#though some negative traits she doesn't handle them right

[nuravity]

Personal Problem Meme: This is also a question to Ochako. How do you handle expressing the negative sides of yourself? Like, you're well known for being open minded, but you have tendencies to be close minded. Most people tend to have a negative trait to their positive trait that reflects each other.

Send a personal problem on anon and my muse will answer

Ochako pouted at first and turned her head to the side, wondering if she really had this trait in her but for the sake of the question, she tried to give an answer. "I...don't know actually. I think, it's just about trying to realize that expressing them is the first step of accepting them and possibly making them less prominent. But I don't think I could speak for myself because, well..." she trailed off.

"...I don't like thinking about them at all? Oh, look at the time! I've got a training session with Aizawa sensei!" And then she was off!

[erimeows]

TFA Characters' Toxic Traits

Me with another TFA headcanon set? Who would've guessed. Got the inspiration for this one after realizing I'd done it with MysMes but not with Transformers. Enjoy!

Optimus Prime: Shoulders every single burden all by himself. Will not ask for help and open up to others when needed, even though not doing so ends up negatively impacting everyone more in the end than asking for help would've.

Bumblebee: Toxic positivity- enough said. You vent to him and he's like "oh but you have so much to be happy about!".

Bulkhead: Will not take sides in any conflict of his own accord even if he knows that one side is "right" if he fears it will upset any of his friends. Passively steps out of conflicts even when he's needed, unless it's an absolute emergency.

Ratchet: Refuses to open up about trauma that he has even though it affects the way he acts and negatively impacts the people around him, who are very confused as to why he acts the way he does.

Prowl: Has an ungodly superiority complex, tends to think he's better or smarter than others (even when he's not), though he's trying to work on that.

Sentinel Prime: I think we saw in the show, but he's very prideful and will never admit that he's wrong in any situation. Also terrible at offering genuine apologies- more of a sarcastic "I'm sorry you feel that way" than a genuine "I'm sorry I did (x)" kind of guy.

Jazz: Gets uncomfortable when things get too serious to the point that if people try to open up to him about something deep, he will change the subject or deflect them 90% of the time.

Ultra Magnus: Too by the book. Will do things that he doesn't believe in or ignore wrong doings for the sake of legality.

Megatron: Very selfish and very charming, which is a bad combo. Similar to Starscream, he will be nice to your face if needed and then screw you over in the end as long as it benefits him.

Starscream: So many, but the worst one is lying to people's face and then talking shit behind their backs or doing them wrong for his own benefit.

Blitzwing: Depends on which of the three personalities you're dealing with because they all have some pretty over the top toxic traits, but the worst and most prevalent one is that all three of them tend to belittle others to feel better about themselves- especially if their life is going bad or if they're feeling insecure about something in particular.

Lugnut: The Megatron obsession, obviously. It gets to the point that anyone and anything else in his life that should be prioritized get(s) pushed to the side for Megatron's sake when Megatron doesn't value him nearly as much.

Blackarachnia: Very vengeful and obsessive about getting revenge to the point that it's unhealthy. Obviously this is seen in her TFA episodes where she wants revenge on Optimus/Sentinel for what happened when they were in school- but those emotions are over a huge tragedy that happened in her life and are almost understandable. This toxic trait also applies to, say, someone who accidentally shoulder checked her or took her lunch from the staff fridge. If you wrong her in the slightest, she will make sure she has revenge, even if it was a genuine mistake.

Lockdown: Can't handle commitment. He's not scared of it, just not emotionally mature enough. Whether it be a job, a friendship, a romantic relationship, or whatever else, he won't commit. He doesn't care whose feelings it hurts or if he's passing up on something genuinely good for himself either.

Swindle: Also can't handle commitment, but I'd argue that his worst toxic trait is actually his concern for money. He's terrified of being broke to the point that it consumes his every waking minute. Sure, he enjoys the swindling, but if he misses out on money he panics and he will go to ridiculous lengths to get a good deal or to rip someone off.

[lambilegs]

kind of an evil question but what do u think some of lee’s toxic traits are?

AWEE OMG NOT EVIL AT ALL!! I literally wanna ensure I write more of lee's flaws because she definitely has them and I don't wanna frame her as being totally perfect and without fault. she's a complex character, and with that, comes her own kind of baggage and things to work through. plus, I LOVE yapping about her as a character, so I'm so glad to have received this

okay, so, for one -- overworking. I don't think she necessarily does a good job at taking care of or validating herself, and that, paired with her diligence and passion for being an agent, leads to a very apparent lack of self-care. she'll sleep super late, stay at the bureau for long hours, becomes near to obsessive with solving her current case, skip breakfast due to sleeping in. and I think this sort of tunnel-vision negatively impacts not just herself, but her relationships as well. it can lead to her not visiting ruth for a while, or neglecting friends and a partner -- you know, forgetting to check in on them, not making time for dates and hangouts, maybe even neglecting conversation because she's that focused on her work.

another one I think she has is stubbornness. I think once she feels strongly about something, it's hard to get her to change her mind or open up to another possibility. this is for a multitude of reasons, I think. her decisions are usually lined up with logic and evidence, and she's careful about making them. she feels very strongly towards what she thinks is right and correct. and if something in her decision is wrong, even wrong for her and her wellbeing, she's good at being in denial and compartmentalizing. which can make it harder to talk to her about something she doesn't wanna deal with.

which leads me to my next point -- struggling to communicate. she's so solitary, and used to handling things on her own. I think this is due to lots of things -- she's just naturally private, years of only living with ruth and not having many friends growing up made her depend on herself more, and as a result, she struggles with feeling exposed and vulnerable to other people, as well as identifying and communicating her trauma and emotions. she's not used to the openness, especially being raised in a household where she was often kept in the dark about her mom's experiences and, similarly, is now used to not telling ruth about hers. I think part of her also is just scared of facing certain experiences and emotions of hers, and undergoing all the heaviness of that, as well as sharing it and facing potential rejection, so she'll ignore it and not try. now, this in and of itself is not toxic ofc!! just a natural result of her upbringing and trauma. however, I do think it could cause her to behave in some really toxic ways. like, not speaking up when a loved one does something that hurts her, which can foster resentment. or choosing to be avoidant, like just walking away after a fight and taking space for an undetermined amount of time without any clarification, comfort or assurance. or even shutting down and exiting the argument in the middle of it, overwhelmed by all the high emotions, and giving a person no notice of when she'll be ready to talk. luckily, though, I think she's someone who has deep care and empathy for her loved ones, so if she sees her behaviours are hurting others, or that topic is brought up with her, I think she'll absolutely take it seriously and try to change.

[beastren]

∞ Arisen & Pawn Character Introductions

original template by @arisenreborn :D

♛ THE ARISEN:

NAME: Nimh AGE: 23 RACE: Half-elf PRONOUNS: She/her PREFERRED VOCATION: Warfarer FAVORED GIFTS: Gems, things to make food with, particularly (princess) harspuds. FAMILY: Elf father, human mother.

POSITIVE TRAITS: Brave, hard-working, largely unconcerned with things she deems trivial, so it helps her have a good sense of drive/focus, but can also make her some across as uncaring. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Rash, reckless, impulsive, particularly in high-pressure moments, like if Lir gets downed. Easily frustrated. LIKES: Goats, books, small creeks. DISLIKES: The cold. Glyndwr. She doesn't have the best impression of elves in general, but also not the worst. Medusas.

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

She lived on a small farm with her parents until she was about 16, when she decided to start traveling and doing odd jobs around Vermund, which is how she ended up as a sell-sword in Melve when the dragon attacked. Her family lived a decent bit away from any settlement, although they would go into the nearest towns to shop and trade every so often. She didn't have many friends because of this, so she took up reading from a young age, and it was her main hobby, aside from helping on the farm, which she did genuinely love.

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

She handles it pretty well, at the beginning, after she's gotten her memories back. The point where she didn't have them was quite rough though, and of course it gets rough later on when more things start feeling at stake. In the AU where she brings about the Unmoored World it's a bit horrifying, it's the absolute worst thing she could've ever imagined and the only things that get her through are the urge to set thing's right and Lir's determination.

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

Just fine! Not good or bad, and both before and after becoming an arisen she was inclined to see them as Just People, albeit with a bit more nuance later on.

4. What's their relationship like with their main Pawn?

Complicated and simple at the same time. Due to her love of books as a child, particularly tales of knights and princes, Lir was born from an idealized image of those figures. While he was made for her to fall in love with and be a crutch/wish fulfillment in a way, she also always struggled with attachment and attraction to men. It's not that she wasn't, but it happened very rarely. So between that, and also how convoluted, intense and unique the bond between arisen and main pawn can be, she spends a lot of time figuring out what might be projection or miss-attributed feelings. She does come to very much genuinely love him for him though, throughout their journey. More on this in Lir's paragraph on his feelings for Nimh and how he's changed.

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

No interest in it at all smh.... She's definitely just handing the responsibility off to Sven lol. She was happy in her late teens/early 20's to be away from home and the farm, but as she goes through her journey as Arisen she finds herself longing for it again more than anything. So she really hopes Sven would also be willing to fund her getting a little farm of her own somewhere.... Maybe she could renovate those couple destroyed buildings overrun by saurians by the fields of Vernworth.... As she'd also hate to be too far from people again.

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

Wilhelmina is her love interest, aside from Lir.... Wilhelmina kissing her to save her from the guards was her bi awakening lol. As for close friends, she gets along well with Menella and Brant. She likes to visit Waldhar too, as he becomes a great supply of books and is someone she can talk about them to. She likes hanging out with Ulrika and Fyoran when she visits Harve as well. Beren as well, and although she doesn't spend much time with him, he's one of the only people she truly feels she won't be judged for being quiet around.

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it?

She hates being limited (read: not being able to reach areas), so always being able to pull out a staff and levitate, or to pull out a magick bow to shoot enemies out of the sky or hit multiple targets is something she quickly finds she can't go back from once she has it. Though she usually equips all 4 of her skill slots with skills from one vocation anyway, mainly mystic spearhand and occasionally thief.

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

Reading!! But also she at least does very much enjoy camping and making good food for everyone, especially finding ways to go above and beyond the default slab of meat. Maybe THIS is her secret to getting Lir to be so strong.... She also likes petting and playing with farm animals. She will often wander out into the fields outside of Vernworth to do this....

♟︎ THE PAWN:

NAME: Lir AGE: 24 RACE: Beastren PRONOUNS: He/him PREFERRED VOCATION: Warrior FAVORED GIFTS: Berries, delicately but pleasantly fragranced soaps. Handmade things and kind gestures in general. INCLINATION: Kindhearted

POSITIVE TRAITS: Kind, strong, loyal and sweet. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Self-sacrificing, can be a bit clueless. Clumsy around deep water. LIKES: Shallow water and baths, hot springs.... He enjoys traveling and seeing interesting sights but there's nothing better than a warm comfortable bed. DISLIKES: Deep water and the brine.... Dragonsplague....

1. What was their life like prior to being summoned by their Arisen?

Nothing much to note here! Just a foggy consciousness in the rift.... Nimh is his first and only arisen!

2. What is their opinion on the Arisen? How do they view their relationship?

He looks up to her a lot, before anything else. At first he's quite compelled by Nimh's will and her projection of it, as his arisen, onto him, and sort of loves her blindly for a while. But even at the start, part of his awe and wonder towards her is certainly genuine. More on this in the "how have they changed" section below.

3. Is there anything about the Arisen they find troublesome? Be it a small quirk or bad habit? (Or are they obviously flawless?)

He holds her in too high of a regard to think of any of her traits as too much of a flaw, but if he had to say some things, it'd be her recklessness when worrying over him, but also her difficulty at times with communication. Although they work together very well in battle, and there is a certain amount Lir can kind of just Sense off of her, there was a period in the middle of their journey (about the time they reached Battahl) where the two grew rather distant. Largely because Nimh was having difficulties sorting through her feelings for both Lir and Wilhelmina, and also just struggling as enemies got harsher in Battahl. This lead her to neglecting him a bit and just not talking to him about anything she was going through, which Lir would've absolutely preferred and believes would've saved them a lot of trouble. They do eventually have a breaking point where they work things out and grow closer than ever before.

4. What is their specialization and is there any story behind how they cultivated that skill set?

Chirurgeon!! He was a Logistician at first, but Nimh wold get frustrated at him crafting salubrious draught all the time before she could wait for fruit to ripen and dry to make roborant.... She decided to channel his affinity for curatives and his kindhearted nature into a specialization where he could look out for their party more directly.

5. Do they have any thoughts on the politics of the world and their place in it as a Pawn - or how Pawns are treated?

Lir can be very sensitive to it, feeling lots of grief at the ways pawns get mistreated in Battahl. It's extra odd for him being a beastren pawn as well.... But part of him does understand why they feel that way considering dragonsplauge, but it hurts nonetheless. He wants to be hopeful since Nadinia seems open-minded, but he wonders how much of what Phaesus does she truly knows about.

6. Does their journey with the Arisen change them in any significant way and how?

During the rough patch between Nimh and Lir, he starts to gain his own will bit by bit. At first this and the general circumstances do draw them apart, but Lir takes the time to ponder and sort out his own genuine, developing feelings. It's hard to sort out and get rid of Nimh's will completely, so things continue to be complicated, but Nimh is very wary of this and that isn't lost on Lir. He doesn't ever bring his feelings up directly for quite a long time because of this, although he does keep up his sweet manner of speech full of admiration as it is kind of second nature by now, albeit with a bit more Meaning. To keep the rest of this short, in one AU Lir, Nimh and Wilhelmina all end up happily together, retired at their farm with Sven as sovran. In another, they decide to bitter-sweetly part ways after everything so Lir can travel and become truly his own self. And there's also the unmoored world AU ofc.

7. Is there a reason they chose their preferred vocation?

In game he comments on this a lot lol, he loves being a warrior. Sometimes he even asks to be a warrior WHILE he's a warrior. Initially he was a fighter, influenced by Nimh's vision of a princely knight. But he felt a little stagnant after reaching max rank so they had him try out warrior and he just instantly thrived, he felt a lot more helpful/capable/powerful too, so it just stuck!!

8. Do they have any hobbies or preferred past-times?

Hmmm, that's hard.... He's rather go with the flow so he can be happy chilling and doing whatever, like watching the clouds or the stars.... But I could see him having a journal/scrapbook or something!! I'm sure he gets into a lot of stuff in the AU where he sets out on his own but i'd have to ponder it more.... Kind of related, but he would help re-braid Nimh's hair often and got quite good at it, on top of it being quite relaxing to him.... Hairstylist....

[justanothersimsblog]

Rounding up the OC Parenting Questions with Ibis

• How many children does your OC have?

So far he has the one and he didn't even plan on it so he's hoping this is it.

• Which child tends to receive the most attention? Why?

The one and only. Except he hasn't really given her attention due to barely knowing of her existence.

• What personal trait would your OC prefer their child/ children to develop? (kindness, sense of humor, independence, assertiveness, etc)

He expects her to be smart and hopes for a good sense of humor. He doesn't want a nerd though 🤪

• What is your OC’s greatest area of weakness as a parent? Their greatest strength?

Well so far the big weakness would be him not being there, even if it's not his fault. It also doesn't bode well for him that he always said he never wanted kids. However for strength he, first of, has money so kid is set, and most of all he's now convinced that he wants to do right by her and protect her.

• What negative events from your OC’s childhood are important for your OC to shield their own child/children from? 

Having the pink hair meant that from a young age he was sought after. While he loved the attention he learned that those seeking him wanted to steal his powers for themselves. He definitely doesn't want anyone going after his daughter, kidnap her and take her powers.

We also can't forget what happened with the sphinx and as much as he'd love to never see "that bitch" again, he knows that not only he has to go back, but he's gonna have to take his daughter at some point.

• What is your OC’s parenting style? Strict? Permissive? Absent?

Lol so far it's been absent.

• If your OC is raising children with a partner, how well do they work as a team in their parenting?

I mean she's doing all the work at the moment but he's insisting now to handle the financial side. He's mad she didn't let him sooner.

• Where does your OC want their child/children to grow? (City, suburbs, countryside, van life, etc?) Why?

He likes his hometown and either city or the suburbs where he lived sound fine to him. He just wants it to be a good place.

• How often does your OC’s child/children get to see/meet their extended family? 

Well so far it's been 0 but hopefully soon she'll be meeting everyone on dad's side. As for mom's extended family she has never met them nor is she likely to since she's the reason they disinherited mom.

• What does your OC want their child/children to have that they never had?

Freedom. Now this is bullshit but obviously Ibis feels like there was stuff he couldn't do/places he couldn't go so he'd "bowed" that he'd let his kids do what he couldn't. Let's see how his tune sings when he becomes more hands on lol.

• What does your OC think about feeding their child/children junk food? (Rarely, on occasion, every day etc)

It's ok? It's also useless because vampire and all but otherwise no big opinion.

• What is your OC’s pocket money/ spending allowance philosophy?

Have all the money! We're rich, why worry? Spend away. YOLO

• Would your OC put a TV in their child/children’s room?

Sure? I mean he had one for a while. He uses his phone more though.

• Does you OC believe children should take part in household chores?

Ironically yes. So he grew up being encouraged to "help out" and using specific chores as punishment (which happened to him a lot lmao) but he actually liked it, especially laundry. So he'd use the same "help out" philosophy.

• What is your OC’s brand name buying philosophy for their child/children? 

Have it all? Again, we're rich! He grew up with brands and wanting more brands so like why wouldn't his kid have the same?

• How far apart did your OC space their children? Why?

Just the one. It wasn't planned.

• How does your OC feel about drinking alcohol or smoking in front of their child/children?

He does both and it hasn't occurred to him that maybe he shouldn't do this in front of her. One day someone will point it out but first he's gotta be around.

•  Does your OC believe in eating together as a family every night?

🤣

I don't even know what to address first. The vampire angle. The fact he's not really part of the household. Take your pick.

• Does your OC have any special traditions they would want to pass along to their child/children?

He'll realize it later but he wants to pass down his empire.

As much as he hates the sphinx he *does* want to travel with his kid and do all the traditional family-vampire things he did with his dad. Again, he hasn't thought about this yet, he's still mostly processing her existence.

[vancilocs]

joe and lyssa? for the parenting stuff

mom n dad

How many children does your OC have?

Three, aimed for two and overshot it a little

Probably one, two wouldn't be impossible but as an only child herself one is fine

Which child tends to receive the most attention? Why?

Probably Sam because of her being sporty like dad, but no special treatment, they just have the most to talk about

One kid

What personal trait would your OC prefer their child/ children to develop? (kindness, sense of humor, independence, assertiveness, etc)

Bravery and self-worth mainly, but also kindness

Kindness, being humble, curiosity of the world

What is your OC’s greatest area of weakness as a parent? Their greatest strength?

He's not very openly loving and emotional, but you can always talk to him about anything and he will keep a secret

Weakness would be her working so much and also being very ill sometimes, hard to be at home helping kid with homework when you're at the hospital bc your heart doesn't work. But she's kind, very smart, attentive and understanding, has solutions to every grievance

What  negative events from your OC’s childhood are important for your OC to shield their own child/children from? 

Feeling like they're not enough or a replacement or just not right somehow

Lyssa loves her parent and credits them for making her a doctor as well but maybe in hindsight little children shouldn't be helping with removing knives out of patients

What is your OC’s parenting style? Strict? Permissive? Absent?

After retiring he spent a long time as a stay-at-home dad so he's very much there and available, and kinda permissive. Though his kids never really asked for too much, he trusted them to be smart.

Stricter than Izkiel, but reasonable about it. Works pretty long days and sometimes just has to go and help someone out so a bit flakey

If your OC is raising children with a partner, how well do they work as a team in their parenting?

After the hiccups in the beginning they work really well together and figure out how to raise them kids, no use to ask dad if mom said no bc you knowww he will say no bc mom said so too

I imagine some hitches will happen, Izkiel is too cool for school sometimes and him and Lyssa need to figure out how to work in tandem so this thing works out

Where does your OC want their child/children to grow? (City, suburbs, countryside, van life, etc?) Why?

Suburb with schools nearby but also parks and activities (also Joe doesn't like cities either so)

No other option than city where they live at, but do make sure there's a proper school and maybe some kind of playpark nearby

How often does your OC’s child/children get to see/meet their extended family? 

Joe's side of the family visits fairly often, Mae's side a bit less but it's not a long distance from 'Straya to Japan so they will visit multiple times a year I think

Lyssa's parent is very present, Izkiel's side lives far away but Lyssa wants them to see the kid too as much as they can

What does your OC want their child/children to have that they never had?

Honestly Joe had it really well when he was little

While Lyssa doesn't miss her mom and doesn't mind being raised by a single parent, it really helps to have someone else to look after the kid too. So much easier that way

What does your OC think about feeding their child/children junk food? (Rarely, on occasion, every day etc)

Rarely/special occasions, Sam gets a big win in rugby or Lou gets good grades or Dami shares that he won 50 bucks in a video game tournament and Joe is like hell yeah and gets him chicken nuggets

Lyssa? Never. Izkiel, sometimes.

What is your OC’s pocket money/ spending allowance philosophy?

Has no issue handing out a tenner when they ask, or if it's something bigger, agree on the kid handling some extra chores and they'll get extra cash

Regular allowance, extras if they put in some work

Would your OC put a TV in their child/children’s room?

Damien would get one when he's older at least

Not likely

Does you OC believe children should take part in household chores?

Absolutely, though he handles the majority

Yes

What is your OC’s brand name buying philosophy for their child/children? 

If it needs to be good quality then get some name brands, like sports shoes. Just for fashion and flexing? Nah

Not necessary

How far apart did your OC space their children? Why?

There's 4 years between Damien and the girls, figured he was grown enough to not need as much attention

One of them

How does your OC feel about drinking alcohol or smoking in front of their child/children?

Doesn't do that other than maybe a beer or two sometimes

She doesn't do that in general

Does your OC believe in eating together as a family every night?

It's nice, but not necessary

It's fun sometimes but not realistic

Does your OC have any special traditions they would want to pass along to their child/children?

Not really?

Some valoidian ones probably, and from Izkiel's side

[deaneverafter]

Thoughts for Episode 1: Teeth in the Bone

Some immediate thoughts, as I watched! Will have longer form thoughts later 🤣

Starting off with a literal bang, I like it 💥Hello, Mark Meachum 🥰👀 Talk about an entrance scene!

My manz went up against a whole group and held his own 👏🏻

This head injury is going to come back and cause problems though, I fear

NINE MONTHS undercover in a prison?! Man, that has got to leave scarsImprisonment AND torture? Oh, Amber, what are you investigating??

"No lone wolves," said while looking directly at Mark 🤣🧐👀 I'm intrigued about the backstory and personality traits that led to that specific assessment about Mark being one

Inmate Mark to Detective Mark Meachum 😍😎 He cleaned up, but I lowkey wanted that makeover montage too 😂

Oh my Gosh, Evan is so cute, raising her hand to talk 😂🥹

Mark and Nathan, and Mark and Luke, starting off with the teasing and banter, I'm feeling some brOTPs brewing

It's already clear that the image of a super chill guy with the dorky humour is a deliberate choice Mark makes. Not that he isn't funny, but he certainly plays it up, and I'm very interested to see what he's hiding behind there

It's obvious Mark is good at his job. He wouldn't be on a second federal task force, wouldn't have been undercover for almost a year otherwise. So is the dorky front something to cover up trauma? Throw people off so he can do his job without scrutiny? 👀

Evan is also asking the important questions, and I have to say, not that we have to have favourites, but, after Mark, she might be my favourite right now ☺️

The gasp I just gusped 😱 Mark has a jilted ex fiancée?!

Oh no, Mark is 100% lying about the sister looking alike thing, I'm calling it now. My guess is his trauma from his past and the lifestyle he has to live to be a detective who does whatever he has to do to get the job done, made him scared to commit, and he needed an out

Evan is so eager to learn, and inquisitive about the cases, about how to be the best agent she can be, and I'm here for it 👏🏻💯Keyonte not taking any bs from anyone 👀

Something's fishy with the widow's brother, he's hiding something

Evan finding the perp's face from random vehicle mirrors? We've got a new tech girlboss to add to my list of favourite tech girlbosses 💅🏻

Not the headache again 😫😱 I hope Mark is okay, but I suspect he's very much not, but will ignore it until he can't anymore

Okay, I'm sorry to say this on main, but the hint of gray in Mark’s beard 👀🥰 Very distinguished look, juxtaposed directly with his more rebellious overall aestheticKeyonte coming in with the takedown 💪🏻

Mark, right off the bat, doing anything and everything to apprehend the suspect, which is am admirable, yet dangerous, quality

Mark and Amber off to a not-so-great start 😬 I'm manifesting an enemies to friends for them, but I honestly can't see anything more, the vibes are very platonic, whether they be positive or negative

Oof, what's Nathan playing at, sending Mark and Amber in to interrogate a suspect mid-fight? 🧐🤔

Wow, he was onto something with that, huh 👌🏻So that closes the case of the first agent, I'm wondering how the team will stumble onto the fact that it's a much bigger conspiracy

Mark has brain cancer!? 😭 I don't understand, the outlook is not great? So like, how short is the timespan within the show? Are we getting a sad ending? I can't handle a sad ending 💔

But oh my God, this is why he's reckless. He doesn't want the cancer to take him, he wants to go out doing something more, saving people 😭

I've known Mark for exactly 38 minutes and 34 seconds (and the few hours it took me to get through the episode, because I'm savoring it) but I already don't want him to d*e 😭💔 Don't do this to me, guys, I can't handle this

Of course Mark has his tendencies to be self sacrificial, put himself at risk to save others, that's clear from the record the team members looked up. But, I'm guessing the diagnosis and bleak prognosis is making him even less careful about himself. He feels like he's going out anyway, so if he can sacrifice his life and save others, it doesn't matter if it happens a little earlier 😔

So not drugs, but a huge weapon is what they were smuggling in 😱💥 Bookending the episode with another explosion (an explosive revelation)

[lumilasi]

yes Hi I really love the two cutiepie lesbians but couldn't find much info about them, can you give us the tea about the two? (The blond(?) And the sunshine!) Love your art ~❤️

Glad you like them! (I don't know what to classify Marci's hair either. Light brown? Blond? Dirty Blond? It is a mystery)

Yeah unfortunately there isn't much about Marci and Mariella yet, given they are relatively new characters: that image was the first time I drew them since making their bios, and even the info in those is a bit outdated now OTL (Also Marci's one needs updates given how I will draw her changed thanks to this pic in question)

Also they are not really part of the main group for each story & I have a LOT of characters, so I haven't had much time or motivation to draw them either. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of story and lore behind the two though, especially Marci. One thing I can guarantee is that if a character of mine has no lore yet once born, there WILL be a novel's worth later lmaooo

....This does lead to a problem where this will get long-winded, because I HAVE to bring up a couple other characters to explain them properly, which means I'll have to give a summary of said characters too....and world details lore....

Since you asked though, I guess I'll try to summarize; I'll break this up in sections + add images for the characters in question. Maybe I'll put the lore explanation under the cut so those who aren't interested don't have to suffer through a long post:

MARCI'S POWERS

She's a "Weaponsmith Warlock" also known in-world by the name Spatha (Latin for a specific type of weapon) Warlock, I.E has the ability to create any weapon known to man up to the current times, she forms them from red, bloodlike liquid substance. Her power comes from the Herald of War aka one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. (He's not a warmonger in this take but more of a weary soldier who hates his existence)

BACKSTORY

Marci is an orphan, and she originates from Australia in the human world. She was picked up/"adopted" by her former boss Kenzo Yoma/Faydream as a teenager in the 80'ies, as she'd recently discovered her magic powers and was struggling to control them. He basically offered to mentor her for her powers and she'll in turn get away from her shitty foster home. She agreed and moved with him to the Mirror realm (the place where all the mythical beings of this world live, I still haven't figured out a better name for it lol).

She was never really officially adopted by Kenzo though, and acted more as a student than a daughter, but they did still have a good relationship initially, to the point Marci willingly started working as his right hand woman once she was adult/confident enough with her powers.

FIRST DETOUR: Kenzo summary

Kenzo is a dream-eater, also known as a nightcrawler/bogeyman. In this story they are beings born from people's trauma that feed on said trauma and people's fears and nightmares. Kenzo and his brother Yuuji are a rare twin-born pair so they are especially powerful among their kind, having been born the same time from brothers who experienced the same trauma the same time. (Them appearing Japanese is because the said humans were Japanese)

He works as the head of a special organization called The Shadowless, whose job is to keep the Mirror realm hidden from humans & make sure powerful magic artifacts don't end up in human hands. They kind of protect both sides from each other essentially.

Kenzo is the antagonist of his character set, BUT he is not a "villain." You know, the whole "All villains are antagonists, but not all antagonists are villains." He's basically just a man who nearly lost his wife Evena & daughter Avane once, and this incident caused the said wife to suffer from severe mental health complications, which has essentially strained their familial relationships badly.

He struggles to handle the situation so he's buried himself in his work, causing some of his more negative personality traits to manifest stronger bit by bit. (Tendencies for manipulation, lower empathy, "end justifies the means" thinking) He's still relatively close with his daughter and brother, though tends to argue with the latter a lot, something he didn't do so much in the past. His daughter & brother are also working on trying to get him to realize he's spiraling, while also trying to protect others from him if necessary.

RETIREMENT

Marci eventually retired from her job due to multitude of factors, such as seeing her boss' downward spiral after the incident with his family and starting to lose trust in him, but primarily due to an incident, where she lost control of her powers due to stress in a mission, causing an explosion that killed innocent people by accident. She now works in a magical instrument repair shop, handling the back storage and the like. (She wanted a job where she didn't have to use her powers & always liked anything music related)

MARISA

Before Marci got this job, she actually went to stay with some friends she'd made a while back, the guardians of the Blue Life tree. There, she ended up growing fond of a recently manifested spirit, a little girl called Marisa, and eventually ended up becoming her adoptive parent as the kid basically chose her to be her mom (Marisa literally pointed at her after a while and declared her her momma lol)

SECOND DETOUR: Moth Spirits and Life trees

Life trees are magical trees within this realm, that call forth lost souls who died with regrets/unfinished business/died before they could have a proper life to begin with. They essentially grant these souls a second chance at life to complete their unfinished business, albeit symbolically majority of the time. (Example: If their regret was never confessing their love to someone, typically the spirit completes this by finding a new person to love and confess to them. This is because often the people in question have already passed on themselves)

Moth spirits are these reborn souls, and their visual characteristics depend on the tree of origin, and the tree depends on their manner of death/who they were as human. Currently there are only 3 trees left, A Weeping Willow (Green tree) Wisteria (The purple tree) and Blue Spruce (The blue tree, obvs). Marisa was born from the blue tree, because she was simply a child who died young accidentally. Moth spirits born from this tree are always blue, but can have orange as an accent color to their appearance. The skin is always a shade of blue though.

MARIELLA

Mariella is a tree nymph who was born out of a seed rather than "human" way. (Both birth types are possible, which happens tends to depend on if the nymph lives in more rural or urban parts of the world. More urbanized ones tend to prefer direct birthing and act as direct parents to their children, whereas seedlings like Mariella tend to live in a communion where all older nymphs/dryads act as the parents to the younglings.)

She used to work as a Guardian for the green Life Tree, but it became mentally and emotionally too taxing given the nature of the spirits born from it. (Tragic deaths with foul play often involved, including self-harm. basically the most traumatized group of the 3)

She started working in the city as one of the park-keepers for the biggest park in there, which is where she met Marci and Marisa, and the two ladies hit it off pretty quickly. They now live together in a new apartment, though their daughter moved out a year ago as she left for university to become a magic-mechanical engineer.

OTHER IMPORTANT CHARACTERS:

Avane (Green haired lady)- Kenzo's daughter whom Marci used to babysit a bit, and even nowadays cares for, sometimes helping her meddle into her dad's business out of concern, both for Ava's safety, but also concern over the damage Kenzo could do in his current mental state. Visually comes mainly after her mother apart from her eyes. Mantis Fairy/Dream-eater mixed heritage.

Sebastian - Her occasional coworker in the instrument shop, also happens to be a member of her favorite local rock band (she didn't realize this until he invited her to a concert as a VIP guest) A Wyvern

Aimi (My friend's character)- her successor and Kenzo's new right hand woman. Often she is the one who contacts her in behalf of Kenzo, and Marci begrudgingly considers her a friend. Ice cream loving fiend, a Grand Fairy

Herald of War/The Soldier (No design yet) - Her Deity/source of power essentially. Considers Marci his favorite as she respects and fears her power appropriately in his eyes. Often visits them and pretends to their daughter he's Marci's relative, so Marisa thinks he's her "uncle" and has no clue he's a powerful apocalyptic entity. Mariella knows but plays along and has a fairly friendly relationship with the weary soldier.

PROTAGONIST CONNECTIONS:

Azul/Chester (spin off protag, blue hair): One of Marci's friends she met through Kenzo's family doctor, who is Azul's adoptive father.

Jurou/Alistair (Main story protag): A tattooist who made her snake tattoo, Avane's boss and the person whose power is currently the most of-interest to Kenzo, given how powerful he actually is. Single bi Goth Dad, though he's starting to date Avane's uncle Yuuji.

OTHER FACTS:

Marci is asexual lesbian, doesn't mind being intimate with her GF if she wants it. They generally tend to be more "cuddles, domestic affection and quality time" type of couple over bedroom funtimes.

Marci is actually around 50-60 in human years, its just that life-expectancy for magic wielders and magical beings is typically measured more in centuries, so she ages slower now that she's fully unlocked her magic. She's roughly equivalent of a human in their thirties.

Mariella's exact age is unknown, but she is generally seen to be late twenties/early thirties in human form

Marci's surname Raye is actually her second name; she did not want to use her foster family's surname, and didn't feel comfortable adopting her mentor's surname as she didn't feel like she had the right to (and later wouldn't want to, seeing how he started to change for the worse)

Mariella's surname was the name of the nymph communion she comes from, which is typical tradition for those who come from these groups.

[nedsseveredhead]

1, 9, 13, 14, 22 for hyzenthlay? or 4, 5, 15, 16 for luci?

Have Both!!

Hyzenthlay (art by @lavenderarts !)

What is their color palette? Depending on the timeline- pre shadow bringers its a lot of natural colors, greens and browns! Post shadowbringers is white, gold, and other neutrals!

9. If your OC were to imagine their idyllic life (realistically or otherwise) what would it be like? Adventuring with her husband and her friends with no more high stakes beyond maybe friendly competition. Being a healer during several end of the world events is exhausting!

13. Is your character bilingual or multilingual? Which language are they most comfortable in or prefer using? How did they come to learn them? Admittedly I'm not sure how final fantasy handles language. In theory, she is. She was raised by Sylphs, and they theoretically would have their own language. They at least have their own way of speaking, if not something entirely separate. She learned "common" later in life when brought to Gridania.

14. Do they have an accent? How do they or others think of it? Yes! Its very slight but its there. She also sometimes slips back into speaking the way Sylphs do, referring to herself as "this one" and so on! I think its such a slight difference that most people don't notice it. Aymeric thinks its cute though lmao

22. What is some advice or guidance they received that had a big impact on their lives or outlook? Was it a positive or negative impact? Being referred to as a Beast by multiple people is a through line of her character. She basically grew up 'feral,' to Gridanian standards. But she doesnt think she did. She grew up defending the sylphs from wood warders and others that encroached on their lands. Sometimes that meant fighting tooth and claw! She was given the moniker 'Beast of the Black Shroud' but she never seriously hurt anyone. She became a healer but to some the reputation still stuck... and eventually when fighting Zenos, his calling to her 'his beast' and so forth didn't help. EW spoilers for those playing but me and my friend changed the final duty, she doesnt kill Zenos. Her best friend, the companion shes closest to Miko does. And he tells her after everything she doesn't have to kill. That he'll carry that burden for her. And that meant everything to her.

Luci (Art by @caelanod !)

4. If your OC likes art, talk about which piece they would love best. I don't know if I'd really consider Luci a patron of the arts! He does however like to watch his husband build machinery but I think thats more so like... watching that man's arms. Art, you know?

5. What character from myth or fairytale best represents them? God I pondered this for like ten minutes I know theres gotta be something but I can't think of it right now,, If I think of one later I'll come back and edit asdf

15. What is a common misconception about your OC? (Alternatively, what do people assume about them which is either incorrect or misconstrued?) Many people in Ul'Dah think (or maybe thought, now) that Luci was cold, mean, unpersonable. He is a very private person, he doesn't like people touching him, and he has a mean resting face. But anyone who knows him knows hes fiercely loyal, open to his friends, very loving. You just have to approach him like a cat, you know? Respect his boundaries.

16. What trait do they find most attractive/appealing about others? Hmmm... Sincereity, I think. The one who really opened him up to making friends was Emoni Rhun (my friends WoL). And that happened because she was so sincerely... good. All that kindness and expecting nothing in return. He had been used and manipulated so much in his youth he'd forgotten people could be like that.

{Romanticism: Original Character Ask Game}

{ Characters }

[farfarawaygirl]

For sure seeing a lot of the validity in what you’re saying about season 4 and the characters, I think this is just a consequence of picking in too many characters/stories. That aside, I guess I am not as frustrated with Lucy’s character as some are. I think her arc is coming but also think we still see over-achieving, do gooder, fighting for the old ladies, mama bear Lucy. A little jealousy over the aide sitch doesn’t detract from that IMO. I also don’t think they haven’t decided on Chenford

(Continued) I think AH is on board despite what he says. John says it all the time on Twitter and EW constantly does as well. I think AH is moreso just hung up on Nolan and his OG vision for the show not seeing the potential of an ensemble. BUT he wrote 4x01 and I don’t think those choices, the hug, the pining, the “be careful Tim” we’re baiting or accidental. I wish they’d write this relationship with some more heat as you said but I do think it’s being built to. I see the light! 🙈😂🤷🏽‍♀️

(Continued again) I’m not looking at naively but also looking at it from the lens of someone who watched Castle, where a lot of this writing staff/producers are from. They get jokey in serious moments, jump the shark. This is no Chicago Fire/PD. As to Tim, Idk about flawless - Grey had to advise him to praise and his cold hard truth didn’t fly with McGrady. we’ll also get more insight on how he handles his family which I bet won’t be perfect. I see/hear the critique but just devil’a advocate. 🤷

I wholeheartedly agree with you on the fact that there are too many characters - that is part of the reason them upping Jenna to series regular is a bit of a bummer. But, I do also see it as a misdirect - she might be gone by next season, or (my brother is convinced she is evil, and has something to do with the arson storyline - he even phoned me the other night the ask if I though the writers would make her pregnant so that Nolan is stuck with her as he starts to see an evil side - lol, he came by his dramatic streak honestly).

Part of what has been so disheartening this season is how all the female characters have been sideline. It is especially disheartening because this show used to give them deeper, more nuanced storyline. Angela and her first day on the job, where an officer died in her arms. Bishop who was determined to rise up the ranks. Andersen who actually held the power and respect of the station without having to announce it. Nyla with a fraught family situation that was exacerbated by her UC work. Lucy and her complex parental relationships.

They provided those stories while still having the characters be flawed, and smart, and brave - AND ON SCREEN. They weren't made just the comic relief, or force to have whole episodes where they to only talk about nursing. This is fake inclusivity.

I think Alexi talked a bit about Lucy dealing with what she doesn't yet know about UC work, and I would love them to delve deeper into that. You are right, it does feel like Alexi is stuck on his OG vision - and I think the problem is that there is a disconnect in the writers room about how to focus stories. He did write 4x09, and I sceptically eyeing the promo photos and details and wondering how is going to play this!

Keep playing devils advocate, I appreciate how you shared your thoughts and how your viewing is different from mine. Everyone consumes media differently, and that means that we all walk into it with our baggage and biases, and that impacts how we absorb the information being given to us. I was raised to engage with Media critically - seriously, daughter of a psychologist and a news anchor - and I get a lot out of critically looking at my media.

I've said it before and I will say it again, we should be doing that!

We need to be able to identify both negative and positive traits in the media we consume, because it informs us! And we need to let people express how they feel about.

[wbqotd]

I have a new question How do you keep your main characters from being completely perfect. Like I said a few flaws for mine and then I completely forgot about them. And she is the calmest person you will probably ever meet. But when she is ticked she picks at her inner ring finger on her left hand

Oooh, fun question. Flawed characters are my jam.  But I’m going to answer this one in a bit of a round-about-way, so bear with me. 

Giving characters flaws is the way to stop them from being perfect. My personal definition of a character flaw is a trait that makes your character’s life (or the lives of those around them) harder in some way. With this definition in mind, a trait like ‘clumsy’ has the potential to be a flaw, but it could also just be a quirk. It all depends on how the narrative handles it. If being clumsy causes your heroine to lose her job after she spills a drink on a VIP client and her best friend to yell at her for breaking a family heirloom. then yeah, I feel like it’s fair to call being clumsy a flaw. But if the only effect being clumsy has on the plot is causing your character to trip and fall into the hero’s loving arms, then that’s not something I’d call a flaw. I’d call it a quirk. That’s not to say character flaws have to be all negative. It’s possible being clumsy could lead to a character losing her job and meeting the love of her life. But if there are no negative consequences at all I wouldn't call it a flaw. That’s just my definition though, there are plenty of others out there, and you’re welcome to disagree with it. 

Now, my attitude is that most character traits have the potential for good and bad consequences for your characters. Let’s imagine we’ve got a cautious hero. Caution can be a good thing. It means our hero will be alert and guarded against danger. He’ll think before he acts. But it can also be a bad thing. If he’s cautious to an extreme, he might not ever trust anyone. This could lead to extra pressure on him since he won’t accept help from others. It could also lead to hurt feelings from other characters, who may ask themselves: Why doesn’t he trust me? He might even miss out on some great opportunities because someone else took his chance while he was weighing up the pros and cons. It would be realistic for a cautious hero to experience both positive and negative consequences for being cautious. You don’t have to fit character traits into neat little boxes called 'strengths’ and 'flaws’ - they can flip from one to the other or be both at once. 

I think keeping this in mind makes it easier to build flawed (or rather, well-rounded) characters. Instead of tacking 'flaws’ (which often end up being more like quirks than flaws) onto a character,  you’re twisting and amplifying the traits you’ve already given them. 

You described your character as calm.  That’s generally seen as a good trait to have. You can probably think of a few ways it could come in handy for your character. But what happens if you twist calm into something more negative or take it to an extreme?  A thesaurus is a really good place to find the answer to this question. Look at the synonyms for calm (or another trait of your choice) first. You’ve got some words with a positive or a neutral feel (like 'patient’ and 'laid back’) but you’ve also got some ones that feel a bit more negative. 'Aloof’ is listed as a synonym. So are 'detached’ and 'dispassionate’’. Your character doesn’t have to be any of these things. You can be calm without being aloof; they don’t mean the exact the same thing. But these traits exist in the same sphere as calm. It doesn’t take a lot for a calm character to come across as aloof to others. And I bet you can think of some negative consequences for a character who comes across as aloof. 

If you like that method of fleshing out characters (and it is just one method of many) there’s another similar exercise you can do with a thesaurus. This time, instead of looking at synonyms, you look at antonyms. The words in the antonym section show you what your character could potentially be lacking. Unreasonable is listed as an antonym of calm - knowing a calm character isn’t unreasonable doesn't add much. But 'passionate’, 'fierce’ and 'excited’ are also listed as antonyms. So now you ask yourself if being calm means your character isn't passionate or fierce or excited. There isn’t a right answer by the way. You can say 'yes, because my character is a calm person they don’t get as excited as other characters’ or you can say 'well no, my character is calm under pressure but they get excited just as much as anyone else’ because there are a lot of ways for someone to be calm (and no one is calm 100% of the time). The point of this exercise isn’t to produce a list of flaws, it’s more about exploring how your character’s traits are expressed. 

TL;DR? If you want to avoid 'perfect’ characters they should have personality traits that lead to negative consequences for themselves and others. Most personality traits have good points and bad points - but you might have to dig deep to figure out what these could be. 

[just-shaladin-things]

(1/4) confession: i hate l@nce. hate him. so much. he's such an asshole! like i get the writers are going for 'wannabe casanova' but what they've got is a boy that only is insta 'nice' to hot women (in the mermaid episode he was like :/ to the squid head girl until she took it off and was totes hot at which point he immediately did a 180 to ;D), hits on literally everything resembling female, and doesn't take no for an answer. like, a//ura made it pretty clear she's not interested in L@nce.

(2/4) But he keeps flirting with her at very bad moments, despite her being annoyed with it, and tries to police her actions at one point??? (when her at Ke!th run off together he flips shit on her and tries to do an interrogation if anything happened like thats any of his fucking business). Literally the only girls he’s not weird about is P1dge and his mother. It’s fucked him over so many times! N!ma and the mermaids both should have been massive red flags, but he never changes!(¾) Not once does he connect the dots and think hmm maybe there’s a connection -NEVERMIND HOT GIRL. He’s completely oblivious from moral and logical standpoints. I hate it and I hate him. No amount of homesickness and insecurity is gonna make him likeable until he pulls his head out of his ass. Or at least gets called out by someone instead of being told ‘not now’ mid emergency. He doesn’t give a shit about them! That one mermaid girl he was hitting on, she died! Mid episode!(4/4) And L@nce didn’t even ask hey, where did she vanish too is she okay? He didn’t give a single fuck about the missing girl he’d been hitting on literally a day ago, he was too busy with the NEW pretty mermaid girl and the hot mermaid queen! I hate him, I hate how the writers handle him, and he needs to get called the fuck out by someone soon. Preferably A//ura. Or P!dge. Or Sh!ro. Thank you for hearing of my rage.

ok i was about to go to sleep but since its the l@nce ask i decided to wait a bit, because uhhh, welp he’s important to me and he’s probably the only reason why i still watch this show lfdkjgkf im going to try and be as, well, as objective and logical as i can so please bear with me also im sorry i cant really salt with you here. like, i partially salt with you but not entirely since, you know, l@nce stan thing and all that. okay anyway, here we go and it probs gonna be long so im really, really sorry or something. also also before i Really start i want to thank hd, jo and ciel bcos brainstorming with them was a top notch way to figure out what i want to say fldkgj

im gonna start with the flirting thing first in general, then move to @llura, then to other instances you brought up then to lance himself, just so we have some outline here okay? okay. so here i go:

the flirting thingy - i get why it bugs you and it bugs me too, especially with @llura. writers definitely overuse it and use it as a comedic device (not working but shhh). on the other side, aside from @llura (which im going to talk about more in a sec, pls be patient with me, pls) girls usually don’t react negatively to it? pl@xum literally kissed him on the cheek, aliens at the mall and on that first planet in s3 laughed and generally it seemed to be rather innocent if annoying because of how often it was portrayed. the flirting alone isn’t really bad, considering his insecurities and strive for attention its not surprising that he does it and its never a serious thing. and most of the team reacts with just groaning and rolling their eyes, no one ever told him, 100% seriously and definitely, to stop. the thing is, writers portray his flirting in a really shitty way (like most things, jesus christ) 90% of the time??? which brings us to the next point here:

@llura or rather how her and l@nces relationship was portrayed so far. now theres no denying it that the part where he keeps on flirting with her and she keeps turning him down and so on is, well, pure shit and we all want (or rather wanted it considering how he dropped the act in s3) it to stop. while it doesnt make it okay, its still important to note that he never really seems to be 100% serious with his pick up lines and it looks like he uses it as a way to lighten up the mood (cue him using them in, well, not really appropriate moments). and while we’re at it, lance hardly ever opposed to any of her orders (aside from the time when he and hunk argued with the rest of the team about coming back home but, like, can you really blame them for that?). also the thing that you brought up, him flipping his shit out when she left with keith was completely justified??? she and k/eith literally left without any notice??? when they were constantly followed by galra and there was a war going on???? of course he was worried out of his mind, who wouldnt! and when she was captured by the gala he was one of the people who wanted to go and save her. like, you cant really say he doesnt give a shit about her. its further proved by how he acted in s3? he completely dropped his flirting with her, never acted angry when she was chosen to be the blue paladin, he even said he was happy that it was her specifically! when sh!ro came back he never asked @llura to step down either, he thought she was better suited to do it than him he constantly checked if she was feeling alright in blue and we could see how much their relationship improved in this season. i would go as far as to say that they actually became a p good friends.

now, onto the other instances you mentioned:

pl@xum - here its kinda tricky tbh, on one side, yeah, its not really okay that he started to be all over the moon for her after she took of the squid, on the other hand he knew her for, like, a day at best?? its not really enough time to fall in love with personality itself (especially considering how much happened during that time?) and you cant really tell that being attracted by someones good looks is something bad? it was portrayed in shitty way but then again, its more of writers fault. and while we’re at it, even if he wasnt interested in her romantically, he never disrespected her??? he took her seriously after she and her group explained what they did and why they did it and helped her free her planet.

fl/rona - okay i seriously dont know why you brought up this? he had maybe one convo with her and during it or right after he was literally drugged with poisoned alien food, then he got kidnapped, stung by a squid and had to fight and save the entire kingdom. he probably thought she was in the palace or somewhere in their village? with so much happening of course it could slip his mind. 

ny/a - well, im not really sure how to approach this one but im gonna try. yes, l/nce going after her was reckless and not his best moment but also?? literally everyone on the team except for h/nk seemed to trust them? and n/ma not only reciprocated/pretended to reciprocate but also played at his insecurities (aka pulling the “if you wont then im sure k/th aka the boy that you consider ur rival aka the boy that is one of the sources of ur insecurities will take me to his lion). and lance maybe has a strategical mind and works good on missions and in the heat of a moment but? he’s also an insecure teenager and teens tend to do reckless things when they want to impress someone. plus, lance generally seems to be rather trusting? hes not as guarded as, lets say, k/eith, hes thrives on social interaction and likes meeting new people. you can see it in the way he wanted to hang out with p/idge in the garrison even though she probs always turned him and h/nk down or how he was able to confide in coran despite knowing him for week at best or in how quick he was to play around and take selfies with complete strangers from the planet he just helped save in s3 and how well he worked with blade of m/rmora in same ep. hes quick to trust and become friends, which makes him an easy target for people like n/ma but overall isnt really a bad trait. 

all in all, lance is a very, very complex character and cant really be judged only basing on his flirting. hes much more than that. and while i understand where you’re coming from i cant really agree with you fully. the way his flirting is portrayed is shitty but hes not a bad person at all. 

sorry its so long btw, im just,,, kinda passionate dl

[oveliagirlhaditright]

I agree. I think she definitely has flaws (which is a good thing! Otherwise she would be a Mary-Sue). For one thing, just because she's a PoH doesn't mean that she can't feel the negative emotions usually associated with darkness in this series (such as sadness and anger, just to name a few): we see her and the other Princesses with these emotions MANY times in the games, there's just something magical about their hearts that keeps it from turning to darkness for them. I think one of Kairi's biggest flaws is actually also my favorite trait of hers (so it's a double-edged sword), in that sometimes I think she can be too blunt and hurt people's feelings without realizing it or meaning to. Now, this is a reason I love her--I love when she's allowed to be sassy--but sometimes I think she can take it too far, and why it CAN also sometimes be a character flaw. She can also be WAY too reckless, jumping into things without any thought on the matter (usually to try and help her friends) but then getting herself into a situation she wasn't at all prepared to handle this way. She also seems to have real low self-esteem and belief in herself, and always waves away comments where people compliment here (I also definitely think she's dealt with some depression and perhaps a bit of self-loathing, like when she's punishing herself by not going out to the Play Island when she feels guilty for not fully remembering Sora, even though it wasn't her fault). And before KHIII, though we DID see her getting closer and closer to going after her dreams all the time, she was still probably a bit too passive for getting talked out of going with Sora and/or Riku so easily. But at the same time, you could even say that some of her wanting to travel/learn to fight just to not be left behind by Sora and Riku anymore (and only really worrying that THEY were getting hurt in that one text bubble of hers in KHII) was a bit selfish, and her in 0.2 and KHIII changing it to that she wants to get out and do her part to help the WORLD is a step in the right direction. And she has the tendency to freeze up sometimes in battle/life or death situations, which is a natural reaction to have... but still probably something she should try and overcome... Riku straight up says she can be lazy like Sora, which I DO think we see some shades of. I also think Kairi shutting Roxas down with "Okay, Roxas. But can you tell me HIS name?" was a bit unintentionally cold on her part... and this may just be a headcanon of mine, and not something the games intended, but I feel like Kairi realizes it, too--because then on after, whenever Roxas is brought up you can tell Kairi is interested in and cares about Roxas' sense of SELF. Anyway, these are just some I can think of off the top of my head. There may be more.

You know, just because Kairi is a princess of heart doesn’t mean she isn’t a flawed character. And this isn’t an anti Kairi post! Flaws make characters interesting, and they’re important.