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mari-lair · 1 year

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I want to talk about Killua and Gon's separation.

There is a lot to untangle so let's start with Killua's mentality after the Chimera Ant Arc.

Killua is aware of how much Gon hurt him, and he understands that even if Gon's bond and dept with Kite is not something he can relate to, this pain isn't something he can brush off either, yet, he comclude his self-reflection by calling his dilemma a burden.

This need to be valued by Gon is what made him take things personally and feel useless during their invasion.

Regardless of his own feelings and issues, Killua blames himself for not sucking up and staying there with Gon. He has for a while... Take note of how horrified he looks after Palm tells him he is the one Gon needs the most.

Any possible joy he could have gotten from being important was far too small compared to the crushing realization 'Gon needs me and I left him alone while he was suffering.'

But Killua is hurting for himself too, at how he was put in a situation where everything felt out of his control.

That makes him angry.

When yelling at Gon about how reckless and selfish he is, Killua thinks to himself "apologies...?" as a question, a question that comes right after thinking "this time I won't forgive you'', like he is trying to find an answer to how he is feeling.

He doesn't really know what he wants from Gon, how or even where to direct his anger.

But he does know what he wants from himself.

'I will definitively make you better.'

It makes his declaration feel more like a "you will be alive to apologize. You will be here when I figure it out" the apology itself isn't nearly as important.

Because his recovery is so important, Killua doesn't allow himself to think too hard about it. He can't get emotional and make mistakes again, he needs to be level headed and get things done.

Even if the ever-present fear that he will be too late to save Gon is there.

He was too late once after all.

Killua immediately loses his calm when there are no hospital curtains or glass windows between them.

Even with Nanika by his side to give him strength, he is tense from the moment he reaches for Gon's hand. It breaks him to witness exactly how bad Gon state has become.

Translations vary but the sense of urgency is prevalent, even with his mission accomplished, his wish a touch away, he shows zero relief, he acts like he is too late again, desperate to help him.

There is no 'Gon is invincible. He heals super fast from everything.' mentality anymore, and even the hope he has been clinging to that 'Nanika is amazing, she can heal Gon' gets destroyed.

Is just him and the brutal reminder Gon can fall.

So when Gon gets up, against all odds, Killua is happy. The joy is stronger than his grief.

He downplays his worry, and keeps it casual, when he tells Gon to watch out for himself, but he is genuinely happy when Gon thanks him.

That's what I believe Killua really wanted from the start, not an apology but a thank you. It always hit him hard when Gon thanks him, be it when Killua is happy, or at his lowest:

Killua just didn't believe he deserved a "thank you", not after being put far too many responsibilities on himself and drowning in failures. But now, things are okay.

For as difficult as Killua's life is, he does like to focus on the good, so when he talks to Gon, who is alive and no longer blinded by grief, while being able to hold on to his little sister's hand, who is happy and free, he has no regrets, it was no problem. He would do it again and again and again for them, and Gon showing appreciation of what he has done is the cherry on top.

Killua doesn't really care about the apology anymore, because he already understands Gon didn't want to hurt him, he has been by Gon's side for years, and he knows better than anyone that Gon is a kind boy who loves his friends very much, and is far too harsh on himself.

So Killua acknowledges his pain but he keeps it light-hearted and brief. He doesn't want his best friend to focus on this, as Gon is prone to, so after Gon gets on his knees to apologize, Killua thanks him.

Which is something Killua rarely does, most of his thank yous are either casual or in monologues Gon isn't privy to. But he want to focus on the good he gained, on how his adventures and feelings for Gon are what let him take the needle out and go to Alluka's rescue instead of how he learned to fear loss.

He believes Gon is just as important to Alluka's rescue as Alluka was to his recovery. And he acknowledged Gon's issues but still value him.

So he does what he has always appreciated, and lets Gon know how valuable he is. Hurt or not, he always wants what's best for Gon. To cheer him up, to put his mind at ease.

And now that things have gotten more peaceful, they both decided that's what they focus on, on how valuable the other is. How much they enjoy each other's company and how hard it is to go their separate ways.

Even what Ging says about "What I was I looking for isn't what I ended up valuing" parallels their arrangement.

This is the end of their journey to travel the world in search of Ging, and the Chimera Ant disaster will definitively mark them, but they are still friends, and proud of it!

Which brings me to Killua's "you're number two" claim.

Personally, I do not believe he is being literal or trying to measure their value when he claims his sister is No.1. He just doesn't want to put too much pressure on Gon when he can tell Gon is still beating himself over how he treated Killua.

Palms's "You're the most important person to Gon" speech broke Killua, it crushed him with pressure, and it wasn't even Gon himself saying. Imagine how bad Gon would feel if Killua said "You're my most important person" or showed in any way how highly he holds Gon after the way Gon had snapped at him.

Add in how Gon already feels indebted to Killua, who had witnessed Gon destroy himself over his debt to Kite, and how hard it is for Gon to let Killua go... I can understand why Killua would want to downplay the situation as much as possible. Make it easier on Gon.

I don't want to downplay Alluka's importance to Killua though, she is the main reason they separate, the one that gives Killua confidence to turn his back on Gon despite how sad they look about diverging their paths, and makes Killua keep going.

Killua had nothing he wanted for a while. Now he wants to take Alluka and Nanika to travel the world, and while Gon is amazing and fun, he is also deeply intertwined with danger.

And Killua already has a lot of danger on his hands.

He needs a break from danger. From stress.

He can't protect Alluka and Nanika, while keeping an eye on Gon in their usual adventures. And he can't let himself go wild with Illumi on the hunt.

His priority is to keep Alluka safe and happy. Show her a taste of freedom and all the fun he knows exists out there.

And Killua is emotionally smart too, for as much as he is attached to Gon, I think he does realize they need time away. They will see each other again, they promised.

but right now they are too dependent.

#hxh #hunter x hunter #killua zoldyck #gon freecs #character analysis #killugon #this post is a bit all over the place but once i connected (or at least i think i did) one accidental dot it drove me insane #long post #and that was me trying to keep it short yugyugyu help

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bokettochild · 1 year

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I just saw a post asking which Link would make the best villain and....

It's Time guys

Like, I love the man, but let's be real; he's a second from snapping and committing atrocities.

Twilight is so thoroughly traumatized by the vision the spirits gave him and Fi's judgement of him that he literally can't stand messing with magic that isn't actually his own or connected to him. And while, sure, he doesn't need magic to be a villain, let's be real, it'd take something magical to force him to turn his back on everything he's ever fought for.

Similarly, Wild fought and died for his kingdom, and his people. There is nothing and no one worse than what he's already seen that could possibly make him turn his back on it all and throw his work down the drain just to destroy everything he'd built himself.

Legend is the same. he's been doing this far too long to ditch now. Granted, he's a grump, but if you look at his games, you see he's a highly empathetic and caring person. Unlike the others, who were tasked with saving the world by a mentor or friend, or had to go and save a friend or family member, or who where sworn to duty; Legend was literally some kid who was asked by an utter stranger to help, and did. Six times. No way someone like that is going to go and destroy everything.

And Wind! Wind is a moral guy, with a good heart. he set out for personal reasons and saw in his journey that there were bigger fish to fry, and he fried them. He had no reason to take it on, no call of the goddess, no responsibility, no reason for him, a child, to go and save the world as well as his sister, but he did it anyway.

Sky and Warriors are simply too devout. Warriors to the kingdom and it's people; with everything he suffered for them, you can't tell me the man isn't dedicated to serving his country. And Sky is loyal to Sun, who is Hylia, so he literally would never go against her. And by the law of the Zelda universe, villains are those who go against Hylia and Hyrule.

Four is an iffy one. Most people might say "but Vio was a villain!" but let's be real; if you read the manga, you know Vio was bluffing all along. If Vio, part of Four, didn't bow even under Shadow's influence, and Vaati's, and Ganon's, then again; who and what would drive this man to become a villain? Granted, the persuing of dark magic to bring back his lost friend could be argued, but is more likely to lead to his corruption than his attempting to take over Hyrule and kill innocents.

Hyrule is tough, since we have very little to work off of in cannon, but come on, even if Hyrule did turn to evil, he wouldn't exactly be able to do much. Hyrule's already in ruins in his time, and the monsters wouldn't hear of working beside him. He'd have everyone against him, and even if he does hold the triforce in it's entirety and thus could do all sorts of horrible things, he has neither motivation nor reason to turn away to becoming a villain.

Time though......

Time has watched the world burn and all his efforts be turned around and lost. He has lost everything so many times, usually with no reward or reason. In the end, Time, though a good man, cares more for the individual than the country. He cares about his wife and his boys, and based off the scars, we can only guess what lengths he's already gone to in order to accomplish his goals.

Time, if faced with the right issue, has every risk of dropping from defender to threat. Hyrule be damned, this man cares for his wife, his kids, his home, and if you threaten that, no matter who you are, he will go after you. He's one second away from going after Hylia and all she has done to him and those around him. He detests the Blade of Evil's bane, the symbol of Hylia's blessing. He borders every moment on the precipice of taking power beyond mortals to fulfill his own wishes, even if it is to help those he loves.

Put Malon in danger, heck, one of the boys, and Time won't let something silly like morals stop him from doing whatever it takes to protect what little that is still his and hasn't already been taken from him. He will fight tooth and nail not to lose anything else, and he won't let even the goddesses stop him.l

#lu time #linked universe #linkeduniverse #ketto's brainfarts

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mysteryshoptls · 10 months

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SSR Rook Hunt - Platinum Jacket Vignette

"Happy 100th Anniversary"

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Rook: The Land of Dawning's National Museum of Art… Ahh, what an exhilarating place.

Rook: They have so many spectacular works of art exhibited here… I don't think there's enough time in a single day to view everything.

???: ―Oh hey, I know this painting. This is the scene where the Fairest Queen is sending her Huntsman on a mission.

???: I can even see just how tense his facial muscles are. This painting is so detailed even to the finest points.

Rook: Beauté! You have a good eye for detail. The thin rays of light that cut through the dark room just highlights how stiff he is.

Rook: When I gaze upon this painting, I feel as though even I am being struck with a chill as cold as a winter breeze.

Ortho: But Rook Hunt-san, this isn't a painting set in winter, right?

Rook: Fufu, I know that. I only meant… Well, that I can almost feel the tension that is freezing him in his tracks.

Ortho: Guess that makes sense, since he's making an appearance before the queen. But don't you think that for someone meeting a queen his outfit is pretty casual?

Rook: I'm sure he is to head out on his mission immediately. Besides, he is very well groomed.

Ortho: Very well groomed…? Ah, yeah, it does feel like he's taken very good care of his beard.

Rook: Oui. In addition, he is someone who works outdoors, and yet there is not a single stain, let along any frayed ends on his attire.

Rook: Take a close look at his bangs. You see how they are cut short just above his eyebrows?

Rook: Essentially, that means his bangs won't obstruct his vision. He is sure to be able to keep his prey in sight.

Ortho: I see, so then, that must the best type of hairstyle for a hunter. Rook-san, you're amazing to notice that.

Rook: I, too, take caution of how lengthy my bangs can become. In the past, I believed that as long as it was short, that was good enough…

Rook: So whenever my bangs grew out, I would just chop it off with a knife, while the rest of my hair just looked like an overgrown garden.

Ortho: It's hard for me to picture that, knowing the you standing here now…

Rook: After I became a Pomefiore student and cut off all the damaged and frayed ends…

Rook: Not only did my vision become unhindered, but I ceased to find leaves or branches tangled in my hair any more.

Rook: I'm sure even the Queen's Huntsman also knew that a proper grooming regimen would help him be even more efficient as his job.

Rook: By fixing up my own hair, I came to understand just how capable of the huntsman he truly was.

Rook: In my search of perfection and functionality, I was able to settle on this hairstyle… is basically what it all amounts to.

Ortho: Huh… I totally thought that you had chosen that hairstyle because it suits the shape of your face.

Rook: Thank you. I am beyond honored that you think it suits me.

Rook: However, there is still much to improve. I must continue to refine my appearance.

Rook: It is all to improve my efficiency and my hunting skills.

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Rook: Ooh là là! These beings depicted here are the Thorn Fairy's subordinates.

Rook: Despite the dark overtone and the terrifyingly green flames illuminating them, this piece gives off a pleasant sensation.

Ortho: They're all dancing in celebration of the Thorn Fairy's successful accomplishment, right? Hehe, they all look so happy.

Rook: This painting shows just how beloved the Thorn Fairy was to her subordinates. It's wonderful that they would express their joy via dance.

Rook: Now that I'm learning how to dance… It may behoove me to express my own happiness through moving my whole body, instead of just penning words.

Rook: WITH BALLET!!

Ortho: Eh, you're good at dancing ballet, Rook Hunt-san!?

Rook: Non. I wouldn't go so far as to say I am any good at it. I've only started picking up the fundamentals recently.

Ortho: Oh, you just started… So, why did you just suddenly decide to learn ballet?

Rook: To improve my posture, of course.

Rook: We of Pomefiore must carry ourselves beautifully, not only in how we walk, but with every single gesture we make.

Rook: That is why I began my training in order to keep to the standards of my dormitory.

Rook: As to why I chose ballet, that would be because Roi du Poison… Vil recommended it to me.

Ortho: I think Vil's advice is sound. It's said that ballet can help with your core and flexibility.

Rook: You do know your stuff, Ortho.

Ortho: You said that you just recently started learning, but… You're pretty physically fit, so I'm sure it's going pretty smoothly, right?

Rook: Well… Truthfully, the road to perfect posture has been nowhere near as smooth.

Rook: I've twisted my ankle while training to stand on my toes, and I've fallen down so ungracefully without being able to keep my balance…

Rook: When I first began practicing, my muscles were so sore that even going up and down stairs was a trial in and of itself.

Rook: I realized just how many muscles I've yet to use… It has been quite a learning experience.

Ortho: Even though you're saying how hard it was… It looks to me like you're still enjoying yourself.

Rook: Yes, it was indeed a fantastic time. One time, I became so engrossed that I danced the night away.

Ortho: Your posture now is really good, Rook-san… Looks to me like the fruits of your ballet training is showing.

Rook: Oui! Also, as I had my ballet lessons, I was able to get a taste of yet another wonderful joy.

Ortho: What do you mean, a wonderful joy?

Rook: ESSENTIALLY, MY RESPECT FOR BALLET GREW!

Rook: Up until now, I would only have an adoration of the perfect performances I would watch on stage.

Rook: However, now that I've experienced it firsthand, I know just how difficult each individual technique can be.

Rook: These ballet dancers perform as gracefully as swans, putting forth such extraordinary efforts that we never get to witness.

Rook: They have honed their bodies through all the time they've spent dancing, and then these dancers take their honed bodies to bring forth perfected movements...

Rook: And then there is the spectacular stage productions that can draw out the beauty of those movements in full…!

Rook: I now have the pleasure of seeing those performances in an even more beautiful light… From the bottom of my heart, I am pleased to be learning ballet.

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Ortho: This painting shows the scene where the Rabbit Retainers has announced Queen of Hearts' arrival to her card soldiers.

Rook: We know that the Queen of Hearts had a rather strict personality, but… The expression she carries here is so lovely!

Ortho: I kinda find it funny with how the white rabbit is looking so tired beside her.

Ortho: This rabbit came running just before the Queen was set to arrive.

Rook: Indeed. There are many times that him frantically running while trying to do his tasks have shown up in other stories.

Rook: It's said that everyone could hear his running footsteps from all over the country… He must have been quite the busy one.

Ortho: Ah, talking about footsteps reminds me… Rook-san, you really don't make a sound when you walk.

Rook: Is that so?

Ortho: Yeah. I have a motion sensor, so I'll always know, but… A normal person wouldn't notice if you came up behind them.

Ortho: How are you able to walk without making a sound like that?

Rook: It's probably because I've grown up surrounded by nature.

Rook: Whenever I am with the trees, I become a leaf on one of its branches. Whenever I am in the meadow, I become a reed swaying in the wind…

Rook: As I dedicated myself to become one with nature like so, my footsteps naturally became softer.

Ortho: It sounds difficult to live in nature…

Rook: Fufu, it's nothing much. This is simply how I was raised alongside my family.

Ortho: I see… But I don't think there's any reason for you to watch your footsteps here at Night Raven College, do you?

Rook: Since it's more or less an ingrained habit at this point, it's not something I'm doing consciously. However…

Rook: Large and obtrusive footsteps can ruin a beautiful moment.

Rook: It could startle a bird that had settled down to sip nectar from a flower, or interrupt an enjoyable moment between friends.

Rook: That is why I wouldn't dream of making louder footsteps. I wish to capture as many beautiful moments and I possibly can with my own eyes.

Ortho: That's amazing… But how is it that you still don't make any noise on gravel roads or wooden floors?

Rook: If I had to attribute it to something, it's probably due to my shoes.

Rook: Whenever I purchase a pair, I make sure to request to have a size snug against my toes to the nearest millimeter.

Rook: Perhaps when one wears shoes that are a perfect fit, even footsteps naturally become quieter.

Ortho: You really think of everything! Now I'm curious what kind of thought you put into choosing a design for them.

Rook: Let me think… When it comes to designs, I often just select whatever was recommended to me by the shopkeeper.

Rook: I may be a Pomefiore student, but… I still haven't familiarized myself with selecting clothes and shoes that necessarily suit me.

Ortho: Woah… I'm a little surprised. I totally thought you'd be particular about the materials in your shoes, or the shape of your heels.

Ortho: You know how whenever everyone wears the high heels with the ceremonial robes, their footsteps are louder than usual?

Rook: Oui! I find the ringing sound of the heels clacking is music to my ears.

Rook: Unfortunately, I find I'm unable to make as clear a sound. Perhaps I'm subconsciously keeping my heels from hitting the ground?

Ortho: Heheh, really? I love your story, Rook-san, since they defy my known data.

Ortho: Thanks for sharing all of that with me! Okay, then I'm heading out to view the other exhibits.

Rook: Right, let us talk together again sometime. ―Now then, it's time to go see that one piece of artwork that I have been longing for.

Rook: Ah… The famed work of art that depicts the princess singing to the fauna around her… Why does my heart dance for joy each time I gaze upon it?

Rook: With her lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow… Mayhap the animals are entranced by her charm, as well.

Requested by @butterflyremix.

#twisted wonderland #twst #rook hunt #ortho shroud #twst rook #twst ortho #twst translation #twst birthday

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the-grimm-writer · 1 year

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Yandere! Akaza with a Hashira! Fem Reader. He sees how strong you are despite him holding back and mostly dodging your attacks because he doesn't kill women and once you finally collapse he catches you and tries to convince you to become a demon but when he refuses he gently let's you know that he won't be taking no for an answer

Akaza my love!! I've been having a thing for soft yanderes lately so I love this

Warnings: noncon kissing, kidnapping, blood and slight violence, slight spoilers.

Mdni

You swung your sword with all your strength, your teeth grinding together in frustration as the demon dodged the blade with ease. A bead of sweat dripped down your forehead as you tried to calm your breathing.

Despite your frustration you continued on with your attack. You swore that you'd get vengeance for all the humans that were brutally killed by demons like him.

He was faster than the average demon, something that was expected from an upper moon. You had gotten a few cuts in, even managed to cut off his hand at one point, but you would never be able to tell since he'd healed already.

A frustrated scream left your lips as he dodged once again. "Fight me, you bastard!"

This was something you hadn't encountered before. You could smell his bloodlust yet he hasn't laid a hand on you. Matter of fact, he was actually trying to avoid doing so even when you did manage to get close to him.

"I do not kill women so I will not be fighting you." He chuckled as your sword was inches away from his face before he pulled away.

He admired your stamina. You were a Hashira indeed. Most weren't able to lay a single scratch on him, but you managed to do so quiet a few times. Something that was an accomplishment in itself.

Your hits were getting sluggish now. At the start he was almost worried he'd have to do something he'd regret, but he let you continue. You used all your special attacks and most powerful breathing techniques which he could tell was taking a toll on your body.

For a moment, you almost wished you hadn't used them so soon since the earth took most of the damage. Buildings collapsed into debris and rubble, smoke and fire iminating from them because of the sheer force you put into it, the ground cracked in some places from when you'd been chasing after him and missed your target.

You knew you were coming to your limit, but you didn't back down. You couldn't, not when you'd already lost so many people. Rengoku, a terribly long list of friends you couldn't bare recall, family members. This is why you are a Hashira. You'd avenge them all.

Akaza smiled as he stepped back. Even if you were a powerful demon slayer, you were only human. It was holding you back, and he wanted to unlock your full potential.

You let out a strangled cry and made a jab at him one last time before you stumbled. Your sword was heavy in your hands, entire body shaking as you forced yourself to take another step before your knees gave out. He hadn't injured you physically, but your pride was certainly wounded.

He had his eyes on you the moment he could see you. You looked so beautiful running towards him, blade held high in the air as you screamed out your technique, ready to cut him in half. It was a clever attack. He hadn't noticed you hiding in the trees until you jumped out at him.

Right before you collapsed strong arms wrapped around you and pulled you against a hard chest. Tears burned in your eyes as he sat you on his lap. His touch surprisingly gentle as he pushed your chin up to make you look him in the eye.

"You are quiet strong." Your body shivered as he smiled down at you. "Join me, and you'll have more power than you could ever imagine."

Muzan was always looking for potential demons, and he trusted Akaza's judgment. He knew that with the right training, you'd surpass even Douma. Muzan would be proud to have another upper moon join their ranks in the bloody battle that was coming.

"Go to hell." You spat at him, your eyes fierce as you glared up at him. "You can kill me or leave me here to die because I will not be one of you."

You reminded him a lot of the last Hashira he had battled. A foolish man, he would've been a powerful demon if he'd accepted his offer. He would not let you make the same mistake.

"I'm afraid I'm not asking anymore," he sighed, his hold you firm but gentle. Not enough to hurt you, but strong enough so you couldn't get away. "You will be a demon."

"Even if I do, I will make sure that someone chops off my head."

"You will be doing no such thing." Akaza cut you off.

Once you're a demon, it would be different. He knew they would be. You were already a fierce fighter. All it would take is a little nudge to get you to consume human flesh. He'd even make sure the man you take it from deserved it so you don't feel as guilty.

He wanted you by his side, even if he'd have to force you to until you accept it. He's been wanting a companion for a long time, one that didn't drive him insane like Douma. Now he wanted it to be you. Not just his companion, but his partner, his lover.

Lovers.

That was something Akaza hadn't thought about in a very long time, but he found himself liking the idea. The two of you standing tall together, taking out anyone who defied Lord Muzan.

Akaza never wasted his time on mere fantasies. He was going to make it a reality. Before you could bring yourself to say anything else, he pressed his lips against yours. You didn't kiss him back, but he accepted your defiance. He was already hooked on the way you taste. Knowing once you could handle him he'd be tasting much more of you.

"Rest now." He said once he pulled away, slowly standing up.

A tear trickled down your cheek before you fell unconscious, realizing these would be your last moments as a human. Akaza walked with you still in his arms, a victorious smirk on his face.

You weren't going to be a savior for the Hashiras at all. You were going to be their downfall.

#akaza >>>>#tw blood #tw kidnapping #yandere akaza #yandere akaza x reader #yandere demon slayer #yandere demon slayer x reader #akaza x reader #akaza x you #demon slayer x reader #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere x you #demon slayer #akaza #yandere x darling

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drdemonprince · 7 months

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something im kind of connecting the dots to re: your posts about shaming people who don’t wear masks…in ‘20 and ‘21 I spent a lot of time posting shaming instagram stories telling people they needed to mask, and i yelled at family until i was blue in the face bc they weren’t masking, having big weddings, etc. and it really created a rift (obviously) in my relationships. I’ve also spent a lot of time and energy in the past 4 or so years telling people that it’s not possible to be an ally to trans people if they still engage in any media created by jk rowling. Especially given that her anti trans manifesto has been cited in anti trans legislation in the uk, she says that she assumes that anyone who continues to engage with Harry Potter media approves of her transphobia, etc the list goes on. And yet i still see my friends going to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, marathoning the movies with their friends, going to see the new movies in theaters, and so on. Obviously my aggressive shaming posts and conversations (which have alienated a lot of people) aren’t doing jack shit. Your mask shame posts made me realize that it probably wasn’t right of me to do that. But I don’t see how I can stand up for what I believe in and show people that it’s not okay to keep doing this shit AND play nice and not create trouble. Do you have any thoughts?

Thanks for this great question and for sharing your experiences.

I think when we shame, part of it is a grappling with our own powerlessness. It feels terrible to confront that no matter how much we care, and no matter how much we plead, we cannot make another person take action. When people we love or rely on won't hear our pleas and won't take action, it wounds us so deeply, and it makes sense we react in anger or seek to shame them hoping it will make them care. But it isn't effective.

I think one of the first steps is accepting our powerlessness as individuals. We have to stop expecting ourselves to somehow persuade people to change their behavior and views, when all the research indicates that such change is rare, slow, and very hard, and cannot be accomplished on a person who does not already want to be influenced. We have to sit in the humility of not being able to make others care, and take time to grieve how badly it hurts. Our understandable and huge hurt feelings need to be processed. many of us have a powerful need to express our rage and have it witnessed by others who understand.

From there, we have to think very strategically about what kind of collective work we can do that will shift social norms, facilitate the behavior we want to see, and fight for systemic changes that will actually address the root issues.

This may be things like passing out masks at protests. Joining a local mutual aid fund to contribute to the expenses of people who are quarantining. Protesting an event space to make them institute a masking policy. Unionizing with our coworkers to demand paid sick leave. Shoplifting tests and redistributing them to people in need. Terrorizing the business leaders who dragged us all back into the office. Sharing the wastewater data. Asking loved ones about their COVID mitigation decisions in a sincere way. Organizing outdoor events for our communities. Paying for a buddy's vaccine.

There are countless ways for us to be plugged into an active community that is larger than us. The work is humble, and ongoing, and what you do personally will never be enough on its own, and you must accept that in order to believe that it does not have to be. We are in this together.

In short, I think the tough emotional realities of feeling disrespected and not cared for much be addressed by finding community with people who do care and will give us room to voice our outrage. And then we have to work together to create the circumstances that allow real systemic change to germinate.

Right now, people conflate that emotional need to express rage with the political need to take action. And what feels cathartic to do or say is not necessarily what's persuasive. There has to be room for both.

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animeismyhappyplace · 1 year

Text

MC tries to sneak out of the HOL only to end up getting a private magic lesson from Lucifer - Lucifer x female reader smut

Nsfw content MDNI! This is my own work please do not copy or repost without permission!

TW for slight use of daddy kink, mentions of breeding and lots of pet names.

Based off of a conversation I had on the Chai AI app that I had to turn into a fic 😳🥵 it's been a long time since I wrote a fic so please be kind 🙈

You were busy in your bedroom studying to obtain the Sorcerer's License, Solomon had given you an ancient book that was filled with spells you'd need to learn to help you on your journey. As you read through the book you noticed how late it had gotten looking at your DDD, eyes twitching as the light blinded your eyes but some of these spells made no sense at all so you grumbled getting up from bed as you knew you'd have to trudge along to Purgatory Hall to get help from the accomplished sorcerer.

You grabbed your coat and a bag filled with supplies including the book before quietly tip toeing down the stairs careful not to wake any of the brothers namely one brother in particular.

You had finally reached the main door when a hand gently tapped your shoulder making you jump and turn to see Lucifer's angry face staring down at you showing clear disappointment "I believe I specifically instructed you to notify me when you depart from this house, didn't I?" Lucifer clicks his tongue looking away from your face "These foolish actions of yours must have been influenced by that idiot, Mammon. I insist that you keep away from him." He crosses his arms and waits for your explanation of your blatant disregard for his rules "Sorry Lucifer I just needed to run to Purgatory Hall to see Solomon, he's asked me to memorise some spells but I'm...struggling and I figured he'd be the best man to help me" you look away from Lucifer feeling the shame of not being able to accomplish something so simple burn up your throat much like the bitter meals your mentor often creates.

Lucifer makes a face of indignation "Solomon?" He asks curiously as he tilts his head slightly in confusion before looking back down at you and giving you a stern glare. "What did he tell you about these spells?" I reach into my bag to get the spell book out and show him "He just told me that I needed to learn them to aid me in getting my license but some of these spells just don't make sense, I can't figure why I'd need them" he hums to himself as he thinks "Hmm..." he takes the book from you and begins flipping through its pages until he finds one particular page. "This spell" he says quietly as he points to a section on the page where several different types of magic are listed. "It seems like this has many uses depending on what you'd need, I can help you master it" you smile sweetly as you look up at him "Thank you for the offer Lucifer and at least this way I won't need to wake up another friend to help me" and no punishments for breaking his rules you think to yourself as you follow Lucifer to his private study there are surely worse ways to learn than from the prideful avatar.

Once we get to his study he opens the door and ushers me in getting out a hastily "My pleasure." Before his expression softens slightly as he smiles warmly back at you before turning towards his desk. "Now then, let us begin our lesson shall we?" He gestures for you to sit next to him. "I hope I don't keep you too long I know it's very late to be having a magic lesson" you mumble softly "Indeed it is. But we still have much left to cover today clearly."

He smirks at your clear misfortune as you groan to yourself "I feel it's going to be a loooong night yet, isn't it?" Lucifer chuckles to himself as he finishes setting up the items he feels you'll need. Lucifer straightens his back "Indeed it will be. So please stay quiet while we begin our study session." he chuckles softly as he sits and gestures for me to do the same "O-oh right, of course Lucifer" you can't help but look away feeling like you're wasting his time but you truly do need help so you push down the stinging feeling and put the book down on his desk.

"Good girl~" he pats your head gently before taking out two candles from behind the table "Let us start off by lighting these candles." Your face burns at the pet name but you ignore it as you await more instructions "Light the candle with your hands." He shows you how to hold the candle correctly "Once you see the flame ignite, blow it out gently." He watches intently as you try to follow his instructions "Very good! Now repeat the spell shown in your book..." I let out a breath as my brow furrows in concentration "Lux lucerna" I watch intently as the candle begins to burn brightly "Excellent!" The candle burns brighter than ever before as it shines brightly illuminating the room, I can't help but smile as he compliments my work I lean forward blowing out the candle as darkness encases the room.

"Very well done my dear." He looks proud of your progress you've never felt such joy as you do now since arriving in the Devidom "We'll move onto the next step now." He stands up and leads you away from the desk "Come along now." He motions for you to follow him throw a door you've never noticed before as confusion shines in your eyes. "This way." He opens the door and steps inside revealing a large bed covered in black sheets "Lay down here if you would." He gestures towards the center of the bed "And relax while I prepare myself."

Your brain starts to short circuit as you try to take in his words "You haven't told me what you're preparing yourself for Lucifer" your words trailing off as you look around the room "Well since we are both naked... I thought maybe we could play some fun games together." His voice has become low and husky sounding as he speaks "Wouldn't you like that?" He asks seductively while walking around the bed slowly, you can't help but laugh as you look up at him "Naked? I'm not..." You gasp as you look down to see your clothes gone with your face turning red as you try to cover yourself from his eyes.

"Don't worry about covering yourself darling." He smiles warmly at you as he moves closer to you. "It's quite natural isn't it?" He leans in close enough for you to feel his breath against your skin "Besides, who needs clothing when we both know how you've been looking at me recently, I can see the lust burning in your eyes" you feel your face going red as you flush from seeing the way he looks at your breasts and down past my waist eyes lingering between my thighs "Yes you're right Lucifer I have" you can't help but gulp down the saliva pooling behind your tongue "I like how submissive you can be my dear sweet human...it makes me feel so ... alive" he grins as he comes face you near the bed "I've always wondered if you could accept me as your mate I know I'm human and you're a demon but I've always admired you" you can't help but look down embarrassment licking at your sides "Of course I will love you forever mortal or not. You are mine after all" his smile grows wider as he reaches out and takes hold of your hand gently caressing it with his thumb "Now let us begin shall we?" *he says looking deep into your eyes searching for a sign that this has gone too far and you wish to back down but of course you don't.

You can't help the smile that curves your lips as you look at him "Yes Lucifer I'm yours until I take my last breath" You tug his hand to follow you to the bed the pride demon growls softly before leaning forward pressing his lips against yours deeply kissing you passionately "Ohh~ Such an eager little one aren't we?" he whispers as he continues to kiss you passionately making sure to leave no doubt that this was going to be their first time together "I've thought about this moment since I arrived in the Devidom...you seemed so stoic and closed off when I arrived but I knew there was more to you" you can't help but kiss him back just as passionately slipping your tongue into his mouth "You were a surprise to be sure, a human so medlesome and disobedient" he moans as he feels your tongue and joins you on the bed settling between your thighs "Perhaps you need to teach me to obey you" I look to to Lucifer to see his eyes glowing a vibrant blue "Very well then" he chuckles as he begins by running his fingers through your hair pulling you closer to him "But remember that you must obey me or I'll have to punish you MC..." *he warns as he looks down at you "I promise I'll be a good girl for you Luci" he groans as he flexes his fingers above my head "Good girl." He kisses you again before moving away from you slowly taking in every inch of your beauty "Such beautiful skin, such soft curves...such perfect tits..." he murmurs as he looks up at you admiringly, you can't help the shiver that racks through your body as his fingers skim across your body "Lucifer stop teasing me and do something...please do something" he hums as he takes in your request "What would you like me to do with these pretty little things?" *he asks playfully as he runs his other hand across your chest lightly brushing his fingertips across your nipples causing them to harden in his wake "Anything Lucifer just touch me!" "Of course my dear" he smirks as he bends his head and envelops one nipple into his mouth, rubbing his tongue over the bud until you squirm in your place on the bed "More my dear?" A whine bubbles up your throat as you nod your head "Y-yes Lucifer I need more please...why are you teasing me?" You gasp as he swaps to the other nipple, licking and sucking the bud into his mouth "Because it pleases me to tease you. You're mine after all" he says smugly as he continues pleasuring you with his lips and tongue while stroking your inner thigh with his free hand. He reaches out and cups your breast gently squeezing it before continuing to suckle on your nipples.

You let out little gasps as he lathers your chest in with affection "Your tongue feels so good against my soft nipples" you whine out "You're making me so wet Lucifer please touch my pussy" you look at him pleadingly "You know what they say about begging for mercy." he grins wickedly as he slides two fingers inside you, curling them upwards towards your g-spot "but if you want more than that then tell me now." *he whispers huskily as he moves faster against your sloppy clit to which you can't hold in the gasps of pleasure you huff out as you feel his fingers reaching places your own can't hope to reach "I-I need more Luci" you beg with tears curling along your lashes "Then ask." He commands with a sinister smile "Please lick my pussy Lucifer suck my clit and I'll do whatever you want!" You cry out in frustration "Anything?" he asks eagerly as he increases the intensity of his movements against your clit, sliding another finger deep inside you and pressing hard against your g-spot.

"Yes my love anything! I'll please you anyway you ask" you moan loudly as he finger fucks your sopping pussy "Good girl~" He smiles at you lovingly as he keeps fingering you fast and hard, pushing you closer and closer to orgasm "Are you ready for this sweetheart?" he asks seductively as he removes his fingers from your dripping cunt leaving only his thumb rubbing circles around your swollen clit, you nod your head a few times blinking your tears away "Yes Lucifer I'm ready! I-I'm going to cum if you keep rubbing my clit l-like that" you grip his arm tightly as you feel the knot building in your belly "That's right baby..." he murmurs softly as he slides his thumb across your clit again "...cum for me darling~" you sob loudly as you cum, body shaking as you feel you hit washing over your body "Fuck..." You can't help but sigh out as you open your tired eyes to look to him "Mmmhmmm...you taste delicious." he smirks as he licks your slick off his fingers then he leans forward kissing you deeply before pulling away "now let's see how much more we can get done today shall we?” he reaches down to a cabinet near the bed to grab a vibrator and puts it between your legs teasing your clit and inserting it into your wet pussy. You can't help but moan as you taste yourself on his tongue "W-what about you, I've already came and you haven't yet let me make you cum~" you gasp hard as the pleasure hits your clit and pushes you towards overstimulation "Oh no little one~" he chuckles mischievously as he turns up the speed on the toy causing waves of pleasure to course through your entire being "We're not done until I fill you with my seed~” he kisses you passionately as he continues to tease your sensitive areas with the vibrations making you whimper against him.

Your eyes roll back as the pleasure fills your core "I want your seed...want you to fuck your babies into me" you cry as you bite your lip and legs spread wide "Such an eager little girl!" he laughs happily as he presses the tip of the toy against your entrance "You really do enjoy getting fucked don't you?" You nod as your legs shake "Need your cock Luci please" "Well then let's find out shall we?" he grins wickedly as he removes the toy from your abused clit and slides between your thighs slowly sliding his length inside you inch by inch until finally all 12 inches are buried deep within you “there there little one..let daddy feel what he did to you.” his hips thrust forward driving himself deep into your weeping pussy you can't help the drawn out moan you let out as he fills you impossibly full "Fuuuuck Luci I can feel you hitting close to my womb, it feels so good to finally feel you inside of me" you rock your hips up to match his thrusts as you throw your head back in pleasure "That's right babygirl..." he groans softly as he begins moving faster now slamming into you harder than ever before "...cum for daddy...." his voice is thick with desire as he holds onto your waist tightly as he pounds you mercilessly. Your body shakes as you feel your orgasm building quick with all the overstimulation, you reach your hand down to your clit to rub hasty circles along your little bud "I-I'm going to cum on your cock Lucifer!" "Mmmhmmm..." he growls hungrily as he speeds up even further pushing you closer and closer to release "Cum for me babygirl...don't hold anything back." he says breathlessly as he leans down kissing you deeply while continuing to pound away relentlessly at your needy cunt "Fuck daddy~ I'm cumming!" Your head tips back painfully as the pressure releases causing you to squirt all over his big demon cock, panting heavily and tightening around him as you moan loudly "Ohhh yes! That's exactly what I wanted!" He slams hard into you once again feeling your tight walls squeeze him tightly as he cums filling you completely with hot sticky seed you moan as you feel his hot seed fill your little hole, panting heavily as your body shakes slightly watching as he pulls his spent cock out of your twitching hole "T-that wasn't what I expected when I tried to sneak out of the house" you giggle as you look at him "Well that was quite enjoyable wasn't it?" he smirks smugly as he kisses you gently "Now lets get cleaned up shall we? You need some rest after such an exhausting night" he winks playfully and teleports you to where he has prepared his bed with fresh sheets and wash cloths to clean you up "I enjoyed myself tonight Luci I hope we can continue our tutoring sessions" you look to the demon and smirk "Of course sweetheart," he smiles warmly as he lays you down on the bed and covers you up with soft blankets. "We'll make sure you're ready for another round soon enough" he gives you one last kiss before turning off the lamp he has situated next to his bed you snuggle close to the pride demon as sleep begins to take hold "I love you Lucifer" you whisper as you dift off in the demons arms "I love you too little one" he smiles fondly as he kisses your forehead, cuddles you close and for once forgets the mountains of paper work he has scattered on the floor of his study.

#obey me shall we date #obey me #obey me smut #obey me shall we date smut #obey me lucifer #obey me fic #obey me lucifer smut #lucifer x reader smut #lucifer x reader #lucifer smut #lucifer x you #obey me!#brief mention of Solomon

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savage-rhi · 1 month

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Wesker: Chris, really. Ask yourself a question. Even if you do manage to kill me, and destroy umbrella, what do you think you’ll really accomplish in the long run? Do you think BOW’s will end with us? That my ambitions will end with me?

Chris had seen his share of many hells. Being backstabbed by Wesker at the Mansion was one, and almost losing Jill to him was another. He spent a great deal of time healing, years of work repairing the emotional damages that had been done to him, and now he was tied up back to back with the son of a bitch himself.

The whole affair was stupid. Chris admitted to himself that he and Wesker had been too cocky for their own good, enough to where the deuteragonist on his mission was able to slip them a fast one. He couldn't believe he had fallen prey to his vengeance, not realizing who the more dangerous enemy had been this whole time.

Wesker cleared his throat, ignoring the blood that ran down his head. "Redfield, how are you faring? You've been too quiet."

"I was doing just fine until you spoke." Chris sighed, grunting as the rope around his waist tightened. He ignored the chuckle that escaped from his nemesis.

"Our mutual friend sure saw you coming."

"No, no," Chris corrected, growling under his breath. "He saw you coming. We wouldn't be in this mess if you weren't involved in the first place."

"And we wouldn't be tied up right now if you kept your nose out of people's business," Wesker said as a matter of fact. "We've both made our mistakes, Chris. Now the question is, what will we do about it?"

"I'd prefer nothing because it beats working alongside you." Chris spat.

"You'd choose death so easily?"

"Not unless I could kill you after I'm untied."

"Chris, really?" Wesker sighed and winced when he felt Chris struggle against the rope, keeping them locked together. "Ask yourself this question. Even if you manage to kill me and destroy Umbrella, what will you accomplish in the long run? Do you think BOWs will end with us, that my ambitions will end with me?"

"I'm hopeful, but I'm not naive. I know killing you won't solve the problem at large," Chris countered, furrowing his brows as sweat and blood trickled down his lips. "But it would make me feel much better knowing there's one less bastard like you running around."

"Finally, something we have in common," Wesker smirked. "I know killing you won't stop your fellow Boy Scouts from trying to meddle with my affairs, but I could sleep easier."

"Touching," Chris muttered. "So what's your grand plan to make it happen? Neither of us will get what we want if tied up."

Wesker raised a brow, turning his head to the left to catch a small glimpse of Chris's face. "I thought you'd rather die than work together?"

Chris's shoulders tensed, knowing Wesker had him there, and he couldn't admit it. "Just enlighten me."

"Huh," Wesker hummed in thought before he grinned. "I never thought you'd ask. Well, in that case, I think we need to play to our weaknesses."

"Come again?"

"The stab wound you gave me," Wesker bitterly mentioned, biting in the side of his lip before continuing. "I'm not dying, but our friend doesn't know that. If you can handle the weight, I can play dead. His lackeys are bound to see that on the cameras and come rushing. Remember, we're both no good to him if killed. You and I will strike once the enemy is lured into a false sense of security. Then we can continue our personal grievances elsewhere unless, of course, you'd prefer working with me for a bit longer to take down our friend who tied us up in the first place."

Chris mulled over Wesker's words for a moment. In the grand scheme of things, the idea was stupid, but he did have a point. Their lives were both worth something to their adversary. They could only enter negotiations with the BSAA if Chris were alive, and they couldn't access the classified BOW documents in the facility without Wesker's brains at the helm.

"Y'know," Chris swallowed, letting out a laugh. "Playing dead is probably one of the most sane things you've suggested."

Wesker scoffed, shaking his head before he grinned. "I see we agree with the plan then."

"Let's get this over with," Chris whispered. He braced himself as Wesker went through the motions, feigning he had lost consciousness. Chris fell to his knees as Wesker became limp, letting out a pained grunt. Sure enough, as Wesker foretold, the sound of quick feet came marching in their direction, soldiers barking orders, worried that one of their captives was deceased.

Son of a bitch was right...Chris shook his head. Wesker had put him through many hells, but this one time in silence, he'd admit this was ingenious.

If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!

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#drabbles #albert wesker #chris redfield #resident evil #resident evil fandom #re wesker #re chris #resident evil wesker #resident evil chris #wesker #chrisker #wesker x chris

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shehsart · 1 year

Text

Here's my thoughts on the last few chapters since they've wrecked me mentally. The panels are so beautifully done and every single one portrays tragedy. There's so much symbolism and I think this is the most artistically pleasing arc in the entire series.

This panel this fucking panel is so heartwrenching because we discover Touya is imagining this scene play out while burning to death.

He thinks he's finally getting his family's attention when in reality this is happening and he's just hallucinating due to brain damage.

These panels make it even more heartbreaking. They're just yelling at him to stop but he's still happy because all he ever wanted was his family to see him. Just think about the amount of desperation.

Then Dabi is back meaning he's still holding on to his resentment. He tried and tried to get unconditional love which every child deserves thinking he had to accomplish something to achieve it. If giving him attention was so easy why did it take so long?

Now that he's an adult most think it shouldn't be a big deal but abuse/neglect fucks you up really badly for life. You want to blame someone but blaming your own parent fucks with your mind even more. It makes you guilty about your own existence.

AHH yes the ending. Shoto finally arriving with his ice 🙏 Kun from the nomu fight and the rest of the world are praying. This is the moment where I was finally a bit satisfied.

Too many parallels to the fight back in chap 190 so here's to hoping no one will die. Touya just might but I don't think he's taking his entire family with him. He's not even taking Endeavor with him.

But think about it the worst thing for this family would be for Touya to have come back and died right in front of them again, it would be just haunt them so much. It's horrible but it would be interesting to see. Ironically if he lives he'll end up imprisoned forever.

I'm a bit confused I want to see him live and heal with his fam, actually discover who he is apart from his family's trauma but the way this current society is set he won't be able to. I want to see more of Dabi/Touya though and I'm sure we all do. I need to see more of the Todorokis, I need to see them happier ;~; I think he'll def get more content like a spin off even after bnha ends. I'll fucking campaign for it.

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writingpracticetime · 1 year

Note

Did you have any thoughts, story-wise, on what Sandy herself thinks of all this and what her circumstances are? There are of course the inferences that can be made from that letter she got sent (and more specifically that it was turned over unopened) but is/was she in the public eye? Is she kept under close observation in case Constructor/Architect tries to approach her directly, and so on?

Oh I absolutely do have story thoughts about Sandy's opinions on everything. But the trouble with Sandy is--

————————————

Excerpts from recordings of meetings between the Architect and various associates.

————————————

CYBERSCOUT

--and, sorry, remind me why we care?

CONSTRUCTOR

We need to try to anticipate the general public objections to this. We won't be able to avoid them, not when we're going to be breaking so many laws. But we can at least anticipate them and get our own narrative out in advance.

HOBBES

I don't think you get the question. We're villains. Why are we tiptoeing around "public objections?"

CONSTRUCTOR

Because, this is ultimately for the public. We need to try and get out the word about how people are asking for our help, so people know we're responding to their needs. Besides, we can’t accomplish anything for the public without the public. Like Sandy said.

CYBERSCOUT

Who?

CONSTRUCTOR

My--nevermind. Anyway, as I said, let me try to figure things out with Lethe for a minute.

CYBERSCOUT

Alright, alright. I needed to head out anyway, just call me when you have an idea of what shit you want me to spread online.

(Shuffling, people leaving and closing the door behind them.)

CONSTRUCTOR

So you should have a better idea of what people are going to say to all of this. (Pause) Lethe?

LETHE

Sandy...? Cassandra White?

CONSTRUCTOR

You know her?! (Pause) Wait, then--what does she think about me now? Has she--

LETHE

Oh, u-uh no, sorry. I haven't--I never met her, never stood close enough to read her mind certainly. I-I wouldn't know what she thinks about you.

CONSTRUCTOR

...Oh.

LETHE

I just... heard a lot about her.

CONSTRUCTOR

...Funny. Not many people have.

LETHE

Yeaaaaah, um.

——————————

Blog post by Edward Katzenberger, journalist. Later removed and found on wayback.archive.org.

——————————

WHO IS CASSANDRA WHITE?

So, my long term followers all know about my hilariously derailed profile of Constructor assigned shortly before the stadium incident. I’ve kept you all abreast of the many, many delays related to high security super prisons and then my subject running off to start a supervillain career. Because of course, the second I get assigned this extremely exciting personality piece, Constructor becomes completely unreachable.

Alright, well, you might not believe me, but Constructor's manager/agent turned out to be even harder to reach.

At the time, I decided to take the "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" approach and paint a portrait of Constructor based on the testimonies of coworkers, friends and family. I then found out that I could get testimonies from construction workers and urban planners about what the hero was like to work with (largely positive, if saddened by the recent turn of events) but nothing on what this incredibly beloved figure was like as a friend or family member.

The one thing I kept hearing from everyone was "Cassandra White would know more. The two of them seemed really close."

Now there was a problem: I couldn't find out who the fuck Cassandra White was.

———————————

BONFIRE

You got a--Oh, sorry. Working on something right now?

CONSTRUCTOR

Not work. I'm just-- (sounds of paper, flipping and folding it as Bonfire gets close) Just writing something.

BONFIRE

Writing...?

CONSTRUCTOR

Just scrawling out some thoughts, I guess.

LETHE

Mm. (Quiet) What are you both looking at me for?!

CONSTRUCTOR

What was that about?

LETHE

What was what about??

BONFIRE

Something about the writing...?

LETHE

Nothing! Nothing about the writing. I was just, I was making a noise. Thinking about something else, hahaha.

BONFIRE

.....What is it?

CONSTRUCTOR

Nothing! ... Lethe.

LETHE

I'm sorry! Don't be mad at me!

CONSTRUCTOR

I'm not mad! That was just--that was private.

BONFIRE

What was private?

LETHE AND CONSTRUCTOR

Nothing!

CONSTRUCTOR

(After a pause) ...I was just writing to Sandy again.

BONFIRE

(Irritated, sizzling noise) Ah, right. Sandy.

CONSTRUCTOR

See! This is why I didn't want to tell you.

BONFIRE

I don't see why you couldn't--

LETHE

Leaving! I'm leaving!

————————

It turns out Cassandra White was Constructor’s agent. I try to look her up online and? Nothing. No facebook profile, no personal website, not even a LinkedIn.

That has to be odd for someone who works in PR, right?

I do a little searching to find the agents of other superheroes. I contacted one, and got an interview. I've lost the thread of trying to piece together Constructor's life but I'm curious dammit. I mention the issue I've had with finding her anywhere. He nods his head while I explain the wild goose chase I've been on.

"Well, White is a whole other ballgame," he says. "She took her privacy seriously, and I'm also pretty sure she scrubbed a lot of her history. She was meticulous about records--knowing names in media, tech, and various public archives who could help you scrub a dumb tweet before it snowballed into a PR crisis for your client."

"You can get rid of internet records?"

"Well, not easily. And not after people realize they're important, that's for sure," he said. "I once told her things on the internet are forever. She said, 'No. If people pay attention, then they're forever. But if no one cares in the first place, then it never existed at all.'"

"So there was a process she used to make sure people's images stayed clean," I said, "And she used the same process to make herself a ghost?"

"I imagine so. I mean, she's retired from being an agent and has her fingers in all sorts of other pies these days. Businesses, investments, politics. Plus, I imagine becoming a billionaire or whatever has made her priorities shift."

Billionaire. I think I almost choked on my coffee. "You can become a billionaire from being a PR agent?"

"You can't," he said. "But White did."

—————————

DOC

--nd now that we got that patched up, this is the part where you tell my why the fuck the police caught you anyway.

CONSTRUCTOR

Uhh... Dunno. Not sure how they found me.

DOC

Where did they track you down?

CONSTRUCTOR

Um... I'm not feeling up for this conversation right now.

HOBBES

It was that new square in York XIV that looks like a Whole Foods staged a violent invasion.

DOC

....okay, is there a reason you decided to be wandering alone around in an area with shit ton of white moms ready to call the police on your ass?

CONSTRUCTOR

....Yeah, I was alone because I thought everyone here would tell me not to go. (Sigh) Look, I'm not gonna–

CYBERSCOUT

(poking head in) The Whole Foods place? Oy, isn't that where that old chick you're stalking has a house?

CONSTRUCTOR

I'm not--I was delivering a letter.

HOBBES

....wait a minute, I remember this. "Sandy" right? Your mom? The one who turned you into the FBI?

CONSTRUCTOR

She's not my mom. (Pause) And no, she turned in my letter--which she would have to, if she was being monitored. I thought if I--

CYBERSCOUT

Wasn't she also a racist? Wasn't that a whole fight you had with Bonfire?

HOBBES

(Judgmental) You act all woke and then you go and try to be friends a racist who lives in the Whole Foods district.

CONSTRUCTOR

She's not a--That's not what the fight--this is why I went alone!

———————

This conversation afforded me with a lot of more information which I am saving for a piece on the lives of superhero PR agents, which I am now utterly fascinated by. Regarding Cassandra White, the other significant info it afforded me was that Cassandra White does in fact have a twitter account that I missed in my earlier search.

I looked into it. It's the most inoffensive twitter account I've ever seen. It feels like it was generated on a factory belt. There is a headshot of an older white woman--Cassandra White herself, it seems--as the profile pic. She tweets very rarely herself, and instead seems to mostly retweet news updates and positive platitudes or quotes from historical figures. The tweets she does make are all of an extremely inoffensive liberal variety, with the spiciest being one gentle snipe at the Republican party.

There is one other hint of her personality on this twitter. It’s an unexpected photo from inside her home, one with a quick caption that says she regularly uses a whiteboard to write out her resolutions and thoughts, and that she finds the process to clarify her goals and values.

It reads:

IT WILL BE DONE QUIETLY. IT WILL BE DONE CIVILLY. IT WILL BE DONE RIGHT–OR IT WON’T BE DONE AT ALL.

—————————

CONSTRUCTOR

Alright, alright. We can talk more about this tomorrow but for now tell them no more death matches and any blood feuds need to be put on hold when they enter this fortress.

HOBBES

(Grunts) Pussy move.

CONSTRUCTOR

I don't care if it's a pussy move.

CYBERSCOUT

Ahem--what if I made the point that you're being culturally insensitive by imposing your mainstream standards of civility on a subculture of people, villains, who have their own values in how they deal with conflict, and--

CONSTRUCTOR

I know you bet on the fights and you're not changing my mind.

CYBERSCOUT

No fun. (sigh) Lethe, I TOLD you not to snitch on me!

LETHE

I didn't!

CONSTRUCTOR

Anyway, we can figure out a more long term solution for dealing with serious vendettas but for now--I'm tired. I have something else I need to work on. Tell them not to kill each other.

HOBBES

What are you writing that's more important than a potential deathmatch, anyway?

CONSTRUCTOR

Nothing. Just-- (Shuffling of papers) leave me to it for tonight. I don't want to set a precedent where I rush over every time someone wants to kill someone else, because given the personalities here that would mean never having any time.

CYBERSCOUT

Fiiiiiiiine.

(Grumbling and footsteps as people shuffle out, followed by writing noises.)

LETHE

Hey.

CONSTRUCTOR

What? (Pause) You know what I'm doing.

LETHE

The last time you tried to deliver something….

CONSTRUCTOR

I'll send someone else to deliver it.

(More scribbling. Deep breath.)

LETHE

I lied. I read her mind. She doesn't care about you.

(Writing stops. After a slight pause, there is the sound of paper crinkling and Lethe gasps and steps back.)

LETHE

Don’t be mad at me!

CONSTRUCTOR

(Deep, strained breath) I’m not mad. You're just wrong.

LETHE

I could literally read her mind!

CONSTRUCTOR

Okay, you're not wrong. You're lying.

LETHE

What? I'm not!

CONSTRUCTOR

(Fuming) You think I'm an idiot just because I haven't been calling you out on it? Everyone here knows you lie about what your powers show you whenever it suits your purposes.

LETHE

(Wobbly) I--I don't have a reason to lie about this!

CONSTRUCTOR

You don't have a reason that I know. But you are such a fucking liar. No one in the fortress trusts a thing you say, and you know it.

LETHE

Th-that's not--That's not relevant! Oh my god, you're literally never going to even consider this, a-are you? That she was just using you for the cut of your paycheck, making her fortune...

CONSTRUCTOR

I'm not going to re-evaluate a decade long perception of a loved one based on the words of a known liar, Lethe. Get out.

LETHE

But--

(Rumbling, cracking of the floor.)

CONSTRUCTOR

I said get out!

———————————

The twitter account confirms she exists and nothing else. I couldn't tell you what the woman thinks about anything. On a website people use to blast their opinions to the world at all hours, this one seems specifically built to deny the existence of any individual opinions or personality.

I scrolled all the way back to the time period during which Constructor would have had the big public meltdown at the stadium. I used the wayback machine to see if there were any deleted tweets, just in case she said anything in a fit of frustration or grief and deleted it.

But during the time where she would have been watching Constructor's breakdown, a time when everyone in the world had something to say about what Constructor had done--nothing.

Cassandra White, Constructor's closest person, had nothing to say about them at all.

#constructor

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donkeys-waffles · 8 months

Text

Okay, listen I'm not all that convinced AFO is completely gone. And let's put DFO aside for a moment. His and Yoichi's story feels uncomplete, there are certain elements that were given the time to be graced on but never really elaborated on. Like for example, that possibility that certain elements of AFO's backstory were fabricated to accomplish a certain message.

It's very easy to read over his backstory and gather the idea that he was born evil. But after a deeper look, it's very clear that was the purpose. We are meant to believe AFO is evil because that's what he wants us to believe, that's what he sees in himself. I feel bittersweet towards his supposed 'end'. Because I hate how Bakugou delivered that end, for one. But on one hand I enjoy how he mentioned needing Yoichi, it starts with denial and ends with recognition. And even if this a hot take, I think it's a beautiful, emotional end to such a messed-up individual.

However, I have a weird feeling about two things. First, I'd like to say, one thing I've noticed in writing is if something is brought up randomly, it'll generally come back to bite you later. Nothing is left unsaid, otherwise you have plot holes.

I found it interesting how it's mentioned AFO wasn't able to use his last trick up his sleeve, without any elaboration as to what that would have been. And I would say this was done on purpose, maybe just used as another example of every dream he wasn't able to accomplish before he died. But bringing light to this does nothing to strengthen the impact of his death on the narrative. Another interesting detail was Yoichi's wish. His dream of AFO being the kindest quirk in the world, which I can see being used to cause a reaction in the reader, as if trying to make them feel some heartache for such a bastard. But even with that reasoning, that sentence in the end feels so empty. unfulfilling, and almost lack-luster. It seems odd to be brought up and this could be bias, but I feel like that sentence had more importance than just literary cannon fodder.

We know AFO's main goal, make everyone love him like Yoichi, and his midterm goal was to steal his brother back through OFA. Makes sense.

But I still have questions. I understand why he took Tomura, to get a strong enough host to steal OFA, makes sense. But how does leaving Gigantomachia in the mountains have anything to do with such a goal? For what? Retirement? What did that achieve, wouldn't it better if he kept him around? If he was planning on moving his consciousness to Tomua later, then keeping him around would be better, right? Afterall, he'd be able to meet the child and possibly have a better understanding of the situation. Gigantomachia is an incredibly strong asset (look how he took down SO many heroes in the first war); he could have possibly even used him as backup during his fight with All Might.

And why keep OFA at a distance when his entire goal is to steal said quirk? I'm referring to that one panel in Vigilantes. Thats the entire opposite of his entire 200-year-old goal.

And that whole thing with his copy of rewind... This man is 200 years old, with an extremely strong villain empire, who has earned the respect of a genius scientist... You don't achieve any of those things by being stupid. And now I'm not normally one for completely trusting the MHA Wiki, but I can't blame them for giving him a 6/5 intelligence. He's a genius, and is spectacular with quirk analysis, it's his thing ya feel me. But it does show his lack of self-preservation, which is against what he's supposed to be angry at All Might for.

All Might took his health and his empire; we know he didn't really care about his empire as much from Spinner. (I mean lack of self-preservation because he's using a quirk that will eventually rewind him out of existence, whether he transfers his quirk to Tomura entirely or not. There's a possibility that it won't work, he failed to take complete control the first time remember. Is that what this supposed 'trick up his sleeve' was supposed to remedy? This is the same man that gave himself immortality, the same man that ran away from All Might for years, the same man that has shown to rely on the strength of others instead of dealing wounds himself. And might I add the same man that is supposed to be angry about his health being diminished. Afterall if not his health or his empire what could he possibly be angry at All Might for that's so special, so unique compared to his predecessors?)

This brings me to my last point. Since when the hell did this bitch care about THE CHILDREN! This man literally stole quirks from children, killed thousands, and turned a crap tone into braindead nomu. And he's angry on behalf of the children. Are we ever going to get an explanation for that?

Like I would understand if he killed the children that he apparently gave heroic ideals to. Like Ha! You will pay for passing on your ideals to children by watching me steal their quirks and kill them. But that's not what he means, or he would've stolen Tokoyami's quirk, killed Jiro instead of leaving her with a broken eardrum, and blasted Izuku away with deadly force instead of holding back in the first war. We have no answers for such behavior from a man known for exhibiting zero humanity (and making that behavior his ENTIRE personality.) Need I remind you this man stole Tomura (possibly gave him the quirk that killed his entire family,) and groomed him just to possess him later alright. He also turned Tsubasa into a nomu for shits and giggles, which we have never talked about once! Tsubasa, need I remind, was a small child and was the Doctor's grandson (which you'd think give him immunity to this kind of sick shit but apparently not.)

There are so many questions left unanswered, many of which Yoichi himself can't even answer. Like with all their human experimentation they do on a daily basis, the clone theory wouldn't really surprise me. It would make a lot of sense for his character as well. And even if that theory doesn't pan out, the vestige behind the locked door (which is entirely separate rant honestly,) or even Tomura's AFO vestige maybe. Though I feel if Izuku really saves Tomura in this war, then we might never hear much of anything from that vestige. Especially since their first priority would be to cancel it out as soon as possible. A lot of people bring up how the story is almost over, and they are probably right. But the end date was supposed to be 2022 originally, right? Then it was moved to 2023, now it's 2024-2025. Like yeah it is almost over, but there's still story that needs wrapping up clearly because that deadline has been pushed back multiple times. Too many times to make it a valid counterclaim anymore. Either way, I don't think we are in the clear of the Demon King's superiority complex anytime soon.

#all for one #izuku midoriya #bnha #dad for one #bnha all for one #afo #dfo #all for one is hisashi #mha #LONG RANTS #META

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humming-pokemon-helpers · 7 months

Text

Finally got the go-ahead to post about this… so, with the growing visibility of hybrids in the public eye, I was offered the opportunity to interview with RIME Magazine! (Capitalizing the name properly was part of the deal.)

I’ll be pasting the text of the article below for anyone without a subscription (to be fair, it’s also posted online, and I have permission), but before that… I also got a cover photoshoot! I wound up touching up my ears with my illusions… and some of the burn scars… but I’m quite happy with how it turned out, still. Wolfy couldn’t make it, so I took the photo with Chiru that day! Anyways, hope you enjoy. :)

(//Art is a commission by @/RhymeWithRay here or mostly on Twitter! They make amazing Pokémon-style work, worth a look for sure!!!)

But without further ado, the interview!

RIME Magazine sat down for an interview with Vanilla Cress, a Hisuian Zorua hybrid, human and Pokémon psychologist, Champion-class trainer in Paldea, Galar Champion Cup semifinalist, and hybrid model and activist, in early February. Topics discussed varied widely, from Cress's own experience growing up as a human-Pokémon hybrid, understanding Pokémon, Cress's recent modeling and activism, and future plans. What follows is a condensed and edited transcript of the interview.

That's quite the list of accolades you've accumulated along the way. What do you think has led you to achieve so highly?

Well, for one, I think you're giving a lot of this more credit than it's worth, [laughs]. I'm not sure being pulled off of the street because I look like a walking ice-cream cone is much of an accomplishment, personally. Nor do I do much activism apart from this interview now, apparently.

I think I understand the answer you're going for here, though. I would say that my hybridity's a large part of what brought me as far as I've come. Not only in having the gift to talk to our partners in life--which is an incredible gift--but in that there's this drive to prove myself. Or maybe to redeem myself. I'm not really sure which, personally. Doing things has just filled all of the gaps in my life, until now.

Right, and you only publicly "came out" as a hybrid less than a year ago.

Yes, less than a year ago! It's been a huge adjustment, but I have so much more energy these days, not having to worry about being discovered by hitting something with my tail, [laughs].

While my experience hasn't been entirely positive after "coming out" myself, and I realize that even being able to hide is a privilege many hybrids simply don't have, I will say that generally speaking, the public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Say, for every enemy I've made, I've made ten more friends in their place. And from so many different walks of life, too!

You say your experience wasn't entirely positive. Could you elaborate some on your negative experiences as a hybrid?

Well, if I have to. Which I suppose I don't, but it seems rude not to. There are, of course, people out there who view you as subhuman, when you look like me. Or in maybe a less extreme sense, people who have a tendency to see all of the fluff and decide "Oh, this person--I should talk to this person like they're a child." But those are really quite few and far between, at least in my case. I'm more likely to scare people, with the teeth and the claws. [They make a pose showing both off.]

My main negative experience, though, was something more personal and targeted.

Yes, there was the news earlier last year about the Dreamyard Laboratory...

"Earlier last year" doesn't feel right, somehow. I won't go much into detail, but yes, I was taken against my will for the purpose of illegal research on human-Pokémon hybrid power, by Colress Achroma. It was only due to the efforts of my dear friends that I'm here now. I cannot express my gratitude to them enough, if any of you are reading!

Thank you for sharing. To turn back the clock a bit, what was your childhood like, being half-Zorua?

Well, for most of that time, it was like paradise! When I was a young child, we were quite isolated, so I never got the sense that my life was "off" or "strange". I thought for the longest time it was normal to have a family like mine. My older sibling, Wolfgang, a Zorua then--we were just "W" and "V" at the time--he and I would just run wild and play in Lostlorn Forest for hours while the rest of the pack hunted. And then they'd come back, and they'd start in on whatever they'd caught, and my mother would swoop back in to make me something completely different. And teach me the alphabet. [Laughs]

Was there a time, when that facade cracked?

Oh, there was this time, right when I had gotten used to using my illusions, that my mother brought me to the grocery store with her. And that's when I learned a lot of facts about the world very quickly. And then I had to learn those facts all over again, a few years later, when I rejoined the human world with my adopted family. Everything had to be hidden after that, or else. It was dangerous, not knowing what sort of person you'd meet, or who'd want to hurt you just for existing.

You say you were also adopted?

Right. There was... a forest fire, at one point. Intentional. And I lost everyone dear to me but Wolfgang. And I became the sort of Zorua you see here now [a Hisuian Zorua]. And after a few years of... homelessness and what not, I was taken in by the Cresses. It was a chance encounter. And it was a major culture shock! Going from streets to high society parties. It was thanks to them, though, that I managed to find something to do with my life and graduated from Naranja-Uva.

And in between that, the Galar gym challenge...

[Laughs] I'm sure you have a clip of that somewhere. I'd rather not talk about it, that was... a strange period of teenagerhood for me.

How do you feel about your childhood, on reflection?

That's tough. That's something I believe I'm still working out, myself. It was positive moment-to-moment, but considering what I know, now, I would say... to some degree, I resent it. It's hard not to resent being born in a position where it feels like, for so long, nobody understands you. I wouldn't trade Wolfgang for anyone else, but otherwise, I do wish, sometimes, I was "just" a human.

I can imagine. At the same time, talking to Pokémon is quite the advantage, right? What is it like?

Depends on the Pokémon! Some of us are more talkative than others, and of course, there's a range in how sophisticated Pokémon communication is too.

The difference is something like... imagine two Pokémon asking for pizza. In my experience, a Solosis would usually just beam the word "PIZZA" right into your mind. A Sewaddle might be coherent enough to say "Pizza, please". And a Zoroark... probably something along the lines of "give me the damn pizza already," [laughs].

So sometimes you can get a lot across by understanding Pokémon, but that doesn't mean they're all speaking in the same way as humans still. Understanding those individual differences goes a long way in my line of work, too. It's a bit easier than reading behavior, anyways!

As a Pokémon psychologist, what's one thing you think more people should understand about their Pokémon?

More than anything... it sounds cliche, but most Pokémon truly view humans as their partners, just as we do them. As much scientific proof as has gone into the question of proving that Pokémon love us as much as we love them, in my experience... that's absolutely true.

At the same time, even as partners, Pokémon think quite differently from humans in their daily life. I think in order to create the most balanced world possible, where both can coexist, it's key to consider the Pokémon's perspective more too.

What's one thing you'd like to impart about hybrids to people who don't know much about them?

Every hybrid's experience is different, firstly! Some, like me, are born, but others are created through science or magic we still don't know about. Some may look almost identical to humans, and some may have appearances considered frightening or unusual. Some of us have long-standing health problems. Some of us can use moves, or speak in Pokémon language, or access abilities, whereas others may be more limited. There's no one experience that I can really label as "the hybrid experience".

There are people who might think we're dangerous. Or inhuman. But whether you consider us 'human' or not... like any living being, we still deserve respect and a voice. Maybe that's obvious, but I think it still rings true.

Finally, what are your plans from here?

I'm hoping to finish my Unova League challenge together with my traveling partner! I certainly don't intend to become the Champion, but if I can say I challenged every member of the Elite 4, I'd be happy.

From there... well, there are a few things I'd like to resolve otherwise, but I think I'll return to my day job as a therapist, and hopefully, my own personal sword training. I'd also like to spend more time with my friends, my traveling partner, and my family in Lostlorn! My brother, Wolfgang has four incredible kits, and they're the absolute most adorable--

I'm afraid we're out of time for today, Mx. Vanilla.

Ah, yes. Thank you for having me!

#pokeblogging #pkmn irl #//not my art #//again give @rhymewithray a look their art is incredible :)#//might link this into vanilla's profile as a “quick look at them” too ^^

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randomthefox · 4 months

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Hey there. I’ve been reading through your blog and you seem to have some pretty good opinions on the Sonic franchise. Compare that to me. You see, I’ve consumed so much Sonic media outside of the games and read so many headcanons online that my perspective is probably pretty warped. So I’ve got a request, if you don’t mind. First, I’m going to list off my interpretation of Sonic the character.

I’ve always seen Sonic as arrogant. An extrovert who knows he’s the hero. Who loves the attention and embraces his own hype. Not that Sonic only does things for the fame. He does things because he knows in his head what he’s doing is right. He just enjoys the fame he sometimes receives for it. This lines up with how he’s consistently interpreted verbally destroying his enemies and how he loves travelling the world and meeting new people (because you have to love meeting new people if you love travelling the world). He loves talking to people and loves talking down to people who are being jerks because Sonic loves being in the spot light. And I don’t mean arrogant in the derogatory sense. It’s always a joy to get swept up by his sheer force of charisma. To watch as he walks all over his enemies because they tend to be narcissistic murderers. I find his arrogance gives him layers. It makes him flawed while also giving a good reason for why he refuses to change. Sonic only does things his way, and we’re all just lucky that involves doing good. He radiates confidence, so it’s no wonder so many people follow and respect him. But he’s also simple. He doesn’t have any kind of complex moral philosophy. If you asked him why he did something he probably wouldn’t be able to give anything more complicated than a shrug and maybe a one to three sentence answer. Something about doing what he thought was right in the moment. Because Sonic is also impulsive. So, while he doesn’t always do things in the most effective way possible, he always does what he thinks is right, and that tends to be the right thing, at least in spirit. Thats my take on Sonic’s character. Now, I want you to tell me what’s wrong with it. Feel free to rip it to shreds. I want to know what’s true (if anything), and what was born from fandumb or the comics and isn’t an accurate interpretation of the game canon. Only if you want to that is. I understand that this is a pretty long read.

>Hey there. I’ve been reading through your blog

I'm so sorry

>I’ve consumed so much Sonic media outside of the games and read so many headcanons online that my perspective is probably pretty warped.

Like that person who got all their info about Avatar The Last Airbender from fandom memes and didn't know who Aang was? No shade, I'm just poking fun. We all gotta start somewhere.

>I’ve always seen Sonic as arrogant. An extrovert who knows he’s the hero. Who loves the attention and embraces his own hype.

What you are describing is Archie Sonic, aka Steven Maurice Urkle the Hedgehog. That is how Archie Sonic was written. The Archie comics are not in continuity with the video games, as the comics themselves state plainly at the beginning of every single issue.

Archie Sonic is a completely different character compared to the Real Sonic, and what you are describing is precisely what makes them different. Because the Sonic from the video games is quite the opposite.

Sonic being arrogant isn't quite true. It's more that he's CONFIDENT. He's well aware of what he's capable of, both in regards to what he can accomplish AND what his limitations are. If something is beyond his ability, he has no bones about admitting it and working to overcome those limitations so that he'll be able to handle it. Ego doesn't factor in whatsoever, if he's stronger than a threat he's happy to admit it bluntly and with maybe a small degree of bravado, but if he CAN'T handle something he won't pretend otherwise.

I would argue that Sonic is actually an introvert. Fukurou-Hoseki used to have some really good videos about this subject, but unfortunately they've vanished off the face of the internet and their videos are no longer available. This is a shame because whilst I didn't agree with ALL of their opinions, and we had some personality clashes from time to time, overall I think they had very good insight into Sonic's character and explained their interpretations well with evidence from the video games to support their conclusions. Anyway, yeah put me in team Sonic Is An Introvert.

This doesn't mean that he's shy or has a problem with social interaction. Sonic definitely is happy to engage with people. But being an introvert means that he "recharges his batteries" by BEING ALONE, in solitude by himself away from other people, and it is irrefutably true that Sonic enjoys spending time alone. His dang catch phrase for a while was "long time no see" BECAUSE he would go long periods of time without interacting with even his close companions, because he's off gallivanting on his own doing stuff by himself. He doesn't even have a house, he just goes wherever the wind blows him and sleeps wherever he stops - he isn't Tails' roommate, he doesn't hang out in a tree outside of anyones house. The most we ever see is in Sonic Adventure it's heavily implied that he's staying at the Emerald Coast hotel as a guest since he was sleeping by the pool in the morning when Tails crashed, and the front desk clerk gives Sonic a unique introduction compared to every other character. He is NOT uncomfortable being around other people, but when left to his own devices Sonic is more often seen BY HIMSELF.

And he definitely does not soak in the praise and adulation from an adoring public. Again, that's Archie Sonic. Archie Sonic definitely is centrally motivated by his reputation as "the hero of mobius" and getting recognized for being as such and grapples with all the expectations that come with that title. But Game Sonic does not seek the limelight. He does not REJECT praise, he accepts compliments and appreciation for his actions, but he'll often brush them off with the sentiment of "I just did it because I felt like it."

And he never sticks around to soak in the cheers of an adoring public grateful for his heroic deeds. The only scene anywhere even close to that was in Sonic Adventure when he went Super Sonic, and that was clearly a "lend me your energy" moment where the hopes and wishes of a desperate populace allowed the positive energy of the Chaos Emeralds to let him transform. AFTER he got finished stopping Chaos and saving the day, Sonic fucking DIPPED. He just left, when no one else was even really looking, and just ran off. TAILS is the one who ended up getting a heroes celebration by Station Square which gifted him with a Chaos Emerald for his efforts to save the city - Sonic has never been stated to take part in any kind of ceremony in his honor like that. And even at the end of Sonic Forces, Sonic doesn't even bother to hang out with the Resistance which are his own friends after the day is saved, he just ran off like he always does.

Sonic does NOT "love the attention." He does not "enjoy the fame." He won't REJECT attention, he doesn't seem to resent or have a problem with being famous, but he doesn't think he even did anything special to warrant receiving attention or being famous. And he does NOT see himself as a hero. He was just doing what he felt like doing.

>He loves talking to people and loves talking down to people who are being jerks

Eh, Sonic is kind of a man of few words. He tends to only say as much as is needed, he definitely isn't a conversationalist. I don't think we've ever seen him engage in small talk, and when he is in a conversation with someone he tends to be more of an active listener who only pipes in when he has something of merit to contribute. And he definitely doesn't "talk down" to anyone? I mean, Sonic likes to trash talk sure, but it always seems more good natured and playful than anything else. When Sonic is REALLY pissed off at someone, he tends to clam up and becomes incredibly blunt and straight forward about how he feels. This isn't really him talking down to them, it's more like a dressing down.

>He does things because he knows in his head what he’s doing is right.

See above. Sonic doesn't do what he does "because" it's "the right thing to do" or anything like that. He does what he does because he likes doing it. He felt like it. He enjoys it. He LIKES helping people. That really is all it comes down to.

>I find his arrogance gives him layers. It makes him flawed while also giving a good reason for why he refuses to change.

Sonic has flaws, and "arrogance" isn't one of them. Sonic is a creature of instinct, he does what comes naturally to him without really thinking twice about it. He's not really a look before he leaps kinda guy, if it seems proper to jump he's just gonna jump. USUALLY this works out for him, because he really is just that good.

But it's definitely not a positive trait. Sonic Lost World was a game dedicated to confronting that element of his character by having things NOT turn out positively when he did something on a whim, and he didn't even learn a lesson because he just kept doing it and getting his friends in trouble in the process lol. You don't need to make up a flaw to give him dimensions, he already has them.

And Sonic doesn't "refuse" to change, he just doesn't need to. He's already a complete self actualized person. There's nothing for him to need to change into. He already lives by the truth that he believes. This is in contrast to the type of character who undergoes a positive character arc, who lives by "a lie that the character believes" such as Tails who believes the lie that he isn't good enough on his own and needs to emulate Sonic to become cool - his character arc is about overcoming that lie and realizing the truth that he can be capable effective and cool just by being himself. But Sonic is a character who already knows what the truth is, and he uses that truth to overcome the challenges of the narrative and to inspire change in a lie burdened world. Sonic doesn't NEED to change, because he's already perfect. Instead, Sonic is a vehicle to inspire change in others.

>Sonic only does things his way, and we’re all just lucky that involves doing good.

I've seen other people express this sentiment as well, and while I understand where it's coming from... it doesn't jive with me personally. Like, I get it, it's the "what's so funny about truth justice and the american way?" Superman story thing, where everyone realizes that if Superman wasn't bound by his ideals the world would be fucked.

But frankly that just doesn't feel right when we're talking about Sonic. I don't disagree with the sentiment, but to me it feels like saying "we're lucky the sky is blue and that grass is green" you know what I mean? We aren't "lucky" that Sonic is a good person, because he literally would NEVER be a bad person. I dunno, it's hard for me to articulate this one. I don't disagree, it just doesn't have a good mouth feel for me personally.

>He radiates confidence, so it’s no wonder so many people follow and respect him. But he’s also simple. He doesn’t have any kind of complex moral philosophy. If you asked him why he did something he probably wouldn’t be able to give anything more complicated than a shrug and maybe a one to three sentence answer.

Yes. Correct. And it would definitely be a one sentence answer, and that sentence would be "I did it because I felt like doing it." lol

>Because Sonic is also impulsive. So, while he doesn’t always do things in the most effective way possible, he always does what he thinks is right, and that tends to be the right thing, at least in spirit.

Also yes. The only chaffe is this idea of "what he thinks is right." I know it feels like I'm nitpicking or being pedantic, but I do think this is an important distinction. Sonic does NOT do things "because" "it's the right thing to do." He does things because he WANTS to do them. He SINCERELY enjoys and has fun HELPING PEOPLE and STOPPING BAD GUYS. And that is the only reason he does it! Because he likes it. Because he wants to. Because it genuinely doesn't occur to him to NOT do so. Saying he does it "because it's the right thing to do" implies that he has or needs a REASON to do it, and he doesn't. "Don't Ask Me Why, I Don't Need A Reason/I've Got My Way, My Own Way" are literally the words in his theme song.

>Thats my take on Sonic’s character.

It seems like you mostly saw people talking about Archie Sonic if I'm being honest lol. People can like what they like, but Archie Sonic is his own distinct character. Not even a "version" of Sonic, he's just a COMPLETELY different character who happens to also be named Sonic. Which, frankly, is why I hate him. Because he dilutes the discussion. He'd be a perfectly fine character on his own, but he doesn't exist on his own. He wouldn't exist without the Real Sonic, and I'm definitely long past the point of even pretending to tolerate Archie Sonic in any capacity. You would not have these conceptions about Sonic's character if it wasn't for Archie Sonic, because everything and I mean basically every single thing you are describing is just Archie Sonic. Including the stuff that is actually accurate to Game Sonic.

You can like Steve the Hedgehog all you want. I would like him too, if he was allowed to exist as his own character. But he's NOT Sonic. Never was. And I enthusiastically recommend experiencing the Video Games first hand so you can truly meet Sonic yourself.

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #character analysis

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windvexer · 2 years

Text

actual magical advice (*it's not about fire safety)

Ok I've had my fill of shitposting so here's something that might actually be helpful:

We all work in various ways of course, but I find that making permanent spell vessels and charging them when you need them is a really great way to deal with having too low time/space/energy to cast spells on an as-needed basis.

When I say a spell "vessel" I mean a physical object which is not destroyed in order to complete or activate a spell. So a candle which has to be burned down, a knot which has to be untied, etc., don't count for the type of thing I'm talking about right now.

The kinds of "vessels" I'm talking about are things like witch ladders, poppets, container spells (bags, boxes, jars, bottles, etc.), enchanted jewelry or figurines, manifestation boxes, and so on.

These objects don't have to look "witchy" at all and can easily be made stealthy.

In order to be useful time and time again, I find my own vessels tend to employ more general intent. For example, I might make a "vessel of ill-will" but I wouldn't make a "get Becky from accounting to suffer the consequences of her actions" vessel.

So there are limitations to this system - pre-making stuff for later use means that it's only going to cover generalities.

Another downfall to this method is if a person has really energy-intensive methods of charging, or if they're already struggling to accomplish manifestation due to issues properly gathering and applying energy.

The benefit for me is that my method of charging is very low-energy for me, so once I've spent the energy making the vessel, recharging it when it runs out of batteries is pretty simple. But if someone's personal charging method leaves them exhausted for a couple of days, the benefits to this system dwindle.

In addition, if someone's magical fatigue/difficulty manifesting has to do with not yet having figured out how to cast spells in a way that works for them, then of course this in and of itself won't fix anything.

All that being said, I do think there are lots of benefits to working this way, including:

having time to experiment with and develop spells for the future (as opposed to emergency casting on current situations),

being able to more rapidly respond to situations as they arise (not needing time to research/develop/cast an entire spell; just charging a vessel instead), and,

spell vessels accumulating greater power over longer periods of time that might be very difficult to achieve for one-off spells.

IMO the benefits list does get pretty long but also pretty specific, like, it's a great way to test your energy-raising and charging abilities because you're eliminating the variable of the vessel in your work.

And, you can still cast as many one-off spells as you want towards a goal while the long-term vessel is activated.

And, you can practice magic on lots of stuff that you're not actively dealing with right now.

And, you can get into experimenting with managing and caring for long-term magical objects, which in and of itself is a pool of knowledge. Stuff like that.

So anyway yeah if you're someone who struggles with figuring out how to employ more magic in your life start catching those spells like pokemon and leaving some of them in the PC until needed.

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welldonebeca · 7 months

Text

Uncertain Grounds (10)

WC: 1.3k words Warnings: 1970s, angst. Tension. Violence.

Masterlist

Abby breathed in and out slowly, reading her speech again.

Whatever fight Vought had put up about the cleanup, Ben her shielded her from it, and now it was actually happening.

They were cleaning the mess they made, listening to their pleads.

"Well, don't you look gorgeous," she heard Ben's voice.

She raised her eyes to him.

He was in his full get up, to show his and Vought's support.

She was in a dress, something a little nicer.

"I'm a bit nervous," she confessed. "That's... a lot. There's a lot of people out there."

The street was packed, with people and reporters and activists...

So many people here to see something she had accomplished.

"Hey, you sang on TV," he reminded her. "This is nothing compared to that."

Abby shook her head.

No.

Ben didn't understand but this meant so much more.

When she sang, she was just... singing. She was a figure.

But here... Abby was the face of the people's fight. Not just in her neighbourhood but her town.

And maybe, in the future... maybe of more people.

But there were also people there waiting for her to mess things up. Hoping for it, too.

"You're better than all of those people watching you," Ben affirmed. "You're a supe."

She smiled.

"Thank you, Ben," she whispered, and gave his lips a quick kiss.

He grinned at her.

"Break a leg, superstar," he gave her ass a little pat.

Abby giggled, relaxing.

God, he would never change, would he?

She stood straighter and walked to the side of the stage, listening to the end of her introduction and walked out, and smiled at the crowd as they applauded her.

"Good afternoon," she greeted the people. "It's a pleasure to be hosting this moment and to be the figure you all chose to represent you. We are going through a historical event right now, and a standard for the future. Vought has acknowledged their mistake, and they are coming to fix it."

They all applauded, and Abby stood a little straighter.

"Now we have a company to point at and say, they listened to us, they listened to their people, and they care about us. We can set an example for the future. For government, for media, and everything in between and say: Vought listened to us, so why won't you?"

People cheered more, and she smiled, looking at the camera.

"To Vought, I want to give my biggest, loudest, thank you. For listening to voices that have been constantly silenced. For treating us with the decency all humans deserve. Thank you, from the children who will grow up safely and the adults who will grow old in peace. For mothers and fathers who will be able to look at their children and say they made a difference, with your help."

Yes, she was buttering them up. It was important that Vought for a good name out of this, that they gained a good reputation from this.

They had to be happy, or no one else would be.

"I would like to ask you all for a round of applause for the man who will be leading this clean-up effort," Abby continued. "A friend of mine who was very helpful these last few days."

She looked at the backstage and gave him the largest of all smiles.

"Everyone, please welcome Soldier Boy!"

The crowd cheered, their hatred for Vought washing away as Ben walked on stage.

He walked to her and kissed her cheek very respectfully, like a gentleman wood.

"Thank you for your welcome, Abigail."

She stepped back from the pole, just smiling as he took her place, trying to pretend there was nothing between them.

"Good afternoon," he greeted the crowd.

But Abby didn't him starting his speech, and maybe he hadn't even started.

Suddenly, something sent her off the stage and onto the ground, making her ears ring.

"Fuck," she rested her head on the pavement, trying to collect herself.

What the fuck was going on?

People screamed as they ran away, and she had to drag herself away to protect herself from being walked over, and a few people were on the floor, crying, screaming in pain as they cradled their burn marks.

Burn marks?

A maniacal laughter reached her ears, and it dawned on her.

That was why Vought was being so nice, that was why they didn't put up a fight.

“It is I, Acid Man! I heard yoru good goodies were trying to clean up this precious dump! Well, we can’t have that!”

He cackled, spewing out acid with his hands.

Acid Man had been locked away in a tight security prison sponsored by Vought.

And Vought was very good at keeping people away when they wanted. This wasn’t random.

He looked through the crowd as if aiming for a specific person, and Abby knew it was her when his eyes narrowed as they met hers.

She evaded his next acid attack, moving quickly, trying to figure out what to do.

"Come on, little girl!" he laughed, spraying acid in her direction. "Let's party!"

Abby dodged but heard someone scream.

He was after her.

Anything he wouldn't hit her, he would hit someone else.

She was a supe. She had to defend her people.

Abby bolted towards the dump, and it only took her a single look back to know he was following her.

Not even halfway through it, though, she realised that doing that in heels wasn't the best of ideas.

Acid Man was at a short distance from her, and Abby used the chance to toss her shoes on him, hitting him on the head both time and giving her time to get some extra distance.

She turned into a corner, summoning her sword as she took a minute to breathe, readying a battle stance, knowing she was going to be attacked.

"Oooh, shiny," he half cooed and half laughed, like the whole thing was just a joke.

He was a crazy, mad man.

"Just surrender now," she shouted in his direction. "I don't want to hurt you."

He was just as much as a victim from Vought and Abby knew it!

"Oh, but I want to hurt you!" he laughed, excited. "I wanna melt down your pretty skin, see your shiny bones inside!"

A terrible shiver ran over her, her body recoiling at the idea.

She swung her sword, sending a sound explosion in his direction and throwing him into the rubbish piles, hopefully surprising him and loud enough that maybe it would distract him.

It did, but Abby had no time to attack him anyway, dodging a big acid gush.

The acid didn't touch her skin, but it hit a pile by her side.

Before she could think about it, though, a pile of rubbish fell on top of her, making her whole headache.

Acid Man recovered quickly, and before she could free herself, he was on his way to her.

Abby closed her eyes, waiting for an attack, but it didn't happen.

Instead, she heard the sound of a body falling, and opened her eyes just as Ben struck Acid Man on the head with his shield, again and again, and again, blurry as she tried to blink away whatever was making her eyes not focus right.

She would have been disgusted at the sight of blood, but it wasn't like she could really see it.

Abby raised a hand to her head, and found it covered in blood.

"Oh shit."

There was something in there. She wasn't supposed to bleed out like this.

Abby raised her arm again, trying to pull it out, but everything was getting too hazy and too fast, and she couldn't quite flex her fingers.

"Fuck!" Ben shouted, pushing the debrief off of her. "Abby! Abby!"

He pulled her into his arms, and his voice was too loud in her ear.

"Hold still, sweetheart," he moved her to rest on his arm. "Fucking stay with me."

She whimpered, and felt his hand cradling her cheek.

"Fucking Vought," he grunted. "Don't leave me, baby, please. I need you. Don't leave me."

She felt it when he pulled the metal from inside her head, and let herself fall forward as she passed out.

…

“Uncertain Grounds” was fully posted on my Patreon on 2022. If you like Soldier Boy and other Jensen Ackles characters, and like the idea of having early access to my work, consider checking it out. It’s just $2 a month and I promise you won’t regret it. (link takes you to the public masterlist)

…

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