#these tragic beasts lol

[ithidunes]

Ref Sheet / Floor Plan lol

[redeemed-wren]

Classic Who explores ideas, New Who explores morals

classic who is like 'i see this trend, lets explore what might happen if that trend continues and let the audience figure out what it's talking about and come to their own conclusions.'

new who is like 'this trend is BAD and i'm going to PREACH A SPEECH about why it's going to RUIN EVERYTHING' and it's so much more exhausting

[bandtrees]

its not like i dont agree with all those posts about how bsd season 5 finale is bad and stupid and was a big let-down and everything. cuz i do - but also... i'm not really upset with it in the way a lot of people are, tbh.

cuz if you're only now realizing bsd isn't a good mystery series and it has a lot of cheap shock value and forgoes interesting character development in favor of showing off how smart dazai or fyodor are... uh, welcome to the club? the season 5 finale is not really unique in this regard.

bsd, to me, though it has moments of compelling writing, and overall compelling characters (people Like its characters so much for a reason!), etc, has always been a low-expectations watch. it's always been the "oh what's kafka asagiri doing to his weird ocs now" show - from the start, it's done this. so much of season 1 reeks of the same "random out of nowhere twist to make the writing feel clever", and it's something the show's had a problem with, and continues to have a problem with. forever. to the point where to enjoy the series you just kinda have to meet it halfway and have fun with it.

when i first got into bsd in, like, 2017 or so, i hated dazai a lot. both because of personal reasons and because i just didn't like smug genius types who know everything. with him being such a major character, this led to a shallow perception of the show, as you'd expect. then, i rewatched it this year, and i went in with those same feelings - but i wanted to like bsd, and dazai by extension, so i just kinda... got used to him, because you can't fully appreciate this series and not. (that and i'd just matured as a person since 2017 and could look at him with more nuance lol)

like, i get being upset this season didn't end the way you anticipated. i loved the meursault arc, and season 5 episode 10 was one of my favorite episodes of the entire series i was genuinely excited to see a follow-up on. but also, if you know bsd does deathfaking and stupid silly plot twists that weren't telegraphed in the least, and you're genuinely mad every time they're pulled, then... maybe you should just watch a different show, yknow?

i don't say this to excuse the shitty writing, but rather, it's not really new, and buckling in for the absurd ride is part of the bsd experience, that it goes from a genuinely thrilling and gritty episode 10 to a completely batshit episode 11 that has the main antagonist quote jesus christ before dying in a helicopter explosion, is, like, really fucking funny. i can't even be mad. that episode is some of the most entertained i've been by this show, not even in its contents but laughing as i try to explain it to people and scream incredulously with my friend - it's a series where the good is good and the bad is, if nothing else, never boring. it's the series with the giant moby dick whale mech. it's the series that now has vampires in it for some reason. i think if you're looking for top tier character development and stimulating mysteries and peak fiction... you're looking in the wrong place, imo.

[randomnameless]

List of candidates waiting for a fallen alt:

The other priestess possesed by Medeus, the Deadlords from genealogy/thracia, the rest of the risen black fang, fallen Idunn, fallen Greil, Vallite Scarlet, Vallite Gunther, Vallite Sumeragi and Vallite Mikoto. And from three houses we had Maurice, Crest beast Micklan, Crest Beast Dedue and Umbral Beast Aelfric. And even if we count Cypher now as inspo with both Fallen Ike and Chrom we have Fallen Nohrian King Leo and Fallen Sara. In total we have like 36 options for fallen unit. 37 if we count that antagonist/miarge!Aversa from Tokio Mirage.

And they had to go with nopes female Byleth. The focking wasted potential in here... This feels as when they made "Fallen Dimitri" bc having a mental breakdown and depression also counts as being possesed by a magical artifact/evil being in the heads of FEHeroes staff.

Anon,

I'm pretty sure the next Fallen banner will be a FE17 fest - you can't make me believe Fallen!Emblems weren't thought with FEH in mind.

Fallen!Lyn, Fallen!Marth, etc etc.

Morph!Linus being such a chatterbox really pisses me off, but what else could they do with morphs, especially the endgame ones who are just more or less zombies?

(BTW I could rant all day long about FEH's Vigarde, FEH tried to make us believe he was under Fomortiis' control like a second meat puppet? But imo it was clear in game Vigarde was an animated corpse, like an upgraded Monica!)

Fallen Heroes stopped making any sense and are just a way to sell edgy!alts, even if some are hits, some are clear misses (and some try to correct plot points that were never mentionned in their base game like Fallen!Rhea lol).

I still note you forgot the only Fallen Hero I'm expecting : Fallen!Wrys.

Also I really really really don't want to have Momo - because all materials, from FE16 to Nopes to even FEH (thanks to that newest Sothis/Billy alt) are allergic to shed too much light on relics, Nabateans and the Red Canyon - but damn if Momo "uwu the femur I picked from a subhuman I used as weapon - complete with the essence of said subhuman acting as its core - corrupts me and I'm so so so sad save me :( :( :("

It's like hearing Rodyle from Tales of Symphonia's sobfest that "oh noes the device I've been building by harvesting hundred of people doesn't make me super powerful but turns me in an unstable monster instead T-T"

Ditto for Miklan, especially if this goes in a "crust bad" tangeant, because omg, a bandit, again, steals bones and hearts of a nabatean, again, to do bandit things, again, and suffers from backlash - but somehow it's the nabatean who is used as a weapon's fault because his blood wasn't passed on the Miklan? Nopes managed to make him more bearable, returning to his FE16 version would be a disservice.

But with this alt, I hope Nopes' vanishes from memory and we return to more "normal" fallen!alts, even if we're scrapping the bottom of the barrel - but given what they managed to do for Maria, I have hope they could pull something for the FE5!Deadlords, the Cipher cards, some Fates risen and, ultimately, the entire Engage cast.

[leonsrightarm]

went on a walk and saw so much cool fungus and rot... i was walking two dogs so i couldn't stop and take pictures of everything i saw but i had to pause to look closer at these itty banana slugs that were munching on a rotting mushroom 🥰

late summer/early autumn is the best. everything is so engorged and overripe and on the verge of death without really seeming to realize it. if the green is lush in june, then in september it's bloated flesh dripping loose from the trees. and everything is soaking wet and the worms and slugs are squirming happily inside. really just like a waterlogged corpse! wonderful.

[julie-su]

I'm a beast of violence and terror and of course the killings

[ro-is-struggling]

Secret Encounters || Geralt of Rivia x Reader

Requested by anon

Summary: They know it's wrong, but they can't deny the desire and lust that overcomes them every time they are together.

Warnings: SMUT MINORS DNI, porn with a little bit of plot (not really), fingering, penetrative sex, mirror sex, rough sex, size kink, belly bulge, breeding kink, dirty talk, mentions of cheating (reader is engaged), fem reader (she’s a princess)

English is not my first language

Word count: 3900

Notes: I promise I'll stop writing tragic princess x witcher stories after this one. Also, sorry for the shitty summary but it's only smut so it was kinda hard to come up with something lol

Geralt had never been fond of royalty, but the moment his eyes fell on hers he knew she was different. He didn't really understand why, but he felt some type of way whenever she was near. Her perfume was intoxicating, a sweet scent that lingered on his clothes and skin and accompanied him wherever he went. He could not escape her even when he wandered alone through the forest in search of the beast he had been hired to kill... not even when he was lying in his bed at night, surrounded by the darkness of the room as he tried to rest. Her scent enveloped him at all times, awakening something deep inside him. It drove him crazy, crazy enough to act on his desires. 

He knew it was wrong, it was inappropriate to take advantage of the king's hospitality like that. And she knew it was wrong too, she was a princess soon to be married, a woman of high value who had no business with a witcher like Geralt. And yet, neither seemed to be able to stay away from the other. It was as if there was some kind of energy force pulling them together, the very will of destiny imposing itself over their own. When Geralt showed up at her chambers she knew she should have turned him away. No matter how much she had been longing for him to take her in his arms and make her his, the right thing to do was to reject him and move on with her life. In fact, she had opened the door with the intention of doing exactly that, but when her eyes met the imposing figure of the witcher, towering over her as his amber eyes admired her face, she could not resist the temptation. She gave in to her desires, crashing her lips against his in a desperate kiss as she slowly pulled him into her room.

The feel of his touch lingered on her body for days, her skin permanently marked by the roughness of his caresses and the warm wetness of his mouth. The sound of his grunts of pleasure as he buried himself in her echoed in her mind at all times. He was all she could think about. She knew it was wrong, but she needed to feel his hands on her body again, exploring every inch of her skin as he showed her pleasure like no other man could.

Despite their desperation, they were able to keep their hands off each other for a while. Though all their self-control disappeared by the time of Geralt's last day in the castle. After slaying the beast —and collecting his reward— the witcher was ready to leave when the king made him an offer he couldn't resist. There would be a feast in celebration of the fall of the creature that had terrorized the town and Geralt, as their savior, was the guest of honor. He would normally have declined the offer, although the promise of free food and alcohol sounded enticing, he hated the idea of being stuck with a bunch of drunken noblemen. However, this time it gave him the perfect excuse to stay there a while longer and say goodbye to the princess the right way —the way he knew they had both been fantasizing about since their last encounter.

The party quickly turned into a game of cat and mouse, defiant yellow eyes meeting hers in the crowd, admiring her lips as she laughed and the way her body moved as she danced. She was doing it on purpose, accepting the proposals of all the knights who bowed in front of her to provoke him. She wanted to spark a reaction in him, see how far she could push him, how far she could push the boundaries of their secret relationship. The thought of being caught filled her body with adrenaline, her heart pounding so hard against her chest that he could almost hear it over the noise of the party.

She waited for the right moment and took advantage of the first distraction to escape to her bedroom. Her eyes met Geralt's before disappearing behind the side door of the great hall, her desire-laden expression a silent plea for him to follow her. She sat in front of the large mirror in her room waiting for him, removing the jewelry from her hair and combing her hair without any haste. And just as she expected, only a few minutes after her arrival, she felt the sound of the door's wood creaking as it opened. She saw Geralt lock the door behind him in the reflection of the mirror and she had to hold back the smile that wanted to form on her lips —a failed attempt to save some of her decency and not look so desperate.

"You're not supposed to be here." She said as if his presence didn't make her heart race. "It's wrong."

"That's not what you said the other night." Geralt's deep voice was music to her ears, his slightly mocking tone awakening that tingle under her skin. He walked up to her, holding her gaze in the mirror as if challenging her. He stood tall at her back, close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his body, but not close enough to feel the brush of his hands on her skin. 

"The other night was a mistake." She affirmed, setting the comb aside. It was true, their furtive encounter, though pleasurable, had been a mistake. But they both knew well that neither really cared. The desire they felt, the tension in the air, it was all too much, it clouded their thinking leaving them at the mercy of their most primitive feelings. 

Geralt reached out his hands to her, brushing her hair aside so he could caress her skin. He noticed how she stifled a sigh through the reflection of the mirror, his warm touch awakening that flame within her. His fingers moved gently across her shoulders, up her neck until they reached her cheeks. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, losing herself in the moment. It felt just as she remembered it, warm and hard, yet strangely soft and comforting at the same time. It was as if his hands had never left her skin, as if his caresses were permanently carved into her body.

"Do you wish for me to leave?" he said, his voice barely a raspy whisper. He knew the answer to her question, he could read it on her face, smell it in the air, feel it in the vein in her neck that throbbed rapidly beneath his fingers. But still, he needed to be sure he was right, hear from her lips the plea for his caresses. He needed to know that she was as desperate as he was.

She didn't give him a verbal response, just rose from her seat and pressed her lips to his. Geralt's hands closed around her waist, pulling her body against his as he quickly took control of the kiss. She didn't bother fighting for dominance, acknowledging her subordination to him almost immediately. She didn't need to win, she just needed to feel his hands on her skin again, gripping and caressing every inch of her body in a rush of pleasure until the early morning sun forced them apart.

There was nothing tender and soft about the way Geralt's lips attacked hers, only lust and desperation, but she loved every part of it. She loved the way his tongue invaded her mouth and how his teeth nibbled at her lips before moving his wet kisses down her neck, sucking and biting at the skin without fear of leaving marks. He knew he could do whatever he wanted with her as she was completely at his mercy, surrendered to the pleasure only he could give her. She didn't care if she had to spend the next week finding creative ways to hide the evidence of their furtive encounter, she just needed to feel him. She wanted him to mark her, to declare ownership over her body. She knew she belonged to him, always would, even if she never saw him again after tonight.

Clothes soon became a problem, a barrier that kept them apart, so desperate hands worked carelessly to fix it. Her dress was the first to go, the expensive fabric pooling around her feet leaving her naked body completely exposed to Geralt's hungry gaze. She should have been embarrassed, but nothing but lust and anticipation pumped through her veins. He was looking at her as if she were the most beautiful and sensual woman he had ever seen, as if she were a goddess he had the privilege of pleasing. Never before had anyone looked at her in that way, so intense, so filled with adoration. She loved it, it made her feel special, powerful. 

Geralt didn't waste a second, calloused fingers caressing every inch of exposed skin. It awakened a fire inside her, a tingling that spread throughout her body, concentrating on her core. His teeth nibbled at the sensitive skin of her neck, sinking his canines into her as his hands moved down to her breasts, earning a couple of sighs from the princess as he showed attention to her nipples erect with anticipation. He smiled against her neck, proud of himself as the scent of her arousal lingered in the air. It was an intoxicating scent, the sweet forbidden fruit begging him to take it.

When his fingers slipped between her wet folds, she let out a moan of pleasure as her grip on the witcher's shoulders tightened. It was as beautiful as he remembered, a harmonious melody traveling through him and going straight to his cock. It was the sound of temptation, of lust, urging him to carry on, to forget all rules of morality and decorum and take what was his.

“P-please, Geralt.” She pleaded against his lips. Her breathing was rapid and she looked up at him through half-closed eyelids. He slipped two of his fingers inside her with ease, pushing them as deep as he could and moving them until he made her moan. She looked so beautiful like this, her eyes closed in pleasure and her parted lips releasing those beautiful desperate sighs, completely at his mercy.It was an image that would stay in Geralt's mind for quite some time. 

"I know, I know," he soothed her, his free hand coming up to caress her cheek. "I have to get you ready for me."

"I-I need to feel you, p-please." She whimpered in a pathetic, desperate attempt to get him to do what she wanted. She needed to feel all of him, his hot skin pressed against hers, his fingernails sinking into the skin of her hips as he buried his cock deep inside her, his ragged breaths in the hollow of her neck. She needed him as much as she needed the air she breathed and could wait no longer.

Thankfully he took pity on her, removing his hands from her body to unbutton his pants. She suppressed the whimper that wanted to escape her throat as she felt empty without his fingers inside her, knowing the sensation would not last for long. Geralt instructed her to turn over and her body obeyed him before she could process his words or wonder what he was up to. Her body no longer belonged to her, it belonged to him and always would.

He held her against his chest for a moment, one hand roaming her body while the other held her head steady facing forward. She could feel his hard member pressed against her lower back as his heat enveloped her completely. Their gazes met in the mirror once more and she saw the darkness of desire staining the beautiful yellow orbs. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her intoxicating scent before lowering his lips to her ear.

"I want you to look at yourself in the mirror as I fuck you, princess." Geralt whispered in her ear, his voice firm and slightly deeper than normal. His eyes never left hers in the mirror, studying her reaction in the reflection. "I want you to see how beautiful you look with your face scrunched up in pleasure so you'll remember it after I'm gone and your future husband can't make you feel this good."

He gave her no warning before pushing his hard cock into her tight wet hole, and he wasn't gentle either. A quick thrust of his hips and he was balls deep inside her as her velvety walls struggled to take him. Geralt was big, it was almost hard for him to fully fit inside her despite how aroused she was. But it wasn't painful, not in a bad way at least. She loved the way his cock stretched her, almost impaling her on it when it was all the way in. The burning only added to her pleasure, the knot in her belly tightening with the promise of her orgasm.

Geralt set a fast, torturous pace, earning a string of incoherent moans each time he touched that special place deep inside her. She could feel him twitching inside her as her walls closed around him, desperate to hold him in place. It was almost too much and not enough at the same time, a mixture of feelings born of her need for relief. The sound of skin slapping against skin combined with her cries of pleasure and Geralt's grunts filled the room. It was loud and she wouldn't be surprised if she discovered that someone passing through the corridor could hear them, but she didn't care. She felt too good to worry about anything else.

The pleasure she felt was so intense that she had trouble keeping her eyes open, her heavy eyelids closing involuntarily against the force of Geralt's thrusts. But each time she did, he tightened his grip on her jaw, growling in her ear for her to open them. The image reflected in the mirrored surface was too much for her to take. Her small figure wrapped in the strong arms of her lover towering over her and making her feel even smaller and more insignificant. The bulge forming in her lower belly with each thrust showed just how deep inside her Geralt was. His teeth on her neck, nibbling at the sensitive skin without taking his intense gaze away from her eyes in the mirror. And finally, her face, with parted lips letting out a string of melodious moans, and glassy eyes filled with tears that threatened to escape at the sheer intensity of what she was feeling. The expression of pure pleasure on her face was one she had never seen on her before  —and she feared that after tonight she would never see it again.

It was all too much for her, and the possessive way Geralt was acting didn't help her in the slightest. He was determined to leave a mark on her, both physically and mentally. He wanted her to see traces of him on her own skin after he was gone, but he also wanted to make sure she remembered him. Make sure she remembered the intensity of the moment and the way he had made her feel. He wanted her to think of him every time her future husband left her unsatisfied, touching herself to relieve the pressure inside her as images of him in this very moment flashed through her mind. 

He made sure to let her know his intentions between grunts of pleasure, feeling her walls close around his member with every word that left his lips. She liked it as much as he did and that only egged him on.

"Geralt, please," she begged, not quite sure of what it was she was asking of him. Please stop because the pleasure traveling through my veins is too much to bear? Please keep going and don't stop until I'm passed out from exhaustion and you've ruined me for the rest of the men? She wasn't sure, both options were equally valid.

"I know... just let go," he encouraged her, his warm breath crashing against the skin of her ear as he spoke. "Just let go for me, princess."

Her body took his words as a command and it wasn't long before the knot in her belly snapped, sending wave after wave of pleasure through her insides. Her orgasm hit her like a pile of bricks, leaving her completely stupid. Geralt's name escaped her lips like a prayer as she lost herself in pleasure. All thought left her mind, she could only feel as her lover's thrusts slowed, her body trembling in his arms from overstimulation.

She only had a couple of seconds to recover, whining as she felt empty when Geralt pulled away from her momentarily. Her legs were weak and she struggled to stand, so he took her in his arms and laid her down on the bed carefully. He settled into the space between her legs, taking a moment to admire her and caress her body before continuing. His hands ran over her warm, sweat-covered skin in an almost gentle way, an act that contrasted with the roughness of his behavior so far but was nonetheless welcomed by her.

The tenderness didn't last long, though, because once he slid his cock inside her once more, he returned to the animalistic grunts and punishing rhythm of his thrusts. This time it was more desperate and erratic, letting her know that he was close to his own orgasm. His cock twitched inside her, threatening to paint her velvety walls with his seed. The very idea was enough to have her on the edge again. 

"You feel me, princess?" He said, taking one of her hands and bringing it down to her lower belly. He pressed it against her skin, trapping it between his palm and the bulge forming there from his cock. It added a new sensation and she couldn't contain the moan that escaped her throat. "Feel how deep inside of you I am?

"Fuck," she cursed, eyes rolling back as her free hand clutched at Geralt's wrist to make sure he didn't move it off her belly. The pressure felt too good, wave after wave of pleasure coursing through her with a force that left her breathless.

"I'm the only one who gets is deep, f-fuck, the only one who makes you feel this way." He wasn't asking, it was a clear statement, but still she nodded, letting out repeated affirmations between high-pitched moans.

"I belong to you... My body is forever yours, no one will ever make me feel this good." The animalistic growl he let out at those words almost pushed her over the edge, leaving her on the verge of her second orgasm. She knew he was close too, she could feel it in his erratic thrusts and the way his cock twitched inside her. She needed to feel him come undone for her, to paint her walls white as he emptied his seed inside her. She needed him to mark her, to claim her as his own. They both knew a relationship between them was impossible, but she would always be his in secret. Her body would always miss him.

"Please, I need to feel you." She managed to say between moans and ragged breaths. "I need you to fill me up, please." She sounded pathetic at this point, but she didn't care. All she cared about was feeling Geralt's seed trickling down her thighs as she tried to catch her breath. 

The witcher groaned, a cocky smile playing on his lips. One of his hands flew to the headboard of the bed, the wood creaking under his strong grip as he adjusted his position. The new angle allowed him to reach even deeper —if that was even possible—, impaling her on his cock as she cried out in pleasure. Her nails dug into his back, leaving traces of red marks on his skin.

"You're desperate for it, aren't you?" he teased her arrogantly. "Don't worry, princess, I'm gonna shoot my seed so deep inside of you that you'll carry it for days. Is that what you want? You want me to mark you as mine? You want to feel me between your legs while you swear loyalty to your husband?"

"Yes! Fuck, Geralt, please... mark me, claim me as yours, please." 

The witcher did not expect to find it so erotic to hear her admit her deepest desires, but he did. It awakened something inside him, a primal desire that took over his body. He became an animal, a fierce, possessive wolf that was desperate for some relief. After all, that was exactly what their relationship was, pure animal instinct, pure lust and desperation. An intense attraction they couldn't resist even when they knew how wrong it was.

He came with a loud grunt, emptying his load inside her warm, tight walls. She felt every drop of it, her cunt filled to the brim with his desire for her. The intensity of his orgasm triggered hers, her body trembling under Geralt's weight, her walls tightening around his cock, milking him for everything he had. His name fell from her lips as pleasure consumed her, a prayer begging him to stay with her. He knew it was impossible, but in that moment - mind clouded with pleasure as he felt her crumbling beneath him - he really considered it. He wanted to feel her body against his again, hear the sound of her voice as she moaned his name outside of his memories. He needed her.

But that was just a fantasy, the desire for the impossible. She was a princess who was soon to be married and he was a witcher who had nothing to do with the court and royal affairs. She was not his —even if her body was— and he was not hers. And that was the hard truth. So when he came to his senses he rose from his place on the bed, where he rested with her beside him. The princess watched him as he dressed, trying to ignore the strange feeling of emptiness that came over her at the thought that once he crossed the threshold of the door she would never see him again.

"Will I ever see you again?" She asked in a whisper, as if afraid of being heard. Geralt admired her naked figure on the bed as he contemplated his answer, liking the way the dim candlelight illuminated her skin covered in a thin layer of sweat. As wrong as it was, he would really like to see her again, but the truth was he didn't know if it would happen. The future was uncertain, especially in his line of work, so to give her a straight answer would be to lie to her.

"Only time will tell."

[starmocha]

So the preview of the new theme song uses imagery of the guys' myths, including Sylus'. Rafayel, Xavier, and Zayne, I think we are all fairly familiar with, but since Sylus is not released yet, there are a lot of speculations about what kind of tragic past he and MC shared. Let's try to break it down. Or make it more confusing. 🫠

Interestingly, before the "tragedy" we see their wrists are bounded together by a red thread.....perhaps....the Red Thread of Fate? As the saying goes, rough paraphrasing on my part: Two lovers, regardless of time, place, and circumstances, are destined to be together, connected by a single red thread. The red thread may twist and tangle, but it may never break.

However, as we can see in the video, Sylus and MC's thread does break, and unlike in the traditional belief, their thread is wrapped around their wrists and not fingers. As the thread breaks, we also see Sylus behind bars. Imprisonment? A crime?

Speaking of wrists, another thing I've noticed with Sylus' trailers is that it involves handcuffs a lot, which seems more significant now in light of this preview.

Especially since we see him also breaking them so easily.

I kind of made a passing joke in the tags of a previous post that Sylus' upcoming chapters carry shades of the Greek myth with Hades and Persephone, but perhaps I may not be too far off?

Just take a look at this wide view of the scene of Sylus and MC separated:

The N109 Zone is shown during the night with a bright red moon, giving a feeling reminiscent of the Underworld ruled by Hades. Note how it looks like Sylus is behind bars, a prison, if you will. In Greek mythology, Hades was tasked with ruling the Underworld, not by his choice, but the wills of others (so in a sense: trapped). Could this mean that perhaps Sylus has no desire to be the leader of Onychinus? Could he be bounded there against his will?

Meanwhile, MC is shown on the side of light. If we compare her to Persephone, she is on the surface world with other people. But from the preview, it looks like she is abducted and taken to the N109 Zone, much like Persephone was abducted and taken to the Underworld to be Hades' bride.

(Brief unserious interlude, because I want to spread my Hades/Persephone agenda:

Sylus is the Hades to MC's Persephone

The dark to her light

He is feared by everyone except her.

He'll let her get away with everything (covering him in silly band-aids, poking him in the side) because he adores her.

If anything happens to her, the world will feel his wrath.

He embodies the feeling of "if anything happens to her, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself."

In short, scary leader is big softie for his wifey and I am willing to die on this hill

OK. End interlude.)

Also, um... 😭

Bringing up the theory that Sylus is trapped? The Beast is trapped in the castle because of the curse by an enchantress. I seriously couldn't get this comparison out of my mind when I saw the dancing scene in the trailer, so it feels appropriate to bring it up here.

Perhaps like the Beast initially, Sylus does display a very dominating and aggressive temperament, but then in his 5* memory, Captivating Flavor, he seems more approachable, so perhaps we will soften him over time?

Now...since Infold had the audacity to drop that trailer while I was writing this, here is another example of them going with the trapped/caged/bounded theory (there is also an image of a bear trap earlier, but I'm at my 10-pic limit, so the cage seems more obvious (and aesthetically pleasing lol)

So could Sylus be trapped in the same way as the Foreseer is trapped within the Tower? But unlike the Foreseer, Sylus is always trying to break free from his chains. Circling back to his myth, could it be that his tie with MC was broken...by him? Perhaps out of a sense of protection? For her sake?

In Beauty and the Beast, the Beast was willing to let Belle go, to be killed by Gaston, to succumb to the curse, all for the sake of Belle's happiness and freedom.

In the myth of Hades and Persephone, Persephone was allowed to leave the Underworld to return to her mother for half a year, but since she ate a few pomegranate seeds, food from the Underworld, she was also bounded to return to the Underworld for the other half to be with her husband. Each year, the cycle returns. Come spring, Hades must let his beloved wife leave him for half a year, and there's nothing he can do to change it.

Bonus Greek myth tidbit: the crow plays a significant part in a myth involving the sun god Apollo, where it acts as a messenger for him. The crow, once white, was burned and turned black, as retribution for telling the truth (revealing an affair) that led to Apollo killing his lover.

So, let's recap real quick the symbolism we have seen. 🤔

Handcuffs: bounded

Bars: imprisonment

Bear trap (couldn't include the pic, but it's there, trust me): caught, trapped

Birdcage: trapped, caged

The crow: a messenger; punished for revealing the truth (so, punishment)

So, gathering my random little thoughts...

Theory 1: Sylus and MC must have been destined lovers in a past life, but due to whatever conflict, Sylus decided to break his bond with her for her protection and accept any punishment that comes with it, which could mean to be ruler of a place he has no desire for, an imprisonment of sort.

Theory 2: Destined lovers, but perhaps a third party interfered out of jealousy or spite. Could Sylus have been caught and framed of a crime and been literally imprisoned, thus forcing him and MC to separate?

Something to this effect, I think, from working with the crumbs I've gathered. It's also almost midnight as of the time of writing this, so my brain is feeling loopy now (also no thanks to that Sylus trailer that popped up while I was writing this 💀)

Anyhoo, make of all of this as you will. My Hades/Persephone agenda will persist.

[burningcheese-merchant]

I NEED GENERAL HCS ABOUT YANDERE BEAST!!!

YOU GOT IT, BOSS 🫡

Mystic Flour is the only one who's self-aware and knows how fucked up and ridiculous all of this is. She hates herself and her friends for being this way, she hates Dark Cacao for making her feel this way (but also understands how unreasonable it is to blame him), she hates that she's ultimately been ripped away from enlightenment through this... disease that's been brought upon her. But she also can't change and doesn't really know how to (and the feelings are honestly so strong that they practically control her. She wants to obsess over Cacao but also doesn't. She has to endure a lot of cognitive dissonance and being at war with herself all the time, and it causes a massive mental and emotional strain on her), so she's essentially stuck with this bizarre infatuation with the man she's supposed to hate

Silent Salt is the most "successful" of the five, in that he makes the best effort to actually understand who White Lily is as a person and accommodate her accordingly. He knows what flowers she likes and brings her them. He knows what she likes to eat. He knows how she braids her hair (he learned that by watching her do it lol). Things like that. And he really, truly has no interest in harming her in any way, so he's also technically the least threatening one. Lily is more willing to put up with him than the others are with their Beasts because of this: he's able to demonstrate that he's capable of being docile, thus lulling her into a big enough sense of security that she doesn't run from him on sight. (But make no mistake, Salt is still creepy and a sick person and what he does is wrong. The dynamic between him and Lily is arguably the saddest one because Lily feels a certain sense of obligation towards him; she doesn't return his feelings but still feels sort of touched that he makes this effort for her, and also - more importantly - she feels like she has no right to judge or condemn him for his actions because of her own as Dark Enchantress. She's a bad person, too. So in a way, to some degree, she understands him. In fact, she almost has this misguided notion of maybe "fixing" him, as a consequence of him being so calm around her. They lose ground with each other whenever the yandere tendencies REALLY come out of Salt (as in, when she spends time with other people lol); he scares her and pushes her away further with his controlling behavior, she feels like she undoes whatever semblance of progress she made in "taming" him. They're trapped in a very strange and tragic loop where Lily is constantly victim-blaming herself and accidentally enabling Salt's obsession, and Salt is not facing proper consequences for his behavior nor fully grasping that he's being abusive.)

Eternal Sugar, having once been the Herald of Happiness, has experience with charming and pleasing others, and understanding one's joys and wishes. However, after becoming a Beast, she's come to ultimately place HER happiness before all others', and this mentality manifests in her attempts to woo Hollyberry. She'll give Holly happy dreams full of things she knows Holly likes (she, like Salt, actually does make an effort) - BUT, many of these things end up being warped to Sugar's own liking, as she is a fundamentally selfish person and believes her way is superior. Thus, whatever pleasant dreams she grants Holly always end up conforming to Sugar's own tastes (and she always does SOMETHING to Holly's friends and loved ones in them, because Sugar is extremely petty and jealous). Holly is not happy with this, but allows it to happen because she believes it's a better alternative to incentivizing Sugar to come to her in person (she hates enabling Sugar in this way, but Holly always prefers to try deescalation if and when possible). Holly honestly feels really sorry for Sugar, she thinks Sugar is a deeply sick and unhappy (haha) person and, like Lily with Salt, wants to help her. However, unlike Lily, she's more level-headed about the situation and fully grasps the gravity/severity of it all, and so everything she says and does with/to Sugar is extremely calculated so as not to antagonize her and risk retaliation (against her loved ones; Holly can handle herself and isn't afraid of anyone).

Shadow Milk, like Flour, also grapples with a level of cognitive dissonance regarding his obsession with Pure Vanilla, in that he is hateful and endlessly frustrated towards Vanilla but also genuinely adores him. He will be caught sweet-talking and kissing his Vanilla puppet, only to destroy it in anger moments later (and then he'll make another one to replace it, because he legitimately cannot function without Vanilla, even just a puppet version of him). He's waxing poetic about Vanilla's virtues in one breath, then hemming and hawing about Vanilla's flaws in the next. He's irritated by Vanilla's unyielding goody two-shoes nature, he wants to break his mind and spirit as completely as possible... but he also LOVES Vanilla's mental strength and endurance, it's his favorite thing about the man, he never wants Vanilla to break and hopes he stays strong no matter what Milk throws at him. He's cultivated a very Batman/Joker-esque dynamic between them in his mind; of course he wants to "win", but he also adores this game they play together and never wants it to end. Regardless, what underlies Milk's volatile emotions is a very strong sense, albeit deranged, of connection and kinship towards Vanilla. He loves Vanilla because they understand each other so perfectly, are on the same intellectual level (Vanilla is smart, Milk likes that, he wouldn't love him if he was dumb, the only thing dumb people are good for is cheap entertainment), and are ultimately, LITERALLY designed for one another. He hates Vanilla because Vanilla is refusing to accept Milk's POV about the world (not understand, he KNOWS Vanilla understands, VANILLA IS NOT DUMB!), is refusing his advances despite all the love and effort he puts in constantly (come on, who doesn't want to be romantically and sexually harassed inside their own thoughts?), and is actively hindering any other sinister plans Milk has in general (Vanilla knows how to play mind games too. He often stalls Milk for time to figure out how to properly outsmart him. And he always manages to do so, however long it takes). He loves Vanilla, he hates Vanilla, he loves Vanilla, he hates, Vanilla, BUT NO ONE CAN HAVE VANILLA BESIDES HIM REGARDLESS!

Burning Spice, on top of his feverish obsession with Golden Cheese in general, has an obsession WITHIN that obsession: he's obsessed with the concept of marking/branding her. Hickeys on her neck, bruises on her waist and stomach (be they from holding her or outright punching her), scratches on her back. Anywhere and everywhere he can reach with his hands and mouth, he wants to make his presence known, both to her and to anyone who sees her. And that's what's driving it: he wants people to see what he's done to her and know that it was him. It's a way to convey ownership of her. Golden Cheese is HIS, she is HIS to fight and beat and break, HIS to touch and taste, HIS to love and adore, and he wants to rub it into everyone else's face. (On the flipside, he actually would love if she did the exact same to him; nothing would bring him greater joy than her "claiming" him as he wants to "claim" her... and really, he just loves when she's feisty)

Apparently, there's an actual character limit to posts? So I guess I'll stop here lol. One factoid about each Yandere Beast. I have more to offer, all you have to do is ask for it

[blasphemousclaw]

ok I think I’ve played enough of the dlc where I feel like I can talk about it now and lift my spoilers embargo… overall I had SO much fun!! there’s so much to love about it and only a few things I didn’t like! more detailed thoughts under the cut:

Gameplay-wise, I thought almost every single boss was fun and rewarding to fight… my faves were Divine Beast Dancing Lion (best ost in the entire game by miles), Rellana, and Messmer. I also really loved the exploration?? My favorite kind of games are the ones where you have to sniff out every corner of the map in order to find hidden paths forward… the fact that you have to really poke around to find huge areas of the map, and how the traversal is so layered and non-linear, was THRILLING to me!! so much more interesting than the base game!!

Story-wise, what spoke to me the most was everything about the Hornsent… Belurat was my first legacy dungeon, and I was so wowed by the gorgeous unique architecture and the sheer desolation of the place that it really stayed with me. Both the environment and the Hornsent NPCs do such a great job of conveying the pain and tragedy of what happened to them, while at the same time, not simplifying them into some kind of faultless utopia… their society was proud and harsh and cruel (not just to others, but to their own people), but it was also bursting with art and culture, and it was home to everyday people who made delicious stew for their loved ones:

“Scorpion simmered in a black soup. Traditional meal of the hornsent. Once made with love by a certain elderly woman for the family table. Having long gone cold, this soup gives off a rank, sour smell.”

Some of my very favorite NPCS were the Hornsent Grandam and Hornsent (the guy); I thought their quests told such poignant stories about loss and the meaning of justice and revenge (I especially think Hornsent’s quest complements Marika’s story so well!!). The way they portrayed this civilization’s downfall was so beautiful and tragic!

Also the fact that the NPCs talk during combat is SO GOOD??? At first I was kind of annoyed that I had to summon Hornsent for Messmer’s boss fight to do his quest, but in the end I was so glad I did because his dialogue during and after the fight is incredible!! plus the NPCs talking to EACH OTHER during the Leda invasions?? and need I mention IGON… this is the real best new addition they made to the game

Now for the one big fat thing I didn’t like….

so I had actually heard about the leaks before playing the game and was like ok. if this is true theyre gonna have to really justify this to me because my initial impression is uhhh. lol??? And now that I can confidently say that I’ve combed the game top to bottom for pieces of this story, I really dont think the game succeeds at justifying Radahn’s appearance?

What I mean by “justify” is that, in my opinion, if you’re gonna bring back a fan-favorite character who was previously dead, and not have it come off as cheap fanservice, it needs to feel like this character’s presence matters — that they have the necessary buildup, that their appearance has a significant weight to it, and that their screentime fleshes them out as a person in a meaningful way. I don’t think the dlc achieves this at all with Radahn. Yes, his appearance is directly foreshadowed if you do Freyja and Ansbach’s quests, but it isn’t enough to just state in advance that he’ll show up… my problem is that, even with these NPCs’ dialogue, Radahn feels like a total non-person. We hear almost nothing about what his thoughts or feelings about this situation might’ve been (just Freyja’s assertion that he would have approved of “endless war, to invigorate the soul”). We get plenty of insight into Miquella’s character because there’s so much material about him, but there just isn’t the same investment into Radahn’s character, which makes his triumphant return fall really flat for me.

I think for me what would’ve appropriately justified Radahn returning is if Freyja gave us more details about who Radahn was as a commander during the Shattering… like, some jumping-off point to really get a sense of what his motivations might’ve been… OR, they could’ve even added another Redmane NPC with views on Radahn that conflict with Freyja’s (there is literally a minor boss, the Red Bear, who was stated to have been a Redmane!!!)… what’s still a mystery is why Malenia tried to kill Radahn, and why he resisted, and the DLC doesn’t give us any concrete information about Radahn’s actions or goals during the Shattering that would have caused this. They don’t have to spell it out for us!! I just needed SOME attempt to engage with Radahn’s character in the DLC material if they’re literally gonna bring him back from the dead!! Because as it stands, he shows up and fights us without a word or even an expression, like a glorified action figure!!! it’s LAME!!!!!

totally loved the DLC except for that part. anyway stan Elder Inquisitor Jori

[8-0mph]

Will Fox!Betty ever get her memories back? How does her and Simon’s dynamic evolve?

Hmm. The main reason Betty was put in Ooo as a fox was because Prismo wanted her to continue living on, and needed to disguise her so the auditors cannot find her.

Due to this she has no memories, theyre all locked away in Golb, her “true” body. Because of this she is very conflicted in her new identity, she feels like she is trapped in the wrong body but cant quite figure out what her old body was.

Their first meeting isnt a good impression. Simon just had all of his notes stolen by a band of foxes and sees fox!Betty as a culprit. He is always trying to shoo her away or ignore her, and is pretty harsh towards her. He warms up to her once she manages to steal the notes back from the foxes with Simon’s help.

When fox!Betty tries to remember the past, or sees photos of her human self in Simon’s room, it gives her headaches. Though as she starts to live with Simon more she receives flashes of her past life-only barely. Especially when he rambles on about his past to her.

Update: Fox!Betty only transforms into a human form when sleeping/unconscious. Sometimes she will have fox ears or a tail depending on how deep the sleep is. The first time Simon notices this, he assumes he is hallucinating. He doesnt find out about her human form until later on. He refuses to let her stay in his room, so he avoids seeing her in this form for a while.

I havent decided where fox!Betty and Simon will go, but I like to think that when they do find out her true identity.. things are very awkward. He was under the impression that she was just an annoying stranger crashing at his place and occasionally helping him out, so it makes things complicated. And fox!Betty doesnt have the memories of Simon that she feels shes supposed to have.

At this point Simon has moved on with his life and mostly pushed away his feelings for Betty down to a manageable level, so he feels like all that progress is being torn down now that shes here. In this strange form.

Simon doesnt find out fox!Betty is Betty for a bit, he recognizes some similarities between the two. They become actually pretty good buddies.. after a while.

The two of them need to learn to accept each other. Simon accepting this is the way Betty will be, and Betty accepting her new form. Maybe then things will change, like beauty and the beast.. without the romance. Lol. Just kidding I like angst so it will end tragically somehow.

[maria-from-ga]

Raven, the Empathetic Sorceress Part 3

Here's the final part of Raven's TT03 powers aligned with her NTT powers. And if you came here after Part 1 and Part 2, thanks for sticking around lol

(Sources in pink)

Healing

In NTT, Raven could heal others, more specifically absorbing the people's pain to induce their healing.

The scope of what Raven can heal has varied in NTT but traditionally, it's more limited in scope: she can't heal diseases or severe injuries

(Tales of New Teen Titans #2- Young Raven learns of her ability to heal by saving a dove's life. The Goddess Azar tells Raven that Raven ability to heal is fairly limited, and Raven explains that to the team as well as absorbing other's pain add to her suffering and is painful.)

Raven was known in NTT for being a healer because, she didn't like conflict (aside from knocking people out unconscious*lol)

There is a misconception around TT03 that Raven never healed. On one hand, this is understandable because it wasn't as dramatic or grandiose as in the comics or the DCAMU when Raven healed Damian. However this isn't the case.

TT03 Raven was a healer as well; her ability just hewn closer to the original limitations of her healing.

Raven healed several times in the show:

Healed a limping Beast Boy in the pilot

(Teen Titans 1x01 "Final Exam"- After being defeated by the HIVE, Raven helps a limping Beast Boy returning to Titan Tower and heals his injury and telling him they had to accept what happened, a sign of Raven's maturity and wisdom)

2. Reduce a major injury Robin had to a minor fracture (a sign of her healing abilities being limited)

(Teen Titans 2x07 "Fractured"- In a fight against Johnny Rancid, Robin is seriously injured with a broken arm but Raven is able to reduce the serious injury to a minor fracture.)

3. Healing Herself After Being Attacked By Adonis

(Teen Titans 3x09 "The Beast Within"- After Raven was seriously attacked by Adonis, Raven went into a trance to heal herself)

Here are other times which I think count but I understand if people don't want to:

4. Attempt to Heal Robin's Mind

(Teen Titans 3x05 "Haunted"- After finding Robin, Raven enters his mind to try to show Robin the truth to soothe his troubled mind)

In "Haunted", when Robin escaped after suffering a breakdown, Raven used her soul-self to find Robin and enter his mind. Raven tries to convince him that Slade isn't physically there to calm him down. This, to me, is Raven trying to heal Robin's mind by addressing the root cause of Robin's mental issues- Slade's existence- to free from the stress he is under. This is similar to NTT #14 where Raven tries to find the root of Mento's mental distress so he can be free from the mental illness plaguing him.

(NTT (1980) #14- Finding a disoriented Mento, Beast Boy's dad, Raven sense an emotional disturbance in Mento and try to soothe his pain but couldn't)

5. Defeated Plasmus

I know this is seemingly a unexpected choice because Raven uses her soul-self to knock Plasmus out unconscious, but when you consider Plasmus's character, this is an act of empathy & healing in my opinion.

(Teen Titans 4x11 "The End Part 1"- Raven recites Azarath Metrion Zinthos, summoning more of her power, and knocks out Plasmus granting him the peace he deserves)

Plasmus, real name- Otto Von Furth, is a tragic figure in TT03. He can't control his transformation into Plasmus, and has to remain in a stasis tank or be permanently unconscious to remain human & not transform into Plasmus. Otto readily accepts this sad fate to stay human. When Slade forcibly wakes him up in "Divide And Conquer" (Teen Titans 1x02- Plasmus 1st appearances), Otto begs to be put to sleep, but Slade mocks him and ignores his cries. TT03 Raven using her full astral form can form a soul-link with someone (e.g. with Robin in "Haunted" which she later mentions in "Birthmark" that after entering Robin's mind, she and Robin share a soul-link), so she, in her astral form, likely realized Otto's desires after ending Plasmus's mind, and so with the natural abilities of her soul-self, granted Otto's wish for rest. This act of healing a distressed person is similar to Raven putting Mark, a distressed man having an episode, to rest in NTT #35.

(NTT (1980) #35- Raven comforts and puts to rest Mark, Sarah Simms' ex who has having an mentalepisode and started a hostage situation)

6. Healed Plasmus again

(This was in Teen Titans 5x12 "Titans Together", but I am not going to post the scene because it is essentially the same scene as the one in "The End Part 1")

Thus, Raven healed someone at least once a season. Again, I don't blame people for the misconception, but it was a kid's show so they won't going to have people with major injuries but whenever they need a healer, Raven was there.

Empathy in Practice

Part 1 already covered how TT03 Raven is an empath, but how does she used her empathy in practice outside of healing?

Conventional Use of Empathy

Emotional Manipulation

Now as an empath, Raven can alter and manipulate people's emotions.

In TT03, Raven doesn't manipulate emotions to the extent NTT Raven, which is understandable because on a kid's show, you don't want to condone manipulating emotions. Also, NTT Raven also eventually stops manipulating emotions without consent because she realized how messed up it was.

(1st image: NTT (1980) #4 - Zatanna reveals to Wally that Raven forced her to fall in love with her so Raven can use Wally in the fight against Trigon; 2nd image: NTT (1980) #14- Raven apologizes to Wally saying she now realizes that manipulating people's emotions to force them to do what you want is wrong)

This doesn't mean TT03 Raven can't manipulate emotions, but rather TT03 Raven only does so in a 'break-in-case-of-emergency' situation:

(Teen Titans 3x04 "Crash"- After Gizmo refused to help the Titans to fix Cyborg, Robin gives Raven the go-ahead to exploit Gizmo's fears and force him to help them )

What Raven did in "Crash": sense Gizmo's fears and exploit them to pressure him into saving her friend as a last resort is similar to what NTT #14 stated she can do as an empath.

(NTT (1980) #14- After Mento for a lack of a better word went bersek and attacked the Titans, Raven exploit Mento's love for his dead wife, Rita, to get her to calm down)

Sensing People & Emotions

Because of her empathic ability, Raven can sense things, such as people's presence to find them.

(NTT (1980) #1- Raven sense Starfire's arrival and ask Titans to follow her to help save Starfire)

TT03 Raven uses this ability to find Starfire such as the TT03 prequel episode- Teen Titans 5x10 "Go" in a scene reminiscent of NTT #1 (1st scene in GIF below)

As well to try to find the White Monster the Titans were chasing in the series finale (Teen Titans 5x13 "Things Change") (2nd scene in GIF above)

This sensing ability of TT03 Raven not only extends to sensing people's presence, but also even more specifically the distress of others, particularly those of she cares about.

For example in "Haunted" (shown in the GIF below) when Raven felt Beast Boy's pain after he was attacked by Robin, Raven's sensing ability caused Raven to sense Beast Boy's distress and thus wake up from her healing trance.

This TT03 scene is reminiscent of NTT (1980) #10 (image below) when Beast Boy was severely injured and almost killed by Deathstroke. Raven sensed Beast Boy's immense pain and immediately teleported to him.

TT03 Raven, like NTT Raven, can also sense strong emotions of others. For example in Titans 2x08 - "Titans Rising" (GIF below), Raven sensed the strong, conflicting emotions of Terra after Terra rejoined the team, triggering a premonition, another ability of NTT Raven. This premonition revealed Terra's allegiance to Slade and subsequently betrayal which ultimately caused TT03 Raven to not completely trust Terra, similar to comic Raven's mistrust of Terra in Judas Contract.

TT03 and NTT Raven's ability to sense emotions as an empath is why Raven is known as a healer. Again, going back to the example with Robin and Plasmus, because she can sense their emotional disturbances, TT03 Raven can heal or attempt to heal people's minds- another conventional use of her empathy.

Grounded Use of Empathy: Understanding

In this long series breaking down TT03 Raven's powers, this might be my favorite section because this is so underrated about TT03 Raven. Though TT03 had Raven use her empathy in more conventional ways, TT03 really honed in on having Raven use her empathetic ability in a grounded sense.

Again Raven was an empath who felt everything yet had to deny her emotions and pretend not to feel anything (Part 1).

Yet underneath that faux cold demeanor & layer of sarcasm (which was always overrated imo), Raven was always to provide emotional support, be a shoulder to lean on & to vent your internal struggles (something that was all too easy for her to understand).

Beast Boy

Raven and Beast Boy's relationship was complicated, to say the least. Complete opposites, Raven struggled with Beast Boy's strong emotions, immaturity, & need for external validation. So Beast Boy thought Raven didn't like him. In turn, Raven thought BB hated her.

But Raven was there to provide comfort when Beast Boy needed someone, particularly at his lowest moment.

Teen Titans 3x09 The Beast Within - Beast Boy gets pushed too far by Adonis & thus unleashes his inner beast on him to win. Afterwards this battle, Beast Boy acts abnormally, eats meat & diary, and is awful to everyone, especially Raven. Beast Boy is ultimately turned into a out-of-control primal werebeast and Beast Boy's friends turn on him after believing he hurt Raven. Titans discovered Adonis also transformed into a werebeast & Beast Boy, in his primal werebeast form, was trying to save Raven & defeat Adonis who was obsessed with Beast Boy and Raven. Beast Boy eventually succeeds.

Beast Boy was given an antidote so he wouldn't have uncontrollable transformations into a werebeast anymore nor act like a toxic jerk, but after the ordeal, Beast Boy was badly shaken.

Raven, all too familiar with the agonizing regret in the aftermath of losing control, tries to comfort Beast Boy telling him it wasn't his fault and he has regained control (GIF below).

But Beast Boy is still mortified of his inner beast.

Raven, all too familiar with fear of your inner beast (Trigon), reminds him that his inner beast saved her life & it wasn't all bad. What's important is knowing when to release that inner beast for good - that is what makes him mature and human, reassuring Beast Boy (GIF below)

Once she sense Beast Boy was okay, she put her usual veneer of sarcasm back down.

Raven carries a deep, internal shame of her demon heritage & of her father (as Teen Titans 1x06 "Nevermore" shown), so her willingness to discuss the lessons she learn from it & the good from it despite her usual reluctance because she saw a friend in deep pain, despite their conflicts, shows how she understands and cares.

Robin

Due to their similar personalities, Raven was very close with Robin & shared a deep sense of mutual respect with him.

As such, Raven was always willing to comfort Robin when he was in emotional distress, especially when Starfire wasn't there to provide emotional support.

(1st Scene - Teen Titans 3x05 "Haunted"- As soon as Robin became agitated after realizing the Titans do not believe him, Raven was the first one to try to calm him down & was careful to use a gentle, non-accusatory tone with Robin to figure what was going on with him; 2nd Scene- Teen Titans 5x05 "Snowblind" - Raven tries to comfort a clearly worried Robin after Starfire went missing)

Again, throughout "Haunted", Raven was the only Titan who never became agitated at or rude towards Robin during his mental breakdown, likely sensing Robin's severe emotional distress. She tried to find a physical cause and when that failed, tried to heal Robin's mind, learning all his memories & forming a soul-link between the two.

With the soul-link from her empathetic powers , she was able to truly understand the source of Robin's plight: that to him, Slade was real and was actually fighting him. She showed the other Titans, Robin was in true mental, and thus physical, distress & was not being delusional (GIF below).

Starfire

Starfire always wore her emotions on her sleeve, and in her distress, either turn to Robin for emotional support or remove herself. But that doesn't mean Raven was never there when Starfire needed her.

In "How Long Is Forever", Starfire wanted to celebrate a Tamaranian Festival of Friendship with the other Titans but she was devastated when she discovered the other Titans were fighting, which ultimately result in her handcrafted festival necklaces being destroyed. Starfire, distressed at her broken necklaces, was upset at her friends fighting, worried this will cause their friendships to end. Raven with all the other Titans dismiss Starfire's concerns, saying it's normal roommate fights.

Then Starfire gets trapped in a wormhole & ends in a dystopian future where her worst fears have come and the Titans have split. Starfire is able to return to the present and tells her friends of the future. Other Titans were depressed at hearing their future, but Starfire suggests there is still hope to change their fate.

Sensing Titans' sadness at the potential end of their friendship & and sensing Starfire's quiet optimism & still burning desire for the festival, Raven suggest celebrating the Tamaranian Friendship Festival anyway, rebuilding the Starfire's beloved festival necklaces.

Uplifting All The Titans' Spirits but Especially Starfire's:

1st Scene - Teen Titans 2x01: "How Long Is Forever"; 2nd Scene: Teen Titans 3x03: "Betrothed"

The 2nd scene of the GIF above is from "Betrothed". In it, Raven tells Robin it's unfair to question Starfire's culture just because it's different from Earth's after Starfire is about to enter an arranged wedding. On the surface, this is another instance of Raven gently attempting to calm down an agitated Robin (which is true).

But this Raven quote encapsulates the deep respect and understanding she has for Starfire and her immigranthood.

Raven always felt like an outsider due to not only to her struggles to control her demon side, but also because her methods of control are from her home Azarath: an inter-dimensional society with practices (mediation, self-denial, mysticism) seemingly bizarre to Americans like Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy.

So like Starfire, Raven is an immigrant and understand the difficulty navigating cultural differences between your old home with your new one. Throughout the series, whenever Starfire perform a 'bizarre' Tamaranian cultural tradition or did something out-of-synch with conventional Earth culture (ie drinking mustard), Raven was the only Titan who rarely bat an eye. Although other Titans would never admonish Starfire for her naïveté  around Earth custom or "strange" ones, but they were usually bewildered, but not Raven.

This is all the more apparent when the Titans visited Tamaran, Starfire's homeland in "Betrothed." Not only was Raven nonplussed compared to other Titans about seeing Tamaran's traditions in practice, but she was also willing to provide assurance to Starfire about her traditions' validity. When the Titans arrived to Tamaran and Starfire described it as beautiful despite seeing only ugly rock formations around, Raven was the only one who agreed about its beauty despite initial hesitation. When Starfire's husband-to-be Glgrdsklechhh was revealed, and all the Titans, including Starfire, were disgusted, Raven, after hesitation, tried to hearten Starfire's spirit by saying he's cute.

Both instances, there wasn't a hint of Raven's trademarked sarcasm, but rather kindness & reassurance because Raven likely sensed Starfire's excitement, nervousness & trepidation about this visit. All this is encapsulated by when Beast Boy express curiosity & excitement seeing the alien animals on Tamaran, Raven reminds him: "He's the alien here."

These instances sum up to Raven's understanding of being an outsider with Starfire, validating her cultural differences, and the deep respect she had for Starfire's culture & how her personality flows from it, despite their seemingly clashing personalities and cultures.

Cyborg

Raven & Cyborg's friendship is so underrated, especially since their friendship was where Raven's grounded empathy and understanding are arguably the most present.

In "Car Trouble", Cyborg took so much care to build T-Car, calling it his baby & was so excited to show the other Titans his creation, but Raven was the only Titan who didn't care (remember she can fly & teleport lol). Cyborg then loses the car & becomes extremely upset when Titans said they wanted to turn Overload over to the police before searching for the car. Raven becomes rather rude & said Cyborg's car is not a big deal because it was just a car; Cyborg then becomes furious & goes off to search for the car alone. Gizmo steals the T-Car and Cyborg becomes utterly dejected, believing the car is lost forever.

Raven, realizing her screw-up, goes to find Cyborg, but Cyborg tells her it's a lost cause & maybe she's right: it was just a car (GIF below).

(Teen Titans 1x13 "Car Trouble")

Sensing his love for the car, Raven disagrees and instead affirms that the T-Car was part of him, his baby, not just a car, so it does matters, raising Cy's spirits (GIF below).

Raven joins Cyborg to look for the T-Car, but eventually Overload finds it and overtakes it. So in order to defeat Overload, Cyborg has to destroy the car & naturally becomes dejected the T-Car is gone.

Raven reminds Cyborg what made the car special was his soul, not the parts, so he can always rebuild the T-Car. And then Raven assist him in doing just that (GIF below):

("Car Trouble" - What's Raven is pointing to in this GIF is a blue and black chip board that came from Cyborg that made T-Car functional- a physical representation of his soul. Raven goes on to spend hours rebuilding a car she admittedly doesn't care about just because it meant that much to Cyborg)

Raven's care and empathy for Cyborg shows up again in "Cyborg the Barbarian":

In "Cyborg the Barbarian", Cyborg gets stranded 5000 years in the past. He meets The Village, a tribe of warriors battling the Green Gruesomes. Despite his initial reluctance, especially due to his diminishing power battery, Cyborg decides to join the battle against the Green Gruesomes, assisting the Village and their beautiful leader, Sarasim.** However, before the battle is over, Raven rescues him, leaving Cyborg distraught. And a devastated Cyborg grabs Raven, pleading with her to send him back.

Instead of reacting harshly as she usually, especially due to being grabbed, Raven gently told him she can't send him back (GIF below):

(Teen Titans 4x04 "Cyborg the Barbarian")

Cyborg walks away from his friends distraught, saying that he didn't get to say goodbye, while Raven looks at Cyborg with sympathy.

Sensing Cyborg's wallowing in his pain & regret, Raven visits Cyborg & shows him one of her books. The book reveals that Sarasim & the Village were ultimately victorious & commemorated Cy for his bravery. Raven then leaves the book with Cyborg, and seeing the return of his joy, smiles (GIF below):

Using her powers can put a strain on Raven, so you imagine using the full extent of her soul-self energy trying to pinpoint Cyborg across space and time would have done to her. Not only the strain of finding Cyborg but also using her soul-self energy to carry Cyborg 5,000 years through time. All this took a lot from Raven, and Cyborg not only didn't even thank her, but rather gripped her tightly, and begged to be send back, ignoring all that Raven sacrificed. But istead of expressing rage, frustration, or even sarcasm at Cyborg's lack of gratitude, Raven, seeing Cyborg's turmoil and pain, regretfully said she couldn't. So, Cyborg walked away, heartbroken and disappointed. And after this, Raven then searched her extensive ancient book collection, looking for the name Cyborg called out before he walked away from his friends dejected to give her friend some sense of comfort. Finding what she was looking and sensing his grief, Raven shows to Cyborg her book detailing how Sarasim and the Village won & how they never forgot what he did, like he will never forget them. After Raven provides Cyborg the closure he was searching for, Raven let Cyborg hold onto the book and read more of Sarasim's adventures. This was a big deal because Raven never let anyone touch her books since most are dangerous spell books that need to be handled, yet she let Cyborg keep one of hers just so he can gain much-needed peace. Raven did all this to a friend that was frankly ungrateful of what Raven sacrificed to save him because she understood Cyborg was reacting in pain and struggling with his sense of loss, not inherently trying to be rude.

The care she showed to the Titans shows that TT03 Raven was the most understanding Titan, sensing her friends' pain and go to many lengths to soothe them in her own way, trying to comfort them in a way she herself wanted to be comforted.

Magic

Raven and her relationship to magic is 2nd biggest misconception about TT03 and NTT Raven, and it's two-fold one: 1) that TT03 Raven only practiced magic & didn't use her empathy nor soul-self (those misconceptions were disproven in parts 1/2 and 2) that NTT Raven had no involvement with magic.

NTT Raven wasn't technically a witch*** (& she didn't like being called it lol), but that doesn't mean she had no involvement with the art of magic.

Raven was openly a mystic and was trained in Azarath mysticism.

Azarath was a mystic society, created & run by sorcerers- the ritual to purge themselves of evil created Trigon (as shown in the image from NTT (1980) #3)

NTT Raven was raised by mystics and sorcerers and thus was a mystic & sorceress too and was called such in the comic. Mystics & sorceress both utilize magic, and Raven's empathy powers and soul-self utilization were forms of sorcery, mysticism & thus magic.

(1st image: "Crisis On Infinite Earths"? - Full disclosure, I didn't screenshoot this image so I am not sure of the exact issue it came from, but I am positive it is from a Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-in. In this image, Raven is teleporting to site where the Earths are colliding and is called the mistress of mysticism as she does so. 2nd image: NTT (1980) #9- Raven teleports away before a mind-controlled Cyborg can attack her and is again called the Maid of Mysticism)

When Raven was created by Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, the editor, asked Wolfman to create a mystic character without conventional uses of sorcery to differentiate the character from Dr. Strange.

TT03 Raven didn't have the same restriction as Wolfman, so she could employ more conventional uses of sorcery & magic to augment her empathetic & soul-self powers which she did (Images on left-hand side below):

(Left column: 1st picture: Teen Titans 3x06 "Spellbound"- Raven using sorcery and spells to free Malchior, whom she believed to be Rorek, from the spell book he is bound to. 2nd picture: Teen Titans 4x07 "The Prophecy"- Raven, scared of Trigon's impending arrival, uses spells and incantations to return home to Azarath to find some way to defeat Trigon. Right column: NTT (1984) #31- Raven uses Brother Blood's sorcery to augment her own and defeat Blood)

And just to further drive the point home, NTT Raven did use magic outside of Azarath mysticism & sorcery. As the image on the right showed, she used Brother Blood's own magic to augment her own sorcery, free herself and the entire world from his mind control, and thus defeat him.

So, Raven always was a practitioner of magic, TT03 Raven made the connection to magic more explicit and stronger.

If you stayed around this long, thank you so much. I hope this series showed how TT03 Raven's powers align with NTT Raven's and TT03 just expands on NTT Raven's powers. If you want any more GIFs about the scenes I described here, please let me know; I would have add more images, but I went over the limit. This was really fun and let me know if you want me to do more of these posts and if so, which characters and subjects to cover!! This was so fun, especially seeing the care TT03 crew took to adapt Raven and her relationships which I didn't appreciate when I was younger.

Long Live Teen Titans 2003!!!

*Raven has a complicated relationship with violence lol & maybe I will do a post on it one day lol

**Sarasims is a cool callback to Vic's first NTT love, Sara Simms who sadly they couldn't make it work. And I especially loved that like the Sara Simms' role in the comics, TT03 Sarasims reminds Cyborg he is more than enough as is.

***Most definition of witch means either having innate magic ability or making forbidden pacts to gain magical powers, which sorcerers gain their power through study. And as you can see, Raven would technically be both a witch and a sorceress

[sunfyresrider]

*ೃ༄WICKED INTENTIONS | NETEYAM S.

✩Synopsis. You made the foolish decision of seeking sanctuary with a vampire.

✩Tags. blood, hypnosis, dubcon, fem!receiving, p n v, Vampire Neteyam, uhhh just smut. 1k words

✩Note. SHE HAS RISEN (lol hi)

minors dni 18+ minors dni 18+ minors dni 18+ minors dni 18+

As Neteyam lay asleep in his lair, melted candles and cobwebs lining the once luxurious walls, he had dreamt of times long past. He saw images in his dreams, from wars won and lost, of loved ones he had left behind, and of the world he had once known without a thirst for blood. In his nightmares, he prayed that he would be freed from his eternal solitude, join his companions in their graves.

Even whilst he slept his mind roamed ceaselessly, for the creature he had become never fully knew peace. The warm embrace that rest provided had been out of his reach for centuries, perhaps that’s why he had gone mildly mad. The last creature he had interacted with had been ten… no fifteen years prior, in passing. Solitude

An itchy feeling crept up Neteyam’s spine, his nose twitching as a new scent invaded his senses. Both of his pointed ears began to twitch, the pitter patter of feet quickly approaching the grandiose entrance of the castle. His eyes shot open, his golden irises gleaming with excitement. Neteyam’s body floated out of the coffin, the aroma of pulsing blood carrying him to where it stood.

A young woman, decorated in muddy fabrics and torn stockings sunk to the floor in the grand foyer. Your eyes were glazed over with tears, clutching your arms tightly to her body as she quickly glanced around your surroundings. The scent of her blood, rich and pure, was intoxicating. It was sweet and thick, like a fresh honeycomb dripping with dew.Twas a pity you appeared so patheticly helpless clinging to the old carpet.

Neteyam approached the trembling girl, his eyes fixated on the steady stream of red trailing down your pale arm. Your body was littered with scratches and bruises, blood seeping from each wound. She must have stumbled upon the castle after getting lost in the forest. The moment you spotted him you knew you had made a grave error, his appearance was far from human, more tragically beautiful beast than man.

You stuttered attempting to grab the nearest curtain to lift yourself, but your fingers only grasped thin air. Neteyam kneeled, his face mere inches from yours, his breath was cool against your flushed skin. A single claw traced your cheek, a shiver of fear running down your spine. “An intruder? Were the bodies outside not frightful enough to deter you?” Panic began seeping into your bones, you were so focused on running you hadn’t noticed anything…

“I-I mean no harm! I'm terribly lost and afraid… I only meant to come in for safety, I swear!” He stared down at the whimpering mess beneath him, the fear in her voice was intoxicating, her scent even more so. The vampire felt a stirring deep within his abdomen, his fangs beginning to ache.

The sight of your veins pumping and the delicious fear in your eyes made him more aroused than he thought possible, perhaps denying himself both food and company had long lasting effects. Neteyam picked you up by your arm, his cold skin making contact with yours. He wanted nothing more than to rip open your chest cavity and feast on the crimson liquid within, but something else stirred inside him, a desire he had long since forgotten.

“Do not fret, I don’t intend to kill you.” The master of the castle hands slipped down your neck, letting his fingers hover over your pulsing veins. “If you wish to stay, you’ll have to pay for it.” His golden eyes pierced into yours, fangs glistening, the grin on his face grew into a wicked smirk. You felt your resolve fading, eyes fluttering shut as you stared into him. Before you could utter a word the room changed, the clocks stopped ticking as you were laid out on his lush bed.

His hand caressed your cheek, a finger brushing against your bottom lip. The touch of his lips mirrored his appearance, frigid and lifeless. Your body felt light, eased into a faux sense of comfort, your mind in a cloudy haze as his lips trailed down to your nape, inching closer to your core.

thump thump thump

The sound of heart race quickening made his cock twitch with anticipation, the excitement of devouring his next meal was overwhelming. Neteyam’s tongue delved into your sensitive spots, basking in your flavor and heat he could not possess. His tongue prodded your entrance, lapping up the nectar flowing freely from your cunt.

Your hands shot down, tangling his dark hair in your fists, legs quivering as he toyed with your clit. The sensation of his cold tongue against you felt euphoric, like a cool breeze on a humid day. Your back arched, head falling back against the plush pillows as a high pitched whine escaped you.

The monster below you chuckled, your sweet taste lingering in his mouth. He brought his lips up to your ear, whispering sweet nothings as his thumb played with your clit. With the wave of his hand, the man pulled his trousers down, exposing his cock.

Neteyam hovered over you, lining himself up with your entrance, slowly sinking into your heat. The intensity of your heartbeat echoing within his ears made him shiver, denying himself the one pleasure he could obtain in this world. His hand squeezed around your throat, his thrusts quickening to match the pulsating veins within, worshiping the feeling of blood freely flowing.

His teeth grazed the shell of your ear, hissing under his breath. His free hand found your clit, rubbing circles into your bundle of nerves. The feeling of his hips against yours was intoxicating, the fullness inside of you had you drooling. Your eyes began seeing stars, the feeling of being so full, and the lack of air making you dizzy.

The intensity of first time pleasure was overwhelming, a tear falling from your eye as you struggled to breathe. The way your cunt tightened around him, and the delicious scent of your arousal only drove him more wild. Your heart pounded within his chest, the sensation of life pumping through him for a few short moments, and the tight grip on his hair made him weak.

The noises coming from you were only comparable to a goddess, if he could listen to them forever Neteyam would gladly live with his cunt stuffed inside you...

Your thighs began to shake around his waist, your orgasm rapidly approaching. Neteyam brought his lips to yours once more, kissing you roughly, biting your bottom lip till the sweet taste of iron flooded his mouth. He felt you tighten around him, walls clenching as he inhaled the sweet scent of you. Neteyam’s head dipped down into your neck, his eyes fluttering shut. “What if I drain you dry and keep you here with me forever, princess.“

Your eyes shot open, the feeling of fear beginning to seep back into your conscious as your body began to overwhelm with ectasy. His teeth sunk into you as your orgasm rippled through your body, his cock spilling inside you. Your eyes rolled back as he drained your essence, the feeling of bliss disappearing as your mind became hazy. Your eyes began fluttering close, all the limbs in your body becoming too weak to move.

Neteyam’s face came into your faded vision, hot blood streaming down his shiny fangs. “Sweet dreams, darling."

[whoishotteranimepolls]

In Defense for Sabo (Why hes appealing to me)

To be perfectly honest, I am absolutely down bad for Sabo. I am a Simp in every sense of the word. So understand, I am biased by this point- That out of the way, he's perfect your honor. He's so tragic, so cool, and so silly- i think people overlook him because out of the ASL trio he has the least amount of screen time of the three- but everytime he's there it's a wild ride

I coukd write a really shitty 100k word thesis on this bastard(affectionate) so I'll try my best to keep it short

How do I even begin this? What hooked me initially on his character as a whole was how he was born into nobility and instantly hated it. He could see how messed up the people around him were even as a child, Hes a born anarchist. So he runs away and meets angry child Ace and then they're both menaces to society with a plan on ditching this place. You know the backstory I don't gotta explain more but like, the whole ASL brother dynamic is amazing and hes so middle child coded. Then the tragedies begin- in literally every single way the upper class could be horrific and terrifying, it happens over and over within like no time just to really hammer into him his distaste for the whole system. To skip all the angsty details, He felt so cornered that he ran away. Just sets sail despite his age, then of all people to aim a weapon at him, a Celestial Dragon proceeds to give him amnesia for the next like 9 years of his life with some insane blunt force trauma. That gun was basically an explosive canon, the fact Canon!Sabo just has the eye scar is why so many artists headcanon him with a much bigger scar. How he survived that is just a testament to how he's just

Built Different™

Then he basically jumps into the deep end so to speak with no fucking memory. By the time Ace is setting sail- he's already insanely strong. He ends up second in command for a reason- he's smart, he's powerful, he's got that never ending well of stamina just like his bros, he's a beast

And what finally brings back his past? He sees the news about marineford. What rejogs his memories- is his brother fucking dieing. (Oda basically confirmed that if Sabo had his memories, Ace would have lived. I mean- pretime skip Luffy almost succeeded- putting Sabo in the mix would have absolutely turned the tides. But that's beside the point- as i said hes just strong) Sabo only remembered when it was already too late- like...holy shit- the Angst. Tragedy after Tragedy and he couldn't even try to help this time-

Listen, what I'm trying to say is He's cool and angsty (like every other character tbf lol). He's just like his bros, a crazy bastard with a heart of gold who breeds chaos by being himself and standing for his ideals. Luffy and Ace have some crazy bloodlines and ya know, D. But Sabo is just Sabo and is right there with them in levels of chaos from day one.

He's just Built Different™

His whole presence in Dressrosa was amazing and hilarious- he shows up for the first time in- ever, one whole body luffy hug later and he's in the coliseum in Luffys disguise being an absolute badass. He successfully gets Aces fruit and then destroyed the coliseum with one move- he has some insane Haki and wields a damn pipe at the same time (the fact its something he kept from his time with his bros is so 🥹 but the juxtaposition is hilarious) Evertime he fights in this arc it's them sitting up the altercation and next time you see him- hes won and moved on to the next thing he's doing. One of my favorite little things is after Dressrosa -when he talks to the few who weren't passed the fuck out- and he gives Luffys vivre card to the strawhats. Not his personal Card to luffy- Luffys to his crew. He hasn't seen his brother in at this point like 10 years and somehow had his DNA to make it- everyone overlooks his crazy but it's hilarious

One of the best hugs in the anime just saying ^

I was head over heels after Dressrosa ngl.

If Luffy is silly and Ace is hot cool guy, Sabo is right in the middle. I do think it's funny he's boiled down to the smart one of the three, he is, but he's also so much more. Also, as the person who originally asked what the appeal was said, yeah he also doesn't smell like a trashcan. He's the only one of his bros that takes a regular shower lmao. And while I do blame my insant love for the tophat look on my prior love of Jacob Frye from assassins creed, I think he's got style too. He looks good and he's wearing a damn cravat(the white neck scarf thing) most the time, he pulls it off. The movie look with the teal/cyan trenchcoat, the Reverie scenes, the newest episodes he just got animated in again-

He is beauty, He is Grace, I want him to sit on my fa- sorry

For context, they are responding to this post about Sabo

Wow, I'm impressed the one piece fandom never ceases to amaze me with your dedication to your characters

[kandadze]

Ep 28 loose thoughts

I'm glad for the lighthearted opening, because I know it'll just go downhill from here. Also, PSJ lumped with the men while ZYZ gets to annoy them from the distance is peak comedy. Again, I'm pretty sure we'll need all the laughs we can get.

Also, this is purely from an aesthetic point of view, and seeing ZYC out of his usual deep blues, grays and indigos was jarring, to say the least. The sandy beige does not compliment his porcelain complexion at all... unless they were going for this washed-out, weary look specifically, in which case, A+ (and boy, does he have reasons to be weary lol). Bonus: Ying Lei and PSJ knowing exactly why he's calling ZYZ a bastard 😂

"Next time, please finish your words in one go." Where's the fun in that though, ZYZ? You walked right into that one all by yourself 🤣

Of course Li Lun's way of "asking" for the scale was to threaten its owner with death. I'm afraid he hasn't learned anything... pity, really. I would love for him to have *some* sort of character growth.

Wow, ain't she miss popular all of a sudden! Is the Chongwu Camp guy gonna help LL to save Bai Jiu's body, or is he gonna go with his boss's orders after all? And of course the boss has *something* on the princess - I refuse to believe that his repulsive ass is Meng Xuan.

What's with that look, LL? Did you forget that the 3-face-mask - what's his name again? Wen something? - is after ZYZ's inner core? Did you think he was gonna stop trying to get it when you backed out of your deal? (Unless he's more like, welp, there goes my chance to get rid of the  poison...)

The whole "why do we need the scale" sequence is sending me. Ying Lei: she's so good at making up stories! ZYC: she probably got that from one of her novels. YL: I was not allowed to read erotica!!! 🤣 Meanwhile, in the distance, WX: let me spin this even harder, for maximum effect. ZYZ: 😲😱🤯😵‍💫🫡 YL: 🤢

But of course, the show will not let us forget that the success rate of interspecies romance in this universe is exactly zilch, nada, and zippo... and here I am, still holding onto hope for some kind of satisfactory ending. Oof, the way WX went "you owe me a life" so matter-of-factly... give me more female characters with a backbone of steel!

Omg can I just barf. Wen Zongyu *is* Meng Xuan? Is it just me who finds the taste of the Wilderness women we've seen so far shacking up with humans - Bai Jiu's mom and now the princess -  highly questionable? Like, why. My aroace ass cannot conceive how the princess could fall for *that* guy, of all people. I've sat through all the tragic romances so far not quite understanding maybe, but believing in all of them, but this, no.

(Also, it is now confirmed, that little bridge is like a tourist attraction for lovers, only every couple who sat on it is doomed. You should've played with your sparklers at the dock, ZYZ, WX!)

Oh wait hold up? Meng Xuan is someone WZY knew? He pretended to be him? Oh for fuck's sake! But the woman the princess poisoned *was* WZY's wife, right? And WX's dad and WZY knew each other??? This is so confusing ffs

"An innocent person's only crime is to own something valuable." "People with a treasure are always surrounded by bad wolves and cunning foxes. In most cases, in order to protect the treasure, they become a bloodthirsty beast, too." "It's a choice. She could choose not to." Love this whole convo on innocence and how it can get twisted, and ZYC restating his values. (I also get distracted by his eyelashes, like, constantly. 😅)

Oh, is WX going for the jugular. (And it appears only ZYC knew about the princess killing WX's dad. When did he find out, I wonder.) Also, hello? The *triple* murderer gets to make a request? For ZYZ's inner core, nonetheless??? I mean, I know why she's asking for that specifically - Chongwu Camp lackey did get to her first, after all - but that's not how "paying back" works, lady.

ZYZ, you just promised ZYC that you won't seek death, and then not only do you risk your life for him almost immediately after, now you're back on your self-sacrificial bs??? I swear, ZYC's patience for this demon. And his love, too. "Keep your inner core. I won't exchange it for anything, not even the Cloud Light Sword." Ahhh my heart.

Did he really pull a demonic equivalent of "my body, my choice"??? ::dies:: and then he goes, you don't want to make that choice, I'll make it for you. I immediately flashed back to Ying Long making the decision for Bingyi, oh no 😭

Awwww goddamnit everyone (not you WX, you're on the right side here), stop making ZYC sad! He cares for all of you, stop forcing him to make impossible choices! (You can tell I'm really invested when I start talking directly to the characters lol) In a way I understand why Ying Lei and PSJ would choose Xiao Jiu over ZYZ. YL's grandpa's death is no doubt still fresh on his mind, and even though in a way he seems to be going against his grandpa's final act of love, it's also a sort of "life for life" reasoning. For PSJ, even if her views of demons shifted since we first met her, Xiao Jiu is first and foremost a kid who reminds her of her brother. So I understand where they might be coming from, and I still don't like that ZYC has to deal with his found family fracturing before his very eyes.

Goddamnit, Ying Lei's projecting his own wish for being special and chosen. Makes sense, our underappreciated comic relief might not be expressing it much but we've been shown his constant vying for attention and validation (especially from ZYC and XJ) often enough. Headpats my dear boy, you *are* special. You are also, however, using emotional blackmail to sway ZYC, and I don't like that.

Ah, PSJ, back to annoying tf out of me. "Not 'we.' Just you and Zhuo Yichen" is it now? Damn it, this show just keeps finding ways to make my heart hurt. Don't break up the family!!! Not like this! You tell them, ZYC! (ZYZ's face when ZYC in essence said, over my dead body!)

............

Remember folks this is me yelling into my notepad as I'm watching bit by bit. At this point I had to stop because I reached my limit and at the same time had a terrible thought that this is another illusion. Because no way in hell did I just watch them-  Draw. Weapons. On. ZYC???!!!

This can't be real. ZYZ, stop this nonsense!

....... I hate it here.

Okay, before I go any further, I *know* from the MV and the trailer that whatever the fuck just happened can't be real. But they better have a *very* good explanation because my poor heart pretty much stopped for a moment.

So they got the scale. Yippie.

What was the point of all of this if she dgaf for the letter? Please get them both off of my screen, he's a fucking monster and she has no taste, and I dgaf for their tragic story (barf). I think this is the first time I got seriously annoyed while watching this drama, which, considering we're on ep 28, is a feat in itself.

How tf did he recognize PSJ's arrow? Can he tell it's hers by its trajectory? I guess he's just naturally brilliant at everything killing related?

OMG ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, DRAMA. We were told earlier that the fish can communicate with Longyu! And they gave us a shot of fish in that pond they were all standing at! They even showed us WX holding up something before the "break-up" started - I just didn't realize it was her "notebook"... So everyone was acting??? But there was no way ZYC could've read her notes, so was he the only one who wasn't??? 😭 You mofos, how dare you put him through stress like that!!!

"Go away." "Okay." Someone's sleeping on a couch tonight... From the music in the background I know we're supposed to find this reveal funny, the *four* of them definitely do (while laughing at him), and I just keep thinking of what it must've felt like to him. Isn't his biggest fear losing his loved ones? Whether by death or by a difference in thought, which changes love into hate? (Stil not over that little speech on love vs hate XJ's mom gave several eps back!) Even if it was a ruse, for him it was real. In short, ZYC my man, I applaud you for your restraint; I would've blasted the lot with some ice by now.

Oof another reveal. Will the asshole care? I doubt it. ZYZ's hand on WX's shoulder because of course she's gonna blame herself. Aaaand I was right, the asshole doesn't care... can someone just shoot him for me, please.

Wow, ZYZ, you little attention whore. And again they're giving us the "you can't choose your origin, but you can choose your own life," just as they're marching us towards the inevitable end. Nooo, not the leaves speech! Seriously, the amount of beautiful, soul-crushing lines in this drama! Aaaand he just said the title. The dream will end, we will wake up, we'll go back to reality. But we'll remember the dream forever... I feel like WX is expressing our hopes for a different ending, and ZYZ is confirming our fears that it can't be changed. Goddamnit.

And then she goes, let's live together, even though there's definitely something wrong going on with her??? Thanks for the forehead touch, drama, I'm a sucker for those.

Aw LL, you sad little demon possessing a dying child's body. I find it fascinating how different his cave looks now, almost ethereal with all the flowers and floating lights, while he's decaying (not to mention all the raw meat he's been consuming).

ZYC changed clothes, thank goodness 😅 I mean, y'all *could* just apologize? Why make it seem that he's the unreasonable one for being genuinely upset over something he didn't know was an act? The prolonged hovering of their hands, I can't 🤣 Do you want to get the scale stolen? Because that's how you get things stolen in this world, by not using them immediately. Come to think of it, why don't they know how to use it? You'd think Ying Long told them, right? (What you wanna bet that somehow WZY knows?) What the heck did I just say? They're already being watched...

Good on you for not being fooled (I mean, ZYC *never* smiles like that, why does she keep making the same mistake), but oh goodness did he lose the thing he was supposed to guard with his life *fast*. I hate that we see them so reactive so often, and just *not* smart. They *just* said LL was going to try to get the scale - but they still left Ying Lei by himself? Please, you're supposed to be good, not *dumb*!

Huh, I guess I should've known there'll be another twist(s). I'm exhausted so all I have left is, I appreciate the little moment of softness between LL and his human livers dealer, and did ZYZ really teach LL *all* his tricks? We shall see. (And as I promised myself, I'm not checking out the preview. My sanity's frayed as it is.)

[skaruresonic]

I also forgot that one of the very first things we saw Flynnified Lanolin do was express her gratitude to Sonic. I think the idea was that he had inspired her to actually take action... but her approach is far more proactive than Sonic, who simply reacts to Eggman's wrongdoings.

If contained, this isn't a bad idea for a conflict. It fits with the general idea that she's high-strung and inexperienced, and doesn't want anyone to suffer like she did, while Sonic has been in the game (lol) for far longer and he's more relaxed.

But Lanolin has degenerated so much that it looks like she has legit spiralled into a breakdown. Now she is so rigid that she has become abusive, creating a climate of fear and control with her own companions - she has gaslighted Whisper in the real sense of the word! Her empathy for newbies makes her blind to Duo's obvious lies, while she holds veterans like Silver to such a high standard that any perceived failure deserves a verbal lashing out - but without the willingness to listen, to accept that maybe her assumptions were wrong, because she doesn't want to show any sign of vulnerability. And it feels like she holds so much resentment in her heart that she snaps at anyone vaguely irritating her, from Tangle playing to Sonic not moving out of the road fast enough (who cares about the possibility of them being hurt? Certainly not her! Everything has to flow smoothly and wounded people are simply a hindrance!)

And now we have ABT giving us a Lanolin who has been consumed so much by her own bitterness that she has gone from seeing Sonic as a hero to an irresponsible force of nature who simply doesn't care enough about anything. A danger. Something she cannot hold on a leash. Something to fear and look with suspicion. (and may have attempted to attack him, ABT's sketches are very confusing)

I would almost be impressed by this tragic villain arc, if I wasn't sure nothing I said is intentional.

I think the idea was that he had inspired her to actually take action... but her approach is far more proactive than Sonic, who simply reacts to Eggman's wrongdoings.

You know, I kind of think maybe we're even shortchanging Sonic by calling him "reactive." I know what you mean, but most people tend to exaggerate the whole "Sonic isn't proactive" thing to mean "Sonic isn't a perfect hero because he isn't surveilling Eggman 24/7."

We've seen this before with Flynn's "Eggman stormed Prison Island without knowing what Project Shadow was" argument. As if Eggman needs to be psychic and know what a classified top-secret military experiment is before he breaches the place and finds out for himself.

While it's true that Sonic doesn't take preemptive measures against Eggman, he also can't be expected to keep tabs on the guy all the time. (How ironic, then, that the one time he promises to check up on Tinker in issue 6, he actively neglects his duty.)

He does what he can with the knowledge he possesses. It's not like he can magically intuit that Eggman's going to go steal Ancient Document #3,487 and wake up another beast.

Plus, it doesn't mesh well with his freespirited nature. Superheroes are morally burdened by their self-imposed duties and obligations. Sonic just has awesome adventures because why not.

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If contained, this isn't a bad idea for a conflict. It fits with the general idea that she's high-strung and inexperienced, and doesn't want anyone to suffer like she did, while Sonic has been in the game (lol) for far longer and he's more relaxed.

Not sure I agree. We've seen the "no one should suffer the way I have" thing from Shadow and the whole high-strung schtick from Blaze.

I don't really see what else Lanolin is bringing to the table other than that she's a normie. And frankly, her personality is too underwhelming to rely on relatability. We don't even know if the girl has any hobbies aside from ordering people around.

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But Lanolin has degenerated so much that it looks like she has legit spiralled into a breakdown. Now she is so rigid that she has become abusive, creating a climate of fear and control with her own companions - she has gaslighted Whisper in the real sense of the word!

Nah man, she's peak because she's nasty and unpleasant. Let stronk women be bitches. Something something.

Kind of raises the brow how quick she is to resort to violence when she feels "threatened" by Whisper. You'd think she'd be more of a flighter instead of a fighter.

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Her empathy for newbies makes her blind to Duo's obvious lies, while she holds veterans like Silver to such a high standard that any perceived failure deserves a verbal lashing out - but without the willingness to listen, to accept that maybe her assumptions were wrong, because she doesn't want to show any sign of vulnerability. And it feels like she holds so much resentment in her heart that she snaps at anyone vaguely irritating her, from Tangle playing to Sonic not moving out of the road fast enough (who cares about the possibility of them being hurt? Certainly not her! Everything has to flow smoothly and wounded people are simply a hindrance!)

Yep.

Control freak.

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And now we have ABT giving us a Lanolin who has been consumed so much by her own bitterness that she has gone from seeing Sonic as a hero to an irresponsible force of nature who simply doesn't care enough about anything.

Which is dehumanizing towards Sonic, as well as belittling. Sonic does care. He demonstrates his care through his actions and the kindness he gives people.

Also, didn't Archie characterize Sonic as a living force of chaos? Hmm.

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A danger.

Ironic, considering he bothered to save people from the mess she made.

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Something she cannot hold on a leash.

The Sally Sheeples arguments are starting to look more and more convincing by the minute.

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Something to fear and look with suspicion.

Again, though, why? She thanked him for saving her town in issue 57. Now all of a sudden she's afraid of Sonic?

And if that's the case, why is she sticking around? Why can't she do the sensible thing and ask Jewel to relocate her to go work somewhere else where she won't have to be around people she perceives as ticking time bombs? If she views Sonic and co. as a threat, then why doesn't SHE take any measures to protect herself? Clearly she can't feel that unsafe around them, otherwise she wouldn't even think to scold them.

That's the frustrating thing about Lanolin. She's supposed to be this no-nonsense drill sergeant, yet continuously expects the world to bend to her expectations rather than assume any agency herself. God forbid our stronk women make decisions! Heavens no.

The only logical explanation is that Lanolin is such a huge fucking control freak that even Sonic the Hedgehog must abide by her strict standards, his previous heroism be damned.

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(and may have attempted to attack him, ABT's sketches are very confusing)

She reached into her cowbell to withdraw her Wisp. Doing that crossed the threshold from mere fantasy to premeditation, imo. It's one thing to fantasize about someone you hate dying - quite another to essentially reach for a knife hidden in your pocket while their back is turned.