#(but either way i also wholeheartedly agree on that point)

[widevibratobitch]

me when im obsessed with dead singers from 50 (well... mostly 70-120) years ago and im heartbroken to know i'll never see them on stage... never hear them breathe, never see them sweat, never even touch the hem of their garment...

it really is enough to drive a person mad...

[tiltingheartand]

preserving @sebastienlelivre’s tags for posterity.

glad to see other people having the same issue i do with the dadt hc. i don't want to make people feel bad for having it but also it does not sit well with me especially when we already know how much tommy struggled with his sexuality.

I'm going to assume ppl who have this HC don't know and haven't dived into the specifics of what getting a discharge via dadt implies especially at the time Tommy was in the army. it's not a slap on the wrist discharge, you got essentially kicked out with all your benefits stripped from you just like every other dishonorable discharge (minus jail time for ppl who committed actual crimes). I especially don't think Tommy would have done something smth reckless enough to get caught, being lgbt during this time, especially in the military was dangerous. it wasn't unheard of to be beaten or even killed/attempted murder by other service members. hate crimes in the military were just as common outside of the service. I do think Tommy was definitely down low during his time from the military up until he left the 118, but he was very careful.

dadt went on your record and a job like LAFD would definitely be looking at Tommy's military records and seeing he was dadt in 2004/2005 would have had his application thrown in the trash tbh. I know this is the suspend your disbelief show, but I seriously would be upset if this was overlooked because it destroyed a lot of queer service members lives and continues to cause issues for many queer veterans who are still fighting to get their benefits since dadt was repealed.

IMO there's a reason Tommy was closeted for so long, it was instilled in him throughout his childhood, his military service and captain gerrard. he probably felt ashamed of it for so long, which is why is took him until his 30s to come to terms with the fact that he is gay and he did a lot of work to be where he is currently with Buck.

I get that dadt adds angst and drama to potential Tommy lore but I simply do not see how it makes any sense for Tommy to be dadt'd nor do i need or want more queer trauma porn in this show.

but yk, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I'm simply trying to spread the word on why I find this hc ... not the best.

[sol-iscus]

Ambessa.......that's another one that felt personal. Probably because my own mom is kinda like Ambessa in her own right (that rigidity and inability to see past the ultimate endgame). But I really wanted her and Mel to.........not necessarily reconcile, but come to an understanding of each other. They kinda started that a bit in season 1 when Mel confronted her, but then it just fizzled out.

Also,you mean to tell me that Ambessa never actually went looking for Mel herself at any point during her disappearance? She couldn't send someone to find her if she couldn't do it herself? The same Ambessa that said she would set the world ablaze to protect her family? Her son got killed. I would hope she would be a bit more concerned about her last and only child being missing without an explanation or trace.

Then Mel comes back and Ambessa doesn't seem particularly phased by that either. If my kid rolled up mid-battle, after being missing for how long, with powers that I know she didn't have before, I would have the world of questions to ask. Especially if I knew she was more or less an active target for kidnapping because of my own fuckery.

Then the way she went out.........I'm shaking,I'm so mad. It felt like such a cop-out. If she was a casualty of the war she started, it would be ironic but poetic. Or if she and Mel had an actual one vs one fight, it could be very master vs student teas. But the fact that she was essentially lobotomized by LeBlanc before her death.......😬. Don't love the real life implications of that either.

(Something,something, mothers and daughters as wretched mirrors of each other.)

I wholeheartedly agree. I’m also extremely dissatisfied with the way Mel’s arc was handled and everything that you described between Mel and Ambessa, so ima complain about it again.

They gave her a man who was hardly ever there for her. His first reaction to see Mel again was not relief that she was still alive and (relatively) okay. No, it was anger and accusations thrown at her under the assumption she could have saved Viktor when nobody knew Jinx was going to blow up the council. Comforting Mel was a second thought in Jayce’s mind, never first.

Her friend Elora is dead, and seemed to be her only friend as well.

Her mom is now dead, and being killed by her daughter was an absolutely foul way for Ambessa to go out.

When is Mel allowed to have a full breakdown and cry after all she went through? Not just shed a few tears, but fully unleash everything she has felt. Jayce had Mel’s lap to lay on whenever he needed her, but who does Mel have at the end of the day? Absolutely nobody. Nothing but painful memories.

A strong, gorgeous black woman cleaning up everyone else’s mess, being moral support, and helping lead Piltover. She deserved more than a few minutes of shedding tears, she deserved to rage.

[anxiousnerdwritings]

nah but Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange being mothers in law is gonna be insane

I’m sure Weasley!Reader does what he can to keep them separated (the first time they met was the wedding) but Lestrange!Daughter loves the drama, especially having back up since Bellatrix would share the same views, and them attacking Molly together in the rare times their paths do cross

Bellatrix likes to crash family dinners, especially if Weasley!Reader has taken them out to a nice restaurant, making a point to be loving and motherly to the Reader and her daughter, irritating Molly

Bellatrix would most definitely rub the Lestrange Fortune in Molly’s face but in the way snobby rich ladies do

Narcissa would definitely jump in and join Bellatrix from time to time while Admromeda attempts to play peacekeeper but if Molly says something particularly nasty she’ll join them too

Molly draws the line when Bellatrix asks if Lestrange!Daughter and Weasley!Reader will be giving their children the Lestrange name to continue the bloodline and the Reader says his. Molly absolutely loses it.

poor Weasley!Reader can never enjoy a family event again

and god forbid Molly found out what he was doing to make all this money? it would be over

Molly damn near had a full on heart attack when Lestrange!Daughter!Oc came into the picture, imagine her blood pressure and heart rate when Bellatrix herself pulls up. Merlin, this woman would absolutely lose her ever loving shit. And Bellatrix and her daughter are living for every second of it, meanwhile poor Weasley!Reader is stuck in the middle just trying to just get by in life with running his criminal empire and trying to support his family.

We all know how Molly treated Fleur in the beginning when it came to Bill but she would be so much worse with Lestrange!Daughter. But not only is Lestrange!Daughter built different, Bellatrix is very much around and involved, and she sure as hell not letting Molly get away with treating her daughter like shit or treating the Reader in any way she or her daughter don’t agree with. Bellatrix has teeth and she’s certainly not afraid to bite, literally and figuratively. Meanwhile her daughter is just the same, particularly when it comes to her darling but she would literally try to rip Molly’s throat out with her teeth so the Reader has to keep a good hold on her to ensure she literally doesn’t attack his mother (and Lestrange!Daughter certainly doesn’t mind either cause her darling’s hands are all over her😏).

I just love the idea of yan!mother-in-law!Bellatrix just taking Weasley!Reader in and under her wing, basically adopting them. Plus, yan!Narcissa and yan!Andromeda sweeping in too. Especially, if Molly pretty much put the Reader on the back burner most of their life until they started making their ‘extra’ money and then started showing them more attention cause of it. Kind of like she didn’t treat them like there was anything special to them until they started contributing something to the family, or something of that sort in that regard, and only then did she start to gush about and overall act proud of them.

Also, I wholeheartedly believe that Lestrange!Daughter and Weasley!Reader totally got married behind Molly’s back and without any of the rest of the family knowing, excepts for Percy. Like, there was a whole ass wedding but it was held at Lestrange Estate the remaining Black family members were in attendance, not to mention Percy, and possibly the Reader’s whole loyal crime syndicate.

Imagine Molly’s reaction when she finds out. Leave it to Bellatrix or Lestrange!Daughter herself to lay it on her. It probably happens during a pretty intense argument/interaction between the women only for one of them to mention it and the other to vouch for it. And then Molly goes running to the Reader, still not believing it for a second but needing validation only for the Reader to show their ring and for Lestrange!Daughter to pop up out of no where and show hers’ off too with an utter shit eating grin and an absolute batshit crazy twinkle in her eye. She’s like, “They’re mine forever now, bitch” and she would never let Molly forget it.

Honestly, it probably comes out in that same situation that Lestrange!Daughter is pregnant too. Or they just roll up one day and Lestrange!Daughter is very heavily pregnant and then it comes out that they got married without the family knowing, save for Percy. And you know given the dynamic that Molly would accuse Lestrange!Daughter of the child not being the Reader’s and she’ll gladly die on that hill even though she knows damn well that Lestrange!Daughter wouldn’t so much as look at anyone else that wasn’t her darling, let alone allow anyone else to so much as touch her.

[poetry-protest-pornography]

Oof.

Lots of feelings about this episode. Rambly-y highlights/bullet points while I think obsessively about it to further hurt myself expand on them:

Rosé continues to be a villain, and it keeps getting worse?

She was fine with playing the game, even with her hunch that Lompran was playing the "real version" with real people's lives on the line -- which isn't a stretch, because she was fine when it was her father's livelihood, and her own future on the line, and didn't much up too much fuss about Jack being part of the stakes, either.

She had just witnessed Jack have to beg to spare the life of Auntie Jaeb, and she suggests they go "celebrate", then doubles down on the idea after learning that Jack's grandma is in the hospital. Sprinkle in a bunch of "it's just money she lost, and you can just get more of that!" tone-deaf and insanely insensitive and out of touch nonsense, and it is very clear that none of these "poor people" are real people to her. Jack kind of gets treated like he is a person, but only so far as he indulges her whims, because forcing a person who is clearly barely keeping it together to take you for drinks and dancing is straight up villain shit.

She traipses through Jack's house and is completely unaffected at having seen Jaeb and Joke threatened at gun point, only cares if Jack is ready to "celebrate" with her. (Watching Jack turn on that fake smile was painful. Watching Joke watch it happen was worse).

AND THEN she's like "oh, sorry, we didn't see a way to make money off your friend's idea, but I can try to get him hired as a servant in my house, so it's basically the same thing, right?!" And Jack is forced to agree that it is good and not insane and fucked up that she's trying to get in Jack's pants while suggesting that his friends might be good enough to clean her bathrooms.

And then there's Top.

(and have we talked about how shitty it is to name one kid "Joke" and the other "Top" and pretend like you have no influence on how those kids move through the world? Because jfc I hate their parents)

Top swoops in and saves Joke from being caught in disguise, and seems to make some genuine overtures of brotherly affection, but it's all wrapped up in his toxic view on what parental love looks like.

He's trying, and Joke is clearly surprised but cautiously happy about it. But his whole speech about how his dad "shows love" was insane. Straight up abuse apologia. Because while yes, sometimes when two people love each other, they hurt each other on purpose because that's easier than being vulnerable, but that is not how parents are supposed to be with their children.

It is not acceptable "it's so funny how you can't just talk to each other" behavior for a parent to continuously reject their kid, and then expect love and obedience in return.

That's not how it's supposed to be, and I am so grateful that Joke has had a taste of what a healthy(ish) family dynamic is, because it allowed him to call his dad out and to (kind of) tell his brother that he's wrong, and then both Ama and Jack establish that Joke is part of their family, so he gets immediate payoff for his assertion that family is supposed to talk to each other and comfort for his subsequent rejection (again).

But yeah, Top's whole speech made me so. mad.

Hoy, Tattoo, and Arun were delightful, and I loved that they were all there with Jack and Joke while Amma was in surgery. Offering support and also relationship scrutiny. It was also so cute how invested in Tattoo's project Arun was; he believes in him so wholeheartedly, it's adorable.

Anyways, let's just stare at this for a while:

[luffyvace]

Saiki k x Reader headcanons

This is on my anime’s I write for list and I haven’t written for it yet so I wanted to show what I can do! 😉

Enjoy!! I Love Saiki, Aren and Aiura 💗💜💛

Okay let’s face it

your regular.

average.

literally. (probably) like you are irl

doesn’t it feel good to have reader be accurate to how you are for once?

and that your fav would genuinely be into that and you know it?!

like you don’t have to pretend or imagine to be this cool, physically strong person your not for once?? Just me?

idk but it sure is refreshing

especially since it’s canon with saiki after he practically stalked that one dude

anyway onto the headcanons

I wanna start off by saying Saiki’s love languages are gift giving and quality time

the best part about gift giving is he could just leave it on your desk or night stand and watch your reaction from afar

they’re always very thoughtful since he can read your mind :) which is a plus!

and as for quality time he finds it quite peaceful to be around someone who’s not such a weirdo for once

and even if you are one, for some reason he can tolerate your strange behavior way better than he can your friends 😂

it’s always fun to play that one video game he has together

and it’s practically a requirement that every saiki k hcs have—you two will eat coffee jelly together

he would at least want you to try it and if you don’t like it’s that’s fine more for him

He’ll just get you whatever sweet, savory or spicy food you like so you can both enjoy something (and someone 💋) you love together!~

his mother absolutely adores you and is always pestering Saiki about when you’ll be back again

his dad thinks your a “good kid” (🗿) (like every dad says 😭)

Saiki loves to go on walks together

What he doesn’t like is when something chaotic happens to ruin it

but that’s besides the point—he loves to walk to school together!

nothing like getting up every day and seeing your lover. Going on a romantic walk too?*chefs kiss* 💋👩‍🍳

will try to indulge in your interests and hobbies to keep you happy

you may or may not be a introvert like him

if you aren’t he’ll go out and hang out with friends even if that’s outside of his comfort zone for you

but do remember to cut him some slack if he doesn’t want to or wants to go home early <3

and if your an introvert? Wonderful!

99.99% of dates are spent at either of your rooms (not just houses cuz parents are annoying)

or at that one shop that sells the coffee jelly he likes

only if you agree of course

if you prefer something even more private that’s just fine with him!

he only ever wants some peace anyway

and you simply never disturb that, to which he very much appreciates

if your a touchy-feely typa peep, please keep it to a minimum? Especially in public??

he’s already not really a physical touch person the way a perceive it

not that he hates it or anything

he just is more comfy without it when unnecessary

at least in public

he already will probably want to keep your relationship a secret/private for as long as possible

(he knows it’ll get out eventually by some misfortune event 🤦‍♀️)

but since they find out anyway here’s they’re reactions!

Honestly Nendo probably won’t realize your dating until you explicitly say so

either that or he’ll be the first one to know and just be like ‘oh, i thought everyone knew that’

Aren really doesn’t mind and thinks your relationship is sweet

Hairo supports wholeheartedly- maybe a little too much 😅💗

Chiyo is lowkey jealous you both got into a relationship before her but she’s happy

Torisuka is MAD jealous of Saiki but deep inside he’s still happy for you two

Kaido is also a tad jealous because he knows he would practically never find a girl his mom would accept but otherwise he pretty much supports 😭💕

Mera just uses your dates to get some free food (JOKING) she thinks you guys are cute

Saiko (Teruhashi’s brother) would be happy Saiki finally stopped desperately chasing his sister and learned his place (it’s the other way around bro 😑)

Uryoku (the magician dude) would be like ‘oh you dating someone master? Great! Now I need help for my upcoming show-“

Aiura immediately tests to see if you two are compatible and how long you’ll be together

turns out you are!! And you two stay together ♡

she thinks that’s adorable and will do anything for your relationship

will tear anyone who tries to split you apart a new one (they were just trying to say hi)

Aiura is the most supportive of your relationship

btw here we’re going with Saiki is her platonic soulmate instead (she prob already is)

Kusuke (Saiki’s brother) is very much so interested in the person his brother has fallen in love with

he will observe you and ask you lots of questions once he meets you

which I’m telling you Saiki tried so hard to make sure you never would.

what happened?

his mom happened.

”Kusuo! He’s your brother! He should get to meet your partner!”

now Teruhashi I had to save for last..

her reaction depends

if she still loves Saiki she tries to befriend you while turning on the charm with Saiki

her plan is to befriend you and basically make you go ‘oh! You like Saiki? Well I guess I’ll back off then since were friends”

and finally have Saiki go ‘oh wow’ and fall in love with her

otherwise if she doesn’t love him, moves on or whatever the case may be..

she probably doesn’t care much for your relationship unless your friends

i mean she’s kinda like that to anyone she isn’t friends with right?

In other news

Your friends def mess up your dates unintentionally

poor Saiki- since he’s usually the one to plan them

nothing too extravagant- usually just out for food..BUT STILL!

They always tag along and become 3rd, 4th and sometimes 5th wheels or more! 😀

on the bright side-

at some point in the relationship you get to call him Kusuo and it’s a big step for you two! 💖

”well, I guess we’ve been dating long enough right? You can just call me Kusuo..”

I wanna write for the disastrous life of Saiki k (mob psycho 100 and black butler as well) more in the future! So send in requests!

Truly hope you enjoyed loves~

[cactusjuiceisquenchy]

I really like that blue lock is a series that doesn’t allow it’s players to get comfortable in a supporting role. With a sport like this, we naturally come across quite a few duos, and they tend to be composed of a dominant striker and a support position passer who believes wholeheartedly in the other’s goal making ability. spoilers ahead

We see this with reo and Nagi, and Kaiser and ness and recently with isagi and hiori.

And to a certain extent, it works. These strikers need someone who can keep up with them and bring their goals into fruition. This is one way the striker can get stronger. We even see Julian from France actively working to create this partner for himself in the latest match.

But blue lock is making a point to show that the type of ego that is focused on another is not the best path forward for either player. This is first shown in nagi and reo. They have to break up to become stronger. I watched some videos and read some stuff online and the consensus seemed to be that reo gave in a bit too easily. It would have been better if he continued on his path without nagi. And the awesome bait and switch is that the narrative AGREES. The signs are all pointing to a breakup part 2. I think having them working together again served two purposes. It reaffirmed their relationship and shared goal. And it proved that they aren’t ready to work together again yet. Reo’s ego CANNOT be nagi or they will not make it to the world stage. This is really smart because it sets up their shared goal to be playing together again in the future to win the World Cup. They cannot evolve if they are codependent.

The same goes for Kaiser and ness. Each was using the other as a crutch. For Kaiser, ness allowed him to defend his throne and for ness, Kaiser became his whole reason for playing. We’ve seen this story before. In Order to grow and evolve, the duo has to split and Kaiser leaves ness to continue chasing his evolution. I think he knew on some level he was also holding ness back. Im hoping we get to see ness evolve during this match or the future in a world without Kaiser.

Finally— hiori. Now this one is actually special because unlike the others, hiori’s ego isn’t actually isagi, rather it is to develop the worlds greatest striker. Isagi just so happens to fit the bill at the moment. The play style and position is close to reo and ness but the intrinsic motivation is a bit more self centered than theirs. I think this is probably more aligned with the narrative’s ideal version for this role. It’s also very similar to Charles who has a selfish play style despite being a primary passer(idk the right term for this position sorry). That said, we have to wait and see if it ends up working out for him.

Long story short, if you want to pass, be someone who chooses where to pass, not who to pass to.

If you want to strike, be able to do it with your own power, not reliant on someone giving you the ball.

That way once the ultimate chemical reaction occurs, it becomes truly spectacular.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

[nnnn99999]

I want to share my interpretation of FadelStyle's sex scenes in the storage room, but before I get to the actual scene I need to establish FadelStyle's relationship arc so far. I won't go into detail about their attitude towards each other in episode 1 and 2 because @airenyah did such a great job of explaining Style's journey in this post and I wholeheartedly agree with everything she said.

To summarize, by the end of episode 2 Style is starting to sense something is off about Fadel and he is starting to want to connect to him, whereas Style manages to make past Fadel's defenses and enter his mind, albeit as a sexual fantasy. At this point neither of the two actively dislike each other as they used to before. Fadel still finds Style very annoying, but he is already starting to get used to it. Style still thinks Fadel is grumpy and rude, but he is intrigued by what lays under Fadel's mask. They don't really like each other, but they don't exactly hate each other either.

This dynamics continue in episode 3. As they meet each other more and more, Fadel softens up to Style as sees more of him. It's hard for Fadel to completely ignore the genuine care, concern and sincerity Style throws at him again and again. Style also starts to become even more intrigued by Fadel as he realizes just how deep the man is hiding himself. Not to mention the physical attraction between the two that very much exists and makes its presence known in the form of sexual fantasies.

When they actually hook up for the first time, there is only physical attraction that is driving their actions. As I mentioned before, they don't dislike each other, but they don't really like each other either. There is an emotional disconnect between the two. And I believe this is the reason this experience was not very fulfilling for either of them. Both of them seem to be the type to believe in having proper relationships instead of casual hookups, so sex without any sort of meaningful connection might be pleasant because of the physical attraction, but it's far from being able to make either of them feel content.

Comparing FadelStyle's first time to KantBison's first time makes this more evident. KantBison didn't even know each other's names when they jumped into bed together. But that didn't stop them from having a great time. They have no problems in finding sexual satisfaction without any emotional attachment. FadelStyle on the other hand seem to be unable to do that. It's a matter of preference, neither is right or wrong. The lighting choices in the two scenes also reflect the mood of the couples. For KantBison, it's a bright red-glaring, intense and passionate. The lighting is not warm, it's burning hot actually. Whereas for FadelStyle, the lighting is a cold blue, with no hint of warmth to be found.

In Fadel's fantasy, Fadel thinks about Style's interest in himself (his name and his tattoo). In Style's fantasy, Style imagines Fadel serving him with direct eye contact maintained at all times. Both of these fantasies further indicate to me that both of them crave a deeper connection with the other. And it's only when they find that connection that they can truly find sexual contentment.

I don't think Fadel meant to be that tender and worshipful with Style. I think he just couldn't help himself. Now that Style has had a taste of what it could feel like being with Fadel, he is not going to give up trying to make Fadel his. And Fadel has no way to defend against that kind of Style.

[neptunescore]

Unpopular opinion

But I really think that if Logan had been able to go through F2 fully and develop like everyone else (except max) did, and was put on a ran that wasn’t Williams, he’d be a much better driver. I can tell he’s improving currently, but he’d be so much better if he was allowed to grow and thrive and then put into F1, but he was taken out of F2 early, dumped into F1, and expected to perform amazingly.

Not every driver can skip F2 or be taken out early and perform great. I think the old team principal set him up for failure but not sporting him to continue his endeavors on F2. He was doing well so the team principal wanted to get to him before any other team could and that ultimately led to Logan’s horrible first season.

And I also think he was done wrong by Williams this season too. I understand that he’s by no means the best driver on the grid, but he isn’t the worst either.

A lot of people don’t want to acknowledge the growth he has made since last year. His year was ruined before it could truly began. With what happened in Australia, the team took his confidence away, and things went down from there. He was so ready and extremely confident, but his car was taken as punishment for something that his teammate did to his own car.

I get that it was a decision based on who could get points, but what really did it was the fact that Alex didn’t get any points and then Logan got his busted up chassis

And even recently, Logan barely got upgrades. He was given stuff from last year. I think he would do so much better on a different team because Williams obviously do not care for him the way they care for Alex. I get that he hasn’t really been driving the way they want him, but to be honest, neither has Alex.

I don’t know, man, this is just my opinion, but I feel like if he was allowed to finish his formula 2 season and then put into formula 1 things would be better for him. And if he weren’t in Williams, then that would be even better. They are known as the worst team on the grid to put a rookie in.

Another unpopular opinion, but I genuinely think he deserves another chance in a team like haas. I know you’re probably going to disagree with me, but haas has a better car than Williams and they would treat him fairly. He would also bring the team many sponsors as the only American, so it would be a win-win.

We don’t know how he would perform in a different team with a better car, so I’m just saying I would like to see what would happen

Honestly I agree with everything uve said here anon, like wholeheartedly.

I'm just gonna add a few more things, but overall, we both have the exact same opinions.

I feel like ppl forget that williams is literally an OVERWEIGHT car, like u literally can't expect amazing results from them, and I know some of you are gonna talk abt how alex seems to be doing rlly well, but alex has been here since 2019. Not to forget that he was part of that redbull shitshow, like this man is fully trained in the art of surviving under stressful situations, and he's also an experienced driver.

I feel like there's more hate on logan bc ppl keep seeing how well Oscar's doing, and those 2 came into F1 at the same time. But you literally can't compare them. You can't. Oscar's one of the VERY few rookies who managed to adjust to f1 that quick, and logan literally just needs TIME like all the other drivers got when they first joined too. Not to mention how SUPPORTING mclaren is of oscar, while james vowels is out there already talking abt different driver options and williams is so blatantly unmotivating of logan. God, ofc it's just gonna affect his performance even more bc this is the ONLY team hes been with, and it's his SECOND year, he needs affirmations and support.

Oscar is also in an AMAZING car, and as I've said bfr, logan is NOT. Ppl rlly need to stop comparing them.

All in all, his situation makes me so sad.

[wesleysniperking]

One Piece Film: Red and What It Meant for Usopp

Part 2 (TL;DR)

(beware spoilers!!!) | Part 1

If there’s one fandom consensus that I wholeheartedly agree with, it’s regarding Usopp’s screen time in the One Piece movies. He’s a scene-stealer and always manages to do something cool or worthwhile. If you’ve watched the movies, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The movie I want to focus on is "One Piece Film: Red." This is the movie where Usopp meets his dad amid battle, and they do that iconic Observation Haki thing together. It’s a scene I rewatch time and time again.

"One Piece Film: Red" is many things: fun, ambitious, messy, high-budget, and a wild ride. Uta’s character design was rad, and the overall vibe with the other characters was well-executed.

But in hindsight, I noticed that the movie did a lot of foreshadowing, especially concerning the final battle where everyone tries to take down Tot Musica. We see most of the Straw Hats with power-ups and battle moves that weren’t canonically revealed until the Wano arc was nearing its end. Here are some of the foreshadowed power-ups:

Luffy: We get a preview of Luffy’s Gear 5.

Zoro: Demonstrates his mastery of Enma and Conqueror’s Haki.

Sanji: Uses advanced fire attacks, reminiscent of "Ifrit Jambe."

Nami: Shows her integration with Zeus, who finally gets to shine.

Robin: Showcases "Demonio Fleur," which she uses against Black Maria.

Brook: Utilizes more of his soul-related abilities, similar to his actions in Wano.

Koby: Even Koby had a bit of foreshadowing regarding his growth, hinting at his future role as a Garp-like figure to Luffy’s Roger.

Given all this, I wondered why Usopp didn’t receive a similar foreshadowing in the movie. The answer seems clear: Usopp’s “power-up” or significant moment is being saved for a much later, possibly even more impactful, event.

Many fans speculate (and yes, I’m using some “Oda said” hearsay as a source here) that the people behind the One Piece movies have insight into how the series will end or what the One Piece actually is. If Usopp didn’t showcase his Observation Haki in the Wano arc like he did in the movie, it likely means Oda is reserving his moment for a bigger payoff.

Consider the scene where Usopp and Yasopp perform incredible Observation Haki feats together—something we haven’t seen canonically. Not even Katakuri could maintain such a level of Observation Haki for long. There’s also the part where Katakuri tells Shanks he can see through his sister’s eyes, but only for a few seconds, to which Shanks replies, “You’re not the only one who has Observation Haki.” It then cuts to Yasopp saying, “Yeah. My son has it, but he’s too panicked.”

This interaction might hint at the unique potential of Usopp’s Haki. Perhaps Observation Haki users can link up with others they’re related to, or maybe it’s just a matter of Usopp honing his abilities. Either way, the fact that this was showcased in the movie but not yet in the manga suggests that Usopp’s true power is yet to be revealed.

Another point that stands out to me is the conversation between Katakuri and Shanks. Shanks’ words wouldn’t necessarily lead anyone to believe he was specifically talking about Yasopp. We didn't even know if Yasopp was aware of his son's abilities. Yes, the movies aren’t canonical, but still, it’s intriguing. When Yasopp mentions that his son has Observation Haki but is too nervous to use it effectively, it raises questions. How does Yasopp know this about Usopp, given they haven’t spoken in over a decade (if ever)?

What also stood out was the scene where Usopp is running and says, "If we only did something to Tot Musica’s legs, we could defeat him” (paraphrasing here). Usopp then stops, tells himself to stay calm, presses his fingers to his temples, and suddenly, he’s seeing through his dad’s eyes. Yasopp exclaims, "D*mn, son! You finally managed to link up with me?! Finally!” (Paraphrasing here). They then guide everyone on where to attack Tot Musica’s limbs, resulting in a spectacular team effort. Afterward, Shanks remarks, “Yasopp and his son work well together,” with a thoughtful and brooding expression.

None of this is canonical, but it makes me wonder about Usopp’s story in the main series. Does Shanks know the limits of Yasopp’s Observation Haki? Can Yasopp do things with it that even Shanks can’t? Given Yasopp’s role as a sniper, it makes sense. In real-world terms, snipers use spotters to help locate targets and assess their surroundings. Yasopp’s Observation Haki might serve a similar purpose, acting as a “spotter” for pinpoint accuracy.

Additionally, considering the non-canonical nature of the movies (last time I'll mention this), what if they have their own internal canon? In "One Piece: Red," what if Yasopp and Usopp had already talked before the events of the movie? Yasopp might have advised Usopp to train his Observation Haki and stay calm to tap into its full potential. That’s why, during the fight with Tot Musica, Usopp reminds himself to stay calm before successfully linking up with his father. Usopp’s smile when he realizes he’s connected with his dad, and Yasopp calling him a “knucklehead,” suggests a prior relationship and training.

This scenario could potentially work in the canon of the main story. It opens up possibilities for Usopp’s future development, hinting at a deeper mastery of Observation Haki and a stronger connection with his father.

next part

Part 3

link credits:

Video to gif credit (youtube: SnyapTV offcial)

gif credit Uta (drawing from Amino: @Mommy Issues cora)

Usopp fan club (feel free to join)

[johanna-swann]

Several sentences Sunday (mildly angsty thanksgiving oneshot I mentioned here)

Thanksgiving was supposed to be a quiet affair for the 118’s A-shift this year. Most of them were scheduled to be working the actual holiday, but managed to get a few consecutive days off leading up to it. After all the drama that had taken place earlier in the year nobody felt the need to organise a huge, over-the-top celebration and Maddie agreed wholeheartedly. She just wanted a comfy and low-key night of peace, quiet and home-cooked food. Bobby, Athena and the kids were flying out to visit Michael and David for a couple of days. They hadn’t seen each other in ages and at this point it was hard to say who missed whom more. Of course Michael missed his children (Maddie could only imagine how much), but Bobby was also close friends with him and no matter what else happened: Athena and Michael would always be family. Not to mention she’d need David to back her up when her husband and ex-husband inevitably found themselves in a situation tm again. Eddie also got on a plane to finally see Christopher in person again. Phone calls, texts and facetime only got them so far and he hoped to have an actual conversation with his son about his living situation while he was there. The Diaz parents were happy enough to hear about his visit to El Paso (as was his abuela), but Chrisopher was harder to read. Either way, at least Eddie would get to actually see his kid. Or at least that was how her brother had relayed the newest developments on that front to Maddie. She and Chimney had decided to do a small joint celebration with the Wilsons on Tuesday, so the kids could all see each other. Jee-Yun missed having Mara around and over the past year and a half – ever since Maddie and Hen had their heart-to-heart about the engagement – their two families had grown closer together beyond just Hen and Chimney being best friends for life. And then Maddie also invited Buck over last minute. Originally her brother had intended to spend as much of his free time as possible with Tommy, but. Well. That wasn’t happening now. Nobody had been successful in coaxing the reason for the break-up out of Buck yet. The only thing they got out of him was that it was over, no it was not a mutual decision, Tommy was the one who dumped him. Why did Tommy do that? ���I’ll tell you as soon as I figure it out myself.” A statement which only opened up more questions instead of answering them if you were to ask Maddie. So yeah. All in all it was supposed to be a quiet and peaceful night. But when had that ever worked out for them?

[mogwaei]

No cause I 100% agree about the disappointing lore direction of veilguard. It's a beautiful game (and I'm def gonna play when I get a computer that can handle it, esp for that baddie Emmrich and the overall luscious hair physics I've seen so far), but after all the deep twisting lore build up of the previous games, DAV just felt a little glossed over and shallow in terms of everything that makes a DA game a DA game. Skin deep romance, lack of meaningful choices or sometimes any choices for that matter, and unsatisfying answers to the legacy of questions and theories that the series bore for decades.

(Personally your Ouroborous is my canon continuation at this point and DAV itself is an admittedly very pretty but glorified character creator lol. And besides, your skill and dedication to your art and storytelling practically makes you just as official as any BioWare exec in my eyes 💞💞)

ASFHFKJHGJ (thoughts under cut)

I have WAY too many thoughts about this game as far as the lore goes, but I am not articulate about it the way some others are (Corseque/northgalis on here and twt has pretty much nailed all of my sentiments though). I'm also very careful about what I say because it's annoying to me when people take Very Subjective thoughts personally and get mean about it. That being said, I've read fic that had better lore...and like, I'm proud of mine too! I don't think there's anything wrong with being proud of something you've poured your whole self into, but I feel like I have to say that because someone on twt got offended😂

NOW:

They had me fooled in the beginning! I was super excited and surprised at a great number of things that they touched upon. One of my bigger excitements was the Forgotten Ones + the Forbidden! LIKE HOLY SHIT!!! I can't believe they're more than vague codexes! So there I was waiting for the revelations to get more intense and blow my fuckign mind as I progressed the game, I'm waiting for that detailed lore and insight into who and what they were like...and well, I was a let down. And then it kept happening. A lot, with other things. Many started off strongly and then either didn't go anywhere or stayed superficial? Or the lore was simplified and made into something not deep at all...or deeply unsatisfying lol. Lots of "oh that was almost good!" I'm sort of repeating everything you said, but basically I'm just trying to say I wholeheartedly agree -- also about all the choices, the cutting down of our worldstates...all of it. :(

But YES! The game is achingly gorgeous, I'm a huge fan of the art direction and style. I also adore all the companions and enjoyed them a lot! I think that their quests also suffered a bit of writing issues like the lore did, but whatever...I guess, that's what fanfic is for. I fucking LOVE Emmrich okay, he's my new fav along with Solas (and Varric. And a few others). He's perfect to me and so is my son Manfred. I can't wait to play the other romances too.

!!!!!!!!

And finally, I'm going to spin into the next dimension??? THAT'S INSANE OF YOU TO SAY AND THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT EVER THANK YOU SO MUCH. omggfgg seriously wow thank you, I'll be floating on rainbows and clouds possibly forever lol💜💜💜

[bibibbon]

Ok a question center about Izu, in a way. Hm, ok let me gather my thought:

Mirio is either stupid or naive? I ask this bc well nighteye was a miserable bitch against Izu for no reason but petty. Is Mirio aware Nighteye is a creep or ...nighteye fake around mirio?

Now to Izu...I think I'm the only one who can see this but...Izu getting the quirk, ofa, is now a mean spirit joke. "Huh?what you mean?"

Mirio is the perfect candidate for ofa. He has a good grasp on his quirk, he knows how to act and is a mini am. He could fill the gap right away and AM was in a hurray.

Why pick Izu?

"he saved PoS" which ok...but is that enough to grant him a special quirk? No discussing or get to know Izu? Am doesn't know this kid...for all he knows Izu could have used ofa for evil.

To me, the way I see it. Izu got the quirk bc am is stubborn and nighteye was a mega creep.

Like Mirio was a perfect option for ofa. Why Izu? Not asking this to shit on him (I'm not Hori) but while Izu does work to make this quirk his...AM was putting pressure...he needs Izu to be the symbol of peace in a second.

Mirio already was a symbol or coming closer. Why not him?

What makes Izu special of ofa? It's bc am picked him and it's a good reason if we saw why am picked him. Am picked him way too quick.

One good and frankly suicidal mission was enough to make him his heir. Why? We will never know.

Again, not shitting on Izu. I wanted to see a reason as why Izu is worthy of ofa. But we don't. The relationship of am and Izu is ...no. Existent. Really make me think he picked Izu too quick and if nighteye wasn't himself...the ofa would go to Mirio.

Hi @mikeellee 👋 sorry for not answering this sooner!

Hmm interesting I would say mirio is naive with a dash of biases. Let me explain, what I mean is that Mirio believes that nighteye wouldn't do such a thing especially if it's towards someone he thinks is a friend. Mirio and nighteyes relationship is what I like to describe what nighteye wanted his relationship to be with all might in a way.

I don't think that Mirio is aware of nighteye's creepy behaviour as canon never alludes or implies it at all and Mirio someone who has a strong sense of righteousness and would probably be very irked if he found out about nighteye.

My theory is that due to all mights and nighteye's strained relationship all might didn't trust nighteye's input or decision so he may of left Mirio getting OFA as a last resort type of thing. However, you are right Mirio is basically perfect for the role especially if they wanted another mini all might in a hugely short span of time but I think the message was supposed to be that with society changing that another all might may actually harm society a lot more than do good for it. Now I think that if horikoshi actually allowed Izuku's character to go through proper development that izuku would be perfect in delivering that message however this idea doesn't hold much weight after Izuku's fight with shigaraki that parallels all mights kamino fight.

Also maybe Izuku reminded all might of himself so that's why he picked him. In reality how would all might really know that though??!?! All might and izuku bonding time is basically non existent in the manga or anime their relationship is also non existent. All might doesn't know much about izuku and neither does izuku. All might is a bad mentor and it's never brought up or used as a point to develop him and his relationship with Izuku.

Iam not sure what's so special about izuku for all might to pick him or why all might never picked Mirio. I remember a few years ago I saw a video talking about how in the overhaul arc we never actually got proof as to why izuku is the better candidate for OFA and i have to actually agree. Izuku never ended up differentiating himself from Mirio and frankly we don't even have any logical reasoning from all might as to why it was izuku himself. Or it's how he broke the bystander effect and wanted to help bakugo even though he couldn't do anything that maybe inspired him to help this kids dream of becoming a hero become a reality but oh well I guess we will never know the true answer.

[epicfroggz]

I wonder why Marika despite her atrocities is giving the benefit of the doubt and people try to invent so much justification for her actions but Messmer is reduced into a genocidal maniac and nothing else. It's getting more confusing when people hate on Messmer for what he did to the hornsent while also justifying Marika. Like how Messmer is irredeemable for committing genocide but Marika is reedamble and righteous for it when she was literally the one who ordered him anyway make it make sense 😅

Man, I don’t know either! Of all the demigods, Messmer was the most committed to being Marika’s weapon of war, her spear, an extension of her desire for justice and revenge. She pointed her spear at the Hornsent, and Messmer wholeheartedly agreed and went after them. (slight rant below)

(please read the following paragraph with great bitterness)

And also reclaimed the native lands of Marika’s people and protects them, and is trying to help those who have suffered in jars for ages, and fosters in his highly disciplined army a culture of acceptance and respect for those of other walks of life (even making them his commanders), and personally mourns those he has lost even if it is because they rebelled against him. But no, no, Messmer is just a genocidal maniac, mhm. Never mind that he and his men are suffused with profound grace, more potent runes than any other army found in the Lands Between, that their cause is deemed holier by the Greater Will itself than all the petty wars of the Shattering combined—nah, they’re just evil to be evil, sure whatever. Marika, though? She was totally correct to write the Golden Order in such a way that her son was branded a traitor for the powers he was born with and can’t change about himself, no matter how much he tried. She was totally correct to make him despise himself. She was totally correct to abandon him out of fear. Look, she condemned the war despite being the one that desired it! She actually isn’t flawed, and can never do wrong!

Going to stop now because it’s making me sick. I hope I’ve managed to express that, I agree, the sentiment you describe in your ask is so nearsighted it’s baffling. I love Marika and her story, but because she is a deeply flawed god—she loves her children, but by loving her children she ruins them, it is absolutely fascinating. And her children all find their own way to fight for themselves, in the end—to become Lords or Gods, just like she wanted. It just took her removing herself from the equation for them to be able to do it. :(((

I digress, but yeah, trying to redeem these people is tiring, why can’t we just enjoy the tragedy instead?

- Froggo

[beauty-and-passion]

No pressure as always, but I’m curious if you saw Thomas’ Year in Review. He talks a lot about his struggles with Sanders Sides and why the creative process has taken so long (at least, he gives his own take on the situation.)

If you saw it, I’m very curious about your thoughts! Because I honestly don’t believe that this video discredits any criticism, especially your criticism, but I’m curious if any of your opinions changed after watching it regardless. And no judgement either way, I just love hearing your thoughts ^.^

My dear, it's always a pleasure to reply to your asks! It might take me some time, but in the end, the answer will always come.

Thank you very much for telling me about the video because, if it wasn't for you, I would've probably never watched it and missed out a lot. Extra kudos for that.

So I watched it. And I read your post about it too (HERE because more people need to read it): it was very well made and I agree with you wholeheartedly.

However, I also took a lot of notes while watching Mr Sanders' video and there are a lot of other things I want to say in addition to the ones you already said. So I will gladly expand my thoughts and feelings here.

(It might be longer than expected, so I'll put it under a "read more")

Accepting criticism

Thomas admitted he easily internalizes negative criticism

He said that people are allowed to write everything/to criticize and that he doesn't want others to get mad over SaSi criticism

First of all, I am proud of him for showing this self-awareness. From what I saw of him, Thomas looks like a very prideful person, so it probably took him a lot of time and courage to admit his faulty behaviour.

But in the end, he did it. He showed some of the maturity I've always wanted to see coming from him and he deserves recognition for that: good job, Thomas. I know it wasn't easy because it sucks to admit we're not good at something, but it was a great proof of adulthood coming from you.

However, I would like to point out that he doesn't internalize just negative criticism. What the ts critics noticed (and you can find several proofs in the #ts_criticism tag), is that Thomas tends to reply with a lot of passive-aggressiveness not just to people offending him, but also to simple and harmless questions like "Hey, where is the SaSi finale?". Which are not negative, not criticism and even less negative criticism.

So it's not that he just internalizes bad criticism: he internalizes every single question regarding the SaSi finale which is not a compliment towards him or a "take your time, bro". And he internalizes it as something bad, which is not great, nor fair.

With this video, he took a step in the right direction and showed some self-awareness, which is very good. But now he needs to learn how to distinguish between different kinds of criticism - as well as recognizing that asking him questions isn’t criticism. It’s just asking questions.

(I also hope that some people won’t follow his mentality of “saying anything that isn’t a compliment = criticism”, because this can lead to a dangerous, distorted vision of the world.)

And since we’re talking about criticism, I wish that by saying "please do not get angry over criticism" Thomas finally put an end to the stupid idea that “people are not allowed to criticize”.

I know some people don't like to hear this, but criticism is inherent to the nature of every single work. Everything that exists in this world is allowed to be criticized. Heck, it's exactly because these creations are criticized, that they exist. Do you know what work isn't criticized? The one people don't talk about.

And no, despite what the opposers of criticism think, when people criticize something it's not because they hate the product: it's because they care a lot about said product. It's because they saw something good in it and they're disappointed the product wasn't as good as it promised. It's because they are so invested, that every mistake frustrates them.

In the end, it's not criticism that kills a product: it's indifference. It's not talking about it anymore. When you don't care, the product is dead.

So the opponents of criticism should be happy people are talking about SaSi with such passion, throwing ideas, suggestions and calling Thomas out. It's because, despite the empty promises, they still give a fuck about this project and want to see it succeed.

Maybe, thanks to Thomas' works, more people will not ban every criticism as "bad" Because Yes. Heck, they might even read a couple of posts and find out that the criticism tag isn't made of hateful people: just of people who care like them.

And maybe this will also discourage pathetic losers like the anon @softestvirgil mentioned in their last post. An anon who is so strong and brave, to say they would hire a hitman to kill another person just because they criticize something the anon likes. Very mature, very clever and very bold, coming from a coward who doesn't even have the balls to show their face, while saying this.

_______________________

The difficulty of writing

Thomas said he got overwhelmed by the public's reaction to SaSi "in the most wonderful and intimidating way"

When Joan left, Thomas felt the overwhelming weight of the series all on himself. He couldn't see himself doing SaSi without Joan

Roleslaying was a breath of fresh air, since it was a series with no stakes

Thomas realized he was doing his best with videos that didn't require him to write

Thomas said there have been moments when he despised everything he was writing. He spent whole days on a single interaction between two characters, only to hate everything and wonder how Joan would write them/what the viewers would think.

As always, I am a prophet. What did I say in these last years?

Thomas doesn't know how to handle this series? He admitted he couldn't see himself doing it without Joan.

Thomas prefers Roleslaying and shorter, more carefree videos because they're easier and they don't require him to write? He admitted he did his best with videos that didn't require him to write.

Thomas isn't able to write the series? He had struggles and hated what he was writing.

So, what was the result, if not Thomas postponing and focusing on other projects - thus ending up with characterization errors, mistakes and things he completely forgot? Just like I said?

But even if I'm right, I am glad Thomas FINALLY talked about it. One thing is deduce what's going on, one thing is the author himself admitting it.

So yes, I really, really appreciate him doing it. Again, it was probably very hard for him to say it out loud, but he did and deserves recognition for that.

I particularly felt for him, when he said he spent days on a single interaction, only to hate everything he was writing. I empathize with him a lot because that's exactly what I felt while writing the prologue of my story, multiple times. I spent days writing the same two paragraphs, over and over, trying to find the right way to do it, the right rhythm, the right words. And I ended up deleting everything, only to start again and try again and delete everything again, over and over in a neverending loop.

I know it must've been hard for Thomas, because it is hard. Because you feel like shit. Because you ask yourself how can you not write this right, what are you doing wrong? Maybe you did everything wrong from the start, maybe the entire thing is wrong, maybe you're just too stupid to do it - and you see other stories and other writings and they're all so good and you suck so much and you feel like an even bigger loser.

And now you may ask: how can you break this loop? How can you move forward?

We will talk about Thomas' solution in a bit.

_______________________

The lack of an outline

Thomas admitted he lost connection with his characters

He said he was feeling bad for letting people down

He said he's writing the outline of the season finale by referring to notes left by Joan

He finished 3 drafts out of 4 parts. And they're still reviewed

Wow, it looks like the lack of a proper, full outline leads to characterization errors, forgetting things and taking a lot of time. Jeez, I wonder who said all of this since like, idk, forever?

As I imagined, there is still no outline at all and Thomas isn't even working on a full outline for season 3: he's working on an outline for the season 2 finale. Which means season 3 is still stuck in a limbo.

And yes, I know they're not great news, but at least they're real news. Real fucking news about the finale, not just "finished draft 3" or "worked for 8 hours" or "it will come out this year maybe yes maybe not". We finally have real news and we know how much Thomas did and what he's currently working on and how much is still left to do. So, again, he deserves recognition for finally talking about it.

Does that mean the writing is good now? Heck no, this isn't a proper way to write and my previous post still stands: the writing is still taking too long, the lack of an outline is still a problem, part 4 and the review will probably take another two years minimum and a competent writer would've helped A LOT to make the writing smoother and faster.

However, I better understand now why Thomas didn't hire one: he probably wanted to do everything by himself to not disappoint everyone and was too prideful to ask for help - considering he didn't tell anyone about his struggles either.

But what did it lead to? The outline is still missing (with all the expected consequences) and Thomas suffered for the huge weight of expectation he put on himself.

_______________________

The importance of not escaping criticism

Thomas' resolutions for this year are:

to be more open and honest about his struggles

to stay away from criticism (he doesn't even want to be tagged in it)

Those are great resolutions, especially the first one. Considering he kept everything by himself and didn't tell anyone about his struggles, being more open and honest about them is a very good decision.

And staying away from negative criticism is good too, considering that 1) it's good for mental health in general and 2) he just admitted he internalizes criticism, so staying away from it can only be helpful.

However, as said before, Thomas sees as “negative criticism" everything, including people asking him about the finale. So if he escapes from all kinds of criticism, he will also escape from harmless fans who just want an update from him.

Besides, it’s never good to escape from all kinds of criticism. Criticism is essential for writing, especially constructive criticism. Sure, you might find the 12-year-old who says "You stink and your work sucks because my headcanon is not here!", but you may also find the expert who will explain some technicalities of writing. Or just someone who can offer a deeper insight into a character. Or just an interesting idea to develop into a plot point.

Also, considering how Thomas tends to label every little critic as "negative", people who want to show their love might end up feeling "forced" to use just compliments, in hopes that Thomas will notice them/know they love SaSi. Which isn’t good either, because... well, people would be forced to censor themselves and suffocate their rightful questions just to make him happy.

_______________________

How to escape the neverending loop of hate-writing

Thomas said he wants to rediscover his joy in writing by working on more Asides/other projects to "stretch his brain"

He also expressed his love for short-form creation

Thomas' solution is a good one. Doing other things, focusing on other stuff, letting SaSi in the back to write different stories: this is all good and valid, I’m sure it will help Thomas’ mental health a lot.

However, writing small stuff with no stakes is also what Thomas wrote for most of his life. So by doing that, he basically reverts to something he’s already used to. And of course he loves it, it’s his comfort zone: it’s very understandable he feels at ease inside it.

Still, this is not a bad thing: it’s good to do it once in a while and it's even necessary for your wellbeing. But you can understand by yourself that this doesn’t help solve the problem. This just postpones the problem. Maybe it won’t come back now, maybe not today or tomorrow or during the season 2 finale. But the problem will eventually come back.

Why? Because SaSi still lacks an outline. Because the story should still move in a more mature, complex direction. Because there are still a lot of threads to develop and close. Because the characters still need mature development.

How do I think Thomas can solve the problem? Sure, detaching himself from it is good for a while, but he cannot do just that and escape into his comfort zone. He needs to face the problem and he can do it only by learning how to write.

And if it’s hard to do (because it is), then the best solution would be to hire a competent writer. Not because the writer will replace him, not at all. The writer will help Thomas to learn and understand the technicalities of writing especially for a project as big as SaSi: like how to develop an outline, how to connect all threads, how to move from a simple to a more complex plot, how to keep a continuative plot throughout several episodes without destroying the stakes. The writer will be an assistant for the writing of SaSi and a teacher from whom Thomas can learn everything he needs.

So, if Thomas really wants to give himself some grace this year as he said, I suggest he shares his writing responsibilities with someone competent and bias-free. A real writer from whom he can learn not just for SaSi, but for his future projects too. Not only this will benefit him in the long run, but it will also give him a more humble and mature approach to writing in general, by recognizing and accepting his limits and doing actual work to improve himself.

But this is just my suggestion. If he wants, Thomas can keep doing what he’s doing now, i.e. working on smaller stuff into his comfort zone and stepping out a little bit when he feels more confident.

Again, this isn’t a bad solution, but the problem is that it takes a lot of time. But, like, A LOT. You need to regain confidence from inside your comfort zone, then step out again to face a bigger problem - a problem you still don’t know how to face, because you don’t know how to write and you don’t even have an outline or a plan to tackle it. And what if you lose confidence again? Will you come back into your comfort zone and wait again to gain enough confidence to step out once more?

I know you will never read this post, Thomas, but let me tell you this: I also lost the spark with my characters several times in the past. The first time, it was because I still didn’t know how to write, so I was frustrated by the writing itself and how everything was dull. Then I lost my spark because the plot kept getting stuck and I had no idea how to improve it.

Both times, I left the project in the back and focused on other smaller stories, smaller projects and books to read.

After the first time, it took me a couple of years to get back on this project. But do you know how long it took me the second time? This year, it will be 8 years. The last time I wrote that project was 2016. And only now, after 8 years, I think I found the solution I was searching for.I could do that, because I never showed this story to anyone. It has always been my personal, secret project. But can you do the same? Can you really afford to spend 8+ years, doing everything by yourself? As I said in my previous post, unfortunately Sanders Sides has your face. And you cannot revert the biological clock forever.

_______________________

In conclusion

Do I appreciate Thomas a little more after this video? Definitely. He still didn't apologize for his lack of organization and his take on criticism is a bit questionable, but he's improving. He showed more maturity than he did in the past three years and I appreciate that. He has my respect for doing it, for admitting his mistakes and for opening up.

Does that mean he can take forever for the finale? Heck no. I still want to see the finale before the end of time and I still want to get more frequent, honest updates coming from him. And, no that doesn’t mean he has to do 20-minute-long videos every time: even just a simple, clear tweet is enough. Just to let us know how the work is going.

I also hope he will develop better communication with his team, improve the organization and, most importantly, hire a competent writer from whom he can learn more about writing in general (and regarding SaSi).

While for the fandom, I wish we would be nicer too. It doesn't make sense for us to fight over a simple series, when there are bigger problems out there. Let's enjoy our time together instead, let's criticize if we want to, let's do fanart and write fanfictions and let's fight over silly stuff only, like which ship is the best and which Orange is the best Orange. Even if the second doesn’t even need a debate, because we all know pirate!Orange is the best ;P

[akiizayoi4869]

Maybe Harris wouldn't like to hear this considering her pledge to be the president for all american people, but honestly a good chunk of Americans don't deserve her. They don't deserve better. Trump's presidency and all the shit it'll inevitably entail is what they deserve.

Normally I wouldn't like to hear this either because I'm just not that kind of person, but I really cannot bring myself to care at this point. I wholeheartedly agree with you, anon. I'll give them 2016, because nobody was really taking him seriously and we didn't know how bad things would get. I mean really, the man was even worse than BUSH, something that I never thought that I would say. I'll even give them 2020, because a lot of the shit that happened after that election obviously hadn't happened yet. But now? After seeing and hearing everything that's come out about him? The documents? Being convicted of 34 freaking felonies? January 6th? Some people are ignorant enough to belive that all of this are lies, but there's also a large portion of people who voted for him that know all of these things are true, that know that his claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him were false, who cannot stand him, who agree with the people who call him a fascist, a wannabe dictator, and America's Hitler. And yet they still voted for him. They know that his outlandish claims of transgender surgeries in prisons, his claims that Haitian immigrants were eating people's pets, and doctors doing after birth abortions were all false. They can't stand his rhetoric. And yet they still voted for him. Because they foolishly believe that he'll make the economy better, even though the economy is actually fine. Much better than what it was four years ago when Trump was still the president. But people don't feel that way because of the prices of groceries, gas, etc. Also because the misinformation from the right wing media has gotten so bad to the point where it's overtaken the truth. Because they foolishly believe that everything he said wouldn't happen to them. Clearly they believe it now since a lot of people have been searching "what are tarrifs?" and "can I change my vote?" since he won the election. At this point though, I really don't care about these people, because they choose to be willfully ignorant. What I do care about? Is that the rest of us have to suffer because of their stupidity.

My mother, for example, is on a bunch of medication because she had a brain aneurysm and a stroke back in 2006. Which then resulted in her having seizures, something that thankfully hasn't happened to her since 2010. You know how she's able to afford all of those medications? Because of health insurance. The affordable care act. And now Donald Trump and the Republicans are threatening to take that away, and they might just be able to succeed because they have control of the government now! And to make matters worse, the majority of the Republican party is now his cult following, so obviously they're not going to stop him and will go along with whatever he wants to do.

I'm also on seizure medication. I had one back in 2018, and unfortunately I had one again this year, back in April. I'm able to afford the medication that I need because we have health insurance. If that gets taken away? The cost of that medicine is going to go sky high, just like seeing a doctor or going to the hospital is going to cost an arm and a leg if health care AND social security gets taken away. All because these dumbfucks voted him back in for a second term. So yeah, I don't feel sorry for these people at all. Like you said, they are going to get exactly what they voted for and deserve the moment this man is sworn in once again.