. I’m serious, baby. I’m sorry I ever let you go. You’re the only one who stayed. The only one who has stuck around. I need you. I’ll give it all to you. My attention, my trust, my… my heart, even. You don’t have to play these games to make me want you.”

Now you feel a bit guilty. But at the same time, elated. Even before you broke up, he never once brought up matters of trust and love. He seemed far too uncomfortable even edging around the topic. But now Aventurine was the first one to bring it up.

You said nothing but silently stood. And his eyes dimmed, waiting for disappointment. But then you walked over and sat next to him, pulling him into a hug. “I missed you, Aven.”

He let out a shaky sigh and wrapped you up in his embrace, arms tight around you.

“Kakavasha.”

“What?”

“You should tell me, ‘I missed you, Kakavasha,’” he (Kakavasha?) said, his voice was shaky with emotion.

“I… I missed you, Kakavasha.”

“And I love you, sweetheart.”

[litnerdwrites]

Day 8 of ACOTAR Games: This or That

Who is the worst sister?

Nesta: For “letting” Feyre hunt (It’s all I remember. I am not biased. Please, add to this list as you please)

Elain: For doing minimal (or nothing) when Feyre hunted and Nesta handled the household. For betraying Nesta when the Inner Circle decided to imprison her.

Feyre: For framing Nesta as a villain with Tamlin and Rhysand/Inner Circle. For exerting control over her sisters when they become homeless because of her wars. For confining Nesta because it reflected poorly on Feyre and the Inner Circle. For letting Cassian punish Nesta with the hike when he had no cause to interfere.

Your contenders: @fenrysmoonbeamswife @gwandas @positivelyruined @hrizantemy @yaralulu @umthisistheonlyusernamenottaken

On penalty: @achaotichuman

Thank you for your compassion. I like morning walks, right after sunrise but before the rush of the world catches up. And, coffee and cats. BTW I see what you did there.

Ooooh, rant time.

Honestly, Elain.

Feyre does come in a very, very close second.

The thing is, based on what we know about Feyre and Nesta at this point in the series, their actions can be explained using context, and, for the most part, don't stem from selfishness or self centred reasoning. This doesn't apply to everything they've said and done through out the series, nor does it excuse some of the things they've said or done, that I firmly believe both of them need to apologise for. But through context, and inference, we can gain the context needed to understand, even vaguely, their motivations, and intentions, and while that doesn't excuse the things they've said or done, it does allow me to empathise more with them, to varying degrees.

Let's start with Nesta.

By the time ACOSF comes around, we know Nesta's spent her entire life being groomed, as well as physically, verbally and emotionally, abused by her mother and grandmother. She spent a lot of time in those lessons, so we can presume that they kept her away from her sisters a fair bit, both of whom their mother didn't take much of an interest in. In Feyre's case, she was completely ignored by their mother. Nesta was raised to believe a fourteen year old seducing a creepy, old ass man, was, in any way, acceptable.

On top of that, her mother, and later Elain, praised her for it, with the former deciding to twist Nesta's passions into a tool to climb the social ladder. Nesta endured all of this so that her sisters wouldn't have to. Had she fallen short of her mother's expectations, or given up, then what would Mama A do? She'd turn to Feyre and Elain. Then who'd be blamed for the abuse whichever sister she chose endured? Given Feyre and the IC's track record of ignoring abusers in favour blaming victims that fall short of their standards, Nesta would be the one blamed, and accosted for making Feyre and Elain endure it.

Back to the past, when they lost their fortune, all of Nesta's skills, plans, and her mother's teachings go out of the window. She tried to ask for help from relatives, to no avail. Given that Nesta is a prideful person, having to swallow her pride and ask for help, knowing that she was probably going to be ignored and laughed at (because she, out of all the sisters, knew best what other nobles were like) wasn't something that was easy for her, and likely sent her spiralling as she remembered her mother's teachings and tried to figure out why her attempts weren't working.

Nesta has a habit of dwelling on her perceived failures, and letting it affect her self worth, so I imagine she'd be upset over her inability to win the heart of a prince before their father lost his fortune, or perhaps she regretted not agreeing to marry the duke, as that might also be a perceived failure on her part. Or perhaps she regretted buying the dress she used that night? Nesta was about 14 when her father lost his fortune, so it had to be around the same time? She'd be replaying the harsh words of her mother and grandmother, I imagine.

Following that, the father who stood by and let her be abused on the daily, came back with pretty words each evening instead of making a tangible effort to keep them from starving. Having dreams and aspirations is one thing, but keeping his daughters alive should've been priority one, not an imaginary future where they were rich again. He's the adult. It was his job. Especially since he already failed Nesta once. I believe that Nesta pushing him to act, even through her own inaction, while perhaps not the best method, was because she didn't want him to fail her sisters like he did her, because Feyre and Elain still loved him dearly. She didn't want them to ever have to realise how negligent he really is.

Then the debtors came, and Nesta hid with Elain while Feyre begged them not to hurt her father. That's pretty shitty, admittedly. Though I can understand that a fourteen/fifteen year old isn't going to be equipped to fight off several grown men. Was she supposed to drag Feyre by the hair and lock her in the room with them? Feyre doesn't seem like the type of character to take that well. She would've fought, perhaps hurt Nesta, drawn attention to three of them, either before or after entering the room, and even left Elain and Nesta exposed to danger, the longer it too. Nesta's actions were shitty, and I think that she should apologise for it, but I can also understand that there was little else she could've done without endangering more people. Doesn't make it right, but it makes me understand why she acted that way a bit more, and doesn't, in any way, indicate that she's acting out of selfishness.

The same thing goes for 'letting' Feyre hunt. Was Nesta supposed to drag her out of the woods by the hair and lock her in the closet? Finding a way to provide for his daughters was their father's problem. Not Nesta's. Not Elain's. Not Feyre's. Her father's. And nobody else's.

We've been told that Nesta did chores, like chopping wood, even though her shoes were worn through and tattered. We never hear of Elain helping at all, and according to Feyre, since the stans treat her word like gospel, "It simply never occurred to her that she might be capable of getting her hands dirty" (for a gardener? Really? I don't think she's that dumb. I also don't think that it went over her head that if she were hungry, growing food might be practical. Though, it might have been Feyre who bought the seeds in the first place, so maybe she didn't know you could grow vegetables?). So until it's stated otherwise, we can assume Nesta helped with house hold chores.

If not all of them, than a majority of them. When Tamlin makes his appearance, Nesta would fight for Elain, but not Feyre? In ACOWAR, both during the HL meeting and when they talk in the library under the house, Nesta expresses trust and respect in Feyre, with the former instance being in public. It seems that Nesta chose to protect Elain here out of respect for Elain, and lack of care for herself. Her self hatred cuts deep, Feyre can protect herself, their father is negligent and an abuser, and Nesta doesn't give a damn about herself. That leaves Elain to be the most Vulnerable.

That's just Nesta's actions form before the first book, up to like, what? Chapter two or three?

Nesta threatening to rip Feyre and her firend's throats out in ACOWAR? It was harsh, but not uncalled for, given how they kept pushing for more and more, even after being the ones responsible for putting her and Elain in danger to start with.

Nesta not telling Mor where Feyre went when she went to find the Suriel? Nesta's loyal to Feyre, not Mor, plus, she didn't know anyway. Feyre didn't tell her.

Nesta distancing herself from their court? They kept pushing her boundaries. Cassian ignores her, Az doesn't really interact with her at all, Rhysand took advantage of her fear, and flew fast to make her sick for... no reason from what I recall and later confirming his hostility towards her, Mor insults her at every opportunity, Amren doesn't see as anything but a weapon, and her sisters just want her to conform without putting in effort to get to know her, her pain and what she needs, not caring if conforming would just hurt her more. Let's also not forget that they stare at her like a circus animal when she enters the room, like that's supposed to make her feel welcome, and my personal, thirteenth reason, threw her SH in her face during the intervention (cause that's what sex and alcohol were, self harm).

Now, moving onto Feyre, I think @hrizantemy put it best. Feyre's actions stem from a 'desire to punish Nesta', though I believe that's only when she doesn't want to use her.

Feyre constantly uses her authority to make Nesta do and act in the way she wants. Whenever she only gives a half assed attempts at stopping them from treating Nesta cruelly, never actually exercising her authority, that's her leveraging their loyalty to her advantage, regardless of if she does it knowingly.

However, as shitty as Feyre's actions are (and if you want a list, I'd recommend reading this post by @munchkinchild, because, while I'm pretty sure they don't list every single thing, a vast majority, if not all of the instances they list, either fall under the category of Feyre getting revenge/punishing Nesta, or Feyre leveraging power over Nesta), they stem from her own frustrations, circumstances, and trauma, all of which are valid.

Feyre's idea of who Nesta is seems vastly different from who Nesta actually is, which is shown through her shock at learning Nesta hiked to the wall for her. Personally, I think that should've alerted Feyre that her perception of Nesta was off, and that they should probably discuss some things, air their grievances, because clearly, they both misunderstood something, somewhere. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

None of that invalidates Feyre's feelings and the pain wrought by Nesta's words or actions, but Feyre's pain doesn't invalidate the pain Nesta feels at Feyre's own words (which were described as being just as bad) and the way she allows the IC to treat her. It also doesn't invalidate Feyre making the stupid decision to allow Nesta to be stuck with a man who clearly doesn't respect her or her autonomy, and follows her home on the regular.

I, personally, won't forgive how Feyre slut shamed Nesta. Nesta's use of sex and alcohol was SH. Feyre threw her sister's SH in her face and called her an embarrassment, even though Mor literally sleeps around all the time, and with high profile, political figures, all to hurt another person, but nobody complains about that. Feyre went way to far in doing this. I don't think I could ever understand where that type of treatment stems from, nor do I ever want to.

The intervention itself, however, was Rhysand's idea. He took advantage of Feyre's desperation and pregnancy hormones to convince her of this plan. He told Feyre to steal from Summer, he told her how to act in the CON, and he let her parade around Illyrian wings. Feyre is a child compared to him, and he's taking advantage of the lack of experience and naiveté in certain areas, to manipulate her into acting and supporting his ideals and beliefs, and Feyre, being so blindly in love, goes along with it.

Feyre's actions stem from either manipulation on the IC's (mostly Rhysand's) part, or from her own frustrations and pain. Had Feyre been able to exercise critical thinking, formulate her own opinions, and perhaps even sat with Nesta (and maybe a councillor that we know exist) to work out their issues on their own, her actions would be different. In some cases, I'd say Feyre really does think she's doing what's best, even though that opinion is either based in a desire for 'sisterly retribution' or Rhysand's ideas.

I believe Feyre is a victim of Rhysand, and her own biases, which prevent her from being able to realise the problems in her behaviour, much like Mor is a victim of the CON and her parents, while her internal bias prevents her from acting in the best interests of the women and children there. It doesn't excuse Feyre's actions, and she owes Nesta an apology, or dozen for what she's done, but the beliefe that she's a victim as well, is pretty much the only thing that keeps her from being as bad as, if not worse than, Elain.

My opinion on Elain is subject to change based on what may or may be revealed about her in the future. However, at this point, Elain is the only sister who seems to act in her own self interest.

In the cabin, sticking close to Nesta, and letting her fight her battles was what Elain saw as being best for herself. Then, after the cauldron, Nesta put her own trauma aside to both look after Elain, and assist in the war efforts so Elain could recover. When Elain asserted herself, from wanting to speak with Grayson, to wanting Nuella and Cerridewn's help getting ready, she gets little to no objections from anyone. Least of all Nesta. Nesta met Elain where she was at every turn.

However, when Nesta was in pain, breaking down, and needed someone to meet her where she was, Elain chose the comfort Feyre provided over being there for her. In ACOFAS, Nesta told Elain that she 'didn't want to come to solstice', and ended up snapping at her. In ACOFAS, Elain slut shames Nesta, gets upset she hasn't healed in week or two, and is upset that she's upset that they put her up there, and she seems pretty confident doing it. That conversation implies that Elain has habit of pushing boundaries like this, in which case, I'd argue that Nesta is in the right to snap.

Elain also argues, later, that Nesta only cares for what Elain's trauma did to her, as opposed to Elain's pain, when I'd argue the opposite is true. Nesta never once cared for herself, or her own pain, and instead punished herself more, and more for a year. She put her pain aside for months to look after her, putting Elain and her desires first, respect every line and boundary Elain set. Second hand trauma is also a thing, so Elain being taken didn't just affect her, it affected Nesta too. Badly. Even after all that, Nesta still cared for Elain, wanting her safe, just in case, before she started searching for the trove.

Elain only cared for how Nesta's trauma reflected on the IC, and how Feyre and Cassian felt. She never once met Nesta where she was, the way she did for her, and instead, pushed her away, shamed her, and made Nesta feel more isolated than she was before. She praised Nesta for seducing a creepy old man, putting the idea of making Nesta do that again, for the IC's benefit, into their heads. Elain never once tries to understand Nesta, and instead just follows the IC's lead.

Elain's actions stem from selfishness and self interest, happily turning her back on Nesta the second her protection and love wasn't enough or deviated from what Elain thought would benefit her the most. It has never, not once, been about Nesta, not just from Elain, but any of them. This becomes clear when you remember that neither Elain nor Feyre (nor anyone else) react to the news of the Kelpie attempting to SA Nesta with the care it deserves. Speaking of SA, nobody considers that Nesta's encounters with men while drunk may not have been entirely consensual either, due to the alcohol impairing her judgment.

As far as I can tell, Elain's actions are the only ones that seem to stem from self interest, whereas with Nesta & Feyre, it's clear that they really do care about each other, even if they struggle to show or express it. I can't say the same for Elain.

I have a lot more to say about the sisters, Elain especially, but I'll leave it at that for now, as I believe it gets my point across.

(Coffee sounds great, especially with a morning walk. Though, while I am more of a dog person, I have a cat. His name is Sharazi and he's got the cutest face ever. and thanks. Oh, and thanks. But like, if I did something, mind telling me, cause I reread that post a few times, and still have no clue what you mean. )

[beatcroc]

hey mecha, do you think you could beat metal sonic in a 1v1

[howlonomy]

in all the 'trauma siblings' stuff with Clover & Kanako, I keep coming back to thinking about how Flowey engages with this

Like, here's someone who went through an at least similar ordeal of getting a human soul mixed into a monster body, leading to a lethal, traumatic injury, into a rebirth into a new body whose physical and emotional state are all way the fuck out of wack

Except Flowey was shaped a lot by having to go through the traumatic aftermath alone, and lives in the weird space of having experienced unknown years of resets but also is still mentally kind of a child

So I have to think that Flowey sees these kids and that little Asriel part of him is screaming "don't let them wind up like us", but being Flowey he also has no idea how to really comfort anyone.

Leading to sweet moments like Clover collapsing somewhere and before anyone else in their family can even pick up on something being wrong, there's already vines springing up to catch them, because of course Flower would know how to spot weakness in people after years of doing that, but now there's a productive positive use for that instinct and it's nice

But also moments like "Gee how do I cheer up Kanako about that appointment with Alphys... I know! We'll torment her! What a wonderful idea!" Because hey, a little bit of sadism always cheered him up when he was suffering

And he'd probably settle toward a crass & hyperbolic style of comforting people with hit-or-miss moments, like a sort of "Wow clover you ate SHIT just now", trying to get them laughing at the misfortune instead of crying, but obviously sometimes It's Not The Time For That or he reverts a bit back to thinking something really fucked up like "Man, that person was really rude just now, we should kill them and everyone they love" and the kids look back at Flowey like "dude what the fuck"

And everybody's different ways of processing trauma are constantly both helping and clashing with each other as these kids help each other figure this shit out because as much as the adults want to help nobody but these 3 can really come close to understanding how it feels

this has been a big ramble for an ask and not really an ask but I wanted you to have this

THIS IS SOOOO GOOD BECAUSE YOURE 100% RIGHT

flowey struggles with knowing the concept of empathy and compassion but not really. KNOWING it. i imagine he can at least remember how it feels being asriel and during the final boss but. its easy to know what it is and harder to put it into practice when you dont actually feel it

i think youre right in that he would try his best to help but not really know HOW. like it takes him a bit to realize that oh, i can see the weaknesses in people, whatdo i do with this information now that i cant use it to exploit them? what can i do to help instead of harm? what is objectively the GOOD thing to do with this information?

hes still an asshole and a bitch but he cares. hes learning to anyways. even if he missteps a lot the people around him are forgiving and willing to help him on the right path and correct him. i love…. flowey :[

[unriding]

hi evie !! how have you been ? :33 i hope you dont mind me borrowing you and moze for something ehehe <3