#And that both sides of the interaction were understandable given the contexts

[reddbuster]

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[yamujiburo]

Why I Love Hanamusa

I get this question very frequently but have never given a really in depth, definitive answer. All just kinda implied through my comics and spread out asks. So here's this I guess! Long post ahead:

First, as a Pokémon fan in her mid 20s, I love seeing a ship where the characters are both in their mid/late 20s. Already, they’re much more relatable to me and my current experiences. Most Pokémon ships are between preteens, which can be cute but ultimately don’t interest me as much as they used to when I was a kid myself. Not enough to get super invested in and draw a lot of fanart for anyways haha.

I’ll also start by saying that canon doesn’t always influence whether or not I’ll ship something. I’m much more drawn to potential. Could the characters work together? Do their personalities work together in a nice way? I feel like this so much of fanon is anyways. Especially with queer relationships because they’re rarely depicted in the first place. A lot of the context for these ships is usually up to the fans to piece together or make up in general. And that’s the fun part to me!

Jessie and Delia have only met in the anime a handful of times. Any interaction they’ve had has either been pleasant, or just a typical Team Rocket interaction, with Delia dismissing them/not seeing them as a threat. Already a great jumping off point for me since, truly, they don’t have any actual beef or true, ill feelings towards each other. It’s not TOO out of the realm of possibility for them to potentially fall for each other. “But Jessie chased Delia’s son around trying to steal his Pokémon!” That’s where that dismissive and aloof attitude that Delia has comes into play. I’ll go more into Delia’s whole deal a bit later but I do think this aspect of her personality is a large reason why this ship can work. It’s not that she doesn’t care that Jessie has a bad past, but she can tell that, on the inside, Jessie’s a good person. And, in a scenario where Jessie is trying to become a better person, is forgiving enough to give her a shot. I feel like this is such a solid foundation for a ship. A character who has done wrong but is trying to be better and another character who is willing to help them be better. A classic dynamic!

It’s not just one-sided though; where Jessie is the only one benefitting and learning from the relationship. I believe Delia could get a lot out of being with someone like Jessie. To understand why, I think it’s important to know these characters’ respective backstories.

Jessie is an orphan/foster child who grew up in poverty. Her mother Miyamoto (from The Birth of Mewtwo) was a Team Rocket operative herself, who went on a mission to find Mew. In order to do this, she had to leave Jessie when she was just a toddler. Unfortunately, Miyamoto went MIA on her mission leaving Jessie to more or less fend for herself. Jessie went through life with zero stability, evident by her MANY different careers and constant moving around. It’s implied in the show that she went from foster home to foster home, and later in life tried being an idol, weather girl, florist, wine connoisseur, actress, most notably a nurse and finally a Team Rocket field agent. And even while in Team Rocket, she, James and Meowth were always doing odd jobs to get by. We see that Jessie used to be a sweet kid, and even adult, but the world and her circumstances repeatedly did her dirty, leading her to become the character we know today. Hot tempered, mean, selfish, etc. But despite this, her soft side does still shine through for the people and Pokémon she cares about. She is incredibly loyal.

Delia, unbeknownst to a lot of fans, also had a rough past (see Pocket Monsters: The Animation). Like Jessie, she had a lot of dreams and aspirations like wanting to be a model and even a trainer. But when she was 10, her mother didn’t let her, telling her that she had to stay home and learn to run the family restaurant (she’s an only child). Delia’s father left her and her mother to be a trainer, and never returned. When she was 18, she married Ash’s father and became pregnant shortly after. But right after Ash was born, he also set off to be a Pokémon trainer. And soon after that, her mother passed away, leaving Delia with just the restaurant and baby Ash. This gives so much context to Delia’s attitude in the show. We see that Delia is pained whenever Ash leaves on a journey, but she never shows that pain to anyone. ESPECIALLY Ash. She’s very quick to shoo him off when he shows any sign of wanting to go on another journey and even when he returns home, she acts more excited to see Pikachu than him almost every time. Without all this backstory, it’s easy to just read this as a funny gag, BUT with context, I think it really shows how quickly Delia shuts down and detaches in order to not confront her own feelings. She’s afraid of losing people and getting hurt again.

All that said, I think Jessie and Delia provide each other with EXACTLY what the other needs. 

Aside from becoming rich and famous, Jessie’s biggest aspiration is to get married. In my opinion, this is more so an underlying want for love and stability. There is no one more stable in the show than Delia. Delia’s lived in Pallet her whole life, she’s worked at the same restaurant since she was young and she is always there when Ash comes back home. She has all the love, patience and stability Jessie needs and craves. While forgiving, Delia’s not stupid and can keep Jessie in check. Delia’s also just an angel, which I feel, would make Jessie want to be better. And on top of all this, on more of a surface level, Delia’s a chef and excellent cook. She shows love through cooking and Jessie, who grew up poor, regularly starving and eating snow, happily receives that love. Jessie’s able to live a happy and healthy life with someone like Delia.

Delia, as stated, is very stable. Likely pretty monotonous and solitary, especially living in such a small town like Pallet. This isn’t a bad thing but it’s a little sad when you consider that Delia also had dreams of traveling, being a model and a trainer. She had to give up so many dreams in order to fulfill her duties as a restaurant owner and mother. And even now, when Ash is off on his journey, she feels the need to always be home and be that stable pillar, leaving behind any ambitions she had, thinking it’s too late for her (she’s only 29 btw). But then along comes Jessie, dangerous, passionate, an absolute firecracker. Someone who’s whole life has been about chasing dreams and either, never giving up on them or finding a new dream to chase. Upon learning about Delia’s past aspirations, I could see Jessie pushing her towards them, letting her know that life’s too short and she has nothing to lose from trying. On top of this, Jessie’s also loyal. She, James and Meowth are depicted as doing anything for anyone who gives them food or shows them kindness. Delia does both so there’s no way Jessie would leave her. This fulfills an essential need for Delia, who is afraid of the people in her life leaving her.

There’s so much potential for mutual growth and learning between these two and I adore that. They compliment each other, they help each other and they bring out the best qualities in one another.

I’m not really sure how to end this and I could truly talk about them even more but I don’t want this to be tooooo long haha. OH I could end it with maybe the most funny aspect of this ship that I've brushed over and also what drew me to it in the first place. Jessie. As Ash’s stepmom. THE END.

[i-am-creacheur]

okay listen. I get the urge to talk about my favorite life series ship like it's Canon in every season...BUT. THAT HAS NEVER ONCE BEEN THE CASE.

Yes, Jimmy would be upset if Tango canaried (technical scientific term for that). Everyone would be- even I would be, and I've never watched a single one of his videos. Canarying sucks, and it hurts. Of course I would be upset. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I THINK JIMMY WOULD BREAK DOWN SOBBING FROM A CHARACTER STAND POINT. They have had only like... THREE on screen interactions. One is Tango murdering a man infront of Jimmy and another is Tango cheerfully burning down something one of Jimmy's teammates worked very hard on. WildLifeChara!Jimmy has more reason to hate or be afraid of WildLifeChara!Tango than to be madly in love with him.

I promise you, if Tango had offered Jimmy a life instead of Ren, people wouldn't shut up about for MONTHS. But, because it's Ren, somehow the interaction isn't NEARLY as homoerotic??? I understand having NOTP's, but the Jimmy/Ren ship doesn't even show up ONCE on ao3. Zero fics. ZE-RO. There's no reason to hate something that doesn't even exist.

This same concept applies for Flower Husbands as well- not just in Wild Life, and Secret Life and Limited Life and Last Life and Real Life though- in Empires.

I have no clue about Empires Season 1, but they barely interacted in Empires Season 2- and yet the amount of ship art I sift through on a weekly basis for my side blog is actually insane. Yeah, the few interactions WERE important, but I think Scott only flirted (in video) with Jimmy maaybbeeee three times. I have no idea what the count of that for streaming is, but I swear it is not enough to keep that number so inflated.

Although, honestly, this problem might just be affecting me because of my personal view on shipping- if it's in a context where it doesn't make sense for the characters to be romantically engaged, I won't read it or write it.

For example, my beloved Solidwood! I mostly get their vibes or read their fics from the following series: Evo, Last Life, New Life, Empires2, Secret Life. That's because those settings make sense! They are active, they are engaged, they have near constant interactions or very close base locations. It makes SENSE for them to be shipped. However, if you showed me art or fic of them in, say, Limited Life, I'd furrow my brow and tilt my head and say "no, that doesn't do anything for me." BECAUSE THEY HAVE ZERO REASON TO BE INVESTED ROMANTICALLY IN ONE ANOTHER THERE, AS A STAND ALONE SETTING.

Most of the major Jimmy ships, though, don't follow this rule. I can understand loving a ship so much you want to see it everywhere- but, I promise you, stepping back and looking at which characters actually have chemistry regarding the new setting and social system will do wonders... you won't have to think of new Au's to insert your favorite ship into a new setting... all ships will be your favorite ship (unless they give you the ick). Join the multishiper hivemind /j

No but honestly it's gotten to the point where I will like or dislike a creator/character of theirs by what ship is their most popular given the context of the setting. Like, Tango in Double Life? Awww the sweetie!! I love him :) and then Tango in Empires2 sets off alarm bells in my brain screaming at me. He is NOT meant to be here bringing that ship here, this is NOT its territory. Same problem for Scott in nearly damn near every SMP both Jimmy and him are in... except Wild Life because he's actually been pretty nice and not condescending or forcing on Jimmy. I guess also power imbalances in how fans view them is a major no-go for me...

Idk if you read this whole thing thanks I guess... for anymore needed context I am a Jimmy rarepair obsessed multishiper.

TLDR; Lots of popular ships are inserted into settings without a thought for what that would mean for the setting and any changes in the established social connections, which gives OP the ick. I'm also not policing ships I'm just begging people to please either understand more ships using in setting context or list their AU details in the summaries of the fics. This goes hand in hand with misinterpreting characters in writing also... the more ships you like the more characters you will get to get good at writing!!!!

[ignisdivine]

My personal analysis on Thorfinn and Canute's relationship in Vinland Saga (manga spoilers)

Alright so, new year is here and Thorfinn x Canute is still one of my OTPs; it's almost two years now since I'm on this ship. Now, I know that even if Yukimura endorses it it's still frowned upon, in a way that us shippers are believed to simply see two men breathing in each other's direction and want them to f—. Now, while I'm not saying that's never the case, I believe Thorfinn's and Canute's relationship is much more than that; even if it's not that fleshed out, only mostly implied in the series, it grants an analysis not from the standpoint of a delulu fangirl (which I proudly identify as) but simply a canon dissection. Welcome to my shower thoughts!

Their bond definitely carries a lot of potential. When I first watched the series after Berserk, I expected them to be pretty much like Golden Age!Guts and Golden Age!Griffith, because of the inspiration which the mangaka admitted to have drawn from Miura. The tropes were there, as well as the parallels: a friendship which starts at odds and becomes life-changing for both people.

The grounds, at least, were set up: they start bickering inside the cart, which isn't a scene thrown out there only for comedic effects, but carries a subtextual meaning, in that Canute lets his thoughts and feelings out and talks freely to someone else other than Ragnar. That amazes the man and rightfully so, as he sees their interaction in a positive light, apt to develop Canute as a person (also, interesting to note that this moment connects to the one on Ketil's farm where 'Sweyn's head' criticizes Canute for 'showing his true heart to that lowly man'; once again, Thorfinn's naturalness and straightforwardness brings that out in him).

So far, it looked like a promising start, but moving on.

One of the most infamous scenes between them is the rabbit stew dinner. Even if Thorfinn is reluctant to join them, after he tastes Canute's stew he experiences a moment of pure joy, probably the first one since he joined Askeladd's band. His facial expression might be fleeting and easy to miss, but for someone like him it's a huge deal; he's usually reserved, guarded and distrusting, which is understandable given his environment. However, for a short while he lets his guard down and experiences life in a way other than a mercenary, and all thanks to Canute and Ragnar.

That could be said for Canute as well, who we learn that for the first time in a while he's able to do something he genuinely enjoys but was always forbidden by his father. Moreover, he confides in Thorfinn out of all, to reveal this intimate thing about himself and asks him to keep this a secret (and once again, he's revealing his true self in front of Thorfinn, something which we don't see him do very often throughout the series).

This is a moment of trust and vulnerability between both, and definitely apt to develop into something more; to bring positivity into their lives and recover faith in humanity.

(I was a bit disappointed in Thorfinn that later on he pushes Canute away and betrays him, but anyways. I get the artistic direction of him and their relationship, as it makes sense in the context of the story.)

From Canute's side, the intention is definitely there. Later on, on Ketil's farm, 'Sweyn's head' asks him if he truly expected to rekindle an 'old friendship'. This serves to prove that Canute, all this time, has indeed seen Thorfinn as a friend.

As for Thorfinn, while during his slavery times he thinks of Einar as his 'first friend', perhaps he hasn't been able previously to tell whenever someone genuinely cared for him, resulting in him shutting Canute out.

All in all, Canute's overview on prologue Thorfinn lets on that there might have been more off-screen interactions between them, for him to come to see Thorfinn as the closest semblance to a friend that he used to have. I understand though, that for the sake of Thorfinn becoming a hollow shell with nothing good happening to him, he was blind to other's good treatments and never let Canute in.

Another moment between them which is grossly underrated is the aftermath of Thorfinn and Askeladd's last duel. Canute jumps in to stop them from killing each other for obvious reasons, as they're both valuable assets to him that he can't bare to lose; that doesn't rule out the possibility that at this point, he might also be genuinely concerned for Thorfinn. He treats him with care and is relieved when Thorfinn regains consciousness, and is nothing but kind to him when Thorfinn goes full crisis mode and spits insults at him.

A very important aspect which, again, is underrated, is when Canute asks him to heal his wounds first and only then resume his duels. Even if Canute doesn't get his dueling obsession and is even against it, he doesn't deny Thorfinn his wishes (even if Thorfinn is practically his subordinate and he'd have the power to—through Askeladd, that is). He simply shows empathy for Thorfinn's cause, and only steps in out of concern for his safety, not to overstep boundaries or manipulate him into doing his bidding. That's the ultimate form of respect and support.

—I also loved the anime-only scene where Canute stops Thorfinn from going after Askeladd, it added nothing new, but I would still like to ask the directors what they were trying to highlight here🤭—

Askeladd's death is another noteworthy moment to point out. When Thorfinn viciously attacks Canute, and we learn that it terrifies and downright traumatizes him (he still reminisces about it on Ketil's farm and even refuses to speak to him because of his trauma), it doesn't stop him from feeling enraged at his men for trying to execute Thorfinn, and ordering them to cease and leave him alone, with all the respect he's trying to impose due.

Even if this moment isn't about Thorfinn, and Canute has his own cross to carry and very good reasons for killing Askeladd (something which broke him for several reasons), it doesn't prevent him from showing once again empathy to Thorfinn. He says 'this cut is a meager price to pay' because he understands the damage it did to Thorfinn and feels regretful, even if Thorfinn doesn't reciprocate and might even resent him at that point. This is very important to keep in mind, because afterwards Canute would go ahead and do stuff which he's aware are wrong, but he'll never show again that kind of remorse.

The fact that he sends Thorfinn into slavery is the most merciful thing he could do; as far as he's concerned, Thorfinn is capable enough to murder his way out of slavery and go do whatever (and yet, Canute doesn't come on a moral high ground on Ketil's farm because of this, but he's once again apologetic/understanding).

And now onto the climax: the confrontation on Ketil's farm. They both had legitimate reasons to clash heads, it was after all a battle of two wills between the Vikings, who wanted power and to support Canute's ideals, and the farmers who were oppressed, represented by Einar. However, I'm here to analyze solely Canute and Thorfinn's points of view, and it's interesting to note that in the middle of all this conflict, they still manage to show understanding for each other. While Einar calls the king out on his hypocrisy and tyranny, Thorfinn struggles to understand his overarching motive and ultimately finds him fascinating.

In fact, he proves an understanding for Canute which he doesn't really let on during the prologue. But if we look in retrospect: first, apart from his complaints about watching the trio (Canute, Ragnar and Willibald) pray, he pays attention to Canute's speech about fathers and he's visibly affected by his own memories. Second, before he decides to confront him on Ketil's farm, he remembers his speech in Gainsborough. So, he DID pay attention to Canute and wasn't just a brooding jerk who didn't give a damn about anything. Canute's presence probably impacted him as well, just that he never realized to what extent.

And now onto Thorfinn's own influence on Canute during the confrontation, it's too obvious to even dispute; once again Canute finds himself drawn to his genuiness and straightforwardness, he's watching him through lenses which no one else in that world, at that point, could. I want to emphasize the unique understanding they both have of each other because they've seen each other at their lowest, even if they didn't get to spend much time together; we could say it's a sort of bond that transcends physics. I saw some people call them soulmates and I do believe they're not far from the reality.

In the end, Canute not only feels relieved that he found hope and support for his project, but on a personal level I believe he's also relieved that this friendship is finally reciprocated, as we see Thorfinn also calls him a friend later on.

They don't have much interaction afterwards, sadly, but there were still some noteworthy moments.

One of them is Vargr's flashback. It was funny when I first read that Canute himself shows up with a fleet of thirteen ships to escort Thorfinn's small boat. Employing such a fleet requires resources, and besides, I imagine that Canute, as the king of 2+ kingdoms and the head of 2 royal families, has a busy schedule, yet he finds the time to pay a visit to practically a 'nobody'. Nothing stops him from sending a representative in his stead, as we've seen him send Wulf as a spokesman along with Thorkell to the Jomsvikings, which I'd say was much more important business. I like to joke that Yukimura unintentionally turned Canute into a simp, but on a serious note, that goes to show just how much he values and respects Thorfinn. And let's not mention him sparing Vargr just because Thorfinn said so. As the chief of an army he needs to assert dominance in front of his men, instill fear and prove that he's the supreme force - hence all the beheading business. Yet, he has no trouble humouring Thorfinn, and his change in demeanor when Thorfinn makes him laugh proves once again that Thorfinn brings his true self out, is able to change him much to everyone's surprise (and funny how that comes right after Vargr calls him a black-hearted man, what a contrast!).

Another scene is when Thorfinn starts talking about Canute out of the blue while making a comparison to Bug-Eyes. He says that he has a friend which starts wars, yet he hates these wars the most, which is an interesting point to make. Once again it proves the deep understanding Thorfinn has of him, even if he doesn't agree with his actions. In the bigger picture, just how many people could afford speaking of the king so freely and intimately, and making such gross statements? But it's Thorfinn, and he sees him for the human being he is, and not a warmonger overlord.

Lastly, to round up my analysis on an end note, the part where Canute thinks of Thorfinn amidst the pandemic is interesting. Usually, when people suddenly remember about an old acquaintance, they say "Hey, remember Thorfinn? I wonder what...", yet Canute simply goes like "I wonder what HE would do if he were here", to which Wulf rightfully asks who's he. That conveys to me that Canute spoke his mind out loud without realizing, and/or Thorfinn is constantly on his mind and doesn't realize that the others wouldn't have a clue what the hell he's talking about. There's a certain familiarity in the way he's addressing Thorfinn even after all these years. 

All in all, my analysis wasn't meant to prove my shipping, but only to draw the conclusion that their bond is unique in Vinland Saga and much more than what's visible to the bare eye; it definitely carried potential for more. Now, wherever that's friendship or something beyond, it doesn't really matter, as that doesn't change the canon events. However, it's important to note that friendship during those times is a luxury that's not widely accessible, which makes such a relationship precious in itself, so it's easy for us the audience to feel immersed into it, no matter in which way. Now, it's only my personal choice to see them as star-crossed lovers. Yap over—

[notmyprey]

Small vent cause I swear I keep seeing this, and it just bugs me. Im not angry, I'm mostly just sad that this is where we are right now.

Guys, can we not harass others. Unless they are hurting others, what is harassment going to do? Make them sad? Make them hate themselves?

People can, in fact, have different likes and opinions than you. As long as they are not actively hurting people, hating others, or being mean, what is wrong with what they are doing?

Liking sfw vore, extreme cuddling, or any of its other names is not something that one should be harassed over.

Likeing vore in a sexual light is not something to be harassed over.

Liking it both ways is ok, too.

Also, the fact that some people are going out of their ways to harass people who like vore (sfw or nsfw) in a fatal/digestion context is so sad.

I personally dont find vore sexual. I personally dont like fatal (in the sense that the prey is dead completely and isn't a ghost or anything that still has a presence).

But here is the thing. I dont need to like and/or understand it to respect it. I dont need to like spiders to respect people who keep them as pets. I dont need to like the idea of having children to respect those who do.

People. You dont need to understand their feelings. You dont need to feel the same way. But they are people too. They have feelings. They are more than just text on a screen.

I know I may seem like a flat, one dimensional person since I post 1 type of content here, and thats how many people who like vore make their blogs too, but I am a human behind the screen.

Just, please. Respect others. I know, many people here are hurt. I know many people here have trust issues, and unfortunately, a draw of the vore community is that need for trust. But having healthy boundaries, having a healthy outlet that's not an anger filled rant (*will elaborate on what I mean at the bottom of this), and having someone to ask "can you make sure this is me talking, and not just my initial reaction" are things this community needs to work on.

If I were to give any advice, it would be to wait a minute before you post a vent, rant, or anything along those lines. Walk away for a minute, come back, and reread it. You may find that some of what you type is your initial anger, fear, or hurt speaking, not you.

I want your real voice to be heard, yall, and sometimes to do that, you need to step back for a moment. So before you send that hate message, before you post that rant, please ask yourself:

"Is that me, or what I was taught"

* I want to elaborate on what I mean by anger filled rant.

What I consider an anger filled rant is when someone finds something they dont like, and decid to attack it.

Instead of making something informative, they make something emotion filled. This isn't always bad. But this can be bad if the thing they are attacking is something that is not hurting others or themselves.

So in short, what I mean by anger filled rant is, a rant that attacks something that is not harmful.

I dont condone harassment towards anyone, but I do understand an angry rant if it is about someone who is hurting others. Again, that is not the thing I am referencing. I am not saying someone being angry at another for hurting people is wrong, it isnt. People should be angry at people getting hurt.

So yah, thank you all for reading this. I just needed to get this out there.

Guys, btw, this is not sfw interaction only for me (if you're rb you wanna make sfw only thats ok, def enforce your own boundaries) cause:

1. I feel like this is important for both sides

2. I have a 'if I dont see you, I dont care' rule cause I have given up on trying to blog all nsfw ppl lol. Sides they aren't monsters or anything. Just ppl. Still dont want them rbing or commenting, but liking my stuff is fine.

[nukecommacomrad]

Hallooo everynyan

yee it is my headcanons of the relationships between the characters, the way how i see it (just hear me out, if you can read)(und i fell like shit, so I need to write for a while, and then I'll start drawing again, and also i want you to know who you're contacting when you see this mindset >:))

in general, it is difficult to do this, given that the characters do not interact with each other at all from the word at all, but you can fantasize. And I can even fantasize in this context :)

I consider this as in the approximate canons of the game and generally do not like that everything would be so easy. Everything should start with a little intrigue, so not everyone has a love relationship and stuff at once, yeee...I know it might be boring for you, but accept it from me that I'm nerd 🤓

lmao good luck sorting this out. I went overboard so much, but I hope that everything is roughly clear there ":)

btw, I'll explain the most complicated relationships I have, which I find quite funny, and I haven't noticed anyone else making the same assumptions yet. Therefore, I will say what I cannot keep silent about 😔🗣️if you want, you can ask me questions about this or anything else! I won't mind at all, and I can still take requests!! I need to do something while I can't draw funny drawings.

Glass Joe&Von Kaiser. Glass is not as cute as he seems, although he is a little silly (but everyone there is a little silly, so this is the norm, lmao)

if you know history you will understand 🔽🔽🔽

The relationship between Kaiser and Joe is really similar to that of an elderly married couple, although they themselves are unaware of it. Joe and Kaiser are the oldest there, so it seems to me that they started their boxing careers a long time ago and have known each other for a long time. Joe also has patriotic tendencies like Kaiser (none of the other guys shout about their country as loudly as he does, lol). Therefore, it seems to me that they must have had a conflict on this ground. When they were both in their prime, they started arguing over who could last the longest in boxing. Joe recognizes strength only in spirit, while Kaiser recognizes physical strength and discipline. And maybe it started when they were over 27 (for Joe) or 30 (for Kaiser). And now, these weirdos are still in the ring, refusing to give up on each other. The Frenchman already has problems with his head physically, and the German mentally (how ironic), but these stubborn sheep do not give up. These many years hand in hand have brought them very close and they can be considered best friends, because sometimes they can just peacefully exist side by side. But, nevertheless, taunts and insults jokingly pass between them, i like that dynamic ✺◟(∗❛ัᴗ❛ั∗)◞✺

Besides, it seems to me that these guys obviously knew Doc when he was still in good shape. They probably remember how he defeated them in the ring, and perhaps the legendary "star punch" performed by Mac. Of course, they wouldn't have recognized Doc now, but they would have found out about it after the second round, it would have been a pleasant reunion of old acquaintances. They have respect for him, so they will treat Mac more kindly than as a destroyer of their skulls.

Don Flamenco&Carmen&Super Macho Man. Oh-Ho-ho-hon yeeee-..I like this ༼ง=ಠ益ಠ=༽งIn my opinion-..Okay, let's assume that the blonde is Carmen Don was talking about (but there's also a theory that Flamenco didn't have anyone in particular, because in Spanish, Carmen is just the epitome of a femme fatale, but okay, let's imagine that he was referring to the very Carmen). For me, she's also as silly as everyone else, so she's the girl who likes to watch men beat each other in the ring and she likes it and she's pretty good at it, knowing almost all the fighters and watching the TV footage if she couldn't buy a ticket. I think she's in love with Flamenco. She doesn't look Spanish, but she probably has Spanish roots, and she lives in America with relatives who live in Spain. For the sake of Flamenco, to see his fight live, she comes to Spain, where a spark broke out between them😍 (yeeeas slaaaayyyy)

but before they met, she was spotted by a Macho Man. Because I doubt that cool men will spend so much on just one girl out of a thousand, which is clearly a sign of attention on his part. Carmen agreed to chat with him, but she did not find him olfactory, and when he offered to buy her jewelry, she did not expect him to do so and quickly refused, because that heart has long been occupied by someone else...

And, my God, what a drama, two people in love with the same girl. But she loves only one thing, and that's clear, but the Macho man tries not to show that it hurts him, although he visibly hates Don for it. And Don also hates Macho for the fact that he keeps up with her sometimes, although it's clear that there's something between him and Carmen.That's why they're rivals>:) und blonde is sexy chicka who deserves a happiness 😘

Aran Ryan. Yeeaa, surprisingly, not all the arrows on it are black, but that's because it all depends on other people ;) And hey, hey, Little Mac is the main character! The person we're playing from. Of course it's impersonal and a bit wooden! Therefore, we must identify him for ourselves and mold his character based either on our feelings from the game, or just to amuse ourselves. And I imagine Mac as a very patient boy who just has an inner scream of horror in his head from everything that is happening(what happened to me when I saw from his face who he was fighting with and what he was going through, jajajaha).Although he doesn't show it outwardly, deep down he really gloats, laughs, gets mad as hell, and sometimes does cheeky things and says them.

He kicked Aran's ass, and Aran seems quite pleased and seems to be enjoying it. It seems to me that Aran still saw the same hooligan notes in Mac, so he can consider him a good rival and friend. And in general, Aran finds friends in other people only those who can compete with him, because he is a very strong boy and he is bored with others. But he also likes people who put up with his antics and maybe find them funny if he didn't do them out of spite. Popinsky, Disco Kid, and Lil Mac himself belong to this type.

They are rivals with Don, because they literally go toe-to-toe in all parameters. They are the same age, the same height and both are strong, but I am sure that Aran has moved higher only because he cheated, and the Spaniard did not suspect this at all (for which he now hates him deep down) ༼ᕗຈل͜ຈ༽ᕗ

Heheheh I like that Don has a pretty scandalous personality, which perfectly shows his loss to lil Mac ffhgdsdhsshgrf

[shamelesstragedyenjoyer]

Now I'm curious, how would you rank the batfam based on how you'd get along irl??

In a scenario where I know their secret identities, and there’s a professional, almost co-workers-like dynamic, I think it'd varie greatly from one wherein which vigilante roles are completely absent. Among those I'd resonate with most (in the event I was born in their world) are Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, and Jason Todd. It's mainly due to shared backgrounds and similar upbringings, I think. Conversely, interactions with Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne might be more difficult for me. Strained, even, due to differences in ethical frameworks, perspectives, class understanding and overall core values. So there's two ratings; one where I'm in their AU and one where they're in mine.

Alfred Pennyworth: 4/10 - He might perceive some of my approaches as unorthodox, but I believe he would grasp the reasoning behind them. Our interactions would be limited primarily to joint missions. We wouldn't be close. | 6/10 In my world about 60% of elderly people seem drawn to recounting their youth to me, perhaps due to my perceived trustworthiness, and I like to think he'd be part of that demographic.

Bruce Wayne: 2/10 - Disagreements on methodology would likely hinder rapport, especially given my skepticism toward billionaires, which might result in minimal interactions outside of vigilante duties. | 1/10. I'd see him as a man-whore.

Dick Grayson: 3/10 - Our interactions would likely be brief and casual, without the potential for friendship. His typical millennial demeanor might clash with my sense of humor. But he reminds me of my older sister, so I can't rate him lower than a 2. The age gap might lead him to treat me like a younger sibling, which I'd find condescending. Certainly not someone I would befriend. | 2/10 My personal envy would breed hostility, resulting in a reciprocal cycle of unkindness between us.

Jason Todd: 8/10 - Especially in a context where we were familiar with each other before his whole "being-adopted-by-Batman" thing. He'd likely resonate with my approach to tasks and comprehend the motivations driving my actions. We're not THAT far apart in age so he'd get my humor, I think. | 4/10 In my world however, because I'd be nervous and there would be a lack of common ground between us without vigilantism.

Cassandra Cain: 2/10 - It would unsettle me to realize she can discern my emotions merely by observing me. While I'm generally transparent, this level of insight would make me uneasy, prompting me to steer clear of her. | 7/10 She shares some personality traits of one of my closest friends. Given my penchant for chatter and her inclination to listen, we'd likely complement each other well and have a harmonious friendship.

Tim Drake: 1/10- He wouldn't understand why I dislike him. And I wouldn't have an explanation. | 0/10. Earth isn't big enough for the both of us (completely one sided beef).

Stephanie Brown: 6/10 - She'd get how I roll, but Tim might have complained to her about me not being nice, so she'd be protective of him. | 10/10 We'd be the kind of girls who were super close in middle school, maybe even a bit too much. We'd drift apart in high school or college but still think about each other now and then, though not enough to reach out and become friends again.

Damian Wayne: 1/10 - Likely would perceive me negatively, interactions would be minimal. | 0/10 I just don't see us getting along.

Duke Thomas: 9/10 - He'd totally get my approach and might even be up for joining in (Bruce would see me as a bad influence). We'd both be game for pursuing each other's not-so-great ideas. Would have tons of fun but also engage in meaningful discussions about race, religion, politics, economics, society, art and allat. | 7/10 I can’t see myself being 100% comfortable around a man despite that, so that's how far it'll get, sue me !

Barbara Gordon: 4/10 - Like Dick, she'd likely see me as a kid, which would irk me because I'd want to be seen as an equal. However, since she's a woman, it'd feels a tad less patronizing and more maternal, so she gets one extra point in my book. | 6/10 She's that nice employee at the bookstore who takes my search for a specific book I don’t remember the name of super seriously. But we would not be friends.

To @voiddaisy who asked me a similar question, this is for you too ! Thanks for the ask !

[lillxart]

Rambling about Lorkir and Sotha Sil's relationship because I'm being self indulgent again.

If anyone actually cares Read 'The Tempting of Seht' which I will link for better context. I have another lore book in the works with Sotha Sil but its not finished yet, and also a little mini-fic with Lorkir and Sotha Sil also in the works lol.

This is just me talking so I don't forget how I view their relationship.

Lorkir is a lot of things to a lot of people, but at her core she is a catalyst for covetousness and temptation. Half the time her actions in swaying mortals is deliberate, other times her mere existence unravels the hearts of other people. She is Very Much Not Good to have around if you are a false God grappling with guilt, regret, obsession, and compassion that runs so deep into your bones you'd constantly chase an unattainable goal.

Which, in my eyes, is obviously Sotha Sil.

Sotha Sil, by his own words, claims not to be a God but a mirror. Someone in service to others. He has his own ambitions and goals, but when he takes his position of God he is 'what other's perceive him to be'. I find that absolutely fascinating. Does he refuse the title of Godhood because of his guilt? He never strived to be on in the first place, yet he is called one now. Instead of owning the mantle of God he merely allows others to call him as such, and permits their worship in order to more quickly peruse his agenda of the 'redemption of Tamriel' as he calls it.

Sotha Sil isn't heartless though, yes he's done bad things he's not a saint (the ESO dungeon raid if you know you know) but he clearly has compassion for mortals, and for his machines. He was the first person to speak to the Chimer after they changed into Dunmer, comforting them and claiming that this new change was to be celebrated. If you see his interactions with his machines in the Necrom expansion it's clear he has affection for them. Sotha Sil cares.

He believes machines to be perfect, yet he does not. In Necrom he says he 'hesitates' to completely dismiss mortality. Could this be confliction between his history as a mortal and his new power? Almalexia has cautioned against mortals becoming Gods, and I think Sotha Sil mourns the loss a mortal goes through just as much as Ayem cautions against it. Yet, I think that if he was given the chance to be a mortal again or perhaps undo his betrayal he wouldn't hesitate to say no. This is what he chose, and what he and the others planned. UGH! HE'S JUST SO LAYERED.

So, to me, Sotha Sil is someone focused, closed off, chasing after his goal of keeping mortals safe from the Daedra forever as fast as possible, because he knows he's going to die some day. His obsession born from his compassion, his guilt eating away at him constantly, perhaps its his regret that makes him understand the role he is in now, his 'godhood' is the role he must bear in order to atone. He made his bed, now he has to lie in it and continue one with his goals.

Someone like that interacting with a God who embodies temptation...the gears in my head were turning >:3c

I paired them together as a joke (as all things start) to feed my insatiable desire for yet another fictional elf in the elder scrolls series. But then as the joke went on for too long I ended up seriously considering if there was any literary merit to their interactions.

Let's start on Lorkir's side of things.

For one thing, they can relate to each other (though I don't think Sotha Sil would ever have a particular relationship to someone just because he relates to them--other than his fellow Gods of course). At first I thought Sotha Sil would ban Lorkir from ever entering the Clockwork City because where Lorkir goes, trouble follows close by. Still, the reason why Sotha Sil treats her different from the Daedra and Aedra is because like him, he believes she was a victim of circumstance. She was once mortal, a hero, now she's stuck with a role she both despises and loves. Something he understands.

But what's interesting is their interactions. It's hard for me to describe in words (why I'm trying to write it down lol). During 'the tempting of Seht' Lorkir knows what Sotha Sil did, she knows he murdered his friend, and believes him to be a false God. Because she has this predisposed opinion of him. She fully expects him to trick her at some point.

Because Lorkir expects him to trick her, that's exactly what Sotha Sil does. Why? Because he is a mirror, he is what others expect him to be. Does that mean he continuously tricks her because that's something he would do? Or does he trick her to fit into the role that she's put him in? It wouldn't be unlike him, and what Sotha Sil takes from Lorkir he uses for his Clockwork City, so its not as if there isn't a genuine goal of his.

While they build up a positive rapport with each other Sotha Sil accepts her affection and company, but he shows no particular enthusiasm for it. Does he not reciprocate because he wants nothing to do with her, or is he reacting that way because Lorkir believes he would want nothing to do with her? So possessed by his own goals and long ago giving up the idea of companionship? Or perhaps its something deeper in Lorkir that believes she is undeserving of love? Because she believes that, Sotha Sil is only responding to her set boundary.

In the scene where Lorkir becomes so possessed by her lust that she's about to--well I can't say it because its like a buzzword on here I'm sure--Sotha Sil makes no move to stop what she's doing, and instead poses a question. "Are you like your master?" It was enough to snap her out of it, making her realize she's doing something that Molag Bal would only do.

But why didn't Sotha Sil fight her? Surely he could've! He was fueled by the heart of Lorkahn! So why didn't he? Was he planning on letting it happen? Did he ask her that question to snap her out of it, make her remember that she is not bound by her past? That she isn't the same monster her former master was? Or were those notions Lorkir was grappling with already in her heart? And Sotha Sil simply parroted her thinking?

What makes Lorkir so upset isn't whether or not Sotha Sil cares about her, since Snow White's had numerous screwed up relationships and that's all she knows. What upsets her is she doesn't know if Sotha Sil is being genuine with her. She knows who she is, and she doesn't need a mirror to stare at herself. She wants Sotha Sil, for who he is. But she doesn't know if she can ever have that. As a God who embodies desire, it drives her to madness.

So now for Sotha Sil's side of things.

Oh what to do when you have the attention of the most troublemaking God next to Sheogorath? XD But for Sotha Sil it's not love that clouds his mind with her, its something worse than love. It's hope.

Hope that he can remember mortality. They have completely opposing views. She believes there is no replacement for mortal frailty, he believes (though clings onto the previous fact) that machines are the perfect versions of mortals. That mortal error is the folly of Tamriel. But, despite their opposing views she has ever so easily given him gift after gift to continue on with his goals. It's a direct contradiction that proves mortal folly, yet, she is a God and should be incapable of such a thing. It throws his ideas into question, and he knows if he were to ever engage in a conversation with her about it he'd only get s simple response, not an answer.

Sotha Sil never fails in his predictions, yet somehow Lorkir both does and does not behave in a way he predicts. Sotha Sil expects her to shy away from the opportunities he leaves open to her to act on her impulses, because she's ashamed of them. Lorkir is ashamed of how badly she wants him and what she would do to get him. Sotha Sil knows this, and like he predicts, she DOES shy away from the opportunities he gives her. Yet, what he does not understand is why there are moments of tenderness from her. She is a creature of dark desire, yet she tries to resist her impulses and instead treats him kindly? He doesn't understand, and he doesn't want to take the time to understand. In doing so, he would have to remember his mortality, remember mortal emotions and of course the weight that comes along with that.

Sotha Sil doesn't want to admit it to himself, but he knows that his actions are causing her turmoil. He wants things to be simple, to confirm or deny that he is acting of his own accord or if he is merely acting how she believes him to be. But, the reality, is Sotha Sil doesn't even know that himself. He has been a mirror for so long, and is so trapped in his role that he can only be the version of Sotha Sil that he has become. He would have to reconsile the potential fact, that he doesn't know himself anymore. And wondering whether or not he lost himself, is just purely irrelevant to his goals.

What's worse is that when he and Lorkir share in each other's company, Sotha Sil feels...like he can actually be himself. More, like, he FEELS himself again. And he CAN'T feel that way. Is it because he feels guilty? Is it because it threatens his Godhood to do so? Is it a distraction? He doesn't know, but what Sotha Sil does know is that when she laughs beside him, works with him in his lab, or simply enjoys his creations despite having different beliefs she represents a part of him that he misses, a part of him that wasn't the ruler of the Clockwork City, a part of him that wasn't Seht, a part of him that didn't feel so much agony for the fleeting world of Tamriel that he would drive himself to commit untold horrors to save it.

Lorkir, to him, represents hope that maybe being a God doesn't have to be suffering for your mistakes, maybe even a God can have happiness, can keep who they are and not drown in their regrets by doing so.

I don't think I'd say Sotha Sil loves Lorkir in the same way she loves him, but their dynamic I think is a reflection of each other. Maybe I'm still just not wording it correctly, but to me Sotha Sil views Lorkir as exactly what she is, temptation. Temptation to forget, to restore, temptation to remember himself, remember himself when there might not be anything left.

Lorkir wants Sotha Sil for who he is, and eagerly awaits for the mirror to crack so she can reach it, but what if there's nothing for her to find? That, scares Sotha Sil.

[schmedterlingfreud]

I was tagged by @ma-chi1993 thank you so, so much! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) 💚​💚​

Three Ships: - GerIta (Hetalia); they are the simple Perfection. Among my Hetalia ships, GerIta will always be my Number One, the Sacred and Untouchable One. Culturally, historically, and romantically speaking… they are absolutely perfect for each other. I love how different and complementary their two personalities are. I love how a rigid and stoic personality like Germany finds comfort and peace in a more soft and sweet and easy-going personality like Italy's, who helps him to mature, to express himself, emotionally speaking. And I love how a fearful character like Italy finds comfort and courage in Germany's bond, in his strength. A unique love -- and not necessarily romantic -- that will always have a special place in my heart. 🍺​🍝 - UsUk (Hetalia); choosing another of my Hetalia ships -- sorry, guys, my world literally revolves around two fandoms (xD) -- is very difficult. I choose UsUk for everything this ship has given me on an emotional level, and because it has allowed me to express myself a lot on a creative level. I love it because I see and experience these two characters in very different ways, depending on the thousand universes in which we can insert them -- and note well: I ship "Alfred and Arthur", not "America and England"! But, regardless of how you see them, I love their conflictual dynamics, I love their differences, I love everything that distances them and, at the same time, brings them closer. I (sadly) find myself having a personality very similar to England's, so I love the sense of comfort and peace that gives me the thought of having close to me an energetic and positive character like America. Very self-indulgent? Yes. But who the F cares, right? (u.u) I also love the more tragic side of their past bond, their family history, and also the romantic side that you can develop in an AU context in which the two boys/men are almost the same age and without family ties. A very magical ship ❤️​💙​ - Luberto (Luca); another perfect representation of "opposites attract". I really appreciate the "growth factor" of Luberto -- I don't know if it makes sense, saying it in this way (xD). I love the innocence from which it starts, I love the strong and indestructible friendship that they develop. And yes, I also love the fact that, seeing Luca and Alberto as young adults/adults, you can also develop a romantic side to their relationship. Just like it was true for Italy and Germany, Luca and Alberto are among the very few characters that I can see perfectly under the true definition of "soulmates". That feeling that makes you say: "You will always be my only true one, until the end of the universe". I also love the fact that they both help each other grow through their mistakes, their mutual closeness, but also their distance. I love the fact that they don't always understand each other, but at the same time they learn how to love their differences. I love the constancy of that underlying friendship that remains solid and perfect even without adding the romantic side. I love the fact that they both always have something to teach and learn from each other. I love the fact that, despite the possibility of being lovers, they will always remain best friends forever. "Growth" is the key word that made me fall in love with this perfect ship. 🐟​🛵

First Ship: - LawLight (Death Note); what do you want me to say? L and Light were the first characters I read fan fiction about, and they were one of the main reasons I actively became part of the ✨fandom world✨. Looking back at them now, with my adult and mature eyes, I see many more shades in them than when I was young, when for me they were simply the couple of: "Yes, I hunt you, I have to kill you, you're my enemy, but deep down I love you". I still see so much potential in L and Light's relationship -- despite the obvious toxicity (xD) -- and I continue to love them and their interactions, always conflicting, always intricate, always complex. Maybe, that's true, to remain IC there should be very little space for real romance between two cold and mental characters like them. And this is why, among the "Death Note" ships, I prefer the MelloxMatt. But L and Light were my "first ones" so they will always be the most special ones. 🍎​

Last Movie: I don't remember the last "new" movie I saw (maybe it was "Inside Out 2", so last summer!), but last night I re-watched "The Corpse Bride" while I was having dinner, just to keep my company.

Last Song: Nazhmi Na Knopku by Chernikovskaya Hata (... my current obsession)

Currently Reading: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Lyman Frank Baum

Currently Watching: Nothing, but sometimes I re-watch random episodes of "Breaking Bad" and "South Park".

Currently Eating: A mug of my beloved instant coffee

Currently Craving: Nothing in particular... maybe another coffee? ☕

Thank you again for the tag (💚), and I'm tagging:

@sigdom @mari--lace @nordic-italian-german

@faunabel @hondakiku @bachint

[alexandriaisburning]

041: What makes Zeroranger special, anyway?

CANON FIRE is made possible by the generous contributions of readers like you. Support more writing like this on Patreon. Thank you!

Developed over a decade and layered in mysteries, Zeroranger is a shooter that’s received acclaim from both STG* fanatics and first-timers for the ways it bends genres. But for all its talk about the ways it pays homage to the genre, and the insistence that it’s something special, Zeroranger almost never gets talked about in plain terms, out of fear of spoiling the surprises that await first time players. That level of caution from its fans is almost admirable, but it leaves what makes the game special undiscussed, and makes it hard for both curious players wondering what the big deal is, and leaves Zeroranger’s best ideas unappreciated. 

With that in mind I’ll be doing a deep dive into Zeroranger’s design, with no limitations on what I talk about or spoil. 

On a basic level, Zeroranger is a vertically scrolling STG that borrows ideas from a variety of genre classics, paying homage to them through bosses, stage layouts and game mechanics. After each stage you’re given a choice between one of two weapons, each which will become useful in the next stage, but in different ways, with variations between the two playable ships. After the first stage you get a choice between back and side firing weapons, the second unlocks a lock on laser or chargeable shot, and the penultimate boss fight--against Grapefruit, the ship previously thought to be destroyed during the first attack on the enemy--unlocks a mech transformation with a powerful melee weapon that stacks damage and protects you from enemy attacks. 

Each weapon allows varied interactions with the level design, covering different areas of the screen and allowing you to approach enemy patterns in a new way. Since you can’t have both weapons of each tier, you’ll have to choose which weakness you’ll accept, and pair it with other weapons that can cover that weakness. It encourages repeat playthroughs to try different strategies and learn the stage layouts, which is good, because Zeroranger will demand repetition. 

At the core of Zeroranger is the theme of karmic cycles, repackaging long standing genre concepts in a way that ties them to the ongoing narrative. Like Neverawake, Zeroranger plays with the concepts of Loops--second playthroughs that remix the original stages--but here it acts closer to something out of the Nier series. The initial playthrough is only setup, with a repeat playthrough being the de facto second act, with altered context that builds on your original understanding, followed by a third and final act that brings a proper conclusion. 

The karmic themes even affect the meta progression of Zeroranger. Score contributes towards earning the next of nine total continues, used to retry a stage from a checkpoint after death. Continues are represented by the nine orbs that fill out a wheel at the end of the run, which itself resembles the Wheel of Samsara, often used by Buddhists to describe the cycle of existence that mortal beings are subject to. 

By framing each attempt as another cycle or reincarnation, it implies that each death has in fact happened, and the only way to escape the cycle is with enough perseverance and knowledge. It blows up the scale to a cosmic degree, and makes your journey to the end of the game, and the knowledge you build of its world, into a form of mechanical and narrative progression. 

This knowledge of the world becomes integral to the second loop, which introduces major changes to the patterns and layouts of the first loop, but allows you to return with all your weapons. With these previously unavailable weapons you can easily dispatch enemies that were hard to deal with, and details that seemed mysterious on the first loop fall into place. One of my favorite examples of this are the enemies who appear in the background, before flying into the foreground to attack. On the first loop they seem like a cool, decorative detail, but on the second loop, with the lock-on laser available, suddenly they’re targets you can pick off before they get a chance to attack.

The final act begins when you meet the Grapefruit for the second time and reveal your mech form, allowing you to have a proper duel where they’ll whip out several abilities, including more powerful versions of your own weapons, revealing why they were the first choice in dealing with the enemy. 

After defeating Grapefruit you’ll once again face the final boss, but this time instead of the boss rush of the first loop, they’ll give up and offer you another power up. 

Here Zeroranger shifts into its final act, requiring you to solve a series of puzzles before gaining access to the true ending. Grabbing the powerup shows you the “ending” and puts you into a loop where you’ll replay the first stage in Final Boss mode, leaning harder into Zeroranger’s CAVE** influences by changing out your default weapons for a Dodonpachi style barrage of bullets and bombs. Completing the stage and grabbing the powerup puts you into another brief minigame before glitching out and returning you to the title. 

To escape this you’ll need to reject that final powerup, either within the Final Boss stage or before, during the boss room where the boss rush takes place. By rejecting the offering you gain access to Despair, the real final boss hidden beneath the facility, who naturally has several phases to complete. The first phase is a puzzle itself, requiring you to carefully observe the orbs emitting the attacks, and time your own attacks to destroy them close to simultaneously, or otherwise be stuck helpless in yet another looping trap. 

Completing the first phase reveals the true form of the final boss, Despair, a suitably terrifying challenge with a massive suite of attacks whose design could inspire its own essay. Compared to the cerebral challenges preceding it, this final form is more straightforward, but learning the complexities of the patterns often felt as hard as the combined challenge of every obstacle met on the way here. 

Defeating Despair reveals the true final boss challenge--a sequence that reveals the origins of Zeroranger’s world, and connects several unresolved narrative threads. Not only must you complete it completely stripped of your previous arsenal, but you’re given a single chance to do so. 

Not quite understanding the gravity of what the game was implying there, I took on the final challenge after an exhausting struggle with Despair, desperate to finally see the ending--only to have my save deleted after I failed. 

Not only do you need to scale the mountainous challenge of defeating Despair, but you need to complete it with continues to spare, as each continue orb becomes a health point for your final confrontation. In addition, you have to quickly adapt to playing without any of the weapons you’ve built familiarity with during your playtime, and learn the new boss patterns on the fly while unraveling how exactly you can damage the boss. Practice runs are impractical, as you’ll have to complete the whole game at least once before returning, making the minimum time between attempts nearly an hour, if you’ve complete mastery of the rest of the game. 

So I cheated. I downloaded my save from the cloud, backed it up, then went back and completed it on my third try, after restoring my save twice. As I finished the final challenge, Zeroranger left me with the same message it began with:

May you attain enlightenment. 

By circumventing the challenge, by failing to persevere in the face of disaster, I’d arguably failed this goal. I’d given in to my material desires and skipped the suffering necessary to achieve the knowledge needed to break free of the cycle. Fitting then, that Zeroranger’s conclusion is one that’s hopeful, but open ended, implying that this current cycle has been broken, but the events that caused it may one day repeat themselves. 

Then Zeroranger deletes your save. 

Records carry over, and the color palette and story change to reflect your achievement, but progress unlocking stages is once again reset. You’re free of the meta trappings of the story, but are given one more reminder of how temporary progress is, and challenged one more time to complete a run to get the complete credits sequence. 

It’s a novel approach to player progression in a STG that not only reframes common genre ideas with a thematic approach, but slowly pushes players towards goals that the genre diehards naturally shoot for. By visually indicating the progress towards extra lives and continues through its score counter, it alerts players towards the importance of scoring for continued survival as well as the leaderboards, and encourages them to look for opportunities to maximize score. 

The harsh requirements to witness the ending almost guarantee that a player will be forced to start over, and unless they cheat (guilty), forces them to learn the stages and scoring systems to quickly earn back their progress. That process, and the need to hold onto as many continues as possible for the finale, pushes them closer to attempting the 1-credit clear, what most STG players consider the first major milestone in learning a game. Simply put, it’s a run where you complete all the stages in the game without using up a continue, and often denotes mastery. 

The parade of secrets and homages, alongside the narrative driven recontextualization of game mechanics and premise shifting final acts create  a novel approach for both genre veterans and newcomers, upending expectations with each new twist. Zeroranger’s revelations mark it as equal parts mystery and action game, and asks you to dig deeper, coming to an appreciation of its layered design in the process. 

Personally, as much as I respect the final act’s commitment to delivering on Zeroranger’s themes of struggle, persistence and reincarnation, the harsh penalty of deleting your save was demotivating to a degree that I didn’t feel was worth the tension it imparted. I can only imagine how a less experienced player might feel, struggling for hours to reach that point, and possibly being unsure if they could reach it again. Zeroranger’s patterns and stage design are often less demanding than most of its contemporaries, but they come with harsher penalties for failure. 

Even given that, it’s not hard to see why Zeroranger captured the imagination of so many. Designed intentionally to be approachable, with enough mystery to satisfy the lore hungry theorycrafters, Zeroranger provides many entry points. Paired with its striking two color palette and memorable soundtrack, it paints the picture of a greater world beyond its borders. The drawn out finale demands you engage Zeroranger with your entire attention, and its dramatic set pieces and score bring an emotional climax that the more traditional arcade style titles often can’t spend the runtime on. 

Even after the credits roll, Zeroranger leaves plenty to discover, both within its boundaries and outside. Its themes of karmic cycles and open-ended conclusion invite you to explore it further, and its homages and secrets point to other games and worlds whose influence helped bring it to life. It’s an introduction to the mindset of a genre fanatic, an homage for all those who’ve already journeyed through the genre to arrive here, and an invitation for those who haven’t to share in that same passion. 

--- Zeroranger is availble on PC. Homebrew ports are availble for the Switch and Linux based handhelds via Portmaster.

--- *STG: ShooTing Game, aka SHMUP or Shoot-Em-Up. A community term for the genre of arcade style shooters used to differentiate them from the more common first and third person shooters.

**CAVE: Developer of several major entries in the genre, and credited with popularizing the danmaku (bullet curtain) or bullet hell sub-genre. Their games are often marked by complex enemy bullet patterns, with a powerful player arsenal that can hit many parts of the screen at the same time.

[pentition]

To be on the safe side... Spoilers:

I feel like the antagonists of this game were always clear to me (personally) just due to the lack of content given to them. Yeah, it was enough for players to determine whether or not they liked a character but in terms of missions and interactions I feel like there's a bare minimum. And because of that, it made it more obvious to me who the antagonists were set up to be.

Mayor Gale in Portia had some neat missions and interactions that made things more personal during your character's residency there. Mayor Trudy doesn't arrive in Sandrock until later, and while I can only recount one side mission I do also recount little interactions and commentary she made. Whereas with Minister Matilda, she only existed in the context of the main story missions for the most part. There was a detachment to become personal which contrasted her friendly demeanor.

I feel like with Matilda, it's a little easier to overlook her compared to the others initially. Minister of the Church means the way she carries herself is kind of to be expected. Especially for those who played Portia and when put beside Miguel - this reserved, friendly enough but still an authority figure demeanor is a given. It always felt strange to me that there wasn't much personalizing going on but it wasn't until Trudy returned to head Sandrock that the vibe I was getting became clearer. The way Matilda behaves towards Trudy is very condescending. Often being friendly and using a friendly voice even when her words aren't matching up. Or even her actions (being the face of Sandrock instead of Trudy).

We see more of a tonal shift of Matilda keeping her control over Sandrock and its citizens. Don't get me wrong, I understand why it can look like it's just people having connected to Matilda in Trudy's absence. They got used to the firm but kind all the same hand. And the mayor, by comparison, is so much gentler and less assertive to regain people's attention immediately.

With Miguel and Pen I just had red flags because people generated a decent amount of interest in them both I feel like, yet each update wasn't really adding much to them. They may not have been as popular as some other candidates, but even before Logan was announced they were still pulling at a decent level for interest from the players. And seeing that we got nothing time and time again it made me think of Portia once more - with Aadit.

Sandrock did a better job integrating these characters into the town, whereas with Aadit he kind of fell into the background and then faded out of even that. Which, for his character, made sense but from a gameplay perspective was a mistake I think. Unfortunately, the feeling betrayed by Miguel and especially Pen for me doesn't really stem too much from their actions. I more feel betrayed Pathea didn't commit more attention to them. If you want that betrayal, more missions and interactions should have been there. More diving into the characters. Hell, even more possible outcomes for them.

They do well in some instances, like with Unsuur, and his crush on the builder. How that comes up in interactions before you accept or reject his interest. Things woven in so nicely to determine the flow of a relationship and what it will be.

It feels like with Miguel, it's especially a missed opportunity. There's a lot in that fella that could be shared or conveyed in interesting ways. Mind you, I did a full restart of my game after the full release so I'm only going off tidbits of info I've seen cropping up on him post the Sandrock takeover. But even before then, in the lead up or during his imprisonment and realization of his actual role for Duvos, I feel like there's a loss of character development. Or... an expansion on what's already there so we can understand him more and see him in a more honest light.

With Pen I feel like there was potential whether he turned out to be good (what a twist!) but even also if he (likely) was going to be one of the bad guys. It makes sense for Miguel's perspective to view what they are doing as protecting Sandrock. He believes they are choosing a lesser evil, to some extent. But for Pen, it's interesting, he's the Protector of Sandrock but is also a man who loves violence. It feels like a missed opportunity to not have had him playing that up in missions or in the background more. And in doing so, earned more trust. Whereas him appearing as all talk makes him more suspicious. It calls into question his competence and morality early on. It's not like Pen hides when he doesn't given a shit about something but the comedic poor excuses or blatant disregard makes him look incompetent in the story. Whereas, if you hangout with him and take him on a stroll outside of town, you'll see how quickly he executes monsters. So we know he's not lacking in competence then when it comes to battle, so then it just instills it's a morality thing that he isn't rushing to play hero.

Which, to an extent, is definitely believable. Maybe if he was in the background trying to intercept Logan and we got more insight to that it would make more sense. As it stands, he really is just a lazy cat that gets up only when he wants to. For someone so violent and an outright bully, he doesn't actually do much beyond verbal stuff.

Pen also makes it apparent he isn't one to be ordered around. He humors Miguel and seems to only listen to Matilda on the more serious missions. But even that could be liable to change if he felt like it, I think. It makes me wonder if his loyalty to Duvos is because he can get the most fighting done via being on their side. Or, if the rumors are true and he was an experiment, if his loyalty stems from a soldier mentality. But that has me calling into question how loyal he'll be in the long run when he's so self-centered. Unless Duvos is providing his bloodthirst and other needs well, I could see him not having a reason to leave.

...Except, it would be nice to have that option, wouldn't it? I feel like Sandrock provided the perfect opportunity for it. If not in the main story of the game, then a possible DLC would be interesting. Let him have gained friendship and shoved it aside for loyalty to Duvos. Let him have played it off as no big deal to him when really, in the silence alone and imprisoned, he begins to feel the weight of it.

For the main game story, I could see him sticking to Duvos through the town takeover and even in his boss fight. If we're talking Pathea silliness, what if the mirror jogged his memory on how the builder made him that mirror and then helped free him from it? And how Burgess helped, too and then his epiphany to be kinder to him that he poorly fulfilled. Memories and emotions can work like a chain reaction, especially when instilled into a person who clearly hasn't known genuine friendship. He could have came around in the Matilda fight and space punched her up there, a prime opportunity. Then been taken in for questioning.

We have the builder put into the positioning of giving character statements to others in the game. Maybe the option to have Pen serve his sentence in Sandrock and actually get hands on in making it better after what he did would have been fitting? Portia allowed Tody to stay despite his actions - which, sure, are lesser than a Duvos invasion but were also still very damning.

If we're talking DLC potentials, why not have Pen break out and escape into the desert. Word comes back to Sandrock and the builder is the one to find him.

There is a lot of potential with integrating Miguel and Pen into Sandrock more without it changing Pathea's formula of storytelling and how they do missions and interactions. Also I'd potentially add Matilda to this but she's coasting in space last I recall, lmao. But her backstory interests me enough to want to have a dialogue about it in game.

Anyways, there are so many tidbits in the game that could really pave the way for such developments. I hope maybe future DLC will expand on them because I just like the idea of Miguel having a redemption arc and learning beyond his beliefs. Pen becoming compromised because he's in an environment that isn't Duvos and it's healthier for him. And Matilda, we'll see. Still collecting my thoughts with her.

At the end of the day this is just be airing out thoughts into the void but if you made it this far. Hi!

[infernaltenor]

maybe im just a super salty person bc its 5am and im Still not sleepingn and Still thinking about it but i cant help but feel that qtubbo fans are some of the most hypocritial people ive ever seen. this is like. full of generalizations and just observations ive made as a crow and im. typically defensive and salty so im gonna try to be objective but at the very least im not trying to neg on the characters or the ccs, since im directing this towards the fans. its also like a solid two months of build up .so. oops?

but uh. how to start explaining this. well for one im taking this as a recent fan who is a phil watcher pretty much only. but i tend to chronically read posts about other characters since when im into things i like to be informed on all cases (idk constant instinct i have lol). like i said im gonna focus on qtubbo here, if i go into qphil stuff its purely as a comparison point. i cant speak much on interactions with other fanbases since i simply am Not informed enough but yknow.

for one, i think both tubbo and phil ahve similar things when remembering lore that is Not their own. not a neg on either one, since i dont expect them to remember it, but both have forgotten major stuff recently, ie. fred's kidnapping (phil) and the birdhouse (tubbo). both things happened before purgatoryand the subsequent forgetting happened after so even in character it makes sense (they had more to worry about), but i also think reactions in character tends to fuck with audience perception. ie, tubbos very visceral reaction to the ill timed fred joke phil had made (and it was ill timed, and thats all that i feel was criminal about it. tubbo and phils friendship is very much based on banter and friendly barbs, lots of teasing from either side. phil simply shot back on a smilar level as tubbo had originally, making his joke about "phil and who?". other people have spoken on that so im not gonna rehash about whos comment was worse, since imo they were both just shy of being insensitive, had tubbo not been dealing with freds presumed death at the time. im not gonna talk about the funeral, becasue if i do i'll get mad.). likewise, when tubbo forgot birdhouse phils reaction was much less outwards. he just said a birdhouse wouldnt be slaying- given the imprisionment he had, it makes sense that phil would associate it negatively, especially since it catalzyed all of his future derealization episodes. both of these are simply ooc things imo, from their original standpoint. i dont think either is in the wrong for forgetting. but what annoys me is the fandom perception.

this is a problem im going to link back heavily to purgatory. im not sure if it was present beforehand, as i only really got into qsmp the last two-three weeks in october (bad timing) and had only really been watching vods in order to catch up. that being said, i think the bolas and soulfire rivalry had widened the gap between the fans, which in turn affects negative perception. later weeks in november had full bad faith interpretations of phil because he was critical of tubbos choices or simply didnt understand sunnys character perfectly. and there were. a lot of those. purgatory had happened just a few weeks prior, so i liken it to that. maybe it is just my expierence, but the phrasing of a lot of character crit and analysis between the two has wildly different interpretations of a character (to wildly different results)

you can get qphil fans explaining against a bad faith interpretaiton, and people will (and have) called them excuses to defend against character analysis. i have noticed, however, when qtubbo fans do the same thing (and they have) it seems to be more of a matter of adding context to the conversation. thats.... exactly what qphil fans are doing however? when talking critically about qtubbo not communicating with other parents and friends both his and sunny insecurities, its all that hes younger and in a bad mental state. but you have something about phil not understanding sunnys character perfectly, and hes a cruel stepmother and such; and when an explanation is added to why hes not a bad father nor a good father, just an imperfect one trying his best, its simply a "mindless defense against a crit of his character". are these not the same things? providing context to a percieved bad faith interpretation? idk. i cant tell if its the age or the percieved roles theyre supposed to take, but why is tubbo allowed to be imperfect and doused in outward angst, especially when interacting with other characters (ramon had to take the initiative to communicate with tubbo. and yet. age age age.) phils just as complex and imperfect and unwell. all of qsmp is unwell. it is an explanation, not an excuse.

anyway. i think i was thinking about this because of the flightless bird/ostrich dna joke. ill timed, just like the fred one. but phils reaction speaks volumes doesnt it? if its an age one maybe he'll overdramaticize, but he laughs it off mostly. theres a lot he laughs off. he doesnt. "if your kid wasnt here id kill you". tubbo doesnt know about phils failed flight. he probably wont for a while (i cant help but think qphil is embarassed. he was knocked unconcious from hitting the water too hard. and he knows how to fly? fuck, man). i think its wild, however, that one fred joke gets the entire fanbase ready to deface and mischaracterize the whole character. but one wing joke gets maybe shocked laughter and about two posts complaining? idk. maybe im just complaining about nothing, im tired as fuck.

tldr is that tubbo fans are so wildly hypocritical that they cant see when theyre doing the same thing as everyone else. im sure im being hypocritical in this post, its human. but its annoying as fuck when its everywhere, and i think purgatory made it worse.

[margridarnauds]

What's your opinion on Mad Sweeney in American Gods TV series?

He seems like a good starting point to many things about Irish mythology and history and its perception and I'd love to know your opinion, if you're willing to share.

Oh, god, so this is going to be complicated (I'm having another rough evening, so I'm finally getting to the backlog.)

First off, let me be honest about this: My standards for medieval Irish lit adaptations are high. Potentially too high. I try to acknowledge what any adaptation is trying to do, whether the execution lives up to the intent, what I think they do that's innovative, and what they do that isn't, but the truth is that I have very, very high standards for this. Especially for Lugh and CMT, because even though Bres is my baby, Lugh is too. I make fun of him, but he's almost as much a part of me at this point as Bres is. I've had over a decade to form a close attachment to him and think about what I'd like to do with him. This is important because...I distinctly remember being a teenager on here, seeing a bunch of adult academics on here act like they were the supreme authorities and objectively right on how to adapt these things, and getting very intimidated about...doing anything with these things. (Also see: The reason why I stopped interacting with Arthuriana and Greek Mythology after I was, like, 20 -- it got very exhausting to make sure that all your headcanons followed other people's headcanons.) And I don't want to do that. I am going to try very hard to not repeat the sins of the past.

Let me be honest with a second thing: In my opinion, it is nigh impossible to adapt medieval Irish lit. Or, rather, to adapt it in a way that's both relatively accurate to the cultural nuances while also being satisfying. Any of the Mythological Cycle, Ulster Cycle, or Fenian Cycle, because there's a whole cultural context to these things that isn't always immediately obvious, and unless you have an intricate understanding of it, you're going to fail. And I'm not just saying it as an elitist academic: I'm saying it as someone who once SWORE I was going to create the Most Accurate Irish Mythology Adaptation...and then ended up getting three degrees and working on a fourth in order to achieve it, STILL not feeling like I can do the source material justice. Medieval Irish texts aren't long, but they are DENSE, and it's very easy to end up tangled in them if you aren't careful. Rick Riordan did an online MA in Celtic Civilisation at UCC and spent time in the Gaeltacht learning the Irish language, got accepted into a PhD program at Harvard before he had to pull out. Like...that's what this material demands. Not requests, demands. All this to say...I wouldn't say it's a value judgement, on a whole, if a given adaptation stumbles.

So, onto the actual question:

Here are the cons, as I'm rewatching his flashback scene. On the record: I don't like it.

Let's go into why I don't like it, so we can see whether this is me being Me or not. First of all: Sweeney/Lugh blames " Mother Church" for turning them into "fairies and saints and dead kings" -- this is a popular misconception, especially if you run around in pagan circles, and it enjoyed a level of popularity in the field itself up until the 1980s. That being said, current research in the field generally focuses on reminding people that literally *all the material we have about the Tuatha Dé from medieval Ireland was written by Christians*. Christians who CARED about reconciling their own traditions with the doctrine that they loved dearly. In other words...Mother Church saved Lugh's ass. Also, the idea that Leprechauns are descended from Lugh, which...no one seriously believes in the field and is kind of embarrassing in there considering how widely debunked it is.

As a side note, it's understandable why they use the modern Irish pronunciation for both "Lugh" and "Tuatha Dé Danann" (never a term I use, btw), but it throws me off.

Then, the voiceover from Thoth.

"You were the god of the sun, of luck, of craft, art, of everything valuable to civilization. 'The Shining One', they called you. You saved your people from their old enemy, the Fomorians. 'Lamfhada' they called you, 'long hand', for your skill with your spear...but the Tuatha Dé Danann were scientists and artists. The Fomorians were madmen. Monstrous beings that came from under the sea, under the ground, under the surface of things. Nightmares. The madness. It came from him. Your father's father. One eyed Balor of the Fomorians...He tried to kill you. He heard prophecy that his grandson would kill him so he rounded up all his grandchildren and drowned them all in the lake but, you survived, like you always do."

Overall...I don't love it. It's a very generic look at Lugh and a very generic look at the Fomoiri, which really focuses on the idea of the Fomoiri as an Evil Race, while the Tuatha Dé are the Ideal Logical Aryans, with the Fomoiri being the one to "infect" the Tuatha Dé with their evil, evil genes which cause everything wrong. It ignores the nuances that actually exist in CMT (Tethra isn't Indech isn't Balor isn't Bres). The reference to Balor killing his grandchildren is in the later folk tradition, not from the medieval text. Most importantly, the notion of Lugh as a "sun god" is something that's not GENERALLY believed, or at least not something that's taken for granted as true anymore. In general, if I was to assign Lugh to a FUNCTION, and this is something that I feel like is a CRUCIAL thing to miss, is that Lugh Is Social Order. He is the barometer that you can use to judge how a given writer views Irish society. He is a savior, he's pragmatic, he's ruthless. He's striking, like a cut diamond that, every single time you look at him, you see a new facet of him, catching the light just so.

All that aside, the flashback is really unfortunately racially coded in a way I really don't like.

The Fomoiri being depicted as dark to the Tuatha Dé being fair skinned is one of my LEAST favorite adaptation decisions, and it's one I see unfortunately frequently. (The one detailed description we get of a Fomorian, in CMT? IS BLOND. AND HOT.) While Lugh is depicted as a stereotypical Celtic warrior, with the red hair (which...there is no depiction of the TDD that is WRONG, but redhaired Lugh bores me), torque and the woad body paint (which is NOT something that we have any record of the Irish doing.) There are some later descriptions of the Fomoiri coming from Africa, but...if we DO make that decision? WHY IS LUGH WHITE? (Also it annoys me that Balor is described as "Lugh's father's father" -- like, it's a petty complaint, but it's erasing Lugh's mother and his heritage from her, especially when the battlefield is all men in the flashback. It's a very macho version of CMT that I don't like and, again, misses that Lugh isn't (just) a Macho Warrior -- he's also society. That includes the part of society that includes women.) (Lugh is not a misogynist...even though he has a bad history with his wives cheating on him...he IS a classist. He hates all poor people equally.)

Anyway:

Here are the pros:

So, I've just said that this depiction was simplistic, racist, and not particularly accurate to the spirit of Lugh from the medieval texts, even if it technically gets the overall details (Lugh Defends TDD From Grandfather) right. What DO I like about it?

...I do like that it actually sheds a spotlight on Lugh. I like seeing my funny little guy around. And, really...as picky as I am...I HAVE to be grateful for what we get, because that IS the state the field's in, even as I resent that we can't ASK for more. Lugh has never become RIDICULOUSLY popular in Ireland, or anywhere else in the world, with the Nationalist movement skipping over him almost entirely, in contrast to figures like Cú Chulainn and Fionn who are recognizable. I think it's good to get people interested in this sort of thing, though I think the issue is that it doesn't really encourage people to do more, since it's...the same old misconceptions as always, the same things I was reading fifteen years ago, the same simplistic binaries, in an era where we have a lot more material that IS publicly available and, frankly, they had the budget to consult an actual Celticist. It feels like, for a series that, overall, was praised for going beyond the stereotypes of these mythical figures, it's kind of a letdown. I think they could have definitely done better tbh.

[thetangycheesemanwithaplan]

Eddie Diaz (+ Family) speculation

Highlighted is the main points and then i go into more thoughts on each

•One of Eddie's sisters has moved to LA(Maybe even both)

-Eddie said at the beginning of EP 6, that he dropped Christopher off at his cousins. I know this could mean one of Eddie's cousins (which would be second cousins to Chris) But we've never heard of any of Eddie's cousins living in LA. We only know of Tia Pepá currently living there. And although this could still be Tia's children/Eddies cousin's, I find it odd that they're only coming up now. All the years of child care support Eddie has needed ? It would have come up sooner

-We've been told we will meet his sister(s?) and I don't think it's going to be just a passing moment (like his probation ceremony where they were just seen)

-I feel like they're laying some ground work for more Diaz Family stuff and this could play into that. I feel like his sisters will be key to parts of his story line (more on this below)

•Abuela has also moved back to LA

-Look is this partially cause I want more Abuela? Yes . Do I want a spin of show with Tia Pepá and Abuela being gossiping shenanigan queens? Absolutely! But Abuela was at the wedding. No context was given to this she was there, I don't think she's flying in just to be a guest in the wedding and if she had flown in with the rest of Eddie's family it would have been mentioned? (If the whole family was in town Eddie would have maybe said I've dropped him off with my family not at his cousins- it sounded like a more permanent situation with his cousin not a visiting situation)

-She lived in LA prior and moved back to Texas cause of COVID and I can bet your ass she wants to come back (get away from Helena and Ramon) I also see that being a problem to Eddie's parents and they would have brought it up as a concern for her well-being but if Eddie's sister has moved also, you know Abuela is arguing a case to move cause there's even more family to keep an eye on her etc (she packed her bags and went fuck this, I'm out)

-This plays into the groundwork for Diaz Family stuff

•Shannon is back

-We know this based on the photo we've seen and it's going to be interesting to see

-We can almost rule out the reason Eddie sees her as anything medical as they've just been through that with Chim. And I reckon it'll be in ghost form (hence the title) but my question is will it be like the Shannon&Chris scene where she's there but not seen or is it something Eddie sees

-I think there will be an interaction of some sort between them, maybe not directly but there will be an Eddie x Shannon conversation going on. Eddie has just finally been made aware/acknowledged of all his repressed catholic guilt (RCG) and a lot of that is going to tie into his relationship with Shannon and the reasons behind it. His unresolved feelings that he is dealing with have come up now because of this RCG. He may have thought he'd made peace with it but now he's dealing with this its probably brining up a lot for him. He either imagines a what if scenario and we see Shannon if she had lived and they have a conversation or its a ghost version who appears to him when he's thinking about it all

-I like the idea of a ghost version that Eddie interacts with because he's now questioning his entire belief system (RCG) and what better to challenge that system then a mf ghost (Eddie doesnt belive in that kind of stuff. Talking to a grave and them watching over-yes. Shannon the friendly ghost not so much)

•Eddie will reach out to Abuela (and his sister) to talk about the Shannon of it all

-After Eddie see's Shannon, he's got even more on his mind. He goes to Abuela's. His sister also happens to be there (You see al these theories coming together now). He talks about what he's going through and his sister and abuela talk him through some of it. His Abuela offering the supportive parental side that he doesnt always get from his parents and his sister offering an understanding thats on the same level because she was raised the same way, she understands his upbringing better than anyone. And yes there are differences , Eddie was told to be the man and step up,but she was there, she lived through it with him

-Eddie has done so well with therapy that i feel he would want to talk about it but not with his parents so Abuela seems the most likely. I feel like he would want to get an understanding of it before he even dared to confront his parents. This RCG will be an ongoing thing but i think Eddie starts to take steps to figure it out.

•Diaz Family Drama(The Will)

-His parents will be in town for something (maybe an award ceremony/presentation of sorts) and although i don't think Eddie's going to come out and say RCG to them, i feel like some comments will be made towards his parents.

-I believe these comments will be about The Will. It'll come out that Buck becomes Chris' legal guardian if anything were to happen to him and this causes outrage and Eddie explains that he wants Chris raised a certain way and Buck understands this(aka not the way Eddie was raised-RCG). Also that Buck is the closest thing to another parent Chris has and therefore it makes the most sense as a person in Chris's life.

-Bonus of if this is when Chris also finds out and despite Helena and Ramon's protests Chris just says 'Buck is like a dad to me'

Shoutout to @whollyjoly and @buck-up-buck as always for listening to me ramble about this like last week! I'm only now putting it in writing

[itsquakey]

Say it with me.

Did Opal-Owl-Flight groom minors? NO

Did Blue-Jester groom minors? NO

Did they go too far up by making a lot of very questionable sex jokes and showing imagery that is suggestive to minors? YES

Are you kidding me??? I was aware that the words “Groomer” and “Pedo” are thrown around just like that on the internet. But…holy shit. So what are these two being accused of? Well. Grooming. Because they were saying some very out of pocket risky jokes and had art that is risky (According to sources of both sides no actual porn was posted, just risky content in which you could argue teeters on NSFW because remember, not all NSFW is blatant porn. It’s a spectrum.) Okay so let’s look at the definition of grooming here. According to Oxford Dictionary grooming is the attempt to form a relationship with someone for them with the sole intention of sex or being in a sexual relationship with them.

From interviewing both sides as well as looking into the two hundred paged doc (which we will get there soon my friends), there was no instance of grooming here, they didn’t try to get closer to these kids to try and use them for sex, the closest thing you could tie that to is the pinup drawings, which I don’t even think Opal or Blue knew what they were doing when they posted that. Oh. And one more thing.

Hey owl. I know we’re mutuals and all. And I saw you already fixed this but I feel the need to say it. You are an adult. I am an adult. We should not be throwing the word groomer around especially when you are in contact with the doc maker and likely already read it all. I understand grooming is a very serious thing however we should remain mostly neutral if not stand our ground a little bit but be open while we listen to all sides of the story before jumping to conclusions.

So what about the doc? Hey where did it go? Yea it got deleted or just taken off public view from what I’ve seen. If I were to take a guess…it may or may not have to do with the lack of censorship when it came to the minors in this situation! Yes, they did not censor a large amount of the minors interactions in this doc opening them up to harassment. I know one of these minors and went to them in hopes of them telling me more. But guess what? They did what most kids would do in such a situation and freaked out, which was my fault for trying to do such a thing without thinking. These kids are basically open to a rain of gunfire now because of no censorship. I thought we were trying to protect them? What’s up with that? I don’t consider it doxxing as doxxing is the reveal of personal information on the internet/ to the public. The info of those minors were public in a way. But it’s still VERY scummy whether or not the doc makers knew that. And to add onto this, according to a few people some or all of these screenshots were taken out of context. I was not given any further proof so take it with a grain or salt. If the doc maker is reading this. I’d recommend actually taking time in making that doc better because all it does is make you look aggressive even if you may have a point in some things. Or just… go to those involved and try to fix it in private so unneeded drama like this doesn’t happen.

Opal, Blue, any other adult who happened to be heavily involved. I understand sex jokes = funny. I understand we can go too far. Hell. This situation made me realize I did a similar thing a while back and how it was not at all cool of me to do. I know that sex humor is a staple in minors and at the end of the day we can laugh about “magic condoms” or how much of a slut Mago is. Here’s the thing. I do think you guys went too far. A sex joke or two is funny and not out of the ordinary (again, I have I think a couple of those on my account if you look hard enough) and I know it’s easy to go take a couple steps too far from the path. What I want you lads to do is be aware that a lot of the more raunchier jokes and images wasn’t okay around minors and you need to take responsibility for it. No defensive words. Just say “Yeah I messed up, but guess what. I can fix this” and I’m not just expecting this just out of you, I’m expecting this out of the other side and those who jumped on these claims without looking into them. Here is an idea for you, what can possibly fix your issue with regards to content within your server. Make a 18+ channel or a series of them, having them locked and people only allowed in by mods who give it a green light when the person wanting in is 18 or older. That way you can post content and make jokes to your hearts content without worrying about these folks calling you groomers. Worst case scenario you get called a degenerate but I mean…come on. If you’re a degenerate then I am 100x more of one judging by the jokes and content I’ve made in the shadows. The adult channels is something I’ve seen in multiple Kirby servers and if you plan on keeping your current server or moving to a new one to protect minor identity keep that idea of mine in mind please. This is kinda like the maturity option on tumblr posts, which if you haven’t used yet for spicier content I highly recommend!

And this is just for Opal. Hey, I wanna say this so you don’t catch flack for it later but author doesn’t equal character is not an excuse in this situation. I understand the thought process of this, but keep in mind you are the one speaking through Magolor. You are the one who wrote him to have this character and you should be very aware that if you use that excuse on anyone who isn’t as open as I am they will likely just completely believe you are trying to save your own ass.

FYI If later on in the timeline it does come out someone here no matter what side they’re on is actually grooming minors with undeniable proof, they’re going to have to deal with my ass and the cops.

I don’t think I will be involved in drama again, unless it’s of this magnitude in which I’d highly recommend saying your prayers because I will not be nearly as nice as I was in this post.

TLDR: Opal and Blue aren’t groomers, stop throwing that word around. Everyone in this situation is at some sort of fault and should just take responsibility like a fucking adult instead of excusing and worming their way around it.

Please do not contact me unless you are involved in this drama or are a close mutual of mine. I’m afraid I may blow up on you because my fuse has been eaten up by the flame of this situation. Goodnight Tri-State area.

Edit: Please read comments and tags as they share different opinions and may cover things I didn’t cover or may have gotten wrong. Thanks.

[ropebuny]

im so sorry but i can't with the pedo callout post and then the posts right next to it for daddy to do stuff to you on your blog djksgehrk. like -- i might be wrong here -- but is it possible faggotrocious and you both have..... kink related fantasies? of ageplay? with no actual evidence that you're fr acting on them outside of kink contexts? there's no actual evidence either u or faggotrocious is sexually abusing underage people or being sexually abused; that'd be a different thing. what you screenshotted are some edgy posts where it's unclear how much fantasy it is, sure, but given the context of horny posting can we assume it's a kink? i swearrrrr to god ppl take any chance to cancel trans fems w "gross" kinks at any moment lmao

I understand what you mean. but you’re saying like I made that post to ‘cancel trans fems w gross kinks’ which I don’t appreciate btw. this has nothing to do with cancelling trans fems with gross kinks. I’m an avid supporter or gross kinks, very clearly. lots of my mutuals are gross trans fems and I love them with all of my heart and I was in a relationship with one for 3.5 years and my best friend is a trans masc with gross kinks.

but this person I posted about literally reblogs things like “you hate pedos for loving children more than you ever will” that is Not normal horny posting btw. and them saying how “pedos are silly haha :3 ^_^” is Not normal horny posting btw. and literally nowhere on there blog is stated that this is all fantasy. but it is on mine. so please don’t compare my posts with theirs lol. and they rbed a photo of literal teenagers and made a weird tag that said something like “I need to be them. and I need to [redacted]” which I can only speculate means something sexual towards the kids in the picture. which is Not normal horny posting when you’re involving actual kids. like we aren’t even on the hypothetical side anymore, that is a photo of actual teenagers they reblogged on a blog where they talk about being a pedo, supporting pedos etc… is that not a little weird to you ? and not like. oh weird kinks, whatever. but like. weird, on the illegal territory ? weird, like this isn’t a kink anymore because you are involving not only hypothetical but also literal kids ? it’s not like they post ageplay like I do where I, an adult, want to pretend to be little with a consenting partner and I post about my fantasies. they post things like “pedos are silly ^_^ x3” which is weird in my opinion, because you are lumping all pedos in one positive group. like why would you do that unless you were a pedo or supported them ? like talking about pedos in any light that isn’t “I hate them” on nsfw tumblr is weird to me. cause even ageplay accounts on here are like “dni if you’re an actual pedo” but this person has never written anything like that, but instead reblogs what clearly seems like pro-pedo posts. which is WEIRD to me and no longer considered a kink and many others agreed with me

like I’m all for kink positivity. I think people using the ‘p3do bait’ tag is weird as hell but if I check their profile and see that they are over 18, not much I can do. but that person I called out has no age in their bio which is immediately a red flag. and the pedo joking, calling themselves a pedo and how they support pedos etc… is not normal horny posting. and even if they thought it was and they weren’t an actual pedo, they are making a community for pedos to interact with. I make it avidly clear on my blog that I despise actual pedos and I constantly make sure to out them so when I saw this, I did so. without ever thinking about their gender or if they’re trans cause that’s the least that matters in this situation. like if one of my mutuals rbed something like this, I’d immediately have the same problem with them. and you don’t need to “actually sexually abuse anyone underage” like you say there is no proof they are doing so. yes,,,,, but if you’re a pedo who has sexual thoughts about kids and posts about it, you’re a bad person. no actual inappropriate contact with a child is needed for you to be considered a bad person in that case