#this is an example to never trust idols

[fleurenjun]

I'm actually so shocked. His victim was 11-12 at the time she was sa'd. This continued for a whopping SIX YEARS. He was also part of the nth room? He is such a disgusting pedophile. Justice to the poor victim, bless her.

dear god.

[yuvany]

PERFECT PAIR

ENHYPEN and their ideal partner

OT7 ENHYPEN x fem!reader CONTENT/WARNING(S) fluff + comfort + not proofread + rushed WORD COUNT ~ 500 CHECK MARK

consider reblogging if you liked this !!

𝗟𝗘𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗚

Someone who values him for his flaws. Want someone to acknowledge the things about him that aren't perfect, the part and sides of him that he does not dare show anyone. He fears that once he does, they'll think of him under a dark light, as if he was a neon light shining in their eyes. So, comfort him, and tell him that he is perfect like he is and that you'll love him no matter what.

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗚

The maturity that he has is often the only thing that people take him for. Jay is a lot more than a 'parent', he is a caring, funny and adorable person. He also wants someone who is honest, he wants to be able to trust one person for the rest of his life. So love him, tell him your thoughts and never forget the bottomless love he has to offer.

𝗦𝗜𝗠 𝗝𝗔𝗘𝗬𝗨𝗡

Jake loves like a starving dog, and he wishes it to be reciprocated. Like a dog, he is loyal and it is something he values a lot, a key point that he wants everyone to follow. He is drawn to someone who is both emotionally and intelectually intelligent. Someone he can talk to and be understood, and he'll return that act.

𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙆 𝙎𝙐𝙉𝙂𝙃𝙊𝙊𝙉

The classical romance. Sunghoon wants to appreciate someone's outer and inner beauty. For him, it doesn't matter if the two of you share interests or not. If you do, it is fun for him to be able to discuss it with someone, like music for example. If they differ though, he'll be more than happy to listen to you talk and vice versa while he takes you to a cute cafe in the city.

𝗞𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗢𝗢

Sunoo wants someone who can match his energy, be their most energetic self around him. He does not want to be the only one who is cheery, that makes me feel like a sore thumb. Of course, there are times when the both of you are not up to feeling happy, and thats okay, because he is happy to talk with you about your feelings. Just don't be quiet.

𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗪𝗢𝗡

A partner also means a friend. Jungwon pairs well with someone carefree and laid back, a someone who can match his style and energy. He wants someone to take care of, but also be taken care by. Anyway, he'll support you as much as he can, to the point you'll wonder if your output evens out with his because Jungwon will always be there for your events and celebrate with you.

𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗜

His character is very adventurous, he wants someone who can experience the things with him at the same time, someone who is able to take risks and be passionate and ambitious to their work. Since he became an idol trainee at such a young age, he understands the struggles, so he would like someone who also understands him.

[astrologydayz]

ASTROLOGY FUCKING NOTES2🖤💀

Nobody really knows a person with a 12th House Sun🤔🤔. They hide themselves really well, & project themselves as someone they're truly not. They don't do it on purpose, they're just so fucking private. My brother actually has this placement, and we're practically twins, but I still feel like I don't know him, AT ALL. They hide themselves, because they're afraid that their true selves won't be "enough"/won't be "liked". BUT OFC IT WILL, & IF NOT, THEN FUCK THEM, BABE.

MOON CONJUNCT/SQUARE SATURN people can hate being alone 4 the first two decades of their lives, but later learn 2 be their own best friend, & love it. They "mother themselves 2 life/back2life". They learned the hard way, that everything is better when u don't put your faith in just anybody. They also learned not 2 trust from a young age, because of their mother/father or both parents💀💔.

I've seen people say "that u can choose not to access that specific energy in your chart, if you don't want 2"🤣. Like u can choose 2 get a million dollars tmrw?, IF YOU WANT 2?🤣 come on. Natal charts are a tool 2 c who u are, why you developed that way/what “happens in your life”, and why you're here with the help of astrology. No matter the aspect, it will be present at some point. A chart never lies🔮🤷‍♀️.

MOON SQUARE/QUINCUNX VENUS IN A MAN'S NATAL CHART tells us that he finds it hard 2 understand women. He has "problems" when it comes 2 feminine energies, &with the women he's surrounding himself with🤔. He can have a hate/love relationship 2/with women💋.

VENUS CONJUNCT/TRINE/QUINTILE MONY ASTEROID - 7782) IN SYNASTRY, will cause the asteroid person 2 provide the Venus person with a lot of material gifts👠🛍💄.

IDK why anybody would say that your MC has NOTHING to do with how u look/how people see u! Lol okay. My mentor must have been on drugs when she was taught everything + in all those 43 years she's been in practice then. gtfo. Let me give u an example. 👇🏼

I’ll just tell you everything I see with this aspect.

Kim K = Venus in Virgo in 9th house at 19 degrees - Libra degree) conjunct her MC in Virgo at 28 degrees - cancer degree). She's famous 4 her beautiful looks/people finding her beautiful. she always does things to look "YOUNGER, cosmetic procedures etc. 2 take years off! Growing a big following worldwide of young people looking up 2 her/her being idolized by them. Famous 4 being beautiful/4modelling/fashion/cosmetics - being in Venusian businesses/4 who she dates. she also takes after her MOM, with her looks!!! I know her mom was/is also her manager, & I would include this here, cuz u can actually see that, but I would have to go into details again. Idk if u would find that boring?? as I already wrote a lot. Thanks for making it this far😂.

ASTEROID MEMORIA (1247) IN SYNASTRY can tell u why u feel like you’ve met the other person before, or what memories that r the most "memorable" with the other person🧡🪐🔮.

ASTEROID FANATICA - 1589) IN SYNASTRY tells u what really fascinates u about the other person/what u can become obsessed with, when it comes 2 the other person❕

IF U HAVE A SYNASTRY ASPECT/OR ASPECTS with someone, and u also have it in your natal chart = a very important person you're dealing with! They'll teach u whatever the aspect is/aspects are! And they're meant 2 be the one who teaches it 2u/ or meant 2 be the one who makes that aspect exist in your life. (good or bad).

VENUS OPPOSITE VERTEX/CONJUNCT ANTI-VERTEX IN SYNASTRY is co cute🥹, Vertex let Venus in2 their "private world". Venus is usually not the type Vertex person goes 4, but they’re mesmerised anyway!! “There’s just something unreal about Venus”.

KARMA ASTEROID - 3811) can tell you about your karma! Old karma/Karma you're creating etc. U can use it in in any chart u want2, natal charts, synastry charts, composite charts, Davidson Charts, solar return charts, lunar return charts, progressed charts, ANY CHART U WANT2 BABE!!🪐🤛💥🪐⛅☀🌊.

BLACK MOON LILITH SQUARE/QUINCUNX ASC in a WOMAN'S CHART can show problems with both genders. She can feel left out, not apart of "the group", when it comes to women. And with men = men always trying to run up on her/trying her boundaries, &they're provocative af. People can't handle her here. She will not conform to anyone. She can feel pretty fucking alone in the way she goes about her day to day life. feeling like nobody will ever understand the struggles she has/the pain she's going around with. The key here is acceptance of ones self. She cannot change herself for others sake, she will never be happy. She'll be happy when she chooses herself, & the right people will flock 2 her, right after. They'll See her light, &will not put who she is down, but CELEBRATE. It can also be the complete opposite. She can be a people pleaser, & has internal fights with herself, every day about this. Trying 2 fit in with groups, dating men who's crossing her boundaries, all the time. She either fights people, or she fights herself. SHE HAS 2 STAY TRUE2HERSELF! There will always be people hating on her, no matter how she moves. FUCK THEM. People who are meant 2 be in her life will CELEBRATE HER!! Not put who she is down/make her change. People who can't understand her = she needs2 get them the fuck out.

NEPTUNE CONJUNCT ASC can show a person living in their own "delulu world". They're not really "there" - can be seen as the "dumb blonde". Neptune can cloud their mind, every single day. They're "different"/they change all the time. They can't really be "real" with people. Trying 2 always be friends with everyone, not really having their own opinions, following the pack etc. They can 100% people please.

VALENTINE/AMOR/ 447) - 1221) CONJUNCT MC - They "look like love", &they also project it out. People think they're beautiful. But remember, even tho people know/c them like that = doesn't mean that they're really like that. That's just what they show off/how they're "known" in the eyes of the public/in their career/their surroundings💜.

SUN MAKING AN "EASY" ASPECT2 MOON does not mean that your parents like each other. I have this, and my parents literally can't stand each other. I've seen this more times than I can count. It's about your conscious ego&how you emotionally feel about the way u express yourself/with the way u "show your ego off" - "yin&Yang duality".

I HATE MOON SQUARE URANUS IN SYNASTRYYYYY. Uranus will pop in&out of the other person's life, as they desire2. The Moon person needs support&a feeling of being safe, &Uranus wants other things/aka not worried about the Moon person - Uranus is erratic. WHO GOT TIME4THAT?

MERCURY OPPOSITE NEPTUNE can show us a person being pretty good at lying/coming up with lies easily/Quickly. Having no problems with finding "excuses" 4 what they say/do, &can get other people in on it, 2 lie for them as well. It happens in periods tho, like on & off periods.

Asteroids I always look at first: Nemesis - 128) Amor - 1221), Valentine - 447), Alma - 390), Destiny - 6583), Moira - 638), Eros - 433), Karma - 3811), Kama - 1387), Close - 54902), Apollo - 1862), Child - 4580), Compassion - 8990), Angel - 11911), Yes - 7707), Boda - 1487), DNA - 55555), Fast - 27719), Prey - 6157), Not - 2857), Casanova - 7328), Fox - 16248), Savage - 29837), Pholus - 5145), Fanatica - 1589), Priapus - h22), Sado - 118230), Medea - 212), Nessus - 7066), Dejanira - 157), Hazard - 9305), Mentor - 3451), Lysistrata - 897), Bilk - 4425 - using the other person 4 own material gain).

THANKS4READING BEAUTIFUL❤️🍒 Appreciate u, always.

[siringadev]

I was thinking about why I love Nero so much, and I realized that there is not only something so magnetic and unique about him and his design, but how the core of his whole personality is built on a deep love for Weiss, despite the fact that he is an antihero and does not very good things (first under orders from Shinra, since he is a Deepground soldier, and then out of duress, to summon Omega = to revive Weiss), but all this is out of desperation and love. I do not know any other character inside the FF7 world and beyond, who is so motivated to act out of love as Nero. Even take other iconic pairs of loving brothers (because it is brother's love that is depicted as the strongest in JP games and anime), their motivations were different, and love was secondary.

Take Itachi and Sasuke, for example.

Itachi is stated to have a very strong love for Sasuke, but what he does ultimately causes Sasuke great pain. Yes, Itachi wanted to save him, but at what cost? And his main motive was: to prevent a world war. So, at the cost of his clan's life and Sasuke's mental health, he does something terrible, and I still can't accept it as an act of love. It seems such an unhealthy, twisted form of love, illogical and scary.

And yet, I cried watching those scenes where Itachi reveals the truth, where Sasuke cries, everything is built to squeeze out tears.

Next, Madara and Izuna.

It is stated that he loved Izuna, and loved him even more than Itachi loves Sasuke. And how is this shown and proven? Well, it seems like almost nothing. Madara's main motivation is to become the strongest shinobi, to take control of the world and establish his own order, and thereby establish peace through strict control and then through magical illusions when he became disillusioned with contradictory and rebellious human nature. I understand his motivations, and he is one of the most admired character in Naruto. But what does love have to do with it? Izuna is not even present in his motivation. He simply died and caused Madara's grief, making him cruel and aggressive. And also gave him his eyes. But what besides this?

As for the others, like Lothric-Lorian from Dark souls, their connection was forced by the curse, and their motivation is simply to disobey their superiors. Their essence is nihilism and fatalism. Love is just an accompanying quality.

Not to mention Miquella, who did not show love as a personal emotion, although it seems he should embody universal love. We just can't see his love for Radahn or Godwyn or anyone to the point that we start to wonder if there was love at all? Or if there was love but it wasn't shown? So he is out of the love list.

If we talk about the love of Sephiroth, Cloud and other characters of FF7, they are so far from ultimate love that it does not even occur to me what can be said. Probably, Sephiroth wanted to love, but could not find anyone, suffering from loneliness and his own inability to build healthy relationships, and Cloud had many friends whom he valued, but never found "the one and only", whom he would love completely and unconditionally (which is why ship-wars still rage). It seems that Sephiroth could have become that one and only, considering how much Cloud idolized him, but Sephiroth ruined everything. Yes, Shinra is to blame for this, but partly it is Sephiroth's character, his selfishness and inability to put someone else's feelings above his own. Considering that Nero and Weiss grew up in much worse conditions than Sephiroth, and suffered abuse and pain from Shinra that Sephiroth did not experienced, yet somehow they were able to form the strongest bonds of love with each other and the healthiest relationships with each other (not toxic, not abusive, but built on loyalty, devotion, trust, unity and intimacy).

Sephiroth was so unlucky in love that even his own clones wanted to leave him in the DFFOO, and Weiss even laughed at this, telling Sephiroth that his puppet (Kadaj) cut his strings. And Kadaj, embodying young Sephiroth personality, longed for a family and to find someone who understood and cared for him, and he saw this in the illusionary form of Jenova. Sephiroth could have given him this care and love, but he simply used him as a tool, which hurt Kadaj. As for Weiss, he remembers Nero as the only one who understands him and cares for him, someone without whom he feels incomplete.

"Without Nero, there is no me" - this shows Weiss and Nero's relationship from Weiss' perspective. In DoC, we see their love from Nero's perspective and might have doubted about the reciprocity, but DFFOO shows that Weiss loves Nero as much as Nero loves Weiss.

Each case is unique, and each deserves its own respect and admiration. I simply analyzed one aspect, like love in a character, and came to the conclusion that Nero may be the strongest embodiment of this love at the moment.

[warmhappycat]

I will say that I have seen this once before, in the Snape tag, and it gave me the exact same impression of the morality of the person I was talking to as this does.

Which characters you find interesting does not say anything about your morality. What kind of Situations™️ you want to put them in does not say anything about your morality (yes, even Those Ones, shut up fancops). But which characters you think were good people, which ones’ behavior you will defend as reasonable or justified, which one you think was (more) in the wrong in an unhealthy relationship dynamic - that tells me a lot.

“Ooh but look at it from Snape’s point of view! He was buwwied!! He was in love with Lily and she chose his bully over him!” Ok so you don’t respect women’s agency and think becoming a fascist terrorist of your own free will is ok sometimes. Got it.

“I would have yelled at Ed in s1e4 too! He wasn’t paying attention to what was important and he should have tried harder to explain his plan because instead he just left his pwoor, pwoor (grown ass experienced pirate) afwaid!!” Ok so you’re ableist. You think that neurodivergent people should have to crawl over broken glass to communicate in the ways neurotypical people prefer, and if they don’t or can’t, it’s ok for the neurotypical person to gaslight and abuse them about it. Probably a little racist too. Neat.

I want to just say that the hijacking of the Izzy hands tag by the canyon is one of the most ridiculous fucking things I’ve ever heard. I’ve never, in my about 20 years of being involved in fandoms, seen anyone declare that a character tag is only for positive posts about that character until ofmd.

I’m going to be very clear: a character tag is for posts about that character. Positive, negative, general shouts into the void about them, smutty thoughts, fluffy thoughts, criticisms, etc. It doesn’t matter. You can get more specific about the particular tone of your post with other tags, but the general character tag. Is for. Any post. About that character. And it is the individual’s responsibility to know what they can handle reading and skip things they might find triggering.

Which moves on to my next point, which is that tagging whether a post is positive or critical content is not a requirement. It’s extremely fucking helpful, yes. It’s kind to do it to give people who might come into contact with your post the ability to block that tag and never have to see it if they don’t want to. But it’s not a requirement. People can post what they want. People can view what they want. It is always the responsibility of the reader to judge whether something they come across is harmful to them. You are responsible for your online experience.

That being said, if people do choose not to use more specific tags about the tone of a post, they need to be prepared to have people reacting in all manners of ways about it. Because again. They’re responsible for their online experience. That responsibility does go both ways.

But all of this “can you not tag your critical posts with the character because it sucks to see your fave being talked about negatively” is bullshit. You don’t own that character, you don’t own that tag, tags exist so that people can find posts about that thing, people are allowed to have and discuss different opinions and have them tagged appropriately.

So yeah anyway I’m gonna keep using the Izzy hands tag on my critical stuff, and I’m also going to use the critical tag because I personally think it’s good to give the opportunity for people who don’t want to see negative posts about their faves, but I don’t think it’s a requirement, or that people who don’t are assholes.

And also when you keep changing what the appropriate tag for critical posts is, it’s not the posters fault for you seeing something you don’t want to. It’s a courtesy that posters are using ones that you specifically have asked them to use, so make it more functional for everyone and just pick one.

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine Joshua overhearing you like him and deciding to mess with you

You were born in China but moved to America when you were 6. You auditioned to become an idol and made it. You struggled adjusting at first but soon made friends who were in similar positions as you. You became good friends with Vernon and bonded over your similar experiences. You were very close and so when you’d had a particularly tough few months and needed a holiday, he invited you to come with him on Seventeen’s villa break. All the members were going to a nice house with a pool and a lake right next to it. Vernon assured you, you could be as social or as quiet as you wanted and so you went along, very excited for a stress-free weekend...that is not what you got.  

You all went up on the Friday evening and had a pretty easy first night by Seventeen standards, which meant everyone drank but nobody got drunk. You and Vernon retired early a bit socially exhausted and retreated to his room. Vernon was a little tipsy and so he began asking you some very odd questions. “Y/n if you had to pick one of my members to date who would it be?”. You immediately went bright red “what? Why?”. Vernon laughed “just for fun! Like for example, I’d pick Wonwoo but i’m curious who you’d pick. I mean there are 12 guys here, one of them must appeal to you". You hesitated and Vernon grinned "There is! Who is it?". You blushed "I...you won't tell him right?". Vernon nodded "promise" and you frowned "I don't know if I can trust you". Vernon sighed "aww come on! Fine I'll list them and you stop me if it's him. Let's start with the obvious ones. "Mingyu?". Silence. "Okay Wonwoo?". You didn't react. "Maybe Jun? Or Scoups?". You shook your head and Vernon narrowed his eyes. "Jeonghan? The8? Hoshi?". You shook your head and Vernon frowned "hmmm running out of members, Dk?". "Nope". "Dino?". "No". Vernon laughed "man I’m crap at this! Joshua?". You blushed and looked down making Vernon grin "Joshua? He's the one you like?". You blushed even more "I thought the whole point of this was I wouldn't have to say it!". Vernon laughed "okay okay...well it makes sense he's the only one besides me you can actually talk to!". "Hey!" you cried hitting his arm "my Korean has gotten tons better and you remember i'm Chinese right? I can speak just fine with Jun and The8". "Yes but you didn't pick Jun or The8 did you?" Vernon asked smirking "you like Joshua". You blushed "yes...so? He's a great guy!". "Hey I never denied it! But can I ask, out of all the guys, why him?". You sighed and Vernon smirked "that was such an in-love sigh!". You hit him "I'm not in love with him! I just think he's pretty great. I love when guys are soft and respectful but then he can change and be sexy in seconds! Not to mention I think his eyes are so beautiful and the way his voice for all soft when he speaks English...". Vernon laughed at your expression "wow you are really into him!". You nodded "yeah I guess...but you still can't say anything to him!". Vernon smiled "aww come on I could do some matchmaking?". "No Vernon you promised me you wouldn't tell him!" you cried getting scared and Vernon grabbed your hand "y/n it was a joke, I promise not to tell Joshua. I'd never betray your trust like that". You relaxed again "thanks Vernon, you're a great friend" and he smiled "so are you".

The only problem? Joshua had heard everything. He'd been walking past when he heard Vernon listing members and curious as to what was going on, he paused. He was going to keep going when he heard his name and Vernon's reaction meant he had to stay. When he heard your reason he was...surprised. He had no idea you liked him. You were like Vernon, laid back, chill and good at hiding your emotions so he never would've guessed...but he liked it. When he heard you listing all the things you liked about him he got flustered and felt himself growing warmer. He of course found you attractive too and had checked you out numerous times but given your friendship with Vernon he didn't want to try anything. However now he knew you liked him back...what was there to lose? But Joshua did have mischievous streak so he decided to have a little fun with you first. Joshua came down to breakfast the next morning and saw you sat next to Vernon at the table. He grabbed some food and took a seat on your other side purposefully leaning towards you. "Morning Vernon, Morning y/n" he said staring at you and you jumped before nodding "Morning Joshua". "You guys ready for the water sports?" Joshua asked. Vernon shrugged "I might be in the afternoon" and Joshua frowned "don't tell me you're sitting them out too y/n?". You paused and Joshua shook his head "no come on you have to join in! The obstacle course looks so much fun and I'll pay you 500 won if you can beat me". You shrugged "make it $500 and we've got a deal". Joshua shrugged "okay! see you down there" and he moved away. As he walked away Vernon chuckled "man you've got it bad". "Shut up!" you cried and Vernon laughed "sure Joshua! I'll do the obstacle course with you Joshua! It's totally not to see you in a wet suit Joshua!" he teased mimicking your voice and you hit him again "stopppp! He suggested it, not me". "So you're not excited to see his chest in a clingy shirt?" Vernon asked. You paused and he laughed "knew it! Don't worry, you won't be disappointed". Vernon stayed inside in the morning but you did want to play in the water so you ventured outside. You were sometimes more shy without Vernon around but luckily his friends were very kind to you, plus The8 and Jun had a soft spot for you so you had a nice afternoon. Joshua had been off doing some of the water sports stuff and you didn't want to come on too strong so you largely ignored him. Around midday however, you were messing around with Jun and Dino on the inflatable course when Joshua appeared. "Y/n you ready for our bet?" he called. Jun and Dino shot you a look and you stayed calm. "You got the money ready?" you asked "because you're gonna need it". Jun and Dino quickly got excited and without trying you now had an audience. Joshua smiled at you "at the count of three we both go, whoever gets the furthest without falling in or gets to the end first wins. Okay?". You nodded "got it". Joshua smiled “okay, one...two...three!”. You might be quiet but you were still competitive so you raced forwards and beat Joshua to the fastest route. Joshua tried to follow but he slipped on the soaked course and fell down giving you a good head start. 

You made sure to be more careful with your footing and rushed through the inflatable shapes as fast as you safely could. Joshua was still pretty close behind and you could feel the course shaking as he followed you getting closer. You reached the wall and scrambled up the ladder to feel Joshua grabbing for your legs. He was laughing, calling your name but you couldn’t look back. You’d see him and it’d make you lose focus.

You reached the top and were shocked to see Joshua had managed to jump halfway up without even using the ladder. Cursing his height advantage you quickly slid down the other end but Joshua threw himself down the slide after you. He purposefully aimed for you and came down the slide to crash into you taking your feet from under you. You fell down right on top of him and he laughed loudly. "Finally caught up to you" he smiled his face close to yours. You blushed but still wanted to win so you pushed him away and stood back up. The last part was the most difficult, there were 5 round podiums which you had to jump across. Joshua appeared behind you and lightly grabbed your waist. "What do you think the key is? Speed or skill?" he whispered into your ear. You were blushing vividly and tried to think. "Skill" you told him and he nodded "sure, you wanna demonstrate that?". You smirked "why me, you finally caught up so you go first". Joshua smiled "but I wanna see you do it". "Please?" you asked him and Joshua smirked "well I'm sure nobody can say no to those eyes" and he ran at the course. He fell in on the second circle with a loud splash making Dino and Jun dissolve into laughter. He resurfaced laughing and swam to the other side “okay Y/n your turn” he smirked and you paused. You took a small run and hopped onto the first circle. You then did the same for the second one and the third but you fell to your knees, only just managing not to fall in. Joshua, Jun and Dino all made noises and you laughed “it’s so slippery!”. “Yeah but you’re already doing better than Joshua” Dino pointed out and you nodded. 

You jumped to the fourth circle and realised the distance was getting bigger with each one and the fifth one looked so far away. “You know, you’ve already won the bet so you could just give up if you wanted to” Joshua called teasing you. You shook your head and he laughed “but the water’s really nice Y/n”. You carried on ignoring him preparing to jump but Joshua wouldn’t stop. He kept lightly flirting with you and finally he sighed “then again I’m very much enjoying the show you’re putting on. Especially from this angle”. 

He timed it perfectly and he said those words just as you were pushing off. They of course startled you and as a result you didn’t get good lift-off and fell right into the water. Jun and Dino winced at how close to the end you’d come and called out congratulations but you were just focused on Joshua who was grinning at you with a smug smile. He knew exactly what his words had done to you and he was thrilled.  

Everyone continued playing by the pier until it got a bit later and you all headed up to the house. Some people went inside to rest or shower but you stayed outside. Dk, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Joshua and Jun were playing the game where you hid hoops in the water and they had to try and find them. You'd dried off and didn't want to get in the water again so you were the hider. You’d just hidden another batch and were sat with your legs dangling in the water watching the chaos unfold. 

When three out of the four of them had been found, it was just Dk, Hoshi and Joshua left and the latter turned his attention to you. While Dk and Hoshi were bickering Joshua swam over to where you were sitting and tried a different approach. "Y/n" he whispered "where did you hide the last one?". You smiled "are you trying to cheat?". "No..." Joshua said gently leaning on your legs. You paused as he brushed his hands up and down them while he smiled up at you "I just thought you might want to help me out?". You shrugged "I think I'm good". Joshua paused "you know you look far too warm up there, I think you need to cool down". You tensed "Joshua..." but it was too late as he quickly reached up and tugged you into the pool. You fell in with a yell and were covered once more. "Joshua! I'd just got my hair dry" you cried and he smiled sweetly at you, your faces now inches apart. "Aww I'm sorry" he said "here let me help" and he turned around and bobbed down. The next thing you knew he had ahold of your knees and was giving you a piggyback. You grabbed onto him as he started moving and he turned to look back at you "now is it ringing any bells where you hid it?". You shook your head "if I tell you will you let me go?". Joshua shrugged "well there's only one way to find out". You rolled your eyes but leant in "it's at the top of the pool near the stairs". Joshua grinned and rushed over "going down Y/n" he called and you protested as Joshua ducked under the water taking you with him. You managed to get free and popped back up above the surface seconds before Joshua. He appeared right in front of you smiling as he held the plastic thing "I won!" he called "thanks to y/n" and he looked right at you with those flirty eyes. Your heart was racing, partly because of the distance but also because he was slightly holding onto your waist once more and every time he did that you felt dazed. "If you forced me does it count?" you asked and Joshua shrugged "I'm counting it. When a pretty girl helps you, you don't question it". You went bright red when a thought occurred to you "wait don't you only win if you get out of the pool with it?". "Charge!" Dk yelled and you rushed to get out of the way as Hoshi and Dk dove on Joshua. You managed to climb out and watched from a safe distance as Dk finally emerged victorious nearly drowning Joshua in the process. Joshua stood in the middle of the pool looking utterly defeated and you couldn't stop laughing. Joshua noticed and shook his head at you.

After that you decided it would be a good time to prepare for the night and headed inside to shower and change for dinner. You reappeared an hour later and everyone gathered around to decide what to cook. "Y/n do you have the katsu sauce?" Scoups asked and you nodded "yep it's in my room I'll go cook it". You stood up and rushed away. Vernon stood up "I'll go help her" but Joshua leant in "don't worry I've got it" and he hurried after you. You were organising everything, getting ready to cook when there was a knock at the door. "Hey need some help?" Joshua called and you paused. He looked really good tonight and you immediately thought of when he called you pretty earlier. "Erm sure" you finally replied and Joshua smiled looking around your room "why am I not surprised your room smells the nicest and is the tidiest?". You laughed "hey you haven't seen Mingyu's". "I have and you have definitely beat him" Joshua says coming to stand right behind you "so how can I help?". You blushed at how close he was to you and sidestepped away "how about you grill the chicken?". Joshua nodded “I can totally do that” but he paused. “Is something wrong?” you asked and he frowned “I just don’t want the smell to get on my t-shirt...I know” he smiled and swiftly took his shirt off. “There we go” he said happily and took his place beside you pretending like you weren’t gawking.

Meanwhile outside the others were cooking and Jeonghan had run out of chicken. Scoups mentioned you might have someone so he headed over to your room. Jeonghan walked in to see Joshua shirtless, stood over you and he swore. "Really guys? Atleast close the door!" and he quickly retreated closing it as he went. The members all heard him yell and looked up when he returned.  "You okay?" Wonwoo called and he swore "yeah but really didn't have to walk in on that". Scoups paused "on what?". "Joshua and Y/n" Jeonghan replied and everyone stopped and rushed around. "Wait wait wait what?" Vernon asked. "What did you see?" Seungkwan asked. "Were they having sex?" Dk asked bluntly. Jeonghan nodded "or they were about to, Joshua was already shirtless and they were practically wrapped around one another". "Maybe it was a misunderstanding?" The8 asked. "But they haven't come outside" Woozi pointed out and they all looked to the closed door. "Well I guess Joshua finally got his act together" Scoups shrugged "leave them be and let's get back on with it". They all agreed and The8 and Jun came over to Vernon "hey is this okay? Are Y/n and Joshua a thing?". Vernon didn't want to tell your secret so he just nodded "it's fine don't worry". The two members nodded and felt reassured.

Back in the room you froze when Jeonghan walked in and rushed to follow him but Joshua grabbed your arm "wait where are you going?". "To get Jeonghan! He thinks we were...". Joshua chuckled as you couldn't even say it "well what if they think we are?". You went red "what?". Joshua laughed "think about it. We cook and eat this in here and then miss all the clean-up outside. We head back out after and tell them all it was a joke to get out of chores. Nothing major". You paused "hmm okay". Joshua smiled "great I'll get the plates".

Once the food was cooked you dished it up and ate on the floor. Thankfully Joshua then put his shirt back on so you could look at him again. You had a nice meal and just talked and joked. It was casual but still felt very nice and more special with nobody else around. When you finished you paused at the door, hesitating to go back outside. "Want me to go first?" Joshua asked and you nodded. Joshua opened the door and led you outside. The minute the members saw you they began making noises and you struggled not to blush. Joshua smiled despite himself and told them all to shush. The two of you took the last two seats at the end of the table together and Joshua looked at you "should we tell them?". You nodded and he smiled "we didn't do anything we just made you think that so we could eat all of the curry!". Joshua explained it more and everyone began laughing finding it funny "Then why is Y/n so red?" Hoshi asked and Vernon shushed him but you knew Joshua heard. Joshua looked at you out of the corner of his eye and smiled seeing you blush.

The evening then descended into party games and karaoke. Halfway through Seungkwan's song Joshua leant over to you "why were you so red?". You blushed again but acted as normal as possible. "I have no idea what you're talking about". Joshua smirked "was it the idea of us sleeping together". You turned even redder and Joshua chuckled "you can admit it, the idea makes me feel something too". You paused "how?". "Nope, you first" Joshua smiled still just inches away from you. You paused "well you're attractive so obviously the idea of sleeping with you...makes me flustered". "Because you like it?" Joshua asked "no pressure. Just say whatever you want". You nodded "yeah I like it". Joshua smiled and you paused "what about you? Now it's your turn". Joshua turned to face you properly "I feel the same way" he told you and then rapidly jumped up to join the karaoke. You were left utterly flabbergasted and went to get some water. Vernon followed "so what on earth happened?" he asked. "I think I just confessed to Joshua that I like him". Vernon"s eyes went wide "you did! How?". You explained what Joshua had said before running off, making Vernon nod. "Typical Joshua acting all cool and calm. He's totally got it bad for you don't let him have all the power y/n. He's just teasing you". You paused “really?”. Vernon nodded “totally! Come on, let’s go have some fun and I promise Joshua will be the one doing all the work”. You smiled and followed your friend. 

Sitting with Vernon made you more confident and so you participated in the drinking games and even sang a song with Jun and Hoshi. Hoshi was pretty drunk and so he was very excitable and loud. You found it funny and started interacting with him more and more. You could feel the way Joshua was watching you and it made you smile. So you just ignored him and turned back to Hoshi.

Hoshi could get more affectionate when he was drunk and that was happening. He went from holding your hand to placing an arm around you, to now laying his head on your shoulder with his arms wrapped around you. Scoups was always great at controlling the other members so he quickly appeared "hey Hoshi I don't know if Y/n wants you to be on top of her". "I'm not on top of her I'm just hugging her" Hoshi explained "she's my friend and likes tigers too". Scoups mouthed sorry to you and recruited Jeonghan to get him to bed. They got Hoshi off you leaving you with Vernon, Jun and The8. Joshua was still here and was sat down at the opposite end with Dk and Mingyu. There was tension in the air and you felt good.  "So you've had a fun night" Jun asked and you chuckled "yeah. I've drank way more than you've ever seen me drink". The8 nodded "it's fun to see...Y/n can I ask, what is going on with Joshua?". You blushed "why?". "Why? He's been staring at you all night!" The8 cried and you all laughed. "He likes you" Jun added and Vernon smiled, not saying anything just watching it all. You sighed "I...we've been flirting and I think he might like me". "He definitely does" Vernon agreed. "Yeah so what are you doing here?" Jun asked. You paused "wow thanks junnie". He smirked "I just mean you obviously like him too right? On the obstacle course your eyes practically popped out of their socket when he got wet". You blushed as The8 and Vernon erupted into laughter catching the attention of the other members. 

"Hey what's so funny?" Dk asked and they came over. Jun shook his head "ow nothing Y/n was just telling us she appreciated how some of the bodysuits looked today". Dk and Mingyu laughed as you hit Jun while Joshua just smirked. "Really?" Mingyu asked. You paused "I didn't say that but I don't disagree". Dk laughed "so that's why you were hanging out by the pier all day". "Y/n you little pervert" Vernon teased as you gaped. "Hey come on she deserves it" Mingyu said and you smiled "thank you Mingyu". He nodded smiling back "plus it's nice to see her like this, we all enjoy looking at her so why shouldn't she get to do the same?". "Mingyu!" Vernon cried and you blushed. "No all I meant is...we haven't seen her like this before and it's very nice...and hot". You laughed really pink and obviously a little tipsy because that comment didn't make you uncomfortable. "Well coming from Mr six-foot greek god over here I'll take that" you smiled and Mingyu smiled at your nickname. "I think it's best we all go to bed" Vernon said still laughing and you nodded "yep probably!". Everyone stood up and headed off to their cabins. 

Vernon walked with you still laughing "Joshua, then Hoshi and now Mingyu. You had a good night Y/n". You chuckled "yeah..." and Vernon laughed seeing you so giddy "night Y/n". "Night Vernon, thanks for inviting me here!" and he laughed "no problem now take a glass of water to bed". You did as he said and got ready for bed. You’d gotten in your pyjamas, brushed your teeth, washed your face and were just getting into bed when the door went and Joshua appeared. "I forgot my shoes" he said pointing to them on the floor from earlier. You suspected he'd left them there on purpose and just nodded "yeah you did". "So you had a good time tonight?" Joshua asked. You nodded "yeah it was super fun". Joshua nodded "seems like you have your pick of guys around here...Hoshi, Mingyu...". He trailed off and you nodded "anyone else?". Joshua hesitated "what?". "Is there anyone I can have my pick of, you made it sound like the list was incomplete". Joshua smiled "why is there someone else you want?" coming closer. You shrugged "maybe and he's been flirting a lot with me, saying these really vague comments and then staring at me when I flirt with other guys but he's never actually done anything about it so..." you went to turn away nonchalantly when Joshua tugged you back around and kissed you. The kiss was passionate and heated, fuelled by the days flirting and the alcohol you'd both drank. "Is this obvious enough?" Joshua asked pausing. You nodded "yes" and Joshua smiled "but I think I can do better" and he swiftly picked you up and carried you over to the bed. He put you down and you immediately pulled him back in. You were both soon enjoying yourself a lot but Joshua couldn't help some teasing. "Sure you wouldn't prefer if it was Hoshi?". "No" you managed and he smiled "or Mingyu? Because he's so hot right? Especially in that wet suit". "You know it was only you that I was checking out all day so get back here". Joshua smirked at your tone "I quite like when you're bossy" and he did as you said. ******** You woke up the next day actually feeling pretty okay for the amount of alcohol you’d drank. You couldn't instantly remember the previous night but you remembered having lots of fun, doing shots and karaoke and then...Joshua! You shot awake and looked around your room but he wasn't there. You frowned a little upset he'd skipped out. Was he that eager to leave after? You went to the bathroom, cleaned your teeth and freshened up when you heard the door go. You came back out to find Joshua standing there looking confused with a plate of food. "There you are" he smiled spotting you "I got us some breakfast in bed but if you don't want to get back into bed...". You shook your head "no I'd love to...I just thought you'd skipped out". Joshua shook his head "Of course not" and got back into bed "trust me it was a struggle getting out even to make this". You blushed and got back in beside him.

You sat together and ate breakfast in a playful happy mood but there were a few unanswered questions hanging over you. "So last night" you said and Joshua nodded. He moved all the plates to the table and turned to you "I like you" he said simply "I was teasing you yesterday for some fun but I want to be honest and tell you I like you and want to date you". You paused "I...wait how did you know to tease me?". Joshua paused "I heard you telling Vernon you liked me". You gaped "how much did you hear?". "Everything" he grinned "I found it so hot hearing you say all those things and so I decided to gave some fun, I hope you're not mad". You shook your head "not at all, it was really fun seeing you like that. You're very attractive when you tease". Joshua smiled "I'll definitely keep it up then...so about that dating thing?". You smiled and kissed him softly "I'd love to". Joshua grinned pulling away after a while “perfect, do you want to spend the day together? I heard there’s a nice beach nearby”. You smiled “I’d love to” and set off together hand in hand. 

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 [Intro]

Hearts can get hurt so easily in this cruel world. But maybe it's time he opens his own up for someone else.

Tags/Warnings: Non-Idol Jungkook, Dog Hybrid!Reader, former criminal!Jungkook, mentions of past neglect/abuse, reader has some pretty bad psychological problems (OCD, Anxiety, Selective mutism, hints at an eating disorder), hypersomnia, old to recovery, hurt and lots of comfort, angst, Jungkook has some problems with aggression and swears a lot, more TBA in future chapters

Length: 2k words

There is no taglist for this fic.

A/N: Boo. Also you can have early access to this and other selected fics on my Patreon!

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"You might've noticed the color of their collars." the worker says, barely pulling Jungkook away so an excited Hybrid boy runs past- and not into- him. "They all have a specific meaning for us. Over there, the brown ones-" she points, and while Jungkook looks disinterested, he's acgually actively listening. "They're healthy and don't have any physical or behavioral issues, and can therefore be adopted with no limitations. Over there, black, that means the young hybrid has been taken in because the former owners have passed away. He's gonna keep wearing that color until he decides that he's done mourning." the worker explains as she walks around the main 'Social Area' of the shelter.

There's a couple of hybrids sitting together on the floor, all bunnies he notices- and all wear the same colored collar. "Pink means they're on medications. The tags on their collars show which one's." she says when she notices Jungkook looking at the small group. "Yellow means severe behavioral problems. This young boy, for example, has bad anxiety." the worker explains as they walk a bit further.

"...and green?" he mumbles, unable to mask his interest.

"Physical disability." she says softly, as the girl talking to the yellow collared boy shifts a little, one leg replaced by a prosthetic below the knee. "You'll get used to it, don't worry. They adapt quickly and tend not to really care about it." the worker reassures when she spots the slight shift in Jungkooks gaze.

Once they sit down, he signs some papers before the worker leaves him for a moment to get an employee badge for him. He's busy resting his face on his hand, already painfully bored of it all- he's gonna be watched the entire shift he needs to work for the next few months anyway, because considering that his crimes include violence, there's no way they'll trust him to handle any of these hybrids alone.

It's when he notices someone asleep in the corner of the social area, wearing a bright red collar.

"Alright, this vest should fit you, you can just put that over your regular clothes. Those plastic coverings go over your shoes so you don't bring any dirt in. And this-" she offers a plastic card with a clip. "-goes somewhere we can clearly see it. Alright?" she beams, and Jungkook nods.

"Hey uh -" he wonders, gaining the employee's attention. "What do red collars mean?" he wonders, and somehow, her entire posture and expression change slightly.

"Ah.." she sighs sadly. "...those are non-adoptable hybrids. They're basically permanently homed here for the rest of their lifes." she explains.

"So they just.. stay here forever?" he wonders, and she nods.

"Their status is checked every year, but almost all red one's we have tend to not show any improvements after getting here." she says, sorting the papers he'd signed earlier. "terminal illnesses, severe disability or extreme behavioral problems can put someone in the red category. Most never get out."

"Whats with her?" he asks before he can stop himself, nodding towards where you sleep near a window, facing away from everyone.

"..has been here for four years now. She doesn't talk, mostly sleeps, and doesn't like physical contact. Also has OCD- she only eats one specific brand of hybrid food her old owner forced her to eat, and is convinced that if she looks someone in the eyes, they will die." she explains. "She's been here since I've started working here. Very sweet if you look past all her issues- but I agree that she's not fit for a regular home."

Jungkook doesn't answer.

He doesn't even want to attempt to imagine what you must've gone through to end in a situation like this. It had always pissed him off how most hybrids were treated by society- the whole system royally fucked up in his opinion, but then again, he's not a picture perfect citizen either.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be here.

"Alright then, let's go into the kitchens!" the worker snaps him out of his mind, leading him away from the social area.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"Do you want to bring it to her?" Hana, the worker, asks him when she notices him looking at you again.

"I- uh.. Do you think that's a good idea?" he mumbles almost, cringing a little at the food they've put in a bowl for you - looking like dry cereal, if anything - more so like plain dog food. But then again, if that's what you chose, he shouldn't judge too much.

Though he can't help but feel like in a span of four years, how come no one has ever managed to at least get you to accept decent food?

Hana waves him off. "Just place it close to her and maybe sit with her. You can take a break until she's done and bring the dish back." she just says, before walking off to handle the other hybrids who're still waiting for their lunch.

Jungkook sighs, walking towards you with the bowl and his own lunch in hands, carefully getting closer to where you're sitting in front of the window. Your back is turned towards him, and your tail limp on the floor. While you don't move, he can see your ears turn towards him.

He knows they just told him to sit with you so they don't have to look after him like a kid.

"Uh- here." he mumbles, putting the bowl close to you. At first, you don't react at all- and he's fine with that, quite honestly. He just starts to eat his own meal, breaking the chopsticks apart before digging in, while you simply pull the bowl closer, taking a handful of hybrid pellets. "Does that even taste of anything?" he mumbles more or less, and he notices a slight stutter in your movements, signaling that you're definitely aware of his words directed at you.

He notices how you put a singular pellet close to him without turning around - offering it in a way, and Jungkook doesn't know what to think of it. But, being curious as ever, he doesn't hesitate to eat the bland looking ball of whatever it might be.

It tastes just as bland as it looks.

"Damn, what the hell.." he cringes a little before looking your way. "You do know there's other options than.. That, right?" Jungkook offers - but you shake your head at that. "No one's gonna bite the dust if you have something decent to eat." he shrugs to himself, rather indulging in his lunch to get the weird taste from his tongue.

All of this just makes him all the more upset at whoever forced you into such a state.

Taehyung is a dog hybrid too, after all. And somewhat the reason he's forced to do this whole social work shit at all- considering that Jungkook broke someone's collarbone for tying his best friend by the neck and leaving him in a yard just for the fun of it.

Just because he's a hybrid.

You wave a little with your hand, apparently trying to signal that he can leave- but he just stretches out his legs, lays on his back and rests his head on his arms, before closing his eyes. "Poke me when you're done eating or something." he just shrugs and doesn't notice that you take the chance of his closed eyes to look at his face.

He looks young, but mature at the same time. There's a butterfly stitch on his eyebrow, the other side decorated with a silver piercing. His lip seems like it had had some injury too recently- but it too is sporting a silver piercing, the ring sitting simple on the skin, yet the effect of it is undeniable. There's a softness to his face, and yet, taking all the features in, you can spot some rough edges here and there.

You wonder if he has many friends.

He seems a bit grumpy but nice, nonetheless. No one's ever attempted to try your food, let alone be so direct in trying to convince you of letting go of this old habit. You're not stupid. You know no one's gonna die if you eat something else. It's simply your body that doesn't seem to get the memo. It's there every time, vividly in your head. If you eat something other than this, someone's going to get mad.

And You don't trust anyone in this place.

Not after attempting to try a tiny piece of leftover cheese from the table, just for a tiger hybrid to angrily snarl at you. It's always your fault in the end, it's always you who has to take the blame, because if you can't talk, how can you stand up for yourself, explain yourself? No one wants to listen to you anyways.

You poke the dozing new guy. His name tag reads 'Jeon Jungkook'.

He wakes up, yawns. Stretches his arms, his legs, sits up and looks your way. You only look at his neck, barely able to see his mouth move as he speaks. "Done?" he mumbles, and you shrug, pushing your leftovers back towards him. "Come on. I know it tastes like shit but that's all you can eat?" he asks, and you shrug again. Why does he care how much you eat? "Here." He scoots a bit closer. "half of that. At least. Eat that or my leftovers." he offers, threatens almost, unable to push you off to the side like everyone else apparently does. He just sees so much of Jimin in you; his best buddy's hybrid, a rescue as well. And while Jungkook isn't as gentle as Yoongi was with Jimin when the cat hybrid was in his phase of recovery, he still can't ever shake off the images, the scenes he'd witnessed back in the day.

He fucking hates how some people treat hybrids.

And maybe that's why he stays until you've eaten as much as you can, shaking your head at some point stubbornly before shoving the bowl back towards him. He chuckles, the sound making your ears snap towards him, curled tail shaking a little bit, like it wants to wag but can't quite get over the fear to do so. "Good girl." he praises without thinking, barely snapping his hand back from almost petting your head out of instinct. He clears his throat.

Does he think you're weird now?

"Alright imma be out of your hair now." he says, before leaving you be, walking back towards the workers.

"Do you know her?" Hana asks, another worker just as curious as she seems to be standing next to her.

"No?" Jungkook says, suspicious of them as he raises an eyebrow, putting the bowl down to be washed after throwing your leftovers in the trash. "Why?" he wonders before Hana looks your way.

"Because that's the first time I've ever seen her tail wag."

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

[fllnrdr]

I would really love for the rdr community as a whole to stop trying, (and failing), to defend Dutch, and shift the blame entirely onto Micah. Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II are both beautiful and well thought out games both in the gameplay and the storytelling. But I think a lot of people simply ignore those things, hence my long rant of a post.

TLDR: I think Micah was intentionally written to be one dimensional, and Dutch was manipulative from the start. Arthur is just a unreliable narrator.

We play through Arthur's eyes and see/believe what he does. We can see Arthur's loyalty blinds him (and by extension, us) to Dutch's behavior. I would know peace if some folks to took a media literacy class. Red Dead one & two are shining example of the bias in an unreliable narrator. Video games are not exempt from literary tools because you control part of the story. That control is limited to the actions of your bias protagonist, in this case John and Arthur.

The same applies to Micah. Arthur never trusts Micah from day one, and so we as the player don’t trust him either. It would be incredibly lazy on Rockstar’s behalf to created as one dimensional of a character as Micah. But the thing is, Arthur views him that way, a no good money-hungry thief from the start. Arthur is able to see through him, but he is blind to Dutch’s similar behavior because of his loyalty. It’s an incredibly smart tool to use in video games. Once you replay the game without the blinders on of your first playthrough, you’re able to see that Dutch has behaved the very same ways from Chapter One, all the way through Chapter Six. The only difference is that Arthur (and we the player) is slowly becoming aware of the patterns for the first time.

Now, for the blatant mischaracterization of Dutch entirely. To blame everything on Micah diminishes Dutch’s character to such an extent it completely disregards the decades long manipulation he inflicted on the gang, that is very real and very obvious. I won’t get into the way each individual character’s behavior was effected by this, but I will speak about Arthur and John briefly.

Dutch takes in people that are vulnerable and that he knows he can manipulate for his own gain. Children included. Multiple children, in fact. He always has a plan, not to keep folks safe, but to keep everyone comfortably under his thumb. It was always, "Are you with me, or against me" from the beginning. Everyone was either a means to his end, or they were worthless. The second someone did not agree, it was a betrayal, and an attack. I don't doubt he did some things out of kindness, but there's always ulterior motives. Dutch is nothing but a man of pretty words that hide his manipulation.

Dutch maintains an air of grandiosity amongst the gang. He obviously holds the belief that he is above them in all ways. He believes he is their leader because he is simply better than the rest of them. He’s smarter. He’s this god-like figure in his mind. He’s their savior. Hence his distaste for any doubt, or even being challenged.

Lenny and the conversation he has with Dutch about Evelyn Miller for example. Lenny indirectly call’s Dutch’s empty words out and points out that both Miller (Dutch’s idol) and Dutch himself hide behind their flowery words and phrases. Or Arthur and Hosea voicing their concern about robbing Leviticus Cornwall, it’s seen as a betrayal. Or when Uncle pokes fun at Dutch in camp and Dutch says to him, “I would really like to kill you right now.” Dutch may not be entirely self aware, but any attack at him does dig at him for a reason. And this is all from chapter two! There has always been a pattern.

Dutch says he "saved" them. He saved Bill, and John, and Arthur and Lenny and Javier. He saved all of them, and he is above all of them. Dutch sees people as nothing more as tools to meet his goals. There are instances where he does seem to genuinely care, but the ulterior motive is always there.

Dutch and Micah were written with the idea that we see the story through Arthur’s eyes. Arthur is blinded by his decades long to loyalty to Dutch and slowly coming to the realization of the truth. Micah is incredibly one dimensional cause Arthur sees through him and views him as a rat from the start. The truth of the story can be seen through repeated playthroughs. Dutch’s paranoia from the start, questioning Arthur’s loyalty from Colter. Micah sniffing around about the Blackwater money from the beginning. Arthur’s journal entries about the his biased version of the truth. Media literacy is necessary even in video games. God.

[revehae]

you know i’m mad cause i ran out of tags on the first post but anyways

we need to kill everyone at sm entertainment

[an-j8]

deep analysis of Fitz and Keefe's relationship ( it’s long) and the stages of how their friendship fall apart ( sorry bad english)

Childhood ( headcanon)

In their childhood, Keefe had a hard time making friends (given the cold environment where he lived), he was not at all popular, never spoke and was very shy. but above all he DID NOT CONFIDENCE IN HIM. (he was also a little harassed by the other children and did not dare to defend himself). The day he met Fitz he took him as his savior, Fitz was the only child who spoke to him and gave him strength. Whenever Keefe lacked the strength and confidence in himself Fitz protected him with his status and popularity.

Before idolizing Alvar, Keefe was OBSESSED with Fitz he had unfailing admiration for him he wanted to be like him while Fitz subconsciously loved to be loved and idolized (vacker syndrome) and also loved deep down the fact that Keefe was always in his shadow

that's why I drew Fitz holding Keefe's hand who was crying as a child ( just here ⬇️)

(many have taken it in a romantic sense because they blush and I don't think it's wrong because the border between friendship and love in childhood is very VERY small)

Fitz was the person Keefe told everything to he was his best friend his example etc.

Foxfire :

The year comes when Keefe skips a grade to land in Fitz's class. he is forced to go look for Sophie and is often absent in class (which is canon in the books) while Keefe is forced to face the others alone.

To remove this reputation as a weird boy who skipped a grade, he will start to make jokes and try to become friends with everyone until he hides his sweet and shy side (which comes out sometimes with Sophie or completely in book 9 where he loses confidence in himself). And every time Fitz comes back he sees Keefe becoming more and more popular and having more and more confidence in himself. (he will be proud of himself)

Just before Sophie comes: keefe has complete confidence in himself, he knows that he pleases and detaches himself a little from Fitz. he still considers him his best friend but his example now becomes Alvar with his somewhat insolent and sarcastic behavior (I remember he cheated on his girlfriends) Keefe thinks he is cool and Alvar becomes his idol

from the moment Sophie comes to the lost cities:

Keefe and Sophie become friends and Keefe inevitably falls in love with her. she becomes his diary, he tells her things he forgets to tell Fitz. Because he ONLY sees Sophie. Keefe begins to realize his family's situation and how lucky Fitz is. Keefe's inferiority complex resurfaces and he can't help but be jealous of him

On Fitz's side, a jealousy creeps in because Keefe moves further and further away from him until he tells Sophie everything and nothing to him.

Keefe joining the neverseen / Keefe and Fitz's friendship breaking apart:

Fitz no longer trusts Keefe. but above all it is important to note that he did not get angry when he learned what Keefe did but cried. Fitz also sees that Sophie still trusts him and perhaps says to himself "if I, who have been his best friend since childhood, can no longer trust him why SHE, who has been a simple friend for 2 years, has telephatic meetings and he still trust? what connection do they have? » Fitz feels like he's being replaced by Sophie, which will be confirmed later in the books. he is not only jealous of the fact that Sophie loves Keefe but also of the fact that Keefe loves Sophie more than him.

Fitz's words :

 “like you found out with your mother?" It's canon that Fitz vents a lot on Keefe. This pushed them away because even if Keefe pretends that it doesn't affect him, it destroys him internally and tires him a lot (especially as an empath)

the painting :

Keefe has returned to the lost cities and their friendship is no longer like it used to be. They act as if nothing happened and time passes

Unbearable jealousy coming from Fitz destroyed his character. he is mean to Keefe because he sees that Sophie prefers him AND that Keefe will always be on Sophie's side. “Of course he’ll always be on your side! Keefe always agrees with you! (he spoke in a harsh tone) it creates a deep loneliness in him.

I don't know if the idea came from him, but he decides to ask Keefe to memorize the memory of him and Sophie under the tree and then paint it. he knows it will hurt him, Fitz needs to hurt Keefe (a kind of silent revenge). He will then continue on this path by trying to kiss Sophie in front of Keefe. This will push them further away

Sophie and Keefe meet Alvar :

it is said that Keefe told Fitz about their meeting before he and Sophie talked about it. given Fitz's mind state after his conversation with Keefe the fact that it was KEEFE who met Alvar instead of him and in addition WITH SOPHIE makes him sick (I didn't develop it but Fitz also felt rejected when he saw that Alvar preferred Keefe to him which is normal)

Sophie and Fitz breakup:

they don't have time to talk because keefe is tortured right after in Loamnore.

Keefe only saving Sophie in his hospital room:

when Keefe gives the order for anesthesia everyone falls to the ground including Fitz. Keefe rushes to Sophie to help her and wake her up. he doesn't even think about Fitz. Fitz wakes up and complains about how bad his head hurts because his skull hit the floor (I have to check) I think it must really upset him that Keefe doesn't care about him so much.

Keefe running away from the lost cities and leaves no words for Fitz :

“And you and Keefe are? even though he ran away leaving everyone behind?! » when Fitz says "everyone" he is mostly referring to himself

“He had good reasons you know…” (Sophie)

"NO I don't know anything!" (fitz)

and that's true. Fitz knows NOTHING about Keefe's life how he feels about things. Keefe NEVER confides in him. he doesn't even tell him what he's doing, where he's going

simply because Fitz and Keefe are NO LONGER friends

Keefe and Fitz plan at the end of Stellarlune :

it is said that Fitz and Keefe communicated together after Keefe stole Sophie's dagger. So Keefe explained to him the plan he had in mind but I don't think they had time to reconcile. I don't think they will ever reconcile, there will always be a gaping hole in their friendship.

conclusion: I think Fitz saw Keefe replace him with Alvar, then with Sophie to the point of no longer existing. As for Keefe, his friendship with Fitz was tiring him psychologically.

[boochanz]

this is a bit late, about 9 months and 300 more followers late to be exact, but i didn't feel right ignoring the milestone and not extending my thank yous to every last person who helped me reach it ♡ i have been creating on tumblr since september 2022, and in that time i've taken 2 hiatuses that were about 5-7 months long each... and you guys stuck around in spite of that. i've always been shocked by the idea that my little part of tumblr was important enough for anyone to wait around for. for that, i thank you <3

how are we celebrating? my ask box is open: you have three options!

you can send me a make me choose prompt and i will create a gifset based on my choice (for example: black hair joshua or red hair joshua)?

you can send me an idol + era request (any idol except for the ones mentioned on my pin).

you can send a 'favorite' prompt (for example: my favorite bg music video?) and i will create a gifset based on it.

you are more than welcome to send the ask on anonymous; just keep an eye out for my answer! there is no limit on the amount of asks you can send, i only ask that you be patient with me! i have other things to do including a crazy baby to tend to ♡

now for me to get sappy: shout out to my beloved follow forever.

thank you to my longtime mutuals, including but not limited to: zaynab @hansjisung my very first mutual. @bandzboy my second mutual and the sweetest soul. @soonhoonsol who i love to see on the dash. @aceofvernons who is soooo normal. @seokmins who i miss dearly and was so kind to me when i first got here. and @wnjunhui , fellow huihui and occasional enabler of my delusions <3

and my lovely friends who i met last year. the jeongjan from twice loveclub, @ajusnice @kiimtaehyung @scouped @twiceland (and zay and mery again LOL) | i had the most fun with you guys last year when life was pretty tough. we shared the greatest laughs and the most ridiculous moments (sos is an english song?) and i am forever appreciative. my kpopcc family, too, including @lesseraive @pantropikos @taetheists @woozification and many, many more.

my newest mutuals, @taeraenomuyeppeo, @chwedout @minkwan @wonboos @bellamyblakru @jnwonwoos @fairyhaos and probably a shit ton more that i can't currently remember.

the people whose presence on this stupid site makes me so happy, @ashmp3 @taeiltual @seungkwan-s @leetaehwan @facethesuns @vcrnons @jeonsupershy @jeonwon-wonwoo @eoieopda @jeongtokkie @97-liners @dinotual @junmail @kimsmingyu and about a dozen others who i'll kick myself for forgetting later.

thank you for sticking around despite my inconsistency. you guys mean so much to me. even if we never talk, or talk very little, know and trust that i appreciate you and that you are so special to me.

[shadowshrike]

The Curious Case of Halsin and Astarion's Ascension

For anyone who's occasionally poked around my stuff, you probably know that I found my Evil run of Baldur's Gate 3 (by which I mean my selfish run where I tried to gain as much power, wealth, and companion trust as I could) to be my most satisfying thus far. Part of that was the unique experience of having Halsin ask to join Tav and Astarion's relationship post-Ascension.

At the time, I said yes because it made sense for my character to "collect" an Archdruid. Out of character, I was tickled by the idea that Halsin confessed after Astarion became the new biggest bad in the land. Halsin was supposed to be a Good guy. Surely, either a possessive Astarion would be spitting mad about the arrangement, or Halsin would have second thoughts about Mr. Vampire Ascendent once he got a taste. I was ready for the drama.

It never came. In fact, the glimpses of their dynamic were so comfortable and playful that I was shocked.

Since then I've been doing a lot of thinking about Halsin and why he might act how he does throughout the Ascension storyline. I realize most of this can be handwaved with 'fanservicey romance writing.' That's true for parts of all romance paths, honestly, and I don't consider it a wholly bad thing given the game's goal to make you its center. However, I think being dismissive of the writing is not as much fun as building headcanons that work with any set of behaviors or lines you get.

So enjoy some theories pulled from datamined dialogue and my personal games. As always, this is completely hypothetical - I encourage everyone to write 'canon' in their personal playthroughs however they prefer.

Note: it's impossible to get all these lines in a single run due to some hinging on Astarion leaving and some may be bugged or near impossible to trigger. They're just being used to explore a character and dynamic that I don't see much of around fan spaces.

Halsin on the value of lives

To briefly set the stage, it's important to understand how Halsin views life and justice. He spells it out rather clearly if Kagha kills Arabella and her parents are also dead.

Halsin doesn't consider himself to be an arbiter of good and evil, only a steward of nature and its Balance. He highly values life. However, it's not him, the leader of the Grove, who is ultimately responsible for deciding Kagha's fate; it's the wronged parties or, barring that, nature itself who should decide her true punishment.

Halsin: As for the idol? It's nothing compared to a life. A mere object, next to one of nature's creations. I cannot absolve you, even if you are repentant. The girl's parents should have decided your fate, but they perished. Instead, nature will judge you. You are banished from this place - banished from everywhere the Oak Father's creations thrive.

But valuing the sanctity of life doesn't mean he doesn't also understand the importance of sacrifice. For example, if Wyll chooses his freedom over his father, Halsin counsels that it's a necessity to sacrifice to grow at times, no matter how unpleasant.

Halsin: You made a hard choice, Wyll. But not one that is unknown in nature. At times, a seedling must strangle the very tree that bore it, if it is to survive.

The price of 7000

So, Halsin's not a big fan of sacrificing life, yet understands that sometimes, people need to die for others to thrive.

But what about 7000 lives? A whole village worth?

That level of sacrifice sounds an awful lot like the day his life was destroyed by Ketheric and the Shadow Curse. A horrible event that haunted his every thought and deed for the next 100 years.

Within this context, it makes sense that all of his responses during the Ascension, whether Astarion does it or not, are focused on the price being paid. He usually emphasizes the sheer number of people affected and never discusses Astarion's potential evil (more on that later) or the undead nature of those lives.

Halsin: Stay your hand, Astarion. To sacrifice so many is a tyrant's ambition.

Halsin: All those lives snuffed out, just to grasp some power. That was craven - unnatural.

Halsin: Astarion resisted the allure of Cazador's would-be powers - and I am glad of it. Whatever he would have gained would have come at a great price.

The interesting part about this is, as an Archdruid of Silvanus, those undead lives should be considered an abomination. The Oath of Ancients oath break if you free the spawn reminds us of this. So Halsin's advice to save the spawn is not necessarily druidic advice - it is a personal opinion wrapped in flimsy druidic justifications.

He even recognizes undead as unnatural when you enter Cazador's home:

Halsin: A lair of undeath - most unnatural. We must tread carefully.

Yet about the spawn, who are undead and an intimate part of that unnaturalness, he says this about releasing them:

Halsin: Good - they deserve a chance at life. Nature will handle their fates from here.

Mercy for all monsters?

This is interesting to compare to another encounter with a smaller version of an eerily similar choice in Act III. The mindflayer in the Windmill - a person turned into a monster, much like a spawn. Allow it to live, and it may devour a family. In that case, Halsin says:

Halsin: We allowed this unnatural thing to live - now a whole family's worth of blood is on our hands.

He joins a host of other Good companions who curse themselves for showing mercy where it wasn't warranted. These are largely the same companions who would also save the spawn.

Karlach: This is our fault. These people died because of us. What were we thinking?

Wyll: Justice does not entail granting mercy to monsters. We should not have let this abomination go free.

Gale: A cruel conclusion to the mercy we showed, but hardly an unpredictable one. As long as it lives, so will its appetite.

The contradictory perspective taken during these two storylines shows the importance of emotional context in how we make decisions. For most, their traveling companion, who also has a tadpole, is the first vampire spawn they've ever met, while mindflayers have generally been the big evil this entire time. This could lead them to feel as though a horde of spawn may have enough humanity to need a chance, while a newborn Mindflayer should be exterminated on sight. Also, most of the other Good companions are relatively young and idealistic, so it makes sense that some may make foolhardy, heroic decisions.

But this encounter also begs the question: if these heroes are so distraught by having the blood of one family on their hands due to a single hungry mindflayer they saved, how could they justify letting 7000 starving monsters with unquenchable bloodlust free? Are they simply kind-hearted and short-sighted? Or maybe they're only optimistic about the hunger of vampire spawn, despite having personal examples of both a spawn and a mindflayer who manage their hunger equally ethically - by feeding on enemies and criminals.

Their naivety is driven home by Jaheira not being moved by the mindflayer or the spawn due to her extensive life experience. She believes in both cases that the greater mercy is to kill the creatures now.

(About the spawn) Jaheira: And what of the living they'll feast on, should they not prove as admirable as Astarion? They deserve a chance, too.

(About mindflayer) Jaheira: Look well. Our stupidity. Our price to pay.

Halsin is even older. He's a devout druid. He recognizes undead as unnatural. By all accounts, he should be on the same page as Jaheira to preserve the Balance. Yet in the face of that, he still advises to give the spawn a chance to live free, likely wreaking havoc wherever they need to feed.

I like to think this strange blind spot in his doctrine is due to a combination of Astarion's presence humanizing the unknown spawn, therefore making their unlives worthy of protection, and his own history as a genocide survivor creating an emotional reaction strong enough to override his usual wisdom. The price of a village is simply too devastating and personal for him to condone. No matter what letting 7000 ravenous undead free may mean.

Making the price worth it

Once you've ascended Astarion, you may be surprised that Halsin - generally a good man - is now steadfastly on Astarion's side. His reactions to the Gur conflict highlight this. If you side with Astarion against them, he's not happy, but resolute.

Halsin: An unfortunate battle... but I must stand by those I count as allies.

And if you decide Astarion is evil now and side with the Gur, Halsin doesn't seem to care about what Astarion has become, only that you allowed the sacrifice to happen and then let it go to waste:

Halsin: We allowed Astarion to sacrifice so many, only to just turn on him soon after? We should have stopped him sooner.

In contrast, many other companions call Ascended Astarion a monster, evil, or maniacal if you turn on him. They believe killing him at that point was the only right answer.

Karlach: It's done. It had to be done. Astarion was... out of control. Gods dammit. Look, he was an evil leech, but he was ours. I thought he'd changed. I was wrong. I always am these days.

Minsc: Do not mourn Astarion. The Gur are known to be a just and righteous people among the Rashemaar. They named Astarion monster, and so monster he was. Yes, Boo - even if he sometimes seemed a friend.

Gale: That's one scourge eliminated. A vampire with that much power would be a death sentence for this city. A pity Astarion didn't understand that. Or rather, didn't care.

Lae'zel: Astarion proved himself no less maniacal than his master. His death was a favour - to him, to us, and to the city.

Wyll: Hunt the monsters of the Sword Coast, protect the people - that was my promise. Killing Astarion was the right thing to do. I have to believe that. But I'm not proud of it. Not after... all this.

Ignoring Astarion's evil and telling you that you shouldn't have betrayed him may seem odd for a character who usually has a strong moral compass. Especially since Halsin doesn't tell you that you shouldn't have betrayed Shadowheart if you choose that path, though he's wary of that decision since you're handing her over to Sharrans. However, if Halsin's focus is on the 7000 lives and not on Astarion's personal kindness or cruelty, it makes more sense.

The people are gone. There is no taking back all those lost. So he's left with the need to make their sacrifice something other than a meaningless slaughter. The power for his companion must be worth it.

Halsin on Evil Astarion

You may be thinking, "Okay, but even if it's all about the mass sacrifice mimicking his own horrific past, shouldn't he still care about Astarion being Evil? He doesn't like evil acts at all!"

That's mostly true. Halsin certainly hates Shar for personal reasons and can get upset when you do cruel things. However, he's also potentially had a bit of a soft spot for Astarion since Act I, when you can decide the vampire spawn is evil and kill him or kick him out of camp.

His lines for this are actually shared with Karlach, Wyll, and Jaheira, according to the data. The uniqueness is primarily in his distraught line delivery.

If you kill Astarion, Halsin admits that he liked the guy even though he was a killer:

Halsin: Rest in peace, Astarion. You may have been a blood-thirsty murderer, but I liked you all the same.

And if you send him away, Halsin says this about Astarion being alone in the woods:

Halsin: He's someone else's problem now, anyway. Woods are full of boars. Maybe he'll learn his lesson and start hunting something that won't miss him when he goes.

His camp reactions immediately after Ascension mirror this attitude of concern rather than condemnation of evil. If Halsin speaks directly to Astarion, he sounds exasperated (the way Halsin says his name always makes me snicker) while Halsin once again brings up the idea of the price being paid.

Halsin: Astarion... you have ascended amongst the ranks of the undead. I can only hope that you do not come to regret the price that you paid.

However, the almost identical line if he's talking to another player character is delivered differently, particularly in how he says Astarion's name. It's more concerned than judgmental, implying that his frustration with Astarion is coming from a place of worry rather than pure anger.

Halsin: Astarion... he has ascended amongst the ranks of the undead. I can only hope that he does not come to regret the price that he paid.

This is particularly notable because it's in contrast to Shadowheart, who has a very similar line after her evil choice, but the emotion behind both sounds more similar to my ear.

After that initial comment, Halsin can banter with Ascended Astarion about how he's turned the player into a vampire spawn if there's a player romance. Unlike most of the other companions who can comment, such as Wyll and Gale, he expresses worry for both of them, not just the player. He also explicitly explains he has no intention of kink-shaming them, just warns about how dangerous having a master/thrall relationship can be if made real.

Halsin: To give oneself wholly, and to have a lover totally in your thrall...? A harmless game, until it becomes real. I worry for the two of you, Astarion. For your sake, I hope some of it is just a fantasy, deep in your heart.

But perhaps the most blatantly accepting we see him of Ascended Astarion is if they go to the Drow twins together. There are always some playful lines with one another if they're both present, but one is unique to Ascension if the player bites Halsin as a spawn during the scene. Halsin's response is light and delighted, acknowledging Astarion's role as not just a vampire, but the lead in your new relationship.

Halsin: Ha - tickles. See what a bad influence you are, Astarion?

Combine with Halsin's direct propositioning of Astarion if Astarion teases him about his night with the player, and there's a case for long-held attraction as well, regardless of alignment.

Astarion: I hear things got wild between you two. I hope no one was too badly mauled. Halsin: We're all in one piece. Perhaps you'll join us next time. Astarion: It's bad enough having one person with fangs trying to keep control of themselves. Two of us could be dangerous.

All these lines, taken together during times when others label Astarion a monster, suggest that Halsin accepts Astarion as a whole. He doesn't believe in trying to change people's nature, so maybe he sees any distasteful deeds as part of Astarion's, the same as an owlbear cub eating its mother might disgust some though it is completely natural.

It makes sense, then, that Halsin might be proud of Astarion for choosing morality or personal growth, but he isn't too bothered if that doesn't happen either. What line Astarion would have to cross to earn Halsin's true ire is unknown. The reverse is a much more complicated question (mostly because it's plausible that many of Astarion's lines are rooted in deception) that I may delve into another time.

Is this whole relationship a little ironic given that Halsin is The Selfless Good Druid and Astarion is The Selfish Evil Undead? Absolutely. But that's the fun of it, in my opinion. It adds depth to these characters in ways that rarely shine through during a singular playthrough, especially since very few will do the crazy thing I did with an Ascended Astarion + Halsin romance.

It sure makes for narrative fun, though.

[makiandcheese]

i wanna share the genshin impact ships i enjoy and why (mostly rarepairs)

Rosaria/Kaeya - undeniable trust and friendship turned romantic interest. though capable of forming a relationship, their occupation and circumstances prevent them from fully pursuing it. Even if all factors could ignite mutual interest, the fear of ruining the friendship they harbored would stand in the way. What's important in a lonesome city is the same stranger who is looking for the same comfort you seek. Frequent liar or not, he's quite the personality to have around.

Jean/Diluc - everyone says they are exes turned lovers however I view them as the failed chance at love. They are friends who knew each other since they were learning to walk type of friendship. The first love you never forget. If they were given the chance, they could say what they want to the other. "You look even better after you became a stranger to me, pretty woman"

Yelan/Ningguang - The what could've beens. similar to jealuc but in ninglan it's focus is more on the one-sided, unrequited type of love. (using Beiguang for this example) watching the one you love fall for someone you know she deserves hurts. It hurts because you know you could've been with her if not for your own issues. thankfully she will never know you love her since that love will die with you

Rosaria/Jean - oh god where do i begin with this. The "outcast" meets the city's beloved individual. For someone who feels they never belong, its confusing to have the city's hope make excuses to see you. Rosaria and Jean's relationship begins with jealousy due to the nun and the idol deaconess' relationship. What makes Barbara look at Rosaria the way Jean always wanted? Filled with concern and trust that only families have for one another. Giving that to a complete stranger is agonizing.

Lisa/Jean - coworkers to lovers <3. A workaholic learning the simplicities of life from the reliable, easygoing, gentle person. When she'd forget to take care of herself mentally, she'd be there. Unknowingly providing comfort with just her presence alone.

Beidou/Ningguang - Two people who rule and have a significant influence on the community. Bickering and arguing over the smallest things yet loving each other for the same reason. What makes these two so wonderful is the fact that they both witnessed each other overcome difficulties in their own manner. They both achieved goals that brought them together in some way. Competing with which one would make the other prouder.

Venti/Zhongli - centuries have gone and past, and yet home always had the same eyes and breeze. When it comes to gods, the only one they could consider as equal are the same immortals who suffer with them. Why does meeting each other again bring so much comfort and pain? How many friends did they watch come and go like sand through the wind? Thankfully, they can overcome these uncertainties together. Until they could no longer control the corrosion within them.

Surcrose/Rosaria - When your curiosity leads to people questioning your character, the person you gravitate towards is someone similar. Sucrose would have a lot on her mind and would desperately need someone to talk to. Rosaria always wanted to learn more about the world but never had the guts to say it out loud. The mutual silence between them could be a conversation. "I have something on my mind, but I have difficulties saying it" and "Take your time. No rush."

Kaeya/Albedo - Understanding your past from the product of the past can be an interesting combo. Kaeya and Albedo are two perspectives of the Khaenri’ahn existence. The truth is never black or white, in fact, the truth is always relative. Messing around with your coworker because of mutual origins grives a sense of comfort in the city where everyone knows everyone.

Ganyu/Keqing - coworker who has false impressions towards each other. A tender and careful love formed from the desire to protect their city. Patience is a virtue especially for Ganyu. However, with all the years she had lived, days with Keqing always felt like love personafied.

Xiao/Traveler - what cannot be may be. One's duties always hinder relationships, but there will always be someone stubborn enough to reach out. Someone once said that unnecessary suffering is not a proof of strength. Relying on others is difficult but if it's with the person they love, one could only hope that they're not a burden. Thankfully, they don't give a damn about your stubbornness and go out of their way to talk and spend time with you. Since you know that these times wouldn't last.

Ayaka/Yoimiya - The different lives we live shouldn't turn us into strangers. In a life where expectations are laid upon you, finding freedom and happiness incarnate is like grasping sunlight. Ayaka knows she has her duties but spending time with Yoimiya makes her forget the time. Grief and loss often isolate us from relationships (including socioeconomic circumstances). Thankfully the eternal shogun's antithesis stays by your side.

Itto/Sara - Our beliefs do not align, but if someone talks shit about the other. Someone will be getting punched or electrocuted. Being a Yokai in human society always leads to discrimination unless you are equipped with power and unimaginable influence. Seeing each other's most vulnerable sides in the most unexpected times always led to curiosity. Curiosity leading to interest. And interest leading to fondness.

Al Haitham/Kaveh - Unconventional ways of saying "i love you" almost always lead to someone's wrinkly forhead. If turning himself into Kaveh's personal screaming outlet would let him relax, Al haitham would gladly do it. What happened in the past has long gone, and what's left is to continue. Is it so difficult to let him love you?

Candace/Dehya - Every neighborhood child's first loves daring each other. Duty is always the priority. Traveling the world will come one day but not today. If that is someone's belief, then someone will bring the world to them. Even if it's small material gifts, its treasured dearly. Just make sure not to come home bruised and covered in wounds. Else a medicated scolding (and some kisses) would be perscribed by the village's resident guardian.

and that's all folks tell me what you think.

[that-ari-blogger]

What exactly does Pan teach you?

So, Pan's inclusion in Stray Gods is weird, right? Not in a sense of he doesn't belong or fit in the story, because he certainly does. But why Pan?

When you think of the Greek gods, chances are you think of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. In Stray Gods, these big names are absent, and here is Pan, someone a large portion of players had never heard about before now, offering you some advice.

SPOILERS AHEAD

First up, mythologically, Pan was the god of the wilds, usually. I say usually because there was no cannon for Greek Mythology because of how ancient Greece works. It wasn't so much one unified nation, but a collection of city-states with shared cultural elements. As such, different states had very different views of the deities, and these shifted over time. For example, Artemis is usually defined by a lack of romantic interest, but Sparta worshiped an epithet called Artemis Orthia, who was a goddess of fertility and childbirth. You can see why this gets complicated.

With that said, Pan is usually a god of nature and freedom, sometimes associated with medicine, sometimes associated with madness and fear, and sometimes associated with music. This is a figure who is hard to pin down.

This doesn't really answer the question: Why is Pan?

I think the answer is his distance from the rest of the idols. Olympus is defined by tradition and the past. It is burdened by trauma, and Pan, the god of freedom, represents the exact opposite. This is a character who is desperately looking forward. He seeks grace out because of guilt over Caliope's death, and instead of confronting that, he runs as fast as he can into the future. He isn't as free as first impressions would tell you.

Ok, enough preamble, what is this song about?

First up, this song takes the "why are they all singing" comment about musicals and looks you directly in the face to say "its magic, deal with it."

But second, and more importantly, this song offers you another choice. Stray Gods is about choosing your own fate, and the teaching song gives you an obvious one. Freddie, Pan, or neither.

Stray Gods isn't short of incredible visuals, but this is by far my favourite. And it isn't what you think. In any other story, this would be the choice between going on the adventure or staying home, but you're going, otherwise, Grace will be killed. This is asking you how you will go about that.

Freddie, identified with small comfort, is contrasted against Pan with the very whimsical imagery of the tree. Freddie represents safety, Pan represents urgency. Freddie represents using what you know, Pan represents diving headfirst.

Speaking of that metaphor, welcome to the waters. It's deep, you can't see the surface from here, and the murk stops you from seeing much other than Freddie and Pan. Who do you choose? Who do you trust?

What does Pan actually teach you? Not much, he explains how Grace's powers work and that's pretty much it. Except for one thing, Pan, quite accidentally, teaches you how this story will work.

Welcome to the world, it's going to be murky, you're not always going to be able to tell what is in front of you, but you can always make a choice, and you have to deal with the consequences.

Previous - Next

[torialefay]

hi your astrology post on chan are absolutely amazing, what do you think he will be like when jealous. I mean we all get jealous when it comes to some people but given how possessive chan is it can be bit overwhelmingly intense emotion for him and it can lead to steamy situation. So can you write a little about what he would be like when jealous in regards to astrology, please.

Thank you💕

of course, anon! i actually have v strong (and maybe not so popular idk) opinions on this.

yes yes yes! you are 100% right that channie can get super jealous & possessive. but the thing is, he is VERY good at hiding it. and let me tell you why:

• his venus in scorpio: this one is the most obvious and why i think a lot of people suspect his jealous/possessive tendencies. and duh, we know venus rules love & beauty, scorpio rules deep emotions, passions & desires, etc etc. BUT, scorpio also has also always been associated with manipulation. i feel like this is 100% the case with chan. he may not outright say that he feels jealous over something that you did, but he will twist things so that you end up feeling guilty and don't do it again (but that wasn't his intentions of course, you came to that conclusion on your own 😉🤭 sarcasm if you can't tell). he may even have this obsessive/possessive quality to the point that he subtly manipulates you into ONLY caring about him really. for you to put him before anyone else and make you feel like he's the only person in the world that can truly take care of & provide for you. very veryyyyyy subtly of course. but he may plant those seeds. why? because it makes you fall in love with him more & become just as obsessed with him as he is with you.... of course you're gonna know he has this side of him, but you don't know just how deep it goes

• his gemini rising & sagittarius mars: these signs are more about freedom & friendliness. making a wide array of friends & coming off as a "people person." very open-minded as well. these definitely aren't the first signs that come to mind when you think "possessive and jealous." but here's the thing, neither of these planets are necessarily WHO you are. they are more so who you come across as. who you present yourself to be. so channie's gonna come across as light-hearted and a super trusting boyfriend. he knows that & that's what he wants. he wants to be seen as someone who trusts you & lets you do what you'd like without making a big deal about it (after all, he's our sweet little channie and he would never try to control us like that! 🫠🤥).

• i also wanna mention his libra sun and moon. obvi we know that libra is all about balance & is definitely the type to run away from conflict. SO, if there's something chan doesn't like, he's probably not gonna outright talk about it. libras are also the "people pleasers" of the world and are greatttt at conversation, so more than likely, he's gonna tell you exactly what you want to hear. he's gonna struggle a lot bc at his very core (his moon), he really just wants to be loved and accepted. but he may feel like, in love (venussss), the only way he can do that is through manipulating you into seeing him as the only person in the world for you. libras love that shit too. feeling validated? feeling needed? they can be prone to manipulating the situation a little bit too. so yes, channie is gonna really have a tough time with it.

how i see this playing out:

• he will plant little seeds in your head. for example, he may say something like "i love you so much more than anything else" simply for the fact that he wants you to say it back. he wants to hear you say that he matters more to you than anyone or anything else in the world. he wants to be the only thing on your mind, but he'd never admit it.

• he wouldn't outright say anything if he saw you with one of his friends/another idol and got jealous... he doesn't want that confrontation. instead, he'll make snide remarks about them (again, tiny little pettttty things) to deter you from thinking ab them. like "oh you were talking to mingi at the party tonight? i heard he was pretty bad off tonight, got into some shit with one of his members" etc etc. just any petty thing he can think to bring up that isn't exactly putting that person down.

• let's say for example that you go out for the night & go clubbing and chan doesn't like it bc he wanted to stay in with you (but of course he's never gonna tell you what to do, right?). he MAY (depending on the day) do something that he knew you wanted to do without you. you wanted to watch that new movie on netflix? he totally forgot and he already watched it. "you would have loved it," he'd say. or maybe he'd hit up the cool new restaurant that you'd been dying to go to, and when he tells you, he'd brag about how cool it was & what a great time he had. basically, he'd make you feel like you were missing out by not being with him.

that's all i'll say for jealous & possessive channie, but i do want to end by saying that he doesn't have these tendencies ALL the time. and tbh, he's probably very unaware just how toxic he's being. he may even have conflicting feelings about it bc he DOES KNOW that you need your freedoms, and probably does TRY to gove you that. but sometimes, he just can't help himself. when he's in love, he wants you to himself & he wants to protect you.

[kkotda]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KKOTDA (DEAR-KOI) ˖°𓇼

for a month with so little notable (national - us) holidays, august sure is a busy month for dear-koi (both this blog and i have our birthdays in august!). to celebrate, i am planning on opening rolling slots for art requests! it'll be on a first come first served basis. i will close requests on september 1, 2024 (no more requests will be accepted when september starts)

what this means:

all of my followers, mutuals or not, are eligible to participate! please no requests sent with anonymous! they will not be honored! (i don't plan on publically posting requests unless given explicit permission! so please allow images in your ask box or dms open!)

please continue reading to learn how to participate and other important rules!

how to participate:

in an ask (or dm if we're mutuals), tell me what you'd like! character only art and selfship are the ones i'm most comfortable doing, but i'm willing to hear out other requests (oc's for example). maximum of 7 requests (characters) per person are allowed! note: you will not need to provide me with any sort of monetary compensation in order to participate! i will not accept any monetary compensation! (i don't have the means to do so). this is supposed to be all in good fun, to practice and develop a style i think suits me! so taking money for making your request a guinea pig would make me feel all types of guilty (if you really feel the need, tell me your favorite song(s)! i'm always open to new music! better yet, donate to a palestinian family!) for selfship art requests, please also include a picrew from which i can color pick (i.e. the more accurate the picrew's colors are, the more personable it can be!) and reference poses. if the picrew is not accurate, please feel free to provide preferred hex codes or color 'swatches'! vague descriptions like dark brown aren't very helpful and might make the situation uncomfortable (though i will of course honor any changes that are needed!). i will honor character requests from any media even if i am not a part of said fandom group! (i will ask for no idol/celebrity requests though because i am uncomfortable with that, sorry in advance for any inconvenience!) for oc art, please provide as many details, references, picrews as possible. i absolutely do not want to mess something as precious and valuable as an oc up. i will try my very best to fulfill your request to fit the image you had in mind! tl;dr: give me so much information i have to spend days reading (also i forgot to say this but if you'd like a background that isn't white, you're more than welcome to change the color! transparent is also an option!)

ok to draw:

people (characters, etc), small animals (like pets), sfw (suggestive is also okay with enough reference pictures!), chibi

not ok to draw:

nsfw (i'm not that good yet, i'm sorry T-T), gore/horror, overly complicated things (i'll let you know if it gets too complicated)—basically just ask, and i will tell you!

please keep in mind:

i am slowly getting back into drawing (but i was never good in the first place tbh...) so i'm still very much learning! my art style currently is still a lot of mimicking (i do not use fanart as references, please don't misunderstand!!!), and as such i will ask you all to keep your expectations very very low T-T like rock bottom low...

default art will have a white background! i can and will color if colors are provided! (but there won't be any crazy good rendering, i'm sorry ;-;)

the purpose of this event is me practicing and learning art, but it's also me giving back to my beautiful friends who make the world go round! thank you so much for trusting me with your request(s) and i will do my utmost to make it come to life! if you'd like a 'portfolio' of sorts, please search the lovekoi tag! it is my art tag that i'm using and all of my stuff will be there (there's not a whole bunch though unfortunately >.<)

if you have any questions, please ask! i feel like i've left out a lot of things...

and finally, some parting words:

dear-koi has come a really long way i think. i moved here on a whim and essentially lost all of my previous mutuals (i should've just shared the url... </3) but you all found me again! and new people found me too! i'm so honored to have been worthy of the follow to following transition, you guys will not believe the squeals every time people i've looked up to like big time became mutuals with me... it's still crazy to me actually... but that aside, thank you for spending my birthday and dear-koi's 1st anniversary with me! here's to many more!

i love you all, please remember to smile today ᰔᩚ