#if you read stories because you want all characters to only make smart safe and successful decisions just switch to cookbooks

[leatherbookmark]

.

honestly all this shit just looks like those people want to, idk, ascertain in front of everyone that they're both Normal and Smarter, and it feels really weird to see on a website full of self-proclaimed freaks obsessed with yearning, fucked up dynamics, hand in unlovable hand etc. what do they need the fucked up dynamics for? to point out that they're fucked up and weird, and that normal people don't do that? stop embarrassing yourself and let stories move you like a normal fucking person

[bottlepiecemuses]

Let’s Be Honest He Appeals To Women A Different Way

People call Oda Oda sexist, but in my opinion focusing on his target demographic isn’t bad. Girls aren’t excluded but I think it’s good he’s not automatically pandering to them through romance because in my opinion if he did those elements would feel forced in this show. And I think unintentional pandering to your unintended audience tends to be better than when you intentionally do so and it could potentially turned off that segment. 

The most obvious attraction that women have to this series is the dilf hot males, especially the villains. Seriously, it’s really the most unintentional of pandeirng that Oda creates these types of villains and the female audience eats it up. While most shonen series focuses on hot young men, this series give attraction to old men as well and we female fans are eating it all up. 

And again the female characters, despite the criticisms of same character mold I do think when it comes down to it excluding romance has helped. Seriously, while on the surface level the latter three are attractive and used for fan service, Oda does his best to also flesh out their characters. For instance, Nami and Robin are different types of smart guys on the crew and are critical to helping Luffy on his journey by traveling safely through the world and knowing the secrets about the messages of the Poneglyphs. In my opinion, it makes them stand out to me because they serve more than fanservice but also as people who have their place in the story. They might not get as much fights, but they manage to be strong female characters in their own right. 

Another is Vivi who isn’t the strongest fighter but has the strongest spirit and has taken on evil organizations and now the government itself to stand up for what she believes is right. Vivi might not be an official member but she is in spirit a close secret ally of the crew and her presence really brought a great dynamic from the crew that makes them all still miss her being around. 

And finally Big Mom why is she on this list, because interesting enough Oda could have just made her a one dimensional fat fuck, but instead he made her a complex character even though she’s a villainess. And even though everything she’s gone through is not an excuse for her behavior, it still makes her a compelling character to read because again someone like her ended up this way because so many people wanted to use her and enable her worst qualities for their selfish ends. And in the end we have a woman who not only can’t emphasize with people and feels entitled to everything due to how she was taught to see the world. In my opinion Oda, didn’t have to do this but I am glad and it makes antagonists like her very happy to see. 

And again even though One Piece isn’t about romance, it really gives compelling canon couples some spotlight. Seriously, one of them is Capone and Chiffon, who you wouldn’t think make a wholesome couple but they do. He seriously showers this woman who was so abused by her mother for what her sister did and adores the son they have together. He even goes up against her brother who was going to kill her even though she pleaded to leave her. This guy really does love his wife and would anything for her like a real man would. And again in my opinion, lovey dovey romance is something Oda will never do but I admit I think any woman would want a man like Capone to stand up for her like that. And in my opinion, if you ever see a married couple in this franchise you will bet your ass that married couple will have something deep and lasting. With exceptions being Yassop and Big Mom herself. 

[serial-serializednovelreader]

What other novels to your inbox do you recommend? I have done Dracula Daily for years and I want to expand my horizon. War is pretty much the only thing that I don't like. Thanks

Hi!

So funny story, contrary to my username and bio…I have not been keeping up with the classic novels in my emails lately. BUT. That does not mean I don’t have some recommendations for you!

Also, since you did mention you don’t like war, I made sure not to recommend any novels that heavily involve war (War & Peace & Emails, for instance). However, I do know some characters in these recommendations have history with war (e.g. Watson was a war doctor) and I’ve made sure to make mention of that wherever possible. So, I apologize if that comes off as annoying or stating the obvious, I just want you to be fully informed before you read. I’m also listing general content warnings as a rule to inform anyone who might be interested in these Substacks. :)

On to the recommendations!

If you’re looking for mystery…

Learn about the greatest detective of all time from his faithful partner — that’s right! Read Letters from Watson to get the scoop on Sherlock and solve mysteries alongside the legendary duo. I thought this was such a cool concept and I wish I had been able to keep up with it. But it was very fun for the time I did. It goes through the entire chronology of Sherlock stories (which is a lot, by the way) and they just started going through the “more complex cases” (aka, the 4 Sherlock novels) back in January. So, it might be a good time to start! There isn’t war in these cases (at least as far as I know, each email does have a list of content warnings for specifics), but Watson was a war doctor and this does come up frequently, just as a heads up.

If you’re looking for epistolary stories…

Literary Letters takes obscure epistolary novels from the public domain and puts them into your inbox! Right now they’re reading The Sorrows of Young Werther, which is about a guy who’s in love with a girl who’s betrothed to another and writes very passionate letters on the subject.

For a content warning, I’ve included the publisher’s note on this one: “There are passages where the book discusses Werther’s depression, despair, rationalizations for suicide, and the suicide itself at length, so please take whatever precautions you need to read the book safely, which may include buddy reading, mental health breaks, or skipping it altogether.”

So with that being said, the reason I got into this email chain was actually for their first novel they emailed - The Lightning Conductor. I absolutely loved this novel and I heavily recommend going back into the archives to read it and its sequel if you can (that one is in the “Side Stories” archive). It’s a very lighthearted read and a romance, told in epistolary format! Basically, it’s about this smart (yet a bit scatterbrained — not judging, because, same) woman who goes to Europe for the first time and she ends up meeting a gentleman when her car breaks down. Said gentleman is mistaken for a chauffeur and he goes along with it, just because she’s dreamy and he’s already smitten with her. Then there’s her “best guy friend” and her mom trying to throw a wrench in their plans. It’s utter chaos and I love it. I could go on for hours about this novel, but I won’t! I do highly recommended reading it if you ever get the chance.

If you’re looking for a read in verse format…

Check out Divine Comedy Weekly! It’s telling Dante’s Divine Comedy every Tuesday and Thursday. There’s not much to say about this one because I dropped out pretty early in the game, unfortunately. For some reason, stories told in a lyrical/verse format don’t seem to be my thing, but maybe they’re your thing! I think it’s a great concept and for that reason, I will recommend this.

If you’re looking for an all-new read…

North and South by Jane Austen is coming to your inbox this June! It’s apparently a bit like Pride and Prejudice but with the Industrial Revolution and labor relations. I actually just subscribed to this one and I’m excited to see how I enjoy it!

If you’re looking for a long haul read…

Buckle in! It’s time for Whale Weekly! That’s right, you’re in for a THREE YEAR TRIP with this bad boy because Ishmael is emailing you the tale of Moby Dick. Life has gotten in the way and I’ve fallen behind (though this is motivating me to catch up again), but this is actually really good as an email read because this guy goes on so many tangents, it’s more fun for me to absorb his thoughts in spaced out emails, rather than if I tried to read the book.

The memes are very fun with this one, but please keep in mind there is racism and foul language in this, as well as other heavy topics I can’t remember off the top of my head. Also, this does not take place in a war setting, but I do believe some characters have been in war in the past, so that is probably something to keep in mind with this one!

This one is coming to an end fairly soon (I didn’t realize we were on chapter 113/135 OOF), so I don’t know if they’re going to do another round after this or leave it. I imagine it would probably be hard to catch up at this point, but I’m going to link it anyway because I typed all of this up before realizing how far along we were and I do still recommend the read in email format rather than a novel format.

If you’re looking for horror…

I would recommend “The Beetle Weekly”. I wasn’t able to finish this one because LifeTM got in the way, but it is, for sure, one of the reads of all time. Probably the best and worst thing you could read ever tbh. It’s not very enjoyable and I’m not pitching it well at all, but for some reason, I am legitimately recommending this because it is hilarious to read with Tumblr memes by your side. As a heads up, this book does include racism, gore, sexism, transphobia (iirc?) and likely more content warnings I can’t remember. The reason I’m recommending it at all is because it does carry some of the same themes as Dracula and the characters are interesting. Plus, love it or hate it, I reacted while reading this book - a lot. Did I mention I have a bug phobia? Also, fun fact: it was published at the same time as Dracula and was actually MORE POPULAR than Dracula for a while before fading into obscurity.

The only thing is, it did just end last April so you might have to wait until December for it to crawl back into your inbox if you’re interested.

If you’re looking for a thriller…

Jekyll and Hyde Weekly. I absolutely LOVED THIS ONE!!!! Very much vibes of Dracula Daily. Immaculate stuff right there. This one has a lot more comedy than you’d think and was very enjoyable. Content warnings for violence against a child (mentioned, not shown), body horror, and there is one more I can’t say without spoiling the book (feel free to DM me if you’re interested in knowing).

Again, this is pretty short and it’s not currently active; it runs November through January, so that’s when you can look out for it!

I was hoping to recommend some more via a masterlist, I know someone made a post waaay back in 2022 when this serialized email novel thing first got started, but it looks like it got deleted, so if there is a new one, I would love for anyone to share it just for future reference!

I do have a couple of honorable mentions I’ll link that I haven’t read and know next to nothing about, but just so you can have even more recommendations. Please feel free to share your favorites!

[squipdop]

But doesn't he want to become a god specifically to be the one Actually Good God that doesn't turn people away and instead helps them? His intentions with godhood are much different than Astarion's with ascension.

GREAT question! lets see if i can answer in a way thats coherent (Challenge: Hard). first things first: this is obviously all influenced by how *i* read these characters, and how *i* think their stories would go given the circumstances (plus a bit of what id *like* to see because a) player choice has a lot of influence on character development and b) these guys are all dolls in my playhouse and i like to have fun)

so; i do believe gale truly consciously *wants* to be an Actually Good God. im not at all arguing against that - i simply believe he would not actually *be* one. for one because i dont think any God can actually be purely Good, not from the mortals point of view, and especially not a God of a domain such as *Magic*? and how long can you listen to and help your worshippers, how long can you be patient and a just teacher and ruler, when you are so much above them? when you have so much more power than them, so much more knowledge, so much more time. not to mention anyone contesting your power or domain, mortal or otherwise.

pair this with gale not always being quiet as Good as he likes to think of himself as - he does not disapprove of astarions plans of ascension, he can stay with you after the goblin raid, he is fully willing to sacrifice not *only himself, but also your entire party and everyone in the vicinity the size of a city* for mystras forgiveness "the greater good" (MINI philosophical ramblings here, because thats another intresting angle but this is already getting long enough: yes, even in the name of the greater good, he is in this moment making the decision of sacrifice not only for himself, but for a WHOLE bunch of people without their consent or consideration.) this perhaps is a personal gripe with this flavor of utilitarism, but just think how this would scale onto near limitless power.

another aspect i personally see in gales want for godhood is his desire to feel worthy. i mentioned this in my tags earlier already, but i read gale in the "gifted kid who knows hes smart but still never feels quite enough to be worth loving" way? and just constantly trying to prove that - without ever being able to attain it, and as a God, who would even be there to hand out this approval? "am i worth loving yet" is just a question you cannot recieve a satisfying affirmation to if you dont trust others to make the call

as for comparison with astarion... i think astarions base desire for ascension comes from a need to feel *safe*, which he believes he can only attain through power over others. this is where im drawing my comparisons: astarions desire for power => safety, and gales desire for power => worthiness; both think power (ascension, godhood) could give them what they want, when this is simply untrue - astarion will not ever feel truly safe if he does not let himself heal and move on, and gale will never truly feel worthy enough if he does not detach his self worth from others approval (and his use to others)

in my post i specifically mentioned them in a relationship bc i love me some unhealthy bloodweave, and i think this is one of the most toxic ways they could be together, especially if theyre both hopelessly devoted to each other... (dreamy sigh) but i think this answer is already long enough so ill cut it off here

TL;DR: i think gale *wants* to be an actually Good God. i just do not think him capable.

[fights4users]

The quorra problem | Programs, isos and the real world

Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with Quorra as a character! It’s more of a story element critique if anything, please read and don’t jump on me for the title. Quorra is adorable and I enjoy legacy- even if it doesn’t look like it from how I keep tearing it apart.

It’s a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. On one hand you can’t leave her inside the grid when Flynn decides to literally go nuclear but you can’t leave her in the real world either. They have to because they wanted Flynn’s self sacrificing ending or wrote themselves into a corner (this isn’t about reintegration but I will still complain) and this was there way out. But they didn’t consider the implications of it at all.

Cosmic horror-

I’ve made several posts about it and still want to write something with this idea but to a program— the real world wouldn’t be so miraculous like how we see theirs. The minute you’re outside you’re Imediately bombarded with sensory overload and just too much information to process. The grid, which is much more human in its design than the ENCOM system, is still infinitely more minimalist than our world. One of the best scenes is Clu and his team raiding the hideout and not knowing what a single thing is and freaking out, she seems too well adjusted for someone who’s spent a few hours max here— look I know it’s the end of a movie and they can’t do that whole arc, but I digress.

Also don’t get me started on the rumored Ares plot and how they totally forgot quorra is already a program(technically iso) in our world- also it’s not really a “tron” movie plot— where’s the allegory?! The metaphor?! The symbolism?!

Another thing is that…Sam can’t tell anyone about her. Maybe Alan but her mere existence in our world is brain shattering. Trying to explain a advanced humanoid being that’s not here to harm us and is totally cool guys almost never goes well. It also leaves people a LOT to grapple with…like everything we know being forever altered.

This whole situation should be terrifying from both perspectives, however I love the theory that the only reason she was able to get out into the real world at all was because of Flynn’s data stored in the beam. That’s a great thought that almost makes me like her being in the real world just from how much impact that is.

Infectious-

What happens now? She can’t be revealed to the world (yet) and to put her back in the remains of the grid would be cruel. Putting her in another system would be wildly irresponsible because- do we even know what ISOs do? Across all media its “they’re special” but absolutely squat on their actual function or what they’re capable of. We see they have some kind of digital dna that’s literally a miraculous occurrence but that’s about it. Did Flynn even know? Are they just there- existing but not effecting/having a real world computer impact? Or worse - what if clu was right and they did contribute to the crumbling state of the grid? (I think it was a combination of his own fear and scapegoating—I’m just tossing the idea out there).

Sam transferring her over to another system without knowing what she does or how she could effect it would be disastrous. Am I saying she’s dangerous or would have any intent to harm? No not at all that’s now who she is, but it’s sort of a “releasing a domestic cat into the woods a state over” you don’t do that.

Does she get a regular job now, does Sam hire her at ENCOM? She’d likely be some sort of computer smart…in that she come from one. Or does he like —- set her up at a McDonald’s? How’s she get energy does she get plugged in- being in the real world isn’t going to magically give her a stomach. Sam just takes her to a power grid and she causes SoCal to blackout lmao.

Open portal-

I’m aware most of this post is just me overthinking the implications of everything they didn’t intend us to think to hard about. It’s supposed to be “yippee they’re safe” and I’m worried about digital ecosystems and what the human brain can handle. I think my problem mainly strives from this trope where the character brings home their friend from the other world/ is the reverse situation and no one bats an eye at all. It’s because they want the characters to still be friends no matter how many rules it breaks or sense it makes. It happens most commonly in cartoons. (There’s at least 3 in recent memory)

I’m not saying I want quorra to have been caught in the blast but that there’s a way they could’ve kept communication without world breaking. Open portal situation where he goes back to visit, he chats with her on the screen, both stay in their own worlds its sad but logical etc (I’m not writing a new ending but you get the point).

I guess it annoys me so much because it’s left so open ended, ride off into the sunrise while ignoring the implications™️. “I guess, We’re going to change the world” ok how 🧍‍♂️. The movie did not nearly give me enough information about ISO’s to see what changes they exactly do besides taking over ENCOM. “They[Iso’s] changed everything” ok how🧍‍♂️. Yeah it’s immaculate conception but what do they do I am shaking your shoulders Disney what do they do!

It’s not quorra I’m mad about or even the concept of ISO’s but it’s how the writing just falls short in these HUGE areas that require a lot of lore and information to be given that they just do not. And consistently don’t In the other media forms like betrayal (I haven’t seen uprising maybe they explain something). If you’re going to have beings that shatter your ideas of reality you sort of have to explain that!

[redtippedfox]

Hi welcome to my page!

I'm a Miraculous obsessed fangirl who makes fanfiction and draws fan art and illustrations for my fanfictions. If you're looking for a certain fanfiction then down below are my works. Just read the summary and be on your way!

Updates can be slow sometimes but will eventually be updated in time.

Make sure to read the tags before you read! All Characters in these stories are aged up to adults, some stories have mature content so read at your own risk.

Have a good day!

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Timey Wimey... Uh Oh

After her whole team has been akumatized and now runs free from the Butterfly Miraculouses hold. Marinette down with only three miraculouses was sent tumbling through time thanks to Future Bunnix saving her from her team's clutches in a last-minute escape right before Chat Blanc got his hands on her. But seriously? Getting stuck in the past for a year, of course, everything goes wrong on the day of the Prime Queen interview. Now she’s stuck in the past and thanks to her team using akumatized Bunnix her identity has been revealed in the grandest way ever…on the Prime Interview by her Akumatized teammates.

With only the butterfly and peacock miraculouses as her aid, Marinette and past Marinette must fight to get her team back before they rip the timeline apart…literally. But first Marinette has to avoid her nosy past classmates, her worried past parents, younger Chat Noir, and a very curious public along with a desperate Chat Blanc who will stop at nothing to ensure his lady is safely back in his arms and his family is forever whole.

and in the end, no foul harm will come, the cure will erase the past changes…right?

---------------------------------

Unlucky Ladybug Marionette

After being killed by an Akuma in battle, Marinette is reincarnated into the Royal Queen of France; Queen Marionette, who is married to King Adrien the first and mother of Princess Emma. The only problem is that Queen Marionette was a wicked woman and was executed by her husband! Now Marinette has to live as Marionette and survive! But her adorable daughter just wants to spend time with her mom and dad! Can Marinette survive being the Queen of France? Will she succumb to her daughter's adorableness? Can she survive her husband who suddenly seems to want her attention and to be around her?

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The Stage of Chrysalis

What if in Strike back, Felix didn’t use fetch on the yo-yo but used Fetch on Ladybug herself and later when he was confronting Gabriel he summoned Ladybug. Flairmidable along with Gabriel take the chance to attack her and take her miraculous. Gabriel finally has the Ladybug Miraculous along with Marinette herself. Gabriel has seen how smart and creative Marinette can be with the Miraculouses along with the fact she knows the zodiac kwamis well. Gabriel takes this chance to control the Miraculous Guardian to do his bidding as he forces Marinette to destroy the very city she vowed to protect.

All while Chat Noir is forced to stand alone against a very powerful Monarch.

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From a Model to an Emperor

Adriens life wasn't normal, he was a famous model and son of a famous fashion designer along with the hero of Paris. But he never expected his not so normal life to turn into something of a fairytale.

Forced to be the Emperor of the now no longer lost Miraculous Empire he faces being Crown Prince, Sneaky nobles, etiquette classes, proposals, planning his wedding, his coronation, attending parties, old traditional Guardians and being announced missing back in Paris.

On the bright side, he gets to marry Ladybug because she's his Crown Princess and soon-to-be Empress.

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[jwonsociety]

lovestruck // chapter 6

pairing ➼ brother's best friend!niki x fem!reader

genre ➼ strangers to friends to lovers, fluff, kind of crack because y/n's internal narration is very silly, sunoo is y/n's older brother

word count ➼ 3.9k

warnings ➼ a little bit of angst this chapter but DONT WORRY, everybody is so so so stupid, profanity

synopsis ➼ As the younger sister of the smart and popular Kim Sunoo, you’ve gotten used to living life as a background character. You mostly keep to yourself, you don't go to parties, and you most certainly do not have a boyfriend. One day, Sunoo brings home one of his friends and encourages you two to get to know each other… the fact that said friend is extremely cute definitely won’t be an issue, right?

taglist!! ➼ @kaal-ee @naexity @sd211 @yenqa @justbored48 @nomurahayami @seeuuns @666eren @mklhyvn @annoyingbitch83 @f0rlov3rs @wanna-live-yn-life @hafsa-hoofsa-heefs @han8ul @ahnneyong

a/n ➼ i cant believe that this series is already over!! thank you all so so much for reading and enjoying this mini series <3 it truly means the world to me. this story has been so fun to write!! i hope you all enjoy this extra long chapter!! love you all~ mwah

˚₊· ➳❥

Your whole life, romance was something you had only experienced vicariously through movies. It was a little embarrassing to admit, but you were a sucker for a good rom-com; from Love Actually to 27 Dresses to The Princess Bride, you had truly seen it all. Countless nights had been spent curled up in your bed with only potato chips and Julia Roberts to comfort you.

Despite your obsession with these films, you had always insisted that you did not care for anything related to dating. Boys were not a priority. You had a less-than-thrilling social life, but you had a good group of friends and good grades. You weren’t anxiously waiting for a prince charming to come knocking on your door. And, honestly, you simply never thought you would ever experience that. You sincerely could not imagine someone liking you enough to sweep you off your feet with a grand romantic gesture. Nobody would stand outside your window with a boombox, or serenade you with a marching band accompaniment. You were okay with that. At least, you had been.

You weren’t sure what exactly it was about him. Maybe his eyes or his hair or his smile… at a conventional level, he was cute, that was obvious. He possessed all of those attractive qualities, yet that’s not why you fell for him. It was his dorky laugh and his little habits and his perfect rendition of any SHINee choreography. Yes, you had been content with a life devoid of a fairytale ending. Then Niki entered the picture and fucked everything up. He fucked everything up in the best possible way.

Some braver, more courageous person possessed you the moment you leaned in to meet Niki halfway. You honestly don’t know what came over you. You weren’t the daring type. But with his eyes looking at you so fiercely, confession still fresh from his lips, how could you not? You squeezed your eyes tightly shut, anxiously waiting for Niki to push you away and change his mind.

Instead, instead you felt soft lips against your own. A gentle hand gently rested on your waist, pulling you in ever so slightly, and another cupped your cheek. Holy shit. You were kissing Niki. And he was kissing you back.

Your heart thrummed hard in your chest -- harder than it ever had in your whole life. You were so nervous. You had never kissed anyone like this before. So carefully, so meaningfully. Legs trembling, your hand grabbed Niki’s shoulder as an anchor. You could feel the raven-haired boy smile softly against your lips. He hugged you just a little tighter and somehow, you felt less scared.

The familiar scent of Niki’s cologne seemed to envelop you completely. It was clean, rich, and delightfully him. You wanted to breathe in it forever. If time could allow it, you sincerely would.

Wrapped delicately in Niki’s arms, you felt so safe. He’d always had the incredible ability to make all of your worries melt away, like a warm sun thawing a frozen river. Time stood at a standstill as you stood in the middle of the room, kissing him like you would never get the chance to again. This was so much better than any rom-com you had ever seen.

“What the fuck?”

At the sudden interruption, you sprang off of Niki, whirling around to discover the source of the sudden interruption. You were met with the sight of your brother standing in the doorway with an expression of pure horror on his face.

Shit.

“No, seriously, what the fuck?” His demeanor seemed to be a combination of shock and exasperation. His gaze flicked between the two of you. You opened and closed your mouth, searching for a response, but failed. This was not good. Actually, scratch that -- this was a literal waking nightmare. God, what were you thinking? When has anything romantic ever worked out for you?

Niki, sensing your petrified state, took a step towards him. “Sunoo---”

Sunoo backed away warily. “Niki…” he started, but trailed. He looked away, the awkwardness off this situation visibly taking a toll on him. He cleared his throat. “Niki, I think you should go home.”

“Wait, Sunoo,” you pleaded, eyes stinging with unshed tears. 

“Please.” His voice was very small. “Just go.”

After a moment’s pause, Niki brushed past Sunoo and left the room without saying a word. The tension was so unbearable it neared torturous. You stared at the picture frame on your desk that you had been laughing at just minutes before. The only sound to be heard was Niki descending the steps, grabbing his coat, and eventually exiting through the front door with a faint thud. You forced yourself to look at your brother.

To your surprise, he was already looking at you. His eyes brows were pinched in a way that you could only describe as apprehensive. Or on the verge of vomiting. You couldn’t exactly pinpoint it.

“Sunoo, I promise there’s an explanation for this,” you whispered, trying your hardest to stifle the tears threatening to spill out of your eyes.

“Y/nnie…” he started. He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m just going to go to my room.”

He turned away and stepped out into the hall, and in a second, he was gone.

➽──────────────❥

“It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“I can assure you, it was.”

Yoon sighed, clearly wanting to say something else but choosing to bite her tongue. You continued.

“It was completely moritfying,” you insisted, hands mindlessly forming braids in your friend’s hair. You were sitting at a picnic table in your school’s courtyard, legs facing outward, and Yoon sat on the ground in between them as you practiced your stylist skills. Eunchae sat to the left of you, legs tucked up to her chest. It was Monday, lunch, and naturally you had called for an emergency meeting to discuss the events of the past Saturday.

Eunchae was clearly invested. “I mean, how mad is Sunoo, really?”

“He’s fucking pissed, Eunchae,” you groaned. You began to braid a little faster. “He’s barely spoken to me since it happened! I’ve tried talking to him, but it likes trying to reason with a brick wall. All it’s been is dirty looks and the silent treatment and now I’ve completely destroyed the relationship I have with my brother beyond repair and--”

“Ow, ow!” Yoon hissed, reaching up to seize your wrist. “You’re pulling!”

“Sorry,” you mumbled, releasing the iron grip you had on her poor hair follicles. “I just really don’t know what to do.”

“Maybe he just needs time,” Eunchae suggested. “I mean, in his defense, he did walk in on his best friend sucking face with his little sister. That’s probably a big shock.”

“We were not ‘sucking face’.”

“Fine. You were ‘smooching’ his best friend. That doesn’t make it any better.”

You pondered her words for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right… but was kicking him out really necessary? Niki hasn’t texted me once since then! Maybe he regrets it.”

“He’s probably just scared, Y/nnie,” Yoon said, resting her cheek on your knee. She gave you an assuring smile. “You should go talk to him!”

“Speak of the devil,” Eunchae gasped, pointing to the other side of the courtyard. You followed her extended finger to find Niki, hair shining in the sunlight, carefully considering all of the beverage options in one of the vending machines. “Now’s your chance!”

You grimaced. “I don’t know.”

Yoon rolled her eyes and gave your leg an urgent shake. “C’mon! What’s the worst that could happen? I mean, the dude kissed you, so he obviously doesn’t hate you.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of still processing that,” you snorted, swatting her hand away playfully.

“Honestly, me too,” Eunchae confessed. “Since when did you become such a player, y/n?”

With a laugh, you pushed yourself off the bench and turned to face your friends. “I’m not a player!” you giggled. “But alright, I’ll go talk to him.”

With an encouraging thumbs up from Eunchae and a dignified salute from Yoon, you mustered all of your courage and set off towards Niki. The boy in question seemed seriously focused on deciding between Pepsi or Mountain Dew. As you got closer, regret began to slowly creep into your mind. Was the school courtyard really the best place to have your first conversation with him since… the incident? You had mentally dubbed it that because it was definitely a milestone in your life in terms of personal mortification. Before you could change your mind, Niki noticed you approaching.

“Y/n,” he said. You searched his expression for any trace of annoyance or apprehension, but didn’t discover anything of the sort. Maybe you it was wishful thinking, but he honestly seemed happy to see you. “Hey.”

“Hi, Niki,” you replied, voice tense. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” he replied, lips quirking into a smile, and motioned towards the vending machine. “I’m just getting a drink. I think today’s more of a Mountain Dew kind of vibe.”

You giggled, furrowing your brows at him. “What exactly defines a ‘Mountain Dew kind of vibe’?”

“I can’t really explain it. I can just feel it in my soul.” He clutched his abdomen dramatically, gazing off into the distance like he was the protagonist in a thought-provoking artsy indie film. It made you laugh harder.

You shifted you weight between your left foot and your right, searching for a way to appropriately change the topic from carbonated beverages to what you really came over here for. “So, we’re good, right?”

He blinked. “Of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“You just haven’t texted me since Saturday, so I was beginning to think you… you know, regretted it.”

“No, no, I promise you I don’t,” he insisted fervently. “Honestly, I thought that maybe you regretted it, because of Sunoo seeing us.”

You quite literally convulsed at the mention of your brother walking in on you two. Ashamed, you buried your heads in your hands. “Oh my God, please don’t bring that up. That will go down in history as the most embarrassing thing to ever happen in my life.”

“It’s not the worst,” Niki chuckled. “I’m sure something more embarrassing will happen to you later in life and you’ll forget all about this.”

You peeked at him through your fingers. “That’s not really comforting.”

“Sorry.”

“Have you spoken to him since then?” you asked, dropping your hands back to your sides.

“I tried,” he said, “but he’s been avoiding me like his life depends on it. I can’t tell if he’s mad or just feels severely awkward.”

“I think it’s a mix of both,” you joked, but a sad undertone edged your voice. You sighed. “He hasn’t spoken to me either. I don’t know what to do.”

Niki looked crestfallen. “Y/n, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have suddenly done that in the middle of your room.”

You chuckled. “Are you forgetting it was me who kissed you?”

A soft pink blush crept up Niki’s neck before blossoming across his cheeks. You had come to discover that you rather enjoyed seeing him embarassed. “Well, yeah, but I was the one who… said all those things.”

“What, your confession of undying love to me?”

Niki smiled, cocking an amused eyebrow at you. “I don’t really remember it happening like that.”

“Well, whatever the case, I don’t regret it,” you assured him. “Do you?”

Niki placed a gentle hand on your arm, your skin tingling under his warm touc, his eyes soft. Your proximity was suddenly a lot closer. “I definitely don’t regret it, Y/nnie. I promise.”

Your face burned. “‘Y/nnie?’” you repeated, dumbstruck.

He smiled. “What, isn’t that your nickname? It’s cute. Like you.”

“Oh my God, stop,” you laughed, pushing him away. “I might die from the sheer corniness of what you just said.”

“I’m just trying to be a chivalrous gentleman.”

“Please take your chivalry somewhere else.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence for a moment. With Niki, you didn’t need to speak. It was easy to just quietly enjoy each other’s company. You took some time to admire his outfit; he was wearing a white band tee and baggy grey sweats with a silver necklace adorning his sternum. You loved the way he dressed. You were coming to realize that you loved most things about him.

“Forgive me for being so cliche, but,” you ventured, “what are we?”

He grinned, tilting his head at you like you were the funniest thing. “Well, I was kind of hoping that you’d be my girlfriend, y/n. If that’s okay with you.”

Any attempt to remain nonchalant instantly evaporated. The widest, giddiest smile stretched out across your face, the kind so big it turned your eyes into little crescents. Girlfriend.

“It’s definitely okay with me, Niki,” you breathed. You felt like you were dreaming. “Wow.”

“‘Wow’?” 

“Don’t tease me, I’m just surprised!”

“How are you surprised? We kissed in your bedroom two days ago!”

You rolled your eyes, but that stupid smile on your face didn’t budge an inch. Being Niki’s girlfriend was already something you were very much relishing in. Of course,  you realized there was still the issue of your brother, which sorely needed resolving.

“Listen, before we start dating officially or anything, I should probably work things out with Sunoo,” you explained. “He deserves some sort of explanation.”

Niki nodded in agreement. “I totally get that. Honestly, I should probably talk to him too.”

You sighed, long and heavy, rubbing your neck. “How do I talk to him though? He’s avoiding me like the plague.”

“Maybe you just need to corner him.”

“Corner him?”

“Yeah, like get him in a situation where he can’t leave and he has no choice but to talk.”

You scoffed. “Right. Because that’s totally non-threatening.”

“Just a suggestion,” Niki shrugged.

Honestly, that idea didn’t seem to bad. In fact, it may be your only option -- Sunoo’s evasion of you was becoming so precise it was baffling. Seriously, your house wasn’t that big, yet somehow he managed to always avoid you. This dilemma needed to be dealt with once and for all.

“Niki, please tell me everything is going to be okay.”

He smiled. “Y/n, everything is going to be okay.”

➽──────────────❥

“Y/n, let me out right now!”

“Sunoo, this is for your own good.”

“How the hell is locking me inside a bathroom for my own good?”

Honestly, you probably could’ve gone about this in a less serial killer-esque way, but at this point, you were desperate. After you and Niki’s conversation earlier that day, you had been determinedly brainstorming ways to confront your brother. Then, that evening, you spotted Sunoo going into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and before you knew it you were following him in and locking the door behind him.

Again, there was probably a better way to do this.

“Sunoo, will you please just listen for a second?”

“Why should I? I’m being held captive by my little sister!”

“S-Sunoo, please,” you squeaked, voice quivering. “You’ve been avoiding me all week, I just want to talk to you!”

Sunoo crossed his arms. “I don’t really have much to say.”

“But I do!” you exclaimed. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? You won’t even let me explain myself!”

“Overreacting?” Sunoo repeated in disbelief. “I walked in on you kissing my best friend! How do you think I feel? This whole time, I thought me and Niki were really becoming close, just for me to find out he’s only been coming over to see my sister!”

You paused. Is that really what he thought? “But that isn’t true,” you insisted.

“How am I supposed to know that?” Sunoo, who had been furious just moments before, now seemed overcome by sadness. It was a vulnerability you hadn’t seen in him since you two were kids; his eyes watering and voice weak. He looked at the floor. “Kissing each other is one thing, but straight up lying to me? That’s what I’m really upset about.”

“Sunoo…” An immense amount of guilt settled on your shoulders. You hadn’t even thought about it like that, from Sunoo’s perspective. Now you understood why he was so upset.

You drew in a deep breath and released it, taking a second to steady your breathing before you spoke. “I want to make it very clear that me and Niki have not been sneaking around behind your back. What happened on Saturday was… spur-of-the-moment.”

“Okay,” he said, but he still seemed tense. “But then why did you kiss him in the first place? I knew you and Niki were friends, but I had no idea there might’ve been something more.”

“If I’m being completely honest,” you began, but hesitated. God, this was so embarrassing, but it was the truth. “I’ve liked Niki since I met him. But I genuinely didn’t think he was interested in me like that anyways, so I just tried my best to ignore my crush on him because I knew it would bother you.”

Sunoo didn’t say anything, so you continued. “We got closer as we hung out more and it was purely platonic, but on Saturday we both ended up admitting our feelings, and… well, you know the rest.”

“Unfortunately, I do,” Sunoo quipped. He was looking at you with close attention, but he didn’t seem upset anymore. He was just listening.

“I feel so shitty about it. I really do. We shouldn’t have done that when you were right down the hall and I should’ve communicated with you about my feelings because I knew it would put you in an uncomfortable position. I’m sorry, Sunoo. I’m sorry that I made you feel lied to.”

Sunoo remained quiet for another beat, staring into you like he could see into your soul. You swallowed nervously. Eventually, he spoke.

“Thank you for telling me the truth, y/nnie,” he said, mouth turned upwards in a small smile. “I think I was just really shocked more than anything. I had no idea what to think.”

You giggled, your face turning a little red. “Well, in your defense, I think that would shock anyone.”

“Yeah you might be right,” he laughed.

“I know you must feel a little awkward though. I mean, Niki’s one of your closest friends.”

“Yeah, I do feel awkward, I won’t lie about that,” he admitted. “But you can’t control who you like. Besides, I’d rather you be with Niki than some weirdo. He’s a great guy.”

You snorted, looking at him with hopeful eyes. “So, we’re good?”

He rolled his eyes, but a grin adorned his face. “Yes, dummy, we’re good.”

He pulled you into a tight hug and you felt the anxious knot in your stomach finally come undone. You threw your arms around Sunoo and buried your head in his shoulder. Finally, you had your best friend back.

“So, does this mean you and Niki are gonna get like, matching heart lockets or something?”

“Ew. What?” you laughed, poking your brother in his side.

“Just a question!”

➽──────────────❥

For whatever reason, the entirety of your decision making skills left your brain the moment you had to choose an ice cream flavor. There were the basics like chocolate and vanilla, and they were reliable. But what if you were feeling adventurous? Maybe rocky road was a better choice, or even cookie dough… jeez. You genuinely believed you would have an easier time naming your firstborn child.

“It’s not a life or death decision, y/nnie,” Niki teased. “Just pick one.”

“It might as well be,” you grumbled as you continued to scrutinize the menu with serious contemplation.

“If you don’t choose something in the next five minutes I’m leaving you here.”

You shot him a glare, but there was no real malice behind it. Soft house music filled the small establishment, as well as the quiet chatter of other patrons. Niki stood behind you, looming, yet his presence was always comforting. This had been his idea, of course. After what had been a rather tiresome day at school, Niki had insisted that you two do something ‘fun’, and before you knew it, he had grabbed you by the hand and brought you here. You were happy. You just wish picking a flavor wasn’t so impossible.

Niki squeezed your shoulder, leaning in to talk to directly in your ear. “I can just choose for you, if you want,” he offered, his tone affectionate and warm. 

“...That actually sounds like a good idea. Thanks.” You smiled, leaning back into him ever so slightly. You couldn’t see him, but you could tell that he was also smiling, probably finding your indecisiveness throughly hilarious. With a gentle pat to your head, he stepped past you to order at the counter.

“May I please have a scoop of double chocolate chip with melted fudge--” he briefly glanced at you, then continued, “--and a scoop of matcha ice cream please? Thank you.”

You pursed your lips, intrigued by his choice for you. Niki began rooting through his pockets and you grabbed his wrist.

“I can pay for my own, Niki,” you insisted.

He removed your hold on his arm, smiling as he gazed down at you. “Don’t worry about it, y/nnie.” He cupped your cheek in his hand, eyes gleaming with a fondness you couldn’t quite place, and your heartbeat stuttered. “Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t buy a treat for my girlfriend?”

A fierce blush spread across your face. Boyfriend. Girlfriend. You were never going to get used to that. Clearly proud of himself, he smirked and turned back towards the cashier to hand him the cash. After successfully retrieving the ice cream, he handed you yours.

“C’mon,” he said, jerking his head towards the door. “Let’s sit outside. The weather’s nice.”

Ice cream in hand, you followed him towards the exit. Niki pushed the door open with his hip, holding it there and motioning for you to go ahead. Grinning, you obliged, brushing past him and immediately being greeted by the crisp weather. The door closed with the happy jingle of its bell. The two of you decided to situate yourselves on a nearby bench, content to eat your ice cream while partaking in some good old-fashioned people watching.

“You know, I’ve never had matcha ice cream before,” you commented, carefully observing the green scoop nestled in a waffle cone.

Niki looked over at you and grinned. “Well, I hope you like it then.”

You carefully tasted some of the ice cream, Niki watching you expectantly. After pondering its flavor for a moment, you looked back at him and nodded in approval. “Wow, it’s actually really good! How’d you know I’d like this?”

He smiled. “I just know you better than anyone, huh?”

You smiled back at him and scooted a bit closer so that you were comfortably nestled into his side. Even though you and Niki were dating officially now, the flustered butterflies in your stomach were still very much present. But now, they weren’t as much nervousness as they were adoration. Everything about Niki was just so lovable. And, in addition to his cute smile and sense of humor, he made you feel so secure. Truly, he was your safe place.

“You okay?” Niki asked, voice concerned. He must’ve noticed you spacing out.

You smiled at him reassuringly. “Yeah, I’m just… really happy.”

Niki beamed. “Me too, y/nnie. Me too.”

He looked at you, expression soft, his nose slightly brushing yours. With a small smile, you leaned in and met him in the middle. And this time it wasn't sneaky or scary. It was perfect.

[dilucsfav]

Zhongli hcs and scenarios!!!

guys please. crying rn I NEED REQUESTS PLEASE WHAT CHARACTERS DO YOU WANT ME TO WRITE ABOUT OR MAKE FANFICITON ABOUT SHXHXHHX. anyways it’s our fav old man’s turn for some hcs!! strong man deserves all the love !!!!

warning(s): pure fluff… and ofc the addition nsfw. please don’t read if you feel uncomfortable by that!!

okay this man. his picture of a “perfect date idea” would be sitting under a small tree with picked glazed lilies, either taking a nap with you during the day or stargazing at night.

honestly though he’d be so soft around you. he always speaks gentle and kind words to you or helps you with literally anything imaginable.

he likes to talk to you about his old stories that he has. all about the archon war and the personal experiences. he’s a very emotional man when discussing these sensitive topics so be kind to the poor guy :((

when you hold his hand, he’d hold yours super tight and do that little thumb rub. YKWIM???

whispers in your ear. a lot. whether it be to fluster you or to tell you something secretive, he’d hold the side of your face gently and press his lips to your ear. whether to say something or just kiss it.

when you two play games, such as board games or something, he’d get SUPER invested into it. not so much competitive, but he’d be super zoned into the game and focus REALLY hard.

when you two are together, it’s often times very quiet. he really likes to just sit in silence and hold you.

omg he would probably be like so good at making tea idk. i can just imagine him make you both some hot tea on a cold morning, sitting in front of a fire place while reading you a book out loud. you two would share a blanket and there would be a big grin on his face while you blow on your hot tea. SUCH A SWEET MAN.

pet names with him consist of sweetheart, my love, my darling. i can see him using your name a lot, but sometimes he throw in a pet name here and there!!

he would lay with you and hum to you. a lot. he just loves holding you close to him and whispering sweet nothings into your ear. humming you to sleep is an almost every night tradition!!

he’s very smart! he’ll teach you about all sorts of things that he’s learned overtime!!

when you’re having bad days i can just imagine him holding your hand while taking a walk with you around liyue. he’d make you your favorite drink and sit down with you, rub your head and smile and allow you to talk about what’s on your mind.

this is been my own person favorite headcanon of zhongli for a long time, but i feel like he’d have a special “spot” that only he and you know about!

—that special spot being a small patch of glaze lilies, surrounded by trees where nobody could even know it was there!! you two often go in the patch of flowers around nighttime. whether to hold each other in silence or discuss things, the environment is safe and peaceful :))

nsfw!!:

even though zhongli is a calm and sweet man, he can get overwhelmed easily. sometimes he lets it out on you in bed and feels so so bad afterwards :((

—although i’m sure some of you would enjoy the stern tone in his voice when this happens

imagine this. him biting his gloves to take them off, his eyes never leaving you. how do we feel about that.

“oh, my darling, I’ve waited for you all evening. please don’t make me wait much longer.”

very, and i mean very giving.

—submissive switch tbh though…

i don’t have to say that it’s big for you to know. it’s big.

he’s also another character that would kiss you lots during it. often times kissing your thighs, forehead, knuckles, and private areas.

even when zhongli is “rough,” he still tries to be as gentle as possible. he’s so scared to hurt you. but if you like it rough then he’ll do as you say for your pleasure :((

sex with him is so intimate, it’s sweet. personally, i would describe it as making love instead of fucking or sex because that’s how it’d be!!

i feel like he’d be into ass… like. he’d just like your ass. he likes to touch it and mess with it and hold it

one round is enough for him. what can i say, he’s old :((

“r-right there, (y/n). you’re— ahh, i’m so in love with you.”

[azrielgreen]

Hi! I really hope that this doesn't come across wrong, because you're my favorite author of all time, but I am curious about how and why you write pairings with Billy? I mean, he's a violent and awful racist who tried to kill a kid. I'm just curious about Billy shippers, and I wanted to know what you think about all that! You really are my #1 author, and I really, really hope this doesn't come across as mean!

I debated answering this at all because I really don't involve myself in anything remotely related to fandom unpleasantness or the kind of immaturity that leads to "ship wars" and outright bullying, but I can tell your question was asked in good faith so this will probably be the one time I answer anything like this.

I write for myself. I write characters that interest me. I'm interested in complex characters. They have the most wiggle room for expression and interpretation of angst and growth and suffering within my kind of creative narrative. I fully appreciate that the Stranger Things fandom is where I gained traction, but I've been in fandom for a decade and I've written for Hannibal, Supernatural, Vampire Chronicles, Dragon Age among many others that I usually orphan because writing for myself is essential. I don't write to appease or instruct or create a moral guideline for how to be or how to love.

I won't reel off a list of reasons "why" i write pairings with Billy because I don't need to justify anything to anyone. I don't endorse what I write. I explore complicated characters and I feel things through them and I write and follow my creative instincts where a story might lead. I don't write to be popular, I never have, and I never will and if I thought for a second that the only reason my fics gained traction in this fandom was because anyone saw me as some kind of Anti-Billy Flag-waver, I'd delete every single thing I wrote including my AO3 username. Luckily, I know that's not the case and those who like my writing and stories enjoy them because they're smart enough to select what they like and leave what they don't.

I think there's a stunning level of dissonance between people who are insecure and fandom and those who are secure. It's fanfiction. It's literally transformative works. I can transform whatever I like and I write what I'm drawn to and I am drawn, always, to complicated characters with the potential for growth and evolution from low places. I've written so much for so many fandoms and some of what I've written has been pure, ice cold horror, straight up. The idea that I'm supposed to be someone who only ever writes Fandom Stamp-Approved Characters is hilarious to me. I write about murderers, people who kill, soldiers, assassins and even serial killers. I could spend time and energy explaining why I'm drawn to writing darker elements and giving them a bright, hopeful growth arc but I shouldn't have to explain ANYTHING and I don't, so I won't and please, anyone else reading, do not ever feel like you have to explain or justify what you write. That path leads nowhere good. No one should regulate what people write. NO ONE has the right to bully someone out of a fandom because they disagree with what they're writing about. No one.

I have always tried to be very open and supportive about encouraging people to feel safe exploring their interests, be it kink, trauma, whatever. I'll fight fiercely to defend people's right to enjoy literally whatever the fuck they want because life is hard, time is short, real life is disappointing and AO3 at the end of a long day can be comforting as fuck. The idea that some people are handwringing because people write about a "violent awful racist who tried to kill a kid" is so ridiculous to me it makes me laugh every single time. It's not real. It's a story. It's a TV show. I can explore whatever I want and so can everyone else.

Here's the very closest you'll come to hearing me give reasons why and I'm only doing it because I want other people who feel belittled and bullied and shamed for exploring what they're drawn to, to see this. The person I was at 17 years old is nothing like the person I am now and I cannot emphasise that strongly enough. I come from an abusive home. The girl I was at 17, 18, 19 and even 20... if I met her now, I wouldn't know her and she absolutely wouldn't know me. I lost who I was as a child because I was abused and it's only in the last ten years I had enough experience, distance and self-exploration to rediscover myself and really grow. Nothing excuses racism or violence. Me writing these characters is not excusing it. Writing domestic violence is not endorsing domestic violence. People need to understand this because it's a massive problem in the queer publishing community; this idea that all queer media needs to be morally squeaky clean, to be flawless and sexless and adhere to the perfect cis-heteronormative outline in order to be "acceptable" and not cast a pall on queers overall. I believe people can change. I believe people can see themselves in a piece of media and WANT to be better. I know because it happened to me. People can change. I like to think there are circumstances in which Billy could change. In which there was an intervention point, the possibility for redemption.

Fanfiction isn't real life. I would be so happy if people could understand this. Fiction is FICTION. It's exploration, it's themes, it's freedom of expression, it's art, it's for fun. It's not for everyone. No single thing is for everyone and it never, ever should be. My writing isn't for everyone. That makes me really happy because it means those who might resonate with what I write, will find it and have their own space to enjoy it. I'm a person with finite energy and time who dedicates a lot of that energy and time to this corner of fandom where I reasonably expect to be able to write whatever the hell I like however I like and if anyone has a different opinion of that, they'll be sorely disappointed. Complex, flawed characters whose experiences mirror my own will always be compelling to me and I will always be drawn to exploring redemptive narratives for them. If people don't like it, they don't have to read. If they get upset that I'm writing something they disagree with, that's on them and if they feel the need to draw attention to their discomfort, that's far less to do with the person they're complaining about and more an indication they need to do some serious shadow work.

Thank you for your question, no harm was inferred and I wish you all the best. Az. 💜💜💜

[rd-lancaster]

Kind of had some kind of epiphany today. PLEASE READ!!

I listening to Britney Broski’s recent podcast episode. It’s called The Broski Report- The Demented Psychology of Being a Fangirl.

First of all, let me say, Britney is so freaking smart and such an intellectual. I used to think of her as just this funny person but if you really take the time to listen to her and get to know, you’ll understand there is so much more to her as a person. You may not always agree with her opinions and I can’t say I always do (majority I do), but I can wholeheartedly say I respect the heck out of her and those opinions because she has clearly thought them out and there is logical and passion behind them. So with that being said, go watch her content please especially those podcast episodes.

Secondly, she was discussing the “girlboss” characters we see the majority of the time now in our media, specifically movies. She talked about the quirky women we see in these movies today. She drew evidence from Disney movies such as Tangled (where it all began), then Moana, Encanto, etc. And LET ME BE CLEAR, she wasn’t trashing these movies. It was just evidence in her discussion.

But it really got me thinking: We see those types of women in movies and books everywhere. The typical girlboss woman and nothing ever gets to her. Nothing bothers her. (And/or) The quirky, clumsy woman who doesn’t really fit and “is different from other girls”. Very much the stereotype of “Manic Pixie Dream” girl. It’s what writers, film makers, creators, etc. pump out on a daily basis. And I have to agree with Britney, I’m tired of it now.

I want so desperately to see a woman in a book or film that I can somewhat relate to on a deeper level instead of fragments in a surface level connection. Then I realized: “You have kind of fallen into this as a writer yourself. You are writing the stereotypical girlboss woman. If you don’t like that, it needs to change because it’s hypocritical.”

And I’m not saying there is anything wrong with a girlboss, quirky woman. If that’s who you are, that’s awesome and I’m sure there is more to you than just that typical girlboss we see in movies and books. But it’s not me and I do think that “girl bosses” can still be written in a way that shows that powerful nature but still maintains that emotional side and keeps true to her femininity. Femininity is powerful and so beautiful. It often only gets studied in a surface level setting but if you really dive into it, there are so many layers to a woman and her feminine side that make her this gift and give her talents that no one else can have. I think we try to snuff that side of ourselves out sometimes so we can look/feel more powerful (and that is just my opinion) when in reality, we should embrace it more. Woman is power itself.

So with all that being said in this crazy ramble that I won’t go back and edit and make flow better: I’m going to be starting somewhat fresh with the Heartbeats in the Crossfire story. It’s missing so many elements that I think it needs to be better so everyone will be seeing new REWRITTEN chapters hopefully soon.

Thanks everyone!! 🫶🏼💕 and the comments/DMS are always open to discussion and opinions. This is a safe space where everyone is entitled to believe what they want to believe and share it with me and others!! I’d love to hear it.

[tiredhawks]

PLEASE talk more about hawks struggling with reading and writing

Glad you asked. If you're here from my bio, then a fic I wrote https://archiveofourown.org/works/42568599 is about Dabi finding out.

But if you want my reasoning- children should be able to read by 6 or 7. But for that to happen, it's extremely important for the building blocks to be put in place years earlier. That means playing with letters, parents reading them stories, looking at picture books, watching children's TV shows, learning the alphabet, associating sounds to letters. Note that most kids are in preschool 3-5 years old.

Hawks was taken in by the Commission around age 7 and before then we know his parents were extremely neglectful. The only thing I can give him is that he occasionally watches TV himself because of his misconception of pro heroes being fake characters. However, watching TV in general is not useful for written language. It's specifically kids programs like sesame street where you're meant to learn things that would help. And it's for that reason Hawks doesn't struggle with spoken language. His parents talked, they talked at him, and he could hear the TV, and occasionally escaped from the house. And this is less logic based and more headcanon but birds have the most similar vocal chords to humans and even aside from parrots, there are birds that will mimic us. I like to think that their capacity for copying language has helped benefit him learning spoken language.

So, wouldn't the Commission have taught him to read and write? Of course, it's essential to hero work. The problem is that there is a time period in life where your brain is working overdrive and the idea is "the sooner the better". There's a million factors at play when it comes to the human brain so there's always going to be differences and exceptions. You'll hear most commonly that 9 years old is the cutoff for fluency, some will cite 18, and others will say 30 is the real decline for learning another language at all, while differences at even 1 year old have been studied- but all of these studies are referencing children who have normal childhoods and the right foundations. Hawks did not have that.

Which makes me more inclined to look towards the concept of "feral children". (Which isn't Hawks, but the concept it relevant) Children who were completely socially isolated and no matter what kind of program they went into later in life, never were able to achieve the same level as other people and without continuous learning upkeep, they would actually revert almost entirely. It's a very interesting topic you can Google.

Hawks is very smart, we know his brain is levels above what's considered normal, and it's very safe to assume the commission worked on this relentlessly. That's why I would say he can read and write, but struggles with it. I'd assume he needs to focus far more than a typical person would and has to sound things out to compare it to a vocal word he knows, or has to read sentences twice. And because of that, stressful situations can completely mess him up. Like, say, an angry murderous villain impatiently staring him down.

Now I'm well aware Hawks read the MLA book and got a message into it but consider this, making that message was probably easier than actually reading it normally. The biggest problem would be the amount of time he spent piecing the letters together in his head because he couldn't write it down himself with the cameras. And because Hawks is so smart, once he gets the basic understanding down, he doesn't need to keep referencing the book. He can figure it out on his own and roll with it.

So yeah thanks for reading my thesis. I am not a psychologist or sociologist.

[edwinspaynes]

About your post on how TID/TLH Tessa and modern-day Tessa are different characters. I had to come and give you my two cents, because Tessa is my girl, my favourite FMC in TSC, and I love her, and if I have the opportunity to talk about her, I do it. I hope you don't mind me rambling about my favourite FMC of all time. Tessa has a special place in my heart.

From my reading and rereading of the series, and short stories, I don’t see a lot of change in her character, and I read her character development as a natural continuation. For me 2015 Tessa is the same as 1903 Tessa, BUT with more confidence and maturity.

We start with TID Tessa. She’s 16, a baby, orphaned, and has no family except her ass of a brother/cousin/whatever Nate was. We see a girl who is a product of her time (weirded by Charlotte fighting), but also, someone ready and willing to learn more/adapt. I mean, two chapters in, and she’s ready to go on a mission with Magnus and Will. Throughout the series, we see that she is very smart and willing to help, but what differentiates her from 2010 YA FMC is that he does not reject what is traditionally seen as feminine. Tessa likes clothes and pretty dresses (that scene in CA when she doesn’t want to dirty her dress), she buys pretty hats that match her dresses, etc. She is a very curious girl, who likes to know everything, likes to gossip (her chitchats with Sophie), and likes match-making people (her trying to match Sophie with different men).

She is very courageous, but also very protective of the people she loves. We see that with Nate when he arrives at the institute, and he is giving texte books ass whole, and two thousand red flags. She does that because he is her brother and because she is a product of her time, always giving chances to men, and she'll do anything to make him safe. However, she also does it to Will, even though she does not know him well in the beginning, and he already annoyed her at least 5 times since she arrived. Ex: when they meet Gabriel for the 1st time, and he insults Jem, and Will starts fighting with him):

“ You heard me. Telling someone you wouldn’t be sorry if they died! It’s inexcusable!” She took hold of Will by the sleeve. “Come along, Will. This—this person—obviously isn’t worth wasting your time on.”

Will looked hugely entertained. “So true.”

“You—you—” Gabriel, stammering slightly, looked at Tessa in an alarmed sort of way. “You haven’t the slightest idea of the things he’s done—”

“And I don’t care, either. You’re all Nephilim, aren’t you? Well, aren’t you? You’re supposed to be on the same side.” Tessa frowned at Gabriel. “I think you owe Will an apology.”

Now, she does not know Will well, yet she takes his defence because she has been living with them. He is the one who got her out of prison and saved her etc. I always thought Tessa was a good character reader, and once she gives her trust, she becomes protective of them. She is literally telling Gabriel, that Will is her people, and nobody touches her people. We see this side of her, the protective side show up throughout the series, with Will, Jem, and when Sophie starts going out with Gideon. When she tells her to be careful, because she attended the Lightwood ball, and it was a mess, and she does not want her friend to be hurt again.

Now, going on to TLH. She is still the same protective woman and becomes maternal too. Tessa likes to fight and go on missions, but I feel like she only does them when she is asked to. Contrary to the other FMC in TSC, like Isabelle, Clary and Emma who literally want to be a great warrior and become the next Jace. I feel like, Tessa does it because it’s her duty, but only when she has to.

We also discover that she likes to help run the institute with her husband, and goes on missions with him when needed, but she's definitely not the head. That is Will. We don't see her arguing or taking Clave decisions during those meetings. It's always Will. I know this is because the Clave doesn't accept her and doesn't want to give her a chance, but at the same time, I don't read her as someone who wants to do bureaucratic stuff either. On the other hand, we see her doing a lot of domestic things, like throwing balls and parties and decorating the institute. She is someone who likes to be in a cosy room, reading books, talking about them with her husband, and children, travelling, having some adventures, and gossiping with her friends. When she gives advice, it is always a wise one, but it also comes from her protective, and maternal side. Even though she matures in TLH, by becoming a mother, and taking responsibilities as an adult, she is still very sheltered. We know the Herondales keep to themselves because the Clave sucks, and have prejudices against her and her children. She is still very protected and still has her community. Nobody will do anything to her, because Charlotte, Will and all her friends will protect her, and they are enough for her. She has a husband, kids, and eventually grandkids, her friends and their children, she has a community to count on.

Now, after Will’s death, and all her friends are dying one after another, and later her children, she is confronted with what it means to be immortal, and not having her usual support and community. She goes to live with Magnus, and he introduces her to all his Downworlder friends. She becomes friend with Catarina, Malcolm and Ragnor, and start to learn how to be a warlock. And later starts befriending Raphael and so on. This era in her life, where the only person she knows from her old life is Magnus (I don’t count Zachariah, he can’t do much), is the era where she learns and discovers to be herself. She learns how to be a warlock, goes on adventures by herself, or with friends, and learns how to assert herself, but at the same time still keeps her protective/maternal side. We see that in The Last Stand of the New York Institute. Her speech to Jocelyn is very harsh, but she is still willing to help her and goes all the way to do that in secret.

However, we know that Warlocks are not really into staying together. Magnus says it himself. Warlocks can go for decades before contacting each other. And I think this is something that affects her a lot, and why she stays for a long time in the Spiral Labyrinth, and only comes back at the end of CoHF, once Jem is back. 

 In the epilogue, she is dreading Jem telling her he is going back to an institute: 

“But—after today? Where will you go? To Idris?”

He looked, for a moment, honestly bewildered—and despite how old she knew him to be, so young. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never had a lifetime to plan for before.”

“Then … to another Institute?” Don’t go, Tessa wanted to say. Stay. Please.”

And she is happy when he tells her he can’t go back because he doesn’t know how to be a shadowhunter without a parabatai. And what does Tessa do, she starts living with Jem, and she goes on adventures, and missions with him (saving Kit, and helping Alec and Rafael), and eventually goes back to her ideal life. Having a house, a husband, being a mother, reading books, protecting her kids, having dinners with her friends and their kids (Well mostly Magnus and Alec), learning about her magic, and sometimes going on missions when needed.

I always read Tessa as a domestic FMC, and I love her for that. She is incredibly strong and becomes wise with time and life experiences, but at the same time, always true to herself. A woman who loves fashion, books and gossiping. And that’s why for me, her character is still the same, and very continuous. Her character development makes sense to me. She is ready to discover new horizons, but always coming back to a tranquil life.

Sorry, this is very long, but I just love her.

I don't really have anything to add to this, but this is generally 100% correct and I adore it. Tessa is one of my all-time favourite characters too, particularly TID/TLH Tessa - the only characters ever I prefer are Matthew and Alastair and maybe Thomas. Definitely my favourite girl/FMC.

I think that a lot of her traits do feel cohesive and carry on from series to series, but I think that a lot of her fire and spirit are gone in the modern content, if that makes sense. There are probably a lot of reasons for this - Will brought those things out in her and he's dead, and also just the cycles of trauma and grief that she's been through have changed her a lot.

But for me, that sarcasm and that sass and that brightly-burning essence and that love for life and rashness and impulsiveness are traits that I loved in Tessa. They're traits that made her interesting and relatable and even flawed when they went too far. And also her independence. I feel like she's lost a lot of that "she was too much herself to belong to anyone else" after, honestly, getting back together with Jem (I'm sorry, I'm trying to keep this minimal on Jessa criticism, but her relationship with Jem/the way that it's written is so tied to the Changes in Tessa I Don't Like.)

I really wish we could see the Tessa/Ragnor/Raphael gossip circle, lol. I do feel like I see a bit of the old Tessa when she's with Magnus, who as you acknowledged is the only person who knew her in her former life. We also know that she's still a funny prankster since Ragnor thought that Alec was her in disguise, which I love. The thing is, we see none of that on page. We see her essentially become a boring, muted housewife, and I think this is actually what makes her relationship with Jem and her presence in post-TLH content so hard for me to stomach.

I also read her as domestic - but only to a point. Like, yeah, she loves clothes, but she's also not afraid in TID to ruin a wedding dress in battle. She decorates the Institute in TLH and adds balconies because that's where, pardon my assumptions and my French, she and Will fuck. Shadowhunter coats of arms hang up with weaponry by bookshelves and ballrooms, and I love that for her, but where is that fire and where are those contradictions now?

I'm sorry that these ramblings are out of order, but I really think we need to see more of her between TLH and TMI in order to understand her as cohesive. Like, as you mentioned, her time in the Spiral Labyrinth - what happened there? We only saw the Spiral Labyrinth once in a story about Jem, which obviously makes so much sense because Jem's a character that belongs in the Spiral Labyrinth 🥴 I want to see Tessa there and talking to other warlocks. What was her job there? What did she do? What the hell do warlocks do there, anyway?

I think we can divide Tessa's life into 3 stages: the Will stage as a Shadowhunter, the warlock stage with her friends, and the Jem stage as a housewife. Unfortunately, we see so little of the EXTREMELY COMPELLING second stage that the latter is jarring and a little painful to watch for me.

[12timetraveler]

We Were Never Made to Run Forever

Chapter 64 of Campfire Stories

Summary:

Hosea and his sweetheart were separated after the Blackwater job and have been searching ever since.

Notes:

This idea was given to me by @spurz, who is another amazing writer in the fandom. So go check them out. Thank you again for the idea. This honestly really helped me deal with those post-convention blues after the Tombstone event. ~~~~~~~~~ Word Count: 9004 CW: Light Angst, canon character death, vaginal sex

As always below is just a preview. Read the whole thing on AO3

~~~~~~

It had been a month. An entire month since Hosea had last seen you. You, his beloved, his wife in all but name. The morning of the Blackwater Ferry job the two of you had spent some quiet moments in camp together before you went your way to help Dutch, and Hosea and Arthur went their way to follow up on their little real estate scam. Hosea had a bad feeling about the job but he'd never imagined it would go so wrong. So many dead, such a high price on everyone's heads. And he had no idea what happened to you.

You'd never returned with the others. No one could even tell him for certain if you'd made it out of town. Your job had been to keep watch as a sniper from the top of a building in Blackwater. You'd fired a number of shots, by all accounts you'd been integral in a number of the gang surviving the event. John said after he was shot in the arm the same lawman nearly got him between the eyes, before your bullet shot down from the heavens and bought him enough time to flee. Lenny told him you'd cleared a path for him to carry out the mortally wounded Jenny. Dutch recounted your deadly accuracy every time you were mentioned.

Hosea would have been proud, had any of them been able to say "and then she rode off out of town" or "and I saw her slip away on a boat". But no one could say anything more than that you'd been an incredible shot and an important part of everyone's survival. But what about your survival?

He'd had to fight every instinct, every muscle in his body that begged him to turn his horse around and go back to find you. But he had to be reasonable. If you were hurt or under arrest he'd be no use to you if he got himself injured or captured. Rushing in blindly would do no good to anyone.

He also had a responsibility to your found family. He needed to get them safe, take care of them. He knew you'd kill him if he abandoned them to go look for you. Hell he'd never forgive himself if someone else was hurt or lost because he left them.

Beyond all that, he knew he had to have faith in you. You were smart, wiley, strong. Those were some of the characteristics he'd always admired in you. A true outlaw and con-woman. If anyone would escape in one piece, it was you.

So he went with the rest up to Colter. The cold nearly killed him, but he held on. He had to know that you and the others would be okay. He couldn't just roll over and die.

After almost two weeks on that mountain they'd finally migrated down to Horseshoe Overlook. Only then did Hosea begin his search. He began slowly testing the boundaries of how close he could get to The Great Plains. Surprisingly he could cross the state border into West Elizabeth without issue, but he couldn't get too close to the river separating him and Blackwater. There were patrols everywhere.

So he started sniffing around on the west side of the river. He asked after you at the Flatneck and Riggs train stations. Any traveler he encountered, any homestead he came upon he asked after you. Carefully of course, tactfully. He didn't want to get you in any trouble, bring too much attention to you. But he needed to know if you were alive.

Some nights he'd camp out, but he tried to return to camp often, if only to make sure they were all okay and let them know he was as well. And to check and see if you'd found your way to camp. Unfortunately you never had.

Trelawny had been found sniffing around. He'd had great information about Sean's whereabouts. Hosea begged him to look for you too. Even got a little threatening when Trelawny teased him. But even the man with a thousand connections could not find you.

Somehow there was not so much as a whisper to your whereabouts. It was like you'd just disappeared, evaporated like mist in the air. He tried to put a positive spin on it. The lack of your dead body being reported by the newspapers was a good sign. At least it meant you hadn't been found dead in the streets. It gave him some hope that you were alive somewhere.

After searching for another two weeks or so, he still had no leads on you. He was trying to remain positive, trying not to let the thousands of "what if" scenarios take root in his heart. It was too much for him to bear thinking about.

Finally he made his way up to Strawberry. He had tried to avoid the town, having heard of the carnage Micah and Arthur had caused. The survivors would be jumpy, paranoid. He didn't want to just ride in and start asking around. But he knew there wasn't a lot of other choice if he wanted to find you.

And he'd burn heaven and earth to find you.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Hi, hope you're doing well.

Yuzuriha fanarts and, of course, cosplays seem to have skyrocketed after the anime's release and while this had a positive effect on the series' popularity, I can't help but think many people are missing out on Yuzuriha's character. Plot (and fan service -_-) aside, looking at her character individually, she's a finely written character. We don't get to see many logical and pragmatic female characters who can hold their own and actually fight without being a burden in Japanese media. And I find her, for lack of a better word, "tough girl" act overall quite satisfying especially when her concealed feelings were revealed and explored towards the end of the manga. This made me want to read her part in the light novel, which I am planning to do soon. Anyway, I was wondering what you think of her and her relationship with the rest of the cast and her relevance to the plot.

Hi. Thanks for the ask, anon. I hope, you are doing well too.

General Opinion on Yuzuriha;

And you explained really well. She is fine character but she is also used as fan service and comic relief a lot which is a shame so anyway, here's my general opinion on her and her relationships.

She is fine character;

She is smart. She cooparates with others in a situtions that she cant survive on her own. This also means a lot of interesting interactions between different characters. She fight well and she is independent. We dont have much female characters, especially good ones so its nice that she is in the story as good character. She is pretty. She gives fan services but at least, she still has character. She is femme fatale, a pretty woman who seduces men for her own gain and drives them to dangerous situtions. Her fighting style also fits this side of her. She is funny so at least she gives comic relief to the series. Most characters are too serious so sometimes, it's fun to have a character who is chill.

As personality, she seems to similar to Toma at first sight. They both are mysterious, kinda sadistic, they always give a smile and pretend to be trustworthy only to usually betray for their own gains and they both has earth element etc but i think she is a lot similar to Chobei in a way she is independent, she is naughty girl who wants to do whathever she wants. She is pleasure person. She doesnt care about shame to survive. She lies and she is very social, this part of her is a lot like Chobe. Only difference is Chobei wants to be leader and dominates others while Yuzuriha usually prefers to play safe. She has her own agenda. She is also very realistic or negative like Gabimaru. They both are ninjas, after all.

Though her motivation as villain was explored more because it would make sense why Sagiri is so protective of her and she would actuall have an answer to Isuzu when she said 'think about her victims and their families'. And honestly she has a point.

She is Good Big Sister;

The most interesting part of her for me is that she is actually good sister. She became ninja to gain money for her little sister. She risked her life for her many times and still tried to make her happy. And the reason she wants to live for long time isnt just because for herself. Its most likely a promise she made with her sister. And we only learn this when she is about to die, that story she told before is actually real. Jigokuraku is a story that explore humanity of criminals and Yuzuriha is one of them. She is not just bad guy for the sake of it. Her love for her sister and her motivation also gives depth to her character.

I think this wasnt mentioned enough because Chobe usually overshadow her as big brother but i think its different. I am just gonna say it. Chobei is crazy. His love with for Toma is crazy. Thats just him and Toma. Yuzuriha is good, great big sister actually and this should be talked more.

I am mentioning this because usually 'brocon/siscon' siblings love shine more but their love or obsessions is too much sometimes. So its sad to to see they overshadow just your usual loving big sister/brother. And thats very unfair.

Fake Death Scene;

I think this really ruined her character and made it hard to take her seriously after that fake death scene. She has clearly 'last moments' scene which is perfect way to end her character but she suddenly comes out of nowhere. And not only her survival doesnt make sense, and also ruined the death scene but also, her staying in story did nothing for the plot. Whether that scene shouldnt have portrayed as death or she shouldve stayed death.

(Similar thing happenned with Chobe but it was obvious that he survived with the way Toma hold him nad problem isnt him surviving at that scene but it show it happens and the whole baby thing is ridicilous.)

At least, this couldve been good chance to explore Yuzuriha's humanity tooo, but her backstory wasnt explored the way Gabi and Chobei's story was. Not just Yuzuriha, Toma and many other characters too, wasnt explored much. Though, i think thats one of the main issues with Jigokuraku. (Another issue is it shouldve been more 'dont tell, show' thing). We didnt explore much even though there were so many different characters, different interactions, there wasnt much development. For example, it would be interesting plot if some point she betrayed the main group but eventually felt regret and came back to them maybe.

Sagiri and Yuzuriha;

I think its fine ship but its full yuri fan service. My biggest issue with this is Yuzuriha suddenly flirt iwth Sagiri out of nowhere and at some point, Sagiri is okay? with it, also out of nowhere. If only we could explore why they suddenly attract towards each others (other than 'oh hot woman'). Like, why Yuzuriha suddenly likes her out of all people? Gabimaru also has idea of justice, just like Sagiri. She also has a fan, Senta who seems to admire her personality. And same with Sagiri too. She was so stubborn with her rules even against someone like Gabimaru who is victim but then she sayd 'you are not a villain' to Yuzuriha even though she doesnt know anything about her story.

Though logically you can guess Yuzuriha (also just like Toma) likes people who would do anything for her and protects her. There is a soft side to her. My only issue is that there is no development and their interaction seems out of nowhere. And also Sagiri always think about Gabimaru more than anything so its weird. But otherwise, i like fanarts. Their personality fits each others. Serious innocent girl x Chill naughty girl. Its very fun idea, but in canon story, i dont think its well explored.

Her Other Interactions;

I feel like her love for Sagiri overshadow her other interactions. She was like a big sister to Nurugai and Mei. She was good ally to Gabimaru after some point. She even teased Toma. She gets to be taught by handsome teacher Shion, that was her request. There is also interesting parallels between her and Senta. Senta who is lying to himself btu honest to others and Yuzuriha who is only true to herself but lying to others. He views her as free and admires her but her hiding hearth from anyone isnt a good thing so i wish we explore more of this. Its a shame we didnt get more of it. Anyway she clearly likes them too.

Summary;

I am not a big fan of her but i think she is fine character, her being good big sister should be talked more and i wish we get to explore her inner world and interactions more, same for other characters too.

[ooodooo]

appreciation post (2) : birth of a passion (spoilers to Blue Period manga and anime)

"Truth is, you should be free to do as you like because when it comes down to it, your life is you own" ~Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi

They say that there is never too late to find something you'll be devoted to. Maybe not for your whole life, but as long as you love something, there is a strength to do so.

Blue Period reveals to the reader such an issue, and it is not the only one. The human struggles that the author shows us cannot be put only in one category, and the whole plot is simple but complex at the same time. Long story short - hard to put into words, easy to understand and feel. I think anyone can find themselves in the writing of characters around whom events take place and on whose shoulders maintains the quality of the story.

WARNING: Blue Period hits different when you are/were an artist or a burned out gifted kid. Spoilers ahead. TW: abuse, suicide

YATORA YAGUCHI how hard work outshines talent

I've never felt a deeper connection with a character than with Yaguchi. His whole story is inspiring, yet in every way to success - there is hard work. The growth of this man is incredible.

At the beginning of the story he was ignorant towards artists and their works, thinking that talent is doing all the work. Not practice, not years put into mastering tools and techniques - just pure talent. Just like most of the people that haven't created anything professionally or with passion.

You can be one of the best students in your own year, yet still be overlooked with one phrase: you're smart.

You can be one of the best skilled artist and still be called only talented.

When the realization hits right, there's no going back.

In my eyes, he is a representation of a person without a clear goal. Meeting the expectations of his parents and choosing a stable course in school, telling others what they want to hear. Becoming one of the best students of the year on exams. And then boom, everything changes.

For his sake, he was made aware: "you have talent" is not an appropriate compliment for an artist. Not every good intention is formed into the right words.

He lives day by day trying his best, not even knowing why.

Until he sees that painting.

What makes me sad about Blue Period is that our main character is developing almost only with the help of the others. I understand that the influence of others is powerful, but on the other hand, Yaguchi is not dumb. He could figure out on his own that he needs to study all these artsy things, just like he studied on exams. Yet, I'm not mad. I like seeing the good development, even if it's not thanks to the characters themselves. Yaguchi makes up for his shortcomings with hard work, learning various techniques over time. But is it enough to create well?

No, it isn't. But what makes his art progressing?

He's not giving up on learning how to get better. His hunger to create more and more is making him a promising artist. I can't wait to read more (I'm on volume 10)

Of course, its not an easy road, love for art isn't always natural, but love is a twisted and makes it's own rules.

RYUUJI AYUKAWA what love makes us do

I think Yuka is the most tragic character in the whole series. I really like them, even if I'm not feeling such a connection with them as much as with Yaguchi. They're truly a good representation of ,,different" people's struggles on a daily basis, that's for sure.

What's more to this character? Yuka doesn't have a good relationship with parents, they can only feel safe with their grandmother, who taught them how to do nihonga. Yuka loves their grandmother and goes for a course of this type of art just because ,,my grandma likes nihonga". They struggle with their family.

They drown themselves with their love for a person that cares for them the most and search for an acceptance.

They struggle with their sexuality and gender identity. They cannot accept the world in which people like them cannot live normally, like others do. Maybe if more people talked about this problem, the world would be completely different.

But no, the world is cruel, and Yuka knows it very well.

They're the one who invited Yatora to the art club which was surprising to me, yet with the time you understand that it was to show our main character the way to express himself. After all, Yuka was the one that complimented our hero's first painting. Even if this was not intentional, they made a huge impact on our main hero and vice versa.

I'm not even going to talk about the part when these two went on vacation. The quote from this time is truly heartbreaking but true, to anyone who struggles with their mental health.

,,If you're still bothered by what other people will think of you, then you can't die just yet".

Means: if you care about others, you care about yourself. At least that's what I understand.

But you can't fool gods. They know everything

right?

Yotasuke Takahashi god in someone's eyes

Even if I'm considering Yatora a very likable character and a great mc in general, I adore Yotasuke with all my heart.

Unapproachable personality, sharp tongue, no beating around the bush. It's a great mix for a character that is going to be hated. The philosophy of ,,I don't need anyone" - that's Yotasuke Takahashi for you

Or is it?

I think he's the most complex character in Blue Period and even so he's very relatable. It might still be a problem to understand his character without reading the manga (i'm looking at volume 10 here). It's really hard for me to put into words and I'm not sure if I understood it correctly, but he found comfort in animals.

You can talk to them, they won't understand you. You will care about them and they will show you gratitude. He isn't seen as a human by most of the people around him, more like some kind of art god.

He's overlooked by others, they only see his abilities, talent and works. Most of us would probably be irritated about the fact like that. Just like

you're not a person just because you're not like the others around you.

With time I learned not to pity people like this, not to worship them. They're human, they make mistakes, they have emotions and their reactions. They're not here to be an object of fascination, no.

he is a human, they're only people.

THE FINAL QUESTION

So

what is a talent?

but the more important question is

does it even exist?

[aeoki]

White Brim - Battle Royal: Chapter 9

Location: Forest (night) Characters: Touri, Tsukasa, Eichi & Hiyori

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< Almost an hour later. >

Hiyori: Our situation is not looking good at all. What foul weather.

Touri: Yeah… It’s not even a probable defeat – we’re 100% gonna lose.

Hiyori: I underestimated Eichi-kun.

He’s the same type of person as Ibara – In other words, he enjoys “this sort of thing” more than anything in the world and he’s also cut out for it. Always has been.

Touri: (I see… Eichi-sama is the issue here. He’s the big elephant in the room that we can’t ignore.)

(I could’ve defeated Tsukasa easily if he was our only enemy, but I must’ve made a mistake somewhere by letting him corner us.)

(He was just lucky that the game’s rules favoured military families like his.)

(But Eichi-sama is on a much higher level – He’s more than someone who just considers what’s compatible with what.)

(The safe place Hiyori-sama went through the trouble of finding is littered with “hunters (fishermen)” that Eichi-sama sent out.)

(And we’re the ones who’re supposed to be larger in number!)

(Eichi-sama was able to make accurate readings using the radar and control the entire game space.)

(He’s moving the “hunters (fishermen)” and cleaning up the “prey (fish)”. Just like an efficient fisherman catching fish with a net.)

(He knows exactly where we are and where we’ll run, so he’ll tell the hunters to get there before the prey do to catch them. We might only be the only ones left.)

(I guess Hiyori-sama is the only person smart enough to be able to resist Eichi-sama’s ingenuity – We have to find a way to survive somehow, though.)

(Maybe he thinks it’s too boring if he catches them so quickly, so he’s just letting us swim around for a little bit longer – Like fish swimming around in a tank.)

(Eichi-sama isn’t even fighting nor hunting – He’s just admiring us as we panic and run around frantically trying to escape.)

(He’s so different from us.)

(I only know the overview of the story, but I heard that two years ago, Eichi-sama went from being a normal student that wasn’t “special” in any way…)

(To someone who defeated his strong enemies and unified all of Yumenosaki in less than a year. He attained victory in the war and became the all-conquering “Emperor”.)

(I listened to those stories of Eichi-sama like they were a fairytale.)

(None of those things that happened in reality felt real to me.)

(But I can’t smile and listen to those stories anymore.)

(It’s only because of the game’s rules, but right now, I’m Eichi-sama’s “enemy”.)

(That’s when I felt that Eichi-sama is actually a scary person.)

(I had always been showered with affection because I was on his side, so I never noticed that fear he emitted.)

Hiyori: Touri-kun, Touri-kun. …Are you okay?

Touri: Whaa? I–I’m sorry, Hiyori-sama! My mind was elsewhere!

Hiyori: Shh… quiet now.

Touri: Oh, yeah, you’re right. Our enemies might find out where we are if we make a lot of noise.

Hiyori: Yeah. It’s the dead of night so I don’t blame you if you’re feeling sleepy and can’t focus very well.

Let’s hang in there for a little bit longer. It would be frustrating to be defeated by Eichi-kun since we’ve come this far.

I’d love to surprise-attack him and make him eat his words. I hate fighting but I hate losing even more.

Touri: Me too. But how can we do that…?

Hiyori: Hmm. It seems Eichi-kun is the one positioning all of the “hunters (fishermen)”, so he must be the “king” amongst them.

Meaning, if we can somehow touch Eichi-kun, then it should result in the “prey’s (fish)” victory.

Touri: Oh, right. That was the winning conditions for us, huh.

Hiyori: But the enemy will definitely be wary of that, so it’ll be difficult… It would be easy to shoot him from afar, but I just used up all of my bullets earlier.

We have no choice but to use our bodies to outwit him and defeat him.

Ahh, but I don’t particularly want to think about such violent things… I can’t think straight.

Touri-kun, Anzu-chan, do you two have any ideas?

I’m expecting great things from you in particular, Touri-kun. After all, you’re Eichi-kun’s favourite child.

I’m sure you’ve had numerous opportunities to watch him up close and have him teach you all sorts of things, so you should be closer to him in mindset than me.

He’s the lowest of the low – A wicked, horrible person who only looks pure on the outside.

Touri: You don’t have to go that far.

Hiyori: I still held back despite that. I don’t want to make you two see and listen to such dirty things.

Touri: Hmph. Hiyori-sama, you…

Hiyori: ? Is it strange not wanting to dirty something clean and pure?

Touri: It’s not but I feel the same way when it comes to you guys.

I wanted to let you know at the very least.

Eichi: Isn’t it about time you surrender yourselves?

Hiyori: ……!? Eichi-kun, you caught us here?

Touri: Hiyori-sama! It’s okay! I don’t think he’s talking to us!

Tsukasa: ……! ……!?

Eichi: …………

Touri: Look! I don’t know what’s going on, but it looks like Tsukasa is going against Eichi-sama…?

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