#i regularly find direct parallels with both of them

[clotpolesonly]

on sensibility and yearning - Blue & Declan

Dream Thieves ch 31 // Call Down The Hawk ch 37 // Dream Thieves ch 51 // Call Down The Hawk ch 37

[literallyjusttoa]

I have been obsessed with the idea of Paris coming to the modern day in the same way Midas, Lityerses, and Medea did. Like, If anybody had some unfinished business, it's every citizen of Troy. Anyway here are some different little scenarios I've cooked up about how this silly little war criminal fared after making a mad dash for the doors of death in HoO.

Ok, so in this scenario, Paris is recruited by Gaea just like all the other spirits who come back from the dead. He ends up being tasked with working alongside Octavian. At first, he's driven only by grief and anger at the loss of his own family and city. As they approach Camp Half-Blood, Paris regularly remarks on how happy he is that's he'll be the one storming the walls this time. But over time, he slowly finds himself growing worried about Octavian's sanity. He tries to steer Octavian away from making reckless decisions, but Octavian refuses to back down. Paris sees the deadly fervor of his fellow soldiers in Octavian, and pulls away. From here we split off into two endings. 1. (the sad one) Octavian's fate plays out the same as the books and Paris just has to deal with how his actions unintentionally spurred the young man towards his own death. Or 2. (the happy one) Paris leaving is the wake-up call Octavian needs, and he pulls himself out of battle at the last second, breaking the cycle of hatred and wrath that started at Troy. Pick your fighter I guess.

In this scenario, Paris is not the only one who comes back from the doors of death. Half of the Argo II crew find him in Ancient Greece (Don't ask why he's there instead of Turkey idk shhhhh) And he's very helpful to them in whatever quest they're trying to complete at the time. All's well that ends well, except the OTHER half of the Argo II crew actually just met up with Hector on the other side of Greece lol. Turns out neither brother knows the other is alive, and the Argo II take the time to reunite the pair. I would specifically set this in BoO, and have the focus be on Jason and Leo as parallels for Hector and Paris, especially with them both thinking about sacrificing themselves bc of the prophecy (the whole "storm or fire" thing). Like, my idea is that a lot of emphasis would be put on Hector dying first, and how he sacrificed for Troy, and how Paris wishes he could've saved Hector. And Jason would come away from that thinking "Yes, I want to be Hector, i've made peace with making the final sacrifice to keep my friends safe" and Leo thinking "I'll do what Paris couldn't and give my life so that Jason doesn't have to" and ahhhh angst.

This is a ToA scenario instead of an HoO scenario. Paris and one of his siblings come back to life like in the last one, but instead of it being Hector, this time it's Cassandra. Idk when this would happen in the timeline of ToA, bc those books are so tight knit (maybe the infamous TTT to TON roadtrip) But I would add a little side quest where Apollo and Meg have to find Cassandra bc Nero's trying to kidnap her or smth. They run into Paris while they're searching for Cassandra, and the three of them team up for a lil bit. In this scenario, Paris works as a direct parallel to Apollo, all though he's a bit further behind on his redemption journey. Basically, Apollo feels like he's looking at slightly embarrassing old pictures of himself. When they find Cassandra, Apollo offers a genuine apology for everything he did to her. Emboldened by Apollo's example, Paris also opens up to Cassandra in a way he'd never done before. The two are finally able to air out their shared grief from Troy, and they set out to ... idk New Rome or the Waystation or smth. Either way they're a lot closer as siblings now, and Apollo promises to visit them once the Trials are over.

Of course, these are only my ideas that kinda fit into canon, I have a whole bunch more that go entirely off the rails. Anyways this pathetic little failure of a man has bewitched my body and soul or whatever I love rolling him around like a balled up chewing gum wrapper.

[songoftrillium]

Hi!!

I saw your reblogged ask about WtE redesigning the Get, and I'm curious what you can share?

I'm working on my own rewrite project (it's mostly a redesign of the W5 system, designed to work with either my patchwork mess of lore or with WtE lore) and I've been having some trouble with the Get, so I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I'm sharing this as someone who has always held a deep affection for Fenrir.

When redesigning the tribe I wanted to do it from a few angles at once.

What motivates a warrior? What is, what is it that makes a society one that is oriented so closely around battle prowess?

What history can do to shape a society into a society of warriors

How does the warriors outlook shape society at large?

What parts of Fenrir history can have direct parallels with minimal effort?

What key parts of the Fenrir are absolutes that cannot be removed without making the tribe unrecognizable to fans?

So, I did exactly that.

The first thing I did was I talked to scandinavian, sami, and slav people actively living in europe and got some pretty deep lessons on outlooks and culture, as well as numerous history lessons from a first-person perspective on things. I then befriended a polish-speaking pagan that was happy to teach me about cultures on sacrifice as both a literal practice and one that affects outlook. In that light, I rewrote the tribe to be one that went from 'seeking a good death' to a tribe that 'seeks causes worth dying for.'

Actually, why don't I just share with you the Get! (glyph used with permission by Feral Noesis)

Get of Fenris (see below the cut)

Dziewanik. Fenrir. Gummoš. Feriksen Suku. Vilkati. Vukarci. Legends, clothing, and common parlance from Sápmi to Carpathia speak of lupine spirits, warriors and deities all linked to the wilderness, hunting, society, and even to some of the oldest creation myths, and in each of these societies, a tribe of fearless Garou emerged. Even among a race of warriors, the Fenrir stand out as the one tribe well and truly composed of warriors from the top down. They throw themselves heart-first into a worthy cause, wearing scars with pride, howling the defeat of their enemies, and maintaining a reputation built on Glory wrought through great sacrifice and determination. Theirs is a culture of warriors whose history is etched in rocks and ancient temples deep in the wilderness.

Their origins can be traced to before the crusades, following the emigration of Germanic and proto-baltic-slav tribes fleeing the Huns both west and northwards. Regularly raided from the Carpathians, it would be Fenris’ wolves who came to find human tribes espousing their very ideals, worshipping the plants and rocks around them. Taking up the hammers and axes these people used in everyday life and now had to use to defend themselves, these became the symbols for the tribe itself—the weapons of the common man fighting alongside kin against insurmountable enemies and overcoming side-by-side.

This culture of adoption, cause, and sacrifice remains unchanged to this day. Lineage alone doesn’t make a Get of Fenris. If a cub cannot stand up to the tribe’s brutal and often bloody trials, they stand no chance against the kind of enemy the Get pursue. Fenrir maneuvers and tactics were first developed deep inside the mountains, combating the Jotunn. Long ago, these twisted and vile giants battered Fenrir around like playthings.

Since the beginning, those espousing the ideals of Fenris seek worthy causes they can throw themselves into body and soul. Their fearlessness lies in their determination weighing their strikes. To a Fenrir, nothing in life worth having comes without significant personal work to obtain, from the manner in which they maintain their spirit affinities to their very homes they always build by hand.

Heroism is not without its drawbacks. The life of a Fenrir is often short and violent. This has led to a belief that the tribe is comprised of mindless warriors with insatiable bloodlust. Those who run with the Fenrir find them to be direct, plain-worded, and espousing deep convictions for the causes they’ve dedicated their lives to.

Leadership in the tribe follows the philosophy of Fenris, that seniority has no meaning. Those most capable of leading in their position do so. Their zedakh’fa, or jarls, earn their right to rule with iron and fang; the leaders of their packs are those most capable of instilling valor in their wolves, and the leader of the household is the kin most knowledgable and skilled in navigating the specific needs and boundaries to be navigated at home.

The combat prowess inherent in every Get of Fenris Cliath is one that is hard-earned and, if they learn to appropriately harness their rage, often ascend to become unparalleled champions in their septs once they ascend the ranks to Adren and beyond — assuming they live that long.

Appearance

Extant Fenrir lineages reveal themselves to be massive gray wolves with broad shoulders and hard-set jaws. This trend, however, peters out significantly, given the diversity of their tribe members. The visual marking of their tribe members are what truly helps them stand out.

The tribe observes a skin marking tradition originating from packs among 9th century Lechites, where Fenrir, lacking battle scars for their prowess, took to their Galliards, adorning them with glyphery. These Get chronicled their deeds for all to see, with both ashes rubbed into fresh wounds to make them clearly visible. In modern times, this has grown to represent multiple kinds of tattoos across numerous cultures, with the glyphs appearing in the negative spaces between the tattoos.

To quote the late Mother Larissa: “Covered in Blood is the natural state of a Fenrir.” In ceremony, a Fenrir is nearly always marked with blood in some way, from adornments of glyphs touting their latest deeds to bearing the bloodspatter of their fallen allies (and their enemies) so as to gift the sept’s lupus with their scent.

Tribe Patron

Fenris is himself one of the original 13 Garou of the First Pack before; the one who held strength and honor most dearly in his heart. He and his wolves waged war against the ancient Jotunn, deep in the mountainous Fjords of Norway. It was here he learned how to think before acting and listen before thinking. Beyond a Warrior, Fenris was a believer in sacrifice, whose tactics espouse his own personal participation in battles. His chiminages to Gaia were of great personal loss, but also strengthened his packs.

All Fenrir espouse these values, that nothing in this world that is worth having is merely given, but gained through personal sacrifice, be it time, task, or blood, expecting no quarter, and giving none.

Character Creation

A well-made Fenrir is a fighter first and a lover second. Physical prowess matters more to this tribe perhaps than any other. Dexterity, Brawl, and Melee are great investments, with Strength and Stamina coming in a close second. A stoic tribe places very little stock in Expression; a Fenrir simply speaks their mind. Where you can however, give them a little empathy. This helps them read through those hard exteriors.

When it comes to Gifts, Fenrir are known for their unshakable will. Willpower, that is, Resolve and Composure, are key to using most of their Gifts. For other Gifts, plan to invest equally in Intimidation and Primal-Urge.

Outlook

The philosophical foundation of a Fenrir is one grounded firmly in materialism. That is, a Get will seldom concern themselves with the affairs of their afterlife and will often consider the things they will leave behind when they go. A Fenrir hero is one whose communities venerate them, whose stories are told, and whose values are upheld as philosophies by the families affected positively by a Fenrir.

The journey to finding motivation to equiring considerable effort on behalf of these warriors to make such a legacy. But, once established, there is no hesitation, no fear, when they take up arms to protect those they love most. This is where the stalwart, unshakeable resolve the Get of Fenris are known for comes to the surface, leading to the bloody tales of glory and unfettered violence that hallmark their mythology.

Spirit Affinities

Bear, Champion, Fenris, Wolf

[bucketsquid]

Religion in the World of Splatoon - An Analysis

A thought struck me when I was thinking about the Horrorboros and how it’s pretty strongly intended to be an Eastern dragon-- “there really isn’t much discussion on the topic of religion and spirituality in the Splatoon world, even though it’s quite There”. I think that’s really interesting, because while it’s not a detail that’s front-and-center, it’s still pretty present in aspects of the world.

So, I offer you: a quick look and breakdown of religious + spiritual aspects in the funny little squid game. It’s not catch-all, I may miss fine details or this or that, but there’s some stuff that people often miss or are surprised to hear when I bring it up.

The tl;dr is that “yeah, it’s there. Squid Shinto is alive and well and we have, at least, canonization that the Squids (and Octopuses) acknowledge Christianity existing”.

But that’s not nearly enough for me, so read on if you want to see the details!

With the whole game taking place in mollusc-era Japan, there’s a good deal of “leftover” spiritual and religious aspects that remain or have otherwise been adopted by its cephalopod residents. I have a pretty strong case to say that Shinto still very much exists, and is a part of life, for Inklings and Octolings. Shinto at its core isn’t something that people with only a Western experience with religion and spirituality might easily pick out, simply because it’s treated and integrated into society somewhat differently. It’s something you have to approach after discarding your expectations, experiences and baggage involving what you know of religion. But it’s there, and really smoothly woven into Inkopolis.

(Pic from Splatoonwiki, higher res here.)

Skipper Pavilion is pretty intensely and obviously a center of traditional Japanese celebration and Shinto spirituality. It’s a theater first and foremost, not necessarily a shrine, but it has Shinto aspects present. Its two mudskipper statues are direct parallels to komainu statues, which you’ll often find guarding a shrine; they even have the “one with closed mouth, one with an open mouth” detail found in paired komainu statues. Clever attention to detail!

(Pic from Splatoonwiki, higher res here.)

Note these little areas with the blue curtains, too. The boxes of objects being sold remind me quite strongly of windows at shrines where you obtain omamori! Shinto shrines regularly offer these to people who give a donation, and they provide the shrine’s blessing to those who carry them on their person. (We never say that you buy or sell omamori.)

Finally, while I can’t find visuals of them, Splatoonwiki also says that there’s collections of ema plaques on the Skipper Pavilion stage as well. These are small wooden plaques that one typically writes wishes or desires on, before hanging them up with other ema. Like with the omamori, you can regularly find these at Shinto shrines, both in terms of ones you can obtain, and in space for you to hang them up. (If someone can find a screencap of the ema in this stage, I’d really appreciate it!)

9/1/24 Edit: You can somewhat see one of the ema plaques in this screenshot! It's to the right, slightly covered up by the ledge there.

...

Moving on from the Pavilion, there’s some other small details and indications of Shinto or a derived form of it in Inkopolis culture. One familiar sight is the Splatfest fax machine.

It’s the super-special fax machine that delivers our Splatfest themes! And it’s also implied to have a divine nature: the NA localization names it The Voice on High according to Splatoonwiki, while in Japanese it’s Kami-sama. That’s a very esteemed title for a fax machine: this implies that it’s seen as a divine being, and quite respectfully too.

While kami is often a catchall word for “god”, “deity”, and so on in Japanese, it also refers to the inherently Shinto concept of kami: a spiritual being that may be anything as great as a deity of heavenly power, or something as modest as the soul of an ancient tree. It’s a kind of difficult concept to fully explain in a brief thing like this... but it’s a huge deal. Given the attention to detail with Shinto aspects in Inkopolis, I think it’s no coincidence that the fax machine is called this. And I think that’s incredibly charming that Inklings saw this still-functioning relic from the human age and attributed divinity to it and its abilities.

Side note, but kami can refer to both "spiritual being as described above" and a form of the word "paper". The Splatfest fax machine is a glorious pun in this sense.

(This is more obvious, but note the ofuda (paper charms) attached to it in the photo; ofuda have a ton of different meanings and uses, but we can pretty safely assume it’s of a protective or otherwise spiritually-significant nature here.)

I’ll also go ahead and mention the message that comes with this Sunken Scroll: "Why are we here? For what purpose do we exist? We must not dwell on these questions. We can merely trust in the will of the universe and spend our days and nights in harmony with the world, celebrating this festival called Life."

Yeah, that feels very “practical Shinto thought” to me, speaking as a Shinto practitioner. While “contemplation of existence and purpose” are still perfectly good subjects, there’s also, often, an emphasis on living practically, focusing on the present day and your community, and being in harmony with the world. This fits in perfectly with that philosophy.

One more detail is that, originally, the Squid Sisters were meant to be shrine maidens of a sort. They were meant to pass on the messages of fax machine Kami-sama to everyone else... or in other words, announcing Splatfest themes. While you can’t see this shrine maiden DNA in their designs anymore, they kept the Splatfest announcement detail through development. In a sense, I guess all of the news announcers and Splatfest hosts have a relationship with the divine.

...

“Alright, that’s all super cool, Marine, but what about the other stuff? They have Squidmas and there’s those Sunken Scrolls too!”

Yup, they sure do. But from what we see in canon and from observations of the cephalopod world, these details feel like a case of “things that Inklings borrowed from humans and played with because they thought they were cool”, rather than “things Inklings kept and adopted because they were a part of the human culture in this region”. There doesn’t seem to be much of a presence of Squid Christianity much at all, at least in Inkopolis: Squidmas exists, but when discussed there’s absolutely no talk or evidence of any religious aspects that may have been lifted from humans. As far as we know, it’s “winter holiday that has some Christmas stage dressing”, which is a very Inkling thing to do with how much they like to borrow from humans. They love to do it so much.

Secondly, yeah, these two Sunken Scrolls do very much point at evidence of “the cephalopods found some traces of Christianity and made content based on it, or inspired by it”. The Book of Madai scroll is particularly pointed in its name, writing and artwork styles. But while this proves that this exists in some form, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s particularly established in Inkopolis. We don’t have nearly as much evidence for Squid Christianity as we do for Squid Shinto, and it’s pretty safe to say that Squid Shinto is much more of a thing in Inkadia.

So what are we taking away from this? Mostly “yeah, religion and spirituality are very much a thing in the Mollusc Era, and it’s very elegantly woven into the setting”. Pretty cool if you ask me, it makes me really happy to find these thoughtfully-placed details where I then go “oh, I know what that is!”. It really adds to the hopeful post-human setting, that even after humans have long since gone extinct, their legacy still remains, and is celebrated and cared deeply for by the Earth’s new peoples.

I’ll probably add a small reblog to this later with my thoughts on the Inkantation and Salmonids, but this is definitely enough for one post.

[officialgleamstar]

also... penny for ur jodie thoughts ?

turns on immigrant song and sets it to loop. of course ^-^ I WAS GONNA DO A FRESH POST but i barely started typing it so i will answer on here instead! shout-out to @nutria--oscura as well because they also asked me for my jodie thoughts on my initial post

im gonna do a tl;dr as well as the full ramble, so! tl;dr first

canonically (in his fabricated human memories, not reality), jodie's mom, dee, was a singer and jodie didn't see her growing up because of this. i think the parallels to glenn here are obvious: glenn's dad, bill, was always on the road due to being a roadie/session musician, and dee was always on the road due to being a rock singer. the difference between them is that glenn spent consistent time with bill whenever bill wasn't busy, while jodie didn't (presumably he lived at home with his dad, but this isn't really clarified on), and i think this explains why they have such different adult lives despite their similar upbringings. glenn grew up involved in the rock scene, while jodie saw it more as something he could never be included in. however, once she appears in the podcast, dee is shown to be an extremely loving mother who has done everything in her power to find her son again, which is... really sweet, mostly, i love dee, but also its really sad because jodie has all these issues not from his actual life, but because he was used as some punishment against glenn for being a bad dad LMAO

now the full ramble with screenshots from the transcript and more headcanons/interpretations of how it affected him LOL

firstly, the part of the podcast that explains jodie's human memories, from SWAP (SWitched Ass Papas)

for simplicity's sake, for now, i'm gonna talk as if this is all true. we are taking jodie's human memories at face value.

jodie grew up without his mom in his life at all. i think "you never met her" was an exaggeration, based on the line "you don't have too many memories of them from your childhood", but she still is clearly not someone jodie spent much time with. her presence was always there, there were people in his life keeping him updated about her, he knew what she looked like, etc, but he didn't really know her. even when he did see her, jodie's memory is bad, he likely doesn't fully know what he experienced first-hand and what he was just told. it's a bit of ADHD projection, but i know that due to my memory problems, i've often had issues with being unsure what from my childhood was real and what was just something i made up. i think it's fair to say that jodie has similar issues based on these lines. he doesn't know his mom, she isn't a real person to him really, she's just this idea of a "cool mom" that was drilled into his head as a kid.

as i said, this parallels glenn's backstory in an interesting way. both bill and dee weren't home, but glenn still saw bill regularly. not a lot, but he always knew he would see bill again and generally considered him a positive influence in his upbringing (now, glenn's conflicting feelings about bill is a whole OTHER post i could write and have written before but-). okay tbh i was gonna get more in depth about bill and glenn's relationship but then i was rereading episode 29's transcript and started thinking too much and couldn't find any words, so we're just sticking with this screenshot from glenn close's damages:

THE POINT I WAS MAKING BEFORE I SPACED OUT FOR 20 MINUTES THINKING ABOUT MY BABY GIRL BILL CLOSE. glenn got to spend time with his father and was often looped into his nonsense, which led glenn to being far more involved in the rock and roll scene. in contrast, jodie barely ever saw his mother, and its reasonable to extrapolate that that is why he went so far in the opposite direction as glenn. he rejected this world that his mom was a part of because if his mom didn't have any time for him, then that entire scene as a wider space didn't have any time for him either. jodie is shown to be a character that does not get over things: his deep yearning for morgan, his long-standing anger towards glenn, he doesn't know how to move past things that upset him. i think it's reasonable to assume his feelings towards his mom could fall into this group of long-held feelings. he is completely the type to throw himself into something rigid and consistent and soulless such as the police force to separate himself from his mom, who he's been told is a rock and roll singer who's cool and edgy.

and i think the reason why this makes me so sad is that it's completely... unnecessary might be the best word, because dee loves him.

dee absolutely adores jodie, she misses him, she did everything in her power to get him back to her. but as i said, jodie is a character that doesn't let things go. despite the way he says that he's a demon now, as if that eradicates his very human feelings, it's obvious that he never really got past his fabricated life - again, his desperate attachment to morgan is evidence of this. no matter how much his mom loves him, jodie is probably always going to have a part of him that looks at her as the human woman who abandoned him as a human child. and she didn't, she didn't at all, and isn't that just devastating?

i feel like there's so much more i could say, but it's already been an hour and a half since you sent this ask LMAO i just think, behind his pathetic exterior, jodie is an absolutely fascinating character and people often undervalue how devastating the back half of season one was for him. jodie is never going to be like, a good guy. i don't want to make people sympathize with him or anything, i get it, he's not a likeable person and i don't want him to be ♡♡ i love my bitchy pathetic demon king of hell ♡♡ but there's a lot more depth to him than people tend to sit down and think about

anyways do you guys think, pre-demon reveal in the jodie foster timeline, jodie just assumed the omega daddies didn't recruit his mom because they were misogynists

[crappymixtape]

something infinite • part four

SOMETHING INFINITE • PART FOUR T H E H O U S E T H A T B U I L T M E

part four of something infinite – a history of you and steve and your families, all the broken pieces you’re both trying to gather up and put back together are more similar than you think // warning, *18+ note: the themes written about in this piece can be triggering – brief mentions of loss of a parent, neglect, unplanned pregnancy, and other heavy content – read with caution please and be gentle with yourselves! | ( 2.3k, angst, enemies to lovers, steve x you, steve x reader – find the rest of the series and more here and find the series playlist on spotify here )

JULY 12TH, 1966 • INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 🎶 motion sickness, victoria canal ( phoebe bridgers cover )

Your aunt Joyce and her sister Ellie – your mom – grew up in Hawkins, Indiana with loving parents, a simple life, but they had everything they needed. They were like built in best friends, sisters sharing a room through high school, keeping secrets and laughter under the sheets even after mom told them to go to sleep. It all felt like it was building to something hopeful, something bigger, until the tractor accident. Your grandfather, Dell Byers, died leaving two daughters and a wife behind and everything felt fractured after that.

Joyce and Ellie’s relationship with their mom stuttered and stalled like a truck on the freeway with a flat and instead of turning to each other they ran. Ran in opposite directions from the sting of grief, from the family photos hanging in the hallway, from what had been a false promise of forever. The whole town tried to come together to support your grandmother, Bea, and her daughters, but sometimes things can’t be fixed. Bea further retreated into herself, making hermit and Byers synonymous, and the girls both coped very differently.

While Joyce stayed in Hawkins with her boyfriend Lonnie, Ellie wanted nothing to do with it and found escape in the city. Indianapolis was full of things she’d never experienced before and getting lost in the sheer size of it was intoxicating, like a drug, and Ellie went in on it full send.

As separate as they seemed though, the two sisters did finally have one thing in common after a few years. Unplanned, and kept, pregnancies. And while they could again have turned into one another, it was like any kind of contact would reignite the grief again. So they raised their children in parallel, Joyce and Lonnie struggling through everything and Ellie taking care of things on her own.

Joyce grasped at straws, wanted to hold onto what her mom and dad tried to build, happy family, white picket fence, little job at the corner store, but it was far from it. Lonnie was shitty and Ellie knew that before she’d left so she went without a man in her life, instead dumping every fibre of her being into her career. She had propelled herself so far forward into success early on that she didn’t want for much, including a partner. Your father was never involved, a lot like Lonnie, but at least it was intentional.

It wasn’t until things with Lonnie got worse that the two sisters spoke again. Joyce cracked first and made a phone call offering vulnerability and love and wanting her sister. Ellie almost hung up, but she heard the sadness in her sister’s voice. Joyce told her she finally left Lonnie, and Ellie couldn’t bring herself to put the receiver back on the hook. They talked regularly after that, and even though Ellie wasn't willing to go back to Hawkins, Joyce did visit Indianapolis a few times with the boys. They were really the only family you knew of.

But growing up without a dad didn’t seem weird to you. Normal was just you and your mom when she was around. When she left for work your grandma, your dad’s mom, would stay with you, but you didn’t feel like you were necessarily missing out on anything until your first sleepover.

Your ex-best friend Samantha York's parents had been picture perfect and despite all the junk food and movies and silly, stupid games you all played all you could do was watch them. The give and take. The shared small smiles.

Love.

After that you didn’t want to sleep over anymore and friends felt like a chore for you. The girls were mean and the boys were fine until you got older and all they wanted was to make out in the backseat of their car. So when your cousins visited it was always a nice reprieve, a moment to show Will and Jonathan something new, take them to the skate park, escape from the bullshit. From the popularity contests. And they genuinely cared and god it felt nice. You knew about Lonnie, the boys didn't mind talking about it, and for a while you thought maybe your aunt Joyce would be just as disconnected and aloof as your mom was, but you were wrong.

Joyce loved Will and Jonathan. With every bit of her heart, you saw it on full display the first time they came to visit, and every time they'd finally leave to go back to Hawkins it felt like they were taking some part of you with them.

It wasn’t as though your mom didn’t love you, she was just so focused on her career. Having a kid along the way was more a speed bump than a detour and you were just along for the ride. Conferences out of town all the time with you staying at your grandma’s, your mom’s bedroom door closed with light slipping under the crack into the wee hours of the morning as she worked. Then when you got older it was leaving a twenty on the counter with a note and a little heart, Be home in a few days, don’t just eat pizza it’s bad for you! Keep the door locked!

You remember catching her as your junior year of high school as she was leaving for another conference, bags packed and ready for the taxi waiting downstairs.

“Mom, can’t you just stay home one weekend? Call out sick? Maybe we could like, go see a movie or something, you know?”

“Oh, honey. Call out sick, that’s no way to work. I’ve been planning for this presentation for months, it’s a huge priority. I can’t.”

“But you’re never home, like, ever. One weekend won’t hurt–”

“One weekend turns into two turns into a month, it’s a slippery slope I can’t afford. The Reynolds across the hall said they’d drive you to your– was it chess thingy? So you don’t have to take the bus. Money’s on the counter. No pizza.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

And she gave you one of her small smiles, the forced kind where you wished she hadn't, and she left without a second thought like she always did.

It’s a huge priority.

But you weren’t.

She didn’t make it to your science fair. She wasn’t around to drop you off at school dances. She missed your chess tournaments.

You were the parent.

Looking after yourself. Making your own decisions and you thought maybe if it had been more like Lonnie maybe it would’ve been better. Maybe if she was meaner or something. Maybe if you had a reason to hate your mom was it would make it easier because anything would be better than the indifference you swam in every single day.

Maybe that’s why you were relieved to see your aunt.

Maybe that’s why you finally felt at home in Hawkins.

Maybe that’s why you don’t want to go back to Indianapolis.

Maybe you’re not so alone.

Maybe you share more than you think with others.

With Steve.

APRIL 24TH, 1966 • HAWKINS, INDIANA 🎶 tears in my eyes, justin caradine

Steven Gary Harrington, a semi-namesake to his father, set up to fall before he could even walk.

His dad had never wanted for anything. Given everything by his father, Gary Senior. See, money could buy you anything. It got Gary Junior good grades. It got him out of trouble at school. It got him into college. It got him his degree. And in turn he got the family law firm on a silver platter when his father died.

He had it all, down to the beautiful and perfect trophy wife on his arm at every party, every event, every gala. And much like it went with your mom – Ellie Byers – Gary didn’t find his son to be a detour, but a box to check and eventual heir to the firm. He was ‘building a legacy for the Harrington name’.

Steve’s mom, Carol, wanted to be supportive and at first she was, staying home with their son when he was little and taking care of the household, but one weekend in August when Steve was seven it all changed.

She was cleaning the cars out like she did every Saturday, a trash can and vacuum on hand to throw away what little trash there was. There was no particular reason why she decided to open the glove box, after all it needed a key, but she had it and when it clicked open a pair of panties fell out. A pair of red, lacy panties that did not belong to her fell out. The first of many indicators that she was not the only woman in Gary Harrington’s life and the first time she raised her voice to him.

Steve had heard the arguing from out in the backyard while he practiced his baseball swing. The kitchen window was open and their voices carried perfectly on the breeze so that he could hear every word.

“Who do they belong to, Gary?? Your secretary? The intern? Who is she?? Some hussy you met at the–”

“I told you! I don’t know, Carol! I don’t know how they got there. I loan the car out to the guys all the time, they could belong to anyone.”

“I found a number, Gary, on a fucking napkin and it’s addressed to you: Gary, call me next time you’re in town. Ringing any bells now?”

Silence.

Steve remembers hearing the front door slam so hard it made the screen on the back patio slider rattle in the frame and when he’d gone back inside he found his mom leaning on the kitchen counter with her back to him.

He’d tried to ask what was wrong, if everything was okay, and when she turned around she put on a big smile for him. Told him it was all okay, they’d just had a little discussion. She made him his favorite dinner and took him for ice cream. Everything is just fine, Stevie. But he knew it wasn’t and after that his mom went with his dad on every single company trip while grandma stayed with Steve until he was old enough to be left alone.

Thirteen. That was old enough to take care of yourself, and grandma got replaced by a twenty on the counter with no note and the keys to the car just in case. When they weren’t out of town, Gary tried to take Steve to company events once he was high school. Tried to get him involved in conversation with firm partners, teach him the language and the finesse it took to be in law, but all Steve wanted was to play baseball. To spend time with his friends. To be a kid. And after a gala at the mayor’s estate the summer before Steve’s sophomore year of high school everything blew up.

Gary introduced Steve to one of the firm’s biggest clients, proudly boasting how his son was going to be applying for law school in a few short years.

“Steven here is the Harrington legacy. A chip off the old block, aren’t you son?”

“Yeah, sure thing, chip off the old block.”

“Of course he’ll attend Cornell or Columbia if he wants, he’ll have his pick obviously, but if he wants to be like his old man he’ll go to Harvard. Best time of my life and man were the girls wild. They’d do anything you wanted once you told them you were in law. Still do! Am I right?”

The laughter then from the group of men lit a fire in Steve’s chest as he sat and listened to them all talk so casually about how many women they’d been with, how they got away with it. How they still did. And all Steve remembers is picking up the laughter with them, but in a disconnected and unhinged kind of way before finally chiming in.

“Totally, yeah cheating on my wife is definitely in the ten year plan. Just like you, dad.”

All sound felt like it’d been sucked out of the room as Gary apologized profusely for his son’s behavior before grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out into the hallway of the estate.

“How dare you. How dare you embarrass me like that in front of a client!”

“Mom is literally in the room with us, and you’re standing there talking about how you–you’re going around banging other women?? And-and how funny it is that you get away with it?”

That was the first, and last, time Gary put hands on Steve. A slap to the cheek that stung and sent a flush across his face and pulled tears from his eyes. Regret flashed across Gary’s face, but he tightened against it by adjusting his tie and running a hand through his hair.

“Enough, Steven. Get back in there.”

“Fuck you, dad.”

And Steve walked the two miles home knowing three things. He didn’t want to go to law school. He didn’t want to take over the Harrington Firm. And he didn’t want anything to do with his dad.

So he poured himself into baseball and swimming and lifeguarding at the pool during the summers. Into Tommy Hagan, Carol Neilsen, and Nicole Dryfus. Into working two jobs to buy a car with his own money. Into literally anything that didn’t involve being home and he made a name for himself – King Steve. No one would tell him what he could or couldn’t do.

And that’s why you confuse him.

Why you’ve turned things on their head.

You challenge him, but not like his dad. Or Tommy. Or Kyle.

You make him stop and think.

What if he changed?

And what if he liked it?

SOMETHING INFINITE SYNOPSIS: hawkins, indiana, 1987 – your mom is out of town for the summer on business and she sends you to live with your aunt joyce and her husband jim in hawkins while she’s gone. joyce works at the library and jim is the town sheriff – the kids, will, jonathan and el slowly warm up to you and it’s after you get in with them that you really start to feel at home, but there’s one person who just annoys you to no end. one person you’d love to just boot off a cliff – steve fucking harrington. ♥️ find the rest of the series and more here and find the series playlist on spotify here.

[hopeymchope]

If we had a Danganronpa version of “A Christmas Carol”, which character do you think would be a good stand in for Scrooge? And which characters would fit the three ghosts?

Probably the best parallel I could make for Scrooge is Tokuichi Towa, but that's a lousy pick given that he's 99% an off-screen character that we only HEAR about. So I'm going to limit myself to the main casts (i.e., just characters who get focal "screen time" at some point in the series) instead.

Ebenezer Scrooge — I'd argue Byakuya Togami is our best option, though he's certainly not a perfect parallel. Sure, he's wealthy and regularly cruel, but he's definitely not greedy and miserly like Scrooge; Togami pays those under his direct employ *very* well, actually. Even so, it's easy to picture him dismissing Christmas as a stupid waste and narrowly focusing his life on the pursuit of ever-increasing power and renown. For that reason, I think he works well enough as our Scrooge. (You can also naturally expand this to suit the rest of the cast: The way he treats Naegi during his FTEs in DR1 makes Makoto a great Bob Crachit. Jacob Marley? Pennyworth! Fred the Barely Noteworthy Nephew? A cameo role for Shinobu! And so on.)

Ghost of Christmas Past — I had to look into the base description of these ghosts to really dig into this question, particularly in regards to this first ghost. They're definitely the most varied in how adaptions visually portray them. So let's take it back to the source: In the book, Christmas Past is said to look youthful yet simultaneously old; in a lot of adaptions, this is taken to mean their face looks young but their clothing ages them up. They also possess wisdom their youthful appearance would not initially suggest, and they're the smallest of the three — usually child-sized. Perhaps V3's Ryoma Hoshi is a good proxy? He's smaller than most DR characters, plus he can seem both younger than the rest yet simultaneously older in other ways. ... I could make a case for Yuto Kamishiro as a decent alternative. But seeing as he's relegated to a light novel and a DR3 cameo, he's probably not noteworthy enough.

Ghost of Christmas Present — Boisterous, friendly, large, surrounded by food — that's Chrismas Present. Their large size is most often interpreted as being a muscular figure, but some adaptions portray him as being more rotund. It's not hard to see his personality filled quite well by a number of DR characters, but I feel like Nekomaru Nidai is probably the closest and best choice. He's got that positive energy that can still carry a tone of warning/threat, he's big and imposing, he's kind, he's pretty damn hungry... you get the idea. After him, I'd say Akane Owari and possibly Ultimate Imposter are the nearest runners-up... and there's defintely something particularly delightful about the idea of Togami being "haunted" by the Imposter. :)

Ghost of Christmas Future/Yet to Come — This one is the most visually consistent in adaptions. It's basically "Death" — a shadowy, silent figure who just points at shit ominously. And if you want a visually threatening character who doesn't talk much? Isshiki Madarai is the obvious pick. But he's also a very obscure pick, so uh... how about we take a page from the few adaptions where this ghost is allowed to speak and instead find ourselves someone who can act threatening and/or haughty while still cutting a grim, imposing figure? I think if you put Gundham Tanaka, Kokichi Ouma, or Celestia Ludenberg into this cloak and let them turn their Attempted Menace level all the way up to 11, you'd have something REALLY entertaining and interesting. Or if you really want to torment Togami specifically? Make this ghost take the form of Syo/Jack. That might make it harder for the Ghost to coherently convey useful information, but it'd certainly be funny. :D

[erstwhilesparrow]

......I might be completely misinterpreting your vagueblogging about prompt generators, but uhh. You do write at an extremely fast rate, so it's worth asking, anyways— how *do* you come up with plot ideas and write them so quickly? I regularly have "i have vibes and characters but no direction" type writers' block, and considering how well you write vibes into your plots, i figured you might have some interesting insight

hi reyni would you like all of my affection forever and ever and ever

okay. sorry. i like talking about writing. thank you for this excuse <3 the joke answer is "participating in the extreme timed gift exchange Did Something to me." under a cut because this got long.

i feel i ought to disclaim up front that what i'm about to say is probably stuff that it is possible to practice and improve at. it would in fact be kind of wild to claim you couldn't get better at this. but i really really do not know where the lines are between [i can do this particular thing well because i've been practicing] and [i can do this particular thing well because my fandoms are unusually suited to this form of engagement, i.e., writing fic to fill in gaps in canon material and start conversations, because there are frequently So Many gaps] and [i can do this particular thing well because i am juggling ~less than average in terms of Meat Space Concerns, e.g. re: rent, food, health, and thus have more energy for writing lots].

anyway. the actual answer is... uh. hm. okay. there's parts to this. re: coming up with plot ideas, i feel like i write a lot but there is almost never plot? most of my fics are like. character studies. nothing resolves. things start and end and happen without warning or explanation. however if you are asking about "Literally How Do You Decide What The Characters Do On The Page," i've found it helpful to find, like, One Image or One Beat or One Idea that i feel is really important to the idea, and build everything around that?

if i have characters and a vibe, i ask myself, "okay, what do i like most about these characters specifically, thematically speaking, and what can i have them do that puts those interesting aspects of them in the spotlight?" like, a while ago i was like "oh, i want to explore how these two characters both really miss this absent third character" and then the process was -> "what's One Moment that would encapsulate that really well?" -> "they sit together and are both imagining that the other person is actually the missing person" -> "okay how do i make that kind of situation happen" -> "i'll put them right near the end of a long trial (guard down because they're tired; starting to think about the future and what they want next because they know this thing will be over soon)" -> everything else in the fic gets written to create that situation and feed into that feeling of absence, but the main thing is that final beat of them sitting together.

...does that, like, make sense? is that helpful at all?? i'm reminded of that quote i read once, about how a poet's job is to stumble upon a fruit, that one beautiful thing, and then to write and write until they can make people see the tree that could have produced that fruit. or something like that. complete the image, in a way. i'm so sleepy, i am not digging up that quote right now. if you can take the vibe + characters and find one ~theme or truth about them you want to put on display, that's the fruit. then it becomes a matter of getting them to talk about / confront that theme. make them vulnerable if they hate being vulnerable. if you like the way they're smart, give them a puzzle and figure out how they solve it. put them next to someone they have unexpected parallels with. take an image and elaborate. (i guess, also, re: elaborating on an idea: worth asking yourself, "what is the specific thing i like about this idea, how can i emphasize it through dialogue / action / narration?")

re: doing it fast. i think it's helped that the past few months there's been very little between me and my laptop, so i can just open a google doc whenever and write a few sentences down if that metaphorical piece of fruit drops on my head :P or like, type it up on my notes app on my phone. sometimes i write entire scenes on my phone because i'm doing the whole song-and-dance of getting into bed but i just had an idea. i dunno. is it kind of stating the obvious in an annoying way if i'm like "write stuff down all the time!! anything can be an idea that can get elaborated on!!" ? sometimes i look at my notes app and go "wow, that idea was good, actually, how could i rework it for this other thing." or, like. write the vibes down even if you think it's obvious or boring? write the character interaction even if you don't have setting or even how these two guys got into the same room? write the pretty sentence even if it doesn't quite fit anywhere except in the vague morass of vibes in your head? do it badly / awkwardly / visibly missing pieces so then you have scaffolding and material for something good later?

[squints] possibly the thing i'm saying is "write literally whatever, whenever, and at some point something good has to come out" which is maybe not even a wildly inaccurate description of my process but might also be glaringly obvious. uh. hope this helps!

[no-psi-nan]

@jkgnggj I definitely ship it!! I am ringing a cowbell in the town square constantly extolling the virtues of Aikechi while the masses pointedly look the other way lmao.

I think what first got me thinking about Aikechi is that one artwork of the Psychickers polycule at the beach in black and white where Aiura kisses Akechi. I reblog it all the time and I always add it back to the queue lmao. Once I started thinking about their potential relationship, I started realizing how good it is and it all spiralled from there lol.

Basically I love everything about this ship lmao. They're both incomprehensible in different directions. They both have a strong drive to help people. They both are extremely perceptive in different ways. They're both extroverts who love gossip. They both reject the shame that society tries to force them to feel – Aiura for her rejection of traditional femininity & her sex-positivity, Akechi for his incontinence/disability and general disregard for taboo. Akechi would be a great partner to Aiura, attentive and romantic in a way she definitely hasn't experienced before (or else why would she have gone through so much effort to seek out her soul mate?). And Aiura would be a great partner to Akechi with her similar attentiveness, her greater people skills, and her powers. They would love to help people out together (especially trying to defeat death marks), they'd both enjoy trying new things together (like axe-throwing or trying out new fashion looks), and they'd both enjoy chilling and cuddling and watching YouTube poops / listening to music from around the world / parallel playing on their phones etc. They would just be such a disgustingly happy couple <3 The kind that is regularly commiting PDA crimes and are so annoying to talk to lmao. You know they're giving each other pet names and being too lovey dovey and referencing a billion inside jokes and it's just so cringe <3 I LOVE THAT FOR THEM!!!!!

All of my opinions for this ship are technically unpopular because the ship is unpopular lmao. I think one problem might be that Aiura is clearly allosexual with a high sex drive while Akechi seems pretty dang ace. I guess my unpopular opinion is that it would not be a problem in this particular case. LISTEN... In my experience, there are broadly 3 types of asexuals. Those that find sex repulsive, those that literally could not care less about sex, and those that find sex fascinating like on a conceptual level. I think that based on his noted interest in dick and general lack of shame about bodily functions, Akechi probably falls into the third category. In fact, I posit that to Akechi, sex is a game you can win, something which is both normal to want and possible to achieve. His powers of observation, natural curiosity/willingness to experiment, and patience make him ridiculously good at showing his partner(s) a great time, even though he himself is rarely interested in getting involved. It fits with his evil nice mastermind characterization to be able to "control" someone in that way, and it keeps the funniness of his character because who in the world would think MISTER PISS is actually a world-class lover?? Anyways, he can definitely satisfy Aiura, though I still generally like her to have other partners so the game remains fun for him and doesn't become tiresome. Power to the polycule, etc lmao.

Thanks for the ask, I'm SO brainrotted about them <333

[ Ask game ] <- still open for these!

[enbyjane]

@wardrobemoments (tagging you because I know you like this sort of things but anybody is welcome to join the conversation)

I have a few theories in regards to Lisbon's hairstyles across the seasons.

I was looking at a few GIFs and I was wondering.

How come that Lisbon changes her hairstyle so much? Like, a different hairstyle every season? Or actually, multiple slightly different hairstyles every season?

It's true that the show spans over 5-6 years, but it's still a lot if you ask me. I've had mostly the same hairstyle for 3 years now and aside from a few minor changes, it's stayed the same. For comparison we also have Grace, who has the same style all thorough the show except for 6x09 and all thorough the end when she decides to get bangs. (More or less. She alternates between straight hair and curls but that's it)

And I started to think of it both from the watsonian (in character) and the doylian (in show) interpretation. Mostly because it's funny to think of Teresa Lisbon at a hair stylist every year, asking for a new hair style a new fic idea is cooking up oh no

(Putting this under a read more because this is getting longer than I intended.)

The watsonian interpretation would be that Grace is more of a...conformist. She finds something that she likes and she sticks with it and it's fine for her.

By contrast, I don't mean that Lisbon is an undecided person, but rather that this is her way of rebelling. She is the one that often has to enforce the rules all thorough her life. And I don't think she minds too much, but there's still a part of her that is wilder and wants, like Jane, to say fuck the rules and fuck conformity. (Although it's not like she goes Too Wild, like...spikes or shaved head or stuff like that. At most we have the Bisexual Haircut in S1). Or perhaps it's a way that shows that she doesn't like routine, she needs some variation in her life (proven by those years between 608 and 609 where she worked as chief deputy in a normal police station or whatever she was)

The doylian interpretation is the one that intrigues me. Does the hairstyle change so much because Robin is one of the main leads? (Moreso than Amanda). Is it because she's insanely gorgeous and we deserve to see her in many styles and thirst over her? Can there be an association between this small detail and character development across the show?

And I started to think about it. I found this brilliant post having most if of her hairstyles.

(and I'll add a particular hairstyle that isn't here that I'm dying for)

What if there's a connection between her emotional availability in which season?

At the start of the show she has pretty open hairstyles, wilder hair and no bangs. She starts wearing bangs (and straight hair) regularly after Bosco's death. (Correct me if I'm wrong) and she wears the bangs consistently. As far as I can see, she starts letting go of them in season 5. (After Jane tells her he loves her). Towards the end of S4, she has...sidebangs, her forehead is less covered compared to the previous eps.

In parallel, there is a flirty energy between Jane and Lisbo in Season 1. (Or at least a willingness for intimacy) There is much less of this energy once Bosco dies (And the bangs appear). Sure, there are still some scenes (almost-confessions and little shows of jealousy), but they're more Jane-directed-towards-Lisbon than the reverse. She has a one night stand with Mashburn but that's all it is. She's really more open towards Jane at the end of S4, asking him to let her help him (and having her forehead pretty clear in the last 2 episodes, only a sidebang). And then...I think in S5 it's the season that she's fully aware that she's in love with Jane and accepting it (ergo, no more bangs).

I don't know if this analysis stands on its legs at all, but I am curious to hear your thoughts on it.

[jackwolfes]

What is it you love about Jesper and Wylan, as characters and as a pair? What draws you to them or what’s fun about them? What is it that makes you love to write them?

I’ve talked before about how with the characters in SOC there’s just so… MUCH. to each of the protagonists, and so many different lenses to look at any given situation with. Like whether that’s their interests or upbringings or hobbies or (especially for wesper) the nature of them being disabled — there are so many things you can focus on and use to see and unpick a situation. I find it really gratifying to focus on certain areas bc it helps with straightening my own thoughts out on things adhd who 😂 and it maybe doesn’t lead to the most faithful portrayal but I still get a lot out of it so I don’t really care

with wesper as characters/a pair, i think they’re both perfectly built to have really excellent dynamics with each other and the cast of the book. Like Wylan is: really mean but also really earnest, annoyingly stubborn but also really quite generous, and kind of pretentious but also super insecure? And that leads to fascinating dynamics with characters get rubbed the wrong way by him being a little asshole, kind of want to deck him, DO straight up shove him against a wall because he has no tact whatsoever when he thinks he’s right about something, are caught off guard by how earnest he is in a way that makes them uncomfortable, and also want him to see that he’s fantastically skilled and deserves better or to be more confident.

And on the other side Jesper has a lot of similar things - he’s insecure, he does things that are a bit irritating, he’s at his core a very kind person - but he’s SO committed to not addressing any of his issues! Like he is desperate to just keep on with life even though everything regularly goes wrong for him because he doesn’t want to address the big scary feelings that come with addiction or disability or his own past mistakes. He’s very much characterised by putting up a facade that works for him in the context — and is really different to the sweet farm kid or the Uni student or anything else - because it keeps him safe away from the things that feel a bit too much to unpack. And importantly: he is SO GOOD AT IT. like the whole point about the Colm reveal is that you’re supposed to be so SURPRISED that he just… went to college. And IMO it works really well, because it’s a direct parallel to him being forced to squish down being grisha, and being told he has to hide, and it’s like - yeah no fucking wonder he tucks all of his feelings away, it makes perfect sense, because this very big part of who he is was cut off and hidden to keep him safe, but at the expense of him actually flourishing as he could. But then he DOES start to actually open up - about being grisha and all his other feelings - and it’s glorious. Which is a super super fascinating thing to play alongside Jesper being presented with someone so earnest that doesn’t see any issue at all with just saying how you feel and wanting better for yourself, bc it’s a very interesting dynamic especially for a first kiss scene

The tl;dr is that one of the reasons I like all the soc Bbies for all the glorious interpersonal relationships they have but ALSO I could talk about them individually for hours and need to draw the line somewhere 😂 so there are more reason but for space, on this ask, I’m done for now

[seventeenlovesthree]

@digiweek​​ 2021: Day 5: Crossover (2005)

This was another prompt I had a hard time deciding the direction for at first. I have so many AU ideas in my head already, so many other fandoms/series I could easily project Digimon onto (+ the ship that has currently taken over my life). But then it hit me... Quite hard, actually. There was no way I would pass on the chance of an Adventure/Tamers crossover. Because as much as Adventure has completely consumed my soul these days, I am 100% concinved that I wouldn’t even be here, on the internet, in this fandom, if it wasn’t for 11-year-old-me discovering the world wide web and the wonderful world of anime - and shipping. I had fallen in love with Adventure back in the day already, but Tamers was the first fandom I actively experienced on the internet. And oh boy, did I experience it. The first fanfiction I ever read was about Tamers - as was the first yaoi fanfiction I ever read and I can’t even tell you how hard I fell for Jenrya/Takato back in the day. I basically had two reactions: 

1.) “WAIT, THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS, ARE YOU TELLING ME TAKATO IS IN LOVE WITH JENRYA HERE??? W H A T????” 

2.) “I LOVE THIS SO MUCH, GIVE ME MORE.”

Jenrya, to this day, is still my favourite Tamers character, just as close to my heart as Koushirou being my favourite Adventure character - and nowadays, thinking back on it, I’m noticing not only a pattern in the types of characters I fall in love with, but also with the kinds of ships I would sell my soul for. Basically, you can sum up both Taishirou and Jenkato (or Takarya, how I lovingly called it back then) like this:

Koushirou/Jenrya: “You like the brave ones with a tendency to self-sacrifice, who may become a little reckless once they fight for something that’s dear to them, since they have the biggest heart and a very emotional and protective side to them, huh?”   

Taichi/Takato: “You like the smart ones, able to handle a computer in their sleep, who may lose themselves in what’s in front of them and have a kinda difficult relationship with themselves, so they have to come to terms with who they are, but they are thoughtful and kind and the most supportive souls, huh?” 

So it’s absolutely no surprise that I believe that these four would get along pretty well. As mentioned above, Koushirou and Jenrya would definitely bond over technology and their theories about the different types of Digital Worlds they have encountered - Also, their partners are mischievous little blobs of fluff I would love to squeeze and cuddle. On the other hand, I can definitely see Taichi and Takato bond over food/cooking (ESPECIALLY GUILMON/AGUMON BREAD!)... And let’s be real, Takato, having watched and loved Digimon himself, would be completely starstruck to meet the original goggleboy in person. 

As much as I cried happy tears back in the day when Tri was announced, I also would have loved to have a Tamers sequel - and a crossover like this would have made me squeal in absolute delight. Speaking of Tri, I drew Taichi (17) and Koushirou (16) in their Digimon Adventure Tri Stageplay outfits, since I will never be able to not rant about how much I love it.

Bonus: I might also draw Sora/Ruki bonding with each other at some point, because - come on, two firece and amazing redheads who defy gender stereotypes, have an interesting relationship with their mothers and fashion and also regularly have to keep their male friends in check? Plus, Takato/Jenrya/Ruki were basically my very first OT3 (with Jenruki being by 2nd favourite Tamers ship after Jenkato) and it’s not that hard to find parallels between them and Taikoura as well (since Taiora is also my 2nd favourite Taichi ship after Taishirou).

[kaisa-ryo]

Itadori Yuji NSFW Alphabet

Warning: English isn't my native language!

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*

A = Aftercare (What he likes after sex)

Itadori likes to chat for a long time. Topics for communication are usually very diverse: from listing the different sex positions he wants to try, to discussing brands of cars, televisions, types of soaps and colors of underwear. In parallel, Yuji will stroke your back, causing your body to creep. So the love attraction that you already experienced with him before suddenly takes on a special intensity. When he has a need to receive your affection, he will begin to sink under the covers until he rests his nose against your chest or stomach. By this action, he asks you to play with his hair. At this moment, he may stop talking altogether, because instead of chatting, he will hum with pleasure. In addition, he will try with all his might and in various positions to snuggle up to you with his strong male body. And you will begin with great skill to stroke his hair and gradually increase the pressure in order to induce real ecstasy in him.

B = Body part (His favorite body part)

Obviously the hips and butt.

It is a blissful feeling when he squeezes your buttocks as he continuously enters you. And in the morning, when you start looking in the mirror, you notice that your thighs are scarlet. As you examine yourself, Itadori in the next room sees your stunned expression in the mirror and smiles proudly.

C = Cum (Everything about sperm)

He usually ends up on the aforementioned body parts. Although he experiences no less high pleasure when he watches how his hot semen flows down from your vagina. Or the mouth. And if you also swallow his seed, it will completely discourage him. It's so awkward and at the same time arousing when a girl literally lets a part of you into her. It's like you start making it a part of yourself. The part of his soul that passes through your body, moving on to the next stage of orgasm.

D = Dirty secret

To tell you the truth - there are a lot of them. Despite the fact that he almost always speaks with you frankly on intimate topics.

He often thinks about how he will kick you through the school desk and fuck you under the light of the graceful sunset that falls through the half-open blinds.

About how madly tempting it would be if you suck him off somewhere in the closet.

How to fuck you by the sea on soft sand.

There is no limit to these secret desires. Someday he will definitely tell you about all of them. And, of course, it will.

E = Experience

The highest level of experience in intercourse is masturbation. Yes, he has seen a lot of different videos on porn sites and instant messengers. And of course, he remembers them every single one. He has a lot of sexual fantasies. And they are all related to you. But they need to be implemented.

It will also ask you about your experience. For example, can you do a blow job. If you do not know about any sexual arts, he will certainly show you a video, explain how and what to do, ask if you like this objectively.

You can even say that he has much more indirect experience than you. But Yuji likes it. I like to teach you everything that he himself knows from the erotic videos he has watched.

F = Favorite position

In general, you have tried an innumerable number of poses all the time, but none can compare with the one when he presses you into bed from behind. When your penis plunges into the innermost and holds you so tightly that it begins to seem as if it has completely absorbed you.

G = Goofy (Are you serious at this moment?)

In most cases, yes. Even if this is not the first time you have been doing this, this does not mean that intercourse may not go well. But sometimes passionate excitement can outweigh all expressions of seriousness and turn it into entertainment or stress relief.

H = Hair (Is the hair ok?)

Not that he regularly tidies them up, but tries to make sure that both of you are comfortable. Maybe he prefers not to show it, but Itadori is really worried that you will be uncomfortable. Although the hair itself does not really interfere.

I = Intimacy (Romance)

Yes. And a lot.

Itadori literally melts when he sees you smile, the reason for which is his sweet and romantic actions. For him, there is no line between "boyfriend" and "spouse". And, of course, he regularly scrolls in his head how you have a large shared apartment, wedding rings, children ...

The guy is ready to even get you the moon from the sky, just to see your charming smile once again, to feel how you jump on his neck and say that you love him with all your heart. Sometimes he gets carried away - and then his hand reaches out to you to stroke your cheek, circle around your neck, say some banality, without which it is difficult for you to live. And sometimes you think that at such moments Itadori... looks a little more naive. But he does not see anything wrong with this and continues to cherish you, like the most priceless treasure on earth.

J = Jack off (masturbation)

It happens. And even after the start of your relationship.

In moments when you are far away, he records your telephone conversation, asks you to throw off your photos, turns on a home video taken once secretly from you ... then he starts "playing with his snake", quietly moaning your name. And if you start writing or talking on the phone, how much you want him now, it will just go crazy, imagining how he is fucking you on the bed right now. After all, it is such a pleasure to realize that your body receives only what you so passionately dream about and what you want.

— Mnh... yes, y/n... please continue...

K = Kink (Kinks and fetishes)

As mentioned earlier — home video. Yuji prefers to do this in secret, since he knows it will embarrass you. And besides, you will immediately guess why he does it.

He also has one fetish that you know about. Namely — voyeurism. When you change clothes, stand in the shower, or try on a swimsuit, he closely monitors your actions while standing outside the door. So he initiates you into his intimate world, where you can become his muse.

In addition, he has several types of perversions that he considers esoteric. For example, he really loves to admire your naked body and inhale its aroma, starting from the neck. This also applies to your personal things — your scent is also felt on them, and Itadori constantly examines and sniffs your things, hoping to feel your scent. It's kind of like a drug for him, and he likes to wake up in the morning and feel that your hair is still felt on his neck. And if you put on his clothes... it seems like some kind of new fetish. Now on his things your next smell. It's fucking exciting...

L = Location (Favorite places to have sex)

It makes no difference. The place does not depend on the amount of pleasure received from the process. True, you still have to find compromises. Because if it is convenient for him to hold your legs, simultaneously entering your bosom again and again, then it is quite problematic for you to be in the air, holding on to his shoulders. Thus, you get less pleasure. But do not think, he is not a rabbit, to fuck you wherever he wants, the guy will definitely ask if you want it. And yes, he does have a line between "normal" and "too public."

M = Motivation

All your movements are in clothes, which emphasizes the whole aesthetics of your body. As if hypnotized, Itadori watches your curves, how they change when you change posture or movement. When you are in your underwear, you specifically approach him and start to flirt playfully. When you wear his things, as mentioned by the way earlier. And oh shit, how turns him on when you show yourself a new swimsuit and ask to rate.

N = No (Which won't do)

Anything that will harm you. It doesn't matter whether it's big or small. If Yuji feels that he can be rude to you, then he will definitely warn you to tell when it hurts. After all, on the verge of orgasm, he may not notice that you are uncomfortable or unpleasant.

O = Oral (Likes to receive or to give)

More is to give. His head is blown away because you are moaning his name sweetly and loudly, demanding more. Your morning kiss and praise for being amazing last night will give him confidence. And then, perhaps, your next night will be even better than the previous one.

Although one should not ignore his desires with needs. The guy will be very upset if, for some reason, you do not give him pleasure with oral sex.

P = Pace

In this he is a real professional Yuji knows perfectly well how to stretch pleasure and orgasm as much as he wants. A small effort of will is enough for him, which he has at least a spoonful.

At first he will start with smooth movements, and then gradually accelerate. At the same time, it will be easy to prolong your pleasure, because you will feel the strongest sexual charge directed in your direction. And with each strong orgasm, you will experience not only physical, but also mental pleasure.

Q = Quickie

From slow and smooth thrusts to wet and hot suddenness, it makes you feel your own intoxication, as if you are high. Superhuman abilities do give good results. As it turned out, not only in sports.

R = Risk (Ready to experiment)

In other matters, he is unlikely to refuse, since he himself has long wanted this. But Itadori is a responsible person, so he will think a hundred times and make sure that you accept the offer accurately. Do not be surprised that he will act agitated during such sex. He, like you, understands that this risk is serious and can create real problems.

S = Stamina (Stamina)

You should prepare caffeine and energy drinks, as this machine will squeeze everything out of itself, despite the fact that you yourself were exhausted already in the third round. He will not be enough all the time, and if you ever start to black out from fatigue, the guy will scream that he has not finished yet. It even forces you to limit the number of your intercourse per week, as his stamina is exhausting. And you've told him about it more than once.

T = Toys

In this regard, Yuji is more cunning and impudent. He always refuses to have toys for himself, although he himself does not mind tormenting you with a vibrator or even slipping it into your panties, justifying this by the fact that he does this to keep you close, at the same time showing his concern for you, flickering his ghost in your head. But he's not lucky that you're not such a naive fool. Despite this, the guy gets hit on the head, with a very convincing request never to do this again.

U = Unfair (Does he like to tease)

Very much not even against, but not much into it. Over time, it bothers both you and him, and all actions cease to be unpredictable.

V = Volume (How loud is it)

Pretty loud. But in the volume of your moans, you take over.

They start with stifled growls, to groans because of how fucking amazing and sexy you are. And it all ends like a sugary, but trustworthy silence. Your loud moans of pleasure are a sign that you both were good.

W = Wild card (Random headcanon)

Once there was a case where Yuji could not come. He felt that he could not come even if he wanted to. His arms and legs seemed to be glued together, and he himself froze. I started to panic, think of reasons in my head. You, in turn, noticed this too, and when you asked what was the matter, Itadori turned pale and speechless. After that, he sat down on the bed, and here you started to worry. It turned out that he had masturbated too much over the past month, which has formed a habit of certain stimulation of the penis. At the news, you laughed, and he blushed. But at the same moment he exhaled with satisfaction. The guy was glad that the reason was not in you and not in his health.

X = X-ray (What's under the clothes)

16 cm. During erection ± 2.5

Y = Yearning (How high is the sex drive)

Sex serves him for several purposes: relieving stress, sexual tension, just as a way to prove his love for you... Sometimes the beginning of sexual intercourse depends on his arousal. But for your sake, he's trying his best to hold back. Resorted to masturbation instead of sex, but as you already know, even this has its own problems. Seeing him so depressed, you also do not bypass the mutual concern. Even if you don't really want to do this or you are not in the mood, you will never refuse him. Although you will never let him relax and stop controlling himself. Do not miss the opportunity to talk to him about this, because, of course, he also needs it - to get rid of an inferiority complex and so on...

Overall, ± 8/10

Z = Zzz (How quickly falls asleep)

Quite surprisingly, even in spite of his endless chatter before going to bed, as soon as he put his head on the pillow and lean on you, he falls asleep instantly. You feel him in your arms like a small hyperactive child who constantly wants to tell you something or, out of habit, make a row. And myself in his arms — protected by a large and strong wall.

[thevindicativevordan]

You did one for Hulk (incredible btw). Got any thoughts on Spider-Man?

He used to be one of my favorites.

It's easy to see why Spidey took off as Marvel's premiere character, and competitor with Batman for the most popular superhero ever. If you'll indulge my DC bias, Spider-Man sits at the intersection between Superman and Batman. Like Superman, Spider-Man never knew his birth parents, and was instead adopted and raised by an elderly couple. Uncle Ben and Aunt May are the people Peter thinks of as his mom and dad, and it's their lives that help shape Peter. Both Superman and Spider-Man wear colorful red and blue costumes, both have iconic jobs working for newspapers with cantankerous bosses, and both have a lot of Jewish DNA in them because of their creators. Like Batman however, Spider-Man has a tragic parental figure's death to motivate him, he has a very poor reputation with the public, they both style themselves on animals, and both have strong roots in the cities they protect. That Peter's greatest foe, the Green Goblin, also stands at the intersection between Lex Luthor and the Joker makes for a great parallel. Add in that Spider-Man has the second best Rogues Gallery in comics, and it's clear Peter drew on the best attributes from his predecessors as a foundation.

What separates Peter from them though is that he was the first hero with real problems. Neither Superman or Batman had to worry about paying rent regularly like Peter did. Both stood apart from their peers by choice, while Peter wanted to make friends but wasn't able to do it. Krypton and the Waynes died through no fault of Supes or Bats, but Uncle Ben's death was something Peter was at fault for if indirectly. Then you had Gwen Stacy killed as a direct result of Peter's superhero career, introducing the idea of heroes who could fail. Spider-Man was pitched as the flawed hero, the human hero, the guy you could think of yourself as being if you got superpowers. You would screw up and make mistakes, but you'd try your best regardless. Of course the readers would be drawn to, and identify with him, and that's both the secret to his success and what keeps fucking him over. A lot of guys see Peter as their self-insert, so they keep trying to return to their youth through him which keeps derailing him as a character. My entry into Spider-Man fandom came during one of the brief lulls from Marvel trying to reset him to what they see as his "roots".

I remember seeing the Rami Spider-Man movies in the theater and being utterly entranced. I played the first Spider-Man movie tie-in game pretty religiously as a kid (fuck that level where you infiltrate OsCorp, those robots were insane), as well as other Spider-Man games such as Web of Shadows. Can still hear the theme song of the 90s animated Spider-Man show in my head, that show's versions of Green Goblin and Venom are still my favorite takes. All this is a rambling way of saying that "my" Spider-Man was formed during a period where Marvel seemed ok with Peter being more adult, something they've been trying to roll back ever since.

Peter was a college student in the 90s cartoon, the comics had him and MJ married (my first Spidey comic was vol. 1 of JMS' Amazing Spider-Man run, so Peter and MJ being married is the "default" for me), the video games were set in the Ramiverse so he was a college student there as well. It's such a weird era to look back on in retrospect given what's to come and what came before. Peter had problems and was flawed, but he was also so much more mature and thoughtful, intelligent in a way beyond just being a science whiz. He and MJ had a great dynamic as a couple under JMS. They were so clearly in love and also utterly unwilling to take each others shit that it was just a joy to read. That relationship really was something I dearly loved, and of course I took it poorly when Marvel broke the two of them up. Making it a plot where not!Satan comes down and takes their marriage away only rubbed salt in the wound.

Suddenly Peter was a lot more immature and stupid, and Marvel was insisting that this was "how he should be". Marvel was claiming that Spider-Man was all about youth, thus he needed to remain young and marriage free in order to work, which flew in the face of the character as I understood him. To me, Spidey was a character about the opposite, he was about growing up.

More than any other character in the MU, Peter was the guy who embodied character development. In his early years under Lee and Dikto, Peter was an asshole with a chip on his shoulder. Far from being the martyr figure everyone sees him as today, Peter initially just kept trying to make money with his powers. He was constantly moaning and bewailing his lot, because he was a fucking teenager! EVERY teenager treats ANY setback like it's the end of the world. Yet over a period of years, both in universe and out, Peter grew into the great hero everybody sees him as today. He became kinder, more charitable, and made friends with his peers. He acquired a steady stream of super hot girlfriends, ultimately marrying MJ. Peter married MJ before Clark Kent married Lois Lane, that's a huge freaking accomplishment! Totally makes sense that Peter would get married first because while Superman was more or less frozen in place like all DC heroes, Spider-Man was the one who embodied the Marvel trait of growth and change. The world kept throwing shit at him and Peter dealt with it as best he could, and that gave me hope because if he could overcome the forces arrayed against him to find some degree of happiness, so could I.

One More Day completely obliterated all of that. I didn't recognize this character anymore, I didn't care about the shallow relationships they teased him entering, relationships we all knew didn't matter. If Peter couldn't stay married to MJ, he wasn't going to last in a relationship with Carlie Cooper or any of the girls Slott set him up with. Peter being immature worked great when he was actually in high school and college, but Marvel wanted to write him as a high schooler without actually deaging him. The contrast between how he was characterized before and after OMD was just too jarring for me.

Ultimately I left for a while. I read Superior and Spider-Verse, but I was no longer religiously following Amazing Spider-Man any more. Checked out Ultimate Spider-Man which I had never read, and I enjoyed it, but I also held a grudge against it's success. Clearly this was the series that enshrined high school Spider-Man as the "ideal" status quo for a lot of people, and I couldn't help but blame the series for Quesada's successful torching of a more mature Peter Parker. I also read Spider-Girl which took place in an alternate continuity where Peter was still married and he had a daughter with MJ named Mayday. I loved that series a lot, and Mayday became my favorite Marvel superheroine. Eventually I came back to ASM with Spencer because a few of my fellows told me he reminded them of JMS, and I've enjoyed his characterization of Peter. Doubt the marriage will be coming back any time soon but it's nice to read a more adult Peter after how he was characterized under Slott.

Hard to say what the future holds for Peter. Tough to say for certain but with the end of high school Peter in the MCU approaching, it feels like we're on the edge of another shift in status quo for Spider-Man. May be that the creation of Miles is allowing Peter to finally start to mature again since Miles can be the corporate wet dream of an eternally young "diverse" Spidey. The insistence on putting Miles into more and more of Peter's stuff, with Peter mentoring him, makes me hope that Marvel is becoming more ok with Peter growing up. The Insomniac Spider-Man is a college graduate, he feels the closest in tone and character to the Spider-Man I grew up with under JMS and Rami. They even got to kill Aunt May off, something Marvel is still terrified to do in the comics, and the relationship between Peter and MJ is portrayed as crucial to both (as it should), even if MJ is a little too Lois Lane lite for my liking.

Hopefully Spider-Man can shake off Quesada's lingering influence and start being what he was created to be: the guy who moves forward rather than running in place.

[zzinvolterra]

I’ve read your post about the downsides of having powers and I loved it cause I always thought it couldn’t be that easy. Now I want to know the others!

I have a couple of ideas but I’d love to read your headcannons for Aro, Marcus, Edward, Alice, Jasper... I mean... everyone with a power.

Have a splendid day and be safe!

[previous post]

Thank you so much, you too!!

// mentions of panic attacks, anxiety attacks, sensory overload //

Aro

When he touches someone, he can read every though the person has ever had.

The possibilities.  I think the primary concern would be losing or mixing up his own memories with others’ thoughts.  He’s come into contact with vampires with millions of their own thoughts many times, and because of his memory, they’re all locked in there, perfectly preserved forever.  (Also, the criminals that he would be reading would likely have quite gruesome memories.)  So forgetting who he is, experiencing constant déjà vu and horrific flashbacks (that aren’t his... or are they?), and becoming overwhelmed to the point where he can’t function are all very possible.

Marcus

He sees the relationships or connections people have to one another.

I suppose Marcus could occasionally be overwhelmed, perhaps experiencing headaches when looking at a large coven.  (Also, there’s so much honesty in his gift, meaning in nearly every relationship he has, he knows exactly how they feel about him.  Which could be painful at times.)

Didyme

Aura of happiness, I guess. [not a quote]

Didyme emits an aura of happiness that seems unconscious and may have occurred to a lesser degree as a human.  Like I mentioned before with Chelsea, every relationship she’s had could have been affected by that.  (...including Didyme/Marcus - would their love be the same if she didn’t have her Ability?)  And depending on how much her gift affects a person, she could be sobbing (vampirically) and everyone else in the room would still be grinning and laughing euphorically.

Everyone else is under the cut!

Edward

Edward can read the thoughts of anyone in close proximity to him...

I just started MS, so I’m not quite sure how this is in canon, but I imagine it would be quite easy for Edward to become overwhelmed, especially as a newborn when he didn’t know how to block out voices.  He could also experience migraines.  Plus, in terms of how much he’s got bouncing around in his head, he’s like Aro Jr.  Not Good.

Alice

She can see into the future, although what she sees is based on decisions being made; thus, she must wait for a decision to be firmly rooted in the mind or acted upon, before she can see the end result.

Her visions send her into an almost catatonic state, and she sees them often enough that there must be quite a few of them preserved in her mind.  She exists on a different plane of reality, really, that must make it harder for her to connect with others.  Could definitely see her experiencing constant déjà vu (she’s just living to catch up to her next vision) as well as anxiety attacks from trying to avert every single possible disaster.

Jasper

Jasper has the ability to both feel and manipulate the emotions of those around him.

It seems like Jasper is constantly inundated with the emotions of others, including their thirst, so him experiencing sensory overload is definitely possible.  He’s also able to manipulate others with his gift, so unconsciously influencing someone could be a concern of his.

Bella

Her mind is impenetrable; no one can read her thoughts unless she allows it.  She can shield herself from all types of psychic attacks and learns to shield those around her.

I like to think that Bella feels a dampened down version of whatever she’s blocking, especially when she’s expanded her shield.  For example, she could feel a stinging sensation when Jane attempted to Pain™ them in BD.

Resume

She can show people her thoughts by touching their skin.  So far, no one has been able to block her talent.

Sounds scary, but okay.  Maybe showing other people her thoughts drains her energy?  (While we’re talking about her, I support the headcanon that Resume is like an immortal child in the way that she draws people in and encourages them to die for protect her.  Her Ability could increase that effect.)  There are also some weird parallels between her and Aro.

Zafrina

Zafrina has a strong illusory talent.  She can make her target see any illusion she wants, or see nothing at all.

Hmm.  I suppose for Zafrina, she could perhaps experience a diluted form of her own Ability when using it on others for an extended period of time.  I’m assuming that she has to concentrate on what she wants them to see, and maybe after a while, she starts seeing bits of it herself.  Or, her own vision could start growing dimmer as she exerts more energy.

Eleazar

He has the ability to sense the type and strength of gifted vampires’ talents.

Eleazar is like a gift metal detector.  Consequences could be that being around powerful gifts, or many at the same time, could overwhelm him.  For example, getting headaches when he was part of the Volturi or during the army witness gathering in BD.  (And I’m assuming Aro visits him semi-regularly, which is not an enviable position to be in.)

Kate

She has the power to cause a painful, electric shock-like jolt in anyone she touches.

I think with Kate, she could become drained, especially if she’s touching more than one person or using her Ability for an extended period of time.  And until she fine-tuned her control over her gift, she was probably shocking everybody and was afraid to touch those she loved in fear of hurting them.

Benjamin

He can influence the elements – water, earth, fire, and air.  He is able to physically manipulate the world around him with his will, similar to telekinetic.

Because of his power, Benjamin wasn’t allowed to leave the house for years, so yeah.  Downside of being the Avatar is everybody wants you.  Also, it seemed, at least in my opinion, that he doesn’t have the greatest control over his gift - meaning every time he uses it, it’s large and powerful.  In the BD (movie) vision, he creates a chasm... that’s deep enough to reach magma?  (Fault lines!!)  So if he were to ever lose that bit of control over his Ability, he would do a lot of damage.

Maggie

She is able to tell if a person is lying.

Maggie is compelled to point out lies, to the point where she can’t stop even when people become uncomfortable and punish her for needing to state the truth.  Therefore, hearing lies could hurt her, mentally or emotionally.  It could also be sort-of an obsession of hers to have everything be the “truth”.  (Do with this what you will - basically what I’m trying to say is that Maggie is unable to not point out lies.)

Siobhan?

Some suspect she can affect the outcome of a situation through willpower alone.

If she does have an Ability, I suppose it could be that the outcomes she causes have unintended side effects - a bit like how Alice attempts to manipulate events, but those new events bring new potential disasters.

James

He was a skilled tracker, able to sense in advance the most likely moves of his prey.

Demetri-ish?  Hyper-aware of his surroundings.

Victoria

She was exceptionally good at evading enemies.

She’s canonically good at hide-and-seek...?  To me, it seems like an Ability that was invented to explain why nobody could find her, but all right.  Perhaps a mix of Afton, hiding-wise (though she doesn’t turn invisible-ish), and Bella, evading-Demetri-wise.

Fred

He has the ability to make anyone feel physically repulsed.  He can use this ability to make someone unable to think of him for a period of time.

In “The Second Life of Bree Tanner”, it seems like Fred’s Ability is always active.  Perhaps gaining control of that power could be difficult because, until he does, he pushes everyone away...(Reneta-ish?)  Also, he’s called “Freaky Fred”.  Rude.

Raoul

He had a limited ability to make others view him as their leader.  It worked best on those who were directionless.

This is hard because it almost seems like Raoul is just exceptionally charismatic.  Potential scenario: if his directionless followers somehow found direction, he would have to deal with an uprising.

Alistair

Alistair can track both people and things.  He can sense the general direction of whatever he is looking for, but it takes him a long time to narrow this feeling down to a specific location.

(He’s very good at finding those car keys.)  He would be aware of his surroundings, similar to Demetri but to a lesser degree.  Not sure if he’d be as overwhelmed as often since it seems like he needs to focus on something specifically to find it, but I imagine his first few years weren’t fun.

Charles

Charles can sense when someone is lying to him.

Maggie 2.0?  Or perhaps more accurately, Maggie 0.5?  Sounds like he’s essentially Maggie, but less affected by lies.

Mele

Could take Abilities and transfer them to other people.  However, she couldn’t use the gifts herself. [Also not a quote]

Gift snatched.  Her power on its own is not very helpful to her survival, since she can’t harness the gifts she takes, nor is it beneficial to her existence.  In my opinion, Mele, due to her Ability, will always be stuck in the position of serving someone (like Sulpicia in Life and Death) or be killed because she’s a threat (Aro).

[panvani]

Oughhhhh like. The Issue. With talking abt PH main trio/Tragedy Trio parallels is that most people DO realize it’s there because it’s deliberately super fucking obvious and a ton of scenes are deliberately framed as conspicuously as possible to draw attention to the parallels. But a lot of people don’t really think about these parallels beyond acknowledging that they’re there and I think the only 2 that regularly get even recognized as foils (despite again the parallels being super fucking obvious) are Jack and Oz. The issue I think is people are A. really insistent on interpreting everything surrounding the Tragedy of Sablier as being Jack’s Story despite the narrative making way more sense (through the lens of typical storytelling) if you consider Jack a villain protagonist with Oswald the Actual tragic hero. and then B. really insistent on only acknowledging direct 1:1 parallels in terms of characterization instead of looking at the actual message that’s trying to be communicated. They acknowledge that Jack/Oswald/Lacie’s relationship/s with each other are supposed to be a frame of reference for how to interpret Oz/Gil/Alice’s relationship/s with each other and vice versa but don’t consider the greater narrative purpose in framing those relationships in that particular way.

The Point (and the reason I say this in this particular way has to do w what I was saying before abt Oswald being the Actual hero of the Tragedy of Sablier) is to do with each of the incarnations of Glen (INCLUDING GIL) serving the same narrative/cosmic (same thing in PH universe/canon) purpose and thus the Tragedy Trio characters are meant to serve as demonstrations of what their counterparts would become were the fundamental systems involved with the universe not to change, not who they already are. Oz and Jack had the same character-defining pursuit of wanting to find a coherent identity beyond their abuse, but the issue is Jack gave up. Gil and Oswald both have their main conflict be cowardice, and that leading to them lacking a strong sense of self aside from what they believe is their duty as well as to harm others for fear of being made to experience change. They were presented with similar choices- kill your loved one and have security, or protect them and lose everything. Oswald chose the former, Gil the latter. And while Lacie is meant to be understood as a parallel to Alice with Jack/Oz as the focal character, understanding that Glen is literally the fulcrum of the earthly universe and the point at which all branching storylines originate, it makes much more sense to find Lacie’s counterpart by finding which character most closely reflects her relationship with Oswald, which is Vincent!!!