#this is just my attempt to explore how i see them as opposites

[cxtangerina]

k2 is such a funny ship to me, like it's just plausible enough to be kinda sorta realistic if you squint and pray and look at it sideways, not quite a crackship but not able to get off the ground as more than a particularly popular rarepair either. they had, like, one big episode together back in season 3, a handful of major moments over the years that people hold onto with an iron grip, and basically nothing else outside of a plethora of fantastic fancontent and dreams.

i think i like it for the exact opposite reasons that i like kyman, actually, they sorta stand as complementary ships in my mind. where k2 barely has any actual basis in canon & comes heavily from fanworks and speculation about how well the characters would match each other, kyman is practically canonical, at least when it comes to cartman's feelings, and is at least regularly joked about and referenced in-show. personally, i also tend to see k2 as a ship that is kinda miraculously requited, whereas kyman is usually stuck in unrequited hell, which...

...well, this gets into more specific character analysis, but a big part of this is that i tend to see cartman as having very fucked up views of both romance & sexuality that have especially interesting implications when you consider him to have a crush on kyle, specifically.

on the one hand, i think his cupid self is evidence enough that he has a very fairytale, idealized view of romance, based more out of the hollywood movie image of what love is supposed to be rather than anything in reality. south park adults being utter fucking idiots 99% of the time means that most, if not all, of the kids don't have a lot of good role models to base their actions off of. i'm not gonna talk out of my ass about childhood development more than i understand it, but i don't think it's too controversial (?) of a take to claim that kids understand & learn about the world through watching it just as much as interacting with it, particularly when it comes to their own parents.

cartman is a piece of shit, and while a lot of that comes from him and his own bigotry, he's still ultimately a kid in show and you can trace where some of his worst traits originate from in the people around him, even if he makes the personal decision to push it as much as humanly possible. i think the trend in recent seasons for many adults to try and at least appear more pc only makes this more obvious, actually (coughcoughrandy), though talking about that is maybe biting off a little more south park politics than i'm willing to chew for this particular post.

point is, cartman as a character in particular does not have a lot, if anything, to base his idea of what a healthy, happy romantic relationship looks like, which isn't only because liane is single though that may be a major contributing factor. love isn't work to cartman, it isn't about the maintenance of a relationship or communication or all the more realistic and slightly less pleasant parts of loving someone that hollywood doesn't find dramatic or interesting enough to show. rather it's a fantasy, something that happens to people that they have no real control over. i wouldn't be surprised if he believes in soulmates or love at first sight, even if the likelihood of him admitting that out loud isn't especially high.

on the other hand, i think his view of sexuality is greatly influenced by not just liane's sex work, but the way she is slut-shamed and treated like garbage by the rest of the town for it. i tend to view cartman as having a very transactional, cynical view of sex and sexuality, where sex is only used for personal gain (whether that be money or power, likely at the expense of someone else/the submissive party), and sexuality is an inherent character flaw, a weakness that must be overcome unless you are able to twist it and use it for your own (material?) benefit- see the streaming wars & cartman wanting his mom to seduce a rich man for money as a recent example of this.

it's a running gag in TFBW that cartman uses douchebag catching their dad fucking their mom as a tragic backstory, and doesn't seem to understand how reproduction actually works even when kyle basically says it straight to his fucking face. even as a joke, there's still a lot of underlying truth behind why he would believe this. cartman is aware of his mom's sex work, even if he may not want to fully admit/believe it, largely because of situations where he's specifically getting shit for it. he knows he has a father, and that he is (in)directly responsible for said father's horrible death & consumption, but he only really cares about that insofar as it means he's half ginger. sex has only ever been presented through its most vicious power dynamics to him- why would he see it as a good thing, as something that could ever be loving, especially when contrasted against such an idealized, purified view of romance?

(you could also extrapolate from this how cartman associates sexuality & romance with femininity & his brand of sexism to get some particularly delectable transfem cartman ideas, but i digress.)

ANYWAYS. this is all to say that cartman having a crush on kyle (or anyone, really, but kyle is obviously the most emotionally volatile example) instantly pits those two conflicting views against one another, like he wants something that he doesn't even think could ever exist: a happy, healthy romantic relationship, where sex is just a normal thing that they can choose to do or not. this is where a lot of kyman angst comes from for me, with cartman either trying to stuff that round desire back into the square hole of how he views the world, or having his ideals fall ever further apart when the feelings are unrequited. and, on top of that, none of this being actually said out loud because communication is impossible.

this is why i always see kyman as making each other worse, especially if they actually manage to make it into a romantic relationship. i simply Do Not see kyle being a patient enough person to help cartman work through the intricacies of all of his expectations and idealized fantasies and internalized fears surrounding such mutually screwed views of romance & sexuality- on the rare occasions that kyle does show some interest in romantic relationships it's usually pretty centered around himself, and to be frank i only see his interest in romance going down as he gets older.

i've heard some people talk about kyle before like he's the "moral compass" of south park or whatever and while that may be true by the end of the episode, one of the things i like most about him is the fact that he struggles so much to get to the best conclusions. this is kind of getting back into the k2 side of this analysis, but where kenny manages a much more effortless selflessness, even pushing it to the point of being both a strength and a flaw when kenny stops caring about himself for the sake of others, kyle is a lot more self-centered than he cares to admit and it influences a lot of his attempts at being a good person.

this is both my favorite aspect of kyle, that he really has to put in the work to be the good person that he wants to be, and also the primary bad trait that i think cartman brings out of kyle. by being such a notoriously horrible shithead, he gives kyle the perfect target to unleash his annoyance on, getting him so caught up in arguing and proving himself to be the better person that kyle forgets to actually listen to the people that he's supposed to be standing up for. cartman is a fantastic troll and, at least in show, kyle definitely has not learned to stop feeding him argument fodder yet.

sidenote: about kyman entering a romantic relationship... wasn't sure where to add this, but it's for this exact reason that i also see kyman (or this version of kyman where cartman gets worse with age, rather than better) only actually happening in the universes where kyle has lost all other meaningful connections, to the point that feeding a troll to get off on an argument is the best possible option, even if he's old enough to know better. especially if he's old enough to know better.

again, k2 is the opposite of this for me in that i see kyle & kenny as having a lot of potential to bring out the best in each other.

if kyle's worst trait is that he gets too caught up in his own feelings & desires to truly be the good, selfless, thoughtful person that he wants to be to actually do genuine good for the sake of others, kenny's problem is that he skews too far in the opposite direction. i kinda already said this, but to state it outright: kenny's biggest strength and his biggest flaw are the exact same, that he is selfless to a fault, to the point of consistently putting other people's safety and happiness above his own when he thinks it would be of help the majority/the people he loves. this was the key kenny trait that was established by the end of BL&U, and it has only gotten more prominent in the years since with his mysterion persona.

it is in this way that kenny both stands as someone that kyle can look up to & admire for how effortlessly he dedicates himself to the people he cares about the most, but also, simultaneously, as someone that kyle can take care of himself and offer the same help back to. and i don't even think kenny needs to say very much out loud to push kyle towards a lot of these conclusions, he kinda just has to exist and be noticed and kyle has the intelligence to figure it out himself, to recognize the shit that kenny puts himself through and his (usually) quite noble reasons for doing so, and want to offer him the same love and care and dedication that kenny never allows himself to have.

really, the difficult part of this is being noticed at all in the first place. again, i said earlier that k2 is kinda "miraculously requited," in my mind, specifically because the aspect that's missing in the show and almost always must be provided by fan content for k2 is that spark/push forward that gets them close enough to start talking and for kyle to notice kenny in the first place. it's just lucky that's one of my favorite things to figure out and write for those two, hehehe.

[vmbrq]

okay so I was reading your post answering abt ethan being tied up and blindfolded and HOLY. SHIT. 👀

but honestly I wanna see more of dom ethan. don’t get me wrong I love sub ethan but I feel like a guy like him would absolutely DESTROY (im being dramatic LMAO) you. like this boy is strong asf and he would definitely use that to his advantage!!!

in person he would be sweet, chill and shy. probably stuttering around you and blushing H.E.A.V.I.L.Y. but once he got you alone…

he’d pin you down to the bed and whisper things into your ear, knowing the power he has over you.

i also feel like ethan COULD be into kink. idk it’s just a feeling I have abt him…

ONE MORE THING

his arms. HIS ARMS. HIS ARMS ARE SO STRONG FOR WHAT? A dork like him has arms like that?!?!?!? man. i ain’t never wanted a guy so badly in my life…😭

I’m so embarrassed. 😭😭😭

literally don't be embarrassed because you and i are in the same boat LMAOO and there's just smth so interesting about exploring the potentials of both sides of his personality. bc the way he yanked anika up off the floor and onto her feet with one arm? oh my god????? he's so strong????

in public and in non-sexual situations, he's all about forehead kisses and linking pinkies and flushes pink and laughs when you compliment him bc he doesn't quite know how to react yet. but i am also frothing at the MOUTH at the thought of him flipping the script in private LIKE???? HELLO????

it may have taken him a while, but he'd already be aware of how your brain just kinda melts whenever he shows off his physique in any way, such as lifting heavy objects from your hands to carry them instead, carrying you whenever you're too tired to move or your feet hurt too badly to walk, or even when he idly rubs his hand over his opposite bicep when he's lost in thought or stretches his arms above his head.

mentions of smut under cut ; minors dni

so when he finds out that it extends to the bedroom, he doesn't shy away from utilizing it every now and then. his physical prowess makes an appearance whenever you're burnt out or completely drained but still needing a release, the muscles in his shoulders and back flexing as he pins your body down or keeps your thighs pried apart so you can't escape the pleasure he gives you. all you have to do is let yourself go and give yourself over to him, and he'll make sure all you can do is lay there and take it.

but aside from that, tbh he would also do it just because he can. you honestly don't stand a chance against him in a competition of strength, but he thinks it's cute if you still try to squirm or push back against his grip to try to overpower him. he's heavy, pressing you right where he wants you, and you can't do anything about it. the little power trip emboldens him, and whether you've freely relinquished control or are still attempting to resist, he's talking. he rambles right in your ear, commenting on how well you're taking him and how pretty you look under him and how you want it so badly, he couldn't pull out even if he wanted to.

[mint-yooxgi]

{14} - Morning Mist - Yandere!Dragon!Ateez X Chubby!Reader

Yandere AU & Dragon AU

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst

Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Focus on Yeosang and Yunho)

Words: 8,901

Warnings: Allusion to assault/boundaries not being respected. Violence/Fighting. Brief moments of fatphobia and homophobia near the end (not done by any of the guys). I think that's all, honestly. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: Oof, it's really been forever since I've updated this series... my apologies for that! Honestly, I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I might focus a bit of my attention to getting out a few more parts of this series over the next few weeks or so, but that's still to be decided. Anyways, a bit of a nicer, longer chapter update for you guys. I really hope you all like it! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Also, gentle reminder that I do not do tag lists.

Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Chapter Eleven - Chapter Twelve - Chapter Thirteen - Mini Masterlist

“Good morning.” A soft smile tugs at your lips as you greet the two males already waiting for you at the entrance to your village. 

As soon as they hear your voice, they’re both turning to face you. A satchel is slung over your one shoulder, the material a deep green in colour as you adjust the strap lightly.

“Morning.” The corner of Yunho’s lips twitch upwards.

All you receive from Yeosang in a stiff nod in response.

Perhaps he’s not a morning person.

“Ready to go?” You inquire, looking between them both.

A grunt is all you receive from the shorter male as the taller of the two nods in response. You quirk a brow.

The first few steps down the path and out of the village are silent, each male settling in on either side of you.

“Have you both eaten this morning?” You inquire casually.

“Joong wouldn’t let us leave unless we had something.” Yunho hums in acknowledgement. “He’s always looking out for us in that way.”

The corners of your lips twitch upwards as you nod faintly, “He’s a good clan leader.”

Little do you see the way Yeosang’s one eye twitches at your words.

“Have you eaten?” Yunho’s tone is light, sparing a glance at you out of the corner of his eyes as you continue down the path.

“I’m not much of a breakfast person.” You reply, a simple shrug to your shoulders.

“You should eat something.” Yeosang’s first words to you this morning are terse, the male staring straight ahead.

“I will. When I’m hungry.” The corner of your lips twitch upwards in amusement.

“How far is it to Rose Village?” Yunho asks, keeping pace with you as he spares a glance over at his brother on your opposite side.

“About a forty minute walk,” you hum. “Five, if we were to fly.”

“So, we’re walking because…?” Yeosang’s brow furrows, finally turning to you for the first time today.

“You should learn to not always rely on your wings,” You reply, somewhat stiffly. This time, it’s you who doesn’t meet either of their gazes as you stare straight ahead. “You may not always be able to use them.”

“Well, I think utilizing our legs will be good for us.” Yunho grins, purposefully stretching his arms above his head. “It’s nice to get out of the house every now and then.”

“Yes, the world is quite beautiful, if you’re brave enough to explore it.” You hum in agreement. “It has much to both offer and to teach us.”

You see understanding pass over both male’s features.

“Hwa told Joong that you said you’re willing to begin training us?” Yunho attempts not to look too eager, but there’s a certain gleam in his eyes that you still pick up on.

“If you are all still willing to be taught-“

“Yes.” Yeosang clears his throat, noting the way both you and Yunho immediately turn to look at him. “Please.”

“Very well.” You smile faintly. “When would you like to begin?”

“As soon as possible, if that’s alright with you.” Yunho responds, a sudden giddiness to his steps.

“That can be arranged.” You nod once, firmly. “We can start now, if you’d like?”

“While we’re walking?” Yunho’s brow furrows.

“While we’re walking.” You confirm. “Though, I must say, learning is a collaboration, so you shouldn’t hoard what I teach you to yourselves. You’ll never grow as a clan that way.”

Yeosang’s breath catches slightly in his throat. “We understand.”

“No wonder San and Wooyoung have been so eager to share your teachings with us,” Yunho mumbles.

“My rule of thumb is: if you can teach someone else what you’ve learned after you’ve learnt it, then you understand the lesson being taught.” You say, adjusting the strap of your bag over your shoulder lightly. “Everyone learns differently, and of course you can cater specifics to your own needs, but the base is usually the same.”

“You’ve been saying this whole time that you wouldn’t teach us, but you have been.” Yeosang observes. “Through them.”

“I take no credit for what you’ve learned from your brothers.” You shake your head. “That’s all from them.”

“Hwa’s got some catching up to do…” Yunho sighs, an amused quirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Something tells me that both him and Canary Man are getting the rundown on everything while we’re gone today.” You hum, somewhat knowingly.

“I don’t know how you did it, but there seems to have been a shift in Seonghwa over the past few days. Ever since he came back home from seeing you, it seems as if he’s calmer.” Yunho states, his gaze darting to you once more.

“All it takes is one moment of kindness to show you a new perspective on life,” you smile softly. “I simply extended a hand out to him, just as I wish someone did for me when I was in that situation. He was the one that accepted the offer.”

“When you were in that situation?” Yeosang is quick to catch on to your words.

“Your eldest and I are a lot more alike than you think.” You tell them. “I was in the exact same place as he was, once. I almost lost myself, and he could have, too. I’ll be damned if I ever let anyone go through what I went through without helping them.”

“You’re wise beyond your years.” Yunho praises.

“You make me sound so old,” your nose scrunches in distaste.

Yeosang actually lets out a puff of laughter at the way Yunho begins sputtering out apologies. 

“I’m just teasing you, Young One.” You chuckle. “I appreciate the compliment, all the same.”

The tips of his ears begin to turn red as he clamps his mouth shut.

Yeosang clears his throat. “Our training?”

“Ah, yes,” you nod. “How would you like to begin?”

“Shouldn’t you decide that for us?” Yunho quirks a brow, managing to get his bashfulness under control for the moment.

“I don’t want to be teaching you stuff you already know.” You shrug. “I’ve never seen you in a fight, nor do I know how strong your senses have become since the first time we met.”

“I thought you knew everything.” Yeosang blinks, almost innocently at you.

You laugh, “Not everything, Yeosang.”

You swear you see a shiver caress his spine as you say his name.

“Well, what do you know of our powers?” Yunho asks, nothing but curiosity shining in his eyes.

“If you’re incurring whether or not I know what type of dragon you are, Yunho, then you should be specific.” You shoot him a small look. “Speak of your own desires before you assume to know someone else’s.”

He swallows thickly. “Then, do you?”

“Do I, what?” You press, quirking a brow all the while.

“Know what type of powers I possess?”

“I do.” You hum.

He frowns, “How?”

You smile, almost tenderly. “Your youngest seems to enjoy talking about all of you to me as much as he enjoys talking about me to you.”

You hear Yeosang take in a deep breath beside you, almost exasperatedly.

“So, Jongho told you.” Yunho nods his understanding.

“For the most part,” you tighten your grip on the strap of your bag. “I can sense more than presences if I focus, you know.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Yunho breathes, a wondrous look shining in his eyes as he looks at you.

Yeosang lets out another puff of air.

“Quite a few things, actually,” you confirm with an amused grin. “But that’s not important right now.”

“So, then,” Yunho hums, his body half turning more towards you in eagerness, “What’s my power?”

Nothing but mirth dances within your gaze as you see Yunho practically vibrating with excitement as he continues to walk alongside you. Yeosang seems to have slowed slightly, his shoulders curling in on himself as he crosses his arms over his chest. A small frown pulls at his features, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say he looks irritated.

You meet Yunho’s gaze.

“Earth.” You state. “Rather, the minerals that fill the ground.”

Yunho smiles, nodding quite enthusiastically along with your words.

“It’s very fitting,” you add. “From what some of your brothers tell me, you are quite a stable rock in their lives.”

His blush returns, Yunho suddenly wiping his palms on the sides of his thighs bashfully. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” you chuckle. “Thank your brothers.”

Yunho spares a brief glance at Yeosang, noticing how the aforementioned male looks so irate.

“What’s the matter, Yeo?” Yunho’s head tilts slightly in worry. “You were probably the second most excited after San when we learned she would teach us.”

At this, your brow quirks.

Heat immediately flares to Yeosang’s cheeks, the male avoiding your gaze as he mumbles out a ‘just tired.’

“Well, it is quite early,” you hum in agreement. “We’ll be at Rose Village soon, anyways.”

“Is there anything we can practice while we walk?” Yunho inquires eagerly.

“Hone your senses.” You reply, almost instantly. At the way they both spare a curious look at you, you’re quick to continue, “You’ve been doing so already, that much I can tell. However, it isn’t enough. You,” turning your sharp gaze to the side, you meet Yeosang’s eyes, “should be able to sense things with the breeze for miles. It should get to the point where you don’t even need to expel any excess energy to do so; it should become second nature.”

He nods, eyes sharpening as he focusses on sensing the wind almost immediately after you stop talking.

“And you,” you turn your pointed stare to Yunho who straightens almost immediately, “should be able to sense the vibrations in the earth as to where your enemies are. Know your surroundings; hone your senses.”

“How do we know if we’re doing it properly?” Yeosang questions, his lips slightly pursed in concentration.

“You will feel as if you’ve become one with your surroundings.” You reply. “Having the powers you do helps tremendously, for when the time is right, such elements will feel as if they are speaking to you. Train your ears to notice the slightest of sounds. Train yourself to notice every scent in an area, and pick up on when they shift even the faintest bit. Trust your senses, and rely on your instincts. You’ll soon begin to notice things that were never there before.”

“And we’re supposed to do this while walking?” Yeosang frowns.

“The constant sound of our feet crunching the gravel is a good practice for a monotonous sound.” You go on to say. “It is repetitive, so you should be able to drown it out. You won’t always have time to gather your bearings while standing still. Search for the abnormalities within the constant, and you’ll master your senses much quicker.”

“I think I get it,” Yunho nods, almost absentmindedly.

“I know you’ve both already been expanding your sensory reach.” You comment. “It’s time to take it a step further. I have faith in the both of you. Don’t just think,” your eyes flash briefly as your head whips to the side, a bird taking off from a branch in the next second, “feel.”

Two nods are all you receive in response as the males begin to thoroughly concentrate on their surroundings. You can tell how intently they’re focussing, for they stare straight ahead, standing to their full heights as they continue down the path with you.

A small breeze picks up, and you can feel the ground beneath your feet beginning to hum with life.

“Good,” you nod casually. “Once you both feel as if you have a better understanding of our surroundings, let me know. I’ll test you.”

“Test us?” Yeosang’s head tilts curiously.

“I’ll start easy on you,” you grin, a knowing gleam in your eyes. “For example, there’s a squirrel somewhere close by. Find it.”

Both of their heads whip off to the right, a brow squirrel running down the side of a tree in the next second.

“Good.” You nod approvingly. “This is exactly what I mean. Everything is interconnected, and by the time you hone your sense, nothing will escape you.”

They both nod, soft smiles pulling at their features.

“This is also a good way to discern what you need to work on to hide yourselves better.” You continue. “Scent, sound, sight: everything can both work for you, or against you.”

“Now that you mention it, I can smell you a lot more, Yeo.” Yunho’s nose scrunches.

A small laugh escapes you, and you see the aforementioned male’s cheeks dusting red.

“Yeah, well, the sound of your footfalls are like a giant upon the earth.” Yeosang snaps back.

Again, you chuckle, noticing how Yunho’s ears begin to turn red once more.

“See, these are things you both can work on to hide yourselves better.” You spare a glance at both of them. “If you really want to test yourselves, ask Jaemin to track you. He’s the best of our clan.”

You do not fail to miss the way they both stiffen at your words.

“I don’t know,” Yeosang grimaces slightly, shooting a pointed look towards Yunho. “Wouldn’t want to stink him out.”

“If you’re worried if you smell or not, you don’t.” You reply, noticing how he falters slightly in his steps. “You actually have quite a pleasant musk, like fresh juniper and oak.”

Instantly, Yeosang’s spine straightens, puffing his chest out slightly as the corner of his lips tug upwards smugly.

Yunho, on the other hand, begins to pout.

“We’re almost there,” you comment, motioning ahead on the path with your chin.

Glancing forward, the two males can just make out the entranceway of Rose Village. Flowers surround the grand archway, and faintly, they can both begin to smell the pungent aromas drifting through the air.

“Who’s a better tracker, then? You, or Jaemin?” Yunho attempts to change the subject, if only slightly.

Your knowing smile says it all. “Do not forget that I was the one who taught him everything he knows.”

“Then, we should just ask you to track us.” Yeosang replies.

You shake your head. “You’ll never learn that way, and I won’t always be around to train you. My Neos are your best options if you even want to attempt to best me at anything.”

“Which is why you sent Woo and San to Ten and Taeil to start.” Yeosang hums in understanding.

“Exactly.” You nod in confirmation. “You should partner up with them if you want to learn how to better utilize your powers. If you want to hone your strength, ask Jeno to train you. He’s our strongest fighter.”

“Something tells me we’ll have to go through them before we can even get to you.” Yunho spares a look at you out of the corner of his eyes.

You meet his gaze, the corners of your lips twitching upwards.

“We’re here,” you pause just before the archway, observing the village with such a fond look in your eyes as you see people milling about just through the entrance. “Continue to hone your sense, you never know what you might learn.”

Without saying another word, you enter the village.

A smile pulls onto your features as you take in your surroundings. Many different stalls have been set up, lining the paths with different vendors selling their wares. There’s a fruit stand off to the side, a few different herb sellers, and multiple florists all chatting with potential customers.

Walking through the main road, you cannot help the wondrous shine in your eyes as you observe the daily lives of the townsfolk. That feeling of nostalgia that floods your senses almost serves to overwhelm you, your one hand tightening its grip on the strap of your satchel.

Little do you see the fond looks either dragon send your way.

“This way.” You voice lowly, shifting almost wistfully through the throngs of people towards the very back of the street.

Reaching the end of the row, the area opens up into a large square with a beautiful trickling fountain in the centre. Vines creep up the sides of the buildings, more flowers blooming from every angle and filling the space with vibrant colours of pink, purple, red, and orange.

There’s almost a renewed giddiness to your steps as you round a corner, more vendors lining the street. Your steps are precise and steady, heading directly to a specific counter right at the end of the row.

Silently, the two males follow but a step behind.

Two females can be seen conversing behind the stall counter. Both are quite tall in stature with dark skin. One wears her hair in tight braids, the tips resting just below her shoulders. The other has shorter hair, tight curls adorning the strands. Around their stand, three rambunctious children - two girls, one male - can be seen running around, hitting each other with different flower stalks.

Stopping in her tracks, one of the children seems to take notice of you approaching the stand. A large, dramatic gasp escapes her, causing her siblings and mothers to turn their heads in your direction.

“Auntie!” The little girl squeals, immediately running over to you with her arms outstretched.

The two males share a look as you wrap the little girl in your arms, picking her up and hugging her tightly as she giggles loudly.

“My goodness, you’ve gotten so big!” You grin, holding her against your hip as she rests her hands on your shoulders.

“What about me!” The other little girl says, tugging at your shirt lightly as she stands beside you.

“Yeah!” The little boy adds, standing tall with his hands on his hips. “It’s not fair you always pick up Delilah first!”

“Well, I do have two arms, Marcus,” you chuckle, shifting Delilah over slightly so you can pat his head affectionately.

Just as you go to reach for him, he runs away.

“No, wait! I’m too old for you to be picking me up!” He whines, hiding behind the stall counter with his parents.

“I’m not!” The other little girl says, running right into your arms so you can pick her up.

A moment later, and you’ve hoisted her into your free arm, giggles falling from her lips as she places a big kiss onto your cheek.

“It’s good to see you again,” the woman with the braids smiles kindly, an overtly affectionate look shining in her eyes as she stares at the scene before her.

“We’ve all missed you.” The other woman says, standing just a smidge taller than her wife beside her.

“I’ve missed you all, too.” You return their fond looks, nuzzling your forehead affectionately against the girl’s own.

They giggle in response, Delilah leaning into you further.

“Auntie, did you bring us anything?” She inquires innocently, blinking at you all the while.

“You know I always do.” You chuckle fondly, placing both girls back on their feet for the time being. “Jungwoo was very adamant about me giving these to you.”

“Oh, they’re from Uncle Jungwoo?” Marcus’ eyes instantly light up, coming back around the counter to stand before you.

Sliding the strap of the bag off your shoulder, you open the satchel. Reaching inside, you pull out three small wooden figurines. The deer you hand to Delilah, the eagle to Marcus, and the little dragon figurine you hand to the final little girl.

“Wow,” she gasps, nothing but pure awe in her eyes as she turns the figure around and around in her hands.

“Minnie, what do we say to your Auntie?” The woman with the braids smiles knowingly.

Immediately, the girl looks up into your eyes, a bright smile on her lips, “Thank you, Auntie!”

You chuckle, “Don’t thank me, thank your Uncle Jungwoo.”

“Auntie,” Marcus begins lowly, leaning into you as if discussing something secret. His eyes briefly dart past you to the two males still standing silently behind you. “Are you cheating on Uncle Jungwoo?”

A boisterous laugh escapes both you and the two females still standing behind the counter.

“Oh, no, Marcus,” you pat his arm assuringly. “Your Uncle Jungwoo and I are not together.”

“So, then, are these your new boyfriends?” Minnies ask, walking up to Yunho and tugging on the side of his pants. “Are you married to my Auntie now?”

You swear Yunho’s eyes nearly bulge right out of his head as he splutters over his own words.

“No, Minnie,” you chuckle, “We’re not married.”

“Why not?” Minnie turns back to you, blinking almost owlishly.

“Minnie, relationships don’t work like that,” the taller of the two ladies shakes her head endearingly.

“But you and mommy are married!” She scurries over to the both of them.

“That’s because we’ve known each other for a very long time.” The woman answers.

“Uncle Jungwoo and Auntie have known each other for a very long time.” Marcus voices.

“Not as long as Uncle Renjun, or Uncle Taeyong, though.” Delilah adds, matter-of-factly.

“My Neos are like family to me,” you explain softly. “Like my brothers.”

“What about Uncle Kun?” Minnie asks innocently.

“Children, that’s enough.” A sharp look is given to the three of them by the woman with the braids.

“It’s alright, Kamille.” You smile, but it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. You crouch down so you’re eye level with Minnie. “Uncle Kun finally found his special someone, and I’m happy for him. We agreed to just stay friends.”

“His loss,” the taller of the two mumbles.

“Trisha,” a sharp look is sent her way by you.

She shrugs, “Just saying.”

“Auntie! We have something for you!” Delilah exclaims excitedly, scurrying into the house behind the stall with the other two children in tow as they all remember their gifts for you.

You stand back to your full height, a curious quirk to your one brow.

The two women offer you knowing looks in response. Except, once they see what each of the children hold on their way back out of the house, they attempt to stop them. Only, they don’t manage to catch them.

“Mommy said these were your favourites, once.” Minnie extends a few flowers out to you, both Marcus and Delilah standing on either side of her doing the same.

Your breath catches in your throat as you see the children each holding out a few stems of bluebells to you with smiles on their faces.

A soft call of your name from Kamille sounds from behind the children. “We’re so sorry, we told them-“

“Did you grow these yourselves?” You cut her off, not even sparing her a look as your eyes begin to water.

Three proud nods greet your blurry vision, and your first tear falls. Softly, you grab the flowers from their hands.

“Look at you three!” You smile through the pain in your heart which suffocates you from the inside out. “You’ll be giving your mother’s a run for their money pretty soon. These flowers are beautiful!”

Happy giggles reach your ears, the girls twirling eagerly from side to side as Marcus avoids your gaze.

“Okay, children, why don’t you go grab some snacks for all of us at the bakery.” Trisha grabs a few coins and hands then to Marcus. “We have some things to talk about with your Aunt, here.”

“Okay!” Three cheers are heard as they all rush off down the street, disappearing into the crowd.

“I’ll go with them.” Yunho offers, already following after the three children.

Kamille simply raises an eyebrow.

“He heard the word ‘bakery,’ and now that’s all he can think about.” Yeosang sighs.

“I don’t blame him,” you wipe your tears from your cheeks, gazing almost longingly down at the bouquet of bluebells in your hand. “Rose Village bakery is one of the best around for miles. Seeing as he bakes, he probably wants to check it out.”

“Ah, found yourself a baker this time, have you?” Trisha jokes.

“I haven’t found myself anything.” You shake your head, a slight huff escaping you.

Both women finally step out from behind their little stall.

“It’s good to see you again,” Kamille says as she wraps her arms around you, making sure to avoid your back all the while.

“We weren’t lying when we said we’ve missed you,” this time, it’s Trisha’s turn to wrap you in her arms, hugging you tightly as you do the same back.

“I’ve missed you, too.” You pat her back affectionately.

“I thought you said you were going to come visit more often,” Kamille shoots you a playfully accusatory look.

“Yes, well,” you chuckle, motioning to Yeosang with your eyes, “Some things came up.”

“Oh, where are our manners?” Kamille immediately turns to the single dragon by your side. “I’m Kamille, and this is Trisha. We’re the Delaris’. Those three you saw earlier are our kids, Marcus, Delilah, and Minnie.”

Yeosang bows respectfully, introducing himself and his brother in the next moment.

“Yes, we’ve heard whispers about you Halas.” Trisha crosses her arms over her chest, a minor quirk to her brow.

“How did you-“

“The forest speaks in many tongues.” Kamille replies easily, moving behind her stall and rummaging around in a bin.

“You’re dragons?” Yeosang sounds more surprised than he figures he should be at this point.

“Not quite.” Trisha grins knowingly.

“They’re my oldest caster friends.” You explain, placing the flowers onto the counter before you.

Understanding passes across his features.

“Seriously, we cannot apologize enough about the flowers,” Trisha grimaces, her arms falling back to her sides.

“It’s alright,” you smile weakly. “At least they weren’t daisies.”

“But these were meant to replace daisies with-“

“Trisha!” Kamille’s sharp voice cuts her wife off as she pops back up behind the stand.

Both women spare a worried look in your direction, only serving to make Yeosang even more confused than he already is. At the pained expression you wear, nothing but concern pulls at his features, stepping the slightest bit closer to you. All he wants to do is ease your distress in whatever ways he can, his earlier irritation long since forgotten now.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve received bluebells from anyone.” You say, voice barely above a whisper. Gently, one of your fingers traces over a bloom. “They don’t grow on this side of the fjord. Naturally, at least.”

“We haven’t sensed any of them crossing over in quite a long time.” Kamille comments.

“They shouldn’t.” You meet her gaze, your eyes flashing. “Nor will they ever again.”

“What about Bokkie?” Trisha’s brow furrows slightly.

You simply shake your head in response.

Yeosang frowns.

“Anyways,” Kamille clears her throat. “I take it you’re here for your usual order?”

“I can’t come to see my old friends?” You tease.

“Hey!” Trisha protests. “We’re not that old!”

“You’re almost as old as I am.” You chuckle, your eyes crinkling at the sides.

“Give or take about a hundred years.” Kamille mumbles, a playful roll to her eyes.

Yeosang’s eyes widen in shock.

“Oh, you’ve gone and stunned the poor baby dragon.” Trisha tuts, turning to meet Yeosang’s gaze in the next second. “Us witches know quite a few tricks to staying youthful, you know.”

“Of course, it helps to keep your nose out of trouble.” Kamille adds.

“You two, staying out of trouble?” You quirk a brow. “Unlikely.”

The two women share a look.

“Guilty.” Trisha chuckles, shooting a wink in your direction. “Now, come with me and I’ll help you get those herbs you like so much.”

A simple nod is all you offer her in response, following her into the house and chatting idly as you leave Yeosang with Kamille.

“Are you sure the kid is going to be okay with Kami by himself?” Trisha asks from over her shoulder.

“I heard that!” Kamille calls after you both.

You chuckle, “I’m quite certain Yeosang can handle himself.

Little do you see how the aforementioned male straightens slightly, the corner of his lip twitching upwards faintly.

“Alright,” Trisha chuckles, guiding you into the back room of the house where their rarer herbs reside. “Well, as always, you’re welcome to anything and everything you’d like.”

“I literally cannot thank you enough,” you smile, already harvesting some thistle wart from its pot. “Oh, actually, before I forget, I brought something for the two of you, as well.”

Pausing in your movements, you reach into your satchel once more and pull out two leather-bound books, and two small carved crystals.

“I finished compiling that tome you asked me the last time, and I think you’ll enjoy the other one, too. The crystals are a gift from me to you, as a thank you for everything you two have done.” You place each item carefully into her own hands. “They’re also good luck charms.”

Trisha places both books onto a side table before carefully examining the carved crystals. One is in the shape of an obelisk, symbols carved along its side. The other is smooth like a river stone, perfectly oval in shaped. Both are milky white in colour, and her eyes flash with understanding.

“Thank you,” she bows deeply before wrapping you in another hug. “You’ve always done more for this family than we deserve.”

“Nonsense,” you shake your head, holding her at arms length once she pulls away. “You guys are my family, not just My Neos.”

“Then, you know if you ever need anything, all you need to do is ask, right?” She quirks a brow at you.

“Of course.” You nod, quite firmly at her. “Know that the same is true of me with you.”

Trisha returns your smile.

A moment later, and you return to harvesting the plants scattered around the room.

“So, are you going to tell us about you and those Hala dragons of yours?” She inquires, somewhat knowingly.

“There’s nothing major, really.” You shrug, placing some herbs into your satchel. “I consider them my friends, for my part.”

“There hasn’t been a raid from them since they attempted to harm your village.” She observes, and at your mildly surprised look, she clarifies, “Renjun’s been by a few times with Johnny.”

“Has he, now?” Understanding crosses your features. “Well, they’ve certainly calmed themselves since I’ve met them.”

“Any of which your doing?” She leans against the side table, tilting her head in your direction.

“I do not control other’s actions.” Comes your quick reply, but even she can tell you’re now avoiding her gaze.

“Normally Taeyong joins you on a day like today.” She observes. “Yet, two Halas are here instead. Either he knows something we don’t, or he’s currently on his deathbed.”

“If you’re suggesting Taeyong set me up, you’d sadly be mistaken.” You reply, glancing up at her from the plant you’re currently harvesting. “The two of them simply convinced him to let them take his place. Which reminds me… Yongie said he wanted some more of your roses, if you’d be so kind.”

“I’ll let Kamille know,” Trisha hums, watching you carefully.

A moment of silence.

“I’m going to train them.”

Trisha blinks at you in shock. She clears her throat, “Are you sure?”

“I said I would.” Comes your resolute answer.

“You haven’t offered to train anyone since the Wolves-“

“I know.” You cut her off, exhaling a deep sigh as you stand back to your full height. “I can’t keep living my life in the shadow of his betrayal, Trish. I’m tired of letting it control me.”

“This is about more than just training, isn’t it?” Her tone is soft as she takes a step towards you, placing a gentle hand onto the side of your arm in comfort.

“It’s been over fifty years, Trish-“ your voice catches in your throat as she begins rubbing your arm soothingly. Tears begin to gather once more in your eyes, your own hands clinging desperately to the strap of your satchel. “I don’t want to watch my life pass by from the outside anymore. I want to start living again, and maybe-“ you swallow thickly, “maybe even learn to love again.”

She smiles softly at you, giving your arm a light squeeze.

“And honestly, Trisha,” you suck in a sharp breath, “I’m terrified. I want to believe him- I want to believe in him so badly, it hurts, but I don’t know if I can. And then what happened with Kun…” You trail off. “I can’t go through another-“ you choke on a sob, “I can’t-“

“I know, sweetie,” she coos, shushing you all the while as she wraps you in her embrace. “I know.”

“The most terrifying thought, though, is that I am.” You whisper lowly. “I am starting to believe him.”

“The one outside?” Her brow furrows slightly.

“No, his brother.” You shake your head.

“The baker?”

“No, their youngest.” You clarify.

A noise of understanding echoes in her throat.

“Why do you-“

“I think it’s more than just the youngest that’s making you believe.” She observes. “Sure, he may have been the catalyst, but I know you. Even you would have had a difficult time agreeing to let anyone but Taeyong come with you to see us today. Hell, even bringing them to this festival is something you would have denied to anyone whom you didn’t trust.”

You take a moment to consider her words. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you what you should do. Only you can decide that for yourself.” She says, pulling away to stare deeply into your eyes. “What I can tell you is this: you are not the same person you were all those years ago. You know both Kami and I strongly believe in things always happening for a reason, and perhaps what happened with Kun was meant to happen so you could find them. Perhaps letting yourself believe won’t be such a bad thing.”

You nod lightly.

“Besides, I can sense the magic of this youngest’s Drygg Promise all over you.” She tilts her head knowingly. “It’s the strongest, most sincere form of magic I’ve ever seen from anybody. Even from you.”

“He is quite convincing.” You chuckle fondly.

“Convincing, or sincere?” She squeezes your arm once more. “Come on, the kids should be back by now.”

“I’ll be out in a minute, I just have a few more herbs to get.” You tell her, noticing how she begins to head towards the front.

A call of her name from you stops her.

“Thank you.” You meet her gaze, clearing your throat lightly as you compose yourself. “For everything.”

Trisha smiles. “You know we’re always here for you. I think it’s time you let some new people in, as well.”

Without another word, or waiting for a response from you for that matter, she leaves back out through the front door.

Perhaps she’s right. Maybe it is time for you to allow yourself to grow and let go of your past.

Finally, you think you’re ready to move on.

Stepping back out of the house a few minutes later, you see both women conversing with Yeosang. The tips of his ears are dusted a faint red, and even you can see the way he seemingly lights up as soon as he sees you.

“There you are,” Kamille nudges your side gently as you come to stand beside her. “Yeosang was worried you got lost.”

“I was not!” His eyes widen, greatly scandalized by Kamille’s words.

“Right.” Trisha laughs. “And you weren’t just thinking about storming past us to make sure she was still alive.”

The way he begins to splutter says it all.

“It’s okay,” Trisha pats him affectionately on his arm. “We know the signs all too well.”

“What signs?” Yeosang shifts his gaze between them, a confused, almost defensive furrow to his brow.

The two women share a look. “Denial.”

“The kids aren’t back yet?” You cut in, glancing around the area briefly and not seeing them, or a much taller male in sight.

“Not yet,” Kamille shakes her head, a worried pull to her lips downwards.

“Not that we don’t trust your brother,” Trisha adds, sparing a brief look at Yeosang, “but they should have been back by now.”

Your head tilts, and you notice Yeosang’s does, too.

“Mommy!” A cry is heard just through the crowd, and you see both Delilah and Marcus pushing their way through the throngs of people.

Immediately, you intercept the two children, their parents at your side.

“What’s wrong?” A frown is prominent on Kamille’s face as she picks Delilah up.

“Where’s Minnie?” Trisha is quick to grab ahold of Marcus who clings onto her side.

“That new bakery lady won’t leave Yuyu alone.” Delilah pouts.

“She’s worse than when you and mom start making kissey faces at one another.” Marcus’ nose scrunches in distaste.

“Minnie’s trying to save him, but it’s not working.” Delilah adds.

“I thought Rylie was married.” Kamille says, more to herself than anything.

“I’m sure Yunho can handle a few flirtatious comments sent his way.” Yeosang chuckles. “It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.”

“He popular like that, or something?” Trisha quirks a brow, somewhat teasingly.

“Or something.” Yeosang grumbles.

“Didn’t take you to be one to get jealous,” you hum, and you notice how his cheeks begin to dust pink for the nth time today.

“I’m not jealous.” He grumbles, gaze flicking over to you every now and then.

“Mom!” Delilah whines. “This is serious! Yuyu is in big trouble!”

“We’ll go check it out. Don’t worry.” You assure them.

“Hurry!” Marcus begins to tug Trisha down the street. “There’s bad energy coming from him.”

The three of you share a look.

Almost instantly, you and the two witches take off down the row, pushing your way through the crowd.

“What’s going on?” Yeosang manages to just keep pace with you.

“Marcus can sense shifts in energies, it’s his specialty ever since he was small. If he gets a bad feeling, almost always something bad will happen.” You explain quickly. “Your brother may be in danger.”

Rounding a street corner, the crowd thins slightly. You can see the awning of the bakery in sight, and you hurry your pace, the others following behind.

The bell above the shop door jingles as you six enter the shop. The owner, Nina, sends you a warm smile from her chair behind the counter. Once she adjusts her glasses, she’s offering you a friendly wave in recognition. Age, it seems, is catching up with her. 

You have just enough time to wave back before your attention is drawn to the side where you see Yunho backed into a corner, the new girl - Rylie - holding him hostage with her arm beside his shoulder. The way she’s leaning into him, and his stiff demeanour, says it all.

“Mommy!” Winnie scoots out from between them, panic clear on her features.

Kamille is quick to embrace the girl, cooing at her to calm her down.

“Rylie.” Trisha’s stern call of her name has the women sighing dramatically before turning her head slightly in acknowledgement.

Still, she does not move from her position.

“What?” Nothing but irritation lines her voice as her gaze flicks over to your little group.

“Tell her to stop bothering Uncle Yuyu!” Winnie crosses her arms, frown prominent on her features.

Your eyebrows raise slightly at the name she calls him, mirth dancing on your features.

“You heard the little lady.” You address the woman before you, noticing how she purposefully trails her gaze over you in disgust.

“If he wanted me to stop, he would have pushed me away by now.” She retorts, rather pointedly.

“Actually, I’ve been asking you to give me space this whole time-“

“Shhh,” she turns quickly, placing a finger over his lips as she leans into him. “You don’t have to lie to save her pride. I know I’m a better match for you than she is.”

You blink, not being able to keep the appalled expression off of your features. Honestly, you’re more amused than anything, but you contain your laugh of disbelief for now.

You share a look with both Kamille and Trisha. You smirk.

If this is how this woman wants to play, then you’ll gladly succumb to her games.

“What makes you think I enjoy the company of men?” You quirk a brow, beginning to slowly step towards this woman. The way your suddenly hooded gaze remains locked on her has her faltering for a moment. “You caught my eye since I first stepped foot in this little bakery, here.”

“What are you doing?” Her brow furrows, and she takes a step back and away from Yunho as you creep closer.

“It seems to me you enjoy assertive people.” You continue to approach, backing her into the corner and away from Yunho. “I’m just emanating you.”

“Don’t come near me.” She pushes herself against the wall.

You stop in your tracks, leaving a good two feet of distance between your body and hers. You blink at her in curiosity, tilting your head all the same.

“If you wanted me to stop, you would push me away.” You throw her words back at her, making sure never to lay a single finger on her the whole while.

“Just leave me alone.” She spits.

“To be clear, you’re asking me to stop?” You inquire, staring straight into her eyes expectantly.

“Yes!” She hisses. “Do you not understand the word ‘no’?”

Your eyebrows raise, but you remain silent. Your expression says it all.

A scowl is pulling at her features in the next moment as she pushes past you, knocking into your shoulder quite harshly. “Fucking bitch.”

The sound of the bell jingling above the door is the only indication you have that she’s left.

“Oh, I suppose it is time for her break.” Nina hums, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“Seriously, Nina,” Kamille sighs. “You should find better employees.”

The old woman either doesn’t hear her, or chooses not to answer as she begins humming a soft tune to herself.

You shake you head, turning to face Yunho in the next second. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” his reply is somewhat breathless as he stares at you, blinking to clear his vision soon after. He clears his throat, seemingly coming back to reality. “Yeah.”

Winnie immediately runs over to Yunho, grabbing his hand in hers.

“Uncle Yuyu, you promised to buy us flowers!” She begins tugging him towards the entrance.

You quirk a brow, “Upgraded to Uncle now, are you?”

He grins, a red creeping onto his ears. “It was all them.”

Out of the corner of your eyes, you notice Yeosang pouting.

“Hey kids, why don’t you drag Uncle Yeo along with you, too.” The corner of your lips twitch upwards knowingly.

“Okay!” Delilah immediately rushes over to Yeosang, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the door now, too.

“Have fun!” You wave them off, seeing as Marcus now holds the door open for them all.

The moment the door swings shut, the three of you breathe a sigh of relief.

“Crisis averted.” Kamille sighs, sitting herself down in one of the chairs nearest to her.

“Rylie has been a piece of work since she started here last month.” Trisha sits opposite Kamille, you joining them quickly.

“She new to town?” You inquire, noting how quiet the bakery is for a day like today.

“Yeah, her and her husband moved here about two months ago. She’s stirring up trouble wherever she goes, and we usually have to clean up the mess.” Trisha frowns. “Flirts with every male she sees, then usually her husband steps in to ‘defend what’s his’.”

You grimace, “Sounds like they’re both a piece of work.”

“You’re telling us.” Kamille nods. “We’ve had to step in a number of times before things get too out of hand. He’s already received two major warnings.”

“One more and we kick them out of here for good.” Trisha says. “Perks of being the heads of council.”

“You two run this village flawlessly,” you comment. “Of course you have final say. I’m honestly surprised you still let them live here.”

“Who knows, maybe we’ve become too lenient in our old age.” Kamille hums, the three of you sharing a laugh.

A few minutes later, the three of you are sharing a pastry, talking idly as you wait for the kids and the two males to return. The more you converse with your friends, the more your shoulders relax. Though, with the sound of the bell chiming above the door, and the ominous presence you feel entering the bakery, that happiness soon plummets into unease.

“That’s her.” You hear a harsh whisper behind you. “That’s the bitch that touched me.”

You nearly roll your eyes, but at the way the two women in front of you stiffen, you opt to sigh instead.

“Oi, you!” A loud voice draws your attention to the front of the bakery to see a burly man standing there. His arms are crossed as Rylie practically clings to his side, sneering in your direction. “You think you can just go around laying your grubby paws on my wife?”

“Actually, Sir, I never touched your wife.” You reply calmly, resting an arm over the back of your chair as you turn to face him. “It was your wife who continuously threw herself at one of my own friends, even after he repeatedly asked her kindly to stop.”

“So, you’re a fucking bitch and a liar?” He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Should have expected that from a fat queer such as yourself.”

Your head tilts slowly in understanding. “Do you have more of an issue with me because I’m fat, or because I’m queer?”

“A smartass, too? Damn, I’m going to enjoy knocking your teeth in.” He cracks his knuckles. “No, I have an issue with you. You came onto my wife, and now you’re going to regret it.”

“I have no desire to shatter your already fragile masculinity any further, Sir.” You reply. “I’m sorry you seem to be stuck playing your wife’s desperate, attention seeking games. The two of you should strive to do better.”

“How dare you!” Rylie seethes, but is soon consoled by her husband.

“Shh, Honey, I’ve got this.” He pats her shoulder before rounding on you. His furious expression says it all. “How dare you!”

“Oh, I think we’ve got a pair of parrots on our hands.” Trisha remarks. “Too bad they can’t remember any of the important lessons.”

“Yeah, like ‘final strike and you’re out.’” Kamille hums, shooting the two of them a pointed look.

“Like hell you can kick us out of this town.” The male spits, brow creased as his face begins to turn bright red in anger.

“We can, and we will.” Trisha replies almost instantly, no remorse at all in her tone. “We’ve already warned you sufficiently. Please do not make us mad. You will not like what happens.”

“Are you threatening me?” He straightens, hands balling into fists at his sides.

You stand calmly to your feet, returning the plate to the counter where you see Nina has managed to doze off. Soft snores fall from her lips, and you spare her a small smile before turning to the couple fuming at the doorway.

“Depends,” you hum, leaning back on the counter as your cross your arms over your chest. “Do you feel threatened?”

“By you?” The man scoffs. “Not likely.”

“You should be.” You smile, and you notice them grimace slightly at how unnerving you suddenly look. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my nieces and nephew are waiting for us to return to the festival.”

Just then, the bell above the door chimes and in walk both Yunho and Yeosang with the children in tow. A white pansy is tucked into Yeosang’s hair, just behind his ear. It seems to have been placed there very carefully so as to display his birthmark, and you just know Minnie probably had something to do with that, seeing as he holds her against his hip. Marcus holds onto Yeosang’s free hand, a yellow daffodil, a pink rose, and a sprig of lilac held in Marcus’ opposite hand. On Yunho’s back rests Delilah, her giggling suddenly cut short as she peeks over his shoulder to observe the tense scene before them.

“Auntie…” Winnie’s worried gaze is suddenly on you, and you notice how Marcus begins to tremble as he looks at the man before him.

“It’s okay, Winnie,” you smile assuringly. “We were just on our way out to meet you when Rylie returned with this fine gentleman here.”

The couple stiffens.

“Bad man.” Marcus begins mumbling, taking a wary step backwards. “You’re a bad man.”

“Don’t worry, Marcus.” You begin to usher both Kamille and Trisha out, you following close behind. “We’re finished here, anyways.”

Marcus immediately clings onto Kamille as she walks passed, Trisha taking Winnie from Yeosang’s hold instantly. You don’t even spare another look at the couple as you exit the bakery, both Yeosang and Yunho observing you carefully.

Only, you don’t manage to get very far outside of the shop.

“Don’t you walk away from me, you bitch.” The man grabs your arm, quite harshly at that.

Two low growls get muffled by the bustling sounds of the festival around you.

“Sir, I recommend you release my arm before you come to regret it.” You state calmly, angling your body away from him as a crowd begins to form around you.

“The only thing I’ll come to regret is not putting your smartass in your place.” He spits, tightening his hold over your arm.

You sigh, shaking your head as you slide you bag off of your opposite arm. “Trish, be a dear and hold my bag.”

Wordlessly, she grabs it from you.

You turn your full attention back to the man in front of you.

“This is your last warning,” you meet his gaze with a dark look of your own and you notice how he falters slightly. “Release me before you lose this hand of yours.”

“Like you could ever harm me.”  He guffaws, purposely raising his voice for the now growing crowd.

At the side, both Yunho and Yeosang stand, tense. They can barely keep their eyes from flashing, both males beginning to tremble in rage the longer they observe this scene going on before them.

Faintly, you begin to hear whispers around you, all in defence and worry of you and how often this man seems to pick fights with absolutely anybody.

“I don’t think you’ll enjoy it very much when I knock you flat on your ass.” You comment.

He scoffs, “I’d like to see you try!”

The moment those words are out of his mouth you have him pinned on the ground, a light cloud of dust floating in the air. Your knee digs harshly into the man’s back, his arm twisted unnaturally behind him as you shove his face into the dirt.

Rylie’s hands come up to cover her mouth in shock, a silence settling around the crowd.

“I warned you.” You hum, almost condescendingly at the male beneath you.

A scowl is all you receive in response.

“Normally, I would have broken your hand for touching me, but I think the fact that you’re being kicked out of this village is punishment enough.” You spit quite harshly. “After all, you’ll need all the strength you can get in order to vacate the premises as quickly as possible.”

A moment of silence before a small cheer is erupting from the crowd, murmurs of glee reaching your ears. Many even go so far as to exclaim that this couple’s reign of terror is over.

“You bitch!” Rylie shrieks, running over to attempt to tackle you off of her husband.

Easily, you dodge her, watching as she trips over her husband’s legs and lands in the dirt beside him. Not even a second later, you stand, dusting off your knees all the while.

“Be grateful this is all that you’ve received from me.” You crack your neck, grabbing your bag back from Trisha in one fluid motion. “Now, I don’t want to hear you’ve bothered anyone else ever again, and you better hope I never see your faces around here again. You won’t like what becomes of it, then.”

Slowly, the man pushes himself to his feet, Rylie helping him stand all the while.

“Get back here, cunt!” He bellows, closing the distance between the both of you in a few great bounds and swinging for the back of your head with his fist.

A sickening crunch sounds around the area, followed by a pained filled cry and a high pitched shriek of horror.

Turning reveals Yeosang crushing the man’s fist in his grip, his eyes the darkest you’ve ever seen them before turning their natural gold. A snarl paints his lips as the man desperately attempts to break free from Yeosang’s grip, blood beginning to drip slowly into the dirt at the male’s feet.

“If you ever lay a hand on My Fated again,” Yeosang growls, voice ringing out loud and clear through the deadly silence that now surrounds the area. His eyes flash. “I’ll kill you.”

[seongwave]

⎙  » hidden agendas

pairing : lee woojin x kang!oc

synopsis : taunting the taboo couple.

warning : lowercase intended. not proofread. revenge. mentions of pedophilia. implied nsfw. usage of korean words.

a/n : a continuation of vengeance ?? and to the anon in my inbox, i definitely agree with you ! we need more hierarchy fics !

observing as their teacher strolled with a new hermes sack was a sight to see for chae. she was doing her best not to chuckle at how proud their pedophile teacher was, flaunting it.

'hmm, let's see,' chae thought as she planned things in her mind.

sitting on a stool at the bar in the private club known among the certain group of friends, chae patiently waited for a man to take the bait.

'well, that wasn't so hard,' chae thought, smiling slightly as she felt the next stool beside her become occupied by a certain man.

"never saw you around here before, what's your name?" woojin asked after ordering a drink, observing the girl next to him.

"chae laurent, pleased to meet you, mr.?" chae held out a hand, smiling slightly and batting her eyes at the man. seducing her target.

"lee woojin, a delight" woojin greeted her, holding her hand and kissing the back of it while tenderly caressing it, feeling like he had ensnared the girl when in reality, it was the opposite.

events unfolded and they found themselves in woojin's studio. bodies was shared throughout the night.

the ringing of a phone stirred them awake, with chae being the first to rise and woojin just stirring. noticing the caller's name, H, she smirked slightly and chose to answer the call.

"woojin? where are you?" their worried teacher's voice came from the phone. chae wanted to answer, but a hand stopped her from speaking.

woojin snatched the phone from her grasp and hung up the call. he questioned her in frustration, "why would you do that?"

"I picked up the phone when it was ringing for a long time, assuming it was urgent," chae replied, acting naively. "but why is ms. han calling you so early in the morning?" she asked, trying to provoke him.

"It's not your concern," woojin said gruffly, trying to leave, but chae stopped him and pushed him onto the bed. "why are you getting so agitated?" chae asked as her hands explored his body, their eyes locked. and bare bodies pressed against each other.

"it's not a big deal," woojin averted his gaze, while chae chuckled. "aww, you're adorable, you think I'm clueless?" chae teased, smirking as she caught him off guard.

"oh bunny, how could a teacher like her possibly have enough money for a hermes bag?" she teased as she moved closer to his face, her hands exploring his cheeks. "i also saw you both entering the art room, just so you know," she laughed. "just what happens there" she added, smirking widely.

woojin attempted to move her aside but chae caught him off guard by connecting their lips. despite the surprise, woojin reciprocated the kiss as chae drew him in closer. pulling way, chae started putting on her clothes when woojin asked, "what do you want to keep you silent?"

"hmm, don't fret, you have accomplished enough," chae said with a smile. what he didn't know she had placed cameras around his habitat. and stole a copy of the spy cam from the pen.

in the school hallway, a sophisticated lady and a cheap girl faces each other. "ms. chae, would you be open to having a conversation?" asked the teacher.

chae chuckled when she felt the woman's fear and craving for blood, "there's no need to talk, teacher," she said with a smile. "actually, there is. please come with me," she said, grabbing her arms, which chae dismissed.

"If you don't remove your hands off of me, I will shove my fucking mouawad diamond purse into your low-cost rear end, teach."

masterlist !

[etherealfishyfeelings]

Synastry Notes: Sun/Moon

Disclaimer: these are just my personal experience with sun moon aspects in synastry. This is also essentially a rant.

Another Disclaimer: the conditions present in the natal chart such as signs, aspects and house placements can radically alter how one person experiences synastry aspects from another. As well as how developed someone is. I have moon conjunct mars and squared to chiron and widely squared to pluto personally. And it's in the 12th house. Please keep that in mind, I really don't like things poking at my moon. Also I am very sorry that this was so long. I did not think that I really had this much to say.

The Conjunction: I have a love/hate relationship with this one. I thoroughly enjoy being the Sun person in Sun/Moon aspects in general. But with the conjunction as the Sun person I really tend to feel strong sense of protective care over the Moon person. I tend to take their emotions very seriously, it may not show up that way though since its in Aquarius but internally I feel a very strong pull to ensure their comfort and support their emotional needs. However, as the Moon person, i don't really tend to like it. All that attention on my Moon in the 12th? Ew. I feel really exposed and I often feel like the Sun person just seems to have no comprehension that they are trodding all over sacred ground. It isn't all bad though, I often feel like the Sun seems very accepting of who I am(no matter how weird or wacky) even if they do kinda feel like a bull in a china shop. I find that they usually do mean well, and they tend to be very good listeners, I feel very heard when talking to them about my feelings and thoughts.

The Opposition: Also a love/hate relationship I love being the Sun person but I genuinely loathe being the Moon person here. As the Sun person it feels very similar to the conjunction, I take the Moon persons feelings very seriously and go through great lengths to give them comfort and keep them entertained. Lots of gift giving?? Now that I think about it. Like LOTS OF GIFTS now that I'm really thinking about it. However there were times where I really felt like I was missing the mark and I didn't really get the Moon persons reactions to things. On the other hand as the Moon person, just no. I felt like the Sun person constantly rained on my parade, and they often required me to explain myself, like a lot(Virgo vs Pisces at its finest). I felt very judged and boxed in. Very uncomfortable for me, and for them from what I could see.

The Square: This one really depends. As the Sun person(in Aquarius) here I really tend to struggle with Scorpio and Taurus moons. They tend to find me fickle and I really, I mean really struggle to understand their emotional needs and even the ones I do sort of understand are so foreign to me that I am left baffled anyway(like I get it, but I don't get it. Like I get why doing XYZ is nice for you but I would never do that for 6 hours day, especially if I was ???sad???) and any attempts I make to have fun or do anything really are usually seen as threats to their person security. This aspect is REALLY loud for me. Especially because I have Saturn in Taurus. It's almost like I am uncomfortable with how uncomfortable I seem to make the Moon person just by being me. And if you live with them it's basically arguments galore. And getting a lot of the silent treatment. When I'm the Moon person it's sort of better, mostly because it's between mutable signs. Gemini and Sagittarius are light enough in their demeanor that I can ignore most of the friction but this also means that their Sun Squares my Mars and its very evident here, esp with the Sag suns. Like waaay more evident here than in the opposition for some reason. Like there is a general sense of interest in just meandering through the world together, like it's quite explorative in the physical world and in thought but most of the Sagittarius Suns that I've interacted with said they thought I was a bit of a bully(and I quote, "Do you even care about anything? Why do you always have to be so rude? And loud?") and too aggressive for their liking(I did ask why every time, I never really got a clear explanation so I cannot confirm the exact reason. My interaction with Sag Suns generally tend to be goofy and nice if it's kept short but long term its just goofy and confusing). And the Gemini Suns were great, had a lot of fun with them but ultimately it just fizzled out after many of the big clashes between us became evident. Overall as the Moon person the aspect wasn't too loud. But I prefer these two signs as moons signs.

The Trine/Sextile: actually pretty neat? Like both ways, especially with the trine. Takes me a while to notice the serenity of them but when I finally do take notice, I am hooked. Being the Sun is similar to being the Sun in the conjunction, just far less intense and more playful. And this is the only Sun/Moon aspect where I thoroughly enjoy being the Moon person. I love how light and almost airy it is, even when I'm dealing with a Scorpio Sun. Which seems crazy but it really works fine.

[a-person-whos-alive]

Why TotK fails Zelda

Heads up, this is a long post. Ive cut this down like a motherfucker but it still reads very long. My thoughts are divided into four main categories;

1. Her relationship with her magic & tech

2. Her relationship with Hyrule

3. Her relationship with Link

4. Her relationship with the player

Also, these are my opinions, I'm certain there are people with far better analysis skills than me! I am just in love with this franchise and a little disappointed with the recent game. Zelda as a character holds a special place in my heart and its sad that her character was done dirty like this.

Theres a TLDR at the end and before I forget, SPOILERS!!!

1. Her relationship with her magic & tech

Zelda is not someone who magic came easily to, and I think BotW & AoC did a great job exploring that. They contrasted her natural interest with the sheikah technology and her lack of power and it was 😘👌

How did TotK do? With the Zonai tech being the main selling point, how would Zelda, a scholar at heart, interact with it? To my memory, the only interaction she has is to put Mineru's soul into a piece of Sheikah tech and hand it to a construct.

Well what about magic? Finding out she has light AND time powers was at first a great throwback to OoT with the Sage of Time. The fact that her Time magic awakened immediately unlike the Light magic in the last game was a nice contrast. But then, she immediately has a similar dilemma, she can't USE her magic to propel herself forward because she doesnt know how. Unlike BotW though, she has the "mother" she was lacking to teach her. This was a decent set-up. It was different enough to be its own thing but still was familiar enough. This is up to memory 4 - Mineru's Council

The issue the NEXT MEMORY, memory 5 - Gerudo Assualt shows her being even more proficient than Sonia. We don't see her train, or struggle, or even ask a question about how the stone works. She just does. It's not until memory 8 do we see her get any guidance about her powers? And even then we don't see her attempt recall at all. In the next memory she simply uses it perfectly and effortlessly.

The purpose of her strengthening Time Magic was to get back home. Yet, she gets back home by swallowing a sacred stone, that she already had the ability to do at any point. She turns into the LIGHT dragon, using her LIGHT magic to strengthen the Master Sword. Her whole arc about her magic was pointless because in the end she used the powers from the previous game for everything important.

2. Her relationship with Hyrule

Positives first! Its clear that Zelda loves her people, and during the 7? year gap she obviously took the time to connect with them and problem solve. Penn's quest really demonstrates this, and so does the Hateno school quest. (Even if the children don't believe in the Calamity). I found it very endearing that the people had such faith in her, that even with Ganondorf causing havoc with her face, people refused to believe it. The Great Fairies MUST have seen wrong because it was dark, Dorephan MUST have been mistaken, the Stable Trotters MUST have seen someone else - Zelda wouldn't do that.

I additionally liked that Zelda wasn't immediately trying to set up a monarchy again. In fact, she seemed to be doing the opposite. She wasn't living in Central Hyrule, at Looking Landing, she was living in Hateno. She was a teacher, and on some level a researcher (even if the Don Dons were scrapped ideas from the first trailer).

But the second she goes to the past, she is put back in her box. Her interests in tech are non-existant, she does not interact with anyone who isn't royalty, the King doesn't listen to her about Ganondorf and tells her to not to worry - after all she's just supposed to wear that white dress and hope her magic works soon. She's regressed back to before the Calamity, waiting for something terrible she knows is coming and is powerless to stop.

Crucially, she doesn't speak to Ganondorf once.

This is by far the most egregious waste of their characters in my opinion, and I've just deleted a 3 paragraph Ganondorf discussion - another time. But come on! This is legitimately the PERFECT scenario for Zelda to find about about WHY people opposed her royal family, WHY everyone she's ever loved died in Calamity caused by this guy, WHY she's had to go through all this. But no, if they did talk, it wasn't on screen.

Ive seen in translations of parts of one of the interviews with a developer saying she was able to see what a ruler should be like by going to the past, but until a see an official source I'm going to hope that's not true

3. Her relationship with Link

"Link is still entrusted with the role of protecting Princess Zelda." - Hidemaro Fujibayashi https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1199307678/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-dlc-video-game. Maybe I'll write a post about Link sometime, but I'm focusing on just him and Zelda.

Whether you ship the two or not, the pair would obviously have a unique bond from both fighting the Calamity and losing the Champions/everyone. So, how did the pair cope with the destruction of everything the love? How did Zelda come to terms with the ruins of Castle Town, the harsh reality of all those who were dead? Zelda doesn't have Link's amnesia to temporarily soften the inital blow.

TotK explores none of this.

Similarly, there is a level of formality on how Zelda speaks of Link. When she tells Rauru of Link she starts, "He is a royal knight. He had been originally appointed for my protection, but later he became a hero by saving both me and Hyrule from a great evil". Not "he and I became close" or even "he became my friend". Zelda is talking to the two people closest to her right now,

All their interactions are the bare minimum.

Link has ALWAYS been a self insert for the player, but he's still a character, and more recently Nintendo has been acting like having emotions means a player can't project onto them. Zelda is Link's closest person, and when she returns he is piece of cardboard, at least help her up!

4. Her relationship with the player

First, as everyone who played BotW will know, many things were removed or changed in TotK to allow it to be standalone for new players. Sheikah tech was removed, important characters forgot Link, the majority of the last game was rarely if ever mentioned. Kass

However TotK does not properly establish Link and Zelda for new fans AND doesnt not elaborate for old fans. They interact twice until the end - the intro and memory 1. All of her characterisation is in that little history moment, the rest of it is 50% sacred power lore and 50% time power lore. Additionlly, anyone who is new to the game has no context for her light powers.

Actually, TotK literally retcons her light magic to be from Rauru and not Hylia. Which was the WHOLE POINT of BotW so great sequelling there guys.

TLDR: The Conclusion

Wow, you made it this far. Or you skipped to end, I would too. My main gripes with Zelda:

> She doesn't interact with Zonai Tech.

> Her arc is about learning time power to go home, only for her to not use said magic and instead use the light magic from the last game to fix the sword and be a light dragon.

> Having her worries about Ganondorf shot down by the King and not holding her ground/ insisting (did you learn nothing from Rhoam??)

> never interacting with Ganondorf him being in Hyrule as a diplomat

> nintendos approach to her and link, they dont once touch while both conscious. Not even a handshake or pat on the shoulder. See images above with prev. Zelda and Link.

> the instance on making it not complicated for accessibility to new players, but also not fleshing it out enough to be compelling on its own.

[robo-writing]

Y’know what I think I’m gonna elaborate on body worship with soap, because me personally? I need to give that man a long, long session all about him. I think he should be pampered like a princess ❤️

It was your idea to pamper Johnny, a sentiment he tried to fight against until he stepped foot into the water and almost immediately felt himself relax.

Your thumbs press into his upper arms, rubbing into the slickened skin as he complains once more, wishes it was your hand on his dick rather than his arms. No matter how much Johnny whines about his cock being untouched, you refuse to budge.

“Shut up,” you mutter, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips. Johnny does the opposite, never one to keep his thoughts to himself.

“Make me then.”

His tongue peeks out between his teeth, licking at his lips hungrily. His neck cranes back, an open invitation. “Know yer interested, go ahead and sit that perfect pussy on my face and shut me up.”

Pure sin laces each syllable, your fingers stopping for a moment before starting to move again. It’s enough for Johnny to grin in delight. He knows his effect on you, delights in your wandering eyes—knows that he can wear down your shaky conviction with a few well-placed words.

“Just think about it bonnie,” he groans, hips grinding against nothing. “Been gone so long I’ve forgotten what she looks like—what she tastes like.”

His eyes are trained between your thighs. “Don’t leave a poor man starving aye?”

He makes it really fucking hard to say no, especially when you can see how hard he is through the loose boxers. As much as you want to take him up on his offer though, you ignore his attempts at seduction because this isn’t about that.

It could be, you think to yourself, but it’s more than just pleasure. If you wanted you could peel off his strained boxers, sit on his face while he fucks your throat like a toy, but that would diminish the entire point of having Johnny this relaxed, this pliable. You want to show your appreciation, want to treat your boyfriend to a night of fun that doesn’t end up with you on your back, even if he’s desperate to ruin your plans.

“Quit being a fucking brat and let me take care of you,” you laugh, splashing him with some water.

“Y’would be takin’ care of me plenty,” he sighs. “Being between your legs is like being at the pearly gates.”

A deep inhale, you ignore how his words make your body warm. Your fingers continue their massage, letting them map out the curves of his body, every dip and divot explored by your gentle hands. He squirms a bit whenever you trace a scar, the faintest blush painting his cheeks. You can only imagine the stories they’d tell if they could speak.

“I ever tell you how beautiful you are?”

The words leave your lips abruptly, still mesmerized by the faded lines of his chest. You feel the rumble of his voice beneath your fingers.

“Could stand to tell me more,” he muses, but there’s a vulnerability in his tone, one that you often don’t see.

His walls are crumbling, and you take it as a sign to continue. It’s now that your fingers reach up and hold the sides of his head, thumbs caressing the apples of his cheeks. You can tell your words have an effect on him, his eyes lidded with both lust and adoration—a look you’re certain is mirrored on your own face.

“I love you Johnny.”

A beat, his breath comes out shaky. “Love you too, bon.”

[a-very-tired-jew]

"It's not my job to educate you."

How often have you seen this statement?

I've personally lost count, and I'm a scientist that has been active since the anti-GMO, anti-Ag, and anti-Vaxx discourses of the 00s.

I've seen it for years used as a way to completely halt discussions when the speaker is backed into a corner and cannot support their position. I've seen it used as a defense when they try and put forth extremely biased and/or outright incorrect resources and are called out for it. I've seen it used when a person wants to make their opinion and outrageous claims known without defending them whatsoever.

And here's the thing, you're right. It's not your job to educate others.

But you've also entered into a conversation, discussion, or debate where people are backing their opinions with arguments, experiences, and citations. When you use this statement you essentially say you want to enter this conversation with no confrontation to your own personal beliefs, thoughts, and ideals.

That's childish. That's the kid on the playground saying "nuh uh, you didn't get me cause I'm actually on base right now. Yeah, I know it's a stick on the ground, but I said it's base so it's base."

Personally? I hate this statement. In my own circles I've seen it used by the most uneducated ignorant people to justify conspiracies or beliefs that actively harm them and/or others. I've seen my friends with no formal scientific education or experience who fell down the anti-science rabbit hole use it as a way to deflect from their ignorance.

In Leftist spaces I've seen it used to bring discussions to a stop and dismiss another person. "It's not my job to educate you!" while the very same person was just trying to educate the other on the topic being discussed. This is often accompanied with the "Do your own research", which inevitably leads to the person not coming to the same conclusions as the person who uttered the aforementioned phrases. Said person then becomes upset when the other doesn't come to the same conclusions, but again..."it's not my job to educate you (I'm just mad you're not educated in the way I want)".

In a professional setting I have seen it used to justify outright ignorance, conspiracy, and vitriol by people who have no understanding of the subject matter at hand.

People often say they love discussion and debate, but in reality they just like making their opinion known with no opposition.

And this leads me to the point of this wall of text...it's a very culturally goyische thing to do.

The conversations on Cultural Christianity made me think about this and it sort of hit me. We, Jews, are a "contentious" people. We question, argue, and debate to the point where it's a stereotype in media (an accurate one, but a stereotype nonetheless). But what this stereotype leaves out is that discussion and debate is often accompanied by education. We, typically, revel in this type of discourse and love to argue and learn from the argument. Even if none of us come away with a new position.

The joke "2 Jews, 3 opinions" actually highlights how we come to a greater understanding through our "contentiousness". Our discussions are often meant to educate one another and explore trains of thought we didn't previously have. At no point in the Talmud do you ever see someone state "It's not my job to educate you" and only after every avenue of argument has been exhausted do they devolve into sniping at one another about dick size. If you've seen any posts since 10/7 by Jews on here you will often see an active discussion with an attempt to educate if and when people interact.

However, there is the caveat that some people end up sealioning. In these situations it is completely fine to shut down the entire thing as they're simply wanting you to waste your energy until they have a "gotcha" moment. Eventually you will say something that does not necessarily agree with a previous statement and they will pounce on that. In such a situation you just need to leave the conversation entirely. Sealions are bad faith actors and not actually interested in anything outside of their own opinions.

Healthy discussion and debate, which is encouraged in Judaism, does not look like sealioning. It does not look like getting answers you don't like so you keep asking the same thing in a different way until you get what you want. It's like someone arguing with the DM repeatedly to get a spell to do something outside of its defined application and way outside of its possible application even when the DM says no.

Now, you might be saying "but in my non-Jewish household we encourage this kind of thinking!" and that's good. But we are talking about cultural generalities and trends here. If you live in the Midwest or Southern USA you will have encountered a multitude of Culturally Christian people who have their own personal history about how discussion, debate, and education is shut down (sometimes in a violent manner). If you've existed anywhere a hot button topic becomes discussed there is a strong chance you have experienced this statement, either online or in person, and witnessed the complete halt and shift in dialogue it causes. This is by no fault your own or the other persons, but there is a distinct cultural difference in general.

If you're someone who is offended by this, I want you to sincerely ask. Is questioning, discussion, and debate earnestly encouraged in your culture? Is it encouraged towards authority figures? Does it make certain topics taboo? What happens when children question authority figures?

[ellawrites-if]

SHARED DESIRES

This short (spicy-ish in a very vague, very gender-neutral (i hope) way) story was inspired by Newmann fanart I saw of Hermann and Newt sharing a dream of them kissing. The artist is @/dad-dumpster.

As always this is unedited and vaguely proofread, so any mistakes are my own. I’m pretty sure the tense changes like 8x but whatever.

Your lips crash against theirs, knocking the breath from their lungs.

That’s not unusual, although it’s usually because of your mere presence rather than your lips.

They kiss you back with a fierce hunger, with a need to wreck you, to consume you, to make you crave them as much as they crave you.

Your hands slide up their stomach and push, and they’re powerless to do anything but fall.

They hit their bed and you’re on them. Your teeth nipping at the skin of their neck and soothing the sting with your tongue. All they can do is pant and tip their head back for you. Their hands latch onto your hips and dig in. They’ll probably leave bruises, and that thought thrills them even more.

Your lips have reached their jaw, but it’s too much and not enough all at once, and they delight in your surprised yelp as they flip you onto your back.

They immediately latch onto your neck, paying you back with a love bite that you’ll struggle to cover up.

Your hands fumble with their trousers, pushing them down just enough to gain access to what you want. Your fingers explore and they moan, their voice echoing across the space.

You laugh, triumphantly, even as your pupils swallow the colour of your pretty eyes. It drives them crazy to see how affected you are by them.

They decide to return the favour, pulling your hands away from them, so they can tug your own trousers down and lay between your thighs. The only thought in their head is that they’d die here quite happily.

Their mouth descends onto you, and your hips jerk as your snarky words are cut off by a choked out moan. A bit of information to file away for later.

They want to make you feel good. Want to taste your desire on their tongue. Want to be the one you pleasure yourself to thoughts of. Want to be the only one you turn to when the need gets too much.

They’ll ingrain themselves on your soul if they have to.

You scream, your thighs tightening around their head and your hands yanking at their hair.

They’re in heaven.

It’s the only explanation.

-

Ciaran jolts awake, their heart thundering in their chest and their breathes coming out in harsh pants.

They wipe the sweat from their brow.

A dream.

The only explanation that actually makes sense.

They take a few gulps of their water from the glass they had left on night stand, and attempt to do what they always do when it comes to you.

They shove their feelings down into an abyss and pray that they never come crawling out.

Once they calm down enough to get back to sleep, they place their water back on their night stand, and flop onto their mattress. They hit their pillow a few times and force their eyes to close.

Ciaran is a master of burying their head in the sand by now. This is no different.

At least, it isn’t until the next morning when they spot you and you can’t look them in the eyes.

Ciaran raises an eyebrow at your behaviour as they sit opposite you.

“What’s up with you?” They ask, curious. “You dream about me or something?”

They don’t know why they asked you that, but your reaction makes them freeze up.

Did they send you their dream through the connection between your minds? Did you send them yours?

Or…did you share the dream? Your subconscious coming together with theirs in a mess of both of your desires.

They shake the thought away.

Breakfast, surrounded by some of the sharpest minds in the world, was not the place to be thinking about such things.

“Idiot, just eat your breakfast and stop being weird.”

That snaps you out of it.

Good.

Your nonsense should hopefully be able to stop them from launching over the table and kissing you senseless in front of everyone.

[xoruffitup]

The Complementarity and Divergence of Furiosa & Dementus, A(n Obsessive) Meta

Fresh off Furiosa Round 4, I’m full of thoughts about how the film mirrors and contrasts Furiosa and Dementus’ hero/villain journeys. We see both characters evolve and grow through the 5 chapters of the film, moving through distinct phases of change. We see them each fighting a similar struggle to keep not just their lives, but some shred of humanity amid the ravages of the wasteland.

Their journeys are intimately intertwined, their decisions wreaking profound effects on the other. Their parallel arcs explicitly converge in their final confrontation, not just physically but thematically:

(Forgive the vaguely remembered dialogue lol)

“I was just like you, craving a belly full of vengeance after my beauties were taken from me so cruelly, immutably.” “I’m nothing like you.” “You are. Searching for some sensation to push away the inky black. We are the already dead, Little D.” 

Dementus’ color-changing cloak and the teddy he and Furiosa each, at some point, possess are the physical symbols of their progression along what is ultimately the same character trajectory.

Dementus is coded first in white, then in red, then in black. Though more subtly, Furiosa progresses through the same three stages: innocence -> trial -> temptation/corruption. The question, however, is exactly when, where, and whether Furiosa is able to disentangle herself from the example Dementus has laid before her.

So let me break this down one movie chapter at a time! I’m going to try to hit their key qualities at each stage, and explore how they move in ways both in complement and opposition to each other as the film progresses.

1. The Pole of Inaccessibility  Consider two lesser-used definitions of “pole”: 1) "each of the two opposite points on the surface of a magnet at which magnetic forces are strongest"; 2) "one of two opposed or contradictory principles or ideas." This first chapter is where the two mighty opposing forces of Furiosa and Dementus are introduced. Furiosa: Youthful, innocent, brimming with a vibrancy of compassion. The first shot we see of her, she’s taking a risk to pick a second peach – the peach meant for Valkyrie. Even as Valkyrie whispers “We should go,” Furiosa is resolved to carry through this act of altruism. 

Dementus: Maybe, once upon a time, he wasn’t The Worst. :) Even though in Chapter I he’s already halfway there, there’s a distinct difference between who he is at the start of the film vs its end. No question, he’s already power hungry and reprehensible. What he does to Mary and Furiosa is plenty proof of that. However, we meet him as a man in control. Control over himself, over his people, over his rage and his passions. We’re first introduced to him as a pseudo-scholar, even, as he sits in his white cloak listening to the History Man’s oral treatise. He is the single calm, steadying presence in the tent, as his men whip themselves into frenzy trying to find a bearing to the Green Place. He’s a self-assured, calculating figure, set on achieving his goal – no matter the gruesome means. 

Convergence: Dementus recognizes the strength and fire in Furiosa, in her determination to hide her home. He then inflicts Furiosa’s character-defining loss and trauma. (“You must not look away.”) It bears noting, though, that his torture of Mary is not for its own sick sake – he does it in attempt to get information out of her, or out of Furiosa by forcing her to watch. He has a practical goal in mind. But later, he will become increasingly willing to engage in sadism for lesser justifications.

2. Lessons From The Wasteland  Furiosa grows up exposed to Dementus’ ‘lessons’ of what constitutes strength in the wasteland. Will she adopt his teachings?

Furiosa: We cover a lot of ground here. Her captivity in Dementus’ horde, her being traded to Immortan Joe, and her slipping out from both her captivity and her female-presenting gender as she begins her rise through the power hierarchy of the Citadel. Without doubt, her time in Dementus’ horde refines her hatred towards him (recall that shiver-inducing moment when she’s sitting in her cage and muzzle, glowering at Dementus with absolute abject hate in her eyes), but her defining trait at this point appears to be apathy as a pointed form of resistance.

She never responds when Dementus speaks to her. When he first tries to give her the teddy, she drops it in the sand. She turns away even from the History Man, when he offers to teach her. Her silence, her refusal to acknowledge her situation or surroundings, is a constant and restless rebellion. She does not and never will accept these people as her own, will never allow herself to become part of Dementus’ world. She builds invisible yet impenetrable walls around herself – in self-defense, to some degree, but also to make sure Dementus never forgets. She does not and never will belong here, nor will she belong to him. She sure as hell will never forget. This sense of self-separation from her surroundings as a form of internal resistance continues once she enters the Citadel. She draws resilience from her seed, holding it against her forehead and hardening her resolve to become whoever and whatever it takes for her to escape this place. She cuts her hair, slips away into the ungendered shadows of the Citadel, and then begins her rise from invisibility to dogman. She may be willing to strip away all outer signs of her true self, but all is in service of ultimately returning to that identity in the only place where it will be safe to do so – back home in the Green Place.

Dementus: The first scene of this chapter (the five-bike teddy), establishes two crucial aspects of his character. 1) This man looooves to put on a fucking show. He loves to yap in as theatrical and over-the-top a manner as possible. He thrives on having an audience, and will gas up both his charisma and brutality as much as necessary to hold it. 2) He once had and lost a family. The first time he hands the teddy to Furiosa, he tells her it once belonged to his little ones. 

Then, the scene where he meets the lone war boy and learns of the Citadel. The moment when the true games of power commence. Here, Dementus ascends into a new playing field – a grander, more high-stakes cause. His formerly white cloak is dyed red by the flare of skyblood, as he thrills at the idea of a new class of power, as he tastes a new form of greed. The corruption takes him quickly. To besiege Gastown, he’s willing to sacrifice his own men. The Octoboss’ outrage (“You’re scum, Dementus!”) shows this to be a decisive break from whatever level of collateral damage Dementus accepted up to this point. Then, with Gastown under his thumb, he seizes his place among the rulers of the wasteland fortresses. He wants to be called “the great Dementus” now.

Convergence: Dementus doesn’t just try to claim Furiosa as his daughter, he tries to remake her in his own image. In giving her the teddy he carries as a memento of his own children, he attempts to saddle and shape her with the same mantle of loss. She’s lost her family, just like he has. In a twisted way, he thinks that by tearing her mother from her, he’s helped strengthen her. (“It made this one tough enough to survive whatever comes. I did that for her. I did that for her,” he says to Immortan Joe and partially to Furiosa herself, admitting that he did, as Furiosa clarifies, “slaughter my mother.”) He knows what havoc that loss wrought on him, and expects it to warp Furiosa in the same way. He calls her “Little D” not really because he sees her as his child, but as a burgeoning version of himself. Yet despite all his alleged suffering, he’s resolute and powerful enough to command his horde. He holds himself in high regard, and seems to think that in time Furiosa will come around to see things his way. In time, she will become like him – a bit unwound, a lot formidable. She’ll rise to the mantle of “Little D,” no matter how viciously she rejects and decries the name now, along with any association with him at all. 

But this changes when she at last speaks – as she voices her firm “No” when Joe asks whether Dementus really is her father. With one word, she decries and rejects the path Dementus has tried to lay before her – the path mirroring his own. While it’s clear that Dementus, to some extent, entered the negotiations with Furiosa as a back-pocket bargain chip (why else is she swathed in bridal-veil white, like an offering), I’m not convinced it was all a negotiation tactic when he objects, “No, she’s not for sale. She’s mine.” But after she speaks, after she rejects his claim on her, his resistance evaporates. He trades her without a parting word, and snatches the teddy back from her hands – the mantle of his grief and his struggle; the symbol of lost innocence, replaced with demented, heartless violence.

This is a burden she rejects. She will grow from her loss and her trauma in her own way. She’d rather throw herself into unknown dangers, onto the questionable mercy of Immortan Joe, than remain under Dementus’ influence. In this, she will not be apathetic or distanced.

3. The Stowaway  In a sense greater than just stowing away under the war rig, Furiosa stows away amid the operations of the Citadel itself, waiting until the time is right to steal away from this society completely.

Furiosa: This is her crucial period of independent growth, separate from any warlord’s influence. By escaping from the vault (and from Rictus), she begins to define survival on her own terms. By working her way steadily, stealthfully up the Citadel’s ranks, she strives for the access to resources and freedom of movement that will enable her eventual escape. Everything she does is calculated, everything serves the long-term utility of making her way home. 

She becomes a part of the hierarchy and ecosystem of the Citadel, now, breaking from her earlier self-isolation. Yet her driving force, her values, her purpose never waver. She remains steadfastly fixed on her goal of escape. She cares only for ascension and status if it serves her ultimate purpose of returning home. Her loyalty is first and solely to the Green Place and the sisters she left behind there.

This does not change, per se, when she makes her deal with Jack and becomes Praetorian at his side. What draws her to Jack, what inspires her trust and devotion to him is the way he embodies the very qualities of her home and her people – the very things she’s fighting to return to. In Jack, she rediscovers a bit of that comfort, that compassion and selflessness that has been her dream for so long. He brings a piece of the home she’s fighting for into her life at the Citadel, and with this reminder comes reassurance that her dream is real, her dream is possible. 

He wants to help her while asking nothing for himself in return. He is the first to see her for the true version of herself – the version that belongs not to the Citadel and Immortan Joe, but to some distant, unknown place of promise. He believes in this true version of her even before she confides its evidence in him, when she shows him the peach pit. Her loyalty doesn’t become split between Jack and the Green Place; they reinforce each other. She cherishes him and their bond because he represents all that she’s been fighting towards all this time: the truth that there is moreto her existence, more to the human heart than the raw, selfish lust for survival and sustenance. 

I saw a brilliant post that contrasted Dementus and Jack’s influences on Furiosa. On one hand, there’s the narcissism in which Dementus tried to “train” her as a child into his same brand of hatred and violence – how Furiosa had to become “indispensable” to Dementus if she wanted his protection. By contrast, Jack trained her in road war so that, one day, he would become dispensable to her. (hahaha kill me please. ;__;) 

With Jack at her side and his presence reminding her that what she seeks is something real, something tangible, she is driven by hope more powerful than ever before. Her return to the Green Place – to its physical abundance but also the altruism, compassion, and kinship it represents – feels closer at hand than ever before.

(No Dementus or Convergence section here, this chapter belongs to her and Jack alone <33)

4. Homeward Bound  More than just her and Jack’s plan to make for the Green Place together; forging her bond with Jack already brings her closer to the memory of the Green Place (closer to home) than she has been since she was taken.

And now…. THE PAIN.  Furiosa: I would argue this is the chapter of the film where her character arc is most sharply and deeply altered. As she and Jack approach the Bullet Farm, their joint purpose is clear: leave all of this behind and drive off together to something better, something kinder. 

But then, Jack is trapped inside, she outside, enemies between them. Furiosa is immediately torn. She has her escape vehicle, bikes, food and supplies all ready for the leaving. Her route back home is literally laid out before her feet. But driving away would mean abandoning Jack behind that gate, leaving the person who made it all possible to certain death. 

He fires the green flare in a bid for her to leave him behind. He’s going to stay, he’s going to keep Dementus and his horde occupied while she escapes, he’s going to fight for her and her Green Place in his own way. 

But seeing that green flare is what makes Furiosa realize she couldn’t possibly drive away. Because what would she be driving towards, if she abandoned him? If she leaves behind the one person in whom she’s confided her true self, her greatest secret – wouldn’t that mean that the part of the Green Place she’s carried with her all this time has finally died away? 

We’re reminded of Mary choosing to spare the woman’s life when she rescued Furiosa in Chapter I. This post beautifully pointed out that the narrative never frames such acts of mercy as wrong or foolish, no matter their tragic consequences. As the audience, we want to see Mary’s essence live on in her daughter. We want to see that mercy survive – that belief in the inherent good in people that separates the Vuvalini from the wasteland warlords. That is the mantle we want to see Furiosa carry with her as she grows. 

What Furiosa chooses here isn’t about the pragmatism of survival. This is the wasteland. Stupid, reckless, suicidal decisions are made every single day without a moment’s hesitation. When she makes her choice and backs the car up, she shows a kind of strength most in the wasteland have forgotten. She proves that she remains faithful to all the Green Place represents – she proves that she is incorruptible, indominatable.

Dementus: Meanwhile, Dementus is having a rough week. While he might excel in the kind of kamikraze maneuvers that won him Gastown, turns out he’s not so great at running things. When Furiosa sees him through the window of the rig during the nearly-disastrous supply trade at Gastown, it’s the first time she’s seen him since childhood. He’s grey, grizzled, and worn down. As then becomes clear through his behavior in the Bullet Farm fight and ensuing chase, his hold on reason and control is becoming ever more attenuated. 

He has little to no boundaries anymore – everything is acceptable collateral. He uses one of his men as a human shield against Furiosa’s sniper rifle. He taunts and mocks his own henchman. (“The other arm! Have you lost your touch!?” when his people string up Furiosa by her uninjured arm.) His grandstanding evil-villain speech once Furiosa and Jack are caught no longer feels commanding or delightfully bombastic – now it rings of the desperate ravings of a mad man on the edge. 

He knows he’s losing control – of Gastown, and his ever more tenuous hold on his position in the tripartite trade route. He needs to bargain for more food and water for the people of Gastown if he wants to avoid a full-scale riot, but can’t increase guzzoline output to get it. In taking over the Bullet Farm, he’s made a desperate move from which he knows there’s no going back. Either he consolidates his hold on two fortresses of the wasteland and forces the Immortan to agree to his terms, or he’ll be destroyed by Joe and the Bullet Farmer in alliance. 

Convergence: And then Furiosa and Jack arrive, and blow the Bullet Farm sky high. (“The day I take over the Bullet Farm, these two destroy it!”) Dementus’ risky new conquest is worth nothing, and he’s left with nothing but the consequences – an army surely soon bearing down on him. 

But then, even after being caught, Furiosa and Jack commit what is, to Dementus, an even graver crime. They strip him of the power on which he relies most: his eager, fearful audience, hanging on his every word. They render him invisible, utterly inconsequential as they refuse to listen or even look at him, as they refuse to break down in the misery and hopelessness he so desperately tries to instill in them. They are beyond his reach, absorbed in only each other. Dementus captured them, yet he finds he has no power to disrupt, destroy, or even to intrude into their final moments together. (What’s that on my keyboard? Oh just TEARS)

He makes a big deal out of the bond that clearly exists between them, yet does not show contempt towards their shared devotion. Instead, it is an ugly, raw kind of envy. They remind him not only of what he once had and lost in his family, but how bleak of a destination the path he forged through his loss has led him to. (“Look how they fought for each other, this army of two. Where were they going, so full of hope? There is no hope!”) 

For him, loving another person leads to only one thing: loss, darkness, hopelessness. All that remains to him is his crusade for conquest, growing more empty, more futile by the day. But now, even as Furiosa and Jack face certain death, even as they find themselves at the end of their shared road, they don’t succumb to the inky black. They’re untouched by it, invulnerable to the ravages Dementus is so convinced await anyone foolish enough to love. How dare they continue to believe in their love, continue to draw strength from it, even when its life has been cut short?

“You two break my heart. You make me the dark Dementus,” he says, sounding not only enraged but distinctly mournful. And so he descends even deeper into his own darkness. We were first introduced to him shrouded in white, then witnessed his transformation into the Red Dementus, as his lust for power took a taste to warlord status. Now, his cloak accumulates more and more black, his soul growing more tarnished by the day.

But what of Furiosa? Her moment of resolve at the gates of the Bullet Farm was her strongest commitment yet to the values and compassion she’s secretly harbored in her heart all this time. Those final moments she shared with Jack were also proof that acting in love and tenderness grants a singularly invincible kind of strength - a kind the wasteland cannot touch (even if only for a moment).

But something happens to her here, as she witnesses Jack’s torment, as she watches her dream of escape broken across the sands. 

“Rage, fueled by grief,” says the History Man’s voiceover, as Furiosa cuts her hair (with Jack’s knife, stab me plz) back at the Citadel, reborn as the avenging angel she’s about to become. 

Before this moment, though, we see her choose to return to the Citadel. She’s out in the desert on her own, with a bike, and she conceivably could have gone anywhere, even headed east as she originally planned. (Though the blood loss from her arm and lack of supplies considerably narrowed her choices…) Even after she crawls out from the maggot den, she could have easily blended into the anonymous mob and slipped away forever. Immortan Joe would never know what happened to her and Jack on that ill-fated supply run, after all.

Instead, she makes her way to the platform and demands entry to the Citadel. “I am the Praetorian Furiosa!” she screams. This moment is the first time she lays iron-clad claim to her identity within the Citadel’s ranks. This is the first time she vocally embraces her status within its power structure. As a dogman, she was silent and efficient, earning her keep while doing her best to avoid undue notice. Even being Praetorian was merely a disguise for what she and Jack both knew to be her true motives, her true allegiance. After being ambushed and losing Jack, she could have walked away from the disguise and this whole world for good. She could have decided that there was nothing here worth fighting for, and let herself wither away beneath the weight of all her loss.

She decidedly does not. Dementus’ attempts to break her, to crush her spirit and her hope for good, had the exact opposite effect. He gave her a reason to put her own skin in the game at last, a reason to finally leverage the influence she’s slowly accumulated over all these years towards a new goal – to take her place shoulder-to-shoulder with the men who claim dominance over this land and its resources. But unlike them, her goal is not hegemonic control and enforced subservience. Her goal is vengeance.

At this juncture, she stands on a razor-thin precipice between finding and losing herself. Jack’s death has tipped the scales towards tying herself, in some way, to the power struggles of the wasteland. But remember, her love for Jack is one and the same as her enduring love for the Green Place and all it represents. They are each borne of her compassionate heart. But it is now that same heart that craves glorious and bloody vengeance for the loss of all that was dear to her. 

Now, after this devastating blow to her fragile, ever-threatened faith that people can be different from the cruelty of the wasteland, will that faith endure? Or will it be snuffed out for good – leaving her a dark, revenge-ridden fury who decries feeling as weakness, just like Dementus?

5. Beyond Vengeance  The final stage in Furiosa’s journey – transforming into someone driven by, yet neither defined nor consumed by vengeance. She is strong enough to control its force, and to discover a new life beyond it.

Furiosa: This post brilliantly pointed out the parallels between chapters I and V. Furiosa grows from captive to huntress. Like her mother before her, she pursues a lone group of bikers across the sands, sighting them in the scope of her sniper rifle. Like in chapter I, the chase ends with Furiosa coming face-to-face with Dementus. Only this time, she is the one in control and he rendered powerless. 

She appears as a vengeful, righteous force – the darkest of angels. Her pursuit will not be stopped, her hunger for retribution will not be slaked.

Dementus: “I have nothing. I am nothing,” he tells the approaching Furiosa, holding his hands in the air. And it’s true. He’s lost his fortresses, lost his horde. He’s even, by his own doing, lost the most loyal of his former followers. Without a second thought, he offered them each up as bait in effort to escape the justice he knew was coming for him alone. He has no morals, no scruples, no power, no defenders, and no heart. 

Convergence: Furiosa first appears to Dementus swathed in his own blackened cloak. For all that she refuted his attempts to shape her in his own image as a child, his murder of Jack and destruction of her dream of escape have awakened in her the exact kind of ravenous, pitiless black hole Dementus was convinced lay in her future after her mother’s death. The black hole of vengeance to whose edge he tried to drag her to, right along with him. Now, she removes her face covering and looks down at him with eyes brimming with all the fervor of that black, icy hate he once tried to instill in her. It’s a satisfying kind of poetic justice, perhaps, that he himself becomes its target in the end.

Here, appropriating his blood and shadow-soaked cloak, she becomes the dark Furiosa – complement to his dark Dementus. But will that darkness consume her, the same way it has him? Or will she become its master, tempering its edge and its fury to serve her own ends? 

It bears remembering that it is only after Jack’s death that her path shifts from escape to retribution. Her hatred for Dementus never faded, but she long understood that to pursue vengeance against him would be to tie herself to the hateful, heartless ways of this wasteland world; it would threaten not just her physical but her spiritual escape – it would jeopardize her ability to reawaken a softer, kinder version of herself that knew the love of the Vuvalini. 

But now, Dementus has foreclosed that choice to her. She can’t return to who she used to be, because of all he’s taken from her – not just her loved ones, but the heart that loved them in the first place. “My mother, my childhood, I want them back.” Her heart and soul are world-weary; her faith in the promise of the Green Place struggles to endure. For how can such a place, in all its beauty and abundance, truly exist in a world where both her mother and Jack were tortured to death? How can she keep her faith in a world where the kind-hearted meet such grisly ends?

But then: “I’ll hear it. I’ll hear it for the rest of my days. I’ll feel the kickback in my hand.” Her course is set. There is no question that she’s going to kill Dementus, right here and now. But the larger question begins to come to the fore: what will killing him do to her? Will it heal her or only further hollow her heart? Will this vengeance be what defines her forevermore?

She sheds the cloak. She cuts the teddy from Dementus’ belt and holds it in her hand, regarding it. And this is the moment where she must confront her future. When Dementus at last recognizes her as the girl whose life he destroyed, and she must choose her path: to follow his or to leave it, for good.

“I’ve been waiting for you, for someone worthy of me,” he says, seeing himself in her, at last. Trying to wrest some small victory from this. He is in awe of her, but only as an extension of himself.

“I am nothing like you,” she spits. She says the words with blistering conviction, but the tear that slips down her face belies her certainty. Because she knows that he has chipped away at her soul, that she stands before him, tormenting him in her own way, only because of all he’s done to her. She knows, in truth, that there’s no possible way for her to claim victory from this confrontation. Whatever she does to him, whatever “righteous perversity” she inflicts on him in the name of justice, it will have been his influence that made her capable of it in the first place. She hits him again, again, again, and with each blow she only chips away at herself a bit farther; her soul only becomes a bit more enervated.

“You can never balance the scales of their suffering. … You’re never going to get anything close to what you want,” Dementus taunts her. Inescapably, he’s right. Furiosa’s strength lies in her difference from the violence-hungry men of the wasteland, who dole out only savagery and hoard all else for themselves. No matter how much Dementus deserves torment and execution, killing him will only draw her deeper into the midst of such men. 

She drops the teddy into the sand. She steps off the path he tried to set for her. She glares down at Dementus for the last time, her eyes at once hard with hate for him and soft with tears for herself.

And here: the film’s masterstroke of a conclusion. The film’s core premise is not simply a matter of warmongers vs pacifists; male violence vs female nurture; good vs evil; justice vs chaos. This world is not so black-and-white as all that. In the end, Furiosa’s moral convictions are treated with the same mercurial fluidity and indefinability as her gender presentation. In the film’s final minutes, in the way her final vengeance takes on the elusive shape of myth, she is transformed into a being superior to all such reductive classifications. 

She need not choose between the ways of the Vuvalini and the men of the wasteland – she can be both. Her presence and power are vast enough to harness the dichotomy for her own empowerment, her own self-determination. She can harness her rage, her blistering fury, her spitting hate – and she can channel it towards a cause of protection, even an act of creation. She can inflict a singularly gruesome, twisted form of torture on Dementus, and from it grow fruit to nourish faith in the future. She can seize and co-opt the male-dominated levers of power, and turn them towards her own ends. She can wield savage “male” strength to challenge all that makes it “male” to begin with. 

And yet, for all this bold indeterminacy, one thing remains concretely unquestionable. Her faith and her love endure. More than that – they are her driving force. They are what sets her apart, what makes her singularly formidable even beneath the weight of loss and heartbreak. Such is her final triumph. At heart, she ends the film unchanged from how she began: plucking a piece of fruit, the priceless treasure to be gifted to another.

[triptychgrip]

Yuri!!! on Ice post-canon headcanons - Part 1

-Yuuri becomes the first skater to ratify the quad flip in-combination, with a triple toe-loop. When he lands the combo at the 2018 Winter Olympics, it predictably breaks the internet and becomes known as the Katsuki Combo. Phichit becomes the second person to cleanly land it

-Minako bartends at the Viktuuri wedding reception in Hasetsu, and is single-handedly responsible for getting everyone trashed on their 'Stammi Vicino' signature cocktail. Things get pretty risque towards the end of the night when the new grooms begin to make exceedingly over-the-top declarations of love for one another. Neither Hiroko nor Toshiya bat an eye at any of this

-The first 'Viktor and Friends' ice show -- even with the Chihoko drama -- was such an incredible success that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs make it an annual excuse for all of their friends to get together in the off-season. The Hasetsu City Council becomes so fearful over liability issues when they notice how many tourists try to scale Hasetsu Castle to get pics in 'Shining Chihoko' pose, that they permanently install guardrails on the top of the Castle

-Viktor begins learning how to pole-dance under Yuuri's instruction. It's a 50-50 in terms of whether their lessons are actually productive versus them just ending up having sex, lol. B/c they are the most extra ppl imaginable, they work with Christophe to come up with a routine to perform at the 2022 Beijing Games banquet. This is their "last hurrah" in terms of banquet shenanigans, as the 2022 Olympics marks Yuuri's last competition before retiring

-Mila and Sara begin dating during the 2019 off-season, and Sara eventually moves to St. Petersburg so they can live together. Mila has Viktor choreograph a gala skate proposal routine, and when she performs it for Sara, everyone thinks it's amazing/adorable that she caps it off with her new fiance's damnably difficult signature jump combo (the triple lutz-triple loop)

-After a few years in St. Petersburg, Viktor and Yuuri move permanently to Fukuoka, Japan, where they coach/train at the same rink as Kenjirou (who never quite gets over his Yuuri hero worship, but does learn to tone it down...somehow). The move to Japan allows the Katsuki-Nikiforovs to begin working with the Nishigoris on long-term plans to expand Ice Castle Hasetsu into a top-tier training center

-Once Yakov retires, Yurio "follows" Viktor/Yuuri to Fukuoka and becomes Viktor's second student. This "works" in some respects, and is a disaster in others. With his ample free time upon retirement, Yakov attempts to repair things with Lilia

If any of the above headcanons sound interesting to you, you might be interested in my 2018/2022 Olympic Games fic series, which is currently comprised of 7 different parts! When I first began posting part 1 (currently at 212K words and counting) last November, I didn't do a great job of promoting it. So, as it (and the overall series) gets closer to completion, I'm striving to do better around that!

I originally set out to write an in-depth, post-canon series for two main reasons:

1) I find the politics of competitive sport really interesting and, obviously, canon Yuri!!! on Ice doesn't really touch on this in just 12 episodes. But politics/bureaucracy truly do weave into just about every aspect of an athlete's career, and particularly with such a talented/prominent Japanese skater moving to St. Petersburg to live and train alongside the sport's "Living Legend", I found myself ideating around what the implications of that would mean in-universe, particularly for the Winter Olympics

and 2) I wanted to see more of the "give and take" that we know to be true of Viktor and Yuuri's relationship. Naturally, as Viktor grows into his role as Yuuri's coach in canon, the narrative is largely about how he supports Yuuri, and I wanted to be able to explore more of the opposite (Yuuri learning to support Viktor in a more overt way than is implied).

Part 1 of the series is centered around the 2022 Olympic Games, but jumps back and forth in time so that you are able to get glimpses of how their relationship has evolved from their earlier days, as well as to see the ripple effect of a big event that took place at the PyeongChang Games.

Last but not least, if you like reading post-canon Yuri!!! on Ice but don't have energy/interest in reading a very long WIP, I have lot of other stories up on ao3, which you can find here

[thewriteblrlibrary]

A Step-by-Step Guide to the Weirdest Mush of Storytelling Techniques Known to Human Beings (that works surprisingly well)

SPOILERS - basically you combine anime/manga storytelling with tumblr character obsessions.

Okie dokie human beings, let me just come out of the gate and say that I've been hyperfixated and doing obsessive researching on storytelling methods since I was ten. You hear it all when you deep dive into this:

'You need conflict to drive your story' (wrong... well, not always true. Conflict isn't required but you can use it for funsies)

'Your characters need to be flawed. Give them flaws so they aren't Mary Sues' (Wrong. Traits in and of themselves have both nice and not-so-nice aspects, depending on the situation.

Take 'loyalty' for example. Loyal people can be apologists for those they are loyal to/not be objective when they think about their friends. But they will also be there for their friends... does that mean they are a people pleaser and won't be as nice to themselves? Mary Sues are only there because they are cardboard cutouts and people aren't having fun with them. *See remakes and pointless cash grabs* When you're self-indulgent and ignore the 'don't make the characters too cool' rules, people can tell. You all will have the time of your lives.)

Then you have... the discourse. As a storyteller, reading those made me so insecure about writing characters because I was worried I would anger someone. This method won't assure avoiding all discourse, but it makes the characters more believable and fun to watch. Everyone else can avoid the story. (It isn't for them anyways)

Anywhosies, after years of researching, I've finally, finally found a storytelling methodology that is structured yet insanely flexible, works for any story you're telling (watching tv will never be the same), and is pretty much the exact opposite of trashy Hollywood blockbusters.

So basically, it's: exploring a facet of existence through complex characters and an easy-to-follow plot.

So yea, I've talked in the land of general for too long. This is my modified method from the resources down below. Have fun!

Step One: Characters Concepts.

This will help you a lot when you make characters. Let's go through an existential crisis!

What concept about "how life works/philosophy/the unknown/viewpoint/question" do you want to explore?  This will be the aspect of life that the story attempts to make sense of and give the reader some new understanding or comfort about it. It will be the groundwork and foundation for your story going forward, so feel free to explore as many aspects of this topic as you wish. 

Specific memories can help with this. For example, I used the memory of crying over unfinished crafting projects to write my main WIP. (I was supposed to make this doll dress with my mom and we did part of it, had a lot of fun, then never finished it. A few months later, child-me sat beside the bed and waited for my mom to come out of the bathroom so I could ask her something. In the meantime, I looked underneath the bed and found that unfinished crafting project. I started bawling.)

This memory led me to make my concept: Happiness chasing. Those who want that happy ending so bad so they can have their childhood happiness back. Mostly because they are filled with regret over all the happiness they didn't have when they were little (the 'smart and didn't like to play because they wanted to read books' children... anyone else do this? And regret how little time they spent with other people?)

The second aspect of this concept that came up was the 'avoiding being happy right now because you need to earn it for a happy future' also the 'happiness needs to be perfect... but what exactly does happiness feel like?' and the 'happiness is overrated. I'm satisfied as an observer wandering around the world'

So yea, explore a concept and see where it takes you! It's okay if it's abstract, you can refine it in the next step:

Step Two: characters

~Here we go~

Here we are picking a dynamic, an internal conflict, 'the two wolves'.

Aka: desire vs fear.

And these will be in direct opposition. The character will want something, but the fear will stop them from getting it. Because to get what they want, they have to face what they fear. They cannot exist at the same time.

This took me the longest time to figure out... mostly because no one else spelled it out for me. But it works! Very well! Probably the fastest way to create a complex character!

So you'll take an aspect of your concept. Like: 'trying to replicate the happiness you had when you were little because you are full of regret about not being happy'. Then create a duality/ warring desire and fear off of it.

(Feel free to include all the extra character trait funsies here... just don't get too carried away. That becomes overwhelming fast. We'll talk about that more in the next step)

Here's an example from my WIP:

Anuli the dryad wants to have faer happy ending that fae wanted when fae was little. (I get very specific here because I wrote backstory, feel free to write a very specific image about what a 'perfect world' would look like to the character. What will having that perfect situation mean to them?)

Anuli the dryad fears being happy. Fae thinks that by being happy, fae will make a mistake and ruin others' happy endings. Then fae will be left with nothing but regret. It's wrong for faer to be faerself. (There's a misbelief about the world here. Typically, fears are rooted in false worldviews. So, you can write an opposing viewpoint and create a 'worst case scenario' based off of that.)

Ta da! Now you have a dynamic where the character has a conflicted view of the world and themself. Perfect for angst, fluff, whatever your story needs are! (Why does this sound like an old car salesperson?)

Step three: First meeting

My major issue when writing a new character is how to translate their unique prose style and convey their internal conflict, whilst also trying to figure out plotlines.

This step is entirely my own, and has been SO EXTREMELY helpful. (I'm proud of myself.)

What you'll do is some random writing of your character's internal monologue/how they see the world. Go through your writing from the previous steps and try translating that into prose. Play around with it until you are comfortable. It does not have to be perfect, it just has to be comfortable. If you're having trouble, pick a mini-topic to write about (perhaps something that's been on your mind lately) and see how your character would react to that. Or you can change the style of writing (more parenthesis? be ridiculous? stream of coconsciousness? Third person? Poetic? Change it up until you enjoy writing this character.)

Here's an example from my writing (this is my second WIP and it's a biology fanfiction.). I'm including it all because I messed around a bit and tried different things. I ended up setting for an informal semi-stream of consciousness style (partially to offset the complexity of biology and partially because that's who Cassiah wanted to be):

(It is... long. So scroll and skim, this is a messy example.) <3

I ended up going for first person instead of third. And I always go for past tense...plus a poetic style is a bit.. much for a biology fanfiction... and I wanted Cassiah to be a nervous mess on the inside while keeping up a 'full of themself' exterior. Therefore:

Feel free to include notes for yourself! This is a great place to refine and edit the writing you did in the previous steps! You can also do some exploring about worldbuilding (I may make another post for that) and congrats! A lot of what you are writing here becomes the character's behaviors that they've gotten from their internal conflict. These are a lot more specifc (and a lot more helpful) than character traits like 'loyal'.

Okie dokie, you can always come back to this for some writing relaxation, and now we go towards everyone's favorite part:

Step four: the plot the tragic backstory:

Note that this doesn't necessarily have to be tragic. All this has to do is showcase the exact moment where the character got their internal conflict. You can do this with the desire, with the fear, or both! (Although typically you'll see the fear backstory... unless it's a Disney movie or Haikyuu)

'But wait!' You ask. 'Plotting is hard! And I need to have this backstory be perfec-'

So the method I followed had this thing where you would write one backstory scene where the fear came from, then three more backstory scenes where the character chose to follow the fear instead of the want and became more conflicted. You can do that if you wish (I'll give you a resource to help with plotting in a bit.)

What I like doing is... having fun? I rewrote my backstory scenes so much and got so stressed with it. (My main WIP has been my writing project since I was ten and I worked on it nonstop... but it JUST got a full backstory written.)

My method for writing backstory changes for each character I write. For that main WIP, I started trying to write the backstory for the backstory, and tried stopping myself from doing that. Which was a mistake. Nowadays I'll write pre-backstory for fluff, and how the fear complicates things after a twist. (Usually I get this specfic aspect of my concept that I want to explore through storytelling and I'll write a snippet about it), and my MC just gets more ridiculous every time I write faer.

All in all... you can just use the plotting method discussed in the next step for the backstory: kishotenketsu. If you do this, then I recommend that you use ki and sho for the 'want' portion. (some fluffy childhood goals if you will.). Then use ten and ketsu for the fear that complicates things and the aftermath.

But overall I recommend (for all scenes that you write) that you always connect whatever is happening to the character's internal dynamic. This is what gives weight to your story. And you've already practiced writing your character's internal monologue, so now it's time to relax, be ridiculous, write some bad stuff, and find the exact moments where the character's internal conflict came from.

I haven't gotten to this point with my biology fanfiction yet (been executive dysfunctioning until recently... the stars have aligned or smth.) but here's my initial prose-sketch:

From here, I'll write a more specific backstory (I tend to get bored of long scenes though, so I imagine I'll do my 'tiny section prose snippet style') to depict how Cassiah got their fear, then I'll write a bit showcasing how they started envying others and their confidence (the desire). Afterwards it'll be Cassiah being internally conflicted hijinks until they inevitably get themself in a ton of trouble.

Okie dokie everyone... now it's time for the plot present-day character explorations.

Step Something-or-other: Keep doing what you're doing, but technically this is the start of the story.

So there's this whole 'inciting incident' and blah blah blah.

Start your story when it becomes impossible for the character to avoid their fear anymore, which causes them to chase after their desire.

...I'm going to include a video for kishotenketsu because... I've been typing... for hours.... and I'll do an overview but video.

So kishotenketsu is the overall plot structure that anime and manga uses. Very flexible, very nice. I keep it in the back of my mind when I'm writing, making sure to connect everything back to the character's internal conflict (make sure they react to things and make decisions.)

Here's a scene card to help you with 'smaller scale' plotting:

So instead of the plot part I use kishotenketsu. And usually I'll write actual prose for the character's monologue (like we did for the freewriting) for the 'why it matters'. (What is the plot causing them to think and feel like? And what do they want to do to fix things?)

'And So?' is usually a decision that effects the plot moving forward. You can also just have a change in perception. Just something new to give the scene meaning.

Whoopdedoo so I'll do a quick overview of kishotenketsu, and then I'll list my resources if you want to do any further digging. My advice in general is to make up your own methodology for writing, and figure out what works best for you.

Kishotenketsu:

Ki - introduction: introduce the characters, their world, where they are at, what matters to them, and most importantly - their internal conflict/what aspect of your concept they represent.

Sho - development: The plot develops toward the twist later. You can use the scene cards for this part, it should have some cause and effect and it should develop and explore the character's internal world.

Ten - twist: this is where an obstacle occurs. Bonus points if it relates to the fear/desire. The character now has to change their perspective and deal with the aftermath of the twist.

Ketsu: I forget what this stands for - the aftermath. How do they deal with the effects of the twist?

Okie dokie fellow storytellers! Now go forth! And Remember! I SPENT WAY TO LONG WRITING THIS IT"S SO LONG WTFUDSICLE ICEPOPS IS THIS LENGTH IT"S TOO LONG

Resources:

Books: Story Genius (where I got the scene card from.)

Videos on kishotenketsu: First one. Second one.

Someone rewrote twilight and it was so helpful for my writing

And... funny story... my brother got viruses on his computer and now I can't pirate anime see 'restricted videos' on youtube because of ristricted mode.

So the Hannah person that rewrote Twilight? Search for 'physic distance' Very helpful.

Also look up. 'Zoe Bee poetry.' the basics of poetry are extremely helpful.

Things you should watch (the gifs)

Rise of the Teenage mutant ninja turtles

The promised neverland

Your Name

A silent Voice

Hilda

Avatar: the last airbender

Wolfwalkers

Song of the Sea

Amphibia

The Girl from the other side

Haikyuu (how did something get me to like a sport this is insanity)

Good Omens (I can't actually watch it because homophobic parents but I've seen all the clip compilations.)

[boyfridged]

in your fic “paint it over” is that how you imagine jason making it out of the explosion at the end of utrh? not exactly the events that follow, but the preferable characterization of bruce digging jay out of the rubble and carrying him to help. and how do you think jason made it out canonically (without the help of bruce) also!!! what are your thoughts on the specifics of jason’s scar and how he’d behave toward it. i liked the part of your fic where jason was temporarily unable to speak due to the trauma his neck received. i think the scar is something that rests on the junction of his shoulder/neck, and that can be hidden with whatever clothes he wears -> no one knows he has it (or how he got it) either. i like to imagine while bruce knows his batarang made contact with jason’s throat it’s never fully registered to him that it scarred until he sees it for himself (and while i believe bruce would turn the moment in head over and over again until it’s engraved in his brain, his delayed realization—to me—is due to his repression of the occurrence)

oh i adore this whole ask. some of it i explained in my notes, but this fanfic is quite dear to me, so i will elaborate.

short answer to whether this is how i imagine jay making it out of the explosion: not exactly?

the premise that i wanted to explore with paint it over is almost the opposite of a fix-it, and definitely not what i believe it should be in canon.

what i wished to explore there is, however, the part of utrh that is perhaps the most shocking to many readers: that bruce leaves jason to die.

in-universe, i think the answer why it happens is surprisingly simple enough: bruce does not come because he is just... not there. my understanding is, that in a way, the events of under the red hood did not happen. there is nothing to follow. that purple mist in the finale of the utrh, that is often read as a force resurrecting jason (not technically wrong, either)- i believe that is the timeline already rewriting itself, making the whole story into something that was not.

and the reason for the above is the infinite crisis. if i'm not wrong, it's also the inifinite crisis miniseries where bruce meets dick right after the explosions in (or of) bludhaven-- that in batman clearly happens in the background of his confrontation with jay. however, in infinite crisis (#4, just checked it now), bruce tells dick: "i wanted to make sure...you're alright... i was in new york when it hit. got here as soon as i could." which could be a lie or a matter of the editorial not being synced enough- but i'm willing to give them a benefit of the doubt given how it ties with that sudden, stunted ending of utrh.

this makes sense for canon for several reasons. in the animated movie, since it spares us the infinite crisis tie-in, bruce says of the whole incident: this changes nothing. it changes nothing because although aditf isn't, utrh is a tragedy; it changes nothing because since his death, jason is necessarily always pushed at the peripheries of the narrative, no matter how much the fate itself tries to fix it, becoming a tragic footnote. the dead have one right and it's the right to remain silent. and that is ironically ensured on a cosmic level, with his violent attempt at being seen hidden in the folds of the timeline. you can also see it clearly in canon -- i believe it was not until the infinite frontier that the events of utrh got just tangentially mentioned (before that, even lobdell barely touched upon it). other than that, they have no consequences; they are barely ever spoken of; they seem to slip out even from jay's solo comics.

this move was necessary for batman, as a character and as a title: let's say bruce does hold red hood as he does in the alt cover of annual 25 (and the cover of the deluxe edition of utrh.) that would implore a reckoning with his failure and his (suddenly non-productive) grief that would either reconstruct the whole myth or lead to some terrifying implications. these terrifying implications are, essentially, what paint it over is about. it's about the worst happening and about there being no way back from it. and jason, in receiving what he wanted (his father's love and care) wants to deny that reality. they both want to. yet even jay cannot ignore it completely -- and i chose to use the batarang injury to emphasize it.

and about the scar: i mentioned it briefly before, but in the au jason aggravates the wounds on purpose, hence it will scar worse and cause long-term issues for his voice. it's a theme i also keep in some of my other stories (to come...) and i very much think this is what would happen in canon if he had to take care of that injury. yet as it healed, i believe he'd take to hiding it, mostly. still, as it stands, my primary take might be that in canon (if it was to follow the interference into the timeline from the crisis at least) jason would simply end up with no scar at all, and only memories for evidence of what happened, which is perhaps worse for him too (but of course better for bruce. and as it happens, this is bruce wayne's story and everyone else is just living in it- or dies in it- for better or worse. and if we're ignoring that metaphysical timeline bullshit, as you said, i believe bruce would repress it all anyway.)

[homestucksimplified]

The 12 Classes of Blood.

"Blood is the Aspect of bonds, relations, friendship or relationship or hatred, anything that holds the idea of people connecting and interacting. Blood Players usually strive for community, craving the unity of people, thriving on groups of friends, families, rioters getting ready to protest, anything that ties the bloods together. They can have a hard time adjusting to freedom, preferring the value of the attachments in their life. Their view of the world is very interesting, mostly focused on the association between people, even the disharmonic ones".

"Blood can be literal, in the sense of a Blood Player’s path having to do with their care or lack of care for a sibling or parent, but it can also be about friends or lovers. They can attempt to form unity whenever they can, that might be their way of dealing with the world. They have a thought that “everyone has the same blood”. Blood is the opposite Aspect to “Breath”, which is focused on freedom and detachment".

Sburb Players each have a combination of an Aspect and a Class. Aspects are understood to represent what a player’s goals and actions in life are caused by. A Class is within an Aspect and understood to represent the way they deal with their Aspect.

The Sburb Classes are Maid, Page, Mage, Knight, Rogue, Sylph, Seer, Thief, Heir, Bard, Prince, and Witch. (Lord and Muse*)

(*Classes Lord and Muse seem to only be possible in either Cherub society or in two-player sessions. They are very absolute and it’s rare for a human to identify with their descriptions. I will have to leave them out here and only write about the remaining twelve :)

Adding the Classes to the Aspect of Blood will result in twelve God Tiers. My analyses of them are as follows:

1st God Tier: Witch of Blood

Witch is the Active Class of manipulation. Witches are known to “control” their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Witch of Blood, specifically, would believe themselves to work better under stress, with second plans, with a strong sense of security, but their most productive moments will be those in which they decide to be free and “go with the flow”. Being the rebels against Blood, they would be deeply interested in exploring how they could break rules of conformity, even the ones they planned for themselves. They don’t like leadership, they don’t want to be responsible for other people; they are followers of change even when they don’t mean to be. They have very complex relationships, whether romantic or platonic, but not complex as difficult, and rather as “interesting to explore”. Their connections to others can be of heavy weight to them, as they sometimes doubt they are the right thing — they can love their best friend deeply but wonder all the time “do I really? Should I just leave them?”, for example. Blood Players tend to be chaotic, but I see Witches as the most collected of the lot. In regards to society, I can view them being into anarchism even if only as an interest of study.

2nd God Tier: Heir of Blood

Heir is the Passive Class of manipulation. Heirs are known to “influence” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. An Heir of Blood, specifically, would be the connecting link between people and situations. This is one of the coolest God Tiers, because Heirs become their Aspect somehow, so they would be inspired into inspiring relationships and unity, for example introducing people to their biggest passions, changing lives even when they don’t mean to, by helping their friends find themselves in what they were always meant to be doing. An Heir of Blood would have a lot of friends and probably be highly sociable and open-minded. Their challenge in life can have to do with low self-esteem in romantic surroundings, and maybe a belief that all of their friends are more interesting than them. Still with that, Heirs of Blood will be thought of as great company. They may pursue jobs related to inspiration and guiding other people.

3rd God Tier: Mage of Blood

Mage is the Active Class of knowledge. Mages are known to “understand” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Mage of Blood, specifically, would be really experienced with all forms of social interaction and/or close connections. They would be the friend that solves the issues and that takes the lead when it is time to make a decision involving somebody else (needing to talk to a figure of authority to help with something within the group, for example). I see Mages having confidence in what their Aspect represents, so they would know what they are doing, but, at the same time, it is said that Mages “suffer” from their Aspect, and I like to believe that is because they are too self-aware of it. So this would be the bad part, they would perhaps feel like they already know everything and refuse to take advice from others when it comes to their friendships or familiar bonds. And of course, since Blood also talks about binds, these Mages could also be knowledgeable in politics and social issues, naturally good at talking about it.

4th God Tier: Seer of Blood

Seer is the Passive Class of knowledge. Seers are known to “study” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Seer of Blood, specifically, would be fairly observant but retracted from social interactions. They would be the “judge instead of the participant”, and make up for what they lack with rigorous practice. In Blood, that means yes, they would constantly force themselves out of their comfort zone and challenge connections and bonds. They could be the most routine-based person in the Sburb session, and the most to-themselves person in the friend group. I think Seers are really interesting because they show signs of their Aspect even in childhood! I mean, all people do, but Seers do in a particular way.

Seer of Blood is a canon Homestuck God Tier. Kankri Vantas is the character that holds that title.

5th God Tier: Thief of Blood

If you read into Thief of Blood I suggest you also read into Rogue of Blood — I wrote them together as one.

Thief is the Active Class of stealing. Thieves are known to “take” from their Aspect and through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Thief of Blood, specifically, would not be as evil-sounding as their title suggests, but they would be or make themselves seem overly powerful within their Aspect. Thieves in general tend to depend a lot on their Aspect in a way to strengthen themselves, and with Blood that may be done by engaging in self-serving relationships, whether romantic or platonic. I feel like it’s important to state that not! all! Thieves! are! selfish!!! But acting in their own interests is part of their unique pattern of Aspect handling. Again, Thief is the Active Class of stealing, so these would bring Blood to themselves, benefit from connections and structure in a way that is focused not on a clear objective but rather on the overall feeling of the Player. Stealing Blood is just something they do, because they were built to do just that.

If this is too abstract for you to understand, I’d suggest that you are not a Thief of Blood. But in any form, I hope this finds them.

6th God Tier: Rogue of Blood

If you read into Rogue of Blood I suggest you also read into Thief of Blood — I wrote them together as one.

Rogue is the Passive Class of stealing. Rogues are known to “redistribute” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Rogue of Blood, specifically, would be hard to notice. They would showcase a lot of power, but much less evidently than the Thief would. Likewise, their connections would be mostly selfless, even to the extreme point of lacking focus on their own person. But remember that not! all! Rogues! are! selfless!!! It’s just a theme in their pattern that they handle their Aspect with focus on the outside world. In a Blood way, that would mean the Rogue would be active in helping society, maybe taking that as their objective in life. Parades, sure, but I’m thinking mostly protests, even if silent activism that changes humanity little by little. Sometimes they’d think they are wasting their time and should be focused on other things, but that is just the questioning that will always be present in their lives. They are doing the correct thing, just usually not in the right quantity.

7th God Tier: Knight of Blood

Knight is the Active Class of utilizing. Knights are known to “handle” their Aspect and through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Knight of Blood, specifically, would feel a strong sense of duty that they should use their Aspect in the best way possible, possibly creating pressure on themselves. They tend to be into leading and/or handling other people, following the knowledge that their Aspect is their objective in life. Outside Sburb, this can mean this Knight is the best person in a group when it comes to having empathy and being understanding. We see that in Homestuck, with Knight of Blood being one of the most well-explained God Tiers. They are unable to ignore their duty, but of course they also make mistakes relating to it, they are as imperfect as every other person. We see the Knight of Blood being the center of all relationships, but still failing at their own because of said imperfection.

Knight of Blood is a canon Homestuck God Tier. Karkat Vantas is the character that holds that title.

8th God Tier: Page of Blood

Page is the Passive Class of utilizing. Pages are known to “rise” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Page of Blood, specifically, would feel like they lack talent in handling other people and social dynamics, but in reality, just be held back by their own insecurities and feelings that they are insufficient. If they tried to apply effort into their Aspect, they’d find all the potential they have, understanding their place and their destiny. A realized Page will happily utilize connections, routine, revolution, everything in its own place, and will even uplift others in their own Aspects, but only after defying their limits. Pages can be the center of a Sburb session. Sometimes everyone depends on them so they all can be their best versions.

9th God Tier: Maid of Blood

Maid is the Active Class of construction. Maids are known to “create” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Maid of Blood, specifically, would at first not believe in their talents. Unlike Pages, they are creators, not users of the Aspect, and so their relation to it depends on more than facing their limits. A Maid of Blood will be a pushover in the beginning, and have to fight to find a relevant place in relationships and gatherings. They might even be built up by others, depending on them before emancipating themselves. But this characteristic doesn’t mean they are inferior to others, it simply means their initial challenge will be finding independence in their Aspect. A Maid of Blood will follow advice and whatever others say is the right way to handle connections, I can see that as accepting what anyone does, following their therapist’s relationship advice without hesitation, go through life accepting the minimum thinking that is all they deserve. The thing with them will be realizing they are not made to only follow. Realized, again, they would be great bosses, good at controlling people, changing minds, inspiring.

10th God Tier: Sylph of Blood

Sylph is the Passive Class of construction. Sylphs are known to “build” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Sylph of Blood, specifically, would be very dependent on relationships and order in their life. Their favorite things in life will be concerts, parades, football games, anything that brings people together with one common goal. They will thrive in situations where they have to deal with others, be good at community, or at least like community a lot. I can see them not being very patient, however, for example when something disrupts this sense of union that they crave. They can get frustrated more than the other Blood Players, because they are the ones who feel they should be the ones doing the building. They will also be extremely hardworking when it comes to helping others, since Sylph is a healing Class and Blood is a people Aspect.

11th God Tier: Prince of Blood

Prince is the Active Class of destruction. Princes are known to “wreck” their Aspect and through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Prince of Blood, specifically, would be a complicated person to deal with, but mostly because of things that can be fixed. Princes are the opposite of Maids, so they are usually self-obsessed and self-confident; they know they are meant for / can’t escape / must act on their Aspect (their destiny). But for that reason they also aggressively hold their Aspect, in a way that might make them seem overbearing to people around them. When healing, a Prince of Blood will crave stability in social dynamics, believing that they would be completely fixed if only they had the friendship / relationship / community / family that they deserve. And they will heal from that, from perhaps creating their own community / family / etc. and building their destiny, positively seeing their Aspect.

12th God Tier: Bard of Blood

Bard is the Passive Class of destruction. Bards are known to “deconstruct” their Aspect or through their Aspect, both literally and figuratively. A Bard of Blood, specifically, would challenge themselves a lot, always defying the rules of their Aspect, which for Blood can mean they would estrange themselves from the people who care for them, escape from situations they feel comfortable in, etc. In general, they are estranged from their Aspect itself. It’s a complicated relationship to their Aspect because they are destroying it, even if passively, so this Bard’s challenge would be being taken away by Blood, expressing it way too much, believing they are too into relationships to the point where they abandon them, believing if they are too comfortable they must withdraw, and other situations of the sort.

[stuffnonsenseandotherthings]

Cupid's Last Wish Final Thoughts

Watch It Or Drop It The Challenge

A fireworks show of a drama which suffered from a few awkward pauses and which, even though it ended with the dampest of squibs, was a joy to watch.

Strengths

I think part of the reason I held off on watching Cupid's Last Wish for so long was because I was a little leery on the whole "BL but with body swap" premise. Don't get me wrong, I actually love the concept of a good body swap plot, who doesn't, I just haven't seen it done well very often. Luckily, however, Cupid's Last Wish more than impresses on this part and what could have been a very messy plot indeed was instead an incredibly well executed exploration of the self, the body, and the complex relationship between them. Through it's central premise Cupid's Last Wish delved into themes of gender identity, gender dysphoria and, as @wen-kexing-apologist, @lurkingshan, and @so-much-yet-to-learn delve into in this post, maps out a truly trans experience and, for that, it shines.

Another strength of the show, linked directly to the body swap, was how well it handled the misunderstanding and miscommunication between the main pairing. Normally, when confronted with a romantic miscommunication situation in a drama, it makes me want to tear my hair out with how unnecessary it is and how easily it could be fixed but not here. I could literally see Korn sending the wrong message and Win completely misleading things and I could understand why. At no point (apart from perhaps the last 2 episodes which I'll get to in a bit) was I questioning why Win thought Korn was in love with Lin or how Korn was unable to see what his actions were communicating to Win.

A final two strengths (before I move on to the weaknesses) are the cast and the soundtrack. I won't go too into depth (after all I expected Earth and Mix to put on an excellent performance) but the dynamics between the central trio were fantastic and Jan and Mix sharing two dual roles was an impressive (and impressively convincing) sight to see. Likewise the soundtrack was pretty basic but effective, the use of Tillybird's "Just Being Friendly" was a highlight and I've had Mix and Earth's "Closer" on repeat for my own trip.

Weaknesses

For all that Cupid's Last Wish does right, I won't lie, it also does quite a bit wrong with the main issue being that as well thought out and as beautifully executed as the body swap plot line, everything else feels a little... half hearted, half baked, half done. The inheritance plotline felt silly within a second of it being introduced (I still don't get why Win was so angry or why he held the grudge for so long when everything we'd been shown up to the "big reveal" indicated he should have felt the opposite); the Aunt and Uncle were barely there and, brief attempted murder on the part of the Aunt aside, barely villains at all (and were actually quite reasonable once they got to have civil chat); and the whole plot twist with the mum being the homophobic mastermind behind Win and Korn's estrangement was so poorly done and so rushed I'm still angry about it (she did absolutely nothing to be forgiven and I can't believe her revelation was swept under the rug in seconds).

I wish I could say these were minor things but they were, technically, half the drama and really soured things when it was time to focus back on them. What really put the nail in the coffin though, is the fact that these weaker elements became the entire focus of the show in the final two episodes which meant it ended with a decidedly wet plop rather than with a bang.

Conclusion

There is much to love about this drama and perhaps even more to explore with regards to its central theme but unfortunately some of its weaker elements were just a little too loud to completely ignore. I would still rewatch it (in fact I plan to) and I would still recommend it to anyone thinking of giving it a go (and even foist on people who weren't thinking about it at all) but I would also say that I wouldn't judge anyone who decided to speed run the final 2 episodes.

Watch or Drop: WATCH (but with a minor warning)

Final Score: 7.5/10 (closer to an 8 than a 7)

Would I rewatch it: Yes, heck I even want to write meta about it if I can find the time.

Watch It Or Drop It Masterpost

[nothorses]

same anon coming back to the degendering conversation.

i see your point about degendering as defensible, and misgendering as openly hateful. but i think the bigot can escalate further, switching back to degendering as part of dehumanization. "it", "that thing", and so on. i did make an oversimplification, but it was because your posts made me understand what the difference in feeling between types of transphobia i have experienced was, and i got very eager to share!

i am genderqueer, androgynous, and visibly varsex. i have gotten deliberately misgendered both as my original legal gender and its opposite. i have also been aggressively degendered. and actually the underlying insults were the opposite than in my example. the misgendering tried to cast me as delusional, and the degendering as an abject other, a monster.

but i do think what you described shows traces of these two angles of attack. "slipping", because they haven't actually unlearned as much as they like to think.

but i think it isn't useful to sort this kind of more 'abstract' or high concept transphobia based on target identities. these are frameworks and weapons picked by the wielders, often without consistent logic, and can be used against anyone. the unique experiences are in my opinion more practical and specific, like in most parts of the world nonbinary people having no right legal gender marker to pick. so that's how exorsexism is a thing and imo your discussion doesn't threaten to invalidate it.

thank you for the good conversation. hopefully i managed to express my thoughts somewhat coherently...

That makes sense! Yeah, I def didn't think about "it/its" degendering in that context, and I feel like that specific way of degendering trans folks has different (but overlapping) sort of intention - I don't get the same kind of dehumanization from "they/them", personally.

That said, I totally agree that the usefulness in differentiating these different types of transphobia is more in why people utilize them than it is the group of people they are attempting to target.

To use one example: I think "transphobia targeting transmasculinity" is probably a more accurate definition of "transandrophobia" than "transphobia targeting transmascs", in a lot of ways, because the people weaponizing transphobia against transmasculinity care less about hurting people who are transmasculine, and more about a fight against the concept of transmasculinity itself. They aren't trying to reveal everyone who is transmasculine in order to oppress them, they are trying to force transmasculine people to repress and hide that part of themselves in order to conform.

And I think that's true for transphobia generally, and queerphobia, and a lot of other forms of oppression. Which is also why bigotry itself tends to be fairly undiscerning; the people calling you a "faggot" on the street aren't going to correct themselves and apologize if you tell them you're straight, actually. They don't care whether you are a faggot, they're punishing the presence of faggotry as a concept.

Anyway, I'm kinda rambling here; I think we're on the same page, too, I'm just enjoying seeing & exploring new ideas and connections!