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therantingsage · 2 months

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Misc additional observations/notes relating to the implication analysis post that I either forgot to add or omitted for pacing reasons.

This one's embarrassing to admit, but I literally did not remember this until the post was done and posted:

N being bad at keeping things to himself is literally the first thing we learn about him when he starts talking. "Inclusive reflexes" isn't what teaches Uzi this, it's literally the first thing she finds out about his character, so she has no excuse. There is no plausible deniability she knows her boyfriend can't keep secrets.

((Unrelated to anything but since I'm talking about the pilot like. Why does he fan himself here. Dude you don't even have feelings for her yet bro what's this about. Guy who really likes strong personalities I guess))

N's tiny little smile in Promening when Uzi admits to wanting his help. He's like, critically underappreciated by the people around him before this so Uzi reaching out to him here must be so meaningful to him. He wants to be helpful and she's letting him be.

And Uzi, too, despite being stubborn about it. N being so eager to offer help in the first place isn't something she's used to, either. I'm pretty sure the (correct) general consensus is that this is the episode she falls for him, and honestly all the blushing has very little to do with why I think that's the case.

Because, like...no one really bothered even pretending to get along with her. Like, aside from Thad, but that's for like one scene total before N enters the picture, and Uzi's "how do you know my name, people willingly talk to you" implies to me that they didn't have a lot of, if any, meaningful interactions before that point anyway. And then here comes N, who despite how they'd parted, doesn't even seem upset with her. They both spent their time apart terrified of things being bad between them....but it all just melts away when they reunite and the mutual genuine concern shines through. It's great.

N maybe has fragments of memories of life at the manor, not a lot, but he probably has the vague sense that people used to be nicer to him in general. So it's not as foreign to him. Uzi does not have that luxury so having N be so enthusiastically in her corner definitely touches her heart. And it shows through in how she interacts with him in this episode.

There's lots and lots of little moments in Cabin Fever that I like but this tiny sheepish blush is a funny one. Like he just. Alluded to talking about her. And that flusters her for some reason. We have no idea how much time has actually passed since the last episode but its clear from how little it takes for this reaction to happen that her feelings have grown stronger. She likes him and its cute.

This scene is one I want to talk about in more detail, though. Home establishes that V still has faint lingering feelings for N, so it's not that hard to assume that her behavior here is at least partially motivated by jealousy. She's petty and vindictive and jealous...but most importantly she's perceptive.

Uzi has abandonment issues, which I think is easy enough to understand so I'm not going to elaborate on it. But V figured that out, and makes this threat with the knowledge that Uzi is worried about being abandoned. Uzi fears the idea that she wouldn't be missed if she disappeared, and here comes V, claiming that the one person she cares most about wouldn't care either. Hitting her where it hurts, trying to convince her that her fears are justified and inevitable.

It's likely that this moment contributes to her eventually going feral. That the stress overheats her faster.

She's incredibly vulnerable, when she snaps out of it. Shares that specific fear with N, who reassures her. Because this whole scene is him telling her that no, he wouldn't be able to just get over it if she was gone, because their brief time apart in this single episode was already something that scared him. That she's already become important enough to him that her absence was keenly felt.

It's probably around here, or a bit after this point in the nebulous timeskip between this episode and the next, that N falls for her. Scratch that, his whole speech, as I said in the prior post, just...really feels like some kind of romantic-adjacent confession. But I don't think it WAS explicitly them confessing feelings for each other. N figures out he likes her in this episode I'd like to think, but that speech was the closest he could come to admitting that. Cuz. Y'know. Uzi needs reassurance in other ways right now, no point in muddying the issue.

((and also not news to anybody I'm sure but the song that plays during that scene is LITERALLY called 'Falling...for you??' so. y'know. hindsight is 20/20 this is genuinely the moment he realizes his feelings for her are romantic))

And additional thing I like that I think about a lot, but the way he deliberately choses to switch his hands to claws when he pries her wings open. "I'm a monster, leave me be" she says, to which he replies "Hey, look, I am too, see? It's ok". It's great, he's mirroring, trying to make her feel seen. And by the vulnerability of her next line, it works. They really just, understand each other so damn well.

Home stuff. The fact that the first word that comes to mind to describe him is 'cute' is funny enough, but the fact that she even goes so far as to SAY it out loud before hastily correcting herself. Looking at her bf's baby pictures-coded. Has to keep her image up tho, this version doesn't know her so she can't be too weird or open about it.

But she still wants this version to think she's cool cuz she's a dork who likes him. It's unclear how much of this episode is diegetic when you subtract Uzi, but since these are memories and not proper time travel, we don't know to what extent Uzi's trying to avoid affecting the events. She might not care at all. Did the real N even go down to that basement willingly at any point? I doubt it. But we don't know! And also that's not what I'm making this post to talk about.

Funny Solvercam-Uzi body language on display. Delighted he recognizes her finally, spits out something edgy to play it cool (genuinely my favorite Uzi line of all time), sheepishly looks back at him, and shyly averts her gaze when he thanks her before looking back. Had she her regular face I'm sure she'd be smiling and blushing about it. It's cute as hell. It's very open delight, when you think about it. But still awkwardly teenage. It's easy to see this and have it make a whole lotta sense if they were already dating at this point. Got that meaningful eye contact going on. She likes making him happy so she's proud she succeeded.

Him trying to help steady her when they land. She blushes and slaps his hand away like 'dude I'm fine people are LOOKING at us stoooooop >:('

Her tail chewing on him is fine tho because we don't know if she controls it fully or if it does things subconsciously. And also the others aren't actually looking at them in this shot. Neither of them make the tail stop chewing so at the very least N doesn't mind.

Still flustered easily when he shows her he cares tho. Early-relationship 'hehehe he likes meeee' moment, adorable. Still clearly giddy that someone cares about her.

He's so conflicted after 'Tessa' tells him Uzi needs to die. He loves her, he loves her so so much, but Tessa is his oldest friend. All the memories he has of her paint a picture of someone he's supposed to listen to. Someone he can trust. Someone who wouldn't lie to him. He spends the rest of this episode bracing himself for a goodbye he doesn't want to give and its heartbreaking.

And despite his fear...Uzi still manages to comfort him the best way she knows how. And it gets him to smile! Because that's what the two of them are to each other. He's scared...but she's with him, so its less scary.

They've both caught up to the moment. 'Oh. We're still holding hands while the other two can see oh god'. They're both tight-lipped. She bumps him and they let go, maybe N thinks 'oh, right, yeah, not in public' but then they hold hands again but with intent this time.

And once again, it gets N to smile! And a second later Uzi does too! Awkward little moment of intimacy that must be so refreshing for them because there's so much heavy stuff happening but now they get to be distracted thinking about something lower-stakes.

To me, this bit is an interesting parallel to the Cabin Fever falling scene. He tends to be pretty perceptive about Uzi's worries. He's a good listener. Uzi fears abandonment, he fires back with a promise to stay with her.

But here, the thing Uzi fears is that things are being kept from her. That these two are keeping secrets from her. But instead of assuring her that they'll talk later, like they said they would, he instead chooses to use this moment to put his foot down with 'Tessa'. He just lost V maybe, and he's not willing to lose Uzi too, so he's decided she must be wrong about this being the only solution to the problem.

Up until that very moment, she didn't realize hurting her was on the table. It comes out of nowhere, freaks her out, and confirms her fear that she's not being told something. So she runs.

And the guilt he feels for scaring her off is heartbreaking. Half this episode is limb-chopping, genuinely, so the fact that he chooses this bone-saw to cut himself free instead of the litany of other things he has that he knows are quicker can't be a coincidence. He's punishing himself. And, additionally, probably reminding himself of V, hiding things because he worries the truth will hurt. Which makes the V hologram showing up moments later thematically very appropriate.

Can't add anymore pictures to this so maybe I'll make a part three later lol

#Murder Drones #Nuzi #biscuitbites #md N #md Uzi #Uzi Doorman #These aren't as vital to my point last time but I still think about them

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winterspellsfrozenkit · 3 months

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Floyd and Rook's nicknames

So I was thinking about why our character in Twisted Wonderland has the nicknames of "Shrimp/Koebi-chan" and "Trickster" and I haven't seen anyone point out the obvious reason: It's because we're tied to Mickey.

Floyd's is pretty clear. Mickey's small stature is often pointed out by whoever is his rival, like Mortimer Mouse or Pete, and "Shrimp" is a nickname used for someone small. However, Rook's is a nod to Mickey from the late 20s-early 30s.

If you haven't done deep dive into the beginnings of Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons, Mickey was more of a trickster character when he was first animated. He was cited in the early 1930s by writers of the time as "scandalous" and an "imp". He was about getting ahead in life and finding the fastest way that served him what he wanted. An example, in one of his cartoons from 1928, "Plane Crazy", Mickey flat out yanks a turkey's tail off just so he has a tail fin for his plane. No asking, no speaking, just sees the tail and TAKES it, ignoring the pain and embarrassment the turkey goes through because of his actions. Later in the same cartoon, while flying his plane, he asks Minnie for a kiss, she says no, so he pulls a series of scary plane maneuvers to try and get her to kiss him when he asks a second time. She says no AGAIN and he forcibly kisses her. Don't worry, he does get comeuppance for this, but comparing the image of Mickey we have now to his old self; there's a lot of cognitive dissonance.

Honestly, Mickey in his original conception before they started to change his character would fit more with the student body of Night Raven College rather than the student body of Royal Sword Academy. Late 1920s Mickey is selfish, mischievous, a bit of a jerk, and all about his wants first. It wasn't till a few short years later they started shifting his character to be more like Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character and lessening Mickey's more jerk behavior. Then, as time went on, he went from being like Chaplin's character to become more of an everyman archetype which is one of the roles we play as in game.

Considering that basis of the nicknames, I wonder if that's part of why we were picked up by the Carriage, but the Dark Mirror can't classify us. The cartoon that Twisted Wonderland (and Epic Mickey as well) references is "Thru the Mirror" which aired in 1936, which is a couple years into that start of his becoming more like a "Little Tramp" based character of being childlike and bumbling, but good hearted at the core. In short, we're tied to Mickey who, at the time of "Thru the Mirror" was in character shift, going from a character who would definitely fit in at NRC, to a more good-hearted character who may mess up, but doesn't really act like a villain at all.

Now this isn't to say we are Mickey, obviously Mickey is in the game and Yana Toboso has made it perfectly clear that all Yuus are valid as 'Yuu' is supposed to be whoever the player wants them to be. I mean, personally speaking, my character is NEVER going to change from what I set her up to be (WHICH IS DEFINITELY NOT MICKEY). I want to keep her the way she is and I have no reasons to change her (I plan to post about her in depth one of these days when I finally have time to get the art for her done and where I'm happy enough with it). I just find it interesting that our nicknames seem to be nods to our connection to Mickey Mouse.

#disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #twst rook #rook hunt #floyd leech #twst floyd #nicknames #mickey mouse #old disney cartoons

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asherisawkward · 8 months

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Isn't it likely that Caleb got people killed too? Philip killed more, yes, but if he did, doesn't that make Caleb a murderer as well?

Does the fandom not bring this up because the show never showed him doing that?

Also, isn't Caleb leaving Philip forever with Evelyn and never returning just a really popular fan theory (something that people made up to paint Philip in a certain light)?

I know there's the one portrait that shows him taking off with her all excited, but the writers never bothered putting that in 'Hollow Mind" even though they could have (so it's technically not canon) + things are sometimes not always what they seem.

For all we know, Caleb could have decided to come back with Evelyn a day or two after leaving to get Philip (maybe they didn't come back right away because they didn't have Titan's blood to make a new portal), only to find that he was gone (he was already in the Isles) and maybe Caleb thought he was dead, which is why when he does find him in the Demon Realm he hugs him.

Caleb could have also been leaving with Evelyn because she wanted to show him something and promised that she would bring him back afterwards and Philip just so happen to see Caleb leaving and took it as him being kidnapped or leaving forever.

Another thing is Caleb looks like he didn't see Philip as he was running away with Evelyn (I know he doesn't have a character but it feels ooc for Caleb to see his little brother and smile leaving him).

I believe that Caleb has killed people due to his enthusiastic participation in witch-hunting with Philip in their youth. He’s also been seen to have looked up to the members of town that did the witch-hunting before the brothers were old enough to take part. Masha additionally said that they both became witch hunters, suggesting that it was their profession as opposed to Caleb’s popularly assumed job as a carpenter. I think the reason that it is overlooked by most of the fandom is that Caleb eventually becomes disillusioned with Gravesfield’s witch-hunting behaviors and gets out of the environment.

Here’s the thing about your comments on the permanence of Caleb’s leaving: Evelyn had to know how and where to get Titan’s Blood in the first place for her to be able to travel between worlds to visit Caleb in Gravesfield, and Eclipse Lake was a popular mine and lake that were known to have Titan’s Blood. It makes no sense that Evelyn and, by extension, Caleb wouldn’t know where to get more if they ran out. After all, Evelyn had been using it to travel for ages, and Caleb probably got told whenever he visited with her.

That logic would indicate that there was a way for them to get back. The question becomes, then, why didn’t Caleb come back? There were clear years between when Caleb left and when Philip arrived at the Boiling Isles (indicated by a change in hair length and some proportions), so why didn’t Caleb ever come back? The fact that Masha is completely unaware of the fate of the brothers Wittebane shows that he never returned to Gravesfield while Philip was gone. Caleb never came back after that night.

Finally, from what we see of the reunion between Philip and Caleb, he doesn’t seem like he had been worried or apologetic for his brother’s years of isolation and terror. He doesn’t behave like someone who spent years being unwillingly separated from his brother or worried sick about him. He looks healthy, happy, and safe. He’s thriving, and he doesn’t even seem to acknowledge the years since the brothers saw each other beyond a “Long time, no see” style greeting.

All of this just indicates that Caleb was not the amazing person that a lot of people think he was, but you are welcome to your opinion on the matter!

#The Owl House #TOH #Philip Wittebane #Emperor Belos #Caleb Wittebane #Evelyn Clawthorne #BelosFansTakeover #Wittebros #Ask

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dragondemoness · 1 year

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Hmmm, how about the Phantom thief girls being yanderes? I think that those would be some fun headcanons to do

Oooo~ You already know I'm all over this >:3

Warnings: Yandere behaviors (you know the drill by now) manipulation, mentions of kidnapping, mentions of killing, unhealthy relationships, spoilers for Persona 5 Royal

Characters: Ann Takamaki, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura, Haru Okumura, Sumire Yoshizawa

Fandom: Persona 5/Royal

Phantom Thief Girls as Yanderes Headcanons

Ann Takamaki

Okay, so this wouldn't happen unless she already knew you

This isn't a "love at first sight" kinda deal

It all started with you checking in on her after Kamoshida was bothering her

It was such a shock to her

When everyone else saw her with him, they gave her dirty looks, not knowing what the situation was

But you were the first to actually care about her and make sure she was alright

She told you was fine and tried to brush it off, but she couldn't help but watch you as you left

After that, she just couldn't stop thinking about you

And once you spent even more time with her, especially after the Shiho incident, her fascination blossomed into love

And that love grew into an obsession

You were the very first person to care about her, and she's not letting that go

After that, she makes an effort to spend every second with you

Even if you have separate classes, she holds your arm and walks with you to your class, then waits right outside until you're done

It was a sudden change

She also gets jealous easily, and gives whoever you're talking to a dirty look

Before and after you start dating

It definitely started a few arguments, and even though you're in the right, Ann will guilt-trip you into taking her side

And she will use her bad experiences as a weapon against you

It always ends with you apologizing and Ann hugging you, innocently asking you not to abuse her trust again

She would never hurt you, nor would she make her obsession clear

And if things go well, she won't kidnap you

But she will slowly cut off your friends and family and make herself your only source of happiness

Makoto Niijima

She was supposed to be keeping tabs on the Phantom Thieves, but something, or someone, was distracting her

And that someone was you

She already guessed that your friends were the Phantom Thieves, but she didn't think you would be a part of them

She almost doesn't even want to investigate them anymore

But once all is said and done, she decides that you're the only one

whose opinion matters to her

And that's where her obsession began

She's fairly good at keeping it hidden, but you'll often catch her staring at you from afar

Once you catch her, she immediately looks away with a blush, only to do it again once you look away

Whenever she's not busy, she also follows you around, pretending to read a book or a magazine

The reason she does this is because she's too afraid to approach you, yet she can't get enough of you

She's ashamed of what she's feeling, but she also wants to give in

She does sneak pictures of you for her to admire when she's alone

She is very protective of you, as well

If you have any issues with bullies or creepy people, she'll take care of them real fast

The only time she actually approaches you is when she calmly, but firmly tells the one bothering you to piss off

If she has to, she'll use her Fists of Justice and pound them into the ground

Afterwards, she'll ask if you're alright, fretting over you like a worried mother

If it happens in school, she's getting them expelled immediately

She also likes to leave gifts in your locker. Just little things she knew you liked from watching you

In the end, Makoto a pretty harmless yandere

She'll never find the courage to ask you out, settling for just watching you from afar

But if you were to make the first move and ask her out, things would be different

Futaba Sakura

After her Palace was destroyed, she was pretty awkward around the Phantom Thieves

But something about you made her feel comfortable, even though you hadn't started talking yet

When you did, however, she felt even more relaxed around you

Because you were the first to get her to open up, you were the only one she wanted to see

And naturally, that dependence turned into an obsession

She's pretty tame about it, though

She's more clingy than anything

She wants to spend every minute of every day with you, and she latches onto you and falls asleep to keep you from leaving

If you're ever busy with something, she gets really pouty about it, but there's not much she can do to stop you

But if you're ever away for over a day, she starts to panic

She may also guilt trip you sometimes, but only because she wants you to stay with her

She also has a tracking device installed on your phone, and she watches you when you're not there

Especially when you're sleeping, since she has a shit sleep schedule and can't sleep without you anyway

In the end, she's pretty harmless, very clingy, and just a hint of manipulative

You're her key item, and she wants you all to herself

Haru Okumura

Oh ho ho

You are SCREWED

The second she lays eyes on you, she already starts planning your future together

She stares at you with a lovesick smile every time she sees you, already thinking about the wedding

That's it, she's decided

You will be hers and hers only

Once she comes to that conclusion, she wastes no time in kidnapping you

You woke up in a dark basement, with your hands locked in handcuffs

Haru was looking at you with a sweet smile, though it appeared hollow thanks to the lifelessness in her eyes

Those eyes betrayed her as she asked if you were alright

She couldn't understand why you were resisting so much

She only did this for you, after all!

For the both of you!

Friends? Family? What's that?

She's your family now, and that's all you need

It pains her to do this, but it looks like she'll have to lock you away for a little while

And of course, thanks to her position, she completely avoids suspicion

No one ever saw the two of you together, and to everyone else, she was just a sweet girl who took over her father's company

So your chances of escape are like, -2

Plus, she's got bodyguards, maids, servants, an insanely expensive security system

Yeah, you're not getting out of this one

It would be best to submit to her

I mean, how bad could it be?

She would shower you with all the love and affection in the world, spoil you with money and gifts, all at the low price of not being allowed to go anywhere beyond her garden

See, that's not so bad

Although, if you continue to resist afterwards, she's not above using... physical force

Sumire Yoshizawa

Probably the most harmless yandere to get stuck with

This would only happen if you already knew her

Like, back when you two were kids

You, Sumire and Kasumi were a tight knit trio, until you both lost Kasumi

You comforted Sumire as best as you could, and you were confused and slightly disturbed when she suddenly started posing as Kasumi, but you went along with it

Sumire doesn't really come to terms with her feelings for you until after the truth is revealed, although she did feel a slight spark when she was posing as Kasumi

After that, her love began to develop

You were the only one who stuck by her side, even when she lived a lie as Kasumi

She didn't want to lose you like she lost her sister, especially not because of her

That's pretty much the base of her obsession

She may be obsessive, but she's not sadistic

She mostly just spends as much time with you as possible, and although she gets disappointed when you leave her to hang out with someone else, she allows you to do so

But sometimes, you'll go to sleep and wake up with her clinging onto you

It's confusing, but you just write this off as her trying to cope with the loss of her sister, so once again, you go along with it

That's the real issue here; she can make it so her strange behavior seems normal to you, and you always end up going along with it

Or she just begs you not to leave her while clutching onto you

She may even subtly use her grief for Kasumi as a weapon against you

I guess you could call it manipulation, but what else can she do?

Anyway, she won't try to cut off your friends and family, but she does make herself your top priority

She won't kidnap you either, and she definitely won't put her hands on you, no matter what

She's not the type to make a shrine with your pictures, but she does spend some time staring at them with a loving smile before going to sleep every night

In the end, she barely even counts as a yandere

Although she has some questionable traits, she's mostly just very clingy and very fearful

Like we said before, she doesn't want to lose you like she lost her sister, especially not because of her

So she will never make her obsession clear to you, even though it's really not that bad

#persona 5 #persona 5 x reader #persona 5 royal x reader #ann takamaki x reader #makoto niijima x reader #futaba sakura x reader #haru okumura x reader #sumire yoshizawa x reader #dragon being a sociopath again

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thestrangestthing89 · 1 year

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Mike character analysis - Season 2

This is a continuation of my in-depth Mike character analysis. The first season can be found here, here, and here. I am basing this off the theory that Mike started realizing his feelings for Will were different than Lucas and Dustin by the end of season 1. By season 2 I think Mike realizes that he's gay and in love with Will. His behavior honestly makes no sense to me otherwise. This is in 5 Parts.

When season 2 picks up, it has been almost a full year since the end of season 1. We learn 2 key points right away - that Will has been having flashbacks to the upside-down since he got back and goes to the doctor regularly. This seems to frequently interrupt his school days and causes Mike in particular to worry. And the second point is that Mike has undergone some serious behavioral changes. This is understandable considering the trauma the group went through in season 1, but it's important to note here that the trauma isn't over. They are still going through it. And it's because of my first point - Will is back but still not ok. There is no resolution or time to grieve and it's one of the main reasons for the change in Mike.

Mike is getting in trouble at school a lot, his grades aren't good, and he has an attitude problem. A thing his parents are losing their patience with. His punishment is to get rid of his toys and when he suggests they have too much emotional value, he gets mocked by Ted who says they are just toys. Mike not only has to get over his feelings about what happened but he isn't allowed to be attached to things. Something that stands in stark contrast to Karen's behavior toward an 18 year old Nancy in season 4, when she tells her she can keep her stuffed animals. Nancy is allowed to be emotionally attached. Mike isn't. He is being sent a clear message. His emotions are an inconvenience to others. And the reason for this brings me to my next point.

Mike is shown to talk to El on the radio regularly. He's counting days and seems to just be talking about random things i.e. telling her about his day. Now he doesn't know that she's listening. As much as he says he believes she's alive there is no proof he actually believes this. He does absolutely nothing to go look for her. And he has no reason to. He saw her "die". There is no indication that this isn't true. And the most important note that I think I will make in this whole analysis is this - This behavior isn't cute or romantic. It's grief. And we know this for A FACT because we have seen this exact same scene before - with Hopper in season 1. Hopper calls his ex-wife repeatedly. He is often shown popping pills and drinking excessively. He isn't coping with the death of his daughter well. It lead to his divorce. His ex-wife moved on, re-married and had another kid. And Hopper is stuck by himself with his grief. So he calls her sometimes. Just to check in and he tries to reminisce. It's his way of holding on to his daughter and their life together. And no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, interprets Hoppers behavior as cute and romantic. He is clearly struggling and depressed. And the fact that he's an adult here combined with the fact that we know he has substance abuse issues is enough to help the audience realize that Hopper isn't ok. He's not trying to get back together with his ex-wife. He's trying to keep the connection to his daughter alive. EVERYONE WATCHING UNDERSTANDS THIS.

So then WHY is it that when we see this same scene play out with Mike, it's suddenly just adorable. Because of the only thing that is different - Mike is a little boy. Between his parents and the GA, Mikes feelings are once again oversimplified and dismissed. He's a little boy of course he must be in love with El because why else would he call her? He's a teen of course he has an attitude. This way of thinking is seriously problematic and it's a large part of the reason why Mike isn't coping well - because no one notices or understands his pain, and certainly no one is helping him go through it. It is emphasized by the Wheeler parents that Mike needs to just get over his attitude. They've been patient long enough. And while he's at it, he needs to get rid of his toys - parts of his childhood - because it's time to grow up now (the phrase "man up" is heavily implied in these conversations). Because the Wheeler parents have this attitude, the GA does too. We've seen this EXACT THING before, too. Lucas and Dustin suggest in season 1 that Mike has feelings for El, so he must even though there is no indication from his behavior that he does. Mike has a bad attitude, well his parents say it's time to get over it so he must. He calls El all the time - must be because he's in love with her. Couldn't be grief. Doesn't matter that we saw Hopper do it, doesn't matter that we know this is normal behavior for grieving people. People often talk to or write letters to the dead. It can be a coping mechanism, but it can also be unhealthy if the person can't let that go and this is exactly what we see Mike doing.

It's a way to over-simplify Mike's feeling and it's entirely because it makes people uncomfortable. So if the GA (and his parents) don't want to see his grief, it's easy to dismiss it as just a little teen angst. It's easy to dismiss it as him having a crush on El - because why else would he be talking to a girl. I know I say this a lot but it's because it's important. People can't understand why anyone talks to someone of the opposite sex if it's not because of romantic interest and it carries over into their interpretations of Mike and El's relationship. They can't understand why he would be talking to her and the reason he does is this - he feels guilty that she "died" helping him find his friend. This is less palatable than a simple crush. Grief is complex and ugly so we need to hide it away.

It's so much easier to dismiss his feelings as the most simplistic answer, but this not only is the reason why Mike is struggling to process his emotions, it's extremely insulting because it implies that he doesn't have any complex feelings to think about. And people dismiss it because he's a boy. They don't dismiss Hopper - he's an adult and is entitled to his grief. They don't dismiss Nancy's attachment to her stuffed animals - it's cute that she wants to keep them. It's Mike specifically who isn't allowed his feelings. Which is why I will never accept or respect the point of view that Mike loves El because he called her a lot. Because Mike's well-being and what he wants and needs isn't being taken into consideration at all. This is a theme that continues through the rest of the series with every character and the audience - except for Will. Part 2 here.

#byler #mike wheeler #gay mike wheeler #will byers #mike x will

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acourtofthought · 1 year

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Forgive me, I'm back to rant about a few things I just dont get how elriels miss, in terms of big picture. And even subtle contrast between elains behavior around Az and Lucien in terms of character reveals and behaviors telling of endgame couples. NOT the in between, I mean the "you need to read between the lines" context to get it and see the bigger picture vs taking things for face value and not critically thinking.

For example, ACOWAR, when Azriel helps Feyre rescue Elain, which Elriels romantize like their ship depended on it, a few things.

Azriel didn't volunteer to save her first. It was only after Cassian offered that he spoke up. Cassian was hurt. We as readers by now should know Azriel has a hero complex, so really not surprising he put his life on the line for Cassian and Feyre, and yes, even Elain, she is who they are saving after all, but Azriel stepped up for more reasons than just Elain.

When they find Elain. It is NOT specificed whether Elain is speaking to Feyre or Azriel, when she says you came for me, could it have been both, sure? Could this moment have been when Elain saw Azriel in a different light, maybe. I see the appeal, a handsome male carried you back to safety, but its just almost too perfect. SJM, to date has never written an endgame couple in which the LI is the one saving the heroine.. They stand back, let their heroine shine. Rhys, Cassian. Rowan, Chaol, Dorian, Hunt, all stood by and watched their mates/endgame save themselves and others. This is why I firmly believe it wasn't Lucien who saved her. SJM made a very conscious decision, because if Lucien is Elains endgame, he isn't going to treat her like a damsel in distress. He can't be the one "saving her" when he's going to be the one building her up. She even has gone as far as explaning why she doesn't always give her heroines mates a role in their final showdown (when she said she needed to give Cassian something to do when Nesta was in the rite). It's very clear that it is important to Sarah that her heroines are independent and can save themselves, they don't NEED man saving her in the literal terms. I think we will see Elain in another situation where SHE will outwit and come out triumphant in the end because of her own strength. Not because of Azriel or Lucien. So my point is, I do think it was dilebrate it wasn't Lucien, aside from the obvious, he wasn't there. He'd already taken off to the continent to find help.

But it does bring me to my next point, when Lucien returns. at the end of ACOWAR, she shows concern for Lucien. He responds that the blood isn't his. Which, for someone who is underestimated, proves he is as capable of handling himself on a battle field. But the point is, Elain doesn't search for Azriel, isn't by his side. On page, she shows no concern for him in the end and this is a book, if it didn't happen on page, it didn't happen. She gives Lucien a soft smile. He is the first to acknowledge she stabbed Hybern. This is kinda big, as it is a huge telling and such a parallel to the way SJM has her male characters see the strength and bravery in their mates before others do. Rhys saw it first UTM in Feyre. Cassian with Nesta, Hunt with Bryce, etc. Lucien doesn't fuss or worry, he is proud of her. Whereas, Azriel in ACOSF, still doesn't believe in Elain enough to go after the trove, elriels claim it's because he cares, sure maybe he does, but again that's not how SJM writes her couples. That in itself is telling. Imagine Rhys, Cassian, Hunt, Lorcan, Chaol, all telling their significant others they can't do x,y,z and see how that goes down. Actually, we can, we have enough textual evidence it doesn't go down well. Azriel holding Elain back, behind her back, even after he saw what she was capable off in ACOWAR, is not a good sign. But, in a turn of events, who is Azriel supportive off ? Gwyn. Elriels love to say it's because he doesn't care but, given SJMs parallels, they are in for a rude awakening.

Lastly, sunshine. I can't believe how obvious this is. Anytime Sarah reveals something that is close and important to a character that ties another is telling. Example, Elide and Lorcan both were guided by gods who are lovers, Rhys and Feyre both look up to the stars and dreamt before knowing one another. The way Azriels shadows behave around Gwyn, which is unquestionably unique only to HER, per canon, no matter how much elriels deny it......:. Elain telling the readers she needs sunshine, and Lucien who is literally the sun personified is significant. I mean, yes, we know they are mates, what more proof do we need? They may not be together right now, but SJM has given us enough buildup for their story.

I went back over the scene to see how it all played out and I do get why E/riels make a fuss over it.

"She shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. “You came for me.” The shadowsinger only inclined his head.

"devouring the sight of him" is a pretty intense way of phrasing it.

And taken as a single line, of course it looks like something.

But this is what happened before and after:

When you look at everything together, how romantic is it?

Cassian was the first one to speak up about saving Elain.

Az sat there observing Nesta's distress and her telling Cassian he can't go in injured so after "some unspoken debate" with himself he speaks up.

Nesta tells him he'll die but Az is cocky as hell and has a hero complex so of course he thinks he'll be fine. It's not that he's willing to die for Elain, it's that he doesn't think there's a chance of that happening (there is canon evidence of Az wanting to run head first into dangerous situations even when Feyre and Rhys tell him not to).

Feyre says with his shadows he might stand a chance, probably the exact same thing Az has convinced himself of.

Elain's eyes went wide over both Az and Feyre entering the tent because Feyre looked like Ianthe.

Then Feyre, after changing her appearance back tried to free Elain from the chains first using her powers from Helion.

Az only scooped up Elain because he said they didn't have time to wait for Feyre to figure it out.

Then they land and Az is barely able to stand but only Rhys is worried about his injuries. Elain gives the guy who's about to pass out a "thank you" kiss on the cheek then goes to her sister where she shows real emotion when she throws her arms around her.

Elucien's and E/riels can go back and forth all day on how they interpret these scenes. To me it seems clear that whatever hint of romance there was is always followed by something that shows why nothing between E/riel was ever going to be lasting.

But even without the back and forth debates, and leaving out how compatible Elain and Lucien are written to be, the one thing that trumps it all is that Lucien was the one who met Elain's father and spent time getting to know him. Lucien is the one who was with Elain after the sisters said goodbye to their father, Lucien is the one who offered his condolences.

Lucien will always be the one who holds this connection to Elain, with the first man she ever loved. It cannot be denied that what Elain shared with him was special and I think it was extremely intentional that SJM wrote it so her Mate developed a relationship with him before his death.

There is such poetry in that and all those shallow "cute" moments between E and A will never compare.

And as far as Gwynriel and his shadows are concerned, it's ridiculous to think there's not pretty major hints for them ending up together when we have the following in the bonus chapter:

Az's shadows will always be a part of him.

Az's shadows disappear around Elain.

Az's shadows are playful with Gwyn and she's the only character to treat them independent of Az.

#elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #pro lucien vanserra #gwynriel

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sebbyisland · 3 months

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13 year old girl who is familiar with common light novel tropes gets transmigrated into Mob Psycho 100 as a mob character in Salt Lake Middle School (she knows they are fictional bc she vaguely remembers her friend in her past life mentioning the story before she died). She correctly deduces Mob is the main male character, but ONLY because he has black hair and red eyes just like the male lead in a romance light novels, and he’s (secretly) a super powerful guy who leads a underground society (cult, we don't worry about details), which is the perfect set up for a “nobody” male lead who gets a glow up once he embraces his immense power. Tsubomi is de facto popular girl female lead, which she concludes early on. With the obsessive one-track-mind and enthusiasm of a teenage nerd, she decides to bet that completing the mob x tsubomi arc was the reason she was brought into this novel. This is the premise of “I Swear My OTP is Canon!”

Since Mob is clearly already head-over-heels for Tsubomi, she (who will now be referred to as MC) decides to get to know Tsubomi better so she can accelerate her inevitably falling for Mob. MC's schemes are very innocent and mostly comes off as her REALLY wanting to get to know Tsubomi. MC also has no tact and asks direct question likes "Tsubomi-chan, what does your ideal romance look like?" This whole time Taubomi thinks she’s flirting. Tsubomi is so flustered by someone who doesn’t seem put off by her more anti-social characteristics, meanwhile the reincarnated girl just wants enough info to fill out her ship dynamic profile sheet.

Eventually other people start getting jealous of her relationship to Tsubomi and spread rumors that she's taking advantage of their friendship so SHE can date Mob (this is a double layered smear campaign meant to insult her for trying to be close to Tsubomi and make fun of her for liking Mob). Mob and Emiko help stop the rumors and this is how he and the reincarnated girl become actual friends. Tsubomi never believed the rumors, but watching Mob and MC get along so well leaves a foreign pain in her heart. Tsubomi doesn’t usually fight nor spread rumors in general, so she stuck with ignoring what was happening, but she feels weirdly upset that MC didn’t expect her to defend their relationshp and wonders if their friendship wasn’t important to her, if all that flirting didn’t mean anything to her after all. She would seriously rely on Mob instead of her? Tsubomi is experiencing jealousy for the first time in her life. MC assumes she's mad about the rumors, and Tsubomi doesn't correct her so she doesn't have to confront her feelings.

Meanwhile, MC didn’t expect Tsubomi to help because she still sees Taubomi as the untouchable Popular Female Lead and she’s just a Mob character so why would Tsubomi be involved with her? Tsubomi, listening to MC explain herself, doesn’t know what she means by “female lead” but she DOES know MC is putting her on a pedestal (just like everyone else). But why does she care enough to even talk about this with MC? Tsubomi isn't sure. During their confrontation, MC realizes her behavior has genuinely affected Tsubomi, but is too clueless to initially understand why. Cue Yuri misunderstandings arc.

Mob helps clear MC's mind in an exorcism adventure arc. MC comes out of the experience understanding that Mob isn’t hiding his powers or secretly gathering members for a cult, but rather choosing not to rely on his powers all the time because he doesn’t view them as particularly more special than anything else. He's not special. He's not the main character of the universe. This is the first BIG crack in MC’s logic.

However, before MC can fully process what any of this means, Tsubomi announces she is moving away!!! In the climax of Confession arc she pleads with Tsubomi to take cover instead of waiting for Mob, but Tsubomi tells her that regardless of what Mob has to say she realizes she wants to try making more genuine connections with people, and the reason Tsubomi knows she wants this is because of her relationship with MC. Mob has always been a genuine person to her. She wants to hear Mob out, noticing he was so stressed to talk to her, because she knows how nice it is to feel heard from her friendship with the girl in front of her. Even if MC had other intentions, Tsubomi recognizes that she genuinely enjoyed her time with MC. Before MC, Tsubomi was already with moving forward and being detached from the people around her, but now MC has inspired her to take more direct action in maintaining relationships, She's already decided. She's going to hear Mob out.

When Mob approaches, MC is standing speechless. She gives them some distance for "privacy," and she can hardly believe it. Here she is, about to be a prime witness of the CONFESSION scene, and she can’t even fangirl about this critical OTP moment or watch from a distance because she’s too busy thinking about Tsubomi! She can’t believe she was so wrong about both of them. She watches Tsubomi swiftly reject Mob's confession, and then immediately ask to trade numbers with him as if this doesn't give incredibly mixed signals, but Mob, as nervous as he looks, seems to take it all in stride. Maybe no one can really be put in a box, not even these literal fictional characters.

MC is unaware Tsubomi makes a small glance her way while rejecting Mob. As Mob walks back, his eyes finally meet with MC. He walks over to her and hands the last remaining flower in his hands to MC girl with a soft smile. For some reason, feeling like she's about to cry, MC gently takes the flower in her hand. She wants to do this for him, to help him let go of his expectations and grief, but it also feels like she's trying to let go of something, too. When Mob is out of earshot, Tsubomi tells MC that the flower suits her more than her, anyways. She can do whatever she wants with it. Wordlessly, the girl slides the flower behind Tsubomi's ear. The End.

#if someone who actually knows how to write gets inspired by this PLEASE tell me i WILL draw fanart for you #mob psycho 100 #mp100 #tsubomi takane #kageyama shigeo #tsubomi x OC #transmigration #i will simply GIVE tsubomi a girlfriend #sorry if this doesn't make sense. i just care so much about this hypothetical scenario it's unreal #seb out

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lokigodofaces · 2 years

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I was thinking about this earlier today, and at first it started out as a criticism of Thor: Ragnarok, but I honestly can't call it that anymore. This is about film in general. Ragnarok does have this issue, but this is so much bigger than it. But I have some issues with how alcohol is portrayed in movies and TV.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be alcohol in media. Alcoholic beverages are common in lots of cultures. But, I don't know, it feels like sometimes that media handles alcohol in poor ways.

The example I had that got me on this line of thought is Valkyrie's alcoholism in Ragnarok. It's treated as a joke. Heck, there's a part where Thor misunderstands her and thinks she's trying to stop and when he voices his support and concern over her drinking habits, it's quickly turned into a joke. Because of course Valkyrie isn't going to stop drinking, her alcoholism is too funny! And I was going to post about that and how concerning this is and that so many people found it funny when I realized that this isn't a Ragnarok issue, this isn't a Taika issue. This is an issue in American media (and possibly in other cultures, though I don't know enough to say anything on that matter) that bleeds into all sorts of stories.

So often I see stuff where a character has unhealthy drinking habits and the narrative never really suggests it's a bad thing. Honestly, Arrow is the only things that come to mind that don't make jokes out of alcoholism constantly (didn't finish it, but at least two characters struggle with alcoholism, one of them multiple times, a minor struggles with drugs and alcohol, and pre-island Oliver was an irresponsible partier that routinely got drunk and rowdy which was looked down upon by the narrative). Iron Man 2 wasn't bad (but I haven't seen it in ages, might be wrong. They at least made it pretty clear that Tony's alcoholism and erratic behavior weren't healthy). Oh, Umbrella Academy! I've seen like 4 episodes but I like how they've handled everything with Klaus and drugs and alcohol so far! Same with Five! I don't know if it was intentional with M*A*S*H, but I always felt like all the crazy stuff Hawkeye and Trapper and then BJ do is a way to cope with all that's happening, so I always interpreted the large amount of alcohol consumption as them trying to cope in a way that isn't that great (taste of home, numbs the pain for a while, but not great consequences). So I don't mind it because with the crap they've seen, it doesn't feel surprising that they'd drink. And as the show goes on alcohol does start to be less important (and those are better seasons for other reasons as well).

So that is three things where I liked how alcoholism was handled. Outside of that, it always feels like alcoholism is turned into a joke or not seen as a problem. Or even as a natural And maybe this is just me, maybe I'm interpreting things wrong, I don't know. But I'm tired of this.

Alcoholism is a problem. A study found an extremely large amount of people died of alcohol-related issues in 2020 in America. More than people died of covid. From 2018 to 2019, this number increased by 2%. From 2019 to 2020, 25%. Desperate coping mechanism because of covid. Doctors are worried that habits formed during the pandemic will continue in people's lives and cause all sorts of problems later. Do you see how big of a problem this is? And it looks like it'll only get worse. What doesn't help? Movies treating alcoholism as cool or funny.

#thor: ragnarok critical #valkyrie #yeah this might just be me sorry #heres an article that links to other sources on the stats #https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/19/alcohol-related-deaths-surged-covid-pandemic/#i just chose the first one i saw i saw something like this a week ago but cant remember where

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kazewhara · 3 years

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hi! I absolutely loved the writing prompts your wrote for the genshin boys when they make you unintentionally jealous and was wondering if you could write one for kazuha and maybe possibly itto? (but I do know that itto isn’t in your “characters I write” list and he is a fairly new character so it’s completely fine if it’s just kazuha!)

jealousy, jealousy. (4)

# — pairing: kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, kazuha, kokomi, gorou, aether

# — summary: "if it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." – chuck palahniuk

# — warnings: talks of war, self-deprecating thoughts

# — tags: hc/drabble format, canon divergent, jealousy, brief arguments, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, communication, self-deprecating thoughts/low self-esteem, i swear i love kokomi okay i swear to god, aether is the reader's best friend

# — notes: we're finally back to our standard format! sorry for being so messy lately, but i finally feel good enough to crank out reqs in the regular method, even if it's a bit slowly! and i'm sorry to the people on my tag list, i just didn't want to spam you guys with those super short writings; i do enough talking as is. anyways, as always, reblogs and reactions are appreciated, and i hope you enjoy!

wanna join the tag list?

✧ — 🍁 — ✧

kazuha is very involved in the war against the shogun's forces

he's not the vengeful type, but his determination to end the vision hunt decree is evidently stronger than most

it makes sense why, but when kazuha gets passionate about something, he tends to develop a dangerous one-track-mind

he doesn't come to you whenever this happens -- it's usually up to you to seek him out and help him take a step back to clear his head

but what are you supposed to do when he goes to others instead?

it started a few weeks ago when kazuha asked to have a word alone with kokomi.

he'd been tense for the entire day for reasons beyond you, and whenever you tried to pick his brain about it, he would give you a forced smile and a light kiss to your forehead. after that, every time you approached him in hopes of easing his worries, he would cut conversations short and dodge your questions, his face becoming shadowed with something you couldn't place.

eventually, you saw kazuha making his way to kokomi's war room on your way back from gorou's office. you didn't think anything of it at first since there was really no reason to, but as you passed by on your way out of the building, you could hear a part of their conversation.

"and why didn't you tell your partner this, kazuha?" kokomi said, her voice softened with sympathy. "they would be able to help you far better than i can."

kazuha was silent for a few seconds. "there are some things i don't think they would understand if i told them."

you hated eavesdropping, so you didn't stick around to listen further. but his words have been on your mind ever since then.

in the weeks that followed, you had to convince yourself that kazuha wasn't acting strange. his smile stopped reaching his eyes fully, and he started to take more time to himself -- at least, it seemed that way. that kind of behavior isn't out of character for kazuha; he's a solitary man who values his well-being. he's far from selfish, but he's also far from sacrificial. you told yourself during those weeks that he was just being his usual self -- this is just kazuha being kazuha. maybe you're just on edge because of the passing conversation you'd heard.

then, he started avoiding you.

again, you tried to reassure yourself that he was just overwhelmed by the talks of war. no matter how formidable someone may be, they're not immune to the mental strain that war can put on them. kazuha is far more sensitive than he lets on; of course he'd be affected by this. you told yourself that it was perfectly normal for him to miss your calls of his name or look past you at times.

it comes to a head when aether approaches you.

your best friend scooches next to you as you go over some of the plans for the next excursion kokomi has planned and nudges your shoulder with his own. "how're you feeling?" he asks. you don't answer him right away, so he pushes his head between you and the papers, forcing his blonde hair in your face. "ooh, these look important."

"aether!" you splutter and laugh, pushing him away. he gives you a cheeky grin. "do you do this to everyone?"

"nope, just you." he answers, bumping shoulders with you again.

you consider yourself to be one of the luckiest people on teyvat to have formed a such a tight bond with the famed traveler. you two are thick as thieves and future travel partners; aether refused to leave you behind once the mess in inazuma is taken care of. you agreed without hesitation and so did kazuha, who refused to be without you, which grew your party from three to four.

you sigh and set aside your paperwork. "alright, well, you have my attention. what do you want?"

the traveler wrinkles his nose at you. "rude. paimon is with the other soldiers having lunch, so i decided to come and check up on you."

"lunch again? isn't this her fourth lunch of the day?"

"i thought we agreed to never question her eating habits."

"fair enough." you chuckle. "i'm alright, though. i'll eat later, if that's what you're gonna ask.

aether squints. "and how many times have you said that today?" you start to count on your fingers and your best friend scoffs and jumps to his feet, tugging you along with him. "i can't believe you. i'm making you some food right now."

"but the plans--"

"they can wait," aether's tone is sharp, but it's laced with fondness. "we're going on a lunch date right now. i haven't spoken to you in a while, anyways."

he's right; it's been a few days since you've spoken to anybody, really. you haven't even so much as seen kazuha during that time. the very thought makes you press your lips together. aether doesn't say another word as he takes you over to a fire pit with cooking materials nearby and gets straight to work. you were looking forward to spending time with him at first, but now that you've realized that it's been literal days since you've seen kazuha, you feel a pit growing in your stomach as you sit nearby.

did you do something wrong? if there's ever a problem, he's usually the first to notice and address it. you two have been together so long because you're so quick to resolve issues before they become too serious. you frown at the fire that aether started. sure, you two are good at solving problems, but how would you even have a problem with him when you haven't spoken to each other properly in weeks? the more you think about it, the less sense it makes.

"hey, are you listening?" aether's voice suddenly filters in and you blink up at him. golden eyes soften with concern. "are you okay? you're thinking pretty hard."

you nod stiffly, unsure if you're lying or not. "yeah, i just... there's a lot going on. or... not going on, i guess?"

your best friend hums and returns to his rummaging through the crates of food. "tell me what's up," he says over his shoulder. you hesitate for a second but end up telling him about everything; about what you heard, about kazuha's weird behavior, and about how you haven't seen him in a while. when you're finished, aether crosses his arms. "and you just let this go on for... what, a month?"

you grimace. it has been a month, hasn't it? "i didn't mean to. plus, we're both busy people and i don't wanna come across as clingy. he probably hates that." you clasp your hands together nervously. "have you at least seen him in the past few days? is he okay?"

"the fact that you have to ask me that is so..." aether sucks in a sharp breath and turns back to the pot with a dramatic sigh. you figure he's holding back his frustration for your sake. "i've seen him here and there," he says as he stirs something in the pot, "mostly with kokomi. they've been talking a lot lately, but i don't know why."

the pit in your stomach suddenly feels bottomless. is that what he's been up to? you start to reason with yourself immediately, but the second you do, aether puts a hand on your shoulder.

"you didn't know that, did you?" his question is spot on, so you stay quiet. the blonde frowns. "talk to me," he says, sitting beside you.

"you gonna let the food burn this time?" you try to joke with him, but it's half-hearted at best. aether doesn't so much as crack a smile, so you sigh and say the first thing that comes to mind. "i'm not good enough, am i?"

your words startle not just aether, but yourself. they feel like they came from your chest; from somewhere so deep that you almost feel relieved that you've finally let it out. you're bothered by how light you feel, but you can't stop.

"kokomi's perfect, we all know that." you continue. "i'm just... me. he tells her things that he won't tell me, his literal partner. i'm obviously lacking if he's willing to hide something from me for this long. i tried to let it go because, i mean, he could just be talking war strategy, but to ignore me..?"

a warm thumb brushes over your cheek and you blink at aether a few times, clearing your watery vision. you sniff and wipe at your eyes. "shit." you grumble. you really didn't think you were hurt enough to cry over this, but now that you've acknowledged it, the tears just keep coming.

aether gently guides your head to his shoulder. "you can cry, you know." he rubs a small circle on your back. "it's not like i'm going to judge you. but i don't want you comparing yourself to kokomi; you aren't her."

and that's the problem, isn't it?! you want to scream. if you were kokomi, maybe kazuha would talk to you, would pay attention to you. he'd probably smile at you and confide in you the way he used to. if you were kokomi, you would have his trust, because if the conversation you overheard was anything to go on, he clearly doesn't trust you enough to share what was on his mind. your throat threatens to close.

"i feel like a spoiled brat." you make another feeble attempt at lightening the mood, but aether doesn't let you. "here i am, crying to my best friend because my boyfriend doesn't pay attention to me."

"that's not the only reason why you're crying and you know it." the traveler pats you twice and stands so he can finish making the food. "if you ask me," he says from the pot, "you need to corner him and ask him why he's avoiding you. we all know that kazuha will listen to you."

would he, though? he'd been half-listening to you for weeks before he just disappeared altogether. the fact that he hasn't come to you for days must mean that he's been meaning to do this for a while, hasn't he? your lips tremble as you remember the way his eyes would crinkle whenever you spoke about something you loved. was he just... humoring you?

were you alone in this?

you close your eyes and try to get ahold of yourself. kazuha isn't one to fake something as meaningful as a relationship like the one you two have, especially not for so long. your boyfriend prioritizes honesty and is one of the most sincere people in all of teyvat. he wore his heart on his sleeve just for you, even when he admitted to you that that was hard to do. as composed as he may appear, kazuha fumbled gracefully through the early stages of your relationship, covering up his mistakes with the flowers that never seemed to stop falling from his lips. it was endearing how he went to such lengths just to hold your interest and impress you, even if it wounded his pride at times.

so no, you weren't alone in this relationship -- you've just hit a rough patch. admitting that to yourself does very little for your self-esteem, but it does pacify you for the time being.

"i guess i'll talk to him later." you murmur when aether puts some food in front of you. it's chicken tofu pudding -- something he takes immense pride in being able to cook. you stifle a laugh at the accomplished look on his face. "don't look so proud of yourself, i haven't even touched it yet. what if it tastes terrible?"

aether allows this joke to land this time and pretends to swing at you with the spoon in his hand. "i cook for you out of the kindness of my heart and you make fun of it? i'll take it back, you ungrateful beast."

"'beast'?" you gasp, offended. "just for that, i'll eat everything and leave you to starve."

he huffs a soft laugh through his nose. "so long as you eat, who cares. do you feel any better?" his smile warms when you nod. "you're lucky i love you. now eat and go talk to kazuha. but i'm warning you, the next time you cry because of him, i'll kick his ass."

"language," you mutter through a mouthful of food. the two of you bicker and chatter over your meal before he sends you off with a wave. feeling emboldened by your talk, you set off to find your partner right away.

finding kazuha is much easier than you thought it'd be. for the first time in days, you spot him sitting alone with his back against a tree, his eyes closed as he turns a leaf over in his fingers. you shuffle on your feet anxiously as you try to talk yourself into going over to him. you feel the way you did at the very beginning; too nervous to approach him in fear of upsetting or disturbing him. you dig your heels in and walk over anyways. the longer you took to talk about this, the longer it would go on, and the worse you would feel.

you're a couple steps away when kazuha opens his eyes and looks up at you. his lips curl into the same smile you remember him giving you before things took a turn. "hello, dove," he greets you. his eyes seem to sparkle. "it's been a while. i'm sorry i haven't been able to make time for you."

there's no calming the butterflies that take flight in your stomach. there's so much affection lacing his voice and so much warmth in his eyes that you almost forget why you were here in the first place. you walk a bit closer and sit so your thighs are touching. it's the most contact you've had in weeks, and you feel your skin tingling. the effect kazuha has on you is really something worth exploring.

"it's, um..." you curse yourself for being so cowardly. aether didn't make that meal for you for nothing; you have to say something. you inhale sharply. "i-it's not okay, kazuha. we need to talk."

there it is, finally out in the open. your boyfriend shifts so he can look at you properly, but you don't meet his eyes. "what's troubling you?" he asks. he reaches for your hand but you jerk back, and you can almost feel his worried frown. "dove?"

"kazuha, you... have been acting weird for like, a month." you don't waste a second. you don't want this on your conscience anymore -- you can't take it. "you haven't been yourself."

"how so?" again, he tries to reach for your hand, but you dodge his touch for your sanity.

"it's just... i know we're busy with this war but you've almost been ignoring me, and i-i don't know what i did wrong, if anything. you wouldn't even look me in the eye a few weeks ago." you chuckle mirthlessly; you're the one unable to make eye contact now. "if you needed space, i would have appreciated it if you just told me; i shouldn't have had to find out from aether that you're talking to kokomi normally and not me."

kazuha doesn't say anything. you keep going despite your steadily warming face. you think you sound hysterical.

"the fact that kokomi gets to know what's on your mind while i'm left grasping at straws is... it hurts, kazuha." your voice cracks against your will and kazuha's fingers brush yours. you don't pull away this time. "i know she's better than me but at the very least, can you let me know if there's something bothering you? i hate this; i hate feeling like i'm not enough for you. because you--"

your throat tightens. you deserve better rests on the tip of your tongue but doesn't make it out. that was the missing piece that you couldn't find earlier; you're suffering because you think kazuha deserves better than you, and the only person you can think of who fits that bill is kokomi. you don't resent her for it -- you resent the fact that you were born with so little talent in comparison to her. you think yourself so inferior to her that you're starting to want to cut this conversation short and hide from kazuha forever. your fingers twitch with the urge to pull away again; you don't think you even deserve to touch him like this anymore. you have to force yourself to keep speaking.

"you deserve better." you finally say. again, there's that feeling of relief. a weight is lifted from your chest and you take a deep breath as the knot in your throat undoes itself. how long have you thought this? "i just... i don't know. i just had to get that off my chest." now that you feel so light, you realize how final that last statement sounded. you hazard a glance at kazuha's face and feel the weight return when you see the distress in his eyes. you start to tell him that he doesn't need to respond, but he speaks anyways.

"i think the first thing i should do," he says, smoothing his thumb over the back of your hand, "is offer you my apologies -- one of many, anyhow." something akin to regret darkens his features for a second. "i hadn't meant to worry you like that, love. i have been close with kokomi because i was offering extra assistance in the war. she actually had to force me to stay out of it after a while, if you'd believe me."

honestly, you don't think you could not believe him. gorou warned you not too long ago that kazuha's determination to bring things to a close in favor of his fellow vision holders would be his undoing. he was pushing himself much too hard; you have a feeling it has something to do with tomo, but you don't mention it. you understand why he's been so distant, but...

"then why were you avoiding me?" you ask. "you didn't have to tell me everything if you didn't want to, but you were acting as though i was a stranger, kazuha. at the very least, you could have explained that you weren't feeling like yourself because you were working so hard. i could have helped you."

kazuha winces slightly. "i would like to apologize for that as well. i suppose i was so far in my own mind that i thought i told you. by the time i realized that i hadn't, i thought it was too late, and... i didn't want to drag you down the hole i was digging myself into." he brings your knuckles to his forehead and sighs. "to think that my oversights would bring you so much pain. i don't know what came over me."

your eyebrows twitch. his reasoning is irritating, but vaguely along the same lines as your own; after some time passed, you didn't think saying something about your concerns was going to yield any positive results, so you stayed quiet. you can't allow him to take all the blame. you should have spoken up as soon as you heard him speaking to kokomi -- it would have been embarrassing, but you wouldn't be here in this situation if you did. even if you didn't come clean then, you should have cornered him when you had the chance. "i should have said something earlier." you confess with a sigh. "this isn't entirely your fault. i let this go on for too long; don't shoulder everything like this."

kazuha lowers your hand with a hum. "that may be true however, i'm still capable of telling you when i'm unwell, and i didn't." he cradles your cheek with a hand, scarlet eyes filling with remorse. "had i said something before, you would likely not be comparing yourself to her."

"actually, i think i would have done that regardless." you blurt, chuckling in spite of yourself.

"i don't know how much good my words will do," kazuha takes your face in his other hand, "but i hope you believe me when i say i don't deserve better; i deserve you. there's no one better than you for me in my eyes, love."

your heart skips a few beats and you blame the lack of contact you've had with him. you're still unclear on how long you've felt that way about yourself -- perhaps you were so deep in your love for kazuha that you managed to suppress it. you believe kazuha wholeheartedly, but now that these thoughts have been set loose, there will never be a moment where at least one of them isn't running rampant. there will always be that spark of doubt lurking deep within, no matter how much you want to stamp it out. but you can't deny that for now, kazuha's done one hell of a job extinguishing that flame before it could get too big.

you relax into his touch and his reassuring words, clinging to the hope with all your might. "thank you." you murmur. "i don't mean for you to profess your undying love for me or anything, i just... really needed to hear that."

kazuha doesn't look as content as you are beginning to feel. "i'll never forgive myself for making you think like this. how can i make it up to you, dove? tell me anything; i'll do it."

he sounds like he's expecting a punishment of some sort. you move to kiss his forehead, smiling slightly when you see him blink at you in surprise. "you said you didn't want to drag me down with you." you flick the spot on his forehead that you kissed and giggle when kazuha's fingers fly to the area. "but i'm your partner; i'm willing to follow you to the ends of teyvat and back. drag me anywhere you wish."

finally, kazuha cracks a boyish smile of his own. "you may want to mind your words, petal. what if i drag you somewhere unpleasant?"

you hum and ignore the way your ears start to burn at the new nickname. "how unpleasant would it be if you're there with me?" as soon as the words leave your mouth, you scrunch your nose. "ugh, i'm starting to sound like you."

"you're getting there." he chuckles.

the relief you felt earlier was nothing compared to what you're feeling right now. you rest your head on kazuha's shoulder and nose at his neck. he shivers and wraps his arms around you. "i missed you." you whisper. "so much."

"and i, you." kazuha's voice is barely above a low rumble. he pulls you closer and you sigh, content. "forgive me for being so inattentive. i'll do better, i promise."

you kiss at his neck gently. "i forgive you, i do. but remember that you're not the only one at fault. we learned our lesson, didn't we?"

kazuha makes a low sound of agreement and rests his head on yours. "we did." a few beats of silence, then: "i love you." his profession is soft, carried on the breeze that rustles your clothes and the leaves overhead. "i love you so much, dove."

"and i, you." you repeat his earlier words and shut your eyes. "so much."

✧ SCREAMING AND CRYING BECAUSE I FINALLY GOT SOMETHING OUT AAAAAAAA

✧ i am so so so sorry it's taking me so long to return to this format. i have so many reqs and it's finals season, so i guess my writer's block is born out of stress. for that reason, i think this may be subpar, and for that i apologize. but i still do hope you enjoyed this, and thank you for being patient with me! pls lemme know what you think!

#z list #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #kaedehara kazuha #genshin kazuha #kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #z scribbles #oh god i feel so good #writing is so so cathartic #FUCK i feel so GOOD

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princeescaluswords · 2 years

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I think another reason fandom treats Deaton so abysmally is, like your tags point out, he's the only person to remind Scott he's just a teenager shouldering so much responsibility. And that doesn't work for fandom. They simultaneously deem Scott unworthy of being the lead and hero, yet also say he must constantly exert himself and protect everyone without fail. He must be a living teddy bear for Stiles, attending every mental and emotional need. He must prioritize being the (unpaid) Town Protector over schoolwork but must keep his grades high. They don't like Deaton reinforcing Scott's humanity which they're dead set on denying.

There's a scene in Raving (2x08) that I think addresses what you are talking about succinctly as well as sets the stage for Deaton's role throughout the entire series.

Ms. Morrell: I can't decide if I admire your sentimentality or despise it.

Deaton: If I want your opinion, I'll make an appointment with the guidance office.

Ms. Morrell: From the state of things, I think you could use a little guidance. Are you really going to leave all of this up to a couple of kids?

Deaton: They're more capable than you think.

Ms. Morrell: And are you going to tell them what's coming?

Deaton: They've got enough to worry about.

Now, on one level this scene serves to reveal that Ms. Morrell as involved at a deeper level than the audience might have thought previously and suggests that she mistranslated the Argent bestiary on purpose. It also serves to warn us -- extraordinarily early if you give it some thought -- about the approach of the Alpha Pack. But this scene does far more than that. Each line tells us about Alan on a fundamental level, insights into character that will be repeated.

"I can't decide if I admire your sentimentality or despise it." Marin's initial jab separates Alan from her, from Derek, from Gerard, from Peter. The latter characters all see the teenagers involved in the ongoing action as, borrowing from a third season motif, pawns on a chessboard. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Allison, and the betas are all treated like soldiers in a war. In a battle like this, characters like Marin see treating these children with respect is "sentimentality." I can't be absolutely sure why Marin lied to Allison in Venomous (2x05), but I suspect it was intended to disrupt Gerard's plans for the kanima by encouraging Scott and his friends to think that it can be saved. She actively deceives them rather than trust them with the truth. We'll learn later that she works for Deucalion and "this isn't the first time [she's] gotten her hands dirty."

This ruthless use of teenagers is a trait she shares with Derek, Peter, and Gerard. They all have goals, some good and some bad, but they feel that these ends justify those means.

"If I want your opinion, I'll make an appointment with the guidance office." Deaton is repulsed by her attitude and, in response, draws a clear boundary between them. Deaton may not share his entire life story with Scott and his friends immediately, but he doesn't actively deceive them to serve his own agenda. He's not trying to shape them under false pretense, as Marin and the others are doing. He will call Derek out in Fury (2x10) for this behavior.

Derek: I don't trust anyone.

Deaton: I know. If you did, you might be the Alpha you like to think you are.

Derek doesn't trust Scott or even his own betas to work with him if they know the full truth, so no matter how noble Derek believes his intentions are, this fundamental deception ends up getting him nowhere.

"From the state of things, I think you could use a little guidance. Are you really going to leave all of this up to a couple of kids?" Marin offers a riposte, criticizing Alan for being unwilling to do what's necessary. People are dying and a lot of people are probably going to die, and here is her brother, hoping that teenagers will make the right decisions and do the right things when he could push them into what is needed. In an echo of Peter's and fandom's criticism of Scott, she's arguing that Alan isn't willing to do what's necessary to protect others. If stopping Gerard means manipulating teenagers into danger, the reward is worth the risk (another motif from season 3). After all, as Gerard will tell Scott in Battlefield (2x11): "You want to play chess, Scott? Then you better be willing to sacrifice your own pawns."

"They're more capable than you think." Alan's answer is that he has no intention to push Scott and his friends to do what he wants. If he trusts them, if he supports them, they're going to do what's right anyway, because that's the quality he sees in Scott, which Deaton believed in from the first moment he knew Scott was bitten.

This is the key difference between the show's antagonists and Alan Deaton. He's willing to trust people, to believe in them, rather than manipulate them into doing what he wants. It's a fundamental respect for Scott and his friends as people, that the antagonists and the villains fundamentally lack. It's one of Scott's strengths as well, though he sometimes fumbles at it because he's not perfect. Scott consistently believes in his and his friends' ability to overcome obstacles, from finding a way into a bank vault to rescuing Mason from the Beast. This shared virtue is not a coincidence.

"And are you going to tell them what's coming?" This is both a defensive move from Marin -- are you going to tell them about the Alpha Pack, in which I am involved? -- and a challenge from her. If Deaton believes in Scott and his friends so much, why doesn't he tell them about the pack of murderous alphas who are undoubtedly on the way here, and that Derek knew about it.

"They've got enough to worry about." This line further marks Deaton as a wise and benevolent mentor: he recognizes that they're still teenagers. The Alpha Pack is not their responsibility, so he's not going to make it their responsibility. The antagonists and villains almost always use what their enemies are capable of as levers to try to force or convince the teenagers (and sometimes even adults) they're trying to exploit. We see this a lot out of Derek in Seasons 1 and 2, "it's what they do, and it's what Allison will do," "we have to find it first," "this is what they do, and this is why you need me," and "either you kill with it, or it kills you." Indeed, one of the first signs that Derek's redemption arc has begun is when he tries to avoid telling Scott and Stiles about the Alpha Pack, because he's learned his lesson about using fear to motivate teenagers.

Too often, the adults in Teen Wolf push teenagers, over which they have influence, into actions that the adults believe are for the greater good, using fear and/or authority to make them do what they feel is necessary, rather than treating them as individuals with their own choices and believing in them to make the right choice. This is epitomized by Peter, who constantly manipulates and fear mongers everyone around him into doing what he wants, including his own relatives, Derek and Malia. He despises Scott because Scott seems to win most of the time because of his belief in his allies. (And no, Derek was not his ally in Master Plan, he was a villain.)

Fandom too often misses one of the themes of Teen Wolf that a character achieving their goals through abusing authority or manipulation is not 'doing what's necessary,' it's fear. It's cowardice. The Anuk-Ite, a creature so powerful that it had to be imprisoned in the Wild Hunt, its manipulative abilities so potent and far-reaching as to turn the entire town against the pack, was ultimately scared. Its motivation turned out to be "I won't be trapped again!"

Standing against that attitude is Alan Deaton, from this scene in Raving to the scene in Pressure Test (6x15) where he is able to enter the cell and discover the identity of the Anuk-Ite when no one else could do it. He trusts in himself and others, and he won't let desire or fear pressure him into manipulation or deception. He consistently holds to that belief and he instills it in his protégé, as Marin describes him.

#alan deaton #alan deaton defense squad #teen wolf meta #teen wolf fandom problems #scott mccall #scott mccall defense squad

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eolewyn1010 · 2 years

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Talking about Encanto - Antonio

Antonio is initially set up as a bit of a wild card for the Madrigals - will he have a gift and all will be well, or will his ceremony fail? Like, that's all Abuela seems to think of, anyway.

Which is why I'm not sure why she insists or all of them still insist on a public ceremony at all. Wasn't the last time traumatizing enough for one five-year-old of your family? Because I'm reasonably sure that wasn't the done procedure back when the triplets got their gifts, because why would it. Why was it necessary to make this spectacle in the first place, and why set up the possibility of another disaster? Poor kid is so nervous. And it's a pressure that would come almost exclusively from outside, because Antonio makes clear that he doesn't think Mirabel is imperfect or lacking anything at all. Like many in this family, their relationship is closer to a sibling bond than to cousins, and them having shared a room for the last about five years (okay, minus Antonio's infant age, I guess) has put them rather close. There's also Antonio saying, "I wish you could have a door", making clear that he sees the injustice not in Mirabel not having a gift, but in her not being given a room by Casita, thereby not including her on the same level as the others. And also, in a way infantilizing her by condemning her to stay in the nursery even after her quinceañera - but Mirabel doesn't hold a grudge, supports Antonio in the fullest and is understanding and listens to his worries.

Their relationship is actually a really nice example of what you can do in your story even with a young child provided you respect children as people who have thoughts and perceptions of their own. Antonio is not the most prominent in fanart and fanfic, I guess because he's not in a shipping-appropriate age, but I think his character is very good work for his limited screentime (heh, like about all of them; this movie is so good). He is a smart and attentive boy, sensitive in a way he has to be in order to be "an animal guy", that is, to get his particular gift cut out for him.

But there are also those moments that make clear he's just a kid after all, not the little workforce Abuela tries to make of him (wtf, he's STILL five). He beams at his Papa's jokes and his Mami's pride, at his brother's jokes. He keeps Abuela's seat warm and tells his jaguar, completely unperturbed, not to eat Bruno's rats because those are the most obvious and natural things in the world, and young children are good at not making a big deal out of anything that happens. He also takes Bruno's presence as the most natural thing in the world, even though Antonio is the only one who has never met him, having been born long after Bruno left. But that's the sweet thing about him, isn't it, that he always wants to be helpful, giving his room for vision purposes, giving his plushie for soothing the nerves.

Despite him having a very different temperament than either of his parents, his behavior looks like childrearing gone right. This kid is simply kind, and loves his family a lot - and the reason he wants to give so much support is because he's getting so much support, exemplified in being accompanied to his door by Mirabel and accompanying her to Casita's door at the end of the movie. I dunno, it's just really beautiful to see a Madrigal child that hasn't been severely damaged. And with how things have developed, hopefully won't in the future either.

#Encanto #character analysis #or something #personal opinions

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megsironthrone · 3 years

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Meg's Game of Tales: Tale 8

*Familiar characters are NOT mine! The original story of "The Swan Princess" is actually pretty muddled as far as origin, but it appears to be based off a Swedish or German fairy-tale*

Warnings: Swan Princess AU, angst, violence?, a little fluff. Kind of long.

Pairings: Viserys Targaryen x fem!reader

"Are you excited, Brother?" a young Daenerys asked Viserys as they waited once more for the yearly visit from your family. "For what? Another summer with that little brat? Not exactly my idea of fun, Little Sister." Daenerys rolled her eyes. Viserys was always like this when the summer rolled around. He hated not getting his way and never once had he gotten his way when it came to you and your family.

"Well I like Y/N. I can't wait for her to become my sister." A frown made its way to Viserys' face. He despised being reminded of the arrangement between your kingdoms. You and Viserys had been arranged to wed practically from birth. In order to make the idea more "bearable", your parents along with Viserys' decided that you and Viserys would spend EVERY SINGLE SUMMER together. And this particular summer would be the last before the wedding planning would begin. Needless to say, Viserys was not looking forward to it at all.

Growing up, Viserys had found you annoying. You were always trying inject yourself into everything he did. No matter what Viserys was doing outside of his own bedroom/bath chambers, you were there. He never knew if you were simply trying to bother him or if you were trying to get to know him the way your parents wanted you to. And as you grew older, you became close to the guards and other servants in the palace. You were constantly talking to them when Viserys wouldn't talk to you. It was almost like you were flirting with them. Viserys hated it and he grew to hate summers.

The sound of trotting horses reached Viserys' ears and soon enough, the carriage appeared. After a soft scolding from his mother, Viserys straightened up to his full height and he tried not to run as far away as possible. That usual feeling of annoyance and dread began to fill up his stomach while Daenerys chatted away. If she kept it up, Viserys was certain he'd box her ears.

When the carriage pulled to a stop, Viserys held his breath. Your father was the first to step out, offering his hand to someone inside. Viserys was struck dumb when he saw you step down from the carriage, smiling at your father. There was absolutely no way this was the same person that visited him every summer. How had he not noticed how beautiful you'd become?

Your eyes met his and you held your head high as you approached on your father's arm. Your gaze never wavered while you greeted Viserys' family. "Good day, Prince Viserys. It is lovely to see you again," you told him softly with a curtsy. Viserys barely managed to bow before you were all swept up into the castle for preparations for the welcoming feast for the evening.

The feast was, as always, a beautiful and probably over-done affair. But Viserys made it through, his gaze often making its way over to where you were sitting. Whenever you caught him looking, you'd given him a soft smile before going back to your meal. Viserys wanted to speak to you, but he had to wait. When it was finally time to begin the traditional after-feast dance, Viserys couldn't get to you quickly enough.

"Princess," he greeted before sweeping you up in his arms as the music started. For a moment, the two of you were quiet and then began making small talk. All-in-all, things were going well until Viserys made a comment about how beautiful you were. "Thank you, though I suppose that isn't a good enough reason to suddenly be happy about our arrangement."

"And why not? Why should my future queen not be beautiful?" You rolled your eyes. "Beauty isn't what makes a queen, Viserys." Viserys' brows furrowed. "Well, what else is there?" You suddenly stopped dancing and shook your head. "You are an idiot, Viserys. A complete and utter idiot."

With that, you ran off and no one saw you the rest of the evening. In fact, no one saw you the entirety of the next day either. It wasn't until evening that it was discovered that you were missing. The state of your chambers indicated that you had not gone willingly. Viserys instantly saw red. Someone had the audacity to sneak into your chambers and take you from him?! And where the hells were the guards when this happened?! Viserys was livid, executing the two guards that were supposed to be guarding you and your chambers. When he anger was finally spent, Viserys set out to find you.

*time skip*

Viserys spent weeks looking for you. Weeks! And there was nary a sign of you. Viserys was beginning to lose hope and when Viserys lost hope, people suffered. As he searched, Viserys realized why his family and yours had insisted on this arrangement and the summers spent together. You were the only one able to calm Viserys' temper. You could make him see sense. You were the compassionate one. You were everything a queen needed to be. Not just beautiful.

After another long day of searching, Viserys came to a clearing with a lake sitting in the middle. The moon was reflecting off the lake as Viserys sat down on a nearby bench. "Where are you, Y/N?" As expected, no answer came to him. Just a lone swan swooping in and landing on the lake. The swan stared at Viserys, making him a little nervous. That wasn't normal behavior for birds. Was it? Viserys didn't have a chance to think about it when a faint light hit his eyes.

The light grew brighter. So bright that Viserys had to shield his eyes. When he brought his hand down, Viserys was once again speechless. "You came for me," your voice was soft and tears welled up in your eyes. There you were, in the place the swan had just been. Viserys whispered your name and stood up. He barely had time to brace himself before you crashed into him.

"Y/N? What happened to you? Are you hurt?" You pulled away a little and Viserys missed the warmth of having you close. "H-He took me. And awful sorcerer used magic to get into the palace and took me. He's trying to force me to marry him so he can take my father's throne. When I refused, he turned me into a swan. I can become human again when the moonlight hits the lake. That's when he comes to ask me for my hand again."

"He cast a spell on you? Where is he? I'll tear him apart with my bare hands if I have to!" You placed your hand over his mouth and shushed him. "He'll hear you. You can't take him, Viserys. He's too powerful. You'll need the element of surprise. He may have magic but he is not a strong fighter like you." A voice calling your name had suddenly had you jumping away from him.

"You have to go. Go back to the castle and come up with a plan. Any plan. The spell should break if he's dead. Go now. Before he sees you." Viserys wanted to argue, but seeing the fear in your eyes made him do what you said. It was the first time Viserys had ever seen you afraid and that was enough to scare even him a little bit. So he did what you said and returned to the castle to plan a strategy. He would save you. He had to save you.

A few days later, Viserys had his plan and he made his way back through the forest to the clearing with the lake. However, as soon as he set foot in the dark wood, something felt wrong. There was something heavy in the air and a feeling of dread came over him.

Viserys tried to brush it off, but as he pushed forward, the feeling grew. Without even seeing you, Viserys knew you were in danger. He picked up his pace only to stop short when he heard a voice, raspy and eerily calm, calling through the air. "Hurry, little prince. Hurry and I might let you see her one last time." Viserys shook his head to rid himself of the voice, but it simply kept calling to him.

"You thought you could outwit me, but I cannot be so easily defeated. Your princess is dying because of your foolishness." Viserys felt his heart beginning to race and he forced his feet to carry him onward toward the lake. He could feel tree branches cutting at his face and nearly getting tangled in his hair, but he paid it no mind. He would worry about his vanity later. You were his priority. Well, you and making the sorcerer pay dearly for taking you. You were Viserys' and NO ONE took what was his. At least that's how he viewed it in his head. He'd never say that out loud to you. You'd probably slap him.

Finally, just as Viserys was about to give up hope, he broke through the trees to the clearing. Your captor was there, a gloating smile on his face. He didn't look like much. In a physical match, Viserys could easily overpower him. Still, he radiated power like Viserys had never felt before. But the dragon was never one to back down from a fight and this time, the stakes were higher than ever.

"Where is she?" he growled out. The sorcerer simply laughed before stepping to the side slightly. The lone swan laid on the ground, breath hitching more and more every second. You were really dying. "What did you do?!" Viserys shrieked and the sorcerer's disgusting grin grew. "You did this. You and the princess. You could have simply given me what I wanted and this wouldn't have happened. But no. You had to go behind my back. Now, she is dying and there is nothing you can do."

If there was one thing Viserys could not standing, it was losing. The only thing worse than defeat in his eyes was his enemy gloating about the fact. Rage consumed him. Viserys felt hot. Fire welled within him and he was not aware of what was happening until it was too late. The sorcerer screamed in fear as Viserys screamed in agony. His bones were shifting. His skin was changing. Sharp talons grew where nails once were. Wings sprouted from his back. A dragon. A true dragon.

The sorcerer was quicker to react the changes in Viserys, firing some magic spell or other at him. It hit Viserys and the dragon let out a screech of pain. He glanced down at your still form. Fueled on by his need to save you, Viserys steeled his nerves and did the only thing he could think of. He blew fire and before he knew it, the sorcerer was gone. Nothing but a pile of ash.

Once his enemy was gone, Viserys looked at you. No longer a swan, your body was still not moving. Where there was once anger, grief hit Viserys like a sudden storm. His wings and scales disappeared, his limbs shrank back, and the fire in his belly was gone.

As soon as he was back on the ground in his human form, Viserys was at your side. "Y/N?" He scooped you up in his arms and held you to him. For the first time in his life, Viserys felt his eyes filling with tears at the thought of losing you for good.

"You were right," he whispered though it was difficult for him, "There is so much more to marriage and being queen than being beautiful. And you are more than just beautiful. You are everything I ever wanted. Come back to me. As your future king and your husband-to-be, I demand you come back to me." He held you closer to him.

"Who gave you permission to order me around?" your voice rasped out. Viserys let his arms drop a little and he looked at your face to see your beautiful eyes staring back up at him. "You're alive." You nodded and smiled as you tried to sit up a little. "Thanks to you. I guess you really are a dragon." Viserys chuckled. You wrapped your arms around him.

"I love you, Viserys. So much." He didn't reply, but held you more tightly as if he were afraid to let you go. After a moment, you released him so you could look at him again. This time, your face was stern. "But seriously, don't think that just because we're to be married that it means you can order me around!" Viserys shook his head fondly and then captured your lips in a bruising kiss.

(a/n: Okay, so I had this ready over the weekend and just completely forgot to post it because I'm silly. That means you'll get 2 tales this week. These will be the only things I post during my hiatus since they're for a celebration. Anyway, I hope you liked it!)

#meg's game of tales #game of thrones #fairytale au #the swan princess au #viserys targaryen #viserys targaryen x reader #viserys x reader

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volgdemagischewinx · 3 years

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I wish someone would stand up for Bloom when it comes to Sky. The way Stella did in S1 after the identity switch. And it kinda occurred to me that Riven was a better boyfriend to Darcy than Sky to Bloom. I mean, we only get a few scenes of them but when Darcy was hurt, he ran to her and helped her up, clearly worried. Sky is NICE to Bloom all the time but in serious situations when she needed help or reassurance he has failed miserably several times. Tbh I think if Riven in S1 knew Sky abandoned Bloom in CT (which he prolly learned about from Darcy anyways) it'd leave a bad taste in his mouth. As in, Sky chose the girl who tried to kill him over him, who was supposed to be his friend, but then that girl turns out to be a witch and THAT is a deal breaker? To Riven who is DATING a witch Sky would look like a biggest bigot ever. Like, I don't think enough of Riven's behavior during S1 is attributed to the fact that he's dating one of the bad guys. And he didn't do it because HE'S bad, he did it be he liked her and didn't think she was bad. All he saw from her was school break in and a street fight, which is just vandalism, and the fact that she saved his life, which is a huge green flag. So that's his girlfriend, he likes her, and some people hate her. Ofc he'll side with her. He wasn't aware they were planning a takeover, I think he was played for a fool, but he was just being a good boyfriend. After all, what kinda bf chills with people who hate his gf?

(coughSKYcough)

One. I try to give you 1 (one) ask about Bloom and it derails into Riven defense ask xD truly tho Riven and Bloom autism alliance is what we need. She's too forgiving/trusting, he thinks everyone hates him, it evens out. ((plottwist it DOESN'T even out and no one should ever leave them alone together because something will blow up. (((a special where someone puts them in a team for that exact reason "oh it will cancel out!" but they forget they actually have personalities beyond their symptoms so Bloom blows up on Riven and Riven goes somewhere to sulk alone 😂😂😂😂

Agreed. A big part of why I'm actually kinda fond of the Sky mind-control plotline in canon despite its flaws is because it was really fun to see the Winx all be on the Sky hate train lmao. Even if it was clearly set up in such a way that would have Sky still be treated as the good guy by the narrative

Putting the rest under the cut because lenght and also because I'm going to shit on 4kids Winx, but I'm just nice enough to give fans the option not to look at it

So, obviously I agree Sky is a bastard BUT! He never actually abandoned Bloom in Cloud Tower for "being a witch". Common misconception. But that's exclusive to 4kids, because they felt like that needed to be thrown in for whatever reason. What actually happened was that Bloom "discovered" that she was the reincarnation of the ancestral witches, and that they would take possession of her as soon as she became a true fairy. You know. Way more fucked up than being a witch. In fact, as inconsistent as Winx lore can be, there really isn't anything in canon to imply there is any inherent difference between witches and fairies beyond what kind of magic they study

Sky did react poorly to this and backed away from her while she was crying and looking for any kind of support, but he still didn't abandon her there. He actually drove her back to Aflea, it was Bloom who chose not to stay there. She felt that her being this future vessel for the ancestral witches made her a threat to Magix and to her friends, and instead of talking to her friends or an adult about this she decided to just start walking to Magix in the middle of the night so she could go back to Earth from there. It's all really in character for Bloom, with her impulsiveness, gullibility, and most of all her self loathing. Not to mention it sets up her decision to leave Alfea a few episodes later since it makes clear ahead of time that that would be something Bloom is willing to do

I don't know why 4kids felt removing all this characterization was a good call. Same with their decision to make it about Bloom possibly being a witch, as that only creates continuity errors and pushes the witches more into this blatantly evil role which is also not accurate. I don't blame you for thinking that's how it went down, though. Unfortunately that version of events is often treated as canon on here either because fans don't bother to fact check the dub they already know is inaccurate, or because they just don't care and think everybody should be following their edit. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the former

Anyway, now that the 3 paragraphs of unprompted 4kids criticisms are out of the way! I'd say going by how little of Driven's relationship we actually see play out on screen, Riven definitely seems like a better boyfriend to Darcy than Sky to Bloom. I don't want to praise him too much for it because him doing everything his girlfriend wants without question was pretty unhealthy in its own right. But yeah he didn't know Darcy was planning legit evil shit, he was just trying to be a good boyfriend. That doesn't necessarily excuse him doing shit like spying on the other characters and making it easy for the Trix to pull their more fucked up schemes like attacking Bloom during her exams(though how many details Riven is aware of in those instances is up to the viewer's interpretation), but it does explain his POV on the whole thing

After season 1 Riven has his own shortcomings as a boyfriend that are very different from Sky's. I could easily see him having some of a problem with some of Sky's actions if he were aware of them

And yup that's exactly how it would go fnjsnfjs. I actually can see Riven and Bloom forming a friendship partially because autistic solidarity, and because they have some other issues in common. But I don't think they're 2 characters who should be made to work together or be alone together for any extended amount of time. It would be A Mess

#if I didn't already have a Flora/Mirta compilation planned for this friday because we stan pumpkins on halloween #I'd make this friday's weekly permitted Dutch clip posting a dubbing comparison for that scene #cause it's probably one of the changes 4kids made that pisses me off the most #winx bloom #winx sky #winx riven #4kids critical #ask wave #anon

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mistwraiths · 3 years

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2 stars

This is the third and final book in the Cursebreaker series. I'm not going to do a quickly summary.

Two stars felt REALLY generous here. I am about to SCREAM.

I felt like I'm in one of those Am I The Asshole? Reddit boards reading this book because it sure felt like EVERYBODY SUCKS HERE.

I will get the good things out of the way first. Brigid's writing is quick and easy enough for me to keep me reading and engaged. And she definitely kills people and I like when there's actual deaths and stakes. That's all Iiked about this book unfortunately.

I'm honestly baffled how this could be a good conclusion to a series because it feels like two characters get more than they deserve for absolutely no reason other than the author likes them maybe?? Also the ending didn't feel resolved? After all this tension and conflict, they're trading jokes in a few weeks?? I'm jumping ahead though.

It's weird to me how this series turned from a really interesting Beauty and the Beast retelling with a great female lead who had cerebral palsy to pretty much Grey is the GREATEST CHARACTER EVER series. I've never been a fan of Grey mostly because he's never had much of a personality for me. I'm told he's kind and loyal, but I have heavy grievances when this guy used to bring women to Rhen forever and sometimes be able to protect him (I let it slide because whatever) and then when he's free and learns something crucial, he flees? But readers, that's second book nonsense that still comes up every few pages.

One of the worst things is that nothing really ever happens in AVSBAD until the end. These guys are just waiting for sixty days to get to war and... THAT'S IT! Pretty much everything that happens in this book is introspection and retrospection, and everyone literally being like: oh I forgot we make mistakes or are forced to do some things and I completely forgot that you who I have known for awhile now are capable of doing good things or have done good things!!!

Folks, I was almost looking forward to Lilith showing up because at least there was some god damn excitement. Almost. I still hate her though.

I absolutely cannot stand how my boy, Rhen, was treated through this book. This man who slept consensually with a woman who then turned him into a monster and TORTURED him relentlessly for an eternity, whose only bad fortune was being cursed and really didn't have the opportunity to be the King properly, who put Emberfall first EVERY SINGLE TIME, who took torture onto himself to spare others from harm, WAS ABLE TO SAVE THE DAY and made ONE (1) bad choice means he should be vilified for most of the entire book and then NOT GET TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING OR AT LEAST BE KING???

You're telling me that Grey who got the fuck out of dodge and didn't tell anyone through the truth after we're told he's so LOYAL and allows a kid to be whipped with him even though he had LOTS of opportunity to come clean (wow so kind), who ran away and allied up with the people who hate his own brother, who um... is a bastard and by MOST EVERY BOOK/KNOWLEDGE/SHOW INVOLVING ROYALTY MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING bastards don't have a right to the throne and in no way is this cleared up (I would have dropped this easily if it was mentioned!!), who has no training or again loyalty to his people or Emberfall because he literally didn't think about them once lol, gets to be King? UGH. Also why does everyone love him and want him? What has he done for them to do that?? Why isn't other leaders (lords?? Grand Marshals?) vying for the throne instead? That makes more sense.

On top of that, we don't really get much depth of Grey's magic which is sad. His whole these soldiers need to respect me storyline is boring.

I really loved Lia Mara in the second book. I found her unassuming and smart. She knew how to handle herself. What the hell happened? Suddenly, all she does is sit and sigh and worry. She's crippled by her insecurity and inaction. And then we are continually reminded that's she is going to rule with kindness and compassion,and not violence or fear to the point where I felt like that boy being forced to eat cake in Matilda. I get it!! Honestly, she doesn't do much of anything. Except, barf, get pregnant. The part where she did NOTHING when someone spit at her was ridiculous. You can rule without violence or fear and not accept that behavior.

Harper feels sidelined again in this book, and it's honestly tragic that the two main female characters are just THERE. The relationship between her and Rhen felt incredibly fraught with tension and while they had hard conversations, it didn't feel great.

I honestly hated every character's hot takes and opinions about stuff. It always really felt like everyone just thinks the worst of everyone, and then wants to harp about the things done in the past. And of course, focus only on Rhen's bad choice than Grey's betrayal or how awful Syhl Shallow was to Emberfall from before.

The ending just felt slapped together. Rhen is literally floundering and acting morose because he doesn't know what to do or move forward, but Grey has a drink with him, has some jokes, and says oh I need your help reading people and being my advisor. And that's it. Grey and Lia Mara get too GOOD of a happy ending. It feels like Harper and Rhen have to figure out what happens next.

I loved the first book, but I think I could have lived without the other two books.

#steph's book review #steph reads #book review #a vow so bold and deadly #brigid kemmerer

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