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gofancyninjaworld · 2 months

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Thinking about Garou

Question: "Compared to the first season, which draws attention to Saitama's exhilarating punches, the second season focuses on story development. Did you have any specific goals while drawing the story?" Murata: "There was one thing that I requested from ONE Sensei before drawing my re-illustrated manga. At first, there were plans to cut out Garou's childhood with the bully in my version, but that scene really left an impression on me. I thought it was a vital part of understanding Garou's position, so I discussed it with ONE Sensei and requested that I be able to leave it in for y version. And it was paced so well in the anime! I believe it ended up being a very high-quality scene." -- From the liner notes of One-Punch Man Season 2.

I'm including this because I feel it's fundamental to really talk about Garou with any depth. Garou without context does not make sense. He is a kind, sensitive, and thoughtful young man who wants to do good in the world. Yet, he caused a horrifying amount of harm, both directly and indirectly, and ultimately undermined his own goals.

I'm glad that ONE listened to Murata about keeping Garou's childhood flashback. Without it, he'd just have been a thug attacking heroes for no reason to us (pretty much as the heroes saw him). Not only that, but ONE has gone a lot further in the manga in showing us the context in which Garou grew up that's been very helpful for understanding who Garou is, what he saw, and making some sense of his powerful yet contradictory desires.

Ultimately Garou is Garou. He's his own person and the buck for his actions firmly stops with him. No matter what, I can't imagine him not being an independent thinker with the determination to put his thoughts into action.

But...

...the tragedy of his thinking becomes clear when we see his thinking of monsters as metaphors for what is misunderstood or unacceptable in ourselves (a popular enough one IRL where monsters aren't real) and compare it with the reality of his world in which monsters have won, successfully restricting humans to one continent, and people like heroes because they are reminders that sometimes, even apparently overwhelming evil can be defeated. Nothing good happens when you deny the reality around you.

You know Garou's rant about uniting the world with fear? It's a standalone rant in the webcomic. The manga gives us a snapshot of the context in which he came to this conclusion. As this is a place that is no stranger to natural disasters -- forget the monsters -- Garou has no doubt experienced at least one big storm, or flood, or earthquake, or volcanic eruption in his life. In those days and weeks that follow, he's no longer an outcast. Nobody cares about where you come from or who you are: people help each other. At least until normalcy is restored. That's something he's directly experienced.

That's just human nature: even in individualistic societies, for every report of looting in the wake of a natural disaster, there are hundreds of people trying to help. And this is a much more collectivist society that has to deal with disasters semi-regularly. That's the sense of looking out for each other in the face of a tragedy bigger than any person he wanted to recreate—only permanently.

Then we get bits of Garou through the people around him. We got nothing about his parents in the webcomic but in the manga, his parents refuse to see him or get him out of custody. They've given up on him. To make it worse, the audience ONE is writing for understands that Garou is a minor until he's 20 (the law recently changed in Japan but it wasn't even up for debate when ONE started writing OPM). So they've done the equivalent of washing their hands of a 16-year-old. That's got to have hit Garou very, very hard, even if he was estranged from them. He'd have liked it if his father cared enough to tell him what to do.

We see how Bang has literally taken on the role of in loco parentis. It's been interesting to see that the reason Bang has chased after Garou so relentlessly is because he sees himself in the young man. However, we also see that he deeply misunderstands Garou too. Bang beat up people because he was an extremely selfish young man who felt he was entitled to everything.

Garou beat up people because he is an extremely thoughtful young man who sees himself as bringing a great good into the world at the expense of some heroes.

It's definitely going to cause trouble but that's okay -- nothing in life is smooth and such differences are inevitable. With love, such struggles are worthwhile.

Garou's an object lesson in why the energy to do things in the world rarely comes with the power to make those changes. His overly simple solutions were disastrous. But one thing we can also say about Garou: he's a fast learner. He's literally rebuilding his life little by little in the webcomic by rebuilding the world around him. In the manga, he's been given the opportunity to sift through his thinking and find what's genuinely good. We'll see how it all shakes out.

#OPM #meta #Garou #manga #webcomic #the road to hell is paved with good intentions has rarely been truer when it comes to Garou #I am glad the manga has drawn out more context for us to understand him better #and also given him more opportunity to confront his way of thinking

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misc-obeyme · 9 months

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Hello! Could I request the bros reacting to an a quiet Mc who’s love language is just silently leaving hand-crocheted plushies/items in their room and leaving wintout saying anything? Kind of like how a cat would leave a dead lizard or mouse for you, but instead it’s small handcrafted stuff.

Some people also head cannon Asmodeus as a crocheted or knitter, and it could be fun to keep that in mind if you want.

Thank you in advance, and have a nice day!

Hello, anon!

Okay so you just happened to hit on something that I have knowledge of lol. I haven't crocheted in a while, but it is something I have done quite a bit of! Though I have yet to make an amigurumi type project, I really should get on that.

Anyway, I didn't know about the Asmo headcanon, but you can be sure it has been fully accepted by me now.

Thanks for the request!

the brothers react to GN!MC who leaves them crocheted gifts

Warnings: none!

Lucifer

The first time he finds a little crocheted item in his office or bedroom, he's slightly perplexed. What exactly is this thing made of yarn? But while Lucifer often acts like he's aloof, he pays close attention to you, and he's seen you crocheting before. This causes him to realize that you've left him a gift. In the privacy of his room, he's going to blush because he can't handle how cute you are.

Confronts you about it. MC, did you make this for him? If you try to dodge the question, it won't work. He knows it was you, he just wants to hear you say it. You might as well indulge him and admit it. If you do, he'll tell you he has a gift for you, too, which turns out to be a hug or a kiss.

If you made him a little plushie, he keeps it forever on his desk or beside his bed. Absolutely glares down anyone who might even think about picking it up. If you made him something like a scarf, he wears it at every opportunity.

He's not going to be blatant about it, but the way he clearly cares for the things you've crocheted for him lets you know how he feels. He's protective of them, but he also likes to show them off.

Mammon

You'll be leaving things for him in his room for some time before you realize how much it means to him. Because every time he finds a little crocheted item you've left for him, he stashes it away like a little treasure. He knows they're from you, but he's too embarrassed about how much he loves them to talk to you about it directly.

You figure it out when you stumble upon the stash. It's in his room somewhere safe and you just happened to find it. A little hoard of every crocheted thing you've ever given him. If he's there when this happens, he's going to insist that it isn't because he likes you or anything. Of course you're makin' stuff for the Great Mammon, MC! He just figured he might as well take care of those things since you spent so much time on them and everything.

If you make him an amigurumi crow, he'll lose his mind. Customize it by giving it gold button eyes, maybe using yarn with little gold streaks in it. This becomes his most prized possession.

Mammon is constantly buying you more yarn to make things with. It's not that he wants you to make new stuff for him! (He does.) He just saw some and thought you might like it! (Please keep making him things, MC.)

Leviathan

Oh? What's this? An adorable crochet plushie version of his favorite anime character? He LOVES IT. It's one of a kind! No one has this but him! It's the most limited of limited editions! Yeah, he's thrilled. Like Lucifer, he figures out pretty quickly that it was you because he's seen you crocheting before. He's so happy to have received this item from you, he finds you instantly to tell you how great it is.

MC! W-would you maybe be willing to make him more? Like if you made a little Ruri-chan, you know he's going to want an Azuki-tan, too. At the very least! He starts a whole collection. Custom crochet character plushies. He makes a blog to show them off to people online.

Make him some fingerless gloves to keep his hands warm while he's gaming. You'll find he almost never takes them off. Gets comments about them when he's streaming, but doesn't ever answer any questions about where they came from.

He might actually ask you to show him how to crochet. He might want to make you something in return. He also might be interested in making crochet clothing items to go with various cosplay ideas. He'll give you all these reasons, but secretly Levi just wants to spend time with you.

Satan

He knows exactly what's happening, but he doesn't say anything to you for a little while. He wants to see how many things you'll bring him first. Eventually he can't help himself, though, and he casually mentions how much he appreciates all the little gifts you've been leaving him. You truly are adorable, MC.

He might actually ask you to crochet him a book cozy. He's probably seen them on Devilgram - little pouches for holding a book to keep its pages safe from getting bent up while on the go. If you make it, you can be sure Satan will never part with it again. Though he may need you to make more than one for different sizes of books.

You can really make him blush like crazy if you make him a bunch of cat plushies. Every time he sees a new one, he's overcome by the cuteness. It's the closest he'll ever get to having his own cats in the House of Lamentation and that means so much to him.

Returns your gifts with things he's chosen for you. Writes you poetry. Gives you books of crochet patterns. Makes you bookmarks with ribbons and pressed flowers. He isn't overly demonstrative in general, so this is his way of letting you know how much he loves when you make him things.

Asmodeus

Since he can also crochet and likely knits, too, this becomes a gift-off. Every time you leave him a little something, you find something from him in your room the next day. They're often on theme - for instance, if you make him a plushie of himself (once he's done swooning over it), he'll make you one of yourself. That way you're always matching.

He likes the secretiveness aspect of this, too. Sneaking in your room to leave you gifts is exciting. But he can't keep it up for very long because he wants to tell you how much he loves what you've made. As soon as he sees you've found his gift, he gushes to you about the one you left for him.

Now listen, MC. You can crochet, he can crochet, the only thing you guys could possibly do is design some crochet outfits and accessories! He wants you to model them all for him, too. Posts everything on Devilgram unless you're too shy and then he only posts selfies you've taken with him. Crochet accessories become a trend in the Devildom after that.

Asmo also just loves to crochet with you. Sitting side by side, watching some TV or listening to his brothers bicker or just chatting while you both work on your latest projects. Teaches you new stitches and patterns that he's created over the years.

Beelzebub

As long as you don't make him a plushie cheeseburger or something, he's going to love them. Any time you make anything food themed, you run the risk of it being eaten before he realizes it was actually made of yarn. It's probably something he figures out after the first few times, but even if he knows it's not technically edible, that might not stop him if he gets hungry.

He has a much easier time remembering not to eat things that are not food shaped, though. Make him a little plushie of himself and Belphie and he'll be over the moon. Make him extra happy by giving him one of yourself, too.

If you make him some kind of accessory like a scarf, it just becomes part of his regular outfit. He rarely takes it off, wears it every day. Beel is really protective of it, too. Keeps it safe when he does take it off, makes sure it never gets crumbs on it.

You're really amazing, MC. He's genuinely impressed that you can make so many cute things with just some yarn. He actually loves to watch you crochet because it looks like magic, but you're not actually casting any spells.

Belphegor

Another secret hoarder, so at first you're not sure he's even getting your gifts until he wears something you made. Enjoys gloves and little pillows, but fully appreciates everything you make, even if he acts like he doesn't. Keeps them all next to his pillow on his bed.

While crocheting a blanket can take some time, if you do this for him, you can be sure that blanket will become his favorite thing in the world. He doesn't like to nap without it. If he's going to get cozy somewhere, he brings that blanket with him. He'll love any pattern you go with, but if you make one that matches his cow print pillow, he'll probably lose his mind.

Absolutely loves to wear any and all items you make for him because there is something so soft and cozy about the yarn. He might use all of them as pillows at some point. They're comfortable and they smell like you.

Belphie likes to sleep on your lap while you crochet. He'll hold the ball of yarn for you while he sleeps. He likes to snuggle up with you and he likes the steady rhythm of your body moving with each stitch you make. Please tell him whenever you're planning on sitting and crocheting for a while, MC. It's kind of his favorite thing.

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me nightbringer #obey me nb #obey me swd #obey me fanfiction #obey me fanfic #obey me headcanons #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me brothers #request #anon request #misc writes

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iamnmbr3 · 3 months

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So when first asked to identify Harry, Draco doesn't do it but he stammers a bit and kind of prevaricates. But now he doesn't hesitate. He's made up his mind. As surely as he is now certain that he is looking at Harry Potter he is also certain that he's not going to be the one to reveal that fact. And he actually turns his back and walks away and refuses to be a part of it. Even knowing what the means, what it will cost him and his family.

And remember, Harry's appearance is altered but not so much that the Snatchers didn't suspect his true identity. There is no way that Draco, who in 6th year identified Harry by a glimpse of his shoe and the sound of his breath, did not recognize him.

(Incidentally this is one of the scenes I love in the movie because you can see the moment the penny drops and he realizes exactly who is in his drawing room and the momentousness of this moment and of the decision he must now make.)

I think it's notable that Draco looks both reluctant and fearful. Obviously he's reluctant to have a hand in Harry's death. And I think the fear comes from several things. I think it's fear of what will happen if Harry escapes, and an even greater fear of what will happen if he doesn't.

Draco knows what he's risking by giving Harry a window of opportunity and he's afraid of the punishment he and his family will endure if Harry gets away and of course he's afraid of how much worse it will be if it's discovered that he intentionally withheld the truth about Harry's identity. And yet despite everything he has been taught and despite the fact that he's never prided himself on his bravery, he is still even more afraid of the idea that it will all be for nothing, that Harry won't get away and will die right here in Draco's own drawing room.

Also. Nobody else comments on how afraid and reluctant Draco looks so I think he does a decent job of concealing it. (Given that he's alive after this incident we know Voldemort certainly never figured out Draco didn't immediately identify Harry on purpose). Harry just knows him so well he sees right through it.

And my drarry heart LOVES how throughout this whole scene Harry thinks of him as Draco. He starts thinking of him as Draco when he sees him forced to tortured Rowle and only reverts to "Malfoy" during the Room of Requirement confrontation. Because in this moment something in Harry knows Draco isn't truly his enemy.

Also I wonder if Narcissa also saw through Draco's facade of ignorance and started to suspect how he feels about Harry - that what she once might have taken for jealousy or perhaps a shallow infatuation isn't that at all but rather something much more powerful and deeper. Maybe that's why in the end she expected Harry to know where Draco was, even in the midst of the battle.

#It's notable that after this moment she stops pushing Draco to identify Harry and doesn't join in the calls to bring Voldemort.#drarry #hpdm #harry/draco #Draco Malfoy #Draco Malfoy meta #drarry meta #Harry Potter #hp reread #harry potter and the deathly hallows #Harry Potter meta #meta #my meta #my post

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authenticyuri · 11 months

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The latest Dungeon Meshi chapter is incredibly good for many reasons but one of them is getting to see Chilchuck's arc and him growing as a character, especially when it comes to his opinion on Laios as a leader and as a friend. I am so interested in breaking down their relationship development (this also doubles as chilaios propaganda btw lmao)

This got extremely long so I'll leave it under the cut <3

At the very start of the manga, and throughout most of the middle, Chilchuck clearly brushes Laios interests and personality off as being weird, just like pretty much every other character, but underneath that is a frustration that comes from him thinking that Laios could stand to be a way better leader than he is. Chilchuck is arguably way more qualified to be a leader in their group, but taking a leadership position is obviously not something he could easily do because of how prejudiced against his race is. In a world where most races see yours as disposable, it must be incredibly frustrating to be hired in a group with a leader who lacks social skills, is very forgetful, and seems to only care about monsters, when you both know you could do a way better job.

Chilchuck has more experience when it comes down to that type of thing, given he organized a union for other halflings, and though he takes out his anger at Laios's naivety when it comes to that area, it's clear he does it out of care and just because he wants to see Laios improve. In dungeon groups, he's always been a follower, he's perfectly comfortable just being there to do his job, and do it well, then leave. He isn't itching for the opportunity to take over Laios's role, but he does want to have the type of leader he can easily rely on.

But because of Laios's inexperience and also brash decision-making, Chil feels responsible for holding him back and being the glue to keep the team together, even though he may not admit it, (something we can clearly see when he chooses to sacrifice himself instead in the dragon fight despite the fact he often tells others he won't be useful in combat, as well as when he chooses to step in for Laios's place when talking with the Canaries).

This is something even Laios has taken notice of, given that he wants Chilchuck to be the one to bring him back to his senses with a lecture right before his confrontation with the winged lion. Out of all the others, he depends on Chilchuck on being able to bring him back with his words.

But anyways, Chilchuck's character arc comes from accepting Laios as a leader and growing fond of his unusual methods of leading rather than frustrated. In the shapeshifter chapter, when it came down to Laios having to differentiate Chil from his doppelganger, you can very much tell he is terrified of having to depend on Laios's judgement. I think it is also made worse by the fact that the shapeshifter is acting exactly like the worst preconceived notions about halflings other races have, and at this point the only thing present in his mind is the possibility that Laios will let him die and be replaced by a stereotype of all things.

And even after Laios explains how he was successfully able to tell his team apart, (which was because of how they interacted with monsters and the dungeon), the others are impressed, but Chilchuck isn't content with just that and hoped that Laios would have known because he finally got to know the others on a deep level that Leaders are just inherently capable of.

But of course, Laios isn't capable of something like that. He isn't a mind reader and he obviously can't distinguish other people's real thoughts or emotions, even if they are fairly obvious. Laios pulled a feat in a way that was accessible and made sense to him, and Chilchuck wasn't swayed because of how atypical it was of leaders to act. (Yes I also read this is a neurodivergent in a neurotypical world conflict).

This hesitance to fully trust in his abilities is also why he advised Laios not to accept becoming a king initially when Yaado asked Laios to. But after Laios defeats Thistle, by using his knowledge on dragons, similarly to how he defeated the shape-shifters, Chilchuck finally starts viewing Laios's unusual problem-solving in a positive light. It's when he first realizes that Laios's obsession with monsters isn't the thing that's holding him back, but a useful asset. His interest and knowledge is what saved them and got them all as far as they have. It makes sense for his development to go from believing Laios could never possibly be a king, to outright encouraging the idea. In his eyes, Laios has already been capable of doing the impossible, and thinks that he should stop underestimating what he's been able to do.

A final point is that Chilchuck has always been able to read Laios like a book, and is aware of what's on his mind a lot of the time, but this used to only cause exasperation and contributed to seeing Laios in a negative light most of the time. However, in the last chapter, he is pretty much the only person who is able to tell that something about Laios seems off. He actually pays attention to Laios as a person and shows concern for his well being. Because he cares about him. Like he's obviously cared about him for a while now but I think this is the first time he's genuinely shown this much concern for any of his friend's mental state. I wanna cry

Anyways conclusion being Chilchuck has not only finally accepted Laios as a leader, but as an incredibly capable individual who he genuinely respects. That’s it thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

#he's so sweet. his growth <3 #delicious in dungeon spoilers #delicious in dungeon #dungeon meshi spoilers #dungeon meshi #chilchuck tims #chilchack tims #laios touden #laios thorden #chilaios #well it is TO ME #theyre so besties. they both care soooo much #rem talks #analysis

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gay-dorito-dust · 1 year

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can i req like xavier x reader where theyre rivals but readers liked xavier for a while now but xavier has no clue. xavier always teases reader when he gets the opportunity to yk but one day he has been like avoiding reader/not talking to them for some reason and reader confronts him abt it

“Fuck.” You hissed as your arrow embedded itself just a little to the left of the bullseye where as Xavier’s whistles through the air and hits it dead on. “Aww is wittle y/n loosing their touch?” You grunted in response at his teasing as you reached for another arrow and began to knot it back until it was level with your cheek and the string was straining against your fingers. Xavier chuckled at your inherent annoyance towards your recent string of losses recently.

Which was a little out of the ordinary for you as Xavier knew that once you had been given a bow and arrow or a foil, you were suddenly poised with a precision and persistence that was unmatched; So much so that it gave birth to your long running rivalry with Xavier Thorpe. “Be annoyed all you want but it ain’t going to clear up your sudden performance issues, but that’s none of my concern if it keeps handing me easy wins over you.” He cheeked as he went for another arrow, knotting it back perfectly till it reached his cheek and his hazel eyes were locked onto the target before him.

God why did you have to like the prick? Sure he was a conventionally attractive male with silky golden brown hair that framed his face to perfection no matter what style he had it in, whether it be up in a bun, a classic ponytail or just left to cascade to his shoulders like a chocolate waterfall. His hazel eyes were like an enchanted forest that held more mystery, more wonder, mischief and so much more within them that it enticed your curiosity into exploring all his beautiful eyes have to give. His face was as though constructed by porcelain, crafted by the skilfully steady and careful hands of an artist as they poured everything into Xavier’s creation; as an artist himself, Xavier often fails to see the masterpiece that stares back at him most days.

“I’d really appreciate it you would kindly put the same amount of focus as you do me onto the target, people might think you have a crush on me with your less then subtle staring.” You stiffened at Xavier’s words, forcing yourself into remaining composed as to not further give him more leverage over you easily also reminding of yourself that Xavier was merely teasing, he wasn’t as observant when his headspace was in a more competitive state. “Only in your dreams Thorpe, who in their right mind would ever have a crush on the likes of you?.” You scoffed, looking away from him and back at the targets set in a line up in front of you. “Since we’re on the topic of dreams, I bet I’m in yours quite often aren’t I?”

His words took you off guard as your arrow slipped from your fingers and flew past the intended target and found itself a new home within the bark of the tree that some vampires had took refuge under, just a ways away from your archery range. “Sorry!” You yelled out to them as they scrambled away in fright. “Try aiming for the target next time, weirdo.” One of them muttered as they shoulder checked you on their way back to their dorms, the fun having been ruined for them. You cringed, embarrassed and ashamed of your seemingly lack of control over your own self over some stupid fucking crush, whom -by the way- was currently laughing his ass off beside you so hard that his eyes were watering and his cheeks were reddening by the second.

“Holy shit! You almost found yourself a new target between that vampires eyes!” Xavier exclaimed as he tried to wipe away the tears that just kept coming, laughing himself into such hysterics that he had to sit down on the ground in fear of collapsing from it. As cute as his laughter was, you told yourself that he wasn’t laughing with you but more so at you for your mistake which made a familiar pang go off within your chest as you hastily put away your bow and arrow before you could accidentally hurt someone with it, as you then decided that it would be best that you took a step back from your extracurricular for now until your head cleared.

Seeing that you had already started walking away from the archery range, Xavier immediately sobered up from his laughter and began to put away his own bow and arrow before choosing to follow after you, conceded that he might’ve pushed the boundaries a little bit too far. This was never an issue before but something was obviously off and Xavier believed that he was heavily to blame for your recent changes.

“Hey! Where you going?” He called out, worried.

“I’m not feeling well, alright? Besides a walk in the woods will help clear my head.” You responded, not bothering to look over your shoulder at him.

Xavier stared at your retreating figure as though you told him that Ajax can suddenly do math and read time before crossing his arms over his chest, “uh huh, then tell me this genius, how is a walk in the woods going to help you feel better? Shouldn’t you let me help you back to your dorm if of you felt ill?” You knew he was only concerned for your well-being and all but you couldn’t help but let your irritation slip into your words that hurt you as much to say them as it did for Xavier to hear them.

“It’ll allow me to get away from you for starters. So stop acting like you care about me when I know you don’t. It’s annoying, go bother someone else and be out of my way will ya?” Before you could allow Xavier a chance to speak nor gauge his reaction, you bolted into the woods out of cowardice towards your emotions, guilt for hurting him and shame for not being strong enough to peruse what you want, for you knew he didn’t want you.

It’s been a couple of days since then and every time you’ve tried to apologise to Xavier for your unnecessary words, he would brush past you as though he didn’t see you or avoid you all together; He didn’t dare look at you nor acknowledge you whenever you went to the archery range or participated in your shared fencing class and instead played claimed that he was sick or had promised another person to be their sparing partner and bailed not long after that. It hurt, you had to admit, but deep down you knew that his attitude towards you were a justified response to how cruel you were to him by pushing him away when all he was doing was trying to help you.

Even during lunch period Xavier didn’t make himself comfortable at your table and helped himself to some portions of your lunch nor rest his head atop of yours to alert you of his presence when you were waiting to go inside the classroom, he didn’t playfully trip you up when you were looking for a seat before begrudgingly offering up the one next to him. Instead he just seemed more focused on his art and only ever offered up the spare seat next to him to the likes of Ajax, Enid or Wednesday. Again this hurt but you made due with the damage you’ve delt by sitting by yourself at the back of the class and not bothering to engage with the lesson like you use to if it meant not having to butt heads with Xavier.

You didn’t deserve his forgiveness and you made peace with the fact that your former relationship may never repair. However the longer he remained steadfast in his silence and ignorance towards your existence, the more you were forced to recognise how much you adored being in his presence and endured his teasing if it meant having him feel comfortable around you to be physical in said teasings. You missed his sweet smile when he managed to get under your skin and the stupid glimmer in his eye that he got whenever he was about to take the piss out of you.

You missed all of it and you wanted it back desperately. After having allowed this to have continued as long as it had, you decided that now is the best time to confront Xavier and hopefully make amends. With reconciliation as your primary objective, you made your way to where you knew Xavier would be when he was ever lost within the vast expanse of his head and waited nearby until you heard the sound of footsteps approaching. “Y/n? What’re you doing here, I thought I was just a mere annoyance to you.” Xavier said bitterly, hurt lacing his eyes and you recoiled at the harshness of his tone. “If you’ve only come here to reinforce that statement then it probably be better if you just leave.” He added when you hadn’t had anything to say and was about to enter his set shed when you quickly stepped in front of him, holding him still by the biceps.

“Xavier, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry. I just- it’s true I didn’t think you’d care about me considering our rivalry but I just couldn’t accept the fact that maybe somewhere deep down that you do care for me genuinely and it scared me of what that could mean for us later down the line and-“ you paused as your mind raced for the right words while your body was racked with all the emotions you’ve wanted to let out ever since getting to know Xavier. “You decided that in order to save yourself from being hurt, you push me away from ever getting too close to you.” Xavier finished for you as you just hummed in agreement, never letting your eyes look into his disappointed face.

Xavier sighs as he then begins to chuckle before bringing you tightly to his chest, his head resting whether it could fit. “You fucking doofus. Of course I care deeply about you!” He cried, “so to hear you say those words that day, they hurt me deeply because I cared so much about what you think of me, all the time. ‘If I practiced harder will y/n notice me?’ Or ‘if I forced myself to be within y/n’s presence, would they start to seek out my company out of their own accord?’ And other shit like that.” You looked into his eyes and saw that he was smiling softly at you, his hair cascaded between you two like a curtain so that your only focus would be each other.

“Really?” You asked and Xavier only chuckled once more as he pressed his forehead into yours, “really, really.” He hummed, “but you have to repay the time we spent apart from one another. How about a date in my art shed later on tonight sound to you?” You tightened your grip on him as you nuzzled back into his warm body heat, sighing dreamily. “That sounds more then perfect.”

#xavier thorpe fic #xavier thorpe fanfic #xavier thorpe imagine #xavier thorpe imagines #xavier thorpe x you #xavier thorpe x reader #xavier x reader #xavier x you #Xavier fic #Xavier fanfic #Xavier imagines #Xavier imagine

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wangxianficrecs · 8 months

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💙 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark

💙 Stunted, Starving Juvenility

by TomatenMark (@tomatenmark5)

E, WIP, 686k, Wangxian

Summary: At sixteen Wei Wuxian is—through some strange twist of fate, or a nick in the layer between parallel universes, who knows—out of the blue confronted with that one incense burner dream one night. While his curious mind is left unable to stop poking at this new perspective on Lan Wangji, circumstances in the Cloud Recesses begin to change and Wei Wuxian is suddenly presented with life-altering opportunities. Maybe Gusu isn’t so bad after all? (Or alternatively: The fic where I get to give Wei Wuxian the academic scholarship he deserves while simultaneously getting him hitched early on.) Kay's comments: Honestly, if you haven't heard of this fic yet, then you've probably lived under a rock this past year, haven't you? It's definitely The Fic™ and has been for a while now and it's already been recommended a few times by followers already, but I need to give it a personal shout-out as well, because I adore this story. It's living rent-free in my brain and despite already having more than 600k words, I re-read it like every other month and never get tired of it. One of the highlights is definitely TomatenMark's incredible attention to detail. Something will get mentioned once in chapter five and ten chapters later it'll suddenly be a major plot point. I also really adore the numerous characters TomatenMark has added to the story, they are all working so beautifully in the story and I find myself caring for them very much! As for the plot, it's basically a Cloud Recesses canon-divergence where WangXian get together and get married during the lectures and it kickstarts a canon-divergence that looks much better than the original timeline while also staying true to the characters and not sugarcoating things. If you haven't already, you should definitely check this story out! Excerpt: “I regard Lan Zhan highly,” he tried to reassure and Lan Xichen interestedly hummed, prompting him to add, “If I ever make him unhappy in some way I’d be the first to beat myself up over it.” Lan Xichen nodded and twinkled at him but Wei Wuxian didn’t dare to relax. “You seem to be quite dedicated,” the other noted. “And Wangji seems to return the sentiment given how he returned without any protection from the storm when I was quite sure I had seen him leave with his coat that afternoon.” “Ah. Er, yeah, Lan Zhan was so kind as to lend it to me when it started to rain,” Wei Wuxian explained, feeling on edge from the other’s roundabout way of hinting at something Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure he was even knowingly hinting at. “However, I have noticed that your neck was quite bruised when you returned, Wei-gongzi,” Lan Xichen went on. Wei Wuxian’s head snapped up from where he had held it politely lowered before. Lan Xichen’s eyes were overflowing with mirth. He definitely knew what he was hinting at!! “I hope you two didn’t get into a fight?” the Lan sect heir innocently mused and Wei Wuxian felt his resolve break. “Zewu-jun, please don’t torture me like this,” he begged.

pov wei wuxian, canon divergence, cloud recesses study arc, sunshot campaign, getting together, falling in love, first time, first kiss, developing relationship, period-typical homophobia, kink exploration, fluff and angst, cultivation sect politics, genius wei wuxian, inventor wei wuxian, marriage, minor character death, scheming nie huaisang, burning of the cloud recesses, wei wuxian has a family, bad parent jiang fengmian, top lan wangji, bottom wei wuxian

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

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bird-inacage · 8 months

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Only Friends: Sand's First Display of 'Messy' Behaviour

I'll preface this by saying I adore this man, and he's probably been the least problematic individual out of the Self-Proclaimed Friendship Circus. However, what left me with a chill was how Sand behaved when he revealed the affair to Ray.

Since we've been introduced to Sand, I think many of us have been pretty relieved by his largely green flag behaviour (in the midst of a very low bar being set in this group). This has often had me wondering what Sand's wider arc is going to be. The writers are not going to keep his storyline on one setting the whole way through. Therefore it's natural to anticipate we will be given another side to Sand - perhaps a less sympathetic or irrational part of his character. And maybe this was our first inkling into Sand's imperfections. He's also prone to vengeance and acting with an ulterior motive in mind.

Why it left me feeling so uncomfortable is because we haven't seen Sand in this light before. His score card has been pretty blemish-free.

Fuelled by a Vendetta

Nick shared this knowledge with Sand a while ago. However what triggered Sand to do something about it now was his confrontation with Top. We don't yet know what the circumstances were behind Top stealing Sand's ex from him, and how that played out. But it's evidently a sore grudge that Sand still very much holds against him.

Seeing Top again reminded Sand of the information he has at his disposal which could be used to teach Top a lesson. Sand is a very righteous person, and he doesn't think it's fair that someone should ruin his previous relationship, and now get what he wants with Mew as well. He wants Top to be punished. 'You're going to get what's coming to you, just wait'. It's possible that Sand didn't have the resources or means to get back at Top back then. But now he sees an opportunity to do so.

Combined with the fact that Sand has recently discovered that Ray loves Mew, this provides him with the perfect excuse for passing this information on. One, because as an outsider of their group, this can't come directly from him. Two, he knows based on Ray's temperament and his feelings for Mew, he'll be guaranteed to act.

Motivated by Selflessness or Selfishness?

I was originally going to post a deep dive on the scene between Ray and Sand at the bar, but I found myself constantly yo-yoing and ultimately undecided as to whether Sand's intentions were good or bad.

On the one hand, he's sharing this because he knows Ray will reveal the affair and Top will suffer the consequences. Thus, satisfying an act of indirect revenge.

On the other hand, he could also be doing this (as he so claims) due to his sense of righteousness. He just can't bear bad people getting away with bad things. And perhaps he does genuinely see Mew as a innocent victim here, and wants him to expose Top for who he is.

What also had me conflicted is that 'breaking' up Mew and Top doesn't play to Sand's interests. If Sand is romantically invested in Ray, and Mew becomes single again, this would allow Ray to continue pursuing Mew, which means Sand loses out. This is plausible if you're fuelled by unconditional love and a desire to see the person you love be happy. But I'm not entirely convinced that is the case here either.

You can also argue that Sand is 'using' Ray in this instance to achieve his objective, which is very questionable. He knows what a loose cannon Ray can be. Either he didn't think too much about the possible repercussions of how Ray would react, or he didn't care as long as Top got what he deserved. I don't think by any means Sand wishes to cause Ray any harm, but something really primal seemed to drive Sand to do this regardless of how Ray may be affected as the messenger.

So I don't know if I've decided yet. It could be a mix of all the above. This did seem to veer more on petty vengeance under the guise of righteousness. Mainly due to how Sand looks at Ray in that entire scene, which felt slightly manipulative and cold compared to how he usually has been with Ray. Especially when he says, "Mew is lucky though to have you by his side." It's almost with pinpoint precision that Sand triggers an image in Ray, to be the saviour swooping in to protect Mew.

All in all, I found Sand's behaviour this episode to be highly intriguing and unexpected. I saw a clip of First talking at an event recently, where he says something along the lines of 'when you see Sand do this, please forgive him', which implies there will be some further questionable or inexplicable behaviour later on potentially. Hmn.

#only friends #only friends the series #ofts #only friends meta #ray x sand #sand x ray #raysan #sanray #khaofirst #firstkhao #first kanaphan #is sand harbouring some demons too?#this is one where i really want to get a sense of everyone else's thoughts on this because this had me really stumped #i guess we won't know until we see more of sand revealing this side of himself to gauge if it's out of good will or bad intent #that whole scene where he speaks to ray just gave me the heebies jeebies for some reason - i was like where's my sweet Sand?

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bhaalble · 9 months

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Weeks of very repetitive Gale jokes have made me a very aggro defender but I do still very much think they needed a different way to handle his response to the player having developing relationships with other party members.

Here's my thing. Its not a writing flaw that he's monogamous, or at least set on a monogamous relationship after his experience with Mystra. Its not a writing flaw that his romance flags develop pretty rapidly; after years with a very emotionally unavailable goddess and with the high stress scenario they're in I think it is very understandable that he would latch onto someone who not only shows him positive attention but is helping him manage an extremely frightening condition. Its also not necessarily a writing flaw that he's kind of a manipulative dickhead if your relationship is progressing further with someone else.

It just needed to be more confidently engaged with as a flaw.

Because here's the thing the passive aggressive sadboy act is certainly not BENEATH Gale. He tends not to handle losing very well. He doesn't have much experience managing feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. He also just got out of an incredibly lopsided and uneven relationship where one of the things that continued to trouble him was feeling like a lower priority, like this person who was the center of his world saw him as just a nice accessory to hers. In light of all that I think its very understandable that he would lash out if he felt like the object of his affections was showing more preferential treatment to someone else, even if they were't properly in a relationshp yet. Its a self-defensive measure, not unlike Shadowheart writing you off for most of your early interactions or Astarion fully manipulating you with seduction during the first stages of your romance. Every companion is wrestling (and usually wrestling poorly) with the baggage of their previous situation and it will come heavily to bear on their relationship with Tav.

My primary issue is that outside of ending the relationship or an offhand comment about how you didn't know he felt this way (which leads to more of a pity party about how he just isnt enough for Tav) you aren't really able to push back on Gale's reasoning. You can sever the relationship, terminate the flirting stage, or you can just affirm him by choosing him. You can't really communicate hey. I care about you. Why are you speaking to me like I did this to hurt you on purpose. Even if he storms off in that conversation I think there very much was potential there to have some genuinely compelling character growth for Gale, with him confronting how many foundational issues there were in his dynamic with Mystra that he's unthinkingly putting on Tav. Tav would be given the opportunity to recognize where their partner is at and either draw a hard boundary, or extend a bit of grace depending on the feelings of that character and the player.

Again none of this required Gale to have a less shitty reaction to the scenario the point wouldn't be to scrub away conflict. Just to provide some additional opportunities to challenge your friend/LI and use it to develop both them and your PC

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios

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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year

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Haven't seen the trash boi Goo for a while! How bout a different girl for him, a hard-working and honest girl who works in a small convince store as her part-time job. She doesn't really like expensive gifts or stuff like that, to her spending time with her boyfriend is way more important than any sort of materialistic brand.

Thanks for the ask anon! I've missed this stupid lil idiot!

Goo Kim x Reader: Money

Goo-fy wonders why you're with him

Goo is more than aware of your silly little part-time job.

On multiple occasions, he has offered to pay you himself so you didn't have to work the night shifts on your own. You thanked him, sweetly as usual, but said no anyway.

Well isn't that a pain.

How could he possibly just sit at home when he knows his darling girlfriend is working her butt off for pocket change. And think of the weird characters just like him that lurk around at night!

Goo shudders.

He makes up his mind to join you any opportunity he can.

The first time Goo shows up, you are practically buzzing with excitement. Holy crap, you're adorable.

Then you react the same the second and third and fourth time too. Come to think of it, it's every single time.

He starts to wonder if there is something wrong with you.

Yes, he is extraordinarily handsome. Yes, he is perfect. Yes, he is God's gift.

Still. No-one could be that excited to see him, right?

And what's even weirder, is the way you're looking at him and chattering away right now.

Do you even realise what Goo has offered?

He has given you complete, 100%, free rein in a shopping mall. The most high-end shopping mall in the country. It's all on him. He's got it, babe. Go shop your little heart out!

Yet... You're not sprinting towards the designer brands, you're not buying one in every colour. In fact, you're not buying anything at all.

(Goo did get you a juice when you said you were thirsty, but that hardly counts.)

You wander around with a ridiculous smile on your face, your hand in his, listening to him talk about anything and everything.

You steal glances at Goo when you think he's not looking, but he catches you every time.

No! Don't look at me! Look at this! This coat, this bag, these shoes!

It's the foodhall of all places that you two end up, seated at a little uneven table that tips on one side. Far, far below Goo's usual standard but he couldn't find it in himself to care with you next to him.

At the end of the day, you go home empty-handed, thanking him graciously for your juice, and Goo is left scratching his head.

If there are two things that Goo knows, it's how to fight and how to make money.

And you never particularly cared for his fighting skills. Sure, you're impressed. Everyone is.

Though if you don't care about that and you don't care about cash. Then... why are you with him?

Goo confronts you at work one evening.

He interrogates you about your feelings for him, about him, and you take it all with a straight face.

(You're not stupid. You don't date someone like Goo Kim unprepared for his unhinged moments.)

"-But it's good I'm rich, right?"

Of course you know what money means to him. It's not the same for you, and you try to be diplomatic about it. "Well... it's good that you can buy yourself nice things with it, I guess? But I don't need it."

Goo tilts his head, clearly confused with your response. "What? So you'll be with me even if I was broke?"

"Yup."

"If I had to wear ugly clothes?"

"Yup."

"If I couldn't take you out?"

"Yup."

"If I couldn't buy you things?"

"Yup."

"Not even," Goo looks around the store for inspiration, "this ramen?"

"Yup."

The cogs in Goo's brain stutters and stops. So then...?

You decide to put your moron out of his misery. You cup his face in your hands as he continues to look absolutely baffled.

"Goo. I don't need any of that. I just like being with you. You could make watching paint dry fun," you speak slowly and clearly, hoping that your words sink in. "You know you're also with me, right? And I don't really have any money."

As if your financial status would in any way shape or form affect his feelings towards you! Goo is appalled.

"My sweet lil honeybun, that's completely different!"

Honestly. You roll your eyes fondly and ruffle his hair.

Maybe, just maybe. He gets it. A little bit. Maybe money isn't everything-

Scratch that, money's pretty fucking important. Goo loves money. But, if he really thought about it, he loves you more.

#lookism #lookism x reader #lookism headcanons #lookism hc #lookism fic #lookism webtoon #lookism manhwa #goo kim x reader #goo kim #kim joongoo x reader #kim joongoo #wannaeatramyeon

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devil-doll13 · 11 months

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Some Brahms Heelshire headcanons that have been little worms rotting my brain for a while. I want to understand him better <3

Many of these are x reader bc I couldn’t help myself

Starting with some ‘common knowledge’ stuff I generally agree on: yes, he is a sweaty boy. I actually think he has more anxiety than you might initially think he has, and this nervousness sort of goes towards causing it.

I touched on this in my Brahms fic months ago but this man really needs a routine in his life. He needs consistency and structure, and doesn’t react well to sudden change. He needs to approve of every nanny that is offered to him, they can’t just be introduced without his say-so. Nor can any of his rules be broken or altered, or ever strayed from. He’s very particular about certain things and what he likes and dislikes. Put it this way: if he isn’t pleased with something, you will know one way or the other.

His diet is very predictable and simple - some might even say bland - and this is also along the same line as this need for routine. Side note, but I think if you gave him spicy food he’d probably die or something… He’s English after all kwkdflf

Being confined inside the walls of the Heelshire estate most of the time has led to him developing a touch of Agoraphobia. He’s also definitely an indoors person, while I believe he may be able to appreciate the beauty of nature, mostly something like a well-tended garden, he’d prefer to remain at a distance. If he had to choose, he enjoys admiring english roses the most. He wouldn’t protest much if you decided to bring in a few to put in a vase.

Also, the vast amounts of time Brahms has on his hands (when not spent watching his nanny or parents, when they were still alive) goes towards cultivating his many hobbies; and he has many different interests. He may not have been part of any public schooling system, but that doesn’t really mean anything, he absorbs information eagerly regardless. He’s an avid reader and probably knows the Heelshire mansion’s library inside and out at this point, with both fiction and non-fiction (although you just know he was raised on a diet of pre-approved classics) catching his interest. Some of these beloved favourites are quite weathered and worn-out now. You know the kind I’m talking about, hanging practically by a thread from the spine…

Brahms is also a big music guy. His parents probably were as well. I mean, I personally believe they named him after the composer. We see in the movie that the music needs to be played loud, probably so he can hear reverberating all through the house (although tbh the way the house is, it doesn’t take that much. He still just wants it LOUD). Given that we can see a violin in his room, as well as sheet music, I think he can play both it and the piano. It would’ve been difficult for him to stop enjoying this, since he had to pretend he didn’t exist when a nanny/Greta was there.

Before the fire, his parents (particularly his mother) saw his upstart skill with music as the potential to become the next great composer, and pushed him towards improving it. Even if these expectations caused some stress for him back then, Brahms still loves playing dearly now.

He also sees this as an opportunity to impress upon you that he’s incredibly suave and attractive and cultured™️ so that you’ll stay. In his mind, if he comes across as interesting enough, he’ll have a better chance of wooing you into permanent residence in his house. That grocery boy is his sworn enemy in part because, deep down, he‘s self-aware enough to know that there are many difficulties to being with a man like him. Brahms is a complex mixture of quite spoiled and entitled vs insecurity, and he doesn’t enjoy confronting these thoughts either.

Oh, as for how he’d react to new music that isn’t classical, I don’t think it would entirely be a hatred for something new. While there may be a period of ‘what is this s/o this is not on the schedule?’ Brahms is a curious boy at heart, a man who was sequestered from the rest of the world and had much of his knowledge intake restricted, particularly by his mother. It will not be an immediate appreciation from him, but I think that this curiosity - and his desire to get to know you better - will win over in the end.

While I know it’s popular consensus that he’s a horny boy and very clingy and touch starved, (which I agree with to some degree), I also think one thing he’s been missing his entire life is good, intelligent conversation. His parents tended to talk at him rather than to him, and, well… It’s left him quite isolated and lonely, only able to imagine making a human connection through novels and daydreams. Brahms is one of the few slashers who does speak and I think he can speak quite well and eloquently. This might surprise you if you’ve gotten used to the doll persona, but Brahms the man is so real, so raw, and he’s formed an unbreakable bond with you before you’ve even realised he exists. He craves a genuine connection with you that goes beyond just lust, and I honestly believe he can be gentle. We see how tenderly he treats the Greta doll for instance, how it seems to be well looked after and given lots of space on his bed. A real person isn’t the same as a body-pillow, but… I don’t think he’d be as terrible a lover as people think.

He absolutely has major attachment issues and separation anxiety though. It only gets worse after Greta, after his parents… And yeah, he is clingy as fuck. Brahms can get addicted to actual, physical human touch very quickly. For far too long, he’s been substituting with pillows and dolls; but he’s had quite enough of dolls, now. I can honestly see him developing some resentment towards the thing, because although it has been his ‘persona’ for many years, it isn’t really him. Basically, once he’s revealed himself, Brahms could care less what happens to it… It might be therapeutic for him to even smash it himself, yeah? It’s a tantrum he needs to throw.

Anyway on a lighter note, it gets very draughty in the Heelshire mansion - it’s old, after all. He’s a hound for cuddles all the time, but especially during the winter months because he’s desperate for some heat and human connection. He enjoys lying on top of you like some kind of weighted blanket, and also likes it when you do the same to him. Curl up on his fuzzy chest and pour over a book together, it’s practically mandatory at this point <3

I can’t see him wanting children with you at all, sorry. He’s way too selfish honestly lol. He hogs your affection and love day and night and he’s pretty shameless about it. Besides, he’s just not father material to be entirely honest. he’s your baby why do you want another one

Also any pets you have are on on thin ice… He wouldn’t hurt them (I wouldn’t like to believe so anyway) but he’s always jealous and sulky if he thinks you’re spending more time with them than him, even if it’s like. Five more minutes yes he has a record, probably a calendar or something. He tends to plop his curly head on your lap and demand you stroke it and lavish your attention on him until he’s satisfied. Which will probably be never tbh.

#Ty to the beets in the server who helped me materialise these thoughts a bit more <3 #I wrote ssoooo much on this man holy shit #The Boy #Brahms Heelshire #Brahms #Brahms x reader #Brahms headcanons #Brahms Heelshire headcanons #headcanons #my writing

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celaenaeiln · 6 months

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Can I ask for your opinion about Kon's relationship with Dick?

People normally think about Tim and Kon when I ask their opinion about Robin and Super Boy

Maybe because I got introduced to Kon(then Conner) thru Young Justice, but when I hear it, its always been Dick and Conner

But I can see why they only think about Tim and Kon, because of the comics and all. Hell I'm not even sure if Kon and Conner have the same backstory, so I'm very confused

It's just, nobody talks about their relationship, like at all, and I get so curious the more I see Dicks interactions with the other supers in the kent family, and then I compare that to the lack of content about Kon and Dick regarding their relationship

oh man I get so confused with Young Justice tv show vs comics. It's insane the overlap. I saw Kaldur in Teen Titans (2016) with Damian and felt so bewildered why Dick and Kaldur didn't know each other before I realized - different universes. It's still weird and offsetting every time I see Kaldur though. Same with M'gann in Titans (2016) comic.

I really enjoyed Dick and Connor dynamic in Young Justice. The dynamic though! The cackling little maniac who's half his height is somehow the saviour of the most stoic man with some of the biggest daddy issues with the nicest man on earth.

In the comics, Conner kinda hero-worships/is a little intimidated by Dick

Teen Titans (2003) Issue #33

"I feel like I'm hanging out with my best friend's brother...and I can't say or do anything right."

Teen Titans (2003) Issue #33

The other time in the comics, Dick shows up with the Titans because someone's Conner trying to calm down has become a big problem for civilian safety.

They have a confrontation where Dick wants to take them down but Conner thinks she can still be saved.

Superboy (1994) Issue #81

It's always interesting for me to read Nightwing in younger heroes comics because of the way he's written. Like here for instance, he effectively took control and deescalated the situation but it's from Kon's point of view so it also feels like Dick is taking over Kon's jurisdiction. Yet at the end, the way the scene progresses, this feels good. The way Nightwing is seen through Kon's eyes is like an untouchable figure who's just so good at everything and in control of stuff. Yet this moment, there's a softer quality to him than when he came in, giving the sense that Kon has earned Nightwing's respect, the respect of someone he views untouchable. And that's a good feeling. The subtlety in this was great.

So I feel like you can go two way with Kon and Dick. The first is the Young Justice way where they're sort of the same age vibe.

youtube

I miss this dynamic!

The second is the comic way where he hero worships Dick (as everyone does). I don't like how they don't have a lot of interactions together given how close Dick is with the Superfam. But also Kon and Clark don't get along that well either so I guess it makes sense that Kon wouldn't be around Dick as much simply by way of missed opportunities. There should still be a lot more though.

Personally, I love Conner and Dick. They fight but they respect each other and they treat each other on equal terms. They're fun!

#dick grayson #nightwing #conner kent #superboy #cl anon asks #thanks for the ask!

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ivanttakethis · 20 days

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Round 7 Predictions

Since we’re only halfway through Alien Stage, I don’t think there will be a Round 7 winner.

There’s a ton of material Q and V could get into if both Till and Luka survive in some way or another. I also think there’s still a lot more left to learn about the lore of Alien Stage as a competition and how the whole system functions for the competition part to end so quickly.

I think Till will be rescued by the rebels at some point, either before or during Round 7. He’ll get to reconnect with Mizi, see how much she’s changed, and hopefully come to see her as less of a godly savior and more of a person.

Freeing Till would also force him to confront his own wants and dreams beyond escaping the competition and taking Mizi with him. What does Till want out of life now that both he and Mizi are free? How does he process all of the shit that went down in the previous rounds, especially Round 6?

As for Luka I think one of two things will happen: (1) he won’t be rescued by the rebels at all or (2) he’s offered the opportunity to leave with them but he refuses.

The second option is definitely more interesting as it will tell us more about Luka’s mindset, but also Hyuna’s if she can choose whether or not a rescue attempt is made for him. It would possibly give us insight into how they feel about each other given the current circumstances.

Either way, I don’t think Luka will leave Alien Stage or rebel against the aliens.

What would be his reason to? He’s the face of the whole competition. His status within the alien society has provided him with a lot of access that he could possibly not be able to live without, given his chronic illnesses.

But more than that, I think he’ll stay for personal reasons. Fame? Accolades? Ego? Maybe a mix of all three? Or perhaps some long buried guilt or remorse? There’s still a lot we don’t know about his feelings and motivations.

Personally I think he’s too interesting of a character to kill off so soon (a.k.a. I want to study him under a microscope).

Now this next part is me being delusional, so I’m putting it under the cut.

So,

If Till is rescued before Round 7 starts, that leaves Luka as the winner by default. But that’d probably be pretty boring as a finale for the audience.

How do they spice things up? By healing/reviving Ivan and putting him up against Luka.

Think about it: they’re both insanely popular in-universe, they’re somewhat equally matched in terms of singing ability, and they’re both considered pretty boys.

Think of the fashion! Think of the theatrics!! The material is LITERALLY. RIGHT. THERE.

In my opinion they’re two of the most complex characters in the cast, but they haven’t had much (if any) direct interaction with one another. I’d like to see how their similarities and differences stack up once they’re side by side, and what that tells us about each of them.

They’re also both weirdos (in their own ways), so putting them head to head would be the ultimate Freak (derogatory) vs. Freak (affectionate) final showdown.

And if Ivan were to win, he would essentially take over Luka’s role as the face of Alien Stage. How would that affect him personally? What would he do with his life after?

If he learns that Till managed to escape with the rebels, would Ivan still want to escape on his own? Or would he be content to stay put with the knowledge that Till is free?

Similar to Till with Mizi, who is Ivan beyond helping and supporting Till? What are his hopes and dreams?

I went more in depth about how Ivan could potentially be brought back and what ramifications it could have on the story depending on how it’s done in this post, if anyone wants to read that.

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chasing-posts · 1 year

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I think Kitty was telling the truth when she said she never showed up to the wedding. And I have a couple of reasons why: (warning, its long)

1.) Her entire character arc is learning to trust. This includes opening up and being honest about herself and in this case: her past. So it makes no sense for the story if she just LIES about Santa Coloma, especially after making a big deal over it. If anything it would take away from the scene and her character when she finally open up.

2.) I think the only way they could have saved the relationship between Puss and Kitty naturally, after Puss left her at the altar. I kept thinking "how can they possibly save this relationship after what he did" and the answer the movie came up with was HILARIOUS! Her not showing up was the perfect answer to that conundrum.

3.) I think she was more mad she was proven right, than she was about him leaving her. That he did pick himself and his reputation over her. And he was so full of himself that he never checked on her after leaving. And she knows he didn't check up on her based on his reaction and the fact he never brought up her leaving. She's not like Puss, she knows about his adventures and what he's been up to. Thanks to his status as a legend, she knows about ALL of his adventures. But he doesn't know about hers, and didn't bother to find and confront her. That's how she knows he didn't know her side.

4.) Her being mad at him, was because she thinks he betrayed her intentionally and maliciously. She may know that he didn't show up, and based on his reaction, does not know about her doing the same. But it's not until his breakdown, where she listens to Perrito and him talk, that she finally understands WHY he did it. And how much it hurt him to do so. That he is legit ashamed of himself. Before that moment, she was sure he was out to betray her, like everyone in her life. But after she hears the real reason, she stops treating him so harshly. She opens the dialogue/ gave Puss the opportunity to talk about it with her. You can bet that she was the one that got them so high in the trees. After all she has no claws to climb, and yet she was so far in front of him, as if leading him up to a place he would have naturally been given him an advantage... But she's trusting him. Its Kitty who opens up the conversation with the "if you wanted to hold my hand/ I remember the last time you did this you had cold feet " dialogue. And when he takes her up on it, and nervously tells her what/ why he did it, and how it is EXACTLY like he told Perrito, she rewards him by finally coming clean about what she did. Why she left him too. And finally tells him the whole truth on the matter.

You can also tell that that's the moment she truly starts to fall in love with him again. "You don't seem like that guy anymore." Is a statement that has so many layers to it, but the biggest implication is that this version of Puss, is the one she is starting to trust.

The shaving scene may have set the mood earlier on the movie, but this open and honest conversation, is what made her swoon and start to believe in him.

5.)I think it sets up a good story/ contrast to who they were at the beginning, and who they are now. And by beginning, I mean them at the end of Puss and Boots 1. In that movie they're flirting, equals, in love... but their relationship is also unstable. She ended that film stealing from him and running off. And in the Shrek franchise, its shown Puss is quite the flirt with the ladies, imlplying they're not together. This Santa Colona flashback fills in the blanks for what happened between the movies, and also shows that when they first met, they may have been too young for each other. Too inexperienced. Not old enough to want to actually settle down, on both ends! If I were to hazard a guess, I'd bet that Puss proposed spontaneously, and she accepted in a moment of excitement, but leading up to the ceremony they both got more and more nervous until eventually, they both got cold feet and dipped, but for different reasons. He was too obsessed with himself and worried about his legend, and she was too flighty and could not trust him. Which ended their relationship (this is mostly HC though. Just speculation on my end.) But now they're both a lot older. They've lived a few lives, though we don't have a concrete number, there's clearly been many years between now and Shrek 4. And Puss in Boots 1 was a prequel to the Shrek series so, yeah, they are both MUCH older now and are both finally at a point where the two are ready to settle down and be together.

Who they are right now, is the best version of themselves. And in contrast to the last moment, instead of her running off with his boots, they are sailing away together, with him in her arms.

I understand the appeal of saying she lied... but I LOVE the implications of what it means for her to be truthful.

They are currently my FAVORITE couple is Shrek franchise. Softboots is perfect! And it's their open honesty and trust in one another, that makes it so.❤

#kitty softpaws #puss in boots the last wish #puss in boots #puss in boots 2 #Perrito #analysis #softboots #santa coloma #spoilers

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iamnmbr3 · 2 months

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I LOVE your meta! <3 can you tell me your opinion about the development of draco's and harry's feelings for each other as it was accidentally written into the story (even tho JKR clearly didn't intend for a romance)? when did you think it started for both boys? i'd be very interested to know what you think. :)

Thank you!!!! <3 What a great question. I've gotten so many good asks lately.

I don't think there was one definable moment. I think it grew between them. They were both drawn to each other in some ways right from day 1 and spent seven years paralleling and orbiting each other.

Draco tries to befriend Harry before he even knows who he is (even though Harry looks rather scruffy and surely Draco must already know the children of all the "important" Pureblood families). And then he tries again once he knows who Harry is and spends years smarting at Harry's rejection, seemingly unable to move on from it or from Harry.

He's determined to be a part of Harry's life, if not as a friend then as a rival. He can't cope with Harry's disregard and constantly seeks attention from him. Even Lucius can't stop him from openly antagonizing Harry despite cautioning Draco in book 2 that it's unwise to be so openly hostile to Harry at this point.

Meanwhile Harry constantly watches what Draco does and even dreams about him his very first night at Hogwarts. After being nearly murdered by Voldemort at the end of book 1, during the summer before his second year Harry thinks of Draco as his arch nemesis and also thinks about how he kinda misses him.

For the first 5 years they know each other, Draco's entire life revolves around Harry whereas Harry has other things that he's dealing with though he's always extremely aware of and attuned to Draco. In some ways this might lead one to think that Draco is aware of his feelings a lot earlier. But honestly I think they're both in deep denial, though I do think perhaps Draco has more of an inkling since he is the one seeking Harry out.

Still, given the sharpening lines of the war, especially from book 4 on, I think Draco knows this is something that he should not and cannot feel or pursue and he tries to tell himself it's just dislike. Especially since mortifyingly Harry despises everything he thinks he believes in.

I think Draco would be the first to admit it to himself though. Probably during 7th year, once he's started to realize how wrong he's been about so many things and once he's been forced to confront the fact that he is not and will never be the person he's supposed to be, that he hates and fears Voldemort and the Death Eater cause, and that he hopes somehow, somewhere Harry is alive and that all the whispers about him being the Chosen One are true and that he really can end this.

And maybe in that context he also starts to admit to himself that maybe he never really hated Harry after all, that maybe the whispered remarks his friends made when they were younger were true and maybe he does feel something for Harry other than disdain. And that maybe it's not just that he finds Harry's stupid messy hair and green eyes aesthetically pleasing. Maybe he actually likes him. As a person. Maybe he loves him.

By the time the war is over I think he's come come to terms with it. Harry is just another thing he's lost, his feelings for him another thing he realized far too late.

Meanwhile we know that from the end of book 6 on Harry stops thinking about Draco with rancor and instead pities and worries about him, doesn't blame him for anything, and tries to save him at every opportunity. However, Harry also has a job to do and he and Draco are on the opposite sides of a war. The reality is that nothing can come of any feelings Harry might have and 1 or both of them may very well not survive the war.

Harry compartmentalizes and shuts down all feelings he might have and all thoughts of what might have been. Especially after the Manor, when he realizes that Draco may well be tortured to death because of him, he blocks him from his mind. He can't afford to examine his feelings or he won't be able to go on. Plus, if Voldemort reads his mind it will put Draco in even more danger.

Besides, he has Ginny. Someone who is so much more acceptable to care about. Someone who symbolizes all the intangible things Harry imagines he will want after the war. I think post Manor is the closest Harry comes to really acknowledging and verbalizing to himself what he feels, but he doesn't quite get there. (Though you could also read it as Harry realizing his feelings after the Manor scene and then realizing how impossible it all is and shutting Draco out of his mind completely).

But then the war's over. Harry gets to have his relationship with Ginny. He gets to realize that somehow in the peace they don't quite click anymore. Maybe they drifted apart. Or maybe what they had wasn't that strong to begin with. He's not sure, though sometimes he remembers the way at the end of sixth year she thought he was going off to fight Voldemort because it was what would make him "happy" rather than because he felt he had to, and wonders if maybe they were never going to work out, no matter what.

And meanwhile Draco's cleaning up his life. Harry speaks for him at his trial. And somehow they find each other again in the postwar world. Because they always do. Because they haven't been able to do anything but orbit each other since they were 11. And when Harry looks at Draco he feels something. And maybe he's never really put it into words before, even to himself, but somehow it doesn't feel new at all. It feels inevitable.

#send me asks anytime. i love them #interesting to hear others' opinions on this too #asks #drarry #Harry Potter #hpdm #meta #Harry Potter meta #drarry meta #my meta #harry/draco #Draco Malfoy

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kingwuko · 2 months

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Also I've made a post about this before but aside from Airbender Wu I'm obsessed with the idea that canon nonbender Wu has the potential to be a competent badass like Asami but different, in his own style.

And I actually got this idea during the clip show episode and the wuko segments, when it occurred to me that Mako is probably training him to fight the way Mako himself learned to fight.

And I don't think that fighting style fits Wu's mindset, temperament, build, anything really, it's a style informed by street fighting and firebending, two things Wu could not be further removed from.

He's an earth kingdom prince used to fine silks and jewelry, expertly moving about the world with the grace and balance of a dancer even when confronted with physical aggression...

Say, doesn't that sound familiar to anyone else?

I'm just saying, he could be the earth kingdom royal to denounce the Dai Li and bring the Kyoshi Warriors to the forefront of their culture.

By becoming one himself.

When it comes to Wu learning to defend himself and fight, I have two favorite hc.

1. Yes yes yes to Wu training with Kyoshi Warriors. I will say that I'm hesitant to have him become a Kyoshi Warrior, because Kyoshi Warriors are women. (Though if people have hc about Wu's gender being different, that's certainly worth exploring!) But much like Sokka was permitted to train with them, I see no reason why Wu couldn't learn from them as well! I think if given the opportunity, Wu would pick up the fighting style quite well. The method of fighting practiced by the Kyoshi warriors, and originally taught to them by Rangi herself, is focused on turning your enemy's strength against them. Seems like an excellent style for Wu, as he's built much more slender. I think he'd be into the overall aesthetics, too. I also love the idea of some Kyoshi warriors becoming his royal guard and replacing the role of the Dai Li.

2. Training with Asami. Asami has taken formal self defense lessons since she was a child. She has the technical know how of self defense and since she learned it formally, I think she would be excellent at teaching it formally. To further my Asami-teaching-Wu propaganda, check out the description of Asami as a teacher from the Avatar Legends Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide:

As a teacher, Asami is encouraging and supportive—she prizes an individual’s own inventiveness when channeled appropriately, far more than her own ideas. When it comes to the overall tone and style of mastery conditions set to PCs, Asami will emphasize thought over force, clever ideas over direct results. Asami wants those who learn from her to see how problems can be solved in many ways, and there’s nearly always a better way, in addition to seeing how they can help others and don’t always have to solve the problem on their own.

I just feel like Asami would make a good, patient teacher, I think her formal training would translate well into teaching skills, I think she might actually appreciate Wu's creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, AND I think her foundation in self defense would be ideal for Wu to learn. I don't see him needing to be a fighter in the thick of battle right alongside the rest of Team Avatar, but he should certainly learn to hold his own to protect his own life and limb.

Regardless of how Wu learns self defense and/or martial arts, we can all agree on one thing, I'm sure. Mako is a terrible person to be teaching him. He was literally the worst teacher in Remembrances lol like what was he even doing. And you're right, his style of fighting does not match the kind of fighting that Wu should learn or that he would be able to master.

That's ok. Mako can cheer him on from the sidelines!

#wuko #mako #prince wu #king wu #asami sato #kyoshi warriors #answered ask

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lunar-years · 5 months

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and like, the thing about the amsterdam james lore was that if they wanted a james redemption, they could have used that as an opportunity to soft launch it! "my dad took me to amsterdam and we actually had a good time, but after we got back home he started drinking again and things got bad again." i still dont think thats justification for jamie reconnecting with him, but at least we could have canon evidence he was an okay dad when sober. but no, they doubled down, and made trying to kill a main character somehow *not* the worst thing james had done

Yeah I think what's most crazy is that scene solidified in my own mind so many missing pieces in my own headcanoned Jamie lore. We learnt SO much in that scene and not one single piece of information pointed towards "this is a character who is going to not only recover but act as a non-negative presence in Jamie's life."

New information I gathered from the Amsterdam scene:

As you pointed out, physical/emotional abuse of his son and nearly murdering Beard are not the topmost crimes on James Sr.'s scorecard.

leading into, Jamie is a csa victim

Jamie doesn't remember it happening. we've discussed at length what that could stem from and yes there are multiple explanations but. well. uhh. none of them are good. i think.

Others disagree, and that's completely fine, but I very much think the scene is coded as This Is The First Time Jamie Has Told Anyone What Happened and Roy is Now the Only Person Who Has this Information.

At the time of taking Jamie to Amsterdam, James Sr. was trying to get back together with Georgie and playing up the "Superdad" routine

Others disagree with this as well, but I read that line as Jamie implying it was neither the first nor last time James had tried those tactics (and possibly been successful at one or more points, we don't know one way or another)

Georgie allowed Jamie to go to Amsterdam with James and then presumably allowed James to continue seeing Jamie afterwards (we're given no information to the contrary, anyway)

So taking all of that together, to me it's not just the confirmation that the abuse Jamie suffered at his father's hands was even more abhorrent than we thought or that Jamie's trauma runs deeper than we previously thought. It's also evidence that Jamie has never been in a position where he's felt comfortable with confronting that trauma and has yet to unpack all of the things he has gone through.

Furthermore, the scene hints that what we see at the end of s3 is (imo quite possibly) not the first time James has been in rehab or at least claimed to have sobered up or shown signs of recovery, only to fall back into his old ways shortly afterwards. This is indicated by Georgie allowing him to take their son out of the country, which (considering we meet her later in the season and get a sense of her character, including her deep love for her son) I cannot imagine her doing had James been obviously still a drunk. This is also why I personally believe Jamie hasn't told her what happened, because he continues to see his father after he returns. I just can't see Georgie allowing that had she known.

None of this sets the scene for a successful James recovery arc. In fact, for me it makes the whole thing worse and so unlikely to end for good because 1) Jamie forgives his father before even processing everything his father did to him, and without informing any of the people closest to him, let alone consulting an actual professional. This to me does not indicate Jamie is in the right mental place to be embarking on this new journey. 2) There is absolutely a more-than-plausible chance James Sr.'s current rehab stint will follow the same cycle as times previous: he's better for a while. he's superdad! until he's not. and Jamie as usual becomes collateral damage.

I therefore am forced to conclude Jamie could very well be opening himself up to more hurt and more pain at his father's hands, when he hasn't even dealt with his current backload of hurt and pain. If we were supposed to feel hopeful in the final scene where Jamie visits him--I have to say, because of what THEY told us and wrote about their backstory, I feel anything but.

#jamie tartt #james tartt sr #tw csa #tw abuse #tw rape #asks #ted lasso #ted lasso critical #it's just. so badly written if they wanted us to be hopeful.#obviously I think anyone can recover even if they haven’t from past attempts but.#they gave us every reason to be worried about Jamie!! they did that!!

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