#which isnt. good in any respect

[metukika]

ill say it before and ill say it again. hc that teru doesnt like serizawa at all.

[wolfxe]

idk what it is about the way dungeon meshi portrays relationships but it feels so unique to me

i like all of the ships and also want none of them to be canon. it's fun to imagine literally all of them, but it's just as fun to examine the platonic relationships and what they mean

it's so refreshing to see marcille & laios' friendship but i totally get why people ship them. marcille & falin's devotion to each other is amazing to explore in any context. chilchuck & laios, laios & kabru, senshi & chilchuck, even toshiro & falin. literally every character dynamic no matter the romance/lack of it is so interesting to me

it really felt like a breath of fresh air getting into something where the relationships between characters felt both real and substantial the way they are, but also capable of being expanded upon and played with without feeling like they're betraying the main themes/ideas. man i love dungeon meshi

[mo-ok]

Letting Go /// Holding On

[system-of-a-feather]

I was honestly thinking about it and I think my opinion on a lot of things boils down to "it is entirely fair to cut anyone out of your life who doesn't respect the version and expression of you that makes you the happiest" and I think that probably extends to almost all "expressions" only with the caveat that I don't see it as a moral mandate to respect every expression someone offers and I don't think its inherently wrong to not accept someones expression if it also requires you to reject an aspect of yourself in your happiest version.

Do I think either of these are always the most healthy rules to live by? No. But do I think its fair rules and expectations? Yeah.

You can't force someone to change essential parts of who they are (may the rejection be bigotted or based) in favor of your identity / expression but you also can't tell someone to not express / identify the way that makes them happy and expect them to still like you

In the end, not everyone is fit to get along with everyone and thats okay and fine so long as that is respected.

Like if it makes TERFs and shit happy to ID as TERFs and be TERFs, its within my realm of control to make them stop, nor can I blame them if they hate me - but they also can't be mad if I also hate them and block them cause its not their right to force me to accept them in my life

I absolutely do not have to agree or respect anyone, but I can't be surprised when someone whose expression I don't like and hate returns it back to me.

[comradecowplant]

A youtuber has made a video about a place very close to my hometown and I tell u what so far he is not being very factual and the latent small town instinct to rip disrespectful outsiders apart in defense of Our Town has activated >:(

[arcaneyouth]

I'm back and I'm FUCKING insane holy shit.

Ok first off

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?????????

That was a cliff hanger and a HALF holy SHIT I'm so excited to see what we have next time around... oh wow, I'm so fucking conflicted about Dara cuz like. Ohhh I know I KNOW she wants the best for the kids but DAMN she's got issues.... and also HELLO???? THERON??? Ok so like. Ok. I don't know how much I'm allowed to say for spoiler reasons but the story that Rowena told made me go 🤨 BUT THE MEANING???? THE MEANING. HOLY SHIT. so many thoughts and theories and I'm rotating your blorbos around in my brain. I don't want to give away the story publicly but just know. I see the meaning. I see it. I have SO many thoughts I'm insane -Ollie

AHAHAHAHA WE GOT ANOTHER ONE BOYS

I'm so glad youre having fun this comic is my pride and joy and getting to see new people get into it is so fucking exciting. I've worked so hard for this I cannot WAIT for everyone to see what I've got in store for the next chapter there's so much more story to unpack we're not even halfway through the comic yet

[perenlop]

i love how the worldbuilding in season 1 of mlp is done omg. i love that the world and seasons are all managed by ponies, that sorta gets less emphasis in later seasons from what i see. i just thought it extended to rainbow dash’s clouds or the royal sisters with the sun and moon, but nah they physically change the seasons and are in charge of the weather. its super cute i love it

[burymeinblack2022]

was anyone gonna tell me brad taste in music reviewed hesitant alien and gave it the most absolute dogshit rating like. living up to the name i see like jesus christ, man......

[mschimdt]

below the attitude

switch!mike schmidt x switch!fem!reader

warnings: mike is a sub first half then he had enough and dominates you, nsfw, p in v, sub mike, male recieving, choking, dirty talk, strong language, edging breeding kink, filthy mike, dom mike for most of the story

english isnt my first language so im sorry if there are any spelling mistakes n that typa shit

RUSHED AND NOT PROOF READ

------------------MINORS DNI-------------------

mike was a very attractive guy you met at your job at freddy fazzbears, he seemed like a respectful guy, which he is. but after working a few months at the pizzarea with him you started dating, after a few months of that too, he showed his true bratty side which gets on your nerves sometimes, hes made you to tie him up to your bed and edge him for hours a few times

right nows one of those times, he was being bratty as fuck all day, and you had enough so you had to do something about it.

hes tied up to your bed with both arms, fully naked while u teased him, holding his throbbing hard dick and sliding it across your folds every few minutes, licking his dick, moaning into his ears, kissing his neck

"hgggg..- p-please! please! just let m-me come!" he said, whimpering and moaning from the sensitivity of his dick due to him being hard for a bit over an hour while you teased him

"ill let you come when i want little bitch" you slapped him across the face leaving a red mark, he was okay with this, you both had a safewors and you talked about it before, he told u he actually found it quite attractive you noticed him whining and tryint to lift his hips up in attempt to hump the air, which you gracefully pushed back down onto the bed.

what you didnt notice though, was him untying the roped youve tied him with, too distracted with sliding his dick across your folds while teasing him

you leaned down to kiss him, thats when you felt arms grab you by the waist and flip you over, he was ontop now

"w-what.?" you said, how hadnt you noticed him untying himself

"youre gonna give me what i want now. and ill keep doing it, till you remember nothing but my name, understood?" he said glaring at you with lustful eyes

"not understood" you said with a smirk wide across your face, trying to get youre dominance over him to return, but it didnt

instead he flipped you over ass up, pulled you by your hair too look at yourself in the mirror facing your bed "look whos being a brat now huh?" he said panting, holding you up by your hair with one hand, the other reaching to choke you "understood?" he repeated, loosening the grip on your throat to hear you speak "y-yes" you said, "yes, what?" he stared at you through the mirror, a grin on his face, "y-yes sir"

"good girl." he said, lowering your face back onto the bed by your hair ass still up, he started pushing his cock into you unpatiently

he bottomed out, his cock fitting perfectly into your tight cunt you let our whimpers while he thursted in an out of you, not sparing you, he just went for it

he noticed your breathing pattern change, breaths speeding up, and your tight walls squeezing him

"awh baby youre gonna come?" he asked pulling you up by your hair again to amke you look atyourself in the mirror to see the mess hes created "y-yea" you replied, he smacked you bad onto the bed

"well thats too bad, shouldve thought about your actions before" just as you were about to reach your orgasm, you felt his cock leave your cunt, empty and swollen "mike! mike! p-please!" you begged, you looked in the mirror and saw him stroking his dick right above you letting out soft moans, before he released ropes of warm cum across your back

then he grabbed you by your hair again, more gently this time and picked up his cum on his fingers, before smearing at across your lips and cheek

"you want this inside you?" he said, refering to the cum he had just smeared across your face

"mh-mmm" you replied "words baby"

"yes please.."

"then beg for it" he said

"pl-ease mike please i want you to c-cum inside me!! please mike, mike-" by this point, tears were streaming across your face, desperate for any kind of stimulation

"please what?"

"plea-se s-sir" you said, inbetween your sobs

he pushed himself inside you again, immediatley thursting in and out giving you no time to adjust, you were a whimpering-moaning mess hair tangeled from all the pulling, dried tears across your face

you felt your orgasm near you, mike was still fucking you from behind with no mercy, your orgasm was so close, you couldnt hold it in

"mik- sir can i-i p-please 'cu-cum?!" "please (sob) sir!!"

"mhm" he hummed against your neck, watching your face in the mirror

you came on his dick, just a few seconds later, he followed, releasing his load into you

you collapsed onto the bed. too tired to hokd yourself up

then you felt mike kissing up and down your back whisperinf things like: "you did so well baby" and "i love you so much you know that?"

after you both cooled down, mike pulled out his softening cock, closing your legs right after to prevent his cum from leaving your cunt

he was still kissing you and praising you

"u want me to run you a bath" he said

"mhmm" you said to tired to open your eyes

"sure thing" he got up and put some clothes on before he ran you a bath

he held you up and took you to the bathroom where he washed you up and took care of you

after that you were both in bed, holdinf eachother closely, mike pecked your lips, followed with a "goodnight baby" and he turned the little lamp lighting the room up off.

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

this is hella rushed, not proof read, just wanged to write something

[stevie-petey]

dibs

“Jinx!” Again, they say this at the same time. They both groan, and without any other words, they jump into an intense game of rock, paper, scissors.  “One, two, three!” Steve holds out a rock, Robin does as well, and the two teens almost strangle one another.  They try again, this time they both land on paper, and Robin throws her head back in frustration. “I’m not good at math, but this cannot be statistically possible.”

Summary: do the laws of dibs still apply if steve and robin see you at the same time ???

Rating: general, some swearing

Warnings: swearing, fem!reader, use of y/n

Words: 1.4k

Before you swing in: this is for my beloved val (@southelroy), and i was so excited to try my hand at writing robin and steve together <3 this is a very silly fic, not at all meant to be realistic or serious, and it isnt proofread so pls enjoy n beware !

-

According to the ancient rules of “dibs”, the first person who sees the desired one has the rightful claim of dibs. Anyone else present during this time must obey this sacred rule, respecting the fact that the other has laid claim first. It’s an old, ancient tradition, held up for centuries through faithful friendships. 

It’s a solid system, really.

Except Steve and Robin see you walk into Family Video on the same day, at the same time, together. 

You walk in, hair slightly wet from the rain and your eyes bright, and smile at the two of them shyly. Setting down your umbrella, you unbutton your raincoat and look around the store. “Sorry, is it okay if I hide out in here for a bit? My umbrella broke and I really don’t feel like catching a cold.”

Steve and Robin stare at you, wide eyed and in shock. They’ve never seen you before, they surely would’ve remembered your face if they had, and their brains short circuit simultaneously. 

When they don’t say anything, you cautiously walk up to the counter and laugh nervously. “Uh, hello? I can leave, if that’s what you’re trying to say.”

“No!” Steve shouts, panicked that the word “leave” has left your very pretty and pink mouth. When you flinch at his raised voice, he quickly clears his throat and lowers his voice. “I–uh, I mean… No, no. You can stay–please! I mean, if you don’t mind, ‘cause, ya know, it’s raining–”

“What my coworker here is trying to say is that you can definitely stay.” Robin interrupts, admiring the way the raindrops in your hair seem to form a halo. “In fact, why don’t you have a look around? We have plenty of movies.”

You smile at Robin, which she practically melts seeing. “Thanks, you guys are lifesavers. I’m here visiting my cousin, and he said I should stop by anyways.”

“What, do we know him?” Steve asks, finally finding his voice again. 

“His name is Dustin Henderson, if that helps. He’s a freshman at Hawkins, said he stops here sometimes–”

“Dustin Henderson is your cousin?” Steve and Robin say at the same time, completely taken aback. 

You laugh. “Ya know, I’ve gotten that a lot since being in Hawkins. I take it he’s well known?”

“Oh, he’s definitely well known.” Robin snorts, thinking about how many people would scream at the idea of more Hendersons running around the world. 

But if they’re anything like you, then Robin thinks she’d love to be invited to a Henderson family reunion. Immediately. 

“Well,” you smile again at the two teens, amused by their weird dynamic. You can see why Dustin likes them so much. “Since I’m stuck here for a while and I promised Dustin I’d get a movie, I’m gonna take a look around as suggested.”

You pause, now realizing you haven’t asked for their names, and you gasp. “I’m so sorry! What are your names? I feel horrible for not even asking.”

“You could never do any wrong,” Steve sighs dreamily, leaning against the counter in what he hopes is a cool looking pose. “I’m Steve, Steve Harrington.”

He sticks his hand out for you to shake, which you accept with a slight giggle. He’s odd, but incredibly endearing even if he’s currently standing against the counter like a middle-aged man. “I’m Y/N Henderson.” 

Robin, sensing what Steve is trying to do, hip checks the boy so that he falls onto the ground. “And I’m Robin Buckley, the better half of this duo.”

Like hell she’s going to allow him to flirt with you. 

Her declaration makes you laugh, even as poor Steve groans on the floor in pain. You wink at her, amused by her charm, and start to walk towards the movie aisles. “Oh, I believe that.”

Steve scrambles back up, and the second you’re out of earshot, he and Robin immediately shout at the same time, “Dibs!”

“Jinx!” Again, they say this at the same time. They both groan, and without any other words, they jump into an intense game of rock, paper, scissors. 

“One, two, three!” Steve holds out a rock, Robin does as well, and the two teens almost strangle one another. 

They try again, this time they both land on paper, and Robin throws her head back in frustration. “I’m not good at math, but this cannot be statistically possible.”

“Okay, let’s think about this.” Steve holds a finger up to indicate that he’s speaking, which Robin scoffs at. “I saw her first, so–”

“Uh, news flash, dingus: I saw her first.”

“Were you dropped as a child? I clearly saw her first–”

“Actually,” your voice causes both Robin and Steve to turn in horror, realizing too late that you’ve been standing behind them, listening in. “You both saw me at the same time, so I’m not sure how the rule of dibs applies here.”

“We…” Steve gapes at you, speechless. 

Robin is no better, her face burns horribly. “We think… You’re pretty?”

“Well, I gathered that much.” You laugh again, and the sound is enough for both Steve and Robin to forget all their worries and admire how delicate it is. Then, holding up two dvd’s, you place them on the counter. “I’ll take these, please.”

Robin looks down at your movie selection, seeing The Breakfast Club and The Outsiders, and her heart drops. “Just… Just these?”

“Mhm,” you nod, unsure why her demeanor has suddenly changed. “Is there something wrong with my movie selection?”

Steve looks at Robin and he knows immediately what’s wrong. She absolutely hates your taste in movies, which he’s ecstatic over. He lets out a whoop and first bumps the air. “Yes! She’s mine!”

“Shut up, you moron!” Robin screeches, embarrassed and infuriated. She cannot believe that this is happening to her right now, in front of a very pretty girl, no less. Closing her eyes, Robin takes a deep breath and turns to you. “Please excuse my friend, he’s allergic to pretty girls.”

“Hey, that’s not true–”

You cross your arms at Robin, an amused smile on your face. “What’s so wrong with my taste in movies?”

“Nothing!” When you raise your eyebrow at her, Robin accepts her fate and gives in. She knows she’s done for now. “It’s just… It’s incredibly bland.”

“I happen to think your taste is impeccable, Y/N.” Steve butts in, batting his eyelashes at you for added effect.

Robin watches, with pure disgust, as it works. Steve’s charm gets you to laugh once more, and you even lean closer to his side of the counter. You place a hand on his arm. “I’m honored to have you on my side, then.”

Stupid Harrington and his stupid male species. 

While you and Steve exchange gross lovey-dovey glances, Robin rings up your movie rentals with disdain. 

“That will be $5.25, please.” She mumbles, crestfallen. 

You tear your eyes away from Steve’s and notice the jealousy and hurt on Robin’s face. You frown, feeling bad for being the cause of this. She seems like a sweet girl, and Dustin spoke highly of her, so you know she’s someone special. Taking some cash out of your purse, you hand it to Robin and catch her eye. 

“Hey, listen to me real quick.” Robin looks up, despite not wanting to, but your eyes are too pretty not to look into. When you have her attention, you turn to Steve. “Can you give us a second?”

He looks bewildered. “What? Why?”

“If you leave now, I’ll give you my number.”

“Yes ma’am!” Steve hops over the counter and goes to sort some movies, leaving you alone with Robin. 

Once he’s gone, you lean in close to her. “I understand what you’re going through.”

Her eyes widen, terrified she’s been caught. “W–what? No, I think you’ve gotten this all wrong–”

“It’s okay,” you grab her hand, gently take it between yours. “We’re more alike than you may think, and while I’m flattered, you’re too young.”

Robin knows she should be devastated by this, but all she hears is, “So… Let’s say ten years from now, if you happen to visit Dustin again…”

You laugh, she’s got such a spark to her. “You’ll have to figure out the whole ‘dibs’ thing by then with Steve.”

“I saw you first!” Steve shouts from somewhere in the aisles, before a giant crash follows. A few seconds pass, and then, much quieter this time, he shouts, “I’m fine!”

-

⌑ writing masterlist

[fizzfags]

EMIZEL/FIZZFANGS ANALYSIS

the long awaited. under the cut bc its really long and im fucking insane. (this does not necessarily focus on them as a romantic pairing, just the way they interact with each other. interpret it in whichever way is most compelling to you/what you see fit.)

EMIZEL:

the most notable thing about emizel is the fact that he is mainly motivated by status and climbing the social hierarchy in whatever situation he is currently in. in his human life, that was climbing the ranks within the demons. after he dies, he doesnt really understand the social hierarchy within vampire society, but he does understand that its very important to at least be in good standing.

(episode 2)

he has an inherent disrespect towards authority, also seen with his father, (which i will get to later) as seen with this interaction with arthur. he's insistent on meeting the important figures within vampire society in la, and prioritizes this over, say, learning how being a vampire actually works. in the same episode, he also tells arthur "It just seems like we have similar goals, you know? I clearly don't know what I'm doing in vampire society. You do. So I need to learn. And you did say you'd take responsibility for teaching me." keep in mind that this is only a week or so after he was turned. things become interesting when we see him interacting with said important figures.

(episode 4)

in a stark contrast to arthur, hes relatively polite and respectful. obviously, this is to build favor for himself within the community of important and respected figures. also notable, he is lying out of his fucking ass. this is probably my biggest piece of evidence against the people that genuinely believe that emizel is unintelligent, because he clearly knows what hes doing.

as stated in the tweet, he gets killed/injured makes stupid decisions so often because he's used to operating under the rules of the demons and normal human society, and he hasnt learned that consequences and rules are enforced much harsher in regards to vampires. his rash and impulsive personality/decision making skills/opposition to authority figures that he doesnt like just isnt compatible with vampire society, and this leads to him getting hurt (see any and all of his interactions with edward)

(episode 4)

so, we know he lies to get what he wants (status, respect, etc) and doesn't feel bad about it. now is time to address his upbringing. obviously, it was not great. he has a very negative relationship with his father, and it wouldn't be too big of a stretch to describe it as potentially abusive. "Listen, I've lived with this guy my whole life. He's always kind of been a piece of shit to me, so do what you want - I couldn't care any less. But, if you're making me choose between my wellbeing and his, then I'm always going to choose me. Besides, I can't do any of that mind shit anyways." (episode 2) we can most likely assume he joined the demons relatively young, as a way to escape or have a place to stay other than his dads house. this is also probably the source of his opposition to authority, especially those that act negatively towards him.

(episode 6)

episode 6 is very interesting. emizel risks his life to go back to the unseen one to ask a very specific question: "why did i get abandoned with my father, and why did shilo get to stay?" also noting that his most precious memory is one he had with the demons. when shilo asks about this question, he gets very defensive, because he knows that shilo would have an answer for him, but its not the answer he wants. if he tells them, they wont let him go back to the unseen one. of course, his question is left unanswered, and he asks it again in episode 10.

another very interesting thing happens in episode 10: he willingly gets rid of all memories of his father. he had a lot of other things he could have given up, but he specifically chose his father. with the definite negative impact his dad must have had on him, and how highly emizel prioritizes strength, it wouldnt be a stretch to say that he viewed the trauma of living with his father as a weakness, something to get rid of instead of grow and heal from. it would take time, a resource he isn't willing to share.

so, why is emizel so motivated towards power and status? with all this, the answer is pretty obvious: he wants to be able to build the life he was never able to have. power and status means money means opportunities means choices means a better life. he wants an escape from la, from his father, from everything he's had to deal with growing up. hes constantly reminding himself that its not fair, its not fair that shilo got to live that way, its not fair he was abandoned and stuck here. so he wants to make it fair for himself and the rest of his posse. those he considers his family. his jealousy motivates him.

so of course a wrench is thrown in everything when he loses that emotional connection to most of his friends (except theo. which i will get to) and finds himself just not caring anymore. the thing hes built his life around, spent years climbing the ranks - all for nothing. but what else can he do but continue on. find another distraction, find another goal.

THEO:

we don't know much about theos past other than he (supposedly) lives in the suburbs and has rich parents. (referenced in episode 8) though this is debatably canon, i think its interesting if it is because it brings up a lot of questions. most notably, why did he join the demons? the most obvious answer is that it's the same as emizel: his parents suck. though of course none of this is canon, so moving onto the things that are.

the first major event that happens to him is emizel being turned. he sees emizel less, "No shit, really? You know Emizel? How is he keeping up? He's kinda, been disappearin' every night." (episode 2) and we can assume emizel is a big part of his life. (which i will get to later) and then, thanks to shilo, a core aspect of his personality is stripped away. his entire life is essentially turned on his head, and he can feel something missing. so, as seen in episode 5, he turns to alcohol. its no surprise why, he's lost the sense of normality, his routine, everything he was used to. so he may as well do this. a lot of theos more interesting aspects only really show when hes interacting with emizel, so time to get to the fun part.

FIZZFANGS AS A WHOLE:

a very interesting thing is that emizel and theo act very differently when talking/interacting with each other than any other character. dialogue-wise, they both talk a lot faster and "messier" around one another, interrupting themselves and eachother to finish each others thoughts.

(episode 3)

just by their conversations, you can tell they're very close. this particular instance also has two other interesting things in it: theo asking what he can do to help emizel, and condi specifying that theo would be the only person emizel would tell about being a vampire. to address the first part, here is a complete list of all the times theo asks emizel what he should do/what he should do to help/etc (and this is an incomplete transcript, so ive probably missed a couple.)

"Alright, you lead the way man, let's do it." (ep 1)

"What's going on here? What do I do? What do you want me to do, man?" (ep 1)

"No man! I'm not leaving you, man! I can take him. I can still take him." (ep 1)

"I'm not leaving you, man!" (ep 1)

"Well, how can I help you with the non-soda related-?" (ep 3)

"Yeah! I mean... What should I do first?" (ep 3)

"So you just let me know whenever you need? I got you, bro." (ep 3)

"So, uh… Anything I can help with?" (ep 5)

"Don't worry, man. I got you. Where am I taking you?" (ep 5)

"So, um… how, c- how can I help you, man?" (ep 8)

this fucking crazy interaction:

(episode 3)

so it goes without saying that theo would do anything for emizel. and he does, he stays in the alley even after he gets hurt, he stays even after he watches emizel die. and when emizel crawls over to him, dazed and hungry for blood, he doesnt run. he only runs after emizel tells him to. another really important thing about their relationship is the fact that they're both a constant in each others lives.

(episode 8)

its kind of like they sort people into two boxes: "theo/emizel" and "everyone else." and the other will always be their highest priority. emizel drives to the other side of la just to see theo. after emizel dies in the club, his first instinct is to go find theo. theo is the only person that the unseen one appears as to him. in episode 8, the first step to his plan is finding theo.

(episode 6)

even if he hadn't just lot a good amount of emotional connection to the rest of his friends, i think he would still be a lot more urgent to go save him. and again, his first thought is to check if theo is there. if theo's okay, if he's safe.

(episode 5)

and theo does this too. he insists that emizel is his only friend, the only one he trusts. speaking of trust, that is the most crucial aspect to their relationship. they trust eachother a sickening amount, they regularly put their life in the others hands. when emizel drinks theos blood, its not "is he going to hurt me?" its "how can i make this the safest?" because theo trusts emizel not to hurt him, even after knowing he's killed ~12 people.

(episode 3)

and here, emizel trusts that theo loves him enough to be okay with this. note that arthur doesn't even bring up love, emizel is the first to. arthur only brings it up after emizel says that. because emizel knows that theo loves him and trusts him, emizel knows that theo would do anything for him.

(episode 9)

and emizel, notorious for not letting anyone close enough to hurt him, tells theo that if he wants to, not needs, wants, he can kill him. that theo can kill him, if he wants. because emizel doesn't fully trust himself alone, but he trusts himself when he's with theo.

and theo trusts emizel too. despite seeing what vampires can do in a frenzy, he trusts that emizel wouldn't hurt him, just as emizel trusts that theo would stop him before anything could ever happen. and emizel is a notorious liar, so we can assume that he doesn't/wouldn't lie to theo, which would explain why theo trusts him so much.

basically, they'll always be there for eachother and theo would do anything for emizel and emizel will always come back to theo in the end and they love eachother and despite everything they are together. theyre completely inseperable.

tl;dr: emizels main MOTIVATION is status, while the most IMPORTANT thing to him is theo

[orchidbreezefc]

i wanna talk about haymitch abernathy.

well, first i wanna talk about the treatment of chemical addiction in the hunger games trilogy. because it's good. a lot of characters, including katniss, struggle with it. it gets explored in considerable depth, and not once is any character looked down on for it (well, aside from some eye-rolling with haymitch and perhaps pity for the 'morphlings' in book 2).

no one is infantilized, dehumanized, or considered weak for their dependency, even when they're incoherent from inebriation or withrawal. addicts are treated with dignity,  and there is only ever respect, understanding, and sympathy for their struggle and for the trauma that led them to this position. the story has no interest in scrutinizing how they got there or whether their behavior is sufficiently justified, only in meeting them where they are.

everyone has suffered at the hands of the capitol, and some people have resorted to substances to cope--even and especially smart, competent people. it's unfortunate and painful for them (and the focus is always on the addict's suffering, not anyone else's) but it's always understood as doing what they had to do. survival is a crucial theme in these books, and this is just another form of it.

this understanding extends to the point that katniss and peeta independently hoard liquor in case haymitch runs out. he's fucking annoying and rude and at that point they have no reason to believe they stand to gain anything from helping him, but they do it anyway because abandoning him would be cruel. it's not ever a question of enabling an alcoholic, it's a question of not letting a man fucking die of withdrawal.

see, rough around the edges is an insufficient description for haymitch; he's rough all the way to the middle. he is a messy, sloppy drunk. he is rude, obnoxious, and venomously cynical. he is also the smartest character in a series full of extremely smart characters.

in the first book all that is said about haymitch's victory is speculation from katniss and peeta. they note that he isnt a standout physical talent and doesnt have any specialized abilities, and deduce that he must have won by outsmarting the others. this is innocuous enough and supported by the shrewdness of haymitch's sponsor gifts and his coaching outside the games.

the recontextualization comes in book 2 when we learn haymitch was the victor of the 50th hunger games, the last quarter quell--which had twice as many tributes as usual. haymitch didn't outsmart 23 other people, up to a third of them having trained for this exact purpose until age 17. haymitch outsmarted 47.

haymitch abernathy? is a big fucking deal. that man waltzed in from The underdog district, unmentored and presumably earning approximately zero sponsor gifts with his winning personality, and won the hardest hunger games there has ever been. haymitch is the most impressive bitch in panem. between this and our increasing insight into how the victors are treated, the alcoholism gets recontextualized too.

imagine how frothingly fucking pissed the capitol is that haymitch is impossible to leverage for any PR purpose whatsoever. like, this is The victor, but what are they gonna do? show off the victor of the hardest hunger games of all time and he's fucking haymitch?

he shows up to every public appearance fall-down drunk and pukes on someone's shoes. every time he's on screen he embarrasses everyone. he makes the hunger games look like a joke and undermines the whole premise. he's supposed to be the capitol's biggest asset and he's pissed all over it. he's useless to them. the best thing they can do is leave him alone.

that's when you think, wait. that's kind of a rebellion in itself, huh? he defies the capitol's efforts to use him as 'a piece in their game' better than anyone else outside district 13, maybe them too, when he should be their favored pawn. he's about as free of their influence as anyone can be. that seems... smart. haymitch-typical smart.

haymitch's alcoholism is real and no doubt a legitimate result of his trauma, but it's also a weapon. he probably plays it up. gets extra trashed for every public appearance, the earlier in the day the better. asks himself what he could do that would horrify effie trinket the most and then does that.

at the same time, haymitch seems to get it together more as the series goes on. from the sound of it he was content to drink himself to death and blow off every tribute in his district before katniss and peeta came along and he recognized in them the potential for revolutionaries and, more importantly, the potential for victors. for the first time he had a real chance to achieve a goal, and the real necessity to be sharp for it.

my guess is that haymitch started making actual efforts to manage his alcoholism from then on. getting sober is pretty much impossible to do on your own, and indeed he has a relapse for every time he improves. but haymitch would have known he'd need any scrap of competence he could snatch. and i think, away from our heroine's perspective, he did. you can play drunk for a camera; you can't play sober for a planning session.

the one thing that really helps with addiction is a support network, and that's the one thing haymitch can never have. it is made blisteringly clear that your loved ones are so much ammunition for the capitol to use against you, and they desperately need some for haymitch. he says his loved ones are all dead, but one wonders if there were more that he made damn sure were no longer loved ones before that happened. maybe haymitch saved some lives by driving people as far away as he could, and doomed himself to succumb to the alcoholism in the process.

on a sillier note, i imagine during katniss and peeta's games haymitch would have needed someone to manage his intake and keep him sober enough to strategize the sponsorships without sending him into withdrawal. and i like to think it was effie trinket.

she'd disapprove at first but dosages and scheduling would be her JAM. plus haymitch would always cave in to her sanctimonious lectures before she caved in to his demands for more. it would be really motivating, actually--"i can endure this. anything's better than hearing one more fucking word from effie goddamn trinket about my health." truly the dream team.

tl;dr i fucking love haymitch abernathy. he's one of the characters of all time. thank you, suzanne collins, for this smart, competent, callous, mean, complex alcoholic who is vital to the revolution. thank you for writing addicts and addiction with the depth, seriousness, complexity, and respect they deserve as human beings.

[zeravmeta]

i want to talk about jeanne and jeanne alter. first off white woman (laugh track so loud it shakes the building) ok now that thats out of the way what I really want to talk about is how interesting i find the dynamic between the two because for all that jalter is this 2 kool 4 skool edgy jeanne born from a grudge the truth of the matter is that regular jeanne is far more insane than her. jalter is very much this tortured soul born from gilles’ agony but the fact of the matter is that shes actually quite easy to understand. The moment she and her anger are validated she immediately chills because yeah, she was someones idea of what jeannes anger would be, in every respect she is a fake of a fake because the regular jeanne is so insane and inhuman that she feels basically no remorse guilt or resentment for every wrong she committed and was committed against her. jalter is a counterfeit, a fake who unlike every other faker in the series doesnt really aim to surpass jeanne as “jeanne d’arc” (nothing says a faker cant surpass the original), but rather exist entirely independent of jeanne d’arc because her idea of surpassing jeanne is entirely rooted in being jalter instead. Its why in every subsequent appearance she went around jumping between hobbies, learning how to read and write and generally trying to ingratiate herself in every clique she could, she doesn’t want to be just the fake alter of jeanne, she wants to be recognized as her own person separate from jeanne.

and the reason thats so significant is because the original jeanne gave up every bit of herself without a single regret. it’s brought up by mephistopheles in her interludes but the reason why jalter was such an impossible idea to exist is because jeanne is so committed to god and her cause that mephisto considers her lacking in humanity. jalter refers to herself as a mercy born for jeanne because shes someones idea of jeanne having been avenged, jeanne having given in to human anger at being betrayed and thrown away. But jeanne in having never broken was also hollowed out, by her own hand no less. anyone halfway familiar with the apocrypha novels knows that jeanne is genuinely kind but also merciless when needed: she has no issue striking down the children jack creates because they are already forsaken and jeanne knows she cant save them alone, she tells atalante to her face that while god is merciful she very much isnt, jeanne freely admits that she believes humans are ultimately evil despite being capable of good, she doesnt even consider herself a saint because as much as she would have liked to remain a farmgirl she threw herself into a war knowing the death it would entail and was not even phazed by it. jeanne heard gods lament but she was not aided by god, she did everything because she was helping god, and had no issue having a cruel and pitiful death for that. which causes mephisto to call her fucking insane! mephisto in her interludes doesnt try to break jeanne by having her face every horrible thing in her life, what mephisto aimed to do was simply have jeanne admit that she did feel some kind of emotion about it, any anger, resentment, even despair, because jeanne at the very least deserved that. but she never does, which in turn terrified mephisto because he’s someone who ultimately values humanity and in his eyes, jeanne was freely throwing hers away. despite every atrocity she faced, jeanne still did hold hope for humans and was fine throwing herself away for their sakes.

But it’s also why jeanne is so kind to jalter in turn. jalter is the human jeanne wished she could be but ultimately isnt, the version of her who was allowed to be human. jeanne is too unshakeable in her principles to ever let herself break or be broken, but jalter doesnt have that commitment, that sense of duty or even that discipline. jalter, for all that she is an impossibility, is free to be herself, more than anything she allows herself to be free when jeanne never did. jalter might on the surface be the evil version of jeanne but truthfully she is the kindness that jeanne was never afforded, and while mephisto couldn't really break her, at the very least he was able to get her to admit that even if there was no resentment, she did hold a wish to live. and above all, there was nothing wrong with that wish. jalter forces jeanne to acknowledge her because even if jeanne didnt let herself stop and always ran towards her end, there were people who did grieve for jeanne, people who cared about jeanne d’arc the human and not the symbol. when jeanne first meets jalter in orleans, the first question she asks is if jalter has any memories of their past, because those memories of simpler days and simple happiness were enough for jeanne to fight for. and when jalter told her no, and yet in turn forced jeanne to acknowledge her, jeanne had decided to give that simple happiness to jalter.

jalter is not jeanne d’arc, she could never be jeanne d’arc and she doesn’t even want to be her, but jeanne wants to be kind to jalter, because it would also be allowing kindness to herself. and for all that jalter is abrasive towards jeanne, she also knows that her existence hinges on the fact that someone did care about jeanne on an individual level, so no matter how annoying she might find her “original”, the truth is that jalter existing and being happy as herself is also the wish and the validation for jeanne to be happy as herself. jalter might be the dark reflection of what jeanne could have been, but the dark reflection is not an admission of evil or the possibility of revenge, its the idea that jeanne could live for herself and have individual human happiness, and it ties back to what jalter always establishes about herself: once something is born, it cant ever be erased.

once the impossible idea of jalter was born, so too was the impossible idea of jeanne d’arc allowing herself to live as a human.

[cakesmelons]

idk if your still gonna answer asks about the situation but as a fellow trans person i need to explain something that i'm noticing a lot of people are not understanding (don't worry this isnt at you or anyone upset with cal) i'm seeing quite a few people go "she's sticking to her beliefs and being respectful! she's not being transphobic so what's the big deal!?" and i genuinely want the people saying this to read this post and take into consideration on why this doesn't make the situation any better her belief is a very outdated and also dangerous one because believing that there can only be a male and a female invalidates so many people (trans, enby, non-binary, intersex etc) and those beliefs can cause actual harm to people to the point of literal hate crimes, i'm sorry but you guys shouldn't give her a pat on the back for "sticking to her beliefs" because her beliefs are very, very harmful and i've even seen other christens disagree with her and try to explain to her why this is bad

secondly; there's also how she called trans people a label and used the term in quotation marks, we are not a label we are living breathing human beings who want to be happy with ourselves and have a right to exists thirdly and there's the elephant in the room... the twitter likes and follows, it's proven many times that cal has liked straight up horrible transphobic and homophobic tweets and even follows people like matt walsh who want lgbtq+ people dead, if anyone defending her didn't know about the twitter stuff then that's fine but if you did and still defend her then it's clear you guys are beyond help closing statement: the reason why people are very upset with cal is that she lied to so many trans people in the community with a cut and dry example of being two-faced, you simply cannot say you respect trans people and interact with them while also going out of your way to have a low-key transphobic belief, liking transphobic stuff and following transphobic people especially when undertale and deltarune cannonicly have lgbtq+ character (cal even drawing said lgbtq+ characters like undyne for example which i find rich since i've heard she doesn't like mlm and wlw ships) and the community having SO MUCH lgbtq+ people this isn't a "lets agree to disagree" situation, this isn't drama either, this is a very serious situation also i've seen people go "she hasn't said any hate in the past!" as an defense, sorry but that doesn't change anything... i think it just makes the fact that she fooled everyone worse anyway sorry for this lengthy asks, i'm too scared to make a post but also i've been very upset about the situation and wanted to get my thoughts out because the way people are defending her without understanding why this is actually very bad is making me facepalm so hard sincerely, a very emotional trans man

I really don't have anything to add. This is a pretty good summary of this whole thing.

[xamaxenta]

ASL all being raised on violence so they genuinely don’t understand softer touch, genuine kindness at first

Like these three feral jungle kids bit kicked scratched each other full on brawled one another because it was the only way they knew how to show affection

(Garp’s fist of love is not exactly a great point of reference for any of them, Dadan was also likewise heavy handed but lets be real these brats kicked her ass more than she kicked theirs lmao)

Luffy clicks with Zoro because Zoro’s just built like that, he’s built walls and his dreams to become the worlds greatest swordsman and nothings gonna stop him, So when Luffy decks him, hauls ass flings him about, its how Luffy shows affection, rocketing at top speed towards Zoro whilst yelling his name because he knows Zoro can take it, the same doesnt really go down well with Nami or Usopp, theyre not built the same way— bruises and bumps and scratches, Nami whacks him over the head all the time for stupid stuff she says and Luffy finds thats familiar, to which Usopp is like my guy my dude thats actually pretty effed up holy hell

Usopp and Sanji being the first of the crew to show Luffy that affection doesnt have to be violent (like usopp sharing a cool beetle he found, Sanji ruffling his hair because hes mad hes gotta wait until dinner for more food)

Ace fights a lot because it’s all he knows how to do right, hes good at it, he wins alot mostly but loses just as many times because he overestimates himself, maybe after fighting Whitebeard 100 times he doesnt let up and Whitebeard catches on immediately after Ace has taken his ink like son, just because i can kick your ass doesnt mean you have to go looking for it. Ace confused is like huh? But isnt this like a bonding activity and WB concerned asks Ace what his childhood was like and Ace shrugs uh. Absent everyone? Like everyone, kinda acted out a ton for attention and stuff, the WBP appalled at Ace’s viewpoint on violence versus affection look to multiple ways in which they can smother their newest brother with actual kind affection, naturally it starts with Marco approaching him with food and no other motive than to be kind — Ace used to fighting tooth and nail to eat looks so suspicious its almost heartbreaking

Sabo who’s never known a kind word from his blood parents and only begruding respect and tolerance from Dadan — hes perceptive, the fact this bandit lady with the crazy intense face is allowing him to freeload with Ace n Luffy tells him a ton about her, she’s coarse and rude and everything Sabo’s parents hate so naturally Sabo loves her, (its a shame we never got more Dadan and Sabo :(((((() gravitates towards Ace because he’s everythinf his parents hate too, wild uncouth loudmouthed and violent and they get along, they beat each other up bc its how they tell each other theyre strong ive got your back

And then he loses his memories and maybe thats a good thing because Sabo learns kindness with the revolutionaries, he feels seen and heard and respected (Big Applause to Dragon and Iva for listening to kid Sabo beg and plead not to go back to his old life and went okay hes ours now chadmindset love to see it) he learns that violence and affection are a double sided coin, that he can use his skills to fight and protect those that cant do it for themselves

ASL are a rowdy set of rabble rousin kiddos but its really nice to see how they develop as they got older bc of the people they encountered who help them understand theyre not alone as they think they are

[crookednachogalaxy]

thinking about bowuigi like i always do, and im kinda noticing how a majority of media has bowser pursuing luigi for a relationship and... it makes sense???

now dont get me wrong - bowser is brash, he is bold, he is confident, and maybe even arrogant at times. he's the fearsome king of the koopas, he is not afraid to take what is his. his affections are loud because he is loud, and that's why it makes sense.

but what about luigi pursuing a relationship first?

first things first, i am not talking about luigi developing feelings first or something. i specifically mean luigi actively pursuing bowser romantically regardless of whether bowser has feelings for him.

that means taking him out on dates, giving him gifts, bonding with his loved ones, all the stops one pulls to get and keep another's romantic interest.

i want luigi to give him flowers. bowser has just won a really tough tennis match in the tournament they're taking part in, and luigi decides this is perfect moment to give him the flower bouquet he's prepared. so one moment bowser is desperately chugging water as if it's the last drop he'll ever drink, and the next there is this little plumber boy standing in front of him who he's pretty sure he beat up once and has definitely forgotten the name of.

and he's holding the flowers up, saying he did so great in his match and they're for him - and bowser almost wants to laugh. he wants to laugh because flowers are weak, and pathetic, and for soft-shelled koopas which HE'S NOT. but this tiny human's entire body is shaking, the smile on his face is steadfast, and he's looking at bowser as if he hung the stars and the moon in the sky, and something about it just makes his brain short-circuit for reasons he cant understand yet.

i want luigi to plan dates for him and bowser. picnics and fancy dinners and homemade dinners, amusement parks, private kart racing, watching the stars and/or the sunset. i want luigi fretting and overthinking on what bowser likes to do and how to invite him. i want luigi to forget any and all thoughts when bowser steps into the room. mario has war flashbacks about where he went wrong when raising luigi, while said plumber is looking across peach's ballroom with hearts in his eyes.

i want bowser to not realize he's going on dates with luigi. that he's seeing him every week at this point, that even kamek raises an eyebrow when he calls luigi his friend. he always comes home feeling great about himself after seeing luigi, because the human showers him in compliments, attends to his every wish. it takes him a while to realize that luigi isnt just stroking his ego, but that he genuinely likes bowser, and once he starts listening to what luigi actually compliments him on? he's stunned at how deeply his affection runs.

luigi complimemts him on the way he rules with fairness and respect. on the way he prides himself in his history and culture, how he seeks to uplift and celebrate it. he compliments him on his bond with his children, what a good father he is to them. luigi says things that bowser never even noticed in himself, things he didnt think anyone would ever see.

he compliments him on the things that make him him, he makes an effort to spend time and foster bonds with his children, giving each the time and sincerity they deserve. he is there to calm bowser when he's stressed or angry, comforts him when he's sad, never judging him for his faults or feelings. he makes an effort to know and love bowser for who he is. at some point it becomes hard to imagine what a life without luigi looks like.

and most importantly, he still has that first flower bouquet luigi gave him, next to the others of its kind, the plants kept alive by magic, the notes written on display, and the gifts he's given show they're well used.

i just really like the thought of luigi being the one to take these steps, to pursue a romantic love despite the fear that his body evidently likes to show, despite the racing thoughts that make him wanna believe its a worthless endeavour. let him be the one to actively take these steps, be the one to take bowser's hand with a smile and a kiss, be the one to walk him home when they were out later than they intended to be. its a mental image i very much enjoy