#and while i love him being badass i also like to see him hurt- (physically at least because poor guy been scarred enough mentally)

[dafry-shenanigans]

So after drawing yesterday i kept thinking-

What if he didn't react in time?

[icycoldninja]

Sorry for all the requesting 🥺😭 This is gonna get dark!

May I please request headcanons for the Sparda boys + V reacting to their female S/O being kidnapped and tortured over a long period of time and they have to deal with the physical and mental aftermath when she’s finally rescued?

Ay, it's no problem. Here ya go, and enjoy!

Sparda boys + V X Fem!Reader kidnapped and tortured headcannons

Warning: As the title implies, there is some dark content coming up with themes of torture involved. If you are uncomfortable with these themes, DNI!

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¤ Dante ¤

-Oh boy. First it was his brother, and now his girlfriend? Whoever dared do this to you is in for a world of pain.

-He doesn't wait around long enough for the kidnapper to send him footage of what was being done to you; the moment he realizes you're in danger, he's hopped on his motorcycle and is looking towards your location which he discovered with his demon instincts.

-He finds you tied to a chair with barbed wire, bloodied, broken, and sobbing. While looking upon your battered and bruised figure, honestly feels like crying himself.

-Oh, his baby, his poor, poor baby. He loved you so much and never, ever, in his wildest dreams, would have wanted to see you hurt like this. He nearly Triggered right there and then, but he held himself back for your sake. He didn't want to terrify you any further than you were now.

-He got you out of that horrible place as fast as he could, his limbs shaking nearly as violently as you were when he carried you out of the kidnapper's hiding place.

-"Hey there, badass. You can relax now, it's all gonna be OK now that I'm here."

-The moment you guys returned to Devil May Cry, he fed you as many green orbs and Ibuprofen tablets as he could without overdosing you. He didn't want you to feel the pain anymore; he wanted you to be smiling and happy again.

-Once the medicine kicked in and you were comfortable enough to sleep, he held you. He refused to let go of you. He clutched you as tightly as he could, tears silently running down his face. How could he allow this to happen?! How could he let you get hurt like this? What kind of devil-hunter extraordinaire was he if he couldn't even protect the only woman in the world he ever truly cared about?

-He was going to spoil you with attention and affection even before you woke up. He wanted you to heal from this, and wanted to be the one to help you heal.

-You are so precious to him, and now he's going to show you just how much in any way he possibly can.

-Expect long, loving cuddles, big hugs every time you walk into a room, and words of affirmation whenever you look down.

-He'll also tenderly treat your wounds and wrap them himself, telling you how strong and brave you are to have survived all that pain every time he does so.

-This whole incident was a massive fright to him; now he's going to hold onto you so tightly, there's no way he could ever lose you again.

■ Vergil ■

-He is so, so, scared, but he refuses to show it. Vergil remembers what it was like to be brutally tortured at the hands of Mundus, so he is enraged and horrified when he finds out the same has been done to you.

-He can't stop himself--and won't. Whoever did this to you doesn't deserve that mercy. He Triggers, and sails away to find you, doing so in a sheer matter of minutes thanks to his demonic instincts.

-He bursts into your kidnappers' hideouts, roaring. He hears your anguished screams and flips into overdrive a second time, literally tearing through the walls as he frantically searched for you.

-The noise scared you, making you think it was the kidnappers returned to torment you further. However, when you saw the hulking, icy-blue devil crash through the wall, your fears were put to rest.

-The moment he saw your battered, torn form bound to a chair with barbed wires jutting into your flesh, he nearly blew up the building and all that was around it.

-There was so much anger coursing through his veins, you could feel it emanating from him, even as he gingerly undid your bonds and scooped you into his massive, scaly arms.

-"Do not cry anymore, Precious. The nightmare is over now. I am here. You are safe."

-He portaled you out of there with the Yamato and immediately took you to the hospital to get your wounds treated.

-He also refused to leave your side for any reason, insisting on staying and watching the doctors work, even if what they were doing was unsettling; he'd seen and been through much worse.

-The entire time, Vergil sat by your bedside, either staring at you intently, or holding your hand. He didn't want to let you go, and most certainly didn't want you to leave his sight.

-The moment you awoke, the first thing Vergil told you was that he loved you. He sounded out of character, considering this was something he rarely ever said aloud, but he was so afraid of losing you, and the PTSD of Mundus's torture was returning to him--he wanted you to have what he never did when he was recovering: comfort.

-He stayed by your side until you were discharged from the hospital, and after that, drove you home, only to wrap you in his arms and cuddle you till you both fell asleep.

-You both would undoubtedly be having nightmares about this for weeks, but for now, at least you were safe in Vergil's arms.

□ Nero □

-He found out what had happened to you in the worst way possible. He received a video from the kidnapper.

-It depicted the kidnapper, who wore a mask to obscure his face, using a crowbar to break your arms and legs while you were suspended by your arms from the ceiling.

-Nero lost it; his pseudo devil trigger Triggered and he was out the door in an instant.

-He doesn't possess the demonic tracking abilities of his father and uncle, unfortunately, but he manages to find you after a good half hour of searching.

-What he walks in on is disgusting. You're begging for mercy, sobbing and screaming under the pain your various broken limbs were causing you, all while your kidnapper laughed.

-Nero wanted to tie this motherfucker up and give him a taste of his own awful medicine, but he had bigger priorities: you.

-He freed you, shushing you when you screamed out in pain, promising he's gonna get you all patched up faster than you can think and that everything is gonna be ok.

-"You can rest now, baby, I gotcha."

-Once he takes you back to Devil May Cry, the entire Sparda clan and their friends are by your side in seconds, with Nero at the forefront. They heal your wounds in seconds and Dante makes corny jokes to lighten the mood.

-Then, they leave you and Nero alone to converse in private. It's a good thing they did, too, because almost as soon as the room was empty, Nero burst into tears, trapping you in a hug and sobbing into your shoulder.

-You ended up crying along with him; the two of you just bawling into each other's shoulders.

-Nero promised to never allow something like this to happen ever again, and spent the remainder of the night lying next to you with his arms and legs wrapped your you like a giant koala on a beat-up tree.

-You were very thankful for this because honestly, you didn't think you could survive this stressful, traumatizing night without having Nero snoring by your side.

● V ●

-V was texted a sickening video by an unknown number, and the moment he opened and watched, he collapsed.

-The kidnapper, standing offscreen, was repeatedly striking younin the face, chest, hips, and other areas with a spiked bat before kicking you in the stomach and shutting the camera--or whatever he used to film the video--off after releasing some unhinged laughter.

-V was terrified. He had no idea how to find you from this meager information, let alone save you.

-Still, he was determined to try, and so, gathering up his cane, he limped along, Shadow at his side and Griffon doing reconnaissance a few feet away.

-After some time, they found you, lying on the floor in an unbelievably deep pool of your own blood, yet still fully awake.

-V would have knelt there and cried, but he forced himself to swallow the tears and lift you to safety.

-Oh, Wanderer...what have they done to you?"

-He brought you to Devil May Cry and patched you up to the best of his abilities, using as many green orbs as he could get his hands on.

-Though your physical words may have been healed, your mental wounds were anything but.

-You were in so much shock, you were shaking from head to toe. V saw this and wished there was more he could do to help, but for now, he would hold your hands, kiss your cheeks, and rest his head in your lap while you told him anything and everything you needed to get off your chest.

-He read to you, too, his soothing voice doing wonders to ease your anxiety and calm you to a point where you could sleep.

-As V watched you slumber, he made a silent pact to always protect you, however he could, for as long as he could. He never wanted to see you go through something like this ever again.

[raygirlramblings]

Well the people have spoken and are willing for me to indulge in a ridiculously assumptive breakdown of the main 4 characters in the upcoming Captain Laserhawk show. So thank you for that!

Keep in mind the following thoughts are ONLY MY PERSONAL OPINIONS and based COMPLETELY on the trailers and teasers we have been provided with. I know nothing about the show beyond that, I have no connection to the show staff and my word should not be held as gospel. I am ready for the show to completely undermine everything I type here, and you should be prepared for that too ;)

Also this is only going to be a post dissecting the 4 leads (Dolph, Pey’j, Jade and Bullfrog) so no discussion about Rayman or any other characters unless they directly relate to the main 4.

Also no Cody Rhodes for obvious reasons 🤯

With that out of the way let’s dive into this.

Dolph Laserhawk

I was perfectly willing to write off our stoic lead as just that. The angst-filled prettyboy who lurks in the background and doesn’t want to get involved with SuperMaxx or the warden’s plans. Dolph isn’t a gung-ho hero type. He doesn’t revel in his skills or even seem to enjoy being a badass. Heck in the Rainbow 6 trailer we can see he can be overpowered in a physical fight if he’s alone. Compared to Alex’s jokes and stunts, Dolph just wants to get the job done without quips. He doesn’t seem to have any particular connection to his new team and particularly doesn’t seem to have time for Bullfrog. He comes across as very much a Sasuke-type. Brooding, introverted and stoic.

But I also see in this character a level of vulnerability which makes him far more interesting. We are told the only reason he is alive and has an arm laser is because of Eden, a corrupt system that turned him into a tool in exchange for his life. Then when he tried to rebel against that system that hurt him he is betrayed by the man he loved, someone he trusted on and off mission.

This shot of Dolph and Alex lying together says a WHOLE lot with Alex completely relaxed on his back and Dolph snuggled into him. Dolph felt SAFE with Alex. He wasn’t just a lover, he was a trusted ally who would always be there to catch him. It’s no wonder his betrayal stung Dolph so deeply and left him unwilling to ever trust others again.

It will be interesting to see how the group works around this. How do they win the trust of someone who has been hurt this badly, especially when the only reason they are together in the first place is under threat of death. And why should Dolph feel to befriend them? To his mind either they will betray him like everyone else or will die and leave him alone.

Bullfrog

I think it’s obvious that Bullfrog is a favourite character of the show staff. We’ve had the most cannon information presented to us out of the main cast and out of it comes 2 major aspects to Bullfrog’s character. His slightly goofy personality, and his confidence/pride in his abilities.

Despite making jokes and attempting to banter with his team Bullfrog is a formidable fighter unafraid to resort to violence if the situation requires. However much like Dolph he doesn’t kill because he enjoys the bloodshed. It’s work. It’s a means to an end. And while he seems to enjoy the stealth aspects of the job part of me feels that he doesn’t really ENJOY killing if he doesn’t have to. His teaser shows him killing 3 powerful guards to complete his mission, and afterwards he seems tired and downhearted compared to his bravado before their deaths. Generally speaking assassins (especially not Assassins Creed assassins) are not random murderers. They have a strict code they follow to complete their missions, and I just get the feeling that Bullfrog would rather take out obstacles non-lethally until the moment comes he has to kill.

If this is true it will be a fascinating exploration of the character to see him be this goofy guy forced to kill against his own moral code. To put his highly trained skills to the act of espionage for shady purposes at the threat of death if he refuses. Will this break him?

As for his relationships with the other characters it will be fun to see how his humour bounces off them, and whether that is affected upon seeing his incredible abilities in battle. Bullfrog certainly seems to be loyal to his new team, shown in multiple instances to jump into the line of fire to protect them from bullets.

Pey’j

While relatively under represented in the trailers the strongest trait I take from Pey’j is that he is compassionate to others. He clearly states that he would protect Jade no matter what. We also see him in Bullfrog’s teaser ushering injured people to the safety of a van, and he is confused and horrified when law enforcement would rather shoot at him than help people.

This on top of his seemingly incredible strength and ferocity makes him one of my favourite archetypes, the gruff guy with the heart of gold. Pey’j just comes across as a dude who wants to live in peace but can’t in a corrupt world because everything is cruel and wrong. The injustice of this gives him the energy to keep fighting. So he uses the skills he has to protect the weak and help where he can. I hope the show builds on this and allows his gentle ‘dad’ persona to shine because by god, the team needs it XD.

Judging from the few screenshots and clips we have it seems that Dolph and Pey’j seem to get on well in each other’s company so it will be fun to see what kind of relationship they build. As for Jade, it will be interesting to know how long they have known one another. Either Pey’j dedication to her comes from a long shared history, or it is a new development which speaks to his loyalty and willingness to protect people he sees as worthy.

Jade

Sadly Jade has the least amount of info to go on from official sources so far. She seems to be confident and streetwise, clearly skilled at espionage and undercover work complete with her trusty camera. However I’m glad they showed her displaying some level of vulnerability and didn’t just make her a generic, mean ‘action hero girl’ (kinda like how the Warden is but she is supposed to display authority and coldness).

She is freaked out by the exploding head bomb reveal, we see her being awkward when she’s captured, and she appears to be worried for Pey’j when he swears he’d do anything to protect her. Jade doesn’t seem to be the kind of person to let others control her, but also doesn’t want people to die for her sake. She seems empathetic and curious, and I can’t wait to learn more about her personality and how she interacts with the rest of the team.

Aargh, I with I had more to say about her but really we have so little to go on >_<. She barely even has any lines in the trailers or teasers! I hope this isn’t foreshadowing to her role in the team and in the show.

And that’s what I have so far based on the info I’ve seen. As stated above this is all purely my speculation and I’m ok with being proven wrong by this show and it’s Remix nature.

ALSO if you have your own insights to share or want to call out something I ave missed or got wrong, don’t hesitate to do so! Fandom thrives on conversation and shared experience :)

[savventeen]

to build a home

pairing: jihoon x gn!reader rating: T (for swearing) wc: 3.7k summary: on the train ride back to meet jihoon's parents in person for the first time, you realize you don't really know what it's like to have a childhood home — at least, not in the sense that most people seem to have. but it's okay, because you've found a home in jihoon instead. warnings: talks about divorce (reader's parents) tags: fluff, this is so sappy guys, kind of emotional hurt/comfort, soonhoon best frienemies (they’re ride or die dw their friendship is just based on mutual teasing lol), vaguely implied asexual reader, a truly excessive amount of handholding, i really made jihoon into a hand-holding fiend and i'm Not Sorry a/n: this might be one of the most self-indulgent things i've ever written since reader's experiences are 100% based off of my own lmao. also i can't believe i wrote almost 4k of them just talking on a train, like??? wow. also also, i listened to sleeping at last's cover of i'm gonna be (500 miles) on repeat while writing so i recommend giving it a listen for the Vibes haha

Jihoon was nervous.

Not in a bad way, of course. But he was taking you back home to stay with his parents for the next four days and they would be meeting you in person for the first time and he was nervous.

Soonyoung, the bastard, could definitely tell and had made it his mission to embarrass the hell out of him until the last possible second.

It was only supposed to be Seungcheol and Minghao dropping the two of you off at the train station, but Soonyoung had physically crammed himself into the backseat between you and Jihoon and refused to let go of either of you until you’d reached the train station. Even then, you had to physically pry him off of Jihoon and promise to tell Jihoon’s parents that Soonyoung loved them and missed them and—

“—make sure to take lots of pictures of all his cringey old anime posters!”

Soonyoung’s insistence is only diminished by the effort he’s exerting not to be forcefully dragged back into the car by a disgruntled Minghao. Jihoon knows Soonyoung’s being even more of a handful for his sake, and Jihoon is both filled with love and also the desire to strangle his best friend with his bare hands.

Minghao is able to get him mostly back in the car, Seungcheol watching on with a slightly fond but mostly concerned smile, but before they can get the door closed, Soonyoung claws his way back to the doorframe to tell you, “Also, his mom keeps all of his baby pictures in a bunch of photo books by the—”

“And that’s enough from you,” Jihoon interrupts, forcefully shoving Soonyoung back into the car by the face, Soonyoung screeching with poorly disguised glee, and slams the car door shut.

Jihoon waves at Seungcheol who he can see laughing through the glass as he pulls away from the curb, leaving the two of you standing with your suitcases.

He hears you giggling, and turns around to face you with a sigh. “Ignore him.”

You give a thoughtful hum, drawing it out as you grab the handle of your suitcase and wait for Jihoon to grab his and start walking with you through the station.

“No, I don’t think I will,” you finally decide, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of your mouth.

Jihoon groans, tilting his head back as if to ask the universe why me?

“Why,” you continue, “embarrassed about your Nami posters?” 

Like Soonyoung, Jihoon knows you’re just teasing, and he falls into your easy banter with a smile threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth.

He glares at you half-heartedly. “It’s poster, singular. And no, I’m not embarrassed,” he adds as you both make your way across the platform and into the closest empty train car (the only benefit of leaving at the ass-crack of dawn). “Why would I ever be embarrassed about Nami? She’s badass.” He grunts as he stands on his toes and lifts his luggage to store on the overhead rack and then reaches out to take yours as well. “Plus, you’re one to talk, with your weird shrimp god poster—“

And this argument is familiar, too. He can’t help but smirk as you roll your eyes in exasperation and slide into the seat next to the window.

“It’s shrimp heaven,” you exclaim, “we’ve been over this.”

Jihoon just shakes his head, and he knows he sounds more than a little besotted when he says, “You listen to the weirdest shit.”

You give him a Look that manages to be both deadpan and undeniably fond, and no one except a few untitled projects saved on his external hard drive knows exactly how much he adores that particular look. “I am aware, yes, thank you.”

While this is the first time the two of you are traveling back to where Jihoon grew up, it is not the first time the two of you have traveled together. There’s a well-worn ease to the way your shoulders draw together like magnets, Jihoon offering up one of his earbuds as he balances his iPad across your joined knees.

It had scared him, the first time he felt himself leaning into your presence without a second thought — as easy and unthinkingly familiar as pulling on his favorite hoodie when he’s cold or the sound of his keys clinking against the countertop every night when he gets home. He’d never been one to seek out physical affection before, not unless he was desperate. But now he can’t help but feel like a flower seeking out the sun whenever he’s with you.

He leans his head against yours as he asks, “Want to watch some Bonobono?”

“Yeah,” you reply with a happy hum.

Jihoon presses play without further ado, and the two of you settle in for the next few hours.

You get through a few episodes quickly before taking a quick snack break, and it’s only a few minutes into the next episode that Jihoon notices you aren’t really paying attention. He turns his head where it's resting on your shoulder to get a better look at your profile, but he’s not able to see much since you have your own head turned to look out the window.

He finishes the episode and gets halfway through the next one, glancing over at you every few minutes, before deciding it’s time for him to check in.

Starting conversations is still not one of his strong suits, but he’s discovered interesting ways to wiggle himself into them, mainly by tricking you into getting the ball rolling for him. It’s in these moments that he channels his inner Soonyoung (he is taking this train of thought to his grave, mind you) and asks himself “How would cat-me ask for attention in this moment?” (Again, taking this train of thought to the fucking grave.)

So Jihoon leans away from you just enough for him to be able to turn slightly in his seat and gently plonk his head against your shoulder. When he gets no reaction, he does it again. And again, before doing it one more time as your turn to look at him with an amused smile. “Hi? You having fun, there?”

“Yep,” he says, popping the “p”. “The funnest.”

You snort and shake your head at him. “Okay, babe.” You turn your attention back out the window and Jihoon frowns.

With a quiet huff, he plonks his head on your shoulder once again, pushing in with his forehead and rubbing it back and forth against your sweater.

You start giggling — and god, it’s still one of his favorite sounds, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of hearing it — and you turn to look at him again with a single eyebrow raised. “Yes, Jihoonie?”

He moves so his temple is resting on your shoulder and he can look at you properly. “You okay?” he asks, lighthearted and warm. “You’ve been staring out the window for a while, missed the last couple of episodes.”

You blink, a little surprised, and look down at the iPad still balanced between the two of you. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine, sorry.” You give him a smile and shrug the shoulder he’s leaning on. “Just thinking.”

The automatic retort of “oh, dangerous” is on the tip of his tongue, but he holds it back with a small frown. He’s never liked when you apologize unnecessarily, but he knows it’s something you’ve been working on, so he decides not to bring attention to it this time.

“What about?” he asks instead.

You’ve turned your attention back to Bonobono at this point, and you respond with a distracted “Hm?”

Jihoon pokes your temple with one finger. “What’re you thinking about?”

“Oh.” You look at him, considering, and then you huff out a short laugh as you reach over to pause the video. “You actually,” you tell him, tucking the iPad into your lap as you turn in your seat to face him fully.

That was not what Jihoon was expecting. “Me?”

“Yep,” you say, popping the “p” just like he did earlier. “Your bedroom, more specifically.”

That was definitely not what Jihoon was expecting. Both of his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “My bedroom…” he trails off, voice dry and seeming to ask, are you really implying what I think you’re implying?

Your expression morphs into one of disgust so quickly Jihoon barks out a startled laugh. “Ew, no, don’t look at me like that, that’s not what I meant.”

Jihoon lets out a few of his own giggles as he asks, “What did you mean, then?”

He almost coos at the adorable way you pout as you cross your arms in faux anger. “Ugh, no I’m not telling you anymore if you’re just gonna tease me.”

“Aw come on,” he cajoles, reaching out to pry your crossed arms apart. “I only tease those who deserve it.”

You roll your eyes even as you let him pull your hands into his own. “Tell that to Soonyoung.”

“Are you kidding? He deserves it just for existing.”

You lift one of your conjoined hands to awkwardly point at him. “I’m gonna tell him you said that.”

Jihoon narrows his eyes. “Good. He needs the reminder.”

You fold over as you snort, falling into Jihoon’s space for a moment before you straighten back up with a beaming smile. “You’re such a terrible friend, Lee Jihoon.”

Closing his eyes, he nods solemnly. “I am aware of this, yes. It is my curse.”

“Oh my god,” you laugh, making him smack himself in the shoulder with your still joined hands. “You can be such a dramatic little shit sometimes.” There’s a glint in your eyes that tells Jihoon you’re about to say something purely because you know it’ll rile him up, and he’s proven right when the next words out of your mouth are, “Soonyoung must be rubbing off on you.”

Jihoon’s jaw drops in offended horror. “You’d better take that back right now, I swear to god, y/n—” He doesn’t give you a chance to respond as he untangles your fingers and digs them mercilessly into your sides.

You squeal at the onslaught and try your best to deflect, but Jihoon’s relentless and you’ve always been extremely ticklish, so it’s only a few moments later that you’re choking out through strained laughter, “Yield! Yield! Fuck, I yield, you absolute ass!”

Jihoon glares at you as he stops and generously lets you trap his fingers in your hold. “Take it back.”

“Yes, I take it back, geez,” you pant. He’s pretty sure he hears you follow it up with a near silent “Why are both of you so insane?”

He raises an eyebrow. “What was that?” He wiggles his fingers pointedly.

“Nothing,” you say quickly, glaring at him half-heartedly before rolling your eyes. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Good,” he smirks, wiggling his fingers again, but this time so he can lace them once again with yours. He brings each of your hands up to his face and kisses your knuckles before bringing them back down to his lap and letting himself drink you in.

You’re looking at him with something teetering the edge between incredulous and fond and over-the-moon, and Jihoon thinks he probably looks like a smitten fool just based on the way his cheeks ache and his ears feel like they’re on fire.

He’s come to love moments like these, where the both of you take a moment to just… take each other in — to simply exist in each other’s presence and soak it all in like sponges. And he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to put into words exactly what it feels like to look and be looked at like this. To see and be seen.

Jihoon doesn’t try to find the words this time, just lets himself bask in your glow with a soft smile.

After a few moments, he brings himself to break the ambient quiet of the train. “Hey,” he murmurs.

Your response is as soft and quiet as the smile you tuck into the corner of your mouth. “Hi.”

He stares at you for another moment before saying, “You never ended up telling me, y’know.”

“Telling you what?”

“What you were thinking about earlier.” He starts idly rubbing his thumbs across the skin of your hands, tracing gentle arcs with the pads of his thumbs.

“Oh.” You scrunch up your face a little before smoothing it out with a small shrug. “Eh, it wasn’t anything important.”

“Hmm.” Something tells him it probably is something important — to you, at least. And even if it isn’t, he still wants to know. “Tell me anyway?”

You tilt your head and look at him with a confused sort of amused smile. “Why do you wanna know so bad?”

Because I’m highkey obsessed with you and always want to learn more about you and how you think, is what he doesn’t say. At least, not out loud and not right now. He knows it’d probably fluster you and he doesn’t want to distract you from answering any more than he already has. (And maybe he’s still struggling with saying his sappy thoughts directly to your face instead of hoarding them in various notebooks, but that’s a problem for future Jihoon to work through.)

“Just curious,” he murmurs with a shrug. “And we still have a couple of hours left on the train.”

You stare at him for a moment like you don’t quite believe him and are trying to find the lie somewhere on his face. But eventually you mutter, “Okay.” You take in a deep breath and let it out slowly through your nose. “Well,” you start, after a moment of collecting your thoughts. “I said I was thinking about your bedroom, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay, so.” You purse your lips as you tighten your hold on Jihoon’s fingers, just for a moment, before loosening your grip with a quiet exhale. “I was mostly just trying to imagine what that’s like.”

Jihoon blinks at you. “...What having a bedroom is like?” His tone comes across more deadpan than he means, confusion flattening his question into more of a statement.

“No, no,” you shake your head. “What having a childhood bedroom is like.”

Jihoon blinks again, furrowing his brows. “...I don’t understand.”

“God, I’m not explaining this right,” you mutter, chewing on your lip in obvious thought. “Okay, so like… You know how in movies and books and stuff, a lot of times there’s this— trope, I guess, where a character goes back home and stays in their childhood bedroom and it’s like a glimpse into their past? A lot of times for comedic reasons?”

Jihoon slowly nods his head. “Yeah, I know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, well.” You give a self-conscious little half-shrug that makes Jihoon’s chest hurt for some reason. “I was wondering what that’s like. Like…” You trail off for a moment, gaze drifting off to the side and focusing on the middle-distance. Jihoon forces himself to wait patiently as you try to find the words you need to explain, his thumbs continuing their silent metronome across your skin.

“What— what’s it like to have lived your entire childhood in the same house?” you start, gaze still locked somewhere off to the side. “To have the same four walls watch you go from toddler to kid to preteen to moody teenager and then reluctant adult? And to know those same walls are still watching you grow up.” You give a wistful little sigh and focus back on Jihoon with a crooked smile. “I’m trying to imagine what that’s like. Hadn’t realized how much of a foreign concept it was to me until I really started thinking about it,” you finish with a small huff.

During your whole little spiel, you hadn’t sounded sad or bitter or anything other than genuinely curious, but it still pokes at that little ache in Jihoon’s heart. He knows your parents divorced when you were young, and there’s a part of him that wishes you could have had the perfect childhood he knows doesn’t actually exist. He also knows you’re not one to really talk about yourself or your past, so he’s grateful for the vulnerability you’re sharing with him in this moment. Softly, he encourages you to share more with him. “You went back and forth between your parents a lot, right?”

“Oh, god yeah,” you laugh. “And not only that, but my mom could never stay in one place either. Growing up, I think my dad only moved like… four times? But my mom moved… uh.” Your brows furrow deeply for a moment. “Hang on, I need to think this out.”

Jihoon almost whines when you detangle your fingers from his, but manages to turn it into a pretty convincing cough. (It’s actually not at all convincing, but luckily you’re too preoccupied to properly clown him for it.) He watches you mutter to yourself with a small pout and then he looks back down at your hands like he can make them hold his if he just stares hard enough. Your fingers extend one by one as you count, and his pout falls away as one fist and then the other blooms fully. And then one fist closes again, leaving a single finger standing.

“So… eleven? Eleven times.”

He’d known you’d moved at least a few times as a kid, but… “Holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

Gently, he reaches out to hold your hands again. Squeezes. “And how often did you go back and forth?”

“Oh, god. That was a mess, too.” You’re laughing, but that ache in his chest keeps spreading, digging deeper. “We had different schedules that would change like— every few months. We did three days on, three days off, alternating sundays; we did two days on, two days off, with alternating weekends; at one point we even did every other weekday with alternating weekends… it was insane. Looking back, it seems even more insane.”

“Jesus.” He can’t even begin to imagine what that must’ve been like — almost constantly being on the move. Especially as a kid. “How old were you when they split again?”

“Five.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah.” You sigh, long and gusty. It doesn’t sound sad, at least, just tired. Maybe a little bit like release. Then you send a small, amused smile in his direction. “So you can kinda see why the whole “childhood bedroom” thing is such a foreign concept to me, right?”

He can see why. And it aches. “Yeah,” he breathes.

Some of that ache must show on his face because you gently scold him, “Hey, don’t look like that.” You untangle your fingers once again to cup both of his cheeks, thumbs pressing into the corners of his mouth and smoothing out his unconscious frown.

You look at him, soft and warm and so full of love Jihoon’s breath catches in his chest. And then you adjust your grip so you’re pinching his cheeks, and you wiggle his face a little bit. “This wasn’t supposed to be a sad thing, Hoonie. Just a “we had vastly different experiences” kind of thing.” You stop pinching his cheeks and go back to simply holding his face between your palms. “Like, I know it helped me understand the concept of “home is where the heart is,” yanno?”

And, oh. Oh, Jihoon is so very head-over-heels in love with you. He can feel that love pooling and swelling inside him, curling up between his ribs and tickling the tips of his fingers as reaches up to cover your hands with his.

“Hmm.” His mouth moves before his brain can catch up. “And where is your heart, y/n?” he breathes.

For one infinite moment suspended in time, you and Jihoon are the only two people to exist. The world around him disappears as your eyes bore into his, and Jihoon gets to watch something in them soften, melt — pool into something that looks a lot like love as you turn your hands to let go of his cheeks and hold his fingers instead.

You bring his hands to hover in front of his face, and you roll your lips between your teeth like you’re trying to hold back a smile. What you’re trying to say finally clicks in Jihoon’s mind when you glance down at his hands and then back up at him with a raised eyebrow.

All of the blood in his body rushes directly to his face and ears so quickly that Jihoon thinks he might burst into flames.

 “Nooooooooo,” he whines, hiding his blazing blush behind your entwined hands and ignoring the way you’re outright laughing at him now. He lowers your hands just enough so that he can glare at you from over the tops of your knuckles. “How are you able to say the cheesiest things without actually saying anything? I can’t stand you.”

“Then sit,” you giggle, like the absolutely adorable little shit you are.

Jihoon growls in frustrated adoration before licking the back of your hands in retaliation.

You screech and try to yank your hands back, but he’s the stronger one between the two of you and he refuses to let go. “Lee Jihoon, you animal, what is wrong with you?!”

“Vengence,” is all he mutters.

You splutter. “Vengence for what?”

He continues to half-heartedly glare at you as he brings your hands down and presses them to the left side of his chest. Vaguely, he wonders if you can feel the way his heart is pounding against his ribs. “For stealing my heart,” he pouts.

The sound that comes out of your mouth reminds him of a dying seal, and that’s how Jihoon knows it’s over for him — because he’s never heard a more endearing sound in his entire life and he thinks that maybe he’d do anything to hear it over and over again.

You continue to tease each other back and forth, your love for each other a steady undertow, and Jihoon realizes that while they may be heading back to the house he grew up in, it’s not home in the same sense any more.

Not when he looks at you and his heart sings a steady home, home, home inside his chest.

The thought doesn’t scare him nearly as much as he thinks it should.

Home, home, home.

He likes the sound of that.

[pruneunfair]

"My feelings on" part 5. How to get my husband on my side and how it properly tackles abuse, eating disorders, and relationships.

Another super popular manhwa that I can understand why it's so beloved. The Borgias were actual people in history that inspired characters like the protagonist Ruby, and the title itself already feels different since the world of OI is all about being a perfect badass woman, funnily enough, HTGMHOMS does this better than most.

Rudbeckia/Ruby starts off with the behavior of the og fls that a lot of OI make fun of. She is surrounded by what appears to be loving family members and is already being prepped to be married of to Izek, she looks excited and ready to do whatever her family wants until her inner monolog reveals how she really feels about them especially her older brother Cezar. She hates almost all of them and her real reason for being excited for marriage is so she can get away from her abusive household and avoid death which shouldn't be hard since the transmigrator doesn't plan on poisoning her sister in law like og Ruby did. She's a master of hiding her feelings already which is attributed to her past life in a similarly abusive adoptive household.

Right off bat, Ruby is shown to be strong in the mental sense. Not only is she walking on eggshells she also suffers from an ED (likely bulimia), there a quite a few scenes where she's throwing up, refusing to eat a lot, or in later chapters, eating a lot more out of stress. Her family too is whole new level of psychological horror. They aren't cartoonist evil, for example Pope Borgia is usually kind to his daughter and treats her with respect until he feels like she's defying him, all of a sudden that kind caring nature is gone, then he becomes threatening, or her older brother Cezar who has been abusing her for years both physically and sexually, he keeps her in place through fear, intimidation, and attacking her on occasion which is only enhanced after he kills Rubys bird and feeds it to his turtle which gives Ruby a phobia of turtles. It's actually heartbreaking with how eerily realistic it is when these types of people are easily placed like normal family members in certain scenes, because that's often how abusive family members blend in, almost no one knows what they are really like and if you looked at a first glance without context, you'd think "Ah yes, that's just a brother next to his siblings." They're never truly gone, they just know how to hide their true colors so well.

This is why Ruby is so much stronger than a lot of people give her credit for, she's dealing with all of this at the same time and her only hope of respite is being as far as possible from her home country. It's easy to jump to the conclusion that Ruby is just a weak stereotypical protagonist everytime you see her pretend to fawn over Izeks presence but if you read further, you'd know that Ruby doesn't like it any better but she thinks she's doing what's right to avoid Izeks Wrath since she's the only one who knows what he is the one who kills the og Ruby in the novel.

Speaking of which, while Izek isn't my favorite ML ever, I still was shocked to find that I liked the typical cold nobleman persona on him. Unlike a lot of ML's Izek is allowed to be flawed and his negative traits and moments aren't brushed aside, they cause some issues like Ruby going out of her way to appear dainty and sweet so Izek won't kill her. He acknowledges how he has hurt her and grows from it and doesn't push her boundaries. It's possible for the cold Duke archetype to work but a lot of the time, the whole war hero past gets thrown to the side for baseless fan service or they're just unapologetically abusive. Izek however is in the in between. His cold and dangerous persona stays consistent but that doesn't make him one note and he gets to have geninue moments of care for those in his life rendering Izek to still be likeable.

Ive noticed that the narrative also makes sense instead of twisting itself for a stupid chance at a fan service plot. An example is Ellen and Freya.

An unfortunate sideffects from the fandom was on and off hatred of Ellen for considering what Freya had to say, taking her side or not even choosing a side at all. The readers know that Freya tried to get Ruby killed by tricking her into going into a monster infested forest or when she tried to frame Ruby for poisoning her, but does Ellen know that? Realistically she's not going to immediately turn her back on Freya since they were childhood friends along eith Izek but that doesn't mean she screams at Ruby either. Ellen does care about Ruby but she knew Freya longer than she knew Ruby. From her perspective, it' makes sense that Freya would be innocent.

But perhaps the best part about Ellen that makes her my favorite character is how she notices the little details on others. She's the first to find out that Ruby has an eating disorder and it's not out of nowhere either, Ellen and Izeks late mother also suffered from a eating disorder that Ellen witnessed more than once so it gives an explanation on how she can tell what Ruby is going through.

Side characters are treated just as well as the main cast too. From the other guards to the friendly monsters to minor antagonist and even the children are all given attention to be their own beings, it doesn't have to be a lot since most of what I mentioned are minor characters but then you got characters like Ivan who has a life outside of just being by Izeks side.

Out of all the side characters I gotta say the monsters are my favorites. It makes me wish there was a side story where Ruby successfully runs away forever and lives as a little witch with monster companions.

Of course like all media, HTGMHOMS has its flaws but I think I'll chill on this one since the flaws aren't large enough to ruin it and I want to stay positive on something I like for once.

Conclusion: This is a story that does such an amazing job with its commentary. Instead of just saying "Cezar abused Ruby in the past! Feel bad for her now!" For example, we are given actual flashbacks to respect the show don't tell rule. Other characters besides Ruby suffer from their own traumas and they get their own arcs on their hardships and how they recover from it, it handles eating disorders and trauma responses in a respectful way that has an actual effect on the plot. Most of all, it does all of this with the type of protagonist that has been deemed as "weak" before in the manhwa community. Ruby isn't a boss girl who is always successful and smart. She makes reckless decisions, she cries, she isn't always able to one-up her enemies like Freya. She's a human woman stuck in a world that's not her own but she still rises to the task at hand even with all her blunders. Ironically making her more feminist then many of the female leads before her.

[tae-rambles]

OP ch 1124 SPOILERS

my reaction as i read:

first, disclaimer, i was spoiled that Kizaru cries this chapter and it's apparently very sad. honestly, unless it's revealed that Vegapunk told him he had a plan to die sometime during those two weeks before the incident, i don't think i'll feel much sympathy for Kizaru, but we'll see... i also wonder if that's what the title is referring to - the relationship between Kizaru and Vegapunk

the cover story is taking an interesting turn... will Yamato pursue the criminal? will he befriend the woman? maybe Yamato will gain a harem of female lovers like Oden? that would be fun

Morgans' reaction is v unsurprising; Vivi is a badass like always and the two sapphics in the background are still cute :D but sorry girls, Vivi's already taken (NamiVivi for life)

i mean... Wapol is kinda right but shut up

Vivi i love youuuu!!!!!! anyone who hates you is a red flag honestly

of course Morgans would pin it on Luffy - no surprises there

yay! Sentomaru got away! :D it seems like Kizaru let him? where will he go, i wonder... the closest safe place that we know of is Elbaf or one of the next islands the log pose points to? the net cover story will focus on him?

also impressive he didn't pass out from the haki blast! maybe it somehow knew Sentomaru was an ally? can a haki blast do that? i mean... it's a manifestation of it's user's will... but whose will? it was Joyboy's haki but Emet was the one to unleash it so which one of them decided whom to spare? however, Joyboy's dead so it must have been Emet who controlled it but is it possible to control another person's haki aka will? one can use observation haki to sense intent and emotion. could Joyboy implement that into the haki bomb to make sure it doesn't hurt friendly forces? i have so many thoughts...

hehe Akainu will not be happy

yep, the title refers to Kizaru and Vegapunk...

Vegapunk went straight to the point, huh? lol

wow, he shut Akainu up lol

but honestly, Kizaru did this to himself. he's strong enough to rebel but it's more comfortable to stay a cog in the machine... he chose comfort over his "best friend" - you can actually compare him to Vivi this chapter - it would be safer for her to stay silent yet she raises her voice against injustice while Kizaru is here crying and pitying himself while being physically completely safe. i understand it's hard for him and that if it wasn't Kizaru, it would be somebody else. but maybe if he had rebelled and used his strength to protect Vegapunk, there would be no "somebody else"... so what i'm saying is: he definitely did not "have to kill his best friend"

Luffy must be taking this hard... especially since he befriended Atlas... i feel so sad for him

Franky's right... but Zoro, c'mon... i know you're trying to play up the tough guy act to stay alert to keep everybody safe and expect the same from your captain but give him a breather

Lilith... :(

that's a good question, from whom did she hear about it? is maybe Edison still alive? maybe he just disconnected from the Punk Records to make it look like he's dead? i mean... i wouldn't be surprised, this is One Piece after all...

HUH??? ok, i have my theory about how the Vegapunks can still be technically alive - Punk Records is still functioning after all and the question of what it means for Vegapunk to die did come up a couple of times so it's not too out of left field but i'm gonna keep reading for now...

ah... so we're not getting the full explanation now... dammit

but now we can have the mandatory banquet at the end of the arc :D (i have a post that's a response to an ask in the works - that's already taking way too long sorry - that's gonna touch on this more so i'm not gonna dwell on it now)

and Robin's also feeling better :D

kampai! :D

"the fabled country of Elbaf" haha i see what you did there

and another mysterious silhouette to close the chapter...

it was a good chapter :D nothing groundbreaking but that's what's needed after all that craziness lol though i was hoping to see what's up w Stussy but oh well...

Egghead was the first arc a read weekly and it was a wonderful experience so i'm hyped to see what Elbaf will bring :D i already posted my thoughts and predictions here

[hms-tardimpala]

Goldsickness collection: the recs!

Dragonsickness is a theme I love, it resonates with me with very much, and I had a great time reading fics to make this collection. Here are the eight I love the most and that make up this 376-pages-book.

As Befits a King by Ladysisyphus (explicit, 4,7k)

It was all too much to think about, so he thought about Thorin's hands.

This fic strikes a good balance between angst, hope and hot possessive sex. Thorin is teetering on the edge of madness here, despite Bilbo's best efforts.

Chains of Gold by Plooby (explicit, 4k)

He had not been in the king's chambers since their arrival, not since his youth, and the massive gilt doors opened only with groaning reluctance under his hands.

This is actually a sequel to the fic above, the authors worked on a series together. It's just as brilliant, hot and well-written. You can see the old Thorin under the madness.

What was promised by Paranoid_fridge (unrated, 6,9k)

Perhaps Bilbo is being selfish. But even though he knows that Thorin's mind has grown clouded from cursed gold, he is unwilling to give up on the intimacy they share. And when Thorin - with his mind still bespelled - asks for his hand, Bilbo does not decline either. With armies before the gate and a battle to come, things must come to a head.

Interesting concept: Thorin and Bilbo get married while Thorin is dragonsick. It raises the question of consent. The battles scenes are great and Bilbo is a badass.

Lay your troubles down by Avelera (explicit, 24k)

An extended version of "the acorn scene." Bilbo sees his chance to snap Thorin out of his madness, and takes it.

This fic is a great, slow deconstruction of Thorin's illness by Bilbo. The author goes all the way to the bedrock of the character to start healing him, and there are setbacks and false starts (which is what I prefer in fics where Thorin heals).

Covet by Pomgore (explicit, 33,3k)

"How is he?” Bilbo asked softly, trying to keep the worry from his voice. Balin’s face went dark, and he sipped thoughtfully on his tea. “... It’s slow, but his fever has begun to break,” he said. “Still, it’s the worst I’ve seen him. I think it’s the worst he’s ever had.” ~~~ Thorin recovers from both physical and mental afflictions. As with all recovery, the path of healing is non-linear and agonizingly difficult.

This is also a fantastic healing fic (this one post-canon) that treats dragonsickness as a mental illness, with relapses in the recovery. I loved that portrayal, I recognized myself in it. And the fic scratches some specific itches of mine.

Red Lines in Dark Stone by Elenothar (mature, 4,3k)

After BOFA Thorin is wrecked by guilt, convinced that most of the bloodshed is his fault (see: the arkenstone debacle). As king and responsible for Erebor, he decides that he will do anything to stop himself from succumbing to the gold sickness again, even if it means hurting himself. When his family and friends find out, they don't react as he'd expected them to.

Self-harm is another theme that's dear to me. This is an excellent portrayal of self-harm, the author got it perfectly right. It's good to read a post-canon fic where, even when he's past the goldsickness, Thorin still suffers its consequences.

Of Monsters and Men by MsThunderFrost (mature, 1,3k)

Thorin will protect Bilbo from everything. Even if that includes himself.

Look, I love dark and twisted stuff, so this fic was an absolute bitter candy for me, I dig it. Heed the warnings!

Burning with a magnificent madness by EmilianaDarling (mature, 7,3k)

Thorin’s madness had been like a dam bursting; fast and brutal and incomprehensible, like water rushing out and devastating everything in its path. For Bilbo, it’s more like a slow trickle over the course of a lifetime. Out of sight and out of mind - and almost imperceptible until he’s already drowning.

This is an incredibly moving study of madness in Thorin's and Bilbo's lives, caused by the gold and the One ring. Bilbo's life is really tragic and it's heartbreaking to see him sink into addiction to the ring. Prepare tissues.

[lost-boys-chapter]

I am continuing with the sa reread!! hopefully it'll speed up now bc the bartending ✨️chaos season✨️ (aka the euros) is over, so I should have more time. also am on holiday this week and convinced I can get through the entirety of twok by saturday. I'm almost to part 3. my thoughts are as follows:

who are the three guys in the ishikk interlude? I say this, knowing 2/3 of the answer. one of them is galladon, right? and another is demoux? I know one if them is the nale lookalike mentioned in the sa5 interlude preview? do we have any more info on why they're looking for hoid yet? I vaguely remember these three always confusing me.

are the epigraphs for p2 the letter from hoid to frost? the 'old friend' threw me off bc that's how sazed refers to everyone in tlm, but I'm increasingly sure it makes sense that it's hoid.

also, GOD, dalinar and adolin's opening chapters are boring. ik they end up being two of my faves in the rest of the series so I've been slogging through them but they just seem to....not be doing a lot. obviously a lot of the point of their chapters is that the vengeance pact is becoming long and drawn out, and more about sport than anything else, so it kind of makes sense thematically. but still, doesn't feel like there's a lot to sink my teeth into.

relatedly, increasingly it does feel like kaladin is the Personality Hire of the original pov characters. like, he's got a lot less to say in terms of worldbuilding and setup for the general arc of the first half than shallan and dalinar, but he's the only real character who you care about enough to sink your teeth into the plot and properly root for on first read. I definitely felt that way to begin with and I still feel so on reread, so. you can also quite easily see him becoming marginally less relevant in later books so I wonder if part of it really is that he's just the first character you can really begin to love in this series. not saying I don't care for him in later books, obviously. but idk just a thought

rock my beloved !! I had completely forgotten he'd become a bridgeman by putting chull dung in sadeas' soup LMAO he's my favorite ever. also, when him and teft were asking each other's names and teft asked him what his real name was, I immediately said, out loud, 'numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor.' not sure what it says that I remembered this but forgot other characters' entire existence.

the other bridgemen make me 🥰🥰🥰 also. it surprises me on reread that sigzil was one of kaladin's biggest critics to begin with. it reads as kind of weird to me but I suppose the realities of bridgeman life would strip the fundamentals of anyone's character. still, I'm yet to read the sunlit man and we know how much I've forgotten regardless so maybe I've been shaped by fandom perception a little too much.

dunny :( I've not got to the bit where he dies yet but I remember his being the bridgeman death that hurt the most in twok so every time he shows up I get a fun burst of sadness. also for some reason I thought it was hobber who originally almost died, not leyten, but maybe I'm right and just haven't gotten to that part yet lol.

just remembered that lopen exists too. looking forward to him showing up.

and syl!! I love her so much, it's cool in retrospect to see what spren lose and how they slowly regain their sentience while moving into the physical realm to form a bond. seeing her confused about understanding abstract concepts is great. I was listening to the wind and truth predictions shardcast the other day and someone came up with a theory that the way windrunners are recruited might be turned on its head in era 2. in retrospect that would be super cool to see.

speaking of, that episode of shardcast also convinced me that syladin is a possibility, which ruined my day.

unrelatedly: navani is such a badass, that text post that's going around that's like 'navani really showed up at the shattered plains and immediately told dalinar that her son is a loser' is so so real lol. I don't think I originally liked her in twok bc I didn't understand her... purpose, I guess? this time around I'm like 😍😍 mine scientist lady beloved.

also, could the stormfather really not think of a better way to investigate a possible bond than random prophetic visions? though the one we see onscreen first with the weird midnight creatures is very cool in retrospective.

regarding flashbacks: I'm not super invested in kaladin's past, once you've read it once it's not difficult to remember what happens so I'm pretty much just skimming. but I think rereading it a few years older makes it a lot easier to understand that lirin is a far more complex character than I originally thought, esp regarding row. obviously he's got kaladin's best interests in mind, but I feel like his moral reasoning is a lot clearer on reread. I don't think hes a great person, but i dont think hes necessarily more flawed than a lot of other main characters. I don't exactly remember what happens in row but I remember he gets... worse. I'm interested to see how my opinion changes.

and finally on a meta note: I know the first arc is supposed to thematically parallel a ketek, which I remember being able to spot elements of between wor and row. I'm super curious to see if I can spot anything in twok which might be paralleled in wind and truth. I do think I thought of smth regarding syl earlier but I forgot what it was 🫠-- maybe something go do with the recreance questions we're hoping to get answered?

this has been a very long post for which I am sorry but I'm open to discussion points!! would love to hear people's thoughts on my thoughts lol. will inevitably be back with more lukewarm takes

[notthemonthbutmarch]

I’m thinking about Natlan and I just need one thing off my chest

If the theories are right and the Pyro Archon is currently dead and will be resurrection like the title of the chapter suggests, I want her to be a strong and respected woman.

Like, I know we’re already getting Murata and she’s gonna be a Murata Himeko expy (which I kinda don’t like but sure whatever Hoyo) from Honkai Impact 3rd, but idk I just feel like we need a single female archon that doesn’t have a bad relationship with her people AND is powerful.

Right now I think it’s safe to say that the power scaling of the archons is Zhongli, Ei, Venti, Nahida, and then Furina (I know she’s not an archon anymore I’m just including her bc I like her and I’m bias). Also, as an aside, this got to long so I’m putting it down here. I ranked Venti over Nahida not because her powers are weaker than Venti’s but because Venti has more experience. He can fight and knows the full extent of her powers and survived the Archon War; while Nahida would outsmart him no problem, Venti would overpower her physically I just wanted to clarify

Zhongli and Venti are from the OG Seven and have positive relationships with their respective countries. They’re both powerful and well respected.

Ei is hella powerful, but she did steal everyone’s visions so I don’t think she’s respected exactly. She’s more feared in my eyes. Like, absolutely, they respect her because she’s their archon and is powerful and is trying to change, but the people of Inazuma are very aware that Ei is capable of hurting her people if it means achieving her goal. OBVIOUSLY Ei herself doesn’t want to hurt her people and that was the puppet being tricked by the Fatui that did all that, but the people themselves don’t necessarily know that, so they just think Ei had a change of heart.

Nahida’s whole storyline in the Sumeru Archon Quests was reinstating her as the highest and most respected authority. Everyone loves her and for good reason! She’s great, and she’s doing her job as an archon really well. However, she is possibly one of the weakest archons due to age and experience. I can see her being a MIGHTY archon when she’s older, but how long is that gonna take? We’ll probably never see Nahida at her peak.

Then there’s Furina. Her storyline was AMAZING, I think we can all agree the Fontaine Archon Quests were great. However, Furina was seen as a joke or mascot by her people rather than an actual mighty archon. They just followed her because her voice was loud and she played the role well. Furina was never strong or respected, not until AFTER she lost her divinity for good.

Ei is strong but not respected, Nahida is respected but not strong, and Furina is not strong nor respected.

And this isn’t me trying to say Zhongli and Venti are bad or anything. There’s absolutely a discussion for misogyny in Genshin, but I’m not really opening that can of worms right now.

I’m just looking at the dynamics we have for the Archons and am hoping that we get a strong and respected female archon at some point.

It could be the Tsaritsa for all we know! The Tsaritsa is incredibly badass and there’s some indications that the intentions behind the Fatui aren’t that bad but their actions are, so it could be that the Tsaritsa is our strong AND respected Archon.

Yet, Childe’s line about her makes me think that people have their doubts, so is she really that respected as we think?

That just leaves Murata, and I am hoping that if the resurrection thing is about her, then I hope Murata is very strong and highly respected.

But if the resurrection is about someone else, say,the Pyro Sovereign, then I am BEGGING Hoyo to make the Pyro Sovereign a woman. We lost a female archon to a male sovereign I don’t want it to happen again.

[memerella]

harry potter headcanons/concepts/aus that i LOVE

- first of all, my FAVORITE ships:

- drarry (i mean, c'mon, its so obvious it hurts)

- i liked ginny x harry, bc i like ginny a lot, BUT GINNY X PANSY?! at the edge of my seat, screaming, crying, throwing up

- love me my ronmione, but i also like ace!hermione, being way too focused on her career and her passions than even think about a relationship

- blaise x neville (x luna?)

- ron x lavender

- wolfstar

- i love jily sm but i also love james x lily x regulus?????

- harry is half indian (the potters being indian) tbh i never imagined him that way while growing up and seeing daniel radcliff as harry. but the more i got into the fandom on tumblr, the more i feel in love with this concept.

it somehow makes so much more sense??? not only bc representation matters, but also the hate he got in his early life. harry grew up at the dursleys, in a middle class neighborhood in 1980 England. And all i'm trying to say with that is:

Discrimination against people of Indian origin in the United Kingdom has a long history.

Starting in the late 1960s and peaked during the 1970s and 1980s, Indians and other racial minority groups living in the United Kingdom were the victims of racist violence and they were often subjected to physical violence by supporters of far-right, anti-immigration and racist political parties.

(Wikipedia)

i can imagine vernon and his sister were THE perfect candidates for being racist twats. vernon hated harry and his father for being wizards, but why would marge hate him THAT MUCH? she didnt know harry and his family were magical. i think it would make so much sense she hated them for not being white and vernon hated them for it too (god, i really hate them sm)

also, i always thought it was so weird that not a single teacher/adult/ANYONE saw little harry being abused??? not only the bruises he got from dudley (and prop vernon too), but also his malnourished body, his way too big clothes, his broken glasses, etc. they never questioned this or gave a single fuck. maybe they never gave a fuck, bc why should they? its just a dirty indian kid anyways and besides, they all look like this, dont they??? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ i fucking hate racist people so much

- talking about racist people. black hermione is the single greatest thing and i can't believe theres still a debate out there, that she cant be black bc "emma watson is my forever hermione". y'all are just lil twats, go away 😒

- harrys scar being way more different than in the movies/early book covers

i loooove the concept of harry having a scar like an actual lightning bolt. bc first, it would indicate, that surviving the (powerful) killing curse would take a huge toll on a body.

second, it would look like an actual wound that magic could achieve.

i googled 'lichtenberg scars', scares that people got from actually being struck by a lightning bolt (or super high electricity).

they dont look natural at all, which makes them so unique and special and would fit the only surviving person of the avada kedavra curse. it also would explain why people would always ask harry to see his scar and why they were so fascinated about it (i know they want to see it bc of voldie and shit, but i think you get my point).

and third, it would look badass as fuck ngl

- i love scars in general. especially harrys lightning scar, but also rons tentacle-like scars he got in book 5. or dracos sectumsempra scars. or hermiones 'mudblood' scar. generally, i love fanarts or fanfics where they are visible or depicted. and the characters having to live with and accepting them.

- i'm a sucker for drarry fics, where harry sees dracos scars that he caused for the first time, how shocked and embarrassed he is for causing so much harm. apologizing profusely for them and draco beeing slightly overwhelmed by harrys behavior. (if you have recommendations for such fics, pls tell me).

- i've once red a fic where draco and hermione modified the scar bellatrix left on her by changing the word mudblood into "my blood is magic". i got goosebumps reading this, bc it felt so empowering somehow. but i also like the thought of hermione leaving the word by how it is, to remind anyone out there, what she's been through and what a powerful badass witch you can become, even tho you dont have magical parents.

- harrys "you must not lie" scar is also one of my favorites and i LOVE when people include it in fanfics. especially when there's a debate about the corrupt and twisted power of the ministry and crazy ideologies and harry just slams his hand on the table and starts ARGUING, leaving everyone silent lol

- harry having another lightning scar on his body, this time over his heart, when voldemort attempted to kill him the second time in the forest.

- draco covering up his deatheater tattoo, by putting flowers over/around it, to symbolize he'd grown.

- magical tattoos. tattoos that move around your body. harry having fr a tiny dragon tattoo, which 'flys' around his skin.

- harry beeing way more powerful after the war. i mean, he's the master of death after all??? he took down the most powerful wizard of all time??? now he has a crazy magical aura around him. he can cast wandless magical more effortlessly. when he gets angry, he lets out accidental magic, messing with electricity, the wind etc.

- harry renovating the black house. him finally getting rid of walpurgas portrait and the other gruesome decoration. draco helping him, bc he's a black afterall and knows a few tricks and spells. also draco and harry researching and explaining magical houses. kreacher is helping them too. the black house getting warm and cozy, after all those years.

- draco and harry getting together and harry is showing him the perks of the muggle world. draco discovering television, electricity, planes, science in general (later smartphones, video games etc). him being FASCINATED about it, wanting to learn more and more. (what do you MEAN, muggles were ON THE MOON??? THEY CAN TRAVEL IN SPACE??? WTF POTTER?!) draco discovering what an atomic bomb is, having an existencial crisis about it (i can't believe muggles have more power than US? could we even STOP a bomb like this? surely you can , Potter 🙄)

- draco dragging his slytherin friends into the muggleworld.

- pansy being EXCITED to discover luxury brand like gucci, prada n shit. her wanting to study fashion and becoming a famous designer in the wizarding AND muggle world (muggles being like HAVE YOU SEEN PANSYS NEW DRESS?! IT LOOKS LIKE MAGIC FR)

- ginny becoming a famous quidditch star, always showing up at parties with the finest haute couture, showing off and promoting pansys newest designs (pansy loves her for it)

- blaise getting caught up too into the fashion/celebrity/influencer/gossip world. maybe becoming a famous art critique? or a journalist? him exposing people he dosnt like? love that shit fr

- goyle being fascinated about muggle sports, especially rugby and american football. him dragging draco, harry and ron into various matches and talking non stop about his favorite teams and players. harry finally convincing him to just do it himself. goyle actually doing it and having the time of his life.

- goyle dragging drarry to his first victory party with his teammates. harry, to his HORROR, seeing dudley again after all those years (what do you MEAN HARRY, BIG D IS YOUR COUSIN?!?)

- harry and dudley reconciling. i have many thoughts about this, but i really love the idea of a redemption arc for dudley. maybe dudley having a daughter, who is also a witch and him loving her with his whole heart and wanting to understand every problem and struggle she might face in the wizarding world. him cutting of contact with his father. visiting harry, notebook in hand, to remember every detail.

- harry never really told him about this, but after his daughter came home after her first year in hogwarts, he finally learns what harry had actually been through. him FLABBERGASTED when she handed him a book about the second great wizarding war, with a moving picture of harry on its cover (daddy, why have you never told me we are related to the savior? - the... WHAT????)

- Hermione becoming the minister of magic. FINALLY a competent witch, someone who's trying to make the world a better place (also harry backing her up, intimidating everyone who dares to be a bitch about it). a few things i think she would do:

- setting the elves free for real, giving them free healthcare, new jobs, an access to schools, housing etc. telling them about dobby and his story

- also, more freedom and rights for other magical beings, like merefolk, centaurs, goblins, giants and WEREWOLVES!!!

- giving elves and goblins wands???!!!

- a new school system where muggle studies is a MUST, bc how can you teach kids and NOT tell them of the rest of the non-magic world??? do they even know electricity? planes? science? how can you get rid of hate and stereotypes otherwise?

- teaching kids and adults how to dress in the muggle world lmao

- the more the people learn about science and shit, the more they could experiment? imagine a world where potions and chemistry would go hand-in-hand. wizards discovering what molecules and atoms are and researching like crazy. them learning how to incorporate technology with magic. (free wifi at hogwarts???) a fascinating concept for me.

- rita skeeter and dolores umbridge getting finally behind bars. I WANT JUSTICE

- Harry being an auror is cool, but after all he's been through, i can imagine he wouldnt want to be one for long. i think it would be so nice to become a teacher at hogwarts. defence against the dark powers would suit him sm. also, he could teach students something about unity, wizard and muggle relations, how to detect bigotry and propaganda, how to stand up for themselves etc

- draco becoming either a healer at st. mundos or a professor at hogwarts

- mcgonagall working hand-in-hand as head master with hermione, making hogwarts SAFE again

- draco having his trial after the battle of hogwarts. him being exhausted, ashamed, traumatized af. him not expecting and not wanting any mercy. the ministry also not wanting any mercy, bc fuck them deatheaters. them being astounded after harry waltzed into the court room, explaining that he, harry potter, will be dracos lawyer and DEMANDING him to be freed (who can say no to the savior)

- harry and his gang having fucking therapy after the war, please and thank you

- harry finally recognizing all the fucked up shit dumbledore has done to him and being ANGRY about it

- love me some good old dumbledore slander (fuck him)

- love the idea of draco being part veela

- draco growing out his hair after the war

- harry and draco getting together at their eight year at hogwarts. them talking about so many things, including the part in the forest where he died (again). draco being mortified (you. you are the master of death? are you kidding me? i thought it was only a tale for children ffs. harry wtf)

- neville is trans (f->m) 🥰

- blaise is non-binary 🤭

- luna is also non-binary, my lil bean 💕

- i am now - and will forever be - into denial that fred weasley actually died, i simply refuse the mere idea. for all i care, he lives happily ever after with george and they both die when the are 200 years old. you're very welcome btw (i remember crying and throwing my book away after i've read this scene, you cant do this to me)

[enid-rhees]

a few bruises | Enid Rhee x Fem!Reader

this is a part two to a previous request by @kamii-2 ! these two right here vv ! they asked if Ron could maybe try and get revenge on reader so here just that ! also… keyword on try :)

summary: after Enid and Ron break up and she confesses to you, Ron still isn’t over Enid. to try and get her back, he tries to hurt you.

warnings: physical fighting (yeah) mentions of blood

A/N: okay so yeah . kinda imagine the fight Ron and Carl had but it’s an actual like . physical fight and Reader is NOTTTT having it 🤭

and a bit of backstory to not make it seem completely random, reader is 100% like a badass. like she knows how to fight. it’s up to your imagination to decide what she has done in the groups journey on the road up until Alexandria :)

“Enid,” you laughed as she leaned down to kiss you for what felt like the 10th time in that minute alone. your lips connected with ease. you smiled into the kiss, wrapping an arm over her neck.

you were in euphoria when you were with her. you hadn’t felt happy like this in a while. Enid couldn’t have been a more perfect girlfriend to you. these past few weeks had been nothing but amazing.

lovesick was the only word able to describe you both. just completely lovesick for each other.

she pulled away, smiling down at you. “you’re so pretty like this.” she whispered. your face burned at the compliment, “you look perfect.” you said back.

after a few more stolen kisses, you looked outside and pouted. “i gotta head home. Rick will start to get worried.”

“nooo,” she dragged out in a whine. you laughed, leaning down to her level. “you’ll see me first thing tomorrow morning. like always.” you hummed, pressing another kiss to her lips.

she led you to her front door. before she opened it, she wrapped her arms around your waist, pulling you close. “i love you,”

“i love you too,” you said back, connecting your lips once more.

the air was a bit cold when you left her house, causing you to shiver. you wrapped your arms over yourself, hoping it will warm you up a little until you get back home.

before you could walk up the stairs, someone stopped you.

“Y/N,” a voice spoke. you couldn’t tell who it was until you turned around. “oh, Ron. hey.”

you haven’t really seen him around since you and Enid got together. you assumed he had been doing his own thing, you weren’t really sure how he was handling it.

“can we talk?” he asked. your eyes flickered between him and the front door. “uh, tomorrow maybe? it’s getting late-“

“you were at Enid’s weren’t you?” he interrupted. “yeah- yeah i was. listen i’ll see you tomorrow Ron, okay? i should get inside.”

“it’ll be quick. i just wanna talk.” you pushed aside the feeling you felt inside and nodded. “fine. speak.”

he hesitated a second, like he wasn’t completely sure what to say. “how’s uh, how’s Enid been?”

“she’s fine.” you said simply. you really didn’t know what he wanted from you, especially at this time, so you tried playing it safe.

“she seems happier with you.” he commented. looking down at your shoes, you sighed. “Ron, if this is just to try and somehow make me feel guilty for being a better person to her, it’s not going to work. it’s getting late, leave.”

you truly didn’t want any bad blood with Ron. you knew this entire situation would cause tension, but you tried your best to avoid it. he seemed to have different opinions.

the last part set something off inside him, you could tell. he stepped forward, but you didn’t move.

“a better person? you think i was a bad boyfriend to her? why would you ever say that? i was good to her!” he argued, you chuckled.

“don’t try this, okay? i know the truth and you do too so i’m not sure why you’re wasting your time. admit it, Enid chose me and is over you, stop trying.”

you weren’t expecting him to push you back. you stumbled back and looked back up at him. “seriously? Ron, you’re not thinking straight. fighting me will do nothing to change how she feels. she’s no longer your-“ a punch landed on your face.

you didn’t waste a second longer punching him in the face just as hard as he did to you. he groaned in pain but regained his posture. you ignored the pain you felt all around your face.

“my god, you’re so fucking stubborn, Ron. why won’t you just accept it?! Enid doesn’t fucking love you. it’s me, she loves me.” at this point, you knew you were setting him off. but you felt as if there was no other way to get him to leave you alone.

he grabbed onto you, trying to push you down. you grabbed his hand and shoved it off of you, “and stop putting your hands on me. you’re not going to like the outcome.” it was a genuine warning, he didn’t know what kind of stuff you did out there before arriving to Alexandria.

he threw another punch, but you caught his fist and shoved him back. before he could do anything else, you punched him again. when he fell back on the ground, someone grabbed you from behind, holding your arms back.

“what the hell is wrong with you?!” Rick shouted. you fought his grip but he only held you tighter. “Ron started it.” you breathed out.

“i wasn’t going to hurt him until he put his hands on me first.” it didn’t take long for people to start running out of their houses to see what the noise was. some gasped, some just stared at you.

Enid ran out of her house, putting her hands over her mouth when she saw you. face bloodied and bruised. “oh my god, Y/N!” she yelled from across the street.

you looked up, heart dropping. you didn’t know what her reaction would be to this. seeing her ex on the ground while you stood there, looking just as beat up as him.

Rick let you go and Enid engulfed you in her arms. “are you okay?” she asked. you nodded in her neck, “i’m fine. nothing i can’t handle.”

she pulled away and held your face, examining the injuries. “your nose is bleeding, and you have bruises on your face. we need to clean you up.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, “are you not mad at me for beating him up?” you asked with a small chuckle. “i know he was the one who hurt you first. i’m not mad at all.”

Rick went into the street, sitting Ron up by pulling him up the collar. “wanna tell me why you hurt her?” he asked. he looked up at Rick, then at you and Enid, but didn’t respond.

“i think it’s easy to tell why, Rick.” you said to him, nudging your head towards Enid. Rick looked over at Ron again, “god, you really are stupid.”

you suppressed a laugh, turning away and holding your hand over your mouth. “come on, we need to get you cleaned up.” Enid said, dragging you towards your house.

she ran around your house to gather all the necessary supplies and sat you down in the kitchen. she soaked a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide, dabbing it on your face. you hissed at the burn and she grimaced, “sorry.”

“you’re okay. do what you need to do.” you replied. she nodded and wiped the blood off your nose. “what did Ron do?”

you breathed in, “tried to talk casually but i knew what he wanted. so i said it, told him he should stop trying because you love me and not him, it set him off.” you explained to her.

she shook her head, “yeah, he’s always been a bit… aggressive. i should’ve realized he would act like this.”

“not your fault, Enid. you know that.” she nodded, “i know, but still. now my girlfriend is all beat up.” she laughed.

“hey, he looks worse than me. i feel fine.” you told her, laughing as well. “he doesn’t know what you’ve done out there. his fault for messing with you.”

Enid started to wrap up your bruised hand. you smiled down at her, “love having my girl defend me for beating up men.”

_____________________________________

A/N: AAA IDK IF I LIKE THIS BUT I HAD FUN WRITING IT SO THATS ALL THAT MATTERS. HOPE U ALL ENJOYED <3

[seanwinchester]

What do you think is the best Sam whump episode - apart from "Red Meat" - and why?

That's a great question anon! since Red Meat is probably my favorite (sorry), I'll give a few honorable mentions and why:

Keep Calm and Carry On (12x01): we get an entire episode of sam getting tortured, not just one scene, so this is like heaven to any whump enthusiast. plus we get him in every state: bloody, unconscious, sweaty, wet... what's not to love <3

Sacrifice (8x23): ...do I really need to explain it? he looks like he's absolutely dying and rotting before our eyes. and he's SO desperate and crying. and we get the wedding scene while he looks like shit. perfect.

The Born Again Identity (7x17): I have a weakness for sam in scrubs maybe... also he's both physically and mentally hurt, which is good for us, but still badass through it

The Benders (1x15): though it doesn't really count to me as whump cause he's not hurt, this is just one of my favorite episodes from the show, and I like seeing him in a cage

Skin (1x06): sam tied up in ropes!! multiple times!! and unmatched incestuous tension obviously. another favorite of mine

oh and that scene from Jump The Shark (4x19) cause. blood and stigmata (kind of), and being hurt by his own brother (kind of). also because I got genuinely scared for him watching the first time, so this is a good piece of television.

These are all well known episodes, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of others, but this is just off the top of my head.

[itsclydebitches]

You've mentioned watching Demon Slayer, how do you feel about Nezuko? Because she was the entire reason I started watching. Cute badass demon girl kicking other demons to death? Amazing! And then... she basically doesn't exist. The very, very, very few fights she gets are short as hell and undercut how awesome her fighting style is, and she gets very, very few opportunities to be anything more than a LITERAL dead weight for Tanjiro. It was very frustrating. I wanted her to be an equal, not a pet

I do see where you're coming from here and my immediate thought is that it probably made a big difference that I didn't go into Demon Slayer expecting to watch a badass demon defeating other demons. Really, I didn't know anything about the story other than what the title implied and the fact that it was Really Good, so everything from Nezuko's survival on-wards has been a surprise. In fact, given how easily the story might have followed more conventional shonen routes and simply set Tanjiro on a revenge quest after his entire family was wiped out, getting Nezuko as a supporting character didn't just avoid any disappointment on my part, but felt like an unexpected win.

Obviously you can't turn back time and go into the series with different expectations, but I would push back against the reading of her being “literal dead weight.” No, Nezuko is not out there leading every battle, but she was never supposed to. This is the story of a brother fighting demons in an attempt to cure her, not the story of a demon fighting other demons to find their own cure. With that in mind, I think about how staggeringly easy it would have been for Demon Slayer shuffle Nezuko out of the combat, permanently. She might have stayed in a coma, kept there by some slayer magic to ensure she didn't hurt anyone until a cure had been found. She might have remained behind with Urokodaki, a way of keeping her safe and allowing him to spend time with a child who wasn't going to get devoured. In fact, the danger Nezuko is in is explicitly brought up by Tamayo when she offers to let Nezuko stay with them. It's an offer they both reject precisely because his sister is not dead weight to him. After losing the rest of their family, they have no desire to be parted any more than they have to, no matter the risks--or the added difficulties. Putting aside the fact that Urokodaki made Tanjiro a super light box that wouldn't (literally) weigh him down, and also putting aside the fact that he's a constantly-in-training slayer in a genre that frequently has protagonists wear weights to help make themselves stronger (think about them lifting the boulders while at the butterfly house)…even if Tanjiro didn't have these supports/possible benefits, struggling with carrying Nezuko is worth it because he loves her. That's the thematic point. This story began with the image of Tanjiro carrying Nezuko on his back, desperately hoping to save her, and Gotouge has found a way to keep that image consistent across (presumably) the whole series. That image is the heart of the whole tale.

So yeah, Nezuko spends a lot of time in her box due to convenient demon needs: can't be out in the sun, can't scare the people, needs to sleep all the time if she's not eating humans, etc. But even within those limitations, I've been pretty satisfied with the number of times the story has allowed her to not just fight, but be the linchpin of a fight. The general structure of the major battles — in as far as I've watched - is Tanjiro fights alone because he doesn't want to risk his little sister (or she's still asleep, whatever), he pushes himself a little farther than where he was power-wise in the last major fight, this has some major physical repercussion and/or the villain is still too powerful… and then Nezuko saves the day. That could be her kicking away the first demon they found while searching for Urokodaki. It could be saving him from Rui's threads. It could be striving to wake everyone up when they've been put to sleep on the train. It could be saving Tanjiro again after he collapses against Daki. Nezuko doesn't get long, drawn-out fights because again, the story is not about her combat journey, but there are plenty of times in which she gets to be the hero, protecting her older brother just as he's working to protect her.

If anything, I think they've made Nezuko too powerful, all things considered. It already takes a certain level of suspension of disbelief to buy into the idea of her being special for (currently in my watch-through) no reason. After thousands of years where demons are always man-eating monsters this one girl retains her humanity because… the story needs her to. Granted, the introduction of Tamayo helps sell this by showing that Nezuko isn't actually the only good demon out there, as does everyone's shock over a pro-human demon running around. Still, it felt like more than enough for Nezuko to still be her sweet self, never needing to consume humans to survive, and she has the power of an average demon - particularly the no dying except for sunlight/slayer swords bit - so that she can save Tanjiro in battle. That's a lot to work with already.

Then, however, they kept powering her up, notably without a reason (again, so far in my viewing) because she never consumes humans, the one thing that's supposed to make demons more powerful. First with a Demon Art and then (this is where I was really raising my eyebrows) by suddenly having the power and regenerative ability to take on an Upper Six. I was relieved when Nezuko went off the deep end, nearly attacked people, and Tanjiro struggled greatly to bring her back to herself. After making her so incredibly OP in a single scene, the story needed a reason why Tanjiro isn't just gonna point his little sis at the nearest demon and go, “Hold them while I cut off their head please." By virtue of being a demon, Nezuko is already powerful in a way that lessons the emotional stakes for the viewer (there are only two ways she can die) and unless she were given a sword of her own, there's no easy way a demon vs. demon fight could end under these world building constraints - not unless the solution to every conflict is waiting for the sun to come up and Nezuko hides while her opponent, somehow, does not. That's boring and tests our ability to buy into this fiction. So it's a balancing act. Frankly, I think the story has gone too far in making her powerful when the focus is already on Tanjiro and his Super Mysterious Sun Breathing Birthright, but my side-eyeing that choice highlights, I think, how the story has done a lot with her combat-wise.

Is it as much as Tanjiro? No, but again, this isn't a story about her literal fight, it's about her emotional battle. Can she resist the draw of eating a human? Can she come back to herself when she's forced to defend her brother? Can she convince the corps that she's worth protecting? We can absolutely get into the larger genre context and question why the protective older brother gets to be the combat hero while his cute little sister remains the (comparatively) passive victim… but we're still left with the story that Gotouge wants to tell, not our preferred version that, frankly, would require changing the entire foundation of the story from the ground up. Yeah, I might have been disappointed too if I went into Demon Slayer believing that this was solely Nezuko's story and I'd be treated to endlessly cool demon vs. demon battles, but I also hope I'd recognize that any incorrect expectations on my part doesn't make what we did get bad. I love Demon Slayer in large part because of the strong sibling relationship, which includes making them both vulnerable in different ways: Tanjiro is a mortal human fighting partly-immortal monsters; Nezukois constantly fighting the loss of her humanity and requires making herself a target in order to avoid eating people. So I'd say they are equals. I definitely wouldn't call her a "pet." Tanjiro certainly doesn't see her that way and given that he's the lens through which the story is written, I think it's worth reviewing the series with what Gotouge was working to accomplish in mind, rather than what we might have hoped to see.

[shallliveoninsong]

9, 13, 17 (multimuse meme)

| asks for muns with a multimuse or more than one muse | 9. why were you drawn to each one of your characters?

◇ This is bout to get long, strap in! (also only doing muses on this blog otherwise we'd be here all day)

Sissel - For spoilers reasons, I really can't say much but Gh.st trick is literally one of the best games ever I will die on this hill please please PLEASE play this game! They've remastered it to nearly all main modern consoles as well as Steam and I love it when REDACTED and then it turns out REDACTED was REDACTED and gosh!

But Sissel is hilarious and the 'straight man' of the comedy which is lots of fun. He's got a good sense of justice, is clever, caring, and is a ghost! I really like stories that explore/play with how an afterlife may work. I really find his Ghost Tricks neat and how they can do so much yet still have plenty of limitations. I really wish I could say more here but I can't without spoiling the whole game but he's a good banana-head guy, trust me ; )

The Reader - Hello more characters from obscure games I love! They are the playable character from Supergi.nt games' Pyre! And while they are kind of a blank slate for you, the player to get to choose how you wish to have them act and whatnot there are multiple times in the story where you can build your own backstory of your Reader how you wish.

Pyre is such an underrated game of Supergi.nt's and the world of it is so intriguing. I was drawn the backstory you can choose where the Reader is an orphan due to their country's generations-long feud with their neighbors and is a scholar who committed the 'sin' of owning books and being literate when the country's government had banned any form of literacy and even the old language (English) long ago. They are exiled for this great 'sin' to an inhospitable land underneath the dropoff of a massive waterfall. I just really like how much they are the glue to the little band of exiles you join together with to try and regain your alls freedom. They aren't a fighter, they physically can't be due to their disabilities, but their guidance more than makes up for it. I also really like how they go from just some nobody exile to trying to change their entire country.

The Voice / Archjustice Androblees IX - Also from Pyre (the faceclaim is not) look- every multi-use needs the one asshole muse ok? This is mine. He's an overdramatic sportscaster who's always narrating your life and roasting you every second of the way! I just find that neat and fun c:

I do think there are more complex things going on too but we don't get to see much of it in the game so we can only speculate for most of it but he went from being REDACTED to this so there must have been something that caused the change.

Jing Yuan - I'm a sucker for deeply hurting characters who hide it all behind a smile : ). Though he's also very cool and the focus on him in the Luofu chapter of HSR certainly helps, he had a lot of cool moments and scenes. But also has range and is a funny eepy lion man. I appreciate the duality. I am so normal about him and his friendship with the HCQ and how it all fell apart : ")

Lady - She's so cool TwT and cute and badass. And actually has a great character arc (at least in 3 which she was one of the main characters I'd say where the rest are more side appearances). She taught Dante to give a damn (honestly dmc3 wouldn't have happened the way it did without her) and hauls around a freaking rocket launcher to fight demons with despite being pure human fighting alongside superpowered demons! What more could you want in a gal? Oh, and has family trauma too so that's fun : ")

13. what’s a weird headcanon you have for each of your muses?

◇ Define 'weird'. Hmm.

For Sissel this isn't weird given REDACTED but he finds it a lot of fun to push things off tables with his ghost tricks.

The Reader is such a book nerd I think they sometimes go to a library and take home more than they can carry resulting in them embarrassingly having to take some back in moments later.

The Archjustice is certainly over-dramatizing his voice when presiding over the rites and loves every second of it.

Jing Yuan sometimes cuts his hair short but it just grows back really fast so the shock doesn't last long to those who know him.

Lady sometimes shoots at Dante when he's being extra annoying--she misses on purpose but it's just to spook him.

17. do your muses get along with each other?

The Reader and Archjustice are at odds at each other during Pyre so definitely no there. No one gets along with Archjustice because he's a bastard. Sissel doesn't like being around Lady due to all the killing and death, but would be ok to hang out with the Reader but... he can't read though so they don't have much in common unless Reader could teach him. Jing Yuan would get along with everyone but Archjustice and would probably like talking with the Reader a lot and fighting alongside Lady (the feeling would be mutual). Lady would be freaked out by Sissel's existence, things are supposed to die not become ghosts! She'd think the Reader is an accident waiting to happen with how easily they allow people to approach them yet physically aren't able to defend themselves.

[frost-sama-senpai-san]

The Jake discorse has me wiling out hold on. First off, Jake English is the absolute LOVE of my GODDAMN life. So jot that down. Also, before we get started, I need you to understand I am using **manipulative** as a neutral term.

Ok SO

Im looking at this duality of like Jake is either a Manipulative Mastermind or a dumb dumb idjit boy with no brain. And I'm sitting here like!!! Neither of the two are completely true, but they can coexist!!

Jake was a child who grew up COMPLETELY alone on an island where everything was waiting to kill him at any fucking second. It follows that he would become almost OBSESSIVE about the state of his FEW relationships after that type of life. Both for companionship and literal (in Lil Hal's case) physical protection.

DO I think Mr. English uses social manipulation on his friends? Yes, absolutely. Do I think it comes from a place of malace or intention to hurt? NO! Jake is OBSESSED with how his friends view him. He is terrified that ONE DAY his friends are going to see him how he sees himself — a sad, lonely kid. So, he has to project the simultaneous images of "badass masculine movie hero" and "lovable goofballwith no brain who needs protection". The former is for HIS OWN self image, and the latter is for the PERCIEVED image of him. These two things are often contradictory... except... in the case of weaponized incompetence.

Aside from the Toxic Masculinity connotations of a lot of Jake's younger thought patterns (that he DOES actively try to unlearn), Jake PRETENDS he doesn't understand how feelings, emotions, and social cues work. He does this when he manipulates Jane into lying about how she has feelings with him by acting oblivious to them. We know he knew about Jane's feelings from a simultaneous chat log with Roxy. If he KNEW, why does he pretend he doesn't?

Remember how we talked about Jake being OBSESSED with his friends' opinions of him? If Jake were to come right out and say "No, I don't feel the same way," his relationship with Jane would become strained and almost inhospitable (at least for a little while), and Jake CANNOT handle that. His anxiety levels would go absolutely fucking BONKERS, SO, in an effort to avoid that nastiness, he forces Jane's hand into letting him off the hook. This is Best Case Scenario for Jake, as, now, the only person Jane can be mad at is herself. After all, SHE was the one who said she didn't have feelings for Jake.

I have a TON of thoughts on this but I'm gonna brief: We ALSO see it in the dissolution of Jake and Dirk's relationship. Jake had an image of Dirk in his head that didn't match the REAL Dirk. Now, in a healthy relationship, this would be something to work through and reconcile; however, there are some parts of Real Dirk that Jake doesn't necessarily like. Instead of being honest and communicating, Jake is SO conflict avoidant that he goes OUT OF HIS WAY to alienate Real Dirk from their relationship. Ugh, I can't remember the chat log, but I distinctly remember Jake talking to SOMEONE about how he and Dirk are growing apart and how he wishes the whole thing would just disappear. That would be the easiest option, right? Well, the next best thing? Blaming the breakdown on SOMEONE ELSE.

He puts Dirk in the position of the "bad guy", implying that it was *Dirk's* fault things were bad, and not his OWN inability to communicate. That way, Dirk can't be mad at JAKE. Again, like Jane, Dirk can only be mad at HIMSELF.

Ok, if you've read this far, you're probably thinking I'm firmly on the Manipulative Mastermind side of this argument, right? Wrong!

I think Jake does a lot of this as a survival mechanism. A lot of it might even be second nature. We see in the Post Trickster Smackdown from Jane, Jake is absolutely WRECKED. He is totally, horrifically GOBSMACKED by the consequences of his actions... not bc he believes they were unwarranted, but bc he KNOWS he DESERVES IT. He calls himself a coward, over and over again, bc he KNOWS his inability to face conflict is ACTIVELY HARMING his friends, and degrading his friends' opinions of him. BUT, just bc he's self-aware, that doesn't mean that second nature instinct just GOES AWAY. It can't! It's been built into him since he was a child, and, bc of the EXACT image he's built, it's been unknowingly enabled for YEARS.

Jake takes the Jane smackdown VERY hard. To the point where he becomes almost lifeless for most of the rest of the comic. His friends dont like him anymore, they TOLERATE him, BARELY. He has ended up in his worst fear — alone, with his friends thinking he doesn't care about THEM. Which couldn't be farther from the truth.

WHICH BRINGZ US TO THE CLINAX!

Up until this point, Jake has been picking fights he KNOW he can win. Whether it be social, or literal physical fights, Jake has not engaged in anything that could TRULY hurt him. He hid on his island until Lil Hal gave him freedom. He hid from the percieved danger of social downfall. He's been a coward, his entire life... until... THE moment he runs into TRUE REAL DANGER.

He steps in front of Jane to save her life. This is THE height of his arc. He cares SO much about his friend, the friend who FORCED him to look DIRECTLY into the eyes of his failure, he would do the one thing he's never done before. Without a second thought, Jake dives for her life, knowing it would kill him.

And that, my friends, is why I think the Jake discourse is silly. He IS manipulative, but he also loves his friends SO incredibly much. He doesn't do it to hurt THEM — he does it to protect himself.

The boy just needs some fucking therapy.

If you made it this far, thank you. As a reminder, I love discourse, but I do not take criticism. Amen, God bless. Go Mets.

[guardkeywolf]

I cannot get this thought out of my mind:

So I have these OC's named Blitz, who is Hella fine, Wolf, who is her father, and also Hella fine, and Darken who is my Teleportian Wolf boi

Yes the art is by me...

They are pretty much my main C.L.A.W.S

I cannot get the idea out that if they were all in the CODVerse or something...

So this is kinda how I would see them all in it!

They will all also be done separately so it's not all jammed together

——————————————

Yes, these are still my drawings of her. Her look just changes because my drawing style changes and is never the same...ever...

Blitz + background

Buff as hell and Immortal

A Female White Wolfian Ultrian-Hybrid who is pretty much a badass

Hates being called a werewolf like her father

General and Leader of the C.L.A.W.S Group

Can understand and speak every language on Earth

Has a cool katana named Azul Flame and does really cool shit with it

She goes for any gender really but really has a thing for being dom of men

8'8 so super fucking tall and jacked

Invincible physically but can be hurt emotionally (Being Immortal meant she couldn't die with her previous lovers she's had)

Has a biological daughter named Emma who she looks after and also works under her as her Lieutenant...

Her assassin and fighting skills are off the charts and she is one of the most feared women in the world...

Trained by Wolf (her father) at 5 ever since he brought her back from death

5 million years old in Human years... so she's been around for a LONG time too

Has many powers that she uses in the field (that's not super necessary atm)

Still has yet to beat her father in a hand to hand match so she still holds that grudge forever...

Is really Sarcastic but is also a mother at times

Cares very much for her team and other teams sometimes

Working within the CODVerse (mostly Task Force 141):

Definitely retains her General status too; she's earned it by completing many mission solo that would take days for even the best task forces to complete

She takes a liking to the many of the soldiers within their respected squads

Is very quick when it comes to know something is not right as well

Really likes working along and spending time with Task Force 141

She takes a liking to each member and spends time with them all collectively and individually too

Would mostly bug Ghost a lot if she could and he's managed to grow on her and same with him

Enjoys Soap's company everytime she visits and loves hearing his jokes

Talks a lot with Gaz about anything some days and loves giving him insight about things

Talks with Price sometimes too about interesting things going on in the world

Really likes going against each man too when it comes to training and loved helping them all get better

Ghost might be her favorite partner when it comes to knife combat or CQC (Close Quaters Combat)

She'll help point out some flaws when he's fighting too even though he's great at it

Similar to her and Wolf, Ghost has yet to beat her

Blitz's CQC is unmatched but she also uses a mix of other martial arts like Taekwondo, Shōrin-ryū, and a lot of Muy Thai

Her kicks are devastating and could kill a man in an instant

Might sometimes also go on missions with them too and even volunteers if she can

Definitely takes out many enemies and leaves many bodies all around

Usually returns back super bloody while everyone else is clean or dirty from the environment

If someone get hurt, she will get super pissed and go on a killing spree

Super protective of each man too

If one of them is captured or kidnapped she will go by herself and kill anyone in her way to get that man back to his squad under any means necessary too

I hope yall liked this a lot because I really did! I love mixing my characters into video game worlds and their characters...