#they cannot change themselves post fault though

[creaturefeaster]

Are mime's limbs required to be arms/legs? Could they be more tentacle-like?

They can be anything. Depending on the mime, their appendages can be jointed (Rede, Atrox), segmented (TyV, Scuppy), or rubberhose (Uppsulka, El Ganso,). This basically dictates how their appendages can bend and be manipulated, but beyond this, there isn't much else that dictates their form.

They technically can stem from anywhere on their torso (or in some cases, their head. See: Twiddle's mustache), not just at the shoulders and base. They don't even need hands or feet, and they are not limited to 4 limbs (Uppsulka has 8, N&O both have 6, Maggie has 6).

With this all being said, a theoretical rubberhose mime with no interest in functioning like a humanoid, could have 8 spindely tentacles at their base that can be manipulated just like tentacles. Or, even segmented or jointed as well, though they would lack the native fluidity of tentacles.

The most recent mime I drew yesterday, Chamberlain, has jointed, tentacle-like limbs on their lower half. Not as fluid as a rubberhose could be, but still tentacle-esque nonetheless.

A mime's appendages can go beyond this possibility as well. It can be possible for mimes to skip the length entirely and just have hands and feet jointed at the base. One could have knives protruding from their body, instead of limbs (Caelas legs are similar to this, in a way). A mime could have a single spring at their base to hop around on, or wheels, or fin-like flaps. Really, anything.

The only reason so many have limbs and hands and feet is just because they often view themselves in the same light as their god, who is a humanoid. This doesn't stop some from being more creative with their image, though :3.

TL;DR: Yes, a mime can have tentacles, or anything else for that matter, in place of limbs.

[radiance1]

Gimmie a Danny and Damian twins au, but not one where they're all gushy gushy and huggy huggy about the fact that they're reunited.

I want one, where they HATE and try to KILL EACH OTHER. Where they're extremely fucked up in their relationship with one another, but can't kill the other because Taila hoped that they could get along.

They spew poison at each other, inflict pain on each other as easy as BREATHING and would leave the other while heavily injured while saying that they could take care of themselves.

I want them to be near mortal-enemies wrapped up in the bodies of two highly-competent and powerful 14 year olds who cannot give a fuck about each other, has a fleeting thought of killing the other on the best of days but doesn't because of their dear mommy Taila.

Then force them to interact with each other after a long period of separation. I don't give a flying FUCK how you manage to do it, perhaps Danny has to run because his parents vivisected him, perhaps the Nasty Burger explosion couldn't be reversed because Clockwork said no and Danny is torn or perhaps Vlad brings him to Gotham for a gala (either redeemed or not redeemed Vlad), etc, etc.

Force these two children who fucking HATE each other under the same roof, make them interact, make them watch each other interact and make comments about it. Maybe even make an unstable Danny try and KILL Damian, but is stopped by the batfam, or maybe make it that Danny can't even bring himself to kill Damian because he's (discounting Talia) the only family he has left.

Maybe even (if you go the Nasty Burger/Dead Fenton fam au) make Danny hate Bruce Wayne's fucking GUTS because this man is trying to replace his dead father (even though Bruce IS his biological father) and hates him even MORE because he looks so similar to Jack's face that he's literally torn whenever he sees him. Make it that he never stays in the same room as Bruce whenever he's not in mask, make it that he tells Bruce TO HIS FACE that he hates the man for trying to replace his dead FUCKING dad and that he will NEVER accept him as one, biologically related or not.

Maybe even make him not like the batfam either just for the fact that they associate with both Bruce and Damian.

(I just remembered about that one post I saw, but BOY is this ramble gonna get even WORSE for dear old Danny. Though this part isn't really necessary could just read the on top bit lol)

Maybe they even find a way to take away his ghost side, and Bruce (With or without Talia) say that it's for the best for him, and Danny? Danny just fucking BREAKS. DOWN. He's full-on crying and screaming at Bruce and maybe has to be held back by the other batkids or not, or maybe he's just fulling on trying to hit Bruce and Bruce either dodges or just takes it.

Saying how fucking DARE he take away his ghost side, that was apart of him and he had NO FUCKING RIGHT to take away something so precious from him. Then Bruce could say that he doesn't need powers, he could be fully if not even more capable as a human.

And Danny just goes "You don't even get it, do you?" And Danny just cries harder because technically that was one the LAST things linking him to his parents. His DEAD parents. Sure, the accident was his fault, but phantom was created because of their portal, in their lab, in their basement.

Even worse if the reveal went RIGHT and they starting accepting how he was half ghost and trying to change their views on ghosts as a whole, only to die. Then, for some guy to just, take away something like that from him?

Maybe Danny would even say that, rip into him about how that was one of the only things linking him to his parents and even if it wasn't he didn't have the fucking right to decide what to do with HIS body.

"You never had to fucking worry about your parents not accepting you, I did. They still loved me regardless, they tried to change for me. But you wouldn't even know what that feels like, would you, you stupid fucking rich boy."

[idk why I typed that part out but just role with it.]

Maybe Bruce tries to sympathize with Danny about his parents, but Danny just doesn't have any fucks left to give about Bruce's life, or anyone else life in Bruce's life at all and just shuts it down or steamrolls over it. At the end of it all Danny is just a crying, shivering wreck and stares down Bruce with eyes full of HATE that tells Bruce one step closer, and he would KILL him.

Maybe then Damian (Either walks in or was there the entire time.) insults Danny over his weakness and depending on his ghost form or something, and Danny just sees fucking RED and jumps on him. No care that he's no longer half ghost, so that he means he could die more easily, no care to anyone else in that room, no care that Talia wanted both of them to get along and not kill each other.

He tries to kill Damian.

He fails miserably, of course, but he still tries. Then tries again and a fucking gain.

Then after all that he just, doesn't come out of his room, or tries to escape and leave Gotham every chance he gets. He never gets far, but he keeps trying, and he never opens up to anyone in the batfam, not even Alfred.

He's just a kid who lost everything he worked so hard for, everything he tried to hide from his biological mother and her assassin league who tried to keep whatever he had left. Now that kid is fueled by nothing but pure, revolting hatred for the people who took even that from him.

Basically like Dark Danny, but way more powerless and fully human.

[Okay that's enough of me rambling.]

[lemotmo]

one thing i'm a bit worried about as we got into season 8 is that there are a lot of fans talking about buddie like it's an inevitability and saying things like "buddie canon confirmed" because of the bts stuff we've seen.

it feels like people are setting themselves up for being disappointed and mad if buddie doesn't end up going canon (and honestly, it's kind of their fault for reading so much into fun little posts from the cast when the only way they'd ever confirm buddie is in an episode).

i really want buddie to be canon, but I'm keeping my expectations low because I don't want to be disappointed and it feels like people should be prepared for that potential outcome.

All right Nonny, here's the thing...

I get it. I completely understand what you are saying. I have been in the 911 fandom since season 1 (not so much on Tumblr) and when season 2 happened I hopped onto the Buddie train (on Tumblr).

I have been there, season after season after season. I saw people building up a lot of hope only for that hope to end up in disappointment. And I felt some of that disappointment as well. Although I have to admit I was always on the sidelines. I never really thought it would ever go canon. I hoped for it, but I had very low expectations.

After all, both men were canonically straight. Even though we could all see the queer-coding, fundamentally nothing ever changed. Buddie got closer than ever, but they still had girlfriends and relationships.

So yeah, I didn't have high expectations and I was happy just chilling in my little Buddie corner, speculating and reading/writing fan fic. Just genuinly having a good time.

But then season 7 happened. The show got cancelled by FOX at the end of season 6 and ABC picked it up. The first thing ABC did was put Ryan and Oliver front and center, having them freely talk about Buddie. I couldn't believe my eyes when these interviews happened. Articles were written, not just by smaller click bait sites, but actual reputable magazine sites. I watched all of this with wide eyes, not sure what to think of it. 'Would they? Could they?'

Then another bomb went off when 7x04 happened and Buck came out as bisexual. I was floored. For the first time in 6 seasons, I started entertaining the idea that the show might just go there. If they made Buck bisexual, surely they wouldn't ignore the highly popular Buddie aspect of it? Would they?

Let's not get into the whole Tommy debacle that happened afterwards. Because in the end it's not important for this answer. Tommy has been set up as a narrative device to help Buck out of the closet. He isn't even a factor in the overspanning Buddie arc we've seen progressing over 6 seasons.

I also want to add that it's crazy that we know for sure that it was actually supposed to be Eddie who would come out of the closet (first).

The end of season 7 gave us an Eddie who told Kim that he is broken and he can't be fixed. Chris left and now he's all alone. No more Chris, Marisol or any other distractions. He is on his own now. Lots of time to reflect upon his life and relationships. His arc will be built around his emotional journey and his personal growth. And we all know who will be by his side for all of it. It's a given at this point.

Then we have Ryan doing these interviews, saying things like:

“The character has been established now, we kind of know what to expect with the vibe. Now it’s just kind of falling back in old rhythm. The only thing different now is where the character’s head is at and where he is going.”

Next to that we have new looks for both Ryan and Oliver. A new beginning perhaps? That moustache has some clear queer symbolism attached to it as well. Something we cannot ignore, because the show knows that its fans aren't stupid and they also know that they have a solid queer fanbase.

And yes, Ryan and Oliver seem happy and relaxed on set these days, while especially Oliver didn't seem all that happy at the end of season 7. In fact, Oliver has completely ignored the Tommy aspect of his new 'canon' relationship. He speaks more about Buck's bi journey and ignores the Tommy factor as much as possible.

So Nonny, if you read all of the above information (and I'm sure I forgot a bunch of stuff) how can you not become more hopeful and a lot more positive that there is a high chance of Buddie happening in season 8?

I'm all for protecting yourself from possible disappointment, but when you are constantly wrapping yourself into a protective cocoon so you don't get hurt in the process, you might just miss the best (and most fun) part of being a shipper: the experience of your slow-burn ship finally becoming canon.

I admit it! I too strongly believe Buddie might just happen in season 8. I'm almost completely sure.

And yes, if Buddie doesn't happen, there will be disappointment and there will be people who choose to express that disappointment through anger. But honestly?

They would kinda have a point.

Because no, it wouldn't be the fans' own fault for getting their hopes up if Buddie doesn't happen. During previous seasons I would have said 'yes', but not now. Not anymore. Now I would definitely say that they are right. It's the show itself that has gotten our hopes up by the consistent Buddie promo, the many Buddie scenes, the whole Eddie being in every part of the BT arc thing, the bts and all the other things they've thrown at us. They know exactly what they are doing. They are hyping Buddie up to the max.

I don't actually believe there will be disappointment though. This is truly the first season where I have been pretty confident that Buddie is in the works. I've never had that feeling before and I've been here forever.

Now that being said, complete certainty doesn't exist for a shipper. if, for some reason, Buddie doesn't happen? There will be disappointment (for me as well) and anger (for me not so much), but in the end that emotion will fade and Buddie will become just another great fandom experience with a bad ending. We've all been there before. It happens.

That is just the nature of being in fandom: 'You win some, you lose some.'

However... this time? With Buddie?

I really think we're about to win big. Sorry Nonny!

¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

[polyamorousmood]

I have a new bf, we've got together 6 months ago, but considering I have a relationship of 15+ years with someone else, it feels new still to me. He is not the first addition to the polycule, as I also have a girlfriend for 3+ years. The long-term partner and the girlfriend are both nesting partners, and considering the new boyfriend lives on the other side of the country by himself, I have been going there practically every other weekend for "alone time".

I have two challenges, though:

* the boyfriend is new to polyamory and struggles with not being my only partner, but tries his hardest for my sake

* the girlfriend seems to have some serious issues with jealousy and fear of being abandoned

The long-term partner has been the real MVP through this all. They have mediated between me and my girlfriend and shown their utmost support when I wanted to go away.

Meanwhile, I have been trying my hardest to make the change of my allocated time easier on my girlfriend by giving her some extra quality time in the form of dates and gaming sessions and movie nights. It never seems to be enough though.

She has been acting out every time I go away, spiralling in self-deprecating pits of despair or being overall catty and mean towards me. This has led to the new boyfriend feeling like she hates him personally and him not wanting to visit me because she's there. Moreover, it doesn't exactly sell him on the whole idea of polyamory. The long-term partner is also getting exhausted by this: they can recall having struggled when we first opened the relationship, but, as they themselves say, "they weren't this bad."

I am a little lost. Have you got any ideas on what I can do to improve this situation?

Cheers, 🧜🏻

Heya,🧜! So first I'd like to summarize what's happening. You had two partners, and things were pretty good. But the addition of a third who requires special consideration has destabilized the relationship with one of them. Its an over-simplification, but in its simplest form, this is the problem.

Second thing is should also glance over this post from my jealousy tag. Not 100% will apply to you, but there's a lot of overlap. And yes, it does link to 6 other things. They are also likely helpful.

Third thing is all these names for partners does NOT jive with my brain. So for the purposes of answering this ask, I'm going to call Long-Term Partner "Lit" (LT from long term, with a vowel to aid in pronunciation), and newest partner I'm calling Newsboy, because that's the funniest nickname based on the information I have available to me, lol. Out of fairness, girlfriend will be called Gif (GF, with a vowel added for pronunciation [except not really because of the Gif vs Jif debate]).

There are a LOT of things here. So many that even I, with my extraordinarily long answers, cannot get into all of them. Therefore, I hereby present The Bulleted🚅 List of Things to Keep in the Back of Your Mind🧠:

Regardless of how well you can address Gif, polyamory may still "not be for" Newsboy.

Even if someone can do poly, doesn't mean they can enter any polycule. It is no one's fault if a given relationship isn't a good fit. No one here is a bad guy.

Just because no one's a bad guy, doesn't mean everything is reconcilable.

Judgement is rarely helpful.

Nothing I say is gospel. It is my perspective. Consider whether it makes sense for you and how yourself.

Got it all safely shelved and accurately labelled in the mind back? Good. Okay. Now onto the shit to actively think about. Some of that shit may seem to be opposed to some of those points. I'm going to ask you, as the reader, to find the balance/middle ground/duality of man where applicable.

Lit 🕯️

You are, I'm assuming, least worried about Lit. That's good, blah blah blah. Just make sure you're not taking them for granted. You seem like you're in good communication and shit, so I won't spend too much time here, but their feelings of getting kinda burnt out on this is important too. Consider offering them a deliberate respite of some kind from this drama. (ex: 48 of not mentioning it; relief from mediator duties; etc). In any case, continue to check in with them.

Newsboy📰👦

6 months is long enough he's got an idea of what's up with the poly shit with regards to what he's chill with and what's really difficult. If you aren't already, I'd probably start talking the realities of what a relationship long-term would look like. This helps him both set his expectations appropriately and negotiate any major points. I would include shit from the next section, like what you expect Gif to be doing and what you guys are trying to work on that. You don't have to include every gory detail, of course, but he should know its a WIP.

Gif 📷

Gif clearly has work to do if she's going to stay part of an expanding polycule. Your role in supporting her doing that work will include but is not limited to: offering additional reassurances where you can (sounds like you're doing this) and having tough conversations.

And what a can of worms that is. Therefore, I hereby present, in no particular order, The Bulleted🚅 List of Bullet-Biting Discussions💬🗨️ You're Gonna Have to Have:

What can reasonably be achieved at this stage in your relationship. What changes might need to be made to your relationship, expectations you both hold in the relationship, or how might the ideal vision differ from the constraints of reality?

What behaviors of hers are out of line. With actionable steps on how she can do better. There's only so much she can do about her knee-jerk feelings, but she is in control of her actions and might need to put more work into curbing the cattiness or dealing with her emotions more independently, for example.

What behaviors of yours you can improve for her. With actionable steps on how you can do better. You did say you were trying to work with her, but maybe you're going about it in a way that doesn't really help, or you're missing some key component. Maybe what you're terming "cattiness" is Gif trying to drop hints and she's annoyed you don't seem to care, for instance.

These will probably be recurrent in your life for a bit. But as always, how you have the conversation matters. In addition to my usual advice, I want to emphasize here that it will, based on my understanding, likely be a tough thing to navigate. It sounds like everyone needs Gif to do a better job managing things, and I don't think its helpful to seriously undersell that. But at the same time, you can't be coming at her like she's the snake in your otherwise perfect polyamorous garden. I hope you find a way to approach the conversation that finds the balance between support and accountability. What I have found helpful in this, personally, is to make it clear that while, yes, its tiresome for you, you also really want it to feel good to her. Offer suggestions as things that might help her first and foremost. But, y'know, if this were an easy conversation to have you wouldn't be asking my advice, so...

You 🫵

While you're working on this, accept right the fuck now its going to suck a lot of the time. Progress is necessarily difficult. Make your peace with the fact that Gif is going to be pissy every other weekend when you leave, and you'll have to deal with it. Make your peace with the fact you're going to have to revisit these problems. Make your peace with the mess. Progress can be made, but first it has to be difficult, so roll up your sleeves and do the work. Pay attention. Praise your partners when they handle something well (or even just slightly better than usual).

Remember always: We love this life. We do it for love. 💙💖🖤

[littlestsnicket]

more disparate iwtv thoughts

- the key to understanding loustat is that lestat falls for louis for the following reasons in this order: 1 louis’ capacity for violence, 2 louis being fucking gorgeous, and 3. louis having enough inner conflict and desire for self knowledge to occupy him for at least a dozen human lifetimes. lestat falls for louis because he thinks louis would make an excellent vampire, and nothing that happens over the intervening decades changes his mind. he believes he knows louis better than louis knows himself, and, narratively, on a number of points he is right. while this would be horrifying in real life, it’s extremely compelling in fiction

- i hate hate hate the idea that love isn’t real if it’s destructive. and i actually see that at least as much from entertainment journalists as fandom. lestat loves louis. armand loves louis. louis loves claudia. that doesn’t mean their relationships are good or positive or anything else. louis loves lestat. louis loved armand once, at least. (claudia loves louis but that’s not really relevant here.)

- relatedly cannot stop thinking about assad saying armand just wants to be loved. 100% correct. the fact that this desire is filtered through centuries of maladaptive coping mechanisms does not make it less true.

- louis has never used social media of any kind. he has a desktop computer to access email and databases of property and art. computers are for work. anything time sensitive gets filtered through armand or his staff.

- armand spends a lot of time on twitter and like 8chan searching for victims. this means he can code switch into perfect tech bro. daniel and lestat find this deeply unnerving. louis doesn’t spend enough time online to really understand what armand is doing. armand used to spend a lot of time on reddit, but even he could tell that the arguments he kept getting obsessed over were bad for him so he had to stop.

- lestat is a tumblr girly. he writes questionable sad poetry and posts artsy pictures. he occasionally gets really into fandom. he is a hannigram shipper. he has the worlds most eclectic music side blog.

- daniel is on twitter in a professional capacity, but he spends enough time there, both doing legitimate investigation and doom scrolling, to be relatively up on modern slang and what is trendy with the youth.

- anyway, my point is, even though lestat and especially armand are most comfortable expressing themselves in a way that is vaguely archaic, louis is the one most likely to need technology/modern phrasing explained to him. but also not that often, he does get out of the house and interacts with real people so he stays pretty up to date.

- i think claudia would entirely mirror louis in regard to computer usage. or maybe not. claudia would be an early internet adopter. she misses usenet and refuses to use any web 2.0. she wouldn’t even use google. she runs into armand on the darknet. mostly she and madeline would run an organic farm in the french countryside using corpses as fertilizer.

- louis and armand are both switches and into violent bloody sex. the fact that most of their sex since paris has been mutually unfulfilling is an achievement. (louis just… isn’t very good at stoping armand from turning sex into trauma reenactment time TM. louis doesn’t like it but armand is very insistent and louis is often lowkey angry at him to start with. they’re both at fault here.) (i’m not going to look up the exact quote but ‘half blank half apocalyptic, what’s it going to be this time? are you gonna want to lick my boots or cut my head off?’ says so so much about loumand.) (and ugh louis wanting predictability after lestat and that being his initial impression of armand and getting mr trauma gremlin instead…)

[autism-alley]

augh found my old post abt pjo and disability from before the show came out but it was on ye olde blog so i’m literally just gonna copy and paste, 3, 2, 1—

ok now that i’ve got it on the brain, i want to talk about disability in pjo and specifically how calling percy jackson dumb or treating him as such is not only a mischaracterization, but ableism. as a quick note, i’m keeping this to just percy to avoid having this already long post be even longer, but there are other disabled characters in pjo worthy of discussion, though i hit many of the same points in this post. i bring up percy specifically because he is mostly the character i have seen people treat as stupid.

percy is a dyslexic teen with ADHD who comes from a low-income family, raised by a single mother, and deals with an abusive step-father. i cannot stress enough how much of his character is shaped by that experience, but as hard as it is to single out any one part, i am going to focus on his ADHD and dyslexia. this kid has nightmares of being forced to take tests in a straightjacket as teachers ask him if he’s stupid and withhold him from recess with his peers. he is constantly labelled as “troubled” and blamed for things he didn’t do or aren’t his fault. he is told, over and over again, even from trusted adults, that he is “not normal” (othering him). he bounces between schools. he struggles to make friends. he deals with bullying. he has difficulty studying and reading, even when invested. teachers struggle to connect with him and tend to just give up on him. these are real disabled experiences, and rick does a good job at presenting them in the pjo books. sometimes, it feels like everything is a struggle. you are living inside a system that not only is restricting, but actively works against and punishes you.

in contrast, CHB is a great example of how when environments meet the needs of disabled people, it hugely changes how disabled we are in that environment. demigod brains are hard-wired for ancient greek, not english, and they’re born impulsive, with high energy levels that help them survive battle—but aren’t very good for a classroom setting. but by having them read books in ancient greek, regularly do lots of training/physical activities, and have genuine opportunities to express themselves...they function pretty damn well. percy discovers that while he struggles academically, he is brilliant in combat and capable of saving the world numerous times—he is a hero. do you know how important that message is for disabled children? disabled adults, too? that we can be heroes?

it is here, in camp half-blood, that percy finds a place he belongs, that shows him his worth—finally, somewhere is built to not only include him, but to nurture and genuinely prepare him for the world outside its boarders. however, i think people forget that just because percy functions in the world of CHB and the gods, that does not mean he doesn’t face ableism in the mortal world—and that there is an entire group of people who see ourselves reflected in his character.

i could talk on for hours about how much being disabled shapes percy’s identity and how he interacts with the world—like how percy’s humor revolves around coping with his environment and actually displays a very low self esteem after being looked down upon his entire life. this kid doesn’t even have to say anything and he screams i had a neurodivergent childhood. but about 5-6 years ago, when i was more regularly tuned into the fandom, every time i saw someone call percy jackson dumb or an idiot, even jokingly, i raised an eyebrow, and now that the series is getting fresh coverage from disney+, i have wanted to make this post. so much of this kid’s life and personality comes from being treated like he’s dumb or incapable, so it’s troubling to watch part of the fanbase reflect the harmful parts of this character’s upbringing. i truly hope it does not become common again. it’s also one thing coming from a neurodivergent/disabled person with similar experiences (and even then i personally find it a little uncomfortable), it’s another to be said by a neurotypical/able bodied person.

percy jackson’s experiences make for very important representation, and for people to characterize him as just a goofy, unintelligent guy is not only an insult to his character as a kid who is intelligent, but previously lacked the environment to show it, but also ableist. so in the dawn of the new tv series era, i ask that we cut that shit out. rick riordan did not create rep for neurodivergent and disabled kids for them to be called stupid by the fanbase. even jokingly.

[noodles-doodles01]

Women and HOTD Pt 1: Alicent

All the women in the series are very passive, and not in a good way. Everything in the show just happens to them and they have no autonomy no matter what. I will admit that yes, Westeros is not kind to women, however within every confine there is some space. Rhaenyra is a princess and soon to be heir to the throne, Alicent is Queen consort. They hold some semblance of power whether it be between themselves or toward other male characters. The show seems to take on this false idea that women would never go to war because they're not hot headed like the men around them, but they place this idea in the most inopportune moments where it makes them seem stupid.

Going into specifics, let's start with Alicent: In FnB, she is more of an evil stepmother rather than an ex best friend. I did not mind this change because the opportunities were there: Alicent was treated as an equal by Rhaenyra when they were friends, so despite Rhaenyra's class above Alicent in society, she did not feel it. Then, post marriage to the king, Alicent is alone, and forced to pump out babies for a man the age of her father and cannot complain about it. Moreover, Rhaenyra seems to take out her anger and frustration on her, not seeing the pressures she endures frm her own father. That kind of reaction shows the first aspect of Rhaenyra's privilege: She can tell her father off about being married away. In Alicent's eyes, Rhaenyra's living her best life, and the lack of understanding would rub anyone the wrong way.

Like Alicent dealing with Rhaenyra's anger would hold so much of the following:

I did not choose to marry your father

Do you truly think if this was what I wanted that I wouldn't tell you?

You act as though producing heirs is your greatest fear and a burden you pity women for, yet here I sit before you and all you give me is contempt

Add that to the religious trauma she's inducing but clings to it anyway bc its how she copes (as we know from Alicent explaining how praying is the closest she can get to her own mother).

So right then, the shift of perceived equality is there. Alicent is Queen Consort but a child bride, who watches as the princess waltzes around huffing and puffing as she actively lives out being a baby factory.

But Alicent is someone driven by principle, hence her clutching to religion. She is doing this for duty. For the sake of her father. She is being rewarded for her perserverance, and would be punished for sinning.

Until Rhaenyra sleeps with Daemon and Cole.

I don't think it's entirely the fact that Rhaenyra did it unmarried, but rather the fact that she is able to do it without any sense of consequence. Add this to the fact that she lies to Alicent's face, swearing upon her mother (as though that isn't a soft spot for Alicent), and it results in getting Otto taken away.

Where is the justice Alicent sticks by in that?

Rhaenyra sinned, she lied to her face, and instead of dealing with any consequence, she is stranded amongst people she doesn't know, whilst Rhaenyra gets hush hush tea.

The shift grows wider.

Alicent, realizing she is all alone and is unsupported on all sides, decides to wear the green dress. Which is iconic in itself; she realizes that in her marriage to Viserys, the man who is meant to protect her in this context, is leaving her out to dry whilst tending for his daughter. This act of the dress is the first form of wiggle room Alicent gets in her cage; she has tried being nice and forgiving and she ended up alone for it.

By the end of the wedding, Criston Cole as her protector is added to her confinement. Another bit of growth, and the shift grows wider.

I do wish the show depicted how Alicent tormented Rhaenyra more, because that would display how Rhaenyra had grown more tension with Alicent, showing how both sides are at fault to some degree for their falling out. Nonetheless, the years pass and Rhaenyra has bastard sons, and its obvious (ideally for me they would follow some semblance of similarity to the books but we do with what we got), and Viserys does.not.care.

At this point, I feel like Alicent's resentment for Rhaenyra would not be solely from comparing their lives, but also because of how much Viserys ignores Alicent, removing any sense of power she may hold, for the sake of catering to Rhaenyra. We see this in his ignorance to the bastards, we see this in his lack of care for his children with Alicent, and his overall cheery attitude no matter what happens for the sake of "family". In Alicent's eyes, Rhaenyra is still the spoiled child from back when they were children.

Wouldn't that fill her with utter rage? The concept that Alicent is QUEEN, yet is constantly upstaged by the princess and her sinful whims whilst Alicent's children suffer for it? Wouldn't Otto's words echo in her mind that her children would not be safe should Rhaenyra be queen?

And, being the religious woman she is, she would spread those complaints to her children. She would spread her ideas of Rhaenyra and her children to Aemond, Aegon and even Helaena. She tells them out of fear, that they need to know that Rhaenyra acts kind but will hurt others to protect herself. Those ideas will stick in her kids brains because of course it does. I will go into more detail about Alicent's kids in a separate post.

This all comes to a peak when Aemond loses his eye, which is a personal fave episode of mine because I had thought we would get some glimpse of book Alicent after this. Aemond is fatally injured, especially considering the time they live in. Westeros is not kind to those who are visibly different, and it was the resul of a children's spat. Of COURSE Alicent would assume that the boys attacked her own son; it's a projection of sorts, she spreads this hatred against Rhaenyra's kids to her own children, she would assume Rhaenyra does the same. And her son has paid the price for it.

Yet Viserys gives Rhaenyra a slap on the wrist, and instead berates Aegon and Aemond about a comment made, completely ignoring the fact that Aemond is MISSING AN EYE. Alicent is given full proof here and now that Rhaenyra will always get what she wants no matter the cost, and her "Thank you father" acts as a way to rub it in. So of course, she grabs the knife and attacks Rhaenyra, where is duty? Where is sacrifice?

THIS is when she show decides "lol and then she forgot all about that"

Because afterwards, Alicent becomes passive; the usurpation is based on a stupid misunderstanding, when it could have simply been Alicent pushing for Aegon to protect her children, because she can control her own action, she cannot control Rhaenyra's.

In S2, they shift even further with this idea of Alicent being someone who has things happen to them, not even done to them. BnC should have had Alicent present, because it is her first view of consequence she gets from the Dance. It is a foretelling of tragedy and she only suffers more for it. Instead, she is with Criston Cole.

I will always hate the pairing, because I would never believe that Alicent, who has suffered SA at the hands of men, would simply turn to another man once Viserys is dead, when that man is CRISTON COLE. Alicent is canonically weirded out by Cole's interest in Rhaenyra in the books, and it makes perfect sense for that to translate in the show with Alicent being younger. Why on earth would she get with him?

Worst of all, they have Alicent almost depending on the men in her life for protection? As though she wouldn't already know that they're useless from her experiences with Viserys and her father?

And the worst part of it is that the writers STILL could have gotten the "woe is me im a victim of the patriarchy" idea of Alicent in S2, because that is when Aegon and Aemond do take the wheel. Aemond murdered a child, and in return Jahaerys was taken. She could have been depicted having little to no control over the actions after, and how her family suffers for it, because it is literally canon that later in the story, when she loses everything in the war, she regrets ever wearing the green dress.

So could you imagine, Alicent, a woman who has pushed past her position given the small amount of room she had in power, slowly being taken out of the picture because the situation soon snowballs into a tragedy she can no longer control? And how at the end of it all, she loses everything she fought tooth and nail to protect.

Instead, we get a wishy washy character, who could have been executed PERFECTLY by Olivia Cooke if done right, wandering around the castle because the writers don't know what to do with her anymore.

[syrupsyche]

8, 20, andor 22 for the choose violence asks!

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Already answered smth similar re: Marius so here's another opinion......what makes exR actually appealing isn't whether or not the characters themselves like (or dislike) each other but rather, the Symbolism of it all. Enjolras clearly doesn't like Grantaire, and I'd argue that Grantaire himself doesn't even know the full extent of his love for Enjolras, but it doesn't matter what these bozos think; their fates are already intertwined, whether they like it or not. They are "a phenomenon which is often observable"; Grantaire simply "admired his opposite by instinct". They have no control over their relationship to each other! They are soulmates without even knowing or caring about it. They are a match made in hell. Grantaire literally cannot exist without Enjolras, and it is simply nature that Enjolras will always have someone trailing after him like a fart cloud. Only in death can they even BEGIN to understand each other. Canonically, their inherent tragedy is what's so appealing about them......

....fanonically, though, the more exR fluff the better <3 Both these statements shall coexist lol.

20. part of canon you find tedious or boring

Other than the obvious digressions....its hard to choose one plot-related part because Hugo is so good at action and emotion and dialogue. I suppose I'd answer this a little differently then and say the entire part at the end where Valjean gets ostracised by Marius and falls slowly into (even more) depression. It's not tedious or boring per se but it just HURTS reading it. I know I said one post ago that it's not solely Marius' or Valjean's fault and that ultimately, that's just how the cookie crumbles when these two idiots with Baggage™️ interact with each other, but this is still the part that I stop at during my rereads. I haven't even reached this part yet in my 1972 watch!

22. favourite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Anything Cosette related tbh, but the one thing that gets glossed over often is almost how....feral she becomes, living under the Thénardiers. A lot of adaptations (especially the musical) like to keep her innocent and pure even through her years of abuse but it doesn't quite work like that in the story. The importance of Cosette's time at the inn is to show how cruelty changes people, no matter how kind or innocent they were before. Her experience here needs to parallel Valjean's experience in prison! We need to know that "injustice had made her peevish, and misery had made her ugly". Cosette cannot remain perfect when suffering under the hands of the Thénardiers; it is only when they are removed that she can flourish as the kind, brave soul we know she is!

Just realised the question said "favourite part of canon"....obviously her abusive childhood is not my favourite part, but it's certainly an important part of Cosette's character, as well as the story as a whole!

[username-661]

Wanna make it clear now this isn't attacking dallennye, I HAVE to address it because he used my legal name as a 12 year old (Its on his channel public so blame him if you want this down) and I want my side out just so people know

I'm only posting this here because I had deleted my other accounts and do not want drama with them

*Yes dallennye I noticed your "friends" accounts a month old threatening me to harm myself and how no one cares and to stay quiet. Your not intimidating me to stay quiet anymore, he did this same shit to me in 2023, when I was 12-13

Anyway

Started while, I was late 12/ early 13. I had friended him over a video on funtime foxy being male because I've never had a lot in common with my friends I think It came to a video on the charters told him what I thought he is older said by himself he was 14-15 then is 16 now and yeah I said funtime freddy is female dumb sure but again a kid and can think how I want, 100℅ he should have known better attacking me on how I was dumb I made channels defending myself he had people attack my mains constantly, and I decided to stop replying after my fee videos, in these I just went over what he did. Tbh all he did was call me names and claim I'm lying even though it seems weird what is this kid even replying to then..? Yeah I think people should have questioned him more. But during that time he took a lot of my friends he did photoshop stuff of me to start drama because I blocked him another thing to mention I told him it was harassment as he forced me to talk to him on all my other socials (that is the definition of harassment to force contact) he claims I am harassing him after yet also states I blocked him therefore neither makes sense you cannot be harassed and blocked. I wanna admit to my faults too but I won't make him look innocent in anyway.

I had made fake accounts but not for bad, his were to mock me and attack me, mine I faked having a friend who stood up for me It's weird but a lot of my friends didn't wanna be in drama and I felt sorta alone. Let's call them "Lily", same user Dallennye, Imma call DN, DN pretty much had attacked the account and made a video "exposing" my vents to keep me quiet, I dunno what to say although it was wrong I made a fake friend its worse he did this because it didn't harm him in anyway and again his age (He did use autism in the past to justify this but made a video mocking autistic people when I questioned it on Deviantart, I won't say I was nicely saying it but having a older kid insult you 24/7 and claim your doing bad shit when your ignoring them sucks). I'm just telling a few stories BTW, and yeah he was attacking me and one day I came inside (I slept in a car during that time) and had told my mom this was around 2023, my mom had talked to him and well he made sexists comments on women not being able to stand up for themselves ect he kept calling my mom and sister "he/him" pronouns, It did stop after he did it one day when I was at school mom got on a discord call with him and ig he saw it wasn't a dude at all nor a friend, I still thank mom for that his video crying but he told me never to tell a parent and basically I think thats creepy as fuck...I do think he might not have a mom as his hatred for the idea od mehaving one I am not to upset just feel pity for him. Around the time after that since I didn't reply for most of it, I was reporting and doing a RP with someone in reports for therapic not to expose or target DN, unlike what he said I didn't watch his videos all his old ones all he did was name-call me. I do not even have the same device he has and I do not get reports then so how it is justified I sent death threats that is true he kept "exposing" me for things he knew i didn't do taking my friends ect and yeah school bullying cuz I came out about my then GF, but still I do say its wrong I do not support that AT ALL it doesn't change I didn't even know he could have saw it, some people would just describe the videos slightly to me again I didn't even wanna hear it for the most part. I don't have a great memory but for that the cats that I will not apologize to him especially not because he still plays victim and refuses to apologize or even admit bad shit he did, and he did a lot, I do not feel bad for him but it was not right, I did see he attacked his own two friends in series because I wasn't around to mock I guess? Well I made fake accounts with a good name I'd say trying to make him see it as bad he didn't care and tried to normalize using younger kids for views and targeting, it didn't matter he blocked made a new one and he just got annoyed so I left.

That was mostly all I did but I tried to come out he had his "friends" although they claim to have known nothing about it, attacked me and even recently for coming out I was told to harm myself by two people, told no one cares ect. That definitely is t a consequence and the reality is no friend would do that for someone I knew him personally he isn't very nice stays away and constantly wants things to make his own success or he did when I was 12-13 his younger friend (which is gross to use kids for fame and actually illegal read the guidelines) After coming out all hell basically people pretending to be me, and claiming I attacked them on sites he publicly has accounts on like Roblox wich I didn't even have at the time so it couldn't have been me these accounts having the same pattern as his old accounts and after I explain to them what I think it is they weirdly disappear lol, after I called it out on the same site people claiming to know me randomly in toxic settings, non being true believe it or not I block people after leaving my point. DN knew that again that's why he was mad I blocked him but it proves that isn't even normal behavior for me. Its VERY suspicious but I don't eanna point figures yet, I won't use this page after this as DN is having people stalk me and treat me horribly for saying anything this was true years ago and he is actually the main cause of my self harm relapse as he had encouraged people to believe I was toxic when he used my bad mental state against me, having others around his age again he is old enough to know better, there is no what he did is ok, not saying what I did was either but I just turned dam 14 not even long ago, I was stuck in a s3xua//y abu5ive relationship as well with a girl, it isn't helpful at all. I will not stay quiet.

"Why am I admitting my bad's to?" Mostly because I should. Karma isn't real never believe it never will because look at it nothing happens. I do not care I simply refuse to live a lie just because he wants to and mostly for my religion as a atheist satanist.

And for proof, his whole channel is the dam proof just look at the holes in his story if you really cared... None of what he says actually makes sense if you compare it to my actions as well, another thing to note if that DN also mocks me publicly not something victims do he give me f*@$-king PTSD and the name and old profile still bothers me inside, he doesn't experience even a fraction of what he did to me. He isn't a victim...

Also apologize for the spamming posts (Not for DN ofc he doesn't derseve it <3)

"Someone" keeps pretending to be me, funny enough that the 'me" acted exactly how he claimed I acted and if you met me you knew it wasn't alike.. I think he just pretended to be me straight up to get himself followers of pity It's gross and sad. He did admit to using fake editor apps when he made the video "Its a joke" and "___ is a karen!" he called me names a lot for being a victim.. And yeah he exposed the app in those videos so that's that for you, it's because I had proof I was at the candy store therefore he lied about me talking to him and "admitting". Also the comment "No one will help if it's online" Shows he knows it's malicious... DO A BACKUP CHECK ON HIS CHANNEL.

Hope one day the truth can be out and accepted not attacked to protect a person who only wanted fame. Doesn't help that recently he made a homophobic comment on how its not right because gay which yes is homophobic and against rights in ways he was caught attacking a kid for the same thing he did to me (a characters gender in uh that fluffy animal series i dunno its name he mocked user who pointed it out and the post is STILL up so give a look if he did it to someone else in 2024 is it odd he would do it to me in 2023..?.)

You can be his friend all you want but don't come near me I'm so sick of him using his underaged friends as bait he did that to someone I knew IRL she still liked me then and didn't even know it was wrong to pretend to be someone else for a "friend" It's gross. And I don't respect it but you can I did it ended me badly, he was my friend once, see what happens to you.

EDIT

The fact after this someone threatened my life and I was getting targeted more wtf... Says stuff 100℅.

Over more events I did not call him a pedophile he took my words out of context BADLY, I had said it is weird he talks to my younger friends as a 13 year old to talk in private with their legal phone numbers when he is 15. That isn't normal they were 8-10 years old. He just said I meant that I didn't I thought he was gonna manipulate them to attack kids like he did with my sister.

[gleamingtempest]

Mai Akasaki & MonoTV - Narrative Foil Trait Compilation #9 & Theory

How does this series work?

This is my narrative foil disection series for Danganronpa Despair Time based on my post Danganronpa: Depsair Time foils theory. This post in particular is also a theory, rather than just a compilation of traits;this is because MonoTV & Mai do not match up with the original post this series is based on. I just believe that they fit the general throughline of what makes foils foils in DRDT so far & want to make a post outlining why. This post will also be assuming that the girl in the bonus episodes IS Mai Akasaki;otherwise, there is nothing to go upon. The presented theory is that the CH1 recap shows off all narrative foils in DR:DT based on how the pairings in said recap video are paired. This series will go through all 8(?) of these foil pairings and disect the dichotomy present in them in a more in depth manner. I will do this primarily by comparing and contrasting Backstory, Motive, Flaws & Character Arc. (Credit to Barbieronpa for that compliation of concepts.) All of these posts will contain heavy spoilers and will be updated as the series goes on and more information on the characters is presented. If you are interested in the those updates please return to each of these posts after the end of an episode batch. This will only look at presented content within the series;outside of the foil theory itself it will not take into account theories & speculation.

Backstory

Mai Akasaki: -> All you have to do is ask for my hand, and I’ll give it to you. -> Ask for my life, and I’ll give it to you as well. -> Don’t apologize for asking. I’ll give you my forgiveness too. MonoTV: -> It does not know who created it nor why. It just serves it's purpose as it was instructed to. Compare/Contrast: -> Both share some recurring theme of control;specifically in regards to their own ability to choose their path. -> This is assuming the secret quotes about Mai are particularly meaningful;which I feel they are. -> Mai to some degree compromises her identity to better fit into a mold others need/want. She is whatever they need. -> MonoTV is whatever he needs to be as the creation of the mastermind. He is nothing more and nothing less. -> If Mai's story is meant to mirror this, then to some degree, a similar principle can be applied to her.

Personality

Mai Akasaki: -> Kind -> Thoughtful -> Relaxed MonoTV: -> Cruel -> Single Minded -> Irresponsible

Motive

Mai Akasaki: -> She loves her family. -> Some years ago, she was searching for someone named ‘Teruko Tawaki.’ MonoTV: -> He does as he's told. Compare/Contrast: -> Both become what another needs them to be.

Flaws

Mai Akasaki: -> She kept calling the number, even though no one picked up. -> She's an average girl with nothing special about her at all. -> It's all her fault. MonoTV: -> It can't be anything other than what it was created to be: A Monster. Compare/Contrast: -> Both seem to be bound to the expectations of another.

Narrative Arc

Mai Akasaki: -> She didn't forsee the consequences. MonoTV: -> It stagnates because it is not able to change. It is only what it was meant to be and that is that. There is no progression for something which has no soul. Compare/Contrast: -> Ultimately, there isn't much to go off in regards to any type of progression or arc for either of these two. -> That being said I think there's two obvious throughlines of comparison between these two which are essential not only to this compliation and theory but also, to the series themes as a whole: -> In contrast, Mai is a soulful, kind person who loves other people while MonoTV is a soulless, cruel being which can never be human at all. The inclusion or lack of a soul is a signficant aspect to take note of. -> In comparison, both bind themselves to the needs and desires of others, rather than pursuing their own decisions. -> In contrast again, tying back to the first point, MonoTV CANNOT choose while Mai... -> Well Mai...? -> Chooses not to choose. -> Well, she does love her family after all. -> And, she was looking for a girl named 'Teruko Tawaki'. -> If someone submits their own desires and needs to the pursuits and desires and needs of others, willing to become whatever they need and their only outlined motivations is their love for a group of people and the pursuit of a cursed person, -> I wonder what the possible implications could be? -> I wonder what happened to Mai's family and, -> I wonder what Teruko had to do with it.

[stardustlyssa]

Does Marlow ever confront Steve about the questionable actions of the Emperor's Coven? Obviously he's a very nice guy on an individual level but the EC is doing v bad things and I was wondering what Marlow's opinions of all that stuff was (yay for more TOH OC and Steve content!! Keep it up)

The thing about Marlowe is that she is a total pushover. So confrontation and even vocally opposing things can be extremely difficult for her. More details below the cut :)

For context, Marlowe was basically a pushover from birth. Ironically, her identical twin, Maeve, was the polar opposite, turning out to be a complete spitfire. Being twins, they have a very strong bond and connection despite their differences. Maeve unintentionally became Marlie's voice growing up, defending her and pushing her to follow the path she wanted to take instead of their mother's demands. Unfortunately because of this Marlie never really learned how to stand up for herself.

When she's branded, it destroys her self esteem and physical wellbeing as well. I personally headcanon that different coven sigils take more magic than others, since not all magic forms in the show require the same amounts of power or any magic at all (like potions). Marlowe had an inclination for bard magic before this and intended to become a bard before multiple changes in her life (story for another post), and the sigil drained all of that power. She lost not only her singing voice and ability to whistle or even hum, but also found that her normal voice was weakened as well. Marlowe also loses a lot of strength from the sigil and becomes prone to fainting spells because of the extreme change. The loss of her ability to sing crushes her to the point that she cannot even listen to music anymore. All she can do is cry when she hears it.

Marlowe does question covens because of this. She had everything ripped away from her because her mother begged her to keep the family business open while she was ill. She doesn't understand how witches can be happy when they lose parts of themselves with a brand. But she also doesn't want to question the unknown. She fears the things that she doesn't know for certain because they are out of her control, and as a natural follower she feels she can't truly understand what would be "best" for witches.

She asks Steve questions, like what he would do if he wasn't in the Emperor's coven, or if he was a wild witch, or if he could only pick one magic. Honestly, for Steve, learning how much Marlowe's sigil has taken from her makes him feel like he's doing something wrong. The first time they pass a bard performing on the street and he sees Marlie pause, big tears immediately spilling out of her eyes as she hears the sounds and magic coursing through the air. Learning that she can barely even yell because her voice was taken from her. He probably went to Hexside at the same time as her but never knew her, having left early to join the coven. But maybe he sees a recording of her when she was still in the Bard track on Penstagram. She's singing and smiling bigger than he's ever seen her do before, she looks so much more alive. And he feels like shit even if it's not his fault.

Now, the person who WOULD confront him is Marlowe's twin, Maeve. Though she is a proud Beastkeeping coven witch, Maeve is a vocal skeptic after seeing her sister change due to her sigil. She never understood Belos anyways, or why everyone had to conform in one way or another. Her opinions have landed her in hot water, but never beyond a stern warning from scouts.

It would be intense. Maeve doesn't get to visit often with her work (she's a professional ratworm racer) so she has no idea why her sister is hanging out with one of the Emperor's lackeys. Marlie would try to explain and Steve would probably try to be friendly, but Maeve would not hold back.

"Besides the fact that you kiss the but of that old geezer, you're part of the reason why my sister can't sing anymore. She cried for DAYS. Nothing I did could help her. She can't even cast a levitation spell without feeling winded. Do you get some sort of sick ego trip from being around her when you can use any kind of magic you want?! Or are you using her for her kindness just like the last person did?"

Maeve just wants to protect her sister. All of her experiences with coven scouts were riddled with rude, callous treatment, so she expects the same from Steve. Steve for the most part is speechless because really he doesn't know what to say in response to everything thrown at him. Surprisingly, Marlie would probably be the one to respond and stop her sister. Telling her Steve saved her and walks her home to keep her safe. Marlie even scolds her sister softly for blaming him when he didn't brand her.

It's a bit awkward and Maeve is still unsure about Steve, but probably tells him what she's felt and experienced as Marlowe's sister and watching her struggle. That would really eat at Steve, being a brother himself. He understands she's worried about Marlowe especially because they can't see each other often, he experiences the same thing in his own life when he worries about Matt. He would tell her that he never knew about the sigils harming people, and that being a scout was different than he expected. He doesn't know how he feels about everything but he wants to help other people and doesn't always agree with his coworkers because of their attitudes. And most importantly he would never think about hurting Marlowe-- he's happy to keep her safe and walk her home and loves the time he spends with her.

Maeve feels better knowing her sister has someone looking out for her who genuinely cares about her, and Marlowe is just happy her sister didn't try to fight Steve.

But yeah, Marlowe has a sister who looks out for her and Steve is a good listener who begins to realize the coven system and emperor have hurt a lot of people when he spends time with Marlie.

[waiting-on-a-dream]

𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝟸 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘

What's the point of this post exactly? Well, I forgot to put the chosen lyrics of the Milgram songs in the prisoners' wikipedia pages to explain why that specific song suits them, so here we are. I decided to do it for the DECO*27 and other producers' songs as well.

I also noticed that the undercover lyrics for the canon prisoners have been changed to incorporate the titles of their trial 1 songs, so I'm doing that for my prisoners as well. :D

_𝙴𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚢𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚜

𝙸𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚘: “UNDER” An outsider in my own home, things just don't work out the way I want them to.

𝙰𝚔𝚊𝚗𝚎: “UNDER” I'm sick of people who blind themselves to the truth, will anyone bother to open their eyes?

𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚞𝚔𝚎: “UNDER” Always chasing after the artificial happiness high, it seems nothing will ever fill the hole within.

𝚂𝚞𝚣𝚞𝚖𝚎: “UNDER” Holding onto a false red string of love, there's nothing like a love worth killing for.

𝙷𝚊𝚔𝚞: “UNDER” Keeping this mark on, a social performance. I will not forgive, there is someone I must protect.

𝚈𝚞𝚒: “UNDER” Dancing for the enjoyment of others, I've worked so hard. Shouldn't I be rewarded by now?

𝚁𝚒𝚗: “UNDER” Cherry blossoms fall in the spring. Time passes on selfishly but promises are absolute, that's right.

𝙽𝚘𝚊: “UNDER” I'm drowning in melancholy. It hurts so much and it's all my fault, why am I like this?

𝙺𝚒𝚢𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒: “UNDER” My true colours cannot be shown. I'm running frantically, just a little longer...

𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚞𝚖𝚒: “UNDER” Like a macrophage, wiping out the threats to society. I simply did everyone a favor, I did nothing wrong.

_𝙸𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚢𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚜

𝙸𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚘

Milgram: All-knowing and all-agony (Mommy, look, I’ve done great. “There there, my good boy!”) The entire song could apply to him actually, but this line...

DECO*27: Re:[repaint] (They told me the end is not to be found anywhere. They told me the beginning is not to be found anywhere, either.) He's had many existential crises like that, but nobody really bothered to comfort him properly.

Non-DECO*27: Hitorinbo envy (To you, and even you. To be blunt, I'm not really needed in this world, right?) Ichiro did try to get closer to the "stranger" in his house actually.

𝙰𝚔𝚊𝚗𝚎

Milgram: Bring it on (You apologize if you do something wrong, you learn that even before words, don’t you? All evil hypocrites should disappear.) She's been let down by a lot of people.

DECO*27: Streaming heart (Though I say many things, please try and seek out the real me.) Even a tsundere like her wants to be understood.

Non-DECO*27: Idola circus (We know, we know your true nature. Again putting on a fake face, you’re just like a pierrot.) I think she'd like most of Neru songs.

𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚞𝚔𝚎

Milgram: Tear drop (Feeling magnanimous? INNOCENT? I’m so not that. Just shut it, will you? You know it all.) Yuno kinnie let's gooooo!!

DECO*27: Salamander (I surrender, I’m already hooked. I can’t function without you anymore.) I genuinely think that if he wasn't such a simp for his friend, you guys would take him more seriously.

Non-DECO*27: Casino (Stalked by memories that haunt. Hear them laughing, hear them taunt. Play the victim, run away from the words you shot.) This song is really catchy, it suits his cool vibe well.

𝚂𝚞𝚣𝚞𝚖𝚎

Milgram: Umbilical (Just the two of us I finally found it. The lies are endless. Just me alone, it really is lonely.) Ah, unhealthy relationships. We love to see it.

DECO*27: Psychogram (You’re too wonderful, I don’t want to let anyone else have you. Hey, if not me, who would you choose?) Ahem. This clue is obvious enough, right?

Non-DECO*27: Feast (Art should be full of cryptography and misleading. Is the answer you found out really an "ANSWER?") Oh, this line~!!! Here's one for the audience for a change.

𝙷𝚊𝚔𝚞

Milgram: Triage (The correct answer, I don’t yet know, but there are lives that need safeguarding.) The lyrics are a bit dramatic when taking Haku's situation as context, but it works well enough.

DECO*27: Nocturnal kids (You can sleep now. I’ll protect you diligently, after all.) This ties in with the scene in his music video.

Non-DECO*27: Blind egoist (In a dream I can’t wake up from, I feverishly want my feelings to reach you. I look at my body spilling over and offer up my meager ‘love.') What can I say? He misses his brother.

𝚈𝚞𝚒

Milgram: After pain (But I guess some of it is my fault. Maybe it’s ok as it is. I want to feel “alive”, is it ok if I breathe?) Her first Milgram cover was INMF. How the tables have turned.

DECO*27: Reversible campaign (Depending on this self that can't be saved, I cheerfully decorate myself with a fake smile. How are the tears of a damaged girl?) Ah, these lines sure suit her well. Especially after her guilty verdict.

Non-DECO*27: Schema (I am a hazardous person, a hazardous person, a hazardous person. I’m beyond saving. This dance beat vanished in sorrow.) Her self-esteem issues have been hinted at a few times now. The 'dance beat' part can also be a reference to her first song title!

𝚁𝚒𝚗

Milgram: I love you (My emotions are out of control, that’s inconvenient? I don’t care! Tell me, oh tell me why, won’t you just accept me?) Mahiru kinnie fr. His guilty verdict is starting to get to him, but not quite enough yet.

DECO*27: Candy Pattern (Trying to say “sorry”, but more than wanting to have you forgive me, I just want to be forgiven. I've turned into a spoiled child after all…) Some self-awareness from his guilty verdict?

Non-DECO*27: One of Repetition (I really did believe you, I didn't want to doubt you. I felt like we were drifting apart, but it was all a lie to begin with, we were never even close.) More insight into his relationship with Renho. :0

𝙽𝚘𝚊

Milgram: Weakness (I was in denial, I was in denial. I just had to make sure. I’ve become a victim, I’ve become a victim. My loneliness was desired.) This song fits her really well. Now she and Ichiro share a cover. :D

DECO*27: Coward mont blanc (These are all the feelings I have, I’ll only say them in this many words. I loved you, but it was a heavy burden.) Its not as bad as it looks, I promise.

Non-DECO*27: Nomad (If I'm stuck struggling here, at the bottom of my dreams, I'd rather consume this night whole for all I'm worth. Just stay by my side until I disgust you.) Her feelings towards her husband...are sadly complicated.

𝙺𝚒𝚢𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒

Milgram: Cat (The beating of this heart... see... it’s no longer about good and bad... it isn’t. I realize the futility, but I still can’t help but dream.) Yes, Cat really fits Daisuke, but a big part of it suits Kiyoshi too. Mainly the lying and ignoring his feelings part. Also, old men. :D

DECO*27: Two breaths walking (The words I just learned become a knife that pierces through you, tearing your life to pieces.) Tbh I chose this song just to match his non-breath oblige cover.

Non-DECO*27: Non-breath oblige (I'll raise the white flag to the tyranny of the majority, suppress my ill feelings and say cheese.) He's such a people pleaser.

𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚞𝚖𝚒

Milgram: Purge march (I will deny you, a distorted vision needs to be purged.) Yeah, the song isn't out yet, but I think it'd suit her well anyway. She and Amane share a lot in common despite their differences. :D

DECO*27: Poison apple (Pretending you’ve changed, negotiating, you never learn, do you? You’re see-through, your loneliness is so obvious, kinda pathetic.) For someone who she never interacted with when conscious, she likes to think she understood her victim well.

Non-DECO*27: The world's filth (Is this what you call happiness? Let's laugh and scorn at this rotten world.) She isn't coping well with her guilty verdict.

𝙱𝚘𝚗𝚞𝚜: 𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚘

I've finally got his backstory in the works, so he'll have more of a personality from now on. But I don't have many chances to reveal his personality, so I decided to add him to this post. :D

Trial 1: 404: False Image (Sheesh, what stupid lies you choose! Are you trying to make sure of your existence? Just… Try your best to look for it. I wonder if someone will figure out what the true lie is someday.) The prisoners do love lying to him. And the mystery of Milgram hasn't been uncovered yet.

Trial 2: Matryoshka (Ah, I'm about to crack and burst, so I throw away all of my memories. Ah, I want to know, all the way to the bottom.) This song is so chaotic and catchy, perfect for him.

[violetlunette]

About the latest post you said about my ask, that Twice's fault for pushing Hawks buttons i kinda agree with you too! Since Hawks is a kind hearted hero i think he would kidnap Twice before the battle begins but i think once again Hawks being heavily monitored so i think he is stuck between a rock and i think that is tragic because hawks is an optimistic person and he would try to make Twice repent and be a better person but he rejects saying "i don't care about my life anymore and i will do anything for my friends", because in Endeavor agency arc Hawks cannot say anything to Endeavor but rather his expression and the camera attach to his feathers makes it difficult to restrain Twice as he is not the one who is stealthy (sure he is stealthy since he is a spy but his status as a no#2 hero give it away, so he had to be smart and kidnapping twice would reveal his mission, you cannot blame Hawks though)

( sorry for the replied is so short! And giving you stroke i guess)

Hey, sorry to asked but what did you find the most irritating about villain stans in MHA?

Sure i admit that i have hots for Toga Himiko, all for One, Sosuke Aizen and Johan Liebert (i love villains who could trick you because that what's makes them dangerous and i think, mind is the most dangerous when you didn't know what is going to happen to you and trickster villains are dangerous) but this stans would say that Hero Society is corrupt and blah blah and they are leftist revolutionist, saying that their actions of unaliving normal people are justified and bear no consequences, heroes are not listening to their tantrums and their hypocrites blah blah blah and corrupt, ignoring their pain blah blah blah, do they even know that this villains are gaslighting our heroes with their sob stories to save them? But one thing i could asked?

Do they show reedeming qualities that they can be saved? Do they even regret what they did? Sure they are alot of victims in hero society that are victims too like Shoji, he too is a victim of society but that ain't no excuse to hurt people.

I admit myself hero society is corrupt as hell but that wouldn't justify their acts of terrorism they inflicted to other people who did nothing to them.

The only villains that are reedeemed by the Hero Society are Gentle Criminal and La Brava because they are actually willingly to repent for what they did.

But this villains didn't show anything that they can change for the better, they just sabotage themselves and dump sob stories on the heroes to justify what they did.

Plus this stans forget heroes are humans and even being a terrible person they were just like villains, but they can change into a better person, better servant to hero society, risked their life to the people who wants to rejects them thanks to this "revolutionist" (sarcasm intendend) and i know villains are humans too but not an once of empathy they killed was poured on their victim, i know Endeavor a is 'bad' hero but he wants to change (i admit myself i dislike him) and pour empathy that he destroyed the life with, even want to make ammends to his son.

Apologies for the wait but I’ve kinda short-circuited myself lately, so I’ve been trying to give myself time to recharge mentally. (I know that sounds silly, but here we are.)

You didn't give me a stroke, btw. It's just whenever someone brings up Twice, and Hawks people tend to get--passionate, regardless of the side. So, I was a bit worried about what might come after. (But so far, I worried for nothing.)

Notes: *I barely mention them, but there is a touch of LoV Critical, so be warned.

Okay, so what annoys me about villain stans? I’d rather skip this, as no matter what I say, it’ll come off as a personal attack. (Plus, you pretty much said it.)

Gentle and La Brava are easier to redeem because they never hurt anyone. I mean, Gentle beat the shit out of a teenager, but it wasn’t with the intent to kill, and he went to jail for it. Other than that, unless I’m mistaken, he was basically a Youtuber trying to get views. True he did robberies and such, but he didn’t even take the money. Now, they’re doing what they can to make up for what they did.

Even Endeavor is trying to do better. Yes, he did terrible things he shouldn’t be forgiven but, to his credit, Endeavor owns up to it and does his part to make amends where he can. Yes, he did AWFUL things, and he should face the consequences for those actions (jail time, mandated therapy, etc). But he’s willing to take responsibility and do better without hurting others. For all his faults, I’ll give him that much.

Can the LoV be redeemed? Yes, anyone can redeem themselves. However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t face or suffer the consequences of their actions.

[horizon-verizon]

Why is it nonsensical to just like characters you like without this stupid fandom tribalism? This fandom is exhausting with everything being about teams.

Depends on why you like the character, anon.

What about them entices or appeals and do you believe those liked traits override their integrity? Or nullify it in lieu of enjoyment? How seriously do you treat the character's faults and what you think is a flaw that condemns them to EVIL. The quality of your admiration for the character. What you ignore or think is innocuous enough to ignore, or if you ignore it to then pretend you don't care about the ideological/moral/political element when you really do and are just trying to sneak in prejudiced ideologies that you would be accused of having or convince others is "not that bad" so it can become the dominant ideology.

One Alicent stan transphopically and misogynistically writes "see the problem with the 'what if rhaenyra had been born a boy' thing in regards to rhaenicent is the unavoidable truth that it would have changed them both so intrinsically that they wouldn't make sense anymore” this POST. And they want to say that Alicent provides Rhaenyra a “helpful” perspective. Kind of like how some U.S. southern resident try to claim that them trying to preserve their racist statues, monuments, etc. is "just" them preserving their Southern/Separatist "heritage" and is “just” about celebration and honor. 

You don't just "like" a character because of nothing at all. You have specific reasons why you "like" a character or their action, why you "like" the Targs or hate them, etc. Even though you never thought about why, they are there, these reasons. It's just that if you become a real fan, there are many reasons and many of them are "deep" and you may not be the person who would happily talk for 30 minutes why you love a character.

And you can understand why and how a person "likes" something or someone when you check out what they think is valuable enough to even be praised in the first place. This is where it matters, relating to the story you are reading, the circumstances surrounding the character and giving them their identity, their role, their very existence. You cannot separate a character from their story.

The Dance is a historical event in the Westerosi timeline where a woman was attacked and usurped because a group of people wanted power and used the sociopolitical value of her gender against her and try to discredit her. In the original story, there are already two factions: the blacks vs the greens (which used to be called the queen's versus the princess' party). They also used violence against undeserving individuals based on discriminatory beliefs (like how children born out of wedlock are inherently "treacherous", therefore they must be treated as lesser...that Alicent's religion, the Faith, pushes). The characters themselves fight and have deep emotional scars from their interactions in the past, and the motivations behind those abuses have to do with what they believe they "deserve". (Talking about the greens here).

The factionalism in the original story makes the story, because the very reason for the factionalism is that one side decided to oppose the other and seize power. To further their own desire for power for power's sake -- they felt entitled to break the law (King's word is law) and custom despite their claims of following custom, tradition and being subjects due to their oldest claimant (Aegon II) being male while Rhaenyra was a woman. Despite the fact that they themselves claim to believe in King's word is law and absolute monarchy, and want that sort of power for themselves and then go around as say Rhaenyra is unfit for it.

That is prejudice and misogyny at work, inherently unjust things, and their entire philosophy is inherently heavy classism and misogyny. They were entirely out for themselves and abused their power against those under their authority. Aegon rapes, Aemond rapes and murders an entire family's male members --children, babies, and adults, roasts whole villages, Daeron burns a whole town, Alicent tries to plot and grow a following against a ten year old and tries to get her to lose her entire reputation based on an act that is not inherently kill-worthy.....

You can definitely "like" characters for how layered their evil is and how strong of a contender they are, but to totally ignore them and then favor them is to be a bigot or a possible bystander of bigotry.

The Dance also sets up the circumstances for one of our principal heroes, Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen who is another beloved or reviled character of this series. It is due to what happens in the Dance and the gradual Targ assimilation into Westerosi patriarchy that the dragons the Targs have are lost.

Since the story has sides, readers will also form their opinions, read the text, understand the context through the lore and world holding, and thus they will also pick a side. And in general, with a situation/story like this, there are going to be strong, opposing opinions and feelings. And those manifest as "teams".

To pretend as if our philosophies or ideas of identity and "who deserves respect in this situation" never has a hand in what we "like" in fiction is to both lie and can be a real way that discriminatory and even fascist ideologies can prosper. Since you're discouraged to think analytically, learn your history, not look deeper into human motivations and their multiplicity, disprove ridiculous theories that seek to create justifications for prejudice and oppression and "might=right", and otherwise question authorities of power and morality.

And then you get people like Sansa, Aemond, and Alicent stans who try to excuse classism or reduce abusive, oppressive acts to mere "flaws".

[bondsmagii]

the last anon about "psychopaths" is correct and reminded me of another thing: how everyone views people with Cluster B Personality Disorders (antisocial personality disorder(ASPD aka "sociopathy"), borderline personality disorder(BPD), histrionic personality disorder(HPD), and narcissistic personality disorder(NPD) like dogshit.

I have BPD (and some other shit that amplifies it), went through some godawful phases, and have been in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy(RODBT) but it can't prepare me for a hyper-specific instance where I don't know what to do, nothing ever can. When I google search something in regards to managing my BPD, I get shit like "every person with BPD will always drain you and do not befriend someone with BPD they will always manipulate you they're a yandere oooh aaah scary noooo" and I am so fucking tired. I know my disorder makes me a fucking awful person at times and I know, deep down, I am not an awful person but "people with BPD tend to see themselves as the victim" so I think I actually am an awful person in denial. That is not to say that I am immune to consequences or because I can't control it. I can control myself and everyone can. I am always responsible for my actions and any repercussions that follow.

But there's support for BPD. I know there's also support for HPD and even NPD, but ASPD is not much. one of my cluster Bitches in crime has ASPD, and every time I see someone throw the word "sociopath" around like it's the communal piss pot I get angry. I'm "hyper-empathetic/sympathetic" and hyper-emotional as a whole and I get angry because "that isn't even fucking true you incompetent troglodyte."

TLDR: dawg we just trynna fuckin live here, it isn't our fault we turned out this way. We're more than our disorder/diagnosis

(this is in reference to this ask, not the most recent, as I am a disgrace when it comes to answering asks in a timely manner.)

this is something that has long, long pissed me off. I mean I have been bitching about this for years, and I still get so mad about it. did you know that the subreddit for BPD bans people with BPD from subscribing or posting? it's literally just full of people bitching about their BPD partners/friends/family members and talking about how horrible and awful and irredeemable people with BPD are, and the language is very much like they believe these people are choosing to be that way. I don't deny that BPD can and does make people act in terrible ways, but the way I've seen people talk about it makes me think they see no difference between this and people without BPD who just choose to be abusive. fair enough if someone uses BPD as an excuse to never change, but everyone I have met with BPD has been very aware of it and working very hard to manage their symptoms. the fact that they can't even Google resources to help them without seeing absolutely disgraceful articles talking about them as though they're pet dogs to be trained is abhorrent. (I have literally seen articles talking about "how to deal with/manage your borderline" -- what absolutely disgusting language to use about human beings. this is a personality disorder, not a dog breed.)

honestly, all Cluster B disorders get an atrocious amount of shit. it's like I've always said: people are so full of support and love to talk the talk until somebody with a mental illness or a personality disorder acts "scary" or "bad," and then nobody's interested. it's the same bullshit behind everyone yelling about making mentally ill people "look bad" if you acknowledge that somebody who committed a crime was mentally ill. look at what happens if you point out that sane people don't commit mass shootings, lmao. people just cannot deal with the moral nuance of accepting that mentally ill people, or people with personality disorders, may be abusive or may be criminals, but they still deserve support. maybe if people didn't have such unexamined prejudices against criminals, they might not struggle with this so much -- but again, criminals deserve support and human rights until they commit a "really bad" crime like murder or rape, and then apparently they're monsters and animals and deserve to die. it's hypocrisy, baby. people do not like feeling uncomfortable and they don't like looking as though they "support" bad things -- and so you end up with bullshit like this. respecting the human rights of dangerously mentally ill people, or people with "scary" personality disorders, apparently means condoning bad behaviour. it's the most smooth-brained shit.

tl;dr if people stopped using their morality to make themselves look good and instead based it on principales that would make a better world for everyone, we probably wouldn't have this problem.

[casvonriegan]

New fic: Supernova

This is not posted on AO3 yet because that's scary but you know what let's put it here because why not!

Rating: General Fandom: Obey Me! Pairing: Lucifer/MC Characters: Lucifer, Diavolo, Barbatos (mentioned), MC (mentioned)

--

Summary: Castiel Nova is an unassuming human who was suddenly thrust into the Devildom one day. One year as a student in the RAD Trans-Realm Student Exchange Program turns into so much more as they get to learn more about the mysterious demon brothers they're living with in the House of Lamentation. What secrets will they uncover, and what impact will they have on these demons?

--

Notes: This is the first thing I’ve published in a very long time!!! I cannot promise a timeline for the continuation of this, as I am a graduate student and so my time is very seldom my own. But I’ve been working on this in the background for honestly probably over a year at this point, and I want to have something going out that is involved in a fandom I’m actively engaged in (sorry Supernatural).

This is in no way canon compliant; this is my own re-telling of the story of my Cas with the brothers. Some things will remain similar (i.e. the major plot point with Belphie and Lilith’s story line), but other things (most notably how pacts are formed) will probably be very different from the canon story.

Cas is non-binary, AFAB, and uses they/them/themself pronouns! Feel free to use extensions to change the Cas’s name to your own Cas/self-insert (Castiel Nova is their full name (I think it is only used once or twice), people alternate between referring to them as Castiel/Cas).

Basically just a shameless re-telling of the game story featuring my Cas that is a shameless self-insert with Lucifer/Cas endgame.

P.S. I apologize for the kinda lame first chapter title, I’m a microbiologist and this is how they name organisms that they haven’t isolated yet and I thought it was funny. Anyway.

Chapter 1: Candidatus Studentus exchangenes

(pronounced can-di-dot-us stu-den-tus ex-change-uh-knees)

"I notice you’ve been sighing quite a bit, Lucifer.” Diavolo stated matter-of-factly.

Lucifer had a fist balled in his hair as he read through the seemingly endless list of candidates for the student exchange program. They only had a few weeks left to get everything finalized so that Lord Diavolo could begin the preparations with the chosen students from the Human and Celestial realms. While they had no intention of alerting the chosen students until the day of their arrival, negotiations with their superiors, of course, had to commence beforehand. 

They’d already finalized the paperwork for Solomon, who was going to be the other exchange student from the Human Realm. He’d had dealings with the Devildom before, so it was easy to get him through. However, there were not many other humans that were as familiar with the three realms as he was. This meant there was going to be a painful amount of discussions, negotiations, and likely headaches for Lucifer to deal with.

So yes, perhaps he was sighing quite a bit, as Lord Diavolo so eloquently put it.

“You know, buried in stacks of paperwork like you are, it almost looks like the documents themselves are heaving a sigh!” Diavolo mused, chuckling to himself.

Lucifer sighed yet again. “You certainly seem to be enjoying this, don’t you Diavolo?”

Lucifer let the file fall from his hand, leaning back in his chair.

“Is it that much fun watching me agonize over a decision like this?”

Diavolo leaned back in his own seat, arms folding across his chest as he regarded Lucifer with a mirthful expression. “Well, if I have to say one way or the other, then yes. I suppose it is pretty fun.”

After yet another sigh, Diavolo let his playfulness slip away as a more serious expression took over his features. “It seems you’ve been having a hard time finding a second human exchange student to follow Solomon, huh?”

“You talk as though you have nothing to do with that.” Lucifer deadpanned. “Whose fault do you think it is that I’m having such a hard time, hmm?”

Diavolo looked away sheepishly, a slight blush creeping across his face. “Is it mine, perhaps?”

Lucifer groaned. “Who else could it be? Seriously… try putting yourself in my shoes, being saddled with such an unreasonable request.”

Lucifer stood from where he was seated, moving forward so his hands were splayed across what little of the desk's real estate was left, as he regarded Diavolo with the most irritated expression he could muster. “If I end up with permanent lines on my forehead when this is all over, it’s your fault, Diavolo.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want that…” Diavolo smirked. “But still… you’re going to do this for me, right Lucifer?”

Lucifer fell back into his seat, defeated. He never could quite contest Diavolo’s desires. His head fell back against his chair, eyes squeezing shut as he fought to ward off an oncoming headache. “Sure. But not because I want to.”

Diavolo let out his own sigh then. “It may not seem like it at the moment, but I really do appreciate you agreeing to do this, you know. And, naturally, I intend to help in any way I can.”

Diavolo rose from his seat, beginning to pace the room. “For example… ah, okay. How about this?”

Lucifer turned his attention to Diavolo, not yet returning to the file abandoned on his desk. “Enlighten me.”

“We’ll make the next exchange student someone completely different from Solomon,” Diavolo stated simply. “It wouldn’t be much fun if we ended up with two humans who were similar, would it?”

Diavolo turned on his heel, an excited expression lighting up his face again. “Oh, and it would be great to have someone who’s good at cooking, too! Then we’d get to sample real human world fare!”

Lucifer groaned again, fighting the temptation to let his head fall against his desk. “Now you’re only thinking about what’s good for you…”

Diavolo lazily swatted away Lucifer’s accusation. “Well, cultural exchange is important, you know! Especially food culture. After all, they say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, right?” Diavolo continued, words pouring from his mouth like a fountain that’s lost control.

Lucifer shook his head. “I think that’s meant more as relationship advice. When you’re trying to reel someone in.” he countered. “Beel’s the only one who’d be happy if we made this about food.”

“It would be nice if we could get a human who’s well-read too, wouldn't it?” Diavolo carried on, completely ignoring Lucifer. “Oh, and who knows a lot about movies, and is well-versed in the latest human world trends…” he rattled on, seemingly stuck in his own head at this point.

Lucifer leaned against his fist, watching Diavolo with complete disinterest, releasing yet another sigh.

“Oh, come now, that sigh was even louder than the others!” Diavolo griped. His half-charming, half-irritating smirk replaced his frown almost immediately as he thought of probably the worst thingto say in his attempt to brighten Lucifer’s mood. 

“Oh! Perhaps that was a sigh of admiration because you’re so impressed with my wonderful ideas?”

Lucifer bored holes into the man standing across the room from him. “No.” 

He stood up again, this time actually stepping away from the desk. “All right… time for a break. I’m going to open a window.”

Diavolo stepped aside, leaving plenty of room between Lucifer and the aforementioned window. “All right… oh, but do be careful. It’s a bit windy out-”

A great burst of wind surged forward through the window, sending the giant stacks of files and papers flying about the room. The once neat office was littered with all sorts of files, loose papers, and even a few pens and clips that were sent off the desk.

“It’s a bit windy outside today…” Diavolo started sheepishly, nervous gaze watching Lucifer who stood stock still at the window. “I was trying to tell you, but it would seem I was too late.” 

Diavolo rushed to gather a few papers that had blown past him.

“Of all the rotten…” Lucifer muttered, pulling the open window back shut. “That gust of wind sent all of the paperwork flying everywhere,” he continued, turning on his heel to lament at the state of his office. “Now this room is a giant mess!”

Lucifer looked to where Diavolo was frantically gathering loose papers, shaking his head. “Worry not, Diavolo. I’ll…”

Lucifer looked down at his feet, where a lone file had landed. It was still completely intact, the wind only knocking it to the floor and not causing it to fly open and come undone like several others. 

Was that the reason he felt so compelled to pick it up? Lucifer couldn’t say for sure.

“Hey Diavolo, look at this… one file landed right at my feet.”

He reached down and picked it up, removing the clip and letting it letting it fall open in his hands. The file was on a younger human; they were listed as a university student, studying marine biology. Well read on some things, then. According to all recent records, they lived alone. Ideally, know how to cook well enough to keep themself alive. No criminal records to speak of, not even so much as a detention in primary school. Not to mention their spotless financial records. Mammon could use a good influence… 

They were also listed as a musician, having been featured in many performances throughout the Human Realm. Proficient in violin, viola, and piano…

That had Lucifer’s heart beating just a little bit faster than usual, but he would take that admission to the grave.

“All right, done!” Lucifer declared, stopping himself before he could have any other thoughts on the matter. “Decision made. This is the one.”

“Who, let me see!” Diavolo pleaded, rushing over to Lucifer’s side. His eyes scanned across their file in a flash, grinning wider with each line. “Hmm, yes, very good! This seems like a good choice to me.”

Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose. “You barely even glanced at the file.”

“I don’t need to, do I? After all, you chose this human. I trust your judgment.” Diavolo beamed at Lucifer, who only rolled his eyes in response as he flipped the file closed, moving to place it atop his desk. 

“There you go buttering me up again…”

Diavolo stood where Lucifer left him, lost in thought. Though his glance was indeed brief, it was enough to conclude that this was no ordinary human.

“Hmm… Castiel Nova…” he turned back towards Lucifer, clapping his hands together excitedly. “I have a feeling this human is going to bring real progress to the Devildom.”

Lucifer regarded him with a rather concerned expression. “You do realize that I based my choice on that particular file landing at my feet, right?”

“Nothing that happens in this world is a coincidence,” Diavolo responded almost too easily, nodding his head. “It’s all fate, and it was meant to be. That’s what I believe, personally.”

“Well…” Lucifer turned to gaze down at the now closed file, a million thoughts turning over in his head. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

“Well then, Lucifer-”

Before Diavolo could get another syllable out, Lucifer began wildly shaking his head, crossing his arms for even further emphasis. “Oh no, I’m not doing anything else! This is all on you and Barbatos now-”

“That’s not what I was going to say.” Diavolo stopped him, leaving Lucifer looking at him blankly, waiting for him to continue. 

“I was hoping to ask you about Belphegor. Is he going to be okay, Lucifer?”

Lucifer crossed his arms over his chest, not meeting Diavolo’s questioning gaze.

“He’s against the whole idea of the exchange program, right?”

“Uh… yes,” Lucifer confirmed, almost appearing uncomfortable. However, he quickly shook that away, replacing it with his typical, neutral expression. “Well, I’ll find a way to work things out with him. Once I’m finished with my work here, I’ll go have a talk with him.” 

He laughed softly to himself. “He is my brother, after all.”

“I see…” Diavolo regarded his friend with admiration, a soft smile on his face. “Even down here in the gloom of the Devildom, the bonds you share with your siblings are as beautiful as ever. I hope that never changes. I mean that, Lucifer. From the bottom of my heart.”

Lucifer gave his own small smile in return. “Thank you, Lord Diavolo.”

“Well then,” Diavolo began, walking over to take the file from Lucifer’s desk. “I shall take this back with me to the castle so we may start the preparations for Castiel to join us here in the Devildom.” 

Diavolo paused in the doorway, turning around to take one more look at Lucifer.

“Should you need anything, my friend, you know how to reach me.”

Lucifer only bowed in response, and Diavolo took his leave.

~~~