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#their dynamics changed quite a bit over the year but not in a negative way
ziskandra · 10 months
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*cackles* 7, 10, 11, 13, and 24
7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them? hate is probably too strong a word but i've developed a knee-jerk reaction to fellow anders fans over the years because of the subset that truly seem to think he can do no wrong and that all of his actions were entirely justified and had no negative consequences for anybody in kirkwall other than the templars. on one hand, i kinda get it, because i know anders fans have also gotten a lot of flack because... this fandom is incapable of being normal. on the other, i have a knee-jerk reaction towards anyone who assumes everyone plays these sort of games the exact same way as them (or indeed, the same way each time). i totally respect people doing whatever they want in their games and in their fanworks, but it's when it comes out in harassment of others or making bad faith assumptions about the character of actual living human beings that i'm like. no thank you. obviously there are fans of other characters who also engage in this behaviour, anders is just the one where my negative fandom experiences outweigh the positive ones, personally.
oh also, while i'm being salty (the name of the game i SUPPOSE), i fucking love f!handers but m!handers leaves me cold (especially in canon-verse fic, i don't mind it as much in like, modern AUs and the like?) idk i feel like them being the same gender changes their dynamic in a way i can't articulate--probably that hawke being female shifts the power dynamics a bit and. yeah. 10. worst part of fanon
again, 'worst' is probably a harsh word, but when it comes to pervasive fanon that i personally just don't like, it has to be visibly mixed-race alistair. i don't mind it as much when his ears have like, a subtle point to them or whatever, but speaking personally as someone who is visibly mixed, to the point that i have fielded complete strangers asking "what are you" on regular occasions, alistair's narrative would be. quite different if he wasn't human-passing. and while i get that some mixed-race people find solace in making their blorbos more representative of who they are and their identities not causing any issues, it leaves me cold. and again, i don't care what other people do, but it's when some people act like fellow fans who dare depict alistair as he appears in canon are being racist or what have you that i get annoyed. like, yeah, dragon age fandom does have problems with race, but like... this is imo not one of them, and it detracts from like. bringing awareness to actual issues. yeah yeah people can care about multiple things at once, but by the same token, people can only care about so many things at once, yknow? also this fandom in particular has a real problem with treating poc like we're all a monolith, and that includes both white people and poc. i find it especially frustrating that the dominant discourse centers north american race politics the most, but god forbid anyone try to address that directly .... but that's a rant for another time lmao. 11. number of fandom-related words you've filtered i have about 16 fandoms i'm not in filtered mostly bc they just turn up on my dash a lot, and a handful of characters/ships filtered for fandoms i am in! the one that has been consistently filtered the longest is reyes vidal. 13. worst blorbofication
oooh, this one i think is a toss up between alistair and varric. as someone who loves both these characters more for their flaws rather than their virtues, fandom can be. a difficult time! alistair often gets reduced to this...perfect prince charming, which i think is kind of disappointing considering there is so many different ways for his story to develop depending on the the outcomes of origins? varric, otoh, gets reduced to hawke's bestie a lot. and look. i get it. he is hawke's bestie. he is. very uncritical of hawke, which is not as much of a problem if hawke's a good person but. what if they're not? what if they're not, varric. god, what i would give for like. a fucking complicated characterisation-rich fic which explored like. hawke and varric's friendship and how they're like. codependent messes. (and i say this as someone who loves codependent messes lol). and i guess like.... everyone treats varric being viscount as a meme. and yeah, i get it, the dude is everything everywhere all at once. but i'd really love to see more content focused on like... his relationship with kirkwall, and his feelings regarding his friends and becoming viscount and yeah. anyway!! being a blorbo of mine is the worst because i enjoy pain and suffering. anyway, 24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse
mage rights and also the chantry boom. i don't think i even have to elaborate on this do it 😭 🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥
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frost-felon · 4 months
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@ my anonymous asker: Your initial ask got eaten by Tumblr, so I'll be posting this as a separate post. You had two asks, so I'll address them both here, which works well, as I started ranting about the femme rep, lmao.
absolutely, like, 100% agree with you on everything you've said about the horrific lack of development with the interpersonal relationships between all the characters in jjk. the unexplained timeskip before the gojo vs sukuna fight made me SO MAD !!!!!!!! seeing it mentioned offhandedly. did such a massive disservice to gojo's character having his reactions to multiple deaths simply written out and missed so many opportunities for a more fulfilling narrative.
in general i feel that the relationships between characters in jjk are so... flimsily written. i have whole essays about how completely unexplored yuji and kenjaku are and how all the characters post-culling-game have suffered in favor of dishing out cool fights with fake-feeling emotional stakes. gege please start writing fights in a meaningful way... more than that please explore character dynamics outside of a purely tactical/background info way... is this the same man who wrote hidden inventory
Second ask:
my god don't even get me started on yorozu. atp the 'gege hates women' jokes can't even be dismissed that lightly I saw tsumiki's reawakening in the last jjk episode and literally said out loud don't piss me off again
Ah, thank you. I've been a bit worried about the in-universe time in JJK. If I'm not mistaken, the story starts at some point in June, and for the Juvenile Detention Center Arc/Super Happy Fun Killing Yuji Time, some point in July. Of course, Shibuya happens on the day/night of October 31st, and likely the wee hours of November 1st. The entirety of the Culling Games Arc takes place in about two weeks of November, as I recall; actually, maybe less, since the very start indicates that Yuji was on the run for a week. So many short timeskips happened early on, and had negative effects on developing characterization and worldbuilding, both of which I've thought were weak since the beginning. Worldbuilding moreso, but characterization issues were especially apparent with the second-years of Tokyo JJH and all of the Kyoto cast. This caused quite a crunch on Culling Games, since so much needed to happen over a short period of time, leading to a jumbled, molasses pace.
It's actually really interesting to me that Sukuna would agree to postpone the fight to nearly the end of December, and this would have given us more time to explore the newer characters and solidify the older ones; we really needed more interactions between Yuji and others that weren't full of misery. Or seeing Gojo adapting to life back outside the Prison Realm, especially given that so much has changed; for a character that values reforming society and raising a self-assured, powerful new generation, losing that society should lead to a re-evaluation of his priorities. Or like...develop Ieri! Hana! Miwa! And kill off Mei Mei or actually address her position within the cast.
Yeah, one of my biggest problems from the get-go was feeling that Megumi & Nobara was a dynamic that had been left to the wayside, even during early Kyoto Goodwill Arc. And those had been characters that were meant to interact regularly...literally what attachment did Higuruma have to anyone that wasn't Yuji?¹ I adore Yuji's relationships, but he's barely been allowed to have any after Shibuya. How is Choso doing, now that the only people (Yuki & Tengen) not related to him are dead or robbed of agency?
Speaking of...hoo boy, Tengen is a hell of a topic to untangle. And most femme characters really don't get to do anything. Nobara is fun, but suffered since day one with a lack of plot presence, and literally being removed from battlefields/character conflicts, lmao. Ieri straight-up doesn't matter, especially as the manga goes on--but even in Hidden Inventory, which I do think is likely the peak of JJK, she has no real impact. You could basically replace her with a medpack, and little would change. Mai gets a very good conflict with Maki, but just about nothing between then and her death. Maki has given up her niche and much of what made her engaging to become...a serial killer on the good side, suspiciously Toji-shaped. I really didn't like Perfect Preparation, and I dread re-reading it.
But "Gege hates women" was less of a joke to me, and more a hyperbolic version of a statement that I do believe in: "Gege shows a clear apathy and disregard for his femme characters." I noticed very early on in my initial read-through (to the end of 145) that many of the femme characters were simply treated differently than much of the male cast, and often given less to do. One time that I was truly disgusted, though, was how Remi (the lady with hair like a scorpion's tail, and a dependent personality) was handled, even before her ultimate fate in Culling Games. So much of that simply rubbed me the wrong way, and felt genuinely offensive, both in regards to women and to dependent personality-type individuals. And what happened to her later...man, those panels gross me the fuck out with how much they sexualize a woman who's about to get trafficked. I definitely have a lot to say on that, but I want to make sure I can actually post this before Tumblr fucks me over again.
As a note, I don't use materials outside of the story to gauge the effectiveness of the writing (and it's also because I'm a Naruto fan, so I know the Hell of databooks, nevermind some of the other art I enjoy), but I may be missing some things. Feel free to continue to make asks or to reach out to me via DMs. I do enjoy discussing JJK, whether it be for things it does well, things it does poorly, or for other reasons.
¹We did get some Higuruma & Kusakabe, but this came in late, and then Higuruma died, lmao.
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omniscient-lp · 1 year
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Sun Saturn Conjunction… the Sigma persona
The Saturn Sun conjunction exhibits the following dynamics in a person’s life: These 2 planets are not comfortable with each other, to say the least, as. there is a lot of enmity between the two. A lot of pent up energy, repression is there as neither is completely ‘free’ with the other. The themes that play in the native’s life whose birth chart has this conjunction are mostly likely that of Saturn’s.
To begin with, the father of the native is usually absent in some way, either physically distant due to his profession or emotional distant despite living together. As a child, the native struggles to get father’s approval, who doesn’t express love for the native and is mostly ‘too’ critical of the native. As the native grows, there is little to no ‘approval’ from male authority figures(essentially like the Sun) like the father, uncles even teachers. This leads to a under confident persona, someone who doesn’t believe in oneself and is constantly second guessing oneself. The first few(read: MANY) years of life are a struggle to ‘impress’ the father and get his approval. Apart from the father this struggle is evident with other Sun like figures a person get, the teachers and bosses. Now some people cover this ‘insecurity’ by putting up a big show of over confidence and bully/suppress others while the remaining stay insecure and under confident and get bullied by people like the first group.
With time though, this person will develop his/her own ego. The less the big show of ego the easier this step will be. Now, the person starts builds to himself/herself from scratch and slowly gets to a point where they stop to feel the need for other’s approval. They start to respect themselves and this changes everything... EVERYTHING!
Now this person starts to become confident, independent and even stubborn to some people(who are annoyed by this sudden change). They start to have a very unique way of perceiving every situation, person and relationship. Naturally, this phase marks the end to a lot of ‘parasitic’ relationships in their life.
Imagine a transition from that shy, quiet and introverted kid to a confident, expressive and still introverted though, leader. This conjunction has many many colours, to state that these people are egoistic is simply wrong! The Sun Saturn conjunction rewards a human being in the later part of life, when the internal ego is built but is under control with the humility bought in by Saturn. These people are extremely hardworking though with time, start to expect very less from life.
They are quite ambitious but can stand between that ambition and themselves!
I was always a Math person, so let me put this conjunction in the form of an equation..
EGO(Sun) SHOULD BE = HUMILTY(Saturn)
When either of these are out of sync, the respective planets will start to show their negative results.
Read the back story of these mighty planets below and do let me know what you think!
NO REPOSTING ALLOWED!
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theninthdoor · 1 year
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Can u do a red velvet friendship dynamic reading?
please keep in mind that just because these people are in the same group doesn't mean that they are bffs who will spend the rest of their lives together. if you want my take on this: the feeling I got was that they have gone through many changes and challenges together, and are finally growing up and growing out of the boxes they were put in when they became a group. there's nothing wrong with that, imo. but, of course, to outsiders it might look a lot more dramatic and negative than what it truly is like in real life.
Dynamic || seven of wands, hanged man rx, ten of swords, three of pentacles rx: So- 2 main messages here: 1) they're currently at a point where all (or, at least, most) of the members are quite sure of themselves and of the path they want to take with their careers. It feels like they're all pushing to get their way; pushing to be heard. If previously they were more willing to listen to other people's opinions and sacrifice their own visions/wishes, they're over it already. Working as a team may not be as easy as it once was, but it's really all about their (un)willingness to see things from the others' perspectives instead of focusing so much on their own. And, 2) it's be so long already that they feel like they can let themselves go. What I mean is- do you know when in relationships, after some time, people stop caring so much about how they dress or how they act, text messages get shorter and less lovey-dovey, dates get more lowkey, etc? That's basically what I'm seeing… they're not putting in the same type of effort they once were, which results in them feeling disconnected from each other. Everybody's just like "whatever"; not asking how the other's day was or asking them out for a meal after their schedules. Honestly, it just feels like they need to find a new purpose or common goal as a group once again… Work brought them together, but also isolated them.
|| Individual members (where they stand/how they're feeling/what they're giving):
Irene || ten of swords, five of pentacles rx: She's absolutely exhausted. I do feel like there's still a bit of hope that things will magically get better, but it won't be due to her efforts. At this point, she's accepting whatever comes her way, with no expectations or big wishes. She's also not asking for more because she honestly feels like there's too many factors at play here and a looot would have to change. It's like "yeah, I'm accepting less than what I think we/I deserve or could do, but the fight is not even worth it anymore". She's just silently letting things play out, really. Out of all, I'd say she's the one who's most aware of how much they have changed over the years and how the journey has worn them down as friends and co-workers.
Seulgi || page of swords, strength rx: One of the members who tries to stay in contact with the other as often as they can. She likes knowing what they're up to and what their plans are, even if they aren't super close or spend a lot of time together. However, she's still feeling a little disconnected. The group doesn't feel as stable or "safe" as it once did, and so she's detaching herself before it all crumbles and hurts her feelings. In the past, she might've been overly depend on the group, so I do think it's wise for her to build stronger boundaries and a personal identity that doesn't rely so much of being a RV member. Once she lays a solid foundation for herself, she might be able to connect with them once again.
Wendy || lovers, star rx: She still feels super connected to them and cares a lot about the group and the members (as individuals/friends). She might even try to get them all to meet up often or stay in contact as frequently as possible. Wendy really doesn't want to lose these connections, no matter what they group's future looks like. Also, she might go as far as avoiding bringing up her own issues and worries in order to keep things light - as in, she doesn't want to feed into the pessimism and exhaustion that they are already feeling, so the light won't completely go out.
Joy || ten of wands, chariot rx: She does put in the effort, but it feels more like a duty or a burden rather than something that she truly wants or is passionate about. I do see her looking back at their achievements and being very proud, though. I really do think she's proud of the RV name and work, and that's what's keeping her engaged. However, she doesn't hold strong goals or dreams anymore when it comes to the group… at this point, it's just something that she accepted as part of her life and that she has to play her part in when she's asked. It is more work oriented, but if anyone needs her, they can count on her, for sure! She's very, very loyal - I'll tell you that much.
Yeri || queen of wands, lovers rx: Yeri feels like she has finally found her footing as an individual and/or artist after spending so many years carrying the label of "RV's maknae". She's feeling confident, enthusiastic, ready to explore her creativity; going solo or standing out on her own might not seem as scary to her as before. So, all in all, she did separate herself from the group a little, but it was for the best. However, I must say: she has to be careful not to come off as too selfish or demanding now that she's finally found her voice within the group (and personally).
(Disclaimer: all readings are alleged and for entertainment purposes only.)
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thespit · 10 months
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There's a lot of inner monologue here in the beginning from Rilind, but it kind of loses it's place later on so I guess we don't see it quite as much. A fun note that may lead me to make a small edit later: Aven calls Rilind "Ryan" on accident. This wasn't meant to be because the names sound similar or something, which they don't at all. However it made a small confusion about the pronounciation of his name for some reason. So I might change it for that reason alone. Back when I had first released about half of chapter one, I had a little feedback that compared the older version of CotS. My excuse is that I was still working this out a teensy bit. Over the years, this character Aven has undergone a lot of changes. The most obvious change was how I drew her (and how I drew in general) She has a lot of traits and features that made her more androgynous as others had put it before. She's become a lot more feminine, worked out in a way that didn't feel like it was too much to take away the impression that she's a monster when I need her to be one. She was also a lot grosser for lack of better terms. Now she's "cool" gross, haha. I think its a small regret that I didn't push some of these "negative" traits a little harder in the beginning when I started again. In truth, people found their dynamic much more amusing. But I think when I was trying to write this again, I wanted to settle for behaviors that were more realistic for this character in particular. The way she was written in the past was more a result of things not settled or worked out fully. The route I chose to go was to run with some older advice I'd gotten in the past, to focus on not giving her the traits of being way too selfish and mean because it seemed funny at the time. Instead I chose to lean into the semi sweetness I wanted her to be, and be a bit more likeable. Naturally, she plays the antagonist side a lot- but I didn't want the readers to feel like they could not side with her in a conflict because they can't connect with her. I think a more keen reader might appreciate that over what seems amusing in the moment. She's still hilariously immature at times, as a trade off, but i'm thinking my skills have improved enough at this point to be sure of the time and place for those moments.
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Dear TPP,
I'll try to keep this as short as possible, I can ramble pretty bad. So I have a long distance friend, m/m both of us in early 30s, that I've know for a couple years. We mostly interact in a group dynamic (he's a casual small streamer and the regulars have become a group of friends).  Anyway it began as a normal "ooo cute stranger" crush, but now we've known each other for quite a while and my feelings have certainly grown. And I really think he has some very similar feelings for me (I have several points to think this but brevity).  And here is where the problems begin.
Both of us are more on the reserved/shy side and pretty much refuse to plainly say how we feel. So of course the solution is to just take the leap and say "boy I have strong feelings for you and what about it?" And I get that. And I'm working on trying to get that courage. BUT (here's the next problem) our relationship has a bit of an imbalance. I know what he looks like, since he does stream (on twitch) and the occasional selfie, and the most of myself he has ever seen is a couple "new haircut" pics that were only eyeballs and up, bcus that's the only part of myself I'm not afraid to show others. This is bcus I'm a midwestern 2-3 on a good day, and I have many times over had the app experience of "having a good conversation with a guy, then I finally send them my pics and get instantly blocked". Therefore I tend to refrain from sharing or even taking selfies. So I have an incredible fear of if I take the leap to express my true feelings, then I will of course have to show him who I am literally. And as I said above it's not a great presentation. I would I be able to continue to maintain the friendship if all the sudden things change after he sees me? And I know he's not enough of an asshole to just outright block and ghost me when he realizes I'm ugly so that will just leave us both in a terrible and awkward place.
Now on top of all of that if miraculously the feelings are reciprocated, and somehow he doesn't find me too ugly (since I know ppl always think of themselves as way uglier than other ppl think of them but I'm legit pretty bottom barrel) then we have our final major problem. That being I have so many problems and aspects that are often just flat out "deal breakers" for ppl. I think him getting involved with me is a huge mistake and for his own good I would not want to pull him into my abyss of issues or go through my laundry list of possible deal breakers.
All in all that basically sums it up. And I do apologize for dumping this on you (I just saw your post that said something like TPP advice is open), and I don't like discussing my personal matters with ppl in my immediacy (another problem of mine haha) so I have been wanting to discuss this with a third party. In a way I feel like I know what I need to do, but I just want to bounce it off someone for idea, and maybe what order to proceed and see if maybe I really am just THAT insane and I should just go live in a cave.
Sincerely,
Neurotic Sword
Hmm ok. First off I wanna say there is no such thing as being ugly and anybody who treats you poorly based off of how they perceive you is a reflection on THEM not you. And how you perceive yourself is much more important than how anybody else perceives you, so don't let anybody make you feel bad for taking selfies and loving yourself.
As for this specific situation, I can understand where you're coming from. I do think it is important though that whoever you're wanting to pursue any sort or platonic or romantic relationship with knows what you look like. Obviously you don't have to like send a picture every day or anything but I feel like knowing what you look like builds a base layer of trust since you know for sure who you're talking to. You don't necessarily have to outright be like "hey I like you" just yet but eventually he would have to see you. And if he responds negatively then babe you dodged a bullet bc everybody deserves respect no matter what you look like. I don't know any specifics but I do feel like if you guys have been talking for this long then the relationship shouldn't be broken by a face reveal.
Also, babe, it's not good to yourself to bring yourself down like this. Yes all your feelings and emotions are valid but you are not this horrible person you think you are. Getting with you is NOT a mistake but a blessing. But again I don't know the specifics so I can't really say anything in detail but ultimately you have to do what's best for YOU not what's best for anybody else. And trust me I know what it's like being shy but shyness has to take a backseat when it comes to doing what's best for your own happiness
I'm not sure if any of this helps or is useful but if you have anything else to say I'm here
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My thoughts on Wednesday (2022)
So I watched Wednesday because my mom wanted to watch it with me. I went in with low expectations because none of my friends liked it and I heard a lot of negative things online. After watching, my feelings are mixed.
My rating: 6/10
Positives:
-The characters were fun. Enid and Wednesday had a good dynamic. I wish Enid was shown more.
-I enjoyed watching it with my mom.
-I like mysteries, so I liked that portion of the show.
-Thing was great. I really enjoyed his parts throughout the story, and his relationships with other characters.
-I liked how Wednesday gained a group of friends that didn't really make her change too heavily as a person.
-The dance scene was fun, along with what happens at the dance.
Criticisms:
-The pacing. The last few episodes felt very rushed, like they crammed the bulk of the mystery into the end. The big battle at the end felt anticlimactic and too short.
-I did not enjoy the romance arcs Wednesday went through. I was here for mystery and Addams family shenanigans
-The Addams did not feel right to me. They didn't feel like the Addams family. They got some of it right but it just felt off to me
-Character arcs felt rushed. The group of friends Wednesday had at the end felt out of nowhere. We never got to see why Bianca and Wednesday started trusting each other. Was it the fact that Wednesday won the boat race? Or the thing with Bianca's mother? Either way, maybe I missed something but I wish this was fleshed out more.
-The jokes fell flat for me. Some were funny but a lot of them didn't land. The titles were all focused on the same joke as well.
-I wish Enid and Wednesday's relationship had been focused on more. Same with all her friends really.
-The CGI and monster designs did not look good. The main antagonist monster looked like the zombies in plants vs. zombies.
Other statements:
-Do we really have to show a character throwing up on screen? I hate that this happens in shows and movies so often. Ew.
-I thought Enid not able to fully "wolf out" was going to be an LGBT metaphor, especially with the lycanthropy conversion camps mentioned, but she ends up "wolfing out" anyway at the end.
-I would have liked this show better if it was an original new cast of characters. This just didn't feel like the Addams family. Wednesday having visions and the way she acted makes me feel the show would have been better if she was just her own different character instead of making her Wednesday Addams.
-I don't know how well the message was done. Especially since the pilgrim guy was so easy to defeat. His hypocrisy was never addressed either, since he was technically a monster as well.
-Wednesday did have quite the plot armor. I think this also would be solved if she was her own character and not from a beloved franchise. We all knew they wouldn't kill off Wednesday or Thing because these have been beloved characters for years. Becomes a bit predictable.
-Cool that Eugene had two moms! Though literally every other character was straight so. You tried I guess.
-oh my god if I see y'all edit that stupid fucking song over Wednesdays dance one more time I'm biting you. She would not like pop she literally makes fun of pop at the end of the show. The song she actually dances to fits way better you all are just cowards.
Overall the rating isn't too low despite my criticism being rather long because I did have fun with it. There's a lot I didn't like and I don't think it's a great show but at the end of the day I don't regret watching it. It was just a fun time with my mom. And she liked it a lot.
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ofwrxth · 4 months
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BASICS.
Name: Maren Jones 
Age & Birthday: 56, December 1, 1967
Gender/Pronouns: cis woman she/her
Birthplace: Concord, New Hampshire 
Time in Hollow Cove: Feb 2024
Species: Werewolf / Jones Pack
Role in Hollow Cove: Watch/ Registration, Farms, Stables  
Positive personality traits: energetic, generous, independent
Negative personality traits: emotional, flighty, spontaneous 
ABOUT.
1967 – 1992
Maren Sinclair ran away from home when she was just fourteen. She got a one way ticket to Boston and never looked back. Home hadn’t been home for a while. Not since she woke up one morning to find her mother gone at five years old. Not since her father remarried and they joined another pack when she was eight. Not since her half brother and sister were born, doted on by a mother who said Maren was too loud, too spirited, too emotional, too chaotic. Too much. Home hadn’t been home for a while. Not since her stepmother backhanded her for waking the baby. Not since her dad stood by and let it happen. 
So Maren decided to find her own home. Getting off the bus at Back Bay, she was determined to find a place she could belong. But the problem with searching for belonging is that you never quite know if you’ve found it. Maren would spend the next fourteen years jumping from place to place, calling each home for various periods of time. She was smart, good with her hands and a hard worker when she wanted to be. But there were times when she just couldn’t get herself out of bed. When darkness came and sunk it gnarled fingers in her, dragging her under. She always made it out the other side, but by the time she did, she’d often worn out her welcome. Or, sometimes, she felt too ashamed to stick around.
She wasn’t the sort to join packs until she made her way south. She loved the open spaces and the feeling of freedom they brought to her inner wolf. She joined a pack in Chattanooga, TN, and stayed there for two years. Rebecca Lewis, an elderly wolf, had taken her in, giving her a job at her shop. It was the first bit of maternal care she’d had in a long time, so when Rebecca revealed she was sick, something not even being a wolf could completely prevent, Maren panicked. The thought of losing Rebecca made her sick, but so did the thought of watching her die. So she did what she was good at and left before Rebecca could leave her. 
1992 – 2001
When she arrived in Georgia, life took another turn. She and Everett Jones weren’t exactly a match made in heaven, but they weren’t one made in hell either. Maren hadn’t been in a serious relationship before, never staying anywhere long enough to form attachments. But discovering she was pregnant at twenty-eight certainly changed things. A civil ceremony with a baby bump wasn’t something she ever foresaw for herself, but in the rush of the moment, in a bid for hope, Maren became a Jones. And a few months later, they welcomed Bodie into their lives. Full of uncertainty, but optimistic about their daughter, Maren found joy in the simple life she’d found for herself. Her relationship with Everett wasn’t the great romance of Ethan and Ava, but there was respect and they worked through things and Maren did love him, in her own way. When Hazel was born nearly three years later, Maren felt the downward spiral begin. Postpartum depression held for months and despite navigating her way through it, she felt something like a constant dread hanging over her. 
But she loved her girls and their love brought her peace. For a while anyway. But when Everett gave up being Alpha, and the pack dynamics shifted, it felt like something in their relationship had too. Respect and hard work weren’t enough to bridge the gap between what Maren needed and what Everett could give. Doubt began to slip in, and she began to question her place in his life, in their pack’s life, in their daughter’s lives.
She thought of how Ava had mothered JJ and Eli before passing, she thought of the other mothers in the pack, who’d probably had mothers themselves. But not Maren. Who was she to think she could have this life? She’d probably hurt her daughters. She’d probably ruin them. She didn’t know how to be a mother. Not really. It didn’t come naturally to her and when her moods swung low, it was impossible. She was impossible. She was no good at this. So Maren did what she was good at and left before her daughters were old enough to realize this themselves.
2001 – 2015
I'm so lazy stuff happened here, she traveled around for a while, thought about going back to Georgia and then guilt made her stay away. All over the states before making her way to Canada. Joined another two packs along the way (maybe one of your muses!) but never lasted long before feeling she was better off leaving/not belonging.
2015 – 2019
In 2015 she met Marley in Canada shortly after his husband died. He nearly blew her head off with a shot gun which is a great start to any friendship. She convinced him she could help around his property and he said bet and what was gonna be a short few weeks turned into years as they became besties even though he'd never admit it.
There were a few times when Maren left but when she came back, her room would be the same because he left it ready for her.
When news of supernaturals was revealed, she thought of her kids in Georgia (though she always thought of them) but stayed back because she didn't think she had a right to go after them.
2020 – 2023
They stayed in Marley's home until supplies became difficult and the war was all around them and they went into his bunker. But Maren being Maren felt stuck (it's a bunker girl, wdy expect?!?) and they got into a big ole fight and she left and he said dont let the door hit you on the way out. But he went after her anyway bc besties 4 life and saved her and after that she was like lol kk i'll stay put.
2024
When the storm at the end of January came through and rinsed their supplies, they were forced to find another shelter. Saying goodbye to their bunker (or bunky as Maren called it to annoy Marley), they found Hollow Cove and the family Maren hasn't stopped thinking about.
Things are hella awk now that her kids are grown ass adults and one has a baby of her own and basically it's gonna be super emo and angsty so stay tuned!
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potahun · 3 years
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Some more Qin Shen Shen moments translations (Part 12/?)
2020 S2 Reunion Edition 3/?
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Link to other translations so far.
a. S2E10: After Zhang Xin Zhe and Tai Yi’s 2nd performance, a rock arrangement of a song by Zhang Yu Sheng, Zhang Xin Zhe talks a little about his experience when he first debuted, along with other young artists at the time. This included Zhang Yu Sheng.
ZXZ: Of course, when we first debuted, we were all young. And there were many areas in the arrangements that the music company had for us which we were actually really unhappy about.
LKQ bursts out laughing, but really genuinely and loudly, making both ZS and CSL smile at him.
CSL, holding LKQ’s arm: Is that a laugh that says “I can relate”? 
LKQ, agreeing: I can very much relate!
CSL: It was a very loud laugh...
ZXZ, noticing the laughter and pointing at LKQ: Right? Wasn’t it so? (LKQ nods, still laughing)
b. S2E10: Still commenting on Zhang Xin Zhe and Tai Yi’s 2nd performance:
LKQ: I think the most amazing thing about the stage of “Wo Men De Ge” is that...for example, I’d have very little opportunity to see this kind of performance from Zhe Ge. There’s a feeling like he’s stepping out of his comfort zone. Perhaps in your concerts, there’d be a little more of this, but other than those occasions, usually you’re the very elegant type. So today, looking at you gave me a huge surprise.
ZS: What left a deeper impression on me is that feeling of protection coming from teacher A Zhe. I thought, aiya, if I were the one singing with teacher A Zhe, I’d also feel a very large gush of strength coming from him, consistently supporting you to sing. For example, in the middle *looks at LKQ and MC* teacher A Zhe was rapping, right? In that moment, you’d think eh? Is this some kind of support for the part coming after? You’d constantly feel teacher A Zhe’s very strong arm behind you -- you feel like you can lean on it. 
c. S2E10: Commenting on Rong Zu Er and Xilinnayi Gao’s second performance, which was a song in Cantonese:
LKQ (to XLNYG): It was really good. When you sang, I tried closing my eyes, and I could totally understand what you were singing. It was really good. Really very good.
ZS: Yes, I can testify. As soon as they finished singing, he said to me: “oh, her Cantonese was very good!”
d. S2E10 Extras: Backstage scenes, Qin Shen Shen reunion and rehearsals. Zhou Shen goes to find Li Keqin in his backstage room:
ZS, listening at the door and hearing LKQ rehearse their song in there: Oh. (to the camera) He’s practicing in there! *prepares to open the door but stops midway* A Cantonese speaker practicing a song in Cantonese -- how to interpret this? Is that a jab at me?
ZS finally opens the door, crosses the long hallway separating the outer door from the actual backstage room, and waits by the inner door without announcing himself. LKQ is still sitting at a table in there, singing. ZS waits for the right timing before singing along with him.
LKQ, noticing him and standing up: HEEEY!
ZS: *jumps into the room, hopping towards LKQ* LONG TIME NO SEEEEE!
LKQ: Long time no see, long time no see-
LKQ turns off the music on his phone and ZS goes for a hug.
LKQ, patting his back: Aiyoooo. *lets go and immediately backs away* Hey. Actually, don’t come too close to me. (ZS: Huh?) My throat kind of hurts today. 
ZS: Oh, okay. *sprints all the way across the hallway and past the outer door, speaking from there* TEACHER KEQIN, HAVE YOU BEEN DOING OKAY?? (LKQ laughs)
LKQ: I’ve been okay. (ZS laughs and comes back to the table)  I’ll be relying on you later on.
ZS: What’s that, relying on me?? We’re relying on you!
ZS tries to grab LKQ to make him sit back down, but LKQ dodges him:
ZS: It’s okay, sit, sit, sit (LKQ, pointing at his chair: No, you sit down there, I...) Sit! ....No worries! I’ll sit a little further away from you. (LKQ: I...Ok, let’s do it like that)
LKQ sits down, while ZS takes a seat a little distance away.
ZS: Aren’t you thinking too much about my well-being? *exagerratedly* I’m so touched!
LKQ: The sore throat problem comes as soon as I have to sing...
ZS: Isn’t it always like that? Has it happened to you before? I feel like for me, it’s always - often like that.
LKQ: Maybe this thing (as in singing on the show) is giving me too much pressure. *blinks exaggeratedly, as if troubled*
ZS: No way! What pressure??? (LKQ: *guffaws*) Jeez!! Teacher Keqin do you know about a term that’s recently being used a lot -- it’s called “Versailles”. That means...exactly what you said just now “Oh, I don’t know, I feel like coming to sing here gives me a lot of pressure”... That’s called “Versailles literature”. Because even though your singing is clearly at the top already, and really good, you’d still say to everyone “Singing makes me very stressed”. *pouts*
LKQ: After a year, do you still have to talk about those things? (T/N: Not clear what he’s referring to)
ZS, wide-eyed: ?? After a year, your Ma- your Mandarin....?? (LKQ laughs) It’s becoming worse and worse! What have you been doing?! *laughs* Teacher Keqin, lately you haven’t been speaking much in Mandarin, have you?
LKQ: No I haven’t! I’ve been in HK constantly. (Both laugh) Well, yeah! What opportunity did I have to come here? (i.e. public health restrictions)
ZS, face instantly falling: Mmm... (LKQ: That’s right....)
ZS, changing subject: Hey, teacher Keqin, have you been watching this season of “Wo Men De Ge”? (LKQ: I have) Ooh? Aren’t a lot of your good friends here? *smiles slyly*
LKQ: A lot of them! (ZS: Yeah.) I really like that newcomer.
ZS: Ohh, which one? 
LKQ: Alan Tam *laughs*
ZS: ......I also really like that “newcomer”. *looks at camera* Can I say it like that? (to LKQ) You can say it like that, but can I? 
LKQ just giggles.
ZS: Eh, is there anyone in the young singers this time that you’d like to collaborate with?
LKQ: They’re all very good, in my opinion. 
ZS: Then go to them! *unimpressed look* Why only sing with me? 
LKQ, looking up and scratching his neck: No, no. I think this--
ZS: You can’t make up for what you said anymore. Just go find them and sing a duet with them. (LKQ: No, no, no, no, no, no-) I’m not listening anymore. *stands up*
LKQ, with a sigh: Ehh!
ZS, heading out: I’m leaving. *waves* Bye bye.
LKQ tries to speak, but ZS makes it to the door. 
ZS: Take care. *scoffs and shuts the door behind him* BYEEE.
LKQ follows him, mildly tired.
LKQ: A handful. (to the camera, while pointing at the closed door) What a handful. *opens the door to follow ZS* That little friend is such a handful. 
As LKQ steps out, in the background, you can hear ZS say to someone “Waiting for teacher Keqin to come out”.
LKQ: Eh.
ZS, going to him: It’s okay now! *laughs*
Both hold each other by the shoulder as they head outside.
e. S2E10 Extras: Onstage rehearsals for Fu Shi Shan Xia.
Staff (to LKQ): Do you need the lyrics on the screen to be any bigger?
LKQ: It’s ok. I am not Alan Tam, I don’t need them to be too big. 
ZS, who’s next to him: !!!!! *speaks to the audience* Teacher Tam, you saw this didn’t you? You saw it all...
LKQ (to ZS): The bigger the position (in the industry), the bigger the lyrics are on the screen.
ZS: Then mine should be *motions with his fingers to mean that it’s tiny, and LKQ imitates him, giggling*
The staff tries to arrange LKQ’s earphone monitor, but LKQ is not getting any feedback. Meanwhile, ZS just waits, leaning on and using LKQ’s shoulder as an armrest.
LKQ (to the staff): Ah, now the feedback’s gone again. It’s gone again on this side...
ZS (to LKQ): If you listen to it with your heart, you’ll hear it.  (LKQ: What?) 
LKQ: ...Does this have anything to do with you to start with?
ZS: Whoa! ... In a year, you’ve become fierce.
LKQ: Not so~..... (ZS: Really?) I’ve always been very fierce. *laughs*
(...)
LKQ examines the stage props onstage, which look like blocks of fake ice(?). ZS wanders close by.
ZS (to no one in particular): *sighs* Is there dry ice?.....Eh? Earlier on, there wasn’t even dry ice. One only smiles at the new. *laughs to himself* (T/N: Not sure about this last one, sorry but I guess he means ‘the nice treatment only goes to the new people huh’) 
ZS, later (to LKQ): If we come again in the 3rd season, we’ll have to sing and dance. Because there’ll be no stage design, no dry ice, no dancers. (LKQ nods) There’ll be nothing. Maybe we’ll even have to play the music ourselves. Are you ready?
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saturnrevolution · 3 years
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☆Stellium through the houses☆
please credit my instagram page with the same name if you repost outside of tumblr!!
I got a lot of stellium related messages, so here it is. I have a 6 planets 1st house stellium, so I have a lot to say.
☆ Stelliums are a very controversial topic, as each astrologer has their own way of interpreting it. However, essentially a stellium is a focus on a certain sign or house in a chart. Some astrologers believe that 3 or more planets makes a stellium, whilst some believe 4 or more planets. I tend to go with the 3 or more planets stellium interpretation. However, I personally do not interpret asteroids or angles (asc,dc,mc,ic) as being part of a stellium and mostly focus on planets, but it really does depend on the dynamic of each chart.
☆ A stellium is much stronger if it happens between personal planets (sun-mars) or if it's a combination of personal planets and generational planets (saturn-pluto) and if the planets are in strong conjunctions. The closer to each other and the more planets, the more focused and rare the chart is.
☆ Any planet or sign that is part of this stellium will be a significant one in this person's journey. So if someone has a 2nd house stellium involving the sun, moon and mercury - then houses in which they have leo, cancer and gemini/virgo will have a focus for them as well.
☆ If not cared for enough, a stellium can turn into an obsession of a person on that particular sign's energy or house energy. That is why, it's important to find ways in which you balance the energy of your stellium and this usually works through implementing more of the opposite house's and sign's energy into your life.
Each house ⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇
☆ 1st house stellium
A first house stellium means that there is a focus on self expression and developing this person's identity, as well as outwardly expressing their personality. These people might have strong personalities and really take pride in it, especially if the sun is involved. I find that 1st house stellium people have multiple layers to their personality. This is not to say that they are two faced, but when it comes to their identity, there is never a moment when you get bored of getting to know them as there are endless new things you can find out about them. First house stelliums embody the energy of all the planets that are found in there. The more planets, the more blend out the energy is and it might be harder to pinpoint exactly the ways in which a certain planet is coming off as. These people might have the ability to adapt to the environment they are in and portray a certain personality depending on the situation, while still appearing as their ascendant. The ascendant is the one that dictates the flavors of those energies in the house. The downside of having a first house stellium is that they can be rather individualistic to the point where they do focus way too much on themselves and live in a bubble. Also, there might be a lack of cooperation and they might find it difficult to work in a team or ask for help (not really if you have 7th house planets as well). It's always a great idea to balance with the opposite house, so spending time with your loved ones or investing in your romantic relationships or engaging in teamwork activities will help. In terms of appearance, these people are rather going to turn heads with their aura and have a sort of intriguing vibe to them. These people are straightforward and really shine whenever they are in their confidence and have so much of themselves to share with the world, they are meant to put it all out there and be appreciated for it.
☆ 2nd house stellium
Having a second house stellium means that there is a focus on the material world and possessions and depending on the sign the planets are in, you can tell a lot about what possessions actually mean for this person - this can mean that they either value money or they value spirituality and life experiences over the material. However it may be, these people have a lot of inner strength. Whenever they feel down, they do get back up and they always fight to make it on their own. There might be an issue here with wanting to keep things for themselves too much or with putting too much pressure on themselves to the point where it affects their self worth and they get insecure. They need to be careful to not rely too much on the idea that there is just one clear path for them to go on and that if they do not reach a certain status, things won't work out for them. Career is also quite important for these people, but more as a way to reach security, they are always prioritizing comfort and are quite consistent with their decisions. They might have strong values and really continuously work on their self worth. For these people, it's important to balance the energy with the 8th house, so engaging in things that have to do with shared experiences, shared finances, opening up, being vulnerable and building deep connections where they can let their guard down and relax. Also, there might be a tendency to be a bit stuck in their comfort zone and fear change, so leaning towards the 8th house and finding ways in which they can embrace change and dive deeper into the darker side of things will be really beneficial. They might own a lot of things that represent their personality - even if this means a car or a collection of stickers with spiritual meaning, they have few things that they own that have sentimental value. They are very practical and calculated people and their consistency is usually what gets them to be successful eventually and be appreciated for their integrity.
☆ 3rd house stellium
A third house stellium shows that there is an emphasis on communication or things of the mind for this person. As the 3rd house also rules the years when we are in school or our hometown, it's likely that these people either got a lot of attention in school or had some traumatic experience when they were younger, depending on the planets or signs involved. However, the purpose of a 3rd house stellium is to use their voice in order to express the things that maybe were once repressed or that they feel a deep need to talk about. These people have a lot to say and they have powerful opinions, without necessarily judging others. They can, however, get in heated arguments and sometimes get stuck into their ideas or their thoughts. 3rd house stellium people have a great eye for details and a way with words - they might be good at writing or singing or anything that involves communication, even small talk. They need to be careful not to be too keen on the details that they forget the bigger picture and should balance their 3rd house energy with the 9th house - so engage in more spiritual activities or find metaphor in their daily life and not always seek to analyze and understand the things around them, including emotions. These people can be prone to mental health issues and need to snap out of this by simply taking action. Their country of origin or their immediate and familiar surroundings will likely be an area where they will thrive and they might become well known in a very specific field or niche that they are so good at cause they are great at assimilating information and research. One of their purposes is to use their unique voice and point of view in order to speak up for those that are not able to do it themselves and so make them feel seen and understood, while they also share their potential with the world and often do that through their amazing storytelling gifts - they could even write a book or have a start-up!
☆ 4th house stellium
A fourth house stellium means that there is an emphasis on feeling secure in this life. These people might have went through an impactful childhood - either in a good way or a negative way and they usually base their decisions on the things they learned in the past. They might have a numerous family or some trouble in this area, however there is a focus on family for them. Their motivation comes from feeling safe and knowing that those around them are well. Also, they are likely to learn a lot from building a family on their own, weather this means getting married or simply owning a pet. These people are warm and caring and have this innate mother instinct that shines through. They are also quite intuitive and empathetic, however this is mostly a private area for them which they keep to themselves. The place they live in can influence their mood so much. The trouble here comes when they focus too much on being in a safe and comfortable environment or being surrounded by people they care about that they do not prioritize their growth or they tend to be a bit codependent. They need to balance the energy with the 10th house, so focus on their career and their future goals and use these really beautiful qualities they inherited from their family as an asset into putting themselves out there. Depending on the planets or sign they have here, they might not have moved a lot and when they do, it likely feels like they are out of their comfort zone, they need to build a space that encourages their growth and that's rather luxurious even. They might own a beautiful home later on in life and build their own kind of world there. These people are likely here to break family patterns that were felt for lots of generations before them and share their stories with the world or use the wisdom they gain to inspire and heal others in very profound ways.
☆ 5th house stellium
A fifth house stellium shows a person that is naturally talented or gifted. This can mean that they were basically born with a talent for drawing, singing, being really good at multiple things that enhances their personality and puts them in the spotlight. They came here to showcase these talents and they need to be careful to not to take them for granted and instead use them as a way to find meaning and pleasure in life. They can sometimes lean too much onto the idea of finding pleasure and adopt this careless attitude that focuses on prioritizing themselves before their friends - which can be both good or bad depending on the situation. These people are likely naturally good with children or they are meant to have children of their own and so keep their talents alive, they are also likely to have artists in their family or people that have, again, some really natural skill. Creativity might shine through for these people, depending on the sign and they can also be quite lucky romance wise or be natural flirts. They should be careful not to get too emerged or too obsessed with their pursuits that they forget about the world, so balancing this energy with the 11th house - with being with friends, finding a community that has the same interests as them or involving themselves in fighting for a bigger cause through their skills would help, even building an online persona. If more difficult planets are involved in this stellium, they might have difficulty with their self worth or went through some experience which made them lack the confidence they need to show their talents. Once they find that fire inside, these people are the bright stars that have a lot of admirers of their work and can be amazing leaders if they follow their passion and do not let fear lead the way, as well as really good teachers that people talk about for generations to come.
☆ 6th house stellium
A six house stellium shows someone whose focus in this lifetime is in perfecting their daily tasks in such a way that they match their future goals and get them closer to their aim. These people are action oriented perfectionists, this is why sometimes their wish to do everything in a perfect manner can stand in their way of their action-taking. It's great for these people to find balance in their life by investing in their opposing house, so engaging in spirituality, journaling, going to therapy in order to understand their subconscious mind, invest in their art, write or focus on healing their mind before their body from time to time. A six house stellium is going to be concerned with their body - the way they show up into the world, but also the way they care for their body, the things they eat, how much exercise they make, their skincare routine and how present they are with these tasks. They can sometimes get so stuck into daily things that they forget the bigger picture and they are prone to being workaholics or to burnout. It's important to take things as they come and reduce the expectations they have on themselves. Another trait of a 6th house stellium is their ability to be of service to others - depending on the sign they have in this house, they know how to be of help and really hate feeling useless, they are great at giving advice and observing the details. They are most likely to see something you are not seeing and they have a sharp mind and critical thinking. Also, having coworkers that match their values is a very important trait to them and if they cannot find that, they'd rather work alone or open their own business. As long as they do not overly engage with their daily routine and know that their discipline does not define them, that's when they can achieve the most perfectly imperfect things in life by showcasing their daily tasks that got them to the success they achieved.
☆ 7th house stellium
Having a seventh house stellium shows a lot of emphasis on relationships, socializing and discovering oneself through interactions to the other. These people are likely social, they love discovering and getting to know others and they feed on conversation. They are rational, but also extremely sensitive and can feel very deeply for those that they love, sometimes even in a psychic way. As there is a focus on the other, the problem here arrives when these people overidentify with their partner, their best friend, their family - they rely their whole being on them and they forget about their own needs and wants, they ask everyone about what they should do and they do not make decisions that are in tune with their own authenticity, they might be people pleasers during their darkest times and completely get lost in making people like them. This is why, they need to get themselves out of their comfort zone once in a while and focus on first house themes - take decisions on impulse and trust their intuition, speak up on what is bothering them and even spend time alone to self reflect or invest in some personal activity. This will help them find balance and the harmony that they are always looking for in relationships. These people could even become known for their successful love story. Their potential won't be the same without someone being there to watch them as well, so they are the perfect example of harmonized work, relationships and personal life in time, great multitaskers and storytellers too! Just need to tap into their shadow side, not be afraid to ask around and explore what they are capable of. They came into this life in order to search for people that match their values and to learn to set boundaries and say no to those that don't, they came here to inspire others and lead them with their soft skills, they came here to make others feel loved and in turn, get to know their own potential, which is huge.
☆ 8th house stellium
Having an eight house stellium shows that this person's emphasis is on things that are rather taboo, dark or private. This person is likely to be someone that does not enjoy being in the spotlight (especially if they have personal planets here), but they are amazing when it comes to behind the scenes. What this means is that these people have the ability to read and understand others in a really deep way, so much so that they do not need things explained in words, as they just feel the vibe. This is why, they would be really great in jobs that require them to use their intuition or jobs that require them to do the secret, insider type of behind-the-scenes work, no matter the industry they work in. However, they would do perfect psychologists, psychics or even undercover workers of some sort. These people are passionate and can dive really deep into the subject they are interested in an completely get immersed into that. The problem here is that stellium energy is very obsessive and 8th house energy is the same, so putting these together can get a person to become obsessed with a subject, a situation, another person even to the point where they might stalk this area or to the point where they do not care for their basic needs, such as food, just to spend time observing and investigating this subject. Another challenge for an 8th house stellium is the fact that they are able to feel so much what others are feeling makes them really sensitive and can get easily hurt if they do not separate the bad things that happen into the world from them. It's important for them to balance this energy with the 2nd house energy, so to spend time focusing on the material, on making sure they spend time showcasing their skills through work, but also searching for stability and going away from change and chaos from time to time. These people can also have a sexual energy to them and are likely always in an ongoing personal transformation, even due to the things they had to go through in the past. These people are meant to help others heal, as they are open to the dark like no one else and they have the potential to discover hidden truths, while also discovering themselves.
☆ 9th house stellium
Having a 9th house stellium means that there is a focus on wisdom, beliefs and constantly looking for meaning. These people hold a lot of inner wisdom that just seems to come out of nowhere, as if they were born with it. They are the ones that are not afraid to make mistakes and that take every experience as one to be learned from. You see these people chasing their impulses and the fire within. It's likely that they will move a lot in this lifetime or travel - these are things that help them see the world differently and fuels their wisdom. They might have a culturally diverse background or they might be interested in foreign cultures or foreign languages. If this is not them, then they are the readers, the mind travelers, the spiritualists or religious people that search for eternal questions of the mind. They usually find themselves asking how the world was created and what's wrong or what is right, what's moral and what's not and they have really well thought beliefs. The problem with a 9th house stellium comes when they need to go a bit deeper than life philosophies, when they need to not base all their decision on experience, but rather on facts or on emotions. These people might feel as if darker things in life make them want to run away, in their endless search for spirit, they might shy away from anything that involves emotion or face to face communication, as they do not like getting caught by and being stuck in details. This is why, an advice for them is to invest more time in the 3rd house - to try to listen to what people actually have to say and not what they believe in, to try to see a person besides their spiritual beliefs and music taste - but instead to look at their life struggles and their emotions. What's challenging for a 9th house stellium is to have confrontational conversations that make them feel uncomfortable. As a paradox, the 9th house is all about getting out of their comfort zone, but for them getting out of their comfort zone is staying in their immediate comfort and not trying to escape, they might be surprised how good it feels. The purpose of these people is to go forward with ideas and belief systems that have been studied and felt for generations and to ask the right questions at the right time, so much so that they change people's lives with their positive way of living.
☆ 10th house stellium
A 10th house stellium person is likely going to have an amazing work ethic and find pleasure through investing time in their career. These people are likely to achieve great success in their career and even be recognized as a public persona. The place where they most shine is the moment when they spend their time being productive, organized and working on their goals. The sign can influence the energy a lot, so you don't have to be a super organized person if you have this placement, but you likely have your own personalized way of organization that works for you. They are motivated and sometimes overly critical of themselves, as they always want to reach and do more than they can even take on honestly. This is why they push themselves beyond their limit every time and it's important to stop and asses their process and praise themselves before they move on, they often don't know how much they have done. A good way to do this is for them to focus on the opposite house energy, which is their 4th house - take time to rest, spend time with family, be lazy and allow people around them to slow them down. It's all right to be behind with schedule and it's all right to be human and not feel like a robot 24/7. The problem can come when they have some personal issue that interferes with their daily work. Usually, if they find themselves being more productive than usual, it's a sign that there is something in their personal life that they are trying to avoid by diving deep into their most safe space - work. These people could sometimes get sick because of overworking, so please listen to your body and slow down if you do not feel very good. Overall, they are the ones that help everyone else organize, but the ones that can also do the small tasks - so they would be amazing managers or most likely find success in any area they are going for, as they actually do the work, put in the effort and get so much pay off in time.
☆ 11th house stellium
An eleventh house stellium person will have their focus on matters of the future, groups of people and environments. These people are the ones that are great when it comes to coming up with innovative ideas in order to revolutionize a generation. In today's world, an 11th house stellium can be seen either vouching for a good cause at a protest or creating their own non-governmental organization or being an internet star. People that have more planets in this house are likely naturally good at technology or at least the internet or they are very skilled when it comes to some unique niche interest of their and they often lead people onto the right direction with their minds. These people are selfless and unfortunately can sometimes care too much about their environment and not enough about their own needs, so it's important for them to balance this energy with the 5th house energy and try engage into creative, artistic outlets or simply just do any activity such as going out or even watching movies just for their own pleasure - without needing to share it with anyone and without needing to make a purpose or a cause out of it. However, they do not necessarily have to be internet stars to be seen, they could even go the other route of being against social media and engaging in a very hippie, healthy way of living or simply choose a traditional route when everyone goes for the modern - anything that makes them stand out. They can also feel misunderstood sometimes because of this and alone, but finding the right community that shares the same interests as them or just the right small group of friends with the same values will do wonders. These people can also be rather controversial, as they are most likely the first ones to start a trend, a movement or be bold enough to take a chance to think and express themselves differently compared to the environment they grew up in.
☆ 12th house stellium
A 12th house stellium has their focus on the outer reality, but not necessarily a material one. These people are extremely selfless and would give a lot just to simply help someone. As the 12th house can also represent karma, these people might have had some lessons in their early life and even later on that felt karmic - it made them feel as if they did not do anything to deserve such experience and since they have been there, they have such a deep ability to be compassionate and understand where everyone is coming from. However, their past experiences made them feel small and helpless and this is the reason why they believe that making themselves small in the first place and being there for others more than their own is going to bring them good karma in return (this belief is at a subconscious level). When in reality, their ultimate purpose in this lifetime is to find themselves. Unless they stop giving their all to everyone in hopes to get something in return and actually take the matter in their own hands and fight for themselves, they will likely feel lost. These people have such artistic and intuitive souls, they absorb the energy around them and are very strong as they can endure things for long, but the real challenge is to go onto the journey of discovering themselves and find out how amazingly it feels to put yourself first and feel happy through balancing with the opposite 6th house and focus on the present moment, learn to prioritize their needs and focus on moving their body and taking the days step by step. These people came here to show us a lesson of how much you can heal the world by healing yourself - just do that and let the magic unfold.
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phoenixyfriend · 3 years
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OKAY so on the topic of Star Wars takes wrt “character ends up in an A/B/O universe where they’re an omega, but they were previously a cis male in their canon”
@atagotiak and I had some Thoughts on discord
So, obviously, Anakin would make a good omega and he’s also incredibly murdery. Foregone conclusion that we're using him for this.
There is no preexisting Anakin in the Omegaverse. He shows up JUST as the war is starting. Canon timeline is in the third year of the war (he’s 22), but whatever dumped him into omegaverse also tossed him back a few years. No de-aging, just a bit of mismatched timeline stuff.
He's... really good at war, and clearly a Jedi, so the Temple just kind of goes "WELL OKAY THEN, SURE, YOU'RE IN, EVERYONE PRETEND HE'S BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME." The Jedi, by and large, don't care about omegaverse dynamics beyond 'what do you need, medically, to be happy and healthy' and 'what do you need to be aware of so you can be prepared for biases you encounter in the field?’
None of the civilian natborns (mainly politicians) want to put him on the field because of those biases. Anakin, being Anakin, is VERY blatantly an omega in scent, has never been on suppressants (because it wasn't a thing he fucking NEEDED), is incredibly emotional as a person, loves kids, etc.
Like, nobody wants an omega fighting a war anyway, but THIS one is like PINNACLE omega, and those awful Jedi are making him FIGHT just because he's good at stab!
The Jedi: Actually, it's because he's got several years of war experience that we don't, and he's a good tactician that works well with the clones-- Coruscant: You MONSTERS The Jedi: Look, we gave him the option to not stab and he looked absolutely devastated. Anakin, several days earlier: You don’t want me? I’m not good enough??? Jedi: Also he can beat up at least half the temple.
He doesn't know a damn thing about dynamics, but he DOES know that sometimes he's so horny he wants to stab HARDER. The clones are largely disinterested in their generals' dynamics because between mostly-Mando* trainers and no-dynamic Kaminoans, they only really care if a person can shoot.
* Mandalore approves of Fighty Omegas. As far as (traditional) Mandalore is concerned, you want an omega that will kill the threats to your children as well as you do.
Anakin: You know more about being an omega than I do. Rex: ...I'm an alpha. Anakin: Yeah. Let that one sink in a bit.
We have two options for Obi-Wan!
Omegaverse local Obi-Wan (beta) has never met this man before, and is very unnerved that the immediate default reaction Anakin has to his presence is releasing Family pheromones as if Obi-Wan is his DAD and like. This strange, too-tall man from another dimension has got absolutely NO control over what he projects in the Force OR in his dynamic.
Obi-Wan was ALSO transplanted from canon to omegaverse, and is also an omega, for contrast reasons. He is nice and friendly and and likes poetry and that sort of thing... but also he has the highest dismemberment count in the movies. Also he doesn’t prioritize romance.
We went with the second one because it's hilarious.
Someone watching them spar: Wow, omegas from that universe are terrifying.
As previously mentioned, now with some tweaking to account for both: Obi-Wan and Anakin just straight up don't exist until they drop headfirst into the council room, already covered in blood. (It's mostly not theirs.)
Nobody realizes either one is an omega until they "naturalize" to this dimension and Anakin goes into heat... and doesn't realize it, actually, because his primary symptom is heightened protectiveness and aggression. Everyone else with the right nose realizes, because the man has no control over his pheromone production, but Anakin? No. He just stabs. He’s angry and horny and he will cut someone.
Ahsoka has no reaction to human pheromones but basically everyone smells Anakin's "my child!" reaction to her, so... Cool. Have a padawan, we guess.
Anakin ends up sparring a lot with Aayla and Ahsoka, because only humans and near humans have dynamics, so these two don't REACT to the pheromones situation.
(Palpatine is a Kindly Old Beta who tries to treat Anakin the way he EXPECTS Anakin wants to be treated, which is. Not. Accurate.)
(Anakin hates it.)
I'm just so in love with "An omega can't fight." "You wanna fuckin' bet?"
There are plenty of omega Jedi, by the way, it's just... most of them can keep it relatively low-key instead of Anakin's jet-engine broadcast. Some, if they're known to be omega, probably take advantage of being underestimated, like Obi-Wan probably (and especially a version of Obi-Wan that was always an omega, unlike this version). They have a very different way of presenting themselves than Anakin, who's not subtle about being an omega and also not subtle about being all aggressive and stabby.
At one point, Anakin has to protect some Very Traditional Individuals who get all "Stay back, Omega, it's not safe!" and he's just... so tired of this shit. “You are squishy civilians and I'm a trained Jedi Knight and accomplished GAR General who's killed more people in one sitting than there are in this entire palace. Sit the fuck down and let me do my job.”
It starts making the rounds that Anakin insisted on fighting in person, and the rumors shift from "how dare the Jedi force an omega to fight" and over into things that are deeply hurtful in-universe in the vein of "broken omega" and some people try to say it to his face but like...
He didn't grow up here.
He doesn't care.
Say that to one of his friends and he's going to rip out your spleen, probably, but say it to him and he's just staring at you flatly and asking if that's a negative on getting away from the encroaching battle droids, sir?
"You're rather unpleasant for an omega, aren't you?" [deeply offensive] "I literally could not give less of a fuck about your opinion. Move."
It's not that there aren't omegas that act like Anakin, either, it's just that most of them aren't, you know, Jedi who regularly interact with the upper crust, or capable of his level of destruction. Unbeknownst to Anakin, everyone clocks him as Outer Rim based on his behavior, well before his accent gives him away, and certainly before he mentions he's from Tatooine, because Core Omegas Don't Act Like That.
Someone they meet in a more diplomatic setting says something decently passive-aggressive about how at least Obi-Wan acts more like how an Omega should. Then a battle breaks out for some reason, and... well. Anakin and Obi-Wan cause such a scandal by keeping score of kills in a battle, don’t you know?
Turns out sending Anakin to fight Ventress is great because she keeps expecting him to react a certain way but NO he's here to STAB.
I like the idea that Obi-Wan's favorite opponent these days is Grievous because the cyborg doesn't have a nose, and thus gives zero fucks about dynamics or heats. Dooku is a rich old man who has opinions heavily influenced by Sith Juice Making Him More of a Dick, and the Dathomiri can smell dynamics even if they don't have them, and so they have biases about those things. Meanwhile, Grievous is just there to Kill, and Obi-Wan genuinely appreciates the lack of commentary on his dynamic.
Dooku’s probably an alpha, or a beta who's used the whole "we are more level-headed" thing as one of several angles to keep himself the public face and supreme commander of the CIS.
On to more fluffy things that have less to do with political biases.
There's a lot of "I'm upset that my loved ones don't know me," but also please understand the appeal of Obi-Wan marching up to Quinlan like "Yes, hello, I understand you've been read in on the full situation behind myself and my former padawan. I was close friends with your alternate universe self, which I feel is necessary disclosure before I propose the following: Would you like to join me for my upcoming heat, as I have minimal experience with the dynamics situation and even fewer people I actually trust, and I believe I can put my faith in you to treat it as casually as necessary while still having control and respect for my person."
(The Team is in a fairly safe place to process stuff, but having sudden unexpected changes to your biology has gotta be a little traumatizing, on top of ending up in a universe where none of your friends know you and people have a whole host of unfamiliar forms of sexism to point at you.)
Obi-Wan, who wasn't quite touch-averse but was much more easily overwhelmed by physical contact than Anakin (who craved it), suddenly finds his body switching gears and insisting on cuddles with Trusted Loved Ones, which is.... mostly Anakin, on account of nobody else really knowing him yet. Also Ahsoka, who is aware that she's something of a replacement for her alt-universe self, but Anakin explained it as "I love you so much no matter which dimension I'm in or what you're like, and I'd like to get to know you the way I got know her."
(It's rather eloquent for Anakin. He got Obi-Wan to help him draft up the script for when he pitched taking on omegaverse Ahsoka as a padawan.)
Anakin gets a more intensely sexual heat than 'usual' at one point for Reasons (IDK it could be as innocuous as 'we got better food than the usual rations and my body is reacting to the higher fat content with the belief that it's safer to have a baby now'), which nobody takes a whole lot of notice of because they're in a WAR, and also this is only his fourth one so it's not like he's got a lot to compare it to... except then the predominantly alpha clones can't stop themselves from reacting to the pheromones, mostly by wandering past his door and asking if he needs anything, offering up alpha-scented blankets and stuff for the nest to soothe the hormones, bringing snacks and electrolyte drinks, and like, Anakin is flattered, really, but fuck off please.
(He got a warning from medical a few hours before it hit that it would be different, so he actually does have alpha-scented fabrics to help him out. Apparently that's a thing you can just ask friends for, so he asked Rex if he had anything on hand that he could spare. He now has one of Rex’s recently-used sheets and a bodyglove in the nest.)
(Anakin has no idea how to feel about the nesting instinct, but at least it’s warm.)
Tia asked "Oh hey, who has the scared and horny reaction to his carnage?" and like.
Listen. I'm not saying I've been low-key imagining this as Rex being a very subby alpha who's really into Anakin's whole Thing but...
At one point Anakin gets injured in a way that requires painkillers and he ends up whining to the point of almost crying about the fact that nobody is cuddling him right now in medbay and Kix just gives up and comms Ahsoka to come hug her weird older brother.
And Then There Is Purring.
That’s a Thing Now.
Rex ends up in the pile somehow. He came over to check on Things and ended up yanked in by half-asleep, half-high Anakin, who has a grip like an octopus and no impulse control and is purring like a pod motor while NUZZLING HIM.
There’s a lot of blackmail photos featuring Rex’s very intense blush as he’s cuddled by his commander (giggling at him) and general (clinging like a tooka and rubbing himself all over).
Anakin is deeply offended that ANYONE thinks he'd want to get pregnant by just any old person, NO he needs to fall in LOVE there needs to be EMOTIONAL DRAMA and if Padme won't have him (apparently she's in a relationship and no he's not BITTER) then he'll find someone else to have a whirlwind romance with!
People think Anakin's a slut because he can't control his pheromone production (he has NO practice and for health reasons he can't go on suppressants) so he always smells open and ready for flirtations, which Obi-Wan also has to a somewhat lesser degree (he's older so his body just naturally produces less), and then someone tries to cross a boundary and grabs his ass and ANYWAY Anakin has to now fill out an incident report for breaking a civilian's arm.
Again.
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Analysis of the Family Agreste Portrait
Quarantine strikes again and since the Agreste family portrait has fascinated me for a loooong while now I decided to put my thoughts into words and write another essay x3
The amount of informations we get out if it is amazing and its not only highlighting the absolute TRAGEDY it is that this family is about to face such a horrible fall out, it also hints at the former family dynamic before everything went to hell.
So make yourself comfortable and get something to drink, because we will be here for a while.
Here we go: My analysis of this beauty of a fictional portrait
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Let's start with the most obvious one: Hawkmoth.
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Its commen knowledge by now that the background makes it seem like Hawkmoth is standing behind the Agreste family like a bad omen waiting for fate to take its course and cause their doom. The portrait is brilliantly designed so the illusion is created that Gabriels body (here in a blue suit closer to Hawkmoths normals dark purple one) overlaps with Hawkmoths and a darker line is connecting the two faces as well, which rest on the same height right beside each other. The very same line grows bigger as it goes further behind Emilie - coloring her entire background - showing us that EMILIE is all Gabriel sees when he becomes Hawkmoth. But notice that Adrien on the other hand can hardly be concidered part of Gabriels “sight” at all.
Its forshadowing 101 and damn beautiful if I may say so. But this isnt what I want to focus on in this post.
I want to elaborate on two other key factors that tell us about the former dynamic of the Agrestes instead and what they tell us about the present and future.
The heart:
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This is hitting me on another level because look at the heart these three form with Adrien right in the middle! He was so LOVED. This family may have never been anywhere close to ideal but still, there was LOVE and now he's gonna loose it all.
Adrien already lost his mother which led to his father getting even more distant and cold and now his father is becoming increasingly more abusive as he falls deeper and deeper into villainy. Gabriel was never a good father, the show has already made this clear with episodes like "the bubbler", “the collector” or "Gigantitan" for example but gosh there was hope for their little family! The end scene in "Jackady" portrayed it perfectly and I wrote a whole other post just covering the sigificants of Adriens and Gabriels hug in that episode. Check it out here if you want, it goes hand in hand with this one.
Miraculous is all about love and the completely different ways it can affect us, our behavior and actions. Because love isnt just wonderful, pure and empowering, it also can be twisted, destructive and cause the darkst nightmares. And with this family the writers know how to portray the complex love in an abusive houshold thats destined to go up in flames and they also know how to hint at their troubled past with the family portrait.
But this heart visual tells us even more in connection with the positions of their hands. And with these two key factors, lets start with Gabriel:
His hands convey it so strongly. He loves/d Emilie and Adrien so much and no doubt this love for them was certainly the reason why he started his quest as Hawkmoth. But he is now losing himself more and more in the pleasure of his villainy to the point where he forgets why he's doing it in the first place and becomes a complete monster (of a father). But this turn and spiraling into villainy didn't came out of nowhere - this root already had to be in him to grow like that. And this is also something the portrait indeed hints at as well.
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Because Gabriel is the only one of the three who:
1. We see so completely open and without hesitation reach out and hold BOTH his family members.
2. Is visually “cut off” from them as well.
But this doesn't mean he was excluded and the only one who truly cared and loved, it just shows that things were more... complicated...as usual.
This is best explained with Adriens hand placements:
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One hand is holding his mothers but the other one is visibly not reaching out for his father. But as we all know, that's not because Adrien doesn't love him. In season 1-3 it is made more than clear that Adrien does not hate his father - he loves him alot and tries to be there for him and be patient because he knows that the loss of his mother brought his father terribly down.
Sure, Adrien gets frustrated and angry with him, literally how could he not?? But Adrien tries his best to reach out to Gabriel so they can bond and come out of this tragedy stronger.
But this loving willingness to forgive his father for the chance of growing a father-son bond with him doesn't change the fact that these two didn't had a bond prior to this. And let's be honest here, does anybody actually think this distance between them was caused by Adrien? I don't think so.
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So notice how Adriens hand - not reaching out for his fathers - is the only one in the portrait NOT inside or forming the heart.
When the connection of the hands between the family members symbolise their connection to another, then Adrien keeping the hand for his father away from the display of love is VERY telling. It tells us very directly what this distance did to Adriens side of the relationship. Despite Gabriels hand being right there, Adrien does not meet the gesture. And I cannot believe that he did it out of resentment, nothing in the show indicated such strong negative emotions from past Adrien.
It's much more likely that Adrien not reaching for his fathers hand is meant to show us that Adrien felt that he either CAN'T return the gesture because he fears that it'll end in an unpleasant reaction from Gabriel - that it isn't Adriens "place" to reach out to his busy and distant father like that, like it's demanding something - or Adrien simply didn't took Gabriel laying his hand on his shoulder, in the context of posing for a portrait, as a gesture of love and affection.
The way I interpret the portrait is that prior to Emilies dissappearence Adrien did not exactly try to reach out to his father the same way he did from s1-s3, which, I mean, of course wasn't the case. Not only is it NOT the 13 years olds (or younger) job to form an emotional connection to their absent parent - when that’s the PARENTS job - it also wouldn't be necessarily "needed" for Adrien to do so.
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Because Emilie at this point was still in the picture so and she was the complete opposite. She was a (or maybe the ONLY) safe, reliable and loving constant of parental attention, affection and care in his life and because of these two HARSH contrasts Adrien learned from very early on to focus mostly completely on her in that regard while kinda blocking his father out.
That most likely wasn't even an active choice whatsoever - Gabriel proofed to be an unreliable resource so Adrien learned to subconciously treat him that way out of self protection. That doesn't mean he had any kind of dislike or malice against his father it just means that he wasn't able or allowed to connect with Gabriel the way he needed. Several episodes show that Gabriel deadass only parented like 15 minutes tops in his life with one of the worst offenders kinda being “Gigantitan” ngl.
So yeah, when I see that the portrait wants to tell me that prior to Emilies loss, Adrien - a 12-13 year old at most - is THIS used to rely solely on the strong bond he has with his mother and not even really reaching out for his fathers love, then I can't help but interpret it in the way that... Well... Gabriel was so distant and emotionally unreliable to Adrien for all his life, that Gabriel simply... wasn't needed by his son. Not at that point of time at least.
And while this may seem weird, because obviously Adrien only now starts to stop craving for his fathers affection and approval (which is btw a horrible, HORRIBLE thing and not something good. A half orphan losing the last remaining hope he had left of having the chance to finally get to form a bond with the only other parent he has left, just to be crushed by disappointment and abandonment all over again until he let's go, is REALLY NOT as much of a good thing people will make it out to be. This is... plain awful) it's actually quite logical.
Adriens hand outside the heart doesn't mean that his father meant nothing to him and therefore refuses to meet and accept his affection (that's literally the complete opposite of what the show shows us), it means that Adriens and Gabriels father-son relationship suffers from a fatal emotional disconnection caused by miscommunication/ a lack of communication.
And this was caused by Gabriel. How? Let me elaborate on that by going a bit far afield (cuz lbh we all have time for this. I’m writing this in quarantine and youre reading this is quarantine, so lets gooooooooooooo).
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In "The bubbler" Adrien says that his father "always forgot his birthday", but I cannot agree with this in true honesty. Gabriel is controlling his sons entire life, calls him "the epitome of perfection" and temporarily truly gave up being Hawkmoth for him, he definitely never forgot Adriens birthday.
"The bubbler" even SHOWS us that Adriens perspective of the situation is actually not the truth:
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This is Adriens first birthday after Emilies dissappearence and it's incredibly telling how Gabriel handles the planning.
What this entire little sequence tells me is that Gabriel is completely and UTTERLY used to NOT be the one to take care of anything related to Adriens birthday. So Emilie was always the one who did it but somehow - now without her - Gabriel apparently still hasn't even considered changing anything about that nasty non-involvement and just expected Natalie to pick everything up where Emilie left it.
Because let's be real here, knowing Natalie she would NOT have forgotten to get a present if Gabriel truly had told her to. Natalie is never presented to do mistakes like that but Gabriel on the other hand IS definitely presented to us claiming things about himself as ultimate, blameless and true when they simply do not reflect reality. A great example: Gorizilla
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You didn’t even speared a minutes of your time for Adrien and he DID try to! Asshat… It's a problem guys. The lack of self awareness Gabriel displays in moments like this is legitimately concerning when you think about how deeply this man is falling right now.
But back to the topic:
Because even if Gabriel didn't even consider doing anything himself for Adriens birthday - not even taking the time to SEE his son (who just recently lost his mother, come on Gabe, really?) - one thing one cannot hold against him: he sure as hell remembered Adriens birthday like any decent parent would and it wasnt portrayed as a this-year-for-the-first-time thing.
And yet Adriens statement still makes complete sense. Because a big, BIG problem with Gabriel is just how much he takes things for granted. He EXPECTS things to be universally known and to never be doubted, just because that's how HE sees them. I will write 10 essays if it's needed to make people understand that Gabriel DOES truly love Adrien, it's just that Gabriel HIMSELF is such a rotten, twisted and toxic person that he cannot see how much his (oppressing) behavior and the way he (doesn't) express his love hurts Adrien and that HE is the one at fault. (for more, once again, read this)
Gabriel LOVES Adrien but he takes the love he feels as such a matter-of-fact that he just completely... forgets to show it.
And when we take Adriens words and look at the Family portrait it unfortunately seems that...
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…. Gabriel ALWAYS forgot to show it.
Adriens hand - that should at least be reaching out to his father - is outside of the heart in accepting certainty. Because that's what Gabriels non-presence was for Adrien while growing up: an unreliable and unreachable certainty he had to accept early on as safer to not try to emotionally depend on too much or else he will get hurt.
So yeah, Adrien is the one in the portrait who is very openly not reaching out but only because Gabriel never gave him the needed affection and stability to be able to create that bond.
But let me correct what I said a little earlier: Adrien ALWAYS needed his father. Every kid, especially one in a bad situation like Adrien, does need their parents/friends etc as support system to become independent and confident in a healthy way. And if they don’t have that they WILL crave and look for it!
What Adrien has been doing up to now IS normal for a teenager - humans NEED affection, belonging and safety. What ISNT/SHOULDN’T be normal is Adriens disconnection towards his father in the portrait and just how much Gabriel fails to take care and BE THERE for his son in BOTH TIMES!
Collector:
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Bother Christmas:
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One thing I like about the show is that it portrays their young main cast with one very important truth: The psyche of a child/teenager of their age will react and adapt so it SURVIVES, even if it results in unfortunate consequences in other relationships and places. Thats the psyches main concern and it'll try to cope with the limited experience and development it has in whatever way necessary to get itself to the next day. A coping mechanism is not there to make you a better person, it ensures your SURVIVAL, everything else is a secondary concern.
So seeing pre-show Adrien not react to Gabriels touch and even feel completely unloved and disconnected from him is no surprise to me. Kids are incredibly observant. They may lack the needed experience and knowledge to truly understand that they deserve better and to stand up for themselves but they are masters in picking up red flags in people and can put this danger into perspective while comparing the different danger levels of their options of people and places to adjust their behavior.
Feast:
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Stormy Weather 2:
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So the broken connection between father and son we see in the portrait (that Gabriel doesn't even notice but Adrien fully internalized) isn’t there because Adrien “didnt needed” or wanted his father, its because Adrien NEEDED Gabriel so much in his isolated upbringing but Gabriel didn’t LET him need him - so Adrien had to adjust to that accordingly. Big, huge, ENORMOUS difference.
Honestly the most miraculous thing about Miraculous is that Adrien was able to bring up the strength to stay positive and friendly and to forgive Gabriel in hope for a better future. That boys situation is 7 kinds of depressing and traumatizing...
It's just flabbergasting to me how well this portrait shows how basically non-existent their relationship was at that point. And it's horrible to know that this estranged and unformed bond is all Adrien had left after Emilie dissappeared, just alot worse because after Emilie incident Adrien states that his father changed alot for the worse as well.
So to think that all Adrien had left wasn't even this former basically non-existent relationship with his aloof father - who would only barely show his true affection for his son because he's either not around enough to do so or he thinks it "unnecessary to proof his affection" for/to Adrien because he already thinks it so obvious and undoubtable.
Well he thought wrong. And GOSH, it breaks my heart!
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So now comparing the "Gabriel" hand from Adrien with the one representing his connections with his mother conveys a pretty harsh contrast.
Because last but not least, let's take a look at Emilies hand placements:
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But here is now an interesting difference to Adrien. Whereas we openly see that Adriens side of the Adrien-Gabriel relationship is completely disconnected from the heart/love - showcasing just how badly Adrien has always been neglected by his father - we don't see Emilies hand in her Emilie-Gabriel relationship AT ALL.
Once again just like with Adrien, this doesn't mean she didn't love her husband and that Gabriel was used and fooled by the woman he so utterly adored. It just means that from Emilies point of view things were a bit more complicated. What exactly this is, the portrait is keeping secret from us. We have no way of knowing if and how Emilie is returning her husbands gesture. All we can say is that if she does she is definitely not doing it in such an open and unconflicted way as she does with Adrien.
But since when has anything with this family been this easy?
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One thing the portrait makes very clear, Adrien and Emilie had a strong and good bond. Definitely the healthiest because the Adrien-Emilie connection is the only one depicted without any kind of disruption from both sides. Both mother and son are reaching out for the other ones hand creating a whole half of the heart, showcasing their affection for another openly and without any of the implied doubts the other connections display. And honestly? Comparing all the hand placements, the one connecting Adrien and Emilie just comes across as strikingly pure and true (which makes it even worse that it was HER Adrien lost…)
As I said it's a HARSH contrast to the one Adrien shears with Gabriel. This contrast is highlighted even further by the way these three face on another.
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Emilie and Adrien are positioned facing another and so are Emilie and Gabriel. Telling us that Emilie was "face-to-face" aka involved with both her husband and son. It is Adrien and Gabriel were this looks wildly different. These two have no way of seeing each other in the eyes the way they stand now/then, further displaying their deeply rooted disconnection. It's portrays perfectly how important Emilie was in this family dynamic, because even though Adrien and Gabriel bearly had a connection at all they at least had Emilie as a link between them, keeping the family together. But then they lost her and where this left both father and son off we know oh too well...
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So to collect all the informations we get out if this portrait:
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-Adriens and Emilies relationship was the strongest and purest. Both of their hands connect and reach out for another in the heart, showcasing that they had a loving and positive bond.
-Adriens and Gabriels relationship is heavily scarred by a deeply rooted disconnection leaving Adrien feeling unloved and unwanted by his father to the point where Adriens side of their dynamic is outside the heart altogether. Gabriel may love and adore his son just like he loves his wife and never thought he displayed his love for him in a lacking way, but fact is: this love never reached Adrien the way it should have and Adrien is the one in their dynamic who got severely hurt and damaged by it.
-Gabriel was the only one completely unconflicted and happily at peace with the former Family situation. He's reaching out to both his family members with open love and affection in blissful oblivion that neither his wife nor son could return them the same way (to different degrees for different reasons). Gabriel was the ONLY ONE in the Agreste family who didn't saw problems in their lives and thought them all happy, hence why he's so obsessed with changing the past and bringing THIS state of their family back. He was happy and he had everything he needed and loved right with him, of course he wants THIS back. He's not aware that Emilie and ESPECIALLY Adrien did not feel the same about their former situation and that bringing all of them back to this is not the perfect happy ending for their entire family as he thinks.
-Emilie may not have been as unconflicted with Gabriel as he was with her but she is NOT feeling the same disconnection her son feels and isn't depicted with negative feelings towards Gabriel. Her side in the Emilie-Gabriel relationship is neither shown outright positive as with her son or outright bad as Adrien with Gabriel. Her side of their bond is depicted through her unseen hand placement in the unknown area in between.
-Despite their not so unconflicted feelings towards Gabriel - and Gabriel himself being aloof - neither Emilie nor Adrien are actively trying to cut Gabriel out. They aren't flinching away from his touch or exclude him from the heart whatsoever. He's happily included, obviously feeling loved. They may not be 100% happy and Gabriel doesn't notice it, but they aren't denying him his happiness and make him unhappy. Again, he's the only one truly happy here. Something neither Emilie nor Adrien tried to take away from him.
-Emilie and Adrien are facing each other as do Emilie and Gabriel, implying the presence of communication and a bond. Adrien and Gabriel do not face each other, showing their disconnected bond. If they could see each others face Adrien would have been able to see that Gabriels hand is a gesture of genuine affection and Gabriel could see that Adriens expression does not exactly display pure happiness the way he thinks. This also goes for Emilie. Emilie just like her husband is placed BEHIND her son, so even if she is facing him she would not be able to really see just how much Adrien is not satisfied and truly happy with his life at that point (meaning how unhappy being looked up, friendless and at distance with his father actually makes him).
- This fascinating family makes me sad and I like it lol
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forestwater87 · 3 years
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Okay, for all of you who don't feel like watching Miles RP as David
Here are some of my favorite quotes. Context may be added if I feel like it. Reactions are my goblin brain screaming. All of these came from a discord so if they don't make sense . . . see goblin brain comment.
(That link should start directly at the point where he becomes David; if it doesn't, skip to 1:40:33)
In roughly chronological order:
David: "Teachers are sort of like camp counselors during the rest of the year."
The thing is David is absolutely up his own ass enough to think this.
David: "Trail mix is expensive!"
^ said to show he understands why not everyone can donate to the charity for teachers. Very adorable, am crying.
David's "ooooh" seeing one dude was extremely non-heterosexual. Fucking bicon. Him losing his mind that one of the arenas is called "Survey camp"
David: "A person's hitting me -- I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry this is just pretend!"
This is just canonically how David plays video games. Either this or he's unwilling to commit violence at all, but I'll defer to Miles.
David: "That's very goat of you!"
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Spencer: "Is David popular amongst his campers?"
David: "I like to think so! There's only 3 staff members, so I'm definitely in everyone's top 3."
"That also means you're in the bottom 3."
David: "Well, I choose not to think of it that way."
(I have to keep adding reacts so you can tell when one quote ends and another begins. Judge not lest ye be judged)
I think the other person in the stream is named Spencer. Friend of Miles. I know literally nothing else about him and am not even confident on those facts.
Every time he says something so non-David in his David voice I die: "I have a lot of grenades!"
David: "Oh my goodness, would you look at this beautiful scenery! Can we hike that mountain?"
This is so goddamn cute. I am dying. Miles looked at his fans and said "they will eat tonight" and I am so relieved.
David: "Not to be a couple of Greedy Garys, but I say we get this [care package] and then I'll drop another one!"
The fact that Miles is grinning like a lunatic the entire time is very good. (Also if this is formatted badly then I'm sorry but not all that sorry. I'm doing my best and David would be proud of me.)
David: "Didja getim? Didja getim? didja getim? How 'bout now?"
Spencer: "I didn't get 'em."
David: "Well, you tried your best and that's all that matters."
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He calls healing "a little health kiss." I'm not sure why but it's very important to me.
David: [while jumping to murder someone] "Hi! Scuse me!"
(i just need something to separate the quotes okay)
David: "Well you know what gang, we did our best. You don't always win the 3-legged race. You did a wonderful job!"
Then there's a bit where they talk about Spencer's time at summer camp:
David: "ooooh hand-holding's pretty serious!"
David is too pure.
David: [dreamily] "Did you fall in love, Spencer? A summer love?" [puts hands up to his face]
Then there's the fact that David/Miles gets to pick where they play each round, and he keeps insisting on going to the one called "Survey Camp" every single time because it has the word "camp" in it.
David: "Now, I don't like to disagree, but . . . I was thinking we could go . . . to Survey Camp!"
Spencer reminds him that technically since David's the one with the power to choose, his opinion is the only one that matters:
David: "Everyone's opinion matters. And my opinion is we're going to camp."
David just steamrolling over Spencer's interests is very good. There are these little selfish nuggets sprinkled in among the wholesomeness that really capture the full David experience.
David: "Well, he's climbing up . . . he's coming my direction . . . oh, he looks scary . . ."
Spencer: "Is he coming towards me?"
David: "Oooh, I don't know. I'm dead!"
The positivity is relentless. I think Miles said on twitter afterwards that this whole thing was exhausting and I can see why. Being David is no picnic . . .
David: "I have a question: do we have to shoot each other in this game?"
And then a few seconds later:
David: "I'm just wondering if maybe there's a way we can, you know, help others. Talk through our issues."
And a few seconds after that:
David: "I was asking if they wanted to be friends in the game!"
I believe that moved killed him, too. Precious.
Also we're interrupting the real Miles!David content to share something my friend suggested to me while I was watching this and giving her quotes; she said that maybe David just calls everything camp to make life more fun, and then sent me this imaginary exchange that actually killed me all the way to death:
David: Gwen Santos would you go to marriage camp with me
Gwen: I'm going to have to change this story when I tell everyone
It made me laugh quite a bit.
Anyway, back to the video!
Spencer: "How do you sign up for [Camp Campbell]?"
David: "Well, um, you can fax, uh, an application to [email protected]. And . . . you can know that myself and Gwen and Quartermaster and sometimes Mr. Campbell will do our best to make sure they get what they need! Which more than anything is love and support. And friendship."
Spencer: "How many dollars does this camp cost?"
David: "You know . . . it is, um . . ."
And then the conversation switches subjects and David breathes a sigh of relief.
Very shortly after this he changed his character from a woman (she was wearing a yellow shirt, which he liked because the campers wear yellow shirts) to "a Forward Scout with a positive attitude!"
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"I like his style."
Spencer: "Does everybody abuse David verbally?"
David: "You know, sometimes people have harsh words. Mostly Max, and Neil, and Gwen, and Quartermaster, and Nurf."
Spencer: "Did you just list almost everyone?"
David: "Mmm . . . I'd say maybe a third."
Poor David. Somebody please protect him.
Spencer: "Yeah, I think people abuse David. I get that vibe. Or at least, I feel it in my heart. Like I wanna put ants in your bunk or something."
David: "Well, I think that says more about maybe some of the hurt you're carrying with you. And sometimes when people don't know how to process that, they act out. Do you want some trail mix?"
David just said his favorite part of trail mix is the raisins which is so cute. "They have a little bit of salt on them, which isn't typical for a raisin."
And he keeps telling chatters to watch their language.
David: "Who is my favorite camper? Aww, you know I couldn't pick a favorite! . . . But I know who has the most potential, even if he doesn't want to admit it."
I KNEW IT!!!!!
I've been saying for years that David doesn't have a favorite and gravitates towards the ones he thinks need him the most AND I FINALLY GOT ONE RIGHT!
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David: "Well you know, Gwen swears and that's okay."
shipping intensifies
David: [gasp] "The moss is growing on the north side of the rock!"
Every time he nerds out about weird shit in the game I gain 3 seconds to my life.
Spencer: "Did you get teabagged?"
David: "What's that?"
Spencer: "It's where somebody places their most intimate bits on you for . . . friendship."
David: [softly] "Oh, I don't know about that."
Also David confirms that the whole show has been a single summer, so please see the "vindication" gif above.
David: "I know a lot of fun camp songs."
Spencer: "Sing 3."
David: [starts singing] "Bum-bum-bumblebee, bumblebee tuna, I love bumblebee, bumblebee tuna . . ."
Spencer: "Okay, please stop. I immediately regret this decision."
David: "Max said the same thing! One of my campers. And, uh, and my co-counselor, Gwen."
He's literally made of sunshine. I would die for this fictional man.
Spencer: "Are people at camp against their will? I feel like they are."
David: "No! . . . They don't always like it immediately, but it grows on them."
Spencer: "It sounds like they're there against their will."
David: "Well I just think that's a negative way of looking at it."
FWIW Spencer makes an excellent foil to David. Not as aggressive as Max or as dour as Gwen, but he brings a very . . . like, straight-man energy to the conversation. Like how a normal person would react to David IRL. I'd enjoy seeing these two interact more.
Spencer: "It's like your overpositivity is wanting me to balance it out with negativity."
David: "You know, I feel like that dynamic's pretty popular with me."
eeeeeeee <3
And the last one that I personally found noteworthy:
David: "One day we'll be able to afford safety equipment. Until then, we'll just have to deal with Quartermaster's Ropes Course. And a lot of pillows."
There's point near the last 20 minutes where either it got kinda boring or I just got too tired to keep track. But if there are any quotes you think I missed, please share them! This was a really lovely bit of content to feed our starving maw, and I appreciate Miles very very very much for taking one for the team.
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sanktyastag · 3 years
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I know people have already talked about the changes Mal has gone through in his show adaptation vs his book self - most of which are changes people generally agree are for the better, since they’re sanding off some of his less endearing character traits. But something that baffles me are the changes that they didn’t make as a consequence to the changes that they did. And by that, I mean, some key pieces of dialogue.
And even more specifically, this dialogue choice:
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And to explain why this line of dialogue doesn’t make sense to me in the show, I need to talk a bit about the original book context for it:
In the books, Alina has been harboring a one-sided crush on Mal for years. And I don’t mean she thought it was a one-sided crush, when really they were both mutually pining for each other. I mean that Mal genuinely didn’t have romantic feelings for her in the beginning. Or at least, not ones he acknowledged:
“Wrong. I was planning how to sneak into the Grisha pavilion and snag myself a cute Corporalnik.”
Mal laughed. I hesitated by the door. This was the hardest part of being around him - other than the way he made my heart do clumsy acrobatics. I hated hiding how much the stupid things he did hurt me, but I hated the idea of him finding out even more.
This is something Alina battles with herself over for most of the beginning of SaB, before she’s taken to the Little Palace. She had a close relationship with Mal in Keramzin, when they were both just two kids in an orphanage. And then they join the second army and Mal is suddenly a popular, capable, respected soldier in people’s eyes, while Alina is stuck battling her own resentment at her inability to fit in, as well as some pretty gnarly feelings of inadequacy.
Feelings of inadequacy that are a reoccuring issue with her - in the beginning, she describes herself as a mapmaker “and not even a very good mapmaker”. With Botkin, she’s unable to keep up with the other Grisha in physical combat, and with Baghra, she’s unable to master her Grisha abilities. It can be summed up nice and tidy in the Siege and Storm quote, when Alina isn’t using her powers because she’s in hiding with Mal:
I was so frail and clumsy that I’d barely managed to keep my job packing jurda at one of the fieldhouses. It brought in mere pennies, but I’d insisted on working, on trying to help. I felt like I had when we were kids: capable Mal and useless Alina.
So at the beginning of the books, Mal gets the chance to gain acceptance and respect from his peers, and Alina is stuck feeling inadequate and ineffectual. The natural progression of this type of rift is that they would begin to grow apart: Mal would make friends and find a sense of belonging, and Alina would remain alienated and isolated from her peers. Which is exactly what happens. It takes less than a year for them to change from being inseparable, to a normal, casual friendship:
“So what are you doing here?” When we’d first started our military service a year ago, Mal had visited me almost every night. But he hadn’t come by in months.
And that’s pretty much how their relationship stays until they’re reunited after the Little Palace. It comes to a head with Mal talking about his jealousy over seeing her with the Darkling, and with Alina admitting she’d been happier at the Little Palace than she’d been in a long time, largely because she’d finally found what Mal had found in the second army: A place she fits in and feels accepted:
“That night at the palace when I saw you on that stage with him, you looked so happy. Like you belonged with him. I can’t get that picture out of my head.”
“I was happy,” I admitted. “In that moment, I was happy. I’m not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way that you did. I never really belonged anywhere.”
“You belonged with me,” he said quietly.
“No, Mal. Not really. Not for a long time.”
And this is where that “I’m sorry it took me so long to see you” line drops. It’s specifically about Mal acknowledging that he started taking Alina for granted when they joined the second army, because he was so caught up in finally feeling like he could belong somewhere, and feel pride in himself, he stopped prioritizing their friendship. Which is a very understandable thing!
The books don’t really go into this, but at this point in the story, it feels like something Alina might finally be in a place where she could understand how he felt: living a life where you’re taught to be grateful for other people’s charity, and that you’re a burden on other people, and then suddenly being put in a position where your existence isn’t just tolerated, but celebrated and respected, is a very validating and heady experience. It’s easy to get caught up in a new life where you don’t have to think about how ashamed you felt in your past, and can instead be the person you’ve always wanted to be. It’s a shared experience of theirs that I feel like would have been worth exploring. What actually happens is that they seem to play resentment tag around each other throughout the trilogy, with one of them getting the chance to be respected amongst their peers, and the other feeling inadequate and resentful about it, and then something coming along that flips the dynamic, over and over again.
But I digress - so here is the context of that line in the book:
“I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I’d catch myself walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I’d seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I’d realize that you weren’t there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I’ve risked my life for you. I’ve walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I’d do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don’t tell me we don’t belong together,” he said fiercely. He was very close now, and my heart was suddenly hammering in my chest. “I’m sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”
Now, when we look at the show... none of this is really relevant? We never get the sense that their relationship has changed from what they were like in Keramzin. Mal doesn’t grow distant from Alina - it’s almost the opposite. The only reason they aren’t together at the beginning of the show is because their units weren’t together. It’s not Mal creating distance, it’s their job. And the second that he gets the chance, he seeks her out. In the flashback, as well, we see him immediately look for her, and he goes so far as to hit someone with a glass, because he was told the guy said something shitty to Alina, just so he can be with her in a cell.
Similarly, instead of them sitting at separate tables in the mess hall, Alina simply doesn’t get served at all (because Racism), and so Mal goes out of his way to steal food from a Grisha tent, just to cheer her up.
He’s present, attentive, loyal, and completely in tune with her emotionally. He is, I would argue, also completely in love with her (which is something I think they flipped from the books - I get the impression that Mal’s been in love with Alina for a long time, and Alina is the one who hasn’t quite made the leap from “best friend” to “romantic interest” in the show, although that’s obviously a personal interpretation). So what, exactly, is he apologizing for in that scene? What about her didn’t he see?
The only way I can try to make sense of the scene now, is that he’s apologizing for perhaps not realizing she was a Grisha? Or maybe for inadvertently “making” her repress her powers for all this time, because she didn’t want to be separated from him? And that works, I guess, except that the lead up to this apology is Alina saying that Mal looked at her “with fear in his eyes” back in Kribirsk, after he finds out she’s Grisha. And that’s, again, a book thing. In the books, Mal apologizes for just standing there as she’s taken away, for not chasing after her. In the show... he does chase after her. He does literally everything in his power to go to her. There’s no pause, there’s no moment of doubt. The last time she sees him, he is afraid for her, as she’s being taken away, but he is not, for one moment, afraid of her. So I just... don’t get where that line comes from.
It seems weird to completely erase all of Mal’s flaws from the books, but then keep the dialogue where he apologizes for how those flaws have negatively impacted their relationship, without recontextualizing the apology into an appropriately impactful moment.
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probably-haven · 3 years
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after binge reading i have come to a new revelation: I’m not a fan of most Xiaoven fanfics
Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship and its one of my favorite to think about.... but most of the fanfiction for the ship just- doesn’t sit right with me for a number of reasons. 
Disclaimer: these are personal opinions from my own taste and are in no way an attack against any authors out there, because frankly fanfic authors are great and not like i could do better lol. As these are personal opinions, I acknowledge here and now that a number of people disagree and that they are under no obligation to change their opinions in any way as it is not and never will be my intention to tell others what they should be thinking That said- read at your own risk if you want- meh, anyway-
time to share some opinions that have been on my mind lately
The biggest reason.... is how they handle Xiao. And I don’t even mean mischaracterization because Xiao is such a complex and yet simultaneously simple character that as long as you’re somewhere in the range of “Xiao vibes” it’s really hard to write him out of character because of his complexities. What I mean is something that i actually completely agree with as being accurate to his character. In nearly every single fanfic I’ve seen, there is some element of idolization that Xiao has for Venti, or for the sake of reference, Barbatos. He tends to think himself beneath Barbatos and/or indebted to him, whether that be because he’s an archon, because he saved him, or simply because of Xiao’s tendency to dehumanize(yes i see the irony in that word usage) himself.  This by itself isn’t an issue but its often how this trait of his is treated.
Imma just list a few ways I’ve seen this be handled within Xiaoven fics. - It isn’t handled, it’s just there and accepted as a part of who he is in the story - It isn’t handled but his trait is treated as source of humor within the story - Venti(and others) roll with it (finding humor in it, just cant change it, encouraging it, making jokes about it, etc.) - Venti takes advantage of it(whether accidentally or purposely) - it’s actually addressed(by Venti or someone else or the narration- can go a number of ways, but just- even a brief reference to the fact that its not a good mindset fits in here) - savior!Venti(Where venti disagrees with it but the way it’s written gives off “god among mortals” vibes- like he’s just being humble and truly is above him in reality) - its the focus of the story  - not directly addressed but shown to be destructive.  - they chose not to not include this in the story’s characterization of Xiao(just saying that this is valid ahead of time) Theres others but i have a lot already.  Note that I tend to read more ‘serious-toned’(idk if that makes sense) fics so that may skew my perception
Now there’s a few that i have issues with on their own- both instances of it not being handled, Venti(and others) rolling with it, Venti takes advantage of it(purposely(and without good intent)), and savior!Venti. Xiao not only has this trait, but he is unfamiliar with what is normal in relationships or emotions as a result of isolation and inexperience. He is also either not aware of or not concerned with what is considered strictly “healthy.” Combining these makes for a rather dangerous combination and just accepting it as “oh he’s just like that, it’s who he is” or making it out to be something funny- It’s not wrong or bad by any means necessarily, and I could still possibly enjoy it to an extent depending on a series of different factors, but its- not as often.  Even in the case where I do enjoy reading it however, I would still feel uncomfortable sharing it with or recommending it to others because in the first instance it feels like normalizing a destructive and dangerous mindset, and in the second case it does the same while simultaneously making a joke of it. It’s the same deal with Venti or other characters rolling with it, but that’s probably gonna be mentioned later too. Not to say that this is a “wrong” way to handle it, that it makes the fic bad, or that authors even are normalizing anything by doing so, just that in my specific instance- not a fan. 
I’ll get to the others when i talk more about Venti, but for now: It’s the focus of the story. I think I saw like... 2? where the story was like- focused on this and why its a problem which- power to them, address those real world problems like a boss- but also i wouldn’t actively seek it out or anything- like, good job, but doing so just leaves it open neutrally for other factors to decide how good a story i think it is. 
not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. You’d think i wouldn’t like this- but frankly in fanfiction not everyone wants to address every character flaw verbally because it can through off story, narration, dialogue, and general flow to do so. This can be with an event, an action, a dialogue, a mere comment, making it actually fit into the it’s actually addressed category except that its- subtle enough to make its own category. plus i live for show not tell- in everything- its a thing. im- very much a fan of when the fics do this but the subtlety is easy to miss and its not common so- 
It’s actually adressed- doesnt have to be a lot- just mention anywhere or imply anywhere that maybe idolizing someone as a god and savior and being in a relationship with them while having little knowledge of standards, emotions, relationships, or healthy behaviors in general- maybe isnt the smartest idea in the word. (”Call me Venti, not Barbatos” by itself is not enough to fit in this category tho as a note)
-
Now lets talk about Venti...
uh.... those who have followed me for awhile will probably already know this but... I have a lot of opinions on Venti and a pretty- “niche(?)” perception of his characterization that isn’t shared by a lot of others- so I don’t actually read as much Venti fanfic in general as you might expect because I often end up disagreeing with how writers portray him, which again, in no way is their characterization wrong, but- “their perceived truth” conflicts with “my perceived truth” and by extent so does the characterization, though neither is any more correct than the other from an objective point of view, if that makes sense... but anyways now that that’s said, moving on before this becomes a philosophy lecture, as fun as that would be for me.  I’ll try to keep my “perceived truth” out of this for the first bit. 
Venti’s response to this: 
He rolls with it: this depends on the mood of the fanfiction. If they dont put a lot of stress on that trait of Xiao’s it totally fine but if the trait seems to be a major part of Xiao’s character, it seems like normalization once more. (more on this later)
he takes advantage of it purposely: if its an AU or something and Venti’s like a villain(i saw a few) then- villain venti isnt my cup of tea but i have no qualms. If they don’t portray Venti in a negative light while having him take advantage however that’s a bit uncomfortable to read for me because it feels like normalizing taking advantage of that mindset as well as the mindset itself. However, i did see a number of instances of Venti using it as leverage for like- self care- which i definitely have no qualms. Xiao: [insert probably destructive idolizing statement about being indebt] Venti: How bout you pay me back by actually sleeping for once smh or other variations are okay and depending on the vibe are actually a really fun dynamic as long as it doesnt turn into romanticizing or normalizing it, y’know?
Venti accidentally taking advantage of it.... I love angst- and in most of these theres a sense of guilt when he realizes- and i just think thats a lovely way of addressing the dangers of such a mindset for both sides. As long as it doesn’t keep repeating to the point of romanticization its totally cool to read in my eyes(not irl ofc). If Venti never realizes he accidentally took or is taking advantage it feels a bit like normalization, and if he does but just- doesn’t care thats- a rip.
savior!Venti...... i- i hate. the story giving off vibes that Xiao’s mindset is technically correct while Venti oh so humbly tells him to treat him as an equal like the wonderful and charitable person he is.... i just- no. of course thats over dramatizing it- I think the main thing that gives it this vibe is when Venti doesn’t seem either concerned, surprised, uncomfortable, or otherwise have a negative feeling towards Xiao’s mindset. Just- it makes the whole thing weird in my eyes when Venti doesnt really seem to have his own reason to oppose the mindset idk- 
-
fact time!
Venti is the god of freedom. His backstory is freeing Mondstadt from a god’s tyrannical reign. His origin is a windsprite, just another breeze bringing changes for the better. His form is a nameless boy who played an instrument and then died, thus failing at his only dream and only ever accomplishing anything because of the help of others. He slept for a thousand years after the archon war to avoid putting Mond under the rule of yet another tyrannical god. He only even became a god because Andrius chose to let him. He wouldn’t have even had that chance if the nameless bard had survived, he’d remain just another wind while his friend ascended to godhood. Venti sacrifices his own power for his people’s freedom. 
now that I’ve laid out a number of canon facts, time for opinions:
Venti has little to no desire to be seen as a god. He thrives in, comes from, and emphasizes a lack of superiority in quite nearly everything. The first Ragnvindir, who canonically turned his back on Venti after Decarabian’s fall, likely did so because one- he anticipated power would corrupt and Venti would soon become just another tyrannical god, two- he suspected Venti used the nameless bard in an attempt to rise to godhood, or three- idk insert other possibilities to acknowledge again that i could totally be wrong.
Look me in the eyes and tell me Venti wouldnt trade godhood for his friend in an instant. His godhood was only granted to him because his friend died and could easily serve to constantly remind him of what could have been and what he lost. Venti takes no enjoyment from being seen as superior and in my opinion, I feel that it could actually make him largely uncomfortable when his divinity and abilities as an archon get involved-
also self promotion for my favorite posts- check out #archon war era venti if thats interesting to you
so anyway Venti rolling with it or making jokes about it just doesn’t sit right with me.- 
-
Okay! enough talking about that mindset!
idk- i have... a few/lot of other gripes and stuff or just things that kinda throw off the vibe for me but that’s the main one plus my general personal pickiness when it come to Venti fanfics- but this has gotten long enough already- 
idk i just felt like rambling about it and i haven’t done a long post in a while so-
again, I love the ship and its actually one of my favorites- just the fanfic isnt my thing..... that doesn’t mean i don’t still love it and come up with a whole ton of brainrot and ideas on it tho lmao
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yinses · 3 years
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fractured kingdoms
| he made you a princess ... it was only right for him to play the white knight |
gojo satoru rating: t
a/n: so i had an idea. this is more of a premise for a potential series that will doubtfully be chaptered in order. i have terrible luck with that. more or less snapshots of this dynamic to see where it takes me. i always write best on new episode release days. 
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gojo satoru used to enjoy his job- hell he was practically born for the role of exorcising curses. as a first year, along with his fellow classmates, he thought he could change the world. 
it was an optimistic goal that he never quite lost sight of but his mindset had changed over the years. having a best friend turn on an entire organization coupled with gatekeeping elders who should have died last century could do that to anyone's ambitions. 
so when gojo accepted a case, he did it but the task was conducted his own way on his own time. 
it was the least he could do for an institution who took advantage of his inherited ability. 
he was already planning out his order for the little pastry shoppe around the corner as he cleared a plethora of curses making themself home in the old abandoned fish packing plant. the acrid and heavy atmosphere had cultivated a miasma of stupidity it seemed, enticing the youth to come seek out nonexistent mysteries and claim their own death instead.
proclaimed haunted grounds like this were always prevalent breeding grounds for the weaker lot who couldn't chance hunting alone. the pack mentality made them look stronger than what they were. 
it was all just troublesome work for him. 
gojo quickly surveyed the mess that lay before him- bodies broken beyond identification. showing them to the morning families would only increase the amount of negative energy already floating around the area. it would be better to just shut down the perimeter completely for proper purging. 
that was something ijichi could manage. 
his hand twitched for his pocket to order such when he felt a lingering weight of cursed energy. this essence wasn’t like the others- in fact he didn’t recall even noticing it until now. 
with a huff he slouched into a relaxed stance, infinity tightening around his body, “now, now. let’s not make this harder for ourselves. i have a tight schedule after all.” if he was lucky, he could make two stops instead of his scheduled one. he’d like some nice bobba tea to go with his treat.
gojo waited a moment longer, willing to make it fair for once. but then nothing happened. these might be his least favorite curses, those born from cowardice. 
he fingered the edge of his blindfold in contemplation. taking it off may be overkill, but something about the situation insists upon it. intrigued by the shift, he pulls the material down to his chin and takes in the factory in its entirety. 
for a second there was nothing. then blue eyes flicker upward.
“oh wow. pretty, pretty.”
something in the rafters rustles, and a small thud sounded to his right as a figure landed gracefully less than a foot away. 
it was daring, to say the least. most curses avoided his aura, not willing entered it. but the most unsettling thing was that it spoke.
the level of cursed energy emanating from the form did not match with the intelligence it was portraying. it could be mimicry, a set of learned phrases used to trick and lure. but even known when and how to use them-
not to mention they’d commented specifically on his eyes. 
“it’s rude not to thank a lady when she offers a compliment.”
gojo couldn’t resist turning at that. 
it was a lady; perhaps more correctly a girl- possibly in her early twenties. there were no errant limbs or monstrous editions. she looked normal, almost human. maybe even an amateur sorcerer if he’d just focused on the energy she emitted. 
a low grade shaman may have actually mistaken her for one. 
that would have been a shame.
gojo brought his hand over his heart in an apologetic gesture,” sorry, it was your own beauty that stopped me short.”
her lips pulled back and the white of her teeth sent a thrilling chill down his spine. 
how interesting indeed. 
he motioned vaguely to the remains,” am i to assume this was your court?” curses congregating deceive humans was one thing, but to kneel to a higher authority.
an unregistered special grade.
that would be problematic.
her eyes raked over the scene with disinterest,”oh that shit show? as if i would associate myself with them.”
“well that’s not very nice. most princess have better opinions of their subjects.”
her smile widen. oh, she liked that. 
gojo carefully braced himself to remain undeterred as she took a casual step forward. instincts urged him to eliminate it on the spot but curiosity begged him to learn more. 
as if she felt his hesitancy, she stopped. “princess, huh? will you kneel for me too?”
he laughs at that, “oh i don’t think my superiors would appreciate me doing that.”
there is a brief period of silence and gojo waits with baited breath for the fighting to start. she was obviously retaining her cursed energy, eventually it would overflow to its true capacity. part of gojo actually would regret silencing this one, it wasn’t often that they were this interesting. 
when it appeared that she wasn’t going to make the first move, he sighed,” well, unfortunately this has gone on long enough-”
“what kind of sweets do you like?”
gojo blinked dumbly. 
“ah, that depends, i suppose. there is this really nice bakery not far from here that makes great manju.” his next destination after he got rid of this curse. why was he even drawing this out? he didn’t feel particularly compelled or threatened, to be frank. 
“i’ll have to try it then!”
gojo is left to stare at the palm extended outward. 
“can i have money please?”
                                                  ⚘  ⚘  ⚘
against his better judgement, gojo offers to buy them for her instead. 
seated across from the curse, he watches her quietly as she ate through two orders with ease. he also watches the floating civilians around her. not all human were immune to curses, occasionally one with a weak sense would notice something. 
but the clerk didn’t miss a single beat when taking her order.
“um… are you going to eat that?”
gojo looked down at the reason why he’d come out this far in the first place and back to the empty plate in front of him. he didn’t think twice before giving her third serving in the last twenty minutes. 
“how interesting.”
she looked up mid bite,”wha?”
curling his fingers into a fist to lean into, gojo gave her his full attention,” do you know what you are?”
“well, i’m a girl. opposite of what you are,’’ she explains snidely. for someone who had been given a free treat, she was a bit of a brat. 
more importantly, gojo wasn’t detecting any blatant evasion in her speech. it … wasn’t possible for her to actually believe that she was human. perhaps she could be a misguided curse, but what mortal girl would hang out with such monstrous friends. she hadn’t even denied their existence in the factory. 
gojo decides to cut to the chase,” we both know you’re not a regular girl.”
she brings the fork to her mouth,”i thought we established that i was a princess?”
oh, this was bad. gojo really should have just finished her before. he should not have invested this far. and certainly should not have bought her mangu.
the only thing worse than an unorthodox gojo, was one equipped with a fresh idea. 
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