#yikes character trait

[kooldewd123]

book 40

[acronycalrising]

AH’s character blindness is so difficult sometimes lmao. like gamzee for example is more of a paradox than paradox space itself. realistically what we the reader can interpret with our own 2 eyes is that gamzee is a tool. like literally, he is a narrative device in homestuck and absolutely nothing more. he goes from generally average 13 year old troll with a substance abuse problem -> mind controlled narrative tool (cal) -> mind controlled narrative tool (aranea) -> locked in a fridge forever. like ok he’s haha the funny clown but he wasn’t... always??? thats where the dissonance arrives for most people that like or are curious about gamzee (among other homestuck misfit characters) ie) me. like what we see of gamzee is that he was literally just a child in the beginning. he wasn’t even particularly mean like some of the other trolls. but AH expects us to just gloss over that like he does and accept that gamzee is (for some reason) super evil even underneath the layers of mind control and 0 degree of agency he is ever given.

[ndostairlyrium]

I think da2 is how it is partially because of Varric's narration, but the visuals are provided by Cassandra's imagination, so let's start to share the blame for Hawke's oiled biceps and Bethany's boobs shall we

[thisintermezzo]

People are really out here acting like Alisaie exists on the verge of a rage meltdown at all times. She just gets angry about injustice like a JRPG protagonist! (And also she's ready to pummel her brother for being the worst, but that's normal sibling behavior and doesn't speak to actual anger, imo.)

I have no idea why everyone in fandom acts like she's got a hair trigger rage problem and is constantly ready to explode.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Well, i have read the sample from Shusters book and what can i say. Now i get what the other anon was saying. Just from two chapters it’s already clear that Shuster is trying to paint Ze like some applause dependent dictator, who doesn’t give a fuck and his kids and wife(As Shuster wrote «Puts his work above everything else»🤡🤡)

Interesting, what you can say about that book because i’m already disappointed…

.

[aria0fgold]

I don't know what I'm doing with this fic's story anymore at this point, I'm just doing feck all but somehow it's also so fun to just... make it a lil wacky.

[thus-wrote-mrs-zeppeli]

La Squadra x reader: How They Flirt

Yikes. They’re trying-

Content: casual flings, slight suggestiveness, creepy Melone, different relationship depending on character

Characters: all La Squadra (-Sorbet and Gelato)

Style: quick headcanons

-Formaggio: Very casual flirt, tends to walk that line that makes you wonder if he’s actually flirting with you or just being nice. And he’ll flirt with any cute thing that catches his eye, doesn’t mean he’s looking for anything serious, but giving him attention back will make him hover around a bit more. He wants to see what will happen.

He’ll offer to buy you a drink at the bar, asking if the seat next to you was taken, and if not he’ll playfully wonder out loud why. You really don’t have a sweetheart? Well he’s nobody’s first choice but if you want some company for the night, he’s a pretty good conversationalist~

He’s a natural, much more socially aware than most of his squad mates. He knows leaning forward while you talk will make you feel heard, and asking you questions about yourself will make him seem genuinely interested in you. By the end of the night, his hand’s on the back of your chair and you’re sharing drinks and laughing together. Maybe you’ve even given him your number. But don’t take it personally when the second you turn around suddenly he’s chatting it up with the next cute thing he spotted. He’s not even trying to make you jealous, he’s just having a good time, and there’s plenty of him to share. If you do actually want to get somewhere with him, make it obvious…he likes that and he’ll be willing to give you more attention for bold behavior.

-Illuso: God, he is BORING. His body language doesn’t even convey any particular interest in you, and he doesn’t even ask about you, just starts listing his appealing traits to try to convince you he’s a good time and worth spending an evening with. You suspect he just wants money from you, but he’s just not very good at flirting. He really does want you to let him take you out on the town for the night, but he’s too prideful to ask outright…it feels like begging to him. You’d be better off just asking him yourself if he wants to spend the evening with you. He has some nerve acting like he wasn’t trying for that when he says: “Well, if you insist~”

-Prosciutto: He’s extraordinarily blunt but…when you’re as handsome and serious as he is it honestly works.

Don’t try to play coy with him if he decides to approach you, he wants some companionship tonight and he’s not gonna work that hard for it. You only get one chance with him before he decides if he does or doesn’t want to spend an evening with you, so be assertive back if you think he’s someone you wanna play with.

“You want a drink on me or not?” he asks, resting his elbow on the bar and gazing at you with those intense eyes. He won’t ask again. It’s yes or no. And if you say yes he’s gonna order you whatever he thinks you want.

He’s a horribly grumpy and audacious companion…but once you get used to it he doesn’t have ill-intentions. He just wants a good time tonight, like most people who go out alone to a bar on the weekend.

-Pesci: One word. AWKWARD. He does Not know much about flirting, beyond the basics. But knowing the basics doesn’t mean he knows how to put them all together. People like compliments…but also confidence and devil may care attitudes…and how is he even supposed to know what you like…?

He didn’t mean to just. Sit there and stare at you from across the restaurant. He didn’t realize he was even doing that until your eyes meet and you awkwardly wave him over, since clearly he wants something from you.

He settles for the only thing he can think to do as he awkwardly shuffles over to your table. He tells you he likes your shoes. It makes you laugh and you ask him his name and invite him to sit with you, willing to see where this might go. You end up giving him your number, since you couldn’t deny a bit of curiosity towards him.

-Melone: He walks by your table at a restaurant and not so subtly tosses a cocktail napkin in front of you, with something written on it:

“Nice thighs~”

Signed with his number and his name with a heart next to it.

Gross, what the hell…?

It doesn’t take long for you to catch his eye, and you shake your head and glare at him disapprovingly. He just tilts his head at you, his eyes narrowing as his lips turn up into a smirk and he blows you a kiss.

GROSS. What the HELL?

You have no idea if he’s just being confident, stupid, or straight-up a creep.

You subtly text one of your friends to come pick you up so you don’t have to walk home alone tonight.

You have No idea what that guy was Expecting to get out of that interaction, but he can forget it until he improves his flirting game, if that’s even what that was-

-Ghiaccio: He is NOT the type to humiliate himself by flirting with random people. He finds it desperate, and he’s not much of a quick fling or even “romantic relationships” person anyways. If he does end up attempting to flirt with you, it’s because he’s known you for a while and truly has some sort of mind-consuming crush on you. If it didn’t literally keep him up at night, he’d probably never ask you out and just bottle it up forever.

It’s a bit terrifying to see him stomp over to you, that signature intenseness permeating his body language. Despite how naturally cold his body was, his face looks warm and he speaks especially loudly while trying to give you a kind compliment. He doesn’t beat around the bush for very long. “WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME FOR DINNER?!” he screams at you, unintentionally. Say yes and he’ll tell you he’ll pick you up at 6:30 exactly and then hurry off in a huff of embarrassment. Say no and he’ll activate White Album and escape as fast as possible and avoid you for the rest of the day, ending the evening with an apology text and insisting you both just forget he ever said anything. Please. He will DIE if you mention it again after rejecting him-

-Risotto Nero: He’s very much like Ghiaccio in the sense that he’s not interested in some sort of quick and casual thing, or relationships in general. He’s got a job to do, he doesn’t have time for dating. But if he’s known you for a while and enjoys your company…there’s a slim chance he’ll attempt to flirt, with the intent of inviting you on a date. It’s a bit awkward, and you really can’t tell what he’s going for at first when he mentions a nice, secluded spot for a private stroll. It honestly kinda sounds like a threat when he words it like that, though you’re sure that’s not his intent. But being direct with him will make him more direct with you.

Ask if he’s inviting you on a date and he’ll say yeah, that was the intention…only if you aren’t busy and actually wish to spend some time with him.

You’re sure it’ll be a bit quiet and awkward at first but…you’re flattered to be invited, and don’t have any plans that night so…may as well.

[citygirlyuno305]

Haruka

Yikes. Poor kid. I never “liked” Haruka as a character (by which I mean I was not extraordinarily invested in his character, not that I disliked him or anything like that) but I do feel sad reading the recent release.

Sometimes a parent can do everything right and still their child ends up doing something horrible. Sometimes its genuinely not the parents’ fault. but I’ve found that’s honestly a less common scenario; most children that commit extremely violent offenses are like Haruka in a way, where their parents materially failed them in some capacity. I’d say 95% of any juvenile defendant I see had parents who perpetrated, ignored, or encouraged some very serious problems that led to the crime itself.

Its not to say that a child has NO agency; they are capable of moving, thinking, talking, breathing, killing on their own without any influence by their parents or in spite of a parent’s attempts to curtail bad behavior. But, it’s overly myopic to assume a child’s misconduct MUST, categorically, be because of their own intrinsic traits. Haruka’s killing of animals in secret was stated to be because he was happy to find something inferior to himself- but that inferiority complex stemmed from the way he was mistreated. In that way, Haruka’s parents had given him attention after the pet killings, it likely wouldnt have changed anything, because he was excited by the newfound attention; it is their original lack of interest which spurred his self loathing and desire to regain their attention. If they had put him somewhere where he could seek targeted therapy, maybe that girl would still be alive. Nurture can be more powerful than nature. It is entirely possible that he could have been a normal child with a normal life absent that neglect, and that he’d just need targeted help for whatever developmental disability he suffered from.

Having parents neglect to address or flat out ignore a developmental disability is not a novel idea even in the USA. Actually, if you look at cases that are similar to Gabriel Fernandez or Anthony Avalos, you’ll find many people abuse/torture one child to death because of a special hatred for just one of their children based on something trivial- for those two it was perceived homosexuality, but once you dive deeper, you find parents doing the same for children who have developmental delays. So although Harukas treatment seems cabined to neglect, and not physical beatings (unless I misread), he does remind me of those cases in a roundabout way. To discard or reject a child because of a perceived negative trait.

I feel very sad for the parents of his first victim as well, to never know who killed my child; or if they did, eventually, to know my child was murdered by another child who promptly murdered a second victim because neither the system nor Haruka’s parents were willing to accept the reality of Haruka’s situation. Killing animals is a warning sign that cannot be ignored. But, once again, at that point he needed more than just corrected behavior by his parents. He needed true and genuine psychological help.

It is very sad all around. While I cannot stand the thought of a child murdering my pet just because my screams of anguish made him feel connected to the world, and while I cannot myself fathom how someone can feel even temporary joy that they murdered someone they knew was weaker and less physically able, I can simultaneously feel sad that Haruka was so monumentally failed by his parents.

He was on his way to becoming a serial killer, and he could’ve been a perfectly functioning member of society.

To that end, his reaction during T2 and his ultimatum parallel, to me, his excitement when he was getting attention from his parents after being caught killing animals in his neighborhood. Giving him T1 innocent and then T2 guilty was basically us neglecting to address his psychological issues in T1 and then only turning to give him that attention in T2, like how his parents neglected him until he was brought in by police. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe if he were guilty T1 it would have been better. Then again, it would perhaps affirm his belief that he is inferior and he maybe would have attempted to kill a physically inferior inmate.

It’s unclear. In any case, its sad and feels somewhat preventable. Were I prosecuting Haruka, though I’d have to argue he be put in prison for the safety of others, I would nonetheless seek simultaneous and required therapeutic treatment as well as targeted educational support. Because I think if he had that in the first place, he wouldnt be the danger to society that he is at all.

[moeitsu]

OOoooh I've always wanted to do a low honor Arthur analysis, despite having never done a LH playthrough myself LOL.

I agree with everything you said here, especially the fact that he is still the same person with the same characteristics present in either honor level. I go into more detail under the cut :)

The distinction between Low Honor (LH) and High Honor (HH) Arthur Morgan isn’t about changing who Arthur is at his core. Instead, it’s about how his traits and outlook on life manifest when he’s striving for redemption versus when he’s resigned to his darker impulses.

(Just want to toss this in, I'm talking about canon events here. Not when the player decides to massacre Saint Denis)

Arthur’s fundamental traits remain the same regardless of his honor level. He’s fiercely loyal to Dutch and the gang, bound by the brotherhood that has defined most of his life. He’s observant, intelligent, and capable of empathy, though he rarely shows it openly. His humor is sharp, often laced with sarcasm, and his actions—whether violent or altruistic—are always grounded in survival and loyalty. Even as LH Arthur, he doesn’t become a mindless killer or harm people without reason. His actions remain calculated, even in his darkest moments.

The main difference between LH and HH Arthur lies in his mentality and outlook on the world. HH Arthur wrestles with guilt and a desire to make amends for his past actions. He hopes, however faintly, that he can leave the world a better place before he dies. This inner conflict drives him to act with compassion, even when it’s inconvenient or dangerous.

LH Arthur, however, leans into his cynicism. He’s more fatalistic, believing that redemption is out of reach and that the world is inherently cruel. Rather than striving for change, he accepts his role as an outlaw and justifies his darker choices as inevitable. While he’s still capable of compassion, those moral boundaries shift, and he’s less inclined to extend kindness unless it serves him or the gang.

This doesn’t mean he’s a monster; it simply means he’s resigned to the idea that his actions, good or bad, ultimately don’t matter.

Both HH and LH Arthur are pessimists, but their perspectives differ in significant ways.

HH Arthur’s pessimism is tinged with regret and a faint hope for something better. While he doubts whether his actions can truly make a difference, he still tries to do the right thing. For instance, he might go out of his way to help strangers or protect the vulnerable, driven by the belief that he can at least make small improvements in the lives of others.

LH Arthur’s pessimism is darker and more self-serving. He sees little point in trying to be better, as he believes the world and himself are beyond saving. This grim outlook allows him to justify more ruthless behavior, focusing on survival and immediate loyalty rather than any greater moral purpose. He’ll still care for those close to him, but his interactions often carry an edge of bitterness and resignation.

While LH Arthur still shows loyalty and care for the gang, his demeanor is harsher. His humor becomes darker, his patience shorter, and his willingness to show mercy wanes. He might help someone in need, but his actions are often accompanied by sardonic remarks that highlight his belief in the futility of it all.

On the other hand, HH Arthur’s actions, even the violent ones, often carry a sense of moral weight. When he kills, it’s with the understanding that he’s adding to his sins, but he balances this by seeking ways to atone. His kindness feels more deliberate, as though he’s actively trying to leave a positive mark on the world.

LH Arthur Morgan isn’t a completely different person from HH Arthur; rather, he’s a darker reflection of the same man. His intrinsic traits remain intact, but his perspective shifts from one of conflicted hope to resigned fatalism. This portrayal reinforces the idea that morality isn’t black-and-white but a wide spectrum shaped by choices, circumstances, and beliefs.

His honor level doesn’t just affect the world around him; it changes how he sees himself and his place in it.

I'd love to see some low honor Arthur analyses.

I usually think of high honor Arthur and I also don't have the heart to play the low honor route all the way through, so I'm not as familiar with it.

I've seen certain people say things like LH Arthur would shoot you on sight, which of course is bullshit, because not everything that makes you lose honor is "canon".

Arthur is still the same person either way, in the essence. And, characteristics of each are still present in one or the other.

But I'd like to see someone's opinion on what makes him different from high honor and what those two share and why.

[nullified-space]

The over-analysis of Orbo (and the little screen time we have of him)

Welcome to my over analysis of Orbo as a character because I love him dearly, I need to see more of him in season 2, and I’m tired of the evil Orbo trope. This is 7 pages long and reached 2k words yikes. UMM. I don't know how to do introduction so lets jut get right to it:

When we are first introduced to Orbo he falls from above and onto a pedestal. If the audience doesn’t already realize it from the symbolism of putting someone up on a pedestal- where he is angled ABOVE Scarab, the symbol thats etched into it which related to the wings on the phone they use to talk to the Boss we see later can explain to them that Orbo is in an authoritative position over Scarab. Even before mentioning it we can assume that Orbos his boss.

But before we get into their interaction let’s take a moment to observe Orbos design. It's a very simple and obvious silhouette- a circle with purple shades on his face. Usually in character designs to accentuate specific traits in a character, artists would choose one body shape over the other to express that to the viewer. So Orbo being a LITERAL circle, with no sharp pointed edges should already communicate to the audience that he’s not inherently evil or malicious. And often, circles are associated with unity, security, and divinity. In other words, he’s friend shaped.

If the artists wanted to paint Orbo to be a villain/ villain-leaning- wouldn’t they try to express that through his design by adding sharper edges? Giving him more striking colors like red, darker purples, or just a darker color palette in general?

Compared to Scarb who’s all sharp angles and consists of many triangles in his design, even being fully BRIGHT red to showcase that he’s dangerous (a walking red flag if you will)- it just doesn’t make sense for Orbo to be painted as a villain or immoral boss when his design doesn’t match up to that in the slightest.

Anyways. Moving onto the interactions that the two have.

Earlier when Scarab is waiting to have a meeting with Orbo I do want to note that he’s seen being agitated and fidgeting to himself. In the next scene the room Orbo brings him to is full of calming and colorful lights. It feels less intimidating and more casual. It almost seems like a place you would be meditating in.

The scene starts with Orbo spinning around Scarab while growing bigger. While he’s doing this he’s listing off the reasons why he was called into a meeting with him in the first place.

“Ignoring our calls, giving yourself missions, pursuing your own monomanias. I tell ya you’re really whiffing that ball lately.”

And yet despite listing off Scarabs transgression he says this all in a lighthearted tone and expression, if anything it’s barely the kind of scold a boss would give to a coworker who keeps going against orders. He still keeps a very lenient attitude that you wouldn’t normally expect a boss to give to a self-serving co worker like Scarab. He says it almost like he’s asking why Scarab is doing all this, giving him the floor to speak on it.

However, Scarab just completely dismisses what Orbo says so he can request for more time. This to which Orbo scoffs in return- being dismissive to Scarabs dismissiveness.

(analysis has been finished check qrts)

[waffle-spam]

Can you do wanderer/scaramouche or xiao x reader who is an animal archon!

Literally animals will be following reader EVERYWHERE and all of the animals trust her!

It's ok if you don't do it Ofc❤

Aaa my first ask! I've never written characterization for Scara before but I'll see what I can do :D

Scenario: You're the animal archon, constantly being followed by animals

Characters: Xiao, the Wanderer

Content: Fluff, Reader's gender isn't specified

Xiao:

Would keep his distance at first. Very worried that his karmic debt would hurt them

I always hc'ed Xiao to have bird-like traits or behaviors so I feel like he'd be subconsciously drawn to you as well

Either because he feels safe around you (the reason why most small animals seem to seek you out) or because he feels a need to protect you (the reason why larger animals gravitate toward you). His bird instincts and his warrior instincts contradict but either way he'd feel a pull towards you

Since you're an archon that means you're powerful enough to resist and maybe even counter his corruption (think like Venti playing music and the sound stopping Xiao from losing his mind).

Take him by the hand and reassure him that it's going to be okay, that you're not going to let the corruption affect any of the animals, that he's safe and welcome here.

The dogs and boars will look at the yaksha warily. It's not their fault -- they can sense the corruption and instinctively feel uneasy. Reassure them and they'll trust your judgement

He would watch in quiet fascination as a small finch approaches, allowing you to scoop it up in your nurturing hands

He'd freeze up as you reach out for his hand but he trusts you, letting you coax the little bird into his gloved hands

He would remain deathly still, not wanting to disturb the creature as it nestles against the worn leather of his gloves, fluffing up its feathers in satisfaction

Every once in a while on your travels, you'll be visited by a suspiciously familiar teal colored bird. It doesn't sing or chirp like the other birds. Instead, it sits itself in a nearby perch, as if watching over you and your animal friends almost protectively like you were its own flock

You sense its adeptal energy but you don't say anything about it

Sometimes you can coax it to come closer, though it always tries to keep some distance from the other animals for some reason.

Due to your status and powers as an archon, very few monsters ever approach close enough to bother you to begin with but whenever the teal finch is in the vicinity, it's like there aren't any monsters in sight. Almost as if its presence was repelling them...

Wanderer:

Wait. You're an archon? Yikes

Jk if this is Hat Guy and not the Balladeer, he probably doesn't care (or isn't AS bothered) that you're a godly entity. Besides, if he causes trouble, Aunt Buer will make him apologize anyway...

The first time you arrive in Sumeru (It's been a couple hundred years since you visited due to trying to avoid the bouts of Withering caused by the Cataclysm. You didn't want animals following you there and getting sick) you see a small little creature with a :] face approaching you. Well, at first you don't identify what it is because it's covered by what looks like a big hat

it places the hat in front of you and makes a bouncing motion, as if in greeting

Not long after the little creature sets down its "offering" to you, you hear footsteps that give way to the arrival of a very angry looking puppet.

The rishboland tigers laying down beside you give a small warning growl and the little shroomboars huddle behind you for protection from this new person.

At first he thinks you're just a mortal and asks what the tell you think you're doing sitting out in the wilderness contracting diseases from wild animals (which earns another growl from the rishboland tiger that was enjoying a nice nap resting its head in your lap)

But then he'd sense that you're an archon and give you a look but not say anything

You'd have to convince the Aranara (or the "forest gremlin", as the Wanderer put it) to return the hat back to him

"Is this your friend?" You ask, amused, after coaxing the fairy-like creature to release the hat.

"Hardly." The Wanderer crosses his arms, eyes flashing with contempt. "Little menace follows me around constantly. The whole lot of them do. And they just... watch."

"It's been a while since I've interacted with one," you think out loud, coaxing the shroomboars to come out of hiding. "But from what I remember, Aranara normally only ever show themselves around small children. They must see something in you that makes them trust you."

"..."

For a moment, the crease in the Wanderer's forehead disappears. An unreadable expression crosses his face as if he were contemplating your words, but as soon as the expression appeared it was gone.

He grit his teeth and let out a dry laugh, as if deciding to disregard your words.

Alternate version for Scaramouche's part:

Being the animal archon, you can sense things in living beings.

Specifically, when they're not actually living beings.

Living things had a pulse. They breathed. They strained when put under stress but healed and kept living.

Ruin Guards have a constant creaking sound whenever they move, artificially propelled by magic that had stopped being practiced before even you manifested into the world. Maybe your predecessor would have seen it, understood it. The clockwork meka in Fontaine give off a metronomic clicking sound, keeping time through their walk cycles and other pre-programmed movements.

Sure, these things are animated, but it would be a stretch to call them alive.

When you first met the Wanderer, you didn't sense a pulse, nor did you hear that telltale clicking of gears and wires. He wasn't quite alive, but too elaborate to come across as an artificial imitation.

Maybe, after knowing each other for a looong time, Wanderer will disclose his past to you. How he isn't a god nor a human.

The two of you are sitting in a clearing, you followed by animals, him followed by Aranara.

"Well... Even if you're not the same species as a human..." You say after thinking for a long while, "I still consider you to be a person."

His eyes widen ever so slightly as he listens to you.

"You have the capacity to think and feel and want, just like anyone else. To me, that makes you just as alive as any human, even if you don't share some of the physical traits."

With the way he described his past, such a human reaction to pain and betrayal, the only thing that seemed to set him apart was the godly ability he inherited.

He'd consider your words in silence, not offering a response, but for a moment you swore you heard a heartbeat.

A/N: I was mostly just throwing things at the wall and seeing if it worked for this one. Idk how to write Scaramouche I'm sorry asdfjkl

[lochlogie]

Lochlan as Echo

I think the reason Saxon grimaces or internally groans when Lochlan says "and I saw you lying there and I thought you looked a little left out," is because, like this thread posits, Lochlan is Echo. He's holding up a mirror to Saxon in that moment.

Saxon is all about hedonistic pleasure seeking. In his mind, that's the only point to life and it justifies itself. It feels good and Saxon is a winner, a success, an alpha, whatever labels he clings to. So how could it be wrong?

Saxon has never textually assaulted any women, nor violated their boundaries (except Piper's, and also Chelsea's a little EDIT: and also his masseuse). But if Saxon ever has (it's more than a 0% chance), it was likely done out of selfish ignorance. "I thought you wanted it," because if Saxon wants it, it must be good enough for you too. Or it was done out of callousness. Why should he consider someone else's feelings when Saxon is the drug? He likely views sex with him as a privilege for someone else to experience, like his narcissistic traits run deep. Or he just doesn't care, let them get all messy.

And what does Lochlan do? He does cross Saxon's boundaries, Saxon does feel violated by the hand job. He does act like Saxon probably would. But what are Lochlan's rationalizations after the fact? "I thought you looked left out. You looked lonely and I know how important getting off is to you. I wanted to include you." Lochlan frames this violation as selfless. That doesn't justify it morally, but it is an important distinction between him and Saxon.

This is not the only interpretation of their dynamic, but as Saxon was trying to redpill Lochlan, basically everyone agreed before episode 5-6 that Lochlan would in some way "turn it around on Saxon," which he kind of did. Not because Saxon didn't actually enjoy it or because Saxon doesn't actually want Lochlan (I'm convinced of both), but because Lochlan shows him who he really is.

If Lochlan can engage in hedonistic and problematic behavior and view it as an act of love, inclusivity, and service, what's Saxon's excuse for doing the same things his whole life but openly and proudly doing them to serve himself, to take what he wants, to just use people?

I think it breaks Saxon's brain a little bit. Either he can't accept that this justification is real because he doesn't empathize with it, therefore doesn't understand it... or he is capable of empathy and hearing his little ingenue meow meow brother say "I did it for you 🥺" and he's realizing how much he fucked up and messed with Lochlan's head and, yes... groomed him. Either interpretation is valid, but Lochlan seconds later does confirm he thinks Saxon is a narcissist so?

Plus, if Saxon really was fantasizing about Lochlan and/or jerking off to Lochlan and Chloe having sex before Lochlan lent a hand... it kind of highlights how empathetic Lochlan is, in contrast to Saxon (and also Piper) which he'd have to be to survive in a family of narcissists (but that empathy is also what they prey on so... yikes). He could tell Saxon really wanted him, probably the whole time. If Saxon is attracted to Lochlan, and it sure is framed like that, then Lochlan's intuition was correct. Saxon was feeling left out. The characters aren't real, they can't be mistaken if the writer wants them to be correct.

He should've still asked (and Saxon would've said no of course), but I'm not going to act like what Lochlan did is on par with what Saxon-esque bros do when they say "I know you wanted it." Not even close unfortunately.

[dundeey-art]

How would you interpret prowl as a romantic partner? Especially IDW prowl

my friend, this is the question of the century. youre asking me to answer one of life's greatest mysteries. every day i knock on my friend's barred doors, and i demand they answer my very same question...: How would you interpret prowl as a romantic partner?

now, if i was a writer, and if this was a headcanon blog, i would give you a neat little list of headcanons that would make your heart flutter. unfortunately i am not a writer, so i can in no way paint a beautiful picture of a world in which prowl is your lover in a sweet 200 words or less. instead i wrote a stupid essay for you that doesnt even answer your question... hah. after another hour of typing i actually did more or less answer your question

so, you say "especially" IDW prowl, but IDW prowl is unique (and all i think about), so this is just going to be about IDW prowl.

let me just say that i started writing and i couldnt stop, so i accidentally ended up with a bunch of bullshit that has nothing to do with what you asked. i kind of like the bullshit though, so i'm not deleting it. just scroll down until you see "the headcanons" if you want to skip past my nonsense.

i used to have trouble envisioning prowl as a romantic partner because of the way he's portrayed. i bold that last part because it is specifically the way he's portrayed that makes it difficult to envision him in a romantic setting, and not necessarily the way he is as a character. what i mean by that is that prowl is always shown to be in extremely stressful situations and in environments where the stakes and tensions are high. nevermind personality, we don't even get to see how he is when he's relaxed, when he's not under threat. i suppose we get a glimpse of that during the flashback that shows him working with chromedome, but even then he is 1. performing dangerous work and 2. shown interacting with someone who is more so a colleague than a friend. even then, that is a prowl from the past. we don't know if that is how he would still act "today" (by which i mean the end of IDW). since then he's gone through millions of years of war, and that doesn't just come with trauma, but all kinds of growth and change. so we can't just fall back to pre-war prowl for our headcanons - we have to focus on present-day prowl, trauma and all.

i also want to say that i don't like the way i see how a lot of people headcanon prowl as a romantic partner. again, because of the way he's portrayed, people tend to default to a cold, mean and distant partner. someone who lacks empathy, communication skills, something about "emotional intelligence"? i've even seen people headcanon that he would be abusive... yikes. i think what people tend to forget is that prowl is not a villain. he does act distant to the people around him, but that is a pretty common personality trait that a lot of normal people in the real world have. so while he can be a little rough around the edges, i'd say hes just a normal guy who is, just like anyone, capable of developing romantic feelings for someone. still, prowl has some key traits that are undeniably him, and i try to base my idea on that while staying as loyal as possible to the canon.

the headcanons

i don't see prowl as someone who would fall in love easily. but when he does, it's intense. prowl is shown to have one goal throughout the comic: it's to attain peace. that goal is his world. i think that in a similar way we can imagine how he might be when in love - his partner, the object of his desire, would become his world. i think he would love his partner with the same kind of intensity that he is shown to have in various situations.

i think he would like to have you rely on him; he likes to be depended on, to be trusted. he wants you to leave everything to him, and he would take good care of you. that's not to say that he wouldn't trust you to take care of yourself. however, he might have a tendency to be a little controlling and overprotective - but really, it's because he cares a lot about you. he wants to prevent harm from befalling you at all costs. he might have to learn not to be so worried about you all the time. can you blame him though, after everything he's seen? if prowl lost you, he probably would not be able to move on.

i can imagine prowl's lover, and love in general, having a certain effect on prowl. you bring a kind of warmth out of him. you make him let his guard down. when he's with the one he loves, he can finally relax. he's not under threat and he's not constantly being scorned - you are essentially his safe space.

the thing is that love can bring a side out of people that you might not normally see or expect. you can imagine almost anything within reasonable limits. maybe, as a lover, prowl is soft spoken and sweet. maybe hes playful. or maybe he's not one for verbal but physical affection. honestly, it was hard for me to tell you exactly how i imagine him as a romantic partner because i like nuance, and i like to be open minded to those infinite possibilities. still, i did my best to paint a picture for you. 👍 this just took me two hours so i hope you like it

[alsethwisson]

Unpopular opinion: I HATE Haleth/Caranthir discourse with a passion.

Not because it operates on the frankly crazy heterosexist assumption that if a man and a woman met once and didn't hate each other they are contractually obligated to fuck.

That's its own can of shipping worms, I won't go there.

But. (Warning: very long read.)

Tolkien - that crusty old white extremely catholic man - has written us a female character whose most defining trait was refusing to be seen as anything but her own independent person.

She was no vassal of elves, she was no wife of any man. She was Haleth.

It was a conscious choice on Tolkien's part, rewriting his early male "Haleth the Hunter" into Lady Haleth and giving her exactly this defining traits. She was a part of a wider revision of Arda's female characters and their roles he undertook as his understanding of real-life roles women could and would take widened.

(Which is a fascinating story in its own right, by the way, and people who indiscriminately cite some earlier letters as if they were end-all be-all of Tolkien's inner thought are extremely wrong. While conservative to a fault, Tolkien was not unable to correct his beliefs. Cf: Nerdanel and generally the explicit denial of earlier "elven women channel creativity into childbearing" idea in Shibboleth.)

It's very deliberate - and very important - that Caranthir is barely a footnote in Haleth's story. He was interchangeable. It could have been any elven lord. It could have been an Edain lord, as well.

Haleth was not going to let herself or her people be dependent, it's important.

And then fandom came and turned it upside down, and Haleth became a footnote in Caranthir's story. One of a few characters (of both genders to be fair) to have neither marriage nor romance subplot and to be solely defined by her political actions becomes defined by fandom-invented romance with a dashing man.

Yikes.

[panlight]

speaking of bella's selflessness vs selfishness and the relative morality surrounding it, the idea of informed traits and the possiblity of unreliable narrators made me look up tropes like it and see how many hits the books have.

Sure enough, it hits the "Informed kindness" trope with Bella's selflessness and kindness, speculating that Edward's POV in MS could be rose-tinted due to her being the only person who's mind he can't fully read, (plus the way he looks down on the other humans to begin with doesn't help) and Bella's whole deal with the Cullens being "good to the core" despite them seemingly unbothered by their past slip-ups of having killed people, and the obvious witness gathering in BD. (It even acknowledges the rebuttal SMeyer had with a fan who expressed concerns with the Cullens being unbothered about their victims, so. that's wild.)

BUt the "Informed wrongness" trope was where it got interesting. Obviously Charlie is listed here (rightfully so), with this gem of an entry:

Her father Charlie Swan gets a particularly heavy dose of this. He's repeatedly portrayed as being wrong and in the way of Edward and Bella's true love by grounding her, suggesting that she live with her mother or seek help when she needs it. Given that Charlie wanted to ground her after she disappeared on him with barely any mention on where she was going and why while he was at a friend's funeral, the fact that he suggested she live with her mother in Phoenix after she becomes catatonic after Edward leaves her and to seek professional help from a therapist over her depression because of the same thing... it's difficult to not see that Charlie is merely acting as a well-reasoned, decent parent who is being blatantly ignored and belittled by his daughter.

also a podcast (can't remember the episode :'( ) addresses this, but bella's early grievances with Charlie/Forks comes off as her hating the town and not getting why Charlie sticks around when (the podcast mentions this) one of the main reasons Charlie even stays in the town is to care for his ailing parents. So Bella kicking tantrums to have Charlie come over instead of her visiting and then in Eclipse? (or the ending half of New Moon?) Charlie proceeding to say how Bella's "non whiny" is funny to me

But Leah was someone i didnt expect to have as much entries as she did. 😮But i can also agree. Reading the entries for her, I do find it unfair that Leah is shown by the narrative as the unreasonable one for still having hangups from her breakup (while Jacob is allowed to still pine for Bella?? yet Leah telling him that is out of line apparently.... 🤦‍♂️). .

It also lists how Leah was written to be in the wrong for confronting Bella for her same bullshit, but Edward "I don't care how justified she thinks she is, I'll throw her across the river" Cullen (big yikes !!) get's on Jacob for this, with Jacob agreeing, it's really obvious the book wants us to think Leah was wrong for it. 🙄🙄 She was the only real person in that middle portion of the book the way I'm seeing it tbh

All the second half of this barely disguised rant disguised as an "ask" is to say: I can see why Leah became the unintentional fandom favorite, and why at least the few Twilight revisit videos of recent years ive seen all list Charlie as their favorite character. XD

Exactly. It's all centered around Bella and whether a character is supportive of her and/or her relationship with Edward. Everything else doesn't really matter, even when it's much higher stakes. All those visiting vampires coming and killing people just across state lines? "Well, they'd be hunting somewhere in the world regardless and we need them to witness for Renesmee." Charlie and Billy and Rosalie not being on board with E/B (for different reasons, but all of them reasonable!), they are WRONG because TRUE LOVE. But it always seemed totally fair, based on what Billy knew, that he'd try to stop this. It's not 'standing in the way of true love' it's 'saving your best friend's kid from an ACTUAL VAMPIRE.' And Rosalie was uh not wrong about Edward being involved with a human bringing a whole host of problems down on the family.

And yeah that scene where Leah calls Bella out was so weird because I was like FINALLY someone said it, but the narrative made it seem like I was supposed to think "omg how could she say that to poor Bella's she's PREGNANT!" or whatever.

Bella's also just more interesting as a character when she's allowed to be more complicated. The whole premise that she's the Best Person and that's why she's the first person Edward falls for in 100 years ("a selfless soul to earn my awe") is sweet from Edward's perspective, but it's boring if EVERYONE sees her that way and also doesn't really jibe with Bella's own narration, where she whines and complains and judges. WHICH IS ALL FINE. It's human! It's just not, 'most exceptionally selfless and amazing person in 100 years.' She seems that way to Edward because he can't read her mind and he's in love, but Rosalie and Leah aren't "wrong" for seeing it differently. They're all right.

[necrotic-nephilim]

i think stephcass could have been potentially interesting if fandom let steph be herself and not ultimate uwu girl boss erasing all her negative traits. where is her jealousy? unhealthy obsession with her crush and complete lack of understanding of the concept of boundaries ESPECIALLY if that person is already dating someone? where is her almost manic urge to push away other potential love interests (and at this point i realized she would NOT have been so chill with ives if tim had come out much earlier yikes)

BIG AGREE OH MY GOD YOU PUT IT INTO WORDS.

because i love TimSteph for the reasons you listed!! there's something very unhealthy and teen girl-ish in the way Steph approaches relationships. she's angrily jealous and she thinks about Tim in a possessive way. like she is just so consumed by him and it's meant to be male comic writers writing how they think teen girls write about boys in their diaries- but it comes off as incredibly toxic. it's one of her deepest character flaws and what endears me so much to 90s Steph. she throws herself so deeply into romance when she has it, like she's afraid if she lets go of it for even a second it's going to leave her. and god forbid you be the person she falls for bc you will never maintain a healthy relationship with someone she views as competition, she *will* sabotage it. and to me these are all pros of her character. i *like* seeing how vigilantes struggle to maintain normal relationships- *especially* teenage vigilantes. Steph struggles to balance her "regular" life with being Spoiler and what things deserve a Stephanie Brown reaction and what things deserve a Spoiler reaction. and when she's dating, it's almost *always* going to be a Spoiler reaction and she shades her relationships through that lense. it's why civilian partners for Steph never really interest me. (besides the fact they always feel forced and clunky, like Steph's recent think with Maps' older brother?) it doesn't explore the way Steph loves to her fullest extent and how far she goes when she's into someone. there's no sweet puppy love for Steph, when she's all in, she's *all* in. she will do what she thinks is best for Tim oftentimes by her own will without his knowledge or approval, and sometimes massively fucks things up for him. bc she's just so wrapped up in what she believes is best, consequences are secondary.

and sure, she maintains healthy friendships. bc most fodder with StephCass is very healthy and soft. bc it's a *friendship*. and it changes radically when Steph is involved romantically. it's why there's such a difference in how Steph regards Tim when they're just friends as to when they were dating. she loves him and he's always going to be important, but that obsessive passion isn't what drives them anymore. so it's something you have to consider with *any* Steph ship in which it's a character she's had a friendship with- that how she interacts with them as a friend doesn't necessarily inform how she'd regard them as a lover. and that's the issue with StephCass. even the StephCass content that *is* comics informed (tho, a lot of it isn't and while i don't think fanon needs to be based on the comics to be good, i do think Steph and Cass are difficult characters to tackle if you aren't at least semi-familiar with their canon content bc of how warped they are in the fandom-) comes off with such a rose-colored lense that sours it for me. hell, even on Cass' side, things she's *canonically* done have been weird and obsessive about Steph. but that's never explored.

(tbh dare i say it's something to do with the phenomena in fandom that yuri is morally pure and perfect and yaoi is always dirty and bad- there's this almost sanitizing of sapphic ships sometimes to make them perfect and cute together and while i'm not here to yuck someone else's yum, i do think it's *telling* that women in fandom never get to explore the complex depths of unhealthy and toxic love in the way men do bc if you make a woman evil, it's misogyny. if you sexualize a woman too much it's misogyny. if you write her doing morally fucked up things even with the understanding it is her canon character, it's misogyny and you're villainizing her. i can sit here and say Tim is canonically shitty at relationships and ppl will not. if i say the same about Steph, then i'm critiquing a woman and holding her to an unfair standard. it's exhausting. it feels like StephCass only ever exists to depict Steph and Cass as morally pure and in love angels kissing in the background while the men get to do complex and nuanced and fun things in the foreground. this thought has probably been far more explored by others with more developed nuance on it, but i just wanted to point it out bc it's a very real thing i keep seeing *especially* in the Batfam fandom-)

and equally i think Cass' reaction to this intensity and obsession from Steph could be interesting. Cass historically has had poor reactions to knowing everyone is attracted to her and thinking about her, so that level of intensity i think could cause some negative reactions out of Cass that would add some very layered conflict to the ship. some of Steph's most negative traits *do* clash with Cass' wants and needs. it makes the ship more fun! it puts Steph's flaws on display as well as Cass' flaws and her internal issues surrounding romance. StephCass could be so weird and fucked up. but it's been defanged by this fandom in a way that turns me off to it. i love both Steph and Cass and i love exploring sapphic Batfam ships, so it *should* work for me. but the irony of it being popular in anti spaces combined with no one being able to acknowledge the flaws either of these characters have for the sake of making them kiss just. bores me and it's sucked any interest i could have out of it. bc god forbid women just be a little fucked up. </3