Huh, wild speculation time, but am now thinking Li Tianxi was in some way responsible for how the situation with Liu Lan and Li Fan turned out then Li Tianchen took Li Tianxi's powers and she was relieved because she could no longer mess things up again (and obviously was heavily traumatised) until she realised how far Li Tianchen had gone, but had no real way to stop him. (This does have some grounding in terms of the powers aspect but the parent thing is more vibes + crying/apologising Liu Lan + the fact we've still not seen the full death scene and how the knife got involved)
Red eyes says "I can't wait to take your power and experience it for myself" in s2e1 which sounds like something he has experience of. CXS picks up on this too so it's supposed to be something we as the audience consider.
In the dive with the twins CXS (who is in LTX for the dive) is shunted across to Liu Lan through a staticky signal before he's chucked out entirely. When we the audience last see the twins in the dive LTX is holding the photo and LTC is holding her but not touching the photo himself. In other words, the photo power is (at least initially) Li Tianxi's.
However, we have several instances where the red eyes possession can't have been using touch (Emma and Liu Min being the obvious ones here). And yet both Emma and Liu Min *spoke* despite us knowing full well that Tianxi is mute and the possessor's traits override the host. So Li Tianchen is definitely using the photo power to do this.
I suppose the main remaining question then is whether Tianchen permanently has her powers now or whether he's just able to use her powers using his own. Neither have particularly happy implications, but we know that touch-based possession basically knocks you unconscious for the duration which gives me even more questions around Chen Bin if Tianchen is using Tianxi's powers by touch possession. But at the same time, if Tianchen is able to take powers permanently then how come Cheng Xiaoshi's are still intact when they've been in contact with each other? Is some extra step needed?
Tldr; Tianxi initially had photo possession. Tianchen has touch-based possession and currently has access to photo possession, though it's unknown to what extent this is "his" power.
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Not gonna lie, seeing "Character is Actually Biologically Related to Other Character that adopted them in canon" annoys the everliving shit out of me.
What, adoption's not enough? Caring for someone who's not related to you through blood or marriage is impossible?
Fuck that.
What absolutely keeps killing me is how I keep seeing this in the One Piece fandom. One Piece! The manga that keeps screaming about how you shouldn't hold kids responsible for the sins of their parents, about how if your blood family treats you like shit you drop 'em, the ULTIMATE "family is not born, it's made."
What the fuck, y'all.
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“you really don’t have to do that, not for me.” ( for….van 🥲🥲😭 )
@clemencetaught | more random dialogue prompts | ♥
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Minute faltering.
There aren't a great many things Patrick and Van get to have in common. Pretending might be one of them, though. Patrick's entire existence, as far as Van's understanding of circumstances goes, relies heavily on pretending just in the right tone, in the right direction, with the right people, at the right time, to make sure he gets to live long enough to be forced to try again.
In contrast, Van's pretending is... well... it's like pretending he hasn't stubbed his toe, while Patrick pretends he hasn't been stabbed.
But pretending he still does. He pretends he likes it around here, pretends he genuinely gets it, that he more than empathizes with the plight of being a so very bored Capitol citizen he must continue to surround himself with Victors, because who else could invigorate his so very dull and rich life?
Van pretends in front of Patrick as well. What else is he supposed to do? He's supposed to function as a benefactor here. As selfish as it may sound, as disgustingly privileged to even get to pick and choose, Van doesn't want in on this gun's blazing.
He wants to help.
His feet are firmly planted on the line, he does what he can within the confines of his own gilded cage. He uses money and names, he tugs and playfully curls the strings of someone's mind around his fingers and makes them wonder, oh, aren't there better things to do? Don't the Victors deserve a little more?
It's not an easy task, hell, hell hath no deafer than the madmen who want to own others. But it's not... well, it's a stubbed toe compared to a dagger in a heart.
He pretends in the way he looks at Patrick, polite and frozen smile, it's easier to not accidentally drop the act if he always keeps it up. Their exchanges are rarely verbal, Patrick is more than smart, it isn't difficult to get what point he needs to get across to actually reach the Victor, let alone watch it implemented much better than he could have on his own, what with his lack of intimate knowledge on the matter.
And then... he doesn't anymore.
Because if Patrick says 'not for me', perhaps, just for a small, dangerous moment, they're done pretending.
And Van can be done pretending to himself as well, that he's truly that careful of a person. That he wouldn't do ridiculous things for a person who looks like that.
For the Gentleman, who looks like he's dangling from fishing lines made of electrical wires, exhausted and bled out, and still smiling politely to all those who want to poke at his bleeding purple wounds.
"I'm going to be very direct now," Van starts, and the smile's gone. The polite air is gone. Probably also the reason why he steps closer as they stand outside in the corridor leading to Van's door, why he lowers his voice.
"One, you're very important to the people you surround yourself with, whether you want to be or not. You're not always here when the Victors you tell me to call for arrive, so you don't see their faces or hear their words when they speak of you, but I do. Strategically speaking alone, if you're unsafe, how will they ever be, how will they ever try to be. A martyr works, a survivor works better. Two," he takes a breath, tries to remind himself he shouldn't... he doesn't have the right to care this much...?
"You're my primary contact to Victors, I need to prioritize you, I need to talk to you and hear from you. Three, and I don't know if I'm crossing a line here by saying this, so I'll extend my apologies as soon as we're done," Van turns to smile, all sharp falsehoods in a row as a neighbour walks past and doesn't even bother hide the knowing, appreciative gaze. Victors are the finest on the menu, aren't they?
Van steps back into his flat, opens the door a little wider.
"You deserve the reprieve. Now, if you don't want to come in and want me to stop calling for you so often, I will. If you want out of this arrangement, consider it done. Otherwise... would you like to come in and have something warm to drink?"
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