#how many sacrifices do I have to make for my family to be genuinely loved

[kittlyns]

My mother will ask how she raised me to end up like this (votes democrat) but nothing of her sweet, precious son that lives above the garage, has never had a job, hates women, etc etc etc etc etc

[qqueenofhades]

what's been particularly vile to me is this group of white online leftists who insist that anyone who cares about more than this one issue for the election is a bad person, like, as if us black and brown people are making up reasons to be afraid and not.....believing the gop when they say they are coming for us. believing trump who has said previously that he does not bluff, that he will do the things he's said he will do (i hate what social media has gone to the word gaslighting but it feels like gaslighting. we lived through four years of trump. we saw the damage. stop treating us like we're being dramatic). it must be great to not have to worry about that i guess? "life won't change under trump" is such a telling admission because maybe theirs won't but mine will. and so many others' will.

and it is often again these (white) online leftists that love to call anyone who disagrees with them a white liberal (derogatory) because they know it would be racist (bad) to be this shitty and condescending to poc but they don't want to actually listen to anything black and brown voters are saying. it's easier to just call us white liberals and throw our opinions out, to ignore the work of black people for decades to gain the right to vote, to disregard the weight of telling them to not do that. it's genuinely appalling. they care so much about racism until it's time to engage with poc who have different opinions than their online echo chambers, then we're just stupid liberals with terrible opinions like..... wanting to live. not wanting four more years of trump. so sorry for that.

sorry for this vent in your inbox, i'm just so fucking tired of white people trying to rewrite history as if trump wasn't that bad. he was for my family and countless others and i am terrified for what's to come if he wins.

The thing about (the often-white) Online Leftists is that they have become just as much as a radicalized death cult as the diehard Trumpists. If you don't want to die for The Revolution and/or sacrifice your life, friends, family, the rest of the country, etc., then you're Insufficiently Pure and must be Purged. (Which I think is just complete BS, as none of them could actually handle sacrificing anything, but it's increasingly the only kind of performative rhetoric that is acceptable in leftist-identified discourse spaces.) This is functionally identical to "if you aren't willing to lay down your life for our Lord and Savior Donald Trump and the Great White Christian Nationalist Dictatorship, you're a liberal cuck," but with the names and justification changed. It doesn't change the underlying radicalization, nihilism, and insanity of the premise.

Another thing the Trumpists and the Online Leftists have in common is that they are busily rewriting just how bad Trump was in order to serve their Ideology. Ever since January 6, 2021, the Republicans have thrown everything they have at revising and whitewashing any suggestion that it was an "insurrection," and the Online Leftists have done the same, in an attempt to "prove" their insane point that Trump "would be better" than Biden. This is embodied in the recent ultimate-brainworm-nonsense maximalist-online take that "Biden has to lose so the rest of the world will see that the US rejects genocide!!!" That's right, the message that the rest of the world would take from Biden losing to Trump is that the US rejects genocide. Never mind if Trump literally wants to commit all the genocide possible and to install himself as a fascist theocratic dictator. In the deeply twisted minds of the Online Leftists, this is the only possible interpretation of Biden's loss, so they'll push for it as hard as they can! The Trumpists and the Online Leftists, at this point, are working pretty much in concert to damage Biden for similar insane reasons and get Trump elected. Etc etc., one Nazi and ten people at the same table is eleven Nazis.

Like. Sure. Four years ago, when Trump was president and people were dying by the thousands because he didn't want to wear a mask because it smeared his bronzer, just to name literally one of the terrible things he did every single day (and not even mentioning how much worse a second term would be) we were absolutely better off. Super-duper great. (Sarcasm.) Either that or "there is suffering and evil in the world and the only solution is to drastically increase the suffering and evil for everyone and to destroy what progress we have managed to make because It Does Not Fix Everything Now" is an absolute moral imperative, and either way, yeah. I'm calling bullshit.

[andy-wm]

Please love me is Jimin's line today

The hardest few seconds for me to watch, were these...

Jimin was absolutely dreading appearing on screen without his trademark beautiful hair.

We know he left it as late as he could and didn't want to show anyone.

He looked like he was barely holding it together when he called attention to his hair being shaved. He must have genuinely been scared of the reaction he would get, even from Kook.

"It looks good on you"

Jungkook, you absolute fucking LEGEND 💜

He knew exactly what to say.

When Jungkook told Jimin he looked good (even with no hair) Jimin turned his face away <those feels choking him up> and when he turned back, the almost desperate look of gratitude mixed with relief was so clear.

Please love me is Jimin's line today.

This is not about vanity, ego or pride.

It brings home how fragile his confidence is. His need for approval and the assurance of being loved is strong. It’s so heartbreaking, but we know he hasn't had an easy road.**

Thankfully he did stand a little bit taller once JK reassured him...

But it wasn't an easy moment for Jungkook either.

Whether because he had to witness Jimin's fear and could do nothing more than pet his head, or because he was facing his own misgivings (probably both) he looked equally lost in that moment.

Remember that these boys have left their home once before and journeyed to a place that was less than welcoming. They've had to face the grim, disproving faces of unkind critics and a system that didn't support or value them.

I don't doubt there were echoes of that feeling on this day, that same sense of trepidation they've known before.

We know how the military treats men like them.

And then...

we got this:

You can take the boy out of Busan but you can't take Busan out of the boy.

(People say this about my home town too...)

The shadow of fear is still there in his eyes but.... he looks like a (very hot) backstreet thug who will absolutely fuck you up no questions asked.

It does occur to me that MS might be the reason Jimin has been learning to fight.

I mean really learning to fight.

Yes he's probably doing boxing too but i suspect something more than that ... you shouldn't get torn knuckles from boxing lessons unless you aren't wrapping your hands properly, just saying.

<Gotta love a person who can hold you and cradle your head, and also knock down an aggressor when they have to.>

If all else fails (words before fists, right?) I hope he can handle himself.

If he must defend himself, and someone (not him) looks like they've had a close encounter with his fists, I saw nothing.

I hope for both of them, their background will serve them well. In any case they will support one another and their love will see them through this. It's exactly why they are enlisting as companions.

🐰🐥

This is no easy journey, for these young men (all seven of them) or for their families, their friends, and their loved ones. Yes, it's reality of life for every person in Korea, but that doesn't make it easier when it's YOU or YOUR person who is going away.

I am seeing them off with an in ache in my chest - I know we all are. But I'm toasting their successful military service, and their quick return.

짠 지민아, 정국이! We love you 💜💛

See you soon, Angels.

** 'Hurry up and be me soon' ...

Some of us know how much it costs to put our authentic self out into the world. The sacrifices you have to be willing to make are huge. You're not only exposing your own vulnerabilities, but the flow on effect for your family and friends is real.

<talking specifically about Jimin here... how many times do you think his parents will have to say 'no, Jimin doesnt have a girlfriend, and no he isn't looking for one... No he doesn't plan to marry'.>

It's a long journey to self love and acceptance...

We know Jimin has been through a number of iterations of himself. He's been through the tough guy phase, the closed book, the siren, aloof and sophisticated, and the gently feminine.

The image he presents to the world is as much a construct as any person's is - and whether you're aware of this or not, all our public selves are social constructs.

"One size does not fit all" for queer people

For cis gendered heterosexual people, society has a few different ready-made constructs you can adopt, and the rest of society automatically understands the message you're sending. Most of them maintain the status quo of heterosexual cultural norms.

For anyone who DOESNT fit those norms, it's honestly never going to feel good expressing an image that isnt really you. Its like trying and make your circle self fit in a square box.

But theres nothing else that's readily available...

You really have to construct your public image from scratch.

When you aren't part of that typical demographic, figuring out how you want to be seen by the world can be an arduous and complex process.

How much do you reveal? How much do you risk?

You'll experiment with styles, behaviours, and social groups until you find a safe space you can occupy.

Jimin's safe space is with ARMY or his members, but it requires looking perfect.

Think about Jimin's hesitance to appear on camera without makeup. How carefully he chooses his clothes - whether for airport appearances, stage performance or out on the street. He usually has a team of people making sure he looks perfect. His hair is a trademark feature. It's always beautiful.

Remember that he's used to EVERYONE LOOKING AT HIM, ALL THE TIME.

Imagine how it feels to go out in public - against your will - with a shaved head.

Without hair, he would have surely felt naked. Plus, he's no longer in the safe embrace of ARMY, and his buffer of security and managers keeping him out of danger is gone.

He's immensely famous, but not universally loved (don't even go there) and bald, and small, and an IDOL, and very gay ... lets go with unlikely to be heterosexual.

No wonder he was feeling vulnerable.

Ngl, it broke my heart to see him so afraid but I'm sure he'll have a substantial group of supporters around him. I can only hope.

💜💛

[lovelybrooke]

Arlecchino is really THE Yandere platonic, would love for her to be my father-

But how/when do you think is she becoming Yandere ?

As a "father" Arlecchino loves her children, but her love is something that isn't normal. Her love is hard and stern and fiery, but for some of her children, it's the only love they have. So many of them, regardless of the life Arlecchino lives, find themselves attached to her, indebted to her, trapped with her. Many of them, like Lyney and his siblings do genuinely love her, but at least to me, it's more reverence than it is familial love. They love her because she saved them, and now, they have no other choice but to stay with her, but to them it's a sacrifice worth making because they feel as though they owe so much to her.

Anyway, I think she would become obsessed with someone who reminds her of herself in her youth. Someone who is so detached from the rest of the world, someone who is damaged. In a way, I feel like she'd behave like Silco from Arcane, seeing a child who is traumatized and broken, someone she wants to protect from the rest of the world. She takes you in and from the very beginning her relationship with you is different with the rest of her "children." She doesn't send you on missions or even lets you interact with the House of the Hearth at all. She's very protective in a way that is strange to everyone but her.

I don't know this is just first thoughts.

[dulcesiabits]

want to know your thoughts about 2.2 and the massive sunday lore drop 😈 also ive read ur thoughts about him and yea now i know why i vibe with sunday immediately from the get go bc he reminds me of myself too 😭

OH MY GOD THE SUNDAY LORE DROP........ I have some things to add to my characterization of him now and MANY thins to say......... Also, since I'll be talking about spoilers, I'll put it under the cut!

Personally, I love contrasts and parallels when it comes to characters, so Sunday and Robin opposing each other's ideas of "harmony" and "dreams" and "paradise" and "freedom" is so good. I love how the bird metaphor comes into play (what do you do with a baby bird? cage it or let it fly free?) with Sunday, and how he decides that "order" is the best way to achieve a perfect paradise. I also love the religious themes with him, especially because Sunday is definitely a person who thinks suffering is a virtue. Bro read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas and took it a little too seriously!!!

All jokes aside, I definitely think Sunday's emotional core is his sister. Like before he is the head of the Oak Family or even Sunday, he is Robin's brother. Their relationship is so integral to who he is, and it's hard to talk about him without talking about her. She's so important to him!!! Their promise to create a paradise is so dear to his heart, even if the way they want to achieve is different. I genuinely believe Robin is a stronger person than Sunday because he is the one trapped in the cage, and she's the one who tries to fly even if she stumbles, to bring back the metaphor. Where Robin's altruism leads her to help and inspire others, Sunday's altruism leads him to control and make choices for them.

There's something about how Robin believes in the inherent goodness of humanity, even when she gets hurt, and how Sunday is more nihilistic and pessimistic. He truly believes that the best way to make everyone happy is by trapping them in a dream, because reality is cruel and unfair, and people get hurt so easily, and the "strong" will not protect the "weak." Only in a dream can everyone be truly equal. There's an altruistic angle to his argument, but it's also inherently selfish, because he decides he's the one who knows best and is the only one who can carry out his plans to make everyone happy at his expense. Self-sacrifice is selfish, too, and Sunday gives me the vibes of the he has a more "divine" altruism that can only sympathize with others by condescending or looking down on them. Because people who you think need your protection are inherently less powerful/more weak than you.

If Robin is a singer, then he's a conductor. He knows best, and he'll willingly shoulder the burden of protecting the dream for the sake of others. This speaks to a lack of trust in people, too, and a deep streak of hyper-independence, where he can't rely on anyone else and prefers to do it all himself (because only he can do it right/only he should be the one to bear the burden of doing it). He's giving lonely oldest sibling martyr complex, and someone so set in his ways that you need to quite literally beat his ass to make him stop and see otherwise.

Now, I love messy characters, so when I interpret Sunday, I will lean into those messy aspects. I think he's someone who can't get close to others through conventional means, and it's exceedingly uncomfortable for him to be open. He's guarded and cagey, and he needs to express his emotions through 1000 layers of pretension, mind games and power plays (his favorite love languages) because it's never that simple with him!!! I think his feelings can be passionate, but in a way that's a little intense and all-consuming and manipulative <3 He thinks birds need to be kept in cages for their protection, after all, and the fear of the bird getting hurt means he's a very devoted warden.

(It must be mentioned he didn't try to dissuade Robin from leaving Penacony, but her getting shot frightened him and made him reconsider if he should have supported her so readily. His control issues stem from a fear of his loved ones getting hurt, but at the same time, he wants them to be happy more than anything. He's overprotective....)

[bestanimatedmovie]

Choose your favorite!

Vote in the other polls!

What fans say:

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron:

I was a Horse Girl TM, so I watched this movie a million times as a kid. It's honestly the best horse animation I've ever seen, all the backgrounds are gorgeous, and the soundtrack is incredible. Also the plot is anti-colonial/anti "taming of the west". Genuinely cannot pick a favorite scene, but I love the scene where Spirit commits many acts of violence against the US military <3

horsie :) I love how they use actual horse body language instead of just turning them into a dog. Also enjoy how the protags are easily understandable with just body language and neighs. Also the 2d and 3d animation blend seamless.

I cannot begin to tell you what makes this movie so good. It's a corner stone of animated media. The societal commentary. The incredible emotion of not only the story but the animation. The songs. Sound the Bugle makes me cry every time.

This movie was a key part of my childhood and “Sound the Bugle” still makes me tear up.

This is like the greatest horse movie of all time and I will not change my mind. I watched this movie so many times as a kid that both the VHS and first cd I had for it got ruined and we had to replace it with another cd LOL. I once convinced my teacher to let us watch it in class because it had a few scenes with Native Americans and we were learning about them at the time(It's about the old west and the expansion of the United States westward so it has some Native American characters but def not enough to make it a Native American film, but it does have positive representation I think?) The main character is the horse Spirit, a lead stallion for a herd of mustangs. His thoughts are narrated but he doesn't actively talk and the horse behaviors are pretty realistic, also the ART of it all, James Baxter was one of the lead animators for this film and his work is incredible, and hand done. Some of the behind the scenes stuff in the extras makes the animation look 3d its so good, and the camera work is also insane. As a horse obsessed child this movie was a staple for me, and I prefer it even over live action movies with actual horses. ALSO THE SOUNDTRACK OH MY GODDD how can I almost forget, the soundtrack for this movie goes so hard, I used to use some of the songs as hype music not even lying.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines:

It’s in its core about family, how we can drift and argue. Not because of one true fault, but because we are different. It shows how being weird and different don’t make you less of a family while not demonizing people who do have more stereotypical ‘perfect’ families. I think it portrays our humanity and the way we bond and what we do for those we love, what we sacrifice, so well. It’s so funny and so sweet.

It's funny and the family is neurodivergent and it's just really nice v good time it looks like anti technology at first but its clearly more of a criticism on capitalism I just really like that movie its pretty to look at.

It's funky!!! hang on, bullet point list time: - has such a unique and expressive animation style - has a lot of pop culture references that don't really feel overbearing - has honestly one of the best family dynamics in a movie I've seen???? - realistic characters!!! with realistic and interesting character arcs!!! - absolutely hilarious. makes me laugh every time i watch it :) - comedic villain! gotta love me one of those. also she's badass for a smartphone so - tHERE ARE FURBIES - basically it's very chaotic but also heartwarming, and it's honestly my favourite movie :D

Heartwarming story about family! Also kickass animation

Very good stylized animation. Well written and designed characters. Super funny and sooo heart warming. Fucking rad action scenes (again the animation is fantastic). The story comes together well, it's just quite well written. + Protective dad character who's not annoying as hell (that's rare!). I love every part of when they're at the dinosaur museum thing.

[i-hate-gravel]

my thoughts about Osvald Octopath Traveler 2, the guy of all time

his entire character is the most tragic and hysterical thing to me. what if there was a guy so autistic about math and magic he equations his way into harnessing the fundamental forces of the universe or whatever. also he's a dilf and loves his family.

oh yeah also his story starts with him MUZZLED and FALSELY IMPRISONED for the murder of his own wife and child. the first thing you do with this epitome of academia is MUG AND ROB A MAN, and its one of his MAIN MECHANICS as a characters

if you start the story with Throné the way i did you find him passed out in the bushes after he escapes by making a friend and then having that friend immediately SACRIFICE HIMSELF for him.

he only drinks black coffee and is pretentious about it canonically

SPOILER SHIT BELOW

i feel like the horrors he endures are so insanely next level compared to the average party member? like they have their problems (Hikari fights a full out war???) but there is a certain depth and horror embedded in "hey Osvald I framed you for the murder of your wife and child and got you sent to prison for it so I could steal your life's work and respected position as a professor. Also your daughter's still alive but I've brainwashed her to believe that I'm her father instead of you. Also your wife? Yeah I took her FUCKING SOUL AND PUT INTO THIS GOLEM THAT IVE COMMANDED TO KILL YOU. toodles i'm off to sacrifice your daughter to achieve forbidden power." that cannot be matched.

like i genuinely had to stop playing for a while and just put my switch down in complete shock as I realized what was happening. the writing in octopath 2 wasn't always great with all of the stories but oh my god when it hit it fucking HIT

he wears a rope as a belt, which at a certain point in his journey is something he could definitely fix, but i believe chooses not to

maybe he can't see it when he looks down because of his massive fucking naturals metal collar and chain. which he also chooses to keep on.

i utterly detest the stereotype of 'autistic and good at math/comparable things but struggles with emotions' that burdens so many characters esp because he has a full. wife and child and i would also hit that but like there's no way he was as emotionally closed off before the events of the story as he is when we encounter him so i choose to believe his regression in emotion maturity to how he considers the world and people around him is purely a trauma response and survival tactic in prison, hence how it is through meeting the party and traveling with them that he unravels his defenses and relearns how crucial love is to True Magic and he does it all for his family oh my god

what a nerd ass loser i love him

[sylvies-chen]

ok this episode… I have so many thoughts about poseidon and sally, and poseidon as a father in general, but I don’t even know where to begin when voicing them oh my god but okay I’ll try

he does such a good job I think of acknowledging his absenteeism in this episode which I was so happily surprised by— i.e. saying sally will have raised him well, acknowledging the unfairness of the situation and knowing that it will be torture for them. and also doing the smallest thing is not to be applauded but he does extend sally as much support and sacrifice as he can by letting her vent and speak reasons that he doesn’t want to hear, because he knows she needs to talk to someone and he wants to give her the only thing he can in that moment.

obviously the way his absence has affected percy is undeniable and the gods have a fucked up system that needs to be dismantled entirey, and he continues to operate under that system at the cost of the well-being of his true love and his son which is crappy dad behaviour 101, but he also lacks a level of callousness you see from ares, for example, and you can see he genuinely cares for percy as a son. he wants to unite with percy when the time is right which I also love but I know that will be so painful based on their interactions in the books and everything.

I just think poseidon will never love percy enough to smash the system, but he loves him and sally enough to wish it were different. and that is so complicated especially when you look at the gods as a toxic dysfunctional family, because dysfunctional dynamics are so hard to break even when you’re not the dominant toxic personality at play making the rules. but he’s unleashing new hurt by being absent and by not speaking up for his son. and god it kills me how percy never gets the kind of support from his dad that he does from sally but I imagine how complicated it must be to unlearn taught behaviours and systems which have been imposed on you for millenia. like he’s a shit dad but a tortured god and I will never not find that dynamic between the three of them so devastatingly interesting.

[hoyotournament]

Quarterfinals: Bronya Zaychik vs Collei

(Propaganda under the cut)

Bronya Zaychik:

revamping this bc i feel like it could be better: i love her so so bad <3. canonically disabled lesbian who has trouble with feeling intense emotions BUT HER ENTIRE CHARACTER REVOLVES AROUND LOVE!! whether it be from her romantic love of seele in the early game/manhua (it being the primary motivation for her to take care of herself and a partial reflection of her initial goal of saving seele from the quantam space no matter what); familial love surrounding her (her inheritance of the legacy of reason from welt yang who lost his own father, her guardians love for her being the only reason shes survived for so long even after their death <- many examples of that but the most obvious one being alexandra trading her own life for bronya via misteln, cocolia's relationship with bronya being emphasized as complex in part because of the real love they do feel for each other alongside all the other resentment from cocolia's betrayal of her), literally just. the core of reason and its 300,000 minds being representative of welt joyce's decision to fight for humanity because he loved humanity from that. and all of this from (again!!!) a canonically disabled lesbian! who's character and marginalized identities have been dehumanized over and over again in real life and in the plot! this isn't even mentioning how her entire arc exemplifies honkai's theme of agency!! which makes me sob my eyes out bc bronya hasn't really been allowed agency since she came to cocolia's orphanage!! she was a child mercenary who's lost her home and guardians over and over and over again and forced to care for herself when she was young. her first true point of domestic stability was in cocolia's orphanage (which even then wasn't perfect!! cocolia, for how much she loved her children, still asked them to participate in dangerous experiments!) and when that was threatened because of her loss of seele and her trust in cocolia, she chose to leave. her agency is also exemplified with cocolia literally taking over her body in the early chapters of the game and ofc the parallels w wendy. AND DO YOU SEE HOW THIS CONNECTS TO WELT JOYCE, HUMANITY'S ADAM, WHO CHOSE TO FIGHT FOR HUMANITY AND EMBRACE HIMSELF AS A HUMAN INSPITE OF HIS ORIGIN AS THE CURRENT ERA'S FIRST HERRSCHER AND HOW THAT ALSO EXTENDS BACK TO ELYSIA'S SACRIFICE? she's so important to me everyone watch cyberangel rn.

Collei:

MY DEADALIVEGIRL!!!!!!!!!! i genuinely don't even know where to start. collei is such a beautiful beautiful character who's entire story revolves around a girl who's been dehumanized and exploited for her entire life, healing through compassion and a recognition of her own humanity. first of all, when we meet collei in the genshin manhua, she is full of vitriolic anger and hate at both the world and herself. she's been dehumanized over and over and over again and because its a repetitive experience, she fully believes that her lack of worth is something innately true. this only changes when someone (amber) shows her unrelenting compassion and trust. amber goes against everything that collei believed about herself. amber tells her that she is not only capable of good, but she is good. amber reinforces this novel idea that collei deserves goodness. and that realization is the moment that collei begins recognizing her own humanity, and thus, recognizing her own potential to grow, heal, and be the good person that amber knows she is. every moment thus forth is a demonstration of her attempts to grow and be kind!!!! she decides to go through with cyno's sealing ritual even with its conditions! she asks lisa to help her write a letter at the end of the manhua! she mends amber's tattered clothes like she promised! she decides to go to sumeru, a land of wisdom! it's so pertinent to her character that she gains her vision (representative of her ambition) during a show of compassion (protecting a child during a dangerous storm)! it's even in her symbolism with the way she's constantly referred to as a sproutling. NOT EVEN MENTIONING HOW THE REBIRTH METAPHOR THATS APPLIED TO HER CHARACTER (re: sprout of rebirth, revived serval, cyno and anubis and their ritual) IS SO DEEPLY CONNECTED TO SUMERU (her being the first sumeru character we know of and having that rebirth metaphor hinted at in the manhua! that rebirth metaphor carrying over to the actual sumeru plot w nahida! the rebirth metaphor tying in with the snake and cat symbolism that she and the archon residue complete!!!!!!) she's just such a loaded character!! AND collei's one of the few genshin characters with canonical cptsd who has identifiable and realistically common triggers. most importantly, the game acknowledges that its there and in spite of that, shows her resilience in still trying and healing!!!! my disabled deadalive mummygirl i love her so bad.

[ruthlesslistener]

admittedly really not a fan of hollow hating pk (mostly because my interpretation of them knew what costs were at stake and inherited like, all his depression and black-and-white problemsolving skills and protective urges and total lack of self-worth), but I'm a REAL big fan of them having this deep, burning hatred for the Radiance. Like, full-on, vitrolic 'I will deface every statue of you, I will wipe clean the earth's memory of you, I will burn you down to ash and then follow you to hell to ensure there is no remnant of you sort of hatred. Because SHE is the reason they were born like this SHE is the reason why so many of their siblings suffered SHE is the reason father hurt and mother left and SHE is the one who killed all the people who they were supposed to protect and made their sacrifice and father's sacrifice and their sibling's sacrifice meaningless and SHE was the one who broke their body and their mind and their heart and no matter how deeply they understand her pain, they will not stop until every last bit of her is eradicated and the fading scream of her corpse is fully swallowed by the deep. There is fear of her, yes, and deep terror of the pain of her retaliation, but once that fades, there is only a deep, smouldering hatred of her that will never fully be extinguished

(This is, of course, an unfair bias- the Pale King and White Lady were the ones who chose to confront her in such a monsterous matter, and thus are not free of criticism like the Hollow Knight prefers to imagine- but love makes one irrational, doubly so when that love is both genuine and abusive and there can be SOMEONE to blame for why your family that so dearly wants to come together will never ever be able to do so)

[pomplalamoose]

Hey bae 🙏 do you think we could get something about turning sith!luke to the light side?💗

Hiii dear anon, thank you for your ask🩵

It's been a while since I received one and I'm sooo excited, especially since I get to talk about Sith!Luke, my beloved

I wasn't sure what exactly you wanted but I hope you like this discussion of possible scenarios anyways <33

• when it comes to turning Sith Luke back to the light, I think it really depends how and why he choose the dark side in the first place and what interpretation of him we're talking about

• if, for example, he turned during the original trilogy, you'd have to approach him differently than it would be the case if he grew up raised by Vader

• while his struggle to remain on the right path for himself and the galaxy is often highlighted in the movies and books, trilogy Luke never strays too far away from what Obi-Wan and Yoda taught him

• he certainly has his darker moments in which he considers everything he loves lost, but ultimately, even then, he'd rather sacrifice himself for the greater good than reach for the power Vader, and later the Emperor, offer him

• "Never. I'll never turn to the dark side"

• "Soon I'll be dead and you with me"

• so should he fall or, for whatever reason, deliberately make the decision to join the dark side, I see two possible ways in which this could turn out, his stubbornness and wish for justice and equity being one of the more important factors

• 1) he's convinced it's for the best and in favor of many

• it's hard to resist a seemingly easy solution in times of crisis, especially if it's offered in a tempting way and Luke is by no means unreceptive to manipulation

• however I do believe he'd realize his misconception rather quickly and so the most prominent thing keeping him from pursuing the light again wouldn't be his ignorance but his deep shame

• because of the weight he carries he's very hard on himself and no less so as a Sith

• consumed by the dark side he'd probably be less focused on improvement but on self doubt and hatred instead

• he may even go as far as to remain in this situation willingly as a way to punish himself

• not only would he think himself deserving of being miserable but also think it's for the better if he never comes near his loved ones again, afraid to hurt them

• here his stubbornness hurts him decidedly more than others because obviously there's still good inside of him, he just isn't allowing it to be there in favor of another misconception and self doubt

• ("I don't deserve to be around my family after what I did.", "Because what if I'm truly evil and don't know it?", "What if they fall victim to one of my mistakes and get hurt?")

• in this case it'd definitely be possible to make him see reason

• Luke is able to and eager to learn from the past, as well as adapt to a new point of view

• if he can believe it's for the best to join the dark side, he can believe the opposite once more

• it may need patience and coaxing, much affection, assurance and insistence but through your love (romantically as well as platonically) he'd be able to find himself again

• 2) his opinion of the galaxies political situation changes to such an extent that he's convinced his fall to the dark side is genuinely important in order to implement a just system

• I will be honest, I have no idea how that would even happen but let's stick with the idea anyways because we're taking about Sith!Luke here

• (maybe he was brainwashed???)

• in this scenario I imagine it to be rather difficult to make him reconsider

• not only is he now convinced of what he's doing is inherently good but also of the fact that the people not sharing his opinion have some devious plans to make those he's so set to protect suffer

• Luke firmly stands by what he believes in and while that is a wonderful attribute to have it's rather problematic when it's used for harm

• that man is ready to fight for his convictions and I see him defending them in a way similar to how he resisted the dark side in RotJ

• he's still Luke though and not stupid, I belive it still possible to reason with him especially if you're someone he admires or otherwise holds dear

• in order to get him to listen to you though you'll need time and patience to get under his skin

• now let's take a quick look at the interpretatiom of the Sith!Luke I write about

• to some extent he's still the same person as trilogy Luke but while they share certain traits, they turned out like opposites due to the circumstances they were exposed to during their lifes

• basically my Sith!Luke is a "What if Luke and Leia were raised with the dark side by Darth Vader"-version in which he grows up in a galaxy after the Empire defeated the Alliance and thus doesn't know anything about Jedi since they just,,,don't exist anymore

•(granted, this is a rather dark AU but I saw no other way in which Luke would act like he does in my fics, without any hope of him changing his ways)

• (there are of course works that discuss a different outcome, exploring Luke turning to the light side despite being raised as Sith, so it is of course a possibility if that's what he's set up to do)

• (I, however, like to center my Sith!Luke around the idea of just that being unthinkable since it's so far fetched and ooc for a person so full of light and good)

• (please keep that in mind when continuing to read, xx)

• this too is the only case in which I think it wouldn't be possible to turn him to the light side because the concept in itself is a foreign and outdated one

• it does exist, yes, and Luke is aware of it too, after all he's well studied and educated, has to be if he is to be the successor of his father

• but it is nothing that seems worth looking into further since the classical "fight" between good and bad is a thing of the past

• because while Luke may not agree with every political stance his family takes he knows he'll be the Emperor sooner than later, able to make changes as he likes

• in this regard, depending on the role you take on in his life, you might be able to slightly influence his decisions and/or his treatment of a certain group of people

• if you're important enough to him he'll listen to what you have to say, though he won't necessarily implement it into the system

• you are well advised to approach such attempts carefully though since you don't want him to suspect you of disregarding his status and position

• or, even worse, want to alienate him from his family and loved ones

• because no matter the universe, Luke would move worlds for those he cares for and accordingly (mainly Sith!Luke) grows easily suspicious when someone so much as questions their behavior, motives, etc. or insinuates to be against them

[feyhunter78]

The Innocent's Folly pt. 3

Description: Your pregnancy is announced and Aemond grows distant, while rumors swirl and reach your ear with the help of your good-brother Aegon.

Previous chapter, Next chapter

Alicent worries, she worries often, about many things, but on this day she in particular worries about Aemond. She knew it was a large sacrifice she asked him to make, to marry y/n in order to gain information on Rhaenyra, but now she worries it has gone too far.

Y/N, sweet y/n has come to her, smiling and radiant as she excitedly told Alicent that she was with child.

She wasn’t aware that Aemond had such feelings for the girl and when she asked him, he mentioned the conversation he had with his grandsire, which turned her stomach.

A child for power was a trade she herself had been forced to make, and it was not one she wished for her own children. But what could be done? Y/N was happy, Aemond seemed happy, and Alicent couldn’t deny that the thought of another grandchild made her heart sing.

She bites at that skin around her thumb as her mind lingers on that word seemed, what if her son was truly unhappy? No child should grow up with an absent father, and while she had faith in her son, she knew the tension unwanted children bred.

This was not the first time she wondered if perhaps this plan was too cruel, y/n genuinely loved Aemond and had been striving to do her very best to fit in to the family. When she tripped over her words, or the light dimmed in her eyes at a passing insult from Aegon or Otto, Alicent couldn’t help but see herself in the young girl.

She ripped her finger from her mouth, no, this was for Aegon, for her children, y/n would be well taken care of even if once Aegon was on the throne, Aemond decided he no longer wanted her.

You hummed in contentment as you walked through the gardens with Helaena, arm in arm as she told you, her experiences with pregnancy. She did her best to make it not seem terrifying, but you knew better, having assisted in the Princess Rhaenyra’s births, you felt a bit more prepared than then average noblewoman.

Helaena was called away, and you wandered back into the keep, your hand resting on your small bump, you couldn’t wait to be a mother, and have someone to pour all your love into.

 Since the announcement of your pregnancy, Aemond had withdrawn from you. Your good-mother assured you it was simply nerves, but you couldn’t help but think back to the hushed conversation you’d had with Ana, a kitchen maid, and one of your closest friend.

“I hate to tell you this y/n, I know how much you love him but…”

“But what? Ana, you are one of my closest companions, I trust you with my life, and that will never change.”

Ana fidgeted with the strings of her apron. “I’ve been hearin’ that the prince has taken to joining his brother down on Silk Street, they say he’s been asking for someone who looks like a certain woman, but it isn’t you.”

You had swallowed hard and thanked Ana, asking her to keep her ears open for you.

“Sweet good-sister, how lovely to see you.” Aegon said, suddenly appearing at your side, and linking arms with you.

“Aegon, hello, how are you this afternoon?” You asked politely, wary of his hands and where they might try to travel.

“Better now that I know my plans for this evening.” He drawled, giving you a smile that set your nerves on edge.

“Oh? Is there an event I have yet to hear about?”

“No, it is simply a brotherhood event, a celebration of manhood.”

“Ah, I see, well that sounds like it will be quite fun for you.” You looked down at your feet, worries beginning to dissipate.

“And Aemond.” He added.

“Aemond is going?” Your worries returned, and your hand fell to your stomach.

“Yes, but he will be safe, worry not.”

“I am sure he will be; I would not bet against the two of you in a fight.” You laughed but didn’t feel it.

“He is the better swordsman, for sure.”

“Yes, but it is you both as a team that makes me feel protected.” You looked up at him and found a flicker of sympathy in his eyes.

“Let me escort you back to your quarters y/n, you are with child, you should rest.”

Aegon continued to ask you questions about your wellbeing as he walked you back to you and Aemond’s shared quarters. As he opened the door for you, he scanned the room then lowered his voice. “Tonight, midnight, find the painting with the purple roses and follow the tunnel through there, you will be looking for the Gilded Lady, a pillowhouse on Silk Street. Let no one see you.”

You wanted to ask questions, but he shook his head.

“I take no pleasure in this, but I do believe you deserve the truth.”

Then he left, and you stood in the doorway, head spinning as you tried to digest the information he’d given you.

“Sweet y/n, are you waiting to welcome me home?” Aemond called, a slight smile on his face as he approached you.

You nodded, still half in your thoughts, only to be broken out of it by Aemond tilting your chin up and kissing you, his hand resting on your stomach.

“And how fares our son?”

You follow him into your quarters and sit at the table. “Well, the morning sickness has finally retreated.”

“That is good to hear, have you spoken with Helaena about her experiences with childbirth?”

“Yes, I did today, and I have assisted in births before I am not scared, not yet at least.”

He kneels before you and reached up, stroking your cheeks with his thumbs. “My brave wife, I cannot wait to see our son.”

You leaned into his touch, confused but grateful for his sudden increase in affection. Perhaps now was the time to ask him to warm your bed once more. “I have received a new nightgown, and wish to wear it, do you have plans tonight?”

“We cannot try for another babe until this one has been born.” He laughed, releasing your face and moving over to the dresser.

“Well, that is not the only reason one might wish to sleep with their husband.” You said, cheeks burning. The way Aemond had acted the night your child was conceived had you believing he would jump at the chance to be intimate with you again.

“Unfortunately, I do have plans, I must take Vhagar and fly to Oldtown. Grandsire has taken to using me as his personal delivery boy.”

You stood; hands bunched in your skirts. “But Vhagar is massive it will take her no time to fly to Oldtown and back, could you not go in the morning?”

“Y/N, I must go, I cannot stay merely because you hunger for me.”

You moved to him and when he turned, you sunk to your knees, batting your eyelashes up at him, your hands on his thighs. “But do you not hunger for me as well, husband?”

He took your hands and pulled you to your feet. “Do not do that, you look like a whore.”

Your chest squeezed, and you bit the inside of your cheek to keep from crying. His words were like blows, and shame rushed to your cheeks. You hung your head. “Apologies, husband, I simply wished—”

He cut you off. “I must leave now, Vhagar has been temperamental all day.” Then he squeezed your hand and left the room.

You waited until he was gone to let the tears flow. You had never been so embarrassed or rejected so cruelly.

You wanted to fling yourself into your bed and cry under the covers, but you steeled yourself. Perhaps he was simply attempting to correct you on what a prince’s wife does and does not do. Or perhaps he didn’t enjoy that type of pleasure, he’d never asked it from you before.

You wiped away your tears and decided to return to sewing the blanket for your unborn child.

Tag list: @svtansdaddyx, @fan-goddess, @dc-marvel-girl96, @shintax-error, @bellameshipper, @the141bandicoot, @the-phantom-of-arda, @haydee5010, @partypoison00, @serrhaewin, @issshhhaa, @pax-2735, @malfoytargaryen, @sahanna, @dellalyra, @mxrgodsstuff, @jkhomes, @unusual-raccoon

[yandere-chocolate]

Yandere Monster OC x Reader ~(Romantic)~

TW/CW: Mentions of stalking, murder, decapitation, begging, loneliness, religious-like worship.

Summary: Mortivus was one of the many servants serving you after the royal family found you to be a god. After showing Mortivus kindness, something it has never experienced before, the Tennebris decides to worship you like the divinity you are. Even if it comes at a cost…

“Please, my beloved!” the weak Tennebris pleaded as it gripped the edge of your robes. Its tears trickled down its face, though it kept a wide, toothy grin as it stared up at you with pleading eyes. His chest heaved & his his breath was uneven, “You can’t leave me behind like this! Please, all I did was worship you!”

You didn’t know how to react to the poor, desperate creature in front of you. See, after you entered this world, you were regarded as some sort of anomaly from another world. Some thought you were a demon, some thought you were their version of an angel, a protector.

After being taken to the kingdom of this strange place, they decided you were instead a god (or at least some variation of one). Because of this, it was only really seen as fit for you spend time with the royal family, but of course you would have servants working for you. & Mortivus was one of them. He felt honored to serve you & hung on your every command (or emotion). The Tennebris would even stay up late to make sure no one stole away for their own personal use of your divine powers. But the second you showed kindness—genuine compassion, the Tennebris was gone. It had never received that from any of the royal family members. Or anyone at all for that matter...

The gentle touches on its cheek, your fingers combing through its hair, it all drove the touch starved Tennebris crazy. It had never even felt such love from its own parents. You really must have been a merciful, caring divine entity to be giving such attention to him of all creatures. Mortivus would not let your generous affection go unnoticed. Alters were made, he would pray to you each night.

Sure, Mortivus didn’t actually know what kind of god you were, but no one did! You kept insisting you weren’t one!

However, this devotion of his quickly bled into an obsession with you. Things of yours were stolen, you were given strange love letters, & Mortivus started referring to you as “my beloved”, “my liege”, “my love”, or “my divine”. But none of that came close to why you were here now.

Nothing came close to the sacrifices.

You currently look in shock & disgusts at the smell of blood & the sight of multiple Tennebis heads on multiple of the alters made in your name. & now here you stand, a weeping Tennebris groveling at your feet, clutching your robes. “Please, I beg of you, just speak to me!” he pleaded desperately, “I can do anything you want me to do, just please don’t abandon me like this!” the toothy grin was wiped off of his face as he keeled over. You tried to pull away & through little effort you succeeded. However, as you tried to run away from the small male, you were grabbed by your arm, untrimmed, jagged claws lightly digging into your skin. 

It didn’t hurt, but the act sent shivers down your spine as you were pulled down to the monster’s level.

“ʏօʊ ƈǟռ’ȶ ʟɛǟʋɛ ʍɛ…” the dark, deep voice said through its tears, “I̷ ̷Щ̷Ө̷П̷’̷Ƭ̷ ̷ᄂ̷Σ̷Ƭ̷ ̷Y̷Ө̷Ц̷.̷” It said with a snarl.

[There will be a drawing here…tomorrow, maybe.]

[windvexer]

A) your "the gods fucking suck sometimes" post came across my dash at a really good time in my own practice, which I feel like so many of your posts do, Chicken, and thank you for that.

B) i don't really engage with the witchcraft community except for lurking, so I guess who am I to talk, but i'm really becoming frustrated with the amount of beginner-friendly stuff on this website that tells people that 'everything they've heard about witchcraft is wrong so don't worry.' I wonder whether it comes from a place of fear deep-set within witches from a, well, Christian society of being seen as something they're not - and I don't imagine it's necessarily malicious, rather it comes from a place of comfort within their craft (ah, well I haven't suffered for years, so nobody else possibly could!) and a personal effort to distance themselves from an ingrained stereotype of witchcraft, which results in downplaying a lot of the things that align with that........

Regardless of intention people learn from that, become more experienced themselves, and when that leads to dismissing the experience of your fellow practitioners/assuming your craft and aspects of it are universal that's going well overboard

A) I am glad to hear it was helpful :)

B) At this point in time I'm not even talking about like, tricksters (and when people say that, I think they just mean "liars," the trickster archetype really needs a new PR team), demonolatry, or evil gods. I'm talking about regular, normal witchcraft!

People can have beautiful, fulfilling paths that are never dangerous, and then decide to deepen their connection by entering into intense ritual work with a local spirit for a year. And that work becomes demanding, and exhausting, and they have to make sacrifices to maintain it. And sometimes they ask if it was really the right choice.

It's not just about danger! It just sucks sometimes!

I had a tumultuous few early years of witchcraft, but even now when my path is feeling so much more comfortable and fulfilling and really like my true home, I still have responsibilities. Do I want to go to sabbat every 28 days? No! I'm lazy! I want to play Sims 4!

But I can't stop going, because I need to go. Because I love my spirit family. Because it's a part of me finding my true home in this world. I need those things.

It's just also sometimes a chore. You know?

I have spells I need to upkeep for my life to go how I want it to go. I have to take care of them. It can be tedious. Sims 4 has horses now. You know? It's 110 degrees outside. I don't want to walk around the property giving myself a sinus headache from the dust, checking on wards. But what else am I gunna do?

I'm not saying that the two modes are "safe" and "dangerous." I'm just saying, witchcraft can be burdensome. And not everyone is in a position where they can "just change it."

So yeah. I'm not trying to be on a "witchcraft is hella dangerous for real" rant. My rant is more like...

If this is a genuine faith that can carry people through decades of life, and we believe we are truly interacting with entities that have their own personhood and agendas, then from time to time things are going to get hard for some people.

That from time to time, developing those relationships will be difficult and require sacrifice. If we believe this is a faith that can allow people to work to modify their lives, then at times it will be work and feel like hard work and be something that a practitioner can't wait to be done with, because not only does Sims 4 have horses, it also has llamas that you can pet.

And pretending that can't happen, or always blaming the witch when things go badly ("just change! if you don't like your path, modify it! it's anything you want it to be! such-and-such spirits are always benevolent/will never hurt you/will never mislead you!"), isn't a service to anyone.

Idk. The more I talk about this the more I feel like my entire point is "witchcraft is just kinda like real life, it has its ups and downs." Which I could have just said that one sentence this morning and not have had to type all this lmao.

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

“I’d still argue that at the end of the day, a mother making time to live a life outside her children is to their benefit as well. Self-sacrifice is necessary to be a parent, but martyrdom is not. We all know people who grew up with a mum who wouldn’t allow herself to have fun, who never had hobbies, or friendships, or seemed to do much outside the house besides work. By making your connections external to your family another one of your priorities, you are modeling the importance of community, social networks, and self identity. You are also showing your daughters that they have many choices available for how to live their life, whether they one day become a parent or not.”

If I'm being honest, being a mother was not something I put at the top of my bucket list in my twenties. While I still don't regretting child-free at 38, it’s not easy to witness almost all of your peers start a family. Even when you're happy that they’re happy — and I am — there is a bittersweetness to it, because you know that you will be seeing them less and less, or not at all.

There is a lot of debate on TikTok right about who is at fault when friendship fades as one person becomes a parent and the other doesn’t. One user, @__barbarah, went viral after Julia Fox responded to one of her videos in which she says: “I've seen a lot of women post: ‘You want to know who your real friends are? Have a baby’," she says. “I'm not a mother, but I don't know what it looks like on the other side. But I am a friend – and you guys change after having a baby. You make us feel like we're no longer relatable… so it's not just one-sided.”

Julia Fox responded by saying it's not their friends that are no longer relatable, but the woman who's just had the baby – because she’s completely overwhelmed caring for her son. And she’s a rich celebrity.

If we can step back and look at it somewhat objectively, it seems like both parties kind of want the same thing: community. They just see the issue completely differently. Mothers want support. Childless people want to remain included in their friend’s lives.

But who is the onus on to maintain the ties that would fulfill everybody’s wants?

Obviously, I have my biases, but before getting to them, I genuinely think that when friends have kids, a period of relaxed standards of reciprocity is necessary; compromise and patience are key. I know how overwhelming it is to keep myself alive, so adding another life to the mix must feel at times like drowning on dry land. It is a childless friend’s duty, in my opinion, to show up and help out, to shoulder the responsibility of making plans that can accommodate the needs of a new parent, and to not take it personally if you don’t hear from them as much for a while.

The issue arises when that grace period ends, because many parents think it never should. It is common to hear parents say, “My kid is my first priority” as a reason for why they no longer reach out, ask questions about their friend’s lives, or take a couple hours off by hiring a babysitter to go to birthdays or big events that don’t center around children. Well, if we were in a monster movie running from a giant insect or something, that would be relevant. Pick up your baby and leave me behind! However, we live in the real world, where caring about someone more than anyone else should not preclude you from taking an interest in the other people who have loved you and supported you throughout your life. Sending a friend a “how are you” text every few months will not take food out of your kid’s mouth.

Since I’ve seen so many of my friends go through this withdrawal from society, I realise some of it is inevitable and even the most well-intentioned person may not have the energy for anything except getting through the day once they have a baby.

You know, fair enough. We can only do what we can do. I’d still argue that at the end of the day, a mother making time to live a life outside her children is to their benefit as well. Self-sacrifice is necessary to be a parent, but martyrdom is not. We all know people who grew up with a mum who wouldn’t allow herself to have fun, who never had hobbies, or friendships, or seemed to do much outside the house besides work. By making your connections external to your family another one of your priorities, you are modeling the importance of community, social networks, and self identity. You are also showing your daughters that they have many choices available for how to live their life, whether they one day become a parent or not.

I know there can be a lot of resentment from mums who feel overworked and underappreciated towards their friends they see out at the club on Insta Stories. To those of you who are boiling over, remember that not everyone who doesn’t have a kid doesn’t want one. Assuming a childless woman is shallow, immature, or doesn’t understand real adulthood is an insult in so many ways, but especially because it may not even be up to her.

In my experience, mums seem to think I’m in a state of arrested development and they’ve moved up to a form of life I’ll never understand. What they don’t get is that I’m also living a life they can’t understand, one that requires walking a far less well-worn road and doing it on my own. I’d be happy to tell them about it if they’d remember to ask. But if I have to have a baby to be seen and regarded as a worthwhile person to spend time with again, that seems very unfair to the baby.

As a childless person, I will always advocate for things that will improve the material life of parents – affordable childcare, better maternity and paternity leave, funding for schools and community centres – because it does matter to me that children are raised to thrive even if I never have one of my own.

I also want my gals pals to have that support so we can get a coffee once in a while. Still, if a friend with a kid doesn’t occasionally extend the invitation my way, I’d rather get coffee on my own. Relationships, like a plant, require tending. Even the most low effort, undemanding cactus of a friendship needs a little water, or it dies.

[snowthornes]

A warning: ahead is a very very long essay-slash-ramble about Salyra, a character from Crown of Exile by @ramonag-if . I have a lot of thoughts about her complexities as a character as well as the tragedies of her relationship with the MC, so I figured I should just put them all into words before I explode. If you haven't read CoE yet, please do — you won't regret it!! Especially if you're a huge fan of complicated, "okay wow this hurts" family angst and heart melting romance. 🥹✨✨

Salyra is someone who possesses the self-created tragedy of a hero. When Salyra believes in something, she believes in it with her whole heart, and she'll stop at nothing to fight for it. She's... the hero that many adore, but hurts those closest to her, directly or indirectly. Like her family, who've heard nary a word from her for all those years, not knowing if she was alive or dead. Like the MC.

Salyra's sacrificed countless things for her cause, and those sacrifices sometimes involved the hearts of those who loved her.

She's willful. Willful and determined. Great qualities for a rebellion's leader/figure of inspiration; not so much for when you're trying to patch up a relationship with your child who had long thought you dead, and had suffered for it.

It's like she thinks that if she pushes enough, if she shows MC the depths of her sincerity, it'll make MC accept her after all those years. It doesn't. For certain MCs, anyway. It only serves to push them further away.

Right, this is going to swerve into more specific territory. I'll be going into a little more detail on my MC's relationship with Salyra. The relationship between Salyra and my MC just... fascinates me.

Salyra is the high priestess, adored by the people of Ishari. MC... is MC. They were discriminated, mistreated, and followed with gazes of spite and distrust in Cyre because of their Ishari blood. Once MC returned to Ishari, they were greeted with — surprise, surprise — even more gazes of distrust and suspicion! Partly because of their blood guard parentage, partly because of their loyalty to the exiled prince, etc etc.

You stare at Rana, suddenly conflicted with anger and betrayal. You never wanted a sister, you only wanted a mother. Rana stares at you, suddenly gripping onto Mama's arm and twisting behind her, as if afraid to look up at you. A look of disappointment flashes through Mama's eyes, but it is directed at you, not Rana. It is a look you remembered Mama using when anyone would upset you as a child and now, you find yourself bearing the full force of her frown. You would laugh were it not so painful to think about the life you were robbed while Mama evidently moved on.

"Avriel," Mama murmurs. "You are my son and I know that I have not always been there for you, but I would like to remedy that. We cannot gain back what we have lost, but we have time now to find each other again."

"I need to go," Mama murmurs. "Rana needs me, Avriel. So does Danzor."

For a moment, you catch sight of your mother, but she does not see you. After returning to the temple, she has washed and changed, the priestesses who had been chanting earlier, now crowding around her. Anu called Mama the High Priestess and you cannot help but wonder just how long she has been in Ishari.

It's these. These scenes. Salyra has built a life in Ishari, a life without the MC. A loving family, a figure loved by the people... this is all that MC knows of who Salyra is now. The Salyra presented to him is a hero. A golden existence, a light in the dark, fearless leader of the rebellion.

(They need you? What about me, Mama? Do I not need you as well?)

(Those who had looked at you with suspicion now look at her with respectful, even admiring eyes. Salyra has a life here. But you — you are just the same. You are an outsider still, whether in Cyre or Ishari.)

Avriel is genuine and soft hearted, but he has a spine of unbending steel. He is proud. All those years mourning Salyra, grieving for her, only to find her alive and well in Ishari and with a family that she so clearly (and here we have a peek into Avriel's pain induced bitter thoughts, because honestly, that sad and angry child from so long ago never truly left him) prioritizes over him.

It's like his life has been rendered into a bitter joke.

What does Salyra want from him? Does she expect him to come and go as she pleases, there when she wants him and gone when she doesn't? Is he expected to wait in the wings as Salyra tends to her new family, only playing the part of a loving son when her eyes turn to him once more? Salyra, his mama. Salyra, now the head priestess, looked upon with respect by the very people who had looked at him with such suspicion.

(^ Above is Avriel's current thought process. Yes, he's a real mess. Irus is having a hell of a time soothing him, as the usual gentle-eyed man is currently very much like a wounded cat with its claws out and teeth bared, eyes set in a glacial glint.)

And honestly, those words might be quite unfair to Salyra. We do not know what she's experienced. Not yet. But are the words left spoken and unspoken between mother and child always fair? I think not. Salyra's expectations of MC could be called unfair as well, depending on the MC you're playing.

I just. I just find this so tragic. Salyra is a deeply complex character. Her greatest strengths are also her deepest flaws. Ironic, how the qualities that made her a hero could be the very thing that chills the heart of her child. I remember you said that Salyra will wise up on how to treat the MC in a future chapter, but wow. The tragedy of Salyra being her own undoing and the detoriation of the relationship between lauded mother and outcast child is just. Wow.

Also. leaving this here because Irus + Nearly Feral with Rage MC is everything:

You nearly laugh, the bitter rage that has been festering beneath your skin like a swarm of wasps, threatens to erupt from your skin. Prince Irus settles a hand on your shoulder and instantly, you are looking at him, noting the concern in his gaze. All at once, the rage leaves you, until you can finally breathe once more.