#<- cause she's the topic of the conversation

[usual-art-lover]

Oh nice! This is gonna live in my head rent free now!

No but seriously, what else is there to say? What kind of conversation did Tracy and the voice actor have when she was directing him for this line? The pause, the hurt, the stress airifkqjs "so, this line you have to say like you're reminiscing about the love of your life that you had to leave behind and it still hurts to this day, make sure to put a little pause to truly show how much the topic upsets you because the hole left empty by the absence of his love Is still fresh and hurting. Ok? :)))"

There ain't no way the Savoys didn't catch on, they want Mordecai to be their friend so bad cause they think they'll get the hot goss about his break up, like some speakeasy's bootleggers' drama loll

OKAY.

this moment still has me in physical pain.

not only that, but this was also voice acted in an old audio show that they did!

it's at 45:56 by the way

the way this was done is absolutely amazing. the lowness of mordecai's voice tells that it's a sore subject, even if he doesn't lash out

also!! voice acting!! gets me every time

[bwat5-blog]

I Bet She Hates Puppies Too: Inside Vi's Favorite Hobby Of Kid Punching

**SPOILERS FOR ALL OF ARCANE**

"Vi's only happy when she's hitting little girls"

"Vi doesn't care about Isha"

"Vi just blew past isha's death to try and sign Jinx up to be an Enforcer"

You can tell the truth.. If you are one of the people who has said something like this you did it to make the crazy Tumblr blogger angry didn't you? That really is the only logical explanation.

My friends as we all continue to discuss, and debate, and delve into this amazing show things are slowing down naturally. Even I am not writing as often (at least terms of full length deep-dives and such) having mostly explored what I can think of for the moment. But these sorts of opinions continue to persist, and I just... I have discussed this topic in one way or another across so many different documents I am running out of nice ways to say it.

To the people out there insisting Violet is some sort of dangerous psychotic who gets off on punching children. You. Are. Wrong. It's really quite that simple. This is not a top for debate, or nuance. It is a question of correct versus incorrect. And you have fallen on the wrong side. To quote another brilliant misanthrope like the one above, we must be careful not to "twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts" (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes).

Now, I could do a deep, highly detailed, in-depth exploration of each moment of her life to combat these points. But I have already have. So instead, We are going to focus on three moments. When she hit Powder, when she hit Isha, and her conversation after Isha's death. So! Let us once again step off the dock and sink into the murky depths of ignorance, for when we surface, we will have once more defended the truth of this story and it's characters from those whose time would be much better spent in quiet study, in hopes that they too may one day learn to tie their own shoes.

When She Hit Powder:

Vi: Fifteen Years Old

Powder: Eleven Years Old

Okay. If you are here you know this story as well as I do by know. But just a quick refresher. This heartbreaking scene plays out after the rescue of Vander has gone terribly wrong, due to Powder's well intentioned but poorly thought out Monkey Bomb. A distraught and angry Vi, upon realizing that Powder is saying she is the one who caused the explosion, strikes Powder, calls her a jinx roughly grabbing her face, and leaves her sobbing, after growing horrified at her actions. Vi tries to return upon seeing Silco standing over her sister but is kidnapped by Marcus, the Sheriff of Piltover, and wrongfully imprisoned, leaving her little sister all alone.

*NOW ENJOY A QUICK AND NOT AT ALL HORRIFYING REMINDER OF WHAT THIS FIFTEEN YEAR OLD CHILD EXPERIENCED LEADING UP TO THIS*

Witnessed death of birth parents

Six years growing up in Undercity, dangerous and unpredictable environment protecting the other kids when not with Vander.

Tries to turn herself in to Enforcers, only for Vander to take her place.

Sees Grayson and Benzo killed.

Survives fight against 10+ armed Silco associates.

Beaten and thrown by Shimmer-mutated Deckard

Pinned under massive metal door.

Witnesses violent death of Mylo.

Witnesses violent death of Claggor.

Witnesses violent death of Vander.

Now, considering all of that, add in the fact that they were about to get Vander out, and that Vi had instructed Powder to stay behind and was completely correct in doing so. What we have here is a terrified, traumatized, enraged and grieving CHILD.

I am not justifying or encouraging that she hit Powder. She was wrong to do so. But she was completely and totally overwhelmed. And if you actually watch the show... yes you have to watch, I'm sorry I know I'm asking a lot.. you can see that she is clearly aware of that.

SEEING HER SISTERS BLOOD, REALIZING WHAT SHE DID

AND HERE! WE HAVE A LITERAL FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL BEING KIDNAPPED BY THE MOST POWERFUL LAW ENFORCEMENT FIGURE IN THE TWIN CITIES AS SHE TRIES TO GET BACK TO POWDER.

Yep. I see it now. I see the error of my ways. She is truly a remorseless beast. I doff my cap to you Vi haters, you win...

When She Hit Isha:

So, this is obviously much later in the show during act 2 of season 2. Vi is twenty-three. She, Jinx and Isha are traipsing through the mines in search of Vander. After trading some verbal jabs, the sisters "fight" and I do use that term loosely. Isha, adorable little gremlin that she is, jumps in to save Jinx and bites Vi resorting in her catching a whack that sends her flying. My my, the amount of insanely dramatic fanfiction moments this spawned alone. "I Did it again! I'm such a monster!" (all while Jinx rides upon a glorious high horse naturally... in all honesty I'm not coming for you fan-fic writers yall are way more creative than I will ever be and I read your stuff almost everyday). And that's not even addressing the analysis posts and so on that have used this moment to demonize Vi as well. Well.... first let's get the simplest reason your wrong out of the way:

Ah I see it now. She threw her body between the small child she doesn't care about and the massive wolf monster... because she.. she's hoping the explosion of gore when the monster turns her into pink mist will traumatize Isha even more before she dies! Now I get it!

But that aside, Isha gets hit right about the 14:04 mark. And we get the following shot about 2-3 seconds later.

Note the distinct lack of Vi continuing to try and punch Jinx or literally anything else she has been accused of. Jinx notices first as she should given she has a much deeper connection to Isha than Vi does. But they both stop at the same moment and the fight is over while Jinx tends to Isha.

Also, *NOT* that it is a justification, but getting bit hurts. A lot. And it isn't a justification but we need to look at where Isha bit Vi:

Anyone wanna take any guesses on if the person who has been undercity pit-fighting for months with zero attempt at self cares' hands and forearms hurt like hell?

And for my final point for this one. Please do not yell at me, I cried during 2x06 like everyone else. But yall... Isha is a fucking wild child:

She's courageous, and loves Jinx, and is hilarious and was an awesome character. But COME ON. She throws herself into every scrap she can get her hands on. Almost like not dealing with that before it was too late cost everything...

Vi's Conversation With Jinx:

"You're never gonna give up on me.. are you.. You don't have to worry about me anymore. You don't need to feel guilty about being happy. You deserve to be with her"

Well, first and foremost this conversation where "All Vi cares about is trying to get Jinx to be an Enforcer" is the same one where this conversation takes place. Strange.. almost seems like Jinx is having a profound moment of recognizing how much Vi loves her and giving Vi permission she will never be able to give herself to prioritize her own happiness... What an odd thing to do for a boot-licking monster... Eh must just be me who doesn't get it.

So what does Vi say in her pitch to bring Jinx to the darkside? I'm glad you asked:

"Jinx.. I swiped these from the guard station. If you come, help use all that explosive potential of yours for good, maybe we could rewrite your story, like you did with Zaun"... THE HORROR!

The unfortunate choice of the word explosive aside. What is Vi actually asking? She is asking for her sister to stand by her side in the battle for HUMANITY. Not Piltover. Not Caitlyn. Not the Enforcers. HUMANITY. She believes this is a way Jinx can gain her freedom and peace to live afterwards. Because let's not forget folks, At the moment, Vi has no idea Caitlyn has essentially already told Jinx she is tired of hating her. And she certainly has no idea of Caitlyn's plan to allow for Jinx's release if Vi chooses. Vi is down here risking everything to grant her sister freedom, in hopes that they can turn it all around and be together. And another important part of this: "Like you did with Zaun". We need to think about that for a moment.

This is kind of a strange moment in Blisters and Bedrock between them, and understandably so. Jinx gives a sort of casual smirk/shrug when Vi sees it and later flouts her status as a hero, while Vi seems almost angry or jealous. Vi is seeing her little sister who was raised by the man who killed Vander, who became that man's beloved daughter and helped him flood the undercity with Shimmer, who became a feared terrorist bringing Piltover's wrath down upon the Undercity, up on the wall with Vander's face. The colored smoke of her attack on Piltover around her which Vander would never have supported. And Vi is nowhere to be seen. it has to feel like a MASSIVE slap in the face.

But now Vi is seeing what really matters in all of that. Regardless of the past, what her sister has become is a symbol of hope for their people. She has reinvented herself and is someone who gives the Undercity hope of a better tomorrow. And even with all that has happened between them. VI STILL BELIEVES JINX CAN DO THAT IN PILTOVER. If you can't see the significance of that, put down the spoonful of glue and call for an adult. You don't belong here.

And regarding Isha, straight up it's on the writers that she is not mentioned outright if that's what you need. But I want to point out a few things:

Jinx's obvious, enormous, crushing, impossible to miss depression and guilt

Vi is quite clearly very upset over everything that has happened and is visibly tearing up while hugging Jinx

Jinx's clear tribute to her in battle:

Conclusion:

To those of you who continue to engage in intelligent and good-faith debate and discussion, I look forward to doing so right alongside you in honor of this incredible show. As always, keep standing up for stories that matter, for this is the way they live on long after their time has passed.

[purpleheartskies]

In my post Johnny, Robby, and the "family" (s6 part 2), I talked about Johnny still not being ready to fulfill the needs of his biological kids. I said the following:

Johnny is not codependent in his relationship with Robby, so Robby doesn't get the open "love" and "caring" that Miguel and Carmen get from Johnny.

Johnny is incapable of healthy relationships. He's caught between two extremes: He's codependent with the Diazs, while he neglects and abuses Robby. These relationships also aren't independent of each other. Johnny is still choosing Miguel/Diazs over Robby, as part 2 continues to show.

In s6e10, when Chozen said to Daniel and Johnny that Sam and Robby need their senseis and need their fathers, Johnny's expression was one of worry or self-reflection.

Johnny keeps failing to be there for Robby as he needs.

In fact, Johnny's not ready for this baby plot device either. When Carmen said that she's [the baby's] so lucky to have him as a dad, he had the same reaction.

This was just a few hours after Miguel had called Robby "messed up" because of Johnny's behavior. Carmen and Miguel are aware of Johnny's flaws, yet never encourage him to get better.

It's also important to mention that Devon is already set up as the "daughter" that Johnny will choose over his own.

I came across this post, and it reminded me of Robby’s story with Johnny and these two moments:

"I want... I wanna be a father to you. I really do. I try to protect you. I try to be there for you. I just suck at it. I really suck at it. But I want to so bad... I love you too Robby." --- Johnny in s4e8 Like Robby had said in s5e4, some of his and Johnny's issues are too big to solve.

People say the family is all "bad writing", but the family is actually realistically written. The whole point is that the family itself is "bad". It's dysfunctional and unhealthy. Johnny hasn't grown, and he won't as long as he stays in his codependent relationships with the Diazs and doesn't actually get the help and healing he needs.

Like I said in that other post:

The writers have made this Johnny-Robby-Diaz situation an "either/or" situation this whole time, and this situation is meant to cause Robby more trauma. They literally set up Johnny's decision in s1e4 as a "do over". All of Johnny and Miguel's heartfelt conversations about their own relationship are in the context of Johnny's failures with Robby, Miguel's belief in his entitlement of Johnny over Robby's, and Johnny using Miguel to feel better about his own failures with Robby. In s5, Johnny talked about the baby only in terms of Johnny's failures with Robby. Robby is treated in the writing as not a member of this "family", which given the circumstances in which he was forced into it, is telling.

I wonder what will happen between Johnny and Robby now. Like I said, I'd always believed that Johnny and Robby only would be endgame, but after part 2, I'm wondering if Johnny and Robby are meant to be endgame at all. Regardless, there is no setup that genuinely includes Robby in Johnny's "do-over" "family". Given all the setup, no ending for Johnny and Robby's relationship will be satisfying. I just hope that, by the end of the story, Robby is no longer stuck in this abusive situation.

Overall, I get people being upset about the story. I am too. But, I also see so much nuance in the story that I wonder where all this will lead.

(As always, please don't comment or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships. I'm aware of the part 3 leaks, but I'm also aware that people shut down conversations about other theories for the leaks that can also be possible. I’m just going to stick to analyzing canon here.)

[southtopaz]

PSYCHO KILLER - SCREAM

Summary: in which Iris Morris has to navigate her personal relationships while surviving a psycho.

Warnings: Fem!reader, angst, mention of violence, swearing, mention of death, Tara Carpenter x Fem reader, multiple parts.

Word count: +2,5k

A/n: this part will follow the events of Scream 6 but it will take place two years later from Scream 5. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any grammatical mistake.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18.

After Tara and Iris stepped out of the room, they made their way downstairs, where Sam, Kirby, and Wayne were deep in discussion about a plan to catch Ghostface. The plan was simple: walk through a public area, wait for Ghostface to call, and then trace the call to pinpoint his location. Iris couldn't shake the feeling that the plan was almost too easy, but at this point, they had nothing to lose.

As the three of them ventured into the nearby park, the sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over the scene. Families were scattered across the grassy areas, children laughed as they played, and couples strolled hand in hand. The contrast between the carefree atmosphere and their dangerous mission felt surreal.

Tara and Iris walked side by side, their silence punctuated by an unspoken tension that hung in the air. Every time they caught each other's eyes, a rush of awkwardness washed over them, causing both to quickly look away.

"You two should have stayed with the others," Sam said sternly, glancing back at them as they walked.

"That's not going to happen," Tara replied defiantly, her tone firm.

"And miss all the fun? Nope, Sam, I want to be there when we catch him," Iris added.

"Yeah, same," Tara chimed in, her gaze fixed on the ground, unable to meet Iris's eyes for more than a fleeting moment.

Sam shot them a puzzled look, her brow furrowing as she sensed the weird tension between them. "Okay, what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Iris feigned innocence, her heart racing.

Sam gestured between them, her expression shifting to one of concern. "This... whatever the fuck is going on. You two are acting weird."

"We are not acting weird," Tara protested, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Iris said at the same time, still avoiding each other's gaze.

Sam studied them closely, her curiosity piqued. "You," she pointed at Iris, "went to talk to her," then she turned to Tara, "and then you two spent a big fucking amount of time upstairs, and now you're both acting like this? Like Tara was all red when you guys came downstairs!".

She paused, her eyes widening as realization dawned on her. "Shut up, like shut the fuck up."

"Sam, no," Tara began, her voice rising slightly in panic.

"You're telling me..." Sam's grin widened, amusement lighting up her face.

"I'm not telling you shit, we have things to worry about like catching a fucking psycho that wants to kill us thank you very much" Iris shot back, quickening her pace to escape Sam's gaze. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, mortified that the woman seemed to realize what went down between Tara and her.

"This is the funniest shit ever" Sam declared, unable to contain her laughter.

"You know Sam? Maybe Ghostface has a fucking point".

Sam laughed for a moment before she redirected the conversation back to their plan. "Alright, alright. Focus, everyone. We need to stay on track here." She gave Tara a proud pat on the back, making the girl smile softly.

"Anyways, there's no point in all of us putting ourselves at risk," Sam continued, changing the topic of conversation.

"We're not," said Tara simply. "We're your backup."

"Hey, Sam." Kirby's voice crackled through the phone, breaking the silence that had settled over the group as they walked. "Stay frosty out there, okay?"

"We're good," Sam replied, her voice steady but tinged with an undercurrent of tension. She glanced around, her eyes scanning the park, taking note of the families picnicking and the joggers weaving through the paths. It all felt too normal, too peaceful for the chaos they were entangled in.

Nearby, Wayne sat on a bench, pretending to read a newspaper. His posture was casual, but Sam could tell he was hyper-aware, eyes darting around to ensure they weren't being watched. He had insisted on keeping a close eye on them, and Sam appreciated his presence, even if it felt stifling at times.

As they continued their stroll, Iris trailed behind Sam, her mind wandering. The sun warmed her skin and Iris felt tempted to buy an ice cream cone as it seemed like the only time they actually wanted Ghostface to talk to them was the one time he didn't feel like it.

Minutes passed in silence as they walked, and just as Iris was about to complain, Sam's phone buzzed, cutting through the tranquility. The sound was sharp and jarring, Sam pulled it out of her pocket without hesitation, her heart racing as she glanced at the caller ID. Once again, it displayed Richie's name.

A chill ran down her spine, but she took a deep breath, steeling herself. "You're gonna die, you know," she growled into the phone, her voice surprisingly calm despite the fury simmering beneath the surface.

"No, you're gonna die, Samantha!" Ghostface shot back. "Choking on your own blood when I hack up your sister and your friends."

"Unless we find you first." She shot back, her grip on the phone tightening. She could feel her pulse quickening as she glanced at Iris and Tara, both of them looking around the park, their eyes darting from one person to another, searching for anyone who seemed out of place.

"For a mastermind, you're not very bright,"

Ghostface's voice came through, smooth and taunting. "Waiting for me to call, desperately hoping I'm nearby so the police can grab me? But I'm not nearby. I'm a step ahead of you idiots, as always. Be seeing you, Samantha." With that, the line went dead, leaving a silence that hung heavy in the air. Sam's breath came in short bursts, and she clenched her jaw, fighting back the rage that threatened to consume her.

"How the hell did he know about our plan?" Iris exclaimed, panic rising in her voice. "Someone must have told him."

"Did you get the location?" Sam spoke to Kirby, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"Yep," the FBI agent replied, maintaining her calm. "Geolocation is coming through right now. He's on the Upper West Side, in an apartment halfway across the city."

"On West 96th?" Tara interjected, her heart racing.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Kirby asked, a hint of disbelief in her tone.

The realization dawned on them simultaneously, the air thick with dread as they processed where the killer was calling from and who he was targeting next.

"Gale," they whispered in unison, horror etched across their faces.

Without a moment's hesitation, the four of them took off running, adrenaline propelling them forward. "My friend Danny is on the West Side," Sam panted, fingers flying over her phone as she messaged him. "He can get there faster."

"Yeah, or he could finish her off!!" Wayne shot back, his voice laced with urgency. "Is it possible he's the killer?"

"We'd be dead without him, so I'll take my chances," Iris replied, fear fueling her stride. As Tara ran alongside her, she subtly pointed out a police car parked on the street. Both of them exchanged a quick glance before sprinting toward it, leaving Sam and Wayne to argue behind them.

Iris and Tara dove into the car, and Tara scrambled for the driver's seat, her palma sweating as she rifled through the compartments for the keys.

"Are we about to commit a felony?" Iris asked.

"Yep. You ready?"

"Okay cool just making sure" Iris found the keys and tossed them to Tara as she buckled her seatbelt. Tara immediately started honking the horn, glancing back to see Sam still engaged in conversation with the police officer.

"Sam!" Tara shouted over the blaring horn. She honked again, urgency pulsing in every beep. "Get in!"

"What is she doing?" Wayne demanded, noticing Tara behind the wheel. His concern deepened as he watched Sam bolt toward the car, his expression laced with disbelief.

"Hey! Get out of my car!" the older man shouted, storming toward them. "What do you think you're doing? That's an official vehicle! HEY!"

"I feel like we should use the sirens," Iris suggested, rolling up the window to muffle Wayne's protests.

"Did you really think we were going to steal a police car and not use the sirens?" Tara shot Iris a playful smirk as she pressed the button, the blaring sirens instantly echoing through the air.

Wayne began banging on Iris's window, desperation written all over his face. "Do you even have a license?"

"Sorry, bro, can't hear you!" Iris mouthed exaggeratedly, dramatically pointing to her ears and shaking her head.

"Let's go!" Sam urged, glancing around as Tara slammed the car into gear and sped off down the street, the sound of sirens fading in the distance.

In the backseat, Sam anxiously dialed Gale's number again, frustration mounting as the call went straight to voicemail.

"She's not answering!" Sam exclaimed, her voice tinged with desperation. "Can you drive any faster?"

"I can try!" Tara replied. She swerved around a sedan, the tires squealing as she weaved between cars, almost like it was a fast and furious movie.

"Jesus christ Tara, try not to get us killed please!" Iris shouted from the passenger seat, gripping the handle as they picked up speed.

They burst into Gale's apartment to find Ghostface looming over her, as he pushed a knife to her face while the older woman fought with every ounce of strength she had to stop him.

"Hey fuckface!" Sam shouted, as she quickly snatched a gun from the floor and shot at Ghostface a couple of times, missing him by inches. She didn't kill him but it distracted him long enough to break his grip on Gale.

Iris and Tara rushed to Gale's side, panic flooding their senses as they took in her injury. Blood was pooling beneath her, and it seemed impossible to stop it.

Iris quickly tore off her jacket and pressed it against Gale's abdomen, her hands shaking. "Gale, stay with us! Come on, don't give up," she urged, desperation lacing her voice.

Tara squeezed Gale's hand tightly, her eyes wide with fear. "You're going to be okay, we're right here. Just hold on!"

"Oh, shit, Gale!" Sam exclaimed, dropping to the floor beside Iris to help apply pressure to the wound. "I'm sorry. I should've known that he was gonna come after you."

Gale opened her eyes briefly, locking gazes with them. "He didn't get me. Tell Sidney he never got me," she said, her voice steady yet haunting, as if she was coming to terms with her fate. Then, her eyes fluttered shut.

"Gale!" Sam called out, panic rising in her chest.

"Don't you dare, Gale!" Iris pleaded, desperation filling the air.

"Out of the way!" a paramedic shouted as they burst into the room, urgency written all over their faces.

"Move! You've got to move!" Tara cried, gripping Sam's shoulders and pulling her back, the older girl unwilling to accept the reality that Gale might be gone.

"Got a weak pulse, we gotta move now!" the paramedic said as she assessed Gale's condition. The three girls collectively exhaled in relief, tears spilling down their cheeks as they sobbed quietly, clinging to hope as the paramedics worked swiftly to stabilize Gale.

Gale was rushed to the hospital, and the entire group hurried there, anxious for updates. They filled the waiting area, each person lost in their own thoughts. Just then, they spotted Danny sprinting through the hospital doors, urgency in his stride.

"I got here as fast as I could," he panted, but Sam could only stare at him, her mind racing and words escaping her.

"Did you?" Tara questioned suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. Iris felt a knot tighten in her stomach; Danny was supposed to be close to Gale, yet he had arrived much later. It didn't look good.

"I'm sorry, I—" Danny started, but he was interrupted.

"I'm scared, you guys," Mindy suddenly spoke up, her voice trembling with fear. "I really don't want to get hurt again."

"Neither do I," Chad added, his own voice quaking.

Mindy turned to her twin brother, concern etched on her face. "I don't want you getting hurt again, either."

"I know. I know." Chad leaned his head on Mindy's shoulder, drawing comfort from her presence.

"We're going to be fine. We have to be," Iris spoke up, trying to reassure her friends but she wasn't sure anyone believed her. Tara leaned against Mindy as well, and Mindy extended her hand, prompting Iris to join them.

Iris looked at Sam, who stood nearby, her expression failing to show anything other than despair. She rubbed Sam's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"So, what do we do now?" Chad asked, making eye contact with everyone in their friend group, searching for answers.

"Maybe he gets to win this time," Sam's voice came out soft, causing the room to go still. Everyone turned to her in disbelief. "He wants to punish me."

Sam stood up, her lower lip trembling as the weight of her words sank in. "Me," she reiterated. "So maybe I just let him."

"Are you insane, Sam?" Iris shot back, her disbelief palpable. She couldn't understand where this was coming from.

"I'll just give myself up," Sam continued, as if she hadn't heard Iris. "If this is what I have to do to keep you all safe, then it's worth it."

"No, we're not doing that, Sam!" Tara exclaimed, rising to her feet to close the distance to her sister. "You went back to Woodsboro to protect me and every single day you make the decision to protect me. None of us would even be alive if it wasn't for you. You have to let us protect you this time"

"No," Sam shook her head, her resolve unwavering.

"Yes, we're a team. Remember?" Tara urged, her voice rising as the others began to stand as well.

"We have each other's backs, now and always," Iris added, stepping closer to reinforce her point.

"Actually, we're a family," Mindy interjected, her expression firm.

"Let's go! Core Five! Come on!" Chad declared, his enthusiasm breaking through the tension as he clapped his hands together and raised one hand in the air.

"Core Five!" Mindy echoed, joining her brother, and the others quickly followed suit, hands in the center.

"Core what?" Danny asked, a bemused smile on his face.

"It's an us thing," Chad shrugged, dismissing the confusion with a grin.

"He's going to keep coming after us," Sam said, her voice trembling as fear crept in.

"Then we kill the bitch" Iris replied, as if it was that simple.

"Isn't there somewhere safe we could just hole up in?" Ethan chimed in for the first time, his tone unsure.

"No, he'll just keep finding us," Tara countered, her expression darkening.

"Great," Ethan muttered, clearly frustrated.

Tara paused, deep in thought, before a glimmer of hope crossed her face. "Maybe we can use that though."

She grabbed her phone and quickly dialed Officer Bailey. The group exchanged glances, unsure of what her plan was but trusting her instincts. Tara put the call on speaker so everyone could hear.

"I'm getting my ass chewed out for not dropping the case, and now you want me to do what?" Officer Bailey's incredulous voice crackled through the speaker.

"We want to lure him to a secure location and trap him," .

"And then what?" Bailey asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

"We execute him." Tara declared like it was a normal thing to say, but maybe to them it was. After a moment of silence from Wayne line she spoke again. "Are you going to help us?"

"Let's kill the son of a bitch." Wayne's voice sounded angry. "Now, I'm stuck here, but Gale gave us the cards to the theater. It's got heavy surveillance and security cameras, but we can use that against him. I'll tell Kirby to meet you there, and I'll join you as soon as I can."

"Got it."

"And remember, travel in public," Wayne added. "The more people around you, the less chance he has to take a shot at you before you get there."

They hung up, and the group moved toward the door, setting the plan in motion. Iris lingered back a moment, turning to Tara with a smile.

"What?" Tara asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Great plan,"

"Thanks," Tara replied as they made their way toward the subway station.

"So, execute him?" Iris raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. Tara rolled her eyes at the theatrics. "And then you say I'm the sadistic one?"

"Don't lie to me, you kinda dig it," Tara shot back, echoing what Iris had said a few hours earlier.

Iris burst into laughter. "Oh, you have no idea."

[purpledemonlilyposting]

These people really can't handle someone who doesn't bend over backwards and makes everything nice and kind and as digestible as possible for them, huh?

They really wanna put a woman in her place and believe themselves to the morally suppirior? Cause she committed the heinous crime of... being outspoken and budding heads a bit? Are we in the fucking 50s?

Yup. I got sick and tired of being quietly polite to people who could be assholes completely unopposed cause they do the "uwu smol bean but muh trauma" act well into their late 20s or older.

Someone could shut down a normal conversation about a TV Show because the topic made them slightly stressed.

But as soon as I gave a mild differing cartoon opinion or expressed discomfort with something? I had to sit through getting read the riot act by the cliquey regulars and scolded by the moderators before they all went back to the NSFW section to circlejerk each other.

The person the server was ostensibly created for was barely ever there and hasn't even updated in 2 years. So the inmates just the run the asylum.

The thing with these types, whether it be the Taxxon gooners or the Stevencest gooners or the Discord gooners, is they always act like other people have to do what they say and fall in line with what they want. And they'll try to manipulate you with a sob story or acting like you're somehow the problem when they're the one being a condescending asshole to you in the first place.

[lucent-roase]

I've always wanted to know how others think about this topic. How do you think Harvey and Gilbert felt when they found out that Willow tried to strangle herself in For the Future if Willow even told them at all?

Luce, I've literally never thought about this, and now I'm freaking out over it

(Here are her dads for reference because I'm constantly forgetting who is who while writing this)

Gilbert, Harvey

Something tells me that Gus would be the one to bring it up to her dads. As much character growth she has, I don't think she could muster up the strength to tell them that she almost killed herself.

I really wish we got to see more of them because I think it would make answering this a whole lot easier without creating far-reached headcanons (I just read the TOH wiki for some guidance though).

Part of me thinks that Harvey would initially react with trying to ground her for three years again, for her own safety of course, but Gilbert would shoot his idea down. However, they would probably want to watch her under a close eye for a while, no matter how much Willow argues about how she's past that now, it was a long time ago, etc.

At some point, I feel they would understand that she was under a lot of pressure when she did that. However, I also wonder if they would have a late-night conversation of whether it would be a good idea for their daughter to continue using/learning plant magic and perhaps even ask if she wanted to switch tracks again. You know, scared parent things.

It would probably play out with Harvey bringing up, "hey, honey, we know you love plants, but we're a little worried..." with Gilbert just nodding in agreement even though he's PROBABLY thinking sweet Titan this is the worst thing to ever ask my child to do, and Willow os in shock and trying not to get mad at her parents for trying to take something she enjoys and loves so much. Then she'd dismiss the idea because again, it was a long time ago, and it wasn't the magic that was the problem, just her at that point in her life. And Harvey would be upset that she completely refused, then Willow, as understanding as she is, would lose some trust in Gilbert specifically since he's the more lenient one and supposed to be on her side.

Then as most family problems like this, everyone would come to some sort of an understanding and hug it out hopefully. Willow would hopefully explain what caused her to be so upset and tell her dads that it really, truly wasn't her magic.

Anyhoo, all in all, Gilbert and Harvey would probably figure out how to keep their daughter safe from herself before actually figuring out what caused her pain.

I sometimes forget that Willow was literally attempting suicide in that scene, marking herself as "half-a-witch" and nothing more to show for her life. She was so over everything. My baby :((

[minugasakuranohana]

Kōyō and Mori related post, part 2

... about that problematic Mori's phrase from ch 37

Please read [Part 1] before reading this

[In Russian] and [abt translation of this dialogue in Russian]

@emilover-1 and @plinko-mori, I hope you'll read it once 𖹭 Happy new year!

And about his line of behaviour in this situation at all.

Previously Kōyō said: Of course. But sad to say, I need to help our unreliable boss get this organization back in order. The one to whom my hatred belongs is your predecessor. Right now, I'm feeling pretty good about being here.

(Japanese: 無論じや。じゃが生憎と頼りない首領が組織を立て直す手伝いがあるでのう。彼の人の仇は先代じゃ。今は此処が気に入っておる)

What did Mori reply (in Japanese)?

He said: 嬉しいけど私の守備範囲は十二歳以下だよ？

To begin with, during the research process, let's maintain absolute neutrality.

meme (or not meme) about it ↘️

Now you are ready, so we're gonna dissect this fucking phrase!

The best known translation are:

I'm quite happy you said that, but I'm only interested in those under 12 years old.

I'm very glad to hear that, but I'm only interested in those under 12, you know?

Please, don't worry.

嬉しい - happy, glad. Here = «I'm quite happy you said that», «I'm very glad to hear that» (I prefer the second one, because it rhymes. There wasn't something like this in Japanese version, and I didn't see it in Russian, but here... 🥺 Let them talk in rhyming banter with each other). From the beginning Mori choose the opposite line to her words «sad to say», 生憎と. It's funny.

けど - «but», follows is contradictory to what comes before. (And you use が to say «but» when ideas are in contrast)

私 - I (official or just gender neutral version of the pronoun «I», using by many people now)

私の - my

守備範囲 - that fucking word 😒🙄🫣

Dictionary says:

しゅびはんい — 守備範囲 — noun

area of the field one is supposed to (or able to) defend (sports term)

(one's) field, (one's) scope, area of expertise, range of topics one can converse about, breadth of one's interests and knowledge

one's type, kind of person one is attracted to

You can use this word meaning «defence» only when you talk about sport. So this isn't about defence in Mori's phrase. Even Japanese dictionaries say so:

Goo:

守備範囲

スポーツで、自分の守るべき範囲。また、守ることができる範囲。スポーツ = sport, スポーツで = in sport. Meaning: «The scope of one's protection. Also, the extent to which it can be protected

自分がすべきことの範囲。また、自分ができることの範囲。«The scope of what you should do. Also, the scope of what you can do»

Weblio:

守備範囲

守ることができる範囲、または守るべき範囲、などを意味する表現 。 That sport term.

趣味・嗜好・異性の顔の造作などにおいて、好みとする対象の広さなどについて言う場合もある。«It may also refer to the extent of one's preference in hobbies, tastes, facial features of the opposite sex, etc.»

The best words to keep together 2nd and 3rd parts from English dictionary entry is «something what you are interested in». Because there's a probability he meant 2nd part and there's a probability he meant 3nd.

は - you really wanna know? Go and read about grammar. Okie, it's the word you use to mark the topic. [Link for grammar]

十二 = 12

歳 - years old

以下 - under

だ - marks present tense and positive sentences. (There are other ways for other sentences) It's a casual form of です. [Link for だ grammar] and [Link for difference between だ and です]

よ - «It indicates that the speaker is offering new information or a new perspective to the listener. Or at the very least, it gives the impression that something new is being offered.» Someone who translated manga added «you know?» for this nuance. [Link]

Mori replied «I'm very glad to hear that, but I'm only interested in those under twelve years old, you know?» Sorry, not sorry, it's really these words.

But the game ain't over at all!

What was it about? You know, words, it's a complicated thing...

Noticed something about «glad/happy»? It sounds a bit strange. He can be happy 'cause she doesn't hate him, or she is content to be here. But after the words «unreliable boss»? Is it irony?

Some thoughts of meaning:

Kōyō, but you are an adult! Stop insulting; stop attacking friends! You aren't Elise (Mori, you really thought at least one of them would stop?) In this case, does Elise have Kōyō's traits?

«You hate only the former boss + You like to be here» ➡️ «You like / love me, right? Oh, you know, with your childish behavior, if you were 12, I might have liked you too, maybe» 🤣 Remember, she canonically doesn't love «love». Mori just fights back.

On the other hand, I've heard the version that her words could be a romantic thing. But then he's just a master at shooting people down in the most cringe-worthy way.

Another point: it could be something like «Oh my, you really tHaT oLd? Are you seriously saying you can teach me running the organization? Behave yourself, my another traumatized adopted child» Some years ago she was angry when Chūya called her «Ane-san», but now 🤭

In any case, he made her feel uncomfortable with his shitty words. That's the punishment for willfulness and impoliteness (?)

Why, or what for?

Because she really hurts his feelings

Her phrase and his face are placed on the same frame. It makes sense, and it matters. Look at Mori! His eyes are open, but the lower lid is tensed / squinted, and you can see the expression lines. The iris is white – he usually has black eyes, so she's hit the mark, hit a nerve. The eyebrows are in a normal position, but it feels a little strained. The lips are composed, or there's just a general tensing of all the facial muscles.

✨ Some interesting information ✨

Why he smiled after - because he understood her feelings and thoughts. As an adult is surprised by a child's antics, but then shakes his head with a smile)

Anime makes this scene worse. Mori's reaction is too weak. All they drew was the basic emotion of surprise, and Mori is a complex character. Harukawa reflects this complexity of emotions: he's surprised, but Koyo's words also evoked displeasure (I'm 99% sure ), a little anxiety is there too (maybe 60-70% sure), insecurity, fear and regret are likely there.

He isn't shocked just a bit surprised but almost calm

For comparison:

In anime, I like to hear their voices and sound effects. The musical background puts a clear emphasis on the phrase koyo, this is the punchline of the dialogue.

I don't wanna say that Bones didn't try to do their best, but Harukawa is... an entirely different matter. There's no comparison to begin with. Just as... nobody would compare Goddess with anything, right?

Sorry - not sorry, I'm too lazy to do another gif with eng sub. «Конечно» = «Of course», « К сожалению, мне нужно помочь неуклюжему лидеру восстановить организацию» = «But sad to say, I need to help our unreliable boss get this organization back in order», «Я благодарен, но интересуюсь только теми, кому меньше 12» = «I'm glad to hear that, but I'm only interested in those under , you know?»

And she isn't t that calm yelling at him: «SHUT THE FUCK UP! I will sew your lips together!», if you pay attention to the size of kanji and lines of speech bubble.

Yes, 黙れ is a very rough word. Don't use it, please.

I found this scene in stage play here, file with stage plays, «Bungo Stray Dogs on stage 3». Timeline: start at 2:16:33 and end at 2:17:50

But video shows HER face when she's saying that phrase, so I can't say anything about Mori's facial expression in that moment 😭 How could them -

There's no «彼の人の仇は先代じゃ。今は此処が気に入っておる» (The one to whom my hatred belongs is your predecessor. Right now, I'm feeling pretty good about being here) Both anime and stage play cut these sentences out. Why? The next Mori's phrase looses its sense a little bit in this way, isn't it?! Wtf

Anyway, right after she said her part, and Mori replied, and then she said «damare…», they laughed together. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

'Cause he's boss

And the insubordination (or something similar) didn't vanish. Akutagawa is his own punishment; honestly, I'm totally agree. But Kōyō – he's just… Taunting her? Hahaha. Best boss ever, isn't he?

Whatever he meant, she's not okay with these words and we're too. That's the whole punishment. Just to check the box ✅

Boss-of-the-Port-Mafia-Mori-Ougai be like:

And because Mori cares a lot about Kōyō, if you look closely

...he couldn't do something more

I see Mori-Kōyō relationship as his redemption arc. He learns to respect human soul and heart, [心]. (That actual reason why Fukuzawa and Yosano dislike him). He combines therapeutic moments for Kōyō with his «evil mafia plans.» At least he didn't want to traumatize her with the possibility of killing that girl.

It's very interesting to analyse it one day. I will, but not before I read «Kokoro» by Natsume Sōseki. They talk about character-Natsume tactic, and then there's just the concept of the [heart] / [心]. But in Japanese, you read it as [こころ], [kokoro], got it? 🧐

I strongly believe that Mori planned more than that. Why else would he forbid her to take Kyouka back before the conflict started? (Chapters 17-18) He let her see the light to get her away from the mafia. As he let Dazai go. As he offered Higuchi. As 14 y. o. Kōyō wanted. It's good for her to see Kyōka's story, to let her go, to become a better person than the former boss. It's her character development. Mori isn't evil. He does bad things from time to time, but he also does good things.

Guild arc wasn't an easy one for Kōyō. Even if he unintentionally triggered her trust issues and anxiety, he tried to help.

I haven't said anything about 守備範囲 as «(one's) field, (one's) scope, area of expertise, range of topics one can converse about, breadth of one's interests and knowledge», have I? Oops)

Imagine, for example... What if Fukuzawa's words were important to Mori? We didn't even know what happened between them when Rampo and Yosano escaped. Did Fukuzawa run away after «the clock struck 12»? 🤭 Or did Mori actually lose that battle? Or did he lose because he didn't want to win at all? As Natsume's "subordinate" or sth he has to do everything he can for their tactic. But as a human being, well, he regrets traumatizing Yosano. What if he not only let her go but also started learning psychology, soul science?

Kōyō is also traumatized. Mori and Dazai know this. Mori lets her go, but she isn't happy. And what's more, she's using defensive reaction. And Mori just like «You need therapy, girl. But you know, I'm a child psychologist. And it would still be a violation of medical ethics if I were your psychotherapist. (Yeah, sometimes I respect medical ethics)»

What do you think?

...

After the Yosano story, Mori is generally more relaxed about disobeying orders. Because he's not in the military. (Down with bureaucracy!)

Because he realised that if an order was broken, it could be something very important to the person. He doesn't want to break people for the sake of some discipline. And for Koyo, choosing to cooperate with the agency was part of personal growth and healing. She saw herself in Kyōka, and protecting the girl meant protecting them both, and vice versa. Mori couldn't break her. That would be unjustified. He wasn't angry at Kōyō for her decision.

Bonus. Some parallels from the Guild arc:

Mori-Dazai, Kōyō-Kyōka: «We are not the same person, actually. I'm me, you're you. You have the right to choose your path» It was about mentoring, parental love, and letting go.

Mori-Kōyō, Dazai-Akutagawa: «You become stronger. Accept your past and move on from it»

Dazai-Kōyō, Atsushi-Lucy (+ Mori as a mastermind who made these lines possible with his orders abt Kyōka and Q): «Do not abandon the past versions of ourselves»

And keep in mind 2 things:

Mori must keep a balance between etiquette, subordination, and responsibilities on the one hand and his feelings and ulterior motives on the other hand

Sometimes he's a living cringe and a lying liar who lies 😑

The characters' phrases cannot be viewed without context. They don't exist in a vacuum. They have reasons, occasions, and purposes for saying certain things.

I have many other thoughts about these phrases and this dialogue!

But not today

[a-tale-of-legends]

Eva: You should be nicer to her, by the way.

Alexis: ? .....Nicer to who?

Eva: Eli, dummy.

Alexis, frowns: You call her Eli- ( shakes head) Nevermind. I am nice to her. She's my sister?

Eva: No. ( Points a screwdriver at him) You shut down and push her away whenever she tries to even talk about the past. And she always scrambles to make sure she doesn't lose you forever. Again.

Alexis: ......

Eva: Aren't you the "Hero of Ideals"? Isn't maintaining a good relationship with your sister ideal?

Alexis, glaring: We're fine. And you wouldn't know-

Eva: I've been dating your sister for how long now? And I was chosen too, less you didn't notice. So yes, I would know. I know that you're being a piece of shit to my girlfriend and that's pissing me off.

Alexis: ( glare continues, before he turns away) Tch.

Eva: .....She cares about you a lot, Alexis. It's not fair that she's walking on egg shells just so you don't have to confront shit.

Alexis: And you're any better?

Eva: ......Well, I never said that.

Alexis: Hm.

Eva: ( breathes through her nose) Look. I care about Eli. You care about Eli. We both just want her to be happy. I'm doing the best I can. I know....I know I have my own shit to go through. But you? You won't even acknowledge it. And if it continues, at some point, Eli would realize it's a lost cause and-

Alexis: Don't.

Eva: .....So you've been thinking it too.

Alexis: ......

Eva: ...... ( Sighs) Just be nicer to her. She's trying really hard. That's all I ask. ( She finishes up Alexis' arm, giving it a small tap) There. Fixed your arm. (Points to the door) Get out of my lab.

Alexis: ( wordlessly takes his arm and walks out of lab)

Eva: ( groans, sliding a hand down her face) I promised Eli I wouldn't start shit, and I started shit. Great.

[dykedvonte]

Mini rant below and in the tags, the only time I’ll talk about this and my personal take on it.

The way people talk about hypothetical male Anya on Twitter and the idea of how Mouthwashing would play out if the genders were swapped makes me remember how people still don’t take sexual assault and rape with male victims with the same gravity, especially when the perpetrator is female.

[s1xseasonsandamov1e]

i love when people pretend that not liking taylor swift is some crazy controversial thing like bitch you know damn well

[heartual]

if i have to have another healthy food and mindful eating conversation with my mom it’s over for me

[rotisseries]

highlights from my commentary from watching the first 2 bsd seasons

"where is chuuya" compilation

[widevibratobitch]

omw to play emotional support for my mom disguised as ✨fun family bonding time✨ for the rest of the week <3333 there's something so deeply wrong with me uwu teehee

[fappellmoan]

obsessed w my friend. i named her jackie i think forever ago lolol one of the film girlz. anyway her not letting sam get a word in last night when we had to record a little podcast together for a project. he was sooooooooooo mad

[clockworkcheetah]

yknow im surprised there arent more fics with lydia and amanda

[skenpiel]

AAAAAARGHH!!!!!!!!! OK FINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess i do like dirk now. whatever