#and the plot and characters were allowed to develop ''naturally''

[dancing-coyote]

Hold up? Beast machines would've been 4 seasons long?

It COULD have been, there was certainly enough potential for it and 52 episodes would have given the plot so much more room to breathe and develop.

Hasbro officially offered Skir THREE seasons, but he turned them down. You know, like an idiot.

[hazbinhotei]

letting go.

read part one here — the alternate, happy ending.

warnings: heavy angst

word count: 2883

summary: Alastor navigates the weeks following his decision to run from his feelings for you—but has he realized his mistake too late?

alastor x gn!reader. we're going to simply ignore the concept that lilith may appear in future canon for the plot, okay? okay. hope i didn't make this too angsty that it sounds forced, but alas, alastor is nothing but a giant edgelord; so maybe it fits! i struggled a bit with making the ending not so cliché but our beloved radio demon needs the character development. hope you all enjoy (pain and suffering)!

And so, you did as Alastor said.

You moved on.

If Alastor wanted to forget everything that happened between you two that night, then you would allow him the comfort of forgetting it as well.

At first, there had been disappointment. A quiet, aching pain that settled in your chest as you stared at the note he left behind. It was as if the air had been sucked from the room, leaving only silence and the dull throb of betrayal. He had spilled his soul to you that night, clung to you like you were his last tether to reality, and yet, by morning, he erased it all as if it were a mistake.

Then, that disappointment hardened. Turned sharp, defensive. If he could pretend none of it mattered, then you could easily do the same. You could rebuild your walls, strengthen them, reinforce them with the anger that simmered beneath the surface. Because it wasn't just the rejection that stung—it was the ease with which he had discarded you, the way he carried on as though that night had never happened at all.

So, you played your part. You acted as if his desperate confessions, his trembling hands, his broken voice had been nothing more than a figment of a dream long since forgotten. You met his indifference with your own; if he could act as if it meant nothing, then so could you. 

And Alastor? Well, he certainly seemed unaffected. He reverted back to the same charming, grinning menace he had always been. He still walked the halls of the hotel, still indulged in his morning coffee (that you did not make anymore), still meddled in the affairs of others with a tune in his voice and a glint in his eye. If anything, he was more insufferable than ever, as if to prove a point. And so, you let him be.

But something had shifted between you.

You were colder now, your smiles towards him forced, your voice lacking its usual fondness. Your presence, once light and easy, now carried a weight—a distant lull that he had to pretend not to notice. And for all his efforts to carry on as normal, it stung. Every clipped response, every glance that no longer lingered, every morning you passed him by without so much as a word felt like another nail driven into his coffin.

But he bore it.

He had made this choice. He had pushed you away. And so, Alastor swallowed the anguish that pressed against his chest, forcing himself to believe that this was for the best. He kept his peace, and in doing so, protected yours. You should be relieved for such a selfless sacrifice!

Yet, no matter how often he repeated this mantra to himself, the pain never dulled. It settled deep in his bones, persistent and gnawing, whispering doubts he refused to entertain. He told himself that this was the right course, that he was merely ensuring neither of you suffered needlessly. But if that were true, why did it feel like this was the worst suffering he had ever endured?

Sleep had not come easy to him since that fateful night. Not since he allowed himself to collapse into your arms, to sink into the affection he had no right to claim. He had lived in solitude like it was second nature, but now, in the dead of night, he found himself haunted by the ghost of your touch. The way your fingers had threaded through his hair, pointed claws gently scratching his scalp in slow, soothing strokes—it had burned into his memory, a sensation he could still feel if he let himself think too long.

It was absolute torment.

But he went through with it, wearing a carefully crafted mask of a smile on his face as he continued on about his days, pretending he didn’t completely ruin himself with one foolish choice. He ran away—not just from you, but from the love that had threatened to consume him, from the fear of something he could not control. And now, that choice had become his greatest woe, an agony that festered with every moment spent without you.

A week passed since your night together. That's when Lucifer arrived.

At first, Alastor despised him, but not for the reasons he would later come to understand. Lucifer was a threat—a presence far more powerful than any other being in the hotel. The mere sight of him lounging around, making himself at home in Charlie’s project, set Alastor’s teeth on edge. But what truly unsettled him wasn’t Lucifer himself.

It was you.

Because suddenly, he was sitting beside you on the couch. He was the one enjoying quiet evenings with you in the library, laughing softly at whatever book you had convinced him to read. He was the one passing you your morning tea, the way you had once done for Alastor.

And unlike Alastor, Lucifer wasn’t hiding anything.

The king of Hell had lost his queen, and in the hollow space Lilith had left behind, he had found comfort in you. And Alastor had to watch, day after day, as Lucifer made no attempt to hide his affections. He gazed at you with a softness Alastor had never allowed himself to show. He let his fingers linger when he passed you a cup. He said your name with such reverence it made Alastor’s stomach churn uncomfortably anytime he heard it.

And you? You didn’t shy away from it.

No, you leaned into it. Into him.

Alastor tried to convince himself it didn’t matter. That it was nothing. That you were nothing to him. But then, a laugh—your laugh—rang through the lobby, bright and unburdened as Lucifer whispered something in your ear. And Alastor felt it. The sharp, sickening twist of jealousy. The way it soured his entire mood, left his fingers twitching at his sides, his usually pristine control fraying at the seams.

More weeks passed, and suddenly, it was everywhere.

The way you looked at Lucifer. The way you let him touch you so effortlessly, so casually, as if he had always been the one meant to hold you. The way you curled into him on the couch, nestled against his chest, his arm draped over your shoulders like a claim Alastor had never dared to make. And then, one evening—the final blow.

He hadn't meant to see it. Hadn't wanted to see it. But fate, cruel and relentless, had different plans.

Hidden away in the shadows, Alastor watched as you two curled up on the library's loveseat, a book dangling from your loose fingers as Lucifer quietly snored in your embrace. Alastor tried to convince himself it was accidental, that you had subconsciously drifted toward Lucifer in your sleep. But then, as you sighed into him, pressing closer with a sleepy smile, Alastor knew—really knew.

The choice he made was a mistake.

His hands curled into tight fists at his sides, his breath caught in his throat. His sleep-deprived eyes flickered, pupils shifting into sharp, jagged radio dials as he struggled to keep himself still, to remain unseen. He should leave. Should tear his gaze away from the sight of your flushed cheeks, your chest rising delicately as you nuzzled deeper into Lucifer, the way Alastor dreamed you would hold him.

He had to remind himself; you did hold him like that. Once. And it was all his fault you would never hold him again—because he had been too scared to admit that, for the first time in his undead life, he valued someone above himself. There was no denying it—Lucifer had taken his place, not just in the hotel, not just in the spaces where Alastor once sat beside you, but in your heart.

And oh, how it ruined him.

Alastor didn't know why he was doing this, standing outside your hotel door with a bouquet in hand, unsure if this was a feeble attempt to win you back or a desperate bid for absolution. He spent weeks watching you slip further and further away, his own self-imposed exile turning into an unbearable prison. Every moment spent seeing you in Lucifer’s arms had been another crack in the fragile wall he built around himself.

But now, here he was, gripping the bouquet so tightly the stems threatened to snap, swallowing down the unease rising in his throat. He didn't know what he would say, didn't know if this was meant to repair what was broken or simply acknowledge that he had broken it in the first place. All he knew was that he had to speak to you—had to bridge the gap he created before it consumed him entirely.

The door creaked open, and there you stood, surprise flickering in your expression at the sight of him—at the sight of the flowers.

Alastor forced himself to straighten, his usual confidence faltering beneath the weight of this moment. "Hello, my dear," he said, voice uncharacteristically measured and grin forcibly wide, betraying none of the frantic thoughts racing through his mind.

But instead of scowling or sending him away, you simply smiled.

You opened the door with an gentle look, one that made Alastor stiffen in surprise. You greeted him warmly, as if his presence was neither unexpected nor unwelcome, as if he hadn't shattered something between you just a few weeks ago. He hesitated, the bouquet clutched tightly in his hands. You weren’t cursing at him. You weren’t demanding him to leave. 

"Why are you stopping by, Alastor?" you asked, your voice light as a feather.

His throat felt dry, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out: "I need to talk to you."

You nodded slowly, gaze lowering to the flowers in his hands before taking them delicately, cradling them with care. "They’re lovely. Thank you."

He blinked, momentarily thrown off by your graciousness. He prepared himself for hostility, for icy rejection, for words laced with venom and hurt. But you simply stepped aside, allowing him in.

He entered cautiously, his shoulders tense, his fingers twitching at his sides as his gaze swept across the suite. The last time he was here, he had been cradled in your arms, clinging to you like a drowning man desperate for air. Now, in the bright light of Hell, it was different. Warmer. Lived-in.

His eyes landed on you again—on the way you moved so easily, placing the bouquet down on the counter, filling the kettle to make him coffee. He watched in silent awe, unable to tear his gaze away as you moved with practiced ease, as if nothing had changed between you. As if this were any other morning.

He could feel it now. Hope. Rising in his chest like an unbearable swell, thrumming beneath his skin like a song waiting to break free. Perhaps he had been foolish. Perhaps it wasn’t too late. Perhaps—perhaps—this was a sign.

Then, you poured the drink, no sugar, piping hot, and handed it to him with a small, effortless smile.

Just the way he liked it.

His mind reeled, spinning wildly between the past and present, between what was and what could have been. You still remembered. Still knew his preferences down to the very detail. That had to mean something, didn’t it? That had to be a sign that, somewhere in that heart of yours, you still held some sort of feelings for him, right?

He wanted to believe it—needed to. And as you sat down across from him, your eyes unjudging and bright, he opened his mouth to say anything that would reveal the tremendous amount of pining that plagued him ever since you had shown up to this very hotel.

But then, in the midst of his frantic, desperate grasp for something to hold onto, his eyes strayed past you—past your waiting expression, past the bouquet on the counter, past the hopeful delusions—until they landed on a single frame resting on your bedside table.

The very bedside table where he had placed his note.

A picture of you and Lucifer, your pursed lips placed upon his rosy cheek as he grinned at the camera, now took up the space where his note used to be.

You looked happy. In love.

Something inside him clicked into place. A realization so heavy it nearly knocked the breath from his lungs. His eyes flickered back to you, to your curious expression, calm and gentle. You were not kind because of him—you were kind because you were happy. Because Lucifer’s love had softened you, had turned you into something Alastor had spent his entire life running from.

Someone in love.

His lips parted, but only three words escaped: "You're spoken for?"

You blinked, surprised that those were his first words, but you followed his gaze to the picture frame. Your expression softened, fondness creeping into your eyes as you turned back to him.

"Yes, I am."

And yet, here Alastor was, holding the cup of coffee you made him like it was proof that he still held your heart, a fool grasping at something that had already slipped through his fingers.

You were so close, yet so far. Within reach, yet untouchable. He had once been the one you held, the one you whispered to in the dark, the one who had been allowed to see you in the most vulnerable, quiet moments of the night. But now, you stood before him, softened—not by his love, but by Lucifer’s love.

And that was the difference.

Lucifer had done what Alastor never could—he had made you happy. Genuinely, effortlessly happy. Not in fleeting moments, not in carefully stolen seconds, but in a way that radiated from you, from the warmth in your eyes to the empathy in your voice. You had moved on.

And for once in Alastor's life, he felt truly defeated. But it wasn't what he expected—he expected defeat to feel suffocating, its taste vile in his mouth as it flooded his senses. But all he felt now was emptiness, a hollow, deep awareness that he lost the moment to ever make you his. As you carefully watched him, he exhaled deeply, letting himself sink into the lonely abyss of heartbreak. He almost disappeared into its shadow, lost in the heaviness of his own sorrow—until a gentle weight pressed against his empty hand. His eyes fluttered open, and there you were, your fingers resting gently atop his. As your gaze met his, you offered him a sad, knowing smile. 

And though his heart was still scattered around his chest like broken glass, there was an unexpected comfort blooming beneath the cracks from your smile—an unfamiliar understanding that lessened the force of his grief. He expected only bitterness to fill his heart, the sting of regret and nothing more, but instead, in your presence, in your mercy, he found something lighter. His smile turned genuine as he exhaled deeply, letting the weight of his heartache settle into something he could finally bear. "...I'm happy for you, cher."

Your grin widened, eyes crinkling at the corners as you beamed at him, radiant and warm. It was the most dazzling expression he had ever seen. He held the image in his mind, committing to memory the way your eyes sparkled with pure joy. "Thank you, Alastor, honestly." You paused for a moment, your soft hands still holding his as you sighed. "Whatever we had, whatever happened between us—I don’t hold any bad feelings towards it anymore."

Alastor let out a deep exhale, his shoulders relaxing as he nodded. "I'm truly sorry. For... whatever turmoil I may have caused you. I know I haven't been the most... considerate, these past few weeks."

You gave him an impish look, your laughter ringing out in the space around Alastor, surrounding him like a tight embrace. "Considerate? When has the Radio Demon ever been considerate?"

Your toothy grin seemed to ease the stinging in his chest, the sharp ache dulling as you joked with him like old times. Alastor let out a breath he didn’t realized he was holding, shaking his head before slipping into the rhythm of your banter. It was effortless—so natural that, for a fleeting moment, it felt as if nothing had changed at all. And soon enough, the two of you had fallen into habit, laughter filling the space between you, comforting and familiar.

And in that moment, as he took in the way happiness radiated from you, Alastor felt a shift deep within him. Love—a notion he once had dismissed as weak—now seemed like the most powerful force of all. Because if it could make you shine like this, if it could bring that warmth to your smile, then perhaps it wasn’t something to scoff at. Even if you now belonged to another, you had still offered him kindness. Even if it wasn’t by your side as he had hoped for, you still offered him a place in your life despite everything. And for that, he was truly grateful.

So, with a deep exhale and a quiet acceptance settling over him, he let himself smile. Not the forced, hollow grin of before, but something real. Something gentle. "Love suits you, my dear," he murmured at last, his voice lighter than it had been in weeks. "It always has."

my first ever tag list!! screaming!! @sirens-and-moonflowers @diffidentphantom @catticora

[once-upon-a-stolas]

Long post tonight, but we can't talk about Pre-Murder Family Instagram Stolas without talking about his relationship with Valentino.

But first, a quick rundown for anyone new to this blog, or to these characters...

None of the HH/HB Instagram accounts were run by Vivziepop herself.

Both the Instagram accounts and Blitzo's art streams were crossover events in which the Helluva and Hazbin characters would mingle freely, leading to dynamics such as this one.

It's been speculated that the Hazbin accounts were shut down for legal reasons. This is not true, or at least not the sole reason for it. There was friction between the players and Viv that we will not be going into here.

The Instagram Vees, like Instagram Stolas, were profoundly different characters from the ones who would eventually come to be canon. Instagram Valentino, in addition to abusing and raping Angel Dust, was an animal abuser who routinely used his lover, Vox, as a punching bag.

Instagram Stolas was generous, respectful, and incredibly mindful of Blitzo's consent. There was no full moon deal at this time; Stolas simply allowed Blitzo to use the grimoire at his leisure, his only caveat that Blitzo be responsible with it. When they spent time together, sexually or otherwise, it was purely because they both wanted to.

All of that being said? It should come as little surprise that Stolas despised Valentino. Loathed him, detested him, referred to him as a rat and never missed an opportunity to throw shade at him. The feeling was very mutual, and their interactions were so venomously entertaining that even Vox and Velvette were having a good time.

It can't be stressed enough that Instagram Stolas behaved this way with absolutely nobody else, not even Vox and Velvette, suggesting to both that they could do and deserved better. Instagram Stolas was slow to anger, quick to forgive, and full of good-natured affection for just about everyone he came into contact with, not just Blitzo. The only other time he ever came close to being this disgusted by someone was when a commenter suggested he take advantage of a drunk Blitzo. Here, Stolas pulls no punches, gets Valentino by the throat and throws him around, and he's very good at it. He's classy, sharp, witty, exposing Valentino for the stupid, crass bully he is. He's a prince, knows it, and carries himself like one.

A punk like Valentino who mistreated others, but especially the people he's sleeping with? That was something Stolas couldn't and wouldn't stand.

(There's a blink and you miss it moment where Valentino refers to Stolas as a lonely, thirsty old man, the only time Valentino appears to hit a nerve. One might easily brush this off as a random insult, but Stolas as a character Blitzo's age was actually a very last minute -- arguably too last minute -- plot development that came after Vivzie saw a piece of fanart of the two as children. Instagram Stolas, like canon Stolas at this point, was a lonely older man.)

The last exchange here was posted on October 31, 2020, the day that Murder Family aired. After that, Stolas's characterization on the Instagrams was retconned to align with the character seen in that episode...the one who had no qualms with taking advantage of Blitzo's life being in danger to coerce a sexual bargain out of him. Therefore, it could be said that that reply marked one of the last times this Stolas, the Stolas this blog is about, would appear before his permanent transformation into a character that's often compared to Valentino, and who Instagram Stolas would have undoubtedly loathed.

At a time when Stolas's most defining trait was his patience, his unfailingly warmth and kindness towards everyone around him, and his respectfulness toward his sexual partner, it speaks volumes to his character that Valentino was the only person in the world he truly hated.

[theaawalker]

Steps to Writing an Enemies-to-Friends Relationship (No Romance or Sensual Tension)

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1. Establish the Foundation

Define the Conflict: Clarify why these characters are enemies. Is it ideology, personal betrayal, competition, prejudice, or circumstance? The conflict should feel justified on both ends. Set Clear Boundaries: From the beginning, eliminate any hints of romantic tension. No suggestive dialogue, no lingering glances, no "will-they-won't-they" teases. Give Them Equal Strengths: Avoid power imbalances that suggest dominance or attraction. Their friction should stem from their beliefs, goals, or past—not unspoken desire.

2. Shape Their Role in the Story

Decide Their Narrative Purpose: Will they have to work together against a common enemy? Do they grow from rivalry to mutual respect? Determine how their evolving dynamic impacts the plot. Avoid Romantic Substitutes: Don’t use tropes like “angry confessions that turn into vulnerability” unless it’s clearly platonic. Let their growth come from empathy, not emotional seduction. Let Their Bond Matter: Their friendship should hold weight in the narrative. Make it feel just as powerful as romantic ones—without relying on attraction.

3. Build Their Dynamic

Use Natural Conflict-Resolution: Let them argue, clash, and call each other out. Gradually, introduce grudging respect and understanding. Highlight Differences and Growth: Show how their perspectives shift over time. Let their values clash, then overlap, then align. Allow Emotional Honesty (Platonically): Let them share personal experiences or open up over time.

4. Define Their Chemistry

Make Their Interactions Unique: Their banter, teamwork, or verbal spars should be distinctly non-romantic — more like frenemies turned allies or siblings who used to fight. Focus on Respect Over Intimacy: They may not like each other at first, but they come to respect each other’s strength, skill, or heart. Use Physical Space Wisely: Keep physical contact platonic or avoid it altogether. A handshake, a nod, a slap on the back — nothing coded with longing.

5. Demonstrate Their Impact on Each Other

Let Them Grow Together: Show how they push each other to improve. Maybe one learns humility, the other compassion. Create High-Stakes Collaboration: Put them in situations where they have to trust each other. Show how tension gives way to reliability. Allow Disagreements Without Regression: They can argue again even after becoming friends — just without regressing into hatred or falling into flirtation.

6. Develop a Satisfying Arc

Decide Their Long-Term Dynamic: Will they become close friends, uneasy allies, or respectful rivals? Make sure the conclusion fits their journey. Showcase Their Changed Perspective: Their friendship should feel earned. Use flashbacks or contrasts to show how far they’ve come. Avoid Subtext: Don’t write in lingering glances, “maybe if things were different” lines, or vague emotional ambiguity. Platonic means platonic.

Examples of Strong Enemies-to-Friends Relationships

Film/TV Examples:

Zuko & Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender): From hunted enemies to one of the most supportive friendships in animation.

Magneto & Professor X (X-Men): Ideological enemies who respect each other deeply, even when at odds.

Shrek & Donkey (Shrek): Donkey annoys Shrek into eventual friendship—zero romance, just stubborn growth.

Literature Examples:

Brutus & Cassius (Julius Caesar): Complicated enemies-turned-collaborators, bound by politics, not love.

Nikki Maxwell and MacKenzie Hollister (Dork Diaries): Originally disdainful of each other, they become friends through shared enemies and interests.

Claire Warden & Butch Betcher (The Guardians of Camoria series): Once bitter enemies due to opposing beliefs and temperaments, their mutual goals and personal growth foster a tough-but-loyal alliance rooted in shared trauma and witty banter, not romance.

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thank you @stardustcasti for the request :)

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

how would you go about having a humanoid character not originally built to have wings, grow wings? like, they were originally just a regular human, but through magic stuff they grow functioning wings?

there are two main ways to do this. Limb alteration (arms into wings) or limb addition (adding wings on the back)

regardless of which transformation happens, I think it doesn't need to be as "perfect/balanced" as the anatomy of a humanoid species that evolved to have wings. magic transformations can be a little wonky, a little uncanny. especially if you're adding wings instead of turning arms into wings, and this all goes even more for feathery wings on a humanoid as opposed to bat wings.

Personally I enjoy magical transformation that gets a little gruesome. I never owned the Animorphs series as a kid, read only a part of the series quite out of order depending on what was available in the school library, but I think reading those full body transformation sequences kinda stuck with me lol. It's fine to have magical transformations that just kinda make the wings show up no problem, but if the genre/plot/setting allows it, I think the weirdness and body horror can really enhance the transformation! flesh being reshaped, musculature and bone being added or moved around. etc.

and then of course, I think the person who just gained wings needs to struggle with them for a while, you know? I wanna see the difficulty of learning how to fly and figuring out how exhausting it can be.

as for the actual anatomy, I don't care as much about it being "good" because it's a weird transformation putting wings where they should not be! which is a perfectly reasonable explanation for any unusual placement or lack of body feathers or a tail, etc. I mean I still have my personal limits and pet peeves, but there's more flexibility here than for naturally developed wings.

(image description: two simply drawn humanoid figures gaining wings by transformation, both crouching in agony with red lines drawn to emphasize the painful reshaping of their bodies. the first one is having their arms turned into bat wings. the arms are growing longer, their fingers are curled and crooked, and membranes of skin are stretching out from their body. the second figure is growing feathered wings from their back, which are protruding from their flesh like they're breaking free of it. narrow feather shafts are growing out of their new limbs, looking sharp and painful. they also have new lumps of muscle forming within their torso. end description.)

[gleefullypolin]

The hypocrisy on fandom's reaction of "fell too soon" for friends to lovers

I find it very RICH on the fandoms reaction to S3 and the he "fell too soon" for Penelope. I mean honestly it is a bit spit in your face fantastic the way certain parts of the fandom are wretching on themselves to make that point.

"He didn't like her in season 1." I'm sorry, Can't hear you over "I'm to escort Miss Featherington to the floor" in EPISODE 1. That's what a friend does when a bitch spills her drink on a girl you were having a polite conversation with. Or how about hanging out with her laughing and gossiping like silly goofballs on the side of the dance floor, didn't see him doing that with other people either. Because they were FRIENDS.

"There was no build up previously to show there was a level of friendship there where he saw her any differently than a sister." Ok children...lets move to Season 2. We can talk about the race track and how they spoke about his travels which was very comfortable and very much NOT like a sister. They had an ease, like people who, oh I don't know, had been communicating personally all summer long via letters. And then lets go to Edwina's night where he shares with her that her letters allowed him to get in touch more with HIMSELF. something also so very personal he would not just share that with anyone. (I'll get to this in another point)

"He just suddenly likes her after he kisses her." Big ball of monkey shit here. Colin Sensitive Bridgerton was getting to know himself back in Season 2. He told Pen as much when he gave her the "You are Pen" line. And yes we all gasped and grabbed our pearls at the You are not a woman line, but it was not meant as an insult. Colin inserts his foot so many times throughout the seasons, you would think he could run a mile with his head. He simply means that she is such a dear friend to him he could not forswear her from his life. He has put her in a different category all together in his life. He makes this point when talking to her about Cousin Jack. He calls her constant and loyal and makes mention that their relationship has been so natural to him. He also just soooooo easily makes mention to HER MOTHER that he's been talking to her about things that would make other women blush. Like he doesn't even see it himself that she's just a totally different place for him. He didn't have to kiss her to like her. He already did.

"It all just felt too rushed." I could go on about how they had conversations about their purpose or lack there of, in season 2, more than once might I add, conversations that you would not normally have with members of the opposite sex. The fact that he has told her and proved that he would look after her, he has called her special to him. He has had feelings for her for seasons. Don't get started about the longing stares, they have been there since season 1. You have to actually open your eyes and look at them. Yes there was the whole infatuation of the Marina thing. Of course there was. But if you look at his mannerisms during the entire thing, it screams at you the difference.

But dare I say the biggest and most annoying hypocrisy of them all is that this build up of 2 seasons of them growing friendship, talking and learning about each other, developing feelings for each other regardless if they know what they mean... suddenly is rushed. BUT when compared to other seasons where a brand new face appears and we are to believe that in a weeks time our beloved character is now madly, deeply in love with this person and YOU BUY THAT WITH ALL THE SUGAR IT COMES WITH! Burning for you and Bane of my existence and all????

At the end of the day...live in your trope. I sat through those seasons. I cried through their HEA, I was happy for them. You can dislike the characters for other reasons. Dislike how they wrote parts of the season, don't like the plot points but don't make the excuses above that don't add up.

If you don't enjoy my trope, fine. But please, in the nicest possible way, shut the fuck up.

[bkdk-prophet]

Ochaco Uraraka and Katsuki Bakugou: Who saves heroes when they’re the ones in trouble?

Do ya’ll every think abt how Katsuki took over the “who supports/saves heroes when they’re the ones in trouble” plotline in the current arc, which Ochaco originally had? Yes, that question came to her first when she saved Izuku from the Blackwhip rampage with the help of Shinsou, and once more reflected on that said question with her speech to let Izuku in UA.

But the thing is, her attention has shifted from saving heroes (Izuku) to villains (Toga); even during her speech to save Izuku, she thinks of Toga’s smile and ever since then couldn’t stop pondering it—so much so that she had to voice out this dilemma to Izuku which, after talking to a bit, had her arrive at the same conclusion to save their respective villains.

Where does Katsuki come in this? Well, as seen from his development in the JT arc, a lot of it is centred around being willing to “be saved” and “save” as a hero towards other heroes. He acknowledged the save aspect of “win to save, save to win” and had therefore improved on his ability to lead a team and find compatibility in working with them (Also notice the placement of the texts lmao).

This is a huge sign of improvement, as he used to despise the idea of being saved/helped cause he believed it to be a sign of weakness and vulnerability. Also, the “saving” aspect of heroism wasn’t something that came naturally to him, so instead he put most his energy into winning in order to compensate for it. It was huge character flaw that held him back in a number of ways. However, that flaw had began to unravel bit by bit as early as the final exam arc when he and Izuku had to work together, then the Kamino arc (where he took Kirishima’s hand), the provisional license exam arc (where he trusted Kirishima and Kaminari to win and save him) and had since been accelerated after Deku vs Kacchan pt. 2.

Further down the line, we have seen him grow into the belief that heroes save everyone, even other heroes. But as he’s been opening up to this idea, Izuku’s been closing himself off from this idea in relation to himself. His self-sacrificial tendencies, something Katsuki’s already aware of, were now worsened due to the duty and weight of carrying OFA. As he allowed himself to worry, it became clear to him that Izuku will not share his burdens unless someone insists their presence. Because of that, he’s made it his personal job to follow Izuku to war, catch up to his pace and match him, and make sure he doesn’t endanger himself (this is true before, during, and after Katsuki Bakugou rising).

Going back to Ochaco, it’s clear that both she and Katsuki’s focal point in the “saving other heroes as heroes” plot line is Izuku. The idea of them also being heroes who save heroes had been introduced in the same arc, which was during the JT arc. The difference is that Ochaco had mostly diverged from this plot line, while Katsuki has made it his main priority alongside winning (save to win), cause saving people is what paves the path to absolute victory. He even singles himself out as being the person who steps in when Izuku can’t handle it all on his own. Furthermore, he worked together with Izuku in saving All Might (both their childhood hero) to win against AFO.

So what gives? Why was Ochaco the person to introduce the question of who saves heroes, when Katsuki’s the one to pedal it in the final arc? Why didn’t Horikoshi stick with this motivation for Ochaco when it could’ve been used as an opportunity to make leeway for more romantic tropes concerning the main couple? Where the presumed heroine wants to save the hero, is closest to the hero, and becomes targeted by the villains. The answer is simple.

Horokoshi isn’t following a formula, and loves subverting our expectations.

Ochaco’s crush towards Izuku and former motivation of being the one to support/save heroes acted as a red herring to Toga. Her crush introduced the conflict of how to love others and yourself authentically, a conflict that’s central to Toga and Ochako’s fights all the way up to their final confrontation. Then the “who saves heroes” plot line is what put a crack in her imagine of hero society, a society who views heroes as infallible and abuses their selflessness, making people such as Deku—someone she had idolised for his heart and self-sacrificial traits—buckle under the weight of unrealistic expectations. Although this was important to the development of Izuku and Ochaco’s relationship itself, considering her speech which emphasised that she was one of the first people to truly support Izuku, it also made leeway for her to reflect on how hero society views villains, too. Then there she discovers that she wants to see Toga smile again, and find her among the crowd of happy faces in front of her.

Katsuki, on the other hand, takes on the roles that were expected to be given to Ochaco on account of her ‘love interest’ status. He’s the person whose consistently been saving/supporting Izuku from the first to the last war, the person targeted by ShigAFO cause of his closeness to Izuku, the person that has known about OFA longer than his peers, and the person at the center of Izuku’s “control your heart” plot line. The choice for Katsuki to take on these roles weren’t made willy nilly, as the narrative makes sure time and time again to emphasise that his relationship with Izuku is unique, complementary, deeply personal, and intimate; they are two people who complete each other’s brand of heroism by having what the other doesn’t.

Anywho, that doesn’t mean his individuality as a character is diminished cause these roles are typically associated with lazer-focused-on-the-mc heroines. Remember, his biggest character flaw had to do with being too independent and hyper focused on winning. He was a hero who formerly had trouble with the concept of being saved and saving others, especially towards the person he had refused the hand of and despised all these years, so it’s impactful and telling of his character development to now be the one who outstretches his own hand to other heroes, notably to his classmates and All Might, and most importantly Izuku.

His journey is of reaching an understanding with the person he wronged and couldn’t understand due to the views hero society ingrained in him, and to save that person from themselves. It’s understanding that heroes such as him, Izuku, and All Might, no matter how much power they hold, won’t always win if they refuse saving and support; so far, his arc focuses on the humanisation of heroes. It’s not unlike Ochaco’s, Izuku’s, and Shoto’s, who want/wanted to reach an understanding and save the people they had despised and couldn’t understand due to the views hero society ingrained in them; their arc focuses on the humanisation of villains.

That’s why I’m hopeful about DvK3 happening, where it’s Katsuki’s turn to see and respond to Izuku’s inner turmoil, and save him by his words.

Anyways, I’m sure by now we’ve all reflected on the romantic implications the roles Katsuki takes on, so I think bkdk being implied canon isn’t far off. However, I’m still not sure on what kind of deconstruction/subversion Hori is aiming for—does he want to say that the tropes usually applied to love interests can be platonic? As to say that romantic relationships aren’t always the closest? Or is the rival the actual love interest, and the perceived love interest is not. We’re not sure yet.

[demonslayerunhinged]

Unhinged analysis — Demon Slayer Mark Series d=(^o^)=b 💪

In Search of Acceptance — What Determines a Person's Worth? (Part 2)

Here's Part 1!

The Significance of Muichiro's Fight with Gyokko

We all know that the fight between Gyokko and Muichiro is the least liked in the series so far and the most shat on, with fans calling it mid and lackluster. Especially when compared to the final battle against Gyutaro and Daki in the Entertainment District arc.

But I disagree. First off, not every fight has to be a spectacle. The best fights to me are those that tell a story or a battle of ideologies between the opponents that ultimately result in the development of the protagonist. Second, Demon Slayer is a character-driven story, so the plot is secondary to the development of the characters, and instead, we focus on their journeys, which include their battles. Demon Slayer's antagonists are usually a twisted or exaggerated representation of our protagonist's inner beliefs, fears, and desires. They serve as a mirror that forces the characters to look inward and examine and overcome their false beliefs and inner demons, so to speak.

Gyokko is a twisted representation of Muichiro's view on worth and usefulness. This might seem obvious, but the demons don't value human life, and with Gyokko this disregard is even more apparent by his usage of the swordsmen's bodies in his 'art pieces'.

We also see his disregard in the way he callously spat out the body of that poor swordsmith he ate in the beginning when he entered the village. Rest in peace random swordsmith dude, your only crime is that you had good taste in pottery 🙏🏼😔.

So anyway, Gyokko's view of humans as worthless and insignificant is a twisted version of Muichiro's personal beliefs about worth. This is why Gyokko's comments unlocked his long-buried memories because they were similar to the words uttered by the demon that attacked the brothers, and subsequently also mirrored the words said by Yuichiro.

But here's the thing, Gyokko's disregard for Muichiro and the major mistake that caused him the fight was that he underestimated Muichiro because all he saw was this tiny boy and these weak swordsmen. After all, what can two little boys and two human swordsmiths do against a powerful, old, immortal demon like him? It's just like that can-opener demon said—their lives are worthless. He considers them insignificant, so insignificant in fact that he puts little thought into his methods of killing, like trapping Muichiro in the water vase and sending his little fishies to attack Kotetsu instead of just killing them immediately.

This is also why Haganezuka's lack of attention enraged him because it made Gyokko's presence insignificant. The demon wasn't worth the attention, which to Gyokko made him feel insignificant when it should've been the other way around.

In his attempt to correct things to their natural order in a sick version of 'notice me senpai!' he underestimated not only Haganezuka's intense focus on that autism-fueled sigma grind, but also underestimated Muichiro's abilities and Kotetsu's resilience. By the time he was ready to face Muichiro, it was too late. His hubris and underestimation of Muichiro, the swordsmiths, and the perseverance of the human spirit are what ultimately led to his downfall.

Muichiro's Mark

“For the sake of someone other than yourself, you can tap into an infinite strength.”

Remembering his past and most importantly his brother Yuichiro is what allowed Muichiro to unlock his mark. His core wound was that he as a person was worthless, which is why he adopted his brother's cold and callous attitude but upon revisiting his memories he realized that his brother never hated him and admired his kindness and even considered it as a strength that only the 'chosen ones' possessed which he tried so hard to protect it.

Nii-san did not distance himself from me on purpose, he treated me with importance even till his last breath. He said the “Mu” in Muichirou was the “Mu” in “Infinity”.

Yuichiro recognized his brother's worth and loved him for who he was, but it was his fear of losing Muichiro just like he lost his parents that caused him to lash out, to become hardened and angry. Then, when they got attacked, that was when his true feelings came out. Kindness is Muichiro's strength, when pushed to the brink, it was his brother and the need to protect him that gave him the courage to face and kill the demon.

It was also what made him save Kotetsu which in turn was what gave Kotetsu the resolve to save him too. While one might argue that he saved Kotetsu because of Tanjiro's words, I believe Tanjiro just planted the seed. It was Muichiro who decided to not just save Kotetsu but to protect him at the cost of his own life. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't have some semblance of kindness, even the most viable seed would fail to grow if the soil is dead.

Side note: When Muichiro unlocks his mark, it presents as two clouds on either side of his face. I believe that marks that manifest on the face are representative of the bearer's self-identity and perception. The fact that there are two clouds is representative of his connection to his brother, which I think is a really neat detail.

Revisiting our past and facing our trauma is hard as hell. It's probably one of the hardest things to do when undertaking therapy. While it seems comfortable to repress the trauma, doing so may also hold us back. By facing our demons and accepting the parts of ourselves that we, the people in our lives and society deem worthless, we would be able to unlock our true potential, and I think that's what the mark represents for Muichiro.

So What Does Determine a Person's Worth?

“I am no longer that Muichirou who is empty inside.”

Well nothing. Muichiro's journey of self-acceptance tells us that every one of us has inherent worth. I also believe that his story is a commentary on how boys are expected to repress their emotions from a young age. Boys are conditioned to believe that having and especially expressing traits like empathy, softness, and vulnerability is a sign of weakness, and to be weak, especially as a man, is to be worthless. The same goes for women and girls as well, where you have to display 'masculine' traits to be taken seriously.

Muichiro is a soft boy. He loves making origami airplanes, he is soft-spoken, sweet, and has adorable descriptions for his fellow Pillars even when he didn't have his memories. But he's also a badass who decimated a demon with his bare hands at 11 and became a Pillar in just 4 months. No part of him is more useful or worthier than the other, they were both instrumental in all his actions. When he realized this and his inherent worth as not just a warrior, but also a human being, was he able to achieve his full potential and most importantly to heal.

Perhaps he sensed the emotion in Muichiro's voice, because Himejima abruptly smiled. "Forget it. I don't think I need to worry after all."

In Conclusion, self-acceptance is the way to go, never underestimate anybody including yourself. No matter how weak you perceive yourself to be when the time comes for the sake of others, the people you love, and most importantly for yourself, you too can tap into infinite strength ❤🌫.

Quotes are from the unofficial translation of A Promise of Tomorrow

[riddles-n-games]

Hey guys, I've been seeing another rift going on in the fandom regarding TGG and TIG characters, so I've decided to make a statement that can hopefully make things more cohesive.

I understand that not everyone likes the new spin-off and honestly, I'm considering just stopping after GU. Personally, I don't have anything against the characters of TGG but my problem is that they sound too much like our old mains. However, that's not their fault. It's the author's. There's nothing wrong with JLB wanting to expand the TIG universe but it is problematic when you are repeating the same character arcs of the old characters that are also present and interacting with these new mains. The problem that we face is the fact while even in The Naturals there are similar characters, they are divided by different series. However, that is not going on here with TIG and TGG. TGG is a continuation of TIG and our TIG characters are still present. Heck, one of our old mains is a player and a love interest here to one of the new mains. And therein lies the issue. When you have a connected series, it's important to have distinguished characters with different voices, not carbon copies.

What I expected for TGG characters was that she would move from the character tropes we've seen already in the series and come up with new ones. I mean, come on, she's a psychology major, we bring that up so often but what's the point when she keeps going in circles and never brings up anything new? I pointed a lot of this out pre-read because I already correctly guessed where this was going within just a few pages of reveal. Don't get me wrong, if she wanted to, she could do it but it doesn't feel like she has new plans or plots. Be honest with yourselves and don't just praise because she's your favorite author. You can be a reader, a fan, and a respectful critic all at the same time. Don't lower your expectations just because they can't deliver every time.

The trouble is that when you go back to TFG, in the acknowledgments, she herself wrote she wasn't sure there was going to be a third book. And now look, suddenly two books were announced a month or two after she released the last book of the trilogy which introduced our mains and not the most fashionably. I do believe she had ideas but I don't think they were the best fleshed out. You have to realize that just reading TGG, how many of you recognized the obvious plots, the romantic subplots, the character arcs, and even the semi-hidden plots just getting to the halfway point? And how many of you said, hey, wait a minute, we've had this plotline before? You did, didn't you? I want to give Jennifer the benefit of the doubt but I truly think she is in over her head because I don't believe she quite thought that this is how long the series would go.

In fact, I think that she is making more trouble for herself in trying multi POV for this new series when really I think it should have just been Gray taking over. It would have allowed us to see how he's grown especially after the heartache and mental health issues he's had to go through to get here. It felt like the obvious next step, even the summary for TGG made it sound like that. However, the only thing that seems new to me is the hypersexual atmosphere which also makes no sense to me because teens may go through attraction but that doesn't mean they're horny all the time and anyone who's gone through puberty can attest to that. So I ask again, like one reviewer on Goodreads put, were the romantic moments in the room with us? 12 hours is not love or romance, it's lust, that's it. Couldn't summarize it clearer. If she wanted to make it better, it could have been that she made the book stretch over a series of weeks which is why I wonder what the heck will happen to any character development if this book series is done in like 3 days?

As I said, a lot of things feel very repetitive, the plot, word choice, thought processes, quotes and sayings, etc. We are in a loop. She's in a loop. I think that the best thing JLB could have done is leave TIG alone for a few years after TFG, make a new series or whatever works outside this series she wanted to, give herself time to truly see if she has new stories to tell for TIG by writing a spin-off and then come back to give us that content. Because it's really telling how forced things have been in the last two books, even here with GU and I really think this empire is toppling. As they say, quality over quantity and thoughtful than full of thoughts that are just a variation of one another. That's what makes me think more and more she should have left it at TFG.

Thank you for reading and I hope this gives a new perspective that can help you see some things more clearly.

[sutashii]

Hoshina Soshiro x Writer!Officer!Reader

setting: you are an officer of Third Division, and one of your hobbies is to write different fictional stories. as soon as Soshiro finds out about your hobby, he, as a true fan of literature, will never leave you alone anymore.

pairing: Hoshina Soshiro x Writer!Officer!Reader

warnings: lots of lolz because Soshiro is a tease, but nothing explicit here

notes: yes, Soshiro have read even NC-17 works of yours hehe. it was really funny to write lol. btw this one is about 3,8k words, it’s longer than my usual drabble-like works. but i still hope you will enjoy!

tag section: @moon-cakiie Thank you again for your support!

On the Edge of a Sword

You worked hard to finally become who you are today.

Long days and even nights of training sessions, reading books about kaiju up and down, each time more and more dangerous battles on the battlefield made you the one who can lead others. The one who can assess the situation with a second glance, react quickly, or hide and wait for the right moment when you can deliver the most devastating and accurate blow.

But, naturally, you, like all officers, had your favorite hobbies. After all, you were a simple person who loved, for example, to eat well or sleep longer when the situation allowed it. On weekends, you went out into the city to look at the shop windows and walk around the shopping centers, absorbing the noise of the crowded streets and seeing with your own eyes what you were trying so hard for.

And you also really loved to write.

There were times when inspiration would hit you, and for several days in a row you would scribble something in the notes on your phone in any free minute - during meals, in between workouts, before and after showers. These were short notes about ideas that came to your mind and that you absolutely could not lose. They were about the development of the plot as a whole, about some small details that were definitely worth mentioning, about dialogues between the main characters.

But there were also days when you didn't want to dive into it at all because of the accumulated fatigue, so you put off writing the next chapter until next time. The fatigue had been especially strong lately, considering how much more dangerous kaiju attacks had become. However, you still found time for what really made you happy.

One such day, during your lunch break, you hurried to finish your lunch as quickly as possible and go out for some fresh air. You thought much better outside, even though you were surrounded by the polluted air of a noisy city. At Defense Forces’ Base, by the way, the air seemed cleaner, but you tried not to fill your head with such details, because otherwise you risked losing the thread of the story. You fished your phone out of your uniform pocket, opened your notes, and, exhaling, began typing.

Today, it took you only a couple of minutes to get into the right mood. Your fingers flew across the touchscreen keyboard, and your breathing seemed to have almost stopped, concentrating a small influx of fresh air at the very top of your lungs. You already knew how you wanted to continue your new story. All that was left was to write a few chapters in which the main heroine's dilemma would come closer to its resolution, and in which her love story would reach its climax.

"I wonder who you're texting with that excited expression," a painfully familiar voice sounded in your ear, making you flinch and your heart sink into your heels. You instinctively pressed your phone to your chest, hiding the screen, and carefully looked up.

In front of you stood your vice-captain himself.

"N-Nobody," and it wasn't a lie, you noted with your inner voice. You really weren't texting anyone at this moment, so you couldn't be caught doing anything. And anyway, is it even forbidden to write love messages during a break? Why vice-captain was looking at you with such a sly squint?!

"Yeah? And it seems to me that I had never seen anyone other than you who typed so fast," Soshiro said with feigned thoughtfulness, clearly testing your strength. You felt that he had been watching you for a long time and noting your actions, and today was clearly no exception. You attributed his behavior to his vice-captain duties, to the need to keep an eye on each of his subordinates so as not to miss any danger. However, you did not expect that he would appear in front of you so clearly and ask you a question directly.

With Soshiro… let’s just say it was a bit complicated. You knew you couldn’t be too open with him. It would sound stupid from the outside – everyone knew that the vice-captain was always reliable, that he would always listen and support, even if he didn’t forget to have a good laugh. However, you knew very well that if you dug a little deeper than his carefree nature, you could find a calculating mind that noticed every detail about everyone. You were wildly impressed by his ability to pick up even the smallest facts and put them together to give a crushing verdict. Naturally, you were both fascinated and scared by this.

Because there was no way Soshiro should have known that you were in love with him.

"You misunderstood," you smiled awkwardly, turning your phone back on. The screen showed an unfinished sentence, and you sighed tiredly. "I'm not texting anyone. I'm finishing up the chapter."

"The chapter?" Soshiro asked, opening his eyes slightly. Your heart skipped a beat, because every time you saw the vice-captain's gaze, your own lingered longer than it should have.

"Yes," you nodded, smiling nervously. He wouldn't scold you for doing something like that during lunchtime, would he? "I promised my readers to post the chapter last week, but, as you know, the kaiju attacks make their own adjustments to our plans."

Silence fell between you. You anxiously chewed your lip, a bad habit that should’ve been gotten rid of a long time ago. Soshiro froze, his gaze piercing you with a very serious expression. Did you do something wrong? Was it really written in some regulation that you can’t do this, especially during duty? Did it even apply to breaks?

"Vice-captain, I assure you, I do not write anything that could somehow reveal our officers’ duties," you hastened to justify yourself, so that Soshiro would not think in any way that you were giving away Defense Forces' secrets. It would never have occurred to you to do so, because you knew perfectly well how important and dangerous your work was, and any ill-wisher would certainly learn something from your works. You could not and would not take such a risk.

"I know that you would not do such a thing," he finally said, and you felt your heart begin to beat at a normal speed again. "However, I will certainly take it personally that I am still not on your reader lists."

You froze, unsure of what to say. Did you hear wrong, or did Soshiro really just complain that you didn't share the link to your author page?

"Sorry, vice-captain, but I don't think you'd like that," you said, and Soshiro's grin only widened.

"Oh, I get it. Fanfiction and all that stuff, eh?" Soshiro sat down on the bench next to you, his smile oozing with cunning and something else you didn't quite catch.

"Well... not only that," you cleared your throat, the awkwardness of the whole situation causing a slight blush to play on your cheeks. "My page used to only have fanfiction on it, but I've been writing more original stories now."

"Interesting," Soshiro nodded and handed you his phone, to which you could only raise your eyebrows in surprise. "I'd like to read it in my spare time. If you don't mind, of course."

"S-Sure," you nodded, trying not to squeal in joy, shame, and excitement. With slightly shaking hands, you took Soshiro's phone and began to type in the address of your author's page. "Here, you don't have to register, even unregistered users can read and comment here," you expertly instructed your vice-captain on how this Internet platform works, to which Soshiro nodded in satisfaction.

For the next few days, your interaction with Soshiro was reduced to almost nothing, except for training and sparring sessions. You were tirelessly practicing your fighting skills, training almost to the point of exhaustion, so you could not find even a second to ask Soshiro his opinion. And, frankly, you were too embarrassed to do so, so you decided to simply ignore the situation, and Soshiro only helped you in this, literally evaporating into thin air after each training session.

After a few days of hard work, you finally found enough strength to look at the updated statistics for your works. The platform allowed you to track the daily growth of views, likes, and comments on your works, and it was very convenient because you did not have to manually scroll the page and keep track of it. When you opened the statistics this time, you were surprised to find that even on your very old works, the number of views began to increase proportionally to the number of chapters, and you turned off the screen of your phone in a panic and buried your face in the pillow. You should have expected this, having given your vice-captain your page, but you still felt awkward. Did Soshiro really even read this?!

It was more than strange for you to feel two such different worlds touching each other, especially in such a strange manner. You even partly regretted giving Soshiro your account with a bunch of similar works, because after reading them all, Soshiro would definitely not let you live a quiet life. You secretly hoped that Soshiro would quickly get bored of reading second-rate fanfiction on unfamiliar fandoms, but on the other hand, you were offended that he would not even get to your latest, more serious works, and the difference between them and fanfiction was colossal both in time and in the quality. And why did Soshiro start reading from the very beginning, and not from the latest works?! After all, if he understands that there is nothing to catch here and gives up reading, only your worst works will remain in his memory!

You let out a heavy but quiet breath, trying not to wake the officers in the neighboring bunks. Shame and disgrace, that's what had been playing in your blood for the last few days. There was something thrilling in the fact that your love had paid so much attention to your work. You smiled to yourself and mentally crossed your fingers in the hope that Soshiro would finally tell you his opinion.

The days continued to slip through your fingers, and the interactions between you and Soshiro continued to be limited to just a few words during training. You began to worry even more. Was it really that awkward to talk to you after what Soshiro had read? You continued to practice your close combat moves with particular thoughtfulness. Punch, dodge, counter, dodge again. Suddenly, it hit you, and you almost squealed right in the middle of training.

Did he even get around of reading NC-17 rated works?!

You were ready to bang your head on the floor from indignation and shame. You hadn't thought about this at all when you gave Soshiro the link to your page. The awkward feeling you had felt earlier? It was nothing compared to what you felt now, knowing that Soshiro had probably already gotten to the particularly intimate works that you had started writing a little later. You tried your best to continue training as if nothing had happened, but these thoughts just wouldn't leave your head.

"Don't get distracted, or you'll be eaten alive on the battlefield," Soshiro reminded, coming closer. Even he noticed that you weren’t feeling well, and you hurried to tidy yourself up as much as possible - at least to remove the "I'm dead" expression from your face.

"Yes sir," you said crisply and continued practicing your close stance and punches. Soshiro's gaze lingered on you a little longer than it should have, and you were about to ask if everything was okay, when suddenly...

"A true samurai never backs down from the obstacles that Lady Life throws at him," Soshiro said with feigned loftiness. His lips were still adorned with the same mischievous smirk that he usually bestowed on his subordinates when he was plotting something or noticed something incriminating. At first you didn't pay much attention, but a few seconds later, when Soshiro had already gone off to give help to other officers, you felt as if you had been doused from head to toe with ice water.

It was a quote from your fanfic.

You really wanted to bury yourself in the ground and never show yourself from under it again.

Which is essentially what you did. Now you were deliberately avoiding Soshiro, unobtrusively, but still trying to cross paths with him less. The feeling of shame was growing in you exponentially, and you didn't know what to do.

For the first time in your writing life, you were afraid to open the statistics. However, once every couple of days you still did it, looking at the phone screen and squinting, afraid to see the obvious. You sighed heavily. Soshiro really did go through the NC-17 fanfics and also liked them, like the previous ones. At least he didn’t write comments, you thought. On the other hand, you really wanted to hear his opinion about your writing skills, because it was obvious that the newer the works were, the better their quality changed. At least, you wanted to believe it.

Weeks passed. You carried out your duties as an officer of the Defense Forces responsibly, training hard and bravely defending the city from the attacks of the kaiju. The battles were not easy, and despite the support of Hibino Kafka as Kaiju No. 8, it became more and more difficult to deal with the threats. However, at the end of the day, you were happy that you were all a team that stood up for each other.

You were standing on the balcony of the main building. The setting sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon, and the air was starting to get cooler. By your calculations, Soshiro should have gotten around to your original works by now, and you were especially curious about his opinion, but you didn’t dare to ask him directly. Since then, you hadn’t had a chance to talk. Your conversations had mostly been about work, barely touching on aspects of your personal lives, and not a word had been said by him about your works. This could only mean two things: either Soshiro was simply choosing a more convenient moment to share his positive impressions (and the thought of this warmed your heart), or things were so bad that it was easier for him to pretend he hadn’t read anything (and this thought had already hurt you and your writer’s ego). Or maybe Soshiro was just trying to make sure that you really didn’t include work details in your works. This option seemed the most reasonable.

But most of all, of course, you were worried about your latest work, which was in progress. As already said, you would never take details of your officer entourage to write a work, and for the sake of everyone's safety, you were going to stick to this rule in the future. However, the only detail that could be latched on was the love interest of the main heroine. A short, dark-haired man with an athletic build, a traditional swordsman who devotes all his free time to training, cheerful, but at the same time serious in the right places, did not leave your regular readers indifferent either. Hino Shigekazu became the absolute star of your work, and you understood why. His entire image completely repeated the image of your vice-captain, and from the very beginning you understood what thin ice you were walking on, but you could not find the strength in yourself to delete or stop working on this work. In many ways, the main heroine reflected your values ​​and principles, and her love interest in Shigekazu only added color to the existing plot. The two of them really were a great couple, and that was the only thing stopping you from deleting this work.

It was too filled with your hope that something similar would happen in your life someday.

"It's almost time for lights out," a familiar voice said from behind you, and you flinched. A smile appeared on your face involuntarily, and you turned around. Hoshina Soshiro was standing right behind you. His body didn't show any tension even after a long day of training, and his neat but strong hands, usually so deft with swords, were now hidden in the pockets of his uniform.

"Yes," you nodded and forcibly returned your gaze to the sunset creeping behind the night clouds. "I'll be leaving soon."

"Don't worry, I'm not a mother to keep track of who goes to bed at what time," Soshiro came closer and leaned his hands on the balcony railing, also turning his gaze to the setting sun. "However, if you stay up late, as your vice-captain, I will be obliged to intervene."

You smiled and exhaled in relief. You missed your casual conversations so much, missed Soshiro's attention, which at such moments was directed exclusively at you. His presence always caused an indescribable storm of emotions in you, even if you were just silent next to each other. You felt his care, albeit sometimes hidden under a layer of strict remarks and bitter jokes. Despite the difference in your positions, you always felt equal to him when it came to the two of you.

"I never thought that fanfiction is such an interesting thing," Soshiro chuckled thoughtfully, and you almost lost your balance. Is he going to discuss all of this right now?!

"I'm glad that, uh, it gave you some pleasure," you muttered awkwardly.

"At first, of course, I thought it was a hopeless undertaking," ouch, you thought. Soshiro really knows how to press on a sore spot. "But as I read, I couldn't help but be amazed about how quickly your writing skills have grown. I can confidently say that your latest works can easily compete with the current authors on the market."

Gods, it was so nice to hear those words after so many weeks of uncertainty.

"Vice-captain, you're too kind to me," you tried to return your face to normal state, but you couldn't wipe the stupid, satisfied smile off it. Praise from Soshiro meant especially much to you.

"Oh, no, I have a lot of complaints too," Soshiro said playfully, crossing his arms. "Let’s take your latest work, On the Edge of a Sword, for example. Why is Hino Shigekazu such a slowpoke? I understand that it's the author's intention, but didn’t you think that he may have noticed his feelings for the main heroine a lot earlier, not after 16 long chapters?" you couldn't believe your ears. Was he criticizing his own image? "He's not stupid, after all. You pointed out his attentiveness to his surroundings, so why do you think he wouldn’t notice such an important detail from the start, especially with a woman he clearly cares about?” Soshiro shook his head, and something inside you clicked. This conversation was hardly a normal critique. “When writing a love story, pay more attention to the chemistry that occurs between the characters. Many of their interactions may not seem like what they seem at first glance.”

“Vice-captain,” you began cautiously. You weren’t stupid either, but you still really wanted to check your guess. “Are we really talking about my work now?”

Soshiro smiled slyly. “Like a kitsune, huh,” you thought, and an idea for your next work instantly popped into your head. However, for now, you quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

“What if not?” Soshiro raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtfully into your eyes, and you quickly looked away.

“Then… you know my answer,” you said with a tremor in your voice, this whole situation was so absurd, but at the same time romantic, just like in the books. The sunset, the one-on-one conversation, the veiled confession of love - all of this ignited your writer's heart and gave it inspiration, but, of course, it was all secondary. You couldn't believe that Soshiro really, really admitted to you that he noticed your feelings from the very beginning. And that he approved of them and believed that they were mutual. Oh, Gods. You were ready to pass out right then and there.

"No, I don't know," Soshiro smiled, and your breath caught in your chest. He really wanted a direct, unvarnished answer from you, even though he had admitted his own feelings in such a sophisticated way just a minute ago. You just shook your head and smiled. Something about the vice-captain remained unchanged.

"Vice-captain," you said, plucking up the courage to meet his gaze. "More precisely... Soshiro." You narrowed your eyes slightly, tasting the name, savoring it on your lips. "I... I care about you, as you may have already realised. No, not like that. I could even say that I love you, and those feelings are much more than just the relationship between a vice-captain and an officer. Of course I do not expect you to reciprocate, and if you decline my feelings, I assure you that our relationship will remain the same as they are now. This will not affect my duty as an officer in any way," a bitter lie. Of course it will, but you still will do everything possible to survive this. After all, your duties cannot allow you to behave recklessly because of emotions.

"I believe you. However," Soshiro said thoughtfully, his gaze radiating seriousness as if he was in the middle of a battlefield. "My feelings for you have gone beyond a work relationship for a long time ago already," he went silent for a moment, but then his face lit up with a sly smile again. "You specifically wanted me to say that out loud, didn't you? Tsk, well, 1:1."

You laughed heartily, happiness filling your lungs and your stomach twisting unpleasantly with excitement, but you were willing to put up with this feeling. You knew that in the end it was justified and even pleasant.

"Sorry, vice-captain," you breathed out and smiled again, still not believing what was happening. This wasn't another one of your fantasies, not another one of your works, but reality? Wow, you really could be considered lucky.

"Well, I'll be looking forward to new chapters," Soshiro stretched, moving away from the balcony railing. Despite his outward calm, you could tell from his voice and posture that he was nervous too. It was cute, you thought, but you didn't dare say it out loud. "And be sure, I'll be expecting even more interesting plot twists from you."

"Yes sir!" you said, a wide smile still playing on your face.

Soshiro always knew how to make you happy.

[writing-cins]

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐎𝐓𝐏 - 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

I’ve been shipping my OC Mara with Alastor ever since I joined the Hazbin fandom, and over time, their story has grown into a detailed lore.

There are two AUs where I ship them. The first is a Human AU, which covers their full story from life to afterlife. The second is a Hell AU, where they meet for the first time after their deaths. I mostly use the Hell AU for short stories and drabbles that often contradict each other. It's just for fun and doesn’t have lore as developed as the Human AU. Everything I post about this ship or my OC takes place in one of these two AUs.

Mara and Alastor first met while they were alive. Mara was a singer at a local jazz club in New Orleans, which drew the attention of Alastor, the city’s most popular and renowned radio host. Long story short, they fell in love, got "married"*, and after dying some time apart, both were dragged to Hell. They spent a long time searching for each other until they finally reunited. Not only defying the concept of ’Til death do us part’ but also to make their marriage finally officially on paper*, they remarried soon after and since then spend their afterlives together.

Mara and Alastor are both similar and completely different from each other, balancing each other out perfectly. You can imagine the shocked faces when Alastor introduced her to the other hotel residents. The Radio Demon? Married? To such a beautiful and kind woman? What sounds like a bad joke at first soon develops into a surprising dynamic, with Mara keeping Alastor at bay while she supports the Princess of Hell in her ambitious project. At the hotel, she finds a new home where she shares a space not only with her beloved husband (who's been away for seven long years) but also with a group of chaotic sinners who quickly take a special place in her heart.

Mara means a lot to me. She isn’t a self-insert, but she’s a multifaceted character with traits that might surprise you but that also reflect some of my own. May it be hobbies, personality traits, quirks or music taste...

Given how much her and Alastor’s story has evolved, I’m considering creating a long-fic that portrays their love story from life to death.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

*Due to Louisiana’s anti-miscegenation laws, interracial marriages were illegal until 1967, meaning couples faced severe legal and social consequences: criminal charges, fines, imprisonment, or forced annulments. The only way for a non-white person to avoid these discriminatory laws was to "pass as white," which besides having a "white" appearance, also means hiding their background to present a white public image. But I don’t want that for Alastor.

While we know little about his human life or appearance, I don’t want him to "pass as white", as it would erase the significance of his Creole heritage, reducing it to a convenient plot point without truly honoring his cultural identity. I don't want his identity as Creole to feel like an excuse to explain away a privileged existence, while still allowing him to draw on specific cultural ties. Instead, I like to imagine him with dark brown, wavy hair, brown eyes, and naturally tanned skin – especially since nothing is canon yet.

This means that Mara and Alastor, as an interracial couple, either had to marry out of state or informally within Alastor’s Creole community. But since these unions weren't recognized by Louisiana law, I refer to them as "married" rather than legally married. In Hell, they re-enacted their wedding not only to defy the standard of "til death do us part" but to finally make it official on paper. Even if that means exchanging rings a second time.

[writingquestionsanswered]

ant tips on writing episodoc story but still having an overarching plot?

Overarching Plot for Episodic Story

It really depends on how you want to structure your overall story. With an episodic story, you can either take a big story and break it into smaller pieces--at which point the overarching plot is just the regular plot--or you can follow a TV show model and tell more encapsulated stories that are united beneath an overarching plot.

In the case of breaking a story into smaller pieces, you're going to flesh out your plot and structure the way you would if you were writing a novella or novel. Then, you'll look for natural "episodes" within to break up the story. Most of the episodes will likely center around a story beat, such as the introduction, the inciting incident, the dark night of the soul, etc. In this scenario, the story is the story. The story you're telling is the one that resolves the main conflict.

In the case of a TV show model, you're sort of telling stories within a bigger story. I like to use The X-Files as an example here... the overarching story (aka the "myth arc") of TXF was aliens and the government conspiracy to hide their existence. But the everyday story was two FBI agents tasked with investigating unsolved paranormal cases. Many of the episodes were stand alone stories known in TV as "monster of the week episodes," because they center around a different conflict or "monster" each week rather than being progressive segments of a primary conflict. However, the "myth arc" would be explored and furthered with periodic "myth arc episodes" where the central conflict was specific to the myth arc. And, sometimes monster of the week episodes would tie back to the myth arc or would have a myth arc subplot. So, in this type of story, you still want to look at the premise and flesh out the main plot as you would for any other story, figuring out the "myth arc" conflict, the "big bad," and what the protagonist must do to resolve the myth arc conflict and defeat the big bad. However, rather than break that story up into smaller pieces, you'll figure out a "monster of the week" framework that works with the premise and allows you to develop the characters, explore the world, and tie in bits of the "myth arc."

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[hrts4hanniehae]

With Seventeen

*this is not a representation of the members of svt irl. y/n race and character type will be pre-determined to allow for a better plot.

masterlist

relationships

Y/N calls everyone (except Dino) 'Hyung' more often than 'Oppa' because it really sounds weird for her to use 'Oppa'

Scoups

He babies her. If he had to pick a favourite member, it would be her (and Jeonghan)

She didn’t speak a word of Korean when she first stepped foot into the green room, so Scoups acted as her older brother

His parents “adopted” her as their daughter when she was unable to visit her family.

With Svt, Scoups is always in older brother mode. But with Y/N, he can act like a younger brother.

They are each others’ safe spaces.

Jeonghan

If Jeonghan is a Devil disguised as an Angel, Y/N is Sadako.

They are a menace of a duo. If you thought Jeongcheol was unstoppable in GOSE, JeongY/N is far worse.

Jeonghan openly cheats and Y/N manipulates the situation.

His cheeky nature rubbed off on her during their trainee days.

Jeonghan teases her a lot but also babies her. They have the most sibling-like relationship ever.

Being the only other member in Seventeen who can speak Japanese, Jeonghan makes Y/N feel less homesick.

Joshua

He was her source of comfort through every difficulty she faced as Svt’s only female member.

Joshua was one of the members she warmed up to the quickest. 

He helped her to feel more at home in a foreign country and tried his best to help with her Korean despite a huge language barrier.

Jun

He comforted her throughout their trainee days. Of all the members, he understood her pain of being homesick and leaving your whole family behind in another country.

Despite the initial language barrier, Y/N and Jun developed a very close bond. Carats initially thought that JunY/N were siblings due to their close nature.

JunY/N are extremely chaotic together (Mousebusters…)

Hoshi

Y/N admires him a lot for his professionalism. She’s impressed with how much time and energy he puts into choreographing so many of their performances and working in the studio at the same time while always being a mood lifter.

Likewise, Hoshi admires her for her hard work and dedication to Seventeen. 

Their relationship shines during GOSE episodes where Y/N can be seen either supporting him or completely irritated by him.

At some point, His contact name in her phone became “Furry”

Wonwoo

Gamer buddies!!

Y/N wasn’t the best student when she was studying. After school, she’d always go to arcades or internet cafes to play games.

That was how Wonwoo and Y/N bonded.

They have a very close relationship and can often be seen sleeping while leaning against each other.

Wonwoo reminds Y/N of her older brother, Masaharu.

Woozi

When they first got to know each other, Woozi began to teach her some producing knowledge. 

Now she can produce her own songs.

He taught her how to play the guitar and she’s 80% guaranteed to be in his producing studio whenever he goes live in it.

They are quite close and like to just be in each other’s presence.

Yes, they go to the gym together. Y/N may not look like it, but she’s a gym regular.

The8

They entered the company around the same time so of all the members, he (& Jun) understood her pain of being homesick and leaving your whole family behind in another country.

Yes, there was a huge language barrier, but they got past it as Y/N could understand some Chinese words.

They share many interests in Tea and Art, so they regularly have tea together and just enjoy each other’s presence.

When Y/N first entered Pledis, her style… wasn’t the best. After meeting The8, her style drastically improved. 

In interviews, she always says that she can only look that good because of The8.

Mingyu

Carats see them as a Visual Duo, despite Y/N not being officially labelled as a visual.

They are a very compatible duo with their appearance and overall vibe.

Y/N sometimes thinks that Mingyu acts younger than her. He’s often accidentally called her ‘Noona’.

They have a very unique bond which some may see as a servant and a princess. Mingyu ADORES Y/N like she’s his actual younger sister.

She doesn’t complain though.

DK

The Sun and the Moon

Carats can tell that with him, Y/N is brighter in terms of personality. 

DK was a gentleman around her while they were trainees, trying his best to make her feel comfortable around 13 guys. He definitely succeeded. 

He adores her and always tries to keep Y/N smiling. If he notices that she’s anxious or sad about something, he would do something funny to draw attention away from her and make her smile.

He’s a scaredy-cat while she’s barely afraid of anything. (she’s more scared of societal expectations/stress/failure). So in most of the scary GOSE episodes, DK can be seen cowering behind her.

Seungkwan

They are constantly battling over their song knowledge–or anything for that matter. In GOSE they always bicker. (But they still love each other ofc)

He always calls her ‘Noona’ to mock her even though she’s younger than him.

You can bet that they are a terrifying duo on game shows or on TV programmes.

They may bicker a lot, but Seungkwan really cares about her.

Vernon

They are like actual siblings.

They text like siblings.

At one point, all of Y/N’s photocards in an album looked the same because she copied Vernon’s poses.

They often write lyrics together and just hang out in general.

If she wants a midnight snack, her buddy will 100% be Vernon.

Dino

The only member to actually call her ‘Noona’.

She thinks it’s super cute.

Instead of being babied, she babies him. When he’s bullied/ganged up on in GOSE, she’s the first to defend or comfort him. (Especially in The Tag)

She’s probably slightly higher in rank than Wonwoo as Dino’s #1 Fan.

Most of his Danceology videos are filmed with her dancing or her in the background.

She’s his source of comfort and vice versa.

Whenever Dino talks about being bullied by his 12 hyungs, he’ll always add “But my 1 Noona protects me”

He’s developed a small crush on Y/N but he’ll never admit it.

current taglist: @fairyofhour @megseungmin @sun-daddy-yoriichi @woozixo @euphoric-univers @christinewithluv @haowonbins @ocyeanicc @asyre @superhoshisvt @bangantokchy @chimmy-bts @angelarin @daisawa @writingbarnes @jeonghansshitester @belladaises @wonwootakemyheart @wonwooz1 @luchiet @kookssecret @caratsland @peachescreamandcrumble @thepoopdokyeomtouched @isabellah29 @leah-rose03 @coupshour @sooheehan @heesbees @hyuckxtagram @kissesfrmwonwoo @httphera @porridgesblog

[writers-potion]

Idea Generation Exercises for the Writer

"Right now it's a notion, but I think I can get money to turn it into a concept..and later turn it into an idea."

Take a Good Look Inside Yourself Before Your Start

Your story comes from you. Evaluate your ideas and modify them using a "personality filter". Does it hit a nerve in your soul? Do you resonate, personally, with what the story is aimed at?

What do you care most about in the world?

If you were to write your own obituary, how would you want it to read?

What is your physical appearance? How do you feel about it? How does it affect you?

What do you fear the most?

What are our major strengths? What do youwish you were good at?

What are your major faults?

If you could do one thing and know that you would be successful, what would you do?

What are three events from your childhood that helped shape you into the person you are today?

What are some of your annoying habits?

What secret in your life do you hope is never revealed?

Some Rules:

Schedule a regular idea time. At least once a week, for more than 30 minutes

Select an idea-generation exercise below

Let your imagination run wilde

Record everything without cutting anything. Do NOT xensor yourself in any way

After 2-3 sessions, assess you ideas

Repeat.

The What-If Game: read the newspaper/watch TV, asking "What If" at the end of each article.

Titles: come up with a good title, then craft a story that would go with it

The List: Make a list of nouns that bring back some memory to you with one- or two- word reminders. (e.g. the hill: that I accidentally set fire to when I was 5)

Issues: make a list of this world's problems that push your buttons. What make you angry? (e.g. abortion, gun control, talk shows)

See It: Sit down and close your eyes. List the first three things that comes to your mind, picking the ones that get your juices flowing the most. Sit back and "watch" as the random story unspools in your mind.

Hear It: Listen to music that moves you. Close your eyes and see what pictures, scenes or characters develop.

Character First: Develop a dynamic character, then see where he leads. Recreating characters from popular TV/books/movies or going through obituaries can be helpful.

Stealing From the Best: Take the germ of another plot, then add your own twist to it. Originality is the key to plagiarism.

Flipping a Genre: Turn genre/trope expectations upside down and see what happens.

Predict a Trend: Novels can be "hot" because of the subject matter alone. Read the news and see what people are killing each other over nowadays - and hop on the topical wave!

Noodling the Newspaper: Scan the newspaper for interesting stories, something you can use later. Capture interesting pieces of info and store it away for later.

Research: Choose a nonfiction book on some subject you wanted to know about. Skim the book for an overview, then jot down the ideas that come to you. Read the book in more detail, and flesh out the ideas you have.

"What I Really Want to Write About Is...": Get up in the morning and start typing on a blank document: what i reallt want to write about is.... Just write for ten minutes without stopping to loosen up your senses.

Obsession: Create a character and give her an obsession. By its nature, an obsession controls the deepest emotions of a character and thus prompts her to action. Ego? Lust? Looks? Careers? Revenge?

Opening Lines: Write just the opening lines. Then, write a story that goes with it.

Write a Prologue: Gripping openings are farily easy to write. The trick is putting a book after it. The ideas you generate with a good proglogue may lead to a full story.

The Mind Map: (1) choose a word or concept. (2) allow you mind to jot down connections to the word. Fill the paper. (3) Look for a pattern. Can you link these items into a story?

Socko Ending: Ending often make or break a story. Visualize a climactic scene in the theater of your mind. Play around with the characters, heighten the conflict and emotion until something unforgettable happens. Then ask: (1) who are the characters? (2) what circumstance brought them there? (3) how can I trace back the story to its logical starting point?

Occupations: What we do is inherent to our ways of thinking, the kind of culture we live in, etc. Refer to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and see which occupations spark an idea.

Desperation: You're sitting before a blank screen and there's nothing in your head. You're down to your last two brain cells and slowly losing one of them. Good. You are a desperate writer. The answer:

JUST WRITE.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee! ☕

Reference: <Write Great Fiction: Plot and Structure (techniques and exercises for craftin a plot that grips readers from start to finish)> by James Scott Bell

[novlr]

Hello. Not sure if this was asked yet, but do you have any advice on how to write enemies to friends, then friends to lovers, considering there was romantic tension between them before when they were enemies? Thank you very much in advance!

The enemies to lovers trope is a beloved narrative device, especially in the romance genre. As a creative writer looking to explore this trope, there are key elements and techniques to consider in order to craft a believable and engaging story. Here’s how you can turn animosity into affection and keep your readers hooked.

Understanding the trope

Before diving into writing, it’s important to understand what makes the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope so interesting. It’s a classic plot device where two characters start with a contentious relationship and, through various plot developments, end up falling in love. This trope thrives on tension and the gradual breakdown of barriers, creating a rollercoaster of emotions for both the characters and the readers.

What are the key components?

Conflict: The bedrock of this trope is the initial conflict between the characters. It can be rooted in a misunderstanding, ideological differences, or a rivalry.

Chemistry: Despite the conflict, there needs to be an underlying chemistry that hints at the potential for romance.

Character development: The evolution of the characters’ relationship must be believable. Their growth, both individually and together, is crucial to the plot.

Pacing: The shift from enemies to lovers should be gradual and well-paced, avoiding any rush that could undermine the build-up of their relationship.

Build authentic tension

When writing ‘enemies to lovers,’ the tension must feel authentic. Readers can easily spot forced conflict or chemistry, so it’s vital to create situations and dialogues that naturally showcase the friction between your characters.

Create obstacles: Design situations that challenge the characters and force them to interact in high-stakes scenarios.

Dialogue: Use snappy, charged dialogue to convey their conflict while also revealing their begrudging respect or fascination for each other.

Inner conflict: Develop the characters’ inner conflicts to add depth to their external quarrels and eventual reconciliation.

Have a strong turning point

The transition from enemies to lovers should feel earned. It often involves a pivotal moment where the characters’ perspectives shift, allowing them to see each other in a new light, becoming friends

Shared experiences: Design scenarios where the characters have to rely on each other, creating a sense of camaraderie.

Vulnerability: Allow the characters to show vulnerability to each other, which can be a powerful catalyst for changing emotions.

Moments of understanding: highlight moments of empathy and insight into each other’s motivations and vulnerabilities.

Foster the romance

Once the groundwork for the characters’ relationship shift has been set, you can focus on fostering the romantic connection.

Mutual respect: As the characters overcome obstacles, their respect for one another should grow, forming the basis for their romantic feelings.

Intimacy: Create instances where the characters share intimate moments or thoughts, further deepening their bond.

New Conflicts: Introduce new conflicts that can only be solved together, cementing their status as a team.

The payoff

The ultimate goal in the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope is to deliver a satisfying payoff that feels both surprising and inevitable. Here are ways to ensure the romance culminates in a fulfilling resolution:

Growth and sacrifice: Show how the characters have grown since the beginning of the story and the sacrifices they are willing to make for each other.

Full circle: Bring their relationship full circle by referencing elements of their initial conflict, now resolved through love and understanding.

Public acknowledgment: Include a scene where the characters acknowledge their feelings for each other in a significant way, often in public or in front of previously opposing forces.

[gracefulgabbing]

Ocarina of Time: A Picture's Worth a Thousand Years

When I am asked why I love games, I have a fairly default answer: I enjoy the process of being invested within a story as a result of my direct action, and love the ability to affect meaningful change within a virtual world. I’ll often flip the words around and add in some stutters, but the ethos is generally intact. Video games allow me to do something, to mean something, and as such, allow meaningful things to be done to me, in ways that bring about a lot more emotion than they would if I were simply watching somebody else play. 

But I recently played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the first time, and as the game came to a close, I felt oddly helpless. I watched as a 17-year-old Link placed the Master Sword, his Master Sword, onto the Pedestal of Time, and I watched him return Hyrule to the way it was seven years prior, himself included. He became a child again, and went to meet Zelda, just as he had at the game’s outset, a meeting that had already set the core plot into motion. Of course, my actions throughout the game had led to this; I was strung along by the game’s arbiter of progression, Navi, but I picked up the controller and moved Link around. But what was happening on the screen was utterly and entirely out of my control now. Ganondorf had been defeated, peace had been restored, but for a brief moment, I was helpless, and I was unhappy. Why was Link moving backwards? Why would a game so concerned with the power of time play with it so loosely? But, a few confused minutes later, I came to a realization. Link was not playing with time. Link was following the rules.

***

On Earth, there are a wide variety of unspoken truths that humans, no matter how hard they may try, cannot overcome. We cannot touch fire without being burned. We fall when we enter the air. We cannot travel through time. Of course, we can make approximations. We can develop lighters and harness fire’s elusive heat, build planes and helicopters to soar above the Earth, create art that harkens back to a bygone era. But ultimately, if you pit a human being against Mother Nature, the human isn’t winning. 

Video games, however, allow us to bend or even snap these rules in two entirely. Mario throws fire from his hand as if it were a baseball. Madeline dashes throughout the air in whichever way we wish. Tracer can dip back to moments prior, cleansing all traces of the present she’s leaving behind. The characters within the games we play are beholden to a different set of rules, typically alien from our own, defined by code and data. It’s why games are such an effective method of escapism. Our playable avatars do not struggle with the unstoppable forces we come up against, our problems are trifles to them, and the inevitabilities of their lives are not the same as ours. 

Within Ocarina of Time, though, you play as a character who is, generally speaking, nailed to the same ground as us. Despite living in a world of living rocks, fish people, and fairies, he is utterly human in his vulnerabilities. The rapids of Hyrule’s rivers sweep him away. His lungs are small, forcing his underwater excursions to remain brief. The heat of a volcano beats down upon him, until he is forced to either leave or succumb to its pressure. Despite all his strengths, Link is weak. He cannot defeat the ground he steps upon, or the wind that beats down upon him, or the time that withers his body. In the idealistic world of Hyrule, these are still obstacles to be overcome.

And it is due in large part to this humanity that Link serves as such a strong surrogate for the player. We can see our burdens placed upon him, and watch as he fails to fully bear them. We know this struggle, and we empathize. After all, our inherent flaws are a unifying force; none are born without them, and none grow to surpass them. Link’s similar inability to overcome nature is almost comforting as a result, a reassurance that not all heroes are superhuman. Though his silence is an asset, it is when Link cries out in pain that we see ourselves most in him, and see our world in his. This deep, thorny attachment to Hyrule that Link finds himself developing parallels humanity’s own relationship with our Earth, a constant cycle of trial and error in a hopeless effort to conquer an impenetrable land. This ouroboros of earthly callousness is implicitly understood and well-documented throughout human history, and Link’s submission to the elements around him is steeped in this history, bringing us deeper into his world by acting in lockstep with our own.

***

Of course, Ocarina of Time is a family-friendly game, made in the infancy of 3D technology. In no way could it convey the societal upheaval presented by the earthquakes of Japan, or the fires of Pompeii. But, in the game’s persistent presentation of nature as an insurmountable obstacle, one that only bends and never breaks, the ethos of subservience to a higher natural power is embedded within it. Like all art, Ocarina of Time is a mirror of the world that produced it, and this world is cruel. All one can do is support their own microcosm of it, and protect what lies ahead of them. In line with this, Link exists not as the focal point of Hyrule, but as a small piece of it, beholden to its whims just as everybody else is.

And just as we have been forced to adapt, so too were the citizens of Hyrule. They’ve devised ways to play with the rules of nature, tug at life’s invisible strings. Throughout the game, you can purchase or find tunics. A red tunic protects Link from overbearing heat, allowing him to exist within volcanoes and other high-heat areas without a time limit. A blue one lets him breathe underwater indefinitely. Elsewhere, a pair of Hover Boots can be found, allowing for a brief release from the shackles of gravity. And of course, the game’s central axis, the Ocarina of Time, is another attempt to break free from natural cages. It lets Link warp around the kingdom, summon objects from nowhere, alter the weather, and most importantly, play with time itself. He can change the time of day, but more notably, he himself can skip through time with the Ocarina and the Master Sword. Link gets the unprecedented opportunity to skip past, and return to, his childhood. It’s by far the largest rule-bending in the game, the closest Link gets to cheating nature.

But you’ll notice I never said ‘breaking,’ and this ties back to that initial confusion and sorrow I felt when Link, after saving Hyrule, returned to his childhood. I couldn’t discern a reason for Ocarina of Time to undo all the growing he did, to rip away the time he spent becoming accustomed to the adult body he’d inhabited. Of course, though, this was my misunderstanding. Link hadn’t done any growing. All he had done was contort time to fit his goals, and once those goals were achieved, nature had to take its course. He had to live his childhood. And this says something grander about the nature of these exceptions to the rules of Hyrule. The tunics, the boots, and the ocarina are all powerful tools, but they have caveats. They’re conditional. Temporary. There is no procedure that can heal the wounds that Hyrule doles out, only bandages to cover them up. Even in the final dungeon, Link needs a red tunic to withstand the heat. The hover boots only give him the smallest of windows to be liberated from gravity within until he’s saying hello to Wile E. Coyote on the way down. Link never defeats his obstacles. He merely sidesteps them. And the effects of the Ocarina and the Master Sword, the powerful, mature form Link is given to slay Ganondorf with? Well, they’re on a timer. One less rigid than the tunics, or the boots, but an omnipresent one nonetheless. It’s an hourglass set by the player, with infinite available sand, but only one true conclusion. You can choose to live forever in Ocarina of Time, but the longer you stay there, the more Hyrule suffers under Ganondorf’s iron fist. To play with time as one is given the ability to is unnatural. One could even argue cruel. Not only does it prolong the devastation of a once-idyllic kingdom, but it robs Link of the experience Ocarina of Time embodies so well: Growing up. To dodge nature for so long is unsustainable, and the game knows it.

***

Throughout my exploration of Hyrule, and my coming to terms with Link’s decision, I came to a realization. Despite all that had changed within the kingdom, and all the damage that littered its cities and villages, there was a consistent undercurrent that lay beneath it, carrying its inhabitants through the dark ages that the game chronicles. A persistent culture and artistic language that, through all its hardship, makes Hyrule a place of hope. Whether unconscious or realized, Hyrule is bound to life by its citizens, and the reverence they place upon their home and its history.

For example, the longstanding culture of the Sheikah, one blending traditional defense with more spiritual customs, is one that has protected the royal lineage for decades. When the kingdom is left empty and barren, all that stands between Ganondorf and ultimate power is Sheikah art, their music and the Ocarina standing as a powerful reminder of peace and what stands to be gained by combating Ganondorf. Their legends and creations help spur not only Link, but Zelda, to action, inspiring action within paralyzing moments of fear. In fact, the ultimate impetus for Link’s journey is a story, art passed down verbally until reaching the ears of one who needed it most. As much as Zelda could tell Link that Ganondorf is bad news, when laid against the backdrop of ancient legend and history, that moment means more. Ganondorf is not only bad news, but he is bad news of long-imparted legend, and this is where Ocarina of Time’s dichotomy between environmental domination and individual subservience becomes so important, where the lines become blurred. 

I bring all this up not to dive into the lore of Hyrule, interesting as I’m sure it is. No, I bring it up because the game’s most fundamental motif, its exploration of music as a driving and essential force within Link’s adventure, speaks to that relationship between humanity and Earth, the divide we can’t seem to shift. By the end of Hyrule’s life, there will be little left, but what will remain is song, poetry, and art. This is Ocarina of Time’s gambit. It shows us this natural trauma, forces us to grapple with our shaky foundations, in order to demonstrate the one way human ideas can live on, long past the death of their progenitors: Creation. Ocarina of Time is filled with creations, both small and large, objects and ideas that lend Hyrule a sense of permanence that is otherwise so thoroughly called into question by Ganondorf’s devastation. After seven long years of turmoil, Skull Kids still perform their music. Goron City's walls are still plastered with paintings. Epona still recognizes the songs of her youth. The Ocarina’s tunes live on, if not in Link’s memory, then in the world he played them into. Despite all the hardship of a life in seemingly constant competition with a harsh world, there is a cold comfort in knowing that somehow, you may live on, the memories and culture you steeped yourself within leaving a mark on the world in your own art, just as the art of Hyrule will persist long after Link has gone. It is the one victory that Hyrulians, and we as humans, have over the passage of the days. 

What left me truly charmed by this revelation, this understanding that Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule is one not of dominant conquest but of subtler creation, was that life had once again imitated art as it is often wont to. It’s been over 25 years since Ocarina of Time was released. Many more Zelda games have been released since then, and many more have built upon its ideas. But despite this, the rivers of time have not washed Ocarina of Time away, nor have they even eroded it. It stands just as strongly today as it did back in 1998, and throughout my time with it, I could hardly believe that it was as old as it was, with hardly an edge dulled. It gives me a strange sense of comfort, of peace. I could go my whole life without touching Ocarina of Time, and its legacy would go unharmed. Within the game exists this microcosm of the minds that birthed it, the fear of the unknown, the unquenchable thirst for adventure, the appreciation for worlds long gone with little but their creations to be remembered by. It’s playable history. 

***

Ocarina of Time reminds me that very little is forever. Most tangible things have shelf lives, expiration dates, destructible foundations. It’s the nature of life in a callous world. But in this lesson, this imparted wisdom, Ocarina of Time became, in some sense, immortal. All the cartridges may be lost to time, all the artists behind it will pass, but the art will live on. And through it, the shoulders it rests upon, and the works that rest upon its own shoulders, our mark has been left on a world that will one day leave us behind. Time will take us, just as it will take Link. But it can’t take our art.