#were literally just “my grandfather” and “my father” respectively

[gulfportofficial]

In case you're interested, the two quickest texts you can use to understand being an Irish Catholic (that is to say, the specific export of it, not a Catholic person who is Irish but the specific exported culture that may as well be one word, irishcatholic) are It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia (2005-) and Midnight Mass (2021) but you MUST watch both, watching only one will not do. Either alone does not explain it. It is the combination that will explain it.

[brokenmenswhore]

Ok ok here it goes

The reader is Aemond betrothed, but it's his brother Aegon who worships and desires her. No matter how hard he tries he can't hide it from his brother, mother, grandfather and even from the small council. He knows he can't have her and feels sad about it, but it doesn’t stop him from warning Aemond that if he hurts her Aemond will deal with him.

aegon if you see this i want you to know that you always deserve a happy ending i’m so sorry for this. that being said, i’ll say it again, I LOVE PINING

worship | aegon ii targaryen

pairing: aegon targaryen x fem!reader

warnings: angst, language, pining, a little brief smut (MDNI 18+)

────── ☾ ──────

The news of your betrothal to Aemond sent Aegon into a rage, his arm swiping everything off of the table in front of him. All he ever wanted was you, and now you were being given to another.

Not just anyone, however, but the brother that everyone chose above Aegon. You were now being forced to choose him too.

Aegon did not truly care for many. His father cast him aside, and his mother was much too young when she had him to do right by him. Heleana and Aemond were close on their own, and neither respected Aegon.

He quickly took a liking to you. He told you a joke that made you nearly cry in hysterics from laughing, and he instantly knew he was head over heels. It was the prettiest sound he’d ever heard.

Aegon absolutely worshipped you.

He has fresh flowers sent to your room each morning with your handmaidens. He claimed that after a day, they were no longer perfect, and that was unacceptable. Everything for you had to be perfect. You thought it was protocol to refresh the flora in all rooms each morning; you had no idea the special attention Aegon demanded for you.

He had several gowns sent to your room in green and gold, each more expensive than the last. When he knocked on your apartment door to see if they had arrived, you let him in to show him the extensive array of boxes.

“This is simply too much, Aegon, I cannot accept this,” you spoke.

“Do not be ridiculous, it is not too much,” he responded.

“Half of these gowns are worth more than my entire House.”

“I wish for you to have only the best,” Aegon said, matter-of-factly.

“Do you treat all your guests as such?” you questioned.

Aegon smiled. “Not all of my guests deserve it.”

If you did not finish a meal, Aegon would yell at the kitchen staff for daring to make something you didn’t like, and he would tell them they were to make something he knew you loved, or they were to be terminated from their position.

You told Aegon to stop doing that, and stood watch as you made him apologize for the way he spoke to them. Afterwards, he was not concerned with their feelings, but rather, yours.

“Are you angry with me?” Aegon checked, “I only want the best for you.”

“I know, Aegon, but please do not disrespect anyone to ensure it.”

Aegon believed himself skilled at hiding his affections toward you, but he was mistaken. Quite literally everyone knew, including Aemond.

When you interrupted a council meeting to deliver news to Aemond, the guards trusting his bride-to-be with the information, Aegon watched in annoyance. You bent down to whisper in his ear, and seeing you in such close proximity to Aemond nearly made him sick.

You went to pull away, but Aemond responded, gently holding your head close to him so that he could whisper in your ear, the words clearly only meant for you. Aegon could not help but display a sour expression, though he tried hard to hide it.

“Shall we get on with it, brother?” he spoke, cutting your personal conversation short.

Aemond smiled. He enjoyed setting off his brother. “It appears I have an urgent matter to attend to, my apologies,” Aemond spoke, standing and bowing toward the men of the council and his mother.

Aemond walked side-by-side with you, your conversation continuing. Aegon saw you lightly chuckle and smile at something Aemond said, and he was incapable of focusing on much else for the remainder of the meeting. No one else was supposed to make you laugh. No one. Not even your betrothed.

Aegon spent that night furious, the fire in his blood burning hotter than usual. He decided to confront you, demand to know what made you laugh, confess his feelings, tell you not to marry Aemond-

He knew he couldn’t. He stood in front of your chamber doors, fist raised, but did not knock. He was moments away from leaving when he heard a small whimper from the other side of the door.

Aegon couldn’t help himself; he pressed his ear to the crack of the door, intently listening to see if any more noises followed. The more he listened, the more he heard soft whines and whimpers, and he knew the pitch and tone of your voice well.

He softly cracked the door open, unable to control his curiosity, and nearly fell to his knees at the sight before him. The sounds were a result of you touching yourself. His cheeks turned a deep shade of red as he watched you. You couldn’t tear his eyes away. He was addicted to the sight.

He eventually forced himself away when he heard the faint sound of armor clamoring down a nearby staircase. He retreated to his chambers and remained awake for hours, unable to get the sight and sound of you out of his head.

He snuck out to the street of silk, in desperate search of anyone who reminded him of you. When he would someone of a similar height, build, and feature, he presented them with more coins than he remembered bringing.

He told the woman that she was to only respond to your name.

He bent her over on the edge of the bed, unclothing himself and immediately inserting himself into her. One hand wrapped around her hair, pulling her head backward, as the other gripped her waist.

She began to moan as he thrust in and out, but it sounded nothing like you.

He shushed the woman, and she stuttered, “you wish for me to be quiet, Your Grace? Most men wish the opposite.”

“I do not care what most men wish,” he responded, affirming that he wanted her to be quiet. Her noises were pulling him out of the memory of you, but he quickly returned, repeating the sounds in his head as he snapped his hips forward.

He squeezed his eyes shut, disconnecting the soul of the woman in front of him from her body, his mind’s eye replacing her with you.

Though the noises you made stuck in his brain, it was not only the sight of you eliciting them that he thought of. It was you as you normally were, smiling, laughing, swinging your hair backward to turn around- just existing.

Aegon desperately wanted to have you, to worship your body, to be the reason you made the noises he heard, but it was not purely lust. He also refused to accept that anyone else could make you laugh or smile, could make you feel content, or could make you feel truly happy. He knew Aemond could not give you the proper love and affection that he could. Aemond was not capable, and even if he was, he did not understand you like Aegon did.

When the family hosted a rather lavish event to commemorate your betrothal to Aemond, Aegon drank the Red Keep’s wine dry. He would down entire cups in one gulp and immediately demand another.

He watched Aemond intertwine his fingers with your own, and without even thinking, he smashed a glass on the table.

The room’s attention turned to him, but he leaned back in his chair and called for another drink as if nothing happened. Alicent shot him a disappointed glare, but Aegon simply kept on drinking.

Despite how furious he was, he could not stop looking at you. Even on his brother’s arm, you were the most exquisite creature he had ever seen. It did not escape his attention that the gown you wore was one of his extravagant gifts.

He was brutally awaken by the pounding of a fist against his chamber door in the depths of the night.

He rubbed his eyes as he opened the door, only to find Aemond, still clothed and put together from the celebration.

“We must speak,” Aemond said, inviting himself into Aegon’s chambers.

Aegon threw his head back in annoyance and shut the door. “What is the hour?”

“You must keep your distance from her from now on.”

That woke Aegon up. “No.”

“Brother, I know of your affections toward her, but they have forced you cause a scene in front of the whole of King’s Landing. She is not to be your wife, she is to be mine, and I require you to act as such,” Aemond explained.

Aegon was tired, his head pounding from a brutal hangover. “You do not deserve this.”

“Thank you,” Aemond responded, misunderstanding, and taking it as an apology.

“No, I mean to say you do not deserve her,” Aegon corrected.

“Mind your tongue,” Aemond warned.

“I know I cannot have her,” Aegon started, “and that is something that will sadden me until the end of my days. That does not mean my affections will disapate. I swear to the Seven, Aemond, if you hurt her, I will fucking kill you myself.”

“You could not do so if you spent the rest of your days trying.”

“If you harm her, I will indeed try, even if it takes the rest of my days.”

[khruschevshoe]

How Behind-the Scenes Issues Affected the Writing of Doctor Who (Both Good and Bad)

Doctor Who is such a fascinating show to look at from a Watsonian v. Doylist perspective. Like, entirely just from an episode writing point of view:

Twice Upon A Time feels so slow and meandering and even boring in places because Chris Chibnall didn't want to start his run as showrunner and Steven Moffat didn't want the show to lose the coveted Christmas timeslot (ironic, I know) so he bumped the Twelfth Doctor's regeneration from the end of The Doctor Falls (where it makes sense) to the end of the Christmas special

Boom Town (my beloved) only exists because originally there was going to be an episode in its spot explaining that Rose had been molded to be the Doctor's perfect companion (by the Doctor, gross) and the writer didn't have the time to commit to the show

The ending of Last Christmas feels like one inside-a-dream too many because originally Jenna Coleman was questioning whether she was going to leave the show or not and the ending was rewritten after the first readthrough when she decided she wanted to stay for another season

The first five episodes of Season 7 feel like each one takes place in a different genre because that's literally how Steven Moffat pitched it to the writers; for example, A Town Called Mercy was literally pitched as "Doctor Who does a Western"

Not so much a weird one but one I find cool: Eleven's first words and Thirteen's first words were literally written by Moffat and Chibnall respectively, as they were brought in to write the first words of the first Doctors of their runs so as to make it cohesive

The reason why Fourteen isn't wearing Thirteen's clothes when he regenerates is because Jodie Whittaker is much shorter than David Tennant and Russell T. Davies didn't want it to look like he was making fun of the genderfluidity of the Doctor (still think he made the wrong decision, but eh)

Wilfred Mott isn't in the Runaway Bride and Donna's father isn't in Partners in Crime because the actor who played Donna's father, Howard Attfield, died after filming several scenes for Partners In Crime, leading to the character of "Stan Mott" from Voyage of the Damned being written into Partners In Crime as Donna's grandfather

Astrid Peth doesn't die in the original drafts of Voyage of the Damned, but Russell T. Davies wrote what is generally considered one of the most emotional deaths in Doctor Who just because he wanted Kylie Minogue to be able to focus on her music career

Originally Oxygen was written as a prequel to Mummy on the Orient Express, where a corporate representative appeared on a monitor. Said representative was fired for his fumbling of the station and would later live on as the company computer, Gus

During Season 11, Chris Chibnall had to do some major rewrites for many of the one-off episodes, therefore The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos ended up being a first draft that made it to screen. He later admitted it was his least favorite episode of the series

And this is only a fraction of what I found in terms of major behind-the-scenes writing reasons. Though I am still totally willing to critique the product that made it to our screens, finding out the reasons behind some of the more badly written episodes of the show really made me feel sympathy for every showrunner of the show as well as appreciate a lot of the good episodes that ended up here despite the short production schedule/unexpected problems (once again, Boom Town my beloved AND everyone's favorite companion Wilfred Mott only exist because of unforseen problems). Absolutely bonkers, isn't it?

[xsleepinggoodx]

I saw you did an ideal type of girl for Mikey. Can I have the same requests for Baji and Shinichiro, please? 🥺🫶

Dark-haired guys got me on a chokehold it is not funny anymore 🥲

YES TY SM FOR REQUESTING

That’s so real, literally any Tokyo revengers character solos every anime boy there is like I’m not even joking😭( the whole Sano family got me kicking my feet like even the grandfather. I saw a fanart on when was young and I was dang😍)

But here you go love!

—————————————————————————

SHNICHIRO SANO

- everyone and their mother knows that poor Shinichiro was rejected 20 times. But they say the one finds you when you stop looking for them, and that’s what happened to Shinichiro when he found you. He gave up at that point, firmly believing that no one would love him and he’d die single. That is until a certain, girly walked in his bike shop, asking for a decent, good bike that’s fast. His heart beat up at the sight of you, you just looked so alluring and attractive. He was in a love daze as you were talking, explaining what bike you wanted.

- I think Shinichiro needs someone who is sweet and kind, and able to understand easily. As we see in the manga, he loses his patience and can be harsh when he’s in anger. He needs someone who is compassionate and willing to take any heat from him.

- of course he will try his hardest not to lash out on you when he’s angry. He’d be so sweet to you and lash out on someone else. But even that’s no good to you, like Mikey, he needs a moral compass. Someone who will teach him right from wrong.

- it’s very hard to grow up without a father figure and having to take the lead of raising 2 kids along with another raging teen, Shinichiro is an overwhelmingly stressed and needs your tender love to soothe him, you alone soothes him. The very thought of you staying by his side is comforting him in ways you don’t even know.

- He has the big brother personality engraved in him so he’s very protective of you. Headcanons include him always having his hand on you lower back, or him holding your hand, walks behind you all the time, shielding his arm around your shoulder. When you’re sitting down on a bench, he has his arm around the bench behind you with his legs crossed talking to you so close. (When men do this I always get butterflies😛)

- As in looks, he doesn’t really care what you look like either, though I imagine him as someone who prefers a girl with long hair like Kuroo does😭 he thinks long hair girls look like princesses. If you had bangs too, he’d be all over you. Kissing you as much as you let him.

-he has been through so much, just make sure to stay by his side and you’ll be his number one. He’s planning to marry you when he has everything figured out <3

—————————————————————————

BAJI KEISUKE

- Baji was voted number 1 in best lover of Tr♥️ you already know 😍😍

- Baji is fierce, hot headed and outspoken. He appears to have a strong, intimidating demeanor but under all of that, he’s respectful and loving. He treats you so well and so nicely it keeps you up at night smiling.

- he needs someone who’s a almost the opposite of him. He was always smitten by the nice, soft girls when he grew up so he needs someone who is loving and loyal. Who stays by his side even when you don’t understand his reasonings. Someone who would do crazy stuff with him like burn abandoned cars. Someone who isn’t a kill joy with these things.

- he’d adore you if you found simple things like going to a gas station late at night more just riding his bike together with you at night exciting. His eyes would be glued to your face the whole night. Noting what excites you and what makes you happy so he could do it more often. He loves seeing you happy and enjoying every moment.

- Shares everything with you. He might’ve been an only child, but his mom taught him good things that make him a gentleman. He would share his food, earphone, anything you ask.

- he needs someone who is selfless. Someone who puts others feeling before theirs.

- for looks, he doesn’t care, as long as you’re healthy, he’s satisfied💕

—————————————————————————

Ty again so much for requesting <3

Please request more of these! I find them fun!

[zkoh001]

Back to Ninjago ✨

I was drawing this. For 72 full hours (spread out trough like-3 months)

It doesn't look like I put 72 hours into this... (I swear my confidence went like a drunk rollecoaster while making this piece)

But alas, it is done, and I worked too hard not to share it. Behold the elemental alliance. (I can't draw armor. So the design changes are mostly because of that)

I totally got the Masters of Sound and Gravity the first few times, which is quite hilarious cause the Master of Gravity spends quite some of his screentime flying, but oh well.

Also, I tought they were related (for no particular reason) hence the positioning on the picture.

The guy on the left side of the picture was literally listed as "unknown elemental master" and I literally only added him so the proportions were more balanced (also so noone could argue it isn't finished)

I feel like his power was supposed to be lightning (based on the outfit) but then season 6 happened, and he was quietly retconned to make way for libber. I hesitated making it a father daughter situation, with him passing his powers on faster than Cole's grandfather to Lilly, but in the end, settled for making him a Master of Light.

Lilly and her father joined together, but neither of them are sure why it took so long for the power to pass down (probably after or at the very end of the First Serpentine War). They were both the type to understand it's war, and those rarely have a happy ending (in general, these people were kinda forced into this role because of their powers, some of them pretty young) Maybe the late heritance caused issues with Lilly's immune system leading to an early death? 👀🥺

I like to think the old Master of Earth was a mother hen of sons just as Lilly (it's genetic a this point). The above picture happened sometime after Garmadon's banishment.

Libber (or whatever they call the previous Master of Lightning) turned out really cute, I'm probably most satisfied with her (also gave her freckles to match Jay). I feel like we massively missed out on having her be the one to make/power Prime Empire. I mean, I get they wanted to save the mom storyline for MotM, but I'm sure you can write two separate stories revolving around parents. I also believe she joined really young, probably the youngest (and she was a menace. Also imagine if she was friends with the twins, the tragedy)

Wu and Garmadon pretty much have their canon designs (I like that they are dressed the most "traditional" out of everyone) except I added a bit more purple and gold respectively. Also, I'll mention it here, every active elemental masters have eye colours matching their elements, and their pupils are light (giving way to theories about them not even being human). The spinjitzu bros have "rings" around their pupils in the opposite color (purple for Wu, gold for Garmadon) showing the link between them and their powers.

When Garmadon is banished, Wu's eyes become completely gold, affected by their severed connection (and Garm has red eyes, but normally his would have become purple as well) Also, I kinda traced the text on their gi, cause I'm not drawing that from memory 😅

Master of Shadow was one of the first to join the Alliance, but is not the youngest member, she wanted a peaceful solution at the start, and like most of the earlier members, have a more nuanced view on the war, probably even had serpentine acquitances, which is why she looks so sad a lot of the time.

I see Ray and Maya as a kinda golden retriever, black cat dynamic. Maya was incredibly skilled, cold and precise, and one of the deadliest elemental masters (I was cooking up some story about a warrior clan she grew up in, but it's up for interpretation).

Ray meanwhile lives by the principle of "They can't know my next step... if I don't know my next step." Runs in, swords blazing, most people fighting him are just sort of. Perplexed at first.

And of course Maya didn't like him at first, but it's really hard to dislike Ray long term. (Which is how he also became Wu's best friend, despite him trying to hold a 'polite acquitances' type of relationship with the Ems. Ray is just like that) But she fell first.

Either this happened, or he went ahead of the trouble and asked him first.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand (working a lot on this means I had a lot of time to microwave these dudes, this post is looong)

Master of Ice is just that one kind of slightly creepy wise old man, who just... knows stuff. Everyone just sort of accepted that you don't ask him how or why he knows stuff, he just does. Wu and Garmadon have a tendency to follow him around (cause he's pretty similar to their father in a way), which kinda translates to everyone following him around like little ducks (even when he barely socialises with anyone lol).

Design for Master of Ice is inspired by @maydayissleepy, go check out their art!

And I already made a bunch of posts about Hands of Time and the time twins, but design wise, I just made a new one (to avoid the complex armor). When in battle, it's basically impossible to tell the two of them apart. Also, they have heterochromia because they both have two powers technically. The murky brown we see in the show is because they lost the power, but are still technically the Masters of Time, since it never passed on (if the blades broke somehow it would go back to them)

I feel like they joined later (even way later, which is why they clashed so much with the alliance) which is why they aren't mentioned in the early flashbacks (and also cause they didn't exist yet), and went kinda gungho on the war, not really knowing (or caring) for it's nuances.

Anyways, let me know what you think!

[moghedien]

ok I'm gonna start emo durge posting now and I just wanna say like...I wish the game had let you express just how fucking complicated I feel like my durge's feelings for Orin is

like honestly I get why rpgs can't take into account all the big emotions that a character could have for every event, but like I wish I could at least hint at how complicated the Orin situation is for a good durge

because on one hand, Orin is evil. Cartoonishly evil even. She's playing with you and everyone else like a cat playing with their prey before they kill it. Murdering is her only goal, specifically murdering for daddy Bhaal.

And just on a character level, she has done the most to hurt you. She's the reason why you have no memories. She took your life from you. She's the reason why you're fighting the tadpole in your head. She's the reason why all of your friends and loved ones are fighting the tadpole in your head. She kidnapped one of those friends. She murdered people just to take their place so she can spy on you. She stole your life and identity and made have to start anew not knowing who you are or why all you want to do is hurt everyone around you.

But in a fucked up, unintentional way, Orin saved you.

If she hadn't attacked you and taken your place and stuck a tadpole in your head, you would be Bhaal's Chosen. You would be the same mass murdering cannibalistic psychopath that Bhaal shaped you into since you were a child who was made to murder the family that took them in and raised them. You would be one of the villains your current friends faced, and you probably would have killed them all or enslaved them with the tadpoles in their heads, and you wouldn't have thought anything of it. They wouldn't be people to you, just meat to pile up to get you closer to reaching Bhaal's true goal of ending everyone and everything. You were going to do it too.

The closest thing you ever had to a friend was the Chosen of the god of tyranny, your sister who attacked you and took everything from you, and the grotesque unnatural servant your daddy sent to fawn over you. That's not even getting into account the things Gortash and Orin have directly done to two people you might be close to now, or even romantically involved with. Those were the people you kept company with. Those were the only people who you thought liked you, and clearly you misjudged how much Orin actually did.

By the time you can get into learning more about Orin, you know what you are and you've already made the decision to reject or accept Bhaal. If you've resisted him, if you've expressed to Jaheira or whoever that you want to be free of him, you're aware of what you are. And you've found some evidence of what you've done in your past. If you've been hit with a heal spell, you've seen your first murders, and you know that you were shaped into this as a child. And you might have been Bhaal's spawn made directly by him, but at least there was a moment, however brief, where you were just a kid being raised by a family that took you in. Until Bhaal changed that with the Urges.

But Orin? You find out more about Orin that she knows herself. You can find out just how fucked her parentage actually is with Sarevok being both her father and grandfather. You can find out she was lied to about why her mother attacked her as a child and how Sarevok abused and manipulated both of them while she thought he adored her. She was born and raised into a Bhaalist upbringing, having literally no other context or experience. You at least had a few years as a seemingly normal child.

And even then, she was second to you. She was in your shadow, following your commands, and you can find your own writings that made it clear that you did not treat her well. You didn't respect her. If there was ever any kind of bond between the two of you as you were growing up, that was gone by the time you begun the alliance with Gortash and Ketheric, and she was well in your shadow.

And by the time you learn all of this, you have actual friends. You have people who love and admire you. You have people who are grateful to you for saving them and going above and beyond to keep people safe. You probably have a romantic partner and you've probably begun making plans for afterward. You have people that have guided you down a lighter path, that are actually trying to help you be good and happy and who want help you even when you're scary. There are people who know what you are and what you've done and the fact that you were at the center of creating the mess that everyone is in now, and they're still with you.

What does Orin have?

Only a cult of people who worship her out of fear, people that have abused her, and the knowledge that despite her best efforts, you're still coming to punish her for defying you.

But regardless of everything else, you would not have gotten anything you have now if Orin hadn't cracked your skull open.

Orin is the only reason you can be redeemed. Even if you're the one who actively decided to be a better person after escaping the pod, you never would have gotten to that point if not for Orin. You weren't going to suddenly change while you were Bhaal's Chosen, at the top of your power and almost achieving the goals you planned out and put in motion. The only reason you had to opportunity to change is because Orin damaged you to the point of forgetting what Bhaal shaped you into. There were only empty spaces to become your own person because Orin carved them out with her knife.

In the most fucked, but undeniable way Orin saved you.

And I just can't help but wish that the game at least let me acknowledge this and how fucking complicated you can feel about Orin.

Or at least let me ponder if maybe it isn't possible to at least try to do something for your fucked up little sister who never had or wanted anything but Bhaal, yet still managed to save you from him. Even if its not possible, even if you couldn't have really tried, I wish that the desire to try or some contemplation on that had been possible.

[froody]

If you’re a southerner and you call your dad daddy you love and respect him, maybe you love and respect him too much maybe, put too much value in his shitty opinions and let him have too much influence on your life. If you’re a southerner and you call your dad pop, you have a strained relationship with him, you love each other but you perhaps don’t respect him or you’re both working to make the relationship better. If you’re a southerner and you call your dad pops, you don’t respect him at all, you don’t hate him you just think he’s a clown. If you’re a southerner and you call your dad paw you are partners in crime, literally, you are doing evil together, he’s been teaching you to swear and raise hell and poach deer since you were in diapers. If you’re a southerner and you call your dad pap you HATE that motherfucker, Huck Finn levels of fucked up parenting going on, 1850s levels of discord and strife going on in your family.

My father was always a dad or father, indicating some level of fraying and formality in our relationship. My paternal grandfather was a poppy, which I believe to be a pops variant because my dad and uncle loved to dress him down. My maternal grandfather was a paw.

[addaerontruther]

i've pretty much given up on house of the dragon and will only be watching to support clinton as addam because the show is all bad, most of the fanbase is worse, and there seems to be no end in sight, but daeron is my baby so i have to SAY SOMETHING

there's no way daeron can be criston's bastard without completely destroying his character and everything about him. i understand hbo doesn't respect anything that makes the targaryen's special (having an actual bond with the dragons, magic, being able to control them, etc) but you're either taking away the biggest part of his character or destroying the lore. why would you do either. just leave him out completely.

and not for nothing, but imagine spending the first part of your life listening to your mother, brothers, grandfather, and apparent illegitimate father preaching about how horrible your (fellow) bastard nephews are simply because of a birth circumstance you share with them and then being sent away forever? the resentment, the pain, the loneliness???? he's already an incredibly isolated and tragic character, whyyy would you want to strip him one the only period of familial happiness he ever knew?

no one who appreciates daeron as a character could want that. honestly, no one that appreciates any of these characters can want that? you love alicent but you want every word that leaves her mouth to act as a knife in her youngest son? you love aegon and/or aemond and you want their younger brother to remember the unkind things they said about people of his own birth rather than literally anything else?

idk. it's a terrible idea for so many reasons but as someone that genuinely loves daeron and sees what george's intentions with him were on the page, it's so upsetting to think about them being so careless with him to get the small percentage of audience members watching with their brains shut off to say "oooo" for 30 seconds and then forget about it forever lmao

[softpinkpomegranate]

☆ Hi! I’m Nareh! An Armenian Jewish Israeli, who is religiously Christian.

- Before you question about the Christian part, I am NOT messianic, if I’m being honest I have really very little idea of what that is. I was just born to a secular Jewish dad, and Armenian Christian mother.

☆ I created this blog to mostly talk about all my options and stuff, including about i/p, and before anyone comes up here pro Israel or pro Palestine, I am not a Zionist!

☆ I literally love yapping and conversation, so please talk to me as much as possible, even if you don’t agree!

☆ Some fun facts about me!

- I am a huge Taylor Swift fan! Actually for my Hebrew birthday this year my grandfather got me tickets to see her in london!

- I can speak Armenian, like most Armenians here, and my family tries to visit Armenia at least twice a year.

- I really want to go into journalism or linguistics. I know those are two very different things, but I love them both lol.

- My name means color of pomegranate. My mother really loves pomegranates, hence the name.

- I don’t know what much else to say, but if I find anything I’ll update this pinned post!

More about my Jewish/Christian identity, and a bit of politics:

So I was born to a secular Jewish father, who comes from a religious non Zionist family, who lives in Israel because they were pushed out of Sryia. My mother comes from a Christian Armenian family, that is only in the Levant after having to escape the Armenian Genocide.

My grandparents on my father side are pretty religious, while they don’t completely define themselves into a sect of Judaism, I would say they are closest to conservative, with a bit of orthodox. My grandparents also don’t consider themselves Zionists, now they don’t consider themselves anti Zionist, they just aren’t Zionist.

Now you might be wondering about if I’m actually Jewish or not. People around me, or at least closest to me, mostly my grandparents and father have. And I haven’t really felt any different, I do understand that some people have a closer connection than me and I’m not going to argue with that. But I also want people to understand that I have participated in Jewish, not to the extent some have but I have had Shabbat dinners with my grandparents, I’ve attended services, I’ve gone to a couple high holy day services. All of this is with my grandparents by the way.

That’s about all I can say about my identity for now, but I’m willing to talk about to anyone about it! But only if it’s in good faith. I don’t owe you a genuine conversation or respect if you can’t extend the same to me.

[tamtheshihan]

Jin & Xiaoyu in Tekken 8

This is a couple I’ve wanted for years and its safe to say Tekken 8 may just give them the room to be an actual couple once and for all. If you are obsessed with this fighting game franchise as much as I am and have been waiting as long as I have, Jin and Xiaoyu are a ship that in my opinion should have sailed loooooong ago. Xiaoyu is the sunshine and Jin is the one in need of that sunshine.

Their relationship seems to be more grounded and cohesive this time. No longer the delusional and obsessive teenager chasing the handsome and mysterious bad boy, but now as two young adults who respect one another whilst realizing and understanding underlying feelings and the role each plays in the other’s life.

Now before I get to it, I am fully aware that there are millions of people who are against them being a couple. “Oh Xiaoyu’s annoying, Jin doesn’t care for her, JinXiao shippers are delusional”, YADA YADA. Be that as it may, I am 100% behind Jin and Xiaoyu. This post is not for you!

Its shaping up to be Jin and Xiao as endgame and here’s why… Get comfortable because it’s a long one…

Starting off, Japanese men are not the most romantic and are considered shy in those kinds of contexts- as most Japanese people are. Japanese people are not big on pda and being straightforward. Commonly seen in manga and anime. Protagonist in most cases will literally do everything else in a story before worrying about their relationship- telling the girl or guy how they really felt. And it is usually the very last thing we get, if we get it at all. Creators/writers will hint at certain things subtly and you usually have to be aware of it. It’s a staple in Japanese storytelling and Tekken is no exception. It’s a fighting game people, so fighting is the main focus while something like romance is typically placed on the backburner.

With that said, Jin is yet another example of this. He crosses me as the type to be very loving but not in a showy kinda way. I’m certain Jun showered him with love and affection. Her very existence is love and affection. She is mama Kazama- Jin’s whole heart which was taken away from him very early. So being caring and affectionate is something we all know Jin is capable of doing. It’s just that his life took a course that changed him in a way that he needed to adapt to. The mishimas and the devil gene are no place for the kind boy who was raised on the almost remote island of Yakushima. Never having to deal with anything even close to his life after meeting Heihachi. I say this to not right any of his wrongs but to say that you can become a product of the things you go through in life.

Jin is capable of a lot but had to put a lot on the backburner because he was dealing with a situation that was thrown onto him. He didn’t ask for any of it but it was time for a boy to become a man. He no longer had Jun’s kind and touching words, but rather memories of her precepts and warmness to guide him, a grandfather whom he became to trust betrayed him in the worst way, and a father who could care less of his existence.

Xiaoyu on the other hand, a cheerful and caring young lady who wants nothing but to be there for Jin- someone she seen the good in and became a close friend to. She knows that Jin has only become the way he did to cope with the never ending pain and sadness, having to force away everyone and everything he cares about because he fears he would bring them nothing but harm. Jin was once a kind and sweet guy as Xiaoyu stated. Jin cares for Xiaoyu. He cares A LOT. I feel that he cares as much as he can in a way that he can given his situation. I don’t think I want the person I truly care for to be around me in moments were I lose control of myself either. Trust me, Jin has all the emotional components as the next person, he just doesn’t have the space to show it.

Xiaoyu isn’t an idiot. She understands this and catches what Jin throws. Jin’s life was a hard contrast to Xiaoyu’s fun loving, amusement park going life. Sometimes the best way to get through to someone is to communicate in a way they can understand and this time around she knows what has to be done.

And there are things that Jin is fully aware of. He knows that Xiaoyu will follow him to hell without a second thought. He knows she will come looking for him at the drop of a dime and wouldn’t even consider the harm she would face in pursuing him. HE IS FULLY AWARE of how much he means to her. Which is why he puts that distance between them. Why he disappears without a trace, why he keeps his hardships to himself. He knows Xiaoyu will go to bat for him quick. But he cares for her so much that he doesn’t want her getting caught up in his mess. Jin believes that he doesn’t deserve the love and consideration Xiaoyu gives him but he still cares. His self-hatred is what holds him back from believing he’s a proper member of society. The devil gene thoroughly labels him as an outcast who doesn’t deserve a second shot at life and he doesn’t try to hold onto that hope. So something like a relationship or friendship means nothing if you can never truly have it-and to him- as long as the devil gene exist, none of those things could ever be.

He feels as though he has to deal with everything on his own- end his family’s mess and end the bloodline. Jin always seems ready to give his life away because he feels the world would be better off without him. He looks at himself as an abomination, an existence not of this world. He invalidates how he really feels for what he thinks is appropriate for the situation. He calls it like it is. How can you smile, be a friend, or even have a relationship when you are a ticking timebomb and could ruin everything in the blink of an eye?

He's aware that Xiaoyu is going to give it to him straight, cut no corners. He knows she wants the best for him. He knows she’ll tell him that what he thinks of himself isn’t true. He knows that she can read him like a book. He knows she truly cares.

Their special interaction in Tekken 8 is long overdue. It shows exactly what their reunion should be. An abundance of emotions that look almost impossible to interpret. Xiaoyu- happy, relieved she found her man, but also with restraint trying to approach the situation another way, and there’s Jin- sheepish, unable to face Xiaoyu, not sure how she feels. Awkward but both push forward to paint a better picture together this time around. He knows she knows all the things he’s been doing and she knows that he knows but wants to move forward and be able to aid him in the fight. He’s always been much more softer in tone and demeanor with Xiaoyu. He calls the girl “Xiao”for goodness sakes, and in Japanese society people don’t usually do that unless they are really close and have a bond. She calls him “Jin”, no suffix just Jin. She even came out and said that "an exchange of blows can be revealing". Now if that's not obvious...

Sometimes love comes at the right time, and you have to be ready. The love was definitely there, feelings were definitely mutual, they were just shown very differently. In a lot of ways they just had to get themselves together and figure some things out. Besides the romantic part, Jin and Xiaoyu did a lot of growing up. I mean a lot. Look at those two. Xiaoyu LOOKS more mature. SHES A WOMAN NOW. Jin LOOKS certain in his actions and seems to have much more confidence and resolve. This is a man and a woman. I believe they are ready this time.

In a lot of ways Xiaoyu is what Jin needs- that reassurance, that support, that sunshine, that stick beside you type of thing.

And with Jun officially back, Jin’s life will definitely brighten up but with Xiaoyu included… That’s the ideal situation for me!!

I can go all day on these two but in conclusion, Jin and Xiaoyu are a pair that is definitely hard to come by and one of my favorites especially in games. It doesn’t make any since how long I have waited for an interaction between these two where they finally appear to be on even footing, on the same page, and know what they want.

[wednesdaysraven]

phantoms of my former self.

synopsis: yoko recounts her life as a vampire to her best friends at a nightshade girls’ (+ thing) sleepover.

word count: 3,026

tags: headcanons ✶ fluff ✶ not proofread

warnings: mild violence, sa (mentioned)

┈─★ note: since quite literally nothing is known about yoko or her story, besides the fact that she’s an amateur mixologist (thanks divina), i’m taking complete creative liberty here! and since it’s been confirmed that naomi will not be coming back to reprise her role as yoko, it’s safe to say we might never get to know about her past. ┈─★ note: yoko is a canonical lesbian but lesbianism in the early 1900s? people would shit themselves. my headcanon is after yoko lived through the more acceptable years of history, she started to find herself, you know? ┈─★ note: i am a huge history buff so i like to try my best when using actual history in my fics!

“You know what I just realized?” Enid asked as she painted Thing’s index finger a pretty shade of lavender. “I don’t know anything Yoko’s past or how she became a vampire.”

Divina picked her head up so fast from her card game with Wednesday and glanced toward her girlfriend who was currently sitting on the floor, playing Call of Duty with Bianca. “Oh, let’s not get into that, I’m sure Yoko doesn’t—”

Yoko paused her game with Bianca and twisted around to face the group behind her on the bed. “It’s alright, Div. I guess it would be fine to tell you. I suppose if you’ve been around as long as I have, certain things just tend not to matter as much.”

Wednesday glanced up, “You don’t have to share with us if you don’t want to, Yoko.”

“I’m alright. Let’s do this.”

୨ৎ

My grandfather, Ahikito Tanaka was one of the most feared and most respected members of the Tanaka coven. He didn’t take anything from anyone. He did what he had to protect us which earned him lots of enemies. Those enemies cost him his life when he was killed by two normie men while on business in America. I never got to meet him, but I’ve heard all sorts of stories. My mother says we would have gotten along.

For years, the Tanakas were infamous for their power tactics on normies. Our motto is 美徳は行動にある, which means “virtue lies in action.” I was born on October 11th, 1898. My mother was physic and my father was a vampire. Growing up, I used to begged my father to let me go with on business trips to America, I wanted to travel the world someday. But of course, I was too young for it. Mother was turned in 1918.

So, when my father was away, I stayed with Mother who told me stories of how our coven came to be. We weren’t born vampires, we were turned. She would tell me how my father was turned. She would tell me about why my grandfather was so brave and forceful. He had wanted to protect his future grandchildren from what he had to endure. He didn’t want history to repeat itself.

Once, I was out by myself. I was eleven then and I had snuck away from my parents’ sight and went exploring the market. I wasn’t looking where I was going, causing me to bump into someone. I looked up at the boy who was reaching out for me to take his hand. He introduced himself as Kenzo. I smiled at him in response.

From then on, Kenzo and I were best friends. We were inseparable. Kenzo was apart of the Yamamoto coven, our rival coven. So our friendship was a shushed one, she snuck away from our parents to meet up in the market every Saturday morning at 9:30. We were each other’s safe place. We were each other’s home. We gossiped about school friends, our family, our siblings and everything inbetween.

After three years of friendship, we started to slowly fall for one another. Him first, then me. We were sitting behind a fruit cart in the market, eating stolen fruit when he turned to me, with a hurt expression on his sweet face.

“My family is moving to America in two days time.” He said, taking my hand in his and holding it. He wiped the tears falling from my face with his thumb. I couldn’t believe that my best friend was leaving me. I begged him to stay with me, to stay in Japan but we both knew that wouldn’t be possible.

So, in June 1912, Kenzo and the Yamamoto coven left Japan for America and I was alone. I was there to see him off, telling him that we should write letters to each other every day. We hugged and I kissed his cheek. I was alone for the next three years.

In September 1914, my family escaped to America during World War I. Japan entered the war in August of 1914. We had already lost three of my mortal brothers to the war and my mother didn’t want to lose anyone else.

Little did my mother know, not soon after setting there, I would be killed then turned. My father wanted the coven to settle in Jericho, Vermont. Back then, it was a sweet, little, cozy town where outcasts were welcomed. One sunny monday morning, Father told me to go into to pick something up for his and Mother’s wedding anniversary.

I made my way into town, taking my time. At this moment, we didn’t know a single word of English. But thankfully, the store owner, Miss Adaline Addams, had lived in Japan for a year before the war started. She knew some Japanese, to my happiness. I told her I was there to pick up something for my parents and she responded in my native language.

I left that little shop with a huge smile on my face.

That almost completely dissipated when I walked out. I was walking home and I was stopped by an older white man. You could say, I was intrigued by him? There was just something about him that drew me in and made me want to stop and speak to him. Even if I didn’t understand the language.

I was murdered in broad daylight by a stranger I had never met before. I was a native 16 year old girl from Japan during World War and I didn’t know the first thing about the American culture who didn’t speak the language.

The man charged at me. I bunched up my skirts so I wouldn’t trip as I ran as fast as I could. I prayed that I could get back to my home before my legs gave out. I made the mistake of checking behind to see where the name was. I stumbled over a rock, falling to the ground.

Before I could get up, I was tackled from behind. I glanced up to the man on top of me. He had a glittering silver knife in his hand, he raised it and all I remember was screaming and sobbing. I remembered begging him to spare me, to let me go.

Bracing myself for the immediate, immense pain I would endure any second, I prayed that I would be saved by a bystander. The man plunged the knife into my chest twelve times, repeating the action to my stomach an extra three. I was barely breathing when the man ran off as he heard footsteps coming.

I sucked in as many breaths as I could. My purple straw hat was lying next to my body. It must have flown off when I fell. My skirts were bunched to my hips with scratches and purple bruises all over my legs. I knew I didn’t have long but I couldn’t move due to the wounds on my chest and stomach.

Then I saw him.

Kenzo had found me. My life was fading. He gave me his blood to drink as the last of my lifesource left me. He held me in his lap, waiting for me to come back to him. It was hours until I stirred wake, gasping for breath. I felt around for something to ground me, to let me know I was alive. Well, in the vampire sense of the word. Kenzo walked me back to my home. I clinged to him the whole way. I still had blood on my dress and Kenzo had literal blood on his hands from trying to stop me from bleeding out.

My father flew open the door and ushered us inside. He knew something was different in me, my mother was positive I had just been killed and brought back by my best friend. She was, of course, correct. She was right about everything, she was a mother after all. Kenzo helped me to the sofa and demanded to know what had happened.

“I was stabbed 15 times. I was assaulted and abused. Kenzo found me on the brink of death and brought me back, for that I owe him for eternity.” I explained. Kenzo had placed the present that I had recieved from the store on the front table. I had forgotten I ever had that in my hand, due to my panic.

After that fateful day, my father trained me how to hunt and feed on mortals without getting caught. When he couldn’t, Kenzo did and we bonded. Got closer than we had been before he moved.

“Do you think we’ll win the war?” He asked one day after another fine hunt. I laced my fingers with his, pulling him towards my hip, looking at the ground.

“What do you speak of? Japan or America?”

“America, of course.”

“This is not my home. The Land of the Rising Sun is. How have you forgotten where you came from?” I asked, pulling away from me, reliving my hand from his grip. I was furious. He had lived here for three years and considered this is his forever home? How could he think that?

Now, at the time, I was very loyal to my mother country. I still am, to an extent. I lived most of my mortal life there, I loved it. I loved my life in Japan before the war.

1918. The United States had won the war. Japan experienced a period of economic growth due to its wartime industry, gaining new colonies in the Pacific from Germany, and securing a position as a major world power. As for America, the postwar years saw a wave of civil rights activism.

I was there when the 19th amendment was ratified on August 20th, 1920. I was out with my friends at the time, walking down the streets of Jericho. We were discussing if we thought the 19th Amendment would pass that night.

I thought it would be a beautiful thing for women to vote. All my friends were vampires as well. Clementine was the oldest of us. She was turned in 1765 when she was twenty-two. Amelie was 18, turned in 1901 and Juliette was 19, turned 1919.

That night, it was official. Women could vote in the US. But not all of us. The amendment excluded Black, Asian, and Native American women. Native American women weren’t able to vote until 1948. Asian women wouldn’t receive that right until 1952. Black women wouldn’t recieve it until 1965. So, I smiled and clapped as my friends recieve what they had been fighting for years.

Let’s skip all the way to my favorite part of my life, the 1970s. In 1972, Nixon was president at the time. The Watergate Scandal had just broken out to the public. His popularity was at a all time low. I, however, was having a fantastic time. David Bowie had just come out with ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ the night before. I loved all of Bowie’s work, I wanted to see him in concert so bad. Juliette had bought 4 tickets for us because I wouldn’t shut up about him.

At the time, my family and I were in New York due to my dad’s work trip. My friends tagged along since that’s where we would go see Bowie. I got to a lot of famous people on tour since I’ve seen around for so long. I actually got to see Louis Armstrong on tour when he came to Vermont in the 1940s.

September 28th, 1972. Juliette, Clementine, Amelie and I all went to see Bowie’s concert in New York. I had a blast with my best friends. We went out to eat, we sang along, we danced. One of the highlights of my life.

1976, ABBA came out with Arrival and Queen with A Day at the Races. Another highlight of my life was seeing Freddie Mercury in concert as well as ABBA. This time I went with just Kenzo. He bought me dinner, as a surprise to tell me we were seeing Queen the next night.

The night of the concert, I put my hair into two loose braids with my sunglasses atop my head. I wore red lipstick, a Queen band t-shirt and flared jeans with a leather jacket. When we got to the area, I made a beeline for the merchandise stand and bought a poster and another shirt.

Kenzo and I danced together, we sang together. In the middle of Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, Kenzo pulled me in for a kiss. I kissed back then pulled away. We stared at each other for a few moments before I pulled him in again. We laughed and put our foreheads together and hugged.

1989. President George H. W. Bush was inaugurated and the Berlin Wall fell after 28 years. Kenzo and I had been together for 13 years at this point.

You’re probably thinking, “13 years and no ring?” Well, for one we were permanently 16 years old and two, our parents would never allow it. And besides, we were fine with just dating.

We were sitting in the town square, facing the statue of Joseph Crackstone when I rested my head on his shoulder and interlaced our fingers. He was reading to me as I listened. I was content just lying there, hearing his voice.

“Yoko?” He asked, closing his book. I was in the middle of braiding a piece of my hair as I hummed in response. I was too preoccupied by my hair so I rolled off the bench when he told me the following.

“I think we should see other people.”

I started at him for a few moments before I pulled myself back up to sit back on the bench. “Why? Is it something I did?”

“What? No, Yoko. Of course not.” He told me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and pulling me into a cheek kiss. I turned away from him, crossing my arms.

He continued to talk, “I just...I feel like we’re been friends since 1909, that’s a long time. We need to take a break. We can still be friends, of course.”

“If you don’t like me, just say it.”

He just stared at me until I stood up, grabbed my bag and headed towards the flowershop next to Uriah’s Heap. “Nice knowing you, Kenzo. もしかしたら別の人生で.”

I never saw him again after that day. Last I heard of him, he had been killed by a normie on his way home in June of 1990. He was stabbed through the heart. He was 93 years old.

1991. I had been around for 93 years at this point. My father was away in Japan on business and my mother had went off to work. I was home alone.

Our new neighbors had moved in the morning before. They were a family of psychics. Their oldest daughter was named Francine and she was beautiful. She had red hair, brown eyes. And the cutest freckles across her nose and cheeks.

I was in love with her from the moment I saw her.

I was working at Uriah’s Heap when she came in with her friends, laughing and talking. They were wearing Nevermore uniforms. I hadn’t even heard of Nevermore at this point, despite it being around since the 1700s. I watched Francine from the counter as she looked around the clothes and other items in the store.

That night, I begged my parents to let me enroll. I knew we had the money due to my dad’s job. So, after hours and hours of pleading and begging, they let me go.

We met with Headmaster Nightstar the next morning. He could tell how badly I wanted to go to this school. He asked me to wait out in the hall while he spoke to my parents. I bounced on my heels, looking at the different art and plaques on the walls.

Then Francine bumped into me. I was completely enamored by this girl, so much so I literally forgot how to speak English and reverted to Japanese.

She looked at me like I had three heads. I blinked at her twice and laughed. Taking a deep breath, I stuck out my hand and introduced myself. “Yoko Tanaka. Vampire. I’m your neighbor.”

“Francine Lawrence, psychic. Nice to meet you.”

Francine and I were inseparable from then on. We went over to each other’s houses, we had sleepovers, we gossiped. We had fun. We were sitting in our shared dorm when she confessed that she had a crush on me. I immediately kissed her in response. We were together for eight years before she moved to New York with her family.

2024. I met some of the best people in my life who I wouldn’t trade for anything. I know these people wouldn’t leave me. We have a bond that no one can break and I love them with my heart. I went a bubbly pink werewolf, her goth girlfriend, a queen bee siren and an adorable, gorgeous girl who I fell in love with.

I have been on this earth for 126 years. People have come in and out of my life for different reasons. They all have taught me something. Never take this life for granted, do what you can when you can.

୨ৎ

Divina pressed a little kiss to her cheek before laying her head on Yoko’s shoulder. “We love you, Yoks.”

“I must say, your story was quite interesting.” Wednesday said, her hands fold in her lap as Enid ubbraided and rebraided her hair. “How many victims have you had over the years?”

Enid swatted her arm, “You can’t just ask that!”

“I never really fed on humans, more small animals when I could.”

“Pity.” Wednesday crossed her arms.

Bianca rolled her eyes, smiling as Thing finished he nail design. She fistbumped him and turned to her friends, “Who wants to watch a movie?”

Yoko scooted in with Divina as Bianca turned the movie on. She whispered, “I really love you, Div.”

“And I really love you, honey.”

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

aita for wanting to maintain a relationship with my step-grandfather? (tw for mentions of child abuse and death)

so my (under 18, nb) step-grandpa (84) has been feeling lonely recently. his son passed away this february, and his best friend isn’t doing well healthwise and probably won’t make it to the end of the year. my grandma (74) has been communicating with me and my mom (47) about step-grandpa’s loneliness. i offered to help them adopt a cat (he said he didn’t want to have another pet die, though he is in his eighties, so…) and surprised him with a card for father’s day.

here’s where things get tricky. my actual grandfather died a few months before his daughter (my mom) was born, so my step-grandpa is the only father figure he’s ever known. he was pretty abusive when she was younger, to the point of kicking her out when she was 12, which caused her to get kicked out of middle school because the us public school system doesn’t care about at-risk teens and children. my mom also has some triggers because of this abuse, namely slamming doors. she was also abused by one of her stepbrothers, the one that died last february. the other stepbrother is a wonderful guy who’s gotten a lot of therapy and has cut off contact with his dad and brother, but still occasionally talks to my mom.

however, my step-grandpa has, according to my grandma, turned over a new leaf. he’s taking medication for mood swings and goes to therapy. apparently it saved their marriage, so good for them! despite this, my father (47) believes my step-grandpa is a “textbook psychopath” and has also stated numerous times that he doesn’t want me around my step-grandpa. my dad did not grow up around my step-grandpa. he did not know my step-grandpa until my mom introduced them when both my parents were well into their twenties (or possibly in their early thirties). my dad has never experienced my step-grandpa’s abuse. my dad hasn’t had a whole conversation with my step-grandpa since maybe before the pandemic.

i’m not asking to live full-time with my step-grandpa. i just want to take him to a pet shelter or somewhere where he can hang out with cats without necessarily having to adopt them. my mom is fine with this. my mom has actually been encouraging me to hang out with my step-grandpa more, because like i said, he’s lonely. i respect that my dad doesn’t want to talk to my step-grandpa, but i do. i’ve told him this, and he keeps insisting that i “keep my distance” and “be careful”. he is literally the only person who is saying this. even my mom gets along with my step-grandpa now that he’s gone to therapy. it might be a religion thing, as my dad is lutheran and my step-grandpa is a recovering jehovah’s witness (which did influence how he raised my mom) but last i heard, he is fully an atheist now and has apologized to my mom for being a shitty dad. i don’t understand why my dad is so wary of him. i just don’t want him to feel alone.

so, aita?

What are these acronyms?

[tarmac-rat]

OC Interview: Riley

Tagged by @glitchinginthegarden and @seraphfighter. You can read their respective entries here and here

Roleplaying prompts like these are very much not my forte, so I tried my best. And I also might've borrowed Glitch's idea and inserted Johnny into the dialogue as well, just to keep the conversation...organic.

Tagging @clusterfxckedbysirens @ghostoffuturespast @butchsquatch @luvwich and @seeker-of-truth and y'all have probably already done this but I need to get better at tagging people and it's my own fault for being late lol

Note: This recording was recovered from a trash can after presumably being discarded by the interviewer

Name?

V: "V." Interviewer: "Oh, um...like, just the letter?" V: "No."

Nickname?

V: "...V." Interviewer: "*clearly flustered* So you, uh, you don't have a nickname, or--?" Johnny: "Not worth it, pal. You're lucky she's even givin' you this much." Interviewer: "But--" Johnny: "Trust me, choom, fishin' for the truth ain't worth it. Drop it while you still can."

Her full name is Riley Bakker Aldana the fifth. For all intents and purposes, "V" is both her nickname and a part of her full name, since it's a patronymic suffix. Since she comes from a long line of Riley Aldana's, V very rarely uses her actual first name and has never consistently gone by it-- she has always simply been "V" from birth. Johnny, of course, thinks this is the stupidest thing he's ever heard in his life.

Gender?

Johnny: "Ever since V was a child, she's always identified with what's between her legs--" V: "Where are you going with this?" Johnny: "--a cunt." V: *Lets out a long sigh*

Star sign?

V: "Is this an actual interview or is this the second round of sorority rush?" Johnny: "Don't be fuckin' rude. She's a Scorpio, like me." V: "Wait wait wait, I know, like, one thing for sure about star signs, and it's that you and I don't have the same one." Johnny: "Your birthday's less than a month after mine." V: "That's not how zodiac signs work." Johnny: "Look it up, then, if you're so confident." V: "Fine. Just, one sec," *Pulls out phone, types something, types another thing, types another thing* "I'm a..." *types another thing* "...Pisces."

Riley is a Sagittarius

Height?

Johnny: "Five foot nine even. Five foot eight and a half if she's standing on one leg." V: "'Bout sums it up."

Riley's cybernetic right leg is roughly a quarter to a half inch shorter than her organic left leg, so she's got a bit of a weird gait and tends to favor her right side more than her left in fights. She'll eventually get it fixed, but she then spends a few months walking around like a newborn deer tripping over nothing as a result.

Orientation?

V: "'I guess 'bi' is the term I'd throw out there for it, but honestly, dating and managing a love life are the last things on my mind these days. Not like I don't have time, I just don't think settling down's in the cards for me yet. But in terms of preference, though, I don't really lean any which way." Johnny: "So basically, 'people hot'."

Nationality/ethnicity?

V: *laughs slightly* "I don't think I'm technically an NUSA citizen since I spent the first twenty-two years of my life in a car, so I don't know if I technically have a 'nationality' in the literal sense. Ethnicity-wise, most if not all of my mom's side of the family is Diné, so that's easy enough. My dad's side is the question mark. Never met the guy, and my mom never talked about him."

Riley's maternal side of the family is Navajo-- her great-grandfather grew up in Kayenta, AZ, and many founding members of the Bakkers were people from there and the surrounding areas who felt it safer to go westward during the Collapse. Conversely, Riley's father Felix is a smuggler who had a brief fling with her mother Ivy when the Bakkers were camped near the NM/Mexico border in 2052 (and post-Unification War now operates around Fort Hancock, TX). Felix is Mexican-Apache, and blissfully unaware that he has a daughter running around 25 years later fucking up shit in Night City.

Favorite fruit?

V: "I...don't know if I've ever actually eaten a real piece of fruit in my life." Johnny: "You're fucking with me." V: "What!?" Johnny: "Fuckin' hell, we're havin' a conversation after this. Just pick a fruit flavor, and move on. Any of 'em." V: "I, uh, um..." *places hands on her hips, sighs, goes silent* "Green apple, then, I don't know."

Favorite season?

V: "Well, summers in the desert were unbearable, and winters in the desert were boring as all sin, so I guess one of the middle seasons? If I had to pick one, I'd probably pick spring-- the places in the Sonora we used to stay at in the springtime were always pretty nice."

Favorite flower?

V: "Mexican Gold Poppies." Johnny: "Oh, what, you have a favorite flower but you don't have a favorite fruit!?"

Riley likes gold/yellow things despite it not really being in her color scheme. While she likes Gold Poppies, the flower I generally associate her with is a Black-eyed Susan, which are symbols of justice and survival.

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

V: "Depends, but I generally lean towards coffee." Interviewer: "With anything?" V: "Synmilk." Johnny: "And whiskey." V: "Only on Sundays."

Average hours of sleep?

Johnny: "*snorts* Go on, V. Tell 'em 'bout your thoroughly robust and well-kept sleep schedule." V: "I sleep!" Johnny: "Sure, when you get knocked the hell out or fuckin' flatline on me. *to the interviewer* Two hours a night, average." V: "It's more than that! Stop being dramatic." Johnny: "And when she does fuckin' crash, because y'know she will, she's out for a day plus. It'll be like livin' with a corpse. I could host a music festival in that apartment and she prolly wouldn't even roll over to check the time."

Exaggeration aside, Riley will get around 3-5 hours of sleep a night-- combination of restlessness and preferring to work nights. After about 2 weeks of doing that, her body will basically say "NO MORE" and shut down for a day or two to recover.

Dog or cat person?

V: "Cat." Johnny: "Liar." V: "What?" Johnny: "It's horses." V: "Johnny!"

Dream trip?

V: "Not sure. Always used to hear nice things about Australia-- maybe there, I guess? Or maybe Morocco, or Rome? Somewhere warm and dry. And definitely not on the water."

Favorite fictional character?

Johnny: "Let me tell you a little story about a guy from Seattle and the acid trip he had while staring at a pack of Camel cigarettes--" V: "Nope, not even close." Johnny: "Oh, my deepest apologies, princess, were you going to come up with a better answer from the wealth of popular media you consume on a daily basis?" V: "...Fair enough."

Johnny is referring to the book Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins, which is probably the only novel Riley's read in the last five years. She hates this book for its pretentiousness but since she rarely consumes pop culture as it is, it's really her only fallback when talking about fiction she's actually engaged with.

Number of blankets you sleep with?

V: "One tops, maybe? I tend to run hot. Maybe two in the winter if it's cold enough."

Fun fact?

V: "A fun fact." Johnny: "'Fun' fact, eh? Might be askin' too much of her there." Interviewer: "It can be anything. Your favorite color, what car you drive, how many times you've--" V: "I once helped smuggle the CFO of Asukaga & Finch and his lover over the Texas border after he embezzled 4.7 million dollars from them in 2071." Interviewer: "I, uh, you...what?" V: "I mean, he's probably dead now. What're you gonna do, arrest me?" Johnny: *Starts laughing*

[sbk-zgvlt]

Hiii how you doing?

I'm like very interested to know if u have any headcanons about sebek family, like what are their personalities, appeareances, relationship to sebek, etc

I have a few of my own but Idk, i would love to hear about yours

The Zigvolt Family

Esme Zigvolt (Mother Zigvolt)

Get ready for a bunch of french names man

Black hair! I've seen that faes seem to have more "bland" hair, so I like to think that Sebek's hair color comes from his dad instead

Taller than her husband, that's for sure. Stands at a proud 212 cm (7'0 ft)

Stubborn and passionate about the things she loves. Or rather, the people she loves

Closer to Sebek than her husband, as always. Although, she's much more closer to her older son and daughter.

She wasn't really there everytime since she helps her husband handle the clinic. Most of the time Sebek is dropped off at his grandpa's due to this

Most drama comes from her side of the family, so sometimes she feels embarrassed that her husband has to put up with their bullshit

They met each other when her husband got lost in the woods 💀

Lidaeus C. Zigvolt (Father Zigvolt)

THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND FOR THE NAME YOURE A REAL ONE FR!!!!!

179 cm 💀 (5'9 ft)

GREEN HAIR, GREEN HAIR, GREEN HAIR, GREEN HAI

LOVES ESME!!!! LOVES HIS CHILDREN!!!! HE'S A FAMILY MAN

His children think he's a loser L. But he loves them all very much!!! (HE HAS A FAVORITE AND ITS SEBEK)

Scared of Esme's dad SHITLESS but after a lot of visits he likes to think theyre in cool terms now (They are not but only Grampa Zigvolt and literally everyone else in the family knows that)

Timid but also a huge nerd. Ask him about dental procedures and he would go on a full tangent

Has photobooks of his kids. Sebek has the most pictures and has more photobooks

Sylvie Zigvolt (Sister Zigvolt)

The eldest, the strongest, and the tallest at a proud 200 cm (6'6 ft). 21 years old

Has her hair tied into a high ponytail. It reaches just above her waist.

Was actually a troublemaker as a kid, and always gets into heated debates with her mother's side of the family when it comes to fae and human relationships

Now she travels around the world as a public speaker of some sorts. Sometimes the Zigvolts catch her on tv

Likes to send back souvenirs and trinkets to Sebek whenever she can, along with postcards

Is not impressed with Malleus and Lilia and does not like the fact that her youngest brother is being trained as Malleus' retainer

If you put her in a room with her grandfather it'll just be ENDLESS screaming matches

Her grandfather actually respects her to some degree though. Still thinks she's a brat

Soleil Zigvolt (Brother Zigvolt)

The middle child, 199 cm (6'5 ft), and also 21 years old

...surprise surprise, Sylvie and Soleil are twins. Both of them got their looks from their mother

Takes after his father in terms of personality though

If Sylvie constantly got into fights as a kid, Soleil was cunning and used underhanded tactics instead. You could call him a schemer

Both of them dont hide the fact that they like to dote on Sebek

Doesn't really care for his mother's side of the family, and thinks they're close-minded idiots

Has a bit of a sarcastic streak, but it's unintentional

He's content with staying behind and helping around in the clinic, but if he were to pick another occupation it would be becoming a teacher

ALSO not impressed with Malleus and Lilia, but thinks it's pretty cool that Sebek gets to train under them

The kind of guy who would always give up his pieces of candy to Sebek as a kid but also snitch on him whenever he snuck out

If you put him in a room with his grandpa it's just pure awkward silence. His number one intimidation tactic to scare the old geezer

[burnxngslash]

talk about dragon ball z!

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐈𝐓 / 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆

Aside from Kimba and Mach Go!go!go! DBZ was really what got me into Anime like a lot of people, as a young boy it was all for the straight hands. I had no time for story..that and it aired spanish dub for us..I wasn't AS fluent in Spanish back then soo yeah it really was ALL about the hands for me back in the day until I got a bit older and understood more spanish and rewatched it again for another sitting and MIND BLOWN, it's like I was watching an entirely different. People don't mention it much but there's actually a solid story in DBZ...I mean is it perfect? Not at all but it's good enough to keep you entertained.

The saiyan saga being just a literal blood bath, I honestly think that's the most violent Toriyama's cooked in a saga. By the time the arc ended there were casualties, our heroes can BARELY stand up and Krillin comes up with this plan that's a BIG stretch but for his homies he T's up. ALSO this man doesn't get any respect and honestly I blame that shit on DBZ Abridged because of their Krillin Owned counter, making my boy the butt of majority of the joke in that series. (I'm not throwing shade I love DBZA it's just hsdhs little nitpick)

Let's not forget that DBZ is actually one of those anime that actually GROWS with you, I MEAN think about it. Peeps in japan started with it when Goku was a kid (12 or 13, hit me with the age in the comics) and look at him now, Not only a father but a GRANDFATHER too. DBZ Is just a different beast all together, and I'll make this one statement eventhough it's more Super related but I REALLY wished they'd just let gohan stick to his guns and just let him be a researcher or whatever he wanted to be. Giving him this BS with 'yeah you gotta protect your family' blah blah blah. The man's pops is literally the strongest man in the universe and his auntie has the God of Destruction in her back pocket, who's stepping up to run the fade?!

I always get off track whenever I talk about DBZ but in conclusion whilst there's tons of fighting in the anime that I love, there's also the concept of hard work, cherishing the friends we make along the way of our own journeys in life.

[azulas-daddy-kink]

Alright so I know I’ve made some of these points before but now I’m compiling all of my thoughts about Ozai and Ursa’s relationship in one post.

People who do not see Ursa as a victim of Ozai’s abuse and/or delusionally ship Urzai on the basis that Ozai “really loved” Ursa legit fucking scare me.

Ozai did not love Ursa, in any capacity. Ozai does not love anyone. Except maybe himself but he flip-flops on that one, even. 

Ursa did not love Ozai. She was terrified of him. She was taken from her home and forced to marry him - and no, she did not have a choice, not really. Her “choice” was marry Ozai or he kills the love of her life right in front of her. She had about as much of a choice there as Jigsaw’s victims. Starve to death or hack your own foot off, yeah, complete free will.

Then once she married the bastard, she was told she belonged to him, and that she could never see or speak to her family ever again. So romantic, right?

What about this screams “Yes, Ozai, I love you and I can’t wait to have your babies!”

Speaking of, this is more or less implying that Zuko and Azula were conceived as the result of marital rape but y’all ain’t ready for a deep dive into that. Anyone who thinks Ursa could fully consent in this situation needs to have their head examined.

Now backtracking a bit to “she was terrified of him”, let’s not forget this panel!

This is what Ursa looks like when she sees a PORTRAIT of Ozai. A mere portrait. I rest my case.

But alright, I know what some of you are probably thinking. The comics are not canon (except when you want them to be), the comics “retconned” their backstory, or whatever else. I disagree on the last point in particular because that’s not what retconning means. There is nothing, absolutely zero, in the show that contradicts Ozai and Ursa’s comic backstory, or Ozai’s behavior during all of that.

Ozai, in canon, is a genocidal, child abusing, egomaniac. He is shown to have very little regard for others’ feelings, wants, or needs, and only seems interested in his own desires and lust for power. Never once do we see him treating someone with basic respect and consideration, not even his precious favorite, Azula. He manipulates her, he tells her what she wants to hear so that she remains loyal to him but ultimately he views her as a possession - an extension of himself rather than her own person. Which is very typical of narcissists.

Given the way Ozai treats literally everyone else he interacts with, what reason do we have to believe he treated Ursa any differently?

None.

“B-b-b-but what about the fountain?”

Look, I don’t know what it is with this fandom and viewing literally any little thing a character does behind shipping goggles but it is certainly quite annoying.

So here in Zuko’s flashback, we see Ozai standing in front of the fountain, the morning after his father died and Ursa was subsequently banished.

And for some reason, this is used to prove that Ozai loves and misses Ursa which.... what?

A lot just happened over the past 24 hours. Ozai and Ursa murdered his own father for one, and for two, Ozai is coming to the realization that everything he’s ever wanted is now within his grasp. Is it not possible he’s just thinking or clearing his head? I guess that would make too much sense. Is it not also possible that he is mourning the death of his father?

I know, I know Ozai killed Azulon... but it’s complicated. Up until this point, he had desperately been trying to please him. Think of the scene in the throne room, where he’s trying to show Azulon why he is the better son and more worthy of Iroh’s place in the line of succession. And he used AZULA to do it. The child he named after Azulon, his favorite. Declaring that she was “a true prodigy, just like her grandfather for who she is named”. 

Y’all, if this doesn’t scream “Please be proud of me, Daddy!” then I don’t know what does.

It was a bitter pill for Ozai to swallow, I’m sure, that no matter what he accomplished in his life that he would always play second fiddle to Iroh, and that his father would never give him the respect and approval he so desperately craved...

So yeah, gonna go out on a limb here and say this is what Ozai was thinking about. The father he had spent his entire life trying to please was now dead, and he had to close that chapter in his life for good.

Now, before anyone comes at me about the “original series bible”, yes, I am aware that it exists and what it says about Ozai and Ursa. The claim is again that the show and/or comics “retcon” this but I really don’t see how when all that was changed was that she was low-born rather that high-born and/or nobility.

I suppose it’s because people like to cherry pick the line “She was the perfect match for Prince Ozai and soon became his wife.”

Here is the thing about royal marriages - they’re not perfect because they’re love matches, they’re perfect because they are politically savvy and present a certain image to the public.

And not for nothing but these early character concepts and the old Nick website say A LOT of weird shit that never made it into the show or is blatantly untrue but even still, nothing in the above passage disproves the following statement: Ursa is a victim of domestic violence.

Ozai abused Ursa. Full fucking stop. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it...

HOWEVER...

...the point of this was not to say that people can’t ship Ozai/Ursa or that they can’t have their own headcanons or whatever. The point of this was to say that nothing in canon supports Ozai and Ursa’s marriage as being one of love and mutual respect and in fact, most of what is shown proves the exact opposite.

Ship what you want, it’s okay. Just call a spade a spade. None of this is healthy, loving, or wholesome but it IS sexy. Nothing wrong with that.

Now before someone tries to say I’m a giant hypocrite because “ew you ship Ozula, your opinion doesn’t count”, you’re still completely missing the point here. I would be the first to say that parent/child relationships are abuse, grooming, non-consensual, and morally reprehensible. I’m not out here trying to say this is an ideal relationship or that this is okay to do.

And that is the difference.