#not even necessarily becoming more evil i just need to see him become a complete and utter mess of a human being

[goldensunset]

we can fix volo but i don’t want us to

#redemption arc? mmmm only if it’s super interesting i guess #i would like his character to be explored more deeply but idk i’d rather have him nosedive even further into insanity #not even necessarily becoming more evil i just need to see him become a complete and utter mess of a human being #have something unnatural happen to him have him babble too much have him lose whatever final shreds of hope sanity or a decent life he had #he has very little going for him and i want to see him lose that too #also please tell us exactly what happened in his past to make him this way in the first place. it’s a necessity #we deserve the official volo backstory at this point so i don’t have to keep speculating #pokémon #legends arceus

[syrena-del-mar]

Very Rarely Do Men Know How to Be Altogether Good or Altogether Wicked

The last five minutes of today's episode left my mouth gaping, it really felt like I was watching a catastrophic accident happen in front of me and I just couldn't look away.

I wasn't completely sure on how Sand was going to learn about Ray and Mew's history, but I sure wasn't expecting that Ray's feelings would be exposed in such a volatile way. Maybe I’m in the minority here, I’m not exactly sure because I’m seeing a mixed bag of reactions, but I don’t necessarily agree that Sand ever needed to find out about Ray’s feelings for Mew. Much less from Boston.

This is partially going to be a bit of a continuation of my thoughts that Boston has a Machiavellian personality, followed up with SandRay's relationship becoming the unsuspecting 'victim'. Again, I'll be using pulling from Machiavelli's The Prince, but I'm also using his work Discourses on Livy. [Title credit to ch. 27 of Discourses]

Boston, still the Machiavellian 'Prince'

“Another difficulty to be added to the one mentioned above is that a state that becomes free creates for itself enemies rather than friends.”

― Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy

Let me be upfront, I don't hate Boston, I actually enjoy the chaos he brings, but he's a fascinating character to break down and really analyze his actions. The last five minutes was, in my opinion, the most chaos that he has caused out in the open. This was never a situation of Boston 'saying what needed to be said.' This was Boston seeing an opportunity to take control of someone and doing so by unfairly outing Ray's feelings. I, again, stand by the idea that Boston is not a narcissist, but rather a Machiavellian personality type. This doesn't make him a 'villain'; Only Friends does a good job at showing that there are no villains in real life, just incredibly shitty people. Boston is simply a dick, who chooses to play with his friends to feel a sense of control when he doesn't have it. Has he ever cared for his friends? Does he keep them around simply for convenience? Hard to say. That doesn't make him evil, it just makes him a first-class jackass.

In my post where I had stated that he was more of a Machiavellian rather than narcissist, I came to the conclusion that, 'In his viewpoint, he is the kingpin, even in his group of friends, because he believes that he's the one that controls how his friends move since he knows how Mew is developing feelings for Top and is aware of Ray's feelings for Mew.' This time around, he practically admits it right after purposefully revealing Ray's feelings for Mew, "I just want to keep track of my best friends' romantic moments.' Boston hoards information so that he can throw it in people's faces when it fits him the best, there's no 'good intentions' on his keeping tabs on his friends.

Boston knows that TopMew are going to sleep together, they're serious and he's out of the running. Is it simply ego or is it because of self-interest? Whatever the catalyst is, he essentially has nothing holding him back anymore. He's seeing his "friends" getting "serious", while he's out there dealing with known (and unknown) filming of one-night stands he had being used as revenge porn. That'd hurt and anger anyone, but from what has been shown, Boston thrives off of control and so having his sex life used against him would feel like an even bigger blow. They're minor events that are snowballing and Boston likely needs to feel that control again. It's why he pushes Nick down without a second thought when Nick is trying to pull him away (opposed to how Ray lets Sand pull him back). So he claims that control back, he deliberately reveals what he knows, purposefully taking Ray down with him. While he may be feeling like shit, at least he'll be better off than Ray, who's left to pick up the pieces.

Sand and Ray, the intentional destruction of the 'kingdom'

“In general you must either pamper people or destroy them; harm them just a little and they’ll hit back; harm them seriously and they won’t be able to. So if you’re going to do people harm, make sure you needn’t worry about their reaction.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

Yes, Sand and Ray are in a “situationship.” Yes, they’re constantly getting both physically and emotionally closer. Yes, Sand is developing feelings for Ray (arguably vice versa too). But that’s it. They started off as friends with benefits and while they’ve been shifting around, neither one has fully crossed that line. There was no defined area in the relationship, at least not before the implosion. They’re barely getting to know each other, Sand even calls Ray out because he knew that Ray had never noticed him before, not in a way other than just the Bar Performer.

Ray is working through who he is without Mew, without his crush on Mew. He's come to the realization that while he put Mew as his #1 for many years, he's knows he's not that for Mew, and is slowly coming to the realization that he may have never been. These are his feelings to work out and his alone. Sand and Ray are first and foremost friends, as they had agreed upon and they happen to hook up often. This was what they agreed upon. Even if one or both of them are catching feelings, it does not mean that Ray has an automatic obligation to come clean to Sand.

Arguably, Boston was unaware of this set up, but honestly he didn't need to know. This was not his business, Boston didn't suddenly spill the fact that Ray has had feelings for Mew for years to look out for Sand. No, this was an intentional hit on Ray, where he was positive that it would hurt. Boston has repeatedly used Ray's feelings for Mew for his own convenience (Exhibit A: Meddling at the pool party), whether it be to get Ray to react in a certain way or to have a punching bag. He knew how defensive and reactive Ray would get when he brought up RayMew's kiss and supposed sex (was this ever confirmed?) that they had.

Boston speaks in definite presumptions when he talks about others, he does this to Top and he did it to Ray. He spins realities to how he sees fit and with the confidence that he speaks in, he makes others believe him. It's why Mew never questioned that Top is accustomed to sleeping around and didn't think that Top really wanted anything more than sex, because that's what Boston specifically told him that Top was like. It's why now Sand believes that he has no hour in Ray's life, even when Ray gives him the opening to ask more, because Boston purposefully spoke in definite terms. Even the most secure person would be left feeling unsure and unbalanced.

So when Sand, who knows that their relationship is based on being friends with benefits, is confronted with words from Ray's supposed friend who explicitly states that Ray is in love with Mew and that he's being used as a rebound, what else can he do but believe that?

What little trust and rapport that they had started to build up has come crumbling down. They're frantically gathering the pieces of a 'kingdom' that has been turn into dust, the aftermath of the Prince's wrath. It's why Ray scrambles for the bottle and it's why Sand shuts down. How can they react to what Boston did, when they're struggling to salvage the little remnants left behind of what was supposed to be a blossoming relationship?

#only friends #only friends meta #only friends ep 5 #only friends the series #sandray #ofts ray #ofts boston #ray pakorn #ofts #raysand #sandray meta #raysand meta #boston meta #ofts meta #thai bl #gmmtv bl #bl meta #thai bl meta #only friends ep 5 meta #ray meta #sand meta #sand x ray #ray x sand #I meant to make a post about Ray and the Golem Effect but I can’t stop thinking of the fallout Boston instigated

[synergysilhouette]

Making Netflix's ATLA an AU instead of a strict remake: some changes I'd make to Book 1

It's my personal opinion that since ATLA was great as-is, it didn't need a remake (even if it is underrated). But if Netflix was gonna make one anyway, I'd prefer they made it an AU and make significant changes without marketing this as "this is exactly like the show you enjoyed as kids/teens." (Note: Possibly controversial changes below)

Sexism against male waterbenders because of Kuruk--Due to what is viewed as a "failure" on Kuruk's part to properly manage his duties as avatar and his spiritual corruption, male waterbenders are believed to lack the necessarily gentleness and spirituality in order to bend properly, with combat or healing. Given how Harun was removed (at least from season 1), he could've been rewritten as a waterbender here, with Pakku as his uncle, who still holds onto tradition, even if it holds him back. He's still knowledgeable and teaches Katara and Aang, but does so in secret, with Katara inspiring Harun to learn as well. Eventually when he's found out, he and Harun are banished from the tribe (because beliefs can't be changed in a day or two).

More focus on the Water Tribe--The idea is supposed to be that waterbenders were wiped out, but I do like the idea that we still explore aspects of Water Tribe culture, as well as making the territory larger. Given the fact that most of book 1 takes place in different regions and the Netflix remake kinda condensed things, I do want more episodes to take place in WT territory. Kyoshi Island for example is an EK territory, but is also close to the Southern Air Temple and the Southern Water Tribe, so their culture could be shown as more mixed, maybe even with some hidden waterbenders there. Another (albeit controversial) idea could be introducing Bumi in book 2 before introducing Toph, given that Omashu and Gaoling aren't super far from Each other. We could also introduce Hama here to share more of the SWT culture and introduce the concept of bloodbending much earlier so it's a conflict for Katara throughout the whole series. Perhaps maybe even adapt "The Swamp" episode in this season, since I'm not entirely sure it'll be made in the next season.

Ozai's psychology is explored more--In both the OG show and the remake, he's presented as the pinnacle of evil at a first glance, but that's not completely true. Just like everyone else, he's complex, with his evil being brought about by his upbringing. He isn't trying to rule just because; he truly sees it as his divine right, which makes his persuasiveness that much more powerful. He isn't quite as aggressive and relies more on his manipulation and charisma. As such, he's good and making people fear him, love him, and second-guess themselves. The remake had Zhao and Azula take him for a joke, tbh. I'd also make him more acrobatic and agile like Azula rather than just a hard-hitter, and he essentially tells Zuko the half-truth of Ursa's banishment, making it seemed like she killed Azulon and was planning on killing Ozai and Iroh next so that she could have the throne. In reality, Azulon died of natural causes, but Ozai made it appear as though he was murdered in order to frame Ursa. When she confronted him, he banished her and told her to stay gone in order to stop influencing their children. In fact, keeping with her storyline in the comics, Ursa does change her appearance, and Zuko meets with her several times throughout the series (removing the amnesia stuff here).

Lu Ten is alive (for a while)--Something I'd enjoy seeing for a minute would be evil Iroh. Let's say Ozai managed to best him in an agni kai for the throne (inspiring Zuko to do this to Azula later on), and Iroh volunteers to go with Zuko on his journey with the hopes of turning him against his father. With time, he develops affection for his nephew and becomes a better father than Ozai was. He believes Lu Ten won't be a threat to Ozai since he now has the throne, but Ozai sends him to help with the Siege of Ba Sing Se, where he ultimately loses his life. This puts Iroh at the crossroads of destiny like Zuko, but he chooses to defend Team Avatar instead. During his imprisonment in the Fire Nation, Iroh tries to calm the turmoil in Zuko's heart, which confuses Zuko due to Iroh's previous speeches and proverbs about power and triumph over his enemies. And I'd also make a rather odd change: both Lu Ten and Iroh are skilled in chi blocking. I definitely feel like Iroh would be well-versed in the art and teach it to his son.

More emphasis on Avatar Roku and Sozin's friendship. Seeing how Roku is Aang's past life and his friendship with Sozin was part of what led to the Hundred Year War, it should definitely take more precedence outside of book 3.

Iroh is Aang's first firebending teacher--This is super weird, I know, but if we're not gonna have Jeong Jeong, I like the idea that while evil (at first), Iroh is still super wise, and does give Aang a few tips on firebending, which he tries on his own, but lacking guidance he burns Katara (or Sokka; it'd feed into his insecurities as a non-bender if he gets hurt and Katara heals him).

Sokka/Zuko and Katara/Azula rivalry--I remember a video once explaining how Sokka and Katara are parallels of Zuko and Azula, given that their mom was gone at an early age and their father influenced them greatly. The big brother wants his father's love and is insecure, while the little sister seems more powerful and has issues regarding her mom. The big difference is that Ozai was a manipulative father while Hakoda was compassionate. Zuko wouldn't take Sokka seriously at first since he's a non-bender, highlighting Sokka's concern of being useless, and his growth would make Zuko feel more insecure in turn. Eventually when Zuko joins the team, they often work together. Azula is rational and a prodigy while Katara is emotional and still learning, but Katara gains confidence while Azula loses it. Just like Zuko, Katara sees it as her mission to stop Azula and sees the pain she goes through. I would also gives Azula a bit more frustrated moments to highlight her youth; a lot of people say she's beyond redemption despite only being 14 and the victim of growing up in an emotionally abusive household.

#avatar #atla #netflix #avatar the last airbender #aang #zuko #iroh #katara #azula #ozai #sokka

[underprivilegedcactus]

It's totally fine if you don't think God!Gale and Ascended!Astarion endings are necessarily bad endings. I agree there's definitely some ambiguity when it comes to these outcomes, but there's something that people should consider: When writing a character, one of the things a writer can choose to focus on to build them out is to consider What They Want vs. What They Need.

Gale WANTS to become a god (eventually) to both show up Mystra and to help mortals the way he feels that gods should. What Gale NEEDS is to realise that he is enough as is, that he is more than just his power and any more strength he could aqcuire. Gale needs to have more confidence in his own self worth.

Astarion WANTS ultimate power so that no can ever hurt him or those he loves ever again. He wants to be so strong that no one would even try to harm him, and if they do he can effortlessly squash them. For him, it's only through power that he can ever be truly and forever free. What Astarion NEEDS is healing from centuries of cruelty through true friendship or even romantic love and to be seen as an equal, to take back control of his bodily autonomy and choices, and to become actually free from not only Cazador, but from becoming a slave to his darkest impulses that his rough life has exacerbated.

Sure, both Gale and Astarion are happy when they get what they want, but there's lots of hints that it's not what they really needed.

Gale becomes the god of ambition, which is never satisfied with its lot and will likely cause trouble for the pantheon down the line. It's also very clear that he lost a vital part of himself, and I don't think it's his connection with his mother or Tara, which are still important facets but are ultimately not the core of what he lost. It's the fact that he no longer cares about doing actual good for people, a key component of his former personality. One of the things I love about his character is that no matter how high he rose, mortal Gale still cared about helping people in positive ways. Ambition doesn't give a damn where its drive takes people, for better or for worse. Mortal Gale would be horrified if he knew that he influenced evil people to do worse things in the name of ambition. Mortal Gale would also be horrified that his god version openly admits to not offering ANYTHING to his followers, which is anathema to what Gale originally wanted godhood for. But hey, he got what he wants and he's happy, so that MUST be good, right?

Ascended Astarion has entirely lost any shred of his humanity, and is now a complete slave to his darkest desires. He no longer views his romantic partner as a person. They're just his most prized object, whether they want to be or not. He enslaves other people, inflicting on them the exact kind of bondage he had to deal with for two centuries, including the person he used to love. On top of all that, he loses his capacity to even recognize the wrongness of his actions. For all intents and purposes, Ascended Astarion becomes a megalomaniacal homicidal psychopath who's hunger knows no bounds. Worse, he has no way to ever recognise if this is a problem anymore or something he doesn't like. But again, he got what he wants and he's happy, so it MUST be a good thing, right?

There's nothing wrong if you still see these outcomes as good endings, or even just better endings than an outright "bad" ending. I see what you mean, and also, it's a video game and these are fictional characters, not people who can actually get hurt. Like so much media and art, it's really more of a thought experiment than any kind of moral indicator.

I do however implore you to consider why so many people, Larian included, don't see these outcomes as good, and in some ways perhaps even worse than other "bad" endings. A very common but very relevant trope in storytelling is "be careful what you wish for because you might just get it", and it's usually to remind us that getting what we want isn't always what's best for us in the long run.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 gale #bg3 spoilers #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #astarion #bg3 astarion #storytelling

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Do you ever think about how Starline task failed successfully™ with Surge and Kitsunami?

Despite the hours of hypnotism, training, making sure they answered all his questions correctly, there was something hollow about it all. Surge could say that she hated Sonic, but she was more into the idea of rebellion and chaos and wrecking shit for fun than the idea of replacing or killing Sonic. Kit said he would support Surge no matter what. This wasn't necessarily a lie, as he would put Surge's wins first, and yet he doesn't seem as excited or passionate about it or driven as he does at the end of his original hypnosis cycle. He gets the job done as Starline asks, he helps Surge finish the training fast, which she wants, but he's just sort of playing the support role in a sense.

I think about the scene where Kit and Surge fight Starline after watching his video footage, and Starline says that this has all happened before, yet there's this implication that Kit is fighting this time.

Starline forgot about Kit during the battle.

Do you think that all those other times they found out more about themselves in Starline's files Surge was there alone, or perhaps Kit stood aside and watched as Surge fought Starline (choosing not to intervene, opting to allow Surge to face the consequences of such a move)? Do you ever think about how despite all the resets Surge and Kit managed to have a growing bond? Do you ever think about the possibility that Surge won this time because Kit was here? Do you ever think that Kit was here because their fabricated bond began to become real?

Do you ever think about how Kit is at his happiest when Surge includes him? When everything they're fighting for his about the two of them? Both of their revenge. Both of them getting to say "fuck you" to Starline, Eggman, Sonic, and the world?

Starline couldn't get Surge and Kit to work together as a team the same way Sonic and Tails do. He couldn't get Surge to perform a job to completion and efficiently rather than just trying to have fun and win, much less get her to understand that she needed to appreciate Kit as a partner and support (that it meant nothing if they didn't finish the training together). Perhaps part of it came from how he made Kit to be fixated on Surge, while Surge was meant to be fixated on replacing Sonic, meaning that by design (by even refering to Kit as support rather than a partner) they were not going to turn out like Sonic and Tails.

And yet, even by the end of Imposter Syndrome and by issue 50, they'd changed. When they were under Starline, answering to him, and doing what he wanted, he could not make them fit his designs and he could not understand why. But when Surge and Kit chose to be together. When Kit chose to support Surge, when Surge chose to keep Kit as her ever loyal support, and when they chose to pursue a goal and work together

How ironic it is that they became more like Sonic and Tails in that moment than they ever were before

They could never be who Starline wanted them to be when he was alive, but now that he's dead they're fitting the roles he'd designed for them more than ever. Funny, isn't it? Ironic.

And I think about Kit and Surge of the present. The idea of Kit, who wants the best for Surge, who wants to be by Surge's side forever, who wants her attention and wants nothing more than to wreck shit and create a life with her outside of "good" or "evil". The idea of Surge, who has gone from seeing Kit as a mere tool in her shed to someone that's hers. At the beginning it meant nothing to her, but now it means something to her that Kit was practically made just for her. Surge, the tenrec who wants Kit by her side, who wants his help, who sees him as her partner and supporter, no one else's.

They're a package deal.

#kiturge #kitsunami the fennec #kit the fennec #surge the tenrec #idw sonic comics #sonic the hedgehog #imposter syndrome #essay time #i just be ramblin #Man. for the record this is partially my interpretation and partially some personal fanon #The more fanon bit is the possessiveness but what can I say? #I love it when Surge and Kit are possessive over their relationships with each other and secretly codependent and would hate if the other #left #It is also not lost on me that Surge was only actually driven to kill Sonic once the bombshell of her unknown past hit her and she was just #trying to do something about her feelings about all of this and to find something to put all of her focus into with everything she #originally thought being a lie #And it's not lost on me that Kit never hated Tails before #He had only actually ever wanted Sonic dead in the way that he wanted to allow Surge a chance to do it (not wanting to let anything get in #the way of her goals) #And yet after actually spending time with Sonic and Tails #*NOW* he wants Tails dead. Now he and Surge are on the same page with the passion for killing those two specifically #It gets me it gets me

[welcome-to-green-hills]

how do you think they’ll tackle Maria’s character in the 3rd movie? Do you think they’ll make her appear frequently or rarely?

Hello, my dear!❤️✨

I’m terribly sorry for taking so long on your ask. I wanted to make sure that my thoughts and feelings were clear for my answer. I feel that there will be a healthy amount of Maria Robotnik content in the third film. What “healthy amount” means exactly is up for your interpretation.

Throughout the years, we're given a sample of Maria and who she is through video games and TV shows. She doesn't necessarily make big appearances, but we've learned plenty of the little girl that grew up on the Space Colony ARK. With various game titles and character interactions, we see that Maria Robotnik plays a significantly large role in people's lives. She might not get a whole lot of screen time in general, but we—as the audience—can feel how beloved and cared for she was with others. We can feel her pure love and support emitted by found family members, ARK scientists, and others that watched her grow up. Even Sonic, who was born fifty years after the ARK raids by G.U.N., valued her immensely (Sonic Channel Story, 2021). We can painfully see the love that is generously given to a 12-year-old girl. This shows that one or two sentences (I.E. Sonic Battle, Gerald's Journal), or even a flashback is just as fruitful in conveying her purpose of existence and her golden heart.

I can completely understand and appreciate where you are coming from. For a character that makes minor appearances here and there, it's incredible seeing how much her legacy is cared for by those that are still living... and how fans view her. It's It's only fitting that we buy into curiosity and explore her character more. We must understand that Maria Robotnik is important. It's crucial to see how much of an influence she makes to core characters in the third film.

In game canon, we can conclude that nearly everything that occurs has an influence with Maria in mind. Project Shadow almost didn't happen if it weren't for Maria being diagnosed with Neuro-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (NIDs). If Prof. Gerald Robotnik was not given the opportunity by the United Federations to seek the answers of immortality, then there wouldn't be a strong drive to desperately use government funding to finish making Shadow in order to find a cure to NIDs. Without the compassion and humanity that Maria gives to Shadow, our hedgehog-alien hybrid would most definitely have viewed himself as an artificial weapon. He wouldn't bat an eye on the possibility of being a relatively good person if the idea was not proposed to him. Without Maria, Prof. Gerald Robotnik would never have had the inspiration needed to craft Shadow's soul like Maria's. Without Maria's horrific death, the crippling insanity that Prof. Gerald Robotnik faces would not have been a driving influence to reprogram Shadow's mind to carry out revenge on the planet. This is malicious act that did more harm that good to a literal adolescent if you think about it. And without Maria's entire existence, we might not have the understanding on Dr. Robotnik/Eggman's influence of becoming a mad scientist today.

The third Sonic movie needs establish how beloved Maria was when she alive. The fantastic thing about these movies is that they've left enough wriggle room with subplots (it's heavily implied that Longclaw and her people have engaged with humans and Earth frequently), character interactions (Dr. Robotnik and Agent Stone talking about aspirations of continuing an evil plan that were planned years ago, implying that the United States government knew about aliens and the Chaos Emeralds), and other possibilities (Green Hills, Montana having a Wachowski look after the town for over 50 years; all of the town's memorabilia implying that it's residents were retired government veterans) for us to weave the past into a perfect timeline. Even if Jim Carrey doesn't return to reprise the role of "Dr. Robotnik," we can see that his plans for world domination are honored with Prof. Gerald Robotnik in mind. Agent Stone would acting upon a dead man's wish.

I think that when I say a "healthy amount," I mean that there's enough for us to fill gaps in for places that need them. I hope that this answers your question, my dear.

#sonic movie #sonic movie 3 #Maria Robotnik #Shadow the Hedgehog #Movie!Maria Robotnik #Movie!Shadow #mystery anon #off topic

[athenaholmesartistsguild]

All my Tarot Card designs

Check this card out on my Patreon for free!

Here's my King of Pentacles card!

Definitely an obvious choice, but I went with Akiyama for this one. If you're interested in reading more about the King of Pentacles and my reasoning for choosing Akiyama for this card, I'll put that under the cut:

Upright, the King of Pentacles is the ultimate rags-to-riches story. He did not inherit his obscene wealth. He earned it through his own hard work. But unlike other wealthy individuals who come from similar circumstances, but lose their connection to the less fortunate, the King of Pentacles has chosen to uplift those around him and share his wealth.

In this generosity we see someone who has faith in their ability to make enough money to replace what they're giving away. To the King of Pentacles, the lives of the people he's helping are much more precious than the numbers in his bank account.

The King of Pentacles accrued his wealth in the traditional ways-- he's not one to gamble and he doesn't typically indulge in frivolous spending. Through his hardships he has learned the importance of controlling his spending and investing wisely. Showing off or taking risks on a whim no longer appeal to him. He would much rather use his money to help people and actually make a difference in other people's lives.

Emotionally, he's not all that in touch with his own feelings or the feelings of others. This is largely due to this king feeling like he has other things he'd like to devote his attention to. While he definitely cares about his loved ones and the people he serves, this can manifest in criticism or advice that you might not have asked for.

Reversed, we see a King who no longer supports his people. Whereas the upright King of Pentacles is generous and confident that he will make back everything he gives away (and then some), the reversed King of Pentacles sees no value in generosity. His controlled spending habits have become penny-pinching and cheap and his confidence is replaced with an almost desperate need for wealth in all its materialistic qualities.

Despite his obsession with all things commercial, this reversed king doesn't have that much money. It seems to just slip out of his hands, being spent on gambling or other impulse-purchases that he can't afford.

His previous lack of emotional intelligence is now downright cruelty. He is aware of others feelings and thoughts, but he simply does not care. He is now completely inwardly focused, choosing to take what he wants regardless of how it affects others.

Akiyama definitely fits the upright version of the King of Pentacles. Considering he runs a loan business that doesn't charge any interest, I'm not saying anything all that revolutionary.

Reversed though, I think there's a more interesting discussion to have about Akiyama's character and how it relates to this tarot card.

So I'm not a huge fan of the way Akiyama treats women in Yakuza 4. For one, the male customers he has get these personalized tests that make them face the issues that caused them to seek a loan in the first place, but then for the women it's just "work at my hostess club, go on a date with me, or be willing to do sex work". When looking at Akiyama's treatment of women in 4, specifically Yasuko, we see a man who wants something and engineers situations to manipulate the woman into giving him what he wants. Yasuko says so herself that she can't really decline a date with the person who decides whether or not she gets the loan.

And while Akiyama isn't evil or even necessarily doing this consciously, we see someone who is willing to hold the promise of a loan over the heads of the people who have something he wants.

Akiyama wants to help people and that's great, but there's also a dark side to his generosity.

#The end sounds kinda critical but I actually like Akiyama as a character quite a bit! #This is mostly a read on his character in 4 because that's where I feel a lot of the issues I've had with his behavior originate. #In 5 he seems more like a trickster god which is a little more entertaining to watch. #Still a bit fucked up but less predatory and weird. #Like. It's kinda hilarious to tell someone who's acting like a pageant mom that he'll give her the money to mold someone into the #perfect idol and then turn around and tell her that she'll have to quit the business after the idol's debut concert. #yakuza #my art #yakuza fanart #akiyama shun #tarot card #tarot card design

[ihrtmichael]

i will concede that wish needed another six months or so to bake and could have benefited from like. another 30 minutes (which i would have happily sat thru and i would in fact sit through even 3 hours but that's another thing) but i find it so odd when people are critical of amaya joining asha and her friends at the end??? something something "if she loved him why would she turn on him" or "if she's 'seen too many bad things' why didnt she do anything earlier her being complicit makes her just as bad"

at the risk of soundin So Completely Mentally Stable it just kinda reminds me of kay and michael. kay loves michael so deeply and she's trying to convince herself that he's still a good person even as he gets more and more involved in the family business and that he'll make good on his promise to "become legit" so she stays by him even as she learns how dark and twisted and dangerous this world is and how terrible and evil the man she loves actually is

and while she doesn't necessarily like. team up with a group of teenagers to bring her husband down (lmfao) it does take a while for her to accept that the man she met and loves is no longer the same sweet war vet and she has to stand up for herself and leave him and protect herself and their kids. that takes a lot of courage whether you're married to a mob boss or king or literally just anyone back then! because after that....what options did women have? because there wasn't much!

so while it's not EXACTLY the same with amaya and magnifico (i mean hellooooo one is the GODFATHER and the other is a family disney movie lmfao) i think that when you look at the both of them you can still sort of make sense of how hard it is for kay and amaya to 1) come to terms with the fact that the person they love has changed and 2) why it took so long for them to finally do something about it, whether that's ending the relationship (kay + amaya) and/or tryin to help take them down from their position of power (amaya is able to do this because it's a disney movie but kay definitely could NEVER if she wanted to keep breathing jafdkshlkasdjf)

and honestly? at least with amaya i think that sometimes it's not even that you've fallen out of love with the person. it's that you realize there's nothing you can do to keep them from falling further and further into whatever dark pit they got trapped in. it sounds kinda like an oxymoron, but it's this thing where you love them so much that you can't stand to see them do anymore damage to themselves and others so you HAVE to leave them and/or go against what they're doing. i know i've seen and experienced that in my own life.

anyways obligatory "if u read any of this ily" i hope this makes sense. i needa watch the godfather again i was watching a bunch of clips while writing this and i miss it

#soap box #long post // #ihrtmichael posting abt the godfather again ill try and feed yall this 2024 🤧🤍 #mine

[pttucker]

They scammed the scammer!!!

Well, okay, yeah, maybe calling it a scam is a bit much since it was all very disjointed and it doesn't seem like Sooyoung or Joonghyuk were actually working together and it was still very possible somebody was going to die if the right things weren't said or the right actions weren't taken, at exactly the right times, but it worked out in the end!

Just...ahhhhhhhhh!

Also... awwwwwww.

I really didn't think Sooyoung was actually dead at any point (because it's Sooyoung) and I've been hoping that Dokja was going to be able to get through to Joonghyuk (if Joonghyuk hadn't already decided not to kill him) but I didn't at all expect that this was actually a plot to get through to Dokja.

Dokja basically having to be tricked into actually defending himself (both verbally and physically) and yet still being unable (and unwilling) to tell his side or apologize because he doesn't feel he deserves to be forgiven 😭 and instead relying on both Sooyoung and his and Joonghyuk's shared stories to speak for him. In fact, Sooyoung literally saying to his face that he sucks at telling his story.

And the fact that she says that both of them are bad at listening... I have the feeling what they're bad a listening to isn't necessarily other people's criticism and hate but instead the exact opposite. 😭

"How did it go?" "He went crazy and attacked me." Han Sooyoung smirked and lightly pinched Kim Dokja's cheek as if she was proud of him. "By the way, what's the matter with his chest?" "He's paying for making me eat dirt." "…Dirt??" "There is something like that."

😂😂😂

Oh man though, Dokja just losing it not for himself, but for Sooyoung. For his happy ending he's been working so hard for where everyone gets to see the epilogue without becoming a monster along the way. His ending that's been completely reduced to ashes right before his eyes and he can't even process that everything he went through and everything he did means nothing. 😭

And then him just losing all willpower as he lets the devastation wash over him. As he lets the guilt wash over him. As he acknowledges, as always, that he can't ever possibly kill Joonghyuk. Just letting Joonghyuk attack him even after Dokja had him defeated. 😭 Which is exactly what I feared would happen!!! Especially after the Fourth Wall thinned and that stupid Fruit started messing with his head!

Ugh! The Fruit of Good and Evil!!! Oh man, I hope that this helps tie up the loose ends and he doesn't continue to be affected by it (and his own general emotions that were already there) and just hate himself even more than he already did, thinking he's just a callous constellation who watched everyone's suffering for his own entertainment and possibly even contributed to it via his comments.

It was a book Dokja! A BOOK! It's completely different from being inside of the world and refusing to help, something which you have only ever done once, and that was out of pure necessity because you knew you weren't strong enough to help. And you immediately sent in someone else to help in your place as fast as you could.

And now I guess Joonghyuk is going to see exactly what that feels like. Uh...I assume Sangah dragged him into the wall??? Which sounds both hilarious and terrifying. I'm not certain Dokja can handle a mind Joonghyuk. Doesn't seem nearly as nice as having a mind Sangah. Though maybe Joonghyuk being able to see things from Dokja's eyes for once might do them a world of good, in addition to this "conversation" they just had that leveled the area.

Also...Joonghyuk, my guy...DON'T TRY TO BREAK DOKJA'S FOURTH WALL!!! Oh man, so he was actually trying to destroy that when he "cut him down" and while that's better than attacking Dokja himself...it's really not better. HE NEEDS THAT WALL JOONGHYUK!!!

The Fourth Wall thickening and thickening and thickening all through the fight too. I assumed it was to protect Dokja's mental state as he's going through all this (and probably that was part of it) but now I'm kind of wondering if it knew Joonghyuk was going to try to destroy it. Hmmm.

But at least Joonghyuk said he's a former Regressor, so I'm taking that to mean he's made his peace with everything and he's chosen to stay in this life with Dokja for certain? Even if he's a little too aggressive about wanting to break through the Fourth Wall and devour all of Dokja's (and TWSA's) secrets. 😬

Oh, and now Sooyoung has Predictive Plagiarism? So that means all three of our main duo has some form of "prophetic powers" not to mention Sangah who's read all of TWSA too by now and also Anna Croft who's starting to be able to read Dokja's moves (very not happy about that, I hope it's just because the Fourth Wall isn't working properly here) and also Secretive Plotter and possibly Metatron via Secretive Plotter.

So...yeah...looks like we're maybe about to enter into a big battle of the prophets going forward.

Also, don't think I didn't notice that 1863rd's face was blurred just like Dokja's is blurred. But not blurred to Dokja. Hmmm.

#orv novel chapters 369-371 #orv #orv spoilers #orv liveblog #omniscient reader's viewpoint #yjh #kdj #hsy #ysa #the fourth wall

[cherrydott]

Long winded mad ducktor post

Or my version anyway

Yelling in an empty auditorium abt this. FIRST one of the core things about MD for me is that at his core, his purpose is to protect Gyro. No matter how irrationally or dangerously he chooses to do so. His origin is literally going to get back at scrooge for not paying gyro enough for his services. There is nothing in MD that wasn't already present in Gyro, albeit greatly exaggerated in his case. My personal view on most jekyll and hyde situations is that there isn't an Evil half, just a half comprised of everything someone tries or can't help but to suppress, like standing up for themselves. MD in this case is a defense system.

Dt17 Gyro already comes gift-wrapped with a bunch of angst and insecurities from his past that y'all already know about. I trust that anyone that's gotten this far has watched astro boyd at least 7 times, so I don't need to go into it. We can throw worrying about Gizmoduck in there too (both for Fentons safety and the overall success of his invention). You've also got the spear. Why not something for both the duck twins? Duck avenger is a large part of this AU, Gyro supplying his gadgets and various intel on his missions like your "guy in the chair" trope.

While PK is on missions, often Gyro is holed up in the bins security room with a live feed from his suit, contact lense cameras and earpieces etc. Eventually Donald gets into the habit of disabling his feed/communication when things get nasty in the field, out of embarrassment or not wanting to make Gyro worried about him.

To no ones surprise, sitting in a room of static while god knows what happens is a hundred times worse for him. Mad Ducktor is born from helplessness.

Magic does a great job exaggerating things, desires or feelings, and someone who's not level headed should not go near powerful magic artifacts no matter what. [Enter the DeSpell amulet]

It starts off more as a casual project at the lab too get more of an understanding on the amulet. Not necessarily how to use it or some new invention with it, just a study so they're less in the dark. It doesn't take long for a little obsession to creep up and for Gyro to insist on taking this project solo. Long term exposure to it does not so great things to him, leading up to a big outburst in the lab where some people get hurt. Some windows break, and everyone barely makes it up the emergency stairs before the lab floods. Coincidentally, Gyro's magic signature is pink :)

MD becomes Gyro's magical defense protocol that mainly comes out when he becomes extremely emotionally distressed. It gets bad enough that the amulet doesn't even need to be present.

I don't have specifics, but his main weapon is inspired by this belt from the comics.

Amulet as the buckle/power source and two artificial ones on the gloves, smaller and mostly for control/amplification and if we're completely honest, aesthetics. From the accident at the lab it becomes clear that either of them are not great at controlling the amulet at all, it's volatile and dangerous in their hands. MD needs and invented the gloves and belt to be able to direct it. Even with it, if he's successfully taunted enough during a fight, the magic quickly gets unstable as he'd get angrier.

He sees the duck avenger as his top threat, the thing first on the list that disturbs Gyros peace. The one thing stopping him from finding Akita and ripping him to shreds is the fact that Gyro knows he's in prison and isn't a top priority.

His hairstyle is reminiscent of Scrooge and Fenton 100% on purpose. They're important people in Gyro's life and md. Is. Emotional. Sentimental even, though he'd never admit that. Gyro keeps his emotions on lockdown, and what he suppresses comes out in MD in one form or another, in this case appearance. I would argue that the first time Scrooge or Donald met Gyro, he had circular frames. As they inhabit the same body, the trickiest thing about fighting him is well. not doing that, attempting capture instead or at least saying the right things to get gyro back in the pilots seat. He chose circular shades on purpose to be able to manipulate PK further, as well as being a little symbol of his past and how he wants to defend his younger self.

He's not evil, just wildly misunderstood

#anyhoo. #mad ducktor #absolutely do bother me with questions about this because i know i probably forgot something

[adamwatchesmovies]

Tin & Tina (2023)

If you only ace one part of your movie, make it the ending. For the most part, I was enjoying Tin & Tina but it didn't seem like anything special. After the final act, my thoughts on it changed completely - for the better. Due to that period of uncertainty, I have to be slightly conservative with my rating, but this is a movie I’ll remember down the line.

Set during the early 1980s, in Spain, Lola (Milena Smit) and Adolfo (Jaime Lorente) have just said their marriage vows when they unexpectedly lose their unborn twins in a miscarriage. Hoping to make their family whole again, the couple adopt twins Tin (Carlos González Morollón) and Tina (Anastasia Russo) from a nearby religious convent. Lola soon becomes suspicious of the children, though Adolfo insists their odd behavior stems from innocence rather than malice.

When we meet the twins, they seem needlessly creepy. They’re either albino or extremely blonde, they’ve got weird haircuts and their smiles are too big. The children are extremely religious. They've never watched TV, they quote the Bible for fun, the idea of not saying grace before a meal mortifies them. It's offputting but you can understand where that behavior comes from since they were raised by nuns. They're introduced playing the organ with a skill far beyond their years (reminded me of “The Orphan”), which is another sure sign that these kids are baaad news. Despite their appearances and strange habbits, you can see why Lola wants to adopt them, however. As a child, she lost a leg. She was also a “weird” kid and she’s specifically looking to replace the twins she lost.

Soon after arriving to their new home, Tin and Tina's actions raises some serious red flags. Not necessarily the kind that exposes them as evil but they would make any sane parent go back to the orphanage and ask the sister in charge (sor Asunción, played by Teresa Rabal) if she ever noticed anything weird from them. Less patient parents would go to the police and tell them to investigate the orphanage. Whatever those nuns are teaching the rugrats, it’s going to make them all into serial killers. Even for loving parents who really want a family, even for the place and the time period, Lola & Adolfo are way, way too cool with what happens. No one watching would tolerate some of the horror movie behavior exhibited. It’s enough to make you want these people to fall victim to whatever terrors await them once the kids turn full-on evil. I mean when you can’t read ANY of the signs, you deserve it.

Although I still feel like sometimes, Lola – and to a certain extent Adolfo too – let things that no one else, not even a saint, would let slide and that is frustrating, the ending changes all of that. This movie is much smarter than it seems. You see the creepy kids, you witness the horror-movie behavior, you think you know exactly where the plot is headed. You dismiss the characters as too stupid to live and essentially give up. What you don't realize is that you’re the one who's made the mistake. There’s something you haven’t considered while evaluating this story and probably wouldn't have in a million years: the possibility that although this is a horror film, the children aren’t actually evil. What if they’re not the problem? What if it’s Lola and Adolfo?

There are indeed subtle details that hint at the couple not being idyllic. At the orphanage, Adolfo insists that they’re only for children free from deformities. His wife wears a prosthetic leg. She has since childhood. What does this statement say about him? We find out that Lola has a bitter relationship with God. Bitter enough to make her subconsciously hate children who love Him more than anything else? Maybe. Trust me. I know not knowing if a movie is better than "just ok" for nearly 2-hours is hard, particularly with several developments that make you think "Oh come on. How many more signs do you need?!" but it all comes together so well during the conclusion you'll feel foolish for having doubted the film.

There may also be a deeper meaning to some elements of the picture, since it's set during a tumultuous period of Spain's history that I'm not familiar with. I can't say for sure. What I do know is that Tin & Tina deserves your patience. I'm still not 100% sure the characters are not a little bit dumb but that conclusion is so solid I'm more than willing to forgive it. It's scary and makes you think in the most unexpected way. (Original Spanish with English subtitles, May 28, 2023)

#Tin & Tina #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Rubin Stein #Milena Smit #Jaime Lorente #Carlos G. Morollon #Anastasia Russo #Teresa Rabal #2023 movies #2023 films

[tokoyamisstuff]

Chemistry Ch. 1 - Franken Stein / Reader

Summary: Your first days as a new teacher in Death Academy doesn't exactly go as planned. Warnings: Injury, Blood

[Masterlist]

"Is that the true reason you called me back here?"

Since Master Death had informed you that all Death Scythes were to immediately return to Death Academy, it hasn't even been a full week - and yet, for him to drop a bomb like this before you even had a chance to settle in your new role as teacher...

"No no, my dear! You got it all wrong!" Death answered, frantically waving his hands. "...well, that was not the only reason, at least."

You clenched your fists at this sentence, feeling used and deceived to have been summoned here to serve a completely different purpose.

Becoming the weapon of the infamous Franken Stein? What a farce.

"Correct me if I'm wrong" you spoke with the utmost respect, giving it your best to not let your true sentiment shimmer through, "but isn't the professor perfectly capable of fighting on his own?"

While you've never personally met Dr. Stein, his reputation certainly preceded him...

...and the rumors you heard were more than enough for you to never involve yourself with this person any further.

"As always, you're right!" He snapped with his fingers and you instantly crossed your arms in defense.

"However, there have been a lot of concerning incidents lately - like the appearance of the Demon Sword, for example." Sometimes, Death's constant unnaturally cheerful tone creeped you out - especially when he was talking about a serious matter.

"This is the reason I decided for some precautions, and in case of a Kishin incident Stein needs to be at his peek."

You faced the ground, lip trembling as you desperately tried to ignore Spirit's pitying glare on you.

Ultimatively, your objections were meaningless compared with Death's wits and foresight...

...so you bowed down in acceptance of your fate.

"If you think this is necessary, I comply. I'd never refuse an order from you, Master Death."

___

"As you already know, Stein the most capable meister to ever graduate this academy" you repeated Death's lecture to calm down your nerves. "So though I'd personally prefer it, you don't necessarily need to share a bond with him in order to work together."

Nonetheless, you should at least introduce yourself if not getting to know him. It's the least you can do, right?

What kept you from doing so however was the image you had already painted of him in your head.

After all, even though he is basically able to wield any weapon instantly, Stein has been without partner for many years now - and for a reason at that.

As irritating as that douchebag Spirit could be, he had no reason to lie about his past with your soon-to-be partner...

...and the stores he had to offer sure were hard to stomach. Same goes for all the other teachers you desperately asked for advice.

They all had a very solidified opinion about the professor: Basically, while they acknowledged his incredible talent, they simultaneously feared his huge potential for evil.

"That man has no love in him" Naigus words had become a mental echo those past days, just as she hoped when she had hammered that warning into your head. "Be careful - one day he'll definetly succumb to madness."

What exactly was Death expecting of you? Observe him and interfere if necessary? But then he wouldn't have given you the option to ignore Stein for as long as you didn't have to fight.

There had to be a superior motive to this insane forced partnership! And from the way it sounds, becoming the moral support of a narcissistic maniac didn't really sound like a job you'd willingly take.

Not that you had a say in that matter, or any other option at all. Overthinking it would only torture yourself...

...it was better to just wait and see.

"Good morning" you cheered as you entered the medical ward, reminding yourself that there's other things to take care of which need your attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but...shit."

That last word accidentally slipped out loud when you saw not Dr. Medusa, but Stein of all people occupying the computer of the examination room.

"Mhh? Oh." Judging from the tone of his voice, the man was just as pleased to meet as you were - though you weren't sure if it was because of you or just his renowned misanthropy in general.

Maybe it was just your own nerves, but the air suddenly felt too thick to breathe properly. You clearly felt his eyes scanning you behind those glasses that would censor his intensions.

After a while of strained silence, the doc seemed to have enough of you disrupting his work. "Come on in, I won't bite."

It was embarassing, pityful, stupid that you still won't move - and yet your body just didn't listen to your command, being frozen still in the doorframe.

You had no clue whether it was repulsion or sheer fear, but whatever it was you needed to pull it together.

There was no reason to become so flustered by a man you knew from probably way too exaggerated tales only - you were a Death Scythe, damnnit!

A kick of his against the table brought you down to earth again, making you flinch. The momentum it created was enough for his rolling chair to move in your direction, to closer examine the wound on your wrist that had already bled through it's makeshift bandage.

"That's not good" he stated matter-of-factly, a neutral expression decorating his face. "Want me to take a look?"

"...why not" you spoke between gritted teeth, trying to avoid his gaze. "Only if I'm not bothering you, that is."

"Don't worry, that's also part of my job here" Stein shrugged if off, taking one last pull on his cigarette before throwing it away as you hesistantly took place on one of the cots.

"Actually, I've wondered when you'd finally come here." That statement shouldn't let your blood run cold, yet it did. "Didn't think you'd go this far just to have an excuse to meet me, though. A simple 'hello' would've sufficed."

"Not funny" you cut him off harshly, but at the same time couldn't help but laugh as Stein fell over with his stool, facepalming the floor. He didn't seem like the clumsy type at all, so maybe he did it on purpose to help you relax?

Anyway, you concluded this man didn't mean any harm - at least not currently. And in case he tried something funny, you were still in the academy, basically surrounded by three-star-meisters that could come to your aid at any time.

"Looks nasty" he said quite unempathetic, roughly moving your injured arm to proper assess the damage. "But I've seen worse. Can you move your fingers for me?"

"As I expected" the doctor explained as he saw you fail to close your fist, watching in sadistic awe at the way your wound was twitching painfully. "One of the main tendons of your carpus is severed, along with some muscles and blood vessles."

No matter what medical terms he was throwing at you all professional, the fact that he was not even trying to hide his obvious joy for the injury of others like that was certainly unsettling...

...however, if he excels at his craft like everyone says, you'd try and stay calm.

"Nothing I can't fix. There won't be any long-term damage."

"That's good, I guess?" you chuckled awkwardly, still feeling a little unsafe as Stein slipped into sterile gloves and poured disinfectant on the cut.

"So, how did it happen?" That question sure caught you off guard, for it did not fit his profile at all. Someone this self-centered couldn't possibly care about such inferior details, but whatever...anything to distract yourself from the pain. "Stupid accident. One of my students doesn't know how to control their strenght yet. I hope they don't blame themselves..."

"Huh, is that so?" His tone was eccentric and laced with amusement, a predatory glint sparkling in his otherwise cold, dampened green eyes. "If you like to volunteer as a test subject for others, I should invite you over to my laboratory some time."

"I have no clue if that counts as harassment or threat, or both" you spat angrily, that throbbing pain in your wrist being the only thing keeping you from slapping that douche right now. "But you should read the fucking room. Right now, I am your patient. So act accordingly."

"Yeah, yeah" he dismissed your scold with that shiteating grin, happy to already know what buttons to press with you. "But outside this room you're my new partner, am I wrong? Can't be all that bad to get a little familiar with each other."

Sadly, you had no sassy remark to return to this. It was inevitable that you'd have to get along with each other eventually, so you should use this opportunity to your advantage.

While the disinfectant would do it's deed and eventually dry off, Stein used those few seconds to assess the soul of the person in front of him.

Not that he ever gave a crap about soulmates - and honestly, he doubted to have one himself. A person meant to be with him either has to be just as deranged as he was, or they'd deserve all of his pity...

...what was more interesting though were the standarts Death had used to pick out a weapon for Stein, and why he chose you of all people as a fitting candidate to bear with him.

Ah, he sees.

A kind and amicable soul like yours was the most resistant to corruption, opposite to his own. He had felt that calming aura of yours as soon as you first stepped foot into the room, how your soulwaves silenced the madness lingering inside of him.

Good choice one could very well live with. If it came to him, he'd also choose you as an ideal partner.

What involuntarily caught his attention however were the messy-written letters 'F.S.' - almost as if carved into your soul. They were glowing in a menacing crimson red, standing out from your otherwise bright soul. A reliable soul type, linked to a person with raw power, passion and great urge for self-expression...

...yet also defiance, danger and pain.

"Hey!" Noticing his stare, you hugged yourself even if your arms in front of your chest did nothing to hide what's behind. "Stop staring into my soul! That's impolite!"

"Sorry" he halfheartedly apologized, offering you a glass of water and a painkiller to go with it. "It's not poisoned" he added, almost as if insulted by your wary expression.

"The painkiller won't suffice, though. I probably have to anesthesize you, otherwise stitching it would hurt too much-"

"Nope! You just wanna dissect me, don't you?!" you blurted out without thinking first, and immediately felt guilt wash over you when you saw Stein's puzzled expression.

There was no use in asking questions he already knew the answer for. Spirit probably told you what things he was capable of doing if you're defensless in his presence, so it was no wonder you wouldn't trust him.

"Honestly, I didn't plan to ruin that perfect skin of yours today, or any day, but whatever." Ouch, now you felt like an asshole for accusing him just like that. You've met your partner for the first time today, and were already fucking up that badly... "That sounded nasty, you pervert. I-I mean, can't you just numb out my arm or something?"

"It was meant as a compliment, but that's none of my fortes." It wasn't as if he particulary enjoyed the suffering of others - this was just something that went together with the satisfaction of stilling his bizarre interests. "Do you think you can endure the sight? Then hold still."

"Wai-" Before you could even object, you felt Stein's palm on your arm, gentle sparks of electricity spreading through your nerves.

You felt him with every fibre of your being as his soulwaves wandered within your body: They were oddly stoic and unwavering, nothing like you imagined an unstable sociopath's core to be like.

But maybe that's what one's soul is like if they're devoid of any emotion...

...and still, it made you feel content in a weird, inexplicable way.

"Wha-what was that for?"

"Just see" he mumbled and just like that, all of the severed ends of your wrist were connected through glowing threads. "Like this, everything that belongs together stays close while I stitch them with actual sutures. It's easier this way."

"You can make this out of your soul wavelenghts?!" A sole nod was his answer, deeply concentrated as he began to work. "That's just- wow."

"Seriously?" the doc quirked his brow as the greatest vessle had been conjoined again, effectively stopping the bleeding. "Yeah, it's amazing! How does that even work?"

"You actually want me to explain it to you?" Stein sounded unbelieving, doubting whether you were mocking him. "That's not what I usually hear."

"What else do people tell you, then?"

"Shut up."

Now it was your turn to break out into mischievous laughter, even while trying to not move around too much. "That's hilarious, even better medicine than the pills!"

You wiped a tear of joy out of your face, along with several others you had shed due to the pain. "Well, you're kind of an asshole. So no wonder they don't want to give you the satisfaction."

"I have every right to boast, don't you think? After all, I'm a doctor, just-"

"Unlicensed?"

"Better" he harshly corrected yourself, and you could've sworn to hear slight annoyance in his tone.

Seems like he's not the only one able to annoy the hell out of the other...

"By the way" Stein wouldn't look up from the wound, rather tinkering on getting a perfect end result. "What do you really think about being my partner? We're alone in here, so we can talk freely."

"I- uh..." he sure was good at randomly catching you by surprise, that much was sure. "If Death thinks it's needed, then I have nothing to say."

"Really? How boring."

Albeit it may be the truth in some way, this comment hurt your pride nonetheless. "Oh, and what about you? Sitting here in the academy, helping out whenever someone calls you."

"I'm a pretty opportunistic person" he retorted absentmindedly, a truly indifferent tone in his voice. "And being here is entertaining."

That didn't really answer your question, but you had a feeling that prying would be fruitless as well...

"Trying to see my soul, huh?" You were peering quite obvious, squinted eyes widening at being caught. "Wait, I need to step aside a little...you're standing inside of it."

Oh, you just knew he enjoyed himself way too much right now...

...and still, you couldn't keep your mouth from staying agape, shocked by such an intensely powerful human soul.

That man sure was a monster - in more way than one.

The letters imprinted on his soul reminded you of your own handwriting, even being the same as your first- and lastname. Not that it'd matter, though - seriously, how many people in the world had the same initials as you?

Each letter shimmered in a pretty lime green - a healer's soul, known to be calming to other agitated souls. People with that kind of souls were known for their selfless characters, mainly being associated with love, balance and growth.

How unfitting for someone like him, you thought...

...but on the other hand, not all that absurd to have a Soulmate that's the complete opposite of him, able to put his mind at ease.

"Di-idn't we just talk about how no one wants to see you bragging?" you stuttered, trying to keep it together at such an intimidating wavelenght. "Please, continue. I wanna go home already."

"Only if I'm allowed to join you." The tall man winked as he bowed down in front of you again, eagerly giving the wound dressing it's final touch. "For training purposes, of course."

"The only reason I leave that uncommented is that I owe you one, do you hear me?"

"If you want to file for sexual harassment, promise to go after Spirit first."

Just a few minutes and several sassy verbal exchanges later, Stein was done. He clicked his tongue, a bloodied hand turning the massive screw that was quite literally loose in his head. Not very hygienic - but hey, you're even less of a doctor than he was, so who were you to judge?

"Here, good as new."

You took a quick look at his handiwork, pleased that you were able to move all of your fingers smoothly again, without even so much as a dull pain remaining. "If you let it heal well, it won't even leave a scar. Come every second day for a new bandage."

"Thank you so much, Stein!" you exclaimed happily, taking both of his hands out of a whim. "And- I think I need to apologize."

"What for?" Hell, that man either really doesn't care or is to dull for his own good. You rubbed the back of your neck, shyly admitting "I had a lot of prejudices which clouded my judgement. That wasn't fair towards you."

"You'll never know, maybe I'm just being nice to lure you in." Although his words could still made you shudder, after today he didn't seem all that menacing to you anymore.

"Sure thing, tough guy." Feeling bold, you poked his shoulder, just to gently stroke his forearm as you went past him. "Next time, we'll meet at better preconditions, and then you teach me the technique with the soul strings. Deal?"

"Alright. If you insist, how could I possibly decline my new partner's wish?"

#soul eater #franken stein #franken stein / reader #dr. stein #dr. stein / reader #fanfiction #writing #self insert

[eirian]

opinion on zamasu (doesnt matter if its regular zamasu, goku black, fused zamasu, corrupted zamasu etc etc just zamasu in general)

oh now youve done it.

OK SO. like i said in my post abt supreme kais i really adore zamasu as a character bc he breaks the chain of supreme kai characters by being an antagonist/villain! he's a BAD supreme kai. a rotten apple. and we love him for that. he has morals, sure, but theyre not necessarily the right ones--theyre selfish and conceited and skewed morals that only really benefit him and his rightious ego to the point of where he's so in denial that theyre wrong that he refuses to believe anyone is correct about them except himself from another timeline. incredible

i do think that maybe if he had been given another chance early on to learn properly, maybe in a different way than how gowasu was going about it (to me it felt like gowasu was just like "this is wrong and thats how it is, we cant change anything" instead of maybe explaining Why things are the way they are and maybe try harder to help zamasu understand "justice" and "good vs evil" better in a way zamasu could better understand it) he could have been convinced to maybe back down from his extreme plan and come around to good again. bc i dont think he was always evil. he had a heart at one point, albeit one that grew clouded over time, and i think it was able to be tapped into before he went off the deep end. i believe in zamasu redemption arcs dont look at me

ok but goku black tho. i gotta talk abt goku black bc that mfer...is a lot. at his core he is zamasu, yes! but i think after swapping bodies and basically integrating with goku's body, he became a different person. maybe not entirely, especially at his core--otherwise i dont think future zamasu would have completely trusted him like he did--but maybe on a more surface level. as a saiyan, zamasu embraced the destructive and violent part of him. he embraced his bloodlust and even gave into it, and he enjoyed battle just as much as goku did, if not MORE... i like to use this reasoning to justify blamasu as a ship LMFAO. just to throw that in there. BUT ALSO some goku black headcanons that i like are that, being a supreme kai all his life, he doesnt know how to deal with a mortal--specifically saiyan--body properly. he doesn't know how much sleep it needs. he doesn't know how much it needs to eat to be healthy. all he knows is that it has unlimited potential for growth in terms of power. SO, i like to think he's very bad at taking care of goku's body and kind of lets it...for lack of a better word, rot. that's why i always depict him with heavy eyebags, sunken cheeks...he's HUNGRRY and TIRED and he has no idea how to deal with it so he ignores it and blames it on his "unruly saiyan body" :)

as for fused zamasu, i love that bitch. its like the perfect representation of how zamasu literally only agrees with himself and at the point of fusion he's completely engulfed in his own ego and ideals, past any sort of convincing otherwise. and the corruption of his form really seals the deal--he is so far gone he just turns into this ugly, ferocious monster. although back to some headcanon stuff, i like to think zamasu and black fusing was the ultimate form of self love for them, and when goku's attack clashed with him and turned his face goopy...that was part of him dying. the goku black part was dead. half of him was DEAD. he just had half of his body as a corpse at that point, because he was half mortal half immortal. and when that happened, he didnt know how to handle it, so he used the divine lightning to finish the job and completely rid himself of his mortal half, thus breaking down and becoming the hulking beast that was his corrupted form. i love it. i love seeing characters devolve into madness to the point of becoming monsters that represent their psyche <3

in super dragon ball heroes we see fused zamasu again but as a smaller version of himself, seemingly pre-corruption, but it's obvious that it's actually POST-corruption--i like to think fu took him out of his timeline just before he was destroyed physically and surgically removed the decomposing dead parts of him (the goop). that's why he has that armor covering his shoulder and right eye--those were the affected parts of his surgery! i like to think under his eyepatch piece he still has a purple bit of eye under there that fu left for one reason or another

anyway <3 those are my thoughts on zamasu thank u for activating my autism

[corvidmafia]

Look man usually I'm not the type of guy to make excuses for assholes but idk I feel like being tortured for 200 years in the vilest cruelest ways possible should give you a pass for being kind of an asshole. Like I'm kind of an antisocial asshole sometimes and my parents were just mean to me in my human lifetime. Idk dude I'm not trying to excuse the pro-slavery thing but I do think it's important to remember that trauma and abuse literally eats at your brain and fucks you up in ways that might seem completely insane to an outside viewer without context. Astation didn't do nothing wrong, he actually did most things wrong, but I do think I can see how and why he could become that person he is and that there is hope for him, like any abuse survivor who's obtained incredibly maladaptive coping mechanisms, to grow and change. I guess it wouldn't be a huge deal that people are not seeing the connection between having serious trauma and that leading to maladaptive or negative personality traits in a fictional guy but people do that also to real life survivors of serious abuse and mentally ill people. So seeing that really makes me sad bc I Know y'all also feel that way about abuse survivors any time they act mean or lash out or don't trust easy or do dishonest things to secure their safety or act weird or generally in ways someone might not consider "normal". I don't think I'm explaining this exactly the way I want to bc I'm not trying to say being shitty to others is ok if you have a tragic backstory, I also get frustrated when people treat characters like that. But I do think there's a middle ground between that and calling a deeply traumatized person irredeemable and not even only that but more idk acting like they chose to be evil without taking into account how their behavior was shaped by their past. I don't even think you necessarily have to have compassion for them. I definitely don't think you should absolve them of their wrongs for that. But I think we need to learn to hold the idea that a person is responsible for their actions AND that trauma/ptsd/being abused Will make you act in ways that don't make you look like a perfect innocent victim, at the same time. And also maybe that that's not the end of it. That maybe if you actually work on it there is hope to be better. Or even just acknowledging the ugly truth of living in the aftermath of long term trauma. Bc if there's anything trauma/ptsd/mental illness doesn't make you it's a more pleasant, kind, levelheaded, emotionally stable, and realistic person. It doesn't leave you better off for itm

[mysticstarlightduck]

Can you tell us more about Xarian from Tales of Wilted Flowers? If it's not too spoilery, how did he become an outlaw? What's his greatest desire? Biggest fear?

Yes! Thank you so much for the Ask, @clairelsonao3!!! <3

I adore talking about Xarian and his story, so here we go!

Can you tell us more about Xarian from Tales of Wilted Flowers?

Xarian is a deuteragonist/second protagonist in the story of Tales of Wilted Flowers, and a love interest to the actual MC, Lorelai Wildwood. He is also a fairy/fae.

He starts his story looking for a way to unbind himself from the sorcerer that had him captive for years, as even after his lucky escape, the villains are still tracking him down. After becoming an outlaw - I will explain that in a second, don't worry (; - Xarian seeks Lorelai's help, as her father's journal could just hold the answers the fairy needed. Soon after, they end up framed by the crown and have to run away, setting out to discover what is truly hiding behind their kingdom's seemingly perfect facade, if they want their freedoms back (and end up discovering the awakening of a mythical evil they must stop in the process).

This is the gist of the beginning of his tale in the book, as the story will then progress as they venture into this adventure together and recruit new friends for their quest. I can say that Xarian will be faced with a difficult/ill-fated decision at the end of Act 2, so keep an eye out for that when the time comes!

If it's not too spoilery, how did he become an outlaw?

Okay, onto the tricky part!

Xarian's true past is revealed gradually throughout the story, as he slowly grows to trust - and love - Lorelai enough to share his backstory and situation. (Some very specific events in his past are major spoilers, but those don't necessarily revolve around the way he became an outlaw).

So onto the beginning then! Let's see me try to avoid the major spoilers lol

Years before the main storyline starts, Xarian moved to the capital of their kingdom and trusted the wrong person. Trusting the wrong person destroyed his life (at least recent future prospects), and he found himself trapped in a magical "deal" with a powerful sorcerer seeking power in the lands (the main villain).

Growing tired of his situation, and after figuring out the sorcerer's plans, Xarian escaped after temporarily shattering the bond that held him prisoner and slipping away unnoticed. (The details as to how this worked are spoilers, and he tacitly leaves out most of those details when he explains his past the first time anyway).

But that's not how he became an outlaw.

Keeping a low profile and knowing his time was running out if he wanted to avoid being captured again, Xarian decided to do something reckless: breaking into the royal castle, and stealing something important, something that could give him the information he needed to stop the sorcerer.

The plan didn't quite go as planned (SPOILERS, and it had repercussions, not so great ones in fact), but Xarian was able to escape again, and this time he knew what he had to do (more precisely what he had to find) in order to defeat his worst enemy. But now, he was an outlaw, wanted in every city of the kingdom.

And this chain of events is what led him to Lorelai's old manor, in the first chapter of Tales of Wilted Flowers.

What's his greatest desire?

Xarian's greatest desire, throughout the entirety of the story, is to regain his complete freedom and to defeat (a.k.a have his revenge) the sorcerer who tried to destroy his life. But mostly, behind it all, he wants to just be able to be at peace again, like a normal person should. (After his and Lorelai's love story begins, Xarian really wants to be able to spend his life with her, like to actually be together as a couple, but they both know that the only way this can happen is if they defeat the villains first and get their lives back first).

Biggest fear?

Xarian's biggest fear is to be controlled or used, to become someone's puppet. He also fears being trapped or shackled in any way and is deeply afraid of seeing his friends and loved ones get hurt because of him (even though he rarely lets this show through his sassy and unbothered facade). He doesn't really fear much else (except maybe for spiders and other insects, but that's a small phobia).

+ BONUS! Because you told me to talk about him, and I love this character, here are three random facts about Xarian.

Xarian cannot sing. At all. He jokes that he sounds like a dying goose when he sings. He might do it proudly just to annoy Kaladin on the road when Kal has a hangover after drinking too many flagons of wine at a tavern. (While he does not sing he can play the lute very well, tho).

Before his life went to hell, Xarian wanted to be an alchemist and magical inventor in the kingdom's capital. He was (and still is) very talented and very passionate about the subject.

He is the kind of person to make genuinely funny comments/jokes while in a situation that definitely does not warrant funny comments (like while being chased by the acolytes of a sorcerer who wants to painfully kill them).

#writeblr #writerblr #writers #my wips #character writing #writing #my characters #my writing #writers on tumblr #wbw asks! #character asks! #asked and answered! #WIP: Tales of Wilted Flowers

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

Another thing about the Dahmer series is that people have no nuance when discussing it and refuse to see that it is a complicated situation. There were a few family members that came out and said that it deeply upset them which they are absolutely entitled to feel that way and I am very sorry that they had to relive that. There were also family members that did not speak about it at all so it is difficult to know how they truly feel about it. Cameron Cowperthwaite said that a friend of the person he had played had reached out to him and thanked him for his performance because it really reminded him of his friend and brought back good memories. I'm not trying to discredit how the families that spoke out feel rather I'm trying to point out that it is not a one size fits all situation. It is complicated and nuanced. Just because some people feel a certain way doesn't mean all do. It is not fair to say that the whole show is evil and everyone involved is a horrible person. I also find it interesting how the media chose to really only publish stories on the negative parts of the show and didn't mention anything about how Ryan Murphy offered to pay for a memorial himself. I think the show handled the topic with much more grace than others have done and highlighted systemic issues that are often overlooked regarding cases like this.

i completely agree and i am always grateful for the people who can have a legitimate conversation about this subject without being reactive and unreasonable.

i don't think anyone wants to invalidate the feelings of the families who were affected, but i just think it's unrealistic to say that because some people close to the victims of a real life tragedy don't want a series made about it, that it should not exist. do you think anyone necessarily wants anything to exist that would cause them to relive a traumatic and life-altering tragedy/crime? at what point do we draw a line when it comes to this type of subject matters? because there are constantly movies, documentaries and books being created about real-life events that have real life victims and loved ones still reeling from it. this could be said about subjects like war, 9/11, literally anything that we have otherwise become accustomed to seeing in media.

when my mom was dealing with late stage cancer she was emotionally triggered by the constant commercials and ads about cancer/cancer treatments because she was trying to get on with life, and these things were repeatedly reminding her of her own situation. does that mean that they need to cease making commercials about prescriptions your doctor should actually be the one informing you about? i'm not saying this to minimize anyone's feelings; just that feelings can't dictate whether or not we tell stories. feelings are not even always rational and objective. however, understanding and respecting this can absolutely dictate how we tell stories, and i believe that in this situation the dahmer series was not in any way disrespectful to anyone's memory, and they told the story much more honestly than most people have heard it before.

#evan peters