#shadow traits

[neptunes-sol-angel]

"You believe you are unworthy, but I know you are so much more. Sometimes the world doesn't need a white knight, sometimes it needs something darker, so you have two choices: you could either become the destroyer of this world, or you could be its savior." - Dr. Fate (Black Adam 2022)

Pick the picture(s) that you're drawn to, then scroll down for its corresponding message.

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Pile One👤

The backbone of your shadow relates to manipulation and the desperation to be known and seen, even if it means being acknowledged for notorious deeds. You're savvy when it comes to being charismatic and having your way with others, as well as getting on another person's good side. You have this cheeekiness about you that's both your strength and your downfall, it's charming and useful for networking but is also a gateway for making enemies that don't find your wittiness to be amusing or convincing. You could see another person's trust as something that you should take, from finding their weaknesses and exploiting them through soft lies or willingly dousing the person with what it is that they seek, even if it's you, in particular, because I'm seeing a lot of puppetry/pinnochio themes, you could be the type to be a couple of steps ahead of people that want to manipulate you by allowing them to think that they have power over you, but it ends up being you with most of the control in the situation. On the other side of your shadow, is acceptance that everyone will not like you and it's not your responsibility to win over their approval and letting go of thinking that everything needs force. Coexisting with your shadow, is understanding that recognition is yours by not overcompensating and and overexposing yourself to multiple people and causes. Allowing things about yourself and your life to remain a taboo, is what makes you harmonize with your shadow side while still being able to shine.  Why the world needs this, is because you teach others that lust or desire for something that someone has, isn't a valid admission or reason to give away your trust. I feel like this has a lot to do with independence, and valuing self-importance, with not just the people that learn from you, but also yourself. You could be likely to come across someone who's prone to reconciling with another person out of longing or to acquire something about them that they feel that they don't have within themselves (confidence, love, strength, etc), feeling that they need to look or be a certain way to be attractive (maybe even cling to something that they consider an enhancement that they need), or any other situation that relates to seeking power that they feel that they don't have. Your shadow mostly teaches others to find their own strengths so that they don't feel like power is something that they need to consume or force out of a person through manipulation, but I also get that the benefit of being around your shadow relates to beauty as well—it enlightens a person to know that feeling inadequate about their looks doesn't mean to do more, there's a physical appeal in what they keep as a mystery or the unparalleled allure that comes from remaining unfiltered.

Pile Two👤

I'm getting that the people who are drawn to this pile are highly in tune and developed with what the traits of their shadow side are, you guys could be rebels and skeptics instead of blindly conforming to anything, but besides having your own thoughts and beliefs, there could be something different about you that you can't exactly pinpoint on why you don't feel like you can relate to anyone in this world or what makes people likely to alienate you in some way, I feel like at some point in your life, you thought that mimicking your surroundings instead of expressing the authentic parts about yourself would make you feel more included or at home, but it never really changed anything in regards to how people treat you besides making you feel even more alone inside. This could be something that you struggled with before growing more confident with yourself, but your message about your shadow, is that the only thing about it that's holding you back, is the way that you choose to go about accepting it. Your message reminds me of the movie Megamind. Don't allow your loneliness or another person's poor reaction to you, interpret your differences as a weapon. Being unique or misunderstood shouldn't conclude you as someone who's an enemy to the world or someone to be feared. Furthermore, just because you're different, doesn't mean that you don't have anything useful to contribute to the world. Change is the only constant, and what's more useful to change than something new and what isn't common? Accepting yourself doesn't mean reducing yourself to what other people call you, nor does it reflect on how much you appear to not care on the outside. It takes grit to walk freely without anyone's validation, but don't let the hardness from your surroundings, harden you inside, or make you believe that just because the world isn't showing you care for your feelings, that you aren't deserving to express and receive sensitivity. Why the world needs your shadow side, is because that there's a truth that needs to be exposed within humanity—there isn't anything normal about it. You help others take a step closer to loving and appreciating who they are by helping them let go of trying to get others to normalize the things that aren't, and to instead, just normalize their selves. Co-existing doesn't come from fighting all of the time, or trying to get people to agree with you, co-existing starts with just being.

Pile Three👤

(specifically 1:36)

What I'm picking up about your shadow side, is that it relates to possessiveness and smothering. You guys could be very powerful visionaries because of how much they're derived from pent up emotions that you could have been taught to keep in or a lot to do with love that wasn't reciprocated, the ace of cups isn't in your spread, but I'm just getting this image of this huge cup being overfilled your feelings and dreams. When I think of the people in the pile, I think of Georgia from the show 'Ginny and Georgia' on Netflix. You guys have a huge heart, and you mean well, but how you direct and show your love can be depicted with the worst parts of your shadow, it doesn't mean that you're a bad person at all, this is just about not particularly making the best choices when you react emotionally. What makes your shadow side combust, is not having any boundaries with the real world and what you envision for yourself, in a way that makes you inconsiderate, but also prone to heartbreak, like you could treat others as if this is just your world and they're the props. This could also look like not having boundaries with others or trying absorb another person's space. I keep picking up these specific scenarios, or should I say messages? To be careful with assuming that your love language should be something that another person should accept. I'm seeing someone growing up to be a parent, who loves their child to pieces, but shows it in a way that's self absorbed and suffocates the child in the end by wanting to give them a life that you didn't have but you don't realize that you're restricting them from their growth or identity. I'm also seeing someone having a specific dream about their life that they want for themselves, but are wanting specific people to fill in roles without realizing that everyone has free will and it's their right to have it. These themes are about making other people your happiness and in some way, robbing them of their right to make decisions in however way that this applies to your life, this isn't at all to say that this makes you bad, to make you aware. Similarly to pile one, your shadow side is needed for both the world and yourself, your message is also like life and death. You could have had a lot of endings, and are having trouble letting people or things go because of fear over it possibly being literal, as if your life ends if you can't have this specific person or achieve these specific goals, or that the only way to continue on is by living through another person, but it's not true. I feel that the cup I was thinking about earlier is actually supposed to symbolize the fountain of youth, you are the source for what makes your life lively, it isn't to be measured by the things that don't work out, create more dreams, goals, interests, but most importantly, see the next day as a reason not to attach to whoever or whatever isn't meeting you half way.

[misty1111]

Here’s a video I took earlier today of a silly bird trying to fight it’s reflection. It reminds me of when people attack their own unintegrated shadow traits when they see them in other people. Silly silly.

Edit: Idk why it’s claiming to be mature content. It’s not. It’s literally a 20ish second video of a bird fighting it’s reflection in a car window.

[im-here-homie]

a happy audience is the key to the academy's heart

shadow milk design by @catxolotlquoise

[cas-the-angel-of-thursday]

why are all my favorite ships just autistic and murderous little gay men?

[localicecreambiter]

hello four swords nation. specifically the niche blue and shadow enjoyers. it's me again

Green alt because the original base I drew wasn't shadow enough

[fishyartist]

Drew a bunch of sonic characters as zero escape+aitsf characters for various reasons or w/e. Don’t worry about it <3

Bonus this whole thing started w/ this amy as ace I drew as a joke about a single shared character trait (?) between two otherwise totally different as hell characters

[raaindropps]

He's the devil, not a man

[ID: a black and white digital drawing of a cowboy shooting a pistol. He's wearing a tasseled western shirt, a cowboy hat, and tasseled chaps over pants. There are harsh shadows cast over his face and body, defining the fabric folds. The background is all black /End ID]

[ruanbaijie]

szh + lip curls / doing things with his jaw

[bottombaron]

you know, i can handle a little bit of fun "Nandor is dumb" talk, but i have a net-zero tolerance for any implication that Nandor is not educated.

Nandor would have been incredibly educated in his lifetime.

even (or especially) as a soldier in the Islamic World. being a soldier was more like getting sent to boarding school that's also a military camp. they weren't just concerned with creating loyal fodder for war. they were building the next government officials, generals, accountants, advisors, etc. it was important that young men knew how to read, write, speak multiple languages, learn philosophy...sometimes even studying art and music was mandatory.

if he was nobility (and its most likely he was), take all that shit and multiply it exponentially. Nandor would have been reading Plato at the same age most people are still potty training. he would have been specifically groomed in such a way to not be just a brilliant strategist and warrior, but also diplomate and ambassador of literally the center of scientific and cultural excellence of the age.

so like yeah, he can be a big dummy sometimes, sure. but that bitch is probably more educated than any of us will ever be.

[pratchettquotes]

"But he's...gone. It's not as though I'm ever likely to see him again."

YOU KNOW YOU WILL.

"How do you know that?"

YOU'VE ALWAYS KNOWN. YOU REMEMBER EVERYTHING. SO DO I. BUT YOU ARE HUMAN AND YOUR MIND REBELS FOR YOUR OWN SAKE. SOMETHING GETS ACROSS, THOUGH. DREAMS, PERHAPS. PREMONITIONS. FEELINGS. SOME SHADOWS ARE SO LONG THEY ARRIVE BEFORE THE LIGHT.

"I don't think I understood any of that."

WELL, IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY.

Terry Pratchett, Soul Music

[descendant-of-truth]

I MISSED SHADOW BEING A SMUG LITTLE SHOWOFF SO MUCH

Something I think that a lot of writers get wrong about Shadow (whether it was influenced by Sega's strictness or not) is that they tend to write him as just an opposite character to Sonic, and he does have elements of that. But he's also supposed to be a parallel to him.

All that confidence and sass, the cheeky poses, the way he clearly delights in showing off his skills and having a good tussle? Those are all Sonic traits.

They're meant to be each other's match in not just their abilities, but also their attitudes. And they used to bring out their similarities in each other, too - in SA2, Shadow is all business and brooding except for when Sonic shows up. Then it's like a sleeper agent kicks in and he neglects everything he was just doing to mess with him and prove how cool he is, it's actually comical.

But for years now, we've mostly had Sonic be the only one of the two to have fun when they fight, or be snarky, while Shadow's just been. so serious all the time. Maybe they'll give him the occasional comment or one-liner, but it still felt kinda... off, somehow. And I think it's because they didn't really lean into his Sonic-isms as much.

Meanwhile, there are several poses/expressions he makes in this episode that are extremely easy for me to imagine Sonic doing too, and it's great! Shadow is having fun again!! That's all I've wanted for years!!

[wannaeatramyeon]

Jake Kim x Reader: Minseon

G/N. Soft as always for Jakey.

"You're so handsome," you sigh, half appreciative and half deeply envious.

The light isn't even hitting him in a particular way. Neither is he dressed up, just hanging about the apartment in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

But. This man. Jake goddamn Kim.

You know the feeling you get when you see an adorable animal and want to aggressively pet them and smush them? That's how you feel about Jake sometimes. A lot of the time.

You would hate him if he wasn't so charismatic and genuinely nice.

"Thanks," he says, accepting the compliment graciously, giving you a small smile before resuming scrolling on his phone.

It means the most coming from you, but you're not the first person to call him handsome, and no doubt you won't be the last.

Don't get him wrong, Jake doesn't think this due to arrogance but if you've heard this most of your life then it's something you just come to accept. Not that he cares too much, looks will eventually fade. 

Besides, he knows you will still love him once the wrinkles line his face, the grey peppers his hair and he no longer has the body of a man training everyday for survival.

You peer closely at him, obscuring his line of vision. "You have your mother's eyes, you know."

That stops him in his tracks. He arches a brow at your statement. "That's not what most people say."

"I know, I know," you wave your hand dismissively, "Your eyes are shaped like your dad's but they're the same shade as your mother's,"  then voice turning bashful, "They have the same warmth as hers."

It's cheesy but true. God bless Gapyrong's strong genes and good looks, because Jake is almost a spitting image of his father, though you haven't had the opportunity to meet the late Gapryong in person.  Nevertheless, you see a lot of Minseon in Jake.

Jake finds his father when he looks in the mirror. The angle of his eyes, height of his cheekbones, slope of his nose. Most days it’s all he sees.

You find his mother in the shade of his eyes, the arch of his eyebrows, the dip of his cupid's bow.

You recognise Minseon's gentle touch in the way Jake takes care of you. In him, the strength of her character alongside Gapryong's morals.

How Jake cooks, taking a dash of salt, angling his wrist and sprinkling it in the exact same way as her after years of watching her cooking for the family.

Prefers the quiet calm of the morning, just like his mom before the buzz of the day claims her.

You tell Jake all of this. His eyes widening in pleasant surprise, face softening with adoration, the more you talk.

You think about Minseon pottering in the big house on her own and feel a pang of sadness. "We should visit your mom soon, it's been a while."

Jake hums his agreement. You're far too good to him and he doesn't know what to do with it.

He reaches out, takes your hand between his with a tender smile on his lips. You see the same crinkle of Minseon's eyes reflected at you too.

[dartalias]

One of the reasons i love reading Kyoshi is her inter monalogue and something i love about it is that she knows about agriculture and its just randomly using this knowledge in her head

(And in her pettiness)

Like in the Daofei city they were worriedly explaining to her how sad and bad it is that they are tied up with a gruop called "Autumn flower society" that have "moon peaches" as their simbol, and how dangerous they were

And Kyoshi first thoght was "moon peaches bloom in the spring, idiots, but of corse they wouldn't know that, they're daofei not farmers"

Or the amont of times they go to a new place and the firt thing she does is cassify the soil as good/bad to plant things

Kyoshi herself acknowledge this trait of hers sometimes

Like she is doing a ditch with earthbending and being like "See that Yokoya??? I can plow land too, i could be a great farmer"

Or when shes eating dust being like "its not eating, its testing, spirits why did i have to know that???"

Love my avatar farmer girly with criminal and artistic genes

[oursystemblog]

since you couldn't hear anyone in the beginning, how did you learn who was who? how did you identify parts?

Not Very Helpful Advice-Wise Answer, Mostly just Rambling --

if you mean identify as in "figure out that they were Another Alter" , everyone was distinct enough that we could kind of just tell "hmm . I Am Of A Different State Right Now" -- which was always something we'd noted even before we had a word to put to it, so that wasn't really something we needed to figure out consciously. it's weird to describe it's just a Different Feeling behind the eyes

if you mean identify as in "figure out the name of" -- Most of them didn't actually have names at first so they ended up choosing one and readily wrote it down on their own while they were were fronting

i think for us it was pretty easy because at the beginning the guardian was The Only alter [aside from me , The Host] who would front with any frequency, so i Only had to identify them. this wasn't very hard because they also wanted to identify themself

we worked on that alongside figuring out communication, and it was a decent amount of time before the emotionholder [only other alter at the time] came forward so by then we'd already gotten to the stage of Basic Yes Or No Questions which made it easier

a bit beside the point but i'm adding this on because it's funny (in hindsight), i also freaked out a little bit when that happened because i went "oh i feel switchy/dissociated right now that probably means the guardian is going to front. okay that's fine, i'm used to that now" and then the emotionholder fronted instead (for the first time since we'd started figuring out the system thing) and once they were done i was like "Ok well that wasn't the guardian . That also was not me, though, so Who The Fuck Was That I Thought There Was Like One Other Person Here"

[sonknuxadow]

this was in the new steam description for sxs generations . you dont understand ive wanted shadows black arms dna to be actually acknowledged and used for so long . ever since i had my brain chemistry permanently altered by learning about the full details of shadows backstory when i was in middle school ive been like Well where are his sick ass alien powers ??!?!?!?!?!?!?! and i used to read the shadow fall arc of sonic universe over and over again just for every scrap of that sort of content i could get. also its extra cool that they seem to be working shadows unique abilities into the gameplay because a lot of games before this dont really do that and just have shadow be a sonic reskin which i understand Why they would do that but you know. shadow the hedgehog (2005) enjoyers this is OUR FUCKING YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[korkietism]

Hawks is nothing more than a mentor to him… definitely not a playful familial figure who he had an unhealthy relationship with but is slowly developing into one of shared trust and mentorship similar to an older sibling.