#people react when they get antagonized

[gladiatorcunt]

lmao i got vague posted

[clownoverrat]

how dare you say we piss on the poor

[softlypossessive]

Hello! I hope you’ve been having a great day. I was wondering if I could request a strawhat x mute!reader. The reader has selective mutism, meaning she gets anxiety speaking to people in certain situations. When she does speak, which would be rare, it’s only when it’s just her and her crew. If she was in public she and had to say something she would whisper directly in their ear, otherwise she wouldn’t speak. The relationship could be either platonic or romantic, either is fine. I was wondering how would the strawhats react to their mute member being in a situation where pirates of a different crew surrounds and antagonizes her, trying to get her to speak to them. Also, may I ask that you not make the reader meek and defenseless? While she does feel anxiety when she’s in a situation where she has to speak to people, she’s not an overall anxious and docile person.

♡･ﾟ𓏸 All Strawhats x Selectively Mute!Reader Headcanons 𓏸･ﾟ♡

♡ Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Robin, Franky, Jinbe, Brook, Chopper, gn!reader ♡ Warnings: Fluff, Soft protectiveness, mutual understanding, SFW, platonic, romantic if you squint?? mentions of selective mutism, quiet affirmations, crew-wide affection, no use of Y/N, ♡ Notes: Thank you so much for the request! I really hope I did it justice <3 I went with a full crew interpretation (since it’s SFW) and leaned into that strong, warm platonic love—though if you squint, a few bits might read a lil more intimate. But overall? This crew would go to war for you, no questions asked. Not spicy, just full of love and loyalty.

𓏸⋆｡˚☁️˚｡⋆𓏸

🍖 Luffy

At first, Luffy doesn’t get it.

“Why don’t you talk to them? Are they stupid?” (Yes, Luffy. Yes, they are.)

But the moment it clicks—that your silence isn’t a weakness but a boundary—he respects it with his whole chest

He never pressures you to speak. Like, ever. He doesn’t even notice you don’t talk half the time because he just vibes with your presence

You're still his crewmate, still part of the adventure, still cool as hell in his book

When you do whisper to him? Man lights up like a SUNRISE

“WAAAH YOU TALKED TO ME!!!”

Cue excitement. He treasures those moments

He absolutely throws hands if anyone tries to mock or push you into speaking.

No hesitation.

One second of antagonizing you = rubber punch to the jaw

Thinks your ability to stand silent and still in chaos is scary cool

"You don't need words to be strong. I can feel it. You're STRONG."

⚔️ Zoro

Completely unbothered by your silence—he’s not exactly chatty either

You two could sit in silence for three hours and that’s a perfect conversation to him

He clocks your selective mutism immediately and never asks questions you don’t want to answer

If you whisper something in his ear in public, he listens like it’s sacred scripture

He’s incredibly protective—not because he thinks you’re weak, but because he hates people who mistake quiet for easy prey

The moment someone tries to force words out of you? Zoro’s sword is already out

“You really think pressure makes people talk? Try bleeding first. Then we’ll compare notes.”

He absolutely respects that your silence is a form of control, not submission

Will stand at your shoulder like a silent wall of steel until you nod it’s okay to move

🍳 Sanji

Sanji is a soft king when it comes to your comfort

Doesn’t just “accept” your mutism—he adapts to it

Develops a whole love language around your silences: gestures, hand squeezes, looks, shared glances over food

If you whisper in his ear in public? He goes red every time no matter what you said

Treats your rare spoken words like poetry.

"Your voice... I could die happy now."

But if anyone dares try to “make you speak,” he’s fury on legs

“If you wanted a conversation, you should’ve kept your tongue attached.”

Elegant fury. Fires the first kick. Lights a cigarette after the last one drops

Thinks your silence adds to your mystique and honestly simps hard for it

“They don’t need to talk, idiot. They’re already unforgettable.”

🛠️ Usopp

Understands your selective mutism right away—relates through his own anxiety

Never makes it a big deal, just accepts it as part of who you are

Acts as your unofficial hype man 24/7

Narrates your silence like it’s legendary

“My friend here? Silent assassin. Writes poetry. Could kill you in three moves. Show some respect.”

Gets so excited whenever you whisper to him

“THEY SAID SOMETHING TO ME. PERSONALLY. ME.”

Makes little gadgets to help you communicate—flip signs, buttons, visual cues

If anyone mocks or pressures you to speak, he steps up immediately

Starts going off in a fiery, ridiculous, clearly-exaggerated monologue about how you’re a silent warrior who once stared down a sea king until it cried.

“You’re really gonna push someone who could take you out with one look?”

Absolutely nervous but still defends you—protective even when shaking

Later brags about it like he was chill the whole time

Thinks your silence is mysterious, heroic, and honestly? Very cool

🍊 Nami

Notices your mutism instantly and adjusts without missing a beat

Communicates with subtle cues: touch, eye contact, quiet words

Always leans in when you whisper, gives you her full attention

Becomes your translator in crowds, sharp and effective

“They said back off. Before I make you.”

If someone tries to force you to talk, she doesn’t hold back

Fights with sass, smarts, and no mercy—protects you because you’re strong, not in spite of it

Never treats you like a problem to fix

Calls your mutism a boundary, not a flaw

Gets genuinely touched when you whisper something soft to her

“Only the right people get to hear that voice.”

Thinks you’re powerful in your silence—deadly, beautiful, and fierce

📚 Robin

Understands without needing it explained—she’s lived through silence herself

Views your selective mutism as deliberate, powerful, elegant

You’re not “mute” to her—you’re discerning. And that makes you brilliant in her book.

She’s very observant.

Not only does she notice the exact kinds of situations that make you shut down, she preemptively handles them.

Like casually standing next to you in crowds. Leaning in so you can whisper without stress. Ordering your drink without being asked.

You two become silent duo queens, communicating entire conversations with eye contact and head tilts

But when you’re surrounded, alone, and pirates are sneering in your face?

One of them laughs, “They mute or just stupid?”

Six arms bloom from the stone walls and grab all of them by the throat.

Robin walks up, smiling politely.

“It seems you’re the stupid ones.”

She looks to you and tilts her head.

“Would you like me to break their arms or their egos?”

You murmur a single word

“Egos.”

She smiles wider.

Later, you slip her a note with a tiny sketch of her stepping on the pirate’s face. She folds it into her book like a pressed flower.

🔧 Franky

Thought you were just “cool and mysterious” at first—didn’t realize your silence was tied to selective mutism

When he does figure it out? Immediate SUPER™ respect

Doesn’t try to make you talk—just makes sure you always feel welcome in the workshop

Builds you custom tools or a gadget to help if you want to communicate in crowded places—only if you’re into it

“You don’t gotta say a thing, dude. You just being here is already awesome!”

Treats your rare spoken words like a backstage VIP pass

Will absolutely body block anyone who corners you or tries to force you to speak

If someone mocks you? Cue cyborg intimidation mode

“Real strength ain’t about talkin’. It’s about doin’. And you? You’ve got that in spades.”

Loves hearing you whisper in his ear in public.

Instantly salutes.

“COMMAND RECEIVED!!”

Thinks your silence adds mystery and badassery—he’s kind of obsessed tbh

“You’re like… like a silent laser beam! Precise! Lethal! SUPER!!”

🌊 Jinbe

Understands immediately—doesn’t need an explanation

Has deep emotional intelligence and respects boundaries like a king

Offers quiet companionship when you need it, never pressuring conversation

Has an entire repertoire of gentle nods and thoughtful glances for when words aren’t needed

If you whisper to him, he leans in with the patience of a mountain

“You do not need to speak to be heard.”

Would stand calmly beside you if you're being antagonized—silent, unmoving, radiating “Try me.” energy

If someone pushes you to talk? He won’t raise his voice—but he will command the entire room’s attention

“If your ears are so desperate for sound, perhaps you should listen to your own foolishness.”

He believes your silence holds weight—calls it “the stillness before a wave”

Deeply respects how you fight without words—calls it “an elegant form of strength”

Makes sure the crew understands your boundaries without ever making a fuss of it

Absolute guardian energy, with the soul of a poet

🎻 Brook

Surprisingly intuitive about your silence despite being loud himself

Doesn’t ask invasive questions—just rolls with it, happily filling silences with songs or stories

Makes gentle jokes to ease tension but always watches your cues

“Ah, you didn’t laugh out loud, but I saw that smile! Yohohoho!”

If you whisper something in public? Dramatic swoon every time

“A private word?! For me?! Oh my heart—wait, I don’t have one!! Yohoho!”

He absolutely writes songs about you—like full orchestral ballads of silent bravery

Believes your silence is poetic and meaningful

“Some voices are loudest without sound.”

If someone antagonizes you? Brook’s polite tone goes cold

“Your disrespect will not go unnoticed, even by one without eyes.”

cue chill-inducing violin chord

Protects you through unexpected intimidation—he’s goofy until he isn’t

Thinks your energy is ghostly and powerful in a way he deeply respects

Refers to you as “the whisper between storms” in one of his songs

🧸 Chopper

Soooo gentle and sweet with you from day one

Was nervous at first like

“Did I do something wrong? Why don’t they talk to me?”

But once he understands, he’s all in: brings you tea, sits nearby while you write, never pressures you

“You don’t have to talk. I still know you like me, right?”

Will make you little cue cards or cute picture communication tools if you want help in public

If you whisper to him, he melts.

“AHHH THEY TALKED TO ME! I MEAN—I’M COOL. I’M NORMAL.”

If someone bullies you or gets pushy?

Normally sweet Chopper goes feral mode

“BACK OFF! YOU DON’T GET TO DECIDE HOW THEY TALK!”

Will patch you up after fights and praise how you held your own, even without words

“You’re one of the strongest people I know… You don’t even need a voice to be amazing!”

Lowkey keeps a medical log of when you speak or interact more—only to make sure you’re doing okay mentally

Feels extra close to you because you both were misunderstood at first

♡｡ﾟ☁︎｡♡ﾟ

You were only gone five minutes.

Five minutes to run down the street and grab new ink, maybe peek into the bookstore. Five minutes away from the crew.

Apparently, that was enough.

They came out of nowhere—half a dozen rough-looking pirates, loud and posturing. One of them stepped in front of you as you turned to leave.

"Oi, sweetheart. Why so quiet?"

You didn’t respond.

"Too good to talk to us?" "Or maybe you think you're better?" "C’mon, just say hi." "We don’t bite… much.”

They leaned in. Circling. Testing.

You stared them down, face flat, spine straight, hand hovering near your weapon—but still, you said nothing. You didn’t owe them a damn word.

And that’s when the sound of boots hit the street behind you.

Not loud. Not rushed. But deliberate.

Zoro was the first. Leaning against the alley wall like he’d been there the whole time. He didn’t draw a sword. He didn’t need to.

Sanji stepped up next, cracking his knuckles with a smile that didn't touch his eyes. Smoke curled from the edge of his lips.

Nami lingered behind them, arms crossed, watching. Sharp gaze narrowed. Robin’s shadow moved just beside hers—subtle, but present. You could feel it.

And then there was Luffy.

No drama. No yelling. He just appeared beside you, hands in his pockets, staring straight at the loudest one.

They all paused, instincts kicking in. A shift in the air.

“…This your crew?” one of them asked, voice suddenly less cocky.

You leaned in close to Luffy’s ear, barely a breath.

"I didn’t need help."

He grinned. "I know."

Silence again. Until he tilted his head, smile gone now.

"I just didn’t like the way they talked to you."

That was it.

That was all it took.

The men backed off. Fast. No fight. Just the weight of the crew’s presence and Luffy’s quiet fury pressing down on them like a stormcloud. They knew better.

As they vanished down the street, Luffy turned to you, still smiling—loose and easy like nothing had happened.

You sighed and bumped your shoulder against his in thanks. He bumped back.

Zoro huffed a quiet breath, like he’d been hoping for action. Sanji smoothed his jacket, still glaring at the retreating pirates. Chopper poked your arm, worried, but you just gave him a nod.

The crew didn’t make a big deal of it.

No lectures. No questions.

Just a warm space carved out around you.

Safe. Quiet. Yours.

Because you didn’t need words for them to hear you.

And they didn’t need words to say “We’ve got your back.”

𓏸⋆｡˚☁️˚｡⋆𓏸

[pumpkinpaix]

Very curious for your opinion- what do you think of it when people write modern au wwx as being very active in social justice movements? Personally, I can buy it but I don't think it should be a given?

maybe an unwise first question to pick out of my moldering askbox but whatever it's the first one that i felt like i had an answer prepared for off the cuff so yolo i guess!!

short answer: at this point, i don't buy it. It's a detail that I can and have put up with for fics i really like for other reasons, but i think it's pretty far off the mark in terms of how I understand wei wuxian's primary motivating forces.

ok now to get into the weeds! :D

there are several reasons why wei wuxian being heavily involved in social justice movements doesn't ring true to me--the easiest one to point to from outside the narrative is that the sort of activism wei wuxian is written to participate in is often modeled on how social justice circles look in the US. It feels really culturally alienated in a lot of ways. I can't really blame authors for this, though, because it's a very understandable approach to write what you're familiar with--but it does often take me out of the story because i find it kind of jarring, especially if the story in question is ostensibly supposed to be set in China where modern social activism necessarily looks very different than in the states.

but that kind of feels like metagaming the question, so: in terms of interpreting the text, i really just don't think wei wuxian would be inclined to that kind of work for two main reasons.

first: I think he'd be really bad at it lol. social activist movements are necessarily collaborative, and wei wuxian is kind of terrible at playing well with others, compromising, discussing, etc. he often favors action over diplomacy and has terrible impulse control, tending to act first, think later, often to pretty devastating consequences for the people he's ostensibly standing up for. See: antagonizing Wen Chao, which precipitates the chain of events that ultimately leads to the massacre at Lotus Pier; confronting the jins and basically threatening to kill everyone at jinlin tai if they opposed him, thus alienating all his potential allies and leaving the wen remnants essentially completely dependent on his individual power for survival etc. thus dooming them entirely when he died.

(also see: "can we stop talking and just start killing each other" at guanyin temple)

even really minor events in the past show the same kind of pattern, such as at the qishan conference when he throws his support behind wen ning as an archery competitor--wen ning panics in the spotlight and flubs his shots to public ridicule from being put on the spot. jiang cheng is the one who drags him away in mortification while wei wuxian simply doesn't give a shit about how it reflects upon him, not really considering how it might reflect on his sect.

i'm not saying that these were "wrong" actions to take in the moment: wei wuxian has an admirable righteous streak. he does not, however, always take other people into consideration when he makes his decisions. he basically ignores anyone who tries to change his behavior, sometimes carelessly, sometimes reacting with anger (Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, literally everyone post-sunshot frankly). that kind of individualist mentality is really ill-suited to activism, which requires an understanding that the individual has less power than the group and that you cannot bend the world around you. a lot of fandom comes down super hard on characters like jiang cheng and yu ziyuan for the things they say to wei wuxian, but i think they're honestly quite understandable, even if the way they express themselves is sometimes cruel or hurtful. the rationale isn't particularly surprising. It's one thing to act in a way that gets yourself hurt. It's another to do so when you know that your position will drag a whole lot of others down with you.

i feel that even if wei wuxian had the interest in joining a social activist group, he would probably eventually butt heads with the others until they either expelled him or he left himself. his thick skin would be a great tool in certain calculated actions (he would do very well as a symbol or a charismatic fall guy) but unfortunately, he's not very good at listening or adhering to a plan.

second: i just don't think wei wuxian thinks about systems of oppression very much. i summarized how i feel about his relationship to class already in this post from like 4.5 years ago (jeez.....) and I still stand by it! wei wuxian is not particularly class conscious because he is, in fact, relatively wealthy. he also like, pretty clearly doesn't think very hard about women's work or status either, except in personal terms--after all, he plays with A'Yuan frivolously, planting him in the dirt and does not think about the kind of work that goes into maintaining a standard of living, which is often women's work. (before anyone says anything, yes, i am aware he is not outright misogynist about women's work). throughout the text, wei wuxian just doesn't put a whole lot of thought into how a woman's gender might affect her status and power.

furthermore, this is kind of mentioned in the class meta, but again--wei wuxian's defense of the wen remnants isn't singularly motivated by the desire to uplift an oppressed class, because the wens are not an oppressed class. They are a sect, which is both familial and alliance-based, not an ethnic group or a class of people. Their treatment is still unconscionable, but it's not systemic oppression. the attempted killing of all the wens is not much different than xue yang's vendetta against the yueyang chang clan, except in scale. and until wen qing comes and personally begs him to help her find her brother, wei wuxian doesn't really have any thoughts to spare for the wen remnants and how they might be faring. he goes to help wen qing and wen ning because he owes them both a serious personal debt, which is something that he feels strongly about! and once he gets to the camps, he obviously isn't going to just ignore the other people suffering (esp because they are the wen sibs' immediate family). he is righteous, after all, but often fails to apply it in a big-picture way.

wei wuxian cares a lot about paying back those who have been kind to him or have helped him, which is pretty evident through his self-sacrificing streak throughout the narrative. he often forgets or deliberately does not take his own well-being into consideration--but, as established, he also forgets that he is not an isolated entity and that his well-being is tied to the well-being of others as well.

throwing himself in front of the brand to save mianmian, making sure everyone else gets out of the cave before he does, immediately coming to terms with having his right hand cut off, giving up his golden core, publicly distancing himself from yunmeng, personally defending the wen remnants, taking jin ling's curse mark onto himself, making himself into the yin flag at the second siege and so on--it's all one long extension of paying back debts, in some way.

personally, I think this is because he considers his entire life to be one that is owed--his life, his skills, his body etc. is all owed to others. I also think, however, that this tendency is often confused by fandom into characterizing wei wuxian as having low self-esteem, which he patently does not. wei wuxian thinks he's hot shit. he's arrogant, a show-off, and is so insistent in his own skills and abilities that he icaruses himself into literal bits. when he thinks he's about to lose his right hand he's like welp. guess i gotta learn how to do this with my left, without really any question about whether or not he can. of course he can! he's wei wuxian! can he bring wen ning back from the dead? for sure!! definitely!!!! can he totally do this night hunt blindfolded? hell yeah he can! and he's usually right. i think wei wuxian has very low self-worth, which is a different thing: he throws himself away at the drop of a hat for others that he cares about or feels indebted to because, whether consciously or unconsciously, he thinks that their well-being, survival, happiness etc. is something he should ensure at any cost, even himself because he owes it to them. he owes his whole existence!

so circling back to the initial topic, I think this pattern of thinking is pretty at odds with social activism. he puts those he feels he owes above himself, but doesn't have a lot of attention to spare for people he considers irrelevant--which is most people. (never learning jin zixun's name, for example). I think that while he understands the nature of systems of oppression to a certain degree (like, he understands jin guangyao's motivations, but he's not particularly interested or sympathetic), it's not something he's really passionate about correcting. his reaction mostly seems to be like "well, that sucks". he only really goes out of his way to defend those that he has personal affairs with or those that happen to pique his notice

wei wuxian doesn't actually have big-picture ambitions. he didn't want to be a leader of anything or start his own sect or anything else. he doesn't spend much of his thoughts on making a better world so much as how he might be able to be content in the world that exists with the people that he cares about. that kind of self-focused drive leaves me unconvinced that he would get involved in social justice in any meaningful way in a modern au. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i think that makes him a really fun protagonist, tbh. the tension between his selfishness and his propensity for self-sacrifice makes for a very interesting dynamic.

.....

:'] i guess i never left the weeds.

(ko-fi)

[fangsandfeels]

"Everyone gets along because there is a threat", yadda, yadda, yadda.

Bullshit. This is not how real scenarios work and it has never been.

russia is a global threat right now, but the world can't decide between sucking its dick and politely asking it to stop because the mere thought of confronting russia makes it shit its pants. The very few countries who scream into the void, warning about russia and telling people to wake the fuck up are ignored and viewed as crazy doomsayers.

This is how real crisis looks like. Nobody works together against a threat because people are spineless cowards who would rather throw their neighbors under the bus than fight. Nobody learned anything from history lessons, books or survivors.

The only difference in a fantasy game is that NPCs end up having more spine and moral principles than real people.

But in Veilguard, everyone gets along because they have NO reasons not to.

Davrin has no real reasons to beef (if you can call it that) with Lucanis because he is a Grey Warden. He knows where Grey Wardens take their conscripts from. He knows that Grey Wardens regularly recruit mages who are a lot more likely to get possessed if they're not careful. Working with an assassin who knows friend from foe isn't the worst thing ever. One subtle warning about taking action if demon takes over is enough.

Taash has no reasons to antagonize Emmrich aside from horrible writing.

Neve gets along with Bellara because writers gave Bellara a happy childhood with her family and turned Dalish artifacts into Apple store gadgets, while refusing giving Neve any nuance as the citizen of Tevinter.

Emmrich gets along with everyone because he is generally a kind and well-mannered person who doesn't like to stir the pot.

Any companion who could have had a sharp edge, got that edge ripped off and a cartoon band-aid slapped on.

Never doesn't deal with people who don't know about Shadow Dragons (and they probably shouldn't know much because when you work against a powerful government who wants to destroy you, you shouldn't show off), so she constantly has to deal with the fact that people assume she is a noble or a slave-owner because she is from Tevinter; that they don't know that she had to literally fight against being enslaved herself because in Tevinter mages who refuse to use their power to dominate others are turned into slaves as well.

Bellara isn't conflicted about working with humans, especially Tevinter humans at all. She seems to never have dealt with oppression her whole life and she is super quick to write off Cyrian as evil even though there are clear SIGNS that he was tricked and controlled by the Forgotten One. But no, she never thinks "He is still there, I can save him, I won't lose him again", she goes straight to "Oh nooo my brother is dead to me".

Emmrich doesn't get burdened by people reacting to him and his sincere intention to help with fear, because of all the sinister rumors revolving around necromancers and Nevarra. He isn't hurt by people assuming that he loves death and things dying. If even he openly admitted that he is deeply terrified of death, they wouldn't have believed him.

Harding isn't burdened by the revelation she learned and what to do with it. Should she storm her way to the Orzammar? Should she talk to fellow surface dwarves and reconnect them with their history? Should she never breach the subject because the truth hurts and it's too much pain, too much anger to live with - and maybe she shouldn't let other dwarves go through it?

We don't even have a party divided on what to do with Solas (kill or talk it out)? Even though it's logical to have companions who are convinced that Solas has to die and those who think that he is misguided and can be convinced to stop.

Also, there are NO companions whose background, viewpoints and attitude would rile other companions up. We have no controversial characters whose interactions with the crew Rook would have been forced to intervene in unless they want their team to start throwing hands with each other.

We could have had Imshael - to give EVERYONE a reason to worry, and argue, and have conflicts. We could have had an ex-Venatori Calpernia bashing heads with Neve, Bellara, and Emrich. We could have had a Qunari spy who'd make Lucanis' dagger-arm itch.

If writers didn't forget about the Architect, we could have had an intelligent Darkspawn companion Davrin could be losing his shit around.

Or heck, we could have had a former red templar who got partially (magically?) reversed from their mad state and is now not a mindless beast, but still is on a borrowed time, probably needed due to their strength, but barely tolerated by anyone.

Who is fanatical, mostly because they have to believe they made a noble sacrifice, that it all was for the greater good -- because the truth scares them to their core. Who gives Lucanis shit for being an assassin and abomination, who bashes necromancy, and mages, and talks about purity, while downplaying their own actions as "Yes, these are my sins, but they are for the better world, and I would be proud to die for that world unlike you heathens who would rather ruin it than repent for your flaws". The kind of companion you'd initially want to do nothing with, but who can reveal an entire gallery of fucked up contradictions and trauma if you decide to keep them around.

However, writing such companions takes skill, courage, and requires absence of greedy corpo "we don't want to scare away new players with all that moral nuance" thinking.

[meanbossart]

LORE ASK COMPILATION: "Still not banging Halsin, Squid Games, Sun King, Failing at love quizzes, Bottoms, Tops, and Cats" Edition

He didn't, Halsin wasnt around for act 3, too busy healing land and saving ghost children or something!

THANK YOU/I'M SORRY, I'm surprised there isn't more Bhaalist Dark Urge/Spawn Astarion stuff out there. Don't get me wrong, I love a good evil power couple, but who can resist the good ol'heartbreak of a vicious unending cycle brought on by your own senselessness!

That wasn't something I was interested in previously just because acquiring the slayer form isn't part of his canon, but I've been looking at enough fromsoft games' monster designs that I might be a little inspired to try LOL

Also I am just a fan of the canon design and never before thought it needed altering. But I'll let it cook ;)

God damn it.

DU drow was VERY antagonizing towards the emperor since the moment he dropped the facade, which made the attempt ESPECIALLY hilarious - that poor guy is so, so lonely.

I don't recall the exact wording in-game, but once the emperor took his shiny squid pecs out and shot his shot, DU drow recoiled and called him disgusting. After having the visions of Stelmane forced upon him to make whatever baffling point the emperor was trying to make, DU drow smugly asserted that he had finally let the mask slip and their very terrible date ended with the Emperor enforcing their reluctant need for one another, for the time being.

In-prose, that would honestly be pretty much it. DU drow would have reacted with absolute revulsion at the prospect of being hit on by a mindflayer, and taken the Emperor's (miscalculated) moment of lashed-out vulnerability as a win - as proof that he was exactly as duplicitous as he always assumed the Emperor to be.

I can assure everyone that I am as entertained by the thought as the rest of you and it is in the cards for future art, I just have... So many prompts... I have at least 5 different mini-comics I want to make, BESIDES singular pieces, BESIDES the fanfic... I wish I had more time and more hands.

But DU drow's unlikely semi-success as a parental figure is hilarious to me. I think about it constantly.

I haven't entertained that thought much because its antithetical to DU drow's character. Whether "good" or evil, he wouldn't allow Astarion to ascend because of his fear of no longer being needed and his reluctance to watch his partner be consumed by out-sourced power and changed into something he despises. Realistically, in a world where Astarion is allowed to ascend they could only break up and inevitably kill each other soon after.

That said, I am fascinated by the Sun King and the implications that path has for his character. So far that is an arc that I can only really see Astarion taking on alone, though - that might change in the future, might not. We'll see!

IF I CAN MAKE IT NOT ENTIRELY MISERABLE, I JUST MIGHT.

He got 2 out of 3 questions wrong - which is to say he was way too honest and Astarion didn't like that.

Except for the "when is he the happiest" question, which he correctly answered with "when he's neck deep in gore".

This is not even a lore-embelishment, this is actually how that scene went for me and I cackled about it for ages.

He would love to get tied up for old-times' sake. I doubt he knows much about fancy knots but Astarion might (though I might be in a minority that doubts his enforced "sex life" was actually that interesting at all.)

Thank you so much!

You are mostly correct. Bhaalist drow, both pre and post tadpole would be much more keen on the idea of having people around who fulfill their every desire - EXCEPT for killing. That is a joy they take on for themselves.

"Canon" DU drow values his independence a lot, on the other hand. He's neutral on the idea of slavery (what a sentence) and wouldn't be opposed to temporary servicing, but the idea of having someone around waiting for orders doesn't attract him at all, or at least would get on his nerves quick. He much preffers to do things himself and makes sure that other people see how much he does not need assistance.

The answer is yes, basically LOL.

DU drow both adores and despises Sceleritas presence and he doesn't know why. It very much reflects the type of relationship they used to have prior to DU drow's memory loss, and it's one of those things that he has conflicting feelings about but not any context for them.

I sadly doubt that the boys would become parents during Shadowheart's lifetime (it's for the best, they have a lot of work to do before I would trust them not to drop a baby), but honestly she strikes me as really liking kids as long as she doesn't have to, well, have them LOL.

And thank you so much for enjoying them and humoring me!

I think it is less about bottoming-topping and more about enjoying a more submissive role during sex, as well as in other scenarios. He believes that giving control away is, in a way, a show of devotion that goes both ways - his own for the willingness to do so, and his partner's for not taking advantage of it despite his wanting them to do so.

With one-night-stands (which he occasionally had pre-tadpole) he would still bottom without any of the submissiveness. This is because he didn't have the capacity to understand what it was about bottoming that attracted him, and led him to feeling constantly unfulfilled and frustrated (he just isn't build for no-strings-attatched type of arrangements, lol.)

This means that he really could operate either way depending on the partner as long as he got that fix of docility, whether it be from the bottom or top.

I think of Astarion as being similarly versatile but leaning more in the opposite direction when it comes to power-dynamics - though it being less about dominance itself and more about being pampered and catered to - and, of course, getting to do what he wants. Though he's willing to try most things a partner is particularly enthusiastic for just to see how he feels about it.

That said with DU drow he does prefer to top for a plethora of reasons.

I didn't have this piece of lore thought-up at the time, but I should have made them look like the lady he lost his virginity to.

Him and Astarion were gobbling those things up until the emperor reveal, then they both quit it cold-turkey after DU drow stomped the astral-tadpole dead (and back then you didn't have to roll any dice to do it, because otherwise we would have weird veiny DU drow to deal with for sure because he would NOT have suceeded that save.)

DU drow's feelings towards animals is a constant in every iteration of his character. They are organic little pieces of art wandering about the world that act upon their own laws and regulations, ones which humanoids aren't privy to - except for when they intrude into that world through magic and try to understand it through their overly-complicated systems and concepts. If a cat made the temple it's home, it can stay.

[heart-eyed-love]

Boys *Defeated Sigh*

Summary | Eddie uses your fear to torture you a little and you just want him to grow up.

Contains | Fem!Reader, Cursing, Reader has a fear of bugs, Eddie being an annoying boy, Friends-to-Lovers (eventually)

Pairing | BestFriend!Eddie x BestFriend!Reader

Word Count | 629

Summer 1981

Growing older with Eddie was weird. Cause even though the boy was 2 years older than you, he still thought the most stupid things were funny. So once you entered your first year of being a teenager you looked at him differently. Constantly confused on why he would still act so immature, but your mom always told you girls mature faster than boys. So that’s just what you chalked it up to being.

Summer had finally started, and you took it upon yourself to spend some of your time outside, just doing whatever you could to get out of the house.

Today, you had settled on up at the picnic table that resided near your trailer, reading one of your books and sipping on some ice cold lemonade.

Too immersed in your book to hear the boy himself approaching behind you. It’s not until you feel a light tap on your shoulder you take notice, but as you turn your head over you notice something grosser than the annoying teenage boy you expect.

The cicada being held by dirty fingernails way too close to your face has you screeching and hitting his hand away, “Eddie!” You scooch further away on the bench.

“Jeez, calm down! It’s just the shell.” He says, laughing as he crouched down to grab it again.

“I don’t give a shit. That’s disgusting.” You sneer at the shell of the creature he’s picking up again, then his head suddenly his face snaps towards you with a smirk as he stands up fully again.

“Wait, are you scared? Do bugs scare you?” He chuckles even more, and you wish you could knock that stupid smirk off his face. You weren’t big on telling people your fears, not wanting them to be able to use it against you. Not even if that person happens to be the person you’d consider your best friend.

“What?! No, I’m not!” But your tone comes out all wrong, and you can already tell by the look on his face whatever he’s about to do next is not gonna be fun.

He quickly moves right up to you, shoving it right back in your face. “Eddie stop!” Squealing as you push yourself further away on the bench, but that ends up not helping you one bit. Your ass is suddenly hitting the dirty ground as you reach the bench's end.

Eddie standing over you with the shell has you kicking his leg as warning and you quickly scramble back up, rounding the opposite side of the table.

“You sure you’re not scared?” He laughs cockily and your jaw is clenching, how you are managing to feel anger and fear from his boy at the same time amazes you.

A minute of him chasing you around the table was enough for you and you finally smacked his hand once again when he finally got too close. Hitting the shell to the ground and stomp your foot on it, and you look up to glare at him once the job is done.

You are surprised to see him still laughing, “Big Baby.” Your eyes narrow at him and your nostrils flare.

The boy had gone through a whole year of High School and he’s still antagonizing you, and you’re the baby?!

“Me?! You just chased me around with a bug like a toddler! Grow up, Munson.”

Your words are lost on him, and he shrugs his shoulders and begins walking away, “Can’t wait to see how you react to the real thing!” He shouts over his shoulder as he retreats back into his trailers.

You stay standing there with wide eyes as your mind now rakes through ideas to protect your future self.

God, you wish this boy would just hurry up and mature.

[stuck-in-jelly]

Thinking about it pretty interesting how Soren and Corvus react when captured by enemies.

Corvus is usually the more methodical one, he’s the “Soren, please. Don’t pick a fight you can’t finish.” The “Stop this Rayla! It’s not too late to talk this out.”

Soren, meanwhile, is usually the fuck it we ball one, the “SORENBALL! Swimming in armor again-ugh. Not smart.” The “Hahah! Oohh... I completely forgot you were here.”

But when they are captured they react in opposite ways.

Corvus fights, he runs and he antagonizes. When he’s captured by Soren and Claudia the first thing he does when he wakes up call Soren and Claudia traitors. (In the book he says “you just tried to kidnap them. Please, tell me who the tratior is.”)

We also know in that time frame he also attempts to escape SEVERAL times, to the point Soren is embarrassed about it.

Then when he and Ezran were captured by Karim he threw his head back to hit of the guard’s nose, he shook them off of him every chance he got, and fought against being placed on his knees.

Corvus puts up a fight the entire time despite the very vulnerable situation he is in.

Soren on the other end talks, he tries to compromise and empathize. When he gets captured by the Drakewood riders and wakes up in the pit of despair he attempts to calm Squeaky. He tells her “I know you’re angry.” And helps her when she is distressed.

I would use that time he was captured by Team Aaravos but that was a trauma response so lets skip that.

But when he and The Ruthless Crew are captured by Finnegrin he obeys, when Rayla attempts to get up to fight Elmer he puts his hand in her shoulder and gets her to stand down, when Callum tries to move Soren motions him to stop. Even as he’s getting beaten up he still talks it through through with Elmer.

“I know what this is like. He’s cruel, but you don’t have to be.”

Personally I think it comes down to what they trained for. As Corvus put it “I trained for distance, Soren. Not speed.”

Corvus tails people, he goes ahead of the ground and scouts. In the event he gets discovered and captured he is alone, and needs to work with that.

His goal is to slow them down, be just enough of nuisance to delay their travel so his team has the time to catch up and help after his communication has stopped.

Soren meanwhile is a Captain, he has teams of people who are relying his guidance and leadership. In the event he is captured he will usually have a group to worry about.

His goal is to save lives, to find a clever way to get them all out of this situation with as little risk to them as possible.

I could be overanalyzing but still fun to think about.

[charliedawn]

The slasher + Eddie Gluskin(I love him to much) with a patient reader that is like Cattynoir from Monster High

Eddie Gluskin:

Eddie, with his obsession for beauty and creating the "perfect bride," would be absolutely captivated by you. Your elegance, charm, and kind nature would make you the embodiment of everything he dreams of in a partner. He would likely become intensely protective and possessive, seeing you as a delicate star that needs to be shielded from the harsh world.

However, your patience and ability to remain grounded despite your fame would help to temper his more extreme tendencies. You might even bring out a softer side of Eddie, where he begins to admire you for your inner beauty rather than just the external qualities. He would love your graceful movements and your ability to light up a room just with your presence, but his intensity might still show at times when he feels insecure.

Eddie *glares at a man who is getting too close to you for his taste**proceeds to make his way across the room and put a hand on your waist and that hand is gonna stay there until you both get home**you’re his star.*

Michael Myers:

Michael is quiet and reserved, so your bright and outgoing nature would be an interesting contrast. He'd likely observe you from the shadows, silently mesmerized by the way you seem to brighten others’ lives so effortlessly. You might catch him watching you from afar, and while he might not show his emotions, your kindness would definitely make him feel better. You’d be the calm to his storm, with your patience and ability to understand without needing words.

While Michael wouldn’t be the type to chase after fame or glamour, he would likely become protective of you, acting as a silent guardian. Your presence could be one of the few things that keeps him grounded, as you represent everything that’s pure and good, something that deeply contrasts with his dark world.

Jason Voorhees:

Jason would be drawn to your nurturing and caring nature. Much like how his love for his mother drives him, your compassion and humility would make him feel understood and cared for in a way that few have ever made him feel. You’d be able to sense Jason’s emotions even when he doesn’t speak, and your patience would allow you to bond with him on a deeper level.

Your celebrity status wouldn’t mean much to Jason, but your kindness would be everything. He would likely follow you closely, almost like a giant, protective shadow. Your ability to remain humble despite your fame would resonate with him, and you’d become a calming presence in his life, someone who can bring out the gentler side of Jason when no one else could. He would hold your hand and even help you out setting everything up for the concert. Unfortunately, Jason is not a fan of crowds and loud sounds. So he might…vanish after a while, but he would be waiting for you at the end—when all of your fans are gone.

He would also take pictures of you. Just so he may remember you.

Freddy Krueger:

Freddy would be fascinated by your fame and glamorous lifestyle but would probably poke fun at it initially, mocking the idea of "celebrity" and how superficial it all seems. He'd try to tease you about it, twisting your nightmares into tabloid-like horrors just to see how you'd react. However, as you continue to show kindness and patience, even toward him, Freddy might find himself unexpectedly intrigued.

HE WOULD STEAL YOUR SPOTLIGHT.

Freddy loves chaos and bringing out the worst in people, and he wouldn’t miss a beat to appear at random times just to annoy you or distract you during interviews and such. But your kind heart would challenge him. You might even disarm him with your charm, making Freddy drop the antagonism for moments where he actually enjoys your company—though he'd never admit it out loud.

Norman Bates:

Norman would be enchanted by you. Your glamorous lifestyle might initially make him nervous, but your down-to-earth attitude and kindness would quickly put him at ease. He would probably see you as a sort of idol, someone who is graceful and beautiful, yet incredibly caring and patient. His mother would, of course, complicate things, as she would likely see you as a threat. However, your patience and understanding would allow you to handle Norman with care, helping him feel comfortable despite his inner struggles.

Over time, Norman might begin to rely on you emotionally, finding solace in your presence. You’d have to be mindful of his more possessive tendencies, though, as Norman’s adoration could shift into something darker if he feels like he’s losing you.

Norman *sees a lot of people getting into his hotel to see you and feel the urge to cut off heads…* : "Y/N is currently unavailable. If you want to see them ? I would advise you to buy tickets for their concert."

Pennywise:

Pennywise would initially be drawn to your energy—your brightness and charisma would be something he wants to consume. However, as he spends more time around you, he might become more intrigued by your ability to charm people and remain grounded despite your fame. He’d love playing with your nightmares, twisting your stage performances or concerts into terrifying spectacles just to see if you’d crack.

Your patience and inner strength would fascinate him, though. He’s used to exploiting fear, but your calm demeanor and ability to face challenges head-on would leave him intrigued. You’d have to be careful, as Pennywise is always looking for an opportunity to manipulate, but your sweet nature might keep him more curious than threatening.

Also, he’s your manager now.

You do not have a choice.

Bo Sinclair:

Bo, being the more manipulative and aggressive Sinclair brother, would likely see you as a challenge at first. Your superstar status would immediately put you on his radar, and he might try to use your fame against you in some way. However, your ability to remain humble and kind would throw him off, making him wonder why you aren’t more stuck-up or self-absorbed like he expects.

Bo might start out by teasing you, trying to rile you up, but as you continue to show him patience and kindness, he’d begin to soften. He might even start to respect you. Your grounded nature would make him question his own insecurities, and you’d likely end up becoming someone he looks to for comfort, even if he’d never directly ask for it.

Bo *punches a paparazzi who had grabbed your arm as you were walking with him and breaks his camera* : "…How about y’all mind yer damn fuckin’ business, yeah ?"

He would become your personal bodyguard.

Vincent Sinclair:

Vincent would be fascinated by your beauty and grace, but it would be your kindness and humility that would truly draw him in. As an artist, he would probably want to capture your likeness in his work, mesmerized by the way you carry yourself. Your patience would resonate with him, as you would be one of the few people who takes the time to understand him and his art.

Vincent would likely become very protective of you, seeing you as a muse of sorts, someone who represents everything good in the world he’s lost touch with. Your grounded nature would help him feel more secure in himself, and he might even begin to open up to you in ways he hasn’t with anyone else.

He would also help you with your songs, making sure that you are ready and prepared. (He could never get enough of your voice.)

Brahms Heelshire:

He would be so happy and honoured to even be breathing the same air as you. He would be your fan number 1, assisting to all of your concerts. He would also admire how pretty and talented you are. He would be mesmerised and so proud to be your friend.

He would buy all of your merch to share with the other slashers and make them come to your concert to support you. He would even feel a pang of jealousy at seeing how popular you are and want you to do a concert just for him—a private show just for him…So he might just look at you with stars in his eyes, seeing that perfect doll come to life in front of him.

He would also be pretty overprotective of you, making sure no one gets too close to you. Always sitting on front row to keep anyone from jumping up stage to get to you. (And also because OF COURSE he wants the best seat. What do you mean it’s not possible ? He is going to make it possible. He could kill for that seat…Literally.)

[eemamminy-art]

Things took a turn for the worse today during her treatments and we had to put our kitty to sleep. Please don't ask me for details. We did all we could, but satisfying your curiosity isn't worth me recounting the details over and over to everyone who wants to know. Just know we had no other choice and it was frankly devastating.

I'm going to take the rest of the week off and get back to my comms on monday. It's been a long couple of weeks as it is and this week especially the days have been long. Tomorrow will be another long day to bury her.

some further personal stuff below the cut about death and loss

I feel like every time I lose someone else in my life I'm retraumatized and shattered into more pieces than I was before. My whole world broke completely when my mom died. Then 8 months later my dad died too, and I just remember getting the call to come to the hospital immediately because there wasn't much time left and thinking, "This can't be happening again." Getting the call today about our cat, it's all I could think of too. "This can't be happening again."

Since losing my mom in 2013 and my dad in 2014, I've lost all four grandparents, two uncles, and now my cat. I hate that it's such a familiar routine now. I feel so thoroughly soaked through by death that I will never truly get through it. Like I'm rotting away too, little by little.

I try to take solace in how my dad had this outlook of like, to not linger in the past or linger on the things we can't change. I try to do that. I try to just look forward. When I look forward though, sometimes all I can see is my own death waiting for me. I treat my body so badly when I'm in the thickest muck of sorrow and I know it just burns the candle of my life quicker, but what else am I going to do?

I hate having to tell everyone about it. Yeah hi me again. You'll never guess, someone else died. I know, you're sorry, thanks, it's okay. In the uber ride home I was writing to all my friends who have been checking in on me to tell them what's happened, trying not to throw up, and I'm instantly 22 again, calling my aunts and uncles and cousins at 6 am after being up all night to let everyone know my dad was gone.

I draw and write about these topics often because I'm trying so hard to heal from them and make sense of them. If I can write about fictional characters overcoming their trauma and grief and finding light and happiness again, it gives me some hope that I'll find that one day too. Still waiting, but maybe I'll find it. Though it seems I can't even have peace in my creative outlets when time and again I have people making it about stupid ship wars and antagonizing me and belittling me for what I'm making when I'm just trying to work through all the tragedies of my life through my art and writing. Life isn't fair and then stuff like that happens and I remember people don't care how much you've lost or suffered sometimes, they only care about themselves.

I'm sure this is all very worrying to read but ultimately I'm just venting after experiencing something terrible after a lifetime of other terrible experiences. I'll be okay. I always come through. I'm not a quitter. If you read all of this, then thank you. Please be gentle with me. My light will probably dimmer for the foreseeable future but I'll be okay. You probably noticed I didn't mention many details about my cat. That was on purpose. It's hard enough feeling her absence, trying to articulate all the things that made her so special and that I will miss in her is going to make me even sicker than I already am. So please don't ask. If I want to talk about her I will, but right now it's so difficult, and more than anything my body is just reacting to having the trauma of death coursing through it yet again.

[autisticlenaluthor]

Speaking of Jackienat (always) and I’ve seen a lot of headcanons and scenarios of nat being protective of Jackie (which is get I mean look at the sad Bambi eyes) but what do you think Jackie would do during the chase scene in season 2? Them turning and hunting nat would be triggering obviously but given doomcoming how do you think Jackie would react then?

okay so before getting into jackie's reaction itself - some important context that i think a lot of people seem to forget is when jackie loses her ear, it wouldn't just affect her hearing. it would throw off her entire vestibular system. she would struggle with walking, balancing, and other gross (and possibly fine) motor skills during her initial recovery

while nat being hunted doesn't happen immediately after doomcoming - jackie's lack of access to real medical care/physical therapy would significantly slow down her recovery process. jackie wouldn't be even close to 100% by the time the hunt happens.

anyways, now that my autistic medical accuracy spiel is out of the way - jackie would still try to run after them

she wouldn't get very far. she might not even make it to the rest of the girls - wether it's because she keeps falling, or just can't keep up. but she would try her damn hardest, refusing to leave nat to the the same fate she once came so close to.

afterwards, especially in the beginning, jackie would become extremely protective of nat. it would be very similar to what happened after doomcoming - jackie would continuously call them out for how fucked up the whole thing was and she would be so disturbed by what they do to javi.

(as a side note: i'm honestly not sure if jackie would partake in eating him. and if she didn't eat him - i wonder if that would cause natalie not to eat him either. or if somehow, natalie would convince jackie that it was a necessary evil for their survival.)

i could see her even start to antagonize the others. they've already tried to kill her once and now they've tried to kill nat too. jackie might feel like they're going to die anyways, so doesn't she has anything left to lose. at least this way, she's going to die standing her ground and defending nat the way she tried to defend herself.

simulatneously, jackie would isolate herself (and by extension natalie) even further. not in an abusive "i want you all to myself" way. but she (for good reason) perceives the other girls as dangerous to natalie. and i think for a while nat would be kinda fucking terrified of them. so when jackie wants to spend all her time in the attic, away from the others, nat is right there with her.

when they're alone, jackie is apologizing to her constantly - telling her she's so sorry they did that to her, that it was all kinds of messed up and she never deserved it. it's the first time nat has ever been cared for after a major trauma and the first time someone apologizes for hurting her - even if jackie wasn't the one to do the hurting.

and for as comforting as it is, and for as much as nat wants to lean into it, jackie's words would be hard for her to accept/feel safe in. not just because of the abuse she'd faced back home, but because these are all the same things she'd said to jackie after shauna froze her out. and when nat sees so clearly the cycle they're trapped in of death at each others hands - she'd feel even more unsettled than before

[ablogofloveandtrash]

Why was Diana so Reluctant to Open Up and Tell the Truth?

Returning from a previous post I had sent on this blog, I had theorized that Diana may have potentially gone through some experience in the past that has prevented her from being able to properly open up. I was rewatching the trial from chapter 1 and from what I could find on rewatch, is that Diana seemed to be particularly concerned about how others around her would react. And from three different lines of dialogue that I could find, is that Diana seems to be afraid of not being heard out or invalidated. Considering her bio states that she was in the popular crowds before the events of the game, it seems like Diana's fear came from the draw backs of being in the popular crowd. And in being part of the crowd, she would become much of the subject of conversation. She got so much attention on her, which may have caused her to become alienated or isolated in an emotional manner. In the screenshots I have provided, Diana has mentioned things like how others could twist her words around. Suggesting that she may have attempted to dispel or disprove untrue rumours about her. Which resulted in the aftermath not going her way and ultimately nothing was solved. The first screenshot details this aspect of her.

And because Diana must have failed to stop these rumours, this may explain why she often blames herself for not doing the 'right' thing or perceives herself as powerless. Because, Diana was caught up in an unfair situation. The rumours may have gotten so out of hand that Diana may have been cornered and forced herself to remain quiet. Complicit that these misconstrued words were true. She has likely accepted that at the time she couldn't change what others thought about her, and as much as Diana didn't like these rumours, she must have chosen to stop saying anything.

And this may have resulted in potential self isolation or some emotional blockage. As a means to avoid getting hurt by the people she cared about. For her own reasons, Diana seems to feel like telling the truth things would 'just get worse' in the following screen shot, the next sentence may allude to the case. But it does seem to be telling of what she feels about her self worth. She doesn't seem like her input is anything good. And that she would be better off staying quiet. Because she may have blamed herself for the rumours that occurred or worsened, because of her attempts to intervene.

It is possible that Diana could tell Damon about this particular issue in the story in Daily Life or from the Free Time Events, since Damon still needed to persuade Diana to explain her case. With some empathy, Damon may have used the right words to help Diana feel at ease to tell the truth. Assuring that he would listen and hear her out. Which may have not been something, Diana herself couldn't have had before the free time events or the trial. It's a stark contrast compared to the second free time event. Where he made his accusation of her being suspicious and making Diana uncomfortable with opening up. Though between the free time events and in the story, no one really truly knows why Diana is so afraid to open up, and be fully honest with others around her. In relation to a character like Damon, he is someone who is used to biting his tongue when others don't trust him or have something that would antagonize him. He doesn't open up to anyone because he percieves his vulnerabilities as an exploit. Yet in a similar vein, Diana too, cannot be vulnerable around others, out of fear that she would not be listened to. Potentially invalidated, unwanted or even abandoned. Possibly out of these fears she can't bring it in herself to lose her 'friends' again, and validates her helplessness by the end of the trial. The way Diana and Damon seem to handle their experiences past and present couldn't be anymore different from one another, yet they share an underlying similarity that sets up an interesting character dynamic. Damon acts more empathetic in response to her emotional distress. And in response to Damon's empathy, Diana was able to properly open up and have her voice heard in the court room. From this interaction it maybe possible that while tension between Diana and Damon will persist, ie: "I will follow in Wolfgang's Footsteps" (this maybe the source of Damon's anger in the end, not Diana's speech, exactly as many cut him out to be), it may fall on them growing closer that may allow them to become the better versions of each other. By helping each other out and setting their differences aside, for a greater common goal.

[wingsdippedingold]

The thing that always gets me about SJM is that she says she loves Nesta so much, but at every point Nesta is degraded or self-hating.

The way Nesta is written and people react to her, it’s pretty clear that she’s not actually a bitch but just guarded and cautious of an unfamiliar/ hostile environment.

SJM often writes scenes like this (screenshot stolen from @theladyofbloodshed )

In this Nesta’s in an odd position, where she’s portrayed as the victim of Mor’s ire. However, the characters that regularly antognize Nesta (Amren, Rhysand, Mor, etc.) are never acknowledged to be antagonistic towards her, only that Nesta herself is antagonized. Nesta’s character exists in a weird limbo where she’s meant to be a a wrongfully hated character to the reader, but the people who do wrong her are also supposed to be in the right.

SJM wants to write Nesta to be the underdog mc who defies her haters and becomes someone beloved, but the issue is she’s hated by characters the narrative wants you to also love, and whom Sarah can not bring herself to let ever be in the wrong, because then it would break the idea that they’re infallible and make the rest of their faults also up for criticism.

At every point where she’s put in a bad position, it’s acknowledged that the blame is not hers, but the narrative doesn’t place the blame anywhere else, essentially making what happened entirely a product of Nesta and no other character’s actions. We see how dreadful Nesta feels in ACOSF, much of it at the hands of the ic, and the narrative wants us to sympathize and understand her situation, but with no outlet to fault her situation towards the ic and no attempt to make it known that these feelings that are a product of the ic’s actions are directly a product of the ic.

SJM also writes Nesta to be one of the only characters who self-reflect on their actions and find fault within themselves. None of the ic ever introspect on their actions and effect on other courts and people, contributing to Nesta being the wrong ones and them being correct, simply because the narrative has not made the effort to explore wether or not they’re wrong, whereas it has with Nesta. Nesta’s actions were explored and allowed to be negative because it is what allows her to change her mind, but because she’s the only one changing her mind, she only becomes more and more fitting of the ic’s standards and the series’s idea of moral correctness.

The inverse is also an issue because Sarah writes the ic to be “morally gray”, which grants them the excuse of “you can’t expect them to always be perfect/good, they’re supposed to be morally gray” but the issue with that notion and archetype in this case is that the never face any repercussions or criticism by the narrative, but rather the people opposing them, effectively establishing them as the moral high ground. You cannot defend them as “morally gray” when the narrative has done nothing more than to portray them as always in the correct even in their “morally gray actions.” Discussing their character in that way while not acknowledging how the narrative treats them absolves them of their own faults and is a slippery slope when analyzing the characters in the story.

This is one of the reasons I think so many people find it hard to like Nesta or actually sympathize with her like SJM wants; because their favorite character hates Nesta, though acknowledged to be unjustly, the character themself is not acknowledged to be unjust, therefore portraying their actions to be correct.

This was written really quickly and I just woke up from a nap, but if anyone else wants to discuss this topic, I’d love to see it!

[miifu666]

What is Lmk!Suklha's relationship/view of Lmk Wukong?

Hellooo!!!!

Smjsksj ive made a couple of post about this but to put it as a whole. Making it a lil vague since i kind of dropped the series 😭 also uhh its kind of long + im adding Wukong's pov🥲

.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑Their Relationship History

Suklha has always been with Wukong and Macaque for the Longest time, actually met Macaque first before she got introduced to Wukong.

Very Wary of Wukong "Selfish" attitude. But somehow bears with it, has a couple of fights with him challenging one another, known eachother better and within a blink of an eye. They're suddenly closer with eachother than Macaque is

Spent time eachother when things get overwhelming, its all very soft and too good to be true.

It wasn't long before they decided to get "Married" in their own terms. Wukong even announce it towards the heavem for no reason than to gloat.

Wukong tried to hide the brotherhood plans from Suklha, knowing how she'll react and a sense of protectiveness. Despite Macaque insistence on telling her, Wukong wouldn't dare

Azure was the one who asked to Recruit her, only to be berated and called an imbecile. Wukong got an earful too, for even trying to overthrow a ruler of heaven. Theres proof of other cultures doing the same and ended horribly, Suklha pointed out. But he insisted, his people pleasing attitude won.

She tried talking to Wukong after this, but he seemed to run away from her. Macaque was their messenger. Telling the other how the other feels and such, its something that Macaque and Suklha is sick of.

Visited Wukong once or twice after his punishment, she knows he's not feeling too well mentally and decided to keep visiting despite his mood swings.

After this, they kept in contact but with short conversations. Like strangers connecting with eachother again. Theres barely any familiarity between them.

A couple of time, Wukong tried to reignite the flame by taking them out on a date during his pilgrimage. It works until they lose contact again, and Wukong focused on his journey

Things got worse when Suklha suggested killing Redson is the only way to stop the Samadhi fire, then contain it in her/Chang'e arsenal. Wukong was disappointed in her, he hasnt talked with her properly since he got trapped in the mountains, and deciding to antagonize her at this point was more hurtful to Suklha.

As time went on, his Journey to the West got popular. Suklha decided to initiate a connection this time, asking if he needed any management on his uprising popularity. Wukong agreed, they've been together ever since!

Seeing how Suklha's plan hasn't been improving their relationship, she decided maybe fate was telling her that theyre not meant to be. Hence chasing after him for a Divorce, to end it officially.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑Suklha's POV

In the past

She always held a soft spot for Wukong, he was a breath of fresh air who agreed to her whimsical and crazy ideas in the sea of people trying to hold her back.

Theres a deep seated anger that Wukong sees her as a feeble lover and tried to hide his plan to overthrow the jade emperor. She misunderstood Wukong's intention to protect her from his actions/punishment, into "you're a lady, you shouldn't know this. Just be oblivious" and its all from Wukong's way of explaining to her.

She thinks he's trying to cast her aside from his life.

After he got imprisoned within the mountains, she understood how Wukong isnt mentally well. He has moodswings each time he sees her or Macaque. He managed to push away Macaque, he spat some harsh words towards Suklha before changing into a crying session, talking how pitiful he is, his low esteem is showing through.

It hurts her, but she kept taking care of him nonetheless. Until he said some things that gnawed deep in her mind and heart. She hasn't visited him since.

She spent the better of her grief by Tricking dragons, demons alike. Focusing more on spreading madness to ignore how she feels. Practically prioritizing her mind than what her heart needs. This include, how she made a decision to tell Bull king to kill Redson.

Her heart showed a little when Wukong tried to reignite the flame. Yet she still kept her mind in lead for her actions.

Present time

shes chasing after Wukong with a divorce paper. She still loves him. Dearly so. But she cant handle the way he neglects her yet suddenly have a student he taught? She felt like a second choice.

She tried everything, even if it hurt her and his reputation. She wanted closure. If the universe is giving her signs to end their relationship, why should she ignore it?

Because she prioritized her logical mind more throughout the years, she became more manipulative, charismatic, and a bit apathetic towards Wukong. She still loves him, butt there's a rough affection she gives out.

MK, being a supporting bandaid and makeshift therapist role to fix their broken bond actually succeeded. It took a long time. He was pretty burnt out after trying, lmao. But he managed.

Theres one thing that MK succeeded, that Macaque didn't. He was bold enough to tell them face to face what they needed to do and what they're doing wrong. Instead of leaning on one side, he was neutral and blamed both of them.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑Wukong's POV

In the past

He was... not a good monkey, to say the least. He was egotistical and prideful. Forgetting that those around him only wanted the best for him. He chose to ignore their warnings rather than listen to it.

When Wukong joined the brotherhood, he didn't expect Azure to point him as the new jade emperor. He was prideful at first, then realized maybe the dream was a little too high to achieve. It was the first few moments where he was doubting himself.

That insecurity turned into him hiding the plans from Suklha. He was afraid. In case he loses, Suklha would also bite the bitter end of his punishment. So he decided to keep her oblivious, knowing the Jade emperor had already disliked her. He wont fuel the fire.

Macaque disagreed with his idea, claiming it was a bad move. But Wukong, and his stubbornness. Dismissed his brother's protest, claiming its for the good.

When the time came, for him to explain to Suklha. He was speechless, his stubborness and pride got the best of him. He spouted some words that he didn't mean. Some which he doesnt even know the meaning of, he just heard Macaque call him it and decided to use it to Suklha.

When he got imprisoned. There was only shame, insecurity, and paranoia filled his mind. He put everyone in danger, he cant imagine how Macaque probably feels, or even Suklha. The two who always protest things that would be bad for him. Instead of focusing on fixing their relationship, Wukong choose to fuel his insecurity.

He pushed away Macaque, blaming him for everything. He tried to push away Suklha too. He couldn't. Not for a few tries. Have you tried cursing someone who actively feeds you and grooms your dirty fur? Its hard. He cried multiple times after shouting nonsense at her.

After that, he tried to keep in contact with Suklha a few times. But also keep a certain distance. He felt guilty, he doesn't want to hurt her anymore. The tight ring on his finger is suffocating. He doesn't even have the guts to throw it, let alone look at it.

During his pilgrimage, Bajie and Sha Wujie beat some sense into him. Encouraging the monkey to reignite the flame, he was happy, a bit too excited, and aloof, but he felt content for once in his life.

Situations happened, and he decided to focus more on his pilgrimage. Leaving Suklha alone again.

He met Suklha again when DBK asked him to consider contacting her for information regarding the samadhi fire deep within Redson. He was hesitant at first, but did it nonetheless.

She was different this time, there was an air of madness to her. Apathetic and manipulation was the sense that Wukong felt when he heard her talk. He felt like she was lead astray by something. The Monkey didn't understand she was grieving in a way.

So when he heard her apathetically considers Killing Redson without any remorse. He snapped. She wasn't being logical, how could she end a life so soon? Especially since DBK asked for her help, not for an execution. He still remembers the face that Suklha had when he yelled at her infront of his brothers. He won't ever forget that.

Present time

He's secretly guilty, ashamed, embarrassed even. For all of his childish acts of neglect toward her. Every time the topic of her is brought up, he purposely avoids it like a plague. He learned his wrongs and somehow prefers to bury himself deeper to it than trying to fix what's left

When he saw how Famous Suklha is, he wanted to be happy. It was as if his stubborness was in the way again, he got angry and choose to spout how much of a devil she is. Its not what he thought. He got embarrassed every time he talks about her.

Its only when he confided in MK, how much he missed her, how its hard to find words and connect with the one person you love, its a mystery how Suklha is still putting up to him.

after much talking with MK and a lil bit of love advice from Mei. He decided to write letters upon letters of how he felt. No filter obsolutely not. He had to hide a good portion of the letters from MK lmao. He bought bouquets, letting MK be the delivery boy. (Suklha has a soft spot for him) and basically did everything.

Sometimes when he couldn't spew out some words. He let MK take over lmao. Usually, his letters arrived faster than Wukong, which gave the impression everything was made by MK 😭

In interviews, he makes sure EVERYONE knows he's married. It was a shock to say the least.

After countless chasing, Suklha relented. He hasn't been that relieved since... their last date. It was 300 years ago.

But, forgiving isnt easy. Suklha gave Wukong a final choice to talk to Macaque if she wants her forgiveness.

[meanbossart]

Love Drow's camp greetings, but now I've got to know-- what would his romance path look like?

(This was a REALLY FUN thought experiment, thanks for asking about it!)

You'd get approval points by: -Picking the joke dialogue options, especially if they're dark or crass. -Succeeding intimidation checks. -Starting fights no-questions-asked with characters that don't immediately show you respect. -Defying authority. -Antagonizing drows, githyanki, mindflayers and goblins. -Being friendly towards animals. -Showing willingness to do what the dream visitor suggests. -Notable boost if you let him take on the Loviatar priest in your stead.

You get disapproval by: -Disclosing to people that you're infected with the tadpole. -Agreeing to help NPCs who aren't offering to get rid of your parasites. -Some deception checks (he doesn't always realize you're lying). -Being distrustful/pushy with Shadowheart. -Siding with the absolute. -Trusting or empathizing with the Emperor at all after he reveals himself (Yes, he will leave you if you bang the squid). -Massive point loss if you don't let him take on Orin on his own.

[More elaboration underneath the cut, CW for terrible relationship dynamics and implications of sexual coercion, especially within the context of BDSM.]

He can be persuaded to allow you to have a one-night-stand with Halsin, but will not agree to a three-way relationship or long-term arrangement.

He will stay with you if you sleep with Mizora without the need to roll for anything, but you will lose a lot of approval.

He will agree to a four-way with the twins at Sharess Caress if you ask him about it, but only after you complete his quest. If he has lost to Orin he will kill the twins during the act. If he has accepted Bhaal, he will ask if you want to kill them with him, but you can refuse/dissuade him from doing so.

In regards to his personal interactions, you would usually get choices between antagonizing him, expressing fear, not taking him seriously at all, or making flirtatious advances.

He's neutral/disapproving towards flirtation prior to triggering a romance (though he still reacts flattered). He's neutral/approving of not being taken seriously and/or being feared, as long as the PC is being somewhat facetious and not expressing outright distrust or doubt toward his capabilities. Basically, as long as what you're saying implies that he's formidable, or makes him laugh, he will like it.

After the romance is initiated, he will enjoy flirtatious dialogue options that put him in the role of the desired, compliment his looks/abilities, or express general affection. You would also get options that paint him in a kind of "sexually predatory" light - he doesn't like those.

You could encourage him to embrace his Urge at the start of the campaign for approval, then he flips to wanting you to discourage it after it grows outside his control. If he accepts Bhaal, this switches it back to where he approves of it being encouraged. If he loses to Orin, he will just agree with you whether you tell him to give into his Urges or keep fighting them.

You can break up with him at any point unless he has accepted Bhaal; In that case, he won't agree to it and say that when he takes over the brain you won't have a choice on the matter. The only way to keep him from betraying you during the ending is to either kill him or staying in the relationship with him and dominating the brain together.

As for the actual romance scenes, it'd be similar to Astarion's route where you get to sleep with him right away, then the following interactions are more focused on other forms of intimacy and developing the emotional side of the relationship. You would get the option to push for more sex every time, which he would turn down out of fear of what the Urge might do if he goes along with it - if you keep pushing even after that, it gets you disapproval.

During the scene that locks the romance path (prior to arriving at Baldur's gate) you can persuade him to have sex, and if you succeed he will lose control and try to murder you during the act. The only way to survive it is to kill him instead. You can be resurrected if you lose (he cannot) but he then breaks up with you.

The "themes" of his romance are supposed to allude to the different dynamics of a maso-sado/dom-sub relationship. If you push him to pursue Bhaal you are setting yourself up for a 24/7, lifelong arrangement. the relationship is reduced entirely to your sexual desire for each other, the pushing of boundaries with no limits, and constant one-upmanship. You are no longer allowed (and outwardly mocked) for displaying any tenderness that isn't sexually charged, and he will become angry with you if during your night together following the finalization of the quest you don't pick the aggressive/violent options during intimacy.

If he loses to Orin, he becomes entirely emotionally dependent on the player character, willing to bend to your every will and latch onto the PC as his new master whether or not they agree to it. He is terrified of his fate and desperately wants to please you so you don't abandon him before he loses himself. You can either take advantage of this and revel in the power you have over him, become frustrated, or demonstrate patience and try to encourage him to hold onto some individuality. You can also just kill him, which he will allow you to do through dialogue options at any point. During the romance scene that follows this path, you can only have sex if you restrain him completely first.

If he refuses Bhaal, you get yourself a quiet, cocky, but loving weirdo who enjoys play-dynamics a healthy amount but is ultimately in it because he likes you as a person. He's willing to compromise on the maso-thing as long as you don't put him down for it, and it is implied that while things may not be perfect, you are both willing to work on it through mutual understanding and patience because the relationship is based on more than just burning desire or co-dependency.

[semisolidmind]

In the twice as bad au, what if they never met reader before and only met her in modern days? Maybe mk was talking about his new friends and she came up, they got curious, followed mk without him knowing and then saw her for the very first time, what then?

(....first thing that came to mind—they haven't learned.

in the scenario where they lose their previous reader, they've had hundreds of years to think about what they could've done differently to keep reader with them. perhaps they've also begun to realize that kidnapping and holding her hostage doesn't look favorably on them.

but—if they never had reader in the past, they don't know to be better for the reader in the present.)

perhaps, despite trusting his son to take care of himself, wukong doesn't trust anyone else to not cause him trouble. so, he sends macaque to follow xiaotian to the city.

the six-eared demon follows the boy, witnessing his battle with a young dragon (whom surprisingly quickly befriends xiaotian), and the subsequent trip they take to the noodle shop. he's given the same introduction to the gang as xiaotian is (from the shadows, of course). they all welcome the boy, despite their wariness of his appearance.

there doesn't seem to be any reason to intervene...not yet, anyways. these people don't have anywhere near the same power as the monkey bro's protégé, and what power they do have is untapped and relatively untrained. it's definitely an eclectic cast; two demons, a cat, a dragon, one magically-inclined monk wannabe, and a human woman. she's the only one without any sort of power, macaque notes with curiosity.

it's not love at first sight, but... he does think she's easy on the eyes. it's only as macaque continues to keep an eye on xiaotian and his new friends that he learns more about her. she's pretty nice and relatively easygoing, cares for her friends, and is surprisingly level-headed in stressful situations.

and she's ridiculously fun to tease.

macaque will occasionally antagonize the group in the name of "helping the kid train" (which has the added dramatic benefit of potentially sowing some discord amongst his friends; mac gets the feeling xiaotian isn't being honest with them about his family). while the others put up a good fight, reader seems to try to avoid conflict on the grounds of being a normal, non-magic human. this inability to fight (though that frying pan of hers gives her the confidence to try) makes her the perfect damsel in distress.

the dark-furred demon makes a habit of kidnapping reader after these fights, forcing her friends to scramble to find her. this happens often enough that it gets to where macaque and reader will have genuine conversations during the time that he's hiding her from the gang. they become tentative friends during this time and reader comes to realize that he's likely not going to actually hurt her... probably. and he's pretty funny and easy to talk to, all things considered. reader doesn't hate him. (though she probably should? maybe?)

macaque quickly figures out where her apartment is, and persistently shows up unannounced to pester her. he says that when he's "not on villain duty," he can hang out with her if he wants; not like she can stop him, right? it starts out as the six-eared demon just messing with reader; eating her food, using her television, hogging her couch, and generally being a nuisance. teasing and goading her every chance he gets, he enjoys her reactions (and her attempts to not react).

however, macaque starts getting more and more attached the longer he spends with her. even when he's antagonizing the other members of the group, he'll make sure she's not in harm's way. he'll extricate her from the gang's fights against other villainous demons (usually against her will), shadowing her away to safety.

it doesn't help that once he stops outright pestering her, she warms up to him more, too.

it's working in macaque's favor that wukong already established mandatory visits for xiaotian every so often to make sure he's not slacking, so if mac leaves for the city— eh, he's just checking on the kid, no big deal. he tells wukong almost everything about his visits, but not about his favorite human. wouldn't want him to get too curious; mac knows his brother, and he knows what's gonna happen if wukong finds out about reader.

is it really so wrong that he wants to keep this one fun thing for himself?

———

the monkey king finds it a bit strange that his shadowy brother is spending so much time in the city they ever-so-often destroy. sure, he knows mac likes to cause trouble, but his visits are usually more sporadic.

wukong is beginning to think he's not even visiting xiaotian anymore.

when wukong makes the decision to check on his son himself, he goes to the noodle shop in disguise (it's a bit tough to get anything done when the very sight of you is enough to incite a panic). it's been a while since he's interacted with a mortal that wasn't running from him in terror, so he's a bit awestruck when reader greets him kindly. he's embarrassingly unused to being spoken to like a normal person, but he manages to not make too much of a fool of himself.

he chats her up while he waits on both his son and his order, finding himself charmed. she's sweet, she likes jokes, she's pretty and nice and wukong likes it when she laughs—

he wants to see her again.

so he does. wukong no longer tells macaque to check on xiaotian, instead making the visits himself. seeing as his kid has taken up residence in the noodle shop, is it really so strange that he visits so often?

he also "runs into" reader when she's buying groceries or making a delivery, and offers to help her. he counts the little meetups as "dates" and is working his way up to asking her to be his officially. he won't resort to "ancient demon courting methods" just yet.

he also hasn't told her who he really is. he changes his distinctive facial markings and lightens his hair a shade, shifts the color of his eyes from bloody red to less threatening gold, and wears his hood up. he tells reader he "tries to keep a low profile"; monkey demons get a bad rap in this city, what with that dreaded monkey king always causing havoc.

he'd like for reader to come to care for him like he does her. but, since there's a chance she won't be as open to being with him if she finds out he's the monkey king and not just your average run-of-the-mill monkey demon, perhaps it'd be best to keep his true identity a secret for a while longer.

of course, he eventually runs into macaque (while on his way to reader's place, so he saw macaque leaving from there), and they have a fun lil conversation (that eventually turns into a brawl) about the whole situation. wukong makes fun of his lil brother for falling for a human, macaque hits him back with the fact that it took wukong even less time to fall for her than it took him, it goes back and forth.

when the battle cools off, the brothers talk sincerely about how they feel. neither are willing to give reader up, so...they'll share, like they always have. they both continue to court an adorably but frustratingly oblivious reader, eventually meeting her at the same time and telling her that they're brothers. she's only mildly surprised, to their relief. they're both glad they've fallen for a human who's so comfortable around demons, especially ones as powerful as them. it's not often that a human isn't immediately off put by their aura of strength.

things are calm for a while. xiaotian is being a hero and having fun adventures with his friends, the two monkey warlords are staying out of trouble (mostly), reader is happy... all is well.

however, it eventually starts falling apart.

things quickly begin to change. just visiting reader occasionally isn't enough; wukong wants her to live on his mountain with him. he wants to reveal himself as the monkey king and let reader know the truth. he wants to show her the stone palace, the fruit tree forests, he wants her to meet his people. yet macaque insists they take it slow, that stealing her will just make her afraid of them (and should only be a last resort). he doesn't mind a little fear, but it'll hurt their chances in the long run. so, wukong refrains.

still, he's getting tired of going to the city.

and it's getting increasingly dangerous there, besides. more and more powerful adversaries are coming out of the woodwork, and reader keeps getting caught in the crossfire. nothing serious has happened yet, but perhaps the king will need to arrange a surprise relocation for his darling peach...

———

it happens sooner than he expected.

a powerful foe re-emerges, and xiaotian and his friends aren't strong enough to stop them on their own. the young monkey demon is forced to call on his family for help, both his villainous father and shady uncle arriving just in time to help slow the threat.

the monkey warlords make the fight exponentially easier, their brutality in battle on full display.

wukong can't hide his identity from reader any longer. she knows who he is now, has seen the friendly facade of the peach-colored mask fade into the bright red of his signature warpaint-like markings. she's just a scared and betrayed as he thought she'd be. she knows just what monster she's been dealing with now.

said monster sees an opportunity, and he's done playing around.

while her friends are occupied with finishing off the demon...

...wukong steals reader.

a fitting reward for aiding in saving the world, he thinks.