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#apparently this (however unlikely) was also true
yuurei20 · 25 days
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Does Idia have any peeps that he can get along with, other than Ortho?
Hello hello! Thank you for this question!!
This may depend on your definition of "get along with"!
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Idia himself has said that he has no friends at the school and that his "one and only trusted companion" is Muscle Red, so he personally does not seem to think so!
But it is common for characters in the game to say things that are not necessarily true, and it is possible that Idia is actually closer to Azul than even he himself is aware of.
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We see Azul mention wanting to invite Idia to a celebration of their housewarden appointments in September, and during Glorious Masquerade Idia himself says that he wishes Azul were in his group (in order to balance out Rook with "some shadiness").
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Idia also says that he knows Azul being friendly equates to him being "up to no good" and that what Azul wishes for during the Wish Upon a Star event is "a very Azul wish," so it seems he knows Azul decently well!
Idia is also not fooled by Azul's apparent self-sacrifice in the fight against Rollo.
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For all Azul's channels of information, however, he did not know about Idia's family (while Leona did), and seems to sincerely suggest that Idia might release them after they have been kidnapped, so Idia may know Azul better than Azul knows Idia.
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When Idia needs to change out a part inside of Ortho, Azul is who Idia goes to for help, and we have examples of both characters translating what the other says into layman's terms for other people.
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While it is unlikely that either would call the other a friend (the characters slowly coming to terms with the word "friend" seems to be the underlying theme of the entire game), if I had to argue that there is a character besides Ortho that we have seen Idia get along with, I would say Azul! :>
(For a more detailed summary of Azul and Idia's various interactions, there is this video! ↓)f
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melon-kiss · 2 months
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I know some of you don't speak Polish and we can't afford to translate 40-min-long chaotic interviews for you and I'm a bit bored (meaning: my brain wants a break from writing but I'm stubborn and I want to finish it TODAY), so I thought I'd give you a bit of a trivia based on interviews with the actors and the crew of 1670:
throughout all the interviews, no one really asked if we're getting season 2. I mean, someone did and the response was: "Well, we know nothing" but nobody really asked if they had any IDEA about what would happen in the next season
I'm not sure about the actors but the creative and directive levels went to a series of lectures on how people lived in Poland in the XVII century
they received a substantial funding, especially considering the directors were complete "no-names"
filming took 3 months, December through February 2022 if I recall
they all lived in an open-air museum in Kolbuszowa; in fact, almost all of the building were already there, they only had to build the house, the barn and the forge
there was no delay in filming, which is apparently rare in the industry but that was because they had a very tight schedule and couldn't afford staying longer in the museum
the last episode was filmed on one day and that was the last day of filming and because of technical issues with cameras working in the inn (the short shot of Maciej serving the pig to the Adamczewskis' table had to be re-done 20 times!), they had to completely rearrange the wedding party scenes, turning them into long shots; the entire labor/dancing scenes were supposed to be shot from 13 (!) different perspectives and be arranged in a "music video fashion"
one of the first episodes (if not THE first episode) to be filmed was episode 7
the script was written with Bartłomiej Topa (Jan Paweł) in mind, however, the actor wasn't really convinced about participating in this project and took his sweet, sweet time to decide on it; same goes to Dobromir Dymecki (Bogdan). Topa says it wasn't because he didn't find it good - it was because he was afraid that the project would be underfunded and therefore fail as projects like that usually don't get the attention they need in Poland
Bartłomiej Topa said he portrayed Jan Paweł as evil and conniving for the first two weeks of being on the set and the first scene they recorded was the one with the "Adamczycha" sign falling down; only after that time, after one scene in particular (don't remember which one, sorry), he finally saw the true nature of his character and changed his approach to the portrayal
surprisingly, Michał Sikorski (father Jakub), unlike Topa, thought of his character as a silly, innocent man and he changed his mind only after seeing the Aniela-Maciej dance scene where he says Love is peaceful, love is kind, love is... unacceptable - he understood he got to play a villain
the actors were FORBIDDEN to improvise; their lines had to be memorised prior to filming
they shot the barrel-cleaning scene (the thing they do before blowing the magnate's son's head up) for 2h because Bartłomiej Topa and Andrzej Kłak (well, he plays Andrzej) couldn't stop laughing; Topa mentions he doesn't even remember how they managed to get it done
all the mud was brought there ON PURPOSE
Kirył Pietruczuk (Maciej) is a debutante when it comes to film, however, he is the only actor in the crew with an acting degree; not only that - he graduated with honors
when asked about this, Michał Sikorski said: "Well, but it doesn't matter, does it? Because, even thought I haven't graduated, I got to play a nobleman and he... well..." (obv that was A JOKE; he is like the sweetest person ever!)
he also said he wrote a "Maciej's journal" during filming and spent a lot of time creating a backstory for his character; he said it was helping with the a-chronical shooting; he read one of the entries out loud in his interview
he jokingly said his favourite episode is the last one because he got to kiss Martyna (Aniela) there
as mentioned before, casting Maciej's role took the longest. They interviewed about 300 candidates and none of them fit. Kirył recalls it was right after he signed a deal with an agency for the first time in his life and he immediately received a call after his first cinema audition and it was 1670, of course! However, he reports that the process was extremely long - he had to go through several stages, each one of them revealing more and more of the script and he wasn't informed it would take that long
The creators said they looked for someone who'd understand the character and his role in the film - as he is the eyes and ears for us, people from XXI century. "He's basically like a viewer of the events, one of us", Kordian Kądziela (director, episodes 5-8) says. It was important he had a good chemistry with Martyna (she was the first and only "Aniela" he had to do short scenes with and the chemistry was immediate) and was able to break the fourth wall properly - he had to have the talent to comment current events with just one look and I personally think he does it perfectly. The actor was also supposed to be "easily likeable by girls"
The first scene they shot together - meaning as Aniela and Maciej - was the dance scene and Kirył says it's his favourite scene in the entire show
Kirył said the scene with the magnate's son was initially very aggressive on his part, however, after speaking to the directors, he decided to tone it down as it was, indeed, not fit for the character to be this angry
they all said, once they got down to it, they had a feeling they were a part of something special
Feel free to add your trivia or correct me if I'm wrong.
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sharptoothed-gaze · 1 month
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Anyone else thinking about how qPhilza essentially said that he thinks that death on Quesadilla Island is defined by its impermanence?
Because I still am, and it’s such an interesting thread to follow guys! Especially since when he was talking to Chayanne about it, he was referencing both the adult residents of the island and the dead eggs.
For the adults, we know they have respawn mechanics that can often render death down to an annoyance or even a joke. Then, there are the dead eggs, who can apparently still communicate and have conversations as ghosts despite being fully dead. From this, it is CLEAR that death is not actually the end for anyone who lives on this island. They can choose to be present regardless.
(Plus, we know that the Federation ultimately has control over the eggs’ lives. They have 100% been able to return them in some ways in the past like with Bobby’s final goodbye).
SO YEAH! Those examples of death were in qPhilza’s mind when he asked ‘what even is dead’ on the island? And that is fascinating because it’s genuinely so different from what he knew!!!
During his talk with Chayanne, Phil took the opportunity to explain the nature of the Death that he knows and is most is familiar with. It’s a Death that is permanent. He even addressed it as /real/ and distinguished it from that of the island.
Just the way he speaks about it really conveys the permanence and deep significance that Death held in the world he comes. It is a fundamental difference which highlights a distinction between Philza’s past and the reality he’s now living on Quesadilla Island.
For me, this also so clearly explains why he reacts to deaths on the island the way he does!!
At this point, he’s been on Quesadilla island so long that he has become very desensitized to the deaths of his fellow adults. To him, their deaths are nothing /permanent/ because that’s not how Death on the island works. Unlike where he’s from, he holds a confidence that any of his friends can come back with enough action.
HOWEVER even if he’s accepted this to be true for his friends, he can’t shake his own instincts. As much as he wants to think death is something safer here, he’s still from a world where Death is something entirely different. QPhilza is a deeply anxious and paranoid man who will probably never quite trust the idea that dying is okay. He might be connected to Death, but he is still a survivalist.
I think that QPhilza is a man who has felt true Death once before, and he will do everything in his power to avoid a repeat.
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cryptictongues · 3 months
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To Kiss is to Hunger
pairing: Joshua Rosfield x Fem!Reader rating: Mature word count: 5.0K summary: You are terrified to kiss Joshua. Joshua has an idea to remedy that.
warnings: practice kissing, grinding, touching, intimacy, mutual pining, insecurities and self-doubt, just straight up romance
Author’s Notes: Ngl I know I said it would be a little frisky, but just so happens I made it just a little bit friskier because Joshua is just a touch starved man. Just a heads up, please read my pinned post before following me! Minors and ageless blogs will be blocked as this blog’s content is NSFW.
[AO3 link]
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You couldn’t fathom why you are in the Shelves this late into the night. ‘It’s silly.” You think, walking around, trying to find anything to help you with your little dilemma. You tried to put your brain to rest, to calm its ravenous thoughts of anxiety, but the efforts were futile. And it is all because a teasing strawberry blond tried to kiss you.
You and the young Lord got quite close after his arrival to the Hideaway. You help out as a barmaid for Molly in the Ale House, and the first night of Joshua being out of the infirmary after the fall of Drake’s Tail had been all the talk. You would overhear conversations about how charming he was, how he was very knowledgeable about the lands of Valisthea, and how he is the brother of the leader of the Hideaway. He piqued your curiosity, as most newcomers do, but you didn’t think anything to come of it.
There was one night, however, where service wasn’t off its rig, and you had decided to take that time to practice your reading. Reading and writing are forbidden practices for Branded, and you were only able to learn reading due to old, scribbled writings thrown into the trash bins. You would rummage through for every written scrap in the dead of night and return it before your enslavers came to. To you, it was a piece to the puzzle of your freedom. But only a piece. 
You were reading an old children’s fairytale: a prince in search of the long-lost princess who searched day and night to find her. You were immersed, so much so you hadn’t noticed the presence in front of you, seemingly still but present all the same. 
“Ah, I read that story many times as a child. A true classic.”
Your head had snapped so far back you thought you would’ve fallen backwards. Your eyes jumped until they landed on the man before you, and you remember how wonderstruck you felt. He was the most beautiful man you had ever seen, and the way he was looking at you had your stomach producing butterflies. You felt a sense of embarrassment, however, as the book you were reading was adapted for children. You knew those born with a silver spoon were highly educated, so to have someone as handsome and surely intelligent as he watching you read made you nervous to be a laughing stock. 
“Yeah, but it’s more of a watered down version of it. I’m sure I’ll get to read the original someday.” You had awkwardly explained, waiting for him to make a joke of your lack of ability to read at a level that matched your maturity. That joke, however, never came. He stayed and asked you questions, such as who your favorite character was, what your favorite part of the story was, and so on. That conversation led beyond the book, and it is a fond memory of the golden boy.
It wasn’t long after that he offered to tutor you and made an extraordinary effort to give you books about topics you liked. Hell, he would even bring books back from long expeditions that him, Clive, and Jill would go on. “I found this story about sea fairies that I thought you would like.” “I saw a merchant selling a copy of this book I think you’ll enjoy.” “This book made me think of you.”
After many nights and days passing, it had become apparent that your heart had let him in, and you were relieved to know that his heart blazed for you also. However, unlike you, he is very evident about how he shows his feelings for you. He initiated the first hand holding, the first embrace, every tender moment you both have shared has been started by him. It makes you nervous, he makes you nervous, but in a conflicting way because you want everything he has to offer, yet your life of being treated less than for so long has put in the fear of not being enough. You fear you will misstep, embarrass yourself, he will realize he can have someone better, and let you down gently. He is a gentleman, after all.
All of the insecurities and doubts you hold have led you to the shelves due to this past evening's events.
-
A gathering of many members of the Hideaway was taking place, enjoying each other’s company, exchanging stories from the road, and eating and drinking so good that spirits were at an all time high. About halfway through the evening, Joshua and Clive had returned from their mission that had kept them away for well over a week, and joined everyone in the festivities. You could feel Joshua’s eyes on you constantly as you worked, soft gazes in your direction as you brought over more ale. You hadn’t seen each other since he had left, and you could see from the look in his eyes that he wanted you close, longing for your time. 
And you weren’t the only one to sense it.
“Go on.” You heard Molly speak as you polished the cups.
“Hmmm?” You turned to see her smirking at you, nudging her head in the direction of the young Rosfield. 
“You are free of your duties. You spend some time with everyone, especially you know who.” 
You shook your head, your cheeks flushed. “I appreciate it, but Molly there is a lot to clean up. I can’t ask you to do this all by yourself.”
“Nonsense.” She scoffed, walking to you, taking the scrub and cup out of your hands, only to set them aside to grab your own. “We all deserve a little down time. Please, I insist.”
You hesitated, and her eyes softened. “In these troubling times, every moment counts; for anything can happen at any time. We must be selfish with our time.” 
That alone had set you into motion. You had walked over to sit beside him, hip to hip, his arm draped around your side with his head leaning slightly against your own as Clive shared his and his brother’s adventures. 
You could tell Joshua was more touchy than normal, not that you minded. You would feel him squeeze you from time to time. If you shifted slightly, he would adjust so you were still close to him. You would feel him turn his head to bury his face into your hair, gentle caresses of his lips against your scalp. No words were spoken between the two of you, just enjoying the night together with everyone. But even nights like these had to end. 
You called it a night, telling everyone that you were going to head to the bed chambers, but not before Joshua insisted on walking you there. The two of you had bid goodnight to the others, and with your hand in Joshua’s grasp, the two of you walked to the bed chambers, small talk between the two of you as you both headed there slowly.  
“I can’t believe you let Clive do that.” You giggled, Joshua’s story about his older brother shoving a carrot into his mouth to make him sick. 
“He had reason, for we were in an unfortunate situation. We needed a reason to slip away.” Joshua grimaced, vaguely remembering the taste of the raw carrot. “Besides, I have always had a soft spot for my brother. I’d do anything for him.”
“I know having him back in your life has been a gift.” You smiled, waving his arm back and forth as you both approached the bed chambers. He pulled your arm back gently, causing you to turn into his arms. The way he was looking at you left you speechless; a thousand words being spoken through one look. 
“Why yes, it has truly been a gift by the Founder to be reunited with my brother.” He brings your hand up to his chest, right above his heart; the thumping gingerly warming up your palm. “It has also been a gift to have the honor of being allowed your time, my lady.”
You shook your head, but before you could’ve said anything, Joshua had spoken once more. “On the topic of gifts, I have something for you.” 
He slipped his free hand into the large pouch of his belt and pulled out what you can see is a book. He placed the book in both of your hands, grazing them before allowing you to inspect it. You recognized the artistry of the book: hardbound leather, intricate gold lining, and a sturdy weight in your hand. You looked at the title and you found yourself releasing a shaky breath. 
“I thought you said there were no more copies.” You whispered, in disbelief as to what you were seeing. Enchanting thy Fair Maiden. It was a copy of a book Joshua has praised over. He would recite lines to you from what he memorized as a child, and you would ask him to retell them to you over and over again, never tiring from hearing his smooth voice telling you a tale.
“It took some bartering, but it was worth it if it means I could grant you a copy.” 
Snapping from your mind, you looked to him, shaking your head in disbelief. “Joshua, I can’t accept this. This is one of your favorite stories. You should keep it.” 
You tried pushing the book back into Joshua’s, but not before him grasping both of your hands and gently pushing it back into your vicinity. “My lady.” He begged. “I can reassure you that nothing would please me more than you accepting this gift.”
You stayed silent for a moment, a brief pause in the timeline aside from you and him, before smiling shyly, looking away from him in a flush. “I will cherish this for all days, Joshua. Maybe you can read it to me properly sometime.”
“Anything for you, dearest.” 
Your gaze stayed down, not knowing how to bid farewell for the night, before you felt Joshua’s hand lightly touch your cheek, lifting your face for him to look upon. You sensed a certain hesitancy, his eyes seeking for something on your face before landing back on your own. 
“May I try something?” 
Everything started to go slow and fast at the same time, your mind racing and hyper focusing on every detail. You focused on how much closer Joshua had gotten to you, how his body heat had your body melting tenfold, how his face leaned down to yours, his hand stroking your cheek. You realized what he was asking to do: he was asking to kiss you.
Sudden flashes of self-doubt came crashing down onto you, Joshua’s hand on your branded cheek making you feel self-conscious. What is he doing? How can he want to kiss me? Oh, Greagor be with me, I have never kissed anyone. I am going to make a fool of myself!
Out of reflex and fear, you stepped back and away from Joshua’s reach. He looked startled, not expecting your reaction, and all you could do was stare at him as you calmed your heart down. You felt embarrassment shudder down your spine, but you knew that it would have been worse if you had attempted to kiss him. 
You tried to shrug it off, chuckling awkwardly as if that would erase the last few seconds of shame you felt. “It is late. I’m afraid I must turn in. Goodnight, Joshua.” 
You flung the chamber door open and closed it just as fast without a glance in Joshua’s direction, your back hitting the wood as you worked your anxieties down.
Now you’ve really done it stupid stupid STUPID!
-
So here you are, looking for a kissing manual that doesn’t exist.
“I can’t believe it has come to this.” You moan, shaking your head at how pathetic you currently feel. You want to kiss him; of course you want to kiss him! But the thought of kissing him and making a complete fool out of yourself has strung itself high in your head. You will do anything to ease your anxieties, and if finding literature that will help you is the way, then so be it. 
You keep searching the shelves, and finally you see something that catches your attention. You see a book with a deep red spine, and immediately you become curious. Red means romance which maybe means kissing, right? you think and go to reach for it, your tippy toes giving you an extra inch that helps you grab the old spine of the book. Once the book is grasped, you give it a once over and what you see is nothing at all. The book has no title, no author, no nothing. Just hardbound leather that looks as if it had been dyed with blood. 
You move to sit at a table, the kissing debacle hiding in the back of your skull as a new curiosity peeks. You stare at the book intently, like it was going to open up for you to tell you all of its secrets. A book with no visible identity, no mark.
The curiosity killed the cat as you finally flipped it open, the crackle of the pages singing, showing its age. The first few pages are barren with no offering until you reach the first official page. You read, smiling because you can read everything on the page in comprehension, but also because it’s a love poem. You never have had the chance to read poetry thus far, so this was a treat for you. Just the thing I need to ease my mind.
You continue reading the poems, most being about love, companionship, and things in the realm of romance. As you read them, you picture Joshua and yourself, like the two of you were living in the reality of this book full of lovely prose. In a way, it makes you recognize that maybe what Joshua sees in you is what you are imagining right now: a lover, a partner for life. You feel a sense of confidence swell in you, so you read on, addicted to the words written out.
Until you get to the next page.
What you read next halts your breathing, slowing it down to stop fire from growing in your chest. This poem is about the same things previously stated, love, romance, companionship, but in a much more intimate form. The words strung together formed the most erotic sentences, words of longing for the senses. They make you blush hotly; they make you antsy in your chair while locked in, but most especially they make your mind run wild with fantasies of you and him. 
Oh, you and him.
You mind wanders as you read, zoning out into a reality where you exude the confidence to give into Joshua’s desires and more. The words dig into your skin, warming you up that your thin nightgown felt like plenty of layers on this cool night. You are so immersed that you don’t hear the large doors open, and the calling of your name feels like a figment of your imagination. It’s not until you feel the warmth on your shoulders that you are brought back, feeling like a bucket of cold water has been dropped over your head from the cold sweat.
You slam the book shut, turning so quickly that the room starts to spin before the warmth on your shoulders grows firm, steadying you in your seat. You look to see Joshua staring at you, worry showing on his face seemingly from your reaction. “I deeply apologize, my lady. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
You breathe a chuckle, seeing him here at a time like this would be your luck. You cross your arms, becoming extremely aware of your lack of clothing under his gaze. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same of you.” He retorts and pulls out a chair to sit facing you. “Truthfully, I couldn’t sleep much. I came here to see if doing more research would tire me, but it seems fate has chosen a more direct route to my restlessness.”
You see why he can’t sleep, and sigh because this is from your doing. “Joshua, you have nothing to fret over. You did nothing wrong.”
“But I’m afraid you are wrong, my lady. I shouldn’t have been so forward, and to know I put you in an uncomfortable position upsets me greatly. I would never dream of making you uneasy, and for my mishaps I must apologize to you. I cannot bear the thought of you keeping your distance because of my foolishness.” 
You watch him as he apologizes for his directness, which internally makes you laugh because that isn’t the issue. You love his directness, just as he is being direct with you right now. It’s you. It’s your cowardice for wanting something more and not having the courage to pursue because of the what ifs, the buts, the howevers. It’s your fear of rejection because of your lived experiences. It’s you, not him. 
“Joshua.” You state, moving to grab his hands within your own. “You did nothing wrong.”
“My lady, please I-” 
“Shhh,” you hush. “Let me speak.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, and I apologize for making you feel you need to.” You exhale, preparing to open yourself up for display. “It’s all me. I’m inexperienced, and I’ve been viewed as nothing for so long that I’m fearful that one misstep will set you away; that you can have someone who knows what they are doing and have the confidence to show for it.”
“Is that really what this is about?” Joshua asks.
You nod, looking down at the two of your intertwined hands. You see Joshua’s hands pull away from yours and your breath shakes. This is it. He is going to leave. That’s until you feel the heat that only the Phoenix could exude on your cheeks, your head being brought up to see him smiling. “My dearest,” Joshua whispers, as if talking any louder would damn him. “You are my everything, for you have captured me: mind, body, and soul. Also, your inexperience mirrors mine, I can assure you.”
Your eyes widen. “There is no way that can be true. You are a Lord.”
He’s laughing now, shaking his head as his hands go back to you, grasping them with care. “I was only a child then. Besides, the Undying were very protective of me under their care. There was no time nor place for such things. Even then, the only person that was always allowed in my vicinity was Jote, and we have never viewed each other romantically.”
“So, there really has been no one?” You whisper, your mind stuck between disbelief and credence.
“No. Not until now.” He squeezes your hands. “My heart belongs to you, and you alone. There is no one else I’d rather give myself to.”
You shiver, the idea of experiencing forms of intimacy together for the first time spreads a raging fire in your stomach. “You sure have a way with words, Joshua Rosfield.”
“You can thank all of the romance novels I read in my youth.” He chuckles. “Speaking of books, what were you reading?”
“What?” You ask, forgetting about the erotica sitting inches away from you. 
“The book you were reading. I don’t believe I have read that one yet. May I take a look?” 
You are panicking, knowing the contents of the book and who is asking to take a peek. You go to grab it, reacting as fast as you could, but alas you reacted too late. Joshua now has the book, opening the page you had left off on, and starts to read. You see his eyes go wide, his pupils dilating, his fingers fidgeting against the page he is holding. You freak out, going to reach for the book before he reads further. “Okay Joshua, that’s enough.” A smile creeps up slowly on his face, humming as he moves to stand up before your fingertips touch the book, backing away slowly as he continues. You stand up, walking up to him to get that god forsaken book away from him. 
“Oh Joshua, please give me back the book!” You panic. 
“By the Founder, what possessed you to read this smut?” Joshua smirks, seamlessly avoiding your grabby hands as he reads the pages. “Especially in the middle of the night?”
He wasn’t meant to see this! He wasn’t meant to see you reading the abhorrent words you were consuming. He wasn’t meant to see you like this in your flimsy gown. Damn me! Why did I not cover up more?!
“To taste the lips is to be fulfilled, for the instinct of man is to claim, conquer, and revel in the midst of her flesh. To kiss is to hunger, to feast among the softest of petals that call to him, beckoning for his return to get both of their fills.”
You are internally screaming now. You can’t believe he is tormenting you like this. You are still reaching for the book, desperate for this nightmare to end, before you hear an “oomph” as Joshua’s back collides into one of the shelves. You snatch the book from him, running back to put it back where it came from. “Okay, enough please!”
“Forgive me.” Joshua says, although it is said with a devilish grin. “I just didn’t know you had such… exquisite taste.”
“I didn’t even know what was in the book when I pulled it.” You say defensively, hands waving manically in front of you like they would make you more convincing. “I was just trying to find something that would help give me the courage.”
As if that isn’t as embarrassing, or even more so.
“What if we do something that helps us both gain courage? A practice session if you will.” Joshua says from the other side of the room, keeping his distance to see what tone you will take.
“What do you have in mind?” You draw out nervously, twiddling your thumbs in anticipation.
Joshua walks back over to where you both had sat, moving the chair so it was facing you before sitting down. He rubs his thighs a little as if he needed to warm them up, before patting his lap. “Come take a seat.”
Instinct has you taking a step forward before a hitch finds itself in your feet, stopping them all together. 
“Do you trust me?” He asks sincerely.
“Of course, I do.” You quickly blurt out, as if answering a second later would draw doubt. 
He smiles, his hand reaching out to invite you over. “Then please, my dearest, come to me.”
You take a deep breath and walk over till you stand before him. You grasp his hand, tingles running up your arm as he pulls you to him and guides you onto his lap. Your hands move to steady yourself on his shoulders, while he places his hands on your lower back to support you. Your legs dangle on either side of the chair, your gown riding up your thighs which you are all too aware of. However, you note that Joshua is only looking at you, gauging to see where your head is. “Is this okay, my lady?”
“Mhmm.” You hum, trying to calm your rapid heart. This is so intimate, too intimate, but you want it. You want him. You want to create every kind of intimacy with him, and this is a start. You knew that it is time to take that leap, especially since he will take that leap with you. 
“Joshua,” you murmur, eyes still on his. “Will you kiss me?”
“As you wish, my love.” 
You close your eyes, leaning in slightly to show that you aren’t backing out. You feel one of Joshua’s hands move to your left cheek, your branded cheek, tracing it with his thumb gently. Soon you feel him move forward, his forehead sitting against yours, his breath hitting your lips in puffs. The anticipation was killing you, your hands squeezing his shoulders to urge him on, and before you know it his lips are against your own. The kiss is light, a sweet peck before pulling away slightly, only to go back to give one more. You both are testing the waters, giving into each other slowly until the two of you start to grow peckish.
The kiss is gradual, pecks graduating to long lip locks and more movement. Your hands have found homage in Joshua’s hair, gripping not too hard but enough to show him how much you are enjoying him. His hands found their way to the crease of your hips, gripping the flesh to keep you in place. You can feel yourself growing restless, needing more of him within your senses. 
It’s like he can read your mind as his hands bring your body closer. A gasp leaves your lips as his groin settles against your heat, leaving your head spinning. His kisses become feverish, his hands roaming up and down your thighs, your nightgown receding higher in the process. You sense satiability is nowhere in sight, the movements of his body proving to you that the absence of intimate touch has turned him into a depraved man. Because even though Joshua Rosfield is a gentleman with a heart of selflessness, he is still a man with selfish desires and needs.
Your hands go back to grip at his shoulders, trying to calm yourself from his ministrations. A wetness hits your lips, and your mouth opens willingly, needing to taste him further. Your tongues melt together, creating a unique taste between the two of you that’s so addicting you don’t know how either of you will stop. You lean more into him, your hands going back to his hair to control his movements, causing him to groan in the most sinful way. You pull away, giggling knowing you got him to make such pretty sounds. The confidence from it goes straight to your head, going right back in for his lips to have him make more delicious sounds. 
A deep feral groan is released from Joshua’s throat, causing him to pull away in heavy breaths. He looks at you with hazy eyes, smiling deliriously. “You will be the death of me, my love.”
Your hands are now trailing from his hair to his chest, your hands running up and down the fabric of his tunic, feeling the toned body beneath it all. Your head leans back against his forehead, both of your breaths heavy on each other’s lips. “Then shall death keep us together, never parted.”
Joshua leans up back to your lips, kissing you hungrily, your declaration causing him to hunger for more. You still had the high ground, you being on top giving you more opportunity to take the lead. You knew this could be too soon, a little risky, but your sureness that Joshua feels the same hunger as you do is enough to convince you. You start to grind down slowly on top of him, your undergarments and his matching tunic pants the only barriers. 
“Fuck,” Joshua draws out breathless, his arms coming up to wrap around you to ground himself. 
“Does that feel good, my Lord?” You smile, feeling over the moon that you are making him act this way. 
“You have no idea.” Joshua gasps. “You have turned me into a new man.”
You giggle as you continue your movements. “Is that so?”
“By the Founder, yes!” He groans loudly at a particular movement of your hips. “How about I show you.”
Suddenly you are being lifted up, your butt settled onto a hard surface, legs spread apart by Joshua’s hips, and warm lips ravishing your own. Your nightgown is definitely way past your legs now, bunched up at your hips with Joshua’s hands right under the fabric. This new side of Joshua has you addicted, the push and pull the both of you are playing at exciting you more. You release his lips and lean up to his neck, nipping at the skin at the juncture of his neck and jaw. His breath hitches, leaning into you as you nip and kiss his neck. It’s as if he is hypnotized by your love bites, casting a spell on him. Your legs wrap around his waist, pulling him closer to you, but in an instant everything stops.
You open your eyes to see Joshua breathing hard, his hands gripping the table. Your hands go to his face, worry etching into your brain. “Darling, did I do something wrong?”
Joshua laughs, his eyes opening to look right back at you. “Absolutely not.” His hands go to yours on his face, holding onto each one as he brings them down. “I just don’t want to accomplish everything in one night, especially here in the Shelves.”
He pulls you up to your feet, your hands still in his as he looks at you with the brightest smile on his face. “I want to have time to savor you when the time is right.”
Even after all of that, he is still ever the gentleman. 
“I agree. I’m sorry if I went too far.” You chuckle, a tinge of embarrassment in your tone. 
Joshua embraces you, his head tucked into your neck. “You have nothing to apologize for. I hope you don’t think I had ulterior motives.”
“Never,” you say quickly, squeezing him to you.
“We should head back to our respective beds before people notice we’ve disappeared.” Joshua hums.
You hum in agreement and pull back, so you are now under Joshua’s arm. Both of you head out the doors of the Shelves into the cool night air. You shiver, and Joshua brings you in closer to shield you from the cold. He walks you back to the bed chambers, and before he departs, he places a light kiss on your lips, causing your eyes to flutter close at the bliss you feel in the moment. 
“Goodnight, my dearest. I shall see you in the morning.” Joshua says after he pulls away.
“Goodnight, Joshua. But before you go, may I request something?” 
“Anything for you, my dearest.” 
“Can we practice some more later? You are my tutor after all.” And my lover, my partner for life.
Joshua beams at you. “I would love nothing more.”
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rukia-writes · 3 months
Note
hi rukia.
can you do Rangiku kind of reader as Hades and Poseidon s/o, separately of course.
the other is up to you
T/N: Let’s see what I can cook up. 🧑‍🍳 I love Rangiku a lot. Top 3 BLEACH characters
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Poseidon.
Tyrant of ocean.
The Most Fearsome God.
Poseidon was that and much more.
A complex individual with his own principles and beliefs.
Poseidon also wasn’t much of a talker, he spoke only when necessity or when something was out of line.
However, not many people knew it but he did like talking. Rather, with someone. (Name), his beloved who was the opposite of him in every way and yet somehow the two clicked.
(Name) could be lazy, Poseidon had his days but he liked doing stuff.
Poseidon liked modesty, (Name) was a beauty with loved showing her body and curves getting the attention of other gods.
(Name) has an easy-going and free-spirited personality, Posieodn was the exact opposite.
The biggest contrast between the two that people noticed was that (Name) liked wearing human clothing and Poseidon always found that the hardest to tolerate about her as he considered human nothing but filth.
Yet, the two clicked.
“Human clothes again? You should take that filth off.”
“But I like it, the fashion those are developing is slick and stylish. If you want me to take off these clothes you’ll have to do it yourself.”
Yes.
No shyness or shame.
Poseidon sighed in response while she enjoying teasing Poseidon smiled as the other gods found their conversation “entertaining” as the cleared their throats changing the subject.
Zeus called the two the weirdest soulmates ever.
Before the two became an item (Name) was arguably the most beautiful goddess in Valhalla. Hades had a saying about her,” A voluptuous beauty with an adult charm in Valhalla. With her broad-minded personality, the chances of men in Valhalla who say no to her... simply do not exist."
Even Poseidon.
(Name) had a habit of whenever she felt like drinking, she would find free people and then invite them to come out with her, and then has them treat her to drinks, so that she wouldn't have to spend any money. Drinking buddies were many but she enjoyed Hades and Poseidon as drinking buddies.
Why Poseidon? People didn’t know.
Poseidon didn’t know. Unlike his brother, Poseidon wouldn’t talk much.
So, Poseidon came to the conclusion that (Name) was using for free drinks and while this could have been true…he didn’t care if it was.
Because he liked her company and he had more than enough money that he didn’t seem to mind.
That’s how it started.
From drinking buddies to lovers.
“Please, don’t tell me you brought that human shit.”
“Listen, listen. This is really good, top notch.”
“You said that last time. It was disappointing to say the least.”
“No, no. Not this one. Here, here. Just close your eyes, tip it back and swallow. It’s really good…See! That’s good right?!”
(Name) gracefully got the tyrant of the seas to drink the alcohol from the human world, only for Poseidon to say it was worse than the last one. Which made the two go back and forth that they had “bad taste” in alcohol.
Although, the next day (Name) was in for a real treat when Proteus invited her to Poseidon’s palace. In the dining room was a small bottle of wine, two wine glasses with Poseidon already at the table.
“Sit. I have somethings I wanted to discuss.”
Poseidon didn’t have to repeat himself as (Name) sat infront of him with a happy smile on her face while Proteus opened the wine bottle.
The two discussed politics and seemingly family problems.
Seemed like Poseidon when he had a few drinks would talk about family a bit.
(Name) mentioned that the wine was exceptionally great and took the bottle wanting to know where Poseidon got it from. Sure, (Name) had a few drinks but the wine wasn’t necessarily strong that she couldn’t recall what wine was what.
“What is this, Poseidon?”
“Wine from those humans. It’s called “Beaujolais nouveau” apparently.”
“…You like human wine-oh my god.”
Smiling in a teasing manner while Poseidon simply shrugged his shoulders, simply saying, “It’s not bad.”
“Not bad you say, and yet you took it. Why?”
“…You enjoy teasing me don’t you?”
“I’m just wondering why we are enjoying human wine, since you called it gross yesterday.”
Cold blue eyes saw how much his visitor was liking this situation, of course she was. A quick sigh and Poseidon poured her another drink and then himself.
“Shut up and drink.”
The two clinked their glasses together and enjoyed a night of drinking and talking.
Poseidon loved those moments.
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“That’s my seat.”
The unknown god that was seated next to his drinking buddy quickly got up from the seat as the king Helheim, not only being one the most respected gods but also feared wanted his seat beside (Name).
The gods were having a party, a reason didn’t have to be, and Hades managed to arrive just in time knowing (Name) was already partaking in the wine with a few unknown gods wanting her attention.
Something Hades didn’t like.
“Why is it whenever I leave you alone there’s always a no name god wanting your affection?”
“I honestly, didn’t notice him there. I think you scared him.”
Hades sat down beside (Name) and like any gentleman poured her a drink and then himself, sighing in a tired smile.
“Oh no, how dare I?”
“Jealous?”
“Protective. Now drink and tell me about why you’re visiting the human world for clothes.”
Hades didn’t have big disdain for humans like his brother Poseidon, (Name)’s other drinking buddy. While she had many drinking buddies Hades and Poseidon seemed to be her favorite.
(Name) also had a habit of going to the human world for clothes, sometimes the clothes were modest and sometimes they were a bit revealing.
Hades didn’t mind either.
(Name) was a rather beautiful goddess arguably the most beautiful goddess in Valhalla. She wasn’t above using her charms to get what she wanted which could be drinks, so she didn’t have to pay, or getting support on anything she wanted.
“They are comfortable. The humans aren’t all bad, great fashion sense. However, your brother thinks otherwise.”
“Of course he does. Especially, since you gave him that wine from the human world.”
“It was great! You had to admit it was great!”
(Name) seemed to already be a bit tipsy as she gently shook Hades shoulder trying to get Hades agree with her. Drinking from his wine glass, Hades eyes quickly, very quickly, glanced at down her shirt to admire those beautiful breasts.
Hades didn’t have to quickly look in honesty as (Name) and himself were close and (Name) liked it when he gave her compliments on her body or how she dressed.
“Whatever you say. I’m not arguing with you.”
“Good! I was hoping you would let me see your Bident.”
Hades kindly chocked on the wine he was drinking as a easy going and kindly flirty (Name) patted the top of his head with a teasing smile. A smile, Hades came to love just as much as the smile that was charming.
“You can’t see my bident. Are you insane?”
“Aw, come on! Just for a little while~”
Slightly giving Hades a peek down the split shirt, which Hades already took a quick peek at, but Hades quickly played coy. Saying that he couldn’t be swayed. Even when, (Name) tried again Hades still said no. As the night went on and the two talked, as though the two were the only ones there, and had some more drinks for the night.
“I don’t like cold men, Hades.”
“Then why are you friends with Thor?”
“He has good company! Just because he doesn’t talk to you doesn’t mean he doesn’t talk. Don’t laugh! It isn’t funny.”
Hades had to laugh.
Imagining the indifferent and cold Norse talking and keeping good company seemed a bit out there to think about. While laughing (Name) kindly shook him trying get Hades to take her seriously, it didn’t work.
But that was Hades way of flirting; teasing.
The two liked to tease each other whether the two were together personally or on the phone.
“You’re still on that?”
Days later, Hades was sitting on his chair in his king’s chambers reading a book while on the phone with his favorite drinking buddy; beautiful drinking buddy.
“If you won’t let me see your bident. At least name an attack after me. Shows that you love me~”
“What makes you think I love you?”
Hades had a smile on his face as he awaited (Name)’s answer, on the other end (Name) was back in the human world. Shopping no doubt.
“Poseidon told me.”
“Lies.”
“Are you calling your brother a liar? Shame on you~”
Smirking Hades found (Name)’s teasing and charming, that’s what he loved about her. That and how he could just be himself around her.
“I’m not calling my brother a liar. Just my favorite drinking buddy.”
“I’m hurt! Just for that you and I are no longer friends.”
Playing hurt (Name) knew Hades would reply back with something just as sly or funny and he did as he clutched his hand over his heart and pretended to be hurt.
“Oh no! Whatever will I do? My one and only friend is gone. I enjoyed placing my head on your lap. Looks like I’ll to find another place for my head to rest.”
“It’s not too late to apologize.”
“Good night, (Name). I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Hades.”
The two said good bye and ended their call, Hades had to admit he must have had it bad if he found her saying bye to him was sexy.
(Name) was truly beautiful goddess inside and out.
Hades had a saying about her;
“A voluptuous beauty with an adult charm in Valhalla. With her broad-minded personality, the chances of men in Valhalla who say no to her... simply do not exist."
Her beauty alone was what made gods trip over their own feet, except for Hades. Hades didn’t seem to let her beauty rule his desire, it was in truth that her personality that he loved.
Her teasing.
The way he could talk to her about anything, as he laid his head on his lap and she gave him sound advice. The way she waved and smiled at him would make him a liar if he said he didn’t feel his heart skip a beat.
Jealous? Protective? Hades wasn’t sure.
All he knew was he didn’t like certain gods coming around, not everyone has a warm agenda. Hades had to keep an eye out for her.
As the years passed, it wasn’t a secret that Hades and (Name) were close. A few gods and goddess became jealous of the two good looking, close friends, but it didn’t matter to them as the two just became closer and closer.
“Where are you two going?”
“Where does it look like we’re going?”
Poseidon caught his brother and (Name) at the gate that went to the world of the living both were dressed for the beach. Hades was carrying all the equipment, no doubt (Name) asked him to do so.
“You have a domain to run, you know.”
“Yeah, but if he stay cooped up in Helheim all the time he’s going to age faster than Zeus.”
“Helheim can’t be left unattended.”
“Beelzebub is taking command.”
Poseidon heard (Name)’s stance on taking Hades with her to the beach and while he hoped he could get some sense into Hades it was too late, (Name) already had her claws in him. Gently grabbing Poseidon’s well toned arm (Name) tried to convince Poseidon to join them.
(Name) was the only one in Valhalla who could hug Poseidon’s arm and get away with it.
Poseidon declined to go and instead told his brother not to be gone too long. Hades promised he would be gone two hours tops…
Hades and (Name) were gone the entire day.
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🎀Rukia-Writes🎀
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lalalala514 · 3 months
Text
Yandere Bnha Collage AU
(Not edited)
You are in your last year of high school and your teachers have given your class the opportunity to take extra classes so that all you can be prepared for college. And you of course accept, who wouldn’t? However the classes are at the Ua college campus, which means you will meet a lot of new people.
Yandere Shigaraki who becomes obsessed falls for you after you return his headphones that he had forgotten in class one day. He has had his eyes on you for a while and became interested quickly, I mean who wouldn’t when you have that sweet sweet smile. He was a few classes above you, but you heard a rumor that he skipped a few grades because of how smart he was, but also because his dad was apparently a very powerful and dangerous man with a lot of influence. But that didn’t bother you, because they were just rumors, right? There were lots of other rumors too about him; that he had a nasty and aggressive personality, that he was an incel, that he didn’t care about anyone. But none of that seemed to be true, sure he could be a bit cold or aggressive at times but he was a good person overall, so why would all the other rumors about him or his family be true?
Yandere Toya Todoroki who is known as the popular rich boy with good looks. His soft looking white hair and piercing blue eyes has made every girl on campus fall for him. And the piercings gave him a sort of bad-boy look, which made him practically every girls dream guy. He could have any girl he wanted, if it wasn’t for his personality and focus on school. He never fully changed to dabi here, so a big part of him still wants to impress and get his fathers attention. He does his best -and more- at school in hopes his father will praise him and one day give him the family company/business. There is no time for girls or parties, and if he did have time for a girl she would have to be perfect. Someone who his dad would approve of, someone who would make him, the company and family look good. And you are just what he is looking for.
Yandere Keigo Takami, close friends (if not best friends) with Toya. But unlike his friend, he doesn’t mind a few parties and girls here and there. But they are never serious. Sure, he is more laid back and playful than most of his classmates, but he still needs good grades. So that he can support his family (mom & dad) one day. And if he did find a girl, she would have to be the one.
Yandere Toga, who is going to be your roommate later when you start college. She is a year older than you and because of that has been given the job to take care of you and show you around. Make you feel comfortable and welcomed. And she does her best. At first she didn’t take you or her new responsibilities that seriously, but after a week or two she did. I mean, you were just sooo cute and understood her weird humor. She felt as though she could be herself around you and not be judged. You were like a breath of fresh air. And you feel the same way about her too, right? Because that’s how the absolute best of friends feel around each other, and you guys are best friends forever.
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ariachaos · 4 months
Note
Ok I have a thought Isagi Twin Sister has a crush on Chigiri and she’s a football nerd too🫡
chigiri is by far one of the most simpable boys in blue lock. fight me if you dare.
reader is fem! reader
ᶜᵒᵖʸ, ᵖᵃˢᵗᵉ, ˢⁱᵐᵖ !!
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being isagi's twin includes...
when yoichi was invited to blue lock, you were also invited to blue lock, but for a managerial position. which was fine, since you managed yoichi's previous soccer team before, so it wasn't anything new.
except it kind of was because there's a couple hundred guys in the system, and you feel like you would've gone mad if it weren't airi there to help you now and then.
however, yoichi forgot that you were also invited and got jumpscared by your sudden appearance when you waltzed into the team z bedroom like you owned the place.
the conversation went something like this:
yoichi: "why the hell are you here?!" you: "the fuck you mean why? i got invited." yoichi: "nah, if you were, i would've known." you: "i told you the moment i opened the letter, you moron."
yoichi lived in denial until after the u-19 game, when your parents also claimed that you told him the moment you read the letter.
the two of you also have completely different personalities. unlike him, you have a more... spicier personality and tend to scare off a lot of people with one look.
you're not the nice and patient twin like yoichi. if you had to wake anyone up, they will be manhandled and thrown on the floor with no mercy.
if you had to clean up after someone's clothes or something, you'd curse them out like gordon ramsay in hell's kitchen while cleaning.
hence, your nickname became the hell's manager.
fitting, but it also made you sound like you were a spawn of satan, which yoichi claims to be true because apparently you're adopted. but then you said if you're adopted, he's also adopted because the two of you look exactly the same.
no literally, even the hairstyle is the same, your hair is just longer. and you look scarier.
you're basically yoichi if he was throwing attitude all day every day.
as for how you and chigiri got close, it mainly happened because you could spot him barely doing anything during games and chewed him out for it.
deadass called a time out, stormed onto the field, and chewed him out, spat him out, chew him back up again, spat him out, and stomped on whatever was left of him.
and obviously he got mad for being humbled like that and started doing something to prove you wrong.
but at the end of the game, you were grinning like aizawa shota's triangle grin, where you're happy, but you also look dead inside.
you slapped him on the shoulder and said you were proud of him for breaking out of his shell.
but yoichi had to ruin the moment like every siblings does and asked if you were proud of him too, and you gave him a stank eye and left.
after that, chigiri started being a bit more friendly with you and realized you weren't half bad. turns out, the only reason you were so pissed off all the time was because there were certain players who tried flirting with you (otoya) and others who offered to do... questionable activities (shidou) with you.
yeah, he'd be pissed off by that too.
after the second selection, chigiri finds himself spending a lot more time with you, especially when keeping up with his leg condition. you're not as loud or obnoxious as the guys he knows, so you've become a person he could go to for peace and quiet.
a few times of this and chigiri asks that if they win the game against the u-19 team, you'd like to go on a date with him, and you, not missing a beat, says "sure, i'm sure my brother won't complain about you."
he doesn't know what that means.
and when it comes to the u-19 game, chigiri is kind of down on himself for giving out so quickly, even though you say it's fine and the date is still going to happen if they win.
and EVERYBODY is looking at the two of you because ain't no way did little princess chigiri just rizz up the almighty demon manager. yoichi thought he was tripping, but every thing he sees is saying no.
you're the first person chigiri hugs when the game ends.
it was small, magical moment for the two of you, really.
everybody's looking at your twin, but he's looking at you.
his entire focus is on you, and chigiri can't help but pull you into a hug, even going as far as to covering you under his coat despite you having one of your own.
and the date goes absolutely swimmingly.
the two of you have a great time at this cat cafe, where you get closer with your love for cats. honestly, in chigiri's eyes, you couldn't get anymore cuter when he spotted you cuddle a ragdoll cat. (wanted to be the cat for moment)
yoichi has 100% asked when the wedding was going to be when you got home.
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txttletale · 6 months
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Hi, i dont quite understand the earlier points about the allosexual term!
The way i always understood it all, straight to gay is a spectrum, so would cis and being NB or trans or genderfuild be, and same for ace to allo. As in, demisexuality would be on the gradient between asexual and allosexual. And therefor the term allosexual would hold meaning by sheer ability to talk about the concept of asexuality with more nuance?
I also saw someone in the replies of that post posit that the 'other side' of asexuality would be 'straight, bi, pan, gay, etc' instead of using allosexual as a descriptive term. Whats your take on that? Im asking because, a lot of ace (im using this to include any experience of attraction deviating from the socially expected, so also demi) ppl i know identify as hetero, gay, bi etc as well. As in, an ace person who may lack the ability to feel sexual atttaction to others on sight alone, may still prefer one gender over another if they're still inclined to romantic bonds.
Plus, a lot of asexuals arent sex repulsed either, and the term is purely used to describe an 'aberration' in how ace ppl experience attraction? Therefore, wouldn't allosexual be a helpful destinction?
(Sorry for the long ask, im just curious and like how much thought is usually apparent in your answers here)
essentially, i think where you're wrong is the idea that cis-trans or straight-gay are spectrums. i obviously believe that sexuality and gender, the phenomenons, the actual matters of people kissing and fucking and self defining and being -- those are all mutable and contextual and often defy clear legibility, permeable and impossible to strictly taxonomise. however 'straight' and 'cis' are not just neutral descriptors of another point on a spectrum, but strictly delineated boxes from which any deviation is punished. someone who's gender fluid or gender questioning isn't 'part cis' or 'midway between cis and trans' -- they have deviated outside the acceptable bounds of cishet social performance. & the reason these categories are so cleanly delineated is that unlike other categories they have entire hegemonic social apparatuses -- chiefly homophobia & transphobia -- dedicated to patrolling those descriptive borders of cisness and heterosexuality and brutally punishing anyone crossing them. & the same is simply not true of 'allosexuality' -- there is no such socially enforced category. when ace people face aphobia they are being punished for failing to perform heterosexuality, not just sexuality in general.
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ludwig-holy-blade · 1 year
Text
The Eyes of the Beholder
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Rhaenyra Targaryen x Male Dayne Reader
Rhaenyra Targaryen, the realm’s delight, did not feel beautiful today. It was the early morning on the isle of Starfall and Rhaenyra was sat upon the beach as she was oft to do every morning. Her gown had been soaked around her ankles and bum for the better part of an hour now, though she had hardly noticed. 
Her thoughts were awash with doubts as she stared out towards the Torrentine. It was only eight days ago that she had given birth to her fourth son and it had become strangely apparent to her that she was not the beauty she once was. After ten years of marriage Rhaenyra and Y/N had produced no less than eight children together. The thought brought a smile to her face. She and her husband had been rather over eager in their passions. 
The truth was however that those births had added weight to her once slender form. While Rhaenyra and her husband enjoyed the new size her breasts and bottom she had quickly become quite frustrated with the weight around her middle. This frustration was often made worse whenever she saw Alicent, still slender and slim despite having birthed four children of her own. She often feared that in time her husband would grow disgusted with her and in time would seek out others. There were so many after all in Dorne alone not to mention across the Narrow Sea and in Westeros itself. 
These thoughts liked to creep into her mind in the early morning and late into the evening. They would often leave her quiet and staring into the mirror, reminiscing on her once beauty. 
The sound of splashing dragged her out of her thoughts.
The reason for Rhaenyra’s love of watching the waves in the early morning was twofold. On one hand the sound of the waves and the cool air were calming and brought her a sense of peace. On the other, was her husbands love of swimming. Lord Y/N Dayne loved to swim around the entire length and breadth of his Island Castle and Rhaenyra loved to watch him. 
Y/N had also gotten bigger over the last ten years except unlike Rhaenyra Y/N had turned said weight into muscle. This was made easy due to her husband’s love of swimming and many other forms of exercise, he often spends hours training with his houses ancestral blade Dawn and loved wrestling and grappling. Rhaenyra loved to watch him train, not only was it incredibly attractive to watch Y/N’s muscle flex and move but it also made Rhaenyra more comfortable, it was a comfort to know just how well her husband could and in fact would protect her if needs be.
The sight before her was one she had seen many a time but still never grew tired of witnessing. Her husband came out of the water in naught but his small clothes and while a grin broke out across her face at the sight of him and thoughts of more amorous activities flooded her mind she couldn’t stop herself from covering her stomach. 
Y/N approached sluggishly, as there was no way possible to exit the water attractively. A smile broke out across his face as soon as he saw her, his true smile, the one that reached his eyes. The slow walk turned to a quick stride as he got closer. The sight of his approach made Rhaenyra’s heart beat faster and heavier, made her smile almost painfully wide and made a blush spread across her face and ears. 
He came and sat before her folding his knees under him. He looked nearly boyish in that moment, smiling like a fool without saying a word. The two of them simply sat there gazing at each other simply smiling. 
“Hello gorgeous.” Were the first words spoken, quietly, as if he was speaking reverently of her. Rhaenyra merely took him by the face brought his lips to hers. joy flood into her as it often did when they kissed. 
They parted for a mere moment and Y/N stopped to look at her. “What’s wrong Rhaenyra.” She averted her eyes though she knew she couldn’t hide her upset. She never could, not from Y/N. “It’s too early in the morning to be so distressed.” Rhaenyra had turned her face into her shoulder, a vain attempt to hide herself but Y/N had followed her turning his face with her. No longer desiring to hide from her husband, it was to want to she knew, Rhaenyra steeled herself. Taking a deep breath she spoke. 
“Do you still find me beautiful Y/N?” The shock that over took his face would have been funny if Rhaenyra was in a joking mood but she remained stoic. Y/N appeared almost offended by the very question when he answered. “Why wouldn’t I Rhaenyra, your as beautiful now as you’ve ever been.” His response was earnest and yet still Rhaenyra’s face was still downcast. “Who would call you anything but lovely Rhaenyra, tell me they’re name, I'll strike them down with a god’s wrath.” A laugh bubbled up from Rhaenyra. “No one Y/N I swear no one had offended me so.” A laugh interrupted her and she brought her hand to his cheek once again. “Though thank you for caring so much as to kill someone for my pleasure.” The two of them laughed quietly. 
“I will be honest with you then my love but please try not to judge me,” Rhaenyra breathed deeply again. “Over the past I have begun to notice, after the children have been born, I have kept more weight on my stomach than I should have been.” Y/N once again began to speak but Rhaenyra’s raised hand stopped him. “I simply do not feel as beautiful as I once did, I know you love me but it does worry me that perhaps one day you will decide to seek out another younger woman.” She wove her hand through his long dark hair, Y/N closed his eyes and took her hand. 
“Rhaenyra I want you to listen to me and hear everything I say.” She nodded. “I have loved you since the moment I first saw you as a boy. You are as beautiful as you could possibly be.” Y/N came forward, making Rhaenyra lie on her back. He settled his hands in her splayed out hair, as he loved to play with her silver locks. Y/N locked eyes with his wife before he spoke again. “There may younger women, prettier women, women with larger tits, tighter asses and the like.” He brought his hand down to stroke her cheek. “There will never be a woman more beautiful than you in my eyes, no one. And there shall never be another woman as beautiful as you to come.” 
Y/N began to kiss Rhaenyra’s neck, long deep kisses which pulled moans deep from within her throat. He descended slowly kissing a trail down her body. He opened her night gown, revealing her breasts to the early morning air, he kissed both of them for some time before moving on. He made his way downwards to her belly and stopped. He kissed it once, twice, thrice then over and over and over again. It was obvious what he was doing but Rhaenyra had not married him for his wits but rather for his honesty and frankness. It was not to say his kisses were ineffective either. Rhaenyra became hot once again, warmth flooding through her chest as Y/N’s kisses continued. 
After much time and many more kisses Y/N finally stopped. Crawling back upwards he sat between her legs, Rhaenyra wrapped them around his waist almost instinctively, and he kissed her lips again. “You may grow as big a house if you so desire Rhaenyra Targaryen and should any man call you anything less than beautiful I’ll kill them and the next generation of their families. No man or woman will demean you in my presence, not even yourself.” 
He brought his lips to hers once again, passion colliding as they embraced. Rhaenyra knew in that moment that no more words need pass between them, Y/N intended to prove his loyalty the best he could. It was long into the morning that they loved each other and Rhaenyra in that moment, could not have felt more magnificent. 
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samasmith23 · 8 months
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Iceman Almost Came Out as Gay Back in the 1990s
So prior to Brian Michael Bendis revealing Iceman (aka, Bobby Drake) was gay in the pages of his All-New X-Men run from 2015, apparently writer Scott Lobdell had planned to have Bobby come out of the closet two decades earlier but was unable to go through with his plans. Lobdell did however, lay the ground work for Bobby coming out during his time on the X-books in the mid-to-late 1990s.
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Specifically, during an encounter with Emma Frost back when she was still a villain, the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club briefly took control of Bobby’s mind and actually used his mutant powers in more creative ways than he ever had done before. Emma accurately pointed out that Bobby was intentionally holding back the true potential of his powers, and was using humor as a shield to mask his own insecurities due to his conservative upbringing by mutantphobic parents.
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Writer Sina Grace actually followed up on this old plot point from the 90s during his Iceman solo-series which immediately followed Bobby being outed by the time-displaced Jean Grey in All-New X-Men. In addition to depicting Bobby becoming more comfortable with his sexuality and gradually out to his fellow teammates, ex-girlfriends like Kitty Pryde, and especially his bigoted parents...
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...Grace finally allowed Bobby to fully embrace his potential as an Omega-Level mutant. Not only did Iceman singlehandedly defeat the unstoppable Juggernaut in combat after after overcoming his greatest fear by coming out to his parents, but he began using his powers in more creative ways than before such as constructing ice-shuriken and multiple ice-clones and kaju.
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Furthermore, Grace also revealed in his run that yes, during that time Emma Frost had mind-controlled Bobby back in the 90s, she actually did learn that Bobby was gay. But unlike the time-displaced Jean Grey, Emma never outed Bobby’s closeted sexuality to him or anyone else, and instead respected his privacy due to her own tragic experiences with her older brother Christian Frost being forced into "gay conversion therapy" (aka, torture...) by their abusive father.
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Essentially, all of the people who try to argue that Iceman coming out makes zero sense or that it somehow "ignores/erases several decades of past continuity" (I'm looking at you homophobic Comicsgaters!) completely miss the fact that both Bendis & Grace were simply building upon the foundation that was already put in place by Lobdell back in the 90s! That’s NOT “ignoring or erasing several decades of continuity,” but the exact opposite!
And if you still need further proof that Bobby was always gay, just a reminder that during his very first appearance in X-Men (1963) #1 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Iceman was the only person who was not acting like a horny jack-rabbit at the mere sight of the then-new student Jean Grey.
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In other words... Iceman was always gay even as far back as his inaugural issue! Suck it Comicsgaters!
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Hello i hope this isn't too specific, may i request in the self aware au, for a player that actually is a god? ( Examples: God of love and beauty, god of time and or night etc, etc)And for whatever reason they use their godly powers to protect them?(the twst characters) Separately for lilia, vil and jamil! Thank you so much!
Self-aware au
I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!
My works are for entertainment and not meant seriously!!!
WARNINGS: Yandere themes, religion, suicide, obsession, manipulation, unhealthy relationship, death, war, blood, murder, violence, unhealthy mindset
Jamil Viper/Vil Schoenheit/Lilia Vanrouge-Player who is a real God
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God of wisdom
The Octavinelle trio and the fire rat had failed
We all remember Jamils Overblot happening, right?
Unlike the game however, they weren't able to beat him and despite the servant already seeing black spots in his vision the feeling of power and freedom was too wonderful just to give up on it
Deep down he also knew that this was his end, having heard the stories about other Overblots that also went terribly wrong
And then there was warmth in the cold desert night his heart had become, lulling him into a dreamless sleep and your voice telling him that it was ok, that he could let go, that you would protect him from his sorrows
Cue next morning and a crying Kalim later
There he was, alive
The one's that were present told him that he suddenly fell asleep during their battle
All they could say about the situation was that they surely had luck, after all it did end things in a positive, non-violent way
But Jamil knew what truly happened
You were a real God, not just an all-knowing scholar like they thought, the God of wisdom
If it weren't for your warning gaze he would have dropped to his knees, thanking you that you had saved his life
But apparently you didn't want them to know, so he held his mouth shut
This wasn't the end though
From then on out he started to become even more obsessed with you and whoops! Was that someone saying that you were just am otherworldly being and nothing more?
They jumped off the roof of the school on the next day, ending their life very early
Not knowing who you truly were was no excuse for denying you the worship you deserved. You, who knew about worlds beyond the stars and even much, much more
He had to know, he had caught a glimpse of it in your voice on that fateful day after all, telling him who you truly were
This had to mean that he was so important to you that you would tell him who you truly were, right? RIGHT??!
Jamil had learned how to serve and obey and who would he be if he didn't use that to show his loyalty to you. Even of it meant that there were blood sacrifices for which you never asked needed...
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God of beauty and kindness
Vil was at his end
He felt like there was nothing to look forward to anymore
After going into Overblot and then even losing against Neige the dorm leader wanted to just delete his accounts on social media and burn his contracts with the film and modeling industry
I think it was your sixth sense as a God but you were there, in the room right when he was breaking down with him
And how could you not help him, he who was so lost and helpless
After all, you were not only the God of beauty but also the God of kindness
And that was the day on which the supposedly magic-less student made a miracle happen
Igniting the embers of determination of the Fairest Queen who was sitting slumped over in front of you you showed him who you truly were, showed him that he was worthy to witness the God of what he wanted to be sitting in front of him
Vil swore to never give up again
Ok he is happy, case closed. Want to drink something? How about- WHY IS THERE SOMEONE SUFFOCATING??!
Isn't that the model competing against Vil for a spot in that magazine?
In true evil queen... I MEAN FAIREST QUEEN fashion the man poisoned his rival
And then suddenly accidents happen all over the place to models and other figures in the beauty industry
Just yesterday a light fell onto an actor on a set, killing him in an instance
But there is no need to worry over Vil
He will make sure that he is extra careful!
And if you wouldn't mind, would you give him that bag with the screwdriver in it to him? Thank you!
Vil would be a fool if he were to ignore the blessing his God had given him, giving him the mission to become the most perfect one if them all
No need to wait for too long. He will make sure that he is worthy of you...
Just ignore the red makeup on his jacket. An assistant on set spilled it accidentally on his uniform
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God of time
You and I, we both know that this will end in a tragedy and yet you still ask for him in this request
But ok, you are asking for it
Leonas Oveeblot, it happened so fast and unpredicted leading to him leaving for a short while to get help
And to what does he return? The other students lying knocked out on the ground and you standing there proud, not being afraid for a second
You stood there like the true God that you were
And it also ended so quickly, flicking the lion's forehead the student fell into himself like a house of cards
And then you turned around and oh... he was lost in time and space
Lilia is old. He has seen the rise and fall of kingdoms but there was nothing that could have prepare him for the eternity that he saw in your eyes
Suddenly he was nothing more than a child, suddenly realizing that all his joking about his age was truly nothing more than a joke to you
You were after all the beginning, the end and everything in between
The Headmage who had followed the general after the told him what happened seemed to be frozen in time, or rather was until you seemingly decided that it was time to move on in time itself
Of course everyone was confused why Leona was lying on the floor when he was the one beating others into submission just a minute ago
But Lilia knew, and Lilia knew that ou knew that he knew
This leads us to now, the time in which Lilia rests his head in your lap whispering with crazed whispers that all the bloodshed was worth it, that you were finally here
But for what happens next even you, a God, could do something against his next step
The Valley of Thorns is powerful if we are talking about magic
And they are more than looking forward to lay the world to your feet
It is like these peaceful times never existed, Lilia was once more a raging general who now even pulled his own son into the bloodbath he created
But even Lilia knows that you are just an excuse in his life. After all, worldly beings aren't meant to live so long as he already did, making him search for some reason in his life and if it is to end massive amount of life then be it that
And in all the sadness, in all the pain and blood there is a small, gentle part of him lost in time, cradled in your arms whilst it weeps tears of sadness and despair
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spotty-bee · 2 months
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Hazbin Hotel Headcannon
I've been thinking a lot about Adam, Lute, Vaggie and the exorcists. How they all work and everything that we've learned over the course of the show about them. After looking over the pictures of them without their masks and all the back dealings with heaven I was kinda starting to think...
What if their all related?
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Adam and Vaggie have the same skin colour. Lute has Adam's nose. They all have golden pupils (Though Vaggie's sclera is red, many have head cannoned that being from living in hell.) Vaggie and Lute both have white hair. Theres a lot of similarities between these characters physically and while that can be due to the art style, I do start to wonder.
However WHY would Lute , Vaggie and possibly all the exorcists be Adam's daughters? Well it starts to make sense when you remember that Sera wanted to keep the Exterminations under wraps. If you have Heaven Born or Saint (Dead humans who got into Heaven) warriors doing the exterminations, word would eventually get out. These people have lives outside of their work and all it would take is talking to a spouse or one of them feeling guilty before news spreads. IF you have warriors who's entire life was Exterminations, then they would A- be less likely to tell anyone and B- Be less likely to feel guilty if they weren't taught anything else.
As for where all these woman came from, my guess would be cloning. We know for a FACT that Heaven has Science.
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A good way to get warriors that won't have outside influence/ loose lips is if they don't have any parents that will be wondering whats going on. Cloning would also ensure that warriors will walk off the assembly line fully grown and ready to train. Adam likely used his DNA and then mixed it with donated DNA from other Heavenly Residents . All he then had to do was train his army.
OF course this opens up some rather dark things to consider. There are at least 100 Exterminators. All of them are female. The likelihood of that happening by happenstance is extremely low. Adam had to have chosen to only have woman in his army, and when you factor in Adam's misogynist, narcissistic attitude, that dose not paint a pretty picture. We also need to consider that Adam was left to train/educate these woman with almost no outside interference. Sera made it clear she wanted as little to do with the Extermination business as possible and she maybe one of the few who knew about the army's creation. IN FACT I know she had nothing to do with the army because, apparently, Adam got to name these girls and nobody, and I mean NOBODY, stopped him from naming Vaggie after female anatomy. (I wouldn't be surprised if Vaggie is a nickname and she's actually just named Vagina.)
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They seem to have lived a life of constant training and battle. Its also heavily implied that Vaggie (and Lute to a lesser extent) were taught to view themselves as disposable. Worthless if they didn't have someone to serve. We see it when Vaggie tries to lead the trust exercises, when she beats herself up for not making a proper commercial for the hotel, in fact she seems to have little personal life unless its training or Charlie is involved. Lute herself rips off her own arm just to try and help Adam. If Adam did raise/train them, then these are some pretty bad signs.
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These are just some things I was thinking about looking over the show. I am also not making this to bash anyone who ships Adam and Lute. This is all speculation and personal interpretation. I've just never felt anything romantic between Lute and Adam, but they were clearly close. I took that last, tearful goodbye in the finally as a distant, estranged Father- Daughter relationship.
Anyway, what do you think? Its highly unlikely this is true, but could make for a fun, dark fan fiction or Au!
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windvexer · 1 year
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New Age Manifesting vs. spellwork manifesting
New Age (law of attraction! karma punishes your enemies for you! activate your chakras to limit 5g interference! your thoughts are reality! starseeds!) has a concept called manifesting.
Within the realm of practical sorcery, we also use the word manifesting.
But these two words mean different things, and I think it can be really confusing. So I'm going to try and take a stab at delineating these concepts. Especially the sorcery portion is based on how I see people using the word.
New Age: Manifesting is a part of New Age dogma. It's a religious belief with various factors at play. In New Age,
Manifesting is the belief that you are able to bring things into your life only using the power of your thoughts.
Your thoughts must be positive.
Your thoughts must be aligned with your "true purpose" or "highest calling."
Negative or unhappy thoughts may limit your ability to manifest.
Your personal level of spiritual development will limit how well you are able to manifest.
Manifesting is often an ongoing process, akin to a spiritual or holy state of mind that should be maintained as often as possible.
In New Age, "I manifested that" = "I wanted that, and I believe I got it because I am spiritually worthy."
In other words, manifestation is a grading of how close you are to fulfilling your "true purpose" in accordance with a living and benevolent universe. The better you do at upholding tenants such as Positivity and Living Your Truth, the more the universe rewards you.
(Please note that having an inborn purpose, being rewarded for aligning to an inborn purpose, and that the universe is capable of such a thing as co-creation are also just beliefs)
Sorcery: Manifesting is a technical term referring to whether or not a working of magic has influenced our world.
A spell or any working of magic is referred to as having been manifested when its influence has become apparent.
A working has manifested whether or not the manifestation was in line with the spellcaster's intent. "I cast a banishing spell on my boss, but when it manifested I just lost my job instead."
A working is manifesting when the spellcaster is confident the working is underway or when early signs of influence become apparent. "I think my money spell is manifesting - I got a call from the bank saying they're looking into those charges."
In sorcery, "I manifested that" = "I cast a spell for that and I believe the spell worked."
Unlike the New Age concept, sorcerous manifestation usually does not refer to the process of creation, but rather the end results of a prior working.
However, I also sometimes see New Age manifestation adopted as a style of sorcerous spellwork.
In other words, people who ostensibly do not practice New Age sometimes work with a style of magic they call "manifesting," which seems to mostly refer to thinking about a desired goal very intensely with the intent that their will becomes reality.
This practice seems divorced from New Age concepts such as positivity and the law of attraction.
In sorcery, other words are sometimes used instead of manifestation. Conjure is relatively common ("I conjured that money"). Plain language is also sometimes used ("my working was successful." "My spell got me what I wanted").
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silvermoon424 · 10 months
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Twisted Tropes: An Examination of How Magical Girl Tropes are Subverted in Puella Magi Madoka Magica
(this is a long one, clocking in at over 1600 words. Enjoy!)
Madoka Magica has often been called a “deconstruction” of the magical girl genre, and while many fans refute that claim, it’s clear that it at least offers a darker twist on many of the tropes beloved and well-known in the genre. These tropes include the transformation trinket, the cuddly mascot, the monster of the week, magical girls having a secret double life, magical girls themselves being child heroines, and even the concept of why magical girls fight in the first place.
One of the biggest examples of these tropes being twisted is the magical girl transformation trinket, which in this series are Soul Gems. In more conventional magical girl series, transformation items are pretty, flashy items that enable the girl to transform from her civilian form to her magical girl form- and to be frank, serve the double purpose of selling toys and merchandise in the real world.
In PMMM, Soul Gems are beautiful Faberge egg-like items that serve the same purpose. It turns out though, that their name is very literal; they are gems that serve as containers for the magical girl’s soul (or may even be her crystallized soul, it’s not really made clear). Soul Gems are formed when magical girls make a contract with Kyubey and are the source of their powers. Moreover, because her soul has been ripped out of a magical girl’s body, her body cannot function unless her Soul Gem is within a few hundred feet of what is now her soulless husk.
In more traditional magical girl shows, transformation trinkets sometimes get stolen, misplaced, etc with no ill effect for their users except for an inability to transform. In PMMM, this is a literal death sentence unless the Soul Gem can be recovered (as displayed in episode 6, when Madoka tosses away Sayaka’s Soul Gem in an attempt to prevent her and Kyoko from fighting). The consequences of this are actually explored in one of the routes of the Madoka Magica PSP game; Sayaka is separated from her Soul Gem in a Witch’s barrier, and it takes Kyoko days to find it. In that amount of time, her body began to literally rot.
The next concept I want to explore is that of the cuddly mascot. Magical girl mascots are a common feature in many shows, from the Moon Cats in Sailor Moon to Cerberus in Cardcaptor Sakura to the many, many mascots in the Precure franchise. In all of these series, the mascots act as friends and often mentors to their magical girl companions; in most series, they are also responsible for empowering/awakening their magical girls.
In PMMM, Kyubey initially seems to be much the same. He is a cute, cuddly creature who is responsible for creating and guiding magical girls. Pretty soon however, it becomes clear that Kyubey is a sinister figure. His contracts don’t seem very benevolent; they seem exploitative, taking advantage of girls when they’re at their lowest point. And unlike the Senshi in Sailor Moon or the Cures in Precure, it quickly becomes apparent that the magical girls in PMMM are dealing with much higher stakes- at least, when it comes to their own wellbeing.
PMMM almost seems to ask the question: what kind of creature would give superpowers to children and send them to fight monsters that could very easily kill them? Even Kyubey’s appearance is highly implied to be a carefully calculated façade meant to lure teenage girls into a false sense of security and make them feel drawn to him. For example, Kyubey uses this to his advantage when he plays up his helplessness to Madoka in episode 1 when he’s being hunted down by Homura. In reality, the Incubator’s true appearance- as seen in Rebellion- are implied to be mechanical structures with giant eyes in the middle; a very alien appearance suiting their alien origins and psychology.
Speaking of child heroines, PMMM also addresses the magical girl tropes of the child heroine and the double life. In most magical girl shows, being a teenaged (or even child/preteen) magical girl is portrayed as an exciting, glamorous, heroic position. The role of magical girl is often contrasted against the mundane, yet still charming and school and civilian life. Magical girls often work hard to maintain the secret of their alter egos from their (non-magical girl) friends and family, although in some series the secret does come to light. However, the girls are usually able to enjoy a healthy balance between their personas.
In PMMM, magical girls seem more like child soldiers than glamorous heroines. Being young girls and not hardened adults, many magical girls face severe psychological trauma from the life they’re thrust into- much life real-life child soldiers. Most magical girls made their contracts without truly getting to think about their wish or the consequences of being a magical girl for the rest of their lives. And because getting enough Grief Seeds is literally life-or-death, they must spend most of their free time patrolling for Witches.
We get a good look at the toll being a magical girl takes on one’s social life through Mami’s character; supplementary materials reveal that she was once a popular girl who had a lot of friends, but after she was forced to contract in the same accident that killed her parents, she slowly lost all her friends because she had no time to do anything else but train, hunt Witches, fight Witches, etc in her free time. In episode 3, when Madoka talks about how she wants to be a magical girl, Mami outright tells her that the life of a magical girl is a lonely one and Madoka will no longer have time for things like boys or hanging out with her friends after school. Even in Magia Record- an alternate timeline that offers a much more positive look at the PMMM-verse- most magical girls are only friends with each other.
Another major example of a trope being twisted is that of the “monster of the week.” Most magical girl series have the girls fight monsters, and in many of those series the monsters are created from human beings. Sailor Moon and the Precure franchise are two standout examples of this. For example, in the fifth season of the 90s anime adaptation of Sailor Moon, people who don’t have “true” Star Seeds will turn into monsters called Phages if their Star Seeds (ie, souls) are ripped out. A similar phenomenon happens in Heartcatch Precure, with the added bonus of the victim’s consciousness eternally reliving the same state of despair that made them vulnerable in the first place. In all of these series, however, the magical girls are able to heal the victims and restore them to their former selves. Sometimes, if the monster/victim is a loved one or someone else known to them, they can even do a “I know you’re in there somewhere” plea to help them to break free.
PMMM takes the true horror of this concept up to eleven. Moreover, the victims aren’t regular people- they’re the magical girls themselves, and this fate is inevitable. Every magical girl, if she doesn’t die in battle against a Witch, will become a Witch herself who spreads despair and kills innocent people until the day she is put out of her misery by another magical girl. And she will be in misery; the Rebellion movie shows that Witches relive the worst moments of their lives over and over again and are psychologically tortured. A lot of Witches also seem to be in ironic hells. For example, Charlotte can create any dessert she wants except for cheese or cheesecakes, which is her favorite food. Roberta is surrounded by lascivious men (her familiars) who annoy her. And of course, every Witch was once a magical girl who once spread hope and saved people and now does the opposite.
It’s also made abundantly clear that once the Witch transformation happens, it’s over. There’s no saving someone. The only person in canon who is able to actually get results is Madoka- aka an actual goddess with huge karmic potential- and it comes with caveats (in one, later timeline she brings Sayaka back from the dead after she became Oktavia, and in Rebellion she is able to reverse Homura’s transformation into Homulilly- although afterwards Homura still needs to be brought into the Law of Cycles like any other magical girl about to become a Witch). In episode 9, when Kyoko and Madoka try to reach out to Sayaka’s inner self when Kyoko fights Oktavia, it ends in Kyoko’s death because nothing of Sayaka remains.
In most magical girl shows, the monsters of the week are just ineffectual mooks who are fodder for the evil organization opposing the magical girls. But in PMMM, they are mirrors of the magical girls themselves, agents of chaos and despair who present a very real threat to the magical girl’s lives- not to mention the lives of any unfortunate people who stumble across them.
Finally, I want to examine the topic of why magical girls fight in the first place. In most series, there is a group of villains who pose a threat to humanity/the Earth/etc and magical girls must oppose them. There is a very real external threat being faced.
In PMMM however, the beings that empower/perpetuate magical girls and are ultimately the threat are one and the same. Because the tragedy of PMMM is that magical girls are fighting against a self-perpetuating cycle; magical girls form contracts, magical girls become Witches, more magical girls form contracts and fight the Witches, and on and on it goes. Magical girls are their own enemy, in a sense.
I’m sure there are lots of tropes I’m forgetting, but this essay is already over 1,600 words long, lol. I might make a part 2 at some point, so give me your ideas!
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eddo-tensei · 9 months
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The Power of Love according to Season 5 of Miraculous
Something disturbing dawned on me concerning...a lot of the development in Season 5 and it comes down to one thing: Love.
At first, Andre and Felix getting redeemed while Chloe gets sent off to the worst fate the show would allow didn't make a lot of sense. The only thing I could get from the writers was just that "Chloe bad, so everyone else good." It was stupid, but it wasn't insidious. At least, not that insidious at first. And then the finale with Gabriel happened and while it took me a while to process my frustrations with this, something finally clicked. Not only concerning that, but some of the other developments I've seen.
Felix getting another chance to the point of JOINING the heroes in the new universe seemed like nonsense until you look at what happened before that. He was someone who Astruc went out of his way to bury in the narrative and was exclusively causing trouble for everyone up to and including GENOCIDE...until he showed his love to Kagami. Suddenly, his actions are seen as righteous and his backstory of being abused by his father was justification for his actions. You see, he loved Kagami and he also apparently loved Adrien too because they were "the same."
Andre was basically just some corrupt politician who was also a pathetic snob. Then when Zoe came in, we suddenly get all of these humanizing bits about how Chloe totally mistreated him (because apparently, not having the guts to say no to your daughter is mistreatment) and when he divorced Audrey, he gets Zoe because he's someone he could be happy with. A true familial love unlike the one he had with Chloe.
Chloe, meanwhile, doesn't love anyone as far as the writers are concerned. Any genuine connection she might have in either the platonic, familial, or the romantic sense, whether it'd be to Adrien, Sabrina, Zoe or Ladybug, are shown to be either fake or so utterly shallow, it doesn't count as "love." With that, everything she does is absolutely reprehensible and doesn't deserve a shred of forgiveness even if it's clear she's a neglected child who needed help. BUT, because she "doesn't love anyone", she doesn't get redemption and deserves to be sent away with a parent who doesn't love her either. Same with Lila, she doesn't love anyone at all and in fact, just jumps from family to family purely to keep up her manipulations.
Finally, we have Gabriel, who had done nothing but sheltered, belittled, and outright ABUSED Adrien as well as commit a multitude of horrid crimes throughout the series. His actions constantly escalated in awfulness throughout the series, even showing that he doesn't care if he destroys the universe to get what he wants. Yet there was always this trait he possessed. His love for Emilie and that ended up coming to the forefront in the finale. Marinette, who had Gabriel dead to rights, decided at the last moment to try and appeal to his humanity because she knows he loved Emilie and in her mind, that love is enough grounds for her to offer him one chance to step up and help. Then when Gabriel opts to betray Marinette and starts the wish, he tells her at the last moment to try and help Adrien remember all of the times he "tried to be a good father," which is apparently an indicator that he actually LOVED Adrien too. THAT ended up being why Marinette decided to lie about Gabriel by saying he died fighting Monarch and went as far as to try and tell Adrien to remember him as a good man. All because she knew Gabriel "loved" him.
This tells me something distressing. Now, the concept of "Love Redeems" is something I'm not at all against and is in fact common in a lot of stories I like. However, it's what Miraculous does with this concept in Season 5 that angers me. The message of Miraculous ends up giving in its grand finale for the Agreste arc isn't that love can help people find the way to kindness. It's that anything you do can be justified as long as you do it for "love." It doesn't matter if you purposely get a cab driver in trouble, attempt to sabotage a date that your crush is in, put together a project that tries to commercialize air, betray someone to help a terrorist, commit genocide, cause untold amounts of damage to your town and beyond, or even destroy the universe! As long as you love someone, everything you do can be justified. Except when we decide that you don't love ANYONE, then we'll do everything in our power to show that all of your connections don't count as love so you can have the worst punishment we could possibly muster. Regardless of intent, that's how the writers ended up describing the Power of Love in Season Five of Miraculous and that's wretched to me.
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gatheringbones · 5 months
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[“Take a moment to visualize a crouching cheetah, its eyes focused, its muscles twitching in anticipation, as it prepares to attack a swift, darting impala. I want you to track your own responses as you watch the sleek cheetah overtake its prey in a seventy-mile-an-hour surge of speed. The impala falls to the ground an instant before the cheetah sinks its claws into the haunches of its prey. It is almost as if the animal has surrendered itself to the predator and to certain death. However, the fallen impala is not dead. Although it appears limp and motionless, its nervous system is still highly charged from the swift chase. Though it is barely breathing or moving, the animal’s heart and brain are still racing. The same chemicals discussed earlier that helped fuel its attempted escape continue to flood its brain and body.
There is a possibility that the impala will not be devoured immediately. The mother cheetah may drag its (apparently dead) prey behind a bush, then go seek out its hungry cubs, safely hidden at a distance. While the cheetah is gone, the temporarily “frozen” impala may awaken from its state of shock, then shake and tremble in order to discharge the vast amount of energy it mobilized to escape death. After completing this normalization procedure, the impala will stand up on wobbly legs, take a few tentative steps, then bound off in search of the herd as if nothing unusual had occurred.
The “immobility response” used by the impala is just as important a survival tool as “fight” and “flight.” This normal survival strategy is also called the “freezing” response. Slow and relatively unprotected animals like the opossum use immobility as their first line of defense. Any animal that is trapped in a situation where fight and flight are not viable options will use it. Another of the vital functions of the immobility response is numbness. If the impala (or human) is killed while “frozen,” it will not suffer pain or even terror during its demise.
We humans use the immobility response — frozen energy — regularly when we are injured or even when we feel overwhelmed. Unlike the impala, though, we tend to have trouble returning to normal after being in this state. The very feelings that we need to access in order to us help steer ourselves back to the present are, in effect, numbed-out. This difficulty in normalizing ourselves is very important. I believe that the ability to return to equilibrium and balance, after using the “immobility response,” is the primary factor in avoiding being traumatized.
How do wild animals successfully return to their normal state? The answer lies in the particular type of spontaneous shaking, trembling, and breathing that I described earlier. I remember that when I shared my observations about animal behavior with Andrew Bwanali, chief park biologist of the Mzuzu Environmental Center in Malawi, Central Africa, he nodded excitedly, then burst out: “Yes … yes … yes! That is true. Before we release captured animals back into the wild, we make absolutely sure that they have done just what you have described.” He looked down at the ground, then added softly, “If they have not trembled and breathed that way before they are released, they will not survive. They will die.”]
peter levine, from healing trauma, 2008
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