#Honestly OP asked the wrong question

[fanonimus]

Remember, you asked.

First, you misunderstand the batfamily's concept, or what fanon made them to be (canon is a lil shit we don't like bc its inconsistent.) I would not call them brutal, in the slightest. "Brutal" means savage, uncontrolled violence, which you could say is true to the batfamily, but they are not "brutal" as a family unit, and rarely brutal as individuals. The violence is more often than not stricktly neccesary.

The batfamily is inherently human, a huge family made by choice, with flaws, grief and anger coating every bond, because of the line of work they are in. They are different, yet they still find comfort and familiarity in each other. You can call them toxic, because they are in canon, but the fandom had managed to make something better, something functioning out of it.

The batfamily heals each other, and they offer a place of healing for others.

But then, why DP? You asked.

First, there is the obvious joke we should adress, the adoption bait Danny is. Black hair, blue eyes, trauma is basically Bruce waynes exact adoption type.

Second, Danny has a broken homelife, as much as people want to overlook it. Jack and Maddie are not good parents, fixated on their job, neglecting their kid. Because it is neglect, even if they love him.

Oh look! A sudden point that comes up! Paralells.

Danny's relationship with his parents brings a paralell to Tim's relationship with his own. The Fentons and the Drakes both love their son, but their job is always more important. They were not fit for parenthood, and they have no clue what to do with a child.

And lets not forget that Danny died a pretty traumatic death, which realistically would cause a fourteen year old biig ptsd, which I feel like is not properly explored in the show (shocker). And then he is brought back by this green goo (more on ectoplasm later), which brings us our second paralell, which is Jason Todd. Jason also died a traumatic dead at age fourten, and then was brought back to consciousness by green goo.

So, you have a teenage vigilante with black hair, blue eyes who had to die to gain his powers, is super traumatised, and hunted by his own parents, also has a creepy old man who wants to make him his sucsessor.

Yeah that is another paralel to Tim, and surprisingly Dick. (Slade when I cach you...)

I dunno about you, but Danny just fits into this little found family thing they have going on.

But what about Jass, I hear you asking.

Jass was also neglected, and then forced to take on a third parental role when Danny was born. Her love for psychology is not an accident, she wants to provide the best life for her brother, and emotional growth can only be supported by an emotionally mature person.

Add that to the fact that her brother technically died at fourteen, and you get a pretty good gist about how much trauma she herself might be repressing, which is an amazing point of discusion in any media.

Now onto the worldbuilding, and why DP adds so much to the DCU.

First, lets address the elephant in the blog, green goo. The lazarus pitts make so much sense as contaminated ectoplasm, it's not even funny. Ectoplasm is what ghosts are made out of, its what gives them life, what helps them heal. So it would make sense that it would assist with bringing back a person, but really wrong. It's dirty with age, and death, that's why it works as it does. It's an excellent plot drive, with Danny hellping Jason overcome the effects of this horrid thing inside him, and it also gives us an exciting premise of Jason being somewhat an opposite of Danny. Fully dead, and fully alive, not some half this half that. Jason is not just a ghost possessing his own body, he's him, he's still one, body and soul, even if he died.

Second, the GIW (Guys In White/Ghost Investigation Ward) and the AEA (Anty Ecto Acts).

The AEA goes against Meta Protection Laws, dehumanizing ectoplasmic beings and taking away every right denizens (residents of the infinite realms/ghost zone, more on that later) would deserve as sentient beings.

This brings in a tension point for the justice leauge and the gowernment, makind for stellar drama. Also a tension point for Damian and Jason, who are considered Ectoplasmic beings (lazarus pit).

The GIW are the enforcers basically. They experiment on denizens, they are a government organization, and such.

The implications of the Infinite realms, and how it fits.

As we know, the DCU is a multiverse, with a lot of different universes, The ghost zone, or Infinite realms, depending on who you ask, is basically the veins of the universe, and the ectoplasm is its blood. There, it fitts nicely, I am not going into politics bc that is really author dependent.

All in all, the two just fits together so perfectly, it would have been strange not to decide a crosover is due.

This is all I have right now, if I missed something, feel free to tell me.

I genuinely want to know where DC×DP got started. Who looked at this brutal, angry, violent family and said "you know who would go great with this? An overrated nickelodeon cartoon about ghosts" like ?????

[oceantornadoo]

when you first start talking to simon riley, you want to check yourself into an insane asylum.

you like to think you’re cool, you’re chill, you’re nonchalant. but he takes eight hours to text back, sending you a “come over.” text at 7pm like he hadn’t just ignored you the whole day. you complain to your friends, of course, which is a terrible move when they tell you to drop him and if he wanted to, he would! and you think he does (want to), he’s just so insanely nonchalant about it. so the next time he comes over, chinese takeout in hand after not texting you back since 8am, you go a little crazy…

you open the door for him, stepping back awkwardly when he tries to peck your forehead. he practically shrugs it off, toeing off his boots before setting the food down on your table. “got tha’ dish ya like.” you nod, forgetting his back is to you. simon unpacks the boxes with precision from the bag, not stopping until it’s all laid out on the table. you’ve been quiet for a while, unusual since you’re the talker of the bunch, and that creeping feeling that’s been sliding up his skin finally sets its hooks in him. he turns around curiously, brows furrowing at the sight of you still standing by the door, biting your lip with a timid look and wet eyes. “love?”

you shake your head with a watery smile. “can we talk?” simon follows you as you walk to your couch, feeling like he’s been dropped into an op with no details. he doesn’t know what’s wrong, just that you’re hurting and he seems to be the cause of it. “i just…don’t get it. how you’re acting so normal.” you’re twisting your hands together. “somethin’ happen, love? got me confused.” you give him that small, weak smile again and it’s like you’ve stabbed him in the heart. “you- you barely talk to me all day and then you just come over here like it’s nothing. it’s just so hot and cold and i’m wrecking myself over it when it’s so clear you don’t care. i’m just so confused, si.”

simon runs through his memories. he texted you good morning, you texted it back, then he went about his duties for the day until he was finally free to ask about dinner. hadn’t even picked up his phone in the meantime, security risks or just plain busyness being the cause. “‘ve been busy, sweetheart. ‘s why i asked t’ come over when i was done.” you shake your head, biting your lip. “it’s the modern day, simon. everyone’s on their phones. i don’t think you’re as into this as me, and that’s fine, but i just want to know!”

now simon’s the one shaking his head, pulling out his phone. he might not be tech savvy but he does know this move from johnny, the fucker constantly complaining about his screen time. he pulls up the screen time tracker and turns it to you. “not everyone.” you’re a bit shocked to be honest. his screen time is ten minutes for the entire day. a few in the morning when he texted you and nothing until nighttime, when he texted you again. you’ve never seen anything like it.

“‘m not a big texter an’ we don’t use personal phones for work, so it’s jus’ a brick i leave at home or lug around. ‘s nothin’ on you. been thinkin’ about you all day, to be honest.” your mouth is open, honestly. any other man would have never shown you their minute-by-minute screen time, would have begged off the “busy” excuse while having been on social media for four hours. simon, by all standards, is genuinely different.

“so, you do like me?” he nods stiffly, gloved hands reaching for you. you slide into his lap easily, tucking your face into his neck to hide your heated cheeks. you’d even shed a few tears over this, how embarrassing. “‘course i like you, sweetheart. an’ im sorry if it didn’t feel like it. let’s have it out, yeah?” you nod into his skin and he takes a deep breath, pulling you closer to his heart.

from that day on, you compromise with phone calls. when he’s got a few minutes and you’ve hit a lull at work, he’ll call you. it’s better than any text in the world - hearing his gruff voice asking questions about your messy coworkers or dinner plans. not so nonchalant as you thought.

-

i wish this was from personal experience but unfortunately for me, it’s closer to the men not responding for days but having a screen time of six hours.

[revelboo]

Could we have more for "Gravity"? 🙏 reader making it her life's goal to see robot dick as soon as she realizes it flusters OP is so me-coded and I'm living for it. I love your super serious emotional fics, but I also love the human being so unserious 🤭

Honestly, same. 18+ content

Gravity Pt 9

Optimus Prime x Reader

• Pacing outside the door of his habsuite, he runs a frustrated hand over his face. Trying to get himself back in control, because you don’t realize what you do to him. Asking about that. Had it only been curiosity or was it actual interest? Why is that difference so very important to him? And something he really shouldn’t be thinking about at all. You’re his to protect, considering anything else, wanting more, is wholly inappropriate.

• Sitting cross legged on the berth where he’d left you, there’s nothing to do but wait for him to come back. Who’d have thought that one not so innocent question would send him running? Know you should let it go, but that almost panicked look on his face is just so sweet. Like the big guy himself. And you’d been straight with him, if he’d been a human guy and treated you like he does, you’d have rode him until you’re both too exhausted to crawl out of bed.

• One more thing he can’t have. Accepting that, he lets himself back inside his quarters and finds you sitting on his berth eating that crunchy, dry food out of a box. “So you got some freaky alien stuff going on like double dicks or crotch tentacles?” Gritting his denta behind his mask as you just grin up at him, he vents tiredly.

• He almost looks like he’s in pain as he just straight up ignores the question. Apparently you’ve reached the limit of how much bullshit he’s willing to put up with. Silent, he begins moving the uneaten food and his half empty energon cube off the berth and sits beside you, elbows on his knees and face in his hands. Making you feel guilty about screwing with him. Especially since, realistically him abducting you probably saved your life given the path you were on. And you owe him more than you can ever hope to repay.

• “You know,” you say and he hears your little feet padding on the berth. Peeking at you, he watches you slowly spin. Dancing again and he wonders why you do that, your expression no longer teasing, but oddly empty. “The club I danced for, didn’t pay a lot. Sometimes if the customer looked like he had money, we’d have a private party.” Arms over your head, you turn so your back is to him. “And I always told myself it didn’t matter. That I didn’t care, because every dollar got me a little closer to getting the hell out of there.” There’s something under the resignation in your voice, something broken that makes his spark ache. Wishing he’d found you just a bit sooner, before life had scarred you.

• Wrapping your arms around yourself, you wish you could just shut up. Because telling him this, how dirty you really are? He’s not going to look at you the same way if you don’t stop. Won’t treat you the same way. And part of you knows that everything that’s wrong with your life is wholly your fault. Stubbornly doubling down again and again until there was no digging yourself out. You hear him shift behind you, a metallic rasp. Leaving again? Done with you?

• There’s an unsettling pull as he mass shifts, of willing himself smaller and burning so much energy all at once. And when he’d done, you’re still so much smaller than he is. Just this fragile little thing that still seems so unreal to him as he reaches out and pulls you back into him. Hearing your startled inhale as he catches your wrists in a big hand, unsettled that he can loop the servos of one hand so easily around both your little wrists. “You think I’m proud of every single thing I’ve done? That I haven’t made mistakes?” He asks and feels you shiver.

• Head craning to look over your shoulder and up at him, for once you can’t say anything at all. No smart ass comment or teasing. It hadn’t even occurred to you that he could do something like this. And he’s warm against your back, suddenly aware of him in a way you’d never been before. Those big hands achingly gentle on you. Has anyone ever touched you like that? Gently? It’s too much. Too real, sending you into a panic. “Please tell me it’s not crotch tentacles,” you blurt, hearing him make a noise suspiciously between a groan and a laugh as his other arm curls around you. Holding you closer.

Previous

Next

[rafry]

Euclydia, Cults and Need for Control

Disclaimer: this analysis raises sensitive topics. if you are/were a victim of a cult and the topic triggers you, please refrain from reading further(/seek help). Additionally, I am not a specialist on said topic, nor am I a clinician. But I am a survivor, so part of the narrative may or may not be just me projecting the trauma on a silly yellow triangle. That said, reader discretion is advised! :)

The take: Euclydia is likely to be a cult-like society and the reason Bill, after years of abuse, grows up to be as he is: a power-hungry monster. Let's analyze!

For the starters, The Start. Each state has its own anthem. How lucky that we were kindly provided with the Euclidian hymn (hidden under the code "FORGETTHEPAST")! Lets take a look:

"Two dimensions to and from, You always know which way to go If you're lost, don't be afraid, In Euclydia you've got it made! Run too far too right of frame, You'll appear on left again! Jump too high, don't fry or fret, You'll pop up from the ground, I bet! In this place there is no fear, Roles and rules, always clear, Euclydia, we hold you dear…"

That tells us way more than we could've asked for, really. The most important: Euclydia is a state of Clear Rules™. Everything works perfectly thanks to The Rules and The Roles, and the state is loved by it's citizens. It's might be a caricature 2D utopia, but how it reacts when the rules are questioned?

"Eye doctor of a different kind, who wants to make his patient blind The doctor says: 'three sips a day will make the visions go away' Fussy eater, baby Billy Wouldn't drink unless it's silly..."

If there's anything about cults and the way they make people behave, is that the "wrong" ones in the community are usually ostracized and/or heavily medicated to not cause any troubles. Those people are sometimes called 'heretics', but may as well just be called crazy or insane by their peers. Oh look completely unrelated picture:

"Cipher, Cipher, he's insane Starting fires with his brain"

Honestly, the other time it would be it. Euclydia, if not Is, then sure does Act like a cult in some way. I could've finished here, easily, but there's something missing, isn't?

"The hell do you mean by 'The Need to Control', OP?"

I mean that the BILLVILLE is important.

There's the thing about trauma survivors: some of us, after living a life with no control over ones societal position (ostracization/isolation), body (forcibly medicated) or even mind (feeling of inadequacy), crave for some form of control to be regained.

It can turn toxic very quickly when the only form of control one has ever seen in their life is being The Leader (cult leader/shitty parent/armageddon overlord/you get the idea, it's about becoming an authority figure).

And so, Bill becomes a cult leader! Very possibly covering up the need for control and admiration with what I call "The most inefficient way to build an Interdimentional Portal ever", since, well, he's got to lie to himself every now and then, that's his thing (trauma response).

As for the details:

He uses the dead mans body — the body that wouldn't cause any resistance, thus being perfect for taking under control.

He sees the position of the interviewer as more authoritative than the position of the interviewee — and he swaps the roles. That wasn't enough though, so he demands (politely) to be called "My Lord And Master" for a good measure.

He very possibly recreates some of Euclydia-like order in his own "Town" in terms of expressing individuality. They might've been pretty decent in following scripts, I think.

So, I don't think Euclydia has ever been religious in any way, since that would left some other scars on Bills psyche for sure. But highly authoritative, ignorant, strict in its rules to the point of self-damnation? That checks. That's the place that has formed Bill, after all.

That's the place that he wishes to rebuild.

Maybe not consciously, maybe distorted by his illness and broken memory of a loving-paradise-home that has never actually been that way, but he seeks the comfort of familiarity — most of us do. Familiar stings are better than an uncontrollable too-bright future, isn't?

I hope he does well on therapy.

[spiritualitygeek]

PAC Reading | 2025 Prediction

Disclaimer: This is a general reading intended for entertainment purposes only. The insights provided are not definitive predictions, as your choices and actions constantly shape your reality. This reading reflects potential outcomes based on your current energy and should not be used as the sole basis for significant decisions, including those related to health, finances, or life-changing matters. Please use your own judgment and seek professional advice when necessary. I am not responsible for any decisions made based on this reading.

Pile 1

Cards: 5oW, PoW(X) and QoW

Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Are you lost, babygirl? Haha, I had to keep that in because it truly fits the energy of your reading.

Your year started with the energy of 5 of Wands, and oh boy, you were in the thick of it!

Scrambling, competing, proving, pushing—whether it was career, relationships, or just proving your worth to yourself, you were in that hyper-masculine "go, go, go" mode. And while that fire helped you move forward, it also drained you. There may have been conflicts, inner or outer, and a feeling of "I need to win at all costs." But did you ever pause to ask, win what exactly?

Now, we’re in the Page of Wands reversed phase. And honestly? You're tired. It’s that feeling of I used to be excited about this… so why am I not anymore? The spark feels dimmed. Maybe you're questioning your path, your motivation, your direction. Maybe you’re even a little bored or uninspired. And let me tell you, that's okay. This is your soul telling you to slow down. Instead of forcing yourself to “figure it out,” take this as a cosmic permission slip to simply be. Go on solo dates. Reconnect with hobbies that don’t have a purpose beyond joy. Let go of the need to prove yourself. Because, babygirl, you already are enough.

And then—boom! By the end of the year, you step into Queen of Wands energy.

Now we're talking!

You’re no longer chasing; you're attracting. You’ve shifted from desperate action to inspired action. From pushing to flowing. From proving to owning. Your feminine energy is activated, and with it, your confidence, magnetism, and ease. Things start aligning for you because you’re no longer in resistance. You’re radiating that main character energy, and trust me, people will notice.

The biggest lesson here? You don’t have to exhaust yourself to get what you want. Resting, believing, and taking aligned steps will get you further than forcing things ever did. You’re stepping into a version of yourself that knows their worth, stands in their power, and lets the universe meet them halfway.

So breathe, relax, and trust the process. It's already done!

Pile 2

Cards: Knight oP, QoP, 6oS

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Aries, Libra

OMG, Pile 2! I am absolutely loving your energy—it’s so grounded, so determined. It’s giving "I’ve got a plan, and I’m sticking to it!" I’m getting strong vibes of working toward a goal that sets you free—whether that’s moving out, becoming independent, leaving a relationship that no longer serves you, or upskilling for a better job. Whatever it is, you’re in it for the long haul, and you’re not about to half-ass it.

You stepped into 2025 with Knight of Pentacles energy. This is the card of slow, steady, and disciplined work. You’re not rushing things, you’re not being reckless—you’ve got a goal, and you’re making consistent moves toward it. It might have felt tedious at times, like you’re putting in all this effort without immediate results, but the Knight doesn’t care about instant gratification. He’s in it for real, lasting success. And so are you.

Now, with your current energy as the Queen of Pentacles, I can tell you’re doing amazing, sweetie. You’ve leveled up. You’ve found your rhythm, your stability. You’re not just grinding mindlessly—you’re also nurturing yourself, balancing work with self-care, and actually enjoying the process. That’s the secret sauce! Instead of obsessing over what’s wrong or what you don’t want, you’re choosing to focus on what you do want. And let me tell you, that mindset shift? Powerful. You’re sitting on your throne, secure in yourself, radiating grace and abundance. You’re a Queen indeed.

And here’s the best part—by the end of the year, we’ve got the Six of Swords. And oh boy, this is the card of moving forward. Whatever you’ve been working toward, whatever you’ve been patiently building, you’re finally making that transition. Whether it’s literally packing your bags and leaving, cutting ties with a situation that no longer serves you, or stepping into a new career, it’s happening. The storm is behind you, and you’re sailing toward calmer waters.

My only request is, please keep this energy up. Stay patient, stay steady, and trust that all your efforts are leading you exactly where you need to be. You’re not just dreaming about change—you’re making it happen. And by the end of 2025, you’ll look back and realize just how far you’ve come.

Pile 3

Cards: Temperance, KoW, Strength

Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Sagittarius

Pile 3, you mystical, radiant souls. If I could reach through this reading and give you the tightest, most heartfelt hug, I would. Because wow—you are something special.

You’re my sages, my old souls. You’ve been through the fire, walked through darkness, and yet here you are, not just standing but shining. There’s something so deeply healing about your energy, something that touches people without you even trying. Maybe that’s your purpose—to inspire, to uplift, to simply be a presence that makes the world feel a little less heavy.

You entered 2025 with Temperance—the card of balance, patience, and divine wisdom. This tells me you’ve already done the deep work. You’ve faced your shadows, healed wounds that once defined you, and reached a place of profound self-awareness. You’ve unlearned the limiting beliefs that held you back, shed layers of conditioning, and embraced a path of inner mastery. You don’t react impulsively anymore; you respond with wisdom. There’s a beautiful, almost ethereal peace to you—like you’ve made friends with time itself, knowing that everything unfolds exactly as it should.

And now? Now you’re stepping into the King of Wands energy. Confidence. Vision. Purpose. You’re no longer just existing; you’re leading. Maybe you don’t even realize how magnetic you are, how people naturally look up to you, seek your guidance, and feel safe in your presence. You might be highly spiritual, or maybe you’ve found a way to balance your spiritual depth with the practical world effortlessly. You’re the kind of person who walks into a room and commands attention without even trying. But the best part? You’ve recently learned to protect your energy. No more giving endlessly to energy vampires. No more overextending yourself. You’re choosing where and how you shine, and that’s a power move.

By the end of 2025, with Strength, I see you reaching a level of mastery—not just of survival, but of living. This isn’t just physical strength (though for some of you, it could be a focus on health and vitality). This is inner strength. Emotional resilience. The kind of peace that comes from knowing that nothing outside of you can shake you anymore. You’re stepping into a level of enlightenment that most people spend lifetimes chasing.

I'm sorry if I fangirled a bit too much. Tbh, I don't feel qualified enough to be doing a reading for you, Pile 3. You seem to know and understand it all already. You're so intuitive and wise. TT

Pile 4

Cards: the chariot, death(X), 2oP

Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Scorpio

Pile 4, my warriors in disguise.

I feel like shaking your shoulders gently and saying, "Wake up, love! You’re so much stronger than you think!" Because you are. But right now? You might not be acting like it.

You entered 2025 with The Chariot—bold, determined, full speed ahead. At some point, you had a clear goal, a destination in mind. You were ready to take charge, to move, to break free. But somewhere along the way, something happened. Maybe fear crept in. Maybe doubt whispered in your ear. And now, with Death in Reverse, you’re resisting the very change you once craved.

Let’s be real—you know deep down that something in your life isn’t serving you anymore. It could be a job, a relationship, a mindset, a habit—something is dead weight, but you’re still carrying it. And the craziest part? It’s not even that you want it anymore. It’s that you’re more afraid of the unknown than you are of staying stuck. It’s like a type of emotional masochism—you’re comfortable in discomfort. You’re focusing more on what you don’t want than on what you do.

But here’s the thing: The universe doesn’t respond to hesitation. It responds to clarity. If you keep focusing on fear, you’ll manifest more of it. If you keep thinking about what you don’t want, you’ll keep getting exactly that. It’s time to flip the script.

By the end of the year, we have the Two of Pentacles—which tells me that, whether you like it or not, life is going to force you to juggle your choices. You can’t stay in limbo forever. You’ll either have to adapt or let go, but either way, movement is coming. So, why not take the reins now? Why not be the one who decides instead of waiting for the universe to shake things up for you?

You started this year with The Chariot—that drive, that hunger is still inside you. You just have to believe in it again. Let go. Say yes to what excites you, not what scares you. Because the only way forward is through. And trust me, you were built for this journey.

Pile 5

Cards: PoS(X), Emperor, 5oP

My dear Pile 5, I know you feel like you’re not good enough. Not smart enough. Not pretty enough. Not enough in general. And I know you look around and think, "Everyone else has it figured out. Everyone else is so sure of themselves. Why can’t I be like that?"

But let me let you in on a little secret: most people in this world have absolutely no idea what the hell they’re doing. They just act like they do. They follow the crowd, go through the motions, and convince themselves they’re wise, all-knowing, and superior. But deep down? They’re just as lost as you are. The difference is, they fake it better.

Right now, you’re in The Emperor energy, and that’s actually a good thing. It means you’re not a quitter. You refuse to let life knock you down permanently. Even when you feel lost, you keep pushing forward. You keep redirecting yourself, trying to grab onto something—anything—that gives you a sense of control. That’s the thing about The Emperor. He needs structure, stability, a plan. And when things feel shaky, he tightens his grip even harder. That’s you right now—holding on, trying to make sense of everything, trying to create order in the chaos.

But here’s the part I need you to prepare for: Five of Pentacles at the end of the year.

I see you hitting rock bottom—or at least, feeling like you are. Maybe it’s burnout. Maybe it’s rejection. Maybe it’s just that overwhelming sense of, "I’ve done everything I can, and it still wasn’t enough." You might feel abandoned, like life is leaving you out in the cold. Like all your work, all your effort, all your struggle was in vain.

But listen to me. Do not let your insecurities hold you back.

Let me tell you a little story.

A guy once flirted with me. He was sweet, charming—I started liking him. But then, like any overthinker with internet access, I went through his followers list. I saw all these girls—prettier than me, more popular than me, seemingly better than me. And suddenly, my confidence shattered. I started acting weird, second-guessing everything. And guess what? He changed too. He started pulling away. What changed? Not him. Me. My insecurities drove him away before he even had a chance to make a real choice.

That’s the danger of self-doubt. It warps reality. It makes you sabotage things before they even have a chance to bloom.

And another story—this one about my career.

I got rejected. Not once. Not twice. Multiple times. My hard work was dismissed, overlooked, shut down. I could’ve taken that as a sign to stop. To quit. To believe I wasn’t good enough. But I didn’t. I kept going. And now? I have multiple contracts under my name, multiple projects. I made more money than I ever would have from the things that rejected me.

So tell me—was it my loss? Or theirs?

Had I given up, had I let my insecurities win, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And neither will you.

Pile 5, persevere. Even when it feels pointless. Even when you’re tired. Even when you think you’re not good enough. Because the truth is—you are. You just have to believe it before the world does.

I hope this PAC reached the people who needed to hear these messages and that they resonated with you. You're more than welcomed to write me your feedback if the readings resonate and help you in any way. I'll be more than glad to hear from you.

Also, if you’d like to stay updated on future PACs or personal readings, make sure to follow me! You can DM me for paid readings, or if you prefer, keep an eye out—I occasionally offer free personal readings as well.

Thank you!

- Love, Snow <3

[yayakoishii]

Hunger | Sanji x Reader

Sanji x Reader; Fluff...?

No pronouns used but written with a fem reader in mind. Reader is referred to as a woman or lady at times, but nothing else so you can ignore it if you want!

wc: 2.2k

a/n: super super self indulgent, I wrote this in an hour because I was possessed by this sudden overwhelming love for Sanji. honestly, this fic started with a different goal that where it ended but oh well. maybe I'll write another one to fully convey what I started here. this is my first time writing for OP and Sanji so forgive any mistakes and oocness! enjoyyy!!

also available on ao3!

Sanji didn't know what to think of you.

At first, he had treated you like the other ladies on board and expected you to treat him the same way they did. Except you were different. In your actions, in your words, in your whole being– there was a different kind of softness, warmth and intensity.

It started with you just giving him warm smiles and soft thank yous whenever he brought out a new drink or dish for them to enjoy. The way you always maintained eye contact while doing it left him feeling a little stunned for some reason, and it almost always ended up with him fainting from the loss of blood. And then the way you would be worried over it, even though everyone else just ignored it once he was under Chopper's hands.

You stayed there until he was okay enough to go back to the kitchen. It was just a little thing, but it seemed to squeeze his heart in a painful way.

It was fine with just that, until you started tip-toeing around his territory – the kitchen. He could see you peeking through the door at times, wondering if you wanted something to eat or drink but feeling shy when it came to actually calling you out for it. It was weird– he was being weird around you, but it wasn't his fault. There was something about your ease and quiet around him that made his heart jackhammer in his chest like it was trying to beat his entire life's worth.

So he stayed quiet, pretending not to notice, until you stepped in.

And then he couldn't ignore it anymore.

You sat at the table, just giving him a small smile and nothing else. You didn't say a single word and he couldn't stop himself anymore.

"Did you want something, (y/n)-chan?" He asked gently, just in case you were feeling shy to ask for whatever it was you wanted to eat. But you just shook your head at his words, resting your chin on the backrest of the chair.

"Not really, Sanji-kun," you replied, eyes fixated on his hands, now that he finally realised it. You were looking at the food he was cooking. "I just wanted to watch you cook. Is that okay?"

The blonde chef stood there for a few seconds, stunned silent. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't that. Why would you want to watch him cook? That would be a waste of your time! But before he could say as such to you, he was stopped by the earnest look in your eyes.

"I promise I won't disturb you!" You said quietly, eyes gleaming with your eagerness. He couldn't say no after that.

"Of course not, sweetheart," he finally replied, flicking his eyes downward so he doesn't keep staring at you. The face you had on was too innocent and bright, and his heart was doing that painful squeeze thingy again. "You could never disturb me."

Wrong. Your presence was very disturbing. In a good way, of course. In a way that made his insides feel like they are convoluting and rearranging themselves. In a way that made his chest feel tight and warm.

Perhaps he should have regretted saying that to you. Because you took it as a blanket permission to watch him cook everyday. You would walk in at random times after breakfast, sometimes with a book where you wrote while he cooked or empty handed like always.

And then you started talking to him.

Asking him curious little questions about the food he was cooking at first. And he would answer them as simply as he could, not wanting to confuse you. Sometimes, he saw you noting things down and wondered if you're learning to cook. But it didn't seem like that, just you and your weird fascination with watching him cook. That was fine. (That was not fine. It made him self-conscious because suddenly, he was wondering if he looked like a mess when he was cooking, something he had never doubted before.)

Then your questions turned to just telling him about random things that happened outside while he worked, or something you read in a book, or a story from your past. You talked to him like you would to any other person, but somehow, in the confines of the kitchen where he usually worked by his lonesome, it all felt doubly intimate and personal. Like you were whispering secrets straight into his ear, seeping into the crevices of his heart one drop at a time.

Somewhere along the line, he realised that he didn't feel that heart pounding feeling around any of the other women. He calmed down around them a little, and was gifted with Nami's concerned yet puzzled looks and Robin's analytical one. He played it off by avoiding the topic smoothly whenever they asked, but even they weren't blind to when this change had started to happen.

You, on the other hand, were oblivious to it. Like always, you stepped into the kitchen with more questions, this time about him, about his interests, and anything he wanted to talk about.

"...if I could go there," he paused when he realised that he had been going on and on about the All Blue for the past ten minutes while he was fluttering around the kitchen, without even seeing if you were listening. His head whipped up, cheeks red with embarrassment, only to find you looking at him intently with wide interested eyes.

And somehow, the usual squeezing feeling in his heart reversed. Now it felt like someone had cut his chest open and left its contents exposed for you to gently pick up and caress in your soft hands.

"Sorry, I rambled there for a bit," his mouth felt dry suddenly. He paused in his cooking to grab himself a glass of water.

"Why are you apologising?" You said cheerfully, scribbling something into your book as usual. "I asked you about it, Sanji-kun!"

"Still," he laughed nervously, wondering if you secretly thought he talked too much. Women liked it better when the man listened to them, right? "You probably didn't want to hear all of… that."

Your brows furrowed and you looked at him with a frown. "Why not?"

Sanji drew the glass away from his lips at your question, feeling a little lost. Did that mean you wanted to listen to him…?

"Isn't it boring for you?" He tried, readying himself to hear you affirm his statement.

"It's not boring at all," you said, shaking your pen in his direction. "You are obviously interested in it. You're passionate about it, like you're about your food, and I think that's wonderful. Hearing someone talk passionately about what they love can never be boring for me. It's like an open window into their hearts."

Sanji's heart jumped in its place at that line, wondering when was the last time someone had tried to look into his heart. He was always the one chasing after the ladies, ready to give his heart but never finding anyone who wanted it. And now you were here, wanting to know what was in his heart, wanting to know him. But what if he wasn't the only one? What if he was deluding himself into thinking that he was special to you?

"Did you ask the others about their dreams too?" He asked, hoping it came off as casually as he had wanted it to. You leaned back in the chair, nodding with a huge smile, not realising the way his heart sank at that.

"Of course I did," you said proudly, holding the book close to your chest. "Luffy gave me a place on this ship even though I had nothing to offer to the crew, just because I had nowhere else and no one else to go to. So I wanted to do something for him, and for you guys. Sanji-kun, can you keep a secret?"

"Anything for you, my love," he said without missing a beat, willing his feelings to stay beneath the surface as always. He didn't notice the way your cheeks pinked at the term, too distracted by his own thoughts.

"I'm trying to write down and compile all of your adventures till now," you stage whispered. That surprised him, and he looked at you, noticing the ink smudges on your fingers that curled around the book you had in your hands. He had noticed the smudges and marks increase over time, but he hadn't known what you were doing until now. "When Luffy becomes the King of Pirates, I want to share these adventures with the world. I want them to know the real people behind it all, not some made-up tyrannical version the Marines paint you as. I know firsthand just how kind and thoughtful every person on this ship is, and I am trying to record it in my own way."

"That's…" Sanji was speechless again. Somehow, you always managed to reduce him to that state. An unpleasant smell invaded his nostrils and he looked down, noticing that he had taken his eyes off the food for too long.

"The food!" You exclaimed, standing up from the chair and hurrying over, your book forgotten behind.

"Stay back, (y/n)-chan!" Sanji warned, not wanting you to accidentally get hurt from the hot pot. You hovered at a distance, clearly wanting to help but also not wanting to create more trouble by mistake. With deft hands, he cleared up everything, transferring the food to a different pot and taking care of the burnt one. "There we go. No need to worry, sweetheart, go sit down."

"I'm sorry," you mumbled. Sanji looked up, confused at the apology.

"What are you apologising for, (y/n)-chan?" He asked kindly, walking over to you. He stood a foot away, hesitant to touch but wanting to comfort you. How would you take it if he touched you? Would you be uncomfortable and push him away? He didn't want that. He never wanted you to feel uncomfortable or sad. Or like you had done anything wrong, when you clearly hadn't.

"I distracted you," you said guiltily, looking up at him with glossy eyes. "I promised I wouldn't."

"Don't be silly, sweetheart," he couldn't hold himself back. His left hand cupped your cheek, right one bringing his handkerchief out with a flourish to wipe away the tears welling up in your eyes. "It's not your fault. I was thinking too much, and I made a mistake."

You continued to stare up at him as he wiped the last of the tears and let go of your cheeks, hoping he hadn't crossed any boundaries.

"Sanji-kun…" Your voice was broken and he looked at you in concern. Had he done something wrong? Said something wrong? "It's unfair. It's so unfair!"

"What is, my love?" He asked, trying to figure out what you were talking about as your lips quivered. You were glaring down at the floor, clearly upset about something.

"You," you whispered. "You're unfair. Your existence is unfair. How can someone this perfect exist?"

And now, the usual hammering of his chest was replaced by his heart going stockstill, as if it was holding a breath too, at your simple words.

"The more I get to know you, the more I understand what a kind, loving and warm person you are," you rambled on, like a dam that's finally burst open. "I wanted to get to know you, more than anyone else onboard. So I lingered around, encouraged myself to talk to you. And then, every moment I spent with you just made me fall more and more in love with you. The way you fold your shirt up to your elbows, the look of concentration on your face when you're cooking, that soft look in your eyes when you're talking about food, the sheer strength in your legs when you're fighting, the immense love and respect you have for food. Every little thing about you just made me fall in love with you and I told myself to stay away, but you make it so hard to not keep coming back. I keep wanting to know more and more about you; it's like a hunger that is never satisfied no matter how much I feed it."

There was pindrop silence in the kitchen when you paused, realised what you had said and froze. Sanji's unlit cigarette fell from his lips as he stared at you, wondering if this was a wild self-torturous dream his brain had thought up to torment him with; except his brain could never imagine the way you were now flushed from head to toe, hiding your face behind widely spaced fingers. Your wide eyes peeked through the gaps, the look of utter mortification on your face visible to him even with the obstacles.

"I'm so sorr–"

He didn't let you finish. Sanji pulled you into a tight embrace, his long fingers finding purchase in the nape of your neck where your hair was. You gasped at the sudden action, heart hammering in tandem with his, suddenly realising in the close proximity that you were not the only one whose heart rate had spiked.

"I could ask you the same question, sweetheart," he wrenched himself away to stare you straight in the eyes. His hand reached back and up to hold your face again. You didn't miss the broken and vulnerable look in his eyes as he whispered the next few words, in a way like it was meant to be heard only by you.

"How can someone so perfect exist?"

[jenjenmina]

People hate krs!Cale???

TLDR; People don't hate krs!Cale. Some people think og!Cale fans do (they don't). They hate og!Cale because of it.

I just recently remembered about a reddit post asking about 'why do people hate krs!Cale just because of og!Cale?' and just… wow. I checked and it's deleted now and thank goodness.

It was 10 months ago so you can tell what they said stuck with me. Not in a good inspirational way, as in it was like a parasite that wouldn't leave and kept filling me with rage because of how wrong it was.

To summarize, it was basically saying that "og!Cale fans are hating on krs!Cale just for their own agenda, krs!Cale did nothing wrong, the soul swap was consesual, why does og!Cale even have fans?"

Almost everyone in the replies was like 'I didn't know people liked og!Cale' or 'People hate krs!Cale??' but I noticed one person pointed out that op was a mdzs fan. They were basically saying that op was projecting the stanwars of 'Wei Wuxian vs Jiang Cheng' of the mdzs fandom into tcf. Honestly they were rude, but they had a point.

(For context, mdzs is a popular book. In it's story, the main character that people love, Wei Wuxian, has some conflicts with a character people are divided about, Jiang Cheng. And in the mdzs fandom, WWX stans hate JC, JC stans don't hate WWX but WWX stans feel like they do just because JC stans defend JC. So it's almost always a stanwar there.)

Tbh, I always felt that there were people in the fandom who don't like og!Cale or don't like even mentioning him. Every so often, I'll see someone invalidating his experiences, him as a character, or people's love for him. Like "(character) didn't do anything wrong to ogcale", or "What did ogcale actually do", or "I'm sick and tired of ogcale stans and fics". I ignored it, people are entitled to their opinions no matter how much I disagree or think they're wrong I don't care to confront them.

But that reddit post was what basically confirmed for me/convinced me that some people feel insecure because of og!Cale. They subconsciously think og!cale as a character and people's love for him automatically makes krs!Cale "someone who stole ogcale's identity and isn't actually Cale and doesn't deserve everyone's love for him as Cale". You know, they think that's what og!Cale fans think.

I'm one person so I can't speak for everyone but I don't think anyone actually thinks that about krs!Cale.

I don't wanna invalidate people's experiences in the fandom, especially since I don't have concrete proof of what that reddit post said because it's deleted and i blocked everyone who said stuff like this: "(character) didn't do anything wrong to ogcale", or "What did ogcale actually do", or "I'm sick and tired of ogcale stans and fics". So there will most definitely be people who will question ME about these experiences and say it didn't happen.

But I don't think anyone hates krs!Cale because of og!Cale. If they do, they don't represent the entirety of og!Cale fans and you don't have to hate og!cale as a character because of it.

Krs!Cale and og!Cale isn't a stan war. It never was, it never should be. It's not Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian.

It's not rocket science. Everyone in the replies of that reddit post didn't know people were hating on krs!Cale because people AREN'T hating on krs!Cale.

+++to that one specific person who here on tumblr who hates on authors who writes fics of ogcale doing krs!Cale things like saving the world and being loved, click off. Don't like, don't read. You know how easy it is to mute users on ao3? You know how easy it is to exclude ogcale as a character in the filters? You know how easy it is not be rude to people who people who are just minding their own business?

[starman-john-tracy]

What's it like to have your dad back after such a long time? 🫂

“I… actually, honestly, I don’t think I can describe it.” John’s voice comes out far quieter than he’d intended. He shakes his head, soft and slow, and his shoulders tense like the question has set him on an edge he’s wary of toppling over.

“I… sometimes I don’t think I can even believe it. After all this time, Dad’s actually home and it’s real and-” John's shoulders roll themselves through a shrug, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly as he swallows. “All I have to do is walk downstairs and he’s there, sitting at his desk like nothing happened and-" and John doesn't think he knows how to vocalise what that means to him. The ginger head shakes again.

“So many times, while Dad was gone," His voice is surprisingly thick, "I’d call, expecting him to be there like normal. I'd forget, almost. But the comm would just ring and ring and- and now he’s actually back on the other end.” The astronaut laughs, but it sounds suspiciously wet. “He’s actually home.”

It’s so… unbelievable. Surreal. Beyond their wildest dreams.

The happiness it's brought is indescribable to John (who has trouble expressing such a thing at the best of times). He's just ridiculously deliriously, unmistakably happy - in a way he's never felt his whole life. It's like riding a drug high. Like a sky he'd forgotten was black has finally cleared. His heart just feels so full and the relief is all encompassing. John has, in fact, smiled so much recently that his cheeks have started to hurt. Gordon jabbed him in the face with a finger and asked him what was wrong with it. Twice.

Because, while John had never stopped looking - while Thunderbird Five never turned off the facial recognition protocols scanning the globe - that didn't mean he'd not stopped hoping. He thinks Scott had stopped too. Then Virgil and Gordon. Only Alan, really, who was eight at the time their Father had disappeared, and therefore too young to fully remember a time when he had always been there for them, had completely refused to accept the possibility he wasn’t coming back.

The systems and algorithms Five has designated to look for their Father are, actually, still running, even now. John can't quite bring himself to shut them down just yet. From the moment it was suggested that the Zero-X had launched Jeff Tracy into the Oort Cloud, that they could follow him there, everything has just seemed... too good to be true. Like this might all be an incredibly realistic dream he could wake up from. Like it would be giving up to turn them off, even though Jeff Tracy is right here; perfectly alive and safe with one hand on Scott's shoulder and the other arm curled around Alan, loudly talking their ears off about space rescue parameters.

John thinks that, maybe, the systems have just been running for so long, for so many years, that, like background noise, he's become intrinsically used to the blank, empty results - and that turning them off would feel like losing a vital part of his Thunderbird. Of maybe himself.

Only the results aren't blank anymore.

If John's honest, though, having him home has also been... a bit of a struggle to adjust to. Scott seemed to expected their Father to need to fully retire after his stint in space, for him to let them continue as they have been, but, if anything, now he's recovering Jeff seems more keen to get back into the running of International Rescue than ever. Had Scott properly thought about it, he would have known what they all did - Colonel Tracy would never let go of IR's reins. Not without a fight.

And it's making their current Field Commander butt his stubborn head hard against their old one's.

John thinks their Father needs to learn that, well... a lot has changed. His little boys have really grown up, and stepped into the shoes it took all five of them to fill.

The current problem is that Jeff thinks Alan's still too young to run ops by himself - but John has over a hundred successful mission logs from the times they had no choice but to send Alan up alone, to prove him wrong. He doesn't feel the man can really argue with both the evidence that his youngest son is a prodigy, or the fact it was Alan's determination, at the core of it, that saved him from deep space.

The kid's a better pilot than any of them, after all - and trained not by their Father like the rest of them, but by his big brothers and his own natural skill and sheer determination. They just need to get Jeff to see that he's the reason they’d gotten to him just in time.

Weak and malnutritioned - bleached thin and shaky by life in zero gravity, in space, with only old oxygen scrubbers and the bare minimum of ration bars that had been aboard the space plane, their Father is hardly the strong, idealised man they’d lost. He’s come back with something softer, quieter. Something a little more like John in ways the younger astronaut had always assumed he’d got from his Mother. Jeff talks to himself a lot, sleeps a lot, eats a lot. He’s a very much changed man by the experience.

But he’s still their Father.

And they’d have given anything to get him back home safely.

And, with their lives and Thunderbirds on the line, they almost had.

[yelenasdiary]

Hello 👋

I saw your requests say open, but I know you're struggling with motivation to get content out so no worries if you cannot or don't want to fulfill this but I'm having a surgery soon so I'm requesting from some of my friends/fav writers hoping it helps me out in recovery.

Anyway sorry for the rambling lol, here's my idea. I was thinking like something with BuckyNat and R where Reader has to undergo surgery for something (maybe an old injury became too bad to deal with or maybe something happened on a mission that needs attention) and they're super nervous about it and hesitant to agree so Nat and Bucky sit down with them and just offer lots or love and support (even though they're both nervous too cuz that's their girl) so when Rs getting the surgery they're a bit of a mess until they know she's alright and then they help her settle into their room and help care for her as she starts to mend.

If you decide to write it I thank you lots in advance ☺️

Drabble || It's All Gonna Be Okay

Pairing: BuckyNat x Reader

Summary: When a mission goes wrong, you're told you need realignment osteotomy surgery, the idea of it makes you worried and full of nerves in which your partners help you overcome.

Tiny Angst, Fluff

Warnings: Medical talk, she/her pronouns used (I hope that's okay!!), This is not corrected or proof read. | 0.6K

Translations: detka (baby),

AC: I hope your op goes well!! I also hope this helps, sorry I made it a Drabble, I wanted to get this posted asap for you x

Bucky smiled softly at you, "what's on your mind doll?" he asked seeing your mind was a million miles away. Natasha sitting on the right side of your hospital bed, she looked up at the two of you.

"The thought of being put to sleep and some stranger playing around inside my body and touching my bones is freaking me out" you replied honestly. Bucky let out a soft chuckle, "doll, they are professionals" he reminded you.

"Yeah, they're not even thinking about how weird it is that they're touching somebodies bones" Nat pitched in. Sure, they had a point the thought of it was still uncomfortable. "Okay but what if something goes wrong?" you questioned. Nat placed her hand on top of yours, "detka, I promise you nothing is going to happen"

"That's right doll, nothing is going happen to my darling. You'll be in and out in no time and Nat and I will be waiting by your side" Bucky added. You looked over to him on your left side, "do you promise?" you asked.

"Have I ever broken a promise to you before?" he questioned with a soft smile. The support from the two of them did help ease some of your nerves and finally you agreed with your surgeon that you'd have the surgery on the condition that both Nat and Bucky were able to watch from the viewing room. At first your surgeon wasn't onboard with the idea but with a little sweet talking from Bucky and the two of them were sat in the view room watching the surgery unfold from above.

"She'll be okay" Natasha places her hand on Bucky's knee when she noticed the worrying look in his eyes. "I know but still, that's our girl down there, I can't help but worry" he replied. Nat rested her head on Bucky's right shoulder, "I know love, I'm worried too" she admitted.

They watched for what felt like forever until the operation was a success and you were returned to your room when both Nat and Bucky waited patiently for you to wake up, both of them holding your hand. When your eyes finally fluttered open, smiles filled the room. Bucky was relieved and Nat was just happy to see your beautiful eyes once more.

"How are you feeling detka?" Natasha asked, placing a kiss on your temple. "Tired" you replied, struggling to keep your eyes open, the last of the anaesthesia winning the battle making your partners lightly chuckle.

"I'll go get us some dinner, what do you want?" Nat asked Bucky knowing full well he wasn't going to leave your side for a second. "Burgers?" he replied, looking up at Nat as she placed a hand on his left shoulder, "you've got it soldier" Nat said, placing a kiss on his cheek.

----

A few weeks after your operation you started PT. Natasha made her it mission to make sure you had the best physiotherapist in the county, although you told Natasha it wasn't necessary but Bucky was on team Nat and you lost that battle.

Bucky basically waited on you hand and foot, he just wanted to make sure you were okay and in no pain. Night was one your favourite time of day because Natasha would somehow have dinner ready, by somehow you mean you were sure that Wanda cooked and Nat took the credit but you thought it was sweet she wanted to do something nice each night and let it slide.

After dinner, the three of you would snuggle up in bed, carefully of your knee of course but with the two people you love the most beside you, the pain from your knee was the least of your worries.

[angofwords]

hello. Don't know if this feels weird..

Based on the post you reblogged about villains, would you expand on Dino Golzine from banana fish? Where does all the actions of his come from?

Hello! Thanks for such a great question!!

I've actually been intending to write an essay about Dino Golzine for YEARS, so thank you for giving me the excuse to get to it. <3

Because you referenced the post about villains, I figure I'll take each of that OP's observations point by point and apply my thoughts about Dino. Bear with me, because this might be long. Also, it should be emphasized that I DON'T, IN ANY WAY, SUPPORT DINO. This essay might sound sympathetic in places, but it is not. I'm just trying to look at things from his point of view.

"They Should Believe They're the Hero of Their Own Story"

Dino Golzine may not believe he's a hero in a traditional way--he knows he's committing crimes, but I don't think he necessarily thinks that he's wrong. What do I mean? Think about any real-life mob boss. They're the head of a business organization. A family business, at that. He doesn't have family in the traditional sense, but he's got everyone calling him "Papa," so I'm sure he imagines that his staff are some kind of found family where he's the patriarch. It's a warm feeling, knowing that people look up to you, that they rely on you for their livelihoods.

Sure, his business is on the wrong side of the law, but that's just semantics--what are laws but rules set in place by other men? If Golzine's work is an asset to the community--he provides people with things they want (drugs and sex) and undoubtedly funds plenty of political campaigns and public works--then surely something as petty as law shouldn't matter. Sure, his sex business is a bit niche, but there's clearly demand, right? He's making cash hand-over-fist, so he's filling what would otherwise be a void in the market. If he didn't sell cocaine and boys, someone else surely would, so it's not like these boys would have a better life if he obeyed the law.

Hero or not is debatable, but the fact is, Dino is successful. He's strong. He's respected. These are the only heroic qualities that interest him.

"Give Them a Personal Code of Ethics (Even if Twisted)"

Yeah, Dino's code is absolutely twisted, but you can see that he has one. First of all, it's clear that he values decorum. He doesn't like it when Ash is dirty or rowdy or uses bad language. He doesn't like it when things happen that make him look bad (like when the head of the Corsican group decides to replace him because Ash has made a fool out of him). These aren't quite ethics, but they are a standard of conduct. Golzine has a reputation to uphold, after all.

Until he gets angry, Dino tends to be respectful with his peers (the senators, Foxx, Blanca) and even those he thinks are a bit beneath him (Dr Mannerheim). You might ask about the boys at Club Cod, about Ash himself. How is that ethical? Frankly, I'm not sure he considers those boys as human beings. It's like what Ash said, he treated him like a doll, that it never occurred to him that he had feelings.

I think that changes over time, in regards to Ash. Once Ash is his assassin, he develops some level of respect for him--at least enough to see him as a human being. Dino's respect for strength and skill is obvious. I suspect it was Ash's determination not to break at Club Cod (as well as his beautiful face) that inspired Golzine to pull him out, to keep him as his own. And even when Ash became willful and unmanageable, Golzine never killed him (though he threatened a lot), instead giving him an expensive education.

He doesn't let Ash get dosed with banana fish in the mental health facility. He also doesn't let Foxx kill him. We can argue motivation for those actions, but it seems his sense of ethics are a bit warped around Ash. Whether he's protecting him or he wants to destroy Ash himself (I honestly think it's the former), there seems to be line there that he won't let anyone cross.

Also, he fulfills his obligations to Yut Lung. They made a deal and Golzine stands by his end of it, killing his brothers for him. As a businessman, Golzine can honor a contract.

So, while this isn't quite an ethical compass, it's that same kind of structure. Golzine rewards the traits he values, and he probably really thought he was elevating Ash into someone respectable.

"Their Motivation Should be Relatable (Even if Their Actions Aren't)"

Okay, so here's where Dino fails for me. I simply can't relate to the smooth running of a criminal empire, and I doubt most of the readers can, either. I guess it's understandable that he'd want to develop banana fish for the pure profit of it. Still, his motivation being almost 100% financial is a bit gross.

However, if you bear in mind that this manga was written in the 1980s, when "Greed is Good" was a literal bumper sticker slogan, that might be enough to fulfil this particular rule. The '80s were a very different time, ideologically. Being a cutthroat businessman wasn't really considered a character flaw yet.

Also, as far as motivations go, it's understandable that he'd want Ash to take over for him, as he has no heir (and I suspect he'd be grossed out trying to get one the traditional way) and the whole point of this sort of organization is to keep it in the family. I honestly believe that, if he put all the "good" he did for Ash (luxuries, food, nice clothes, a well-rounded education, "rescuing" him from Club Cod) on one end of a scale and the bad stuff (rapey things, mostly, because I'm sure he felt that making Ash into a killer was a good thing) on the other side, Dino probably thought that Ash should've been grateful. I know, it's horribly disgusting, but seriously, that's the only read I can get on him.

"Make Them Competent (Nothing's Scarier Than a Villain Who Actually Wins)"

I don't think this one takes much thought. Dino is scary as fuck. In the beginning of the series, Ash is cocky around him. He's rude and disrespectful and it's beautiful. But I think that's all for show, like the way a teenager might push his dad, but that doesn't mean he really thinks he could take him. Golzine scares the shit out of Ash. All those years, and Ash never left New York? He could get on a bus and make a new life in Chicago or California, but he doesn't. I assume this is because he knows how Golzine would react. He doesn't spend the whole series trying to break free from a guy like this if it wasn't hard as hell to actually do it.

Golzine orchestrates so much truly heinous shit, like the whole situation surrounding Shorter's death. He's quick to punish Ash for rebelling, like when he lets him think he's going to let Mannerheim dose him with banana fish, and when Ash consistently gets the better of him, he uses his resources to hire someone who really can punish him (Blanca and then Foxx). He's relentless, and that's terrifying.

"Don't Forget Their Human Side--What Do They Love? What Are They Afraid Of?"

Dino doesn't seem to be afraid of much, but he's afraid of failure. When Corsica tried to have him replaced, he floundered for a minute. He rallied, of course, and got his position back (partly by murdering the guy who was sent in to replace him), but it was touch-and-go for a minute there. His impotent rage was rather humanizing.

What does he love? I'm going to start with the less-controversial things--he loves order, and luxury. He loves power. He has cats--not an easy pet for people who need obedience, so I assume he has a soft spot for them, too. He loves to hob-nob with powerful men.

Now, for the more controversial. I honestly think he loves Ash. Not in any way that is normal or healthy or even recognizable to most people, but I do think it's love, in the only way Dino knows how to love. He treasures Ash as something he's created, something he owns. It's narcissistic and gross, but I think that Ash is the only person on earth that Golzine wants near him. He reiterates over and over that he owns Ash, even goes as far as saying he'll make a "good wife" out of him. Dino wants Ash in his life forever. Ash is literally his favorite thing.

Before I get attacked for this--OBVIOUSLY Ash deserves more than that. It's insulting and disgusting and horrible to think that any person should be forced to live the way Ash has lived with Golzine, especially under the guise of "love." But Ash is the only humanizing influence on Dino, even if all we see is negative emotions. Ash is able to push Dino's buttons, making him alternately blind with rage and furious with envy. But imagine how soft he might get if Ash tried, even for a second, to be nice to him. I think Ash could have Golzine eating out of his hand, if he wanted. (But obviously, Ash is far too traumatized and terrified of this man to even see this as an option, which is ultimately better for Ash, because such a path would undoubtably corrupt him).

Dino Golzine works because he's larger than life. Not only does he wield an enormous amount of power, he has power over Ash. Ash is a god in this manga--he's the prettiest, smartest, most talented, most capable boy who ever lived--and yet, Dino Golzine has made him desperate enough that he's willing to climb on top of a badly-veering truck for a chance to finally kill him. That's a terrible plan and he knows it, but at that moment, it's all he has, so he goes for it. Dino is a classic, well-constructed villain who gets the work done basically every time he's on the page.

Think about why the fandom hates Foxx--he's an evil caricature and he adds no depth at all to the story. Compare that to Dino Golzine--we hate him because he feels real.

[quizzyisdone]

I've seen your posts about Russell Adler and they are wonderful to read! My favorite one is the morality of Russell Adler ,I thought it was so insightful to his character and really well done.👏

I'm curious what do you think about the headcanon, which Russell Adler is the father of Phillip Graves ? I've seen it around the fandom and I like reading what others think of it.

Thanks so much for your time !

Aw, thank you so much for the kind message! I'm glad you enjoyed that post, I'm actually working on an updated version of that to reflect what we see in Black Ops 6 and how his character has developed over time.

As for the whole concept of Adler and Graves being related -- I actually really do not like it. If that's your headcanon, I respect that, I even see the appeal in it, but personally, I just do not like it. Here's why;

(TLDR; I do not like the headcanon, it makes zero sense for Adler to raise a child like that and the two characters are not even in the same universe. )

On Phillip Graves' Lineage

First you may be asking - why don't I like it?

Simple, it really is not in character for Adler to raise a brat like that or fuck up fatherhood so royally that he raises a leader of a mercenary group whose loyalty goes only to the highest bidder. I love all of my Graves' fans but honestly, he's a POS in my opinion. (Doesn't stop him from being hot tho)

Graves has no motivation to betray the 141, y'know, the guys who are actively trying to stop and protect civilians from a deadly missile attack, aside from a fat pay check from the douchebag himself, General Shepherd. Still yet, he betrays them and then later denied involvement and threw Shepherd under the bus when it benefited him.

Okay - so what does that have to do with Adler?

A lot actually. This headcanon actually came into popular fandom canon for two reasons, A) they look alike. B) people like to draw false parallels between the two characters.

The second part is what frustrates me. That mostly comes from people completely misunderstanding Adler's character and taking his actions, dialogue, and narrative and twisting it into something he absolutely is not.

Essentially the line of thinking is "Well Adler is an asshole, Graves is an asshole, so the two must be related." There are several things wrong with this statement. Firstly, Adler is actually a very loyal and devoted man who employs seemingly harsh and unorthodox methods to his job. Saying Adler is just an asshole because he brainwashed Bell and is therefore unlikable is such a surface level take and it irks me to no end.

I think there is a cutscene in BO6 where Adler is listed as having kids and I can see that, I mean the man does theoretically have an ex-wife (unless he was lying just for funsies) so it's not out of the question for him to have them. While I don't think Adler is the Father of the Year in any sense of the title, I do not think he is uninvolved. Perhaps very distant and pretty big on tough love and not always there due to the nature of his work, but he still loves them and I would think his kids know that he loves them in his own way. (Definitely gave them so weird ass daddy issues along the way though)

So yeah, no, I don't think Adler gave Graves daddy issues so bad that he became the absolute garbage fire of a man he is today. It's not like him and it takes a lot worse than daddy issues to give a man motivation to do something like that.

Also, the main reason they are not related:

Black Ops and Modern Warfare are not even in the same universe. Yes, I know they are both in the franchise but no, they are not in the same universe. And if the devs ever decide to retcon that decision I will turn into Travis the Chimp and bite some poor lady's face off in a psychotic rampage.

It would make no sense if the events of either franchise occurred in the same universe.

When I am referring to Black Ops, the only games that are canon/have any relevance are of course World At War (mostly because of Reznov), Black Ops, Black Ops 2, Black Ops Cold War and Black Ops 6.

When discussing Modern Warfare (the reboot, not the originals), the only games that are canon are Modern Warfare 1-3 (three is questionable, I feel like that game is the one thing devs need to retcon and rerelease with a different story)

It is literally impossible for Adler to be the father of Graves, the two don't even exist in the same universe.

At the end of the day,

I did not write this to be mean or to shit on anyone's headcanon. I mentioned it before, I do see the appeal in it, if you happen to have a different opinion on the two characters than I do. If you like this headcanon, go on with ya bad self and keep posting your art and fanfiction about it. My opinion on it doesn't/shouldn't affect yours at all. <3

[enpr-ss]

WILD LIFE FINALE!!!

Wait it IS every wildcard? But just in sequence? Banana again. And finally the 3 grinches are clearly aligned. THE SNAILS!!! Is it every other wildcard card? Or only the useful ones? Ah back to his failed machine gun cross bow strategy. Randomized wild cards? ETHO GOT THE MACE ONE AGAIN LOOOOL. He simply cannot escape being breeze-coded. BigB is now the most important ally to have. Bdubs can’t beat the BigB allegations TRIVIABOT IS BACK!!! WITH CURRENT SESSION QUESTIONS! Omg. Time to see our players make an absolute fool of themselves again. Despairing over wasting time mining for diamonds last session LOL. Robot Tango again!!! Also this would help the shapeshifters maintain their disguise. THE TRIVIABOT JUST DIED IN FRONT OF THEM OH MY GOD!?!? His Minecraft body language is so communicative. Etho: “Honestly Tango: probably for the best, with the way things have been going”

Wait so the wild cards keep randomizing? And so the super powers with it??? This is going to be so chaotic. Also where’s Mumbo? Not Etho mistaking Ren for Martyn and giving him stuff LOL. Etho: “Somebody needs to blow up Joel’s car again” ETHO LOOOOOL THATS SO BRUTAL.

In which Etho’s Canadianness saves him from Scar's rollercoaster. And of course he forgot about his zombie powers. I’m sure his zombies has some words about that. Should have saved his enchanted leftover armor for his zombies lol. Etho: “You guys gotta hurry though cuz- *Skizz immediately dies in front of them*”

Whose snail is that? Do zombies get zombie snails too? Nooo the zombies…..

I bet BigB’s about to attempt to mace Etho as he answers the TriviaBot. Omg snails + triviabot is such a deadly combo. BIGB NOOOO NOT TO A SNAIL!!! BigB literally just died and Etho accidentally called Bdubs BigB.

OH MY GOD HIS TRAP AND BETRAYAL ACTUALLY WORKED!!!! NO WONDER THAT WAS HIS THUMBNAIL LOOOOOL. I guess that’s what happens when you try to corner Etho into picking your side AHAHAH. Yet another illegal yellow on yellow kill. AND THEN HIS SNAIL GOT HIM BECAUSE HE LITERALLY WALKED TOWARDS IT INSTANT KARMA OH MY GOD. I CANT IM LAUGHING SO HARD WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE.

Mount Gem is blowing and it’s all Etho’s fault. She’s no longer overlooking patheticness.

WHO WROTE THIS QUESTION!?!! I HAVE SOME WORDS FOR YOU!!!

Look at Etho really committing to the innocent pathetic tuff guy bit.

Wait who has the teleport? Was it Joel or Grian? And I think the other one is shapeshifter. THAT WAS SO CHAOTIC HE JUST KILLED IMPULSE OUT OF THE SERIES OMG. “Why is it not working?” BECAUSE IT’S A BAD STRATEGY AND YOU CANT AIM??? ALSO YOUR TARGET CAN TELEPORT LOL???? What a hilarious chaotic scrum. They truly can’t touch a warper. He’s just leading them around in circles. Grian’s screech as he got warped in was so good. Did the super speed just benched because it was too op??

lol what was that 1x1 pvp. ETHO GOT SCOTT OUT. OF ALL PEOPLE TO DO SO. THE TIMING. Finally the crossbow was useful. Even when Gem loses she stays winning.

Yep not answering trivia bot, lighting up the area, and staying aware and away from the snail was the smart gamer move.

I can’t believe of all people it’s the Tuff Guys who made it intact to the final 8. And Tango has answered every single trivia question wrong and got robo’ed AGAIN. How nice for everyone to congregate near the middle at the Tuff Guys base. Why is Etho standing underneath and around the RAILTRACKS. If Joel TNT minecarts you all, it’s so deserved. Repelling a trident with a windcharge is cool. HE BLEW HIMSELF UP AGAIN LOL. Only 1 successful trap in all the series. Hoisted by his own breezy petard. Pathetic Tuff Guy to the end.

I got spoiled a bit but I’m so glad that I predicted correctly. They went strip mining in the finale…. Ah all the wild cards are not as extreme. "CHILD LIFE" JOEL?!?! The anxiety cheetah allegations are back. He’s such a sucker for pathetic men / his wife and just giving them whatever they ask for and not being hostile to them. He’s speedbridging again. Of course he tries to use his op invis ability and immediately gets exposed because of a dog. Lizzie tries to blow him up via zombie Martyn and he’s like oooooh iron!

Joel: “Pretty sure it’s Jimmy he’s got mascot energy” What does that even mean??

That Ghast screeches were unholy. Not Gem helping Lizzie, and Joel immediately leaving the Gem-Pearl drama Etho nearly got Joel as well… and how does Joel just fall for his excuses and lies every single time. And Joel keeps rescuing his wife and Jimmy from dangerous mobs.

Of course Joel dies to Scott but at least Etho got Scott back. Even if it’s by accident. And of course Joel takes it as an alliance at face value. Etho got karma’ed by his snail AND HE GOT IMPULSE WITH THE INVIS SNAIL AS WELL!! The snails are on the family’s side. Joel stays winning. Lizzie and Jimmy going out together. Rip Joel.

Ah Etho thought it was a genuine attempt but they were just messing with him. And I’m sure there’s going to be so much angst about Lizzie going after Joel and he punching her into her creeper death. What a circus of them trying to get Joel. And Grian accidentally saved him with the warp. Then he sets up a creeper trap and accidentally nearly kills Gem LOL. And he’s so focused on trying to make a trap that Scott gets him. “no-YES!” And Joel accidentally triggering all the trapped chests that Gem set again (just like Secret Life finale)

TANGO NOT AGAIN!!!! REN LOL. Oof Grian.

Of course Joel goes to see if his first trap that he spent so much time and effort on would have worked. And of course it didn’t. Even when he wins he stays losing.

How fast they stop cheering.

Grian absolutely ripping Tuff Guys to shreds. And he’s just noping away from Ren’s angst but also contributing to it with the unnecessary elaboration. Look at him and Etho continuing their playful tone banter.

Grian, looking at Pearl and Impulse: “How have we all had the same idea?”

“You got Dumb and Dumber!” Guess Grian’s still mad at Mumbo and banned him LOL.

The snails!! Giving everyone heart attacks and killing everyone in a rampage. No wonder he was so anxious about not knowing where his snail was. Grian and Scar helping each other out A LOT.

Grian: “It was always going to be like this Jim.” Eret vibes. That was SO BRUTAL. But that’s the commitment Grian has. Hell hath no fury like a widow scorned. And it’s basically the same line he used on Mumbo too.

He finally did save Joel with a warp, even putting himself on the line! Pulled through from the last episode. It’s so tragic that Grian and Joel didn’t think to warp someone to their snail.

Grian ABSOLUTELY NOPING out of the death tower that claimed so many of his allies.

How has he missed every single shot??? He’s literally in the best position too. Grian dying by falling off a cliff where he and Scar based next to a tower ala 3rd Life!!! It’s always a finale cliff.

Seeing behind the scenes snippets is so cool! And the snails!!!

LOL. Something about counting sheep to fall asleep...

Classic Gem. It would be so cool if Gem did actually take out Lizzie because that’s Joel’s only weakness.

LOL

Gem coldly rejecting any attempts to beg with “well you killed me and also weren’t good friends”

Was the bee someone? Gem pulled out her sword at it and it immediately u-turned.

She’s not even using her speed just walking away from Pearl’s mace attempts. Scott watching in exasperation. “We can’t talk until I’m on red? You better work a little harder then.” The return of toxic yuri and pathetic Pearl. She likes red bloodthirsty pathetic Pearl the best?!?! What is wrong with the both of them. What does Gem even WANT?!?!? Being red together? Killing each other for real? Or wanting Pearl constantly obsessing over her, chasing after her death but also her affection? I’m sinking my teeth into this insane dynamic.

She really just snatched up those items from right on front of her snail! I was tense!!! TWICE!!!

She’s so proud of Etho for finally killing her. I’m surprised she didn’t engage with Pearl now that she’s on red. “I'm going to make it my life’s mission to kill Impulse” and then Impulse dies to the invis snail. Even when she loses she stays winning. She didn’t even put in the part where Etho got instant karma’d by his snail too.

I love her captions so much.

Gem yelling at incompetent players has to be a compilation somewhere. Her not feeling the need to get involved with the chaos because they will all self-destruct is very watcher lore of her.

Gem encouraging Pearl’s wet cat-ness continues!!!! We are so fed!!!!

SHE MADE BDUBS ETHO AND GRIANS SNAIL INVIS AHAHAHA.

She’s trying to be insane with Pearl but Joel keeps accidentally interrupting their moment LOL. The enthusiastic tone shift, the deliberate matchy clothing…

Oof the one time she answered the TriviaBot wrong (to be fair she might have misclicked or been punched or just under too much time pressure) The sped up time killing her AGAIN. Oof. But at least no one got her; the wild card did!!! And she had to really hammer in the point about roleplay to settle the drama lol. She played so well!!! Shame we didn’t see more insane dynamics; I was really excited for the angsty 1v1 with either Pearl or Joel. And Joel won!!!

THIS TITLE AND DESCRIPTION LOOOOOOOL

Of course Scott can twin into Pearl and Pearl got Gem's powers. The perfect selection for lore and soulmate / toxic yuri angst.

Ah man they missed an opportunity to trap the blocks around the creaking heart so that it instantly sets off a tnt minecart. A swarm of angry bees is mean LOL!!!

She has fond memories of murder camel!!! Of course it’s Scott as her murder buddy.

Gem cut out SO MUCH pathetic mace Pearl content LOL. Cleo Impulse and Pearl vs Gem and she still barely landed like 2 hits. Gem’s POV didn’t hear the part where Pearl said GEM said that they couldn’t talk until she was on red. The unreliable narrator is SO GOOD!! Pearl panting like an excited dog on her last wind charge targeting Joel!!!! Gem cut out the part where she implies that Pearl doesn’t actually want to kill her because she warned her about her snail. And when Gem compliments her she starts backing off because she’s suspicious. The excited dog panting AGAIN when Gem basically stood still until the last moment??? Gem: “Right under you...” This dynamic is EVERYTHING!!

The cry of rage when Impulse died.

The pathetic wet cat allegations cannot be beat. Especially when she accidentally hotgal’ed BigB instead of Joel. The sad resignation in her voice about being pathetic. Omg I just realized the Hotguy Comic Zine roleswap AU basically got canonized.

The universe is homophobic and refused to let their yuri be reconciled, tearing them apart at Pearl’s expense at every opportunity. Excellent timing from terrible trapper warper!Joel. Gem says she can’t control him literally at the same place where they bullied MurderBot!Pearl and said the same thing of “yeah he’s just harmless like that.”

She water bucketed Gem after Scott lava’d her! Didn’t capitalize on the weakness for the kill!! Her TriviaBot question was literally about Gem giving flowers to another person!!! She pearled away!!!! And she’s sad about Gem dying!!!!! IM SCREAMING

Pearl, desolate: “I’m so lost… I didn’t get to have the murder camel with Gem. Impulse died!! What do I do?” *sad music* THE TRAGEDY!!! The return of lonely Pearl!!!! “My heart has never been so broken before in the Life Series..”

Cleo and Pearl are Ren’s swords instead!!!!! Dogwarts symbolism increases. She got poisoned arrowed and fall damage from an ender pearl into the bamboo, by Grian??? Oof.

Tango got beep booped!! Running joyfully towards "free food" (cows) and immediately bravely fleeing with extra flee when they converted into hostile mobs. “That’s not free food!”

He’s really going through all the previous sessions again. Stealing bots in the EXACT same place. eSCARgone LOL. Doesn’t even know what his superpower is as he holds his refilling windcharges, with the full durability mace in the hotbar. Unparalleled powers of observation indeed.

How did the most tenuously held together team make it all the way to the final 8? And of course classic Tango got beep booped AGAIN. He has NOT answered a single one right.

Tango AGAIN WITH WINDCHARGE ON THE TOWER!!! ON HIS TEAMMATE NO LESS!!! AND THEN HE BLEW HIMSELF UP WITH A CREEPER AND JOEL’S JOKE ARROW SHOT KILLED HIM LOOOOOL. Dying as he lived: accidentally killing someone he wasn't supposed while making Tango noises. On brand hilariously lame final death. Legend!!

Bdubs unashamedly stealing everything just to please Etho LOL. Cannot beat the BigB allegations with the creaking superpower.

Bdubs, after getting a question wrong and taking it out on Pearl: “MAYBE YOU’D WATCH MY EPISODE AND GIVE ME SOME VIEWS AND AD REVENUE!!”

Bdubs being calmed by Gem’s chill farming in the middle of the finale LOL. It’s all about the building and relaxation vibes with him.

Love how the terminology went from robot to beep boop!! And Bdubs is yelling at Etho about his encroaching snail but all he hears is beep boop. There's got to be an airpods meme in there. And then he tries to kill Etho even before he got him mixed up with BigB. It's honestly such a miracle that these 3 made it to the final 8, as the last intact team even. WHAT IS THIS DEAD WIFE FLUFFY WHOLESOME BACKSTORY TEAM SOLIDARITY AGAINST ALL ODDS AND EXPECTATIONS FLASHBACK????? Bdubs ABSOLUTELY just baiting his audience LOL??? And then somehow Etho understanding Bdubs’ beep boop arrow communication????

Gem and Joel had NO IDEA Bdubs was trying to kill them the entire time LOL That was a smooth escape from Pearl and Ren’s TNT cobwebs

The earlier reference to Bdubs’ boogey kill on Tango from Last Life from Etho and then dying by Tango’s windcharge here!!!! Bdubs: “That’s poetic irony” INDEED

Of course the Tuff guys died as they lived: bumbling around, taking each other and themselves out of the series.

THE SHADE!!! OF COURSE IT'S CLEO WHO GOT THIS QUESTION LOL!!! Her final superpower of summoning ALL the zombies!!! On brand!!! Seeing the horde of zombies in their amazing skins just swarming Gem was AMAZING. She's getting karma'd from this series and Secret Life. She didn't turn to fight off Joel, but remained attacking Grian to protect Ren all the way to the end. Truly loyal!!!!

Of course Scott got the other shapeshifting one. Maybe it is allocated by red and yellow. Also it’s hilarious seeing little Scott riding giant Scott. Well he did get Joel before he died to Etho!

Impulse was actually in such a good position to set a trap for Gem and Joel but the INVIS SNAIL!!! His luck failed against Gem and Joel's.

BigB was the first to die to his snail, it was his first death, and it's fitting that it was his final death too. Also the swarm of angry bees was hilarious. His commitment to the weird gaslighting vibe is incredible.

Her Lichjesty Lizzie being the most competent by immediately setting traps, fixing the redstone of Scar’s rollercoaster, testing it twice (got the dog!), saving Scar from his snail, and being very efficient with her zombies. She spun and launched her bot LOL!!!

Lizzie: “I need you to bam me in the bunker.” Grian: “Sosorrywhat” *Jimmy and Grian pause and look at each other in shock* Jimmy: “Don’t tell Joel.” Efficient but why would she say it like that. That was a really awkward scene.

And immediately figured out how to use her dna copying superpower. Wait it wasn’t Tango who got the first mace kill? Mumbo then?

Lizzie: “Well I guess the Bamboozlers became the Bamlosers. First team eliminated. Leave a like to pay your respects.” SHE’S SO FUNNY OMG?!?!?! They all died at basically the same time! LIZZIE AS A ROBOT ZOMBIE TRYING TO KILL JOEL LOOOOOL

Of course Jimmy gets the bright idea to lead his ravager to Joel’s base and act pathetic to get rescued. And then get freaked out by NOT his snail.

Can’t actually believe Scar finished his rollercoaster, rode it and Grian made it happen. How interesting that they both independently came up with series-long minecart rides of death. Of course his rollercoaster of death never worked.

Not Scar being mad that Grian is stealing his hotguy brand and tridenting him. And Etho being too Canadian and Scar feeling bad about killing him so many times, thus saving him from the rollercoaster.

Honestly where did eSCARgo even come from? LORE?!?!?!? Of course he died immediately after being resurrected.

Martyn as a zombie is so good. The voice, the wit, the goonishness. Bdubs awkwardly watching the divorce of Zombie Martyn and Mutant Martren. That cobwebs on Bdubs and Joel was pretty cool.

The angsty robot voice going "Ow." "I did a bucket thing." and "At least I got a couple of swipes in." is utterly HILARIOUS. And he finished 3rd, just as he wanted in the beginning!

Skizz..... He was literally about to follow Scar to his death.

“The ending is yours… Make it WILD”. Can't wait for the fandom to lore this up. Especially with the red “yours”.

This series truly has been about chaotic dramatic ironic comedic timing. Bringing up past drama, thus causing even more divorces. Absolutely no notes; it's perfection. And the FANTASTIC production work by the dev team! Funniest Life series yet!! After listening to the Wild Life Recap on the Imp & Skizz Podcast: I truly can't believe that Martyn got the listener superpower by RANDOM. And that it wasn't sorted by red / yellow / green as well. It was also a surprise that the order of the finale overlapping wild cards wasn't random. It WASN'T a surprise that they all actually randomly put on their zombie skins to red herring us. But most of all, frankly I'm amazed at how fast the dev team got everything done on such tight deadline, with such polished work! Presentation truly is everything.

[ayyy-imma-ninja]

And question just wanna know your opinion on this? What do you think of the ship EAPs Vincent and Eclipse V.4?

[I honestly was nervous coming in here asking but since I follow you on Twitter I decided the build the confidence the ask here]

hello!

This is honestly my first time hearing about a ship between these two, buuuut-

There's not exactly much I can say, since I don't really have an opinion about it, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Just be respectful and safe.

But truthfully, I'm not personally comfortable discussing non-canon TSBS ships (excluding Kids Cove as that is partially canon in other dimensions)-

So just making a quick and friendly note to everyone that I would prefer not to be asked for any opinions about TSBS ships in the future ^^ (op if you see this you're fine, you've done nothing wrong! it's just a general statement /g)

[myfairkatiecat]

Not to be rude but I think it's quite silly to say OP's religious beliefs are irrelevant, and cannot be referenced, because they are not explicitly mentioned in the post being reblogged, when op has stated directly that they are homophobic because of their religious beliefs, and the post being reblogged is being accused of homophobia. Like, if some guy made a post saying "I think no women should be able to have jobs because that makes them less dependent on men and therefore I can't get a girlfriend", then made a separate post saying "Media nowadays glorifies women having jobs too much!! Stay at home mothers need more representation!!!" I think it would be extremely relevant in that situation to say, "Ok, this guy has clearly stated biases in this conversation, which calls into question whether this post is REALLY just about representation in media or whether it's indicative of OP's real life agenda." (Not trying to conflate religion with being an incel here btw, just giving an example of another time when knowing more information about the source of the post changes the way you might interpret it.)

The person reblogging that post didn't just say "OP's username is religious so I'm going to read this as homophobic!!!", they linked a specific post in which OP directly stated "My religion prevents me from accepting LGBT people, and I use my religious texts to justify why being LGBT is wrong." How is that not relevant context for their post griping about how fandom makes everything gay?

Ooh, let’s work within your hypothetical!

Some guy is being misogynistic on their blog but then makes a valid post about how stay at home mother’s don’t get enough representation in media.

If the post that says “stay at home mothers should get more representation!” says absolutely nothing about how women actually shouldn’t ever get jobs, then it’s a good post about the validity of mothers we choose to stay at home and how they deserve more representation in the media! There is therefore nothing wrong with reblogging and agreeing with the post, and going into the reblogs of that post to tell everyone “how hard is it for you to just look at their url and blog and realize they say other stuff that you DON’T agree with?” would be kinda rude.

Reblogging a post boosts the signal on what was said in that post. It doesn’t subscribe you to that person’s entire belief system.

Furthermore, the original poster, Gracie, says very very little about that topic on her blog to keep from offending anyone. I’ve never seen her try to force her beliefs onto anyone. She’s super respectful while also believing, as her religion states, that her God is the one true God. This is a belief claim about a system that would therefore according to her beliefs apply to everyone, but she isn’t forcing anyone to agree with her. The post that was cited in that reblog in which Gracie says explicitly her beliefs regarding the LGBT community and scripture was in a response to an ask that was sent to her. She didn’t even volunteer the information, someone asked her for it, and she replied honestly. I have never seen Gracie be anything but respectful, and if you knew her, you’d know she’s super kind and never would want anyone to feel invalidated or uncomfortable because of something she posts.

No one, including Gracie, is forcing you to agree with her religious beliefs. If they make you uncomfortable, I highly recommend not scrolling through a Christian blog. When people are reblogging her post, they aren’t even necessarily saying they agree with everything she’s ever posted. That topic is entirely separate. If you want to converse civilly with Gracie about why she believes what she believes, I recommend being respectful to her. If you’d rather ignore her all together, I point you towards the block button.

If somebody’s religion or belief system makes you uncomfortable enough that you don’t want to engage with any of their content, that’s your choice, but the people in the reblogs aren’t being “dumb” for not “checking who the source is,” they’re just saying they agree with the post they agree with.

Imagine agreeing with a post you agree with! Novel concept.

In short, posts are independent pieces of text. Reblogging a post doesn’t say anything except “I agree with this piece of text and want to share it.” If that piece of text doesn’t say anything about OP’s religion, then their religion isn’t relevant to the post. It’s as simple as that.

I hope you have a blessed day <3

[thecollectivefixation]

⭐️ THUNDERBOLTS TEASER TRAILER THOUGHTS ⭐️

—

IT’S QUEEN HERE AND GUYS GUYS GUYS GUESS WHAT. THE TEASER TRAILER FOR MARVEL STUDIOS’ THUNDERBOLTS IS HERE!!

Okay guys I won’t lie, I AM A HUGE SEBASTIAN STAN FAN SO THE WHOLE TIME I WAS FOCUSED ON BUCKY BARNES BUT BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY I SWEAR.

THIS TRAILER WAS SO GOOD. Let’s start off with Yelena’s line in the beginning. “There is something wrong with me, an emptiness. I’m just drifting, and I don’t have purpose.” THIS LINE like damn girl i feel the same. 😞☝️As Yelena says this line we get glimpses of John Walker, BUCKY BARNES💜 and Yelena. I feel like that sentence resonates with all three characters. We see that John feels hopeless, like he has no purpose as he scrolls through an article about him on his device. Each scene he’s in, it’s like he’s questioning his life decisions. Then there’s Bucky who is walking through a court room or something I have no clue what’s happening there BUT DAMN SEBASTIAN STAN IS LOOKING GOOD. (Come here pookie bear…🤤🫶)

So the next scene Yelena walks into this room with like stuff, it seems like she’s looking for something. Then she gets thrown off by John Walker, who shoots at her multiple times. They have a little tussle but then John gets pushed by someone else. Now here comes a few masked people who attack them BUT JOHN IS STILL FOCUSED ON TRYING TO KILL YELENA HELP. The fighting pauses only because they turn around and some guy named Bob is standing there looking like he just escaped a mental asylum. 😭 (honestly i have no clue what’s happening here.)

Asking Yelena, John and everyone else if they were sent by someone, I think this is when we learn this was meant to be a trap. Yelena says this line: “Everyone here has done bad things. Shadow Ops, robbing government labs, contract kills.” With this information and also them being all together as the room locks down—someone wants them gone.

ALRIGHT NEXT SCENE. We are now in a museum it seems like, AND HELLO CALLBACK TO THE FIRST AVENGERS FILM??

THATS LIKE LOKI’S SCEPTER RIGHT? Or like a statue of it? I have no clue I apologise if i’m wrong but STILL—also what’s Bucky planning here… I’m literally so excited to see Bucky again I have been CRAVING MORE BUCKY SCREEN TIME.

AAAAAAAAAA ALSO hello Bob? Are those bullet holes in your mental asylum outfit? What’s going on here… (Idk much about the character Robert Reynolds but I know so far that he’s a Marvel hero named Sentry, so I guess we’ll be learning more about him in MCU Thunderbolts.)

HELP NEXT SCENE BUCKY🫶😭 BUCKY PULLING HIS ARM OUT OF THE DISHWATER HELP ME honestly can’t blame him.🤤 He’s so silly I love him so much.

This movie looks genuinely good and I’m actually super excited. The humour, the action, the cast—I can’t wait to see how it turns out and hopefully it exceeds my expectations.

AND ONE MORE THING.

AAAAAA 🫶 BUCKY ON A MOTORBIKE. BUCKY ON A MOTORBIKE!!! He looks so Scrumdilly scrumptious 🤤😏💜

— Queen.

[awaitinganorphanera]

HI HEY NICE TO MEET YOU DO YOU HAVE ANY FIC RECS??? (ao3 or any platform actually)

K WOW, It's been a while since I get to answer any inbox questions so IM SO SORRY IF IT TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO RESPOND ajshjashjash now I'm under the assumption that you're asking for CobyMeppo fanfics specifically?? if I'm wrong im so sorry 😭, but considering how you're asking me and considering how majority of the content that I post on here is exactly CobyMeppo driven then- I'll take it as a yes Well getting things straight then, I'll be breaking down the fics I'm recommending into two (with an additional third uwu) categories, with one being just shippy CobyMeppo romantic stuff and the other not necessarily shippy but implied and/or platonic ones because GOD i have an incredibly unhealthy attachment to these two

OK SO HERE WE GO

Coby/Helmeppo Fanfics on Ao3 I absolutely adore recommend (all of which are on ao3 <33):

1.) Non smut (yes this is classification i’m adding)

Words On Skin by marineduo (spiralxshock)  - The basic premise of this is that it’s set in a modern au, where Helmeppo is a tattoo artist and Koby is a hopeless romantic writer, sadly it isn't complete but goodness it's such a cute and short read 😭

To See You Smile by DamianFinch2 (DamianFinch) - Jealous and possessive Helmeppo + gushing and crushing Koby. This fic is an adorable and angst one shot, with it holding one of my favorite dynamics being  - Its short and a bit saddening for Helmeppo, but it's a commonality in the CobyMeppo community to make Helmeppo miserable 😊

Optics by The_Storybooker &

Choices by Ricky4479 - GOD I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE TWO FICS, ESPECIALLY OPTICS. I just absolutely adore works that focuses on Helmeppos past and what he’s gone through, with him almost always trying his best to deny his feelings for Koby its just- F—

Expression by Eloarei - This one is just an adorable one shot with Koby being an insecure flustered mess as Meppo acts all smug with him, some of these fics are more OPLA based, which I honestly prefer since the way the Netflix l.a personalized Helmeppos smugness to be more endearing and less irritating is something i’ll never get over with.

Pressure Treated by Anonymous  - Fics that tackle the Trans!Koby au is just so endearing to me, it's absolutely heartbreaking especially when it writes abt the gender dysphoria and crisis one feels. Helmeppo comforts Koby in this, it's heartwarming.

Careless Whisper by coralnebulas - More Trans!Koby but less angsty and more adorable and funny! Koby and Helmeppo are absolute dorks in this fic and it's so aishjasjsag

Rinse and Repeat by battybatzgirl - Helmeppo acting like a tsundere and denying his feelings for Koby, part 7267352. But yeah! It's short and cute and the characterization, humor, and writing from this author is phenomenal. 2.) MMM SMEXY STEAMY S E X

Helping Hands by leghair - Koby requests a body massage :)

Insomnia for Daddy's Boys With Repressed Feelings for Their Cute Best Friend by Xenophile45 - Meppo tries to sleep and get over his identity crisis and gnawing thoughts by letting one out for his friend 

midnight habits by battybatzgirl - Meppo tries to sleep and get over his identity crisis and gnawing thoughts by watching his friend let one out

Of shirts, sheets and new haircuts by River1848 - Meppo tries to live normally and ignore his developing feelings for Koby, lets one out for his friend and gets caught. Said friend proceeds to comfort the poor guy

all tied up and fine print by battybatzgirl - These smut fics specifically are so unique and intensely ingrained into my mind - Actually, just read all the authors works, genuinely, every single OP fanfic they write is phenomenal including their Kobylu and platonic Coby Meppo content. There's a lot from them I haven't mentioned but a lot of which are Koby centric ajijassaksaj

To be needed in times of war by RainbowNixie  - Ok, this one is NOT necessarily purely CobyMeppo, this is a Coby/Hibari/Helmeppo fic (WOO POLYAMORY) and is only read if u enjoy multi shipping or are ok with this. I do still recommend it though cuz it's amazingly written and the characterization of Helmeppo and Hibari here is so cute. - But srsly, to get into more detail, I genuinely would want anyone who's interested to check it out. This this this this is such an underrated but amazingly written fic, with the story revolving around Hibari and Helmeppo relationship dynamic w/ each other in the context of a Coby/Helmeppo/Hibari being in a polyamorous relationship. The fic focuses on Helmeppo and Hibaris doubts and feelings (SO MUCH FEELINGS) on their love and just utter care and worry for Coby. 

3.) Coby & Helmeppo fics on Ao3 I adore and recommend (platonic/ only implied romance):

a pawsitively bad day by battybatzgirl - Did i mention to read this author - Koby turns into a cat :D

in my mind like a song (in my head like a zombie) by Glitter_Lisp - It's a Modern au w/ Trans!Koby being siblings w/ sanji, him and Meppo got into a fight but make up cutely in the end

Pink by fireontheriver - A short and wholesome one shot, with Helmeppo comforting and providing platonic intimacy and affection to Koby after the events of marineford

Constructive Dismissal by Senna_B - Modern au that ships Koby with X drake, with Platonic cobymeppo being its focus.  - This one is honestly a nice read, mostly taking on Helmeppo’s pov and showcasing his feelings of inadequacy to his best friend. The characterization and writing once again is glorious, authors other works are highly recommended

As Bright as the Stars by your_dragon_just_shot_at_me - A chapter by chapter Plotty CobyMeppo adventure where they essentially just frolic around but with ✨mystery✨

Mirror by MatoMasaharu - insecure Koby overthinks and tries to stay tough as Helmeppo gets concerned in the sidelines

Hints and Glimpses by Senna_B - Probably one of my favorite coby and helmeppo centered fics that does a fantastic job in writing their friendship and dynamic, with it being a great one-shot story with an AMAZING plot regarding fortune telling and future events. Gosh the writing of their relationship, their friendship, the foreshadowing, the plot????? Good lord i ate this shit with a huge ass smile

friction burn by miswriting (m_is_writing) - MY ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE PLATONIC COBYMEPPO FANFICTION I REREAD AN UNHEALTHY AMOUNT OF TIMES!! - ITS AN A/B/O AU FIC WITH AN AMAZING MIX OF FLUFF AND ANGST, THE AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL AFFECTION AND CARE AND PERSONALITY THIS HAS IN THIS MAKES ME RAPID

OK, LASTLY, JUST LASTLY, THE FIC THAT WILL FOREVER BE MY FAVORITE, LIKE GENUINELY FAVORITE COBYMEPPO FANFIC EVER, THE FIC RESPONSIBLE TO MY HYPERFIXATION ON IT, THE ONE THAT MADE ME DECIDE TO START THE GETTING INTO THESE TWO AND LOW-KEY PUSHED ME TO FR START THE ANIME AFTER HAVING WATCHED THE LIVE ACTION:

birdsong and seafoam by literatureonhowtolose - Ok, now I know I might be overhyping a Fic up, and by all means, I most definitely am. I don’t promise that this would be any CobyMeppo fans favorite too, but it's just something that I genuinely, truly, adore and remember whenever this ship comes to mind. - Its ironic I think, that my favorite cobymeppo fic is the only fic in this list that isnt even focused on cobymeppo, and being one of the shortest - The thing I probably most liked about this fic is the writing. How much it managed to express and characterize Helmeppo and describe his thoughts with not much words. I’ll never get tired of rereading it