#But when they're together they find their true cores again

[hymnoire]

 Wanted plot :    It is not comprehensible by reason. Abandon my ship to the mercy of the waves.

Looking for a soulmate for Gaya.

"Heartless. Empty of all emotions. Do you feel human anymore? I know I don't. Unless I am with you. Does that count? Or are we just not humans together?""

[mswyrr]

They presented the possibility of older women--who were repeatedly described as "covenless witches" in a story that also repeatedly told us a witch needs a coven--finding community again and a new reason to live in each other and their own power and then "subverted our expectations" with these women dying to serve a male character's story.

That was the point of their stories. Him.

It isn't common for older women in US pop culture to get depicted as people who are capable of rebirth. Of lives, desires, hopes and dreams that matter beyond solely being a mother. It rarely happens, and it didn't happen here.

It's rare for stories to deal metaphorically with real things - like women who get clean or make positive change in their 40s or 50s. Women who find each other and aren't alone and "forgotten" anymore. These things happen -- yes, sisterhood is sometimes a lie and sometimes "people never change." Sure, those things happen. But sometimes sisterhood isn't a lie; sometimes people make change in their lives.

You don't see these stories when they're women though, especially not older women, especially not gay women.

I'm glad for Jen. She doesn't have a community, though. A witch needs a coven they told us, over and over again. They showed us them getting one small taste of the joy they could share together, in their scene of flight. But that was just for Billy too. And now everyone else is dead. To serve the male character's journey, give him some angst.

Agatha is forever spiritually dead--not experiencing any kind of emotional breakthrough or change--because she's not the lead, so she's static so she can serve as a device within the true lead's journey.

She can't even be allowed the growth I pictured as the worst case scenario - where she dies for *the coven*--so they can live and have community and spiritual rebirth together--and makes enough peace to go with Rio. She doesn't even get that much, to get to have a real death that matters and has a sense of completion to it, where we can imagine her reunited with her child and/or at peace with Rio. She can't have that because she has to be Billy's amusing sidekick, his Jarvis, his moral warning lesson about his powers and the witches he got killed and his angst. Because his story matters and theirs didn't.

I was talking to a friend the other day about how love stories often have a "point of symbolic death, when all hope seems lost" (concept from Pamela Regis's study of romance novel structure) and with mf couples they get to rise again from that, into rebirth, into new life. Ff canon couples in stories often, due to a bunch of reasons, aren't allowed that narrative power. They remain trapped in tragedy and despair. I thought surely Agatha herself though, as the lead character, would get to have some kind of change or rebirth as part of a community of women, given that her core wound is betrayal by community -- but she, as a character, doesn't get to go into the symbolic underworld and change and be reborn, because she was never the lead character to begin with.

Sapphic love remains broken once it breaks, the "point of symbolic death" is literal death or a shattering end, there is no rebirth. We, I guess, lack the symbolic potency to come back, in the eyes of the world? We are not generative. "Which one's the man?" "How do they even have sex?" "Your marriage isn't real because you can't make babies." (Kudos for subverting that one, though, show! Except... a child born of women, without a man, cannot live a full life I guess?) And specifically, as a 30something queer woman, people who call my wife, after I've described her as my wife, my "girlfriend" and are shocked by how long we've been together. That we're grown women and our commitment is right down to the bone, that it has blood in its veins. We are not little girls playing dress up. But that is how a ton of nice people see us; we exist but we are spiritually empty, lacking potency. And the stories reflect that. That energy, that core belief that we are the juvenile, non-generative form of love and relationships. And this woman too, she remains in a kind of eternal spiritual death.

That's why people are mentioning the Hayes Code, they're feeling how that aligns with larger cultural prejudice against us and our humanity and capacity to have the kind of power of living and loving that is ascribed to mf love and that more (though not always, misogyny is a hell of a thing) straight women get in stories.

The idea that it's GOOD for a story to do this, because "sometimes sisterhood is a lie" and "sometimes people don't change" ignores that context of who precisely this narrative "subversion," this spiritual aridity is given to. And who gets to live and grow and be reborn and strive and learn and become in stories, to be allowed to connect with the transformative potential inside themselves and each other.

The show did give us a lot -- I think it's important to recognize that. The canon ff love; I would have never expected that. The canon kiss. They put a lot into that and I honor that. This wasn't a classic "bury your gays" and I'm not mad at them. They did their best. A lot of the issues I have are probably due to the problems of the mcu overall and how static it is. But the deeper themes are also just incredibly disappointing to me, and I wanted to outline why.

It's entirely possible to be disappointed but appreciate context and not be unkind to creatives who did their best within overall industry/cultural limitations, which is where I am at and what I mean with this.

[lime-bloods]

i would LOVE a post on that. i have been thinking extensively about pitch romance and how deeply, cruelly toxic it is and how quadrants are in general. a lot of stuff is based in karkat's pov on it (and karkat is like. sooo biased love the guy to death but he is SO BIASED!!!) but sometimes it's in the narration and the existence of auspisticism & the fact that quadrants potentially existed on beforus trips me up as well...

this is a great question! and I suppose "the beginning" is probably the best place to start for a post about this, after all.

it's important to be aware that when we think of Beforus as a planet that is "good", this is not necessarily because it is wholly good by our own standards or even by the author's standards, but because it is good within Homestuck's philosophy, that the "good" is that which is "true" or "real", rather than what is "true" necessarily being good. to put this in another way - which I've only just recently begun to fully understand myself - Beforus being free of Lord English's corruption doesn't mean it's free of problems, just that it's problems are "real" problems, as opposed to fictional problems; they're reflective of problems we have on Earth.

pivotally, Beforus still has systems of gendered oppression, and in that sense it's clear how the intrinsically gendered violence of Alternia's quadrants would find their own place in Beforan society. it's just that in this context, these dynamics arise as part of complex sociological phenomena over thousands of years and aren't put in place solely for a specific purpose by an omnipotent time god, and as such won't necessarily manifest themselves in the exact same ways, or necessarily be "as bad". as with so many things in Homestuck, it's the idea at the core of the concept that's most important; kismesissitude and matespritship on Beforus should be recognisably the same idea as the quadrants on Alternia, just as they are recognisably the same "quadrants" practised by cherubs and humans, despite all of these arising from vastly different and largely disconnected cultural contexts.

the tendency for the same ideas to reliably bubble up to the surface again and again in different contexts is a central law of Homestuck's metaphysics: in the words of the reliable Doc Scratch, "there is essentially nothing new in paradox space." and it's relevant that Scratch is the one to relate this truism, because therein lies a crucial different in connotation between "storyteller" and "narrator"; it is not a narrator's job to invent new ideas, but rather to spin their own interpretation of what has already happened. this is why Scratch's ancestor stories are "troll fanfction"; he's writing an AU of characters who already lived on Beforus. we can only assume that, in the same vein, in "creating" Alternia's quadrants Scratch merely took those parts of Beforus that were convenient to his vision and amplified them to be all-important. (alchemy, as described by 9th century author Jabir ibn Hayyan, was the transmutation of one material into another by manipulating qualities that already existed within all matter, pushing some into the background and pulling others into the fore.)

it's easy to think of auspisticism, meanwhile, as unique among the quadrants in that it superficially seems to provide a service that is beneficial to all involved, and certainly towards Act 6 a lot of the children seem very interested in interpreting it this way. but in the narrative context in which it's introduced to us, I think it's clearly much more about control. as far as the ashen quadrant is concerned, what happens to the participants themselves is inconsequential; a successful ashen quadrant merely upholds the social idea of monogamy by stemming "widespread black infidelity." which is on its own a patently absurd idea: fidelity enforced by the race who practice punishable-by-death polygamy in order to mix all of their genes together in a single pool?! yes, it makes sense within the context of a nonsensically complicated alien reproductive process, but the nonsensical complicatedness of it all is entirely the point; the quadrants are designed to intersect in ways that not even the trolls themselves could ever fully understand. just as it's often impossible for a troll to distinguish between feelings that are platonic, pale or red, when Eridan attempts to "spark a rivalry wit)( [Sollux] to get [Feferi] to auspisticize [...] and pull us out of our quadrant" it's "t)(e oldest and lamest trick in t)(e book" precisely because it's the quadrant working exactly as intended! all of the quadrants serve to make relationships messier under the guise of making them more structured because messy relationships make for a great story, which is Alternia's fundamental purpose.

I think the Karkat point is worthy of another post deconstructing all the quadrants more broadly, because a lot of different things have been said about it already and it's worth getting into, but straightforwardly I think it must be understood that Karkat and "the narration" have fundamentally the same bias; the narrative wants us to take Alternia seriously because Alternia as a machine is a construction of the narrative for the purposes of the narrative, and Karkat wants us to take Alternia seriously because he's a massive stooge who has made his whole life's purpose out of buying into that narrative.

[tsbs-shipfessions]

*CrAshEs out from the tragedy SolarNexus closet; in an absolute mess.*

Salutations folks of all nations, it's me again! And I bring a new proposition!!

V4 Eclipse shipped with EAPS Moon (+EAPS Sun for the double AI shippers).

Reasons?

*Slaps billboard of opportunity.*

(Ramble warning ahead!)

V4 Eclipse has gone through it; lad had learned that the best way to live is to live alone. Antagonism brings him nowhere.. and being some emotional fellow isn't his cup o' joe. Yet we know, we know, that this is not entirely true.

Factually stating, especially with recent episodes (of other characters being ridiculously pushy towards Eclipse, mind you. They need to STOP. That's nOt how you hElp somEoNe.) is that Eclipse's anger has died down to a tired state. He's sickly annoyed on how he is, yet he has no proper reason as to why it stays this way.

Eclipse doesn't understand positive social cues nor how to be a "normal" being. Though instead of actually taking the heartfelt effort to learn anew, he stays stagnant in his gifted role of just: being the one nobody likes. And by my guess: it's because he doesn't see himself to have the ability to be loved.. tis either through fear or anger.. trauma stabbing his core and bitterness in his mind. It's always been like this since day one after all. How could it possibly change for him? This is who he is.... or, who he was that he has to keep up.. right?... there's no way life could ever get better than the consequences he laid out for himself! No matter how many times he died over and over- it's always the same!

Though in some small quiet way, Eclipse wishes to be wanted. All parts. Seeing right through his stubborn, biting behaviour and to be understood. With no harsh criticism and judgment that makes him regret ever being in the conversation.

There's a reason why he mentioned all that he's done to Puppet and such- he tries to make a statement that he is no good. Like it's verbal confirmation for himself that this is how it is and ever will be. That there is no hope for Eclipse.. always the asshole nobody wants... yet in it's own way it is also a cry for help.

One that many characters seem to miss as blatant sarcasm.

Eclipse doesn't wish to be forced, not monitored and tracked like he's some dog meaning to play tricks. Not shunned for "repeating and wallowing his complaints of all his wrongs". No. No, actually seen and allowing him to ease into this frightening change of peace in his own time.

But at the same time Eclipse fears it. He doesn't know how it'll end.. believing he'll be so vulnerable and pathetic.. but.... would it really be that bad?

We do see this with Earth when it comes to recognition, and their friendship has grown so sweet which I deeply appreciate! But she isn't always around for him, so aid is rarely available for his daily struggle now.

But I think EAPS Moon (and at times EAPS Sun) successfully inch towards that comforting direction too. In... their own playful way.

They're talking together, asking the right questions, showing genuine concern when Eclipse is unwell. None of it is fake or selfish, most likely due to EAPS Moon's/Sun's innocence.. but it's needed for Eclipse's sake.

He needs a breather.. and I really do believe EAPS Moon provides that.

Calm, open minded, confused at Eclipse's actions at times yet tries his best to understand. Allows Eclipse to do what he needs to do when it comes to precaution; because he knows there is careful meaning in there somewhere.

Heck, even managed to have Eclipse say and do some rare polite things. And Eclipse doesn't entirely push EAPS Moon away and listens to some small suggestions. That's slow growth and improvement! A healthy way to transition to a more passive life! To find himself with some sweet soul as EAPS Moon. :)

I hope to see this to grow further, perhaps comfort deeply when Eclipse be having another panic from a nightmare. A non-pushing conversation that allows Eclipse to share whatever he wishes. Maybe have the two gain an interest in some fun activity to enjoy life a little better. To prove how there is such thing as a good day. Maybe EAPS Moon can have more updates on his little game for Eclipse to test. :3

It feels like a good opportunity to break harmful habits, you know?

Besides... tis a gay silly nerdy game-dev X grumpy ex-villain ship with a hopeful healing arch. How could I possibly resist? I.. I mean come on! That's adorable!

Quite the long read, eh? Heheh.

Thanks for allowing me to share this confession! As a treat have a song that I've been listenin' on repeat while writing this. Tis fitting for how I see V4 Eclipse's mindset: ' girl in red - i'll die anyway. '

As always: Have a pleasant day/evenin' to everyone who read this! Till we meet again! :)

All of these color-coded essays are so fun to receive.

[goddessofmischief]

Hey, thanks for tagging :) I am 34, so the "old men" are not so old to me and quite frankly, watching Shanks, Buggy and Mihawk in OPLA is feeling like coming home to old friends back from 20 years ago. (I was crushing on Shanks and Buggy so much...😅) So I thought, maybe you could write something where fem!reader already knows them and has a soft spot for each of them, since back when they were flirting and making fun when they were young. Now as adults they meet again and the chemistry is still there.

I remember one of my stories from back then. I was jealous of mermaids, because all the pirates got stupid once they're around, and a drunk Shanks said: "nah, you wouldn't like to be one; You'd be missing slamming doors and Buggy would drown on daily basis just to say hi-." Both Buggy and Reader: "shut up! So not true!". Just like young stupids are... :)

Anyways, thanks for your writing and I can't wait to read more about the "get-shit-done"-squad Mihawk, Shanks and Buggy

     — MERMAIDS (YOUNG SHANKS X READER, YOUNG BUGGY X READER)

A/N: Hope this is alright: since your formal request was so in line with what the theme of the series will be anyway, I used the excerpt of your line as basis for this particular fic. All credit of course goes to you for coming up with the lines and the idea. On a personal note, I just want to say how much I respect that you were an OG fic writer and still have interest in and love for these characters. Welcome home.

...

You would have believed that you had been at sea for years, until Buggy reminded you that it had only been weeks.

Granted, this is how he reminded you:

"It's been wee-eks," Buggy whined, stretching out on his hammock. Shanks was collapsed against the wall, fingers knotted together, eyes not really focused on any particular place.

And you? You were lying on the floor, gazing up at the wooden ceiling, wondering if it would be a good idea to leave the cabin and see the stars.

Being on the ship for weeks was highly irregular for your crew. Great captain he was, Roger knew he could only keep this ragtag group sane if they stepped onto shore and ate an orange every once in awhile. This concern was triply inflated by the fact that he had three young adults onboard who became very antsy if they had to stay in one place for too long. Your patience certainly rivaled Buggy's or even Shanks', but even you had your limit, and you had met it long ago.

The ship would have planned to make port nearly a week before, but the World Government was closer to finding you than ever. It was simply too dangerous.

You soon learned how your friends reacted to a situation such as this. Shanks had retreated mostly into silence, with exception of the odd joke or attempt at conversation, and Buggy had decided he blamed you both somehow for this situation and that any words exchanged with either of you would only be of the complaining nature.

"I know, Bugs," said Shanks, and you were surprised to hear him answer Buggy's complaint. You exchanged glances with him, then turned back to Buggy.

"Let's go outside, yeah?" you suggested. "Do something fun."

"Everyone's outside," Buggy complained. "They've been yelling over something for hours."

"And you didn't think that was important to mention, Bugs?" Shanks asked, irritably. Buggy shrugged.

...

The thing that had sparked such interest in the crew was simply that, as your ship had sailed very far into the deepest waters, much farther than usual, you had sailed into a home of mermaids. Extremely dangerous, and the crew knew it.

It did not negate their interest whatsoever, though.

Pirates get stupid when mermaids are around. It is a core trait of pirates and no less than a sacred tenet of piracy itself. More than a few decent men have been seduced to the sea by the very concept of mermaids, and to that end, the idea of finding one.

Shanks and Buggy were no exception.

You had never really taken the care to notice how they behaved with girls. Their flirting was of no interest to you, and so you didn't bother to surveil it. But it came to your attention now that they had terribly different styles: namely, that Buggy was mostly content to sit and watch from the edge of the deck, and Shanks was more interested in yelling, waving, and nearly falling off the boat.

Granted, by this time, alcohol had become involved, and all bets were off.

Despite all the excitement, the first in weeks, Shanks had begun to notice how quiet you'd become. He approached you, somewhat cautiously, hoping you wouldn't react with a retort or a threat.

"You okay?"

You nodded, staring at the drink you held.

"You sure?"

You shrugged, whispering something under your breath that Shanks struggled to hear.

"What's that?"

You spoke again, slightly more than a whisper, but Shanks heard it all the same.

"...I wish I was a mermaid."

"You wish you were a mermaid?" He repeated loudly, almost outraged. You shushed him, and he just laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just... nah, you wouldn't like to be one. You'd be missing... slamming doors, and Buggy would drown himself on a daily basis just to say hi-"

"Shut up!" you giggled. "So not true!"

"And then, of course, there'd be all the pirates. I wouldn't like sharing you with them."

"I'm a pirate. You're a pirate."

"I'm a different sort of pirate. And you're barely a pirate at all."

You shrank back, inexplicably hurt by Shanks' drunken offhand insult.

"I'm as much of a pirate as you."

"Of course you are. I didn't mean that. Not like that. I mean, you're just... you're very careful, you're much too good for us. You're not messy or mean like the rest of us are."

"What do you think I am, then?"

"A princess," he blurted out, and you tried not to laugh. "I've always thought so."

"Always?"

"Mhm. The whole time."

You studied Shanks' face, seeing him in a new light that you'd never glimpsed anyone in before. Had he always been this cute, or charming, or kind?

Well, it didn't matter if he always had been, because he was now, and before you had given much thought to it at all you were pushing his straw hat back and he was meeting your lips in a kiss, your first, his first.

"You're a terribly nice pirate," you mumbled.

"You're a terribly beautiful princess," he replied.

You both parted awkwardly, staring at each other with confused half-smiles and resigning to focusing your attentions back on the ocean. For now, it was merely a strange evening, a shooting star, but later on, you would remember that night as the precise moment you began to love Red-Haired Shanks.

And Buggy, watching from across the ship, would remember that night as the second time a deep knot of resentment grew in his chest, one that would only become larger with time. The first time had been as a child, when Shanks had done something exceptionally well where Buggy had failed, and Roger placed his famous straw hat onto his head.

The second time was tonight, because of you.

taglist: @sawendel @twinklesnake

[twistedastrology]

- The most painful Chiron placements -

----------------------------------------------------------

in my opinion-

to preface, all chiron placements are inherently painful, but these to me are the ones i have the most respect for in a way??

everyone knows chiron as the wounded healer, it represents our soul level wound that, once healed, is our greatest superpower.

so here are a handful of the chiron placements that to me are the most intense.

- Chiron in Aries/1st -

chiron in aries is absolutely terrifying to me and i have the utmost respect for people with this placement because this is a core wound of the self.

they go through life forever trying to find who they are and feeling like the world holds no space for them- ive said like a billion times that my biggest fear is losing myself, and that's the wound that chiron in aries has to deal with.

they might struggle with finding what they're willed to do and might feel like a mosaic of everything else around them instead of a real person and that is so scary to me.

once they manage to heal that wound though, they are fucking unstoppable and inspire others to find themselves just as they did.

- Chiron in Sagittarius -

this one is intense to me because it often has a lot of potential to remain unhealed- this is a wound that relates to spirituality entirely-

i dont know many ppl with this placement at all but i imagine they're scared or intimidated by spirituality as a whole to some degree-

these people don't know what the purpose of life is, they don't know what they believe in or If they believe in anything- the subject of belief and purpose in life is very sore for them.

when healed, this chiron placement bestows an intense sense of belonging and meaning in life, and it has a lot of potential to remain unhealed because spirituality at the very least helps you to find a true meaning in life, without adhering to a strict religion that makes one up.

- Chiron in Aquarius/11th -

im a little biased for this one because i have this placement but i can 100% speak from experience because of that.

this placement is easily the most agonizing one in my entire chart- for the longest time i felt like i would never find true friends, and sometimes that feeling will creep up again and it makes me absolutely crumble.

chiron in aries and chiron in aquarius are very similar to some extent because they both feel like the world won't give them somewhere to feel at home, just for different reasons.

chiron in aquarius makes you feel like you will never have anyone who truly understands you and that even if you do, they won't stick around like you want them to.

for some people, this can make them try to conform to somewhere they don't belong. thankfully i don't have that aspect, but it has crossed my mind multiple times in life.

this placement, when it's triggered by something, makes me immediately consider every possibility upon meeting someone new and forces me to give up my hopes until im proven otherwise.

im pretty sure it's the reason i have an avoidant attachment style as well as trust issues 😮‍💨

when healed though, these people have the ability to bring people together without snuffing anyone's individuality. they always respect people for who they are and the friends they do manage to find respect them for who they are.

much shorter post this time but ive been super tired all day and ofc had a chiron trigger so ive been a little cranky to say the least- but i wanted to write something for some reason so i figured what better than what i struggled with today 😮‍💨

if you have any of these chiron placements or just generally know your chiron fucking hurts really bad when it's triggered, i get it- but it won't be like that forever. the more we manage to heal, the more that wound is transformed into the most stable part of our charts.

if in general you're not doing well rn, again, i get it, but it will never be like that forever. that's not how life works. you won't be happy forever either, but if you were, there would be no value to it.

like the song i named this blog after says, "a lonely life where no one understands you, but don't give up because the music do"

- 🖤 -

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

hello! can you please suggest any post-war everlark fics where their friendship is explored and is the core of the narrative? fics where their friendship gradually turn into something much deeper? sort of the same vibe of cf everlark when peeta was taking care of katniss and they were working on the plant book and katniss was inner-monologue-ing about peeta's lashes and they're friends but katniss was slowly falling deep in love and peeta was there at the bottom of the pit, ready to catch her. you know. something like that. multi-chaps are preferred, but i'll take any one-shots as well! tysm, your blog is a blessing!

Hello Anon!

I know I have a ton more than just these ones but I'll add this to future masterlist topics but for now I think these would be a good start! Happy Reading!

A Girl, A Boy, and Everything Else-CassandraO (ao3) Summary: It's been a year since the war ended. Peeta and Katniss are in the process of growing together. Peeta is learning about setting boundaries and taking better care of himself and Katniss is drowning in depression. How they grow together as friends and eventually, something else, all the while facing new challenges. A Painter, a Baker, and a Boy who Never Took Sugar in his Tea-katiac (ao3) Summary: Peeta’s months in the Capitol under Dr. Aurelius’ care as he struggles to sort real memories from false, come to terms with the horrors inflicted on him and those he loved during the war, and understand the true nature of his connection with Katniss Everdeen. Good Again-titania522 (ao3) Summary: "The sun was rising, fingers of glorious orange, red and yellow crawling across the sky. The window appeared as a frame around a picture, dawn’s ascent bursting from the folds of a delicate skirt the color of burnt copper. I sighed and turned back to Peeta, holding his hand against my cheek." After all they have experienced, Katniss and Peeta realize that things can be good again. The Missing Book - The Early Years-Hey_You (ao3) Summary: Katniss and Peeta grow back together after Peeta's return to District 12. After Katniss realizes her true feelings for Peeta, she is faced with the very real possibility that he no longer cares for her in the way she had hoped. Post "Mockingjay" but pre-Epilogue. Canon compliant. Us Among the Living-aspiringpandabear (ao3) Summary: When the air smells of spring and Peeta returns to District 12, Katniss finds a reason to live again. Classic Everlark growing together fic heavily focused on Peeta and Katniss' journeys processing their grief and trauma in the months following the rebellion. And, of course, the story of how they fall back in love while helping each other pick up the broken pieces of their lives.

I’ll be adding this to future masterlist topics! If anyone knows of any, please let me know!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to shoot me an ask!

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Idk if this is going to make any sense, but I always feel like there's something missing when I read thoughts about sskk and it really is the impact Kyouka has on them.

Like, a lot of it is "look at the impact Atsushi and Akutagawa have on each other" and "they are so similar at their cores" which is true! And essential for any bsd partner dynamic! But Kyouka also has commonalities - she has Atsushi's general wonder, simple wants and joys, and desire to be helpful and kind, but also Akutagawa's laser focused objectivity, initial lack of questioning orders, and straightforward ruthlessness when required.

But a lot of the external influence on sskk I see mentioned is Dazai and Chuuya's... which I get, because they're the previous double black, but also Chuuya is very minorly involved by proxy only, and while Dazai undeniably is at the heart of sskk conflict (and it's good to analyze in depth!!!), I feel it's understated how much it was actually Kyouka who kickstarted the development between them - Atsushi was brand-new to the Agency, but saving Kyouka cemented his mindset of proving his worth and also gave him someone to look out for - his position became less fragile from that point on and more permanent. Her mix of kindness and darkness also forces Atsushi in the Guild arc to reassess the idea that people are either "good" or "bad". (He's working on this still, but his judgements are becoming much more nuanced than at the beginning.) And as for Akutagawa... I have a lot of thoughts on their dynamic and how I really don't think there's a whole lot of bad blood there anymore after my all-time favourite scene where they fight in Cannibalism arc - but all I will say is that he legitimately thought what he was doing would make her strong enough to survive, and both Kyouka and Atsushi telling him this is wrong, that people can't live being beaten down like that forces him to reassess his own situation in the Hawthorne and Mitchell fight. (He still has a ways to go, but I seriously hope he eventually realizes that his treatment by Dazai was horribly unnecessary and cruel.)

But what's great is that Atsushi and Akutagawa influence her development too! I don't even need to get into Atsushi's: he believes in her potential and sees her as the young girl she is - not a weapon but a person. She starts off pretty much attached to him and only him, but as time goes on, she starts to adopt a more positive mindset and becomes more confident making decisions as a result of his faith in her. With Akutagawa, she is, like Atsushi, forced to reassess others, especially after he tells her he's glad for her having found that will to live. Kyouka is unable to continue fighting him after that, and I get the sense she saw him as a person there, instead of only the man who harmed her. I also find it really interesting that she has no shame or concern about her mindset aligning much more closely with his, to the point where she'll work with him if necessary.

This is a bit of a mess but really it's one long-winded ramble on how I loved these three working together in Dead Apple and would love to see them working and fighting alongside each other again. I know, I know, this is probably not going to happen because it's supposed to be about sskk as a duo but consider:

They are a trio in my heart.

[archer3-13]

oh wow a fire emblem post after a lot of not posting about fire emblem. its been slow and i dont care too much about heroes, sue me.

i've come to the conclusion that people get too hung up on the idea of whether felix was right or wrong about dimitri when it comes to discussions on their character dynamics [it all tends to be very felix focused anyways]. I would say that at the end of the day, the story needs felix to be wrong in order to work as it does and theres no getting around that.

as a result however, dimitris side of that dynamic often gets overlooked i think and its a shame, cause i would say its the most important factor in how that dynamic works. cause well felix hurls all manner of verbal abuse at him, dimitri never disabuses felix of those notions even when he's trying his hardest to pretend everything is fine. he just takes the abuse, and i would argue thats far more important to the dynamic and speaks a lot more to dimitris core characteristics.

what dimitri is, is sad, traumatized, and possessed of an intense self loathing that blends together into a self destructive cocktail. its not just that the dead are haunting him, its that the dead are haunting him by calling him a pussy ass bitch in the most violent way possible, all the while everything falls apart around him. and his response to this is to try and repress that sorrow and trauma as deep as he possibly can, because he has too much to do, not enough time, and everyones counting on him.

what dimitri isn't, is possessed of a hidden darkness that can only be expressed in violent rage and general monsterousness/assholery. certainly he can express those things, but they're always symptoms of whats happening around him and in the story. the inevitable reaction of all that misery hes so deeply repressed exploding in violent reaction to the cruelty of the world around him. And it is importantly cruelty and injustice that he's reacting to, remire village, the holy tomb, the entire god damn war phase etc. its why dimitris story is always importantly intertwined with the idea of having others to support you and your burdens.

anyways, guess what end of the stick felix latches onto during the academy phase!!

its grimly funny in a way, but what felix is essentially playing with dimitri is purity politics. people often overlook that canonically he was a very sweet and gentle child before the tragedy, and that his aloof prickly i studied the blade demenour is just a crude imitation of glenns personality [but yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that hes dealing with glenns death better then rodrigue]. and he practically grew up alongside dimitri, who he only ever knew as a kind and gentle boy as well. then the tragedy happens and uproots everything in his life, so he tries to find that stability again by going with dimitri in their first battle.

and that's where he sees that violent reaction dimitri sorrow can elect. and like a true gamer, felix rejects the idea that his [pure, sweet, gentle] dimitri could ever do or be like that. it must be a monster in a humans skin, a boar prince.

and like the tsundere idiot he is, felix takes it as his own duty [consciously or not] to act as the jailkeeper for that wild animal that's taken his friends place. possibly its executioner even. because felix is too caught up in his own grief to see beyond that rage, a rage he rejects the "true" dimitri of being capable of.

and, wadda ya know. dimitri being caught in a violent spiral of self hatred and anger at the injustices of the world, does nothing to disabuse felix of these notions. because he feels like he deserves to be abused by felix, and also because its easier to brush things off that way and pretend everything is normal.

and i find that a lot more interesting to view the relation between the two in and how it develops over the games story.

[merrydelusions]

Gojo's never been rejected by a girl.

Sure he made them cry,but they all kept coming back at the end of the day just to get their hearts broken all over again.

So when he turned you down and you weren't around for a while,he didn't think too much about it.

Until he stumbled upon you talking with your best friend.He was passing by the girl's bathroom and stopped when he heard his name being mentioned.

'So what about Gojo?' Your friend was saying.

He was never against eavesdropping,as he could hear all kinds of juicy tidbits.His ears perked up.Now was the time you would sing his praises.They always do,but never hurt his ego to hear flattering words.

'Nah,already got over him,' You laughed.

His eyes widened in shock.

Excuse me? How dare you get over him? The Gojo Satoru?

Blissfully unaware of his presence you continued,'He is pretty good looking,just my type.....'

Aha! Obviously you made a mistake with your words before! There's no way you could get over him-

'But he always goes too far with his pranks,not to mention he's a total fuckboy,you know how I hate that kind of man. I didn't know he was like this before....Damn,I totally made a fool of myself that day,'You went on, completely stunning him.

No way....Impossible.....

'Yeah,I didn't get the time to tell you about him,' your friend laughed. 'But you got over it pretty quickly,even for you.'

'You got me there....I already have a teeny tiny bit of interest in someone,' You giggled.

'Oh my gosh! Spill the beans girl!'

'Actually it's Geto.'

If his jaw hadn't hit the floor before at the fact that you had moved on and already crushing on someone else,it most certainly was now.

'Switching to the friend,huh?'

Yes,that had to be it,Suguru was by no means bad,but you literally had the best choice,the cream of the crop...and you'd leave him for his friend?! You must be trying to reach him by going out with his best friend!

'It wasn't like that,'You protested,to his dismay.'Geto and I have been assigned seats next to each other for English classes for the last couple of weeks. To be honest,after finding out Gojo was like that,I wasn't too keen on Geto either,I mean,birds of a feather flock together,right? But they're nothing alike. He's actually pretty nice.Sure he pranks me sometimes,but I can trust him to not take it too far.And he knows how to treat a girl right.'

Your friend whistled.'So what's your plan?'

'Well,he hasn't mentioned having a girlfriend,so I think there's a chance.But I'll probably hold off on confessing for some time. I literally confessed to someone else and not to mention to his bff just a few days ago, it's gonna be weird.'

'True,better take things slow,but of course,your streak of bad luck is something else! Remember how you got in trouble yesterday during Sociology class?'

'Don't mention it!' You groaned.'That professor totally hates me-'

Gojo was still standing there,shaken to his core,his brain not registering the fact immediately that the two of you came out of the bathroom, talking and laughing,until you came to a halt at the sight of him.

When he finally noticed you,he raised his eyebrows,a mocking smile on his lips.

'So you hate my kind,huh?'

[ashtheketchum]

Asahi Azumane X GN. METALHEAD Reader

Warnings: GN. Reader, Hdc!, mention of smut, mention of self-harm, mention of drugs, sub.Asahi, dom.Reader

A/N: I have Haikyu!! started again and I have a little crush on Asahi. While I'm not really a metalhead, I find the idea of Asahi dating a metalhead funny.

____________________

You are a real power couple

None of your friends really thought you would get together

Those who don't know you think you're a really good match, but that's only because they're all afraid of you two

Asahi was afraid of you at first too, but after you showed your soft side, he couldn't keep his eyes off you

If Asahi is in trouble, you take care of the problem

No one really wants to mess with you because they're afraid of Asahi

You think it's really cool, but it hurts Asahi inside, even though he knows you'll be left alone

Asahi keeps trying to listen to your favorite bands (always stops immediately after the first song)

He gives you band shirts for your birthday or buys you black roses (He thinks red roses are prettier, but he loves your face when you see black roses)

Sometimes, when he really wants to make you happy, he makes you a playlist with a few songs that you like to listen to

Partner bracelets and necklaces!

You're always there when he has a volleyball game

You once suggested to him that you cheer in your own way

You were thrown out when you did it and Asahi had to sneak you back in somehow

Sometimes you annoy him for being so anxious

Sugawara and you = 🤝

You once asked Asahi if he wanted to get a partner tattoo or piercing with you and he fainted just at the thought

You sometimes train together

After a game you always give his shoulders a massage and you listen to a playlist that you both like

You made him a playlist with songs that you like and that are a good start

Asahi is a switch

He likes to let you have control sometimes, but he also likes to take control

He still sometimes makes sure that he doesn't hurt you

Praise kink!

Sometimes you have music playing in the background that fits the mood

Even though Asahi would rather hear you, he is very loud

Whimpers, moans and pants loudly. Sometimes a growl escapes him, but only rarely

He loves your legs, especially when they're wrapped around him

He loves to see your face blushing or scrunching up with excitement

Only squirts his seeds into a condom! He wouldn't even want to imagine himself cumming inside you

When you first saw each other, you thought that the other person definitely had a soft core

You hate the rumors about Asahi, but somehow you also find them really funny

Asahi found out that there are rumors about you too, which makes him a little relieved

However, after hearing the rumors, he is angry and he keeps trying to convince a few people that these rumors are not true

He started with his team, but they never believed these rumors anyway

You initially thought that Asahi also liked metal and rock, but he's the complete opposite

Asahi has a lot of respect for you, even if it sometimes looks a lot like fear

He thinks your style is really cool and would try it out, but he hasn't dared to ask you for help yet

After he heard the rumor that you were hurting yourself, he kept looking at your arms or legs

Once when he saw a scratch there, he completely freaked out, but you calmed him down and explained to him that a cat had scratched you

You help Kiyoko out sometimes

His team loves you

They all agree that Asahi needed someone like you because otherwise he would always be so soft

You also like his team, they are almost like a second family to you

Share almost the same taste in music with Noya and Tanaka

Kageyama finds it interesting that you don't have to follow the strict uniform

Hinata keeps asking you how you like volleyball and whether you ever play with Asahi

Sex jokes from Tanaka and Noya

Sugawara and Daichi are like your parents, they make sure you don't do anything wrong

Tsukishima likes your headphones

[luffyrose]

Barry, Constantine, and the Kid

I was reading "I Just Wanna Talk" by foldingfacets and the way Barry interacts with Danny, and his whole misunderstanding just gave me a very very good fic idea.

Danny was Constantine's kid! But thanks to whatever ex had him, John had no idea who Danny was, nor that his kid had been put up for adoption. (I'm feeling a random one-night stand with some god-adjacent being so that Danny was already very much Other, compared to normal people). His not fully human blood had him survive the Fenton household, seeing as Jazz had radiation exposure since she was little basically so she'd survived thanks to that.

Danny kinda figured he was adopted. Sure his hair was black like Jack's and his blue eyes weren't anything abnormal, but his parents were both very very white. And he was much more tan, definitely Mideastern. Jazz actually confirmed it when he asked one time, but he still loved them all dearly. He tried to love them all, but it was hard when the only one he really remembers raising him is his sister. Until the accident happens and things just go south.

Like, Danny does his whole hero thing, and works things out with his ghosts because most of them were either messing around or didn't realize he was actually a baby ghost because he was so strong or smth, idk, they cooperate with him and just come to bug him and play fight when bored or needing to satisfy their core. All in all, he's King of the Infinite Realms now and he is not having a good time tm-

He's SEEN all the John Constantine things, but never bothered with tracking this guy down because hey! selling his soul to multiple entities to prevent ANYONE from getting it was really smart! Who was he to fault the guy.

It kind of all comes crashing down though when things go horribly ary with his adoptive parents. He overheard them talking, and even though they did love him, he learned that to them he wasn't just their kid. He was still the kid Jazz really wanted for a brother. After literally growing up in their house, he wasn't on the same level as Jazz. Simply because he was adopted, and neither had truly planned to adopt him.

And despite learning this, he tries so hard to still love and few them as his parents, because he's NOT their kid! They're right, but they still raised him no they didn't it was Jazz and he thought that they at least loved him more than that some part of him knew they never had. So when Jazz suggests they tell them, together for his own safety, he agrees for two reasons. 1, he loves and trusts Jazz and she really wanted to believe they were better than just ghost hunting. 2, he could finally know the truth, whether they would not believe him, hate him, or love him.

They don't.

Maddie and Jack both believe he died due to their creation. They don't doubt that for a moment. Jazz is thrilled at first, thinking that meant they would feel sorry, apologize, accept Danny, ANYTHING except harm him. But she was wrong as they tried to shoot him. She tried to stop them, and they told her even if he was Danny, that he was a ghost which meant it wasn't ever really going to be him again. And Jazz was horrified, asking how they could shoot their own son, ghost or not, and as if it was the simplest thing in the world, they say he wasn't their son.

And that was it.

Danny ran.

He hid in the ghost zone, and Jazz tried to come with. She ended up destroying the portal, outing Vlad, and running away with a voice recorder of their parents and the conversation they'd had. Sam and Tucker have to lay low, only messaging Danny to ask if he'd been hurt.

Danny didn't reply.

After a few months, his friends had gotten a reply a few days after, so had Jazz, saying he was fine and Fright Knight was watching over him, which was true but the Knight was more worried than anything, Pandora stopped by. She was kind of like an aunt, so she hated to see him sad. But she'd also realized something.

Halfa, as most VERY old ghosts and Ancients know, are rare to find. Vlad was an odd case, being Halfa-adjacent but not a true Halfa since it took 20 years for his powers to grow to what they were when it was normal for quick power growth like Danny. Not only does one need to die with a bunch of ectoplasm nearby, but they must have a few other requirements. Such as a bond with the supernatural, strong magic, etc. No mortal being without very strong and innate abilities would survive a full Halfa creation. So she'd always been curious as to how Danny survived when even heroes who'd been exposed to death would not near chance of being a Halfa.

Being a demi-god made it a lot easier. Even then, not all demi-gods would survive either, seeing as it would be rare for them to be within range of the ectoplasm needed to balance their god-like blood. Danny was an incredibly special case. Pandora had found out that Danny wasn't just a demi-god, but the human who was his parent was an incredibly strong magic user. So much so, that he'd tricked and tried his way through many many years of his life. Honestly, Pandora was amazed the human was alive.

Telling Danny of his father was not in her plan, though she did tell him of his demi-god blood. She also told him, that it may be safer with heroes.

So with a little time to heal, not really he was still bandaged up but at least he wasn't about to fall apart, Danny got Wulf and Cujo, the former opening a portal with a sad goodbye for the time being. (Really, Wulf would always know where Danny was.) Either way, Danny had planned to find this John Constantine, since seeing as he'd somehow avoided death all while dimension hoping, he was probably a good bet. Or at the very least could help him find a hero to help.

Falling through the portal with Cujo, he hadn't expected a giant room in what he could only guess was a secret base. There was a hero, he really should have looked up heroes, but most of his childhood hadn't really given him access to anything outside of his hometown, which was staring in shock at him.

And Flash meets Danny.

And instantly wants to adopt the kid. Sorry, Bruce! This one is his kid actually! But when he hears the boy's reason for being there, the poor kid looking utterly terrified and apologetic for barging in and trying to explain how Constantine's contact info had led him here, Barry is just crushed. He's keeping the kid entertained, panicking, and trying to contact John.

Wally ends up meeting him while they're waiting, and it instantly taking this kid as his own new brother. If his boyfriend gets a bunch of younger siblings so does he!

Either way, both speedsters are already filing adoption papers, not really as much as Barry wants to because he knows better than to take in an unknown even with how horrifying this child's accidental slips of his home-life was like.

So we have an MIA John, not like that's rare-, an unknown child who they really need to test DNA for but don't want to scare him, speedsters already mentally said kid's parent, and a whole lot of chaos. Danny had no IDEA that Constantine is his bio dad, Clockwork had Pandora hint him this way for a reason though...he got a dad one way or another and in some universes, he had 2. So. No loss situation to the Ancient.

They are not ready for this traumatized ass kid because he doesn't even realize he'd traumatized. Wait till he has a panic attack though, Danny, despite his apparent obliviousness to how fucked up he should be, will finally seem like the hurt kid he is.

And oh boy, wait till someone accidentally jostles a wound during that whole first meeting since Danny's hiding his wounds. Now that's a whole other bag of worms to open, like how'd he get them????

[indigoraysoflight]

Thoughts on the TBOC teaser + sneak peek

There is a ton of fandom discourse on this, and I appreciate you all for taking the time to share your thoughts and perspectives. I discussed a bit of this in episode #26 of our podcast, but I wanted to expand on my perspective here in a nuanced way. If you choose to read this, know that I will be very candid in this post. If your mental health needs a respite from heavy discourse, please take care of your mental health first.

It's absolutely wonderful to have Carol back. The sneak peek was exactly what I expected. It built intrigue from Daryl's POV, expanded on Carol's headspace, and set the stage. But I wish I could be excited about the teaser.

Carol's POV was beautifully nuanced and as angsty as I wanted it to be, but there was a disconnect with Daryl's POV. Although you hear the frustration in his voice, it doesn't sit well with me that a show called The Book of Carol starts with the voiceover + a shot of another character positioned with Daryl in soft lighting gazing at sunset with the juxtaposition of Carol's raw loneliness as she desperately tries to get to him.

Carol's desperation is explicit, clear, and heartbreaking, but there is an imbalance because Daryl's POV needs to convey the same level of need to "find home." Obviously, we don't have enough promo material to define that clearly yet, which is why I'm hoping that people speaking up about their true feelings will help the marketing team position future promo in a way that elicits more overwhelmingly positive reactions from their audience.

I want to make it explicitly clear that my issue here is not with Daryl's character. I'm noticing discourse around how harshly he is judged sometimes, and I agree. My issue is with the way the teaser was spliced together and marketed. My concern for the season is because his character has historically been used to incite fandom wars through shipbaiting in an attempt to please all audiences. Which never worked, festered misogyny and fandom infighting, produced mixed reactions and resulted in Daryl's character paying the price for it.

At the root of it is ambiguity. Their audience was unequivocally united when the first teaser featured the following tagline. There's a reason for it.

To find home is to find each other

It's at the core of Carol and Daryl's relationship. That is the foundation of this show, the connective tissue that the majority of their fans instantly resonated with. It's the key.

I understand that they're at the start of their promo campaign and will continue to map the viewer's journey. Promo content from now on should ideally build hype, give narrative cues/hooks, and build audience awareness and understanding to set expectations for The Book of Carol. So, we may not see this tagline written out on every teaser, but it should still reflect in the content seen on the screen so the viewers make the connection.

In the current teaser, it shows up very sharply for Carol, but with Daryl, that messaging is muddled. This is why it's not resonating with some fans — everyone is interpreting it through their own unique lens.

TWDCaryl

It's nice to see the official accounts use this tag and pro-Caryl copy to promote the show; it's a huge step forward. But again, the feelings need to be reflected in what we see on the screen. If it's generating mixed reactions — the promo content isn't hitting the mark, and in this case, it's too ambiguous.

Any marketing team worth its salt won't give you any inclination of canon, reunion, or interactions between Daryl and Carol during the promo campaign — at least not this early in the campaign. They would want to save your excitement for when those scenes show up on screen.

But I hope the promo that comes out after this gives me more snippets of Daryl's desperation to find his way back. People invest in your brand if they believe they can trust you. Trust is earned. Many people have valid trust issues after the last few years. And this is the way they can build trust with people who have felt betrayed in the past and left the fandom.

The Daryl I know, love and trust

I fell in love with Daryl first. He's one of the strongest characters on the show, not only because of what he endured but also because of his determination to nurture and protect the people he loves. Most of all, because I resonated with his unwavering loyalty to Carol and their family.

The Daryl I know struggles to understand his worth and retreats into the darkness when he is isolated. His demons find him there. Carol is the only one who can pull him out of the darkness, just like Daryl is the only one who can pull her out of hers. They're each other's guiding light. The Daryl I know and love doesn't need to choose. There is no choice. His loyalty to Carol and their family is his first priority. Always.

The articles published by big media outlets surrounding the spinoff often suggest that Daryl is "conflicted". These articles started sprouting after the showrunner's interview, which added more ambiguity to the mix. Every writer added their own understanding of the ambiguity and wrote the articles accordingly, which muddled the messaging even further.

Whether people like it or not, these articles build awareness and set the stage for the show. They're an essential form of digital marketing, offering content that audiences can consume to understand the show. So if they're missing the mark, people consuming these articles will rightfully feel confused about what the season will bring.

A showrunner who gets them

I trust Daryl completely. I know where his heart lies, what his motivations are, and how desperately he wants to get back to Carol and their family. But I don't trust the showrunner who is writing him, and I don't think his motivations align with Daryl's.

Clémence is a talented actress. Her character had the potential to be a strong ally to Daryl and Carol. But her character was twisted to suit the narrative, which included a heavy helping of unnecessary shipbaiting. I'm tired of that.

Melissa's EP status gives me hope for Carol's story, but she's not the showrunner. Norman and Melissa's acting, chemistry, and understanding of their characters and relationship can only do so much.

I really hope they pick a pro-Caryl showrunner who can do justice to Daryl and Carol's story going forward and fill it with the love, vulnerability, gentleness, and deep richness it deserves. I'd personally like to see a progressive female showrunner who isn't afraid to support Caryl and write nuanced female characters who can hold their own regardless of the circumstances.

My hopes and fears for Caryl's future

I love Daryl to pieces, but I'll be honest and say I love Carol more. If you've ever listened to the podcast, that is clear. I'm so happy to have Melissa back. I cannot wait to see Norman and Melissa act together. But, to me, this season is make-or-break. It's a chance for the network to show their audience they're listening and ready to deliver satisfying, undeniable canon for Caryl.

I don't know if your thoughts align with what I said, but I think most of us can agree that we're absolutely tired of shipbaiting, ambiguity, and seasons that promise but don't deliver explicit moments between Caryl.

I hope to god this season proves me wrong. I hope they hear the thoughts that Carylers are bravely sharing here and adjust course accordingly, not only in the promo circuit but beyond. Because whether the posts are more positively inclined or negatively inclined, the ones I read more or less hit this note — Daryl loves Carol deeply, and they will fight the world to find each other, because they are each other's home. Always.

Whether any of this resonates with you or not, I encourage you to share your own thoughts and remember to tag caryl. Share why they are important to you, why you want them to go canon and what this show and these characters mean to you. Speak from the heart and share whatever you're comfortable with because your voice has power, and you deserve to take up space.

2024 is the year of Caryl. So many have waited a long time for it. Let's hope they honour that.

To those who are genuinely excited, I'm glad you're able to find something to hold on to. I wish I could join in, but I have to be honest about my reservations to honour how I feel about this. If you took the time to read this, I thank you. Stay safe and be well. ❤️

[sarucane]

Stede Bonnet's Stories (S2)

In season 2 of OFMD, Stede has finally figured out the stories he wants to tell about his life--and has even begun to believe them. But he hasn't figured out how to make those stories real. How to tell a story with others, rather than to them.

When season 2 begins, Stede is isolated within his stories. He's telling his most important story--his romance--to anyone who will listen (and anyone who can listen in the case of his roommates). He's writing letters to Ed every day and telling his love story again and again, cementing it, willing it to be real. But he's avoiding true vulnerability. He's scared that connection will bring pain, will send him back into an old story he is trying to escape, and his fear is controlling him. Pure storytelling isn't going to move Stede's life forward, as Zheng points out to him.

And he's not wrong to be scared. Stede's stories in this episode aren't going to come true the way he envisions them, because they're too disconnected from reality. This isn't a new problem for Stede: in the first season, this same problem made Stede vulnerable to mutiny and manipulation.

But Stede's grown since then. In the second season, Stede knows there's a disconnect, knows his stories are in tension with reality. He admits it in his letters, that he knows Ed probably doesn't want to see him, will probably never read his letters.

But he keeps writing them, every day. Because even though he's scared, he does want Ed to find the letters. He does want to tell his story.

And his stories will shape reality--but not until after reality shapes them.

It's not bad that Stede is cultivating this story. But it's part of why, in the first episodes of s2, Stede is purely reactive. He is so preoccupied with his own insecurities, with a story that disconnects him from everything around him (like how he yells at Richie in an alley about wanting privacy), that he doesn't go looking for Ed. And by the time he finally reaches Ed, it's almost too late. Ed's story has broken him off from everything and everyone.

But Stede does reach Ed, does manage to reconnect with him. And he does this by not clinging to his misty-eyed romance. Lucius forces Stede to let go of his ego-driven idea that Ed's life is "better without me," and to let go of his misty-eyed romance. To look at Ed's crimes and think about what they mean. To think about how Ed experiences himself and his own story, not just how Stede experiences it.

And then Stede understands that the only way to move forward is to weave together his story, reality, and other people's stories. And that lets him move from vision to action.

After three episodes of passivity, it's Stede who makes the decisions that determine how the story of Ed and the Revenge mutiny are going to end. And that lets him do more than he ever could before. Be more than he even understands he can be.

But in an achingly human development, Ed and Stede go two steps forward and three steps back. Because Ed has a whole different story, all his own.

Ed rejects the story Stede brought with him. He's fighting Stede's stories all through the scenes at Anne and Mary's, right up until Stede corners him with reality.

The entire complex reality of their story now--the problems of their original relationship, the truth of Ed's hurt and Stede's failure, the difficulty of what lies in front of them if they want to move forward--is stronger than Stede's romantic dream that Ed would "melt back into his arms."

And that's a good thing, because Stede's story was as reductive as a story of an impossible bird. Stede'll never be a swashbuckler who can defeat Izzy in a duel, Ed'll never have a beard that long again.

The stories Stede told himself about their relationship being "on a break," the story Ed told himself that his time with Stede was "the best it's ever gonna get for him," those stories weren't real. But the core truth of both of their stories was love. And though love has as little objective reality as hope or mercy, it can be real.

When Ed and Stede talk at Anne and Mary's, Stede puts aside any hopes he'd had in a reunion, his idealized fantasies of what he and Ed can be to each other. Instead, he focuses on love. On a bond with Ed that is entirely unconditional, that asks nothing of Ed. That gives Ed space, to accept Stede's story--or to reject it. Stede sets aside all his stories to focus on the most basic building block of true connection: vulnerability.

And when Ed doesn't reject him, Stede connects his vulnerability, his love story, to the simple reality in front of him: Ed's life.

In the past, Stede's vulnerability through stories has led him to become self-obsessed, to get caught up in his own ego and what he wants the world to become. But as the season goes on, Stede learns to listen to other people's stories. To embrace the vulnerability of changing his stories, so he can connect other stories to his own. So he can let go of some things (like a cursed suit) but hang onto others (like a red velvety shirt).

This is far from a perfect transition. Stede holds onto the suit for so long he has a near-mutiny on his hands. But he also sets aside his own story so he can respect Ed's vulnerability and fears, helps Ed and the crew turn poison into positivity, then slips through a hole (literally) in Ned Lowe's story.

But then Stede gets caught up in his own story, in his own fears and insecurities, and messes up with Ed. He clings to Ed too tightly, tells a story that goes too fast for Ed at the end of ep 6. And in episode 7, Stede gets completely caught up in his own story, to the point that he again disconnects from Ed.

He brushes over the nuance of what actually happened with Ned to enjoy the benefits of righteous fame--until he loses literally track of Ed, and of Ed's story. Until he's addressing Ed as "Blackbeard."

And then, Stede's tested. His out-of-control story runs headlong into Ed's. What he thought of as the best day (and probably night) of his life turns out to have been a crisis point for someone he loves.

Stede could have panicked or frozen when this happened. Could have disconnected, could have ;lashed out with a story where his vulnerability led to victimhood, or retreated into the story that swept him up last year (the fear that he'll bring Ed nothing but ruin). Could have told his preferred story as loudly as he can, just as he has in the past.

Instead, he listens. And he does everything he can to connect with Ed, even mirroring Ed's body language in this scene. He meets Ed's vulnerability with his own, recognizes the truth of Ed's different experience, and seeks a way that they can connect and tell their story together.

Stede can do this because he spent the season learning how to listen to other people's stories. How to decode the tales of his own crew, Ned Lowe's crew, and Ed, and how to connect his own stories to theirs.

So when Ed announces he's leaving, Stede knows what's actually happening. Knows that Ed isn't invalidating their relationship. That life is hard, change and dealing with insecurities are scary, and sometimes we panic, and we react in ways that aren't useful. Stede's still hurt, but he isn't broken by this.

And so, even when Ed and Stede are separated and confused, their bond survives. And it turns out that Stede's commitment to Ed, the story he wove at the beginning of the season--it wasn't everything, but it was enough. Enough that even when all their plans and the world have fallen apart, Ed and Stede can put it all back together.

Because Stede wasn't alone, even when he feared he was, when he wrote those vulnerable letters daily on a lonely beach. We saw in the first episodes that Ed was thinking of him, right when Stede was thinking of Ed. And Ed did get one of his letters--and right when he needed it most.

Stede's stories have led him down a lot of mistaken paths, have nearly gotten him killed more than once. But when he consciously told stories that made him vulnerable, that spoke to what he truly wanted, he became more himself than ever. And when real vulnerability is met by vulnerability, it can turn into strength. Instead of Ed and Stede knocking each other over, as they did in the opening fantasy scene of 2x1, they hold each other up when they meet in 2x8.

When Stede and Ed reunite, Stede doesn't get hung up on resolving conflicting stories or worrying about his own insecurities. He just accepts Ed. Offers Ed a story in which he can make mistakes not because he's a bad person, or doesn't love Stede, but because "life's a dick" and sometimes we fuck up.

And when Ed offers Stede his story, offers his vulnerability, Stede doesn't try to match it with something identical. Doesn't echo it or risk overwriting it with his own words. He listens to it. He lets Ed know that he's safe with Stede and always has been. He folds Ed's words into his own story--and just like that, (like Lucius and Pete with their wedding vows) Stede and Ed really can tell the same story, with two voices.

From disconnection comes connection.

Ed's and Stede's stories intertwine, and then they shape reality around them. Together, they throw themselves into a fight against the British. When Stede makes the plan to sneak out--to slip through a hole in another enemy's story--Ed is the one we see stripping the soldiers to carry out the plan. When Izzy's dying and Ed demands help, Stede's the one who goes to get bandages.

The season ends with Ed and Stede setting out to tell another story together. One that balances both their stories--Ed's need to not be a pirate, Stede's and Ed's desire to give their relationship a real chance--and has space for both of them to tell.

And in the last lines of dialogue, Stede tries one last time to impose his own idealized story on reality, talking about how the house "smells like the future." It's a pretty story, but not helpful. So Stede lets it go. He and Ed'll find whatever's making that stench, they'll clean it up--and they'll make a safe space where they can tell their story together.

[alexanderwales]

Game Review: Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Let me lead with a score: 7/10.

I overall enjoyed the core gameplay and thought that the story was completely mid, which normally would result in a better overall impression of a game. Unfortunately, the core gameplay was a lot weaker than it should have been owing to some of the game design decisions, and I have to knock the story points for taking far too much time and being sluggish to get through.

The idea of Echoes of Wisdom is that you collect "echoes" of objects you find and then use them to get through the game. You get the echo of a bed and use two of them to cross a gap. You use the bed to make a ladder to get to higher places. You use the bed to make a bridge, which is really just crossing a gap again. You use the bed to press a switch to open a door. You learn "old bed" very early on, and in my case, it felt like the solution to far too many problems.

The biggest issue is just game design: they didn't do enough of it. In theory from a game mechanics standpoint there should have been ~10 echoes that are mechanically orthogonal to each other, fulfilling different roles. In practice, there are 127 echoes, the menu for accessing them is a mess, and the vast majority of them are redundant. Even the ones that are technically distinct don't have much mechanical distance from each other: you use fire to light torches and lightning to light up green crystals, and this really felt, while playing, like a lazy reskin.

It kind of reminded me of the Green Lantern having the power to make "anything he can imagine" and then 90% of the time using it to make a fist.

Included in those 127 echoes are "combat" echoes, which you get from defeating enemies. They fight for you, and some of them can do other things, but mostly it's the fighting. In most circumstances, you just use the most powerful guy you can, with the exceptions being flying enemies and very rarely needing some kind of elemental counter or the bomb fish.

Some of this is surely driven by game design principles, namely "don't let the player get stuck because they didn't pick up the right echoes along the way". I sympathize with this, but it also kind of sucks, because it makes everything feel bland. There's surely a "minimum echoes" category, just like Mario Odyssey has "minimum captures", and my guess is that you'd only need around 10, and that of those 10, there's just not that much that they actually do differently.

This is especially a shame when compared to Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, where the tools are wildly different. Magnesis, Bomb, Ice Block, Time Stop? Those four together have more mechanical variety and combinatorial possibility than all 127 echoes in Echoes of Wisdom. And Tears of the Kingdom was amazing, one of those times when I would sit back and marvel at how much variety and complexity there was, how many challenges were brought forth by really good game design. That doesn't exist here.

So the game mechanical premise is cool, but they don't do too much with it. How's the story?

Told in a different way, I probably would have found it fine. Instead, the heaps of dialogue, slow animations between pieces of dialogue, minimal quality of those animations, and cutsceneitis made me repeatedly roll my eyes. The fact that it was the same locations as other Zelda games also detracted from it, which is something they're going to run into if they keep having the same fantasy races over and over and over.

I think the older I get, the more I hate being stopped in the middle of a game to read a bunch of text, and this is especially true when the gameplay disconnects itself from its story. So if they had snappy responses to me pressing the "yes, I have read this" button, and animation skips that have been present in the vast majority of games for the last five to ten years, I would have liked it better. Instead, I was fighting annoyance with how slow they made everything, particularly the animations for nodding and looking surprised and all these other things. You can have these animations while the text box is being read! We have the technology!

The mute protagonist also doesn't help, and I don't really understand why they used it here except for legacy reasons. Zelda is the character we're spending the most time with, she definitely has a history and perspective, and instead we get very little of her thoughts and feelings. If the intent was to help me project myself into her shoes, it did not work.

So I think this is going to be my last Nintendo game, at least for a while. This game as an 86 on Metacritic, and I'm going to take my overall dislike of many aspects of it as a sign that it's just not for me. I was giving Mario & Luigi: Brothership an appraising look, but this is the game that convinced me that I just don't like the slow, clunky interface to formulaic surface-level stories. I would look past that for good, mechanically rich gameplay, but now it's seeming more hit and miss.

[yuseirra]

My brain keeps running on its own trying to formulate a way to make sense out of it all but at this point, I wonder if it'd be worth theorizing(If I can think of something good I'll still love to share :) )

Believe it or not, I'm very, very, very stern about trying to stay true to canon.. Because working with existing characters, they have their cores don't they? I really do want to care about portraying them in ways that are true to how they are in their respective stories, that's what makes them, them

With onk.. I'm starting to wonder...(yeah I just started;) this may be the first time where I may go oh let's just ditch canon I'll do whatever I want depending how it goes. Maybe I still believe some sort of miracle may happen in the remaining chapters that'd wrap everything together at may it be cluttersome(sorry but there is literally no room left for it to be able to meet its closure in a beautiful and graceful way with a deep sense of nuance and depth the way this work deserves. It's INCREDIBLY SHORT. It cannot happen within that amount of space it needs at least ten decently lengthy chapters.) but..I don't know~~.....

Oh I'm more concerned than hyped and it's been that way ever since I started vigorously drawing for this series again this July tbh 154 was GOOD, how come everything went downhill from there haha😂.. That chapter had me so hooked and I felt I knew all the answers that were to come from that point forth. I really had a huge intuition of how things would play out(and surprisingly, the possibility is actually still there)

I don't think I'm the type of fan who can ignore canon and do what I want, I've never been that way and I can't bring to convince myself of what's not there (this means, I sincerely believe in all the things I've been drawing o<-<) but... Let's see how it goes. I was so stressed and tense ever since I started drawing hikaai...I don't like being unsure of things...what if they're totally different from what I make of them...but seeing how CANON's going, maybe I don't have to care so much either if it's doing whatever it wants, canon feels so unhinged, was there ANYONE who was able to predict what were to happen 100%? What are they doing?; So yeah.

Oh;; I hope Aqua's okay. It's just...so cruel. I've been annoyed with him but that's because I wanted him to live!!! Why doesn't he- why did he HAVE to do THAT?? Hurt his dad and everyone he loves and even himself, I'm trying to find a reasoning that's convincing enough for me to comprehend just how this could make sense and hold some kind of message although it's downright horrifying; I kept asking in my posts all yesterday right? What message are thet trying to send with this and what could be the point? I can understand if they do a good job with it, I've been putting my effort in order to make out what good may come out of it but I guess only the author would know for now

I don't know where this post is going myself, I'm just writing out my thoughts, this series may have taught me a lot about myself that I wasn't so aware of...

I guess when conflicts appear I end up going, "they couldn't have had malicious intent, could they?" on many occasions, you really don't know what the other party can be thinking so for most cases, it just feels better to believe they didn't mean harm or evil. Maybe I'm being that way about Hikaru but AI LOVED THAT GUY. I didn't have a lot of thoughts about him before that dropped! I couldn't make a clear judgment so I just left my interpretation of him on hold. Oh ;v;).. It's been REALLY ROUGH holding out for him after that happened pft will that pay off.. That guy's still so ambiguous. I rather him be a good person. The story is better if he were. I guess believing in someone is hard but I'll.. Do that till I can. I think Ai would have?

You know, if I were Ai, I'd end him with my own hands if he became that messed up. That's how I drew that one comic after 162. I'd give him a hug and then end him lol because I'd feel responsible in a way. It's ridiculous and tragic how things turned to be the way it is but it doesn't feel so resolved either

I'm afraid about the fate of this series but at least not long left now. Hopefully I can still draw Ai and her bf in a wholesome manner, I really cared for those guys and I'd love to stick around and do more for it at least for awhile