#where it is different but doesn't ultimately affect things too much
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mymarifae · 1 day ago
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do you have a favorite moment so far in hsr? what about a thing you're most excited for in future patches?
favorite moment........ ummm well for one Everything With Aventurine KEDGHKFJNGKJGBFFJK i loved him. so so so so much. SO MUCH. dare i say one of the best characters i've encountered in a long while... like he's right up there with susie deltarune. they did such a good job with him and the entire initial penacony patch (2.0-2.1; 2.2 was still amazing despite aventurine not being there and i did really enjoy 2.3 even though things had started to Fall Off by then)
sunday's real boss fight was fucking BEAUTIFUL. i still get emotional while doing the echo of war every other week. idk penacony has really been hsr's shining star so far!!!! it's hard to pinpoint a favorite moment that didn't take place there... but yk it's a baby game and we only have so many planets and story arcs atm
as for what i'm looking forward to... cannot wait to see what exactly transpires to make sunday a new member of the astral express. i've been wanting a new AE member since serval's companion mission teased at it AND IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING... FUCK YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS also amphoreus looks like it's going to be really special. i haven't even touched hi3 (although i will be downloading it tonight and checking it out over the next little while in an attempt to at least familiarize myself with the origins of the flamechasers) and i can FEEL the love this writing team has for this specific universe and cast of characters. elysia/her hsr counterpart especially
i'm also really looking forward to the party car and stelle finally getting a room of her own on the express!!!!!!! that'll be fun. i like when things are added to the express i was having the time of my life with that damn hanu tv LMFAOOOOO
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emeraldspiral · 7 months ago
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So another interesting thing about Jane Eyre is its take on relationship inequality.
Like, Jane is 18 at the beginning of the story and Rochester is said to be something like 35-38. And it's not casually brushed aside like that was normal back in the day. It wasn't. Concerns about the age gap are raised within the text. But the story emphasizes that Jane feels comfortable accepting Rochester's proposal, despite the age difference, the class difference, and him being her boss, because Jane feels that Rochester regards her as an equal. When they converse, Jane doesn't feel any tension, like she has to impress him or try to read his mind and say whatever he wants to hear. She feels that he respects her and values her thoughts and isn't compelled to use his power against her if she says something to displease him. Around the midpoint of the story, Jane believes that Rochester is going to marry another woman, and resolves to leave because she's heartbroken, believing that because she is poor and plain Rochester can't possibly be as hurt by their parting as she is, and he'll forget her and move on long before she does. But it turns out to be the opposite. After finding out about Bertha, Rochester begs Jane to stay and insists he'll be miserable forever without her, while Jane, still thinking she's too poor and plain to ever attract someone like him again, resists all temptation and leaves him. And she does this specifically because she feels that if she were to compromise her morals and self-respect to be Mr. Rochester's mistress, then he would lose respect for her and the relationship would fall apart. It was only by maintaining her integrity that the relationship could stay in-tact when the reconciled at the end.
St. John Rivers on the other hand, I don't think is given a definite age, but I think he's intended to be a much younger man, probably in his early 20s. He is poor and without relations aside from his sisters or any other connections, just as Jane. Jane finds out they're actually cousins at the same time she learns she's come into a vast fortune that was willed to her rather than the Rivers, but decides to share her fortune equally with them. So she arguably had more social capital, even though she made an effort to put St. John on equal footing with her, because the money was hers by right and she could've presumably cut him off at any time, just as easily as Rochester could've terminated Jane from her job.
And yet, Jane's relationship with St. John is vastly more unequal than her relationship with Rochester. Even though Jane practically worshiped Rochester but only cares for St. John as a brother and is acutely aware of his faults, she still finds herself desperately craving his approval in a way she never did with Rochester. And St. John is willing to exploit that intentionally. He asks her to do things she doesn't want to and make sacrifices for him just because he knows she'll do anything to please him, and that's why he thinks she's the perfect wife for him. Where Rochester tries to explain himself and persuade Jane not to leave him by addressing her concerns, St. John basically tries to command Jane to marry him and refuses to accept her "no" as final. He withholds affection from Jane as a tactic to get her to compromise in order to reconcile with him when he's the one who should be apologizing to her and considering her needs and not just his own. Jane knows that she can't ever be happy with him because he doesn't respect her and his lack of respect only makes her want to seek his approval, which he is all too happy to exploit for his own benefit.
But Jane ultimately stays firm and rejects St. John's proposal of a loveless marriage, just as she rejected Rochester's proposal of an unlawful marriage, because both situations were doomed to fail if she didn't put her own self-respect first.
So this novel from 1847 was really saying that power dynamics aren't pure black and white. Age and class and wealth and status can be a factor in making a relationship unequal, but you can also be equal on pretty much all social axis and still have inequality in a relationship. What's really important is that there's mutual respect.
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rationaliity · 7 months ago
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dr ratio vs. the genius society | an analysis
this'll also be a comparison between ruan mei and dr. ratio so warning for that one too, just in case.
i saw this post by @chronical-lover
and firstly, i just want to say thank you, especially about mentioning how aeons don't care about humans because youre so right. i wanna expand a little bit on the comparison between his character and the genius' that we've met this far.
ratio ultimately failed to be recognized not because he wasn't smart enough, but because he was too human. he's human first, scientist second. he'll always be human first, he doesn't have it in him to act without emotions no matter how much he wants logic to dictate his every move. his entire character is that he believes every one has a human right to be alive, to learn and to grow. he's there to guide them, not necessarily in the nicest way, but still.
i think contrasting him with ruan mei in the story quest was a perfect idea. when you meet ruan mei, she's kind. she makes the trailblazer feel comfortable, even for just a little bit. she offers companionship, tea, and a conversation. but she does not care about the trailblazer or her creations, something painfully obvious in her actions. when the trailblazer was facing up against ruan mei's failed attempt to make a replica of the emanator of propagation, ruan mei was no where to be found. but you know who was, just in case he had to step in ? veritas ratio. even though both knew that the replica wasn't likely to hurt the trailblazer, ratio was there.
" since you're here, i won't intercede. but should you fail, i will be forced to prevent some avoidable misfortunes "
( i hate this man so much )
but he was there. he witnessed the fight, and once the threat was over, it was time to get going ( his words, not mine ). he was there to witness you fight, and should he had needed to, he would've stepped in to prevent us from any actual danger. however, when we approach ruan mei after the fight, and we look reasonably upset from her, we don't get an actual apology. she says she regrets her actions, but her words aren't actually about putting us in danger. she was upset that her experiment fell short, that she had made another predictable outcome.
" you look.. upset, correct ? i regret my actions. there's no defending what i've done. time and again, my experiments have fallen short, and they've always yielded predictable results. i made a clone but it.. doesn't hold a candle to the emanator. "
she did say that she would be there if the danger proved to be too great, but she was not. veritas, however, was. both of them said that they would step in if needed, but only one of them was actually in a position to do so. only one of them took preventative measures to make sure that you were safe from harm. and that is not the genius ruan mei, no matter what her words say.
ruan mei has a flowery way of speaking. not to say that she necessarily minces her words, she's upfront about a lot of things. but she lures the trailblazer into a false sense of security. she's introspective, and questions her own actions a lot. but she's never apologetic about the way that her actions put other people in danger, just that they don't yield the results she wants.
ratio, however, is curt. we meet him originally as a brooding, mysterious figure. he's mean, he doesn't use a lot of words to get his point across. he says what he means, and he's a fan of effective communication. he doesn't have to worry about himself, he knows who he is and how is actions affect himself and the people around him, and that leads to people assuming that he's egotistical ( which he might be , a little bit. as a treat ) but the reality is that ratio cares more about the people around him that he'll ever let on.
and that's where he fails. that's the fundamental difference between him and those within the genius society. ruan mei, herta, screwllum, and the other geniuses do not care about anything other than results. and yet ratio is kind. he's inherently kind, his actions are all for other people. he's saved a dozen worlds with his inventions. he's a scholar within the intelligentsia guild, and a doctor saving his patient's lives every single day. he wants to guide people from the shadows towards the right answer, he wants to make them use their brains and think.
he does not act without considering other people. he can't be a genius first, and a human second. and that's where he fails to gain nous' recognition. it's not that he's not not intelligent enough to be a genius, it's that even in his pursuit of knowledge, he has not forgone his humanity.
and perhaps, in nous' eyes, that's the difference between the mediocre and the genius. to erase every part of you, your emotions, your empathy, your humanity, in the pursuit of knowledge is what separates a genius from the masses. not having those barriers allows you to really dig deep into subjects that would otherwise be considered taboo or dangerous, because you don't care about how the outcome affects people as long as you can study it. as long as you can get answers out of what you're studying, it doesn't really matter what the test subjects are feeling.
ratio is too human, too caring, to ever be considered a genius in nous' eyes.
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jeonscatalyst · 3 months ago
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https://www.tumblr.com/jeonscatalyst/760242773222883328/this-all-of-this-and-every-single-bit-of-this?source=share
I do agree with this person's analysis of Jimin and Jungkook personalities, and I also agree that to some extent Jungkook's affection being rarer than Jimin's does make it more special to some fans, but where I disagree is that I don't think that's the main reason why fans seem to put more weight in what Jungkook does than what Jimin does.
Because while some fans will put this much thought on the differences in jikook's personalities, I don't think it's the majority that does. It's kinda of a problem we have actually. If people realised that Jimin and Jungkook are two different people with different ways of showing affection, then we wouldn't have to keep seeing the same stupid takes on their relationship over and over again. It's people expecting jikook to always do to the other the exact same thing the other did to them that causes so much annoying discourse.
But you know what a lot of shipper do love doing? Competing with one another. Competition is one of the main things in every k-pop fandom and sub-fandom, shippers are no exception. And when it comes to jikookers we all know the competition is with taekookers. We're always at each other's throats, let's be honest. And some spend just as much time taking about the rival ship as they do talking about their own ship.
Which leads me to what I believe is the real main reason why both sides (not just jikookers) view Jungkook's actions as more important. It's because he's the in-common person to both ships. He's like the main character in a love triangle. He's the one that ultimately decides who gets together in the end, not the two love interests, so their actions don't matter as much.
The point of contention with shippers has never really been whether or not Jimin or Taehyung like Jungkook, that's already assumed to be the case. With solos it's definitely an argument, but jikookers and taekookers focus more on each other than in solos. No, the real question has always been who does Jungkook like more: Jimin or Taehyung?
If Jimin declares his love for Jungkook jikookers will of course love that, but if Jungkook is the one who does it it'll matter more because it can be used against taekookers. Taekookers don't care if Jimin loves Jungkook or not, what he feels doesn't matter to them. Nothing Jimin says can prove anything to them. The confirmation has to come from Jungkook, that's the only way they'll care about it. And jikookers do care about one-upping taekookers. If we didn't we wouldn't spend so much time trying to prove to them that we're right.
There's been plenty of times when I've seen something that used to not matter suddenly become important the moment people realize it could be used in the shipping competition. It's a sort of 'I didn't care that much about that thing I have until I realized it could make the other side jealous'. Or 'I didn't want that thing until the other side got it and now I want it too'.
Things naturally hold more importance to people when those things have not only their own inherent value but also when they have the added bonus of pissing off someone you don't like. Jimin's love for Jungkook is important by itself but Jungkook's love for Jimin is seen as more important because it will also piss off taekookers.
I'm pretty sure that if the two biggest ships were jikook and vmin instead, then the most important thing suddenly would be Jimin's affection, regardless of how affectionate he is with everyone.
Again, I do agree some fans do consider jikook's differences and that that does influence how they value their actions, it's just that I think there's a bigger reason here.
I hope this didn't come across as me being a contrarian for the sake of it, I just wanted to add a separate perspective on the subject because I've had this opinion for a while and it seemed relevant to the topic. I also hope I was not to harsh on my opinions of other jikookers, but no fandom is without it's flaws and I think it's important to acknowledge them.
Anon, I owe you a cold beer right now because it seems like you read my mind.
This is exactly what I think too. It’s just mostly about the competition, the shipwars, the fights and the need to “win”. That’s really why people think Jungkook’s actions hold more meaning that Vmins. It’s like Jungkook is the prize that Vmin are desperately trying to win and every action or word of his is used as an affirmation or debunking. “Jungkook did this with Tae but didn’t do that with Jimin so Tae is his boyfriend”….just an endless cycle of bullshit.
Anyone who is mature and experienced enough understands that Jimin and Jungkook don’t have to express themselves exactly the same for things to be mutual. Jimin could say “I love you” to Jungkook and Jungkook wouldn’t say it back but would prefer to make a video of Jimin. So many people would say Jungkook didn’t reciprocate just because he didn’t do things exactly the way Jimin did when the truth is that he did, just in his own way.
When I see people coming up with useless takes or comparisons about their bond it pisses me off to no end because it’s the little things that Jungkook does. People would get pissed at Jungkook and say that he doesn’t show love to Jimin as much as Jimin does just because Jimin would constantly touch him, ask him to eat alot and is very vocal about his affection but Jungkook remembering that Jimin likes his food spicy and trying to make it just how Jimin likes it apparently means nothing because Jungkook wasn’t shouting on a roof top or Jungkook thinking of what to cook in Jeju and knowing that Jimin would love it doesn’t matter because he didn’t stand on a podium and announce it or Jungkook quietly getting water for Jimin and giving him to drink without him asking doesn’t mean a thing because he didn’t carry Jimin on his head. Sometimes I don’t even have the energy to argue because if only people understood Jungkook they would know that Jungkook doesn’t treat anyone the same way he does Jimin.
I personally can see how someone might naturally value Jungkook’s actions more because Jimin is a natural caring, nurturing and loving person to everyone so sometimes it is hard to tell if his actions mean more or it is just him being himself but with Jungkook, he tries as much as possible to be impartial but he just cannot help it when it comes to Jimin. He is pretty kind and caring towards everyone he loves too but not the same way Jimin does it plus Jungkook tends to go big when he expresses his affection for Jimin. So with Jimin we get little bits of love and affection more frequently than we get from Jungkook but once we get one from Jungkook, it is usually news worthy and kinda exclusive to Jimin so it hits harder.
I dunno. I might have gone off topic but like I said, I 100% agree with you.
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twig-tea · 6 months ago
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Things from Wandee Goodday ep 3 I can't stop thinking about:
I love so much that we got some good friends with benefits tension around personal boundaries when Dee asked who Yei was and then backed off (but Yak told him anyway). And between the jokes about rimming, Dee demanding Yak pay more attention to his dick last episode, and starting this episode in the 69 position, I am very, very here for this show saying over and over that sex is not just one act.
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[ID: Gif of the beginning of episode 3, whichi is a pan-to-shot of Dee and Yak laying in 69 position on the floor under blankets]
i loved the different responses to hearing someone you love is in a "Friends with Benefits" situation; Kao warned Dee not to catch feelings or read too much into the situation and Cher/Yei teased Yak for lying to himself about what the situation is. Both are super valid and speak to who Dee and Yak are, who Kao and Cher/Yei are, and all of their experiences with love. And it speaks to the closeness of these relationships too, that Cher noticed Yak's necklace gone immediately and Kao similarly clocked its addition on Dee instantly.
Super here for Kao being the ultimate support bestie at work, equal parts haranguing and backing Dee up. Their relationship is perfection.
I really liked Yak peace-ing out of their agreement when Dee dropped a huge request with no context, that was so valid and in the spirit of FWB (he didn't actually owe him a bigger conversation).
I've already reblogged a couple of other people (@negrowhat and @lurkingshan) talking about this so I won't belabour it, but I am judging Dee for not only ignoring Yak's boundaries by going to his workplace and forcing him to train him and then flirting with him during training sessions after Yak both made clear he's worried about being out at work and had ended their agreement. I hope we get more of an explanation for Yak's reticence about dating a man while aiming for the championship as well as his change of mind.
The conversations with Cher and Oyei have me so curious about their history! Tell me everything, show. I put these questions in tags on a gifset (but to put them on main: Where is Oyei and Yak's father (who is also a former champ but apparently uninvolved with this family business, if he's still alive)? What happened to Yak's mother that he doesn't know if he takes after her? Why can they go to Cher's family for financial help but not Yei/Yak's (to the point where they had to take out what sounds like a predatory loan during COVID)? What is Cher afraid of re: being seen being affectionate to Oyei, and where does that come from? Is this history related to why Yak is so worried about his relationship to Dee getting in the way of his championship? All of this is seeded so organically and I'm so, so curious. It also has me even more in my feelings about Cher and Yei calling Yak their son.
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[ID: Gif of Yei saying to Cher: I own this place. What's there to be afraid of? From the set linked in the paragraph above]
[I have a clown theory that Cher and Oyei's relationship is why his dad is out of the picture and his gym is in financial trouble (because it prevented Yei from getting sponsorship despite being a champion), and why Yak is worried about being in a relationship with a man even though he knows his brother won't care...we'll see how much of this the show pulls together!]
The flash of trauma from Dee at the crosswalk was interesting too; where is that going? What happened in Dee's past and how is it going to affect the story in future?
[More clown speculation: Is it related to why Dee is so good with patients and passionate about ortho? Has he seen someone in his life become disabled due to physical injury?]
Speaking of, I really loved seeing Dee be good at his job and great with patients and their families. In addition to it being just nice to see and good for our understanding of his character, it sets him up to have a fighting chance in the contest too, since patients apparently get a vote.
I love love love the camaraderie and giggling between Dee and Yak around making Ter jealous and shoving their fake relationship in those gossiping nurses' faces. The way they are actually friends who like one another and enjoy spending time together is just really wonderful to watch.
My biggest question is: Will Dee get a chance in this narrative to show up for Yak the way Yak has been showing up for Dee? And how can that current imbalance be reconciled with this all leading towards Dee trying to get a placement to go abroad--and his self-stated toxic trait of always needing to win? [shoutout to @chicademartinica for laying that out succinctly in her post]
In the meantime, I'm having a blast.
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the--blackdahlia · 2 months ago
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Beetlejuice x Fem Reader SFW Alphabet
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A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
He is super affection, once you let him be. Holding hands, cuddling you from behind, other non pervy ways of showing his affection (though there are plenty of pervy ways too).
B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
He is like the ultimate wingman. If you aren't dating him, he's going to try to find you the best date possible. He has a checklist and your future partner has to check each box. One not checked? They get the scary face.
C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
He loves cuddling you, especially during movies. He likes to squeeze behind you to cuddle when you're lying on the couch, which somehow ends up with you on the floor and finding a new way to cuddle with him.
D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
He's a little confused but he's got the spirit. Cooking is hard for him since he hasn't had to eat in years besides the bugs that he just eats raw. But he does remember some recipes from the old country that he can still get the ingredients for. As for cleaning, the man thinks spiderwebs are a year-round decore piece. Safe to say, you do most of the cleaning.
E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
If he didn't really care about the relationship, he'd just send a note on Dante's Inferno stationary. But, if he really loves someone, really cares for them, he'll make up a big elaborate lie to try to save their feelings, even if it really hurts to do so.
F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
I think it's pretty obvious Beej would be willing to get married if you even so much as looked at a wedding dress as you walked past a bridal shop.
G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
To everyone else, he's a diamond, he's a coconut. He's a diamond coconut. Pretty much closed off. But to you, he is the sweetest, softest guy you know.
H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
He'll hug you all the time. Sometimes to show people that you're his, sometimes to remind himself that you're there with him, sometimes so he can tape a note to your back for you to find later. The possibilities are endless.
I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)
It would take him a minute to get up the courage. The last woman he said I love you to poisoned him and tried to eat his soul. But once he's sure that you're not a part of some soul-sucking death cult, he'll be saying it all the time.
J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)
Oh he gets super jealous. He knows you would never cheat on him, but he can't trust the other people who look your way. He knows you're drop-dead gorgeous, but they could direct their eyes elsewhere. And heaven forbid you have to go out with a guy, even if it's your brother. You're going to have a minijuice in your purse.
K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
He has different kisses for different things. Forehead when he wants to let you know he's proud of you. Neck kisses to spark something up. Nose when you're being cute and you damn well know it. The list goes on in on. He won't ever admit it, but he has a ticklish spot right behind his ear that if you kiss it makes him giddy.
L = Little ones (How are they around children?)
He doesn't have a lot of experience with children, outside of Lydia. Usually, if he sees a child in the afterlife, he knows that there is a very sad reason they are there. And he just doesn't need that baggage in his life.
M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
He doesn't sleep, and he knows you are not a morning person. He'll usually make you too strong of coffee, and he has learned how to not burn things in the toaster.
N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)
Movie nights are frequent. He likes it the best when you make the popcorn because you always add extra butter the way he likes it. He really likes scary movie night, because you usually cuddle closer to him.
O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
He's a pretty open book. There are a few things he's not big on discussing, like his ex-wife, and how he came to work for Juno before branching out on his own. He will eventually get to that. But in the meantime, you get some of the grossest details you wish he would keep to himself.
P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)
You know that GIF of Hades catching on fire and then saying he's cool? That's literally Beej. He'll get mad easily, especially when things aren't going his way, but he also cools down quick. He rarely gets mad at you, except for the one time you accidentally put his suit jacket in with the color cycle. Not like he doesn't have magic to just bleach it or anything.
Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
He remembers small details that you don't even remember telling him. He has like a calendar for a brain with all the important dates. Who needs a smartphone when you have a Beetlejuice?
R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
His favorite moment is the first time you told him you loved him. It wasn't forced, it was just you, telling him how much you cared for him. It was the moment he knew you'd be together in life and death.
S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
He is super protective. If you have to walk anywhere alone, you're never alone. You've got a pocketjuice. He has instructed you to say his name three times at even the hint of danger, and even had you record it on your phone in the event you can't talk. Nothing is going to happen to his girl if he can avoid it.
T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
He does try really hard. He hasn't had anyone to do this for, and he's always got Lydia whom he can pester until she agrees to help him.
U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)
Eating bugs is one of your biggest icks when it comes to him. You put up with a lot, but the bugs are where you cross the line. Especially when he tries to kiss you after.
V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
He doesn't really care what he looks like. He thinks he's hot stuff. But he still melts when you call him your handsome boy.
W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
Yes. Whenever he gets called away on a job, he feels like he leave a part of him behind. He just doesn't feel right being without you.
X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)
He's a little insecure about his height, but he doesn't mind you calling him your short king, or asking him for help reaching something on a higher shelf. Makes him feel needed.
Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)
He does not like floral scents. Makes him think of old ladies that have come through the afterlife or old homes he's had jobs at. He makes sure that you don't have floral perfume. But fruit, he's ok with.
Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)
He doesn't really have to sleep, but he likes to lay in bed with you, cuddling you. It helps when it's hot out, or when your body is super achy. And he feels close to you.
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thebibliosphere · 1 year ago
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Joy! I've officially jumped on the Phangs bandwagon, so I can finally send coherent questions about it—how did you come up with the political landscape? I imagine it's at least partially inspired by true events, but how do you keep straight the political compasses of each character?
Eeey! Welcome aboard!
And yeah, a lot of it's based on history, but also a lot of current events if you squint. (Or maybe you don't need to squint.)
As for how I keep the characters straight (ha!) I had definite ideas about them while forming their personalities and history.
Nathan is the youngest and only starting to question the political landscape around him. He's not politically unaware but perhaps a little naive and unwilling to see how corrupt everything is.
He's been conditioned from a young age not to question authority. Military indoctrination will do that to you. Only when he finds himself on the frontline of an unjust and hopeless war does he realize things aren't what they seem. He still toes the line... until he gets injured, and the true depths of how little the military or government cares for people like him gives him a nasty jolt. Even in the first book, he's still somewhat in denial because part of him doesn't want to admit that he's been complacent. You can see what in the conversation with his brother Miles. His realization that he's spent his whole life following orders doesn't sit well with him, and that's a theme that will continue for his character in all future books.
It's only when he meets Vlad that he genuinely starts to question things, and that's because Vlad is the walking embodiment of a homemade Molotov cocktail wrapped up in a silk suit and a fierce, unshakeable sense of justice.
Vlad was created as a challenge to the bored, misanthropic vampire stereotype who doesn't give a shit about humanity because they've been around for hundreds of years and lost all faith in humanity. If anything, the longer Vlad is around humanity, the more fiercely he loves it and wants to do everything he can to help them. He grew up under the bloody iron fist of his grandfather's regime and saw firsthand what happens in a world devoid of democracy, and he's been running from it ever since.
He can only do a little under his father's thumb. But what he can do, Vlad does with all of his being. He's found ways to enable free schooling and medical care on the island, and if you give him a few more decades, he'll find a way to make housing accessible, too. (It's a numbers game, and he's very good with numbers. And honestly, his father doesn't pay too much attention to what he's doing. Not if he's careful about it...) He's also a staunch believer in the power of worker's unions, and despite technically being the person the unions would fight against, he is trying to help the workers of his island unionize because he believes it is the just and right thing to do.
Ultimately, Vlad is my firebrand catalyst for change, and I am really looking forward to exploring his arcs in future books.
Ursula is... tricky. She's in a precarious situation where she can't afford to draw attention to herself and, at times, has been forced to side with people she'd otherwise cheerfully drown because they could offer her the best protection. It's exhausting and soul-destroying, and it leaves her feeling powerless. Which is laughable when considering who she is. What she is.
She hates it. She wants it to be different. She doesn't like feeling so hopeless. Defeated. But she's tried to change things in the past, and it almost destroyed everything. So now she just keeps her head down and works from the shadows. It's safest that way. Not to mention quicker. After all, what's one more human war to an immortal [REDACTED]? If she ignores it, it'll go away. Eventually. Right? Right? (This may or may not be the denial talking.) (It is absolutely the denial talking.)
The fact that human politics are about to severely and unavoidably affect her will not go down well. Ursula is, in fact, going to be bloody livid about it. Not to mention guilt-riddled for burying her head in the sand and letting the humans go unchecked for so long.
Fortunately, she's got some new allies in her corner. A fiercely protective werewolf with a newfound sense of political rage and a vampire who's been spoiling for a fight of this magnitude for over four hundred years. Maybe, just maybe, this time, things will be different...
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bird-inacage · 1 year ago
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Only Friends: Sand's Reaction to Ray VS Boeing
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I know some people will be annoyed that Sand wasn't more forceful in telling Boeing to leave him alone. In my opinion, this isn't really surprising. Sand's biggest strength and weakness is his kindness. He'll make concessions for people, even those who hurt him. Ray is a prime example. Why would his ex be any different?
Boeing's Dubious Intentions
It's glaringly obvious just how uncomfortable, stiff and exasperated Sand's body language is during their second exchange. This is someone he shared his ultimate dreams and passions with, which must have made the betrayal even more devastating. We still don't have the full context as to how this all went down, but I'm sure Sand hasn't forgotten that Boeing chose to leave him. Compared to their first re-encounter where Sand appears rattled and somewhat flustered, here he seems to display a more resolute lack of patience, possibly after reminding himself of Boeing's true colours.
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This doesn't erase the fact that Sand had feelings for him once, cared about him once. Sand didn't choose to end the relationship, Boeing did. So there would have been unresolved feelings that Sand had to process alone in the aftermath. For Boeing to have the audacity to swan back in rightly warrants a less than lukewarm response.
Even so, Sand shows Boeing an incredible amount of grace when he certainly doesn't have to. He tries to calmly but firmly ward Boeing off. "State your business". "Just forget it. I don't think I'll go." "Just friendship. That I can give you." He makes it very clear that Boeing can find him at the bar but nowhere else. He's trying to establish a distinct boundary, which Boeing swiftly disregards.
Sand's Unease: Where Past & Present Collide
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The way Sand is reacting says to me he desperately doesn't want Ray involved. He seems eager to keep him well away from Boeing. Sand could have chosen not to mention his ex's sudden reappearance, but decides to be upfront with Ray about it. I think Sand's turmoil is a sign of worry over what Boeing may do, rather than an indication of indecisiveness over his own feelings. The reason I say this is because Sand doesn't show any warmth, residual affection or happiness in seeing Boeing again. He looks mostly wary, unnerved even.
I can also see why Sand would try to refrain from openly displaying his feelings for Ray in Boeing's presence. If he exhibits just how much he cares about Ray, whose to say whether Boeing may pull another stunt like he did with Mew/Top and try to pursue Ray instead just to be messy. The way Sand looks at Boeing is laden with suspicion and uneasiness, particularly when Ray is around. This is really noticeable when Boeing first addresses Ray - Sand's whole demeanour gets much colder and standoffish.
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We don't know precisely what Sand is afraid of - that Boeing may target any ill will at Ray? Or that Ray may be affected by his ex flaunting details about their history which could cause jealousy? Things are going really well between Ray and Sand right now but it's possible Boeing could try to stir up a misunderstanding or create conflict between them.
Ray's Protectiveness: "Deal with him or I'll do it."
Ray knows better than ever what Sand is like. He's all too aware of just how painfully kind and caring his boyfriend can be, often to his own detriment. Boeing is keen to exploit this very fact by trying to appear imploring towards Sand, "You never yell at me." Ray is also acutely familiar with how Sand struggles to say no to those he cares about.
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Whilst Ray observes angrily, I like to think this comes from a place of being mad for Sand more than anything. If he's seen their entire interaction play out, he'll notice that Sand has not once initiated physical contact with Boeing. He doesn't shirk him off, but he certainly doesn't respond either. He keeps his arms firmly planted at his sides, and yet Boeing keeps trying his luck. Something about the way Boeing behaves with Sand feels like he treats him as a plaything - someone he used to have wrapped around his finger. Perhaps he thinks that the power he used to have over Sand still remains.
Sand's expressions also feel loaded with shame, as if he's repeatedly chiding himself for being foolish enough to love someone like Boeing, who so cruelly tossed him aside. That somehow he feels partly to blame. Maybe this is a Sand he doesn't want Ray to see. Yet here Ray is, on the side-lines, taking all this in.
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From their very first interaction, Boeing is trying to undermine Ray. You can see Ray's growth as he doesn't confront or make a fuss, but chooses to respect Sand's wishes and instead stays quietly hidden to keep watch. He looks to Sand for confirmation he'll be okay on his own before leaving. Though he can detect something isn't right, he allows Sand the opportunity to handle this first.
As soon as he sees Boeing trying to cross a line, he steps in. He's not going to permit Boeing trying to drag Sand off somewhere alone, he'd rather keep the enemy directly under his nose.
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What I'm hoping to see in Episode 12 is protective Ray to come out full force. I've said this before but the entire series has been Sand looking after Ray. Whereas this would be a great opportunity for Ray to look out for Sand, and to teach Boeing a lesson at the same time.
That eye contact in the last scene was so loaded. Ray's gaze is a silent threat- 'That's my man you're looking at, don't get used to it. If you're really stupid enough to try anything on my watch, I'll tear your neck out.' Don't ever underestimate Ray, he's small but feisty.
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general-cyno · 1 year ago
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I'm caught up with manga rn so I wanted to share a few thoughts (ramblings) on egghead arc zolu too. first, this convo after the crew leave wano and find out abt what's gone down in the reverie, and wrt to vivi specifically,
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I do agree with some stuff I've seen about how using ace here as an example was not exactly the best one since we know how that ended up. that said, I think it's lowkey sweet that zoro still remembers so clearly what luffy said back then and well, he's not entirely wrong.
as I've mentioned in other posts before, zoro takes the crew and his own role in it very seriously. these are his companions, his friends and family I daresay, and part of his duty as both crewmate and friend includes keeping them all check and safe whenever it's needed. especially luffy, as we've seen in different occasions (water 7, thriller bark, punk hazard, wano, just to name some arcs with relevant moments related to this). storming into marijoa, THE world government/navy stronghold, without any information and/or plan whatsoever is a bad idea all around.
luffy may be impulsive and stubborn at times, but he isn't really an idiot and he knows zoro's right even if he doesn't like it. hence this:
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ngl I love how grumpy luffy is at zoro here. these two are usually on a similar wavelength but there are key moments where their approach to things differ, and it ultimately works bc it's kind of... a complementary thing. making up for what the other lacks or needs to hear in those moments. I believe they bicker relatively less than other straw hats do in comparison (precisely bc of how similar they are imo) but it's funny when it actually happens. I can so easily picture luffy here fuming and stomping like a brat also being seconds away from asking for a divorce
this one's perhaps on a more delulu note on my part, but I like that zoro brought up ace in specific bc he was there both times when ace and sabo asked the crew to take care of luffy. it was curious to me that in the former case, zoro was kinda shown with this "!" reaction sign and later when it came to sabo in dressrosa, he was the one to fondly point out he sounded just like ace did in alabasta (and the "!" is back).
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(the fact that sabo handed zoro luffy's vivre card there also lives in my mind rent free btw)
so yeah. zoro's definitely not one to mess around when it comes to the crew and luffy's safety, though he may get a handful of grumpy straw hats (captain included!) for it.
another thing, and do bear with me bc I might be reaching once again is... the break up flashback between shanks and buggy. I pretty much forgot to make a post about water 7/enies lobby zolu bits (too busy crying over robin, I admit) but this actually reminded me of it.
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the context and personalities involved differ from each other, yeah, but I believe this shows exactly how easily it could've been for luffy and zoro to have a bad ending of sorts under different circumstances.
I can't say for sure how much of whiskey peak was intended to affect zoro and luffy's relationship later in the manga (I personally find some parts of it kinda goofy), but it at least served as an early example that they're not immune to suffering from misunderstandings and miscommunication issues. though unlike shanks/buggy, the fact that they're more similar than they're different and their differences tend to complement each other's likely works more in zoro and luffy's favor. still,
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if luffy hadn't listened to zoro here - if he'd failed to stay true to what's expected of him as the captain (and being the captain is related to his journey to become the pirate king), to stay true to the kind of man zoro believes him to be and that he chose to join in that marine base, we could've had a similar scenario to shanks and buggy's imo. more so when you consider that zoro's as headstrong as luffy is, that he's been mistaken for the captain and now has turned out to have the color of the supreme king too. hell, zoro used to be a bounty hunter, is still called the pirate hunter. I don't believe it'd be easy for zoro to leave despite what he says, or that they'd become enemies per se, but it isn't (or wasn't) out of the realm of possibilities. zoro has admitted that he sees no point in being a pirate unless he's part of luffy's crew as well.
as it is, the fact that luffy values zoro's imput and listens to him whenever the need arises is such an important part of their relationship. as loyal as zoro may be, as great as his displays of that loyalty are, they only exist bc luffy cares for him just as much and has earned them through his actions. I love it!
last thing before this gets too long is this:
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the mobile app's pic upload limit is my enemy so I can't share it but I also liked the page before this one, where luffy asks zoro if he needs some help, to which zoro tells him to focus on kizaru instead.
this is such a great showcase of how much they've grown in terms of strength - that zoro can take on one of pre-timeskip luffy's strongest foes now, and that luffy himself is no longer unable to do anything against enemies like kizaru. and yknow, I find it special that luffy can go against him now considering kizaru was the one who almost killed zoro in sabaody - one of those instances in which luffy was genuinely worried, upset and feared for zoro's safety to the point he was actually all teary when rayleigh managed to save him.
I would've liked to see zoro's reaction to nika!luffy since he was knocked out in wano when it first happened, but I suppose he's already seen the wanted poster and his lack of reaction now isn't that out of character probably. godly power up or not, that's still his silly gremlin captain ig. can't wait to see what else is in store for these guys in this arc and onwards!
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anomaliex · 7 days ago
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eughhhhh okay i'm caving i'm giving in this is it this is the qpr fabriz post i can no longer pretend that im normal abt them. This is just vaguely connected string of thoughts ft arospec headcanons. And very personal, I also often enjoy other people's more explicitly romantic interpretations of them but hey this is mine.
I've been fond of Fabriz ever since Riz offered to tear someone's eye out for Fabian because he was on a violent high and I jokingly said "woah that's romantic" but then it suddenly occurred to me that Fabian Aramais Seacaster, Son of Bill Seacaster the greatest pirate to have ever lived should actually think so too (even if he's like "what the fuck??" in the moment because Riz is ultimately, funnily enough, consistently more hardcore and violent than Fabian ((and honestly the rest of the party too 98% of the time))). There's something about "oh this guy took your eye? Want me to bite his out of his corpse for you?" that shows undeniable devotion and deep affection, be it because they're best friends or more.
After the second season it for me personally warped into more oh okay aroace king. (Oriented aroace. Because of Baron.) This isn't romantic it's just a deep emotional connection on a level that doesn't really fit into conventional terms but they're very important to each other and enjoy existing in the same space together but that's still Fabriz, just a different flavour, so y'know.
I think Fabian dates people and Riz stays at his side all the same. I think that if in the far future he and Mazey weren't together anymore because idk, Highschool romances don't often last forever, he would still be like hello potential romantic partner this is Riz The Ball Gukgak he is very important to me and my emotional support and also impulse control and whether you and I work out or not Riz will always occupy the space closest to me, it's about whether you're willing to share the space or not. He definitely is.
Riz doesn't have any romantic feelings but he's happy to be important enough to his dearest friend to be a priority even when relationships are involved. I think he's fine "sharing" affections because he's learned to feel secure in the fact he won't be abandoned. And he has his other friends who love him too (though not in the same way Fabian does, of course. And that's okay, he wouldn't want to occupy the role he occupies in Fabian's life in theirs. It's different) and he loves them and life is good, sometimes. He kind of just wants to be together forever without the implications or obligations a typical romantic relationship would bring? And there's a point where he's like "hey Fabian am I ruining dating people for you?" and he's. Worried. About that. But Fabian would assure him that it's fine, he's probably not all that compatible with people who are uncomfortable sharing anyway. I think a strictly monogamous partner wouldn't be all that happy with him, regardless of whether Riz is involved or not.
Fabian has a lot of love in his heart and feels it very strongly and it's kind of impossible to limit it to only one person? Polyamarous king. This is where I note that I do read Fabian as being aro-spec (allosexual though) but on a completely different level than Riz is. Fabian adores people so quickly and so strongly, and I think at some point he isn't able to differentiate whether that adoration is platonic or romantic or something in between? And that's a struggle at first, it'd be a struggle for any teenager, but I think as he'd get older he'd stop caring as much. No sense trying to label something that's so all over the place, he just goes with the flow? He calls it love and that's that, and he'll indulge in it.
Fabian says "I love you" a lot, Riz says it back. It doesn't necessarily mean the same thing, but it doesn't have to, that's fine. I think Fabian's love language is literally all of them (though giving gifts above all, maybe?) and Riz's is just quality time (acts of service is a close second), so a lot of their relationship is just hanging out like they would with other friends as well (and Fabian paying for as much stuff as he can get away with). I think Riz isn't opposed to physical affection but he's not a fan of pda, and while he likes sharing a blanket in the winter or sitting way too close in the back of the hangvan or pressing his face into Fabian's back when they're riding the hangman he'd probably not be that into hand holding. Its fine but it's probably more pleasant to maintain physical closeness in other ways with the height difference? And the claws, idk. There's also kissing. Riz would be cool with like, cheek or forehead kisses probably? (Unless he's having a day where he really doesn't want anyone to touch him period. Which I does think happens. Something something autism I don't think I can word this properly in detail) And Fabian would grab his face and smother him in those for fun. Or get dramatic and kiss his hand and act suave only to eat shit ten seconds later. I think being kissed on the mouth is a different story and kind of a fifty-fifty, depends on how touchy Riz is feeling that day. But in concept he's fine with it as long as it's just like, a peck on the lips, because he sees it as an expression of intimacy and affection and hey he doesn't have a problem with that that's cool. I definitely don't think he'd initiate them, though. It's more a "oh hey my partner likes this and I don't mind doing it for him" thing.
Oh speaking of the word partner that's the word they'd use, I think. Not boyfriends, just partners, and they're not dating but they're together. It's not, like, a thing they're particular about it's just the words I think they'd feel inclined to use. They probably don't talk about any of this stuff in that much depth, Fabian isn't that introspective anyway. It's kind of just a state of being. And what's a nicer state to exist in than close to your best friend?
Idk, I don't usually get involved with fandoms where a character seems so aromantic in a way I can relate to or a pairing feels so queerplatonic to me, but these two sure do and that's so delightful that I think about them all the time.
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book--wyrm · 26 days ago
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Since I've been having so much fun with predictions for this show, I'm gonna lay down my incredibly specific bet for how Francis dies.
I've touched on most elements of this before but I want a post to go back and reference when ep 7 ends, to see where my head was at even if I'm wrong.
It's time to connect some dots.
And then find out next week that i didn't connect shit lmao.
There's a reveal waiting in the wings to do with Rex Calabrese, for sure.
Obviously Rex has been set up since the first moments of the pilot, and he came up again in ep 5, and again ep 6.
Rex has specifically been set up as a positive, aspirational figure in Oz's life, the guy who took care of everyone, for whom crime was his way of being a good guy.
This entire show, this Rex Calabrese Myth has been the core of Ozwald's self justifications. It's all worth it to do the good that Rex did, to be loved like Rex was.
But the show has also not shied away from how selfish and hollow these justifications are. Even in this episode—"You know how meaningful that is? To be the guy in the neighborhood who takes care of people?" Not to take care of people for their sake. To be the guy they love for taking care of them.
Especially compared to Eve's genuine love and bond with her girls, Oz's good gangster fantasy has been shown time and time again to be just self aggrandizing excuses.
So I am convinced that one part of this Rex Calabrese reveal is going to be that he was also a lying asshole con man, that Oz was just one of the suckers who fell for it. We've seen from Eve that Oz can spew bullshit with the best, but can't sniff it out like Sofia can.
But there's something else to the Rex thing. The show has been real quiet about Oz's dad so far. That even got pointed out this ep.
In Ep 5, Francis says that Oz has big dreams, just like his father. And Oz says, no, I ain't like him.
In Ep 6, Francis talks to Oz as if she thinks he's his dad, saying that he needs to do something about the heat, that like it or not, "they're his boys", and if he doesn't, she'll go to Rex.
It sounds initially like Rex and Oz's father are different people, but... Oz had two brothers. Two older brothers, too, I think.
This is a bit of a stretch, and the part of this theory I'm least certain about, but I think it's possible that the person Oz thinks is his father is only Jack and Benny's bio dad, and that his bio dad is actually Rex, when his mom went to Rex after the dad couldn't keep the money coming in.
I just feel like this would make for a great gut punch combined with the takedown of the Rex myth, you know? If Oz learns that he is the son of his childhood hero, only for that idealized vision of Rex to be exposed as a facade at the same time, for Oz to have to face that he was born of, has admired, and has ultimately been acting just like a slimy, sleazy scumbag who did more harm than good in his life.
Maybe even hurt his ma? Maybe that's why Francis left Rex and went back to her original partner?
Vic's lie to Francis about Oz killing the whole Falcone family
First of all there is no way this doesn't come up when Sofia and Francis are in a scene together. Like. Vic didn't say all the Falcones except Sofia. He said they're all dead. Oz pulled this off.
But it was a lie. Sofia is the last of her line, by her own hand. It was all a lie, and Francis has been so consistent about this, she hates when her son lies to her. I can't blame her, either—when your own mind lies to you constantly, you want there to be an anchor, a pillar of truth in your life. If you can't trust yourself, you have to be able to trust *someone*, or you're lost.
Oswald didn't lie to her, this time. Vic did. But under the circumstances, I wonder if that isn't a technicality that gets easily lost.
I wonder if she isn't going to do what she's done all throughout the show, and cut Oswald to the core when she finds out.
The way Francis has been displacing affection onto Vic has clearly been leading up to... something.
She has consistently been so harsh, so demanding towards Oswald, the only remaining son who has the means to take care of her.
But to Vic, she has been so sweet and kind, possibly because she has no expectations of a boy not her blood, possibly because she's mentally substituting him in for her other sons.
Death makes martyrs of your children.
And Oz hasn't been responding well to this. To the way Francis praises Vic, to the way Vic was able to calm her down and make her happy when he just made her angry.
Oz responds badly to a lot of things. But when Eve broke up with him, he said something specific. "You got some high roller you'd rather be shacking up with?" Do you have someone better than me? Have I already been replaced? Am I not enough for my place in your life, is there someone who does everything I do but better?
This whole family unit is sitting on an emotional powder keg.
Francis's request for euthanasia uahghghghghgh
In a show about a determined antihero, Oz would follow through on his mom's request. This is not that show.
That being said, I think that means there are sort of two really evil ways that the show could kill Francis. Which will happen, btw. She is going to die.
The first is for Oz to refuse to kill his mom, leaving her in position to die horribly at someone else's hands.
I can see this one in theory, but I feel like it doesn't have a solid emotional impact? Refusing to euthanize your mother is an understandable, if slightly selfish thing to do. Especially under an extremely stressful situation like your mom has been kidnapped and. idk. electroshocked by Dr Subdrop, who fucking knows.
The other really awful thing they could do is to have Oz kill his mom, in a scene where she is explicitly lucid and clearheaded, and then justify it to himself afterwards as a mercy killing, it's what she asked of me, I was a good son to her.
People working on the penguin have been dropping hints that by the last two episodes, Oz will have done something irredeemably horrific, and I just. This would be fucking *vile*.
Here's my theory. And I type this with the full understanding that this is so specific it's almost certainly not going to go down like this.
Sofia takes Vic and Francis away somewhere, and over the course of whatever scenes they have, Francis realizes that "Oz wiped out the Falcones" was a lie. (idk that I would want Sofia to tell her directly, we already did a "oh, you didn't know?" scene with Eve.) Oz shows up at some point, and learns both about the lie Vic told, and that his mother is now furiously angry about it
Somehow Oz gets Francis away, and here my theory kinda splits into two possibilities.
a) Oz gets Francis away by sacrificing Vic, and Francis blows up on him about leaving vic and about the lie.
or b) Oz, Francis, and Vic all get away, and once they're out Oz attacks Vic for lying to his ma and making her mad at him, and Francis blows up on him in Vic's defence or just because she's so angry at him she doesn't even think about Vic.
Either ways, she throws the truth in his face in a moment of clear eyed lucidity—he is Rex's son, and just like Rex, he's a scummy, lying piece of shit who will never amount to anything.
(there's a part of me that thinks maybe instead of Rex it'll be smth about his brothers? god knows how their deaths will play into things idk where they fit here)
and in a mirror to the absolute senseless rage and pain he felt when his childhood dream of being Rex was insulted by Alberto in Ep 1, he kills his own mother, and cements himself as the villain of this show.
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dangermousie · 6 days ago
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I saw your post on Love Game in Eastern Fantasy’s ending, do you mind elaborate on why you don’t like the ending? I personally find the screenwriter did a good job at translating the source material to live action given censorship constraints. I love the series positive message of self-love before you can fully love someone else in a healthy way.
Is the ending too open-ended for your liking?
I don't mind at all but I just wanted to say so much about fiction and endings (or the narrative) is so very personal and subjective. I can explain why something works for me or doesn't but it's really trying to post hoc justify an inchoate, emotional reaction.
And sometimes it doesn't gel with what everyone else may feel but it doesn't really do anything to change it. For example, I am one of like three people who thinks the ending of Princess Agents cdrama is perfect and it's one of the most universally fandom hated endings. I can explain why until I am blue in the face and I am sure people who hated it won't like it any better or they can explain why they hate it (and have) but I still love it so...
Now that I've put that lengthy disclaimer, here is the write up proper and it comes to two things - the minor part is the very very "back in modern day" ending and the bigger one is what happens before. I am gonna do the ending first.
Because of censorship, it's hard to end transmigration stories in satisfactory fashion (though it must be noted that even after transmigration ban, dramas manage now and then.)
The normal default is "and then they wake up." This is different from the other set up where it's an author creating a narrative as a framing device and they themselves are never in it (see Kunning Palace or Joy of Life as great examples) - there the characters stay in narrative forever. Or mini dramas like Lovesickness and Ancient Love Song (and somehow full length Lost Track of Time and Lost Love In Time) getting away with genuine travel that normally has been banned post The Myth/Jade Palace Lock Heart/BBJX era.
I could complain about her waking back up in modern world even within the constraints because something like Love Better Than Immortality had exactly the same set up and ended the way this should have and the way the novel for Love Game actually did (FL wakes up in simulation; she knows that is what it is. At the end she stays in game and lives happily ever after with her former bad guy lover.) LBTI got around the censorship question by setting the framing story that took two seconds in some future world where people do that and then are told if they enter simulation they never leave. I do not know why the makers of this did not go for something like this.
But I have accepted this is for whatever reason not the way a lot of these go and "waking up" is a default. That's fine. Yet, there is waking up and waking up.
The way these narratives often deal with this is the dreamer HAS been affected/changed by their time in story. If we take Dreamer in Qing Dynasty - FL is irrevocably changed by her time in Qing Dynasty. At the end she gets with ML who is reborn but it's colored by her past time and love (in a love of ways, that drama is a much kinder version of Bu Bu Jing Xin set up.) Or you can take My Dear Brothers, A Different Princess or The Romance of Tiger and Rose. In all of them, the FL wakes up in the modern day but she remembers her time in the dream/story/whatever, she's affected. That is why her finding her shared dreamer or reincarnation or avatar of her pairing from the story gives her a happy ending and completes her.
But here? The narrative ultimately does not matter. ML was never in the dream/narrative/whatever. FL herself doesn't really remember it or seem genuinely, long term affected by it. What was the point of it? Just make a cute drama about an author with issues and his fangirl. None of it had a point to me.
But that would just affect the very ending and to me is a smaller problem. I have liked many a drama which was amazing until the ending went wtf and I still loved it (this year's Tender Light or last year's My Journey to You come to mind and I overall adore both.)
My bigger problem is that by the time that ending rolled around, I didn't even care. The narrative fell apart for me shortly after they got to the capital - the moment she forgot the modern day, a lot of narrative appeal left for me. She got sidelined in her own narrative. And there was not really any emotional stakes for me or tension. It felt like a picaresque travelogue which is not bad per se but not truly my thing.
But then - the couple of last eps is where it really exploded. The thing with the author made no sense. Why did she need to fix some sort of adult avatar of him who didn't even know he was one and the kid version was there too? Why did a book written by teen drag in adult version of her and teen him and adult fictional version of him get to argue? Why did the ending start looping instead of just going once. The worldbuilding, the set up, the goals made NO sense in light of this new information. Now one might say the set up of a reader being dragged into a game based on the book they are reading is nonsense in the first place and that's true. But the problem for me is I can accept whatever insane set up the story throws at me, but it's a matter of initial set up. Once it's set up, it has to stay within those constraints and be internally logically consistent and to me it wasn't. All that randomness felt so random. Perhaps if they weaved the stuff earlier more, sure. But as it is, it felt so weird and random and nonsensical. And once the narrative stopped treating them as real people but as symbols or lessons or whatever, I stopped treating them as real people too.
I confess I never care about a story's message because, to quote a famous Hollywood quip on the topic: "“If you have a message, call Western Union.” I want the story to move me emotionally, to get me invested (if it makes my brain happy, it's a bonus.) And so yeah sure it's great to overcome adversity, find strength in others etc etc blah blah but if the execution of said message is lacking (which to me it was), it negates it all. For example I love Novoland Eagle Flag and its theme is "it's not the winning but the fight that matters, the world is hell but what matters is keeping your humanity and being true to yourself" - it resonates with me immensely. But the reason it does is because I love the execution. If the execution didn't work for me, the fact that I agree with the message would not matter. And to me (and once again, I emphasize it's very personal and I fully get that it worked for others) Love Game's execution did not come though.
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random-and-average · 1 year ago
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Yandere Miguel O'Hara with a Duplicating!S/O (via Yellow Cosmic Stone)
If anyone has seen that one clip from Kid Cosmic where Papa G is building, then you'll understand why I came up with this idea. Plus, the Papa G Stomp goes hard. On another note, I'm still trying to find a way to make Shadow Wizard Money Gang S/O exist. Shadow Spider Money Gang, perhaps?
TW: mentions of the following: NSFW, stalking, and murder
The mere existence of said stone is enough to give the Spider-Man a migraine
Will it disrupt the canon? Where the hell do they even come from? The fact that it's the yellow cosmic stone instead of the cosmic stone implies that there are multiple in existence, so where are the rest of them? Will those stones disrupt the canon?
After all, if one stone is able to give you the incredibly powerful ability of duplication, who knows what these other stones are capable of!
You will be interrogated about how the stone came into your possession, there's no doubt about that
From then on, Miguel will have two goals: preserve the spider-verse and contain all the stones (as he considers them to be "anomalies")
Lyla will for sure be working day and night to determine the true nature of these cosmic stones
He will try to take the yellow cosmic stone from you as well
Depending on how much you enjoy your power of duplication, he won't be getting it anytime soon though
Now, what he thinks of you depends on your reaction to his affection, so let's get into that!
Against It:
To put it bluntly, you're a pain in Miguel's ass. He still loves you though despite that
You will be kept in his room or be monitored by him or a person he trusts (like Lego Spider-Man)
He'll also look into ways to neutralize your power if he isn't able to take the stone from you
Should you escape from him, he'll order any iteration of you to be brought back to him with minimal damage
(I generally headcanon Miguel to be gentle with his S/O, regardless of their situation, and would only hurt them unless it's absolutely necessary, even then he'll try not to hurt them too much)
Since the guy has "observed" (*cough* *cough* he monitored and stalked you *cough* *cough*) you in the past, it doesn't take long for him to realize the difference between the real you and your clones: the real you wears the stone in the form of a ring
After that revelation, any clones of yours start to serve a different purpose while he and a specific group of Spider-People search for the real you
Should the clone be extremely submissive, Miguel would "experiment" with it before ultimately killing it as humanely as possible
(This is how he discovers his breeding kink as well as how arousing you can be when you're in an apron, among other things)
Should the clone be extremely rebellious, he will rough it up a bit, but not enough to make it disappear, and let it go to deliver a message to you: "Stop being childish and come back to me, mi amor. I only want what's best for you."
However, if the clone strikes a perfect balance between the two, he'll essentially air his grievances onto it and kill it afterwards
"Cariño, why do you do this to me? I love you so much, yet you continually refuse me. Don't you know that I will do anything for you? I will destroy hundreds of universes if it means you will stay with me."
"Uh, excuse me?"
Miguel does not feel any guilt towards killing your clones, by the way
To him, they're just imposters or cheap imitations that can't compare to the real you
Though he will never admit it, he does resent them to an extent
They're your clones, literal duplicates of you, yet they fail to recreate that je ne sais quoi that makes you you and instead dare to degrade your smile and your presence
Miguel only loves you, not some fake
And he doesn't know how long he can last without the true you in his life again.
Fine With It:
You're definitely granted a lot more freedom if you're fine with or reciprocates his love, such as being allowed to roam the base
Although, you're still not allowed to use the stone unless you absolutely have to
However, he'll (begrudgingly) let it slide if you use your duplicates to help around the base or even his dimension
Unknowingly, this makes some other Spider-People, as well as some civilians, yandere for you, but Miguel ensures that they know their place (Plus, that's a story for another time)
Don't think that your good deeds aren't rewarded though since he'll definitely reward you with whatever you want afterwards
However, helping him on missions is a definitive "no," and that's non-negotiable
I think, regardless of what powers you have, Miguel would never put you in danger by having you help on missions
He cannot bear to lose you. He wants you safe and that means staying back in his dimension
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heartbreakprincewille · 1 year ago
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Marcus, And Why The S2 Love Triangle Worked (For Me)
Okay, so I had thoughts since a LONG time about why I don't mind the S2 love triangle as much I thought I would, but I never had coherent thoughts to articulate them into a post.
I'm personally not much of a fan of love triangles in media, because there is a trend in media since quite a long time where the good-hearted second love interest gets their heart broken by the protagonist, who chooses "their true love", or the first love interest because they are "the one". And I feel really bad for the one who gets left behind for reasons they have no control over.
But I did not expect to not mind the S2 love triangle. And actually the more I think about it, Simon needed something like this to realize the depth of his feelings for Wille. Simon needed an upend of emotions in order to achieve a satisfactory balance in his and Wilhelm's relationship. He needed to realize how much being a prince affects Wilhelm's life as much as Wilhelm needed to realize Simon's need for autonomy in their relationship.
As for Marcus, I personally think that what sets Marcus apart from a typical, cookie-cutter third wheel is the fact that Marcus's presence represented Simon's expectations from a relationship, rather than heightening Wilhelm's flaws.
Marcus represented not only what Simon craved from his relationship with Wille, but also the things he thought that he needed, when he actually doesn't. Simon wanted to enjoy normal moments of happiness with Wille in public but he couldn't, like the karaoke scene with Marcus, or Simon bringing Marcus as his date to the ball, or Marcus kissing him publicly. All these moments tell something about Simon's true desires from a potential relationship with Wilhelm, or any person Simon genuinely wants to have feelings for. Marcus was more like a placeholder for the time being, since Simon was really angry and heartbroken over Wille. Marcus did not bring something new to the table. He was just someone who grew up in a similar family background as Simon, and whose ideas of hanging out with a crush aligned with Simon's. That's it. Just because they have similar ideas about something, it does not mean they will also align as people. Plus Marcus is also not a one-dimensional "nice guy" just like August is not a one-dimensional "villain". He also has flaws and shortcomings that ultimately doom him in the story and does not let him realize his own part in his unsuccessful attempt to date Simon.
A cookie-cutter third wheel also has a defining feature- they exist in the story to emphasize on the first love interest's flaws, which makes the protagonist reconsider their love for the first love interest initially. Yes, Marcus did things for Simon which Simon wished he could do with Wille, but they don't represent Wilhelm's character flaws. His inability to have normal dating experiences with Simon stems from him being literal royalty, and no matter how much Wilhelm wants it too, he is not able to give that to Simon. And a major part of Simon's arc (in connection to his relationship with Wilhelm) was realizing Wilhelm's delicate and stifling relationship with his position. And although Simon is still not fully aware of what it entails to date a royal, atleast he has developed the empathy to understand it all.
And it also makes a difference that Simon is not the protagonist, he's actually the deuteragonist. Usually the protagonist is the one who has to make a choice and we only have access to their thoughts and feelings, not the other two. But here, not only our protagonist (Wilhelm) is one of the choices here, we also know exactly how he feels about Simon, just like we got to know how Simon feels about both Wille and Marcus. Wille still has flaws, but he also works on them and displays great accountability, something Simon actually needed, way more than karaoke dates and everything (although them enjoying the little things in life is something that can be so endearing to me). Simon chooses Wille because Wilhelm takes responsibility of his flaws and mistakes and tries to put in the effort their fragile relationship needed.
Not saying Marcus was not hurt in the process, but the burden of the doom does not lies entirely with Simon. Marcus has as much of a hand in dooming their fling as much as Simon. Overall, Simon and Marcus were a good match on paper, but Simon eventually realized that there is much more meaning to the text of his life than he ever imagined.
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bobbydagen24 · 8 months ago
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someone else on here suggested the idea of a Bro zone story where Branch gets turned back into a little Kid and the Brothers consider the idea of leaving him like that and starting again and I just wanna talk about this idea a little more.
like imagine it as an episode of a Tv show or something yeah I know its probably a bit too heavy and serous but hey its fun to imagine lol.
cause this idea has some sweet emotional potential like for whatever reason Branch is somehow magically turned back into a little kid and he's lost pretty much all of his life memories.
so he's well and truly naïve innocent and carefree again and Despite them eventually figuring out a way to turn him back to normal there's a bit of a divide as to Wether they should.
maybe early on in the episode Branch has a big argument with his Brothers yet again probably due to one of his paranoid or overcautious tendencies annoying them so much finally causing them to call him out on it.
and Branch hits back at him only being this way in part because of them because he had to be to make himself feel safe and have piece of mind since he had no one else and he storms off into the woods.
which is where he gets affected by something that transforms him back into a child with no memories.
I imagine JD would be the first one to suggest the idea of leaving him this way as in a way it'd give him a chance to fix one of his biggest mistakes.
as they could stick around and be there for Branch growing up like they weren't before and he could get a chance at a normal childhood without the Burden of Grandma's death traumatising him throughout his life.
not 100 percent sure about the other's reactions I feel Floyd would be against it at first feeling it isn't their place to make such a life changing choice for him.
but who knows maybe he'd be Tempted after JD guilts him over his broken promise.
maybe Clay would also be against it but Bruce to everyone's surprise actually sides with JD secretly showing a bit of deeper guilt over the whole thing.
being a parent himself and thinking no one should have to grow up that quickly by themselves and thinking of it as if it were one of his children and how he wouldn't want that for them.
so yeah it leads to a nice bit of Drama between the brothers btw I wouldn't have poppy involved in this story as its obvious what she'd choose and I kinda feel like she wouldn't even allow a Debate as far as this is concerned.
given she loves Branch and likely wouldn't even entertain the idea of permanently changing him from the man she's with currently.
anyway in the end of the story obviously the Bros do change him back after tearfully saying a final goodbye to the young innocent Branch who they hadn't seen in decades and who they'll never see again.
with Grown up Branch not having any Memory of anything that happened and the episode ends with maybe something like all the Bros sat around having dinner.
and one of the Bros out of somber curiosity asks Branch if he ever thought about changing the past so things could have been different for him.
but Branch actually kinda surprises them by saying that he has thought about it but he realises that just isn't the way life is meant to work ultimately your experiences do help shape who you are.
and he doesn't think its really helpful to look back on the past at least not anymore given the amount of time he used to spend doing that and he just thinks its better to accept the past and make the best of the present.
making his bros all hug him while sobbing in an over the top way because of how wise their baby bro grew up to be while Branch is just confused as to what is happening 😂😂😂😂
like I said I feel there's some very cute emotional potential with this little story idea.
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buffkitties · 2 months ago
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It kind of makes me want to see a scenario where a post-game Komaeda that's come to a self-realization that he really doesn't like the inequality of their world at all, finally calls his classmates out on how they treated him. Pointing out that if it really bothered them so much to hear him talk about himself being their inferior, then why did they act like he was beneath them. It's honestly depressing just how meanspirited everything outside of the OVA is to him. Like you really do get the impression when he walks back into class that they would have been relieved to learn he'd perished in that desert.
Also on the topic of the Reserve Course, there's something else that really bugs the shit out of me about DR3. The continued use of featureless models for them. Like it made sense in Hinata's Chapter 3 dream sequence, because he wanted to stand out from talentless people. But in a story where they're front and center, and a major event involves them being brainwashed into committing an involuntary mass-suicide? Seriously undermines the horror and tragedy of the whole thing.
It actually made me appreciate this one scene in a fic I read somewhere (that I can't remember the name of), where Hinata has a nightmare vision of the Reserve Course. Who call him out on the fact that he was no different from the rest of them, and could have just as easily have died alongside them. Yet he barely remembers any of them besides Natsumi and Sato.
God, yeah. It also really bugs me how unfazed by the whole thing they made Hinata seem, especially since he joined the Kamukura Project because of the Natsumi and Sato situation in the first place. Once again, it feels like they've completely thrown Hinata's trauma away, just like they did with the apparent "merge" of him and Izuru Kamukura, despite that just being his alias and there being no point in the story which implies it wasn't just him before DR3. He was just one lucky person to survive the mass suicide because he joined the project. Otherwise, he would've been dead alongside everybody else. Not to mention that they completely missed out on the opportunity to write a survivor's guilt for him since he was one of the indirect causes of the situation.
Also ! Komaeda does feel bothered by how he's treated by everyone. A lot of the time, he implies or outright states that he doesn't understand why he's so hated and misunderstood, and even gets upset when he thinks about Hinata hating him, too. He genuinely doesn't see what's wrong with the way he talks because it's the truth, and they should feel happy to have that privilege, so he assumes that he's treated badly precisely because of talent, and that it's because he's worthless compared to them (aka how talentless people get treated too). While he doesn't realise that it's because he mentioned they're privileged that they're offended because people who are privileged hate being reminded of it, he does see that talent affects how they're acting towards him. It's also just a case of he's bothered by it, but he can't really do anything about it in a society where ultimates have all the power. Still, he does always step in if they cross a line towards anybody or make them uncomfortable, and he can stand up for himself if he sees a reason to. Usually, he just brushes their comments towards himself off or sees them as a fact rather than personal insult, too.
Edit: I agree on the featurless models. It made the reserve course feel insignificant and like the event didn't matter at all because they're not even portrayed as people, just something in the background.
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