#like i feel like that gives even more weight to the way she attributes the bad kids success to like their personal backstory or whatever

[audliminal]

It's barely the end of the first day of school, and three faculty members are dead. Nobody knows much yet, but supposedly the six freshman who all managed to get detention on the very first day of school were involved and, if the rumors are to be believed, two of them actually died. In a dumb fight in the cafeteria against some animated corn. Kipperlily rolls her eyes when she hears it. They're clearly a bunch of losers who are going to either drop out or get someone killed before the year is out, but that's not really her problem, is it?

Still, just to be on the safe side, maybe their party should spend some time in the woods behind the school, and get some practice in with rats and things before they find themselves involved in a fight like those dumb detention kids did.

It's a month into the school year, and Kipperlily's starting to get the hang of things. She's feeling comfortable in a fight now, they've been killing rats and twig gremlins in the Far Haven Woods as often as they can manage, and they're getting really good at it. They even have a name now, the High 5 Heroes, chosen by Kipperlily herself, of course.

Meanwhile, Kipperlily's pretty sure the kids from detention actually killed someone, though nobody seems to be talking about it. Kipperlily doesn't care what anyone says, she's heard multiple people say they saw members of their group talking to Penelope Sam and Johnny spells, and then the day after Johnny Spells gets killed in a fucking car chase, the rich kid, who's literally the son of a pirate, has a mysterious new motorcycle? It's all far too suspicious.

It's the week after winter break, and Kipperlily is stuck in the stupid guidance councilor's office, talking about her dumb feelings. Unlike the Bad Kids (and what kind of stupid name is that), who apparently had an adventure dropped in their lap within minutes of the first school day ending, Kipperlily has been waiting months and still nothing has popped up. Plus Oisin and Ivy keep joking about changing their party name to the Rat Grinders.

It's dumb. Who would want a party name that's based on some joke? Besides, she already chose the name. So why on earth would they change it now? At least Lucy seems to agree with her about it.

It's just days after prom, and Kipperlily is sick of everything. The stupid Bad Kids apparently crashed prom and literally defeated Kalvaxus, Emperor of the Red Waste. It's honestly bullshit. A dumb group of kids that couldn't even make it through one day of school without getting one third of their party killed, and they're being credited with saving the entire continent? Kipperlily's been digging into the Bad Kids' history with every moment of her free time, trying to figure out how a bunch of dumb untrained kids managed something so huge. And she thinks she might have cracked it.

Kristen Applebees is literally Helio's Chosen One, and apparently Adaine Abernant is the new Oracle of the Elves. Kipperlily doesn't know what Fig, Fabian, or Gorgug's deals are yet, but if rumors are to be believed, then Riz Gukgak's dad was eaten by the very same Kalvaxus. Clearly the entire reason the Bad Kids are succeeding is because of their personal histories.

And to make matters worse, Oisin and Ivy managed to get the rest of the party to go along with the stupid Rat Grinders name. and Mary Ann didn't even have a reason for it! The only one who voted with her was Lucy. So now they've got a dumb name and no real adventuring prospects, and all the while, a bunch of kids who skip classes and get arrested are somehow getting perfect grades with no effort.

It's sophomore year and everything is terrible. The Rat Grinders meet every day to kill rats in the woods and it's dumb and boring, and not even a little bit difficult anymore, and she has to go to weekly councilor sessions with Jawbone, who's an ally of her rival adventuring party, which. Aguefort already clearly likes them, and even before he was resurrected they had managed to get two of their allies positions in the school. Which has to be an unfair advantage. And now Fig's dad is the vice principal rather than the lunch lad. It's really no wonder they never seem to get in trouble for skipping classes or any of their other bullshit.

At least she can use their connection with Jawbone to her advantage. Every meeting with him, she mines him for new information on the Bad Kids, who have been doing absolutely nothing so far this year.

It's sophomore year and The Rat Grinders are going to finally get their chance! Porter and Jace have approached her with the opportunity of a lifetime! Porter even said she shows a lot of promise! He doesn't even seem to take issue with his anger, and he says that he's going to help her become an amazing adventurer. All she has to do is accept this weird little rage star thing and start worshipping some dead god of rage. Kipperlily honestly isn't that much into religion, but this is the first interesting thing to happen to her all day. She's already working to convince Lucy to change her god.

It's sophomore year and even as Kipperlily is finally making progress, the Bad Kids are still showing her up. Somehow, they ended up fighting the Nightmare King himself, defeating him and somehow in the process, Kristen Applebees managed to ressurect a dead god of her own. It's bullshit and literally the only reason they manage to get back in time for the end of spring break is the direct intervention of the principal again. Plus now Fig has somehow managed to become an Archdevil and start dating Principal Aguefort's daughter. As if she wasn't already a rockstar.

It's sophomore year and Kipperlily's going to make the Rat Grinders the best adventuring party at Aguefort, even if it kills her.

It's junior year and the Bad Kids seemed determined to ruin her life. It's bullshit. They literally didn't even know who she was before this year, and they seem determined to ruin everything she's working towards. On the first day of school, they all collectively decided that Kristen was going to run for school president, seemingly as a bit, the exact second that they find out she's running. And immediately on meeting her they made fun of her fucking name for literally no reason.

It's junior year and everything's going to plan. Kristen's been expelled, and the Bad Kids are taking The Last Stand, and they've got the perfect opportunity to get rid of all the Bad Kids for good. And yet somehow Kristen fucking Applebees manages to ruin their fucking plans perfectly, spotting her out before she can succeed in killing the proctor and Buddy. Instead she has to kill Buddy and let Oisin take her away before the Bad Kids can do anything. So of course the Bad Kids get a literal perfect score on The Last Stand, and now they've all aced their classes for the whole year.

It's junior year and they're summoning a dead god. It's junior year and they find out as they're casting the spell, that the name they'd gotten was fucking wrong. It's junior year and despite all their preparations the Bad Kids have managed to get to the gymnasium with all their stupid fucking votes. It's junior year and Kipperlily is at least going to kill Riz. It's junior year and Riz literally dives into lava.

It's junior year and Kipperlily's going to kill Riz. He thinks he's hiding, but she can see him, and she's going to have to close with him, but this is her opportunity, and then she's in the air, and he's got her in a hold person spell, and she's falling, and she's in the lava, and it's so hot, and it burns, and then it's all gone.

It's junior year and Kipperlily is dead. It's junior year and she's in a world of crystal spines and lava, and in the reflections of the crystals, Kipperlily can see everything. She sees herself in those wretched meetings with jawbone, kicking at the leg of the chair, and she can see Jawbone asking her every fucking time, what can she do to become a better adventurer. As if it was ever in her control. As if she ever could have done anything. As if it wasn't all about her backstory the whole time. As if she weren't the boring daughter of two boring people. As if she had ever had a chance.

"Did you ever try?" She hears a voice ask. And then Ankarna is there. The god that she tried so hard to kill. "Did you ever really try to become a better adventurer, or did you just wait for it to happen to you?"

"I did everything I could!" Kipperlily insists. "It's unfair, why should they get all the advantages?"

"Were they really ever advantages? Or did you just decide they were?"

"You think those idiots deserved their success? All they ever do is screw around!"

"That is not what I have seen of them. Nor have I seen any better of you. Of course, you did your schoolwork and you did it to the letter, but when did you ever challenge yourself? When did you ever take a risk? When did you ever seek out a task that was more than what you felt certain you would succeed at? Would you have even have the courage to take part in Porter's plan if he had not personally trained you, ensured that you were all as powerful as possible? You insist that the Bad Kids are only successful because of their tragic history, but what of Gorgug? There is not one thing in his past that drives him and yet he has succeeded at doing things no one else has ever managed." Ankarna stares long and hard at her, and then she is gone and Kipperlily is alone again. With nothing in her death but her own thoughts to keep her company.

[fangsandfeels]

I still can't get over the fact of how supportive Jaheira is to Astarion, to the point of calling people who consider vampires merciless and power-hungry ignorant when he chooses not to ascend. It could have been part of the same rewrite Saarevok and Viconia went through, but I know that's not the case since everyone loves to have Jaheira back, which means writers nailed her character and personality.

Why am I so fascinated by it?

Now, I know very little about Baldur's Gate 2, I admit, so feel free to correct me, but there was one vampire companion in the enhanced edition - Hexxat. Unlike Astarion, she was a full vampire. Like, Astarion, she too stated that everything she did was for her own survival and never failed to mention that she was merely a victim of unfortunate circumstances.

According to her dialogue, she never stirred conflicts: she was polite, reserved, respectful, loyal, and didn't mock or belittle any good-aligned characters.

Meanwhile, the said characters hated her guts. To the point that they would either literally attack her (Aerie, Anomen, Mazzy, Keldorn, Valygar) if they walked together for too long or demand the MC to kick her out of the group - just for being an abomination. Jan was the only companion who, among general distrust for vampires, had a very personal reason to hate Hexxat (she lured and killed his niece). But others just hated her for being undead. Among them, Jaheira and Minsc were the least aggressive in regard to her, yet remained on high alert around her.

But then came the resolution of Hexxat's personal quest...

...where it turned out that all that time, she was trying to find a way to stop being a vampire. To go back to her human form. Yes, even if that meant she would literally crumble to dust because her mortal body was going to feel the weight of centuries. And yet, Hexxat still agreed to this - she wanted to die as a human instead of continuing to live as a vampire, despite having a cloak to walk in sunlight and genuinely never revealing how she really felt about her condition (mostly because the kind-hearted characters weren't giving her any reasons to tell them how she feels). Of course, the MC can talk her out of it, but she only agrees if they promise to end her life as soon as she asks them. Which is kinda telling that Hexxat was never enjoying her life as a vampire and only considered delaying her death because she found a company worth living for. She also refuses to make the MC a vampire, claiming she can't give them what they desire and that she is done "using them" - while it's mostly attributed to scrapped content, it can also be the sign that Hexxat could have turned the MC into her spawn, but chose not to out of respect, or that she could have made them a full vampire, but refused to - because she felt like they didn't understand what they asked for and saw vampiric existence as a burden, not a gift.

Now, I know that there were no mentions of Hexxat in BG3 and that she is only a BG2: Enhanced Addition companion, but still, I have that headcanon that Jaheira was affected by her story. She promised Hexxat to overlook her nature (acknowledging that she wasn't turned voluntarily), but still remained pointedly wary of her - only to find out that all that time, the only thing Hexxat worked towards was her own death. Not getting more power, not finding a way to live in luxury while draining every pretty girl she could find, no - just ending her existence.

It probably went against everything she knew about vampires - creatures who clung to their immortality and reveled in spreading misery.

Hexxat wasn't a good person: she put her needs first, she killed a lot of innocent people; she lured in and drank girls because she was attracted to women and chose victims based on her preference - and she never failed to remind that she was the victim here while showing superficial regret for the killings. But, given that she was doomed ever since she was Turned, and the only "help" she could expect from a random paladin was a searing smite, she probably learned that it didn't matter how much regret she would show or how hard she would lament about her fate - she will be treated and murdered as an abomination. So, in the end, she only sought death on her own terms - all while having to hear how much everyone wanted her dead over and over again.

These are some dreadful shoes to put yourself into. And while some might say "If I was Turned, I wouldn't kill anyone! I'd walk into the sun at once and end myself!"...would they really do it, without knowing what's happening to their soul?

It's a big deal in Faerun. IIRC, there is no official statement regarding what happens to vampires after they die and DMs usually get to decide that part. It means you have no clue if you're a Turned vampire without any background knowledge on the matters of sould and spirit.

What if the god you worshipped rejected you for being undead (no matter how much of yourself you managed to preserve somehow), and your soul would go to the Wall? What if you won't even make it to the City of Judgement? Would you take that chance if one of the outcomes would be your soul slowly getting absorbed into the Wall while you feel every moment, all your hard work of serving your deity or just being a decent person gone to waste? What if you go to the Abyss just because your soul got tainted?

In a world where the afterlife is very much real, such uncertainty is terrifying.

Yes, while vampires aren't supposed to have a soul (it's part of the curse), games diverge from the DnD rules in that regard (especially BG3, with the spawns).

I think this, along with general jaded observations, made Jaheira more accepting of many things. No, of course, she would be a menace to Cazador's spawns or any vampires who dare to approach her house - no bloodsucker comes near her cubs and lives. No, she won't automatically cut all the undead some slack. But, sometimes, she watches and observes before she makes a verdict: especially when a particular undead is a part of a group she works with.

Of course, she would sass Astarion (and he'd gleefully sass her back). But she never gives him the same warnings she gave to Hexxat - or admonishes him for his nature. At best, she calls him an immortal, but she'd rather poke fun at his gremlin side, than his undead side.

(Mind that she would have ripped him a new one lest he gave her a reason, and Astarion was smart enough not to do that)

It seems to me, Jaheira really believed that Astarion had it in him to reject the ritual. Some of our companions are surprised that Astarion was able to refuse the allure of power, but Jaheira isn't one of them. She is the one saying that maybe people who think they know everything about vampires are actually fools who don't know shit. It's not possible she isn't speaking from experience.

[anghraine]

I'm not sure what brought it to mind, but while I was going to sleep, I ended up thinking blearily about how canon Aragorn/Arwen doesn't quite work for me. It's not a NOTP, and there are aspects that are interesting enough, but it feels tacked-on to me even by Tolkien standards of romance, and I don't really buy the Beren and Lúthien parallels or the explanations of why it's actually super important and thematically integrated into the text.

Part of the difficulty for me is that Aragorn is so glorified through so much of LOTR as written—Númenóreans in general, but the heirs of Isildur most of all, and Aragorn is presented as the greatest of them all and is also highly Elvish in upbringing and perspective. Narratively, Aragorn/Arwen feels less to me like a desperate love across kindreds and more like the only really suitable match for him, imposed by authorial fiat.

I feel like the bittersweet aspect to Arwen is kind of attributed to her being Elrond's daughter and tightly connected to the Elves, yet her brothers and father are much more distinctly peredhil where she's sort of locked into this Elf-bride role. She's most interesting to me when this is personal—Arwen not as Lúthien lite, not as the Elf princess figure in a star-crossed match, not as Aragorn's reward and the only woman good enough for the great king of the reunited Númenóreans, but as a very specific person in a specific situation. When we see her as an individual, it's interesting (I think it's really intriguing that she's a reverse Eärendil!), but we see so little outside of the roles she keeps getting slotted into that it's frustrating.

I think this is part of the reason that the one scenario where Aragorn/Arwen does seriously appeal to me is one in which Aragorn doesn't become king of Gondor but the forces of good still win, and his next task is rebuilding Arnor. He'd get aid from Gondor for sure, but that's a far cry from ruling Gondor as an absolute monarch. Aragorn would still be super special and Elvish, but that's a much scrappier situation for him in which he could legitimately feel like he doesn't have that much to offer Arwen in a concrete sense, even with Sauron gone. And Arwen giving up everything to join him and be part of the restoration (Elrond or no Elrond) would have a lot of weight.

It's not that I think LOTR would be better this way per se (Aragorn/Arwen is a very, very small part of LOTR, after all), but I, personally, would like Aragorn/Arwen specifically a lot more against the background of working to restore and rebuild Arnor together.

[horizon-verizon]

Why are some people just so unwilling to admit that hotd's writing is BAD. Why do they jump through hoops trying to explain and "analyze" anything the writers make the characters do when at this point it should be impossible to ignore that the writers make the characters so whatever the hell they feel like? It's honestly frustrating because there are some people out there with some genuinely good analysis skills and knowledge about the patriarchy and "time period" but when they refuse to acknowledge bad writing at this level you see how hard they work to strrrrreeeettttch. Which would be one thing but they also tend to insist that they're more enlightened than the people pointing out the issues

I think it's bc people, generally, are not familiar, willing to become so, or deeply in tune with misogyny as it happens when it comes to framing an argument that eventually leads to a sexist or slanderous effect. The most recent example is Daemon (I am not saying we're being sexist against Daemon!) at Harrenhal with Alys. Because a lot of people hate Daemon and attribute lots of their biases against Targaryens more against him than Aemond or Aegon AND how they generalize medieval men into the same degree and persona of "sexist medieval man", they aren't very willing to think about how disengenuously Daemon AND Alys might be written. And they think that bc they understand misogyny as well as Daemon's simpleness of being a sexist, they think the writers' direction of him realizing he really isn't the shit is "complex". A modern regression of a sentimental Victorian play posing as a "deep" drama series. It may even manifest as them feeling that bc people think Daemon is less "evil" than they want to believe him to be, less intrinsically bad for Rhaenyra (themselves bc a lot self insert) both personally and politically, that the show is "making it obvious" that he is evil just for them and for the good of the "toxic ship loving" masses. And bc it is very true that some people will misapply discrimination where there is none and it's just criticism of a person with a marginalized identity (Hyuna of KPop and some people claiming it's sexist to hate her they way a lot of the world does right now), so people become even more defensive of keeping what they immediately perceived as simple misogyny finally getting its ass kicked.

Second, bc they underestimate Daenerys and magic (thus not know the diff b/t greenseeing, warging, Valyrian dragon bonds and blood magic, etc. or at least acknowledge they don't know shit) bc near-magicless Game of Thrones lulled them into an ignorant state where it's a lot easier to chalk up to the smoky, borderless force that is "magic". Daemon is dreaming? Alys is doing magic, she's a greenseer...meanwhile, they can't define or explain the limits and abilities of an actual greenseer when asked. And the lazy habit of attributing everything not properly explained or really explored in the show also goes for Helaena and her non-"dragon dreams". You don't know? Which itself comes from people used to coming up with unsubstantiated headcanons and theories to explain the plotholes the writers leave so they can excuse themselves continuing to enjoy the current show.

Third, they overestimate how GRRM creates and sets up that mystery vs this mystery. There are mysteries that are unlikely to ever be "solved", like what exactly is going on in the 4th continent--Ulthos-- of the world and knowledge of all the living creatures of Sothoryos. And then there are mysteries like the wyverns vs dragons and the blood magic of Valyrians that were made that will eventually be revealed bc it will give us specific clues as to explain how Dany is bonded w/her dragons. And people tend to lazily attribute any mystery like these as unworthy of speculation (thus they never find out any possible connections and weight them against each other for likelihood of truth); and all mysteries feel like they are the exact same kind.

Fourth, they are feening for a live representation--any live thing--for any ASoIaF story. So they underestimate the story GRRM is telling about the Dance and hot it relates to Daenerys like all the F&B stories inevitably do.

Fifth, there are "enough" genuinely well written scenes that "makes up" or misleads them into not really thinking about the implications.

Sixth, I think that people like the whole Gothic romance thing show!Rhaenyra and Daemon seem to be on...but the book likely wasn't like that, least not after they married. And they can't conceptualize that with all the incest and Daemon being so willing to have a moral value system that rests entirely on his family's existence and legacy and Rhaenyra being very proud of her standing, so they want to stick to the seemingly counter-Gothic writing. It's more digestable, people don't like gothic/gothic-inspired stories, therefore it's more "believable" that way.

Seventh, as this TikToker states, HotD loves to create character from parallel that is actually replicas rather than character from personal action. The constant contrasting and making characters when (most) of them [Helaena-Rhaena; Aegon-Jace; Rhaenyra-Alicent, but specifically that part of epi 5 where they faced men around them shutting them down] don't make sense as parallels-actually-replicas and already had foils set up in F&B. foils are different from what these writers are doing. These writers are making it such that, for example, Daemon is a negative presence in the Riverlands as well as incompetent; Aemond is also a second son and will seemingly do anything to get it, so that must mean that Daemon must have lingering feelings about the same and has the same desires....No, Daemon raised at least 2 armies for people when he didn't have to or when he easily could have used them himself and he mustered many Riverland houses without any real incidents--only the Tullys and Brackens were issues and they were taken care of. Aemond? He is the one who caused--and DIRECTLY!--many noble and peasant families' deaths when he chose to fire on them all after losing KL in Daemon's trick. Rhaena may have been something like the "odd one out" for not having a dragon, but she was hardly as on the fringes of her own family as show!Helaena was and likely kinda was in the orig story. She was actually very much an "It" girl and inherited her confidence from both Daemon and Rhaenyra, but used it in a different way from Baela. Specifically in a way that is perceived as inaccessible to men. Baela was fiery and a bit tempermental (so was Rhaena but she "reigned it in" better), down to fight, able to climb walls, not afraid of dragonfight, which are all attributed more to masculinity under a Western/Westerosi gender paradigm. Whereas Rhaena's schmoozing with lords and ladies while looking cute, Rhaenys the Conqueror-style, is seen as more "feminine" and undesirable, yet it can't be understated how her doing all this enabled her to keep important connections in the Vale and utilize Arryn/Corbray support for her brother later on so her and her family could continue to have some sort of backup against the rising Peakes. So either people never realized this, OR they saw this and resented how this brought more power in such a "unmasculine" way, a way men are not expected or cannot access or use for themselves, that they pretend/convince themselves it's not important. Which helps them to convince others totally ignorant has no value, and the writers, I fell, do not understand Rhaena's purpose at the Vale OR they have no plans to show how she and Baela work towards their family's survival and freedom away from the Hightowers 2.0. Meanwhile, book!Helaena is essentially a breeding machine for her side of the family who kills herself from her kid getting killed and being forced to essentially participate in destroying her own tiny nucleus of a family.

That bring me to the eighth thing. The bk!greens are pretty simple in terms of characterization. Now, I actually love what they did with Aegon for the most part. Have some gripes with Aemond's and many with Helaena and esp with Alicent and love Otto's. But because people have this idea of parallels the same way they thought of constant subverting in GoT, some believe that bc the greens have had rounder characters, the blacks must also...as if it were automatic without them actually thinking of how the show has actually shown that.

Ninth, people are very used to stories that do a lot of telling and not enough of showing, and underestimate how important and different that looks in high fantasy adult fiction vs virtually everything else.

Tenth, people love a female protagonist who is very simply bad vs good imbued with liberal anti-violent-no-matter-what sentiment (that was meant to protect the 1%ers interests), like Rhaenys-Hilary-Clinton, and they don't link anti-militance to privilege specifically in a modern, neoliberal capitalist world. Instead misapplying such a thing to feudal women. Even as they also like to say that Alicent and Rhaenys are like "ordinary" medieval noble women in terms of their internalized misogyny...which doesn't match their definition of "wise" and is both contradictory & reductive bc:

real medieval noblewomen frequently waged/plotted/initiated war and when they did peace calls it was either bc they didn't think they'd win/get out with the right sort of lives intact OR bc they were, they just aren't very much featured as fighters or political strategizers themselves unless it's in the name of a son, husband, etc., and then this works to make people ignore that these women directly participate at all----so Rhaenys and Alicent can't be nonnegotiably wary of violence while also being a "typical" medieval noblewoman

Alicent & Rhaenys frequently show how much they really care about smallfolk/vulnerable people like women, or keep them in their thoughts when they talk about "peace"....it's all ideological, not substantial, but it's played-framed as if they are being for real; the same tool of leveraging stability of male dominance that Gyldayn uses against BOTH Alicent and Rhaenyra, the show Alicent and Rhaenys but Rhaenys esp, uses against Rhaenyra as to why she should rule or have support while trying for her claim, and it's really just so false!

It's so weird, bc they say the nobles this, this, and that shouldn't be killing each other and in lieu the helpless smallfolk, but they refuse to recognize how both women still rely on violence against those ranked below them for their own ends, whether psychological or physical. And it really comes down to who is licensed to dole out and use violence and when and against who, which always turns out to be the nonconforming "instigator" of this particular ASoIaF story, Rhaenyra. And that esp comes from this bias against Targs and the belief that they somehow bring out the worst in nobles, when its actually that nobles fight for land, power, survival all the time and have since before the Targs. And there is this strange moral-victim heroine complex that people want to see in their female protagonist and mistake in as a meet replacement and worthy copy of Daenerys, the childbride/exiled princess turned self-made Queen and protector of the masses.

As for why they "insist that they're more enlightened than the people pointing out the issues", the first reason I pointed out.

[rabiesofficial]

I think there is a considerable difference in the amount of people with anorexia, anorexia nervosa than obese people. So can be a matter of costs and numbers. There are way more fat and obese people.

Also, - understanding that eating disorders are mental illness - it takes dissipline, effort, work to be extremely thin, and the contrary to be obese. Because of this we can assume, from a mental wiring point of view certain attributes obese people or fat people share like laziness, glutonny, lack of goals and so and so.

Finally, I know it's not everyone, and beauty standards change all the time, and it's not good that the current one is often extreme thinness (which has changed through the years thankfully) but fat people just often look bad. You have to be well formed, fat well distributed or whatever to be perceived as kind of good looking, your features get lost in fat, you sweat more, what's inside those rolls? It's kinda sad to see you struggle to walk, take a seat, get dressed. It's just looks painfully kinda pathetic kinda just straight bad. Which, in an extreme case can also be said and or perceived on the contrary condition like an extremely ill anorexic person tho.

Sometimes I’ll see an artist getting hate and it’s so clear the person wants to cancel them because they have personal beef with them, but the artist doesn’t even know they exist.

It’s like, okay so people see fat women and start to get up in their own feelings, being disgusted. What about it? Can you not cope on your own? You see a woman struggling to move because of mental health problems, she chose to overeat instead of starve, and now it’s okay to think of her as pathetic?

You saw someone who was suffering and chose gluttony over “self-discipline*” and deemed her worthy of less empathy?

And I understand that the costs are an issue to some people, but fundamentally I do not agree with this point. I think we should be spending more. On everyone, in healthcare. We need to spend more on getting our foods regulated. On creating infrastructure for kids to go out and play. On reinventing our schools to give kids a mix of play and education. On mental health services. On exit and abuse services because yes, SO many women are forced into feederism by abusive partners, or gain weight after abuse. On actually phone-free gyms so my friends actually trying to lose weight don’t have to worry about being recorded again. These are all different issues that would take work and effort in different areas of society, but ultimately the reasons people are fat differ, but you’ll never learn them if all you see is fat.

* not to be a hater but self-disciplined is a horrible way to describe someone with anorexia, that only encourages the disorder. It’s not discipline when women are literally dying, fighting with themselves to eat. That’s torture, not discipline. If society thinks this way then shouldn’t it be up to us to fight against that instead of reinforcing it?

[captainkurosolaire]

X4 ~ Therapy

Reference ~ Mending Past ~ ♪"Transgender"♪

Fidgeting callous digits drew together, coral incense diffuser carried a eucalyptus scent to tranquil nerves being judder, open nasal-ways passages to breathe palpably again. The bold standing in the seat never felt this got anymore untroubled. Plunged-seeking for help from a dearest hearty found himself comfortable to confine in. Instinctively airing out, grievances, pain bottled within, wasn’t natural. It was attempting to relearn or change nature altogether. Kinsmen would call this act by being here, a sign of definitive weakness. They’d shun him even further, mocking his stake as a man, calling his pride pitiful… Artificially determined by underachievers of our society. However to expose your vulnerabilities, requires unprecedented power. Grit against that lingering, nagging feeling when your entire existence wants to crawl away. Is contesting against what’s supposed to be ‘nature.’ Upon this lounge seat, he was never-braver. A pirate-chasing after the grandest treasure, all forget-to-often, Tormented inner seas to navigate and master; Self-discovery! If someone were to acquire all the wealth in that… One must have to wonder, where’d they stand? Perhaps higher… Of a place not-yet charted to the fullest.

Sweat drenched palms, his throat gulped and dried before, “Ugh, this feels like I’m on a casting-couch n’ th’ local Red-Light District, tryna’ get some virgin hole’s stretched this Sennight.” Doing what often did to everyone who came in-contact, crudely buried and joked it away. Mocking his own feelings-until it was numb, displacing their noise. Throwing a popcorn-shrimp into his mouth with snacks on display, Council was also his Chef aboard too. Across from patient, a kind-hearted, Sea Roe and motherly-like maiden, giving a small-giggle at his remark, “It’s okay. We can wait for you to lax, this isn’t something we need to force open. There’s no-fires, here Cap’n. You’re safe, waves outdoors from us, under that sail-breeze accompanied.” She stumbled-across him when concerned, after nearly-dying from experimenting on narcotics and mixing strong-rum together one-night. Without her keen-observance the Sea Maiden didn’t notice his eyes incoherently devoid of sense, that faithful-Sun. She would’ve been too-late. Suffering more scars-than physically the canvas conveyed on him. Early on taking a mantle. Faltering when it came to multiple Crews. Incurring, mutinies, several enemies, known. Or lurking within depths of the unknown. Bounties that became steep from his escapades of fearlessness. Always targets at his back the moment he donned the inherited Tricorn Hat. From fallen Cap’n who founded this Goldbrand. Inside that-wee-bit part of us that holds us back ushering, whispering like a conniving parasite. Crept-in, saying to flee, run-away. Holding us back from growth-ushering and flourishing. It often won. Looking for any way to get-off-the-hook, from achieving anything, may lead to either happiness or deemed-fortune. Important to often resist that insignificant-part. To combat this requires a shout of frustration, and committing to your declared steps to truly heal. “What would ye’ like t’ ask?” Nerves turned to stone, a deep-inhale taken and exhalation followed. Amusement, candle-lit her visage, before an earnest-smile followed, “We’ll start discussing, what brings you thrill, fulfillment? You’ve a coffer of stories, Captain. They’re written not just upon but through you. Acquiring a healthy outlet to release them may help you astutely, or give room to castaway and relinquish unnecessary weight.” She had an ease sharing empathic attributes. Every emotion someone underwent was her own. Devilishly uprooted, a no-good expression of debauchery collected his features, “Ye sure about that? I could go-listing many pleasurable affairs with vivid details. Can’t say none of those experiences weren't a thrill. Worth th’ voyage my partners I’d bet could vouch fellow sentiments.” Looking to stir-up or shake, but she didn’t waver. Expecting to have her roll-her-eyes, give up on him before starting, hopelessly. As many before-her claimed to be ears. Was obvious she would’ve listened to anything. Nothing could deter her aid, cradled around him knowing just his actual hurt. This what a true-friend exhibited; a Crew? Uncanny, selfishness often was prime here, a believed-necessity. Expect everyone with a knife-of-betrayal equipped Loyalty, if held, resided the strongest-currency. Not glinted gold nor silver.

Bested by her with a pout, seriousness followed his features loosened actually thinking of what her words asked. “I guess seeing dreams realized ov’ others. Particularly my mateys anymore is enough satisfaction. I’ve held many wonders upon this realm. I scoured formerly n’ my shade, claiming Voidal Relics, t’ lost treasures left forgotten and barren. Every-time, I felt further from complete. Would-think with the infamy and power I was collecting, even the fortune I had. There’s no way I wouldn’t feel a sense of freedom sought or grandness. Regardless a gap waged between. Acquiring those ambitious endeavors took extreme sacrifices, not always on my account. I asked much ov’ my fellows. Two-men on the crew who were lovers had much to still-live on and found eachother in my stead, recently-wed, n’ they willingly chased after these materialistic-gains, fer me…  One voyage, required t’ see a difference-make against a War of the Depths that came t’ our shores. Despite their commitment to each other that adventure was seen-through by them. It’d prove the last-moment they shared together. One of them became corrupted, tainted by a relic’s influence, consumed ov’ ration, and killed their own heart; the very partner.” Broke-down and strings inside holding his composure, snapped. Quivering in his voice to encounter realization, “W-what, kind of Cap’n does that? I kept getting my hearties killed! Thwarting away futures not my claim t’ take. Cause of selfishness, greed, to prevent others from having all th’ cards n’ their own coffer? What th’ HELL was th’ justification!? They should still be together…” Balling his fist, nails-delving into his palm until bled. She wrote notes on her clip-board before setting it down. Unknowingly a part of her… Slumbering was strictly-involved in that War of the Depths. Reincarnation of the very-prime-foe. Even beyond both their known. Captain felt it instinctively during their meeting. Soon washed away the notion and mistrusted his own instinct. Because it wasn’t all-true. She demonstrated a whole difference to the advisory, formerly named Siren among Sirens in mythos, who orchestrated and owned an Empire at Depths of the Rohtano. Calmly and understanding from his perspective, “Cap’n we can’t carry everything outside us and blame our shoulders for not staying upright, otherwise we anchor and quickly follow-pursuit of the dead. You said it yourself they willingly followed and saw crucially a mission you-mentioned for that War? What would’ve happened if they didn’t? I’ve to bet more lives lost; War unfortunately is that, there’s no real-fortune any side attains. Always loss-occurs. Think they would-agree that was in-vain? Would they-be any happier or rested souls, knowing their Captain they shared who guided them to another foremost, sabotaged and chained himself because of their behalf? Your survival has a lot of guilt, it’s harmful.” Lowering herself to extend the reach of voice, it never once, impacted a sense of thought or deep-truth to reflect in. Frustration was being quelled, she further descended down to pull him from shallow-bellows of torment. 

As-if her spirit was diving to rescue him, where misery and sorrow; drowns their victims. She attempted to explain with insightful unfathomable wisdom, “Perception carries and decides our reality. Instead of seeing your failure, think of victory. You won in some semblance a War, a tremendous feat; prevailing over it. Every-breath you take on carries extra-life of every fallen hearty you said goodbye, departed to those early sea-bed graves. Look what’ve you achieved, how you’ve mustered courageously, standing against that Past. You’re able to discern; what’s wrong or is containing your gravity. Wallowing is dangerous, making people stuck in-limbo, devouring the Future and preventing a Present from ever-leaving unwelcome shadows. One foot of yours seems to be stuck on shore. While another contemplates a leap to the tides. I’m not saying to forget. I’m saying to swim with your knowledge and experience, forward, forward, forgiving forward.” Her words didn’t instantaneously make a difference, but they were making-brief dents. Never-valuing or understood forgiveness especially towards one-self. Wasn't it easier to quickly throw down the hatch a few-pints of bottomless ale, hasten numbness? No-one wanted to confront-this, or themselves. Burdened with confronting our own burdens. Pain happens when caring. In-the-deep the rulers residing; sharks swam in this manner. Forward, never deterring. It’s all they knew, otherwise they lose breathing, resulting in death. Yet they reigned and exhibited lessons. Captain felt a lighter-sense of him wasn’t an instantaneous recovery but a progressive, steadied one. “Thanks Slafhota, I’ll see ye’ n’ Seven Sun’s same time, aye?” For first-session, it already felt like a right-step towards entering that tide becoming a king of his depth.

[bestbonnist]

Chapter 171.1

The battle between the immortals is played for laughs, but the way that each of their arguments is connected to their core character traits makes me think it's indicative of more deeply ingrained conflicts. Let's break it down!

Tonari's same old same old. She feels indebted to the people she loves, Fushi especially, and believes that if she wants to be around them, she needs to be able to pull her weight. She doesn't think she has any helpful skills apart from a base level of poison resistance, so that's what she focuses on. Tonari puts a lot of emphasis on how "useful" it is when she dies, on whether or not her death helped her friends or not. She puts herself down and uses herself like a tool for the sake of the people she loves.

Gugu is similar to Tonari in that he uses his body like a tool for the benefit of his friends. As an impoverished, abandoned child—also very similar to Tonari—Gugu thought his only attribute was physical labor, especially after he had his accident and from his point of view, lost his humanity. Gugu got into his accident in the first place because he put himself in harm's way to save Rynn. It's a mark of how little he values his safety.

The main difference between Gugu and Tonari, in this case, is that Tonari sees herself the same as other people, which is to say: bad. Humanity is all a bunch of assholes, and she's no different. Her friends are the rare exception. Whereas Gugu sees all of humanity as fundamentally good. And Gugu, being a monster, is below them. So Gugu is willing to lay down his life for everyone, and Tonari is willing to do it for the people she loves (yes I know she literally says she does it "for everyone" but she's only talking about the people in the park with her).

Messar says that he's enjoying his life but he keeps dying in horrible ways. He froze to death nine fucking times and hasn't learned his lesson. Is that really enjoyable? It seems more like he's disguising a disregard for his own well-being as freedom. And as Hylo says, he has no purpose, so he's just kind of stagnant right now. It's, uh... It's giving depression.

If Messar is too hedonistic, then Hylo is too restrained. By setting goals for himself, like saving all of Renryrr or becoming a baker, he's able to get a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that makes him happy. But he has no chill. Those goals are the will to live that he thinks are so important. Without those goals, he's no different than Messar. Only Messar is able to find the worth of moments spent doing nothing.

This is also literally the same shit they said in Chapter 165.1. This argument has been going on for five hundred years.

Messar "left unhappiness back in Renryrr," referring to when Alme died. His reason for living was to protect her, he was literally unable to move after she died and got killed by a knocker. Moving on is all well and good, but if his recklessness is any indication, he hasn't moved on at all, he's just trying not to think about it. As Hylo—who has actually done the work to move forward after the loss of his foster mother—points out, you can't really call that happy. Hylo is so harsh on Messar because he used to be aimless as well. But Hylo found something to pursue in the Renryrr arc and Messar isn't even looking.

In her first life, March agreed to be sacrificed because it was the way to keep the most people safe. She didn't want her friend or her little sister and their parents to be hurt, so she went along with Hayase's plan. She also died saving Parona's life. At this point in time her idea of a good life/good death was similar to Tonari's and Gugu's—that is, to use her death to make the people she loves happy. But as a ghost, she saw firsthand how much her death affected Parona. Being dead wasn't better for the people around her like she thought it was. Now the way she doesn't make everyone sad is by staying alive. She encourages others to do the same, as seen in this chapter when she chastises Messar for not taking care of himself.

March also takes this into account during important decisions, like when Fushi consults their friends on whether they should take the Beholder's powers or not and she calmly tells them that the choice is theirs. A huge difference from the time she freaked out when they told her they would be losing consciousness indefinitely at the end of the previous era. March's way of living is at odds with Tonari and Gugu's way of dying, but they're all dedicating themselves to the people they love.

Bon doesn't get involved in arguments, ever since the Renryrr arc he's relegated himself to a mediator/advisor role. He avoids having any contrary opinions and goes with what will placate the most people. I can't say much more about him because he almost never gives away what he's really thinking (sadly he is not a perspective character anymore), but this is definitely a continuing pattern. It's a shame because he's actually pretty good at decision making, although he stepped down due to the number of poor choices he made during the Renryrr arc.

Kai, and Eko don't care very much about the best death argument, which doubles as a "whose life has the most meaning" argument. I wonder if it's because they found a reason to live by working as mechanics and transferring their good points to people within the system, so they don't feel as insecure about it.

Well, that's that! I think their squabbling was a neat way to introduce the issues that'll be explored in this arc and to show how Fushi's friends have adjusted to immortality. The doll point blank asks them why they're alive, and in a roundabout way she gets an answer: they're alive to die.

[agender-witchery]

Hello! After seeing that ask about morally bankrupt PM, I first joined Limbus two days before the whole confrontation begun, and I remember reading somewhere that Canto V was delayed...for a second time, if memory serves right. My point with this is: what if the reason behind the delay was because Vellmori was in the process of leaving PM but it just happen to align with the known events? It came into mind around mid September when I dipped my toes a little bit more into the fandom.

I am not brushing off Kim's actions, but it would give a little weight to his response if that's what occurred. I have seen this is not the first time PM was called out from doing something sketchy (and in my opinion quite dumb) in relation to Limbus, like when they first dropped Yi Sang's trailer they made use of an unauthorised (to them) translation of The Wings. The original translator stepped forward about this and PM apologised then changed it. I believe this happened a handful of times again, but that's the one that I have read from the wiki. After something like that that takes not much common sense to know you can't use other people's stuff without permission, I am not surprised Kim failed in properly handle the most recent problem.

If you happen to know about the reason behind the delay, I will thank you if you could tell me! I just want to clear that thought of mine. And there's no problem if you don't feel like it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Have a good day/evening!

I do not work for Project Moon, so all I can really provide is speculation. VellMori's dismissal is, without doubt, part of the reason for the extended Canto V delay, but it would be disingenuous for me to assume it was the only reason. With the announcement that we'd get 2 Intervallos per Canto but they wouldn't have voice acting, my immediate thought was "no way can they handle that, not with the delays they usually have". But, to my surprise, it does seem to have actually manifested that way, so I would also attribute a large part of delays to the fact that Intervallos were being fully voiced.

VellMori, if she was indeed leaving of her own accord, would definitely have been considering it well before the delays were announced. The harassment didn't suddenly appear one day and she was gone within 24 hours, so she definitely would have had time to make that decision.

Also, Kim Jihoon's given name is Jihoon. Kim is his family name. It's not strictly inappropriate to refer to him by family name within English speaking spaces, we do it all the time, especially when there are no other Kims to consider, but there's a reason he is usually referred to with his full name.

[agentdumortain]

AN INTERVIEW WITH JACKIE COHEN by Isaiah Mock for WHIPLASH MAGAZINE

(Top row: cover art from Jackie Cohen’s solo EPs About Yesterday and Give It Time. Bottom row: cover art of one of Stunts’ EPs “Leaning Backward” and their most recent release, “Didn’t See That Coming”.)

Jackson Cohen, better known as Jackie, is the frontwoman of one of alternative’s underdog up-and-coming bands Stunts. She tells me before she’s even sat down that she never expected to be where she is today. “I know a lot of people say that kind of thing under these circumstances, but I mean it in every sense.”

We discuss the obvious first; how the element of surprise, virality, and speed affects the path and struggles of becoming a public figure. But the singer feels that the "unexpected" sentiment she holds is even more relevant to her and the band's evolution since highschool. "I don't think our music is what we imagined it'd be at all, but we're pretty in love with it. That's a good thing!"

Cohen’s earliest works, both solo and collaborative with various members of Stunts, (past and present) are a far cry from what you’ve most likely heard from her today. Psychedelic pop, sweet and swooning, are accurate descriptors—sometimes even synthesized.

All of those elements are still found in Stunts’ recent projects, but the trajectory of their music has undoubtedly shifted into something heavier. Not darker, but in the literal way, with more weight. Post-punk and rock influences are obvious, especially in lyricism. There’s an air of confidence and lived experience that wasn’t present before. The singer names Jeff Buckley, Slowdive, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The Cure, as just a snippet of her and her bandmate's inspirations. “Y’know, I think—doesn’t everybody want to be someone else a little bit?” She smiles with some humor at the thought, but it’s clear she believes it.

“About Yesterday”, Cohen’s first EP, can be found scattered in many corners of the internet, (not on any formal streaming platforms, as it is rife with uncleared samples) where it’s often named as a favorite by indie popheads from all backgrounds. She made it in her basement with the help of her older brother and a few of his musician friends. “Realizing your older siblings are cool is a tough pill to swallow,” she jokes. “But at some point or another, they realize you’re kind of cool too, and that opens up a whole new world of opportunity. He [Jackie's brother] definitely encouraged my, um, my—penchant for music? That feels dorky to say."

“Artists like Imogen Heap, TV Girl, Mazzy Star; I looked up to them for sure while making that, [About Yesterday] and most of my other stuff too, to be honest. I think it was comfortable and fun to work in that style. I was able to express myself how I needed to at that time, and I still am, it just sounds hugely different from when I was 16.”

I ask her how that change in sound, as vague as that is, came to be. Does she attribute it to anything specific, or feel like it was a natural progression?

"Working as a team, probably? That will always yield different results and force you to "evolve" in some way or another. I was doing the band and my own thing at the same time, [in highschool] though, so if I came up with something I knew wouldn’t fit with Stunts, I could still take it somewhere else if I really wanted to. But I think meeting my friends, my bandmates, that was a really big part of the shift. Probably the biggest. They all have their own unique tastes and styles in what they consume and create. I grew up going to shows, but they have taken me to probably hundreds more at this point, and shown me stuff I wouldn't find on my own. They’re so versatile as musicians and artists, they’re always open to trying all these different things, but they don’t lose their standards or vision in the process. Ever. Um, they’re the best. Sorry—I’m rambling," she laughs. "Does that answer that question at all?”

Not even minutes later, we've bounced through several different subjects, Jackie sometimes asking me more questions than I can ask her. When I had reached out for an interview, she eagerly accepted the opportunity and invited me to come to her apartment rather than my initially suggested café. "Coffee shops can get so fucking loud!" She had emailed me.

We're still in her living room, which also serves as a makeshift studio. (She clarifies: "None of the real recording happens here, I think I would've been evicted by now if that were the case.") The space is small and full, but well organized. There's a few photos framed on her desk-side wall above her monitor, a handful of them I recognize as cover art. I ask her if there's any story behind them.

"Oh—ha, I was really into film in highschool. I still am, I just don't have as much time or opportunities for it right now. But yeah, some of the photos I've used for cover art are mine. Some are just ones I dug up from my parent's basement." She follows my gaze, which lingers on one cover that has been an object of speculation since it's release. "Give It Time."

I glance back at her, understanding if she doesn't want to elaborate on it. Most fans believe it's a photo of her and Seven Lawless, her ex-bandmate and ex-boyfriend, (who, at the time of the EP's release, were both in Stunts but their relationship was not yet public.) but the pixelated editing has left it fairly ambiguous. There are other plausible theories floating online about who it could be.

When I had first arrived at her door, she told me: "I'm an open book with most things, as long as you don't have bad intentions." And I'm not in the business of prying into subjects like that for anyone I interview—but she smiles at me warmly when she realizes what's caught my eye.

"I didn't take that one actually. It's still one of my favorites, though."

There's a comfortable lull in the conversation while I continue to examine the wall, until I point to one that looks only slightly out of place among the rest. There's about five people (you can probably guess who) squished into the frame, all half-dressed and soaking wet with wild grins plastered onto their faces.

She immediately bursts into a fit of laughter. "Okay, maybe not that one. My manager might kill me."

Stream "Didn't See That Coming" here.

☆☆☆

This is the first part of a pre-BOTB interview miniseries about my @infamous-if OC, Jackie Cohen. Whiplash Magazine is local to her home county's music scene but a lot of their audience is spread out online too. :)

The album cover edits were inspired by @spider-actual’s edits for their Infamous band Shelter In Place, go check them out they are so cool !!!

Original sources of the photos used for album art: About Yesterday / Give It Time / Leaning Backward / Didn't See That Coming

[withoutalice]

more Gin Ichimaru headcanons that No One asked for (1/2)

(This post is about Gin Ichimaru from BLEACH. It is talking about eating disorders so TW for talk about weight, mental health, and self-destructive behavior)

Gin has an eating disorder.

Or, has cycled through many eating disorders over the years.

Let me list some canon traits he has that could mean he has a disorder (with pictures!).

First off, and most obvious: He's abnormally thin. I mean, just look at his wrists? Also his narrower face, prominent collar bones and jugular.

His actual personality isn't known, even though he was well known by his squad, popular in the Soul Society and could even be considered friends other squad captains. "Gin" was simply a character for the outside world. This can be a sign of emotional isolation, which individuals with eating disorders tend to do as these disorders can have feeling of hopelessness and low self-esteem. It can also be attributed to people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and trauma.

In Gin's case I attribute him hiding his true self to his possible insecurities and lower self esteem (you can also say he has had lots of pressure on him because of his prodigy status in the academy). High expectations and stereotypes can lead to imposter syndrome, low self esteem, and a desire for control in one's life. That control is often found in the restriction of food and the numbers on a scale...

Even Rangiku, (regardless of what he believed he needed to keep secret from her because of Aizen) didn't know basic things about his life, it could mean he possibly didn't think he was good enough for her. I assume that she didn't know much about his life during captaincy because when we get flashbacks from her life that involve Gin, he is usually portrayed as his child self. Everything Rangiku believes and knows about Gin is from their childhood together (The Gin we see in her vision, after the battle with Aizen, while she's standing outside the cave Toshiro is training in, is still her imagination based on child Gin).

He really really likes persimmons. You may be thinking "Alice that general Gin Knowledge that's his biggest personality point" and you're right. But if I stretch it a bit, it's his safe food. He eats mostly persimmons (besides from the fact that it's probably the only thing he could get as a child) and he made sure that the 3rd division filled it's garden with the trees. Many people with eating disorders have a food they are hyper-focused on. Also, he was known to give out the persimmons whenever he "dried too many" (Bleach Official Bootleg). Perhaps they were a binge trigger?

TW AND NOTE (AGAIN):

FROM HERE I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT BMI AND EXACT HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS.

NOTE: GIN ICHIMARU IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER AND IS IN NO WAY CONNECTED TO REALITY AND HUMAN PHYSICAL HEALTH.

I UNDERSTAND BMI IS NOT A MEASURE OF ONE'S PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH. FOR THE SAKE OF MY ARGUMENT, I WILL BE CALCULATING GIN'S BMI FROM THE DATA PROVIDED ON HIS WIKI PAGE

Gin's BMI (using the most recent BMI calculator) at 73 inches and 152lbs is 19.15. The underweight BMI point range for adult males is 17.501-20.70.

According to BMI, Gin is classified as underweight.

Remember "less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight.” Nevertheless, if we take in his BMI when looking at the possibility of him having an eating disorder (and not, say, just a fast metabolism) all of these observations lead me to believe that he is affected by either anorexia or bulimia.

And that is all for canon evidence that sparked my headcanon

Headcanon coming up in part 2

[i-used-to-be-an-anti-feminist]

How come women in a relationship get to change things about a guy but as soon as a guy asks a girl to change something it is suddenly offensive or attack or sexist or one of the many tags we've got..

Let's put some background to this..

It is kind of accepted that women are more into emotional attributes and men are more into physical attributes..

Most women and men would agree to this..

But here's the catch only one of the two groups gets to force the other to change things.

Almost every guy in a relationship has been asked to open up more, share more about how they're feeling, talk to the girl and such.

And am with this a 100 percent.. Most men have been raised or just intrinsically are closed off or not in touch with their feelings.. And in a relationship it is considered perfectly normal for a girl to ask men to change this about them.. As it suits the girl better.. And of course as it is better for the guy too..

Some guys comply.. Some don't.. but all this is considered perfectly normal.. no woman is demonized for asking a guy to change some of his emotional attributes.. women even congratulate each other on successfully achieving this mission.

Now let's get to the flip side.

Most men are more into physical attributes.. It is how they're built..

And I'm not saying Men are shallow.. But we would be lying if we said that we don't care about looks at all.. in fact we do care..I guess we care about physical attributes almost as much as women care about the mental ones.

But let a man ask his girlfriend or wife to lose some weight.

See what happens..

Fatphobic, body shaming, superficial, shallow pig..

Obesity is as harmful to a woman as not being emotionally open is to a man.. but hey only one gets to bully the other into changing things..

As Bill Burr had said , in a relationship women is like the perfectly completed project and the guy is like a building which has been under construction for years with scaffolding and covers all over.. We're always working on the guy..

Maybe we would work on the women too, if they didn't protest that we don't love them as they are at the slight hint of a change.

If they didn't raise a hue and cry everytime a guy suggests that some work be put in from their side.

Bottomline why are mental and physical attributes not put on the same scale. Why are we allowed to bully people into changing one but we're scrutinized for even mentioning a change in the other.

PS-I know this is a wide generalization but it isn't meant to be.. I just had to put this out because of some problem in facing in my relationship.. again don't mean to hurt anyone..

I'm not sure if you're being genuine here or not, but I'll try to give you the benefit of the doubt... If you really care about women and you can see how the things men do to grow in relationships is good for them and for the people around them, you have already answered your own question. Women obsessing over their physical attributes and things they can't actually control actively harms them and isn't really good for the people around them. There's zero real benefit to it.

You're kind of making a false equivalence by comparing emotional development to altering one's physical appearance. How do you feel about women who have the same standards of physical attraction as you? They definitely exist. What do you think about women who want to date a guy but won't because they wish he was taller? How would you feel if a woman wanted her man to wear stilts and risk bodily injury in order to please her because she's more attracted to taller men? How would you feel if a woman told you, "you have a great personality, but you're just too fat." Do you think you owe her weight loss and potential physical and emotional harm to yourself in order to please her, or would you recognize you can find someone who loves you and is attracted to you the way you are? Why don't you think women deserve the same?

If you wouldn't change anything about your physical appearance for a woman, ask yourself why that is and why you still think women should cater to you about something you are unwilling to subject your own self to. The performance of femininity is degrading. It isn't beneficial for women, and it contributes to them being seen and treated as objects and decorations. Physical appearance doesn't last, so if you want a genuine and lasting relationship, I recommend not basing your attraction on something that fades. Does she make you happy? Does she bring out the best in you? Do you have the same goals and interests? Do you enjoy your time together? Those are the things that matter when neither of you are considered conventionally attractive anymore.

I hope you continue to grow and can learn to see women as people and not decorations. Best of luck.

[d-field22-blog]

Story link: https://www.deviantart.com/d-field22/art/Batman-Oc-Villain-16-Red-Riding-Hood-Digital-867360346

Bio: Real name: Rufina R. Dooh Occupation: Murderer, Professional criminal Base of Operation: Gotham City Eyes: Green Hair: Black, (ends dyed Red) Height: 5ft 7 in Weight: 130lbs

Attributes: Obsessed with old fairytales, particularly Little Red Riding Hood Suicidal Uses hand crafted baskets as not just her means of fitting her gimmick of filling it with dead body parts, but also as her calling card. With a quote of a famous fairytale written on a white card tied to the handles. Uses an exaggerated personality of an innocent girl. Surprisingly good in hand to hand combat. Mainly sticks to knives, or her cleaved she hides in her cloak Mainly sticks to old people as her victims. But is known to kill much younger folk that cross her, or whom she feels like killing.

Dream voice actress: Chloë Grace Moretz. You could say I have sort of a crush on Chloe, I can say that instead of some old perverts on Facebook or Twitter because she and I are a lot closer in age. But aside from that, she has grown to be a very competent actress, whether it be kickass heroes, smart allices, or even tortured souls, she for the most parts gives it her all in acting. I can't seem to recall seeing a "bad" performance from her. Though I think her choices need to be a bit better for some movies, Chloë Grace Moretz has the perfect voice for Rufina. I also tried to model Rufina's face after Chloe, but I'm not that very good at drawing real people. But I did my best, and I think I did it well enough.

Featured song: Little Red Riding Hood by Amanda Seyfried.

Notes.

Red Riding Hood was a rogue that desperately needed a redesign, and I was so looking forward to the day that she would get one. And dare I say, this one blows the original out of the water.

I decided to draw the basket in the crutch of her arm and placed her trademark killing weapon in where the basket use to be, along with an additional butcher knife, 3.Some of the colors of her outfit were changed and now she pops at you much more, because I didn't think to do the inside of her cloak in a different shade of red.

How could I not incorporate the Mad Hatter into her origin? It would have been a missed opportunity if I didn't have them meet/ work together in any point in time.

Now as I have said in my Joker page, I am not a big fan of the film, However I do like elements/ characters from it. I like Murray, I like Gary, and Randall(to a point) so I decided to incorporate the former 2 into Red's origin. For the Batman universe that I am creating is taking bits and pieces from all across Batman history, official, spin-off, or fan created, and finding a way to mesh the elements without going completely nuts.

I am a big Stephen King fan and one year on Christmas I asked for Carrie. I read half of the book in one day and I had to stop myself from reading it to have Christmas. Carrie in the book and the films was a huge inspiration for Rufina right up to the actress and even the main tormentor of Rufina, who shares the name of 2 other characters from the book.

[tokkias]

Hi I was wondering how would you describe natsu and Lucy appearance , you inspired me to write and I wanna give those 2 justice please 💗

that's awesome to hear! welcome to the horrible wonderful world of fic writing.

with fic writing, i don't think appearance is something you need to put too much weight into because the reader should already know what the characters look like. if i mention lucy, automatically the reader's brain is going to know, blonde, brown eyes, boobily breasted, etc. etc.

instead, it's better to have a specific when and why you're describing their appearance. personally i only do it in three circumstances; when one character is taking in the others appearance, when a character's appearance is notably different, or when i want you to know who a character is without directly stating their name.

here is an example of the first: "The way his too-long hair falls into his eyes and the way he bares his fangs when he smiles at her remind her that this is her Natsu."

here is an example of the second: "He’s made an effort to clean himself up for her; there’s no dirt on his face or clothes, and he’s wearing a button-up shirt she gave him that he claims to hate because it’s stuffy and restrictive and all the things he hates about the outside world, but he’s wearing it anyway because he knows she thinks he looks handsome in it."

and here is an example of the third: "a girl his age, her blonde hair held up in two pigtails while the rest of it hung loose around her shoulders."

because your reader already knows what the characters look like, you don't need to place too much emphasis on describing their appearance. in fact, you don't have to do it at all. but you can use them to emphasize certain moments or feelings.

"Her gaze rose to meet his, and she was met with a reminder of how pretty his eyes were, even as they were clouded with worry over her. His hair, wild as it was, framed his face perfectly, making him look so pretty in the gentle moonlight, even as he looked down at her in concern."

these lines would be pretty random and out of place if i just whacked it in there with no purpose, but the description of his appearance from lucy's pov is to show the reader that she is very much in love with him.

in terms of how i describe their appearance, i generally take one or two of their physical characteristics and focus on them. try not to get too specific with it, otherwise you'll turn into ebony darkness dementia raven way with her long black hair (that's how she got her name) with purple and red streaks that goes down to her back, and icy blue eyes like limp bizkit or whatever.

so let's break down their most significant physical attributes to start:

natsu has pink hair, black eyes, a pretty defined build, a few significant scars and fangs

lucy has blonde hair, large brown eyes, a pretty dramatic hourglass figure and quite light skin

anything outside of these is all up to you to add as you please. some of my little headcanons include lucy having lots of little scars, soft hands, and cushy thighs, while natsu has chapped lips and calloused hands. go wild with them.

i like to be evocative with my language so i like to use simile and metaphor when describing appearance.

"With golden locks flowing like rivers down her back and a pure white dress draped across her soft, milky skin."

that line is my little double whammy of describing lucy's hair as golden and her skin as milky. i prefer to use gold over blonde or yellow because i think it's more of an evocative word and it's sort of thematically appropriate to who lucy is as a character.

i describe lucy's eyes a lot. i don't stray too far when describing colour, brown is enough. you can use chocolate, sometimes i use the phrase "honey brown" which doesn't make a lot of sense but idk it just sounds good to me. i don't like to use the word "orbs" because you would never describe your eyes that way in any other circumstance. eyes are enough. i describe lucy's eyes as big, sparkly, full of light. it wouldn't be inappropriate to say she has stars in her eyes. eyes are very emotive, i think focusing on a character's eyes is a good way to get across how they're feeling.

off the top of my head i can't find another line where i describe natsu's appearance, but i tend to use words like rosy and blush coloured to describe his hair. it's sort of the opposite of what i do with lucy's because it's almost a juxtaposition of who he is as a character. i'm sure i've just described it as pink before, i don't have anything against using that word and it's certainly not wrong to say that. i don't like the word "pinkette" i think it's kind of stupid. i have pink hair and if someone referred to me that way they'd be catching these hands.

i'm not entirely sure if this answered your question? i don't feel like i'm the best person for this because i am sooo not eloquent outside of my writing, but i hope at least something in this helped lol

[mg-dango]

Vicente "Dientes" Avila Introduction!!!

General:

Name: Vicente Ávila Cruz

Alias(es): Dientes (Teeth), Chente (by Rudy), Meña (By his mother, no longer in use)

Sex: Masculine (FtM)

Blood type: B+

Nationality: Mexican

Birthdate: 11/November/[REDACTED]

Age: 23 (during the events of MW2)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Birthplace: Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Current residence: Las Almas, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Languages: Spanish, Mixtec (His first language actually, has forgotten some things due to the lack of people or relatives to practice with), English

Occupation: Military, member of Mexican Special Forces

Rank: Private

Affiliations: Mexican army, Mexican special forces (Los Vaqueros), SpecGru (eventually)

Physical data:

Hair: 1C, dark brown, long, wolf-cut style

Eyes: brown

Body build: lean, slightly muscular

Race/Ethnicity: Indigenous

Height: 158 cm

Weight: 59 kg

Psychological data:

Diagnoses: Depression, PTSD

MBTI: ISFJ-T (Introvert, sensor, feeler, judger)

Phobias: Autophobia, Arachnophobia, Claustrophobia

Attributes:

Agility

Bravery

High tolerance to pain (This has turned against him in a few occasions)

Flexibility 

Fast thinking 

(He is very good when It comes to hiding or infiltration missions in general, his short height and light weight allows him to be slippery and quiet)

Skills:

knowledge in firearms, specialized with assault rifles and shotguns (His personal favorite ones are the Lockwood 680 and the M16)

Basic knife skills (However, he can be particularly VERY GOOD with Bowie knives)

Bush-craft (throw him in the middle of almost any environment with only a stick, I dare you)

trap making and building

Basic combat skills

Family:

“A este punto ya casi me he olvidado de sus rostros… A veces se me viene a la mente el recuerdo borroso de Maa haciendo chocolate en la cocina, mientras mis hermanos y yo jugábamos en la sala… Me pregunto si ellos me recuerdan a mi”

Mother: Flora Cruz Osorio

Father: Eugenio Avila Rosas

Siblings: Mariano Avila Cruz, Maximiliano Avila Cruz, Elias Avila Cruz, Mateo Avila Cruz (twin)

(Vicente was the eldest sibling in the family, being even older than his twin by 5 minutes)

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE FAMILY IS UNKNOWN

Relationships:

Rodolfo Parra: Father figure, mentor (He wishes he could call him “dad”, but at the same time thinks that would make Rudy feel uncomfortable so he refrains)

Alejandro Vargas: Also a father-like-figure (Not as much as Rudy, but he totally respects the colonel and takes him as a role model)

Valeria Garza: Vicente got the chance to meet Valeria once, just before she disappeared. He used to admire her, but after discovering her true identity as El Sin Nombre, lost any of that respect he previously had

Jesús “Chuy” Ordaz: In general they have a relationship of colleagues, maybe even brothers

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick: Friend, romantic interest (Eventually he becomes his boyfriend but that's a story for another day)

Favorites:

Color: Teal

Food: Tlayudas

Drink: Hot cocoa

Song: Rosa Pastel - Belanova

Flower: Cempasúchil

Animal: Jaguars, or any other types of felines.

Music genres: Ska, Mexican rock, cumbias

Negative traits:

Self-Neglect: ¿Remember when I said this man has a very high pain tolerance? Well, in reality it has to do less with what he's feeling and more with how little importance he gives to the physical, emotional or psychological pain he has at the moment, he often sees himself as “less” than the others and thinks his injuries or necessities are a burden.

“Mecha Corta”: Which means he basically has little to none patience when it comes to things that may annoy him, he can get angry or desperate easily in a matter of seconds, If he's mad, he will constantly make you know by his mood, his expressions or even his way to speak towards you or the others.

Prideful: Dientes often confuses dignity with pride or ego. The fact that he was constantly bullied throughout his whole life does not help either, so It is not surprise when he commits risky or stupid actions just to “prove” himself to the rest.

Biography

(English is not my first language, I apologize for bad translation and grammar T-T)

Born alongside his twin in a rural Mixtec community, he was the eldest among his siblings and the most adventurous too. His father, an old drunkard who constantly lived in debt, found himself entangled in financial troubles with a local cartel in the area. So in an attempt to appease said debts, he sold his son to the cartel without the consent of his wife, and Vicente never saw his family again.

He spent that part of his childhood being exploited by the cartel, forced to work as a servant. It wasn't until one day, while playing in the cartel's garden, that he encountered a young Rodolfo Parra (just a low-ranking soldier during that time) trying to infiltrate and dismantle the place. The kid proposed to help Rodolfo on his mission in exchange for his freedom, a proposition to which the soldier agreed.

The boy earned the soldier's affection and care after the mission, leading Rodolfo to volunteer and become Vicente's temporary legal guardian. He became both a father figure and a mentor for him. Inspired by Rodolfo, Vicente decided to follow his same footsteps. Upon turning 18, he enrolled in military school and graduated with honors.

After this event, he distanced himself from Rudy a bit in an attempt to become more independent, especially as Rodolfo had been sent to apprehend  "La Araña" cartel at that time. It was then that Vicente was assigned to be part of what would be his first significant mission: investigating possible drug trafficking routes that had recently formed in Chetumal, Quintana Roo. This mission not only ended in a complete failure but also left a lasting mark on Vicente for the rest of his days.

Very little is known about what actually happened, but based on official information and testimonies, his team was ambushed by a cartel known as "Las Palmas". Of the entire team, only Vicente survived. He was tortured for weeks and presumed dead, declared Missing in Action until three months later, when his unconscious body was found a few blocks away from where the leader of "Las Palmas" was found dead. The boy had multiple wounds and cuts all over his skin, especially with one on his lips so wide that it exposed his teeth, earning him the nickname "Dientes" (Teeth).

By the time Rodolfo saw the boy again, he found him in such a mentally deplorable and agonizing state due to the Chetumal incident that he regretted being absent at that time. He secretly swore never to lose sight of his son again, and true to his word, Rodolfo enlisted Vicente in the Mexican Special Forces and assigned him to work with him and "Los Vaqueros." This way, he wouldn't lose sight of Vicente again and would be able to protect him up closely.

Vicente currently resides in Las Almas, Tamaulipas. Over time, he has significantly improved his health and become a crucial member of his team.

[twilightmalachite]

PORTRAIT - Epilogue 2

Author: Akira

Characters: Akiomi, Makoto

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Oh, that was a slip of the tongue there. Please keep that off the record."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Reception Room

Akiomi: As an aside, C-kun was transferred to another agency afterwards as per request of his parents again—So I have no details on what happened afterwards.

However, given he is still active as a model overseas means that he likely continued to achieve a level of success.

Although he has a bad mouth, he is beautiful, and a very hard worker. Rather, it is because he is always giving it his all at what he loves is why he is so beautiful, isn’t it?

He has always shimmered, like a refined jewel.

Regrettably, however, B-kun quit modeling around the age I myself had quit.

It was quite the shame. He had been called a child prodigy, a genius that you come upon only once per decade.

He seemed to have been struggling back then. I feel it was simply unfortunate. Modeling shouldn’t have to be something you have to endure and kill your heart to do.

Oh, that was a slip of the tongue there. Please keep that off the record.

���: [—He truly has gone through a lot of hardship.]

Akiomi: Yes? Ahaha, you know who it is even if I conceal his name, don’t you? Right, yes, B-kun is Yuuki Makoto.

However, as I talked about his family situation amongst other personal matters, I ask you to not mention his name while writing the article.

It appears he has been marketing himself through a cheerful lens right now, so it would be best not to attribute any negative representations to him.

…Well, although I do doubt this interview will ever make it to an article.

👤: [That boy is truly an unfortunate, poor kid.]

[He had a hard and painful life thanks to his parents being good-for-nothings.]

Akiomi: Fufu. The parents of all three of those children were good-for-nothings in their own different ways.

Parents who fully neglected their child in the name of freedom, parents who used love as an excuse to treat their child like a doll—

I do have some sympathy for B-kun’s mother, however—She was a single mother living in poverty. She was too caught up in her own struggles to notice what her son had been going through.

Still, she should have been more proactive. She should have thought of her own child and supported him, even to the detriment of everything else.

After his father had been imprisoned due to misconduct, his mother had been so busy trying to make ends meet that she had put the matter on the back burner.

And so out of passivity, he was let to continue his modeling work.

As a result, B-kun was left carrying the dream of his father who was no longer by his side, a career he himself did not want—He had no choice but to endure and persevere.

That is what wore him thin. There is nothing more stressful than being forced to do something you do not wish to do.

Although currently, he appears to be doing what he truly wishes to do.

But this can be said about each family. I wish they had thought just a little more about their child’s feelings.

I’m just another person now, however. There’s nothing I can say or do.

But at least, because I had let go of my hand halfway through at that time…

I want to do everything I can for those kids. Not as a senior in their career, but as I am now as a teacher who guides them.

I’ll advise them if they are struggling with their career path. I’ll teach them if there is anything they do not understand.

I’ll never be able to be a part of their family, not that I have a reason to want to, but…

Akiomi: Even a chance acquaintance is caused by a connection made in the past life.[1] Now that I have met them, I’d like to continue to be involved at least to where I won’t be hated, as opposed to ignoring them.

And I could lighten the weight of those heavy burdens carried by those children, even if only a little…

I believe that I won’t regret the life that I had lived, either.

👤: [……]

[…I envy you, Kunugi Akiomi.]

Akiomi: Ahaha. C-kun once told me that back then, too.

I had believed I had lived an ordinary and dull life with not much to show, compared to those like Sagami Jin.

However, I seem to have been living a life to be proud of, enough for others to envy me over.

Makoto: —Kunugi-senpai?

What did you need me for? Umm, am I here to be lectured about how I’m focusing too much on work lately to where my grades are dropping?

Akiomi: Ah, Yuuki-kun. Thanks for taking the time to come here.

I’m not here to scold you, so please, rest assured. While I wish you could focus on your studies, it's impossible for everything to be done with perfection.

Just as your parents were unable to balance their work and raising you.

Like how the stress from raising a child led to them causing trouble and being put in prison, right?

Makoto: ? My mom’s never been arrested, though?

Makoto: Although my dad was, he’d been in prison up until recently. That wouldn’t give a good reputation though, so I’ve just been disclosing that I come from a single parent family…

I can’t even tell my own friends… Not even to Akehoshi-kun, who’d understand more than anyone else.

[ ☆ ]

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The original proverb here is “even two strangers faintly hitting their sleeves on the street comes from a connection made in a past life”. It essentially speaks to how every even the smallest of meetings have a deeper meaning to it.

[oathofpromises]

[ coping ] - Data to Hiroto 👉👈

Reaching up, Hiroto rubbed his forehead. Everything seemed so far away, but despite the splitting migraine, his entire focus remained solely on Data. The brunet had requested that the older Caelum accompany him into a dungeon the night before; the viper was initially perplexed as to why Data needed him there, given that he was a warrior of light. However, the determined expression behind those teal eyes said it all.

It was something he wanted to do for himself. According to Stella, Data had a tendency to be overly critical of himself. Even to the point where he had trouble breathing in certain situations. Some may attribute it to the brunette's fear, but that was not the case. The healer in a party had a lot of responsibility, and it's understandable that he'd be stressed out by the weight of trying to keep everyone else alive and well. White mage, the same class that Stella and Hiroto's mother, Kuri, had learned. It hadn’t been easy for her at first either.

Hiroto had immediately recognized that Data's breathing was a little more labored than normal. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that the brunet had been unable to sleep the night before their expedition into the dungeon. Probably his mind filling with the what if scenarios. Which was understandable considering it was a new area they had yet to venture into. Hiroto sheathed his swords before approaching the white mage, his hand shaking slightly around the staff. The man with the white hair reached out and cupped Data's face in his hands gently. He could tell the brunet was struggling to breathe, not just from anxiety. It was also a panic attack, which was causing Data to lose focus on everything around him.

"Data. Look at me. Concentrate on my voice. Anything to tether you back," Hiroto said, feeling the brunet's body shake. Data's hand reached up and clamped down on his own throat, as if he were about to pass out from the stress of the situation.

He ruminated on Stella's words, a fleeting recollection that danced around the edges of his mind. What exactly did she tell him? Those words of wisdom now seemed so elusive. It was the idea that the violent storm of a panic attack could be calmed down by just holding one's breath. Hiroto sighed, his mind wrestling with the possibility that she was joking about such matters. There was no way that something as simple as holding one's breath was going to be able to put an end to the overpowering sensations that a person was currently experiencing.

Hiroto gently cupped Data face. A part of him knew he'd probably get slapped for this, but it might help Data's breathing. Leaning in, the white-haired Miqo'to pressed his lips against the others'. It was warm and soft, something the viper hadn't felt in a long time. Closing his eyes, the Miqo'te half expected the brunet to push him away, but it never came. Instead, it appeared as though Data had kissed him in return, but Hiroto was more concerned with the fact that the other person's breathing had momentarily ceased, making it appear as though Data had been holding his breath at first. Hiroto cleared his throat as he leaned back. The last thing he wanted was to give off the impression that he was weak. It was a flaw he couldn't afford.

“Before you say anything, my sister, she said holding one’s breath can stop a panic attack. I wasn’t sure how to get you to do that, aside from kissing you. If you’d like to slap me, you can. I deserve it, but it looks like it worked. Do you feel a little bit better?"

Hiroto could already see Stella smirking mischievously. She'd probably tease him about how her little piece of advice had just come in handy. Which was fine and everything, but the older Caelum's pride would suffer a significant setback as a result of the process. The very last thing he required was for his younger sister to make a joke about how she was in the right. That was all he had ever felt for years—how she was always the one their parents loved more, or so he told himself. What else could he say to convince himself that it wasn't true? Their parents loved them both equally, but for reasons unknown to him at the time, they were forced to separate their children.

As it shook his head, the viper inspected Data for a moment. The other person's breathing didn't seem to be as labored, and he appeared to have a lot more composure than the first. This was not even something that he would do in his regular routine. Hiroto was taught that being honest would result in people stabbing him in the back. For years, the older Caelum had barely survived on what was necessary. Perhaps it was his history, the way that people would take advantage of his generosity and openness in the past whenever they could. The times he had spent as a child crying himself to sleep, feeling completely alone, the weight of ensuring people's survival was enough to cause even the strongest person to slowly break.

Maybe just this once..I can be honest.

"Data, look at me." Hiroto said softly as he reached out and propped the brunet's chin. Teal eyes met red as the taller Miqo'te leaned forward and pressed his forehand against the others.

"You did your best today, and everyone came out okay. You won't be able to save everyone. I know you're concerned that you'll let someone down, but I assure you that you're doing enough. At one time, I was in your shoes. I was afraid that anyone who did care about me would be hurt or even worse off as a result of me not being "enough,"so I numbed my emotions and shut down my heart. Don't be like me."

Hiroto didn't want to see Data succumb to fear. The way anxiety and thoughts could gradually take over everything a person felt, It was difficult to process everything, and there were times when it could leave a person feeling completely and utterly depleted of all they had. Data carried so much on his shoulders that the Viper hoped the brunet would lean on him more, but maybe that was merely him seeing only what he wanted to see.

Who would put their trust in you, Hiroto? In the end, what happens if Data abandons you? The only other person who was ever nice to you, besides your sister, will no longer be there for you. Maybe it was for the best. Anything beautiful eventually faded away, which was the last thing Hiroto wanted for Data. The viper knew he shouldn't be thinking about such things at this moment, so he bit his lower lip nervously. Data needed him, and that was more important than the conflicting emotions racing through his own mind.

Gently pulling Data towards his chest, the white-haired man allowed the brunet to listen to his heart. Who knows? Maybe the white mage would find solace in the sound, or at least take heart in knowing that Hiroto's survival was due in no small part to his assistance. There were a number of times that the Viper had almost met his end. The curse of being stubborn and slightly reckless yet another trait he received from his father. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of the white mages head.