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hearts401 · 3 months

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MY THOUGHTS ON HELLUVA BOSS AS A WHOLE

I have sooo many things to say so I’m putting it here! Unfortunately, I’m not put together enough to compile this neatly. But meh. If there’s a character that’s not here, it means either I have nothing notable to say about them, or anything I had to say has already been said in another character’s portion.

Also I’m not discussing design the only design I REALLY hate is Bee’s because it's cluttered and boring okay? Okay.

I have beef with other designs but not enough to mention

I'm mostly talking about specific characters and relationships, and other things will be talked about in those! :3

Blitzo:

Starting with Blitzo because he’s clearly Viv’s favorite.

Blitzo is actually really well written in my opinion. He’s the flawed character type Viv should apply to ALL her characters. He’s not babied by the narrative half as much as any other character, and his issues are addressed multiple times and left to fester rather than being fixed immediately.

HOWEVER

I think the whole fire being a complete accident dumbed him down a lot. For all the buildup of him being selfish, it ended up thrown out the window because he genuinely had no malicious intent. Why is Barb so aggressive with him if it wasn’t his fault? Why did Fizz attribute it to being his fault with no actual basis. For all he knew, Blitzo could’ve been dead!

His relationships with his friends, however, are much more interesting. He’s nosy and rude and frustrating to be around, but despite that they stick around. They care about him, but they also understand that he has many issues he refuses to address.

I have more thoughts but they focus on specific characters so I’ll save them for later. I like this guy a lot and I have too much to say about him.

Moxxie:

Moxxie is a great character! I think his backstory lined up nicely with how he actually acts (especially the “sir” bit. I thought that was clever, that he refers to men older than him, even his friends and people he dislikes, as “sir”)

I also understand his insecurities come from his father’s abuse and neglect.

HOWEVERRRR

I think his insecurities are too repetitive. He has THREE episodes where his insecurities need to be acknowledged and every time he goes back to the same shit. Unhappy campers was the first time Millie actually snapped at him over it and the first time it was addressed as hurting his friends (specifically his wife) just as much as it hurts him. He’s constantly needing to be picked up and reassured. Blitzo and him had a talk about his insecurities and yet. Unhappy Campers. And Harvest Moon festival hardly acknowledged his insecurities, however it did show some development at the end where he stood up to people he’d been scared to disappoint. But even then, he falls right back into it. Not only that, but he ended up getting hurt in the games because he insisted on proving himself to Millie. Millie’s never given him a reason to doubt she loves him. She’s so dedicated to him and yet they keep having this conversation.

I also don’t like how often his skills are underestimated by the narrative itself in favor of making Millie “tough” (and I’ll explain why I hate that in better detail when I get to her) and we only really get to see his skills a few times. On top of this, it undermines his role as the weapon guy. I like that he typically has a disadvantage in close combat, but even that’s not consistent! (He kills all those guys at the gas station without any real weapons) It’d be fine if him working on his close-range was actually addressed (instead of his insecurities being done for the 50th time) but it wasn’t, so it’s just. whatever.

I do like that he’s the most sympathetic out of all of them. It’s shown in the pilot first, where he’s visibly upset about hurting an innocent child (ofc he kills him later, but that's when he knows the kid clearly did something. Also he was rude to him.) Murder Family then shows it again, where he feels sympathy until given a reason not to (and even then, he still felt bad about it in the end) and it’s even shown when he was a child, sad to hurt someone he’d never even seen clearly before.

Also the fat shaming jokes aren’t funny especially when we’re supposed to treat it seriously when it happens to Fizz. Like, okay. Ur not funny.

His relationship with Blitzo is very fun as well, and I think it's funny that him being somewhat secretive about his personal life is a constant thing (He didn’t tell Millie about his family, and he doesn’t like Blitzo prying.)

Millie:

Buckle up it’s a woman so I have LOTS to say.

Viv has become kiiiinda infamous for how she treats her female characters, and unfortunately Millie is one of the worst examples.

She has very little depth. Everything I have thought out about her is inferred. I like that she doesn’t have a tragic backstory, but I think it’s weird that she seems to have several conflicts with her family that aren’t addressed.

So, I’m starting with the Inferences I’ve made.

She probably didn’t get a lot of spotlight because she has several siblings (Inferred from Unhappy campers, where she says she likes being in the spotlight for once)

Her parents, while they do love her, are very judgemental and strict based on the ending of Harvest Moon Festival, where her mother scolds her for getting hurt and Moxxie snaps at her.

And She’s competitive, based on her being banned from the games.

All of these things could’ve been easily put in if they’d focused on her instead of Moxxie’s jealousy in Harvest Moon. (Which ended up being unnecessary? It just showed us how whiny he can be tbh… And set up a rivalry against Striker that is brought up once after)

Her whole personality revolves around Moxxie. The Episode about her family revolved around Moxxie. The episode about Moxxie’s family revolved around Moxxie. Every episode about her revolves around her relationship with Moxxie. The one time she goes on a mission separate from him, it’s because he’s tied up and the episode hardly focuses on her even then, because it’s all about Blitzo and Moxxie.

This ends up affecting Moxxie’s character as well. He gets his character undermined by her being the “tough wife” because that’s her only notable trait. And it ends up affecting both of them and making it annoying to watch.

Also she has. Like. Zero genuine interactions with Blitzo. Which is a more personal nitpick but it’s still annoying. I think the only one is the one in Truth Seekers.

Also, it’s very easy to forget that Millie dated Chaz too, because we never find out why she dated him at all, or why she broke up with him. He clearly made her incredibly angry to hold a grudge for this long, but it’s all thrown out because then she suddenly only hates him because he betrayed Moxxie.

When she… Already hated him???? It’s lazy writing and pathetic.

I do like Unhappy Campers, though, and I hope the development in that episode sticks.

Loona:

GOD IM GONNA SOUND LIKE A BLITZO ASS KISSER BUT SHE PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH.

First things first, I don’t like that HER backstory was treated like a traumatic memory for BLITZO. That was dumb. Fuck off. And then it was turned into Stolitz fuel which. God.

Loona is another basic tough girl but she’s also a MEAN GIRL!!! YAAAAY…

She’s horrible. For someone who seems to “secretly care” about Blitzo, she sure does make his life kind of suck.

I could see not liking him. He DID walk into her life and place himself as her father. He’s overbearing and babies her, I GET THAT!

But she’s ridiculous. She has a whole conversation with Via about how she should forgive her dad because he does care about her and then goes and is a bitch to Blitzo again. For no reason. And then she does that stupid fucking side smile like “awww she loves that he was worried about her” i dont care actually. Its not funny and it’s dumb as hell.

Also Blitzo’s self-loathing is an issue Loona knows about better than anyone. She goes home with him and sees him cross himself out of photos. She knows he sleeps on the couch instead of taking the only room. She knows he loves her, and hates himself, and yet she doesn’t make any effort to be kind to him. The most she does is take him home when he’s drunk. But only after getting defensive when Bee asked her to maybe help him out. She made that situation about HER. Like Bee was attacking HER. WHEN ALL SHE WANTED WAS TO HELP BLITZO???

We know very little about Loona and it’s hard to sympathize with her when all we see is her being horrible to Blitzo who is flawed but trying his best.

Her aggression could be great if it was handled well, (like at the party! I liked how she was with people, it showed off who she is) but with Blitzo it feels like she has soft moments just to have them, while having very little proof she actually cares about him.

It makes her just an add-on to Blitzo and a joke. She has potential.

I’m hoping the show will clean her up a bit later on. I don’t think I’ll ever really like her, but she has potential and I DID enjoy the Queen Bee episode.

Stolas (and his family, in a way. But Stella will get her own part when I critique a few of the villains):

Technically not a main character but eh I have things to say about him.

His writing is very lazy and very. All over the place.

It’s clear they don’t want him to be hated, but in preventing that, they remove any nuance in his relationships

Stella is just an evil bitch with 0 depth to her at all and Stolas is the poor sad husband who was forced to marry her. So cheating is okay.

I actually do think he’s at least a little justified in cheating on Stella in the context the show gave us. I just think that context is lazy and he shouldn’t be justified because it removes depth from both him and his relationships.

Also, he hardly ever starts fights with Stella and it’s always Stella throwing shit around but Via acts like HE’S the shitty one? The line “Why does he hate her more than he loves me” could’ve been GREAT if we say ANY EXAMPLES OF THAT. He doesn’t scream at Stella like Octavia said he does. And she also says him cheating ruined their family but??? It’s implied Stella’s been abusive this whole time!?!??! LIKE WHAT R U ON ABOUT???

His relationship with Blitzo is nice actually. I enjoy the one-sided love and whatnot. However (and this is an issue more so with the fandom? But I feel the need to put it here)

We don’t talk enough about how Stolas abuses his power to be with Blitzo. Using the book as a way to get Blitzo to sleep with him WAS SHITTY but people don’t acknowledge that. Instead, it’s like Blitzo’s the bad guy for… Not being ready to reciprocate Stolas’s feelings????

I just. I think Stolitz is waaay too complicated for how the fandom treats it and if they just. Get together next episode I’ll be pissed.

Stella:

Not a whole lot to say. She just has very little depth. And it’s not just that (bc, all in all, characters like Crimson and Mammon also have very little depth) she’s just made to be unlikeable???

Like she’s meant to be an annoying whiny bitch… Without anything about her you can really like. Which is bad writing.

(GOD VIV MADE VALENTINO MORE LIKABLE THAN STELLA FFS)

She has zero character outside of Stolas despite being a villain. Compared to Mammon (who so far has only been in one episode and is still more likable) and Crimson (Whos character doesn’t revolve around Moxxie) she’s boring.

Crimson has a lot more going on. He has his wife, he has a whole mafia, ect. He’s got a lot going on that people (me) are excited to explore. He’s very greedy (He’s in the greed ring, after all) and he’s very persistent.

Mammon is made out to be as likable to the characters IN UNIVERSE as possible, while making comments clearly meant to be a dig at very real, greedy people. He’s portrayed as a nice guy who’s not actually nice. But not in a “he’s secretly mean” way but in a “he's very clearly mean he just says it with a good attitude”

Remember that these two have had two and one episodes respectively since being introduced. Stella’s been here since the PILOT and she has zero extra traits aside from spoiled brat and abusive wife. We know nothing about her. How did she grow up? How did she feel about getting married to Stolas? How is she with Via? (Since Via’s NEVER TALKED ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MOTHER)

Also I hate her stupid brother. He literally exists to take any interesting villain traits away from her. I hate him so much.

Now I want to talk about relationships yaaaay

Millie and Moxxie I’ve already talked about thoroughly, and I’ve talked about Stolitz, so I want to discuss Blitzo with Verosika and Barb, as well as Fizz and Ozzie. (I’ve already said all I have to say about Blitzo and Fizz, that being that I think the circus situation being an accident is dumb)

I don’t think there’s much more to talk about aside from those? I dunno.

Blitzo and Verosika:

another example of shitty female writing but it’s not the WRITING exactly, it’s the presentation.

We meet Verosika and she’s IMMEDIATELY made out to be a massive bitch. Despite the fact that Blitzo fucked her over and admitted to it (and had no argument against her that ever proved she sucked in that relationship??) but she’s still presented as being terrible.

I mean, one of the first things she does is assault Moxxie which really wasn’t a necessary scene. I hate it so much. (Add it to the pile of things not taken seriously just because it’s Moxxie bc in Hazbin we’re meant to take that seriously but okay)

She’s made to be as unlikeable as possible despite how often we’re told she’s been wronged by Blitzo.

Blitzo and Barb:

Blitzo and Barb is. Complicated. I think both are in the wrong as much as everyone makes it out to be one or the other. I think it’s because we were presented with it in a weird way.

Again, this would have more impact if the fire wasn’t 100% an accident, but oh well.

I think Barb is justified in not wanting to see her brother. He is a part of her trauma, and she doesn’t want to be reminded of it. Him hunting her down was pretty shitty imo but it doesn’t make him a horrible person. Just ignorant and insensitive. But all we see is Barb yelling at him over something we later learned WASN’T HIS FAULT. It makes it hard to discuss because did she know it was an accident? Where’s their dad? How’s she been? Things that will probably be answered later, but I felt like talking about it anyways.

Fizz and Ozzie:

I have a few complaints about these two that I wanna talk about but they are, aside from Chaggie, my favorite canon hellaverse ship. Also I have a few things to say about the fandom that irritate me.

I like the pipeline of “love is stupid and you should be after lust” to “wow maybe I’m in love” but we didn’t really get to see that? I mean it felt like they were already in love in Ozzie’s so it has less impact. Also we don’t hear a whole lot actually ABOUT the idea of Asmodeous being in love from the POV of others. We see ONE newspaper headline and Blitzo calls them hypocrites and then we’ve got Mammon saying that revealing his secret was a mistake but we have nothing to make us feel like that’s true.

Also, I don’t think Fizz is infantalized the way people say he is. Like. He’s just smaller than Ozzie. And the whole like “C’mon big daddy, pwease” thing was ironic guys cmon. They were meant to look like a lovey-dovey couple because they can’t be lovey-dovey in public, that’s the point. It was to show us how little their relationship actually revolved around lust.

Also I’m a sucker for the big and tiny ship dynamic it’s funny to me <3

I do think it’s stupid that Ozzie builds the dolls despite knowing how uncomfortable Fizz is with them, although I suppose it could’ve been Fizz who insisted it was fine. But still, they don’t expand on that at all. If you don’t like it, why’d you do it? It’s not like Ozzie needs to do what Mammon tells him. He’s a sin, just like him!

And a lot of ppl keep misinterpreting the scene where Ozzie tells Fizz he doesn’t have to leave. I saw some people saying “oh fizz looks upset! Hes upset Ozzie said that!” he was upset because he felt bad for worrying him. He looks sad before apologizing. That’s the point. And we know from the special that what Ozzie said didn’t even hold up! “Oh he asked Blitzo to guard him!” that’s not why he called Blitzo we literally KNOW that was an excuse. Blitzo just happens to also be good at guarding him.

I DO think Ozzie can be overbearing, but tbh if you write a relationship (especially between a deadly sin and his famous imp bf) there’s gonna be issues. It’s not gonna be perfect. You can tell they disagree on things (“I know you’re not big on the whole Mammon thing”) and that’s how relationships are.

I also think the Fizz stuff got shoved on us way too fast. I mean, before all we knew about him was that he had possibly known Blitzo and that he was famous. And he was in a relationship(?) of sorts with Ozzie.

And then suddenly we get his backstory and then we get his whole thing with Mammon within two episodes. I just wish there’d been more buildup? Hell, we know more about these two than we do about LOONA. Which is so annoying.

AAAANYWAYS There’s probably more I could talk about, but this is what I really cared about so. Eh. Thanks for reading!!!!!!!

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misrepresentedmorallygrey · 2 months

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PROPAGANDA

Vriska Serket

vriska

"Vriscourse"

this is her tournament

She fits all four categories. Also it's Vriska

people have been arguing about whether shes pure evil or an innocent baby for like 14 years straight. nobody can fathom that shes NEITHER. like yes she is a product of her environment and the reason she killed all those people was because her spider mother was forcing her to and also due to her position in society she was encouraged to act that way and was literally a 13 yr old child just doing what was expected of her by the world around her so it isnt her fault for being in the role she was raised to be in when she didnt know there was any other option. that being said shes also just kind of a dick and put stairs in a paralysed guys house even though she knew that was a cruel thing to do cus she thought it was funny. like shes a child thats a product of her environment and she did a lot of awful things but a lot of it can be explained by the fact that she had a neglectful literal giant spider as a mother and that she was also being manipulated by an omniscient cue ball god to hurt her friends. but that doesnt EXCUSE how she acted and many of the things she did were just cruel and unnecessary like how she treated tavros. so in conclusion she is NOT an evil irredeemable bitch because she’s literally a preteen when she does all of the bad stuff + when she was messaging john she finally was away from alternian society and could finally reflect on how killing made her feel and how she realised she didnt enjoy doing it even though it was what was expected of her. HOWEVER she also isnt a sweet angel because it doesnt EXCUSE her actions it just explains them, she still did cruel shit and hurt people and acted selfishly etc… putting vriska in a box is a huge disservice to her as a character because shes like one of the most important characters in the story because of the way she’s constantly trying to steal the spotlight and insert herself into the story etc but instead of people doing any kind of interesting analysis on one of the most complex characters in the story they instead argue for a decade and a half about whether or not she did anything wrong… which goes against the whole point of her role in the story

c'mon. it's vriska.

Gon Freecss

It's ALWAYS the beef between people saying he's actually a monster and the ones saying "he's just a kid and he never did anything wrong in his entire life". The first ones won't accept the fact that Gon is kind with his loved ones. That he's hurt and did bad things when he was hurt. That he cares for his friends. That he is naive and really acts as a child. That the monster he is inside isn't ALL that he is – only a part of what he is. That a big part of how he acts was caused by the fact all of the adults in his life never saw the red flags and pushed him to keep acting like that because "haha quirky kid". The second ones won't accept the fact that Gon is selfish – it's literally said multiple times in the canon that he is but you know, selfish is an "actually bad flaw that only bad people have so he can't be". They won't accept the fact that his naivety is the thing that makes him morally grey because he can't tell the difference between good or bad. That he doesn't really care for anyone except him and his friends / family. That he was literally called a monster, canonically. That he would destroy the world and then himself with no hesitation because he's hurt. That him being young is, yes, a point, but that doesn't mean he's "just a little angel uwu". That's simply NOT how his character is written. The worst problem I think, is that none of these people seems to acknowledge the fact Gon is supposed to represent the yin part of yin and yang (while his best friend, Killua, represents the yang). Gon is supposed to be "in light there is darkness". How the light can actually be monstruous, maybe more than darkness, but it is still light. While Killua is supposed to be "in darkness there is light" and how darkness can be pure, maybe more than light, but it's still darkness – they seem to get the yang part more for some reasons ? The yin and yang analogy is my favorite trope ever and it's so sad to see this fandom watering it down because they won't accept the fact Gon is morally grey.

#misrepresented morally grey #round 2 #bracket c #both bracket #homestuck #vriska serket #hunter x hunter #gon freecss

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malfunctioningemi · 1 year

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Sk8 the Infinity & how Reki Kyan is written to be human

SO 👏 if you kept reading past the opening line welcome back to some more thoughts I have had about Sk8. In the show, I think Reki is the most humanly written character in the show. This is due to his personality, but more-so his actions and internal dialogue.

We open the show with narration from Reki explaining skating and what he loves about it, before seeing him lose the beef with Shadow, and be forced to watch as his board burns. We see straight away that, for all his passions, Reki is punished and given consequences for being too over-indulgent and confident in winning. He loves skating, but it can hurt sometimes.

One of my favourite scenes with Reki, is him in school before Langa. It’s short, but he is sat doodling away new skateboarding designs and parts. The second someone shows interest and asks what he is doing, he eagerly asks if they want to talk about it, to which he is immediately rejected for his eagerness. His passions being met with disinterest.

Then we have Reki meeting Langa. He doesn’t pay him much attention in class, but when meeting him outside of Cherry’s studio, we get to see Reki’s goofy side come out more. Asking him if he was interested in skating, if he’d want to learn. Then getting shot down once again for his eagerness, only to end up with Langa as a co-worker instead thanks to Oka. As Reki teaches Langa to skate, we het to see Reki shine in his knowledge. he never gives up, even if something seems impossible. He slowly encourages and pushes Langa until he can finally nail that first trick, having fun the whole time and making their friendship all the brighter. It is honest and genuine, even if a little battered and bruised sometimes.

Skipping forward a bit, we see how Reki reacts to other skaters like Miya. Up until this point, we know that Reki is an average skater compared to most, and Miya being the child prodigy, shows Reki up and makes him land face in dirt more than once. There is jealousy of his skill, but also a playful rivalry. Miya is just a kid, similar in age to Rekis younger sister, so he can’t hold a grudge against him for too long. He quickly jumps in to defend Miyas honor, showing that despite everything, he is his friend above any rivalry or squabbles.

SO. When Reki races against Adam, we see a side of Reki we don’t see much. He is dejected. He tries to joke and laugh, but anyone can see that he is bitter about losing. The people he is surrounded by are spectacular, and he is just regular. He wants to get better, but for now he needs to recover.

I love the beach episode SO MUCH and for one reason I don’t see people mention often is the scene between Joe and Reki. Reki confides in Joe, and Joe does what he can to comfort him. It’s a rare heart-to-heart we don’t get much of in the show, but when we do it tends to be between the two. They are very similar in my eyes, Joe seeing himself in Reki, and wanting him to not make the same mistakes he did. Reki admits that he doesn't want to fall behind, and while he has the drive, it doesn’t mean he has the skill to.

As the episodes pass and Langa QUICKLY improves, he gets left behind like he expected. He hates it, he doesn’t want to just be ‘the one that hangs around the GOOD skaters’ he wants people to know his name and acknowledge his skills.

The turning point for Reki’s character is when Langa goes against his promise. Reki is a man of his word, and expects everyone else to keep the same ideals. Once a promise is made, you shouldn’t break it. Knowing Reki was the one to teach Langa everything, seeing him exceed his own skills, and then not keep his promise made Reki break. To him, that was him being left behind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reach the same stars that Langa could. As much as this era of the show hurts, Reki is written so realistically. He knows that he shOULDN’T be so upset about this, seeing and supporting his friends improvement used to bring him joy, but now he was left behind without so much as a thank you, he can’t help but close off and run away. How I see it, Reki has the ideals of Someone who wants others to put the same energy into their friendship as he does, and when that doesn't happen, he gets crushed.

Reki at his lowest is when he gets beaten up by his old skating friends, and Oka finds Reki wallowing in self pity. He feels as though he deserved to be beaten up for feeling this way, that his feelings are selfish and he should just be happy. Oka’s advice that sometimes people are just cut out to watch and cheer them on gives Reki the energy to go and watch a race, but even with cheering Langa on, he doesn’t WANT to watch. He wants to be there, skating alongside his friends and having FUN! What fun is there in just sitting there?

The small scene between Reki and Tadashi has always been interesting regarding Reki’s character. In the depths of his moping, it takes someone who (as he sees it) completely missing the point of skating to knock him out of it. He loves skating, he loves skating with langa, it’s all meant to be FUN! saying it aloud to someone else seemed to be the wakeup call he needed, even if tears were shed.

Once Reki and Langa finally makeup, with Reki having had more time to think things over, we can finally see Reki be given the acknowledgement from Langa that he IS amazing. And of course, Reki blushes. As much as he wants to be recognized for what he can do, being bombarded by compliments makes him nervous and a little embarrassed, and as I read it, feel like all his moping was useless if Langa thought that about him the entire time. It’s sweet and a genuine moment between the two.

NOW. this post is already really long but I absolutely adore how the skating between him and Adam is done the second time. Reki knows what to expect this time, and just has to endure it until the time comes for him to shine. He might not be the best skater, but he knows everything about the boards themselves, and gets to show off his knowledge once the rain comes. Seeing him win and get that big hug from everyone once it’s over feels like a reunion that I didn’t know I needed. For once everyone is on Reki’s side and supporting him vocally and physically.

As we reach the end of the show, we get to see Reki watch Langa skate almost to his death before their reunion and Langas victory. I think Langas leap of a hug into Reki is the culmination of 12 episodes of friendship- ups and downs all culminating in a fun and loving embrace. A thank you for showing Langa how fun living in Okinawa could turn out to be.

Their duo skate at the end is, as I see it, the start of something new, and the end of Reki’s arc. He has learnt so much, and ended up with a best friend and a newfound love for skating alongside people who truly cherish him. Reki is NOT a perfect person. He gets jealous, and pouts when he gets teased, and makes awful jokes and does some goofy things that sometimes puts him in weird positions, but he is a character who just wants to have FUN as hard as that can seem sometimes.

#tldr i kin him so hard #sorry this was so long BUT THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION #reki kyan my beloved #reki kyan #sk8 reki #sk8 #sk8 the infinity #renga #sk8 drabbles and thoughts

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geekgirles · 1 year

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So we're going the Feligami route, huh?

Disclaimer: I am well aware of the contents of the leaks. However, I will not discuss them in my posts out of respect for my fellow Miraculers that wish not to be spoiled. So, please, if you read this and are aware of the spoilers as well, refrain from discussing them. At the very least don’t do it on the notes. Please and thank you.

Before I say anything else, I want to first make it clear that this is in no way meant as an attack towards Feligami shippers. Just because I don't share your enthusiasm for the ship doesn't mean I'm going to declare war on its supporters. I just...I just need to get this out of my chest. Because I have so many feelings, and thoughts, and opinions regarding these two as a couple and its execution...and not necessarily of the good kind.

You might be thinking my main beef with Kagami and Félix dating may come from the fact that, morals aside, these two are too similar.

Both are intelligent, capable, well-educated kids from rich families who at first glance have a more dignified and serious vibe going on as opposed to Adrien's more laid-back rich kid energy. A perfectly crafted image of elegance and aloofness that underlies strong emotions, a mischievous side, and a warm heart (which in Félix's case sort of contradicts his gremlin child personality from previous seasons, but that's a topic for another day).

However, while that does play a part in my disinterest in the ship, it is actually the least of my concerns.

So please let me explain why I just can't help but roll my eyes at this development:

1. It's rushed and feels forced:

Leaving aside the obvious reality that it is that Félix has only been featured in 7 episodes in the entirety of the show (with his Multiplication appearance being important but minor), there is also the fact that these two have interacted thrice in all that time.

With their first interaction back in Gabriel Agreste being reduced to giving a side-glance to each other. And not even a friendly one.

Truly, they are soulmates...

Now, the irony doesn’t escape me regarding the fact that some of the Love Square issues come precisely from the fact that it’s taken them too long for Adrienette to be canon. One of my personal issues with Feligami happens to be that their relationship came a tad too soon.

Can you please explain to me how do we go from “I begrudgingly acknowledge your existence” to “I can’t stop thinking about you”? I’m sorry, but that is too much of a shoujo manga cliché even for Miraculous.

Mainly because that was basically the kind of dynamic Marinette would have had with Félix had he remained Chat Noir and Astruc, being cognizant of this fact, chose to scrap him because of that.

Because at least Marinette crushing on Adrien after thinking he was a jerk comes from the fact that he went out of his way to apologise to her, make amends, and show he is truly kind at heart. Feligami just comes out of nowhere.

Moreover, their current relationship status also feels forced due to their previous interactions. I’m sorry, but let’s face it, nobody in their right mind would think falling for or even trusting Félix/Argos is a good idea.

If my memory doesn’t fail me, in Multiplication Ladybug and Chat Noir declared Félix as a public enemy due to willingly betraying them and allying himself with Shadow Moth, which directly resulted in him getting the miraculouses and becoming Monarch. (I could be mistaken on this one, though)

And as former miraculous holder, someone who is aware of the fact that the power is granted by sentient beings whose fates are unknown to them, there is just no way Kagami would come to even consider trusting Argos.

And don’t try to bring her friendship with Lila up because at least there she has the excuse of not being aware of the full extent of Lila’s maliciousness and manipulations. In Félix’s case, she is 100% aware of what he’s capable of.

Hell, he literally snapped her loved ones out of existence! And regardless of how terrible Tomoe is, she is still Kagami’s mother and she loves her. Just how she adores Marinette who, to her knowledge, Félix almost killed for real.

And you expect me to believe she would just move past that? Please, don’t insult me like that.

As much as I love my girl Kagami, there really isn’t enough content between these two to justify either of them falling for the other.

Which sort of leads us to my next point...

2. The implications behind the ship:

There are a lot of unfortunate implications between their interactions. The kind that makes this pairing becoming canon very questionable because it just wouldn’t bode well in any long-term relationship, let alone a real one. And this actually comes from both sides.

But let’s start with Félix, okay?

Ah, yes. The ring close-up.

What was originally meant as a “mere” confirmation of the fact that Kagami is most likely a sentimonster as well (a shock in itself if you didn’t buy the Sentimonster Theory), has the unfortunate side effect of implying the main, or even sole, reason Félix ever developed a crush on her is because the two are sentimonsters...and that’s it.

Which is a terrible thing to base an entirely relationship on, because it would mean that Félix isn’t in love with Kagami as her own person. Because, quite frankly, he barely knows her to really come to appreciate her as such. But rather, his interest is born from the fact that the two are one and the same.

It just reads as Félix being desperate for companionship, instead of actively looking for Kagami’s companionship.

And speaking of things that just don’t bode well...Kagami’s side in all of this isn’t much better.

Ever since she was first introduced as Adrien’s potential alternative love interest, or more accurately, ever since Frozer, Kagami has made it a point to let Adrien know she wishes he were more proactive and assertive, which sort of culminated with that harsh phone call from Risk.

And would you look at that!

Aside from his more manipulative side, being more proactive and assertive than Adrien sort of is Félix’s deal! Looks like Kagami finally found her match after all...

Sigh...

All that would be fine and dandy if it weren’t for the fact that all of season 5 so far, and especially Protection, have shown Adrien finally taking measures to try and be more in control of his life. Which good for him! We all know he needed the character development. Unfortunately this also comes with the canon fact that his new personality also reignited the flame of Kagami’s love for him. Which, again, was the main conflict in Protection:

Kagami trying to keep her own growing feelings and jealousy in check now that Adrien and Marinette are an item.

And where does this leave Feligami at?

Well, coupled with the fact that for some weird reason the Fathoms and Agrestes couldn’t be bothered to give their children individual looks, that is to say, that Félix is a carbon copy of Adrien and that Kagami was once again in love with him (Adrien) because he was finally turning into the kind of person she always dreamed he would be...let’s just say it all feels as if Kagami is projecting her feelings for Adrien onto Félix, rather than learning to love him for who he is.

And that is just not fair for either character. Because it feels as if neither Félix or Kagami are being loved for who they truly are, but for what the other wants them to be. Which is the wrong approach to any relationship.

4. Kagami deserves a girlfriend

5. Even though my previous point is (half) meant as a joke, given what’s happened in Pretension it still holds a certain weight. Mainly because what ultimately seems to endear Félix to Kagami is the fact that some of his mannerisms remind her of Marinette.

I'm not making this up. Félix suddenly acting like a mess around Kagami could not be any more of an obvious parallel to Marinette's own bouts of nervousness around Adrien throughout the show.

Let’s that sink in for a minute, okay?

You’re telling me, Kagami for the most part is justifiably and understandibly hostile towards Félix, but the moment he starts acting like Marinette her whole demeanour softens? You say that she cares for Marinette so much that anything that resembles her becomes an immediate soft spot for Kagami?? And I’m supposed to believe she’s falling for Félix instead of getting deadass gayer for Marinette each passing episode????

Now, if that’s not a comphet narrative when I see it...

Which, combined with my previous point about Kagami projecting her feelings for Adrien onto Félix, only gives further credibility to the popular “fanon” idea that Kagami is bi. Now, if you could just let her meet some nice girl from her fencing class and let her explore that side of herself in peace instead of forcing her into a nonsensical relationship, that’d be great.

6. It just reinforces the show’s blatant amatonormativity

Believe it or not, this is actually my main beef with the pairing. This is what makes me grit my teeth and roll my eyes in annoyance.

I get it, I get it.

“Miraculous takes a lot of inspiration from rom-coms”, “it’s a show based on magical girls; of course romance is important!”, “the Love Square is one of its main pillars, what did you expect?”

I know.

However, and I cannot stress this enough, you do not need to be in a romantic relationship to be happy and fulfilled. Not only because of the existence of these wonderful groups of people called aromantics and aroace people, but even the most straight, cisgendered, hopeless romantic can be perfectly content single.

Also, being in a relationship is just not something Kagami and Félix’s characters need. But the writers insist that being romantically involved with someone is the only viable happy ending for anyone.

In Kagami’s case, in my humble opinion, taking control of her life from her controlling and strict mother while working on building stronger platonic relationships with her friends would be a very satisfying way to conclude her character arc. Because as touching as it was to see everyone assuring Kagami that they love her in Perfection, aside from Marinette and Adrien the only person her age she’s been interacting with is Lila.

Not exactly the image of honesty and genuine support one would expect in a friendship, huh?

Maybe it’s just me, but seeing the once lonely and socially awkwad Kagami aurrounded by people she’s actually friends with rather than kids that hang out with her by association (that is to say, they are either Mari or Adrien’s friends too and that day they just happen to be all together) would feel like we’ve come full circle.

From the aloof and lonely girl that is only focused on being the best and making her family proud we met in Riposte...

...to the warm and happy girl who greatly values her social circle she’s slowly been turning into.

And as for Félix...

Well, truth be told, the show hasn’t really given us much to work with. But maybe a happy ending for him would be if aside from finally being free like he wants to be, he rekindles his relationship with Adrien. If the two really were close in the past, then it would be a pity to lose that.

But no.

Instead, the show just has to reinforce the idea that the only way you can possibly be happy is by being in a romantic relationship. Never mind if they have neglected that subplot for so long it just comes completely out of the blue and feels unearned.

I love Miraculous, I love the Love Square, and I am a shipper first and a person second, but this is ridiculous and a huge disservice to all parties involved.

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sailtomarina · 5 months

Text

A Winter Ball for Two

Draco x Hermione | @hp-yuletide-bliss Day 9: Winter ball | WC 2050 | Rating: T

She was enchanting.

Draco could at least admit that.

He might find his tongue tied up in knots, or find sudden, intense interest in the cracks of the castle walls wherever she drew near, but he could not deny that Hermione Granger looked like a winter fairy dressed and glowing as she was in the flickering light of the hundreds of candles floating above their heads.

The Great Hall was decked from corner to corner with its usual Christmas icing, but additional care had been taken to make the event feel extra special in light of the school’s inaugural Winter Ball, to be held annually after their Eighth and final year. The students had truly pulled out all of the stops with their eagerness to bring joy back to the haunted halls of their youth.

Granger spearheaded those efforts as Head Girl, delegating tasks to Professors, Prefects, and volunteers alike. Draco might have been spared if not for his best mate being her counterpart as Head Boy. Theo refused to let Draco hide himself away in his dorm room, or, on the rare occasion, the library. He’d found himself dragged to the Heads’ private rooms and pressured into providing any valuable input the sole child of Narcissa Malfoy could give. He’d grown up in the lap of luxury, after all. Organizing and attending balls were as natural to Draco as riding a broomstick.

He’d expected to be left alone with Theo in the common room, for Granger to avoid him like the plague that he was. He’d seen how others couldn’t help but stare at his arm, as if willing his mark to burn through the sleeve.

She hadn’t done that.

Granger sat in with them most nights, curling up in an armchair, her armchair as Draco started to see it, cushioned by squishy pillows and swimming in a blanket large enough for a Quidditch team. She started plying them with treats and hot beverages, even going so far as to remember their likes and dislikes and supplying accordingly.

Knowing what she did of his family and home, and bearing the weights of their past, Granger was surprisingly curious about his experiences. She asked him about his family traditions, his most memorable gifts. His experiences growing up in the Malfoy household were much gentler than Theo’s, whose sole comfort had been his mother, one lost after her untimely death.

They, in turn, learned about her and, by default, Muggle traditions.

“I’m telling you, Granger, Father Christmas has to be a wizard. I mean, how could he not be? Fireplaces? Flying reindeer? Time manipulation?”

Theo had taken the opportunity to steal the witch’s chair when she’d gone for a tea refill, and she’d been forced to join Draco on the sofa to address his theory.

“Doesn’t it strike you as odd how entrenched he is in Muggle tradition? It makes me wonder just what kind of man he was–was he simply a philanthropist who wanted to bring joy to all children, Muggle and Magical, rich and poor, no matter their nationality or beliefs, or did he have some other underlying agenda?”

They’d gone on to argue over whether or not one wore pajamas to open Christmas presents–the only way Draco would ever concede would be if she showed up in crimson lingerie, otherwise clothing appropriate for pictures and visitors it was–as well as their expected courses at the dinner table. They both agreed Yorkshire pudding and redcurrant jelly were requirements, but Draco had put his foot down at her insistence that roast beef could be anywhere near the level of a perfectly prepared turkey.

“Why not both?” Theo mused.

“Shut it, Theo,” Draco snapped, “I don’t want to hear that from a wizard who eats his weight in sausage rolls every Christmas.”

Theo had merely winked, sending Granger into a fit of giggles.

“Oh, yes, Theo does love his sausages,” she managed to get out, before dissolving once more into laughter. Draco refused to acknowledge how cute he found the snorts that peppered her glee.

And now, here he was, lurking behind one of the many towering fir trees lining the Great Hall and attempting to blend into the foliage.

It hadn’t been difficult to avoid notice. Very few students, or even teachers, paid him much attention other than to glare or mutter insults. The sooner he could leave, the better. He wanted to be here as much as others did, which meant not at all.

“Why don’t you ask her to dance?”

Of course, Potter would find him.

Draco turned to face his long-time rival, taking in his relaxed stance, the bulkier form he’d built in his time since those days as Undesirable No. 1. Adulthood looked good on Potter.

“I’m surprised to see you here.” He ignored the question, choosing to redirect instead.

Bright green eyes flashed, and Draco couldn’t help but feel like he’d been easily read. Then, in a curious show of nerves, Potter bit his lip and looked off into the crowd.

“I couldn’t resist.”

Draco traced the line of sight. He saw Granger dancing with Theo, her head thrown back in a laugh, the graceful line of her neck bare and delicate. He searched for the expected fiery red hair of the Weaslette, only to find her far off to the right and decidedly not the target of Potter’s desire. So, who was he looking at?

A horrifying thought tickled the back of his mind.

Was he looking at Granger?

“Why don’t you ask her to dance?” he found himself asking the same question he’d dodged earlier.

Had they found love during their lost year, despite Weasley’s presence? Had Draco stumbled across some sort of love triangle? Granger had never indicated her attachment to anyone, but Draco had assumed the obvious. How could anyone not fall for her in close proximity like they’d been?

“Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?” One thick, black brow rose in consideration as Potter stared straight at him, his arms now crossed over his chest.

“What do you mean?” Draco was confused. Defeat the purpose of what?

He nearly let his younger self sneer out an insult at the way those eyes rolled into Potter’s head.

“How can I spend any time with Theo if I’m dancing with Hermione?”

Wait, what?

Potter and…Theo?

“No offense, but how? And when?” Draco asked, nearly sputtering in disbelief.

“Well, I’d have thought the intricacies of gay sex would lie outside of your particular interests, but if you really want–” He broke off with a laugh at Draco’s choked gasp. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. You make it so easy sometimes, Malfoy.”

“I do not,” he muttered. He hated that Theo and Granger both said the exact same thing.

“I’d heard about how he helped last year here at the castle from Neville, the way he was there for the younger kids no matter their house or blood status. That couldn’t have been easy for someone with his background.”

That knowledge had surprised Draco, as well. He hadn’t been around last year, either, but it didn’t take long for Theo’s actions to make themselves known throughout their mutual circles. Theo’s father had been…less than pleased, but that hadn’t stopped his mate from doing whatever he could to help. Theo was a better man than Draco, by far.

“So when Hermione brought him around, I already had a good impression. After meeting him, though?” Potter’s face softened, his expression wistful as he glanced back towards the dance floor. “How could I not fall for him?”

Not only was he the Chosen One, the damn Savior of the Wizarding World, but he was every bit the sort of person Draco would have wanted for his closest friend. He was brave and, Draco could admit it now, kind.

One song ended, then another began, slower, sweeter. Draco summoned up every bit of courage he could find. There wasn’t much, but it was enough.

“Let’s go, Potter.”

Again with the arched brow. Then, a crooked smile, one Draco couldn’t help but reciprocate.

Within moments, he stood before her, sweat building at the nape of his neck. He resisted the urge to wipe his hands against his robes. She turned at his approach, her partner now also facing away towards Potter.

“Malfoy? Is there something wrong?”

Sweet Salazar.

Her skin was flushed in the heat of her movements, tiny curls spilling out of her updo and framing her face in a way that had him yearning to brush them back, to lean in and breathe in deep. Her chest rose and fell heavily, chestnut irises pierced through with flecks of gold staring up at him in question.

“Would you do me the honor of this dance?”

Curiosity melded into pleasure, her lips spreading wide to show off her perfect smile. He wanted to make her smile like that everyday.

“It would be my pleasure.”

She placed her hand in his, and he smoothly moved it up to his shoulder, stepping in close to sweep her up into his arms. It didn’t matter what song played, or whether or not she knew the steps–as far as he was concerned, there was nobody else but them. Hermione seemed just as caught in the moment as he, her face upturned and rosy lips parted as she traced his features like she meant to memorize the moment for the future. He knew he would.

She floated weightlessly in his embrace, her steps following him without hesitation. A raise of his arm and a spin had him admiring the silver-white twirl of her skirt around her slender legs. It didn’t matter what she wore, however. He still would have thought her just as enchanting were she in her favorite joggers, her mane tied up in a wand as it often was.

“You look beautiful.”

She blushed at the praise, eyes darting away for a split second like she couldn’t believe him.

“So do you.” Her head jerked back and eyes widened comically, and she hastened to correct herself. “I mean, you look handsome. Your robes, they bring out your eyes.”

He found it impressive that she could blush even deeper, and couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “I don’t mind ‘beautiful’, but you’re free to compliment me however you’d like.”

The hand that was resting on his shoulder came up to thwack him lightly on the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“That’s for teasing me,” she said with a scowl, but he could tell she didn’t really mean it.

“As long as you don’t punch me in the nose again.” Could that have been the moment that she really caught his attention? Not her blood status, nor her annoying academic superiority, but her swift right hook?

Her head tilted one way, then the other. “I don’t think I will. I quite like your nose how it is.”

Well, in that case.

He brought his face down closer to her own, and she squeaked at the sudden nearness of him.

Fucking adorable.

“Hermione?”

She stared unblinkingly back at him, as caught by the sound of her name on his lips as she was by his proximity. “Yes?” she whispered, so softly it was only his eyes on her lips that read the word.

“Would you let me take you out this weekend?”

“Out?” she echoed, still barely audible.

“Out. You. Me. A date.”

“A date?”

Had he broken her? She looked lost, like she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming. Maybe he’d read her all wrong, and the perceived closeness of the past weeks was nothing but his imagination. Perhaps his request blindsided her, coming from someone she only saw as a friend of a friend, or, worse, someone she barely tolerated.

The possibilities roared through his head and his movement slowed, no longer hearing the music. He wanted to leave. He should have left earlier, before Potter and his bloody bravery.

“I’m going to–”

“Yes.”

Strings and woodwinds roared back to full volume, laughter from the other dancers surrounding them as he returned to the ball. To Hermione. She looked up at him now, serious, expectant.

“Yes?”

Hope unfurled like the spreading warmth of a crackling fire as her lips turned upward and creases formed at the corners of her eyes.

“Yes.”

Cross-posted to Tumblr and AO3

Well, this certainly went a tad deeper than I had intended. I wasn’t planning on doing much backstory on their relationship, but couldn’t help myself with Theo in the mix. He’s such a darling, and I loved inserting a bit of him and Harry into the background.

#hp yuletide bliss #christmas hp fest #dramione #dhr fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #draco malfoy x hermione granger #draco malfoy #hermione granger

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annonniiiiieeeee · 1 year

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how does katsuichi feel abt leo’s fam? who does he bond with best? who does he bond with first? who slightly terrifies him(donnie)?

Okay so I thought about this a lot.

Besides Leo who he obviously has a close relationship with it’s Raph and Donnie.

Does Donnie worry him sometime yes absolutely.

But this is a man who gives genuine praise out like it’s candy on Halloween. If you did something good or he’s proud of you he’s going to say it.

Mikey gets a second dad in Draxum (he is trying to be their for the rest of the family but Mikey is special)

Leo had Señor Hueso to lean on.

Splinter’s whole character arch is realizing that his sons are his greatest accomplishments and the best thing to ever happen to him. He is a way better father at the end then at the beginning. I was watching the show when my mom visited and I was talking to her about it. We just got to the episode where Lou Jitsu was revealed to be their father and she went “so that’s splinter to. He’s their dad.” And so she watching this parent who is so deep in their own depression and struggling to regain what they think is their lost glory that we get to the monster truck episode and she goes. “He best turn it around after this.” And he does. When splinter is faced with his failures he does eventually correct them.

However we are here for Katsuichi.

Donnie mister “praise from a parental age adult” is all I ever wanted. He bends over backwards for Katsuichi. The first time Katsuichi sees Donnie’s tech and what it can do, he is freaked out but impressed. He tells Donnie this. That his work (his babies) is impressive and Donnie feeds off of that positivity.

Donnie doesn’t have to go out of his way for Katsuichi’s approval. Katsuichi gives praise readily. But anytime the man visits New York he sets some time aside to see Donnie’s newest work.

This causes some conflict in Donnie. On one hand he doesn’t want to like Usagi. (No one is good enough for his twin) but at the same time his dads great. Even once he starts like Usagi he keeps a multi-stepped plan tucked away. What’s the plan you might ask. How to keep Katsuichi in the family if Leo and Usagi break up.

On to Raph

Raph and Splinter have such an interesting relationship in rise. But having another adult reassure you is always nice.

Katsuichi is so calm and he’s used to having his kids around. Raph is so used to carrying weight and taking care of others. I think when Katsuichi’s around the load gets easier. Katsuichi protects his family fiercely and the turtles are part of it now. Not only does he acknowledge the weight that Raph is carrying but he actively tries to help shoulder some of it when he is around.

I just want Donnie and Raph to have another safe adult they can go to.

He loves April and Cassie as he can see them and Kitsune getting on like a house fire. He is exasperated when that expression turns into an actual building on fire, but he is fond of the girls.

Mikey is a darling and instantly connects to him. He loves the whole clan as they are Leo’s (and one day Usagi’s) family.

He does have some beef with Draxum. He doesn’t care how much the man apologizes he threw a child off a roof. He appreciates the growth and if the family is willing to give him a chance he won’t stop them but he doesn’t trust him right away.

This will be come more playful the longer they know each other and they will compete for best grandpa.

He respects Splinter. But I think seeing how Katsuichi is with his own children and the turtles will push Splinter to be an even better dad.

Casey Jr. is the adopted grandson he didn’t know he would get this earlier but is not unwelcome. Any argument involving Casey he is instantly on Casey’s side. It is a shadow of the push over of a grandfather he will be.

All around he is a great guy. I can’t wait to write more of him. He’s not perfect by any means but he loves his family and that is his core.

#awosan katsuichi #asks #a world of samurais and ninjas #leosagi #rise leo #rise donnie #rise raph #rise mikey #rise april #rise cassandra #rise casey #rise splinter #baron draxum

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thesilverlady · 9 months

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Hello, I would like to know some headcanons of Rhaenyra and Alicent, the black queen and the green queen, things like their favorite colors and food, their personal relationships and which father they looked like the most.Did they really get along in the past? Does Alicent always hate her? Were they envious of each other? Which was the most intelligent and beautiful?

hello and thank you for your ask! I'm really digging their rivalry and dynamic and lord knows how much I like to think about the short lived days when they were getting along.

Before starting let me disclaimer: these are just my headcanons. Obviously anyone can disagree and have different interpretations. These are just what I have in mind for these two.

canon Rhaenyra & canon Alicent headcanons/dynamic

food wise I don't have much to say much because I barely pay attention to asoiaf meals but with no proof other than my gut instinct, I feel like Rhaenyra has a serious case of a sweet tooth. Girly loves anything that's on the sweet aide. Meanwhile I think Alicent might have been into some spicy food, both to be contradictory and because she grew to enjoy it.

Did they really get along in the past?

We know from f&b that for a short period of time things were okay between the two. Rhaenyra celebrated when her father got married and Alicent kissed her and called her daughter. So safe to say that's a nice start. We have to keep in mind however that Alicent was only 18 and Rhaenyra was 9. Getting along with that age difference would differentiate compared to how it'd be of they were in the same age range.

Did Alicent always hate her?

This might be a hot take but no, I don't think Alicent always hated her. As funny as it is to poke fun at her having a beef with a child (which she did), i think the hate Alicent grew to have wasn't there from the start.

This is the section we get from f&b:

The amity between Her Grace and her stepdaughter had proved short-lived, for both Rhaenyra and Alicent aspired to be the first lady of the realm…and though the queen had given the king not one but two male heirs, Viserys had done nothing to change the order of succession. The Princess of Dragonstone remained his acknowledged heir, with half the lords of Westeros sworn to defend her rights.

^ This paragraph comes after being told of Alicent giving birth to Aegon, Helaena and Aemond and we find out that in 109 AC Otto who was a hand at the time pushed so far for the "issue" of succession that he was stripped of his chain of office.

This happened a year before Aemond was born, so on terms of timeline I think that's when the "getting along" period run out. I can go into more details into what I believed happened but to keep it short; Helaena was a suitable potential bride for Aegon II. if Rhaneyra wasn't in the picture, Aegon would be the heir, with Helaena most likely his future bride and that would be Alicent's happy end. However, Viserys persisted in keeping Rhaenyra as his heir - even after Alicent gave him Helaena. Alicent could have thought that maybe Viserys simply didn't want Rhaenyra for Aegon for x delulu reasons and thought by giving him a daughter it'd get him to finally see her vision that her son should be the heir since he now has a future bride to be match with.

Viserys' insistence was what set her off. And because it's Westeros and blame always goes on women, in Alicent's twisted mind it was the 12-year-old Rhaenyra who was at fault for being favored.

Does that sound logical? no. But Alicent is a very hypocritical character

were they envious of each other?

In the section I quoted we're old that "both Rhaenyra and Alicent aspired to be the first lady of the realm" and while I can definitely see this developing into a rivalry when Rhaenyra is a teenager. I cannot envision 12 yr Rhaneyra trying to top Queen Alicent in public image.

We know that Rhaenyra was already a very beautiful child who grew into an even more beautiful woman. 12 year of age for Westeros probably counts as a "blooming" age where girls grow into womanhood. So the attention Rhaenyra already had takes a different direction and ofc Alicent is jealous because she's only a human and her stepdaughter's existence pisses her off by that point; her husband is set on keeping her as his heir, everyone sings praises for her only for existing and now they also start desiring her.

in Alicent's mind it's illogical (along with other more insulting phrases) so she tried to compete with working on her own image even more. And of course Rhaenyra eventually noticed it and because they were already in a bad place nothing would keep her from fighting back. But I truly believe their early years of the so called "competition" was Alicent's one-sided beef.

Which was the most intelligent and beautiful?

Most beautiful was hands down Rhaenyra. We have so many moments where her beauty was brought up. If there was even the tiniest of chances of Alicent being more attractive the narrators of f&b wouldn't have missed out. They already attempted something when Rhaenyra gained weight due to her pregnancies and Alicent remained slim.

Still doesn't change the fact that all the songs, titles and fighting was done for Rhaenyra.

Now intellectually, that's a bit of a challenge. I adore Rhaenyra but we never had the opportunity to see her in action.

She made some smart choices when Viserys started getting sicker and she opted for her own people to take care of him (it showed her observation and understanding that something was stirring) but when the war was started she was already so emotionally beat up due to her miscarriage and then lucerys death... And it never got better because her children started dying.

She didn't have the opportunity to shine because emotionally she was getting multiple hits and she was a person acting more on emotion than sense.

So, I don't know. On the other hand, Alicent was smart enough to know to take advantages of moments she could twist in her favor (like Viserys death), she knew instilling hatred for Rhaenyra into her children's minds would pay off, and she knew the spot to hit her step daughter when she'd try to harm her public image. So safe to say the woman wasn't dumb.

Of course Rhaenyra gave back as much as she took. So I truly do think with a clear mind she could show to be smarter. When it comes down to it, Rhaneyra is a very emotional person (hence naturally more vulnerable), whereas Alicent is a guarded person, acting on logic and ambition.

#ask reply #canon alicent hightower #canon rhaenyra targaryen #f&b meta #my headcanons #Alicent vs Rhaenyra #^ none of these are about hotd btw #oh also I forgot to include fav color but I think Rhaenyra would have loved the Targaryen colors back & red #and maybe gold because it reminded her both of her beloved Syrax and her dearest uncle Daemon who dressed in gold & silver #as for Alicent we all know she's petty so she'd stick with the green dress she wore at her wedding anniversary #her side was knows as the greens because she basically weaponized the color. I image it became her favourite too #(small note: I haven't forgotten your other ask! I'm planning to answer it soon ♥)

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intosnarkness · 1 month

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N & S

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

I will give a general answer to this, since I'm still new enough to SOC that I'm getting random ideas that need rereads and I don't feel super comfortable answering specifics:

Stronger pastiche. This seems to be shockingly rare in fandom, where many people have spent 0 time analyzing the voice of the canon and don't know what they don't know. I'd love to see more people try to actually ape the style they're inhabiting.

Realistic dialogue. I'm not saying that everyone needs to be me and spend years filling notebooks with records of extremely mundane conversations in a quest to become David Mamet, but the #1 reason I nope out of a fic is weak dialogue. I don't care that he wouldn't fucking say that, I care that he wouldn't fucking say it like that. It's in part because fandom skews young, but I wish I could take some writers by the hand and help them listen to other people more carefully, and develop their ear for it.

Maybe it's the Fandom Old in me, but it seems like people write much more safe stuff these days. I don't want a lecture on the purity of the fic in the description as if I should be ashamed to write or read about difficult or dark subjects. Write something weird and fucked up and engage your id. I don't know your mom, and if I did I wouldn't tell her. You're never gonna grow as a writer if you're too afraid of the purity police to try something different.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

I read something the other day that said something like "Kaz Brekker defines himself as a man with a dead brother." and I have adopted that because it makes so much sense to me. Gratuitous personal story: I've talked about this before, but for people who don't know; I'm from Virginia and I was in college from 2003-2007. Most of my high school ended up at UVA or Virginia Tech. So on April 16, 2007 a lot of people I grew up with were shot at, and some people I grew up with died that day. I was in Maryland, at my campus job. I was standing in the classroom support office, talking to my boss (who years later you all would get to know as CancerKid, but that's another story) when my Nokia brick rang and it was my mother. I didn't answer, because it was my mother. We didn't text back in 2007, but she left me a message, which was uncommon for her. So I called my voicemail, despite the terrible service in the building. And my mom began her message with "Laurie, there's been a shooting in Blacksburg--" And then my phone cut out. What I knew then, that you don't, is that my brother was in Blacksburg that year. My older brother, who was supposed to have finished his 5-year program the year before and started teaching. But he had one more class he was taking on campus. I ran out of that room so fast that I knocked a person over and spilled something on Nat's desk. I could not breathe. All I needed was to get my mother's voicemail off the phone. I sat on the front steps on the building, shaking so hard i could barely hit the speed dial because every part of me understood that the next five words would change my life forever. They were going to start with "and your brother is" and that last word would be "dead" or "safe". And either way I was going to cry. It was safe. My brother was fine, and he continues as a thorn in my side to this day. I love him more than I know how to say. (My mother got a lecture about starting with the "everyone is okay" line that she taught me as a child. We had beef.) But for the three and a half minutes before the beginning and then end of that voicemail, I was a girl with a dead brother. I could see the rest of my life without David stretching out in front of me and it broke me. I literally was never the same after that day, because for the first time I had to acknowledge the mortality of the boy who played x-men with me and who taught me how to get onto the roof of the garage and who defended me against bullies. And I had to live with the fact that we weren't close, and we didn't talk much, and I had so many regrets. If not for that day, we would not be as close as we are now. Not half. So it's not quite the same thing, but I get it. My "one fear" t-shirt says "living in a world where i am an only child" on it. I know one day one of us will outlive the other. And I know if it's me who lives longer, I will be a woman with a dead brother for the rest of my time.

(ask me) (fandom asks)

#anonymous #talkback #meme

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cherryblossomsandhydrangeas · 11 months

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Sk8 Rewatch Ep3

Reki’s arms and knees 😬😬😬 Langa’s knees 😬😬😬

Imagine having to interview this man and not being able to ask about his eyebrows. I couldn’t do it.

Miya’s parents really are the most milquetoast characters to exist. No wonder Adam’s able to groom their child. Also, Adam pretends not to know who Miya is when he’s visits the training area. So, how was he able to get close to this minor without any of his teachers or parents knowing? Or did the coach initiate this?

The Flag Lady has three ahoge. I love her. Please, ma’am, punch me in the face.

I love how Cherry doesn’t really say what he truly thinks. He agrees with Joe that Miya should have the upper hand in his beef against Langa, but he acknowledges in his head that Langa’s board is different-and therefore may make a difference in the beef.

Shadow thinks putting three strips of tape over the large brand name of his boss’s flower shop means that I can’t read that shit. Yes, sir, I still can.

Reki squeezing Miya’s cheeks. Sir, your oldest sibling is showing.

Adam is a damn speedrunner in changing clothes. He was in his everyday suit at the end of Miya v. Langa and then shows up a few minutes later in skating gear.

Fucking love Reki. Adam shows up and at first he’s like “The Legend?! 🤩🤩. And then immediately shifts to “This guy sucks” when Adam reveals himself to be an asshole and a predator.

#sk8 rewatch #sk8 cherry blossom #sk8 ad*m #sk8 joe #sk8 shadow #sk8 reki #sk8 langa #sk8 miya

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sleepingmire · 7 months

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Hi! I have a another question (ok maybe more than one) about your oc Julius.

What would her reaction to meeting Kratos be?

What kind of dad was Helios?

do you have any more headcanons?

I'm sorry if this comes off as weird I just really love her

Okay omg!! hello anon i appreicate you so much thank you for enabling me to talk about jules (again,, >:)) i will never stop)

1. What would her reaction to kratos be?

okay!! I WAS LITERALLY JUST TALKING TO THE FELLAS ABOUT THIS!! I guess it depends on like, when she met him? In the 'canon' for her, she was also locked away when Tyr was, and released either just after or just before he was.

I think she'd hate him, and rightfully so? Especially once she's found out all her family are dead and what he did to her dad-- plus what he did to heimdall (she knew that he was a bad person, but lvoed him like a son). After a while she'd warm up to him in a way where she woudl tolderate him, but would quietly simmer because she's an olympian OKAY. i think she wouldn't mind atreus, and eventually grow fond of him -- but always hold him at arms length because of kratos.

2. What kind of dad is Helios (to her)?

Helios as a father i think was very... Olympian ? she had a decent relationship with him when she was a child, and has fond memories of going with him on his chariot. Due to her bethoral, and her parents refusal to help or even lack of acknowledgement that they were sorry that she didn't want this, i think reallt drove that wedge between them, even when she visited home and even in death she would never truly forgive them, even if she's happy with how her life turned out.

3. any more hcs?

DO I EVER okay she oil paints, her and tyr and the ultimate power couple and a lot of her story revolves around that struggle of not wanting/being in that typical woman role -- and her struggles with the fact that she is happy and loves her husband but never wanted this. Especially since tyr is slay and obvs wouldn't stop her from doing her own thing/being a badass warrior and also diplomat, most of her achievements were dubbed as his -- and that frustrates her to no end.

Her, freya and Sif were the odinsons wives and were besties -- Because her and tyr refused to have kids (didn't want them to be used as odins pawns/not giving him half jotunn/norse god/olympian powerful little shits) there was a rumour she was infertile (she's half the goddess of fertility? what a fuckin insult) anywya she had beef with freya over what she did to baldur, warning her that he would grow to hate him and freya turned around and said like 'what do you know of being a mother?' (cutting deep in reference to the heimdall thing, and also the fact that she wanted children but didn't want to in the situation) anyway in typical olympian goddess fashion, she held a grudge and still holds said grudge.

i love the contrast of tyr and jules, they are both powerful and so cool and suit each other so well. I also love the tripe of badass kinda bitchy woman and a simp for husband.

Her and Tyr are super domestic and cute and i cannot describe how dearly i lvoe them. In my mind, when they met she was super... olympian. and he was maybe kind of like, unsure how to stand up to Odin? and when they met and got married and stuff, they rubbed off on each other for the better? She started being a bit softer, seeing the kindness in the world and he started taking no shit from anyone -- god or otherwise.

anyway literallt thank you for letting me ramble about her, i love these asks :,)) you're welcome to jump into my dms if you ever wanna chat or ask more questions anon! (also sorry for any mistakes or repeating stuff I AN VERY EXCITED AND LOVE TALKIGN ABOTH HER !!)

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godsofhumanity · 2 years

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⚝─ 30 DAY HC'S | HUITZILOPOCHTLI ─⚝

HUITZILOPOCHTLI | tall, dark brown skin with blue hues over his arms, back, legs, and the sides of his face. the skin is orange from beneath the nose to the chin, like war-paint. muscular build. long, black mohawk down to his shoulder blades. fierce yellow eyes. a gold piercing on his lower lip. always stern, always serious, always ready to battle. (x)

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first and foremostly, i think Huitzilopochtli's main characteristic is that he's always serious.

i think this guy pretty much never smiles, never laughs. he's very realistic, and focused on the world around him... where Quetzalcoatl can be vibrant, fun-loving and humorous, and Tezcatlipoca can be mischievous, vain, and alluring... Huitzilopochtli is the all-business, rule-book kind of guy.

i think he loves order and routine. he avoids spontaneity... there's already too much of it with Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca.

this is chiefly because of his role as a war god-- i think he's so used to seeing bloodshed and violence (from the day he was born, he was plunged into battle), that he craves for those small moments of peace and quiet by himself.

i don't think this is to say that he hates fighting and war; as with most other war gods, i think they all acknowledge it's necessity, or rather, inevitability, for civilisation,,, but he's not the type of war god who thinks that fighting and murder is the ultimate goal of life.

in relation to his fellow gods; i think he has a lot of respect for Quetzalcoatl. even though Quetzalcoatl is loud and sometimes jokes around too much, Huitzilopochtli has no problem working with him.

Tezcatlipoca probably gets on Huitzilopochtli's nerves the most- he's a bit of an enigma; sometimes he cares a lot, sometimes he doesn't care at all.. he's serious, then he's fooling around. he's unpredictable, and for someone who likes order, i think Tezcatlipoca is a nightmare for Huitzilopochtli.

Tlaloc is a simple guy, i think Huitzilopochtli doesn't have any beef with him. they're probably the two quietest members amongst the 5 Suns.

now.. relating to his birth. there are two key versions of Huitzilopochtli's birth:

the first is that he was the youngest son of Tonacatecuhtli and Tonacacihuatl, and his brothers were Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Xipe Totec,,, and with Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli created men and fire to bring about order to the world.

the second is that Coatlicue was mysteriously impregnated by a ball of eagle feathers (still not the strangest thing that has happened in myth) and the child born was Huitzilopochtli- but Coatlicue already had a daughter Coyolxauhqui and at least 400 other sons, all already full-grown,, who were ashamed of the way the conception had taken place and conspired to kill her... which was when Huitzilopochtli busted out of his mum's womb and slaughter all his siblings, thus creating the moon and stars.

personally, i like the second version more than the first- i think it's more interesting, and it explains why the Aztecs practised blood-sacrifices, and also it just makes Huitzilopochtli's role as the sun/war god a lot more meaningful.

i think that Huitzilopochtli's birth occurred right when Chalchiuhtlicue (4th Sun) created a flood of blood and a new sun was needed,, and that's how Huitzilopochtli became the 5th Sun despite not being "blood-related" to the Quetzalcoatl and the gang.

i also like this idea because it emphasises that roles of leadership and kingship are earned through merit and not inheritance.. so Huitzilopochtli becomes the 5th Sun not because he was a prince and next in line, but because he was righteous and noble and deserved it.

now, on my art post for Huitzilpochtli, @theprodigalgenius asked me what I thought about Toci, and i didn't answer there, so i'll address it here-

for the unversed, Toci was originally a mortal woman, a daughter of the Culhua ruler, who was going to get married to a nobleman of the Mexica in a political move. but Huitzilopochtli, who was the patron of the Mexica, ordered that she instead be flayed and sacrificed, and when they did, she transformed into Toci, a goddess.

naturally, the Culhua were all like "wtf bro that's our girl" and kicked the Mexica out, so the Mexica moved further down and established their own city called Tenochtitlan which would later become the primary foundation of the powerful Aztec Empire.

so, why am i prattling on about this? well, i think that what seems to be a very cruel and unreasonable order on Huitzilopochtli's behalf is actually a blessing in disguise for both Toci and the Mexica.

i don't think that Huitzilopochtli was a mean guy,, i think that in this myth, Huitzilopochtli knew something that the mortal men did not (a classic case of divine foresight and mortal men's obliviousness to heed it) and was actually just trying to help them- see, if the Culhua hadn't kicked the Mexica out, and actually forged a bond with the Mexica, they too might have been a part of the Aztec Empire that would form.

so, i don't think that Huitzilopochtli was against the bond, i think he might've been endorsing it actually. now, why did Toci have to die?

Toci was associated with Huitzilpochtli's mother, Coatlicue, so perhaps Huitzilopochtli recognised her as some sort of reincarnation or representative of his mother and wanted to immortalise her. the flaying of Toci sounds cruel in theory, but it's not really any different to Demeter roasting a baby on a fire to burn away his mortality... that's the way I see it.

now, speaking about human sacrifices.

we all know that one of the reasons for the Aztec's blood-offerings was that Huitzilopochtli needed blood for sustenance and strength in his battle against his sister and brothers, the moon and the stars.

this need for blood has contributed to the idea of Huitzilopochtli as some sort of Father of Vampires, which i think is just a super rad and creative idea. anyways, i'm not saying that Huitzilopochtli is a vampire, but i just wanted to bring it up in case anyone hasn't been exposed to that idea before.

also related to Huitzilopochtli, blood, and battle.. there's a really terrible book called Godhunter by Amy Sumida which regular visitors to my blog will have definitely heard me rant about before,, and while it's mostly atrocious, the one good thing Godhunter gave us was a portrayal of Huitzilopochtli that was so... i don't want to use the word "delicious", but it essentially was (for the most part)...

the main thing about this characterisation that i want to bring up is the idea that Huitzilopochtli has some sort of battle-frenzy where, during an intense fight, his skin becomes so hot (like the sun) that you'll burn if you touch him, and the only way for him to cool down is to bathe in blood (which is why he needs so much of it).

the thing i love about this is that it ties in his role as a war god, his role as the Sun, and his need for blood so perfectly. it's just an all-round beautiful hc for him, and i'm adopting it because it's really good.

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#vans try not to talk about godhunter and huitzilopochtli 100% impossible fail 3am challenge gone wrong #30 day hc #huitzilopochtli #hc #long post

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misrepresentedmorallygrey · 3 months

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PROPAGANDA

Raven Branwen

she's so fucked up she abandoned her child and her teammates and became the leader of a tribe of bandits but also she abandoned her child and teammates because she felt she couldn't contribute to them in helpful ways and they were better off without her but it could also be seen as selfish because she didn't want to do the work to become better and she felt like they were fighting a losing battle and she couldn't keep the same hope as them. fandom either sees her as sexy did-what-she-had-to-do-did-nothing-wrong or as an evil irredeemable villain and she's not either!!!!!! she's somewhere in between!

Gon Freecss

#misrepresented morally grey #round 1 #bracket c #both bracket #rwby #raven branwen #hunter x hunter #gon freecss

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loveletterstothepast · 1 year

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Hopeless; Devoted.

The past becomes reoccurring more often than not, paths overlap more than we care to acknowledge. Everything happens within perfect reason and regardless if God, universal, or fate ties us together.

Something about the past I never got to brush up on was a mutual love a friend and I kindly coexistedly shared for a similar person. Although I was given an opportunity to be with that person my friend did not. I did my best to not allow that friend to know I loved that person as well, for years. At the same time and it was like a secret we both couldn’t keep from one another, yet we avoided the confrontation of our affections. After years spent in silence for those people we were we finally able to discuss it. Due to my loss I’ve found myself reevaluating who I was and am. Who I planned on being and if that’s the right path to take. Truthfully a lot of my anger stems from that old lover. The friendship we shared and how it was gobbled up in flames. How I was so used to running to that person when things go wrong and I find myself now looking for something within myself to send him a message. But it’s not for the right reasons. I want to start a fight. I want a huge distraction from my reality that I want to start a fight with someone who deserves it, so I can place my anger somewhere. But after finally confronting my friend about his old crush and asking how long. What it was that he fell for. I was able to lay that beef to rest.

When I was younger it wouldn’t have helped to ask why you were in love with that mutual friend. It hasn’t helped knowing why my beautiful friend was in love with him. Nothing helped because I don’t know that person. And I realized that during mourning my son, I also was mourning that child I had befriended and I’m not sure when he went from being my normal companion to the atrocious man he became. I understand now though that I want to hold that child responsible for the adult he is. I can finally lay that anger to rest knowing that child could never do those thing to these people and would’ve never hurt Elijah. He would’ve never have betrayed my Sunshine. Upon realizing that; I don’t want to argue and I want to leave it behind. But I want to talk to that little girl and that teenager.

I’m sorry I subjected you to a life of confusion in romance. I’m sorry I made you do things you never wanted and claimed it was all in the name of affection. It wasn’t. It was pure selfishness and although you looked perfectly happy along that persons side and you looked like a mushed baby. It wasn’t real. Love doesn’t destroy you and build you back together lumpy. It takes care and nurtures you. As much as I wish we could all make a choice to go back in time and change things. I would leave it mostly the same in your relationship style because of your trauma you were able to mature. You were able to decide for yourself what you wanted and what you deserved. You found your self worth and avoided anyone who would give you less. This look of love and enjoyment in your eyes was reserved for one person but as you grew up. You’ve found something better. Someone better for you. A love that’s not convenient or on their time. It’s consistent and you’ve deserved it for a long time while also denying yourself.

This isn’t a love letter of regrets for things I never said. This is so I can lay your anger to rest. I don’t have to hide from my feelings about our son. We don’t have to hold people responsible for anything anymore and I don’t need vengeance. We can talk about it and not be ashamed. People live and learn and they love. It’s a constant loop of things and people never notice the patters and for once. I did. I chose us little me. I chose to talk about Elijahs love that he never discussed because he finally deserved to lay that part of him to rest and somehow helping him carry the weight was enough for us to finally let down our load and realize that our anger comes from running away. We don’t have to run away from missing our baby or missing things that we genuinely love/d. We have to face them and embrace those parts of us.

The worst part about finally discussing all of this is finally realizing, that you’re gone. You’re a child and I can say goodbye to you through these small adult learning lessons. I would’ve changed the outcome if I could. I’d prefer to have Micha here. But I realize in due time all things we want come to us. In the meantime we have to learn. Continue on with our lives and carry those loved ones with us. I also realize that in order to continue growing we have to close doors officially in order to see the new ones opening.

I love my life. I love my boyfriend and our baby may he rest in peace. I love my friends and I love my mom. You learned to forgive and that the strongest part of being yourself is that you didn’t stop loving even when you could’ve closed your heart completely and you could’ve been allowed your villain era, but you’ve handled it all with responsibility and ownership of what you lost and hopefully one day I can tell little you that you are stronger than you know.. and that you do deserve the life you live. You are worthy of it all and although you loved so foolishly while younger. It wasn’t in vain.

I wish you would’ve been hopelessly in love with yourself. Hopelessly devoted to yourself. I wish you had chosen you and your peace sooner. You would’ve been able to let go sooner but you live and learn. You deserve to be proud of finally asking your friend about it without that angry heart. You should be proud of yourself for understanding everyone as best you can. I wish you and I never became a home wrecker. I wish I could tell you that part is okay, but it’s not and it never will be. But you should be proud of yourself for owning up to that and apologizing and becoming the best person you could.

We’ll still grow. We’ll still learn. But it’ll be okay. Every ounce of love you’ve given comes back. It’s worth keeping your heart open. Even when you experience loss. It’s okay that you want to be angry. But you shouldn’t hide your real anger by deciding to attack other people for things you go through. It wasn’t their fault and although you’ll still feel the sense that during all of this you should make it other peoples problem. You should turn your face and accept that being angry is a normal part of losing someone as special as Micha. You don’t have to make it about old things or old anger. You don’t have to pretend it belongs elsewhere. This is natural and even though it feels gross to not be able to get it out, it belongs nowhere else than for what you’ve lost. My anger isn’t for that old lover. My anger is for why we lost our son. It shouldn’t be for anything else. You have chances to have a child again, and they’ll never replace that sweet baby. But it’ll be because you’re ready to try again. In your own time. Trust that when the right thing comes your way you’ll make the right choices. This isn’t just for little me, it’s for future me too. We finally officially closed the doors to that person and finally cut off the last tie we didn’t know was still tethered and we did it without confronting that person but confronting ourselves. Feel for Micha to the full extent. He was his own person and we should never cover him up with stupid things that don’t matter anymore.

I love you Izzy. Every version of you and I forgive you for being a silly kid and a stupid young adult.. and I’m proud of you for having a beautiful heart. We would’ve never have recognized these things if it weren’t for that perfect baby boy. We have to live for him so he looks down on us and is proud too. So when we go to the afterlife, we can hold and love that perfect boy. So our family whatever else we decide to do with it can grow and be together one day. Live in love.

Goodbye little me. I’ll make you proud and accept the beautiful gift of life that we had always deserved. I’ll be with the lover we always dreamed of having. Our perfect Cj and though you don’t know it back then, you deserve it now.

#a love letter to younger me

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starman-rat · 2 years

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Not As It Seems - Chapter 2

David Agrawal had always been a free spirit, despite the rigid and stead-fast nature of his culture, of his family's culture. Growing up in a household where he constantly performed with one-hundred-and-ten-percent effort and drive, the easy-going, curious child that loved superheroes and video games and lazing around on weekends watching and sketching cartoons had very little time to be. That was one perk of moving out early, of taking the chance to go to college as soon as possible.

In hindsight, that was a choice that wasn't really too terribly smart. He ended up drinking (Haram) and sleeping around (Haram) and getting a girl pregnant out of wedlock (also Haram). But a few years in the military had straightened him out, and he liked being a dad. Now he was working for a tech company in London, having moved away once again from Essex and family and rigidity now that he and Nora were officially split to try and find his own path.

And maybe finally let that sweet, curious boy out to play.

David swung into the pub with a grin, reaching for a menu when offered and sauntering to his usual table; a booth on the right side of the pub. "Ivanka! Love, it's so good to see you."

The dark haired, gray-eyed woman smiled at him warmly, shaking her head fondly as she walked over to his table. "Hello, David." Her accent was thick, some flavor of Eastern European that she had never quite specified. "You always see me, what is so lovely this time?"

David chuckled, taking off his jacket with a shrug. "I just adore your witty remarks and stern stare, Vanya. What can I say?"

The waitress huffed a gruff laugh, pulling a pen and notepad out from her apron. "The usual, then, Mr. Smiles?"

"You know it," David leaned forward, handing her the useless menu back to her. As she walked away, he grinned.

He knew very very little about Ivanka Popov beyond that she was a kind soul behind her rough, cold exterior. She kept to herself, and had only let David in recently after months of him garnering trust through persistent jokes and tomfoolery. Sometimes he would catch her cooing at children as he sat in the pub, working on some code or another. Or sneaking food to the front of the store to give to one of the homeless. Acts of kindness and empathy that were never mentioned, never acknowledged, even if you asked. She was a warm woman, that was clear, but David wondered if anyone took care of her.

----

After a healthy and hearty helping of potato mash and beef stew, David leaned himself back against the booth, eyeing Ivanka, who had joined him now that her shift was over. She chewed on her lip absently, lost in thought as she watched passers-by through the window.

"So, Vanya. Have a good weekend?" David watched as the woman's eyes found his again. She was older than him, with gray streaks in her dark, wavy hair and wrinkles nestled next to her eyes. She reminded him of his mother somewhat, with the stern eyes and the strong, capable hands that cared for everyone she cared for with no hesitance.

"It was fine. I... did some more reading. Nicolai is sick again, but between taking care of him I had some time to finish a couple chapters of that silly book Sally gave me."

"Nicky is sick again? Poor little lad can't catch a break." David had never met Ivanka's son, but he had heard a lot about the boy. He was very ill very often, and needed quite a lot of supervision from Sally-- the caretaker Ivanka hired to look after him while she was at work. To his understanding, it was some chronic illness, but it felt like Ivanka intentionally kept the details from him.

"He will be alright. Sally is a good friend." Ivanka smiled, exhausted. David didn't really know how she managed to keep everything together all the time.

"Go on home to him, Vanya. I can walk myself home. I'm a big boy, you know."

Ivanka chuckled, and David couldn't help but grin. God, it was so good to see her smile. "Yes, I suppose it is late for an old broad like me to be around." She stood, pulling her coat over her shoulders and picking up her purse. "Have a good night, David. It is always good to see you."

David waved her off. "Don't get all mushy with me, mate. Tell your boy hello for me."

"Alright."

David watched as she took a few boxes of leftover dinners off the counter by the register and pushed the door open with her hip, shivering slightly as the crisp autumn air enveloped her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

TAGLIST:

@emmettnet, @serenitydusk, @pigeonwhumps

#not as it seems #david agrawal #ivanka popov #anderson drabbles :)#okay fellas we're getting into it #as always: feedback is welcome and lemme know if you wanna be tagged!#chapter three should be coming very soon i have the next like five chapters planned

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