#what have i done to you to make me suffer like this

[nonasuch]

it's that time:

Miss Universe National Costume 2024

is Here!

that's right! Everyone's favorite justification for the continued existence of beauty pageants has returned. with Looks!

Some of this year's top Themes include:

foliage!

gold!

weapons!

giant birds!

letting seventh-graders make your costume, apparently!

I did watch the video, but the most complete version I could find is missing a bit at the beginning. So I can't tell you what the inspiration was for anything before Bolivia; on the bright side that's fewer shitty rhyming couplets I had to suffer through.

Let's begin with:

Miss Angola! Tone down the color palette a little, and this honestly could have worked for that year the Met Gala was Catholicism- themed.

Miss Argentina, looking just thrilled about the sparkly toucan on her head. I feel like this is supposed to read as some combination of jungle/river/waterfall but this is from the part that I couldn't find on video.

Miss Aruba, I don't know if your giant spangly bird headdress was supposed to look like a potoo, but I am choosing to believe that it's on purpose and I love that for you.

(okay I checked, it's an endangered Aruban burrowing owl. even better!)

This is like the fourth year in a row Miss Australia has just worn a regular-ass gown. Do better!

You know who's doing better? Miss Bahamas, is who. Look at that giant fish. I wish I had video of this, I bet it moves.

Ah yes, when I think of Belarus I definitely think 'verdant tropical foliage.' also is it just me or is does the bodice fit very weird.

Holy shit, Miss Bolivia. This is where the video kicks in, so I can tell you that she somehow managed to dance in it. I'm a little afraid that this costume is going to eat Miss Aruba.

Miss Bonaire is from a Caribbean island that I don't think has ever competed in Miss Universe before? They have a national marine park that this costume is based on, which is is nice!

Miss Botswana's costume is made of leather and cowrie shells, and she is clearly having a great time being able to move freely without 75 pounds of headdress or platform heels. She did a very cute dance that kind of felt like a flex on her more heavily encumbered competitors.

Miss Brazil is wearing a tribute to Brazil's mineral wealth, which is something that basically every country with a mine in it has done at some point. I like the pannier-esque things, I guess.

Love a Tribute To A Weirdly Specific Thing, and Miss British Virgin Islands' mail-themed costume is a wonderful example of such.

Miss Bulgaria showed up dressed as a supervillain, her outfit is vaguely themed around 'the strength of women' and she just spat out a MOUTHFUL of BLOOD? on stage??? No idea how to react to that, frankly.

I'm going to pause to get the next batch of images together, and also to recover from the 'spat out a mouthful of blood' thing, because I was NOT prepared for that.

[saikenakoego]

What the heck, I'll also answer these with Sammy because I've been feeling edgy as hell lately.

Last one with this gal, for real this time. The unwilling vampire-turned-vampire hunter, Sammy

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

1. Excluding murder, what's the worst thing you've done?

SM: Considering the idea of giving in to the thirst at all.

2. Have you ever killed someone?

SM: Not someone, something. They're not people.

3. Have you ever killed a friend/family member/loved one?

SM: No. This question makes me incredibly angry.

4. What appears in your darkest nightmares?

SM: Blood that isn't my own.

5. What is your moral code?

SM: Protect the natural, kill the unnatural. Simple as.

6. Would you make a deal with the devil?

SM: Not even if it offered me salvation. I've killed demons. I know how that goes.

7. How far are you willing to go to get what you want?

SM: Far enough.

8. Would you consider yourself as evil?

SM: By virtue of my condition, yes.

9. Do you enjoy watching others suffer?

SM: I can't feel joy. But watching them squirm like the parasites they are as I send them straight to hell is... cathartic.

10. Have you ever tortured someone?

SM: Something. More than once. And I'll do it again. Until I inflict as much pain on them as they did to me.

11. If you were arrested, what would the charges be?

SM: Theft. Don't ask.

12. Who do you hate the most?

SM: ...Myself.

13. What is your "villain song"?

OOC: She doesn't really have one, but I tend to listen to Devils Never Cry when I draw her. Maybe Bring Me To Life by Evanescence? That's a certified Edge™️ classic.

14. If you draw: Draw your OC's darkest moment or reimagine them as a demon!

OOC:

Not really her darkest moment, but,

'Sammy looked ahead at the man who had once been her token of admiration.

A man of good, of kindness and sincerity. Who had once guided them into the right path.

Who'd once walked into her home not as a friend, nor as a figure of authority, but as family.

An equal. To her father, a brother. And to her mother, a cousin.

He stood there quietly, illuminated by the bright moonlight coming through the church's windows as he calmly straightened the creases of his vestment.

Staring coldly at the beaten and bloodied body of an unconscious Silver.

It had happened so quickly, she didn't even have time to react.

Before she knew it, she'd been slammed into the ground with enough force to shatter her spine.

It only took one or two seconds after that for her friend to follow suit and be reduced to a wheezing mess.

And she was powerless to do anything about it. As it always was. Forced to listen to the shrieks of pain of another victim while her wakened body tried its best to repair itself with what little blood she had left in her.

It angered her.

But what angered her the most was the unfeeling expression that bloodsucking bastard had all throughout.

It angered her so, so much.

"Now," the man finally spoke, wiping his bloodied hands with a pure white cloth "We can finally talk."

To hell with that, she thought.

"How peculiar" he continued "Those eyes of yours. They rage with the embers of hatred. Is it me that you despise?"

The man walked forward, into the shadows where she lay, matching her piercing stare with his own.

"I wonder why?" He calmly mused.

And then he placed a foot on her left arm. Pushing slowly, steadily, watching the skin tear apart and the bone splinter with a grotesque sound.

Of course, she didn't feel any of it. They both knew she couldn't. And to her, that was the worst punishment he could've given her.

"You were always quite fiery. The way you'd listen to the sermons, pay attention in Sunday school. That passion had always set you aside. And yet, it has also led you astray."

Then he did the same with her right arm, making sure to drag his sole on her mutilated limb with apathy.

"Holding to the remnants of your past. Hoping that they will keep you warm" he said, dropping the stained cloth on her pooling blood "I just can't understand why."

That got a grunt out of her.

"Why would the Father choose someone like you? Who so fervently seeks to reject his gift? His ideals? His goals?" He said while running a finger on his rosary "Someone so... immature--"

"Shut the fuck up already" she spat, voice coarse and breathy.

The man simply sighed in response.

"Of course. You're still young. I often forget that" he lamented quietly "Children learn by imitation, not comprehension."

Then he signaled back to Silver's unconscious form.

"That boy over there. You both act really similarly. Perhaps he was the one to influence you in this way?"

"Lay another finger on him..." she barked coldly, yet it did nothing to deter the pastor.

"And what?" He scoffed. Even though he couldn't express emotion, he sounded almost indignant "You are at the edge of your mortality, just like him. It would do you no good to continue your empty intimidations. After all..."

He turned around, giving her an uncaring glance as he walked back towards the boy.

"...You don't actually care what happens to him anyway, do you?"

"Go to hell."

The man knelt besides her sleeping companion, seemingly unfazed by the myriad of insults and threats that she continued to throw at him.

"You can stop pretending now" he stated matter-of-factly.

But that only fueled her anger further.

"You don't know fuck about me. Don't try to act like--"

"All of this... attitude. This rebellious phase." He interrupted her "Playing pretend with these... animals. Like they're not food to be consumed. Like you have the strength to make things right. Clinging on to something that you're not anymore. Of a world that isn't there, and a me that never was. Raging senselessly, when you care more about the fact that I'm alive and not that he's dying. Stop pretending, Samantha."

She bared her teeth at him. Bloodied gums and sharpened fangs gleamed under the dim light, being reflected into his unchanging pupils. Defiant, yet slightly wavering.

He sighed.

"I have now come to terms with the fact that I can't make you understand. It is simply not my place to do as a father should" he said, standing up with that same unapologetic attitude that crept into her very nerves "But it is in my hands to set an example."

"If you fucking dare--"

"Relax" the man ordered, sending a shockwave through her core with his voice "That would be counter-productive. This child... is still yet useful. Both of them are."

Her mind wandered back to Johnny, and her eye twitched slightly at the realization that she'd completely forgotten about him in her rampage.

Wherever he'd run off to, hopefully he had managed to escape. The kid was smart enough to know when to turn tail and run.

How ironic, that the same thing she'd criticized him for was the culmination of both his salvation and her damnation.

Now wasn't the time to be reminiscing about that, though. With any luck, the pastor would be oblivious to her thoughts on the matter.

"But this... thing you three do, playing with toys while thinking you're some sort of heroes" he interjected, calmly walking back to her for the last time "It must be put an end to. For your own good."

"Fuck you, pendejo de mierda."

"I no longer expect you to understand, as I said. It is not my duty to act as a father would" he said with a sigh, kneeling before her "But as the elder sibling, I must set a good example."

She was about to tell him to go fuck himself with that family bullshit, when a metallic object suddenly came in contact with the roof of her mouth.

The hammer of Silver's .50 caliber revolver clicked into place with a small sound as the pastor once again got to speak in her place.

"As such, please watch and learn as I provide the appropriate punishment for such behavior, in place of the Father."

The last thing she could do was throw him one final spiteful glance before his finger came in contact with the trigger.

Bang! The sound of the first bullet reverberated in her mouth.

Bang! The second one pulsated deeply within her veins.

Bang! The third echoed through her lungs.

Bang! The fourth rippled through her milky eyeballs.

Bang! The fifth rang far into the distance.

By the time she came to, what remained was only but the shattered pieces of the one person that she'd been desperately clinging to.'

OOC: But it's okay. She'll heal it off.

Dark OC Asks

Excluding murder, what is the worst thing your OC has ever done?

Has your OC ever killed someone?

Has your OC killed a friend/family member/loved one?

What appears in your OC's darkest nightmares?

What is your OC's moral code?

Would your OC make a deal with the devil?

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

Would your OC consider themself evil?

Would you consider your OC evil?

Does your OC enjoy watching others suffer?

Has your OC ever tortured someone?

If your OC was arrested, what would the charges be?

Who does your OC hate the most?

What is your OC's "villain song"?

If you draw: draw your OC's darkest moment or reimagine your OC as a demon. If you don't draw: find a picrew or write a description instead!

[absolutepokemontrash]

Ignore how late I am but I saw the post and I feel the the need to complain about this. A squick I have when it comes to fics and headcanons is when Belphie is completely villainized while the rest of the brothers hate him with their whole being while also depicted as perfect. And while that's annoying on its own, whenever this happens everyone else in the work also gets fucked over.

I specifically mean works where Belphie gets reduced to "the cold and callous villain who killed MC" and that's it. No acknowledging any circumstance around or about why he did it and making being manipulative his entire personality trait. And the rest of the brothers hate him for killing and manipulating MC, which I would understand more if this didn't so frequently come with them acting like they've never even hurt MC before.

The brothers love and protect MC by lesson 16, yeah, but they also almost put MC six feet under on multiple occasions themselves and only just got used to seeing humans as equals. They would be upset with Belphie for killing MC, but they wouldn't hate or never forgive him because they've been brothers long before MC got there and it would be hypocritical.

And this causes the rest of the brothers to act extremely out of character as well. Especially when it comes to why the brothers can't forgive him. Sometimes the brothers will hate Belphie for "killing Lilth" or hurting her descendant which is??? Or they'll treat MC like they're a replacement for Belphie, which is also???? And in these situations, MC acts like they're the antagonist of a replacement AU.

For some reason in works where Belphie's personality or lore gets tossed out of the window, so does everyone else's and both of these are so nerve grating to me. Okay, done complaining.

I have so many thoughts and opinions on Belphie and the fandom’s treatment of him, that I could deadass write a peer reviewed thesis on him…

TLDR: The mischaracterization of Belphie in the fandom is so rampant that I’m convinced some people writing him or complaining about him haven’t played the game.

Just to get this out of the way, Belphie’s character redemption arc suffered due to the 20 lesson limit in season one. His grand evil plan got put into motion in lesson 16, and we had to spend the entirety of lesson 17 (and into lesson 18) turning him into a viable Husbando (tm), therefore, his redemption and development was incredibly rushed.

Onto the good stuff 😈

My take on Obey Me and the brothers as a whole is that while yes, the writers have been woobifying them a whole lot, a LOT of their “toned down” behaviours can literally just be explained by them not having a *reason* to be assholes anymore because MC has done so much work to help them repair their relationships with each other.

I was raised Catholic (decently progressive Catholic, still got the fun guilt though lmao) and the way I was taught to view sin, was that it was an act of violence against someone else, and/or yourself, because there is some kind of deficiency or problem in your own life. It’s that whole “hurt people hurt people” thing, and you can literally SEE it with the brothers.

Lucifer isolates himself and puts on the persona of the tough, scary, intimidating eldest brother when in reality, he’s scared, and guilty, and fucking embarrassed about what happened with Lilith. You can see this when Luke took the Grimoire, Lucifer wasn’t acting out of rage, he was acting out of fear and disguising it, and then lashed out at Luke and MC and only stopped when Diavolo told him to because Dia is literally his boss.

Now what does this have to do with Belphie? Belphie is downright homicidal when the game starts in season one (which is why Luci locked him in the attic, to protect him AND the exchange program), now the question is “why?”

To put what Belphie has been going through in perspective: this guy has been drowning in guilt, trauma, grief, and self loathing for thousands of years. He feels guilty that Beel saved him instead of Lilith, and most importantly, he feels guilty that he led Lilith to the human world to begin with. He’s lashing out because he’s been grieving for thousands of years with no one to turn to about it BECAUSE THE OTHER BROTHERS ARE ALSO STILL GRIEVING

Now of course, this doesn’t excuse what Belphie did to MC, but it does EXPLAIN it. He’s so angry at humanity and himself that he’s the emotional equivalent of a suicide bomber. He’s self destructing and trying to take the people he’s blaming with him and praying that makes the guilt go away.

Finally, when Diavolo and Barbatos reveal Lucifer’s secret about what really happened to Lilith (how she was reincarnated and got to live a happy life as a human), this is the kick that gets ALL the brothers to finally be able to move on. We spent the entirety of season one making pacts and going on silly little adventures with everyone, all the while being the support system they needed to finally move on from their grief.

So THAT is why it makes me so angry when people act like Belphie is uniquely The Worst.

This is coming from someone who doesn’t mind writing the brothers at what I believe to be “their worst” in terms of shitty behaviour (if you want an example, look at how Asmo is currently behaving in A Lovecraftian Exchange Student). But I think characterizing Belphie as some pure evil villain is a massive disservice to him as a character. (Ignoring his survivor’s guilt and grief etc etc)

Also, to act like the other six brothers would immediately hate and despise Belphie over this is so wrong, I’m sorry but it’s grossly wrong. Belphie is their sweet baby brother, yes they love MC, but guys, especially at that point in season one, yes they liked MC, but BELPHIE 👏 IS 👏 THEIR 👏 BABY 👏 BROTHER. I think they’d be disappointed and maybe angry at him, but they’re not going to just up and abandon him, no chance about it.

I’d say the brothers didn’t truly begin to love-love MC until the end of lesson 18-20 after they’ve done some growing as people, but that’s just my interpretation.

Finally.

Y’all.

Did you forget that Belphie literally offered a pact to MC, SPECIFIED THAT IT WASNT BECAUSE OF THEIR CONNECTION TO LILITH BTW, and did this entirely of his own free will because he liked them???

Guys, a pact is offering control of the demon’s entire being! Belphie had grown enough in trusting a human to the point where he was willing to put his life in their hands!

This was so ramble-y and confusing, I’m so sorry- I just have so many thoughts about the brothers and Belphie in particular 😭😭😭

[cuntressgoingdigital]

i am here with some abby x depressed! reader content

once again, entirely self indulgent. i am in the biggest rut rn, but this was kinda cathartic. i cried while writing it actually.

free palestine! click this link for more info + dono links

abby’s a lot softer and empathetic than people give her credit for, especially with you. she can always tell when you’re having a rough day. she knows to only ask what’s bothering you once, knowing that sometimes you didn’t have the words to explain yourself. sometimes you didn’t even know. she would always ask

“do you want company or alone time?” 

today was one of those days. you couldn’t get out of bed, cocooned in all the blankets on the bed. you knew isaac would have your head if you shirked your assignment for the day. not even that could inspire you to move from your spot on the stiff uncomfortable mattress. when abby came to check on you at sunrise and caught you still in bed, she immediately jumped into caretaker mode. 

she sat at the foot of your bed and rubbed the outline of your thigh through the layers of blankets. 

“you okay? feeling sick?”

you shook your head, feeling too embarrassed to make eye contact. you couldn’t fathom how abby got up every day to suffer through patrol, run isaac’s errands, and still have the energy to hangout with her friends at the end of the day. just getting out of bed every day was an arduous task for you. isaac preached about family values and insisted that everyone had an important role on base, no matter how big or small. it felt like you were failing everyone. 

even worse, you felt like a burden on abby. you never got on quite well with her friends, feeling extremely out of place every time you all got together. some days you could push through the feeling, but these past couple days it has been entirely out of the question. you felt awful tearing her away from them to tend to you on top of everything else she was tasked with. 

“what assignment did you get today? my to-do list is pretty light, so i can get it done if you need me to.” 

abby always insisted you were allowed to ask for her help, but it made the weight on your chest even heavier. 

“just inventory in the armory. it has to be done before lunch.” with a stifled sigh, you sat upright in your bed. “i can probably–”

“don’t worry about it. i’ve got it.”

finally, you gathered the courage to look her in the eyes. her eyes never held the look of pity others gave you. the sweet smile on her face made tears well in your eyes. before you could stop them a few tears fell. using the back of your sleeve you hurried to wipe your face. a few soft apologies fell from your lips before abby reached out and took your hand, giving it a squeeze. 

“i promise, it’s fine. i wouldn’t offer if i didn’t want to. let me do this for you.”

it felt like she could read your mind. she understood you even when you struggled to parse through your feelings and form a coherent sentence.

 you sniffled and nodded. “thank you. for everything.” 

she cradled you in her arms and let you sob for a few minutes in complete silence. her hand gently rubbed your back while the sobs racked through your body. when you finally calmed down she pressed a kiss on the top of your head. 

“i love you. more than anything in the world.” those whispered words almost inspired more tears.

“i love you, too. i love you more, actually.”

she snickered. “not possible.”

abby stood and stretched, the wet patch of tears along the neck and shoulder of her shirt clung to her skin. “i’ll bring you back something from the cafeteria. i think it’s oatmeal and granola day.”

she gave you one last kiss before turning on her heel and leaving your room. 

[triglycercule]

would i be considered a lunatic if i said that horror's story could be read as a parallel for SA. Hear Me Out: (obviously be careful for reading this bc like,,, sensitive topic)

i feel like the largest parallel could be the actual event of getting his eye taken. a part of his body is "taken" and literally or metaphorically horror was pinned down and forced to give up his body (even worse considering that a literal part of him was PULLED out with a foreign object designed solely to hurt HIM SPECIFICALLY). it's digusting and horror claws and fights his way out to prevent it but unfortunately it still ends up happening no matter what he could've done. no matter how many backup plans or extra contibutions or begging or fighting he did. which like. sounds honestly pretty simple to the reality of victims of SA. that hopelessness of knowing that even if you did as much as you could, covering up, devoting yourself to a life of chastity, not hanging with people like thay, there's still a chance that something bad could happen and all of a sudden everyone's out to get you and how could they just stand by and do NOTHING while you were left to suffer and defend yourself

which leads onto the next point i wanna bring up which is horror's rage immediately after getting his eye stolen. his anger at the betrayal is (very justified my boy did nothing to deserve this) solely about him and his bodily autonomy. undyne (and alphys ig,,,,) couldn't consider ANY other possible solution than to deprive him of his autonomy and decide to just take what they wanted from his body??? AND THE FACT THAT ALPHYS SAID THAT HE MIGHT AGREE TO GIVING UP HIS EYE? it's giving very much so "oh it'll feel good so don't worry" type shit or whatever (horrortale alphys i DONT like you). a betrayal at the hands of someone you trusted a lot about your bodily autonomy? it just gives off that sort of parallel

and the sheer anger and fury that horror felt and enacted on alphys and undyne and everyone else at the CORE just like DUDE. that is a type of anger that only comes out when you've been deeply wronged. sometimes when a horrific experience like getting SAed happens you just wanna explode and drag down everyone around you and ESPECIALLY the perpetrators no matter how much you rationalize. you can have as many people as you want try to convince you that revenge and being hateful isnt the way but it doesn't matter because they havent been wronged the way youve been. horror deserved to be that cruel because undyne and alphys were just as cruel back to him, so he'll be the same and return it 10fold (he probably wasnt even out of bones when he decided to turn them into chips he just wanted to make it a point that he didn't even need to use his full strength to hurt the guards. horror could've EASILY killed alphys but no he wanted it to hurt for her so she could live a life of eternal suffering and fall to her lowest and to ESPECIALLY hurt undyne. because they deserve to suffer just as much as he did if not more for the crime commited against him)

a betrayal as bad as alphys's is only worsened when she tells him that she doesnt regret a single thing about using him for the underground. that has to be the single most infuriating thing for horror to hear because WHAT DO YOU MEAN alphys doesn't regret a thing? that's exactly what some people gloat about after doing terrible things; they try to sweep it under the rug as nothing that bad or justify it OR JUST STRAIGHT UP ADMIT IT!!! nah horrortale alphys deserved to suffer idc

and back onto that feeling of wanting to kick and scream and drag everyone else down with you after being left so used and betrayed due to getting SAed: i know it was bad that horror tricked snowdin into eating humans it was TERRIBLY BAD but really horror was just operating on anger and spite and the need for vengeance. nobody in snowdin ever did anything to hurt him (and i'm sure horror knows that considering he definitely regrets what he did) but to him maybe they also should feel the pain he feels so they can all relate. so that they can't try and fight against him when he says his side of the story and say that undyne was right with what she did. that maybe he wouldn't feel so absolutely devastated after what happened if he saw everyone around him suffering too, and maybe JUST MAYBE he'd get a bit of something back from his sacrifice that he never consented to

i KNOW i'm not reaching with this but idk if i phrased it the best. but to me horror's story really does genuinely parallel to one of an SA survivor's: the betrayal, the anger, the feeling of loneliness and isolation and just feeling absolutely used for a simple thing as your body. chapter 4 of horrortale really is amazing storytelling and so is horror (he was reasonable in what he did IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS he might be WRONG but it was reasonable. i love horror sans)

[angelinthefire]

I gotta disagree with a lot of this. I don't think fans are wrong for wanting more interiority, but i think the original post is overlooking what character-centric stuff we've gotten, and is asking for things out of line with who the characters are.

Like Heimerdinger. Has always been a bit detached from the present day and from people's current suffering. It's not surprising to me at all that he's just focusing on scientific questions.

Regarding Ekko - We know that people aren't generally aware that Jinx killed Silco because Smeech was surprised to find out. We also know how he feels about how things are progressing from his conversation with his bat-guy friend.

As I'm going back through the original post, I'm seeing a number of questions that I think viewers can absolutely assume need time to develop. And also a lot of questions about how characters feel about Heimerdinger which. Isn't that important imo.

And Jayce - the dude is freaking exhausted. He's sleeping in his lab. When Viktor wakes up, Jayce has survived a rocket attack, witnessed the deaths of his colleagues, been attacked and almost killed with a chainsaw. Now his best friend is miraculously awake. A guy can only deal with so much at once, (and a scene can only deal with so much at once while still remaining coherent). Jayce ends that scene, not with rational questions about what's going on, but with an emotional outburst. He's overwhelmed. Of course he's not going to do great processing new information. That's good characterization.

And later, considering what Jayce is going through and how his mind is clearly on other things, I think him being like "sure this may as well happen" when Heimerdinger shows up both makes sense and serves to reinforce his current emotional state.

And I think the op is being really unfair regarding Vi. First, I don't think it was ever made explicit that Jinx firing on the council was an act of revenge. In context, I would call it an act of chaos and despair, actually. I'm pretty confident that we'll get Vi's opinion on an uprising when one actually happens, which it hasn't yet.

The stuff about Vi joining the enforcers because Maddie gassed her up is factually untrue. The point of that scene was primarily to let Vi know about the effort that Caitlyn went through to get her the badge, which you can tell from Vi's reactions. She doesn't show any particular friendliness towards Maddie at all. And I think it's pretty obvious that Rene's attack and Caitlyn's response to it were the prime movers to get Vi to join the enforcers. Seeing as that happened immediately before. The stakes were raised with the attack, creating the sense that something had to be done. And Vi promised Caitlyn that she wouldn't let things fall apart - she's entering caretaker mode regarding Caitlyn, the same role that she's used to playing with Powder. Very interesting characterization imo. (Also not healthy, but why should caitvi be healthy anyways? This is a drama).

Regarding Vi and Jinx in general - throughout the entire first act, Vi is convincing herself that her sister is gone. That's how she's processing all of this. She's separating Powder from Jinx. Jinx is the monster that killed her sister, Vi says that explicitly. And the random kid intervening is more than a random kid intervening, she's a reminder that Jinx is still capable of loving and being loved.

I mean, obviously fans can have criticisms, etc. Are there some things that are clumsy, or info-dump-ish? Sure. But you can't ignore nuance and then say there's no nuance.

Character writing in Arcane Season 2: Act 1

I have big issues with the quality of dialogue and characterization so far in Act 1. Characters and conversations have almost zero depth. Examples:

Heimerdinger - Does he know about the Council attack? How does he feel about it? Is he relieved he was voted out beforehand? Does he feel responsible for the attack, in that if he had taken action sooner, Zaun would not have been driven to this level of violence? Does he feel guilty for the deaths of his colleagues? Viktor was almost killed by the attack but got saved by the very Hexcore Heimerdinger hated. What's his reaction to that??

Lol who cares? Let's do goofy Disney channel hijinks by sneaking into a lab with Ekko. He meets Jayce there. Does he express his concern or relief that his former student just survived a Hextech explosion unscathed? Nope!!! Wacky humour time!!!

Ekko - Does Ekko know Jinx killed Silco? If yes, how does he feel about that? Is he shocked? Confused? If he doesn't know, what does he think happened to Silco? What do Zaunites like him make of Silco's death if Jinx got rid of his body? How does he feel about the Council attack? Does he support it or does he think Jinx went too far? Is he on the fence?

Lol who cares? We don't need to know any of this. Let Ekko have goofy scenes with Heimerdinger. Speaking of Heimer, what the fuck is Ekko's opinion on Heimerdinger's criminal negligence of the Undercity for the past two fucking centuries? Because he sure warmed up to that hairball quick. This is an issue that started in Season 1 Episode 8, but I had hopes they would address it in Season 2. I guess not.

Jayce - How does Jayce feel about seeing Heimerdinger again, when their last meeting was Jayce betraying him? We know he felt guilty about it in Season 1 so why was there no inkling of it during their meeting in the lab? Why doesn't Jayce tell Heimer that the Hexcore saved Viktor? The Hexcore having the potential to save Viktor's life was a huge point of contention for them in Season 1 and was partially the reason for Jayce's betrayal, but neither of them mention it. Lol. Viktor wakes up and tells him that Sky was killed by the Hexcore in their lab. Jayce: "Oh no! Anyway..." ?????? No questions as to how and when this happened? No questions as to where Sky's body is? You just learned your employee was fucking killed in your lab a few days ago and this is your reaction?

Vi - How does Vi feel about the fact that the tyrants who killed her parents are dead by Jinx's hand? She herself wanted to take revenge on the Council in the past, so how does she feel now that her little sister's the one who did it? When Caitlyn yaps about avenging her mother's death by killing Jinx, does Vi realize that Jinx's attack was in itself vengeance for their parents' deaths on the bridge? Which were sanctioned by the Council? Will she ever bring this up to Caitlyn? Probably not. What exactly is Vi's opinion on a Zaunite uprising against topside? Does she no longer think it's the right way to go about things?

What does she think happened to Ekko? The last time she saw him, he was fighting Jinx to the death. He could be dead for all she knows. And she doesn't even think about or mention him once. Seems like she doesn't give a shit about Little Man lol. Did the writers forget they are childhood friends?

What eventually drives her to join the enforcers? Could it be concern for her sister, that she somehow thinks the badge would allow her more say in advocating for lesser sentencing? Could it be ideology, that she genuinely believes stricter policing of the Undercity is the way to prevent more Silcos? Lol nope! She's convinced by some rando giving her an ego boost about how Kewl and Badazz she was attacking the factory of child labourers. (A+ manipulation by Caitlyn by the way. What a wholesome and healthy romance Caitvi is turning out to be!)

What causes the rift between Vi and Caitlyn? Could it be Vi's love for Jinx, because as much she tries to convince herself her sister is dead and that Jinx is a different person, deep down she knows that Jinx is still her sister and for all Vi's bluster and rage, she can't bear to see Jinx actually die when push comes to shove? Lol nope!!! She's actually totally okay with a fucking enforcer killing her fucking sister, the exact thing that orphaned them both. Vi only draws the line when a random kid intervenes, after which Caitlyn proceeds to domestically abuse Vi and leave her crying on the floor without looking back.

There is so much detail and nuance missing. This is why almost every scene and conversation feels so empty. Every conversation is comically rushed and not allowed to breathe. The characters' superficial personality traits are there for the most part, but their underlying motivations, feelings, opinions, and desires are completely neglected to fulfill whatever the plot demands them to do.

[ranpowriter]

On BSD’s Poe and The Cask of Amontillado — methodical violence

For all that Poe is characterized as soft (and rightfully so) I’ve always thought it was curious how easily he is given to violence, especially as it relates to Ranpo.

For the below analysis of Poe, I will be comparing Poe to the narrator of the Cask of Amontillado, Ranpo to Fortunado, and Poe’s novel to specific part of the catacombs where Fortunado was walled in.

1. The Motive

Poe spent 6 years plotting the murder of a man who beat him in a detective competition, which I’m fairly certain is a reference to the narrator in Cask of Amontillado (abbreviated hence as Cask)

when [Fortunado] ventured upon insult I vowed revenge

Fortunado is the man the narrator kills, and for a similar reason to which Poe wanted to kill Ranpo (humiliation). In fact, this entire first paragraph delves into reasoning that Poe follows in his revenge against Ranpo. Notably:

[A wrong] is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

And Poe makes it very clear to Ranpo that he felt humiliated by Ranpo, and what he felt humiliated by. He tries to make himself felt to Ranpo, and we see this with how he tries to remind the detective of their history.

2. The Identity and Treatment of the Victim

Both Ranpo and Fortunado are:

1. Better than and are arrogant about a skill which the narrator also takes pride in. Ranpo is astonishingly brilliant (moreso than Poe) while Fortunado is someone who “prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine” and the narrow is also “skilful in the Italian vintage”. Ranpo also repeatedly brags about his intelligence/super-deduction and calls other people stupid, just like Fortunado insists that he is the better expert on wine than the other people the narrator brings up, and calls one of them “an ignoramus”.

2. Killed (or attempted to be killed) by in a test of the aforementioned, shared skill. Ranpo is lured into a mystery novel while Fortunado is lured into a cellar to taste wine.

3. People who will be missed, “unlike” the killer. Ranpo is the agency’s pillar while Poe works for the guild which is all “money and violence”. Poe even remarks that he envied Ranpo’s praise, and that he himself cannot stomach the world much. Fortunado was said by the narrator to be “rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed”.

4. “Lucky” people. Poe viewed Ranpo as lucky for being the holder of glory and praise and for being blessed with the super deduction ability, unlike the “disgraced” Poe. Fortunado’s name literally means fortunate.

5. Locked in a place to die where others have already died. As the novel’s murderer, Ranpo likely would’ve been one of if not the last person to die, and when he did he’d have died among corpses, much like Fortunado died in the catacombs.

6. Meant to be slowly killed. Since again, Ranpo(‘s character) would’ve probably outlasted everyone else it’s likely that it would’ve taken a while for him to die, while Fortunado is literally walled into the cellar and presumably died of dehydration/starvation/suffocation/etc. It’s also possible that has Ranpo not figured out the killer, he would’ve died of the same cause (since, who knows if there was food in that novel).

3. Method of Madness — fair and escapable, up to a point

To me, the above similarities that Poe is like the narrator as well. This in mind, and considering canon actions, I do think that Poe is intensely and easily given to violence when moved to be. However, I also think this happens only in regard to Ranpo.

However, I also think he is principled and intentional about this violence. He gives Ranpo a fair chance. He has all the Guild’s resources at his disposal and probably could’ve done more to kill the man of all he wanted to do was kill, but no—he wanted to beat Ranpo at his own game. He wanted to redress the insult he suffered as the narrator of Cask did when he lured Fortunado into a game.

The narrator of Cask of Amontillado invited (did not force, only perhaps poke the ego of) Fortunado gave Fortunado plenty of chances to leave, even offered multiple times to take him back out when he began to cough / show ill health (though depending on interpretation, these may have been done to goad Fortunado into continuing). Similarly, Poe gave Ranpo a challenge (which he willingly took) and every chance to back out before he entered the book.

However, as Fortunado’s desire to prove his skill in wine tasting led him to be walled into the catacombs, Ranpo’s desire for the Guild info led him into the book. From there, both of their situations were escapable (or at least they were meant to be).

Also, if you’re wondering why I think the novel is specifically the part of the catacombs that Fortunado was walled into (and not the trip down to the catacombs itself), just look at this image:

Bricked in, much like Fortunado.

All of this leads me to believe that to Poe, revenge was not about the ends, but the method. The ends had no meaning of the method did not address his revenge appropriately. Poe himself suggests this as well when he mentions that the Guild’s violence bores him. The Guild’s violence is just violence, but Poe’s violence towards Ranpo is methodical, intentional, meaningful, and cruel. This leads me into…

4. Blasé Regard of Violence

Take this scene from the Cask:

“Enough,” he said; “the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.”

“True — true,

And this scene from chapter 32:

It’s a bit subtle, but both killers reference that their victim is going to die. The narrator in Cask says “true” because indeed Fortunado would not die of a cough, but of whatever killed him in the catacombs. And in Poe’s eyes (since he believed he would successfully kill Ranpo), Ranpo would “practically die to secure that info”.

Neither of them feel guilt, or even give a thought about feeling guilt, for what they’re doing.

I also want to note that I don’t think either the narrator in Cask nor Poe necessarily enjoy the inflicting of violence. They just… do it. The violence is not blood or pain to relish in, but the vector of their revenge. When Yosano “dies” in the novel and Ranpo is anguished, Poe does not shout about delighting in Ranpo’s misery, but rather is just glad to have beaten him.

The violence is part of these two killers’ method, and the method does matter to them (more than the outcome, even), but the violence is not the part of the method that matters. It is an avenue through which the method is delivered.

As a closing note, I also leave with you the observation that we only get the name of the narrator of The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor, at the very end of the story (when Fortunado has been almost completely walled in), just as Ranpo only claims to remember Poe after he’s gotten out of the novel.

My personal thoughts on Poe’s relationship to Ranpo (IE, not analysis of Poe and Cask) will be below the cut.

—

Personal RanPoe Thoughts

Poe is a little insane.

I really do like thinking about his desire to take violent revenge on Ranpo without actually caring about the violence part is a super cool thing to explore.

I also, again, think that this disposition to violence is Ranpo-specific; that Poe would not be as violent towards anyone other than Ranpo or unless Ranpo was involved. Ranpo and all his arrogance and brilliance. Ranpo as the loved, praised man he is.

I also do not think Poe wants to hurt Ranpo anymore, just for the record (and again I don’t think it was ever about causing harm, just satisfying his own vengeance), neither do I view him as possessive (I mean, we see him happily cheering for Ranpo’s intellectual prowess being recognized during the Perfect Crime arc).

What I do think is that Poe is willing to do just about anything for Ranpo, and to extremes. We see that he easily bets on Guild secrets away—screwing over the group that pays him an unholy amount of money—in order to have Ranpo’s attention and that he’ll write entire books on Ranpo’s whims (I haven’t counted the number of books Ranpo’s used throughout the manga but it’s not a small number of entire novels written in what I assume was less than a year). And while we haven’t seen Poe be violent again, I do think it’s possible.

This is all to say, if you wanna know where my brain has been today, it’s been thinking up scenes like this:

It was plain to see that Ranpo was made to be loved. His voice was loud, his grins were broad, and no better was there ever a moment to celebrate than when he snatched up his glasses and declared,

“Now, my super-deduction will reveal the truth behind this case!”

To deny Ranpo the right to be loved by the public was to deny who Ranpo was. Poe would have nothing else but the whole of him locked at the forefront of his mind.

I think this interpretation is also neat to think about in regards to the recent arc, but I didn’t have the brain space to write something like that today.

I have more RanPoe thoughts, but those will have to wait until a later post (as this is meant to specifically be focused on Poe, The Cask of Amontillado, and violence). Soon, soon.

To be explored in the future… Ranpo’s and Poe’s relationships to feelings of alienation.

[mvmnbnv]

another thing that makes me worried for how they handle this narrative is the things they say regarding the characters.

the question surrounding jinx is "can a monster be forgiven?" and the one reason they give for her being a monster is...her blowing up the council of piltover. the reason they give for why vi leaves her and decides shes a monster is because of that act. not killing firelights, not working with silco, not almost killing vi directly, which could all have been valid reasons. no its all about what she did to piltover...

she has Vi try to take her out because of that action. Vi despises her enough to attempt to kill her based on...*checks notes* sticking it to their oppressors? like i get caits mom died so that might mean something for vi because someone she knew was affected but still...there are plently of other reasons for vi to be upset like i mentioned.

Then the way they talk about caitlyn and vis relationship after creating everythng we've seen. saying things like vi defers to cait and that she trusts her, and that we'll be happy with their relationship and that its a beautiful thing that they themselves are happy with. after everything cait has done to vi so far...she ultimately gets rewarded with getting to be with her while jinx had vi leave her and try to kill her. this "can a monster be forgiven?" question isnt posed to caitlyn, and she still gets vi at the end of the day, and no matter what amount of suffering and development she had to go through to get there its still unsettling. she has vi's trust, her undying love (even while its unrequited) after showing that once her side of the isle fights back she'll see all of them as less than human, including her.

if jinx and vi do make up, good for them. but my point is that its weird that an attack on piltover is what drove them apart while a piltovan literally not even seeing vi's humanity anymore and questioning it because she wont let her endanger a child still gets her love, even after all the red flags that'd let anyone know irl that that is someone you shouldnt be involved with at all as soon as they start to show you how they really think when things get rough. in the end and is seen as a beautiful relationship for her to be in. this kind of writing makes no sense to me, and it makes me nervous. again this is just going based on what theyve been saying, but if they can manage to figure it out in the show then okay.

[kandadze]

Ep 27 loose thoughts

Well, that's one way of snapping someone shell-shocked out of making a drastic decision. I feel like PSJ snapped something in herself at this moment, too. Anyone else found the ancestor's commentary going on in the background while the girls are bawling their eyes out hilarious? Just me? Okay.

While I was waiting for the ever burning wood to activate or something, the moment WX opened the box to reveal dried flowers I choked. ZYC!!!

Baby!Yichen breaks my heart, so impressionable, so open to learn. It's interesting to see that the phrases about suffering we've seen him use as an adult might have come from WX... Not a fan of telling people in mourning to stop dwelling in misery and sadness like it's as simple as flipping a switch (not to mention, she apparently *just* met him for the first time? The heck?), but at least the rest of her words seem to have helped him... so much that he kept the flowers 😭 The irony of her snow metaphor contrasted with their current predicament is indeed exquisite, A+ for that.

Are they going to be saved by the power of lurrrrve??? (At least this time. Still holding out for how that's gonna play out in the finale.) I mean, what other way to sway an ancient creature who's seen pretty much everything there is to see, than to show them something new? What's that? A test for a future event? (I'm getting really paranoid about nothing we've seen so far being real. It's like Alice in Wonderland on a bigger scale. Or Finnegans Wake on a smaller scale. I don't know.)

Oooh Bingyi and Ying Long, our original doomed couple (of self-sacrificial idiots)! I would watch a whole drama just about them. And damn, I can definitely see where Zhao Yuanzhou got his masochism from. Stoppppp not "Just let me be the first star"! (Especially since I just remembered ZYZ's "I'll be the rain...") It's not supposed to be literal! 😭😭😭 Ahhhh this scene just broke me, also because it seems to reinforce the idea that ZYZ *has* to be killed for the greater good. The visualssss in the execution- sacrifice? What the heck do I even call it?- scene though, soooo good!

"Let me do it myself." LET ME DO IT MYSELF??? FUCKKKKKKK DAMNIT HE JUST- ::head in hands, crying forever::

"Remember. This is my choice, not yours. You don't have to bear any blame or guilt." That's not how that works. That's not how any of that works!

Again, we're dealing with choices. But the fact that ZYZ choice was the same as Ying Long's... the fact that YL says that neither he nor Bingyi had any regrets... oh this is going to hurt.

Oh? ZYZ's future is not what he wants? (And wouldn't that be funny, considering ZYZ's own words while schooling ZYC in the very first ep... 9 times out of 10, things don't go our way?)

"You two are really like us." 😭😭😭

I was wondering if they were going to show us what ZYC saw, and not only does the image of ZYZ's body on that dark floor mirror Ying Long's body floating in the water, both ZYZ and ZYC wear the same clothes as in the very few scenes from the trailer that didn't happen yet... These poor sods, they've been Going Through It for almost a decade now with the only end in sight being yet another tragedy (even if the drama seems to suggest that they don't see it that way at this point.) ::head in hands, crying continues::

"My friend is here. We'll go together." The *sound* I made. Everything else this drama has given me aside, the growth of these characters and their bonds is so well done, and absolutely precious to me.

I want Ying Long's hopes and wishes for them to become true. Seeing how there's hints everywhere in this drama, I hope the words of one of the most powerful beings in existence will count for *something* in the end! (Am I grasping at straws? Maybe. Let me be delusional for a bit longer.)

What do you mean, five, ZYC? What's Ying Lei, chopped liver?

Oof this *almost* hug before WX starts feebly hitting ZYZ. It's relief, it's anger, it's fear for the next time, it's all the feelings that became too big to contain. I feel her so much. (I would've started whacking both him and ZYC way earlier tbh 😅) And ZYZ allowing her that release before pulling her in for reassurance, patting her as if she was a scared child. 😭 Cut to PSJ, looking as if she wanted nothing more but to be the one offering the reassurance to WX. Cut to ZYC, remembering that willingly or not, he's going to hurt WX beyond reassurance. Once again, the bonds in this drama!

Wait hold up hold on what? You just removed Bingyi's blood from him, that should mean that ZYC will not have to become a demon, right? So what's that about developing the inner core? (Also, I just realized that so far all they got from this trip was "go east and ask for a dragon scale" lol) Thankfully him and ZYZ had their conversation(s) about titles and identities so being asked to make that particular choice was not completely out of left field at this point. And all he cares about is whether that means that the last trace of Ying Long will disappear! 😭 (I'm so with Bingyi on this one... I would hold onto that last shred of my friend's existence, too, *especially* if they offed themself via my goddamn sword.)

What's with that look after he says that he thinks he has it - the inner core - is there a joke here somewhere? (I *gotta* go back to learning the language, the things I'm undoubtedly missing on!) The only thing I can think of is - did they think he said he's pregnant??? ::dies:: "So what's your true form?" "Must be dragon." "I say you're a mule." "Better than being a monkey." "I'm a white ape!" ::dies again:: Nice to see we still get a friendly ribbing between all of them, and I can breathe after all the angst. Fingers crossed? There's still 5 minutes left...

Oh good, let's talk about getting Bai Jiu back! (I knew there was one more character from the opening credits that didn't show up yet... guess it's the rebel princess.) While Ao Yin is eavesdropping! Talk about good hearing. Sigh, here it comes, another goal they have that will conflict with Li Lun's; they want the scale to restore the sword, and LL not only doesn't want that to happen, the scale could potentially help him get rid of the poison.

Oh for fuck's sake, I think I was subconsciously waiting for Chongwu Camp to show up, knowing that they've eavesdropped on the gang earlier, and here they are. ZYZ should really think of putting up some sound barrier when they discuss important plans, everyone seems to know exactly what they'll be doing at any given moment!

Ahhhh we're getting a nod to that little cough and stumble WX had shortly before this trip. Something's wrong with Baize token? Or with her connection to it? We only have 7 episodes left, drama!

(ZYC is such a good little brother.) Oh great, it was the rebel princess who killed WX's dad? I repeat, we only have 7 episodes left!

Sigh... with only 7 episodes left, we *also* find out that the goddamn 3-face-mask has history with the princess? And has everyone and their mother sat on that little bridge???

This feels like the endless final scenes in Peter Jackson's "Return of the King," my head is spinning.

Note to self, *stop* looking at previews. Ying Lei, what the absolute fuck?

[chronicsyd]

Here are my thoughts on Act 2 Caitlyn:

SPOILERS BELOW! DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED ACT 2 YET! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

I don’t think Caitlyn’s redemption is coming out of nowhere, I don’t think she was ever “in too deep” to be able to come back from the decisions that she’s made, she just needed something to jumpstart her brain to realize just How bad her actions have become. Now yes, it’s unfortunate that the thing to do so is Zaunites suffering because of Her, but based on her character in S1 it actually makes sense that this is the thing that screws her head on straight again. Especially because it seems that Ambessa has been the forefront of attacking Zaunites/putting them in Stillwater and such, Caitlyn had reservations on attacking them for no reason, Caitlyn’s merely the Face of what’s happening, but Ambessa was really the one doing things, which I’ve been predicting for a While now. Now this doesn’t completely absolve Caitlyn of what she’s done, but she doesn’t quite reach the level that Ambessa has. Like Mel, Caitlyn still has compassion for others, and she hasn’t completely lost that. She was Never going to become this evil dictator overlord because that’s Not who Caitlyn IS. Regardless of her being blinded by her anger at Jinx or not, Ambessa was NEVER going to be able to get that from her. Especially once the dust starts to settle and Caitlyn actually has Time to Think about what she’s doing.  

People have mischaracterized Caitlyn So Badly that they’ve forgotten who Caitlyn truly is at heart when her wild emotions aren’t dictating her actions.

So let’s dive in a little deeper into that:

From that first moment we see of her and Maddie in bed (BTW YALL LIED TO ME I WAS EXPECTING WORSE. And I don’t get the hate with her, it seems like Maddie was the little tether to keep Caitlyn from going past the point of no return, Cait and Vi didn’t have a label on their relationship and Cait thought she was never going to see Vi again soooo), it already looks like Caitlyn is regretting her actions and starting to come to terms with the fact that her blind rage has led her down a dark path, which Maddie seems to be emphasizing, giving her another solution so that Zaun isn’t suffering As much (and I mean not on Such an extreme level, not that they wouldn’t be suffering at all, cause Maddie’s solution still isn’t great) by her hand. The unfortunate thing is she’s still a little too clouded with her judgment of Jinx and won’t make the order until Jinx is in her custody. She mentions having learned a lot from Ambessa, and while I do think she means things like tactical warfare and such, at her heart, Caitlyn’s still a detective, she hasn’t lost that. So that means she’s learning more about Ambessa HERSELF, and as the episodes go on it seems like Caitlyn starts to notice issues with Ambessa. In fact, it seems like Caitlyn has never fully given Ambessa her trust to Begin with, Caitlyn was blind by her anger towards Jinx, but she was never blindly loyal to Ambessa. Because when it comes down to it, Ambessa is someone that Caitlyn at her true heart would despise.

Ambessa mentions that Caitlyn “has the strength to forgive” and I think she’s right. Once Caitlyn starts to notice the Travesty that the people of Zaun are facing, we start to see her S1 self start to come back out, you can see it in her eyes when Ambessa isn’t looking directly at her during this conversation.

But the thing is, she isn’t quite there yet, and you notice this when Caitlyn’s walking through Stillwater, taking notice of Warwicks attack, and mentions “seeing the end to Zaun’s perverse abominations”, but that’s because she’s looking at several bodies around her by Zaun’s hands (well, specifically Singed’s but besides the point). But something that’s Interesting is that Caitlyn really only KNOWS that there’s cells devoid of basic consideration because that’s exactly where she Found Vi back in S1, and I believe that’s one of the reasons that she’s forbidden their use, because Caitlyn is not completely cruel to people. And saying she’s willing to use them Now is more of an intimidation tactic on Caitlyn’s part, trying to get Singed to open up. And when he refuses to do so after several chances, she loses her cool (because she’s still clouded by Jinx) and tells him that he’ll rot.

The thing I think started to cause Caitlyn to fully realize her suspicions about Ambessa is actually when she’s walking into Singe’s laboratory, because she was already walking up when Ambessa says “This will allow you to locate your beast?” (remember that Caitlyn wasn’t apart of the conversation where Ambessa struck a deal with him) and that probably sends red flags to Caitlyn, cuz she Just mentioned having him in Stillwater so Why the Hell is he here with Ambessa? And although she hides it well, you can tell by the look on Ambessa’s face And by the way that she says “Commander” that she wasn’t expecting Caitlyn to show up. And Caitlyn Immediately notices this, because of the way she says “General” so nonchalantly, like “why are you surprised I’m here?” kinda thing.

She calls him a “monster” because Shimmer in of itself has caused horrors for those in Zaun, she’s seen what happens to those affected by it first hand, which is what he’s responsible for. Caitlyn isn’t wrong for calling him this, cuz what he’s done IS really bad. But he is pretty quick to call her out on it, “Why does anyone commit acts others deem unspeakable? For love.” Cuz Caitlyn herself has ALSO done some pretty bad shit, in the name of love and justice for her mother.  

I believe Singed showing Caitlyn his daughter Is one of the things that starts to fully bring back her S1 self, she begins to understand that some acts are in desperation because of the loved ones we’ve lost.

But what’s more important is that after this scene is now that Caitlyn’s suspicions of Ambessa seem to be correct, but she still needs to keep up appearances so that Ambessa doesn’t become suspicious of Her in return. Seeming like she’s still willingly following Ambessa to the Herold’s community to assault it.

But watch Caitlyn’s face as Ambessa’s henchman (I don’t remember the name) walks up to Huck. Her eyes are filled with recognition and worry, she knows this man, he’s helped her and is worried that someone completely harmless is about to be killed, and she looks over at Ambessa to see what kind of order that she’s going to give.

“But she attacks Vi again!”

She doesn’t immediately recognize Vi, she sees someone following them. It isn’t until she incapacitates her and looks at her face that she recognizes Vi. But it’s Vi calling her “cupcake” that was one of the final things that she needed to snap her into place. Yes she calls Warwick a “murderous beast” because well, that’s what he appears to be to the outside eye, and the fact that he did murder quite a few people back in Stillwater.

Vi saying “trying to save my dad” (which makes Caitlyn Realize that Warwick is Vi's dad) WITH the suspicions of Ambessa, Caitlyn and Vi make a plan in order to help Caitlyn be able to protect her dad from Ambessa from being able to use him. Because if it means helping Vi, she’s still willing to do it. Because in Caitlyn’s HEART, she’s more loyal to Vi than she Ever was to Ambessa. Because That’s where Ambessa underestimated Caitlyn.

When she brings in Vi, you KNOW that this something that the two orchestrated to outsmart Ambessa, and Caitlyn’s face to Vi after pulling off the hood just confirms it, “remember the plan”. Although I will admit that Vi spitting on her face probably wasn’t apart of it, it was part of Vi getting back at her, which deserved. (but going from "my parents named me Matilda" to manipulating a Warlord... how Far you've come Miss Kiramman...)

And Ambessa’s too busy gloating about Vi leaving which was why she was able to manipulate Caitlyn in the first place to even realize that Vi being back At All could mean that Caitlyn could be swayed. And she is.

And Jinx seeing Caitlyn take out Singed, saving their dad is another one of the steppingstones for those two, which is why Jinx saved Caitlyn from almost having her neck crushed. You do see anger for a moment when she sees Jinx again but watching the four of them hug and become a family again (for all of 30 seconds, DAMN YOU JAYCE TALIS) is what causes her to stop, because seeing Vi being happy again and the two of them are finally repairing their relationship is more important than her getting her revenge anymore.  

However, if you think that Vi and Caitlyn are holding hands and skipping through fields because they worked together to save Vi’s dad, well you’d be Quite mistaken as judging by the Act 3 trailer Vi’s still Justifiably mad about what Caitlyn’s done and Caitlyn needs to show remorse for what has happened, and I do believe that she’ll do so (and I’d REALLY rather the steamy scene not be angry sesbian lex but eh idk…)

I am worried as HELL for Caitlyn now though because I’m more than Convinced that she’s going to be Ambessa’s main target when she infiltrates Piltover later, and by the looks of it, it seems Jinx is going to have some “hero saving the day” moment after not agreeing to stay after the loss of Isha (also Arcane you’re covering my therapy bills from now on…)

Basically this was a I TOLD YOU SO! I TOLD YOU! I DIDN’T DOUBT MY WIFE FOR ONE SINGLE MOMENT! HAHAHAHAH!!!!!! *ahem* sorry, I may be a little smug rn… 😊  

[angelicsjn]

how'd your yanderes react if their darling is so stressed they become su!c!d@l (either because of them or something else, but please do 'because of them for jae coz i wanna see that todic little shit suffer)?

YOUR SEVEN YANDERES.

A N: I am trying to fly through these old requests, I have about 38 to complete — I deleted loads of requests that were similar to each other so I don't feel swamped and give up, lmao.

A B O U T: You have had enough of them and their ways, but at what cost?

W A R N I N G S: Mentions of suicide, angst, and heavy topics based around mental health such as depression. Read with caution, stay safe, and remember that you are not alone.

— ROMAN BEAUREGARD.

With Roman, it would derive from the fact that he has made you become dependant on him.

When given that space away, for how many weeks or months, you feel at a literal loss. And then that's when it sinks in.

You can't live without him.

You would miss that routine, miss him telling you what to do, who you can't go out with, clothes to wear that makes him look good or to match, you miss the stability of his control.

With him gone, you have nothing but your own mind. But your mind became his, even if you dont realise it.

"I'm struggling, Roman." You say down the phone, voice as shaky as your hands. "I need you."

His heart swells with a mixture of emotions. First, happiness. He likes that you need him. He feels important because of it. But he also feels upset because he wants you there, too. Deep down, he needs you just as much as you need him.

He will have you take over to him, where he will cover himself over you until you feel better — he's never been so attentive in his life.

— LATEN REED.

It would be his constant need of being there.

Everywhere you go, he follows. Everywhere he needs to go, so do you. Every game. Every practice. Every party. Everything.

You have no breathing space, no time to be yourself and alone.

One day, you crack. It drives you to literally insanity.

"Just leave me the fuck alone!" You scream, eyes red and streaming hot angry tears.

He stands there watching you with wide eyes. He doesn't get what he did wrong, he's just trying to be a good boyfriend?

"You're always there. Always. It makes me want to fucking kill myself!" You scream out in a fit of rage.

His heart drops.

He made you want to ... die?

Laten sucks it up and attempts to hold back the tears. He can't let it be known that it affected him that much.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone." And he does.

He doesn't attend parties for a while, and when he does, he looks down. You don't go to practice, he doesnt wait outside of your class until you finish, he stops it all.

He only sees you when you initiate it. He withdraws, and though he doesn't want to end it, he believes that you're done with him.

He's waiting for you to drop the bomb break his heart.

— JAE 'NIKO' LEE.

I'm sorry. But with Jae. It's inevitable.

He's too much to handle, it's bound to happen at some point.

You withdraw socially, you look different, you don't eat, you have pretty much no life because of him.

You fall into a lull of the same shit every day, and at some point, you don't feel like you're even living at all.

You don't even cry anymore. He shouts, you're glazed over and you don't even hear him.

He thinks that he's won until he sees the destruction, and thank God that it wasn't too late.

After the incident, he tries so hard because he realises that you are fragile. You can't handle him. He attempts to be kinder, to keep in touch with his softer side for the sake of you.

But he watches you sometimes and sees nothing there.

— KAIDAN WOLFE.

"Why do you want to die?" He asks you, your diary in his hand.

You panic a little. That's your privacy in his hand. The only bit you had left.

Kaidan cries, so hard, "i can't lose you."

But he doesn't see that's it's him that pushes you towards that mentality.

The constant brain-fucking or his delusions drove you to just wanting to give up. What's the point when he doesnt listen anyway?

He keeps that up even after reading about it in your diary because he doesn't see that the problem lies between you both.

It's always something else. You two are too perfect.

— HAYDEN WEST.

Hayden wouldn't do anything to make you feel this way, so I doubt it applies to him. Anything you want, you have.

So, maybe it's your mental health.

He will Google ways to help. Use his own experiences to make you feel better.

He does all he can to help you be okay, to not feel the way that you have been.

— JOSHUA WHITE.

Just like Hayden, he wouldn't ever do anything to push you in that direction.

When he sees your struggles mentally, he takes extra time with you.

Take baths together, cuddle extra before bed, take more walks together, go to church together, and involve you in the community to belong somewhere kind.

He wants you happy and safe, so he treats you as such, keeping an eye on you and being there to listen when needed.

— BLAKE CROSS.

His life is hectic. Always something going on and that can become a lot, especially if you deal with bad mental health.

Blake may be as forward and vocal as the other yanderes, but he wouldnt ever push you towards doing and thinking of such things.

He cares deeply and knows when to back down with you, unlike others. He couldn't give a shit about others — but you? You're his world.

When he sees that everything is becoming too much, he takes a step back and puts himself into your shoes.

He's never been suicidal. Never wanted to do such things. So he doesnt get it. But he sees the pain that you feel and it kills him.

He will go on a trip with you, somewhere nice to refresh and escape a little. You can focus on each other and ignore the world.

When you're back, he's delicate and asks you what you want to do. Not tell you that you're going to join him.

[baronessvonglitter]

Wip Weekend

I have a lot of plates spinning right now, and I hope to have a couple of these done within the week 🤞🏽

First up I have the beginning of "The Girlfriend Experience" where reader/Angel has garnered significant success in her career.

Star of the Year Your boss's hand rests on your lower back, the heat of his palm is felt through the deep back slit of your dress. "I never had a doubt. You've been my shining star since day one," he murmurs in your ear as you gaze upon your award, your manicured finger tracing the engraved letters of your title and your name. "'Rising Star' last year, 'Star of the Year' now. How does it feel?" You take a moment to think about it because it's not an off-the-cuff question. When he asks you something, he really wants to know your answer. In the past couple years you've garnered the coveted spot within the escort agency. You've worked your way up the same as everyone else, but there's something about you that keeps your old clients coming back and the new ones intrigued.  You've serviced clients of every rank and status, from businessmen to princes in foreign lands. Even women, though being with them was so easy it rarely ever felt like work.  You've made a name for yourself, and as one of the highest grossing performers, you've earned the option to walk away right now. The money in your bank account is showing more zeroes than you've ever thought possible, and you've created the kind of life for yourself where you'll never have to worry about a thing anymore. An apartment in Paris, a brownstone in NYC, a villa in Milan, a Spanish colonial in LA.. not to mention cars you rarely need to drive because you're always being picked up and dropped off in style. You've met with movie stars, designers, everyone of importance. And you could stop working if you really want to. But you don't want to. Giving your boss a smile, you don't take your eyes from his as his hand travels from your back to your waist, gently gliding his fingers towards your breast. "It feels like I've accomplished everything I've wanted to do.. but that doesn't mean I'm done yet, Mr. Martell." He smiles, his teeth perfect and white. "Please. Call me Oberyn."

(Of course Oberyn owns an escort agency, and of course there's going to be a threesome right after this scene with him and Ellaria)

Also, "Maneater", a mini series about Maxwell Lord who's doing what he can to keep his business afloat, even if it means marrying a woman much older than him. @everybodylovedcontractors I hope you like it!

"Mr. Lord, you have a call on line one," Raquel's voice chirps over the intercom. "Who is it?" Maxwell asks, not wanting to be bothered just then. "Your fiancee, Linda St. James," she replies. "It sounds urgent." "Great," he mutters, dreading this call. He dreads all her calls. He lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Put her through." "Does my Maxi-Muffin miss me?" Linda's sickly sweet voice comes over the line. At sixty-five years old she's one of the richest widows in the country, and almost twice Max's age. "I wanted to tell you I'm still in Dallas, but my flight should arrive just in time for us to have dinner at my place tonight." "Oh Linda my dear, I am positively quivering with anticipation of seeing you again," Max lies through his teeth, lining up a shot on his desktop mini pool table. Linda continues. "I was thinking.. over dinner we could talk about that business loan I want to give you," she says in a sing-song voice.  Damn, the woman knows how to dangle a carrot. And I'm just her pet, her toy, something to show off to her friends. "Nothing would make me happier than to enjoy a fine dinner with the most.. with such a.. with my lovely bride-to-be," he manages to choke out. Ass kissing comes with the territory of business and finance, but his lack of attraction to his fiancee somehow keeps him from exaggerated compliments. "But if my dear Linda wants to discuss financing my future, then I won't stop her." "You know I love nothing more than to help you," her voice drips with sickly sweetness. "See you tonight at the mansion, honey muffin." She makes kissing sounds over the phone before she hangs up. Max hangs up with a groan of disgust. 

And some rom-com Dave, which surprised me, but I think it's really sweet. Featuring Divorce Lawyer!Dave (working on a title) but the first chapter is "Meet Cute" (will also feature Javier Pena, Tim Rockford, and maybe even Ezra..) and because I like getting ahead of myself I'm working out a spinoff rom com with Tim 👀

Dave has been waiting in line with his daughters for only fifteen minutes when the announcement is made that tickets are officially sold out. Alice and Molly look up at him, expecting him to do something, but what exactly can he do? "Look, girls, I'm sorry. We'll have to come back another day." "We wanted to see the exhibit. I wanted to take a selfie with those big neon wiggly things," Molly pouts. "I know, sweetie, but it's just not in the cards today." He ruffles her hair. There's a scent of roses as he feels someone approach the three of them. "Hey, sorry, I heard you wanted to get into the exhibit." Dave looks up and sees you, and has a momentary lapse of thought. "Um.. yes, my daughters are kind of upset that tickets sold out so quick. It's my fault for not purchasing them ahead of time." He smiles sheepishly, wondering what you must think of him. "I can get you in with me," you offer. "I have a membership pass. Kids get in free and I can bring one other person." "You don't have to do that-" "Please. I want to." You take a look at his daughters, who are looking back at you with hope in their pretty little eyes. "You'd be doing me a favor by accepting," you tell Dave. The girls tug on his hands, jumping up and down, begging him to take up your offer until he at last relents. "Okay, okay," he chuckles. "Thank you, Miss..?" You give him your name, offer your hand, which he takes in his own. He repeats it back to you, making sure he's got it right, the taste of your name like a sweet swig of wine in his mouth.

And last but not least, a little stepdad!Frankie x coquette!reader I've been cooking up. Not sure if this will be separate parts yet, or one big ol' hunk of a story, but the working title is "Kitten"

Hearing his footsteps behind you, you smirk and lean against the sink, bent over at the waist. "I think something's wrong with the drain." The sight of you like that makes his pulse quicken. He has to take a deep breath to steady himself before speaking. "What do you mean something's wrong with it?" He clears his throat gruffly, trying to maintain some semblance of control. "The water's not going down," you answer, turning around, your t-shirt wet and see-through. Frankie eyes the way it clings to your body, your tits on display, nipples visible, making his mouth water. His composure is nearly lost then and there.  "Um, I'm sure it's just.." he struggles to finish the sentence, any coherent thoughts devolving into pure instinct and desire. A bright smile graces your lips. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you can fix it. I trust you with my pipes." You move past him, lightly brushing against him as you walk to your bedroom. "I've gotta get changed. Can't believe how wet I got!"

I'm working on a couple other things as well, which I may feature next week once I have some of this out of my system.

Tagging some moots who tagged me first and/or seemed interested when I bothered them with my ideas (JK y'all are my cheerleaders)

@itwasntimethatdidit40 @milla-frenchy @mermaidgirl30 @joelalorian @604to647 @inept-the-magnificent @missladym1981

[kevin-the-bruyne]

https://www.tumblr.com/kevin-the-bruyne/767035488584564736/dont-ask-me-to-explain-but-khaotungs-fanservice i put the blame on both of them. the thk era will leave me speechless

I am so jealous of all the people watching the heartkillers character intro and not suffering the psychological warfare that first and khaotung have waged onto their fandom because like what the fuck is this

When I made that post you linked I sincerely hadnt seen First’s part because why is First’s part WORSE like why has First said that his dream is also to go to Iceland because it’s Khaotungs dream before and then he goes and makes his character say THAT.

When Khaotung says ‘Jump’ First will really ALWAYS say ‘How high?’ Whether it’s in their own interactions or that of their characters like PLEASE be normal and just leak a sex tape already because I’m DONE with this cosmically linked across all universe and reincarnation type BS

[chaisarinawat]

A hot shower was exactly what Chai needed, and he sighed happily as he let the warm water soothe him. Now that he knew Khun Dan was safe and not at risk of getting worse, he was more relaxed - but definitely worn out and tired from the worry and lack of sleep. Since he and Khun Dan won't be heading back now - his boss was still sick and Chai didn't have a license - he would try to sleep a little to recharge.

Finishing up, Chai changed into the clothes he had packed - baggy pants and an oversized shirt - and towelled off his hair, exiting to the bedroom and pausing when he saw that Khun Dan was asleep again. The other seemed to have been on his phone, which was resting on his chest, and the sheets were once again askew. Chai rushed over, gently removing the phone and putting it to the side before covering up Khun Dan's body with the sheet. He'll come and check on him later, but for now he'll ask the staff to make them some food and inform the agent that they'll be staying here until Khun Dan gets better.

In the next few hours, after Chai had eaten and then slept, he helped organise what he could for his boss so that the other wouldn't have anything pressing to worry about for when he got better. He used the other's laptop to check the man's emails, sort out his agenda, push back more meetings - anything that would minimise the stress on his hard-working boss. Chai worked while sitting on his bed in the room, so he'd always have Khun Dan in view, not wanting to leave him alone.

Khun Tar arrived with a few of the production crew, as well as an extra bag with clothes and necessities for Khun Dan. The agent had come to let Chai know, and the younger man slipped out of the bedroom quietly to greet those who arrived.

"I'm guessing P'Dan really liked this place," Khun Tar told Chai, showing the other the paperwork he had brought with him to finalise the payment. "He called me earlier to bring the crew down to take a look. I'm glad that the search for a filming location is over."

"He called you?" Chai made a little pouting face, displeased that Khun Dan had worked while he had been showering. "I told him to rest."

"Is he that bad?" Tar asked.

Chai nodded. "Khun Dan had a really high fever last night, I've made sure he's been taking medicine and drinking water and resting but he's still trying to work." Chai said the last bit with a huff in his voice, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't worry Khun Tar, I'll continue to watch him."

"Ah, Nong Chai," Tar shook his head. "P'Dan said we'll take you back, he'll stay here until he's better to drive himself. He told me that you worked really hard, I appreciate you coming down when we needed someone. And don't worry about your pay, the rate is higher because of the extra time you've put in, and the travel!"

Chai blinked a few times at Khun Tar, processing that information. Khun Dan had called Tar about the estate, but he also wanted Chai to go back with him? Did he want to get rid of him? Did Khun feel that uncomfortable that staying even a few days with Chai was unthinkable? The young assistant grew quiet, hurt because of the dismissal by his boss. He was trying... trying so hard to get things back to somewhat normal, but could they never reach that stage again.

"I'm not going back," Chai said stubbornly. Khun Dan might not like him, but that didn't mean Chai was going to leave him here by himself to suffer. Knowing Khun, he'd make himself even more sick by trying to get work done even if he was feeling unwell.

"Nong, P'Dan will be fine, there's staff here that can watch over him." Tar said, but Chai shook his head.

"Khun, I want to stay here in case he gets worse. We can go back together when he gets better," Chai told the other firmly, not taking no for an answer. It wasn't often that he put his foot down, but Chai was thinking with his feelings - that was what made him determined. And even if Khun Dan hated him, Chai was going to show that he could be useful. And hopefully, he'd change his boss' mind about him.

This back and forth occurred between Tar and Chai for a while, before the older man gave up. He finally agreed to leave Chai be, with the younger assuring Tar that he'd take care of Khun Dan. The paperwork was signed, with the production crew seeing the value of the estate to their project, and Chai watched as the agent shook hands with Tar before the other hopped into his car. The younger man waved them off before going back inside to check on his boss. If Khun was awake, Chai would have to explain to him that he was staying back - maybe his boss might be angry, but Chai didn't care. He needed to be here, otherwise who else was going to take care of Khun Dan?

Chai let out a relieved sigh when he saw that Khun Dan was awake, more lucid and aware than he had been last night. Despite being tired himself, Chai's caring nature had him continuing to fuss over Khun Dan, until the man stopped him by gripping his wrist and telling him to sit down.

"Sit down. You don't need to do any of that. I appreciate it but I'm not your responsibility. Just make sure you're feeling alright. I'm not sure if I have something viral… I don't want you to get sick either…"

"Khun, it's fine. I don't feel sick," Chai told his boss, shaking his head. The conversation he had with P'War yesterday floated into his head, about not being able to afford being sick, but he pushed it aside in favour to tending for Khun Dan. He had been alone for so long, and on the occasions where he had gotten sick - shivering and feverish in his little apartment - he yearned for another person to be there to help him. Khun Dan might have someone who is able to provide that for him, back at Bangkok, but not here, in this estate hours away from the city. He only had Chai, who wouldn't let a sick person experience that kind of loneliness.

"Have you even showered?"

"Uh..." Chai glanced down at his outfit, having forgotten that after eating last night he had planned on writing up the notes for the day before showering and heading off to bed. He had only done one of those things. "No... n-not yet Khun, I'll shower now that you're awake, but I couldn't leave you alone last night!" Chai told him, some of his worries returning.

Khun Dan thanked him, but still didn't look 100%. He needed some more time and rest to recover. If Chai knew his boss - which he did, after working directly under him for two months - he figured that the man was utterly fatigued from taking on too much on his plate, and his body was telling him he needed a break. And while Chai was glad to hear that Khun was going to lay back down, he frowned when the man said he'd call him a cab to take him back home to Bangkok.

"Get some sleep. In a few hours, you can head home. I'll stay back for a bit then I'll follow."

"Khun, that's ridiculous!" Chai argued, slapping a hand over his mouth as he realised he had raised his voice at his boss. He glanced over a little sheepishly before gently shaking his head. "Sorry Khun. What I meant to say is that I'm not going to leave you. It's not safe for you to drive back alone, and I don't feel comfortable leaving you here while you're unwell. I'm staying with you." Chai said firmly. Where was this confidence coming from?? Living with P'War must've rubbed off on him.

The young assistant stood, a little wobbly from not having slept enough, before steadying himself and speaking again to Khun Dan. "Stay in bed, it's still very early Khun. I'll shower now and then hopefully the kitchen staff will be up. I'll ask them to make us breakfast, and when you're feeling well we'll leave for Bangkok together okay?" Chai told him, deciding he won't take no for an answer. If Khun Dan called a cab for him anyway, Chai would not go - he might have to dig into his savings to pay the driver for his troubles, but he wouldn't be in the back of that car and leave his boss behind.

Before exiting the room to leave for his shower, Chai turned around at the doorway to look at his boss. "Oh! And don't even think of touching the laptop Khun! I already typed up everything from yesterday and sent out emails to push back your appointments so you have nothing on your agenda. There's no work for you to do! Just rest, okay?" Chai told him, giving the other a little smile and wave before leaving.

[elliespuns]

Someone said "Joel died thinking Ellie hated him" and someone corrected them by saying "No, Joel died thinking she and Tommy were next" and this hit so fucking hard I couldn't breathe

[vynnyal]

Turns out Sunlit Trail isn't quite done just yet, so after all that they just send you to a dead end 😂