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elyvorg · 1 year ago

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Kieran Part 1: It’s All About Strength

I’m a longtime Pokémon fan who happily plays through every mainline game, but I’ve never been more than mildly fond of the occasional character here and there, because Pokémon isn’t much for deep and nuanced character writing. Then I played The Teal Mask DLC and came out of it with many, many Feelings and Thoughts about Kieran – enough so that it warrants a full, juicy analysis about all of his subtleties and issues. I never expected I’d write one of these character analysis rambles of mine on a Pokémon character of all things, but here we are. Colour me surprised and impressed.

For anyone reading this in the future: this was written before The Indigo Disk came out and therefore only talks about the events of The Teal Mask. Assuming The Indigo Disk doesn’t completely drop the ball on the best character-writing job that mainline Pokémon has ever done (please; please don’t), there will probably be a Part 2 to this analysis coming in a few months. (Aaaaand here it is! But you should read this one first, of course.)

(I’ll be referring to the player character as “you” here for ease of wording, but rest assured, this doesn’t mean I’m accusing you the reader of any of the questionable ways the player character treats Kieran. I was also very annoyed at being forced to lie to him, believe me.)

His weakness, and your strength

Kieran is a kid gripped with a crushing sense of inferiority and weakness. We don’t see all of where this came from, although we get a pretty good idea of part of it – his sister. So many times when Kieran tries to protest against things and assert himself, Carmine snaps back at him for doing so. Over time, that kind of thing would have made him feel like he’s wrong for trying to stand up for himself, leading to him letting people walk all over him. I don’t want to give Carmine’s behaviour all of the blame for Kieran’s issues, though, because there’s bound to be more to it than that. I expect some of it also came from him being bullied and outcast during his time at Blueberry Academy – I hope The Indigo Disk gives us glimpses into what Kieran’s life there was like before all this.

As a result of feeling so weak and inferior, Kieran admires and idolises people he sees as strong. This becomes clear early on with how much he looks up to you just for being able to beat his sister, someone else he also sees as strong. Apparently, he couldn’t stop raving about how cool you were and how he wanted to battle you all evening back at home.

He doesn’t want you to know that, though, based on his protest when Carmine comes out and tells you so. Kieran's probably rather embarrassed for you to hear how much he idolises you, after all. He also seems to think his request for a battle would be annoying and a bother – he says “You don’t mind?” in surprise when you accept, even though asking people for battles is supposed to be just what trainers do. Why would a strong trainer like you want to waste your time battling someone weak like him?

Kieran’s comment in the battle if you land a super effective move is also very telling: “Oof, ehehe… I guess I got a lot of weaknesses…” He tries to play it off as light-hearted, but, hm, that sure is A Way for a rival character to comment on you knowing about type matchups. And he most certainly does not seem to agree with his sister when she says he’s almost as strong as her.

(Fun fact: the game actually lets you lose the first battle with each sibling while still continuing the story. If you lose to Kieran in that first battle, he assumes you were holding back against him, as if that’s the only reason he’d ever be able to beat anyone. Perhaps he’s experienced people holding back against him out of pity before – maybe Carmine used to?)

He's flustered when Carmine partners him up with you, too, even though you’re the only option that he has at least a vague rapport with now – he’s still assuming someone cool like you wouldn’t want to waste any more of your time on him than you have to. Kieran worries he’ll “get in your way” if he sticks with you, so he hangs back and stays well out of your way instead. It’s a cute way for the game to justify him not actually following you around in the gameplay even though he’s supposed to be following you according to the plot, but it also just makes perfect sense for Kieran’s character. This is a kid who constantly tries to take up as little space as possible because he’s convinced that nobody wants him around. And it’s important that he seems to feel especially this way towards the people he looks up to (with the exception of Carmine, because she’s family and he spends most of his time with her already).

Then there’s the scene where he meets Koraidon/Miraidon. At first, I assumed it was there to introduce Kieran to our lizardbike friend because they’d be relevant later somehow. But they’re not! So the only reason this scene exists at all is for the purpose of illustrating to Kieran that, in his words, “you’re special”. You are A Protagonist, capable of befriending super special, rare, strong Pokémon with ease. (Just like a certain other special legendary Pokémon you’ll be meeting soon, how about that.)

Admiring the ogre

So, as you begin the trip to visit the signboards about Kitakami’s legend, Kieran starts to open up about how much he likes the ogre. Perhaps he feels safe telling you, because you’re an outsider and won’t frown upon him for it like the locals are prone to do. He probably gets that from them a lot and has learned not to bring up the ogre in town – another thing that makes him feel left out.

Even so, Kieran starts from the angle of “it’s so strong and cool because it won one-on-three”, since that’s a more acceptable reason to like the ogre that doesn’t question the validity of the legend, and is less personal to his issues. If you agree with him that the ogre sounds cool before he’s explained why he thinks so, he responds with “I knew you’d get it!” – you, who’s also really strong and cool, would obviously recognise that same strength in the ogre right away, right?

If you’re sceptical at first instead, he stresses that “it was all alone!” and still managed to hold its own – the more personal side of the reason he likes the ogre coming out just a little. By the second signboard, Kieran’s gotten a bit more comfortable with you, enough to start touching on that more deliberately. He mentions that it’s shunned, and that he likes its strength because he admires that and wishes he could be that strong himself.

Then he invites you to see the ogre’s den, something completely unrelated to the purpose of the school trip, because he trusts you enough to feel sure that you’ll get what he’s trying to illustrate about the ogre there. He points out that it seems like a lonely, miserable place to live, and that he’d happily let the ogre stay at his house if it wanted. He’s not quite explicitly saying so, but Kieran clearly empathises with the ogre because he relates to that kind of loneliness. Though he doesn’t want to outright say that the legend is wrong and the ogre isn’t actually the bad guy – maybe he’s got backlash from the villagers before for suggesting it – he's got to believe that to be the case.

(I’ve seen one or two people suggest that Kieran fawning over the supposed bad guy in the legend is an early hint to his potential for darkness, but I really don’t think that’s it. There’s plenty of reason for Kieran to relate to and see the sympathetic side of the ogre in the story due to his own status as a social outcast, without it needing to be a case of “he just likes bad guys because he’s Edgy”.)

Later, at the festival, Kieran has a quiet chuckle to himself when Carmine’s talking about the Loyal Three being heroes, and says it’s funny that she doesn’t know anything about the ogre. Then he conspicuously changes the subject when she implies that it’s just that he likes edgy bad guys, because that’s not it – but at least now he has someone who does get it. Carmine mentions later that she feels Kieran is trying to one-up her about the ogre, and maybe this is true. Perhaps this is one small way in which he can privately feel superior to his sister, because he’s more right than her, or than anyone in the village, about the ogre’s true nature. And while that’s more due to luck and a large helping of projecting his own issues onto it than out of any genuine inside knowledge of the truth, Kieran is the one person who understands the ogre best.

Or, at least, he understands it best… for the most part. Because there is one very key way in which Kieran is actually thoroughly wrong about what Ogerpon is truly like.

Misunderstanding the ogre

This begins to be apparent at the second signboard, when Kieran’s gushing about the ogre’s coolness and says “it didn’t even care when everyone shunned it”. From meeting Ogerpon later, we know that this is patently not true about her – she’s terrified of humans because of how they see her, so really she hates being shunned! But Kieran doesn’t imagine that to be the case about her, even though he empathises with her presumed loneliness and is basically projecting his own onto her. He sees the ogre as somebody who is shunned and alone, like he is, but who, unlike him, is strong enough to not let it get to them. Someone in the same bad situation as him, but with strength that he only wishes he could have to deal with it.

In that same conversation at the second signboard, Kieran then goes on to talk about how his sister always does everything for him, and he’d like to become stronger and more independent and reliable. And, “then, just maybe… I could be that ogre’s friend.” As if he doesn’t think he’d deserve to be Ogerpon’s friend unless he was already strong, just like she is.

He mentions a couple of times that he comes to the Dreaded Den a lot but has never once seen the ogre, which might seem a little strange at first. Obviously Ogerpon kept well hidden from him because she’s scared of humans – but, did Kieran never try to call out to her? To tell her that he’s not afraid of her, that he admires her strength and she must be lonely and hey, maybe they could be friends? If he had, then surely over time, Ogerpon would have grown to trust him and shown herself – so apparently, Kieran never did try to call out to her in an attempt to befriend her. Because he felt he wasn’t worthy of her friendship, not when he’s so weak, so inferior to someone as strong and cool as her. (A lot like how he wouldn’t have had the courage to tell you how much he admired you, if his sister hadn’t blurted it out for him.)

While you’re visiting the den with him, Kieran assumes that “a powerful ogre like that would only show up if it heard some kinda battle”, leading to him challenging you again. Since he admires the ogre for its strength, he’s assuming that the ogre also values strength just as much if not more than he does, which really isn’t necessarily true about Ogerpon!

During the battle, Kieran says he’ll “put up a good fight” this time. Which is to say, he still feels so thoroughly outclassed by you that he isn’t remotely expecting or even trying to win – he just wants to at least not go down quite as pitifully as last time, not when he’s potentially being watched by his idol the ogre. And when he loses (the game requires you to win this and all future battles against him), he laments how he’s ever going to be able to beat you, and then he muses, “If the ogre saw that battle, I’m sure it’d be thinking, ‘That kid’s got some real strength…’” He is assuming that Ogerpon would like you, far more than she’d ever like him, because of how strong you are. This is very important.

(As it happens, Ogerpon was secretly watching that battle, but as for whether she’s actually thinking what Kieran imagines she is about your strength – who knows?)

Friendship! Or is it…?

By the end of the den visit, Kieran has just enough confidence to invite you to the Festival of Masks, and to his own house to get ready to go together, which there’s no way he’d have been able to do at the start of the day. He’s so surprised but thrilled to hear that you consider yourself his friend – based on that and his grandparents’ reactions, you’re likely the first friend he’s ever made, which would not be surprising. It’s lovely watching this shy but sweet kid actually smiling and feeling comfortable around you and happy to have someone he can call a friend for the first time ever. And GHHHH it is so painful in hindsight knowing where things are headed.

Even with you calling yourself his friend, though, Kieran still feels inferior to you. He dejectedly offers to give you his mask for the festival when you find yourself without one, even though it’s the ogre mask, his favourite, his thing – because he instinctively feels that if anyone should be the one who gets left out, it should be him, like always, and not you.

The whole time, Kieran’s bound to be feeling thoroughly insecure about this new friendship. The idea that he’s actually made a friend, and not least someone as cool as you, likely feels far too good to be true, more than he deserves, and I suspect he might be constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. When he mentions to Carmine that you’re coming to the festival with him, her response is vaguely evasive, and Kieran responds to that in a very prickly, defensive way. It reads to me like he thinks Carmine is jealous of him befriending you before her, and that he’s afraid she might try to take you away from him as a result. Whether that’s actually true or not isn’t really the point (I think Carmine might indeed be a little jealous, but she would not do something that deliberately malicious) – what matters is that Kieran believes this may be the case and is liable to view all further interactions with you and Carmine in that light.

Then, at the festival, Carmine pressures Kieran into playing Ogre Oustin’ even though he doesn’t really want to. She’s probably doing this in an attempt to encourage him to have fun, but since he doesn’t find it fun (because he doesn't like this game where he's pretend-killing the ogre!), it’d be easy for him to feel like she only did it because she wanted him out of the way so she could hang out with you. And it’s while Kieran’s doing that that you and Carmine meet Ogerpon without him. Of course, that’s nothing but pure unlucky bad timing – Carmine had no idea Ogerpon was about to show up – but from Kieran’s point of view, with his obvious history of being maliciously left out of things by others, it’s easy for him to feel like there was some deliberate element to it.

At first he doesn’t know it has anything to do with Ogerpon, though. But still, when he gets back from Ogre Oustin’ and asks what you two were up to, Carmine abruptly shuts you up before you can speak and is blatantly hiding something – which Kieran takes to mean that you were laughing at him behind his back. That’s something else he must get a lot, for him to be automatically assuming it’s happening here. Really not so far off from his fear that his sister’s going to try and take you away from him, either.

Carmine’s lie isn’t done out of any malice – she is genuinely trying to protect her brother from feeling bad over being left out of meeting Ogerpon – but she sure is doing so in a way that’s going to make him feel even worse over being left out on purpose once he realises the truth. Carmine does care about her brother in theory, but this girl has zero social brain cells. And we the player are forced to play along with the lie whether we want to or not, which awkwardly turns our player-insert character into a very specific kind of character who would do so. I guess they either also have zero social brain cells, or they’re kind of a doormat who’s swayed by a forceful personality like Carmine’s. This part is frustrating, but I have to accept it because of the delightful things it does to Kieran’s arc, which really is the important part here.

Learning of the lie

The next morning, it seems like Kieran’s largely managed to brush off the weird bit last night where you and his sister were maybe laughing at him behind his back, because he greets you with a smile, ready to go see the last signboard. And then Carmine… forcefully demands that he finds somewhere else to be, because you’ve got business with her. Kieran protests that it’s not fair that you’ve been spending all your time with her lately – score two for his fear that she’s trying to take you away from him – and when she snaps back at his protest like always, he runs off.

But he doesn’t run off that far, because he stays close enough to listen in on the conversation. The discussion of Ogerpon’s story goes on for long enough – and takes long enough to get to the important part – that Kieran pretty much has to have stayed to eavesdrop on purpose, which is a little sketchy of him. Still, I can’t blame him all that much, what with his background of being mistreated, and the way Carmine’s behaviour gives him ample reason to be afraid there’s something going on here – of course he’d have wanted to know for sure. Perhaps he was even trying to hope that listening in would prove that you’re not actually hiding something bad from him and he was just being paranoid.

Except that actually, it turns out the truth is so much worse than Kieran had feared. Never mind just laughing at him – you and Carmine met the ogre without him and then hid it from him as if he didn’t even deserve to know. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, it then turns out that he was right all along about the ogre being a good guy, and his own grandpa didn’t even think it was worth telling him that, and now you’re still just going to keep lying to him about it all and leaving him in the dark.

(Really, I have to side-eye their grandpa a lot more than Carmine here, because he’s a grown dang adult and has so much less excuse. He says he’ll tell Kieran the truth “when the time is right”, but what does that even mean? The “right time” would be right now! Heck, it should have been the moment he realised that Kieran had already intuited the truth!)

And all this being lied to and shunned and left out of things (like always) stings even more for Kieran because it’s coming from someone he’d thought was his friend. He’d actually dared to hope that someone – and not just anyone, someone really cool and strong – actually wanted to be friends with him? Of course that was too good to be true. Why would someone as cool and strong as you have ever wanted to befriend a weak loser like him, anyway? (After all, cool strong people only ever want to be friends with other cool strong people; that’s how it works, right?)

Probing about the lie

The correct thing for Kieran to do with this situation would have been to simply come right out and confront you about the lie. But of course he doesn’t have the courage to do that. He’s far too used to being shot down whenever he tries to assert and stand up for himself (no thanks to Carmine). And since he only learned about this because he was eavesdropping, it’s easy for him to imagine having that turned against him, and the whole situation being treated like he’s the one in the wrong for doing that.

Still, it seems like Kieran might want to at least indirectly give you the opportunity to tell him the truth. He heads off to the village shop to act like he was there the whole time, and then casually asks you what you were talking about back there. He’s maybe trying to hope that you don’t really want to lie to him and only got swept up into doing so by his sister’s forcefulness, and that you’ll tell him everything now that she’s not here, because, you said you were his friend, right? Later on, too, at the third signboard, the way Kieran brings up that his family is descended from the mask maker feels suspiciously relevant, as if he only thought to do so because he overheard the story and is trying to give you a chance to go, “Hey, speaking of that mask maker, actually…”

But no. It sure seems like you’re very deliberately choosing to keep him in the dark. As such, he’s bound to be feeling extra small and awkward at the signboard, just wanting to “get this over with” and be done spending time with you, because you clearly don’t want to waste any more of your time with him than you have to, right? The awkwardness of the third signboard photo, with Kieran obviously not wanting to be there, and your character’s very strained thumbs-up, is heartbreaking in comparison to how cute and happy the first two were.

During the conversation there, Kieran mentions the ogre being alone and treated like an outcast in a way that is very clearly also talking about how you and Carmine are treating him right now. The game pointedly lingers on his response to your comment, regardless of which dialogue option you choose. If you agree that that sounds awful, he says, “You think so too, huh?” – you think that it’s bad to treat someone that way, and yet, you sure are treating him that way anyway. If you instead mutter an awkward apology, Kieran asks, “For what?” This could read like he’s calling you out for not being able to admit to what you should be apologising for, but actually, I’m not sure that’s it. It could also be him genuinely asking that, because he doesn’t realise you need to apologise for anything. Hold this thought, I’ll go into it more in a bit.

It's because he’s weak

The other thing that happens at the third signboard is Kieran challenging you to another battle. He doesn’t really explain why, but I suspect he’s hoping that if he wins and proves his strength to you, you might just tell him the truth, or at least it’ll give him the courage to confront you about your lie. This is the first battle in which he says he wants to win and is actively trying and hoping to do so, rather than just accepting his loss before he’s even started. His optimism is pretty fragile, though, as he laments “it wasn’t supposed to go like this” if you hit him super-effectively, and “why does it have to be like this?” when he’s down to his last Pokémon.

But of course, he loses, just like he must secretly have been expecting to all along (how could he ever beat someone as strong as you?). And so he concludes, “it’s all ‘cause I’m too weak” – not just losing the battle, but everything. Why he’s always left out and shunned by everyone, why you lied to him and went behind his back about something you knew was important to him – it’s because he’s weak. He was battling you to try and prove that he’s stronger, strong enough to deserve better than that… but of course he isn’t.

A particularly important little subtlety is that he mutters “That’s why I…” – because it would have been easy to expect this line to say “you” instead. That you lied to him and shunned him because he’s weak, that it’s your fault for choosing to treat someone weak like this. But Kieran isn’t framing it that way. He’s thinking of it as his fault, simply for being weak, and that’s why he will always inevitably be treated like crap by everyone around him. As if that’s nobody else’s fault for choosing to do that, but simply the natural way of things when someone’s weak. As if he deserves this for being weak.

(So: what are you sorry for? You shouldn’t be sorry for anything; it’s his fault, isn’t it? Someone as strong and perfect as you could never be conflicted or in the wrong.)

By the end of this signboard visit, Kieran’s leaving on his own, saying that he’s got to get stronger with his Pokémon. All of this is happening because he’s weak, so he needs to be stronger – and apparently, that means “strength in Pokémon battling”. In reality, even if he did become the best battler out there, that wouldn’t necessarily make him any better at standing up for himself in social situations or being independent and reliable in other ways, but he’s very much conflating the different kinds of strength. This probably has a lot to do with his schooling at Blueberry Academy, which teaches Pokémon battling, leaving him overly focused on battling strength as the only kind of strength that matters. Perhaps he was picked on at school because he wasn’t very good at the battling classes, which wouldn’t have helped. I hope we see some glimpses of this in The Indigo Disk.

And on the topic of Kieran fixating on getting stronger at Pokémon battling: his Furret is never seen in his team again after this point. It was one of the first two Pokémon he used against you, so it’s presumably one of his closest Pokémon partners, which makes it heartbreaking that he ditches it from his team because, clearly, it’s too weak. Even worse, he’s inflicting being left out and shunned on someone else – someone he probably cared about – precisely because it’s weak. That’s just what happens to people who are weak, right? Guh. Poor Furret.

Outburst at Loyalty Plaza

Kieran most likely spends the next 24 hours alternating between fervently training as hard as he can, and stewing in his feelings of loneliness and rejection and betrayal. His grandpa mentions that he spent that night in his room after not even eating dinner, which, yeah, when he’s sharing a house with two of the people who are lying to him, not surprising. Oof. And more than just pain and betrayal, he’s got to be feeling so much anger, anger which he’s never been able to truly express, because every time he tries to stand up for himself he always gets shot down – but that only makes the suppressed anger worse.

The correct thing to do would have been for Kieran to confront everyone calmly about the lie as soon as he became aware of it. But because he couldn’t just do that, his resentment festered inside of him with no real outlet, until finally it becomes unbearable and explodes out of him and he has to do something to express it, no matter how questionable. So he steals the Teal Mask and runs off with it.

I don’t think Kieran actually has much of an idea of what he’s going to do with the mask. The one logical thing would have been to give it back to Ogerpon himself, but that can’t be his intent, because he doesn’t go anywhere near her den with it. And I highly doubt he’s planning to break it or anything like that, since he’d never do something that’d hurt Ogerpon. Really, I think he just wants you and Carmine to notice and acknowledge what he’s going through and what you’ve done to him – and if he steals the mask, you’re going to have to confront him to get it back.

He heads to Loyalty Plaza in particular because he’s conflating his own situation with Ogerpon’s. In amongst his pain and anger at the way he’s being treated, he’d have also been feeling a lot of anger at the injustice of how Ogerpon was and is treated, because he was right all along that she was never the bad guy, but she’s shunned undeservedly while the “Loyal” Three are lauded as heroes. Even though this outburst from Kieran is really all about his own situation, he makes it about Ogerpon first, because that’s easier for him to openly be angry about. He only brings up his own treatment as a comparison to how Ogerpon is treated like an outcast, as if the only way he can frame it as wrong in his head is by comparing it to something that’s definitely wrong. (After all, he deserves to be shunned because he’s weak – but Ogerpon didn’t deserve any of it, because she’s so much stronger!)

During Kieran’s outburst, Carmine blurts out an apology on realising that she’s hurt him – but Kieran basically just ignores it and continues to vent. Which tells us something interesting: that Kieran never did this out of any attempt to get you and Carmine to apologise for lying to him. If he’d wanted that, he’d have reacted in some way when Carmine did just that. So I think, in keeping with Kieran’s belief that all this is his fault for being weak, he doesn’t actually think you two need to apologise for anything. He’s lashing out because he’s angry and in pain and doesn’t know how else to deal with it, but he’s not consciously thinking that you and Carmine are in the wrong.

He’s also still holding onto the idea that you and Carmine were just laughing at him behind his back, which is of course not true, but when Carmine tries to say that, Kieran snaps back that she’s a liar. Given that she undeniably has lied to him about one very important thing, of course Kieran would find it easy to believe that she could be lying to him about anything and he can’t trust any reassurance she gives him. This poor kid must have such a history of being mistreated and patronised by others to jump to assuming things like this.

Lashing out with a battle

Then Kieran challenges you to another battle, promising to give back the mask if you win. Since there’s no way he is truly expecting to be able to beat you, this means that he never really intended to keep the mask forever. But he also doesn’t just want to seem like some weak pushover who’ll roll over and give in as soon as he’s confronted, so he at least wants to make you fight him for it. And based on his line at the beginning of the battle – “I know this isn’t right, but… I can’t just hand over the mask to you!” – he doesn’t want to just give up one of Ogerpon’s possessions so easily to someone who treated him like an outcast the same way those villagers back then treated Ogerpon.

Really, I think the battle – and the notably forceful way he asks for it, unlike the previous times – just comes a lot from Kieran’s anger, and his need to externalise it somehow. He even insists that he needs this battle, if you’re hesitant about accepting the challenge. There’s probably a part of him that wants to lash out with physical violence, maybe punch you or something, but he knows that’s wrong and that it’d look pathetically impotent of him anyway even if he tried. Happily, this world has a socially-accepted form of violence-by-proxy instead, so Pokémon battle it is!

As for the battle itself, Kieran’s switched up his team some more, removing Furret as previously mentioned, and adding two new members instead of just one like the previous times – but the Cramorant he uses here doesn’t stick around either. This is less sad to me than Furret, though, because he wouldn’t have been very close to it. Cramorant may even have been taken onto the team with the condition of “I’m trying out new team members to see who’s strong enough”, at which point ditching it is less of a betrayal and more of it simply failing a job interview.

(Meanwhile, the other newcomer, Gligar, clearly impressed Kieran a lot with its strength, as it becomes his ace for the final fight. Fitting that his ace there is not a long-time partner, but one obtained only after he began to fixate on getting stronger.)

He’s also more openly determined to win (despite his suppressed conviction that he could never beat you), and remains more optimistic than before even when things aren’t going so well for him. In fact, this is the only battle in which Kieran has lines for hitting you with a super effective move or a critical hit. That said, he’s still a little insecure, based on an optional line: “I need to get this right… I’m gonna make sure to give the right commands!” which tells us that he feels like his losses are his fault for making mistakes and choosing the wrong moves, rather than blaming his Pokémon for not being strong enough. He also has an absolutely great comment in this battle if you land a critical hit, which I have to highlight: “What can’t you do? You’re like the hero in a story…” It’s purely luck, but despite that, he’s seeing you as this impossibly perfect hero that he could never ever measure up to, and this delights me.

Losing the battle just seems to make Kieran’s frustration at his own inferiority even worse, to the point that he does indulge in some physical violence, towards the shrine. Which is as pathetic as he must have been expecting, and should in theory have been harmless enough. (Of course, it appears that this is what somehow resurrects the Lousy Three, but there is no way Kieran expected or wanted that to happen, so he can’t be blamed for that.) Then he gives the mask back, just as he promised he would, and (ignoring another attempt by Carmine to apologise – again, this was never about that to him) he runs off back home.

So I find it really hard to condemn Kieran for… any of his actions here? Sure, he stole the mask, but he didn’t do anything bad with it and gave it back just fine (and must have always been intending to). All he was doing was lashing out – unhealthily, but basically harmlessly – over the really very callous way you and Carmine had been treating him. And if he hadn’t done this, you two would probably never have told him the truth about Ogerpon, and he’d have remained out of the loop and never met her at all! That would have been awful!

And yet: making you and Carmine bring him into the loop about Ogerpon and getting the chance to meet her is also not something Kieran was aiming for here. Just before leaving in a sulk, he says, “Say hi to the ogre for me” – which means that he never expected to get to meet it himself. He is still, even by the end of this confrontation, labouring under the belief that you and Carmine don’t want him there with Ogerpon and that he doesn’t deserve to meet her at all.

Apologies, and a lack thereof

After you rescue Ogerpon from being bullied by the resurrected Lousy Three, Carmine shows up with Kieran in tow. Apparently she found him moping around at home and dragged him here to apologise to you about his stunt with the mask. Which, yes, does warrant an apology – but what really frustrates me about this part is that Carmine doesn’t apologise for what you and she did wrong. Sure, she blurted out a couple of cut-off apologies back at Loyalty Plaza, but those never had the intended effect when Kieran was in no emotional state to accept them. Here and now, he’s calmed down enough that he would be able to take on board an apology… but Carmine doesn’t give one. It’s possible that she already apologised at home before bringing him here, but if she’d done that, then she really ought to have got you to also apologise for lying to him, and she doesn’t – so I can only assume that didn’t happen. And you the player can choose to apologise to Kieran here anyway, but since it’s optional, it’s not given nearly the attention it deserves.

Since Kieran never gets a proper apology while he’s in a state to listen, it means he never actually ends up internalising the fact that you were in the wrong to lie to him and he didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Which would have been a really, really important thing for him to realise! As it is, he continues to quietly assume that all of this is his fault for being weak, with nobody to tell him that this way of thinking is flawed.

It's frustrating, but I do kind of get it, from Carmine at least, because she’s also a pretty flawed person. Her deal seems to be that she’s only able to be emotionally sincere in uncontrolled outbursts when she’s worked up, and when she’s calm she covers up her true feelings with bossiness and vanity. Which makes her not at all capable of apologising to Kieran when he’s in a calm enough state to be capable of registering it. These siblings’ issues do not mesh well. Still, here’s hoping that Carmine’s able to self-reflect enough to acknowledge her partial responsibility for Kieran’s suffering by the end of The Indigo Disk.

She does seem to realise her mistake here enough to make a point of trying to include Kieran in their Ogerpon adventures from here on out, at least. But it’s too little too late in terms of how Kieran views things. He seems to have assumed that Carmine dragged him here only to apologise, and not to properly meet Ogerpon or be involved in helping her out, because he expresses surprise when Carmine casually includes him as part of the Mask Retrieval Squad. He was expecting to be shunned and left out as always – what do you mean, she wants him there?

Meeting Ogerpon

The only interaction Kieran was expecting to have with Ogerpon here was giving the fixed-up mask back to her, because he wanted to be the one to do so – but she shies away from him when he offers it. Carmine comments that she’s probably scared of new people, and this is likely the truth, but Kieran’s silent response suggests that he’s not necessarily agreeing with that assessment. Remember, from earlier: Kieran is convinced that Ogerpon values strength. And he’s so used to being shunned by others, especially strong people, because he’s weak. It would be very, very easy for him to come to the irrational conclusion that the reason Ogerpon refuses him is because of his weakness, even though his sister’s suggesting something else.

Despite Kieran’s key misconceptions about Ogerpon’s values, he does continue to understand her better than most people in certain ways. When you try to head into town with her, Kieran’s the one to point out that she’s probably afraid to go in because of the way she’s been treated by the townspeople. He also comments that she’ll feel safe going to retrieve the masks from the Three as long as she’s with you. He empathises with that insecurity and social anxiety enough that, seeing it from Ogerpon in person, he can instinctively see that’s the case about her too.

And yet… seeing Ogerpon’s fear, and understanding that she’s scared of being shunned just like him (which he previously said the ogre didn’t care at all about!), doesn’t actually change the part of Kieran that is also irrationally convinced that she only cares about strength. There’s no moment in which he seems to be re-evaluating Ogerpon or realising anything new about her upon seeing her being afraid. The part where she’s shy and afraid, and the part where she’s strong and cool and therefore values strength in others, manage to be separate enough in his mind that he never actually cross-references them to realise that one of these surely can’t be as true as he thinks it is. So his false conviction that things are about strength to Ogerpon still remains, unchallenged.

Staying behind

Then, even though Carmine is making an active point of trying to include him, Kieran… chooses not to come with you on the mission to retrieve the masks. This is despite the fact that this’d be his best chance to spend time with Ogerpon and hopefully get her to warm up to him, which you’d think would be his priority when he’s quietly hoping to maybe have the chance to become her partner.

But even though it would be a logical choice for Kieran to come with them, it makes perfect sense to me why he doesn’t. As far as he sees things, you and Carmine are way stronger than him and already have the fights against the Three covered – he’d be nothing but a useless third wheel hanging back, only there out of Carmine’s pity for him and not because he’s needed. And in terms of Ogerpon, Kieran is the kid who visited her den countless times but never had the courage to call out to her and ask to be friends. Of course he knows he wouldn’t have the confidence to actually try and get closer to Ogerpon, especially not when she’s already got someone she likes (someone who’s strong while he’s weak, which is clearly what matters to her, right). He knows he’ll just spend the whole time watching Ogerpon obviously like you way more than him while not being able to do a thing about it, and it’ll just make him feel even more jealous and left out.

(Trust me, as someone with social anxiety who spent a lot of my childhood being low-key outcasted by my so-called friend groups, I get it. When you’ve lived like that, integrating yourself with new people can feel downright impossible, no matter how much you may want it.)

So Kieran doesn’t come on the mission – but it’s not like he just uselessly sulks around, either. He spends the time doing something else to help Ogerpon, something neither you nor Carmine seemingly thought needed to be done: telling the town the truth that she was never a bad guy. Because of course Kieran understands best just how hard it is for Ogerpon to be shunned and outcast by everyone, and of course he has some Strong Feelings that people deserve to be told the truth, hmm I wonder where that might have come from. This task is really difficult and scary for him, too, because he hates talking to people – but he does it anyway, for Ogerpon’s sake! What a brave lad!

(I’ve seen people side-eye the fact that the villagers accept the truth and turn around their view of Ogerpon so easily, but honestly it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. I get the mask maker way back when being persecuted because the villagers of the time saw Ogerpon kill the Three and made assumptions, but, like, it’s been generations. All of the witnesses who had that emotional gut reaction to the fight are long dead. Most of the people alive today didn’t even truly believe the story of the ogre was real until the Loyal Three showed up – they just thought it was a fun folktale that gives their village some unique culture. So for them to be told “hey, the ogre is real, but also the story’s backwards and the ogre’s actually the good guy”… so what? I was always sceptical of Grandpa’s conviction that the truth must never be told to the village (because… people will get angry that they were lied to? So therefore you should just keep lying to them so they never find out they have something to be angry about? Yes, great tactic, it worked so well on Kieran). Kieran basically just went and proved that there really was nothing to be worried about all along and the people should have been told the truth ages ago.)

His final chance to be strong

So now we reach the end, where Ogerpon makes it clear that she wants to stay with you, and… and even though he must have seen this coming, Kieran can’t accept it happening without trying to fight against it.

This isn’t even really about Kieran wanting Ogerpon’s friendship in and of itself. It’s more about what the concept of being partners with Ogerpon means to him. This whole time, he’s been obsessed with the ogre, and yet only letting himself imagine that maybe one day when he’s stronger, he could be its friend. He’s fixated on the idea of befriending Ogerpon as something that will mean he’s strong and no longer alone and everything is good now. Obviously this is extremely irrational and not necessarily true nor the sole way to fix his problems, but that’s how things are in Kieran’s head.

And so, with recent events making him feel even more weak and outcast than ever, you being effortlessly strong and cool enough to befriend Ogerpon on top of everything else feels to Kieran like it’s about to take away his one chance to turn things around, forever. Of course he can’t just let that happen without at least trying to have things his way. He says right at the beginning of the battle: “I know you’re probably a better trainer for Ogerpon, but I… I…” – and he can’t even voice the end of that sentence. He can’t put into words why he feels like he needs to become Ogerpon’s partner even though he knows he's being selfish and she’d be better off with you, because it’s not based in any conscious logic and is all just one big subconscious irrational mess of his issues and inferiority complex.

I’ve seen a lot of people condemn Kieran for this part, saying that he’s ignoring Ogerpon’s wishes because he’s planning to force her to join him whether she wants to or not if he wins. However, I firmly disagree that Kieran has any such thing in mind here. Remember, he’s still labouring under the misconception that what Ogerpon cares about most is strength. He thinks she likes you so much because you’re so strong (remember the previous time he battled you in front of the den, where he commented that the ogre must be thinking how strong you are if it’d seen that?), and that she refused the mask from him that one time because he’s weak. So Kieran has convinced himself that if he can prove himself to be stronger than you, by defeating you in a battle while Ogerpon’s watching, then she’ll naturally choose him to be her trainer over you. Right?

When Carmine says that he has to consider Ogerpon’s feelings, Kieran’s simply silent for a moment before saying “…I want to battle anyway.” He’s not denying that Ogerpon’s choice is what matters – he just believes, or is at least trying to believe, that her choice will be determined by this battle. And of course he doesn’t say anything like “Ogerpon will choose me if I’m stronger than you”, because – well, perhaps because a lot of this is also subconscious enough that he can’t articulate it, but even if any of it was conscious, he knows it’d sound stupid. Especially the part where he’d be talking like it’s possible for him to beat you, because deep down, he still completely convinced that’s impossible.

Plus, nowhere in this does Kieran bring up the fact that he told the village the truth about Ogerpon as a point in his favour for why she might choose him – which supports that it’s not about any kind of friendly gestures to him and he’s convinced she’ll make her decision entirely based on strength. (And it also proves that he did that out of a genuine desire to help Ogerpon, without any ulterior motives of trying to get her to like him!)

Just before the battle, he says: “Whoever wins gets to be Ogerpon’s partner… So don’t… don’t you dare hold back!” – making a point of demanding you don’t hold back, even though you might think he’d want any advantage he can get towards supposedly winning Ogerpon’s favour. But this makes perfect sense when you realise what this is about to Kieran. He believes that Ogerpon will choose (and deserves to choose) whichever of you is the strongest, and this battle won’t actually prove that if he only wins because you were holding back against him.

Kieran also thanks you for not holding back when you land your first super effective hit, which I enjoy. He’s so used to being patronised and seen as weak and pathetic, so he’s actually glad that you’re taking him seriously and viewing him as a legitimate opponent.

And, hey, he is! His team is pretty stacked: a full six Pokémon with solid movesets, and even strategic held items (at least in the postgame version). Assuming you’re not over-levelled, it’s quite a challenging fight, as it should be. Kieran is trying so, so hard to be strong enough, because this poor kid has convinced himself that all of his problems and pain are due to him being weak, and he is so desperate to fix that by proving himself even stronger than you, strong enough to win Ogerpon’s favour.

When he loses, he just crumples, and it’s heartbreaking. Kieran had so much more riding on this battle than just befriending Ogerpon – this was what felt like his one and only chance to stamp out the part of him that feels crushingly inferior and like he deserves to be treated like dirt. Guhhh.

And of course the first thing out of his mouth is, “Figures.” His inferiority complex runs so deep that, no matter how hard he’d trained and how genuinely really good his team had grown, he never truly believed that he ever had a chance at beating someone as cool and strong as you. He was just desperately trying to convince himself that he at least had a shot, because he couldn’t bear to give up without trying.

I really wish you could tell Kieran how good he was in this battle! It truly is impressive how much better he’s grown at battling since the first one, in such a short space of time, too. Just because he’s not quite as strong as you doesn’t mean he’s weak, not by a long shot. But nobody tells him any such thing, so Kieran continues to view things in that irrationally all-or-nothing way. He lost, so he's weak, end of.

Then he has to stand there and watch you battle Ogerpon in order to catch her. Before all of this happened, Kieran would have been so stoked to see his hero the ogre showing off just how cool and strong she is – and hey, her powers really are pretty awesome to behold! But here, despite the amazing spectacle in front of him, Kieran just looks supremely awkward. Like he doesn’t feel like he deserves to be here. Like he doesn’t even have the right to get to see Ogerpon’s full strength in all its glory. You’re the only one who’s strong enough to have earned this.

He does make one possible comment during the battle, if you land a critical hit on Ogerpon: “You really are good… I’m no match.” Which is a bit excessive, considering that really anyone is capable of critting Ogerpon if they get lucky – but apparently Kieran’s thoughts during this battle are still incredibly hung up on just how strong you are and how he’ll never be able to measure up to you. This goes to show that his issues at this point have shifted to be more about you than about Ogerpon. Which tracks, since his admiration for the ogre was never quite about Ogerpon herself and was more about what her strength represented to him – and now you’ve come along and given him an even bigger example of impossibly cool strength, in a much more painful way.

Once you’ve captured Ogerpon, Kieran manages to awkwardly congratulate you on it – hey, he’s doing his best not to be a sore loser! – laments once again why he can’t be like you, and then runs off. No doubt he’s feeling a huge heap of uncontainable painful emotions that he does not want to show in front of you or Carmine and needs to go let out in private. This kid is Not Okay.

So, in summary: Kieran comes out of all this with the message that all of his pain and suffering and loneliness is his fault because he’s still too weak, and he will only ever be strong enough to put all that behind him once he’s stronger than you. And to do that, he needs to get so, so much stronger, almost impossibly so, no matter what he has to do to achieve it. I’m sure this will be Just Fine leading into The Indigo Disk. (: (: (:

And one last thing: the game doesn’t let this happen, but if Kieran had won that final battle against you, I believe things might actually have turned out better. Because let’s face it, Ogerpon would probably still have chosen to go with you anyway, and if she had, Kieran would have been forced to face the fact that it was never actually about strength to her. It wouldn’t even be that hard for him to understand that, given that he’d already noticed the indications that she was scared of being shunned by the townspeople and that she liked you because you made her feel safe. This would help Kieran recontextualise things a little and stop focusing so unhealthily on gaining more battling strength as the One Thing that will solve all his problems. He still wouldn’t exactly be suddenly fixed and happy, but… things wouldn’t be quite so bad, at least. Alas, you are Too Protagonist to lose and let that happen.

#pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon sv #kieran pokemon #pokemon kieran #the teal mask #the hidden treasure of area zero #ogerpon #pokemon carmine #character analysis #my buttons #ramble #kieran did nothing wrong #he is just a suffering kid with bad coping mechanisms #because nobody has taught him healthy ones

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pokemonshelterstories · 5 months ago

Note

How often do different species of pokemon crossbreed?

I know they CAN, and I know egg groups are a thing, but without human intervention how common is it? Are there Pokemon that would never crossbreed without human intervention?

in the wild, it's pretty rare. wild pokemon tend to stick to their own species unless thoroughly desperate. this is largely because of differences in social behavior more than anything else; courtship and mating behaviors are going to look radically difficult in a vulpix and a ponyta, so even though they're the same egg group and even the same type, you're not likely to see that pairing in the wild. there's also the matter of size and morphology differences making the physical act of mating more difficult. using the same pokemon as an example, it'd be really hard logistically for a vulpix and a ponyta to breed- but you might sometimes see a wild growlithe and vulpix together, because they're of a similar size and morphology and have some behavioral overlaps.

honestly, the vast majority of potential combinations would likely never occur without a human orchestrating the match- and even then, in the competitive world, a lot of those strange breeding match-ups only happen as the result of artificial insemination. champion pokemon can fetch quite the stud fee, and some trainers will pay a lot of money to have their pokemon bred to a proven high-ranking battler through AI.

just for a little fun, i do know of one particularly odd wild match-up...my friend out in orre has been collecting data on a reintroduced flock of mareep for several years, and the current flock leader has found an unusual partner in a lycanroc that was ejected from his territory by other lycanroc. ampharos and lycanroc is a bizarre matchup in the wild, especially given that lycanroc sometimes hunt mareep, but desperation is one hell of a matchmaker!

#charlietalks #pkmn irl #pokemon irl #pokemon breeding #the world of pokemon

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writing-blog-iguess · 9 months ago

Text

Online Matchup 9

Summery: Christmas has come and gone, but for y/n it couldn’t have gone fast enough. Y/N is going through some stuff, but so is Jason. That’s okay, they have each other.

Warning: angst, fluff, y/n is going through some stuff. So is Jason.

A/n: being left out from your siblings isn’t fun, 0/10 wouldn’t recommend. I know there are multiple versions of what happened to Jason, but I took this one from Batman: under the red hood. Even then, I there’s a chance I forgot or twisted a little.

And as always, feedback is always welcome!

Taglist: @teapartydreams

ao3

Series master list

——————

Christmas

Opening your hotel room door, you dropped your bags once you stepped in, and stood there as the door closed behind you. Your Christmas was just as you expected it to be, and you aren’t surprised how it ended.

Rubbing your face with your hands a bit too hard, you wanted to sleep but you doubted you could.

Teeth, shower, clothes, bed. Teeth, shower, clothes, bed. Teeth, shower, clothes, bed. You repeated in your mind as you forced yourself to move.

Not that you wanted to do any of that, but needs must and all.

After grabbing your pj’s, you made your way to the bathroom and stared at the tub for a few minutes before making the decision of taking a bath instead.

While the tub was being filled, you brushed your teeth and other duties before stepping into the bath. You sank down, and let your mind wonder

Your morning had been fine, fun even. After breakfast, you all went to the living room to exchange presents. Since it was secret Santa, you had to guess who had who. It was fun, laughing at Ellie for thinking you had her when your brother did.

Afterwards, you played some card games before helping your mom with lunch. Everything was fine, it was fine. Until you walked past your sister's room and nasal something that wasn’t there before.

“When’d you get this?” you asked, stepping into the room to take a closer look at it. It was a model car, you weren’t sure what model though.

“Huh? Oh, Dad gave it to me,” Ellie answered, going back to her video game. “Everyone got one.”

“I didn’t,” you said, rubbing your nose.

“Thought you did.”

“Nope,” you said, turning around to find mom.

You shouldn’t have looked for her. Shouldn’t have asked why everyone got a present from dad.

Should have left well enough alone, but no you needed answers. And you got them, and a broken heart too.

Emerging from the water, you gasped for breath, taking in lungfuls of air. “Why does he have to be such an asshole sometimes?” you whispered to yourself. Not having an answer, you finished up your bath and crawled into bed.

Lying in bed, you curled onto your side and let the tears you’ve been holding all day go.

You were almost asleep when your phone made a sound. Scrubbing your face and reaching blindly for your phone. You let out a strangled noise when you read the name.

Why does he have such impeccable timing when it comes to your moods? Sometimes you wonder if he spies on you. But the thought is ridiculous and you shoo it away.

Jason (8:30pm)

Merry Christmas

Y/N

Merry Christmas

How was your day?

Jason

It wasn’t bad

There was a fight over which movie to watch

Popcorn was thrown

It was brutal

I think pillows were used too

Y/N

Sounds better then my day

The phone fell from your hands when it started ringing. Honestly you shouldn’t have been surprised.

Rubbing your eyes, you reached out and answered before it could go to voicemail. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he answered. There was silence for a minute before he started talking about his day.

“Honestly, you should have seen Dick’s face. He claims to be so graceful, but tripping over the couch, he never looked so offended. Like he thought the couch was just after him and no one else.”

You laughed, feeling the weight of the day ease from your chest as Jason continued to talk. And you knew what he was doing, distracting you from your day, and asking about once you feel better.

And the jerk, it’s working. So it was only a matter of time before you spilled the beans. And, to your surprise, you were okay with it.

“What’d he do? Fight the couch?” you asked once you stopped laughing.

“Wanted too, but Bruce shut that down,” Jason answered. “Not sure how you would even fight a couch though. It probably would look stupid.”

“I’m sure if anyone could figure it out, it’d be your brothers.”

“You’re probably right. Dick has hung from the chandelier a few times.”

“What? Why?”

“Don’t know and I’m not going to ask him for you,” Jason warned, though you could hear his smile.

“Booo.”

Silence fell when the conversation tampered off. “Do you want to talk about it?” Jason asked softly. You sighed and rolled onto your back, staring at the ceiling blankly. “Is it your dad?” he probed when you didn’t answer.

“Yeah. It was fine. Today was fine, everything was fine. But then I don’t know,” you said, covering your eyes with a hand that wasn’t holding the phone. “Why does he have to be such an asshole?”

“What did he do?”

“Nothing, at least I don’t think so. I don’t know… I discovered that he bought presents for my siblings. When I asked my mom about it, she said that he had said that she wanted them to have something to remember him by in case this was the last Christmas we would all have together.”

“But you didn’t get one,” Jason said, filling in what you didn’t say.

“Like was I such a horrible child growing up? Did I do something to him to make him hate me?” you asked, voice cracking as tears pooled in your eyes. “Is there something wrong with me?” you said, voice small.

“No,” Jason replied without thinking about it. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Whatever it is your dad is going through, or whatever it is, you are not to blame. You once told me that you and your dad don’t get along because you’re too similar. Maybe he sees himself in you and that’s why he is the way he is. But it’s not your fault.”

You were crying now and couldn’t stop the tears. You rolled over and hugged the pillow tightly. “It doesn’t hurt any less.”

“I know,” Jason whispered. “Life isn’t fair but we do what we can and be thankful for the people in our lives. And love them for who they are.”

“Speaking from experience?” you asked, sniffing.

“Yeah. Someone I know said that Bruce was trying, that I should let him. And I’m trying it’s slow going, but at least it’s going.”

“Sounds nice,” you mumbled sleepily. You had stopped crying, and wiped your eyes.

“It is,” he said. And he switched the topic, causing a small smile to creep on your face. You listened as he talked, and found that you liked his voice. And how lucky you were to have found him.

You fell asleep as Jason talked about everything and nothing.

Some hours later, you awoke to a knock. Startled slightly, you look around confusedly before remembering you were in a hotel room and not your apartment.

The knocking continued, and you turned towards the door, eyes narrowing as if you could see through the door.

For a second you thought about going back to sleep, but you didn’t want the front desk calling you about the unnecessary noise at three am.

Sighing, you rolled off the bed and dragged your feet towards the door and opened it. You stared dumbly at Jason as he stood there giving you a small smile.

“Why are you here?” you asked before your brain could find its filter.

“You sounded sad,” he said, taking a step forward. “And no one should be alone when they’re sad. And it’s Christmas, I thought you could use the company.”

You’re not sure if he’s standing in front of you or the emotional stress of the day or if it’s everything that started the tears. But you know you're not surprised that you do start crying.

You barely see the alarm look on his face before he has his arms wrapped around you in a hug, and you're clinging onto him like a lifeline.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” he whispered, genty moving the two of you into the room. The door falls shut behind him, and he’s gently rocking you, arms tightening around you. “It’s okay, I’m here.”

After a while, when your tears have stopped, you take a deep shuddering breath. “Feeling better?” Jason asked, rubbing your back. You shrugged, and buried your face further into his jacket.

“I need to stop crying on you,” you muttered, feeling him laugh though you smiled.

“I don’t mind,” he said, hugging you tightly. “Nice to know that you feel safe enough to let yourself cry when you're with me.”

“I always feel safe when I’m with you,” you said without hesitation. “Did you drive all the way here?” you asked after a minute.

“Can neither confirm nor deny that,” he answered. You moved back slightly to look at him. He gave you a smile and turned you around to push you into the bathroom. “Go wash up, and let’s go to bed. We can talk once you feel a little better.”

You hummed ready to argue, but you shook your head and did what he suggested. After washing your face, you took a minute to yourself, finding that you did feel better after crying.

Taking a deep breath, you left the bathroom to find Jason sitting on the bed, changed in pjs. “Seriously, did you just ditch your family just to comfort me?”

“Like I said,” he started, reaching over to grab you by the hips and pulled you towards him. Immediately, you wrapped your arms around his head, running a hand through his hair. Jason wrapped your waist and closed his eyes at the feeling of nails lightly scratching his head. “I’ll always ditch my family for you. Doesn’t matter where you are, you can count on me being there.”

“Saying things like that might get you a kiss,” you teased. Jason hummed, and tipped himself backwards onto the bed, bringing you with.

“Yeah, but I’m okay with waiting. Besides I’m tired, I don't think I have the energy to kiss you. Because if I do, I don’t think I’ll stop.”

“Fair enough,” you mumbled, moving around until you were laying on his chest with his arms around you. A comfortable silence feels between you as you let the sound of Jason’s heartbeat lull you to sleep.

“I’m glad you're here,” you mumbled just before falling into a deep sleep.

“Me too,” he whispered, placing a kiss on the top of your head before falling asleep.

You’re jarred awake a few hours later, though it only feels like a few minutes. You blink slowly, trying to figure out what has woken you up.

Eyes roaming around the room, you tried to find out what woke you up. When nothing jumped out, you closed your eyes and snuggled into the blanket. But that’s when you heard it. A pained groan came from behind you.

Sitting up, you turned to see Jason tangled up in the blanket, face twisted in pain. You reached out to wake him, but froze at the idea. You weren’t sure what would happen if you woke him up, if it was a good idea or not.

But Jason was in pain and that was worse than any night terror. Besides, what’s the worst he could do? Elbow you? Not really worried about the outcome, you reached out and shook him awake. “Jason?”

Evidently, being on your back with his hands snaked around your throat was not what you expected. To say you were surprised would be an understatement.

You don't know how it happened. One minute you're kneeling on the bed shaking Jason awake, the next, he tackled you onto the bed, win your airways restricted.

"Jason," you choked out, but he was not responding. And you can see it in his eyes that he was in a different place than here. You wondered where, but right now you can't question it. "Jason, please. It's me," you managed to get out only for his grip to tighten.

You're starting to panic slightly, afraid this might have lasting damage if you don't do something. Trying not to let the panic over take your thoughts you wiggle out one of your legs that's pinged underneath Jason’s legs.

"S...sorry," you choked out before kneeing him in the balls. Not hard enough so hurt, but enough that his grip on you loosened. With that, you plant your foot on his chest and push him off you. Shoving him until he’s off of the bed.

You roll away and onto to floor gasping for breath, only turning around when Jason calls your name

"I.. I don't know what happened,” Jason said, staring at you in disbelief. He took a step towards you and you couldn't help but flinch at the movement. Hurt crossed his features before he sealed that away. And your heart lurched at that. Like you were the one who had hurt him. And maybe you had.

"Right. Um, I need a minute alone," he said and all but ran out of the room.

At a loss of what to do, you just sit there on the floor, rubbing at your sone neck.

Half an hour into his sulking, he hears the door to the roof access open. He doesn’t have to turn around to know that it’s you, so he tracks your movement by listening to your feet crunching on the fresh snow.

He’s a little annoyed that you found him so fast, but pushes the feeling away. You had given him time for him to be alone. But not too much that he knows if he had, he’ll spiral into self deprecation.

His shoulders tense when you stand behind him, and relax when you drape his jacket onto his shoulders. You don’t touch him, and he can’t tell if he’s relieved by that or longing for you to. Maybe both, but he won’t voice it.

He watches from the corner of his eye as you turn to lean against the ledge of the roof he’s sitting on. You're not standing too close and facing the other way, a thoughtful expression on your face. Like you’re trying to solve world peace.

He spots the scarf around your neck, and something twinges inside of him. He knows what’s underneath because he’s the one who put those bruises there.

He shifts his eyes towards the horizon, and shuffles a little closer to you, you don’t mention it. For a few minutes, silence surrounds both of you, while Jason tries to figure out a way to say he’s sorry.

“Wanna talk about it?” you asked, breaking the silence first. Jason shrugged and he could see you studying him from the corner of your eye. He keeps his face neutral, or tries too at least. He’s tired and he’s done hiding.

“Kind of,” he answered, “but I don’t know…”

“How? Like the words are there but they get stuck?” you finished for him when he trailed off.

“Yeah.”

Silence falls, and the only things Jason can hear are the early morning commuters and your breathing as you take a deep breath.

“Then tell the moon,” you say after a while. Jason turned to look at you with raised eyebrows. “What?”

“You want me to tell the moon?” he asked, and you could only shrug. “It’s nearing sunrise, Y/N.”

“Exactly,” you said, turning to look at him with a small smile. “Tell the moon as it’s going down. That way it can carry your secrets away.”

“Why?”

Jason watches as your cheek colour, and you turn to look away. “I had a friend once, and we told each other everything. Sometimes, when it got too much for either of us and we didn’t want to know what the other was thinking. So we would turn off the lights and tell our secrets in the dark. There was no judgment from either of us, no arguments. Just the space between us and our secrets.”

Silence settles again, as he mulls over your words. After a time, he nods. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, let’s give it a shot,” he said with a smile, which you return. Before he could start, you sat down and shuffled a little so you were sitting behind Jason.

Hugging your knees to your chest, you ignored the cold snow seeping into your clothes, you leaned your head back onto his backside and waited.

You felt his laugh more than heard it, and your heart warmed at the sound. “Whenever you’re ready.”

He didn’t talk right away, and you didn’t push. Knowing that this was probably something heavy and needed to find the right words. So you watched the sky in front of you. Watched it change colours, and marveled at how something you see everyday can be this breathtaking.

You're in the middle of studying the colours of the sky when Jason finally talks.

“When I was fifteen, I was in an accident,” he starts with, but the way he said accident made you think it was anything but. But you don’t press, not now, not when he’s finally opening up. “The building I was in blew up with me in it. No one made it in time to save me, and I was…stuck I guess. So I couldn’t have left either.”

You sucked in a breath as you imagined a fifteen year old Jason, scared and alone. Fire surrounded him, as he lay motionless in the middle of it. It was not a pleasing picture, and you closed your eyes to fight it off.

Jason leaned back putting a little weight onto your head, and it brought a little comfort. Knowing that he was here and alive.

“I’m not sure about the details after but…I’m pretty sure I died.”

“Then how?” you whispered before you could stop the words passing through your lips.

“Have you ever heard of the Lazarus pit?” You shook your head and could feel the shaky breath that went through Jason. “Basically it brings people back from the dead. The leader of League of Assassins uses it to heal his wounds and stays practically immortal. They had gotten a hold of my body and brought me back.”

“But not without consequences,” you mumbled when the silence got too loud.

“Yeah. When I woke up, I had this need to spill blood. Didn’t matter who it was, good or bad, I just wanted to hurt them. Kill them even. So I stayed there and they helped me control it. But there are days where it gets bad that I’m too afraid to leave the apartment.”

“How long were you there?”

“A few years. Five at the most I think,” he answered, “I came back when I realized that Bruce thought I was still dead. I didn’t take it well, neither did he.”

“I take it that’s why you have such a strained relationship with him?” you guessed. Jason hummed but didn’t elaborate and you didn’t push.

Silence blanketed the two of you as he left you alone to process everything. But there was something more to the story, something that would tie all this up. The reason why everything that had happened, happened. But you didn’t push, sensing that he wasn’t ready to say. So you promised to wait until he was.

“I won’t ever hurt you,” Jason voiced, bringing you out of your thoughts. “I promise, I’ll never hurt you again,” he vowed and you unconsciously brought a hand to your neck and tried not to wince.

“What happened last night shouldn’t have happened. I am so sorry for hurting you. But I promise I won’t hurt you ever again.” You could hear the unasked question in his promise.

Do you still trust me?

“I know.”

Yes, you answered, without a doubt.

And as if to prove it, you shifted over and heaved yourself onto the ledge beside him. You wrapped an arm around his, and rested your head on his shoulder. After a moment, he rested his head on yours. A silent comfort for the two of you.

And the two of you sat there in the cold, as one watched the moon sink, and the other watched the sun rise. And a heavy secret that sat between the two of you.

#jason todd x reader #jason todd gn!reader #online match up #jason todd #batman imagine #my writing #jason todd imagine

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sparks-polls · 1 month ago

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The results of round 1 are in!

We have mainly concluded that nobody's having fun.

this is it #this poll is finally going to end me #we're starting with a 'would you rather shoot your grandma or your dog' kind of choice #fffffaaaaacckkkkk #TWO BAD BITCHES STAND BEFORE YOU #this is devastating truly #OH FUCK NO #THIS IS THE HARDEST ONE YET OH MY GODD #CRUEL #I voted but this was brutal #i am very sad about this matchup #WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA #THIS ONE IS EVIL #aw come on #THIS IS TORTUREEEE #you can't #noooooo i love both of these songs so much #why oh why #ah shit. #oh NO!! #ah damn #this one is MEAN #ouchhhhh #cries #ooooh fuck. #this is so sad #oofffff #this hurts 😭 #oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 #😭😭😭😭😭😭 #noooooo #😭 #wtf why #oh bloody hell #YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME #oh I see we are choosing violence #aw man #this isnt fair #oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no #someone please tell me which is winning so I can vote for the underdog #seething at these being pit against each other #how very DARE #asdlkjfldsafsdag #I DON'T WANT TO. #I DON'T WANT TO AHGGHGH #HAVE WE NOT SUFFERED ENOUGH #YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME (VOL 2) #grrrrrr #I'm growling at this poll #how can I choose 😫 #okay well this one was difficult for ME. leave me alone #ahhhhhh #this is evil #noooooooooooooooo #aughhhhhhh #akhf;ldsfdsaf #😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 #shit. #this is literally impossible. #this is just hurtful #this is not funny #ffs #STOP THIS IS TORTURE #damn this is difficult #ooooooofffffff #ouch #my vote's gonna haunt me #maybe i'll come back to vote when i'm done sobbing #today we are suffering #damn you and damn this poll. DAMN I SAY #THIS POLL IS AN ATTACK DIRECTED AT ME SPECIFICALLY #PAIN!!!!!!! #oh no. #this is really hard #no no no no no no no #oh fuuuuuuck #noooooo #I #I'm very surprised and that's rare… #oh no #aa ouch #:o #oh no oh no #afhjdfh tough #my day is ruined now thanks #awful pairing 0 out of 10 very painful do not recommend #I can’t believe it #this is cruel #i am so shaken by this #first poll where i actually can't bring myself to vote for either option. painnnnnnn #this one is just cruel though #oh no another difficult one #ooffffffffff #HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME 😭 #oh. oh no can I have both 🥲 #oof here we go again. what the actual hell #oohohhhh shittt#this is impossible 😭😭😭 #This is truly the cruelest choice for me personally. #why would you do this to us? #i give up

Anywho. 32 songs are still in the running so let's do all of this again! :) The polls for round 2 start dropping tomorrow.

The songs that have been ruthlessly eliminated: High C, Fletcher Honorama, (No More) Mr. Nice Guys, The Louvre, Hasta Mañana, Monsieur, Talent Is An Asset, Hospitality On Parade, Get In The Swing, Under The Table With Her, Pineapple, Looks, Looks, Looks, Big Boy, I Want To Be Like Everybody Else, I Bought The Mississippi River, Occupation, I’m Not, Forever Young, La Dolce Vita, My Other Voice, Stereo, The Greatest Show On Earth, Where’s My Girl, Upstairs, I Married A Martian, Wacky Woman, Popularity, Please, Baby, Please, I Wish I Looked A Little Better, Dance Godammit, With All My Might, Rosebud, Love-O-Rama, The Toughest Girl In Town, Let’s Make Love, Let’s Go Surfing, Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat [Plagiarism, Amateur Hour (feat. Erasure), Propaganda [Plagiarism], The No. 1 Song In Heaven (with Jimmy Somerville), More Than A Sex Machine, Scheherazade, Aeroflot, The Calm Before The Storm, (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country, Waterproof, I Can't Believe That You Would Fall For All The Crap In This Song, Likeable, Limo Driver (Welcome To Hollywood), The Studio Commissary, "We've Got To Turn Him 'Round", Garbo Sings, Sherlock Holmes [THOM live version], The Number One Song In Heaven [THOM live version], Collaborations Don't Work, Life With The Macbeths, All That, Lawnmower, Stravinsky's Only Hit, Left Out In The Cold, Self-Effacing, Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is, Escalator, The Mona Lisa's Packing, Leaving Late Tonight, You Were Meant For Me.

The songs that are still in the running: Slowboat, Girl From Germany, Beaver O'Lindy, Moon Over Kentucky, Amateur Hour, Falling In Love With Myself Again, Here In Heaven, At Home, At Work, At Play, Don't Leave Me Alone With Her, Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth, Something For The Girl With Everything, Achoo, In The Future, Everybody’s Stupid, I Like Girls, Goofing Off, Those Mysteries, Tryouts For The Human Race, The Number One Song In Heaven, When I’m With You, Tips For Teens, Funny Face, Angst In My Pants, Sherlock Holmes, Moustache, The Decline And Fall Of Me, Eaten By The Monster Of Love, All You Ever Think About Is Sex, Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat, Pretending To Be Drunk, Progess, A Song That Sings Itself, Music That You Can Dance To, Change, So Important, When Do I Get To Sing "My Way", (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing, Now That I Own The BBC, Never Turn Your Back One Mother Earth [Plagiarism], Balls, The Rhythm Thief, Ride 'Em Cowboy, My Baby's Taking Me Home, Suburban Homeboy, Dick Around, Rock, Rock, Rock, As I Sit Down To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral, Good Morning, I've Never Been High, (She Got Me) Pregnant, "Mr. Bergman, How Are You?", Two Hands One Mouth [THOM live version], Johnny Delusional, Police Encounters, So Desu Ne, Missionary Position, Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me), What The Hell Is It This Time?, I Wish You Were Fun, Onomato Pia, The Existential Threat, Veronica Lake, Take Me For A Ride, It Doesn't Have To Be That Way. (Congratulations to Propaganda, Angst In My Pants and Lil' Beethoven for not losing a single song in this round!)

#sparks polls #tumblr's favourite sparks song #tumblr's favourite sparks song round 1 #sparks band

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tubbypeddle · 8 months ago

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Prosciutto x nurse!fem!reader (sfw, nsfw)

headcanons are like,,so fun. I'll actually be at work writing these bc i love doing them 🤧

(also, very loosely based off of the matchup trade i did with endless lady (and by very loosely i mean not that loosely))

(authors note: i have not been to a doctors office in literal years, and the last time i spoke to any sort of nurse was when a hospice nurse came to help my grandmother pass, so i apologize for any inaccuracies)

(sfw)

-you met him when he was admitted to your hospital for a head injury. The grown boy accompanying him (Pesci) was wailing and generally causing a big scene out of worry, and he was just coherent enough to watch with awe as you managed to calm Pesci down enough that he could sit in the waiting room without him

-After that, when you came to his side to tend to his equipment, he mustered up the courage to ask you

-"You helped my overgrown manbaby brother...why?"

-You'd laugh and say "He definitely wasn't the worst patient I've ever had. Besides, he's only worried about you, it must be scary to see your big brother hooked up to all these intimidating machines."

-which, yknow...is understandable

-After he's been released from the hospital, he puts in a request to Risotto to have you as the squad's personal medic

-youd be paid handsomely, of course, with whatever the Boss decided you were worth. But Prosciutto knew your worth.

-if you're accepted to work for La Squadra, congratulations! You've got an arrogant man constantly in your infirmary!

-Even if the Boss denies Prosciutto's request, he'd still find his way to your hospital.

-Prosciutto's not even injured most of the time, he just wants to see you.

-his form of courting you is...weird. He critiques tiny things about you; how you've organized your equipment, how you've organized your files (how did he even get into those? those are confidential-), how you talk to your patients

-Honestly, at first, you actually don't even notice that he's romantically interested in you. he just seems so rude and mean and critical

-really though, he's just tryna keep you "up to his standards"

-he's got a bit of an ego, he believes that when he wants someone by his side, he wants them to be as presentable as he is, or even more than he is. (which is the case with you, he already thinks you're pretty perfect, but it's a habit he can't break)

-it really takes a long time before you notice he wants to date you

-when you finally do notice though, you're a little endeared by his odd habits. you learn to brush off his nitpicking, learn about his friends turned family.

-when he introduces you to them, his family, formaggio in particular is shocked. like, what? Prosciutto?? found this super hot nurse chick?? AND managed to impress her enough that she'd date his hot mess ass? like....why?

(nsfw below the cut)

(nsfw)

-he tends to switch between wanting something slow and sensual, real love-making, or something raw and fast and mean, depending on his mood.

-when he's feeling something slower, he'll bed you right, believe it

-candle lit dinner in his apartment, flowers, rose petals on the bed, the whole fucking show

-when he's feeling rough, though...pray for your legs and yo pussy, gurl, bc he's mean.

-he don't care where you two are, he'll fuck you in a bathroom stall, a greenhouse, his fucking car, even in your own fucking nurse's office. he does not care. he's taking you wherever he can

-BOOBS

-he loves BOOBS

-he's giving you specific outfits with very pretty boob windows just so he can stare at you in them. and then fuck you in the cafe restroom, because he just cannot help himself.

-and oral

-this man has an oral fixation, and he wants his mouth on you ALWAYS. giving you nASTY head, or sucking on your tits, or leaving so many hickeys on you that you need to wear concealer even WITH your scrubs.

-biter

#jojo kimyou na bouken #jojos bizarre adventure #jjba part 5 #jjba vento auero #jjba x reader #la squadra x reader #la squadra #jjba prosciutto #prosciutto x reader

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strwbmei · 7 months ago

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Matchup Event

Matchup for: Anonymous

Matchups: Tingyun, Yae Miko, Serval

Contains: petplay, marking, biting, strap use, mentions of alcohol, blindfolding, ropeplay

A/N: I remember this person saying they were pretty busy when I reached out to them, so I hope I didn't finish this too late haha 😭😭 This was very fun to write, though!

Ask:

I'm 20 and a masc but I still like fem-ish things like painting my nails and dying my hair. I'm a short gremlin of a person that enjoys wearing punk jewelry and other punk accessories, I also like crafting, currently into woodcarving and making cosplay props. I just making stuff with my hands. I also like exercising and doing martial arts, These days, I've been into boxing style training bc I'm trying to build up and maintain arm muscle.

as for personality: I'm actually a pretty reserved person. Talking to strangers is not really my thing and I don't really go to social events like parties or whatever. However, I can be conversational through text and in person if it's with people I'm comfortable enough with. However, most of the time, I am shying away from social interaction. As for other things about my personality, I'm always prepared for stuff, as in I have bandaids, a swiss army knife, and roll of tape in my bag. Oh, and I blush easily. (like literally tomato red blush sometimes.)

Requesting for SFW and NSFW.

SFW: no specific scenarios in mind but I do like cuddling, people playing with my hair, and playful biting my partner or partners. My love language is physical touch and I'm a gift giver/maker. also my friends call me "house husband material" whatever that means, just bc I can clean and cook. in terms of dates, the arcade or watching a movie are my go-to but staying home to chill and cuddle is just as good. If we are going to dinner or something, I will be insistent that I'll pay for the meal.

NSFW: (GN - ok with wearing strap-on or having a dick) I'm a switch top, so I can either be dominant top or a service top , that's into biting, marking, blindfolding, ropeplay and petplay. I'm ok with receiving or giving/being the dom or sub with any of those kinks. I love tits and thighs so do with that information what you will. My main kinks as a dom is marking and overstimulating my partner and my main kink as a sub is petplay (puppy) and being used. note: I'm really not into being called daddy or master or whatever, I prefer a pet name like baby or babe or just my name/nickname.

For Fandoms, I'm mostly into Genshin & HSR. As for any characters I don't what to get matches up with: Sparkle, Cocolia, La Signora.

Tingyun

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ She'd love painting nails with you! Tingyun would gladly let you paint her nails (she'd show them off at the office with pride the next day); if you let her, she'll be happy to paint yours too! She was so excited to find out you also liked one of her favorite activities, she accidentally bought a whole new set of nail tech tools...

: ̗̀➛ Tingyun loves how much of a gentlewoman you are. Even if she's (probably) in a better place financially, you always make sure to spoil her and make her feel like she's the most special girl in the world. And she is, because she's with you!

: ̗̀➛ If you bite, she bites back. Of course, she only means to match your playfulness, but as a foxian, her teeth can hurt. Tingyun makes sure to be careful, of course, but there's only so much her self-control can do against her primal instincts to clamp down on her prey. You've had a few incidents because of this. She's very very apologetic and cuddly afterward, though—sort of like when you step on your pet and immediately rush to hug them.

: ̗̀➛ Tingyun feels so relaxed being in a relationship with you because of how reliable you are. To her, there's nothing better than coming home to her living space already cleaned up and the scent of a freshly cooked meal made by her lover. Gone are the days when Tingyun had to rely on takeout for most of her meals.

: ̗̀➛ She WILL absolutely gawk at your muscles whenever you work out or practice martial arts. Tingyun doesn't even try to hide it, either. She believes that she (and only she) has the right to your muscles as your girlfriend, and you can bet that she'll make use of that privilege as much as she can.

: ̗̀➛ Putting how hot you are aside, Tingyun is glad to see her partner being physically active and indulging in their hobbies. She's proud of you for actively pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Because of that, and also because she enjoys seeing you all flustered, Tingyun loves rewarding your efforts with a kiss or two.

"I'm home," You announce to an empty apartment. Force of habit, you reckon. You'd gotten used to Tingyun greeting you when she was on leave. Didn't she say she had one more day left, though?

You set down your things and hear faint classical music playing as you step into the living room. "Tingyun?" You call out. No response. Seems like the sound is coming from the dining room.

Cautiously, you open the door and peek inside. The space is dimly lit with candles, and you smell the vague scent of food and your favorite flowers. How did she even get this set up so quickly?

Tingyun, whom you're assuming is the perpetrator, sits alone at one end of the dining table, wearing a formal dress with a satisfied grin on her face. "Come and have a seat." She says, getting up to pull the seat out for you.

This all feels very new. You're usually the one to do these things for Tingyun, but being on the receiving end of it is... not bad at all.

There is a feast on the table, more than enough to feed the both of you. She was careful to choose food that was still just as tasty no matter how much time had passed while managing to cater to both your tastes.

"So... you come here often?" Tingyun winks before taking a sip of white wine. You chuckle at her corny and overused pickup line. "Tingyun, we're already dating."

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Tingyun has always had more... "crude" tastes than what you'd expect from a woman of her status and caliber. Not that you ever minded, of course. One of her biggest fantasies is you using your strength to manhandle her body into any position you like. The thought of being all helpless like that has Tingyun gushing.

: ̗̀➛ A muzzle is definitely required for you two, though. Aside from the fact that both of you are into petplay, you bite. A lot. Tingyun somehow manages to bite more. This could be attributed to her Foxian instincts, but she says she'd be very possessive over her partner either way.

: ̗̀➛ Even though Tingyun is often the bottom between you two in bed, she makes sure to switch it up once in a while because she thinks that it's unfair how it's always her who's on the receiving side of pleasure/always trying out new things. Seeing you get all flustered and embarrassed when you're usually dominant is definitely a treat.

: ̗̀➛ Tingyun can be both dominant and submissive, but she prefers the latter. She's more of a pillow princess because she loves to be spoiled and pampered, but she doesn't mind putting in the work to make you feel good.

: ̗̀➛ One thing about her is that she has trouble not marking you up excessively. Tingyun can't help it! She gets the insatiable urge to bite or claw at any exposed skin she sees, and she wants you to mark her as yours just as much. It's a hassle to try to find outfits that cover them up, but thankfully, Tingyun is an expert at using makeup to fulfill the same job.

"A-aren't you being a bit cruel?" Tingyun remarks, the grin of faux calmness on her lips faltering. Her arms and legs are bound by red ropes as you're holding a vibrator over her clit.

"Mm, but you like it, don't you?" You reply. She whimpers in response, not only to your words but also to you pressing the vibrator down.

Tingyun almost feels numb, having orgasmed four times already. You made her count. And it seems like a fifth is already on its way. "Gonna c-cum..." Tingyun whines.

Her body feels like it's going to shut down if it orgasms one more time, but her mind chases after that pleasure as if it's addicted.

You smirk, pleased with how she chases after the vibrator despite how she's mumbling about how she "can't take anymore."

"Go ahead, let it out."

As soon as you speak, Tingyun bucks her hips into the air and squirts her fluids all over the sheets. "So good for me..." You sigh, rewarding the sly fox with a kiss.

Her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm as she catches her breath before speaking. "Five..." You hold the vibrator against her clit again, earning a surprised mewl. "Good, you remembered."

"Think you can go for seven?"

Yae Miko

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say teasing you is her favorite thing to do. You just look so cool and composed in the eyes of others, but only Miko can see how a few careful words and well-placed touches can turn you into a stuttering mess. She can't get enough of you.

: ̗̀➛ Miko thinks your sense of fashion is really interesting. Even when she's traveled through most of Teyvat, she's never quite seen anyone else who dresses the same way. Miko likes it—it all feels very "you," and very unique at the same time.

: ̗̀➛ She's also a biter, but she has a lot more control over herself. Miko teases that she might not be able to pull her teeth out once they sink in, but you know she'd never hurt you on purpose. Miko only bites hard enough to leave a small mark.

: ̗̀➛ She loves it whenever you compliment her! Not that Miko doesn't get complimented by others often, but it always feels so fake, like they're just trying to get on her good side. You're different, though—she acts like she's not affected, but a simple thing like you saying she smells good is enough for her to smile from ear to ear.

: ̗̀➛ Miko is actually very accommodating of your boundaries. If you're uncomfortable with something, just don't do it. You don't have to go to those parties or social gatherings if you don't want to. Just relax and let her handle the rest. Besides, wouldn't you much rather spend that time with your lovely partner?

Hearing the alarm ring from your phone, you try your best to open your heavy eyelids.

You really don't want to get up today, and the pink kitsune form your girlfriend has taken as she lays asleep on your chest is only partly why.

Thankfully, Miko is a bit of a heavy sleeper (perhaps even more so in this state,) so the alarm didn't stir her awake. As soon as you try to get up, though, she transforms back into a human and pulls you back onto the bed.

So... Miko doesn't get affected by any sort of alarm whenever she's sleeping, but if you try to move away, she'll immediately wake up to cling onto you? Note taken. One of her many peculiarities, you suppose. You don't mind since it's cute.

"5 more hours..." Miko groans, half awake. "Sorry Miko, but I really don't have a choice." You sigh. If only you could stay like this forever, in her loving embrace.

Miko opens her eyes upon hearing your words. "Says who?" Before you could ask her what she meant, she spoke up again. "A few phone calls and I could wipe you off the grid for at least a few months," Miko grins, her canines shining with a proud glint.

She speaks as if she's joking, but you know that she's actually capable of what she promises. Miko has her connections, after all.

"That's... way too extreme." You chuckle. "I guess a day or two wouldn't hurt. Just this once." You mumble the last part. You should take more advantage of her authority, or so she says, but for now, Miko would be glad to have you all to herself even if just for a few days.

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Miko can be either submissive or dominant depending on her mood, but she's often dominant with you. Something about getting you who's oh, so calm and put together pinned under her has her sense of pride soaring.

: ̗̀➛ She'll be very happy to put you in your place if you ever act up. Not to say that Miko wants to cause you actual discomfort, but there are just some days when she wants to see you beg for her mercy. You displeasing her is only an excuse for her to indulge in these desires.

: ̗̀➛ On the other hand, Miko annoys you (affectionately) on a daily basis. She's definitely the type to rile you up on purpose, especially in public. She'd whisper all of the filthy things she wants you to do to her as you're talking to someone else, just waiting for you to snap.

: ̗̀➛ A specific turn-on that Miko has (and won't ever admit to you) is when you leave marks along her thighs before eating her out. Your eyes are just so attractive when you gaze at her like that. You might be looking up at Miko, but she can feel who's really in charge.

: ̗̀➛ No matter who's dominant or submissive, she'll mock you either way. It's the little things like keeping her facial expressions mostly the same and turning away when you lean in to kiss her. Don't take it personally. It's as much of a challenge for Miko as it is for you; it's just her way of trying to get you to go rougher than usual.

Serval

"That's a good pet. Such a good pup you are, aren't you?" Miko says in between deep breaths, pleased with how eagerly you're eating her out.

She doesn't even have to say anything and you already know what'll make her feel good. That's what Miko likes about you.

You want to please her, more and more. Even if you aren't feeling any pleasure yourself, you're desperate to make Miko cum as many times as possible.

As if to prove a point, she pulls you away by a leash connected to your collar. It's hot pink leather, with her name engraved in gold lettering. It's a perfect fit for you, she thinks to herself as you whine in response to her action.

There is nothing on your mind except being able to taste her as much as possible. "Miko... why?" She hums as she fiddles with the leash in her hand, her legs crossed as you're kneeling in front of her dripping sex. So close, yet so far.

"Would you do anything for me?" Miko asks nonchalantly, not even bothering to look at you or answer your question. Still, you nod fervently. Her canines flash in a proud grin before she lays on her back so you're on top of her.

"Then fuck me, hard."

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Serval is really good at dying hair. How do you think she gets that one blue strand perfect all the time? She'll be happy to dye yours or at the very least suggest products/colors! Serval thinks the whole experience is really comforting and helps with expressing yourself, so she wants to share it with you if you'd let her.

: ̗̀➛ Also, she had a friend crush on you for the longest time before you met. Everything about you like the way you dressed and carried yourself was so cool, Serval couldn't resist wanting to get to know you better! These feelings were platonic at first, but she slowly fell in love with you as time passed.

: ̗̀➛ Serval tries not to let the loneliness get to her, but it's just too much to bear sometimes. Her siblings are always away, and even her bandmates are busy in the Silvermane Guards—which is why she thinks it's perfect that physical touch is one of the ways you express affection. Belobog can get cold even with all the heaters, so who can blame Serval for finding the warmth of your skin comforting against hers?

: ̗̀➛ The fact that you make cosplay props is so cool to Serval! She'd be so happy if you'd let her help. Serval is very creative with her ideas and always ends up going over the top when she's particularly motivated. I mean, who else would think of using mini electromagnetic fields just to make a halo float? Much less actually try to execute it...

: ̗̀➛ Your relationship with Serval is one built on a strong foundation of mutual trust, compromise, and common interests. A few disagreements here and there are unavoidable, but you can rest assured that Serval would never trade what she has with you for anything.

Today is a day that Serval is especially looking forward to. She's always happy to spend any time with you, but this time, you keep the location of your date a secret. You know better than anyone else how much Serval likes surprises and discovering new things, after all.

Which is why you brought her to your favorite arcade.

The entrance is conspicuous; merely a metal door at the end of a narrow alleyway. Even Serval couldn't help but raise an eyebrow;she knows better than to judge a book by its cover, though.

You could see her eyes sparkle with curiosity and awe as soon as you opened the door. The neon lights, soft music, sleek designs, and unusual-looking machines were an alien sight to her up until now. You knew this would be the perfect date the second Serval mentioned she'd never been to an arcade, and you were right. It helps that this arcade in particular is full of introverts who mind their own business, so you don't have to worry about social interaction.

Immediately, she rushes towards one of the claw machines, attracted by the pile of cute narwhal plushies. You smile at her enthusiasm. Taking a few coins from your wallet, you hand them to her. "All you have to do is insert a coin here and then move the crane above where you want it to grab." You explain. Serval listens to your words intently, but it's obvious that she's eager to give it a try herself.

She inserts the coin, moves the crane, brings it down, and... no luck. "What?? That was right on the dot, though!" Serval pouts. It was perfectly aligned with the plushie, but she lacked the experience to know how weak the cranes were. You pat her on the back as consolation. "The blue narwhal, right?" You insert the coin, jumping at the opportunity to show off to your girlfriend. Serval nods.

She watches how you move the crane, face almost pressed directly against the cold glass. Serval can't help but tilt her head, seeing how off it was from the plushie. The crane clamps down perfectly around the narwhal's horn, and you present the plushie to her with a smug grin. "Here." Serval's eyes light up as she holds the plush for the first time. "It's so fluffy!" She exclaims before pulling you into a quick hug as thanks. "You're the best!"

Before your heart can recover from the sudden physical affection, Serval rushes towards another arcade game. You quickly follow after her. At this rate, you won't be surprised if Serval ends up developing a gaming addiction and starts building her own machines...

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Serval is a switch through and through. She wants to pin you down and make you feel good just as much as she wants to submit to your every whim.

: ̗̀➛ Serval doesn't have any extreme kinks, but she tries a lot of new things on herself on the regular. Mostly toys and the like, some of which she's even created herself. Serval likes being able to choose what materials it'll be made out of and the overall customizability. She'll even make you one if you ask!

: ̗̀➛ That said, Serval's finger game is godly. The years she spent playing the guitar and doing precise work as a mechanic wasn't for nothing. You won't find anyone else in Belobog with more nimble fingers.

: ̗̀➛ Serval loves putting on a show for you. Things like leaning over the table to show off her cleavage is light work; when she's feeling bold, she'll even masturbate and moan your name while you're at home. Bonus points if you peek through the door as she does, she'll definitely wink at you before continuing as if no one is watching her.

: ̗̀➛ Serval is very into blindfolding, mostly being on the receiving side. She loves the thrill of not knowing what you'll do to her next. It's a shame you won't be able to see those pretty eyes of hers, but it's worth it to see her writhing under your touch.

"Tongue, fingers, pussy, or strap?" You ask the woman in front of you. Her eyes are covered with a black blindfold and her wrists are bound with the fabric of your shirt.

"Surprise me." Serval replies, already rubbing her thighs together in anticipation. She's not very good at being subtle. Cute. In truth, you weren't expecting her to choose.

The high of diving headfirst into the unknown is too much for someone as inquisitive as Serval to pass up. You appreciate that she trusts you as much as to leave herself fully vulnerable like this.

Serval's ears perk up as she hears you open a bottle, presumably lube, and spread it all over something. The loss of sight has amplified the rest of her senses.

You wonder if that also applies to how much pleasure she feels. It'd make for an interesting research topic, knowing Serval.

Your hands roam all over her, from her collarbones to her breasts, to the small of her back, and lastly to her thighs. The slight coldness of the lube makes her arch her back and wriggle against her constraints every time you touch her.

Finally, you ease the tip of your strap-on into her folds. Serval bites her lips to prevent a moan from escaping, recognizing the shape. You're wearing her favorite glass dildo, and you can see how her walls stretch to accommodate you.

Serval is glad that her job doesn't need her to move around because she definitely won't be able to walk properly for the next few days.

#strwb event #honkai star rail #genshin impact #smut #x reader #yae miko #tingyun #serval

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quirekey · 29 days ago

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MATCHUP FOR @runicarbiter02

[ Transformers x Human!reader ]

You have got BULKHEAD TFP!

INTRODUCTION

Today you were ecstatic! You have gotten a ticket to go to a musical you have been anticipating for; for so long! You were jumping and squealing on your way there, nothing could go wrong today, nothing!!

You skipped around the pathway and quickly got to the cinema. You entered, placed your ticket in and claimed your seat in the front, middle. The show was on hold so you decided to just go on your phone, read some strange page you found on tumblr called Quirekey. Why not send in a request to waste some time?

(See what i did there >:)

… BAAM!! The whole crowd was blinded with a purple explosion. Debris flew across the massive room and in immediate and natural reaction, the crowd ran off. You decided to be selfless for today and quickly escorted the families next to you out. You fought off the debris and dragged people out.

The smoke dimmed and faded away and thankfully nothing else collapsed. You turned around to find more people that may need help, but all you saw was something that no human could ever imagine. What in the world… You immediately went to hide behind a chair way in the back, watching from afar.

A massive, bulky and dull green robot that had a red insignia was bringing down a smaller but still seemingly strong and pristine looking red bot that had a purple insignia. They were some sort of alien species and they were battling, the insignias must’ve indicated the teams or something. Is this normal?

A portal behind then opened behind the two and the bulky green one threw the red one in. He looked around for something then saw only you. Seemingly everyone evacuated, amazing for them, not so much for you.

“Woah, kid! We really need to bring you to safety, come on. I’ll bring you back to my base and I’ll explain more on the way.”

You were hesitant but these guys are alien robots, they looked so cool!!

“Name’s Bulkhead, hop on my hand and I’ll bring ya.”

You hopped onto his hand and you two were off to the base!

HEADCANONS

Either platonic or romantic:

- When Bulkhead introduces you to the team, they do seem tired because he got caught but are also chill with it. Though Miko was a good partner for Bulkhead, he wasn’t able to stop her from running off enough. Optimus decided to just pair you with him instead, just to test things out.

- Bulkhead is upset for a bit, he lost his rock-hardcore partner, but you are able to make up for it. You decide to show Bulkhead some of your favourite musicals and video game music. Though they don’t hit like rock, they are similar and also better in a way. It’s all bubbly and fun, a new taste for Bulkhead. Bulkhead does enjoy the new taste.

- You are also very easy-going with him. You have lots of patience with him and understand that changing partners out of nowhere is hard. You do give him space but also try to like rock yourself. He understands you are a people pleaser and insists you be yourself.

- You usually decide to just have small talk and slowly tell him about yourself every conversation. Bulkhead is comfortable with this and honestly starts to enjoy you more.

- Bulkhead will find you reading or watching a lot of mythology and fantasy. He is quite new to the concept so you like to talk about the different types of mythologies like urban legends made all around the world, Norse Mythology or maybe even Greek! Bulkhead enjoys the creepy and creative legends the Japanese people make.

Romantic only:

- Bulkhead was the first one to suggest big hugs and cuddles. He comes up behind you, picks you up and puts you into a gentle but warm grasp! You may give kisses to him too, little ones of course! Don’t wanna make your partner flustered.

- You two don’t get to hang out often since Bulkhead is the one taking the big punches in the team. So sometimes you leave little love notes in his chassis so when he finishes his battle, he can read it for motivation to keep going.

- Drawing is fun, and you like to use it on Bulkhead quite often. You like to make little doodles of you and Bulkhead just hugging or on a date. Little fantasies you have that play in your head. It’s fun to see Bulkhead blush at your little drawings, while also having trouble actually seeing it at full quality.

Honestly I am honoured to do your match!! Congrats on your bachelor’s btw!! Idk how hard that is to get but I heard it is something to honour, I wish you the best with your journey in history :) – to runicarbiter02

#transformers #tfp #transformers prime #bulkhead #bulkhead tfp #transformers x reader #bulkhead x reader #matchups

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2000sangel · 10 months ago

Note

I absolutely love your stuff (sent in a matchup and request already) and was wondering if you could do a Husk x reader who almost immediately after seeing him decides that he's their father now (he isn't) the reader is either in their late teens to early 20's and is pretty chaotic and clingy at the same time with them constantly wanting to be around their "father". Have a wonderful day/night!

Hello and thank you so much for appreciating my works! This request was adorable, I went with HCs because I’m a bit uninspired lately? But maybe I’ll add to it in the future :3

Father Figure! Husk x Reader - Platonic

♠ Husk never really thought of being a father, much less in literal Hell. During his life on earth he has always been a bit of a free-spirited individual, travelling from left to right, spending his days in bars and his youth performing magic for others. In Hell, his ‘life’ became a bit more stable, spent inside the Hazbin Hotel serving the residents at the bar, but he still didn’t consider himself a good example or somebody in the condition to care for another soul. So, when you came along and decided to see him out of all demons as a father figure, he was pretty surprised.

♠ Especially considering how different your two personalities are, with him being a grumpy and lazy old man and you being a pretty young and clingy individual, he thought that you two would never get along.

♠ On your first day at the Hotel though, you felt pretty out of place, and the moment he saw you struggling he felt pretty bad for you, so he decided to give you some advice to get along with the others out of the goodness of his heart.

♠ From that moment on, you two became inseparable. Now, you always want to be around your ‘father’, and find excuses to hang out with him at the bar even though he doesn’t allow you to drink alcoholic beverages. He found this a little annoying at first, but with time you and your behaviours grew on him, and he’s always got something non-alcoholic prepared for you on the side!

♠ He also got pretty used to your turbulent personality; if someone questions your behaviour, he'll reply with something along the lines of; "Heh, no need to worry. They're just being themselves."

♠ If you accidentally call him ‘dad’ in front of the others, they will poke fun at you a bit but ultimately think it would be adorable if he was actually your father. Meanwhile he’ll be too stunned to speak; he’ll probably give you a pat on the back and send you on your way, trying not to seem too happy about it, but he’ll be thinking about it all day.

♠ When he went after Angel Dust and came back at the Hotel all beat up, you were very worried for him, and refused to leave his side until all his wounds were completely healed; fortunately the healing process only took a couple hours as they weren’t serious wounds, but you still made him promise to take care of himself and to get into as little fights as possible. He begrudgingly did, giving you a pat on the head.

♠ You also looked out for each other a lot during the Extermination, with him trying to shield you from attacks with his wings and you watching his back while he was occupied fighting against a group of Angels.

♠ He really made sure to let you know how much he appreciates you before the fight, even though he’s not really the type to talk about his feelings. The affection you feel towards him moved him though, so he decided to let his pride aside for once.

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin x reader #x reader #husk x reader #husk hazbin hotel #husk x reader platonic #platonic #hazbin hotel husk #husk hazbin #hazbin hotel

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crystalelemental · 1 year ago

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Character Analysis - Carmine and Kieran

I have been trying to write something on this for the majority of the week and haven't been able to organize it in a way I like. So this will not be coherent, but since I've had my second go through the DLC story, I have...a lot more to say on Carmine and Kieran.

Seeking Strength Kieran's big focus by the end is on not being strong enough, and needing to become stronger than you. I think it's largely accepted that this is to defeat you, that he has it out for the protagonist. I disagree.

Consider why strength is important, and when it became clear. The first time Kieran mentions strength, it's in front of the ogre's cave. He talks about wanting to battle, thinking maybe that could impress the ogre. And he loses. Which is whatever, the ogre didn't show. But then it does. To you, and to his sister, but not to him. Internally, the connection is clear: the ogre doesn't trust me, because it sees me as weak.

This goes back even further, though. Think about your introduction to him. Carmine battles you to kick you out, and you win. Carmine's response here is interesting. She comments on everything, and actively makes fun of you if you use a not very effective attack, snarking that you must not know your type matchups after all. She oozes confidence and control, to excess. But when she loses, there's a bit of a fist shake, but rather than anger, she turns away and looks...sad. Losing upsets her, and while she bounces back, that moment suggests a deeper vulnerability and need to seem strong.

And to Kieran, she does. She's constantly in control, and by and large, he seems to follow her pace. If she asks him to do something, and by asks I mean tells, he generally follows through. And he saw someone beat her. There's someone stronger than his sister now. And that's interesting. I think there's a lot more to it, but I'll save that for a later section. For now, the point is, Kieran's always been focused on strength, because he admires Carmine's strength, and wants to be more like that.

I think this recontextualizes your final fight a bit, too. Carmine tells Kieran that he can't make Ogerpon go with him, she has her own will to choose. Kieran still insists he needs this battle, and it seems like the perception of this is "he's ignoring it." But I don't think he is. At this point, he's lost multiple times, each time thinking it's his lack of strength that resulted in him not getting what he wanted. It was, at first, to meet and befriend the ogre. And yeah, he'd still like to. He's still trying, given the stipulations of the fight. But he's also fighting for his sense of self-worth. He feels he's not strong enough, and that lack of strength is holding him back. He's seen his sister lose twice now, yet she's still confident. But he lost, and feels like he's losing more of what little he had to start with.

Belonging and Isolation Carmine's hostility toward outsiders is, as expressed, a matter of feeling like her hometown is becoming a tourist trap. I think what often gets missed in this is that Carmine herself is...fairly traditional. She cares about the customs of the village, the sanctity of the crystal pool, and the prominence of the Loyal Three. She even remarks that obviously she likes the three better, Kieran just likes the ogre because he's a ten year old boy and they're always into weird monster things. She considers integration with the village something important, and deep down, cares about it as a whole.

That's not to say she gets along with everyone. The Caretaker seems more than happy to make the conversion if it helps the town thrive, and Carmine actively disagrees with that. Her hostility is clear to us, and she makes her reason known, but it's not clear how much the villagers seem to understand this. They tend to treat Carmine's responses as part of an attitude problem, more than anything. The Caretaker is pre-emptive in calling out Carmine to get along with everyone. They know she's not happy about it, but expect her to just deal with it, and kinda treat her like they expect problems. Calling them the "Lousy Three" gets an almost exasperated comment about her attitude and a correction, like they fully expect her to be this way, and don't consider the why behind it.

By contrast, Kieran...successfully talks them into abandoning their ancient beliefs and understanding of the past in the course of a single afternoon.

For all the emphasis on Kieran seeming lonely, and I do believe he himself feels that way, Kieran...seems pretty well accepted by people. Think about how significant it is that they're willing to listen to him, with such seriousness, that they'll believe him when he says their understanding of history is wrong.

I think this plays into an interesting dichotomy with the siblings. On the one hand, Kieran is pretty well accepted, but genuinely lonely. On the other, Carmine seems perfectly fine being by herself, and doesn't seem to interface well with the others. But when you look at what they want? Kieran doesn't seem to care that he runs contrary to everything the village stands for. The ogre is cool, he likes that best, and sees little of interest or value in the three. He doesn't really care to integrate with the village. But Carmine does care, and isn't successful at it. By all accounts, she doesn't seem to have friends either. But when a new kid rolls in, and her brother takes an interest in them, she still focuses on him first.

Justice and Fairness Carmine is, at her core, pretty focused on what's right. Despite being more aligned with tradition in her village, when her grandfather reveals the truth, she's immediately furious on Ogerpon's behalf. She has no reservations about telling the rest of the village, until he appeals to her sense of reason, and she understands where the concern might be.

Carmine's reactive, but she's not a fool. She's pretty grounded, but in that way where I think it causes her to miss some things and seem unconcerned with feelings. But she does care about how people feel; quite a bit, really. When Kieran tries to give his ogre mask to you, Carmine intervenes and tells him not to. That's his favorite mask, and he shouldn't have to go without. Besides, practically speaking, we just buy the new kid a mask they like at the festival. It's pragmatic. But it also misses that Kieran was okay with sharing his mask for his friend. She cares about his feelings, enough to worry about him giving up something he cares about. But it's in a more...avoidant sense. More on that later.

By contrast, Kieran seems focused more on fairness. It doesn't matter the reason or intent, you left him out of what you knew. You didn't tell him about the ogre. You ran off with Carmine and pushed him aside, and that's not fair. He was your friend first, and he cared about the ogre first, and it isn't fair that suddenly that all doesn't matter. In that sense, he's very emotional, but doesn't really consider the rational cause of things. It's all about how he feels. This runs very counter to how Carmine is, being very emotional, but focusing more on the practical reason than how she's feeling.

I think you can also see this in how they express themselves. Kieran has no trouble opening up the instant you're on your own with him. He'll tell you all about how he thinks the ogre is cool, and that he was only scared of getting yelled at for going to the mountain. But Carmine legitimately struggles with it. She has a tough time being honest with people, and her sense of what being mean to someone is, boils down to "I didn't hit him." It's as if she doesn't really understand that her words can hurt people, or perhaps why someone would be hurt by them. The idea of "What you're saying was rude" is secondary to the practical outcome. If it's true, it doesn't matter how I say it. If it's what has to happen, it doesn't matter that it comes out as "Kiki, get out of here." Her mentality seems to be that she knows best, and is going to act on that, and there's no reason for people to be upset with her if she's right.

Sibling's Bond In one of the earliest scenes, we get a very good sense for the dynamic the siblings have. Kieran has taken an interest in the player, but barely speaks to them, turning his face away and not even listening to them. Carmine intervenes by explaining what he's thinking and asking for you to battle on his behalf. Kieran shies away, Carmine takes control, and Kieran is more than willing to cede that control to her. In this situation, it works out, as he gets to spend time with a new friend. It is the first, and only, time this dynamic works in their favor.

Every other instance of this particular dynamic coming into play hurts more than helps. When Carmine interrupts you talking about the ogre, and insists Kieran not find out, that's her assuming control like usual. Same with telling him to just leave the next morning. Kieran shies away from staying to help with the mask quest, rather than confront that someone else gets along better with Ogerpon. This is a dynamic they've had for a long while, and there is evidence to prove it.

"I hate when he gets like this." Carmine's clearly annoyed, but the phrasing evokes the sense that this isn't just something that happened before, it's happened often. And she's not happy about it. Kieran running off crying is the only time she really expresses anything truly negative about her brother, and it's telling of what she herself can't handle.

If Kieran's crying, it's because something's bothered him, and as the one who takes care of him, that feels like it's her fault. I talked about how Carmine is integrated with the beliefs of the village, if not its people, but there's a bit more to it. Carmine's generally apathetic about whether people like her, she's more concerned with being right, and doing right. Carmine cares about being a good person. And if her brother's throwing a fit, it's putting her in the position of the bad guy, and criticisms about being nice to him evoke an outrage. "It's not like I hit him" isn't just telling of her lack of awareness for how her words come across, it's indignation that her grandfather is implying she's at fault. Kieran crying is the one thing that she cannot tolerate.

And for Kieran, that makes it a very effective play. Because I keep going, I need to be clear: I am not saying Kieran is being manipulative. He's like ten, and highly emotional. He's not sitting around thinking that if he just cries, Carmine will do whatever he wants. He's just having an emotion, and Carmine has a reaction. It's the dynamic that turns this into a recurring feature of their relationship.

The behavioral term is Negative Reinforcement: an outcome that increases the chance of the behavior occurring in the future, by removing an aversive stimulus. When Kieran wants something, and it doesn't happen, he'll get emotional and cry. Carmine, feeling guilty or responsible, folds to make him stop. The initial aversive - not getting what he wants - is removed as a consequence of his crying, making it more likely to occur again. But the same is true for Carmine. She cannot stand that crying, so when she gives in, the crying stops, reinforcing capitulation.

It's a situation where neither is really at fault. They're both kids, and have that sibling dynamic. Older siblings take care of the younger ones. When you have an older sibling who feels responsible for the wellbeing of the younger, and cares deeply about taking care of them without knowing the difference between "helping them do it" and "doing it for them," you get Carmine. When you have a younger sibling who is particularly emotional and withdrawn alongside them, you get Kieran.

And the DLC is the breakdown of this dynamic.

Another really fun behavioral term: Extinction Burst. Extinction refers to when reinforcement is removed as a consequence of a behavior. Effectively, you decouple the behavior and what typically happens. An extinction burst is the oft emotional blowup that comes as a result of a behavior no longer meeting its typical, expected reinforcer. Think about when your computer won't turn on. How many times mashing the button does it take before you check the power cord? Do you stay calm during that or start cursing it out, maybe worrying that something's broken and desperately hoping it turns on if you just hit it right, or hold it long enough? That's the extinction burst in play.

That's what's going on with Kieran. He's finding his independence, but as part of that, he's learning what it means to have it. Sometimes things don't go your way, and you have to live with that. Even crying won't get the situation to change now, and he...hasn't figured out what else to do. Unintentionally, by handling things for him, Carmine's left him in a situation where he's unequipped to manage circumstance. All he can think is pushing for strength, and battling you over and over and over in hopes that this time, he'll win.

By contrast, Carmine's doing...really well. She adapts well, makes quick friends with the player as well, assumes a sort of leadership role in the quest, and demonstrates the reality that for all her bluster, she does care and is fairly well adjusted. She's had the experience to manage frustrations and setbacks, even if they're difficult, to the point that by the end of your last battle, she can earnestly smile and congratulate you. Her dynamic with you is thriving. And, for a while, your dynamic with Kieran was too, before his perception of inadequacy interferes. It's sad but worth noting: the happiest we see either of them is when they're away from each other.

I don't have any profound thoughts beyond this, nor guesses to how Indigo Disk might play out. But I think it's interesting how they managed to create a story with a compelling conflict, where these is no true "bad guy." I was initially kinda down on the DLC, I felt like the legendary stuff was kinda bland. But I've really come around on these two, and look forward to the next part.

#pokemon #carmine #kieran #teal mask #pokemon scarlet and violet

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