#to be clear what I mean is that there will always be some people who would say anything to not see two people of the same gender as romantic

[badbatchposts]

I’m going to be totally honest about a few things I think contribute to the proliferation of these long fics (for me, over 120,000 words).

1. Sometimes they are that long because they’ve just been going on for a long time and authors have been expanding them forever and exploring many avenues rather than telling one cohesive story. This can be fine especially for readers who are keeping up with them as they update rather than reading everything in one long go—fanfic as a genre can be engaged with essentially as a serial, in which a greater length is rather typical. However…

2. Other times it’s clear that authors are posting a lot of quantity because they are not at all focused on quality. Again, this can be fine because people write fanfic for a lot of reasons and they’re doing it for fun. But as someone who thinks a lot about writing as craft, I find that I’m not very inclined to read these very long fics when it’s clear the author hasn’t spent much time thinking about what makes a story compelling or doing any editing. I get a lot less enjoyment out of reading something with a lot of redundancy for example, or repetitive conflict that doesn’t move the story forward, or where it feels like action is constantly being deferred for unclear reasons.

Again, this is no reason for others not to post those fics or read them, just another example of why longer doesn’t always mean better. As noted above, reading shouldn’t just be about passively consuming content, although I’ll also engage in quite a bit of speed reading and skimming myself if I find a story to have, for example, a compelling plot but a lot of excess fat that I think could be trimmed.

Frankly, the shorter a story is, the more laden with meaning it has to be to be very good. I personally think that short story writers are some of the best at their craft.

But of course, fanfic is a distinct genre that is written and read for reasons that often differ from published genres, and even, for example, mass market novels and literary novels are going to be written, read, and enjoyed differently. I’ll often take a lot more time reading a 100 page literary novela than a 225 page mass market thriller, because the language and structure is so different and they have to be engaged with on their own terms.

am i having a brain bleed are people seriously considering NOVEL LENGTH FICS as small one shots now what is happening

[th3-c0ll3ct3r]

I will be the one to say it, wherever we like this side conclusion or not, she dug this pit herself and Iskall provided the shovel

I've heard speculations of their relationship being a much closer than it appears online, and her deleting her channel to hide any trace of her involvement or his involvement while still keeping the comment on Iskall's channel is the nail in the coffin

The only thing that she has on her Channel right now is 36 comments that the majority tie back to Iskall in some way.

And additionally, I'd personally say it's come to a point of devotion and compassion for each other rather than what a normal "relationship" should be

And I want you all to keep in mind that if Stress isn't Iskall's "long-term girlfriend", then there is a woman out there who found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her with multiple of his employees and also possibly including his female best friend because of the amount of devotion they have to each other

But if Stress is the "long-term girlfriend", then this was a clear act of both devotion or she's been hit with trains worth of clarity and realization but I doubt this is the case because the comment is still up

And there was no single threat in her replies

YouTube's AI detection system will automatically delete replies with a threatening nature of that go against community guidelines before the person sees the reply.

Meaning that at the most cleverly worded insults have slipped through the hundreds of common worth of "You're so goated" and "Miss you too" and "We support you too" (update to make sure this was accurate I just checked it this than two minutes before this post and it is indeed compliments)

90% of her replies a positivity. And a couple months ago I even gave her the benefit of the doubt and said not to speculate on her situation because we didn't know any better. Aka even people who were skeptical like me and many others treats it her with integrity and dignity open till that reply was posted

I cannot speak on whether or not Iskall has gotten the threats he claims, but I always encouraged to not leave death threats, so I would imagine that it's a handful of people who do not have a life

But I could say with Confidence that if she got more than 8 threats, which is still not good but is a less considering the circumstances and general uncontrollable public, I would be mind-blown

So I'm very confident in the notion that she did this out of either realization to which I hope it is, and I hope for her community she seeks professional help because that level of devotion is unhealthy makes a steady bouncy back after some time OR it's another act of devotion

Because if he's in a legal case regarding this issue it is commonly advised to remove any incriminating evidence from social media so that it cannot be used against you; and it would be easy to argue their relationship based purely on her videos. Making the deletion of her channel an act of devotion rather than general clarity hitting her

Which is sad. I've never personally watched Many of Her videos only 30 at the most, but the general consensus of disappointment rather than anger putting her Direction leads me to conclude this is out of character behavior for her. And this would reinforce Iskall's repeated manipulation attempts.

It would mean his manipulation is effective and working.

The only possible way I could ever see people generally being outraged at her is if she was in on it too but that has already been confirmed by many of the victims they were unaware that she was also leaving, and were unaware of her general support.

This or will you find out that she's financially contributing to his legal case, to which I would argue the money would be better spent on therapy

But it just seems that she's digging herself into a pit or into a self destructive montage of being in support of someone who does not deserve it

[dailystressmonster]

Hello everyone, I thought I'd quickly address the developments in the Iskall situation and Stress's involvement in it.

TW for abuse and sexual harassment

First of all, in case you're out of the loop: Iskall85 has been accused of being a sexual predator and a groomer. Three separate victims have come forward with two of them providing statements containing proof for the accusations. This was back in November, I thought I'd address it back then but I never found the time to.

The most recent development is Iskall posting a video in response to the accusations. If you wish to watch the video, here's a reupload that will ensure he will have no financial gain from you watching.

That said, I can't say I recommend watching the video. He only addresses the allegations in the vaguest way possible and provides no proof of any kind. The video is quite clearly only meant to trick people who are not familiar with the allegations/haven't seen the victim statements or are easier to manipulate into thinking his made-up version of the facts is the truth, so that he can continue his career as a content creator.

Now, onto Stressmonster's involvement:

Back in November it was clearly stated by multiple people, including the victims, that Stress was not directly involved in the allegations. She had resigned at the same time as Iskall, but we had, at the time, no reason to believe she had done so in support of him.

However, here's a screenshot of her comment on Iskall's latest video:

Needless to say, this pretty much openly confirms she supports Iskall fully. I was incredibly disappointed, but I'm glad we now know for sure at least.

So, onto what this means for dailystressmonster:

I stand by the victims fully. If you still support Iskall85, you are not welcome here. If you interact with me, you will be blocked.

I will not be deleting the blog or any of its posts. I might turn off reblogs in posts that have Iskall in them, but that depends heavily on how I'll be feeling about said posts in the future. But, in any case, please be assured that everything on this blog is here to stay.

I don't know if I'll continue drawing C!Stress in the future, or if what I draw will be posted publically. I have always held a pretty clear separation between character and CC, so drawing her would not be in support of said CC, but for now I'm a little too hurt by all this to do so. This might change with time, but in the meantime don't expect C!Stress fanart from me!

Now, I will be linking some charities who help victims of sexual abuse. If you can provide me proof of you donating to these charities, I will doodle you any character, MCYT or not, that you request. (This excludes Iskall and Stress for obvious reasons)

US:

Joyful Heart Foundation

UK:

Rape Crisis England & Wales

[If you have suggestions for reputable charities please feel free to leave them in the replies/reblogs :) ]

[bwat5-blog]

A Sister's Love: Jinx & Vi

**Spoilers For Arcane**

A while back I had a short but pleasant discussion with someone on one of their posts about Jinx's treatment of Vi, and how it can feel like Jinx doesn't seem to care about Vi in many instances. In hopes of further discussion, I posted in the community where many of you wonderful folks shared your thoughts on the subject and I got a lot of really good insight into this as well. I was thinking about that this morning and it got me thinking about Jinx in general, and more specifically the times when even if it's not as clear, her love for Vi shines through.

I've said this many times but it bears repeating. I am aware that I have been quite harsh on Jinx. The unfortunate reason for most of that is that a significant amount of Jinx fans have an obsession with comparing her to Caitlyn or Vi that borders on the fanatical. But my issue has never been, and will never be with the character herself. I think she is absolutely amazing as a character and loved watching her story unfold.

*I do this every-time but I think it's important. Especially because some of you have shared with me that your own mental health is what has made you connect with Jinx so strongly. I understand and recognize that her mental health plays an immensely important role in her character's journey. I am in no way, shape or form a qualified mental healthcare professional. So any disrespect or lack of sensitivity is not my intention*

Jinx & Vi:

The journey of these sisters is heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measure. It is many people's favorite part of the story and for good reason. They are so close when the show begins and ripped apart by the darkness in their world. Only to fight their way back to one another through love and sacrifice.

But their story is not without conflict. In fact at their lowest point they almost kill one another. There is much that can be said about Vi's love for Jinx, the times she fails her, and those important moments, but I want to focus on Jinx right now.

I don’t have exact quotes on hand, but someone in the community made an excellent point during our discussion. Even when Vi and Jinx are at odds, and Jinx’s hallucinations try to convince her that Vi no longer loves her—that she’s been replaced by Caitlyn—Jinx fights back. She defends who she knows her sister to be, even if she can’t always silence those voices. It’s only pain, fear, or manipulation that pushes her too far, making her lose her grip on what she knows to be true.

During the horrifying sequence when Jinx is being saved by Singed, she hallucinates. And who does she hallucinate in that terrifying moment when she is in terrible pain and in such need of comfort? Vi. Even though she just tried to kill Vi on that bridge. The vision is only corrupted when Caitlyn appears, which all stems from Silco and Sevika feeding Jinx's paranoia.

Okay. I know what some of you are thinking seeing me post ANYTHING about the dinner party on a Jinx positive post. Hear me out. There is no question that Jinx does ALL sorts of fucked up shit here. But we are talking about her love for Vi. What does she want here? She wants things to be like they used to be. She wants her sister. She is in such a dark and twisted state that she cannot see how terrible her actions are, but at her core, she wants her older sister to love her like she used to. She doesn't hurt Vi (I mean aside from the bonk). Additionally, and again- I AM NOT SAYING SHE DIDN"T DO TERRIBLE THINGS HERE- Even with all she did to Caitlyn, she knows Vi cares for Caitlyn, she views Caitlyn as the one who was taking Vi from her, and yet she doesn't kill Caitlyn and she easily could have. This is not about justifying anything she does. It's about looking for what lies beneath the darkness in her to see the person she has the potential to be again.

Here at their lowest moment, when Vi and Jinx have almost killed each-other, and Jinx is glad Vi is the one who is going to finish her, Jinx screams "NO!" when Isha does this. She doesn't want Vi to die.

Vi is at her worst during her pitfighter arc. I'm not going super in-depth on this because this post is about Jinx but Vi is in a self-destructive spiral and totally alone. It's quite clear in one moment that Jinx is there in the crowd but if you slow down the whole sequence you actually see her there a few times. This was primarily what I was discussing with some other people and I believe Jinx was watching over Vi in the best way she could process. I'm sure there was some degree of pleasure in seeing Vi cast out by Caitlyn at first, but with all other signs pointing to Jinx caring for Vi I don't think Jinx was here laughing at her sisters pain. More trying to be there and watch over Vi but with no idea how to approach her with all that happened.

*I fully recognize there is a degree of speculation on my part for this point but I think it's reasonable, feel free to let me know if you disagree!*

With everything that has happened between them, the fact that Jinx comes to collect Vi when she finds out about Vander speaks volumes. There is still much to be worked out between them but she wants their family to together again including Vi. And although I couldn't find the GIF for it, when jinx is in the dark with her lighter after Vi and Vander fight is such a heart wrenching moment. She is clearly so afraid that she has caused the death of her sister, her dad, or both. She cares so much for those that she has left.

Jinx and Caitlyn's history is the furthest thing from simple. But in this moment, Caitlyn cast Vi out, hit her, became the commander and placed Zaun under martial law all because she wanted Jinx (this is not a who is right and who is wrong I'm just making a point), Jinx would HATE Caitlyn. But she knows what she means to Vi. And she just saw Caitlyn save Vander. Jinx easily could have let Rictus finish Caitlyn then jumped in if it was just about saving Vander but she still jumps headfirst into the fight.

In the aftermath of Isha and Vander's death, Jinx could easily have escaped Caitlyn. But Caitlyn tells Vi that all Jinx wanted was to make sure Vi was safe after Vi sacrificed herself to protect her.

Jinx's mindset in this moment is a complicated topic. But I want to focus her feelings about Vi. Vi has come and broken her out of jail, risked everything for her again. And Jinx realizes Vi will never give up on her. Even at great cost to herself. So Jinx punches her and leaves her, and almost begs her to start living for herself. Because she knows Vi cannot give herself that permission. She wants Vi to choose her own life, and to choose love.

Free and clear, obviously Jinx was going to do something horrible but thankfully Ekko talked her down. Even still, she could have done anything. But what does she choose to do? She chooses to ride to war with her people, honoring Vi's faith in her.

And of course, the absolutely devastating final sacrifice (I know she's alive but you get it) of Jinx saving Vi's life when the pain and grief finally overwhelm the fearsome brawler. I have mentioned it many times, but Jinx's core belief is that everyone who gets close to her dies. She thinks she is a curse on all who love her. But in her last action, she saves the life of the older sister she knows will always love her, and who never gave up on her.

I have touched on most of this before but it was just on my mind this morning. I hope I didn't bore anyone. I know there are LOTS of strong feelings about Jinx and like I have said over and over nothing here is about justifying the wrong she did. It's just about looking at those moments that showed her true colors even when she herself couldn't see them. Hope you enjoyed, take care!

[oh-no-its-bird]

Gonna ramble a bit here, sorry in advance for that

With the rise in worry about the permanence of online media (books / music / video content / art / online chat history / etc.) I've been thinking about wanting to print out some of my favorite fics, or catologue some of my longer (months and years long tbh) conversations about ocs. Or maybe try and learn how to burn cds so I can save my music and favorite shows / videos n stuff

Mm,, download a show online and burn it into a cd so I never have to look for it again,, easily accessible physical copy,, I love pirating things

Obviously, with printing out fics I'd want to ask for explicit permission from the author and then keep the printed volume to myself. Gotta be careful to be respectful ab that sort of thing.

I'd also be interested in printing out some of my own shit too, just for fun. Those old conversations about ocs won't last forever, discord will eventually fail and when it does I know I for one will be crushed to lose all that chat history.

Obviously, I'm an American, and like the current political state in America is uhhh. Deeply worrying for all of us over here. So I won't lie, that's also adding a layer of worry from that angle. Things are already looking ugly, and if they get uglier, you know, I for one don't want my information to be completley ripped away from me

Turning back to the fic thing again, there's also a good amount of American fic writers who have / are planning to / are thinking about taking down some of their fics, due to fear of potential laws that threaten to make pornography illegal, and alao laws that classify anything homosexual as pornography.

Now, to be clear, I don't think they'll really do this. I think that even if they try, there're literally no fucking way it would pass. The backlash alone would be insane. But that doesn't change the fact that people are scared— that people got scared, and some have already taken things down

So there's another layer of just, shit man, I don't wanna lose my fics. There's always a risk that even if you download it, you could one day lose it too.

Also printed and bound fics are just cool as hell. What do you mean I have a copy of my very favorite fics, right there on my shelf in physical form, which I can open any time to any page I want without fear of ao3 one day crashing?

The ideal world tbh

Besides that, there's also a sort of time capsule aspect to it.

The other day, my dad whipped out his old tape recordings he made when he was a kid, just of him rambling about shit to mail to a cousin. He put them in to a record player he apparently just had, and I lost my fucking mind seeing it.

Both of my parents were laughing at how excited I was to see both the tapes and the boom box— and to listen to my dad's tinny, muffled voice sounding just like the vintage tapes might be portrayed on TV. Faint static and old timey tv lilt in his voice and all.

To them, it was just a small, slightly nostalgic thing. To me, it was cool as hell and totally retro

The things I save today, that I print, that I burn into cds; Stories I'm scared might get deleted, conversations I dont want to lose, tv shows I could never afford to maintain a subscription to see, playlists of music I worried I'd lose; They may someday be some day be a real relic of the past, however many years in the future. If not for other people, than yeah, for me

So just, I dunno. It's important to save things in a way that they can't be taken away from you.

It's supposed to be the "age of information," isn't it? Well then, let me keep my goddamn information

[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

Could you do a part 3 to last christmas where reader starts spending a lot of time with a new guy (maybe a coworker of hers) and then they go on a date and Steve finds out and gets really jealous and then regrets rejecting her and then you can choose how it ends. Thank you!

(some actions may seem ooc but it’s because i’m not focused too much on that for this. it’s more my brain talking as three people)

“why does this new guy need a month of training? it’s ice cream scooping, he can’t be that stupid.” steve grumbled as he counted the till while robin locked the store doors.

“might have something to do with our lovely y/n, their soul has captivated the young man. i mean i see them giggling and being a bit touchy, think they’re both feeling each other.” robin worked on cleaning up the ice cream counter, shutting all the metal tops.

steve’s hands stopped their counting of ones and his face scrunched at his friends words, “no way. he seems awkward as hell, bet he’s secretly a douchebag. dylan the douchebag rings a bell.” mumbling to himself.

robin’s scuff bounced off the walls, “yeah, that baby face of his really gives off that impression. compared to you and him, it’s pretty obvious who was the actual douchebag in their life.”

“come on, you’re supposed to be on my side here.”

“your side of what? a jealousy of y/n turning their attention to someone other guy? news flash sailor, you turned them away.” and steve was momentarily stunned by the harshness in robin’s voice, and the strong furrow of her brows.

steve licked his lips as he locked the register, “i- i know, but i still care about them and their feelings. i don’t want them getting their hopes up… again.”

robin was silent as she worked on stacking up the chairs then blurted, “i wouldn’t worry about that. they’re going on a date next thrusday.”

steve’s legs gave out for a moment, “a date? already?” he had to clear his throat when he heard how pitched it came out, “and- and you’re okay with that? we barely know the dude.”

robin came to your defense, “actually i’ve know dylan for a year, we take band together. and i was the one who put in a good word for him.” she strode her legs so she was standing directly in front of steve, “if i’m supposed to ‘choose sides’, it’s always gonna be theirs. so i’m not really sorry that you feel this way, harrington, but you’ve made your bed time to lie in it.”

-

“he’s gonna take me to benny’s for lunch and then we’re gonna head over to palace arcade for a bit. says he determined to win me a stuffed animal.” fingers tapping atop the back room table, a smile tugging the corners of your lips.

“you gonna beat his ass at black widow?” robin teased. you scoffed, “of course, told him i’m not going easy on any games. and he took the challenge happily.”

“he’s a good sport, doesn’t take anything too seriously.” robin commented just as steve pushed open the swinging doors, “hey robs, i need my fifteen.”

“but you al-“ “robin, please.” steve widened his eyes slight, the break seeming urgent to him. she just rolled her eyes and breezed past him. you didn’t say anything when steve sat across from you and you were planning to make a leave when he spoke up, “going on a date i heard.”

you kisses your teeth, “uh yeah. a chill one, dylan was real nice about it. called it a date then redirected to saying hang out but i stood by calling it a date. he smiled and it made my chest warm, knew i made a good decision.” ducking your head so you could hide your warm cheeks and soft smile, your heart speeding up at the memory.

“listen, y/n, i just- i wanted to…” steve was waving his hands around as he kept speaking then stopping to find his words. you watched him with careful eyes, “as you’re friend i don’t think you should rush into this. you hardly know the guy.”

a slow nod of your heard, “that’s true… but we’re gonna be in public settings if you’re worried about me getting murdered or something. plus i still have my stupid curfew, so it’s more of a lunch date anyway.”

steve rolled his eyes, “no i mean- what did you see in this guy for you to latch onto him so quickly? i mean you’ve had a crush on me for a while, but what’s so special about dylan?” his arms crossed over his chested aggressively with a downward frown.

your brows pitched down, “are- are you fucking jealous? steve you have no right to be jealous or anything like that in this situation, you rejected me. i grieved that pain and now i’ve found someone who’s willing to give me a chance.”

“well maybe i don’t want you to give someone else a chance.” you scoffed at his childish words, “what if i said i want to be that someone?”

you stood from the chair, practically knocking it over in your haste. “fuck you steve. you’re such a fucking asshole.” storming from the ice cream parlor with fire at your heels.

[kaybug88]

ʚ♡ɞ・"WHAT'S UP DANGER?" 0.1・ʚ♡ɞ

Something to address before you read!

(ʚ♡ɞ) means a time skip

Bold, Italicized  and in "Quotation marks" are thoughts

                                                            -

Dreams like these are always the hardest. You can't tell if the image playing in front of you is going to be delightful, something like a summer's warm day out on the beach, an umbrella overhead to block the imaginary heat of the sun. Nor can you tell if it's going to shift into something scary, scary as in a terrifying monster with razor sharp teeth that're serrated like steak knives and claws that gouge out eyes, or the monsters that walk past you at the mall, eyes trained on your body in ways people would say was your fault and that you were asking for it.

Today's dream though, is neither, you're met with a hazy black fog that shifts into the daycare room you haven't seen in only-God-knows how many years. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the wooden shelves that held all your things, such as lunch boxes and then to the colorfully decorated walls, covered from top to bottom in decor or drawings you remember doing as a young kid, even spotting a poor attempt at the pro-hero Mirko. You smile to yourself with a small chuckle, it's funny in a way, your favorite pro hasn't changed over the years, always has been the rabbit pro who always lives life to the fullest, and nor will it change. She's inspired you to be a pro, you want to live life like she does, fearless and knowing every day could be the last.

You remember a special interview you've held close to your heart, the one that inspired you to become a hero. "Pfft, I have to live life to the fullest knowing that any day could be my last! Especially now as a newer pro, I've got to fight my way to the top, and smashing through burning buildings and destroying villains is the way to do it. Plus, it keeps me entertained." She had explained to the interviewer, your mom had to turn it off when she began to get a bit extreme.

Before you can think further about the memory, faces you remember from that daycare class began to appear, most faces blurry but a few rather recognizable faces stayed perfect; a blonde boy with ruby red eyes and a timid looking boy next to the spiky blonde with unruly green hair and beautiful eyes that resembled emeralds. For a moment, everything was still, like holding a breath. Suddenly, more blurry faces appear from behind the recognizable faces. You smile at the little blue shirts with yellow stars in the left corner and white collars peeking out. You notice your own face on the other side of the smirking red eyed boy with your (e/c) eyes sparkling with excitement.

Suddenly, all at once, the memory resumes. The little kids clearly don't see you as the blonde's hands begin to spark and ignite with small pops. His mouth is stretched into a cocky smirk while students all around are oohing and ahhing at the quirk manifestation.

"Awesome!" You see your younger self say with clear excitement, you don't remember much from this memory, but you do recall your quirk hadn't manifested yet.

"You're so lucky!" The green haired boy said, his big round eyes trained on the mini orange explosions buzzing around in the blonde's hands. You see a kid with a blurry voice and a distant voice agree with the faint outline of black hair.

"Impressive! I betcha that's going to grow into an amazing quirk!" The male teacher said with an impressed smile, then it was the female teacher's turn to talk. "A flashy quirk for a future hero! It's perfect!" She said clearly happy for the boy you still can't remember the name of.

Then all at once, the people in the room shift, some disappearing. Students are now surrounding the green haired boy, students are mumbling and whispering, and you can't quite put your finger on most of the words. You see your little self with sad eyes squatting by the upset boy. You can see your mouth moving, but can't hear a single word, instead, you hear a select few comments.

"Hey, did you hear? Deku doesn't have a quirk. None!" One kid says before another replies in confusion. "Yeah, it's called being quirkless." Another snicker can be heard before more join in until it erupts into most of the students laughing. You rub your temples in frustration and confusion. Deku... Deku... Deku! His name was Izuku, but one day, people had started calling him Deku; and for the life of you, you couldn't remember why.

You take one good look at the face of the blonde and remember a small, but special memory you hadn't thought of in years until now. You close your eyes tight and remember being out on the playground, you were swinging higher than any other kid, and to four-year-old boys and girls, that's quite the accomplishment. When you had to go inside, that same boy had stopped you.

"You! (h/c) girl over there!" He had called out to you while pointing. Behind him were three blurry faces and Izuku. You remember turning to face him with a confused look while pointing to yourself. The realization dawns on you that his name is Katsuki Bakugo, or Kacchan as some called him.

"Me?" You asked while walking over to the little squad. "Yeah, you! Y'know, you're pretty cool for a girl, I guess. Join my Agency!" He had said to you with a proud look while pointing his little thumb into his chest, smile beaming. "Why would I do that?" You had questioned while putting your sassy little hands on your hips before he replied. "Because I'm going to be the number one hero one day!"

You smile at the memory before the world shifts around you once more, the same hazy black fog swirls around you before putting you to watch Katsuki's little friend group walking down a log. Your little self is walking behind Izuku, and you notice the same three blurry faces from before standing in a line from Katsuki to Izuku.

"Forward marching, here we go! Members of the Agency Bakugo, sou- ah!" You watched as Katsuki fell from the mossy log into the small creek below, the three blurry faces began to talk in a distorted voice, not being able to understand anything they said. You noticed your little face watching in horror while calling to Deku as he ran down the hill to ensure the fallen boy was okay. You watched Izuku's hand reach out to Katsuki before you woke up.

Sweat is beading on your forehead while your hands run over your face, lips letting out a small groan. The alarm on your phone blares at you, yelling to get up. You annoyedly take a look at the time on your alarm before glancing down to the name. "Get up hoe! Entrance Exams are TODAY!" You're about to think about saying fuck it and going back to bed, but remembering how long it takes you to get ready, you decide against it.

Basically rolling out of bed, you walk into your bathroom, phone in hand as you unlock the screen and scroll through your apps until you see your definitely most used app, Spotify. You decide on your morning playlist and play it at full blast remembering that your mom isn't home, knowing she's at the hospital for her job as a nurse.

Getting ready was enjoyable to say the least. You managed to drink a surprising amount of water, versus your usual Monster energy drink, and in complete honesty, it felt nice to enjoy some ice-cold water. You were able to sing in the mirror while blow drying your hair and even had enough time to make breakfast, which isn't something you have time to do often. By the time it was time to leave, you were satisfied with how your morning had gone. You were so, so, tempted to use your webs to swing across the city rather than take the bus, but you were within walking distance of the stop, and recalling your mom's scolding to not overuse your quirk before the exams even took place was convincing enough, plus, walking meant more time for music, who wouldn't want that?

ʚ♡ɞ

"What the hell?" You groan to yourself after seeing the massively tall concrete wall buildings. You shake out your arms a little, flex your wrists and stretch your legs dressed in black leggings. You're wearing something basic, really, simple black leggings, an old pair of red Jordans that are creased beyond repair, a black t-shirt, and a jacket with the zipper undone. You glance around at your competitors and can't help but silently judge some of them. You hear some people talking some small smack about someone and turn around to say something. You open your mouth to speak, but abruptly stop upon seeing messy green hair, you know you've seen it somewhere. It looked eerily similar to the kid in your dream. There's no way the quirkless green haired boy you knew growing up was here, right?

You turn your attention to the loud voice calling above you. "Alright let's start! Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles. Run, run, run, listeners!" The announcer says, making you realize you really need to get a move on. You run before locking your sight onto the corner of a building and... fwip! You shoot a web to the corner of a building, flinging yourself forwards and a nice length ahead of people before landing on the concrete ground, immediately breaking out into a run upon feeling the floor. Dashing around a corner you notice a two-pointer bot. It's big, but not too big for you to take down without breaking a sweat. Its robotic voice says something as its beady little red camera locks onto your form.

"Alright, just one little bot, this can't be too hard, right?" You think to yourself before shooting a web strand at the bot's shoulder, flinging yourself up and onto the metal. You mess up your landing a bit but manage to hold on as you carefully shoot another web to tie around the bot's neck. You let out a heavy breath as you pull as hard as you can, and before you know it, wires bust and burn from your efforts. You hastily launch yourself off before the two-pointer falls to the ground with a big 'ol thud.

"Two points off the bat isn't bad, keep this pace up and I'll pass with flying colors." You say cockily to yourself before continuing your journey, launching yourself further around the city, and soon enough, you find more, and more bots, taking them all out with ease. However, by your fifteenth bot, you notice you're slowing down and have been for a bit now. "Shiiiiittt!" You drag out in a bit of a yell as the scorpion-like tail of a two-pointer bot nearly scratches your side. You hadn't been paying attention when the tail swung at you but ended up being able to swing a safe distance away.

"C'mon, (Y/N), no slowing down." You scold yourself before taking this bot down as well. By now, finding bots is a whole challenge on its own. You see countless bodies of mangled and destroyed bots and a few people here and there, but no robots you can take down. It isn't until you're struggling to swing around with weak webs you see the biggest bot of the entire day, it's fucking massive. The zero point bot, just your fucking luck.

People are in a whole panic, running away as fast as possible, some even crying. You begin to swing away but can't help taking notice of a few people hiding inside a building that's sure to get crushed. You look from the bot to the people hiding, there's only a few of them, and you know you're essentially guaranteed to pass from how many points you racked up, but remembering seeing your favorite pros on the TV changes something inside you. You think back to your Adrenaline Rush ability and decide that now would be one hell of a time to use it, so you do. Your body pumps and pumps with more adrenaline than your body feels like it can contain.

Biting down on your bottom lip until the metallic taste of blood seeps onto your tongue, you swing down towards the people and swing a few strengthened strands around each person. "Thank god I saved Adrenaline Rush until now. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't?" You think to yourself before bringing yourself back to the task at hand. They all look terrified. You feel the sweet, sweet feeling of adrenaline flood in your body, and you can't help but let out a sigh as your hands begin to shake and your body feels the best it ever does. Fuck, you love Adrenaline Rush.

You run your tongue across your canines and use your unoccupied hand to swing away with the people flying close behind you. You know the robot isn't far behind, its massive shadow overcasting the streets. A shudder runs up your spine as you detach the first and quickly shoot another one at a random building farther up ahead. The people you're carrying to safety are screaming, but hey, it's a hero's job to still save people, even if slaughtering villains has got to be the coolest part.

You're shooting another string of web to the corner of a tall building before you hear a deafening crash right where that robot is supposed to be. You turn your head to see what the sound came from and see a massive indent in the robot's face. "What in the hell...?" You ask yourself out loud as you see every piece of green metal go up in explosions. You slow your momentum down and throw down a small trampoline like base you've used for entertainment as a child to catch the people on as you swing yourself down onto the ground. The people are sitting in your pool of webs, untangling themselves from the sticky strands. You still feel the intense adrenaline rush pulsing through your veins as you jog up to them, ensuring they're alright.

You're walking a bit ahead of the group of people you saved, and onto the next street over. You glance up as you walk to see the kid that had punched the zero-pointer falling from the sky. It feels like the dream all over again, you sit there just watching, just as it felt to watch Katsuki fall from that log into the water beneath, only this time, an actual life was at stake. Even with Adrenaline Rush still going through you, you feel like you can't move.

"Move, dammit! You really goin' to stand here like an idiot?" You scold, and before you can think yourself out of your stupid idea, you run over to where the kid is about to land, using a few strands of web to speed yourself up. You shoot the strongest web you can manage start forming a small landing pad for the boy, it isn't much, but it should soften the initial fall. The pad is completely formed when a girl on the head of a one pointer bot flies up slightly and smacks the boy across the face, his fall stopping immediately. His face no more than a foot away from the webbing you had created, just sitting there in the air.

You don't hear what she says, but when she taps her hands together, they both fall, the green haired boy falling into your webbing face first. You watch in horror as he tries to crawl off the webbing, but as the announcer from before announces time is up, you see people around you relax. You smile to yourself but as you feel the last bit of Adrenaline Rush release from your body you feel your eyes start to flutter shut and body weaken. Everything around you begins to go fuzzy and black before you pass out.

-

Chapter .02 teaser quote: "Hey... I think I recognize you from somewhere. Izuku Midoriya, right?" 

Chapter .02 will be posted on February 8, 2025 

[cheshireliam]

"My Ideal Life of A Doting Love" Story Event: Chapter 1

Azel Radwan

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting

After some time of living together with Tanzanite's Living God in a isolated castle in the desert—

I noticed something strange about my lover.

…

Emma: Prince Aze— I mean, Azel. Lunch is ready…

Emma: … What are you doing?

Despite having retired from his duties as Living God and supposedly enjoying a peaceful life, Azel was sitting at his desk and reading a book upside down.

Azel: Isn't it obvious?

Emma: No, it's not. Is that how that book is meant to be read?

Azel: Oh.

As if he had only just realised that the book was upside down, he nonchalantly flipped it right side up and cleared his throat.

(Something's not right. He was definitely up to something before I came, wasn't he?)

Azel: Wrong.

Emma: What kind of excuse is that?

Azel: More importantly, I'm hungry. I thank the ever-dedicated Emma for today's meal.

(… It's bothering me.)

…

On another night,—

(… Mm… I'm awake…)

When I woke up while it was still dark outside, I noticed Azel wasn't next to me.

I sat up and looked around to see that the balcony window was left slightly ajar.

Sitting by the window, illuminated by the massive moon worshipped by the people of Tanzanite, Azel was engrossed in reading a book. He was dressed in his familiar divine robes because as he always said, "it's best to wear comfortable clothes at night".

He didn't to seem to notice I was awake.

(He looks so serious.)

Although I was mesmerised by his beautiful profile under the moonlight, I quietly slipped out of bed.

I crept closer to him silently, but right when I was about to reach him, Azel turned to face me.

Azel: Are you an assassin or something?

Emma: You noticed.

Azel: Of course I did.

He claimed that he noticed me approaching, but he hurriedly shut the book and hid it behind his back.

Regardless of whether he realised this or not, his behaviour only made me all the more suspicious.

Emma: What book were you reading?

Azel: … A highly classified document related to national secrets. If an outsider saw it, I couldn't let them live.

Emma: Reading something so important at this late hour?

Azel: Is there a problem?

Emma: Azel… has anyone ever told you you're bad at keeping secrets?

Azel: Never. If anyone dared to, they'd be thrown into a nightmare so torturous they'll never wake again.

Azel stood, effortlessly scooped me up in his arms and tossed me onto the bed.

I tried protesting that our conversation wasn't over, but before I knew it, I was swiftly wrapped in a blanket and completely immobilised.

Azel: Go to sleep. You will sleep right now. Immediately.

Emma: I'm wide awake.

Emma: … Maybe I'll fall asleep if you sing me a lullaby.

Azel: What age toddler are you?

Emma: There are adults who fall asleep to music too, you know?

Azel: … Why would a god bother to know the customs of mere human beings?

(If I say this, he'll definitely get annoyed and give up on making me sleep.)

(Then I can press him further about that book—)

Just as I was getting ready to interrogate him, Azel started singing with an awful facial expression.

The lyrics didn't sound like they belonged to any modern language, so I couldn't understand them, but his deep and calm voice sang so beautifully and soothingly it felt almost magical.

(I didn't think he'd actually sing. He's surprisingly good at it too.)

(… He looks really embarrassed… but this is exactly what makes him so…)

(Oh well. I guess I'll let him off the hook tonight because of this song.)

…

However, Azel's suspicious behaviour continued.

… To the point where I began to worry he might be dealing with a serious problem.

…

Emma: You're coming clean about everything today, Azel.

Azel was acting strange that day too, sneaking around in the hallway.

Determined not to let him slip away, I spread my arms wide and blocked his path.

Azel: What's this about…? "Come clean"? I haven't done anything.

Emma: That's a lie. You threw something out of the window the moment you saw me, didn't you?

Azel: It was trash.

Emma: Then I'll go pick it up.

Azel: No need.

Emma: …

Azel: …

(We're just going in circles at this rate.)

Emma: Azel—

At the same time I opened my mouth to put an end to this, Azel grabbed my hand and pushed me against the wall.

(!?)

With both my hands pinned, I was caught between Azel and the wall.

(… What's this all of a sudden?)

His mysterious eyes resembling a night sky full of stars gazed deep into mine.

His beautiful hair, shimmering dreamily under the sunlight, gently brushed against my cheek.

(He might be able to hear my heartbeat from this close…)

Azel: …

Emma: … Uhh…

Azel: …

Emma: Azel?

Azel: …

Emma: "Damn it… I pinned her against the wall without thinking, and now I have no idea how to explain myself."

Azel: That's not it. Stop doing that annoyingly accurate impersonation.

Emma: Yeowch!

After giving my cheek a hard pinch, Azel gently rested his forehead against mine and sighed.

Azel: It's just—…

[basilpaste]

hey i got into a Media you know what that means.

(im classpecting the beebos. lmao.)

this is not!!!! going to be super in depth!!!!!! im lazy and theres a lot of characters to go through. gonna !!! put it under the cut so its not super long, though.

Beebo - Rogue of Light Light is fortune and information and Rogues steal their aspect for the sake of others. Oliver would be the puzzle solving classpect, taking information and using it for the benefit of the people around him. Rogues also do the stealing thing passively, though. In giving his information away, he also gives away his luck. He's an awfully unlucky guy.

Ángel - Heir of Void Look I know this is Equius's classpect. I try not to overlap. But look at him. Void is the aspect of secrecy and Heirs become their aspect. Things kinda work out for him, but it's not like he fades into the background. He's surrounded by obscurity but his actions are known - it's just the guy himself who's a mystery. Everything Ángel is is a lie.

Vivi - Knight of Heart Heart players are self oriented and Knights serve others. Which makes a Knight of Heart sound oxymoronic. Unless its someone who uses their knowledge of people and their own importance to serve others. Like, I dunno, a reporter who gets someone jailed? The photobook also screams Heart.

Nina - Sylph of Hope Sylphs are considered the 'healer' class, Hope is the aspect of belief. Gestures. She believes in the good of others and on multiple occasions her convictions lead to them bettering themselves. She's also very willing to believe in people who others think don't deserve it. She'll throw herself away for the sake of others.

Marigold - Witch of Mind Witch of Mind is a scary classpect lmao. But more than that Witches are manipulate their aspect. Mind is logical but not always rational. Mari's smart and knows when to put her foot down, she also plans real carefully. But more than that, the combination can lead to her sometimes coming off as cold or uncaring even when she knows she's making the correct choice.

Eugene - Bard of Doom I think being a passive class would piss him off. I think being an aspect associated with death would also piss him off. But for serious: Bards tend to reject their aspect and he lives life like it's a checklist. Like Doom can't come for him if he works hard enough. The house plays into that, he can't die! He passes the Doom onto others. But he can't run forever. Eventually it will catch up to him.

Nadia - Mage of Rage Rage is volatile but Mages have a clear understanding of their aspect. Nadia's an angry kid, y'know? But she uses that to her advantage. She pushes peoples buttons when she needs to and she's not often very outwardly afraid for herself. She serves her own whims but she's still more than willing to go out of her way for people she cares about!

Simon - Page of Blood Pages are the class most likely to be written off and also the one most desperate for approval. Blood is about bonds, connection. Simon tries desperately to gain and maintain the approval of his father only to be repeatedly sidelined and hurt for his desire for that connection. It makes him feel worthless.

Owen - Prince of Light There was bound to be some overlap at some point. And I think it's sweet for Owen's aspect to mirror Oliver's. Princes destroy their aspect with their aspect so they mirror their opposite. Owen takes information and shrouds it in mystery while still giving that information away. He also, unfortunately, ends up pretty unlucky.

[pr3ch3rsd4ught3r]

Hive Mind: Famous Yellowjacket’s captain Jacqueline Taylor speaks out for the first time since 1996 crash!

short blurb about Jackie’s life after the crash if she survived. (Robin Tunney fancasted as adult Jackie)

We meet at a coffee shop in New Jersey, Taylor sits alone with a striped long sleeve shirt and black pants. She wears dark glasses.

I approach her, nervous.

“I think people would like me more if I was dead. Hell, I think they’d love me if I was dead. Can you imagine?” Taylor says with a jovial tone that I can’t quite place.

“What do you mean?” She clears her breath and stares down at her untouched cup of coffee.

“I was a pretty girl. Had a good, God fearing family. Decent grades. I dated the hottest guy I could find and was the captain of the only school sports team worth a damn in all of New Jersey.”

She pauses, to clear her throat - seemingly unsure of what to say next.

“If that girl died, shit. I’d be the talk of the town. They’d hold memorials for me like I was The fucking pope. In a plane crash? In a plane leading her team to nationals no less? They’d put my jersey in the Smithsonian. They’d hang up pictures of me around the state. My golden hair and wide smile a reminder of who our children should look up to.”

A dark, sultry voice says from just out of sight, startling our star -

“They don’t dedicate statues to cannibals, Jax.”

Jacqueline snaps her head to the side, pulled out of her fantasy.

A snickering Shauna Shipman is peeking over her shoulder and reading this fake interaction that they both know Jackie would never have the guts to go through with.

“Yeah, I know.”

Jackie gently shuts her laptop and hangs her head. She stares at the drab, gray carpet and tries to hide the tears that dare to fall.

“It’s stupid. I just, i can’t take it anymore. I can’t take the way people look at me-“

Her lover kneels down and grabs her hands, causing Jackie to look up at her endless brown eyes.

“I just - I thought if I made some article they would just leave us alone! Is that too much-“

Shauna taps Jackie’s cheek, softly but hard enough to get her to snap out of it

“Jax. It’s been 5 years. You have to let it go. People are never going to stop bothering us. Reporters are always going to call us at work. They’re always going to want to know what happened out there. But, I’ll always be here too. I’ll always be next to you, no matter how many dirty looks we get, no matter how many people think there’s something wrong with us”

[her-soliloquies]

I'm half convinced that if Vi and Cait hadn't actually kissed and slept together, there would be some people showing up out of nowhere to say that their relationship is supposed to be platonic and seeing it as romantic is harmful to the concept of simple friendship and that two people can be close without it being romantic etc etc (which they are saying about jayvik and silco/vander)

Now since explaining a thousand times that people can have different opinions and they should learn to respect them instead of correcting them as if there is only one true answer does not seem to work, here's an idea: just block those ship tags and let us all have peace in this fandom.

Thank you.

[citrusai]

taash said "they were doing it" and people ran with the interpretation of an npc that doesn't know solas or the history of the elvhenan even when bellara interjected and said, no, that's not right. that's not how it was for the elvhenan. they formed bonds before they had physical bodies. and people ran to doompost or create weird anti-solavellan shit even though mythal & solas refer to each other as old friends and when she releases him there is no tenderness or love in it. it is the act of unchaining a dog from his post, the stepping down of a general. but to each their own ig.

[bwat5-blog]

Continuing The Cycle

**Spoilers For Arcane**

Let me say to begin with, that nothing in this post is to downplay or brush off Piltover's oppression of Zaun. There will be some who read that and still scream at me, that's okay. I just want to be clear.

Many people on here more insightful and intelligent than I have spoken on this already, but it has been sticking with me lately so I wanted to get my thoughts out.

I have been quite free with dismantling some of the inane attempts at criticism of Arcane in this space. But, I promise I do actually understand everyone is entitled to their opinion. After all, how we connect with and understand art on an individual level is one of the things that make it so special. I have never, and will never come for someone who is simply stating their honest opinion based on the actual content in a respectful manner.

Where my issues come in, have to do with these wide-spread critiques/takes/stances that so directly undermine the meaning of the narrative they are best ignorant and at worst malicious. And more often than not rely on omission of details that negates their stance, or fabrication of details to support them. To that end, what I am discussing today is the black and white thinking that has permeated the fandom, poisoning understanding and appreciation of all corners of that narrative.

LET'S JUST GET IT OUT OF THE WAY:

*Before we get into the Arcane content, we need to discuss where a lot of this is coming from. I am just gonna get this out here right now, and there are some people who are gonna keel over reading it but if you are one of those folks I might as well not waste your time*

Arcane is not the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

It could not be more clear that this is where a lot of this is coming from. Let me be explicitly clear, this is NOT a deep-dive or analysis of this conflict. This thing is immensely complicated . If you comment here with a "IT IS NOT COMPLICATED ITS" sort of comment I'm sorry to tell you but you are wrong. The modern phase of this has origins as far back as the late nineteenth century and there is more going back even further. I don't care if its a straight fucking line. Something going back that far has more to it than the average nerd like me is qualified to speak on. Now, that being said, I do understand to a degree why this is happening. Not like this conflict has ever really been settled but in the last few years especially things have really been active and generating a degree of media content I don't remember seeing this level of in my short 32 years. So in a world where everyone (myself included) is so plugged in and enveloped by social media, a lot of us are getting a more direct look at this than we really ever have. And we analyze and connect with art through the lens of the world around us to a point. But we CANNOT do so exclusively. Trying to force a narrative into a one-to-one comparison robs it of a tremendous amount of meaning. Because no matter how complex and intricate this story actually can be. IT IS NOT REALITY. I'm not getting into it here, that would be pages and pages of writing and I'm here to talk about Arcane. But I'm going to say this because it applies to real life and the show both and will take us into my actual point today.

The idea that anyone on one side must always be good and justified simply because they are the oppressed, while the other must always be evil, is juvenile, naïve, and fails to grasp even a fraction of the complexity of human nature

Some of you are going to have an absolute seizure reading me say that that statement applies to real life as well. I don't care. It takes time, maturity, and meeting people from all walks of life to understand things are not so simple.

BACK TO ARCANE:

But, that being said time to get back to business. How does this all apply to Arcane?

"The show should have ended with a civil war between Zaun and Piltover!"

"When Zaun arrived during the last battle Jinx should have unloaded on the Enforcers and the Noxians both!"

"They ruined Jinx's character! WTF do you mean she apologized for killing Caitlyn's mother? Her mom was part of the oppressive system that ruined Jinx's life and brought it on herself!"

"Silco did bad things but it was all to gain power to protect Zaun!"

"Poor little rich girl lost her mom and acts like it's a reason to punish an entire city with warcrimes. The people of Zaun have been suffering worse for their entire history"

"Rebel Vi I miss you! How dare they make you care about people in Piltover!"

"The coward show runners made Zaunites into boot-lickers fighting for Piltover wearing Enforcer armor at the end!"

You get the idea. I have seen variations of these and many more time and time again. Zaun should have let Piltover fall or even attacked themselves. Caitlyn deserved everything done to her because she's of the Piltovan elite. Every terrible thing Jinx or Silco did was totally and completely justified because of Piltovan oppression.

Now there are many angles I could come at this from. My usual one is simply addressing the astounding lack of logic in most of these sorts of arguments. For example, I can rope all of the people saying Zaun should have let Piltover fall into one category. People who forgot about this guy:

Like he was just gonna "evolve" Piltover than call it a day and zoot off into space with his new buddies. Obviously not and the idea that he wouldn't immediately take Zaun as well then keep moving is completely laughable. But this sort of thing isn't my issue today. My issue is that those so zealously insisting the the show should have continued on a path of hate, death and destruction are completely missing the point.

I titled this continuing the cycle for a reason. So much of this show, revolves around this concept of the cycle of violence. Those who keep it going, those who suffer from it, and those who break it. And the issue I'm finding is that a tremendous amount of people have seemingly decided that anything people from Zaun do is justified, and anything people from Piltover do is not. When in fact, where they are born is irrelevant in this context. Because each and everyone of them has the choice to further the cycle, or to walk away.

Silco & Vander:

Vander continued the cycle when instead of forgiving Silco for his part (whatever it may have been, we never really get the whole story) in Felicia's death he tried to kill him. And Silco did the same when he took his revenge instead of walking away ending not only the life of the man who wronged him, but causing the deaths of two teenage boys, trying to have Vi killed and causing her imprisonment altering her life forever, and taking Powder as his own after obliterating her second family altering her life and the lives of all those she would hurt through her actions as well.

Caitlyn:

In Caitlyn we see all three. She was an admittedly naïve but well-meaning young woman who was victimized terribly by cycle of violence around all for thinking she could help. We then watch her heart-breaking transformation into being a part of it allowing her hate and pain to warp her into someone dark and vengeful. Then finally we see her laying down the hate for her mothers killer in favor of her love for the woman who means everything to her. Stepping outside of it and turning her back on that violence.

There are of course other examples. Jinx walking away, Ambessa choosing to continue the bloodshed even with her last child begging her to stop. the list goes on. My point in discussing this is that it doesn't matter where they come from. Characters from all over this story play a part both good and bad in the events that occur. And to properly appreciate and understand this tale and what it is saying we MUST recognize that.

Yes Silco was a Zaunite. No Silco was not justified in unleashing Shimmer on his own people. He was a revolutionary once, but he lost his way. In the end he died a violent drug lord who exploited his people for his own gain. He was not a hero.

Yes Jinx is a Zaunite. No, Jinx attacking the council was not a noble strike for her people against oppression. She was a terrified, mentally ill, grieving and angry young woman who lashed out in a moment of awful pain. And in doing guaranteed Piltovan oppression against her people. .

Yes, Heimerdinger was the father of Piltover and his neglect caused terrible problems for everyone. He also gave his life for a Zaunite rebel commander to help get him home. (I understand in the lore he's probably alive but we haven't seen that yet and they have for sure diverged so it isn't a guarantee)

Yes, Caitlyn Kiramman is the daughter of one of the high houses of Piltover, and played a part of the people of Zaun suffering under Ambessa's manipulations and cruelty. She also gave the leader of the Firelights the gemstone she was so determined to return, stood side-by-side with Vi and told the council to their faces they failed Zaun, and put her own body on the line to make things right against Ambessa.

And that isn't to say that any of those characters were all good or all bad. It's to say that they all are capable of both. Just like every character. To slap a Zaun sticker on Silco and a Piltover (or cop as so many of you are fond of) sticker on Caitlyn and give them a pass or not for everything they do based on that is simplistic and ignorant. These characters have so much to them that to reduce them to these easily digestible bite-sized pieces is to deprive yourself of that true weight of this story.

All that said, lets take another look at a few items from that list from earlier:

"The show should have ended with a civil war between Zaun and Piltover!"// At the moment where all of humanity was at stake, people came together and fought side by side to quite literally save the world

"They ruined Jinx's character! WTF do you mean she apologized for killing Caitlyn's mother? Her mom was part of the oppressive system that ruined Jinx's life and brought it on herself!"// In a moment of pain and clarity Jinx found herself speaking to someone she realized she horribly wronged. Someone who had been twisted into something dark and violent by pain and grief, a feeling Jinx knew all too well. So she said the most she could, it isn't a direct apology. But her remorse is clear. "

"When Zaun arrived during the last battle Jinx should have unloaded on the Enforcers and the Noxians both!"// Jinx went from someone hated and feared, who felt like she had nothing to offer anyone, who felt like she had failed or killed everyone who loved her, to riding into battle leading her people and bearing symbols of her loved ones into the war for all mankind. And although I and most agree she's alive, the last act we know she for sure that she took was to save the life of the older sister who loved her so much in her most dire moment. If she did die, Jinx died a hero.

CLOSING WORDS:

Arcane is many things. But it's humanity is its heart. I've said it many times and many ways, but good stories... in this case great stories matter. They stick with us. Because long after the giant battles, the wolf monsters, and shiny blue magic rocks have faded, its the humanity you remember. The sisters fighting desperately to hold on to each-other in a world determined to rip them apart. The lovers from different worlds finding hope in each-others arms. Brothers betraying one another, a daughter having to take her mothers life, the list goes on. But when we rob these characters and this story of all of that, when the flash is gone, what's left?

I haven't done a long one in a bit and I feel like this is a bit rambling so I apologize. To those who take time out of their day to read anything I have to say I appreciate you more than you know. Feel free to share your thoughts! I love discussing this show. And in closing will leave you with one of my favorite quotes.

“It's like the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad has happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. I know now folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something. That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for"

- JRR Tolkien

[cathrhea]

Okay this ship is a tad tough to propaganda for given that it's not completely headcanon but also not completely canon. Some of this stuff is just kinda inferred because these two don't ever really interact? Catherine just talks about Rhea a lot and Rhea doesn't really talk about or interact with Catherine much. I've shipped with less though!

Let's start with basics. They're both arguably bisexual. Rhea can enter a marriage with either gender of byleth, and Catherine has multiple romantic endings with men while simultaneously being in love with Rhea.

Multiple of Catherine's endings, even when she's married to someone else, have her leaving the church and retiring to Zanado with Rhea. She has one ending where she stays at the church, at that's with Byleth who has avatar privilege. Without Rhea, she pretty much always starts traveling the world. Rhea is the only reason she stays at the church.

In her S support with Byleth that she's a servant of Rhea, not the church. Whether Rhea is alive or not, she admits she's lost. Rhea means the world to her to say the least. This is because when Catherine was a student, her life was saved by Rhea. She was nearly killed by monsters, and Rhea took her "muddied, bloodied body into her arms (Byleth A support, 2019)…" She saved her life again after Rhea took her in once she had to flee Faerghus, thanks to a false regicide accusation. It's pretty clear why Catherine loves Rhea.

Her death quote asks Byleth to save her. She has an advice box where she mentions she's getting used to her absence, and hates it. She's assumes that Rhea doesn't feel nearly as strongly, as shown in her explore dialogue where she sadly says "Lady Rhea's not waiting for me, I know, no matter how much I might wish she were. She's waiting for you (Byleth) (Explore Chapter 21 AM, 2019)." Despite this for better or worse, she's still devoted to her. The only thing she refuses to do for her is die, which I'm not sure if she ever elaborates on. I assume it's because if she did, she couldn't serve her anymore.

Let's talk from Rhea's perspective. Rhea is said to be very lonely despite being surrounded by her followers. She also says she has no friends she can fully trust. Thanks to her past, she keeps everyone at arm's length. That doesn't mean she doesn't care about them. She also says she'd love to have lunch with the students, but is scared of being a bother. She's a lot more socially awkward than she seems.

So to have someone who has so much undying faith in her most likely means a lot. Rhea is probably aware of Catherine's crush, but she may be unaware of how deep it goes. Or she believes that if Catherine knew the truth, she'd abandon her considering that Rhea does have issues with that. It's a shame that the route that truly shows Catherine's loyalty, Crimson Flower, Rhea is beyond the point of really caring about what others think of her.

When Catherine finds out about the Immaculate one, she isn't horrified. She isn't upset. Her only concern is ending her love's suffering. Rhea needs someone who really and truly has her back, who won't judge her, and Catherine does.

Rhea's kindness and patience is something that Catherine needs in a partner. Catherine doesn't seem to think too highly of herself, she just puts her faith in Rhea. Rhea clearly trusts Catherine given that she lets her use a relic, aka one of her dead people, despite that Catherine doesn't really believe in the seiros faith. I feel Rhea does think highly of Catherine, but again she keeps everyone at arm's length. When they retreat to Zanado, Rhea can let her hair down and truly show how much she means to her.

Again much of this is headcanon, but most fe ships are. I think these two have a lot more potential than they're given credit for to have a fluffy relationship. It doesn't have to be toxic or one sided. Rhea clearly appreciates Catherine, it's just how far it goes that is up for debate. I do wish we got to hear more of how Rhea feels about Catherine, but that's what fanon is for. These two are super sweet in my opinion, and if we ever return to Fodlan I hope we can see more interactions between them. Also butch x femme dynamic slaps.

rhea x catherine

FE: Should they kiss?

Rhea x Catherine

[crookedfivefingers]

3.13 | ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟᴏʀᴅꜱ

link to the post I accidentally wound up prattling endlessly about in the tags 💀

[sammygender]

so many people can’t conceptualise emotional neglect as anything other than ‘my parents were cold and distant and never talked about feelings with me’, and this, while being just a general awful problem of course, is also what leads to so much john winchester mischaracterisation. in this essay i will