#this is also why he thinks competition is toxic because this is who he would turn into

[sflow-er]

So many thoughts on the fabulous Barbie film, but especially on how anyone who thinks it’s “hateful towards men” clearly isn’t getting the message.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

[Credit for both gifs goes to their makers!!]

I mean... Ken’s arc is secondary to Barbie’s, and rightly so. This is her film, and her message deserves to be the main takeaway.

That being said, I just find it really sad that the people who could’ve definitely used the point of Ken’s arc just let it go right over their heads. Maybe it’s because they aren’t great at reading subtext, or because they just balk at anything presented as feminist, I don’t know.

Because to me, Ken’s arc is about as far from “hateful towards men” as you can get. It’s a multi-layered depiction of how restrictive, outdated views of masculinity can hold men back and make them susceptible to harmful ideologies that promise easy solutions for all their problems but only make those problems worse and hurt others around them.

The first layer is an allegory for real men don’t show their feelings. In the movie, this is represented by Ken’s need to look tough and cool all the time, and to keep his insecurities and sadness bottled up. Barbieland is a utopia where being happy is a social norm, and the main Barbie also starts to struggle with that. The difference is that she eventually tells her friends, and they all support her. Ken just puts pressure on himself not to look weak - in front of Barbie, or in front of the other Kens.

Which brings us to the second level: a competitive and inherently hostile view of the other Kens, aka. toxic male relationships. Some of them are friends, and all of them work together for a while to build the Patriarchy, but they don’t actually bond for real. Even their boys’ nights are mainly about getting back at the Barbies for all their girls’ nights (which really were about bonding). When push comes to shove, the Kens still see each other as competition, which is one of the reasons why the Barbies are able to play them against each other.

Another reason is the third layer: the idea that Ken only has value if Barbie loves and admires him. It starts out as unrequited love that makes you feel sorry for him...until he turns bitter. He basically starts on the path that could lead him down the incel/mra rabbit hole and into a mindset where Barbie owes him love and admiration and the relationship he wants in exchange for his devotion to her. He decides that everything would be better if Barbies were subservient to Kens, but of course that’s not true. None of the Barbies’ newfound admiration for their Kens is real, and his own Barbie still rejects him.

All this is of course underpinned by the final layer, which is Ken’s lack of self-respect and sense of purpose. He’s got a pointless job, he’s not particularly qualified for anything, and he just feels kind of lost in Barbieland - a society run by successful Barbies who are living up to their full potential. That’s why he gets so caught up in the idea of the Patriarchy, which is supposed to make him successful, get others to respect him, and give him a sense of purpose. (This can be generalised to all kinds of harmful ideologies in the real world, e.g. the alt-right movement.)

However, the success he achieves is superficial and not based on any real passion; he even admits that he wasn’t happy in his new position and already lost interest in the ideology. The (forced) respect of others does feel good for a while, but it only goes so far. At heart, the whole thing is still mostly about his feelings of inferiority and unrequited love for Barbie, and instituting this harmful new system did not resolve those for him.

So what does? In essence, breaking out of all these harmful patterns and internalising the idea that he is enough.

He ends up reflecting on his feelings, finally puts them to words (or rather, song and dance), and manages to connect with the other Kens through those feelings. He even cries in relief and acknowledges that it doesn’t make him weak. He and Barbie finally have a proper talk, he lets go of their (non-)relationship, and he listens when she says he needs to figure out his real self. He starts to see himself not through his job, his girlfriend, or even his competition with the other Kens, but as just Ken, who is enough.

I honestly can’t think of a less hateful message to send men and boys.

[razzle-n-dazzle]

Yandere headcanons for any character of your choosing? I loved the Adam ones !

ᯓ★ General YANDERE! Headcanons (triple threat!) Angel Dust / Reader, Mammon / Reader, Vox / Reader TW! If you don't like this type of content please scroll away: Dark romance, Romanizes Yandere(s), stalking, drugs, alcohol, mention of (sexual) abuse, toxic relationship at the start (Mammon), gaslighting, murder, weird ex behavior (Vox), accusations of incest (didn't happen, Vox), manipulation (Vox), kidnapping, forced love/relationship, emotional manipulation.

ᯓ It was the moment that you started treating Angel Dust as Anthony, not just a play-thing or a fuck buddy or a guy to do crack or get wasted with, just plain, pure Anthony, that anything really stirred in him.

ᯓ He had seen you around the street a few times, never really talked to you yet just always managed to point you out from the crowd. He never knew why, nor did he understand why you, another Sinner just trying to live your own life in this hell-pit, always stuck out to him like a sore thumb anytime he was near your vicinity. It wasn't until he actually spoke to your first in the hotel that he realized why; You weren't a bitch, you didn't act like everyone else in hell and it was odd.

ᯓ It was like you were a toned down version of Charlie, still bubbly like her and very much being able to keep up if need be, yet you were quiet and kept to yourself; Speaking only when spoken to, or when need be, and even then your voice carried this honey sweetness Angel only expected in the voice of, well, angels. "Oh, hello, Angel!" Was your first words to him. And they strangely held no malice, irreverence, or flirtatious tone, not even undertone; They were just plan and simply, and slightly sweet, and was just a greeting. He wouldn't realize how you friend spoke to him would stick into his head later that night, nor that starting that conversation with you would change his life so much. After all, with a new resident at the hotel, who happened to be at bar at the same time as Angel, was nothing to be note worthy or right home about. There was only one bar at the hotel, and it was kind of used as the main common room even if there were couches.

ᯓ Yet you made it rememberable. And you always made your interactions with Anthony after that rememberable.

ᯓ Yandere! Angel is more Anthony than Angel speaking, thinking, feeling, at least most of the time; Because it was Anthony you had made an impression on that night, not Angel. It was Anthony you had captured the heart of truly and wholly, leaving no room for competition by completely devouring his attention and infecting his mind with your sunny smile and sweetened voice. His mind, from that day on, was captured by you and your everything. Even when trying to be Angel, trying to be that perfect Porn Star everyone knows him to be, as soon as you capture his attention it's like he can't think. All he can see is you, all he can smell is you, all his thoughts are consumed and eaten by your presence. By your soft touches and your words and just by you. In his eyes, you're perfect.

ᯓ He wants to be both be you and be with you at once.

ᯓ He wanted your sweet nature, which still left room to let you stand up for yourself. He craved to have your gentle touch, not soiled by his line of infiltrating, disgusting, consuming work. He yearned for your body, to both be plush and flushed against his hands and yet also for your body to be his. He wanted you. He wanted your being, your soul, your everything. He wanted your trust and your kindness, even if he felt he didn't deserve it. He wanted to keep you to himself and shield away from what he was, who he was, and who he worked for.

ᯓ He wanted to love you and for you to love him.

ᯓ During your first few months of being friends, and maybe even after, Anthony made it a point to try and talk to you whenever he could. He also made it a point to scroll endlessly through your Instagram, Twitter, and any other form of social media in Hell that you had and he could get his hands on. He slowly began to learn who you were friends with, where your favorite food joints where, where you liked to hang out, your style of clothes, and if you had family down in Hell. Anthony get's so absorbed in having you in his life that something in the back of brain slowly began to justify his stalkerish actions, even encouraged it when he felt disgusted doing so before. 'They're posting this for all of Hell to see', 'You're just trying to learn more about them to be better friends', 'Other people would do this too, you're not doing anything wrong', 'They might like it'.

ᯓ Though he wouldn't let you know he does this. He wouldn't want to creep or freak you out, that would just drive you away, and he couldn't bare not having a day where he got to see your face or hear your voice. And he also wouldn't be able to handle it if you began to look at him with shame and fear. Oh, he would never want to hurt you like that.

ᯓ He would never want to hurt you, ever; Nor would he want, or let, anyone else hurt you.

ᯓ He needed to keep you away from Valentino and Angel Dust. Anthony knew you loved him, at least to some sort of extent, yet he didn't know if you would love Angel Dust; A porn star who's had his private parts flashed all over hell and has done every kinky shit that could be thought up of. And oh, Valentino, if he ever caught wind that Anthony Angel Dust was dating some sinner, he would be pissed. Either going out for you directly or going after Angel himself, and while he could take the abuse, especially if it meant saving you the pain, he would not put you through that shit.

ᯓ He would keep you close, made sure you felt protected and safe and loved, yet far enough to never entangle you in his fucked up work world.

ᯓ Yandere! Anthony, who adores any sort of non-sexual physical contact between the two of you, even if it takes him a moment to get comfortable with. Forgiving and forgetting old, and active, habits were hard, and yet you waited for him, you held patience and understanding for his background. It just made him fall even more madly in love with you.

ᯓ Yandere! Anthony, who may or may not have killed a few sinners for even daring to try and touch you (thinking you were a porn star just like Angel) just because you associated with him.

ᯓ Anthony, who will receive a phone call from you while doing a shoot for Val and try his best to answer right away, even if it meant facing repercussions. He just couldn't bare thinking about the possibility that you could be in trouble and missing that call, just to find out you were ordering coffee and forgot his order; But if it had been the latter, he would never forgive himself. Plus, while being plowed into by a few dozen guys, he always craves to hear your voice. It's like a breath of fresh air he needs to keep going.

ᯓ Anthony, who's able to put up with Val's requests and wants because he knows he gets to return to the hotel to see you, and your smiling face and feel you pepper sweet kisses into his cheeks if he wanted. Maybe even cuddle up against you, listening to your rhythmed breathing as you took care of his aches and pains. As you gave him the after care he didn't know he so desperately needed until know.

ᯓ Anthony, who didn't know how jealous he could get until he noticed you started hanging around a certain person a lot more; Or maybe that person wanted to start hanging around you a lot more. Either way, even if he had worked that tag, he constantly asked to tag along. And when you weren't looking, he would shoot glares and threats at the sinner who dared try and steal his lover; He would keep this up for as long as it took for the sinner to get the message and leave you along. And when you started to realize that friend was distancing themselves from you, he would swoop in and call him an asshole and that you deserved better friends. All the while he cupped your cheeks, squishing your face together, and peppered a kiss in between your eyebrows to quell the pain you felt.

ᯓ Anthony who is nothing short but a soft Yandere, who simply just wants you all for himself. You were too good to be faced out there with all the creeps and the weirdos of the world; And while he might not fully deserve you, you seemed to have picked him and he'll make sure your after life if the best experience of your life.

ᯓ "You cannot be in love with- with that two-timing, bitch ass face, Mammon! Don't you see what he's doing to you?!" Where some of the last words you ever heard from your long time friend before effectively cutting them off; Because it's what you thought best at the time. It's what Mammon told you was best at the time, claiming they were simply jealous and wanted to end your perfect relationship with him. It would be the last words from any sort of 'reason' you would ever heard, words trying to help but you knew they didn't understand. And that wasn't from Mammon's reasoning, nor his infection in your brain, nor his overpowering stance that easily made you tremble and obey.

ᯓ It was by your own thoughts, your own judgement that you had passed from dating Mammon ever since the day he killed your lover; Hanging them up on stage for everyone to see, a wide, psychopathic grin on his face before he turned to you, asking for your hand in marriage.

ᯓ And you had been afraid of him, afraid of death, when you had agreed all those years ago. He was a Sin, a Prince of Hell, and that made his power greatly out way yours. You had been afraid of the reproductions of you had said no, even if you truly had held no love or even care for Mammon at that time; The fear of his power pushed you to agree.

ᯓ Mammon, who had been spying on you since they day you came into his Ring of Greed, without your knowledge. Had always held a fascination about you, and the way you consumed and toyed with his mind, making him feel like you were worth than any amount of money or gold in the world. Which was ridiculous, as he knew for a fact you wouldn't be worth much, even if he did make you a marketable sex toy. Fizz? He was worth money, he was worth time, he was worth so much more than you and yet... when Mammon looked at you, heard your laughter, saw your smile and the way you just lived your life, you were suddenly worth more than anything he could get his grimy, greedy hands on.

ᯓ You became all he wanted to get his greedy hands on; And when Mammon wants something, he will get it, even if it meant he had to use force. So killing a Lover, that was something he was willing to do if it meant you would love him. Surely you could look past that and love him all the same!

ᯓ At first, you were like Mammon's little play thing. Sure, he loved you deep to his core, so much so it terrified you cold, but he could tell you didn't love him back. Not yet. So he showed you all the reasons you should love him over your past Lover, even if he knew they couldn't play this fun little game right back: He would take you out on the town, made sure you were dressed in the most expensive and flashing and tight fitting clothes in all of the nine rings! He took you to expensive restaurants, on fancy excursions, and basically became like a sugar daddy just to prove himself. All the while also acting like a body guard, stabbing anyone with one of his many spider-like legs if they dared get to close to either of you. He would buy you fancy gifts, he would show you luxurious nights in bed, he would even introduce you to the other Sins as his lover to solidify your place.

ᯓ All he needed was your love! And you should have just gave it to him from the start!... but, playing this little game is fun too. Even though he was making sure it would be temporary.

ᯓ To say you were too scared to leave Mammon at first was would be an understatement; You were blood-cold terrified.

ᯓ Yet, little did you know that the influence you had in Mammon's brain was greater than you or him had ever thought. Now, Mammon knew will you were constantly on his brain, that he was constantly seeking for you in every room, that he was drunk off your presence along and that he never wanted you to leave his side! Hell, he would have killed you if you ever tried!... at first.

ᯓ Though there's a weird thing that happens when you're both deeply in love with someone and around them all the time, not allowing them to venture far from your side. Something that is so extraordinary that it can't be completely summed up or explained in words. It's like, you slowly start realizing how to love. That was the best word to describe it as. It's something that wasn't caught on at first, something that slowly inched it's way in and changed the way you and Mammon functioned together. And it was weird but wonderful all at the same time. Where Mammon only cared about showing and flashing you off, he slowly started to notice what you did and didn't like to eat. At first he brushed it off, but soon found himself ordering your favorite meal from any choice restaurant when you weren't with him, which is a rare occasion, just to taste it. Just to remind him of you. Then it turned into appreciation, small but encroaching. Whether he would notice the small things you do in the background, even if you didn't fully love him, which made his life a whole lot easier; Which made Fizz a whole lot happier, which made him a whole lot more money. How you always knew what he wanted and needed after a long day, how you fetched it for him just because he looked tired. Just because it was nice. And all these slow baby steps, of learning how to love and not yearn for someone, changed you both for the better. More so Mammon than you.

ᯓ Think of your relationship now more like Gomez and Morticia Addams; In a weird, still fucked up way.

ᯓ Mammon didn't exactly worship the ground you walked on, but he did worship you a lot more than before. Always having you in front row seats at his show, or if he was judging sat upon his lap like a Princess. In which would leave him to his own greedy, grimy thoughts and before you knew you, small peppers up your arm turned to kisses on the neck, and then Mammon having you straddle his waist as he took the air from your lungs; Kissing you with all the greed of the world, yet passion as well. He was hungry for you.

ᯓ He was starving.

ᯓ He was both possessive, largely so, and protective of you. You were not let outside the house without Mammon or some sort of guard, not that he trusted them entirely. While he didn't want you to get hurt, or damaged, he also didn't want your body to be on display for other eyes if he wasn't there. Your body was all his, and while people can gawk at it and stare all they want, he will be right there snickering and sneering at them. He will always be there.

ᯓ He is big on PDA, big on showing everyone who you belong do, big on showing you off, big on making sure people knew no one could touch you as long as he was here, big on making everyone know you were kid... but Big on making sure you were happy too. Even if he is an asshole and loved to make sexist jokes or laugh at and with you at the most inappropriate times or say he's going to make a sex doll of you because it would turn in such a profit!- (Which he would never, your body, especially the best fucking part, was only his.) -He still cares enough to care about you and your happiness.

ᯓ He's a douche, but a loveable douche; You just might need to teach him some proper manners, or else all your clothes might as well be covered from the blood of every sinner in Hell.

ᯓ You actually used to date Vox, used to be seated right next to him in his TV programs, helping run his show behind the scenes, helping him with his frustrations; Basically, being an unpaid worker and doing it all just because you knew it helped Vox. It made his day less stressful, it allowed him to relax. Sure he could have been overbearing at times, a little possessive even around the V's, yet he was generally a good lover and you enjoyed his company.

ᯓ Yet you had to put your foot down and end your relationship with him due to this possessive attitude. You had found it cute at first, though when he went as far as to threaten and stalk one of your siblings, because he thought they were way too close to you, you couldn't handle it. Even more so when he tried to gaslight you, basically shouting out: "No sibling should EVER be that fucking close to each other! He was fucking touching you, and I'm not going to fucking stand for it, you hear me?" And he had never shouted at you before, even while frustrated. So it had taken you aback a little, even more so when you say how his eyes widened, how a twisted grin strung itself on his face. He wasn't Vox; He wasn't your Vox. "So it's either ME or THEM. Pick wisely here." This wasn't the Vox you had fallen in love with. The charming man who was chivalrous, who had an award winning smile, who made you swoon and laugh, who you could talk to for hours even if he ranted about everything that annoyed him during the day. This wasn't him, he wouldn't be grabbing your face as he was now, harsh and indenting, basically breaking skin and causing you to bleed on his hands. Staring at you with a crazed look, making you choose between him and your family, making accusations that your siblings had incestual interested in you! "You're crazy." The words left you winded, like all the air had been knocked out of your lungs in one sad attempt to voice yourself. A sad attempt it was indeed, and you knew that as soon as Vox let out a growl and forcefully shoved your head to the side, effectively knocking you down to the floor. This wasn't him, the thought continued to swirl around your head as your body scrapped across the polished floor. As you shook a hand out, attempting to crawl away from Vox, attempted to escape anything else he might through your way to let him cool down by himself. Yet, a pain yell was the only reward of that fruitless effort of yours from Vox slamming and digging his foot into the middle of your back. Tears prickled in your eyes, a choked out sob, as you could barely make out the glitched words that spewed out of Vox's mouth.

ᯓ "What the FUCK did you just say to me, bitch?!"

ᯓ Safe to say your family and friends had to get involved, had to help you sneak out in the middle of the night and place you under protection. You knew better than to forgive Vox after something like that, his act completely and utterly broke all the trust you had for him; And if he hit you once, he would hit you again. So you stayed far away from The V's corner of the Pride ring, far, far away; And slowly you started the process of healing, of learning how to do life without Vox at your side, of learning how to not be afraid he might turn up, of learning how to live again.

ᯓ You didn't realize how much he had drained you mentally and physically over the course of your relationship, as it was all hidden as acts and gestures of love; Of nights alone, cuddling in the dead of night while no one else knew. Of drinking glasses of wine, watching some late night program or ranting about your shitty lives. Of hanging out with the rest of the V's and of going out with Vox and feeling like you were on top of the world!

ᯓ And slowly you started to feel safe again, after months and months had past with no Vox, you started to go outside with more confidence and by your own; You ventured and you saw and you thought you were safe. Vox couldn't hurt you any longer, Vox had no more control over you, Vox didn't care about you anymore so why should you care about him! He can go suck some power Overlord's cock and get his power through the people he keeps around him. He can go fuck off because you didn't need him anymore.

ᯓ But, oh, Vox needed you.

ᯓ And you didn't know, you couldn't know, that he's been tracking every step you took outside your home; Silently listening to all your conversations, silently always being there, inches away from you, foaming at the mouth with the idea of having you again. Yet waiting. Always waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And now you're alone, and you're unnoticed in a crowd of sinners, and you're in perfect range...

ᯓ And you'll be his soon enough.

ᯓ You don't remember much after heading into that store. You don't even remember leaving it. In fact, you didn't remember much, and any events that happened after you had entered that store kind of blurred together in a hasty mist. All you could remember is that you had gone in, attempting to find a new camera or laptop for your sibling; Who had been just crawling up your ass, bugging you about the latest technology that had came out and how it would do wonders for their career... that and you knew they just wanted a new laptop or camera, even though theirs worked perfectly fine. And yet, you cannot remember if you even managed to get to the camera or laptop section before everything god mudded and hazed.

ᯓ "Well, fuck me in the ass, you're awake!" And then an all too familiar voice rang out in the room, which you hadn't taken to notice you were in. A room, your eyes shot up to take it in, that was unmistakably familiar; A bedroom. His bedroom; Where you were tied in on a plush chair, where he had made his way over to you. Where he now, grabbing the arm rests of the chair, leaned tauntingly over your smalling frame, with that crazed smile. Oh that smile, one that used to live in your dreams, first welcomed and then hauntingly. That smile that made you coward down and away, paired with those crazed, piercing eyes. "No no," Vox would then coo, reaching his clawed hands up to cup your cheeks. His actions were gentle and sweet, like he was holding a glass vase that could be destroyed even with the slightest pressure added down onto it. "Hey, hey, look at me. I'm not going to hurt you... look at me, Darling."

ᯓ And yet you didn't meet Vox's eyes, you couldn't, and instead Vox would helplessly watch as you cowered away from him and flinching at his honeyed touch; As you feared him. Feared.. HIM! The one man who has silently killed everyone who had crossed your path, everyone who had made you uncomfortable, everyone who dared tried to through anything your fucking way he killed them all! For you...

ᯓ AND YOU DARED FUCKING COWER AWAY FROM HIM LIKE HE WOULD HURT YOU?!

ᯓ "I SAID FUCKING LOOK AT ME!" Snapped Vox as a sudden, sharp, pain stabbed into your cheek, causing you to choke out in pain, as Vox forcefully snapped your neck towards him; Forcing you to look him directly in the eye. You saw the way his left eye was wide open, swirling black lines around his pupil. That crazed look, it painted his face, and yet something inside of you was coaxing you that it was okay. That he was crazy because he cared, because he loved you, because he wanted you to be safe...

ᯓ Because he was sorry.

ᯓ The voice was strong, it pounded against your head even as you knew logically it wasn't that; None of what that invading, creeping, engulfing voice said true! Vox wasn't sorry for his actions, he never would be, he was, and is, boiling and pissed and controlling. He was a man who got what he wanted when he wanted because he forced it that way. And yet, the voice was so coaxing and sweet... And you watched though a fuzzy mind as Vox slowly kneeled down in front of your chair. Where you even tied up anymore? You could barely tell. Gently, his hands slid down your face, the blood cascading down with them, as he felt your figure against his hands once more. And slowly, gently, still staring up at you, he took your hands in his. He played with something cold, solid, against your hand, a wedding ring, silently twirling it around your finger as a honeyed smiled sunk onto his lips, "Honey, sweetie," His voice started, glitching out slightly before leveling back out, "I'm so, so sorry for scaring you. Really, I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just frustrated and upset-" There was a break in his speech, allowing for a chuckle to slip through, "-and we both know I can get unreasonable when I'm upset. I promise, it won't happen again, Darling, so.. come back home, please."

ᯓ Something in the back of your head was trying to shout and claw it's way through, trying to break through the skin and flesh of your brain and bleed out it's words and thoughts. Yet it never came to fruition, as the thought past by like a cloud drifting off in the wind from a flutter in your chest. A grin seeping onto your face, "Vox.." You would mumble, tone sweet and loving and forgiving; forgetting; Forgetting what he had put you through, the pain and the suffering you had to bear alone. Forgetting how he plastered your face on TV screens for weeks on end, bashing you to all of the Pride Ring to hear. Forgetting how he had cracked your spine all those months ago. Forgetting, not forgiving. "...I'm sorry for leaving in the first place."

ᯓ And in that moment, Vox knew something you didn't know: He, had, won. You were his, sure under the power of his little mind control, but you were his again and he was yours. And no one, and nothing, is going to ever take you away from him ever again.

ᯓ He'll make sure of it. You wouldn't miss your family anyways, you wouldn't even remember them!

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ᯓ★ All posts/fanfictions posted under this blog is owned by @razzle-n-dazzle. Please do not steal, copy, or plagiarize the works! Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated.

[konigsblog]

Ghost and Graves completing for the same person? 👁️👁️ Let the battle of the red flags begin 🚩🚩🚩

oh god, both of them are so competitive...

graves adores having authority; he adores being people's superior. he almost has a god complex, acting as if he's royalty, that no-one is better than him. he believes he'd be the best father and husband to his future kids and wife, that no-one can even come close to how amazing and loveable he is. he doesn't even realise how toxic he is; how controlling and how manipulative he can be. he denies it, he just can't fathom how anyone could think that he, phillip graves, is manipulative.

simon is also toxic himself, he can be a total asshole and lash out on people for no reason whatsoever. it doesn't help that he clearly has some sort of anger issues, unable to keep his cool when the new recruits pester him too much. he's easily annoyed, easily infuriated, and has serious jealousy issues and wouldn't be a great boyfriend. he's not delusional about this though, not like graves. but he doesn't want to admit it, so he never let's people know about this side of him, hiding it ‘til he's finally in a relationship where he can hopefully trap his lover.

of course, this usually ends simon's relationship; his horrible attitude and controlling behaviour. graves never bothered to find love, because as he said, no-one was on his level, that he was waiting for the woman he thought he deserved.

graves tried to manipulate and gaslight you, whilst simon kept it calm, making snide and snarky comments when you talked about the commander. he desperately tried to convince you that you deserved better, all while trying to win you over, hoping you'd fall head over heels with him.

when simon falls in love, it's obsessive, possibly illegal.

when graves falls in love, he expects obedience, he expects the ground he walks on to be worshipped. he's too egotistical and cocky for his own good, which causes arguments when you bring up simon. he doesn't understand why you wouldn't want him. he's doing you a favour by trying to become your boyfriend, don't you know who he is?! he's phillip fucking graves, and he expects nothing more than love from you.

what good would simon do for you? that heartless, cold, stoic man would do nothing but leave you absolutely heartbroken and gut wrenched.

[respectthepetty]

I still feel bad for Top.

And . . . I think he is the only sane one of the group.

Mew - When Top slept with Boston again, no matter how much Top wanted to be Mew's boyfriend, Mew had Top down in the "just talking" stage, so he didn't cheat. Boston even pointed this out. Also, Mew wasn't upset that he has sex, but instead he was upset that it was with Boston.

Boston - Top always has to fight off Boston or give in to him and even he told Boston in the elevator that he is tired of fighting off Boston while Boston told Ray he is just greedy for Top.

Nick - He recorded both Boston and Top having sex, then told Top to leave Boston alone (the audacity). Top even warned Nick that Boston was trash pero Nicolas no le importa.

Sand - Top has tried to let the past stay in the past both times he has encountered Sand in the wild, but Sand has gone left both times and Top has matched his energy. He even tried to get Sand to call a truce, but instead, Sand stole the sex tape off of Nick's phone and gave it to Ray.

Ray - Top knows Ray is in love with Mew, which is partially the reason that Ray hates Top, but I don't know if Ray didn't spill the beans about the sex tape at the party in front of everyone because Mew already knew or because Ray has some level of ethics that these other people lack. Either way, this is why he is my #1.

Chueam - This is a me thing, but homegirl is really strange about Top. She always talks about him being top-tier TO HIS FACE and mentioned Mew losing his virginity to a top-tier guy one too many times for my liking.

YET NONE OF THIS IS EVEN ABOUT TOP!

Top is not seen as a person to any of these people and is a pawn in Boston and Mew's weird competition with each other. We done been knowing this isn't about Top.

This is about Top being the prize trophy in this toxic ass friendship!

Mew doesn't like Top. He likes the idea of Top. Because instead of making the sex about Top, Mew makes it about Boston.

Mew and Boston are two sides of the same damn coin!

Look at Top's face with both of them. He can't wrap his brain around the mental gymnastics these two are doing in order to make everything about each other. Which is why they have continued to use Top as a prop in their Toxic Ass Friends Olympics.

Then, insert Nick and Sand.

Nick is so obsessed with Boston that he Jolene-ed Top which is humorous since Top doesn't understand why anyone would openly want Boston. And Sand is so obsessed with avenging his broken heart (which is ironic that he told Ray to focus on him instead of Mew, yet this shit all went down because Sand was so focused on his EX CHEATING ON HIM that he dragged Ray into his plot for revenge!) that he won't let the past stay dead and buried, but instead decides to walk it around like a pet zombie.

Ray, even though he is in love with Mew, is the only one who got this right.

Top isn't a prize.

He isn't a cheater.

He isn't just a body for sex.

He isn't the villain.

He isn't a pawn.

He isn't a Jolene.

He is an asshole.

Surrounded by a bunch of fucking dicks.

And they all want a piece of him.

[sokkastyles]

since you have spoken out of turn ONCE AGAIN I, “the stupid Stan” must educate you, the actually stupid Stan

This is one of the more depressing lines in ATLA, because Azula tried to peacefully coexist with Zuko earlier, because she tried to give everything he ever wanted and acted on the premise that it was possible for both siblings to be happy, successful, and equal.  

But as a result Zuko’s actions she’s come to accept the toxic paradigm of sibling competition created by Ozai and accepted by Zuko where the rise of one sibling inevitably means the fall of another, where it is impossible for her to coexist with her brother unless(at the very least) one of them has been violently forced into submission by the other(if it is possible to coexist at all).

You know, Katara runs out into the arena at the Agni Kai just when Zuko is beginning to taunt Azula about lightning. I have zero idea of what was going through her mind.

You know, ever time I think about the final Agni Kai, I’m reminded why I’m terrified that Zuko having Azula under his control post-canon would lead to him abusing her.  I like to think and hope that he’s better than that, but it would absolutely be keeping with the dynamics between the siblings.  Azula shouldn’t have power over Zuko, and Zuko shouldn’t have power over Azula; otherwise things will end poorly

#zuzu stans are retarded

I "spoke out of turn"? You came into my inbox, numbnuts.

Also, poor choice of words unless you're trying to mimic Ozai, which does seem the case considering everything else you've said.

At least you're not making any pretense that this is about protecting disabled people, since you feel very comfortable using an ableist slur, or about feminism, given the other asks you sent me calling me a "stupid bitch." I shouldn't bother with your nonsense but this one is actually really dangerous for the myths about abuse it puts out.

I like to think and hope that he's better than that

Don't lie. You are VERY willing to demonize Zuko and twist the narrative to make it look like he's the abuser. You just aren't very good at it.

Azula DID NOT try to "peacefully coexist" with Zuko, and that claim in and of itself is abuse apologism. Because there is no peaceful coexistence while Zuko is living with Ozai, and Azula not only brought him back there, she would have brought him back there as a prisoner if he hadn't sided with her.

She's not doing him a favor by bringing him back as an ally because she is the reason he was a prisoner in the first place. She's not doing him a favor by telling him to stay away from Iroh because she is also the reason that Iroh is a prisoner. But abusers are actually very invested in creating problems just to convince you that they can provide the only solution. It is literally an abuse tactic. That is what Azula does when she tries to "peacefully coexist" with Zuko. None of this is for Zuko's benefit, but it benefits Azula for Zuko to think it is.

It also benefits Ozai, since Ozai wants Azula to be his golden child and Zuko to take the blame for everything Ozai doesn't approve of. Ozai did not encourage them to fight each other, and he certainly didn't encourage them to compete. It makes no sense that he would, because he does not want Zuko, his scapegoat, to be able to or even think he could compete with his golden child. He doesn't want them to fight each other. He wants Azula to fight Zuko. And Azula wants that, too.

You say that Azula should not have power over Zuko but fail to acknowledge that Azula did have power over Zuko, which is why when she brings him back to his abuser with a heavy dose of "prove you're not a traitor" and the knowledge that if he didn't, he'd be thrown in prison, plus being separated from the one adult who actually cares about his well-being, it isn't a peaceful coexistence. Zuko is not peacefully coexisting, he shows telltale traits of being abused and gaslit, and describes how he feels like he's not himself, feels like he's losing his mind, is angry all the time but can't articulate why. It's because he's being abused.

Azula also has power over Zuko by virtue of being Ozai's golden child who Ozai allowed and encouraged to treat her brother badly. That's another big reason why there is no peaceful coexistence under Ozai's roof. Not because of some general idea that they're in competition or are mutually toxic to each other. That's actually a myth that abusers use to try and control their victims and obfuscate their own culpability.

Oh, there's also the fact that Azula tried to kill Zuko numerous times.

Azula should not be allowed to have power in any capacity and she's shown that she's very capable of manipulating Zuko and others even from the diminished position she is in in the comics, and that is because he wants to help her and makes the mistake of trusting her. Interpreting this as him somehow abusing his power over her is a very deliberate attempt to make the victim seem like the perpetrator.

Also lol at the victim blaming of Katara that is casually thrown in there. Really doesn't help your argument!

[barcalover86]

Drunk Confession- Pablo Gavi

Summary: After you drank a lot at some party, you confessed your feelings to Lewa and Pablo hears you.

You were with the Barca players at some party, celebrating the win of the season.

You were dating Gavi, and seeing him happy made you so proud of him. He worked hard, and finally, he had some time to have fun.

You told him before going to the party that you want him not to stay with you, but enjoy his friends' company. First, he didn't agree, but after you told him that you would celebrate together after, he was excited.

You are 18 and not used to alcohol that much. You drank sometimes, but even after one shot you would be a little drunk.

Today, you really wanted to enjoy and have fun with the players' girlfriend and wifes so you took more shots.

After the 3rd one, you weren't sore at all. You've never been drunk before, just a little dizzy, and this time, it was a little different.

You were now with Lewandowski, and you suddenly started to talk with him. He looked at you, and when he heard what you said, it broke his heart. He let you speak until you were done and after that he hugged you.

He hated seeing you cry because you were like his little child. You all the time got along so well with each other and had a nice relationship.

"I don't know anymore, Lewy. I miss it so much, and I think I regret giving up, but at the same time, I think it was the best decision. Somehow, I feel incomplete. I lived for sport. My passion for it was the next level, and seeing you guys a real team, supporting each other, having amazing couches that are encouraging you, having some nice training..it makes me sick that I didn't have the chance to do all of you do know" you spoke your heart

"Y/n, the decision you made was the best one, and you know why? You wanted what's best for your heart and mental health, and you shouldn't be disappointed because you wanted to be better. I know it was, and it is still hard to give up on your passion, I can't imagine myself giving up football yet, but you are strong and are allowed to make mistakes. What you've been through is a story that no one can tell, but you. Because of it, you are now who you are, an amazing talented girl with so much passion. It's hard to let things go, but you are young, and if you would ever want to go back, you still have time. And maybe not to do it in a professional way, but to enjoy it like you did when you were a kid. I know you miss competitions and your friends, but now you are here with us, and we will do anything to make you happy"

"Thank you, Lewy.." you smiled with tears in your eyes.

Sometimes, you felt sad because you didn't have the opportunity to be in a good and supportive team. You did 11 years of martial arts, and at the age of 16, you gave up because of your couch. He mentally abused you and manipulated you. He would shout at you and tell you that you are no one.

You've managed to be the World Champion at a young age because of your talent and hard work. A lot of people would tell you that you are a rear fighter, a Messi at this sport, but no one knew what you went through.

You hated going to training, and no one supported you, only your parents. They told you to give up because at some point you got sick and spent a few days at the hospital because of your overstress.

You were also badly injured, and when you told your couch about it, he told everyone that you were faking it.

You did a lot of recovery but found your strength to give up after being for so long in a toxic club.

The sport you did wasn't like football, where you could switch teams. You leave your team, you leave this sport.

It's been years, and you still miss the feeling of competition. You still look at some photos when you are still playing, and every time you get emotional.

You were thankful for being part of Barca and seeing how supportive everyone is here.

After you went home, still a little drunk (the reason you suddenly told your story for the first time), Gavi went to you and hugged you.

You were confused because he isn't a hug guy, but when he told you he heard your story, tears started to form again.

"I'm sorry you're getting through this, amor"

After you saw his eyes watering, you felt sorry for making him cry. He kissed you slowly and promised you that he won't ever leave you, and together you would get through it.

You felt happy for having a boy who cared for you.

" I also promise you, Pablo, that when you will feel what I felt, I will be by your side and give you advice " you told him and you both smiled.

Gavi took you in his arms and went showering together, making sure every time that you know how much he loves you.

This is a story from my life. Of course, it's a little different because I've never had a boyfriend or a Lewandowski in my life. I just want you guys to know that you can get over everything in your life and start to appreciate the good things that happened in that bad period. Take care, everyone! I love you❤️

[utilitycaster]

i feel like for the critical role trauma thing i HAVE to ask about caleb even if that’s a subject that’s been talked to death. i’m also super interested in your thoughts on Yasha in this conversation

The thing about Caleb is he is very visibly not okay from the get-go. He has a mechanical penalty to killing humanoids with fire which we see very early on. Then his backstory came out pretty much in full quite early as well. And before I continue, I want to stress: I really love Caleb as a character. I think his story is fantastic. He is hands down my favorite Liam character. He is complicated and difficult and sympathetic and heartbreaking.

He also garnered some of the most unbelievably toxic type 2 (ie, "um he is traumatized and can do no wrong?") fans I've seen in my LIFE, and many of them were also mixed with the "there's only room for one traumatized person in this d&d party and therefore whoever fits my idea of What Trauma Looks Like and/or whoever I personally project onto the most is the winner." I'm talking people actually getting on my posts and saying "why haven't the Nein stopped all the pesky adventuring and world-saving they're doing and taken him to Duasad Keef (an NPC only mentioned in the EGTW at the time, ie, post hiatus when the plot pretty quickly went to Eiselcross and stayed there, whose methods of therapy would actually probably be triggering for Caleb and who was probably well out of their paygrade and frankly unlikely of anyone else in the party to have heard of)." Those people have largely left because they hated that Caleb decided the best revenge was doing what he could to heal and living well and ensuring no one in the future would suffer as he had, rather than murdering the entire assembly and presumably dying in the process, but man, they left a mark.

There's definitely his detractors too, and I have no patience for the "ewwww sadboy attention hog" people, many of whom were either of the "I am feeling uncomfortable when we are not about Beau?" variety or that bizarre cohort of people who just fucking hate Liam for reasons I have never been able to fathom, but I'm not going to lie, as someone who likes Caleb a lot, the fandom response was rough because there was definitely a noticeable faction who really just did not accept the idea that basically everyone in the Nein had some degree of trauma. The High Richter Heist is a great example. Fjord holds Caleb at swordpoint for deviating from the plan. We later learn that while Caleb is acting from his trauma (trying to collect as many books as possible to achieve the purpose that is frankly his main reason for living at that time), Fjord is just as much acting from his (was very recently betrayed by Sabian deviating from the plan in an all hands on deck situation, stabbing him, and blowing up the ship leaving everyone, Fjord included, to drown). The infamous Bowlgate, not long after, is also a similar case of Beau and Caleb's respective traumas clashing. It's why Campaign 2 is so good, but man, it really is a litmus test if someone's like "actually Caleb is objectively 100% right in either of these situations;" you know you're dealing with either an idiot or someone who can't conceive of the possibility that trauma isn't a competition that Caleb has obviously won.

So, with that, Yasha: I think Yasha is tough for a few reasons. The first is that she wasn't around a lot early on, so while we learned the basics of her backstory in episode 46 we simply didn't see how she reacted in all situations. The second is that the fandom is specifically really fucking bonkers about people whose romantic partners die young; see again how people were like "see? Orym would be happier dead with Will!" like that isn't the kind of statement anyone with a brain would be MORTIFIED to say. So there was some of that with Yasha. I think the extent of what happened with Obann came up in a pretty dense arc and only got unpacked after the fact (and once Ashley was at the table regularly). And finally, Yasha got a lot of hate from shippers that was not strictly related to her trauma but did sometimes include it. So she's an interesting case of "trauma not so much ignored as frequently misconstrued or taken in bad faith to support interpretations barely related to Yasha herself, compounded by the fact that you had to read between the lines to understand her trauma in the first place."

[5eraphim]

Not a request and more of a question. What do you think will happen if the mercs find out they’re all obsessing over the same person? Do you think they’ll somehow be able to compromise and share them? Love your writing btw!!

i don't know if i could fathom all 9 of these motherfuckers finding one person who would suit all their tastes affectionately speaking. though it's certainly possible more than one would find themselves falling for the same person. but, i suppose if i were to rank the gang from most open minded to compromise with another in the name of mutual self-interest to least interested in sharing would be-

(this is a largely arbitrary ranking tbh, these are just the placements which come to mind first. this is unedited/subject to change upon further interpretation.)

(content warnings: yandere, toxic relationship, possessive behavior, jealousy)

demo: The man is the living definition of the "not here for a long time, just a good time" ideology. A hedonist to his core, it's never been much his style to deny himself life's pleasures, and would want the same for you. though that doesn't mean all shared-pleasures would be short lived. Life's too short to live so withdrawn. While he'd want you to know he still seeing you as his "number one," and would expect the same from you, he'd be alright with the idea of keeping things open, so to speak.

pyro: Considering their mental development is much akin to that of a child, their understanding of love and affection is somewhat under developed. As far as they're concerned, more loved ones together = more happiness, why overcomplicate the matter?

medic: Unlike Pyro who lives in a state of quasi-ignorant bliss, Medic lives for the pursuit of knowledge, to use what time he has on earth to experience all he can. Also practically immune to the insecurity of worrying you'd ever love anyone more than him, partially on account of his god complex, as well as his full confidence you could never find someone to offer you the love and protection he could.

engineer: Known as softer and kinder than the rest, even as a yandere, Engie isn't as intense as the others (at least on the surface.) He's on good terms with just about everyone, and likes the idea keeping you by his side while he's socializing with others, knowing you're too scared to dare try and call out/get help from anyone.

soldier: Obsessed with the idea of keeping you well trained and disciplined, the idea of watching you answer to any one else enrages him. But as much as he concerns himself with "administering discipline," he can be just as apt to reward good behavior, and if you were to ask nicely enough he might be convinced to allow you time to socialize with others (so long as he's present, naturally.)

heavy: A fearsome defender of his family and friends, Heavy can turn from warm and friendly around you to dangerous in a heartbeat if you were suggest seeing other people. It would take a lot of time for him to wrap his brain around the idea of seeing other people, while staying committed to one another.

scout: Tricky to place, because he can really embody either extreme. On the one hand, Scout's always been the competitive type, and constantly vying for your attention, however he can get it. However, he's still a pretty young guy, and likely intimidated by the idea of having to "settle down for good." Not because of any lack of fidelity to you- it's simply a lifestyle so unlike the one he's known for so long. Scout also seems like the most likely to try and make you jealous by flirting with other people when your around, but gets completely pissed off when other guys give you any kind of attention.

sniper: Considering his devotion and history to solitary living, he's most accustomed to living off of the clothes on his back and isn't used to sharing personal property with others. Counter point, all that time alone contributes to an all encompassing touch-starved desire to hold and be held by another warm body. He isn't initially keen on the idea of seeing you touched by others, though could be convinced otherwise if there were something for him in it.

spy: Cold and cynical on the outside, he buries his emotions and insecurities deep down away from the prying eyes of others. While most would see his aloof possessiveness as nothing more than a tactic to keep you close, it's a bit deeper than that. While he'd never admit it, Spy is horrified at the idea of you falling for/caring about someone more than him. Whether you want to attribute this to abandonment issues or narcissism, the severity of his fear of being replaced is painfully real. Spy hates thinking about you not loving him with an intensity like his, but the idea of being "second best" to someone else is much, much worse.

(i apologize for not actually answering your ask, and i really, really hope this doesn't sound rude or judge-y because i try to keep this as a nice, judgment-free zone, but the idea of a 9-to-1 attraction is a little too odd for me to imagine.)

[dangermousie]

You really do see the seeds of all the villainous backbiting grow and blossom slowly and inevitably.

Li Xun, by his very nature, brings out the worst in Gao without meaning to. He's brilliant and he's not shy about it and is not conciliatory - and honestly, if you think about it, why should he be conciliatory here? He does not need Gao, Gao needs him, he had no interest in the competition or saw any benefit to himself and he only agreed because ZY asked and he realized it's important to her (despite what painter idiot said, Li Xun is actually incredibly reliable as a quasi-boyfriend - which is not surprising seeing that he tried to take care of his whole family as a teen and the youngest.)

He is the one who is doing Gao a favor, not the other way around. But the thing is - Gao would be better off if Li Xun did not do him that favor and he lost on his own because it would be his own effort (and maybe he'd learn his limits as compared to others not just LX) but here even if they win, it's poisoned fruit to Gao.

ZY, without meaning to or realizing it, has made things between LX and Gao way worse - she is in no shape to care or mind that, she wants to avenge her dead friend by beating scumbag glasses guy - but Gao was getting at least somewhat more chill because he didn't have to be confronted with Li Xun being better and now it's back with a vengeance.

The thing is, Li Xun has terrible people skills and so I don't think he fully realizes what a thorough enemy he is making for himself, but he is also not wrong at all in saying the below:

For most anyone else, this would not lead to enmity - they'd either be grateful that they have a chance to win/improve their profile/resume (think of the class president girl, this is totally how she'd think of it), enjoy learning from someone brilliant (how ZY would look at it), or whatever. But Gao is such a toxic mix of insecurity and superiority that this just goads him.

Li Xun does not owe Gao to coddle his feelings and all that but if he were more experienced he'd realize the potential fall out and guard against it. But both he and ZY are too young and inexperienced in different ways to realize what they are creating.

[1moreff-creator]

I'm curious, given how much you like and think about Min, which secret do you think fits Min best?

So, the short answer is “the poison one” like most people believe, but there is a bit more nuance to it, so I think I can use this as an excuse to talk about Min for a while! Yay! In this post, I’ll discuss not only why I think that’s her secret, but also when, why and how I believe she poisoned her competitors. Get ready for a lot of speculation.

Also, I believe you’ve mentioned in your Character Playlist post you think that secret is Hu’s, so I probably should go into detail anyways.

CW for the remaining secrets: suicide, self-harm, murder, and also a lot of talk of Min’s backstory, so toxic school culture.

So, a few of the remaining secrets we can completely rule out, because we can assign them to people without much controversy.

•The “survivor’s guilt” secret Min herself ‘received’ is clearly Xander’s, which is easy to gather from his Bonus Episode and his secret quote.

•That means David’s lying, but like most people, I believe he got Teruko’s secret. The whole “everything in your life is worth killing over” part is already pretty telling, but she’s also the only one who could get “the killing game is your fault” as a motive without being the mastermind, basically. After all, she can blame her luck: “This killing game is my fault because the reason this Hope’s Peak class was chosen in particular is because of my luck” is the quickest defense she would have, for instance.

•Although I unfortunately could see Min self-harming, I doubt she’d feel the need to do it “for fun”. I don’t think anyone believes that secret to be anyone’s but Veronika.

With most of the others already being confirmed, this leaves us with three secrets I feel there is still meaningful debate over. Those being “murderer without remorse”, “hopeless child” and “poisoned the competition”.

For Min specifically though, I feel like we can rule out “murderer without remorse”. Mainly because the other two just fit her better, as there is nothing connecting her backstory to this secret in particular. But also because… well, it’s Arei’s secret. It’s going to be quite weird if it doesn’t at least come up in the trial, let alone if something this dramatic belongs to someone who is… not available.

And that leaves us with two. “Hopeless child” and “poison the competition”.

Is there reason to believe she’s the one who attempted suicide three times? Well, her backstory is quite sad, it’s understandable how something like what she went through could lead someone to suicide, but it’s never been expressly implied.

But if anyone believes this is Min’s secret, I imagine it’d be because they believe the “poison” secret belongs to someone else. The possible candidates are Levi and Hu.

Now, Levi has only slightly less connection to the “poison” secret than Min does the “suicide” secret. That is to say, conceivable, but without much direct evidence. But Hu actually has a decently strong argument for the “poison” secret, I can see why someone would assign that one to her.

The main thing is her secret quote: “I want to pay for what I’ve done. But even then, I still want to live.” If that’s referring to something outside the killing game, it has to be the poison secret. She wouldn’t need to repent for suicide, and if she was a remorseless murderer, she wouldn’t want to pay for what she’s done. Of course, the issue is that it could be referring to something from the killing game (such as Min’s own quote, “I wanted to save you”).

But the LGI MV may actually provide support for the Hu!Poison theory, because of the assassin’s teapot. This is one of the objects shown in that one scene where everything around the room was labeled, next to the (not) a prop gun, the candle in the candle holder, and the bowl of fruit. There’s an interpretation that a lot of these objects represent the different characters of the killing game (gun for Xander, bowl of fruit for Rose, rope for Arei, clock for Eden, dresser for Levi, etc), and the one which best fits Hu at first glance is the teapot. The thing is, assassin’s teapots are commonly associated with poison, so the connection grows stronger.

(If you’re wondering, Min is probably the albino mouse and arabidopsis. Not only are they connected to her via the footnote which talks about the fruit fly Min name-checks in her voice actor reveal, but the albino mouse, arabidopsis, fruit fly and E. Coli are organisms used in experiments. And:

Min: [Talking about Hope’s Peak and the exam she took] But to conduct an experiment to see if someone would force themselves to become their idea of an Ultimate for the Academy’s sake and succeed.

Min sees her talent as nothing but an experiment. I’m so sad)

Tangent aside, Hu does have an argument for the poison secret. Except… the specifics are a bit strange.

You always treated the competition with ruthlessness, but poisoning them to win was a bit too far, wasn’t it?

Whoever had this secret, must be a highly competitive person. I’m… not sure that fits Hu, frankly. Nor Levi, who seems to be relatively new to his talent, or at least that’s the impression I got from his introduction. Neither of them are as competitive as Min, that’s for sure (more on that later).

Now, there is also the “to win” aspect of the secret’s wording, which is worth talking about. There are such things as zither playing competitions (thanks Google), as well as general music instrument competitions which I imagine are more competitive, and it makes more sense to say Hu “won” one of those, rather than Min “won” her exam, right?

Well, two issues with that. One, Hu has never mentioned these competitions, ever (nor has Levi mentioned anything analogous). Two, while you can’t “win” an exam, you can win a “contest”. And the thing Min actually took part in was called “Ultimate Contest for Eminent Students” (UCES). Under that wording, it does make sense to say Min “won” it.

This is where we dive full force to the Bonus Episode… and where the idea of the “suicide” secret belonging to Min starts to fall apart.

Min: Failure was not something I even considered, because if I failed, then there would be no future for me or my family.

Min: I had simply accepted for my whole life that I would be the Ultimate Student, and I lived my life accordingly. That’s the Academy chose me.

See, the problem here is… well, to put it bluntly, dying would mean not winning the contest. Although her life sounds horrible, she speaks of it as if she had fully accepted it at one point, resigned herself to it, and she simply wouldn’t think of committing suicide because it would go against her goal of becoming the Ultimate Student. Keep in mind she was doing it for her family just as much as she was doing it for herself, if not more.

That said, suicide is inherently irrational, so it still isn’t ruled out. She does fits being a hopeless child, unfortunately, so the secret is still up in the air.

However, as the Bonus Episode progresses, it’s clear Min’s competitiveness is a much more important part of her character than it is for Hu’s or Levi’s. This had already been established as early as her introduction, where she claims she constantly has to hone her talent to maintain it, but the Bonus Episode drives the point home.

Min: Because of this contest, because I wanted to win, I had let my entire life revolve around that one test.

(Oh, hey! Confirmation on the “win” phrasing!)

This is by itself more competitiveness than Hu or Levi have ever expressed, and shows that Min really was ready to go extremely far for this contest. But it runs even deeper than that.

Min: High achievement, studying, taking exams, being the top of my class.

Min: I cut everything else out of my life for that one goal. And that is exactly what they wanted to see.

Being top of her class is one of the main things Min brings up as aspects of being the Ultimate Student, separate from getting good grades. In other words, competitiveness is intrinsic to her talent.

But would she really be willing to harm or even kill others for her own purposes?

Well, yeah, obviously. We saw it in the killing game. Even if you spin Xander’s death to be an accident, Min was very much ready to let everyone else die in that class trial to live and escape (good ending, tbh /j). Although we don’t know enough about Levi or Hu to be sure, we are certain Min would be someone to poison her competition to win that Contest.

Then, there’s the matter of who received these secrets. Veronika received the “suicide” secret, and is keeping it to herself to “keep things interesting”. Mind you, she’s unpredictable enough that I’m not sure she wouldn’t consider keeping a dead person’s secret to herself “interesting”, but she still seems too excited for it to just be Min’s. Or maybe that’s just me.

But the big thing is that Xander was the person who ‘received’ the “poison” secret. And considering Min ‘got’ Xander’s, I think it makes sense to assume both the chapter one deaths got each others. Even beyond the ‘character foil’ aspect those two have going on, this essentially lets them stay out of the narrative entirely, to let the alive people have the stage. It could also be read as ironic; the seemingly dangerous and aggressive ‘Ultimate Rebel’ has a secret where he did nothing wrong, while the seemingly calm and innocent ‘Ultimate Student’ has a murderous past.

(Speaking of past, while researching for this, I noticed the pinned comment on Min’s Bonus Episode is “someone who wants to move on from the past”, while the pinned comment in Xander’s is “someone who wants to hold on to the past”. The quote could apply to both secrets, so I just brought it up ‘cause I think it’s cool)

With all this in mind, plus the few lines which imply Hu has self-esteem issues and more depressive thoughts than she usually lets on (which I won’t get into because I’ve already talked about Hu too much in a Min post), I think it makes more sense for Min to have the “poison” secret, and for Hu to have the “suicide” secret… or the “murderer” secret, she’s honestly my fallback on who the accomplice may be if Levi isn’t it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry about it too much.

However, that wasn’t enough for me. So now I want to figure out what exactly Min did, to see if I find anything more conclusive on this poison incident. Because we have a motive, but we’re lacking a method. And… I think I have a more clear idea of what may have happened now.

Originally, I thought maybe Min had only non-lethally poisoned people in the place the contest was held, to distract them and make them fail. However, it’s stated that the Contest actually took place across the US, so that doesn’t entirely make sense. Instead, I want to focus on this line:

Min: I’m sure I did amazingly well, but it seems highly unlikely that I was number one in the nation in terms of raw scores.

Let’s think, what does this line imply? Well, it implies Min doesn’t believe she got a perfect score, so she must have made a few mistakes. And if you recall from that trial I get sad thinking about, Min has a… bad reaction, to the idea of mistakes.

Min: Right now, everyone suspects me, which is a mistake. But that’s alright. Mistakes are meant to be fixed.

Min: Like filling out a multiple-choice test. You bubble in answer after answer and sometimes get it wrong.

Min: If I let even one miscalculation slip by, then the life that I worked so hard for will come crashing down in an instant. So I’ll keep erasing those mistakes until they’re correct.

Min: As long as I learn from my mistakes… As long as I make the correct choice in the end… That’s how I’ll achieve success.

So, first, this reiterates Min’s fixation on the future she worked for her whole life, making it more unlikely in my eyes that she has the “suicide” secret. But the important thing, the one I highlighted, is that Min is obsessed with the idea of correcting mistakes.

But, how would she correct the mistakes in a test she already turned in? How does she correct the mistakes she made during the UCES now that the test is already being graded?

Well, the grading process would take some time… so she just needs to find a more “creative” way to address her mistakes. As long as she makes the right choice, she can achieve success.

Thus, we reach a point where the UCES has already happened, the results aren’t in, and Min is freaking the hell out because she knows she made some mistakes. She has to do something, because her entire life revolves around this. She has to win. The idea of any other outcome is utterly inconceivable. And in the (paraphrased) words of a wise man no longer with us, “there are two paths to succeess. One, self-improvement. Two, sabotaging literally the entire competition”

So, she finds a way to track down the other candidates or likely winners, and she poisons them in some way. Can’t win if you’re dead!

Although, admittedly, that is the hardest part to understand from all this. How would she go about tracking all those people all around the US and managing to poison them all? It’s be nearly impossible unless she did something large scale like poisoning entire water sources or some-

…

Heeeeeeey… The Chariton incident didn’t happen to coincide with the UCES, riiiight?…

…

Okay, no. Crisis averted. On further research, it’s stated in Bonus Episode #2 that incident happened when Xander was 14, while Min took the Contest when she was 17. Assuming they’re the same age (which is an assumption, but still), Min can’t be responsible for that. Good.

However, thinking about that did give me an idea of how Min could have gone about doing this.

Min: But one day, we were visited by the founder of that big company XF-Ture Tech. He told my parents that he would sponsor me and pay for all of our expenses.

Min: All he asked in return was that in 12 years, I would pass the Academy's test and became the Ultimate Student.

So, we know very little about whatever the hell XF-Ture Tech is, but we can assume it’s pretty powerful. Maybe owned by the Duke Spurling guy from Xander’s and Rose’s backstory. So, if they’re so interested in getting Min into Hope’s Peak, maybe they could arrange something for her to poison the other potential winners. Anything to get Min, someone who owes them essentially her entire purpose in life (from her perspective), into Hope’s Peak. They have invested 12 years into this, you know. What’s a bit of poison to guarantee success?

And there is one other line which implies XF-Ture Tech may have helped Min in her quest more than just by giving her family money.

Min: Maybe I'll become a teacher. I'm not the best at teaching, and I'll never be as good as him, but I want to try.

Yeah, did you forget about this line? Frankly, me too. But it does imply Min received private tutoring from a really good teacher; hell, maybe Duke Spurling himself, who knows. It’s clear XF-Ture Tech desperately wants influence in Hope’s Peak, and if this “him” is the one who’s to blame for Min’s “fix all mistakes” obsession, then I could see them facilitating something like this. Or even goading her into it, which helps me cope and say Min was manipulated and isn’t that evil trust me bro please-

A minor issue with this theory is that the secret’s wording implies Min poisoned her competition directly, which… doesn’t fully track? You’d think they would delegate something like this.

Unless… they had some reason for Min to administer the poison herself. As a way to show Hope’s Peak how committed she is to being the Ultimate Student.

Min: I was selected as the Ultimate Student not because of my academic performance, nor my intelligence, but because I had grown into their ideal of an Ultimate Student.

Min: In the end, what the Academy wanted wasn't to select the most intelligent student nor thr best test taker...

Min: But to conduct an experiment to see if someone would force themselves to become their idea of an Ultimate for the Academy's sake and succeed.

So, I know I’ve already speculated a lot based on very little evidence, but this definitely feels like the largest stretch I'm making. Essentially, I believe it’s possible Hope’s Peak knows about her poisoning the competition, but they just see it as further confirmation that she truly deserves the title of Ultimate Student. Competitiveness is a part of the talent, according to my interpretation about that line about being top of the class. And Hope’s Peak in this universe clearly is somewhat fucked up, considering what we’ve learnt from Xander’s Bonus Episode.

After all, think about it. Min says Hope’s Peak picked her for reasons outside of her test, but how do they know about the other stuff she’s done? It’s perfectly possible I’m reading too much into this, and XF-Ture Tech just has a trustable source which could recommend Min to the Hope’s Peak talent scouts or something. But that’s boring. It’s more fun to see this poisoning as the ultimate (hah) demonstration of Min’s devotion to the Academy and the ideals of Ultimates.

… Also, maybe that opens the door again to the poison being non-lethal? If she was just asked by Hope’s Peak to show her loyalty by eliminating competition, she could have maybe put them in comas, ones too long for the Academy to consider giving them the Ultimate Student title. Hey, if turpentine fumes can knock people out…

Actually, now that I’m thinking about it (this post wasn’t planned too well), that works even if Hope’s Peak doesn’t know about this. I did always find it weird the secret specifically mentions poisoning instead of straight up murdering, even when they’re supposed to be as unflattering as possible. So… she’s evil, but I can fix her (in a completely platonic fashion). Surely. Or make her worse. Whichever’s more fun.

(Watch her secret be the suicide one, btw. I don’t know if I’d laugh or cry)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, hope that satisfies your question! And hopefully I didn’t bore you too much with my insane speculation! I honestly don’t know which theory is crazier, this one or “the Sleepy MV is actually about Min and Mai”. But I had fun, and that’s what matters.

Anyways, thanks for reading so far! You deserve an A+ for putting up with my insanity! Take care!

[nerves-nebula]

what do you think would have happened if leo just SUCKED at training and didnt become the favourite?

I’m so glad you asked cause that’s an idea I’ve been toying with. I see it going one of five ways, but here’s an interesting thing to consider: leo wasn’t actually that much better at first.

Splinter picked him when they were basically babies, because of what he perceived as signs of leo being better than the others. Leo is mostly better because he was raised to be. Splinter taught him the most, gave him the most attention, and expected more of him than he did the others. Sure, Leo liked training more than the others but that was majorly influenced by Splinter not being a complete ass to him.

so anyway, options 1-3 are just Splinter picking a different kid to favor. They’ve each got their talents, so maybe Splinter would pick Raph for brute strength, or Mikey for creativity in a fight, or Donnie for his tactical intelligence/creations. No matter what though, he’d carefully curate out the parts of them he doesn’t like as much. (Which he’s also done to Leo, hence why Leo sucks a lot)

If Donnie were picked, he'd be shamed into masking more thoroughly and would be encouraged to not be empathetic towards others. he'd end up being haughty & condescending & insufferable.

If Raph were picked, he'd be shamed out of showing his more gentle & caring side, and would be seen by most as mainly just a force of pure violence (and probably a lot of toxic masculine ideals hah but that could be said for all of them to different degrees). and he'd internalize that, too.

in this iteration he already kind of thinks of himself as like, a machine who's there to take care of his siblings. If Splinter had chosen him, all of that dehumanizing mindset would be shifted to him thinking of himself as a machine for Splinter to use instead.

and if Mikey were picked, he'd be shamed out of kindness and encouraged to be cruel to others for his own amusement. Mikey's constantly seeking stimulation (relatable) and with Splinters encouragement it wouldn't be too difficult for him to begin tormenting others for fun.

Obviously none of this is cut and dry, they'd all have reservations and their own personal feelings (none of them would WANT to be mean on purpose) but a parents influence is strong sooo, it'd be rough.

Option 4 is him picking none of them, which would suck real bad but have the upside of them all relating to each other and staying closer together.

Option 5 is him making them all actively compete for the spot of favorite, and they can gain and lose his favor at any time. This would be the most disastrous and volatile situation, because they would all be in constant brutal competition for his affection, and they would all believe that it was possible to attain his love, even if just for brief amounts of time. It would always be unsettlingly unclear how long you would be his favorite for. (really though, it depends mostly on Splinters mood and what he needs done at the moment. And they all sort of know that, deep down)

this would be the hardest one to break out of, because instead of 1 sibling vs 3 siblings, it's a more complex dynamic in which they've all spent years screwing each other over and hurting each other and themselves to get Splinters attention.

It's hard enough for one kid to come to terms with the fact that his parents are kind of terrible people, but it'd be way harder if all three of them refused to acknowledge it because they all have skin in the game.

[zalrb]

I really love the Steferine fic bc it somehow never overshadows Stelena. Like, it’s clear that Stelena’s bond transcends everything, and it’s almost a given that Stefan’s thing with Katherine is temporary. I know that it makes Katherine SICK

(Also the fact that even in an Elena and Katherine fight that ELENA started, Stefan is more concerned with Elena’s well-being and completely unconcerned with Katherine. He even got mad at her for fighting back 😭. Like, it happens every time.)

And the only thing keeping Katherine from killing Elena is her knowing that Stefan would fucking hate her guts so much that he’d actually kill her. Like, Stefan repeatedly reminds her that Elena is the love of his life and the only one he gave everything to. It’s such fucked up dynamic and it almost makes me lose respect for Katherine bc she has NO pride, NO shame, no nothing when it comes to Stefan. Like girl stand up 💀

And Elena’s reaction is amazing and very true to her bc of course she’d be jealous and threatened by Katherine’s thing with Stefan, but it’s almost like…girl, chill out, bc at the end of the day, there is no competition, you know what I mean?

I do wonder what would happen if Elena decided to move away from Mystic Falls just to focus on herself for a while and get away from the chaos and let Stefan sort it out on his own. I’d imagine that she’d let Stefan know that her moving away isn’t her giving up, that she still has hope for him and that she’ll be waiting for him whenever he decides to get his shit together (bc she knows he will). But I’m not even sure if that’s would be in character for her since she has a tendency to NOT stay away from Stefan.

anyway, sorry for the long message. i had a lot of thoughts

(PS, Damon is Damon. Making things worse and about himself as always.)

No worries! Love long messages about fics lmao.

So my fic is basically predicated in how these two interactions between them go

but messier and more toxic lmao where in the show she quasi-pleads with him to feel something for her and he won't/can't do it but when she walks away he still stops her to offer compassion and understanding whereas in the fic, she demands he express that they share something special, something he doesn't or has never shared with Elena or anyone else and he doesn't/can't do it because it's not true (bonus it drives her crazy) but when the suggestion of ending what they're doing arises, he stops it so it's this cycle.

Katherine bc she has NO pride, NO shame, no nothing when it comes to Stefan. Like girl stand up 💀

I was just thinking about the things she's done/said in the show

and the things that she's threatened

despite the fact that Stefan has always been like

I was like, she really doesn't have pride when it comes to Stefan, which as I've spoken about before is also about conquering him rather than loving him

She is more in love with the idea of Stefan loving her than she actually is with Stefan. That’s why she hijacks Elena’s body in season 5 and attempts to seduce him because let’s think about that. Katherine hijacked the body of a woman she hates and tries to seduce Stefan as that woman, a woman whose break up with him was a trigger for his PTSD, a woman who was in a relationship with his brother and she doesn’t think or care about how seducing him as this woman would fuck with his head. It’s also why in season 2 she threatens to kill Elena while Stefan watches because it doesn’t matter if he’s scarred or hurt, what matters is owning him.

but because I think there's canon that indicates the lengths she'll go and that she has no problem looking desperate, it allows me to do that in the fic too.

I also wanted to show that when Elena is needling at Katherine, she finds an understanding in how addictive a toxic cycle with Katherine can be because even in this, she and Stefan can have an unparalleled understanding and connection because as I've said in the past

Like I’ve said before, SE reminds me of this Outlander quote, “Maybe the only way to save Jamie is for someone to step into the darkness with him” which essentially means, Elena is in it with Stefan. She is there with him.

So maybe, Elena will get a little dark herself.

[fixfoxnox]

Yanno what'd be funny? Dead fiancé GHOST reboot au where Soap and Ghost were engaged, but he died and Soap is learning to love again with Roach BUT NONE OF THAT ICKY SAYING THE WRONG NAME STUFF

We could always kill off Soap but i feel like killing off Ghost is funnier

~👑

NO BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND I LOVE IT

You guys don't understand I've had so many ideas on how to reverse this AU in a way that either makes none of them suffer (more than necessary) or makes someone other than Roach suffer (Apologies Ghost and Soap but you'll be fine with like one less Ao3 fic about you two and one more that focuses on someone else).

I've thought about Ghost dying where he was Soap's fiance. Then Soap can get promoted to liutenant and be Roach's liutenant. Lots of struggle in that the two could have lots of interactions that are similar to moments between Soap and Ghost. Because Soap losing Ghost would for sure make him a bit more like jaded and a bit more like '09 Soap because of what happened.

So you get that (minus all the toxic calling the other by their dead lovers name) where Roach slowly helps Soap recover and regain some of that life that he lost when Ghost died. They get to kiss and be in love and you can have conflict when they start dating of Roach nearly dying on a mission (as he does) and Soap flipping the fuck out because he doesn't want to lose another lover.

Roach getting to know Ghost (dead) through Soap and, though he never met him, he comes to love and appreciate him for what he was to Soap and what happiness he gave to Soap (let's get rid of that icky almost "competition"/resentment aspect that people tend to include in their dead Roach stuff because its fucking weird to have Soap in competition/hating a dead man)

Other ideas I've had for how to fix this dead fiance stuff is GhostRoach where Roach believes that his fiance, Simon Riley, dies in Mexico (like many people believe), and Ghost doesn't tell him that he's alive because he's worried that it will come back on him and end up with Roach getting killed (he's also terrified of Roach's reaction)

But Ghost doesn't move on either. He keeps he and Roach's engagement ring on (or around his neck/on a necklace during missions). He keeps up with what Roach is doing through the internet, essentially torturing himself because he can tell that Roach is struggling but he can't bring himself to reveal anything.

Then you have Soap who kinda falls for Ghost, but pieces together that Ghost is in love with someone else. Similar to my "Ghost's Dead Fiance" thing, he believes that Ghost is mourning a dead lover. He doesn't press Ghost and, in fact, tries to get over him.

How does Soap try to get over him??? A dating app where he ends up connecting and chatting with an American man named Gary Sanderson who goes by Roach. Roach was convinced to make the account by his family and therapist who didn't want to see him in constant mourning and finally convinced him to at least try.

Soap and Roach hit it off and they essentially start dating online. Then you have Ghost who starts getting upset because he can tell that Roach is with someone new through his posts online (not knowing who), but he also feels guilty about being upset because how can he expect Roach to just mourn him for the rest of his life and never live.

Anyways then you get drama of Roach eventually coming to visit Soap and (since he never knew Simon as Ghost) he doesn't recognize him. So you have Ghost who is forced to watch the man he loves be all sweet and lovey to his Sergeant.

And we all know Ghost is shit with emotions and is still too scared to tell Roach who he is, especially now. So Soap misleads the situation and thinks that Ghost hates/is being rude to Roach for no reason. It eventually comes to a head in a big argument in front of the 141 where eventually Ghost says something that just clicks for Roach on why his voice sounds so familiar (that or he sees the ring) and he just goes "Simon?"

And boom even more drama that eventually ends with all three of them dating and together and happy 😊

[tranakin-skywalker]

u mentioned in an answer about anakin's friends, and while honestly i think if he had stayed in contact with his mother he would be 10% more normal and 10% more fucked up but in a different direction (shmi's learned helplessness would translate into anakin directly being a little more subservient and cautious to everyone around him, but on the other hand shmi would be like, undoing all the grooming palpatine is doing by going 'DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN' while anakin is actually honest to her about what hes lying to the jedi about) or like. at least one of his normal childhood friends (who in legends canonically didn't believe that anakin was vader because they remember him as too kind) but u said he would be besties with sabe and like.

i now must scream at u about my fucked up metamour anisabe my beloved. they love the same woman in ways that no one else apart from them could understand and she looks just like her (if u can look me in the eye and tell me that sabedala isn't toxic you're lying) while he is the one whom she married. she went back to free shmi while anakin never did but he was the one who found her only for her to die in his arms. if it were a polyamourous thing they'd be the only person that the other wouldn't be jealous of because padme loved sabe first and she still fell in love with anakin and she still didn't stop loving sabe but they're still a little jealous. they would both give their lives for her. in a better world they conspire ways to make her scream and also who babysits so the other can have a date night with padme but they're also angsting about the fact that the other has something with her that they can never have. if they ever have sex post padme's death they're both thinking of her the entire time and they only marry so sabe can have custody of the children. anakin is the only person to see sabe as something other than an extension of padme and its only because he sees her as a love rival instead. padme thinks she's cheating on anakin for the beginning of the relationship but sabe and anakin are just coordinating to not have to look at each other. padme has a type and its hypercompetent abolitionists more devoted to her than they are to their principles

sorry for the long ask i just have a lot of feelings about Them (anisabe). i hope u have a nice day

Anakin and Sabe in any relationship context be it romantic or platonic wouldn't be comprehensible to any other lifeform nor would it probably be very healthy, but fuck if it wouldn't be entertaining. I think that's why I like the idea of it. They would just exist on a totally different wavelength.

Just the amount of intense jealousy and competitiveness that would exist between them would make everyone else think that they hated each others guts but if you bring that up they're like "what? No? That's one of my best friends."

I think something that tends to get forgotten is that Anakin and Sabe would have met in TPM, and that's an event that would color the rest of their relationship. Obviously they didn't interact nearly as much as Anakin and Padme did, but they were still existing in close proximity to one another for an extended period of time. Travel time between Naboo/Tatooine and Coruscant used to be about 8 days before Disney fucked it up, so that's 16 days of just being stuck on a ship together, not to mention the before and after of the Battle of Naboo. I refuse to believe they didn't interact at all during any of that.

Anakin's first impression of Sabe would have been as Queen of Naboo, and then as this girl so loyal to Padme that she was willing to die in her place. Likewise, Sabe would have known Anakin as this little boy who is the only reason why they were able to get off of Tatooine and, later, as the reason why they were able to win the Battle of Naboo. No matter their interactions as adults, that history still exists.

I do think that there would be a lot of very complicated feelings between them and a general love-hate thing going on. Like you said, they both did what the other wanted to but couldn't re: with Shmi and Padme. But I think that they would bond in a way that no one else could really understand.

The things that Sabe would have seen and experienced while helping to free slaves on Tatooine isn't something that most other people can relate too, and even fewer could be able to understand the fury and despair over the Republic doing nothing about it. Anakin would be one of the very few people who gets that.

They were both raised since a young age with this expectation that they would be willing to kill and die for a higher cause, one a Queen and the other the Republic. Their lived experiences are just so fucking bonkers, and honestly I think there's a lot of similarities between them and the thinks that they went through. Makes for some good bonding I guess.

[fizzigigsimmer]

It’s early days yet, but I already love the character of Gator Tillman. And what I specifically mean by that is I think the character is well thought out, well developed, well portrayed, challenging, and complex. I love to think about this character. Which inspires me to write stories about them. I’m emotionally invested, which again inspires me creatively. I’m also a kinky bastard so, that’s fun! My love of this character does not condone or support the bad things they do being done in real life, because that would be insane. This should go without saying, but we’re on the internet and I guess it doesn’t hurt to be clear.

Now that that is done with, onto the fun exercise I like to call “How do you think these two characters you love would bet along?” because I LOVE to think about these kind of impossible scenarios.

If Steve met Gator: Ignoring the doppelgänger situation, I think these characters would be enemies to besties, for the reason that they are the same guy. And I don’t mean because they’re played by Joe. I talked about this a little before on another post, but Steve & Gator share a character type. Actually, Steve, Billy, & Gator are all shades of the same character (which yum, threesome, but STAY ON TARGET) so it’s no big surprise why they’re so similar. What I really love about examining Steve & Gator side by side is all the ways you can realy start to picture how Steve might have been worse in a different setting, with less privilege etc. Anyway I think there would be real friction between them at first because Steve’s more emotionally developed (not to mention progressive lol) and he’s not about Gator’s punk ass. Honestly there would be a similar kind of friction/chemistry that Billy sparked when he burst in acting a fool, and if they could get past that and see how alike they are I think they’d be magnets. Could there be some sexual chemistry? Personally I find it weird when couples look too similar so it will never be my one true ship or anything, but definitely. The studies have been done, and it’s a real thing!

If Billy met Gator: See this one I’m torn on. It’s because they’re kind of a perfect storm. They’d be so competitive and there would be so much fucking posturing lol. The friction would be so thick. They would resent everything about each other, which is ironic because they are strikingly alike. I would say more alike even than Steve & Billy are, because Gator is a darker shade of blue if you catch my drift. Gator is who Steve might be if the Duffers had never created Billy, and I think Gator is what Neil thinks he wants Billy to be - even though we all know Neil’s flavor of toxic abuse doesn’t actually allow for Billy to ever get it right, even if he did try and please Neil the way Gator tries to please Roy. Billy and Gator are both motherless living under controlling and abusive fathers, trying to live up to a toxic standard of manhood in order to prove their worth. They both gravitate to positions of power and admiration that allow them to control the people around them and feel safe from a position of authority. They both ‘make their own law’ and are taking their anger and pain out on their enviorment. They would initially bring out the absolute worst in each other, and whether it was as friends or as enemies it would be ELECTRIC. But for the same reasons they would be an utter shit show, they’d get each other better than anyone ever has before. They’d sizzle.

[witchyafterdark]

— Ominis Gaunt Headcanons; pt. 2

Yes, more Ominis Gaunt sad hours because for some reason, my mind wants to be sad with him.

— As a blind person, he supposes he's already used to being unpromptly touched (whether people do it with good intentions or not). But in reality, he's extremely sensitive to touch, not only because of his heightened senses, but because being touched makes him feel like he doesn't have control over his own person. It makes him feel like he doesn't own his body, and that he doesn't have as much autonomy as he thinks, for people to think that it's okay for them to touch him without his consent. Sebastian and Anne knows this intimately with him, as they learned from being his friend since first year. But most of the time, he actually has a little appreciation for the fearsome reputation that his family name brings because then, people won't even approach him at all.

— However, this is a double-edged sword for him. Because as comfortable as he is with his lonesome, being alone actually makes him really upset. It makes him feel like he's an invisible person; unwanted and unloved. Perhaps, this is also the main reason why as toxic as his friendship with Sebastian has become, he just cannot let go. The twins are his anchor. They make him feel seen and acknowledged for who he can be, not just for who he is.

— When MC started to hang around Sebastian, Ominis may have felt immediately off and worried that he's going to be pushed to the sidelines for this shiny, new person; especially one who is as interesting as MC, who can wield a powerful kind of ancient magic. Perhaps, since Ominis was already insecure and tormented about being a Gaunt to begin with, he thought that the day had finally come when his closest only friend had found another person to spend company with who isn't "tainted" or carries a heavy baggage along with them. He could've felt like MC was definitely someone who can be a better friend to Sebastian because they can give the brunette a more positive presence than he can.

— This is why even before we meet him outside of the Scriptorium, he has said to MC to "not be too cocky simply because you won against Sebastian," and that "Sebastian never backs down from a fight." Aside from the obvious, this could also imply that Ominis wanted MC to know that he knows Sebastian's personality and attitudes far better than MC at this point by blurting that line out. It is quite petty for him to do, but in his mind, MC may have already become competition for Sebastian's friendship. He just doesn't want to be cast aside.

— It might not seem so but Ominis is actually quite conscious about his grades in school.

— During his earlier years in Hogwarts, all of his report cards are directly sent to his parents. He would be in the receiving end of a very harsh punishment if he didn't have grades befitting that of a Gaunt. His father would not stop until Ominis is a sobbing mess, and his mother would pretend to care for him, only to whisper her venomous words of, "this wouldn't have happened if you just studied hard enough. Now, look at you."

— This could be another reason why Ominis felt drawn to hang out with Sebastian because his best friend was naturally gifted in academics. He thought maybe Sebastian's intelligence and studying habits might rub off on him over time.

— In reality, however, Ominis' grades are on par with Sebastian's. There would even be classes where Ominis would excel where all of his peers would struggle; such as Charms, and maybe even Arithmancy. He, too, is actually gifted in academics. It's just that his parents have extremely unrealistic expectations of him. And we all know how he is in Potions.

(My personal headcanon is when my MC discovered the Room of Requirement, Ominis is the first person she allowed into that room to practice and make do with the resources on the potions desk).