#love writing about trust and and conflicting feelings and having to make choices

[courfee]

just went through all my ao3 fics and edited all the tags because i feel like i overtag a lot and it always bothered me. tbf the most overtagging happens in my relationship/character tags but i find it super difficult to judge who/which relationship is important. like friendships are So Important in my fics i dont feel like i cant tag less there? especially my longer fics. amtc james&sirius and black brothers are in my mind at least if not more important than literally amtc jegulus. i know its a jegulus fic but also jegulus is just the catalyst for other relationship dynamics. how do you tag that stuff

[cloakedpress]

How to Write Better Characters: Roles, Motivation & Actually Making People Care

Let’s be real: your story can have the coolest magic system, the twistiness of the plot, or the hottest vampire/detective/alien—  

but if your characters are flat?  

Nobody’s sticking around.

So let’s break down how to give your characters real presence in your story by understanding their role, their motivation, and how to make them hit harder on the page.

1. What’s Their Role in the Story?

Every character needs a *reason to exist*. Think of them like parts in a machine. What do they *do* in your narrative?

Here are a few basic types:

- Protagonist: The one we’re rooting for. They drive the plot forward.

- Antagonist: The one in their way. Doesn’t have to be evil—just opposed.

- Foil: Someone who reflects the main character’s traits by contrast.

- Mentor: Offers wisdom, often with a tragic backstory or dramatic exit.

- Love Interest: Romantic tension? Check. But make sure they’re *more* than just eye candy.

- Wildcard: Unpredictable chaos gremlin. Every story needs one.

TIP: If you can remove a character without changing the plot? You probably should.

2. What Do They Want? (AKA Motivation)

This is the *core* of your character. Motivation makes everything feel real. Ask yourself:

- What does this character want more than anything?

- Why do they want it?

- What are they willing to do (or give up) to get it?

Bonus points if their motivation is in conflict with someone else’s. That’s where the juicy drama lives.

Ex: “She wants to save her sister. He wants to save the world. One bomb. One choice.”    Now we’re COOKING.

3. How Do You Show It?

Motivation isn’t just monologues and dramatic speeches. It’s in:

- What they *notice* first in a room.

- Who they *trust* (or don’t).

- The mistakes they keep repeating.

- The lies they tell *themselves*.

A character who’s obsessed with control might organize their bag mid-crisis.  

A character desperate to be loved might make themselves useful to everyone… even villains.

4. Let Them Be Messy

Perfect characters are boring.  

Give them contradictions. Regrets. Bad coping mechanisms. Let them be *wrong*. Let them grow.

Characters who never fail or change = characters nobody relates to.

Let your soft boys punch someone. Let your bad girls cry. Let your villains have a point.

5. Ask Yourself the Hard Stuff

- What would break this character?

- What line won’t they cross?

- Who are they when no one’s watching?

If you can answer these? You *know* your character.

6. Level Up: Relationships Matter

Characters don’t exist in a vacuum. Use dynamics to reveal depth:

- A character might be brave in a fight but terrified of disappointing their mentor.

- A flirty rogue might go speechless around the person they actually care about.

- A villain’s cruelty might soften around their childhood friend.

People are different with different people. Show it.

 TL;DR:  

Great characters = clear role + deep motivation + real emotion. 

Make them want things. Make them struggle. Make them human (even if they’re a dragon princess from space).

Want help building a specific character? Drop their name + vibe in my ask box. Let’s break them open together.

[frailsituation]

Tips for writing internal conflict

1. Define the Core Dilemma

• Internal conflict occurs when a character faces a choice or emotional struggle within themselves. This dilemma should challenge their values or identity.

• How? The struggle should feel deeply personal and tied to the character’s motivations.

• Example: A character who values independence but must rely on others in a life-or-death situation.

2. Make it tied to their core values

• The conflict should challenge what the character holds dear—whether it’s their morals, desires, or goals.

• How? The inner conflict should push the character to re-evaluate their beliefs and priorities.

• Example: A soldier torn between duty and personal ethics, forced to choose between following orders and doing what’s right.

3. Amplify with external consequences

• Link internal conflict to external consequences that impact the character and those around them. The choices they face should have significant repercussions.

• How? Show how the character’s internal conflict influences their decisions in the real world.

• Example: A character haunted by guilt must choose whether to admit their past mistakes, risking their career and relationships.

4. Show the pressure building over time

• Internal conflict intensifies when it’s compounded by time, increasing stakes, or mounting external pressure.

• How? Create scenes where the character feels the weight of their choices growing heavier with every passing moment.

• Example: A character whose addiction threatens to ruin their life, struggling to break free but tempted by old habits every day.

5. Conflict arises from competing desires

• Internal conflict often stems from having two equally strong desires that cannot coexist.

• How? Put your character in situations where they must choose between these desires, both of which seem vital.

• Example: A character torn between pursuing their dream job across the country or staying to care for a dying parent.

6. Explore their fears and insecurities

• Internal conflict can also be driven by the character’s deepest fears or insecurities, which affect their actions and decisions.

• How? Fear of failure, rejection, or loss can prevent them from acting, making every decision feel like a battle.

• Example: A character who has been hurt before refuses to let anyone in, even though they deeply crave connection.

7. The power of self-sabotage

• Let the character’s internal conflict lead to self-sabotage. They may avoid decisions or create obstacles to protect themselves from facing their own feelings.

• How? Show how the character's fear or internal resistance undermines their progress.

• Example: A character constantly pushes away someone they care about because they fear their own vulnerability.

8. Use internal dialogue to show the battle

• Let readers hear the character’s internal struggle through thoughts, doubts, or justifications. Internal dialogue can make the conflict feel more immediate and real.

• How? Keep the internal dialogue sharp, reflective, and in line with the character’s voice.

• Example: “I want to tell them the truth, but what if they leave? Can I really risk that?”

9. Drive change through resolution

• The internal conflict should lead to growth or change in the character. They should evolve, learn, or make peace with their internal struggle.

• How? The resolution should feel earned and reflect the character’s journey.

• Example: A character who fears commitment learns to trust and embrace vulnerability in the face of love.

10. Let it affect the bigger picture

• The resolution of internal conflict should impact the story’s larger arc, showing how the character’s inner change leads to progress or a new direction.

• How? The resolution should tie back to the theme and forward momentum of the plot.

• Example: A character who learns to forgive themselves is able to take the final step in reconciling with a loved one, mending broken relationships.

Follow for more!

[lotus--pond]

literally just me rewatching the starhorns bits from today and being abnormal (beware is very long)

I literally cannot with the little "aura gets there, manages to say nothing but "hey" before they basically run to Asri and he runs to meet them because he can tell star is upset and they start BAWLING... AGAIN" like its so cute and sweet and I love them and someone needs to draw that, NOW. in my heart they are hugging. in my heart of hearts and soul of souls.

things I am a sucker for in hurt/comfort: "breathe with me", "you're safe here", aforementioned holding someone and they immediately start breaking down, <- all of which happened in stream today

Asri in the tiny chair is so funny to me. he cannot sit correctly. he is far too large. someone help that big man.

Also just... Aura :( my poor guy. nothing went well for them and they're already so stressed out because at that point they had no idea where vic was and their best friend and the only person they fully trust is comatose and people they thought they were friends with just yelled at them and someone who already was not nice to them threatened to literally cut their throat out because of something they did on accident

(just to be clear, I do get where the twins are coming from. Ev's identity should have been his information to share or not share and that's an incredibly violating thing. that and, without much knowledge about how the rest of the starbound world works, it probably isn't super safe to be trans everywhere. that and its just something deeply personal. all three of them (the twins and Aura) have had an incredibly emotionally taxing two weeks or so, but especially these past few days so its understandable that they're not handling their emotions in the best of ways)

(note how I said understandable, not completely excuseable. sort of a sidenote but while many have a hard time with the whole "even if you really like this character and this other character did something that hurt them, you should look at it from multiple sides and not write them off as a complete asshole" I have a hard time with the OPPOSITE side of being like "yeah these characters have reasons for what they did, but they were still acting like assholes and should be held responsible for their actions. you're allowed to be angry or upset with the characters for their choices while still having an understanding of their motivations". listen I just feel bad being angry at characters when I know why they did what they did. listen I have really high empathy I struggle bus. so yeah, do I get why the twins are so upset? oh 100% does it still make me a lil upset and a lil angry at them because Aura is my favorite ? yeah. and that's ok) (I'm also self aware to the point of looking at myself and being like... "honey... you're allowed to not like characters... you know that right?")

both of them saying how they don't have anyone waiting for them off-planet... so like both of their parents are probably dead/ maybe estranged (see my Asrickus theory) right?

"Vesper is an asshole" -Asri. I am EATING UP the bounty hunters/twins beef. and like, Aura and Romeo have directly interacted literally once, but I feel like the whole deal with Aura is gonna be a factor in the whole beef. maybe this peace is more fragile than we thought? idk, but I'm eating it anyway (also I need to see Asri go talk to them about it, I nEED it you don't understand the beef is IMMACULATE) (also I have no doubt that Romeo would probably be on board/on a similar page to asri if for nothing else but the fact that she is already in conflict with the twins.

"and she's not gonna kill you, I'm not gonna let that happen." I think the reason the sherbs didn't have like. active love interests/active love plots was because sherb knew they were too powerful. similarly to how hehay and them having characters who are gay for each other has taken the bound fandom in a CHOKEHOLD because their combined powers are just too much (Also similar vein to the last post I made about how I like the specific kind of protective Vic is about Aura because it is similar. Aura protection squad. them and the TBELT because most all of them were ready to square up)

"I just thought that if I did something for her she would be less mad at me" (sorry idk when this became line by line analysis but you clicked read more and you can stop whenever you want I'm not sorry you brought this upon yourself) but oh my Aura you and your people pleasing tendencies. Unfortunately people like Vesper are not so easily swayed, but star has no idea how people work. Star's only friend for a long time was a literal star. so you know. not human. they are trying this human interaction thing for like. basically the first time. they have a lot to learn (I use the term human very broadly. intelligent light forms more like)

"I think she either sees me as... weak and pathetic or a liar" "if that's all she sees then she's clearly not looking hard enough" LIKE I SAID. FAR TOO POWERFUL.

OH THE FLOWER FIELD I CANNOT. THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. AURA BRINGING HIM THERE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTING TO SMILE AND LAUGH AND BE HAPPIER I JUST LOVE THEM.

I love that they go esplorin together. they are such lil esplorers and Aura has a bunch of fun places they want to show him and eventually Navi and that's so sweet. I am a SUCKER for when characters see another thing and immediately think of/want to show it to another character. I need to watch them go and show the other places I cry about it

also the "thank you for trusting me" "thank you for being here"

also Aura making sure to grab Asri's favorite flower on the way out <3

anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk, I do not plan on being any less abnormal about them anytime soon so you'll just have to suffer through my ramblings tehe<3

[idrellegames]

so im (relatively) new to your whole wayfarer IF and after reading Aeran for the little bit of access I have to him, what inspired his character? you don't have to say anything that'll spoil things obv, I'm just curious. He's clearly a character that has made an impression, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about him but I've seen some people say they're getting on the clown bus for Aeran so idk what you put in his character soup but apparently it's got people putting clown shoes on. Either way, regardless of *how* I'll end up feeling about him, I'm very curious as to what inspired his whole schtick and while I know different choices lead to different dynamics and I suppose, therefore different readings, he's definitely leaving an impression on everyone who's played with/interacted with his character

Hello and welcome! 💕

If you squint, Aeran is maybe, possibly, slightly inspired by Tamlen from Dragon Age: Origins. Less so in terms of personality, more so in terms of story role in that he was supposed to be a temporary companion (and yes he was intended to be killed off early).

However, over the course of development, Aeran's role has shifted significantly. The roots are still there, but what I intended to do with him in 2019 is very different from what he is doing now. There's no specific inspiration for his current version; he is the result of finding answers to a chain of character questions that started with "why this?" -> "then that".

There are some things that have manifested with him as I wrote, as there usually is with every character I make. While his main arc has been solid since 2020/2021, every so often he surprises me with new information (for example, he and Rhodarth weren't intended to have had a former relationship, but then I started writing their dialogue during their first encounter and realized they had weird flirty undertones and oops now they have history).

I think Aeran makes an impression because he's several popular tropes rolled into one. You can play the very long friends-to-lovers game, you can play the very long friends-to-enemies game, or land somewhere in the middle. By giving him history with the MC, there's a lot of room for exploration of what that actually means--especially because you know from the start of Episode 1 that he has something going on, and he doesn't want to tell you, and you don't know why. It's at odds with the set-up of him being the MC's closest friend and someone they trust.

Players reactions to him are going to vary, and that is the intention. Aeran is an exercise in how a player's first impressions can shape how they feel about a character longterm. There are two different ways adult!Aeran can be introduced in Episode 1, and that is going to colour your initial impression of him. How he engages with the MC is going to differ based on what your starting relationship is, which will colour it further.

He's also an example of how you might not be able to get what you want out of NPCs just by virtue of being the player character. He has reasons for not telling the MC everything which puts him in conflict with them regardless of approval or romance status, and that brings out very different reactions depending on how you play and what content you see. And--most importantly--how much your MC pushes him. Even when he's being an ass to the MC, the MC can be an ass right back to him. They can instigate just as much conflict as he does.

There's no right answer when it comes to Aeran. For the people who love him and love his romance content, there's very good reasons for it. For the people who love to hate him, there's very good reason for that, too.

I'm very honoured and very flattered that he has made a mark, regardless of what that mark is. And that he continues to give players a lot to talk about!

[mia4gotcookiez]

OMGG HOW ABOUT A FIC ABOUT SATANS FIRST THOUGHTS WHEN HE WAS NEW BORN AND HAD TO LIVE WITH “NEW BROTHERS’

YES OMG THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL ASK DARLING.

Tbh I didn’t quite understand what you wanted from me 😭😭, so I just did whatever I felt.

I did the head cannons of the brothers and then the snippet of what I think were Satans thought right after his birth.

Warning ⚠️: Angst??? Bad writing lmao

As we all know Satan was born from Lucifer’s rage and wings during/ after the war. Also, let’s consider the fact that the brothers are numbered by their power and strength and not their birth order.

______________________________________________

Lucifer

His mother I think even though they have tension, they have an inbuilt link and bond between them, whether they like it or not and can always tell what’s up with each other.

Of course Lucifer must have been in pain while Satan formed. He must have been in a trance where aside from his own sin he was consumed by wrath which actually shaped Satan

In the starting , Lucifer wouldn’t have spent that much time with Satan because he worked out his trauma in the form of paperwork for Diavolo and because of the guilt of the war and Fall. However Satan is literally a part of him and his family. I feel Lucifer would have moment like tucking Satan in bed when he accidentally falls asleep on the couch or somewhere else, making him a cup of coffee when Luci makes one for himself. Overall, I believe Satan loves Lucifer the most despite everything he does and says.

Mammon

Now mammon would be the first to warm up to him cuz mammons warm and the best big brother out there <3

Mammon would probably help Satan in the initial years to fit in and ease up practically nurturing him.

I feel Mammon would have influenced Satan the most in his style, taste, and other demonic activities. Mammon would have given him exposure in life that Satan never experienced on his own and or through lucifer or others which are entirely new. I believe Mammon is the guiding principle for Satan and a person whom he can share anything with.

Asmodeous

Asmo would have been the second to warm up to Satan. No matter what anyone says, Asmo is extremely understanding and mature when he wishes to be.

And it must have been easy for him to grasp Satans existence out of everyone. Whereas Mammon exposed Satan to fresh life experiences; Asmo would have exposed him to his own self… like teaching him how to taking care of himself.

Asmo gave himself and Satan chances to build their relationship into what it is, they are as we see almost always together.

I also think out of everyone Asmo can help Satan in controlling his wrath the most since both of their sins are accountable under control.

Beel

Beel is in the middle of eceryone because since he was close to Lilith he must have also been experiencing great guilt, especially with the choice between Lilith and Belphie.

Beel once he registers Satan would be a bit troubled but not against it or whatever… just a mix of curiosity and yearning.

They probably bonded on the topic of knowledge of which realm’s food is better. I do feel that Beel sometimes co related Lilith and Satan together just because of his inner conflicts and feelings.

Levi

Levi would have been slow to warm up probably. They probably bonded over some common book/manga they read.

From then on, Levi would have given Satan more exposure in terms of books, games, manga from human world, celestial realm, etc.

I feel they would have ended up visiting several maid and cat cafés together, gaming together, reading and binge watching shows and things together. Eventually building off a special bond with inner jokes and understanding that no one except them knows, a bond of great trust and mutual interest and love for each other.

Belphegor

Belphie would have been the last to open up.

Out of all the brothers believe that Belphie is more on terms with his raw demonic self and must have been a little hostile with Satan until he saw a mix of Lucifers and Lilith’s mannerism to which he mellowed down and slowly started trusting each other.

Belphie probably took ALOT of years to mellow down before they bonded over a distaste for Lucifers and diavolos relation and their knowledge about stars and very occasionally Belphiewould have told Satan how Lilith was (despite him having snippets of Lucifers memories). Out of all the brothers , they have the most raw and pure bond of trust and loyalty and ofc carefully built love.

______________________________________________

Satan’s mind

I didn’t feel when I was born but I had question why?

Why did I exist?

Why was I separate from him, and yet so full of everything he denied?

His pride. His wrath. His pain. I was all of it—and none of it. A contradiction wrapped in his blood.

I remember seeing him, my so-called “Birth-giver” not feeling anything of my own but of his.

And yet… even then, even at the very beginning, I wondered if I was more than just his cast-off rage. Was there room in me for reason? For curiosity? For self?

The answer burned quietly inside me, like a fire learning to breathe.

I wasn’t just born from wrath.

I was the question it never dared to ask

Living among his brothers

Living with my brothers was… strange.

They weren’t mine, not really. They were his—Lucifer’s. Each one carrying some piece of the story that led to my existence. I could feel it. The grief in Beel, the chaos in Mammon, the cold logic in Lucifer. All of them, in some way, bore the weight of the Fall. And me? I was just the aftershock.

At first, they didn’t know what to do with me. I don’t blame them. I was temperamental, unpredictable. A force, not a person.

Belphie avoided me. Levi watched me like I was some glitch in his game. Mammon tried to act casual, but I could see the fear in his eyes. Only Asmo dared to be openly curious—though even he kept his distance, like I might explode if touched the wrong way.

Lucifer… he said nothing. But I saw how he looked at me. Like a mirror that reflected everything he hated about himself.

I hated that look.

But I also… wanted him to look. To acknowledge me. Not as a mistake, not as an accident of rage—but as someone real.

And slowly, the house began to feel less like a battlefield and more like a maze. A mess of emotions I didn’t understand. I started watching them. Not out of distrust—but curiosity.

How could beings born from such sin laugh like that?

Why did Beel always save the last snack?

Why did Mammon keep losing bets and still try again the next day?

They were chaotic, loud, irritating—but they were alive. And I started to wonder… was I allowed to be that too?

So I stayed. I fought. I yelled. I read. I learned. And in the quiet moments, I listened—to their stories, to their habits, to the rhythm of a family that somehow, impossibly, was now mine.

Even if I wasn’t born like them…

Even if I didn’t belong the same way…

Maybe, just maybe, I could still be one of them.

[queenshelby]

Business As Usual (Part Four)

Pairing: Dark!Thomas Shelby x Wife!Reader

Warning: Dubious Consent, Reluctant Smut, Loss of Virginity, Arranged Marriage, Religious Themes, Angst, Termination, Pregnancy 

Words: 2,145

NOTE: THIS IS MUCH DARKER THAN WHAT I USUALLY WRITE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

The rain poured relentlessly outside the grimy window of the narrow back-alley abortion clinic.

You sat on the uncomfortable wooden chair, your mind clouded with doubts and fear.

Lizzie Stark, a woman you only recently met, had given you the contact details of a doctor who specialised in illegal procedures like the one you wanted to have performed but questioned yourself about.

"Am I really going to do this?" you whispered to yourself, your hands nervously fidgeting in your lap. The sound of a baby crying from the adjacent room reached your ears, the piercing wails tearing at your already frayed emotions. Suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing a frail-looking doctor with weary eyes peering out from beneath a pair of thick spectacles. His expression was grave as he motioned for you to follow him.

"Y/N is it?” the doctor asked in a hushed tone and you nodded, unable to trust your voice to convey the turmoil within you.

Your heart thundered in your chest, fear and anticipation intertwined. This house, where your choice would be made, seemed to shrink around you, suffocating you with its sterile walls and unspoken possibilities. You took a deep breath, your trembling hand clutching to your purse for support. This was it. The moment of truth, where everything would change, for better or for worse.

“Ready to make your little problem disappear?" the doctor then asked as you walked into the procedure room and your eyes widened as his words sank in. The procedure room was stark and sterile, the air heavy with the scent of antiseptic. The doctor instructed you to lie down on the uncomfortable metal table, your heart pounding in your chest.

"Actually," you began, your voice trembling slightly, "I'm not sure if I can go through with it,” you told the man and his face twisted into a scowl, his patience evaporating like smoke in the breeze. "Time is money, Love. If you're wasting mine, I have no qualms about showing you the door,” he said rudely and you swallowed hard, feeling a sudden surge of bravery. "I'm sorry, but I just can't do it” you told him as silence hung heavily between you, tension thickening the air.

The doctor's eyes bored into yours, searching for any hint of insecurity, any crack in the armour you had gathered around your resolve.

"Fine," he finally muttered, his voice laced with disdain. "But don't come crying to me when you're stuck with a child you don't want,” he told you and, with those haunting words, he retreated into his office, leaving you standing in the desolate waiting room, grappling with the weight of your decision.

***

Week after week then passed, and you continued to live the misery of your life while, secretly, watching your body change and adapt to the fact that you were carrying a child you did not want and about which your husband knew nothing about.

Week after week, you watched in secret as your body transformed, silently adapting to the growing life within you. The weight you carried was not just physical; it weighed heavy on your soul. Each day, you meticulously hid any evidence of your pregnancy, ensuring that Tommy remained oblivious to the truth.

In the depths of your heart, a mixture of fear, guilt, and resentment simmered as you plotted to leave this mess behind. How did you find yourself in this situation? The life growing inside you was not one you wanted, yet fate had deemed it otherwise. Your secret burden became a constant reminder of the choices you thought you had control over but ultimately surrendered to circumstance.

You had no say, a slave in your home called Arrow House, and as you struggled to navigate your own conflicting emotions, you couldn't help but wonder how Tommy would react if he ever discovered your secret. What would become of you? Would he understand your reasons or resent you for keeping him in the dark? These unanswered questions coiled tightly within you, sealing your lips and strengthening your conviction to conceal the truth.

With each passing day, the weight of the secret grew heavier. It whispered its taunting presence, reminding you of the façade you had woven around your life. You became a master of deceit, expertly masking the signs of pregnancy—sickness, tiredness, and the telltale physical changes—through careful planning and cunning improvisation.

But this wasn’t everything you concealed. You also concealed the fact that you were disgusted and hurt by the fact that your husband was treating you the way he did.

He slept with other women, mainly whores but also a fellow criminal named Laura Manning. Laura was a pawn in his game. He did not love her and yet, you couldn’t help but feel despair towards her. She worked with your husband while he did not allow you to work at all. He kept you as his prisoner, and eventually, you just sought solace in the routine of your days, feigning normalcy while the life within you flourished.

You pursued mundane activities, but behind the smiling facade was the war of emotions raging within you as you plotted to leave, somehow, going back to America. The love and attachment you should have felt for your unborn child by now was also overshadowed by the overwhelming sense of entrapment. Arrow House was nothing but a gilded cage and, week after week, you continued to play your role and maintained the illusion that everything was as it should be while you longed for the day when you could unburden yourself of all this.

You needed your own money to leave and had no access to a large amount of funds. Your husband controlled everything and, just recently, he even took away the little money you had saved beneath your bed after he caught wind of the plan you were plotting.

A fight ensued, following which leaving Arrow House was impossible for you. You were a prisoner now and with that, the secret of your unborn child was seeping into the cracks of your arranged marriage. The guilt gnawed at your soul like a relentless beast as you wondered how long you could keep the truth hidden.

You were several months pregnant now, showing slightly and just as Tommy came home again after a lengthy trip, smelling like another woman, you had enough. You could not take it anymore.

Thomas returned home earlier than you had expected. The stench of his infidelity clung to him like an invisible layer of betrayal. The moment his eyes met yours, you felt a shiver of anguish run down your spine.

His presence alone commanded attention, silencing the air with his dangerous aura. Thomas, eyes cold as steel, glanced at you, his penetrating gaze making you feel bare, vulnerable.

"Knitting, eh?” he teased you, seeing that this was how you had spent your days now that it was raining. You knitted out of boredom and his statement caused you to nod in silence while tears began to form in the corner of your eyes.

“Don't you have something more productive to do?" Tommy drawled, asserting his authority as he always did. You raised an eyebrow, your resilience fighting back this time as your ever-changing hormones got the better of you.

"Perhaps I would have if I wasn’t a prisoner in this fucking house and if my husband hadn't been busy gallivanting with his mistress yet again," you retorted, your voice dripping with bitterness. The tension grew thick between you, the air electric with unspoken words. Thomas took a step forward, his voice low and venomous.

"My personal affairs are none of your concern, eh. Our marriage is a sham, so why should I be faithful to you?” he questioned, his arrogance seeping into every syllable. Your jaw clenched, a defiant fire igniting in your eyes.

"If this is a mere sham for you, why keep me prisoner Thomas? Just let me go, after all you have done to me…” you told your husband before implementing a threat of your own.

“You know, I have told my family about your lack of liaison with me on the export provisions and I am sure it will be addressed during the next business meeting. So perhaps then you will just have to set me free” you determined to which Thomas smirked, his arrogance momentarily shifting into amusement.

"That’s funny Love” he taunted. “Since it was your uncle and aunt who made me keep you out of the family business. I wanted to keep my fucking promise to you after that awful night we shared. I thought that I owed you that much, but your family begged to differ” Tommy then said, dismissing your words with a flick of his hand.

“Excuse me?” you say surprised while a twisted smirk graced Tommy’s lips.

“I am doing exactly what your family wants from me Y/N and it is in both our interest to do so, at least for now. Trust me” Tommy told you as the room fell into an infuriating silence, tension hanging in the air like a blade waiting to strike.

Thomas stared at you, his stormy eyes searching for a hint of weakness. "But you are not as powerless as you think Love. Not against me and not against your family" Thomas finally spoke, a dangerous glimmer dancing in his eyes.

"You just need to learn how to put your foot down when sitting with the big players in this game,” your husband told you and, by that point, your heart raced, the weight of your secret threatening to suffocate you.

“This game?” you asked. “Is this what this is to you, Thomas? A fucking game?” you asked, causing your husband to chuckle.

“Yes, I do. It’s a game of power and fucking respect, both of which you need to earn if you want to make it to the top and I am at the fucking top now” Tommy exclaimed, causing you to break out in anger.

“Well, I played the game too Tommy, when I agreed to marry you. My marriage to you alone should earn me some fucking respect, but no…you are out there, fucking every whore in this town, and it isn’t even the whores that bother me. It’s Laura fucking Manning” you told Tommy, your frustration seeping into your voice. "I went into this marriage, fully aware of what I was getting myself into. But I thought that, at the very least, my commitment to you would earn me some respect” you went on to tell your husband who was stunned by your newfound confidence.

Your tone of voice conveyed your frustration and annoyance as you confronted Tommy about his affair. This arranged marriage was already far from what you had envisioned, but to discover that your husband was being unfaithful added an extra layer of irritation.

You had resigned yourself to the fact that your marriage may not be built on love, but mutual respect and fidelity should have been a given. Yet here you were, realising that even the minimal expectations you had were not being met.

Tommy's actions felt like a direct attack on your dignity, making it even more difficult to maintain any semblance of a positive outlook. The bitterness in your voice was a perfect reflection of the resentment simmering within you.

But rather than let your emotions consume you completely, you chose this moment to confront Tommy. You wanted him to understand just how much he had wounded you and how unacceptable his actions were.

As the words left your lips, you couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, even in your angry state. You were determined to make him face the consequences of his choices, and this confrontation would be the first step towards that.

Thus, with a determined resolve, you squared your shoulders and met Thomas's gaze head-on as he was standing there, speechless.

"I am not one to be underestimated, Thomas. You'll soon learn that," you declared, your voice laced with the strength you barely knew you possessed. Thomas chuckled, a low, mocking sound that resonated with arrogance. "Then show me, Love. Show me who you really are, " he challenged. As the tension between you rose, you felt a strange mix of anger and desire. The lines between love and hate began to blur, a dangerous dance on the edge of emotion.

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot echoed from outside, shattering the fragile tranquillity. Thomas's eyes flickered with a flicker of alarm before he composed himself, slipping back into the role of a cold, calculating leader.

"Seems our conversation will have to wait, eh," he muttered, the urgency in his voice betraying his calm facade. "Stay here,” he then ordered, and you nodded silently, watching as he rushed out of the room with a swift determination.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

Tuesday Again No Problem 4/1/2025

I considered a Tuesdaypost full of uncharacteristic media (various heterosexual romances) but even I will not go that far for a joke.

Listening

If Mackintosh was not beset by ghosts and Philip at every moment of the day, this would be her theme song. This is not a theme song for a cat who spurred the DuckDuckGo search “cat confidence exercises”.

Louie Zhong is quite good at really evocative instrumentals. This album DOES sound like an aquarium tour!

-

Reading

Peggy Herring’s third novel with Naiad Press, 1997’s Hot Check. We previously had a bad time with her second novel, the one about the French vineyard lesbians. This one has a much better cover, which is the only nice thing I can say about it.

Ricky Conrad brings a whole new meaning to the word hot… but is the rising young rock star too hot to handle?

In an effort to revive her struggling restaurant chain, Alice Collins hires the dynamic Ricky Conrad and her band, Hot Check, to record a new corporate jingle. Ricky turns out to be as talented as she is drop-dead gorgeous, and the minute her sultry voice hits the airwaves, restaurant sales start to soar— along with Alice’s pulse.

Although one look from the singer can turn her blood to molten lava, workaholic Alice is determined not to mix business with pleasure. But as she watches Ricky play those hot licks on the guitar, she can’t help but fantasize what those strong hands could do to a woman’s body… to her body…

It’s hard to keep your cool when you’re standing at the edge of a volcano…

I really would not describe this singer’s voice as unto pebbles in a plastic container. She simply sounds like a smoker.

My main issue with this book is structural— Herring forgot to put in a conflict until page 110 of 180. The meet-cute and get-together happens quickly, but the vast middle of the book is domesticity that neither develops the characters nor says much of anything about the author’s thoughts and views on U-Haul career-focused lesbians. They have sex, they eat food, and not much else. As in the vineyard lesbians book, Herring has a very sparse, barely fleshed out from the outline style. Once again, scenes and time periods that could be their own chapters are short paragraphs or brief asides. Episodes that are fleshed out are a series of barely connected vignettes and recountings of friends’ jokes at friends’ parties. I have further concerns on a sentence by sentence structure— people bellow and roar far more than I expect from any book, and conversations often feel like two or more different conversations are happening to me.

The conflict eventually comes from a fundamental disconnect between long-term career goals, and instead of exploring this conflict in a way I would have preferred to see, Herring puts Ricky through a car crash that kills one bandmate, maims another, and leaves her in a coma for three days. This (much like a car crash) was very jarring and unexpected, and instead of developing these characters enough that I would be interested in seeing them come to some sort of emotional growth through some sort of decision making process, I was relived at having this choice taken away from them, because I do not trust Herring enough to write that process in an interesting or coherent manner.

The sex scenes are better than her last book, and it is nice to read a lesbian who cannot come instantaneously. I do not believe I have ever seen this in a traditionally published work. It is also difficult to express how much the mobile 10-image limit is cramping my style.

-

Watching

I no longer remember which one of you mothers and/or fuckers introduced me to Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, but as I am falling back in love with gardening I am catching up on his videos. Here he is on the bleeding edge of day-trippability from my house!

This will not surprise anyone familiar with my general deal, but I am fascinated by efforts to manage invasive species. I wish him nothing but the best in his feral hog fight.

-

Playing

I am hopelessly smitten with the setting and scope of the newest Genshin Impact update. It made me gasp at numerous points, and I am only at about fifteen percent combined total exploration of the three new areas. These areas are DENSE. I have not even finished the main tribe or the main area quest yet, because I keep falling asleep directly after dinner on my couch, much like a dad. I do wish they broke the overland component out into the last update and saved the volcano interiors for this one, but alas.

God fucking damn these areas are fun as hell. This is on the lowest possible quality on my phone and unfortunately it does show. I am so excited to eventually get my PC fixed.

The character in this last screenshot is the newest character I pulled, a cow girl. I completely blew through my stash of gacha currency to get her and hopefully will have built that back up a little for Skirk’s release (Maybe around the part 1 Snezhnaya release? We have a ways to go) or if they ever ever ever rerun Yae Miko.

Here she is cheering for trans rights.

-

Making

I shall reblog this with a sock and gardening update, as I have fetched up against the image limit.

[saythatuwill]

Helllllo! I'm here again! Asking about The Android Playlists!

I wanna know about Abstract (Psychopomp) on the Vessel!android list

(I'm tottaaally not looking for a song for that fic, no that's nots what's happening)

and

Telomeres on the Noah!android list!

<3 @lyricallymelodic

OUGHHHH MY BELOVED FRIEND... i'm always happy to share! if this is a song you're considering for the fic, what a GOOD CHOICE. shall we?

if the format isn't the same as the last analysis please forgive me i'm experimenting. and writing this on my phone because walks help me think.

i have a mouthful to say abt "abstract (psychopomp)" so we'll under the cut it.

update (a WHOLE HOUR LATER): i might actually have to do a SEPARATE POST for android!noah because of how long this explanation is. i locked the fuck in for you my friend.

obligatory delta tag!!! @astronoids

ANDROID!VESSEL — ABSTRACT (PSYCHOPOMP) // HOZIER

this song was one of my more creative choices i'd say. i was hoping someone would ask about it!

Sometimes it returns like rain that you slept through

That washed off the world, the streets looking brand new

I will not be great, but I'm grateful to get through

The feeling came late, I'm still glad I met you

so, what is "it"? in the context of android!vessel, it's a particular memory. how that memory can come back, even if current events or Other Memories cast a shadow over it.

in this case? the memory is of sleep, specifically the day you and the force came to rescue him and the other androids. the regrets he has about his time in the cult and way he literally nearly attacked you that day. and how it took him a long time to realize that he could trust you and meant you no harm. that his time with sleep was not positive. but despite the trauma, ultimately it was what led you to him. despite everything, he's still glad he met you.

The memory hurts, but does me no harm

Your hand in my pocket to keep us both warm

The poor thing in the road, its eye still glistening

The cold wet of your nose, the earth from a distance

it's a painful trauma that haunts him, but ultimately those experiences will never happen again. and you're there, with him.

now, here comes vessel's internal conflict. we have to remember how heavily vessel was manipulated during his time with sleep. he KNOWS the memories are not fond or good, but in his mind, it still distorts itself.

so in the second half, the "you" is not you. it's sleep. sleep is the poor thing in the road, he is recounting that very same day he met you. except he's seeing sleep as some "poor creature" that maybe he damaged.

(wait, sherry! isn't that kind of hypocritical of vessel?) sure! but let's not forget what vessel is; a victim. i actually pull his mentality from personal experience. i want to take a second to properly unpack that.

vessel has no recollection of his life as an android before sleep. and sleep essentially gaslit and manipulated him into thinking he was a freaky android deity. any time vessel strayed from that path, sleep would remind him; "hey! behave yourself! no one else is going to love you or want you except for me. and me? i'm so good to you!"

that's conditioning vessel to believe that what sleep did to him was love. so in a sad way, he kind of just began to feel grateful and happy for it. it took him time to realize that was never love, and now he has you (who is a very healthy partner).

but sometimes, in intense or particularly lonely situations, at least in my experience? i find myself trying to convince myself that it wasn't that bad. i'm just dramatic, i should've been more grateful. minor good memories feel like proof that the abuse wasn't that bad. and unfortunately, that can cause doubt, or maybe make you question if YOU were the real problem.

vessel misses sleep, but not sleep themselves. the idea of sleep. does that make sense? whatever he was manipulated into thinking sleep was, he misses that sleep. but in the same breath it's not like he wants to go back.

tl;dr : he kinda gets in his own head. convinces himself at times that maybe sleep was the victim and not him.

Sometimes there's a thought, like you choose what you're doing

But it comes to naught when I look back through it

I remember the view, street lights in the dark blue

The moment I knew I'd no choice but to love you

first two lines; that's actually about you during that same memory. initially he believed that you chose to take time of your day to save him and the others, that you were just sorta doing your job. when he looks through it knowing you now, he knows that really, you're selfless and considerate. even if being that way could've killed you.

second two: i think this could be about sleep or you. if it's sleep, it's literally about how vessel eventually realized he was trapped and LITERALLY HAD NO CHOICE but to love sleep. if it's you, it's a flash forward to the day he realizes he's in love with you. he tried to avoid those feelings for so long, but they won't go away. his mind and his "heart" have already decided.

The speed that you moved, the screech of the cars

The creature still moving, that slowed in your arms

The fear in its eyes gone out in an instant

Your tear caught the light, the earth from a distance

okay so this is also vaguely a double meaning.

meaning one: vessel recounts witnessing you on that day, trying to save... well, here's your first lore piece about you in this au!

sleep had ended up grabbing your partner at the time (both romantic and your partner at work), it was an effort to get you to back off. and in fear for their life, you were ready to back off. you had backup swarming the manor anyway, that sleep didn't even know about. you agreed to back off, and asked them to return your partner to you.

sleep fatally wounds your partner and drops them on the ground before taking off. your partner dies in your arms. fueled by heartbreak and rage, you immediately sent backup in and put everything into rescuing as many androids as you could.

you were selfless and compassionate. but also reckless, fueled by your grief and the shock you were experiencing. vessel saw all of this. from the top of the staircase, he watched it. that was the first seed of doubt about sleep, but he wouldn't process it for a long time.

meaning two: vessel is referring to himself as "the creature". mainly, him when infected by the virus and him just generally not being trusting, as well as afraid of you.

your willingness to protect him from M.I.N.D literally killing him and scrapping him for parts. and the part about him still moving, slow in your arms?

it's a more recent recollection of you literally holding him. he doesn't pull away, he doesn't stiffen the way he usually does. the fear in his eyes going out in an instant is him finally not being afraid of you anymore.

the tear in your eyes isn't one of grief or sadness, that's a tear of joy.

Darling, there's a part of me I'm afraid will always be

Trapped within an abstract from a moment of my life

The weeds up through the concrete, the traffic picking up speed

All my love and terror balanced there between those eyes

he's talking to you. he's admitting the war he wages in his mind between his love and trust in you, and the memories that make him question if sleep was the real victim and missing the idea of sleep.

he's admitting to you that he's afraid that those memories, those feelings, that trauma, will never go away.

"those eyes" are his eyes. his love for you and his fear of the past, even the future at times (of somehow going through the same pain again), it'll always be there.

See how it shines

See how it shines

he wants you to look into his eyes, see it. see him. for who and what he is, for who he was then and who he is now. he wants you to see his hurt, his anger, his sadness and fear, and love him anyway.

( of course you do. )

[vigilskeep]

I've been going through your Keir Hawke tag because the character absolutely fascinates me and I keep seeing glimpses of Varric and Anders' friendship in that world state (especially something you mentioned about the book originally going to be about Anders) and it's making me feral

What do you think Varric and Anders' relationship is like? What does Varric think about Keir refusing to kill Anders and running off with him?

the thing about varric and keir is that even if they manage to get along in their way, their relationship is basically one of necessity. keir never trusted him in act 1, and varric vastly preferred bethany’s gentleness to keir’s whole uh attitude, but after the deep roads expedition they for various reasons both feel a level of guilt and obligation that sticks them together. you might say they’re more like family than friends, in the sense that with family you don’t have a choice. whereas varric and anders are actually friends, they get along, they joke together. varric finds anders hard to deal with in the later acts but they’re still at the hanged man together, varric is still trying to reach out in his way during banters, anders is trying to leave his possessions to him, etc. and that’s not like with varric and keir where something specific and insane happened to lock them together. he genuinely just likes anders

and varric is creatively interested in anders from the beginning; he’s talking about writing “an epic poem about a hopelessly romantic apostate” in literally the first banter they have. (why did he say hopelessly romantic. why did he say that.) i don’t think it occurs to him that keir even might be material for the protagonist of anything until... maybe the arishok duel, by which time iirc he’s already publishing his serial inspired by, like, aveline and donnic of all people. before that, keir is pretty obvious rags-to-riches plot inspiration but tbh i think varric thought that part was a bit cliché and that even if he did want it, he’d swap out the actual character for someone more likeable, lmao. god knows how or if he was thinking of writing the love interest in the anders-focused version of the book

i don’t think it would have occurred to varric that keir would spare anders and run off into the sunset with him. varric has a very surface-level read on keir, he kind of just sees the red hawke front. i think it’s umm... how do i put this. i think it’s integral to the severity of varric’s reaction to anders in dai that it doesn’t make sense in his head that he himself was more angry than keir, and that he was closer to agreeing with sebastian, the guy who went on to attack kirkwall. i think a lot of people including himself act “out-of-character” in that moment from varric’s perspective, and he finds that very distressing. the rewrite of the book that suddenly centres keir is also him rewriting his memories until everything “fits”. he never liked anders that much, it was hawke, hawke was always really the protagonist and varric has always been on his side, incidentally varric also totally always hated sebastian and is nothing like him, also anders’ actions are 100% sudden and crazy and varric’s anger over them is 100% normal impersonal and justified, etc etc. (to be clear i’m not saying this affects everything we see in da2 and that anders is Maligned in it or whatever. varric’s narrative in da2 is not the same as the book. a very significant amount of the truth slips back in when he has to talk so long, and talk for his life. anders’ sympathetic qualities and their friendship, for example, i can’t imagine that comes up a lot that’s in a book that canonically doesn’t even mention what happened to anders after the explosion.)

varric does not feel particularly normal about any part of the life anders and keir are currently living and he does not like to think about it. he had to rewrite the book into a tragedy to make sense of everything, which conflicts upsettingly with the reality that those two are... honestly simply not tragic. obviously they went through hell. but the mage rebellion is achieved. anders and keir are both visibly better in body and mind for being out of kirkwall. they do get married! it was varric’s home (a city keir hated) that got destroyed (by anders). and varric’s the one left on his own. and the one audibly kind of miserable and guilty and homesick and generally Doing Bad during a lot of inquisition. i think he finds that comparison very hard to even think about. it’s easier to see and analyse tragedy in other people like an impartial observer, than reckon with the fact that it was actually you it happened to and the people you miss and blame and feel bad for in equal measure are kind of just... doing fine? (without you. better the moment they left your city behind.)

(note: i am never arguing “the book was meant to be about anders” as a general headcanon, i just know it to be true in my worldstate)

[deception-united]

Hi! Could I ask for advice on how to write an enemies to lovers, non-toxic romance between a guy who's former bully and the girl he used to bully?

The guy (and his former group of "friends") initially bullied her out of envy and jealousy because she has everything he wanted (a happy and healthy relationship with both parents, true loyal friends, genuine optimism, etc.)

After facing punishment and a host of humiliating incidents, he sees the error in his ways and changes for the better.

I feel like a story like this might be very controversial so I wish to avoid any toxicity int their relationship.

Hi, thanks for asking! This is a fantastic concept, and you’re absolutely right to want to avoid toxicity. Enemies-to-lovers, especially when one character has wronged the other in the past, requires careful handling. The main things to keep in mind are accountability, growth, and a slow-burn dynamic where the romance develops only after trust is rebuilt. Here’s are some tips to do it right.

1. The bully must genuinely change—without expecting forgiveness.

His redemption shouldn't all be about “earning” her love; it needs to be about becoming a better person for his own sake. Show his growth through actions, not just words—this can be shown in even greater detail if you plan to have parts from his POV where he reflects, works to fix his flaws, and tries to make amends. Not because he wants a relationship with her, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Have him struggle with guilt. He shouldn’t expect her to forgive him easily, and he would probably feel uncomfortable facing his past actions.

Show him distancing himself from his old “friends,” rejecting their toxic behavior. Maybe they turn on him, making him experience a fraction of what she went through.

2. Make her healing the priority.

She doesn't have to forgive him right away, and likely won't. There will be feelings of anger, hurt, and wariness throughout the process; her healing is independent of him, and she should reclaim her own power.

She may still flinch at his presence or feel conflicted when she sees him change.

She might not want anything to do with him at first, which is valid.

Her friends might be protective and sceptical of his intentions.

3. No instant romance—let them rebuild from scratch.

You can have them start as distant acquaintances, then slowly form an uneasy truce, then perhaps a reluctant partnership in some situation (school project, work, mutual friend in trouble, etc.). Trust is built over time, through consistent behavior.

He can show he's changed through small, consistent actions (e.g., standing up for others, acknowledging his past without defensiveness, respecting boundaries).

She might struggle with seeing him as something other than her past tormentor (internal conflict).

4. Atonement without a grand gesture

One mistake often made in redemption arcs like this is the "big moment" where the former bully "proves" they’ve changed (sacrificing something, protecting her, etc.). While dramatic, it can feel like a shortcut. Try to make his redemption a series of quiet, consistent choices rather than one grand act. Though this is not to say it can't be done correctly if that's what you want to go with!

5. Give her power in the relationship.

If you're trying to avoid toxicity, he should never try to push her into forgiving him or seeing him differently. Instead, have her be the one to set the pace—she gets to decide whether to let him in, and he needs to respect that.

6. Mutual growth

It’s not just about him becoming a better person—it’s also about her learning that she’s allowed to move forward on her own terms. Make her internal conflict, growth, and arc as complex as you would any other character.

7. Humour and shared interests help bridge the gap.

Tension, banter, and reluctant teamwork can be great ways to ease the shift from enemies to something softer. Maybe they end up on the same sports team, in the same club, or thrown into some situation where they’re forced to rely on one another.

___

Things to avoid:

Don't excuse his past actions. His jealousy was an explanation, not a justification. He should never act like she "had it coming" just because she had things he didn’t.

Don't make her feelings secondary to his redemption arc. Her journey is just as important, if not more.

No "you were the only one who ever really understood me" or anything of that nature – this can make it feel like he only changed because of her, which can be unhealthy.

No love fixing everything. Romance shouldn’t erase trauma. Even if she falls for him, she may still struggle with memories of the past, depending on how severe the bullying was.

Hope this helped! I do have a previous post on writing enemies-to-lovers tropes (here), so feel free to check that out for more general tips. Happy writing ❤

Previous | Next

[zahri-melitor]

inspired by your recent ask about the birds of prey - i like how you said it's basically bbs and her harem - er, i mean, teammates and contacts - instead of a team where the "center" is less rigidly defined like 90s young justice or early teen titans (i know dick was the leader but it always seemed like they were all pretty equally close even with early stuff like the roy+garth rivalry). but also i'd like to know more of your thoughts on bop as a whole! personally i loved babs in amanda waller's suicide squad and her on the jla but i can't stand her in bop because all her batty traits come out, my fav is helena so i always feel so sad on her behalf and i thought babs's "apology" was so flimsy and inadequate (maybe i'm biased though because i loved rucka's godfather-esque take on helena so i was disappointed by the sex and the city-esque writing for her prevalent throughout bop)... but babs doesn't treat outsiders like powergirl well either... and that's not even getting how various asian female characters like lady shiva were characterized but to be fair i think that was a DC-wide problem in the early 00s and not just a gail simone thing, though it doesn't make me dislike simone's writing choices any less.... but sorry, sorry, enough of my whining!! please share your thoughts on bop, i'm listenin and learnin over here!!!!!

…I think if you find Barbara as having too many ‘batty traits’ in Simone’s BOP you’re just generally going to have a hard time with Birds of Prey runs. The basic concept of Birds of Prey is Barbara being paranoid, over-controlling and running private ops for her own purposes. It’s essentially an outgrowth of the position she held in Suicide Squad 1987, only Babs is doing it independently without oversight now, rather than working as control for Waller.

Dinah does not see Barbara’s face or find out her name until BOP #21, 29 issues + 2 crossover issues into Birds of Prey as a concept. BLACK CANARY.

I actually personally am very fond of the work Simone did on Helena and Barbara’s relationship together, because she had to sit there and carefully untangle a decade’s worth of drama between them, where they were both extremely justified in being mad at the other. Sticking points that had to be worked through on both sides included: both of their relationships with Dick; Helena’s use of the Bat costume during No Man’s Land and the argument over whether or not that counted as being ‘Batgirl’; the costume going to Cass and Barbara being supportive of Cass as Batgirl; Helena breaking into the Clock Tower in No Man’s Land; Helena’s willingness to use violence and kill. There was lore there and years of encroaching on the other’s territory. So yes, it was rocky to start and they had to learn to trust each other, because they both went in with justifiable hurts, and had done things the other considered completely unacceptable.

Barbara is very much able to work with people she doesn’t like, but she is also a notorious grudge-holder, which means if she’s pissed at a character, she will go out of her way to snub them and avoid them all together. (Your most obvious examples of this are the Babs v Power Girl problems – the origin of which is actually a Dixon story and an example of Babs’ control tendencies meaning her emotional intelligence did not kick in; and Babs’ grudge against Kory). The fact she was willing to get over her problems with Helena was in many ways a reflection of the fact that despite all the conflicts, they both had fundamental base respect for each other, and understood they had to work with or around each other in Gotham.

BOP 1999 is Barbara and Dinah together against the world’s problems, and from Simone and Bedard’s runs it picks up a bunch of extra characters to widen the team and use various people for various specific needs, and to also explore female friendship. You know how Roy promises Dick at the start of Outsiders 2003 that it can just be a team, it doesn’t have to be a family? Babs tries to pull that on HERSELF in Bedard’s run while she’s grappling with the fact that Dinah’s not on the team (and fails. Miserably). What I think one of the upsides of Simone’s run (that I think may be part of what you’re categorising as the ‘Sex and the City’ vibes) is that Simone, being a woman, is actually aware that most women have more than a single female friend, and actually portrays those networks of friendships and different vibes together.

BOP 2010 is Barbara getting the team back together in the wake of Dinah and Ollie’s divorce to give Dinah something to distract herself with and lure her back.

BOP 2011 is technically Dinah’s strike force team, not Babs’, and is missing some of the vibe because they’ve lost a control figure by Barbara being present as Batgirl, not being Oracle. It’s not awful but it is pretty formulaic with occasional bright spots.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey 2016 is an attempt to get the team back to basics in the Simone team model, by re-establishing the baselines of the Barbara-Dinah-Helena friendships. It is successful at that, but it could have dealt with the fact that Babs was Batgirl not Oracle in a less aggravating manner.

There’s an assortment of short Harley Quinn-based stories next that I’m skipping over as they’re mostly slight and dreadful.

The villains and antiheroes BOP that exists for a hot second in Urban Legends for a story really should have been a Ravens team.

BOP 2023 is still having a few issues with figuring out the balance of tension between this being Barbara’s Team and the fact that Dinah stood the team up specifically trying to work around Barbara for Plot Reasons, but a lot of the knots have been worked out by now. It’s very much moving towards having the core of Barbara-Dinah-Cass-Barda-Sin as solid.

[calmcoldevening]

Do you write eric draven hc’s?

Eric Draven x reader, headcannons

Anyway, I finally got to this movie and watched it! Honestly? It was great. I really love such old atmospheric horror movies, just omg. So now I will try to state all my thoughts on this. I apologize in advance for the mistakes, English is not my native language.

• Eric is a very romantic person. Each of your dates would be thought out to the smallest detail, literally. If it's a night out at home, you could sit in his arms while he played one of his songs on the guitar. Or you could watch a movie in the living room, the choice, of course, would be yours. The lights are dimmed, and there are a lot of burning red and pink candles around; the air is filled with the pleasant aroma of roses that Eric gave you this morning; and the sofa around you is full of your favorite sweets and snacks.

• Talking about details, Eric would remember a lot of little things about his partner. I mean, starting from just the zodiac sign and ending with your favorite nail polish color. This person would be good at remembering different dates and, in principle, would treat you with tenderness.

• In his eyes, you are a fragile crystal that can crack at any moment from any inaccurate touch. Therefore, he values him very much, and sometimes literally takes care of him. The main thing is not to be angry with him for this, the boy just has a little trust problems, and he loves you so much.

• Eric is very caring and gentle. You can play with his hair, and then he will give you a relaxing massage if you had a hard day at school or work. He has really strong and skillful hands, it's not for nothing that he is a guitarist. These fingers can do a lot.

• You are always in safe. Literally. His raven follows you everywhere to help you if anything happens. Eric could not forgive himself for the death of another person dear to him.

• It might have been difficult for Eric to open up to you at the very beginning. He has survived a lot, and now he is literally immortal. But his heart is lonely and broken. Before his death, he saw such a horror that happened to his beloved, and now his existence is filled with gray colors. And then you show up. Like a ray of light in his dark life. And his heart seems to start beating again, and his brain is wildly babbling something about how soft your hair looks to the touch and how cute you smiled at that salesman in the store.

• There may be little aggression issue, but he will never hurt you, under any circumstances. He'll just mumble something under your nose and get mad at himself. Or he will go to the roof to play the guitar and calm down. But he will never hurt you. He will not let some little things separate you, destroy your trust. Therefore, he will smooth out all sorts of conflicts.

• During quarrels, he always tries to just talk to you. It's better to calmly hear each other's opinions and later just make your relationship even better, right?

• Constantly compliments you. He loves your eyes and your smell, so Eric can lie on your lap or on your chest for hours and cuddle while you gently touch his hair.

• Quite an active and emotional guy, so you will never get bored with him.

• Eric has a rather acute sense of justice, so he will not tolerate injustice towards you. Especially from yourself. If you have any complexes, the guy will try to prove to you that you are beautiful, absolutely and in everything.

• But he is not only gentle and caring, but also quite teasing. He likes to make you blush and look away in embarrassment. He likes to make you feel special. Because you're his treasure.

[arrowhawkart]

Alright what's up everyone! If you do not follow my personal blog fair warning: I have become very suddenly obsessed with Dragon Age and have been playing thru the games for the first time ever- so expect the next chunk of art from me to be very Dragon Age-centric

So Anyways here's Atlas Hawke, the fun little guy I made for my DA2 playthrough and became incredibly attached to much faster than I expected.

More incoherent rambles and thoughts on my Hawke under the cut- it's very stream of consciousness under there and also very very long you've been warned

[ID in Alt Text]

Just like.... wow.... okay so I've now played through Inquisition and finished Trespasser and I've gotta say DA2 really took the cake for me, like by far my favorite of the 3. (Like please don't get me wrong it absolutely had it's issues I'm not saying it was a perfect game or that all the writing choices were amazing) But I just really enjoyed the smaller more personal scale of the conflicts in DA2, I liked that Hawke was even more Just Some Guy, and like yeah the Warden and the Inquisitor aren't like special chosen ones or anything, but they are both tasked with these gigantic world-saving country-spanning quests, and Hawke? Hawke is just a guy trying to do right by his family. Like he doesn't have any world saving mission. He is just trying to Get By and that really made this game hit home more for me than the other two.

I said I was gonna ramble about my Hawke and I just ended up rambling about DA2 itself... whoops. ANYWAYS- Atlas- My Boy Atlas- I recognize that a purple mage Hawke is the most common route people go and I am by no means unique or original, but this game series is very new to me, personally, and I'm having fun anyways. (From here on out I will be talking about my Custom Hawke and not like, Hawke the player character in general)

And gosh I'm such a sucker for complicated and messy family dynamics, and DA2 does that so well. Like the Hawke family is Fucked Up. Bethany gets killed by that ogre while they're fleeing Lothering when she tries to save their mom from said ogre, and Leandra immediately turns and blames Atlas for Bethany's death- and then later in Act 1, Carver, best baby brother Carver, also throws Bethany's death in his face while they're having their own stupid argument which started because Atlas was trying to cheer Carver up and boy did that fail dramatically.

Like Atlas is witty and charming and sarcastic and kind of an asshole sometimes, and comes of as incredibly over confident and cocksure and that's because he's very much been shoved into the role of 'okay you've gotta take care of everything and if you don't everything bad is Your Fault, and since you're in charge of taking care of everything, everything bad is automatically Your Fault No Matter What Anyways.' So he's gotta playact like he has everything all together and under control, because what the fuck is his family gonna do if he doesn't? And underneath all of that he's an incredibly stressed out guy, who does not feel like he can ever let on that he's stressed and making everything up as he goes and just hoping that things work out well.

And like he tries to do the right thing- by god does this man try. He brings Carver with him on the deep roads mission because he and Carver work well together! Carver wants to go! He loves his little brother, there is no one he would rather have by his side than his little brother! There is no one he trusts more than Carver to have his back! Carver and Atlas are incredibly close. Like Carver is the one person who actually recognizes that the way Leandra projects all of her own issues onto them, but like mostly Atlas, is really shitty! He acknowledges that after apologizing for his part in the argument I mentioned above. And then of course Carver ends up getting the Blight during the deep roads mission, because nothing can ever go right for them. Thankfully Atlas brought Anders along, so Carver is able to become a Grey Warden instead of DYING, but he has to leave, and Atlas doesn't even find out whether or not Carver survived his joining for months. And of course Leandra blames Atlas for this, she begged him not to bring Carver along with him, and he did anyways and now she's never going to see her youngest son again and it's all Atlas's fault. And that's how Act 1 ends and I just.... Auaghghghghhhh-

And then we've got Act 2, and like mid-way through Act 2 is probably the high point for Atlas. Things peak for him here and then it's all one big snowball downhill from there. So like, Atlas romanced Fenris, because this man is addicted to difficulty, and of course was going to immediately be infatuated with the guy that makes hating mages half his personality. (I mean it wasn't immediate, it was more of a slow build, mutual-trust, to friendship, to lovers thing, especially considering three years pass between Acts 1 and 2) And yeah, Atlas doesn't hide the fact that he's very into Fenris, and Fenris definitely hasn't seemed opposed to this. So after Fenris kills Hadriana and then they get together for one night- Atlas is like, riding the high of what was probably the first positive physical affection he's gotten since Carver left for the Grey Wardens three years ago. And then of course the following morning Fenris immediately breaks things off with Atlas, so what Atlas thought was going to be the start to a romantic relationship, just ends up being an ill-fated one night stand. And like! Atlas does not begrudge Fenris this! He completely understands Fenris's reasons, he is not upset with Fenris at all! He is still just completely crushed though. So yeah, things peaked for Atlas for like one very short night and then start speeding downhill. Because not long after that is when his mom is killed by a fucking serial killer. As if things weren't already fucked enough for Atlas, already having lost his twin younger siblings.

Also side note- I love the fact that DA2 is portrayed as Varric telling the story of Hawke's life to Cassandra, and that we know Varric is an unreliable narrator. Because like Leandra's last words to Hawke being that she's so proud of her strong boy- at least with how Atlas's relationship was with Leandra up to this point- felt so so out of character for Leandra, and I love the headcanon that that's Varric giving his bestie some closure narratively that he never actually got in reality. So like that's canon for Atlas. Because that was Leandra's decapitated head frankensteined onto another woman's body- and magicked into a reanimated corpse that absolutely did not seem like it had any conscious thought- like she was already dead before Atlas showed up. There were no final words. There was no nice narratively satisfying ending to that one. And I like it better that way tbh........

We're just gonna like skip over the whole qunari invasion subplot because I am. Not a fan of how that was handled. Writing wise. Like what the fuck was that. Like I have THOUGHTS about it but they're not gonna go on tumblr. Anyways. Moving on.

Champion of Kirkwall! Yay! Meredith knows he's an apostate mage and is just Waiting for any half-decent excuse to either bring him to the circle, make him tranquil, or kill him? Not yay! Atlas is absolutely good friends with Anders, and has been helping with the mage underground every chance he has. People in the city have been whispering about making him of all people Viscount and he has no idea how to feel about that, like he'd rather not, but who else is gonna do it? And who else would do it and actually give a shit about mages and elves and just like lower class people in general? Like this incredibly stressed out guy does not need more added to his plate, he really doesn't. But he's definitely thinking about it. I mean hey! It's not like he's got any family around to take care of at this point right? Why not just take that eldest daughter syndrome thing he's got going on and use it to fix the city?

The one bright spot for him here is that hey, at least he and Fenris get back together. That one's nice. They both deserve something positive and comforting after all the shit they've been through.

And then Meredith is trying to invoke the right of annulment and Anders blows up the fucking Chantry. And Atlas can't even blame him for it. After 6 or 7 years of painstakingly working to try to find peaceful ways to improve the lives of mages and getting blocked at every turn, with the knowledge that Meredith has been getting worse and worse and worse, and has been actively looking for any excuse to invoke the right of annulment and just kill every single mage in Kirkwall? And Grand Cleric Elthina has been absolutely no help, and has absolutely been subtly on Meredith's side the entire time. Like at a certain point, violence really does feel like the only option left. When you've been backed this far into a corner.

So obviously Atlas takes the side of the mages, doesn't kill Anders, is honestly like 'my dude, my buddy, my guy, my best pal(aside from Varric, and my boyfriend Fenris) why didn't you tell me? I would've helped you on purpose.' He's elated when Carver shows up during that final push to the Gallows, like the whole situation is absolutely shit, and it'd definitely be better if his beloved brother was no where near danger, but he's a Grey Warden now so that's not even an option anyways. So it's just nice to have him around even during such an intensely stressful moment. Honestly everything is so unbelievably fucked at this point that Atlas isn't even stressed anymore. Like things literally cannot get worse. He's kind of riding the high of things not being able to get worse. Or maybe that's just adrenaline. Who knows. Aveline and Sebastian both leave, Atlas is unbothered. Doesn't even try to convince Aveline to side with him later either, like he's never really gotten along with her, and he did not like how she treated Carver. Fenris and everyone else stick around, and that's what matters to Atlas, like all the people he was actually close friends with stick with him in this moment (Fenris, Varric, Isabella, Merrill, Anders, & Carver)

And then yeah, they save the mages, defeat Meredith, leave Kirkwall with the renegade mages. Everyone goes their separate ways due to one reason or another, except Fenris. At least Atlas does get to keep one positive close relationship around.

[twig-tea]

TsukuTabe S2 Is Perfection

I’ve been waffling about what to write about Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna s2, which completed last week (and which we have access to at all thanks to the hard work of @furritsubs). I have had to just give up on getting across how much this show means to me; there's no way I'll be able to communicate these feelings with words. Season 1 was excellent but Season 2 was everything I wanted and more that I didn't know I needed. This is going to be more disjointed than usual because I don't know how to be coherent about this show (and because tumblr ate my first two attempts).

At its core, Tsukuritai Onna to Tabtetai Onna asks what if we were all just a little bit more conscientious and kind to one another? What if women were given space to be themselves and to make the choices that were best for them? This is the world of TsukuTabe, and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to inhabit it over these last four weeks. 

I have so much love for the way Nomoto and Kasuga develop their relationship in conjunction with their relationships with the other women in their lives. Nagumo, Sayama, and Yako are integral to the success of Nomoto and Kasuga’s relationship, and they're also important relationships for the happiness of Nomoto and Kasuga in their own right. The found family vibes are immaculate. 

The conflict between Kasuga and Nomoto this season was so perfectly them; the way they struggled with the transition from friends to lovers and being two people who are kind and giving in a relationship together and how that requires honesty and trust were both familiar conflicts that hit me hard in the feels. 

Kasuga's conflict with her family also hit me really hard. I once did the wrong thing and showed up to support my family in caring for someone who abused me, and it was a horrible experience that was ruinous to my mental health and took years to get over (and in the end they had to find a different solution anyway, which they could have done in the first place). Watching Kasuga refuse to make a similar decision, standing strong in the face of the social pressures of her parents and her aunt was so healing for me. And then to have her decision affirmed by someone of her parent's age? I sobbed in those scenes. 

I also loved the way this season handled Nagumo’s anxiety issues and how she was given space to decide to get professional help on her own time and terms. The way her parents tried to help was also very familiar to me and realistic, and it was just a little heartbreaking how they tried and didn't understand how their attempts at helping added pressure in a way that wasn't helpful. 

The way this show covers this important beats in a person's life through these small, everyday moments, and in such a gentle way, is what I love so much about it. The show itself makes a safe space so that these subjects can come up and not feel overwhelming. 

And it's also really important to me that all of the characters get to have these moments. Sakae not only reflects on her insensitivity and the unfairness of Japan not having marriage equality, but she also reflects on the pressures on her to marry and whether she actually wants that for herself. Fujita not only helps Kasuga gain proxy acceptance for her choices but gets the same back for herself around her decision to divorce. All of these women live in ways that invoke social stigma, and the way this show gives explicit permission to these women to live their best lives is both cathartic and critical.

I can't end this disjointed ramble without talking about the character I most identified with this season, Yako. Yako is an older, self-actualized asexual lesbian who makes friends with Nomoto on the Internet, recommends lesbian films to her, and mostly listens and affirms as Nomoto goes through her own process of discovering herself. I ran a GSA and have been on the Internet a long time, I've been in Yako’s position a lot (though I can only aspire to be as kind and wise). She is so patient and so genuinely happy for Nomoto when she and Kasuga get together, and she seems so quietly thrilled to have more wonderful people in her life willing to indulge her random party ideas. Her sharing a connection to a LGBTQ+-friendly real estate agency while being angry on their behalf that she even has to was perfection. 

It's so important that these characters say the things they say aloud. I want to inscribe every sentence of this show into everyone's brains. This show is perfect, and lovely, and a warm bath, and a hug, and a cup of your favourite warm beverage perfectly fixed to your liking all in one. If you haven't done yourself the favour of watching yet, I highly recommend that you do so immediately. 

[not an ID: Real footage of the entire audience's satisfaction and catharsis after watching TsukuTabe S2. Actual ID in alt text].

[theerurishipper]

This is just an unstructured, incoherent vent post, but I've seen a few posts recently about how Adrien would definitely forgive Marinette for keeping secrets from him because he loves her, or that he would blame himself for not noticing what was going on and not her. And those aren't wrong, per se, but this is what I mean by the show taking away Adrien's agency. Ultimately his choices are allowed only as far as they do not inconvenience Marinette or anyone else the narrative cares about, like Felix or Nathalie. Which is why Adrien is not allowed to grow, he is not allowed to prioritize his own feelings and emotional needs. Any wrong done to him is resolved by him putting aside his own feelings to forgive the people who wronged him. And yes, he has been taught that his feelings don't matter by Gabriel and that he should bend over to the whims of everybody around him. And that kind of makes it worse, how the effect of Gabriel's abuse is used to convenience everyone around him. I think it's gross.

Just look at the Ladynoir conflict from Season 4. Adrien brings up his grievances with Ladybug's treatment of him a few times, but ultimately, he ends up putting it aside to focus on her emotional needs when she is at her lowest. Kuro Neko gave us the message that it wasn't that Ladybug was treating Chat Noir unfairly, but that Chat Noir should stop expecting to be treated with respect and should stop having emotional needs. And at the end of Strikeback, nothing is resolved, Ladybug hasn't apologized to him or resolved to do better by him, but he still shows up to her side to comfort her. No, she didn't apologize to him. She admitted her mistakes but did little to correct them even after the fact. That whole arc ended with Chat Noir being treated poorly over and over, and yet coming back to Ladybug's side because he's such a good partner and he loves her so much.

And Adrien, a character who has been forced his whole life to bend to the whims of others to please them at his expense is doing the same thing to Ladybug. Adrien exhibiting this behavior is 100% a trauma response. Ladybug is supposed to be his escape from his abusive homelife. And yet, the show writes him falling back into his trauma responses with her (Kuro Neko) and does jack shit to portray it as a bad thing. And the Season 4 finale is once again Adrien putting aside his feelings and showing up to support her. Adrien's emotions are not validated, they are tossed aside. Ladybug admitted her mistakes as she did several times through Season 4, but she still did little to correct them. That admission in Strikeback doesn't do much, because we never see her do anything to fix her mistakes after that. What happened was that Chat Noir saw her in distress and decided his feelings were unimportant because she needed support.

This is not healthy. Adrien should not be invalidating his own feelings so that he can offer comfort to others. He shouldn't forget and forgive so quickly without the other person doing anything to correct their behavior towards him. Once again, this is how Gabriel has taught him to behave, to stop "being so emotional" and to conform to his expectations. And Adrien continuously downplays his own issues for others' sake. And obviously, we would understand that he can heal from this, that he can learn to take care of his own emotional needs first.

And quite frankly, all the posts about how we shouldn't want Adrien and Marinette to break up, or how we shouldn't be so hard on Marinette, or that she is just a child in tough situation, or that she is doing it out of love and that Adrien would forgive her kinda make my point. Because let's be real. What Marinette did is a serious breach of trust. I do not understand how anyone could forgive something like that quickly. And I understand why she did it. I don't think she is a bad person or anything like that. But it's still an awful thing to do. And frankly, I don't see how Adrien could just... instantaneously forgive her without invalidating and downplaying his own pain and hurt. If he did, I would seriously question his self-worth. And while I don't think Adrien would never forgive Marinette or that he would stop loving her, frankly, I would like to see more acknowledgement of his feelings and his emotional needs both from the fandom and the show. I would like to see that his feelings matter, that he is allowed to be angry and that he is allowed to hold people accountable and call them out. I would like for him to not forgive some people. I would like for him to require distance and space from them. That would be development for Adrien, to let himself be emotional and not feel the need to put his own needs aside for others.

But for Adrien to prioritize himself, it would mean acknowledging the harmful things characters like Marinette have done to him. And that can't happen, because all the purpose Adrien serves is as a plot device to connect Marinette to Gabriel, and actually having her be held accountable by the narrative for her choices is a big no no. Growth for Adrien would mean that he lets himself be angry at Marinette for how she kept secrets from him, never apologized for it, and ultimately ended up keeping the greatest secret of all from him about his father and the fact that he is a Sentimonster. But as the writing to this point shows, Marinette isn't a safe space for him where he is allowed to be himself. She is someone who also elicits his trauma responses from him. He doesn't let himself be angry with her, he always puts himself last when it comes to her.

I am not saying Marinette is in any way comparable to Gabriel. She is nowhere as bad as him, she does not come close to that in any way. Marinette is a good person. But what she did in the finale, is explicitly something that Gabriel wanted her to do. Gabriel wanted to continue to dictate his son's emotions and perceptions, and Marinette helped him do it. That's not a healthy relationship. And looking at all the Marinette-Gabriel parallels in Season 5... it's not a good look at all. The show portrays Adrien as someone who has been denied autonomy his whole life, and as someone who is expected to cater to the desires of the people around him and be perfect for them while neglecting his emotional needs, and made his arc one of finding independence and his own identity and learning that his feelings and desires matter. But also, they only matter as far as they don't inconvenience Marinette. Adrien shouldn't downplay his feelings, but if doing so would help Marinette, then he should do it actually. And it's hard for me not to see it as Ladybug benefitting from his trauma from his abusive home. It sounds harsh, but that's how it feels.

And all the talk of how Adrien would never hate Marinette and that he would forgive her is... disappointing to me. Because I don't necessarily disagree, but it still is about prioritizing Marinette's feelings over Adrien's. What is focused on is not how Adrien might feel betrayed, but how Marinette might feel sad about Adrien feeling betrayed by her, and reinforces that Adrien is so good because he would not hold it against her. Even though he should, even though it means he would be downplaying his pain massively if he didn't blame her for that. If Adrien's character should develop, he should be allowed to realize that he has the right to get angry and that he doesn't have to downplay his emotions or feel like it's all his fault. He should be allowed to do that without people jumping to Marinette's defense and excusing her of blame.

Throughout the series, Adrien has been the person to help Ladybug through her problems, and the narrative has never allowed her to do the same for him. And I want to see focus on Adrien for a change. I want to see someone other than Plagg reassuring him and supporting him, especially his partner. I want to see the narrative be less about "oh, Adrien would never hold anything against Marinette because he loves her and would understand her always," and be more "actually Adrien is allowed to prioritize his feelings and want distance from Marinette after she betrayed him in such a personal way." That would be development. That would be reclaiming his agency. That would be free will and autonomy. I would like to see focus on this in the show and the fandom.

Adrien is not obligated to forgive Marinette. He is not obligated to understand her reasonings for why she did what she did. He is allowed to be angry at her and express his hurt because of her actions. Seasons 4 and 5 have regrettably established Marinette as someone else who denies Adrien's agency and around whom he reverts back to his fawning trauma response, and quite frankly the best thing for him to do would be to break up with her and go find himself on his own terms. I want his character to develop and grow, and unfortunately, Seasons 4 and 5 proved to me that it would not be possible as long as he is around Marinette, both from a character and narrative standpoint.

I just wish people would acknowledge and validate Adrien's perspective and feelings more. Even if it means calling out Marinette. Gabe is Adrien's abuser but he isn't the only one who has hurt Adrien in the story. Marinette is an incredible and amazing person but as far as we've reached in the show, she is hurting Adrien. And she has done many things across these two seasons that violate Adrien's trust. It's not even that this is a mistake she could learn from, but that she has done several such things over and over. From keeping secrets about the Miraculous holders' identities even though Hawkmoth himself knew, to Rena Furtive, to trying to trick him into an identity reveal in Ephemeral, and now keeping the fact that he is a Sentimonster and that Gabe is Monarch from him. It's gone from secret keeping to outright lying to him. It is not healthy. And it is a sign of stagnation and regression in Adrien's growth if he continues to keep forgiving her over and over again despite her never fixing her behavior.

If Adrien's arc is about finding autonomy, then he cannot be with someone who is complicit in denying him the ability to make his own choices. If Marinette was supposed to be the knight in shining armor, they shouldn't have given her the key to the tower and have her hide it away. If she was supposed to save him, they shouldn't have had her condemn him further. If Marinette was supposed to be the one who helped Adrien regain his self worth, the person whom he could trust and rely on the most, they shouldn't have made her side with Gabe, deny Adrien his agency, and violate his trust so many times.

It didn't have to be written this way, but these were the decisions made by the writers. They chose to portray Marinette like this for no discernable reason and refused to acknowledge it or deal with it meaningfully. Adrienette is so profoundly unhealthy now that if Adrien's character is to grow, the only way for him to do that is to break up with Marinette. But the show has also made it very clear that Adrien is only a plot device and a trophy for Marinette at the end. So I have no doubt that all will be forgiven in a matter of minutes, and the narrative will praise Adrien for being traumatized and denying his own emotional needs to comfort Marinette as she feels bad for hurting him. And it's sad, but I guess it is what it is.