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peanutpinet · 3 months ago

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Always You - Sylus x Fem Reader

Idea: It’s Sylus’ birthday week and you planned a weekend getaway with him (inspired by the small events of the birthday event)

Disclaimer: This work is completely fiction. I do not own the images nor the characters or you (the MC). All images were taken from Pinterest.

A/N: I’m really sad that I got spooked and didn’t get Sylus’ birthday card. The only option is to spend more money but honestly speaking, it would be too much. So as much as I cried, teared up, I still want to do something special for Sylus’ birthday before his day officially ends in my timezone. To Sylus, our beloved dragon, our shayla, our strength during tough times, our light during our darkest moments, we love you and happy birthday

“April 18th”

“What?”

“My birthday”

Ever since you found out Sylus’ birthday, you quickly devised a plan to make it one of the most memorable birthdays for him. Luckily Sylus and the twins were mainly out dealing with whatever business they were dealing with which gave you time to plan out a weekend getaway.

Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday

3 days has passed and you were still unsure where you want to take him and what were you going to give him. You had secretly ordered a cake and plan on decorating it the night before you plan to take Sylus on the weekend getaway trip.

You wandered around his manor, hoping to get some sort of clue as to where Sylus might like to go. “Caw”. You turned around to see Mephisto perched up on one of the kitchen chair.

“Hi mephie” you went closer to the mechanical bird, lightly stroking its head with the knuckle of your finger. “I wonder where Sylus would like to go. Don’t tell him anything yeah but I’m planning to take him out on a weekend getaway. Do you know where Sylus might like to go?”

Mephisto cawed and immediately flapped its wings, flying off. You decided to follow it, thinking that maybe he knows something.

You then follow Mephisto into Sylus’ study and Mephisto landed on the perch beside the bookshelves and it cawed, fluttering one of its wings to the bookshelf.

Walking towards the bookshelf, you noticed that there were several philosophy books, books about the world and travelling, business related books, books about music, and one that caught your attention was books about myths and animals.

And it wasn’t the fact that there were these books that caught your attention but more so there was a whole row in the bookshelf filled with them. You browse through the book spine and their titles and one caught your attention. A book about dragons.

It was as if the book compelled you and without thinking you reach for the book and browse through the pages. ‘When a dragon trust their mate, they would often take their mates to an open place far away from everything, surrounding them with nature, flowers, and even other animals’.

You didn’t realise how long you’ve been in the study room until mephisto caws and you heard Sylus’ voice came through the door.

“I didn’t think you would be one to ready about philosophy or myths, sweetie” you turned around and saw your boyfriend leaning by the door, he wasn’t wearing his coat and had changed to his simple grey sweater.

You immediately closed the book at put it back in his bookshelf, apologising. “Sorry. I was just curious. I promise I wasn’t snooping” you didn’t dare to look at him because heat crept to your face and you were a blushing mess.

Chuckling, Sylus came closer and held your chin up to face him. His eyes were soft and his lip slowly upturned when meeting your blushing face. “I don’t mind you snooping around, sweetie. Afterall, what’s mine is yours. You already have access to all of my manor and more. You’ve also slept over several times so you are free to go around, explore, or do anything you want here”

“Still, it feels like I’m intruding your personal space” you uttered but Sylus shook his head and kissed the top of your head before bringing you out of his study, Mephisto following close behind.

“Don’t worry about it sweetie. Now, shall we go get dinner?” Sylus suggested and you nodded

At night, after Sylus left you to sleep while he goes out to handle an emergency business issue, you couldn’t sleep. You thought about the books you read in Sylus’ study and slowly you arose from the bed and opened your laptop.

You scrolled and search until you finally found the perfect place for Sylus’ birthday weekend getaway. You didn’t think twice to book the location and accommodation. Now all that’s left is to tell Sylus about the getaway trip, get the cake ready and ship it to the location somehow.

Thursday - April 17th

Luckily you had told your supervisor that you were taking your leave for Thursday and Friday. In the early morning in the N109 zone, Sylus was most likely to still be asleep which you didn’t mind.

However, you walked into his room, seeing his calmed asleep self, you curiously poked his cheek when he suddenly grabbed your finger and in a blink of an eye, you were pulled on top of him with your head on his chest.

“While I enjoy entertaining your little antics, it’s still early in the morning, sweetie. Let me sleep in a few more hours. But feel free to wander around if you want” Sylus murmured as he held your waist while going back to sleep

But instead of going up and wander around Sylus’ penthouse like he mentioned, you just laid on his chest, listening to his soft steady heartbeat which made you slowly doze of that you didn’t realise you fell asleep.

A few hours later you woke up and found Sylus was sitting up by the headboard, a tab in his hand as his fingers glide over the device. Seemingly like he was overviewing some work.

“Sy?” you yawned and Sylus look down at you, gently stroking your hair

“Hmm? Now why are you here and aren’t at work, sweetie?” Sylus asked, still stroking your hair that you unconsciously nuzzled closer to him

“Actually, that’s one of the reasons on what I want to tell you. What time is it?” you asked

“About 10am, you came to the manor at 6.30 am which is very early for you sweetie. Now, what is this news that you want to tell me?” Sylus asked, cupping your cheek and gently caressing it

“I’m taking you out on a weekend getaway starting from this evening!” you exclaimed, nuzzling your face further into Sylus’ palm

For a second, Sylus was surprised by your sudden announcement but he quickly recovered and smiled. “Is that so? You planned a whole weekend getaway for us? Do I get a clue as to where we’re going?”

You shook your head, smiling even wider. “Now that wouldn’t be a surprised, would it?”

Chuckling, Sylus gave your cheek a little pinch. “Yes, it wouldn’t be a surprise but I need to at least know what clothing I should bring, right?”

You rubbed your cheek where Sylus pinched and pouted but eventually gave him hints. “It’s somewhere warm in the afternoon but a bit cold at night and early in the morning. It’s out of town so we should probably leave after lunch”

Immediately, you got out of bed and playfully pulled Sylus who chuckled but followed you out of the bedroom. The two of you ordered a simple brunch before freshening up. You told Sylus you had already brought your small suitcase with your clothes and essentials, telling him to pack and get ready.

Sylus smiled as he shook his head while remembering your nagging but playful tone at him. Sylus quickly packed some clothes, he told the twins they can have the weekend off and help themselves to his penthouse.

Once he finished packing, Sylus pulled his suitcase and Mephisto was about to follow him when Sylus stopped him. “This is a weekend getaway and most probably a birthday date. You stay here Mephisto”

Despite Mephisto’s annoyed cawing pleas, Sylus went out of his room to see you already ready by the front door. You were wearing a simple sweater and pants with boots. Your small suitcase was right beside you.

Smiling, Sylus walked towards you, he held your hand while his other hand hold onto both your suitcases as the two of you made your way to the private parking where Sylus allowed you to drive. Just this once.

The drive was nice. After an hour of driving outside of the N109 zone, the air felt nice with a light breeze. You turned on some of your favorite music while Sylus enjoyed your humming, getting in a nap because of the night owl he is.

After several hours of driving, you’ve finally arrived at your destination. You parked the car and turned to Sylus who was slowly waking up. You poked his cheek again. “Hey sleeping beauty, we’re here”

Sylus caught your finger again and almost bit it had you not pulled back fast enough. “Seems like we’re in the middle of nowhere. Are you sure you drove to the correct place?” Sylus asked as he got out of the car and took out the suitcases.

“You have to little faith in me Sysy. Just follow me” you exclaimed, starting to walk further from the car with Sylus walking next to you.

You took out a keycard and opened the door that was slightly hidden behind the trees. “Ta-da!! It’s a treehouse hotel!!”

Walking into the space, Sylus was amazed at how you found this place. “You truly never fail to amaze me, sweetie”

Sylus left the suitcase and decided to lift you up, twirling you around while you instinctively hold onto him and giggled. “Sy, put me down. I’ll get dizzy”

Sylus slowly lowered you and placed a lingering kiss on the side of your head, his large arms wrapped around your figure. “Thank you, sweetie. I look forward to see what you’ve planned for us but now, I’m starving. Can we order room service?”

You nodded and the both of you ordered some room service through the tab. In the meantime, each of you took turns to freshen up after the long drive.

By the time you were done freshening up, you saw Sylus made a fire in the wood burner and instantly made the place more warm and cozy. You also saw Sylus had already laid out the food that the two of you ordered for dinner.

You walked closer as Sylus stood up and wrapped a blanket around you, bringing you to the sofa where the two of you sat, ate, and watched some shows.

Sometime in between the shows, you slowly dozed off and fell asleep on Sylus’ shoulder. Chuckling. Sylus used his evol to clean up the leftovers while he carried you to bed and tucked you in before getting under the covers and pulled you close to him.

“Thank you, sweetie” Sylus gently placed a kiss on your forehead before going to sleep

Friday, April 18th

The first ray of sunshine peeks through the curtains, warming up the room and slowly waking you up from your slumber. Seeing you were in bed next to Sylus, you guessed that he must’ve carried you there.

It took a moment but you realised that the night has gone by and it was officially Sylus’ birthday. You snuggled closer at his figure which his hand instinctively wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer again.

“You’re up very early sweetie” Sylus mumbled

“I had a warm hugger to warm me up to sleep last night. Did you sleep ok, Sy?” you asked back and Sylus hummed, hugging you even closer. “Better than I have ever slept during the night. It’s a rare occurrence for me to sleep well at night but it help having a soft and warm kitten next to me” Sylus slowly opened his eyes and brushed his nose against mine

“Happy birthday, Sy” you breathed as Sylus caressed your cheek. “Thank you, sweetie”

“Come on, let’s get up, eat breakfast, I have the whole day planned out for us” you exclaimed and Sylus chuckled

The two of you ate the breakfast that was delivered and freshen up once more. You decided to wear a white dress with a denim green jacket over top and brown boots. Sylus on the other hand wore a white shirt underneath a pinkish-mauve coat with brown pants and brown boots. Sylus put on a broach and necklace on as well.

You took Sylus to the nearby safari where you both went around and saw some wild animals roaming freely in the large safari grounds. You even got the chance to pet some of the animals.

Hours went by and it was slowly getting closer to dawn. You then brought Sylus to the park that was within the perimeters of the hotel.

You held Sylus’ hand as you made your way to the spot where the staff had told you in advance. A picnic blanket was laid down below the maple tree with a picnic basket.

Sylus caught off guard for a moment suddenly brought out his gentle face as you pulled him down to sit by the tree while the two of you ate the food and drinks the staff prepared.

“So, what do you think? Away from the city and connecting with mother nature” you asked, laying your head on his lap while he played with your hair

“As long as it’s with you sweetie, I love it” Sylus kissed the tip of your hair

“Let’s taste the maple syrup from the maple tree! The staff already prepared it and we can even bring some home, the jar is here” you mentioned, getting up from Sylus’ lap

Hearing your excitement, Sylus chuckled and stood up, extending his hand to you which you took. Sylus slowly lifts you up so you can fill the jar with the maple syrup. Once both jars are filled, you decided to take a bit on your finger and had a little taste before looking at Sylus and gently smothering some on his lips.

Seeing him licking the syrup with his tongue, you couldn’t help but lean in and gently kissed his lips before pulling away. But before your face could pull away further, Sylus used his other hand to cup your face and pulled you to another kiss.

The sound of his kisses, the way he turned his head to match yours, his free hand gently stroking your hair down to your back before staying by your waist. It all made you hold him closer than before, feeling as if the two of you should always be with each other like magnets.

It was only when Sylus could feel you having trouble breathing did he pull away, tucking some hair that had fallen off and covered your face. Sylus gently lowered you but never letting go.

“I have one more thing for you” you breathed out, letting your hands fall off from his neck while Sylus unwillingly let his grip loosen

You went around the tree and opened the box by the bushes, lighting the candle and slowly made your way to Sylus who smiled that reached his eyes. His eyes that looked like they were filled with adoration, care, and love.

“Happy birthday, my beloved Sylus” you smiled back, extending the cake to him. It was a 3 layer cake with red chocolate flavored cream on it. You also added some gold feather toppers, a dragon and cat little figure on the center of the cake and some red flowers on each layer.

“I’m sorry it looks ugly. I tried my best to decorate it” you mentioned and Sylus gently held your hand that was under the cake, helping you lift the cake. “I love it, sweetie. This is the first time anyone has ever said happy birthday to me let alone celebrate it”

Hearing Sylus’ words, you felt a pang in your chest. It was true, before you, no one, not even the twins knew when Sylus’ birthday was. You were the first. The first to know his birthday, the first to officially said it to him, and the first to celebrate it with him.

You didn’t realise a tear slipped your eye until you felt Sylus’ gentle finger wiped it away. “No tears, sweetie. Don’t feel bad for me because I’ve already gotten the greatest gift I could’ve asked for. One that would make my birthday from here on out special” Sylus blew the candle, taking the cake from you as he snaked his arm around your waist, pulling you close to him while he kissed your lips in a soft and gentle manner. “You. You are my greatest gift and I’d go through all those years alone if it meant that it will always be you”

You couldn’t help but feel your chest tighten, your heart beating faster than it already is. Your body moved on its own as one of your hand cupped his neck while the other cupped his cheek, caressing it softly. “And it’s the same with me. No one else. Just you, Sylus. Will always be you too” you both smiled as you shared one more kiss right as the sun sets.

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moonlitbeth · 2 months ago

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according to the old Chinese saying, "a single flower does not make spring, but one hundred flowers in full bloom bring spring to the garden."

there's smth quietly bittersweet abt how the theme of flowers, of blooming, withering, and life taking root in new soil, runs through Sylus' character and his dynamic with MC. it's a central and consistent motif that follows them both no matter the timeline, the world around them, or their relationship status. only the form changes.

we've gotten our fair share of angst with the recent update, but it's the ongoing event that really twists the knife with graceful precision. every piece and clue was already in front of us, we just didn't see the whole picture until now.

Sylus is someone we know everything and nothing abt. but one thing is constant – he's a soul born pure and untained. he's a being of consent by nature, dragons can't devour a soul given unwillingly. born into apocalyptic terror, he faces rejection from all sides. he fits in nowhere – too human for dragons, too dragon for humans. society sees him for what he appears to be, never for who he truly is. the soul that was once untouched by malice becomes a mirror for destruction, violence, and chaos – exactly what humans chose to see in him.

the floral symbolism in his dragon myth centers around datura, or devil's trumpet. in their shared dream, Sylus shows MC a valley full of blooming datura, a place where he also dies in reality. this flower, initially tied to death, hallucinations, dreams, and danger, blooms only at night (quite fitting for a nocturnal creature). in some Chinese interpretations, datura is also seen as a dream flower that symbolizes the boundary between life, death, and the spiritual unknown (see what i'm getting at? Abyssal Blossom and the myth's ending are deeply entwined here, too).

and yet, despite this flower's dark, ominous connotation, Sylus still places MC at the center of it all. her mere presence is the reason the flowers bloom. even in a place where life shouldn’t exist, somehow, with her, it does. and it does beautifully.

you know, Tarus City can have flowers bloom everywhere, as far as the eye can see. but only for one person.

his birthday is April 18. we don't know if it's truly when he was born, another significant date, or when he died. tho as for the latter, it doesn't match datura's bloom season (June-September), but who knows. still, spring fits him perfectly. the connection to flowers, blooming, and new life is obvious here. but spring also speaks of hope, change, emotional/spiritual/physical awakening, growth, and rebirth. every part of that is written into who Sylus is.

*a small fun fact: in Chinese culture, April 18 often falls within a solar term Guyu (谷雨), meaning "grain rain." Guyu is the last solar term of spring, associated with rain that nourishes the seeds, transition from planting to flourishing, and rituals of harvest and reverence for ancestors.

Sylus often mentions flowers in everyday life, it's a recurring theme. unfortunately, i can't gather every line, call, or text message, but there are a few that definitely deserve to be highlighted.

i thought we were like flowers. we were meant to grow together in the same soil. yet you were quietly moved to another garden in a foreign land… still, you managed to bloom beautifully.

man, if this isn't the most devastating one after the latest update. it hits different now. Sylus saw them, himself and MC, as two beings planted in the same soil, growing side by side. same roots, same future. their destiny was meant to be shared, but fate had other plans. MC was taken away, moved to a "foreign land" – likely Earth. and even though that place was harsh and cruel in his eyes, it didn't ruin or corrupt her. it made her stronger, it let her bloom.

because he also says this:

no matter how bad the soil is, we can always grow something beautiful.

as long as he has the will to grow and nurture, all she has to do is stay and be a part of his life. willingly. because to him, across nebulae and lifetimes, millennia of searching and longing, she is the life itself. she is the garden in his wasteland, bringing warmth to frozen ground, light into shadows, and hope into devastation.

and now, one of the latest chapters of the event.

he tried to grow flowers himself. with his bare hands that knew only destruction and death – before MC entered his life. he tried to create smth fragile, untouched, alive. step by step.

we know Sylus' Evol allows him to accelerate natural processes, including plant blooming. but i think back then, before MC's return, he either couldn't do it or wouldn't let himself. maybe the act of forcing life into existence felt like a betrayal of smth sacred. it demands more than power, it demands consent and trust. it's a choice freely made.

just like with MC. a flower that chooses to bloom. a soul that chooses to remember and return.

i smell a floral fragrance. is this the scent of his soul that carries a faint, scorching bitterness?

#crashing out is a choice i made #so here’s another yapping but more painful one #ignore typos if you see any it’s late and sad #sylus #love and deepspace sylus #lnds sylus #love and deepspace #lads sylus

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thepenguinwriter · 1 year ago

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°• The main cast + Lucifer ♡ Wholesome Lust •°

°• Fem!succubus!reader •°

~ Contains; fem!succubus!reader (obv), spoilers for ep 6 (at Vaggie's part), vague mention of Valentino, mention of depression, wholesomeness, all relationships platonic except for Lucifer's

~ All gifs from @/atttwoood (except for the Lucifer one)

~ Small tw; possible eyestrain/bright colours for the gifs

°• Charlie •°

- ♡ She's absolutely DELIGHTED to meet another hellborn

- ♡ Especially someone from a different ring

- ♡ She may be the Princess of Hell but she, surprisingly, doesn't travel her realm much

- ♡ She loves hearing about your culture, which is why you often end up telling her stories

- ♡ And we know demons from Lust are the only ones who have Asmodean crystals and are able to traverse to the human realm

- ♡ When she finds out, she squeals and begs to hear tales about what life on Earth is like

- ♡ She knows nothing at all about it apart from the tales of creation, but that is not much

- ♡ You don't believe hellborn demons can be redeemed, but you stay at the hotel. For her sake.

°• Vaggie •°

- ◇ Oh boy, was she MAD when you showed up at the hotel

- ◇ She's a fallen angel, she knows jackshit about different culture in Hell, so she is absolutely confused when you tell her you were born in Hell

- ◇ She thought Charlie was special for that??

- ◇ You explain that you're a succubus, to which she can only become more defensive

- ◇ All she's heard of your kind were dreadful stories about you sucking life out of men in their sleep, or something along those lines..

- ◇ She only agrees to let you in after her dearest, Charlie convinces her

- ◇ It was after a stressful day when you were both alone in the hotel parlor, sitting in silence

- ◇ You were fidgeting with a strange ring so she asked you about it

°• "Oh, this? It's an Asmodean Crystal!" •°

- ◇ After the confusion for her wore off you explained to her what they were for, and she listened in stunned silence

- ◇ A demon able to go to the living world? How is that even possible?!

- ◇ Whenever you return from a visit to the human world, you always bring her a small trinket

- ◇ She coos quietly and gives you a hug. She hates to admit it, but she's warmes up to you.

°• Angel Dust •°

- ♡ The first thing that caught his attention was the fact that you were from the Lust ring

- ♡ He immediately started questioning you about what it's like there

- ♡ Given his circumstances with Val, he was shocked to hear how nice you described it

- ♡ He always jokes with you about him actually belonging there, but he really does wish he could go with you for a visit

- ♡ But of course, sinners are stuck in the Pride ring. Bummer.

- ♡ You always make sure to bring him something from your home ring though if you visit

- ♡ A little knick-knack, if you will

- ♡ He's even more intrigued when you tell him about the Asmodean Crystals

- ♡ He pesters you with questions constantly about how the world is currently going

- ♡ You can't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.

°• Alastor •°

- �� Oh, what's this? A hellborn demon?

- ♤ He is INTRIGUED

- ♤ He isn't a big conversation starter, so he only ever talks to you when you come to him

- ♤ But he enjoys your company quite a lot, actually

- ♤ He, like Charlie, loves hearing about your culture and myths surrounding it

- ♤ He isn't really interested in the Lust ring itself, but you make it sound so good it's hard not to listen

- ♤ One morning he invites you to drink tea with him

- ♤ It was then that he noticed your unusual ring and asked about it

- ♤ When I tell you he is fascinated, I'm understating it

- ♤ But he isn't interested in prying about the living world like Angel

- ♤ In his opinion, technology has ruined many things already

- ♤ You roll your eyes a bit at his dramatic speech, but a smile is plastered on your face.

°• Husk •°

- ♤ In all honesty, he does not care a single bit about where you came from

- ♤ As long as you don't bother him, you're alright in his book

- ♤ You often come to the bar and talk to him, which is why he knows so much about you against his will

- ♤ You absolutely tell him embarrasing things you've seen humans do while drunk

- ♤ You might even try seducing him if you're really wasted, but he shuts that off quickly

- ♤ He starts seeing a lot of similarities between you and Angel

- ♤ You're basically the more mentally stable version

- ♤ He doesn't pry about your life at all

- ♤ He's just glad to have a... somewhat stable drinking buddy

°• Niffty •°

- ◇ Niffty's just a clueless chaotic gremlin

- ◇ She's very curious and asks a lot of questions, but you bet your ass when you start answering, if she sees a bug she will run off without hesitation

- ◇ Girlie's attention span doesn't exist

- ◇ She's trying, but she can't help it

- ◇ But one thing that REALLY interests her is your weird, shiny ring...

- ◇ The whole time you're telling her about it, she's staring at it with the BIGGEST sparkling eyes

- ◇ She keeps it safe from the other residents because she views it as such a special thing

- ◇ She's CONSTANTLY cleaning it too, to keep it bright and shiny!

°• Sir Pentious •°

- ◇ To be honest, he's been here for such a long time and he's still SO DAMN CLUELESS about everything

- ◇ He's so interested when you tell him you're from the Lust ring

- ◇ Mostly because he has literally no idea what you're talking about

- ◇ You tell him everything and you see his gaze gradually lighting up more and more until they're as bright as christmas lights

- ◇ He probably did not notice your crystal ring at all actually

- ◇ But after you explain it, he can't talk about anything else

- ◇ He CONSTANTLY, and I do mean constantly, pesters you with questions about the Lust ring, the human world, being a succubus, etc. In his own awkward way

- ◇ Man is so awkward he just does not know when to stop

- ◇ You're so interesting to him, he cherishes you more than anyone else.

°• Lucifer •°

- ☆ Lucifer never thought he'd find love again

- ☆ Especially from someone who's hellborn

- ☆ But here you were - a simple succubus, sweeping the King of Hell off his feet

- ☆ He could only hope his second wife wouldn't leave him like Lilith...

- ☆ You, surprising to him, are very understanding regarding his trauma and depression

- ☆ Hearing you talk enthusiastically about your home ring always brings the biggest smile onto his face

- ☆ Meeting your new step-daughter was quite awkward at first, but you got along surprisingly well

- ☆ You take him to visit the Lust ring on special occasions

- ☆ He is always amazed, no doubt

- ☆ For a long time, he thought all of Hell was a mistake, all his fault

- ☆ But ever since he met you, he's glad he offered the apple to Eve.

Hello my dear readers! I tried a new format, what do yall think? 👀 anyway this took me SO long, like literally 3 hours or smth so. Hope u enjoy!

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin #hazbin x reader #charlie x reader #vaggie x reader #angel dust x reader #alastor x reader #husk x reader #niffty x reader #sir pentious x reader #lucifer x reader #x reader

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genericpuff · 1 year ago

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wait wait wait, regarding that Minthe post, you're telling me that Rachel literally wrote the character as having BPD.....and portrayed her as an abusive mean piece of shit??? WOW. fucking WOW. sorry for being so angry, but even if she "retconned" that - it's still so god damn disrespective. as someone who has BPD it hurts so much to see my mental illness villanised :(

ugh I'm so sorry pal. and I don't blame you for being angry about it, like I don't even have BPD and I'M fucking pissed LOL like I can understand why Rachel might have wanted to backtrack from that knowing fully well that Minthe's story wasn't gonna have a happy ending, but writing her with BPD in the first place and then BACKTRACKING from it as soon as she likely got heat for it (or just realized it wasn't a good look) isn't much better because it means now all she's done is written the stigmatized negative effects of BPD into her character without showing the more positive outlooks of healing and managing. Maybe that was doomed to happen considering Minthe is someone who doesn't get a happy ending in the myths, but it begs the question of why she'd write her with BPD to begin with because in hindsight it really does seem like she just wanted to use it as a way to make her "evil".

But like, when you read the actual episode, you can SEE the potential there for character growth, you can SEE that she's aware of her actions - but doesn't understand why she's "like that" which is a VERY common feeling among people with undiagnosed mental illnesses - but it was never meant to be.

Like jfc not only is it HEAVILY IMPLIED, but again, the episode is literally called "Splitting". And we see exactly that with Minthe, who can't seem to rationalize with herself that she messed up.

But... that leads me to another point that I failed to mention in that first ask response: she DIDN'T mess up. Like, yes, she messed up by escalating it to the point of slapping Hades, but it wasn't her fault that she didn't make it to her date with Hades. Whose fault was it?

Continuously throughout the first season we see Thetis being an awful influence who manipulates and gaslights Minthe. They're "friends", but it's clear Thetis does not have Minthe's best interests in mind. In this very scene we see Thetis manipulate Minthe and even attempt to get her so drunk that she won't be able to show up to her date. And then of course when that plan works and Minthe freaks out, Thetis spins it around on Minthe in a very passive-aggressive way.

But of course, the narrative has to find a way to turn this whole thing on Minthe being the bad guy. Hence we get the slap which shifts the focus entirely away from what led up to it back onto Hades who has, in a lot of ways, put her in a situation that she can't control. And of course, being in those kinds of situations does not help with mental health.

Like, sorry, I'm really going off here now, but... the slap happens in Episode 76.

When is it finally addressed again? Episode 103.

It took Rachel nearly THIRTY EPISODES to finally bring it back to Minthe, and in that time the reader has spent SEVERAL EPISODES reading about how sad and lonely Hades is, and about how cute and lovey he is with Persephone. The reader has not had ANY time to reflect on Minthe's circumstances, because it completely pivots away from her to focus on H x P as a sort of distraction from the fact that Minthe is a victim in her own right.

And when it DOES return to Minthe in 103, we get this harrowing reminder that her entire life is dependent on Hades-

And once again, here comes Thetis to the "rescue", reinforcing the negative feedback loop that Minthe is trapped in where she's put in unhealthy situations. She drags her to a bar and the whole time Minthe is not having fun because she's understandably still reeling from what happened.

Now we DO get some character development here, where Minthe realizes exactly what I've just finished explaining, that Thetis isn't her friend, that she'd rather not have Thetis as a friend than continue being talked down to and manipulated.

But then, as we know, because Rachel still needs Minthe to be the "bad guy", the breakup between Hades and Minthe winds up being all about Persephone from a POV that attempts to villainize Minthe for being "jealous" (rather than focusing on how shitty Hades actually is for having an emotional affair with Persephone to begin with) and then Minthe goes right back to hanging out with Thetis anyways for the sake of having the "evil other girl" who wants to "ruin" H x P's relationship.

It's not until Season 3 that we finally see Minthe tell Thetis to fuck off for good, but by then it's too little too late, and Minthe has lost an entire character arc. Rachel tries to go "see! Minthe's life is so much better now that she's taking care of children!" but that's an entirely different solution to a problem Minthe never had. She never got treatment for her BPD. She just got away from H x P which, while is a good thing, isn't actually analyzed as such. It's treated more as a "good thing" for H x P and the readers, because now they don't have to be subjected to Minthe's evil scheming anymore, something something "the evil is defeated". And don't even get me started on this comic's problem with constantly resolving female characters' story arcs through motherhood.

It bums me out so fucking much. Minthe deserved so much better. She's one of the many characters in LO who make it so painfully ironic when they're done dirty, because despite Rachel's attempts to write a "feminist retelling" that focuses on "moving on from trauma", she's inadvertently done more damage to feminism and the stigmas around mental health and trauma through her assassination of grounded and realistic and relatable characters like Minthe and Demeter who are shown ZERO empathy or understanding for their actions (unless it can be done so by making Persephone and Hades into the heroes). It happens so often throughout the comic it almost feels like how the comic markets itself as a "progressive feminist retelling" is some sick joke that I'm just not getting.

#ask me anything #ama #anon ama #anon ask me anything #lore olympus critical #anti lore olympus #lo critical

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love-and-deepdives · 1 month ago

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Beyond Cloudfall Should Be a Standard Myth and Here's Why (AKA how I got Sylus-pilled)

Okay, this started as a completely unhinged rant by a non-Sylus main after watching Cloudfall, but I tried to tighten it up a bit because I really do think that this myth is essential viewing for a fair interpretation of Sylus's character. Every time I have read about someone changing their mind about Sylus, this myth comes up, and rightly so. I was sobbing by the end of it and everything about Sylus, even the stuff that annoyed the crap out of me (ESPECIALLY THAT STUFF) suddenly made perfect sense. But because he has less main story time than the OG 3 and because his backstory isn't as straightforward as Caleb's, it might be harder for some players to warm to him unless you're already attracted the kind of vibe he brings.

You can look this myth up on YouTube, but I think most people would only do that after deciding to main him, in which case they probably don't need the myth to be convinced. Some people are into Sylus right away and understand where he's coming from, but I think there are people like me who would main or second him if they understood him better but we weren't given the opportunity. When I started the game, all signs pointed to me liking Sylus, but I just didn't and couldn't figure out why until I watched Beyond Cloudfall. Not read about it. WATCHED it.

If you're someone who also feels like they should like Sylus, but he just kind of turns you off for some reason, go watch this myth and then report back and tell me if I'm insane (more so than I already am) for thinking myths like this should be in the permanent wish pool.

(Also, I know that this myth will never become standard because it's awesome and they'll get more money from it being limited. I just have too many feelings I need to express and I have chosen to spare my loved ones from hearing me gush about this game nonstop. Also, usual disclaimer that this is JUST MY OPINION. Other interpretations of Sylus are equally valid, but this is the internet and I get to yell things just like everyone else. Spoilers for Beyond Cloudfall obviously.)

1) For people who are turned off by Sylus's attitude, Cloudfall clarifies and humanizes his behavior and makes his actions less confusing.

When he first showed up, I thought Sylus would be totally dominating and aloof and other typical enemies-to-lovers trope stuff, but then he goes so overboard trying to get MC to resonate with him, putting on a performance for her with the big chair and so on, that I didn't buy it. I thought "oh, this dude is a teddy bear and he's just throwing a tantrum about something," but he then kept acting that way. Even when he stopped forcing himself on MC, he still acted like a complete prat on a regular basis and I couldn't understand it. (Like in No Defence Zone. MC WON THAT HORSE FAIR AND SQUARE, YOU CHEATING MOTHERF-)

Why was he like that and why would he expect her to like him while he's like that? (Besides the fact that he's unreasonably and devastatingly handsome and rich.) And then I watched Cloudfall. I learned that Sylus spent so long being who he had to be to survive, being what other people thought he was because if they were going to hate him either way, why bother trying. He had to become cruel and controlling and cold to live and get to where he was/is. But he doesn't necessarily want to be like that, or at least not ONLY like that. As a child, he even cut off his horns to try to avoid that fate for himself, to avoid being rejected and seen as a monster. Yes, Sylus is still imperious, selfish, an adrenaline junkie, and a bit of a brat, but the version of MC in Cloudfall allowed him to be his WHOLE self, including the parts of himself that wanted love and connection and tenderness from the very beginning. Without watching Cloudfall, that aspect of him was invisible to me. I could sense it was there, but it was never truly clarified in any of the cards I got, so I didn't trust it and that made it harder to get invested in him.

2) For people who are turned off by Sylus's initial, uh, forcefulness with MC, Cloudfall softens the blow.

Even seeing the myth explained in other posts, I didn't fully get why people were so insistent that Sylus's initial behavior in the main story was valid. My reaction to their reasons was: "so they had a soulbond, but she forgot? That's pretty sad, but not ASSAULT someone sad. He actually hurts her, she says it hurts, how is that okay??"

What was missing was the context of their previous time together. There's an inherent physicality in their first relationship that explains (BUT DOES NOT EXCUSE) Sylus manhandling MC, even hurting her, and then trying to justify his treatment of her by telling her "she could handle it." Because to be fair, she used to handle it just fine. They tried to kill each other when they first met, of course a wrist grab isn't a big deal to him. They were always very physical with each other, first violently and then lovingly. MC fell in love with him, showed him that affection physically and let her guard down around him when every other human he'd ever known had called him a monster and vilified him. And even when MC feared him, she never hated him. So now that moment in the main story when the workshop guy says "she's disgusted by you" hits so much harder. When I think about how Sylus must have felt hearing that, how he immediately stops pressuring her when he realizes how it's made her see him, IT BREAKS MY WHOLE HEART.

3) Cloudfall reveals how Sylus's love for MC works because we get to see the version of MC he first fell in love with.

And another thing the myth does is explain how and why Sylus loves MC, which doesn't really come through in the main story and standard memories like it does with some of the other LIs. MC and Caleb's relationship is beautifully encapsulated Rain's Embrace, how long they've been together and how Caleb is so obsessed with protecting her that he sometimes ends up hurting her. Rafayel also tells his story in an affinity-based Memoria so we understand his bond with MC too. With Sylus, it was unclear to me at first whether or not he even liked MC. Midnight Stealth doesn't tell us anything about what he wants with her. He treats her like a plaything, but then lets her have exactly what she wants? He seemingly talks down to her, but then always wants to include her in everything?? It bothered me because he came so hard out the gate being harsh and so the teasing felt like taunting to me and the hot/cold vibes made me anxious.

But seeing how MC acts in Cloudfall explains all of that. She's wilder, greedier, and more playful in that dangerous way like Sylus is. Sylus knows those parts of her so intimately that he's comfortable with that dynamic, and MC probably is too, deep down, or at least it doesn't take her long to acclimate. However, to me, that cat/mouse (or actually cat/smaller cat) exchanges just felt off-putting and unearned. If it were someone treating ME like that at the beginning of a relationship? No sir, I don't care how hot you are, you don't get to hurt my feelings and CHEAT ME OUT OF MY HORSE, YOU MOTHERF-

It wasn't enough for people to say that they they had a soul bond in their past lives. I had to really FEEL IT. And it was by watching the myth that I realized that Sylus loves MC by treasuring her. Not in a possessive or overprotective way like Caleb. Instead he admires her and holds her dear to his heart. He treasures her like one treasures a memory: precious, irreplaceable, part of you forever. (Also, dragon? Treasure? DO U GET IT??) He is who he is because of her and he knows that and is grateful for it, even though he would never say it that way. And when I think about how that kind of love is reflected in everything he does with her, how he teases her because he actually trusts her and adores her and believes in her? I. CAN'T. HANDLE IT. *CRIES IN INSECURE ATTACHMENT*

3.5) ALSO if Cloudfall were standard, we could see that THE PART WHERE SYLUS FORCES MC TO SHOOT HIM IN THE MAIN STORY HAS A PAYOFF. In the past, she cursed him to only die if she willed it and did it herself, so he could never do what he did last time, when he used his hands to MAKE her kill him. And in the present he repeats that moment probably because he wants her to remember! OH GOD MY HEART.

In conclusion, TL;DR, Beyond Cloudfall should be viewed by everyone because the main story and cards don't give everyone a real chance to understand who Sylus is. Cloudfall explains things about him that get explained about other LIs in their permanent content but aren't really explained in his. He still isn't my main, but he will forever have a special place in my heart now and it's solely because of this myth and I firmly believe it should be standard so that anyone who thinks they don't like Sylus can watch it before they decide and then hopefully they will see why he's amazing and why he needs all the love in the world. If you already love him, good. If you don't, go watch Beyond Cloudfall and LOVE HIM DAMMIT, LOVE HIM RIGHT NOW.

Question: are there any STANDARD Sylus cards that explain him as well as Beyond Cloudfall?

#sylus #lads sylus #love and deepspace sylus #lnds sylus #dragon sylus #sylus x mc #beyond cloudfall #sylus myth #unhinged ranting #sylus love and deepspace

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devbox · 20 days ago

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Hello again

I see some people like my poorly written ABO AU stobotnik fic. Thank you so much (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

And i have more. Much more...

But the next chapter gets kinda dark. Nothing to bad, but that perception can be relative.

So i dont know if should post it here or maybe make an ao3 account. I have to think about it.

But... I can give you a peek

Warning: Adult content and themes

Only read if 18+

Contain: Intimidation. Unwanted advances. Threats.

Sneak peek-

Chapter 4: Nightmare come alive

And then his misery was alone. His symptoms more noticeable his loneliness.. But his toughts clearer..This is a bad one.. i almost begged Stone to take me... He would groan in humiliation if he wasnt so weak. Bound to the bed it seemed... Most times he manages to move about.. Pitifully offcourse... But he succeeded to care fore himself.. Waited it out with hardned determination..

Now he had to rely on Stone.... An alpha that had lied and conned him. That now could do horrible and degrading things to him..

But it seemed Stone didnt want to?

In fact he seemed set on helping Robotnik instead of what any other alpha would do to an omega in these circumstances.

Why?

It didnt make sence.. Robotnik had never gave Stone a reason to. Their interactions had never been companionable. Robotnik made shure of it...

As he found no answers his mind wandered to Stones scent.. How it made him feel. That had never happened before. It was kinda euphoric.. Made him filled with a sense of beeing safe and loved. Both alien feelings to him.. But he somehow knew them there..

Its just chemicals.. He reasoned. Your heat making you feel good so you want to mate and breed.. Nothing else...

Must be.. Has to be!

What about fated pairs tough? It did remind him of the myths of old he read about in his youth.. Superstition offcourse... But maybe they were rooted in science? A way fore the body telling you this is the best genom suited fore yours to mix with?

He pondered on this hypothesis to distract himself mostly from the increasing pain as the door slowly opened..

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

"Ivo... There you are... I was sooo worried about you.."

It was Benson. Staring at him with a downright evil grin.

Panic shoot trough Robotnik like train out of nowhere. His nightmares had come alive. And they were here to harm him.

"No-". He shot out and tried to get up. To fight..

By sheer willpower he managed to stand. Tried to look the role. Touch me and you die!

But Benson only chucled at the display. He knew better... The laughter hurt something deep in Robotnik and he felt smaller in some way... His footing harder to maintain. But he wasnt down yet. He still had cards that could bring Benson to a loss.

"Dont you dare-". He said trying to hide his sluggish tone from extortion.

Benson closed the door. Setting a new code.. And Robotnik stomach sank...

"There we are... No one to distract us... You made this so easy fore me Ivo.. Coming to me in a heat? Its like you want this? Guess the omega nature does apply to even so called geniuses...."

Benson making his intentions clear like he's casually explaining trivial protocols to Robotnik made his panic switch into high alert. Why doesnt he fear any repercussions?

"Benson. Il- destroy"

"Ah..Yes your information about me cheating on my wife.. Doesnt matter anymore as she recently found out by herself... My life is pretty much ruined without your input. I got nothing to lose.."

No..

Robotnik wobbled. Beginning to fall. Benson caught him. Held him in a tight grip..

"Opsie daisie.. Seems like your having trouble here.. Downright defensles i'd say... Benson stated with a sigh of satisfaction.

"Kill you-"

"After im done with you Ivo its you who will wish fore death. Im going to run your life to the ground.. il show you'r rightful place as an omega.. By the end of it you will regret the day you ever dared to dream of a life climbing the ladder with alphas. The dirt will be your new home..."

"But first! Pleasant buisiness.."

Benson picked him up like he weighed nothing. A sick smile spread across his face as he looked down on Robotnik.

And it was happening. This was really happening

#stobotnik #mind the spelling and typos on your way #suggestion on Robotnik scent is welcome ⊂⁠(⁠・⁠﹏⁠・⁠⊂⁠)#i dont know if i should just scrap this and delete everything or write even more. its a constant battle

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solifloris · 6 months ago

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on "voyage of the outcast";

a psychological analysis with a look into identity, feelings of inferiority, and the glorification of self-sacrifice.

LONG OVERDUE, THIS TOOK FOREVER ?? mentally im not over his story branch and i think about it OFTEN and i have a LOT OF THOUGHTS.......... this'll actually focus less on the story branch (and the potential parallels) itself, but more on what, personally, i think could be the implications!!! 🥰

warnings :: spoilers, +this is quite long! 😭

i'll preface this by saying that . confession time!!!!!! i didn't expect a lot out of this because mostly because i was initially pretty worried about how they would connect the last time we saw xavier (at philo) with the current point in the story, especially given that we ended on a point of a cliffhanger and xavier's and mc's relationship had not developed anywhere near close at that point. but i'm actually pretty impressed with how the writers handled xavier's branch... and i'm more than grateful that infold didn't fuck it up as much as i thought they would 😭

with that said...

HOLY SHIT DID THEY GO HAM WITH THIS 😭😭

and parallels and references aside, i really am quite happy that they perpetuated something i've been waiting to look into more in-depth for a while—because i feel that in these chapters, we get to see a lot of how xavier's upbringing has really shaped the way that he carries himself. sure, we've already seen it quite a bit in his limited cards, but seeing it in the main story hits more, especially when... there hasn't necessarily been a deep level of relationship development between the two yet.

which, the branch may reference his lightseeker myths and the anecdote "when shooting stars fall" a lot, but i'm glad that this gives the same desired effect even if you didn't get a lot of his cards (especially limited ones). because thankfully it's at least made pretty clear that xavier and mc haven't had the chance to develop their relationship very much past what we know in the main story itself. they're not in a relationship at this point, which, according to the cards, seems to really only get to that point after "21 days"...

so this brings us back to the xavier that we're more familiar with from before that card. the xavier who's still figuring out how to accept the parts of himself that had become a lot more fragmented throughout the years. the xavier who doesn't know how to do it yet, but the xavier who's still trying.

i know i did go into his upbringing and whatnot in some form of detail in my lumiere analysis (here, in case you maybe want to go through that too <3), but i'll expand on that a little bit here!! so how this will go, as much as i can keep it within the outline, is something like background + personality -> relationship. overall, we'll look into how each has influence over the other, and how that ties in to what we see in "voyage of the outcast"!!

++ a lot of these may be a little complex, but with the best of my abilities i'll try to break it down so its easily digestible !!!!!!! but, like... i'll disclaimer here again with this being my own personal speculation, from my understanding of his character hehe <3 so take it with a grain of salt? maybe? whdjsjfhhs

i. background and personality notes.

long-established is the fact that xavier has been depicted as royalty. at his core, he's the prince of philos—heir to the throne, someone who is to lead philos and its people when the current king no longer can.

...but he's also not been very happy about it. he'd distance himself from his family, and his duties, as much as he's able to...

and again, what does mc see when they first meet?

—"they say he doesn't live on campus because his family background is complicated, and many people have seen him surrounded by bodyguards."

—"they aren't clad in all black as one would expect, and they keep a respectable distance away from xavier. still, these people exude an air of oppression. xavier, with his bag, is at the center of their group. it seems he's used to being stared at. the only difference is that rather than being his usual expressionless self, he appears slightly upset."

—"'you appeared to be upset, so i thought you wanted to be free.'"

—"'i wish xavier is free to do what he wants.'"

she says all these things because even she recognizes him to be trapped. this is the mc that doesn't know him, isn't close to him yet at this point—but this is what she observes.

and this is the core of what we'll be looking at this time which i would section off into: (a) the nature of a prince, (b) constraint and psychological resistance, (c) incongruence of identity, and (d) feelings of inferiority. all of that, then, will tie into their relationship as a whole !

because if in the lumiere analysis we zeroed in on how this feeling of being "trapped" affected his identity—which, arguably though, is a big point so we'll get back to it nonetheless under section (c)—this time we're going to try to look into why these issues with his identity mean so much.

i. - (a) ; the nature of a prince.

something i do wish we had (or may get) more insight into is what exactly his life was like in philos x.x largely what we know of can only be inferred, because the story is being told through mc's point of view, and technically mc doesn't get too deep into the kind of lifestyle each of the LI's have.

with that being said... xavier, in his lightseeker myths and the 'when shooting stars fall' anecdote, still does encapsulate typical princely duties. there's the formality of royalty, the responsibility that comes with a higher status... a prince is high-ranking, a prince is a noble, a prince is royalty. there's a certain sovereignty involved with the title, and in that effect—we all know that there's a certain air of elegance and poise that xavier generally carries himself with, whether that be in his swordfighting, or the words he uses (he has pretty eloquent speech sometimes), the books he reads... even little things, like the calligraphy he does, his handwriting, the slow dancing, playing the piano. he's well learned, and it's clear that he's been trained truly in the image of a prince.

and he's calm. collected. for the most part, we've seen him deal with adversities in a way that's almost chillingly calm; and for the most part, he portrays himself in a way that feels as if it's not easy to get him to lose that calm. again, it's why we as the audience tend to be so shocked when he does—maybe incredibly, even, especially with misty silhouette as of late. he gives this image of someone who does not often lose control of his emotions...

but it's never been because he wants it that way.

along with all of these things, comes the duty of being a prince.

a prince is high-ranking, a prince is a noble, a prince is royalty. again, there's a certain sovereignty involved with the title. but more than that, is the responsibility of holding such a high status.

xavier is the crown prince. he's the next-in-line. he's expected to take the throne after his father's death, and that means being able to lead and care for the people of his nation—or, well, planet, i suppose, in this case, philos. that's a heavy burden to bear. he's already likely faced with all these lessons, to exude a princely demeanor, and all that formality, and speciality, and elegance, and poise—and now he has to keep in mind that the satisfaction and the safety of this planet will fall directly into his hands when the time comes.

we know later on in his lightseeker myth that this means much more than we think it does—because it means being aware of, and accepting, and condoning the sacrifices that go into keeping philos safe, for, well... exactly that. to keep the people safe.

—"...I knew you'd catch on. However, it is a necessary duty of the crown prince. It is also the King's responsibility."

—"Xavier! Listen to me. A King cannot act on his emotions or only protect the people he holds dear. Your duty is to protect Philos. You must only do what is necessary."

his duties are outlined. he has to protect philos. he must only do what is necessary.

it may be the topic of another conversation entirely, but the whole debacle with philos is really just that whoever is on the throne has to answer: "which is it that men cannot live without? a blessing that leads to damnation, or a freedom that leads to deprivation?" [joshua rosfield and the ff16 writers, thank you for this quote that lives in my head rent free] and like, hell. that's a difficult choice to make.

it's also worth noting that although the context here is somewhat dark, this is a rule that applies to general leadership—there is not much room to be selfish, because you have to think about the people under your care, or rule, or jurisdiction. it's a responsibility that falls on your shoulders for you to bear, for you to make the right call, the right decision—that is the value that the xavier's father is trying to instill in him.

because he is the crown prince.

because he will soon be king.

and heavy is the head that wears the crown.

...only, xavier has never once been receptive of it.

i. - (b) ; constraint and psychological resistance.

we go back to, again, "when shooting stars fall", and the very clear recognition mc has of his lack of freedom.

because that's what it is.

lack of freedom.

because duty is the enemy of freedom.

and xavier, given his position, is undeniably plagued by all of these duties and these obligations and these things that fall to him-

yet, he's never wanted any of it.

though not explicitly confirmed in the game itself, the setup that's implied leads us as the audience to believe that xavier has never enjoyed his royal duties, never found that it was something he desired. it could be that he wanted many other things, but has never been allowed to enjoy these things. in "when shooting stars fall", he's often lonely; often surrounded by these "bodyguards" and rarely interacting with other people in the academy. he believes that these figures restrict him from watching the meteor shower with mc, too. it's possible to think that he's believed, all that time, that he had no say in the things that he does...

because he has to be molded into the perfect image of a prince.

that's where it comes in: the constraint.

something that limits one's freedom of action or choice.

it may or may not be what happened in actuality, but it's clear that by the time anecdote 3 happens, xavier had developed into a person with the misbelief, conditioned, that he was not allowed to do as he wished. it could be the strict training, it could be the things they might have kept from him when he was little.

but xavier believed that there was nothing that he could do.

in a sense, this brought about a sense of learned helplessness.

learned helplessness is the learned feeling that one has little to no control over a certain situation—and because of the lack of control, feelings of helplessness, or passivity, or a lack of motivation to take action, end up resurfacing. it could mean overlooking opportunities for relief, or change—it means basically accepting the situation as-is, without bothering to try to get out of it. "it is what it is." "i can't do anything anyway, so why should i still bother?"

this is the xavier that we meet at the beginning of anecdote 3.

— "I can't." "Is it because of those..." I hesitate, wondering what to call them. "People?" Xavier appears shocked, and then he nods without saying a word.

— "Don't be sad. I'll just go by myself... I'll bring your wish to the stars when I do. What's your wish?" "I don't have one." "How could someone not wish for anything?"

however...

it changes.

the xavier at the beginning of that anecdote is not the same xavier we see at the end of it.

mc makes various comments; talks about how he's smiling more, and we see him more deliberately avoiding the company of those "people" in favor of being with mc instead. he's found something he wants, and he makes the decision that this is worth fighting for. it breaks him out of that mold of learned helplessness—

only to have it ripped away from him through mc's death.

this anecdote is painful because he realizes that he doesn't have to be trapped anymore... but it's a moment that's short-lived.

and it builds.

it builds.

it's very likely that the end of that anecdote haunts him for years on end, builds up a certain sense of resentment and disdain for the universe, for his circumstances, and builds more of that rebellious nature.

when we see him in his lightseeker myth, that learned helplessness is gone.

and instead, it switches to the opposite end.

xavier is more headstrong. he's no longer passive, no longer the boy who was unsatisfied with the restrictions but sat still and did nothing. he literally walks out of his conversation with the king, and he's seen multiple times in the myth defying what's expected of him.

but because it's gotten to the point where he's at the opposite end of the spectrum...

he'd develop, instead, what would be called psychological resistance.

maybe not the concept in its entirety, sure, but the very core of it—that is, displaying these paradoxical, opposing behaviors in response to what he'd be told to do.

it's, in a way, that xavier would have himself feeling stuck nonetheless; because he's so insistent on rebelling against all of this, that the more he's told he's a prince, or that he has to do this, or that, or help philos, or whatever, he completely turns his back on it. i would argue that at this point he is being less objective of the situations and, going against the expected conduct of a prince, gets overly emotional—at this point, the only thing that matters to him is mc.

we get to see the full extent of exactly why xavier is emotionally unstable, because he keeps fluctuating between the two extremes of dealing with all the constraint he's experienced.

i. - (c) ; incongruence of identity.

it get worse, naturally.

to set the stage for this, i'd bring forth the concepts of "congruence" and "incongruence" of identity.

so when we talk about congruence, this refers to the fact that there is a balance between our ideal selves (aka who we want to be) and our actual selves (who we are currently). this means that we basically accept who we are, either that we feel like we are already our ideal selves, or we recognize that though we might not be at our ideal stage, we know how to work to achieve it. there is no conflict between who we are and who we want to become.

incongruence is the opposite of that, and refers to the imbalance of the self. who we are now is not who we want to be, but we don't like that idea. we don't know how to work towards it. it makes us upset, and we may reject ourselves completely to pursue the sense of idealism.

and xavier falls heavily into incongruence.

there's more to it—

according to james marcia, there are four (4) statuses of identity: identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, identity moratorium, and identity achievement.

foreclosure refers to committing to an identity and accepting it, without exploring other options: you'd rather just blindly accept values and ideas and identities that other people suggest, without bothering to consider other options. it's most clear that xavier falls under identity foreclosure.

(diffusion refers to no identity commitment, and no exploration of identities; there is no strong sense of who you are as a person, neither is there any sense of actively trying to work on it. moratorium includes actively exploring options, but not being able to settle into one identity. achievement is the ideal, having explored options and willingly chosen the identity that feels right to you.)

so we have the xavier who's initial identity was chosen and laid out for him without much of his own say in the matter, and because he doesn't want the identity, because it's forced onto him, he develops such an aversive reaction to it that it proves to be quite harmful to the stability of his mental state.

something i've talked about a lot, is how this state of his identity is a cornerstone to the things we see him struggle with, in the main story and in his cards alike, and especially in his relationship with mc. and it sets the tone for the xavier that we see and interact with, as well as the character arc he has to go through to grow into a better person.

once again, it pulls out the fact that he needs to learn to accept who he is as a whole. what he keeps doing is striving for an ideal, striving to become who he "should", as far away from his princely identity as possible. but it's necessary for him to realize that even the most conflicting parts of him are still.. well, him.

the more we attempt to be who or what we are not, the more we remain the same. but when we acknowledge and become what we are, we open right new possibilities for change.

it's not necessarily a matter of blindly accepting your faults and not bothering to change that, but acknowledging the parts of you that you refuse to acknowledge, because you can't just... ignore who you are. like xavier has been very keen on doing.

i. - (d) ; feelings of inferiority.

i want to preface this section by saying two things: (1) that inferiority is a word that's thrown a lot very casually, but actually means something different than what general media portrays it to mean... and, (2) that all of the LI's show conflict with feelings of inferiority, in very different ways, and this is not limited to just xavier!

and to understand what inferiority really means, we go back to the person who coined the term in the first place: alfred adler.

so alfred adler is this guy who's basically responsible for what we call "individual psychology", and the very very basis of it is that people are driven by a need to feel that they are significant, and that they belong. there's heavy emphasis on the importance of relationships and social environments, and— a person is influenced by how they interpret events that happened to them in the past.

i hope you see where i'm going with this !!!!

when we relate this to xavier... we can recall how under learned helplessness, it was primarily xavier's view of how he was treated, that he developed a sense of passivity. when things change and he loses mc despite finally learning how to rebel a little, his view changes into one stained more with frustration and disdain—so he works against the situation and rejects it.

the fact is that we as the audience don't know how he was really treated. sure, we can make inferences, but we're just about making the same inferences that mc and xavier do. it's a limited perspective. and what matters the most in a limited perspective is how it's interpreted. we can see clearly how xavier has interpreted his narrative, and it therefore results into his behavior.

so where does inferiority come in?

it does get kind of intense, because individual psychology is closely related to early childhood. so the theory goes that everyone's born with a little bit of inferiority—and then, as kids, or as babies because we strive for the attention of our parents to help fulfil our basic needs we develop this kind of habit of striving to get rid of that inferiority. baby wants food (sense of inferiority and dependance), baby cries (tries to get attention to get rid of the feelings of inferiority).

so it goes that if the child gets the proper care that they need, then problem solved. but inadequate nurturing... means the problem gets worse. we'd go back to learned helplessness, because then the child would feel like they have no control over their surroundings. and while this is normal in small amounts, if it isn't addressed, compensation is just not enough anymore.... and then they would strive for even more.

overcompensation.

and overcompensation leads to an inferiority complex.

now, an inferiority complex isn't what you might be thinking, because it doesn't necessarily just mean seeing yourself as... less than someone. in fact, it's not even about comparison, really, it's just... the feeling of not being enough. it's a lack of self esteem where the feelings of inferiority that all this started with just, haven't been dealt with at all. so it's a cycle of constantly trying to compensate, and compensate, and compensate... it's the need of someone to feel special because they can't accept themselves as flawed. (it's unfortunate, because everyone is flawed... including themselves.)

(it gets worse, because if even that gets left unchecked, it develops a superiority complex which is kind of the same concept, but instead focuses on looking for the "easy way out", like borrowing authority or luxury or power from other people and living according to other people's value system)

but, i digress, because in xavier's case, his sense of inferiority stems from the identity forced upon him. given his background that we went over, there's a lot of pressure involved... and it is once again inferred that he does not have, or does not view that he has, a good relationship with his father (one would assume, including his mother, though i don't believe his mother has been mentioned anywhere?). it's a sense of a lack of nurture; the fact that he has felt as if his needs were not being met and instead pushed aside for something like the "greater good of the people of philos", or something along the lines.

he has to do something about it.

it goes back to the cycle.

the learned helplessness is pushed aside, and he keeps doing things because he has to. and it could be due to the belief that it's what will make him worth anything.

he has to.

except instead of directing his determination necessarily towards the planet he was supposed to lead... because he's so aversive to his identity as a prince...

he directs that towards...

mc.

he has to help her. he has to save her. he'd give rise to the whole lumiere thing to save her, even despite how much he despises resuming an identity similar to the prince of philos.

he has to.

(which, side note: i do believe that his sword fighting also somewhat stems from an inferiority complex, because of the line:

"it's not that i like it. it's the only thing i've been good at since i was a child."

(implying; his need to still feel good at something despite a lack of enjoyment... almost as if compensating for something.)

ii. xavier and mc.

so what does all of this mean for their relationship?

evidently, at the time of voyage of the outcast and the general main story, none of these issues are addressed. this is not like the lumiere myths, not like 21 days, no restraint, floral blessing—this is the xavier who's still largely unstable on the inside but trying to put on a brave face.

there's a lot of things he doesn't know how to navigate.

but the one thing he is sure of is:

mc.

always mc.

she's important to him and he loves her and he has always loved her. this is the person who was the catalyst to him believing that freedom was possible.

and we've had this whole thing established, that he's so insistent on keeping her around that—he doesn't know what to be. he doesn't know what to do. he wants her around, he wants her to like him—

but what does she like?

there's too many sides of him, and he recognizes that this mc in this timeline is her own person. what should he be? he doesn't want her near whatever princely persona he's had in the past—but what if that's what she wants? he wants to show her the person he wants to be, but what if that's not what she wants?

how does he navigate that?

it's the baseline of where he starts—why we see him aloof, and vague, and a little cyptic. he wants to be careful with his words not just to protect her and not just for nonintervention principle... but also because he wants to figure out what she wants, and really wants to make her like him.

he doesn't want to lose her. he doesn't want to mess up and have her go to another guy, he doesn't want this to be a timeline where he can't win her heart.

it's there again, the determination—

he has to.

he's doing all these things, working in secret to protect her—he can't lose her. and he's not enough, so he has to do something to compensate that. he wants her approval, he wants praise, he wants her to like him.

when we go back to voyage of the outcast, there's still a lot of that same xavier that we start with—he's still struggling with all of these ideals, the interaction of all that he's grown up with and the things that he has to learn how to navigate.

he's still a little vague, still a little cryptic...

but he's trying, most of all.

he puts in an effort.

— "Isn't there something you genuinely want to ask?"

— "Oh... You're asking if I have a hidden side to me like Soren?"

— "You must have more questions."

he's giving her a chance.

even if the way he answers are still lacking in explanation—it's a step forward nonetheless.

and they do talk about it, that sequence by the basketball court has so much to it, because in one way or another, he's still trying to express his thoughts, even if it comes out, again, still a little vague.

"Perhaps it's because he looks like a good student that makes him the best at doing things behind the scenes. After all, people don't write their secrets on their faces. The calmer the water's surface, the easier it is to hide dangerous undercurrents."

even mc recognizes it:

— "Even though I'm so close to you, experienced all these life-and-death situations with you, I still cannot seem to fully understand you."

but why i say he's trying is that, in theory, he understands what he's lacking in. at this point in the story, he knows he's doing things to mask and pick and choose what he shows her, he recognizes that it's not what he should be doing:

"But... the parts of me you think you know and the parts you think you don't know... They make up who I am. All of me, right here in front of you."

it's just that, knowledge is often different from practice.

from the xavier we see here, you get the image that he knows what he should be doing, but he doesn't quite know how to get there. he knows what he wants to tell her, but he doesn't know how to express it properly.

and it's why when we get to The kindled scene, we're pulled back into the xavier that still hasn't come to terms with himself and what he wants, the xavier that falls into the shadow of himself that can't help but be so aversive to his princely duties.

we pull together the insecurities, the incongruence— the inferiority complex.

and we end up with the glorification of sacrifice.

this is something i've always always wanted to get into, and again, similarly to inferiority, it's present in all the LI's, but xavier's really makes you think, you know?

because for being so aversive to his role as a prince and everything that philos has done/has planned to do to queen mc especially, you'd think he'd be just aversive to the role of sacrifice, in general.

(i mean, i know i would be! 😭)

it's like— if i'm already that aversive, then i'd rather find some kind of workaround to it than bother giving into the sacrificial needs of the planet, just to challenge what's supposed to be, you know?

— "A planet that uses... ... ...to survive.... doesn't deserve to be saved." [ <- do you see the aversion? there's so much hatred and disdain in this! ]

and yet, that's not what xavier does.

— "Starfall forest... will stop once it has enough power..."

— "I couldn't... I didn't protect you before. At least... it chose me this time..."

he was very clearly planning on having the forest take him. it's even further pushed by him recognizing mc to be there, but... the bottomline falls to the fact that he was willing to be the sacrifice that was needed instead.

the contradiction is there, no?

he doesn't want to save the planet, not at all, but yet he'd offer himself.

and although this falls to my personal speculation, when you draw references from his background, there's once again the fact that he grew up with all of these ideaologies. his parents were the first sources of influence—and then whoever had been with him through his growth, and trainings, or whatever else as a prince. and he was learning all these things in philos, the very planet that did use sacrifices.

and upset though he always has been about learning of the sacrifices, it's not as if the planet condemned mc for being the sacrifice... if not, well... glorified her, somewhat. they called her the perfect sacrifice—the life force of the planet. they held importance in what they believed to be "true immortality". moreover— "her duty was to save philos, because her existence worked in such a manner."

it wasn't just "whatever" to them, and they surely didn't treat her like shit just because she was a sacrifice.

it feels as if, the theme goes as "you're doing a good job being the sacrifice. your sacrifice will save us and that is worth something to be thankful for."

and even if xavier is clearly averse to the idea... again—the fact remains that he was brought up with the entire theme of sacrifice surrounding him.

we circle back to inferiority.

there's that certain sense of belongingness, or approval, that was never fulfilled in his childhood, so much that he began to resent everything altogether, enough to rebel so much, the way that he did.

but it stems from what he never received.

and while he may not care anymore for approval from the people of philos, what he does care for is mc's approval.

because again, mc is the only one that truly matters to him, the one he focuses on the most, the one he's doing all of this for.

he has to do something to compensate, he has to do something so that she'll love him.

the same line of thinking that we said earlier he'd come to terms with knowledge-wise, that he's trying to be more genuine instead of chasing after compensation and praise and compensation and praise—

but again, in this scene, it falls back.

he's lost sense of reasoning, the evol, the protofield, they're all affecting him... and we go back to that sentiment.

he has to do something. to protect her. to save her. to be...

noble.

the only issue with that is in this moment, he's faced with the prospect of sacrifice. and he's thinking, "fuck it, this will make her happy—i can save her—i can do something—it will give me some worth."

he's sucked back into that shell, and the option in front of him is sacrifice, which he's likely long grown up with surrounded by glorified opinions of.

it's his duty.

he has to.

and it's just so gut-wrenching to think about, because he loves mc so much that it bypasses even every ounce of aversion and resentment (that she triggered long long back), and he would do anything for her.

the xavier that we see in this scene is raw, and lost, and in pain....

he loves her so much that it hurts.

... but, there's beauty in the way that this teaches him firsthand what he's missing, too. he learns to trust her more, learns to rely on her more... enough so that he drops a good portion of the aloof, distant-ish act he'd been generally having after this scene.

— "Your power will keep me safe."

— "It's as if he's already at the finish line with the answers. He's quietly waiting to see if l'll join him or choose a different path."

voyage of the outcast ends on a hopeful note for their relationship, because there is the premise that he's going to start being a little more true to himself from here on.

i think it's interesting to go through this again after floof attack and misty silhouette, but there's definitely a stark contrast and some sort of progression actually involved with the way they're progressing the main story—it does feel natural, not forced, not rushed, because xavier and mc are still at the pount where neither of them are ready to be romantically involved...

but they're getting there. slowly. steadily.

and it's really nice to see the growth, that i can't wait to see how xavier will continue to grow from hereon out 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

THIS TOTALLY GOT A LITTLE MESSY TOWARDS THE END.... I SWEAR THIS IS LIKE. THESIS DISSERTATION CORE. I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW LONG ITS GOTTEN WJFJWNBGEJJF BUT IF YOUVE MADE IT THIS FAR TY FOR LISTENING TO MY RAMBLES !! 😭😭😭✋✋✋✋

i think about his story branch a lot but specifically the basketball scene and the one at the end with the lil shared earphones... im gonna sob in the corner i actually want to hold him in my arms so so gently 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

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magickvibia · 4 months ago

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PSA: Avoid Mythical Literalism.

This something I wrote a while ago, based on how I was seeing this as a prominent problem in online pagan communities.

We do not believe the myths, literally.

There is a notion from beginners or external people that the myths are to be believed as they were written. This is false.

Historically, the pagans did not believe in their myths literally, and nor do modern pagans.

The Mythic literalism is a product of the main monotheistic religions, who are usually thought to believe in their sacred texts as the word of god, and they are to be believed in everything written in there (ignoring how many times those texts were rewritten, translated, and manipulated to fit certain narratives throughout history).

Since the main monotheistic religions are still dominant in our society, some people can bring that mentality when they start to get into paganism. I know not all of them think their texts happened literally in their entirety, but it is important to them to believe that certain parts happened as written.

The myths are people's stories and interpretations of the gods, they can guide us on how to approach them, how they interact with us and each other, and how powerful they might be. But believing the myths literally brings a lot of problems, like:

- Contradictions, and they are a lot of contradictions among the myths.

- Reprehensible behavior from the gods under our current moral standards. If we are to believe the stories literally, Zeus would have no modern followers.

- World origin and creation contradictions among different cultures. Like, who created the world? Ra? Odin? Is the Sky the Skull of Ymir? or is the Sky being held by Atlas? Are we made of Iron, corn, or wood? That and many more questions that might lead to a headache if you interpret them literally.

- Mythical literalism creates a mindset where people are trying to prove the myths as real, ignoring the wisdom that those stories are supposed to tell.

In the case of the greek, many of their stories are told through Theater, it was important for them, the most notable stories of greek mythology are tragedies. However, those were like our movies today, the gods (played by humans) were actors in those plays, the public was aware that it was a creative endeavor.

Yes, some myths are based on real events, many times by looking at the stars, or things that might have happened, for example, Troy was discovered and seems like it had gone through a war. And remember, ancient societies had historians to study their own past or even more ancient societies.

Such is the case for songs and poems and other types of records. There's a little story about Thor fighting Jesus and winning, which, sounds like a heathen trying to scare away Christian missionaries (relatable tho).

Also remember, many myths were lost in time, because at the time, only a few selected privileged people were able to write and read, we don't really know exactly what those ancient cultures believed because of it. Some ancient texts were even destroyed by war and conquer. Also, some surviving myths have a Christian influence behind them, such as Ragnarök.

At the end, paganism is a more personal experience, if you wonder why someone might worship a deity that is seen in negative light, such as maybe Seth, Fenrir, Baal, etc, is one, because their stories are not who they are, and second, because there is a connection, some are called by those deities, and third, forth, twentieth other reasons the person might have.

Understanding the concept of mythic literalism and how not to fall into it has helped me get even more into paganism, coming from an atheistic background, and now I'm a norse pagan.

We like the myths, the stories, modern adaptations, songs, poems, etc, we love them in fact, I read from the Havamal over and over. When someone asks about a myth, I engage in the question, and don't do the "its a myth, is not real" because we know that and doesn't answer the question. I enjoyed mythology all my life and now I do it even more.

Thanks for reading.

#norse paganism #paganism #heathen #heathenry #norse mythology #greek mythology #biblical literalism #myths

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mistigrisunshine · 3 months ago

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spuffy fic rec

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5

Circles by toooldforthis [5k]

They're so near and yet so far away. A post-series reunion oneshot.

Centering by PennyDrdful [21k]

Post-Intervention. The monks never managed to get the Dagon Sphere to Sunnydale. Thanks to his own research, and full access to the Council's resources, Giles has discovered its existence and location in Elk City, Oklahoma. Viewing it as imperative in the defeat of Glory, he sends Buffy and Spike on a road trip to recover it. Anger, snark, and UST ensues.

Myth Taken by Twinkles [23k]

In a comfortable Californian town in the year 2110, Benji meets his new neighbours and discovers a strange tale of family history that skews the lines between fact and fiction.

Undead by noripori [26k]

Buffy’s finally on the verge of ending things with Spike. Then she finds out he’s dead. Starts from an alternate version of s06e15 “As You Were”. Buffy thinks some of Riley’s military boys killed Spike. Her reaction surprises everyone, most of all herself. Turns out Spike’s as alive as ever, but when he gets back, it’s Buffy who isn't quite the same.

Close to Home by Sigyn [33k]

It’s Homecoming. Buffy is trying to reclaim her place as a popular girl after Angel was unceremoniously dusted returning from whatever hell dimension he’d been in. Unfortunately, fate seems to have decided to throw another vampire into her lap. Desperate to win back the affections of Drusilla, Spike has come to win Slayerfest. But the loss of both loves hits a little close to home for Spike and Buffy. They both have a lot to learn about what Homecoming means.

The Heart's Filthy Lesson by rivkat and MustangSally [37k]

In 2001 the evil from 1936 has reared its ugly head. A Nazi demon with an unpronouceable name and a vampire henchman has decided to use Sunnydale as a recruiting center for the disenfranchised and discontented undead. How will Buffy/Spike and the rest of the Scoobies manage to consign this particular evil back where it belongs? Written at the beginning of Season 5.

Ripples on a Hellmouth by stuffandnonsense [48k]

It's 2023, and an epic war is underway between good and evil. This time around, good is losing. But Willow's found a way to turn the tides by sending Buffy back into her past. The catch? She can't change anything directly. Will Buffy choose wisely and save the world, maybe even herself? Or just make everything worse?

Persephone the Wanderer by Kirinin [54k]

When Buffy returns from the dead, she brings something unusual with her, and leaves something important behind.

Beg the Liquid Red by Eurydice [87k]

A night out to try and forget Angel's meddling in her life leads Buffy down a different path than the one she had planned. Old faces are like new again, and what's new is most definitely old.

Lil' Ripper Makes a Friend by Soulburnt [227k]

From a challenge by tempestt: When he was a wee laddie, Rupert Giles found himself in a bit o' trouble. Come on, we all know 10 year-old Giles would've been a little hellion. Spike, who's around because he's hunting the slayer Giles's grandmother is assigned to is impressed by Giles's swaggering bravado and helps him out. In doing so he dubs Giles Lil' Ripper. A much more fitting name than nancy boy Rupert. So begins an on-and-off, life long friendship between the two... When Spike shows up in School Hard Giles immediately recognizes Buffy's description so he sets up a meet. After finding out why Spike is at the Hellmouth, Giles strikes a deal. He'll help Spike heal Drusilla if Spike agrees to help his slayer for an indeterminate amount of time.

#not finished with the last one but the two thirds i've read earned it a spot on this list #anyway i hope you guys are enjoying the recs #and that they're helping you navigate the vast spuffy landscape and discover new authors #sometimes i feel like i see a lot of the same names + fics being recommended (both on here and on the EF discord)#and though many of them are popular for a reason and feature in this series #i'm trying more and more to bring in a little diversity #spike x buffy #buffy x spike #spuffy #spuffy fic #spuffy fic rec #spuffy ficrec #spuffy fic recs #spuffy ficrecs #mine

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moonys-bf · 10 days ago

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debunking babel 1 star reviews

because i did get angry enough to do this. to preface - i am chinese american. if that matters <3

it’s too heavy handed with white people = evil

going to pull another reverse argument here because for centuries and centuries, the literature that was taught in class was people of color = evil, sneaky, underhanded, literally everything you can think of. this - people of color writing about white people in this manner - is a NEW phenomenon. there are many, many other pieces of literature that you can look to for #whitepeoplepower, but i don’t think you’ll want to tell people where you found them.

yes, even i can admit it was heavy handed, but one can even make the argument that everything MUST be heavy handed in order to make white audiences understand. rf kuang was not wrong about the idea that white people are automatically unable to put themselves in positions of people of color - this is likely the only way it would’ve gotten through to white people who pick up this book. which i would argue, is the point.

this complaint goes hand in hand with the “every single white person is evil” complaint - this is a NEW literary phenomenon!! i have never seen a piece of literature that has done this, ever. there’s always a “good” white character who does things in a white-savior esque way. but the fact that there was none here was refreshing tbh

the characters are given no real personality outside of:

robin [reacting to racism] - UNTRUE!! robin has the most complex character development, one could argue, because he goes from being complacent in the system due to reaping the benefits to realizing that he cannot have the best of both worlds. robin’s martyr complex / self sacrificing tendencies get called out so easily and often, and eventually when everyone else around him is gone, he chooses it anyway. and we are not allowed to see if this is the right answer or not - i think that’s insanely interesting to his character. especially given that the ultimate sacrifice is not just him relieving himself of his guilt like the others were, but an ACTIVE STEP to bringing down the institution he was so hesitant to go against in the beginning of the book. AND! robin is a prime example of the model minority myth. being complacent to the system is assimilation, a tactic extremely prevalent in asian american communities, but also a tactic that is known to get us nowhere, because no matter how much you assimilate, it won’t make you white.

letty [racist girl] - UNTRUE!! letty has a personality. she was funny. she was close with the group (or at least believed to be close to the group). they genuinely cared for her and it was proven multiple times over, and her being white is NOT the only basis on which they did not trust her. it shows up multiple times in the book that she a.) didn’t notice the casual racism towards her friends b.) made strange fetishistic / racist comments towards her friends c.) refused to listen properly when confronted about all this racism d.) made this confrontation sympathize with HER because SHE didn’t know instead of taking active steps to undo her actions. not just because she’s white. this is just a thing white people happen to do. wonder why.

victoire [being perfect and unable to do anything wrong] - UNTRUE!! the ending is extremely important for her because she represents joy as a form of resistance. her realizing that she didn’t want her death to be a piece in a revolution / framed as a token martyr was so important to me personally and struck me hard. she wants to live!! she wants to be selfish!! and that’s okay!! her unwillingness to take the revolution as far as robin shows her humanity in the same way robin’s complicated journey with babel shows his. both these characters are there to demonstrate how people of color are not just people Of Color, but People of color.

it’s giving people of color a victim complex

…. is this possible? i mean it’s definitely possible, i’ve seen it before with my own eyes, but that’s neoliberalism, not a victim complex. babel is so extremely well recognized because it’s pretty much the first of its kind in so many aspects - i highly doubt One Book is going to turn the tides of social standings so intensely that this is an actual concern.

the reality of this world is that colonization has had an insanely huge ripple affect across generations and generations, and if you don’t already understand that, that is a problem. just because the majority of the world has realized racism is wrong does Not mean it does not still exist, and it does Not mean that the structures and systems set up by racism are not still harmful. especially in today’s political climate, we cannot afford to brush even casual racism off, because the more people stay silent about it / the more people think it’s a “victim complex”, the more white people are going to feel braver and braver about calling it so. and it is extremely different when these white people are the white people in power of our government and our rights and our borders, etc..

YES. does it suck that we all have to be so heavy handed and on guard and nitpicky? YES. but there is no other way in a world where white people are so terrified to be called racist, because there is no other possible way it can be eradicated societally at this point. systematic education doess not work, because people have and will complain about that, too. this performative wave of amplifying POC voices means we have to take this opportunity to do something like babel or write something heavy-handed or be nitpicky with casual racism, because it is the only way to start a conversation with people who will never be able to physically relate.

no, i do not like this all the time, but i’ve come to understand that being silent about it is worse. brushing it under the rug is worse. because once you open that door for white people, the entire building collapses.

#why do i feel like people are going to come for me??#babel rf kuang #babel an arcane history #babel or the necessity of violence #babel #tower of babel #rf kuang #robin swift

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rasqberrypetalpostcards · 19 days ago

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003.

on making art no one might ever see, and doing it anyway an essay for the hidden creators, the quiet makers, and the secret little masterpieces that live in drawers

there’s something oddly romantic about creating in the dark. not metaphorically—though yes, also that—but literally. sitting alone at 2am, hunched over a notebook, fingers stained with ink, writing something no one has asked for. painting something you don’t plan to show. stitching together bits of your soul in private, with no gallery in mind. no audience. no applause. just... you. and the thing you’re making.

art like this—art made in silence—isn’t small. it’s sacred.

because when you make something without the promise of it being seen, you're not performing. you're not curating. you're not bending yourself into shapes to be understood. you're simply creating. and that, in its own soft way, is the purest kind of art there is.

the freedom of the unseen

there’s a kind of emotional oxygen in making things that no one else is watching.

you're allowed to be weird. messy. dramatic. you can write a hundred pages about a fictional character you invented in eighth grade. you can spend hours drawing one frame of a comic you’ll never post. you can record voice memos of songs you don’t know how to finish.

and no one will judge it. no one will critique it. no one will say, “what’s the point?”

because the point is you. the point is the process. the quiet, trembly joy of building something with your hands, even if no one claps when you’re done.

fun fact: lots of great artists made things in secret

here’s a soft little truth to tuck into your sleeve—some of the most celebrated art in the world started off as secret, unsent, unshared. emily dickinson’s poems were discovered in a drawer. vivian maier, one of the most renowned street photographers of the 20th century, never showed anyone her work while she was alive. van gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime.

it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? how much beauty might be sitting in sketchbooks on bedroom floors. how many masterpieces are out there, unposted. how many creators have made entire worlds—and kept them close, like pressed flowers in an old book.

and maybe... that’s okay.

art as an act of self-return

sometimes we don’t make art to express ourselves—we make it to find ourselves. it’s not about saying “look at me.” it’s about whispering “this is who i am, even if no one sees it.”

there’s comfort in that. especially when everything else feels like it’s slipping through your fingers. when school’s hard, when your brain’s loud, when life feels jagged—making something can feel like reclaiming a tiny piece of control. a soft reassertion of your own existence.

you’re saying: i was here. i felt something. i turned it into something else.

the myth of ‘usefulness’

in a world that demands productivity, making art with no audience can feel... frivolous. wasteful, even. like you’re spending time on something that “doesn’t matter.”

but art doesn’t need to matter to anyone but you. it doesn’t need a purpose beyond your own joy, or peace, or catharsis.

not everything has to be a portfolio. not every poem needs a reader. not every drawing has to be “good.” sometimes it’s enough that you made it at all. that you sat with yourself long enough to bring something new into the world, even if it stays in your sketchbook forever.

on the ache of wanting to be seen

this isn’t to say that the desire to be seen is wrong. it’s not. wanting recognition is deeply human. we all want to be understood. we all want someone to look at what we’ve made and say, “i see you in this. and it’s beautiful.”

but there’s a balance to be found—a place where you can hold both truths: i want to be seen. and i’ll keep creating even if i’m not.

because at the end of the day, art is both declaration and diary. and you get to decide when—if—you want to open the pages.

you are your first witness

every time you create something in private, you become your own witness. your own audience. your own soft round of applause.

and that’s enough. that has to be enough.

to make something and smile quietly to yourself. to re-read your own writing and tear up. to draw something that makes your heart feel less heavy. that’s a kind of love. that’s a kind of self-trust.

you don’t always need a stage. sometimes, all you need is a room. a pen. a moment. a spark.

you’re allowed to make things just because

make art that doesn’t sell. make songs no one will hear. make digital mood-boards that exist only on your desktop. make comics about characters you’ll never name. write fanfic and never post it. take blurry photos of things that feel like you. make, make, make.

not for them. not for the internet. not for grades or numbers or engagement.

just for you.

just because it makes the world feel a little more bearable. a little more yours.

your secret art still matters

even if no one ever sees it. even if you never finish it. even if you change your mind and delete it. even if it never leaves the pages of your journal. it still matters.

because you mattered while you made it.

that moment of softness—that breath of creation—that stillness in the storm—that was real. that was yours. that is enough.

so here’s to the art no one sees. to the poems buried in notes apps. to the voice memos that sound like lullabies for your past self. to the things you made in the quiet, for no one else but the tender, tired you that needed to make it.

make it anyway. always. traced in invisible ink by, R.

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maleyanderecafe · 5 months ago

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Corrupting the Heroine's First Love (Webcomic)

Created by: 루시노블 / FIG, FR411

Genre: Isekai/Fantasy

This one actually does make the female lead kind of evil, and has a corruption arc for the male lead. He turns into a sort of submissive/simp yandere, which is always my favorite. There are a lot of characters that are actually obsessed with the female lead in one way or another, and I can see why given her independence. I will say that the artist for this isekai does change about three different times. As of writing this, there is about 38 chapters.

The story starts out with Karina isekaing into the world, only to find one of the characters trapped under rubble and about to die. In the original story, Reneiger dies in the original story, leading the female lead to take upon the mantel and kill her, the villainess. In this story, Karina Apocolyptica is an experiment, who was raised and forced to take powers from her various siblings and other humans, thus being the strongest of them all. She ends up being able to kill her father and escape freely. She ends up being tracked by her other siblings, including Saladin, who is a wolf hybrid that is obsessed with her. Reneiger eventually does wake up, but the holy sword that he was using to fight manipulates him and brainwashes him into going after Karina to kill her Karina is able to disarm him and release him from the sword's grasp. Initially, when Reneiger wakes up to see Karina, he is extremely antagonistic towards her, as he's been taught all of his life that she is the source of evil, however, his view slowly shifts as he questions his beliefs about the holy order he's a part of. Meanwhile, the female and male leads, Penelope and Ahin look desperately for Reneiger and any sign that he's alive. Reneiger again tries to run away thanks to the swords insistence and manipulation, causing him to fight monsters and nearly getting killed as the sword attempts to martyr him with the monsters. Luckily before he is killed, he is once again saved by Karina, and the two of them form a blood oath in exchange for keeping Reneigers alive, she will bring him to the temple. She accepts, sharing their blood (via kissing), binding their lives together as a result.

Reneiger's resolve towards his previous holy life starts to deteriorate very fast, with him falling (and simping) for Karina, as well as Karina warning him that if they miss a day of sharing blood, the two will end up dying. Meanwhile, one of the sisters, Luna, continues her search on finding Karina to try to kill her. Karina also quits her human job so that he can bring Reneiger to the temple. We learn that because Reneiger is chosen by the sword he is destined to be absorbed by it, and that Luna knows where Karina's location is. During a discussion with Karina's familiar (an albino snake), we find out that Karina and Reneigers are reincarnations of an old myth, probably relating to how he is a demigod of the ocean or some sort. One of her coworkers (or her boss) tries to come over to her house to confess to her, meeting Reneiger instead. Reneiger gets extremely jealous and feels inferior towards him as he knows Karina, and this leads him to inadvertantly watch as the man falls down the stairs and breaks his neck. Karina comes home to a very distraught Reneiger, though she doesn't seem to care too much about the dead body and holds no attachments to the man, making Reneiger happy. Meanwhile Luna ends up meeting with another sibling, Jyle, who is the main villain of the story. Reneiger becomes more infatuated (and simpish) towards Karina and as the two travel towards the town, Karina is attacked by Luna.

We get Luna's backstory on why she hates Karina so much, which basically comes down to the fact that she wanted her father's attention, but Karina got it all, thus she became super envious and wanted to kill her. We find out that Luna also infused herself with a lot of her sibling's powers just so that she can fight Karina, and after Karina nearly dies, Reneiger comes to save the day. This time, he is able to absorb the power of the sword, turning his hair dark and successfully able to defend Karina from Luna. Karina is shocked at this transformation as this is supposed to be an awakening that happens to Ahin, and thus has no idea where the story is going to go as a result. Luna is eventually forced to retreat and instead runs into Penelope who finishes her off. Reneiger continues to simp for Karina even after she regenerates her arm, and we find out that Reneiger actually absorbed the power of the holy sword so he can no longer hear nor be manipulated by it any longer. We also learn that Karina's goal is to kill off her siblings before ending herself as her only real point in this world was survival. The two end up going to the town before Reneiger tries to get Karina to go with him to the temple. Karina is obviously against this as not only would it weaken her and that everyone would be terrified of her as she is one of the villains. She ends up slapping and hitting Reneiger before going downstairs and Reneiger coming after her to simp (and even stating that he will gouge out his eye if she wanted him to). After getting some information from the graveyards around town, Karina finds out that Jyle is coming for them. He drags Reneiger out of the town to find him. Jyle, Reneiger and Karina duel for a bit and we find out that Jyle's obsession with Karina is mostly due to her strength, with him wanting to lock her up, but instead gets enraged with her showing favor towards Reneiger. Meanwhile, Penelope gets some sort of vision and ends up going to where the fight is, and when the dust clears, finds Reneiger alive.

I will say that a lot if not most of the characters have some sort of obsession with Karina, whether it's to kill her or liking her. Normally I feel like this kind of thing is a bit annoying since it doesn't feel deserved, but here we can see that Karina is one of if not the most powerful member of the Apocolyptia and is basically killing a ton of various people, so it does make sense that Penelope, Reneiger and Ahin would want to stop her. Because of her powerful skills, her siblings would also either want to follow her or try to take that power away from her, though the reasoning is pretty varied. I actually quite like Karina as a character since she actually acts like a villainess/big bad of the story, killing people, reviving bodies, not caring about humans if they die in her house, all of that. She of course still has more caring side, but it is also ultimately fueled by the idea of survival and more selfish reasons, which is usually the opposite of what we see in a lot of these reincarnation stories, where the villainess becomes an actually good person. She pretty much kills when she needs to and has no hesitation using others for her gain or killing her own siblings as well as pushing back if she feels she doesn't like or want something.

Oh man, there is a lot of obsession in this story. We'll start out with the ones with know least about and move onto the ones that show the most in terms of yandere actions.

The first ones are actually between the two original leads, Penelope and Ahin. According to Karina, in the original story, Reneiger's death was caused by Ahin sending him off to war to die so that he could get close to Penelope, however, as a result, Penelope started to push him away due to his callous behavior towards Reneiger, which made Ahin more obsessed with her. Something similar happens in this story too, with Ahin rushing the investigation and wanting to declare Reneiger dead, and Penelope getting angry with him for doing so. Of course, we don't really get to see that much of their interactions in the story thus far, except when they kill Luna and at the end when Penelope finds Reneiger again.

Briefly, the guy that Karina worked with at her human job did also exhibit various possessive traits, with his goal being that he would ask her out so that she would stay. He purposefully provoked Reneiger by telling him how close the two were, how long they worked together, etc, before ultimately dying by falling down the stairs. Pretty light and he only really shows up in like three chapters.

The next couple of characters are the siblings. This is a weird one because technically this is a pseudo incest (which everyone knows I hate), but I believe that they are only siblings not by blood but because they were all experimented on by the same "father". In any case, I don't think any of the siblings obsessions are romantic by nature, so that kind of makes it better. Jyle and Saladin are the siblings we know least about and their obsessions with Karina are on opposite sides. Jyle is more of an imprisonment/ hatred obsession, mostly due to the fact that he finds Karina's power entertaining and wants to keep it for himself. He gets rather angry when he sees her hanging out with Reneiger and tries to kill him. Saladin on the other hand is completely devoted, likely because of how strong Karina is and even will kill people for her. He ends up sniffing and tracking Karina from Luna's body and is incredibly happy to hear that Karina was nearby. The sibling we know most about is Luna, who is driven by basically daddy issues. I do like Luna's design (I have a like of cutesy but dangerous girls, unlike the baoto comment section), but I do find her motivation to be the most boring one. The fact that she was able to go to some of her other siblings and take their power (which in story would require them to literally die) was really cool, but it was unfortunate we didn't get to see any of those interactions. She also ends up dying to Penelope, which is a shame because I feel like it would have been more meaningful if Reneiger had killed her instead, as that would have shown off his devotion and his new sword powers.

Finally, there's the male lead of this story, Reneiger. Reneiger goes through basically a corruption arc with him starting out as a holy warrior before realizing that the holy sword was basically trying to get him killed and that Karina is the one trying to save him. I think its fun seeing a corruption arc that is caused by the main character, since I don't think that's something we see too often at least in isekai stories (though that's generally because the main character is too nice to actually properly corrupt the male lead). You'll notice that I used the word simp a lot in the summary and while pretty much all yanderes have simp like behaviors, this guy pretty much does it all the time after he makes the bond with Karina. Karina taunts him a lot, rips off her broken arm after a fight with Luna and even hits him, and he still comes back like a dog. He even has a scene after Karina hits him that he would gouge out his own eye with a spoon if she wanted him to. When it comes to the sea god backstory, I'm still pretty confused on why it's even there, other than to show that Reneiger and Karina are tied by fate, as Reneiger was found from the sea, much like the sea god. I'm not sure how that would affect the story in the future, but it is there, so hopefully it will be used in an interesting way. Besides that, Reneiger also gets pretty jealous easily and can be protective over Karina, though when he does become more assertive it's usually done in a more desperate manner. I of course, love this kind of yandere and am not complaining, and the dynamic with Karina and Reneiger definitely puts Karina on the side with more control.

Overall, the setting and main characters are a pretty interesting read. I do like Karina since she does act as an actual villain and is pretty powerful in her own right. Reneiger as a yandere is also the type of yandere I like and the story of the holy versus the dark is something I haven't seen too often.

#corrupting the heroines first love #yandere #male yandere #yandere boy #recommendations #ongoing

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blogthebooklover · 9 months ago

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Noa & Mae = Orpheus & Eurydice AND Romeo & Juliet

So, something occurred to me after rewatching Disney's Hercules for like the millionth time (weird stretch, I know, lol). I remembered this post talking about how Mae and Noa's personalities are similar to Hercules and Megara. And then I remembered these two posts from @bookishdaze:

The Woman in the Hazmat Suit

Noa & Mae as Romeo and Juliet

She pointed out how Korina (the woman) may be a leader of the underground bunker, and how her name is from Kore, and we all know what other name the former is also derived? Persephone; the Goddess of Spring and what else? Queen of the Underworld! It's interesting to think about, and I'm really curious about what Wes Ball and team are going to do with this character in the next movie, but I digress.

Which also got me to thinking about the possible story inspirations for the next two movies in Noa's trilogy: the second movie might be a loose retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, and the third might be Romeo & Juliet (or it could be the other way around, too).

First, the myth/legend of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Orpheus was a demigod and a musician whose beautiful songs were loved by anyone who heard them, mostly by women. However, the only woman he loved was a human named Eurydice. Depending on which version it is, their wedding blessing wasn't entirely finished on the day of their marriage, which was to be ordained by Hymen, the god of marriage ceremonies. This is perceived as an omen of ill faith from the two lovers. Again, depending on which version it is, Eurydice is enjoying some time to herself, or with the Nymphs in a field; but a snake bites her ankle and she dies from its venom.

Overwhelmed with grief by the death of his wife, Orpheus decides to venture to the Underworld to bring her soul back. Since Orpheus is a demigod, it's easy for him to travel down to the realm of Hades to search for his wife. His songs tame Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld, and the creatures hidden in the shadows. When he comes upon the thrones of the king and queen of the Underworld, Orpheus pleads his case of returning Eurydice's soul to her body by singing a song so moving; that it even warmed the hearts of the immortal rulers. Hades and Persephone agree to let him take Eurydice back to the world above, on the condition that Orpheus does not turn around to look at her until they are both in the sunlight.

Orpheus has second thoughts about the gods tricking him that Eurydice is not behind him as they walk. Just before they reach the entrance to the world above, he turns around and manages to see his wife before she is taken back into the shadows of the Underworld. Realizing his mistake, Orpheus begs to try again, but he cannot. Once again, depending on the version, no one enters the Underworld twice while still alive.

Now the ending for Orpheus's story varies, whether he dies of a broken heart or is killed by a creature; however, in one version the Muses take his lyre and send it into the heavens becoming one of the star constellations.

Second, William Shakespeare's play of Romeo & Juliet.

The play that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, had to read in their freshmen/1st year of high/secondary school. So, a quick recap: Two young teenagers from sparring houses in Verona, Italy, they meet up at an event hosted by the other's family, decide they are in love (after three days of knowing each other) and marry in secret. However, someone from both houses end up dead; Mercutio (Montague) and Tybalt (Capulet), the latter kills the former and Romeo kills Tybalt out of grief and revenge for his friend. Friar Lawrence advises Romeo to visit Juliet before he is sent into exile. After spending the night with her, Romeo leaves. Juliet is grief stricken by the fact that Romeo is in exile, and she has no choice but to marry the man who was chosen to marry her, Paris. Friar Lawrence, once again offers advice but to Juliet this time, to take a sleeping potion that makes her seem like she’s dead.

Once Juliet awakes from the sleeping draught, she finds that Romeo has poisoned himself due to misinformation about her death. Friar Lawrence urges Juliet to come with him to a convent to be safe. However, she does not, choosing instead to stay with Romeo and since her love drank all of the poison, she takes his dagger and stabs herself in the heart. By the influence of the Prince, the two grieving families put aside their differences in memory of their only respective children.

Third, Noa and Mae, and how the previously mentioned stories could work for them.

For the second film, while Noa isn't a musician per se, he does show the abilities of an engineer (fixing a fish rack, and the cattle prod). HOWEVER, he does have to sing to Eagle Sun to get the bird to come to him. My head canon is that maybe Noa works on various different inventions while he's training to be the next Master of Birds. If Mae returns to the Eagle Clan, and sees Noa's inventions for herself, she would probably have mixed emotions at the fact of seeing an evolved ape even creating something from the remains of human technology.

Remember: Noa's and overall evolved ape intelligence TERRIFY her.

However, I think the more she spends time with the Eagle Clan apes, the more she realizes apes and humans can probably co-exist with each other.

My head canon for Mae is that it was her entire family and friends as the team that was sent out on the mission in KOTPOTA, and after Proximus Caesar's apes killed everyone, she barely escaped with her life as she says to Noa. And she had to survive alone in the wilderness before coming across Noa and the Eagle Clan village. Like Noa, she is also just a scared little kid trying to understand everything that had happened in the 200-300 years of a post-apocalyptic world. And now, she literally had/has no where else to go, no home to return to (since we all agree on that one head canon she's one of the few humans immune to whatever remains of the Simian virus), until she spends more time with Eagle Clan.

For whatever reason, Mae has to go back to the underground bunker, or maybe she's kidnapped by another human group from a different bunker; but I'm going with the former for this take. Noa can't take the fact that she has to return to the humans, seeing how humans and apes can live together, and he sets out with Anaya and Soona to get Mae back. When the trio arrive at the human bunker (the one from the end of Kingdom), Noa must plead his case to Korina to get Mae to return to Eagle Clan. That her living amongst apes is proof that both species can co-exist. Maybe even offering one of his inventions and/or an eagle egg, to the human leader as a sign of peace and hope for a future.

After Korina hears Noa's case, she agrees to let Mae return to Eagle Clan; now I imagine that instead of the sadder ending of Orpheus and Eurydice, it's the ending of the Hades and Persephone myth instead, the human leader offers only one condition to Noa: that Mae returns to the bunker when the last leaf falls and the first snows begin. Unlike apes, humans cannot survive the harsh winter weather. Both Noa and Mae agree to this term, and they continue living in the Eagle Clan village until the fall/winter. On the other hand though, I do see this working the other way around: that Noa is the one who is captured, and Mae is the one to plead her case to Korina.

And finally, the third movie. The story line we all want to see!

When Mae returns for the winter, let's assume it's been a couple of years or so by now, there is tension amongst the humans in the underground bunker. Half of them don't like this arrangement of a human living amongst the apes in the above world. The Tybalt & Paris equivalents (gonna call them Bunker!Tybalt & Bunker!Paris) in the third movie are feeling reservations about the arrangement, confessing their concerns to Korina when Mae returns. Korina (also being The Prince equilavent for the third movie) tries reassuring them that Mae staying with Noa and the apes is a test to see if the two species can live and work together. But Bunker!Tybalt and Bunker!Paris are not having it, and they arrange for a duel with Noa until Anaya (since we all agree that he's the Mercutio equivalent, poor thing) steps in for his childhood best friend.

Aaaaaaand we all know what happens next! However, let's imagine Bunker!Paris somehow leaves the scene.

Noa, enraged with grief for his best friend, kills Bunker!Tybalt but soon realizes he made a huge mistake and he decides to step down as leader and exile himself from the Eagle Clan. Because a good leader doesn't kill in revenge, no matter the reason. Meanwhile, when Mae hears the news of Bunker!Tybalt, she blames herself for the whole outcome. Korina makes the decision for Mae to stay in the bunker, for a possible upcoming war with the apes and to keep her safe. Mae doesn't want any more bloodshed, and she confides her concerns with the Nurse equivalent (again, gonna call them Bunker!Nurse; or maybe it'll be Dar as the Nurse Equivalent as well, but I digress). Bunker!Nurse feels empathy for Mae, but agrees with Korina about staying in the bunker. That Mae's skills and intelligence are needed for an upcoming war.

Mae doesn't want a war though, she soon realizes that the apes and Noa are her family as well. She sneaks out of the bunker in the cover of night and tries to find Noa.

Not entirely the same, but I do imagine a scene similar to The Lion King 2 (again, another Romeo & Juliet retelling; although, it would be hilarious if Noa & Mae broke out into song, but that's my crazy take heeheehee); when Mae and Noa reunite, away from everything and everyone trying to keep the two species apart.

youtube

Noa tries to convince Mae to run away with him, and explore the remains of this post-apocalyptic world, hoping to find more apes and humans similar to the unlikely duo. And create a new village where the two species can co-exist. Mae doesn't buy it though, she confides in Noa about returning together to prevent an upcoming war between apes and humans.

Once they return, they see it has already happened, once again taking some inspiration from The Lion King 2 here.

Bloodshed and dead bodies from both sides of the battle field. The human girl and the male ape are horrified by the war.

They both enter the sidelines of the battlefield, the apes and humans pause briefly when the ape and human are in sight. Mae and Noa each take turns pleading their case, that humans and apes can live in peace and harmony if they work together. There cannot be anymore bloodshed between them. The test of Mae (and maybe a few other humans) living amongst the Eagle Clan works, and there can be a solution between the two species.

But wait, you dear reader ask, doesn't the Shakespeare play end tragically?

Yes, the OG play is a tragedy. However, like the aforementioned Lion King 2, there are other R&J retellings with a happier ending:

Gnomeo and Juliet

Warm Bodies

Interesting how the second one is also set in a post-apocalyptic world, albeit in the zombie horror subgenre xD.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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