#but the characters who are in them usually are in ways that become integral to the plot

[waokevale]

The Overlapped AU [Aka Superhumans disguisted as Dinner Theater workers]

The Owners

The Managers (Engineer & the HR person)

The Waiters

The Security

The Performers (Wes is mostly on cleaning duty though)

The Kitchen staff (the others are usually tasked to help, though very few are actually trusted at all times to be there)

The Bartender and the Host

The Dishwashers

The Clerk & The Supplier

So this AU came to me upon a dream, and I just had to make it real...

The synopsis below:

The event of April 17th 1906 does happen, however instead of Charlie and Maxwell being kidnapped into the Constant, the Constant overlaps with the real world and spreads itself onto Earth.

Charlie and Maxwell in the process become corrupted and have to hide away temporarily. Both of them soon began to hear strange voices, source of which neither is quite sure, telling them, compelling them to hide the corruption's effect from the publicity, for the time being.

They come to a mutual realization they have to fix this mess somehow and hunt down any and all corrupted by the tome, by any means necessary.

(Maxwell still has codex umbra, but it is sealed shut for the time being until he's sure it won't spread more if Their influence. )

But the corruption didn't just appear out of nowhere, it's been leaking way long before Maxwell found the Codex, if to a less prominent extent.

Thus, in few years passing, they form a Dinner Theater, a rather inconspicuous establishment from the first glance. Very quickly they began "hiring" employees, which in reality means tracking down and blackmailing those who have been corrupted but not fully lost themselves to its effects, in order to hunt those who had.

Winona was against the idea at first, as she found out. But seeing the effects of corruption first hand, she quickly had a change of heart and integrated herself into Charlie's new environment.

Eventually they gathered a rather generous amount of people. Once a person's proven to be trustworthy to a point, they're give higher positions in the company.

However those who aren't, are likely to be shunned or "fired" which...you could probably guess what that means.

Many of these people gradually come to terms with the reality of their situation and accept their newfound purpose, being thankful that at least they still have a roof over their head and a warm meal, instead of being viewed as monsters or outcasts to the greater society.

(Wilson though, can't quite accept this notion. He keeps claiming that "this is just a big misunderstanding, I'm just a normal guy!" Yet the truth could be far from it.)

When Maxwell and Charlie hear of the danger looming, they immediately inform their "staff" of the matter. Those who are more experienced in combat come along to face whatever opponent may cross them, while those who aren't, stay behind, to be an additional aid or a medic in case the battle gets too intense.

Whenever any suspicion arises in the town about the shady business going on in that particular building, the two owners alongside their employees practically gaslight anyone and everyone into believing they're but the most regular entertainment center.

The characters who have either willingly or unwillingly lost their humanity, mostly in the physical sense, are given special devices constructed of Thulecite and bits of nightmare fuel (made by Winona, Wicker and the main two), which effectively hide away their true identity, or surpress the effects of their ailment.

There's also a few other people important to this story, especially the One, which even Charlie and Maxwell refer to as "The Boss", though what many most recent hires don't know, is that there's someone who's in a position much higher than the owners themselves, controlling their every move.

Correlating to that, another person, or rather, a set of people per se, working for a much different cause. Though most of them are "people" in only a visual sense of the word.

And while, there might be someone inside the well-known around town diner, who just might be more than what appears on the surface, literally and metaphorically this time.

__________

If you're interested to learn more about this AU, do let me know. If you have any questions, I'm happy to hear and answer them!

[0rb0t]

my problem is that I like my ships best if they maintain as much of their canon personalities as possible.

If they bicker or fight or are prickly in canon, I'm okay with them doing that as a ship, too! It feels natural!

With sonadow, I hadn't shipped them in a while because I hated how Shadow's personality had become from the 2010s until like. Sonic Prime. Shadow ISN'T a bully!!! He fights AGAINST bullies. He can get competitive but usually only with Sonic. He's serious, he doesn't quite get small talk or some sayings, and his resting face LOOKS PISSED but he's just standing there.

I loved Sonic Boom as an AU, but when Shadow's personality became that in the main continuity, I was devastated. It felt like the executives took a character so beloved by us shy people, looked at his superficial design and went "Yeah this guy is an edgy dickhead"

We didn't call him edgy because of his design or attitude, we called him that because his narrative was SO MUCH DARKER than Sonic's or anyone else's. But that became the norm, everything became about Shadow being an edgelord asshole who threatens people and calls them weak and pathetic. He went from some guy who was dedicated to saving the world and keeping the peace to some jerkoff who'd tell people to kys all the time. And I was so, so sad.

And then Sonic Prime happened. And I was afraid at first to try to open my heart to the writing, because Shadow had been done dirty SO MANY TIMES...

But suddenly, Sonic AND Shadow, AND THEIR DYNAMIC was GOT. It's like they UNDERSTOOD. I'm still not a fan of the idea of Shadow not having friends, but it feels more like he doesn't have friends because he's afraid of that vulnerability RATHER THAN because he's being written as a bully.

AND IT BRINGS A TEAR OF JOY TO MY EYE. My awkward baby was back, the guy who focused on the mission so hard he'd miss the finer details at times. But also, the guy who cares SO MUCH but can't express it properly for the LIFE of him.

The guy who grabs others by the hand to pull them forward, to run WITH them. Who keeps warning Sonic not to trust so blindly because he is WORRIED about not just the consequences of the big picture, but also what that will do to his friend.

Sonic being too busy being sassy and playful that he can't realize that this IS Shadow caring, it's just not as open or casual or bubbly as his other friends. Shadow can't do that; it's just not the way he is. He's more stiff, he hates attention, he'd rather be in the background, he comes across as awkward when he's trying to be cool or serious.

But he actually seems to RELAX a bit around Sonic, and they work SO WELL together. Their personalities are TOTAL OPPOSITES but they ALWAYS attract. Magnetized together.

And it feels SO GOOD to see that understood, and written GENUINELY. AFTER 15 YEARS OF SEGA GETTING IT WRONG, we're finally giving Shadow his integrity and core BACK!!!!

And I prefer seeing ship art of them that reflects this. I used to draw so much sonadow back in the day, but I just don't anymore. Maybe I can get back into it, since I'm still too picky about fanon sonadow.

But GOD does it feel GOOD to see my boys respected narratively again!!!!

[sausagepastry]

Wanna share a couple of my rnnk headcanons! Sorry for the mistakes, my english is SUCKS, but i still want to show it (and hugging boys too) There should have been a little more of them, but I cut out some 1) Rinne and Niki are married! This marriage is not registered in any way, of course, but! they still had a small home wedding ceremony (where only Hiiro was invited) with traditions from the Amagi's village. As wedding rings, they used those rings that Rinne always wears on his hands 3) Rinne always wears a ring, and Niki not. He doesn't want to lose or spoil it while working, so he keeps it in his wallet 5) Despite the ban on kissing before the wedding, they have already kissed at least once purely because of teenage interest (hi 1417 rinnk), but this "does not count as a real kiss because it was before the wedding" 6) Niki and Rinne are both VERY tactile, so any physical contact is an integral part of their lives 7) Despite Rinne's rather vulgar character and the way he sticks to Niki, when the Shiina himself begins to take the initiative, there is a "boom" in Rinne's head and he feels embarrassed ( liomgomgomghessuchcuteilovehimilovehiiim) 8) Rinne likes to hug Niki from the back most of all 9) Rnnk 1417 is back. Before they became idols, Niki often took Rinne to karaoke because he saw his interest in this and wanted to makes him happy 10) Rinne stumbles into the cafe where Nicky works just because he missed him and wants to see his cute wifey 11) I think Rinne very quickly begins to miss Niki, like a dog. Sometimes Niki need to turn off the phone, because Rinne literally throws him texts and calls, which prevents him from working 15) Rinne may seem to those who do not care about anniversaries like "the day when we first met/kissed", but in fact he remembers it well and attaches great importance to all these days, and indeed to any little things if they are related to Niki 17) 1417 rinniki yeah. While living together, they often played games together and watched movies. And Niki was very bad at this 18) Niki has some form of "sleepwalking", he can start chewing, sucking and drooling in his sleep. Usually these are pillows and blankets, but if he sleeps with Rinne, then Niki use his hair and hands 19) Rinne often gives Niki toys from vending machines 20) Niki is not a fan of alcohol, but sometimes he doesn't mind drinking if it's together with Rinne 21) Drunk Niki becomes even more tactile, and also falls asleep very quickly, so when they drink together, it usually ends with Niki hanging on Rinne's shoulder and falling asleep right on him 22) Rinne is attention seeker, especially from Niki 23) For this reason, he is a little jealous, he does not like it when Niki praises someone else. When this happens, he immediately begins to ingratiate himself with his boyfriend and beg for praise and affection 26) Rinne likes to use colognes, Niki doesn't really like these smells. He likes Rinne's natural body odor much more 28) Rinne loves Niki's hair. He would be horrified if he found out that he was going to get a haircut (even he wanted to make him bald at night club). In general, he likes not only to pull his ponytail, but also to rummage in his hair. Rinna really likes to braid Niki and do his hair. Sometimes he helps Niki to put her hair in a ponytail (and they also smell very nice and soft to the touch. Rinne's hair is much tougher) 30) Rinne has Niki's photo on his pjone wallpapers. He really likes to take pictures of him, so Rinne's gallery is just teeming with photos of Niki. Niki himself has only photos of food on his phone, sometimes there are joint photos with Rinne (made by Rinne). Although sometimes he takes pictures of Rinne when he looks funny and silly 33) Rinne sleeps in her underpants, and Niki in her pajamas. But when it's cold, Rinne steals Niki's pajamas, even though they are a little small for him. And Nicky has a lot of clothes with food prints, including these pajamas, so one sleeps in bacon, and the other in scrambled eggs

[the-music-maniac]

Zoro has rapidly become my favourite character in One Piece and so I felt the need to write this after seeing one too many people misinterpret him as this alpha male type of dude purely because he's muscular and likes fighting. Don't do my boi like that, I actually think Zoro is a very good example of non toxic masculinity, and I will fight people over it. I've seen someone call Zoro a red flag. I will find you.

I've seen this happen quite often when it comes to characters with certain body types and defining traits, especially in shows with large followings like one piece, where people just tend to equate muscular + likes to fight + likes to drink to a certain archetype of personality without looking at the nuance? In reality, Zoro is a very likeable guy in my opinion (once you get over how terrifying he can be as an opponent).

Disclaimer: I haven't finished the entire show so feel free to write any rebuttals if you think I got anything wrong! Fandom debates can be quite fun.

I also mention Sanzo/Zosan very briefly so feel free to skip over that part if you're not into that ship.

The biggest thing I think people tend to forget is that Zoro is kind. And this one I don't understand how anyone can forget, because it's like an integral part of his character. Sure, his goal of becoming the greatest swordsman is not a path that's without bloodshed. He's not kind in an all encompassing, indiscriminate way, he's kind in a practical way, especially in the world he lives in with the type of life he leads. He doesn't have qualms about killing when necessary. But the motivation behind those actions are never cruel. He wants to be the greatest swordsman, but he's not amassing that skill because he wants power. He's doing it for love of that weapons style and for the childhood dream both Kuina and him had. Does he like fighting? Yeah, but I'm pretty certain it's purely for the competition of skill. And Zoro shows his kindness with how willing he is to help those who need it, in that he usually doesn't use his strength to take what he wants/hurt others but to protect. Even when he was a bounty hunter and earned his moniker of Demon of the East, he was just trying to survive. I'm not sure how people forget that he's a kind person when our initial introduction to Zoro was him agreeing to get tied to a post for a month without food or water to save a little girl and her mother. He's kind in the little ways as well, in that mundane everyday living type of manner, not just in the big, heroic "risk your life" type of way, which I think is important to acknowledge. He didn't have to tell that girl that her food was good. And Zoro is pretty damn good with children - we see that with Chopper, and we see that with that filler episode with Zoro babysitting and - I think there are some more examples but I can't recall them right now. That's a very big green flag in my opinion. The little gestures can matter as much as the big ones. As far as I'm concerned, those traits couldn't be further from the "alpha male" stereotype.

I've also seen people characterize Zoro as just a cool, quiet, man-of-few-words type of guy, and sure, I can see how he would give that impression if all you saw of him was random edits of when he gets serious but honestly, the man is pretty fucking sassy. He's also just - SUCH a 19 year old with all the antics he gets up to with the rest of the crew, and I'm aware he gets much more serious after the timeskip (I haven't gotten to that point yet in terms of watching but I don't care about spoilers so I know the reason behind it), but like. I don't think he lost his snark from some clips I've seen. Zoro is funny, and I think people ignore that too often for the cool guy type of characterization. Not that he isn't cool - Zoro has his moments but that's not all he is. The man gets lost running in a straight line???? He once almost got frozen in wax and decided his priority was to ensure he died in a cool pose. That type of willingness to be silly is not something you find in a stereotypical alpha male type of personality. Like, who are you kidding, he's lame af, unashamed of it, and it's fabulous.

Another thing, granted this is not a common opinion by any means, but on one instance I've seen someone act as if Zoro's some lady killer or some shit and I actually had to pause and stare at my screen in disbelief. Could I see women being attracted to Zoro? Yeah sure, I mean the one example I can think of right now is Hiyori (another example may or may not be me. But then again you knew that didn't you, considering this post is just one giant love letter to Zoro). But does Zoro purposely try to attract women? Uh no? I don't even think the man is straight. He's either aromantic/asexual (very ace of him to not give a shit about romance but leap up in two seconds upon hearing the word "sword") or just gay, cause he exhibits very little interest in romance, or very little indication that he finds women attractive. And I pinpointed attraction to women specifically just cause people tend to assume Zoro is heterosexual and have the audacity to get mad at you if you try to imply otherwise. Which to me is clearly heteronormativity speaking because where. Where is he straight, I don't see it. And sure is there a possibility he may be heterosexual and just unwilling to act on attraction because he has a different goal in life? Yeah sure, but you can't act like that's the only valid interpretation for him. But regardless, no matter what sexuality you headcanon him as, he's still very very far from "manly man with ladies swooning left and right into his muscular arms" type character. I mean if someone swooned into him I'm pretty sure he would catch them on principle without registering any romantic connotations whatsoever. (Note that these opinions do not stop me from being a Sanzo/Zosan shipper, but that's more because I find the concept entertaining. An argument could also be made that Zoro does pay the most attention to Sanji, even if it's to fight him). So yeah, another strike against the whole alpha male type of characterization. Zoro doesn't really give a shit about romance and even if he DID, I am convinced he still wouldn't treat a potential romantic partner as anything but an equal, doesn't matter if that s/o is a man, woman or non binary. And this segways into my next point.

Because Zoro has some very refreshing attitudes about gender, both his own and of other people. This doesn't just tie in with the sexuality/romantic partner thing, it ties into the willingness to be authentic/silly thing, and the "likes to compare skills through fighting" thing. I very much think that Zoro just doesn't really register gender roles much, or he does and he just doesn't care about it. And I'm aware this partially stems from a position of privilege he has as a guy - he doesn't need to care about gender roles and how people view him because he's a man. He wouldn't be short changed for anything if he doesn't notice. While the same luxury is not extended to individuals like Kuina and Tashigi, who were in a field of practice that looks down on them purely for being women. Having said that, Zoro literally just doesn't give a shit who he's dealing with, man, woman or any other gender. If you challenge him, he'll fight you. And the level of effort he gives that fight is usually dependent on ability and the situation. If you annoy him, he'll annoy you back. He has no qualms about snarking and yelling at Nami the same as he would with a male member of the crew. People in the past that have pointed out to him the difference in the way the rest of the world perceives men and women - like with Kuina and Tashigi for example - is met with confusion. And again, this is partially because Zoro has the privilege of not noticing, but honestly even if he did notice, I don't think his personal actions would change. And I find that refreshing. I love Sanji as a character, don't get me wrong, but his whole refuses to fight women schtick is something that annoys me (even if I do headcanon that it partially comes from a place of trauma). And moreover, Zoro gives me the impression of a person that doesn't give a shit if his own masculinity is "compromised", going by the stereotypical definition of the phrase. He does shit cause he feels like it, not cause it's the "manly" thing to do. Yeah, he happens to like drinking, working out - things that are considered traditionally masculine, but I get the sense that if he did have hobbies that were not traditionally masculine, he would just go ahead and do them regardless of what people think of him. His antics pre-timeskip wasn't exactly the epitome of manliness, it was silly and goofy and he has no qualms about it cause it was authentically him. And he wouldn't feel threatened if he were to do anything not in keeping with a "manly" image, even if he wouldn't do any of that of his own volition. Like the babysitting filler episode? The man was in a crop top that said "mama" on the front. I fully believe that if he lost a bet to Nami and had to wear a dress or some other traditionally feminine piece of clothing, or if for some convoluted reason Luffy ordered him to put on a disguise like that for some mission or whatever, Zoro wouldn't give a shit as long as it was comfortable and didn't obstruct his ability to fight. If someone made fun of him for it, he would probably bite back depending on how insulting the person is trying to be, cause not caring about wearing non masculine clothing doesn't mean he would be okay with someone looking down on him, but he wouldn't automatically equate the two to each other without that interference, and that association wouldn't be permanent. Would he choose to wear a dress on his own? Probably not. He does still have clothing preferences and they tend to be simple, practical and comfortable, and with certain clothing pieces, in keeping with his culture. Would he fly into an insecure rage about not being a girl? I don't think so. And that's so far in attitude from the whole alpha male thing that it's not even funny. The whole concept of an identity centered around being an alpha male reeks of insecurity, and Zoro is very secure in who he is as a person.

And this is also why I think Zoro would act differently in a romance than how "alpha males" would act, even if it's with a woman (I still don't think Zoro is straight btw, but just for conjecture). For one he respects people based on ability and if not that, determination and heart, so right off the bat he's not gonna treat his partner as lesser than him by virtue of being a woman. And I've noticed that a lot of heterosexual couples (not all, mind you, but a lot) seem to care more about dating a gender role than dating an actual person. By that, I mean individuals who pride themselves on being a model of masculinity however they define it - usually look for a partner to compliment them in that regard. I find this counterproductive, because your partner is not meant to be a tool/accessory to maintain your image, and also because being the perfect man or woman is too narrow of a definition, and it doesn't exactly leave you a lot of room to live comfortably as a human - with all your fallible moments that don't fit comfortably in little boxes. It's impractical and illogical. If you value maintaining the status quo and assigning responsibilities and roles based on arbitrary rules assigned by society instead of ability, if you care about that more than you care about helping your partner and maintaining a functional life, I don't think y'all are gonna last long. That's just my two cents. But for the reasons listed before, Zoro barely even registers gender roles, and he's a pretty "get shit done" type of person. He's not gonna give a shit. He'll do what he's able to do for the relationship, and he wouldn't feel insecure when his partner does the same, even if it doesn't fit into traditional roles. And considering Zoro's love of sparring/fighting I don't think he would get with a partner that isn't able to give him a run for his money anyways. Another thing that sets him apart from the alpha male stereotype, those guys are terrified of anyone challenging them for their position of "authority", however dubious that position is (and however stupid it is to care about notions of dominance for a relationship. Have y'all seen those interview videos with guys who actually believe that? "I can't date a girl that bench presses more than me cause that means she becomes the dominant figure in the relationship" excuse me what.)

This post is getting overly long so I'm going to end it there. Thanks for reading!

[wilcze-kudly]

I really want to see your post about how Katara is forcefully matured by the fandom, please!

Ok, while I wasn't ready to make that post in earnest, and frankly never might be, here's some of my cursory thoughts on the topic. I'd gladly talk about it in detail more but also ✨️fear✨️

So, let's get the obvious out of the way. Katara is a 14 year old. A child, barely a teen. In fact, the entirety of the gaang is made up of children.

Now, I haven't been fully active in the atla fandom in quite some time, mostly lurking on the peripheries, because the fandom is a shitshow. One of the reasons being the fact that most fans cannot, for the life of them handle the Gaang's inherent childishness.

This isn't just a Katara problem. Other than her, Aang suffers the most for the egregious crime of being a 12 year old survivor of a genocide. Suki is, of course, mainly ignored. The interpretations of Toph can vary wildly, from her being horrifically matured to being dissmissed as a chaotic, rude child. Zuko and Sokka's immature moments are looked at more permissively, being an angsty boi™️ and a goofy goober respectively.

I do find it odd that Aang doesn't get the "boys will be boys" pass, but ok, we'll blame it on him being... bald? a nice boy? not concerned with his own masculinity?

As for Katara, her maturity is treated like... a given. She's the mom of the group, the proverbial love interest, the feminist icon, the badass fighter, the trailblazer filled with feminine rage. The trophy wife to Aang, the (Lore Olympus style) Persephone to Zuko's Hades.

And true, she is, or at least can be, a lot of these things.

However she is, first and foremost, a child. This fact is presented to us on a silver platter in the first episode, when her and Aang are penguin sledding.

Katara : I haven't done this since I was a kid!

Aang: You still are a kid!

Katara is a child forced to mature. Her circumstances forced her to try to fill her mother's place and to fight for those who couldn't do so themselves. The fandom brands her as a mom friend. Sees her purely as an icon of empowerment. Or worse, degrades her character to being a love interest.

(im talking about both sides of the kataang/zutara debate. I have my biases, but I'm sure there are kataangers who treat her like this as well. I simply have encountered very few of them.)

Her story, while yes, has many themes of female empowerment is in huge part, a tragedy. The tragedy of a young girl forced to grow up much too soon.

Sadly, this is rarely spoken about. It's not spoken about directly and therefore a lot of the fandom doesn't see this. (Or simply doesn't want to see it)

This is not to say that Katara's more mature aspects should be dismissed or buried. She displays a lot of maturity for her age, to the point of being able to go toe to toe both intellectually and physically with the (admittedly usually incompetent) adults of the show. Additionally, she evolves as a character through the durtation of the show.

But a huge chunk of her maturity being forced and therefore unhealthy is a key aspect of her character.

I think what upsets me the most is that while the critiquing the idea of Katara being treated as the mom of the group in fanon is becoming more and more common, the treatment of her as something akin to a YA protagonist is on the rise.

Both these interpretations are so insulting to the character of Katara, what is wrong with you people?

I'm currently rewatching atla with a focus on Katara as a character (while also trying to give zutara a chance I am doing my best guys) and her childishness is an integral part of her. It's sad to see her treated as an adult by the fandom. And honestly unsettling, especially with how much of like a child she acts.

I wanna finish my rewatch before I give my full ramble on the topic. I also wanna look more into the many different opinions people in the atla fandom have on Katara's treatment by the show. Though even trying to skim the surfce was like injecting lemon juice directly into my tear ducts. Also I really, really don't wanna get sent death threats again.

I want to give the topic of Katara my full attention. However I don't think I'll ever make this post, actually. The atla fandom is a rabid horrid pack of creatures and I'm not sure if I wanna engage with all that.The post would probably bash a lot of things considered key arguments for Zutara, since, looking at Zutara through a child's doesn't exactly scream 'romance' and do I really want that on my blog?

Katara's role as a child isn't valued as much as her role as a woman and I just don't want to deal with people calling me mean names for talking about a little girl being traumatised.

I'd be glad to have a discussion but I made this blog mainly to have fun and enjoy a piece of media I like. I met some truly amazing people whom I can have really great discussions with, even if we don't agree. I don't want to jeopardise that by being a pretentious dick on a soapbox.

Call this and the last few posts I made on Katara me testing the waters.

[rainytypology]

Enneagram Type 4

An overview of an enneagram type. Not an expert. May change later.

___

Type 4

Center: Heart/Image/Shame

Other triads: Reactive, Withdrawn, Frustration

Basic motivation: Create a unique identity, make personal significance

Basic fear: Being forgotten, not feeling important

Wings: 4w3, 4w5

Disintegration/stress: 2

Integration/growth: 1

___

Traits

- Strengths -

In tune with emotions

Expressive and creative

Have an eye for beauty/aesthetics

Empathetic

Tries to be genuine, be themselves

- Weaknesses -

Can be moody and overly sensitive

Self conscious

Feel defective

Can be self pitying

Focus too much on themselves

___

Wings

- 4w3 -

The 3 wing adds a spit of spark to the typically melancholic 4 core. A bit more outgoing and friendly. May feel envious of others more often. Want to have validation and praise for their unique accomplishments. 3 wing helps them set goals, which are usually aligned with expression and creativity. 4s want to make a mark/influence on the world and 3 wants to be successful in making that mark. They want their uniqueness to be seen.

- 4w5 -

4 and 5 are both withdrawn types, so it's no surprise 4w5s are often introverted and/or private. Independent type who does what they want. Can intellectualize their emotions. Can get lost in their own world as they are focused on building their creativity and skills rather than focusing on relationships.

___

Disintegration: 2

Disintegration to 2 can cause a 4 to lose sense of their independence, instead throwing themselves into relationships. They want to be rescued somehow without putting much effort into building genuine connections. Very clingy and intrusive.

Integration: 1

Integration to 1 can cause a 4 to become more objective and more bold to take actions towards their desired goals and dreams. They learn not to be trapped in their self absorptions. They learn to control/balance their feelings so they are less moody. Integrating 4s have a desire to contribute to the world and make a better difference rather than simply only doing things they want whenever they want.

___

Subtypes of 4

- Sp 4 -

Sp 4 is the most internalized and least expressive about their pain and suffering compared to the typical 4. They learn to deal with it by themselves. They want to be recognized and accepted for being so "tough" for not complaining about going through heavy things. They may instead look for those who are visibly suffering in order to provide empathy and help for them.

- Sx 4 -

Sx 4 is the most expressive and intense. They want to be their most authentic selves and chase after their desires. They are very deliberate in trying to attract others with their unique and genuine character - with the way they dress, act, any sort of self expression, they need people to like their uniqueness. They can be more assertive with their needs, which can be used to cover up the actual sadness they have inside. They have a deep need to prove they are worthy.

- So 4 -

So 4 is the most connected to their suffering and will openly show this. They compare themselves a lot to others and feel shame for not having the traits they envy. They want to be accepted but fear their flaws will drive people away. Inferiority and victim complex. There is a lot of inner conflict of wanting to be original and different but fearing having something wrong with them and longing for others acceptance.

___

Enneagram list

___

Side blogs:

Kpop astrology @rainy-astrology

Kpop fanarts @rainy-artworks

[isildur-apologist]

You don’t hate Amazon you hate the Silmarillion: a genuine review of Rings of Power

It’s no secret that overall I liked RoP. I watched it with my roommate who gets very hyped about stuff like that and it made for a really exciting viewing experience, instead of the more bitter perspective I might have taken if I watched it alone. But, I also know there are some real faults with the show, I never thought it was perfect and know it’s not on par with the the LOTR movies and I never expected it to be. But, the fault for that is not on Amazon.

(I want to note that I am not defending Amazon. I hate Amazon. Jeff Bezos can catch this guillotine. I am, however, defending the creative team behind the show, which is how I will refer to them from here on out, I only called it Amazon to grab your attention. )

Here’s my point though, almost every (valid) critique I see of this show isn’t a problem with decisions the creative team made, it’s an inherent problem in any adaptation of the Silmarillion (and associated works but I’m just going to refer to the Silmarillion for brevity’s sake).

The Silmarillion, as full and detailed as it is, is a shit story. The events of the second age do not fit neatly into a clean story structure the way LOTR does because it’s not supposed to. The Silmarillion isn’t a story, it’s a history, and history is never narratively satisfying. Tolkien (Jirt, not talking about Christopher here) didn’t publish the Silmarillion in his lifetime, he only even published LOTR and the hobbit, everything else attributed to him was published after his death. He had no intent of making the other works anything other than a comprehensive history of the world he made for documentation’s sake, never with intent to publish. He didn’t even compile all the writings, Christopher did.

Because if this, the Silmarillion is really hard to adapt for a number of reasons:

1. Elves aren’t good main characters.

Elves aren’t supposed to be relatable characters, they’re aloof and static and inherently non-relatable (There are exceptions but they’re usually not regular elves. Elrond is half elven, Legolas is very young). Humans and hobbits are the relatable characters through which we view the world, because they can have human flaws and conflicts, which makes for a very human story. To make elves the main characters you need to make them interesting characters, and elves aren’t supposed to have human flaws, and so you either stay faithful and they don’t feel relatably human, or you change their to be more human and it feels disingenuous to what we know elves to be like. It’s a lose lose.

2. Middle earth is not supposed to be pretty.

A huge part of LOTR is realizing every place they visit is either the ruins of a past, much larger civilization, or a city that is a fraction of what it used to be (Gondor in lotr is NOTHING compared to what it was in the early 3rd age, or Arnor and definitely not Númenor, Rivendell is a pebble compared to Lindon and Eregion, we only ever see Khazad-dûm as a decrepit tomb instead of the most prosperous mine in all of middle earth is once was). This juxtaposition is integral to the main themes of lotr and is imperative to the story jirt was trying to tell. A story set in the 2nd age cannot have these ruins because IT IS THE RUINS. It cannot “feel like lotr” because it is what will make lotr lotr.

3. Characters (individuals) are of little importance in the Silmarillion.

As important as Elendil and Isildur (and even Anárion) are to the plot of literally the entire 3rd age, we know little about their own narratives. They are names for the people that did these important actions and that’s it. Again, the Silmarillion is a history, it’s not going to say what Elendil and Isildur’s relationship was like in excruciating detail or what Isildur wanted to do with his life before sailing to middle-earth and becoming a king. You have to write these characters a good story if you’re adapting the Silmarillion and sometimes there isn’t space to write a compelling journey in the space Tolkien left. Because they don’t have a character, any character you give them will seem “out of character” to many people.

Basically my point is that before you go and say “well this is weird or I didn’t like this choice” think about what the creative team had to create to make an interesting show out of a story not designed to be told. Sometimes they didn’t make the perfect decision, but if you were tasked with adapting something unadaptable do you think you would do it perfectly?

[beeanca-writing]

That other anon was being an asshole, but I am curious about what you had planned for EfC? Not gonna lie, I'll miss the cast—would be nice to know what happens to who!

I'm still unsure what I'll do with EfC. I might come back to it once this current period of my life is over, though it'd likely be very different. First of all, it'd be a shorter story. I'd either get rid of some of the ROs, or find some way to better integrate them into the narrative (compare Harry, who you can have this huge, important backstory with vs Val, whom I love but is also just some guy, I guess?). It'd also probably be more focused on romance since that's usually what interests me the most in IF anyway.

I also might scrap a lot of it and stick to the storylines that interest me the most—mainly the Harry stuff. A shorter game dealing with The Hedonist returning to Court and having to face Harry sounds really fun to write, and it'd be a lot less complex to plan than this whole mess. Also, Harry is definitely a more developed character than some of the other ROs. For example, I love Camila to death, but she doesn't have much significance in the story other than "The Hedonist's friend" and I was never able to find her some meaning.

I'd also make The Hedonist even more of a fixed character by getting rid of all personality stats and focusing solely on their actions instead of worrying about personality. The stats were all carried over from CoG, and it's never been something I enjoy in their brand of IF. I was going to do this anyway when I first transferred the game to Twine, but stupidly asked Tumblr what they thought and, since most people preferred keeping the stats, I did that even though I didn't really want to.

As for to what would happen to the cast... In case I do come back to EfC, I don't think this would change much, so I'll put it into a read more in case someone doesn't want to know. If anyone has any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Grandma would die. Sorry!

Also, Cordelia was The Hedonist's twin who drowned in front of them, but that was a bit obvious, wasn't it? I'd definitely remove that from any rewrites, it's so unnecessary and cliché.

Henry would divorce Elizabeth to be with Nicholas. The Hedonist could either support him on this or not.

Due to the divorce, the rest of the family would be disgraced in Court. Evie's reputation is a little less affected if she's still with Harry.

As I mentioned in the past, The Hedonist can choose whether to stay in Court or not at the end.

The Hedonist and Evie can repair their relationship or not. Evie eventually makes an effort to become friends with The Hedonist, and you could choose whether to play nice or not. If The Hedonist romances Harry and you manage to have a good relationship, she forgives you, but asks for some time away from both The Hedonist and Harry.

I didn't really plan Camila's character arc well. She becomes a Republican rebel and can either still be friends with The Hedonist or have distanced herself a bit if they continue to be an asshole.

Sabina can choose to no longer be a nun if encouraged either by a friend or romanced Hedonist. If you romanced her but didn't encourage her to leave the convent, she dumps you. (Note: You later find out she was forced to become a nun by her family.)

Similarly to Sabina, Narcissa can choose to break things off with the Emperor if, again, encouraged either by a friend or romanced Hedonist.

Calvin's ending is the wildest one, actually. He finds out he's a father after the boy's mother passes away. The Hedonist can either tell him to abandon the boy or tell him to raise him (if Calvin is romanced, they kind of become a step parent).

Val can be encouraged to start studying to become a librarian. Also, his whole thing is that his father is the Emperor lol

Lastly, horse boy Harry will want to divorce Evie if romanced and marry The Hedonist instead. If you refuse to marry him, he divorces her anyway but doesn't stay with The Hedonist. A friend!Harry stays with Evie, I think? I don't know.

[justintaco]

I've been up for almost 24 hours so

superheavy Lonetrail Muelsyse spoilers

Besides the like, uncountable amount of stuff that blew me away in Lonetrail,

linking together Mansfield Break and Dorothy's Vision with Vigilo and Walk in the Dust

creating thematic parallels with Near Light at the end,

what really blew me away was Muelsyse.

Anyone who's followed this blog for a long time knows I'm not big on shipping and I'm semi-public with my opinion that most times shipping brain completely poisons someone's ability to actually engage with a narrative. But honest to god, even to me, they seemed to be almost writing a romance with Doctor and Mumu.

Blink twice if you don't think I'm crazy.

like any gacha you have a lot of flirty lines between the player character and a million of the girls (and guys), but like, this seemed unusually genuine and romantic?

(x)

Like besides them sharing a dance and all their cute little scenes, they seemed to be creating a genuine parallel in their backstories and who they are as people here

Mumu discovers she isn't actually the last of her race but realizes that she has so little in common with them she cannot form any meaningful connection or even find a shared language with them. Her integration into human society is like, almost all just an act of survival by her own admission, she doesn't feel any belonging there either. In fact, most of the time her real body is hiding in her vivarium because the physical world itself is becoming so poisoned by originium that it's dangerous to leave using anything but a clone. Even in her flashback with Saria and Kristen, she seems to be the third wheel.

She is by every possible metric, completely alone. And it seems like her chronic teehee backstabbing is a coping mechanism to feeling completely alienated from even her closest friends and what becomes her second family with the Rhine Lab directors. Even that dysfunctional and over idealized family is gone now too. She even says the following after she betrays Doctor for one last ditch effort to throw in her lot with Kristen and maybe find somewhere out in the stars she can belong:

Compare that with the Doctor, who in this event witnesses what seems to be the death of the last member of their race. In fact, the dialogue implies that Doctor feels an incredible amount of anguish even just pulling the plug on Trevor since it's not so quick a death. Directly after this event, after escaping the big silo bunker thing, Doctor's first thought is to go seek out Mumu rather than regroup with everyone from RI (including Saria who just reentered the atmosphere Halo 3 style). It feels like a response to an epiphany.

Earlier, Doctor had managed to actually get her to tell the truth about herself during their dance. How isolated she feels without any past or family, just like Doctor. So they go directly to her, fresh off of losing the last connection to their past life besides Kal'tsit (who is implied to not only be unwilling but in some way unable to share more info with Doctor).

You then get what is this, extremely deeply intimate conversation between Doctor and Muelsyse, commiserating over their shared loneliness.

She tries to play things off with her usual shtick but pretty quickly she admits that saving those random Control goons on the ship was her failed attempt at suicide because Saria had well and truly kicked her out of the triumvirate to confront Kristen alone.

After that she begins connecting with Doctor on a deeper level than any character I can really recall. As much as I love the ex wife Kal'tsit stuff, they really don't seem to have a romantic attachment. A very very close and intimately trusting one, maybe a past romance, but never romantic with Doctor as they exist in the present since waking up. Doctor views other characters like Amiya, Ifrit, and Rosmontis as children to be protected. But this here is these two really baring their souls and it's just crazy to see in a gacha game where the format discourages stuff like this.

Just, man I love this whole conversation. They've both just learned recently that they can't shed their loneliness with what's left of their races. Muelsyse is totally at the end of her rope, but Doctor has just learned that the only thing they can do is fully commit to the people they know in the present. So despite Mumu's one final attempt to put a barrier up between her and another person, a literal physical barrier of water

Doctor walks right into the barrier and literally reaches out to her to help save her with what they just learned that same day

Muelsyse refers to the parts not in blue here (blue usually being the only confirmed dialogue Doctor says out loud in any given cutscene) when she talks to Nasti later. That means the Doctor said all of this out loud.

Again, am I crazy or does this feel like the most romantic Doctor has ever been with another character?

A lot of himejoshis on Twitter have been mad about the event and what it means for Mumu x Ho'ohleyak, Mumu x Saria, or Muelsyse x her OT3 with Saria and Kristen, and honestly

they might have a point

[theriverbeyond]

ianthe for the character meme :-)

favorite thing about them

the way she wields shame and humiliation like a weapon, how she very intentionally takes on positions that make people ignore her/pity her/humiliate her/etc and uses that to her advantage. whatever the fuck she is doing with gender. the way (IMO) her arm situation maps onto very specific disability narratives.

least favorite thing about them

can't think of one bc every single detestable thing she has done is very integral to why i like her as a character </3

favorite line

can't beat a classic!!!

brOTP

her and John. the way she changes her affect trying to be his Augustine and Mercymorn, the way she is manipulating him while also being manipulated by him, the way she attempts to wield power over him while definitely still being subject to his whims, the way she chooses him over Augustine at the bottom of the River. I could go on

OTP

UNREQUITED harrianthe‼️‼️‼️ that girl is head over heels In Love with Harrow and I love to see it. she fancies herself as someone who would take advantage of Harrow but when the mkment comes to act on that, cannot bear to see her truly vulnerable. Harrow makes her feel soft. Harrow makes her do stupid things. and Harrow doesn't want to give her the time of day!!!!

nOTP

all respect to the shippers but I don't find appeal in Cytherea/Ianthe. Ianthe is just enjoying it way too much and she also simply isn't butch enough for Cytherea's tastes. to ME

random headcanon

so we know that she was almost strangled in the womb by Corona's umbilical cord. my headcanon is she usually wakes up having unconsciously wound her sheets around her neck. Before she was separated from Corona, it was dubious if it was Ianthe doing it or Corona, in her sleep, but Ianthe does it herself after she becomes a Lyctor

unpopular opinion

she and kiriona did NOT fuck. she tried but was soundly rejected and VERY sulky about it

song i associate with them

greek tragedy by the wombats, shivers by ed sheeran, both harrianthe (ianthe POV) bangers #toME

favorite picture of them

is it cheating if i link fan art that I drew. anyway shoutout to the bone arm's fat pad. tho looking at that ab 2 years on i think I could do better. i should redraw...

also I really adore all the comics drawn by @/naomistares but in particular this one, which makes me feel things that are best left unmentioned!!

character ask game

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group H Round 2: #H7 vs #H3

#H7: Isekai subversion, now with more women and good writing.

#H3: Two guys time-travel through photos. Depression ensues.

Details and poll under the cut!

#H7: The Executioner and Her Way of Life (Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road)

Summary:

Average student Mitsuki Mutou suddenly finds himself transported to another realm. Summoned by the king of this world for the remarkable power he is supposed to possess, Mitsuki is thrown out when it appears that he lacks a Special Concept. Moping about, he encounters a priestess named Menou who explains that Japanese people like him are known as Lost Ones, and such individuals never fail to have Special Concepts.

Menou elaborates that she is part of a church that helps abandoned Lost Ones integrate into society. She invites him to spend the night at her church, where the two can probe the nature of his ability. Eventually, they discover that Mitsuki's Special Concept is actually incredibly powerful and dangerous.

But is Menou's true goal to assist Lost Ones—or the opposite?

Propaganda 1:

An isekai that forgoes the usual tropes and exceedingly dull, whitebread protagonist in favor of a cast consisting more or less exclusively of varying flavors of deranged lesbians.

As a bonus, a certain scene halfway through the first episode made a lot of the worst parts of the anime community SO mad, and I feel like that’s worth something in and of itself.

Propaganda 2:

An isekai subversion that doesn’t feel like it’s subversive for the sake of being trendy! All of its unique parts have lore to explain them, and the world building of the series is super intriguing. The power mechanics are well-thought-out, and the fighting is unique and beautifully animated! Another strong part is the character relationships; I love the various dynamics between the main cast, and I love how none of them are reduced to mere tropes, as anime loves to do with its women. It’s also very funny, and the protagonist is one of my favorites <3333

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide. Suicide is basically a deuteragonist’s goal, but it isn’t shown.

#H3: Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)

Summary:

Best friends, roommates, and business partners Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a photo studio, developing pictures and the like. But that’s not all they do. The Shiguang Photo Studio has a secret extra service—they can deliver messages you never got to send and find information you never got to learn, so long as you bring a photograph, or maybe several.

Their method? A clap of the hands, and Cheng Xiaoshi dives into the past and into the body of the photographer. Guided by Lu Guang, he has twelve hours to achieve his goal, whether that is finding a secret, saying goodbye, or winning a fight.

Assisted by their friend and landlady Qiao Ling, the duo navigates a gallery of corporate lies, interpersonal drama, old regrets, and crime. In the second season, threads that began in the first episode of season one continues, showcasing the same level of brilliant writing and even higher stakes for our beloved characters.

Propaganda:

“Past or future, just let them be” is a message that is repeated throughout the show. At first, you’d think it’s just a matter of course, but after enough times of hearing it, it becomes depressing.

How can Cheng Xiaoshi be indifferent when he can feel the emotions of the person he’s possessing? When their pain becomes his pain as well? And so what if the person before him is already dead? At this moment, their hands feel so warm and alive.

This is where Lu Guang comes in. While Cheng Xiaoshi is the empathic and reckless type, Lu Guang is the cold and rational type. They balance each other out, and when they have conflicts, they face it maturely. They also care for each other so so much that the moment the other is in danger, all their principles get thrown out the window just to ensure the other person’s safety.

In s1, we watch them take on their clients’ orders. Through this, the show’s beauty is revealed: Simplicity and Sincerity.

Simplicity, because for a time-travel show, you’d expect the tasks to involve the fate of the world or something, but no. All the people Cheng Xiaoshi have dived into have been your everyday person—an office woman who gets harassed at work, a restaurant owner who’s grown estranged from her best friend, a man who wants to gain the approval of his girlfriend’s family, etc. Even when the stakes go high in s2, the core of the conflicts still lie in the character’s personal problems—which may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but they are not any less important. And I think this is nice. It’s hard to relate to grand plots, but it’s easy to relate to the day-to-day struggles that humans face.

Then Sincerity, because every single character is treated with care. Even characters you’ll never see again past their arcs manage to be impactful and unforgettable. They’ll claw their way into your heart and just stay there. I’ve rewatched s1 three times, but I still cry every time it reaches the basketball arc 😭. Then in s2, even the antagonists will grab for their share of your tears.

And you begin to question—Should they really just let the past or future be? If changing the past could save someone, is it really that bad?

The answer revealed in the s2 finale was so shocking that #link click trended for the first time ever on Tumblr after the episode aired, which is a feat in itself, considering how small the fandom is.

It has great animation, too. I especially love the 360° shots in some key scenes in s2 for they really amped up the tension. The fight scenes are also well-choreographed.

And all the music are bangers! S1 opening makes you wanna learn finger tutting, while the s2 opening is a masterpiece that leaves you in awe. (The s2 second chorus is just the first chorus played in reverse, making it sound like time is being rewinded. Fucking genius!)

If you still don’t watch Link Click after reading this, then you’ll be missing out in one of the greatest animated shows of all time. Just do yourself a favor and watch it already.

Trigger Warnings:

S1: Flashing lights in the opening, attempted and implied sexual harassment, slight panic attack, death, kidnapping, drugging, suicide, blood. Complete list of TW’s for s1 can be found here (it may be spoilery)

S2: Fast-changing images in the opening, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, violence, blood, murder.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[pinkanonwrites]

Trigun Streamer AU

On a desolate desert planet at the far corners of our known universe, an evolved form of humanity fights for the right to survive amidst brewing wars, burrowing beasts, and threats from beyond the stars. Play alone or with friends on your journey to become the hero of NO MAN'S LAND.

No Man's Land is an MMORPG with a massive and committed fanbase of players, speedrunners, artists, and people who just want to dress their characters up in cute outfits to take screenshots of. With an expansive story, multiple playable classes, and far too many ways to spend your time messing around on the danger-filled space rock, many devoted gamers spend their time together adventuring across the wild golden yonder that awaits them in-game.

(If you are a Trigun Stampede fan only, there are SPOILERS about Livio the Double Fang in his role and description! Read on only if you don’t mind those)

The Players (And Friends!)

Our Reader Twitch Handle: Mayfly Gaming You've been a full-time streamer for several years, bouncing all over the board when it comes to the types of games you like to play. Mostly you stick to your favorite MMORPG, No Man's Land, but you've been known to dabble in all sorts of games so you've amassed many curious viewers. Plays the Fighter class on No Man's Land.

Vash Saverem Twitch Handle: HumanoidTyphoon Having recently transitioned from part-time to full-time streamer, Vash is known throughout the gaming viewer base as a player with ridiculous luck, both good and bad. Whether it's random power outages, never before seen game-breaking glitches, or just his cat Kuroneko stepping on the power button of his PC, many of his fans are tuning in just to see what ways things can go horribly wrong for their favorite streamer, and how he fantastically bounces back from it. He's really good at FPSs, but his favorite games are long, story-driven RPGs. He's been a fan of your streams basically since day one. Plays the Gunslinger class on No Man's Land.

Nicholas Wolfwood Twitch Handle: NicoThePunisher Vash's roommate and closest friend, Nicholas is a part-time streamer who specializes in horror and FPS titles. He's known as being remarkably hard to rattle, responding to jumpscares and screamers with barely more than a blink. Most fans are tuning in for his scathing commentary, and even though he only streams every few days he's developed a devoted fanbase. He's sick and tired of Vash gushing about how much he loves your streams. Plays the Paladin class on No Man's Land.

Meryl Stryfe Twitch Handle: Stryfe's Records Meryl is a news/current events streamer and video producer, both for global news and news occuring in the creator space. She keeps herself and her loyal viewers up-to-date on all the latest drops, hits, and scandals, doing her best to separate her own opinions from her videos in the name of journalistic integrity (though her feelings tend to slip through the cracks anyway, she's very passionate). She's been a friend of Vash's since high school, and though she knows he could use his smarts to do some amazing things, she's glad he's found something he really enjoys doing. When she does choose to kick back and game with her friends, she plays the Summoner class on No Man's Land.

Milly Thompson Insta Handle: ceylonandcircuits Meryl's best friend and roommate, Milly is a competitive weightlifter and tea enthusiast who usually ends up accidentally appearing in the background of Meryl's streams and vlogs. Because of her soft and friendly demeanor as well as her incredible buffness, she's somehow amassed her own little fanbase amongst Meryl's viewers despite not having much of an online presence herself. Her Instagram page got very popular after she accidentally dropped her handle during Meryl's livestream.

Nai Saverem Twitch Handle:MillionsKnives Vash's older twin brother, Nai is not a streamer and has little to no interest in joining his brother's antics. He knows Vash is smart, as smart as he is at the very least, and that if he just applied himself a little more he could be doing some really amazing things with him to change the world. Majored in Conservation Biology with a minor in Humanities, Nai is a certified genius with better things to do than watch his brother's group of friends play video games together on the internet. He certainly isn't subscribed under the handle ‘MillionsKnives’, running Vash's streams in the background of his work computer and occasionally redeeming bits for hydration and posture checks, that's for sure.

Livio Wolfwood Twitch Handle: DoubleFang Nicholas’s younger step-brother and Vash’s friend, Livio has recently sought to reconnect with his brother after a turbulent and emotional childhood and Livio’s eventual running away from home. For several years Livio struggled with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and has only in the past year or so begun to find some level of balance within himself and with his protective alter, Razlo. Both of them were quite nervous about reentering Nicholas’s life, but he welcomed his brother back with open arms. Though Livio is a large and intimidating man at first glance, on the inside he’s quite the softie, and enjoys watching Vash and his brother play games together, occasionally joining in when he has the free time. He’s an elementary school gym teacher as his day job, and will often join Milly at the gym for their workout routines when their schedules line up. Plays the Berserker class in No Man’s Land.

These are our main players in the Streamer AU. If y’all have any questions about my AU, please feel free to send them in!

[pearlprincess02]

taylor swift and joe alwyn synastry (sun)

the sun rules will power and ego. it is the core of your potential and uniqueness as an individual; who you are and what you are about. it represents the main direction and focus you want your life to take, and your determination to accomplish what you set out to do. it is your personal honesty and integrity, and the ability to command respect and authority, to impress and influence others.

house overlay and aspects

taylor's sun

taylor's sun in joe's 2nd house

sun in the 2nd house synastry brings a forth light onto material security and self worth. the sun person (taylor) becomes like a care taker of the house person (joe), it could be financially. the sun (taylor) provides confidence in security and wellness of life. the house person (joe) feels protected and treated like royalty, spoiled with sweets and kisses.

taylor's sun conjuct joe's lilith

lilith (joe) in this scenario is truly the sun persons (taylor) dark side personified. the sun (taylor) is a hot arizona morning and lilith (joe) is the dry dark night. with the conjunct specifically, a lot of mutual attraction is shown, the sun person (taylor) represents liliths (joe) good side, and lilith (joe) is the sun persons (taylor) dark side. together in synastry the two may be able to strike a really nice balance of energy if both can meet in the middle. the sun person (taylor) will activate all of liliths (joe) traits, which could be uncomfortable if they haven’t been exposed much to them. similar to the square/opposition something about being together feels a bit wrong but it’s more likely to be sexy then alarming. the flip side with the conjunct here is that it can go either way, if the chart is mostly positive it mostly an enhancer that adds depth, two different sides of the same coin. the connection will feel profound even if it’s mundane.

taylor's sun square joe's pallas

it takes some effort, but sun person (taylor) and pallas (joe) person can come to understand each other. sun person (taylor) is at first thrown off by pallas person's (joe) intellectual nature and may see pallas person (joe) as aloof or scheming. pallas person (joe) may see sun person (taylor) as only out for themselves and out conscientious of how their gifts can benefit society. it may take some effort to adjust to each other’s nature but with mindfulness and patience, sun person (taylor) can awaken pallas person's (joe) creative side. pallas person (joe) can draw on their artistic and charismatic nature to further their agenda as sun person (taylor) will inspire them to do. pallas person (joe) can help sun person (taylor) develop a more socially responsible attitude and channel their leadership skills toward collaborating on important strategies. each may struggle to be in charge and compromise may be needed so this couple can more effectively work together.

taylor's sun opposite joe's vertex

sun (taylor) has some qualities about them that vertex person (joe) desires in their ideal partner. there is a mutual attraction, although usually vertex person (joe) feels this more. even though in some ways their characters may be different, they can fill in pieces for each other- it is a balancing act. 

joe's sun

joe's sun in taylor's 3rd house

the lower mind of the house person (taylor) becomes radiant and full of life. conversations about themselves become more prevalent. the house person (taylor) provides knowledge and quenches the curiosity of the sun person (joe). the sun person (joe) can comfortable verbally express his or herself to the house person (taylor), and vice versa. there’s lots of good and open communication here. opening the mind becomes a daily process.

joe's sun trine taylor's moon

with the sun trine moon synastry aspect, the relationship simply flows. the moon person (taylor) relies on the sun person’s (joe) energy, enthusiasm, and vibrancy, while the sun person (joe) appreciates the emotional support of the moon person (taylor). this couple has a strong emotional bond. they’re attracted to each other mentally and naturally understand each other. in fact, the sun trine moon synastry aspect means that this couple is really in sync. they may each feel actual pain when the other person is hurt. each person feels as though they can rely on the other. this is a natural quality, so this is often found in the chart of couples who stay together long term. the sun trine moon synastry aspect makes this energy flow from day one! typically, the sun trine moon synastry couple is at ease with each other. the sun person (joe) may “lead” the relationship a bit more, while the moon individual (taylor) provides the emotional support, but this usually works for the couple and no one feels overshadowed. this relationship is full of emotional bonding. each person feels super secure with the other; you know that your emotions are safe with each other. the sun person (joe) shines a light on the moon person’s (taylor) darker side, while the moon individual (taylor) gives emotional depth to the sun’s (joe) ego. ultimately, this is a really beneficial, important aspect.

joe's sun sextile taylor's uranus

there is respect for independence and individuality in each other. their connection is through the mind, through learning, and through lots of activity. sun (joe) brings passion and excitement, uranus (taylor) brings discovery. this aspect can make the couple sensitive to bad communication or disrespect. 

joe's sun trine taylor's lilith

the lilith person (taylor) will feel like the sun person (joe) really “shines” a light on their personality and can discover untapped talents. the sun person (joe) isn’t likely to hold back the lilith (taylor) in terms of sexual expression and spirit, theyre likely to “get” what/why lilith (taylor) is the way they are. sexual undertones will be present in most interactions as lilith (taylor) is quite sexual by nature.

joe's sun trine taylor's ceres

sun person (joe) and ceres person (taylor) bring out the best in each other. sun person (joe) knows how to uplift and empower ceres person (taylor). ceres person (taylor) in turn is nurturing, caring and affectionate, making sun person (joe) feel loved and admired. this makes sun person (joe) feel more secure. sun person (joe) can help boost ceres person (taylor) self-esteem and both understand each other’s unique emotional needs. sun person (joe) can bring ceres person (taylor) out of a low mood and help ceres person (taylor) nurture their own needs as well as finding deeper inner value. ceres person (taylor) may find sun person (joe) to be encouraging and inspirational.

celeb's masterlist / moodboard

crd:

sun synastry

sun - lilith aspect / sun - pallas aspect / vertex aspects / sun - moon aspect / sun - uranus aspect / sun - cere aspects

[irisviel101]

EnNatsu | The Whole Journey

I see a lot of people saying that EnNatsu came out of nowhere. As one of the biggest shipper of this ship, I decided to compile the standout EnNatsu moments and see exactly how much they developed through out all the three seasons of the OG series.

The first episode introduces both characters and their dynamic effectivey. Natsumi threatens to disband the soccer club if they don't win against Teikoku Gakuen in their first ever match, which obviously makes Endou angry — so much so that he's fuming even when talking to the team.

This scene sets the tone for most of their initial interactions going forward: they bicker and push each other's buttons even as they slowly start to strive for the same goal. Natsumi is condescending at times but she also helps the team in her own way, and Endou is generally a happy person, but no one can annoy him like Natsumi can.

It's subtle but as Natsumi slowly becomes integrated into the team, they start having some more friendlier interactions even aside from Natsumi informing them about the matches and stuff.

Slowly, they become friends.

Their bickering also becomes more friendly instead of being just about Natsumi threatening to disband the club or about Natsumi picking at Endou's passion for soccer.

Like at the end of episode 16 when Endou and Aki visit Natsumi and her father in the hospital.

Natsumi immediately notices Endou's injury and is genuinely happy to hear that the team won their match, two things she never would have done in the start of the season.

The argument that comes after it is about Endou misunderstanding Natsumi's words, and it's more laid-back than their arguments in the start of the season when Natsumi would threaten to disband the club or pick at Endou's overenthusiastic passion for soccer. It's nothing but friendly bickering between friends, showing how far they've come in their friendship since the beginning even if they are very much still the same people.

Then we have this scene in episode 19.

Natsumi, who's visiting her father in the hospital and feeling melancholic because it's a hospital and her father is admitted in it, sees the tower near which Endou always practices and goes there on a whim. And when she gets there, she automatically envisions Endou practicing as usual.

When Endou sees her there, he can tell at first glance that something's btohering her, even if she says that things are getting better. And what does he do? He takes her to his favorite spot and reminds her that she isn't alone.

I believe this is the moment where Natsumi really developed her crush. Before this, their whole dynamic was "enemies to friends" and now they're moving on to the "friends to lovers" bit.

Endou, of course, doesn't see it that way just yet, and I doubt even Natsumi sees her crush as a crush, but this is the moment where it actually starts.

(Reblogging to continue because I can't add more pictures)

[ystrike1]

I Was Summoned to Be the Saint, but I Was Robbed of the Position, Apparently - By Yoshitaka Hana (8/10)

Hear me out. I think the vibe of a story is really important. Yandere or possessive behavior doesn't always have to be explicitly bloody or very obvious. I really do appreciate possessiveness that is integrated into the plot.

Anise is the Saintess, but sadly her bully followed her to the fantasy world she was destined to save. People from our world who enter that world get magic that suits their personality. Anise isn't a saintly person. She just likes to help others, and she's pretty tolerant. Hime, the bully, is treated like a nuisance by her. A normal person would have snapped at Hime by now. Anise has alot of patience, and she only uses violence to protect herself. So, because of her good qualities she received special Saint magic.

Hime received ultra powerful charm magic. She uses it to convince the fantasy characters to rape and kill Anise, who has no choice but to run. Hime is a superfan. She adores otome games about saints. She played a stereotypical one endlessly to get the secret character. Her favorite character. General Lector. A man with high charm....Hmm...how odd the love interest also uses charm. It's well known in this world that usually people who are messed up in the head use charm magic. It's a power rooted in either narcissism or the desperate need to be a leader. It's a selfish power. It's very interesting that Hime and the sexy otome man she loves so much have the same power.

Anise runs away with Lec, who found her when she started selling potions to make quick cash. Lec lies about his identity. He tries to use his magic to seduce her into serving him...and then liking him...over and over. Thankfully, her high level healing magic stops that. Hmm. Odd though. The man Hime adores as her true love seems off. Kinda awful actually.

Here's the backstory for the secret route. Lec doesn't trust anyone. He is the only heir with charm magic. People have been trying to use him and marry him and manipulate him since he was a child. He has always, always wanted to marry a Saintess. Saints must be truly kind to get their special magic, so if he marries a saint he will gain a wife that genuinely loves him. How sweet...but wait that's kinda super fucked up isn't it???

There's alot of subtle dialog in this. Lec convinces Anise to stay by his side. He says that if she marries him she can immigrate to his country, far away from Hime and her rabid servants. He claims he doesn't need her love, BUT he only reveals that he's a prince when it's too late. After the reveal it's way too late for Anise to turn back.

Anise gets bullied when she arrives in her new home. Her personal maid only cares about money. Everybody else is jealous, because Lec is the best bachelor in the land. Anise is also, apparently, not very pretty. She doesn't know courtly manners like the previous Saints. She's not a sweet talker like Hime. She puts in effort and the staff eventually accepts that she's a real Saint, but it's a long process.

Lec slowly proves that he is a good husband, but he is jealous. Divorce is not an option. He would rather start a war to keep Anise. All of these nuggets of weirdness are buried in fast paced chapters. Anise is the main character all alone for the first 8 chapters or so too. Lec just kind of appears. He tests her, and he quickly becomes enamored. Anise, from the beginning, doesn't want love and she doesn't like his type. He kinda wears her down and they start to get along when he's more open emotionally.

Hime gets worse. She claims her husband is abusive to get a meeting with Lec. She's shocked when Lec doesn't give a shit. Hime is an amazing villain. Her lies are so deep that she believes them. Her obsession with Lec makes her behave like a literal monster. Lec is terrifying when he's around her....because he's used to women like Hime. He deals with them all the time, because everyone wants the magically charming prince.

Hime doesn't save Lec as revenge. Lec is destined to die unless certain plot conditions are met. Hime knew how to save him from his fate the whole time, but she wasn't willing to help unless he loved her back. Anise kindly saved a tiny cat demon at the beginning of the story, and it's big enough to ride. That kind coincidence is what saves Lec in this timeline. The magic cat flies Anise back fast to heal him, and that's basically it. Main story done. There's alot of messed up toxic love in this.

Hime was obsessed with marrying Lec.

Lec was obsessed with marrying someone pure and trustworthy.

I was fascinated by how different Lec and Hime are, even though they possess similar magic.

I was also really disturbed when Lec did not stop trying to magically charm Anise into loving him. If she didn't have stronger magic she would have become his brain dead love interest. All because he couldn't resist the urge to use his magic and make her want him, because he really wanted her. The messed up stuff is kinda pushed under the rug though. Anise and Lec have a good relationship. I may be reading into this too much, but the vibe...

The vibe...

[loren91]

In my last post about Wilhelm and why his flaws are important for the narrative, I may have come off as a tad bit harsh calling him a bad person. So let me elaborate on that one more. I don’t think he’s a bad person. He’s an interesting character, my favourite character in the show even, which in terms of storytelling, is a much larger compliment than saying ‘he’s so sweet and good’. He’s an incredibly nuanced character and I’d like to talk a bit more about his personality.

Let me really emphasise one thing.

WILHELM IS NOT SHY.

For some reason, it seems to be very common to interpret his character as a shy, nervous little cry baby. Which I don’t agree with.

Usually in filmmaking, the first time you show your protagonist you want to have a scene that displays the character's core essence. To properly introduce them to the audience.

Look at how Wilhelm is introduced to us:

We see him having an anxiety attack, his face is covered in bruises and he’s trying to control his breathing. There are flashbacks of a bar and a random guy harassing him, and of course, the fight. There are paparazzi outside the car that are clearly bothering him. Then he’s arguing with the poor assistant about the script for the statement, raising his voice at her.

What does this tell us about his character? He’s got anxiety issues, he’s not very happy with living in the public eye, he’s quick to anger and he’s rather aggressive. Wilhelm is an angry, angry boy. And he stays angry for most of the first episode. Except for when he’s in close proximity to Simon. (Or when he’s drunk)

The church scene in ep 1, where Simon is singing, that’s the first time we see him smile. Which is a really sweet way to show us his fascination and attraction to Simon from the very start, but not only that, it also offers something that can counteract his anger issues. That’s why we are rooting for Wilmon from the start!

Yes, Wilhelm is nervous around Simon to begin with, but that’s because he has a crush, not because of his personality. Later, as soon as Simon confirms that his feelings are reciprocated, Wilhelm becomes a lot more forward. I mean come on, who was the initiator in the fish scene really? Wilhelm knew exactly what he was doing, kissing Simon’s neck and hugging him from behind. But even in the beginning, who’s the one pursuing who first? Who’s the one chasing after the other at the party? Who’s the one texting first? Who’s the one reaching out their hand first during the movie night? Wilhelm! Those are not the actions of a chronically shy person.

If he ever seems unsure or withdrawn around his peers, especially around August, that’s not because he’s shy or nervous or sad. He’s frustrated. August is so fucking annoying. He dislikes August with a passion from the very beginning but he’s trying so hard not to let it show. Mainly, I think he’s frustrated that he can’t just dump his ass immediately.

The opening to ep 1 is also really smart in another way, it establishes the possible consequences Wilhelm may face for his mistakes. If he doesn’t behave, his mother will make sure he pays for it. When they decide to send him to Hillerska, against his wishes, his mother says “Hillerska will help give you routine and the right type of friends” (although she does say ‘umgänge’, which technically translates closer to ‘company’. So I think she might be more concerned about him being integrated into the correct community rather than making actual friends) We also see Erik tell him that he can trust August. So Wilhelm is expected to like August, and he doesn't dare break his family’s expectations of him, because he’s terrified of the consequences. He can’t speak up against August, even when he’s saying awful stuff or bullies Simon right in front of him. He’s scared of what could happen if his mother found out he’s not ‘making the right the right type of friends’. So he’s trying to conform to the elite culture at Hillerska, at least for show. 

Just a side note about August, the dislike is 100% mutual. Considering how he takes any opportunity to scold and lecture Wilhelm as a sick power move. He also talks shit about him behind his back and belittles him in front of Erik and their peers. August is not really interested in being his friend at any point, he just wants the status and bragging rights of ‘being close to the royal family’. He’s trying to compensate for only being the 2nd cousin. I think Erik generally has a lot more patience with people and takes the stuff August says with a pinch of salt. ‘It’s just August. He’s just like that, it doesn't mean anything’. But Wilhelm certainly doesn’t have the same kind of patience, and when he’s not cooperating the way August would’ve liked him to, August gets more and more agitated, and when Wilhelm spills his secret about being broke, that’s the last straw. They really bring out the worst in each other.

But then when Wilhelm is with Simon (and sometimes with Felice and Erik as well) we get to see his true self. A sweet, goofy, confident yet sensitive kid, who values authenticity and freedom above everything else. And he can tell Simon has the same values, therefore he feels comfortable enough with Simon to just be himself around him. So it’s made very clear to us who the ‘right type of friends’ for Wilhelm actually are. But that’s not what his family or the royal court values. Keeping up the facade is more important to them.

He’s so scared, of his mother and the press. All of these expectations and the weight of a several centuries-old institution resting on his shoulders, is a lot of shit that a 16-year-old kid shouldn’t have to deal with, that’s where his anxieties come from.

I really hope Wilhelm finds a way to be his authentic self in the next season, carrying so much anger and pretending to be fine with all that bullshit must be fucking exhausting.