#{ tldr; I want toxic relationships tbh }

[starjynx]

me: Akkun deserves the world and all the good things.

also me: But I want to explore all the angst and darker stuff with him. :)

[a-fangirltrash]

I don't believe that Ford saw Fiddleford as Bill saw him.

Something to use, to get what he wanted. I DO believe however, that he treated him/made he felt that way. I think that Ford deeply cared about him, maybe he even liked him the same way WE ALL KNOW McGucket did, but i think Ford is pretty BLIND with social cues, so their relationship was never more than "friends with weird homoerotic tension". Maybe they kissed once and McGucket shot him with the Memory Gun LOL.

But Stanford was controlled by Bill, he was too blind with all the lovebombing bill did to him. He was too blind to see the danger. He called Fiddleford a coward not because he didn't care about his well-being, but because HE WAS OBSESSED, HE DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING. Bill took his mind, sanity and isolated him from his relationships and fucked them. For him, Mcgucket not telling him what he saw was a betrayal, everything they've worked on throw to the trash. Bill convinced him it was just gonma extend his investigations at the end! For him there was no danger!

Also, having a multidimensional portal alone is overwhelming, is not the same as having someone else with you! There's the fact that mcgucket leaving his life was what made him realize that Bill was TOOXIIIIC. Canonically if Stanley took the diary with him, he'd reconnect with Fiddleford, as we can read in the diaries

Tbh, i have a headcanon that the fact that their relationship didn't escalated to something else, was the opportunity Bill took to take Stanford all for himself LMAOOO.

TLDR; FORD DIDN'T "USE" MCGUCKET. He did cared for him, he was just mentally unstable af and obsessed because of his toxic triangle (ex)partner ☠️

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk in defense of Stanford :3

[kohubohu]

About Minthara's break up dialogue

(TLDR at the end)

My biggest fantasy would be Larian bringing it back reworked in patch 7 because it actively gave her the best reaction to rejecting Bhaal out of the entire party and it's such a good moment to give her more character development.

Tbh, I was never really mad at the dialogue existing in itself. It's just that it felt poorly executed and very incomplete, and it's annoying to think that they just removed it (it was bugged anyway, but you know), when there are multiple ways in which it could have been fixed, depending on if you consider the break up out of character or not.

Take 1: Her reason for breaking up is not OOC.

It's less that I'm mad about the dialogue itself, and more that I'm mad that you, as the player, are forced to stay kinda silent and powerless about it.

You know, I personally see rejecting Bhaal as a matter of regaining agency over your own person and your destiny rather than choosing the "good" path. My durge personally isn't good, and she'd still reject Bhaal to get her freedom back. When you think about it, it should resonate with Minthara due to her backstory with Lolth and the Absolute, but you know, we're all at risk of being hypocritical sometimes, especially in high pressure situation like these, so I don't necessarily see her reaction as being automatically OOC.

But if Larian were/are 100% set on going down that path for her, please at least give the player choices other than downplaying her anger or begging her to stay with you.

Downplaying her anger just feels shitty to me. She's absolutely right about being angry over the situation (for multiple reasons I'll explain in the alternative take). I've seen a few people commenting on my video about the break up on how she should be relieved instead of angry, and like... it's not a Karlach situation, you got resuscitated in front of her eyes by Withers. She would at least be fucking mad at you for doing that whole stunt lol.

Alternatively, begging her to stay with you just doesn't sit right with me. Like, idk, if my SO got mad and broke up with me for wanting to be free from a parent's toxic influence and control over the vague promise of maybe earning something from them but probably not, I'd 100% not want to be with them anymore lol.

Let's not even take her hypocrisy into account, it's not as if something bad would have happened to her if you rejected Bhaal (whereas accepting Bhaal just makes her a convenient breeding machine in his plan, and just sets her up into another abusive relationship where she's always at risk of being discarded anyway) (and you really don't want my opinion on that)

Her anger, when laid out and explained that way, just gives me the impression Durge is getting used to gain status and power, which is even worse considering you get her alurlssrin dialogue 10-15 minutes before the break up, which in turn kinda goes against the fact that her devotion/tenderness/love is a good chunk of her character development and cheapens literally everything surrounding her romance. It basically goes back to "minthara is a drow and therefore evil" and just goes back to unidimensional evil woman concept.

But you know, if they really wanted to punish you for rejecting Bhaal, the least they could do is to let the player call her out on that, or give them the opportunity to say the break up is mutual because what she just said is pretty fucking shitty, especially coming from her. Like, I personally wouldn't want to be with someone who want me to stay stuck in a toxic relationship, and being forced to make that choice is infuriating.

Take 2: Her reason for breaking up is OOC.

Or more accurately, there is more to the dialogue/situation than meets the eyes but Larian just kinda started something without finishing it.

Lots of people consider the dialogue as being OOC because she keeps touting Durge as being the heir of such a powerful god and is mad over the fact that they gave up the power Bhaal promised them, when she is vocally critical about gods and cults many times over the course of the game.

She clearly hates Lolth and the Absolute, calls Lolth's and Bhaal's followers victims. She disapproves of you praying to any god in act 3 (especially Lolth, which gives you -5 approval instead of -1) and will criticize you/your worship if you're a cleric. She encourages Gale to free himself of Mystra (or go against her orders) and assures him he doesn't need her, that gods need you to think you need them, just like the absolute. She says that Shadowheart freeing herself of Shar's influence is at least a bit of comfort after killing her parents, and encourages Shadowheart to get vengeance from Shar when she learns the truth from Aylin. She's outright ectastic when defeating Gortash, because they're "defying divinity" by killing the gods' chosen, and seems kinda, idk, smug? over the fact that so many gods seek the one thing they are in possession of.

However, there are a few moments (other than rejecting Bhaal) where she'll be pissed at you for going against the gods. She chastises Lae'zel if she rejects Vlaakith and calls it a "childish rebellion", and approves of her if she kills Voss instead, because she should know better than to anger a god. She criticize the player/the party (if you play as Shadowheart) for holding Shadowheart back from her destiny directly after sparing Aylin, and will tell Shadowheart that Shar was right for punishing her for it. That's basically the closest equivalent we have to Durge rejecting Bhaal. So like.... It could be because of power after all...?

But when you look into it: Minthara doesn't even hold it that hard against you when Shadowheart gives up power, hell, in every case she never even holds it against Shadowheart at all, going as far as blaming herself for holding Shadowheart back, when playing as her origin. And she just let go of the matter after Shadowheart learns the truth from Aylin, and switches to advising her to seek vengeance.

With the exception of Durge's and Shart's situation, it really boils down to really not wanting to be on some god's bad side. Why would Lae'zel want to screw up their plan when she could just.... shut up and follow the rules? Better tip-toeing around all powerful beings than pissing them off because you heard a *maybe* very real rumor about them.

And that's the thing about Minthara: we're talking about a character who just started their religious deconversion, after spending their whole life, not only as a member, but as a high ranking figure of the cult. And considering Lolth is very real in the setting and is very proactive when it comes to testing and punishing her followers, it's only natural for Minthara to still default to trying not piss off a god. She literally spent 200+ years with no choice BUT to hold herself to Lolth's standard, dedicating her whole being to her, while having to witness other people being punished for crossing Lolth more than a few times. Deconverting is already a hard thing to do, taking years, if not decades, but when you live in a world were divine retribution is a very real thing, I assume it's an even harder thing to do.

You can even add more layers to the situation, or like, go for different interpretations, cause you didn't just piss off a god and gave up the power and status that he promised (even if the bargain is shit and won't end well and will doom everyone, like Minthara isn't planning that far ahead, and she's still convinced it's just something you can just... take control of if you make the effort lol). Add to that the stress of facing Orin and dealing against a big ass cult. The fact that you're romancing her, like, girly already had to kill her first girlfriend against her will, this time she's not even the cause of it but she still can't even do anything against it, and that death looks real fucking painful and she can't even try to make Durge feel better by whispering words of comfort or anything, and she's surrounded by other people, and idk, due to how things are in Menzoberranzan, I don't think she'd let herself be sad in the moment anyway, no matter how deep it cuts. Also, you know, she seems to be pretty preoccupied about her death and mortality in general (due to the fact that her soul will either go back to Lolth, or end up wandering in the fugue plane, I assume), so seeing you not only escape death that easily, but being resuscitated by a fucking god, when she's pretty sure no gods would extend the same grace to her, would probably be pretty upsetting. I know I'd be seething lol

So, to me, having her blowing a fuse because of any of those things would make the whole scolding feel a lot less hard to swallow without dumbing her character down? Hell, even in that case she would still yell at you about how you turned down power. Girly wouldn't let herself be that vulnerable in front of the whole party, so of course she'd blow up over the shallowest reason. You could literally have a follow up dialogue, explaining her reaction and resolving the whole situation. Larian gets to keep the first dialogue, Minthara gets to have character development, and you get more Minthara content and balm for the scolding you got as the player.

TLDR

It's less that it's OOC, and more that the dialogue feels like the start of an unfinished idea.

Minthara is the representation of an emotionally constipated boomer dad who just randomly drops traumatizing lore about themselves while trying to make a joke without even realizing what they went through was trauma. Of course it's gonna sound like angry hot garbage when she's trying to explain herself the first time. Let her think about it for a while and she'll get back to you.

Literally, due to her personal backstory and ongoing deconversion, it wouldn't be that far fetched to say that you telling Bhaal (a god) to go fuck himself (which makes him real angry) because you (his child) don't want to become his chosen (with the powers that comes with it), even if he's the only reason you've been born and becoming his chosen was basically the plan from the start (so it's basically your life's duty), which results in you (Minthara's only person of trust and SO) dying a pretty painful death (it's not the first time she's had to see a lover dying in front of her) just after having killed orin (the whole ordeal being very stressful to Minthara), before being resuscitated (look at you, you're putting her on the worst emotional rollercoaster of her life right now) by Withers (a god, basically) like it was nothing (when no gods would come to her help), would get her at least a little bit angry.

But since there's no follow up on it, it just... sours an event that could lead to great character development if it had been completed and fully implemented.

[lunarcloak]

Your analysis of the new bllk chapter is so good! I recently got through the manga and I never got the vibe that kaiser genuinely likes ness, so I honestly wasn't surprised when we found out that he basically manipulated him. I see a lot of people saying that kaiser doesn't "see" ness and he should just turn around if he wants "love". But kaiser doesn't want worship, he wants genuine love. Love isn't the same as blind worship and imo kaiser knows this and how different ness's emotions are. By love he means beyond just his football skills (what ness worships him for) so I never really shipped them tbh.

Thank you, I'm glad you liked my analysis!! Uhh honestly I think there's more to KaiNess than that. Primarily because, both of them are using the other to fulfill their own ideals and requirements of the world, right. Ness wanted someone who would show him the magic he wanted to see, and Kaiser wanted someone who would unquestionably pass to him. Their dynamic was built on one of mutual dependencies, but it sort of twists into toxicity the more you think about it.

Honestly, I think people kinda forget that Kaiser was so... Young? Like that man was Not manipulating like a professional or with any sort of expertise. He tried, sure, and it's terrible that he did, but I'm not really about to blame him for the decisions he made as a traumatised teenager. It sucks, for him and for Ness.

But uhhh it went from Ness being the one to draw out Kaiser's magic to Ness wanting to be the only person Kaiser looked at. You remember that panel somewhere after Manshine City match where Ness was so angry that "Kaiser is looking at someone other than me"? Yeah. That's twisted, of both of them really (that entire scene gives me the icks).

As for the whole "I want to be loved" thing, honestly for starters, Kaiser isn't looking at anyone on the actual field. He's focused on himself, as he should be, and he's not going to look at anyone else for a moment as he revels in his catharsis. Maybe next chapter he'll come back to himself. And honestly I don't think Kaiser sees Ness as someone who loves him too.

Viewing this from Kaiser's rose tinted lens, it reads as him seeing Ness as the midfielder to his striker. They're a killer duo when they're both in peak shape, but Kaiser doesn't think Ness cares for him off field. He's not hoping for someone to love the Michael Kaiser, Football Prodigy. He just wants someone who loves regular Michael. We do not actually know the full extent of Ness, and I have a feeling he's a lot more twisted, too. But we'll have to wait and see. But he definitely doesn't think Ness loves him the way he wants to be loved. This may change in the next chapter.

Tldr: Their relationship is toxic.

BUT. But.

I think it can get better, if done properly. If Ness is given some development of his own, and they're given some time to properly soak in their own progressions before they come back together, I think it can be beautiful. But it'll take time and work and I'm not sure how much time Kaneshiro wants to devote to that. We're still in the middle of a match— the next goal is likely Rin's, I doubt we'll see much more of BM's side of things for a little bit now. But I do think Ness will get something or the other before this match ends.

Anyways.

I'm not toootally negative on KaiNess, nor am I totally positive? I just think it's nuanced. It can work, but with a little tweaking. Personally, I never shipped it no, I'm a KaiSae enjoyer unfortunately.

[fandomwe1rd0]

Just finished rewatching "Forgetting Sarick Mortshall" and I am not okay in any capacity

I like how this one pays more attention to the toxic nature of their relationship. It honestly makes me wanna cry, but it's important that they actually acknowledge that it's messed up and I cried tbh. I just felt so bad for Morty in this episode, I just want to hug the poor boy. Please just give him a good grandpa and a non-toxic family please!

LET ME BREAK THROUGH THE SCREEN AND GIVE THIS POOR KID A HUG RN

Again!? Jesus fucking Christ my poor precious baby.

NO! DON'T CRY MY POOR BABY! LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG RN

You don't need one Morty! And you shouldn't need Rick! He's toxic! I know it can be hard separating yourself from someone who's toxic towards you, but please at least try sweetie, as much as I love your dynamic with Rick, separating is what will be best for both of you, especially considering your codependency. Both of them could use a lot of therapy tbh-

NOOO MY PRECIOUS CHILLDDDD I AM NOT OKAY (On the bright side Rick actually being concerned for Morty and helping him out with no strings attached! Awww)

NO NO NO NO WHY DID THEY HAVE TO SHOW MORTY CRYING SO MUCH IN THIS EPISODE!? IT'S HARD ENOUGH FOR ME THAT THEY'RE SEPRATING (Even though it's what's best for both of them, Rick should NOT have been the one to innate it) BUT NOW I HAVE TO SEE MY POOR PRECIOUS BABY SOBBING?! I AM NOT OKAY

NO VOMITTING SOBBING MY POOR BABY THE WAVE THIS IS DESTROYING ME NO!

Tldr: This episode destroyed me and I am currently not okay and I sobbed and I am not okay and this is so sad and my heart is breaking and I am not okay and did I mention that I am not okay? All in all, I do think it's an important step that Rick acknowledged the toxicity of it, but I wish Morty was the one to distance himself from Rick, due to him being the victim, but I understand it can be hard since he spends the majority of his time with Rick, and Rick is without extravagation his only friend (If you don't count Jessica but she's more like an on and off girlfriend rather than a friend) Rick is all he knows. Even Beth said in the pilot that Rick is his first, and only friend. But it just seems messed up that Rick is the one saying that it's toxic when Rick is the abuser himself, but I do understand that sometimes that's how it is even thought it's not ideal, I am still not okay though :')

[tubbytarchia]

more discourse, sorry! this just seems like the best place to talk about this tbh

tldr; flower husbands are overrated and a lot of really cool character dynamics and relationships are overlooked because of that.

why are flower husbands such a big deal? like i can understand a small corner of the fandom dedicated to debating if their marriage is healthy or not but like. why do so many people care? it's not that unique. they refer to each other as husbands and scott's kinda a bitch and then jimmy dies and scott is sad for a little while. it just feels weird that it's one of the most popular ships in the fandom. there are so many cool dynamics with scott i don't see talked about! dl!scott and dl!cleo for example. afaik they dont even have a ship/duo name so i usually just refer to them as "a queerplatonic relationship based on mutual hatred". that's an amazing dynamic that needs to be explored more. and like. on jimmy's side. the ranchers. if you want a cute fluffy relationship the ranchers are overlooked far too often. they're not even that unpopular of a ship! but in comparison to the flower husbands they are! oh and gaslight gatekeep girlboss. love them, they don't get takes about enough. and the coral kids are canonically in a qpr this doesn't get discussed enough.

Hmm is ranchers overlooked...? I can understand non multishippers not wanting to switch over to it if they don't see a problem with FH to begin which is totally fair imo. For the most part I agree with you though. I was writing a bunch of paragraphs but instead I'll just say, I happen to bring FH up a lot because of how much opinions on it differ, and I'm in the minority to call it toxic etc (obligatory: toxic doesn't equate to nuanceless "bad") but it's absolutely integral to both of their characters' growths as I see it. Analysing either of their characters brings FH back into question again and again due to its lingering effect on both of them, especially Jimmy, and he's the character I enjoy delving into the most. I think most Scott dynamics have gotten decent attention (I myself, would love to see more on Scott and Gem though) but FH is definitely the most popular. It also has a lot of history outside of traffic, Empires s1 especially, and I absolutely understand the appeal and how people would find it a cute, problem-less ship, so I'm not surprised by its popularity. Some dynamics are also very reliant on FH as a driving factor to me, like Pearl and Jimmy

[qrevo]

Milgram Prisioner Covers Prediction List

So. I've been listening to some of DECO's older songs these past few days, some of which I hadn't heard before, and I wanted to try and take a shot on future Milgram Covers! (this list will be so wrong i'll be ashamed of this 2 yrs from now) (Also like. Don't think this had a 10 month research period. I'm not a professional lyricist or literary analyst guy or anything. I literally did this during the weekend while procrastinating for uni assignments.) There is a TLDR at the end for the lazy kings (you guys are so real for that tbh)

01 - Undead Alice

I don't really have a reason for it, I really just feel like it makes a good fit. Yeah, the lyrics are about a toxic relationship, but the way the song is written reminds me a lot about Haruka and his negative view about himself (which may become worse after a Guilty vote).

02 - Rabbit Hole

This song is fits so well with Yuno. It really feels like it's mocking love and romance, especially the superficial ones where it's all just "corny" and "cliché", which is really in-line with Yuno's character. Also it would be so good. Just imagine Rabbit Hole with the Vampire cover's yoinky sploinky cartoony sounds.

03 - 118

This one I'm not that certain of, I guess it fits with Futa becoming more aware and remorseful of what he did and ending up spiting who he associated with. Also, I really think it would fit his songs' style of a more rock-punk vibe. Futa's covers are actually kind of hard to predict to be honest, even today I woudn't think about him covering Mozaik Role, but here we are.

04 - Ghost Rule

I'm pretty sure Ghost Rule will be covered by one of the prisioners, since it's kind of a Vocaloid classic (and also really good it will be such a win for Muu-stans if this becomes real). I felt like it goes well with Muu's character, with her acting superior and snobby in school and later becoming a bullying victim, a "ghost", as a consequence. If she covers this, then maybe in T3 she regrets what she did and how she acted?

05 - Cosmic Rendesvouz

Yeah this one came out a few days ago, and is what inspired me to make this list. It's just. Made for Shidou. The mourning? The wanting to reunite with his wife on the after-life? THE HOLOGRAPHIC GHOST-MEMORY-THINGS? So Shidou-core. I know a lot of people pointed this out, but some scenes felt so much like Triage. Anyways, this song screams "I'm Shidou and I'm very sad" in the best way possible. Next.

06 - Zombies

This one is less like a guess and more like a PLEASE I NEED THIS SO BAD. This fits SO WELL with the toxic girlfriend and abusive relationship. Her wanting to be with the lover forever, leading to him passing away, fits so well. Also, Okasaki Miho would simply SLAY SO MUCH.

07 - We The Hostages

Kazui is difficult. A lot of DECO's songs are about bad/distasteful relationships, so I felt like there were a lot of options. I chose this one mostly because the lyrics can be interpreted as a person who doesn't love their partner anymore, and wants to let it all go, as the relationship was bad for both. Also the wife is gone apparently.

08 - Winter Cleaning(????)

Amane is actually the main boss of this prediction list because like. She will cover ANIMAL. I still think it'll be good, actually so happy for the Amane-stans out there, but it was just. One of the most jaw-dropping cover choices from the entire project for me. ANYTHING is possible from now on. I guess Winter Cleaning makes sense if she goes to therapy and recovers from Her Current Behaviour™, as in like, cleaning her mindspace and taking out the bad memories and such, but this is really a shot in the dark.

09 - (Not) A Devil

Another one that's more of a wish than a prediction (and also kind of fanservice-y?). The lyrics are like an angel and a devil on an argument, so it would be cool if we had both Ore-Mikoto and Boku-Mikoto singing as the angel and the devil. Also the song kind of fits his heavy-metal song style.

09 - Theory of Negativity

Aha, two songs for Mikoto! That's because his T2 cover was not revealed yet! Anyway, it's a song about breakups I think (as are a lot of them actually), but the lyrics talk about hating the partner, wanting to change one's self, a lot of self-doubt, and it kind of fits with Mikoto's struggles on having DID.

10 - Reversible Campaing

This is one I'm really hoping for. The style of the song fits her themes and styles so much. I don't think the lyrics fit 100% for her, as they are about (guess it) a toxic relationship (!?!), but so was Anti-Beat and that cover was great so who cares.

10 - Dilemma

Kotoko will also have two predictions! This one is more on the aesthetics of the song and the MV, and also because it can kind of being interpreted as her saying how much justice she did ("Don't play arround, how much I've done for you, you probably don't even want to know").

HONORABLE MENTIONS

-I could very easily switch Reversible Campaign and 118, these songs are good for both Futa and Kotoko -I also thought about Cinderella for Muu, but it came as a song about being insecure, while currently Muu is like. The opposite. -Love Doll would also fit with Mahiru, and her wanting to spend every second with her partner -I was so close to chosing A Bird's Song for Kazui, but We The Hostages made more sense. -Addiction can fit with Mikoto because of the beat, but the lyrics didn't make that much sense in character. -Also I can kind of see Pseudo-Hope Syndrome fitting well for Mikoto

TLDR

I like Milgram a normal amount thank you. Etc etc. Here's the list: 01 - Undead Alice 02 - Rabbit Hole 03 - 118 04 - Ghost Rule 05 - Cosmic Rendezvous 06 - Zombie 07 - We The Hostages 08 - Winter Cleaning 09 - (Not) A Devil / Theory of Negativity 10 - Reversible Campaign / Dilemma

[fumifooms]

Do you have any headcanons about Larys' childhood ? Or Larycent relationship during the ten-year time skip ?

I do! They’re not anything super original or developed, nothing set in stone for me, but I have a few points this is making me think of. I think there is no way Larys is not neurodivergent, and I don’t think it’s PTSD. I think Larys has autism, because it just makes sense and as an autistic person myself I can’t not see it in him lol. I think Larys is a generally lonely person, and I’mma use this to brainstorm about my thoughts of how he grew up. There’s so much to theorize about him even knowing so little, I’mma dissect him like a frog. 

Uhh uh ok this is gonna be structured like a mess, but… Tldr: Cynicism as defense mechanism. Growing up having to rely on yourself because of emotional neglect and gaslighting + ostracization/loneliness. I think his family was decent to him, or good without being perfect, but just being sidelined for his difference was enough for him to grow resentful to the point of willingly killing them (though I do think part of his cold blooded murdering is just fueled by nihilism).

Needless to say, Larys’ disability affected how he grew up, so much. It affected his very worldview, and his dying wish is telling. The latter lets us know that he does not accept his own disability, in a being comfortable in your own skin way. He uses it as an advantage when he can, but he is not at peace with it. Listen, chronic pain is a bitch, if you’re in a position that your limb is making you pissed af and you’d like to become an amputee, I support you bro, but for Larys it is so obviously and explicitely about how his clubfoot was a social burden, rather than a crippling condition in itself. “Please cut it off of so I may at last be free of it in death” just screams inner peace. I think his awkward silent creeping thing is trauma. Making yourself easy to forget and overlook to better spy on people in plain sight, being unseen to remain safe and in control. And then the awkwardness, though as many have pointed out is also a way of making himself look harmless and friendly, is also just that, awkwardness because he’s not sure what the right demeanor is and he doesn’t want to put off people. We’ve seen him be fidgety and awkward with Alicent in the garden, then after the fire of Harrenhal when their relationship got more strained, but also, even in -sigh- the foot scene in ep 9, and in that case there is no reason to pretend to be someone harmless to someone who knows him that much, so he’s just genuinely a fidgety awkward mess. Anyways so yeah, a subconscious behavior developed as a survival tactic, all o’ that. Also the autism just makes one awkward tbh. Which, I still think he’s introverted don’t get me wrong, that his quiet nature is, well, his nature, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a part of it that is “I have to be like this, because there’s nothing else out there for me” and “being seen by people only brings me pain”.  Anyways, recovering from the slight tangent.

Let’s address the resentment he has for his family yayyyy!! So the thing is I think Larys’ family was generally supportive, or at least at surface level. It’s really common for people to mean well with disabled/different people, but for things to still hurt/be toxic. I imagine Harwin to be the kind of successful brother that’s like “it’s ok, we still love you even if you’re useless 🥰” and since he’s a protective older brother, to kinda infantilize him in a way, to assume he can’t do much of anything except maybe mind games which he’d see as below athletic abilities/exploits imo, so that would definitely make Larys have some resentment towards him even if Harwin doesn’t notice it at all. It’d make Larys feel that he’s always second best, or only slightly better than the worst possible. Mostly though, I really think the family just wanted to ignore the issues and keep silence rather than talk about things and be actually supportive. Lyonel strikes to me that way with how he’d deal with a disabled son. Do not address it. I imagine Larys to have grown very very sheltered. As a noble son who can’t just waltz everywhere anyways, I don’t think he would often be in position to get bullied directly much at all, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t bigotry. That doesn’t mean Larys isn’t treated differently, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t suffer from microagressions. What I think with how he grew up is that he kind of got gaslighted about it all. He would notice all these things, because of course he would, and then everyone in his life would be uncomfortable with the topic when he brings it up and be like “no you’re wrong, everything is fine, I’m going to protect your sensitive soul and make it so you don’t even need to know there is a problem”. Why do people laugh when he passes by, whisper when they see his twisted boot? Why does the air always feel off when he’s talking to people? Why do people lower their expectations in everything when it comes to him, why is he never considered, or asked to give input? There’s this common belief that just because an elephant in the room isn’t adressed, then kids aren’t affected by it. The truth is that kids are extremely, highly perceptive, they sense things and instinctively know if something is off. Even if it only causes slight discomfort in the moment, they can grow to realize it affected them a lot later on. Trauma can be really insidious. I think that that’s how Larys grew up, having to rely on himself to puzzle out the truth and intentions behind interactions. To observe people, and make out how what he learns can be useful to him. It’s a survival instinct. It’s a defense mechanism. He’s always had to rely on himself to see how it truly is. I think his hatred for his clubfoot is something that gradually grew and creeped on him as he grew up, just this unspoken sense that it took every opportunity at belonging away from him, and he targeted his resentment towards it while growing emotionally detached from the rest of the world.

And then, the nihilistic convincing himself that he doesn’t care thing, that his family and love doesn’t matter in the grand scale of life: that’s a coping mechanism. I think that Larys thinks he’s special, that he’s apart, enlightened. He has to, because if not, then what’s his special ability that makes him worthwhile? What explains that he’s had to live his whole life feeling like he was different than others, if not a type of superiority, of different wit that people simply could not handle? That’s trauma, and it’s painful and life shattering to get out of mindsets like that. It’s a whole worldview and self-image that you need to break down and say, “you’re wrong, these are your emotions speaking, because all these events hurt you so much more than you allowed yourself to believe”. Anyways so yeah that’s what I think his deal is. I do think it’s supported by how he’s like “ooh oh Alicent and I are just the same. We’re the only people in the world who gets it. She’s special and I’m special, we’re special together” with his kinda obsession with her. He sees her being sidelined and overlooked, quiet and miserable, and he immediately latches on to that and sees her as a kindred spirit. Brrr autism makes you seek out other social rejects. (Also we all acknowledge Helaena is autistic af right? Autism is hereditary, Alicent could very well be 😏 she’s just good at masking, like hundreds of irl women who go decades never being diagnosed. I can def see it in her character, though I’m far from ride or die with that hc)

That with never being invited to speak, written off and forgotten and invisible. There was definitely favoritism with Harwin from Lyonel. Larys had to grow up seeing Harwin be successful and the perfect strong firstborn son, while he was pushed aside and considered a failure before he even attempted anything. It makes someone want to prove them wrong. It makes someone want to show them that they, too, can discard of them once they are successful. Cough cough fire of Harrenhal-

Also I don’t think he has a particular relationship to bugs or firefly (though something like him going to see them as a routine in the riverlands for one reason or another could be cool), I think it’s more about the symbolism of it, since we see he’s a huge fan of metaphors, and that he values nature and doesn’t see humans as better than insects so there’s kind of this connection and acknowledgment, haha it always comes back to autism ayy.

For less wide stuff/more specific headcanons, I thought I didn’t have any, but... I suppose, Larys has read books a lot, just because moving is a pain and he can’t do sports, and learning of stuff through books probably is freeing. A whole world of knowledge and vicarious experiences at his fingertips. But we’ve seen Larys still goes places, he was there at the royal hunt just standing around and hanging out. I think he tends to lean towards the sidelines, like canon has shown us, and I think that he often gets to accompany Harwin and Lyonel as they prepare to go events and ride horses and stuff, and I think in those times instead of going socializing he’d rather stay back and hang out with the horses. Again with the connection to nature thing, it’s just safer, no social mind games, etc. Though that’s not productive, so he still ends up following his fam around and going to gather dirt on people. Truly the spiritual predecessor to hanging out with the cat at a party. I think he was bed-bound a fair bit, closed off in his room with servants bringing him things. The autistic part of him is fine with that lifestyle I think, but the social monkey part of him makes him antsy that he doesn’t have the choice for it to be any otherwise. He still goes to dine at the family table and at parties, but just in general he spends his days in his room, mostly sitting in bed. It’s not that his clubfoot means he completely mobility, but that chronic pain upon walking would mean it isn’t durable in general for him to go places or do activities with  require him to move. 

Oh, which, that’s an interesting point, chronic pain. He’s definitely had to learn to deal with pain on the daily, and to not let that get in the way of his ambitions and goals, evidently since he goes places like in the hunt. I wonder if part of it is his obligations as a Strong noble, to make appearances, and if part of it is to prove to people that he can do it, that he won’t stay bed-bound. Oh, I do wanna make a post about clubfoot btw, like an informational post about what its effects are and how it would likely have affected Larys physically, since we don’t see that all that much in the show nor books.

Oh, maybe that’d be fun- Super sheltered kid/teen Larys that wanted some freedom like his big bro, and once sneaked away from his bodyguard on a walk to go into the forest just to feel free and capable for a bit, and then learned old gods stuff and enlightenment. Forests are definitely a place of peaceful seclusion, so he’d feel comfortable by himself, without the fear of being judged. Just some time to himself that isn’t in his prison inside his house. Maybe that’s when he sees fireflies for the first time, something he’d only ever seen in books/could never have imagined with how little he sees nature. Maybe his liking of nature is not just an intrinsic connection he feels, but something he was denied access to for a long time. Maybe that’s why his greenseer thing takes a while to awaken… Idk idk

Hmm so yeah I think my final timeline for Larys’s life is that he grew up sheltered and rather isolated, almost always staying in his home, but as time went by he grew more aware of judgement and how things were tipped against him, built up resentment, and he grew more sensitive and hurt… Until he found the ways of the old gods, someway somehow, and it all clicked for him. He adopted more nihilistic and detached views, and grew ambitions that rivaled his childhood fancies except now they have a specific goal and technique to them. Though, maybe old gods is something he took an interest of when he read of them, especially if he constantly reads then bookshelves become short quick in a lifespan. I do think he’s always wanted to be ambitious and do great things and be smart and prove everyone wrong, but before truly awakening his greensight I think he was more defeated about it all. With how he longs for Alicent rather unabashedly, there’s certainly material to think that Larys is more brazen than I assume.

Me and the people on the larycent discord have also theorized about what could have made the crack on his cane, that he would have repaired with the sap-glue and his sigil in it. It’s a very interesting part of his cane’s design that I really hope there’ll be an explanation for it, and that seems like the perfect place to look for a backstory flashback. I like to think the crack would have happened near when he got his greenseer enlightenment, maybe it was even done intentionally. Or it could have been broken if he used his cane as self-defense while being assaulted, or worse, being the one assaulting someone, maybe snapping at bullies? There’s no way to know, but a lot to theorize. If you want more talk about the cane, I talked about it here intially:  https://www.tumblr.com/fumifooms/697934778665713664/larys-cane-is-so-odd-it-looks-like-it-had-a

This is as good of a place as any other to link the post in which I very lightly talk of the signs of autism I see in Larys: https://www.tumblr.com/fumifooms/697936263897088000/larys-autism-coding-real-oh-the-angst-what

Tldr I just really like this brand of autistic character. Like L Lawliet, or Metal Sonic, the ones that think they’re the shit but it’s a thin veil to hide their trauma and insecurities, that use bloated self-esteem as a way to defend against social rejection and uplift themselves above others to cope. It’s hubris, same as all the other HotD characters. 

OK THAT’S ENOUGH. SECOND PART OF THE ASK:

As for the 10 years of relationship, well… I do think he’s her only friend/outlet. She isn’t shown to have any other relationship that comes even close to their level of closeness, nor even just alliance wise. Her dad isn’t there, Criston Cole is a loyal servant & ally, but he’s beneath her in that he’s not available for intellectual plotting, and the one time their conversation grows less formal is when he snaps about Rhaenyra and Alicent immediately shuns him: it’s obvious that they’re work acquaintances more than anything else. Viserys just either ignores or gaslights her, and we don’t see her interacting with any other adults other than the guys of the council, who all judge her af and she does not like or trust much from what we see. Meanwhile, we see her and Larys have been having regular, one-on-one amicable dinners in something of a casual tone. She takes off her shoes, gets her hair undone, they speak of somewhat treasonous things, family problems and personal worries/wants like feeling alone and wanting her father back. He jokes, she feels comfortable enough to speak freely and have an outburst. And he does not shun her, and she does not recoil.  But also, I think that their relationship is less deep than some would think, in the way that they don’t know each other as well as they’d want to believe, and only care about the other in the sense of the social fulfillment & belonging the other brings them. Alicent sees Larys as highly trustworthy and morally sound, while Larys sees her as his flower he understands so well intrinsically. They presume too much, get too comfortable with their wishful view of the other, sees in other a close kinship that has not yet been tested. They both also bring something to the other politically, he brings her information and she is the queen he has in his pocket, so it’s an exchange of ressources as well. I think she keeps the convos as that, an outlet, and they still keep their emotional distance through a thin veil of formality in tone and being guarded, which is why Alicent’s outburst is a big moment for them. They don’t know each other that well, but they like each other’s company and uses it for their own uses and needs, both ressource wise and social/emotional. Alicent has the partial ally she craves to feel less alone and vulnerable to plots and attacks, and Larys has a kindred spirit that doesn’t treat him as below her or a piece of furniture.

Actually there’s this new fic i wrote about them where they learn vulnerability and it’s on ao3 and—

I’m very interested in how they went from ep 5, which, last we knew of Larys was looking at her at the wedding, to being close confidants and informant-client but for free. That companionable yet benefit-oriented relationship. I do have a fanfic I wrote that’s a bit that, but I never wrote it with the intention that it was what I thought truly happened off-screen: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42355857

If I had to guess, I think Alicent was the one to first contact him again, formally. Or, Larys appeared conveniently somewhere she went, maybe in the godswood, and they struck a conversation there. Talked out the details of their new acquaintance, probably started the dinners right away, Larys commenting that that would attract attention less. Either way, after the wedding, they both knew that an alliance between the two of them would be advantageous and a smart move. I do think that Alicent gave him her trust quickly, with the way she did a 180 on Rhaenyra and values one’s words very highly, for Larys to have provided truthful information to her would put him highly in her mind, seemingly just to help her without reward. Though, I can’t possibly believe she didn’t see through his “oh was the princess sick? Because I saw this uwu haha, how nice to tell you this and be reassured that there is no worry to have” act, and I find it weird that she wouldn’t think it odd that he knew this information would matter to her, instead of being a thinly veiled threat to the royal family which she’s a part of. Though the latter just shows how he knew she’d see it as a gift of information rather than treasonous accusations. I guess, since she did end up enlisting him as her informant, she appreciated his act in that he didn’t try to pass it off as genuine, didn’t insult her intelligence and expected her to understand his double meaning. She’d appreciate his capacity for such subtlety (canon in ep 7). Ugh, sorry, this got more analysis than headcanon again lol.

So uhh yeah that’s it I guess, I hope my answer was satisfying! Thank you for giving me an excuse to ramble, I adore these kinda topics!

[cloudsrust]

I have a lot on my mind after that ending and I truly need to write it down before I actually spontaneously combust so- Parallels between Azira/Crowley and Nina/Maggie and Crowley’s independence from Hell vs Aziraphale’s dependence on Heaven (especially in fighting) HERE I GO- (Tried to also make TLDR but I'm not great at those eh-)

1- Parallels between Crowley/Aziraphale and Nina/Maggie

Your honour they’re a mirror- but seriously, if there were any doubts on it, the Ball scene in which both couples dance at the exact time had to be the final confirmation. But anyway- the parallels between these two “wannabe couples” are truly something. Going into the serie we are led to believe, through their appearance, personality and a bit through their occupations, that Maggie is supposed to fully mirror Aziraphale (vintage wardrobe and likes, really sweet but that wants to assert herself and appear more courageous (which she is, just in a dumbass way.. just like the angel)), while Nina mirrors Crowley (dark and more modern clothes, very direct and sarcastic but it’s apparent she has a lot of baggage that she carries around, has difficulty asking for help wanting to fix everything herself). But relationship wise? They switch. Maggie is an emotional dreamer that knows that life can’t be a bed of roses (it’s mostly thorns with a few petals thrown around tbh) but that still desperately wishes for a happy ending where everything works out in the end- she is also the first one to make a step towards her crush, awkwardly but she tries her best by offering something she enjoys- (Crowley offering Azira food and wine? The latter that he came to enjoy first? Yeah.) and OH not even checking on her precious record shop to instead help out Nina, leaving it behind to help and stay with the one she cares for.. just like Crowley did with both his precious car and hell.

While Nina is someone that seems attached to her routines and, especially, her duties (her worrying about her coffee shop opening late even after she almost died by a demonic horde attack- she cares a lot to maintain her day to day alright.) and she is also stuck in a toxic relationship until Lindsay herself literally kicks her out of their ,possibly, shared house/apartment. She would’ve stayed in that relationship if the other one hadn’t completely cut ties with her, she would've stayed with someone that accused her of being selfish, only thinking about herself and that was VERY controlling on a daily basis. Nina also doesn’t seem like a very showy kind of person when it comes to love or affection, her love language perhaps being simply worrying for the other one, (then again we didn’t see a lot of her post relationship, so just my guess) and she is also someone that needs time for things to change (not because she didn’t jump into Maggie’s arms the moment her relationship was over, no no, it’s because of how she stayed in that stagnant relationship- it feels as if she didn't want things to change.). And I’m sure many have already seen this point but- Lindsay is to Nina exactly how Heaven is to Aziraphale. 

Crowley and Maggie are, well.. were, at the same square: waiting for the other to be ready. Now Crowley is back at Maggie’s “post shop blackout’s fight”.

Aziraphale is behind Nina in terms of squares: he is still in that toxic relationship and that, now that he feels he has the power to do so, he is desperately trying to fix by going back to Heaven. And if the parallels goes on, Aziraphale might also find himself thrown out- this time for real.

TLDR; In terms of relationship's views, Azira is the mirror or Nina while Crowley is the mirror of Maggie. Crowley has been in the "waiting for you to be ready" for a good while and now he is back at the step of the "fight at the coffeeshop during the blackout". Aziraphale he is still in a toxic relationship with Heaven (Nina and Lindsay parallel) and is still at the step of wanting to make things work out and fix the relationship while shutting out who really cares for him.

2-Crowley’s independence from hell vs Aziraphale’s dependence on heaven

There are many instances in which we see it. Crowley has fought tooth and nail to fully cut himself off from Hell and ,at least mentally, I’m sure he already was on his own waaay before the whole Armageddont ordeal. Aziraphale in comparison has simply.. took a step away from them, just gently slid to the side (Great, now we got the Demon that simply sauntered downwards and the Angel who just gently slid to the side. You’re welcome Neil.) but mentally he isn’t over them at all, like AT ALL. (to badly quote the “But it’s so nice to have someone to tell the things you’ve done to now that I don’t report anymore”, he is still trying to fix his bloody routine into something more normal- he hasn’t fully accepted being a rogue angel at all.).

I mostly would like to point it out with how they choose to fight though.

Crowley when he has to fight always chooses to use either his own mind or his own stuff: Season 1, at the Armageddon, all he has as a weapon is that thingy from his dear car (I have no idea what that’s called, I'm so sorry Crowley;;) and his powers/mind that he uses to both stop time and talk to Adam AND, before that, to not burn alive in his Bentley (it’s not a demonic thing since Hastur discorporates in the fire, that’s all Crowley’s doing). There is the bit in which he technically used a heavenly weapon, the Holy Water, to destroy Ligur- but that for me only demonstrates even more how much he DOES NOT care for either side. Using a weapon from the opposition? Yeah sure why not. Destroying your own kind (which is apparently frowned upon in Hell)? Yep, he got what was coming to him. 

Season 2, at the attack on the bookshop, he still just uses his mind to trick Shax into letting the humans get to safety- he doesn’t even use any real rule from Hell, he just makes something up that sounds convincing enough to work.

Also- Crowley is always shown being very distant to the other demons, and in season 2 he doesn’t even try to hide how much he isn’t interested in their conversations or the job they’re doing at the moment, even to BEELZEBUB THEMSELVES- Hell he only starts breaking a sweat when they mention Aziraphale, until then he was just bothered. 

Now let’s see Azira.. he is very, very dependent on Heaven:

Season 1, at the Armageddon, he ends up wielding a flaming sword that resembles to an extreme amount the one he was assigned (and gave away which- could I hazard a “I tried to get rid of it but in the end here it is (a copy of it) in my hand again”?)) by Heaven back at the Eastern Gate. And before that, to try and stop it he calls upon the Metatron to try and speak to God Herself, straight up using an Heavenly Circle (which also ends up discorporating him and leading to the events of the bookshop catching on fire, which yes it was an indirect consequence but.. I don’t know I like to see it as a cautionary tale about how toxic Heaven is to him.) The only demonic thing I can give him the props of doing is taking over, well- sharing, a human body, which apparently Heaven doesn’t really like. (Not counting the Holy Water thing because it would harm Hell more than it would harm Heaven.)

Season 2, at the attack on the bookshop, to stop the demons he once again uses the Heavenly circle, and once that falls he is completely helpless- Nina and Maggie are the ones who keep trying to fight with anything they can (his books to his dismay.. that poor bookshop keeps on suffering). The only last thing he tries is using his literal Holy Halo has a sort of grenade (which, the moment I saw, I liked to see it as a symbolic “I’m letting go of a very important angelic part of me to protect the humans which I actually hold dear”, and that could still be- but I also now see it as him still relaying desperately on his angel’s status).

ALSO- Aziraphale is still trying to keep his Heaven’s connection as pristine as he can, he invites them in, he is polite (even humoring Muriel’s whole thing while Crowley was ready to de-mask the poor thing at the first slip up), he tries his best to lie and maintain his facade of a good angel with the whole love thing. And he is scared. He is still deeply scared of Heaven, of the other Archangels and of the Metatron (he is on edge when he is going out the bookshop with them, while Crowley spoke to them as if they were just a stupid floating head you’d see in a bad Luna Park). But he still chooses to help out the one that wanted both him and Crowley dead, GONE. He is afraid but he still believes in Heaven being the good guys, or at least they have the ability to be.. maybe with his help. 

TLDR; Crowley is very independent with what he uses to fight and help himself, he also has clearly shown he doesn't care about Hell at all. Aziraphale is instead very dependent of Heavenly props to fight and help himself, as much as he wants to think he has accepted being a rogue Angel he is still not ready to leave Heaven behind.

-

That ending- I don’t think it’s out of character for Aziraphale to make that choice. Both he and the Demon want to do what they think is best for the other: Crowley wants to give his Angel a precious, fragile, peaceful human existence, just the two of them doing their own thing- no Heaven or Hell to think about. But for Aziraphale that “fragile” is a problem, I feel like he knows that they cannot just run away from their respective sides and go live in peace. And he wants to fix that at its core- first by offering to make the Demon and angel again, back to the good old times, then by presenting his hope that he can make everything better, fix Heaven and all of its problems. Unlike Crowley, he doesn’t know that you can’t cure a rotten apple- but he is still deeply attached to Heaven and he will stay there- even if that could mean rotting alongside it.

I say that but- something bothers me about that damned coffee offering from the Metatron. It’s so specific, so unlike them- they were being way too kind, a contrast to how dismissive they were when they first spoke with Aziraphale. 

And the way Azira’s expression was twisting in the elevator- he could’ve been going through all the stages of grief alongside Crowley or putting on a smile for when he arrived at the top but.. that smile at the end I just- dammit it really bothers me. Something is still up in the Up I swear.

[danggirlronpa]

Seed B2 Masterpost

Junko/Komaru art by pechebeche

Sayaka/Sakura art by ministarfruit

Junko/Komaru

Hey friends, like this video if you think that manipulating your arch nemesis' cute younger sister into becoming your protégé through various atrocities is...kinda hot 😏

I'm gonna be real that's the whole basis for the ship. I'm not gonna pretend Komaru "normal mcnormal" wouldn't bore the shit out of Junko. I'm not gonna pretend Junko "ultimate despair" wouldn't scare the shit out of Komaru. But ooh. OOOH. the NARRATIVE IMPLICATIONS!!! the TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS!!!

I think making Makoto watch Junko and Komaru's wedding might be her single driving petty force to make this happen actually

Sayaka/Sakura

TBH one of my favorite parts of Sakura as a char is the fact that she wants to be really strong And wants to be feminine and wear pretty dresses. That combination of traits can lead to some really reductive "actually the beauty industry is feminist" thinking, and it's not something I would ever expect Danganronpa of all series' to do well on, but the way Sakura talks about really hits that deep yearning that girls with darker skin in particular often have to grapple with in feeling forcibly separated from femininity, and it really hits home to see Sakura yearning for that lost part of her identity

(disclaimer: this is not an argument that Danganronpa portrays colorism well. In fact, it portrays colorism very badly. And we are in particular ignoring the pre-martial arts training light-skinned Sakura design. Because holy shit. Wow. There's so much going on there)

This was a lot of waxing poetic on Sakura and not the relationship itself BUT I really truly think that the appeal of Sakura/Sayaka is in the chance for Sayaka to help Sakura get in tune of this side of her she so desperately yearns for. Sayaka's dream is built on helping other girls smile and feel more confident in themselves, and even if part of that is a facade for the camera, I think there's a truly intimate level of understanding that these two could have with each other as they grapple with their exposing experiences with femininity and what it means to them.

or, tldr: I THINK SAYAKA/SAKURA SHOULD GET TO BE THE MEME OF THE GIRL LEANING OVER ANOTHER GIRL DOING HRE MAKEUP IN A REALLY GAY WAY. AND IM RIGHT

※To avoid spamming artists, I will only @ them the first time their work shows up unless told otherwise. If you want to check all the art I used, check here!

[jellybeanium124]

stupid rant about the rat man drama below. extremely serious neutral perspective. I'm kind of scared to post this because I'm worried that people will get mad at me tbh... the tldr is I hate drama (unsurprisingly).

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the ofmd fandom is a middle school cafeteria. Because, of course, all fandoms are middle school cafeterias, just with varying levels of screaming.

There are kind of three camps, actually, in the ofmd fandom, but everyone thinks there's two: Izzy Enjoyers and Haters. The Haters do seem to be pretty much one cohesive unit (save for the Stede anon who is off the shits and no one likes), but the Enjoyers are actually kind of split in two, based on my own observations. There are Enjoyers who understand that Izzy is a bastard failure pathetic rat man and antagonist, and with this knowledge choose to enjoy him anyways. And then there are Enjoyers who do not understand this and think he's a competent badass. I'll call the former 1s and the latter 2s.

Haters and 1s tend to generally be content to sit at their own tables and talk to their friends and mind their own business. I think these two groups are generally aware that their differences are basically irreconcilable due to the climate, and that ignoring the other is the best outcome. 1s don't leave their tables. They don't want to leave their tables. They want to sexualize that old man in peace, and recognize that not everyone wants to sexualize that old man.

2s, however, do leave their tables. They go over to the Haters and yell at them about stupid fucking nonsense and create a lot of surrus because they do not see that Izzy is like... a bad guy. This makes Haters rightfully angry, but that anger is usually directed at both 1s and 2s because from the outside they do look the same. This makes 1s upset because they've been minding their own fucking business and don't even know who that clown is that started it all, so now they're in on the fight. Thus the cycle of balderdash continues. It makes me angry because some stupid naive part of me wishes everyone could be friends, or at least for the drama to end and everyone to actually commit to either ignoring each other or just being civil.

This will never happen. 1s don't tend to be down to discuss how Izzy's actions are racist and homophobic on the level that Haters want. 1s and Haters are kind of similar, except, generally speaking, 1s watched the show and prioritized Dumb Fun, while Haters watched the show and prioritized Critical Thought. I think there are a lot of complicated factors that go into why a person would pick one over the other, because there is nothing wrong with Dumb Fun or Critical Thought, and ofmd lends itself well to both.

Also, most 1s I know don't tend to be creating content where Ed is an abusive monster. Usually 1s live in a world where they want Izzy to get better and let go of his toxicity, thereby creating an environment where Ed and Izzy can heal their relationship and both of them and Stede can have lots of narsty gay sex and be soft together.

And then there are the 2s, who I don't see changing their minds any time soon because they are very mad, and very mad people who refuse to acknowledge bigotry tend to not change their minds when internet strangers are disagree with them. I do not know any people in the 2 camp personally (all my observation of them has been through when Haters reblog and counter their posts), so my prediction there is mostly based off of common patterns of human behavior.

I don't really have a solution here. I'm not completely clear on the relationship between 1s and 2s, but there is definitely some allyship. There is also some "I'm not one of those izzy fans" at 1 tables as well. Because of the general perception of Haters v. Enjoyers, 1s and 2s are inevitably going to be linked, both in their own minds and the minds of Haters. Should Haters and 1s even attempt allyship? Could we live in a world where it's People Who Understand Izzy Sucks versus People Who Don't? I don't think it's possible, frankly. Many Haters are far too against or squicked out by edizzy/stizzy/stedyhands.

I suppose the lack of closure or a clear path is part of what makes me angry. I've made these observations, and now I've recorded them for posterity in this post, and it's all utterly pointless. The drama will last for as long as it does, season 2 will inspire new drama, and eventually the show will end and the fandom will shrink and the attention whores who get off on riling everyone up will move on to bigger fandoms. New middle school cafeterias. And I will continue to be worried that my chaotic neutral (or serious neutral) izzyposting will get me harassed or worse.

[wonwoonlight]

my way to you; post script.

Writing my way to you has been a ride, bc I started writing it almost right after I finished writing my daisy. That said, I worked on it for like 4-5 months on and off bc I went through writer's block along the way and suddenly I wasn't sure if the main plot was even good💀

There was no Mingyu or Wonwoo's mom problem at first, I thought about making OC go crazy over Jennie to the point where she's toxic. But it was :/ and I don't want my OC to be that way just bc she's confused and disoriented.

I thought of making Wonwoo's ex who his family loved and still had amicable relationship with came to the picture instead of Jennie. Or perhaps a girl that took OCs first love from her by getting him to cheat with her.

But these all seem so dramatic and... idk, it didn't sit well with me.

I wrote a lot of my way to you by stealing time throughout my office hour; switching between tabs on my laptop and sometimes I'm like... is this even worth it 🥲 I don't even know if people would like it, if people would *tell* me that they like it.

Bc as a writer in a free platform like tumblr, as much as I appreciate you taking the time to like and read my post, it doesn't do much to me personally if you dont tell me you enjoy them. Perhaps it's validation? Or it's just your appreciation that I need to continue writing.

But I was like... 30k into the story when I was reminded that I could've just stopped writing and no one would say anything? Bc even when I write, only a small part of you shared your thoughts with me anyway.

It's not a good state to have tbh ;/ bc I should be writing for me instead of for validation, and that would sound like I don't appreciate a lot of you (to @hoe4wonwoo @nothingbutadeadesceane @sunshinein17 @boowanie @twogyuu @whalienrj 🌚anon and a lot of you who i didn't manage to mention here bc this is a spur of the moment thing, I'm forever grateful that you guys drop by often) who come by and spared the time to give me feedbacks.

Anyhow, I owed my daisy a lot for the courage to start another series and here's the thing; I don't think mwty has as much audience as my daisy, but i got a lot more feedbacks and that means a lot to me.

I'm not saying this as Khione who wrote my daisy & my way to you, but I'm saying this as someone who writes as a hobby, who steals time and gets mental breakdown bc writing got hard along the way: but your words always mean a lot to us writers no matter how short. And to *know* that you enjoy our works is the only thing that a writer could ask for.

I guess it's just something that tells me that; hey! You didn't waste hours of brainstorming and typing and deleting those words bc people enjoyed them!

I'm trying my best to let authors know that I enjoy their works too, bc *I* would know how warming it is to know someone else enjoys your works. And I know; it's not always easy to pour your words and say that you love this particular part and this thing brings joy out of you. Bc iI'm not always able to write long feedbacks to; but even when you drop by to tell me that you cant wait for the next chapter, it's enough.

Tldr; thank you for everyone who took the time to read mwty and especially those who shared their time to type feedbacks to me🤍🤍🤍🤍

Anyhow, this has gotten too long and even strayed away from my way to you iznsjsjsjwjwh if any of you read til this point, thank you and pls know I appreciate you!🤍 please have a good day <3

And to all the writers out there who end up reading this somehow: please know I'm rooting for you always. It's not easy to keep on writing even more when you've just started and barely has any audience. Pls dont hesitate to use my platform to promote your work if you want, i dont have that much followers too, but I'll help you if i could. Just drop by my ask and I'll give you a signal boost🤍

[coolspacequips]

I am going to say it but Basira and Melanie didn't have the problem that Jon was becoming a trauma eating monster (Basira had no problem with Daisy actually killing people in the woods and Melanie was besties with Helen who is a literal manifestation of lies and deceit and eats people she tricked into her hallways) they were harsh on him because they were scared he'll turn on them and it sucks Jon had to keep proving himself to them especially since he has more reason to doubt them

Y'know anon I think you're right, and that it's a lot more than that, too. This is actually something I've thought about a lot, now that u mention it??? I'm sorry if u didn't want a rambling essay but it's insomnia time so that's what I've got lmao

Basically, there's just a lot of complex stuff going on between their characters, on a lot of levels. In character, projecting all of their feelings of distrust and unease into the easily weaponized points of "we're human, and you're a monster" is an emotional reaction on Daisy and Basira's part, and out of character it's a part of the ongoing critique of the police mindset that runs throughout all three of their stories, as they relate to each other.

I don't know the details, but I do know that John the author has had intimate and traumatic experiences with the police, which manifested in A LOT of ways throughout the series, and was a heavily intentional part of these characters, for obvious reasons.

The way that Basira could see the worst in Jon and could reason her way out of just about anything, while turning a willful blind eye to the brutal shit daisy was getting up to, becomes her ultimate cross to bear. And ur right it's also about trust, because in Basira's mind she knew Daisy might lash out at anyone, but never her. Even when she was a beast of the hunt. Rational or not, she still internalized the uniform idea that anyone around her could be monstrous, and that Daisy was what she could trust; Jon became an easy target of that, apparently, along with a lot of her other frustrations with their situation.

With Daisy, looking back on it, I think Melanie's friendship with Helen is interesting, though in a way they all bought into her a little bit. I think there's something to be said for the way that they both twist the truth to fit their needs, in different ways. Helen in particular had to grapple with taking victims, when she first changed, before settling on a truth that ultimately made her comfortable with her own need to do it.

TLDR, Daisy and Basira had an extremely toxic cop-partner, quasi-romantic relationship that just twisted the rules of right and wrong to fit their needs, when it came to each other, or at least that's the vibe I got… And ARGHGHH it WAS SO FRUSTRATING, because you knew that Jon could never be good enough to meet their arbitrary standards, against those odds!!

Fascinating to think about, but ultimately a tragedy, which I think could be said for TMA overall.

Tbh I did appreciate Jon mentioning the way that he never forgave Daisy, and the almost-solidarity that was her never asking him to do so, after they were both in the Buried. It was an interesting acknowledgement of her repentance and her ongoing commitment to change, in a complex way u don't see too often, all things considered.

[kinnoth]

What's your take on Thor Ragnarok? What's your take on Thor's development within the MCU so far?I'm a fan of your posts and tags!

GREAT QUESTIONS THANK YOU FOR ASKING, THANKS FOR BEING A FAN

tldr I """"like"""" Thor's canon development now bc I've done some fucking Olympic grade backfilling and contortion to recontextualize the canon to make it meaningful, but this results in me living in my own pocket universe of an interpretation where I can't really interact with other people bc they don't subscribe to my exact reading of canon

But bro I LOVE Ragnarok. I know that can be a controversial take (I've read the meta of people who think it "slaughtered" Thor and Loki's characterisations), but I just thought it was so much fun! Like on a movie watching experience level and on a lore/meta level, it's FUN. That's not something I can say for 95% of marvel movies, which are nigh universally too dimly lit and too reliant on hateful sarcasm between characters as a substitute for a relationship.

On a meta level, I 1000% subscribe to the idea that the entire movie is a retelling that Thor is preforming for his refugees, so it's a heavily edited, exaggerated, and sillier version of events meant to keep everyone's spirits up. On the point of lore continuity, I really appreciate that thor3 makes CANON and EXPLICIT Odin's campaign of imperialist violence behind his "peaceful" reign over the nine realms, I FUCKIN LOVE IT. I LOVE the context Hela gives to their family, because she makes canon and explicit Odin's disappointments in Thor. I LOVE that Mjolnir was Hela's weapon before it was Thor's because Mjolnir was never meant to be a metric for moral goodness or readiness for rule, but a metric for a colonialist's commitment to imperialist violence on behalf of an empire WHICH IS WHY IT FINDS CAPTAIN AMERICA WORTHY BUT NOT LOKI

(btw if anyone else can draw a line between Hela and Steve Rogers that is a. representative of Odin's priorities and b. includes Thor but excludes Loki, hmu, bc this is the best I got.)

(Mjolnir rejects Thor in thor1 bc Thor was trying to conquer Jotunheim for personal glory and doesn't accept him again until he starts thinking about the good of the empire again by protecting Midgard, an imperial asset. Mjolnir rejects Loki bc Loki is a not an imperialist in service of an empire)

Off topic but I know a lot of people get hung up on Thor leaving Loki paralyzed in the parking garage, potentially to be found by the grandmasters dudes? Like people say that was unaccountably cruel and ooc for Thor. But like, ok, they killed everyone on the way up, and Thor knows his armed gladiator rebellion is on his heels also headed for the parking garage, so I dunno, I never read it as Loki was in any particular danger? But I'm a notorious Thor apologist as well as a Loki apologist so 🤷‍♂️

Things I also love: loki defunding the military to spend that money on art and infrastructure, Loki's live action thorki fanfic that Asgard unaccountably loved, Loki stonewalling Odin's attempt to reconcile bc fuck Odin, Thor's lightning powers, Bruce banner is now a Jewish grandma, Hela have I mentioned Hela love that girlboss, Jeff goldblum love that wiggly man, the Valkyrie love that angry girl, "piss off ghost", inglorious deaths for all the warriors 3, "I'm here" (screaming, crying, shaking), the story about how Loki bit Thor as a snake as well as the confirmation that they are in fact the same age

I have complicated feelings about Thor's canon development tbh. On a very ground floor sort of reaction, I despise what they did to My Boy in infinity war and endgame. I think it's a disgusting character assassination and I don't think the russos understand humour and specifically how to use humour to expand on tragedy like what thor3 did.

On the other hand, if you've read my fic and meta, you'll know that I've accepted the canon development, bc at this point, I've done a LOT of very deliberate and concerted labour to MAKE the canon development we see between thor1 and endgame WORK. But, like, there was a LOT of labour that I, specifically, put into it. It fully relies on me specifically doing a lot of digging and reaching and mining these movies for every possible frame of content to the point where I am pretty sure I've put more effort into making all the development make continuous sense than any of the screenwriters put into the actual development.

And I think I've probably just drank too much of my own Kool aid but like, I am in a position now where I do think my interpretation of Thor's character development is THE most complete and accurate reading of his character development. Key to these points are: a) I think he is an ex-imperialist who is currently and actively trying to deprogram himself from the colonialists' mindset that Odin instilled within him b) he is trying to deprogram himself from Asgard's culture of extreme toxic masculinity wherein he was not taught to have any sort of emotional processing that did not involve physical violence c) Loki is/was/always will be the person he loves best

So like, as I try to show in my thorki canonverse fics (shameless plug for myself), I can make most of the bad decisions made about Thor's character in infinity war and endgame work if I recontextualize all of his canon actions with my own (well supported, well documented) headcanon'd baggage. Of course he goes on a death wish mission to get revenge on Thanos -- he has a literal deathwish bc he was already supposed to die with Loki. Of course he sinks into an unshakeable depression afterwards -- he has no identity now that he has no family bc he was never taught to live by himself or for himself. Of course he leaves new Asgard and abdicates his rule -- he hasn't wanted a hand in the dirty business of Empire ever since Odin's ambition got his mom and brother killed in thor2, and that hasn't changed. I try to make him go through all the canon-implied feelings and anxieties and doubts in front of the reader. My entire goal of this is that people read my shit, then look at canon and think "oohh that context DOES make it better!" I will be gratified if that is the case.

(The only thing I cannot fix is the bit in endgame where Thor walks past Loki's Tupperware cell and the narrative doesn't come to a screeching fucking halt as Thor has so many feelings that he has some sort of paralytic breakdown where he simultaneously wants to commit Time Crime (tm) so he can just stay here forever and also wishes he could just die here, next to loki, like he was always supposed to. Like, that needed to happen to really lynchpin all of my work together into one smooth, problem free reading, but I'm not allowed to have nice things so)

(oh also I didn't like Thor calling frigga "mom". Shouldn't it at least be "mum"? I think "mother" is best tbh, bc I don't really read them as having that sort of relationship, see "toxic masculinity", see also "homosocial socialisation")

(and ok I get that it was a nice moment for Thor to call the hammer back to his hand, and I get that it even still works with my headcanon that mjolnir finds Thor worthy still bc Thor is defending the imperial asset that is Midgard, but like God damnit. The uncritical and unquestioning use of that word "worthy" when he catches the hammer again. Like worthy of what you guys? Do you ever ask yourself that question bc I very much do. I kinda wish they didnt bring it up at all, or if they did, it didn't come back to Thor's hand and he is just like, wistfully, "that's all right, I suspected as much. I'm such a different man now, mjolnir doesn't recognize me. I don't think I'd be alive right now if I had been the same man I was")

Wow that got long, anyway, thanks for chatting with me! Again, always a pleasure to field asks!

[watcherglowcloud]

PSA for Bo Burnham’s Inside

I don’t normally post this sort of stuff, but i think in this case it’s important. I’m not trying to put the film down in any way, but tbh Netflix sucks at trigger-tagging stuff and currently the only tags on Bo Burnham’s Inside are for suicide and language. I want to bring some more awareness to some of the other potentially triggering stuff. I want to stress that this stuff is intended to be unsettling to a degree, but for their own health some people may want to avoid this content

1.) knife. in one scene, Bo holds a knife while talking to the viewer, pointing and jabbing it at the camera at times

2.) dissociation/derealization. Bo talks about his issues with both of these, but the strategic use of canned laughter and a simulated environment stuck out to me in particular. also, Bo speaking directly to the camera at times may trigger people with dissociative issues.

3.) anxiety/scopophobia. In his career, Bo has had panic attacks onstage, particularly ones brought on by the number of people watching him. there are multiple times Bo looks into the camera. he also talks about the pressure to perform well, which is potentially triggering

4.) forced compliance. Bo has a sock puppet that he forces to be quiet by threatening to take it off his hand. he asks the puppet if it’s going to behave, forces it to look at him, and say “yes sir.” this may be triggering for victims of manipulation, particularly in toxic romantic or parental relationships

tldr: the movie is great but has some issues for people who could be triggered by some of the unacknowledged themes

please let me know if i missed anything/need to expand a point

[sapphiriia]

Okay, so... Power AU. 

How this all came about was due to both a. me wanting to actually make and write a Firstfriendshipping AU because I want to write about two lovely boys being wholesome and sweet together and b. Me replaying Platinum and getting to the Canalave Library with the Sinnoh lore gave me the idea. 

So pretty much, as a side affect of humans evolving from Pokemon, most humans have a singular power based around either a Pokemon move or an ability a Pokemon has in regards to their power or appearance. For example, Koharu/Chloe can use her hair as an extra limb (an idea I’ve had for a while) just like her mother does. A child is either born with their ability, if it is genetically integrated with their appearance like extra limbs to wing etc, or they grow into it over time. Normally all kids have their powers before they turn ten. When it comes to inheriting abilities, kids can expect to get one from either their parents (most likely to happen) or their grandparents, so 4 potential abilities to be born with. Abilities can also mutate from generation to generation. Some mutations make these abilities much stronger whilst other mutations can “change the type” of that ability. For example, someone able to breathe out fire (i.e. Flamethrower) could have a kid who is able to breathe out water (i.e. Hydro Pump/Water Gun). It’s not the exact same ability due to the mutation, but it still comes from the parent in design.

Goh is one of the few born without an ability, a different form of mutation where instead of getting a parent or grandparent ability, there is none at all. Because of that he had to deal with a lot of bullying and discrimination growing up. With Chloe as his only friend, Goh relied as research and knowledge as his only escape. His dream to catch Mew after the summer camp was also a way he planned to show he could be strong without a power. He began skipping school to research Pokemon, mostly to get away from the toxic environment and with Goh’s parents always working, he was able to get away with it - with his grandma’s support/help. Thanks to the fateful encounter on Lugia, Goh was able to get away from the school minus coming in to prove his grades aren’t slipping otherwise he’ll be dragged back in there. 

Ash, on the other hand, is one of the few with a mutated ability, his coming from Delia’s own Growth power where she can make plants, vegetables and berries grow faster which is perfect for her in regards to running her restaurant. Normally, more powerful abilities are revered and those who own them placed on pedestals. Well, not when you can control the power of nature. Throughout his childhood, the citizens of Pallet referred to Ash as a freak and a potential monster because of the mutation which is why when Ash does leave on a journey, he never uses his ability. He doesn’t want others to see him as a monster, and thus relies and believes in the strength of his Pokemon above all else. Its a secret he keeps because a. he has no use for an ability whilst raising Pokemon and b. he’s terrified of everyone finding out and acting like his hometown did. 

This leads into the Journey series where the two meet and form a strong friendship, with Goh realising Ash isn’t like his peers at school. Ash thinks Goh is incredibly strong for making it through school and still following his dream whilst shooting down any objections against it. Ash supports Goh’s dream but doesn’t interfere in it because that is Goh’s dream specifically. It’s the same vice versa. Whilst Goh can help with training, he can’t interfere with Ash’s dream of beating Leon or becoming World Champion (Because World Monarch is an extremely stupid idea because yes, we know, Galar is Scotland, Wales and England as a region and the World Monarch is the Galar Champion but the rest of the world is participating as well. Dub, I love you - minus the music - but sometimes you can be so infuriating). They can support and help each other along the way, but in the end its their dream and they are the ones who need to work towards that. This understanding of each other reflects more than just their approach to their goals which makes them fast friends and, tbh, closer together as a duo which leads to the start of their crushes for each other.

Goh finding out the truth behind Ash’s ability comes when he offhandedly mentions that Gracedia flowers are his favourite because of their symbolism. After coming back from a write-up of one of their adventures, Goh finds a bouquet of Gracedia flowers on his bed. Not wanting to confront Ash outright, he starts investigating to find out Ash’s ability, cos no one has ever seen it. Chloe admits he has one as it has to be stated that he has one on his employment papers as a research fellow, however she doesn’t know what it is either. Goh only finds out what it is when Ash uses it to stop an old set of bullies from hurting him. Ash admits everything to Goh, his past and why he hides his power, only for Goh to say it’s beautiful and why would he fear such a lovely ability. This is the first time anyone outside his mother has said this to him, and it brings Ash to tears. This is probably some time around JN023/24. Shortly after this (probably after episode 27, but defo before episode 30) the two would start their relationship as Chloe would not stand for their pining and work with the staff at the lab to get them to realise they both like each other.

Ash starts using his ability more, mostly to do nice things like make flower crowns or revitalise the plants in the Cerise Labs, and Goh finds it beautiful. The scene @starstickerx wrote is how one of their dates go, mirroring the fateful encounter being dropped off in a meadow of flowers. 

So, TLDR, I just wanted to write cute fluffy interactions between lovely boys including flower crowns and being adorable and it ballooned from there into an entire AU. 

This post is getting hella long so I’ll talk about this more another time. If you have any questions feel free to ask me! So... yeah.