#they never even try to explain why he is okay with what he's doing

[lemqnie]

ARCANE CHARACTERS + NEW YEARS EVE WITH YOU

JAYCE TALIS

⤠ loverboy texts you that he won't be done in the forge until late. you try to hide your disappointment. you're already dressed to the nines--a shimmery gold dress jayce bought for your for your anniversary last month sticks to your body like second skin. you were looking forward to partying it up with the kirammans. you move to take it off when you hear a knock on your bedroom door. heavily, you drag your feet to open it only to gasp in surprise when it's jayce. he stands in front of you, a sheepish smile on his face and pink dusting his cheeks and neck. he's in nothing but a simple white dress shirt, sleeves rucked up to his elbows. there's a hint of mechanic grease on his chin and you reach out to swipe it away, when he steps forward and pulls you close, apologising with a kiss. "what's that for?" you ask. he reveals what his other hand's hiding behind him: a bottle of champagne and a modest bag of fruits. "i thought we'd skip the party," he says, "stay here. watch the fireworks from over there." he nods at your balcony, the soft december breeze filtering through your room. "you said you'd be late," you accuse. he laughs. "i am. i wanted to come sooner, but i had meetings and then some and, well..." you don't know why you're still standing. you pull the man of progress in your room and the two of you steal kisses as you await the great clock to strike midnight.

VIKTOR

⤠ you've had plans since october. god knows viktor could never make enough time for himself to simply enjoy unless notified at least two months in advance. "nothing big," you promised him. with a roll of his eyes, he reaches forward with a free hand and kisses your forehead. "okay, láska." and exactly at eight pm on the dot, you show up at his flat, a bottle of wine and fresh sweetmilk rolls and grapes in tow. he lets you in, hair freshly damp from the shower. you make sure he's settled in before you set it up. you explain to him how your family rings in the new year: wishing on grapes and drunk. he laughs, wincing a little when the motion catches his back brace in a bad position. you reach over, brushing your thumb over his furrowed brows and he leans into your touch, kissing the insides of your wrist. "so," he says, accent thick and eyes heavy, "you brought the wine?" in the end, you didn't get to do your grapes until much, much later in the morning on new year's day after you wake up on viktor's bed, tangled in the sheets with him.

JINX

⤠ she swears to you that you'll get no better view of the piltie fireworks than above the cracks. she's waiting for you by the alley outside your workplace, gearing to go. you ask her if you need to bring anything yesterday and she grins, something mocking but rounded to sweet when she taps your nose. "just sturdy shoes and study old you," she sing-songs. as you climb up the treacherous cracks with her, you make good use of the shoes she told you to bring. you two finally make it up over the lanes and as you settle next to her, your breath leaves you forcefully. the view is beautiful. you can see the long stretch of roofs that make the end of zaun, the elevators, and the city of piltover. she nudges your shoulder and points with her arm to the councillor's building. "it'll be over there," she whispers. "colours like you've never seen!" the child-like wonder in her voice is what gets you. even if its minutes before midnight, you throw caution to the wind. what the hell, you thought as you turn and place your palm over her cheek. her blue eyes are wide, but she doesn't pull away as you lean in. when you kiss, you hear it behind you: the burst of fireworks, the cheer of children, and--best of all--jinx's relieved sigh against your lips.

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[vaultedoverthehorse]

Soda was five years old the first time he realized he was behind. His classmates were all taking turns spelling words - like cat, rat, pat - and he couldn’t do it. He remembered his teachers scoffs and hostile looks, but he just couldn’t get the letters to make sense in his head. He remembered he started crying so hard the lady at the front desk called his mom. She brought him to get ice cream and assured him that it was okay, he had time to learn it all. He didn’t have to rush.

Soda was seven the first time a teacher outwardly gave up on him. He had been trying to read the same sentence for five minutes, and even with the teachers guidance he couldn’t figure out what the words were supposed to be. They looked too jumbled up to mean anything. Sometimes when he doesn’t understand what he’s reading, he can hear the sound of his teachers sigh as she snatched up the paper from him and told him he should’ve been able to do this, it was easy, what’s wrong with him?

Soda was twelve when he gave up on himself. He still struggled with reading, and he was barely passing his classes. It was a common occurrence for him to cry by now, a common occurrence for his class to laugh at him, and a common occurrence for his teachers to yell at him in front of everybody. His parents tried to help him, but it was no use. Darry tried to help, but he’d eventually end up having to comfort a sobbing Soda. His little brother was already a super genius. Soda decided it wasn’t worth trying this hard.

Soda was fourteen the first time he was really jealous of Pony. When Pony would come home talking about how much fun he had, how easy school was. It made him feel guilty, why couldn’t he just be happy for his brother? Darry assured him it was fine, it’s not his fault. But Soda still felt awful about it.

Soda was sixteen when he finally dropped out of school. Sixteen when he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He’d gotten made fun of one too many times. Called a lost cause one too many times. He could never explain how much it hurt to see the unsurprised look on the office lady’s face. But he handed her the form and walked out of that school. And as he did so, he felt the ever-present weight he’s had on his chest since he was five lift off of him.

[4linos]

after the storm

han jisung x gn!reader

synopsis/request: when jisung lashes out in frustration, the hurt you feel cuts deep. the following morning, he’s full of regret and apologies, but the damage is done. will the two of you be able to find a way to heal together, or has this moment created a rift too large to fix?

wc: 1695

That day had been a storm, a silent, simmering chaos that erupted unexpectedly. It had begun with something small, something you both should have been able to discuss easily: a miscommunication about plans. You had asked Jisung to pick up groceries after work, an easy task that you had agreed upon the night before. But when you called him later to check in, he said he hadn't gone.

The reason?

"I just didn't have the energy, okay?"

It wasn’t the reason that stung; it was the tone. The dismissiveness. The way his voice had hardened, like you were the last person he wanted to talk to. You could hear it in his voice the fatigue, sure but there was something else, too. Something more dismissive, more impatient.

You tried to keep your calm. You asked him why he hadn’t mentioned this earlier, and that’s when it escalated. Jisung snapped at you.

“Why do you always have to make everything a bigger deal? I told you I was tired, and you just can’t let it go, can you?” His voice was sharp now, piercing through the calmness you’d tried to maintain. “You think I don’t have things to do? That I don’t have my own problems? Stop acting like everything’s always about you!”

The words hit you like a slap. It was not just what he said, but how he said it. The unexpected cold. The anger. It wasn't Jisung as you knew him. It wasn't the loving, caring lover who constantly looked to console you when things were tough. You had never seen this side of him before, it was raw, cruel, and unlike the person you loved. You tried to react, defend yourself, and explain that it wasn't about being selfish, but about knowing one another. But Jisung would not hear it. His irritation had gotten out of hand, and before you knew it, you were both screaming at one other, the argument growing into a conflict of hurt feelings. In the end, it was one of those exhausting arguments that left you feeling drained, defeated, like something inside had been broken.

Jisung disappeared off to the bedroom, and you had cuddled up on the couch, letting your tears fall. You were upset. You were hurt. You were mostly confused, though. You weren't expecting this venom, this hardness. You didn't expect him to lash out like that, to treat you as if you were the problem when you were just trying to keep things together.

And now it was the morning after. The house was strangely quiet. You awoke with the impression that yesterday's weight was still bearing down on you. The argument had not been settled, and there was a noticeable gap between you and Jisung, an emotional coldness that neither of you had been able to overcome just yet.

You stumbled into the kitchen, your body still feeling heavy with the aftermath of the fight. The coffee machine hummed in the background, filling the silence with the comforting sound of routine. You tried to go through the motions, hoping that the normalcy of it would ease the tightness in your chest. But the hurt from the night before was still there, lingering in every corner of your mind.

You needed space. You needed time to think.

The coffee began to brew, and as you stood there waiting, your thoughts wandered back to the argument. The way Jisung had raised his voice. The hurt in his eyes when you didn’t immediately understand his frustration. The words he had thrown at you, accusing you of being self-centered, of not caring about how he felt. You knew deep down that he hadn’t meant to hurt you. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

Before you could even try to clear your mind, you heard footsteps behind you, and your heart sank.

“Hey, babe,” Jisung’s voice was soft, almost hesitant, like he was afraid to approach you after everything that had happened. He was there, standing right behind you, but there was a distance in his tone. The same distance that had grown between the two of you since yesterday.

You didn’t turn to face him. You couldn’t. Your body still felt heavy with the weight of the argument, and you didn’t know how to process the emotions that were swirling inside you. You couldn’t even bring yourself to look at him. Instead, you focused on the sound of the coffee machine, the clinking of the cup, anything to avoid the rawness of the situation.

Then, without warning, you felt Jisung wrap his arms around you. He was trying to be delicate, to ease the distance between you, but his touch felt strange now. His warmth should have been reassuring, but it merely emphasized the coldness between you. You froze, your body becoming rigid at the contact. He did not seem to notice. Maybe deep down, he did. Maybe that's why he hesitated for a time, his arms tightening around you in an almost desperate cry for forgiveness, connection, and a chance to feel him as he felt you. But you couldn't move. You couldn't respond.

So you turned away from him. You swept past him as if he were not there. You didn't try to hurt him, but it was easier to stay away and protect yourself. The raw vulnerability of being hurt by someone you care about made everything feel overwhelming. You wandered to the living room and sunk onto the couch without saying anything. You didn't want to confront this. You didn't know how to handle it. The argument from yesterday was still vivid in your mind, and despite hearing guilt in his footsteps as he followed you, you couldn't bring yourself to look at him.

He stood there for a moment, hesitant, before calmly sitting next to you. He took the coffee cup from your hands, his fingers brushing across yours, and then lied down with his head on your lap. It seemed as if he was trying to get closer, to close the emotional gap, but it felt too soon. Too raw. You stared straight ahead, the TV on in the background, but you weren't watching it. The silence between you was suffocating. Your fingers were curled in your lap, but Jisung's presence in your space was undeniable, even if you didn't acknowledge it. His body was close to yours, his chest rising and falling with quiet breaths, but there was no comfort in it.

And then, in the softest voice, Jisung spoke. “I’m sorry… for yesterday. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I didn’t mean what I said. I just… I don’t know. I’ve been so stressed, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I love you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

The words hung in the air. You wanted to say something. You wanted to reassure him, but you couldn’t quite shake the sting of what had been said. You didn’t know how to respond to his apology because, even though you knew he was sorry, it didn’t change how his words had made you feel. It didn’t change the hurt that was still fresh in your heart.

Jisung waited, his eyes closed, his hand resting on your knee, his fingers lightly brushing against your skin as if he was asking for your forgiveness without saying a word. The guilt radiated from him, and it made your chest tighten even more. He was sorry. You knew he was. But could you forgive him this easily?

You were silent at first. Instead, you let the tips of your fingers slide through his messy hair. The move was natural, something you would do any other day when the two of you were at ease. However, it felt like a truce, a period of peaceful connection in the midst of everything that just happened. Jisung let out a gentle sigh, his body softening under your touch, as if he had finally relieved some of the tension that had been building up. He nuzzled onto your lap, instinctively seeking the comfort he knew you could give him.

You gently scratched his head, without looking at him, but using your fingers in calm, controlled movements. It wasn't that you didn't care; instead, everything felt so raw. You needed time. You needed him to understand that the apology was only the first step. That rebuilding trust needed more than just words. Finally, you spoke, your voice soft but steady. "I was hurt, Jisung. What you said really stung. You can't just snap at me like that, no matter what's going through your mind. I don't deserve that. I understand you didn't mean it, but it still hurt."

You could feel him flinch slightly beneath your touch, his hand tightening around your leg, but he did not say anything. He did not try to interrupt. He just listened, which was all you needed right now. "But," you said softly, "I accept your apologies. I do. As long as you promise me this will not happen again. We can't keep doing it, Jisung. I can't keep feeling this way every time we fight. We need to figure out a better way to communicate. We need to respect each other, even when times are difficult."

Jisung nodded slowly, his forehead pressing lightly against your leg, and for a moment, there was nothing but the sound of your breath, the two of you suspended in this quiet, fragile moment of vulnerability. He didn’t pull away. Instead, he let your fingers continue to massage his scalp, letting the weight of his apology settle between you.

“I promise,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ll do better. I’ll make sure this never happens again. I love you too much to hurt you like that.”

And, for the first time since yesterday, you were able to relax and breathe a bit easier, knowing that, while the road to recovery would take time, you were both willing to try. You didn't know how things would turn out in the future, but for the time being, you allowed yourself to believe that everything would be okay.

//

asks are always open if you have a question, concern, or request!

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[b0r3dtod3ath]

Survived a cricket match!

♡ navigation / request info / f1 masterlist

♡ warnings: none

♡ an: requests are open and give me some feedback on this!

It was one of these rare weeks where Oscar wasn’t tied up with racing commitments, and he’d managed to snag a couple of tickets for the big game.

You, on the other hand, knew nothing about cricket. Sure, you had caught a glimpse a few times when Oscar was watching a match on his phone but you never fully grasped it.

You two arrive at the sun-soaked stadium that was filled with team colors, waving flags and chanting. Oscar tried to explain the basics of the game during your walk to the seats but most of it went in one ear and exited through another.

As the match started you tried to follow along but failed. You looked at Oscar, whose eyes full of excitement and anticipation looked at the field. You didn’t want to interrupt him but you were really lost. Finally you spoke up in a half-whisper “Oscar, I don’t think I get it. So it’s like baseball? But longer? I have no idea what’s happening”.

He chuckled and squeezed your hand, finding your confusion cute. "Okay, so the bowler-" he pointed to the man with the ball, "-is trying to hit the stumps behind the batsman. And the batsman-" he shifted his finger, "-is trying to score runs by hitting the ball and running back and forth between the wickets”.

You blinked. "Runs? Wickets? What are stumps again?"

"Alright, let’s start simpler," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

For the next twenty minutes, Oscar patiently explained the rules. You tried to follow, but every time you thought you understood something, a new term would pop up and scramble your brain.

At one point, you leaned into Oscar. “Why is it called a ‘googly’? That’s not a real word”.

He laughed, “It’s a type of delivery by a bowler. Trust me, it’s a real thing”.

"Oscar, this is so confusing. Can’t they just run laps or something? That’d be easier to follow”.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You’re impossible” he teased.

"Not my fault! Who even decided to make a game last this long?" you shot back and slumped in your seat “I think I’m going to bring a book tomorrow”.

The next day, you showed up armed with a book and a thermos of tea. Oscar saw you take out your stuff and burst out laughing. "Tea now? Are you setting up a whole library in the stands?"

"Hey, cricket’s long. I’m prepared for the marathon," you replied, holding up your supplies. "You focus on whatever this is, and I’ll focus on my chapters. Deal?"

"Deal," he replied, clearly amused. "But don’t come crying to me if you miss the best parts".

"Don't worry, I won't" you say opening your book.

Throughout the game, you occasionally peeked up at the field when Oscar got particularly animated. "See that?" he shouted at one point, gesturing wildly.

"Totally," you replied without looking up from your book.

"You didn’t see a thing," he accused, narrowing his eyes.

You grinned. "But I heard the crowd, so I know something good happened." He shook his head, laughing, and gave your hand a squeeze before turning back to the game.

When the final innings began, you leaned over to him. "So… are we winning?".

He sighed dramatically. "You don’t even know who we are, do you?"

"The yellow ones?” you asked hesitantly.

Oscar laughed, shaking his head. “Yes, the yellow ones. You’re lucky you’re cute”. He winked. Despite your disinterest, he didn’t seem annoyed.

Apparently the game ended with your team winning and the two of you were making your way to the car. "So, what do you think?”

You smiled, “Honestly? It was long and I still don’t think I get it. But I had fun just being here with you”.

Oscar wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “That’s all that matters. Besides, now you can say you’ve survived a cricket match”.

You laughed, leaning into him “Survived is the key word”.

“Thanks for coming with me, even if it’s not your thing”.

December 29, 2024

[bugslaststraw]

Ugh I explained this to Nat before but that was a vm and now I have to try to put it into text lol. Bear with me. Spoilers for Sonic 3 below...

So like Okay, original game Robotnik has that "machines are better than people and I love them and I hate people" thing going on. And movie universe Jimbotnik does the same thing right. Except his reasons for preferring machines are a little weird? To say the least.

When most people aspire to the perfection of the blessed machine they tend to focus on how machines are perfect because they aren't saddled with those pathetic human emotions, and how they're stronger and smarter and more perfect and all that. And like. There are elements of that with movie Robotnik don't get me wrong, he bullies Sonic for loving his friends, but we all know that's bullshit because his actual personality complex trauma thing stems entirely from being hurt that people don't like him? and nobody's ever genuinely cared about him enough to not betray/leave him, as we learned in movie 3. Daddy issues, et cetera.

The actual first reason he gives for why he prefers his robots, in movie 1, is that they do what they're told and they never need time off to go do stuff other than what they're told. What's worse is that he outright ignores the part about machines that don't line up with what he is. Machines are cold unfeeling things right? And Robotnik is a madman, just complete ditz entirely controlled by his emotions. He's all over the place. So obviously that isn't why he actually likes them. Nor does it seem to be because they're smarter or stronger.

Now all this wouldn't quite have clicked in my head and started forming a pattern, if I hadn't spent half a day getting ahold of reading the movie novelizations lol, they're not good exactly but they aren't bad either (not exactly) and they have this really interesting. Detail. Take. Choice, even, that stood out to me. In the novels we get exactly zero scenes written from Agent Stone's perspective. So he's entirely filtered through Robotnik as we see him. And, like. Robotnik ascribes? Robotic traits to him? That he straight up doesn't have?

This being the most infamous example... But it happens again at least once, which is a lot for the novels cus they're short as hell, where (from Botnik's pov) Stone takes on this more mechanical tone when talking to him or being around him, that he seems to like or prefer/speak positively of. Okay. Weird, homoerotic, but not entirely out of character.

It did make me think though. If Robotnik is kind of loose about why he actually likes machines. But is still adamant that they're good and humans are bad... And what he actually likes about them seems to be that they're... Loyal? I think. And they do what they're told. And they don't need time off to see their families and get laid and leave him alone I'm so sorry then. Well.

Those are traits a human being could very well have. For example, his actual human assistant, who's standing right fucking there as he says it. Right? Stone is still all that, he's loyal and he actually likes + is nice to him and he does what he's told and that's why he actually likes him, as we find out in movie 3, right? So.

What I'm saying is when. In the third movie when he says you were the only person who ever blah blah right. And, like, of course he was. Who would want to be loyal to? This dickhead who mostly wants to achieve world domination? Why would you want to do what a villain says? But Robotnik doesn't care about that, he likes being a villain and above that he's just hurt, right, by it all, and doesn't gaf if his own actions affect others so.

So he ascribes robotic traits to Stone not because they're actually there (Stone is professional when talking to others, but far from emotionless, and it is in fact his emotional connection to the dear doctor that makes him as loyal as he is) but. Rather because in his mind, Stone is on the same level as a robot, because he has the same traits that Robotnik actually. Likes about his robots. That mainly being loyalty, I think.

And, well. In the third movie granpappy Geralt hacks those robots of his and makes them stop obeying him, doesn't he. Not even they were entirely loyal by the end, much like Geralt himself, right?

You can't hack a human being, though.

Anyway. Keep your heads up, okay? I'm like. 99% sure Robotnik is fine (fight me in the comments I guess) and I tend to be good at predicting this stuff so he'll be back one way or another. Jim Carrey officially un-retired, the space station time travel thing is still an active theory, and they can't just fucking kill Eggman guys, come on. Cheers!🥂

[koenigami]

and the nights were as dark as my baby, half as beautiful too. tags : hurt/comfort, fluff, fem!reader wc : 1k synopsis : Togame's not a great texter, but for you, he will always make an exception.

Togame's major trigger in a relationship is when you refuse. to. openly. communicate.

He doesn't blame you, though. He would never! He's aware that sharing your feelings freely can be simply a lot, and maybe even scary sometimes.

But the moment he sees you sitting on your shared couch, the TV playing your favourite show yet your gaze so far away as you stare into nothingness-

Images of his childhood friend suffering in silence cross his mind. Memories of past mistakes and his incompetence at helping the person closest to him, and letting both of them drown in loneliness and bitterness.

No. He won't let that happen again. He won't let you get consumed by your own thoughts and doubts, won't you brush every worry of his away with a forced smile and false reassuring words because you fear that he might run away from you at the slightest inconvenience.

It just has been a rougher week than usual, too many things gone wrong, too little right. You still tried to move on because no matter how awful a situation may be, they never last forever. Or so you have though. Because somehow you feel them still ingrained so deeply in your head, and they make you rethink and relive every single mistake that you've done the past few days in a way that makes you wonder whether there is something that you can actually do right for once.

You don't notice Togame disappear from the doorway and slip into the bedroom, too busy with slipping further into a downward spiral.

That is until the sudden and short vibrating sound of your phone pulls you back into reality. With a strained huff, you lean forward to grab it from the coffee table, and as soon as the sender's name on the display appears, you freeze in place.

Togame did not tell you that he'd gone somewhere, neither have you heard him leave the house, so why is he- Oh.

'Wanna tell me what's happening inside that pretty little head of yours?'

You stare at his text for a few seconds, rereading each word as if you were trying to learn his sentence by heart. The phone in your grip shakes the slightest as you feel your fingers twitch nervously, unsure about whether to answer or ignore him, meanwhile Togame sees the little dots beside your name appear and disappear over and over again.

Why would he let you burden him with your silly problems? Some of them minor, others nothing but a mere creation of your imagination and overthinking tendencies. He cares. He cares. He cares, is what you keep repeating to yourself once you decide to type out two simple words.

- 'A lot.'

Togame's glad that you can't see him right now. The way he jolts instantly, quickly sitting up once his phone pings with an incoming message from you. It feels as if he had travelled a few months back into the past. A time when every single text of yours, every touch, every smile that you shot his way, made his heart beat erratically and plaster a stupid lopsided grin on his face.

The excitement and giddiness of your love has slowly become something quiet and soft. A constant that makes him feel comforted and safe. The kind of love that he knows you need, especially in times like these.

'I see.. Wanna talk about it? It's okay if you don't'

Warmth spreads through your chest as you take slow deliberate breaths, each one shakier than the other. Never one to pressure or rush you, always a gentle voice, and a calm aura. That is your Jo.

And so you let your thoughts run freely as your fingers tap over your screen. With enough time to contemplate over your words, express your feelings properly while clumsily trying to explain some of them that you yourself truly don't quite understand, you feel your eyes sting.

He knew that this is what you needed.

Togame anxiously stares at the last text he has just sent three minutes ago, left on read. His own chest feels so much lighter knowing that your own hopefully feels just the same. Yet as he stares at his unanswered message, he wonders if he might have crossed a line. He starts feeling like a cowardly idiot for making you sit out there in the living room, all alone with all these overwhelming emotions while he's lazily lying in your shared bed.

Soon, the sudden noise of quick steps padding against the floor appears until the door bursts open. His body is quicker than his mind to register what is happening when you throw yourself on him, making him let out a breathless oomph. The bed and mattress creak and jump, but Togame immediately has a steady hold on you as his arms instinctively wrap around your waist.

"Hey-" His forehead creases in worry when he feels you shake, soft sniffles and sobs muffled by his chest.

But when you lift your head and smile at him, such a sweet, beautiful and real smile, he knows that you'll be fine despite the tears that keep flowing over your puffy cheeks. He gently wipes them away, not minding that they're immediately replaced by new ones.

The lightest shiver makes you jolt against him when his hand slips under your shirt and slowly caresses the skin along your back, his thumb softly moving back and forth. His chest rumbles with a deep chuckle when you groan annoyedly before almost aggressively wiping with your sleeves at your face to get rid of the overflowing emotions that somehow never cease to escalate when Togame's in your proximity.

At the same time, the world always becomes a quiet place when you're like this. In his arms, in safety and comfort, with nothing left but both your beating hearts and the feelings that you harbour inside them for each other.

"Thank you, Jo. I love you." You whisper as if it was a secret, and watch how Togame's eyes soften as if you'd said it for the first time again.

With a hand on the back of your head, fingers tangling into the soft strands of hair, he pulls you so close that you can feel his lips move against yours as he speaks.

"Love you more, doll."

[tanjamikaelson]

BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER - CHAPTER 16

MASTERLIST

CHAPTER 16: | I DO, I LOVE YOU |

The next day, you gathered all the courage you could muster to go see Rafe. You knew this conversation would be difficult, but you needed to try to make him understand why you had been with the Pogues. Maybe you could explain it in a way that would get through to him.

When you found him in his room, it was in complete disarray, with clothes and objects scattered everywhere. It mirrored the turmoil you knew was going on in his mind. Rafe stood by the window, his posture tense, as if he’d been pacing the room for hours. You knocked softly on the door and hesitated before stepping halfway inside.

“Can we talk?” you asked quietly, your voice soft, almost pleading.

Rafe turned to face you, his expression hardening immediately. His sigh was heavy, as though seeing you brought back all the pain he’d been trying to suppress. He rubbed his eyes in frustration. “Why were you with them?!” he demanded, his voice sharp, hurt flashing across his icy blue eyes. You opened your mouth to explain, but before you could get a word out, he snapped, his voice tinged with accusation, “I was right. You’d choose her over me.”

“No, you’re wrong,” you said quickly, your heart sinking at how much he misunderstood. “I would never rat you out, okay? I promise.” You took a step forward, trying to reach for his arm, but he pulled back, his hands shooting up defensively.

Rafe shook his head, backing away from you like he couldn’t bear to let you in. “I don’t believe you,” he muttered, his voice low but dripping with pain.

Your heart broke a little more with every word he said. “Please, Rafe. You have to believe me,” you pleaded, your voice trembling as you took another hesitant step toward him.

Then he hit you with the question you hadn’t expected. "I want you to tell me something, I want you to tell me the truth, Y/N. Do you even love me?" His eyes locked onto yours, burning with desperation as if your answer was the only thing keeping him together.

The question took you by surprise, and for a moment, you stood frozen. You hadn’t expected this, you hadn’t expected this would be the moment to tell him, not now. But you couldn’t lie to him. Not after everything.

“I do. I love you, Rafe,” you said softly, your voice almost a whisper as you searched his eyes, hoping for any flicker of emotion, any sign that he believed you. But instead, you were met with that cold, guarded stare.

He shook his head again, his mouth twisting in bitter disbelief. “You don’t love me. If you did, you would be by my side,” he said, his words like knives cutting through the space between you.

“I am by your side,” you insisted, your voice cracking under the weight of his rejection.

But Rafe wasn’t having it. “No, you’re not,” he shot back, his tone harsh and biting. “All you did was try to stop me from finding John B, from doing what I had to do. You helped them escape.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you tried to explain yourself. “It’s because I don’t want to see you consumed by your anger,” you said, a single tear sliding down your cheek. “When I saw Pope choking you, I was afraid he would kill you.”

Rafe’s gaze hardened again, his lips curling into a sneer. “And you still left with them,” he reminded you, his voice full of resentment.

“You told me to go,” you whispered, hoping he would remember that moment, that he had pushed you away first.

“Not with them!” Rafe’s voice exploded in anger, making you flinch. His outburst reverberated through the room, sharp and cutting.

“I’m sorry—” you began, but the words caught in your throat as he cut you off again.

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it,” Rafe said coldly, his voice eerily calm now. “I want you to leave.”

You shook your head, tears streaming down your face. “You don’t mean that,” you whispered, refusing to believe he truly wanted you gone.

“Yes, I do,” he said, his tone colder than you’d ever heard before. “I want you to fucking leave.” He pointed aggressively at the door behind you, his finger trembling with rage.

You stood there, frozen, your heart breaking into pieces. You could see the hurt in his eyes, but it was buried so deep beneath his anger, that you didn’t know how to reach him. You couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t leave him like this.

But Rafe had had enough. His patience snapped, and before you could react, he grabbed your arm and pushed you roughly toward the door. “Don’t come back,” he said through clenched teeth, his voice filled with finality.

And with that, he slammed the door shut in your face, leaving you standing there in the hallway, tears streaming down your cheeks. The echo of the door closing felt like the final nail in the coffin, and you knew, at least for now, that he had shut you out.

RAFE’S POV:

As soon as the door slammed shut, Rafe’s whole body trembled with anger. His heart pounded in his chest, every muscle tense and rigid as if he was holding himself together by sheer will. He stood there, his back pressed against the door, his hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were white.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to throw something, punch the walls, anything to release the storm of emotions raging inside of him. He had just thrown you out—pushed away the one person who had been there for him through all the chaos, and it tore him apart more than he was willing to admit.

But he couldn’t let it go. He couldn’t forgive the fact that you had helped Sarah and John B. His own sister and that Pogue—the two people who had turned his life upside down. He hated them for what they’d done, and now, you were mixed up in it too. He wanted to believe that you loved him, that you were still on his side, but his anger clouded everything.

And yet, even in his rage, he felt the sting of regret. He loved you—he knew that much, even if he hadn’t said it. But the words felt stuck in his throat, suffocated by the bitterness he couldn’t shake. He hated himself for how things had spiraled out of control, for letting his anger push you away. But right now, he couldn’t think clearly. He couldn’t see past the rage and betrayal.

Still leaning against the door, Rafe closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to steady his breathing. The image of you standing there, tears in your eyes, refusing to give up on him despite everything—it made his chest tighten with guilt. But his pride, his anger, wouldn’t let him soften. Not now. He couldn’t forgive you for helping them. Not yet.

For now, he had to let you go, even if it felt like tearing a piece of himself away.

Y/N’S POV:

You stood frozen in front of Rafe’s door, unable to move, unable to process what had just happened. The only thing breaking the stillness were the silent tears rolling down your cheeks. It felt like the ground beneath you had crumbled, and you were just... standing there, unable to catch your breath, drowning in the weight of everything.

After what felt like an eternity, you finally managed to turn on your heels. Your vision was blurred by the tears, making each step down the stairs feel like you were navigating through a fog. You gripped the railing tightly, trying to steady yourself, trying not to stumble as the sobs threatened to break free from your chest.

Once you reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped out into the yard, you were met by Rose. Her face was lined with concern as she noticed the tears staining your cheeks. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice gentle but laced with worry.

But you couldn’t speak. If you tried, you knew the dam would break, and the sobs you were holding back would spill out uncontrollably. So instead, you just waved your hand dismissively, not trusting yourself to say anything. You didn’t want to break down in front of her.

You hurried to your car, your hands trembling as you fumbled with the keys, desperate to escape, desperate to be alone. The moment you closed the car door behind you, the sobs finally came, shaking your body as you tried to keep your breathing steady. You wiped your face with the back of your hand, but it was no use—the tears just kept coming.

As you drove away from Tannyhill, all you could think about was the look in Rafe’s eyes. The coldness, the disappointment—it cut deeper than anything. He had never looked at you that way before, and it felt like a knife twisting in your chest. His words echoed in your mind, "You helped them escape."

But the only thing that truly haunted you was the thought that you hadn’t helped them escape at all. You had helped them die. You had thought you were saving them, but now they were gone—Sarah, your best friend... gone.

It hurt just the same. The ache in your heart, the heaviness of it all—it was too much to bear. You didn’t know how to fix this. You didn’t know if you even could.

You had lost Sarah. And now, it seemed, you had lost Rafe too.

TAGS: @wearemadeofstardust0 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @thepopcultureaddict @deeznuggetsbebussin@wtfdudesblog

[hopingforgoodblogs]

ELLIE PICS ARE TAKE BY ME PLEASE ASK PERMISSION AND GIVE CREDIT IF REPOST ‼️

The Aftermath (The Fight series)

heres part three guys (pt 1&2 are on my pinned masterlist)!! im SO sorry i havent posted in a while, ive had a lot going on :( i recently just lost a family member who i held very dear to me. ive had this fic rotting in my notes app but i didnt know if it was ready yet so i haven’t posted. ive just been reading lol. anyway, enough yapping!! enjoy part three 😌

WARNINGS: cursing, fighting, ig gore? (descriptive fight aftermath), awkwardness…

Ellie quickly and messily parks her truck in front of her place and runs to her front door, frantically searching for the keys she just once had in hand.

She immediately darts for the closet in her bedroom, not even bothering to close the front door. She curses under breath, completely destroying her room trying to find this weapon.

The second she feels the cold metal she grabs it and heads for her truck, remembering to close the front door on her way out.

Her car ride was vocally silent but her head was noisy with all of the gruesome ideas she had in mind.

The second she gets to her destination she sees her target sitting outside, smoking by himself. She parks the car, grabs her bat, and slams the car door, getting his attention.

“HEY DICKHEAD!” Ellie shouts at her best friends boyfriend, fear written all over his face.

*POV SWITCH*

You just hopped out of your quick shower and your mind has your moment in the car with Ellie on repeat. You almost got to the kiss part but your cinematic replay was interrupted by someone pounding at your front door. You frantically put your clothes on, slowly making your way to the noise. You look through the window and see one of your close neighbors outside. You hurriedly opened the door, worry filling you at her panicked state.

“Hey is everything okay-“

You quickly get interrupted, “OMG. You HAVE to get Ellie! I was on my home and I passed Ellie approaching your boyfriends house. She had a bat in hand and-“

“Wait, wait. Ellie what?” You question in shock, not even bothering to correct her on your relationship status.

“Look I don’t know why but she had this angry expression on her face and I don’t think he’s safe.”

Your face dropped. But she promised- no. She didn’t promise. You start to remember her reassurance in the car and realize she hadn’t actually promised. You mentally curse at yourself. How did you not catch that? You grab your keys and head to your car, thanking your neighbor for the warning.

You’re driving quickly, keeping an eye out for cops. You’ve never felt more rage in your life. She lied to you. But she didn’t? You asked her not to do anything. How could she do this? As questions keep flooding your mind you finally reach your exs house, seeing Ellie’s rusted blue truck parked out front.

You quickly find any empty space you can find and park, your parking job being the least of your concerns. You turn the car off, not even taking the keys out as a result of your rush. You hurried out of your car screaming for Ellie.

“Oh my gosh… Ellie! Stop it! Get off of him!” You run toward her, still shouting at her.

Ellie’s completely blacked out. You’d seen Ellie get into some pretty bad fights but for some reason the fights from tonight were so… horrific. You truly felt traumatized. You didn’t think your exs physical state could get any worse, but it had. You can see how he laid there, limp. You shout at Ellie once more, finally snapping her out of her enraged state.

She looks up at you sees the horror on your face, an expression she prayed to never see again. But there you were, hovering over her and your beaten ex. You can see him barely gasping for air. You start to question if he’d still be breathing if you got there just a moment later.

“I-I can explain,“ She starts, trying to break the silence and explain herself.

“No Ellie! There’s no explaination for this! I asked you to not to do anything to him and you told me you wouldn’t. You know how terrifying it is to be coming out of the shower and hearing your neighbor banging on your door trying to warn you about your best friends rage? Ellie you almost KILLED him-“

“He deserves it!“ She comments, trying to justify her actions.

“Whether you think he deserves it or not, you shouldn’t have done that! You can’t just go beating people up, Ellie! If I didn’t come in time you would’ve killed him! You know you can go to prison for that? You need to learn to control yourself!” You yell at her, your rage turning into to panic at the thought of what could’ve happened if you didn’t show up on time.

“I’m sorry, angel-“ She reaches toward you, trying to put her hands on your shoulders, but you step back.

Your face scrunches at the name, feeling the pain in your chest at the sound of it falling from her lips, “No. Don’t touch me. And no more ���angel’. I dont want you calling me that, anymore. You want me to believe you’re sorry? Take him to the hospital right now.”

“Me?! Why… What- What do I even tell them?” She stammers, unsure of this idea.

“I don’t know, Ellie. Figure it out. You wanna make it right with me? Take him to hospital,” You pause, inviting yourself, “I’ll go with you but if we don’t leave now he could die!” She deeply but briefly looks into your eyes, nodding and lifting and guiding his limp body toward her truck.

(timeskip to next school day)

You hesitantly walk through the halls, suddenly very aware of your surroundings. It’s weird… when you walk with Ellie you’re not worried about who surrounds you. She’s like a ‘scary dog privilege’ for you. But her absence has left you on edge, eyes never staying in one direction, scattering the halls and observing every individual. You see a few people looking at you in shock. NO ONE has ever seen you two apart.

You start to think about when you pulled into your parking spot this morning and saw the empty spot next to yours.

Ellie wasn’t at school.

You were still upset with her but you felt so anxiously alone you didn’t care. You just wanted her here with you.

Your mind starts to question how your day will pan out, “Where do I eat for lunch? Who do I eat with? How am I gonna do lab without her? How much more of this awkward staring can I take?”

It was in this moment that you realized how heavily you relied on Ellie. You both were a duo that couldn’t survive solo. You’ve been inseparable since you were six. You never spent a moment, outside of your own homes, apart. Hell, you both barely even spent a moment apart IN your own homes. As you mentally kept questioning everything, there was one primary question on your mind:

“How am i gonna get through today without Ellie?”

Your questions started taking over your thoughts, causing you to lose focus of where you were walking, bumping into someone.

“Oh! I-I’m sorry-“ You look up and realize who you’ve bumped into. You look down and push past, trying to exit an interaction but he calls for you.

TAGLIST: @pick-me-up-im-scared (lmk if you wanna be added 🙏🏽)

[ikamigami]

You know what?

I think that Sun will have a huge mental breakdown.. someday.. in the future..

"But how when he just got better and dealt with Nexus' hallucination?" you may ask..

It's because I think that he doesn't realize that he slowly integrates his self-blame and accepts it as something true..

See how he still feels like July 16th was his fault even if he's fully aware of what actually happened..

And now he'll falsly believe that it was mainly his fault that Nexus became the way he was.. that Nexus never liked him because he was awful to him..

When it's not true.. but Sun will never learn that Nexus was so worried about his well-being.. Sun will never learn that Nexus saw him as his light..

To me it seems that Sun slowly accepts that his guilt is true.. that things are his fault.. hence he has to apologize for everything others accuse him of.. because it's true..

But in reality he's doing a lot more damage to himself by accepting what Nexus told him as the truth and apologizing for it..

He actually should realize that he holds too much guilt..

But he doesn't even see that.. because he's unaware of this.. he's unaware of how much his guilt isn't normal..

I wonder how long he'll be able to act like everything is normal till he break..

But maybe Moon will realize that something is wrong with Sun.. that the guilt Sun feels isn't normal..

Maybe Moon will do something about it because he heard what Sun was talking about with Nexus in his head because he was speaking out loud as both sides..

Maybe just maybe Moon will see that something isn't okay..

You can say that I'm saying nonsense and trying to see cracks that aren't there..

But the truth is that you should feel guilty only for things that you did and realize how much they affected others.. because Sun wasn't sole reason for how Nexus turned out to be.. because when Nexus told him that one time that Sun refuses to see him as a different person Sun stopped speaking about Moon and the past..

Even if Sun was the reason to why Nexus lost it.. it wasn't because of something that Sun did actually.. it wasn't actually Sun's fault..

I think that Sun will start to feel and think that maybe he should admit that all the other things were his fault and that he should apologize for everything..

I don't see what Sun did as something 100% positive.. because he admits that everything that Nexus accused him of is true when it's not..

Sun shouldn't accept that his guilt is true because apologizing for something that isn't true won't do any good.. like Sun should say that he's sorry for not realizing how some of his words and actions affected Nexus.. but he should also say that he tried his best.. that Nexus never gave him opportunity to normally talk things out..

But he didn't do that.. Sun says that he's doing this for himself.. but he doesn't even realize anymore what is and isn't his fault actually..

Sun wasn't constantly comparing Nexus to Moon.. others were.. but not Sun..

And I think that what would help Sun more would be just getting out all of his feelings to Nexus about everything..

Maybe I misunderstood something from the episode so please correct me if I'm wrong..

I just don't think it's right that Sun just accepted all of Nexus' accusations as something true and apologized for that without saying that "hey I tried my best and I didn't make you a villain.. yes I didn't realize how my words and actions affected you for which I'm truly sorry.. but I never intended to hurt you.. and you never allowed me to explain myself.. I never felt like I could normally talk to you about all of this.."

Maybe it's just me.. but I think that how Sun went about it won't help him in the long run and sooner or later he'll have a mental breakdown because his immense guilt will crush him..

[httpsdana]

Angst 16 and 3 for rasmus pleaseeee ! Love all ur stuff

Right Where You Left Me~Rasmus Højlund

・❥・prompt list

・❥・masterlist -> part 2

・❥・who I write for

3-“You don't get to decide when you come in and out of my life”

16-“We're stuck in this endless cycle and I'm so tired”

The rain was loud, almost too loud, but it fit the atmosphere perfectly. The tension, the silence, all of it was suffocating to the point where the sound of the thunder and rain was the only comforting thing.

He stood there in silence, as if waiting for her to explain what's wrong, acting as if not everything was wrong.

"you're gonna wait for me to speak first?" she finally said, making his blue eyes snap to hers. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

"I'm not the one making a problem out of everything" he shrugged, making her anger increase at his carelessness.

"Do you hear yourself? you're acting as if you haven't been the one constantly leaving like it's normal for you to ghost your girlfriend for two whole fucking months Rasmus" she snapped, her voice showing the anger and disappointment she has held in for too long.

"I told you I was busy! I had to go back to Denmark for my recovery before travelling with the team for our match. Why are you making this about you?" he raised his voice, his frustration showing too

"You could've told me at least!" she said, letting out a sigh. "Not just go away and not answer my texts after you promised you wouldn't do that again. you promised me Rasmus"

Flashback

The blanket was spread out on the floor of the rooftop, the two of them gazing up at the stars in silence, before he spoke up.

"I'm sorry for leaving earlier, I wasn't supposed to do that without telling you. It won't happen again" he said, his voice soft, almost too soft.

"it's okay Ras. just promise me you won't do it again" she said, her voice vulnerable, tugging at the strings of his heart as she pressed a kiss on his jaw.

"I promise darling"

She shook her head at the recent memory, as if he hadn't said that he'd never do that again. how stupid was she to believe him

"you're making a big deal out of this. I told you I'm sorry, is that not enough for you?" he said

She looked at him with wide eyes, like she's not believing what he's saying.

Was that really the Rasmus who had promised her the best life she could ask for?

"no it's not enough Rasmus" she whispered, her voice too weak to be heard. "We're stuck in this endless cycle and I'm so tired"

He stepped closer, his hands reaching to hold hers but she immediately pulled away, hurt flashing through his eyes, but he was quick to mask it away.

"and I'm tired too. i just want you to understand me. Understand that what I'm doing this for us" he tried reasoning with her, but his words seemed hollow, empty.

"for us? how is leaving me and acting like I don't exist for us? this is just for you because you realized you're unable to handle a relationship, even after giving me all these empty fucking promises that you could never keep!" she yelled, breathing out as she let out all her anger.

Rasmus shook his head, threading his fingers through his blond strands of hair.

"But I came back didn't i? i came back because I don't want to end this. I want you. i love you" he said, stepping closer to her, trapping her body with his and the counter behind her.

"no Rasmus. You don't get to decide when you come in and out of my life. I'm done" she shook her head, pushing him away and leaving, or trying to leave the kitchen.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into him, his chest hard beneath her back.

"so you're just gonna give up on us? Is it that easy for you?" he said, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"oh don't you turn this around. You gave up on us ages ago when you decided to leave with no explanation and come back with meaningless promises. Goodbye Rasmus" she pulled her wrist away, and stormed out of the kitchen.

Rasmus stood there, shocked, confused. He knew what he did was wrong, but he hadn't expected it to end this way.

And as for her, she knew this was for the best, but this was gonna hurt more than the countless times he left her with nothing but her heavy heart.

my taglist: @barcapix @paucubarsisimp @spidybaby @mxryxmfooty @n0vazsq @joaosnovia (lmk if you want to be added!!)

[crushedcookiebutter]

going into the Made in Abyss movie. Finally a wholesome interaction

halfway through. Weird way to discover he's a furry but ok I guess (also iconic rage scene, making a pfp out of it one day)

after the credits.

[randomnameless]

Why do we still have in 2024 stupid takes like Rhea created and enforces the crest system?

Bcs Rhea BaD anon.

More seriously,

FE Fodlan is one of one of the most divorced FE verses from its fantasy elements (see : Nabateans being as important as Ignatz's leather shoes) : Tellius has the Laguz existing, Archanea/Ylisse has manaketes hanging around and being a core point in FE Archanea, Elibe has its entire history involving dragons and the best ending finally be about acceptance between the two races, Magvel has zombies, Valentia has terrors and in SoV we have dragons and magic dragon blood, Fates has dragons (and laguz-like!) and even Jugdral have people with magic dragon blood.

(i ranted and ranted and ranted under the cut, so it's a bit long)

Unlike Fodlan, Jugdral's "people with magic dragon blood" are a key element to the story told at large, and it bleeds through the mechanics used to tell that story. FE4 wise, toddler!Seliph has a S rank in swords when Beowulf, even if he trains his entire life, will never achieve A rank in swords. Base!Julia with her holy weapon can smack Loptyr, when max!invested (at least lore wise) Forseti!Ced will never be able to kill him.

It's unfair for Beo and Ced, but that is how the verse works because, in that verse, some people are mc guffins or "the only ones" who are able to do something, or even, straight out, stronger/have more talent than others.

In traditional fantasy settings we have the "same" sort of rules, you have elves who do X and Y, humans won't can't, dwarves who can't either but they can do W, orc who can do J, etc etc.

Even for all of the "deconstruction of the genre!" gimmick ASOIAF has, according to some people, Dany is fire-proof and Jon most likely survives after being assassinated because he is a Stark and can use his doggo as a back up save, both things Edmure Tully will never be able to achieve.

Tolkien has Numenoreans being straight up blessed by the Valar/stronger/longer lived/etc etc than middle-earth humans, on top of also having elves, dwarves and ents.

Ergo : power inbalance is baked in the fantasy genre.

And yet, the writers often manage to tell some version of "the ones who have less power are no less important", like with Tolkien, it's a bunch of hobbits who manage to take down the greatest "evil" of their era, or some message like "having more power/being more important means you are bound to help the ones who have none" thingie.

In Fodlan, the "beings who have more power" than humans are the Nabateans (+ Sothis herself!). Sothis can create life, her daughter - through unknown means - can create artifical beings, one her children can control weather (the one who was turned in a milkshake for Charon!), one of them has monstruous strength (the one turned in a milkshake for Blaiddyd), one of them could communicate with animals (Timotheos iirc - if we assume he was a Nabatean or got his powers from his crest), her granddaughter can set up an AOE to heal what would otherwise be fatal wounds (it's heavily implied this is what Flayn did when she overused her power and went comatose) etc etc.

This is the original power inbalance in Fodlan.

Then some humans "stole" this power from Nabateans, and got a share of it themselves, which is what is later called "crest" : aka, some humans got a part of the super/magic powers that Nabateans originally had and thus, because, for all intents and purposes, "super-humans".

Now, Fodlan discourse started with FE16 being released in 2019, not that long after GoT's ending - which was trash - and in an era where fandom turned from "harmless fun" to "something that looks like activism and earns you point if you manage to use it to express your real life opinions".

In 2019, after Dumb and Dumber tanked GoT and removed most of ASOIAF fantasy parts to deliver "sex that sells" with a moldy plot, some part of the fandom started to conflate and harass people over what they like, and how it, apparently, reflected on their real life opinions ("if you hate this female character it means you hate women!"/"if you think X becoming king is a good ending, you don't value democracy!").

So, we have this fantasy setting with its inherent power inbalance... that quickly became something that is/was unacceptable, because IRL, power inbalance is based on bullshit and something everyone decries - so if your beloved media reflects on what you like IRL, you can't like a setting with an objective power inbalance, even if is justified by magic which doesn't exist irl like shooting eyebeams or some people being more "special than others" who can live up to 1500 years old.

Fodlan's power inbalance, for some parts of the fandom 2019, cannot be justified by traditional fantasy settings so, those settings/fantasy elements are straight out ignored.

Thus the "crests"' magic effects/powers are ignored, and dumbed down to, roughly, what a middle school student would think "nobility" is/was in the Middle Ages/Renaissance.

Jean-François Marie Pierre de Bourbon isn't inherently better at smashing things with a sword than Bob, or at healing than Roger, any "advantage" Jean-François Marie Pierre de Bourbon has over them is, maybe, that he started training earlier.

In Fodlan?

If Jean-François Marie Pierre de Charon has a major Charon crest, he can dance and clap in his hands to summon rain. Bob and Roger, no matter how hard they train, will never be able to do that. Jean-François Marie Pierre de Charon will thus be seen as having higher "value" or being straight up "better" than Bob or Roger, because as long as he is here, your crops will never suffer from drought.

But... we can't have that, because if you confuse fandom and real life opinions and aspirations, you cannot admit that some people in Fodlan are inherently "better" at something, only because of their blood, otherwise, what would it translate to IRL?

This is why, imo, part of the fandom (and the game sure doesn't help! Fodlan is no Jugdral and its gameplay lacks coherence regarding the in-game lore! Remember how Raphael can use a relic and only loses 10HP, when Miklan, plot wise, was turned in a demonic beast?) that loves this take, arguably, reduces crests to a title and family name.

Why should the Bourbon family rule over us, when they're no better than Roger or Bob? Isn't it unfair the Bourbons are still valued nowadays when the only thing to their fame is their name, and not what they are actually doing?

The game plays coy about crests - we know each of them has a specific power - but it never reveals what are those powers (lore wise!) save for 2 of them. So are crests superpowers, or just a family name with a particle, or both? Is the "system" (a friend made a post debunking any idea of "systemic" application of this notion in the three countries) based on bullshit, or on, objective superpowers?

Dimitri tries to tackle the issue, but only around relic usage : the Gautiers are valued if they have a crest because they can use their superweapon to protect the border. But what about valuing House Charon's ability to bring rain and guarantee good harvests? What is the other superpower tied to the crest of Gautier that isn't "use a femur and wreck havoc with it"?

If Marianne's ability to talk to animals is tied to her crest, why isn't it more developed? Instead of having useless shit like talking and befriending horses like a Disney princess, we could have Maurice-blooded people be masters of counter-intelligence, imagine if they can talk to birds/rodents and ask them to scout various areas or spy/ask them what they saw ! Hell, we could have had a situation where in a fog of war map, where Marianne, if, idk, through Billy fed enough animals in the monastery, would have a better field of vision than anyone else, with some blurb/one-line about her relying on the animals around to know and see what is going on! Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

FE16 eludes the question, because the character who "questions" a world centered around "crests" is the marketable asset of the game, and cannot be challenged in any meaningful capacity v- she feels it's unfair that her crest seemingly dictate her life, and only in the gacha game with ery serious writing like the Heavy Plate Corps or Sniddies, does she get a modicum of self-reflection - or at least someone challenging her - where she is told that she could use the superpowers she has to help people instead of blaming the world for getting one.

In a traditional FE setting, where some Lords question why they were born with power/or are in powerful positions, the answer is always that no matter what they were born with (or without in Leif's case!) what is more important is what they decide to do with that power. Elincia never wanted to become Queen? She will still fight and protect Crimea and its people. Marth is the last hope of Altea, even if it means leaving Elice behind. Seliph doesn't want to fight in Thracia anymore or feels like he's a fraud? He can turn tail and return home, while the world around him falls apart. Leif also feels like a fraud because he doesn't have superpowers like his cousin? Does that mean he should turn his thumbs and watch as his people are being caught/enslaved/sacrificed?

In Fodlan you have no reflection like this : Linhardt is, imo, the best example.

Dude hates blood and has a crest (aka magic powers) geared towards healing, you could make a case that for someone who has hematophobia, being a healer is difficult and this would be the reason why he refuses to heal/use his powers to help people around him... but no. Lin's laziness is played for laughs, and his refusal to do anything not related to his topic of interest is never questioned/analysed under the angle of, say, a head nurse who has no crest and laments that she couldn't save everyone who was hurt during an assault, who snaps at him for having the "gift" he has and not using it for the sake of people around him.

"What Lin decides to do with his power?" : Well, nothing.

Instead we have a reflection on his bright mind going to waste if he lazes all day long, culminating in his Supreme support where an Imperial facility is created specifically to cater to his tastes, that will enable him to research crests as much as he wants...

But still, nothing about his innate "healing" power!

In the end, it's no surprise that part of the fandom latched on that "crest = nobility title" because the Fodlan verse refuses to develop anything about its fantasy elements (hell, iirc Nopes swaps "crests" for "blood" and "titles" in its Supreme route ?).

"Sure, but where does Rhea fit in this nonsense?"

Rhea is, in this vision, the ultimate target !

For all of the "I ignore fantasy elements", Rhea is always (in FE16 at least!) turning into a dragon : no matter how hard you want to ignore fantasy, she's here to remind you tht, in this verse, dragons exist.

But most importantly, as Fodlan must be analysed through an IRL lens otherwise modern fandom cannot engage with it, Rhea, by virtue of being the lady in charge of a religious organisation called "Church", is also seen through a lens : Rhea BaD bcs Religion BaD and Catholic Church BaD.

FWIW, thanks to the five years of discourse we had, I learnt more about cultural values and differences existings between, here and the rest of the world - especially a place that is overepresented on fandom spaces - on organised religions especially the catholic church. Of course this bled on fandom takes and analysis, which projected some users' irl bias against the Catholic Church on the fandom organisation and entity that is the Church of Seiros. Combine this with secularism being now weaponised and used to ridicule people in spaces like r/atheism and you have a perfect recipe for "Religion BaD = Catholic Church BaD = fictional organised religion with a catholic flair BaD".

Granted, given how a certain loLcalisation team also originates from this place, it's no surprise that some "creative liberties" they took tried to hammer even more, let it be in the script or the fucking "what is this game about?" page on their website, how this fictional organisation is basically a squenix trope of "evil cult manipulating everything in the shadows and sekritly controlling the world".

Besides, the main heroine of the game (even if that comes with a twist!) opposes this faction (CoS and especially its leader!) and, by the way those games are built, as seen earlier, they cannot disavow her too much, else the entire gut-punch the devs were gunning for (you are betrayed by your beloved character! But unlike what happens in Baten Kaitos, you only are attached to her because she is your avatar's simp) will fall apart. So she must be, somehow, right and not motivated by more personal and heinous reasons, like not accepting "non-humans" to have powers over humans, or thinking the world is not a place for them (this was carefully scrubbed out in Nopes, btw!).

If Supreme Leader, who we are supposed to root for and whom the game ultimately rewards because "reforms" happen in the endings, says that the CoS is the reason why humans value superpowers, she must be right, or at least, not completely wrong???

Which raises the final point on this topic : FE16 came in 2019, which was election year in the US, and we all know that election time in the US means the rest of the world is also affected, even if the rest of the world, well, isn't the US. As I mentionned, the US is over-represented in fandom spaces, and fandom is far from being a safehaven from all the mayhem and passion that always boil during election time and its immediate following.

Coupled with the "my fandom faves define my real life opinions" thingie I already wrote about, and we had an explosive cocktail for bad takes, needless aggressivity, ridiculing people with dissident opinions because they are seen as "wrong", etc etc. And let it be something trendy or not, especially when (young?) people are arguing about "politics" in online spaces, but it always boils down to gross simplification of various complex issues and/or using catchphrases or "shock-value" words to win over whoever is reading/listening.

(et je ne dis pas ça parce que certains de nos politiques font des "immigrés clandestins ou pas" la source de tous les maux, ou le fait que nos députés font la même chose en ce moment, Jonluk et Marine main dans la main, pour paralyser l'Etat afin de pousser Manu à la démission et éviter la case prison pour Marine)

I always thought the "CEO of racism" was a meme, but through Fodlan discourse, I started to wonder if it was something started seriously by someone who really thought that "racism" is caused by one person.

And we finally get to the point : somehow, somewhat, Rhea is supposed to be responsible for people/humans valuing superpowers.

Forget that the same "quest to obtain those superpowers" led to the extermination of her kin, or how the devs themselves explained that people - at least in their setting - always want more power :

As a result, what would happen to humans who gained power... they would want even more power, and find a dragon much stronger to beat in order to collect materials forcefully, in order to make even more powerful weapons... and so that was the cycle that was born. And that was the birth of Fodlan's Ten Elites

Wait, kill that, those superpowers don't exist since the game and the characters (bar Catherine, but I agree with @9thwither here, Cat is one of the most overlooked characters in this fandom!) never talk about them, so they don't exist...

Rhea is thus the reason why people value bloodlines - especially since those bloodlines don't come out with superpowers.

It sounds better and closer to what you could "hear" irl, from someone who's discoursing on the internet to explain "why" some people are more valued than other, it's because of religion and the Pope! It cannot be because of, well, human greed or just the need to have more power (for good or wrong reasons), no.

"But random, the Church most likely promotes a "divine right to rule" doctrine and let the 10 Elites' families rule over their clans in Faerghus thus gain nobility!"

Sure, but everything is moot if you consider this : to make this take viable, we ignore the game and consider that crests are just bloodlines, and not, objective sources of superpowers.

So why are we, discussing about this hypothesis/theory, even arguing about what the game says and/or does?

Bob Blaiddyd can kill a giant lion/wolf with his fists at base level, is it because of a supposed doctrine that people rally and want to be in Bob's graces, or because Bob has the power to protect them all? Karen Charon can summon rain, are people siding with her because Rhea told them to, or because Karen can make crops grow?

In conclusion : why people are still, in 2024, sprouting those takes?

1- Because they refuse to engage with the game and realise that it is a fantasy game belonging to a very specific genre

2- Because fandom opinions reflect on your real life opinions and likes : so they must find a reason to oppose what their perceive as an unacceptable power inbalance otherwise it means that they support the various inequalities that exist IRL

3- Because Religion BaD and bar the "projected takes from transposing feelings about an IRL church on a fantasy one" more and more people tend to prefer an "easy to proceed" solution than think about multi-causal issues and find solutions that might not.

Of course, I can already guess that some people might argue that they don't "refuse to engage with the game" since this take is more a less a condensed version of the Supreme spiel, and as developed above, the game does - willingly - a shit job at demonstrating that her spiel is nonsense (they had to add the "greed" part in an interview released after the game and its only and final DLC!), just like her sockpuppet who supposedly learns how misguided he was in certain routes... only to end with the same ice cream, albeit with a different topping.

However, Dimitri and Sylvain mention how crestless children are disowned in Faerghus... when Dimitri's own uncle is ruling over a domain himself, Ingrid's brothers exist in the background and Gustave is still Baron Dominic's brother, on top of having been the royal master at arms for at least, depending on the route, 3 generations of Faerghan kings.

In a game where Dorothea can blame the Goddess for fighting in a war her bestie started - without anyone pointing this out - it's obvious this verse has unreliable narrators, but after 5 years and having played all routes in both games + a DLC + a dev interview explaining how and why some humans acquired crests...

Tl;Dr :

Reason 1- is most likely the most prevalent why this take exists anon, "because some people refuse to engage with the game" with the added topping of "save for what Supreme Leader and her sockpuppet say that I can use to demonise the characters I don't like".

[skrunksthatwunk]

household enemy to the yyh watchthrough number one is the olympics. it's taken us a week to get two episodes into the gamemaster fight

[blujayonthewing]

well I just spent an hour digging through my own dnd notes and social media and also almost cried because I mentioned, in passing, something justin had said about one of his NPCs and he, completely lightheartedly, was like '?? I don't remember that at all. [I mean I'm not making it up?] I think you might be making it up 😏'

[bewby]

when you get blocked by him even tgough you guys barely even talk anymore but the last time you talked which was about a week ago you actually had a nice and healthy conversation and you had alot of love for eachother and it seemed amazing 😂😂😍😍😍😍 no i'm definitely not fucking crying Lol

[philsmeatylegss]

I know one of these days Turkey Tom is going to drop a slur and then follow it up with a disturbing confession. The way he talks just sounds like being one sentence away from doing so. I like his main channel vids because they’re well put together but when he’s off script, it’s just something about it. This is my prediction post incase anything comes out about him