#or having an imperfect execution is bad

[moghedien]

I’m like not even the biggest Sabrina listener. Like I’ve listened to her last album but barely and mostly just like the singles but like, my main take of the discourse is mostly just surprise because I thought we had learned to not have reactionary knee jerk responses to every single shocking thing a female artist does by now. Guess not

[mewguca]

Shame

this is a rather personal piece; it's primarily based on my own struggles

It probably could've been executed better (like having more of the interaction she's agonizing over), but I really wanted to focus on that visceral reaction of shame, guilt, and self-criticism

here's a long ramble I wrote while starting this ...

I realize, perhaps much of the reason certain depictions of moon trigger me so much is due to my own overwhelming shame and guilt. It's a defense mechanism crafted because I yet lack the strength to accept myself. I suppose that's why characters like Five Pebbles are so appealing to me — he is someone I've given the room to express his faults, his flaws, his hatred, his despair, his pain, and all his imperfections... For him to be mean or angry is natural and expected, so it's not as scary to express my negative feelings with him as the instrument. He's not a "good person", after all, so it's fine if he is "bad." His standards aren't as high.

Conversely, because I idealize LTTM so much and connect her to myself, I deny her the same things I deny myself. I do it without even thinking, really...

I've often thought, "but this sort of emotion doesn't really suit her... isn't this sort of projection too self-indulgent? If I made this, it'd be too obvious that my own emotions are bleeding through onto the canvas..."

So, I wonder if she's experienced that same sort of emotional repression. It'd be cathartic, in an unfortunate way. To see someone else struggle to grapple with such things, because they want to be pure and virtuous and not upset others...

It's harder when you spend so much time shaping that perfect, faultless, virtuous sort of image, especially when you do it reflexively. Unconsciously. You're making the pressure for yourself worse, but you can't stop... I'm actually not a very friendly person. I'm actually quite afraid and irritable, and I push people away when they get too close. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want anyone to hate me... I don't want to cause suffering or strife. Sometimes, I wish I could just be a completely passive observer.

But I suppose I'm a human being instead, so I have to accept that. Thanks for reading, I guess. I'm not really looking for emotional support here... I just want to be understood.

[endearing-dalliance]

She-Ra PoP vs Arcane S2

Physically disabled character considered inferior by his society, abandoned instead of being helped

Technological genius who benefits from having a partner

Uses technology to improve his health and quality of life

Becomes fundamentally altered by a force outside his control (with Christian and cult references)

And now here's where She-Ra and Arcane's messages diverge: Hordak is consistently supported and loved by his partner throughout his journey. She doesn't let up when he tries to hide his pain from her.

She does NOT tell him that he is wrong to try to "fix" himself and actively helps him do so. She recognizes the validity of how he choses to deal with his condition, which was caused by genetic "imperfections" during the cloning process. But she impresses upon him that he does not deserve the physical pain or mental torment of being a "failure".

Her message was that his imperfections do not limit him or define him. They are a part of life, part of the world, and a part of him, and he is not a failure for having them.

Meanwhile in Arcane, Jayce criticizes Viktor for "wanting to cure what he thought were weaknesses" and specifically mentions his leg and disease. The two things that brought him chronic pain, progressively deteriorating quality of life, and one would ultimately kill him. Also, Viktor never actually expressed that he was ashamed of them. We as the audience are left to assume that's how he feels, because why wouldn't he? What else would a disabled person feel? Not that he is perfectly aware that Piltover's oppression and exploitation of his people likely directly contributed to both those issues. Not that he values himself for his intellect and contributions to Hextech even though society constantly prioritized Jayce. Nope, obviously he feels so bad about it that he tries to turn all of humanity into robots. On top of that, Christian Linke has explicitly said the Hexcore corrupted him and Sky was a manifestation of it manipulating him. So even if he did feel that way before, he's still not at fault for what's been going on.

And I think a key part of this is the mindset of the team who created this show. Was this simply a poorly executed but positive sentiment, or a symptom of ableist bias from a team of 3 able-bodied people? We can harp on Jayce all we want, but ultimately someone designed him this way, and THIS is what I take issue with. Christian also says in the art book explicitly that Viktor fixing his leg and spine make him lose part of his humanity. If this is the logic behind Jayce's monologue, it is NOT positivity. It is a direct shaming of a disabled person's right to choose how they take care of themselves, said by a character who has already violated Viktor's autonomy and wishes, written by a team that equates self-improvement with inferior humanity.

Amanda Overton has repeatedly mentioned she was inspired by She-Ra, which is pretty obvious here. Unfortunately, this isn't the unequivocally positive message she thinks it is, and she missed all the nuance of Entrapta and Hordak's conversations about it. A huge component of why it works in She-Ra is because Entrapta's wisdom comes from her understanding of her own "failures" and "imperfections" due to her autism, and Hordak reciprocates support throughout the show. One of the key members of her development team is an autistic person who provided a realistic view of what an autistic person can be like.

This is two people who understand each other's pain uplifting each other, NOT Entrapta being Hordak's miraculous savior at the 11th hour. Having Jayce need a leg brace for like 5 minutes does not give him ability to understand Viktor's lifelong struggles that were also killing him.

For future seasons, I hope they bring on staff who actually have any idea what they are fucking talking about.

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

Not even as a BL fan. I say this as a Film Nerd. As someone who works in this industry. As an Assistant Director myself (I'm trying to make myself sound better than I actually am, I'm sorry. I only work for a local channel that produces small scale shows. This is a small opinion at best). STILL, as a critic:

True to its title, Top Form should be the standard of the BL genre.

Directing, cinematography, the script's pacing-- topnotch. Director P'Boss studied his craft well and it shows. He wasn't insistent on his own technique; he pulled inspiration from other cinematic greats and took which elements he thought would work best for the project. He depicted the script from its core message instead of at face value. But best of all, P'Boss did not pander to popular trends and what he thought would sell well to the BL audience. He would show this larger-than-life premise in the most human way possible, however imperfect and difficult that might be.

But what made this series a true standout? TRULY BREATHTAKING ACTING.

Never have I seen two BL actors CONSISTENTLY complement each other's style, technique, and energy until Smart and Boom graced our screens, and this doesn't even factor in the artfully-executed love scenes. I've seen a lot of talented BL actors who fall flat once they act in pairs, but Smart and Boom matched each other perfectly in each step, that it felt like a beautifully-executed dance. Their chemistry was just so NATURAL since the first episode, but it's not the usual chemistry that demands irresistible desire or attraction. Instead, it's electric-- something that hangs in the air and makes you constantly anticipate what comes after, whether good or bad. They're so good, they made the clunkier parts of the script still flow smoothly with the rest of the plot.

Smart and Boom are the only two BL actors in the industry who have proven to me that they know their characters better than ANYONE, better even than their scriptwriters and director. Their portrayals felt so REALISTIC, so relateable, so believable, that I had to pause during one episode to just-- realign myself to the fact that Jin and Akin do not exist. That these stakes are non-existent. That their love isn't something I can help fight for because it's fiction.

And all this from two actors with very minimal credits to their name, who've never met before, who share dissimilar traits and personalities, and aged a decade apart from each other. No workshop could ever achieve this. This was just God-given acting talent at its finest hour.

If Top Form doesn't win any awards this year or the next, then it sadly means that it was ahead of its time. The show was a masterclass in cinema, but I doubt a lot of people will be able to realize that. Fans will remain for the candy, not the arthouse after all.

But I feel it in my heart that it will win something, anything. It will boomerang wonderful careers for the whole Top Form team. It will be a sensation talked about for years to come-- as it should be.

[azulapunchedozai]

People need to realize that there is a difference between liking a character as a character and liking a character as a person.

I like Azula as character. Does that mean that I like and support whatever she does? No. Azula is an antagonist in ATLA and is the face of manipulation herself. She's violent, cruel and would eliminate everyone who gets on her way. Almost everything she does goes against every moral stands I have. I don't like what she does because she is a horrible person.

BUT..

I like her as a character. I like how she is written. I like how she was portrayed as a villain. She is portrayed as this perfect, precise and smart villain but what I loved the most is how the writers still managed to show that no matter how intelligent and powerful she is, she is still a human. She has a human weakness that became the very catalyst of her sanity that lead to her downfall.

I like her as a character BUT I don't like her as a person. Azula is a good/well-written character but she is a horrible person.

There is a difference between a likeable character and a well-written character. A character's likeability doesn't define how well or bad they are written. A character could be be horrible as a person but still well-written and a likeable character can be poorly written.

An example of this is how M𝚊rinette Dupain-Cheng's character from the earlier seasons (particularly Season 1-3) of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir was handled. She's one of the good guys alright. She saves people with her alter ego, she stands up against bullies, and she genuinely cares for her friends. How did I say she was poorly written you ask?

Image 1 Context: M𝚊rinette has Adrien's personal daily schedule for the next three years

Image 2 Context: M𝚊rinette stole Adrien's phone to delete an embarrassing voicemail.

Image 3 Context: M𝚊rinette snuck into Adrien's bedroom as Ladybug to give him her gift.

Flaws are what makes good characters interesting and relatable. They can make mistakes and be selfish at times because they are supposed to be human. I mean human in a sense of being imperfect.

But these flaws and mistakes are supposed to be addressed. No part in any of the episodes these scenes addresses M𝚊rinette's actions and views them as mistakes and flaws. If anything, she's being rewarded with her horrible actions instead of suffering from consequences just like how she was never busted from sneaking into Adrien's bedroom and instead got her gift cherished by him.

That being said, these criticisms of her character are only based on how she was written in seasons 1-3. I am no longer watching this show and I don't know how her character is being handled in the later seasons.

What I am trying to point out with the Marienette example is that likeable/good characters can be poorly written.

Also, the amount of a characters' suffering and their good/bad actions doesn't define how well they are written. How well a character is written depends on how thay are handled, the execution of the concepts tied with the character and how their simplicity or complexity is handled.

The same way happy endings doesn't automatically mean well-written endings and how sad endings doesn't automatically mean bad endings.

PS: You don't have to support everything a character does all the time just because they're your favourite

[room-surprise]

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES IN DUNGEON MESHI: INDIAN PHILOSOPHY

(SPOILERS FOR DUNGEON MESHI BELOW)

We know that Ryoko Kui spent considerable time at the beginning of working on Dungeon Meshi doing research and planning the series. Kui constantly references real world culture, history and mythology, but she also occasionally references real-world philosophy.

The story of Dungeon Meshi is full of philosophical questions about the joy and privilege of being alive, the inevitability of death and loss, the importance of taking care of yourself and your loved ones, and the purpose and true nature of desire. Kui explores these issues through the plot, the characters, and even the fundamental building blocks that make up her fictional fantasy world. Though it’s impossible to say without Kui making a statement on the issue, I believe Dungeon Meshi reflects many elements of ancient Indian philosophy and religion.

It’s possible that Kui just finds these ideas interesting to write about, but doesn’t have any personal affiliation with either religion, however I would not be at all surprised if I learned that Kui is a Buddhist, or has personal experience with Buddhism, since it’s one of the major religions in Japan.

I could write many essays trying to explain these extremely complex concepts, and I know that my understanding of them is imperfect, but I’ll do my best to explain them in as simple a way as possible to illustrate how these ideas may have influenced Kui’s work.

HINDUISM

Hinduism is the third-largest religion in the world and originates in India. The term Hinduism is a huge umbrella that encompasses many diverse systems of thought, but they have some shared theological elements, and share many ancient texts and myths.

According to Classical Hindu belief, there are four core goals in human life, and they are the pursuit of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.

Dharma is the natural order of the universe, and also one’s obligation to carry out their part in it. It is the pursuit and execution of one’s inherent nature and true calling, playing one’s role in the cosmic order.

Artha is the resources needed for an individual’s material well-being. A central premise of Hindu philosophy is that every person should live a joyous, pleasurable and fulfilling life, where every person's needs are acknowledged and fulfilled. A person's needs can only be fulfilled when sufficient means are available.

Kama is sensory, emotional, and aesthetic pleasure. Often misinterpreted to only mean “sexual desire”, kama is any kind of enjoyment derived from one or more of the five senses, including things like having sex, eating, listening to music, or admiring a painting. The pursuit of kama is considered an essential part of healthy human life, as long as it is in balance with the pursuit of the three other goals.

Moksha is peace, release, nirvana, and ultimate enlightenment. Moksha is freedom from ignorance through self-knowledge and true understanding of the universe, and the end of the inevitable suffering caused by the struggle of being alive. When one has reached true enlightenment, has nothing more to learn or understand about the universe, and has let go of all earthly desires, they have attained moksha, and they will not be reborn again. In Hinduism’s ancient texts, moksha is seen as achievable through the same techniques used to practice dharma, for example self-reflection and self-control. Moksha is sometimes described as self-discipline that is so perfect that it becomes unconscious behavior.

The core conflict of Hinduism is the eternal struggle between the material and immaterial world. It is often said that all of the material world is “an illusion,” and what this means is that all good and bad things will inevitably end, because the material world is finite. On the one hand, this is sad, because everything good in life will one day cease to exist, but on the other hand, this is reassuring, because all of the bad things will eventually end as well, and if one can accept this, they will be at peace.

The central debate of Hinduism is, which is more important: Satisfying your needs as a living thing, having a good life as a productive member of society, serving yourself, your family, and the world by participating in it the way nature intended? Or is it rejecting desire and attachment, discovering the true nature of existence, realizing the impermanence of material things, and that one can only escape the suffering that comes from the struggle of life by accepting that death and loss are inevitable?

There is no set answer to this question, and most believers of Hinduism tend to strike a balance between the two extremes simply because that’s what happens when a person leads a normal, average life, however there are also those who believe that pursuing extremes will lead to ultimate enlightenment and final release as well.

BUDDHISM

Buddhism is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition that originated in the 5th century BCE, based on teachings attributed to religious teacher the Buddha. It is the world's fourth-largest religion and though it began in India, it has spread throughout all of Asia and has played a major role in Asian culture and spirituality, eventually spreading to the West beginning in the 20th century.

Buddhism is partially derived from the same worldview and philosophical belief system as Hinduism, and the main difference is that the Buddha taught that there is a “middle way” that all people should strive to attain, and that the excesses of asceticism (total self-denial) or hedonism (total self-indulgence) practiced by some Hindus could not lead a person to moksha/enlightenment/release from suffering.

Buddhism teaches that the primary source of suffering in life is caused by misperception or ignorance of two truths; nothing is permanent, and there is no individual self.

Buddhists believe that dukkha (suffering) is an innate characteristic of life, and it is manifested in trying to “have” or “keep” things, due to fear of loss and suffering. Dukkha is caused by desire. Dukkha can be ended by ceasing to feel desire through achieving enlightenment and understanding that everything is a temporary illusion.

There are many, many other differences between Hinduism and Buddhism, but these elements are the ones that I think are most relevant to Kui’s work.

Extreme hedonism involves seeking sensual pleasure without any limits. This could just be indulging in what people would consider “normal” pleasures, like food, sex, drugs and the arts, but it can also involve doing things which are considered socially repugnant, either literally or by taking part in symbolic rituals that represent these acts. Some examples are holding religious meetings in forbidden places, consuming forbidden substances (including human flesh), using human bones as tools, or engaging in sex with partners who are considered socially unacceptable (unclean, wrong gender, too young, too old, related to the practitioner). Again, these acts may be done literally or symbolically.

Extreme ascetic practices involve anything that torments the physical body, and some examples are meditation without breathing, the total suppression of bodily movement, refusing to lay down, tearing out the hair, going naked, wearing rough and painful clothing, laying on a mat of thorns, or starving oneself.

HOW THIS CONNECTS TO DUNGEON MESHI

Kui’s most emphasized message in Dungeon Meshi is that being alive is a fleeting, temporary experience that once lost, cannot truly be regained, and is therefore precious in its rarity. Kui also tells us that to be alive means to desire things, that one cannot exist without the other, that desire is essential for life. This reflects the four core goals of human life in Hinduism and Buddhism, but also could be a criticism of some aspects of these philosophies.

I think Kui’s story shows the logical functionality of the four core goals: only characters who properly take care of themselves, and who accept the risk of suffering are able to thrive and experience joy. I think Kui agrees with the Buddhist stance that neither extreme hedonism nor extreme self-denial can lead to enlightenment and ultimate bliss… But I also think that Kui may be saying that ultimate bliss is an illusion, and that the greatest bliss can only be found while a person is still alive, experiencing both loss and desire as a living being.

Kui tells us living things should strive to remain alive, no matter how difficult living may be sometimes, because taking part in life is inherently valuable. All joy and happiness comes from being alive and sharing that precious, limited life with the people around you, and knowing that happiness is finite and must be savored.

Dungeon Meshi tells us souls exist, but never tells us where they go or what happens after death. I think this is very intentional, because Kui doesn’t want readers to think that the characters can just give up and be happy in their next life, or in an afterlife.

There is resurrection in Dungeon Meshi, but thematically there are really no true “second chances.” Although in-universe society views revival as an unambiguous good and moral imperative, Kui repeatedly reminds us of its unnatural and dangerous nature. Although reviving Falin is a central goal of the story, it is only when Laios and Marcille are able to let go of her that the revival finally works… And after the manga’s ending, Kui tells us Falin leaves Laios and Marcille behind to travel the world alone, which essentially makes her dead to them anyway, since she is absent from their lives.

At the same time, Kui tells us that trying to prevent death, or avoid all suffering and loss is a foolish quest that will never end in happiness, because loss and suffering are inevitable and must someday be endured as part of the cycle of life. Happiness cannot exist without suffering, just like the joy of eating requires the existence of hunger, and even starvation.

Kui equates eating with desire itself, using it as a metaphor to describe anything a living creature might want, Kui also views the literal act of eating as the deepest, most fundamental desire of a living thing, the desire that all other desires are built on top of. If a living thing doesn’t eat, it will not have the energy necessary to engage with any other part of life. Toshiro, Mithrun, and Kabru are all examples of this in the story: They don’t take care of themselves and they actively avoid eating, and as a result they suffer from weakness, and struggle to realize their other desires.

Kui suggests that the key difference between being alive or dead is whether or not someone experiences desire. If you are alive, even if you feel empty and cannot identify your desires like Mithrun, you still have desires because you would be dead without them. The living body desires to breathe, to eat, to sleep, even if a person has become numb, or rejected those desires either to punish themselves, or out of a lack of self-love.

Sometimes, we have to do things which are painful and unpleasant, in order to enjoy the good things that make us happy. I believe Kui is telling us that giving up, falling into despair, and refusing to participate in life is not a viable solution either.

The demon only learns to experience desire by entering into and existing in the material, finite world. This experience intoxicates the demon, and it becomes addicted to feeling both the suffering of desire, and the satisfaction of having it fulfilled. This unnatural situation is what endangers the Dungeon Meshi world, and it’s only by purging the demon of this ability to desire that the world can be saved. The demon is like a corrupted Buddha that must give up its desires in order to return to the peaceful existence it had before it was corrupted.

The demon curses Laios to never achieve his greatest desires at the end of the manga, which manifests in several ways, such as losing his monstrous form, Falin choosing to leave after she’s revived, and being unable to get close to monsters because they are afraid of him. In some ways you could compare Laios to a Bodhisattva, a person who tries to aid others in finding nirvana/moksha, even if it prolongs their own suffering and prevents them from finding personal release. Laios gives the demon peace, but Laios himself will never be able to satisfy his desires, and must eventually come to accept his loss and move on with his life.

(This is an excerpt from Chapter 3 of my Real World Cultural and Linguistic influences in Dungeon Meshi essay.)

[sapphicsandman]

having too much fun imagining bill dickey drawing his friends + alice....

He would remove all his stupid imperfections but draw them on the rest LOL

ill add specific notes under the keep reading but its really not much

For Josh and anyone with Curly hair, Bill shades it in by just circles until hes satisfied, probably a lot neater than the execution here or whatever.

Pete is the most normal looking one (unless pissed Bill off in that particular entry), followed by Josh (Will draw pimples on, nose and the little baby twirl hair if hes feeling particularly mean), and then lastly Jerry, who's kind of hard to draw ugly? Like he's lanky, but that's just how he looks like, so Bill often adds stink lines and make him say something stupid and wrong.

He probably doesn't draw Alice like this always, but he definetely enjoys drawing Alice the most, even more than his perfect kinda sanitized self. He dedicates basically like 20 minutes to just shading her, and add his own thoughts about her hair, basically just make her pretty as hell regardless of what she looks like then at that moment. Not completely ditching what she actually looked like... but.. Basically, he's never letting go of this one design of her.

Im thinking of the Blog to be both open for requests of people wanting to be drawn in his style and then him giving a shitty caricature of their oc/sona LMAOO

Not tagging the other members because id feel bad...

[atopvisenyashill]

Worst thing dany did? I’m a little torn. My gut would have me jump to the execution of mmd but I’m not sold. I’m also tempted to consider her agreeing to take a cut of profits from slavery or agreeing to allow those people to be tortured. Other things she did wrong seem more like inexperience and things that were results of her imperfect but not wrong actions. Burning someone alive is pretty cruel, but dumping burning oil and tar is also something Jon and the other boys at the wall do, and I think Dany believed she might die in that fire as well—kind of like a moment of if I am wrong may I suffer the same fate moment. I guess her intent doesn’t really matter in the assessment but I think I’m a bit swayed by the fact that in that moment her world had fallen apart twice over and she also had suffered a miscarriage versus her comparative safety and stability when making seemingly cruel decisions in Meereen

Ya i go back and forth too.

The thing with Mirri is that Dany is well aware that what happens is not Mirri’s fault and that’s a bit of a pattern with Dany - she lets her anger run away with her & she does some heinous shit because of that. I don't think Mirri was purposefully trying to kill Drogo and Rhaego. They specifically don't listen to her advice-

His eyes were fixed on distant brown hills, the reins loose in his hands. Beneath his painted vest, a plaster of fig leaves and caked blue mud covered the wound on his breast. The herbwomen had made it for him. Mirri Maz Duur's poultice had itched and burned, and he had torn it off six days ago, cursing her for a maegi. The mud plaster was more soothing, and the herbwomen made him poppy wine as well. He'd been drinking it heavily these past three days; when it was not poppy wine, it was fermented mare's milk or pepper beer.

He takes her poultice off with his dirty hands and she puts a soothing - but likely not antibacterial - poultice on it instead.

Mirri Maz Duur studied Drogo, her face still and dead. "The wound has festered."

That's not a woman who is purposefully trying to get one over on Dany. That's a woman who is frustrated that her patient is not doing what she told him to do while her life hangs in the balance. Mirri warns Dany not to come in the tent, Jorah brings her in anyway, and Dany recognizes that this was Jorah's fault. The very first "if i look back I am lost" comes during this moment-

Ser Jorah had killed her son, Dany knew. He had done what he did for love and loyalty, yet he had carried her into a place no living man should go and fed her baby to the darkness. He knew it too; the grey face, the hollow eyes, the limp. "The shadows have touched you too, Ser Jorah," she told him. The knight made no reply. Dany turned to the godswife. "You warned me that only death could pay for life. I thought you meant the horse." "No," Mirri Maz Duur said. "That was a lie you told yourself. You knew the price." Had she? Had she? If I look back I am lost.

This is why I think it's kinda crazy when people make her "if i look back i am lost" into some sort of powerful rallying cry of justice or feminism or whatever. It's a rationalization. Instead of confronting the fact that Drogo got himself killed and that Dany understood very well the consequences of the magic she asked MMD to do, she buries it, and burns Mirri alive. I get she just had a miscarriage. I get she's young and upset. But Mirri is nothing but good to her and dies for it.

That's why I tend to come at this as being her worst moment, even if it doesn't have quite the level of destruction as sacking Astapor or torturing the wineseller and his daughters. Those are like, colossaly bad decisions but they're ones she's making on a political level. This one is all personal and all the more cruel for it to me.

[firesnap]

Rambling about bad c!Crime takes in 2024.

I think the struggle with being a c!Crime fan during peak DSMP was having to deal with the people who would unironically use "vilbur" like it was a badge of honor and the ones who legitimately thought c!Tommy was 8-years-old at the beginning of L'Manberg.

Like, I don't need to rehash a lot of this. A hundred meta essays were about how Tommy was not responsible for Wilbur's mental health, that he was a front row audience member watching Wilbur's decline and begging people to intercede because he was a damn teenager with zero tools in his kit for "help my brother is frightening me and he's ten feet from me but I think I've lost him in this cave."

But you can still see people go "Ok Tommy helped make Wilbur worse."

No. Just no Tommy's worst behaviors didn't impact Wilbur because Wilbur was so far into his own spiral at that point that it just didn't even phase him if Tommy called him insane. You can't put that on Tommy. When Wilbur came back he even said he could recognize the man he was back then was frightening and beyond what Tommy should have had to see.

But, saying Wilbur acted on violent delusions on Tommy or emotionally abused him or isolated Tommy on purpose... Girl this isn't exile arc and you're not getting c!Crime.

Wilbur and Tommy at their best were moments were like... Tommy with a shield in front of Wilbur, Wilbur with a hand on Tommy's shoulder saying to be better than Wilbur ever was, Tommy and Wilbur running through a small nation and dancing on beaches and laughing at how fucking much the other one sucked with every bit of affection in the world tied behind those words. It was a loop of I'd die for you, I'd die for anything but especially you and Who the fuck ever asked you to die??

At their worst they were a negative feedback loop that fed each other. Tommy was possessive of Wilbur, from even the early L'Manberg days, to the point where Wilbur often neglected other relationships to give Tommy attention. He was angry at Wilbur for falling off the pedestal that Tommy put him on. Wilbur was just as dependent on Tommy being always behind him and took advantage of the fact that Tommy wouldn't leave. He dumped his own fears and paranoia and self-hatred at Tommy's feet and then assumed that this person younger than him could sort through it.

And if you can't handle hearing how they fed the worst parts of each other, then maybe you aren't really here for that dynamic. Maybe you've made something else up in your head that you like more. And that's fine, man. Do whatever the server is gone. Just don't act like your personal version is what canon gave us.

Also, something something it's totally fine to dislike Wilbur's finale btw, but as imperfect as the execution was, it was right on board with what they were telling us about c!Crime from right when Wilbur was revived to Wilbur telling Ranboo that, essentially, Tommy would never leave him and Wilbur knew that wasn't healthy. They needed to break the cycle to save themselves and whatever brotherhood was between them.

They were about acknowledging they were tied to each other in fucked up and unhealthy ways, but needing that sense of brother so much that they were both afraid to do anything about it.

[morgana96]

As a longtime Transformers Prime fan, there are few things more annoying than other fans who act like TFP was some flawlessly executed masterpiece to justify their obsession with hating RID2015.

"But RID doesn't reference TFP enough!!"

Yeah, that's not a RID problem: that's an Aligned Transformers problem. Despite its name, this continuity is hilariously well-known for not really "aligning" its different installments. TFP and Rescue Bots hardly ever referenced each other, and when they did, they were almost always super vague about it. Not to mention how little the events of the Aligned novels ever get brought up in any of the shows.

"But the character designs are too different from TFP!!!"

Again — welcome to Aligned Transformers. Nearly every installment of this continuity has its own designs/looks for the same exact characters.

"But resurrecting Optimus Prime was so disrespectful to Predacons Rising-"

My siblings in Primus, this is TRANSFORMERS.

How many times has Optimus Prime died a noble & dramatic death, only to get resurrected like he's alien robot Jesus? It happens all the time. It happened in G1 twice. How in the world is RID "disrespectful" for doing one of the most common and predictable tropes in the entire franchise?! 🤣

There's nothing wrong with criticizing the flaws and missteps of RID2015. Hell, I love that show, and I have TONS of critiques about what didn't work and what could've been done better.

But guess what? I still love the show! I loved it even when it was a hot mess, because it was a fun hot mess!

Every "critique" of RID that boils down to "it's not Prime 2.0" reads as incredibly lazy and shallow to me. It's the same old superiority complex that cycles through every generation of Transformers fans: any show that isn't their favorite is "trash", and anyone who disagrees has "bad taste".

A show doesn't need to be perfect to be enjoyable.

RID2015 isn't perfect.

TFP isn't perfect.

Aligned Transformers isn't perfect.

And I love them. Imperfections and all.

[jolieblack]

Something finally came to me! (I usually can’t write to prompts to save my life.)

May Prompts 2024 by @calaisreno

May 24th: Imperfect

We've always done things the wrong way round.

We moved in together at a time when we knew no more than four or five facts about each other. Significant facts, granted, such as John being a war veteran and me having no patience with idiots, but neither of us could have claimed to have had anything even close to the full picture at the time. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if either of us had. Only on my really bad days, though.

I don’t have all that many of those any more, luckily. And when I do, I have plenty of good memories to help me pull myself up again. Take the ones of how we confessed our love to each other to a beautifully decorated room full of people in festive dress and in even more festive spirit, to much applause and cheering and well-wishing. Yes, you heard that plural right. Those are two separate memories, years apart and in two different places. I got to go first, and it wasn’t even me who was getting married at the time. That’s another thing that most couples would do differently. Coordinate it a bit better, at least.

The second time around, as a lot of you will remember well, it was John's turn to talk, and I‘d been told in no uncertain terms to keep my mouth shut and say nothing, not even to correct his grammar, till he was done. I can now attest that it is true that the groom never gets to have a say in anything at his own wedding. Someone got his late revenge there. And believe me, that doesn’t depend on whether it’s one groom or two. Yes, and I know there are still people out there even in this day and age who feel that it’s not normal to have two grooms at all. They can all go away and never show their ugly faces again where I can see them, or smell the foul breath of the bigoted filth they’re spouting. That’s not the wrong way around, that couldn’t be more right for both of us.

But we did other things the wrong way around, too. In most romantic stories, killing someone to save the person you love is usually the culmination of long mutual trust and dedication. It‘s supposed to be the crowning glory, the final sealing of a bond that has long been in the making. It’s not supposed to be the starting point. And John is usually the more patient of the two of us, but when it came to this, he could barely contain himself for 36 hours after our very first meeting before he did it. Ever heard of timing and pacing, Doctor, I hear you people wonder? And he’s supposed to be the one with the talent for good storytelling. The timing was good, though. The timing was excellent. There’s another 'what if' for you that is no fun to contemplate at all.

There is killing out of love, and - I have to say it, I can’t not, I‘d be lying by omission if I didn't - there's also dying out of love. I doubt, however, that there’s anyone out there who has ever put a more elaborate effort into pretending to die out of love than I have. As far as I‘m aware, that’s not really a romantic convention, either, and I sincerely hope I haven’t started a trend. I honestly can’t recommend it. Effort is well and good, and I dare say the execution in my case was flawless, but I can’t deny there was a certain lack of forethought as to the emotional impact on both parties concerned. Don‘t try this at home, folks.

People also usually date first, then start cohabiting, then get married, then raise children together. Please don’t ask me to define at what time in our lives exactly John and I were dating and when we weren’t yet. To this day we have never been able to agree on a definition for this mysterious activity that emphatically, according to John, for whatever reason, does not encompass two people who like each other going out together and having fun. But it is an undisputed fact that we had been raising a child together for a good while before we got married. And we have been going out together and having fun for years uncounted now. Crime scenes never fail to work that particular magic on us. Oh wait, no, that was another example I had on my list for what most other couples do differently. Hang on, do I see a certain Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard raise his hand in objection? Raising both hands, actually, showing us… what, seven fingers? Is that the number of couples working for the Metropolitan Police that you know personally who have met at crime scenes? Or are you reminding us of the number of times John and I were actually kicked off a crime scene because we were enjoying ourselves entirely too much, and were told not to come back till we could behave like adults? I could have sworn those were more than seven occasions, but I‘ll take your word for it.

Talking of raising a child together, I‘m sure Rosie will say a word or three about that herself later, but I have never understood why most of you had doubts about the practicability of that particular endeavour. Let me just tell you that a baby carrier is entirely compatible with a cashmere scarf, or didn’t you know cashmere can absorb up to a third of its own dry weight in liquid? And it got only easier from there when Rosie grew older and stopped affectionately drooling on whoever enjoyed the happy privilege of holding her and carrying her around. She hasn’t demanded being carried around in a good while now, and I don’t know what our poor old backs would say to that these days. But we were talking about happy memories, weren’t we, so there’s another. And at least in the metaphorical sense, I hope you know, Rosie, that you’ll be held and carried for as long as you want and need, as long as we both live. You were my daughter even before I was your father’s husband, and that has been one of the greatest honours bestowed on me in my life.

Because this is who we are, isn’t it, our crazy little family, where nothing is as you’d expect it to be. But we still wouldn’t have it any other way, topsy-turvy, weird, flawed and utterly imperfect, but also utterly us, unique, one of a kind. I don’t know if it was fate that threw us together, or if it really was just a whim on the part of the comfortable, corpulent, bespectacled gentleman sitting at this table over here, smirking with his trademark benevolence. But there’s a debt of gratitude to be paid there, and today is a good day to do it. In this at least, we’re doing the conventional thing, but who’s to say we’re not allowed to do that at least once in a quarter-century.

So, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends and family from far and wide, I give you: John Watson, the man of my life, the man at my side for over thirty years, and for exactly twenty-five years in the legal sense on this very day. Please raise your glasses with us to the next twenty-five. And for God’s sake stop snivelling like that, Mycroft. You’re embarrassing the whole room.

[moonlightsapphic]

Oh no! WLW are disappearing! Everyone has a boyfriend now!

On the media end, let’s make sure to be very gentle, laid-back and kind as a fandom towards sapphic public figures such as artists. We must demonstrate that we hold a lot of goodwill and positive enthusiasm and are worth marketing to, and we definitely won’t attempt to dogpile and destroy their careers if they make some arbitrarily imperfect move that we don’t like. We’ll have to be sure to avoid getting toxically parasocial towards their personal lives and not police who they date and their identities! This will ensure sapphic artists will feel safe to keep sharing their experiences with us and offering us valuable representation. We should also make sure new artists don’t find sapphic fandom hostile and impossible to please, and aren’t afraid to come out, especially as lesbian.

On the personal end, we should watch out for all sapphics and include them in community events. The sapphics with boyfriends are statistically likely to face high mental illness, substance abuse, identity suppression, and intimate partner violence due to their queer identity. We have to make sure we’re a support system for them to fall back upon if needed. We should avoid exacerbating any bisexual cultural dysphoria or androcentric desire stereotypes (comphet) that fluid queer women might be struggling with. Comphet is bad enough when it comes from straight people! Their continued involvement in sapphic spaces regardless of their current relationship status will likely lead them to meeting women they may date in the future!

If executed correctly, these TWO simple steps will lead to more WLW! We’ve got this! 🩷🌸🩷

[lets-try-some-writing]

You do know that half the stuff you whine about with RID2015 is Aligned problems and not RID2015 problems, right? Prime was not some perfectly executed masterpiece just let people enjoy things lol

I am well aware Prime was not perfect. Aligned is a hot mess of lore and complex relationships that the fandom has taken and built upon to create a whole culture. I fully acknowledge that I am a lore nerd who expects far too much of the writing team when myself and other fans probably know more about the deep lore than they do. But with that said, it must be noted that while many issues are shared in Aligned and RID2015, the latter has waaaaaaaay more on top of those original problems.

Sure, Prime was rushed in its third season, had an okay movie, and dropped some plot threads here and there. But RID2015 dropped ALLLL the plot threads, butchered established characters, and made the problems established in TFP all the worse. Prime was imperfect, but RID2015, in my opinion, only built upon the problems and exasperated them rather than trying to fill in the blanks or use the good lore.

You can like what you like, mate. I personally am not a fan of Earthspark, but I'm not about to go on a crusade against the folks who enjoy it. I ain't out here calling RID2015 enjoyers idiots or anything. I'm just saying I don't like it and that I have problems with its writing and portrayal of already established lore.

Between you, me, and whoever is reading this, RID2015 wouldn't have been half bad at all if it weren't tied to Prime. It had good stuff and the dropped plot threads could have been used for later shows if Prime enjoyers weren't in the back KNOWING that retconning was happening right before their eyes. It has its qualities, but when tied to already established lore? It's a hot mess.

[endearing-dalliance]

My two cents on Jayce's final speech

While I do not consider myself disabled, I have chronic health issues that are sometimes disabling. And I'm used to having to live my life with that in the back of my mind. Not in a self-hating way, simply pragmatically. I need certain medications and technology in order to function in a way I find worth living for. While I certainly don't speak for the entire disabled community, I'm not unfamiliar with the struggle™.

TLDR: they really, really needed a sensitivity reader or disabled person's input. A for the idea, F for the execution

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You've always wanted to cure what you thought were weaknesses. Your leg."

Jayce: *breaks leg* *leg can now no longer support his weight* *builds brace to compensate for leg weakness* *proceeds to shame Viktor for wanting a permanent fix for his own leg issue*

"Your disease."

Last season, when Viktor's disease was actively killing him, Jayce got Heimerdinger voted off the Council so Viktor could keep researching what Jayce himself joyfully admitted was a potential cure. How hard did this man's head hit the bottom of the pit?

But you were never broken, Viktor.

Why is Jayce the one getting to say what is and isn't broken? Broken is literally defined as "damaged and no longer in working order". The man was in chronic pain, visibly wasting away before our eyes, and born with a body that was not functioning as it should. Viktor describes his body as "eroding". He has never said that it makes him feel bad about himself as a person. Even when he called himself a cripple, its one of a list of obstacles he’s had to overcome to get where he is now. He isn't ashamed, he's proud. And Jayce is inspired by it enough to not to give up on his work. Or his life.

Side note: Some neurodivergent and disabled people use the term broken in a non-offensive way. For some, its a reminder that they the *person* are not broken. For others, its simply a fact of life they adjust to. But that doesn't mean other people get to label them as such.

"There is beauty in imperfections."

Sure, in the same way they used to call tuberculosis "consumptive chic" because it made you pale and thin with red lips. Death isn't beautiful, its devastating.

"They made you who you are, an inseparable piece of everything I admired about you." 

Except, Viktor wouldn't be any less brilliant or determined or humorous if he wasn't disabled. Instantly made me think about this scene from Bojack:

Over and over I have watched the disabled community patiently explaining, passionately advocating, or righteously, ragefully, unceasingly insisting that they are more than their disability. That their disability doesn't define them. To see past it to who they are as a person. That regardless of your personal opinion, they have the same inherent value as an able-bodied person.

I get what Arcane was going for here. I really do. It was a nice idea in theory. But what they ended up with was a well-meaning, able-bodied, privileged person assigning labels to a disabled person's own opinion of himself, tell him what he should and should not do with his body, and then tie this deeply questionable conversation about Viktor's body to Viktor as a person.

And for once true to his S1 character, THAT DID NOT SWAY VIKTOR AT ALL. The last time he saw Jayce, he got soundly rejected. The next scene of them is him continuing to "evolve" Jayce. Ekko's device gave Jayce the opportunity tell Viktor how much he wanted him and THAT made the difference.

[ultimatelyre]

CAPRI brothers-centric ficrec part III

but first, have some silly memes

��� - fav $ - smut (minors DNI) !! - check tags

AUGUST centric

wrapped around his finger💌 - And just like that, Laurent made his way into their friendship, thanks to his pretty eyes and Damen’s too big heart

the gift 💌- Auguste’s world was as large as a baby’s crib and as big as those tiny eyes

chasing the light - the entire series is a delight to read

Five times august shut down damen 💌 - protective big bro august, need i say more?

Big bro breakdown - august is not homophobic (he insists)

Dont touch your brother's friends !! 💌 - i REALLY like the fucked up dynamics in this one.

Damianos' visit to Arles - everything by @mfingenius honestly

pets and princes - damen mistakes laurent to be auguste's pet and nik suffers as usual

the councils decision 💌- a minute of jokaste simping over auguste GIRL SAME

Like me !!💌- if you think you're ready for this level of angst, you arent. angst almost no comfort but hopeful ending so you've been warned. I really liked the writing and the execution of this, hurts your heart

tricks of the trade - smaurent and only FLUFF

my brother's lover !! - one in which august has an actual life out of damen and laurent (mostly i mean)

Caught 💌- laurent schemes, damen falls in love, Auguste watches & sighs

hockey players damen and auguste

fix-its! - a time of peace & counterclockwise & call for peace & heard it in a past life

Take a slice !! 💌 & its not bad - damen and august solidarity ;)

stained shirts and dance lessons - if you were wondering where the FRATboys!damen & auguste AU at, here it is

miles of distance series - things work out, they don't kill each other

i'd take every blow 💌- auguste finds out.

of soulmates books and spilled guac - soulmate AU slay tbr

and ask no leave of thee !! - fairy AU tbr

the white dove - a man who looks exactly like auguste appears after canon tbr

ive got soul - auguste wakes up ten years after marlas tbr

downsides of being an older brother & downsides of having a teenage baby brother - tbr

NICAISE centric

to be imperfect !!💌- the future shines a shade brighter because one boy learns to forgive himself, Laurent kisses the top of that curly head of hair. all of @peppermintfeather's works make you feel warm inside

and times are changing & for wisdom 💌- he grows to be the wise advisor to the kings (my favs out of this beautiful series)

To share your love 💌!! this post was not just an excuse to include this author's works lmao

the monster inside him 💌!!- contains mpreg but i was surprised into liking it

Hand in unlovable hand - nicaise is like "absolutely not" when these idiots break up and proceeds to be a king

marks of a life well lived - gotta say warrior nic is a good look

A night on the town - nicaise babysits for lamen (big bro nicaise aww)

memory - AUS in which august adopts nicaise>>, a fun read!

HR! im complaining about your boyfriend! - workplace AU

as good as - he told me i'd never be as good as you (aka f*** the regent #238)

put aside childish things - laurent letting nicaise be a child again is everything to me

safe up here with you💌 - nic gets his own love story (had be giggling and kicking my feet too fun to read)

home is where the heart is - laurent comforting nicaise aftermath

many doors and windows - damen convinces nicaise to train

red & when the bough breaks - nicaise killing the regent drabbles cause hey, merry christmas aye?

trees change in the fall - modern AU, they adopt nicaise

NIKANDROS centric

first impressions 💌- The first time he hears Laurent laugh, Nikandros thinks he has gone mad. the third time he cant help but join in

nik doesnt get paid enough for this - self explanatory

anything for you $ - fine, i'll TRY to not kill your best friend because you're my husband and ily...i guess

non, je ne regrette rien $ !!💌 - this has a poly rlnship pls give it a try its amazing<3

on friendship - he remembers seeing Laurent, and thinking quite clearly, Oh no

five times lamen caused an international incident - nik: deep sigh

this one or not at all - proposals proposals

wont thy be my neighbour 💌- "I’m in love" “........You just met him.”

safe travels !! - read tags, nikandros & laurent time

how nik came to love laurent of vere 💌

whoever gets closest - LMAO

the man drives a motorbike damen! - mother hen nik

naked, afraid and married - modern AU reality TV

MISC (some have aug/nik as main ship)

paramedic AU or would they go on aching still - nik changes his opinion of blond ppl keeping score -!! multichapter found fam vibes a call to motion - jealousy jealousyyy cultural differences cause miscommunication between lamen - short and funny

⭐ part I (popular ones) 💼part II (workplace AU)🫂part III (Auguste lives & Nicaise lives)🦾part IV (rare pairs)

and if you see your fic in this and want to be tagged lmk!

[amunyan]

Just a small misunderstanding

I’m back with a another little fanfiction :D hakubandoo inspired this one ☺️🤗

Hope you like it

Drops of sweat trickle down your face. It's not just from the strenuous training; At the moment you're fighting Leopold one-on-one, like so often.  

Unconcentrated, you try to evade his clumsy attacks. The emphasis here is on "trying". Because the youngest of the Vermillion siblings is hitting you unusually often today...

"Hey, (Y/N)! What's wrong? You used to dodge so easily?"

You don't react to Leo's words. They don't even reach you. They echo, as if you are far away. Muffled, as if you are under water, in the middle of a wave of thoughts that holds you tight.

"What the hell have I done?" You ask yourself. "Was it really so smart asking her for a private meeting after training?"

"Come on," he literally begs you. “If you carry on like this, we both are going to be punished by my sister.”

"What could she want from me? And why was she so nervous?" Unlike usual, Leo's older sister is pacing restlessly through the ranks of the Order's training knights, like a lion in a cage. On any other day, Mereoleona was extremely alert. She notices any imperfections in the execution of attacks and techniques. Whenever she sees a mistake, her attention was to 100% on that person. Some would call it passionate, when she would start with her loud, fierce and direct manner, calling the person a wimp or a weakling, unable to fight. But most of the knights don't see her in this way...

But today? She walks through the rows, restless and tense herself. Her face is set in a grim expression that demands respect from everyone.  Maybe that's why most of them made an extra effort and didn't want to attract negative attention. But the female Leader of the squad just walks past them all, impassively.

"Why would (Y/N) want to talk to me?" That was the one nagging question in her head. She still has the scene in her mind's eye;

"Captain Mereoleona... Could we… talk today after the training? Maybe? But only if you have time an… if you don’t mind a all. I… I... I have something important to tell you..."

"Something important?" Mereo broods further, letting out a soft sigh as she runs a hand through her wild red curls. The woman known as the Undefeated Lioness was able to read the mana of others. She could sense the slightest change in mood just by analysing their mana. A useful skill in battle. But she was never really able to read the intent or even the feelings behind it.

It was as if she was sometimes reading an open book whose words she couldn't understand or interpret properly.

"Does she mean to complain? Is the training too hard?" Mereo paused briefly. She had resigned herself to always being the brutal and scary one. The one no one wanted anything to do with. Fearing her powers... So the fact that she could hardly inspire anything but fear in people was nothing new to her. But with you? There was no way Mereo wanted you to see her like that. "Although she is so small and petite, she keeps up well. What she lacks in physical strength, she makes up for in speed and technique. “ It was your wild, often untamed water magic, like a thundering waterfall, that impressed her. But also this gentle, almost mysterious side of your magic. Very different. Very calm. Sometimes it can be quiet and still. Like a crystal clear lake in the moonlight.

With another sigh, adding to the uncertainty of the knights, Mereoleona stops and glances over to you.

 

Your magic has turned against you after a failed attack. And now you find yourself sitting on the floor, soaking wet. Leo next to you - ready to roll over and die of laughter at any moment.

Annoyed, you blow air through your nose and wipe away the wet hair that hangs in front of your face like a curtain of seaweed. A few heartbeats later, your eyes meet Mereoleona's.

 

Fuegoleon follows his older sister's eyes with a bad premonition.

He had watched you and her small talk just before the training. Something wasn't right. Nothing at all. Especially when he remembers the last few weeks. How close Mereo had been to you.

"(Y/N) is so quiet and friendly that she probably doesn't dare stand up to my sister on her own. Especially since she's still officially Captain at the moment. Damn..."

He also remembers the sight of you, as you talked to Mereoleona. The nervous kneading of your hands. The thin, almost inaudible and trembling voice. For Fuegoleon, there was only one logical conclusion: You were going to complain to Mereoleona. About her indiscreet behaviour, but you just don't know how to go about it.

The young leader of the order clenched his hands with determination. "I must help her! She doesn't stand a chance against my sister alone."

The training was tiring. Exhausted, you wipe the sweat from your forhead with the back of your hand before giving Leo the usual high five to say goodbye.

As the training ground begins to empty, you stop and look down at yourself. “Still wet and dirty as well…”, you have to admit. For a moment, you consider to abandon your plan. As horrible and also stinky as you are at the moment, you don't want to say those important words to Mereoleona. A deep sigh escapes your lips as you hear footsteps approaching.

"(Y/N)?"

You look up: "Fuegoleon? What's up?"

With a gentle smile, he looks at you and asks if he should accompany you.

"Accompany me?" You look at him questioningly. Turn around to make sure he means you and not someone else. You even point your finger at yourself and look at him forcefully, questioningly. He nods. 

"Why? Where to?" Confused, you look at him. He's still giving you a friendly smile, but under the circumstances it seems almost intrusive.

"Well, you wanted to talk to my sister, if I understood you correctly. I know how unapproachable and sometimes frightening she can be. That's why I want to help you."

"Was he listening?", you ask yourself and as soon as you realise, your eyes widen in disbelieve. "Not good. He got the wrong idea..." With a snap, you raise your hands in defence. "It's all right," you stammer quickly. "I... I'll be fine."

“Fuegoleon is nice and friendly... Yes... But totally inappropriate right now," you shout to yourself in your head. "How can I politely tell him that I want to be alone with Mereoleona?"

At the very same moment you hear a familiar voice: "So this is where you are..."

You open your mouth to answer in the affirmative, but Fuegoleon is quicker: "Not alone. I'm here to back her up."

Mereoleona had approached you and is now standing in front of you two with her arms on her hips. Her eyes wander critically from you to her brother. "Am I disturbing you? (Y/N), I thought you wanted to talk to me."

"What?" It slips out of your mouth.

Mereoleona raises her eyebrows before crossing her arms: "So, what do you have to tell me that's so important, that you need his support? Are you going to complain and now you've got your pants already full?" Her expression darkens more with every moment of silence.

But you can't get a sound out. Her gloomy look, Fuegolen's encouraging smile, who has misunderstood the whole situation...

You swallow deeply and open your mouth. But the words, the words you've been thinking about for so long, don't come out. You can only hear your own heart hammering in your chest. Louder and louder.. The leaden silence around you and the pressure on you become more and more intense. The moments feel like an eternity.

"Wait!"

But then: "Pah," says Mereoleona, annoyed. "This is too stupid for me. You two can play kindergarten alone."

As she turns on her heel, your rigidity loosens. You take a big step, reach out and grab her wrist. Your gaze, bright red, wanders to the ground. You can't even look at her right now. You're too afraid of a disapproving look.

"I... I don't know what your brother is doing here, but..." Your heart pounds harder against your chest. "And  I... I know we're both women. That I probably don't fall into your pattern of prey at all. But still…" You bite your lower lip before summoning the courage to look her in the eye. Your grip on her wrist tightens. But Mereo doesn't seem to care. Her watery blue eyes look at you curiously and a knowing grin appears on her lips.

"I... I've fallen in love with you," you blurt out.

"Please, what?!" Fuegoleon, who can't believe his ears, takes a step back. He shakes his head in disbelief. He glances hastily between you and his sister. But his eyes remain fixed on Mereo. Uncertain and demanding at the same time.

She now began to grin. Her pointed canine tooth flashed: "Oho... What do you say to that?"

You swallow and an uncomfortable silence slowly threatens to settle over you. Your eyes dart restlessly back and forth. You keep biting your lower lip, unsure how to interpret her look and especially her statement.

"Well... I'm sorry if I upset you, Mereoleona... I mean, Captain Mereoleona." You correct yourself, stammering, because you don't have very high hopes.

"Wait, wait!" her brother raises his hands in defence. "So my sister doesn't annoy you, (Y/N)?" he asks, looking at you. "You won't complain or... something like that?"

Slowly, with your eyes back on the ground, you shake your head. "The training may be hard, yes. And Mereoleona seems very frightening at the beginning, especially when she screamed at us at the festival a while ago, when she official took over the order for you. But..." You look at Mereo again. "I've been watching you for a while now. You, too, have that softer side. A hidden but caring side." A smile flits across your lips and your cheeks begin to glow. "That side of you... I'd like to get to know better. Even though you're known everywhere as the fierce, extremely strong - or the undefeated, uncrowned lioness, in my opinion, that's only one part of you. There is much more.”

With a gentle but firm grip, Mereoleona now releases your hands from her wrist. “The little lion cub can read me better than I can read her”, she thinks to herself, not taking her eyes off you, as she counties with a grin on her lips. “I didn't think you had that much guts," she grabs your hand to pull you closer. "But... can you take the heat?"

Her face comes closer to yours. You can feel her breath warm against your skin, her firey scent. But you can also hear her heart beating fast as her mana gets nervous.

In an instant, she closes the distance between you with a passionate kiss.  At first you are completely surprised. Taken by the moment, you close your eyes. Trying not to think about it - your brain would not be able to process it anyway - you feel.

As Mereo let go of your hand to pull you into a warm, intense embrace, her fingers finding their way down your back to your hips, you let your hands rest on her shoulders. The question of whether she was just playing with you is erased the moment she starts biting your lower lip. Needy. Wanting more. Just as she has been suppressing these feelings herself for some time now. A soft moan leaves your mouth as you open it to give her access. As her tongue caresses yours, your fingertips dig deeper into her skin.

Sinking into that feeling. Sinking into this passionate kiss that you never really expected.

As you slowly open your eyes and take a deep, nervous breath, you notice that Mereoleona's cheeks are also slightly flushed. But not nearly as bright as yours.

"You're quite a challenge," you whisper breathlessly against her lips. "But... If you are willing... I will take it."

"Don't worry too much. I thought your element was water anyway..."

"Yes, it is." You reply, not knowing what she means.

But she continues: "You can't get close enough to burn yourself. Not only because I will make sure not to hurt you." She touches a lock of hair behind your ear. "You really surprise me. I thought you were just a cute little lion. Fast and very good with fighting techniques, but also very quiet. So to see that you have the courage to confess your feelings for me, even in front of my brother, is a big surprise, igniting the desire for more..." She comes closer and looks into your deep, dark eyes, like an unfathomable ocean.

"So show me more of your mysterious and brave side..."

She leans in for another kiss, to place her lips on your still red, flushed cheeks.

What's going on here?" Perplexed, Fuegeoleon looks back and forth between you and his sister. "I thought (Y/N) was going to complain that Mereoleona's training methods are far too hard for her." He pauses for a moment to look at you. "And now this? This passionate kiss." The blush crept up his face more and more. He shook his head in disbelief and slowly but surely put his hands to his face. He couldn't and didn't want to see you and Mereoleona exchanging caresses. The gentle banter and the unusually soft side of his usually brutal sister was too much for him.

As a red rinse slowly finds its way out of Fuegoleon's nostrils and the flush gives way to a ghostly white, all life is slowly drained from the young leader.