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kaladinkholins · 4 months

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We all already know Mizu and Akemi are narrative foils. But you know what? Lemme just say it, here's what I think:

Taigen and Mikio are foils.

Not necessarily to each other as individuals in the way that Mizu and Akemi juxtapose each other, but mostly in the contrast between their relationships with Mizu.

I've covered specific parallels between Taigen and Mikio in other posts I wrote; but as the number of parallels I'm noticing between them keeps piling up, I'm compelled to just compile them all in one post. So! This is, thus, the post in question.

First of all, let's look at their similarities.

1. Their status in society is the same. They are both samurai who lost their honour and have dreams of reclaiming it.

2. They are also both diligent as they strive to achieve this goal, they both care deeply about their work, but here as they begin to contrast, as the work in question and way they go about their goals is different:

For Mikio, his work is in taming and rearing horses; in order to prove himself, he must tame Kai—a willful and strong horse—and present it to his lord. For Taigen, his work is in sword fighting and martial arts; in order to prove himself, he must kill Mizu—a willful and strong swordsman—and present her dead body to his lord.

In the parallel above, not only are Taigen and Mikio contrasting each other, but Mizu and Kai are placed in comparison as well. And of course, Kai is Mizu's horse, and represents her. Which is why, when later, Mikio sells Kai off, it represents the way he is tossing Mizu (and their relationship) aside.

From there, the rest of the details of their character begin to contrast and juxtapose each other more clearly. So let's look at those differences, shall we?

Their backstory:

Mikio was a great samurai who was banished. A somebody to a nobody. Taigen was a fisherman’s son who rose to the top. A nobody to a somebody.

2. The first time we meet them on-screen:

Mikio is an adult. An older man. Mizu's superior in age. He is Mizu's to-be husband. A love interest. Taigen is a child. A young boy. Mizu's peer in age. He is Mizu's bully. An antagonist.

3. Their maturity and growth:

Mikio is mature, but stuck in his ways. Taigen is immature, but capable of changing and learning.

4. Their overall attitude:

Mikio is generally relaxed, easy-going and unfussy. Taigen is uptight, irritable and severe.

5. How they talk to and conduct themselves around Mizu:

Mikio is aloof, soft-spoken, and serious. Taigen is obnoxious, brash, and sarcastic. Mikio is quiet, speaking only when spoken to, even when Mizu turns to smile at him and shows openness to be near him. Taigen is loud, talking while others are silent, even when Mizu turns from him and shows no interest in conversing with him.

Mikio doesn't show much of who he is to Mizu throughout their marriage, despite their growing affection. Taigen openly shares his traumas and life story to Mizu during their brief alliance, despite their mutual antagonism.

6. Their external vs internal selves:

Mikio is calm, gentle, and considerate on the outside. Taigen is hot-headed, rude, and selfish on the outside. Mikio is cowardly and deceitful on the inside. Taigen is brave and loyal to a fault on the inside. Mikio tells Mizu that he wants to know and see all of her. But he scorns and betrays her, the woman he loves. Taigen tells Mizu that he wants to duel and kill him. But he endures torture to not betray him, the man he hates.

9. Their hair, a symbol of their honour:

Mikio's topknot is untied by Mizu during their spar. This humiliation occurs in private, the two of them alone in a rural location where no one can see them. Taigen's topknot is cut off by Mizu during their duel. This humiliation occurs in public, the two of them being watched by many others in the Shindo Dojo.

10. Their power dynamic with Mizu:

Mikio believes he is Mizu's mentor. He teaches her to throw knives, how to ride and care for horses, and about the tactical benefits of using a naginata. Taigen believes he is Mizu's equal. He views Mizu as a samurai like himself who received all the same teachings he did, and who possesses the same values.

11. Their perceptions of Mizu:

Mikio sees Mizu's feminine side first. He sees her as sweet and gentle, but also clumsy and incompetent. Taigen sees Mizu's masculine side first. He sees her as terrifying and deadly, but also strong and skilled.

12. The way they approach sparring with Mizu:

Mikio only spars with Mizu once. As the fight progresses and she is beating him, he tries to put a stop to it. When she teases/provokes him, he starts taking the fight personally and seriously, finding no enjoyment in it. Taigen spars and brawls with Mizu all the time. No matter how many times Mizu beats him, he doesn't back down. When Mizu challenges him with a chopstick, he is eager to compete with her and gladly rises up to the challenge.

Mikio and Mizu's one and only spar is a friendly match; Mizu is smiling and having fun while he grows increasingly frustrated. Taigen and Mizu's last-seen spar is a playful wrestling match; both him and Mizu are having fun and laughing.

Mikio cannot deal with Mizu being better than him, so he scorns her and walks off, avoiding her thereafter. When Taigen cannot deal with Mizu being better than him, he follows her to observe her moves and continues training in hopes to eventually beat her. After being bested by Mizu once, Mikio leaves her and sells the horse he'd previously gifted to her. After many times losing to Mizu and fighting alongside her, Taigen commends her and admits she is better than him.

13. When Mizu pins them down in a friendly spar:

Mikio sees Mizu's whole face objectively. Taigen stares at Mizu's mouth and eyes.

Mikio gets angry when she kisses him, throwing her off of him and snapping at her, calling her a monster. Taigen gets aroused, apologising, so she pulls herself off of him.

14. Mizu's blue meteorite sword is a reflection of her soul. She believes most are undeserving to face it, let alone hold it. And on that note:

Mikio is the first person (chronologically) that Mizu fights against using her sword. Taigen is the first person (we see on-screen) that Mizu fights against with her sword. Mikio is the first person (chronologically) to ever hold her sword, as she passes it to him, letting him wield it. Taigen is the first person (we see on-screen) to ever hold her sword, as she passes out, and he picks it up and carries it for her.

15. Then, last but not least, in Fowler's fortress, when she is drugged and in pain, she hears Ringo's voice in the dungeon. She then follows it to an open cell:

Mizu first sees Mikio as a hallucination, the sight of him haunting her and causing her to lose her grip on reality. Her eyes glow a surreal blue to represent this. Her Mama appears then and says Mizu's name accusingly.

Mizu then sees Taigen, but he is real, the sight of him a relief and grounding her back to reality. Her eyes return to their normal blue colour to represent this. Taigen looks at Mizu weakly and says her name softly.

Then, later, when facing Fowler, her revenge awaiting her, she instead chooses to follow her conscience (represented by Ringo's voice in her mind), putting aside her vengeance for a time, in order to save Taigen.

So that's basically all the ones I've noticed so far, but even then, I feel there's already so much that forms a contrast between these two.

What makes it especially incredible about these juxtapositions is that Mikio was Mizu's husband, the man she had fallen in love with, the one person she had ever been intimate with, the man who made her begin to accept herself, to put down her desire for vengeance and instead live a life of peace and happiness.

So for Taigen to have so many parallels with him... Do you see what I'm saying here!

Not to mention that Mizu clearly already has some burgeoning attraction to him, as indicated by how she thinks of him when asked about her desires. And Taigen clearly has shown interest as well (see: him getting a boner after their spar, him holding her hand and telling her, "We're not done yet.").

And on the topic of speculating future possibilities of this relationship, this post by @stromblessed has pointed out yet another parallel between Taigen and Mikio:

Mizu promises Taigen to meet him for their duel in autumn. Mizu fell in love with Mikio and duelled him during autumn.

With all that said, I do believe Mizu and Taigen's relationship is definitely hurtling towards something. But whether they will actually end up together in a sustainable relationship and have a happily ever after? Well, that is a whole other story; we'll just have to wait and see.

#blue eye samurai #mizu x taigen #taigen x mizu #taimizu #taigen blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai meta #hope yall enjoy my thesis on virgin mikio vs chad taigen #this was written last night when i shouldve been writing the new chapter for my taimizu fic that i promised i would work on....whoopsies...#i will get to it eventually but i just have to get a firmer grip on characterisation before i can delve further into it yk #on that note. i kiiinda regret posting the fic on a whim!#my last longfic was written better because i had the whole thing complete and could go back and edit/polish/revise before posting #so it came out much more coherent and consistent ykwim?#this fic might suffer a bit for this reason 🤒#but its fine i have to remind myself im just doing it for funsies #anyway here have another long ass meta post from yours truly #meta dissertations.pdf #shut up haydar #fandom.rtf

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cashmere-caveman · 28 days

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ned little voted most likey to get dealt a big losing hand 1845-48 (more terror text post memes)

#the terror #text post meme #edward little #terror shitposting #he is so fascinating to me and i am a bit sad that his most prevalent characterisation seems to be wet little anxiety man :(#bc this man has Layers!! but also im new here so idk how much of this first impression is true / how much of this convo has aready been had #which is why im making a silly meme post instead of writing 17 paragraphs of meta and putting my foot in my mouth #but yeah. nedward :D #sneaked some solittle into this post bc who am i if not someone w a narrative foils agenda 😌#cavetext

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millacm · 1 year

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Neverafter doodles!! + the other puss in boots & wolf...they're friends!

#milla's art #haven't quiet found my characterisation of em yet but <3 #neverafter #dimension 20 #d20 #destiny's children #ylfa snorgelsson #rosamund du prix #pib #puss in boots #prince gerard of greenleigh #pinocchio #mother goose #mother timothy goose #d20 pinocchio #idk how much to tag for these guys yet but eh #i don't believe there are any spoilers here.......#dimension 20 neverafter #d20 neverafter

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boyfridged · 9 months

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hello! can i request some Jason centric fic recs?

this is actually such a difficult question. in spite of years spent reading jason-centric fanfics, it is very rare that i find something that i genuinely enjoy. still, i do have some favourites that i go back to.

beneficiary by @sirsparklepants (1/1, 2k)

my favourite post-death jay fanfic. it's such a beautiful, bitter-sweet conclusion to his legacy.

untitled by @pendulum-north (1/1)

this is a very short ficlet. absolutely riveting language, as expected of a poet. my favourite take on the canon divergence that is bruce dying instead of jason. would sell my soul for north to actually write more on it.

what the living do by Anonymous (1/1, 6,5k)

stunning. perhaps my all-time favourite. jason believes he's dead. dick takes him on a road trip.

complications by JHSC (1/1, 6k)

i want to tell you so badly why i adore this fanfic but that would spoil the conclusion. so instead i can just tell you that it contains my unpopular agenda for jason's character development.

the (family) doctor's appointment by smleeish (1/1, 4k)

i have some qualms with the minuatiae of this work but this sickfick surprised me with the depth of the character study. the conclusion is so beautiful in the way it gets to the core of jason's values.

jet black crow by starknjarvis (series, 2/2, 19k)

i normally avoid sex-worker aus so please do know that this had to really impress me to be found on this list. the main reason for which it winded up here is a conversation jason has with bruce in the second installment.

the clay steals the clay by zipadeea (1/1, 2,5k)

just give it a read. a haunting... fix-it. i think about the usage of catholic themes in this fanfic often.

PLUTO. by orpheusaki (@damianbugs) (1/1, 22k)

a huge reason for which i love this one so much is the thematic similarity to the earth-51 arc in countdown. there's such good understanding of what made jason who he is as the red hood & his relationship with batman as the symbol and with bruce as his father.

things that make it warm by one_step_closer_to_death (@hopeworth) (1/1, 4k)

my favourite jay & dick fanfic! if you've been following this blog for a while, you know i am very particular about their relationship. you also know that i believe in jason's need to reconnect with his childhood and that dick should be a part of it, and this piece delivers that in the sweetest way.

of broken, blazing wings by FrEShAVocaNoob (44/44, 190k)

before i get to the praise, i have to say that this fanfic does talia very dirty and that i am not a fan of how it deals with mentions of jason's childhood & his robin days. however, it is also 190k of jason having a perpetual mental breakdown and it follows canon event starting from the lost days and finishing with countdown. it has great pacing and an admirable balance of being plot-driven and the focus on character development. jay is so painfully young and lost. i also really enjoyed dick's attitude. it's a riot and an emotional rollercoaster. i will never recover from it.

compulsory (shameless) self-promotion:

leave no trace, a ficlet on ouroboros.

black out days, a lost days au which is not a story at all. about talia, jason, the need to mythologise and staying away.

and my wip robin (vol 2): future nostalgia, a jay lives au that is to contain follow major batman plotpoints such no man's land and murderer/fugitive.

#a disclaimer is that i usually have some minor qualms with the characterisation as i am... very particular when it comes to it #you're also welcome to just look through my public bookmarks on ao3!#you can notice that there's not a lot of robin jay fanfics here. this is actually because i have much higher standards for those #i'm 100% more likely to say “he would not say that” about robin jay than i am about rh jason #outbox #jay.zip

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slashmagpie · 6 months

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“Here’s what happened, okay. We were on a date with Clebert—”

“It’s not a date.”

“—and, and Etho walks by and she, she looks at him, she’s like whoa.”

“She just catcalls him, like woohoo!”

“Woo!”

“I’m out, yeah!”

“You got it wrong, me and Etho are besties! We’re not—we’re not—it’s not romantic.”

They’re not sure why it feels so important.

It’s not that Cleo has ever really—well, that’s not quite—they’ve never argued about it before, is the thing. Like—with Bdubs. With Bdubs, right, people had—they’d assumed. It’s what people do. Even Scott, and Scott is—Scott is Scott. He knows about these sorts of things. And even he…

“Bdubs is your ride or die, Jimmy’s mine, he’s my husband, and he’s with them, so I’m kind of—but I don’t ever want to fight you.”

“If Bdubs betrays me—if our husbands die, yeah?”

Husband. Because that was the word Scott had been using, for Jimmy, and Bdubs had been Cleo’s Jimmy, in a way, so it had—it had made sense. Use the same words for the same thing. And then—being married is kind of a funny bit, isn’t it? So later, when Bdubs and Impulse had been lying to them—

“Bdubs, I know we’re divorced and you’re with Impulse now, but did you really think you could lie to me?”

And whilst Cleo’s not sure they put too much stock in Ren’s claims as to what he’d caught Bdubs and Impulse doing in the woods, they know that whatever those two had going on wasn’t quite the same. They’d said it was, but they hadn’t really meant it. Not really. Marriage—marriage is a funny bit, really, is all it is.

After all, last season, with Etho—being divorced is also a funny bit.

“I’m not calling you wife.”

“You can call me Cleo!”

He still doesn’t call them wife. Still calls them Cleo. Calls them bestie, now, too, ironic grin beneath his mask. Etho’s not too big on PDA, either, which is—nice. Not that Cleo doesn’t like it, it’s just—

“It’s platonic,” they insist to Tango, to Skizz, and see their eyes sparkle. They don’t get it. They don’t get it, and it makes Cleo’s skin crawl, because—

Cleo’s loyal, is the thing. When they say ride or die, when they say allies, when they say husband or soulmate or my boys—they mean it. If you’re theirs, you’re theirs, and that means everything.

But it doesn’t mean—

Romance is a funny bit. It’s a like a costume, really. Pull it on, pull it off, kiss and hold hands and sleep in the same bed and say your vows for the fun of it. Then shrug it off at the end of the day and go back to being friends. There’s no—they don’t feel any of those sappy things, really. It’s not them. Sure, Cleo loves people, loves their friends, but not—like that. They don’t want anything to do with any of that. The aesthetic of it, the performance of it, the drama of it? They’ll take it. But they’ll leave the rest. The mushy, goopy, complicated feelings soup part of it—that’s not theirs. Other people can deal with that. Cleo will be off dealing with better things.

It’s—it’s like being a woman, really, in that Cleo doesn’t really mind that people see them that way—plays into it, really, loves the aesthetic, has fun with the performance—but they don’t really feel it. And they don’t mind that other people don’t exactly understand—

Until they step too close, say something Cleo really doesn’t like the sound of, and then they’re snapping, “I’m not a woman,” with such force it makes the perpetrator flinch.

It’s the same thing, this, Tango and Skizz stepping too close to their toes, getting in their personal space, and it bubbles up out of them before they can stop it. It’s platonic. We’re platonic. And the fact that other people aren’t seeing that—

It itches. Prickles. Stifles. Hugs their bones like an ill-fitting coat.

It’s one thing to wear a costume, to put on a show—but Cleo will not be stuffed into a suit without their permission and put up on a stage to read a script they never had any intention of performing.

“We’re just besties, we’re not in a romantic relationship,” they tell Tango. He blinks at them, and they can see that the words don’t quite go in—

It itches.

Maybe if Cleo makes being besties the new bit, the itch will stop bothering them quite so much.

#secret life #spoilers #fanfiction #trafficshipping #hi! have a fic!#i have thoughts about traffic!cleo and aromanticism #and i have thoughts about death games and alliances and amatonormativity #and i have thoughts about gender. and assumptions. and other applications of the word 'dysphoria.'#these are my thoughts they're all here #i cannot tell how much of this is characterisation and how much is projection but y'know what take it #i feel like this is the first time i've really nailed cleo's character voice i'm proud of this one #and now to go finish their episode #magpie feather quill

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starflungwaddledee · 3 months

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it's awfully refreshing to see a rise in malevolent galas again, and i'm preeet-ty sure your popularity's playing into it. grrrrrrr yes! let that boy kill! let him scheme and conspire! let him wreak havoc like the true planet-destroying fiend he is!

waaahaaa i'm so delighted to hear it! i will be completely honest, i was extremely nervous to post that very first comic with him in (where he was undeniably malicious) because almost every other headcanon i'd seen of him at that point is that he is Just Misunderstood and Actually A Good Guy or, at the very least, perhaps currently acting out but still Redeemable With A Heart Of Gold

and those are amazing too! not a single piece of shade on those characterisations; they are genuinely cathartic tropes and i love to see them- for him or anyone else. but it made me quite scared to have to just be like... 'anyway he is extraordinarily and wilfully cruel in my headcanons and stories!!'

so it really means a lot to me that you enjoy this characterisation!! and that you think possibly it's having an impact on other folks' characterisations in a positive or refreshing way! that's such an honour! i was scared people would loathe my storytelling or characterisation of their favourite blorbo (i still fear it, ngl) or even think that i like... don't like him. but the thing is that i love him. i love him to bits and pieces and because of how much i love him i've done him the ultimate honour of assigning him Irredeemable All-powerful Villain and allowed him free reign to bite and kill

#and also assigned him bird tail-haver. the other thing you can get from me if i love you The Most.#if i could give bandee a bird tail and get away with it i would. i settle for the Bandana Tails. get it. now you know why they're so big #also if you *do* hate my characterisation of galacta knight as a profound meanie that's actually completely valid #my fear- more than that someone won't like it- is that someone will be genuinely heartsick to see it bc it contrasts with their headcanons #that's an awful feeling and i'd hate to accidentally cause it in anyone. i try to tag generously to avoid this sort of thing happening #anyway.. wow thank you thank you. praised by camachine known galacta knight enjoyer 🥺🥺🥺#also anytime someone refers to me as being popular or having influence in any way i am SO... stunned to hear it. really?? truly??! wow!!#i'm very humbled to hear things like that! still quite unbelievable to me the amount of engagement i'm getting on my work here #thank you so much!#tiny waddle dee doesn't know how to handle praise; more at 11 #asks

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pitske · 3 months

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"So watch me rise up Open the skies up And take the world by storm I'll flood the dry lands Low and highlands And take the world by storm Every inch of the land, every part of the sky Will be water when I transform it So watch me rise up Open the skies up And take the world by storm"

#dude it has been so long since I've heard a villain song THIS catchy #genuinely I loved this movie so much #the art is amazing and the characters too #I know the story of the Monkey King is an old one but it never gets old to me #I've seen a bunch of executions but I think this one's my favorite #granted it isn't the whole story but try to put the entire thing in one movie #AAAAAAAAAAAAH it is so good!#if you haven't yet check out the Monkey King on Netflix #The Dragon was such a good interesting villain honestly #a little goofy too and yes of course the movie itself's a little goofy but the characterisation and such is resonating to me #by the way can I just say that I am so sad they cut a part from “Take the World by Storm”? it is sooooooo catchy man #and yes granted my drawing here has very little to do with the movie but idc #also this has finally implored me to go out and purchase the book #the monkey king #netflix the monkey king #the dragon king #the monkey king netflix #the monkey king 2023 #the monkey king fanart #pitske’s art #pitskederdoenerhaendler #Spotify #digital art #dragon #dragon art

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watatsumiis · 1 year

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May I request Arlecchino romance headcanons? 🙏

For sure !! I've been really enjoying all the Arlecchino requests in my inbox recently, she as a character fascinates me!

Sorry this took me so long to get to, it's like. Every time I open it up and start typing, I get distracted by something else.

Content: Gender neutral reader (referred to as 'you'), romantic affection, nicknames, some behaviour from Arlecchino that could be considered a little seedy (including some passing mentions of jealousy/possessiveness) - a quick mention of alcohol in the last dot point.

Word count: I'd say somewhere over 900, done in a list format.

I'd say in most cases, she probably would have been the one to fixate on you and take steps to initiate the relationship to start off with - though I could definitely see it being the other way around, but she would've been very much out of her element. She's very much easily flustered when your attention is on her.

During the courting period, she would have cute young children bring you flowers from her whenever you happened to be in the area - at first it seems like some kind of plot or scheme, but in reality she's just too shy to approach you directly herself.

She has people watching out for you, always, even before you're together. Even if you're perfectly capable of looking after yourself, you'll find that there's often a Fatui member or two who just so happens to have grown up in House of the Hearth following in your footsteps or looking out for you.

Despite how affectionate she is, she does shockingly terribly when the favour is returned in any way - her cheeks get all red and she refuses to look at you, practically pouting, even if all you did was give her an innocent compliment or ask how her day has been.

I feel like a lot of the kids at the House of the Hearth remain loyal to her even after they've grown up - despite her cold exterior and attitude, they're all really fond of her and see her as this protective aunt figure, so of course once the rumour gets out that she's taken an interest in you (or vice versa), you find that whenever you're in the area, you're getting a lot of curious looks and whispers sent your way, or even some of the older ones just directly asking you questions - at least once there would've been a time when a younger child just directly asked when the wedding was going to be.

Arlecchino can barely function when you're around before you're together. She's a mess, blurting out compliments and just offering you things. You compliment her coat? Before you can blink, she's taken it off and is offering it to you, but in that annoyed, stubborn kind of way, as if she wasn't given a choice in the matter. "Just take it. You said you liked it."

She only just manages to keep her composure when the other Harbingers are around - she's entirely enamoured by you and it's far too obvious in the way that she's constantly looking over towards you and fidgeting about impatiently, or shuffling over so she gets to stand closer to you.

I'd imagine you two getting together officially just starts out with her accidentally blurting something out and admitting to her feelings, then immediately rushing out and avoiding you for as long as possible until you finally manage to corner her and demand answers, and you manage to work it all out from there.

Once you're officially together, Arlecchino can still be a little flighty around you, as if the slightest movement might scare you off. This borders on uncharted water for her - she's been in relationships before, but never with someone she actually cared for this much.

She's so needy and clingy at times, it's like she thinks if she lets you out of her sight you'll run away forever.

Once she's been given the go ahead for physical affection, she is all over you. Standing right up in your personal space, sitting so close to you that you're pressed up against one another. It's like she hardly even notices her arm wrapping around you, or her fingers linking with yours.

Once she's over that initial phase of doubt and worry, she gets better, though she can still be possessive and jealous at times.

There's nothing she loves more than being able to come to bed and get to hold you after a long day of working. She looks forward to it all day.

She vacillates between wanting to show you off to anyone and everyone and wanting to hide you away somewhere where you'll be safe.

She loves to provide for you - if it's within her power to grant for you, she'll do it in a heartbeat.

If anyone upsets you, she's ready to throw hands, no matter who it is. She'll square up with the Tsaritsa herself for looking at you wrong.

Arlecchino just adores you. She dotes on you to no end - the kids at the House of the Hearth find it adorable - the soldiers serving under her do too, but they're a little more subtle about it, especially considering Arlecchino is trying her very best to keep your relationship under wraps so news doesn't get around to the other Harbingers.

If someone gets her a drink or two and bring you up in conversation she's suddenly fanning herself as she blinks back tears because of just how much she loves you. It's adorable. For all the terrifying stories about her and her general reputation, she's really just a huge softie when it comes to you (though she definitely still has her stern, scary moments).

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagarise my writing! This includes posting translations to other sites (without credit + permission).

#asks #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagines #genshin self insert #my writing #genshin headcanons #arlecchino #arlecchino x reader #arlecchino x you #genshin arlecchino #inexplicably obsessed with the idea of big bad mean scary arlecchino who is just so soft for her partner and no one else #tumblr nearly ate this answer. it randomly logged me out. like bruh #but hahaa the arlie rambling lives to see another day #i feel like theres so much more i could write here #i feel like these anons sending the arlecchino requests are pushing me into characterising her more and more <3 #my takes are probably gonna prove to be inaccurate but im having fun so its ok :3c

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fellhellion · 7 months

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“Miguel cheats on Xina and is so callous in his explanation of said act because it comes from a place of self sabotage” is one of those readings where I really like it’s implications and agree it’s plausible for Miguel to do that, but also think it’s harder to textually support.

The difference in Miguel’s reaction between Xina vs how he handles Gabriel is. Incredibly stark.

I think reading self sabotage here with Xina only really works with the cruelty of mocking Xina as she leaves or making a face at her that doesn’t seem to hint at remorse if you read that self sabotage as being either unconscious, or a deeply suppressed. Which are plausible for the character as I’ve said; but I’d argue aren’t supported within the textual presentation we are offered here into Miguel’s supposed emotional state.

Compare and contrast to the confrontation with Gabriel. Miguel is still being a dick, but it’s not the active aggravation like towards Xina, more a sense of condescending pity.

Most critically, you have the time to taken to offer small insight into Miguel feeling guilt at Gabriel trying to forgive him and retreating from that. It’s a reaction no one other than Miguel is privy to and hints at that feeling being aggravated and then suppressed. Most notably, it’s just. Not something we see replicated in his interaction with Xina.

I don’t think any of this particular reading I’m offering here negates the obvious regrets Miguel holds regarding Xina into the future of 2099 though.

Like regardless of whether you choose to read it as active disregard or an unconscious self sabotage (or both), it’s very obvious Miguel holds a lot of regret regarding tarnishing that friendship (and the unspoken love that was present there) and this manifests in one of the most notable ways through the ambiguity to his reaction to Lyla’s confession.

Like. You can essentially read quite a plurality into Miguel’s deflection/bemusement here. From his deeply complicated relationship to love and self hatred, to the fact that Xina becomes retroactively intrinsic to Lyla and that aspect offering the scene a completely new dimension, tinged with palpable regret.

I think it’s entirely plausible, given the ambiguity where Miguel’s reaction comes from to argue for that being present within this scene given not only its presentation, but that guilt over Xina is something we see present in Miguel.

#I don’t know if this is anything I’ve just been mulling over it #tldr I like the self sabotage reading and think it’s in character but I have my doubts about it being something you can substantially #evidence in the text #it’s weird because like. I think PAD’s authorial intent of Miguel just being a misogynist here actually makes the most sense w the #way the scene is presented. but because PAD is so allergic to having people criticise Dana the SINGULAR time Miguel verbally condescends #abt Dana is trying to bait Xina’s pride where he essentially implies she’s always been leagues smarter than Dana #which like. okay. but why wouldn’t that pattern of behaviour and thinking manifest literally anywhere else in that relationship #if you’re intending me to read this as a critical aspect to why Miguel is involved w Dana in the first place #(real reason seems to be just. this bizarre aversion 2099 has with actually having the cast react to Dana’s actions as more than #those of a hapless ingenue #) I’d like to be yknow. shown it more????#so you’re just sitting there going why tf was Miguel so needlessly cruel to Xina because you just don’t. imo. get that much of a tangible #establishment of condescension being a cornerstone to Miguel/Dana’s relationship #so ur just like well that was needlessly cruel. and bizarrely so given how palpable Miguel’s regrets are now #so ur just left there w a scene that is structured in such a way as to characterise Miguel as supposedly #being genuinely callous to his ex lover and best friend #BUT because the condescension isn’t reinforced at all beyond that one line #appears like a bizarre one off that hints at deeper if unacknowledged feeling in Miguel #and it’s THAT tension imo between the authorial intent and it not being that well executed that actually provides the most fertile soil #as it were. for the reading that it’s a self sabotage #which again let me be clear I do enjoy and think is plausible #I just think PAD fell ass backwards into creating the circumstances that imply it sbxhxjcjc #tunes talks 2099 #long post

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tasmanianstripes · 1 year

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Maybe it's the result of my main fandom for the majority of my life being one where canon just genuinely doesn't exist, where there are so many different canons and literally any sort of interpretation of a single character is correct and can range from a moronic maniac with a chainsaw to a depressed old asshole boss, but

Literally who gives a fuck about canon?

Especially when the character is practically a blank slate or if it's an AU

Like, I'm sorry, but if you're butthurt about a mischaracterisation of a fictional character in an Alternative Universe then I don't think you understand what an AU is

#thylacines can talk #Maybe that's the reason I do not have the same violent reaction to mischaracterisation 99% of fandom spaces seems to have #I genuinely think that getting butthurt over somebody not writing a fictional character exactly how they appear in canon is the stupidest #most juvenile pet peeve you could ever have. Literally WHY do you care so much? It's words on a screen. Calm down.#I think it's only a problem when you believe that it's canon or try to shove your own interpretation of a character or AUs onto everybody #else. Otherwise...literally who cares? Somebody else treating characters like dolls is not hurting me. I'm not about to get legitimately #annoyed over fictional characters in a children's cat book. Unless it's like. Bigoted. But then I criticise the person's beliefs not a #goddammed characterisation of a fictional character.#In the fandom I was in most of my life a trigger-happy clown with a chainsaw canon and an old deppressed asshole boss were seen as the same #character and only had like. One design detail in common. And literally nobody batted an eye. You could write a dynamic between two #characters being incredibly hateful and toxic and somebody else could write them as old friends or an old married couple and both of these #interpretations would be equally canon. A single guy could have two wildly different personalities and backstories and he'd still be #treated like the same character as long as the two looked vaguely similar physically wise. Sure there were interpretations of characters #that were more popular than others but literally the only people who would treat one specific interpretation as canon and shove that #interpretation onto everybody else would be people who came from different kinds of fandoms and let me tell you. They were annoying as fuck #So coming from that kind of fandom into more generic mainstream fandoms feels like such a culture shock. Genuinely cannot comprehend why #people care so much.#'oh this character is so far from canon they might as well make an oc' okay...cool...and?#Maybe they don't want to make an oc?? I mean come on. It's fictional characters. You're an adult. It's not a fucking English class #People don't come to fandoms to study book literacy they come here to have fun. Literally WHO CARES if somebody's interpretation of a #character has only name and looks common with the canon version. WHO CARES. ITS WORDS ON THE SCREEN. Who are they hurting if they're just #making AUs in their own corner and not shoving it in anyone's face?#Idk I just see a characterisation I don't agree with and just go oh. Kinda weird but go off. And move on.#This got longer than I meant it to but whatever #I mean if you have that pet peeve but aren't an asshole about it. It's also whatever. That opinion also doesn't hurt anybody. It's only #people who act so butthurt about it and shit on other people having fun that I have a problem with. If you put it on your own blog and #criticise that sort of content in your own space instead of coming to somebody and going 'hey. I don't like what you're doing'. Then I #couldn't care less. Again. That's kinda weird but go off #It's kind of like. I like horror but I dont care if you dont like horror and talk about it in your own space. But I'm gonna care if you #go up to horror fans and go 'hey I think horror sucks' or 'I dont like horror so you shouldn't either'.

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not-poignant · 1 year

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I was wondering if Sam and Abigail might such a little bit in Stain! Specifically, I was thinking about why Harvey might be so worried about Alex working for Sebastian. I think all four (Harvey, Sebastian, Abigail, and Sam) go to saloon on Fridays and was thinking that Harvey might have already heard them making fun of Alex's job with the shipping bins or living with his grandparents after Sebastian first got back to town. I could be totally off, but it just occurred to me (and was shown in the snippets/previews) that there are a lot of convos about Alex happening that we aren't overhearing. But someone like Harvey might be.

I love the story so much!!! Thanks for another incredible chapter yesterday!!

Oh yeah, the reason Haley's calling Alex in the first place is because she heard about Alex's change of job from Jodi, and you know that Jodi heard it from Sam, and that Sam absolutely didn't say flattering things about the situation at all.

We're definitely going to be learning that there are a lot of asshole gossips in the town, and Alex is sheltered from almost all of it because he never visits the saloon. What he knows is filtered through Haley's and Harvey's concern, and Alex's assumption that people are gossiping about him because he's known that all his life - people talked about him and his family behind his back while growing up, and he wants no part in it.

I don't know that Harvey has necessarily overheard that much, I think he can pick up enough through just watching Alex with his grandparents in the end of their lives, and realising how much he genuinely cares and how hard he works/worked for them to make their lives better, and then he can sort of compare that to the image that the town has given to him re: Alex and be like 'oh. oh no.' That, combined with Sebastian returning, compounded all of it I think? I like to imagine that Harvey doesn't actually do much at the saloon except talk to Gus and tell himself that one glass of wine isn't unhealthy, it isn't unhealthy, no Harvey it's okay you can have one glass of wine you can even have two you're not like Pam it's okay.

Lol

Sebastian's never loved gossip, but he's definitely involved and around a lot of it, and I don't think he realises how much it's influenced him in the past and still influences him now. I think he'd resent it if he knew, because he's also been poorly affected by gossip in the town.

He's still got this view that many teenagers develop which is like, 'oh gossip is bad but what me and my friends do is fine, it's not like what everyone else is doing in my age group' and now he's an adult and he still holds that perspective. And, ngl, Sam and Abigail can be pretty judgemental and disparaging of other townsfolk when they get together and hang out with Sebastian, because Sebastian's 'fuck the town' attitude enables them into some of their worst behaviours and attitudes about individuals in the town.

I really like the way small town attitudes happen and how they play off the people in the town. It's so easy to get fixed in certain ways of seeing other people, and I'm looking forward to how that will play out.

And, not gonna lie, I'm really really interested to see if/when Sebastian will come to Alex's defence.

(And thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter!!)

#asks and answers #a stain that won't dissolve #thespectaclesofthor #sdv fic #sdv sebastian #sdv alex #hypotheticals #not really talking about the game canon here but just the story characterisation #because i don't see the characters in the game this way sdfalkfjdsa #Stain lives rent free in my head all the time #these dummies are so much fun to think about

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ufonaut · 1 year

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You mean who’s bothering me! I’ll tell you who -- it’s this guy Alan Scott. Does he do everything around here? [...] That’s all I’ve been hearing! Alan Scott -- troubleshooter, lineman, radio engineer, M.C., program director-- electronics technician, writer, actor, radio reporter -- it’s impossible! Who is this fellow Scott? How does he rate all that?

Green Lantern (1941) #20

(Alfred Bester, Mart Nodell)

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charlottedabookworm · 1 year

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I love your And I Didn't Like The Ending verse, it's such perfect karma for the Hightowers. The tools of their ambition stepping back to say "not my circus, not my monkeys". I would love to see Rhaenyra's reaction when she realizes that her rival for the throne is actually loyal to her.

this did not go where i thought it would go, lol

(according to the valyrian dictionary i found:

muña means mother/mother's sister/maternal aunt

Qȳbor means mother's younger brother/maternal uncle younger than mother)

"Aegon!"

Her half-brother rolls his eyes from where it is he sits, making faces at Jacaerys and Lucerys in an attempt to make them laugh. "Yes, mother?"

The queen frowns at her son from the head of the table. "Ser Cole has reported that you have been ignoring your lessons yet again in favour of entertaining Jacaerys and Lucerys-"

Rhaenyra stills, feeling Laenor doing the same beside her as her gaze falls upon her half-brother. If he has dared to-

"Perhaps, then," Aegon says, baring his teeth in a smile as he stares his mother down. With his head resting upon his palm, dressed in the reds and blacks of their shared house, he looks every inch a Dragon and not the half-Tower he is. "Ser Cole should keep better track of his students."

Luke giggles quietly at her side, his brother hushing him - Jacaerys ever the watcher compared to either of his brothers.

Aegon's smile widens, spreading slowly across his lips, his gaze utterly focused on his mother. "Jace is second in line, mother, I will not leave him untaught simply because Ser Cole is afraid to teach him." He spits the word, daring Alicent to speak up. Daring her to say what they all know.

Her sons are not ignored by the Kingsguard because Criston Cole is afraid.

"It's okay, muña," Lucerys chirps from her side, drawing her gaze to him. Her son is smiling brightly but there is a sharpness in his eyes. "Qȳbor Egg is a really good teacher!"

"Is he," she hums, smiling at her son. He nods vigorously, launching into their lessons with his uncle, which have apparently been happening for more than a turn.

Rhaenyra's gaze falls once more upon her half-brother.

Aegon meets her eyes evenly, sitting properly in his chair for the first time this night. He holds her gaze for a heartbeat, allowing her to take a measure of him, before his eyes drop to the table, his head dipping in a bow.

It is, unmistakably, the bow of a Prince to his King.

The bow of a Prince to his Queen.

A fork clatters to the floor.

(Three days later, Aegon kneels before her in front of the entire court and rests his sword at her feet)

#ask #yllyana #hotd #legend of the sword #and i didn't like the ending verse #not sure on my characterisation here but that's the downside of getting most of your knowledge through fic lol #went on the wiki and fuck now I'm sad at exactly how many of these children die #egg is just like fuck all this sabotage i don't want to be king #so i'm gonna make certain my sister knows i support her #and that my nephews get properly trained #aegon 'i am fourth in line and would very much like to be even further' targaryen

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