#He’s a older secretly insecure character

[yuripira4e]

I want to preface this post by saying that I love the cat king as a character, especially one that has such a major impact on Edwin and his relationship with his queerness and learning to be okay with it; HOWEVER, I also believe that everyone that genuinely believes he should be a love interest for Edwin should read this. (Also if you just like the cat king as a character and want to understand his character better and why his and Edwin’s relationship is not something that would be healthy or “real” for either)

[davidtennantgenderenvy]

On David Tennant and Aging

So, I’ve seen a lot of posts in response to Tumblr users’ habit of affectionately calling their favorite middle aged dudes “old men”, David Tennant in particular, saying things like “clearly you’ve never met an actual old person”, “omg you talk about these guys like they’re 80”, “please be normal about people aging”, etc. And on one hand, all of these statements are objectively right and true! But as someone who’s always been really fascinated by and found a lot of beauty in getting older (which I’ve explored in some of my writing on A03 because nobody else is going to do it for me), I’d like to provide a bit more nuance on how I think this label applies to David in particular.

David, obviously, in literal terms, is not “old”, at least not to me- I don’t personally consider people old until they get past 60. 52 is middle aged, simple as that. And yet, when I see David stuck with the “old man” label, it still somehow feels weirdly right, for a number of reasons.

It annoys me so much when people say David “hasn’t aged a day since Doctor Who”, because, well…

He clearly has. A lot. He’s got forehead creases, deep crows’ feet and eyebags, and I think that post-Fourteen we’re gonna see him rocking the grey temples a LOT more. He also has the voice of an older man now, his upper range is still there but the default is much more deep and rich, with a gravelly, rumbling quality that just goes straight through you. I personally think Broadchurch was when David finally started to embrace looking his age- Alec Hardy just wouldn’t have been served by Ten’s fresh-faced boyishness.

Obviously, these are the kinds of changes you’d expect any 52-year-old man to have, but something about David just makes it all seem a bit more… intense? The expressiveness of his face combined with his almost gaunt frame makes his wrinkles very prominent, and when he works his voice to its emotional extremes, his lower register can sound positively ancient, to devastating effect.

David, I think, is someone with an old soul- I don’t think he could be as good as he is at playing ancient characters like Crowley and The Doctor if he weren’t. He has lived so many lives, given so much of himself to so many characters, often incredibly tragic ones, and I think it wears on him. David also has five kids. FIVE. Do you know how exhausting it is to be one of the hardest working actors alive and be a present, loving father to even ONE child? But David somehow does it anyway! Nowadays I see him and my heart breaks because he looks so tired, so weary and fragile. But he’s all the more beautiful for it to me because I know that that is because he is kind. He’s a deeply empathetic person who feels and lives to the absolute fullest, and that story is written so clearly on his face, along with every other story he has ever been a part of.

There’s other things about David that make the label endearingly fitting- his utter hopelessness when it comes to technology, for instance. And he’s just got that warm, wise, grandpa energy too sometimes- look at that above Fourteen picture and tell me I’m wrong!

I once showed my friend who’d only seen David in Doctor Who and Harry Potter a picture of David from Around The World in 80 Days. It was a particularly emotional scene, and his face had just the most beautiful expression of compassion and sadness, every wrinkle on full display. And she said, in a less than complimentary fashion, “he looks so old!” Which, of course, offended me quite a bit at first. But to me, referring to David as old almost feels like a badge of honor, something he’s earned by living fully and selflessly, working hard and being wise and compassionate beyond his years. I think David himself is secretly more than a little insecure about the fact that he’s getting older. There’s sadness behind every jovially self-depreciating remark he’s made about his age in the past year, particularly in comparing himself to Ncuti Gatwa. I know how much David struggles with his impostor syndrome and how people perceive him, and I can clearly see in his eyes the fear of being discarded, the anxiety he feels about if he’ll still be as loved as he was back in 2007 now that he’s closer in age to King Lear than he is to Romeo. So I hope David knows it’s a privilege to watch him grow older, to watch his soul and talents deepen with the crinkles around his eyes. If I, in my silly goofy tumblr girl-ness, call David Tennant an old man, it’s because it’s a label that suits him beautifully- even if it isn’t TECHNICALLY an accurate one yet.

[rnn11203]

I really love Sebastian. I think hes a great character and im sad that hes often brushed off as just some emo boy. Im sure a lot of what i think can be said as headcanons but i feel like if needed i could really have a convincing argument for why i think all of this.

But anyways, Sebastian is very anti social. He says so himself that he doesnt really enjoy the company of others, but i dont really think that he views other people as bothersome or annoying or like a hassle. I think hes afraid of being vulnerable, his inferiority complex doesnt allow him to be open or honest with others because hes afraid of what they’d think about him. I think his relationship with Sam and Abigail is very surface level, i dont view their relationships as very deep or intimate. I think Sebastian could be seen as a chill but solemn guy by the rest of the community but its really cute that he’s secretly very nerdy. He likes comics, dnd, and web design.

I really love that hes a bad older brother, i too am an older brother who feels like ive disappointed my younger siblings, i was supposed to be there for them but instead i let my insecurity, my jealousy of our parents affection, and ultimately my feelings of inferiority get in the way. Is it selfish to want to be loved? I dont think so, but it is selfish to let it get in the way of loving others. I think Sebastian feels guilty over the way he behaved towards Maru, im not sure if i think they’d ever reconnect.

I headcanon their ages as 22 and 18, it must’ve been difficult for Sebastian to cope with his father’s absence and such a sudden change. I think he wouldve felt casted aside, almost like he was being replaced. I think Sebastian grew up in pelican town, that the house was built prior to his parents split, i like to think that him and maru shared a room up until he was 12? Maybe 13? And insisted to live in the basement instead. I think he wouldve been satisfied with that but slowly he realized that no one was really interested in checking on him, instead of communicating it he’d internalize it, lash out by spending even more time alone. I think both Robin and Demetrius love him, but excuse it as personality differences. However Sebastian in game seems kinda prone to emotional outbursts, instead of acknowledging something is wrong his parents just think hes just the more difficult sibling. I also think that he had loose contact with his bio dad, but the bastard suddenly stopped responding at all so he further convinces himself that he is unwanted. “Would it really matter, if I just disappeared?”

It’s really interesting that in his 2heart event he says “They’re engaging, straightforward, and unselfish. Quite the opposite of a lot of people I know." I wonder who that refers to? Is Demetrius boring? Sam a bit scrambled? Abigail selfish? (I say Abigail is the selfish one bc he expresses discontent about her coming over and disregarding his work in the same scene).

But really, i think Sebastian just wants to feel like he belongs. I think the farmer makes him feel comfortable, valued, and understood. I really like that about him.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Hi! I love your headcanons! Do you have any for Peh-yan and Yasuda? I secretly think they love each other, but won't admit it? Thank you!

Ok spoilers for the ending and 4th character book but yeah they're actually canon! They get married in the end, so they definitely do love each other. Anyway here are my hc's for them!

Yasuda confessed first, but she did it while being annoyed at him for something, just blurted it out.

However Peh was the one who fell for her first. He started seeing her in a different light as they got older and thought she was actually very pretty. Then he realised he didn't mind her telling him off so much. 

Peh still feels guilty about making her cry when they were kids.

The other handcraft club members tried to get them together for years

They go on double dates with Pah and Yumi often

Yasuda was nervous to meet Peh's other friends

One year Yasuda made Peh some chocolates for valentines day, she wanted to gift some to Mitsuya but knew Peh was going to be around that day so she made some for him too (at least that's what she told herself). Peh was actually speechless with this but never forgot about it and returned the favour on white day.

Peh thinks Yasuda's laugh is the best sound he's ever heard

Yasuda tried to coach Peh a bit before she first introduced him to her parents (it didn't go great but everything ended up being ok)

On their first date, Peh tried to put his arm around Yasuda and tried to hold her hand a bunch of times but he always chickened out before actually doing this. Yasuda eventually noticed and was the one to grab his hand first.

They were both blushing like crazy the first time they kissed.

Yasuda still has to chase Peh away from her and Mitsuya while they work sometimes. He's just too distracting and they have deadlines to meet (she promises to spend time with him after)

Yasuda was actually a bit insecure about her crush on Peh, she assumed he wouldn't be interested in her.

They're both ride or die for each other, will get in a dangerous delinquent's face if they dare to hurt or say something bad about the other. 

Yasuda taught Peh to cook and bake

[mynameisnotsoda]

NOW INTRODUCING.... THE CRITTERS !!!

Technically Corvid is still a part of an au, i really like everyone's designs so i guess its just like a weird little au that are also kinda ocs?? Idk. Im still tagging it as the animatronicfication au and using the other ccs names but im completely separating wilbur from Corvid.

The one that probably changed the most is simp LMAO i just went back to his old design that was inspired by Luna (@starrixle's transfem simpbur turned oc) and Spencer is such a fitting name in my mind i literally can not imagine him with a different name *bwomp*

Also I'm working on refs for the other characters associated with the respective critters! I wanna finish them all and dump them into one post and I'll link it here when I'm done.

ANYWAY INFODUMP TIME

Before we go into individual characters i want to say that this is absolutely Minecraft. Like. The world is built off of Minecraft lore yk !!!! The overworld will still be called the overworld but it's basically just earth, with more magic and humanoid species! Along with supernatural creatures and cryptids n stuff :D also with more advanced tech considering Corvid exists pFF

Spencer for the most part kinda was like he is in canon or whatever. She used to lean more towards incel ideology because she was REALLY insecure and uncomfortable with herself for the longest time. Despite that, Spencer and Adrianne (egirl) started dating when they were 17, his unhealthy obsession with her was only fueled by her unhealthy attachment to him. They needed each other and it wasn't good for either of them. Spencer had developed horrible separation anxiety which only made things worse. Over time Adrianne became suffocated by his constant neediness, overwhelming insecurity, short temper and lack of contribution to household chores. It pained her to leave, but things needed to change. It wasn't until the breakup that Spencer met Shepard, who was his first irl friend in a long time. They met when they were around 22/23, at first Spencer just used Shepard as a distraction from Adrianne, especially since he was surprised that they wanted to even be his friend in the first place. But after a while he genuinely started to enjoy their company, plus they offered him really good advice and helped him through a gender/sexuality crisis. Eventually they became partners! Maybe not romantically, as they're both aromantic, but life partners nonetheless.

OH and i did make Spencer white/Salvadoran. Her mom is the first generation from immigrant parents while her dad is British; And her dad's younger brother is Adam's dad! He's also an ex-christian, he left due to religious trauma and moved to America to escape his family hA

Spencer's also a no sabo kid LMAO (he knows some words/phrases but other than that he cant speak Spanish to save his life)

ALSO ALSO. Oh my god i could talk about Spence all day LMAO but i made him a werewolf !!!! Hes SOO jealous of Adam because she wanted the cat genes but instead got bitten and turned into a werewolf as a teenager. She's done a pretty good job at hiding it from her family so Shepard's the only one who knows.

I already dumped everything about Adam into that other post, so I don't really have much else to add. HOWEVER !! Him and Spence are cousins now :3 Adam doesn't get to meet Spencer in person until he moves to America with Charlie & co, but he does follow her socials with his secret accounts that his parents don't know about. The only reason they know they're cousins is because Spencer's dad told her so and she reached out! Much to the dismay of Adam's parents but they've secretly kept in touch online.

Keith's pretty much stayed the same apart from a slight design revamp. Although I've made him a little older since originally i made him look young. But then I decided hes a dad so i started drawing him older for the asks pFF he also has a hooked nose now! In case it's not obvious. Keith got married to Jean VERY young, they were maybe 17/18 in human years. It was an arranged marriage and their only goal was to have an heir to the throne. Well they did, they had two kids, the eldest being a boy named Lune and the youngest being a girl named Sunny, who's the would be heir. Until Jean took both the kids and left. It was completely unprompted and left everyone in the kingdom confused, especially Keith. Sure, they had a loveless marriage and maybe he was insufferable at times, but he wanted to make it work if not for the kids then for the kingdom! But its been almost a year since she left, he's lost hope in ever finding her. Keith desperately wants his kids back, not because Sunny is the rightful heir— though that is part of it—but he loves them both dearly. He misses them the most.

Wilfred has pretty much stayed the same as well! I did give him a grey tshirt and darker hair to further distance his design from wilbur though. Hes just as unhinged and immoral as he used to be !!!! Nothing has changed aside from appearance actually.

Tobi also pretty much stayed the same except for its now got an orange jumper and lighter brown hair pFF although i do now have a story for him! Tobi was found by Alejandro in a storage auction, he managed to sell a lot of pretty valuable things from there but Tobi stood out, obviously, so he kept it. Alejandro is a travel vlogger and lives in an RV with his friends: Tomas, Philip and Charles. His friends just call him Alex. Anyway, they go from town to town trying local food, visiting tourists traps and vlogging the journey! While doing that they also try to find out how to get Tobi's memories back and possibly turn him human again, if they even can. So far they haven't had much luck but maybe one day...

Corvid was created as the backup singer and lead guitarist of the first all animatronic band! Brought to you by Beloved Entertainment! The other members include lead singer Ranboo Beloved, keytarist Tommy Raccoon, and bassist James Tomcat. Located in Ranboo's Mega Pizzaplex, the only location in the world (so far). Corvid adopts a showman personality while on stage, hes charismatic and such a heartthrob, very popular with the ladies. Off stage he's very calm and soft spoken, he's rather shy but still manages to be a flirt and a tease. Lightly poking fun at his bandmates, coworkers and even guests at times. He's definitely a fan favorite for a reason!

This was so fun to write and i cant wait to share more !!!! Stay tuned !!!!!!

[sailorkamino]

Hi! Could you write some headcannons for tbb x body insecure or plus sized reader?

body insecurities [bad batch]

relationships: gn!reader x bad batch

warnings: weight insecurities, echo has body dysmorphia, diet culture, an older sibling being a parental figure, autistic tech struggling w/ emotions, past body shaming

a/n: i love writing for tech but i struggle with his dialogue, if you're a bad batch writer pls send me some tips to making him sound in character <3

crosshair

• great at reading body language so he can tell when you need comfort even if you don't verbalize it

• he might seem annoyed but that's just his rbf, if he didn't care he wouldn't ask

• the type to be angry when he's worried

• it's eaiser to threaten you then admit he cares

• he'll say stuff like "take a risk like that again and i'll shoot you" or "drink some water dumb ass, i'm not your baby sitter"

• his first reaction is to fight the problem

• "did someone tell you that shit?"

• once he realizes he doesn't need to commit murder he's not leaving you along until you talk

• cross is the best listener and i will die on this hill

• he can seem dismissive of your insecurities but he does care, he just thinks you're wrong lmao

• brutally honest so any praise from him means a lot

echo

• the most empathetic boyfriend part 1

• def has suffered from body dysmorphia so he understands

• but also baffled cuz you're perfect to him

• he's very serious about your mental health so he wants to his a conversation about this

• the most genleman to ever gentleman, he will shower you in love!!

• lots of cuddling and sweet words

• hope you don't have any plans cuz you're not allowed to leave his arms until you feel better

• if you want to eat better that's great! but none of these unhealthy diets you see on the holonet

• no he'll research the best diet/exercise plan for you personally to make sure you're safe <3

• you've helped so much with his confidence he's determined to return the favor

hunter

• instantly knows when something's bothering you

• as the oldest he was forced into a parental role at a young age so he has a lot of expierence with comforting

• will give you a worried dad look until you tell him what's wrong

• he might get a little pushy if you aren't opening up

• he doesn't mean to but worrying about his loved ones is like his default setting

• [protective mode activated] did someone say something? cross will probably help get rid of a body if he asks-

• blames himself for your doubt

• secretly reads/watches romance stories so he'll probably drop some cheesy lines from them

• shows your tummy lots of love, like using it as a pillow while you stroke his hair or sneaking a hand under your top, lulled by your breaths

• cuddles with skin to skin contact are very intimate to hunter cuz of his higtened senses so this is very special privilege

• if it'll give you confidence he offers to work out with you, using the holonet he tries to find 'fun' exercises you can both enjoy (yoga, zumba, etc.)

tech

• he'll get frustrated because he doesn't understand your pov

• he's told you that you're attractive and healthy, why are you still upset?

• hunter has always told him "you can't make others see things the way you do" and it's infuriating for him

• tech is a fixer so he feels helpless when he can't just fix your insecurities

• he'll encourage you to talk to one of his more emotionally intelligent brothers which you take as rejection

• when your eyes fill with tears he panics even more

• "perhaps i should get hunter-" "i don't want your brothers, i want you tech"

• he's quiet for a moment before awkwardly opening his arms, "physical touch causes the brain to release oxytocin, a bonding hormone that strengthens social bonds in mammals. would you like a hug?"

• he's always found you attractive but never voiced it, now he makes sure to tell you every time

• get ready for blunt but 100% genuine compliments like "your chest is distracting in that shirt"

wrecker

• the most empathetic boyfriend part 2

• king of emotional intelligence

• will pick you up and hold you like you're a doll, laughs if you call yourself 'heavy'

• everyone is kind of small to wrecker (even his brothers) so to him you're practically a baby tooka

• but still he takes your feelings seriously

• cadet wrecker was definitely body shamed by regs so he knows how it feels

• showers you with affection 24/7 so it's hard to feel insecure around this guy

• will fight anyone who makes you feel bad >:(

• like hunter, he also offers to work out with you (not just cuz he loves showing off-)

• loves active games, like just dance or wii sports

• is up for any activity has long as you're involved tbh

[t-allyitup]

just found the note in my notes app with basic character backgrounds for all of my fics so i wanted to list some things that i feel like are super applicable to all of them:

eddy: "spruce blue" eyes, definitely matured since middle school and is pretty self assured but still insecure and coming out will be the final nail in the coffin for his insecurity and identity issues probably, not a morning person

ed: cystic acne and freckles literally everywhere, clairvoyant moments/super intuitive, wants to be a freelance artist and will end up making the most money out of the three eds

edd: bi king, burnout king but not academically it's more identity-wise ... he knew so much so early about everything that his own identity kind of got lost in the sauce, best school subjects are all of them but he secretly kinda struggles with english because he doesn't like that there's no right answer hence his expansive vocabulary and over explaining things, really wants everyone to get along and he's willing to manipulate everyone into getting along too, definitely going into some science field but he probably won't leave peach creek even though he says he's only staying in community college for two years

jonny: reddish-dark brown hair, very creative and thoughtful but both of those things also make him really depressed and he's actually lowkey going through it, works at a dollar tree, really likes making bleach-dyed clothes for some reason

nazz: bisexual baddie but really bad comphet even though no one cares that she's bi, very authentic but has lots of insecurities, does NOT think anything through, hairspray queen

kev: when he's comfortable he opens up a lot especially with girls with guys he has more of a wall up prob because of toxic masculinity and bc he's closeted even though he doesn't know it yet, d1 crashout just very good at hiding it, not good at handling rejection

rolf: sleeve tattoo (hand poked, traditional style of his country), rolf is actually who kevin thinks he is (or wants to think he is)-very chill strong sense of self/identity, gets migraines pretty often, strong work ethic & hella discipline but also very lazy and smart enough to trick people into working for him (kinda like eddy), really into chemistry and science

sarah: wears lots of peacock blue, sarcasm queen, compensates for feeling inadequate and insecure by being mean, secretly jealous of her older brother for the way he doesn't care what other people think, big fan of the ocean and marine animals, victim of the early 2000s dolphin everything epidemic so half her room is covered in lisa frank dolphin paraphernalia, works in retail

jimmy: philosophy twink, thinks he's super smart and he actually is but can be super pretentious about it, not easy to get along with, trying to be more authentic but he doesn't really like people in general so it's hard, got a labradoodle and hasn't shut up about it

[esperfruit]

TTTE Human AU Character Bonus facts Part 2

Darius Diesel:

Owns a black motorcycle

German + Iranian

BPD

Bisexual disaster 

D10, Arry, Bert and Sonny are the only ones that call him Darius

Has a strong fondness for cute animals, especially ducklings

Currently works on smoking less

Built up an unhealthy tough guy persona over the years, tries to let go of it

Got his scar over his eye in a fight with D10

Does struggle a lot with understanding his own emotions and thus expressing them

Self-conscious about his cackling after Donald made fun of it once  

His parents named him after the Persian king Darius III

Is crazy good at magic tricks ( thank you Full of Surprises)

Fluent in English, German and Persian

His relations to Duck are currently described as “complicated”

Scott “Flying Scotsman” Gresley:

Wanted to be a skateboarder as a teen but his family disapproved 

British

Insomnia

Pansexual

Still holds many regrets for being a very neglectful older brother for so many years

Best social skills out of all Gresleys

Secretly has a drinking problem

Cares about his model engines as if they were his own children

Went missing for a while when he was on a trip to America

Loves PDA, disappointed he can’t show it with Truro in public

Keeps all his influential relatives close to keep an eye on them to avoid more conspiracies 

Likes giving public interviews except when it’s about Gresley family matters

Often played harmless pranks on his younger siblings as a teen

Spencer Gresley:

Has an eye for jewelry and knows what looks good one someone

British

NPD 

Bisexual

Unironically calls himself “Spencer the Grand”

Barely had any freedom as a child because of his controlling parents

He's very insecure and gets easily defensive

Does shady underground businesses 

Caused several assassinations to eliminate competition 

Stole, broke or hid Gordon’s belongings as a child

Incapable of introspection, never sees any flaw in himself

If you offended him once, he will be your biggest hater forever

Will brag about his wealth and fame at any given opportunity 

Loves spoiling his romantic partners with his riches 

Ryan Gresley:

Very fast runner, won multiple competitions and is considered an olympia candidate

British + Moroccan

ADD + dyslexia + dyscalculia

Straight ally

Early bird, goes jogging every day at 5 AM as a warm-up 

Very uncomfortable in growing up in a strict and stuck-up Gresley household

His family only started supporting his running career after he gathered fame for it

Huge fan of sci-fi books even if he can only finish two per year 

An extrovert but also very shy

Sneaks into arcades when he takes a day-off from  training

Is used to receiving a lot of love letters but is too shy to even open them

A bit oblivious to when he’s being teased or when someone is annoyed with him without openly showing it

Often helps Daisy out at taking care of the apartment complex

Sonny Evans:

Has barely any recollection of his childhood, only remembers his time at the smuggling ring

British + Korean

Autism

Gay

Low blood pressure, struggles waking up in the morning

Apologized to Rosie for being so rude to her at the start

Enjoys rides around the island with Diesel on Diesel’s motorcycle

While way more accepted now, many still avoid him

Became friends with Paxton, Sidney, Norman, Den and Dart over time

Has a dry sense of humor and says things very deadpanned, Diesel loves it

Sonny and Diesel secretly investigate the island for traces of D10 

Bad at arguing, usually walks off when frustrated

Subconscious resting intimidating glare

Hiro Kawasaki:

A pacifist, only uses his strength to help others

Japanese

Bisexual + demi + non-binary

Never used a single swear word in his life

Has mastered the ability of making a good first impression

Suffers from frequent homesickness

Despite his missing sense of touch making him feel uneasy, he takes full advantage of it

His determination can easily become stubborn and lead him into endangering himself

Perfectionist and prioritizes getting a job done over his own needs

Great interest in the evolution of global architecture and wants to learn about the current era as possible since he missed out on so much 

Bill and Ben Bagnall:

Constantly try to trick Donald and Douglas and fail miserably every time

British

ADHD (both)

Have been in detention more than every other student

Know every trick in the book on how to cheat on tests

Often do the opposite of what they’re ordered to out of spite

Saved a group of workers from a landslide once and Thomas at a second time and have been bragging about it since then

Bill loves teasing Ben over being the older twin

Get very upset when they are accused of things so bad not even they would do and are very vocal about it

Boris “BoCo” Bagnall:

Got his nickname for his interest in the CoBo diesel engine

British

Neurotypical

Straight ally

Has a very distinct way of saying “do you mind?”

Calls his sons “little bees”

Old friend of Edward since university and stayed in contact even before he moved to Sodor

Gordon sees him as a good friend after he thought BoCo saved his life even if it was just a misunderstanding

[axilarycobra]

[Wings of Fire] C Dragon Character Headcanons

Hey, guys! Back for the next letter (there are a lot of characters with C names so I decided to just do the letter C so it isn't too long because I think if it's too long, it's less likely to be read completely).

Quick note: if you like any of these, they're all okay to use! If they're super specific headcanons, like my headcanons for Armadillo's & Anaconda's backstory, then I would maybe like some kind of credit because those are more developed stories that do include original characters (Armadillo's father, Anaconda's mother, etc.). But most of them aren't really so specific that I think I have any right to own them, especially since they aren't my characters. Although if you ever do use a headcanon for anything, I'd love to see it so please feel free to tag me!

Also also, just want to point out because I've seen this before, but yeah, these aren't headcanons. I made this stuff up, but no one uses the word for that (I don't even remember it) and I don't like it so I'm calling these headcanons.

Cs

Cadelle - Cadelle is one of the greatest historians in the HiveWing tribe, but she kept her research a secret from the queen and ladies because she was not a fan of them; she enjoys Jewel better as queen than Wasp. She remained in the Hive Kingdom after Jewel became queen, but she lent her research to the universities in the LeafSilk Kingdom at Cricket’s request because she secretly doesn’t hate Cricket.

Camel - after the war, Camel settled down in the SandWing stronghold and worked in the mailroom which he enjoyed a lot more than being a soldier. Camel’s sister is Saguaro and their parents would always compare them, making Camel feel insecure since he wasn’t as strong or tough as her.

Canyon - Canyon never liked Scarlet, he just wanted to be king because it would make other dragons look at him more; he secretly cared how Tailwind viewed him and would go out of his way to interact with them because he wanted validation from them as their younger brother.

Capybara - Capybara is Thorn’s cousin.

Carabid - before Wasp learned about Carabid’s power, he was a nerdy HiveWing who spent all of his time in libraries, similar to Cricket; he was timid, shy, and tried to help out SilkWings when he could; after Wasp used him as a weapon against many dragons, he felt guilty, but eventually found a home in the LeafSilk Kingdom where he worked as the librarian, archivists, scientist, and journalist in Chrysalis University.

Cardinal - Cardinal is Cliff’s best friend; as Cliff grows older, Cardinal hangs out with him a lot. He is the dragonet of Jasper and a SkyWing who Jasper is now divorced from.

Caribou (bard’s daughter) - at JMA, Caribou is placed in the gold winglet and becomes friends with Sepia, Newt, Barracuda, Changbai, Alba, and Snail.

Caribou (bard’s friend’s sister) - Caribou is a jewelry maker and owns a shop in Village-of-the-Plentiful-Seals.

Caribou (bard’s friend) - Caribou was from the circle rankings and the palace, but moved away due to the pressure, finding a home in Village-of-the-Plentiful-Seals. Their brother is Fjord, but they hadn’t seen their brother since they left and were informed after the war that he had died in Scarlet’s arena.

Caribou (bard’s grandmother) - Caribou was a scholar who worked as a traveling librarian before settling down permanently in Village-of-the-Plentiful-Seals.

Caribou (bard’s mother) - Caribou is one of the village scouts who protect the village from any dangers; this includes hunting polar bears, scouting for avalanches, and watching for other dragons.

Caribou (bard) - Caribou used to dream of meeting dragons from the other tribes, but when the war happened, they hid in their village, afraid to fight other dragons; while their daughter is at JMA, they plan to go on trips to the different kingdoms to meet other dragons.

Caribou (princess) - Caribou was considered one of the most beautiful IceWings in the kingdom while she was alive; many believed that she married Snowstorm, but she only had eggs with Snowstorm, which she raised with her wife; Caribou was the daughter of the IceWing queen, but she never wanted the throne, so her cousin, Queen Marble, challenged her aunt instead.

Carmine - Carmine did not have a close relationship with her daughters and only viewed them as being necessary for the throne, despite being upset that Sunset died, she just had another daughter to replace her.

Carnelian - Carnelian would have eventually warmed up to her winglet and become friends with them, especially Umber and Winter. She had a sister named Torch who she looked up to and was an elite soldier for Ruby which is why she hated being sent to JMA.

Cattail - after the war, Cattail and her siblings learned how to handle cattle and started a successful cattle farm in the Diamond Spray Delta; Cattail boasts that she laid the egg of the dragonet of destiny, but all of the MudWings she is around tell her that she doesn’t even care about him.

Cereus - Cereus becomes one of Blaze’s friends in the SandWing stronghold. During the war, her family pressured her to have eggs so she did with Camel; however, neither of them are in love, but they still raise the dragonets together.

Cerulean - Cerulean is one of Turtle’s meaner brothers, but he tries his best to be nice to Turtle ever since Turtle saved the world.

Chafer - Chafer is one of Lady Cicada’s sons, which is why he looks similar to her; it is also why he and Scarab knew each other and why Scarab was so okay with shutting his store down for a day.

Chameleon - after losing his scroll, Chameleon tried to find somewhere to go, and at the request of Kinkajou, returned to the Rainforest Kingdom where Glory apologized to him and welcomed him back to the Rainforest Kingdom; he apologized for his nasty behavior towards everyone and eventually started working with the other healers; the masks he made under different tribes somehow materialized into real dragons who had to figure out how to navigate the world themselves.

Changbai - Changbai is reserved and doesn’t often speak; they are in a relationship with Alba. They have an interest in history and geography. When they were a dragonet and lived in the Ice Kingdom, Changbai was told that their father died when they were very young, but this was a cover-up, as their father was Hvitur, an IceWing who had to flee due to his forbidden romance with Prince Narwhal.

Char - Char was a childhood friend of Oasis; when Oasis was pressured by her mother to find a dragon to marry, she just chose Char because she believed that it would be easy to marry him without actually having to love him, but she quickly found that spending time around Char was quite annoying and the two often had to spend time apart.

Cicada (AGttDW) - Cicada was the second queen of the HiveWings; she was respectful of the other tribes, but also ambitious, eager to expand her tribe.

Cicada (TLC) - Cicada loved art and before the Tree Wars, she used to make wood carvings as a dragonet; she is resentful of Wasp for making rules that censored trees.

Cinnabar - Cinnabar would become a member of the SilkWing Assembly, by request of Tau. Cinnabar eventually starts dating Io and Tau and is reunited with her grandmother Danaid.

Clay - Clay never liked to read because his eyes always hurt when he tried to read something; later in life, he would get glasses that would help him be able to read clearly without pain; Clay developed an interest in music and would go on to teach a music class at JMA.

Clearpool - as an adult, Clearpool returned to the Kingdom of the Sea where she inherited the throne from Pearl.

Clearsight - Clearsight never romantically loved Darkstalker, and just saw him as a close friend. On Pantala, she had dragonets with both Sunstreak and Maple, although it is commonly censored that she had LeafWing dragonets. She went on to have more dragonets with BeetleWings so the HiveWings became their own tribe, but her NightWing/LeafWing dragonets were so few, a new tribe wasn’t created from them.

Cliff - despite being a prince, when Cliff grows up, he becomes a trusted advisor to the SkyWing queen.

Clorinde - when the SilkWings were looking for staff members for Chrysalis University, Luna, Io, Swordtail, and Blue searched for their old art teacher so that they could bring them to be a professor at the university. They are the parent of Glider.

Clubtail - Clubtail fulfills his lifelong dream of owning a sweets store, where he uses his flamesilk to make baked sweets. He is the father of Grayling, who believed he was killed by Lady Bloodworm, but was actually taken to Wasp Hive to be returned to the flamesilk factory without Grayling’s knowledge.

Cobra - Cobra and Thorn knew each other as dragonets and after Cobra was thrown into Thorn’s dungeon, Thorn tried to convince her to become good so Cobra can be released. Cobra hasn’t committed yet, but Thorn keeps coming back to her every week to talk.

Cobra Lily - Cobra Lily becomes one of the soldiers in the LeafWing military, one of the military bodies that protects the LeafSilk Kingdom.

Cochineal - Cochineal was the younger of her and Scarab; she would constantly taunt her older sister and make fun of her; during her reign as queen, Scarab would try to suggest things to her, but Cochineal dismissed her every time. When Cochineal had lots of daughters, Wasp was her least favorite and she hoped Wasp wouldn’t be the one to become queen, but things didn’t turn out how she liked, as Wasp had figured out the secret of the Book of Clearsight, so Cochineal was forced to give her the throne so Wasp wouldn’t reveal it to the tribe.

Coconut - after returning from JMA, Coconut became a fruit gatherer in the Rainforest Kingdom; he works as an apprentice under Mangrove and Orchid, the two treat him like a son.

Comet - Comet was a fictional character who never actually existed; there exists ancient NightWing fanfiction between him and Mindhealer.

Commodore - Commodore was the youngest of Clearsight’s dragonets with Sunstreak; he loved telling stories and became an author, his mother would help him with printing his books.

Copperhead - Copperhead met his RainWing lover during a negotiation between the two tribes, the RainWing also being a prince; when they ran off, Copperhead was welcomed by the RainWing tribe.

Coral - Coral’s mother, Queen Conch, never paid attention to Coral when she was a dragonet. Because of this, Coral felt lonely and when she had dragonets, she coddled them because she believed that it would make them feel like they weren’t lonely.

Cowrie - Cowrie was very supportive of Clearpool and protected her when they returned to the Kingdom of the Sea.

Coypu - Coypu never knew that she wasn’t related to Sawgrass until she was elderly and had passed the throne on to her daughter.

Crane (L1) - Crane was one of the last ambitious MudWing queens in history; all of her siblings had died during skirmishes with the RainWings and SeaWings, causing her to make big military decisions since she had nothing else to lose.

Crane (TDP) - before her death, Crane had gotten into contact with the Talons of Peace and hoped to convince her siblings to join it.

Cricket - Cricket became a librarian and archivist at Sapling Academy, and later, Chrysalis University; she raised Bumblebee like a daughter to her and Blue, but the two didn’t date for a long time and just see each other as close friends after breaking up.

Crocodile - Crocodile lost all of her siblings during the war, which is why she chose to work for Burn. She survived Glory’s venom and is held as a prisoner by Queen Coral.

Crystal - Crystal and Gharial have dragonets together; they decided to raise their dragonets not as royals, just having them be regular Sanctuary residents.

Current - after returning to the Kingdom of the Sea, Current decided to go into aquaculture, as he liked to make food, but couldn’t stand the sight of knives. He would go on to meet someone and raise dragonets away from the palace, but his dragonets were never considered part of the royal family.

[grilde1chesse]

ODDLY SPECiFiC RESiDENT EViL HEAD CANONS

characters i’ll include

jack krauser

leon kennedy

ada wong

albert wesker

luis sera

jill valentine

chris redfield

claire redfield

WARNING: childhood trauma/abuse, implied/referenced violence, mental health

JACK KRAUSER

she jack on my krauser till i major

transgender and mlm. no room for argument. it’s canon, i’m capcom

was the youngest of 3 brothers

grew up on the country side with traditional parents

his parents were physically abusive to both each other and the kids, meaning he grew up with out a healthy understanding of love. he doesn’t know how to express affection or love outside of violence because of this

ran away and joined the army at 18 and didn’t leave until operation javier. the army became a second home and he never learned how to function in society outside combat.

he hates that he’s gay and because of this he resents anyone he falls for (also partially because of how he communicates affection). liking boys not only insults his masculinity, but also makes him dysphoric, as he sees that aspect of himself as the remaining female side of him that he’ll never be able to get rid of

building off of the last bullet, this is why he’s so hard on leon. i’ll probably make another post diving deeper into their dynamic so i’ll leave it at that

he doesn’t listen to music often, but when he does it’s metal

LEON KENNEDY

he was the first protag i ever played as so i’m biased😞 ik i’m a basic fan i’m sorry gang

he’s more of a dog person and probably had one as a childhood pet, but has been scared of them ever since raccoon city

bisexual

was an amateur guitar player for some time but dropped it once becoming an agent

mamas boy

had a bit of chub before becoming an agent

older!leon has a dad bod & beer belly. i don’t make the rules it’s canon, trust

not even a ship really (maybe it is idk) but i feel like him and chris experimented with their sexuality together? idk take that how you will

i feel like he’s got facial or body dysmorphia and is extremely insecure about how he looks / talks, or at least used to be

bleaches his hair

building off the last bullet again, Leon was blonde when he was younger, but his hair gradually got darker as he grew up. eventually he started bleaching it because he didn’t want to have brown hair. his natural hair color from re2-re4 is dirty blonde. he stopped dying it as he got older

no matter how badly he wants a normal domestic life (to settle down, start a family, and give his kids the childhood he never had) he’s secretly terrified of the idea. he doesn’t know how to function outside of work, even when on vacation he can’t seem to relax

speaking of a domestic life, he’d name his kids some stupid shit like hunter or something

autistic. he has trouble decoding social cues (like when ashley jokes with him) and is fairly awkward. was definitely the “weird kid” in middle school

played hockey as a kid

i feel like he comes from somewhere cold, and because of that is fairly adapted to cooler temps but also can’t stand heat (like at all)

sleeps with a billion pillows

chronic gum chewer. it’s a comforting, absent minded movement that keeps him grounded on the job. i wanna say his favorite flavor is just regular bubble gum but maybe that’s just because i hate mint idk

has sensitive skin and eczema

ADA WONG

ada’s hard because she has no canon backstory or even personality really💔

has cherry blossom lip gloss and re-applies it religiously

has drop foot (i genuinely can’t think of any other reason she’d always been wearing high heels 😞)

mommy issues

was in and out of foster care her entire childhood only to end up back with her mom everytime

because she was so heavily neglected as a kid & basically raised herself, ada’s become extremely self sufficient and refuses to rely or depend on anyone

she has issues identifying her feelings and honestly doesn’t care enough to work through them. because of this she isn’t sure if she even likes leon at all. she can’t tell if she loves him or just finds him useful, ether way she wants him around/safe and she isn’t sure why

she smokes sometimes but hates it, so she only falls back on nicotine when doing horribly. she carries cigarettes around with her on missions

ALBERT WESKER

kitty meow meow

on the aro/ase spec

has autism, ASPD (psychopath), and a god complex (obviously)

sees himself as better than average people because he doesn’t experience sexual attraction (no hate to ppl who think otherwise, i just really can’t see him any sort of sexual context). he views sexuality as a weakness and looks down on it

mlm

i feel like him and chris have somewhat of a krauser/leon dynamic if that makes sense. he sees chris as an almost equal, but also as a threat because of it. he respects him to a degree. again, i’m probably going to make a post on them later so i’ll leave it at that

i haven’t finished 6 yet so correct me if this has been disproven in canon, but i like to think he had jake on purpose. while yes, he didn’t know about jake, i like to think he hooked up with ms muller with the goal of having a child. he probably deemed her as suitable, and had desirable traits that he wanted to carry on, but never knew she actually got pregnant

listens to classical music & maybe 80s as well?

not a head canon, but the band she wants revenge reminds me of him a lot

insane skincare routine

sensory issues & sensitive eyes because of uroboros (leads to overstimulation sometimes which makes him even more of a grumpy bitch)

loves flowers

doesn’t smoke often but when he does he prefers camels or marlboro blues (i don’t smoke (except for when i’m missing you) so idrk what i’m talking about)

LUiS SERA

inclusivity win! the scientist that helped make the tyrant actively chasing you down is gay!

mlm

grew up in a casually christian household & still holds onto some core ideologies, though in a more superstitious way than religious

holds onto a cross necklace from his childhood & prays when in tight situations

his parents smoked and that’s how he picked it up

speaking of, he’s extremely picky when it comes to what cigarettes he smokes. he prefers marlboro reds (again idfk what im talking about)

his jacket is custom tailored

he came from a poor household

probably wears eyeliner

has been to a gay bar

very physically affectionate & probably kisses people when drunk (platonically)

JiLL VALENTiNE

her name is jill sandwich!!!!!

lesbian. sorry i don’t make the rules. she’s gay. sorry chris & carlos

i mean just look at her she’s lesbian

has a little sister

can speak some french, though not too well due to lack of use

still has blonde hair from re6, but dyes it. (wesker absolutely killed the melanin in her skin and hair.) because she doesn’t have time to be constantly re-dying her hair so she has blonde streaks & roots.

has a cat

her favorite fruit is a pear. idk why she just seems the type

CHRiS REDFiELD

something about a boulder

bisexual

has been horribly down bad for jill for years (she sees him as a brother ;-( tough luck big guy)

was the stereotypical overprotective brother when him and claire were younger, always scaring the shit out of anyone she brought home

extremely good with dogs - actually considered being a dog trainer when he was younger

god knows that man RARELY does laundry - if at all. probably smells like a dog & uses 4 in 1 shampoo. stinky vermin

speaking of laundry, he probably wears swim trunks on the regular bc all his clothes are dirty

terrified of commitment

total adrenaline junkie with a savior complex (then again, doesn’t every resident evil protagonist?)

would be an amazing dad but is terrified of the idea of settling down. no matter how badly he wants to have a domestic life he doesn’t know how to adapt to it

has a german shepherd

can’t cook for the life of him; lives off microwaveable meals

literally the definition of “damn girl, you live like this???”

insanely high pain tolerance

CLAiRE REDFiELD

thinking about how she was 19 during raccoon city (making her you her than ashley was during re4)

dyes her hair auburn

bisexual

has probably punched at least one person for saying some stupid bigoted shit

she’s 100% messy, brash, and assertive, & i’m sick of pretending she’s not. she was raised by chris, the boulder punching fist for brains? no way is her room organized

has kissed jill before

her and chris used 2 do target practice in junk yards together & she once accidentally shot herself in the leg after shooting at metal

has always had crazy high pain tolerance, it runs in the family

because of her high pain tolerance she used to get hurt a lot on accident as a kid (doing stupid shit like messing around with fire or blades)

hates wearing her hair down

[dahliascophin]

hi! idk if you've done this before but, which ud characters do u think are virgin and which aren't? and for the ones who aren't, how and when do u think did they lost their virginity? thanks!

i most def can i have strong opinions on this!

Virgins: Ashley, Jessica, Mike( ILL EXPLAIN ), Josh

Not virgins: Matt, Emily, Sam, Chris

onto how/why i think this.

Ashley: Just a little scaredy cat, too worried she wont perform well and sucks at confronting anyone she likes

Jessica: Mamas is insecure and i have an inkling she was wanting to lose her virginity to Mike that night and posed all that confidence for show

Mike: He really doesn't behave like someone who's actually had sex. He behaves like a guy who watches a lot of porn and gets his pickup lines from pornos and just makes himself out to be a sex god because he takes notes from pornos lol

Josh: He strikes me as more of a "i'll watch porn to get myself off and make jokes but i havent found someone who matches my level of sexual wants". he has standards- and no one has reached them yet!

now drum roll...

Matt: he behaves like a guy who lost his virginity at like 16-17 and just is secretly really horny- i think he had sex one or two times in early highschool but then got nervous the older he got because everyone else wanted flings and its not his style

Emily: girl DUH she totally fucks- men AND women, she has cuffs IN HER CAR LOL. i bet you she has a strap as well- probably some other fun little toys she uses on everyone she fucks tehehe ( I NEED HER )

Sam: like once or twice with an ex girlfriend ( she is a HOMOSEXUAL to me ), some scissoring and fingering nothing much more, she has such a love for making out and dry humping tho.. and over the clothes stuff.. ohh if anyone requests sam stuff ill write on that more...

Chris: in college? oh he totally fucks- he has had flings and stuff around his campus ( can i say him and josh probably have experimented before ) but he's very downlow about it because why does anyone else need to know?

[yuripira4e]

i already posted this in some tags but I want to be more insane acryally. This is kind of just my opinion on Edwin and The Cat Kings relationship n why I don’t think fans should try and push their relationship.

Their relationship is starts off and is mostly the cat kings own narcissism and predatory (not age wise; I mean literally) behavior towards Edwin and Edwin's need for someone to push him into understanding that his queerness doesn't have to be torture and can be something giddy (even if he doesn't return those feelings). This is super important to Edwin but his rejection of TCK is also as he immediately recognizes his lack of feelings and actual literal discomfort at the moves placed on him. TCK is good about boundaries and consent sexually wise but that doesn’t stop their relationship from progressing from there.

At first, the cat king does like Edwin but he doesn’t know anything about him. He sees their relationship as a game and Edwin simply as someone he wants to have simply because he can’t. He continues to torment Edwin (showing up as people he does like, propositioning him still, being threatening when his control is questioned) through out the show but starts to feel that “romanticism” towards him because hes infatuated by the kindness he's shown despite the cruelty he's presented to Edwin. Queerness and performance always go hand in hand and Edwin’s lack of it entices the Cat King.

The show runners and Lukas, the actor, have said themselves that the cat king is an older secretly insecure character. He’s jaded by heartbreak the the world’s condemnation of everything he is. Edwin is this younger, genuinely kind character that shows him that projecting his hurt on others and romanticizing it only hurts both people in that relationship. Their relationship is about the isolation of queerness and the walls put up to protect yourself and the coping mechanism used to not be hurt again; even at the risk of hurting those just like you- or those who used to be (cough cough the show runners saying that TCK represented the older men with bad intentions that every young gay man has met that welcomes them into the space and makes them feel loved to use them). The Cat King uses Edwin and Edwin knows this. That kiss from edwin was not a reciprocation of feelings; it was to say "I'm sorry your loneliness had caused you to think you have to use your power to control those weaker than you. (Naive, young, and someone he can literally trap) It's the easiest way to feel. And while I cannot and will not give you what you want or need, you deserve to feel happy and not like you have to gain attention of those uninterested to feel good enough.”

I just can't even explain all my thoughts about their dynamic it's just so much about the predation from older queers because of the trauma they've endured from their elders and the cycle of hurt and abuse that is passed down and the way we can break the cycle with kindness. The way we can protect our youths by healing those traumas.

Something the cat king learns and accepts because he can like Edwin. He can show Edwin the sweetness and beauty of being queer while also not being the one that should hold his hand through it. Edwin cannot be a romanticized replacement for the pain others have caused him and trying to force him to be so, continuing to treat him like prey to catch, will only continue the cycle.

tdlr: their relationship is super important for both of their relationships with queerness and trauma and becoming more aware of their identities but their relationship is not romantic- it’s simply an attempt to romanticize Edwin into someone he could love (hurt and control) in place of the people who’s actually hurt him and is supposed to be a parallel of real life predation in the queer community but the realization of this created an amazing acceptance and new bond I do hope they explore without TCK trying to force a non-platonic relationship

Off topic but I don't like people defending their age gap because, yes, Edwin is 86, but he died with a teenage boy brain and then spent 70 of those years in hell where he certainly was not getting his brain developed while TCK has possibly hundreds of years of sentience and experience. The power imbalance is not it y'all and that’s like super clear in the show

[maries-tales]

BROKEN WINGS CHARACTERS

ADAM BELLEMONT:

appearance: brown wavy hair, warm brown eyes, tanned skin, muscular and fairly tall

personality:

qualities: friendly, caring, carefree, outgoing, extroverted, talented, kind hearted

flaws: oblivious, delusional, violent, impulsive, obsessive, overprotective

backstory: Adam is the son of Bellemont's Academy headmaster and founder. His parents were both dancers at the Opera de Paris and he's been brought up for greatness since his youngest years. However with his mother's death, his passion for ballet soon turned into a heavy load on his shoulders due to the pressure his father puts on him. When he meets (Y/n) whose passion bleeds through her every gesture he soon finds himself falling for her and rekindling with his own love for dance.

AARON HOWARD:

appearance: soft blonde hair that's always perfectly in place, dark grey eyes, pale skin, toned and a tad shorter than Adam.

personality:

qualities: caring, perfectionist, determined, ambitious, hard working, secretly kind hearted and thoughtful, honest

flaws: cold, socially awkward, arrogant, overprotective, obsessive, possessive

backstory: Aaron, much like Adam, is the son of two former Opera de Paris dancers and Adam's best friend. The two of them grew up together thanks to their parents' close friendship. He grew up a relatively happy kid, with loving parents and a warm home, but everything came crashing down after his mother's death due to a car crash his father caused whilst being drunk. Since then Aaron's father has been drowning his sorrows and grief in alcohol, leaving Aaron to care for himself. At first he resents (Y/n) for bumping into him on their first day and for nearly everything she does, but he soon falls for her and lets his cold exterior melt away.

JULIAN GREY:

appearance: black hair, chocolate brown eyes, tall and toned, warm ivory skin

personality:

qualities: intelligent, hard working, thoughtful, observant, caring, determined, goal oriented

flaws: stalker, obsessive, manipulative, morally corrupted, possessive

backstory: Julian's the son of a policeman and an attorney. He's been stalking (Y/n) for a year and a half when he found out about her case through his father. His own older sister was a victim of (Y/n)'s abuser and killed herself after not being listened to by the police. Julian originally started stalking (Y/n) to make sure she didn't know the same fate as his sibling, but his intentions soon turned more egotistic.

ESME YOUNG:

appearance: long black hair, fierce blue almond eyes, porcelain skin, fairly petite and delicate

personality:

qualities: determined, caring, ambitious, honest, elegant, goal oriented, soft hearted

flaws: jealous, envious, self conscious, insecure, competitive

backstory: Esme is Aaron and Adam's best friend since kindergarten. She's been in love with Adam for as long as she can remember but have had to endure watching him falling for other people for just as long. She was originally jealous of (Y/n) when Adam fell for her, but she soon comes to worry for her when she sees just how much of a psycho Adam truly is (her words, not mine).

STELLA BRIGHT:

appearance: short pink dyed hair, bright brown eyes, pale skin, short and curvy

personality:

qualities: bubbly, kind hearted, friendly, outgoing, extroverted, party girl, creative and a fashionista

flaws: a bit too honest and impulsive, short attention span and tends to get distracted easily, forgetful

backstory: Stella is Julian's best friend and Julian's and (Y/n)'s flatmate. She's a fashion student and is nothing short of a sweetie who wants to have fun and make friends. She's always been there for Julian but starts to be warry of him as she realises he might not be who she thinks he is.

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things Lucas on the Line Review

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 1 of 2)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 2 of 2)

Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors Review

Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus

Stranger Things Episode Reviews:

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 1 of 2)

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 2 of 2)

Synopsis: Set between the events of seasons 3 and 4, the book follows Lucas during his freshman year of high school as he attempts to chart a different course for his life, taking up basketball as a means of trying new things and getting out of his comfort zone. However, Lucas soon realizes this won't be as easy as he initially thinks: His attempts to blend in with the popular crowd put him at odds with Mike and Dustin, his relationship with Max is deteriorating, and Lucas is forced to face hard truths about how insidiously racism is woven into Hawkins and what it means to be one of the few black kids in a mostly white town......

Observations:

Lucas on the Line acts as a conclusion to what I call "The Outcasts Trilogy," which began with Rebel Robin, followed by Flight of Icarus, and ending with this book. All these Tie-In novels center around three characters (Robin, Eddie, Lucas) who are considered outcasts in Hawkins: Robin is secretly a lesbian in a homophobic culture, Eddie is the town freak due to his interest in D&D, guitar, his low socioeconomic status, and his family's reputation because of his dad's criminal past, and Lucas is a black kid in a society where racism and prejudice are still prevalent. All 3 characters deal with feeling inadequate and unwanted, and attempt to cope with their situations by either blending into the crowd, or else attempting to escape Hawkins. All 3 of them eventually face hard truths and learn to stop denying the aspects of themselves that make them unique.

In Lucas's case, now that he's older and in high school, not only is he beginning to realize the implications of what it means to be black in a neighborhood where racism still lurks, but he's also beginning to understand his family's history, as well as coming to terms with an uncomfortable truth: As much as his friends care about him, they will never truly understand the bigotry and micro-aggressions Lucas is forced to endure as a person of color.

The show has touched on themes of bigotry and racism before, both in Lucas's interracial relationship with Max (which makes him a target for Billy) and the type of bullying he experienced from Troy and James. However, this book expands on those themes by going more into Lucas's fears and insecurities at being discriminated against for being a nerd AND being black, as well as finding someone who understands what he's going through. It also, IMO, deconstructs the "token minority" trope by showing what it's like to be considered that in a group of white friends from the perspective of said minority character, and how dehumanizing it feels.

This book left a lot to ponder. It's not perfect, and there are some flaws in its structure (mostly relating to continuity errors and missed opportunities), but it does inspire discussion, and gives a solid point-of-view to Lucas's character.

Part 1: Lucas's Journey

For as much as this fandom talks about Steve's character development (not that the discussion is unwarranted), Lucas is also another character (next to his sister Erica) who's had subtle but notable growth over the course of the show.

Season 1 had Lucas start out as a loyal member of the Party who was invested in finding Will, but also at odds with Mike and Dustin over El due to his distrust of her (something which got him a lot of flak from fans at the time). All of this came to a head in the junkyard when Lucas realized El was deliberately misleading them so they wouldn't find the Gate, leading to an ugly fight within the group. However, once things settled down, and Lucas realized El's misdirection was her attempting to keep them safe and not an act of maliciousness, he apologized for how he acted (with El also apologizing for lying) and welcomed her into the group, formally accepting her as a friend and member of the Party. Notably, in spite of his misgivings, he never betrayed El to the authorities, demonstrating that his heart was in the right place.

Season 2 continued on with this development. Contrast Lucas's acceptance of Max into the Party and his willingness to reach out to her vs how he initially acted with El in S1. It's notable since, at the time, Mike was hostile towards the idea of Max becoming part of the group. While Lucas had a crush on Max (which is normal for a boy his age), what separated him from the others was his willingness to listen to Max, who had always felt unheard in her house. That conversation on the bus rooftop in S2, where she opens up to Lucas about her home life and how she fears she's becoming like Billy, was meaningful to both of them, not just in Lucas reassuring Max she was a good person, but also Lucas really seeing Max for who she was and loving her for it. And in spite of the threat Billy posed, Lucas refused to be scared off by him (even kneeing Billy in the groin when he pinned him to the wall), and that willingness for Lucas to fight for Max was one of the many reasons Max finally stood up to Billy and made it clear to him that she was done with his abuse.

Season 3 showed Lucas was still navigating his relationship with Max (after getting dumped 5 times), as well as doing his best to advise Mike about his relationship with El. He also got some cool moments, from saving El from the Meat Flayer by chopping off its tendril, to gathering the fireworks to use against the Meat Flayer at the Battle of Starcourt. In spite of this, I remember at the time some fans (including me) wished Lucas had a bigger role in the story. The Duffer Brothers must have heard those criticisms because Lucas ended up getting his own arc in the next season.

There were a lot of great moments in season 4, but Lucas's story was a favorite for me because of how relatable it was. He was in high school trying for a fresh start. He still participated in D&D (Hellfire Club) but also joining basketball because he wanted to break out from being the nerd who was picked on all the time, and because he enjoyed the sport and wanted to give it a shot. He was discovering his identity, which is a big part of the high school experience. Adding onto this, a part of him wanted to achieve popularity as a way of being recognized instead of constantly looked down upon. He got what he wanted when he won the basketball championship............and then experienced firsthand the darker side of popularity, which forced Lucas to ask himself if this is what he really wanted.

Lucas on the Line expands more on the S4 arc by showing the events that led to Lucas doing basketball, and how that put him at odds with Mike and Dustin for a while. We also get to see the circumstances behind his breakup with Max, as well as her spiral into depression following Billy's death.

Something I appreciate is the book doesn't shy away from the trauma and PTSD Lucas is dealing with. The show usually gives that focus to characters like El, Max, Will, Joyce, Hopper, and Nancy, so it's refreshing to see how Lucas has processed everything since Will's disappearance in 1983. The answer is not well. It's even gotten worse since the Battle of Starcourt:

Similar to the way Robin in her novel talks about Hawkins High as a metaphorical monster, there are multiple instances where Lucas makes comparisons between his living situation in Hawkins and the Upside Down:

Granted, this is a metaphor that anyone who's watched the show enough times can pick up on: For as much as Hawkins presents itself as an idyllic neighborhood, there is rot within it, and NOT just from the Upside Down. The town has deeply rooted bigotry entrenched in its structure that takes on many forms (racism, homophobia, bullying, fear-mongering, forced conformity, etc) which the characters are forced to endure on a daily basis. From a symbolic standpoint, the Upside Down is all the nastiness within Hawkins that's covered up with a pretty surface. It may be a town that presents itself as perfect, but the moment you actually take a closer look at your surroundings, you realize that "perfectness" isn't genuine, and that people who present themselves as friendly can reveal just how awful they are in the right circumstances.

I live in a neighborhood like this, and I've been forced to learn time and again that some people in my town (though not all of them) have deeply rooted prejudices and will normalize being cruel because they can get away with it, all the while justifying their behavior as normal. Becoming cynical and cautious is how I've survived it. It reminds me of how Max thinks about her abusive situation with Billy: If you keep the monsters close to you, you're never caught by surprise.

Getting back to Lucas, he's painfully aware of this. Part of his PTSD and trauma isn't just from encountering the horrors of the Upside Down, but also from all the years he was bullied in school:

Lucas explains this to Mike and Dustin on the show, but part of his reasons for joining the basketball team is because he thinks it'll get him in with the popular crowd, and people will stop harassing him. What he doesn't understand (and what Mike and Dustin pick up on pretty quickly) is that even if Lucas changed everything about himself to fit in, he will always be walking on eggshells with that group. If he does everything right, he'll be tenuously accepted, but if he gets one thing wrong, or makes the team look bad in any way (even unintentionally), they will rip him to shreds. I even question what would've happened if Lucas failed to make the winning shot at the championship game: Would the team and the crowd have been as accepting of Lucas for that, or would he have been ostracized on the spot?

I know there are people in this fandom who vilify Mike and Dustin for going to Hellfire Club over Lucas's basketball games. As time has passed, I maintain they made the right call. Not only were they bullied by the basketball jocks way before they joined Hellfire Club (with Jason doing nothing to stop it), but they could see Lucas was deluding himself, and that these were not the kind of people they wanted to be friends with. At least with Eddie, they were accepted for who they were without having to make major changes to their identities to fit in. Even with Lucas, Eddie still welcomed him into the Hellfire Club despite his initial reluctance and the fact Lucas was on the basketball team. He didn't care that Lucas was black (which was a problem for several white basketball jocks like Lee Garroway) or that Lucas had extracurricular activities outside of Hellfire. He just cared that Lucas wanted to be there and was willing to invest in their D&D Campaign.

(SIDE NOTE: This is a big reason I roll my eyes hard at Billy stans who whine about Eddie being a similar replacement for Billy. The major differences between Eddie and Billy is a.) Eddie wasn't a bully, b.) Eddie didn't care about becoming Kings of Hawkins High like Billy did, and c.) Eddie could afford to be in the same room with Lucas for more than 30 seconds without being racist towards him or wanting to attack him. Enough said.)

And it should be noted that while Mike and Dustin are skeptical about Lucas doing basketball, they eventually accept it and even show up to one of his basketball practices (along with Erica) where Lucas does his best and still gets shit from his teammates for how he played.

Both Mike and Dustin saw how Lucas was being treated, as well as the fact Lucas was benched up until the championship, and they rightfully concluded that even if Lucas became popular, a.) It wouldn't change how THEY were being treated (no matter what Lucas told them), and b.) Lucas would forever be trying to live up to expectations from others until he became a shell of his former self. It's a lot like what Chrissy Cunningham went through where she maintained the perfect popular image as the Queen Bee of Hawkins High at the cost of her mental health and well being.

To Lucas's credit, he eventually realizes this at the end. As angry as he was at Dustin and Mike for skipping the Championship, he came to understand why they made that decision. When the time came between choosing Jason and the basketball team vs his friends, he chose his friends:

Caleb McLaughlin even noted this in an interview post S4: Lucas wanted to find acceptance, but the problem is you can't force other people to accept you. Mike and Dustin, in spite of their flaws, accepted Lucas for who he was. Jason and the other basketball players (with the exception of Jay) only accepted Lucas when he either made the team look good, or when they wanted something from him.

This doesn't necessarily mean the book (or even the show) paints Lucas wanting to do basketball as a wrong thing. It was a choice like everything else. Lucas's reasons for wanting to do basketball went beyond just wanting to be popular: He wanted to try something new. He wanted something he was passionate about. Not only did he find that, but he also got to share it with another teammate who understood him: Jermaine "Jay" Demario.

Part 2: Lucas's Relationships with other characters

Jay is a new character from the book who's not only one of the few black kids in Hawkins, but also one of the only basketball players who treats Lucas decently and takes him under his wing. He's the one who encourages Lucas to step out of his comfort zone and try out basketball. He's also one of the few jocks (though he doesn't consider himself a jock in the traditional sense) who's a decent person, and Lucas looks up to him as a mentor the same way Dustin does with Steve. Jay gives Lucas useful advice about balancing his extracurricular activities with other aspects of his life, and he's the one who trains Lucas to do well at basketball, from practicing after school with him, to having Lucas check out videos of NBA playoffs and finals to improve his skills. He also accepts Lucas wanting to do Hellfire Club, and tells him there's nothing wrong with being both a jock and a nerd.

Speaking as someone who made Varsity for cross-country and track & field AND took AP classes during high school, I can relate to that last bit! 🙂

Jay was a cool character, and I'm sad he wasn't in the show. It's nice Lucas was able to have a friend, however briefly, whom he could confide in, and who understood the issues Lucas dealt with because of who he was and where he lived (more on that in a minute).

Erica's relationship with Lucas also gets a bit more time here. She's still snarky towards Lucas, but there are moments demonstrating she cares for him. For instance, despite initially criticizing how Lucas played during a practice, she is pissed when Lee and some other basketball players call Lucas a racist slur:

Later on, after Lucas becomes the target of a bomb threat, there's a quiet scene where Erica comes in to hang out with Lucas. Even though she doesn't verbally say it, it's clear from her demeanor she's genuinely worried for Lucas's safety:

She may exchange barbs with him, but she knows where to draw the line. The fact she also showed up for all of Lucas's basketball games on her own accord (minus the championship) despite Lucas being benched conveys she supports her brother in her own way. I liked the evolution of Lucas and Erica's relationship in S4, and I'm hoping that continues into S5. If the final scenes of S4 are any indication of foreshadowing, they'll likely be working together, so we'll probably get to see more of their sibling dynamic.

Max's relationship with Lucas also gets focus. For the most part, they are not in a good place. Ever since Billy's death at Starcourt Mall, Max has fallen into a deep depression and become withdrawn from everyone, including Lucas. A good chunk of the story is Lucas trying to reach out to Max and make it clear to Max that he's there for her. The problem is he doesn't know how since Max keeps rejecting any attempts to hang out with him, or for him to help her. The dynamic is sadly realistic for anyone who's had friends or family who suffer from chronic depression and feel frustrated or helpless when they try to help that person recover. Lucas does everything he can for Max in the book, from giving her the space she needs, to offering to listen to her. We also get to see Lucas's perspective on why he cares so much for Max (just like Max's novel showed us why she was attracted to Lucas):

What's sad is Max does understand what Lucas is trying to do. She knows he cares about her. At the same time though, she can't pretend things are normal anymore, or that she doesn't feel immense guilt over how she wished something horrible would happen to Billy and got her wish granted (as she admits to Vecna in the S4 finale), or that her life hasn't changed for the worse:

BTW, the breakup between Max and Lucas that's alluded to in S4 happens in the book. It's during Thanksgiving when Lucas sneaks out of his house to give Max some Thanksgiving dinner while she's at the skating park. It's also the first time Lucas hears Max play "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush and truly understands the meaning of that song........and what it means for their relationship:

What's admirable about Lucas is that, in spite of what's going on with Max and her attempts to distance herself from him, he still keeps fighting for her any way he can, right up to the end of the book when Vecna tries to kill Max the first time in the graveyard. And it pays off. Those memories she has of her time with Lucas, combined with the moments she shared with her friends, allow her to break free from Vecna, to remember she has something to live for, that she has people who care about her, and that she doesn't have to be consumed by guilt over what happened to Billy.

Speaking of Billy, the few times Lucas brings him up, he does NOT talk about Billy in a positive light. If there was any doubt about whether Lucas hated Billy, this book puts that to rest. One passage in particular stuck out:

I know Lucas is projecting his anger towards Billy in this moment (not that I blame him), but the idea that Vecna/The Mind Flayer was drawn to Billy because of the darkness in his heart is an interesting idea. We know Vecna initially spared El at Hawkins Lab while killing the other kids because he saw a lot of himself in El (both with her struggles developing her powers, and her treatment under Brenner and her "brothers/sisters") and believed El would be grateful to him for "saving her." It's also implied on the show (and by Vecna's actor, Jamie Campbell Bower) that Vecna feels the same way about Will, which is why he has a creepy interest in him. Billy in many ways resembles Vecna in his rage and sadistic desire to hurt everything and everyone around him, and that aspect may have attracted Vecna to Billy. Granted, it's hard to know if that's the case since Billy was initially driving that night to hook up with Karen before crashing by the warehouse where that piece of the Mind Flayer was nesting, but it's also possible Vecna could have sensed Billy before then, and thought he'd make a great candidate to put his plan into motion.

Then there's Lucas's relationship with Jason: Lucas picks up pretty quickly that something's off about Jason, particularly when he's preparing for the prep-rally speech by slamming his hands in the lockers hard enough to leave dents. Lucas also isn't impressed with Jason's speech, and rightfully notes that Jason invokes the Starcourt tragedy for "cheap audience reactions" (which is why Max looks hurt in the scene when Jason brings up Billy). There's also a scene after Jason's confrontation with Eddie in the cafeteria where he and Andy make disparaging remarks about people who live in trailer parks. When Lucas speaks out against that (because Max was forced to move into a trailer park after Neil left Susan), Jason loses his shit:

By the time of Chrissy's death when Jason's organized the basketball team into hunting down Eddie and tortures Gareth for information, Lucas finally understands just how unhinged Jason is, and even compares Jason to Billy:

I know some people defend Jason on the grounds that Chrissy's death impacted him in a negative way, and that Patrick's later death made things worse because it happened under circumstances that couldn't be explained, which is why Jason jumped on the "Hellfire Club is a Satanic cult" bandwagon. While there is some truth to this, it ignores how Jason already had negative qualities brewing underneath, and that Chrissy's death didn't create these issues, but instead brought them to the surface in the worst way possible. Jason already had inherent prejudices against D&D and anyone he deemed as a "freak" (as depicted in the Flight of Icarus book) and the show established that he had a very self-absorbed, hot-headed, entitled attitude even before things got bad. Maybe he was initially able to keep these negative qualities under control, but they didn't magically manifest out of thin air just because Chrissy died.

Regardless of whether we chose to admit it, we all have a dark side. We all have aspects of our personality we're not proud of. Jason is no different in that regard. The problem is the lack of self-awareness on his part about those flaws, combined with his self-righteous belief that he was doing the right thing even though his actions put innocent people in danger.

I could sympathize with Jason over the deaths of Chrissy and Patrick, but my sympathy ended when he organized a Witch Hunt against the Hellfire Club (who had NOTHING to do with Chrissy and Patrick's deaths) and not-so-subtly threatened Nancy at the gun store and made it clear he intended to go after Mike. At that point, I was done with him. Judging by the final conversation between Lucas and Jason, where Jason refuses to hear Lucas's explanations about what's going on because it doesn't fit with his preconceived notions, Lucas was done with him as well:

Jason: "I never should have let you in the door."

Lucas (coldly): "And I never should have knocked. I thought I wanted to be like you. Popular. Normal. But it turns out normal's just a raging psychopath."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Part 3: Lucas's Experiences with Racism and Bigotry

Lucas has been made the target of racism by characters like Troy, James, and Billy on the show, but this book is where Lucas begins to understand the full ramifications of what it means to be black in a world where racism is ingrained into society. We also get to see how it psychologically impacts Lucas and feeds into his worst insecurities.

Take Lucas's introduction to the basketball team for instance: For the most part, his tryout is average (not awful, but not spectacular), but Jason still allows him on the team for one particular reason:

There's always been a question in the fandom about whether Jason was racist in the same way Billy was. I know Caleb doesn't think so, and argued Billy was worse (and given the the amount of mental gymnastics certain fans have done to pretend Billy wasn't racist, as well as Caleb's experiences with racism in the fandom, I get where his position is coming from), but this book suggests otherwise. Jason may not have been as overtly racist as Billy was, but there is a soft bigotry at play here in Jason allowing Lucas on the team BECAUSE he was black as opposed to Lucas's actual skills. Some people will probably argue against Jason being racist because of his friendship with Patrick, but that's basically the "I can't be racist because I have a black friend" argument.

What's depressing is this haunts Lucas for the remainder of the book. In spite of how hard he practices to get better, he can't shake off the idea that he was only let on the team because of his skin color (and because of the stereotypical idea that all black people do basketball), and not because he earned it. This is reinforced by other members of the basketball team, led by Lee Garroway, who not-so-subtly takes every opportunity to remind Lucas of this:

Speaking of which, this book introduces another bully in the form of Lee Garroway, and he's a loathsome piece of work. Like Billy, he is outwardly racist towards Lucas, but he takes it a step further in targeting both Lucas and Jay because he, along with several other members of the team, are pissed that they made it to the subs roster (thinking Lucas and Jay only got that position because they're both black) and could potentially make Varsity, which is a position they all want. This all culminates in Lee rigging both Jay and Lucas's lockers to spray them with glitter, and then later rigs Lucas's locker again with a bomb that almost kills a janitor working at the school. Lucas manages to catch Lee in the act by planting a camera in his locker after the first attack, and even though the footage gets Lee's friends expelled, Lee is still let off the hook because his father is a donor to the school and bribes Mr. Higgins into covering it up. It's similar to what happened in Flight of Icarus when Eddie accuses Mr. Higgins of looking the other way when it came to athletic players like Tommy and Jason who bully other students and are allowed to get away with it because their fathers have the principal in their pockets.

Remember that profoundly stupid comment from the Angela apologist I talked about in my review of Darkness on the Edge of Town?

This is why that comment struck a nerve: Putting aside how this take is completely devoid of critical thought, it misses the fact that the reason bullies like Angela, Jason, Tommy, and Lee feel justified in their behavior is BECAUSE most of the adults enable them. At best, they do the bare minimum in disciplining these teens, and at worst, they look the other way and punish people like El and Eddie who try to stand up for themselves and others.

And I'm sorry, but the "They are children, none of them are responsible for what they do" excuse can take a flying leap into a volcano for all I care. If you deliberately make a bomb that you know will put someone in the hospital (or even get them killed), you are responsible for your behavior. This isn't like Lee was incapable of understanding what he was doing was wrong. To imply otherwise is stupid beyond belief. ���

What's infuriating is not only does Lee barely get a slap on the wrist for what he did, but the bomb threat was enough to cause Jay and his family to move, meaning Lucas lost one of the few friends he could depend on.

On top of that, this isn't even unique to Jay's situation. Both of Lucas's parents also have history which involved moving around to find a place where they could, at the very least, be tolerated in their community. All the while, they knew on some level they'd never truly be accepted:

Lucas's parents did the best they could in trying to protect Lucas and Erica and raise them so they wouldn't have to go through the same circumstances they did. The problem though is that racism has become normalized to such an extent that there isn't a way to escape it.

On a related note, this is why I find the current attempts by Conservatives to stop Critical Race Theory from being taught in schools to be vile: These people want to pretend racism is a thing of the past, like it isn't still impacting people of color in the United States to this day, and are perfectly okay trying to whitewash history and limit any attempts at discussion to achieve that goal. It's been an ongoing issue where I live (to the point that last year, three new members were elected to the school district so they could push their agendas and prevent CRT and other "undesired talking points" in schools), and I know it's been an ongoing issue elsewhere in the United States (*cough* Florida *cough*). John Oliver did a brilliant breakdown of this last year, and I highly recommend watching it:

Just like with many of the other books in this series (Darkness on the Edge of Town, Rebel Robin, Flight of Icarus, etc) Lucas on the Line illustrates that many of the social issues these characters experienced in the 80s continue to be a problem today. Very little has changed, and while people might be more willing to hide their bigotry, or pretend it's something else, that doesn't mean it's gone.

Part 4: Missed Opportunities and Continuity Errors

Like I said before, this book isn't perfect, and has its flaws. I can't speak for what notes Suyi Davies, the author of the book, got from the Duffer Brothers and Netflix, but there were some major contradictions that were hard to ignore.

For instance, there's a flashback where Lucas is supposed to be in third grade and first experiences discrimination against him when the other kids are afraid of swimming with him because they think his "blackness" will rub off on them. While the flashback is effective in showing the insidiousness of how kids can be bigoted at a young age, it's undermined by the date this flashback is supposed to take place in: June 6, 1981. At this point, Lucas would have finished fourth grade, not third grade. On top of that, it's mentioned that Lucas wasn't friends with Mike, Will, and Dustin yet, but that's not only contradicted by other tie-in materials, but also by Dustin's claim on the show that he didn't join the Party until he was in 4th grade, which would have been around 1980. For Lucas to be in third grade in 1981 and not know any of his friends at this point makes no sense.

Then there's the third act of the book, which takes place within the first four episodes of S4: The show establishes the events in those episodes takes place between March 21st-24th, 1986. However, the book changes this so it takes place between April 4th-7th, 1986. The reasons for this are unclear, especially since this book came out AFTER S4 premiered, but I suspect it may have something to do with "Birtdaygate" (i.e. the Duffer Brothers forgetting Will's Birthday was supposed to be on March 22nd). I can't tell if Netflix was trying to retcon the dates because they were embarrassed by "Birthdaygate," or if S4 was originally supposed to be set in April before they changed it to March at the last minute (which begs the question of why they did that), but it is something that's been on my mind for a while now.

Moving past these errors, I was disappointed the book didn't expand more on Patrick's character despite having the opportunity to do so. In the show, Patrick demonstrates a friendlier side to Lucas during their time together, and I know it was speculated at the time that there was more to his interactions with Lucas. However the book doesn't explore that angle, and we don't get a lot of information about Patrick. It's frustrating because, out of all of Vecna's victims, Patrick is the only one that doesn't get his backstory fully fleshed out. We see why and how Chrissy, Fred, and Max were targeted, but it's only implied in Patrick's case. Lucas speculates Patrick had an abusive father, but neither the book nor the show elaborate on this, which makes Patrick come off as a wasted character, especially when his death could have had a bigger impact on Lucas.

Finally, this is just a minor nitpick, but I was unhappy that the book didn't seize on the opportunity of Lucas and Steve playing at least one game of basketball. There's a scene in the book when Steve offers to go one-on-one with Lucas, and Lucas turns him down:

For the story's sake, I get why they had Jay be the one to practice with Lucas as opposed to Steve, but it still feels like a missed opportunity, especially when it was implied on the show that Lucas and Steve's had a better relationship after S2 following Steve protecting them from the demodogs.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I would recommend this book. It's interesting seeing things from Lucas's perspective, as well as how he views his relationship with others, and how he copes with his trauma. The book does a stellar job exploring how the racism inherent in Hawkins has impacted Lucas's life and well-being, and it's also a relatable journey of finding your identity and rising above the stereotypes people place around you and your community.

As for where Lucas goes from here, I'm wagering that he'll have a role in bringing Max back from the coma Vecna's placed her in, and that they'll finally get that date night at the theaters.

[gender-machine-broke]

Okay fuck it, some other things about euphoria

1. Being a virgin in high school is considered freakish and something that you need to immediately remedy with some casual sex. As if it’s not actually very common for girls in high school (and college even!) to be virgins. Jules at one point says “bitch you need to catch a dick!” After finding out Kat is still a virgin

2. Jules goes on grindr to meet older men. One of them being Nate Jacobs’ dad. They show the whole sex them between them, which is disturbing and degrading. There’s a whole other thing where Cal Jacobs films all of his sexual encounters (which were exposed to Nate at a young age and deeply screwed him up)

3. There is a 23 year old at a high school party that Maddy is portrayed as pursuing so she can get back at Nate for his many indiscretions. They have sex in the pool. Then when she gets back together with Nate, she tells Nate that this guy raped her when she was blackout drunk. Basically showing her as a manipulative, capricious girl who decided to destroy a man’s life for the sake of a high school relationship

4. Maddy lies to Nate about being a virgin, because her first time was a 40 year old man she met on vacation when she was 14. And “she was the one in control” is a direct quote

5. Kat’s whole character arc revolves around her going from being fat and insecure and not feeling as pretty as her friends, to her being confident and empowered after realizing strangers on the internet “want to fuck her.” Yes, really. There’s a very disturbing scene of a middle aged man who watches her camgirl stuff begging her to degrade him while he masturbates

6. Kat is secretly filmed when she loses her virginity. Which happens because she was alone at a high school party. And some teenage boys she barely knew asked her if she was a prude or a slut and pressured her into sex. All of this is glorified and portrayed as her rise to the top through internet porn

5. Kat’s parents never once question her sudden choice to abandon regular teenage girl clothes in favor of actual BDSM gear, where she got the money for all that, or what she is doing alone in her room all day

[cosmical-flowers]

Sakura Nakamura (my s/i) lore 🎉🎉🎉

Early life / Elementary School:

- Parents are Actors / Models, very busy life and both are emotionally absent. Aunt stepped in as a role model

- As she continued elementary school, she ended up being a child actor for commercials and a model too

- Many people thought she was cool at first, but when they realized she was really into magical girl shows they thought she was weird. Not many friends because of this, yet still shares about it.

- Very cheery child!!! Is very sweet as well! Also regarded as a very cute kid!

- During a photoshoot, she met a girl who was helping out with the outfits. As she learned more about her, she realized that she wants to be a seamstress when she gets older. She thought this was cool and they become friends! (Met Kokoto Hiramatsu)

- Another photoshoot, she met a girl who was being broody in a corner. As she talked with her more, she figured out she was upset because her dad left her family for someone else. Sakura comforted her a lot, and they quickly became friends. (Met Ayaka Mochizuki)

Middle school:

- Her parents got her a manager (Referred to as Manager R)

- Manager R began to get extremely concerned with the quality of her work, so she made her re-do assignments until they were “perfect” (Perfectionistic habits mold from this, also makes her think the only way she’ll be loved if she is perfect)

- Got a major role on a TV Show, played an important side character. Many people shipped her character with another character in the show. This lead for both of their managers to meet and agree for them to fake date for popularity and profit.

- The other actor didn’t like being in a relationship at all. Began to secretly insult her behind the cameras and manipulated her. Made her purposefully stop eating as much and made her insecure about her body. She begun to hate herself for what she was, and fell into a dark period of her life.

- Ayaka and Kokoro tried their best to make her feel better. They then decided together that they should just leave the country entirely for the benefit of all of them. Ayaka’s mom lives in Japan and Kokoro’s parents didn’t care about her so they could easily move there, it’s only Sakura’s manager that they have to remove.

- For about 5 months, the trio tries their best to remove Sakura’s manager from her life. The breaking straw is when she protested during a photoshoot snd left immediately. Manager R immediately cut off contact with her and she was free.

- Moved to Japan during her 8th grade year under the supervision of Ayaka’s mom. She temporarily enrolled in a school and was slowly reviving her old personality.

- During finals season, Sakura decided that they should all become idols at Yumenosaki. Ayaka and Kokoro also agree to this plan. With Kokoro’s connections with the Tenshouin family, they finally get a chance to enroll at Yumenosaki academy.

Summer before 1st year:

- Went to a festival with Ayaka and Kokoro. They ended up getting lost and Sakura decided to wander around. Accidentally stumbled upon Shinobu (he was lost too) and they began talking. They realize that even though they dont have much in common, they were very similar. They became friends for the day and they help each other get prizes and stuff. (Key moment is when Sakura guessed how many marbles were in a jar and won a plushie of a frog and a fox. She ended up giving the frog plushie to Shinobu.)

- Didn’t get each other contact info, ended up loosing contact sadly. Sakura still remembers him as “The boy with pretty hair.” Keeps the plushie she won dear to her heart.

Basically it for main lore before yumenosaki 🎉 another post will be made about 1st - 3rd year lore in the future 🎊

[Also some @‘s for mutuals who might be interested : @aroace-poly-show , @transgender-eichi , @maoisarap , @mutsuowo , @eekykins ]