#with emotional manipulation yeah

[collophora]

colored some sketches

Umbarian: Magendi riss Inquisitor: Brother Capdeth (Not sure abt this one)

[vaguely-concerned]

sometimes I think of all the on-the-surface warm, well-meaning but deeply ineffectual advice and attention john gives harrow through harrow the ninth (make some soup and get some sleep! get a hobby! don't be so hard on yourself! self care harrow! as long as I need take no actual responsibility in this relationship whatsoever I would have loved to be your dad!) set up against the stark truth that with his other hand he has been staging her attempted horrific murder again and again and again like a living nightmare on the logic that it will 'put her down or fix her'. and then I find that I wish there is a hell. a special hell where twitch streamers turned necromantic death emperors go

[sourtomatola]

Kerian's getting desperate, and Lunar's putting his foot down

More security breach comic's

Also all the Kerian X Lunar Comic's on Ao3

[koipudding]

more toxic kaiser stuff. (he possesses me. parasite smh)

wc: 428

cw: toxic kaiser (duh), implied yan but like. early relationship kaiser will be the worst man you know before he's suddenly your guard dog anyway.

“Y’know, you’re annoying as shit.” Kaiser hates himself immediately. He’s hoping you beg and cry to him; it’s some stupid ploy he wants to try on you, testing you in some way. He would compare it to the way a cat scratches its owner, but he knows he’s doing something way worse than that. 

He braces himself for you to yell and get mad, but you just sit still and…nod. No rebuttal of any sort, which makes the whole thing worse. 

In an attempt to save himself: he jokes about it “like, you’re so damn cute all the time, asking me about my day. I just want to sleep but now I need to cuddle you and let you pamper me.” 

He pats your head. And he doesn’t miss how you flinch from him. Did that comment hurt that badly? you’re never like this. 

“I didn’t mean it. You know that.” Kaiser tries to reason with you, but it’s worthless really. You get stuck in your head easily, and he only huffs in response to your lack of one. 

“Do I actually annoy you?” Your throat constricts around his words. It's not like you weren't aware of what kind of person he could be, but you've thought he trusted you enough not to play these games.

Kaiser can only feel what most humans would describe as guilt. Maybe even pity. You’re worse than he is at this whole emotions thing. 

“Not really. I wanted to see how you’d react.” Yeah. Remorse would be it. You’ve never looked more pathetic before. 

Your sleeves are frayed from  picking at them, a habit that has only worsened with your current boyfriend. It’s not lost on Kaiser; a certain part of him revels in drawing such emotions from you. He knows a normal person would have fought with him, but he’s knocked down so many of your self-imposed beliefs and wishes that you have nothing else and no one else to turn to. His heart feels sick, but his mind is happy knowing you won’t be leaving his side anytime soon. 

You try to laugh, and Kaiser only scoffs again. Yeah. Annoying. He wants to take care of you. 

"you're meant to refute that, you're allowed to." It sickens him that he has to remind you. That the both of you need reminders that its okay.

you whisper his name once, then twice, before he willingly falls into your arms. He does the best to apologize, a soft kiss there, and a word or two of affirmation (hidden behind gentle scolding).

[lyrakanefanatic]

imagine how op grayson’s and jameson’s college admission essays were. like with their piles and piles of trauma (and last name ☠️) they probably got in without a moments hesitation.

[what-have-i-unleashed]

dark crink ahead

(cw: unhealthy relationship, manipulation)

so in underverse ink meets cross after timeline x ended, and xtale has been rendered into a white void. i think since ink has fear of emptiness, he wouldn't stay in xtale for too long. instead, in this scenario, he brings cross with him to explore the wonders of the multiverse, teaches cross about the in-and-outs of it, and helps cross to manage his newfound abilities after merging with xchara.

of course, ink is still keeping that promise with his old friend xgaster, but having a new friend wouldn't hurt, right? and ink revels in cross' attention and adoration - he's just so easily enamored with everything the multiverse has to offer. ink can't help getting closer with cross, eventually showing cross his art. cross doesn't understand the importance of this gesture, but he still greatly appreciates it and showers ink's creations with fascination. cross asks ink to teach him how to draw and ink eagerly complies. they just have a great time honestly.

that is, until the honeymoon ends. ink eventually tells cross that he can't help him restore xtale. he's the guardian of creation. he himself cannot create a universe - that is the duty of the creators themselves. hearing this is like the wake-up call to cross. he has forgotten what he has to do all along, his responsibilities. xchara is so vindicated - he knows that nothing about ink can be trusted after all. cross has fallen for the biggest trick in the world. is the time with ink so wonderful that cross is prepared to abandon his empty universe, abandon his friends and family? will he choose ink over them?

... but what if he can have both? he can have ink, and he can find ways to restore his universe? ink wouldn't listen, but cross/xchara can make him listen. they have a power that they haven't experimented on a live being yet - the hack knife. and eventually, ink becomes the first test subject for it. and it's easy, because it's just like a betrayal kill, something that cross is not unfamiliar with, no matter how terrible it makes him feel. but this is for the greater good after all, and ink is too much of a valuable ally (... or something even more) to lose.

and that's how cross and xchara find out about xgaster's plan. imagine how mad they are. but it's fine, really. with ink under their control, they don't have to worry about that old coot anymore. xchara wants vengeance, but cross wants to keep ink. i imagine they don't know about ink's immortality yet, so xchara agrees that ink will be under cross' care. cross is a little bit irate that xchara treats ink like a misbehaved pet, and they argue a lot about it. ink is just so small (he's canonically 3ft8 what), he's vulnerable and cross has to protect him, especially from that damned destroyer who keeps interfering with their plans.

now imagine if cross and xchara meet nightmare and killer. the things killer would comment about how nightmare and cross are so similar with their "pets" and all.

[rainyraisin]

I think Gerald Robotnik is the perfect example of how sympathetic doesn't mean forgivable and I havent seen a single person talk about it

[wildstar25]

MiqoMarch Day 26 - Faith

Though she is constantly reminded of her status being blessed by the goddess- Hydaelyn's chosen, as they called it - Arsay maintained a reluctance to allow her fate to be subject to the will of any higher being. Instead it is her friends, her family, whom Arsay puts her absolute faith in. Their bond is the greater gift by far.

[unordinary-diary]

Ensemble and Intelligence

Everyone in the main cast is really smart, actually. Every last one of them. But it doesn’t feel repetitive or unrealistic because they’re all smart in different ways.

Seraphina: is probably the most obviously smart. She’s capable of perfect grades, she’s a skilled liar, good at reading people and puzzling information together, and she’s really really clever. The moment that sticks out to me most is when she used clever wording to trick Nadia, the lie detector, during her interrogation in chapter 28, without hesitation or breaking a sweat. I’d argue that she’s actually the smartest character in the cast.

Blyke: is mostly academically smart. He gets good grades in school and finds the work to be easy. Beyond that, he’s also good at reading people. He’s not as good as Seraphina is, but he’s able to read his two best friends like a book, and he has a much higher emotional intelligence than I initially gave him credit for. He also uses his ability very creatively, even before his power up. A moment that sticks out to me is when Remi was secretly going after EMBER, and Blyke was able to read her and piece together what was going on, meanwhile Isen had no idea anything was wrong.

Isen: is not a high achiever in school, but he excels in writing. He is proficient at gathering, piecing together, and expressing information. He’s also the only character except maybe Seraphina who consistently makes the smart decisions (as opposed to the reckless, emotional, hasty or ill informed/advised ones). Most characters make at least some stupid decisions and mistakes, but Isen is pretty much always focused on logic and foresight. Notable moments include: being able to track down John’s records, tracking down Claire, choosing not to publish the article on fake Jokers because he knew it would exacerbate the problem, tracking EMBER’s movements and basically anything he does on his computer.

John: initially seems like a total birdbrain. He acts like a dumbass, and he gets fairly bad grades. However, it’s clear from the beginning that he’s a good strategist. He thinks on his feet well, he’s good at sizing people up, and when he chooses to, he uses his ability with incredible creativity and tact. His intelligence is largely fighting centered. However, much later in the story, after John’s suspension, we see another side of him. It doesn’t show up much when he’s acting like silly old hair gel John, and definitely not much when he’s too buried in his anger to think straight, but John is really clever. This side of John is a lot like Seraphina’s smarts— he’s good at reading people, and he’s good at putting pieces together and thinking critically. Things that come to mind are when he read Arlo like a book, (something along the lines of “But you do need help. You wouldn’t have lost your cool if you had things under control.) and when he immediately sniffed out Sera’s lies (She said she was talking to Arlo about “Safe House stuff”, and John identifies that as a lie because if it were true she would have kept Remi in the room instead of asking for a private conversation with Arlo).

Arlo: is very cunning. He’s constantly scheming and thinking five steps ahead. He makes many misguided decisions due to his naïveté and misplaced trust, but he’s also very often the voice of reason. He’s a great leader and an even better manipulator. He’s always thinking analytically and connecting dots. An example is the fact that Arlo is the only person who suspected that John was actually a high tier, and looked deeper for more info. He also provided valuable insight in the Spectre investigation, and, like Isen, often encourages others on the side of caution (advising Seraphina not to meet with Spectre, involving John with the Spectre issue, telling Remi not to go after EMBER, etc.) Now, Arlo actually does give off the impression of being stupid at times, which is something I’d like to look at. He has many areas where he acts purely on his emotions and against common wisdom, but that is something that every person does. I think the reason why Arlo’s emotion-based decisions come off as stupidity moreso than other characters is because of the image he upholds: Arlo hides his emotions, pretends he doesn’t care about anything, and portrays himself as a person who acts on logic alone. Because of this, the emotions he acts upon aren’t always immediately obvious, or the audience doesn’t perceive them as being intense enough to make him behave the way he does. Therefore, Arlo’s mistakes (namely: targeting John because he feels abandoned and unfairly burdened, and refusing to believe the authorities are EMBER because he loves his aunt) — can be mistaken for a lack of critical thinking as opposed to a strong emotion.

Remi: is probably the least smart by conventional standards, but she sure as hell isn’t stupid. She has good critical thinking skills, she’s able to come to logical conclusions on her own, and she has good leadership. She was probably the first to put together that the authorities and EMBER are connected, and she was the one to realize that the writer of the Kovoro Mall article (Terrence) had been following them (Ch. 52). Not to mention that it was Remi who came up with the idea for the Safe House. However, the most notable facet of Remi’s smarts is her emotional intelligence. Remi is very good at navigating social situations, understanding herself and others, and she is excellent at communication. Highlights include the way she handled the situation with John (being understanding of him, hearing him out and offering to help him, but without compromising her own values), and the way she expressed to Blyke that she wasn’t mad at him but rather, scared for his safety, which was a clear, concise and honest way of explaining a very intense and complicated emotion, which is difficult to do in the heat of the moment.

[hauntingofhouses]

guys cmon. be ffr please. akemi did Not love taigen. the only reason why she was desperate to search for him to the point of putting herself in danger is because she didn't want to get married to an abusive man (which she believed at the time that takayoshi was). when seki tried to dissuade her from running off, her reason was not "but i love taigen and wanna be with him 🥺" it was because she refused to be controlled and have her autonomy taken from her; she literally says "i won't be locked away in edo married to a stranger." and when seki still tries to argue that getting married to the heir of the shogun would be better than getting caught by brigands, she then says "that kind of man"—referring to takayoshi—"treats women like animals. they say he's a tyrant." and when seki chuckles and says "what man isn't?" her response is "you." she doesn't even talk about taigen. she is using him as much as he was using her. they both see—or, well, saw—each other as means to an end. for taigen he saw that marrying into the tokunobu clan would elevate his status and wealth. for akemi she wanted the right to choose who she married, and she wanted that person to be someone kind. that's it! neither of them loved each other. but since they were courting of course they acted sweet to each other, and they do still care for one another, especially due to their romantic history. but let's be real! akemi is a boss bitch who dropped taigen and forgot all about his ass as soon as she saw takayoshi was a nice guy. because duh? not only is takayoshi a better lover (it's implied their lovemaking lasted a long time) but he's also kinder towards her and presents her with an opportunity to claim power and freedom, which she would not have if she had married taigen, as she would have still been stuck under her father's thumb. so literally why should she settle for taigen's stupid ass! she may be a little naive at times but she's still incredibly intelligent. she would not do something stupid for the sake of "love." you know who would though? taigen.

[rabbitbonesandsheabutter]

do you think dale is just an emotional guy or do you think he cries sometimes to get his way/manipulate his partner? idk i feel like he’s just a big ol sappy guy

Yeah, I do think he seems really emotional and would cry pretty frequently. Like the screaming in the car, that’s for no one else’s benefit so I think at least some of the emotions we see from him are very real.

Since I imagine any strong enough emotion would make him tear up anyway, whether or not they’re sometimes manipulative depends on you. If seeing him cry has you bending over backwards to get him happy again (no shame in it, me too), he’s employing them at every opportunity. BUT the opposite is not always true, seeing you cry turns him on because he’s a freak like that. Only if he’s the one causing it though. Anything else feels more real to him and he’ll desperately try to fix it for you.

He’d still try and sway you with tears even if he knows it’s not going to work. After a few tries, he eventually just gets angry and embarrassed that you don’t seem to care, resorting to more extreme ways of getting a reaction from you. Instead of trying to communicate, he wants to make you feel what he’s feeling, an equivalent of how much you’ve hurt him. He knows nearly everything about you and he’s so petty. Even though he just enjoys collating all those facts about you, he’ll still use any of them against you. So your ‘punishment’ will be perfectly tailored. Ignoring you, pushing your boundaries, being especially rough. Whatever he knows will affect you most and get his point across, then after he’s all sweet again. Wiping away your tears, all the gruffness gone from his voice and back to his usual light sing-song tone “I hope you’ve learnt your lesson, I don’t enjoy hurting my sweet angel.” Lies! he most definitely does enjoy knowing he can get to you so much.

[icewindandboringhorror]

I'm so heavily anti-advertising that all pitches sound goofy silly to me/I can never take them seriously, so I have no idea how I'll manage to to advertise my game even if I do finally finish it soon-ish lol...

[charliespringverse]

i think it should be possible to scream without making any noise or disturbing anyone or inviting any questions . just sometimes . as a treat .

[joleneghoul]

Im sorry i get like its a continuation of the previous game so as the PLAYER you may have sympathy for Solas and want to save him but from the MAIN CHARACTER standpoint of datv why would Rook of all characters feel any need to do so by the end? Like unless u romanced him in inquisition, it's not like the inquisitor puts up a huge argument for him.

I dont even feel like the regret memories add to his defense much from Rooks perspective, esp with some backgrounds.

Like theres multiple times characters are like "rook trust us he isnt actually bad" but never addresses what he did to Rook? Narriatively why would Rook give a fuck what other ppl are saying when they lived first hand his worst? U cant even have conversations with ur team abt what happened really from Rooks perspective. Weird.

Oh well just something to expand on in my head ig.

[s1llyfreakx3]

TW: manipulation, abusive relationship, grooming in the manipulation way

(also I think this counts as romanticising them, but still portrayed as negative just in the unreliable narrator way)

Self indulgent transgroomed scenario that AAAAAAAA /pos ;w;

I want to talk to someone friendly and nice. But then they would slowly start toeing boundaries. I might notice and ask them to stop, and they would apologise, maybe draw back a bit, but return to their previous behaviour within a few days. They'd keep gradually going further and further, but it's normal to often be uncomfortable in relationships, right? We'd be talking about something I like, I'd be stimming with happiness but then they'd suddenly say something uncomfortable, that'd make me fall silent. My hand would start shaking in that awkward, nervous way, and I wouldn't know what to say or how to react. So I'd just laugh nervously, or try and do whatever I thought they wanted me to do. It's my fault for not being good enough at socialising, that's the only reason why I'm feeling so uncomfortable and why there's so many ups and downs in how I feel around them. Whenever I did something wrong, made a mistake in how I should act around people, they'd point it out. I mean that's good, it's fair if some of my behaviours are weird or are making them feel uncomfortable. They'd point out stuff I knew were problems, like forgetting to answer messages or rambling about a boring topic for too long. But they'd also tell me stuff I didn't realise were so weird and uncomfortable for others. And soon I'd realise that it's normal to do whatever they want, and that I'm a bad person if I try making a scene about something. I've always had problems with being too dramatic, and I can't let this happen here. I'd just go along with whatever they said, even if it would have been unthinkable to me just a couple months ago.

[e8luhs]

im stuck trying to uproot this invasive species of plant in my brain thats been put there by my abuser. im stuck with this brainworm that has his voice that tells me what he likes and what he doesnt like and nitpicks every little thing i do and say and every person i talk to. its only been four months since ive stopped talking to him and stuff and im still only just starting to realize the scope of how bad it was, in that way where you know what happened sure but you dont Really Know until the True Grand Scheme Context hits you. i dont know i keep posting like "fuuuuck recovering from abuse is crazyyyyy" but to be honest recovering from abuse is kind of crazy