This Is Awesome.

“Give me a healthy teen romance!’

“Give me a queer couple!”

“Give me biracial couples!”

“Give me queer and biracial couples! And this time wlw”

“Now give me a queer, biracial, wlw couple and one of them is deaf!”

In conclusion: The Dragon Prince is one of the best shows on rn and the amount of representation, especially with the couples in it, is just great. Go watch it!

This is quite a subjective opinion; but I am endlessly fascinated by how the romanticization (or sentimentalization) of Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship is such a big, important part of Kuroshitsuji—partly due to Sebastian’s own nature as a demon, but also due to Ciel’s character himself.

Sebastian is evil, and he is meant to lure people into damnation. He is the embodiment of a poisonous yet appealing temptation. He speaks sweet, gentle words. He is undeniably physically attractive, and generally, people find him charming. I can go on forever, but you get the gist; all of him is designed to slowly attract and lull people into complacency with him—into not seeing the predatory nature that lurks beneath that gorgeous skin.

This powerful creature, who can kill people with his bare hands, prefers to use sweet promises over threats—finding physical torture less effective than honey; so confident in his ability to understand human desires and tempt any person into the route he designs for them. He presents people with two choices; one of which seems infinitely more attractive than the other—but would certainly lead them to damnation. And it delights him very much when they inevitably chooses the sweeter option. It seems to be essential to the demonic contract that the contractor gets to choose (even if the choice was most likely—almost always—highly uninformed).

Now; if the contractor was an unassuming human who was tempted or fooled by the demon, or if the contractor was someone who’d kill and sacrifice another person on purpose, maybe we would say, “Well, he did that to himself.” Or even, “He deserved that.” But not only did Ciel manage to summon Sebastian by happenstance; he—arguably—did not have much choices other than to agree to the contract; it was either the contract or death at the hands of the cultists.

His consent was highly dubious (not that Sebastian ever cares); he was in a state of emotional distress—unfit to be making choices that would define the rest of his life—not to mention his youth, his vulnerability, and the glaring power imbalance with the predatory adults and demon surrounding him. From that moment on, his soul is forfeit; no matter how many times Ciel states that he is firm on his revenge and that he is doing this for himself—you can always argue that he is only saying this because the choice is either this or death.

Still, instead of highlighting the dubious nature of this agreement, the author shows that despite his young age, he is perceptive enough to read through Sebastian’s lies and see Sebastian’s true nature for what it is, and still “chooses” to have the contract. The author repeatedly, over and over, shows Ciel “choosing” this road for himself, Ciel saying that he has no need for the past and will not look back—and the whole time that Ciel charges unwaveringly into the darkness, Sebastian looks at him and smiles meaningfully.

Since we have no idea what “souls” present in Kuroshitsuji; the concept of what Ciel is actually paying with in order to get his revenge is exceedingly vague—it’s difficult to feel loss over something with an unknown value. This is exacerbated by Ciel’s easy acceptance of his own fate, and the practical logic on how it’s simply fair to pay a servant for his services.

Sebastian, for his part; always revels and delights in how Ciel chooses him. He basks in it, and gloats about it; the dubious nature of Ciel’s agreement forgotten, or frankly does not even seem to compute in Sebastian’s mind. What’s important is that Ciel made a choice; and that choice was Sebastian. We know that Sebastian will eventually kill Ciel, but we may contend that Sebastian is good for him. Sebastian saved Ciel and Ciel consented to having Sebastian. Sebastian gave Ciel the autonomy and independence and protection he desperately needed. And this does not come out of nowhere; as the author too, seems to deliberately romanticize/sentimentalize their relationship—the readers are simply picking up on the context cues.

They are certainly predator and prey; but people may love their appeal as a pair of lovers, like Bonnie and Clyde; or as found family along with the rest of the servants; they are partners-in-crime; soulmates; always understanding each other with just a glance, simply meant to be together, there is no Ciel without Sebastian and vice versa, etc.; it’s all a terribly romantic and sentimental view of their relationship.

The portrayal of Sebastian as a loyal and caring protector (although he is always hiding his hunger and fangs) and Ciel as a brave and pitiable victim resolutely seeking justice (although he arguably never had much choices) are done on purpose to allow their relationship to be romanticized/sentimentalized by the readers who want to root for them. If Sebastian was not portrayed attractively enough; if he wasn’t a handsome, gentle caretaker, who is devotedly loyal to Ciel and protects him from kidnappers and assassins and whatnots (see how he treats Ciel so much better compared to Ciel’s fellow humans?), this romanticization of him will not be possible. Likewise, if Ciel was portrayed as an innocent run-off-the-mill ten year old—instead of a smart one, a perceptive one, one who is “mature for his age”; if Ciel was a regular noble instead of the Queen’s watchdog; one who is meant to be the Earl of Phantomhive despite being born as an underdog (which makes the readers want to root for him and believe him to be capable of besting a demon on the negotiation table)—we will not be reading the contract scene and thinking, “Can he outsmart the demon?” Or even, “Well, certainly this ten year old understands what he is doing.” We would have instead understood the contract to be an exploitation of the child’s vulnerability and circumstances. Instead, Ciel is portrayed as wanting the contract; willing to sacrifice his soul to get his revenge; a fully-consenting party in a mutually beneficial agreement. When Sebastian offers his hand, Ciel consensually places his own hand in Sebastian’s.

What is truly “good” for Ciel becomes a moral dilemma that the readers cannot solve, and Sebastian’s true “feelings” (or whether he has any at all) is never explained. The readers are left to guess and come up with our own theories that will remain unanswered—we insist that Ciel needs and wants Sebastian, that Sebastian cares for Ciel beyond seeing him as food; and the whole thing is so morally dubious, but we are given a lot of incentives to see them in a positive, sentimental light. Every once in a while something may happen that seems to reinforce our beliefs in their relationship, but never fully confirm how they feel towards each other. The occasional “warning bells” reminding us of Sebastian’s nature as a demon are—more often than not—ignored, as the future when the contract ends still seems so far away, and regardless; Ciel is far too dependent on Sebastian to even think of living without him.

Fictober 2021 -- Day 6

One of these nights, Xaja was going to get a full night of restful, uninterrupted sleep. Tonight was not that night, she mused as she gifted Valkorion a scowl.

“Glare all that you like, Jedi,” the former Emperor sneered as he continued to pace around her brain. “It changes nothing. You must be strong enough to defeat my children, and you will only reach that with my help–”

“Yes, yes, I know how this goes,” Xaja sighed. “You drone on about how I apparently need you to kick Arcann’s miserable cyborg ass out of the known galaxy, I point out that I killed your last two meatsuits without any Sithly intervention, you mutter about Jedi wretches and liken my abilities to a child with a lucky streak. Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“You aren’t even a child with a lucky streak,” Valkorion retorted. “Compared to me, you are barely an embryo.”

“And compared to me, you’re old enough to be a Rakata. Ancient, outdated, and overdue for extinction.”

“Impertinent brat,” growled the dead Sith. “You would not be so flippant if you knew the powers that I yet possess, even while trapped in your head.”

“Yeah, the same ones that saved you from me twice already? I have yet to be impressed.”

“And how do you think to free yourself of me when you can hardly stab yourself with one of your lightsabers?” Valkorion chuckled cruelly. “You are bound to me, Jedi.”

“Eww.” Xaja made a face; immature though her reaction was, she was gratified to see Valkorion roll his eyes. “I’ll figure out a way to get you out of my head, and then I’m throwing your miserable spirit into a black hole.”

“I’m curious to see how you’ll achieve that.”

“Through sheer fucking spite.”

“Petty as well as impertinent, and ungrateful. Or have you forgotten how you survived Arcann’s lightsaber?”

“Again – spite.”

“I am many things. The embodiment of ‘spite’ is not one of them.”

“No, ‘embodiment’ would require you to have a body. Mine definitely doesn’t count.”

Valkorion scowled. “I should have let you die on Asylum, Jedi. If only there were another option in the galaxy with anywhere near the strength to defeat my children.”

“Yeah, well, there isn’t. And I still don’t need your help in dealing with your spawn.” Xaja turned her back on Valkorion and imagined herself closing her eyes, banishing the old bastard from her mind. “Now piss off.”

“You will live to regret that,” Valkorion warned as he finally faded into nothingness. 

Roll her eyes though Xaja might, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the deranged old lunatic was plotting something. Shuddering, she opened her eyes to the darkness of her and Theron’s quarters on Odessen, feeling the reassuring weight of her boyfriend’s arm over her stomach and his breath tickling her shoulder. With Theron there, it was easier to close her eyes again and slowly drift off into sleep, although one part of her mind always stayed vigilant, watching for any signs of Valkorion intruding in her dreams again.

Pride Dragons

Sonsational Creations on Etsy

The Rig Kids

- Sol’yn : male, 49 yrs - Bantryc : male, 48 yrs - Nadovin : male, 47 yrs - Lanodi : male, 45 yrs - Udenin : male, 44 yrs - Torlaar : male, 43 yrs - Shereshoy : male, 42 yrs - Jate’kanin : male, 40 yrs - Rozanin : female, 39 yrs

The proud parents 👇👇👇 Akyrca (left) and Zauden (right) have a full house of Mando badasses

Kidou: I have very high standards-

Endou walks in, tripping and falling face first on the floor: Ouch, hi guys.

Kidou: I want him.

Commission for @lindsaygallof

Girlboss/Malewife but it’s always the brunette/ginger duo

On regard of Mitsuru’s mental state

So, since I’ve seen some kind of discussion going on in regards of Ichihoshi possibly having mental illness, I decided to do some research and here’s my hot take on it:

He does, or at least, if the show wasn’t strictly for kids and didn’t magically cure illness without properly addressing them because of the sensitive target, then Ichihoshi would probably have a case of Depression+BPD

Why? Well here are some extracts that luckily will help you understand my point! If you’re triggered by mental illness talk I suggest for you to skip this post and blacklist the tag “mental illness” cause I will always put it in my posts about the matter and I don’t want for you to feel uncomfortable!

ON CHILDREN DEPRESSION

“Nadine M. Melhem, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues identified 140 families in which one parent died of suicide, accident or sudden natural death. They were compared with 99 control families in which two parents were living and no first-degree relatives had died within the past two years. The offspring, ages 7 to 25, underwent interviews and assessments for psychiatric disorders. The results of the survey showed that children’s symptoms after the loss of a parent were depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal behavior and complicated grief (severe, lasting unhappiness).

The symptoms of depression in children vary. It is often undiagnosed and untreated because they are passed off as normal emotional and psychological changes that occur during growth.

Signs and symptoms of depression in children include:

Irritability or anger

Continuous feelings of sadness and hopelessness

Social withdrawal”

ON BPD

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). People with BPD are often exceptionally enthusiastic, idealistic, joyful, and loving.

However, they may feel overwhelmed by negative emotions (“anxiety, depression, guilt/shame, worry, anger, etc.”), experiencing intense grief instead of sadness,

shame and humiliation instead of mild embarrassment, rage instead of annoyance, and panic instead of nervousness.”

ON DEPRESSION+BPD

“the quality of depression seems to be different in BPD. For example, whereas depression is typically associated with feelings of sadness or guilt, depression in BPD has been described as being associated with feelings of anger,

deep shame (i.e., feeling emotionally like a bad or evil person),

loneliness, and emptiness. Further, depressed episodes in people with BPD are often triggered by interpersonal losses.”

Since Ichihoshi’s dad death and Hikaru’s hospitalisation occurred when he was very young, not older than 10 I believe, there are high chances of him developing both illness. Given that one of the environmental factors cause of BPD is being exposed to chronic fear or distress as a child and that the same goes for child depression, plus the fact that it’s possible for the two illness to coexist (as shown before) and that Mitsuru presents lots of the symptoms listed, I think it’s not too farfetched for us to believe so. Despite the fact that the show won’t address this matter, I believe that if we were to do realistic headcanons then we would not be in the wrong at all!

Freemor/Alpha-17 fluff whit alpha loving his jedi

The weight against his side is sun-warm, there are gentle breaths against his collarbone, and Alpha has his blaster resting on his knee, ready to shoot the first idiot who thinks about making a smart comment and waking his Jedi.

And if that doesn’t work, the fact that he’s spinning his favorite knife between his fingers should probably get the message across nicely.

Rex, who was never one of Alpha's trainees, apparently nevertheless has more brains than most, given the way he’s keeping his head down and very determinedly not looking anywhere even close to Alpha, even when Feemor shifts and stirs. Alpha doesn’t bother moving from the chair he claimed, even though it’s probably supposed to belong to the planet’s king; the old bastard can eat bantha shit for all Alpha cares, because it’s a huge, pretentious thing, and just about the only chair in existence that he’s ever found that’s big enough for both him and Feemor to share. And it’s nice, having Feemor curled against his side, legs hooked over one of Alpha's knees, fast asleep like at Alpha's side is the safest place to be in the universe.

Entirely pleased with himself, Alpha curls his arm a little more tightly over Feemor's shoulder, resettling him against his chest, and Feemor hums, drowsy and exhausted and content. It makes Alpha press a lingering kiss to his bright hair, then smooth a thumb over the edge of a sapphire-blue tattoo he can just see through a rip in the shoulder of Feemor's robes. He idly rolls the knife over the top of his hand, rests his cheek against the top of Feemor's head—

With a clatter of entirely unacceptable noise, the door slides open, and Alpha's least favorite trainee ever says loudly, “—get karked, Wolffe, we’re not staging a ground operation just to soothe your ego—”

Rex's head jerks up, horror flashing over his face as he signs abort abort abort with increasing desperation. Alpha knew he liked the little brat for a reason.

“It’s not about my ego, it’s about routing the damn Seps—” Alpha's other least favorite trainee says just as loudly—

Alpha's knife buries itself in the edge of the holotable, two precise centimeters from Cody's hand.

“Voices. Down.” Alpha bites out as Cody and Wolffe both freeze, their gazes snapping right to him. Mildly murderous, Alpha scowls at the pair of them, stroking Feemor's shoulder with soothing passes of his knuckles, and dares either brat to test him.

Much more quietly, Cody clears his throat, sidestepping carefully as he eyes the blaster resting on Alpha's knee. “Sorry, sir,” he says, barely audible, and Wolffe swallows, nods, and keeps his damned mouth shut, just the way it should be.

With a grunt of satisfaction, Alpha sinks back into the chair, and when Feemor stirs he immediately turns to resettling him. “Easy,” he says. “Just go back to sleep, you're going to get your idiot self killed one of these days if you keep not sleeping.”

Feemor huffs, but sinks back down, one of his hands skimming Alpha's chest in a clumsy brush that trickles his gratitude and love through Alpha's mind. “Be nice,” he mutters, but his breathing is already evening out again, and Alpha snorts softly, kissing his forehead. It’s only partially because Cody and Wolffe are both staring at him like they’ve never seen a bastard in love before.

“Never,” he says, and catches Feemor's hand in his own.

[On AO3]