#what i mean is that its not necessarily bad if a story leaves you wanting more

[w0rmm1lk]

I saw that you were receiving requests and I was wondering if you could write a Bakugou x male reader angst (both adults and married if possible, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.) where they There's an argument and the reader leaves the house at night and comes back just a week later (because Bakugou said some bad things. I don't think he would do that but I love angst where the character almost literally has to kneel down and ask the reader for forgiveness 😭😭😭) I'm sorry if it's too detailed and forgive my English, I'm Brazilian and I'm using Google Translate ☠️... (oh! and with a happy ending please🥺)

Yayyy first request hehe

Summary: reader and bakugo got into a small argument about bakugo not being home enough due to his hero work, bakugo being himself the argument escalated into something worse.

reader: Male

other details: Hero!Bakugo, Readers job not mentioned (can be read as hero reader or other). It is mentioned that reader has a sibling but details about them are not specified.

warnings: angst-(fluff at end), swearing(its bakugo what did you expect) implied married reader and bakugo but not mentioned. Kinda ooc but I tried my best 🥲

You and bakugo had been together for quite some time. You first started the relationship when he was in his second year at UA, but you had known eachother since middle school. So of course you knew eachother very well, and were very close. Or well, as close as you can be with bakugo.

when you first got together he had been quite distant, but you understood. He wasn’t use to this kind of thing, yet it didn’t take him long to adjust. Long story short after he graduated you both ended up moving in together.

you had quickly gotten use to how much bakugo worked. He was so desperate to be the No.1 hero, and of course as his boyfriend/husband you supported him in that. Yet, sometimes you felt that he was more focused on that than you. He was rarely ever home leaving you to do most of the house work, including the laundry, dishes, buying groceries, ect. at first it wasn’t anything to worry about, you were mostly okay with it since you got to stay home most of the time, but sometimes it would get lonley. It was weird… you had been in a relationship for so long and even lived with him yet the house felt so empty and devoid of life. You thought that it was maybe a good idea to bring this up with bakugo. He would understand…right?

You ended up needing to stay up quite late that night waiting for him to return. He always worked overtime just to get his rank higher. He was already in the top ten… why did he worry so much…?

you felt a small jolt of surprise when you heard the front door unlock, sitting up you looked over to see bakugo. Despite being right there he didn’t seem to notice you.

“Katsuki..? Can we talk real quick?” You spoke, trying to seem calm. Despite this your heart was beating like crazy, it felt like some part of you was screaming to not bring up the issues. “Hm? Oh, you’re still awake.” He replied.. yet it seemed quite delayed.

“ah- yeah… but we need to talk.” He looked over with an annoyed expression. “Not right now.” His reply… shocked you to say the least. “Katsuki. It’s important. It’ll be quick I just need to—“ he cut you off with an annoyed sigh. “I said not right now Y/N.”

“This can’t really wait for later—“ he glared. “Do you not get what *not right now* means?” He raised his voice slightly as he spoke, his eyes piercing into your softer gaze. “It’ll be quick—! I swear.” You spoke, hoping that he would take a moment to sit down and hear you out.

he rolled his eyes tilting his head back letting out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.” I felt a bit of relief as he accepted. I waited a moment as he sat down on the couch beside me. “The hell do you want? It’s so goddamn late.” Despite him agreeing to speak it was clear how much he didn’t want to.

“i… I was thinking, could you maybe… try spending a bit more time at home…? I know how important your hero work is to you- and I don’t want to stop you from reaching your goal but… we haven’t really spent much time together in the last few months, and— I guess I’ve been kinda lonley…?”

he stared at you, his gaze not breaking for even a second as he spoke. You looked back as you finished, expecting him to understand, but instead you were met with a rather… interesting, expression.

his expression gave off the kinda mood of *are you being serious?*

“that’s what this was about? This is what was so fucking important you just had to talk about it right now?”

what he said… it almost hurt slightly. “What…? What do you mean? I think this is something that’s pretty important.” He rolled his eyes at your response. “Tch, I get how needy you are but I can’t just throw away all my work just for you.”

“what-? I- that’s not what I’m saying-! You’re only ever home at night after I’m asleep and you’re gone once I wake up! I’m not being needy! And asking to see you at least once everyday while living in the same house is not being needy!”

his expression made it clear he was pissed off. “Do you not realise how important my work is? How important it is for me to become no.1? Or does it all not matter to you?!” You stare at him in slight shock, it was weird how much he was misunderstanding the situation.

“that’s not what I mean! I just want to spend more time with you-! If I’m going to be stuck at home all day I at least want to see someone-! Especially you!”

“I can’t just throw away my work to spend my whole day with you! My life doesn’t revolve around you!” He stood up looking down at you.

“Katsuki! That’s not what I mean-! You—“ He cut you off. “If you think I can put everything aside just for you then— you’re mistaken.” There was an awkward silence in the room for just a moment. “You should just go.” You stared at him, your eyes locked onto eachother. “What…?” “Tch— I said you should go-!”

“Katsuki— what are you talking about?!”

“…. You know damn well what I mean.”

the silence started again lasting for a good twenty seconds. You could feel the tears building up yet not spilling. “Fine.” You stood up grabbing your phone and keys walking out the door. You didn’t know what to do but just listen.

you looked at your phone for just a moment before texting your sibling, you didn’t really have anywhere to stay so you hoped they would let you crash at their place for a bit. You stare at the small screen… it was late so you could only hope they were still awake to reply. The amount of relief you felt when your screen lit up and a small notification read

..”sure.”

the next few days passed by so painfully slow. You stared at your phone most the time just hoping to see a notification from Bakugo, some sort of apology, or just a check up. nothing.

it didn’t help that he was quite a popular hero, you couldn’t even watch the news without seeing him.

after a full week past without anything from him, you realise that this was most likley an end to your relationship. All these years thrown away simply because you couldn’t handle not being near him.

you picked up your phone hesitating before sending bakugo a simple message.

“im coming over to grab my stuff. Be there in 20.”

you looked as the message sent, of course he left you on read.

despite it only being a 20 minutes drive, it felt like hours. Your mind was racing, you were nervous, scared to see him. As you walked to the front door you hesitated standing there for a good 30 seconds before finally knocking.

your heart was beating fast as the front door opened. “…come in.” He spoke. He looked more tired than ever, if anything it was a surprise he was even home. You simply nodded, stepping inside. The house looked like shit. You weren’t thinking that to be rude, it genuine looked like bakugo wasn’t doing anything to take care of it.

“y/n i—“ he was cut off staring at you, as you gave him the same glare he sent you a week ago. He averted his eyes like he was holding back tears. “Please— let’s… let’s talk about this….?”

“…what is there to talk about. You made it clear how you feel.”

“i— I had some time to think… a… a lot of time and— i- im… Tch— im fucking sorry okay?!”

you continued to stare at him, though the apology was genuine, you were scared to accept. You didn’t want things to just go back to how they were before.

“please y/n i— I didn’t realise how much I need you.. you’re so god damn important to me… i… took you for granted.”

you stayed silent staring at him. It’s not that you were being rude, you simply didn’t know what to say. You could see the desperation in his eyes but didn’t expect him to start tearing up.

“Y/n… please don’t leave me-! I.. I need you… please…” you watched as he grasped your hands tears pouring down his face as he struggled to even breath.

“im sorry for everything I said I— I had so much time to think and… I didn’t have my priorities straight! So please let’s just… let’s talk over this okay…?”

without a word you lifted a hand up wiping the tears from bakugos eyes before resting a hand on his cheek. “You’ll do better this time right…? It won’t just go back to how it was before…?”

you could see a spark in his eyes now that you finally answered. “I promise-! I— it won’t happen again just— please— don’t leave me…”

you let out a soft sigh. “I won’t leave you. And… I forgive you.” You heald onto his hands gently for just a moment before he pulled you in holding you close.

“i… don’t know how I ever took a man like you for granted.”

(end)

[hellsitedotcom]

### Genshin Men & How They Kiss ###

Featuring Dainsleif, Il Dottore, Il Capitano, Neuvillette, Wriothesley, Al-Haitham.

warnings: shouldn't be anything too spicy/nsfw. Dottore bites people, do with that what you want.

english isn't my native language! this is going to flop so bad, but I'm bored; bone app the teeth.

DAINSLEIF

He is someone who - in my humble opinion - kisses you with such...devotion, such unwavering and suffocating devotion that it leaves you breathless and stunned even after the 100th kiss.

Dain has his way with words, we all know that, and as mesmerizing as his compliments and confessions can be, so are his kisses; they are like a beautiful, life-changing poem that leaves you aching for more.

He's not too frequent of a kisser, though - I want to think he's somewhat dramatic with his timing for kisses; before depatures, big battles, when you're apart from each other for longer times & greater distances.

Definitely one for goodnight kisses; he's such a gentle lover, I'd say. There's just something about him that makes it hard for me to see him as an aggressive, obsessive, or extremely passionate/intense lover (I hope you know what I mean).

You know those Princess x Knight stories? Where they finally have that first kiss, and it's described like something straight out of a fairytale? That's Dainsleif, basically. Also, definitely someone who kisses your hand/palm.

IL DOTTORE

Oh, he's a freak, alright. My ''aroace Dottore'' headcanons aside, he's...not your ''typical'' guy, I'd say. Well, he's not a romantic, I think we can all agree on that.

Dottore's kisses are most definitely possessive - they aren't there to show love or anything, but to claim - to ''mark his territory'', sorta.

I think he'd see ''kissing'' as an outlet of sorts; I don't necessarily see the ''real'' Dottore as someone who gets frustrated and lets it out on his lover, nor would he be someone to kiss his lover unprovoked, I think. He doesn't necessarily need it.

If we were to talk about a not-so-sociopathic Dottore (alias, a normal human), he wouldn't necessarily strike me as someone who thinks about kissing you much either. He gives me a rather uninterested vibe in that regard; he probably shows his love/devotion in different ways.

Maybe I'm just really biased because of my other headcanon; he just doesn't care about kisses in a romantic sense, that's it. He'll bite you, he'll devour you, but there's nothing more behind it but exerting power...or maybe he just wants to silence you, because your provocations/teasing is getting on his last nerve.

His kisses (I honestly just see him as a biter) are bruising, and the way he holds onto you during that time leaves bruises, too. And, again, not many of these actions stem from love, but possessiveness or to ''make a statement''.

IL CAPITANO

Initially thought was ''Does he even know what a kiss is'', but let's brush past that...anyway, why can I see him somewhere inbetween the likes of Dain & Dottore? lol

He's not much of a kisser, either. Which, uh, soldier and all, I'd say, but then, he is still capable of care and devotion in a way that others never could.

He's devoted in his kisses, and there's a pledge of loyalty behind each kiss, only solidified by their rarity. He swears fealty to you in that way - a firm, classy kiss on the lips; kissing the back of your hand while kneeling in front of you; a lasting kiss on your forehead before he departs.

Again, those kisses are rare and kept secret from the outside, but they exist and they hold such an incredible weight to themselves; they are his greatest show of vulnerability and weakness. Though, he does not view having a lover as a weakness.

As mentioned further above: His kisses are firm, they are lasting. He doesn't just give you quick pecks in passing, no. Each kiss takes its time, and each kiss is there to repeat the message the first one gave ''I swear fealty to you''. They aren't overly passionate, messy, or anything like that.

Definitely not one for many words, and their all pretty cordial and like some devoted rule-abiding knight would talk, lol. Quality Time and Acts of Service are more of his strongsuit.

NEUVILLETTE

I'm a bit torn here, though he certainly is a gentle kisser. On one hand, I want to say it is a ''lack of experience'' in that prospect, that could make him more hesitant and careful. On the other hand, I just feel like regardless of his experience level, he'd be a gentle lover.

He's more frequent in his kisses - he does not mind showing you love, regardless of where you are, though during important meetings (or trials) you'll never find him kissing you; only afterwards, when you've returned to the privacy of his office, he'll drop that mask again.

He'll pour all his emotions into his kisses - including those tragic, painful emotions after certain trials. Yet, his kisses are never hungry or aggressive. They'll still always keep their lightness.

Most of the time, you'll find him kissing your lips or your cheeks. In your sleep, he'll press a kiss to your forehead, and in public he'll often press a kiss to the palm of your hand.

His kisses are the kind to make you giggle, or smile all giddy. They are exciting, in a way. Though rather light and ''brief'', they leave you at a loss every time; like a beautiful dream. Paired with that soft smile of his? They'll have you melting right then and there.

WRIOTHESLEY

I just let out the most concerning ''hehehehe''; anyway, oh boy, I wanna be indulgent here, but I'll try to be as ''realistic'' as possible.

He's...a wildcard, of sorts. Wriothesley can be extremely passionate & hungry when it comes to his lover, but he can also be more classy & gentle about it, depending on different factors.

Now, focus on the more intense parts of Wriothesley. For anyone needing a visual/example; I'm sure there's fics out there where the reader is sparring with Wriothesley. And that's where I get the more intense version of him from.

He's the kind to pin you against a wall and devour your lips, tongue eventually down your throat as he got you at his mercy. He's not holding back with those kisses - he's hungry; hungry for all of you. His kisses aren't necessarily bruising, but they are suffocating; you'll be struggling for air when he is like this.

You'll find him his filled with desire only in private - and often enough there's something needed to trigger this...almost primal?...version of him; yes, this means he'll leave marks, but he'd never intentionally hurt you to get off.

On other occasions, he's more gentle, though that gentleness can sometimes stem from an absence of mind, too. Fleeting kisses on the cheek, barely sparing you a glance as he's too busy with work. His ''apology'' kisses are also the gentle, yet firmer kind. And you'll get them quite frequently, given...everything.

In conclusion, he's definitely capable of being both extremely hungry/intense and being gentle; it really depends on preference, I suppose, but I can absolutely see him being a perfect balance.

AL-HAITHAM

Definitely more on the calmer side; not necessarily ''gentle'' in the way I have described before, but he's not an aggressive/hungry kisser, unless for certain occasions, maybe.

He's so introverted in his voicelines, he's probably the same with a lover; barely any PDA in public, just because he's not a fan of it (you'll maybe get a peck on the cheek or a kiss on the forehead, but just fleeting).

His kisses are...somewhat distant, quite often. He'll kiss you on the lips, but you'll feel like he's not really present while kissing you. He'll also take your hand and kiss it absently whenever you sit beside him while he's studying.

Other times, he's nearly obsessed with kissing you; he'll be kissing you firmly, one kiss lasting minutes before being interrupted by shorter and lighter kisses, and then he'll go back to a firm, passionate kiss. He'll often have you on his lap during those.

Slow, sensual make out sessions. That's what I was looking for, I think. Lots of cuddling, holding you close, tracing his lips over your skin. That's how I see him sometimes.

Can I actually see him be more intense in his kisses? Maybe, but it takes a lot. A lot of pent up frustration, Kaveh getting on his last nerve, some issues with the Akademiya, etc.; and perhaps, if you provoke him on that day, you'll see a more hungry side...Or maybe he just did it to satisfy you for a while, who knows?

Makes me believe that Al-Haitham does not mind being more dominant, more intense, more hungry during make out sessions - he can if it means you'll be happy about it, but he doesn't prefer it, tbh.

[ewingstan]

any strong opinions on amy dallon

Feel like answering this is the equivalent of inviting a vampire into my home.

If this is just asking how I personally feel about Amy Dallon the character: I'd say she's among the strongest characters wildbow has written. She was used exceptionally well throughout Worm; in her initial interactions with Taylor, her smugness and petty insults help convince the reader to doubt the use of hero/villain as absolute markers of moral standing. As it goes on, and we see more of Amy's home situation, it becomes more clear how much Amy's haughtiness towards the villains comes from her insecurity; a desperate attempt to differentiate herself from them so that she can feel more like she belongs with the Dallons. It humanizes the heroes—stopping Ward from becoming a simple palette swap story where all the heroes are ontologically evil and the villains are brave noble freedom fighters—while making the hero/villain conceptual framework seem all the more ridiculous and destructive.

Later, around the same time Taylor is talking to Sabah and Lily about how "hero" and "villain" are just labels that don't determine one's morality, Amy is having the same realization—and panicking about it, because it means that being a hero doesn't mean she can't be the horrible person she fears she is. Because while she's figure out that hero/villain doesn't necessarily have any metaphysical weight, she's still sure that good person/bad person are clear ontological categories. And if being a hero doesn't just mean you're a good person, then she might really be the person her parent's treatment of her implies she is. She might actually be in danger of acting on those troubling thoughts that surely no good person would have.

In terms of her Ward stuff, I haven't gotten to the big things people had problems with so I can't comment too much. I think Ward Amy is effective as a villain in Victoria's story, but all the plot points of her allying with Goddess and taking command of the prisoners make sense only for a character whose the villain of Victoria's story, and don't make sense for Amy as we saw her in Worm. These plot points are working off the "person who thinks in terms of good and evil and is convinced she's evil" thing without addressing how by the end stage of worm, we'd seen her attitude had changed and that she'd started to move towards seeing people as not being inherently anything. Moreover, the writing kind of reaffirms the belief that some people are just bad people. I might not have that critique if there was more framing like "Amy is behaving this way because she's been told by everyone that she's villainous and so is falling into the expected role," but that's not really a thing in Ward. Hell, its less of a thing than it was in Worm.

There are shitty things Ward Amy does that I can get behind and say "yeah Worm Amy would do that," like going along with Carol's reconciliation plan and then running after Victoria when she leaves. Sure, she wants to resolve that, that's consistent with the original motivation of the wretchening incident. But most of the Amy writing after that, nah. I'm sympathetic to the "That's a different character" claims for everything past arc nine or so. That's her Noelle clone or something palling around with Goddess. Have Amy step out of the plot after the Dot interlude and ride off into the sunset, and let WB do a compelling pathetic-yet-very hatable villain with some other character.

If this is about recent intra-fandom stuff:

You can point out how a character is described in kinda racist language, both to criticize the text and to analyze what the story is doing with that character. Don't see how that's controversial, not sure how that got turned into "you're saying she's black". Authors making a white character read as bad or degenerate by describing them as sharing traits with black/brown stereotypes is a pretty common trope historically, its worth noting it when it happens.

And while I can see why people could get inspired by some aspect of how Amy is made to feel like a degenerate, and run with it by depicting her as literally dirty/pest-ridden or writing her with more taboo kinks, I don't think such depictions are beyond criticism. I might defend some of them on the basis of alternate readings of the character. If you're doing something with it, using Amy to explore something you're really interested in—there's at least a discussion to be had, and maybe something interesting would come if it. But you can't meet an honest critique of the ideas in your work, or a claim that they make already bad parts of her original depiction worse, by saying "its just a joke." Its art about Amy, there's gonna be ideas and messaging that goes along with it, even without you meaning to put them in. Don't fight that, embrace it! We'll all be better shitposters if we consider our shitposts worthy of critique.

[simplespacedust]

hey so i'm gonna talk about pro-shippers because i feel like none of you have critical thinking skills.

please, if you are going to read this, read to the end because there are multiple parts to my argument.

SOMETHING IMPORTANT: i don't think it is okay to doxx, harass, or send death threats to people on the internet! if you send death threats to people, you are awful! if you go out of your way to harass people when they tell you to leave them alone, you are awful! if someone says something you don't like, talk with them like a normal fucking person jesus christ! if you repeatedly harass a pro-shipper, you are not helping them get any better!

firstly, in terms of "problematic" stuff in mainstream media, most component people can recognize when a piece of media is commenting on something with the use of a relationship/something problematic as a metaphor. just because something exists on-screen doesn't necessarily mean the message of the media endorses it. this is why you never (hopefully) see anyone getting upset about murder in movies. the piece of media is not saying murder is good. it is using it to make a commentary/characterize someone/etc.

now that we have set that precedent, we can move on to pro-shipping in fandom spaces. pro-shipping in fandom spaces if often fundamentally different between than the more general category of just "relationships in media." in fandom spaces, the tendency when creating art, writing fics, posting headcannons, etc. is for the purpose of personal/audience enjoyment. this is why pro-shipping is more often problematic within fandoms. if a person did want to create/add to problematic ships for a purpose other than getting off to it, that would be a different story! thats fine!

unfortunately, however, many pro-shippers do not proship for the literary merit/symbolism/characterization etc. many of them do it because they find the idea of parent-child or sibling-sibling relationships attractive. this is where the problem is. they symbol itself is not the problem, its the message/purpose of the work/art/headcannon itself.

i hear a lot of people talking about how pro-shipping is often a coping mechanism for dealing with trauma a person has experienced. my response to that? KEEP IT TO YOURSELF AND GO TO THERAPY!!!! if you are having to resort to jacking off to fictional incest to cope, then clearly you need the help of a professional to work through your issues! if you cannot for whatever reason, still keep it to yourself!

it is well understood that people are influenced by the opinions of people around them/what they see and interact with. putting out bullshit on the internet that portrays problematic relationships as desirable can one, create a pedophile safe space, and two, unintentionally (or maybe even intentionally!) expose children to these types of relationships and make it seem normal in their brains, which could cause them to not speak up about it if something bad does actually happen to them! even if a person shouldn't be in a space, they are! it doesn't harm you to not post the porn you wrote of that one kid and his dad from south park. and that only talks about adult only spaces, i have seen a shit ton of pro-shippers on tiktok, a platform marketed towards minors.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE (i have a lot to say and am terrible at organizing my thoughts srry) is that a lot of times pro-shippers infiltrate general fandom hashtags. a child who is scrolling though a bluey hashtag on tiktok should not have any risk of running into someone on the internet describing how bluey's dad would r4p3 her!

you may think that because you are only talking about fictional characters and "its a coping mechanism" its okay, but it is most certainly not! not all coping mechanisms are healthy and what you post on the internet most CERTAINLY has a real effect on people. this is basic media literacy and critical thinking, guys. stop posting child/sibling smut headcannons on the internet! it is absolutely vile!

with all of that being said, (i said this at the beginning but i am going to say it again) i still dont think it is okay to doxx, harass, or send death threats to people on the internet! if you send death threats to people, you are awful! if you go out of your way to harass people when they tell you to leave them alone, you are awful! if someone says something you dont like, talk with them like a normal fucking person jesus christ! if you repeatedly harass a pro-shipper, you are not helping them get any better!

(im gonna put a bunch of proshipper hashtags at the bottom of this to reach the targeted demographic, i am NOT a proshipper, i am NOT an "anti anti" and i do NOT believe proshippers are valid, again, this is just for reach just to be clear)

[writingwithfolklore]

Hey there, wanted to ask some advice for writing. Apologies if you've written this before. I searched your posted links, but didn't find quite was I was looking for. (I may have missed it!)

Let's say you're revising a scene, and something about isn't working, but you're not 100% sure what's off.

What steps do you take to try and understand why the scene doesn't work? What should we be looking for?

Thanks!

Hi! This is a great question, and something I don't think I've really covered yet.

How to Fix an "off" Scene

There are so many things that can make a scene feel 'off' so it might be helpful to begin to narrow it down or try to pinpoint the part that isn't working.

So first, I would read it out loud.

Stop to take notes if you need to--notice where you're running out of breath, where you stumble or stutter, sentences you read wrong the first time or that aren't making the sense/impact/feel you want them to. Sometimes a stutter is just a stutter and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong, but sometimes a stutter is from odd word choice. Little things like that can have a big impact on how the scene feels.

The problem may jump out at you already. If not, there are 3 big things to watch out for:

The pacing

I just did a post on controlling pacing here, and here so I won't go too in-depth now, but a good 70% of the time when I rewrite an off scene with pacing in mind, it fixes it. Try rewriting the scene a few times--make different choices, change the weather, change the room, change the people who are there. These little details might just jog something loose here.

2. Intention

A scene may also feel off because the characters are acting strangely or the events are propelling without a propeller. Ask yourself why the characters in the scene are there--both in their purpose to add to it, as well as the 'narrative sense' it makes. Would Character A drive half an hour to join in on this conversation in person? Does their presence add something unique/essential to the conversation?

If it's a dialogue heavy scene, the problem is likely in the dialogue. Think about what each character wants out of the exchange, and how they're going to try to convince the others to give it to them. (Check out more dialogue tips here, here, and here)

3. Placement

It may just be a bad time in the story to have that specific scene. Maybe the flow is a bit off--the last chapter was super intense and now they're suddenly sitting down for tea and the momentum had to screech in its tracks. Try going back and reading what just happened and feel out the transition between scenes--they should have a similar but evolving feel to them. If they are starkly different, that's probably the "off" that you're noticing.

Otherwise, leave and come back to it. There's a chance a scene feels off because you've written it too much and you're looking at it from the lens of the author who knows all, rather than the reader who knows very little and is learning on the fly.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

[comicaurora]

How do you ballance lore dumps and exposition. Whenever I see a friend ommiting a lore dump, it feels the rest of the story gets a massive plot hole, where if you state it later it feels like a lazy retcon.

I try to avoid lore dumps if possible, because they tend to feel like textbook reading and are very easy for me to skip over, leaving me subsequently confused when the information buried in the lore dump becomes relevant. In my experience, if the audience absolutely needs information in order for the plot to make sense, there are ways to communicate it in-story that aren't just a wall of text - even if it's just "letting a character deliver the wall of text in a way that works for them."

Lore dumps and "as you know" dialogue are frowned upon because they disrupt immersion, typically because they're a conversation between two characters who should both know this fundamental truth of their world and thus have no reason to state it plainly for a hypothetical third party. But there are plenty of ways to frame a conversation that communicate that information without having to go with "as you know-" or "we both know that-", like

A knowledgeable character explains to an ignorant character why the ignorant character's plan or idea won't work (so they have a legitimate reason to provide that information and the other character isn't just sitting passively and absorbing the information)

Two characters reminisce about a situation they both remember rather differently

A character makes an oblique reference to something without providing further detail (because why would they reference more detail when everybody present knows what they're talking about), and another character responds with a telling emotional reaction that tells the audience at least how they feel about that thing and implies more information about it (like that the thing was Very Bad And Upsetting, and maybe they'll even explain why if another character notices and asks)

Two experts in a fictional field get really into the weeds about how fascinating something they're working on is

Two experts in a fictional field have a furious argument about a disagreement they're having, dropping lore tidbits the whole time

An expert in a fictional field gets really excited about explaining something cool to anyone who'll listen

A villain monologues about the brilliance of their evil plan

Even in the space of exposition, there are ways to let a character's dialogue reveal key information without making it a wall of text, and it mostly centers around making the character want to provide that information, turning it into a character conversation rather than a hand-of-the-author situation.

I've also found that the process of planting and payoff can be strengthened significantly if the information planted is planted multiple times in different ways, rather than just being exposited. If a lore drop is necessary for a plot point to make sense, just saying it once and then leaving it alone will not necessarily work to get the audience aware of its true meaning, since until the information is actually relevant in the story the audience is liable to forget about it or file it very far back in their heads. Exposition and lore dumps need to be connected to something tangible in-story for the audience to get a feel for, or they're basically just more pointless flavor text.

For instance, when the mechanics of divine incarnations needed to be planted, I worked them in in a few different ways - first, showing it with no further explanation -

then showing it in a few different ways, establishing that the appearance of a god can change over time -

then showing that gods have a degree of direct control over their incarnation's physical appearance even outside of that -

all so that when a god did THIS, nobody was confused as to how.

Because it was kind of important that this scene hit the way I wanted it to. I needed the reaction of "OH SHIT" instead of "wait that's bs how did he do that" and that meant I needed the audience to have just enough intuitive understanding of what divine incarnations could and couldn't do for this to make sense.

It's a delicate balance, but in my experience a slow build is better and more effective than an all-at-once lore dump.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

FABIEN FRANKEL AND MATT SMITH TALKING ABOUT THEIR CHARACTERS IN 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON' S2 FOR CBR MAGAZINE.

ABOUT EPISODE 2.

FABIEN FRANKEL:

"[Criston's] really shocked, actually. I don't think he ever thought it was going to be him. Larys [Strong] has a better chance of becoming Hand [of the King] than Criston does."

"It's not a bad thing for Criston that Otto [Hightower] is gone. Criston as Lord Commander is about as high up as he ever thought he could ever get."

"Criston is not built for this kind of power. He's a soldier. He's built to be out on the field fighting."

"He's not an orator. He is not a wise leader. That just isn't him. He's a man of few words, a man of action, and a man of, I think, compassion and humanity."

"But ultimately, I don't think he wants it."

"Albeit, I don't think Criston thinks Aegon is the right person necessarily to sit on the Iron Throne. Aegon is also someone who wants to get things done and prove himself."

"Aegon respects Criston because Criston's known him since he was a baby and taught him a great deal. It's kind of like Criston's been a manny to Aegon. [Laughs] He'd rather have Aegon on the Iron Throne than anyone else at that point."

"Even Aemond on the Iron Throne has its own threats and its own risks. Aegon's impetuousness can also be a good thing for Criston as Hand of the King."

MATT SMITH:

"It's very complicated for [Daemon and Rhaenyra] because Rhaenyra feels a great sense of betrayal and a sense of injustice that is being directed at her."

"Ultimately, it's at the hands of Daemon with his impetuous behavior."

"Coupled with the grief of his brother dying... the fracture of that relationship with Rhaenyra means that he literally is an island on his own in the middle of the ocean, with nowhere to go and no one to talk to."

"He's left to his own devices and his own thoughts get the better of him. He becomes submerged in his own deep, dark psychology."

"It's love, grief and vengeance. Daemon feels it's impossible not to exact that feeling of revenge when it's in him."

"He's not someone who can just sit on that and go, 'Do you know what? I'll leave that until tomorrow.' [Jaehaerys' death] isn't his mistake ultimately, but he does put it in motion."

"Whether I've got rose-tinted glasses about Daemon or not, I think he did it with his best intention."

FABIEN AND MATT TALK ABOUT FIGHT SCENES ARE THE BEST PART OF THEIR JOB.

MATT SMITH:

"The [scenes] that are tough are actually the ones where you're sitting around the tables. They take like three days. They've got to do all the coverage on everyone."

And you're like, 'Oh, God.'

FABIEN FRANKEL:

"I think if you quite like sport, which Matt and I do, the fight scenes are the best bit. I actually wish I could do more [fight scenes], because it just gives you something to completely focus all your energies on."

"When Matt and I got to do a great fight together in Season 1, those days flew by, and my adrenaline was sky-high."

WHY CRISTON IS PURSUING THIS RELATIONSHIP DESPITE HIS VOWS OF CELIBACY?

FABIEN FRANKEL:

"I think it's for the audience to create in their head the narrative as to why [Criston and Alicent are] having this relationship. I know what my motivations are playing it."

"It's important to remember that she saved him at the lowest point in his life, at the end of [Season 1, Episode 5, "We Light the Way"] when understanding the psychology behind the relationship."

"I'm very interested to hear what the theories are on that."

HOW MUCH OF DAEMON'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS DAUGHTERS VIEWERS WILL SEE IN 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON' S2?

MATT SMITH:

"Without giving too much away, I don't think it's a huge area of exploration this season because everyone's on their own path a bit, particularly Daemon. There's an interesting story there to be told, certainly."

"Fatherhood is a very complex idea for him at the moment."

"He's still in the throes of grief, so I don't think he's a particularly efficient father this season."

ABOUT THE ARCS OF REDEMPTION FOR DAEMON AND CRISTON.

FABIEN FRANKEL:

"That's for the audience to decide. We're not the writers, so we don't have power over whether these characters ever get redemption arcs or not. They either get them or they don't. Then we have to play whatever is written on the page and find a way to justify that -- good, bad, or in the middle."

MATT SMITH:

"What's going to be interesting is it's up to people to decide, 'Did he do it? It's like it wasn't a mistake. Was it on purpose?' That's in [the fans'] hands really."

FRANKEL AND SMITH BOTH AGREED THAT THEIR CHARACTERS HOLD A MIRROR TO ONE ANOTHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR OBSESSIVE LOYALTY TO THEIR RESPECTIVE FACTIONS.

MATT SMITH:

"Whether it's right or wrong, and whether they make the right decisions or the wrong decisions as a result of it, they both have a profound sense of loyalty in them."

"Maybe that leads to foolish pride, which leaves them exposed. It's a great strength, but it's the greatest downfall in a way, isn't it?"

FABIEN FRANKEL:

"100%. As a human being, I want to think that you have some willingness to change."

"Daemon and Criston's problem is that they don't change enough, or at least, adapt."

"Certainly, Criston finds it very hard to adapt."

"But the world is so complicated and everyone's so hateful, spiteful, manipulative and self-serving."

"Criston and Daemon are just extensions of that, ultimately."

WHAT ARE THE MAIN WEAKNESSES OF DAEMON AND CRISTON?

FABIEN FRANKEL:

"Romance. I don't think [Criston's] built to have relationships."

"Maybe he falls in love with Gwayne Hightower on the road. He's just not built for this world, man."

"I want him to get out of the castle and just get away. I think that once he gets away, things will be a lot better for him."

"But he's trapped."

MATT SMITH:

"Daemon's pride is probably a weapon against him. It's his inability to listen to anyone but himself."

"There are a lot of inner workings in Daemon that are trying to sort of destroy him. In a way, they're the things that propel him and drive him forward."

"I almost don't even want to name them as well, [but I'm] putting them out there."

"He is a dark storm of a man, certainly."

[evansboyfriend]

re: age gap discourse

again. abby didn't take advantage of buck in any way, despite their very big and obvious age gap (he was 26 and she was 42). more under the cut because this got loooong.

she didn't groom him. i know i mentioned "25 and 40+" ages in my post but i was throwing some average numbers in there. i was trying to communicate that an age gap isn't inherently problematic, it doesn't necessarily mean the relationship is toxic or abusive or anything. it could be a SIGN. a reason to keep an eye out for such unhealthy power dynamics that may have something to do with age. nuance. you know?

she did approach him looking for something casual (encouraged by carla) because s1 did focus on buck as the 'pretty boy of the LAFD' and buck approached the relationship with the intention of making a commitment (wanting to leave his 'sex addict' ways behind him) and i remember while watching s1, at no point did either of them actually say "this is what i'm looking for in our relationship" and obviously, it was doomed from the beginning. my girl abby was going through it. she didn't have the space in her life for commitment at that point, and it does seem that buck kind of realised it at some point, but buck was committed to her. and when she left, she didn't tell him to wait for her, and yeah, she did do him dirty, she did lowkey ghost him, and buck was left hanging on to nothing and it hurt him a lot. adding to his attachment and/or abandonment issues. in this story... yeah, she'd be "the bad guy" but it's not as black and white. i love buck but i dont hate abby.

one thing that personally really grossed me out was the dinner date. im 30 years old, and this is my thought process: if i was on a date with someone much younger who was about to order alcohol and i was thinking "what if they get carded and i dont" i would NOT be giggling. i would haul ass out of there faster than quicksilver (evan peters). yeah yeah this is fiction and im not abby but im at the age where anyone younger than 25 is a BABY to my eyes. and im not infantalising anyone. i remember being 25. it wasnt that long ago. this is the kind of thing other people my age + older might understand. its hard to explain. but its very much the, i'm at a different stage in my life. i have matured in the last 5 years more than i ever thought possible. and the thing is, maybe someone who's 25 might be where i am at 30, because we all have different life experiences, you know? anyway this is all my personal perspective. my only "issue" wrt to "the age gap" with these two lol

[starryseth]

Attention Grabber

Seth Borden x Reader

Sam, Colby, Nate, Seth and Reader are doing an investigation. What happens when the Reader faints by Seth?

Content: established relationship between Reader and Seth, mentions of murder, evil beings, harm to people, sickly but mostly fluff for Seth.

If any of these things mentioned above makes you feel bad or something along those lines, please click away

Sam, Colby, Nate, Seth and I walked around the Villisca Ace Murder House before Sam and Colby started their video. The house had a very dark entity and it did well to make itself known. Even during just the tours during the day the guide explained that people would get scratched, pulled and sick.

"When we initially walked into the house I was like okay it's creepy in here, little spooky but I'm fine. When we went upstairs, it wasn't when we went into the parents room, it's when we walked into the kids room, I felt the same feeling in my back that I felt when I had that experience at the seance at the conjuring house when I got an attachment. When a spirit is trying to attach itself to you it starts by making like a back pain in the bottom of your spine and it goes all the way up. That's legit what I felt and I just felt that same thing upstairs." Seth begins their video by explaining how he felt during the tour.

"That's crazy because I noticed the shadows around you but didn't say anything because they didn't seem ill intentioned. There were three around us in the kids room and were trying to play. I don't necessarily think that they were trying to attach themselves per say but they did look very curious." I told the boys what I saw when we were touring. They all looked a little scared when I was finished but they nervously laughed it off. I thought it was hilarious because the kid spirits were super friendly. Yes they had a bit of sadness and anger but they were residual emotions from the murder.

"I definitely felt like how I did during the conjuring house." Colby added onto what Seth told us.

"To be quite honest when I was like alright we're gonna go to these haunted houses, alright, but compared to like Hell Week we're chilling. After all of these stories and interviews we've done today I'm like thinking this might be one of the more scary places we've actually been to" Sam confessed to us.

"Seriously it feels like it too." Colby responded.

"This feels like you walk into the room and there is a psychic oppression. I noticed (y/n)s shift of mood really quick." Nate noted. I got nervous for a second because I hadn't even realized I did that.

" I'm not trying to hype this place up for the camera. I'm being so serious right now, like I have not felt that feeling since I had thy experience. " Seth chimed in. Reconfirming that this house was full of bitter emotions.

"He said that this house was actually known for physical touch, scratches and things happening. Most paranormal occurrences are like sounds or like you see apparitions. This is physical it's different." Sam pointed out. He was right. Most paranormal occurrences don't result in poltergeist activity.

"Oh and what's freaky is its not even the axe murder that's freaky. It's the fact that there's an energy that's been here for a long time. But that entity is still here. So that technically means that the murder is still here. " Nate pointed out.

"You guys all have great points. Now let's see if we can get anything. But we have to remember, we were told that this entity, spirit, being, whatever you may call it. It is a trickster. We may not come to the official conclusion like we hope. " I commented. The boys all agreed but we are all in the best spirits to keep hope that we can help shed some bit of light on the story.

Time skip to after the attic Estes Method

"That was crazy. I feel like it's still with us. Maybe we should try to go down to the guest room to do another one. I feel sick being up here. Something definitely wants us to leave." I proposed. The boys agreed luckily and we left the attic. I was feeling dizzy. "I think I am gonna get sick. I need to sit." I announced. Seth looked very concerned. I grabbed ahold of his hand and sat down. I was about to talk about how I wanted to just leave because something wasn't right when the music box started going off. I stood up really quick because I was sitting right by it.

"It's like something was waiting for us to come down here. I feel genuinely sick being in this room. " Seth muttered.

"I agree. But I think it wanted us to retrace its steps. I think it's playing with us again. " Sam frowned. He was right. I looked towards the door again. I could see the figure there. It was then that I got a throbbing head pain. Not quite like a headache. It was way worse. My vision went blurry and then eventually went black.

When I woke up I was confused. My head was in a lap and my hair was being played with. I turned onto my back and saw Seth smiling at me. He looked so cute.

"You fainted straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention that bad you could have just asked for it, you didn't have to go to such extremes. " Seth smiled when I looked away blushing.

"I wasn't trying to faint but we do need to get out soon. Did you guys get anything when I was out?" I questioned trying to change the subject. The boys nodded.

"Yes. I don't think you'll believe this but it couldn't be the rival because he was out of town. If we are thinking logical then it was Paul because of the identical crime scenes. If we are thinking more spiritually then it is the reverend. When we did the Estes method, the answers it would give us were too perfect. It would give us a trail and then cut us off. " Nate indicated that the spirit continued to mess with them.

"In any case I think we should leave. I know that we technically haven't come to a conclusion but the ghost wants us gone and I have a feeling the next attack won't be as kind to you guys. " I voiced nervously. Seth helped me up and we gathered our equipment up.

"Hey (y/n) have you scratched your leg recently?" Colby inquired. I shook my head as I looked down. I had three long claw-like marks from the outside of my calf leading to the top of my shoe.

"Ya let's get out of here quickly. Thank you for communicating with us but you may not follow us. You may not attach yourself to us. You have to stay here. " I headed towards the door and the boys followed me. "Thank you again Seth for helping me. I appreciate it." I confessed to him.

"It's honestly not a problem. I didn't want to see you get hurt. " he leaned down and kissed me.

"Awe what a cute way to end a horrifying video." Sam chuckled

[maleyanderecafe]

Gentle Fall (Visual Novel)

Created by: Isa, Isa

Genre: Romance

This one was submitted to the #yanjam a while ago. It's pretty short with hints of yanderes, but I will say I really think the art looks really nice. It's very soft looking and really does remind me of a fall whether. That being said though, there's currently not a whole lot on it, only doing about two days or so. You can find more of their games and stories at @isattt.

The story starts with the MC (nicknamed "Person") going to college to study medicine. While going into the lecture hall, she ends up seeing another student there named Chester. While the two of them talk about their hobbies and lives, the other students come in. The two are paired up to work in the lab, but when the MC leaves, they realize that they've left their jacket in the lab. When going back, they find that Chester has left his notebook on the chair, and the MC decides to bring it back for him tomorrow. While studying and waiting for Chester the next day, the MC accidentally drops the notebook onto the floor, revealing a schedule. Looking at it for a bit, the notebook seems to mark times of the MC's own morning schedule, but is snatched by Chester before they can get a good look at it. The MC pretends to have not had a good look at it when Chester asks, but feels uneasy at what they've seen. During their lab, the professor reveals that Chester will be the new aid, and the two go to a cafe to get to know each other. The MC asks about the notebook, and Chester apologizes for coming off as creepy.

First off, I have to say that the artwork for this is really pretty. I like the more cozy atmosphere the game has and the general backgrounds are really well made. I am a huge fan of unique UIs and I really like how Gentle Fall's UI looks. It's pretty simple but it's gentle and it really does bring out the more softer and warm tones of what Autumn is idealized like, which I feel is a big theme of this game. It is interesting that there is a pretty strong lack of sound, but again, I'm not sure that's because of the state of the demo or if it's because that's the kind of feel that its going for. It is also fun when you can choose what personality the MC has (to a certain extent) since different responses might trigger different things that Chester might say. Platonic and Romantic routes also seem to be a fun plus to the game.

Because this is a demo, Chester as a yandere is very very minimal, mostly it seems so far that Chester has been tracking down what the MC has been doing and that's about it. From what I can tell, he's the type that is generally very soft and will do anything that the MC wants him to do, so if you play to be a bit meaner to him, he will likely sacrifice himself to you. That is at least what I'm getting from her tumblr, but it is a bit difficult to ask since currently not too much happens in the demo as of now. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, some games or characters works better with a more light yandere character, it just means that there wouldn't be as much to talk about for me when writing these recommendations. Again, not a bad thing, just something that I might need to clarify.

Anywho, Isa has another game that I will likely play in the future as well featuring the maid girl who was the cashier in the cafe. And spreading the love of glasses boys, which you go, Isa. Anyways, if you like the more lighter style of yanderes, please check it out.

[cerastes]

I think my least favorite take, opinion, whatever you want to call it, is “why did Arknights not say the Inquisition was bad?”. It applies to any event, really, replace Inquisition with whatever the Authority Figure Organization is involved, and hell, I even agree with the sentiment sometimes, Arknights’ not flawless, but for the most part: You need to read better. You are playing the Game That Doesn’t Say Things Explicitly. It tends not to say things explicitly, turns out.

It kind of bugs me opening my inbox and seeing something to the effect of “I’m uncomfortable about Irene because she’s technically a cop, why is she not Condemned for it?” First of all, shame on your for wanting all of the art you peruse instantly moralized, to the point it needs to somehow involved a shovelful of The Opinion, served explicitly, at the drop of a hat. That aside, the Inquisition is not put on a good light to say the least, so even then the point is moot. Irene’s journey is very much seeing with her own eyes that “the Inquisition raised me, I respect and love the people I’ve met in it, as they do me, and the dogma surrounding the Inquisition is an important brick in the temple that is my life” necessarily is something that exists alongside “the Inquisition does in fact leave the imperiled to be doomed, and sees human life more as numbers and resources than human lives, the dogma is built, necessarily, on oppression of others as a means of fostering order and morale, and I’ve benefited directly from this privilege”, and that she has to make a decision. High Inquisitor Dario, her mentor and foster father, tells her as much: “Once you see things with your eyes, you have to make a decision”. Irene does in fact make her decision, leaving the Inquisition and the mentorship of The Highest Of Inquisitors, Saint Carmen himself, who was going to take her in and basically assure her a seat as a High Inquisitor in the future, because she found the latter realization to weight more than the former. In her own words, Irene decided to step away from this, because if she remained in the Inquisition, she’d only forever perpetuate the oppression on the Aegir, among other things.

Now, there’s definitely more to say about the Inquisition of Iberia, but I’m focusing on Irene here: Do you think it’d make sense for her to just suddenly have a moment of clarity, in the middle of all that fighting and struggling to stay alive, say “I’m antifa now, actually” and discard everything that has been her life until that moment just like that? If you do think so, I hope you don’t write anything soon. Your desire for catharsis is not unimportant, but the narrative shouldn’t have to accommodate for it in the most neckbreak way possible, and if you do need it to do that, then read something else, there are reads and games like that elsewhere (for example, Tales of the Abyss has the main character do an absolute 180 from one moment to another after a specific event in its story), but also do show some respect for the fact that Irene, in a way that resembles what anyone who just had her entire world view challenged not once, but twice (Under Tides and Stultifera Navis) would act, allows herself some time apart from the tension of the Big Happenings of the event, actually digest the paradigm shift, the loss of someone important to her, what to do with all the new information she has and what the experiences have taught her, and grow out from there organically. 

What I’m trying to say is that I’d rather have less “conclusive” overdone neckbreak moments of “you know what? Fuck this! Fuck you!” and maybe let the characters in any given narrative seep and stew into what happened and what happens from there on. Take, for example, Full Metal Alchemist, in which certain important characters have a real moment of “Hey... Are we... The bad guys?” that shapes the events of an entire, important part of the story long term, slowly, with the gravitas it deserves.

[mouwrites]

hi, can i rq the south park main four with a reader who has a phobia of hospital please? ik its kind of oddly specific lol

For sure!

South Park - Main Four When You’re Afraid of Hospitals

Stan

He’s not the biggest fan of hospitals either

While this is nice when you’re looking for someone who knows what you’re feeling, it’s not so nice when you’re actually in the hospital

He’s just as nervous as you; he’s not going to be much help

“Oh my gosh, that needle is huge…”

“Stan! Not helping!!”

He’ll hold your hand though (as much to comfort himself as to comfort you)

He also won’t let his own fear prevent him from forcing you to go if he needs to

“Y/n, I know it sucks, but we really should go.”

You can tell that he doesn’t want to go either

That compels you to comply in a weird way

Like, you know that you won’t be the only one that’s not happy to be there

When you leave you both go straight home to recover

You just hold each other tight, not speaking, just trying to process and forget the entire experience

Eventually one of you will decide you’re over it, and you’ll suggest doing some leisurely activity

Or having a snack together :)

You’ll share a knowing look, and that’s the most you’re going to communicate about it

Honestly you both just want to forget it though, so that’s not necessarily a bad thing

Kyle

Understands that you’re afraid, but does not sympathize

He’s very brash when convincing you to go

“I know you’re scared, but you know what’s more scary? The stuff that’ll happen to you if you don’t get checked out.”

As much as you try to argue, he’s not budging

Your safety is more important to him than your happiness in such moments

He’ll literally pick you up bridal style if you’re too stubborn

Once you actually get there, he’ll attempt to comfort you as much as he can

Mainly in the form of watching YouTube on his phone with you

This is one of the rare occasions he’ll let you pick what to watch without complaints

Even if you pick something he hates, he’ll let you have your way

Anything to keep you from panicking

When you leave he makes sure to reward you with a treat

Whether that’s a meal from your favorite fast food restaurant or a new plushie, he’s willing to get it for you

Partly because he doesn’t want you to stay mad at him for making you go to the hospital

Cuddles are also an option if you’re not too upset with him

Kenny

He’s very worried about you the whole time

From the moment you got hurt, he insisted you go to the hospital, but when he realized how scared you were of the place, his worry only increased

When you first arrived he wouldn’t stop talking

“Are you panicking? Is the bed soft enough? What can I do to help?”

“Kenny! Just… chill. You’re freaking me out even more.”

He claps his hand dramatically over his mouth as an “I’ll shut up now” gesture

That makes you giggle a little

He’ll try to keep amusing you to keep your mind off the situation

Showing you memes, telling stories, sharing his favorite dirty jokes, every trick he knows to get you to smile

Even when the doctors were in the room, he was making stupid faces

You had to bite your tongue to stop from laughing

When you leave, he’s way too eager to be able to hold you again

Or, if you’re staying for more than a “quick” visit, he’ll climb into the bed with you to snuggle

He makes sure to let you know how brave he thinks you are all the while

Cartman

He forced you to go under the excuse:

“Why are you afraid? What’s the worst that could happen? Besides dying, I mean.”

“That’s exactly why I’m afraid, idiot!”

He literally dragged you halfway there by the wrist

If you’re particularly stubborn he’ll throw you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes

Once there, though, he unintentionally comforts you by being a dufus

Definitely goes through all the cabinets and plays with absolutely everything

“How many of these cotton balls do you think I could fit in my mouth?”

And he doesn’t even stop when the doctor walks in

“If you held the stethoscope up to my ear, would you be able to hear the song stuck in my head?”

You’re the one who has to tell him to cut it out and let the doctor do their job

Honestly, you mostly did it so that you wouldn’t burst out laughing

His blatantly idiotic behavior keeps you amused long enough that the anxiety doesn’t settle in

When you leave, he insists on going out for food

You’ll get takeout and eat at home with the TV on :)

Cartman’s ready to put the whole “boring” ordeal behind him, but you’ll never forget the confounding idiocy you saw in that hospital room

Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for the request, and thanks for reading! Have a good one duckies <33

(divider by saradika)

[ordophilosophicus]

What it means to be a Moreau:

An essay and analysis of Jean Moreau's character-conflict  (Aftg and TSC - spoilers)

What this will not be about: The actual content of the book. Ok, that's not fully true. I am not about to discuss if something that happens itself is good/bad, in character etc. Or criticize topics.

What this will be is an analysis of parallels, character-motifs and questions concerning their trajectory and hindsight of actions. Questions AND Ideas how to answer these questions.

What does it mean when Jean states "I am a Moreau '', Why does TSC feel a bit like a crunched up Aftg? What constitutes the actual conflict of Jean - since either choice (staying or leaving) appears to be certain death? Why does Rikos death and Kevin's betrayal (the hand thing) matter to Jean?  

The book came out and my heart went racing. These books (aftg and tsc) bring me great joy, all I will criticize and analyze in this tiny, a bit too long essay, is said with greatest love and sincerity towards these books. But there can be said a lot - especially about TSC.

Get a snack and hop on.

Parallels between aftg and tsc - Stories about identity:

First of all let's begin with Nora's great writing of POV's. In this book we do get two pov's, giving us contrast to Neils in Aftg. Meaning we see the world, the characters from three different perspectives. And Nora makes them all matter. In the end I will tie it back with interpreting Jeremys pov, but for now let's only look at Neils and Jeans. A lot of characterization is made by what is focused on in their respective povs. What characters are interesting, how much rumination (thought) vs action is expressed. Both are unreliable narrators, and both tell us so much about what matters to them.

Both Aftg (Neils arc) and TSC (Jeans arc) are about the loss and gain of identity. From the retrospective, the arc consists of questions such as: Who am I?; Can I change who I am?; and what am I worth? But both arcs start with a clear sense of identity which is threatened.

However, somehow Neils arc is more concise and clear cut. Of course, part of this can be attributed to the simple fact that there will be a (second and maybe third part) to come for TSC, but it's mainly the groundworks I think which are "lacking". They are not necessarily lacking but rather not as (clear/spelled out).

The theme of "Identity" is special, since the stakes in the book/ark are about identity and its loss. Other stakes (death, loss of friendship, love etc) are not the main focus. The characters struggle and peril is about the loss of identity, which would mark a step into an unknown world they cannot navigate, and bring other dangers they avoided or dealt with the current identity. (Example: Lying vs telling the truth. Former obstructs the consequences of the truth, the later means you need to deal with the consequences.) On the other hand, it is the alternative identity which provides something of interest for the charatcer, creating a conflict of WANTING and perception of SELF. They WANT friends, but would need to GIVE UP their former sense of protection.

We are introduced to Neil Josten, and his very solid perception of identity. He is "nothing" = He has no right and no attachment to anything. He is a liar and alone. The conflict is created by offering him Exy and later on a team. Security stands in conflict with ending his loneliness and the feeling of not mattering. Nora introduces this conflict very early and very clearly. It is what makes us sympathize and, more importantly, understand and buy into the crazy thing Neil does to keep his secrets.

However, there is another identity which rides that one of "Neil Josten." Nathaniel Wesninski, the identity attached to that name, becomes more prominent throughout the books, and in the end, Neil needs to accept this identity to move on.

Nathaniel Wesninski's identity is very much spelled out in AFTG and it must be so, to make this shift of identity so impactful. A Wesninski is: loyal, does not lie, cruel but true. The very opposite of Neil Josten.

Nathaniel Wesninski is tied to the Moriamas, and is tied to his father. To pain, loss and a life of consequences and responsibility. (Not to run). The stake to shift to this identity (to be this person) is made clear by showing throughout the books how each of these parts are dangerous. And every step Neil takes (especially in the first and second book) is to avoid having to lose Neil Josten and be Wesnisnki.

And it works excellently. We fear WITH Neil when he makes the shift to Wesnisnki in Lolas car, and it is an epiphany when Riko dies and Neils makes a deal with Ichiro. When he wins in Exy and can play Exy. Because he not only shifted in the identity, he did not lose Neil Josten. He successfully changed to a Wesninski, to then further to a NEW Neil Josten. (Important: It's not losing an identity, which makes the arc powerful. It's the change of self. Nora is very explicit by making it a three step program. Josten. Wesninski, and "New" Josten.) We see what is the conflict, we get the stakes, and we see how Neil resolves the problems and takes on a new, stronger identity.

TSC is about Jean and a similar problem. However the swap, or rather the whole conflict does not appear as strong as with Neil. And the reasons for it are very simple, though still relevant for the trajectory of the story and possibility for the reader to emphasize and root for Jean.

TSC starts out with the bonus that we are already entranced with the fate of Jean and understand The Nest and Riko. However, what we do not know is Jeans' identity. Who does he think he is?; What stakes does he think hinge on being "Jean Moreau, the Raven, belonging to the Moriyamas' '? WHY is it so tremendous to leave the Nest, and what does he have to gain? What is the trade and what is the challenge? Etc. All that we have established with the Neil example prior.

Through Jean's mantra we get told that Jean has some kind of values attached to being "a Moreau '' and being "part of the Nest/belonging to the Moriyamas". The fatal problem is, we are never told what this actually means.

As readers we can understand why Jean is afraid to leave the nest, what Riko has done and could do to them. But this does not create the conflict we are looking for and plays out in the book. The conflict is happening, but the pov Nora gives us through Jean does not sufficiently explain what this conflict actually is about.

The answer is given implicitly and between the lines. These few bits I will try to spell out and interpret. Further, there could be a stronger case in certain scenarios, to make the conflict around Jeans identify stronger, and his relation to other characters more impactful.

First let's consider:

"What does it mean to be a Moreau?"

When Jean realizes he had been taken from Evermore, he tries to bargain with others and himself that he cannot leave. "Because he is a Moreau", and he belongs to Riko/the Moriyamas. But we are not let in WHY this exactly is a problem. Oh no, how horrible to not be beaten to death. If Jean leaves, Riko and his family will be angry and could try killing him. But the same appears to be possible if he GOES BACK. The whole first chapters establish that Jean is neither safe in nor outside the nest. (He might think it's safer inside, but for the reader, it  is clear this being not the case.)

Therefore, this conflict is not of external stakes, but internal. If Jean leaves, it would mean breaking with his identity, losing himself, creating or letting in problems he formerly avoided or dealt with through the identity he is trying to keep. It is essential that we understand WHAT HE IS TRYING TO UPHOLD.

Duty and being reliable:

I think we can define "being a Moreau" by being a person who has a strong sense of duty. Who is reliable and  sensible. I mainly read this from the fact that Jean asks Jeremy to add "being conform with USC appearance" to his contract. He has a duty to serve Ichiro, and by putting conformity in the contract, by extension he has a duty to be conform.

""You will have to pen it in," Jean said. "I won't sign it unless you do." It was the only way this worked: If Jean signed something that said he had to behave to be allowed to stay on the lineup, he could bite his tongue and stay his fists. It'd piss him off beyond telling, but he could follow orders if it meant surviving another day." p.71(kindle)

But this does not fully explain why breaking with the ravens is problematic for Jean in the beginning of TSC. Nora has not forgotten or overseen this, but it's not explicitly put in the text. Jeans backstory is about being sold to the Moriyamas. He is given the duty by his parents to serve Moriyama. Nora had portrayed it very much in a way that Jean was very reluctant to do. Although understandable, I propose to read this character more strongly. Make this matter more:

Jean is an older brother, prior to being sold, he had already understood himself as a reliable and dutiful person. An older brother to take care of his baby sister. A Moreau to in the future take care of business. resourceful and reasonable. Dutiful and compliant.

When he is told by his parents he is sold "as Moreau" - not as anybody, he is sold with a duty to represent and pay off the depth(?) of his family. Perform on the court, show the worth, protect his family, his baby sister.

His place at Evermore and belonging to Riko would be/is tied to his understanding of being a Morou. Leaving Evermore, would mean to not fulfill his duty, to give up, to be unreliable, since his parents and his sister counted on him.

If we accept "duty" and "reliability" to stand in the center of Jean's identity and conflicts, all other relationships and actions are to be seen from the perspective of Jean trying to protect this identity and stay conform with it. Most notably this strengthens both the events and dynamic between Jean and Kevin, and Jean and Riko respectively.

Riko & The Ravens:

Imagine Jean had been brought to the Nest, unwilling, hurt by betrayal, but with a strong sense of duty to go through with this. Take this burden given to him, and perform. Riko would have picked up on this. The amount of violence, the "breaking in" of Jean was not simply cruelty or any weird family feud thing. It was Rikos testing, an attempt to break Jean's sense of self. If he would not be able to perform on court, not achieve it - he would break his promises. Jean's small but consistent rebellions against Riko are an expression to keep his duty. He plays games even if he is hurt, he does not kill himself. For Jean to fulfill his duty and sense of self(worth) means going along with whatever, and holding out whatever.

Giving up on Evermore is not only breaking his sense of identity and purpose, but also making the pain he insured pointless (as Jeremy notices so fittingly). It means Riko wins by breaking him. His fear of Riko is tied to his fear of losing his sense of self. And him losing Riko means he has failed his duty to play for him on the court. The ravens are described by Jean as "loving and hating" each other respectively. And that nobody in USC could ever understand. But nor can we truly. Why does Jean not hate them, why is he not happy Riko is gone? because it means he failed, and they all contributed to his identity and achievement of his promises. The deal he made with Zane was one of the best insights or examples we are given to understand the Nest. To FEEL the Nest dynamic. Survival, reliance, schemes, dependance. Cruel intimacy to others, to know their secrets and fears. If you are not tight with someone (Jean and Zane, or Jean and Kevin) you also cannot find a way to protect yourself. Knowing Zane loved that one Raven girl and wanted that number, gave him the ability to stay away from Grayson and not break. The ravens, and Riko are not only an obstacle to his success and upholding of his promises, they are the means to an end. He needs them as much as he despises them. That's why leaving them, and Rikos death matters for Jean.

Kevin:

On the other hand we have the relationship between Kevin and Jean. We are given more insight on how Kevin got out of the Nest: by fucking over Jean. This scene or event is gutwrenching BUT it could be STRONGER if Jean would have known and been complicit with Kevin. Jean loved/liked at least cared about Kevin. Although his sense of duty is tied to Riko and the court, there would also be such a sense towards Kevin. Especially if Kevin came and asked him, directly. Confronting Jean with concieving him as a reliable, to be trsuted person. The one friend you count on the get you out of the shit. If one can help him, it is Jean. Because he is a Moreau. If we would read it as Jean accepting the consequences of helping Kevin, we would lose this ark of betrayal. But we would not need to erase the discontent and hurt Jean holds towards Kevin. For Kevin would have known and relied on Jean's self understanding, and played him. Used him as means of an end. Asking a person who is used to compromising their own safety, who understands themselves as a rock at a shore and understands the pain and fear one goes through - calling/playing on that is as much as a betrayal and use of a person as it is simple "not telling him". It makes it worse in some sense, because it highlights the intimacy between Kevin and Jean. They knew each other very well, and Kevin used that knowledge, in raven fashion, to survive.

(On the other hand, I would agree one could read it in the original way, Jean not knowing, because Kevin is aware of Jean's understanding of duty. That Jean would feel the sense that he NEEDS to betray Kevin. So there is still room for interpretation.)

SUMMERY:

Okay, okay. That was a lot. Let's surmise what I claim: That Jeans sense of self is shaped by duty, more explicitly the one he holds from his parents to be perfect court, please the Moriyamas and protect his family (sister).

Leaving the Ravens endangers all of this, all his sense of self and all he has done to achieve it.

Riko dying means there is never a way back, and he has failed. It upheaves all he is and wants, even though Riko and the Ravens did horrible things to him.

Neil making the deal with Ichiro formed a new duty, and gave him a way out. A compromise. Play court, but with USC. And still Jean loses a lot, or everything he considered constitutive of himself when he leaves the Ravens and comes to USC.

Whom he has duties to? Formerly his Raven partner, now? Jeremy offers to take the role. His experiences and background make him take duties towards the other Trojans to give him a sense of worth (asking if Cody is ok with touching/flirting with them.)

Neil drags him to the FBi and Stuard, and he comes to know all of his efforts to protect his family had been in vain. And it is that point in which his last tie of "old" sense of duty, breaks off. He cannot hold onto the same ideas and rules, duties and objectives as before.

For Jean, this break  is what is for Neil the end of a whole arc.

Whilst AFTG and TSC are similar in theme, they are very different in their outset. Whilst Neils whole arc is about getting and learning his new identity, Jean has to go through that all in one book. That's why we see and feel a great parallel between both characters, but also the arc itself. The telling of information, the parallel of fear of losing the old and gaining the new. Of betraying one's old identity/family in the end, and offer of a new, better, alternative.

However, Jeans arc does not end there. His story appears to be more about healing and the disconnect between outer, imposed, duty and value, and self-worth.

I think that's also why we get so little insight of Jeremys conflict in the first book. We get enough hints that have very likely to do with Jeremy being gay, stepfather, cops, maybe drugs and the family being publicly known. It has to do with imposed identity from the outside, self vs outer worth and dealing with that. We get so little from Jeremy, not only because he is an expert in talking and thinking around his own problems and issues, but because the story has Jean not ready yet. Jean first has to come in the same state Jeremy has been, or is in, before they both start pushing and pulling each other. Like Andrew and Neil could only start developing after Neil starts to compromise and change his sense of self, his willingness to be more than simple lying Neil Josten.

The same applies for Jean and Jeremy. But the end goal is about healing, and creating one's own self worth, rather than becoming a whole new self.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

p.s. I love Kevin, don't touch him.

[believesthings]

It Dies With You // Jason Sudeikis x Famous Reader

A/N: I wouldn’t call this a sequel necessarily, but in my mind this story exists in the same universe as “the inspiration invitation”. Although, you do not by any means have to read that story first. Secondly, I feel a little weird about this one since I believe it is the first thing I've written that explicitly mentions Olivia and the fallout of their relationship. This is purely a work of fiction and I mean no ill will towards any real life people mentioned below.

Summary: Sensing your boyfriend’s frustration about recent headlines involving his past relationship, you encourage him to process those feelings by putting them into song.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

You can hear the clicking of laptop keys and a drink thudding the top of the kitchen counter. You peak your head around the corner, seeing Jason in front of his computer. The light of the laptop screen highlights his face. If you look close enough, you can see the furrow of his brow. He’s agitated and you suspect you know why.

“Jas, honey? You alright?” You shuffle over to him bringing your hand up to the nape of his neck, massaging the muscle underneath. He sighs, looking down and running his hands over his face. He removes his hat, sitting it down on the kitchen counter and looks back up at you. “Yeah, it’s just… you know.” His hands shoot out towards the laptop screen, vaguely motioning towards the words illuminated there. He looks back up at you and you take a moment to take in his features. He seems tired. Hopefully, there should be a break in your schedules coming up soon. The both of you could use a day of serious rest.

Glancing at the computer screen in front of you, your suspicions are confirmed. Headlines about Jason’s failure to pay child support and bleeding his ex dry with legal fees causes you to release a sigh of your own. You hate that Jason is having to deal with this.

“Oh, hon. I’m so sorry.” You move your hand up and gently run your fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. He leans over and kisses the inside of your wrist before shutting his laptop screen closed. He stands and grabs your hand walking you both over to couch. You settle in, resting your feet in his lap and he run his hands over your legs.

“I’m just…. I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem to win.”

You don’t say anything. You reach your hand out to squeeze his arm to signal that you’re there, you’re listening but you leave the space for him to talk.

“I don’t even care about the romantic aspect of it anymore, obviously.” He says gesturing to you, implying that he has since moved on. “But she is still the mother of my children, you know? I have to see her and interact with her for the sake of the kids, one of which has her exact fucking face and it’s hard not to see her when I look at him.”

“I just… I thought we had an agreement. I thought it was understood that the kids came first. They are the top priority. Regardless of where she and I were at in our lives, we never wanted to compromise the relationship with the kids. I will never understand how she can joke and laugh with me on Sunday at our son’s soccer game and then file shit like this in the court system on Monday and then look me in the eyes the next weekend like it didn’t happen.”

“The kids are getting older. What if they end up seeing this stuff online one day? I.. I don’t want them to think I’m a bad father. I don’t want them to think I don’t care.”

You sit up quickly. “No, Jason. I’m going to cut you off right there. You are not a bad father. You have to know that. They know that. I’m sure they do. Its evident in everything you do. Besides, all that really matters is how you treat them. What they will remember above everything else is how you make them feel.”

He sighs again, squeezing your hand. “I know. I just.. I hate this.”

You take a minute to look at him, an idea swirling in your mind. “Come with me.” You say. He looks at you, clearly a bit puzzled but follows nonetheless.

You lead him into the bedroom, digging through one your bedside drawers and pulling out a leather bound notepad. Turning back to survey Jason, your eyes travel down to his jeans setting your sights on the two red pens tucked into his pockets. Perfect.

Gliding towards him, you pick out one of the red pens and hold the notebook and pen out to him to take.

Giving you a quizzical look, he says, “what’s this?”

“I think you need to write.”

He scrunches his nose at you, “like a diary?”

Shaking your head at him, you continue, “No. like a song.”

He stares at you for a moment, not seeming to understand you. “I think you’ve forgotten that I am not the songwriter in this relationship sweetheart.”

“Oh, now I don’t know about that. I saw that video you made with Charlie Puth. There’s untapped potential in there, Sudeikis. I can tell.”

“Yes, a video I believe has been marked private. For good reason.”

You lead him to the bed, laying the journal face open on your lap. “Look, in all seriousness, I really think it might help. Part of the magic of songwriting is taking all of that shit that is ruminating in your brain and getting it out.”

He runs his hands over his chin looking down at you, “yeah but with songwriting you have to like make shit rhyme.”

“So? Fuck that. You don’t have to make it rhyme if you don’t want to. It’s your words. Plus, you’re really gonna look me in the eyes and tell me that you can’t come up with a rhyme, Mr. improv comedy?”

“…fair enough.”

You grab his hands, playing with his finger tips. “If you truly don’t wanna do it - forget I even said anything. But I think getting all those feelings out on paper, expressing it, helps you let go of it. It’s a way to take those thoughts that creep around in the corners of your mind and finally put them to rest. You write it and it no longer has to belong to your mind alone. You finally get to put a bookend to it and create space for something else. You don’t have to do anything with it. You don’t even have to share it with me if you aren’t comfortable. I’m not asking you dissect your creative integrity. I’m just asking you to get in front of a page and write. It doesn’t have to be poetic. Fuck that. Just write what you feel. If you don’t get it out, once you die this idea dies with you. Get in front of the page and get it out, if for no other reason than to make your mind a clearer place to live in.”

It was a much longer speech than you were planning on giving, but you really wanted to try to get your point across to him.

“I get you. It’s a little bit of a morbid way of looking at it - with the whole dying thing, but I get you. “

He grabs the notebook and pen from the bed, twirling the red pen between his fingers.

“I’ll tell you what. I’m going to go into the kitchen, tidy some stuff up. You take some time and space and see if anything comes to you that you’d like to write down. If you want to talk, you know you’ve always got my ear.”

He peers down at you again, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on your lips. “Ok. Thank you.”

You head into the kitchen and start tidying up. You and Jason decided that you wanted to make cookies earlier that day and there was a surprising amount of clutter left over from the whole affair. You can hear Jason mumbling in the other room but true to your word, you leave him be. He emerges a couple hours later, coming up to hug you from behind while you are wiping down the kitchen counter. He places a soft kiss to the crook of your neck. “Thank you.” He murmurs.

“Of course. Everything okay?” You look up at him when you ask. His eyes always give him away.

“Yeah. You were right, of course.” He smiles at you.

He pauses for a minute before asking, “could you.. take a look at it?”

“You’re sure? I wasn’t joking when I said I don’t have to read it if you’re not comfortable.”

“I know but I am. Comfortable, I mean. I know you. I trust you. Plus, if anyone knows songwriting it’s the woman who has one 6 Grammy awards.”

“5 actually, if I win this year, it’ll be 6.” You smirk, correcting him.

He rolls his eyes at you. “Well, you’re gonna win. Come on now. I’m being optimistic about your chances by rounding up.”

“Come on, dork.”

You finish up in the kitchen, leading Jason back to the bedroom. You see the notebook open on the bed. You point towards it, looking at Jason and he gives you a curt nod. “I’m just gonna pop in the bathroom and get ready for bed while you look that over, honey.”

He leans in and gives you a kiss and he’s off, shutting the bathroom door behind him. You’re sure that it is partially true that he’s getting ready for bed. But you’re also sure that even though he was comfortable with you reading what he’s written, he didn’t want to be in the room while you did so. You didn’t blame him. You knew from your own personal experience how vulnerable an activity it could be.

Honestly, you were glad he did because looking down at his scrawl on the page below, he clearly didn’t hold back.

It’s funny how a memory turns into a bad dream

When running wild turns volatile

It’s not funny how it changes

Ended up like strangers

And we burned down our paper house

There were other words and phrases scribbled out throughout the page. Ideas written in margins and then crossed through upon reflection. You were only able to make out one phrase clearly: who taught you wonder, learning, and love were supposed to be easy?

It didn’t really fit, so you understand why he scratched through it but you liked it. You made a mental note of it. If Jason was okay with it, perhaps you would use it in a project of your own.

Another paragraph caught your attention.

They say it’s better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all

That could be a load of shit

But I just need to tell you all

Some mistakes get made

That’s alright, that’s okay

You can think that you’re in love

When you’re really just engaged

Some mistakes get made

That’s alright, that’s okay

In the end it’s better for me

That’s the moral of the story

The bathroom door opens and you look up to see Jason leaning against the doorway.

“It’s good.” You tell him.

“Yeah? Like 5 Grammy awards good?”

“Eh, 5 might be overselling it. Maybe more like 3 nominations, 2 wins kind of good.” You joke back at him.

“Well in that case…” he trails off while walking over to the shelf by your side of the bed, plucking two of your awards and bringing them over to his bedside table. “I’ll go ahead and accept my accolades now.”

You go over to the shelf, examining the remaining awards. “Well it looks like you nicked the album of the year award and you’ve only written one track. So, it sounds to me like you have some more work to do before you go accepting anything, mister.”

“…maybe I’ll do that.”

“Yeah?”

He nods at you. “I’m not saying I wanna switch careers or anything, I’ll leave that to the professional in this relationship, but it felt good. You always seem to know what I need - you’re so busy being you, you don’t even realize how amazing you are.”

He pulls you into bed with him and begins kissing your neck.

“Aren’t you gonna thank me properly? You know…The Roy Kent method?”

His beard is scratching against your skin and you hear him chuckle near your ear. “Ah- yes. I’m familiar.”

He kisses down your body. “I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”

[yuri-is-online]

Call me tragedy anon w the way i slurp that shit up real. Okay but in all /srs i'm a firm believer that most love stories or stories in /gen in TWST are mainly happy love stories tragedy? Never heard of them!!!

But i think most would be more fascinated to figure out thats its popular in Yuu's world. Like why??? Don't people not like being happy more than sad? and its true!! But there's always something cathartic about well-written tragedies (imo at least) and people enjoy that feeling. Personally the media i enjoy and stick to me the most are usually the ones that have open ended or ambiguos endings that leave a bittersweet after taste in your mouth. Something about retrospecting and finding peace that yes even though it never ended well, there was happiness, or maybe if not happiness then maybe peace to be found in a story like that. The love was still there!!!! Do you understand!!!???

Orpheus can never be with Eurydice ever again, but the two loved each other!! Icarus will always die but the sun kissed his face!!! Do you understand!!!!!!!!!!

I want to thank you for sending me this on valentine's day. It is so fitting I should have answered immediately.

Welcome to the stage tragedy annon! W takes in this ask right here your brain is massive.

Orpheus can never be with Eurydice ever again, but the two loved each other!! Icarus will always die but the sun kissed his face!!! Do you understand!!!!!!!!!!

I UNDERSTAND I AM THINKING I AM FEELING I AM CRYING BUT I FEEL SO FULFILLED!!!!!!!!!!

I really like happy endings and have a hard time playing the bad end in otomes but one of my favorites, Birushana has these tragic endings that I have done some of and GOD. The image of Shungen screaming at Tomomori as he cradles Shanao's dead body, saying he can't just take her away as Tomomori prepares to jump into the ocean and drown with her only for him to say "You misunderstand, she is taking me." .·°՞(≧□≦)՞°·. i am crying, screaming, throwing up etc. and so on because fucking damn that's what it's about. The love is so real it has to endure even when everything else is gone.

I think that Idia might find some morbid comfort in that concept which is why I mentioned the Orpheus and Eurydice connection in his long fic musing. I don't think he would find it romantic necessarily, but certainly comforting. Like at least by Yuu's weird standards his curse isn't the major set back he thought it would be and even if things end badly they will still see it as worth it? That's weird, odd, and something he outwardly wants to make fun of but not something he really can when that's what he has come to believe too after his overblot.

Jade and Azul both work really well for this too. Azul because he believes love is inherently exploitable, so the idea that stories end badly in your world just further cements his own bias. The idea that you would consider the bad ending to make things no less real or valuable though, THAT he would need some time with. What do you mean Orpheus fails to save Eurydice is the point of the story? He has a hard time coping with the idea of losing already, adding that into romance as a selling point doesn't make sense from a consultant's point of view. You want to win in the end no? Not just be left ugly crying alone. Jade on the other hand... I just like to see him eat shit on something like this tbh. "Oh I would never do something like that, what an idiot for looking back-" Jade would actually show up at the gates of the underworld and he would still look back because he needs you to be there exactly like the myth foretold and he would be cursing fate the entire time.

I feel like I leave Floyd out of these sort of things so I want to add him here because I feel like he would dismiss the idea of tragedy as a good thing but not because he like. Doesn't think it doesn't exist or something he just doesn't care. He already knows the time you spend together will be enjoyable, and if it ends with death or with him going too close to the sun, well that was the point wasn't it? Kind of like he gets the point but not because of the example given. It's also why I could see him actually successfully making it through to a happy ending. He has this line in Chapter 7 when Lilia is scolding the Octatrio that made me scream because of how good of a job the VA did with it:

And if he says his place is a happy ending I believe he'd make it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[codenamesazanka]

Its not even a matter of being a villains fan or not, the writing is just genuinely bad because it contradicts dekus character and interrupts shigarakis storyline. Deku was written to set himself apart from others by using his stablished inherent goodness to save (not kill) the "unredeemable villain", that was his narrative challange/conflict, like it was done with uraraka and shouto (except they are not the MC). This is not a overanalysis, its literally how the author was writing his mc lmao.

Hi anon, again(?)

I'm not disagreeing with you! About Deku being bad writing. Sorry if it came off that way. I think the story really did mostly tell us about Deku's attributes without showing them, and also effectively gaslit us about Deku's uniquely great drive to save and that all the stuff he did was in service of that 'saving'.

I have to point out, though, that technically killing was never off the table. Nana asked him if he had the resolve to kill, and Deku said 'Dunno. Maybe there will be no other way', and only after that says he wants to try saving first. Gran Torino gave us the "killing is salvation" and Deku never contradicts him, and now it seems like that was the thing Deku took to heart.

The thing about 'saving' is that - I think - it's in a Buddhist context that this Japanese manga takes place in. Though take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. Idk about Horikoshi's religious beliefs and HeroAca isn't an explicitly Buddhist work, but Buddhist thought is part of Japanese culture, so it's inevitable that its sensibilities and ethics show up everywhere.

'Saving' here means ending suffering, being freed from things like anger and hatred. It doesn't necessarily mean 'not kill' or 'no death'. Sort of like saving the soul. Which is why Deku smashing Shigaraki's hatred is him 'saving' Shigaraki... and then he can just let Shigaraki die. Deku even talks to Shigaraki in the latter's final moments about basically trying to end the cycle of sadness/grief/misery - with him releasing Shigaraki from it.

(I don't think this is unique to Buddhism either... Saving the soul is also a thing in Christianity, right? With death still okay. That's something I know even less about, though, so pardon me.)

Quoting @bnhaobservation :

It's similar to how Midoriya saves Shigaraki's soul and we aren't impressed, but Japanese readers are.

In the western culture when someone dies, at most, we only worry about the soul regretting his wrongdoings or he'll end in hell (that and that he won't look deserving of being forgiven by the audience if he doesn't regret them).

In Japan, when someone dies in a violent way including murder or suicide or dies leaving behind unfinished business or do not receive appropriate funeral rites upon their death, they believe his spirit remains trapped in the world of living and can't move on and this is torture for said soul.

So the idea that Shigaraki's soul was soothed, that was put to rest, is really important and equates to salvation in a Japanese mind-setting... but, to us, it's only a last smile before death.

Deku was indeed written to set himself apart from others - by even bothering to care a little bit about Shigaraki and 'not ignoring the Inner Crying Child'. (But then there was Uraraka, feeling the same way about Toga...) No one else on the Hero side cared, not even All Might and Gran Torino with their connections to the Shimura Family that Shigaraki/Tenko is part of. Deku's inherent goodness means compassion, which, again, he shows by 'not ignoring the Inner Crying Child'. He takes the extra step of trying to save Shigaraki's heart, which technically he didn't have to. He could've just killed Shigaraki from the start. And so that's his great heroism.

Furthermore, he's actually unhappy about being unable to save Shigaraki/Tenko's life. That's a sign of his amazing kindness.

I largely disagree with this. I think 'saving' should've meant also physically saving Shigaraki. I think Deku's kindness was bare minimum, and this is absolutely not "extraordinary heroism". But that's me. I've seen a few Japanese readers also take Shigaraki's ending to mean that he couldn't be saved, or disagree with Deku's violent mind-invasion actions. But most of the reactions I have seen from Japanese readers do agree with Deku having did his best and succeeded in saving Shigaraki's heart, and that was what was needed, and so Deku is a great Hero. This isn't unique to Japan either - good portion of people in Western fandom also seem to agree.

Writing is still bad, though, with Deku being so bland and boring and empty of a character and the story often insisting that Deku doing a regular old thing that other characters have also done is actually the epitome of heroism. Then there's everything else in Act 3.

Thanks for the ask, anon! Sorry you were disappointed.