#the things I want to do to him are morally reprehensible

[vpyre-hornyposting]

I’m bricked tf up rn

[andi-o-geyser]

on my anti dr. jacob agenda sooo hard you don't even know. like the level of just how unprofessional, unethical, and fucking infuriating his choices are is putting me into so much of a rage i can no longer maintain my danny rojas level of live laugh love in this economy. bastard. bastard man. my worst enemy. im calling the kansas college of registered psychotherapy and regulatory board of ethics on him don't test me

[empty-blog-for-lurking]

If youre ok w sharing then i would love to hear your thoughts on lotor........ Hes such a weird guy. Dissecting him like a frog

If i get hate for this, i am blaming you/j but in all honesty i apologize if this kinda messy, as i have said it has beem awhile since i saw any of the episodes about him. Most of it is my personal interpretation and opinions of his character-

First of all i personally hate both "L0tor is evil rapist imperialist who did not have a single redeemable quality" and "L0tor is uwu poor baby who did nothing wrong", because yeah he had good intentions and he seemed to genuinely love Alura and care for Alteans but also he very much did do a lot of things Wrong. I am pretty sure a lot of his actions fall into category of Very Wrong

Lot0r to me is an absolute control freak, he has to be 10 steps ahead of everyone, he needs to be control of the situation no matter what. Whether it be through a silver tongue or by his blade (see N@rti's death, him vs White Lion). This is as much as a ruthless strategy as it is a trauma response. Being raised under Z@rkon, a father who only saw him as inferior half-bred, he had to learn survivor tactics. He will do anything to survive whether it be beg, lie, manipulate, and kill. He is a survivor of some genuinely godawful abuse he suffered for 10,000 years, combined with racism he suffered for being half altean

However this need to be in control extends to his allies and people he cares about. I am sure Lotor may have loved Alura, it doesnt change the fact that he very much abused her trust. Their entire relationship was based on a lie. He knew Alteans were still alive and not only did he not tell Alura about it he leaned into the "last survivors of Altea" for their relationship, which is why it was doomed since the beginning. And if it had not been this, then it would have been something else. Cause lying and manipulation are very much core of his character, that is how we are introduced to him

Like i see people going "Oh Lot0r could have been good if he had therapy and a hug", and i am not really not sure about it, cause like would he? Would he choose to be vulnerable and actually let his feelings out and be truthful in a an unbiased reliable way that will neither serve him in any way nor make him look better nor is a part of some machivilian scheme he cooked up because he doesnt trust the therapist he is paying? No

And thing is he does desire connection. He looks for connection in people who are similar to him. Half galran, altean survivors, Alura these are the people who he chose to get close to. He looks for similarities, people he can relate to, people who he sees as like him, people who he thinks can give him a sense of belonging. He is deeply lonely. However his desperation for control, absolute mistrust in anyone and everyone, and his inability to be actually honest dooms any relationship he'll ever have

Also this is probably just me, but for someone who is this morally complex character he has tendency to see things in black and white? Like it is His dad and empire= bad, alteans=good. He idolizes Altea to the point of seeing it as an Utopia, and this ideal was more important to him than any Alteans who are alive and with him. I also cant remember him ever caring about someone outside of the Dichotomy. Like at most i remember is after he became the emperor Lance pointing out how other planets need to be freed and he just brushed it off

Overall he gives me the "smart people dont always make good decisions, but they are good at justifying their bad ones" vibes. We dont know exactly why he decided to use alteans as batteries but i am choosing to go with my interpretation- "Lottor saw something fucked up in that future showing space whale thingy, decided the only way to solve was altean batteries except in true self fulfilling prophecy greek tragedy way it only made things worse and started a series of event that will cause the thing he saw causing real trouble a few years after his death.

Another thing! I think it should have been him being the focus of Evil Altean episode instead of A//ura. I hate that episode and everything it stands for but like if there Had to be an evil alteans episode then it should be around someone who is you know? Obsessed with Altean culture? Is big on control and manipulation? Is more geared towards big picture and "greater good" over individual? Is worried about turning into just like his galran father and so desperately wants to connect to his idealized version of his altean mother? Yeah

[loverboyfae]

is there any version of the jekyll and hyde story that's good? lemme know

[strwbrymlkshake]

"I put the hot in psychotic" GIRL you have never even been to the psych ward –_– shut up

[lunarharp]

more phoenix wright situations

[titaniaqueenoffairie]

the Inner Circle’s Treatment of Nesta: Hypocrisy and Double Standards

I can never understand how readers still worship the Inner Circle after ACOSF (I’ve never really gotten it throughout the whole series, but let’s leave that aside for now). Before I got into the ACOTAR series, I always heard how the IC was hailed as the pinnacle of love, friendship, and understanding. But after reading it, especially in ACOSF, I couldn’t stand them and their behavior toward Nesta. I mean, their actions toward Nesta tell a much darker story—one of hypocrisy, double standards, and selective compassion. These are just a few points I can write about.

Nesta vs. Rhysand’s Trauma Rhysand went through unimaginable horrors Under the Mountain, and rightly so, the IC (and the fandom) shower him with empathy. But when it comes to Nesta? Suddenly, compassion has a limit. Nesta endured severe trauma during the war, was forced into a transformation against her will, and carried the guilt of her father’s death on her shoulders. Instead of receiving support, she was ostracized, judged, and treated as a burden. Why does Rhys get to grieve on his terms while Nesta is vilified for doing the same?

Weaponizing Morality The IC consistently acted like Nesta’s choices were morally reprehensible. Yes, she coped in unhealthy ways—drinking and isolating herself—but let’s not forget Feyre and Rhys’s questionable behavior (cough hiding Feyre’s pregnancy risks cough). The IC’s constant moral superiority over Nesta is exhausting when they’ve made their own fair share of dubious choices.

Cassian’s Enabling Behavior Cassian claimed to love Nesta but often enabled the IC’s mistreatment of her. He watched as Rhys exiled her to the House of Wind and stripped her of autonomy. If he truly cared, why didn’t he stand up for her? Love isn’t just about attraction—it’s about advocacy, and Cassian repeatedly failed to advocate for Nesta when she needed it most. (that, and won't talk about his behavior in CC3 because i didn't read it yet but i heard a lot of awful things)

“Tough Love” or Just Cruelty? Rhysand and Feyre framing their treatment of Nesta as “tough love” is laughable. Exiling her to a location where she had no escape and forcing her into training wasn’t love—it was control. The IC claimed to want Nesta to heal, but healing doesn’t come from stripping someone of agency. It comes from offering support, compassion, and the choice to heal at their own pace.

The Double Standards Around Amren Amren....... aaaaah Amren who’s often just as cold and abrasive as Nesta. But unlike Nesta, Amren is respected for her attitude. She’s seen as a “badass” who doesn’t take nonsense, while Nesta is labeled as cruel and ungrateful. Why is Amren allowed to be harsh without judgment, but Nesta is demonized for the same behavior?

[shini--chan]

Yandere Character Sheet II - 1p England / Arthur Kirkland

My depiction of Arthur here is harsh. I'll freely admit that it is due to a bias I have against the British due growing up in one of the Empire's late colonies and family history. Blazes, some of my relatives refuse to speak English because they regard it as "the language of the Antichrist".

Trigger warnings: colonialism, controlling behaviour, manipulation, mental break, trauma, physical torture, emotional/verbal abuse, victim blaming

Blend in - Are the red flags obvious? Are they even aware that their behaviour is wrong? Do they even care? 

Arthur is generally a cantankerous, cynical and proud man, so it would be more difficult to tell which of his actions are relationship red flags as opposed to personality red flags. Of course, this is also a gross oversimplification of the situation since he is complicated. When he wants to be, he can be genuinely kind, polite and caring. It is simply that the closer you are to him emotionally, the higher his expectations are of you. With you being the apple of his eye, you'd have the honour of finding out that being the subject of his affections is worse than having to bear his apathy or even ire. 

One of the reasons for this is that he'd have a fixed ideal of what constitutes as good and proper, and he would require you to conform to that image. Depending on your character and disposition, this could be painful for you. But surely you'll embrace your cruel fate, for isn't love the sweetest form of suffering. Pragmatic and cynical as he would be and would claim to be, Arthur would still be a romantic at heart. To him, meeting you would be fate, and you would do well to likewise recognise that your fate lies with him. Generally he wouldn't accept any words or actions that would go against this perceived destiny - he wouldn't take them seriously. 

Overall, he would see you as lesser than him, and therefore not as deserving of respect and regard. Much of the politeness and charm he would display to you wouldn't stem from seeing you as an equal or from thinking highly of your thoughts and emotions, but rather from the sort of charity given to the invalid and the naive. 

This flows nicely into the next red flag, in that he can be unbelievably paternalistic and conceited. You acting out, trying to defend your boundaries, or even just not fitting into what he deems appropriate would be deemed as you being unreasonable or having a phase. All in all, it would be very difficult to criticise him since he would first have to view you as a person worth listening to, and that wouldn't be a given. Even if your relationship has reached that level of respect, he would be quick to deliver some sharp retorts. Also, he would simply not care that some of the things he does are reprehensible. Either the end would justify the means, or the other people are inferior and conventional morals can't be applied to them. 

Additionally, he would be prone to making decisions for you, without your input. Mind you, he would allow you to place your orders by yourself when you go out to wine and dine. Though, he would decide what you wear, when you go to sleep, what you eat and drink at home, and the media you consume. This would start way before he would manage to fully isolate/kidnap you. Arthur regards himself as more apt when it comes to making choices about your life than you are. 

Related to that above, he would manage to make you go along with all that (at least in the beginning) by acclimating you to his controlling nature. He wouldn't dominate your life all at once and the more he'd enter your life, the more he'd determine how you'd live your own life. He'd demand that you tell him of all your movements and errands, make you let him look through your letters and bills and have you give him the passwords to all your accounts. On top of that, he would micromanage you at times. 

Another warning sign would be how unpredictable he would be. When it comes to social interactions, what happens is very dependent on Arthur's. He is far from emotionless, and is very passionate indeed. However, he isn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve or display his emotions openly, which would make it difficult to assess the situation at times. A bad time on the way home from work can decide if you receive affection or are pushed away with sharp remarks. Additionally, it would be the little things that would set him off the most, while he would remain stoic and calm in the face of large calamities.

Compatriot - Who aids them? Who condemns them? Are there ways you can convince their friends/colleges/underlings to help you? 

Part of Arthur's magic is convincing others of his superiority. There would be many that would aid him simply because they'd falsely believe he is all-powerful and that moving against him is futile. These sorts would be the worst - you'd have their sympathy and pity and they would likely believe you fully if you'd recount the lived horror and they'd still resolutely refuse to help you. On the contrary, they would even encourage you to give in to him, to simply weather the storm instead of fighting against it. These people would also be the hardest to persuade and the fastest to betray you, since they would fully buy into the illusion of Arthur's invulnerability and seek to gain small favours from their "Lord and Saviour". 

Then there would be those that would be on his side because they'd agree with his world views and morality. Best not to bank on their support, because Arthur would always be grander in their minds than you. Unless … there is nothing more feverant than a disillusioned devotee, eh? There, you could get their support, you would just have to teach them successfully that their angel is a demon. 

Naturally, England would also have many enemies. So some of them, all that would matter would be to land a blow on Arthur, so they would have no qualms or second thoughts of helping you. They might even "be on your side" before you'd catch on to Kirkland's true colours. Perhaps they would even be the ones to shine light on his less appealing traits. One thing that you should keep in mind though, that they wouldn't care about what would happen to you, as long as they could hurt Arthur. 

Aside from the obvious category of people that hate Arthur and who would also be sympathetic to your cause, there would also be the normal people that just want to go about their day-to-day lives. Those that might work for Arthur; they might trip you up if they like him, they might ignore your forged documents and stolen money if they hate him. Generally, many people downplay the power and the influence of the ordinary, working man. Arthur would be no exception to this rule, and could use this against him. 

Dominion - What actions are especially pleasing to them?

Above all else - you defer to him. He wants to be your guiding light in the darkness. He is supposed to be your teacher and protector and provider, and he wouldn't settle for anything less. For you to recognise and accept your role in the dynamic between the two of you would be a boon. It would be a relief that he wouldn't have to chastise and punish you like a wayward child. It would give him a bit of hope.

Interestingly enough, he would still desire for you to be resolute. Silk hiding steel comes to mind and if you're the sort to faint at the slightest sign of trouble, he would deem you a product of bad breeding. You are to be a rose, and your thorns should be sharp. Of course, this shouldn't come at his expense, for he doesn't want somebody that would constantly stand against him. You should be the sort that is a fun conquest, and a steadfast companion that doesn't cause more trouble than you solve. The deep irony here is that he wishes that you aren't a child, all while being continuously paternalistic. 

Appeal to his finer sensibilities - have etiquette down pat, be educated in that you know the classics and poetry and the BBC nature documentaries. Be easy on the eye and balm for the soul to him, make him feel respected and allow him to rant about god and the world without always throwing in your two cents. Be attentive to his needs, whether it be a shoulder massage, a bottle of port or tickets for the nearest rugby match. Communication without many words necessary would be prefered. On your side, such a skill would even be needed if you want to survive him. 

Tied into that - he would want the little things taken care of by you. Have a meal ready when he comes home, and the bathroom scrubbed and the washing done. Still he would require the dichotomy of a homebody and an adventurer, at least to some extent (and you thought he was going to leave you alone at home). Everywhere though, you'd be expected to put his well being above your own. After all, if he is out cold, then who will take care of you. No matter how strong and capable you are, he will forever regard himself as your superior. 

Conform to the values of the time. If there is something that irks Arthur beyond measure, it would be not understanding something. He wouldn't understand you if your mind runs on models of the world he is not familiar with. Of course, if you don't see things his way yet then it is no issue - diamonds commonly need polishing and cutting before they are perfect. It would be a re-edition of the white man's burden. 

Flight - What do you have to do in order to escape them?

It would be easier than you'd expect. Arthur's main spiel to make you stay by him would be to make you think that escape is futile, and that he is all-powerful and all-knowing when it comes to you. He would aim at "demonstrating" this by stalking you or also letting you escape only to capture you again. This wouldn't be his only failsafe. Perhaps he'll socially isolate you, so that you believe he is the only person in the world that you can trust, or he'll convince you that you're a horrible person, and he is only doing on to you what you deserve (he might even believe the latter himself). So what you have to do, is break the mental fetters, and then matters already become easier. 

Two pathways are recommended: Either do something completely haywire that he wouldn't expect. Send yourself abroad per post, join a travelling circus troupe or become a nun. There are only so many avenues of escape that he can close down, and the most obvious would be the first to go. Or you could elect to hide in plain sight and slip away. Lose him in a shopping mall or in a crowded street. A concert would be even better. Afterwards, it would be advisable to act normal - because he would be looking for a harried person. 

And have some tranquillisers/sleeping pills at hand. You'll need them to cope with the fallout. 

Hospitality - What is your life like with them? How much does it deviate from your former life?

You'd basically have to adopt an Arthur-approved lifestyle and discard everything that came for. He would dictate the tempo and direction, with you having precious little say in the matter. You'd only have your way if your interests coincide with England's or you plant the ideas in his head and let him think it was his idea in the first place. 

You'd become another fixture in his environment and thus everything that is his would become yours as well. The living space would be his and he would share it with you. Whether you like it or not, you would start orienting yourself around his routines and ideas. A side effect of this would be that he would control what you would read, watch and listen to. When locked up and subject to his tender mercies, you would be powerless to obtain any information other than what he allows. 

Aside from that, there are too many restrictions and rules to count, and you would only be able to have some comfort once you learn to navigate the minefield. In total, your life would be more akin to life in an old girls boarding school, or even a prison. The food would be just as bland, unless you'd take matters into your own hands. 

With him, your opinion would matter very little and his would be everything. Every criticism of your person would have to be acted on immediately, and every wish treated as an order. Of course, he would detest it if you'd simply allow him to walk all over you, but he would equally loath it if you would stubbornly resist it. It would be a balancing act that you would have to learn to master.

 In the beginning you might be inclined to point out how his treatment of you would contradict his own morals. Arthur wouldn't care - this is a point that can't be stressed enough. Conventional morals wouldn't apply to you, in his eyes. Besides, you would be his plaything, something with which he can engage in all his base desires and dark urges without any repercussions. Somebody at his station would have to punish him for him to genuinely become better towards you. 

There are few holds barred for him when it comes to you, and that makes him all the more dangerous. Should the mood strike him due to your bad behaviour, then he would bring out the thumb screws and the brands and the water torture. He probably wouldn't want to mar you, or at least not too much. You should still be prepared for burns of all sorts and being twisted into various uncomfortable positions and restrained. Here, the menu would be a lengthy one. 

Of course, there would be the social aspect. One of the first things Arthur would do would be to chip away at your social circle. This could be either through slander and manipulation, or more criminal methods like framing, drugging and murder. Eitherway, soon he'll be the only one you'll have, and since he is a jealous man, you would either only be able to interact with a carefully curated group of people, or not at all. 

Order - What are the rules you have to adhere to?

There are too many rules to count when it comes to Arthur Kirkland. He wouldn't spell out all of them for you anyway, since a lot of them are self-evident in his eyes. Besides, he'd want you to live according to the spirit of the rules, rather than him having to lay out an exact wording only for you to engage in loophole abuse. Regardless, here are some of mentioned rules:

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. Mind you, this is only towards him - other people are fair game. Although, you'd have to be smart about it and avoid causing second hand embarrassment. This would be easier said than done when you're in company, since your actions would automatically reflect on Arthur, once a certain point in your relationship has been reached. If you'd curse and chew out the world with him, he would be delighted. If you would turn your insults on him, he would burn with rage at the insolence and the impertinence. How dare you undermine his authority! Verbal sparring would be occasionally welcomed, though you'd have to have the sensitivity to tell when the ice is too thin to stand on. 

Behave yourself when we are in mixed company. Even when we are in company in general. To him, you are a pet project, living evidence that he can fashion perfection out of flesh and bone and a willful spirit. Totting you out to other people would come with the expectation that you be a living exhibit of his talents. As such, he wouldn't take it well if you misbehave. Mind you, he wouldn't be above humiliating you in mixed company just to save his own reputation. 

Keep up with the etiquette, will you? Belonging to him would mean you'd have to comply with a whole host of rules and rituals and mannerisms. This can vary depending on his social standing and the time period. The main point would be that you wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. The irony here is that he would desire you to have the skills and aptitude to get along well with your peers all while wanting you all to himself.

Don't make me repeat myself, pet. There are some phrases Arthur would repeat around you over and over again, like an especially devout priest. He would want you to internalise some truths after all. On the flip side, he would loathe to have to repeat himself when he talks with you, or to have to lay out his instructions a second time. Should he be peeved, and then be forced to repeat himself just because you weren't paying attention, then you would have a punishment awaiting you. Above all, don't talk back when he orders or chastises you - he wouldn't hold back with the yelling and the insults and the condensation if you do. 

 Be honest with me, savvy? I can't smell what you are thinking, after all. For somebody as cunning and devious as Arthur Kirkland, he gets extraordinarily upset when he is given a taste of his own medicine. He would demand you be forthright and honest with him, something that would be very difficult if you don't want to be with him and don't want to anger him at the same time. The reason behind this would be that he would want to trust you, and he wouldn't be able to trust you if he'd have to cut through your lies and half truths and word games. Or if he would only receive your complaints from around five corners, or something of the sort. Asides, if you're the sort to voice your displeasure and be open about your thoughts and feelings (to him, it should be said) then he wouldn't be in for any nasty surprises. 

Rehabilitation - How much will they change you? Will they break you? How much therapy would you need in the event that you get rid of them? 

Arthur Kirkland is the sort of man that would leave scars. He'd want you to be unable to live without him and he'd strive to condition you to dissolve into hysterics should you be separated from him. In the case he should succeed, you'd be fine for a few days and then descend into such emotional turmoil. This would be because he'd have your behavioural structures tailored to him, and without him to act as your focal point, you would grow anxious. Be careful not to go crawling back to him then - each escape would be more mentally challenging then the one before. 

Even when you'd be away from him, his rules would be so ingrained in you that you'd follow them on a subconscious level. You'd find yourself fixing your posture all the time, and weighing each word up against gold before uttering it. Out of reflex you'd discreetly check your surroundings to see where Arthur is and no matter how much you'd police your thoughts, his cynical attitude towards other human beings would have rubbed off on you and infected your mental processes. Arthur would continue to accompany you as the devil on your shoulder, as the voice of your inner critic, as a demon that would haunt your dreams, even if he would no longer be physically present. You'd have to be self-aware and self-conscious to rid yourself of those fetters. 

Aside from that, he wouldn't hesitate to break you to achieve his goals. There would be regrets on his behalf, yes. However, he'd never regret breaking you to the point that he would strive to make amends and see the errors of his ways. Instead, he would blame you for being too rebellious, for having such a brittle character that you broke instead of bending to his will, for being of ill stock and bad breeding. Admitting wrongdoing would be akin to weakness for him, something he would never allow himself to display in front of you.

Perhaps you would retain enough sanity and energy even when broken to flee him, perhaps you would develop a secondary or even tertiary personality to deal with the trauma. Either way, a life without Arthur would be even more cumbersome and hard than when you'd have been whole. It would take years until you'd be able to function normally again, and that is only if the best case scenario of you having a stable life without Arthur hunting you, occurs. 

Zeal - Do they fall fast or slow? What is their reaction to their own feelings?

Ever the romantic at heart, passion would grip him quickly, yet he would be very slow to act on it. It wouldn't be the first case of limerence on his side, and he would want to be sure of his feelings and their longevity before committing to you. Ironically, the more he'd try to wrestle his emotions into control and bottle them, the more potent and out of control they would become. Finally, they would overwhelm him and he would find himself rationalising the most heinous actions. 

The same justifications he would use towards himself would be applied towards other people, maybe even towards you. As time passes, the self-justifications and such would come ever easier, and also more extreme. It would finally reach a point where morality would be flung out the window. Why should he heed boundaries, if there is no punishment for overstepping? Maybe you find some countermeasure within your power that you can exercise to keep him in line. Just don't harbour the illusion that it'll work forever. 

Art doesn't belong to me, nor does the character!

[sp-ud]

Also I hate when people go: "if Swansea had known he would have-" but Anya did tell him. He references it later on.

"Well it's probably because they were stranded in space-" Swansea never liked Jimmy, and it would have been more convenient for him to not have to deal with Jimmy.

"He didn't want to traumatize Daisuke-" You're prioritizing a man's comfort over a woman's.

"He was worried about what would happen after they were rescued, like how he didn't want to be noted as being part of opening the cargo hold-" He already knew he'd be out of a job after this, and after a certain point he'd clearly given up hope of being rescued and didn't care about the consequences of what he was doing to himself with the mouthwash.

And maybe Swansea was thinking like any of the last 3 specifically, but newsflash guys, that's not a 'good' defense of Swansea 😭 that's actually just further proving the point the story is trying to make about rape culture.

Like you can discuss these things, why Swansea might not have done anything even after he was told, or why Curly did so little in the first place. I actually do think its important to discuss those aspects, but when you're saying it specifically in an attempt to justify their lack of action...

You're just continuing the exact cycle Mouthwashing is about of workplace silence and how corporations prioritize "not making a huge fuss" and downplaying sexual assault so they "don't have to deal with it" instead of doing anything other than maybe give the victim some polite empty reassurances and sending a half assed equally empty warning to the perpetrator.

And I'm not saying the people who do talk like that are morally reprehensible people for that way of thinking being their first line of thought. It's what a lot of us were taught as we grew up, that's why it's called rape 'culture'. It's a reality we've been told that we just have to accept and deal with.

But at least to me, a significant part of Mouthwashing's message is about the harm all this inaction has in the long run. Whether the inaction comes from more a more personal place or due to fear of punishment from a higher authority, it's still inaction and it's a cycle that needs to be broken.

[cringefailvox]

my ultimate fantasy for hazbin s2 is a reveal of something in alastor's past that he can't explain away or justify, something genuinely morally reprehensible, and he and the other residents of the hotel have to navigate around each other with the renewed sense of "right, he's actually a bad guy."

i feel like the show and the fandom both sometimes forget that alastor is actually legitimately morally corrupt because he's superficially nice and abides by certain rules and social mores. but he like, does murder people. that's a real thing that he does.

i feel like he can get woobified a little and portrayed as like, a byronic hero who's always actually in the right but judged and misunderstood. there's an element of truth to that, but he's mostly a selfish and cruel person who does awful things because he doesn't care.

it would be personally EXTREMELY satisfying to see him face real consequences for the way he treats people, especially from the hotel that he seems to have grown to care about. fuck that deer UP!!!

REAL AND TRUE. it's always interesting to me the way murder is evaluated in fandom next to like, sexual assault, as being the more redeemable crime somehow, which i think is quite evident in the way people talk about alastor vs valentino -- neither of these characters is remorseful or even particularly in a hurry to justify the horrendous things they do, and yet i've noticed a general tendency towards letting alastor off the hook for the serial killing but not budging on the line that val is irredeemable. and like, ofc with the caveat that this is fiction and neither of them are real, but it's interesting sometimes how people measure crimes with a value system predicated on distance, where serial killers are so removed from the average person that it's nearly outlandish, definitely a spectacle, but sexual assault is real and immediate in a way that hits people harder. there's also the matter that alastor is part of the main cast and val is a secondary antagonist -- but anyway this is getting off topic from what you were asking

i absolutely agree that i'm excited to see the show really begin to grapple with the ethics of the main cast, esp alastor, because it's like. we know he's a terrible person. the gang knows he's a terrible person. but it really comes back to the bit in episode five, when lucifer (rightly, in this case, but unhelpfully) points out that alastor represents all the worst things about sinners, that he epitomizes everything lucifer loathes about hell, and charlie's response pivots neatly away from that ethical problem: "he's defending this hotel. it might be a bit more sadistic than i'd hoped, but he's doing it for me." alastor can be as morally bankrupt as he wants so long as it's in the service of a cause that charlie perceives as good

this actually makes perfect sense for charlie's character and it's sooo fascinating. she doesn't actually seem to care about how horrific everyone in hell behaves all the time -- what she cares about is those people dying en masse without any value judgment from heaven, she's affronted that it's all numbers to them, she really seems like she's only spearheading this redemption program because she thinks it'll bring down overpopulation and stop heaven, not because she was genuinely bothered by the rampant sin before. "happy day in hell" is all about how much she loves hell and keeps putting an optimistic spin on all the property damage and cannibalism and public bdsm. she doesn't care about alastor being evil because he's not her redemption poster child, but she DOES care about angel getting into turf wars and doing drugs in the hotel because it reflects badly on her. girl i need to see your personal ethics and values get cracked the fuck open so bad

[gabessquishytum]

On a beautiful winter morning, young Hob Gadling decided he was going to marry his imaginary friend, Dream. He had found a pretty shiny rock when he went to the beach in the summer, and with it and some snow, he fashions a ring for Dream. They get "married" with Hob's favorite stuffed animals & Dream's raven as witnesses.

The Hob moves away from the house with the forest for a backyard,,,,,,and grows up.

Hob is supposed to marry Alex in two days; Alex is fine. He's nice and seems to love Hob enough, and forgives Hob's "clinginess". Hob understands that his partners tend to find him clingy, but (honestly) Hob feels like he's missing something, misplaced something very important to him, so he holds everything the tighter for missing it. And if when Hob looks at Alex, he doesn't see husband that's because "husband" conjures up a blurry image of black and white and spiky hair?? and a raven.

It all comes to a head during the rehearsal at the church. Alex and Hob are standing in front of the church when the doors at the back blow open. In strides the most beautiful man Hob has ever seen. The man walks right up to Hob, calls him husband, and kisses him so well Hob brain turns off.

There's screaming, but Hob can't do anything but stare at the good kissing pretty man.

Holy shit I love this so much.

Turns out that Hob accidentally married one of the Old Gods when he was in the woods that day?? And for over a decade Dream has been imprisoned by magic so was unable to come and claim Hob when he came of age, but he just got out and the first thing he did was come to find his husband??? Hob is deeply confused by all of this, but at the same time many things begin to make sense. Like that feeling of loss. And the fact that he's never quite been able to imagine a life with Alex.

Maybe it's morally reprehensible to marry a child who thinks it's all a game, but then again, Dream is beyond human morality. He also took the form of a child at that time, so there was nothing untoward going on. He even (and Hob can see that Dream is very, very reluctant to do this) offers Hob the equivalent of a magical divorce. Which Hob vehemently refuses.

He's so enamoured with his husband. Dream is very tall, taller than any human, and he has the grace and figure of a king. He's got a different raven now, called Matthew, who perches among his locks of long spikey hair. He's beautiful, magical - everything Hob wants.

Alex is long gone, and Hob has honestly forgotten about him. Dream is going to take him back to the forest to renew their vows... and consummate the marriage at last!!! It feels like Hob’s life is really about to begin.

And yes, Dream will love him for his clingyness. And he'll cling back, just as hard.

[ninicaise]

some ppl are rlly out there claiming to be damen fans while completely misunderstanding and minimizing every aspect of his character except for how much he suffers lmfao.

if you think slavery wasn't a core flaw in akielon culture and damen wasn't on some level morally reprehensible for being a perpetrator in that system then i'm sorry but you do not like damen as much as you think you do. if you think the akielon slavery system is somehow justifiable in-universe because in the originally slavekink type of worldbuilding the slaves wanted to be in that position bc they were naturally submissive then you missed the entire point of damen's character arc.

the issue isn't that i can't see slavery through the lens of kink exploration, i'm very good at suspension of disbelief. but pacat said it himself, the consensual kink part of the story and worldbuilding got away from him because damen refused to comply with that narrative. so at that point a theme of "slavery bad" starts making its way into the story through damen. the slave kink excuse is no longer valid because damen himself starts questioning it, within the story. the narrative (DAMEN!!!!!) sets this moral standard, not the reader.

now. i'm not claiming damen deserved any of the horrible treatment he got from laurent, bc he did not. i'm speaking in terms of strictly what happened in the story. in the story, damen is a former slave owner, realizing slaves are in a very vulnerable position because he himself is put in a very vulnerable position with the worst master and owner imaginable is a core part of his story, his narrative, and the most telling thing about his personality and beliefs.

damen took those negative experiences, that pain and anger he felt at being captive, brutalized, humiliated, and robbed of his free will, and he was able to transfer those onto other people, his subjects, people he himself might've hurt by taking away their own free will. he was able to grow from his trauma through self-reflection and to see reality beyond a life of normalization of systematic violence from which he benefited, resolving to make a significant change as soon as he got the power to do so. that level of empathy and integrity is incredibly admirable of him.

and so you can't have your cake an eat it too. if you claim to love and enjoy this part of his character, you cannot in good faith claim the evil (in a thematic sense) he was fighting against and managed to defeat was not that even that evil anyway. you are saying his judgement is clouded by personal trauma, that he is biased and even overdramatic, and seeing a problem where there isn't any. this is in fact, disrespectful to damen's character. believe it or not.

[rat-rambles]

Is this the 3rd time of me posting this page yes but I keep thinking about it and I think I hate it but I also kind of love it.

So obvously fiddleford started s cult that wipes peoples minds and I think it's the popular option that that's bad that's a bad thing to do even if they might have good intent, and I think I always asumed that the cult started doing this like going rouge after Fiddleford went crazy. This page implies no he did it to people willingly and that makes his uses of the gun in my mind go form morally neutral to reprehensible. It's deeply fucked up to mess with anyone's heads this is the magical equivalent to druging people and I really don't think Alex and team realize that but it is.

Part of me wants to discard this and have this almost perfect victim viwe of Fiddleford. Witch is the reading the series and the rest of journal 3 seems to want you to take oh poor fiddleford did nothing really wrong but fell to his own vices with a bit of a push form Ford (shakes finger at Ford). This page means that there's a layer of moral greyness to him that wasn't there before it makes him a little bit selfish a little bit cold. You could argue that his willingness to do that is a side effect of the gun uses on himself, but that doesn't mean we don't have to wrecken with the implications.

It also adds a layer to Ford's breaking mental state and it makes me wonder if it wasn't just Bill's torcher that made him so fragile by the time stan gets to him but also his brain trying to hold together after geting chunks removed. We also see his mental health is declining befor we get there as well in book of bill.

I do wonder how cannon this is becuse it's in journal 3 at minimum Alex agreed to it but does he even rember what the implication of that is idk. This is will be knawing at me though.

[xxchumanixx]

Nothing at all pt.2? When they get caught ???

Nothing at all pt. 2

Tim Bradford x reader

Warnings/Tags: fluff, angst, secret relationship Word count: 1.804 Authors note: Hello love, here it is: part 2! I'd like to mention beforehand that I'm not homophobic, nor anything close to it (just feeling like I should mention it, before someone tries to call me out for whatever they might interpret). I'm not entirely happy with how it turned out, but I'll maybe add a part 3. Also, it's not entirely proof read yet (it's almost 2 am in Germany and I'm sooo tired right now) Anyways, I'm still loving the idea behind this. Thanks for liking it as well! Read part one here! Enjoy!

It was easy, falling for Tim Bradford.

Hiding, that was the real quest.

It hadn't been long, since you and Tim had become a couple. What once was a way to blow off some steam, having been ignited when you drank a little too much, became more somewhere along the way.

Avoiding Lucy's hawk like eyes and questions became harder the more time passed, though.

She was true to her word, snooping and eavesdropping wherever she could. It wasn't long until you were no rookie anymore, but it seemed to get harder to hide the more time passed.

The worst one though, was Sergeant Grey.

Since you and Tim had become a couple, there happened a few things caused by you and Tim not being a hundred percent on board during calls.

Though it wasn't anything too serious, Grey became suspicious.

Which was bad.

You would have been doomed, if he found out before you ranked up. So you had to lie, stirring his assumptions and suspicions somewhere else - to you being lesbian and Tims best friend.

Yeah, you weren't proud of that lie, especially considering that it could have backfired so hard, you could have not only gotten fired, but declared morally reprehensible either.

But you had said these words faster than your brain could have caught up, Tims eyes widening so much, they could have competed with plates.

And Grey had apologized for snooping in your private life, which made it even worse. You felt so guilty, that you had a very hard time even looking at him during roll call.

You just hoped things wouldn't get out of hand too much, before you could tell him the truth.

Counting the days, you became more impatient the closer you got to your exams. Which meant that you became more reckless as well.

It was hard enough with Lucy hiding behind every corner, you didn't need to risk everything by giving into your desires now, so close to the finish line.

Yeah, so much for that...

The way she shouted in triumph when she then finally caught you red handed, would haunt you in your dreams, you were sure of that.

She startled you so hard, that you headbutted Tim, causing him to jump back, holding his nose, as he glared at his rookie.

She had caught you making out, hiding behind the police station like teenagers in high-school.

You hadn't seen Tim during the day, his shift matching yours, but nothing had led to you running into each other. It had been a long day, so you were more than excited to see him.

And as his tongue plunged into your mouth, his fingers digging into your hips in the darkness, as yours brushed through his hair, she suddenly stood beside you.

God damn it.

Biting your lip you tried to hide in the shadows, face buried in your hands, as you silently died of shame.

But you felt relieved somehow, too.

At least she wouldn't stalk you and Tim anymore.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Tim snapped at Lucy, trying not to lose his cool entirely and let her fall through immediately, even though she made it really hard for him.

Her brows furrowed, as she realized that she not only had upset him, but she had made him angry as well.

Very angry.

Before she could have responded, he continued on. "Now you have what you wanted - are you happy now?" He yelled at her and you were grateful for the parking lot being otherwise empty at this time.

She swallowed, averting her gaze as she fumbled with the hem of her jacket. All the joy she must have felt moments before, was gone now. She had gone too far, only to prove that she was right.

Normally, she wasn't like that. But the way Tim had treated her, doing his Tim-tests and all, she wanted a little revenge.

That, was too much though.

She knew that.

Swallowing, she looked back up. "I'm sorry." she apologized, biting her lip as it quivered treacherously. "It somehow got out of hand, I know that now. I shouldn't have pressed so much. I'm gonna go now, good night."

With that she turned, almost running towards her car.

Mouth agape you stared after her, as Tim shook his head, biting his cheek in anger. He hated it when people snooped around his private life, especially when it was at work and he was ranked higher than them.

She wasn't even supposed to be so interested in it.

It wasn't her business.

"Fuck." you breathed out, realizing that she now held the power to get you both fired. Tims eyes met yours in the dark, the street lamp the only source of light.

"I'm gonna talk to her." you told him, looking back at where Lucy stood moments ago. His brows rose, as he looked at you like you were out of your damn mind.

"Someday she would have eventually learned about us, anyways. She'll get over it, yes, but I don't want her to stay mad at us. And then there's that thing with Grey... If she tells him, we're doomed."

He sent you a pointed look, like he was trying to say the thing with Grey goes entirely on you.

Sighing, you nodded to yourself, before you fumbled for your keys. "I'll call you later, okay?" He only nodded, before he walked you to your car.

"Try and not be too mad at her. She's still your rookie." you reminded him, hoping to convince him not to let her fall through. He huffed, biting his cheek.

"I know."

____

Knocking at Lucy's door, you fumbled with the strap of your bag. Would she even open the door, if she saw it was you?

She did, because only a few second later the door opened, revealing her distraught face. She stepped aside wordlessly, letting you in.

Closing the door behind you, she walked towards the couch, plopping down on it. You followed her, setting your bag down as you took a seat beside her.

"Is he gonna fire me?" she asked, not looking at you, as her voice seemed distant. You shook your head, leaning back. "No, he won't." you assured her. "I wouldn't let him."

She huffed, fumbling with her fingers, elbows resting on her legs. "I thought it would be funny, but I haven't realized how much I invaded your privacy." she started to explain, looking down at her hands.

"All I wanted was to prove my theory right. I didn't consider the consequences. But when I saw you two, it felt like I just won a competition or something."

You chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation, causing her to look up at you.

"You have no clue how good it feels to finally have you knowing about it." you admitted, sending her a crooked smile. "It's like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. Grey was suspicious, as well. I might have told him that I'm lesbian."

Her eyes widened, as she laughed, shocked.

"You did what?" she shouted, covering her mouth with her hand. Nodding, you laughed as well, as she slid up on the couch, body turned towards you.

It was all so absurd.

"When we're ranked up, I'm gonna tell him the truth." you said, wiping at your tired eyes. "I feel so bad for lying to him. Tim was so shocked about it, that he almost slipped, almost telling Grey the truth."

She shook her head, before she looked down at her hands again. "I'm not gonna tell him, no worries." she assured you, looking back up. "After all you didn't say anything about me and John, either. That doesn't mean, that I understand why you didn't trust me enough to tell me, though."

You felt bad, knowing that she was right.

"I was scared." you admitted, looking down. "It wasn't that I didn't trust you, it was just that he is your TO, and my superior officer as well. I couldn't risk anything - even though I seemed to be rather dumb today, making out with him in the parking lot."

She cocked a brow at you, silently agreeing.

"We all do dumb things." she then told you, scooting closer. "So, are you guys officially dating now?"

You snorted, swatting at her arm, causing her to laugh as well, before you started to explain everything.

____

"She won't say a thing."

Instead of calling Tim, you had driven to his place. He nodded, as he let you step inside. "Did she want something in return?" he questioned, closing the door behind you, as you took off your jacket, hanging it on the clothing rack.

"No." you gave back, shaking your head, as you stood in front of him. "She's my friend." He nodded slowly, clearly surprised.

Standing on your tiptoes, you leaned up to him, hands interlocking at his neck, pressing your lips against his. His hands found their way to your hips almost automatically, as he returned the kiss.

His lips were soft, moving slowly against your own, as he leaned down, so you wouldn't have to keep standing on your toes. His tongue brushed your lip and you let it in, continuing were you had left off.

One of his hands moved up, cupping your cheek as he tilted your head, deepening the kiss. You whimpered into his mouth, the desire taking over, as it suddenly knocked at the door right behind him, causing you to break apart.

Breathing heavily you looked at each other.

He seemed as clueless as you, clearly not expecting any visitors.

Still he opened the door, making you wish he'd just ignored it instead.

It was Grey and his wife Luna.

His mouth was as equally open as yours and Tims were, staring at each other in utter shock and confusion. Only Luna reacted differently, tilting her head, as she tried to make sense of the situation.

You were the first to close your mouth again, as realization sat in. Turning away from them, you silently fumed.

This couldn't be happening, right?

It had to be a bad joke.

"Sergeant, what are you doing here?" Tim inquired, as you bit on your thumb, trying to stay calm. They didn't see anything, right? Surely they wouldn't look through the windows up front, before knocking at the door.

Who were you kidding, honestly?

Grey needed a moment to respond, his wife beating him to it. "Didn't you say she's a lesbian?" she asked, clearly knowing that you weren't in fact a lesbian.

Turning back around, you saw Grey balling his hand to a fist, shaking it as he tried to keep his cool, clearly struggling.

"We don't have time for that now." he then said, clenching his jaw. "Someone broke into our house, we need somewhere safe to stay at for at least a couple hours."

Tims brows rose, nodding, as he let them in, his cheeks turning pinkish.

"Don't think I'll forget about this, though!" Grey added, eyes narrowing, as he angrily pointed at you two. You both nodded, mumbling a 'yes sir'.

You were officially doomed.

"Crap."

[ceoandslutler]

a short analysis on the theme of kindness in kuro, in defence of the morally reprehensible protagonists.

i previously spoke about sebastian pulling a "not like other humans" line on ciel but the things he's actually saying in this chapter are crazy...

chapter no's and pages in alt text!!

media illiterate (most kuro fandom antis') logic is that ^this guy's^ the big bad villain of kuro, there's so much to analyse about the theme of kindness and humanity in kuro but ultimately people are blind to it because sebaciel are not the kind, happy-go-lucky type of protags many people are used to and people struggle to purify them. there are so many people in this story "more innocent" than them and less morally grey which makes them look like worse people but the fact is that they are the "worse" in a world full of the "worst". they're there to show you how despicable humanity can be but they have their moments of 'good' (otherwise they'd be lacking in likability), especially moments like this can be quite odd in this story about corruption and evil because in those pages, these two do not seem like the deplorable, manipulative and conniving characters we often see them as. this moment reminds me of another very dear chapter to me which two volumes comes after this.

this is such an interesting part of the manga (it's why the blue cult arc is my favourite arc of the manga despite all the popstar/idol shenanigans that threw a lot of people off). the way these two behave in this arc is not normal, they do not need to go above and beyond for these people. it is not necessary for sebastian to go this far for ciel AND his tenants (who it is important to note he has no contractual obligation to care for, especially not to the extent of giving them the "time of their lives") and it is certainly not normal the way ciel treats these people with zero contempt even when they 'disrespect' him as a noble. these two are genuinely weird for their time, blue cult arc also gives us an unforgettable seb moment (link).

this chapter also serves as part of the transition between the blue cult arc and the blue memory arc which is also...

one of the most intriguing parts of the manga... what's interesting here is that ciel HAS kept his tenants happy as proven by the halloween chapter (the page below from this same chapter talks of infrastructure needs having to be met and we read that ciel has fixed the roads since becoming earl and even an old donkey can transport milk from across them- that's how good the quality of the roads are). however, what i want to focus on is undertaker previously saying ciel, despite having phantomhive blood is not like his predecessors. in fact, the flashback chapter shows he's not even like his own identical twin brother!

i really wonder what exactly undertaker meant by saying that right as ciel saves joanne in the school arc and also what vincent was thinking about his sons in this flashback sequence. did vincent think o!ciel is different too? and what is it that makes him so odd? or rather, what makes him an exception in the phantomhive family? i look forward to whatever yana has in store for us and hope to see where these wonderful characters with such bizarre morality (or lack there of) end up.

i will talk about this theme more in the future but if anyone has something specific to add, please do. and even if it's not too detailed or you're unsure, feel free to tell me what you think about the use of 'good' and 'evil' for the main characters of kuro overall! some things to consider:

fundamentally why are ciel and sebastian the way they are? and more importantly, do you think yana intended either of them to be read as strictly "evil"? a lot of people make the case of the fandom purifying them but i never see that these days, usually it's only ciel that's sanitised of all sin and sebastian that is demonised (although occasionally both are demonised as solely "bad guys"). i joke about them being narcissistic and not the nicest people (which is something i genuinely believe) but i do not think they are the root of all evil; which is a take you can have without absolving them of any and all misdeed they may have committed. i think what i'm really getting at is that sebastian is not ""evil""? and he's not innocent either. but he's a force for "good" in the story. he works for the phantomhive estate and the people living on that land more devotedly than a demon with a 3-clause contract with the master of the land should and he shouldn't be excluded from the phantomfam and only seen as horrible/evil but nor should he be solely seen as a silly little cat loving parent. and you don't need to ship sebaciel to see him this way, just read the source material with your eyes peeled, really think about what sebastian does and says. he's so interesting and he's so much more than the fandom makes him out to be. but interpret him however you want, i guess.

[tennco]

might've talked about this. on one hand i get that youkai are by definition not human and trying to fit them into human concepts of emotions, relationships, morality etc. kinda undermines that. ok. on the other personally i find leaving it at "they're not human we can't possibly understand them" is incredibly boring, because the only way we have to analyze and put their thoughts and actions in context is through a human lens and without that you're left with nothing. like that works for an eldritch entity or monster that's supposed to be incomprehensible but not a character, specially not the type of character that make up almost the entire body of your work. but that's only part of the point.

in touhou youkai (and gods and such) are by definition not human, however they are born from human concepts, beliefs, fears. they came into being because of humans, we made them, they have a little bit of us in them. youkai are by definition not human not because they don't share anything with us but because they don't quite get there, they are incomplete. you know the homunculi from fma? reminds me of that, born from one quality that humans have but lacking others. you can extend all this to the fact that most youkai with some degree of power choose to present in an human shape, it's hard-coded into them (and you can further extend this to 'they are trying to look like and overcome their creators' if you wanted to). it could also play into the metanarrative because a human made these characters and assigned human qualities to them.

there's probably some caveats to this and things im forgetting but i hope im making sense, point is i don't think you can make an "inhuman human" but you can get close. also there's something to be said about how "inhuman" is often used as a synonym for "morally reprehensible" or "evil" both in writing and interpretation because we couldn't possibly do something of the sort, but touhou does more than that thankfully. there's also something (WOKE!!!!!) to be said about how unlike other works that go into this the default human form seems to be what most would consider feminine. actually that's easily explainable because zun has said that the essence of touhou is beauty, and to him femininity and beauty are closely related, so in a way you can take all this to mean youkai are trying to achieve the most perfect, most beautiful form their minds can conceive. this is because zun likes girls, thanks for comign folks.