#my manipulative bastard

[darkwing-katy]

Okay, look, I KNOW in my BRAIN that Ben’s possessiveness is a VERY BAD THING, right? I get that his views on Juliet are VERY FUCKED UP. Okay? I get that if I met a guy like that in real life, I would want to run far, far, far away from him. Yes?

But dear LORD when he says “You’re MINE” in “The Other Woman”…like…I am FERAL for that man. I would die for him. I would KILL for him. He could slap handcuffs on me and I would be totally fine with it. He could tell me that I belong to him and I would counter with a, “hell yeah, I do, and guess what, Benny Boy, you’re MINE, too, now shut up so I can read my Stephen King.”

I blame my childhood self’s obsession with Phantom of the Opera for being totally fine with this toxic possessiveness in fictional characters. Past Kate really fucked up Present Kate by falling in love with the Phantom and I haven’t been the same since

[hypertechnica]

did it mean anything to you?

[kiss-my-asymptote]

I’m fucking dying Astarion’s early party banter is him just flirting with all the companions and striking out; none of them are having it. When he comes on to Tav at the party, not only is he manipulating them, but they are literally his last choice. Not even plan b or c, Tav was plan ‘fuck it, I guess we’re doing this!’ and that clown still fell into his own pit trap.

[demaparbat-hp]

Thinking about @stygiovictoria's Roleswap AU.

[shannonsketches]

There's a meme going around to draw your comfort characters as the Steven meme.

Bowser's never been a comfort character for me, but thinking about how great an Illumination Smash Bros movie would be with these two having the dumbest greatest villain team dynamic has brought me SO much joy this year.

[rabbitprincessthief]

gog i still can't get over minish cap vaati's Everything. He is So Fucking Stupid (affectionate)

Like. This guy's establishing character moment is, in order:

he's introduced as having won an entire tournament to get to touch a magic chest and get a cool sword, which was the prize for said tournament

turns around and does a goddamn evil soliloquy TEN FEET AWAY FROM THE GUARDS who were about to hand him his macguffin on a platter

(like this man fucks up his own horribly planned daylight heist because he cannot keep a lid on the dramatics for FIVE FUCKING MINUTES, IN PUBLIC)

(THE BAR WAS ON THE FLOOR VAATI, FUCKING GANONDORF PLAYS THE PIPE ORGAN FOR HIS OWN BOSS INTRO AND HE STILL KNOWS BETTER THAN THIS SHIT)

proceeds to fight the guards (it is, admittedly, a curbstomp for him, but it still clearly wasn't his plan, because otherwise why bother with the tournament)

gloats evilly

opens chest, unleashing a whole bunch of monsters

exposits out loud about Zelda's powers like a nerd while she is actively charging up her magic powers to kick his ass

RECOGNIZES and IDENTIFIES said magic as the special power carried by the female royal line

completely fails to recognize it as the light force he is currently trying to get his hands on (he spends like 99% of the game not figuring this out.)

petrifies her

(i have no idea if link could have deflected this spell if he had managed to get the right angle with his shield but i like to think somewhere there is a very short and very funny alternate timeline where it happens)

(more importantly: no part of vaati's original presumed plan would have involved doing this. he 100% created this situation for himself by being an dramatic idiot and picking a fight for no good reason.)

looks in the chest

there's no light force

considering his stated goals he might be as confused as you are about the monsters tbh

uhhh

evil laugh

teleports the fuck out

He then proceeds to spend the rest of the game trying to figure out where the light force is and ends up having to wait for Ezlo and Link to figure it out first because he was, as far as I can tell, GENUINELY stuck on this part. He fucking kidnaps and impersonates the King, not for access to Zelda, but to… send guards to go look for the Light Force, presumably because he was either running out of ideas or genuinely thought that would work.

None of the guards even had any idea what he was talking about. He's not even good at impersonating the King. He's already sent like twenty people to the dungeon by the time you get there and it hasn't even been a week. Somehow the game spins this as a cunning plan and clever manipulation or something.

(Meanwhile the guards are just. Poking around in random bushes and shit hoping to find the light force. One of them asks you what you think it might look like.)

Zelda is literally right next to the throne and Vaati does not figure it out until you find an actual honest-to-goodness LORE TABLET spelling out that the Light Force is Stored in the Zelda, at which point he's like "ahahaha you've done my work for me this was definitely my plan all along" and takes over the castle and throws a bunch of monsters at you to stall for time while he figures out how to extract the force from her. Somehow he still doesn't think to actually lock the fucking door.

[finalgirlsamwinchester]

nothing makes my hackles rise more than seeing people ascribe to fanon labelling sam's empathy and compassionate nature as something purely cognitive, cold, and calculating. because for some reason, people are quicker to jump to the conclusion that deep down he's uncaring - that his compassion is purely scripted, that he's going through the motions. which is patently false! if you would spend more than two seconds paying attention to his character and his stated AND unstated motivations and core beliefs.

also. would you say the same thing to an EMT running through a script while dealing with a patient during an emergency. hunting mirrors a lot of emergency service work that puts workers in high stress, life-or-death situations, day in, day out! compassion fatigue is real, and anyone on the job will tell you that no one is surviving the work week running on pure compassion alone.

like emergency services workers in the real world, both brothers rely on scripts. dean often defaults to lines that let him take charge of a situation, especially useful for when decisive action needs to take place. sam on the other hand, usually defaults to supportive lines and does far better at defusing tense situations. they're also capable of swapping roles, and will readily do so when required. it's all part of why they're an effective hunting unit when working together, operating at their best.

because we repeatedly see in the show that tactical combat is only one facet of hunting. there's the research and detective work, but more importantly, there's the people work that comes with it. they're constantly having to work with people, often victims/survivors experiencing great distress.

like yeah they have their own host of issues when it comes to communicating with each other and managing close interpersonal conflicts. but i'd argue they're an effective unit out in the field. and i'm really not judging how they talk to people on their random case-of-the-week by the same standards i use to judge their familial dysfunction. lol.

[tvckerwash]

you know a trait I wish we would've gotten to see more of post recollection is Sneaky BastardTM wash who has a plan on top of the real plan and he doesn't tell anyone about said real plan until the last possible second, essentially forcing those around him to participate against their will in one way or another. get moved around like pawns on a chess board idiots.

[evesetchings]

More doodle of Dream Eater! My space riders oc! Who is surprisingly fun to draw!

I’m gonna take this opportunity to turn this fun couple of shitposts into a lore dump about them and their relationships with other characters, okay? Okay.

So as said in my last few posts about this guy, Dream Eater is a being whose sole motivation is its own survival. Anything else, including the lives and well being of their fellow members, is secondary. Despite this, Dream Eater is still one of the highest ranking members of the cult, being able to communicate directly to the prototype, probably because it lets him keep a close eye on Dream Eater’s behavior, and because their powers not only let them go on covert manipulation missions to make conquering planets easier, but also because it lets them inhabit the bodies of fellow cultists and report directly back to the prototype. It also has the wonderful advantage of making cultists more careful with what they say or do, because who knows if one of your fellow members has a brain sucking monster watching you. Dream eater itself couldn’t care less about the grunts of the cult, viewing them as disposable meat shields or cheap hosts, (they still need to eat after all) but with more powerful members, Dream Eater turns into the biggest ass kisser imaginable, both to lower the risk of being murdered by them, but also because it gives them a powerful ally. After all, the tougher the partner, the longer they can distract the threat.

Their relationship with the space riders is pretty bad on principle, but Catnap holds a special place of loathing in his heart for Dream Eater, as their first encounter being when they were sent on a mission to “gently persuade” (read: gaslight and manipulate) into joining the cult of his own free will. It didn’t work of course, but Catnap has reviled them ever since and Dream Eater themselves isn’t to fond of the either for making him lose some favor with the Prototype for their failure.

(also despite being a MASSIVE coward, Dream Eater isn’t much of a slouch when physically fighting. Those claws aren’t just for show and being able to shove yourself down an enemy’s throat gives you pretty good access to their vital organs)

This au belongs to @onyxonline, check out their stuff!

[helianthus21]

what i need is for Armand to adress Daniel with "love" in Louis' presence, and maybe for Daniel to call Armand "boss". just to see Louis get a stroke

[darkwing-katy]

Someone tell me that I’m crazy for associating the song “Angeleyes” by ABBA with Ben just because of his gorgeous blue eyes. Because if no one tells me this fast enough, then that’s just gonna become one of the many songs that makes me think of him and I’ve already got SO MUCH since I’m obsessed with him and everything makes me wonder if I can connect it to him.

[sleepyfan-blog]

First Ripple

Author’s Note: Part two of Baby Primarchs being raised by the Emperor AU! Previous. Next

Warnings: dehumanization of primarchs, dehumanization of infants, manipulation

Tagged: @egrets-not-regrets

Summary: Erda inquires about the visions that two of the baby primarchs were so distressed by. The Emperor explains, after some cajoling. 

"Neoth it's been a week and a half, and you've yet to tell me what the contents of the visions that Eight and Nine had that caused you to decide to pull all of the primarchs from their incubation chambers until they were infants, like we had previously agreed. Don't think I haven't noticed the increase in security in and around the gene labs, as well as the entirety of the palace as a whole. You're preparing for something. Let me help. The only psyker stronger than I am on Terra is you. But I can't prepare for what I don't know is coming." Erda demanded, staring directly up at Neoth, hands on her hips as the two of them were overseeing the final touches being done to the Primarchs' nursery. All twenty of them would be sleeping in a single, heavily fortified room within the Imperial palace. The room in question was itself a secret known to herself, Amar, Neoth... And the entirety of Neoth's hand-crafted Custodes. This room had been repurposed from a large storage room to a multi-bed play and sleeping room. This room was positioned within one hallway of the throne room and Erda's own personal rooms. The room had one active Gellar field protecting it at all times, and had two separate back-up Gellar fields ready to activate, should the first fail or waver for the slightest moment.

Neoth briefly looked at her before staring at the last of the preparations - several of his younger Custodes were carefully setting up the last of the infant beds with deft and steady hands, though the small furniture looked almost comical in their large hands. He sighed before saying "If we left them to continue to grow within their maturation pods, within a year... Chaos would take them." 

Erda froze for a moment, her eyes widening in horror and confusion "But... But how, the Gellar fields keep The Enemy at bay!"

Neoth looked down at her, a troubled expression furrowing his brows "The visions were overlapping and unclear, but The Enemy sent agents that destroyed the Gellar fields protecting their pods, and -" He hesitated, looking searchingly at her. He still does not see or feel any Chaotic taint within her. "... For reasons I do not know, you were the one to rip open a warp portal, and cast the primarchs into that infinite abyss. You were trembling with rage and sorrow, and many died in the ensuing rampage of The Enemy's servants rampaging around the palace, as the gene-labs were collapsed as reality temporarily collapsed."

"I...  I would never cast our beautiful children away! Especially not into the Warp, the domain of The Enemy, to corrupt their souls and twist their brilliant little minds to cruelty... If they wouldn't kill our children out of spite." Erda spluttered, taking a half-step back in shock.

Part of him wanted to correct her, remind her that the Primarchs weren't their children, not truly. They were weapons, tools for galactic conquest and to bring the disparate colonies of humanity back under one unified banner. The rebuke was on his tongue, but caution stayed him. He would let her cogitate on her future self's potential betrayal - let the utter foolishness of such an act, no matter how well-intentioned she may have thought it to be in a moment of wrathful sorrow, before reminding her what the Primachs, which they had spent over a thousand years in genetics research, testing and experimenting, in order to create. "I am glad to hear that, Erda. I cannot say what drove you in their visions to such an act... But-" He deliberately hesitates, looking her in the eyes before letting his gaze sweep around the room, to the twenty-one bassinets arranged in neat if uneven rows around the room "I... Have a request to make of you, Erda."

She tensed at that, trying to catch his gaze "What... What request is that, Neoth?"

He lets her catch his gaze. He slowly reaches out to her physically, one hand coming to rest lightly on his hand, the other cupping her cheek. "You are a dear companion of mine, Erda. In these long, endless days and nights, and your keen mind and insights have been invaluable beyond words. I see you now, untouched by The Enemy, and I want to believe that-" Carefully, gently now. A light squeeze to her shoulder, allow his eyes to soften as his face shifts to a look of worry that he does genuinely feel. His gilded companions shift a little, ready and listening for the command. 

Good.

Hopefully he won't need to give it, but for the future he sees for mankind, and the necessary sacrifice and bloodshed that must be spilled for it to become a reality, he cannot allow his Primarchs out of his grasp. For eleven of them to become corrupted in one way or another by The Enemy or filthy xenos... No. He will not allow that to happen. He's keenly aware of the power she wields. Which is why this conversation is happening here, well before The Enemy's servants invade the palace and far from where his little generals are slumbering in their pods. "- whatever reasons your potential future self did that, you believed it was for the best. But the glimpses into their futures that I saw... Seventeen lands on a world of chaos worshippers and is slowly corrupted from decanting. Eight lands in a world of literal - and figurative - darkness and is forced to survive on it-his own, killing animals to feast on their flesh. Twelve is beset by Xenos upon decanting, and is then thrown into gladiator pits, with neural implants forced into his brain that torture him into madness. Fourteen lands on a world ruled by necromancers, found by the dread lord of that world and cruelly experimented on until it-he escapes. Twenty-A and Twenty-O are separated during the warp trip and Twenty-O is raised by pirates. Sixteen-"

she raises a hand and pressed her fingers to his lips, shaking her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes "Please... No more. I can guess what you are going to ask of me. You want me to leave the Primarch project? Perhaps even leave the palace entirely. To avoid whatever temporary madness, or Enemy-fueled temptation I somehow fall for, yes? There is much I can do outside of the palace. Or would you rather I leave Terra entirely? I can assist in dealing with the tech-priests of Mars, or the Jovian shipyards."

Neoth kept his face and body posture gentle, regretful, though he allowed a small smile to lift the corners of his lips. "That I am, I am glad that you understand why I am asking this of you. Which would you prefer? To interact with the tech-priests, or wrangle the disparate forces of the Jovian shipyards? For security purposes, I would not be able to inform you of their growth and development until they are ready to be introduced to Terra and the Sol system at large. For their own protection."

"I... Of course, that makes sense, though I will demand that you take plenty of pictures and keep a log of how each of them grow and develop! Despite not being able to be there for their childhoods, I still want to have some evidence of them growing into the strong, handsome beings I know they will one day become. I would rather deal with the Jovian shipyards and deal with the Negotiator clans, rather than the worshippers of the Omnisiah. No offense meant, Neoth." Erda decided, a small and teasing smile appearing on her face.

Neoth rolled his eyes and huffed, grumbling "While it's convenient they decided I am their Omnisiah, it is not something that I encourage them. Of course I will be having their growth and development well documented by trusted people, which I will share with you once they are ready." The promise came easily to his lips. Whether or not he kept that promise depended on whether or not Erda turned to the Enemy in the ensuing years or not. 

"Very well. I’ll start to pack." Erda responded with a nod "I should be ready to leave by the end of the day."

Neoth hummed, nodding and said "I'll have Constantin help you pack, and see you on your way to the shipyards."

She chuckled a little and swatted at him playfully "As if that boy doesn't have enough to do! You don't need to have him fussing over me while I pack my things."

"I insist. He's currently at loose ends, and you know the mischief he can get up to when bored, Idle hands and all that." He responded, keeping his voice and body posture light and playful.

"Oh, alright. Send him to my rooms, and I'll get packing. Don't bully Malcador too much! Goodness knows that boy is entirely too serious as it is. Or Constantin! The lad thinks the galaxy of you." Erda hummed before she headed off.

"I know. I'll keep that in mind, Erda." Neoth responded, suppressing any wayward emotions behind the mask of calm he was projecting. It wouldn't be a true victory until she was off Terra.

Six hours later, and he got the confirmation from Constantin that Erda was well on her way to the Jovian shipyards, none the wiser of the two shadow keepers sent on the same ship to monitor her and report back to him.

[mazojo]

[aliceisathome]

Was busy over the weekend so am only now catching up with My Stand In. Honestly, why do people make me be sociable? I'd much rather stay in and watch BLs ffs.

So... JOE wtf are you doing? Wut has offered help and nope, you're going to take the job as Tong's stunt man because you're too proud to accept his offer. Grr. You are your own worst enemy (not that we didn't know this already).

The bar scene was so tense - when the guy, the almost stand in for Ming wearing the same jacket, approached Joe my shoulders were up around my ears. Up is so good at looking completely contemptuous btw - if anyone ever looked at me like that I would just shrivel and die.

Jim, your 'Khun Ming doesn't drink' line would be a lot more convincing if we hadn't just seen him sippng from a glass of booze. Just saying. And I can't believe you (literally) ran away and left Joe to his fate with your drunk boss. Tut. When do we get to see Mike again? I've missed Inntouch's little face - the new haircut suits him.

I gasped when Joe nearly smashed the couple mugs.

Why did you turn down all the help from nice people Joe? First Wut now Sol Is it because, despite everything, you still want Ming? (hint: yes) And so Ming wants Joe to be a stand in for himself but Joe thinks he wants a stand in for Tong (again). And next week Ming will discover that it wasn't Tong's back at all so he was always a stand in for Joe. Gah.

The layers are layering.

I can't WAIT to see Ming lose it when he finds out the back he fell for was Joe's all along. His meltdown will be epic and I am here for it. But the thing I want the most (other than his utter humiliation and loss of all he holds dear naturally) is Tong's reaction when Ming discards him. This is a man who's been stringing Ming along for years. YEARS. He drops crumbs, is jealous when Ming pays attention to anyone else etc so what is his reaction to Ming coming to his senses and pulling away from his manipulative arse going to be?

Actually Tong reminds me of Ter from Wandee Goodday - also Wal from My Dear Gangster Oppa and the 'friend' in Roommates of Poonduck 304. They're all characters who absolutely know the MC is in love with them. They accept EVERYTHING that the poor man offers and uses them, stringing them along purely for either what they can get materially or for an ego boost. Or both. I loathe this type of character. LOATHE. I want to see these emotionally manipulative bastards get their comeuppance* </rant over>

Roll on next week. Can't wait! And now I have to cleanse my palate with Saturday's Wandee Goodday

*Roommates is a great little series with some seriously good chemistry and the cafe scene where Jae Yun finally discovers that he's been used for all those years is gutting.

[holeodemony]

I am not okay. Just finished ep 36 of malevpod and. I. Aaaaa. Oscar our sweet little baby boy murderer just needs to be alright and the conversation and John and. John you manipulative bastard I knew what you were doing when you were trying to convince Arthur not to tell Oscar about this you don't actually care about Oscar now do you you just want Arthur to yourself and. oscar. Oscar you let the man live that is so aa and yet good on you for being sane I guess(?) still agree that abusive priestman whos name I don't care to remember should've died. And. Arthur. Aaaaaaa oh arthur. Arthur. Why. Why. That last line of the episode. Why did you say that. Why did you make me scream so. So much. Aa. Why are you not okay like i know why logically but how do you make things so aaaaaaaaaa. And telling oscar to help others and that you're giving a reaosn and stuff im not okay I related to them way too m uch for my liking and wby was that last line so emotionally devistating why arthur are you so goddamn poetic I'm going to kill you not actually because I love you and hate you and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa "I'm glad Parker didn't feel the same way." IM NOT OKAY ABOUT THIS LINE!!!!!!!!!!!

[lemoonthetwink]

Rime is here!

Might turn this serie into print, idk, I should think of it I guess