#because if he doesn't... why react like THAT

[apatheticsunday]

Skittles-Flavored Fear

AKA "The Batfam rescue several Gotham-U students from Scarecrow's latest hostage situation. However, Dr. Jonathan Crane becomes obsessed when one student has a strange reaction to the Fear Toxin - extreme exhilaration and giddiness." Based on this prompt!!

Danny knows Ghosts feed on intense emotion to survive; he's never had to, never wanted to because it feels... parasitic. He never thought he'd be drugged with it. Sitting among his fellow students, tied up as the Straw Man or whatever monologues about his evil plans, Danny thought the worst thing that could happen would be hallucinating a dissection table. Maybe the GIW or his parents with gleaming googles and scalpels at the ready.

He doesn't even realize they're already being gassed until Danny takes a breath and tastes... skittles? Like, taffy, frosted cream, and melty-sweet syrup. The more he breathes it in, the more he feels strangely floaty. His head feels both heavy and light, stuffed with cotton, and he can barely even hear. (If he could hear, he'd probably would be horrified by his classmates screaming, writhing in terror all around him like a swarm of buzzing locusts.)

And then somebody - The Straw Man - is looming in front of him, grabbing Danny by the face, and curiously tilting his head. After a moment of contemplation, Straw Man rummages around in his satchel before Danny gets freaking hosed in the face with a concentrated dose of Fear Toxin. And then everything gets better worse. Danny feels euphoric. He's giggling, smiling, head so clouded from the high that he doesn't even notice even Dr. Crane drags him through the crowded lecture hall. Doesn't notice when two goons grab him by the arms and start to haul him toward the exit.

What he does notice is the Straw Man's body slamming into the wall. Several figures blur in shades of black, blue, green, and red as Danny squints to try and focus on at least one of them. Then, somebody - blue and black - is at his side. Danny kind of... slides down the hero's side, legs too wobbly to hold himself up, until the hero has to prop Danny into a half-laying-half-sitting position. Danny's still giggling, slurring something and his hand somehow finds the hero's face, patting it in thanks for the rescue.

It's only when the Big Bat comes over, fits an odd-shaped mask over Danny's face, that he stops smelling candy. Instead, he smells something putrid, almost like formaldehyde, sweat, and... unmentionable body fluids. Danny's head is throbbing like brain freeze and a pressure headache, nausea so intense he can taste it in the back of his throat and cramps in his stomach. One moment he's mumbling 'm gon' throw up and the next he's ripping the mask off his face. Turns to the side and... barfs on Batman. (If he were more coherent, he'd probably be mortified. Maybe even die again of embarrassment. Worse when Nightwing cackles uncontrollably from beside him. Ancients, he'd petted Nightwing!! On the freakin' face!!)

That's the last thing that Danny remembers. He wakes up in the hospital several hours later, several texts from Jazz, Sam, and Tucker saying they're taking the next flight to Gotham. Danny flops back into the hospital bed and groans. Groans louder when he remembers what happened in the lecture hall. At least there's probably a very small amount of people who can say they barfed on the Dark Knight of Gotham and got away with it, right?

(Cue Scarecrow constantly trying to kidnap Danny and the Batfam being put on Danny-watch to make sure he's safe. Maybe also trying to figure out why Danny reacts differently to Fear Toxin, but assume he's an undocumented meta with a unique biology. Danny absolutely thinks he's being stalked by Batman as revenge.)

[captain-huggy-bear]

You know that trend on tiktok about girls asking their boyfriends how mad they would be if a guy complimented them? i immediately thought of kells and how he would react

It's too hot and it's making me not want to write or do anything! Curses of having an old house designed to retain heattttt Requests are open for specific people only, please see my pinned post for details :) Writing Masterlist

You're not much of a poster on social media, but you are a watcher and sometimes you get shown those viral trends...you've seen more of the 'my current boyfriend' videos than you have fingers and toes at this point...and it's silly that you want to recreate it, especially when you know you're not going to film it or post it anywhere.

But, you can't get the idea out of your head...wondering how Clayton will behave, whether he'll care or not...it's stupid because you know that if you don't get the reaction you want, if he doesn't really notice, you'll be upset about it. It feels like setting yourself up for failure, expecting something you might not get from a man who's utterly secure in your relationship.

That doesn't stop you though when you're on the phone with your doctor's office within ear shot of Clayton, who's scrolling through his phone on the couch.

"Yeah, 2 o'clock's fine, my current boyfriend can drop me off." You don't look at him directly, just watch him from your peripheral vision as his head snaps up, eyes locked on you as the narrow. He doesn't interrupt your phone call, just puts his phone down, stands and waits until you hang up.

"What do you mean current?" He's crowding your space the moment you're off the phone, stepping into your personal little bubble, pursed lips, frustrated little furrow between his eyes that screams that you're in trouble with him.

"Mmm?" You play dumb, shifting look at him all wide eyed and innocent like you don't realise what you just called him. Clayton knows better though, narrow his eyes further, stepping as close to you as he can get, close enough that you take a step back, lip twitching to contain a smile.

"You said current boyfriend, baby?"

"Well, you're my boyfriend right now. Like my current boyfriend?" You're unable to contain your smile any longer, lips turning upwards at the edges and it's impossible for Clay to not smile back even as he keeps his eyes narrow, even as he tries to be annoyed at you.

"No, no..." Clay's walking you backwards, each step he takes forcing you to take a giggly step back until your back hits the wall. He leans over you, on hand on the wall just above your head, the other falling to your hip. You freeze like a deer in headlights, face flushing, body warming, an undeniable giddy little buzz in your tummy, "I'm your forever boyfriend actually, I'm your future husband, no current about it, baby."

"Bu-" You're not even sure why you're trying to protest like you're not elated that he's just said that, like this isn't what you wanted his reaction to be.

"Nope, see?" Clay's hand leaves your hip, dipping into the pocket of his jeans. He pulls a ring box out like he's been carrying it around for days, weeks, and the truth is he has been carrying it for months, waiting for the right time to ask. God, he's been waiting it feels like since the 3 month mark of your relationship, over eager, already fully set on you for life

"Clay..." Your mouth drops, voice soft, shocked and awed as your eyes zero in on that ring box, that promise.

"No, no i'm serious, i'm your forever boyfriend, okay?"

"Are you proposing to me right now?" You need the clarity, unsure if this is him just being silly or if...or if he's actually asking you right now while you're in your lazy casual clothes, leant against a wall.

"No, I'm telling you that I will be proposing at an undisclosed future date, baby, so I can then be your forever husband." When you look back up he's grinning at you, that dimple on the right side of his cheek on full display, teeth peeking out from behind his lips, eyes crinkled and soft. You can't help the fact you start to get a little choked up, eyes starting to water, lip starting to tremble slightly.

"You're going to make me cry..."

"You're the one that started that 'current boyfriend' bullshit."

"I was joking!"

[teambyler]

The strong likelihood we'll see Will "die"

Why? Most people think he will:

Will dying DOES make sense in a number of ways:

Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and the Upside Down are connected to Will, so his dying might be key to getting rid of them (or is the inevitable consequence)

Will is selfless and is willing to give up his life

The show would respond to the criticism that it's unwilling to kill off main characters in the most shocking way: killing off the person they're building up as Season 5's "main character"

For the Duffers, having Will SEEM to die is GREAT from a writing standpoint because (1) it would be one of the most emotional "deaths" in the show and (2) people will believe it's NOT a fake-out.

And what showrunner would NOT try to torture their audience as much as possible? =D Surely, the Duffers will plant "death flags" in season 5 hinting that Will's going to die! Some people are already speculating he's about to die in this part of the teaser trailer:

But this also means that Will would be the most predictable "unpredictable" death. (Much of the General Audience likes to think they're clever. =) )

More importantly, what they don't think about are two huge problems with a Will death: it would perpetuate the "Bury Your Gays" trope, and having WILL of all people die would drive a stake through the heart of the very Mission Statement of this show.

The creators have said this show is an "anthem for the marginalized and the imperfect." Will is arguably the show's ultimate main protagonist: a closeted gay boy who puts others before himself, who's been forced to endure enormous pain and trauma, and who might be bullied and ostracized in small-town 80s Indiana for being gay. The audience has been made to sympathize with him every season: his journey is arguably the emotional core of the show. Ross Duffer has literally said that his "emotional arc... will tie the whole series together."

What message would it send to gay people (and others society looks down on) to say that your suffering and sacrifice are the way straight, conventional people can be safe and happy?

While it's not out of the question for this show to kill off a main character in its last season, throughout its run it has been loath to do so. That's because, at its core, it is an optimistic show that sides with the outcasts. it doesn't see much value -- and there isn't much ARC -- in, well, casting any of them out. Least of all WILL. This is a show about darkness being overcome by light.

The apparent impossibility that Will ever finds love at the end of season 4, and the likelihood of more "death flags" for Will, are there to prepare a TWIST. The show is setting up expectations to subvert them.

Things will inevitably get more dire for Will in s5. So we Bylers will need to brace ourselves and remain steadfast that Will is being set up for a happy ending. We'll need to keep faith that the Duffers are telling a story of heroes overcoming adversity, perhaps even one where the very qualities society looks down on in Will -- his empathy, his "gay" love for Mike, his selflessness and willingness to give his life -- are what helps him save the world.

So Bylers! Let's brace ourselves for:

More pain and angst that Will is NOT "gonna fall in love" (perhaps an early-season Mike rejection?)

Will "dying"! (and Mike reacting to losing him)

Have your tissues ready!

-teambyler

[juliettejwnewinesa]

I'm so happy you're writing again after that unnecessary hate and I've been hooked in, like always.

Can you do a Seongje fic with an insecure gf. It's a constant thing for her to hear other girls talking about her boyfriend like they could have him. We all know Seongje doesn't care about other people, but for the reader, it's something she can't ignore, even when she tries her hardest to not care. She's always telling herself she got lucky because he's way out of her league and starts to get anxious at the thought of him leaving her, even though they've been together for a really long time. He eventually starts noticing the change (like faking a laugh or smile etc.) He decides to ask her about it one day and she eventually tells him when she realizes she can't avoid the questions

Title: "Way Out of My League" Pairing: Seongje x Insecure!Reader Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst to Fluff Warnings: Self-doubt, anxiety, implied low self-esteem, soft possessive comfort.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You’d been faking it for weeks.

Smiling when girls giggled and not-so-subtly talked about your boyfriend like you weren’t right there. Laughing like it didn’t sting when someone said, "If I were her, I’d never let him out of my sight.”

If only they knew how tightly you already held on. And how afraid you were that one day, it wouldn’t be enough.

Because Seongje? He was everything you weren’t. Effortlessly confident. Beautiful in a way that made heads turn without trying. Sharp eyes, sharp tongue, sharp edges—yet somehow, he was softest with you.

But you couldn’t stop thinking it. He could do better.

You told yourself it was irrational. That he’d never made you feel replaceable. But those thoughts were insidious. They didn’t need a reason; they just dug in.

So you got quieter. Smiles more delayed. Laughter a bit strained.

And Seongje, of course, noticed.

He let it go at first, thinking you were tired. Then maybe stressed. But the cracks didn’t mend. You started saying things like, “You’re too good to me,” or “I still don’t know why you picked me.”

And when you stopped initiating affection at all—that was his limit.

You were curled up beside him one evening, legs tucked to your chest on the couch. A movie played in the background, but you hadn’t reacted to anything in twenty minutes.

He nudged your arm.

“Hey.” His voice was low, quiet.

You blinked up at him, forcing a smile. “Hmm?”

“Cut it out.”

You stilled. “Cut what out?”

“That fake smile. The ‘I’m fine’ act. I’m not stupid, you know.”

That stunned you silent. You sat straighter, blinking fast. “I didn’t—It’s not—”

“You’re pulling away from me.”

His tone wasn’t angry. Just certain. Like he already knew and only needed you to say it out loud.

“I’m not—” But your voice cracked halfway through, and that’s when he sighed and shifted to face you completely, pulling your hand into his.

“Baby,” he murmured. “What’s going on?”

The tenderness in his voice almost broke you. Your throat tightened.

“…Nothing,” you whispered, eyes dropping.

“Try again.”

You shook your head. “You’re just… you’re you, and I’m—” you stopped yourself, then exhaled shakily. “I keep hearing people talk about you. About how you’re too hot to be tied down. That they’d snatch you if I ever slipped up.”

Seongje didn’t interrupt. He just listened.

“And I know I should ignore it. I try to. But it’s constant. And I don’t—” You clenched your fists. “I don’t want to be the girl who’s always scared her boyfriend’s gonna leave, but I guess I am. And I hate that.”

His silence made your heart race. You didn’t dare look up.

But then he leaned in and cupped your cheek, making you face him.

“You know what pisses me off the most about that?” he asked softly. “That you think I’d ever want anyone else.”

Your eyes welled up instantly.

“You think I’d trade you for girls who don’t even know me? Who see my face and nothing else?” He shook his head slowly. “That’s not just insulting to you. That’s insulting to me.”

You blinked. “What?”

“I don’t want easy attention. I want the girl who knows what I’m like when I’m quiet. Who sits through my moods. Who never tried to change me—even when she could’ve.”

He moved his thumb under your eye to catch a tear before it fell.

“I want you,” he said. “Only you. And I hate that people’ve made you feel like you have to fight to keep me. You already have me, babe. All of me.”

A tear slipped down your cheek. “I just… sometimes I feel like I got lucky.”

He shook his head. “No. I got lucky. I’m the one who pulled the girl who could handle me. You’re so much more than you give yourself credit for. And if I have to keep reminding you every day, I will.”

You laughed through your tears, finally genuine. “You’re sappy when you want to be.”

He smirked. “Shut up.”

You leaned in, burying your face into his chest. His arms immediately came around you.

“I hate that they get in your head,” he murmured. “Next time someone says some shit like that, tell me. I’ll shut it down.”

You snorted. “You mean threaten them?”

“If I have to.”

“Seongje.”

“…Fine. I’ll politely threaten them.” (break a finger or two)

You laughed again. “I love you.”

“I know.” He pulled back to kiss your forehead. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

[strwberri-milk]

Idk if you have already done something like this. If you have I’m so sorry for a repeat but how would LADS men react (specifically Zayne, Sylus, and Caleb) to a motorcyclist reader who got injured while riding?

theyre sorta mishmashed together bc i see some of them being really similar!!

Zayne and Caleb will want you to stop biking. Zayne is more amenable to you biking again if you take even more safety precautions than before but Caleb is really against it. He hates the idea that you got hurt and okay, maybe this is a little overprotective of him but he really doesn't want a repeat of this happening. It doesn't matter how minor the injury is - he's not going to be happy to hear you're going out on your bike. If it's major? The only reason why he isn't selling your bike off is because he knows how hard you worked for it.

Zayne will be okay if you promise to wear even more protective gear. He knows that things weren't worse because you were already wearing protective gear. He'll also insist that you text him before and after you leave and when you arrive. He already asked you to do that anyway before but he wouldn't care if you missed a text but now, if he knows you're going to be on your motorcycle he absolutely insists on it. He'll start calling you if your texts are delayed, worried you've been hurt again.

Sylus understands that it's just a part of riding. He's not happy you're hurt and he might come off like a scolding partner for a bit, making sure you were wearing all your gear. He isn't blaming you for the accident -although if you're more sensitive you might feel that way - he's just going over everything again and again, making sure that you did everything you could. He knows you know bike safety - it's just a matter of him trying to control what he can in this situation and right now that's the only thing he can do.

He won't like you riding alone for a while, either telling you to come be his backpack or riding his bike alongside you. That way, if something happens he can be the first on there to make sure you're okay. It gives him peace of mind and you won't be able to talk him out of it.

[sweetcalebb]

Another request if that's okay🙂‍↕️ so Caleb is nosing through MC's books (again) and he finds some queer romance books? And he's confused as MC has never said anything about being queer🫡

Caleb reacting to you being queer ! ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊

a/n: again, if this isn't what you envisioned, feel free to comment, DM me—just let me know!

wc: 1k

Caleb should've learned his lesson the first time he snooped through your books. But how could he resist when the first time he did it, you ended up reenacting one of your smut scenes? The opportunity was just too good to pass up.

You're in the bathroom, completely oblivious to the snooping Caleb in your room.

He's grinning ear-to-ear, ecstatic to see what other kind of filth you read. He bends down, running his finger across the spine of your books while he hums to himself.

Then Caleb stops.

He picks out whatever book his finger landed on and takes it out. Caleb gives the book a once-over. A barely-there look before he starts flipping through the pages.

"What other kinda stuff do you imagine, Pips?" he murmurs to himself, leaning against your bookshelf as he skims every few lines.

So far, no smut.

But he does find something else.

"She" and "I".

You're reading a first-person point of view with a male protagonist. That's what he assumes, anyway, as he continues to read through the pages. But he almost reaches the end of the book and there's still no smut.

Caleb pouts, a little disappointed.

"So you're not a complete fanatic." He lets out a small breath at his own teasing, about to put the book back in place when he pauses.

He glances at the back.

Caleb doesn't know why he decides to read the summary. He just does. Then he sees it.

Caleb looks closer, like maybe he read wrong, but he didn't. The protagonist isn't a "he". The protagonist is a "she."

Caleb's brows pinch together.

Did he misunderstand something? You'd never said anything. Had you..?

He's turning questions in his head, trying to make sense of it all.

Then you walk in and he gets an eerie feeling of déjà vu. You smile at him as you walk past, barely looking at the book he has in his hands.

Sure, last time was mortifying, but now you know you can trust him with that part of your life. So you don't really question him. Just sink down into your mattress.

"What do you have there?"

Caleb’s gaze shifts between you and the book. He opens his mouth, brows still furrowed like he's going to ask something, then he closes it again.

You quirk a brow at his lack of response. "What?" you laugh. "What are you reading this time? Monster smut?"

Caleb widens his eyes. "W-What?" he nearly chokes. "You read that stuff too?!"

You shrug. "No, I only have like, one book."

Caleb makes a mental note to ask you about that later. "Uh. Well, no... it's not monster smut."

Your smile falters slightly. Why was he being so serious? Your eyes dart down to the book, but you can't make out which one it is.

"Okay… So… What did you find?"

"It's..."

If you wanted to tell him, you would’ve, right? He stutters, "Uh… it's just.." But he still can't find the right words, so he simply shakes his head. "Nothing. Never mind."

You stand up and walk over to him. What did he find that could possibly be worse than all the things you read? "Caleb, what is it?"

You snatch the book from his hands.

Then it makes sense.

"Oh."

You feel your chest tighten as you look back up. Not because he's angry. But because you can't tell what he feels at all. He doesn't look angry, or disappointed, or shocked. Just.. nothing.

"Is that—I mean—is that personal to you?"

You hear the question he won't ask and you feel your chest squeeze again.

You fidget with your book, absently running your nails through the pages. "Yes."

Silence.

Agonizing, deafening silence.

Why isn't Caleb saying anything? Why is he just... looking at you? You hate it. It's making your head spin with worry.

"Are you mad?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

Caleb seems to finally notice the weird look he has. His eyes widen and he instantly steps towards you, hand reaching out to grab yours.

"No! No, not at all! Not.. mad.. Just.." He sighs, giving you a gentle squeeze. "Upset."

"Because I'm—?"

"No! God, no!" Caleb groans, running a hand down his face. "I'm digging myself a deeper hole. Sorry, no, not because of that. I just wish you felt safe enough to tell me sooner."

You let out a quiet breath, the tension finally bleeding out of your shoulders. "Wait, so you don't mind that I'm queer?"

"No," Caleb repeats, leaning in to press a kiss to your forehead. "I just.. I'm selfish."

"Selfish?"

You still feel your heart pounding, but a soft smile is tugging at your lips now.

"Yeah." Caleb's lips purse with a small pout. He doesn't even mean to do it.

"I wanna be a part of every aspect of your life, Pips. I want to know every secret, every detail…" He sighs. "I want to know everything about you."

"But you're really not mad at me?"

Caleb laughs. "Never."

"Okay."

You stare up at him, your chest all warm and fuzzy. And you think this is it. That everything is fine because you finally said it and Caleb doesn't mind. But the small tremble in your lip takes you by surprise.

Everything went fine, so why do you feel like crying?

"What?" Caleb breathes, pulling back when he sees the small shake of your lip. "Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to, Pips—"

"No," you whimper, shaking your head. "I don't know why I feel like crying. I just—I thought it would be this big thing but it wasn't. And you were so sweet, but I was so scared—I just—" You stop yourself, biting your lip to stop yourself from actually crying.

Caleb softens, tugging you in by your hand and wrapping his arms around you.

"It's okay. You're safe."

You let out a weepy laugh, nuzzling into his chest and letting a few tears melt into his shirt.

"So… Do you wanna talk about this?"

You shake your head. "Not yet. But it feels nice that you know."

Caleb nods. "Okay. Wanna watch a movie? Your pick."

You scoff and playfully nudge him back. "Of course it's my pick. You're in my house."

Caleb puts his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, no need to get all snappy."

You laugh, blinking away the rest of your tears. "Thank you, Caleb."

"Of course."

—

go to my tag list if u want to be tagged every time i post a new piece :)

tags: @exe-toby @seungkwansflower @asiatic-apple @floatinginaer @halfawakeblobbu @starryeyed-apple @heartyluv @walrusbreath @sylvieisoffline @awquaz @purpleamethyst25 @pinksaiyans @browneyedgirl22 @beaconsxd @crimsonrubie @schnittled @saturnsringss @anthrokiaera @floofycookie @0nyxvesper @sylusqt @calistaxoxo24 @crimsonsylus @alyssac9 @frostydragonsstuff @bidisasterforevermore @politefawn @destinysrequiem @haleaf @goochfiddler99 @calebsbabyapple @peachlycheetea @lioria @colonelpantysniffer

(sorry if i missed anyone </3)

[littlefankingdom]

I cannot explain how annoyed I am, as a survivor, at the Batfam fandom for how they treat child abuse. There is no issue calling out Bruce's canon abusive behavior, and that's great, but the moment it's another parent of the Batfam, everyone become an abuse apologist. It's clear that y'all don't see it as abuse unless it's extreme or if there's any love, but, fun fact, it is still abuse. Or worst, y'all call THE CHILD in the relationship the bad/abusive one for reacting to the abuse they have endured. Truly disgusting, imo.

I love my father very much. If anything happened to my father, I would be devastated. It is also clear to me that my father loves me very much and would not recover from anything happening to me. However, this does not erase that he has been abusive to me, that he has enabled my abusive mother, that he will continue to defend my mother's abusive behavior. I love my father and I am still in contact with him, I call him if I have an issue he could fix, but I also don't call him for most issues because he failed as a father. My psychiatrist also believes my mother does love me (not sure about this one) and my siblings, but it doesn't change that she is an abusive person to her core. And my siblings still love her even after everything she has done to all of us, and they will defend her. Love doesn't erase abuse.

Also, STOP with the "well, they were fed and had a roof, so it's not abuse". This is LITERALLY the same excuse abusers use toward their kids, that they fed them and gave them a bed so they cannot complain. THAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM AND GIVING THE BARE MINIMUM ISN'T ENOUGH.

YES, Jack and Janet Drake were abusive because they neglect Tim emotionally. It doesn't matter that they love him and he loves them, it doesn't matter that this was "normal at the time" (it is called out in the comics by Tim, Bruce and Jack himself, so not really. Also, even tho it was normal at the time for a father to hit his child if he disrespects him, Bruce hitting Dick after Jason's death is seen as abusive by the fandom, and Dick is a grown adult. Abuse was, and still is, very normalized), it doesn't matter the kid always had food and a warm bed, it doesn't matter he had adults looking after him when his parents were away, it is still neglect and neglect is abuse.

YES, Crystal Brown was abusive because she enabled Arthur's abuse, defended him and did not protect her daughter, prioritizing her addiction over Stephanie. Being an addict is hard, but that doesn't mean they are exempted from being responsible of their actions, especially if said actions is putting a child in danger. It doesn't matter that Stephanie loves Crystal, it doesn't matter that Crystal loves Stephanie, it doesn't matter that Crystal got better, she still has abused Stephanie. Stephanie sees herself as responsible of protecting and caring for her mother because her mother failed as a parent. Crystal failed to protect and care for Steph, leading to her daughter being abused. Enabling abuse is still abuse, being a bystander is still abuse. It doesn't matter Crystal wasn't hurting Steph like Arthur was, she stood by and didn't help, defending him, and that's abuse.

I need y'all to also realize that these situations are things people go through in real life, and how it would affect them to read y'all defending them being good parents.

"They still love their parents so that means they aren't bad/abusive" You are failing to defend children from abuse and to understand the complexity of child abuse. This complexity is that human children have no say in building an emotional connection with their parents/caretakers, so even when they are hurt deeply by them, they still love and care for them. Which is why, even after having been hurt or/and harmed and realizing it, a child is more likely to preserve a relationship with their parent than a partner with an abusive ex.

Some of y'all will go "Bruce is a bad father because he didn't kill the Joker for Jason or let Jason kill the Joker" and then be like "Janet was a good mom, even tho she barely talked to Tim and only saw him a couple of times in the year, because she loves him", and that's not acceptable.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

TW: Talk about Suicide

I remember when I was reading through all variations of Damian's tag (Damian Wayne, Damian al-Ghul, Damian al-Ghul Wayne) and came across a post that said Damian should unalive himself.

It sounds genuinely bad and I checked if this is some sort of a hate post, to which the op followed up by saying something along the lines of:

"Yeah I know this sounds bad but this isn't a hate post. Damian was condemned to live with these two big legacies and he was doomed to follow at least one footstep of his predecessors one way or another. He has no autonomy over his own self and he is hated for that. He is despised and loathed for being the product of a cause he has no say in, treated more like an animal than he is a wounded boy. I think his ultimatum, his only way of freeing himself, to be happy is if he dies by how own hands"

And I was like. Wow. Okay.

Because, in a way, I kinda see it. Of course I want my boy to be happy but I sometimes genuinely think the only way for Damian to ever reach prosperity and happiness in his life is by cutting off both sides of his family.

This post might sound as if it was made in bad faith, and I understand if you disagree— but look at the recent development of Batman and Robin. Namely, how Bruce reacts to Damian forging his own path by being a volunteer at a hospital and considering an internship program.

He was quick to assume that Dr. Bashar (the man who has faith in Damian without knowing him truly) was associated with the League because he gave Damian a chance to do something else that isn't directly tied to either of his parents. He was quick to assume the worst because a man genuinely seems attracted to the potential Damian held. I understand that he was scared at the prospect of losing his son since being Robin seems like the only way Damian was tied to him, but how many times is Damian going to lose an opportunity in life if every choice and decision were dictated from Bruce's paranoia?

Not to mention, Damian's relationship with his family. I think other people have pointed this out before, and I may have mentioned it once or twice, but contrary to popular beliefs— Damian doesn't have a good relationship with his siblings. Cass, Jason and Tim tolerate him at best, actively fighting at worst. Dick is his own category, but let's not forget that the reason why Dick initially took Damian in wasn't because of his love for the kid, but because Damian is the last piece of Bruce that was left when the man was presumed dead. You could argue that both Stephanie and Duke are the only ones who get along with Damian with no strings attached, but with DC not giving a shit much with Duke and Stephanie (last I check) still dead, I don't see him getting out often.

It's a... Very suffocating way to live.

Your family, who you're supposed to trust, talk shit about your other family within earshot— sometimes they talk shit about you at your face— and expect you to agree wholeheartedly. And if you don't, you're just a brainwashed brat prone to violence.

And, yeah, Damian hasn't exactly been a kid sent from above, but he also experienced half a century in hell. Which, to be fair, we should talk about more.

So, yeah. If Damian didn't leave his family, I would want him dead.

[theorphicangel]

sukuna sunday has to be sth i hold on to when sunday depression hits😭

yet my brain has been begging for some heian era!sukuna angst.

so here’s my idea: i’ve only read fanfics where reader is upset with sukuna, but never the other way around, and i wonder how you think it would go if reader said sth hurtful to sukuna.. how would he react? how would he treat her after?? how would they make up???

thank you🩶 you don’t have to do it but i’m glad i got the opportunity to get this off my chest haha

WHOAAAAA i've never thought about this omg ur brain is beautiful

i think if the reader were to say something hurtful to sukuna it would probably be about how he's been pushing the reader away and refusing to admit his affection for her.

"you wonder why you've been all alone your entire life when this is how you treat people, it's not your appearance that people can't stand, it's your attitude."

ouch.

i think it would cause him to reflect on his actions and how he treats you because as soon as the words leave your mouth it feels like sukuna has been stabbed in the abdomen. there's an unfamiliar piercing feeling in his body and a wave of tension within his body.

surprisingly, he doesn't snap at you or get angry but he just...takes your words as they are.

he can't remember the last time someone said something hurtful to him and he let it get to his head. probably when he was a kid and people were disgusted by his appearance. but hearing those harsh words coming from someone that he's learned to love would definitely hurt him more than he could ever say.

he lets you storm off, taking your anger and words with you. he's never really seen you as upset or frustrated with him before so it's all so new to sukuna.

it doesn't take long for him to realise how much he hates that side of you. it doesn't suit you. it's ugly and very unlike the soft side of you that he's grown to love.

he would give you space for a while, i think, not wanting to intrude and upset you even more.

when you see him again i think it would be unplanned, bumping into each other in the halls of his estate. it's only been a few hours but by then you've reflected and profusely apologise. "forgive me, my words were out of-"

but sukuna would stop you right then and there. "I understand." he takes it as it is. he knows he's a rough individual scraping on little to no love growing up but you've taught him what it takes to be human. to be a little softer in his day to day actions.

but what surprises him is your insistence to apologise.

"no sukuna what I said wasn't right. i'm sorry."

your apology comes out of your mouth quickly in comparison to your husband who can barely say those two words without grimacing beforehand.

you swear to never let those words leave your mouth again and he promises that he'll change and learn and grow. just for you. for each other.

[mysweetvalentine1111]

Lads Li's temperature headcannons.

Zayne:

Starting out with the most obvious imo, this man is always cold. He's gotten used to it overtime to the point where he doesn't even notice, but when you go to hug him it's like stepping into a freezer lmao.

For the same reason, whenever it get warm out or his body temp becomes warmer, he tends to get irritable without knowing why, when he eventually figures out its because his body has become so adapted to his evol that it reacts negatively to higher temperatures, his snappieness becomes easier to manage.

The only one who it doesn't absolutely suck to cuddle with during summer time, bro is a walking ac unit.

Rafayel:

I think thanks to his lemurian genes he also runs cool, not as cold as Zayne but definitely lower than average. He also doesn't handle the heat well, poor fishie gets heat stroke way too easily. He sees its going to be above 75° Fahrenheit outside and immediately is hiding away in the coldest, darkest room available.

He's very dramatic about it.

Xavier:

His body temperature is pretty average in the sense that it fluctuates accordingly, but that won't stop this man from always insisting that he's cold. It could be the middle of summer and you'd still find him wearing a hoodie because 'it's cold out' and you apparently 'need to cuddle to conserve body heat'.

It's too late for you when you realize twas all just a ploy to get you to snuggle with him.

Caleb:

Hot.

No other way to put it, he runs warm, you've been convinced he was running a fever on several occasions, but no, that's just his default setting. Very good for when it's cold out, not so good when vice versa. Even worse when you realize he gets whiney and needy when you don't cuddle him for a prolonged amount of time. When you tell him it's too hot, he pouts at you and won't stop until you give in.

What a dog.

Sylus:

I'm saving my favorite boy for last because whew...

Bro is a walking furnace. You thought Caleb was bad? Sylus is ten times worse. I mean, he is a dragon, so it makes sense that he'd essentially be a breathing heater. Except as opposed to Caleb, who pouts when you won't snuggle due to the heat, Sylus simply raises a brow, pulls out his phone, and is silent for several minutes.

You're about to ask what the hell he's doing before he looks up and says "Pack your bags, we're going to Alaska."

It becomes a tradition, every summer you spend several weeks somewhere where it's cold and snowy as a little vacation.

[chaifootsteps]

I do not understand the sudden hate for Ragatha. Like yes, she is flawed and said some messed up things. Certainly, those things are undeniably true. But why is it that fandoms will coddle and adore characters who are mean 90% of the time and nice 10% of the time and vitriolically hate characters who are nice 90% of the time and mean 10% of the time? I genuinely do not get this hatred for people-pleaser characters. Everyone accuses people-pleasers of being these evil manipulators who are only nice, because they want something from someone, but 90% of the time what they want is friendship???? For people to be nice back to them???? Like those are such evil goals and motivations. Ooooooo. Ragatha is in a HORRIBLE situation. (They all are, but we're discussing her rn.) Is it really such a leap in logic to think,"Hey none of this is under my control, but the one thing in my control is my attitude. Being sad or cruel or upset isn't going to change anything, so the best thing to do is make the most out of a bad situation. I should be happy and be as kind to others as possible." Like EVERYONE understands the logic behind Jax being closed off and cruel due to past trauma, but NO ONE seems to get that Ragatha is acting overly positive because it's what SHE needs to do to keep sane?

Ragatha is clearly lonely. Because of her forced positivity, she has driven people away, because no one knows when she's being genuine. And what are you told all the time growing up? Be nice. Be friendly. Treat others how you want to be treated. Ragatha is trying to play by the script she's been given. Be a nice, positive person, and people will like you. And she doesn't understand why that's not working, so she tries even harder, and it works even less. It's a vicious cycle. (I am projecting onto this character maybe.) Ragatha wants to have someone pep her up and be close to her. That's why she latched onto Pomni so quickly. Because she clearly hadn't established that relationship with anyone else in the circus. So Pomni offered a new opportunity for success at her goals. So OF COURSE it's going to make her upset when Jax is a jerk and gets close to Pomni faster than her. He is playing against the rules! Aren't there supposed to be rules??? And he's succeeding when she's not! She's doing everything right, but she's failing, and he's doing everything wrong, and he's succeeding! IT'S NOT FAIR! And obviously there was already tension with Jax, because the two are character foils. He would obviously be grating and annoying when he's the exact opposite of her. Plus, I think that line she said that everyone's giving her flack for "Not anymore" might not have been in reference to Ribbit. Everyone's assuming she meant to bring up his abstracted friend and rub salt in the wound, but I think she might be talking about herself. Ragatha is the type of person who wants to be everyone's friend. At some point in time, she would have tried to befriend Jax, and he would have acted like Jax acted. So when Pomni asks if he has any real friends, Ragatha says "Not Anymore," because she no longer considers herself his friend after the constant abuse and mistreatment he's given her. It's only when he reacts poorly that she realizes how he interpreted her comment and begins trying to apologize for how her words came across.

People who present themselves as nice but are then mean aren't secret master manipulators just waiting for a chance to be evil at you. People who present themselves as nice are actually nice, but are also human and can't be nice 100% of the time. People act like failure is a worse sin than just giving up on human decency all together.

But also, there was so much drama and angst and toxicity between Jax and Ragatha this episode. They should make-out sloppy style and then abstract together.

Right? People will plaster their socials with how the best offense in a cruel world is being kind and supporting each other, then attack a character like Ragatha who's sincerely and consistently kind and trying their best, but fumbling in some small way. It's frustrating as hell.

It's also not as though Ragatha's positive attitude is doing the kind of damage Jax's brand of apathetic chaos is. Jax doesn't like it and it doesn't always land with Pomni, but Gangle responds with a grateful little smile when Ragatha apologizes to her (not for the first time, it's heavily implied) for hurting her feelings last episode. Ragatha and Zooble are total opposites, but seem to get along okay.

When it comes to coping with trauma, some people are Ragathas and some people are Jaxes. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

(And yes, they should definitely make out sloppy style. There's nothing in this show that can't be resolved by passionately making out, except for the whole imprisonment to computerized damnation.)

[literallypyro]

Good day my fellow tf2 enjoyer! Looks like im back again with another request. 👀🌈

Mercs reacting to "would you still love me if i was a worm?" 🥺❤️‍🔥

You are free to ignore me, but thank you again for indulging in my shenanigans 🫶

You have no idea how equipped I am to answer this request. I am not joking when I say I know exactly what to do. So sorry for the wait!

Hope you enjoy

The early bird gets the worm

Scout:

-Absolutely no hesitation "yeah, sure, why not?"

-It's like you asked him if he wanted to go to McDonald's. You could think he wasn't listening to you

-But then if you ask him what you said, he recites it word for word

-Pop quiz nobody knew he was prepared for

Soldier:

-You're kidding, right? The only thing that could make him not love you is if you were a communist

-Bro doesn't give a singular fuck outside of that. You could turn into a lamp for all he cares, and he'd lug you around wherever he goes

-He honestly doesn't give it much thought either. Some things are just simple facts. The sky is blue, snow is cold, honey bees pollinate, and he loves you. That's just how the world works

Pyro:

-Stares at you for a long moment. They're completely unreadable for a moment

-Muffled speech that sounds vaguely like "you're not going to start eating dirt, are you?"

-Yes, they would still love you, but they're mildly concerned now, believe it or not. Do you want to be a worm? What's going on here?

Demoman:

-Doesn't even process what you said at first. It's not that he doesn't understand or is too drunk. It's just that your question came WAYYYY out of left feild

-"Uh? Probably? I mean, you're still you, even if you can't show it, right?"

-Probably lies awake at night, wondering wtf possessed you to ask that

Heavy:

-Sandvich eating has been paused. He just kinda stops working for a second

-The look on your face tells him it was a genuine question, so he just sets his bewilderment aside and says yes

-He's not really sure why you asked that question, but something in his could sense it would affect your self-esteem in some way, and he'd rather die than hurt your feelings

Engineer:

-He actually knows what this is about, surprisingly. Bro's got more PhDs than most people have digits in their bank account. Did you really think how wouldn't immediately guess?

-He just hugs you like "I love you for who you are on the inside. I couldn't care less what you look like"

-Yeah, you're getting pampered for the rest of the day. He's not gonna let you be insecure. He's gonna do everything he can to make sure you love yourself as much as he loves you

Medic:

-Psych evaluation immediately (hypocrite)

-Once it finally clicks, he looks at you with an expression somewhere between pity and empathy. Now you simply have to tell him who made you think he wouldn't

-The next day, he's showing you these cool new organs that definitely don't belong to the last person who made you feel like you didn't deserve everything good

Sniper:

-Immediate and not ironic "yes." That's it. He knows what's going on cuz lowkey he would've asked the same thing if he didn't think he'd sound dumb

-Might not be super expressive, but you can tell he really cares and knows exactly how you feel. That's a big thing about being in a relationship with him, silent understanding

-He probably wakes up a little earlier than usual to make you a nice breakfast you haven't had in a while. He knows it's not directly related, but he wants to show you he values you so so so much

Spy:

-Doesn't understand whatsoever and refuses to answer

-Engie tells him what's up and suddenly Spy feels like a complete and total dipshit. He doesn't go find you immediately, however

-He waits because he has to set something up. A nice little private dinner for the two of you, fine wine, and an apology cheesier than France in the middle ages

[killjpeg]

I think it's very funny that this is the only significant post i made on that blog and is the only reason the blog is still up. It's been a while and rereading this I think some of my thoughts had changed, having come down the high of hyperfixation I had and bias. All and all I still stand by pretty much all of it, but here are some points I want to correct/elaborate more on:

"Unless when Shockwave said he was going to give Megatron a gestalt he meant he'll postpone it for 4mil years and do it a little before he succeeded with Devastator so Ambulon deserting LITERALLY as he is picked out for the combiner project JUST to avoid it"

I already put the examples in the post a little after this but this is not too farfetched Shockwave was taking his time with the gestalt, as he literally says it's not his first priority. I think I'm more accepting of the thought that Ambulon was a volunteer, but for me I'll stay by the idea that his MTO team was built long before being experimented on for the gestalt - as the problem seems to be their inability to "connect" mentally that Shockwave also was trying to fix. The reason why I'm so set on this is the way Ambulon explains his name:

"Ambulon: from the verb 'to ambulate', meaning 'to walk about'. It's a stupid name..."

To me diegetically it comes off as something he was told rather than having any choice in the matter. As well as talking about his alt mode as something he was "born" with instead of being made into without his consent.

And for us it was meant to serve as a twist that his name is not formed from an "ambulance". All things considered, it works anyway, so it wouldn't even make sense he'd be so upset about it - which just cements it for me that he was told what his name explicitly means to him and not other way round.

"I'm gonna also get this out of the way that Ambulon's established character is continuously ignored, dumbed down and twisted: the point is that I do believe JRO didn't think about him that much or that deep, and what he did with him did not retain with him into further issues. That is to say, "You're gonna let Dr DJD cut us in half?" is a dumb fucking line to come out of Ambulon specifically, makes no sense, too snarky and cruel all things considered, and while I think it's also very funny it jsut shows Ambulon's accidental insignificance. Ok. That's all."

I'm going to completely back off from this point mostly because it was majorly charged from my bias towards his character and a lot of distaste for JRO (which i still have but its neither here nor there).

In-story it makes sense to me he'd react uncharacteristically and snarky when his life is literally on the line - if anything it serves to show how mean he can be when put in a high stakes situation, and obviously he'd be pissy about Pharma betraying all of them. I wonder if it was an in-joke between him and First Aid for a bit as a way to cope with the fact their boss killed people and tried to kill them allegedly (even though there are good reasons to believe Pharma didn't and wanted all three of them to leave).

Like it doesn't remove my point that his character was not considered of thought into deeper than what we got in those first issues but it doesn't contradict his character either.

"You see, I think Pharma is incredibly caring person. He cares for his patients and he cares for his people. He takes his work extremely seriously. He's willing to be a donor for his patient and he's still conducting research to cure illnesses when there was no legitimate point for him to do that anymore. He's not just a surgeon, but he's a virologist/epidemiologist."

Here I just want to elaborate more cuz I got some new thoughts on the matter.

Medics in MTMTE story ultimately have an overlapping theme of purpose that many other character don't exactly have. While the theme of purpose and shape is a prevalent throughout the whole story, it is especially emphasized with the medics and their inherent ability for healing, their hands. It puts them in a very narrow idea of what they're supposed to be doing with their life. You can choose to be a doctor but not if your shape doesn't permit it (ur a jet) but if you have good hands then sure you can try. This is where a Pharma dilemma coming from and is very interesting to me.

Pharma is more than anyone is defined by his desire to fulfill his purpose, because he doesn't see himself outside of it, an even bigger extreme than what we saw of Ratchet. He's so dedicated to asserting his place in the world he ruins his life about it. He does not want to be viewed as lesser than, his ego is keeping him from reaching out, and the kinda person he is just puts him into position where all he can do is double down.

And I've rambled on about my point (because I wrote the entirety of the original post in one sitting) too much that I feel like I didn't elaborate it even close enough.

Ambulon and Pharma are driven by their desire to serve a purpose, while both defying what that "purpose" even means. Neither of them by the facts we're given in text are supposed to be doctors - they're not the right shape for it. But nevertheless, they are doctors. But for Ambulon, he is choosing his purpose and his place in the world, while Pharma has rushed himself into a corner. Pharma in desire to chase his purpose and assertion of his value has put aside why he's doing it - because he does care for people, he doesn't actually want anyone to die and suffer, but in a circumstance where his interests are being challenged, he chose what's best for him, specifically, hoping it just works out for others in the end.

Their Amica Endura could've been defined by enhancement of each others strong points, of Ambulon being Pharma's anchor from spiraling and letting his flaws drive his actions, and Pharma sympathizing with Ambulon's dysmorphia and giving him respect he deserves for his achievements, despite DJD, despite what functionism dictates, that Ambulon stays faithful to his oath as a doctor.

I genuinely don't think there's anyone who would understand them better than they would each other, in a better world.

Of Ambulon and Pharma and doomed amica endura

I'll preface that I'm the last person to try and explain my ships by how canon they are and this is very much the same case of me just entertaining the idea and what their relationship represents and what role they play in a wider story, this is not an invitation for discourse or a debate. It's just me rambling on why I like the ship so much, think Pharma and Ambulon are narrative foils, while using some canon stuff and word of god.

Jokes about hamburger or hot dog or literally anything regarding Ambulon's death will end in block idc I think it's obnoxious 👍

CW for robot gore, discussions of torture, you know, the package that comes with DJD and Decepticons and MTMTE.

When it comes to Ambulon and Pharma's relationship, I think it's fair to start with bare bones, yeah?

I'm going to start with each character individually, what my take on them is, so we're all on the same page.

Ambulon

So, the basics are:

Ambulon was part of the failed combiner project of decepticons, the first combiner at that. He has horrible alt mode, that brings him a lot of shame, so he prefers to keep it a secret. He switched to the Autobots, eventually.

We don't know for certain if he was created for the project, or was one of the "volunteers". What we do know though, is that he's an MTO specifically, not just constructed cold, and MTOs were a concept of war.

Meaning, he cant be older than the war. Meaning, in my personal opinion, he was either made for some operation, then snatched by Shockwave for the project, or was created already specifically for the project.

There, I think, comes a timeline conflict. It feels unfeasible, to me, that MTOs were made this early into the war, by Decepticons. What I think happened, is that Shockwave did try to experiment on other Decepticons to figure out and develop on Jhiaxus' research, but once MTOs as a concept came into the picture, it became infinitely easier to just have an alt mode pre-made for a mech.

Unless when Shockwave said he was going to give Megatron a gestalt he meant he'll postpone it for 4mil years and do it a little before he succeeded with Devastator so Ambulon deserting LITERALLY as he is picked out for the combiner project JUST to avoid it makes this line from him especially funny:

Boy for all we know you're not even 15 years old.

Also the idea that character like Ambulon did that out of some sort of cowardice, that THIS was his breaking point to join Autobots, feels wrong.

In-text it becomes even less likely Ambulon had a life before the project, as his name "Ambulon" seems to be the only one he ever had (judging by his statue post on Necroworld).

I think why I'm getting a Little long-winded explaining Ambulon is to draw a better picture on his experience with Decepticons, Specifically Shockwave.

That to say, he had a horrible one. He knows better than anyone what Decepticons are capable of and how far they will go/what Megatron would allow. Especially once DJD comes into the picture.

And it just emphasizes the way Ambulon in the end of it all chose kindness. The first issues he appeared in cement it very well, especially since most of his intro we get from First Aid's point of view.

Ambulon is tetchy, can be a gearstick sometimes

Ambulon took pity on the Decepticons he thought were hunted down by the DJD

Ambulon convinced Pharma to let them stay

The Genericons showed their scars to Ambulon specifically

Ambulon gets passionate about hate crimes concerning one's shape/alt mode

Ambulon is "tetchy" and rejects First Aid's idea because he's concerned that it's too risky

For Ambulon to put your own life on the line to save a single life is an act of selfishness (also stemming out of his concern for First Aaid, imo)

Ambulon let the Genericons share a cell

To sum it up: Ambulon is very greatly concerned for the greater good and treating people without bias, Decepticon or Autobot, especially when there's any sort of discrimination involved.

(Using Genericons and Triple M as a tool with Ambulon was a very clever foreshadowing for Ambulon's situation, but it is a general theme that runs in these issues and Ratchet's/medics character arcs, it's the functionism, one's shape and purpose in life, but it is a completely different post to make. Just let's keep the theme of one's shape and purpose in mind.)

The thing is, Ambulon is who he is by choice. His Decepticon past is always showing, whether he wants it or not, but all he wants, essentially, is to help people and treat them with kindness. He's a "gearstick", but he's a gearstick with a big spark. He saw the greater cruelty in Decepticons and made a choice to never participate in it.

Ambulon is an MTO who made his life and became what he wants to be despite everything: Decepticons, his alt-mode, biases, all of that. He's true to himself and his intentions.

I'm gonna also get this out of the way that Ambulon's established character is continuously ignored, dumbed down and twisted: the point is that I do believe JRO didn't think about him that much or that deep, and what he did with him did not retain with him into further issues. That is to say, "You're gonna let Dr DJD cut us in half?" is a dumb fucking line to come out of Ambulon specifically, makes no sense, too snarky and cruel all things considered, and while I think it's also very funny it jsut shows Ambulon's accidental insignificance. Ok. That's all.

Pharma

Oh boy this one's a doozy. Okay, listen, I'll try to get more brief with it, try to get straight to the point, but Pharma has so much nuance around him on a greater scheme of things that it might also just be it's own post. SO we'll just try to focus on his persona and relations to others.

Pharma is a doctor of talent on par with Ratchet, if not actually better. He used to be friends with him, he's implied to have used to do medical service in the new institute, and eventually was stationed on Delphi by Prowl, practically abandoned by Ratchet. There, he ends up being blackmailed by Tarn, ending up killing his patients to meet the increasing quota, being led to the brink of creating a virus that he exposes the facility to in hope to close it down and escape it scot-free. Obviously, because of Ratchet, it didn't work, the rest is history.

Unlike Ambulon with his 3 panels and a half of screentime worth talking about character-wise, Pharma is a combination of multiple things at once, his place as an Autobot, his connection to the DJD, his act, and most of his actual character we get from very few shots of him from the past and what people say of him, and just a little of his behavior at Delphi before his crime is revealed.

So I think we'll focus specifically on the Decepticon part when it comes to Pharma cuz it's much easier to talk about.

Pharma vehemently, without hiding it, hates Decepticons.

It will go into even bigger field of speculations than trying to piece Ambulon's character together for why he hates them so much. It could both just be a thrown in line for the story to flow (Genericons) and act as a foreshadowing (DJD blackmail), the fact of the matter is, he hates Decepticons, he does not have pity for Decepticons, and if DJD did not play into his hatred, years of war for sure did.

(Also worth mentioning that in the issue #4, the paralleling story is Tailgate learning about the war and backing off on his decision to be a Decepticon. The entire build up works very well, imo, and plays into just how much it should hit you when Pharma turns out providing for DJD, along with the choice of Ambulon to not be a Decepticon anymore.)

You see, I think Pharma is incredibly caring person. He cares for his patients and he cares for his people. He takes his work extremely seriously. He's willing to be a donor for his patient and he's still conducting research to cure illnesses when there was no legitimate point for him to do that anymore. He's not just a surgeon, but he's a virologist/epidemiologist.

But, probably when we ask ourselves, "So if he was such a wonderful doctor, equal to Ratchet, someone Ratchet recognizes, why wasn't he the Chief Medical Officer in the first place?"

I think it's mostly his personality. It's his hubris and ego. It's also the inherent societal bias of Cybertron when it comes to jets - though this part of worldbuilding isn't that consistent, he is a forged jet AND a doctor.

And that's also why I think he doesn't believe in that "forged" functionism bullshit. BUT thats another post of its own (take a shot every time i say that in this post).

Let's just bullet point this:

Pharma is a talented doctor who's good and dedicated to his job. Practically nothing is impossible for him and it becomes a focal point of his conflict with Ratchet, too.

That said, Pharma's shape is what, I think, is responsible for his hubris. He's a jet, he's forged, he's a doctor, but he's a doctor because HE, PHARMA, is good. Nothing to do with some God. (which is different from Ratchet's internalized functionism)

Pharma hates Decepticons, he tried to kill the DJD, and it may seem like he pushed it all on Ambulon because he was a Decepticon, but I don't think that's the case. Specifically because of this:

He does not see Ambulon as a Decepticon, and it was just panicked shitty lie he had to quickly come up with on the spot.

Pharma feels guilt for his actions, and after killing Ambulon, he's actively taunting First Aid to kill him.

Pharma is a jet doctor trapped in the loop of self-sabotage after being exploited, psychologically tortured and left for dead, after a poor attempt of saving face. Pharma is a jet doctor who embraced his new look, but couldn't live with it, far from accepting it. Furthermore, his body is used by Adaptus himself, where the only thing he could do is trying to get his body back, to help his comrades, only to end up dying, again.

That's where I'm going to use a single word of God that makes, all in all, a lot of sense.

"Grurdging respect" is about best way to describe Pharma and Ambulon.

Now since I've reached the image limit on this post it's relentless rambling and speculations time!

You probably can already tell where I'm going with this. I think Pharma and Ambulon direct inversions of each other.

Decepticon gone Autobot as a choice - Autobot gone rogue out of blackmail and fear of failure

MTO doing what he wants to do and taking control of his body and life, disconnected from a gestalt or his "purpose" - A forged jet trying to continue his career of a doctor despite all the odds but who's agency is continuously taken, not only by others but by his own ego

Where they overlap, is their desire to do what they want. Where they differ, is one's sincerity and other's toxicity.

Ambulon is someone Pharma would never be, and someone he, on meta level, wishes he was more like. He doesn't want to be Ratchet, even if we think a little about his obsession and desire to prove to Ratchet that he's better, he wants to be someone Ratchet would respect. And in the end of the day, it all didn't matter anymore, because clearly Ratchet never respected him enough in the first place: "waging a war on his body", taking body parts for his own gain (hands), that Pharma didn't even really care about anymore. It was personal. He wanted Ratchet to hurt.

All of this, ultimately, is justified. Little who would respond to knowing someone who betrayed you (and whom you, also, betrayed) also breached boundaries of your autonomy. It's just basic decency. I don't believe TFs never heard of that or don't follow it, in some fashion. Maybe it's more loose, but for the purpose of drama and villification of Pharma, it was convenient, I guess.

See, Pharma is just inherently, like anyone, very flawed. The circumstance he's put in and the war led to the worst of his qualities spike. And in relation to Ambulon, it's the inverse of a person who, having seen the horrors of the war, having been through the horror and the existential dread of being in a gestalt, chose kindness anyway.

"Grudging respect". A jet doctor, a genius, and an ex-soldier MTO, who made the choice of helping people. An ex-Decepticon, too, no less.

See how it could've developed into something more?

Both eager to do their job, Ambulon is a perfect stabilizer for Pharma's general emotional response to things. He may be a good doctor, but he's prone to acting and saying things before really thinking about it. Ambulon is capable of convincing him and giving a good argument, without it being personal.

"Grudging respect" with Ambulon working with one of the best doctors out there, who's work is going to be invaluable even after his death.

And if things worked out differently? Do you think Ambulon wouldn't be there to sympathize with Pharma's trauma regarding DJD? Do you think Ambulon wouldn't pity Pharma for what Tarn put him through? Ambulon? The Decepticon who was there? The one who even should fear DJD the most? The one who might've even triggered DJD once he was so close on the radar?

He might've confided in Pharma in the first place, as someone literally second in charge after him.

Pharma and Ambulon are defying Adaptus as a societal concept, among with the existential idea of your shape dictating your purpose. And within the text they don't just defy, they end up suffering the most out of it - Pharma ends up in a position where his hands are praised more than he, as a person, is, Ambulon dies by these hands, and his death dooms Pharma as well.

I hope it was comprehensive enough, i WISH i could include more images to prove my point. The amica endura would've been insane. If only the circumstance was different.

[yoroshiu]

I don't think I've ever really managed to fully put a focus on that dichotomy of why some of the stuff that should be considered banter and teasing towards Sora in KH3 feel off for quite a bit of the player base.

This poll was done to gather some insight on how people viewed that, and from that pool (plus some opinions I got when asking fellow KH fans), and a lot of people do seem to think that it was too much, albeit that wasn't the intent (which is the sentiment I carry).

The reasoning that seems to be the most prevalent as to why this is the case, is just the manner in which Sora has reacted to the events he's being teased about. Sora was hurt over failing his Mark of Mastery and being broken down by Darkess, it doesn't help that he has to deal with the physical consequences of such up until near the endgame (losing his powers), but he doesn't blatantly show that hurt, but there's enough for the players to see that.

So when characters tease him or outright insult over it ("Sora needs work" (after Aqua is told that Riku and Mickey are "true Keyblade Masters now" to which Sora's only response to that is "Yeah, rub it in" while everyone laughs) vs Pete noticing Sora's loss of power immediately and Maleficent not even giving them the time of say because Sora's "inconsequential"), especially since no one in-game really addresses it, it leave a more negative impression.

(When you think about it, was it really necessary to Donald to mention that? Like bro lol)

It's a common thing for the hero to be praised and insulted by different parties, and having the hero deal with any insecurities that stem from that also isn't rare. It's just interesting that in KH's case it can slip by without much notice but the fact that there's enough for a lot of people to take it that way says a lot. The timing and framing for this to happen makes the question fascinating to discuss.

I'd still like to hear more perspectives/thoughts/opinions others have on it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Making Kingdom Hearts Stuff Until KH4 Comes Out (Day 164)

[bnhaobservation]

I agree with your observation of Horikoshi’s tendency to ignore trauma in characters like Shoto. I have also observed the same thing towards other characters such as Midoriya. I find Midoriya’s ending overall worse because a lot of his plot points such as losing the One for All quirk and the trauma of killing Tomura (and this is not mention of the overall mess when it comes to the themes and built ups between them) are either completely brushed off or used to prop up Bakugo. This pattern of using a victim in order to prop up the abuser is present in the entire manga, particularly Endeavor and Bakugo. From my perspective, I find Midoriya’s overall treatment as a victim of bullying and abusive friendship extremely terrible and downright offensive. Midoriya’s trauma is never explored at any point of the manga and he’s never allowed to react in uglier ways (basically a good victim). This is further exemplified by the apology scene where Bakugo gives an extremely vague apology while Midoriya barely reacts to it. In addition, there’s no follow up of the scene afterwards at any point. Horikoshi wants to present the two of them reconciling years later and Bakugo giving the hero suit (another thing completely centered on him) as a good ending; however, I don’t find their reconciliation and Bakugo’s redemption any believable because of the lack of focus on Midoriya’s feelings. What I find it alarming in particular is the type of abuse it covers which is abusive friendships. Abusive friendships are barely recognized in mainstream media, and a bad portrayal like this is going to cause a lot of damage.

Undoubtedly the story doesn't handle Midoriya's trauma well either...

...because it doesn't judge it as trauma inflicted by society (people like to mention Bakugou but the whole of Midoriya's class, teachers included were bullying and moking him, and Bakugou was just the most evident bully, not the only one) but something Midoriya has to overcome.

I tend to summarize the whole thing by simply saying that the story lacks compassion beause at the end of the day all it wants for it's characters each time they're suffering through something else is the following:

not get angry

stick to law

not upset the people around them (if they get a scar they should hid their face)

forgive

act according to their social role

be the best version of themselves

wait for a Hero or be the Hero and save themselves and the others

believe if you do all this things will eventually get better in the future

So we've Midoriya, who shows us how things should be done, who doesn't get angry with Bakugou, doesn't seek retaliation, doesn't even truly feel wronged by him, overcomes his fear of Bakugou and becomes the best version of himself TAKING INSPIRATION FROM BAKUGOU TOO and continuing to consider him his 'childhood friend' (this as a deeper meaning in Japan than it might have in other countries).

Giving away OFA?

It was the heroic thing to do, such Quirk after all wasn't given to him for his sake but because he had to inherit Yoichi's will and defeat AFO, that was why OFA existed and Midoriya received such Quirk to do this (even if no one informed him beforehand) so of course he can't complain or it would undermine all this. Midoriya did the heroic thing and fulfilled his role as possessor of OFA so of course he doesn't get to mourn over doing the right thing.

The worst part is that the story is totally on board with having Midoriya kill Tomura, Gran Torino even encourages him doing so telling him that 'killing is saving' and All Might insists if Tomura's expression was okay then it was okay to kill him.

Let's remember that Japan is okay with murdering dangerous criminals even when THEY ARE ESCAPING so of course it's okay with murdering Tomura who wasn't escaping and the story doesn't have a single good character criticize the use of child soldiers because 'hey, they're better than the Pro!'.

Plus there's this desperate need for a happy ending so that when finally Midoriya tries to mourn Tomura while Uraraka mourns Himiko, the whole thing is handled as them bonding and establishing Uraraka is Midoriya's Hero and it's quickly pushed aside by Class A coming to resque the chapter ending with them smiling as grandmother saves 'the kid who's meant to be a stand in for Tomura with a whorse past so that we can all believe now society is all better because this kid created solely for the sake of this is saved'.

Back to bullying, of course it gets handled in a disrespectful manner.

Bullying is likely included because at the time it was likely 'trending' as in Japan, in 2013, it was enacted an anti-bullying act which prohibits bullying, due to a 13-year-boy committing suicide in Otsu due to bullying in October 2011, and its parents suing three former classmates, their parents and the city in February 2012. The Act still does not stipulate any punishment for those who bully others but it's hard not to see the connection between how BNHA starts in 2014 with Bakugou encouraging Midoriya to commit suicide while with two other classmates.

The predominant mentality prior to this law (and for a long while even after this law passed) was that if you were to get bullied it was your fault so Horikoshi claiming that... hum, no, it's also that Bakugou has a bad character, might feel a little more modern, but actually CLAMP handled bullying way better in 1991 so no, I'm not impressed.

Having Midoriya be strong and not commit suicide nor resent the bully, and be still basically charged with the duty of overcoming his own trauma as if it were an obstacle in his Hero path is disrespectful to the kid who died and to all the other kids who died PRIOR and AFTER him as while the intention might be to show them it's possible to overcome things, the overall problem is handled in a way too tame way, and mostly solved by magically giving Midoriya what he lacked that caused him to be bullied, a Quirk.

Since at this point Midoriya isn't anymore handled with a victim of bullying but as someone who's tasked with overcoming an obstacle created by having been bullied, Bakugou is also no more handled as an abuser but as someone who has to overcome his bad character and realize how amazing Midoriya is and that he didn't deserve to be bullied. Midoriya in short has to be the better person and PROVE HIM that he wasn't deserving of bullying (making his own his Quirk, proving his way to view All Might is right, surpassing Bakugou) because they are equal/Midoriya is better.

Bakugou's story becomes therefore one in which he, simply put, grows up from an insecure teenager who bullied Midoriya because he undermined his idea of being the best, to a confident man that can accept Midoriya is his equal and wants to compete with him.

In short... the bullying behaviour becomes the obstacle Bakugou has to overcome. In the story there's a little of pondering about how Bakugou's behaviour toward Midoriya was wrong but... it's overall very minor because the bullying isn't allowed to have consequences since Midoriya, having to be amazing, has to overcome it.

Therefore, since Bakugou's bullying didn't do great damage it ends up looking like something minor. Bakugou will apologize for it, he'll cry when it'll turn out Midoriya lost his Quirk, he'll even give him a suit so that Midoriya will be able to continue doing heroics and will ask him to join him in his agency, but since we don't see Midoriya's suffering, what Bakugou does end up on raising Bakugou, working for Bakugou's 'grow up' plotline that will lead him to become a better person where it affects little Midoriya who was already a great person on his own and doesn't need Bakugou to do anything.

It's similar to Shouto's story as he's asked to overcome his family drama and, the moment he thinks he can do it after he has met Rei, he has to accept to intern under his father because this is the best solution, where Enji's arc is one in which he becomes a better person regardless of his family as we're never shown what he can do to make Rei, Fuyumi or Natsuo better and the little he does for Touya and Shouto, especially in a western setting, feels too little.

Horikoshi doesn't really want to andle none of those stories as the stories of a victim and their abuser but as the stories of people becoming better people.

However, removing from the stories of the character that they were victims (it happens to Midoriya, to Shouto and his family, to Shouji and to many other) to place solely on them the burden of overcoming what is turned into a hurdle in their past toward becoming the best version of themselves is disrespectful toward the victims, especially as it's done over and over and who can't do it and snap (the League for example but also Rei or even Hawks who feels less because he can't forgive his parents) is criticized.

There are things that a person just can't bear, things that are damaging and that you can't just tolerate and overcome, they can break you and turn you into someone else or forever cripple you in certain things and insisting on the idea we've to be like Midoriya and be Heroes and it's on us to overcome such things and yes, the one causing them has to be ashamed of causing them but that's all fine as long as he tries to be better is not a good answer.

Someone can be like Midoriya but, generally, the mass won't be like Midoriya and that's fine because IT'S NOT UP ON THEM TO PROVE THEY DIDN'T DESERVE THIS.

What if Midoriya were to never receive a Quirk? What if he was a guy who just wasn't suited for being a Hero? Does it make okay for Bakugou to bully him because he's Quirkless if Midoriya can't become better than he is, if Midoriya breaks down and drops from school and becomes an hikikomori like Shuuichi did? If Midoriya, instead than admiring Bakugou, always hates him and refuses to help him?

Mind you, I don't think this is the message Horikoshi wants to pass but his story toes dangerously in this direction because it praises no-stop as heroic silent bearing of pain and personal betterment and places all who can't just bear silently among the people who snap and become Villains. There's no middle way and there's no compassion, not for those who bear it nor for those who don't.

The story doesn't want to lead us to have compassion for whose who will overcome their trauma because HEY, they'll overcome it and doesn't want to lead us to have compassion of those who didn't because HEY, they became a Villain and their pain is no excuse and society has no blame for this.

Yes, a bit of sadness spice up things but that's all there is. Midoriya, Shouto, Shouji must not be victims, they're HEROES. And if you can't be a Hero, at least you've to be a good victim like Eri and wait for a Hero to save you. Actually just know what? You should be careful not to bother people by requesting for help, what if your abuser were to turn toward them? Learn from Eri how to be a good victim if you can't be a Hero. That's the way to be.

And okay, now I'm being sarcastic and over the top but this story is harsh with Aoyama, a teen who was threatened to be killed and with him his parents if he didn't comply with AFO.

Tsukauchi says he'll sympathize, but THE BOY TURNED HIS BACK ON DECENT SOCIETY. The boys hould have totally chosen to be a good victim and die and let his parents die instead than trouble society.

Extenuating circumstances just aren't meant to be considered.

So at the bottom of the story I think Horikoshi should have just given more thoughts and more compassions to his victims, their circumstances and the burdens he places upon them, be they bullied kids like Midoriya, discriminated people like the Heteromorphs, victims of an abusive family like the Todorokis or of society in general.

Instead they're asked to stick their neck out for society even when society was turning its back to them or worse.

That or he shouldn't have included huge things like bullying, abuse and discrimination in his story merely for the sake of giving characters a hurdle to overcome. Just give them powerful enemies, they would have been fine.

Horikoshi creates a society that has insane high expectations on the tolerance and ability to overcome trauma of its characters and just labels them as Villains if they fail to fulfill such expectations, break and turn against a society that was squashing them.

And the 'problem' of Midoriya and Bakugou's friendship is that there was never reconciliation and redemption because Midoriya, in order to fulfil such expectations with flying colors, never held it against Bakugou. Bakugou never had to gain back Midoriya's friendship, Midoriya always viewed him as a friend and an admirable fighter despite the bullying and never needed Bakugou to pay him back for what he did. The result is that the reconciliation and atonement are entirely on Bakugou's side in the sense that it's Bakugou that has to decide to accept Midoriya as a friend and it's always Bakugou who, now that he has matured, wants to atone for what he did because now he feels guilty.

He doesn't have to win back Midoriya's friendship and all he does can't pay Midoriya back because for Midoriya his slate is clean already.

Horikoshi uses a similar pattern with Enji, as the moment we learn Enji wants to atone is the moment we learn Rei and Fuyumi are already willing to forgive him and Midoriya will claim Shouto is also willing to do so even though for Shouto's own admission, he hadn't seen anything that would make Enji deserving of such thing. But SHouto is kind so he's supposed to forgive him already.

On the other side there's no reconciliation with Natsuo but... Enji doesn't fight for it, he just accepts it and, while there's likely reconciliation with Touya... we don't really get to see it.

To us all this feels unsatisfactory because it's not a redemption arc. A redemption arc requires the redemption of the character, aka he pays back the victim for his wrongdoing. If the victim doesn't feel a victim and claim there's nothing to pay back, where's the struggle, the effort?

And if the victim claims there's nothing that can be done to pay them back, that the wrongdoing between them will always remain, and the character says, fine I'll just keep on atoning, without breaking down at the uselessness of their efforts, it feels equally unsatisfying because it doesn't change anything, it feels like a wasted effort that doesn't really help the victim nor break the abuser letting them grasp the huge amount of damage done.

Overall I'm not won over by the atonement arcs in the story. Maybe it's just me though.

Sorry for this long reply and thank you for your ask!

[caladriusposts]

Can you please tell me about izuku in your DR?

People in my dr : izuku midoriya

── .✦

⌗ when i fist moved to japan we couldn't say eachother's names correctly so i called him zuku and he called me menmen

★ Used to have a hard time back in preschool when they started trying to get us used to not napping he struggled with it, whenever he saw me in the book corner he'll silently walk over and use me as a pillow, If i was wearing a jacket he would slide himself under it we looked so funny whenever he would just slide into my jackets on breaks i used to tell mom to get me bagger jackets so he can be comfortable. Lets just say he didn't get used to not taking naps and no teacher had the heart to wake him up while he slept,he still slides under my clothes whenever it gets cold after knowing eachother + being married

★ in sixth grade someone tore one of my notebooks up while i was taking a week off school he glued it back together,got a replica and wrote down all my notes in my handwriting so i wouldn't notice and i didn't, only find out when i was helping him pack when we were moving in together and i found the glued notebook,l never mentioned it tho he doesn't know i know

★ Back in ua he used to doodle on my notebook or write notes in class and silently look at me expectingly waiting for me to notice,whenever i flicked his forehead to let me focus he huffed and rested his head on my shoulder

★ when we got our hero licensees he crushed me into a hug and told he to hold the license up to the camera, he immediately sent the picture to all might,he texted us how proud he is and told us good job izu was so happy he picked me up and spun me around till he lost his balance (he made sure he took all the damage and held the back of my head)

★ He called my quirk as beautiful as me and told me he loves how it reflects me as a person,I know it sounds corny but it was so sweet i still think about it he always sees the beauty in my quirk and just sees me you know?? he makes me feel seen

★ takes pictures with every cat he sees stary or not, the cats love him he sends us atleast four pictures every patrol, sometimes he gets too affectionate with them and they hit them on the head or bite him and we turned one into a whatsapp sticker hahaha

★ I dunno why he reminds me of fawns, eveyone says he's a sheep or a bunny but something about him reminds me sm of deers maybe its his eyes and how doe eyed he can look

★covers my ears whenever i get too overstimulated,I dont like being hugged if i am overwhelmed so him covering my ears always works he uses it to massage my temples too to ease my migraines

★ used to let me draw constellations by connecting his freckles atleast the bigger ones he's wll freckled up,especially on his cheeks, nose and knuckles

Post graduation :)

☁︎ Insistes on helping me tour the first years,started when we became second years and he still does so when i started working at ua,the kids love him, its a nice touch since he has more friendly vibe

☁︎ stops by randomly inbetween lectures to check up on me and bring me lunch,sometimes if kats is free he drags him too and we all sit together on breaks, aizawa is sick and tired of us being stuck to his hip in the teacher's lounge

☁︎ he still picks me up whenever he gets too happy,he's strong enough to pick me up and katsuki like its nothing its almost intimidating

☁︎ he eats my food i dunno what's it about him with my food but we can have the same thing and he'll still take a bite of mine he calls it the "izuku task/tax” it changes based on his mood,i love sharing my food anyways so i enbaled that habit

☁︎ one time i was rambling on one of my tts about quirks,he shamelessly took a big bite of my food the comments were talking about i vividly remember two of them "I cant focus on anything but deku just gobbling your food and no body reacting HOW MUCH DOES THAT HAPPEN" and "dawg that was one big ass bite"

☁︎ asked me out on june fifth because i like the number five, got me a pandora bracelet and gets me a charm every five years too they're all swan and space themed

☁︎ pre heats the air frier and makes my coffee in the morning without me even asking,its always how i like it too,he always pours it into a duck mug he got me when we were 17 on a class trip,i’ll post it soon!

☁︎ his hands are calloused from all the training he does but they've never been anything but gentle and warm

☁︎ we make our interns train together so they're very familiar with both of us AND HE ACTUALLY MADE ONE OF THEM CLEAN A WHOLE ASS BEACH??THE POOR STUDENT CAME COMPLAINING TO ME I WAS HOLDING BACK A CACKLE I AM SORRY

☁︎ whenever i am reading he comes over and wraps himself in my wings he's so good at handling them sometimes i don't really feel him moving my wing around, i am either used as his blanket and pillow smh

☁︎ told me he hopes to "have the privilege" of being loved and cherished by me in another life too

☁︎ apparently he talks about me to the students too they told me that he's always bringing me amd katsuki up in conversations or "fawning" over us BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE JUST BEING DRAMATIC but also knowing izuku he does ramble alot so

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

Ps.I’ll probably add more stuff later ❤️