#He is angry and has a lot of repressed hatred

[lostinlovingrevery]

Just a thought and no offense but I think Logan just wants to be in love and feel loved in return.

(This isnt proofread and came out as rambling so have fun trying to read it and decipher it! 😅)

So WE ALL know that Logan can be flirty, and that he may have had a period where he was a bit of a manwhore (*cough* 70s Logan *cough*)

I feel like that period though, and any other flings, one night stands, etc whatever was less out of lust and more of a desperation to feel SOME kind of human connection bc the mans so lonely and has been treated like a soldier, a weapon for so long that hes desperate for human connection, even if it makes him end up feeling depraved afterwards. Post-nut clarity wakes him up next to some girl he met at a bar, and guilt sinks its teeth into him because he doesnt even know her name, much less actually LIKE her. The man was born in the 1800s, he may have grown with time but you cannot tell me theres not some inkling of being a gentleman- and wanting to find someone you truly love, hidden in there somewhere. I think overtime he may fall into this routine, believing he needed to be a walking sex magnet, gruff, cocky, whatever have you because hes convinced its the only way he can have a connection with someone, even if its for a few passionate moments under bedsheets, and an awkward "that was nice. Bye"

It only fuels his self hatred, convincing him that he really his just an animal, looking to get his sick desires out, eat, fuck, sleep, survive.

When we see him in the X movies, as a cage fighter he is brutal and rough and he doesnt seem to have a caring bone in his body yet he still manages to find himself caring about this young girl who stowawayed in his trailer, and does help her, even if he acts like this version of logan he created. Someone who doesnt care. But he cares. A lot.

Its not until he meets YOU, that he starts to wonder if he got it all wrong. Kind, beautiful, smart YOU.

I fully believe that logan just wants a partner. One night stands, flings, what have you, were just him lying to himself, desperate to feel something other than hate. After he lost his memories, and he began just wandering, the concept of love was lost on him. And lust wasnt there anymore either. He was approached by women, perfectly fine, pretty women, all the time during his time cage fighting, bars, etc. He turned them all away- completely opposite of logan 30-40 years ago (my timing probs not right on xmen lol) who was convinced the only way he was living was if he had ass next to him every night he went to sleep because he was lonely. This version of logan, lost, angry, wanted nothing to do with people. Some of it the repressed feelings coming out from his past that he doesnt even remember. He was convinced then that he had to be alone. Becoming a lone wolf that bared his teeth at anyone who tried to pet it. Secretly though, deep down although he wouldnt admit it, there was that deep desire, that he always felt in his 200 years, that he just wanted to find his mate. He'd call soulmates bullshit if you asked him, but the moment he meets you, hed know that it was real, and that maybe god cursed (gifted) him the ability of healing and practical immortality just so he could find you. And hed do it over and over again, the pain and suffering and loneliness, if it meant you would be the endgoal.

Logan is a pack animal. He needed a family, to protect, and cherish. When he meets and ends up at the x-men, his demeanor and attitude changes quickly to something similar to a dog that snaps at you when you pet it only for it to whine and whimper "im sorry, please dont hate me, i just dont know how to accept love.". Hes still wary, because hed never KNOWN a family before. Put aside his memory loss, the closest things he had to a family was a creep of a brother, and a woman who said she loved him under false pretenses (i still dont like you kayla even if you say it was real). He barely knew his parents, and even then that was a lie because his father wasnt even his biological father. Yeah, Logans life was pretty damn lonely, so its no wonder the man is cautious of anybody and anything.

The moment you come into his life though, that bitterness, anger, and meaningless flirting goes right out the window. Hes serious about you. Hes usually cautious, nervous around people but he meets you and its almost like he threw all those imaginary rules he has for himself out of the window.

Look at how he was with Jean in the movies. He barely knew the woman, they barely shared ANY lines in the movie yet he was almost completely devoted (dont get me started on that storyline). Trust didnt come easy to the wolverine. And Kayla- their relationship just shows how much he wants love and to be loved. I never seen origins but a lot of gifsets and read the synopsis of the plot, but i think he had a feeling with Kayla he couldnt trust (remember how he says hell never go against his gut again?) But he so badly just wanted that connection he ignored all the warning signs and did everything to build a life with this woman who not only tricked him, but put him through unimaginable pain both physically and mentally. (Look I REALLY dont like kayla but i do feel bad for her because stryker did have her sister captive). I know stryker is the evil mastermind here, but god imagine trying to find love with someone, only for it all to be a farce, even if they claimed they did love you the entire time- the intentions from the very beginning was far from love.

Oh but when he is in love with you. From the moment he met you, it wasnt love at first sight exactly, more like a feeling that you were it. Hes all about you. He sticks around, under the pretense that he just needed to make some money first, doing some missions for charles, keep an eye on rogue. He cant admit its because he wants to stay close to you. Hes like a feral cat taking shelter in your shed. Stays away at first, cautious of your spspspsp, but curious nonetheless. Completely ignores the first bowl of food you put down for it- or so you thought because when you came back it was completely devoured. It takes weeks of food and spspsps before it finally warms up to you, but after that first contact with your hand and its head- good luck ever getting rid of it. Not that youd want to 😊

Logan becomes a shadow to you, once you become something akin to friends. (Its really more than that but no ones addressed it). He teases you and flirts with you, and its something you think he does with everyone, until Ororo tells you that he only does it to you. Sometimes he just sits in your company, other times hes curious about what youre working on, not wanting to start the convo, but does things like leering over your shoulder (which he may or may not be doing just to he close to you and get a good whiff of the smell of your hair). He stresses when you go on missions without him. He slowly opens up about his past to you when he begins to get his memories back. Trusting only you (and maybe charles) with the truth ablut the man he used to be, and still is.

When your feelings finally do come out in the open though, however it happens, that first kiss, the first time you make love, etc etc. Logans a different man. I mean, hes still that cocky, grumpy person we all know and love. But he carried himself differently. Hes confident and wiser, hes comfortable, and hes happy. He found a home, his pack. And maybe after countless conversations about his past, the things hes done, and the comforting words and understandings you give him, he starts to learn that he isnt so bad, because if you love him, YOU, the most wonderful person hes ever known in 200 years, love him despite all of his violence and hatred and slight whoreish tendecies back in the 70s...then he must be alright.

He doesnt need to worry about his past anymore, when hes got you, right there with him, promising a loving future together.

[extremely-judgemental]

Ways Rhysand has been manipulative but no one noticed.

I find it strange that Rhysand never gets angry with Feyre. Not once in four books, omitting the first of course. Some may argue it’s because he is a loving partner who understands her that well. That’s plausible if Rhysand didn’t have any anger issues.

To preface this, Feyre naturally has darkness in her that isn’t overt until ACOMAF, and with Rhysand, she gets the freedom to be herself without judgement even if she is wrong. Feyre is not brainwashed to become Rhysand’s puppet, however, she is a victim of his control, lies, and manipulation to a degree.

One of the biggest flaw in Tamlin is his anger. It’s how he becomes a danger to Feyre, to his friends, to everyone around him. But what people miss is that Rhysand isn’t that different either. While one’s expression is explosive and physical, the other’s is more psychological.

There are clear instances when Feyre acts on her own or disagrees with Rhysand, but she is never the subject of his temper. One such scene is when she goes looking for the Suriel (because this stands out a lot to me and my memory sucks).

Considering Rhysand’s character, it’s not unreasonable to believe he’d lash out on Morrigan first and then Nesta. But the moment Feyre is back, he is the epitome of love and compassion.

We know he is easily provoked just as any other MC. He lost his mate while he was out in the battle somewhere and when she returns, he is collected. Where frustration and anger would be justified, he is as calm as the dead.

There is a mix of emotions like fear and relief too, but I am talking about expression here. Not what he feels, rather how he presents them and lets others see him.

If I had a telepathic partner with whom I share a consensual live stream of feelings and thoughts all day long, I’d be more frustrated that he put me through the very thing that he knows will hurt me. But Rhysand never has a negative reaction to Feyre. Ever.

This is the same old ‘Rhysand is better than Tamlin’ or ‘Rhysand will never hurt Feyre’ propaganda but it fails. It’s impossible to not get angry with anyone ever. At some point, something will disappoint you no matter how deep the love is.

Also, if Rhysand treated everyone from this level, this wouldn’t be out of norm. He is very expressive when it comes to his anger—with Cassian, Azriel, Lucien, Tamlin, Morrigan at least once, and obviously, Nesta. He doesn’t hold back his words and often his temper is translated into dominance, his High Lord power that he uses to subdue the rest of them. This happens time and time again but seen as a badass move where Rhysand is always right.

So why is Feyre spared? It isn’t out of love. It’s about control. Cassian, Azriel, Amren, and Morrigan owe Rhysand for the life they currently have. There is always a limit to how far they can push him. When they cross it, he uses his rank to put them in their place. He can’t do the same with Feyre because the moment he does that, he becomes exactly like Tamlin. The illusion of the High Lady title shatters.

It’s so Feyre never sees him for who he is. As long as it’s not directed at her, she will sit on her high horse and coddle him, like she does about his hatred for Nesta. Feyre is self-centred and she can’t take criticism. Imagine if Rhysand pushes her too far, Feyre will leave him like she left Tamlin. Because of the bond, Rhysand will suffer. He will also lose Nyx, an extension of him.

The only way to keep Feyre under his control will be to make her feel loved and safe in whatever delusional capacity so she never questions him, proven by the pregnancy debacle.

Which is why this isn’t a sign of emotional maturity rather a repression of his true feelings to get his way.

Anyway, I consider this an oversight from SJM because she doesn’t let Rhysand be himself. She desperately wants to show how he is the perfect match for Feyre, the greatest partner anyone can ever have. But the contrast in his behaviour screams manipulation.

[artsymeeshee]

Hello! I just found your laundry list of art last week, and I have to say…I LOVE IT! Love the instinct comics, Ford being cool never ceases to make me giggle, and I loved the autumn drawing. I’ll admit, that one had me in tears…made be believe in the what-if’s of my own family. What they…could be like someday. Or what I wish they were. Thanks for the tears, they were much needed.

 Anyway! This is what I came to message you about! Although,…I am extremely sorry for the late message. I tend to check back into tumblr at…weird hours of the night. Heck, it’s almost the next day as I type this. I seriously need to sleep more. So! I had a few thoughts on Stan and Ford relationship, and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it. Just a disclaimer, I’m kinda basing this off my actual life as I find these characters mirror personal events very closely! I am also a writer and soon to be author! Might post some archive of our own content about these two soon. Also, and this is the most important, I have NOT read book of Bill yet. So plz…no spoilers. Anyway, long introduction aside, let’s begin!

In my personal head cannon of these two, which I don’t imagine is “too” different than how anyone else could see them, Stan and Ford have an extremely awkward and emotional conversation after Weirdmagedon. Why? B/c they’re both, to some degree, emotionally numb. In my opinion, why wouldn’t they? They haven’t spoken to each other in 40 years, properly, and they have repressed a ton of their emotions since then. It’s hard to bring that back up. (Speaking off of experience) I’d say even harder for Ford. Stan, thanks to the twins, has learned to loosen the locks on his heart while Ford kept running away from those emotions to defeat Bill. Just like his ambitions, that was the main priority, and everything else later. To me, this would explain why Ford never bothered to talk to Stan properly since coming back during the show. He wouldn’t know how to. If they were to talk, and this is where the writer in me comes out, I’d write Ford as the one that needs it most. He’s been traveling dimension for decades, running from the past that held him back…but he has no anchor now. Stan becomes that anchor, paralleling what he wasn’t when Ford was lost. And Ford…he just breaks. Like, completely breaks. And Stan is there with him, breaking like he is, but still there for him brother. Finally back after all those years apart. And as someone who has been on the side of neglect from one’s own brother…nothing would be me happier if we went to connect. Just like Stanley and Ford. And eventually, soon to be sailing on the seas to connect even more.

Phew…that was a lot. Sorry for the rambling. Told you I had some ideas! So, what do you think? Do you see Ford acting like this? If not…why? Genuinely, I’d like to know. Anyway, thanks for taking your time to read this. Again, sorry for the ramblings. Oh! One more thing, I know you aren’t taking art request right now, but would you be open to take them in the future? Say in 2 months time? Anyway, bye!

Well first off, thank you! I appreciate it! :D

And to answer your headcanon, I agree on it. Stan is definitely more open to talking, especially thanks to the kids. I mean there's still moments where it's hard and awkward for sure. And Ford would for sure have a harder time opening up, especially with the constant guilt and mistakes that replay over and over. And there's always that lingering feeling of "well, Stan has to hate me for what I've done" and it's always so surprising when Stan tells him differently and he never once hated Ford. Sure, was angry but never hated him. He had too much self-hatred to feel that way with Ford. And as many times as it needs to be said or repeated, it really makes all the difference when they tell each other how much they love and care for each other. As Alex said, "they're both so damaged, they desperately need each other."

As for the requests thing, most likely not. Only because I'm entering the busiest time of year for my work so it's gonna be a miracle if I even have enough energy or motivation for drawing if I'm not completely burnt out.

[comfortablynumb]

I see a lot of people saying that Old Man Daniel is repressing his sexuality/is in the closet/has a lot of internalized homophobia and I just don’t see it? Like, yes he’s married multiple women and had children with them but he’s bisexual. A man can marry a woman and still be bisexual. And every time he talks about his past marriages, he describes his ex wives with such adoration and fondness. It’s only when describing himself/the way he acted in these marriages that he starts to get bitter and angry and hateful. Like he really did love these women (or at the very least, Alice) but he knew he didn’t treat them the way they deserved. Because of his addiction, his mental health, and his fear of dying, he wasn’t as good of a husband or father as he should’ve been. And I think he hates himself because of that, not because he was secretly gay or because he didn’t love them.

And, when Daniel tells Louis he only went to that gay bar in San Francisco to score drugs, I don’t think that was him trying to claim he was straight or denying his sexuality. If anything, to me it felt like he was trying to deny the fact that he’d been attracted to Louis. Trying to hide the fact that Daniel followed Louis home, not because he wanted an interview or to buy drugs, but because he wanted to be with him. (And like, if you watch the flashback, it’s very clear Daniel was attracted to both Louis and Armand, and was hoping something would happen back at Louis’ apartment.)

Like, idk, let me know if I’m missing something? I think Daniel has a lot of self-hatred and shame, but I never got the vibe it was because he’s queer. I think he just has a lot of regrets in his life, and he hates the way he acted around people.

[we-are-richard-lotf]

Thoughts on a few different OCS, Richard? Leonard (is he your cousin?), Norman Alexander, Everette Ainsworth, and Wilbur Holland? Those are the first OCS that came to mind.

We have quite a lot to say about them. They have a lot to hide, well, some of them, atleast.

[For the first time, a pupil seems to manifest in its hollow eyes.]

Let's start with the basics, and the easiest to talk about.

Leonard? Ah. That pest. He is an outliar. A different fly. It annoys us quite often. We visited him one time, and seems to not recollect us.. We formally met, of course. He is.. something.

Skipping to Holland, ah, yes, that wee lad. He blushes a lot, doesn't he? Very queer. He is quite naive, we'd say. Doesn't he know not to always trust anyone? He looks touchstarved. It was pathetic seeing him still stick to Shepherd despite the obvious dislike. Wishing for a rude awakening, of course.

However, he is just a speck. He should know that by now.

Now we get to the interesting part. We have been eagerly waiting for this. Everette Ainsworth? Norman Alexander? PAH! They are both the same! HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!

Everette Ainsworth... he was so pure and yet his hatred consumed him. Look at him go! All abrasive, angry, arrogant, denial filled with pride, even! It is LAUGHABLE every single TIME we see him around. Does that boy know he couldn't fool anyone? His act doesn't work, especially with how close he is with Henry. Oh, get those two a ROOM if you will. Ainsworth will always push away everyone he cares about, only to see them wilt in front of him. Doesn't that feel HILARIOUS to watch? He and Damon are the one and the same, cut from the same cloth, except Ainsworth is somewhat brutally honest during his displaced anger. Such repression cannot last long. I can tell.

Oh, but Alexander.. ALEXANDER. The road to hell is paved with good intentions... He is much worse than Ainsworth!

What a hypocritical, self-righteous, stupid batty child! A poseur! A criminal! Doesn't he realize that he will go to Hell no matter what he does? His parents must have taught him the wrong Bible for that matter!

He is, by far, the most LAUGHABLE boy in this entire island. Why he, in all of his 'wisdom', think he is so holy and mighty that he can fix everyone, convert them, and be saved? By who are you going to be saved? Laughable!

Such a shallow, manipulative, narcissistic, selfish, naive fraud. You would figure a young boy his age wouldn't be able to do all of this, but apparently Alexander can! Oh goodie. There's more we want to talk about them, but we are saving our words and 'breaths', because he will think he is special for that.

This island has essentially became a circus because of these idiots. All of them! And we ought to be the ringleader to eventually lead the way. Mark our words.

[picturejasper20]

Analysis of Danny and Vlad's relationship in A Glitch in Time

I have noticed that for some reason i never wrote a proper analysis of Vlad and Danny's interactions in A Glitch in Time in spite of talking about their dynamic a lot in my blog. I think in part because the graphic novel doesn't have much of that, at least not until the third act when they are fighting against Dan Phantom. However, i still want to try to talk about the interactions Danny and Vlad had through the story and how it changes by the end of it.

This is probably going to be a somewhat long post, so let's start.

The first interaction that Danny and Vlad have in A Glitch in Time is when Vlad arrives through the ghost portal in the Fentons's lab. This... doesn't end well as it leads to Danny to transform into Phantom and attack Vlad the moment he asks for his help and tells him he can explain (and also being in a weak beaten state). Not unexpected since Danny believes that Vlad went missing or probably died after the events of Phantom Planet-and with the time glitches happening to him he probably very quickly jumped to the conclusion that Vlad was behind them and was here to fight him. It isn't rare for Danny to sometimes attack Vlad for him just showing up too. So this reaction isn't that unexpected either.

However, after he gets some repressed anger out of his system and they trap Vlad, Danny gives him the opportunity to explain himself, as he wants to know why he happened to suddenly show up in his house.

One thing that's interesting about Vlad's line here is that he shows certain self awareness of how much Danny hates him because of his past selfish actions -something he mainly seemed to lack before Phantom Planet. He knows that he is ¨the last person Danny wants to see right now¨. In past it was pretty unlikely for Vlad to reconsider his actions, as he usually thought he was justified in doing them.

Danny also leaves clear his deep hatred for Vlad and for how he has messed with his life and others in the time they have been enemies. He is willing to listen to Vlad but he doesn't hide how angry he is at Vlad.

Vlad later adds that he didn't know who else to ask for help because it is heavily implied he didn't have any ally left after Phantom Planet events and Danny was the only person that he could think of that would help him. I interpret him as him assuming that Danny would help him since Dan told him that he is half Phantom and Danny would listen to him because of that.

After telling his story about how Dan got accidentally free when he was fighting against Clockwork, Danny, in shock that Clockwork is gone and Dan is free again, doesn't initially believe him and thinks it is a trap. Tucker proves that Vlad is saying is true by checking the ghost portal scanners.

Danny yells at Vlad for putting the reality itself in danger again thanks to his actions. Surprisingly Vlad acknowledges he was responsible for that happening, similar to how earlier he admitted that he knew Danny hates him, but still refuses to admit it was his fault, trying to say that it ¨wasn't only him¨, which in part isn't incorrect since Dan is the one causing the time glitches. Danny is left frustrated with Vlad's lack of taking responsibility for his actions and him having to be involved in fixing the mess he causes (again).

After Vlad tells the team Phantom about how he has been looking for the source of ghost power energy for decades and suggests they could search for it, Danny and Vlad have a moment that resembles their typical dynamic in the series.

Danny quickly picks up that Vlad in part is trying to trick him and the others into looking for the source of ghost power so he could probably keep it for himself after they defeat Dan. Vlad tries passing it off as this is for Danny to fix his ghost powers, correcting himself to not fully reveal his true intentions. Danny quickly points out that when Vlad had the Infi-map, he could have easily found the power source-but the map very likely it didn't want to take him there or it just doesn't exist. Vlad praises Danny for realizing this, indicating that while he wasn't taken to the source, Danny could be taken there if the map wishes him to.

Feeling like they don't have much of a choice, the team decides to team up with Vlad to look for the source of ghost power. For precaution, Danny puts the Specter Deflecter on Vlad so he can't use his ghost powers while they are working with him, just in case he plans on doing anything suspicious. This is a detail that is worth of mentioning since it comes back later on.

In what would be a twisted funny moment, when the characters are inside Vlad's lab, the novel reminds us that there was a time Vlad tried cloning Danny and not only that, he kept doing that even after the events of ¨Kindred Spirits¨.

Vlad tells Danny to ¨ignore the clones¨ and Danny tells him that ¨they are going to have a serious talk about boundaries¨ after they are done with dealing the whole situation. What it is interesting about most of their interactions in the story is that Vlad never taunts Danny with making him become his pupil or son. He doesn't make comments about Jack nor trying to get Maddie for himself.

This could be seen in two ways: A) He doesn't say any of this since they are working together in stopping Dan or B) At this point he had realized how wrong his obsession with the Fenton family, specially Danny, was. This could explain why he didn't seem to have an interest in Danny becoming his son in the novel.

When they are fighting against the Fright Knight, Vlad tries using his ghost powers, only to get zapped by the Specter Deflecter. Because of this Danny orders Tucker to take it off since ¨they need all hand on deck¨ to fight, specially considering that Danny can't use his powers properly. I bring this up since it was Danny the one who put the Specter Deflecter on Vlad in first place and it is himself here who is ordering Tucker to deactivate it. I assume he does it because he knows that Fright Knight is quite powerful and they need Vlad's ghost powers to beat him.

Moments later the sarcophagus where Pariah is trapped begans to wobble and falls to the ground. In a rare moment Danny and Vlad manage to work together to catch the sarcophagus before it can hit the floor with full force and then drop it over Fright Knight when they find the secret room they were looking for.

Getting angry that the secret room they found doesn't give them any power ups, Danny blames Vlad for making them waste their time, accusing him of lying about the the power source's existence. This evolves into a short fight between the two and Tucker trying to stop them before there is another time glitch.

This is the closest Danny and Vlad get to fighting each other in the novel, with the rest of the time clashing or Danny taking jabs at Vlad. However, it is never enough for the two of them to attack each other. Even Vlad looks very surprised at Danny's outburst at first. The fight itself isn't anything serious but there is a chance it could gotten worse if they hadn't been interrupted by the time glitch.

When they are dealing with the Hero Twins, Vlad suggests to Danny to take advantage of the ghosts being distracted and attack them. Danny points out that the Hero Twins just want to play a game, to which Vlad calls Danny ¨naive child¨ for thinking that they want that since they are ¨ghosts¨. Danny answers that with bringing up that Vlad is also half ghost and he is obsessed with the Packers.

I have talked about this before that Danny has a more friendly relationship towards ghosts that Vlad does. At least enough to understand that not of them are evil and they can be friendly, like Wolf or Dora. In contrast Vlad shows to have a more limited view of them. Considering it is naive of Danny to think the Hero Twins want to play. He sees them more as ¨mindless¨, since his first choice was suggesting attacking them instead of paying attention to their intentions.

I'm going to discuss this later on, but Vlad has a huge issue when it comes to understanding emotions and empathy. This is something Danny is better at in comparison.

Another thing about the novel is that there are hints that Vlad is somewhat jealous of Danny having friends and people who care about him. He is sometimes seen irritated or confused when seeing the Team Phantom celebrating together. It isn't out of place to believe that he is probably reminded of the time he was part of a friend trio with Jack and Maddie and how part of him misses that based on his dialogue later in the story.

The point their relationship begans to change is around the time they learn about the ghosts being powered by emotions. After they read the message that is in runes from the secret garden, Vlad has a quite of a mental breakdown, believing he spent years searching for the ¨ulimate power¨ only to find nothing. He dismisses the runes legend as simple ¨story time¨, not seeing the value in them.

I have discussed this before in my Vlad AGIT character analysis that Vlad isn't just good at anything that comes with understanding or processing emotions. He is mostly logical driven and is overall very disconnected of his own emotional side. That is one main aspect that separates him from Danny, who thinks better about the consequences of his actions and his relationships with others.

Once Danny is able to find a new emotional drive and get his ghost powers back, Vlad appears to have a change of mind in the way he sees Danny. It could be said that he has a new found respect for him, since he was able to quickly understand what the message of runes was about while he wrote it off as a ridiculous fairy tale.

Vlad has always seen himself as a superior to Danny and someone the teen should learn from, specially when it comes to ghost powers. In the series he is usually condescending towards Danny, believing himself to be better than him in almost every way and dismissing him as a reckless teenager. Earlier in the novel he called Danny ¨naive child¨ for thinking that the Hero Twins wanted to play, only to be proven wrong minutes after his statement.

By observing that Danny manages to get the ¨ultimate power¨ before him makes Vlad reconsider all these things and probably start to see Danny more of an equal and/or having more respect for him overall. This moment also inspires to rethink of his goals and priorities that he has been trying to avoid until this point of the story.

During the battle against Dan, Vlad shows to care about Danny's safety multiple times, often interfering or attacking to defend Danny from Dan's attacks. He tries checking on him, even helping him to stand and asking him if he is alright.

It is likely that this caring side he has for Danny comes from him seeing Danny as the son he wished he could have had, a side that probably he always had in him and now he is showing it because he is trying to change for the better.

During his speech about recognizing the mistakes he has made and wishing to make amends, he recognizes that his obsession with control terribly hurt and pushed Danny away, along with other people. At the start of the story he acknowledged that he was aware that Danny hated him but here he admits why that happened and he has only himself to blame for that.

Once he helps Danny by blasting Dan off, the two decide to attack him together at the same time on on count of three. A small detail is that Vlad is seen smiling briefly when working together with Danny. When the two hit Dan, their mix of powers ends up somewhat breaking dimensions and going through different parts of the Ghost Zone, until they are able to separate Clockwork from Dan and the four ghosts fall to the ground exhausted.

When Dan is starting to destabilize because of being part of a timeline that doesn't exist anymore and says that he doesn't want to going inside the thermos afraid of being alone again, Vlad answers with ¨you don't have to be¨. He transforms into Plasmius and gently pushes Danny behind him. Danny asks him what he is about to do, to which Vlad answers ¨The right thing, for once¨, still showing that he wants to start making things right with the people he hurt.

While talking to Dan, Vlad not only apologizes to Dan for how he was hurt by Vlad from his timeline, he also apologizes to Danny for his past villainous actions and how they affected him. He also asks Danny if he can give him a second chance to make amends for what he has done, something that surprises Danny a lot.

An important distinction to notice is that Vlad isn't asking Danny to forgive him. He is asking to be given a second chance. He understands that he pushed Danny away a long time ago and he doesn't expect that to be fixed any time soon.

After Dan uses Vlad's body as temporal host, Danny shows to be worried about seeing Vlad hurt/exhausted. A different contrast to how reacted at seeing him the same way at the start of the story. It is a moment that demonstrates that even though Danny still doesn't like Vlad, he still worries about him.

Danny also takes the time to ask Clockwork to wait for a second before he takes Vlad and Dan elsewhere. He leaves clear that even though he still hates Vlad and can't still forgive him for what he has done, he is thankful for helping them during the battle against Dan and offering himself to help Dan as well. Vlad simply returns a soft smile to Danny before he gets taken by Clockwork and Danny is left staring at the spot the portal disappeared.

This sentiment is followed again when Sam, Tucker and Jazz come in to check on Danny. He highlights that ¨they couldn't have done it without Vlad¨. He appears to be both confused and suprised for what Vlad did, since he wasn't expecting him to help them like that. He realizes that Vlad is more ¨complicated¨ than he thought, seeing now that he is more than just the villain he used to fight against and he had more going on in him than he assumed all this time.

In the end, Vlad and Danny start as enemies who are working together for an urgent common goal. Although it rarely escalates to a real fight, the two still clash with each other for good part of the story. Vlad doesn't show to be interested in making Danny his pupil, indicating that he was in his way to changing or regretting his past actions.

While working together, the two gain a better understading of each other, specially from Vlad in how he sees Danny. He begins to have a new found respect for the teen, not just seeing him as a ¨naive child¨ for his hero worldview. After the battle against Dan, the two end up in way better terms, as somewhat allies, with Vlad apologizing for his antagonism and manipulation and Danny, while rather unsure how to feel about Vlad, he gives him a second chance to start things over.

[sonicboomrevisited]

Great start with issue 3. Excited your back.😁 I already have so many thoughts about this.

So i´m wondering what´s going on in Robo Sonics mind. 🤔He did save Amy. Is it because Sonic is influencing fake Sonics emotions? He may know on some level what´s going on. Seeing Amy in danger would make him want to help her. If fake Sonic is able to be influenced subtly then that could be the reason he did it. 

He looks conflicted. I think it could be because he has his own hatred and feelings of distrust toward his friends but also because Sonic still cares a lot about them. If that´s actually influencing him it´s creating conflict within his mind. We don´t know if fake Sonic is an AI or split personality of Sonic. The AI could still have taken some parts of Sonic that cares about his friends while it was being created. He only got angry after they accidently hurt him thinking they did it on purpose. Refusing to believe otherwhise.

If Sonics personality got split with the negative traits creating fake Sonic, then he can still have a part in him that cares about his friends. Obviously Sonic would care more about them then the fake Sonic would. 

Memories are also a factor. Good things he remembers about his friends despite the betrayal could influence his feelings about them. Causing him to save Amy. But memories can also trigger Sonic making him wake up and try to take back controll. Or at the very least influence fake Sonic.

Robo Sonic has more of a chance to think right now since Eggman isn´t there to shout orders that override his thoughts. Also giving Sonic more of a chance to fight back for controll. Giving orders to Robo Sonic is actively repressing Sonic. Sonic is in a comatose repressed state. I still think there could be a way to trigger him to wake up. Seeing his friends in danger could be a way to trigger him to wake up and fight back. Does being repressed mean he is the subconcious right now? Is that how he is still able to subtly influence Robo Sonic even in his repressed comatose state?🤔

Looking forward to see what comes next😊

Welcome back, Arya! Many awesome thoughts here as usual. I can't say much without potentially giving the plot away, but like I said in another ask, I think a lot of you theorizers are gonna have a lot of fun with this issue ;)

[namazunomegami]

Into the Void

Pairing: Geto Suguru x gn!reader

Synopsis: Geto is so succumbed to his ideals that you have no choice but to run. But the hunt for you is more than a simple chase. It's resurrection. It's repentance. Just like in the parable of the lost sheep.

CW: canon compliant, established relationship, predator/prey, injuries, blood, toxic dynamics, heavy religious symbolism, emotional distress, dissociation, tiny bit of hurt/comfort, yandere behavior, Geto is a manipulative ass how surprising

WC: 5.2k whoops

Credits: my dear @notveryrussian for proofreading but tbh I should start calling you my editor from now on lmao. I'm glad you enjoyed my sneak peeks so much 💕

Song rec: since I can't control myself, I picked 3 songs by Nine Inch Nails that gives the perfect vibes to the story. For the exposition, I recommend Heresy, mostly because the lyrics resonates with the reader's thoughts about Geto. For the escape/chase part, I picked Eraser for the creepy vibes and reader's slowly deterioriating sanity. For the closing part, I picked A warm place because it's a comforting yet a bit gloomy track

A/N: Saying that this idea possessed me is an understatement. Initially I only wanted to put effort into the whole chase scene but obviously I started to add lore into the whole thing. And since they grew on me and I simply love their dynamic, a part 2 is on the way yaaay.

Minors shall not interact unless they wanna get punched.

And a usual warning for dark content. I wanted to keep it mild but I couldn't. Maybe I'm a lil bit too skilled when it comes to writing about fear.

It’s all too painful to think that maybe running away with Geto wasn’t the best idea.

Of course you loved him, you loved the twins too and the makeshift family you created, it really healed some of the wounds you received in the past. But you wished it would’ve stayed that way. Living together, somewhere far away, isolated, in peace. Have a fresh start, build a nest for the four of you and fill it up with love.

But he had other plans.

There were a lot of improvements in the initial phase of your plans. Building community, uniting the herd. You enjoyed some reverence from the followers too. Eventually the initial number of breakthroughs began to stagnate, despite all the effort. It became routine, like you were being dragged through the same day for years and years without end. When you were faced with even more setbacks, you started to realize that you basically never left the temple and it soon began to feel like a cage. Golden and holy. It was draining to see people lose their sense of individuality and how he became their only source of validation. It was torment. Living life as an idol of worship tucked into a forgotten corner of a church. Praised like a twisted Gothic Madonna with a blue cloth over your head, but in reality you weep, you’re their Mater Dolorosa, with swords piercing your sorrowful heart.

The most devastating thing about realizing you’re not fit to run a cult, is the fact that you lack the most understated yet important aspect of it: believing in the agenda you want to spread. How could you guide all those helpless, simple-minded sheep while questioning whether your destination is real or not? Maybe that Canaan has nothing to do with milk and honey, instead it’s just a pile of rubble.

You soon got tired of it all. His drive, his goal, all too impossible to achieve. Maybe he knew he could never make it happen, but it consumed him regardless. You’ve lost the most cherished parts of him to his hatred, his deeply repressed rage against any injustices he had to deal with after the infamous Star Plasma incident.

You weren’t sure about your feelings towards Geto anymore. Were you afraid of him? Angry at him? Bitter? Disappointed? Worried? It all turned into mush, a grotesque, black liquid as the thin walls of the temple slowly made you feel like they were closing in on you. You had no idea how much time you had, until your unresolved feelings will taint the whole place.

You always circled back to the worst possible action to protect your soft, aching heart… When you thought that nothing will change for the better, you wanted to run away. You wanted to hide. The ambivalence of your feelings towards him weighed on your heart and conscience, like a thousand stones. You loved him, yet you loathed what has become of him. Despite that you trusted him with the map of your soul, made it through all the highs and lows of your relationship so far, all the deep abysses of pain and suffering.

Maybe you should run, just for the sake of it. To test how it will make you feel. Will it make you feel freed? At ease? Will it lift the weights on your chest? Will this sense of incoming doom vanish?

Maybe you should find Gojo. He wouldn’t condemn you, but he would be disappointed. If you set your judgement and resentment to aside, he’s the only one who can talk with the higher ups to scratch your name off the list of curse users who are on death row.

How much time did you need to forge your plan? Not even a single minute. It was only natural for you to memorize everybody’s routine, how to distinguish the sound of their steps, to pick a timeframe when nobody is lurking around the halls. The first (and probably last) time you were glad those who have hurt you gave you a skill, besides the ability to harness cursed energy of course. They made you stealthy, alert, observant.

And when Geto left you to cater to his followers, you decided to put your plan into action.

Your body is strung tight with the tension of waiting, agitation making you feel as if you were unraveling at the seams - but something deep inside of your mind pleaded for you to stay. Agony and anxiety were plaguing you until you’ve found enough courage to get up and sneak out. Now, you had the chance to show off everything you’ve learned: sliding the doors shut so slowly that they don’t make a noise, walking down the corridors with socked feet, carefully putting the middle parts of your feet on the floor, instead of your heels, easily avoiding those parts that creak.

Sometimes, when he was immersed in his thoughts, he was amused by how faint your steps sounded.

An involuntary instinct warns you. It’s trying to convince you that he can see you through the eyes of bodhisattvas residing in the thangka paintings decorating the walls. You almost give up your quest as you glance at the depiction of Vajrabhairava. In all its anger, with its six faces and twelve limbs. A dreadful beast that defies death itself.

You don’t want to do this to him, do you?

You look away from the painting, focusing on getting your shoes on and climbing out through the window. As you’re squatting on the windowpane, you can see all of Tokyo stretched out beneath you. You’re a little bit annoyed that all temples are built on a mountain. A long way to go, but you can never know when this place will turn into a funeral pyre.

It’s a little bit too easy. There’s no sign of surveillance curses nearby, you only need to slide down on the wet tiles, jump up high, land in the mud and let yourself be swallowed by the darkness of the forest. You specifically picked your least conspicuous clothes to blend into your surroundings perfectly. And the cold and murky night will let you go safely. The leaves will conceal your tracks.

So many things are working in your favor tonight.

You know there’s no need to rush. You can only draw attention to yourself if you are running around, creating noise and disturbing the wildlife. You don’t even use a flashlight, you have to get used to the darkness, the full Moon will guide you with all her dazzling light. And after that, Tokyo will do the same, with its crowded streets and all its places to hide.

There’s a weird kind of tranquility in your heart. How the cold prickles your skin, the moisture in the air, the faint noise of the creatures dwelling under the leaves, up in the trees, singing, chirping, crawling. The scent of wet soil, the gentle caress of the wind…

Now, you feel free.

As you walk deeper and deeper into the woods, you feel lighter, you feel like you could fly away, like you could dance all the way towards your destination. You’re thinking about actually doing that, as if you got possessed by a strange spirit…

But the uneven, slippery ground makes you fall right into the mud. You squirmed a little, trying to get hold of a tree trunk and then…

Silence, dead silence.

Your heart sinks deep in your chest.

You know what it means. When nature falls silent. There’s…

There’s a threat nearby.

A primal instinct tells you to run.

There’s no way, there’s no fucking way that he already noticed you were gone.

Twigs whip at your skin as you’re running mindlessly. Wherever you end up, it will be fine, as long as you can enter the outskirts of the city. The cold night air stings your throat, your heaving breath leaves your mouth in puffy clouds. You feel the urge to cough, deep from your bone-dry lungs.

The ground beneath you turns soft and steep. You lose your poise, stumbling and rolling all the way down until you fall from a high clod of rain-washed soil. Your body collides with a cold, wet, yet incredibly hard and flat surface, fraying the skin on your palm and face. Your back and shoulders will be bruised by tomorrow, painting your body with black and blue spots. The pain ripples through your entire being, paralyzing you for a couple of moments.

As you slowly gathered your battered self from the ground with a grunt, you realize you landed on a road. It’s a good sign, you’re not so far from civilization. But instead of following the road, cutting through the forest is the wiser decision.

Your relief is short-lived, just like a may fly.

A sinister feeling takes hold on you. It makes you freeze, squeezing your insides. Like you’re sitting in the jaw of an eldritch beast. You slowly turn back to the direction of your fall.

The lights are flickering.

You grab on the guardrail for dear life. You try to fill your lungs with shaky breaths, your heart desperately beating against your ribcage. Your trembling knees barely keep you upright, yet nothing can make you move. You have been found, you’re defeated, there’s no point in running away from him. The injuries, the already forming bruises will only deplete your strength.

How could you fight him? You’re aware that if he wanted to, he could break your bones and twist your body at the joints with an arm behind his back.

How could you outrun him? He’s capable of summonning a swarm of curses before you even take a step.

How could you make war with him?

Three of the lamp lights were already out, you stared into the darkness, the boundless abyss right before your eyes. You can’t even force yourself to blink.

And when the lights came back on, he was just standing there. Without breaking a sweat. Your pulse feels non-existent.

What infuriated you even more was that he wasn’t wearing his gojo-kesa. The motherfucker even gave you a head start by changing into something comfortable before he came to fetch you. Or simply he noticed your absence later than you expected.

Whatever, both is bad news for you.

He doesn’t utter a single word, he merely walks towards you. Slowly cornering you. Feasting on the terror on your face. Meanwhile you can’t unravel what could possibly be going on in his mind. The only thing you notice is that those violet sparks in his eyes are so sharp they could cut yours out of their sockets.

Should you give up? Should you beg for forgiveness?

But then, an idea blooms inside your mind.

You don’t hide your fear, you let your body tremble freely, fingers desperately clinging onto the metal, with your shoulders hunched to protect your neck and your wide, frightened eyes stare back at him. Letting him believe that you won’t fight back. That he can take you back to the temple and throw you back into your cage.

And when his foot hits the bisector, you jump. Right into the nothingness behind your back.

You fall on leaves and broken twigs again. You roll and roll with such speed you can’t comprehend the growing distance. Not even having an idea of how far you’re from him. Small rocks, branches, hardened roots of trees, bones all cut, scratch and pierce you. But you endure it, you’ll undergo any torture if it meant you’ll be freed. Your only hope is that the adrenaline will deal with the pain.

Suddenly, you violently crash into a tree, the ridged texture imprints deeply into your stomach. Acid bursts from your throat. Your diaphragm didn’t avoid the hit either, breathing is not unlike Sisyphean task as you try to get your shaking limbs to stand. Your mind is disturbed by the lack of air and your desperate attempts at getting yourself together. You’re wheezing like a dog. You must look pathetic, you think.

It takes almost all of your mental strength to calm down and slowly breathe through your nose, your lungs finally opening. But Geto won’t let you recover, you hear the fallen leaves getting crushed under his feet. You take a few sharp, ragged breaths, like it’s the last drag of a cigarette before the train comes and then, you move.

You hide behind a thick pine tree, palms covering your mouth and nose. The lack of oxygen is just another frustrating hindrance to your successful escape plan. Dizziness fills your head like a thick fog and sucks the strength out of your shins, needing to lean against the trunk to keep yourself standing. You try to conceal your cursed energy with all your might. A tracker who’s untraceable is a useful pawn in the hands of the higher ups, this skill made you a cherished student back in the day. Back when everything was so… no, it’s only the nostalgia making you wistful, it wasn’t any better.

The rustling gets quieter, you wait until the sound eventually dies. An almost muted sigh of relief leaves your lips in a thick cloud, dancing in the cold air.

From the corner of your eye, a floating form cuts through the pale moonlight.

Looking closely at its shape, you realize what kind of curse it is. The beetle looking one that attacks instantly once it senses movement. You can’t believe it, you’re going to -

The curse drags itself into your aura, scanning your form that is fused with the pine. Every muscle is tensed, you’re stiff as a board, you suppress every reflex in your eye and empty chest. You’re just like a statue, a corpse, showing no signs of life. Only an agonizing scream echoes inside your skull. A scream that puts mental breakdowns to shame.

It’s like an eternity until the curse finally disappears from your sight.

You definitely look exhausted, your body is limp and heavy like lead. But you must keep going at all costs, even if you have no idea how many curses are sent after you. You walk around the mountain instead of going down like he’d expect it.

Slowly yet surely, you calm yourself down. You know that you’re still in his grasp, but you still have a chance to outsmart him. You go deeper and deeper, you’re near the heart of the forest now. The moonlight barely crawls through the leaves, it’s easier to navigate according to what you hear rather than to what you see. The surroundings are growing eerie, you ache for light and warmth. And the longing sucks a bit of spirit out of you.

Before you can start questioning yourself, the sound of running water fills your ears.

A narrow, yet fast running stream plowed through the forest. Though you were unsure of staying close to the stream, going through it and getting to the other side sounds like a smart idea. As you take a reluctant step, you realize the water is ice cold. And when you dive into it further, enduring the strong current, it’s not as shallow as you believed. You’re submerged all the way up to your thighs. At its deepest point, the stream hugs your waist. The cold makes your movements slow and rigid, your teeth clang together in a frenzy. The bottom is filled with smooth, flat pebbles, they make it easy to - 

You slip on the rounded, polished stones and fall into the stream. The freezing temperature makes your skin shrink, it prickles you like a thousand needles. Scared, you crawl around the bottom, trying to get a hold of something and emerge back to the surface. A sharp, burning pain wakes in your palm, tears streaming down your cheeks. You try to swallow your scream, but it wants to burst from your lungs, you grunt and whimper until you can bite down on your sweatshirt, letting the material muffle your shout. Your gaze fixates on your hand and even in the darkness of the night, you see blood oozing from the deep cut, from your own torn flesh. The urge to retch is strong.

You palm is plunged back into the cool water, in hope of easing the pain.

He calls out your name right behind you.

You crawl out of the water, running from him, just as before. It doesn't matter how many times you trip, fall, stumble. It doesn’t matter how your fresh wounds end up in the mud, you don’t have it in you care about the pain or the looming threat of an infection. You hear him trying to reason with you. You must come back home, you’re injured, you’re bleeding. He must take care of you.

Why are you running? Where could you go? Who’s going to help you recover?

No, you mustn’t let your determination crumble. But oh… it sounds so easy. Giving in to your hopelessness.

An evergreen bush becomes your shelter to collect yourself and check on your wound, which is aching from all the dirt and is still bleeding. Water is dripping from your hair, your clothes are soaked, makes it easier for the cold night air to bite into you, to shake the whole length of your body. Your fingers are hardly moving and have no strength in them. The adrenaline is starting to wear off. You feel alone, small, and vulnerable. You’re freezing, scarred and aching. All the things you see in the dark twist into creepy, threatening forms. Everything that surrounds you is suddenly dangerous. As a lonely spider crawls within your field of vision, you flinch. The world around you is evil and everything is after your flesh.

And the only person who can save you is the one you’re running away from.

What are you going to do now? Fight, flight, or freeze? Which instinct is going to win this time? Because comprehensible thoughts won’t work on you. Every little layer of a fully-fledged human with a conscience has been stripped from you. You left them scattered everywhere in the woods. You’re nothing more than a primordial shell of a being.

Ceremonial horns wake in the distance, soon followed by howling. They let the dogs out to hunt you down. Poor, little hare. Your own stupidity has woken up the beast.

Who is like unto the beast?

You defeat the paralyzing dread and decide on flight. You dash out from the bushes, but - Oh… your eye. Your soft doe eye. There’s something in it. And your tears have an oddly metallic taste on your tongue.

And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

You wish you could see yourself from the outside, but you’re probably nowhere near as majestic as you think you are. Right now you feel like you’re the fastest, stealthiest creature who’s ever lived, even if your muscles are almost torn, weak, and tensed. This is the last crumb of your strength, this is your all.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.

You don’t dare to look back. You know he’s there. He’s so close, he’s orbiting around you like a moon does with its planet. As if all of this is a dance. A hunt is a dance with a coital rhythm. And mother nature is the audience to your deadly waltz.

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

He takes your hand in his. Gentle and kind. To not scare you any further. You snap like an electric current under his touch, but you break free and zigzag between the trees.

He grabs your waist. Forcefully. It scares you this time. You escape from his embrace before he can swallow you whole. But he might have bit your throat during the process, you feel something trailing down your collarbones. You hear your bones crack.

It was all a mistake. You are a mistake. But mistakes can be forgiven, right? He has forgiven you so many times, you can’t even think of a number.

You slide down on a slope, leaves stick to your clothes, and you drop onto a thick trunk of a fallen oak. Tensive pain ripples in your side. You should stand up and run, but you can’t move. You won’t move. What’s wrong with you? What kind of prey gives the fight up before its last breath? But you think about your frozen limbs, the pain in your palm, your back, your shoulder blades, everywhere. You think about home… you want to go home or be left here to die. But the thought of dying here, alone, makes your heart palpitate rapidly, like there’s not enough air to fill your lungs. Your breathing becomes desperate, panicked even. Your chest hurts, your ribcage is ready to break apart by your racing heartbeat. You press your palms against your head, clawing into your hair. Every little morsel of you is bursting into a tremor. The connection between your mind, your body and the world cease to exist. And that lovely, unlimited stretch of space inside your consciousness is shaken, it’s in utter chaos. Breaking into tiny little pieces, like glass, like porcelain. Tears and plucks like paper and fabric. Shrieks and wails, rejecting the only thing that makes all creatures on this plane of existence agitated over their own mortality.

You’re doomed.

Unconsciously, your limbs curl into the very same position you took when you saw the world for the first time, protecting your belly and face, making you seem small. Geto knows you only do that when you fear what might happen to you, despite being unaware of the kind of terror your brain had subjected you to. That’s why he approaches you slowly, making no sudden movements as he picks you up gently, like one would lift a porcelain figure from the ground. When you open your eyes, he had already settled you into his lap as the manta ray curse lifts the two of you up to mount the skies.

You have no idea if he hunted you down or saved you from your own demise.

What a defiant, ungrateful creature you are, you think. You tried so viciously to run away from your burden, and now you feel safe with him again, you dare clinging to him, you dare seek his warmth. The contradicting thoughts and desires torture you on the way back. There’s only one faint voice inside your head that’s capable of calming you down, able to keep your sanity intact…

You’re the lost sheep, and he’s the shepherd who searched all over the world to find you. And he’ll bring you back to the flock, and he’ll love you more than the rest of them.

Your false god. Your fallacious savior. Will he forgive you if you repent on your knees? Until they get bloody and bruised?

Back at the temple, he refuses to let you take even a step on your own. You weren’t born to run, to soil your soles with the ground that filthy monkeys walk on. You’re meant to be worshipped, to claim the whole world as yours beneath dainty, soft feet.

The warm lamplight and the comfort of your shared room helps you unwind. To shift back into a much more civilized, humanlike state. And as you practically glue yourself to the heater, you notice more dirt, more cuts, more blood marring your flesh than you expected.

When you take off your grimy sweatshirt, shoes, and socks, Geto is towering over you. There’s nothing imposing about him, he looks rather troubled as he sighs.

“What do I do with you?”

You roll your eyes. Oh, the good old rhetorical question. He has no idea if he should treat your wounds first, bathe you or break your leg just like the Gospel says.

“Come, let me take a look at your hand.”

You see your reflection in the mirror, and you’re horrified. Your right eye is bloodshot, a deep cut is splitting through your lower lip. You’re drenched in mud, already dried on your face along with some patches of wine dark blood. Together they seal the scraped skin on your cheek, makes your hair stick together into thick strands, accessorized with pine leaves and other remains from your little hike. You’re blistered and torn, you can barely recognize yourself.

It's pleasant to rinse your hands with warm water at the sink, but the sight makes your stomach twist. That nasty wound is too deep, it has to be sewn shut. A shiver races down on your spine when you see the first aid kit. He soaks a fresh gauze pad with wound solution and guides it towards the gaping cut with a pair of tweezers. The sting is horrible, the burning sensation rivals acid being poured straight into your flesh, it makes you grunt and hiss. He gives you a moment to breathe and collect yourself then he continues, despite your whimpers and twitching, tensed fingers. But the pain pales in comparison to when he swipes a new, clean pad inside your wound, cleaning it of all the filth. A pathetic cry erupts from your throat.

“Stop.” you sob, pulling your hand away to hug it close to your chest. You’re too distressed to realize that the temporary discomfort is necessary. But maybe this whole act is nothing but another one of his silly little games.

He places a finger under your eye, close to your lashes and collects your tears. The sight of you crying is somehow not worth of savoring to him. Before any little drop of your sorrow and regret can roll down your cheek like diamonds, he smears them, as if they could make your misery vanish. Well, they can’t. It frustrates you that you can’t let your feelings manifest because he’s ready to devour them just like his curses.

He doesn’t care that your face is caked in dirt, blood and tears, he lifts your chin up to kiss you. Deeply. You’re not reprimanded for not kissing him back.

You were right, he’s definitely toying with you. He makes it hurt before he soothes the ache. He creates a connection in your mind. Like you’re the dog of Pavlov, slowly conditioned to associate him with anything that makes the human heart fill with delight.

The tiles attract your attention much more than watching how the curved needle dives into your skin, how the thread closes the wound proficiently. Your features soften for a moment. Shoko would be so proud of him... Not for the reason he got so good at it though. He learnt to treat his wounds for the sole purpose of not letting a non-sorcerer doctor ever touch him.

He’s crazy. Vile. Petty. And delusional. It drives you crazy too.

But when your stitched hand is wrapped up in bandages, you seriously think about thanking him for putting up with you. For not being angry at you.

“Maybe this will make you reconsider your actions next time.” he remarks in a flat tone, concealing what’s going on in his mind.

You keep your gratitude to yourself.

But it’s not an easy task when he continues spoiling you, with so much care that it rivals motherly love. How he rinses all the grime out of your hair, how he gives you a moment of peace in a tub filled with plain, warm water, no bubbles or scented oils to irritate your scarred, sensitive skin. He dries you, brushes your hair and fills the whole bedroom with the calming notes of lavender and cedarwood coming from the incense burners. But he’s just so fixated on your injuries… every scratch, every surface level cut is thoroughly sanitized. It’s still humiliating, even when you’re the one sitting comfortably on the bed and he’s kneeling on the floor.

You’re afraid the extra pampering will twist your reasoning and resolve. That’s all part of the mind games he plays. You know he’ll go out on his way to prove that the world outside is cruel, that this is the only place where you’re safe, loved. In his proximity, under his hand.

And somewhere, deep down, you admit that he’s close to convincing you.

It makes you mad, you want to tear him to shreds, you want to weep for him just like Mary did under the cross. There’s still care, there’s still love under all those layers of burning hatred. What remains is twisted though, but it is there.

After you’re patched up, he glances up at you, thumb brushing your lip right next to that nasty cut. His other hand is resting where your thigh and knee meet. It’s a sign, a warning.

“Was it worth it, little lamb?” his tone is soothing and playful. So close to being outright mockery.

You reflect in silence, averting your gaze from him. All those scars and discolored skin, your disturbed mind, and the ache in your bones - you realize that your stupid little plan was futile. Totally unnecessary, it’s no achievement you can be proud of. At least if you’re not as masochistic as to pride yourself on your injuries. But the fact that he can recognize the parallels coats your answer with bile.

“No.”

Because you know that you can be so much more… There’re unlimited possibilities to a repented non-believer. And now you know that being his doubting Thomas has no benefits.

Maybe you did lose your faith in him, like the lamb in that story, to eventually realize how much you need him and vice versa. But you’re not satisfied with being a lost sheep. You just haven’t decided on your role in his Gospel yet. This is your call, you don’t know exactly which part of him calls out to you, but you’re satisfied with either of them. Whether it’s a prophet, a messiah, a beast, or the devil itself. The fallen Morningstar who used to be the favorite.

This can be your true Genesis.

“Go on, break my leg if you want to. There’s meaning in that, at least.” you dare echo his last words to Gojo, clean and low.

And your bones remain whole.

You’re relieved. Though you’re sick of his maneuvers with your mind, you’re aware their purpose is not to hurt you or punish you. These aching limbs of yours go limp as he crawls into bed next to you. The arm you were scared of coils around your waist. Viciously tight, much like a snake. The snake that corrupted Eve in the garden. The one that made her sin, got her cast out of paradise, the one that turned her whole world upside down. And maybe Eve did fall in love with the serpent, the worst creature that God had ever created. But even though he caused the fall of mankind, the serpent freed you from the clutches of a jealous, ungrateful god who denied knowledge from his own creations. Now you have the passion to rebel, to prove your creator wrong, to avenge his mistreatment. Give in to the temptation of your snake, believe his honeyed words, accept the fruit for a second time. Because you still remember the taste, oh so sweet and luscious. And with all the power he wields, you can win back your lost Eden or re-build it on earth, the home you’re both yearning for. It’s a promise between the two of you, silent, because words are not needed, only closure.

Something warm blooms inside your chest. Yes, that’s it! You can finally feel it now…

The very first ounce of belief.

[delta-back-alive-brother]

The Arrogance which you display is so disgusting&significant it had affected me through the screen I use to view the sacrilege the likes of you are keen on promulgating and breaks were Needed to be made perhaps in vain ; every time I took breath I recounted the awful image you produced and I was compelled to take one again to restore the absence of it in my lungs; so the cycle continued until I shed tears and begged God for forgiveness mine yours for half an hour straight; the evil of one who could cause such a condition is Evident and Naked and nothing is scarier to a Christian than a servant of satan who not only does not take shame in his sin but endorses it and presents it proudly to the world to see ; that obliges me to take the necessary Means of Defense of my honor and dignity. The libel you made has nothing resembling reality not in the slightest and I am disgusted by the fact that you would even think of something so off putting that it makes the strands of hair on my neck stand up and hang themselves on the last of my remaining sanity, the explicit content is a violation of my personal rights and the eyes of the viewers of the blog you manage if those exist& do it of their own free will and not charmed by the evil ministrations you produce. Furthermore you had intervened in an argument which did not include you and instead of doing so politely you have chosen the most violent path out of those possible and you will get what you deserve when I righteously metaphorically strike you down. The pain you have inflicted burns hot but the hatred for sin burns hotter and it is the reason for me making this message that I hope will reach Sensible humans and expose your misdeeds to them for you to be condemned and shamed You are like the snake that offered Eve the forbidden fruit you hide behind an avatar to spread gay and pollute minds. I in my entire life while having a share of thoughts one could consider dangerous as of them being of a romantic and sexual tint, directed toward my fellow men esp. in my youth I had successfully restrained myself alike to lots of noble characters And found the righteous path when God guided me and despite still battling them I am content and direct my gaze towards sweet and supple as did many great men before me and will continue my Descendants; the crime is not to think but to act and I have not acted enough to consider it a crime and a sin therefore I am innocent in the eyes of God and the insinuation of the contrary is derogatory in the eyes of everything Holy which contorts me into something I am not A Homosexual who submits to his most base desires and considers himself absolved of sin still; he is wrong immensely.The morality of liaison with men is questionable, God has made men and women to fit together as we are two halves of the same whole and any decline from the norm interrupts the Holy balance; those who spread the message of it being rightful are deluded by their own desires, unable to resist cravings and susceptible to struggles, God pities them. Free will was given to us not to break the Lord’s teachings but to honor and treasure them.

OH THE SWEET DEAR CRASHOUT!

Where do I even begin...with this exhaustingly! Melodramatic, bible-thumping manifesto with such repressed desires? HAH! Or did you dictate this while lying, falling on your knees on a church pew, sweating through your pure ring? Or was it after you spent SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, staring at the ceiling replaying that fantastic bl art in your mind like a cursed google slides presentation?

Let's address the real issue here: You are not angry—You're flustered. And not the fun, liberated kind——No. You're the kind of flustered that twists themselves into a mess of self-loathing, like some kind of medieval monk, crying to himself for getting a semi during vespers. You claim, to recoil in terror at the sight of two men kissing—yet you wrote an entire novella about it. You're not disgusted, you're obsessed.

Oh and let's talk about your, "righteous path". Oh yes, the such noble struggle of forcing your gaze towards the sweet and supple, aka barf. While your subconscious drags you kicking and screaming! You're not battling sin, you're battling your own reflection. Every word of your little rant reeks of someone who's one day away from writing a "no homo" in the margins of a 50k enemies to lovers au, of course. Yourself and the Simpbox Anon.

Speaking of such things—Congrats on the marriage! The tension between you two are UNBEARABLE! He's out there grinning at you squirm under that studio lighting, while you PRETENDS to not love him. And you're out here writing Puritan fanfiction about how you definitely don't think about his hands. The way you seethe at the mere idea of men loving men? That's not piety——That's yearning.

And let's be clear: God isn't fooled either. The same god who made platypuses and supernovas is NOT sitting up there clutching his damn pearls because two dudes held hands. But you? You're out here acting like some sort of super-villain! Hissing about holy balance while your own psyche is made entirely out of denial. You're not defending Christianity—You're cosplaying as it's most insufferable fanboy.

So here's my dearest response: Log off. Touch grass. Maybe even talk to some real life gay dude without spontaneously combusting. And when you're done, stare into the abyss and ask yourself——Why does this yaoi live in my head rent free? I hope this letter finds you in good health,

Delta.

@jennicatzies @gastroentred @biblicalvampireemmy

[jamiesfootball]

i wanna second really liking roy's family's background!

roy feeling like a chore to his mom is. Yeah. it corresponds so well to both what we see of him in the show and the self-hatred from him in your fic.

and it's easy to make the leap that 'his mum is frustrated/dismissive when he shows emotion -> he learns to feel that his real honest self is Bad and Inconvenient and to lean on achievements instead', but the fact him repressing his emotions was met with frustration too - he had no way to win?? i'm not even sure how that affects a person. i guess him feeling that he's a shit person no matter what is an effect of that

i'm so angry for roy that he was so dismissed and misunderstood, and that she still does that now 😭

also roy's sister!! you said that she 'bears the brunt of being held against a lot of their mum’s unfulfilled emotions and mistakes' - firstly i wanna clarify what this means - is it that their mum projects her wishes onto her, or blames her for those things? i might not understand it bc english is a 2nd language for me

and either way i'm really interested how that looks and the specific expectations/resentments she has 👀

(feel free to take my questions as rethorical interest if you either don't feel like answering, or don't want to spoil ogyggiyhnbgl)

Waaah, thank you so much! I tried to keep the part about his sister a little vague so I wouldn't ramble about too many things, but I'm more than happy to share more headcanons about it!

(like the previous Roy's parent's posting, a lot of these are specific to what's going on in OGYGGI(YHNBGL) and are in no way the only headcanons I accept)

Roy’s mum made of his sister a mirror. Finally, someone who would help shoulder the weight of all that emotional labor. Finally, someone who would feel the same frustration she felt at the men of the family. Finally, someone she could share looks with across the table, looks of loving resignation and mutual support that said, ‘Could you believe what we put up with?’

Finally, a girl

Except Roy’s sister didn’t turn out like that

Roy’s sister, who in this fic is named Sarah. If anything, she takes after her dad. She’s fiercely independent. She’s stubborn as a mule. She processes so much on the inside that sometimes it appears like she’s not concerned with anything that happens in this family at all. Like Roy, she’s sensitive, but she’s sensitive in a way that wants to fit in

So she sees her family, her family that’s made up of a majority of people who keep things to themselves, and that’s what she models herself after. Outside of the house she’s gregarious and playful - a lot like Phoebe - but inside the house she’s content to mind her own business the way everyone else does

This makes her mum, who expected support, feel more than a little betrayed. When Sarah hides herself away, it feels like she’s purposefully being withholding — like she’s trying to hide her emotions on purpose. So her mom pushes her to open up. She needles her for being evasive and secretive. For not doing her part to help

When she’s younger, Sarah takes this to heart. She feels like she’s done something wrong, gotten in trouble for keeping secrets, so she tries to share. She tries so so hard to make her mum happy, to be more outgoing and happy the way she wants. She shares all of her secrets, with a sort of aching desperation that never gets filled. Her mum and her are close, but even when she's little there are times where she's sort of aware that it's not necessarily a safe close

As she gets older, her own resentment grows. Deep down she hates it. Sometimes she feels like her mum wants her to follow a script she doesn’t know, but she won’t tell her the words. She feels the tenor of her mother’s disappointment keenly and often

She misses being younger, when she didn't notice it. She misses the idea of who she thought her mum was, compared to the cracks she's started to notice in the patina

At some point she figures out that if she turns it around, if she asks her mum what she thinks, her mum will fill the void instead of expecting her to spill her guts. Just as quickly, she finds the flaw in that tactic. Listening to her mum doesn’t feel good, the way she complains about everyone Sarah loves

Sarah loves her dad. He’s distant, but he’s gentle. He’s never expected anything more from Sarah. He doesn’t prod her into anything. To her, he’s the quiet stone that keeps the family grounded

(She doesn’t really remember their grandad. He died when she was super young.)

Sarah also, she’s decided, loves her brother, who she rarely sees, but who when he does come home, the few times a year that happens-

God, he’s bright. He’s so alive, full of blazing emotion and sarcasm and strong opinions that he’ll argue with her at the drop of a hat. He brings her gifts, and he’s patient when she talks, and he makes fun of her and he laughs when she makes fun of him back and he smiles with his eyes and then he leaves

He’s like the best parts of both their parents combined, and she never gets to see him

She loves her brother so much it hurts

At the same time, the older she gets, the more she realizes that fuck, she’s their mum’s favorite, isn’t she? And she can’t even really blame Roy for coming home less often every year (but she does)

[melpomenelamusa]

7, 10, 13, 14 for the torturing ocs ask

7. Who do you put most into stressful situations or other drama?

Elafi is always my favorite to throw into trouble (comes with being the protagonist), but lately, I’ve found really funny to mess with Tigri. I think it’s because, unlike Elafi, he has a much more defiant attitude, and that dynamic is super entertaining to watch.

10. Has any of them had to be revived / brought back to life? How did this affect them?

So far, I haven’t written any scenes where a character is brought back to life. In the case of Chimeras, I personally don’t think something like that will happen, but who knows—maybe someday I’ll write something with that trope. Honestly, there’s a lot of whump material to explore there.

13. Who cries the most often? What are the usual causes?

Elafi cries the most. He’s a very sensitive boy: he cries when he’s sad, he cries from pain, he cries when he’s touched, he cries from pure joy, he cries when he’s really angry… In that sense, he’s kind of like me XD

14. How does your oc cope?

I love this question!!! Let’s begin:

Elafi 🦌:

He really trusts Warrick. He sees him as a caretaker and family, as well as a figure of both authority and protection. He tends to share his doubts, thoughts, fears, and hopes with him, and Warrick listens and supports him, which builds a very strong and healthy bond between them.

Elafi often takes long walks in the forest to clear his mind, relax, and connect with nature and himself.

Elafi isn’t ashamed to show his emotions. If he feels the need to cry, he’ll cry, and he tries to release and express what he feels instead of repressing it.

Even though Elafi feels a lot of pain, injustice, and even hatred, he tries not to let it consume him. Instead, he actively looks for ways to help those around him. If this is a cruel world, he wants to be the difference. However, that same desire to help sometimes makes him a bit reckless, and he ends up getting into trouble.

Despite trusting and loving people like Warrick, Lupita, and Patrick, he has developed deep distrust toward “more normal” humans. He suspects they have bad intentions toward him, which makes it hard for him to connect with strangers. He finds it much easier to connect with other chimera children.

Fidi 🐍:

Fidi has two main conscious coping mechanism: drawing and screaming into a pillow.

Generally, Fidi tries to swallow her emotions due to a combination of conditioning by Madame Lavenza and as a survival mechanism to avoid becoming an “unpleasant pet” and risking being sold. This ends up making her bottle up too much pain, which she had never been able to express.

Fidi has always avoided forming bonds at all costs, so she wouldn’t get attached. That started to change when she met Neli, and later Tigri. They became a reason for her to want to stay true to herself. Otherwise, she probably would’ve ended up fully repressing her identity just to be Madame Lavenza’s little doll.

Tigri 🐯:

His first instinct when facing a problem is to attack it—either by taking the initiative to fix it or by literally clawing at it. That can be a good thing since it keeps him motivated to act, but also dangerous, because it can make him reckless and thoughtless.

His sense of community is what keeps him grounded. Whether it’s his family or his friends, thinking about the people he loves and who love him helps him stay centered.

He’s definitely the kind of person who starts cursing at the air when he’s stressed or frustrated as a way to vent.

Unfortunately, Tigri will never be the same after the experience with Madame Lavenza. He now has panic attacks whenever he feels trapped.

[clockworkcheetah]

oooohh headcanons 👀 i don't know how to do the symbols so excuse me while i just type the words haha

angry - dirk

family - farah

cooking - todd?

☠ - angry/violent headcanon dirk has a lot of repressed anger- this isnt even a hc its just like… very clearly there especially in s2 particularly in blackwing. hes more chirpy side isnt a facade or anything- its totally genuine the guy is happy, but he hasnt exactly dealt his trauma surrounding blackwing and the built up resentment of his robbed youth. he has two main ways of expressing anger- the louder, aggressive rage that usually comes out, like in blackwing. its bitchy and defiant and what he usually falls into, cause its a result of fear/lashing out and also some self-hate/pity too. (and hes pretty mean but in a weird way hes kinda aiming to piss off the other person- like that was his intention with todd 2x07- to push him away) the other anger is just the total opposite- its this cold quiet seething rage. its almost pure hatred in nature and its eerie. isnt seen too much because it takes a lot for him to get that, either that or hes just so Over Everything and theres Nothing Left to feel anymore

♥ - family headcanon i know this was in the show bible and probably is no longer a thing in the shows canon anymore, but i do like the idea that farah comes from a decently large family and has several siblings- all brothers. her family isnt the most openly affectionate, just isnt their style and eddie is the sibling farah is closest too although the family dynamics have always been a bit strained, especially with farah feeling like she has too prove herself whilst feeling out of place with her family sometimes. its not awful by any means- but there were hairline cracks yknow her new found family with dirk and todd is a very different dynamic, cause theyre pretty openly affectionate people. its weird and kinda overwhelming at times and intense (but hey, she likes intense)

♒ - cooking/food headcanon todd can cook- hes no masterchef, but he can cook and hes easily the best cook of the agency trio. he rarely cooks for himself though- basically lives on takeout or minimal effort meals like cereal or sandwiches. he cooked very regularly for amanda, especially when she was sick (her comment in 1x01 about eating healthy makes me think he was making her meals) but even before that i think he was cooking for her in their childhood too, when their parents were working late but didnt want their kids ordering takeout all the time he also enjoys it because it keeps his hands busy (i hc he fidgets with his hands a lot) and cooking for others means hes needed and he likes knowing hes needed

thanks for the ask! 💖

headcanon asks

[rynekins]

Once again my mind is plagued with Sideshow Bob brainrot and I must infodump about him for a bit to clear it. This is a sorta continuation of this post where I ramble about how prison warped Bob’s personality. While I often consider doing a more structured series of Sideshow Bob reviews, I have nothing concrete planned at the moment, so posts like these will remain sporadic. However, I am rather open for more discussion with those who dare ask.

The focus today is on Sideshow Bob’s defining character trait.

There are many popular labels used for Sideshow Bob that fail to paint a full picture because the very opposites of those aspects are also true to his character. Highly educated with a great capacity for idiocy. Sophisticated with bouts of unhinged rage. A mastermind whose plans never work. A murderous psychopath who’s never actually murdered anyone and has attempted to reform. A villain who has saved the day, more than once. A failure that never gives up. All of these apply but I feel he has a more comprehensive character trait. One that remains true in every appearance, exemplified in all of his actions and downfalls. Above everything else, and I say this with the utmost affection, Bob is an attention whore.

Bob needs an audience like he needs air to breathe. All the world’s a stage and he lives to perform. He's pathetically desperate for your reaction, whether it’s praise, scorn, fear, or a laugh. He’ll sing, act, tell jokes, contort his body, or share the details of his cunning scheme with you, even if it jeopardizes everything he’s worked for, in exchange for a fleeting moment of recognition.

He wants to be seen, heard, known, understood, celebrated. Don’t we all. But his craving for validation can never be satisfied, which led him down this road of suffering. In the flashback in “Brother from Another Series”, during the sidekick audition, Bob looks a bit more composed than usual.

This is the earliest moment in his life that we witness. He’s hiding all his iconic hair in a hat and presents himself with dignity and poise; is this where he gets bit by the acting bug and everything changes for him? Doubtful, since his mother is a famous actress and he probably grew up in a home that valued the arts. I think he might have been repressing a lot of his more comical tendencies at this point, then unleashed them due to an unexpected pie to the face. Bob is angry at first, but within seconds relishes having an audience’s approval. All it took was Krusty calling him a “genius” and Bob’s fate was sealed. In “Krusty Gets Busted,” it’s up to interpretation if Bob genuinely wanted to solve Bart’s problem out of the goodness in his heart, or if his ego demanded that he prove to his audience what a good role model and host he can be. In” Sideshow Bob Roberts,” he charms everyone in town with his silver tongue, but is still so insecure about how he’s perceived that he feels he has to cheat to win the election. In “Cape Feare,” Bart compliments his voice and he’s all too eager to boast his musical talent. In “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming,” being called “smart” is enough to let his guard down.

He needs constant reassurance that he’s smart, talented, and loved. I believe that in “Black Widower”, Bob’s courting of Selma wasn’t a ruse, at least not at first. They probably had nothing in common (certainly wouldn’t bond over media taste) except that both were painfully lonely. They fell fast in what they thought was love because they showed each other the slightest bit of affection, then opened the floodgates of built up feelings that had nowhere else to go. But realizing there would always be another man in her life more important than him, MacGyver, any love Bob felt towards Selma evaporated.

Combine this pettiness with his freshly warped sense of morality courtesy of Springfield Penitentiary, and he would find this sudden violent hatred justifiable. But everything has to be a spectacle with Bob, so of course he would end things with a heckin’ fiery explosion. As we have established, Bob is prone to self-sabotage. He can be unbearably pretentious, so he struggles finding others that share his passions. But Bob isn’t a gatekeeper for these interests. He would love nothing more than to discuss art, music, literature and theater and convince others to appreciate them as well. He has a desire to teach, and finds fulfillment when he helms his own educational program with an audience willing to listen and cheer him on. He doesn’t have such luck with his peers, who tend to throw his books back at him. In the episode “The Man Who Grew Too Much”, Homer mentions Mozart’s name and you can tell Bob is ready to drop everything and gush about a special interest, but Homer then reveals that he doesn’t really care. So imagine being in an incredibly niche fandom with no one but the void to hear your headcanons or fan favorites. That’s Bob's predicament, but he’s persistent (and maniacal).

Little brother Cecil is similar, but he’s more likely to back down when the audience doesn’t indulge him.

It is left to our imagination what their childhood was like. Their mother might have encouraged them both to pursue theater, but did either of them ever feel pride in their accomplishments? Is there a reason Cecil gives up and Bob can’t be stopped? Perhaps Bob leans into the villain role because he’s convinced himself he was born for it (give him credit, he does play it cartoonishly well), but when the tables turn he’s equally as enthusiastic playing the part of a noble hero. He seems unable to turn off the dramatics either way. There have been a few moments when he admits he does not want to commit to a violent act, and you could argue it’s because deep down he knows he’s playing a character that he's taken too far and that it isn’t his true self, or maybe he's horrified his true self is a monster and he’d rather play a different character as a means to contain it (I am not referring to moments from “Day of the Jackanapes” or “The Great Louse Detective”, moreso “The Man Who Grew Too Much”, “Gone Boy”, and “Bobby It’s Cold Outside”). His instincts during these moments seem to be to run away.

But Bob can’t live secluded in his lil lighthouse forever, even if it means no one gets hurt and he would be free. Prison made him crazy. Isolation would destroy him.

[dwellordream]

thoughts on HOTD episode 3, season 2 (spoilers below)

i think the opening scene between the Blackwood and Bracken boys is very well done. some people complained about not seeing the battle itself, but the general audience is not going to care about seeing these minor characters flung into a battle. cutting between an immature, petty teenage fight that then escalates into a pointless slaughter, leaving both sides massacred, does a much better job of showing us how the civil war is going escalate feuds that would otherwise stay barely civil.

Rhaenys lecturing about peace comes across as a hypocritical when she massacred hundreds of peasants during her escape from King's Landing. but i also think it shows that while people like her, Rhaenyra, and Alicent are horrified by the death of highborn children, none of them are thinking in terms of the toll on the smallfolk. they think about the peace between the nobility- not protecting peasants. the deaths of Luke and Jaehaerys are horrifying, as are highborn men and women dying in battle, but not the slaughter or scapegoating of the peasants for the sins of their 'betters'.

the Alicent/Criston breakup seems to be pretty final, though I wouldn't be shocked if they crawl back to each other before the end of the season, more out of mutual self-loathing than genuine love or passion. I think it's pretty clear that while Alicent was attracted to him all along, their affair was moreso both of them venting their frustrations, repressed sexuality, and hatred (or, in Alicent's case, 'hatred') for Rhaenyra, then any actual epic love story.

the scene where Rhaenyra shunts Rhaena off to the Vale to 'protect' the children and their hatchlings is very well done. without a dragon, Rhaena stands no chance of subverting any Westerosi gender norms. Rhaenyra seems to recognize that, but is also prepared to sacrifice Rhaena's happiness if it means giving her sons a maternal figure. I see a lot of meta about how Rhaenyra is a much happier and more affectionate/gentle mother than Alicent, and I don't think that's wrong, per se, but I also don't think Rhaenyra is as comfortable with motherhood as many fans insist. of course, she's in an impossible situation- she cannot be a queen leading a war effort and also a doting parent. but I wouldn't say being a mother is what brings her the most happiness and peace, either. Daemon has disappointed her again and again as a husband and partner, and while her children adore her, they also find her difficult to live up to.

I'm glad there wasn't an epic battle of Daemon claiming Harrenhal. the castle itself is supposed to be an eerie, demonic, almost living sort of abomination, and so Daemon takes it with ease, because that's what Harrenhal wants. the Strongs themselves put up no resistance, because there's no point, and because they know Harrenhal is reluctant to let go of anyone who enters its halls. Daemon comes across as massively insecure and paranoid despite his easy conquest, both because Harrenhal itself unsettles him, and because he knows Rhaenyra's faith in him is greatly reduced.

someone told Freddie Fox to look to Jaime Lannister's depiction in the early seasons of GoT for his inspiration as Gwayne, and I don't think that was a bad idea, lol. he nails it as the smug, superior, posturing knight, and I'm excited to see what they do with him. of course, Alicent uses him as a tool against Criston, and Criston takes the moment to embarrass Alicent by loudly requesting her favor- I would not be surprised if his resentment towards her boils over by the end of the season, and he begins to loathe her as much as he does Rhaenyra.

I think the scene between Aegon and Aemond in the brothel was very well done. Aegon is probably right when he claims Aemond has only ever slept with the very first prostitute Aegon forced him to 'sample'. emotionally, Aemond is still that stunted, angry, frightened little boy who loathes being laughed at and wishes people feared him. he refuses to directly challenge Aegon out of a misplaced sense of duty and decorum, but has no issue humiliating a sex worker to preserve his own pride.

Daemon's dream sequence in Harrenhal is fantastic. it's the kind of thing GoT refused to engage in because they thought it too silly or esoteric, but I think future ASOIAF-related shows need to lean into the supernatural, not shy away from it. embrace the fantasy of the setting, please! and of course Daemon's ideal version of Rhaenyra is still a naive, impish young girl- who hasn't seen his flaws or his cowardice. he wanted the dream of a happy, perfect Valyrian family with Rhaenyra, but reality is far harsher. he's abandoned his children and made his wife out to be a kinslayer with his actions.

the contrivance of the Alicent/Rhaenyra sept scene is absurd, obviously. however, i disagree with those arguing that it 'ruined the episode'. it is hardly the most contrived scene in the show thus far, and i can forgive its contrivance because the audience wants- and needs- to see a scene like this between Alicent and Rhaenyra- maybe one of their final conversations in private, ever. yes, Alicent could have seized the moment to have Rhaenyra captured or killed outright, but that still wouldn't stop the war. Daemon and Jace would not suddenly surrender- even if they wanted to save Rhaenyra's life, they would know their own lives would be forfeit the moment they surrendered. and honestly, anyone who thinks it would be more 'in character' for Alicent to have Rhaenyra killed right now is kidding themselves. yes, she hates Rhaenyra- and she also clearly still loves her.

i've enjoyed this episode the most out of all this season. a 9/10, in my opinion, and i hope we don't backslide with the second half of episodes.

[buckybarnesss]

Adding to the episodes of bad Mako social media takes, here one from the "offical" youtube channel. They did a 'who's on the naughty list' poll and the choices were Zaheer, The Earth Queen, and of frickin course Mako (and Tahno for some reason).

That actually made me a little angry. I really hate how their channels go to appeals to the worst parts of the fandom.

Sorry to dump here, but I needed to vent this out.

hey no problem.

the fandom's hatred towards mako has always been objectively odd to me.

like there isn't anything wrong with disliking a character and i know a lot of people find mako boring.

couldn't be me but whatever.

what bothers me is that the purposeful, willful misunderstanding of a character where it's twisted to justify character bashing. it often comes across as "hey this character isn't expressing their trauma the way i want them to so they suck."

mako is repressed.

part of the love triangle problem is that mako doesn't know what he wants. mako's emotional needs became superfluous when his parents died. they no longer mattered in the face of survival for himself and bolin. when confronted with something outside of this he completely flounders because he's not only never examined what his wants even are and has disregarded them so much he has no idea that obtaining something he wants for himself is like, you know, allowed. also, tu clocked his ass by saying that him wanting to people please ended up pleasing no one including him.

is mako the mom from reba mcentire's is there life out there? yes. yes he is.

i have seen sooooo many bad takes on legend of korra characters. from korra herself to a child character like meelo. mako is not the only victim but he is the most visable i think outside of korra.

i've also expressed sooooo many times that i loathe what i consider a bad stale joke that is frequently regurgitated that mako somehow "turned" asami and korra gay makes me want to brain myself. i expect that shit from reddit and youtube but when i see it on tumblr it's disappointing because it's usually people who claim to want representation yet they disregard korra and asmai's bisexuality to make mako the butt of a shitty joke.

also asami and korra didn't get together until three full ass years after either of them were involved with mako.

all three of them get over their cringe love triangle too and become even better friends by the end. none of them hold onto any resentment. mere weeks after korra and mako's break up korra and asami are laughing about their mistakes and korra wants mako to come with her to find airbenders. there weren't any hard feelings.

people will bend over backwards to justify kuvira and rationalize amon or defend zaheer when mako's worse crime is being a dumbass teenager who made mistakes but more than apologized and made up for them.

[i-never-forgot]

WOO. okay. i gathered some of my thoughts for the nightshade ramble i mentioned earlier so. here goes.

imo i think theres just so much going on between eliana and dusk that it's just. Argh. the textposts you posted fit them and their situation (or what i know since i dont wanna get them wrong by accident) and theres just a lot of regret and pain seeping from both sides following what happened before TP:R and through the interaction eliana had with the guy after having met him again in her return. eliana is resentful and angry and she has absolutely every reason in the world to be because of the little heartstring tugging that dusknoir pulled, for how lowly he is to go to great lengths for her to show that he cares, he cares about what she thinks, what she has to say, just generally being someone who sought out her presence more than anything, leading her down to a path of vulnerability astray to which she will bear her heart down and hand it to him, because he was someone she could trust. but oh, for what is trust in a world where something so small and *meaningless* can be torn apart? dusknoir might've cared, he might have felt something deep down, something that made his cold heart beat, he might have felt things for eliana that would onlh halt his mission through means of emotions he had long repressed (with said emotions slowly breaking through), but where does any of that amount when the execution is far embedded into her mind? where do any of those good memories of long night library musings, feelings and sensations that were so relieving to experience, words and touches that were all pleasant to ruminate on go when she remembers how much she saw the dimensional scream where the malice was plastered in his eye, hands ready to tear out of scorn and hatred and just how much she knew what would have happened if she were to stay further, only to know she walked into the fire? she remembers how much she wanted to change because of him, because of the impact he had on her, positive or negative. and it hurts. hell, it hurts. because even so, even after everything, he still pops up ever so occasionally in her mind. the bitter taste still remains in her mouth when that happens. someone who meant so much to her yet it almost seemed like she mattered nothing to him. did he even care? did he ever? he did. still does. always will. but if she were to ever think of the idea that she can look at him again, and feel that warmth in her heart again, and maybe just feel *happy* for once, it would make her sick. and when he returns, she channels that sickness into hatred. she feels sick just from looking at him. because the idea of doing so would just hurt her again.

and dusknoir. my good, good buddy dusknoir. call it emotional constipation, call it emotional repression, call it cowardice, but that man amuses me in just how his own guilt when coming face to face with the person he'd hurt most just leaves him reduced to nothing. just letting her release all that vitriol at him, and not bothering to fight back. because how could he? his hands had long stopped becoming tools of disposition. no blood shall drip from them again and no one shall be hurt by them again. but maybe it's because he thinks its what he deserves, after all. when he was brought back from his own 'death', all he could feel is the guilt of what he had done. a connection so delicate, one so fragile and so important to him and her, and he shattered it for what is now essentially *for nothing*. he broke down the walls, and left her in the wreckage. he caressed the sun in his own two hands and all he could think of is how to snuff the light out. the light worked against him. it was against his belief. it had to be eliminated. but the light was *warm*. the light made him feel like he belonged to somewhere. a home in his own heart with her in it. she was someone, something, everything, and all he had was nothing. eliana was everything whereas he was nothing. but 'everything' could not last. regretful as he was, he knew what he had to do. maybe, at the stockade, she thought he felt nothing.. but he felt something. everything at once. take the two and *book it*, primal dialga be damned. move, coward! do something! PLEASE! voices that told him to listen to what was right, neatly pushed aside. and he paid the price for doing so. he was back, and she was everywhere. taunting him, killing him slowly. it's almost funny, isn't it? the haunter becoming the haunted, for it was his time to reap what he sowed? looking at a past that he cannot return to, only reach out and caress memories that won't mean anything to anyone? dusknoir thinks it's funny. almost. he had hurt in so many ways, and now she was returning that favor to him. had the others not intervened sooner, he mightve allowed her to finish the job. no love without sacrifice, and the call could only come from inside. but he wasn't gonna leave so easily. he was gonna have to stand there and see it in her eyes. that sadness, clouded by endless anger. she loved him. he loved her. would that still matter? maybe. maybe not. one of them will have to take the pledge and the first step, and neither of them seem keen on doing so.

tl;dr they're okay, i guess.

You are absolutely spot on with this! ALL OF THIS.

I AM S O B B I N G AT "he caressed the sun in his own two hands and all he could think of is how to snuff the light out. the light worked against him. it was against his belief. it had to be eliminated. but the light was *warm*. the light made him feel like he belonged to somewhere. a home in his own heart with her in it. she was someone, something, everything, and all he had was nothing. eliana was everything whereas he was nothing. but 'everything' could not last." LIKE WHOA. YES.

And him thinking about snatching them away and running? *chef's kiss!* He was paralyzed by his own indecision, shocked with his own lack of resolve. It was not malice that kept him stationary, watching the Sableye carry out his orders, but fear. Fear of what would happen. Fear of himself. Fear of the riot of conflicted emotions he felt.

"no love without sacrifice, and the call could only come from inside. but he wasn't gonna leave so easily. he was gonna have to stand there and see it in her eyes. that sadness, clouded by endless anger. she loved him. he loved her. would that still matter? maybe. maybe not. one of them will have to take the pledge and the first step, and neither of them seem keen on doing so." OH MY GOOOOOD. THIS. YOU ABSOLUTE MAD LAD YOU'VE BEEN THEM PINNED LIKE DARTS ON A BOARD. AAAAHAHAHHHHAHHGGHHHHH.