#//In some cases like with other people; he will highly Doubt it's truly so; and be On edge the entire time

[dutybcrne]

For Kaeya, people who are exceedingly sweet, even naturally so like Barbara, absolutely make him severely uncomfortable. He can deal with people who possess sharper attitudes like Rosaria and Diluc just fine, and is alright with those Jean and Lisa who know to scold and rein him back when needed, but someone he percieves to be too kind always set him on edge.

[evilminji]

Guess what color the Metorite Vandal Savage cuddled with, was?

Did you guess Ectoplasm Green?

Because it waaaaaaaas~ And! Thanks to a Certain Episode That Shall Not Be Named, we know that meteors and other space rocks CAN be Ecto-ranium!

Which!! Suggests OTHER Ecto-Elements may be floating about in space! Not in large amounts, but! Absurdly rare does NOT mean they never land on earth! Consider the various kryptonites! Rare! Still land on earth. Not all are immediately harmful to Kryptonians.

So? What other Ecto-Elements could land on earth? Perhaps one that... unlike Ecto-Ranium... that hurts Ghosts and Limnals? CREATES them?

Imagine if you with? You are Savage. Tired. Sore. Cold. The glowing rock... is WARM.

FEELS warm... deeper even then your skin. Like... like a blessing. Like the Sky Gods have sent you warmth and safety. Chosen you. You are so tired. The rock calls to you. The night is cold. Your body heavy. The light... so... so soft and pretty...

You wake up... Different.

Stronger. Smarter. More AWARE.

As though power has been poured into your veins. You no longer age. Are the ONLY of your kind. Wouldn't it be easy to make assumptions? For Obsession to twist your mind and time to alienate you from humanity? They are infants compared to you.

Isolation HAS been PROVEN to drive humans insane. And in so many ways? He is Isolated. Trapped without access to the Zone, the Realms Infinite. He is the only Man in a sea of violent, gibbering, ever repeating zygote. Thoughtless repetition of history's mistakes, played out before him, like Humanity itself is smashing it's head against a wall again and again and AGAIN.

Nothing new under the sun. Alone, decade after decade after century after millenia. Hungry for the presence of other people, their EMOTIONS and LIFE, but equally unable to bear them. Starving slowly.

Every war, each battle, a feast of SOMETHING that fills his stomach for years. The extreme emotions and sudden ends of Death releasing SOMETHING into the air he can not explain. Can not name. It fills him.

He is Chosen.

He is insane. An inherently social creature driven mad by social isolation. A ghost trapped in flesh, slowly warped by the filters of human perception and prolonged starvation. But... not alone... not forever...

A little town.

In that country built on mass Graves, that thinks so very highly of itself. Founded by witches. A town of CHILDREN. Stumbling and new. Like HIM.

Some stronger then others, as tends to be the case, some clever and sure footed. So many will not stand the tests of Time. They are too weak. But... BUT! Oh~ LOOK At Them! A Tribe of Children.

They will live FOREVER.

They must be protected. As he walks amongst them, he can see them struggle to understand themselves. To hide their greatness from the reactionary masses. Already the children have drawn the attention of some governmental branch of this or that. Were too inexperienced and without leadership.

No Father to guide them. No patriarch.

The best they have is a floating child. "Phantom". Children guiding children, truly it is madness.

As he stands on the steps of the halls of their little town's government hall. Do you think Vandal Savage smiles? Pats the head of a passing child, after he catches her, to keep her from stumbling? Is he the very picture of a pleasant, gregarious man?

How trustworthy.

Vladimir Masters must look up from his work, at his overly ornate desk, and meet the eyes of something far, FAR worse then himself. Know in that instant, as like recognizes like, that a monster has stepped foot into his office. What choice does he make, I wonder?

When his instincts scream this... this is likely it. You have no escape. This thing will go through you, continue on, consume and control until it has it's fill. You are an obstacle it seeks to... Remove.

What does he do then?

In that moment... does he think of the Family his Obsession cradles so dear? The woman he loves, unknowing of this danger? The children, the SON, no doubt first to be targeted after he falls?

I imagine he does.

He cares little for Jack Fenton. But Vladimir Masters, in his own twisted way, does love Jack's family dearly. He sits at his desk, brought from home, bought with stolen wealth, and smiles a businessman's polite smile. Let's his hand brush the decorative bobblehead of to the side. Slips his finger, intangible, just beneath the surface of the plastic...

..to the emergency switch below.

Flick.

Messages Sent.

Three phones light up, dispite having blocked his number. The screen fills with simple messages, repeated and bold.

RUN. GO NOW. I'M ALREADY DEAD.

RUN. RUN. RUN.

PLEASE.

RUN.

@stealingyourbones @hdgnj @ailithnight

[mrmeowski]

˚✧𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐭. 𝟐/𝟐✧˚

Synopsis: You thought it was all going to be fine being around these majestic beings that only your kind could dream to meet however, you did not expect such an outcome when they started falling for a lowly human such as yourself. They say it is for your own safety as you are just a mere mortal, but you fear that they may be the danger.

CW: Emotional manipulation, unhealthy relationship, abusive, controlling, toxic behaviors, stalking

Word Count: 4.3k

Characters: 🧡༻✧ Lucifer [617] 💜༻✧ Mammon [578] 🧡༻✧ Leviathan [754] 💜༻✧ Satan [580] 🧡༻✧ Asmodeus [721] 💜༻✧ Beelzebub [474] 🧡༻✧ Belphegor [622] Yandere Lovers Pt. 1/2»

⋇⊰LUCIFER⊱⋇

This much sinister side of the Avatar of Pride stems from an intense desire to keep you to himself. He's extremely possessive and sees you as his most precious possession. He'll go to great lengths to protect you from any threats, real or imagined.

His desires had taken an extreme measure to isolate you from others. He'd discourage your interactions with other demons even his own brothers and anyone else who might threaten his claim on you. He believes he's your only owner and ensures you are always by his side.

Lucifer's natural authoritarian personality becomes much more pronounced and that includes his punishments if you or others would disobey. He'll set strict rules for you, he'll monitor your actions and interactions, expecting absolute obedience. His overbearing presence strained your relationships with your friends. Even if you think you're alone, he'll be there in the shadows. You thought he was busy with paperwork? He can always find time for you, after all, someone could do that instead and he deserves a little break, does he not?

You are well aware of how highly intelligent the demon of pride could be but you haven't yet scratched the surface of his intellectual capacity. Mixing his smarts with people's initial fear of him, he could tug everyone's strings like a puppeteer. In your case, he will use such abilities to keep you under his control. Gaslighting is another way to doubt your judgment and rely solely on him. The demon enjoys employing schemes and deceit to eliminate potential threats to your relationship with him. With the power and weight that his name holds in Devildom, he shan't worry for some lowly beings dare hurt you unless they're truly idiots.

While he may not intentionally hurt you his actions to keep you to himself have led you to emotional and psychological harm. His constant surveillance and manipulation take a toll on your overall well-being. He rationalizes to you multiple times that his actions are necessary for your safety and happiness.

If you have the guts to stand against him, he'll take it as a personal affront. Of course, he still would be hurt—at first, he simply was doing all he could for your future and this is how you treat him? Disappointment turns into anger. Depending on the severity of your disobedience, he could resort to various punishments to remind you of your place. Meanwhile, if you dare run away from him, his wrath will be unleashed. He will do whatever it takes to break your mind and make you completely dependent on him. He won't be sorry after that, if you treat him like this he will do the same until you learn to love and appreciate his actions for you.

In his eyes, he is doing what is good for you. He only wanted the best for you since you deserved it after all you've done for him even if you didn't need to do so. This is his way of paying you back so why are you refusing him? And you're just but a mere mortal, the weakest out of the four beings, demons like he won't waste a dime ripping you limb to limb. You already have close encounters with him and his brothers but at least those were controlled, however, outside there with those rats... It is far too dangerous, so why don't you stay with him? Stay with him and he'll treat you like a deity. Stay with him if you don't want him to force you. He doesn't want to hurt you but if you keep disappointing him then he has no choice. He just needs you to learn who you belong to.

⋇⊰MAMMON⊱⋇

Mammon gets picked fun by everyone, demons; witches; and even his own family. He expected that it would never change in the near future but little did he know, there would be a lone soul treating him with kindness, a human nonetheless. All those times he treated you so lowly, you exchanged it with kindness and comfort. From that moment he was smitten and everything that came after began to fall apart.

If you were glued to the firstborn's side at all times, this time the greedy gremlin is glued to yours. At first, you found it quite adorable for he is letting down his tsundere act and actually being with you without excuses but over time, it had become overbearing as well. He was given the role of your protector although he may not have taken it seriously back then, tides had changed and he has put this job close to his heart.

He becomes extremely protective, often trying to shield you away from any perceived threats or danger, even if they are minor or even nonexistent. Your closest friends aren't safe either, it seemed like he was simply barking at everyone. His actions are driven by his possessiveness and fear of losing you. He'd do anything to keep you constantly safe, even if it meant isolating you from everyone you ever loved and cared about. As this goes deeper, he might as well hide you from the eyes of the Demon Prince and his right-hand hand for they will send you home.

Besides his over-protectiveness tendencies, he experiences an overwhelming jealousy from time to time and it can be consuming. He might obsessively monitor your interactions with others. He'd obsessively look for any sign of affection or attention from yours being directed away from him and if he did, he'll take action. He might even hide your D.D.D. to prevent you from chatting with his brother or those pesky angels and the other human.

He doesn't like to harm you, he could never lift a finger on you unlike most of his brothers, and instead would threaten to harm himself or emotionally blackmail you in order to keep you at bay. These are acts of love, can you not see? Be at least a little thankful that he isn't as cruel as the prideful brother! Unlike him, he would be sorry at the end of the day.

He's the embodiment of greed, all he has ever done in his life ever since The Fall was to be selfish. It is in his blood now, it is his nature. Before he would beat himself up because of how low his sin was and that it caused trouble to his brothers. Yet now, he is thankful to whoever is in charge of giving him this sin, since it always brings him joy ever since your arrival. The man being greedy for you brings him immense happiness that money can never buy, he cannot imagine a life without you. He is not delusional, he knows your time is limited so that's why he wasn't to be with you every second! Wouldn't you like that? Don't you feel special that you're more important than his Goldie?

Come on now, he already struggles with words—you should be aware of that! And you're going to ditch him like that? After all he had done for you... and nothing comes for it. Maybe he is just on the unfair side of fate...

⋇⊰LEVIATHAN⊱⋇

Levi being the Avatar of Envy meant that he would be a pain if it were to be multiplied by the thousands. Not only does his jealousy worsen but also his obsession, at first it was the well-loved anime series called 'The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl.' However, that changed when you came barging into his quiet and isolated life. As his obsession deepens, he starts to live in a fantasy world where only you and he exist through his dreams. He believes that you two are meant to be together and nothing else matters in the world.

His tendencies are all-consuming and borderline unhealthy. He'd spend hours obsessing and drooling over your pictures, belongings he stole from your room, things you've touched in his room, and any other connections to you. He had even hidden away his personal collections of you, most are unwashed clothes and he loves it whenever he overhears your complaints about missing clothes. Your social media is definitely never safe, scrolling back to your previous conversation with him as well as stalking other social accounts belonging to you. You are his new Ruri-chan, one that he can actually be with and be inside of.

This goes the same way with his clinginess, like why is there a need to talk to his other brothers if you have him there waiting for you? It's not fair, none of it is! The way his heart aches wherever he sees you enjoying and laughing with someone else fills him up with envy. How surprising. If you continue to ignore him, he might as well be a little forceful with you, sabotaging your relationships with his brothers. He wants to be with you constantly and separation causes him significant distress. He'll follow you around Devildom, the only few times he does go outside his room besides from events.

The serpent knows no bounds when it comes to his jealousy, he cannot stand the idea of you getting close to anyone else that is not him. He'll throw tantrums, act out like a child, or become extremely upset when he perceives any potential threat to your relationship. He'd use his silver tongue, make you feel guilty and bad causing you to comfort in the end. Eradicating the threat would be his last option as not only is it messy but he would eat up the time that he could instead spend with you. He could simply slowly drag you away from them.

If you were the threat, he would go back to his ways, wooing you to his fingertips. If you truly love him, then why do you keep leaving him? Clearly, it's an act a dirty act and he was a fool for believing it. Oh, it's not? Then prove it. Prove your love for him by spending all your time with him and only him. You could spend your short life binge-watching anime with him! You could also switch to online classes like him and even share a room It would mean that both of you can do anything you like without any distractions... especially when the camera's off.

Exactly like Mammon, everyone has low expectations for him. Over the years he created an image of a shut-in otaku, who rarely steps out of his room unless there is a special convention or a major event that he's simply required to attend. Many seemed to forget that he's the third strongest of the seven brothers as well as being the Grand Admiral of Hell's Navy and he also has Lotan on standby, waiting for his call. They can't imagine in this position of power so when he breaks out of the mentality of an otaku, he is unstoppable.

When he gets desperate and can't have you no matter what he does, he has no choice but to resort to more extreme measures, such as kidnapping you. This is an act of love and there's no escaping it. Don't you want his love? Don't you want to be with him forever? Then stay and if you don't, he'll make you and teach you to love him as he loves and admires you. He knows it's bad yet it can't be helped, this feeling... it's too good to let go. He isn't certain when he'll be able to experience such a thing again... in the millennia he's been living only now did he feel this alive, it was like his Celestial years. Will you take away the little happiness he has been yearning for?

⋇⊰SATAN⊱⋇

Another one that would only bring danger to you rather than protection. Over time, the Avatar of Wrath had gotten better at handling his emotions yet at times everything would go out of hand and he would blow up. These outbursts can be triggered by a perceived threat or someone daringly and openly flirting with you, it would be worse if they did it in front of him... but no one has the guts, right? Especially when he starts glaring them down... he's like a wolf guarding its territory and that so happened to be you. When these rare moments happen, he might or will completely lose control, exhibiting the all too familiar Satan and it will only go downhill from there on. Staying by his side will prevent you from ever seeing his wrathful version—unless you enjoy seeing others suffer.

Not only will his wrath be dangerous but his intelligence as well, spending most of his time reading can be quite helpful especially when it comes to spells and curses. He'll use his vast knowledge and cunningness to control your decisions and make you dependent on him subtly. Exploding into a violent rage would be his last resort, he knew he was cunning, and some or a lot are fooled by the mask he always wears. His manipulation skills are also against you, he'll exploit your weaknesses, your desires, and your fears to keep you close. The demon will subtly twist situations and words to make you believe that you're the irrational one. 

If he sees someone as a great threat to you and his relationship or worse, your well-being, he might engineer situations that lead to 'accidents' befalling those foolish individuals. He'll make it look like it was purely their fault or something else, leaving no evidence of his involvement. Perhaps the only idea they could have done such a thing is all of those who befallen had an interaction with you or were against you. Oh look at that, the demon who was hovering all over you yesterday was found outside, its body shredded into pieces, they said it may have been a wild monster. How nice of that creature! Now nobody will ever bother your time with him.

His jealousy is intense almost like the wrath that dances in his heart, waiting for its moment to shine bright and paint the walls with a dark crimson shade. He may become resentful if he sees you spending time with other demons, even if it's for mundane reasons. You'll never know if he wants to rip the daring soul limb to limb as he carefully masks these feelings.

He struggles with his emotions but what he is certain of is his love and undying loyalty for you. In return, he expects the same treatment, after all, both lovers should assert equal effort in the relationship. Disobeying him or even considering other connections will trigger his wrath, at that point, he isn't sure what he can do to you.

There goes a saying, "If he can't have you, no one can." Don't blame him for being like this, born in literal wrath yet still being able to experience and love is addicting. He's well aware of his unstableness but with you being a drug to him, won't you do the same if you were in his shoes? You're the only one who can calm the raging beast inside his body, so for everyone's sake, don't go leaving him.

⋇⊰ASMODEUS⊱⋇

Making the Avatar of Lust genuinely in love is a fast that no one knew could be achieved at all. At first, it seemed to be a blessing from the skies as you were showered with endless praises and kisses but then again, you can't just get rid of his old habits. Back then he loved the attention driven to him, he was always the star of the show in any situation, and the people announcing publicly their undying love for him were music to his ears. Then you came sneaking into his life and everything seemed to have flipped upside down. The praises that come out of your mouth give off a different feeling than the ones he would always get. He can't pinpoint why but he loves it.

It would be to no one's surprise that he will want your attention only driven to him and your pretty little eyes dare wander on someone else's figure then he finds a way to put it back to his. He is easily prone to jealousy and seeing you even slightly interested in someone else drives him to madness. He'll resort to various means to keep you away from others, such as spreading rumors or making them look bad in your eyes.

If he sees any of your relationships with his brothers developing into something meaningful or a threat to his control over you, he'll try to sabotage them. This includes manipulation and his favorite, lying. Anything to keep you by his side and your attention as well as love for him. His other admirer's confession is not enough anymore, he needs it, and he thrives in it.

Asmo would see himself as the most deserving of your love and attention and would go to great lengths to ensure you paper him and him alone. You're at fault here, you, a mere human had somehow found your way in his heart. He's no stranger with flings and one stands. Yet all of those past 'relationships' are just that, one-night pleasure. It was never out of love, even if he convinced himself it was, the feeling never lasted. Now when he has fallen heads over hills to you, you're running away? You're no longer giving him the attention he deserves? You were the first to ever make him feel that he is something more than his beauty and you'll break his heart? How cruel can you be?

Well of course, he won't let you go so easily. You're precious not just to him but his brothers as well but who cares about them, it should be only him. So expect him to be a little forceful if you keep acting up. His jealousy and obsession lead to intense mood swings, anything might snap him off. One moment he's in his usual charming and seductive persona, and before you know it, he'd become a delusional mess and struggling to keep himself up. He'll try anything to keep you looking at him even if he does the most diabolic things that could embarrass or make fun of.

He could also expose secrets and sensitive information of others so you'll distance yourself from them. He knows a lot of things thanks to his multiple social groups. Don't worry though, he won't tell any of yours—he takes pride in being the sole person to whom you are so open that you've been ranting out to him about everything be your struggles here in Devildom and even the mortal realm. A fact he had been boasting to his brothers, much to their dismay.

Despite that promise though, he simply can't stop himself from threatening to spread this sweet bit of information. It's your fault if you had given all your love and desires like he deserves, then it would not have reached this point. It's so simple yet you can't do it? For a mortal being, weakest among all things, you have done many big feats that not most can achieve yet a smile praise can't be done? That hurts more than you could ever imagine! Here he thought he would experience what love is like but it was just like all the others... However, if you want to redeem yourself, show him that you aren't those wretched creatures, then give him your all, mind and soul.

⋇⊰BEELZEBUB⊱⋇

Albeit Beel may haps be the sweetest and least dangerous of the seven brothers, that doesn't mean he can't be overbearing at times. He was always hovering over you a lot more and other beings started to scurry off, his mere presence can make anyone freeze on sight out of fear. The man won't exactly stalk you, but he has a tendency to somehow know exactly where you are. He too doesn't understand how he finds you but that fragrant you've been wearing is none other he has smelled before.

Poor guy is just so afraid of losing you so he wanted to make sure you're safe all the time. He'll even insist on accompanying you to classes or anywhere you go, claiming it's for your safety and not because he wants to be around you. He'll even go so far as trying to share a room with you and his twin brother. Thinking of that sounds like a dream to him—a place where two of his favorite people are together.

If someone is bold enough to harm you, he won't hesitate to eliminate the issue or more accurately, eat the issue—leaving no wasted morsel or drop of blood. He's your second guardian if Mammon is busy losing in a casino or finding other ways to gain Grimm. Sometimes he kind of wishes he was the one originally assigned to be your protector but knowing him, he might've unfortunately eaten you before the two of you even developed into this.

Speaking about his gluttonous nature, he ensures that you only consume what he deems healthy or appetizing, however, you would always remind him that you're not a demon and you can't finish off a large amount of food. He'd also prepare meals for you, insisting on watching you eat and on rare occasions, hand-feeding you.

His over-protectiveness stems from his initial loss of his little sister, Lilith, the one he had failed to protect and he still beats himself. He even has nightmares about it intensifying his desires. He'd be paranoid about you spending time with other demons even his brothers. He knew the times they almost hurt you, one such occasion was his twin right after you freed him.

Over time, Belphie slowly gains the trust of his brother and soon Beel will freely share with him especially if it means your protection. He knows his twin harbors the same feelings as he does. They do still occasionally compete for your attention and affection, causing tension between them. Fortunately, at the end of the day, they settle on an agreement. He is awfully aware that the Avatar of Sloth loves to be messy but he begs him to keep calm because even if he does want to rip that demon apart, he also doesn't want you to see them in action.

⋇⊰BELPHEGOR⊱⋇

Your relationship with the youngest of the brothers may have been rocky from the start as he pretty much played you like a fool and then almost killed you. Despite it all, after all he has done to your poor human soul, you still found forgiveness in his horrible actions. Back then he would've laughed at your face for your foolish decision but when your relationship blossomed into something more that he didn't expect, he found how important this act was. He can't imagine getting a second chance when he almost killed you, he never expected you to be so at ease with him around, it was like it never occurred at all. Now he sees why his brothers were falling for a human such as yourself.

Being the Avatar of Sloth doesn't mean he wouldn't try his very hardest actually to have a functioning connection with you. However, when he meant creating a connection, it was by consuming all of your time so you wouldn't have some left for his other brothers or anyone else. Constantly whining about your time together, that it's time for some cuddles, or him literally throwing himself at you so you wouldn't have no other choice but to accept him.

If this doesn't work then he has something more up his sleeve. He is the master of manipulation and he isn't afraid to use it on you as well as guilt-tripping as a means to keep you close. He'd shower you with attention and love, creating an illusion of a perfect and loving relationship with no strings being pulled behind the scenes. And if the man wants to, he can manipulate your dreams and confuse you with what is real and not. Don't forget lewd dreams! He loves it when you squirm and moan out his name, he simply can't get enough of your adorable aroused look. 

Beel may have been a little open about sharing you with but this time, it won't exactly be like that. A rivalry between them quickly brews and it intensifies in the following days. It reached the point where he'll find ways to prevent his older brother from getting close to you. Although a few times, he does let his selfishness down just for a bit and let Beel be with you, halting the tug-of-war between his twin.

He made a promise to himself, that he will never make a mistake in his life especially when it comes to you. Sometimes he gets nightmares during the time he had his tail wrapped around your small fragile neck then what his life would've been if you didn't free him from his prison. He will probably be still stuck there for a lot more years to come and he won't be able to see his twin so soon. So to prove he has changed, he'll no longer be the demon who harmed you instead he will protect you even at the cost of his life.

Speaking of his prison life... why do you still hang around the very people who imprisoned and lied to his own family just to keep his youngest brother away? But of course, you're stubborn—the reason he's even here is that you don't listen to warnings. You know what they did to him, that his very own oldest brother did to save their faces! Yet you continue to be with those cruel people. he wouldn't like this if it were for them... It makes him sad whenever you're with him and not him but you could simply turn his drown into a smile by simply giving him all the cuddles and kisses. Not much just that, one you can easily give to him without breaking a sweat!

Masterlist» Request»

[stnaf-vn]

Hello! I just played the stnaf demo last night and I absolutely adored it!! Friend is such a sweetheart (lol) and I wanna cuddle him so bad 😭💞 I have some questions about him too if that’s okay! I’m sorry if any of these have been asked before, I’m slowly working through all of the lore, but I’m definitely not quite caught up yet lmaoo - feel free to ignore any of the questions for any reason! :)

Question 1; Would friend still love SH/be a yandere if SH never came back to him? Would he give up on them or just never realize his feelings in the first place?

Question 2; I was a pretty ornery/bossy kid without many friends, partially because I didn’t reach out to others first (unless they were new in school [in which case I wanted to get to know a potential new friend and make them feel welcome] or if they were crying [I liked making others feel better/helping people and hated when people were upset]) and partially because I just didn’t take shit very well (I did NOT fw people who were rude to me and did not respond well to any perceived slight lol💀). Given that friend was fairly aloof with SH as a kid, and that SH obviously reached out first, I highly doubt that him and I would have gotten along. In the case that a SH was more like me, and he truly didn’t have anybody, what would he be like? Would he have found someone else to obsess over?

Question 2.5; Could friend become obsessed with SH as an adult? Or is the foundation of his obsession that SH was there for him as a child? So, if he didn’t receive any support/have a SH as a child, would he be truly alone?

Question 3; If SH had a lot of experience with clinical psychology/was a clinical psychologist/learned what they needed to know to help Friend, could they give him therapy to help him improve? What would it take to get him to understand what he’s doing is fucked up? How well would he respond to treatment if it’s from SH? If it’s from someone else?

Question 4; what are some things he’s bad at? Is there anything that, no matter how hard he tried, he just wouldn’t seem to be able to learn?

Question 5; how much would he be willing to change his dressing style for SH? Would he be willing to dress more masculine or feminine for them? More casual/formal clothes? Is there anything he’s completely unwilling to wear? All of this without removing his berets, ofc!

Again, I’m sorry if any of these questions have been asked before and I’m sorry if any of them were overly detailed/too much in any way akdjdjs — this is definitely a lot, so feel free to just ignore the ask entirely if you’d like! Take care of yourself and please only do what you’re comfortable with. Have a lovely day :)

Oh wow! Hello! Thank you for playing!! 1. I like to think he would! 2. Feel free to make your own stories and headcanons about how you and Friend met!/gen 2.5 That also would be interesting to see! His life would have been drastically different without you. 3. He'd decline it and say he was fine. 4. He is a very smart person and can pick up a lot of things easily. Although I'd say something he is bad at is trusting other people (other than you of course.) He's also bad at video games and isn't too technologically smart. 5. He would literally wear anything for you. No matter what it is. Except khaki shorts. And crocs.

[primojade]

Request open, yay!!! I always wanted to request you <3

Can i ask for a hc of tighnari & cyno dating a loud, cheerful and clumsy gn reader that is seen by the others as weird?

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 | what would he be like in a relationship with someone who was loud and too cheerful for their own good?

𝐂𝐖 / 𝐓𝐖 | gn!reader x cyno and tighnari (separate); fluff, slight possessiveness; established relationship; kinda rushed; let me know if I missed anything!

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 | Thank you for the request! This was kinda rushed but I hope you like it nevertheless! And yes, requests are still open, comrades~

masterlist

First of all, those people who clearly and hinting negatively about your person are either a truly brave individual or a complete fool—probably the latter in most cases. Cyno would hunt down anyone who dared to call you weird, or any other names that would surely affect your cheery self. He wouldn't sit still if anyone dared to sully your name, even if he wasn't supposed to be listening. He treasures you after all.

And his punishment isn't anywhere lenient and merciful, as all of the citizens of Sumeru had known of him as the General Mahamatra, so if they don't want to be at the receiving end of his polearm, fools better guard what they were saying about you. And Archon forbid if they make you cry and sad, the hell would certainly freeze over at how icy his glare and his scowl was.

Though that aside, Cyno adored your unique quirks and even dare say, loves hoarding them all solely for his eyes to see. He wasn't a selfish person by nature, prefering to give you everything you wanted as long as he could provide them and he was already perfectly content to be the recipient of the smile he loves so much, but when it comes to precious moments, some things that he treasures like your smiles, your laughter, and habits that others may seen as weird, he would like to keep them to himself instead of sharing them in a crowd.

Your cheerful and loud person was highly contrasting to his intimidating and cold self. But then again, fate had a silly hobby of attracting the opposites to each other. Other people would've seen your relationship as strange at first, but when they saw you two together as if there's only you and him in the world, perhaps their doubts will be hesitantly purged little by little—especially when they see their once intimidating General Mahamatra being spoon-fed by sweets or any meal that you personally cook in the public.

Jaw dropped and eyes wide as saucers, the bystanders and gossipers reluctantly slide their eyes away from the sickeningly sweet couple for it felt like they were intruding at a private moment reserve only for you two (though perhaps he personally doesn't mind the audience—this way, he could even fend off your potential suitors waiting for the opportune moment to strike a conversation with you when he was not looking).

Although Cyno wasn't smiling as happily as you, or laughing as loudly, there was a fond twinkle in his normally cold eyes that was reserved for you when you were idly talking about your day, or what would be tonight's dinner. It was faint you would missed it if you aren't attentive enough, and while he was not very good at expressing and proclaiming his love for you the way that you do in absolute confidence, Cyno never failed to show you using his actions, his protectiveness and his attention, that he loved you just the same as you do.

“...But I'm already content that you alone know what kind of man I am.”

At first, Tighnari would admit that your cheery self exhausted him to no end, and your loud voice did grate his sensitive ears. He wasn't a tactful person by default, and if it's any other person, he would simply tell them to shut up, but that doesn't mean he would tell you to scram away because of your natural personality, especially since he loved your company despite it all.

If you're an observant person, you would notice the way his ears twitched whenever your tone raised an octave in excitement; sometimes, it would turn downward and his tail pressed on his thigh if you decided to pester him in a particularly stressful day. While you knew it irked him, it was nice seeing his saint of a patience run thin once in a while, and knowing that he would never snap at you feed your ego and mischievousness a little.

He knew what you were doing though, but Tighnari convinced himself that he was a grown up and mature person and he would never stoop down to your level of being an adorably annoying gremlin. Though make sure you know when to stop and give him a lot of consolation and kisses later on! Because you never knew what his "punishment" and "comeback" would be if you pushed him over the edge too much. Heh.

In the eyes of other people, this kind of relationship must be so exhausting and tiring; the type that their General Forest Watcher wouldn't even dare to enter (even more so being on board with it for a long while!). And not to mention this supposed "romantic" relationship looked like it was between a mischievous child and its perpetually petulant caretaker.

But to those who knew you and Tighnari on a personal level would say something different. Something that other people might think otherwise. Because only when he knew that he had you all for himself at the end of the day was worth dealing with your constant bullshit. And whenever he gets to thinking that your bright smiles are reserved only to him, Tighnari thought that this is the final reward for his never ending patience—one that he would gladly endure all for the sake of loving you as you are.

“When my heart feels like it will break, love appears in the most unlikely places and the most unlikely people.”

TAGLIST (let me know if you want to be added in my future works!): @samarill , @maehemthemisfit , @chocogi , @rvoulte , @luvwukong ...

[chaifootsteps]

I always thought the excuse of Vivziepop's screenshot "being faked to make her look bad" are funny and ver made sense, because i think that if that if that were the case, there would be WORSE things about her in those "edits".

Because, usually, when you fake things with the intentions of ruining the reputation of an internet e-celebrity, you would put really horrible shit that would make everyone want to support them inmediately, it needs to be something that everyone agrees is a bad things and that they think that everyone who does it is human scum.

The last case i remember of things being faked to ruin a youtuber was the kwite case... and he was being acused of rape. It is always those things, when someone is being falsely acused of something is always sexual violence, grooming, stealing for others, really bad stuff like that.

Obviously, things like transphobia are really bad things, but not bad enough to destroy someone's career, you get me?

The sad truth is that trabsphobia is still really normalized and seen as ok by many people. There are a lot of celebrities that are openly transphobic yet they are still respected because the general public sees as "just their opinion" and if you dare to say thats bad you get attacked. So, if someone was truly faking shit to make someone look bad i highly doubt they would make them transphobic.

And with all the other stuff we see in those screenshot (underpaying her workers, talking shit about other proyects, etc) it isnt something that makes people wants to stop supporting her. Even some of the fans that belive in those screenshots defends them saying that those things arent "that bad" and that they are a "nothing burger".

So everytime a Vivzie stan says "The screenshots are clearly fake! Is really easy to fake Discord screenshots! To make her look bad!" I just think, dude, i think that if someone was faking documents to make her look bad they would be about her grooming a made up minor or saying that Hitler was misunderstud.

Besides, the way that Vivzie never addressed said screenshots, and only vage tweeted about the "antis" and "hatedom" while liking tweets of fans "debunking" (actually just saying "nuh-huh!" To all the shit revealed) her allegations, it makes me suspicious. Crazy idea, maybe the grown ass woman who has a story of being a bad person is simply a bad person on discord too? Crazy, i know.

That's another thing. If I or anyone else was going to go out of their way to fake Discord screenshots -- because it does take some time, and it does have limitations, especially when you have pages and pages of them like you do with Vivzie -- wouldn't it make more sense to just go all the way and say something that would ruin her on the spot?

Also, you need to have actually spoken to someone on Discord to do inspect element on their chats. I've never been in Vivzie's server or anywhere near her.

[kin-the-muffin]

i currently have a half-baked theory about alastor…

ok so in the finale, he said that he wants freedom, meaning he has been restricted in some way. but as far as we’ve seen and can tell, he is basically free to do as he wishes. and of course there’s the theory with lilith being the one owning his soul, which he might have traded away to gain such insane amounts of power. but what has he ever done that didn’t seem to be in his best interest?

charlie.

yea, yea, i hear you and your sassy clips of him saying he’s helping the hotel simply for boredom’s sake and that he enjoys watching people try to do something meaningful but then fail in the process but! that would imply that he’d done so before, but we have never, not once, ever heard that he even dabbled in such a thing. (and don’t you dare try to tell me that he actually cares about charlie, the man is the most manipulative, sadistic little mf i’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something because i’ve seen miraculous ladybug and hate liela rossi as much as anyone else.) the only things we know about his past is that he appeared in hell very suddenly with lots of power, he toppled countless overlords overnight, and his radio podcast killed tons of demons. nothing of this has to do with other beings in hell trying to make it better (as i highly doubt any of those overlords had good intentions since they were, well, overlords). but he doesn’t seem the type to do things meaninglessly, he always has ulterior motives.

but then if his excuses of entertainment are as flimsy as i’m making them out to be then why would he ever help charlie? well, i think that brings us back to lilith. it’s far from a rarely-noticed detail that the length of alastor and her’s disappearances were for the same amount of time and while we know that lilith spent that time in heaven (if that even is lilith, but idk enough about that theory so i’m just gonna assume that it’s her and that she’s been in heaven the whole time), we don’t have a smack-dab CLUE as to what alastor was up to during his vacay. then he just shows up out of nowhere, at the idealistic princess of hell’s doorstep of all places.

well, i’ve had a sneaking suspicion for a while that lilith’s deal (at least part of it), in exchange for his power, was to help charlie in some way. i’m thinking that’s why he seemed so torn-up about how he almost ‘died for his friends’. he doesn’t care for any of them (except maybe nifty but i think that’s just bonding over shared mania (i think rosie (and maybe zestial) is the only one he truly, honestly cares about, but i get the feeling that even that relationship is pretty business-based)).

we have no idea what lilith is like, we have absolutely zero characterization of her except for what charlie explains about her in episode 1, that she’s passionate and hardworking and stubborn and independent—qualities that charlie mostly has in abundance. so i would say that she’s cared about charlie this whole time but due to whatever is keeping her in heaven, she can’t help her, except that lilith seems a little too malevolent to care about charlie’s hotel. why would she? she fell in love with a dreamer who shared her rebellious heart and for this, she was the first human soul cast into hell. she has never had any kind of reason as to why she would ever want to go to heaven, or anyone else for that matter (as she did work to make hell into the semi-civil place it is now). and we have no idea how close she and charlie were before she left (i suspect we’ll learn more about that in season 2), so we can’t assume that she’ll just support charlie, whatever her aspirations may be. so i honestly have no idea as to why lilith would enlist alastor to help charlie, but i am fairly convinced that this is the case of what’s happened.

thoughts?

[daybreakrising]

BLADE HEADCANONS - Y.INGXING & THE HIGH CLOUD QUINTET

before i begin, just a reminder that this is my personal headcanon and i don't expect anyone else to agree with me. regardless, this is how i will approach blade's history with the high cloud quintet, so it needs to be its own meta.

and whilst i am firmly on the hill that the high cloud quintet were a nice little polycule, i won't force that on anyone. blade's feelings towards the other four will remain the same, but i leave it to the writers of those muses if they want to go down the polycule route or not. i'm good with either.

also if you want a beautiful animated short that revolves around their story, then i direct you to this video. i've watched it at least a dozen times since i found it and i am now drowning in hcq emotions ;_;

A HIGHLY PASSIONATE INDIVIDUAL

i've talked before in this meta about how for someone to hate as fiercely as blade does, one must also have the same capacity to love - and that this is the remnants of y.ingxing that linger within him. y.ingxing as a man was proud, confident to the point of arrogance, but also incredibly passionate about the things that mattered to him. and i mention all of these things specifically because it is at the root of why i see him having deep feelings for every member of the HCQ.

it's a cliché, of course, to say "there's enough of him to go around", but it's also true. y.ingxing has such capacity to love that it cannot be restricted only to one person. now, that's not to say he cannot do monogamy - he can, absolutely - but i do feel like he thrived most under the affections of (and in giving affection to) many.

but lauri, i hear you say, why can't it just be platonic affection? why does it have to be romantic? well, it doesn't have to be, and in fact, in every case regarding the HCQ, that's how it started for y.ingxing: these are people he admired, respected, cared for deeply. they were his friends. none of these dynamics started out with romantic intentions & whilst there would definitely be degrees of initial attraction involved with some of them, he certainly didn't seek their company for that reason.

for the majority of those connections, that deep platonic love for them didn't develop into something more until he was well into adulthood, having spent many years alongside them. and, of course, each relationship was different.

FORGING BONDS FOR LIFE

j.ing y.uan

there was also the boy who kept bickering with him.

it was j.ing y.uan who first sparked something beyond friendship in y.ingxing's heart, though it wasn't acknowledged until well after the fact. they had a good-natured rivalry right from the start, being similar in age (at least in emotional maturity if not actual age, given one is a long-life species and the other a short-life), and though they bickered constantly, it was always in good spirits. the banter, the sparring, the fond little jabs at each other - this kindled the first flames of an affection that went beyond platonic.

y.ingxing treasured that rivalry from its beginning to its end. he found in jy not only a true friend but someone he felt he could rely upon no matter what. for all their bickering, there was no one more loyal than jy. and that meant everything to him. it still does.

b.aiheng

what difference does it make to your achievements, whether you're a long-life or a short-life species? just focus on what you want to do, and let fate take its course.

things progressed somewhat differently with b.aiheng than with jy. she was the first of the hcq that y.ingxing truly trusted - she had known him when he was still that shy, insecure apprentice, and her words of encouragement had pushed him to find the confidence in himself that he would later become known for. she was the first person he opened up to, allowed himself to be vulnerable with, and he adored her. her endless optimism, her vibrant nature, was always enough to chase away any lingering doubts or worries he had about himself and his skill. he attributes a great part of his success as a craftsman to her for this reason. without her continued encouragement, he might never have had the confidence and inspiration to achieve great things.

that adoration didn't blossom into something more until he was invited into the hcq officially, and started spending even more time in their company. it was so easy to see why b.aiheng was the most loved amongst the five - what else could they do but love her? her spirit was something to be greatly admired, and admire it y.ingxing did with his entire soul. he would have done anything if it earned him one of her smiles.

dan f.eng

out of all of us, you were the closest to him. it was strange, really — to see someone so arrogant get along with someone so proud.

there is no denying that the bond between y.ingxing and dan f.eng ran deep - deeper than any other bond y.ingxing had within the hcq. but, as with the others, it was its own unique bond: y.ingxing loved j.ing y.uan for his loyalty and friendship, b.aiheng for her spirit and belief in him - and dan f.eng for the kinship he felt with him from the start. of all the hcq members, he felt instantly drawn to dan f.eng for no reason he could name. there was simply a natural comfort to be found in his presence, one he didn't question, and one he came to value highly.

of all the hcq members, the path from admiration to adoration was much shorter in the case of dan f.eng than the others. perhaps this is in part due to the timing of their meeting: as an adult already aware of his growing affections for his fellows, y.ingxing was more in tune with his emotions, more comfortable in following his heart's desires, less afraid to chase what he wanted and certainly not lacking in the confidence to approach it head on. whatever the reason, y.ingxing cherished the moments spent in dan f.eng's company, even those - especially those - spent in companionable silence.

j.ingliu

at first, i wasn't too fond of his defiant nature...

as with the others, his relationship with j.ingliu was very different - and remained the most complex of them all until the end (and has since become even more complicated-). initially, y.ingxing sought only to earn her respect and admiration, caring little for anything beyond her acknowledgement of him. that she had inspired his respect and admiration goes without saying - he was in awe of her skill and strength, though he may not have outwardly shown that for the longest time, choosing instead to relay a more subdued acknowledgement of her prowess, largely as a matter of pride.

the sword he crafted for her was the ultimate test, in his eyes: only the sword champion of the luofu cloud knights can tap into the full potential of this sword i have crafted. and seeing her wield it, this blade forged specifically for her hand - that was the moment y.ingxing knew there was more to this bond than simple respect or a desire for acknowledgement. and of course there was: what else was that blade forged with but love?

LITERALLY, FOR LIFE

y.ingxing held onto these bonds so tightly, treasured them so fiercely, that they linger still somewhere within blade, though often clouded by mara and painful memories. of those relationships, the one that brings him the least pain overall is that of j.ing y.uan - his friend, his rival, the first one to win his heart but certainly not the last.

but blade is not y.ingxing; and whilst he still carries these bonds in his heart, things will never be the same. such bonds may have to be forged anew from the ashes that remain.

REGARDING INTERACTIONS WITH HCQ MEMBERS

as said at the beginning, this is how i approach blade's history with the rest of the quintet. however, i am in no way suggesting that any of these feelings were reciprocated - or if they were, that they were acted upon. if i'm writing with any of these characters, i leave that decision up to them, and we can discuss how the dynamic would play out both in the past and in the present. regardless, y.ingxing loved them all and i will die on this hill.

tldr; y.ingxing was in love with every member of the high cloud quintet, each in their own unique way.

[gaemms-chamois]

random unorganized darknights trio + paprika musings bc sometimes i'm hit with like a pang of Brief Worry that i'm completely misinterpreted blabla that usually doesn't last too long bc i then go back to my state of I'm Just Vibing but ig at some point i just gotta let it out publicly once and be done with it lol

this is messily written Please Understand this isn't meant to be a grand thought piece

fuuuck ok well this is like very specifically abt the w, ines & paprika part now

like don't get me wrong on this. i joke abt wines moms and stuff but i dont genuinely mean it in the way of wahh wow littol family for reals kinda deal?

less on wines 'adopting' paprika, moreso paprika imprinting on them like a duckling after she was saved by them. paprika adopted them lmao. i cannot possibly interpret either w or ines as Maternal in such a way.

it's moreso that i think it's nice that this little sarkaz merc became part of the story, a girl who all her life since she was infected at a young age, was presented with becoming a mercenary being basically the only option for her.

and then, as annoying as w can be, being shown that she does have different options.

i just think it's sweet that paprika, judging by her voicelines, clearly looks up to w and ines. which is just amplified by the fact that w and ines are notoriously not the most popular people on rhodes lol. and she calls w annoying but still keeps knitting stuff and wanting to gift food to her. like if she often seeks out w and ines to tell them how well she did on something, when they are on the ship, etc. that'd at least indicate that those two humor her.

ALSO IT'S UNOFFICIAL BUT SHOUTOUT TO THAT LITTLE CHUZENJI ART WITH PAPRIKA AND W, INES & TOTTER WEARING KNITTED HATS SO CUTE

OKAY WOO DARKNIGHTS MERCENARY TRIO AND STUFF

cool yeah obviously i fucking love them. i'm not very good at words though and i tend to keep my more elaborate thoughts to just discussions between friends who know how i tick djsfhdfs

just the other day i was smiling to myself during a walk bc holy shit all three are actually playable now and that's not just wishful thinking anymore. anyway chapter 13 also happened and more stuff with the trio happened and Cool Lots of things Happening and my brain is full

they're so found family to me, like in an utterly unconventional way. i mean c'mon with how they act sometimes like- ykno. but like have y'all seen the new furniture set and descriptions that came with hoederer's release it made me go insanse.

but i think especially in ines' case it just kinda highlights that best. considering ines' arts can figure people out (putting that in rather vague terms), it truly means something when someone with her capabilities and temperament has people she chooses to stick by and actually trust. even if she pretends she doesn't by verbally denying it.

like waugh Okay they have a lot to unpack and shit but with them being reunited (take that, W file that said W needs companionship but her friends aren't around anymore) and having a COMPARATIVELY more ""relaxed"" life than before (that one Hoederer file where he just has rather regular days on rhodes), it's just nice to imagine they can finally have something better and figure stuff out. as complicated as the three of them are.

with that said i think it's a given that i despise a nuclear family treatment of the three (aka mom ines, dad hoederer, daughter w).

for one with me being highly doubtful w was a kid/teen at the start of darknights (young? sure, but not that young), which just seems like such a...widespread belief that i really do not get? arknights always put a LOT of emphasis on when a character's story was about them being a kid, 0 of that with w. like something about her expression and big cloak just gave people some different impression, even though she literally keeps looking the same aside from a change of clothes. only instance of w being called a kid during that time i can think of is that one boiler worker in her files but that seems way more like any typical old guy calling anyone on the younger side a kid. hell, even hoederer was called young in darknights, like in a sarkaz's lifespan i can believe that.

and also...hoederer had somewhat of a mentor-like role for w, but if anyone tries to tell me ines ever acted maternal towards w i will chew through your walls. read through darknights memoir and actually pay attention to ines, both w AND ines were pettyass women and they made that so very clear. cannot fathom how anyone can see ines as having been motherly towards w

seriously just feels like a case of Well there is man and there is woman....and this other character so clearly these are mom, dad and kid.

that's not even me being biased towards w/ines, just how i objectively see it. hell, i even ENJOY ines/hoederer, but my enjoyment of it is limited bc for some reason ppl like to make it weird by shoving w in as some daughter. i promise it's completely possible to like ines/hoederer without trying to fit in w as a kid figure

anyways yeah like cool i like these characters I Guess. Look at them

[yallemagne]

Whenever I see people on the hate train against Jonathan -- it doesn't seem as common nowadays, but they're apparently still alive and roaring in their circles jiogep -- it's soooo funny how they use Mina as a scapegoat for their anti-Jonathan rhetoric but can't think of a solution to Mina being "overshadowed" other than... erasing Jonathan from the narrative and/or replacing him with a new guy. They don't share this attitude toward Van Helsing though, which I find curious. I mean, perhaps they have some bitterness towards the guy, but never have I seen them speak on that... nope, it's just vitriol for Jonathan.

This is a rant.

A lot of people like Jonathan. Sure, sue us. And there is generally a problem with female characters being less prioritized in fandoms than their male counterparts. But the cultural impact of a few tumblr users calling Jonathan Harker their blorbo will never stand a chance against the wider interpretation of Van Helsing.

All of Mina's accomplishments and ideas are attributed to VH in many adaptations and readings, and she gets pushed to the side and downgraded into a screaming damsel who, in the worst cases, is depicted as encouraging Dracula's sexual crimes. Mina isn't the only victim of this flanderization, all the protagonists in Dracula are often dumped for the sake of raising up Sexy Tortured Hunky Helsing, but it's especially offensive to see this highly intelligent and resourceful female character have all her intellectualism stripped and given to an older male character. In fact, the very older male character who endangered her life because he doubted her mind and infantilized her!! The irony hurts!!

Now, I am pissed that the vast majority of people will always see VH as the ultimate champion against Dracula and view Mina as nothing more than a wayward virgin in the devil's clutches, but I don't direct that anger toward Van Helsing and get pissy any time I see him. But people who are still furious that love for Jonathan Harker exists do precisely that to Jonathan. And when I try to figure out why VH is not attacked with such venom but Jonathan is... it doesn't look good, chief.

In general, an older, accomplished man with a lot of say in group decisions against a younger, inexperienced man with little say in group decisions. An enforcer of gender roles against a challenger of gender roles. A man who said to Mina's face that he doubted her intelligence against a man who eagerly kissed her when she displayed her skills in deduction... Who is the evil gigachad? Truly neither of them, but I hope this illustrates my point. VH's authority and sexist beliefs are already a bit of an obstacle for Mina (one she thankfully overcomes) and yet her supportive husband is seen as the problem. Not because he's not supportive enough, but he's just too charismatic.

You don't need to write Jonathan out of the story to put more focus on Mina. Bram didn't feel the need to do that when he summarized his entire novel as being about Mina's gallant bravery, so why would you? Unless maybe... it isn't wanting more focus on Mina as a female character but rather a call for less focus on Jonathan as a male survivor of assault.

It's incredibly telling when they go beyond erasing Jonathan and actually replace Jonathan with a new man that their problem isn't that Mina's supposedly being overshadowed by her male love interest, it's that Mina's male love interest is not an overbearing hypermasculine figure. Mina, who had an equal partnership from the beginning, is told "nonono, you have to get with an awful man... and transform him into an okay husband". I don't know about you, but that does not sound like putting Mina at the forefront whether that new man is an OC, a character from another novel, or Dracula himself. That sounds more like twisting her into being the catalyst for an awful man's character growth. WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH OF IN FICTION.

And hey, lissen, you can read and write as many reimaginings of Beauty and the Beast AU Dracula as you want, but stop lying and claiming it's for Mina's sake, like fuck dude, your taste in men is not Mina's, she much prefers her gothic heroine of a husband over your saviour complex nonsense.

[ala-baguette]

Ask few people to know their opinion Do you have any headcanons about lily Evans unnamed friends during hogwarts? It’s so frustrating that they’re mentioned but not even given names

I do, in fact, have some thoughts on this! Thanks for asking, Anon. I find the fact that Lily's friends remain unnamed quite telling, actually. I headcanon that Lily was quite popular among her peers-- we have enough evidence to show that she was pretty, smart, talented, brave, kind, and did not seem shy in the snatches we see of her-- those people tend to do well socially. And, of course, we see her with a collection of girl friends during Snape's Worst Memory. But I suspect that coming into Hogwarts with a pre-established relationship to Snape rather stunted her ability to make super close connections in the way the Marauders did. We might even compare her to Ginny with Tom Riddle's diary in that way.

It is not at all uncommon for a kid thrust into a new environment to take the easy route and hang out with the person she already knew rather than to expend energy into making new friends. This could actually put her a step behind compared to those who arrived at Hogwarts without knowing anybody when it comes to making deeper friendships. Of course, with Lily and Snape in separate houses, both would naturally make new friends in their respective dormitories. But it seems her two social circles didn't mix. We know from Snape's memories in DH that Lily's other friends "can't understand why I even talk to you." So if Lily was budgeting time for Snape, that was at the expense of her time with her girl friends. Hagrid says he writes to the Potter's friends (pleural, so not just Remus) to ask for photographs to give to Harry, so it would seem that there were people who loved her enough to keep photos of her. But they were not so close that they felt a need to ever introduce themselves to Harry. So I headcanon Lily to have had a lot of friends, but few truly close *best* friends. I see a lot of names from canon taken and assigned to be Lily's close friends in fic. Anyone who knows my writing, knows that I am allll about giving life to random character names provided in canon. But I actually disagree with a lot of the ones people tend to pick. Not to disparage anyone else's headcanons; mostly these are just vibes and my stubborn refusal to expel my own previously established thoughts on these characters. So rather than tell you who I think Lily's friends were, here's who I am inclined to think they were not:

Alice Longbottom-- I highly doubt the Longbottoms were in the same year at school as Lily and James. I see them as at least a few years older. They were already well known and respected Aurors by the time they died, but if they went to school with Lily and James, that would have been just a few short years out of Hogwarts-- I just don't see that they would have had the time to establish that reputation. Especially for Alice as part of that time would have been while she was pregnant with Neville and likely on maternity leave. Lily and James were also very young when they had Harry, and I don't know that I care to think of this as the norm. So I don't love thinking that all their classmates were also popping out babies right out of Hogwarts.

Marlene McKinnon-- I headcanon the McKinnons to be older and Marlene to be more of a OotP mentor figure to Lily rather than a school friend. Yes, Lily was cut up over her death in the letter to Sirius. But Moody states "They got her whole family." The verbiage implies a sizable number of people were killed. So if she was the same age as Lily, are we really saying she already had a husband and multiple children? In which case, again, why is everyone having kids so young? Plus McKinnon would likely be a married name in that case. Or could we be talking parents and siblings? Bit old be to still be living at home.

Dorcas Meadows-- Honestly, this one is mostly vibes, but I imagine her to be older as well. It's just such an old-fashioned name, and if Voldemort killed her personally, i would presume she had spent ample time pissing him off enough to compel him to do so. I don't see Voldemort wasting his time with a twenty-year-old without a very good reason (such as a prophesy about his downfall).

Mary Macdonald-- Yes. I know, it's super odd for me to include Mary on this list, given that her friendship to Lily is one of the major plot points in Knowing Where to Look. I'll say I support Mary more than any of the above because we know for sure from canon that she was a Gryffindor at the time Lily was in school. This is why I chose her for KWTL. But my one reservation in her being a close friend to Lily is that Lily refers to her by her full name when talking to Snape. This isn't 100% to say they weren't friends, but it just seems to me that if they were super close, Lily wouldn't have had to clarify which Mary she was talking about when talking to Snape.

So in conclusion, I tend to just let her friends stay unnamed as they just never proved relevant to Harry's story. I'm not one to try to force every person from the Marauders era into the Order of the Phoenix or into the war with Voldemort. My inclination is to say that Lily likely had many friends in school, but very few with whom she was close enough to keep up with after leaving Hogwarts. This is not an uncommon story. Dunno about you, but I, for one, didn't maintain a great many friends from childhood after going off to uni.

[myth-of-light]

Just a thought

The idle description for the mirror of truth reads;

“Said to reveal the truth, this mirror is also thought to be used by Pandora to transform souls into Underworld monsters. Pit destroys it with a kick, accidentally bringing about the creation of Dark Pit in the process.”

And I think this can explain a lot about the mirror of truth and dark pit

What I found interesting was the wording regarding the monsters. “Transform souls into underworld monsters.” With the in game dialogue the player is led to assume that the mirror clones already existing monsters, but the idol description seems to suggest that rather souls are converted from their original form into monsters, rather then a duplicate of an already existing monster being made. If it only duplicates what it sees, wouldn’t it instead simply duplicate the soul how it already is instead of distorting it into a monster? So based on this detail, then the possibility that it clones can be ruled out, leaving us with only the latter option.

So as to how this works I think I have an answer.

The mirror is specifically said to reflect the truth. So it’s assumed it simply clones.

However, the character we all choose to present to others is simply a facade, is it not? We only want others to see our best traits, so most people hide their worst traits and only show the side of themselves people will like. So in a way what we choose to show others is largely a lie.

So the truth to one’s character lies in our worst traits, the truth that we choose to keep hidden. I believe this is the “truth” that the mirror really reflects.

So as to how this changes a souls form we have to do a little more theorizing about, but I believe that the reflection the mirror shows reflects a persons worst traits in not just character but also in physical form in the case of souls. Hades states that souls can be easily molded into different forms, somewhat as if they were clay, so if they can be so easily changed into different bodies it makes sense that the mirror would distort them into monsters, the magic energy reflecting negative traits distorting the souls form.

So as to how this pertains to dark pit, it explains a bit about the nature of his character and also puts my mind at ease that pit is still a pure innocent good boy.

Dark pit is reflecting the “truth” of pits character by exposing the worst parts of his character. As I’ve stated above, the fact that pit portrays his loyalty as being absolute when he still in fact has doubts makes this identity a lie, thus the truth that the mirror reflects is purely his doubts and none of his loyalty. It’s already been well established in the past that dark pit represents the feelings pit chooses to keep to himself, but I think it clears up the debate the two have during dark pits boss fight about whether or not pit is truly loyal to palutena. He is loyal to her, he does have faith in her, but like any normal person he occasionally has doubts, and of course he stills has the desire to be free. But dark pits existence doesn’t suggest that he actually isn’t loyal to palutena or that he secretly hates his job and wants to abandon her. Rather, dark pit is purely a manifestation of these doubts, with none of pits loyalty and faith, and thus highly exaggerates these negative traits.

And as a small endnote, this explanation for the mirror also gives some reasoning to dark pits design other then “he’s another rendition of the emo hero clone stereotype.” The negative energy of the mirror still distorts his form, but since it’s copying an actual intact person and not a highly malleable form like a soul, then the resemblance to pit still remains.

WOAH I replied to this late. (I had this in drafts for a while haha.) But I should be able to answer more effectively now. This gets a little bit philosophical.

BTW this is a long post. o7

With the in game dialogue the player is led to assume that the mirror clones already existing monsters, but the idol description seems to suggest that rather souls are converted from their original form into monsters, rather then a duplicate of an already existing monster being made.

Perhaps? I'm not sure how much I trust the idol description without also seeing the Japanese Version. Also the fact this is mentioned after a "is also thought to", which obscures the legitimacy of the statement, but let's pretend that just the description being dramatic.

This narrative does suit the ENG Version, with Palutena saying "Dark Pit is fundamentally wicked and destructive". Cause he would be a 'monster' in that sense.

It could also sort of work where JP Burakku Pitto has "fallen into evil thoughts" and now has a "destructive impulse".

But that depends what we interpret 'monster' as. As physically, they are basically a clone, but having a 'monstrous' attitude?

If it only duplicates what it sees, wouldn’t it instead simply duplicate the soul how it already is instead of distorting it into a monster?

It wouldn't, as the point of the mirror is truth is instead revealing the "truth" (whatever the hell that means) into a being. Not just what it means. But perhaps the mirror sees "truth" and "monster" as the same?

However, the character we all choose to present to others is simply a facade, is it not? We only want others to see our best traits, so most people hide their worst traits and only show the side of themselves people will like. So in a way what we choose to show others is largely a lie.

Ehhhhhh, that's not a sentiment I would agree with. The character we show other isn't simply a facade.

Our best traits are still us and truth. While most do hide their worst traits, which is a trait in of itself, that doesn't make out best traits a lie. A person that shows good traits and hides bad traits is a different person to a version of them that shows both good and bad without hiding them. but as people will only remember you by what you show them, and you are only what you show others, which muddles what a 'true' you would even be.

So the truth to one’s character lies in our worst traits, the truth that we choose to keep hidden. I believe this is the “truth” that the mirror really reflects.

I disagree greatly. The Truth to our character is only what we present. It doesn't matter if someone loves eating chocolate if they never eat it. The truth of their character is that they don't eat chocolate, not the fact that they secretly love eating it.

But I could easily see that's how the mirror sees it. As the ideology that we are our worst traits is a very religious thing.

So as to how this changes a souls form we have to do a little more theorizing about, but I believe that the reflection the mirror shows reflects a persons worst traits in not just character but also in physical form in the case of souls. Hades states that souls can be easily molded into different forms, somewhat as if they were clay, so if they can be so easily changed into different bodies it makes sense that the mirror would distort them into monsters, the magic energy reflecting negative traits distorting the souls form.

I don't believe in this, or we would see this with the common enemy. But we don't see this with other monsters. Dark pit is probably the exception as monsters are already in the underworld army so don't need a change in appearance but Pit is align with Palutena, so Dark Pit probably had a change in looks to differentiate him.

So as to how this pertains to dark pit, it explains a bit about the nature of his character and also puts my mind at ease that pit is still a pure innocent good boy.

Pit isn't a "pure" or "innocent" and he tries to be good. I mean he kills things as a living and his actions will always cause harm to others via his role. He aims to be good but he isn't "pure" or "innocent". But I get it if that's your opinion.

As I’ve stated above, the fact that pit portrays his loyalty as being absolute when he still in fact has doubts makes this identity a lie, thus the truth that the mirror reflects is purely his doubts and none of his loyalty. It’s already been well established in the past that dark pit represents the feelings pit chooses to keep to himself, but I think it clears up the debate the two have during dark pits boss fight about whether or not pit is truly loyal to palutena. He is loyal to her, he does have faith in her, but like any normal person he occasionally has doubts, and of course he stills has the desire to be free. But dark pits existence doesn’t suggest that he actually isn’t loyal to palutena or that he secretly hates his job and wants to abandon her. Rather, dark pit is purely a manifestation of these doubts, with none of pits loyalty and faith, and thus highly exaggerates these negative traits.

That's a fair conclusion. If the mirror of truth views one's worst thoughts/traits as being the "truth" of their character, and Dark Pit is the manifestation is this for Pit, than it's fair to assume that Pit is still loyal to Palutena. In JP, it's made more obvious that Pitto is loyal to Palutena via Burakku Pitto, as he still respects her (calling her 'sama') and wants to save her when she is in danger of the chaos kin and he's panicking.

But it feels wrong to say Dark Pit is only a manifestation of Pit's doubts. As he clearly views himself as independent from Pit.

This is also assuming the the Mirror of Truth has any legitimacy at all.

And as a small endnote, this explanation for the mirror also gives some reasoning to dark pits design other then “he’s another rendition of the emo hero clone stereotype.” The negative energy of the mirror still distorts his form, but since it’s copying an actual intact person and not a highly malleable form like a soul, then the resemblance to pit still remains.

Like stated previously, none of the other monsters that go through the mirror have this change. Fun explanation but probably not one that holds.

--------------------------------

Fascinating Thought, and one that had me thinking for a while. While I enjoy aspects of it, it makes me wonder the legitimacy of the mirror, and also how it's in JP. It's definitely an interesting way to view Dark Pit's character and how it relates to Pit, but I find it a bit limiting for Dark Pit as a person.

If you believe I've made a bad point or should be corrected on something go ahead.

I hope I didn't come off a too rude or anything. Thank you greatly for the ask!

[whumpinggrounds]

hii! I wanna write an albino character (boy, if that's important) but I don't wanna be offensive/ignorant about it and I figured you'd be the best person to come to! How do I go about describing his skin, hair, eyes (ect) accurately? Also he's a little insecure about it btw

And, of course the actual medical aspect of it all

(please feel free to ignore, I know it's a lot! 🫶🏽🫶🏽)

Hi! Was off Tumblr for a bit but happy to answer this now if it's still relevant!

Obligatory disclaimer: I have worked with individuals with albinism before, so my advice is rooted in real people's real experience! That being said, I do not have albinism myself, nor is anyone's experience monolithic, so feel free to ignore, disagree, or seek alternate sources of info!

First things first, the word "albino." Some people consider it empowering, others actually find it incredibly offensive. I know you used it in your ask but please don't feel bad, because there isn't a consensus, and also, you didn't know! That being said, your character will maybe have strong feelings about the word, possibly rooted in life experience relating to discrimination or stereotyping - that is the case for a lot of people with albinism. When in doubt, "people with albinism" is a very safe way to phrase it, but if you want to use albino respectfully, you should also feel free to do that. I would personally advise you to steer clear of referring to this character as "an albino" or having others do so. Similar to a queer person describing themselves as "a queer" (vs. "a queer man/woman/person") for comedic effect or because of personal pride, "an albino" (vs "an albino man/woman/person") does not land the same way when someone who is not part of that identity says it.

As for physical descriptors - honestly, the hair and skin of a person with albinism is not that different from a person without the condition. In general, I would follow the same guidelines as when writing anyone's skin color, where people have been discouraged from over-relying on food metaphors or spending an unnecessary amount of time on the specifics of someone's skin, particularly when that person is nonwhite. (In this case, your character presents with pale skin, but that may not accord with their nationality or ethnicity.) Albinism does not always mean pure white skin/hair; sometimes it's pale yellow or paler than it would've otherwise been.

Eyes: Human beings with albinism do not have red or pink eyes. You probably already know this, but I still needed to say it. Please. Please do not write a character with albinism that has red eyes. Because of different structures, eyes may appear reddish in some lights, but people do not have straight up red eyes. Ever. Most common is blue, sometimes eyes are hazel.

Quick medical aside -

Your character with albinism will have light sensitive eyes and photosensitive skin. This is kinda nonnegotiable, and will affect the way they move through the world. Many people with albinism have other eye problems - low to no vision is common. I highly encourage exploring the possibility of writing a low to no vision character, because that is the lived experience of so many people with albinism! If it doesn't work for your story, or you just don't want to, that's totally okay! Give 'em some cool sunglasses and know that if they're outside all day, even with those sunglasses, they're going to have a helluva headache.

Last thing I'll say is about skin and sun, and outdoors more generally: unless the sky is black from a storm or nighttime, your character is likely not going out without all their skin covered, and sunscreen everywhere that's exposed. A character with albinism is not going to be wearing a crop top and cutoffs on a fine summer day. This sounds buzzkill-y, but truly, a responsible person with albinism is going out wearing long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, a hat, and sunglasses almost always. This does not mean responsible in a Mom Friend overachiever way - this means responsible in that they care if they get a potentially deadly illness way, because the rates of skin cancer for people with albinism are astronomical. Someone I know had an alarm on her phone and reapplied sunscreen every four hours in summer - and that was with her pants, shirt, hat, and sunglasses. She loved swimming, but had to be careful with it, because the sun reflecting off the water was way harder on her skin and eyes than a bright summer day on its own - and that was plenty hard already. I imagine snow would have the same effect.

Okay! That is my unnecessarily long and ridiculously late response - hope it is useful! If it's not, please ignore it! Best of luck, and happy writing :)

[ardenssolis]

-Rambles on and on about Ozy's likes / dislikes behind closed doors-

Ozy is very particular about his likes and dislikes in the bedroom and very rarely if ever bends on them. For one, he prefers being the one leading with intimate moments, and though he may grant someone the ability to guide the pace along if he’s in one of his lazier moods / would rather be pampered than put in effort, this is not a constant thing. He can not be with a partner who does this all the time. He can make a special case as he does with Liri’s Conall, for example, as there’s a plethora of reasons for this that I am highly doubtful will ever be replicated with anyone else, but otherwise, he will be quick to make it known he’s losing interest in those bedroom dynamics. This can either result in a change, or he will just be like, “mmm okay no thanks then,” if not.

He doesn’t like being told what to do. Playfully is one thing as he does love the fun that brings as well as the sheer gall of such teasing, but commanding is another. The mood will plummet faster than the stock market, and then from there, he will not longer have any interest in pursuing things further. His pride is mountainous and remains so no matter where he is or what he’s doing. No one tells him what to do. This forever has to be kept in mind when dealing with him in more intimate situations as it can serve as a guide in regards to what would please him, and what would do the opposite. Some people who are often in positions of authority welcome being told what to do like this as it’s like taking a break and finally just being able to go with the flow – not think too much, so to speak, but this will never be the case for Ozy.

He likes sweet nothings, be it from him or the other person in question. Whether this involves a long term relationship or something that is just a casual, occasional thing with no strings attached, this fact doesn’t change. On the other side, though, talk he considers ‘vulgar’ is a big no. You won’t get that coming from him, nor does he feel excited hearing it. As shameless as he can be, he ultimately doesn’t like anything vulgar be it language itself with every day conversation, or this. Also saying please? He’d sooner bite off his own tongue, so that is a big no. You won’t get that from him, and pushing it will instantly turn him off.

Body worship is such a big thing for him oh boy. Call him beautiful as you brush your hands over his skin, look at him in reverence, in adoration – he likes that. With someone he likes a great deal, this will be done in turn as he rarely cares for doing this with someone he is going to sleep with one or two times before waving his hand. He likes memorizing another’s skin with his touch, likes making it known that they have his favor when, as amusing as flirtatious conversation is, it is mere words. Here, he is showing that individual that he truly means what he said. He wants his partner to feel good, to feel special beneath his golden gaze as if those eyes are only upon them. Ozy likes this being the same as well. There is something altogether attractive about someone forgoing all else to put their entire attention on you for a time. This feeds into his ego, but he does enjoy uplifting partners he’s fond of too.

He loves surprises, but that depends on what it is. Someone who does something he least expects adds that thrill that he so desires. Everyone has a tendency to be wary of how to act around him, what to do, what to say -- it is understandable, but sometimes he just wants to be surprised. Downside is, pulling surprises on someone like Ozy who is so difficult to read and just as whimsical in what he laughs at and allows / does not, in itself can be risky.

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

The anti reactions from yesterday have me just shaking my head. I am by no means a professed stan of Jensen. I'm a fan of his works and I've followed his career, I appreciate his interactions with the public (like cons) as well as his public persona, but I don't worship the ground the guy walks on. He's a human being who I enjoy watching on my screen from time to time in different roles or displaying said public persona. That's it. I support him, but I don't stan him blindly, if that makes sense. Not him or any other celebrity.

That being said, I found the anti/critical reactions to something Jensen allegedly said that had been tweeted out from the Dallas Con to be very interesting and highly entertaining in some cases, especially with one particular anti blog that consistently claims to love this man and want the best for him while psychoanalyzing him and hating (and blaming everything that Jensen does/says that disappoints them) on his wife with the maturity level of a fourth grader. To put it bluntly, antis showed their asses yesterday and it is pure confirmation of what I and so many on here have been saying for quite some time now in regards to these posts/blogs.

Yesterday:

Tweet from the Gold Panel: "Jensen: 'he and I don't take on projects for the impact, we're serious about what we do.'"

Me: 'huh, you know, that wording seems a bit... Eh, you know what, knowing Jensen and how this fandom works anytime he dares to breathe, I'm going to wait to see the panel myself tomorrow and get the context of the question and his answer. If anything, he just misspoke, but I highly doubt he meant it in a bad way. Knowing him, he absolutely cares about the impact it has had on so many people and he might have thought the asker meant something else. Still, I'mma wait and see for myself.'

Antis:

and one particular blog (the one that claims to love him be in love with him):

'Jensen, you're no true actor and I would know since I'm an expert on acting! How dare you! You've hurt me so deeply!'

Today:

I watched the Gold Panel. Question was did the guys think about how massive the impact SPN would be in reference to their careers aka people knowing who they are, people following them, etc. Basically, did they know what it would become, something Jensen clarifies with the fan before answering. Jensen's actual response:

"Yeah, I don't, I mean, I guess to kind of quickly break it down, I don't think he and I go into any of these, uh, jobs or roles or stories thinking about the impact it's going to have externally. I think we go into it as...you know, they hire us to come in and do a job and...and he and I both, uh, we both take that job seriously even though it may not look like it all the time. But we also have a lot of fun doing the job because we truly enjoy doing what we do. That being said, we're not thinking 'oh let's do this because I want the effect that's going to have on a greater scale'. We're just doing our job. And hopefully, it resonates to people. Hopefully, somebody out there is entertained. And if that's the case, then we've done our job."

Me trying to see what had the antis losing their minds, especially that one blog and NOT finding it anywhere:

This is why you always watch the panels for yourself and avoid anti posts/blogs at all costs. They always claim they are there to be the opposite to AA's, to apply critical thinking, to view Jensen as human instead of a god, to be the ones with "a reality check", but they jump just as quickly as that group and crucify the guy before doing due diligence. Critical thinking should also include getting your facts straight before spreading misinformation (and in this case, more hatred). This is literally the same tool kit lawyers, law enforcement, and investigative journalists use all the time. It's good old common sense.

So block, mute, filter these people. Do whatever you gotta do, but this proves once and for all what we've all been saying. These anti/critical blogs that claim to "apply critical thinking" are full of shit.

Critical thinking is defined as "the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment." The reactions were not objective, especially the one blog that had an emotional heartbroken reaction. They were subjective, colored by their own biases. They did not analyze and evaluate the situation fully before issuing a judgement; they were missing a very crucial piece of the puzzle before they started sounding off and they knew it but they didn't care.

So the next time an anti/critical blog says in defense of their hating on/criticizing of Jensen (or anyone really) that they're applying critical thinking and you should try the same when you propose an alternative point of view (about Jensen or not), just remember it's all a smoke screen of bullshit. So again, block, mute, filter, whatever you gotta do. Personally, I think this shit's hilarious and entertaining on a Real-Housewives type level.

And that one blog that had such an emotional reaction to something that Jensen didn't even say in the way they thought he did, it's one thing for you to feel the way that you do, but spreading misinformation as you did, saying Jensen is no true performer, I don't know, maybe it's time to let go of your obsession with loving (aka being in love with) and hating this guy and move on?

[majorbaby]

hello I would like to hear your thoughts on himbo trapper

Thank you for the question! it's a long one: TL;DR: I don’t hate himbo Trapper, sometimes I even enjoy it, but I think it’s a shallow interpretation and I’m a bit defensive of him because I think there’s plenty of evidence in the source to support a reading of him as being intelligent. Also I blabbed on about some of the other popular fanon characterizations of him that I see as being similarly flat.

On its face, i’m a fan of the himbo trapper concept and i see where it comes from:

He can’t play solitaire

Hawkeye: “You big, dumb strong silent types”

And imo, the strongest piece of evidence: when it comes to shenanigans/schemes, if he’s not the straight brawn to hawkeye’s brain (requiem for a lightweight), it’s always the case that hawkeye that comes up with the plan and trapper who helps him execute it - too many examples to name because this is practically every single episode they appear in 

And for fun, I’m fine with the stereotype because on the whole, it’s meant to be a positive thing. We have women to thank for taking a masculinized version of the term ‘bimbo’ - which has always been a pejorative hurled at women who are conventionally hot and therefore ‘stupid’, sexually promiscuous or just enticing to men - and immediately elevating it to the point where it’s not just seen as positive, it’s seen as highly desirable. A himbo will treat you right and won’t manipulate you, while also being a hot piece of ass - imo Trapper fits some of that criteria on screen but tbf, he’s also cheating on his wife and I think we’re meant to assume that she’s unaware of that, which I think is somewhat manipulative of him. Idk, I don’t have enough information about that. 

But there’s a few pieces of his characterization that are in direct conflict with the himbo archetype - as a society I think we value STEM a lot, so there’s this general idea that people in the medical field are ‘smarter’ than your average person but at the same time fatphobia, racism, ableism and misogyny are still rampant in medical settings leading to entire populations receiving sub-par care so… I don’t think you must accept that doctor = an intellectual in general. There’s different ways to be smart! Your having gone to medical school clearly doesn’t exempt you from being a critical consumer of all the medical texts you’ve read and being able to situate them in a socio-economic and political context when providing care. 

All of this to preface my saying that: he’s a surgeon. He’s at least intelligent enough in one way to be a surgeon and a good one at that, while recognizing that that isn’t the only thing I’m basing my argument on. 

He’s emotionally intelligent:

In Ceasefire he has the opportunity to gloat about his being right about there being no end to the conflict after having been openly doubtful the whole episode, but he knows that it’s not the time and he even encourages Hawkeye to remain optimistic – a truly  brainrot-inducing moment (affectionate) if there ever was one

Operation Noselift he’s just as earnest as Hawkeye trying to get Private Someguy (id remember his name) to accept himself as he is without going under the knife

Check-up don’t even talk to me about Check-up!!! Trapper could’ve accepted “you let me lean on you” as is. I mean, I think they both know what Hawkeye means by that and so do we the audience but I think his “What?” is making space for Hawkeye to be Hawkeye and spill his guts about his feelings because that is what Hawkeye needs; he does the same with Margaret, albeit while she is drunk off her ass, later on in the episode which is a nice moment for them because she reveals something (she’s playing house with Frank because he’s around) that I don’t think she’s ready to accept for herself, but Trapper listens to her. 

Bombed which gave me Trapper/Margaret brainrot, yeah he starts off hitting on her but he stops when she asks him too and he still picks up that she needs comfort, makes her laugh and reassures her that he’s coming from a good place. That is what I get from his suggestion that they cuddle and I think Margaret does too because she accepts. 

Kim - we learn he can be emotionally vulnerable even with his wife who, up til this point, is represented as something of a thorn in his side at worst, an ambiguous off-screen figure at best. 

These are some of the examples that stand out to me but there are many examples of his good bedside manner and empathy that he freely extends to one-off characters like Young-Hi and George. 

He’s pretty much toe-to-toe with Hawkeye in terms of witty dialogue, it’s just that he doesn’t often get the last word nor the spotlight. The role of the Trapper character is that of a follower to Hawkeye’s lead in their comedic and heroic scenes. Like if he comes off as being not quite as smart as Hawkeye (which I wouldn’t say is the case) then I think it’s a matter of their being deuteragonist and protagonist respectively, and the show playing up the ‘best surgeon in the army’ angle for Hawkeye in part as a way to save him from being disciplined for insubordination multiple times. 

And finally, I think it’s worth mentioning that at the onset of American involvement in the Korean War, the American public was generally supportive. That support eroded over time but I do think that the American government, in the 50s and also to this day, goes to significant lengths to circulate pro-war propaganda and convince its citizens that war is only way. During the Gelbart years (S1-4) there was strong, consistent anti-military messaging that extended to critique of traditional masculinity in general – this frequently manifests in how Trapper and Hawkeye are positioned on moral high ground vs. Frank, Margaret and the military. So like, Trapper was a part of all that. He was, at the very least, in league with the popular ACAB Hawkeye, Queer Hawkeye and general Rabble Rouser Hawkeye that are favourites of the fandom – I think it takes a certain degree of intelligence, whether emotional or intellectual, to resist and undermine state propaganda, especially at your own personal expense. And I’m giving that to Trapper because he was around when the show was aware of itself being specifically anti-US-imperialism, rather than just generally anti-war or even anti-death later on - which isn’t ‘less smart’ it’s just more vague and there’s less of a specific effort made by the state to brainwash citizens into thinking otherwise. There is a moment where Trapper appears to betray his moral and political (i’m using ‘political’ very loosely here) leanings when he goes to (presumably) kill the soldier in Radar’s Report but that is by far the exception not the rule and furthermore I’m not saying that people who are duped by the state and/or corporate entities into buying into the cycle of violence are “stupid” but I do think you have to actively fight against such indoctrination and one of the ways of doing that, aside from just being a compassionate person, is by learning to think critically for yourself. And I’m assuming Trapper has done one or both because he is as consistent as Hawkeye is in living those values. It helps that they have good chemistry and they’re bored and sticking it to the army is fun for them but imo they go pretty far sometimes just ‘for fun’. 

So, Trapper is a technically competent surgeon, is emotionally intelligent and has come to reject some of the values that are pretty well ingrained in the society he’s grown up in. I don’t hate himbo trapper but I don’t think he’s stupid. Far from it. 

Here are my less objective thoughts on the himbo trapper phenomenon and also have some straightforward trapper defense squad messaging: I’m generally interested in pointing out trends in fandom, although I admit that my tolerance for content I don’t vibe with has lessened significantly the more time I’ve been active in mash fandom (we’re coming up on one year of straight obsession) – but from what I can remember about the popular, general portrayals of Trapper in fandom that I don’t see as having much footing in the canon: he’s a himbo, he broke Hawkeye’s heart, he’s homophobic (HATE), he’s hypersexual, he can be violent, he ‘doesn’t do feelings’, he’s not good with words… everyone is entitled to their opinion but the more I reflect on Trapper, the more I watch his episodes, the more I’ve come to question a lot of these interpretations. I’ve already talked about him being a himbo, I’m not convinced he broke Hawkeye’s heart any more than Kyung-Soon or Carlye and I am certain it’s not intended to be a romantic breakup, he’s in league with Hawkeye in George – I’m not telling you what you can and can’t indulge in but, yk Hawkeye actually has a line to the effect of ‘i live with two dudes don’t call me a fairy’ and that’s got way more of a no-homo vibe to it than anything Trapper ever says. 

He’s not any more sexual than Hawkeye is, not even because he has a big dick. Hawkeye and BJ both throw punches at some point and I also wouldn’t argue that that makes them ‘violent’ in general, but Trapper who doesn’t do it at all is the violent one. There are plenty of ways to be vulnerable and forthcoming and emotional without spilling your guts and anyway anyone could read as repressed when you hold them up next to Hawkeye Pierce. An emotionally repressed man could not extend an olive branch to Frank Burns nor could he write his wife an earnest letter in the hopes that he will be able to adopt and raise an orphan child nor could he be shown to have such a clear investment in outcomes during the episodes where there’s no clear, tangible goal to Hawkeye’s schemes. 

This has turned into a critique of some of the more uncharitable interpretations of the character, on the list of which ‘himbo’ isn’t really all that bad. But I still think it flattens his character somewhat, like all these other interpretations do, and I can easily pick out a few examples of his canonical portrayal which challenge it. So while I’m not denouncing it completely because I think it can be fun and in the grand scheme of things, people can like whatever they want to like, I am sometimes inclined to gently push back on it.