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#it hard for people to feel something for this character as it is not even a 'character' for them; but more of an extension of themselves
ao3commentoftheday · 2 days
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I’m thinking about perfectionism again, specifically with respect to how it can skew your opinion of success and failure.
There’s this concept that comes up a lot when you read about issues like perfectionism: all-or-nothing thinking. It’s a trap that’s easy to fall into.
If you’re a fic writer falling into this trap, you might feel like you’re an absolute failure if your fic isn’t a 100% accurate depiction of the scene you see in your head with flawless grammar and zero typos. That is a, quite literally, impossible standard to meet and as a result of never meeting it, you probably feel one or more of the following:
lack of motivation
certainty that there’s no point in even trying
self-hatred or some other form of intense dissatisfaction with yourself and/or your skills
This is a completely logical way to feel in that mindset, by the way. Your standard for success is so high that you’re constantly a failure. If your standard for success is impossible to meet, then there is no point in trying. If there’s no point in trying, how could you possibly feel motivated?
In order to move away from those feelings, you need to move away from that all-or-nothing, black & white mindset.
One way to do this is by figuring out a new standard for success that actually can be achieved. For example, give yourself permission to have occasional typos in your stories. Gaiman’s Law states that an author will always find a typo the first time they open their published book. If even Neil himself has resigned himself to this fate, then hopefully you can too. If you managed to write your story then that’s a success and finding a typo after you’re done doesn’t turn that success into a failure.
Another thing that’s helped me is to think of every failure or mistake or dissatisfying result as a learning opportunity. If I’m not able to do something now, that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do it at some point in the future. I just need to keep trying. Practice makes better. Practice also helps you figure out the things that are easy for you and the bits that are hard and where you might need some help - either from a fellow fan or from another kind of resource.
I think part of the reason why people can get so anxious about their fanworks is because we care so much about them. We love the characters. We love the world. We want to do them justice in our writing, and we want other fans to love our creations too.
It’s important to remember that all of us love imperfect things all the time. It’s not perfection that makes a thing lovable. It’s the heart that’s put into it.
There’s a lot of fear behind perfectionism. Fear of being caught doing something wrong. Fear of being shamed for a mistake. Fear that imperfection makes us unworthy or unlovable. Fear that a single flaw will ruin an entire work. Fear of failure.
If you want to be able to move through that fear, you need to be able to reduce it somehow. The most effective way that I’ve found is to stop writing with the goal of posting something online. Write for the sake of writing, without the pressure of showing it to someone else. That might help you to get out a first draft (or second or third) without that worry about being judged and found wanting.
If you’re not ready for positive self-talk or reframing the internal narrative (I get it. Been there.) then allowing yourself to be less than perfect in a place where no one else can see you might be a good first step.
And just because I think it’s important that you hear it from time to time: you are a wonderful, creative, amazing human being - mistakes included.
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ratioaven · 2 days
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spoilers for 2.1 !!!!!!!
aventurine rant, please keep in my mind that these are my own thoughts and interpretations. im extremely sleep deprived lol so im sorry if i got anything wrong
something thats been on my mind since yesterday are these lines.
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from the start to me, it was very clear aventurine had self esteem/worth issues because of how he treats his own life, but the line that says “the other hand is below the table, clutching your chips for dear life” stuck out to me.
i always assumed aventurine was so incredibly confident in his luck but in reality he is afraid. he’s terrified that he’ll lose. it’s an act. he convinces himself, he fools himself, he forces himself to act like he’s confident he’ll win, when in reality even if he does win, he’s still clutching his chips under the table for dear life because of how terrified he is of losing.
that really messed with me to be honest. i feel tricked and what’s ironic is that he tricks his opponents into thinking he’s confident, and he also tricked ME the player but really, this made my heart break in two because i had absolutely no clue up until now.
so why does he act this way
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all throughout his life, aventurine has had his pride stripped away. just try to imagine being in his shoes. i myself do not think i could deal with the situations he was put in. i cannot stress this enough, aventurine has a mark on his neck that screams to him that he has once belonged to someone. he has had his pride stripped away from him countless times. but it’s ironic because aventurine is introduced as a very prideful and flashy man. you start to realize the front aventurine puts on is his own way of protecting himself. it’s how he’s able to live basically. i wanna go into more detail but i will later.
as it was said before, aventurine is an uptight person who worries. he is extremely afraid of losing and he has a massive inferiority complex. aventurine may seem like a go lucky person on the outside, but in actuality he is not. he is not happy. he has no self worth, he believes he has nothing to live for, and he has no problem with throwing his life away. aventurine believes the only good thing he brings to the table is his luck.
but this brings me to my next point.
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aventurine may not realize it, but he is so much more than his luck. he has so many good qualities and he doesn’t seem to realize it. even if some of it may be an act, he’s still able to pull it off. he’s still an intelligent business man who is both charming and cunning EVEN if it may be an act, those are still amazing qualities to have in his line of work.
but more importantly, aventurine chose to live. despite witnessing his family die, being a slave, and tortured, he chose to live. he chooses to. i cannot stress this enough. this man has gone through hell and back. he truly has had an incredibly difficult life to the point where my heart hurts so so badly for him. he made the decision to stay alive.
that says more than enough about his character.
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and last but not least, aventurine wants one thing, and that is to be with his family. he’s witnessed horrible things in his life that no one should ever go through. he lost everyone close to him, he lost his people. he has nothing to live for and he values his life so little to the point where he has no problem with dying. the only real thing that he wants is just to see his family.
and he will one day, but in the meantime, i genuinely hope this man can find a reason to live, and ratio already gave him one just by that note. i just truly wish aventurine happiness while he lives the rest of his life.
i guess this is a topic that really hits me hard because i know all too well that choosing to live life isn’t easy sometimes and i just love aventurine.
let’s all appreciate how truly amazing his character is.
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hotluncheddie · 1 day
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omg I didn't realize you wanted chubby steddie asks 🙈
as much as we love the babygirlification of Steve Harrington..... I'm obsessed with boyish manly Steve who is chubby and Eddie is obsessed with him!!!! I'm thinking about your one fic with the sweaty tank top!!!!! do you have more thoughts on this??
yesssssss!!! anon yes yesssssssss!!!!!
not me being like 'yeah! sweaty task top fic nice nice' then realising i have like three different posts that have Steve in a sweaty tank top lol
thankfully @scoops-aboy86 came in clutch with a new tank top sciario <3 (and held my hand thru writing the end lmao ty pal)
but i just love an ex jock trope, i love bulk under muscle and i think big beefy hairy guys are hot - and Steve harrington deserves to be all of that, and more
and also, importantly, eddie munson deserves to have all of that too, in and around him, all the time, in the form of Steve Harrington.
-
Eddie had come to accept the wealth of things he could be into, the actual buffet of people and scenarios that could get his dick hard. He's had more than his fair share of knuckle biting orgasms over the ex chief of police Jim Hopper. Before and, maybe worse, after getting to know him.
So he knew what it was to have something of a shame wank. To enjoy a moustache or two and a paunch at a middle.
But nothing, no deep seated daddy issues or fantasy of being held down, could ever prepare him for Steve Harrington.
Post upside down, post eventual college and transition to work. Post two bed apartment with Robin, then two bed apartment with Robin and Eddie. Then actual full blow house with Eddie, and more often than not weekend guest Robin. Dating Steve for as long as has was one thing, loving Steve with everything he had was another, and being loved by Steve was something he still had nights of panic about - silent tears as fear and self doubt gripped his throat, nightmares about it all being an elaborate prank that sneak their way in even with Steves arms wrapped tight around his middle.
but Eddie had him.
Was allowed to love him, and worship Steve for all that he was worth. It was wonderful. Eddie knew that.
But it had its challenges. Nothing past Eddie could've done would help current Eddie for what he was in for.
Like how Steve had bulked up over the years, settled and filled out in a way that made those visions of Hopper, and guys from bars he really shouldn't have been at, all come surging back.
Steve was thick, and strong and still so achingly beautiful. Boyish in his actions at times but also protective and capable in a way that made Eddie swoon. Honest to god. Made him feel like a main character in one of those bodice ripper books he had seen (taken out and read) at the library.
And then Steve made it worse.
So so so much worse.
Because Steve went and got a tattoo.
Well, another tattoo. He added roses to go along with the robin and branch on his arm, adding to its greenery with red petals and thorns that Eddie knew were secretly for him. He’d said, offhandedly, that they were his favourite and he knows, because he knows Steve, that thats something he'd listen to and remember.
He’s a die hard romantic.
And now Eddie is going to die, hard.
Soon, if Steve doesn't put a proper fucking shirt on.
Steves been wearing his stupid, old, cropped, white tank top since the appointment. He's "letting the tattoo breathe", "doesn't like the feeling of the healing skin against the fabric", "wants to do it properly". "hates Eddie and wants him to die of hard dick, big-fat-ball disease."
He glares at Steve from the other end of the couch, and maybe only three of those things are something Steve's actually said, but, he thought them. All of them. Must have.
Because Steve's tank is so old it's nearly see through, the peak of his pink nipple evident and distracting. The cropped end keeps rolling up and exposing his wider bellybutton and soft sides. And, as always, with any tank top, with any tank top on Steve, hit tits are there - hairy and lovely and out.
'Steve, please.' Eddie whines, he doesn't think he can take much more.
Steve just raises his eyebrows, taking a swig of beer and not looking away from the tv. 'If I sweat too much, it'll mess with the healing.' He says.
Eddie just crosses his arms, sinks lower into the couch. ‘Can you put on a normal shirt at least? For my sanity, for that alone, please?' Not wanting to sound desperate, but he is desperate.
Steve sighs, muting the TV. 'C'mere.' He holds his arms out and Eddie crawls into his lap. Still sulking, arms still crossed. ‘Eddie, you’re the one who gave me the tattoo. I’m following your instructions.’ Steve says gently.
‘M’firing Robin for getting you to sign the info form.’ He grumbles.
Steve smiles at him, tucking some hair behind his ears. ‘You can’t fire her for doing her job baby.’
‘Maybe not’ Eddie sniffs. ‘But I’m not sharing my baby blue ink with her next time she gets one of her slutty little lady sailor pin ups booked in.’ He mumbles to himself.
Steve pulls Eddie in closer, hands on his waist as he leans in to whisper in Eddies ear. 'Aren't I being so good though? Following what you said, no strenuous activity for two days right?' His voice a little breathy, soft.
And that makes Eddie pause, makes his insides churn and his heart rate increase. 'Ye-yeah.' He rasps, eyes wide. 'So good Stevie.'
'So we have to wait until tomorrow, like you said, yeah?' Steve asks, eyes all big and sweet, lips in a little pouty.
Fuck. He's right. Eddie dug his own grave.
'Yeah.' He sighs. He can do it, for Steve.
Steve smiles sweetly at him, tapping Eddie on the ass and shifting him closer so Steve can unmute the tv and keep watching his game. 'Good boy.' Steve says, kissing Eddies temple.
…Wait. Eddie scrunches his eyebrows, half hard and confused.
But Steve just holds him closer. Eddie buries his head in Steve's neck, and whines.
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daisydoesfanfics · 2 days
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|Eternity|
Diluc, Alhaitham, Neuvilette, Zhongli x gn!reader
Description: In which you brought clarity to their life.
Genre: Romance, Angst (fluff if you squint)
Warnings: None (written in the character's point of view/first person)
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The word 'eternity' has always been so vague to me. Sure I know it means 'forever', but still. How can you claim that something is eternal if nothing is?
I've learned that life is a come and go cycle, people come, and people go. I've learned to live my life with no expectations. I don't get attached to anything or anyone either. That way, when disappointment strikes, I won't feel bad. It won't be difficult for me to let go. I make friends, acquaintances, but I've always kept them at arm's length. I lived every day like it was an obligation, not a choice.
But that was until I met you.
At first I treated you like everyone else. I didn't treat you harshly, but I just couldn't let my guard down. I felt myself warming up to your awkward jokes and warm smiles. So I tried to shut you out. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. You kept drifting back to me. And I slowly began to embrace you.
I enjoyed having you beside me. I enjoyed having your arm looped with mine as we walked down the park. You made the sun shine brighter and the oceans calmer. You gave me a reason to wake up everyday. You changed my life full of routines into a life full of unexpected surprises. And it felt wonderful. I felt alive for once.
But then again, life is a come and go cycle. You came into my life, and quickly you left. I thought that losing you would be cold and lonely. That my life would return to its boringness. It didn't. Sometimes, despite not seeing or hearing you, I could feel you. I question if I've gone insane, but no. It wasn't insanity, it was love. You inspired me to keep going. You drove me to find my purpose. You're the angel that whispers in my ear, telling me to do the right thing. And even if you're gone, you're present in my heart. It's been a while since you've left, but my love for you has remained the same, if not stronger.
So, I think understand now. Life is not forever. But love lasts an eternity.
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A/N: idk if i like this😮‍💨 but i'll post it for the sake of posting (also to make up for my almost one year disappearance) i feel like this could fit xiao too, and maybe geto but im not sure, still you can imagine this with any of your favorite characters! also in mu opinion, you probably died in the end so🥰 also lets pretend zhongli and neuvillette aren't immortal-
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prettyrealm · 1 day
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how do the ive members see wonyoung?
this reading is a paid commission, thank you so much for trusting in me! <3
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an yujin - she thinks wonyoung is extremely professional and a great idol, she admires that she will try in all aspects of the job (she’s always on “idol-mode”) but she thinks that wonyoung wants to be the it girl, is proud of it, and doesn’t plan on giving that spot up. wonyoung is on yujin’s mind all the time because of this, and I think the reason she sees so many good qualities in wonyoung is because she wants to be more like her. she definitely feels as if she lives in wonyoung’s shadow. she thinks wonyoung is highly attractive.
gaeul - she doesn’t really view wonyoung as a real person. she thinks she’s very distant and that she doesn’t really hang out with the ive members unless she has to (so maybe she’s the first to leave dance practices, or skips out on hanging out with members after work). she thinks wonyoung is really good at being on idol-mode as well. she sees it as not who she really is, not that she thinks she’s a snake or something either, rather it’s more like “no one could really be this way”,’ it’s like she feels she doesn’t and will never know the real wonyoung (as wonyoung doesn’t really open up even behind the scenes). a part of her is even curious to see if wonyoung will ever “break character” one day. she thinks wonyoung is very beautiful.
rei - she thinks wonyoung super attractive, she is actually attracted TO wonyoung (didn’t ask if she acted on it or plans to btw, this is just how she feels). she thinks wonyoung is elite at her job, very beautiful and able to pull everything off, it’s likely that she thinks wonyoung is the best idol in the group. she thinks wonyoung is the ultimate woman. she thinks wonyoung’s kindness is real, she thinks you wouldn’t be able to maintain that type of personality/aura for so long if it wasn’t genuine (she seems to also have the tendency of glossing over possible negative traits or behaviors to interpret them as more positive). she thinks she rarely has a bad day with wonyoung and she can even get butterflies when they’re together. she has a lot of trust in wonyoung and likes her to the point where if wonyoung was ever super mean to her (or betrayed her in some way) she would actually feel heartbroken. she often feels sorry for wonyoung and wishes she could make things easier for her, she sees wonyoung as someone who often has hard times.
liz - she thinks wonyoung is very professional - again, a really good idol. she sees her as a perfectionist and that she’s confident but not arrogant (humble enough that she’s always trying to improve herself and isn’t the type to think she knows everything). she thinks wonyoung’s constant striving for perfection has very harmful consequences though (physically and mentally). she thinks wonyoung is distant and on idol-mode 99.9% of the time so what she sees often isn’t the real wonyoung, but she assumes this is just her being professional rather than fake. she genuinely likes wonyoung and would love to be closer to her and hang out with her more because she thinks she could be a good friend to her, but wonyoung is too distant and simply won’t let that happen.
leeseo - she wants to be wonyoung, there’s a chance that she was even wonyoung’s fan before meeting her. she tries to copy everything wonyoung does, even with how wonyoung acts behind the scenes, she finds herself wanting to be like that (whether she can pull it off or not). this makes her jealous though, she finds herself jealous of how willing people are to help wonyoung because of how she loved is. she understands wonyoung is on “idol-mode” often and this makes her more jealous because she’s like, “yeah i want to be like this too, but I can’t believe everyone is so nice to you when you aren’t even being real!”. i think a part of her even hopes for wonyoung to “crack” and for people to realize she’s not perfect, but overall she basically sees wonyoung as the luckiest girl in the world. she does think wonyoung has a lot of pressure on her though.
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calisources · 3 days
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𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒.
All of these sentences are mostly taking by my own mind and i'm not joking. It was hard finding material quotes regarding tournaments in historical or fantasy setting. Some are from shows or media but eighty percent is all from my own mind, please give credit if use these. Change pronouns, names, locations as you see fit. All of these involve the medieval event of a tournament and what happens around them.
I fear I am already bending far too many rules just by taking you, my young princess.
Show me your hands, you will have blisters soon.
Lady Eglantine doesn’t believe in love, only lust.
In the world of competition, only the strongest shall prevail.
A true champion is not defined by their victories, but by the obstacles they've overcome.
Victory is sweetest when it's earned through sweat, hard work, and determination.
Will you not participate in the tourney, my lord? 
May I have the honor of wearing your favor today, my lady?
Good luck to you, my Prince.
The tournament is not just a test of skill, but a test of character as well.
Is it always this bloody? Will those poor men die? Someone must see them.
I want him to wear my favor.  Only him. 
If he wins, the knight has the right to name his Queen of Love and Beauty. And at the feast, they shall dance.
Be careful. A tourney is a grand place for courtly love, but also, for blood to rise and affairs to appear.
Call me what you like, say I'm without honor, I don't care. I'm not getting on any more horses to whack you people with a stick.
Kings may be chosen by God, but they still make the mistakes of men.
When even those who rule can sink this low, it is not possible to change anything.
It's my lucky charm, be sure to bring it back to me.
My favorite blue ribbon. Take it.
It will bring you good fortune and you will return from joust unharmed.
I was hoping to ask for the Princess's favor.
How about a kiss, for luck?
Courtly love was the culture around the performance of love at court.
And now, rather than admit these feelings, you're dancing around one another with this mind-numbing and frankly boorish mating ritual.
The knights take on the duties of shadows with pride.
Whoever wins the tournament, shall become the prince/princess’ new betrothed.
You want to marry my daughter? Prove yourself worthy.
Petyr survived only because I begged Brandon not to kill him.
When Petyr heard of my engagement, he challenged Brandon to a duel. 
You do qualify to marry my daughter.
What matters most is who she will give her favor to. 
Her face is one that can create dynasties or crumble empires.
I was hoping for a word before you rode on the tourney, my Prince. 
My brother is the one competing against you, please be gentle with him.
The games are done for the day, please, feast and drink as you wish. 
You have been staring all day, my lord. I was beginning to wonder if I had something in my face.
Any damsel that's in distress - she'll be out of that dress when she meets Jim West.
Great men do not seek power... they have power thrust upon them.
My daughter seems. . .infatuated with you. I have yet to see why.
The princess is naive and thinks any man who is kind means well. A tournament will only show her the reality of life.
You honor the arena with your combat. May your swords and shield preserve the peace.
In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.
I will be brave for Princess Pea.
As a squire, your first duty is to your knight’s armor. Your knight’s armor is more important than your own life. 
You will be knighted and you will have earned your knighthood.
You are hurt. At least let me tend to your wound.
The men laugh and fight and the ladies search for husbands.
Nothing like a good tournament to find a husband, or a companion for the night. 
Rumors are always spread with ease in these.
Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?
You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die.
We're married now, but we still haven't told your dad. This is the right time.
Are you promised to someone?
My sister's getting married. It's a love match. A rare thing. I’m not so lucky. My husband is to be chosen by who can hold a sword the longer.
Why can’t women participate in the games?
There are games for the ladies, Your Grace. But they are less. . .gruesome. And of course, the dancing.
Princes and Princess all over the realm and across the sea are coming for this event. You must shine brighter.
Let me help you with your armor. It appears loose.
As I promised, I return your favor to you, my lady. 
The Prince never loses a joust. He will crown his queen and then all will be well.
I do not understand the appeal of this. 
I spend days making these favors, let me stay a little longer.
My lady, I do not need your favor to win, but perhaps, a kiss of good faith. 
I do not care who wins these games, your hand is already arranged for another.
Men are scoundrel, specially when blood runs hot after a good battle, stray away from them.
These games are done in honor of the king’s heir.
The lord’s daughter is said to have bloomed, and the man chooses to announce it like this. 
A tournament is for men to boost their strength, fathers sell their daughters like mares and for affairs to happen.
I saw you on the stands today, my lord. But you did not participate on the games.
My brother wishes to dance with you, my lady. He is all too shy to ask himself.
You were injured. Have you allowed someone to heal them or are you too stubborn to let them?
Princess, you must not stray too far away. 
Mother is too drunk and annoyed to care, she won’t mind. 
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cyberhopper · 2 days
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Dying Stars
Characters: Mario, Peach Genre/themes: Hurt/comfort, mild angst, mild fluff, pre-relationship Also posted on AO3
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It was minutes – no, seconds – after Peach’s Castle had been returned to its rightful place, a dazed Bowser had been escorted away by the guards, and they had finally been given a moment’s peace amid the chaos, that Mario’s knees gave way and hit the tiled floor of the castle foyer with enough force to bruise.
It was not her own nagging exhaustion that prompted Peach’s knees to drop her down beside him.
Her heart had yet to settle back into a normal pace, and she was still reeling with the afterimages of watching the universe die around her, her ears still hearing the squeals of a thousand innocent star children throwing themselves into the heart of a black hole. The Lumas’ sacrifice would never be forgotten. They had acted with unimaginable bravery – but did it really count as a sacrifice when they had no choice? If they hadn’t acted, then there probably wouldn’t even be a cosmos for them to live in now.
She had a feeling that despite her bone-aching weariness, it would be another few days before she could rest easy. Those screams weren’t going to leave her head anytime soon, and nor was the existential dread of knowing that they’d come within inches of losing literally everything.
She desperately needed something to focus on other than her own whirlwind emotions, but she would have dropped to her knees beside Mario even if that wasn’t the case. He had been through hell, travelling to more planets and galaxies than either of them had known existed just to save her.And at the very end, he’d been forced to watch, finally helpless, while the black hole greedily sucked up the crumbling matter of space. Peach had caught a glimpse of his face in those terrifying moments, and had seen utter horror reflected there, followed by weary resignation, then rebellion.
It had been hard to focus on anything at the time, but now – sifting through the memories – she vaguely remembered him pulling her into his arms, as if he could protect her from the supernova with his strength alone.
Everything; he did everything he could for her. Even when it meant nothing. Even when he knew they were both doomed.
The faint memory of his embrace was coloured with a trickle of regret, because he had never held her like that before – it was normally Peach who initiated hugs and they were never quite that snug – and she hadn’t even been in a state of mind to fully appreciate it.
She could remember how it felt, though, her body clinging to the sensations even if her mind forgot. Mario was always strangely warm, as though a fire burned inside him stronger than anything that could be conjured from Bowser’s jaws. But on this occasion, she had literally felt heat radiating from beneath his overalls. Seeping into her bones.
He hadn’t been capable of feeling embarrassed at the time, so it definitely hadn’t been a flush she’d felt. It was more like the fire inside him had risen up to keep her safe. A rightful fury directed at Bowser, the black hole, the shattered universe, everything that was trying to pull them apart in that moment. A last-ditch effort to save her from the inevitable.
At least, that’s how Peach liked to think of it. Maybe she was letting her overactive imagination get the better of her. Maybe he had wrapped his arms around her out of pure reflex, or in an attempt to anchor himself. Maybe the heat coming from him had been caused by fear or stress or even fever. Maybe that’s all there was to it.
She suspected, however, that a few people might think otherwise. Toadsworth had listened to her lovesick ramblings about the man on at least five occasions, and he’d always been of the opinion that her… pining wasn’t unrequited.
Peach had not liked his use of the word “pining” at the time, but in the days following their conversation, she had been forced to acknowledge that it was an apt description.
She wasn’t quite ready to confront these feelings head-on. It would take more courage than she currently possessed. But then again, Mario had just journeyed across the universe to save her, so maybe he deserved her best efforts.
Another day. Not now, when they were both worn and mentally bruised beyond belief.
Her knees were already beginning to feel the impact with the hard floor when she wrapped her arms around the hunched, slightly trembling man, hoping that her body provided him with at least some of the protective warmth he had given her earlier. His initial reaction to the hug was a slight flinch, causing her to jolt and draw back instinctively, thinking that he felt too vulnerable to be touched right now, but it was with an expression of desperation that he pulled her back, too hurt to be embarrassed.
Peach was easily tall enough to rest her chin on top of his head, and she hoped that he wouldn’t mind when she did exactly that. Her hands stroked up and down his back, passing over rips in the fabric and a rough, dry patch of something that she worried might be dried blood. If she found out he was actually injured, she would immediately drag him to the medical bay. She cautiously quested her fingers over that spot, pressing down gently, wincing in anticipation, but Mario didn’t show any signs of pain.
Deciding that asking him about the bloodstain could wait a little longer, she relaxed into the hug and continued to rub his back.
The faint trembling that had shaken his form when they started was now gradually lessening. Before, she had felt him holding himself up. The silly man hadn’t wanted to make her take his weight, despite being on the verge of collapse. Now, though – either because he was finally relaxing or because he simply couldn’t stay upright any longer – he began to sink into her arms.
Peach had never really considered her own strength. Those who complimented her strength were invariably referring to the emotional kind, praising her devotion to the kingdom, her kindness and her love for helping others. Rarely did anyone mention her physical prowess, and although she exercised through sports and walking, she didn’t think of herself as being strong.
Mario was surprisingly heavy for someone of his size. Dense, like a boulder. But she didn’t feel encumbered, even when he gave up fighting and slumped tiredly against her. Smiling a little, she lifted one hand and removed the scratched, dirty, slightly singed cap from his head. Keeping it in her grasp, she gently nuzzled his soft brown hair, kept in fairly good condition thanks to his cap.
She wondered if he was beginning to fall asleep. She wouldn’t mind one bit, although she had no delusions about picking him up bridal style and carrying him away. Most likely, she would either have to call for help or remain kneeling on the hard, cold floor with him until she found the heart to wake him up.
Face against her shoulder, he mumbled something low and tired.
“Hmm?” She pressed a kiss to his hair. “What is it?”
“...Grazie…” he said.
“Oh.” She smiled; she wasn’t fluent in his native language but had heard enough to recognise that word. “Mario, you don’t have to thank me. You’ve been through so much. In fact… I’d like for you to stay here in the castle tonight.”
“Oh, I couldn’t…”
“I want you to. We have plenty of guest bedrooms and the Toads will bring you any food you’d like. I want to make sure that you’re OK before you go anywhere.”
He responded with something too muffled to be heard as anything other than a hum. She didn’t know what he’d said, but decided against asking him to repeat it. He was so tired. Come to think of it, so was she.
“And, Mario,” she said to him, “I want you to come to me if you need help, or… if you need to talk, OK? We’ve just seen something absolutely unbelievable. Something completely terrifying, and… I think it’s going to take us both a while to get over it.”
She knew he wasn’t capable of absorbing most of her speech right now, and she would no doubt have to repeat all of this another time, but she just wanted to speak. Every time she permitted a lull in the conversation, her ears filled with the Lumas’ cries and the roaring of the black hole.
“I…” Mario had to draw a deep breath before he could continue. “I would like to sleep… for a while. If that is OK.”
“Of course it is. Come on, let me help you to the guest room. I’m sure that we have some pyjamas you can wear.”
He looked down at his damaged clothes in a vague sort of way.
With her help, he managed to drag himself to his feet and walk to the guest room. A large four-poster bed with freshly washed sheets awaited him. She sat him on the edge and tried to keep him awake while she searched the closet and nightstand for the spare pyjamas, but by the time she found them, he had already passed out fully dressed on top of the blankets.
Even in sleep, he didn’t look entirely relaxed. His face twitched with the echoes of dreams, and his singed, torn overalls stood out like a sore thumb.
But she decided against waking him up. The most important thing, right now, was for him to get some rest. Everything else that she wanted to shower him with – food, a bath, clean clothes, (praise, affection) – could wait until later.
However, she did allow herself a few moments to watch him fondly before she left the room. Once he was no longer in sight, the weight of the last few hours came crashing down so hard that it took all of her willpower not to sit down with her back against the door and sleep. Harnessing the last of her strength, she kept walking until she reached her own bedroom. Trusting the Toads not to disturb her unless necessary, she took a leaf out of Mario’s book and collapsed on her four-poster without changing.
She and Mario had almost watched the universe die today. If not for the Lumas, they wouldn’t even exist right now. It’s really quite hard to wrap your head around that sort of thing.
That being said… they did exist. They had survived, and so had their world. She was doubly appreciative of everything now… especially Mario.
He needed care, and she needed something to care for. He might not think he deserved special treatment or that Peach should be giving it to him personally, but she was resolute. He had done so much to save her. The least she could do in return for his bravery was ease his weariness and pain.
Thinking about looking after him brought a little smile to her face, and she finally allowed herself to sink into a slumber that, all things considered, turned out to be surprisingly restful.
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shiraishi-kanade · 2 days
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Interactions that I want to see in proseka: An Shiraishi edition
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Buckle up, folks. This is gonna be a long one.
New interactions
An & Kanade: this is actually more of a biased one (in a "I want to see two of my favourite characters interact" way), but I really hope to see more of them. An and Kanade are aware of each other's existence through Mizuki and the Twilight Festival event, but it's very surface level and I really want their potential to be explored more.
Despite appearing very different on the surface level and leading very different lifestyles, An and Kanade have been foils to each other basically since launch. They both grew up surrounded by music; they both have, and have shown since a very young age, a prominent talent in it (singing and composing respectively); they're both extremely passionate about what they do and are very hardworking, to the point of sacrificing their own well-being to it (a trait that, interestingly, more like early Kanade, but more recent An), and they also have a shared topic of grief.
Both An and Kanade suffered a loss of a loved one that impacted them deeply, and both of them choose to, at least to some extent, repress their own feelings regarding that. While I don't think their interaction/event should necessarily touch on that topic, I think it would be good for the both of them to have a friend who can relate to something that horrifying and personal.
(Additionally, while we didn't know what killed Kanade's mom, we know it was some kind of illness, and chances are it'll be same/similar to what killed Nagi. If Kanade shared how it was for her to witness her mom slowly fading away... I think that would make for an interesting conversation.)
Honestly, I'd take just about anything with those two, from grief and angst to composing and potentially even light-hearted event like Spojoy Park. I just really want them to meet properly.
An & Emu: Genki girls!! They are very dear to me personally despite not having met properly yet. They're also the reason I'm upset An has moved on from disciplinary committee: missed opportunity for her to catch Emu sneaking in! They would be fun to be around each other, I think, once An would get used to Emu's manner of speech (which she also somewhat shares, as shown in Nuanced Language sidestory. An being able to understand Emu-language from the get go would be a hilarious twist)
On the more serious note! Emu and An have a lot of shared themes, especially those of loneliness and abandonment issues, and also the way they chose to deal with those feelings. A lot of people say they're suppressing their emotions; I'm rather inclined to say they're avoiding them. If faced with each other who are, in a way, a reflection of their flaws, they might not be able to avoid it anymore - I think that would potentially be a very insightful interaction for them.
Moreover, they (along with a couple other characters, like Touya and Kanade, although for them it's much more minor) share the topic of legacy. Both of them lost a close one that has left behind a dream and both of them, voluntarily, stepped up to keep it alive. I think in that regard An and Emu would be able to understand each other in a very unique way. They have way more to their possible friendship than it seems on a surface level.
An & Mafuyu: one of An's most defining character traits is being a good friend and accepting of everyone - more than that, she earnestly believes she could accept all people if she tried hard enough. I think, for Mafuyu, having a friend, or even an acquaintance like that, someone who is put off by her behaviour and overall mannerisms but actively tries to understand her and be friends with her despite that, as well as someone who is so passionate about a dream she has she build her whole life around it, would be very useful.
(this is also the reason I hold a grudge with 2024 White Day event. It's beautiful and fun and all but An's not had a limited card for over a year and haven't had neither Valentine's nor White day, I thought FOR SURE this one. We could have had it all :( )
An & Saki: similar to An and Emu, both of them have a lot of both serious and comedic potential. They're lively, they're athletic, they're passionate about music - there is no feasible reason for them to not hit it off right away when they meet. I don't quite imagine the rest of their groups being able to keep up with their energy.
Still, underneath that energy, there is an underlying topic of loneliness that they both went through, and although An's is incomparable to Saki's, I think there would be this kind of understanding between them, too. While being extroverted and having a lot of friends, An has spend years searching for "her" person without success up until main story. I don't think she had any actual, deep bonds with peers going on in her life aside Haruka. Having a close-knit, big friend group might just be what both An and Saki have missed out on in middle school. That's an interesting observation, isn't it?
More of That, please (Already know each other but I want to see them More)
An & Haruka: in terms of Haruka and An, I really want to see more backstory for them. I know we've already seen it briefly, but there is so much more to it. How close were they? Did Haruka know Nagi in person or from description? What is Haruka's relationship with Vivid Street? Did she go to WEG to sort her thoughts out because An was there, or because it has a connection to her, too (The Non-Idol Me sidestory)? Did they grow more distant throughout Junior High? There is much to unpack here still!
And also, I just like their friendship overall and think we're really lacking their area interactions and accidental meetings, stuff like that. There should definitely be more.
An & Rui: the sillies. Now that An isn't a hall monitor I expect her to take absolute delight in Rui's antics.
They've performed together a total of three times (if we count the New Year show, even though it was more of a Tsukasa stage) and all of them went spectacularly. An is just the right amount of impulsive and reckless to be someone who's able to meet Rui's ideas halfway and match his energy, even though she's normally skeptical about it when she isn't a part of the performance. Hell, An even jokingly mentions becoming an actress!
I think they definitely should interact more and I want it to be utterly ridiculous. It's a shame it didn't happen a little earlier in Rui's story, but, for example, An (together with some other characters) doing acting gigs for Rui could be extremely fun.
An & Tsukasa: both the comedic and the serious angst potential is there; An's and Tsukasa's recent arcs do align quite nicely even though they're not exactly the same. They could probably have a nice conversation about it.
I think it's also fun to see An not realising that she comes off just as loud and pushy to other people as Tsukasa seems to her. But they definitely do have the same energy! I really liked Let's Study Hard and the New Year's Show for that; they're extremely passionate and Tsukasa admires An's passion and skill - I wish they elaborated on this more!
Also, An should definitely have something going on with Tsukasa with her passing the role of the hall monitor to him, especially with Rui around. No way they won't even mention it.
An & Shiho: they had an awesome time together during the In The Corner of Resonant Town and I'm BEGGING for them to get closer as friends. From fashion sense to music to their personal issues, they have a lot in common. I think they've had their share of deep talks and I'm not exactly looking for that anymore; something more relaxed like a jam session or just hanging out is another thing, thought.
An & Ichika: I'm biased in a way that I love them and I also think it would be very funny for Ichika to have a second vocal teacher. Ichika & Nene are very dear to my heart, but as things stand, An should canonically be more skilled in vocals (while Nene is definitely a superior actor) and her skillset probably fits Ichika's genre better. And An was teaching Kohane at the start, so we know she knows how to! There is no particular motive behind it other than I want to see them together more and I think that would be a perfect way for them to get closer.
Additionally, Shiho mentioned how An must be experienced in MCing and how there must be a lot they can learn from her. That. I want that to happen so badly.
An & Nene: no thought head empty just please more of them. Especially singing. I want them to sing together again, I loved hearing Nene's little monologue and I like the way Nene was able to give An tips on acting and singing while acting; they're extremely sweet, they're polar opposites while also being similar in a bizarre way, and I really want the writers to go all in with the classmates thing.
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solradguy · 11 hours
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What’s been the most fun and/or challenging part of working on the wiki? Also is there anything that still needs to be worked on that other people can help with?
THE CODE KILLED ME. So the wiki has a template that automagically puts this cool little Wikipedia help thingy next to Japanese text (the "?" on the end) in infoboxes and by command in text using some {{wiggly boys}} code:
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And we wanted to try to get the Korean stuff on the wiki too because it's the second most officially supported language behind English and there's a bunch of cool exclusive Korean GG stuff no one's ever documented before. But there wasn't a module like this to help out with Korean text like there is for Japanese text.
I put one together based on the Japanese template's code and it was a nightmare. I was fighting for my life in the template trenches. It works though!! I did get it after a while!!
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Mostly.
Shoutout to the Final Fantasy Wiki for the original JP template code and to the Dragon Blaze Wiki for seemingly being the only other English language wiki out there that cares about Korean text lol I don't know anything about Korean writing beyond super basic stuff (like what "hangul" is) so I had to do research into that alongside trying to learn wiki code.
The most fun part was probably getting GG World together, honestly. We couldn't believe that no one had actually transcribed those anywhere online before. Well, there was a file compiled by Lux for Revelator, but we wanted to transcribe these as-presented in the games and we couldn't use Lux's file since the goofy typos and some lore oopsies had been edited haha
Toxic and Elk have hauled ass getting those entries ripped and added. Major shoutout to them. I got the base layouts together and they went to town lol It's so cool seeing it all together now. We even started getting the official languages besides English and Korean added for Strive too.
As for what someone could do to help........ There's.... a lot...... Of the 4,532 image files currently on the wiki, only a very small handful of them were organized into categories when we forked. Here's the page of all the files currently not in a category: https://guiltygear.wiki.gg/wiki/Special:UncategorizedFiles
And all of the image categories they need to be sorted into. Note the subcategories under some of them: https://guiltygear.wiki.gg/wiki/Category:Images
I think I made the correct amount of categories for stuff but there may be one missing here or there. There were a lot and it was hard keeping track of them lol Feel free to holler at me on here or on my talk page over on the wiki if you need something made. I'm solradguy on the wiki.
These major character pages are also either entirely lacking citations or only have maybe 1 or 2 on the entire page (bad!!): Johnny, Chipp, Kliff, Baiken, Venom, Jam, Robo-Ky, Slayer, Sin, Izuna, Dr. Paradigm, Valentine, Bedman?, Answer, Haehyun, Elphelt, Giovanna, Happy Chaos, Asuka R♯
Swapping out the vague "GG World" citations on the wiki with the correct entry would be very helpful too. Like some pages will cite something and it just says "GG World" instead of " 'Axl Low' Xrd Rev2 GG World entry" or whatever relevant entry is needed.
If you know Korean, we also need to have the romaja added for the GG World entries. None of us knows Korean well enough to do that so not a single one has it filled in lol.... We were planning on using Revised Romanization of Korean since it's the official South Korean romanization system but if there's one that's more commonly used/accepted that's cool too (like how Hepburn is used for Japanese more often than the official Kunrei-shiki romanization)
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Hi! Sorry to bother you and I know you just posted but could we possibly get a side characters version of the forgetful mc? Like for Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, and maybe Solomon? Referring to this post https://www.tumblr.com/thegayestmferintown/746129008450748416/can-you-do-an-mc-that-cant-remember-anything-it?source=share
Yup! Sure can! I'm gonna add luke as well (platonic)!
This Takes Place In The Original Timeline
Warnings ;; None, just fluff!
Relationship ;; Romantic (Platonic for Luke)
Type ;; Headcanons
DIAVOLO ;; HEAD OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL
Diavolo is definitely at a loss. He's met many people as the future Devildom King, but he's never met someone as forgetful as you.
Even though he's at a loss, he'll definitely try to help you through your time in the Devildom.
He most definitely feels as though it's his fault. Not for your faulty memory, but for putting you through all of this.
After some time, you start to grow closer and he starts to help you even more, as much as he can.
He'll try to help you with schoolwork, if you can't remember something.
But if you forget an anniversary, he's alright with that, he'll definitely understand.
He won't do anything without your permission though, so don't expect a huge party right off the bat.
BARBATOS ;; THE LOYAL BUTLER
Congratulations! You've got Barbatos himself confused!
Now, on a serious note, it does throw him off.. a lot. He won't show that, of course. But your lack of remembrance is confusing and very odd to him.
Upon first meeting, that's all you'll get, confusion that you had no idea was there.
He'd introduce himself and that was that.
Later on, he'd be very sweet, helping you when necessary and telling you things you cannot remember.
If you forget an anniversary, he wouldn't be mad or upset (not that you could see it anyway) he would simply bake you a cake with the words "Happy Anniversary, My Dear" engraved on top.
SOLOMON ;; THE WITTY SORCERER
Solomon is all over you. He's asking you all sorts of questions. What is up with you? Why do you forget so easily?
He's so old he barely remembers how humans work, okay?
He'll always do things to make your forgetfulness worse.
By putting things on higher shelves when you wrote on a note that what you were looking for was on the third shelf, etc.
Later on, he wouldn't ask many questions but he would still mess with you.
If you happened to forget your anniversary, he wouldn't mind. Although, he would be slightly upset. So, he'd make you a meal to eat. Though, through your forgetfulness, you ate it. Farewell, soldier.
SIMEON ;; THE AFFECTIONATE ANGEL
Simeon is such a sweetheart he doesn't even do anything bad.
He'll talk to you and help you through your forgetfulness by telling you certain dates and whatnot.
He is confused at first, yes, but he'll immediately help you to the best of his ability.
Later on, he'll start to make you lunches or breakfasts if you forget, and he'll always leave a note with things you'll need to remember.
If you forget an anniversary, he won't be mad, but he will take you out to a Cafe. Possibly a quiet one where you can sit in the quiet corner and just talk.
LUKE ;; THE STRICT ANGEL
Poor baby Luke is so confused. Why did you just forget who he was? He walked away for maybe five seconds?
He will help you to the best of his tiny ability though.
Though I wouldn't expect too much, he tries very hard and I think that would be enough.
If you forgot a birthday, for example, he would walk to your room with a cake, no matter who's birthday it was, yours or his. He'll bring a cake to eat with you.
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cleabellanov · 2 days
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Jet-Skiing through Identity: a deep dive into Mobius M. Mobius (part 5)🚤
The analyst is now going on missions, and he is doing such a great job. Plus, he's looking damn good doing it.
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I think that in episode 2, "Breaking Brad" (one of my favs, like i really really love this one) , we get to see both extremes of Mobius as a character, which is great! We begin with his steady personality, looking for trouble to resolve it, not to cause it.
This is when we can see Mobius and Loki use that trust that they previously built, and working together. The comfort emanated in the scene where they're trying to fix that TemPad, for example, feels so good and natural specifically because it has background. (...and they're very, very good together. And Tom and Owen always knew what they were doing. Anyway, you get the point.)
Brad/ X-5 is a complicated person, and the others knew that when trying to get information out of him. Does that stop Mobius from trying to ease the atmosphere with one of his jokes? No: he's still running to the beat of a good heart, he can't help it. His way of being, this approach, is part of him, and we've seen that in season 1 as well.
The trigger is, however, pulled in him when Brad tells him he's a nowhere man. He usually endures things well, so what made him snap this time?
I think that hearing it out loud, AND put like that (f u brad), Mobius finally got hurt by the emotions he was trying so hard to suppress.
Distancing from that, and all the past he knows nothing about, he alienated from himself too, because they are essentialy part of him.
Saying "You're a nowhere man" to Mobius is similar to saying "What, like you did with your mother?" to Loki. It's a half truth that hurts especially because it was left in the darkness. Like someone flashing a lantern in your eyes after you've been wandering though a cavern.
We can see he uses denial too as a coping mechanism, in our most beloved scene: the pie room one. He doesn't admit it at first, but with Loki being Loki (and the person he cares the most about as well), he admits he's wrong: "Listen, that wasn't tactical. I lost it".
So it's not pride when he doesn't want to see his mistakes! it's a need to make everything perfect, for others more than for himself.
It's also no secret that Mobius finds comfort in food, especially pie. So having a sweet with Loki certainly calms him down.
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Next, he tells Loki:
"The TVA is the only life I've ever known. I like it!"
and
"Something bad I can handle. What if it's something good?"
Does he really like his life there, or only the meaning of it?
I interpret him not wanting to look, not even now, for avoiding feeling guilty about leaving that behind. Maybe he even draws a parallel, and realizing that he has a life on the timeline it hits harder that so did all the people from the timelines he pruned
But also, he can't leave his mission! He can't leave Loki! Remember how in season 1 he told Ravonna that if he could go anywhere, anytime, he'd go to his place on the timeline? This changes now, when it's actually possible. A life he never known doesn't have a purpose for him. This one, though? This one definitely does.
One last thing thing I want to mention *for today* is how sweet Mobius is telling Loki that he's the God of Mischief. After years of this title being used negatively, Mobius says it as a compliment. He not only knows the comfort of touch (s2e1), but of words of affirmation too:
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see you for the next part!! I underestimated how long this series of analysis would be :)), but only 2 more parts to go 💙
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doberbutts · 1 day
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The other thing I liked about Being Human (US) is that the core cast are all incredibly flawed and damaged people who still love each other at their core and genuinely want things to work even though they make spectacularly stupid choices at times along the way.
Aiden is incredibly easy to trigger due to his laundry list of past and present issues and when he's triggered he doesn't shut down or go quiet. He gets ANGRY. He gets *violent*. There was a joke between my friend and I when we watched over the summer and holidays that he was a big fan of using neck snaps to solve his problems but was startlingly bad at dealing with the fallout except by continuing to kill people to cover up his problems. When he fights with Josh he gets personal, he's so combative and confrontational, and he wears that prickly exterior whenever someone sees through the stone mask and pokes at a fleshy bit a little too hard.
But we also see Aiden break down and cry. We see him sobbing uncontrollably as he loses control again and again and again. Every time he manages to scrape together a bit of happiness before either he or someone else fucks it all up and it blows up in his face. He wants to stop. He doesn't want to hurt people anymore. And he can't figure out how to do it because it's like hurting people and driving them away or killing them is the only thing he really knows how to do.
So many times while watching I would yell "talk to your fucking friends asshole" and he would continue to either shut them out or get close but lose his nerve halfway through and remain silent. He wanted that connection very badly and simply couldn't make it happen. The few times he did open up to Josh or Sally he was well received, which I think was really a bright point in the writing because it showed the audience that the problem was that Aiden couldn't figure out how to be vulnerable due to [redacted plot things] rather than because his friends were jerks.
And overall I think that balanced well with Sally, who's various exploits *also* usually blew up in her face, and Josh, who oscillates wildly between "sad and more than a little afraid of himself" and "picks weird hills to die on because it's literally the only way he manages to feel any amount of control in his life". Josh and Sally both frequently vent about things to Aiden, but he almost never reciprocated until pretty close to the end of the series. He hides things from them, he dodges questions, he finds convenient excuses to not talk about stuff, even when they prod and pry to get something out of him.
He only explains after things hit the fan and everything goes to shit. Usually, because his friends have been there to catch him when he falls, and he has to tell them *something* about why there's so much blood on his hands (sometimes literally) yet again. And they get mad at him, but ultimately they forgive him, because fuck, a werewolf and a ghost aren't really in any place to judge now are they. Even then, it's not usually the whole truth.
(And it's interesting, in the what-if scenario where they weren't there to catch him as he fell, just how bad things got)
But then he's afraid he's going to lose Josh, and he's afraid he's going to lose Sally, and he's afraid he's going to die, and he goes to Josh, and he says "I'm scared, and I don't know what to do".
And Josh stops, and realizes that Aiden has never asked him for help, not really, and has never actually been vulnerable with him, and has always worn the brave and stoic face even as things are melting down at catastrophic levels. And he says, I'm here.
Aiden is such a bad victim and he makes some real stinkers of bad choices along the way but they make sense for his character once you learn about all the shit that's happened since he became a vampire and how fucked up things got for him before he realized he needed out. And he backslides and he backslides and he backslides but he keeps trying because what's the point if he doesn't at least try.
Anyway the hill I will die on is that this show would have done numbers on tumblr if it came out slightly later. Ah well.
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I am DEEPLY sorry about making you dive down this rat’s nest of a lore hole, but I’m back with another question that should be cleared up: Can You Fuck Shadow the Hedgehog?
I have a feeling this is gonna get complicated real fast…
I've had this one in mind for a while, so this shouldn't be all that hard to write.
CAN YOU FUCK: SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG?
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...
YOU FELL FOR IT! YOU ALL FELL FOR IT!
To any reasonable person, Shadow should have been included in the Sonic post, alongside Surge, Mighty, etc. But you want to know why I didn't? Because if I did, it wouldn't give me the proper opportunity to rant about something.
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG IS NOT 50 YEARS OLD. HE NEVER WAS, HE NEVER HAS BEEN, AND HE WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE.
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This is a misconception that has permeated through the fanbase for Chaos knows how long, being repeated over and over and over again, ad nauseam.
Why do people even say this? Well, Project Shadow started 50 years before the event of Sonic Adventure 2. Which means Shadow's creation happened 50 years ago.
So, people take this as "Oh, Shadow was created 50 years ago, this must mean he's 50 years old!"
DO YOU PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHAT THE WORD "STASIS" MEANS.
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During Sonic Adventure 2, Eggman breaks into a military base to unleash a "top secret military weapon" for his plans. This weapon, is, of course, shadow. The screenshot above is from the scene where Shadow is released.
What does this look like those particles are? What do they look like to you? Usually, thick white air particles like these are a result of the use of cold to pause biological processes. On top of that, the shot right before it displays the object atop the machinery pretty well, although with some distance.
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This is a pod. Like, this is very obviously a pod. Shadow is even standing on top of it once he's revealed.
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And what does he say when he's revealed?
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Note how he says "Awakening". This is taken from a re-translation of the Japanese script, since the official translation makes him refer to being released as opposed to being awakened. Remember, translations for these games in this era were... Less than stellar.
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(seriously, don't go there yet? to the guy telling you he shouldn't have ever been born? like maybe you're right maybe you shouldn't have been born but we don't know enough to say that for sure. ok, buddy)
So, yeah, Shadow isn't 50. I've been saving this for a standalone post, because it is baffling to me how people still keep spouting that "Fact" over and over, even though it makes no sense. He was frozen. He didn't develop mentally or physically. I'm not a Marvel fan by any means, but this is like if you added 66 years to Captain America's age because that's how long he was frozen. For these characters, if you just knocked them unconscious and then sent them to the future, it literally would not make even a bit of a difference.
He's not 50. Moving on.
Oh yeah, uh. That whole immortality thing.
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(Source: Japanese dub, translated.)
Here and there, official material will mention Shadow as being "Immortal" or "Ageless". While never stated in the 2005 game, it makes complete sense, as Shadow was made with Black Doom's own genetic material. Black Doom is immortal, Black Doom's genes are in Shadow, thus, Shadow cannot die of old age.
There is, however, no implication that he does not mentally mature. In fact, it would make sense for him to start out quite young to then become more mature as time goes on, since part of the reason he was made was to accompany Maria, in a sibling-like relationship. Although it's unlikely that the Sonic Channel artwork is canon, most of it at least, it does convey a situation akin to this, which would be horribly out of character otherwise.
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Look at em! They're doing their homework together! And then a few years later, after Maria's death...
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Look at him! Using a minigun for the first time!
His maturity in SA2 also seems just about on par with Sonic's, so it's safe to assume that when that game happened, they were about even in terms of mental development. In general, Shadow is a Sonic counterpart. A very, very close counterpart.
... Very... Very... Ah screw it, let's just bite the bullet.
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This happened! An entire Bumblekast episode dedicated to Sonic, Shadow, and mostly Sonadow. It's pretty recent, too! From 8 months ago! In fact, it was made for Pride Month 2023; after Frontiers released. So, Ian Flynn by then became not just a comic writer, but a writer for the games.
I'm not saying Sonadow is canon, obviously, but if the current writer of the games is willing to entertain it for an entire episode and even go as far as saying it's actually really easy to make happen and you don't need to do too much work for it to happen, then it's probably safe to assume the characters are on even ground in terms of maturity.
So, if Shadow can hypothetically, in a fully canon-compatible way, make out with Sonic, and Sonic is fuckable, then Shadow is, by extension, fuckable.
Honestly this is entirely longer than necessary. I could have brought this one up earlier and saved myself the work. Where's the fun in that, though?
Either way, verdict is;
You can, in fact, fuck Shadow The Hedgehog.
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featherstorm2004 · 22 hours
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A villain's hero
chapter 418 analysis
Ok so I really liked this chapter and how it further expands on Tenko/Shigaraki's character, which are things we already new or at least speculated on but it's nice to be confirmed. One of these big things being Tenko's feelings on his quirk and how if not to be a villain what reason dose he have for decay to be his quirk, which is a fun parallel on how AFO felt about his own quirk and situation. But that shouldn't be a big surprise considering it was likely AFO himself who help to foster these thoughts that where left inside Tenko after the death of his family.
Speaking of which AFO he returns!
A surprise to no one as it was heavily hinted at in earlier chapters but nice anyways as his first death, whilst appropriate for the attention seeker he is felt a little anti climatic. But I do like how he was used in this chapter in regards to Tenko, even if I'm unsure how to feel about him and Kotaro being on friendly terms, that being said I do enjoy that with his first proper reappearance it's to assert Shigaraki's lack of control and his supposed role as a puppet. However, the reason I enjoy this is not because I agree with the statement, far from it in fact but I like how it further shows us AFO's own short-sightedness on the matter.
To elaborate, I believe that whilst Shigaraki dose have a degree of helplessness in his situation with AFO (with it almost being confirmed that he gave Tenko decay) it is made abundantly clear that Shigaraki has managed to retain his sense of self throughout his journey and has not been fully hollowed out as AFO would like to think.
One key example of this was seen in this chapter where Tenko/Shigaraki say they have to be a hero to the other Villains, which perfectly shows what he is fighting for. While yes he is angry at hero society, that is not the thing that drives him and instead it is the dreams of his comrades and friends are his fuel. Which has been perfectly displayed throughout his ark, first with him opening up to the league after Overall, to him finding his resolve to fight for his comrades dreams after the ReDestro arc and now in the current war arc with his friends being what that brought him out of AFO's grasp.
Tenko and by extension Shigaraki has always wanted to be a hero that helps others, and he has always been drawn to people who are ignored by others, just like his first friends. That is a core part of him that couldn't be removed no matter how hard Kotaro and then AFO tried, and it is that very nature that allowed him to get as far as he did with the league. Because unlike AFO, who had every ally abandon him, Shigaraki fostered a proper bond with the league which lead to them sticking by his side till the end.
And it makes perfect sense why someone like AFO wouldn't catch on to that fact as he cannot comprehend a world where one dose not live for oneself, which is the same mistake he made with Yoichi (one of Shigaraki's main parallels). And so, in a fitting manner he is going to lose Shigaraki, the same way he lost his brother, to a hero who selflessly reaches out their hand and refuses to let go.
But yeah those are my early thoughts on the leaks, might make more when the full chapter is out or I notice something else.
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tzarina-alexandra · 3 days
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Jonah essay??
Jonah is my favourite book of the Bible at the moment and lives in my head rent free for the following reasons
Jonah is very unique among the Old Testament prophets in that he's openly rebellious against God (the others may still doubt or question, like Moses, Elijah etc but this guy straight up goes in the 180 degrees opposite direction of where he's told to go like 'nope!'). The book is unique among the prophetic books in that it doesn't focus on the message of the prophecy (which is literally just a short sentence), but on the character of the prophet himself. It's intentionally designed to contrast all the other prophetic books and paint almost a parody of them, with all the roles reversed (for this interpretation see the Bible Project video)
The main message of Jonah is actually a very radical view of grace and forgiveness, which may seem surprising given that this is an Old Testament book and it is surrounded by books only about judgement and condemnation. Instead, Jonah is faced with his most hated enemies, the Assyrians (Ninivites = those living in the capital, Niniveh), who were exceptionally brutal foes to the Israelites, engaging in sadistic torture aside from the usual killing and pillaging. (And mind you, the Assyrians are those who take the Israelites in the first exile, before the Babylonians do). We may assume Jonah is being weird for not wanting to engage with them, but if Jonah took place in the modern times, he'd be asked by the Lord to go preach the Gospel to the jihadis or North Korean authorities or something like that. Jonah is 100% justified to fear going to preach to his most beloathed enemies, and, from a human perspective, he is justified to hate his enemies. But the God we serve has a different view of things: love your enemies and bless those who curse you. It's absolutely amazing and wonderful to me that this message is so explicitly laid out even in the Old Testament. (see also Ezekiel 18:23)
This book spoke to me in a very personal way. I read this in a season in which it was very hard to keep a consistent Bible reading, but the Lord used that, too, as I ended up reading it around October. With the attacks being such a recent event in the news, I was forced to think about my attitude towards people whom I might consider my enemies. And, in truth, growing up seeing all sorts of terrorist attacks in the news and hearing about Christians in other countries being brutally persecuted, I imagined for a long time that jihadis are the most evil group of people out there. But since October I've finally decided to learn a bit about what Islam teaches and came to the conclusion that Muslims are deceived in the same way as any other false religion, and that they're, in some ways, close to the truth, believing in Jesus as a prophet, for example, but at the same time, so far away, denying the crucifixion, resurrection, and ultimately redemption brought by Christ. And in my summer school in August I had met two Muslim girls and they were much more moderate than I had expected etc. I did feel a lot of sympathy towards their struggles (one of them described such a painful path to works salvation, and she even said she doubts whether she'll end up in Heaven). But upon reading Jonah I was forced to confront the fact that it shouldn't even matter to me whether the Muslims in question are moderate and amiable, or extremist and violent, because Jesus died for both, and loves both, and wants both to repent.
As a more general principle from the above anecdote, if in the New Testament we have a violent persecutor, Saul (become Paul the Apostle) repenting and following the true God, in the Old Testament, in the book of Jonah, we have a violent persecutor group of people, an entire city of people Jonah was right to see as enemies - and yet God searched their hearts with even Jonah's minimal sermon, and they all repented in sackcloth and ashes! This shows that God can bring redemption on the individual level, but also on a much larger scale (see 2 Chronicles 7:14)
Jonah really really hammers home the point of how much God cares about ALL His creation, plants, animals and especially humans, made in his image. Jonah gravely misplaced his priorities in being upset at the tree withering, when the loss of the souls of that entire city would've been infinitely more painful to God (even though Jonah said he wanted to die just from seeing that the tree withered - more on that later). I find it very meaningful that the very last verses are "10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" Jonah got the tree for free and still mourns for it, while God created every single human being, and knows their souls (and also created every single living being, and doesn't neglect to mention those either)
Jonah is, in essence, a parable about forgiveness and unforgiveness, not unlike the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Jonah literally just had his life miraculously saved but he's still eager to see his enemies destroyed. God showed mercy on Jonah (and he acknowledged as much!!!) but Jonah shows no mercy to the Ninivites and actively wants to sabotage them. The unmerciful servant is full of hatred and rage towards his debtor, even though he had been forgiven so much, and Jonah is upset that his enemies had not been punished, and far too easily undervalues the mercy of God. Like the parable in Matthew, the book of Jonah is meant to make us reflect on our own attitude. God loves and forgives His enemies, yet we often act as if we are above such things.
Despite being the Rebellious Prophet, Jonah gets quite the spotlight among the other prophets, being directly cited by Jesus (as a metaphor). The sign of Jonah as per Matthew 16:4 is resurrection from the dead, and, even more specifically, resurrection on the 3rd day. On the one hand, this is yet another example of God using very imperfect people to send His message. But, more importantly, Jonah is a book about resurrection and redemption, in a much more explicit manner than other Old Testament books. While I wouldn't say Jonah is a Christic figure, on account of his open rebellion against God, he is a representation of resurrection that Jesus Himself uses as an illustration. God saved Jonah's life so as to preach to the Ninivites and bring them to repentance, not destruction. Jesus died but rose again the 3rd day to bring redemption to the entire world.
Also also also. Jonah 4:11 vs Luke 23:34. God directly telling Jonah that these people don't know left from right and Jesus crying out that they 'know not what they do'. Do remember that the Assyrians were brutal in their killings, going as far as to flay people alive. So were the Romans, with their crucifixions (the word excruciating comes exactly from this). These are examples of brutal, violent, hard-hearted people. Yet Jesus still loves them, still died for them, and even saw how deceived they all are by Satan's lies! This makes me think about verse 10 of Jonah 4 again. God tells Jonah he didn't even toil to make that tree grow. I wonder. This is only speculation. It's like God was thinking precisely of the crucifixion when He looked at the Ninivites and said those words. They know not what they do...
Jonah is an example of unbelievers being more humble and eager to repent than so-called believers. See Luke 18:13 (have mercy on me, a sinner!). Jonah shows himself to be quite prideful and hard-hearted, much like the Pharisees, but the sailors and the Ninivites repent and cry out to God the moment they realise they are in danger of death.
Jonah is one of the few Biblical characters to express suicidal thoughts (he repeatedly wishes to die when the tree withers and when he sees that his bitter enemies hadn't been punished), and, arguably, even an attempt (he is way too eager to have the sailors throw him into the sea, while they're extremely distressed to have his blood on their hands). God quite literally saves Jonah from himself, and forces him to consider his views on life.
And many many many more. It's only 4 chapters long but absolutely packed with meaning and symbolism. It's really really my fav book at the moment.
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hi! i don’t know how asks work very well so i’m like eyeballing it here but if you could do too sweet with sanji that be so kind thanks 🙏
Hi! You're doing it perfectly fine, don't worry! Of course I can do Too Sweet with Sanji for you! This came across as more of a headcanon post to me so I hope you don't mind that. If so, message me and I can rewrite it. Either way, I hope you enjoy it! This is set for when Sanji was at the Baratie still. You can find my Flower Asks here, Hozier Asks here, and my Taylor Swift Asks here. You can find my masterlist here and my rules here. And you can request here! Too Sweet: The two of you are vastly different. It makes things a little difficult at times. Characters: Sanji, GN!Reader Pairings: Sanji x GN!Reader TW: None that I can think of!
Too Sweet
.·:·.✧ ✦✧.·:·.
Opposites attract is something you hear about relationships. This couldn’t be more right with you and Sanji.
The two of you were polar opposites in every sense of the phrase. He was very outgoing, flirty, charming, and what could be described as the life of the party. You were the opposite of that. You were very introverted, you couldn’t flirt to save your life, you were sure you were devoid of any charm, and you were the one to avoid a party. To say that this caused some challenges would be an understatement.
Sanji was the first one up in the morning to go to his shift at the Baratie and the last one to get in at night because of him staying longer to attend a party at the bar. You were the last one up, seeing as your shift started later, and the first one in since you didn’t really stick around once your job was over. The only time you really had to spend with the other was when you both had a day off.
You tried to do the things Sanji did. You tried to go to parties after work. You tried to meet more new people. You tried to do the whole outgoing thing but it just wasn’t what you were good at. At every party, you were in the corner of the boat, wanting to disappear while Sanji was off dancing or drinking his weight in alcohol. You had awkward conversations and it always made you feel like an idiot afterward for even trying.
And it was the same for Sanji. Sanji tried to stop staying out so late every once in a while to spend time at home with you. He tried to just have the day be you and him, no one else. No distractions. But he couldn’t do it either. It made him feel like he was being tied down. It made him antsy. He couldn’t sit inside all day. He needed to get out and interact with people. You didn’t.
This caused a few arguments here and there. You argued that he never stayed home enough and he argued that you never go out with him. It was an ongoing cycle that felt like it would never be solved. It rarely ever was solved. The conversation always ended with the two of you avoiding the topic and acting like it never happened.
It made people wonder how you were even together at times. What made you both, polar opposites, actually get together in the first place? The answer was simple.
You balanced each other out very well. You played to the others strengths and weaknesses. If you were lacking in one area, Sanji would fill that void so you could work more efficiently. It was the same for Sanji. Where he lacked, you provided the necessary support.
The only problem you had before this was at the start of the relationship. You were the type to want to move things slow. You wanted to truly know a person before you jumped into anything. Sanji had a hard time with this. Sure, he would wait for you for however long he needed to but he wondered when you would be ready because it felt like it would be forever until that day finally came. This problem slowly resolved itself over time. It just took time. Maybe this will too.
Either way, there were still times it was hard for you to function in the relationship because of the stark contrast in personalities. This stemmed from underlying issues.
Sanji felt like you didn’t need him at times. You were always so independent. You relied on yourself to the point you didn’t need help from anyone. You didn’t require human interaction to function. You could sit in your own silence and be comfortable with it. It felt like if he was removed from your life, you wouldn’t even notice.
Then there was you. While Sanji felt like you didn’t need him, you felt like you held him back and like you weren’t enough for him at times. You always got onto him about staying out late, something he enjoyed. You could tell it irritated him when you argued with him about it. You knew that he was doing something he enjoyed, but he was almost never home to spend time with you. It made you feel like he was more comfortable around complete strangers than his own partner. You felt like you didn’t give him enough.
It frustrated the two of you so much.
You felt like he was too sweet for you and he felt like he wasn’t savory enough for you.
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