#//and that'd probably be the best way to develop these guys :)

[the-solar-system52]

Earthspark S3 synopsis spoilers!!

Rotten Tomatoes leaked the titles and synopsizes for episodes 2-7 of Season 3 and I have opinions.

First of all, I JINXED IT??? Yesterday I was literally writing a post complaining about how little info we got about S3 compared to the other seasons before their release. I was nearly done it but got lazy and I saved it as a draft to finish later, cue 1 AM at night when I decide to check again Rotten Tomatoes for any updates, AND THERE WERE NEW EPISODES?? I just manifested them into existence with the power of hyperfixation I guess. So, you're welcome guys. (Although it is pretty cool that I discovered it myself because that usually doesn't happen to me since I don't use Reddit or Discord, it also signifies that the mainstream Transformers fandom doesn't really seem to care about Earthspark that much anymore considering the fact they aren't interested on reporting on new leaks. And that sucks, but I can't exactly blame them.)

But also you're not welcome because wtf are these synopsizes. I'm trying my best to be positive and stuff, and I know we should probably wait for the episodes to come out before we judge too hard, but these descriptions are definitely raising some red flags. There only seems to be 7 episodes which is very disappointing and doesn't seem like enough time to wrap up all the plot points from S2, plus the new S3 plot points they are introducing. Not to mention that there seems to be one or two filler episodes, which doesn't seem like a lot for most shows but it matters when you have such limited time. Filler can be good when it is well-written, helps develop the characters, and doesn't take time away from the rest of the plot. S1 filler was enjoyable because it had these qualities, but S2 filler however....... I don't think so. Not only is the writing just plain bad, but the writers almost seem adverse to developing their characters because they don't want to break their 'good guys good/bad guys bad' formula and need everything to reset to the status quo by the end of the episode, rendering the filler basically pointless. (See, the end of Togetherness) So not only is the filler getting in the way of the plot, but I'm not entirely sure it'll even be enjoyable.

I don't know if we are going to be getting more episodes after this. Some say we are going to get more batches, some say we are going to get longer specials instead, and some say Earthspark is cancelled and won't be getting any continuation. I think we probably will get some sort of finale, but either way, now is not the time for the writers to start messing around. There are plenty plot points from S2 that need to be wrapped up (The Decepticons, Terrantronus, The Chaos Terrans, The Quintessions) and yet they are already adding some more plot points for S3. The descriptions don't really mention any of the S2 plot points, and obviously we should wait till the episodes actually release to see if they do, but I'm still a bit skeptical. But these S3 plot points do seem interesting so lets talk about them.

IZZY'S EVIL?? Or a shapeshifter Quintession thing?? I'm gonna be real I did not see that coming and I don't really know how to feel. It's more interesting than her just being a designated crush character but I'm still just not really invested enough in her and Robby's relationship to care. I wonder if she's actually a shapeshifting Quintession or just a human working for the Quintession's? (I'm sorta hoping for the first thing tbh since we don't need more human screentime) I also wonder if she'll just be pure evil or if she'll be redeemed by the power of straight people or something. Imagine if some random girl gets redeemed but not any of the Decepticons, that'd be really funny.

There's this new plot point called 'The Hate Plague' which seems to be some sort of disease that drives bots into a rage. It pops up after EP4, right after The Autobot Ship (probably containing Prowl) crash lands. My guess is that the disease stems from Prowl's ship, and also probably has something to do with the Quintession's big plan. That either means the ship had a Quintession stowaway or some other substance that the Quintession's planted there that somehow caused the disease. There is also the possibility that it has something to do with The Chaos Energy from the Chaos Terrans since they are associated with rage?? But we'll have to see. I think the plot will follow The Autobots slowly being taken over by the disease, making them dangerous to the Maltos, leaving them all by themself to find someway to reverse it's affects and bring them back while also fighting the enemy that wants to take Robby and Mo's power for their own- wait a sec HAVEN'T WE DONE THIS BEFORE?? Isn't just the GHOST mind control all over again??? Sure, the Hate Plague makes them more enraged whilst the Mind Control made them emotionless, but it will still lead to them fighting against the Maltos right? It just feels way too similar. And the lines "she (Twitch) realizes she may be the only one who can help" and "Prowl recruits Thrash and Robby to investigate the source of the mysterious Hate Plague" sort of implies The Terran's can't be infected? Which seems worse since it means the Terrans won't benefit by whatever potential character development the Hate Plague could bring. But I don't want to jump to conclusions. I think it would be more interesting if the 'Hate Plague' didn't just make the bots mindless enraged savages, but instead actually make them more hateful. The plague clouds their view and makes them see the negative in everything, but they still retain their cognitive abilities, specifically the ability to talk. This could lead to interesting character dynamics being challenged since everyone would be arguing with each other and their previously-hidden opinions would come to light. This would still install conflict in the Autobot base but it wouldn't make them just mindless enemies and could actually lead to really interesting dialogue and situations. Think of The Spell of Shattered Sight from Once Upon a Time. It would put the Autobots out of commission and they wouldn't be able to help the Terrans but it wouldn't lead to them mindlessly attacking them without a reason, so it wouldn't be too similar to the GHOST mind control. But I'm not sure if they'll go for this angle since the S2 writers don't seem to be a fan of 'complicated characters' and exposing some of the flaws of the Autobots via The Hate Plague would destroy their 'good guys good/bad guys bad' narrative. It's easier to just turn The Autobots into mindless monsters to fight the Terrans for awhile. It'll also probably lead to some "i know your still in there 🥺" fights, which may be good character development if they are written well but they will probably end up being really corny. Like I said, we've done this all before.

No mention of The Chaos Terrans guys. I'm not doing well. We don't have the synposis for EP1 which would be the one they are most likely to be mentioned in, but the fact that they are not even alluded to in the other descriptions has me worried. I don't care if they stay pure evil, I also don't care if they speedrun a poorly written redemption arc, I JUST WANT THEM TO BE ALIVE 😭😭 (istfg if they try to redeem Starscream after what he did......)

The episode I'm most excited for is probably EP4. The plot of going into the Decepticon base and "friendships being tested" might mean we'll be getting some character development between The Autobots and/or The Decepticons? I have a soft spot for snow day episodes, so I'll probably enjoy EP 5 as well. The description of EP6 sort of made it seem like they would go on a full on investigation, so I think it would be funny if it was styled like a Noir Dectective film lmao (idk Prowl's character that well, is that something he would do?)

Either way, I will stay cautiously optimistic and be on the lookout for anymore leaks!

[petrichor-idyllic]

hey!! i love ur work. could u do hcs for the boys fighting for the readers attention?? 🫶🫶

Of course I can.

Pronouns weren't specified so gender-neutral reader.

GIVE ME ATTENTION

MASTERLIST | MULTI-CHARACTER MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Gender-neutral! Reader x Glader boys.

You're the most popular Glader around, and it seems like all the boys have a thing for you, so, how would they get your attention?

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, dumb teenage boys, possessiveness and other slightly problematic themes (I don't condone but it's fiction).

THOMAS

Considering that Thomas moves at a million miles an hour and has Teresa (*cough* and Newt *cough*) as potential love interest(s), I don't think Thomas would actually fight for anyone's attention.

I know, I know, that defeats the point of the prompt.

But, if anything, especially in the books, Thomas is kind of actively trying to avoid attention.

And failing monumentally.

So, I think if he'd want your attention, he'd seek it out in private.

He wouldn't be the type to chase you around the Glade, pining for your attention.

He'd wait until there'd be a moment alone.

Maybe when you're enjoying your own company, chilling after a long day's work, Thomas would approach you.

And he'd get your attention that way.

In an intimate, one-on-one way.

Just simple conversation getting to know one another and some light, and kinda awkward flirting.

Which I guess is a good (and healthy) way to get someone's attention.

Good job, Thomas.

NEWT

Maybe it's because there isn't much romance in the series, but I can't see Newt fighting for attention in the traditional sense either.

He's the second in command and has enough on his plate.

I can, however, see him going out of his way to offer you more guidance.

Or he'd act nicer to you and let you get away with more stuff.

He'd probably give you gifts and convince Frypan to give you more food.

He'd basically use his influence over the Glade to give you an easier time.

It'd be subtle.

And you might not even realise he'd been doing it until you'd ask Minho or somebody and it'd get spilled.

That's probably when you'd develop an actual relationship.

MINHO

Now, unlike the previous boys, Minho absolutely would be the stereotype of dumb, slightly overly-cocky teenage boy trying to get his crushes attention.

He'd flex around you.

He'd crack more jokes than usual around you.

He'd also try and act cooler around you at the same time.

You'd "bump" into him at random occasions.

He'd tease and poke fun at the other Gladers to make himself seem better.

Though that being said, he would not be good at flirting.

It'd be the kind of cheesy flirting that would leave you rolling your eyes and having to stop yourself from laughing.

Though, if you'd ever flirt back, he'd lose his cool and be turned into a stuttering, flustered mess.

Not such a cool guy after all, huh?

GALLY

Gally would be a problem.

More of a problem than usual.

He'd get in fights and insult people in front of you to try and make himself seem seem tougher and more "manly".

Not attractive and definitely not healthy.

You'd often grace his presence and then someone else would end up bruised and bloody.

Alby hates you.

Even though you've done nothing wrong.

He'd also try extra hard at work around you.

Lifting heavier things, barking more orders and pushing himself to his building limits.

"Oh no, it's too hot doing all this manual labour- better take my shirt off" typa energy.

Definitely more of a physical attention seeker.

Though, I think that'd probably scare you off more than anything.

Or maybe not.

I don't know what you're into.

FRYPAN

You'd be well-fed, to say the least.

Fry would get your attention in a similar way to Newt.

By providing you with food and anything you need.

Though, he'd be more open and complimentary.

Despite popular belief, he'd probably be the best out of the boys when it'd come to flirting and making you notice him.

He's not shy, but he's not an idiot who succumbs to his emotions and starts acting really different because he has a crush.

He'd ask you what you'd want to eat.

You'd accidentally end up picking the meals for the Glade everyday.

People would start asking you to get Fry to make their favourite foods.

Like Gally, he'd put far more effort into his work.

But in a healthier way with less violence.

Definitely a sweetheart, and no threat.

Thank God.

ALBY

He simply would not.

Not even Movie! Alby.

Sorry.

Ahhh I'm back.

This definitely isn't my best work but I'm also working on part 2 for "on my own"- which is a lot of hard work because I have to actually follow the plot lmao.

Anyway, I hope you liked these dumb lil headcanons :))

[electricea]

SHIPPING INFO. Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

What’s your OTP for your muse(s)?

I try not to have any one OTP though I have repeatedly said and still stand by that ships with fellow Phantom Thieves do have the strongest groundwork for a romantic relationship since there's already that bond or trust. Like just going over the Phantom Thieves really quickly.

Akira/Ren/Joker - I think that Joker was probably his first true friend in a long time and someone who almost immediately proved himself to Ryuji as a good and stand up guy - I think he admires Joker a lot whilst also recognizing Joker carries a lot of weight on his shoulders and I personally see him as trying to bring some cheer, trying to ease some of Joker's burdens as best as he can.

Ann - They've got that middle school connection even if they weren't really close friends - throughout the game, they've got that playfully bickering dynamic which could easily be read as flirty if you wanted to see it that way. The two along with Joker and Morgana were the first of the Phantom Thieves and I just feel they especially have such a strong bond and a strong foundation for a relationship. I also just feel like they'd have a lot of fun being together.

Yusuke - I do love that one skit in Mementos where Ryuji offers to take him out for ramen and after their initial rocky introduction, I can genuinely see Ryuji being protective over Yusuke and wanting to bond with him, not wanting him to be lonely - I think their contrasting personalities and interests would make for a lot of fun.

Makoto - I've always felt he's quite in awe of her, she's student council president and carries so much shit, she's also a complete badass in combat - similarly to Joker I feel he'd want to ease her burdens and be there for her however he could.

Haru - Haru is someone who at her core is incredibly sweet, I just love the idea of these two gardening together and bonding and spending time together. Definitely among the more underrated ships in my opinion.

Akechi - They'd honestly make a fun enemies to lovers ship, it's fun to flesh out their dynamic much more through RP!

Kasumi/Sumire - They've got a bit of an athletics commonality and I feel like if they spent more time together, something could potentially develop, they could become closer.

I also think he's cute with Mishima and it's fun to talk about shipping him with P3 and P4 characters like Chie, Naoto or anyone else! I like to think I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to ships.

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

Barring anything grievously problematic or inappropriate (like a relationship that's abusive in any way, shape or form or has an uncomfy age gap) I like to think that I'm pretty open minded - whether it's a pre-established ship, slow burn, even if it's more unconventional like friends with benefits situation. If someone wants to potentially ship their muse with Ryuji I'm absolutely open to hearing them out and hearing what they want to do as well as contributing some input of my own and I suppose maybe because I've had so many awesome partners who've never really tried to push or test my boundaries, I haven't thought of anything that would make me really uncomfortable, barring what I mentioned above - pretty much anything short of writing outright smut or porn. Just not comfortable doing that, especially if the muses in question are minors.

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

I mean if you're looking to ship with a 16/17 year old Ryuji - a high schooler - and your muse is an adult, that'd be an instant no from me. I have of course done verses where he's a bit older and is a young adult and likewise, I'd never want to ship an adult Ryuji with a much younger muse. So yeah, absolutely no adult/minor relationships on here - it's either teenager/teenager or adult/adult.

Are you selective when shipping?

I mean if someone is interested in shipping but our muses have never interacted I do at least ask for some interactions to gauge the chemistry first but I don't consider it being selective or testing them, we're just checking the chemistry, you know? Wouldn't want to write a ship where they feel more like siblings than they do like lovers.

Also having a relationship with the other mun does help but it's not a necessity - so long as we're both comfortable and willing to respect each others' boundaries, that's all you can really ask for - I will tell them if I feel uncomfortable with a certain aspect of the ship or ever wish to drop them and I expect them to do the same for me. Transparency on both sides.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

Any removal of clothes.

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

I'm really lucky to be able to ship him with so many muses and I think it'd be unfair to single a select few out when there's so many amazing ships so I'll just say that I'm endlessly grateful for each and every one of my ships and those who write them with me - it's impossible for me to highlight or rank or single out any one of them because they're all each wonderful and cherished in their own right.

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

I mean, I'm pretty dense so it does certainly help - I try not to assume anything - like if for example, we have a really flirty thread my mind doesn't immediately go to 'well looks like we're shipping them' because there are some instances where it could be just that - just innocent flirting and nothing more, yeah? If I don't 100% know where another mun stands regarding shipping our muses, I either ask them outright or I play it safe and send them platonic stuff instead. Nobody wants to be that person forcing a ship.

How often do you like to ship?

As often as I can!

Are you multiship?

That's right - each ship is treated as its own individual relationship - so there's no shenanigans, no cheating, no nothing. I respect blogs who can go single ship and I think that's wonderful for them and for their partners but it's just for me.

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

Is there like a middle ground here? Like I love gushing about ships and all but I dunno if I want to label myself 'ship obsessed' - I enjoy plotting and sharing headcanons and talking about how cute they are but it's not like ships are all I think about either.

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

I don't like to single out favourites but I've been reblogging quite a bit of PegoRyu fanart lately so it seems they occupy my heart, for now.

Finally, how does one ship with you?

Like my permanent shipping call, if I reblog one of those memes with like the list of emojis for all the possible relationships send me an outright shippy one, come into my DM's or ask me on Discord. Just be forthright with me. As I said before, I'm pretty dense.

Tagged by: @more-than-a-princess (Stole it!) Tagging: Steal it!

[steakout-05]

drawing my Craig fan design for REAL!!!!! + stupid little doodles

earlier i made a post talking about how i was planning on making my own canon where Crarry could still feasibly exist (as well as having other story beats and whatnot) and i mentioned how i refined my Craig design a little bit from the last time i drew him. i finally got around to actually drawing a proper full-body sketch of him and what he's supposed to look like!!! i think i drew his eyes a little more far apart than i intended but. whatever.

he's my skrunkly. he's my baby. he's got perpetually bored resting face and a phd in Pocketbeasts lore. he's got messy hair and a few stray whiskers as he tends to forget his own personal hygiene, what with being a hardworking scientist who usually doesn't show his face and all. i redesigned his eye to have more of a prominent scratch on it that warps and distorts his pupil, as i felt like that'd be the most fitting for his facial scar and the type of injury he has!

and for fun i'm gonna do a general timeline of the evolution of how i've drawn this design over time, because it's actually changed quite a bit since i first drew him back in 2022!! (click for better quality)

god it is. so weird looking back at that first design. it's so..... why is he so square shaped............. lol

now, in terms of differentiating this Craig from Canon Craig, i've thought of giving him some slight personality enhancements that i've always thought would fit him. i haven't seriously thought about it yet (i am tired) but here's some basic little traits i want to make more apparent in his character:

Logical Knowledgeable Creative Naive Perfectionist Fearful and Cowardly Not a very high self-esteem; Afraid to take charge Easily exhausted Not physically strong; Makes up for it with his quick-thinking skills Easily irritated when presented with inaccurate/false information Easily embarrassed; Tends to erase memories when this happens Reliable Honest Earnest Nerdy; LOVES to infodump about any given special interest he has Focused, sometimes to a fault Detail-oriented Introverted

this will likely be expanded on and developed more, but these general personality traits are quite fitting for how i headcanon Craig to be as a person!

i love how whenever i get attached to a character or even just really like them, i always bestow my best headcanon onto them in high regard: the autism headcanon. gonna try to keep this short so i don't infodump for 12 hours but the major autism traits i like to imagine Craig displaying are issues with social skills (unaware of many cues, accidentally says things in an inappropriate way/unintended tone, takes things literally, misconstrues sarcasm as genuine statements), a speech affect (monotone affect), low empathy (doesn't feel what other people feel and has trouble reacting to and feels uncomfortable with certain emotions), has special interests (robotics and engineering, Pocketbeasts, cats, and he loves infodumping about them!!), stimming (rubbing the back of his head when uncomfortable, fidgeting with and studying a particularly intriguing object or tool very closely, doing little puzzles that make little clicky noises that are very pleasant to listen to), experiences sensory issues (joint pain, eye strain, sensitivity to loud and sudden noises, despises certain tastes and textures, often experiences shutdowns), has a strong need for a solidified routine (sudden routine changes can cause distress for him, as he needs more time to process his surroundings and has a strong need for structure in his daily life), a few motor control issues (he's quite clumsy and has issues with spatial awareness, causing him to bump into stuff. this has unfortunately resulted in him bumping his thigh on the edge of a table way too many times.) and a few other things i've probably forgotten about. a lot of these are inspired by a few of my own traits as an autistic guy myself. the dude's like a combo of Data, Barclay and Geordi mixed into one dorky nerd (apologies for any non-trekkie followers who don't know who those characters are :skull:)

Craig seems like the type of person who, once you get him started, will infodump to you about his special interests for HOURS and he still wouldn't even be done yet. just like me fr. also tiny little Craig getting his face smooshed

get squoshed idiot

this is an older sketch i did when i was still finalising Craig's design along with doodling other stuff on the page. this was a little expression test of Craig blowing his face up with chemicals because 1. i thought it'd be funny. and it was. and 2. i've never really drawn him with big wacky expressions before, and i LOVE drawing big wacky expressions lol. it will be a rare sight to see Craig making a face like that but it'll still be funny nonetheless lol

no comment. only moob. i feel the same way about barry tbh HAHAHAAH what who said that

i fucking LOVE the Yababaina music video so much, it's absolutely insane and fun to watch, although it does put my eyes out of focus when i look at it for too long. heavy eyestrain and seizure warning for anyone who wants to check the video out, it's extremely fast-paced and has a lot of bright saturated colours. here are my three boys drawn doing that little handholding thing Miku, Teto and Zundamon do in the video. also first drawing of Prince Runingunin!!! he's so silly <3

that's everything i have today. i'm excited to draw this version of Craig more and make more art of him and Barry together!! just sucks i have to sorta swerve around canon with a convoluted solution but whatever. i like diverging from canon and making stuff up into my own thing anyway lol. blond nerd craig my beloved

[hypnotisedfireflies]

If Rachel hadn’t died when she did, would Tess have gone through with telling Joel how she felt about him? They’re both so happy in that honeymoon period after Indy I could have read an entire story set in that time period. (Even if not much would be happening)

How would a declaration of love gone at that point of their story? Would Joel have been receptive to it that early on? (We all know he was head over heels at this point, but would he have admitted it?)

And how would having their feelings out in the open effected their relationship going forward? (If at all) Since we know that the years that follow weren’t easy and that ultimately Tess isn’t able to heal him the way Ellie eventually does.

You guys ask good questions. Thanks for another, anon!

This is interesting because the whole course of the story really could have changed depending on the exact nature of how this happened.

Also, I would actually like to add a bit to Drifter's Dawn to incorporate more of that "honeymoon" period. There is more in Rachel's chapter of the Ensemble, but I do feel it was rushed in the OG story. ANYWAY. Two scenarios:

SCENARIO #1: Rachel and Ricardo both survive

Tess ultimately chickens out when she has the opportunity later that day. She comes so close to telling Joel, and she can't. He kind of knows what she almost said but he doesn't say it either.

However, the group changes course.

There's four of them and they're stronger. They decide to go south and they go back to the Appalachian Mountain cabin and find it actually undisturbed since they were last there. Tess tells Joel she loves him here by accident (probably mid-coitus) and he says it back and it's all very happy.

Joel teaches the other three a shitload about construction and they build on to the cabin and spend the next few years fortifying the area. It's not perfect, but they are far enough removed that nature takes care of a lot of natural obstacles, especially when there's a rockfall that wipes out the main access road to the cabin.

Over time they have some animals there, Rachel successfully establishes a thriving vegetable garden, and they even find a few other people and admit them into the group.

Joel still grows distant and becomes more and more focused on working the land and building stuff, spending increasing amounts of time alone. But he does have Ricardo, with whom he becomes incredibly close, and it's him who keeps him more or less level rather than Tess.

I never really developed Joel and Ricardo properly, but that friendship actually ran pretty deep.

Tess and Joel remain together but go on quite different trajectories. It's not a relationship like we see in Dusk and Joel never heals properly, but Tess does, and is mentally in a better place than she is in Dusk and beyond.

Maybe they find a young orphan and raise her up or something. That'd help Joel. Chuck a lost kid at him.

SCENARIO #2: Ricardo dies but Rachel survives

In this version Tess still doesn't tell Joel. Rachel is a mess. I mean, she really loved Ricardo. They spent a lot of time together in Indy - he lived with her toward the end - and they looked after one another. They spoke French together and he was teaching her Spanish. They were best friends.

What's also not written anywhere (because nobody who saw it happen lived in the story) was that Ricardo didn't get bitten in the store. Rachel panicked and shot him by mistake, and then she got mauled.

So in this scenario, Rachel would have been in such a state that Tess would not have told Joel. The moment passes. With Rachel so unwell, they would still have made for Boston and probably been billeted in a larger apartment so they could be together. They couldn't look after her in the open.

Rachel would have recovered and become a lot harder. This would basically have broken that kind, lovely spirit and she would have gotten into the smuggling with Tess and Joel.

[el-conejo-loco]

Hoxton X Blitz (OC) X Wolf Headcanons (Request for @horangislittletiger99)

• Three best friends who had slowly developped feelings for each other. Can a relationship get any better than that ?

• From the start, it was clear you adored one another. From your strong complicity, in the way you guys poked fun at each other's accents, and shared inside jokes only you seemed to understand, to the way you watched so faithfully over one another in tense situations.

• You're the first to speak out on the way you feel, earning you a relieved laugh from the others, who had started to feel a tension between you too. That confession escalates into a bone-crushing embrace, and a lot of excited giggling.

• From there, it all falls into place naturally. You guys are a flawless match.

• Bubbly and energetic Wolf on one side, matching your energy perfectly, and smug Hoxton on the other, serving as the more reserved, more composed, braincell of the group.

• A perfect balance of goofiness and seriousness. All the others have to admit that you work perfectly together.

• Due to his quieter, tougher nature, Hoxton tends to let his actions speak more than words. Often playfully jeering at you, while feeling nothing but adoration for his two goofballs, deep inside.

• A sort of "Idiots. My idiots." kind of situation.

• His love is mostly quiet, but a simple look at the way he acts speaks enough of what he thinks of you. He's surprisingly gentle, something not many of his acquaintances know him capable of. He listens more than he talks. He even displays his more dramatic, romantic side around you.

• He is the type to make his attentions go unnoticed. To try and subtly make note of your preferences. Typically the kind of person to keep track of things you mentionned you liked, so he can adapt to you, or gift you things you want.

• And, if asked about it, he'd contest it entirely.

• Feel free to tease him together to get on his nerves. It's guaranteed to make at least one of you laugh. Or to get him a little flustered.

• But you can be sure this man will pay you back double in embarrasment. The both of you. He's smoother than butter, when his goal is to be a smart-ass.

• He also has a story of being quite a partying type, so expect to hear the cheesiest, most affectionate speeches from him, after a couple too many drinks.

• Once again, blackmail material for the next day.

• Don't mistake his nonchalance for a lack of care. He wouldn't trade either of you for anything in the world. Only in your presence does he feels so effortlessly like himself, and there, he can relax past his proud attitude a lot more than with anyone else.

• On the other side, Wolf is openly adoring. Always covering his loved ones in hugs and a million compliments a minute. Trying as hard as possible to express just what he feels without holding anything back.

• Expect all kind of sweet intentions. Breakfast in bed, (probably stolen) gifts, handmade trinkets, and a hundred silly jokes per day.

• One of the many ways he shows affection is by putting interest into your own hobbies, and noticing small patterns and habits of yours.

• Just imagine his excitement when learning that you're just as passionate about video games as he is. He cannot stop asking you about it for days. He needs to know your preferences.

• Hox loves seeing you get passionate about something together. Even if it's something he couldn't care less about. You're more entertaining than any show, to him. And seeing you happy makes him smile.

• Physical touch is Wolf's number one love language, still. Arms around the shoulders to show support, hugs for comfort, and a way of looking into your eyes with such honesty and attention that it makes his devotion unmistakable.

• Hox has nothing against hugs, either. Prepare to be sandwiched in between the two, and perhaps just a little smothered. That'd especially be with Wolf. He has no control over his strength when excited.

• And getting to live with his two favorite people is nothing short of exciting ! He couldn't ask for anything more !

• You're often caught in the middle of the two's nickname battles, and what variations of the other's name they can find.

• The constant playful banter is worth any cheap TV show. Most of your interactions are of pure amusement. Especially with Wolf's silly and excitable personality.

• And yet, he can show a much more mature and gentle attitude when helping you through something difficult. A sudden change from playful and fun to concerned and somewhat protective.

• Leave it to him to understand how you feel when overwhelmed. He feels a lot of very similar emotions, and his struggles aren't too far off from yours. And he can be of great advice, if needed.

• Both are great listeners, and are willing to help, but I feel like they both would understand different aspects of you specifically. They have both been through their fair share of messes, but those are each their own type of trauma. Wolf gets it the most, though. His experiences have been so close to yours.

• He even gets the ADHD mania. In fact, seeing you like that might make his own manic side kick in.

• The exhaustion in the others' eyes would be like no other, in a moment like that. Especially in Hoxton's.

• He's the one whose job is now to keep you both in check. It's not an easy task everyday.

• But you're both far too adorable for him to protest. Whatever shenanigans occur, they're forgotten about in an instant. Seemingly.

• All in all, it's just the three of you, playing bodyguard, supporting, and flirting all day long with one another.

• It really doesn't get better than this.

[celesticlnstcrs-aa]

@mythcaels asked:

i'm always back with muse combos for kyung and isao since idk who else to pick because i'm not as familiar with your canons but i'd like to interact with them someday pls forgive me giving most focus on the ocs but ocs are so fair and deserve lots and i know them best so here i humbly offer more possibilities your way.

bayley & kyung - ✋ with a possibility of 💓💗? fuyuki & isao - 💘 would be funny idk haha aoi & kyung - mayyyyybe ☁️☀️🌈 could easily have a case of 💛 or maybe it really is a situation of 💚 for a long time until it slowly becomes a 💗❤️? WHO KNOWS michi & isao - MAYYYYYBE 🌈☀️ and if you want a 💛💗 for them too that'd be fun

i could probably offer more with all the muses i have ( if you want more just say so haha ) BUUUUT offers these

bayley & kyung ✋ colleagues 💓 colleagues to lovers 💗 slow burn

You know how I feel about slow burns. I love them so much, which works cause I can see Kyung trying not to date within the workplace, since it can make things complicated, but things start develop no matter how hard he tries.

fuyuki & Isao 💘 begrudgingly falling in love

That has so much room for conflict and head-butting, and I'm here for it. Isao can be pretty combative when he wants to be. Just trying to deny what feelings are developing, especially if they got off on the wrong foot.

aoi & kyung ☁️  friends from school | 💛 falsely assumed unrequited ☀️   best friends | 💚 actually unrequited 🌈  friends since childhood | 💗 slow burn | ❤️ friends to lovers

It could be that one of them had feelings since they were kids and it was unrequited until recently when they're both grown and adults. But in comes the feeling that they'll lose their chance at any moment, causing growing anxiety, especially since Kyung sometimes travels a lot for his job. He'd feel inadequate cause he wouldn't be able to give them the attention they deserve.

michi & isao ☀️   best friends 🌈  friends since childhood 💛 falsely assumed unrequited 💗 slow burn

Okay, but hear me out on this one. Isao is 100% the type to flirt with his friends, but when those lines begin to blur for him, things get difficult because he thinks Michi won't actually take his hints since he's been flirting with this guy for years. On the other hand, Isao isn't as easy to read as he thinks he is, which leaves so much room for drama and fodder.

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐒 ;; accepting

[chordsykat]

I see the "Herald" descriptions for Baen-she and I was wondering how you came up with that?

It's uh... aliens. No, it's not. And it's not substance abuse or secret access to unreleased Metalocalypse lore or secretly being Brendon Small or even having a space helicopter that can fly to the future (all are excellent and very popular guesses, however).

If I told you the secret is having a lot of time to think about it all, that'd probably be the real answer. But I realize it's a huge cop-out, too. So what if I told you that character development that goes beyond the surface-level and ascends into metaphorical and symbolic territory is something you can learn to do? Or maybe, better yet, it's something you can train yourself to do? Like flexing a muscle you didn't know you had..?

But to give this question its proper due, I'm going to have to delve into both Dethkomic and (very speculative) Metalocalypse fan-theory. Therefore, spoiler alert if you follow me below the cut :)

One of the nice things about working with an entire cast of OCs, as opposed to just one, is the built-in ability to play each one off the other, and build intricate thematic relationships that seem a lot harder to pull off than they actually are. The other nice thing Dethkomic specifically has going for it, is that I get to borrow off of themes already found in the canon.

Finding good ways to connect your characters to the world you put them in on an abstract level takes one thing above all else, and that's listening to who they really are. So, whether I'm writing fanfic or my own fic, I ask myself "Why are we writing these people in the first place?"

Sometimes this will lead you to answers like "They're just here to hang out with X," and I think the majority of fanfiction has that component to it. Mine sure does. But that's not always the totality of any character's purpose in the story by a long shot. If you're looking to throw symbolism, metaphor, and themes into your work, you're probably not writing one-shot hookup fics where that actually is the final answer (and if you do want to put that stuff into one-shot hookup fics, you should send me your WIPs because that sounds amazing).

It should be said -- None of the stuff I'm talking about here is necessary to tell a good story. Working with layers of metaphor is tricky, but if you successfully pull it off, even a little bit, it can add to the "wow, cool!" factor. That's not just something for the audience, either. As a writer, your overall satisfaction will see an uptick as well.

Symbols and character themes come about in two ways -- one is intentional, and one is incidental. You look at a character's personality and you might say, "This is Bob. Bob's spirit animal is a naked mole rat and his guardian celestial body is a black hole and his guiding natural element is ragweed." These themes are intentional and you can and should have fun putting little tidbits of them into your writing, straight out of the gate. Bob goes to a zoo and he gravitates to the naked mole rats? That's so Bob!

Incidental themes are a bit trickier. They appear as side-quests in your writing journey, and it's up to you to notice them. Here's a pointer -- if you get good at spotting symbolism in others' writing, you are "training your writing muscle" to be better at spotting it in your own. The bad guys escaped into a cave and the good guys are all afraid of the dark? Well holy shit! What about using Bob to go in and get them? Maybe Bob's not afraid of the dark? Maybe Bob is a natural spelunker? Bob's spirit animal is a naked mole rat, after all! This is so Bob!

So how do you "train" to spot symbolism? As I said above, the best way is to look at the media you enjoy, and see if you can spot any themes the authors have snuck in. Don't be afraid to "cheat" by interacting with your fandom and looking up some connections other people have made. Metalocalypse is full of this stuff, and we get into what I think are some of our liveliest discussions when we go back and forth about the prophecy. Go look at the wikis. Go peruse fan-theories (even "debunked" ones) on message boards, Discords and... *sigh*... Reddit (no offense to all my Klokateers on Reddit out there -- ilu but not the platform). Join in on the discussions right here on hellsite when they come about. Prophecy-speculating one of my favorite things about this fandom, personally.

So that brings us back to me and why my characters are here in the first place. Most of you know this, but Baen-Shee is in the Dethkomic story to explore the supernatural side of things. Not every MTL OC out there (or every character in the show for that matter) is going to be involved in the Prophecy, but I enjoy torturing myself with difficult and incomplete lore puzzles, so mine are players in it. All that said, here's probably what you came for in the first place -- a breakdown of some of the things I'm thinking about with my own characters as I examine the canon and my own stories, and little tidbits about how some of it came about:

Nita: We know she's head of the group, muscially, but I liked the idea of her being the last one anybody expected to be the most powerful character, supernaturally. I saw a lot of opportunities to play up her kind and unthreatening nature while simultaneously giving her character arcs that emphasize personal growth and strength of character. Nathan's a character who is giving off every indication that he's in charge and capable of managing his band and becoming a leader when the end of the world goes down -- but we all know he's incredibly insecure about all of it. I wanted Nita's purpose to not only be the usual finding herself stuff, but also helping others to find themselves. She's the Holy Unifier, and her "great appointed eternal task" is to keep everyone together. Too, I feel Nathan as the Chosen One is representative of the power of an individual, whereas Nita's on the flip side of that coin as the power one gets from others around them (she's totally Twilight Sparkle is what I'm trying to say, here).

Caj: She's a study in duality and surprises. Guardian of life, but also an assassin. The Holy Mother and (wo)man-at-arms. She's a girl who presets as a boy. Her eyes are two different colors. Her totem is a chameleon. And lest we forget, it's funny as hell that her Chosen One is also her greatest rival on the planet... etc, etc... Some of you guys already picked up on this, but watch closely, every mention of angels and devils in our current Dethkomic arc. This is a good example of a theme that sticks around for one story, only -- which is a thing that happens often in fictional serials and something you can totally employ if you only have one story to tell.

Cherry: The Holy Messenger -- and the Metalocalypse's first sacrificial player. Unlike Charles who follows her into the great hereafter a few weeks later, she doesn't get to escape death and become the Dead Man. I am so utterly stoked to show you her part in the continued Dethkomic stories, and that starts happening in just over a week from now, so I am going to try containing my excitement and keep from spoiling too much, but... Cherry's spirit animal is a phoenix for a reason. Also, I've said before the reason Cherry dies is not just a matter of emotionally torturing my readers, nor is it angst-porn: She dies because you need to get comfortable with the idea of major characters dying in my stories. ...and now I've probably said too much.

Sparkles: I've said before how Sparkles is my favorite character to write for, and how it's not just because I don't have to think up any dialogue for her beyond the occasional grunt and growl. Sparkles is a spirit of purity, nature, and all that's good and right in the world. It's definitely more an abstract concept than it is an "element" and I get to really stretch my imagination when coming up with the kind of things she's capable of. One symbol, one idea, one theme can mean several different things, and you might find as a writer (and especially if you're only just beginning to dip your toe into this stuff), it's easiest to loosely define your connections so as not to write yourself into a corner. You'll see Sparkles' powers finally come to the fore in Issue #7 of Dethkomic, and they suit her on several different fronts. I really surprised myself when I came up with it, in fact.

Eden: Her element is "the void" -- whatever that is -- and it's more than just a connection to her position as herald of death. Here again, keeping things kinda vague and loose, but the mirror-effect of a character whose history is (currently) a big question mark, having powers that come from something as obscure as a "concept" of an element is a connection one might make. Too, we throw that extra element of the moon in there, as a sort of guardian celestial force (calling to mind other visions too -- like space in general, the stars, the afterlife, the heavens...) and you can make further connections with Toki's association with rabbits on a mythological level. It's kind of all over the place, but tight enough to work, I think. Oh -- and speaking of mythology and bunnies in the moon... brush up on your world mythologies every chance you get. They'll do nothing but serve you in this endeavor, because at the end of the day, it's all about connecting the dots... or the stars in the sky, as it were!

SO. That was more of a tutorial than it was an answer. I hope you got to read through this and are still interested in this question, Claudia. It was a lot of fun to ponder and equally enjoyable to throw in some pointers for all my writers out there.

Also, I haven't gotten into it yet, but this is a good time to remind anyone reading this far that I'm doing a how-to-make-comics thing over on @dethkomic, and I release a tutorial every update over there. I totally will be covering more about metaphors and the like, very soon.

Great question! Thanks for reading!

[demons2003]

My Boys (Chapter 36)

Series List

Y/n's pov

After walking for so long I was starting to get so bored. There was nothing to do at all or look at and it still didn't look like we were getting any closer to the end of the hall. "I mean, you have to admit, as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive," Dustin says. "What are you talking about? It's a total fire hazard. There's no stairs, there's no exit, there's just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell," Steve explains to him. "They're Commies. You don't pay people, they cut corners," Erica says. "To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking," Robin adds. I agree and say, "Yeah. Those guys that came in earlier were on a vehicle." "And think about it, they developed the perfect system for transporting cargo." Robin continues. "It all comes into the mall like any old delivery," Dustin says. "And then they load it up onto those trucks and nobody's the wiser," I also say, wanting to join all of this. "You think they built this whole mall so they could transport that green poison?" Steve asks us.

"I very seriously doubt it's something as boring as poison. It's gotta be much more valuable, like promethium or something," Dustin says. "What the hell is promethium?" I ask, not really remembering much from anything science related. "It's what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components," Robin explains to me. "Oh, ok yeah I remember that," I say, smiling at her. "You're all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill," Erica complains. Steve looks offended by the comment and says, "No, no, no. No, don't lump me in with them I'm not a nerd, all right?" "Why so sensitive Harrington? Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child?" I tease him. Steve slightly glares at me and says, "No, I'm just saying I don't know jack shit about Prometheus." "Promethium. Prometheus is a Greek mythological figure, but whatever. All I'm saying is, it's probably being used to make something," Dustin corrects. "Or power something," Robin adds. "Like a nuclear weapon?" Dustin asks. "Totally," Robin agrees. I really love my two nerds and my jock.

"Walking towards a nuclear weapon. That's great. That'd be great," Steve sarcastically says. I softly smile and grab onto Steve's hand. "Hopefully they're wrong," I whisper to him. He sighs but nods with me. "But if they're building something, why here? I mean, Hawkins. Seriously. Of all places." Robin asks. "Fuck," I whisper, an idea popping into my head. What if this was all because of the Upside Down? It was the only thing that made Hawkins special in any way. And it would be a really good weapon to try and control. "You ok?" Steve asks, turning around which causes the rest of the group to stop and turn as well. I look at everyone, wondering if I should worry them with my thoughts or keep them to myself. "Um, yeah, sorry just a thought. Let's keep moving," I blurt out, pushing past everyone and trying to work down the hallway faster. Robin continues talking, saying, "At the very best, we're a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland, but maybe that's it. Maybe it's our very..." Steve grabs onto my arm and pulls Dustin and I behind Robin, her continuing to talk but I focus on the boys instead.

"You think the Russians know?" Dustin asks us. I look down as Steve starts to ask, "About..." "They could," I interrupt. "So it's connected?" Steve asks. "Maybe," Dustin asks. "How?" Steve wonders. If the Russians were able to get a gate open, we were fucked, but maybe we were just overthinking all of it. Maybe they know nothing about the Upside Down. Maybe they were just building normal weapons to attack normal countries. "I don't know but it's..." Dustin answers Steve. "Possible," All three of us say at the same time. "I'm sorry, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Robin asks us as she turns around, clearly annoyed with the whispering. We look at Robin and then at each other.

Before we can tell Robin and Erica anything, the walkie starts to go off, someone speaking in Russian through it. "Walkie," Steve and Dustin say at the same time, all of us walking over to Robin and Erica again. We all kneel on the ground as Erica grabs out the walkie-talkie. Robin takes it from her and pulls the antenna out as we continue to try to listen to the man speaking through the walkie. In Russian says, 'A trip to China sounds nice. If you tread lightly.' "It's the code," Robin tells us. "Wherever that broadcast is coming from..." Dustin starts to explain but I butt in and say, "It's close." "And if there's one thing we know about that signal..." Robin continues the rambles as Dustin finishes with, "It can reach the surface." We all smile and Robin says, "Let's go," getting up with Erica. I look over to Steve and Dustin to find them looking a little worried with each other. "We'll work it out if it comes to it," I whisper, putting my hands out to help them both up. They nod and grab my hands, standing up and walking with Robin and Erica down the hallway again.

A few Minutes Later

We slowly peek around the corner, noticing that there are people walking everywhere in front of us. "Okay, clear, come on, let's go," Steve whispers, waving for us to follow behind him as he leaves the safety of the wall. We all follow behind him and hide again so we are no longer in sight of anyone that could kill or capture us. "Okay, that was close," Robin says when we are safe again... "Too close," Dustin snaps a little too loudly. "Relax. All right? Relax. Nobody saw..." Steve snaps back at him, slowing down as he turns the next corner. We follow after him and see a bunch of Russians moving around a central point. We look surprised by what we are looking at. Steve is the first to snap out of it, whispering, "Shit," and pulling us into a crouching spot behind a create at the side of the hallway. "Jesus!" Steve whispers again. "Red Dawn," Dustin reminds us. "I saw it. First floor, northwest," Erica tells us. "Saw what?" Steve questions her. "The comms room," Erica whisper/yells at him. "You saw the comms room?" Steve asks in disbelief. "Correct," Erica slightly snaps. "Are you sure?" I ask her, also not able to see where she's looking. "Positive. The door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there," Erica explains to us. "That could be a hundred different things," Dustin says. Robin, Steve and I all move close together and Robin says, "I'll take those odds." Steve looks to me for confirmation and I nod. Not like we can get into less trouble.

Steve stares at us both for a second and sighs, shaking his head in slight disbelief. We all slowly look out from behind the create and look towards where we think the comms room may be located. Steve hides back behind it and we all follow. "All right. We're gonna move fast, we're gonna stay low. Okay?" Steve whispers to us all. We all say okay to him and he starts to move out from our hiding stop. I follow quickly after, everyone else also following me. We stay crouched and hide behind another create. Steve continues to look out and moves when he believes it to be safe, the rest of us following close behind him. "Shh! Move it," Steve whisper shouts to us as we hide behind something again. He watches a door and as a guy opens it and walks away, Steve turns to us and whispers, "Let's go," quickly moving to the closing door and entering. "Sh, sh. Come on," Steve whispers to us all as we enter the room.

He closes the door when Dustin finally comes in and Robin and I make sure the kids are all in. Robin freezes a little and I look in that direction to find a guy already sitting in the chair at the controls. He slowly spins around to face us and takes his headphones off when he notices us in the room. Shit, shit, shit, shit. We all just stand there looking at each other, Steve still bent over, closing the door. The Russian reaches for his gun and Robin steps forward and yells, "Tread lightly!" in Russian. "Tread lightly," Robin says in Russian again but softer than before. The guy asks us a question but Robin just replies with, "Silver car... Silver cat," in Russian, pointing to herself. He says another thing but we still don't understand. Robin turns to look at Steve and I but I don't have any idea what to do. "China?" Robin asks, stepping forward. The man scoff and grabs his gun. I step protectively in front of the kids while Steve yells and runs at the guy. Steve tackles him over the controls and continues to yell at the guy. The guy gets his strength and throws Steve into another table, Steve groaning on impact. The guy takes a swing at Steve but he leans back and misses it. Steve loses his balance a little and the guy grabs onto his collar. He throws Steve face-first into a table and then pulls him back up by the back of the collar.

Steve throws his elbow back, causing the guy to step away from him. Steve serges forward and grabs onto a metal thing and turns around and hits the guy across the face, knocking him out. Steve pants a bit from the fight and pushes his hair back into place but it falls a little anyway. "Dude!" Dustin yells at him. Steve looks over to us and Dustin yells while pointing at Steve, "You did it. You won a fight!" "Jeez," I hear Steve whisper, looking down at the guy he just beat. He softly laughs at the realisation and steps away from the guy. My brain kicks back in and I run over to Steve, cupping his face. "Are you ok?" I ask, looking over his face and body. He laughs at me and puts his hands on mine, "I'm ok. Calm down cutie." I laugh a little bit but in the corner of my eye, I notice Dustin moving over to the guy. "What are you doing?" Erica asks him. I fully turn to Dustin as he says, "Getting us our ticket out of here." "You want to walk all the way back?" Erica asks him in disbelief. She walks over to him, Dustin doing the same, and stand toe to toe. "Well, we can hang out for a little bit, relax, have a picnic maybe," Dustin sarcastically says. "Have a picnic? We came here for a radio," Erica yells at him. "This plan is way better. If I knew Steve could knock out a Russian, that would've been our plan in the first place," Dustin yells back. I roll my eyes and grab onto Steve's hand to try and ground myself.

I look to where Robin was standing only to find her missing. I start to panic a little and run over to a hallway to find her already running back to us. "Guy," She interrupts Dustin and Erica's fighting. Steve, Dustin and Erica look at her and she says in a panicked voice, "There's something up there." Without another word, everyone moves into action and quickly walks down the hallway Robin just came from. We make it to a door and Robin opens it to let everyone in. "Let's go," Steve whispers to everyone as we enter the room. Erica and Dustin move in front of us three and move over to the next door and looks through a window each. Steve and I look through the one Dustin is at while Robin looks through the one Erica is standing at. "Holy shit," Dustin whispers. Inside the next room, we notice another type of control room. This one, however, has glass windows from floor to ceiling and looks down at a spinning electrical machine that is shooting a laser into the wall. I hear a loud familiar shriek coming from around the area and I shiver.

Steve, Dustin and I look at each other, knowing exactly what all of this means. "The gate," We all say at the same time. "No, no, no, no," I whisper, Steve placing his hand on my back to calm me a little. Robin and Erica look confused at everything but Steve says, "We need to go. Now." He pushes on my back to get me moving and makes sure everyone is in front of him. "I don't understand. You've seen this before?" Robin asks us all. "Not exactly," Steve answers for us. "Then what, exactly?" Robin asks, slightly pissed. "All you need to know is it's bad," Dustin says. "It's really bad," Steve helps. "Like, end-of-the-human-race-as-we-know-it kind of bad," Dustin continues. "And you know about this how?" Robin asks, looking between the three of us but stopping on me and giving me a slightly heartbreaking look. I look down as Erica asks, "Um, Steve? Where's your Russian friend?" We all look to the floor where the Russian guy was but no one is there. An alarm starts to go off and Steve runs over to the door, me following close behind him. "Shit," Steve and I say at the same time. He opens the door and a bunch of yelling is heard from the outside. Steve slams the door shut and whispers, "Shit." "Go, go, go, go, go!" Steve yells at us and we all run the way we just came from. We start opening different doors as Steve yells, "Move! Let's move!" Dustin randomly stops and everyone in the room notices us enter. Dustin runs off to the side and we all quickly follow after him. "Go! Shit, shit, shit, shit! Go, go, go!" Steve continues to yell at us all. A guy stands in our way and Dustin pushes him to the side and lets out a stream.

We make it to the front of the laser when Dustin stops moving. "Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" Dustin yells. "Steve?" I ask, tears filling my eyes. He looks at me bewildered, with no ideas coming to him. "Guards!" Erica yells. Steve moves his eyesight and yells, "This way!" He grabs my arm and pulls me down the flight of stairs. "Come on!" I yell back to everyone. Another guard moves into our way and Steve shoulders him out of the way, continuing to run. "Oh shit! Oh shit!" Steve yells as more guards move in our path. He knocks over some barrels in their way and moves in a different direction. "Come on! Go, go, go, go, go!" Steve yells, ushering everyone in front of him again. "Come on!" Robin yells as well. We run into more doors and Robin runs past and yells, "This way!" I push the kids in front of me and continue to run after Robin. "Come on, quick!" Robin yells as she opens a door. "Hold the door!" Steve yells behind me, causing me to hold it until he comes in after me.

He runs past and slams the door on all of the guards that are following closely behind us. They continue to pound on the door but Steve pushes himself against it. "Y/n! Robin!" He calls to us. We look around the room to try to find a way out but can't find anything. "Shit!" Dustin yells when he notices the same thing. "Fuck!" I whisper/yell, running around the room to find somewhere the kids could hide or a way for us to get out. "Help me, come on!" Steve yells out. Robin runs over to him and they hold on to the door to prevent the guards from coming in. "Here! Come on, let's go!" Erica yells out, opening a vent cover. Dustin and I run over to her and help her lift it up. "Come on!" Dustin yells over to Steve and Robin after Erica jumps in. "Go! Just get out of here!" Steve yells at us. I looked shocked up at him and shake my head. "No, come on, now!" Dustin yells at them, jumping down the vent. "No! Just go, get some help, okay?" Steve yells at us. Dustin looks over at Steve while I try to push him down. "What are you doing?" Steve yells, noticing us both still there. "Go!" Robin, Steve and I yell. Dustin looks up at me and I use the opportunity to push him down and close the vent behind him. "Y/n!" Dustin yells when I shut it. I push my weight onto the vent to close it more while Dustin tries to push up. Steve looks up at us but I ignore his stare and down at Dustin. "Go! We'll be ok!" I yell down at him. Dustin looks up concerned and grabs my hand through the vent. "Don't do this, come with us," He whispers to me, tears slowly filling his eyes. I smile softly at him and shake my head. "Get out of here Dusty, go get us some help," I say and move over to Robin and Steve. "I won't forget you! I'll always love you Y/n!" Dustin yells from the vent. "Go!" Robin, Steve and I yell at him again. I move over to Steve and Robin but they're knocked away from the door before I can help.

I quickly move in front of them both as guards swarm into the room. We all hold our hands up and look into the barrel of their guns. A guy in front of me grabs harshly onto my arms and starts to drag me out of the room. "Y/n!" Robin and Steve yell. I turn to watch them both shuffling to get up but the guards all move closer and yell at them. I try to fight my way back to them but the guard holding me throws me against the wall and starts yelling at me. I notice Steve ball up his fists but doesn't move. What the hell did I just get myself into? The guy pulls me off of the wall and drags me away from Robin and Steve. Away from my family.

[tartrazeen]

I have finally seen Across the Spiderverse!

tl;dr - amazing movie, folks here need to be more normal about Miguel

The longer version:

1. I'm so happy you people put that "Gwen is trans" theory in my head.

I got to watch the whole beginning of the movie like, "Omg, her dad is so supportive of her!"

And then I got to watch that part where Miles tells her, "We're the same. Uh - I mean, in the important ways, we're same," and be like "(⁠☞ﾟ⁠∀ﾟ⁠)⁠☞ Solid recovery, man."

And then I got to watch the part where Gwen comes back home, and when her dad asks her where she's been, appreciate the metaphor that'd be in, "I was off murdering all my best friends." Like - oof. I would not have caught the added meaning in a trans girl telling that to her father without this theory. A bit of "I guess he's not that supportive" followed by "Oh thank God, he's going to try harder through the power of movie magic and love and acceptance."

And that really hammered home the "Spider-man is a metaphor for coming out" with Miles, because he can't exactly pull a Misha Collins and come out as straight. As bi, though? As part of a big, interconnected web of LGBTQ2I+? Yeeeesssss.

Separately from that, I hope he and Gwen get together, really building off the "I'm gonna do my own thing" arc he's going through, paired with the "It doesn't end well" bit about Gwen falling for a Spider-man.

2. Loved how quickly they set up Spot.

I get him, I get the story, but they kept the pacing perfectly focused on the Spiderverse stuff. Spot's in the background but also developed well in the background. It's a perfect case of 'not too little' but especially - more importantly! - not too much.

3. Hobie is a fucking bro.

He showed up to help everyone - like one of the first things out of his mouth was, "Hey Miles, you can do better with your powers, here's some help." Loved him. And the fucking COMMON SENSE this guy had? I loved his little "haha anarchy" jokes, but this guy was on the Spiderverse's side completely - right up until he realized, "Nope, this shit has crossed a line" and immediately fought back against them. He didn't just help Miles and then quit. He helped Miles, quit, probably left assuming that Miguel wasn't gonna go completely batshit, and despite that assumption, still had the presence of mind to pass on his not-a-watch to Gwen.

And I think someone else wrote that he ran away? I disagree with characterization. He didn't panic and leave, and he didn't even abandon anybody. He disagreed, withdrew his support, and then left the others to come around at their own speed. I mean, Miguel hurried that speed up a lot, but that just speaks to how fast Hobie moved from "I agree with the Spiderverse" to "You guys are fucking facists." And the second he was tagged to help - after realizing how correct he was about the 'facist' thing - he was immediately back to actively fighting alongside Gwen. There was no passiveness on his side whatsoever. What a bro. And he even gave Gwen a place to stay when she needed it, which was such an extra point of community. 💖

4. Uhhhhhh can everyone please be more normal about Miguel...?

Because I watched that movie. I know like 5% of who this guy is. They gave us the Cliff notes of Sad Backstory and a glimpse - a glimpse! - into how he probably felt, but it was all from behind an iron mask. We haven't gotten into any of the real him yet, just the anger and outrage and fury.

So... people taking running with an obviously incomplete character? That's normal, fine, sure.

People taking that and running with it to slot him in as an uwu Top for Peter B.? Did you only go in looking for a ship, and did you have to be so weird about making it be the guy whose only defining traits are "Big" when his other and MORE IMPORTANT defining trait is "PoC whose race has been historically and actively fetishized for being violent sex objects"? 'Cause it's like everyone just scrubbed that 5% of what we know away to put him into this predefined "Big Dom Top" role with zero self-reflection, and handwaved how that once again perpetuates every racist stereotype this relates to. All to woobify the white guy some more.

I'm all for shipping, but you people literally don't know him. His story's pretty clearly being saved for the next movie, comic book sales show so many of you don't read those and definitely didn't before this (likely just stopping at what Wikipedia says), and went off of ~v i b e s~

And just happened to not notice how creepy and fetishizing it is that those were the vibes you were left with.

5. I teared up when Miles' story started. Yes, right after the opening title.

I wasn't expecting it, but as soon as the music started and that atmosphere was set, I just got hit with such a wave of, "This is unapologetically black." I heard the Puerto Rican vibes coming in later and both of them perfectly throughout the movie, but the centering of his blackness through the music alone. It was a 'great opening for a sequel' before that point. At that point? It was 'a brand-new story.' 💖💖💖💖 Representation bbyyyyy

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Decommission Protocol; or, I Accidentally Wrote A Book, I Guess??

So. I've been trying to take a break from a taxing revision project *shoves Driscoll and friends under the rug*, and I thought the best way to do that was to write self-indulgent fluff and angst and horrible AUs and bridge material for my favorite idiot birdkids (foolproof). And I thought (like a dumbass) that this would be a few collections of short stories, and random standalone scenes, and neat bits I've been hoarding on Post-Its since 2019.

I wanted to start with the Jorge Stuff, because it's been bugging me longest, and I'd written something similar for a different character, and that wound up being like 10 pages, which is kind of a lot but not ~Unreasonable~. So I figured I'd write About The Same Amount for this, and that'd be cool, and then I could move on to a zillion other smaller ideas, and I'd have a grand time :)

Reader: I started this back in February. And I accidentally wrote sixty-four (64) pages about it. Which. When I compare that to my NaNo Notebook of two (2) years ago (because it's the same size paper). I realize. It will probably turn out to be about 50k.

Oops?

Anyway, this got just slightly away from me, but I had a very good time, and I finished it today!! I think I'm doomed to type it, though, because there's some deeper worldbuilding and interesting character development in here that I'd be sad to lose, and right now it only exists in this notebook (yikes).

Pictured above: The Notebook, the Pen and a Half that I killed writing this, and the scraps of paper and Post-Its I loosely planned scenes/tested dialogue exchanges on--I didn't plot notecards for this because I thought it'd be just a little guy, so this is all I have by way of prep work!

[rotshop]

May I, may I ask for Dave content? The british guy? Is he alcohol? Oh God

OHHHHHHH i SUPPOSE you can ........ far warning a bit short since a) its dave i dont have lore for him hes just A Guy to me /pos b) i dont know what the fuck i was on with the other hcs . anyway .

[ brief alcohol mentions sort of . ig ]

-he is alochol :(

-ANYWAY chances are you're some form of mercenary / gun for hire the S.Q. finds themself needing the aid of pretty frequently. you're around enough that most people know your name and think of you as a coworker (despite any real title of employee being given to you) but not enough that most feel free to talk to you. Dave, of course, is an exception to this.

-he does his best to be friendly with most people who need a ride from him. sure, he's The pilot of the S.Q, but it's not exactly a great idea to be on bad terms with someone who could kill him and either A) let the plane crash and get put back together or B) just take over and bail. you're included in his policy of trying to make some small conversation with his riders, simple questions of where you were headed and for what making up a majority of your interactions. while he's typically the one doing the questioning, there's a few times where you'll ask about him instead. of course, he's more than happy to go on long, dramatic stories that (to varying degrees) relate to whatever it is you asked him. (you suspect he adds a few details that are less than authentic in order to make you laugh or to otherwise get a rise out of you, but he'll never tell)

-conversations slowly develop into being more varied and personal. you tell him more about yourself that isn't related to your current job, and he mellows out a bit and tells you about his life before the madness. he'll usually save it for after a mission or more casual travel, not wanting to distract you from your objective or otherwise kill the mood, so to speak.

-eventually, this builds up to you both talking more outside of flying. you'll run into each other in hallways and oh-so conveniently happen to be going to the same place (even though he'd just been walking the other way. odd.), deciding that some company wouldn't be bad on the way. then comes the little, 'just wanted to see how you were holding up's, little check ins spread about here and there with little rhyme or reason. he'll typically do them later on after a mission and a visit to Skinner, possibly bringing along some little snack or drink if you're in a bit rougher of shape.

-speaking of drinks ; you've definitely had some long winded, rambly conversations over a bottle of something watered down and honestly pretty flavorless. the both of you probably aren't making much sense, making shot-in-the-dark takes and roughly bouncing ideas off of one another. other times though, you two just talk about yourselves, whether that be the past, future, or just something that happened earlier on in the day.

-he's really no expert, but if you get banged up on some outing, he'll do his best to keep an eye on it after Skinner fixes you up. he'll re-wrap bandages for you, pull you under a light to get a look at a bruise or healing wound, the whole deal. at first, it's a little jarring just how little he hesitates (past the initial checking if its alright) in pulling you around, but you soon get used to it. you'll find him with his hands on you a grand majority of the time, in the form of an arm that'd been thrown around you in the middle of some story, brushing around some splotch or tracing a scar- anything that lets him have some contact.

-you two never really explicitly state anything to anyone, but everyone knows yu two are more than just 'close friends.' it shows in how he's always slipping in between giving rides to come find you and check up on you , you seeming to perk up just a bit too much and him being just a bit too long in holding you close (he's incredibly prone to picking you up and spinning you around in a hug when he sees you, as everyone's noticed, and then just keep you close while he talks to you). or the many many times you've fallen asleep around or on one another, whether out in some other room, one of your guys' (Q-bert -and everyone who'd been woken up by his shouting- vividly remembers blurting some surprised nonsense out when he'd gone to get his friend only to find you there with your head on his chest, his arm around you, and the both of you out cold. neither of you appreciated the rude awakening either) rooms, or some other random place. or the many times you've just plain kissed eachother like i dont know what to tell you

-he's got a soft spot for slow dancing so i hope you're cool w/ that . he doesn't care if you have a bad rythm, he really doesn't either with how often he'll just suddenly pull you in one way or another. he's happy to try and teach you if you want him to though !! he's not the best at it, but he'll do his best to go slow and explain as well as possible.

-feel free to take his jacket for a bit, he thinks its cute and funny even if he does feel like he's freezing to death sumtimes <33333 . if its big on you he'll tease you about it JUST . a bit . :]

-uses nicknames / petnames more than ur actual name , including with other people . many people have been greatly confused by this . it can be a bit embarrassing to have him shouting them out after you (you get him right back by giving him stupid ones).

-bring him any gifts and he'll hold onto them forever . whether they be something bigger and expensive (even though he might -very gently and nonseriously- scold you a bit because you dont NEED to be spending money on him you fucking !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! X| . as much as he appreciates it a part of him is a little self-conscious / anxious about the price aspect of it) or just something small that made you think of him, he cares about them a whole bunch . does his best to return the favor

-prone to giving kisses on the forehead and hand . they just feel very warm and affectionate to him and he hopes they convey his care for you in the ways he can't exactly translate in gifts or words .

[fairycosmos]

hi💕 i have a parasocial relationship with you and i hope your good and you deserve so much from life anyway!! i’m kinda scared i still have feelings for this guy i used to hook up with kinda a situationship kinda thing and sometimes i think i was in love with him but i have a bf now who’s amazing and adores me and would do anything for me and who i love so so much but rarely when i’m drunk i think of the other guy and i’m drunk right now and i just want to text him and idk why i shouldn’t and i would never do anything i love my bf idk why i feel like this and i shouldn’t but i want to see him the other guy god i’m sorry for this i’m sorry for this 💜

hiii 💕 honestly this is just my limited outsiders perspective but it sounds like you just need some food, water, a nap and to sober up. i don't mean that in a dismissive way at all, but it's really common to get in your emotions and for things to feel way bigger than they are when you're drunk. you know? it's normal to miss people from the past sometimes, especially if they meant a lot to you. but if this wave of nostalgia/thinking of him only happens once in a blue moon when you're pissed, i wouldn't over analyse it. 

like i wouldn't read it as some giant red flag indicator that you're not in love with your current boyfriend, or something. unless you start having these thoughts and feelings on a regular basis while you're sober, about texting the other guy and seeing him etc etc, then of course that'd be a different story. if it's really bugging you, i think it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on it and see if it develops into something like that, and if it does you can decide what you need to do for the best from there. but for now i think you can breathe love. get a snack, turn off your phone, seek gentle distractions until you get tired. and see how you feel in the morning. it'll all probably feel at least a little bit clearer by then. also no worries at all LOL and thank you so so much for the kind words btw 💕 i appreciate it a ton. you're very sweet and im sending a huge hug over ur way 😭

[xxxdoppel]

6 Anime-Style Units I Expect to Be Released in Magia Record.

Continuing from my original post from last week, today I will talk about what specific units I'm expecting to become part of the series.

Thanks to H.Mami and Yachiyo, I have noticed a small recurring theme in these releases: animation quality. And what do I mean by that? Well, for those of you who have seen the anime, you probably have noticed already that the game developers are choosing the scenes with the best animation quality as the units' transformation and magia/doppel sequences. That being said, by watching the anime and paying close attention where the animation quality improves significantly, we can take a guess on what characters could join the game in their new anime-style form.

Holy Mami got the improved Blu-Ray edit of her showdown at the Memory Museum from season 1. Yachiyo got her anger-driven transformation and doppel from her battle against Mifuyu, which just so happens to be the peak animation season 2 gave us. So, I might not be too far from the path here.

Without further ado, let's begin:

1. Iroha Tamaki: It is impossible to even think about this series without making Iroha part of it. She's the main character and the one with the most alts in the game, so Iroha is the most obvious add to this list. Moreover, her transformation and first doppel unleashing in season 1 were pretty epic and beautifully animated, if you ask me.

2. MadoHomu: Could this be...? The single most wanted dual unit in the game may be brought to us in anime-style form. These two characters made their first appearance in season 2 with pretty similar transformation sequences that could be meshed together for a dual unit. Although they may not possess a doppel, there could be a second magia with Sayaka making a special appearance.

3. Mifuyu Azusa: Ah yes, the queen of victimizing herself. Mifuyu didn't get a proper transformation for the anime but, guess what? Season 3 isn't out yet, so we could be surprised with one by then. She got a pretty badass doppel unleashing in season 2 and I believe the devs wouldn't want to waste it just like that. How rude that'd be.

4. Rumor Tsuruno (Broken ver.): She got a pretty big spotlight in season 2 and, although the animation on her episodes was quite bad, the Blu-Ray edit may provide some improvement by then. There isn't a proper transformation, but she does have a cool battle entrance and there's also the creepy brainwashing after-credits scene with Nemu that could be used. Just imagine playing with an unit that's literally falling apart in front of your eyes. The horror aspect of the series could finally be here!

5. Kaede Akino (Syndrome ver.): THIS IS THE UNIT I WANT! Ever since episode 4 released and we got to see Kaede going berserk with her doppel, I am craving this unit more than you could imagine! We do have an INCREDIBLE transformation sequence that could turn her into one of the most wanted units in the game. We really need some horror units, you guys.

6. KuroIro: Yes, I have already mentioned Kuroe on my previous post, but this time I bring to you a reasonable dual unit. Honestly, the way Kuroe is being written tells me she's going to do more in the story than many of us want, so a possible heroic moment with Iroha may be the door that opens the path for this dual unit to become a reality. We got some pretty cool and decently animated scenes with the both of them for the devs to use, but we may have to wait for that special moment to happen in season 3 (if it happens) for an usable transformation sequence.

7. Honorable mentions: Holy Alina and/or her Final form, SayaHomu, KyoIro, IroYachi, and FeliSana (Magius Team ver.).

Of course, I am no clairvoyant to know exactly what's going to come out in the game, but I had fun thinking about the possibilities. Look! Six more units I'm never going to own! Lovely!

[labwebs]

Beneath his own mask, Peter's gaze dropped. Ok, maybe he'd let the petulant teenager side of him out a little more than needed but... still. It wasn't like the Avengers being off-planet was advertised or anything. Not that that would've been a good thing either- probably would have made every bad guy in the city and beyond that much more emboldened. It'd been bad enough when the quarantine was enacted without a single one of them in Manhattan.

But knowing the why didn't make the last two years any easier. And, sure, he'd been at this for about a decade himself now but between Otto and Devil's Breath and Kraven and Venom, the past few years specifically had felt particularly overwhelming. Not that he'd been completely on his own, of course- MJ and Miles both helped in their own ways along with others like Ms Morales and Ganke. Even Harry had helped after he'd finally learned Peter's secret and before everything had gone so incredibly wrong. But it had still felt frustrating that it'd seemed like none of the Avengers had cared to check in or even slightly help out. Whatever. It was all over now anyways.

"I'm honestly not sure what there is to talk about what happened. I mean you've seen the news reports-not much more to it than that," he shrugged. There was, of course. His connection with Otto and how he'd played no small part in the development of those arms. Losing May. His oldest and best friend Harry being at the center of everything that'd happened with the alien symbiote. His own story of being under the influence of that thing. But those were all personal sides to those stories- not something Spider-Man was willing to discuss.

Even the very short statement he'd given to Robbie Robertson's paper after seeing the speculations about his disappearance had been short, to the point, and just basically told people that he was still around but on a small break. Alongside a brief, no-details-given apology for his behavior before he'd started said break. Enough innocent people in the city had also been subjected to the symbiote's ability to influence behavior that most were able to put two and two together. MJ had even highlighted a few of those experiences on her podcast, too.

"Look, I've... been doing what I can to look after the city for a while now. And I wouldn't be stepping back for a bit if I didn't trust that the other Spider-Man couldn't handle it." Miles really had stepped up and come so far in just the few years that he'd had his powers- and done so much better than Peter had in his own early years... even with the whole destroying-a-major-bridge thing. "If you guys are gonna be around to help again, great. But I don't see what I've got to do with that."

And Iron Man, of course, nodded attentively throughout, metal-clad index fingers steepled just beneath the mouth slit of the impassive faceplate where he sat, leaned back in the specially reinforced chair (to hold the weight of the suit), letting Spider-Man say his peace before his planned interjection - the very picture of robotic rapt attention, really.

Look, he got it. Things had gotten bad, and the Avengers had been MIA; he was still putting out the metaphorical fires as both Iron Man and Tony Stark (not that Spider-Man knew that) and had Cap on pr duty, which was...Less than ideal, because Steve could get a tad...Well. Steve about things, especially when it came to the press. Maybe he was a little naive, but he'd have thought it would be understood that if the Avengers weren't somewhere they needed to be, it would be because they couldn't be where they were needed.

And when the opening presented itself he straightened, dropping his hands. "And I don't suppose anywhere in that scathing commentary it's ever occurred to you that it was less a case of ignoring what we - all of us here - have sworn an oath to protect - and more that we couldn't."

He really did understand, because he really wasn't so unaware of how it had looked to the outside, but he bristled, anyway, at the implication that any of them would ignore what would have definitely been an Avengers level callout. Jan, maybe, should be the one handling this, but she'd already said wasps and spiders weren't meant to coexist peacefully, before shrinking and darting out a window, leaving Tony on his lonesome.

"I wish we had been here, and not because it makes my job as my employer's bodyguard harder, with the damage control he's had to do." And the fact that it sometimes made Tony wonder why he bothered with the charade of a secret identity at all, at this point, considering it was becoming a never-ending headache. He supposed next week, next month, next year...It wouldn't matter, anyway. "But the Kree Empire is a long way from Earth. And since we were at a distance and disadvantage in returning home until now, I wanted to talk to you about what happened. Because we were awol and how we can prevent that in the future."

[eppysboys]

Why does Pauline Sutcliffe hate Paul? I know you’ve read her book so obviously you would know better than anyone else.

Hi anon! Yep, I definitely combed through her book for every morsel of Stuart information I could get my little hands on. Her memories of him are gems, I appreciate them a lot. Her bias does get in the way at times, and makes it a frustrating to read.

As for why she's not Paul's biggest fan... I can only give my own take on the matter, and it seems to be a combination of things:

Obviously, Paul wasn't particularly nice to her brother. She clearly is baffled by ALL the beatles' treatment of her brother (barring Ringo, of course), but because of the clear closeness and deeper friendship John + Stuart shared and plus the fact he was no longer around, her judgement slightly eases on John, so that when she brings attention to how both Paul and George made jabs at Stu at various points in history, it does seem a bit harsher.

She saw The Beatles at a particular point in history where John seemed the most dominant and tough (because he was trying very hard to be that way) and Paul as a little on the outside. That's certainly coloured her perception of the dynamics in the band and has fed into a 'sidekick Paul' kind of storytelling. George was always very nice to her mother and got along well with the family at the start of things, whereas Paul seemed quite cold and didn't interact with them. He would sit at their piano or read a magazine without talking to them, whereas John and George did make effort to be more friendl with the family.

Business + Legacy: This is probably the most sore point for Pauline, at least from what I gathered. When your brilliant brother who was destined for great things dies suddenly and tragically and the friends (who were not always good friends to him) become cultural icon megastars, it obviously would bring up mixed feelings. (See: Stuart being one of Paolozzi's best students and years later going to Paul McCartney's office to see Paolozzi artwork he now owns on display). Furthermore, when those stars develop a giant brand and tell their story a particular way that involves trashing your brother's skills as a musician and undermines his closeness with the boys and not exactly pay tribute to the numerous ways he influenced the band and contributed to their image...that'd be a little grating.

The Sutcliffe's were close with the Epstein's who also had their beloved son die tragically young and have his image and legacy torn to shreds with seemingly no effort from the band to salvage it or at least pay proper tribute to the guy that would have done anything for them and played a huge role in their success. In the late 90s when Paul appeared in a Brian Epstein documentary that focused primarily on the tragic side of Brian's story, rather than the triumphs or literally any of the positives, and informed the audience that the beatles didn't pay mind to Brian's sexuality when we know they could be quite cruel about it quite often (amongst other things)....well, that's something that could leave a bad taste in your mouth (as Andrew put it so eloquently here). Basically, The Beatles have closets full of skeletons and people they've left behind who weren't treated the best. It's an unfortunate reality of big business. Pauline was good friends with Cynthia as well. So obviously Pauline has seen some shit, and knows exactly what it's like to be left behind and discarded by The Beatles' brand.

An example of how Business has soured Pauline's perception of The Beatles, and ultimately Paul, is the anthology credits. Stuart was credited on the anthology album as playing bass in the background, but lawyers informed Pauline the Stuart Sutcliffe estate would not recieve royalties because they couldn't techinically prove Stuart was actually on the tracks. But obviously Stuart's name added value, so they chose to still list it. Essentially = more money for The Beatles because they don't have to pay roaylities to the estate, just a one off 'fee'. Pauline didn't have the money and resources to go up against Beatle Lawyers to pursue engineers that could prove Stuart was playing bass, and she was warned that she would definitely lose to Beatle Lawyers, and so that was that. She's also had troubles with Yoko's lawyers over work John and Stuart had done collaboratively.

Pauline has obviously been an unreliable source, incredibly biased and has outright lied in print to draw negative attention to John in particular. I don't read her book for insights into Lennon/McCartney, I read her book for insights into Stuart, and what he was like growing up and so on. I think it's unfair and awful that she told her brother's story in some of the ways that she did, and how she handled his estate itself. I think her views on Astrid in particular are quite unfairly bitter. I don't appreciate the way she twists some of the story when it comes to that. And I don't appreciate her publishing information about Astrid clearly without her permission or without proper sources. I still value bits and pieces of her perspective, but I do keep in mind that clearly there's hurt feelings and bitterness, and though she does give Paul credit for lots of things (including his kindness), I can't imagine that her dealings with The Beatles have left her feeling that positively about them at all, and by 2001 Paul and Yoko were the only ones to answer for those things.

I don't think she even hated Paul, tbh, my read of it is that she had a particular view of each Beatle she developed as a teenager + negative experiences with the business side of things.