#They lie and convince themselves they are doing this for the greater good

[qtubbo]

Okay but I really hate this idea that going against the leader or having discussion and arguments with them makes the team bad. Always listening to the leader and never going against them isn’t a team, its a cult, cults do not have good leadership.

[soapoet]

How do they express jealousy?

requested by anon.

like & rb if it resonates ♡

01.

Shufflemancy: Gives you hell by All-American rejects

You might not expect this person to be as vulnerable and sensitive as they are. They appear very sure of themselves, may even have quite an intimidating presence, and don't let their emotions show externally. Until they are behind closed doors with their trusted allies, that is. When it is safe for them to break, they collapse. Jealousy is a feeling they are well acquainted with, and theirs is a battle between life and death. They hold trust and loyalty in high regard, and any slight against it done on purpose is met with an instantaneous crumbling of the tower where they keep and guard their beloved. They grow suspicious and anxious, and can delude themselves in finding enemies everywhere.

They grow resentful and begin a horrid cycle festering resentment and desperation to not lose their partner. They love you, they hate you, they deserve better, they deserve to suffer. And so it goes, round and round, and the wound is one only time can heal, but the scar will mark them forever. They can forgive, but never forget. Even if disaster is avoided and things go back to normal, the betrayal will forever haunt them and any future hiccup will make them suspicious or immediately be brought back to the past, and they will succumb to the fear of abandonment once more.

Without purposeful attempts to make them jealous, they are still akin a wolf guarding their territory. They keep a watchful eye for any potential threats and hold their partner extra close or go out of their way to showcase their commitment to their partner and their partner's commitment to them, often whilst staring threats dead in the eyes as an intimidation tactic and a way to silently yell "back off". I would sincerely advise everyone to never play games with their partners, but especially this one, as they've known the pain of neglect and betrayal closely throughout their life, and have unhealed wounds all across their aching heart and the damage you could do would never again heal and the commitment would bleed out to its inevitable end without mercy.

02.

Shufflemancy: Lost on you by LP

This person has a rather straightforward relationship with jealousy. Though they do not easily fall prey to it, if caught, they tend to spiral into a desperate act of self-improvement. Convinced that their tinge of jealousy is evidence of lack in them, they raise the standards they hold for themselves to even greater heights. Tunnel vision keeps them from seeing anything clearly and they hyper focus on their attempts to measure up to the perceived bar suddenly raised out of their reach. Because to them, jealousy so easily means they are not good enough, and as somebody already at war with perfection, they do not take it lightly.

Whether their jealousy is triggered on purpose or arise naturally, they instantly find themselves at a crossroads, and must choose which way to go. The strict duality of their mind in these situations keeps them from seeing the path which lies between the two, and they only debate between proving their worth or accepting defeat, wiping their tears as they take the road which strays from the one aligned with their partner.

They can appear quite cold when they simply choose to give up, as though the river of love suddenly runs dry and they decide that it, to them, is objectively the best to cut you or them loose when the two of you are hanging off a cliff and either one of you must let go. Even if they are upset they remain calm on the surface and do what they think is right. Behind them may lie many shipwrecks they abandoned when the leak appeared much too difficult to mend.

03.

Shufflemancy: Sinner by Trevi Moran

Oh boy. They will not openly admit to jealousy, but will meticulously eradicate any threat as though they're pest control. Few things get under their skin as they are at least outwardly very secure in their own self-worth and simply dish out stupid prizes to those who dare play stupid games. For some, however, I must say that they may actually hold themselves in this high regard and play the role of somebody big and strong as a ruse because they deeply fear the fall from their throne.

They could easily flip the script or rewrite it on the spot, altering the play in their favour. When slighted they quickly make sure the whole audience gets on their side and point and laugh at whoever triggered jealousy in them, now the villain of the tale they get to tell. Depending on how delicate the situation is they may instead move in the shadows and whisper in enough ears and shake enough hands to assure the eventual downfall and demise of whoever dared challenge them and their partnership.

I won't lie, for some of you I'd advise that you err on the side of caution because this can easily become toxic. They're very protective and may worship you and keep you safe from the wolves, but some can easily slip into maddening possessiveness, which is unhealthy. Their jealousy, although kept under lock and key, shows itself in a very cold, unaffected way which can be quite jarring to witness as their eyes feel hallow and suddenly speak to you as though you're a complete stranger. The worst of them may very well have angry outbursts when pushed too far and I hope you know you deserve better than that.

04.

Shufflemancy: Fred Astaire by Ghost the jukebox

This sure is somebody you may even feel outright compelled to attempt to make jealous, because they appear so unbothered and nonchalant as though they have no care in the world. And that is the truth of the matter, because from their perspective you are either commited to them, or you're not. They trust their partner to not play with them or allow any advances from others, and if that trust is broken then c'est la vie.

For some, this apparent lack of jealousy altogether can mean that they are open to non-monogamy, whether or not they themselves are interested in opening the relationship for their own sake. As an example, they could be open to their partner seeking fulfillment of needs they cannot tend to themselves. They are a good communicator and live by and follow whichever boundaries and rules have been set in their relationship and may be open to change should their partner have any suggestions. I wouldn't really fear unfaithfulness with this person solely due to how easy-going yet frank and honest they are.

If anything, instead of jealousy this person could quite literally suggest you chat somebody up, and their inquiries about other people some would be concerned about seem genuinely curious and are without malice or suspicion. They're trusting, though some of their loved ones may call them naive and wonder when the day will come that they get hurt as they don't quite understand this person's simple views. It's reminiscent of the time Aladdin said "do you trust me?" because to this person you or they either do or don't and that's that.

05.

Shufflemancy: Style by Taylor Swift

This person seems to have very little to worry about and seem sure in their own worth. So much so, in fact, that they may use jealousy as fuel for passion. They could feel excited and amused by jealousy as though it is a challenge for them demanding they rise to the occasion and prove just how worthy they are and claim their partner as theirs time and time again so that they may never stray.

They tread cautiously the fine line between playful and damaging, pushing the envelope in search of the sweet spot that triggers just enough anger to provide some friction. One need not worry much of their true intentions as there appears to be a permanent glint in their eyes full of lighthearted mischief as they simply desire for you as their partner to show them that desire earnestly, just the same as they do for you when you too decide to play little games to see the chemical reaction which follows.

It really does take outright betrayal for them to reach damaging levels of jealousy, at which point they don't go out quietly and make sure their feelings are known. Just to be sure the two of you are simply playing, they may inquire more candidly about the people around you or openly question their intentions, as though they are so very playful and appreciate the fun and games they are also a little territorial and need it known by all that the two of you are spoken for.

06.

Shufflemancy: Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo

Easily distraught, this person sinks fast and deep to the very bottom of the depths of agony when they feel jealous. They struggle with their worth and have an intense fear of abandonment which leads them down dark paths in their mind as they begin a search of how or why they do or do not deserve love and commitment. There in the depths of their undoing they easily come to find that rock bottom has a basement, which they crawl into to hide away in the assumption that what is theirs will be taken away and if what is theirs is going at their own accord they must then be flawed and wholly unworthy after all.

Their primary means of showing their jealousy is withdrawal, as they have trouble voicing these vulnerable feelings or may simply not know the right words to use to express themselves clearly. They may even fear that expressing jealousy will only make matters worse or invite retaliation of some kind, and thus say nothing at all, which invites resentment to fester.

Jealousy mortally wounds them, and I'd never encourage anybody to play games with people to begin with, but certainly not somebody so frail and fearful. This is somebody who would step in front of bullets for their loved ones, so any chance that those same people, and especially you, their partner, would in essence be the one to pull the trigger would truly destroy them.

[two-white-butterflies]

coaxed you into paradise - c. 30

Description: The life of Saera Targaryen told in four acts. She was her father's forgotten daughter, cast aside as she looked nothing like her mother. Her younger days were spent beside her uncle. Years following her marriage with Ser Harwin Strong, she catches him in an affair with her older sister. She returns to seek solace in the arms of her uncle, that she's loved all her life.

TW: death, murder, sexual assault, assault in general.

(Coaxed You Into Paradise and High Infidelity Rewrite.)

masterlist for this series

Chapter Thirty: Blood and Cheese II

The Dragons descended into Westeros with avarice, and with avarice their dynasty continues onwards. Blood against blood, dragons against dragons. The Targaryens have conquered the six-kingdoms, yet their their biggest enemy is themselves.

Alyssa, the princess was always drawn to the ocean. She liked the feel of the waves on her knees, the rough sand on her barefoot. She holds her son, Aelor, close to her bosom. "Where could your father have trailed off to?" she mused, staring deep into her son's eyes.

Aemond days ago.

Alicent would not provide her a clear answer.

Cordelia peeks through the small curtain that hid Alyssa's body. "The Queen calls for you, princess." she bowed. Alyssa's eyebrows merged into each other. "It is far too early in the morning for conversation," she smiled, hoping to dismiss the handmaiden.

"I-I, well the Queen was very firm. It would be best to follow her, princess." the handmaiden stuttered, knowing something that her lady did not. A creature of doubt builds inside of her ribcage. Alyssa was no stranger to war.

Her real father, Daemon Targaryen, fought thousands of them before she was whelped into the world. "Is it important?" her frown deepened and the handmaiden nods. "Very well, prepare my gown and take good care of Prince Aelor." she commanded while rising to her feet.

A dragon does not cower behind the four walls of her bedroom. She fights all her battles, the same.

Alyssa takes a step forward, entering the threshold of her good-mother's bedroom. There were pastries scattered on the table, a warm cup of tea waiting for her.

"Your grace." she curtsied, then licking her chapped lips. "Alyssa, how kind of you to join me." Alicent smiled with a knowing stare. There was something behind those brown irises that unnerved her. "Have you seen Prince Aemond?" she inquired with a cautious tone.

"Your grandfather is dead and the soldiers march for war against Rhaenyra." Alicent says frankly, no longer interested in sugar-coating her words. A gasp escapes her mouth. King Viserys was dead? "I have sent my son away to make negotiations with House Baratheon." she adds, her eyes filled with much more sorrow than usual.

Alyssa tries to calm herself down, but her heart was filled with anger.

"You thought it would be fit to usurp the rightful Queen?" she questioned, still trying to keep her tone soft.

"King Viserys told me before he died, that he changed his mind."

"- thought that Aegon was deserving of his titles." Alicent lied.

Alyssa clenches her fists. "- but that isn't the truth, isn't it?" she argued, wanting nothing more than to jump into the arms of her beloved husband. If Aemond was beside her, she'd convince him - they'd defect and crown the rightful Queen.

"You need not lie to me. If I had been in your shoes, I would've done the very same. It is not everyday that a woman's son becomes King - but even the blind could see that Prince Aegon is not a worthy heir." she presented clear, and offense strikes the Queen Mother's face.

"He is greater than his father. He listens to his advisors." Alicent grits her teeth, unamused at Alyssa's defiance. "- and I assume that you believe yourself to be his advisor." she antagonized. "You were the King's advisor too, but that did not save you. My Queen, I apologize for my brashness, but you do not wish to be free, you merely wish to create a window of your prison." Alyssa scoffed.

Queen Alicent was about to respond, but a knock halts their argument. Her uncle, Lord Larys Strong, marches inside of the chambers. "Queen Alicent, Princess Alyssa." he curtsies, quickly sashaying to Alicent's side.

He leans forward, whispering a few strings of words, but the premise was clear enough for Alyssa.

Prince Lucerys Velaryon was dead, and Aemond had been the one to butcher him.

Saera takes a deep breath, in fear of what Rhaenyra was capable of. "One cannot even imagine the pain she's feeling right now, I fear that she'll do something. She'll want to get even." the White Princess breathes, playing with the bracelet on her wrist.

"- that means that Alyssa and Aelor are in danger?" Daegon inquires, his eyebrows merging into each other. He couldn't bare the thought of harm coming to his twin sister.

Daemon presses his fingers to his lips.

"Rhaenyra will not harm them. We are her strongest allies, losing us could mean losing the war." he gave his informed opinion. "- still, you are right, love. Alyssa and Aelor will not be safe in Kingslanding."

"We are caught in a limbo, then?" her eyes narrowed. "We must get our daughter back, yet we are stuck here - and the mere sound of our arrival could mean death." she takes a sip of her wine.

She was trying to keep up her stone-cold facade, so that her son wouldn't be rattled, but all she wanted to do was cry. Her mind couldn't help but drift off to Alyssa. She must be scared.

Daemon places a tender hand on her shoulder, already aware of the inner workings of her mind. He gives her stare, promising her that everything would be fine in the end. "I have spies in Kingslanding. I'll attempt to have Alyssa back - Aelor, I believe will be safer there."

"We shouldn't involve ourselves in this war, muña. It is between Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Aegon. Let us flee to the Free Cities, take everyone and never return." Daegon suggests.

Daemon glares at his son.

"Dragons do not run with their tails in between their legs. We fight our battles, and Rhaenyra's battle is our own. The same blood flows through our veins." he corrected, wholly understanding of his son's cowardice. "Viserra and Daelon are children, in times of war, horrible things happen to children." Daegon defends.

"But we are here, all of us to protect them. A house united, is a house unbreakable." Saera breathed, and only then did Daegon's eyes softened. "- and when war is over, the dragon feeds."

Aelor's face was soft - almost the same visage as his grandmother. There was a smile on his face, oblivious of the torment that was to ensue, Ser Criston takes a seat beside Alyssa. "He is safe, but not for long." he whispered, so only Alyssa could hear his opinion. "He is guarded by four walls, and a dozen guards. Surely Princess Rhaenyra will not harm us? Not Aelor?" Alyssa frowns, the knight shakes his head. "She may not harm you, but she will harm Prince Aemond's son. She will seek revenge." he scowled.

Alyssa couldn't do anything but blame her husband - her good-mother, and everyone involved in supplanting Princess Rhaenyra. "Then you must make it your personal goal to protect Prince Aelor." she pleaded, staring deep into his honeyed eyes.

"I shall do my best, but it is not a guarantee." Criston bows.

Rhaenyra takes a deep breath, staring at the men in front of her. “Mysaria mustn’t know of this,” she asserted - knowing that the whore was on her sister’s side. “- I want you to execute Prince Aelor.” she commanded, dropping a few gold coins on the table. 

“It will be done, my lady.” the older man replies with a smirk. 

“What’s your name again?” She raised her eyebrows. 

“My name’s Blood.” 

“And I’m Cheese.”

Saera wasn't one to wait for the proper timing. She had her mind set on one goal, and she'd exert all of her efforts into getting it.

"Lady Mysaria, what are you doing here?" Alyssa frowns, holding Aelor close to her chest once more. "There is a clear passage back to Dragonstone, your mother intends for you back within a fortnight." Mysaria informs, taking a step forward.

"What about Bluefyre? Aemond? Aelor?" Alyssa asks.

"You may take Aelor, but the dragon and your husband must remain." Mysaria made a decision of her own. "I cannot leave without them." Alyssa says clearly, hoping to provide salvation for the ones to be left behind. "You forget that it was your husband who betrayed you first." Mysaria articulated, her voice suddenly becoming cold.

Alyssa's heart breaks, recognizing that the woman wasn't lying. "He murdered a child, your cousin." Mysaria attempts to sway the Princess. "- I have not spoken to him since before that night. I'm sure that if we were to have a conversation, things would be clearer." Alyssa defended, it was her right and oath.

When she vowed to marry the One-Eyed Prince, she also vowed to be understanding, to always present alibis when it came to him, and to always be loyal, even when the circumstance proved to be difficult. "I wish that it was that easy, but we do not have much time. We cannot leave right now, but tomorrow - use the secret passages that your uncle taught you. Meet me in Princess Saera's solars, and we shall leave for Dragonstone."

Princess Alyssa couldn't sleep. Her heart was beating rapidly, threatening to come out of her chest. She was tossing and turning, unable to find even a blink of rest. Today, she was a spoil of war - a prisoner in her own home, but tomorrow, mayhaps, she'll be free.

Why must it all come down to this? A year of marriage with her much beloved husband was turning into another tragic tale. Alyssa wished nothing more than to be free of the narrative, to live somewhere where these - things couldn't come near her family.

An object falls loudly on the floor, Alyssa reaches for the dagger underneath her pillow. "Aemond?" she cleared her throat, "Princess," a gruff voice replies, and another man steps into the light. It was not her husband - it was a different man.

He was broad and tall, he had a stubble on his chin. "Who are you?" she pointed the dagger at him. "I'm Blood, and my brother is Cheese. We were sent here to murder your son." he says casually.

"Not him," she shielded her son away from their view. Aelor, was unfortunate enough to be laying beside her on the bed, instead of his own room with the handmaidens. Blood and Cheese must've known, but who could've sent them?

"A son for a son," Blood grins.

A chill ran down her spine.

Princess Rhaenyra?

"What did she pay you, I shall double it?" Alyssa pleaded, vulnerable in her thin nightgown, her body almost bare to the eyes of the intruders. It made her feel dirty, tainted almost.

"Gold does little to deter us, Alyssa." Blood takes a step forward, only a few inches away from her. "Then you'll have to go through me." Alyssa bravely defends. "That will not be hard."

She stands up from the bed, remembering all her lessons with Prince Daemon. Even when she's standing on the bed, her head barely reaches Blood and Cheese's forehead. He tries to move his hand forward, but Alyssa manages to sever his little finger.

"Cunt," Blood mumbled, anger pumping through his veins. He raises his free hand, slapping Alyssa across the face, sending her on her knees. "You are still a little girl eh'. You can't defeat me." he antagonized, commanding his brother to pull her back.

Cheese carries her with ease, dragging her on the floor. "Please I beg of you, if Prince Daemon or my mother finds out about this - no god shall save you." she cursed at them, fighting through Cheese's malevolent hold. "Take me instead, please!" she screamed, in shock that no one has heard yet.

"Do whatever you want with me, but not my son." she cried.

Cheese chuckles, pressing her back to his chest. "Whoring yourself out to us? Desperate." he teased, and Aelor cries loudly.

Blood carries Aelor by the neck, muffling his cries of agony. "Maybe when we're done with this little runt, we'll fuck a bastard inside of you." he chuckled, opening a window and threatening to let go of Aelor. Tears began to flow harder from her eyes, Valyrian whispers of revenge, until Blood lets go.

And her son falls to his death.

next chapter >>>

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[nikito0x]

RadioApple AU - Forget me not

I am too lazy to write a whole fic of it, but I can't get this plot bunny out of my head so here we go:

This is so AU it will never be canon (obviously) but it's ridiculous enough to be believable.

To start off: We all know the age old story of Lucifer's fall and the way he and Lilith got together. Right? Well forget all about it. In this AU it's all a lie. Let me explain.

The first humans to have ever been created were Alastor and Lilith. They were acquaintances and simply live peacefully in the Garden of Eden for a while. There is nothing romantic between them.

Lucifer gets assigned to watch over them and at some point witnesses Alastor interacting with some of his creations. So he decides to ask him about his opinion of them.

They start a conversation about Lucifer's other, weirder, creations. Some of which were rejected by the elder angels.

Alastor, as someone who gets easily bored, finds Lucifer's ideas amusing and intriguing. So they become friends, partially thanks to Alastor's pure fascination with Lucifer's mind, and partially thanks to Lucifer having finally found someone who would listen to his ideas and even like them. Not to mention add some of their own to his to create something even greater.

So they become friends. Lucifer starts visiting Alastor more and more often as time passes.

Alastor witnesses how Lucifer isn't exactly treated great by his siblings a lot of the time and tries to soothe the angel or distract him with a new invention that may never be allowed to be created, but would be fun to think about anyway.

Lucifer gets isolated from his siblings because of his "shortcomings" and at some point ends up in a situation where he has to ask for Alastor's help with preening his wings as no one else would.

Alastor notices Lucifer being uncomfortable and asks about it. Lucifer tries to deflect and ignore the problem but Alastor convinces him to trust him with whatever issue he has. And so - wing grooming happens.

Insert typical Wing Fic tropes here.

This becomes a regular occurrence.

Meanwhile Lilith is just chilling and exploring the garden. Nothing much to see here 👀

Michael is going to be sort of a villain in here.

Michael sees the bond forming between his brother and this inferior creature his father has created and disapproves of it. So he decides he will have to seperate them for the good of everybody.

Michael goes to Lilith and convinces her to help him with that task. Lilith would try talking to Alastor and Michael would talk to Lucifer.

Lilith is confused and uncertain about that. She tries asking questions but he rebuffs her and simply reassures her that it's all for the greater good.

In the end Lilith just asks something like: "What if I can't? What if I don't succeed?" And Michael implies that her existence is at stake if this doesn't work.

Remember: Alastor and Lilith are the first ever humans. They haven't eaten the fruit and know very little of the world, only what they've been told and found out for themselves. And since they have committed no sin yet, they are basically immortal as long as they don't injure themselves to a point of no return. And so they don't know pain like a regular human does.

Lilith becomes fearful of Michael's warning and tries explaining to Alastor the importance of not associating with Lucifer anymore. Alastor is confused and doesn't understand her worry, so he doesn't listen. Lucifer is too much fun for him to just abandon him like that. Besides, he's started to care some for the angel. He won't just do something without a good reason for it.

Alastor, in this sense, knows more than Lilith since he's been in contact with Lucifer (who's been explaining things to him) for a while now. Alastor would know more of the world than Lilith and wouldn't just make a rash decision to follow any order he is given like she does.

Michael also fails in convincing Lucifer that Alastor isn't worth his time. The conversation does rather the opposite of what he wanted, as Lucifer is reminded of all the things Michael and the other angels didn't do for him, that Alastor did in their stead.

Alastor and Lucifer talk about it and simply decide to ignore them and continue as they have.

At some point Michael gets frustrated and gives Lilith an ultimatum. Get this done by the end of the week or God will be informed.

"Remember, your existence might be at stake." And so Lilith panics.

Nearing the end of the week, Michael becomes impatient and introduces Lilith to something no human at that point has ever experienced. Pain.

He cuts her hand with an angelic weapon to prove to her what she could feel (if not a 100 times worse) if she doesn't comply. The cut is shallow, barely there and Michael heals it afterwards, but Lilith has never experienced such a horrible thing before. This was pain? And it can be a lot worse?? No, she has to separate Lucifer and Alastor at any cost.

Michael stays in the shadows and observes, satisfied.

Lilith, out of desperation, reaches the conclusion that it would be better for Alastor to get hurt than her, since he is the one who doesn't wish to listen to God's will. And so, in a frantic state of panic, Lilith attacks him.

She doesn't really know what would happen if she hits him hard enough with a rock or sth, since neither of them have ever truly witnessed death at that point; so she tries hurting him to show him the consequences of his actions if he doesn't listen to her.

Alastor ends up accidentally killing her in self defense. Alastor pushes Lilith away but as she rolls away from him she hits her head on a rock and dies that way.

Alastor explains everything to Lucifer and Lucifer goes to find Michael because this situation stinks of his interference.

God finds out about the situation and sends both Lilith and Alastor's souls to Hell.

Lilith starts hating Alastor and Lucifer from then on. So when she and Alastor meet in Hell, she screams at him that if he'd just listened to her, they wouldn't be in this situation. He tries reasoning with her, even as much as he's angry with her, but she just storms off away from him.

The first residents of Hell have been added.

Alastor still gets his deer like characteristics as he spent a lot of time in their presence at the Garden of Eden.

Meanwhile, Lucifer finds out where Alastor has ended up and tries to convince God to change his mind. He doesn't.

So he makes a plan. The new humans have been created. They're supposed to be better than the last ones. Lucifer tries to prove God wrong by getting Adam and Eve in trouble. He tries to prove that just sending every human who has made a mistake in Hell without a chance to redeem themselves gets you nowhere. But his plan doesn't work the way he wished, as Adam and Eve are turned mortal and Lucifer gets sent to Hell as well.

Michael is the last person Lucifer sees as he falls, wings cut off, betrayed and in pain.

Alastor finds him and helps him heal mentally and physically. They end up actually getting together there and they are the most disgustingly adorable couple ever.

They build Hell up and create Pentagram City. They're happy and the people of Hell respect them and appreciate their presence.

Lilith's POV meanwhile: she starts asking questions like: Okay but what if nothing bad would have happened if Lucifer and Alastor stayed together? What if Michael lied to me? Well, he could still have hurt me (for his own agenda) when I was alone, since Alastor spent all of his time with Lucifer. And I don't have anyone else. Well, if I have to be miserable and alone, then I'll make sure they are as well. And I'll take Hell for my own in the meantime.

So now she hates all three of them. Yes, she's a victim but she chooses to deal with the anger and grief she has in a toxic way.

Charlie will still exist in this universe, but for now, she'll be a creation of Lucifer's who somehow combines his and Alastor's energies, and uses whatever powers of creation he has as an angel, to create her.

Even with the depressing circumstances of only being able to see the worst of humanity, Lucifer doesn't fall into depression like in canon, not to that extent at the very least; Alastor an Charlie would be there for him after all.

He ends up ruling hell well, having Alastor's help doing so as he is the more politically savvy between the two of them.

( Spark of Redemption: After being cast down, Lucifer could create Charlie as a symbol of hope. Her creation could combine his angelic power with Alastor's understanding of humanity, creating a being with the potential for good even in Hell. Balancing Darkness: Charlie could be born as a counterpoint to the growing darkness in Hell. Her presence, filled with Lucifer and Alastor's love, could offer a glimmer of light for lost souls.)

( Showcasing the respect Hell's residents have for Lucifer and Alastor can be done through small details: demons seeking their counsel, celebrations held in their honor, or acts of loyalty in times of trouble.)

The Morningstar family is as wholesome as it can get in a place like Hell.

Shared Responsibilities: Charlie, with her inherent compassion, focuses on rehabilitation efforts in Hell, while Alastor manages the day-to-day operations and Lucifer acts as the final authority figure. They respect each other's strengths and work together for the good of Hell.

After a few decades in hell, Lilith disappears. No one knows where she went. She's gone for a long while until she pops up again, more powerful than ever.

In reality, Lilith made a deal with Roo. It is in Roo's interest that Lilith uses her concerts to spread sin and rebellion in order to turn Hell into a domain of evilness to fuel her power. Roo in return gifts Lilith power, she becomes strong enough to affect most with her voice and words, even someone as powerful as Lucifer himself.

No one but the two of them are aware of this deal being made. The deal was made some time after hell establishes a proper society with its own system.

Lilith decides to build her power, by making deals with other demons for their souls, her deal with Roo enhances those deals and gives her a larger boost than it would have given her otherwise.

Lilith decides it's time to enact her revenge.

She targets Alastor, knowing that without him, Lucifer will crumble under the pressure like what happened in canon with his depression. This would cause Hell to go in chaos once their powerful leader seems to have lost any care for the souls in his domain. This would spread sin and rebellion in Hell even further.

Lilith holds Charlie hostage as she makes a deal with Alastor for both Lucifer and Charlie's safety. She uses her voice/songs to brainwash them into forgetting Alastor's very existence. She does the same to the whole of hell.

Instead, she replaces Alastor with herself in those memories and convinces everyone that she's been the one by Lucifer's side all along. For the safety of his loved ones, Alastor signs away his soul to her. Lilith forbids him from approaching Lucifer, and from telling him anything about the truth of what actually happened between the three of them (Lilith, Lucifer and Alastor).

In the meantime Alastor's powers are severely restricted and he is not allowed to make deals for other demons' souls in an attempt to increase his strength.

Lilith goes to Heaven, making sure that Roo's plans for the yearly exterminations are going well and that her hidden seeds of sin in Heaven continue to grow. Lilith is strong but not strong enough to defeat Lucifer in battle. Replacing his memories of someone with another wasn't easy, but was simple enough to trick the mind to do.

She knows she can't convince him to give her his crown, not now anyway. She is convinced she would rule Hell eventually. As Roo's powers from the spread sin and chaos grow, so would hers - a nice gift from Roo to her, as she's doing such a fine job on their deal. Lilith disappears for seven years.

After all that Alastor tries his best to regain any power he can. He looks for loopholes in his deal with Lilith and realizes that Lilith didn't forbid him from approaching Charlie, so once he feels he can be of help to her in any way, he would approach her.

Lilith didn't forbid him all interaction with Lucifer. Lucifer can still approach him himself and they can talk about other things that don't include the contents of Alastor's deal.

Alastor also figures out that Lilith had made a deal with someone powerful, he doesn't know who, but he knows she can't have gained abilities strong enough to manipulate an angel from just deals for others' souls.

Alastor is convinced, however, that given time and some reminders Lucifer will be able to break through Lilith's deception, as he is still more powerful than she is. (he is right).

For now Alastor has a new goal: Get stronger and get noticed by the king of Hell somehow. That's how he becomes an overlord.

Once radio was brought in hell, he makes it a part of his brand (as it is in canon);

That's how he meets Vox. Here is why they don't get along in this AU. For one, Vox is a clout chaser while Alastor does radio mainly for himself and his own enjoyment; and other such character differences that get in the way of them being truly close.

Alastor one day approaches Vox with an idea: bring others' memories to the screens of their TVs. Vox loves the idea, he imagines he could make a whole lot of profit by exploiting sinners' longing for home by bringing their memories of Earth to their screens.

The project is going well and Alastor finally decides to share his reasons for coming up with such an idea. He tells Vox that someone he loves was attacked by another with the ability to erase his loved one's memory of him. And he wants that person to remember him again.

Vox becomes angry with Alastor, since he has a crush on the Radio Demon and doesn't want to help him reunite with his love. Vox puts an end to that project. Vox and Alastor fight and Alastor manages to win even with the restriction placed over his powers.

Alastor was really powerful before it. Even now, restricted, he will be above average in regards to power even compared to the other overlords.

After that Alastor disappears for 7 years - like in canon. Maybe he's looking for alternative ways to get more powerful. Maybe he finds out that cannibals have just that little bit more power to them than regular demons and joins them as he has nothing left to lose. Maybe he's looking for other demons with the power to affect the mind. Maybe he tries making deals for favors instead of souls. Maybe he gathers allies to fight alongside him against Lilith for the future. Idk.

Alastor uses his weakened powers to subtly manipulate events around the developing hotel, guiding Charlie's path with anonymous warnings or nudges to ensure her safety.

After he comes back, the events in canon from season 1 proceed to happen as they originally did. The only difference being that Alastor cares about the residents of the hotel more than in canon.

He sort of becomes "the dad" of the group, before Lucifer shows up.

Lucifer and Alastor still have their fight in "Hell's greatest dad" with their song. The difference is that Alastor has different motivations for being angry with Lucifer. He intentionally calls Lucifer a dud in their song, because he is angry with how neglectful he had become to Charlie in the 7 years he was gone.

Canon events happen as they originally did until the end of season 1. Alastor still makes a deal with Charlie for a favor. The difference is that this time he plans to use it in a situation like this- example: Charlie's loyalty to her friends might threaten her safety and Alastor plans to use his favor to make her run if needed.

Alastor uses his fight with Adam to test his strength and see if he has managed to get any stronger despite the restrictions he is under. He still loses that fight. Even if some of his strength was returned it isn't anything significant. Alastor learns to use whatever little powers he has as efficiently as possible. Low effort maximum efficiency.

After that first season Alastor and Lucifer start getting along better. Lucifer realizes Alastor was angry with him for his absence in Charlie's life even when he doesn't know where that anger stems from and resolves himself to be better for her in the future. He tells Alastor so and they forgive each other for whatever wrongs were inflicted. They still tease each other often, but that's just a part of their dynamic.

Eventually Lucifer will start getting dreams of things that look like memories but can't be because he doesn't remember ever having done those things with Alastor. He ignores the dreams, dismissing them as wishful thinking as he had started to view Alastor as a close friend after they forgave each other.

Lucifer slowly falls in love with Alastor, and those dreams continue to haunt him.

Alastor never fell out of love with Lucifer to begin with.

There will be a whole lotta angst in regards to Alastor. He will have to realize that during the time him and Lucifer were separated they have become different people entirely and he will have to let go of the past and maybe get used to Lucifer and him being friends because he doesn't know if they'll ever be anything more.

And with how much he's changed - becoming an overlord and a cannibal to boot, he doesn't know if Lucifer could ever accept him. Especially since at the time he just sees him as just another terrible sinner.

Alastor falls in love with that new version of his husband and Lucifer does the same.

Eventually Lucifer breaks through Lilith's enchantment and him and Alastor have a proper reunion. Lucifer will break the enchantment on Charlie soon after.

Alastor writes down what happened and explains why he made the deal with Lilith (he can't tell anyone anything, but he can write it down)

Lucifer will be able to get him out of it with some time.

Eventually they will fight and win against Heaven.

Maybe they'll cause a rebellion in Heaven by it's residents by using both Lucifer's angelic power and Alastor's radio show to broadcast the truth of their pure leaders. The ones that take pleasure in killing and hunting those who are already down.

Whew! Done! Finally! Whoop!

It turned out far longer than I thought it would but here you go ig.

[dev-mars]

Garroth’s Betrayal

Garroth was in a depressive episode but even then I can’t see him betraying Aphmau and Laurance (the two people he trusts most in this world.) Like clearly Garroth can be a jealous person but he also bottles his emotions till he absolutely can’t anymore (usually till outside forces make him tell the truth.) I feel like his jealousy would have more likely led him to close himself off again and his extreme self hatred would grow rather than him just deciding to betray them. Especially because Phoenix Drop itself is one of the most important things to Garroth. But, if Zane or Lillian did something to cause Garroth to spiral and back him in corner it would make way more sense for him to rely on the only person that can understand everything he’s facing, his little brother.

Lillian says she’s a herb specialist it would have been interesting if she had given Garroth a potion or item that worsened his mental state. Something that made him more paranoid and anxious. Like Garroth has an overwhelming feeling of doom. Zane’s plan could’ve had begun as soon as they got back from the Malachi arc. Possibly, Zane found in an item that causes Garroth intense nightmares or Lillian is able to control dreams sort of similar to Malachi’s magicks . So Garroth stops getting sleep because of his nightmares. The dreams could just be a million different scenarios but they all lead to Phoenix Drop’s destruction. So he doesn’t know what’s going to happen and the cause changes in every dream. One of the worst dreams involves Laurance giving into his shadow knight form. He kills the entire village including Aphmau and her sons. Once Laurance is himself again he begs Garroth for forgiveness and death. He pleads with Garroth to make him pay for what he’s done.

All these dreams cause Garroth to begin to isolate himself. Then from his lack of sleep he begins to impair his judgement and this is when Zane really begins his manipulation. Zane reaches out to Garroth, Garte is becoming dangerous to everyone (some kind of lie that makes it seem like Zane has no where to go) he somehow creates a lie that opens up communication again. Garroth can’t differentiate between his scared kid brother and the high priest Zane, after all he still is a protector through and through.

Garroth is barely keeping it together and he’s wearing his helmet again. Everyone is noticing this change but Garroth says he’s fine and he’s still managing to keep up his duties as head guard. Garroth feels like he’s going crazy but he can’t falter everyone is relying on him. Garroth is also talking to the enemy (Zane) and he can’t tell anyone because they wouldn’t understand. The final nail in the coffin is when he sees the illusion of Laurance and Aphmau.

They kiss in the clearing and break apart to have a quiet conversation seemingly to themselves. Garroth intently listens despite his heart aching. Aphmau confesses she’s been having terrible nightmares and she falls apart in Laurance’s arms. She sees Phoenix Drop burning to the ground and Garroth realizes she’s having the same nightmares as him. Then she finally says she can’t trust anyone but Laurance and she suspects Garroth is betraying them. He’s been pulling away from them and Aph can’t even recognize him anymore and Laurance agrees with her. Garroth sneaks away after this and decides that he’ll make sure everything is okay. He’ll fix everything at Phoenix Drop and leave for O’kasis so he won’t cause them anymore pain. So, he tells Zane of his dreams, the amulet, and he agrees to go to O’kasis as long as Zane never harms the Phoenix Drop and its people. He’s convinced himself that what he’s doing is for the greater good. He can handle it. He’ll make sure everything is alright, after all he’s a protector and he never deserved Aphmau and Laurance anyway.

[cosmicjoke]

Am I the only one who finds Erwin and Levi's relationship toxic?

I've read your discussions and I agree that in ACWR Erwin set up a plan to get Levi to join the SC that would get his friends killed. And even though Levi is betrayed when he learns of the intentions of this man he has blindly followed over time, and even though he realizes that the man he followed for his ideology does not serve that purpose, he still follows him. It's very disturbing that he follows him for no reason, even though he's following him for this purpose and even though he finds out that it doesn't serve this purpose, even though he has no reason to follow him, in a way. Did he wonder if he himself was part of this betrayal? Was the deaths of Farlan and Isabel also part of this plan? I would have given him the right to hold a grudge against Erwin just because of their deaths, but he doesn't even do that, let alone mention them once.

I think this is a failed character script and characterization

I will never understand why people romanticize it by saying they have a great relationship.

I agree that Levi's situation is really sad and I find it disturbing that he follows him despite all this.

Erwin didn't want Furlan and Isabel to die. I don't know why anyone thinks that. Yes, he endangered their lives by forcing them into a military unit that has an astronomically high death rate, and I'll agree 100% that Erwin's manipulation of Levi and his friends was the most morally wrong and unethical thing he ever did. But it wasn't his intention for them to die. He used them, undoubtedly, but Erwin isn't a sadist, and he isn't a bad person, despite his many, many flaws.

The thing that needs to be understood about Erwin is, he bought into his own line about fighting for the victory of humanity as much as anyone else. He convinced himself that's what he was fighting for, as a means of coping with the truth, which is that his true motivator was discovering the truth of the world to atone, basically, for the death of his father.

This self-delusion of Erwin's begins to unravel during the Uprising Arc, when for the first time, he does something that is counter to humanity's well-being, that being the military coup he enacts. And we see Erwin begin to spiral from there.

Levi trusted in and believed in Erwin so much because Erwin, in fact, WAS a great leader and DID have a far-reaching vision that allowed the Survey Corps to make more progress toward freeing humanity than any other leader in the SC's history. Levi never "blindly" followed Erwin. He took plenty of issue with Erwin's methods and approach as a leader. But he also trusted in Erwin to do the right thing because, up until the Uprising arc, he always had when it came to benefiting the greater good. He trusted in his abilities as a leader because he'd proven again and again to be someone worthy of that trust. It's why Levi thanks Erwin near the end of his life and tells him that it's thanks to him that they've made it as far as they have. That's the truth. The SC never would have made it to that point without Erwin's leadership and guidance.

Erwin began to sink into a mire of self-loathing and guilt (which in and of itself proves he never was some heartless, uncaring sociopath), and that colored his own perception of himself as somehow unworthy or undeserving of his role as Commander. But Erwin was never the bad person he believed himself to be. Yes, he was motivated by a selfish dream, but the moment that dream began to interfere with his actual ability to lead, we see Erwin start to fall apart and the self-loathing begin to consume him. If he was actually a bad person, he wouldn't have felt anything at all about it. He would have been a-okay with the dawning realization that he'd been selling people a lie this whole time to get them to sacrifice themselves. And it's also important to understand that Erwin, even though he wasn't able to completely let go of his selfishness, and he needed Levi to make the choice for him, he WANTED Levi to make the choice because he WANTED to do the right thing. He just knew he didn't have the strength to do it on his own. But the desire to do the right thing, even as he lacked the strength for it, is also proof that Erwin wasn't some horrible, evil man that was just out for himself.

Levi is a better person than Erwin. But then, Levi is an exceptionally good man. Most people aren't as good as him. It doesn't mean Erwin was a bad person, just because he wasn't as selfless as Levi.

Levi has a greater insight into people than basically any other character in AoT. He sees people for who they really are. And he saw a goodness in Erwin that Erwin couldn't see in himself. That's why he followed him. Erwin was flawed, and in some ways, weak, but ultimately, he cared and wanted to be the leader that everyone believed he was. Levi helped him become that leader.

Their relationship isn't romantic or "great", maybe, but it's important and meaningful and, ultimately, deeply poignant.

Again, this desire to see Levi "hate" Erwin for failing to be the perfect, ideal man is more projection than anything. People projecting their own lack of sympathy or empathy or compassion onto the most empathetic and compassionate character in the series. Of course you're going to be disappointed when Levi doesn't succumb to the same, vengeful mindset and petty grievances that most of us would.

[antianakin]

I was watching a scene from X-Men ‘97 the other day which reminds me of how the Jedi are treated in-universe and out-of-universe is eerily similar to how Mutants are treated in the Marvel Universe: feared and hated by an ungrateful population of civilians who don’t understand them or their way of life.

There definitely seem to be some similarities, and while I am not by any means an expert on the x-men, I feel like the purpose of this scapegoating is slightly different in the two narratives.

In Star Wars, the Jedi being destroyed and weakened is a comment on how society slowly letting themselves be consumed by greed and fear can overwhelm even the best of intentions until all that's left is darkness and hatred and pain. The Jedi represent the best of what people have to offer the world, but anyone's kindness can be overwhelmed if they aren't mindful enough. The Jedi get scapegoated as a representation of how people are more inclined to lie to themselves than face their own truths and how that can spread to cause pain and suffering beyond yourself.

To my understanding, the X-men represent marginalized groups in society who constantly have to fight for their right just to survive. The X-men get scapegoated because that's how marginalized people are treated in real life. They're not the best society has to offer necessarily, they're just different. They're normal people, with flaws and feelings like anybody else, and they want the freedom to be able to behave like anyone else without being ostracized for something a regular person wouldn't even get noticed for doing.

There's overlap in the theme of fear of the unknown leading to selfishness and hatred and how people will excuse evil deeds done to other people if they can convince themselves it was done "for the greater good." Star Wars I think wants you to look at yourself first, recognize your own fears and biases, while X-men seems to focus more on making a statement about society at large.

[g00ngala]

hopefully this is the last long post i will ever have to make about hit disney show the owl house but I am so sick of people posting paragraphs of lukewarm takes on philip's death so. one last rant for the road, i suppose.

belos's death wasn't unsatisfying, nor was it purely physical. first of all, philip is a representation of greater societal problems (which are notably still there, remember, there's people who want to reestablish his order for their own gain). he is a plague and parasite on the world and a demonstration of humanity's worst cruelties, and his pathetic death by boiling rain and stomping as the most true and good character, who does her best to do right by everyone and believes in second chances, in the entire show, looks at him with no emotion in a way that directly parallels the way caleb's ghost looks down upon him, and he claws at her feet in a desperate attempt to use another person's good nature once again to get what he wants, and fails and dies, is INCREDIBLY symbolic.

and TWO. the point ISN'T that philip is an Evil Liar Who Lies and his backstory is being shafted for simple evil, he is an incredibly realistic depiction of how many people are consumed by their fear of what they don't understand and their hatred, let it fester into a desire to harm, and then elaborate lies to not only manipulate others but trick themselves by their own rhetoric so they don't have to feel bad for it

throughout the show philip is paralleled to cult leaders and militaristic dictators, and he is LITERALLY a puritan colonizer. philip is white man ego in its purest form. yes, the awful society is 75% the fault of Just One Guy, but this is a cartoon. he represents every man who has tried to build a world like this, who burns what he doesn't understand and makes up lies to justify it and trick his own guilt into not eating him alive.

people keep bitching that philip didn't truly face his own lies and realize how awful he was before he died, or that he wasn't given any chance to change, but philip has run the fuck out of chances. the point is he will never learn because he chooses not to. philip had to die because he'd rather lie and rot and take everyone down with him than EVER admit he's wrong. he killed his brother because he tricked himself into believing that caleb betrayed him, romanticized the idea of Caleb in his head and delusionally convinced himself that he tried to save him, while his knife hangs over his brother's ghost eternally, symbolizing the shoved down guilt he'll never truly outrun.

he made hunter believe it was his fault that philip repeatedly harmed him, he told the people of the isles after slaughtering them over and over that it's better if he rules them because he is better than them, he eternally victimizes himself over and over because he is an abuser. his lies are not just to others but to himself. he makes himself believe that the ends justify the means, when the ends are nonsensical rhetoric and the means are horrific violence. because philip is a person who may have had the capacity for good, but he chooses to live in his own hatred and rot everything around him, taking advantage of hunger for power and good natured kindness in the same breath, and he chooses to turn away from the mirror every time, to refuse to acknowledge the monster he's become because he's a coward.

the titan said it themself. his motives aren't genuine, not because he's evil for evil's sake but because he'd do anything to continue to live in his own delusion of heroism and perpetual victimhood. philip is someone you can find in the behaviors of dictators and colonists and evangelical christians and run of the mill abusers all throughout history. this doesn't make him a cookie cutter villain, it makes him a REALISTIC villain, or as realistic as you can get in a cartoon on the disney channel. he wants power and he wants admiration and he wants death and suffering to the people he's scared of, and he'd rather kill himself and take everyone down with him than ever face who he is.

not all villains need a redemption arc to be complex. he doesn't love to rub his hands together cartoonishly and watch the world burn, but some people do actually enjoy harming others. but the realism comes from how he lies to himself and others about it.

sometimes someone can be truly evil, not because they were born that way, but because they choose to be, and because they choose to live in denial about it until they're rotting in the ground.

[accirax]

initial thoughts on DCAS episode 20

^ reminder for everyone that this applies to these initial thoughts as well! it was quite the surprising sight to have pop up at the beginning of the episode, though.

... what is Emily's motivation to kill Trevor here, exactly? i guess she took a page out of Riya's book when it comes to pushing gays off of cliffs.

yayyyyyyy, they're finally getting along! :D

does framing people for theft and twisting their already broken ankles count as "working"?

i guess we do know from Aiden in Season 2 that Tom and Jake were the most popular players. it makes sense (especially given the grandparent context Ally goes into), but it was still quite surprising.

i really hope that Tom and Jake talk this out at some point, whether in the finale finale or in the tomjake miniseries, because the truth of the situation is that Tom's absence from Jake's life was contributing to his misery, which was apparently much greater than anyone expected. i know that Tom never intended it to be that way, but i'm also sure that his fooling around with lying about having a boyfriend wasn't doing Jake any favors. i just want to make sure that the inadvertent hurt that Tom caused Jake doesn't get swept under the rug.

haha, it's puns in visual storytelling :)

this is understandable. Riya can and will use your backstory against you.

.......................................sigh

this might sound like an odd critique given how much people love to dunk on DC's writing (especially in All Stars), but i actually think that the ONC writers don't have enough faith in themselves. i mean that in the sense that, across the season, they set up really compelling plotlines and rivalries between both Jake/Ally and Connor/Riya that people will naturally want to see fulfilled.

for Ally and Jake, just being here and being forced to work together after everything they've been through is already enough, especially when Connor's hopes are stacked on top of it as well. we're in it with the characters for the ride. so, we don't need more bits of fake drama, like Jake being petty and shocking Ally out of nowhere last episode, or Ally reacting stupidly to Riya's obvious lie, to keep up invested. we don't need a huge last-minute spectacle to feel like Ally and Jake working together is a big deal, because they've been subtly and slowly convincing us of that through the entire season. instead, diverting from the steady characterization to inject needless drama in is just going to convince everyone that nothing matters.

i don't know if this could be a miscalculated flaw from trying to account for the fact that any viewer could hop in at any time on youtube, or appealing to the youtube/tiktok algorithm, or an internal, insecure standard to insert drama into the show at any cost, but i hope that the writers realize how good they are at using heartfelt scenes to build up character dynamics across entire seasons and stop breaking character for silly plot twists in season 4. i have a lot of faith in the writers. i hope they can find that faith in themselves.

y'know, everyone keeps saying that...

OOH THE MOTION BLUR??? POP OFF ONC ANIMATION TEAM I SEE YOU

the "Ally, you're going there!" sign was so fucking funny

that's not very "i'll never work with or trust Riya again" of you, Grett

i literally said before Riya struck her pose, "i hope that Riya does the 'aren't you gay?' pose when it's her turn" and then she did! it's her signature move for a reason ;D

this is, like, the exact same spot and pose as when Trevor initially found Derek and Kristal kissing. i wonder if that was intentional. also, the Gay Thoughts Montage(tm) was really funny.

why would you do it like that? hasn't Trevor suffered enough...? (/j)

@venus-is-thinking pointed out the hilarity of Jake being the one to say this, as he's one of the two contestants who actually has been in the mines before. i guess it just goes to show how disorienting the bags were.

get his ass!!!

i KNEW Ally was going to make a minecraft reference as soon as Kristal explained the challenge. miiiiiiiiiiiiine diiiiiiiiiiamoooooooonds...

way to keep your eyes on the prize, queen.

we love money laundering!! (i think that's close enough to what money laundering is? also i'm joking, obviously.)

again, what is Emily's motivation here? i know it's technically "get the show canceled to embarass Kristal," but she really believes in that so strongly as to put the lives of six innocents-- including an eight year old-- at risk to do so? idk, i feel like Emily's character fell off the realm of reality into supervillain status. it's sad :(

boy, i sure am glad that we witness Riya and Yul pick up 10 gems in this scene! (/s /j)

very brave, Jake. i feel like this parallels something in s1, although i can't remember what. maybe it's just Alec protecting Fiore? that doesn't seem particularly relevant, unless Jake is also auditioning to be her dad.

James: wait... does that mean Jake and Ally are going to fall madly in love with each other? #rivalstolovers.

they look like paleontological fossils in there. the fuck happened to them?

somebody, quick, give them a miniseries! this is too good of a poster opportunity to pass up!

you have to make sure you strike a slay pose, even as you're dying.

props to the trailer for making it look like Ally was the one who sent the rocks to James' face instead of Riya. that was a fun setup and subversion of expectations!

see, Riya can and will use your backstory against you! i was kind of expecting her to do this to Jake, too, given the setup from earlier in the episode. i guess they might be saving that for the finale proper, though.

(check out the reblog for my thoughts on the ending, i ran out of images)

[singingcicadas]

The real irony behind the name “Decepticons” is literally this. The overwhelmingly blatant hypocrisy between what they preach and what they do. 

Everything they associate with revolution and emancipation and freedom, those are the real deceptions. They’ll commit terrible atrocities and call it something that’s necessary for the greater good. Like the pursuit of conquest in the name of emancipation. Colonization in the name of enlightenment. Tyranny in the name of freedom. Racism in the name of advancement. Genocide in the name of assertion. Vengeance in the name of justice. Subjugation in the name of order. Fear in the name of control. Control in the name of stability. They’ll say for the people and kill the weak and sick for fodder and spare parts. They’ll say freedom of choice and kill neutrals and dissenters or just anyone that’s not fighting on their side. The entire Decepticon cause is one huge deception.

And everyone’s either aware and proud of it, or coerced/brainwashed into being aware and proud of it. So much that they actually start to believe in their own lie. This is especially true for Megatron as he takes his personal delusions for absolute power and love of violence and convinces himself into thinking he’s some kind of visionary deliverer with a responsibility to lead the Cybertronian race to greatness&peace. or something. 

They deceive even themselves.

[isan0rt]

I think one thing that really sticks with me in interpreting how Dark Road shapes Xehanort is the fact that Xehanort truly was raised to believe himself to be the only one truly strong enough to do what needs to be done to save the world. An interesting thing I think is to look at the way Xehanort’s apparent perception of Baldr changes after his world tour...but not really the crux of his feelings about Baldr, which is that I truly think he sees Baldr as pathetic, in both senses of the word.

Before the tour, Baldr evokes pathos from Xehanort. He feels sorry for him; he takes the time to leave flowers on his grave, but crucially, does not actually express regret for killing him. What he expresses is that he thinks this is the best outcome for Baldr; 

Xehanort: Baldr... Now you and your sister will always be together. You'll always have the light to share.

Killing Baldr was a mercy, from Xehanort’s perspective. Baldr wasn’t strong enough to handle the Darkness. He wasn’t strong enough to face a world of nuance alone. Not like Xehanort, who is determined to be strong enough. Who was born to be strong enough; who then decides to prove he’s strong enough by removing his armor in the space between worlds. 

Then, there is the comparison between Baldr’s dying words, and what Master of Masters and Xehanort express before and after his world tour:

??????: Let me guess... You thought your heart was strong enough to withstand the darkness in there.

??????: Human emotions are complex. For example, what you feel toward someone you love isn't always good or well-meaning. It can be a false kind of light. Which begs the question: are these messy feelings that emerge from love still light? Or are they darkness?

Baldr’s love for Hoder was a false kind of light. It was one that smothered, one that made her responsible for his well-being. Baldr can’t separate his own feelings from other people’s; his worldview is completely self-absorbed. Other people are having feelings at him; Hoder is there to spread her light at him. He can’t see beyond his own pain and his own needs, and what love he has for Hoder is really about what she can do for him; a love that isn’t good, or well-meaning, but toxic for both of them until it kills them both.

Xehanort knows this. His experience, as Master of Masters asks about, tells him this; he saw first-hand how that false love destroyed both Hoder and Baldr, and their classmates as collateral damage.

Baldr’s last words have this to say:

Baldr: Xehanort... Do you see now? There's them...and there's us. When we find the strength to pursue our goals, they condemn us, insisting that our strength comes from darkness.

Then Xehanort goes on his world tour (and it seems strongly implied that he travels to the future during this time, experiences Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts 3, and comes back with those memories erased, but changed by the experience);

Xehanort: Those who are weak, and who desire greater power, simply strip the strong of their power, and convince themselves they've earned it. That's how people become tainted by darkness. They believe what they want to believe, using hollow reasons as justification. They repeat this cycle, and their darkness grows.

??????: So you're saying the weak feel the need to justify their actions to maintain a sense of self. Can't let that slide?

Xehanort: No, it's better they be ruled by darkness. People carry delusions of having power, but it's a lie. 

Baldr is the sheep pretending to be a wolf, slaughtering their friends to build his own power through the act. Baldr no longer evokes ‘pathos;’ now, for Xehanort, he is the other definition of ‘pathetic;’ “miserably inadequate, of very low standard.” Xehanort’s opinion is now that Baldr was too weak to handle being weaker than Hoder, being weaker than his classmates, so he killed them all, and pretended that made him strong. He told himself lies about how they were feeling things at him, and how that justified what he chose to do.

Xehanort looks down on him. Xehanort will be better than him. Xehanort is truly strong, he believes; all his life, he’s been practicing control. Managing his own feelings. Keeping them separate from those of others, not allowing them to be tainted by the emotions around him. Being flawless, to be the change he was born to be. He will do what’s necessary to make sure nothing like Baldr can ever happen again, and he won’t let feelings get in the way. It’s the reason for his existence, after all.

What comes next is too important.

[sage-reads-things]

What I like about Seiji is how straightforward he is. He sees injustice and he deals with it—through legal means if possible, but if there's a drug cartel that keeps evading the law, or a corrupt businessman who's convinced the police to turn a blind eye, well, he isn't going to wait for the official channels to magically become workable. He seems to see himself as a knight templar, someone who dirties their hands for the sake of a greater good. It's a refreshing character type compared to the other characters we've seen, including the Yozakuras themselves, who accept work indiscriminately and eschew morals in favor of whatever the client tells them to do (hell, we just had an entire mini-arc about this very topic!)

I feel like Senji's total inability to lie is a side effect of his straightforwardness. Sure, he can say things that are untrue, but his natural inclination toward bluntness means he can't say it convincingly. He's the kind of guy who prefers getting straight to the point. But like I said: who needs lying when you've got a hammer?

[ravelqueen]

Since I only now finished the second season there is already quite a bit of meta available for the end and while I find a lot of it interesting and I'm not saying it's wrong (because who knows where Mr. Gaiman is hopefully taking us) I also think it's fascinating that at the core of a lot of theories seems to be the assumption that Aziraphale acted out of character in that last scene when I find he acted extremely like himself.

1) The decision to go back to heaven

Aziraphale has - different from Crowley - never been comfortable acting independently from heaven. He did it when he found it necessary (and later more comfortable along with the deal) but there's always been a very clear level of discomfort around it. Crowley was circumspect with his more virtuous actions because he was worried about the possible consequences - Aziraphale has always felt guilty, because what if he was really working against Her?

So him jumping at a chance to work with heaven presumably under his directives, under directives that would understand that you can't just e.g. exchange children, a more compassionate heaven makes total sense to me.

And sure he has to give up the comforts he's grown accustomed to - the food, the books, the variety humanity provides - but he's not selfish. He wasn't going to give them up only to make Armageddon possible, but he certainly is ready to sacrifice them for the greater good. As he tells Crowley: I can make things better.

2) Why does he believe Metatron?

Angels Don't Lie.

This season has hammered this idea home and good - sure they can obfuscate, they can leave out details, they can forget, but they don't lie.

And yes of course he himself is proof that they certainly can and nothing will happen, but I do think that he believes himself to be an abberation in this case and that the only reason he hasn't been punished is because Crowley is the only one that knows. And he's still mostly really bad at lying so I think he truly believes he'd be able to spot it - in a way even Aziraphale's first lie was extremely see-through but since angels don't lie they also don't know how to spot them in themselves.

(Plus i also think that since Aziraphale is one of the lower tier angels he's convinced that also gave him a pass.)

3) Asking Crowley to come back to heaven with him, knowing that would hurt him

Now the second part of that assumption is the crux, the most central part to why his actions are very much in character for Aziraphale, because does he know?

I don't think he does and all his actions during their flashbacks and interactions proves that at the heart of it he fully 100% believes that if he could, Crowley would jump at getting to undo his Fall.

Because to him Crowley is good and Crowley is Kind - and he's only forced to pretend he isn't because as a Demon he can't be. And he just wants Crowley to live happily, to be happy and for Aziraphale that means not being Fallen.

I don't think Aziraphale wants to change Crowley or that he spent 6000 years trying to fix him or anything toxic like that. But we see how he feels about the mere idea of Falling, how he acts when he's sure it's his time to go after Job - he's devastated, he's crying, he's desperate.

And it's not like Crowley is helping - Hell is hell and he never sugar coats that. And while Aziraphale had over the millenia gotten a few stern talking-to's, he's never been punished the way he had to watch Crowley he punished.

And on top of it all, he remembers Crowley pre-Fall, how happy, how joyful, how full of wonder and how he didn't have to hide any of this then. How he could just be this way without having to hide it away.

So i don't think he realises that Crowley's decision to be alone so he doesn't have to play along with Hell's schemes actually applies to the whole system.

And the reason he doesn't realise this is because at the heart of it, he believes in heaven. Despite everything, despite the cruelties he's seen and been done to him, he believes that there is something like the Ultimate Good, the place God's plan is truly realised and he believes that that place is Heaven. It's not the system's fault, it's the angels who made the decisions and even those aren't evil (because Angels Are Good) they are misguided or clueless or uneducated etc. Aziraphale clings to this world view and he always has done so - he's even in s2 adamant that Heaven Is Good and Hell Is Evil.

So of course he would want to be in charge, to change Heaven the way he always felt it should be.

And of course he'd want Crowley there; to an extent Crowley is his standard of who Angels/ Heaven should act/be - kinder than anyone no matter the circumstances.

So I do think his offer was heartfelt, was supposed to be their triumph as a couple, to be able to be part of a whole but also together, where they belong and where they can make things better for the humans they're both so fond of.

Even his reaction to Crowley disagreeing to go fits perfectly in what we know of him - we get pretty much the exact same reaction when Crowley refuses to help with Gabriel: a plea, an earnestly expressed desire to do it with Crowley but just as earnest obstinacy to go at it alone if Crowley doesn't want to join him.

So all in all while that last scene breaks my heart and makes me want to shake him it fits so well into the Aziraphale we've come to know that I can't find myself being mad at it.

[fazbear-security]

Soul Shift - Ch. 1

Ao3

A thick packet of paper was tossed onto the desk, narrowly missing the crystal ashtray and the cigar balanced on it. The man seated there looked up over his glasses pointedly, and after a few seconds’ pause, his irritated visitor turned and closed the office door behind himself with far more care. With a hum of acknowledgement, the man at the desk picked up the cigar first, and then the paper packet, and held it out to get a better look.

“We need to do something about that yuck.” The second man dropped down into a spare chair near the desk and sagged down to where he could balance his head on his fingertips. “He’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

“I agree.” The man with the cigar puffed as he flipped a few pages of the incident report. “We’re lucky Dr. Wilkenson only wanted to move on from the whole disaster, and chose not to press charges…but we can’t fire him.” Another puff, another cloud of smoke. “His work is impeccable. The building is always immaculate in the morning, and the stage assets haven’t been this clean since 1986. Apart from this one incident, he’s been a model employee.”

“A model employee who’s one bad day away from ruining the very good thing we have going, here.” Chair man argued, sitting up and running one hand through his graying hair to push it out of his eyes. “The longer he hangs around, the greater the risk that he’ll figure out where the budget’s been disappearing to and-”

“And if we fire him for anything other than a justly fireable offense, he’ll sue us with all the power of the most up and coming law firm in the city.” Cigar man shot back sternly. “Or have you forgotten, Terry, that the sister who picks him up every time he covers a day shift on Tuesdays and Thursdays is Coraline Jones of Jones & Berrenheimer, LLC?” Terry leaned his elbows heavily on his knees, and tugged his tie loose with, perhaps, a bit more force than was necessary.

“I didn’t forget, Sal…” He muttered under his breath. “Brat won’t shut up about her once you get him started.”

“Corporate barely had our backs after Houston,” The man at the desk - Sal - put down the incident report and raised his hands with crooked fingers to act as air quotes. “Moved back to Louisiana suddenly.” He lowered his hands and took the cigar out of his mouth to tap some of its loose ashes into the crystal tray. “If we knowingly invite a wrongful termination lawsuit, they won’t just throw us under the bus, they’ll tie us to the train tracks themselves.” Terry narrowed his eyes, but looked away from Sal’s bespectacled glare after only a few seconds.

Sal leaned back in his chair with a creak, and Terry looked down at his shoes, pressing his knuckles against his lips in thought. He hated it, but his partner-in-crime was right. There was no easy way to fire Mike Schmidt, and with the way he’d been making friends on the day shift, it would be no cake walk to convince another employee to lie for them. Damn…he’d thought they could count on the split between the day and the night shifts pretty reliably, too.

“....what if we didn’t fire him?” Terry spoke up after the quiet in the office had stretched for several long, tense minutes. Sal breathed out a ring of cigar smoke and turned his head just enough to look at the other man through his bifocals. “What if…” Terry sat up a little straighter. “He just took a page out of Houston’s book.”

“It won’t work.” Sal blew another rink of smoke toward the ceiling fan lazily spinning above his desk. “Whatever he does on the night shift has kept those mechanical beasts at bay for more than a year. If he hasn’t slipped up by now, then he’s not going to slip up soon.”

“Then we make sure he slips up.” Terry’s fingers started to twitch, and he unlaced them to drum them against his knees. “We’ll rig the fuse box in the basement. Put a bunk fuse in place of a good one.” He thought out loud. “When the power switches over to the generator at midnight, the fuse’ll blow, and the generator will be shut down.” He reasoned. “No power, no doors, no chance. Bye-bye Schmidt.”

“....” Sal slowly sat up at this and looked at his partner with an unreadable expression. “Terry,” He said quietly, as if concerned his voice might carry too far. “You’re talking about murder. That’s a life sentence.”

“We’re already looking at a felony if word of our little racket gets out.” Terry argued back, though he lowered his own voice to match his manager’s. “Besides, corporate’s already in deep, covering up this kind of thing. We’re not at fault if the company’s machines suddenly go rogue and mince the night guard over a programming error, right?”

“He’s a kid.” Sal reached up and took his cigar out of his mouth. “His family comes here almost every day - hell, a quarter of our birthday parties in the summer come from the foster home alone-”

“He’s a twenty-something college drop out with anger issues.” Terry argued, standing up from his chair. “And he used to be one of those fosters, right? He’s damaged goods - he’s already had one outburst at work - what’s to say he hasn’t another around a kid? That he won’t have another one during a busy party day, except this time, somebody gets hurt, and we get swamped in lawsuits?” A small, sharp smile was starting to creep across the man’s face. “We’d be doing a service, if you think of it that way.”

“This is worse than embezzlement.” Sal muttered around his hand as he pushed up his glasses to rub his face. God, he could already feel the migraine coming on.  “You understand that this is worse, don’t you? Murder is always worse!”

“This is protection.” Terry planted his palms on the desk and leaned over Sal. “We have spent more than a decade pocketing spare change from the corporate budget just to build up the nest eggs that they refuse to give us, and if we don’t do something about this very real liability in the building, we’re risking it all.” Terry plucked the cigar from Sal’s limp fingers and stubbed it out in the ashtray. “I’m not going to risk my granddaughter’s college funds in the hope that Schmidt will keep his nose out of our business, and I know you wouldn’t risk your grandbaby’s medical coverage...would you?”

The chair scraped loudly over the old wooden floor as Sal suddenly stood up, and Terry jerked back in surprise. He’d been hoping to get a rise out of his long time partner, but he hadn’t been expecting such a cold, hardened glare. The man raised his hands off the desk, half-placatingly, as Sal picked up the cigar and held it between them.

“Never ruin my Belicoso again.” He threatened lowly before dropping it back into the crystal tray. “...you said you had a broken fuse for the box?”

“Yeah. Kitchen staff reported it last week. Jeremy (the old one) swapped it out on Friday but left the burnt one sitting on top of the box.” Terry replied, still tense and poised to dodge an outburst. “There’s a back-up in the box, still, but if we swap them around, then the generator will stay off when the power cut happens, and we won’t risk a fire.”

“Then the next time someone needs more supplies, volunteer to bring them up from the basement, and switch out the fuses.” Sal turned away from the desk, massaging his temples with one hand. God forgive them for what they were about to do, if he had any mercy left. “Lock the door behind you once you’re done. You and I will arrive bright and early, before Anders gets in, and clear out whatever suit they use.

“We’ll double down on the advertisement of the new character corporate sent over, and say that Schmidt just didn’t show for his shift. No video means no evidence, and if the police come sniffing around, then we dress up the incident report a bit more.” Sal shrugged. “Throw in a few added swear words and threats of violence, I don’t know.”

“A dead man can’t file a defamation lawsuit.” Terry agreed with a smile that bore a striking resemblance to a hungry shark. Sal very pointedly did not look at it. “I’ll make sure Schmidt’s day shifts are covered ‘as a favor’. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the break.”

“I’m sure…” Sal took a deep breath, and then, with his back still to his partner, waved a hand to dismiss him. “Get back out on the floor before the staff start to whisper.” He ordered. Terry didn’t respond, but Sal heard the door open and close, and slowly turned around to stand over his desk. He picked up a small, ornate frame that held a picture of a little toddler with hollow cheeks and a glowing smile. He rubbed his thumb over the edge of the frame, and the placard that read ‘Grandpa’s Strongest Angel’, and slowly put it back on the desk.

He sat down, and picked up the incident report before burying it at the bottom of his lowest desk drawer. Then, he turned on the monitor of the computer sitting to one side of the desk, and navigated through the files to the payroll folder.

Schmidt wouldn’t be needing a final paycheck after tonight.

[flatstarcarcosa]

I want to say that I can’t believe she did this, but it’s half a lie if I do. Emily will do anything at least once if she can convince herself its for the greater good, or progression of science, and she is very good at convincing herself that everything is.

What I really mean is that I can’t believe there was enough of him left to work with.

I said he was coming with us because in the moment it felt like not just the right choice, but like the only choice. For that moment we weren’t... us.

We weren’t standing in her office looking into strange eyes on a familiar face, we were back in the diner. It was the same feeling when I found them, starving and each with a foot on deaths door, and I knew that leaving them behind wasn’t possible.

I know they were both almost grown when we met, and I’ve never once tried to make them think of me as their father but I chose to make them my responsibility and that never changed.

Leaving Isaac to die in that building has felt like I failed at that, and I worry now that bringing his clone back with us has less to do with the clone and more to do with me attempting to assuage that guilt.

Maybe my life has just been a series of failures and attempts at fixing those failures then failing themselves, and it’s just an endless circle I’ll never break free of.

If that’s the case, what was I trying to fix when I found them in that diner?

[cosmicjoke]

I think these two panels demonstrate one of the key, fundamental differences between Levi and Zeke, which I want to delve into.

I've talked before about Zeke's narcissism, and I think the above panels of him are really exemplary of that personality trait in him. But it's even more obvious when compared to the panels of Levi's monologue, because they're both talking about and demonstrating basically the same thing. That is, self-sacrifice to attain a certain outcome.

That self-sacrifice being getting their hands dirty, taking on the role of "the monster" in order to achieve their end goal.

But the key difference lies in what that end goal is, and that in turn exposes both the truth of Levi's words, and the falsity of Zeke's.

Levi is willing to get his hands dirty, to make the sacrifice of engaging in quote on quote "monstrous acts" in order to give people the freedom to choose for themselves, whether good or ill, while Zeke is willing to get his hands dirty, to make the "sacrifice" of engaging in "monstrous acts", but in order to choose for people, while calling it freedom and mercy. 

The above panels of Zeke always struck me as deeply insincere, because there's a heavy quality of self-aggrandizement and self-pity to them. He's entirely focused on his own pain, in having to make the "hard choice" of killing two children, having the gall to look sad while doing it, while completely failing to acknowledge or even recognize Falco's and Colt's pain, pain he's causing by taking away, not only their autonomy and choice, but their very lives. He says he cares for Falco, too, so it's "a shame", then, that he has to do what he's about to, which is turn Falco into a titan, killing Colt in the process, all so he can use Falco as a weapon against Reiner. This after Colt had begged him desperately to let he and his brother get out of range before he screamed, not even trying to stop Zeke from going through with his plan, but just asking that he spare them. The "shame", for Zeke, isn't that Falco and Colt have to die, it's that he has to make the choice to kill them, that the burden is placed on him. He feels bad for himself, here, not these two children. Zeke claims to be doing this for the "greater good", to set people "free" from the burden of living, that his actions are noble and good and merciful because it's to end the Eldian people's suffering. But, again, the lie of that is exposed by Zeke's intentions. In the larger context of Zeke's obvious enjoyment in the torture and murder of others, his feigned remorse here only becomes more absurd and rings hollow. He's convinced himself it's for selfless reasons, but you know it's not, because he actually takes pride in his "strength" for being able to do these things. He thinks it's something deserving of praise. He thinks he's special for being able to do what he thinks no one else can, for understanding what he thinks needs to be done.

By contrast, Levi's words and remorse rings true, because he's plainly acknowledging his act of torturing Sannes as something ugly and monstrous, knowing it isn't something noble or good or heroic. He doesn't think he deserves praise or recognition for it, or that he's special for doing it. On the contrary, he calls himself "abnormal". He thinks there's something wrong with him for being able to do it.  Not special, and not unique, the way Zeke thinks of himself, but as if he’s this way because he’s seen too much screwed-up stuff in his life, and he’s trying to prevent that from happening to anybody else. It’s a role he's willing to take on if it means no one else having to do the same. If it saves them from being damned in the same way. He's so upset by Historia's initial refusal to accept her role as queen for the self-pitying reason of not feeling good enough for it, precisely because he knows if she doesn't assume that role, it's only going to lead to more people getting hurt, having to engage further in the ugly sort of business he's just gotten through with Sannes, and he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to have to hurt anyone, and he doesn’t want anyone else to have to hurt anyone. He doesn't enjoy it. He recognizes it as something terrible and cruel, and also recognizes the toll it takes on him, and the toll it will take on everyone else if they should be forced to it.  He’s willing to take that burden onto himself, bearing the weight of that burden, suffering that burden, as long as no one else has to go through it, as long as it keeps more of that sort of thing from happening.  As long as it keeps anyone else, essentially, from turning out like him.  

And here again, we see a key difference in Levi’s and Zeke’s mindsets.  Whereas Zeke thinks everyone else should see things his way, and accept his view, indeed tries to force everyone to accept his view and his solution, (that classic narcissism again), Levi is actively trying to ensure nobody else has to live through the same “abnormal” circumstances he did, in the hopes they don’t end up like him, having to think about and do these ugly things he does, instead of developing into the people they could be if only their lives were better.

Because when he says he chooses the hell of people killing each other over the hell of being eaten, he means he wants people to be able to choose for themselves how they live and die, rather than that choice being made for them. And again, that's the key difference here between Levi and Zeke, and what gives these two scenes a completely opposing feel to one another.

Zeke is making hard choices in order to take people's freedom and choices away from them, deciding for them what they should be, making himself out to be a hero in the process, while Levi is making hard choices in order to give people the freedom to decide for themselves what they want to be, whether that’s good or bad, making himself into a "monster" so that they at least get the choice to be something else.