#if anyone has any similar thoughts or even different opinions i would LOVE to hear them!!!!

[maidstew]

i see that YOU wanna be bothered too and that you're a d4 enthusiast like me (they're my pookies!!) soooo what's your thoughts on the hc that annie was a career?? 🤭🎤

omg first of all thank you for sending this also i just saw your header and that’s such a slay

this is SUCH a good question and i know it’s so controversial so this is just my personal take!! i totally understand why people might think it’s wrong-

but i do believe that annie was a career and volunteered for the games. i think all victors are damaged from their games in a way and annie is just a different (perhaps more extreme?) example of the affects of being in the arena.

the thing is, you can have all the training in the world- but nothing really prepares you for that kind of violence. especially not seeing your district partner, someone you knew, being decapitated. that is extremely heavy and traumatizing to witness even for someone who volunteered for it. and yes, maybe most careers wouldn’t be impacted by that to the extent that by the human brain is a weird thing and all people react differently.

i saw someone make the comparison between soldiers signing up to join the military and still coming out deeply traumatized by what they saw and i think that’s a pretty good example. you can know what you’re getting into, you can train, you can do whatever- but you’re never truly 100% prepared to go through something like that.

in my opinion, that actually makes her a much more interesting- and no less sympathetic- character! i think a lot of people don’t want to associate annie (and even finnick i see a lot) with being “careers” because the careers are associated with being the bad guys and no one wants their faves to be the bad guys. but the careers were not evil/bad people- they were brainwashed children. but that’s another rant for another day.

so yeah idk if any of that even made sense but basically:

yes, annie is a heavily traumatized- but real- career.

[myfandomrealitea]

hi! just asking your opinion on RPF, i’m very very new to the proship/fanfic community and really don’t know how to feel abt it. i haven’t heard anyone’s takes on it so far so i’d love to hear your thoughts!

RPF is just another form of fiction. Its no different to any kind of other fictional literature, fandom space, creative action, ect. The people are, essentially, just characters. You're using them to tell a story.

A lot of people's issue with RPF comes into play because of individuals who ignore the proper etiquette behind RPF and ruin it for everyone. The general concern is that unlike fictional characters, real people are capable of seeing what you create and getting upset, offended or angry over it.

This is where its important to remember the following rules regarding RPF:

Never send RPF to the people whom it concerns, people close to them or people in reasonable contact with them. Personally, even if an actor has said they don't mind RPF about themselves, I wouldn't push it on them. Accepting something's existence isn't always the same as wanting to be invested or involved in it.

Similar to above, make sure you're not tagging them or using searches the person is known to frequent. (E.g; if you're posting ship art, don't tag the people involved.)

Where possible, keep RPF to closed-off websites like AO3 and Tumblr where the people involved would actually have to go looking for it in order to be exposed to it. (Sites like X are next to impossible to actually curate and monitor and are awful for this kind of thing.)

Ensure you are properly tagging and marking your content so in the instance it can't fully be prevented from reaching the person/people, they are explicitly aware of what it is. (Another reason why sites like Tumblr and AO3 are simply the best option.)

Anyone who is famous will be aware that there are people who view them and use their image sexually. Every single famous person knows this. In industries like kpop, even, bromances are actively marketed because they know its lucrative and sought after.

Famous people are also more than aware of how to avoid content they don't want to see. They're aware of sites like AO3 and know once they go there its a lawless (albeit well tagged) wasteland of hardcore smut and the unimaginable. They know if they don't want to see certain things they simply have to stay away from certain platforms, tags, key words, ect.

Famous people aren't helpless little ducklings accidentally stumbling upon twisted non-con fanfic of them and their colleagues on an hourly basis like some people assume.

Although RPF is just another form of fiction is does require a bit more respect, conduct and consideration. That's all.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hi! I love your theories, and I spent too long reading everything I could find on your blog on Harry and V specifically, and bc I fell into a ship hole and can't seem to get out, here's a random question for you! Do you ship Tomarry or Harrymort in any way? Is it believable for you that it could happen? I mean, most of the time people tend to ship hermione with Tom Riddle, with the excuse that she's super smart, but I think Tom Riddle would despise her actually. Harry's not book smart, but he's very intuitive, he's clever and he's cunning, they could fit I think 🤔. Also they have shit lives, and they've been through similar things (not everything), and that'd enable them to understand each other and all. And Harry is annoyingly stubborn, so Tom/V would have a hard time manipulating him or forcing him by other means (like spells or potions), and he's observant and suspicious enough to notice random little clues and trusts his instincts so he wouldn't be blindly in love either? Sorry I'm rambling, I'd like to hear your thoughts about this if you have some? (If you don't ship it, no problem, I don't want to come across as if I'm trying to rant or complain or anything)

Have a good day!!

Thank you so much 🥰

As with all ship asks, ship whatever you ship and have fun, these are just my subjective opinions. Also, no, you don't come across as complaining.

So, real talk, I do enjoy tomarry/harrymort. This ship has some of the most well-written fics I came across in all my various fandoms and it has a special place in my heart. But my thoughts on this pairing are complicated.

To summarise I think this pair can be narrativly delicious. We got distorted parallel mirrors, both of them outright say how much they understand each other, how they know each other better than anyone else. They are narrative foils in many ways, having similar enough backgrounds but making different choices leading down different paths. It also helps these two are in my top 5 favorite characters in the series, so pairing them up is somewhat natural since it gets interesting results.

But, I don't think canon Harry and Tom/Voldemort would actually work as a couple realistically (or at least in a healthy way). Like, even without their history and specific circumstances in the story, ignoring everything and just thinking about how I see their personalities, I think they'd get on each other's nerves if they tried to date. They'd try to kill each other, completely independent of any prophecy.

Now to make a short story long:

(I'll be using the name "Tom" but it refers to Tom at any stage in his life)

First, yes, they do understand each other and have the potential for really seeing each other in a way that others rarely see them. I mean, Harry has Ron and Hermione, but they don't get it the way Tom would. They don't understand loneliness and abuse the way someone who lived through it would. I mean, these two clearly don't know what to do when Harry jokes about ducking his uncle's fists besides looking at him with concern. With Tom, Harry wouldn't have to worry about this. Tom would also not be concerned about Harry's darker more ruthless tendencies, allowing Harry to actually be Harry.

Tom, for his part, is a very lonely character who is looking for companionship and compassion, two things Harry can give. But Tom is unyielding in basically everything, he is incredibly prideful and independent. While he wants a connection, he doesn't really know how to trust and open up, to give a bit of himself that is necessary for relationships which is going to be a struggle for them.

Harry is one of the only characters (if not the only one) Tom sees as an equal or a potential equal. Tom really doesn't respect many people (regardless of blood or magical skill) but he does grow to respect and even fear Harry by book 7. This respect is important for any relationship, but especially when it comes to Tom Riddle, who just wouldn't really take anyone lesser than him seriously. And he thinks 99% of beings are lesser than him, so, that's a point in their favor.

Additionally when we think of the narrative, like, god, this can be juicy. We have two powerful and capable individuals who are basically bound together on every possible level. They are bound by magic, having brother wands that actively don't want to fight each other. They are bound by fate with a prophecy interwinding their lives together. After Tom's resurrection, they are bound by blood and they are bound by soul due to Harry being Tom's Horcrux. They literally share a soul, like, that's insane. They share dreams and memories and get each other in a way few could.

And they are very fixated on each other and can't really escape the other's influence. Tom is obsessed with killing Harry and no one but him is allowed to do it. He even goes as far as stipulating he wants to kill Harry while dueling him properly when Harry has his wand. This is something that shows, again, his respect for Harry. And Harry sees dealing with Voldemort as his responsibility. Tom Riddle is his to deal with and no one else's.

Like, it lends itself to a very dramatic very entertaining story naturally. A messy one for sure, but fun.

All that being said, when I actually think about how I see their respective personalities and what they would want/need from a relationship, I don't think they are very compatible below the surface.

Yes, Tom needs someone who he'll respect, but that partner needs to have some (a lot of) give. They need to be able to work around Tom's 10 million personality complexes without him feeling like he is being fixed. Tom needs to feel like he is getting his way, so his potential partner needs to either be very subtle or put a lot of effort into making Tom dateable (which I talked about more here). The thing is, Harry is just as stubborn and unrelenting as Tom more often than not. These two both have the same complex from a lack of control over their lives in childhood that results in very stubborn people who will fight tooth and nail to get their way and a general distrust of people. This is a recipe for them butting heads often, especially with their different worldviews and how they see people.

Like, both of them would never bow down to anyone. They don't know how to take a backseat. Sure, Harry says he doesn't want all the danger and attention, and he doesn't, but he would be able to sit and do nothing against what he feels is wrong, he is used to carrying an impossible burden on his shoulders. And he takes a leadership rule easily and naturally. Tom is used to getting his way, he is used to being able to either intimidate or charm what he wants out of everyone, something his partner should be immune to, but I think Harry would rile him up worse, instead of putting a stop to the behavior. Like, Tom would just try harder to break Harry before trying something else would cross his mind because Harry would make a sassy comment that would get Tom emotionally invested. He's going to get his pride and self-worth hinging on breaking Harry's resolve, and he is going to fail. Neither of them would ever be happy in the shadow of the other and it's going to be a constant push and pull with these too. Now, this sort of dynamic can be very compelling in fic, it's a fun story about a relationship that is truly insufferable to be around.

Neither of them is particularly emotionally intelligent or capable of emotional vulnerability. Like, Harry, who didn't know why Cho was crying after Cedric died, would need to be the person carrying the emotional tool in this relationship, and, like, I love Harry, but navigating emotionally volatile situations (specifically romantic ones) is not one of his many skills. Tom is even more useless in this department, he sure can recognize emotions in others, but he repeatedly underestimates emotional attachment, both in himself and others because his conceptions about friendship and love are all skewered. And with romance, he would be so much worse.

Add to all of that the fact both of them have one hell of a temper and it's more likely that they'd blow up at each other rather than talk shit out.

And then there is how I think they'll behave when they actually are in a relationship. As I talked about here, Tom is a sentimental and possessive person. When it comes to romance, I think Tom would want a person to be his, he'd be obsessed and controlling while simultaneously wanting to remain independent and do his own thing. He'd be a nightmare. And Harry, well, Harry would handle the independent, doing his own thing quite well, since I think Harry is the same. Even in a relationship, he'd need to keep his own independence and freedom, and that's where Tom's controlling nature is going to butt heads with Harry's distaste for any controlling figure.

I think Tom would struggle with Harry's lack of ambition too. Because Harry is clever, powerful, has the makings of greatness, and is an equal to Tom, but he isn't planning on doing anything with it. This would infuriate Tom, honestly. I think Tom would find many of Harry's passions (like Quidditch) frivolous and useless and would probably tell him that, which Harry would fight him on.

Harry's sassy nature, would also, get under Tom's skin if it's directed at him, Tom takes himself too seriously to make fun of himself and take a joke. However, he would appreciate these same comments when directed at others. Tom has a sense of humor, but he wouldn't make fun of himself, especially not a younger Tom Riddle when he's still in school.

There are aspects that would work, though, I think Harry would be willing to listen to Tom going on about whatever quite intently, and Tom would love that. Harry can pay a lot of attention to people he cares about, but he can also get distracted and just not hear anything being said to him (he tunes out some of Ron and Hermione's conversations regardless of his love for them. It can happen when you get used to being around someone) which Tom would hate. Although Harry would find Tom's monologing kinda annoying at a certain point, I think.

I think Tom would do good for Harry's self-esteem issues since Tom wouldn't accept Harry thinking of himself as average when he is equal to Tom. Harry would be pretty good for Tom's weird prideful self-hatred and could probably help push for an arc there. Both by showing Tom actual affection and by keeping his ridiculous ego in check.

I also think Harry would appreciate someone being protective over him and wanting him so much as someone who grew up feeling unwanted and like he never had anyone in his corner. And Tom, I believe, would be protective and possessive in a relationship (a little too much, but still).

Basically, both of them (but mostly Tom) need work before they can make a relationship between them work, and that's before looking at their history in the books which will always require some canon-divergence or AU to make this pairing work. Very possible, but it takes effort. Most of said effort goes into forcing them to talk properly, honestly, because Tom really wants Harry, his one failure, dead. Like, Harry would shockingly be the easier one to convince of this, I think. Like, he was willing to forgive Tom, he already sees him as a person and not a bogeyman. Plus, he thinks Tom is hot (the younger one at least). Tom (as Voldemort, during the series), as I said, sees Harry not as Harry but as a representation of his own failings, and until he gets that out of his head, I can't really see this relationship working.

When it comes to the "Harry time travels to the 1940s and goes to Hogwarts with Tom" fics it's easier to get them together because Tom has fewer complexes, but it's still not easy (Sure, he doesn't have 10 million complexes, just 7 million instead). So even then Harry has his work cut out for him and this relationship would be a trainwreck that might take collateral damage in the form of everyone around them being miserable with their bullshit.

The key point in all scenarios I mentioned is that Harry needs to actively pursue Tom because otherwise, it won't happen. Because Tom isn't going to pursue it on his own unless some AU reason pushes him to do so. I can see him getting obsessed with Harry easily in various circumstances, but while he'd pursue his obsession, I don't think it would cross his mind to date Harry. Not on his own, I just don't see Tom coming up with it without something to help him get there. Maybe (again in a time travel scenario) a younger Tom could pursue a fake relationship in pursuit of his obsession, but Harry would fight against it because he'd see through him. I also find it hard to imagine Harry pursuing this relationship with Tom through all of Tom's bullshit. I don't think Harry has the patience for that (unless he has a specific reason to do so).

I don't think Harry would pursue this relationship to begin with either. As I mentioned, emotional intelligence and romance in particular are not Harry's strong suits. He could be in love and not notice it because he shrugged it up to something else and he has more pressing things to worry about. If he does notice, he might try to pursue it, but it again depends on the AU or specific situation. I think he could flirt if he set his mind to it, but whether that's effective with Tom depends on which point in Tom's life we're talking about...

I wrote here about the trope of Tom finding out Harry is his Horcrux and, honestly, what I wrote there applies to any potential romantic relationship between them too. Especially if this trope is relevant in the getting-together stage.

All of this is without talking about the elephant in the room of their specific age difference that I'm kinda ignoring. In the books it's a difference of 54 years, which is a lot, but hey wizards and in fic scenarios, Harry can be an adult or they can be the same age, or, well, in fic you can do whatever even when said whatever situation would be messed up irl. I mean, irl I would never advocate for anyone to sleep with their parents' murderer, but this is fanfiction we're talking about so it doesn't really matter. It does mean that this isn't the kind of pairing that I think could be canon or even canon-adjacent. And though I like it better than Drarry in many ways, it's way less likely to happen than Drarry in the canon books as they are.

So, yeah, I like Tomarrry/Harrymort. It's fun, it's juicy, it's dramatic, it has great fics for it out there, but can it realistically happen without some AU? Not really.

(Also, you mentioned Tom and Hermione so I'll add in a little aside that I think that pair will get along worse than Tom and Harry. I think they would misunderstand each other a lot. And Tom, contrary to popular belief isn't going to appreciate someone who's trying to prove he isn't the smartest person in the room. I also think Tom wouldn't like Hermione's attitude over basically anything. I think Hermione would disapprove of Tom's general disregard for others' lives and well-being as well, and she would take more offense at it than Harry. I think Hermione is more likely to get intimidated by Tom than Harry too. Like Hermione would startle at something Tom says whereas Harry would call out his bluff)

[covenofthearticulate]

Ash I’ve been bitten by the Louis!Simp bug, I need your headcanons about his romantic side please and thank you 🥹 (with specific partners or in general or both, dealers choice!!!)

JESS!!!!!! hello. in all forms but physical i am squeezing your shoulders and kissing your cheeks. welcome to the louis!simp club i am so glad you're here

anyway YEAH i think in terms of fanon, folks tend to underestimate Louis' interest/capacity for romance because he always has a bad time whenever anyone tries to show him a Grand Romantic Gesture but i just adhgdskfbhsjbfvdjhbf I think Louis is one of the most romantic characters in the series!!! he just shows it in ways that aren't obvious to those who don't know him well, but I know for a fact that this man is down so bad for Lestat and Armand and just wants to see them happy.

He strikes me as the kind of person who puts a lot of time and effort into the love he gives— whether that's spending actual time with his lovers (I always HC that his preferred love language is Quality Time) or hunting down a specific gift, or even taking the time to better himself!!

Like I know we talk about it a lot, but I think all the times throughout later canon where Louis dresses nicely for Lestat and Armand is such a great example of the type of lover Louis is. That's the closest thing to any Grand Love Gesture he'll get. We know if it were up to him, he would wear the same clothes for centuries. He doesn't care about his appearance, but he knows that Lestat and Armand do. He knows that they like to look at him, that they like to see him in fine things, just as he used to like seeing Claudia in fine things. They gift him clothes because that is their way of showing affection, and he knows he can ease Lestat's or Armand's anxiety just a little bit by accepting that affection and allowing them to fawn over his beauty, even if it makes him uncomfortable. Louis is someone who thrives with the comfort of the familiar; to step out of his comfort zone is a BIG DEAL to him, and I think we really see that reflected in Lestat and even Armand's narration any time they do see him all dressed up, like they always seem so surprised and awestruck LOL

ANYWAY yeah he cares so deeply for his loved ones like really truly, I think that Louis is the kind of lover who is just so thoughtful. Gift giving isn't necessarily his preferred love language, but he's ALWAYS thinking of Lestat and Armand, and it manifests in different ways. Some nights he'll barge into the room and read aloud an article he thinks they might find interesting, and he'll ask them questions and soak in every one of their opinions. Other nights he simply graces them with his presence and reads silently beside them.

And other nights still, Louis will revisit arguments that occurred a century ago, or even an hour ago, and will pick at old wounds not because he is truly upset, but because Louis is genuinely the kind of person who is constantly thinking about the things Lestat or Armand have said to him. He's constantly picking their words apart in his head, trying to find new meaning, and I know it's absolutely infuriating for Lestat, but there's something about Louis where, even as he's rebutting an argument from two years back, there's a passion in his eyes that's just so exciting and almost kind of sweet. You just KNOW that Louis loves to debate, not for the sake of winning (though he loves to win) but because he loves to hear his lovers' ideas and understand their psyche. Honest to god, I think Louis' ideal date night would be debating beside a cozy fire LOL

Okay sorry this is getting long! I don't have a lot of individual headcanons BUT one favorite headcanon that I've had in my back pocket and do want to turn into a fic one day is that Louis teaches himself to speak Armand's native tongue, so he can tell him he loves him with a language Armand has not heard for centuries.

Another headcanon I've been thinking about as well is like, in a similar vein to the clothes thing, Louis understanding how insecure Lestat gets at times, especially about how their relationship is perceived. So like, again with the comfort zone thing, I think Louis tries very very very hard to swallow his discomfort in order to occasionally hold Lestat's hand in public. Maybe even kiss him, who knows. He loathes being perceived, but he'll do it for Lestat.

[sparklecarehospital]

I know you’re not working on any askblog things but will the sparklecare askblog ever return?

i've thought about this a lot, semi-recently. sorry for long post, i had a lot to say

see, the issue with asksparklecare is the fact it's supposed to "go along with canon events" and a lot of the time, the arcs will just abruptly end or change with no real connection between them. haunted was sort of my first attempt at putting a "story" on there, then again with the kissmas comic from 2021.

when i started cometcare for example, i wanted to take the generic "ask blog" format and turn it into a coherent, cohesive connecting story that just had interactive elements to make it engaging with readers as opposed to just making people ask the characters questions aimlessly. the main ask blog never really had that entirely, it was just sort of the classic 2010s-style ask blog, this is apparent in basically every arc on there.

it's stumped me quite a bit because now that i have this very different style of ask blog storytelling, the original ask blog feels weird to go back to and i don't feel the same passion or connection with it that i once did. it's a little bit frustrating. i tried to do an arc about the side patients but as you guys saw, i never even did it because i felt so out of touch with that old format of ask blog posts and i couldn't bring myself to work on it at all.

cometcare and darkermatters both have Stories to them, and each arc has a plot that is moved on by readers- even if i already have it written out, there are little things people can influence through the asks and it's a good way for introducing new characters or expanding on characters who we've already met. several times cometcare will return to specific characters to relay information or new details or exposition or something that their initial introduction didn't have.

it's a much more fun process for me to write actual stories in my AU blogs, instead of just....making the characters talk. and another thing- going alongside the main comic has problems, because sometimes there's information i can only reveal in the comic itself, and it's hard to keep up with it in general.

i enjoyed doing the kissmas comic because i got to do a "story" even if it wasn't interactive. i had fun repeating the concept on cometcare last december with help of the crew.

i'm sort of at a loss of what to do with the main ask blog at this point. as much as i miss doing stuff like that for main comic, i just don't find it FUN to do it that way anymore, i've become too attached to the storytelling aspects of my other ask blogs and it just doesn't feel the same exciting experience of watching people react to events and such.

if anyone has suggestions about what i should do with the main ask blog to solve this problem i'm open to hearing them, it would be nice to have some ideas because i'm really not sure what i want to do with it.

there was a time i had the idea of doing a backstory ask blog as an alternate main canon interactive story that followed similar mechanics as cometcare and darkermatters, but idk if everyone would be interested in that. that would probably be a separate thing if i ever did it.

thoughts, opinions, suggestions and ideas are all welcome in the replies or my inbox, i would love to have your guys' input since im making content you all would be engaging with after all

[the-blossica-fan]

Blossica and A Nightmare At Green Lake

An analysis made by THE Blossica fan

Why do I love Blossica? Why is it so important for A Nightmare At Green Lake? Would the story be the same without it?

In this long rant I call "Analysis", I will tell you my thoughts, the reasons and MY opinion on this ship and its importance to the entire event.

It can not be yours, and I'll gladly listen to your thoughts and reasons, but here's why it is so important and the story wouldn't be the same without it.

It has been edited, there might be some more changes if I see any inconsistencies.

Let's start by what most people call this ship, Childhood friends to lovers. I've seen a lot of people call it that, and while it's not wrong, it's also not right.

The better term Is "Childhood crush", as Blonney (Jennifer) is Jessica's childhood crush.

Must take into account that Blonney never knew of Jessica's existence, the OG Jessica was Blonney's imaginary friend, Changeling/Jessica just happened to hear it and thought it was Blonney giving her a name.

Why childhood crush? Well, it's pretty easy to know that Jessica's infatuation that persisted through the years is far more than just friendship. From things like reviving all the stories she told, retelling them and even exhausting them for everyone else.

It's also not a secret that she has probably been looking for someone to replace Blonney's space in her heart, which is why no one has ever seen as interesting in her eyes.

In Vertin's words "What happened to those people that accepted to stay with you? When you ran out of available games, they were no longer adored by you. I can stay longer than them, but with no exceptions. I'll become boring one day." These words are a hint to something.

No one can replace Blonney's place in Jessica's heart.

And, what about Blonney?

Blonney is definitely a lesbian, but this is no headcanon, in fact, I'd argue this is definitely canon. From design hints like those hair clips (this is Bluepoch, they pay heavy detail to their models, this is definitely not a coincidence), to even more hidden hints in her stories.

Since a child, Blonney has been writing in her diary stories, but you know what's interesting? Blonney describes the women as beautiful, like in the story about the dead bride.

A bride that looks for other happy brides? Mmm, doesn't it sound weird?

Blonney also describes Anne/Anna in extra detail, as if she had some sort of fixation with her. Let's remember that this description of characters is not only a script, but Blonney's own thoughts written on paper. When she criticizes herself, saying she'll pay for her doings one day, it feels crude and out of place because that is what she thinks about herself: That she'll pay for being a liar and mean (an arcanist and a lesbian)

The event itself also tells us enough for it to not be speculation, but absolutely straight up in your face.

Blonney's denial of her arcanist self (she punched Jason and yelled that she was not an arcanist, for those with internalized homophobia, this is a common reaction. Anger), the iconic couch scene and later on, her discussion with Jessica.

"How many times do I have to tell you how much I hate being called an arcanist", this is similar to a reaction I had before, denial and anger. In this case, and during the entire event, "arcanist" is used as an allegory.

For fuck's sake, Blonney was CUDDLING with Anne right BEFORE the iconic couch scene. Jessica/Anne is the one that made Blonney start to accept that side of herself, alongside with Tooth fairy's guidance; a professional lesbian.

"You seem to really like me. You would jump off a car to rescue me, you protect me, praise me. You would even be happy because I was happy." "Because I've never seen anyone as pretty as you are. You're special, you're different to the rest of us"

Oh God do you see that? This is flirting.

And while some might say Jessica doesn't know what romance and what liking romantically means, I'd argue otherwise.

Jessica does know what romance is

Let me tell you quickly. Jessica said in "The nightmare of green lake", she has met a couple of people who have different relationships with each other. She has even interacted with them, as in, she HAS talked to them. She has 6 people (excluding Michael, Jason and Freddy) in a cave, she knows some stuff.

When she says "I like you", she knows what she means. Her desperation to get Blonney to stay is not only because she doesn't want to be alone, but because she wants Blonney and ONLY Blonney to stay.

It's possible she's not sure she's in love, but she knows her feelings go far more deep than just a normal friendship. Plus, she has lived with Blonney's childhood stories, and those horror stories do have romance (The pathetic bride includes romance, Jessica is the one behind the pathetic bride, she knows). She's not oblivious nor stupid, she's just inexperienced. She knows she likes Blonney more than a common friend (based on how she treats others), and I think she would never like anyone that's not Blonney.

And what about their relationship?

People think they're master and pet, owner and pet, and I don't think they realize how deep that goes. Blonney is definitely in need of a person like Jessica, who fully supports her and her unique ideas. Jessica loves Blonney unconditionally, there's no reason to not think so. Their relationship is perfectly healthy, Jessica loves being adored and treated as a pet by Blonney, and Blonney is happy to see her happy.

That line of dialogue about a collar, despite how sexual it might be, is made out of innocence. They're not just master and pet, they're girlfriends and, don't we all have weird relationships with each other? They're happy, they're good for each other and are what the other needs.

So... What's their importance to the event? Are they really that important?

Yes.

The event wouldn't exist without that crush and romance. If Jessica didn't think romantically of Blonney, the event would be different, she wouldn't try hard enough to just keep Blonney and much less plan to get rid of everyone around Blonney so it's just the two of them.

If Blonney wasn't in denial of her homosexuality (and arcanum?), the event wouldn't be about accepting yourself as you are, it wouldn't be a story about coming out and the morals wouldn't be as impactful.

It would be a lackluster event.

Their relationship with each other is of heavy importance because it's that crush and denial that make up the entire story. The horror is just a side dish, the murderer and all of it, because this is not a horror story.

It's a love story

"I don't care whether my parents allow it or not!"

"I will quickly reveal this true look of mine, and everyone will look at me as if I've done something wrong"

Huh? Are we still talking about arcanists?

These lines are out of place for a 'friendship', or a discussion about staying or not. This is romantic, and especially in the homosexual way.

This true "look" of mine, doesn't it mean love? People do look at same-sex couples as if they've done something wrong, and while Jessica is talking about her changing abilities, we all knows this is about her crush on Blonney and how society would look at her wrongly.

Because, if she truly didn't know about her crush on Blonney which is the basic of all; everyone knows about crushes and romance, then how would she know people would look at her wrongly?

"I don't care whether my parents allow this or not"? Is a line said in ROMANCE. All romance stories with a 'secret romance' have this sort of line, whether straight or gay, this is a basic must-have in this sort of relationships.

She's not only talking about Jessica's changing abilities and arcanum, she's talking about her own blossoming love.

Especially when Jessica asks if Blonney liked her story, she's seeking approval and a hint Blonney will stay by her side, this is a confession. Which is why she gets so down when she gets a "yes, I like it very much". That's not a yes, it's a dismissal, a 'not so important' thing. This is a rejection of her feelings, even if on accident.

And, why does Vertin intervene? Why does she have the talk to Jessica about staying?

Because Vertin more than anyone knows what it's like to let go of a lover, she knows about not being able to confess in time and she knows that if she doesn't intervene, this will be like her and Schneider all over again. Regrets. She's being supportive, she's trying to do what she couldn't do. She's playing cupid.

A place where no one would judge Jessica for her looks, also known as the homosexual suitcase. We all know that no one in Reverse is straight, or at least, 99% aren't. We all know no one would bat an eye if a deer girl was kissing an 80's horror movie girl in the middle of the wilderness.

This is the perfect place for both, Blonney and Jessica, a place where they can be together while not being judged.

And what about Horropedia, Sonetto and Tooth Fairy? What part do they play in this Horror story?

Oh, they're very important as well. In fact, all of them are.

Horropedia, despite interrupting the girls RIGHT BEFORE KISSING, is the reason they're there. Without him, this would be a psychological horror story. And Blonney and him are the wlw and mlm hostility, they're so hating on each other but they do care. Sonetto has helped Blonney in silent ways, not only by helping her become more herself and supporting her fully, something she needed, but she's also an example of someone who's tied down. They've become good friends because they both used to be in similar situations mentally and emotionally.

But out of the two, Tooth Fairy is definitely the most important. She has gone through the same experiences as Blonney. Arcanist living in human society and a lesbian. She knows what Blonney is going through so she's helping, in her own way. She's the one who makes Blonney start to accept herself, to accept the fact that she is the only one Jessica wants and the one who understands her the most. Blonney softens because of both, Jessica and Tooth Fairy.

Tooth Fairy was the key to Blonney's acceptance, and it's because of her talk to Tooth Fairy that Blonney treats Anne better, that she's willing to share more of herself, that she's more physical. It's not a coincidence that after slowly accepting the fact she's an arcanist (lesbian) that she gets more flirty and physical with Anne/Jessica.

This entire event was a way to talk about coming out, and I've watched this event so many times I wrote this out of memory. It feels this way because it's INTENDED to be that way. It's real, it's crude. It's so direct because that's what it is.

A coming out story, a horror story

A love story

[stromuprisahat]

Remind me again, why is ~he~ here?!

Siege and Storm- Chapter 9

It's not a team effort, Malyen. Army won't judge you as a couple.

Macho lowly otkazat'sya doesn't get to strike (again).

Please do!

This would work as much more powerful statement, if Mal were genuinely concerned for Alina's well-being and her OWN choice, instead of being pissed he's the one, who called dibs on her.

*whispers* That's exactly what's he gonna do...

For allowing you to keep breathing?!

Yeah, me too...

There's nothing more pathetic than an insecure man shouting.

Perhaps maybe insecure man deciding for "their" woman.

A minute of silence for an alternative universe, where Nikolai isn't so unreasonably accommodating, and has actual guards stationed at door, so they rush in after hearing shouting. They see a deserter attacking their Tsarevich, so they step in...

Is acting like a mindless animal supposed to make him look attractive?!

HoW DaRe You fLiRt WiTh My aCcEsSoRy?!

Because seriously- what's his problem here?!

Really?!

That's what's bothering you, Alina?!

I know Alina has some serious issues regarding self-worth, but I'd be more concerned about him acting as if she were his property, and anyone even suggesting she might have different role in the world deserves to be beaten by fists (because control is overrated and true men make a pub brawl out of anything)...

You're supposed to sit by hearth and warm my soup!

Sorry Malaria, but Alina IS THE Sun Summoner, want it or not. You can't just keep ignoring it and hoping she'll just slip into your shadow AGAIN. ... wait... *war flashbacks from Cofton* At least not as long as there are people capable of finding her and dragging her back into the story.

How can you be so SELFISH, Alina?! What about his soup?!

Just when the heroine moves to assume at least ~some~ responsibility (although for different reasons than you'd expect), she's promptly shamed for not thinking about Maaal for one (1) second... I love how he uses position of honour as an insult, because he's the one with full ownership of a public figure.

I know I'm apparently too demanding, but shouldn't he be overjoyed he didn't get shot on the spot yet? And no one seems too concerned about his desertion...

But hey- gf not discussing her decision to stop hiding from expectations placed upon her is obviously the more pressing matter.

Y'no. if his objection was that she completely forgot to negotiate change of his status in First Army with Nikolai (DESER*gunshot*), I'd cheer and fully support him, but his position in her love life and bedroom is apparently more pressing matter.

Also a huge fan of body language here.

What could crossed arms mean in body language? Rude, angry and insecure?! Sounds about right...

Ordinary deserter ORDERS a Prince and Major of the very same Army he fled...?

Yeah, Alina!

Mal wants his sickly housewife back!

Y'no, I wanted to note how quickly Malyen changed his mind about coming back, but then I re-read the end of previous book to be sure, and it's always been Alina. He wanted to get out, get rid of her amplifier and live his happy life in obscurity consequences be damned:

Shadow and Bone- After

His girl refuses to get rid of all of the stuff that makes her different, so he just has to settle for her fancy clothes...

Wow!

Supportive boyfriend here!

But hey- admitting she IS strong would mean giving up his dreams of watching her trudging after him.

He doesn't even have any idea what the Darkling can or cannot do! It's not some sort of professional opinion!

This one's kinda funny in a way- Alina had very similar thought about him and volcra a chapter earlier...

Siege and Storm- Chapter 8

... ashamed ... given up EVERYTHING to be WITH ME ... Don't tell me, Malyen's so blind he never notices what his (rather pointed) remarks do to Alina?!

I thought we both wanted to help Ravka.

No, Alina. He never did. We've been both wrong. He cares only about himself and his ownership of a small, inconsequential you.

This could offer an interesting view into a mind of a soldier so alienated from his country that offers him zero promises for the future, he cares for nothing... if he weren't such an inconsiderate dick to Alina...

Love this aspect of their relationship! SO empowering!

Like... He'd need to be extremely dull, if I wanted to interpret this as anything but clear fucking MANIPULATION. This is psychological blackmailing 101!

And he's supposed to be the supportive boyfriend SOMEHOW...

[oniriver]

FYI! Spoilers later on, (depends on what you consider spoilers tbh, but I wanna be safe). None for orv really, more so sctir considering that's the medium where I will specifically dive into a certain character's actions. I'd say the spoilers go until roughly the end of the Japanese Dungeon arc. Along with some mentions of Crescent Moon.

So there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between orv characters and sctir characters. I mean, despite having different stories, the backstories and personalities of some characters are similar between the two universes. You can talk about Kim Dokja and Han Yoojin's self-sacrificial natures, the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk and Sung Hyunjae have both had their existences worn out by a more powerful existence, etc. Now while those are definitely interesting parallels, I could probably go on hour-long rants about them, they are surprisingly not the parallels that have plagued my mind for months. The parallel that I constantly think of (unfortunately) is one between Uriel and Jellyfish. It's honestly a bit of a weird comparison, I am aware of that. However, I have come up with a ridiculous amount of justification for it in my head. (Whether the justification is good or not is, uh, certainly debatable).

So with that, please hear me out:

I want to start by saying I won't try to argue about Uriel and Jellyfish's similarities in terms of morals. I think, morally, they are very different characters. Uriel has a strong sense of justice, she is known as the Demon-like Judge of Fire after all, while Jellyfish, suffice to say, has very few morals if any at all.

Despite all of that, I will argue their similarities in terms of being an obsessed fan. Anyone who reads orv can see Uriel's love for Kim Dokja and how much she admires him, (to the point where a huge portion of the fandom looks at her and goes "just like me fr"). The real argument would come in the form of whether Jellyfish is a fan of Han Yoojin. This, in my opinion, is less glaringly obvious when presented in Jellyfish compared to Uriel.

Now, why do I think Jellyfish is a fan of Yoojin? While I could bring up her obsession with him, that isn't really concrete evidence in my opinion. One could say Diarma was partially obsessed with Yoojin, (constantly trying to catch and or kill him), however, Diarma was certainly not a fan of him. I feel that the reason behind Jellyfish's obsession with Yoojin is important and what she is willing to sacrifice to get him.

Let's start with their initial meeting. I don't really have much to say about it other than it was the start of her interest in him. Although in fairness, anyone would find him interesting considering he is an F rank constantly surrounded by S ranks.

The next meeting is the one in Sung Hyunjae's house, where Jellyfish attempts to coerce Han Yoojin into signing a contract with her. The thing is, this barely benefits her. At the time Jellyfish didn't know Yoojin was connected with the immoral people, she thought Sung Hyunjae was. So if she made a contract with him, it wouldn't matter to the immoral people (from her pov at least). Furthermore, Han Yoojin is an F rank. Not a born S rank, not even a regular S rank, an F rank. Other than his qualities as a caregiver, nothing (skill-wise) really sets him apart from others of his rank (again, specifically from Jellyfish's pov). Her job as a Filial Duty Addict is to recruit powerful people and, as much as I love him, Han Yoojin's rank does not reflect that. Yet despite that, she still takes an immense interest in him. So much so that she bends over backward, willing to accommodate ten people of his choice, some of which don't have to be S ranks, just to get him to sign her contract.

Later, in the Japanese dungeon, when Jellyfish has the chance to leverage Han Yoohyun's safety (considering Earth was about to collapse until Gyeol/Changling intervened), she no longer offers the choice of picking ten people to save. Instead, she only promises to save Han Yoohyun, because Yoojin wouldn't be willing to leave Earth without him. I think it's important to note that despite Han Yoojin knowing multiple powerful people who are special even among S ranks, Jellyfish only cared about a deal with Yoojin. She ignored Sung Hyunjae whose power was fostered by Crescent Moon. She ignored Bak Yerim who, despite not being born an S rank, was special through her water manipulation. She ignored Moon Hyun and Noah despite them also having interesting attributes (Moon Hyuna constantly going against born S ranks and Noah being an A rank who turned S rank through the Filial Duty Addicts intervention). She ignored Peace who, despite being a monster, was incredibly intelligent and loyal to one he perceived as his caregiver. Even Han Yoohyun, who Jellyfish offered to bring, was only offered a chance at survival because of Han Yoojin and not his nature as a born S rank or the fact that he constantly fights said nature. In the end, despite the fact that you could argue everyone in the dungeon was unique in some way, all she cared about was Han Yoojin. I simply find that noteworthy and I feel it reflects her thoughts on him.

So in my opinion Jellyfish is a crazed fan who is willing to collapse a world or two just to get Han Yoojin's autograph. And while Uriel is certainly more normal, (though she has her moments occasionally), I think their obsession with the main character is at least slightly similar.

Thank you for reading my nonsense <3

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

A Sight Second to None

tags: god!reader au, pre!relationship, pre!canon, god!reader and rukkhadevata aren’t siblings, happy lantern rite simps

a/n: it’s lantern rite time, i have to write something for the geo daddy so i figured why not give him something set in the god!reader universe. light spoilers for 3.2′s last act of the sumeru archon quest if you haven’t played it yet, and i’d give the first few bullets of god!reader’s lore guide a read here as well. other than that, enjoy, tell me your thoughts and talk about the god!reader cinematic universe with me.

"Is the décor to your liking?”

“I’ve told you once before, Morax, and I’ll tell you again,” you answer with a tone too stern for the question you were asked. “The sights of any country will always be second to that of my own.” 

Morax’s lips quirk into an amused smile. “I find second place to be better than last then if I have to ask Amur their opinion of my home.”

“This country’s geography has a lot of character.” Even if you’re the first to admit that Morax and yourself have never gotten along the best among the divine you knew, you wouldn’t be petulant enough to discredit his efforts.

You’ve seen many a fine sight in your centuries of living, Liyue is one of them. From the spears he cast to create the stone forest of Guyun to the lowest peaks of Liyue’s mountains; Morax worked hard to craft Liyue into its current image and he did a fine job.

“Just as long as you know Sumeru is the best. Our oases and forests are second to none.” Morax had seen them quite a few times due to your nations’ proximities to one another and the newfound allegiance of the Seven.

It was no longer an oddity to hear from your friend that she was being called to a small gathering Barbatos insisted she attend, nor was it odd when the other Archons found themselves visiting Rukkhadevata in Sumeru. What you presently find odd, however, is that this isn’t a gathering for the Seven.

It is simply you, merely one of the gods of Sumeru allied to the Dendro Archon, and Morax alone.

“Why not bring Rukkha here?” You finally bring yourself to ask. “She would love to see something like this, she’s interacted plenty with mortals.” You and the newly appointed Archon of Sumeru were similar that way, although your methodology differed. We’re old friends. Even more than that, perhaps both your similarities and differences were inevitable. We were born from the same tree, after all. Irminsul connects you both more deeply than could ever be expressed.

You are both one of many parts of it, a branch and a root respectively. Life and Death with the green of Dendro running through both your veins. She will always have your loyalty and you hers.

“Barbatos of Mondstadt has dragged you lot to plenty of parties.” you continue, pushing away your thoughts. If Morax picked up that your mind was bordering topics beyond his nation’s holiday, he doesn’t show it. If he has, you can appreciate him saying nothing. Perhaps Rukkhadevata wasn’t exaggerating when she said the Geo Archon had begun to mellow out since the last time you encountered him. “I’d expect an invitation like this from him. I thought you preferred the company of your adepti to anyone else.” Yet Morax requested your presence specifically. It was so abnormal you couldn’t help dragging yourself across the desert and forest of your homeland to your neighboring nation for answers.

The Lord of Geo’s face is unknowable. “I thought this sort of holiday would be to your liking.” At the curious raise of your eyebrow, Morax explains on smoothly. “Lantern Rite celebrates the lives of those who sacrificed their own for Liyue’s prosperity. Mortals, Gods and Adepti alike. Considering your philosophies, I thought you’d enjoy it.”

“Because we are alike,” you reply almost smugly. “Mortals and the divine. It doesn’t matter where we start, we all meet the same end. Every life on Teyvat is important.” It’s a point you and Morax could never agree on. Neither of you would yield even when Guizhong herself stepped in, finding the debate too heated even by her standards. Dendro and Geo are compatible elements by nature, that didn’t seem apply to you and Morax.  You thought him close-minded and stuck in his ways, he thought you young and inexperienced despite you only be a few millennia younger than him.

Oddly enough, however, that same Morax is sitting beside you with a look you almost deem fond.

"Anyway, even you should know that all the fun is down there,” you gesture broadly to Liyue Harbor. The lights of the lanterns shone similarly to the stars twinkling above the vast desert and you could hear the distant sounds of music. You aren’t surprised, however. Morax never interacted with his followers unless he had to and even then there was always a distance he placed between them.

“We can attend the festivities whenever you’d like,” Morax replies kindly and much too quickly for you to believe it.

You poke his forehead the way you would Deshret in his deep sleep, wondering if he dozed himself into an eternal slumber. “Is everything alright in there?” You query in disbelief. “Who are you and what have you done with Morax? Is there an imposter among the Seven? Should I alert all the Archons that the Lord of Geo’s been possessed by a fake?”

Grabbing your wrist, Morax halts your poking. Strangely enough, he doesn’t let go though his hold is gentle. “I’m not going mad, I’m simply taking a page out of your book, God of Festivals.”

A wave of embarrassment sweeps over you at the mention of what is becoming your most popular epithet and you gently tug your wrist from his grip. “I only started calling myself that so the people of Sumeru would stop balking at my ideal at the mere mention of it.” You and your friends all had your ideals, your own basis for what you considered wisdomー it was just unfortunate yours was the only one mortals had a primordial fear of.

“Life should be thought of as a grand festival”, you told your tribes. “Treat it like a celebration! Mortal children come into this world needing to be cared for by their elders and yet mortal elders become more like children the older they become, the youth taking their roles as providers. Your dreams, decisions and ambitions. Make them the games a child would play at a festival so they can return home without regrets! Mortals and the divine, we all return to the earth. Make sure you can return with no regrets! This is my wisdom.”

Morax chuckles at your sheepish expression and it isn’t the first time you resent his baritone voice. It should be forbidden for someone teasing you to have a voice so pleasant. “I like it, it’s very fitting of you.” At your sour glare, he reassures you his opinion is not in jest. “The gods of Sumeru all sought and continue to seek Wisdom, it’s the lifeblood of the nation. Even if our opinions have differed in the past, I’ve never doubted the wisdom you hold. I admire your tenacity, I’m not sure I would be able to find ways to make a subject most humans find taboo more palatable. At least, not in such a creative way.”

A quiet passes over the two of as you take in what was said. He isn’t joking, you’ve joked yourself in the past that the blockhead is too serious to joke. You find it unbearable to stare into amber eyes any longer, finding comfort in the warm glow of the capital in the distance. “You said if I wanted, we could see the festivities in person,” you begin after a few moments. “I’m considering this a contract from the Lord of Geo himself so let’s go.”

Another chuckle escapes Morax’s lips and you can’t hold back a snicker of your own. “The last time I visited Sumeru I saw you dancing with the mortals,” it feels random when Morax tells you this but his eyes are distant, chasing a memory. This time his expression looks undoubtedly fond. “It looked fun. I want to experience things as you view them, if you’ll allow me.”

“You don’t seem like much of a dancer,” you murmur quietly but you don’t disparage him.

“This isn’t a holiday that calls for dancing, but this is only the fifth Lantern Rite to ever take place,” Morax stands, holding a hand out for you to grab. You find it too easy to accept his offer and feel too self-conscious of how closely you are standing beside one another. “Perhaps that can be a change made if the people are given a little guidance.”

“Oh stop, you old rock,” you say out of habit. You feel as if you’ve had one too many drinks, noting again how Morax makes no move to separate his hand from your own. It’s strange but you don’t find the urge to fight it. It’s only for one night, only to see the festivities of Liyue’s newest yet most important holiday. “I want to see how the people here celebrate things without biased divine intervention. Just lead the way to the Harbor before I start growing over with moss.”

His smile is light, familiar with your sense of humor by now. “I’ll be sure to lead at a moderate pace then.”

[sparklingdemon]

hi! my apologies to bother, but I just thought I’d ask here considering I’m not sure where else to do so-

aside from G.Red, what relationships/opinions does Leaf have on the other POKéPASTAs?

hi! i haven't thought much about this, since fallen leaf was more about her opinions on the canon pokemon games - that's a trait she shares with glitchy red, so that's the only one i've given her a canonical opinion on.

that being said, lemme fire off some quick trainerpastas and her thoughts on them!

lost silver!gold: obviously, she feels sorry for him. the horrible feelings that come with accepting your death can be a lot for anyone to deal with, and she can relate immensely with the inability to accept your own early death. she would definitely be polite and sympathetic towards him... but, though she won't say it out loud, she does wonder why kris didn't suffer the same fate as him…

blake (snow on mt silver): similar to LS!gold, leaf does feel sorry for blake, but there's some culture shock involved. fallen leaf's universe is a lot more meta, so things like freezing to death aren't a concern. characters can stand on mt silver for days without freezing or dying. her red has been kept prisoner there for years, without ever being concerned or bothered by the cold at all. violently freezing to death is a foreign concept for fallen leaf, so it'd definitely be a shock for her, but once she gets over it she'll be respectful…!

steven (strangled red): steven's from a different era than leaf. i don't think he exists in the FRLG timeline like he does in RBY (the lack of missingno. makes his miki revival plan impossible) meaning, leaf never would have met him when she was a little kid like gen 1 red did. she never would have looked up to him as a cool role model, she never would have seen his rise and fall. she can only see him as he is now, a crazed murderer who attacks any trainer who dares to enter his house. so yeah, she doesn't like him! she doesn't really like murders in general. despite being a creepypasta character herself, fallen leaf really is a canon character at heart, and is horrified by things that are foreign to the vanilla pokemon games, like violence. which leads up to my next pasta trainer…

blue (blue tears): this one is a lot more complicated and personal than steven. though BT takes place in gen 1, it proposes the idea that red's rival secretly hated him all along and was willing to kill him over it. and if those feelings could apply to red, they should apply to HER, as well. leaf knows that her own blue would never do something like that (he loves and misses her painfully, even tho his feelings have been misplaced onto red), but it makes her horrified and sad to think that blue could ever do that. in a way, she'd feel hurt and betrayed by BT!blue, even though it's not "her" blue. she'd be angry he didn't make his feelings clearer, that he couldn't work it out with his rival… but deep down she'd know the problem isn't red (or by extension, her), it's blue's, for making the choice to kill someone. though, she probably imagines what it would be like if HER blue was like BT!blue. if he came to attack red, she'd know that all of that hate he feels for red isn't meant for him, but for her. he just wouldn't remember it. and that unease wouldn't leave her.

that's all the major trainerpastas i think are relevant for her to have an opinion on, but if there's any others you were interested in hearing, feel free to lmk!

[kohakhearts]

BLORBO THOUGHT INDULGENCE any thoughts on Gary’s arrogance and how/why he uses it as a cover? Or maybe it’s not a cover and you have other thoughts and opinions on it. I just want to hear Gary personality thoughts if you have any! Everyone interprets him so differently yet similarly at the same time, and it’s fun seeing those takes. Only if you want though

HEY HI omg yes of course i want to!!! i agree that gary gets written in a lot of different ways. i think that’s the case because between say, early os and dp, he’s gone through a lot of interesting changes. so there are a lot of facets of his personality to work with, but you’re right that they all have similarities too!

that being said…i don’t think his arrogance is exclusively one thing or the other. i think by dp, we see someone who is fairly confident in his competency and is respected by his peers and mentors. but if we look at him at the end of the johto arc, or in chronicles, we see someone who’s clearly NOT confident. by jn, he’s kind of gained back the arrogance we all loved from the indigo league.

the interesting thing to me though is…i don’t know if “arrogant” is even really the right word for how he behaves at any point after the indigo league? like on the extreme side, look at how he is in jn! he doesn’t like…rub his achievements in anyone’s face, and the only person he actively puts down is goh (which as much as it’s probably MEANT to be a parallel to the ash-gary rivalry we see in the os, they actually have a pretty different dynamic!). the arrogant one between those two is goh, and gary shows him that by…treating him like a nobody. i don’t think gary’s behaviour towards goh has very much to do with how he thinks of himself, except that he SEES parts of himself in goh - that lone wolf, “i can do it all by myself” mentality he has in particular.

i think i’ve said this before (maybe not here. i don’t even know anymore lmao) but i think what’s so interesting about gary’s dynamic with goh is that on the surface they ARE very similar. i think it’s reasonable that gary would assume the root of those similarities is the same. but it’s not. goh’s refusal to work in a team stems from a fear of attachment. if he trusts other people to watch his back, he’s not going to see when and where they lodge the knife in it. HIS “i can do it myself” attitude absolutely is a cover for that.

but GARY…well, he IS better than everyone else, isn’t he? it’s not about people screwing him over specifically or maliciously so much as it is them just not paying close enough attention. he doesn’t want to rely on others because he sees them as incompetent. or, more than that, because he thinks they don’t work as hard as him. so i mean…you could SAY that’s arrogance, and it’d be true to an extent. but it’s also not incorrect to say that this is the case. he’s consistently a top-achiever in everything we see him do. he’s got a reason to think he’s better than everyone, and the reason is that…he is. what he apparently had to learn off-screen is that sometimes he can still make mistakes, and that other people have things they can teach him.

which brings me to dp, the shieldon episode. is this not what happens here? he’s frustrated with ash for being so very…ash about the situation (read: impulsive), but in the end ash helps him and his acceptance of that help is what makes things work.

generally speaking, gary is someone who observes things. he sees everyone else’s errors because he’s watching for them. and generally speaking…he doesn’t make very many errors himself. so it’s really just a matter of time before someone else screws up…and he’s going to make sure they all know it. so times when he does screw up (i think the biggest examples being giovanni’s gym, the indigo league, and his chronicles episode) seem to weigh pretty heavily on him!

after his loss at the league, for example, he takes training in a new direction. before that, he wasn’t working hard because he didn’t think he had to. and that’s arrogance, 100%. it’s not actually that different from how ash is in the indigo league, but ash to me seems to project arrogance to cover up a low self-esteem…which makes a lot of sense. he’s a victim of bullying, if not as in takeshi shudo’s novelization then certainly by gary lol. gary has no reason NOT to feel like he’s the best (side note: this is not the case for blue, at all, whose arrogance is absolutely a cover up lmao). but where ash has to figure out that like…it takes effort to get good, gary already knows this - he’s just put in enough effort and doesn’t need to keep trying anymore.

until he does, of course. after he loses at the indigo league. he seems to humble out quite a bit then! and we never actually see him like…say anything like “i already have THIS many gym badges” after the “i already have ten” scene in the indigo league. in jn, he never even brings up how many tokens he has. we just know because they show us that he’s leading by a significant margin. so like - his treatment of ash in the indigo league? arrogance, absolutely. his treatment of goh in jn - weird roundabout way of helping him realize he needs to improve himself as a person (he says everything he does is for his own benefit…but he also says that he wants to know if goh is worthy of being ash’s companion. and later he says he wants to know if goh is worthy of working alongside him. which…kind of just reinforces the idea that he expects incompetence from other people, and had a feeling goh was maybe more competent than his arrogance made him seem).

so idk if this makes that much sense but tl;dr in the indigo league, i don’t think he’s covering anything up (he might take it a bit too far for other reasons related to the childhood experience of growing up in the shadow of someone extremely famous and intelligent). he’s just arrogant because he hasn’t learned that he has any reason not to be. and after he does learn that…he tones it down significantly, but he still has that attitude of like…i worked hard and if you want to be on the same level as me, you have to work hard too. or else you’re useless to me. which again yeah. you could call that arrogance. but i don’t know if i necessarily would. he just has high expectations! for himself and for everyone else! and that’s not GREAT, because like where’s the limit, right, but it at least makes him less of a jerk.

[eego0]

You know I love hearing your opinions on MCD stuff.

Thoughts on Shad?

Correlations between Shad/Irene and their relationship vs Aphmau/Aaron?

Opinions on Shad and his relationship with his daughter Alina?

Conflicts in Aaron over his past family (Lily and Jacob, I believe?) and his relationship with Aphmau?

This one is for a potential future fic, depending on the opinions of the rest of aphblr on my most recent poll: If Aaron ever asked Aphmau to marry him in MCD, would the stone in the ring be red or light lavender?

Sorry to ambush you with all these questions, but I couldn't help it. Take whatever time you need to answer <3

1. FUckkkkk Shad is SUCH a good character. Like he’s THE embodiment of a villain. Hero gone bad. And as much as I hate how he used Aaron’s body not only for a physical form but for his voice to manipulate Aphmau, it was brilliant and it added to how fucked he is. He’s like a top 5 favorite Aphmau character for me.

2. The characters having these powerful past lives and becoming powerful reincarnations is interesting in of itself, but even more interesting when you see how similar they act and their similar storylines. (How much do we want to bet that Irene also woke up in the middle of nowhere and suddenly had a conscious? Or would that be pushing the bounds of this time loop too far.). Irene makes a playful atmosphere when battling with Shad. Aphmau and Aaron’s relationship is serious to the naked eye but has an underlying playfulness, if that makes sense. Irene and Aphmau are both nonchalant, playful, extroverted, but most importantly, willing to help anyone who needs it even at the expense of their own mental and physical health. With Shad and Aaron, they both face a situation that leaves them scarred, distrusting, and angry. They solve everything by making others feel similar hurt, or as Aaron says, he solved everything with his sword. The difference is that Aaron found someone to make him a gentle and full being again, but Shad stayed consumed by his rage and continued to hurt others. Aaron changed, Shad got worse.

3. I honestly don’t know. Everyone seems to believe that Shad had a deep love for his daughter, showing when Irene turned her into a relic, but not only do we not really know anything about WHY she was turned into a relic, I just can’t place my finger on why Shad seemed so upset. “That’s his daughter too!” Is the argument but in mcd, Shad only focused on Alina being the keeper of his relic. He actually dehumanized her so much that he called her “my relic”. The only times he called her Alina was when he was attempting to manipulate Aphmau into telling him when Alina was. Maybe he could understand that Alina meant something to Aphmau in a way that didn’t connect to her holding a relic, but I don’t really think he cared about her in any other way. This is a controversial topic in the Aphmau community tho and I haven’t watched in awhile so feel free to educate me if you know more

4. There doesn’t seem to be much conflict about Aaron’s past family besides confronting his grief and allowing himself to love again. I would say that maybe Aphmau felt like she was competing against Lily for Aaron’s love but Aphmau was more mature than that. Aaron loved Aphmau separately from his late wife. Aaron loved Lilith separately from Jacob, so any conflict was likely internal.

5. OKAY. THIS QUESTION. I LOVE POTENTIAL FANFIC QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT GIVES ME INSPIRATION OF MY OWN <333 So personally I think he’d give Aphmau a light lavender ring. He knows she’d love the color and she’d love to wear it. I was originally going to say red so that she could always have a reminder of him with her but theres nothing more telling of the love someone has for their partner than picking a special accessory out in their favorite color. BONUS PIECE THO, a garnet ring to say “Lilith Garnet brought us together in a way no other situation or person could’ve”

TYSM FOR ALL OF THE QUESTIONS MWAH MWAH MWAH! I HOPE MY ANSWERS WERE HELPFUL! I’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SAME QUESTIONS AS WELL!

[imagoddamnonionmason]

Hey pookie! Im sorry for flooding your inbox lol but I’ve got another question! How do you think Jodie and my Bell (Annika/Diana) interact with each other?

So, I love this question. I've been mulling over it for days, now, because I didn't want to rush in and give a non-answer, you know?

I'll mostly speak from Jodie's perspective and how she may feel/think/interact with Annika, as I don't want to put any assumptions on your oc, however, if you want I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this post! I think it would be nice to see if you agree with anything or don't agree!

Without further ado, though, here goes:

Within the CIA Safe House, East Berlin:

I don't know if they'd talk a lot, maybe hushed conversation here and there, when it's needed, but other than that I think their conversation would be limited. After all, Jodie feels like her every move is being scrutinised and would be unwilling to stand about chatting just because.

Adler is always watching.

Although, if Jodie became more comfortable around Annika, then their interaction in the safe house would probably be more chatty. It's all surface level, at the moment, because they're on a mission and there's work to be done.

That was an unintentional reference right there lmao

Within missions, stealth and fighting:

This is where I feel there would be some conflict - Jodie likes to be efficient, complete missions with the intention of leaving as little trace of herself as possible - in stealth she practically ceases to exist and will quietly dispatch anyone who could jeopardise her. In full blown fire fights, fist fights, you name it fights, whatever damage is made in the crossfire is not intentional. Any action she takes has to be calculated, it has to be necessary, even though in war that can't always be guaranteed. So, with Annika's carefree, I suppose, attitude toward damage, she'd probably regard the younger woman with some distaste - after missions, Jodie might voice her dislike of her way of doing things, but it would never be anything personal. Jodie would keep criticism strictly professional. For how Annika might react to that? I don't know, but Jodie wouldn't feel bad for voicing her opinion. Although, I reckon together they'd be good fighters - when Jodie gets over this difference, I feel that they share a similar ruthlessness when it comes to enemies. Now, I don't know Annika's motivations for being so ruthless with fighting is, but for Jodie it comes down to the very basic instinct of survival. It's me or them. Sometimes, in the heat of battle, you don't have time to think about the nuances of right or wrong, only whether you are going to be the one that's breathing by the end of the interaction. Together, I think they have that survival instinct that would bounce of each other.

Overall:

I feel like their interactions would be complicated, as they are very different people. I don't think they'd hate each other, but I don't think they would be the best of friends - in the nature of their job, can they afford to be 'best friends' anyway? I know that Jodie would respect Annika. After all, they are cut from the same cloth, and of their respective narratives they have both be fucked over by everyone around them. She'd respect Annika because she's survived and continues to survive, much like what Jodie has. It takes a strong type of person to persevere.

Hope this is alright @walder-138! <3

Like I say, feel free to add your thoughts - I'd love to know what you think!!

Goose out~

[lawlietscaramels]

L and Matsuda for 002?

-🎲

THANK YOU 🎲 ANON!!

How I feel about L: hhhhh sigh. hhh. sighhhshhshsiigggh. honestly? he's kind of like my favourite jumper. he's my number one comfort character ever and I came very close to crying in bed for days after he died. i am not 'typical about this man.

How I feel about Matsuda: he's such a cutie!! teehee!!! look at this silly fella who probably cuts his own hair!! giggling and kicking my feet cause he's funny and silly and would be a good friend doncha think?

All the people I ship romantically with L: Matsuda, Misa, Rie, other people's OCs (if they're shipped with him by their creator xD). Light deserves a mention because while I don't ship LawLight romantically I do think they're an iteration of the "red thread" trope because no matter what time, no matter what place, they'll write history together with a pen filled with their own blood in place of ink. that said I was genuinely surprised that so many people ship them just because I don't see it at all. I don't hate it, there's just nothing that clicks for me when looking at L and Light.

All the people I ship romantically with Matsuda: mostly just L, I've seen Matsu + Misa stuff but I think they'd be cuter friends.

My non-romantic OTP for L: Light 100%. You can't have one without the other. I can't explain all my thoughts about them without a whole post dedicated to it, but anyway, Light is my answer.

My non-romantic OTP for Matsuda: mentioned it above, Misa! They're two sillies and they're both :3 so they're besties and they've probably got matching friendship bracelets.

My unpopular opinion about L: he does eat normal food on a semi-regular basis. specifically, meat, usually I think steak. I hc him as anemic but also Watari wouldn't let L die or become malnourished and there's important things in food that you can't necessarily get in vitamins or tablets. and actually, as someone with anemia, I think L would actually have really strong cravings for rare or medium rare red meat when his iron is low and thus when he eats it he enjoys it.

My unpopular opinion about Matsuda: He's actually really smart, especially with humanities subjects. Just doesn't have great detective skills. A different career path may have been beneficial but he actually really believes in justice, probably more so than L and Light, and he actually QUESTIONS his own sense of justice which leads to more balance. he's such a great guy.

One thing I wish had happened with L in canon: he survived. and actually, I'd just really like to see him solve lots of cases. idk how many/if any he solved outside the anime but you know. a side series where he solves cases and explores the world and has tea parties with Watari would melt my heart.

One thing I wish had happened with Matsuda in canon: honestly I just wish we got to see more of him in general. I wish we got deeper into his character - into everyone's character, actually, they're all a little 2D and it's not just the animation - but yeah. more Matsu. how he works.

My L OTP: I'm not sure if I can pick one HAHAHHS I love all his relationships (well, my headcanons for them) from platonic to father and son to mentor and mentee to enemies together to lovers. yeah. I just like L LMAO but maybe Matsu. hm idk. I hear some people ship him with BB or Naomi and I wanna look into that.

My Matsuda OTP: lowkey L and Matsuda are one of my favourite ships. in Matsu's case I don't really ship him with anyone else so this is the only answer. some of you might have noticed that in my headcanons Matsuda plays Pokémon Go! and L is a Pokémon fan too... hmm... Also I like them cause they're both childish: like yeah L is always calling Matsuda stupid but does he call any other task force members stupid, even when they deserve it? no. arrogant child and silly child. even in non ship situations I think they're actually on similar wavelengths in a way.

My crossover ship for L: (platonic) Saiki K. you can't tell me they wouldn't be best friends come onnnn smnsndndm hehe

My crossover ship for Matsuda: I dunno actually...

A headcanon for L: if he has to wear shoes, he has to wear blue socks. not dark blue or navy, LIGHT, SATURATED BLUE. it's like neon ahhaha. there's little yellow flowers at the hem bits but his jeans cover them.

A headcanon for Matsuda: he doesn't like chips because they're too crunchy. he likes chips though. curly chips. YES I CALL BOTH TYPES CHIPS AND IT MAKES IT HARD TO DISCERN OVER TEXT SHSGYAYDH SORRY

[transfemmbeatrice]

parker's personal much ado primer

i'm gonna keep posting much ado shit so here is some background on my personal favorite interpretation of the characters; this is not a primer on the actual play and these opinions somewhat differ from my like. canonical readings of these characters. this is what my personal action figures are like when i'm talking about aus. i'm mostly leaving physical descriptions out bc they can vary quite a bit.

when i say "we" i mean me and my wonderful spouse @zaxal because so much of this we sort of developed together over the years and none of these characters would be quite who they are to me without them.

Beatrice: beatrice is a trans woman to me!! i talked about this a bunch here. she will also always have red hair to me (thanks catherine tate for that one). she's hot, she's confident, she doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks about her, she has relatively good judgement, she sometimes struggles to be vulnerable or soft with other people, she loves hero more than anything. she's also arrogant as hell! and often quite angry. beatrice is all fire all the time, she is alive and loud and proud and really likes having the last word. you will always know when she is in the room.

Benedick: oh this man is such a slut. grade a whore. pansexual as shit too. always cracking jokes to cover his own insecurities, desperately needs to be liked or if not that at least the center of attention--even if people don't like him, if they're thinking about him and watching him, that's good enough. he loves being witty and he is prideful and acts somewhat detached when in reality he feels things the Most and gets desperately attached to people and doesn't truly believe they could love him back.

Pedro: strong sense of duty. pedro is one that tends to vary more wildly because we've fallen into "suffocated by responsibility and shitty father, actually kinda shy and dumb and kind" which i love but in the play he is mostly just kinda shitty but i don't WANT him to be, so sometimes we try to lean more into the shitty side of him but often he is an earnest idiot (affectionate)

John: as mentioned in my beatrice post, i hc him as a trans man! sometimes more genderfluid or nonbinary. he's quiet, serious, and calm, and has been done fucking dirty by his dad/the world. generally our thought is that he was raised by his mom until about age 12 when she died and he got dumped on the palace steps and the king extremely resented taking him in and everyone was shitty to him because he's illegitimate. everyone thinks he's a villain and he knows he'll never convince them otherwise so he doesn't try; he just keeps to himself and doesn't form many attachments.

Hero: usually soft spoken but whip smart, doesn't like a lot of attention, stem major, big lesbian facing comphet vibes. she and beatrice are basically sisters. she's insightful but she doesn't share those insights with most people, and is by far the one who calls beatrice on her shit the most. we've ended up friendshipping hero and john because they're both such flat characters who exist at the whims of others and i love the idea of two wallflowers finding each other.

Claudio: obviously the villain. there are lots of different approaches to this--he might be an entitled golden boy, or a rich kid not used to hearing no, or an incel--but essentially he's a bully. i think its most interesting when he appears very nice at first and then when there's any amount of pushback things get ugly but i hate him so much i often make him pretty rancid from the start.

Margaret: outgoing and fairly relaxed, a jock, bi, in love with hero.

Conrade: john's bf, utterly loyal, and by a twist of fate it has become a running joke that he has tumblr disease (purple eyes/white hair). we usually depict him as similar to john--stolid, serious, not interested in taking anyone's shit, but lately i've been wondering if maybe he should be the bright sunshine in contrast to john.

Borachio: essentially a stray dog john and conrade adopted. he comes and goes. he's a mess.

Antonio: beatrice's surrogate parent, and elder queer genderfuck who uses ve/vir pronouns. general chaos agent.

ship abbreviations:

b&b: beatrice/benedick bbp: beatrice/benedick/pedro benepedro: take a guess beap: beatrice/pedro heromeg: hero/margaret johnrade: john/conrade

[td-brick]

brick jo and anne maria 4 ask game :^)

Thank you for the ask :-)) everything is under the cut since the post ended up being pretty long

Brick:

Sexuality: BUTCH LESBIAN i've talked about this sooooo much but i dont care. she literally immediately read as butch to me when i saw her. i honestly can't see her any other way

Gender: trans girl!

Ship: i mean its obvious if you look at my account that i love jock an abnormal about. i like brawn too though!

Platonic ship: if she was in all stars i feel like her and courtney could have gotten along.. or maybe hated eachother idk but i think they're similar to some degree that i like to think about them as friends. her and anne maria are cute as friends too

Random headcanon: I like to think that she enjoys drawing (even outside of fashion design stuff which we know she canonically likes). whether she's good at it or not is for you to decide but i think she just does it for fun and as kind of a regulation tool in a way if she gets upset or something.. idk like it's comforting to her

General opinion: I LOVE HER!!! (obviously)

Jo:

Sexuality: again she's a butch lesbian.. i think the butch part is more of a journey for her though bc it's about a specific role and dynamic you have in a relationship and her having such a "everyone for themselves"/loner kind of mindset (i guess idk how to word it) makes it harder for her to embody that but eventually as she grows i think she gets there! and its something she likes being

Gender: cis girl

Ship: like i said. jock. I also lovelove joeather i think they could have such an interesting dynamic... i talked about it like once but i never posted it here and it would make this long post even longer so i won't unless anyone really wants to hear it but! ya.. and jomaria is cute...

Platonic ship: her and lightning!! i think they have a fun rivalry :^)) i also like her and cameron. i think even though she's kinda mean to him, under different circumstances (aka nothing competitive like td and probably after she grows as a person a little more) she would kind of take him under her wing in a way

Random headcanon: She would like faith no more I DONT CARE!! I can imagine anything

General opinion: Fav if they treated her better in canon the world would be so beautiful. she's a cutie pie and i love her so much

Anne maria:

Sexuality: femme lesbian LOL ALL MY ANSWERS FOR THIS SO FAR HAVE BEEN LESBIAN but i could see her as bi too

Gender: honestly i havent really thought about it... i guess cis girl but i'm not set in that. i could see any anne maria gender hc presented to me

Ship: jomaria of course... i don't think i really have any more for her lol

Platonic ship: again her and brick are really cute!!! obviously they have very different fashion senses but they bond over both liking fashion as a general topic. she likes doing brick's hair a lot once she grows it out more too i think. also i saw a post of someone editing her a topher as friends and i thought that was funny and honestly they would probably get along really well

General opinion: I don't have many opinions on her i like her but shes just kinda There in my head. but i think she's cool ^_^ and she has a fun design