#as a person who wants/pursues romance. which i THOUGHT i was when i was her age (though i never had a boyfriend or any male attention then)

[supersoakerfullofblood]

do you have any tips for writing characters who have a lot of difficulty identifying their own emotions (and other people's)? specifically if the work is from their POV. thank you very much!!

I'll start by saying you're in luck--literature's finest characters are defined by their difficulties identifying their emotions! You're in great company.

As a general rule, don't let your character figure out their emotions until you want some resolution in the narrative (climax, ending, or anywhere in between. Or if you have some second conflict in the narrative, feel free to resolve this one earlier). If your character has clarity about how they feel and what they should do about it, you don't have a compelling narrative but a successful therapy. The trick is in misguiding your characters.

You and I and everyone in the world are misguided about our emotions constantly. We want to feel everything on our terms. If we want a coffee, we want our favorite hazelnut latte, not the Americano. If we go through heartache, we still want to be happy, so we turn to coping mechanisms, often unhealthy, to achieve this. We are emotionally greedy.

Your characters also want to feel everything on their terms, and they don't like that they can't, so they turn to something unhealthy, something they think will solve the problem. In previous posts on my blog, I talk about this in terms of "want" and "need." Your character "needs" to handle the emotions as they are through healthy means, but your character "wants" to feel how they want to feel, which in a strong narrative won't make the character feel better. Ask yourself: if my character was real, how would they react to the situation they're in? When you think of anything unhealthy, write it.

As an example in one of my WIPs, a girl is bullied by the popular kids at her school, and she doesn't like that, but she's also friends with one of the popular kids. Instead of talking to this friend about the bullying, instead of talking to the counselor about it, instead of doing anything that would actually resolve her situation, she decides that if she wants people to stop bullying her, she herself needs to become popular. She notices all the popular kids have boyfriends, so she decides she's going to pursue someone. These are pretty steep leaps of logic, but we do it all the time. Has anyone tried to use romance to bandage emotional sores? Of course!

Macbeth is scared of the witches' prophecy. Does come to peace with it? No! He and his wife kill a lotta people!

Think of your favorite book: how do its characters try and fail to come to terms with their emotions?

As far as "how to write," it sounds like you're writing in first person, and if you are, I can't help too much--I have next to no experience there. But if you're narrating through your character's thoughts, never let them land on the right thought, the idea that will get them out of their bind. It might help to focus on physical sensations and the things people say and do around them--how is your character affected, and how do they interpret these things? Never let them interpret them well and correctly until you want resolution.

#writeblr #writing #writing advice #fanfic #writers on tumblr #bookblr #creative writing #writing questions #writerscommunity #booklr

[britneyshakespeare]

a couple of girls on the playground today were asking me if i was married, if i was ever going to get married, and one of them said “do you want to be an old cat lady?” and i replied “well i wouldn’t mind it,” completely forgetting that old cat lady is a mocking trope of single women after a certain age, and then she said “don’t you wanna be a bae?” and i was like oh yeah sure. i thought you meant would i like to have cats. yes i would.

#that was very aro of me #to the question 'are you going to get married' i always answer 'if/when i meet someone i want to marry' #ive said it before (in a tag rant im sure) that i do kind of envy the stability/commitment that the institution of marriage has. it's hard #to picture myself getting more and more in my adult years and having only myself to rely on. financially emotionally etc. #i would love to live with someone i love for the rest of my life and even legally marry them. i just dont know how/if that'd ever happen #those kids dont know what aromanticism is and im not in the business of explaining my deeper feelings/conflicts to them. lol #tales from diana #also that girl who said it said it somewhat as a joke and i dont blame her for. you know. making that comment. i know she likes me a lot #she has told me im pretty and she often asks if i have a boyfriend etc. im basically the only one she talks to. shes the grade 5 on thursday #im sure when i tell her im not seeing anyone she doesnt see it as something pathetic but i do make sure to stress that it's about the person #moreso than the status of being in a relationship. #at that age you don't know the difference very much #and this fifth grader has told me before that she has her first little boyfriend. (this is all stuff she's disclosed not that ive asked abt) #(but i will listen to of course if a child is bringing it up & wants to talk about their life w a trusted adult) #and she says theyve only like held hands and theyre mostly just friends. that was a relief to me. #shes also mentioned to me that another boy in her class asked her out and she said no (bc of the boyfriend) #and of course she's going into middle school next year. so. to her this is a very formative time to be thinking about herself in that sense #as a person who wants/pursues romance. which i THOUGHT i was when i was her age (though i never had a boyfriend or any male attention then) #i trust her i think she's very smart. but she's YOUNG y'know so it's not her fault she's got all these mixed messages from media and culture #these things are becoming more important in her life so i'm glad to be a representation of Being Cool & Older & Mature wo needing a bae #not that i think im making THAT big of an impact on her. but you know. i never knew a cool girl in her early 20s when i was 11 #who repeatedly told me nothing about her love life & only said no every time i asked if she had a partner. #i think had i seen that. i would've felt more ok w being perpetually single as a tween/teen lol. #or maybe not. a lot of my insecurity came from the fact that nobody ever explicitly asked me out etc. idk. whatever #miss diana is so cool. i'm gonna miss fifth grader though when she graduates. i only have one thursday left w her :''''''''(

[daybrightsims]

Alright, they've lived in my brain too long; Time to air out my thoughts about the polyamory in BG3

To give a little context: I am currently ethically non-monogamous with my primary partner of almost 7 years. I am not a monolith of thought when it comes to polyamory/ENM/open relationships. These are my own personal thoughts and feelings. I've also completed the game with Astarion and Halsin romanced. Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk.

TL;DR - I don't share the current opinion of whether or not Astarion is okay with Tav pursuing Halsin and the discourse around his agency and choices in the relationship are bumming me out and frustrating me.

I am getting increasingly frustrated about the conversation about Astarion being polyamorous/okay with Tav being with Halsin in the game, primarily because I think a lot of the "think pieces" are coming from 1) monogamous people who have only ever been monogamous, 2) monogamous people who have been burned/cheated on/forced into polyamory by a partner (I feel for ya'll, that wasn't okay), 3) people who are very VERY protective of Astarion, and 4) people who are blatantly uncomfortable with polyamory. My goal is not to invalidate anyone's experiences, but to share an alternate perspective.

I do think that Astarion is not only okay, but happy with Tav dating Halsin. I glean this from how he responds to being poly with ANY OTHER companion. If you ask him to share with literally anyone else, he will say no and give his reason.

Gale: He doesn’t want to be in a love triangle (which with Gale, it would be).

Lae’zel: He’s uncomfortable and Lae’zel would kill him (also true).

Wyll: He knows Wyll is old fashioned and monogamous.

Karlach: He knows Karlach’s feelings for you are strong and he doesn’t want to stand in the way of that (he even says he’d be cool with an arrangement but knows Karlach will need all of your affection based on what she’s been through).

Shadowheart: He would be cool IF Shadowheart had more experience and ya’ll were together longer. But he knows Shadowheart is fragile in her current state.

Minthara: He REALLY doesn’t like this idea and will dump you immediately.

I did also see that ***SPOILER*** they updated or are updating some of the spawn Astarion language to have issues with your affair with Mizora should you pursue it, and it requires a persuasion/deception role to keep you two together.

Up to this point in your relationship with Astarion, he has become more comfortable voicing his opinions and concerns with you. He is learning to value his autonomy and his non-physical relationships. He will tell you when he doesn’t want to do something. In fact, he’ll break up with you over pushing his boundaries. He is fine with you pursuing the Drow twins and fine with you sleeping with Haarlep, even comforts you when Haarlep uses your form. So when he says he is okay with you pursuing Halsin, he means it. Yes, he voices his insecurity with you that you may be pursuing Halsin because you and he haven’t had sex in a while. But he acknowledges that Halsin has experience in this arrangement and doesn’t pose a threat to your relationship. Plus, if you kiss Halsin in front of him, he’ll say “don’t mind me, I’m just enjoying the show.”

To me, the idea that this is the ONE thing that Astarion doesn't have agency over in an arc of showing he can speak up for himself is you sleeping with Halsin is an idea that takes more agency from Astarion. He is a grown man. A 240 YEAR OLD man. That trauma he's endured does not mean he needs to be babied or coddled because he can't make his own choices. I think that's an unfair assumption to put on him that Halsin and Tav being together is the ONLY thing he can't enforce his boundaries on.

If he didn't want you to be with Halsin, he would say no like every other monogamous character in the game.

If you want a good example of someone saying yes just because they want to keep you, look at Karlach. You can tell she is HEARTBROKEN when you ask her, but she says “I don’t want to lose you”. That is not an enthusiastic participant in a polyamorous relationship. Astarion says “yeah, go for it! Just give me some reassurance”. Polyamory is not immune to insecurity. I've asked for reassurance in my own relationships and so has my primary partner. That’s not unenthusiastic. That’s realistic as shit. If you ask him about the relationship after you finish his questline, he doesn’t need reassurance because you’re having sex again. That’s also super realistic.

Am I sensitive to this as someone who practices ENM? Almost certainly. It's hard to see a lifestyle I live be villainized and claimed to be "forced" onto characters. I was actually really excited that I could pursue both Astarion and Halsin, and that Halsin places so much importance on consent and not misleading your partner. And it sucks SOO much to see one of my favorite characters be reduced to "oh, he's only doing it because he's afraid to lose Tav." It makes me almost feel bad for liking the interactions between them and enjoying to option. Do I think people mean to make me or other poly people feel bad? No.

But it does.

Headcanons are headcanons. I get it. People are absolutely allowed to interpret the poly aspect of BG3 how they want to. People are allowed to feel uncomfy with how it's portrayed and not pursue it. But it still bums a queer ENM Astarion and Halsin lover out.

Now excuse me whilst I live out my Astarion x Halsin x Tav polycule fantasies in the form of fanfiction.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 companions #spawn astarion #astarion #polyamory #enm #ethical non monogamy #halsin x astarion #act iii #halsin #monogamy

[yamujiburo]

(Bad Brazilian English ahead) I was looking at your hanamusa stuff and your fankids stuff and I've got a feeling that hanamusa Jessie is sweeter than the fankids Jessie, not that Jule's mom doesn't show affection, but it feels like Delia has been missing affection for longer when Jessie starting dating her than James had been missing when he got with her, making Jessie develop to fit in the needs of Delia so both would be happy, while Jessie have found in James someone who wasn't expecting to be carried again since his mama and also a little bit of sass in the start.

Oh yeah! I'd say that my Hanamusa!Jessie is sweeter and softer than my Rocketshipping!Jessie. I think it's fun to explore how different people have different effects on a person and how they take on different roles depending on who they're with

Rocketshipping!Jessie is not too different from how she's portrayed in canon because I feel like we already kind of see the effect James has on her. Jessie was very cold and standoffish before meeting James and being around him and Meowth lightened her up in a way where she's comfortable being silly and more open with them. But! She is their leader and I see her having a more dominant role in her relationship with James. He's a passive guy who needs someone to give him a little direction and Jessie needs him to ground her. In my fankid AU they're pressed for money with kids on the way so she girlbosses her way into a career in fashion which takes a lot of assertion. I also think that given James' past with marriage and relationships, he's a little offput by the idea of romance for himself, though he puts up an amazing front, and his relationship with Jessie is like a heightened friendship/partnership and a life bond (but he'll turn on the romance just for jessie every once in a while since she's a massive romantic). All this to say, I don't think they change too much from how they act together in the anime once they pursue a relationship, leaving Jessie the same fiery, kinda bossy type she is.

Hanamusa!Jessie lightens up post-meeting James and Mewoth softens up EVEN MORE having met Delia, someone who is quite soft and nurturing by nature. She would have more to prove to Delia than she would James, seeing how she and Delia weren't partners in crime for how ever many years. It's not that James doesn't make Jessie want to be better but Jessie wants to and kinda HAS TO be better in order for Delia to fully trust her initially. Delia's got a son that means the world to her after all, and Jessie being his nemesis wasn't the best start. Delia being very generous and caring also makes it so Jessie can take more time to work towards her own career and she gets to live a comfortable, domestic life that really settles her down. She also goes into a nursing career which takes her back to being a more gentle person (like how she was in Chansey nursing school when she was younger). Jessie still has her edge but has more reason to soften up in this AU!

Anyways, this was a lot more than I thought I was gonna write. I love Rocketshipping and I love Hanamusashipping and I love them both equally for different reasons

#ask yam #rocketshipping #hanamusashippng

[aromantic-diaries]

In honor of the first ever aromantic visibility day I dedided to share my own story

A lot of the time I talk about how I should have known earlier but I guess we can say no one really told me anything. For as long as I can remember I never understood the way people fell in love. As a small kid I thought marriage was just a milestone that everyone had to reach in order to start a family and everyone just picked out a person they liked. A lot of the boys in kindergarten had crushes on me for whatever reason but I didn't really care, none of them ever caught my eye. I was focused on my best friend

The overwhelming presence of romance in the media never failed to annoy me. Why are all the songs about love? I complained about this and my friends shut me down. Why is everyone so obsessed with shipping? I guess I don't get it. Romance is everywhere and I was sick of it

When I was about 10 I randomly decided it was time to develop a crush. So I looked around and picked out a random boy that I previously had no interest in and decided I liked him. It was nothing more than a few daydreams and sometimes we spoke to eachother but I never pursued him. One time we talked about dreams and he told me about how cool it was whenever he'd have dreams about stealing cars and influenced by him I had a dream where I stole a car. I forgot about this brief crush and later I looked back and realised I never really liked him

Me and my best friend stayed in touch for a long time. Throughout our friendship she had a lot of crushes which she would get really invested in. I never did. I listened to her go on and on about whatever boy she liked while thinking about how I've never been in love. I didn't want to fall in love but some part of me wondered what it was like. I assumed that I'd grow into it one day and someone special would come into my life and I'd finally fall in love. The years went by and anytime I had any potential crush I hated the idea of it and ignored it until I forgot.

I was about 12 when I first started questioning my sexuality. For the longest time I believed I was straight but then the thought of liking girls came up. I was scared of this idea but I couldn't help but wonder if I was a lesbian, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself I liked boys. But I didn't really like girls besides thinking they were pretty. Then I learned about bisexuality. It made sense to me and I was relieved that I didn't have to choose after all. What followed was a long internal struggle of self acceptance, then I came out to a few of my friends and the idea of bisexuality became central to my identity, regardless of the fact that I had never actually been attracted to a boy or a girl in my life.

I was 13 going on 14 when I thought it finally happened and that I had fallen in love. With whom? My best friend that I had known for my whole life. It just made sense because she had always been there for me, she had been my closest friend for ten years. At first I was infatuated with this idea but later on it became a burden and I just wanted to get over it. Eventually I told her and as I should have expected, she didn't feel the same way. I didn't try to push her to like me. The rejection hurt and for a long time I couldn't get over it but I let the idea go. But was I really in love with her or was she just the most important person in my life? I never wanted more than what we already had. Regardless, this was the closest I ever got to being in love

By this time I was already on tumblr and making friends online. A little while after my heartbreak I made friends with three people who shared my interests. To cut a long story short, two of the people in the group both admitted to shipping me and the other person, which struck me pretty suddenly but we both played along with it. I started wondering if I actually liked them and after a short while they confessed and I said I liked them too, so we started dating. It was actually a really pleasant relationship but throughout it I couldn't help but feel like I was leading him on or lying. Usually I'd either act way too flirty with him as if I was exaggerating, or I just spoke to them like they were my best friend rather than my romantic partner. I liked him a lot but not romantically.

I eventually learned the term 'aromantic'. I didn't really think it could ever be me. Surely I wasn't. Even though I related to an awful lot of what aros on tumblr talked about, I remained in denial. Over and over I told myself I'm not aromantic, I've always wanted romance, right?

As I got older the idea of romance became less and less appealing. I used to like it but eventually I started to feel put off by the very idea of it. I thought a lot about things I had learned in the aromantic community and began to realise that I didn't quite understand the difference between romantic and platonic love. Was romance really that great? Was I just afraid of being vulnerable? Or did I just convince myself that I even felt romantic attraction because I was afraid that if I didn't, I would be left out or incomplete. I remembered just how disinterested I was when I was younger. That surely would have meant I was aromantic, right? I reminded myself of all the "crushes" I had and that I was in a romantic relationship, and still it didn't feel right. But I didn't want to admit it. It came up again and again over the years but despite that I never wanted to think about it.

Cut to one night before my 17th birthday. I'm still scrolling mindlessly, even though my brain is barely awake. I should go to sleep. Then out of nowhere it comes up again, I'm too tired to filter my thoughts. What if I am aromantic after all? I can't be. I'm just about to jump to my alibis when another thought crosses my mind. What if I tried to think it over without trying to disprove it? I give it a shot and the more I think about it the more it makes sense. Oh god. I jump onto discord and start rambling about it in the vent channel of a server I'm in. It all makes so much sense. I go to bed

The next day. I am now 17 and since I don't have plans I go out to buy myself a birthday present with the money I received. I have a lot of time to myself and I think about last night, now awake. It all makes sense. Everything that felt odd before now adds up perfectly. Then the guilt kicks in. I have to tell my partner. I feel awful, but I decide that I would rather be honest and potentially hurt them than keep up a lie and feel even more guilty. I finally spill it and though surprised, they're accepthing. Suddenly everything feels amazing and I'm so overjoyed I almost forget it's my birthday. I come out on tumblr and I make an aro bracelet that I start wearing every day.

And so life goes on. It took me a while to fully accept myself but I got to learn a lot about myself and eventually I was no longer mourning the fact that I don't feel romantic attraction. Some people are very understanding and supportive, others don't quite get it, but I'm happy. One day I decided to start a sideblog for sharing my thoughts and feelings about aromanticism, and that's how we got aromantic-diaries. At first it didn't get much attention but it's gathered a following in the past months which never fails to make me happy because it's absolutely amazing to see that I can be a source of comfort for people like me

So there's my story! If you read it all the way through, hi! I hope you're having a great day today!

#aro #aromantic

[starsreminisce]

Azriel wanting to protect Elain and seeing her as someone who needs protecting are two different things. Nesta didn't want Elain to scry because of what happened the last time. Azriel said "There is an innate darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to.” He doesn't say that she isn't capable to search for them or find them, he is afraid of their darkness coming to contact with her. Azriel also didn't had any issue when Mor fought in the wars and never made it an issue.

Azriel and Elain have a completely different dynamic than Azriel and Mor. First with Mor it was one sided, while with Elain it is mutual. He needs to stay away because they are struggling to keep their relationship platonic.

Gwyn when she first saw Azriel was distracted and wary of him. And Azriel wasn't able to look her in the eyes without seeing her as the victim. "For a heartbeat, their gazes met. He blocked out the bloody memory that fashed"

SJM made a great job at showing Gwyn's healing by having Gwyn being able to joke with him and challenge him and having Azriel looking at her with admiration and replacing that image with Valkyrie Gwyn. Azriel not being able to do anything to save Nesta, Emery and Gwyn from the rite and reminding Cassian that they trained them well enough to survive isn't specific to Gwyn.

So I don't see how you can compare Azriel wanting to protect the women he has feelings for vs the admiration he has towards Gwyn for her progress and healing.

Then leave.

You're not going to see Gwynriel any more than I would see Elriel because I see nothing romance-coded about any of Elriel's interactions, and especially in ACOSF, I see Azriel being the main enforcer of Rhys's assessment that the IC stifles her.

Which he absolutely did by arguing against her choice to scry twice, regardless of what his intentions were.

I don't even think the feeling is mutual unless that mutual feeling is sexual, considering that's the main thought process he only had for her in his POV.

Just like how you assume Gwyn is wary of seeing the person who saved her from her most traumatic experience that caused her to go into hermit mode, or considering that the first thing Azriel did to her when he saw her was to offer a small smile, or even in his own POV, he blocked out that memory because he recognizes that is not the same person who is in front of him.

So, let's scale it back because the only thing that is actually canon is his feelings towards Mor, yes?

ACOSF shows that Azriel did not want Elain to do things she wanted but encourages Gwyn to do things she wanted.

ACOSF shows that Azriel stays away from Elain and barely acknowledges or talks to her but banters with Gwyn, observes what she's doing with positive descriptions.

ACOSF shows that Azriel was not happy to the point that it concerned Cassian, but we see dancing shadows and expressions of amusement the more time he spends with someone he doesn't consider as a friend.

Azriel treats Gwyn differently; that is the main point. I have yet to see a Gwynriel argument that, at the end of ACOSF, Azriel has feelings for Gwyn, compared to the Elriels who seem convinced that Azriel will continue to pursue Elain after he felt he had been proven right by staying away or that Elain will degrade herself by chasing a male who called what they were about to do a mistake. We are waiting for Gwynriel's book for SJM to tell us their love story, just like we are waiting for Elucien's book for theirs.

#gwynriel #pro gwynriel #asks #antie/riel #antielriel

[summershouto]

baby 5 & sanji- the role of gender

I’m definitely not the first person to say this but Sanji’s women obsession is very similar to Baby 5’s need to please and I wanted to expand on it more bc the thoughts keep bouncing around in my brain 

Sanji and Baby 5 have the same core need to find love and it effects their actions- especially in matters with romance/the opposite sex. While both of their fixations are often treated as jokes, they still reflect underlaying issues tied to their backstories.

The way they act on this romantic drive is somewhat different, as they both assume the traditionally expected roles in accordance with their gender. They’re putting on a performance, behaving over-the-top in effort to please, while still varying in how they portray their love-sickness to remain a model man/woman. these differences set them apart, and I feel in Sanji’s case it can result in his behavior being brushed off as simply a weird quirk (unlike Baby 5, who’s actions remain lighthearted but are recognized as a trauma response).

They both have the same reaction to potential interest/attention, but remain strictly on the opposite ends of the spectrum of Man vs Woman in a conventional relationship. 

Baby 5 maintains a caretaking, flattering-focused obsession of the opposite sex rather than transforming into having pervy gags. She wants to be needed but she also enjoys (and sometimes imagines) being swooned over.

Looking at Sanji in the beginning, before the annoying nosebleed/creep gags became more prominent, he was also rather romance driven rather than motivated by lust. He, similar to Baby 5, saw many as potential suitors; a hopeless romantic at heart. While Baby 5 strikes at the first sign of interest from a man, Sanji equally treats every woman as someone he needs to look after . 

Baby 5 jumps into the role of a caring wife. She blushes like a schoolgirl and assumes that every man who is kind is showing interest in her. Meanwhile Sanji, filling the role of a traditional man in the relationship, seeks to provide. He wants to aid women in any way possible- whether thats with cooking or actual physical protection. His pervy gags could also be read as a way to fit this norm- as a man it’s more societally acceptable to be lust driven- (and in some cases, lust/sex is a way to “prove” ones manhood).  This is especially prominent after his time apart from the crew surrounded by people that challenged his notions of gender.

Overall their use of these traditional gender roles are safe; an easy way to get attention. People in real life often use romantic attention as means of fulfillment, and I read their actions as the same.

Baby 5 and Sanji are both people pleasers. Baby 5 is named as such, noting she can’t deny anyone anything because she longs to be needed. Sanji’s lack of self-worth causes him to always put others first, even at the cost of his own wellbeing. They see themselves as existing to fulfill a needed role, bidding their time until the moment arises. 

Other people have noted how similar Baby 5 and Sanji are in this way, joking that it’s good Sanji and Baby 5 never met because they’d get married instantly. I think it would actually be very interesting if they had met. Two people pleasers in a relationship is a recipe for disaster, especially with people as passionate as Baby 5 and Sanji. Their way of dealing with conflict would be to.. not. Neither would ever want to say the other is at fault. Their approach towards romance is seeking a sense of fulfillment, which would create an interesting dynamic with their exaggerated swooning. 

Now there are some people who truly are greatly motivated to pursue relationships, but with Sanji and Baby 5’s backstories revolving around a lack of love,  it’s safe to assume that it’s a bit more of an inorganic reaction for them. Especially when looking at the situations their love gets them into, such as when Baby 5 fell head over heels for a man because he was kind to her once despite not showing any prior attraction. 

Sanji is on the opposite side of the spectrum, finding /every/ woman beautiful and himself unworthy. Where Baby 5 aims to prove her worth from any one person and seeks a reason for her receiving kindness, Sanji places himself below all the women he meets and grovels in attempt to please as they stand on their pedestals. 

Sanji was raised by Zeff- someone who had a strong influence in how Sanji perceives and treats women. Sanji’s hunger for love was enhanced by the teaching of strict gender roles and emphasis on chivalry. While Baby 5 longs to be the helpful wife, Sanji becomes the pursuer- acting like a white knight as he sought women’s attention. That’s not to say his attraction isn’t real, but his extreme reactions to women reflect his desperation to please. 

Sanji also has the added factor of the men vs women in his life prior to Zeff, with only his mother and sister showing him kindness. Women were safer; and Zeff furthered this belief through his teachings.  

They’re both self-sacrificial to a dangerous degree. To them, their lives are indispensable; meaning if someone needs to die for the greater good then that’s the role they feel they were made for. Their life IS other people.

This is also interesting to consider in the perspective of non-heterosexual relationships. Sanji has a complicated past with gender/sexuality, so his aggressive actions towards men reflect what he feels a “real man” should be. Feminine attention is good, acceptable to enjoy, but male attention is something to scorn.

For Baby 5, we don’t really see her react to the kindness of a woman. She grew up around predominantly men and men appear to be the ones who most often take advantage of her. It’s curious to consider if meeting another woman with good intentions would allow her to be more sincere. 

I guess in conclusion I often see Baby 5’s actions being recognized as a response to her past, but I don’t often see Sanji’s explained similarly. Personally I think Sanji’s behavior is greatly effected by his starve for love, and he throws himself into it just like Baby 5. However, the way theyre perceived is greatly effected by their gender and their according behavior to fit the norms. Regardlessly, he and Baby 5 both rely on other people to find their worth- and the quickest way to do that is to turn to romantic love. 

#ok rant over #this got long damn #hope it makes sense #I just have a lot of thoughts on them #and how theyre incredibly similar #but they aren't seen in the same light because of how they act as the pursuer vs the pursued #like baby 5 pursues too #but in a more -schoolgirl blushy- fawning kinda way #sanji #sanji black leg #baby 5 one piece #baby 5 #one piece #sanji meta #sanji analysis #baby 5 meta #baby 5 analysis #one piece meta #one piece analysis #sanji and his internalized homophobia #or biphobia #however you wanna say it

[thatbadadvice]

Help! The Woman I Have Been Stalking for Years Is Disinclined to Engage With Me

Carolyn Hax, WaPo, 1 June 2023 (originally 11 March 2009):

Dear Carolyn: About five years ago, I began to realize that a woman I dated 25 years earlier was someone I had stronger feelings for than I was mature enough to appreciate at the time. I had questions for her about why we hadn’t blossomed into the kind of relationship I now think we both believe we were destined for. In the past five years, I’ve continued to have those questions, then dreams, etc., which led me to do a paid search for her address. I wrote her twice and left a voice mail. My messages have been about old friends I bumped into who reminded me of her, what I’ve been doing and how I’d like to hear from her. That is, nothing too serious or about what’s been on my mind. I haven’t received an answer. I’ve thought through the reasons she hasn’t corresponded, and why I needed to talk with her, and am still at a loss. Would asking her my questions directly in a letter be a way to coax her to reconnect? Telling her that, apart from this midlife crisis of mine, I’m happily married and successful, and that all I want are answers? -- A 30-year-old question

Dear 30-Year-Old Question,

One might expect a happily married person to do all kinds of things, but topmost among them is paying to find the contact information of an ex-girlfriend and sending said ex-girlfriend multiple unanswered messages, repeatedly and through a variety of means, over the course of many years in the hopes of deceiving her into heady conversations about the details of your long-ended relationship. Yes indeed, when the Bad Advisor thinks of "normal stuff a person who's very happy in their marriage would do," her mind immediately goes to "pretending to ask innocuous questions about old friends in the hope that a woman I dated 30 years ago believes I am solely and only asking her innocent questions about old friends, when in fact I am explicitly and admittedly not."

Women are famously unable to clock the intentions of men, who are very clever, extremely stealthy, and never creepy or dangerous to the extent that they would unsettle people from whom they have demanded interaction and who have time and time again ignored them. Probably this woman received your incredibly blasé letters and voicemail and thought: "Gosh, it seems like this dude who deuced out on me three decades ago is trying to rope me into responding to him multiple times despite my obvious disinclination to engage only and exclusively on the subject of our old friends, what a boring conversation, I shan't respond unless he sends me a lengthy bit of written correspondence detailing his many thoughts and feelings about how our romance ended, I simply can't imagine having a conversation with him unless I know for absolute certain he wants to rehash what happened between us, which is the only possible way I could fathom entertaining such a reconnection, one which I would never have reason to pursue otherwise, as I am so desperately in love with him and have been lo these 30 years but could not in good conscience find a way to broach the subject unless he sends me just one more letter finally making his bonerful intentions plain, that sly dog."

Might you have neglected to include a return address on the previous correspondence about which you were extremely desperate, but in a very casual way, to receive a response? Does your ex-girlfriend own the only cellular telephone on earth that does not log the return-call number of people who leave voicemails? Mayhap she simply does not know how to contact you after multiple attempts over half a decade! These are highly probable reasons she has not sought you out! Vastly more likely than the fact that she sees entirely the fuck through your pretenses and wants nothing to do with you whatsoever.

If you wish to receive a concrete answer about the status of your relationships, your best hope is to CC your spouse on any future correspondence. I think you can expect a prompt response.

#advice #bad advice #carolyn hax #washington post #mid-life crisis #happily married #the gift of fear #just asking questions #sea lion #m'lady #stalking #just regular stuff happily married dudes do #absolutely normal shit

[animentality]

Not to send you an essay but do you ever think about how Gortash was the only person in the whole game who didn’t want anything from Durge but Durge. Just them, as a person. Like yes he wanted the netherstone, and wanted the alliance. But what I mean is there were no prereqs for Durge as a person. Every other companion, every other NPC even, wanted Durge to either resist and refuse Bhaal or pursue power and claim their birthright. Everyone had their two cents for what Durge should or shouldn’t do irrespective of how Durge actually felt about it. It made any friendship or love offered to them conditional, even in the case of their companions. It was always “I’ll stand by you, IF”. To be fair, not necessarily unreasonable for the normal person to set boundaries on murder and such lol. But my point is that they all wanted something from Durge first.

But Gortash. OF ALL PEOPLE. Gortash didn’t want anything from them but them. Even for Durge’s biggest supporters in either moral direction - Jaheira, Sceleritas, etc - it was not that simple. Yet Gortash’s friendship with Durge (and to be clear I think they were so in love but I say friendship here to emphasise that even on top of or irrespective of any romance, they were genuinely friends too!) was unconditional. “This changes nothing” is a line I know we all talk about to death but god. That is genuinely unconditional. It is!

(If we want to push the delusion a bit further, that’s a declaration of the unconditional nature of their alliance, which can be chalked up to nothing less than real and honest love as far as I’m concerned. He has no other reason to not care that Durge just said yeah the entire divine commandment part of this mission is in the pot. But Gortash was like I Do Not Care! And he meant it! “Oh yes incomprehensibly powerful beings came to us in our dreams and asked us to do all of this in their names in the first place, and you just pissed on that, but no biggie!” Same short-tempered petty bastard who kicks you hard in the shin with his metal-toe boot if you accidentally hit him. Who straight up attacks you if you show up to his office without any of the netherstones and say you forgot them or whatever. Guy who just kills you if you GIVE HIM THE STONES LOL. But he doesn’t care even slightly that Durge said fuck off to the lord of murder who ordered this whole plot to start? Doesn’t yell, doesn’t ask Durge what were they thinking, just goes oh ok. He makes me insane btw)

I’m also painfully aware that Durge will never find that kind of unconditional support with anyone else, ever. I just feel like this would haunt my resistance Durge for the rest of his days tbh.

(And like. My resistance Durge loves Jaheira, she’s the parent he never had and she means the world to him post-canon, he follows her around like a lost puppy because ultimately he is one but I have to wonder if he would lie awake at night with the niggling thought that maybe what he has with Jaheira would not survive if he acted any other way. Plus the thought that Gortash knew him at his absolute worst, and loved him anyway. And maybe that wasn’t a GOOD thing, morally - a GOOD person shouldn’t have loved him like that, right? - but he loved him anyway. I don’t think my Durge would ever ever get over it. Especially with the fact that he can’t even remember 99% of their relationship. Gortash can’t ACTUALLY haunt Durge cause Bane is busy using his soul as a stress ball but in every metaphorical way. Durge is haunted.)

Tldr Gortash is the guy who says “just be yourself <3” and I think that’s beautiful

You know, you hit the nail on the head.

Of course it's not unreasonable to expect your friends and lovers to stipulate, that they will only love you as long as you don't go on a murderous rampage.

That's totally reasonable, that's normal, I agree with it on principle.

But. But.

As you said.

Gortash loved you even when you went on a murderous rampage.

I am obsessed with him, because he loved the dark urge without reservation, believing in their ability to control their urge, but also admiring their intelligence and their talents.

He knew what they were from the start, and he accepted it!

And he could still love them!

I just don't think anyone else in the entire goddamn game could say that!

And that's why I'm obsessed with Durgetash.

You get me.

It's about loving someone for who they are, and not what they are to you.

They were never just the Chosen of Bhaal, whom he must work with, not to him.

Never.

They were never the Bhaalspawn, the savage dark urge, the scourge of Faerun.

They were themselves. And he liked that.

Guys, he LIKED them.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #dark urge #enver gortash #durgetash

[one-piece-aus]

Whumptober Day 17

Kid x Reader

Ahoy! Remember that angsty Kid story I wrote last year for Whumptober? I saw you guys wanted a sequel so I decided to write the prequel to that from Kid's POV! (I do have the idea of making this a series but I need more motivation) Anyway, if you can read the other part to this HERE

Enjoy the story! ^-^

"Kid, you've been acting different lately," Killer said as he stood beside his friend.

"You don't have to remind me," Kid growled, shifting his stance while keeping his arms folded as he leaned against the school's gate. His eyes were fixated on a group of friends walking by... no, he's only looking at one person, you.

"It's the girl, isn't it?" Killer stated, following Kid's gaze.

Kid grumbled in response and averted his eyes from the group to glare at the ground. Even with you out of sight, you weren't out of his mind. You haunted his mind and wouldn't leave, ironic because you didn't exist to him before Ms. Makino paired the two of you for an English project this year.

"When are you gonna tell her?" Killer asks turning back to the redhead.

"I don't plan to."

"Why not? She gets along with us just fine," Killer pointed out, which is seen as a good sign in the Kid Gang since most of the girls who try to run after them have a distaste for most of their members.

"She's probably already dating that goth freak."

"Who is?"

Kid and Killer turn to see Law approaching them.

"Fuck off Trafalgar!"

"I came to ask a favour, I thought I was going look for a way to bargain but it looks like you need information." Law smirks.

Killer glances at Kid who is already growling at Law, "Kid, if you don't want to ask her directly to find out, this is the next best thing."

"I know," Kid growls, loathing at the thought of asking Law for something. "Fine! Do you know if [Y/n] is with that freak Hawkins?"

Law shook his head. "I've seen Basil hang around [Y/n] but he's not dating anyone. He says romance is nothing but delusions and a distraction in high school, maybe you should heed his words Eustass."

"I don't ask for your opinion Trafalgar!" Kid flipped him off.

"Well you did ask for information, and now you gotta pay up."

"Like hell I will after-"

"Do you know if [Y/n] is with anyone?" Killer asked for Kid, figuring if they get more info Kid will help Law without a fuss.

"I don't, but if anyone in this school would know, it's probably Basil," Law shrugs. "He knows her the most, probably the only one who knows her. Not even Strawhat or his friends know about her, and that's hard to find these days."

"I know her."

"Sure you do Eustass, but I suggest talking to Basil."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You wish to know if [Y/n] is single?" Hawkins questioned, closing his locker door and turning to Kid.

"That's what I just asked."

"May I inquire why?"

"I just want to know," Kid told him, folding his arms.

"To answer your question, no, she is not with anyone at the moment," Hawkins stated. "However, if you're wanting to pursue her, I would advise against that."

"Let hell you'll stop me!" Kid shouted, side-punching the locker beside him.

"I'm not saying I will," Hawkins said. "But I think you should reconsider."

"What do you mean?" Kid asked narrowing his eyes at the blond.

"Knowing [Y/n]'s past, it's clear that you're not suited for her."

"And what? You are!?"

"No, our relationship is as she once stated 'loners who stick together', but you, on the other hand, are a bit more complicated now that you've developed feelings for her."

"That's none of your business!"

"Perhaps not, but it is [Y/n]'s business and as someone who has known [Y/n] for quite some time now, I can't help but be concerned about her well-being," Hawkins states while maintaining eye contact with Kid. When the redhead doesn't respond, Hawkins walks past him to go to his club when he stops. "There's more to [Y/n] that you haven't seen. If you're serious about this, I suggest you find out before you go any further."

Kid stood there, hearing Hawkins' footsteps echo further down the hall.

Did he really not know you? Sure, Kid might not know your childhood or the other schools you went to, but he didn't think that'd be a big deal. He hasn't been to your house yet either but most families wouldn't want a member of a gang in their house... No, that's not an excuse. If he's going to get to know this side he hasn't seen, he has to set that aside.

Kid decided that the next time he sees you he'll take you around town to see if he could take a step closer to knowing you. At least, that's what he wanted to do, but you were making it hard to do.

You no longer stayed in your shared English class, always asking to study somewhere else. He never saw you in the halls, not even when Hawkins walked by. You were nowhere to be found at lunch, and if you were in a club at the end of the day, Kid didn't see you in there because he checked every club meeting to find you.

Two weeks passed since this started, and Kid normally didn't like assuming these kinds of things, at least not when it comes to his friends, yet his mind couldn't stop whispering this thought to him.

You were avoiding him.

Tag: @gnarlycrys @roseoftrafalgar @bookandyarndragon

#Whumptober2023 #no. 17 #“You're the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest.” #touch aversion #one piece #whump fanfiction #whump fic #whump writing #one piece au #one piece scenario #one piece x reader #one piece x you #one piece x y/n #eustass kid x reader #eustass x reader #eustass kid #one piece kid #killer #kid x reader #trafalgar law #modern one piece au #one piece modern au #modern au #high school au #x reader #no 17

[thedomesticanthropologist]

Does anyone else over analyze the companions not just by their romance, but by what a life with them would really look like?

Not in context of the game, but just putting yourself in the fantasy of what a life with them would be.

Karlach for example, during the love test. If you say something like "ah she would love window shopping in the city" she gags. Shes a barbarian. She loves what she does. If you were her partner, even after the events of BG3 this woman would not be the settle down and go domestic type, nor should she be. (For the sake of this, I'm ignoring Avernus and Epiolgues it's just a fun character thing, so like assume her engine isn't a problem otherwise the only option is to fight in hell anyway)

But GALE! this man is already planning the wedding, he is housewife coded, he is cooking and cleaning and dreaming of dates with you out in the city. Surely he is also up for adventure, he says in Act 3 he has a taste for it now, and I think he'd honestly "make a home" out of *being with you* whether that is on the road cooking at camp or in his tower at Waterdeep. He's flexible.

Astarion (spawn) wants HIS freedom. Anyone who chooses Asty as a partner has to be willing to let him take the lead, and I firmly believe this. He's free for the first time, and now he's also free from all but the vampirism. It's hinted that pursuing a cure is likely his next step if Tav is with him, or that he'd follow on Tav's next adventure, (and like karlach im setting that hiccup aside for more personality based life choices instead of insurmountable hiccups) but I can see him eventually wanting to make choices like staying in fancy places, being in the upper cities, indulging. Insisting on stopping at the good taverns before going on adventures where "THIS TIME JUST FOR US, TAV. NOT SAVING THE WORLD FOR A GODS DAMN MINUTE" that's the vibe I get anyway

Wyll wants you by his side as Duke, so that could look like you settling into a life of nobility. Dances and functions, politics, schedules, meetings, large house. However he also could follow Karlach to Avernus, and he's always up for saving the world, so I feel like you guys COULD ditch at any moment to go do a Thing

Laezel... I don't know. I can't see her staying on Faerun. I think you'd have to follow her on her journey this time, and not the other way around. I haven't done her romance yet

Haven't done shadowhearts yet so I'll need ya'll to fill me in on your thoughts there too!

Halsin: nature. He can't do cities. If you are with him, visits to the city would be short together or you guys would spend time apart and then meet up later. He would be super chill with that. In fact, I feel like he'd support anything you choose to do and anywhere you choose to go and he'd just be thrilled to see you when you came back. He would not, however, change who or what he is to make himself fit into a life that doesn't suit him. He is too old for that stuff, he's got healthy boundaries, he knows what he likes and he's not ashamed to persue it. He is also polyamorous and if his heart stirs for another as it stirs for you which may or may not happen Tav would have to be prepared to recognize that polyamory goes both ways, but also he's a great communicator and would talk to you about it first and get your consent.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 companions #bg3 romance #halsin #astarion #gale #wyll #karlach

[aro-comics]

Maybe More People Are Arospec (Part 1)

Maybe More People Are Arospec, 1/4 - I return, a month later with increasingly spicy takes 😩

... anwyay, welcome to my new series! 🐸🐸 It’s again something that’s been in the works for a while (hence the hairstyle change lol, I started drawing this 4 months ago). As for the comic itself, I think most of what I have to say about the subject will come in the next few parts, so please bear with me as I try to get it out while I deal with studio chaos 😭

For this particular l post - I did want to talk about how much pressure exists, socially, to go out with other people even when you’re not exactly “feeling it”. While the example illustrated is a bit … direct 😅 (though I feel like I’ve seen this exact plot at LEAST once in a sitcom), it unfortunately is a sentiment I feel, at least, that amatonormativity pushes onto people. And whether it’s something someone pressures themselves into, or is peer pressured by others into - it’s always confused me why anyone would think it’s a good idea. If someone doesn't seem ready to go on a date/pursue some kind of romantic action ... why should they feel any pressure to do so? If they do have feelings and they're not ready, the date will only be more enjoyable if they're in the right frame of mind. And if they don't have feelings ... why should they force themselves to do that? 😭😭😔

I don't know, I guess it makes me question, like why is it that choosing to stay single is always seen as the “boring” and “sad” option? And perhaps more importantly, why is it generally socially acceptable to pressure someone into doing anything they may not want to? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Image Description:

Slide 1: Celia sits on a green armchair in a living room, speaking to the reader, "You know, I’ve thought about it quite a bit, and I have a flaming hot take -"

Slide 2: "MAYBE more people are actually arospec! And they just don’t realize it?"

A chibi version of Celia stands presenting the take, which is hand lettered in a large font.

Slide 3: Celia continues speaking, "Amatonormativity doesn’t even let people consider the possibility of no romantic feelings at all whatsoever -"

Slide 4: If you’re not straight, then you must be by default gay.

In the center of the slide two blank people are drawn. On the left, a person with a "straight" symbol drawn on the chest with a number of question marks around them. An arrow to the right shows the same person, now with a gay male symbol drawn. They appear to be confused.

Being arospec (and in a broader sense, aspec) isn’t an option.

Slide 5: Celia continues, "And maybe people don’t necessarily want romance that strongly – I feel like the social pressure to do it plays a big factor."

Slide 6: "It's a common trope I see in media, where someone is feeling uncertain about their romantic life, and their friends push them into going out -"

A scene is drawn with two random characters. A south asian boy with an undercut is shown speaking to a white girl with long wavy brown hair who is sitting at her desk reading a book. He says "Aw, come on, I know you like him! Hey you know I could introduce you -", while she says "I- I don't know if I'm, uh, ready for that-"

Slide 7: "- even though they might be showing signs of visible discomfort?"

The scene continues. The is drawn pushing her towards her crush (a taller east asian boy). He says "Just go talk, it'll be ok-" while she makes out a "eep!". She looks visibly distressed and startled, while her crush seems confused about the situation.]

#regularcomic #MaybeMorePeopleAreArospec #I think I'll shorten it to just #MMPA #For this blog haha

[missesmckinnon]

a few days late, but can i talk about the red white and royal blue movie for a sec?

im so happy i decided to buy and speed read the book before the movies release, because the book was very good, but the movie was disappointing for a few reasons. it wasn’t bad, it was a good movie, but is was kind of a let down. does that make sense?

sorry if this is incoherent, i just need to get all my thoughts out.

!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!

first, let’s talk about my biggest issue: june. where the hell was she? she was such a big part of the story, and she is apart of the [??] six, and before that the white house trio. there is no white house trio with only two people. i thought that june showed an interesting contrast to alex, not wanting to pursue a career in politics like he does. she became my favorite character instantly, and it was really upsetting that they cut her out.

second: powder princess bea. i know it wasn’t a big part of the story, but it irked me when they cut that part out. bea didn’t have a lot of character in the films, and the parts of her they did show she was basically there to show that henry had a sister that he liked. in the books, bea had a strong personality and a complicated past.

third: rafael luna. oh my god, why cut him out. alex looked up to him as a young, and openly gay, politician. him leaving to work for richards upset alex deeply, and when raf returned, they had a conversation about richards’ advances toward raf and why raf needed to leave in order to bring richards down. alex and raf had such a sweet relationship, and who tf do they think they are, replacing the rafael luna with some dude named miguel.

fourth: philip. in the movie, philip was kind of shown as some guy who values the crown and the traditions it has, but in the books, he’s a dick. it got so bad that bea and henry didn’t talk to him and turned him away when philip offed to help them. if they’d kept his personality the same, i think it would’ve given more depth to henry’s family and the pressure he’s under.

fifth: liam. liam wasn’t a big character, but, if i remember right, alex called liam when he was having his lil gay crisis, and liam showed up at an event at the end of the story. that’s how alex and henry got the bikes to go to alex house in texas.

sixth: henry’s mum standing up to the queen. considering that henry’s mum being emotionally absent was a big part of henry’s story, when catherine (henry’s mum) stood up to the queen and threatened to have her dethroned for suggesting that henry had to hide was a big moment. it showed that she really cared for her kids but was too consumed with her loss to be there for them.

seventh: pez love interest. in the movies, pez and nora had a romance, but in the books it was pez and june. pez and nora don’t make sense to me at all. junes personality was brought out in the best way by pez, and they complimented each other beautifully. but, since june was cut out, they had to do something i guess.

eighth: dialing down richards. richards is a very bad man, and that’s a theme throughout the book. the book is extremely political, so i understand not going too far into that, but richards made advances on luna and his team leaked the footage and emails between henry and alex. it was really dialed down in the film, which upset me.

let me know what you guys thought of the movie, though. the actors who played alex, henry, nora, and ellen were perfect, and taylor/nicholas had amazing chemistry.

#red white and royal blue #rwrb #rwrb book #rwrb movie #june claremont diaz #alex claremont diaz #prince henry of wales #nora holleran #princess beatrice #rafael luna #pez okonjo #percy okonjo

[nerdlydelicious]

So, I have some thoughts about Jaune’s situation and what that means for his character going forward.

First, shipping. I’ve made no secret of the fact that White Knight is hands down my favorite RWBY ship. Does his new age and the gap in years between him and Weiss, or any other character who was previously in his age range, change that for me?

For two reasons.

1: Weiss is a grown woman with a literal license to kill. If she makes the personal choice to pursue romance with Jaune despite his older age, I don’t think there’s a problem with that. If she’s old enough to be a licensed huntress and fight monsters that want to murder all of human and faunus kind, then she’s old enough choose to date Jaune, DILF status or no. The same is true for any of the other girls on team RWBY, or anyone else who was around his age when he fell in the Ever After.

Now, how Jaune might feel about that in this hypothetical situation with their ages is another matter entirely. Though with everything else he’s been through and had to deal with since V8’s finale, I imagine his current age wouldn’t be his biggest hurdle to pursuing a relationship with Weiss, or whoever else.

2: I seriously doubt Jaune’s going to stay at this age when they leave the Ever After. The Ever After is full of all kinds of magic. If there’s a way to grow and shrink people, then it’s not a stretch to think that there’s magic that can revert Jaune’s physical age to what he was when he entered the Ever After. So it’s not a big concern for me.

That and if Jaune does remain in his DILF form then that just means Weiss will have competition in the form of Willow.

Second: the possibility of Jaune dying this volume. I don’t see it happening, at least not right now. I know a lot of people are worried about that, but I don’t think that’s going to be his fate. Jaune is, at this point, a main character. He has a lot more to do in the story and they aren’t going to throw him away like that. If Jaune dies, then it’s going to be at the hands of Cinder in a climatic final battle for the fate of Remnant. Preferably while taking her with him.

Third: the theory that Jaune can’t or won’t leave the Ever After. A lot of my thoughts on this tie into my thoughts on why Jaune isn’t going to die this volume. Jaune’s clearly been in the Ever After for a long time, but it’s not because he can’t leave. It’s because he wasn’t going to leave without team RWBY. He’s stayed in the Ever After this long because he was waiting for them. Even if he didn’t know for sure that they would arrive or that he would find them, he wouldn’t take the risk of leaving and potentially abandoning them. And likewise, he isn’t going to stay in the Ever After when he had friends and family back on Remnant, which is still currently in grave danger of being destroyed by Salem.

So yeah, those are some of my thoughts on Jaune’s ‘fate’ going forward. I don’t think he’s going to die or refuse to go back to Remnant, and he’s still perfectly shippable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. They’re just jealous that he’s a certifiable DILF now.

The DILF knight, if you will. I mean, just look at him…

Hubba hubba…

#jaune arc #rwby #rwby volume 9 #rwby vol 9 #rwby spoilers #weiss schnee #rwby white knight #white knight #rwby vol 9 spoilers #rwby volume 9 spoilers #rwby ships

[allgirlsareprincesses]

I'm so curious as to what your thoughts are on acomaf/Rhys. Personally, the reason the second book infuriated me was bc SJM completely shifted Tamlin's good traits onto Rhys, while erasing the fucked up things the latter did (like breaking Feyre's arm 😅), and thus clumsily erasing chances for interesting complex grey-morality characterizations for both characters. Also Feyre forgot about Tamlin so fast it almost made the first book seem useless lol. idk, I just liked Tamlin and feel he was done dirty with the weird lib-feminist makeover acomaf got. I did continue reading the series though. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable speaking about this, so feel free to ignore this ask. Have a lovely day 💖

Phew! So my issues with the series are NUMEROUS and some day I will go into all the reasons I quit ACOMAF 3/4 of the way through, but for now, let me sum up my problem by comparing it to another modern phenomenon: Frozen.

Like ACOTAR, I have many specific dislikes about the Frozen series, but my main problem with it is the way it cynically uses fairy tale motifs against the audience, but then still wants to claim it is a fairy tale. Frozen's setup gives the audience absolutely zero reason to doubt or distrust Hans (other than the arrival of Kristoff). In fact, Hans and Anna have one of the best insta-love songs from the Disney collection, and it galls me TO NO END that it's a trick, a lie. And then the rest of the movie repeatedly mocks the audience for believing in fairy tale love ("You can't marry a man you just met!"), as if to say everyone who has enjoyed Disney fairy tales up to this point is a sucker. Yet then it expects us to invest in the Anna-Kristoff romance after punishing us for the Anna-Hans one. And meanwhile, Kristoff is about as interesting as stale bread (sorry not sorry, it's true. I love you Jonathan Groff, it's not your fault sweetie.).

So anyway, back to ACOTAR. Book 1 is a straightforward Search For The Lost Husband. Taken on its own, it honestly rules as an example of this Cupid & Psyche tale type. It has the hunter-huntress motif, the jealous sisters, passage into the otherworld, hidden/cursed prince, supernatural helpers, three trials in the underworld, and even resurrection from death. It's literally perfect, other than Rhys marking her and just generally being creepy.

And then the next book PUNISHES the reader for enjoying that. HAHA you fool, you sucker, you got taken in by an abuser! Actually that whole book was a f*cking waste of time and a lie, and what Feyre really needs is this dude who's secretly perfect and who has all the aesthetics of a tormented prince but none of the actual psychological damage (like, say, Tamlin had). And who pursued Feyre not because of any natural affinity but because he knew she was his predetermined MATE (ew ew ew and I repeat EW). And who dictates every f*cking plot point and then magnanimously gives Feyre the OPTION of participating and we're all supposed to cheer because he says "It's your choice" before repeatedly using her and endangering her.

And to the extent that this is another Search For The Lost Husband, why would I want the same story told again, especially when the narrative wasted my time and mocked me for investing in the last romance? I just... really resent the author using those motifs without signaling sooner that she's going to deliberately undermine them (which can be done, in fairness, but it takes more skill than SJM has displayed).

So yeah, that's my issue. It really seems to come from this faux feminism that has a lot of antipathy toward traditional fairy tales, but doesn't know how to critique them without mocking the protagonist and audience alike.

#acotar #acomaf negativity #acomaf #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #sjmaas #acotar negativity #critique #rant #frozen #prince hans #tamlin #feyre archeron #rhysand #tamlin x feyre #search for the lost husband

[coralinnii]

Hello, there~! I would like to request a fluffy scenario in which Riddle Rosehearts plans to propose to his fem! s/o, asking her to be his future wife. Takes place after the events of Ghost Marriage. Make it super romantic, please? Thanks!

Imagining his proposal to you

feat: Riddle

genre: romance, fluff

note: this is written with Yuu!Reader in mind but can be interpreted as not, fem!reader specific, close to 1k word count

I might have misunderstood your ask but I hope you enjoy it

After the chaos has settled and no one’s lives are no longer at stake, the students are able to take a deep breath as the ghost bride finally gets her happy ending. Well, you assumed so but you ran off with Riddle as he and Cater hurried back to the tea Riddle admittedly earned for his troubles.

“There we go, tea for NRC’s savior and his lovely lady~” 

Riddle didn’t indulge the long-haired student’s joke. “That comment was unnecessary, Cater”

“Just wanted to show my gratitude to my Housewarden” he winked at you and Riddle. “Well, my job is done so I’ll just leave you two lovebirds alone. Enjoy~” 

Riddle seemed exasperated with his dormmate’s teasing but you chuckled instead. 

“Give him a break, Riddle” you ask, smiling. “Today’s been a long day for everyone” 

“I suppose” Riddle sighed as he took the first sip of his tea “I can’t believe all this madness started because of the obsession of a ghost bride” 

“I sorta understand her actions, though” 

That earned you a choke from the redhead as he looked at you bewildered. “Excuse me?!” 

“Not the whole kidnapping and forcing someone to marry thing!” You clarified quickly. “Just…getting married is a dream come true for a lot of people and not getting to…it’s sad, you know” 

“Is it something you dreamed of?” Riddle questioned you to which you responded with a flustered expression as you looked away for a bit. 

You weren't sure if you should tell Riddle that you started to daydream about your future with him when you first saw him in his groom's wear. Your cheeks burned at his practiced declarations of true love that had you wishing were directed towards you. You were lucky that either Ace didn't notice your flustered expression throughout the mission or he was merciful enough not to mention it.

“Well it’s nice to imagine being proposed to by someone I cherish” you replied and locked eyes with Riddle “Haven’t you thought about it? Marrying someone one day?” 

Honestly, Riddle really hasn’t. His upbringing was filled with expectations and obligations to uphold. Before that fateful day when he overblotted, he would have been content living alone pursuing his career or allowing his mother to arrange a prospective partner for him. 

Now, he’s curious to imagine if he has the choice to decide his future. A future where he chose who he wants to spend the rest of his life with. And the only person he could ever consider doing so is with you. 

He wonders how you would react if he proposed to you. Would you have any clue of his plans as he takes you to a beautiful garden away from the chaotic schedule you two made have, with bright red roses decorating the scenery. He supposed it would look like how it is now, with you smiling and enjoying the time with him as he is with you. Would you get distracted by the gorgeous custom-made cake he requested from Trey? He ponders the expression you would have when he carefully picked up the small rose-shaped box sitting perfectly atop the cake and dropped to his knee in front of you. Would you be happy with the ring he chose, the gold band twisting around a modest gem carved to resemble a bloomed rose, paired with two smaller red gems on either side of it?

Would you shed tears as he confesses the impact you had in his life since you two met in NRC? How your smile washes away the tension and crushing pressure he carries on his shoulders in an instant. The way he learned to enjoy the simple and mundane joys of life since meeting you. How he wishes to continue enjoying these small joys with you as husband and wife for as long as life permits him. 

He would be the happiest man in all of Twisted Wonderland if you said yes, so happy that he could cry as he embraced you. Perhaps he would be bold enough by then to be able to plant a deep kiss on your lips, showing his immense love for the woman of his dreams. If he invited Ace, Deuce, and Grim to be close by, he could imagine them being loud and getting on his nerves. But, he knew you would want to share the news with them so he’ll tolerate them. He’ll also tolerate the constant sounds of photos being taken as Cater insists on getting the perfect shot to show off to the rest of your friends. He’s sure Trey can handle them, he trusts him afterall. 

“Riddle?” 

Your voice snapped him out from his daydream. You looked at him with a inquisitive brow. “You alright? You seemed pretty deep in thought for a while” 

Riddle saw the look of loving concern in your eyes which brought a smile to his lips. For a magic-less human, you somehow could magically make him feel loved with nothing but a look. 

"Would you...feel uncomfortable if I said I thought of you when you ask that?"

You blinked once, then twice before you felt your heart skip a beat. Riddle matches your emotions as his face reddens at the reality of his words.

"A-Ah, forgive me. I should have suddenly ask-"

"I would be happy"

Riddle stared straight to you as you match his stare, albeit nervously as you continued to speak.

"I would be so happy if you thought about marrying me"

"So...if someday I were to ask if you would be my future wife..."

"I would say yes" you smiled so brightly that Riddle felt stunned by its beauty.

He reached for your left hand, gently rubbing circles against your knuckles, landing on your ring finger. 

"Then I hope you would stay with me till the day that comes to be"

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst imagines #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst scenarios #riddle rosehearts #riddle x reader #twst fluff