#I LOVE CHLOE OKAY.......SHE DESERVES THE WORLD

[nobodyfamousposts]

Scarlet Lady Top 10 Favorite Characters: Number 10

For @zoe-oneesama

Number 9 Here

Okay, I realized as I was writing these that there is way way WAY too much to each of these and why to be able to put them all into one post, so I'm breaking them down into individual essays focusing on each one to keep them palatable.

So without further ado....

Number 10: EVERYONE

Yeah, I know it may be cheating but at this point it was the only choice I could make.

I came to regret making this list, specifically because I couldn’t seem to make up my mind as far as who all would be on it. I reread the entire series. I kept switching people in and out as I was reminded of characters or scenes I loved. And I came to a realization that there is no character in the whole of this series I didn’t enjoy to some extent that they didn't deserve some love in this list and I kind of wish I could have added all of them just to give them all some spotlight.

Yes, it is partly because everyone is vastly improved compared to Canon. But as I reread the series, it came to mind that if Canon didn’t exist and I didn’t have the comparison between the characters, I still very much would have loved this series and everyone in it.

Cause and Effect Exist

It's important to have a setting in which the characters and their actions make sense for the world they live in. When the setting is supposed to be modern day earth, we need the people to be able to show that they are capable of surviving in it on a day to day basis without being so massively incompetent that they would do something like accidentally ingesting poison. Or forgetting how to breathe.

I would think it would be obvious, but sometimes Canon makes me wonder. Which is never a good look for a show that is supposed to have some level of seriousness and involve superheroes.

Here’s the thing Canon can’t seem to get: when a majority of the things that go wrong in a plot are because of everyone having to be stupid to make the plot work, you have a problem with the writing. Changing the material in a story so that younger people can enjoy it does NOT mean dumbing down the characters and throwing in arbitrary lessons with no real reason to them. Even if the show itself is geared towards kids, you can’t treat the audience like they’re stupid.

In Scarlet Lady, the people aren’t stupid.

Silly, yes. Wrong, often. Overdramatic, definitely. But while they may make stupid choices sometimes, they aren’t so dumb that anyone should have concerns about their ability to function at a higher level than an overcaffinated 2 year old.

They’re fooled initially the way many of us would be with a biased story that hits the news first. Oblivious to the problems in a situation that they logically wouldn’t have much direct insight into. Prone to making mistakes and incorrect judgement the way that anyone would. That's normal. That's expected.

But they’re not so incapable as to forget things that happen right in front of them between one day and the next. Or even between one scene and the next.

Things carry over. We see cause and effect. We see consequences—bad and good. And those consequences extend not only for the episode or season but for the entire series.

Aurore KNOWs Alec cheated her before and maintains a tight control over him and prevents more of his antics.

Adrien and Alya maintain a cold attitude towards Lila for some time after her reveal as a liar. And it even remains a point against her as used by Chloe as herself and as Scar to discount what she says.

The boys of the class remember Adrien’s “love letter to Marigold” and try to win him her merch because they’re bros like that. 

Adrien himself remembers the instances of his dad being a massive prick and instead of being surprised and “sad boi uwuwu” each time it happens like it’s supposed to be a surprise that the massive prick would choose to be a prick, he very clearly moves through the stages of grief to the point of a sort of acceptance that involves planning around and even for him.

Gabriel’s horrible parenting and general lack of concern for Adrien or his wellbeing as he ends up a casualty of various akuma attacks was played off for laughs when such incidents occurred. Then they were brutally called out against him in the Finale as a way to counter his claims of doing everything for Adrien’s sake. And the big reveal of the Birthday Scarf…utilized in the last way anyone would have wanted.

And Chloe is perhaps the biggest example as her antics ARE NOT forgotten or ignored by anyone. The classmates still interact with Chloe and are relatively nice to her, but they don’t just forget that she’s treated them horribly. They don’t act surprised when she does anything horrible. Nor does anyone just laugh it off or excuse it as “just who she is”. We see follow up to her behavior—the class fully expecting her to cause trouble and actively try to plan around it. People calling her out on past behaviors. And even bigger consequences as time goes on. Such as Adrien breaking off the friendship. And a blink and you miss it fridge logic moment in Ikari Gozen when you realize that when they said she was banned from all future Gabriel-involved competitions, they meant it.

The fact that by the time the big reveal happened that Chloe was Scarlet Lady, no one was shocked.

Story-wise, this is showing the passage of time and the effect the events of the story are having. It’s showing that there is lasting impact and that what happens to the characters matters.

Meta-wise, this is Zoe rewarding us for paying attention.

Continuity exists in Scarlet Lady. Time exists. The people exist. When anyone does anything, you get the sense that they aren’t operating in a vacuum. The things they do matter. There are consequences. There is an impact. And if there is an impact in the story, there will be an impact on the audience.

Which leads to…

Character Depth/Character Growth

Usually in TV shows of this nature, if there ARE character arcs for the side characters, they only occur over the course of a single episode devoted to focusing on them before moving on elsewhere. 

Canon didn’t give us that much at all in favor of having every episode that should focus on other characters learning and growing instead forcing Marinette to be wrong in some way and learn an arbitrary lesson that often would have better served for someone else.

In Scarlet Lady, the arcs we get are impressive for all that they’re relatively unobtrusive. They aren’t big. They aren’t world-ending. And the thing is, most change in life isn’t. It can just FEEL that way.

Like the way it felt for Kim when he first found out Ondine liked him and then had his confession to her screwed up.

And the way it felt for Kagami when she lost that first match against Adrien.

Then there’s the way it felt for Chloe when she was dismissed by her mother, had her popularity go downhill, and ended up losing her Miraculous.

…or the way it felt for Adrien when he discovered his dad was Hawk Moth.

The reactions we witness are in a great part due to actions outside of the characters’ control, but are ultimately a result of the experiences they have had and the ways they have changed as a result.

The question becomes: are the characters that we meet at the beginning pretty much identical to how they are at the end? Is the world?

The answer in Scarlet Lady is no.

Whether because the characters themselves change or our perception of them does, we can see that they have all undergone some sort of events that create a difference between the start and end points.

Not all of them HAVE to undergo some big emotional arc. Not all of them NEED to. But the characters still mostly go through some sort of growth by the end that I feel make them stronger and healthier people.

You’ve got the big life-altering changes like Lila and Sabrina.

You’ve got the little changes like Nino and Ivan.

You’ve even got the most minuscule, beginning stages of change in Chloe.

You’ve got growth that creates such perfect setup with Mylene when she starts off scared and traumatized by how things went with Stoneheart then is the one who confronts him in the end. And the parallel between the finale and the beginning when she returns him to normal by kissing him just like they did in that first episode to change him back then, too! (Just….GOD, I CANNOT GET OVER THIS!)

You’ve got them reaching out and making friends and relating to people they hadn’t before.

And by the end of it all, we get characters who feel like people rather than props.

They don’t all have to change. They don’t necessarily need to go through an entire emotional arc and back again. They just need to be part of the world they’re in.

Nino doesn’t just pop into existence when Adrien or Alya need someone to interact with. Kagami isn’t just a non-horrible or non-evil love rival for Adrien or a stepping stool for him to “practice“ at being in a relationship before it’s time for him to try the “real thing” with his endgame pairing. Luka isn’t just a decent guy who is the only actual form of support for the female lead and yet only lacking that precious “male lead” title or all around just not “Adrien enough” to fill the role.

Adrien isn’t just a “sad boy” meant to be a main love interest, Villain’s Morality Pet, and the one everyone idolizes and chases after just cuz he’s the male lead and that’s how you show he’s desirable I guess. Marinette isn’t the atlas keeping the story alive because no one else is apparently capable of learning lessons and changing, or even just the bare basics of functioning as individuals. Chloe isn’t just there to be horrible for no reason and get away with it so she can continue to be horrible until the writers suddenly need her to be sympathetic.

And the rest of the classmates aren’t just some Greek chorus there to fill the background.

We see them interact. We see them making jokes or jabs. We see them even…*gasp* having different opinions!

And on something as major and life-controlling as feelings about the “Hero of the City” no less! Why, that’s the sort of thing that would break up friendships and determine who you can sit next to at the cafeteria! The horror! The scandal!

And…oh hey. This puts the characters in different groups. It links them with characters other their Canonically designated pairings and groups. This lets them disagree on things and not need to vilify any of them. This creates implications that add depth to the story and to the people in it.

The characters can disagree without being enemies. They can be wrong without having to be evil. They can make mistakes without having to be stupid. And they can change and grow—both for better and worse.

And we see both and in different ways. SO many different ways.

Adrien goes from excited and impulsive to buckling under the forced responsibility and weight of a partner who hinders more than she helps.

Lila goes from selfishly bad and self-serving to selfish but friendly with better direction of her talents in a less self-serving way.

And Chloe just goes from selfish and bad to selfish and worse..

I mean, it says something that the combination of Lila’s growth and Chloe’s fall from grace resulted in Hawk Moth being unable to use Lila as a tool for his Heroes Day plot like he originally intended.

The key is that whether they necessarily grow or become better people, these characters are still IMPACTED by the events around them and AFFECTED as a natural result of the world they live in. 

You can’t help but feel for them in some way as a result. It’s part of why I love them.

The other part of why I love them is a bit more epic though…

Crowning Moments of Awesome

If there’s one thing I love, it’s seeing characters be awesome. I love it when characters get to be awesome. I would love to see more of it. Especially when the ones involved are characters you wouldn’t normally expect or get to see have a chance to shine.

And it’s when you see these characters be awesome that you really get the sense that yes, this character would work as a hero.

Seeing Max help against Robustus. Seeing Kim help against Odine. Alix stepping in during Pharaoh, calling out her brother’s fan fiction, and helping the heroes escape the security system at the Lourve. Alya stepping in during Copycat to clue Chat in to what’s going on and later keeping Anansi distracted to keep her away from Chat while he’s trapped. Rose kicking Nightmare!Chat in the face to defend Marinette even when she’s dealing with her own nightmares in Sandboy. Luka leading groups twice to stepping in and helping the heroes deal with akumas. Nathaniel standing up for Marinette and Sabrina when they’re accused in Rogercop and then helping the heroes in Reverser. Seeing the entire class step up to try and protect Marinette in Befana. Seeing all the friends working together to compete in the Friendship Contest in order to protect Adrien from a less serious but still potentially terrifying outcome.

These little moments of support make such a big different and really make it make sense that the heroes would trust these people with magical jewelry to help them in battle.

And the little moments of characters being petty or strong or smart or turning the tables or just showing off what they’re capable of. Even without superpowers.

Adrien getting petty revenge for Nino and finding a tactic to counter Gabriel in the future.

The Police Force in Rogercop just saying “Nope” to obeying an obvious akuma. 

Zoe manipulating akumas twice to help the heroes. Her two Reasons You Suck Speeches to her mom and Bustier.

Every instance of payback that Tikki gets against Chloe.

Everyone in the Finale. Just…EVERYONE in the Finale. The characters who manage to avoid akumatization by either spotting the flaws in the illusion or refusing to give in to fear and even protecting others. Nora smacking any akuma that enters the home. Claudie pulling off Power Mom and ordering Max to stop attacking the city then helping to calm him down. Prince Ali and Juleka freeing Rose by kissing her! Chris, Ella, Etta, and Manon saving Mylene! Mylene saving Ivan with a kiss in a direct callback to how they first got together in Stoneheart! (Yes, I am still stuck on that!) Ondine saving Kim! Lila and Sabrina saving Alix! Luka facing Riposte alone and unarmed and then Kitty Section saving Kagami! ALL of the Heroes making a final comeback to help take down Hawk Moth for good! Just—AAAAAH!

How could Miraculous have peaked with this in Season 2 when this is Grand Finale material? Because there are few things more awesome than getting to see ALL the characters the heroes met and befriended and helped throughout the course of the story stepping up at the final battle to help take the Big Bad down!

Like…can we just take a moment to appreciate how everyone gets a chance to stand out in some way? Not all of them necessarily good, exactly (looking at you Andre). But still stand out and be memorable. Even characters who didn’t originally get much focus. Especially characters who were originally functioning as cardboard cutouts to fill a scene.

Anyone remember Aurore? How for the FIRST akuma in the pilot of the series and one who is quite frankly the most interesting and noteworthy, we don’t really get to see her again except in the background.

In Scarlet Lady, we got to actually look in to the contest and how she lost as well as the aftermath. She wasn’t some arrogant showoff who deserved to lose to the “sweet down to earth rival”, she was a girl who legitimately tried her best and had valid reason to be upset. Seeing her get revenge on Alec for cheating and humiliating her on live TV was well worth it.

Or how about the Photographer? Just there to take photos of Adrien in the park for a photo shoot or be the school photographer, but otherwise has no personality and is only remembered for his weird “spaghetti” line.

In Scarlet Lady, his role is two-fold. He acts as a sort of supporter for Adrien in his crush. Taking really good pictures of him being happy with the girl he likes. Taking more class photos at the behest of this girl for the sake of a friend who missed out on the class picture. And then there’s his OTHER role as a sort of antagonist to Chloe. He becomes one of the only ones in the early seasons willing and capable of dismissing her tantrums.

They’re both given more character. They get moments to stand out and BE awesome. So is everyone.

EVERYONE. From the classmates and big named characters we see regularly to the side characters who only appear once or twice. They all get some good scenes and focus that give them their own identities. All of them are memorable. None of them can really be ignored or forgotten. And part of what made making this list so difficult was that I found myself getting attached to pretty much everyone as I came across each of them that I couldn’t quite make up my mind.

Everyone in this fic has done something to make me happy and warrant my approval. Even the characters I normally wouldn’t like at all had their moments to shine and elicit an “okay, that was cool” from me.

Thus I grant this spot to everyone. To all the characters I don’t get the chance to mention. To all the ones I like albeit somewhat less than others. To all the ones I know are horrible but can’t help but like regardless. To all the ones I fought with myself for THREE MONTHS over which one would get this spot.

I love all of them.

[dalekofchaos]

Not interested in LIS:Double Exposure

Okay I saw the Double Exposure trailer and I am not playing it.

Multiple reasons.

The Deck Nine IGN article. I will not support a developer that knowingly protected a bigoted groomer and allowed a Nazi to sneak in White Supremacist signs in the game.

Max learned nothing about the first game. Nevermind there is no Chloe, Warren or anyone from Arcadia insight(we'll get to that) Max apparently formed another codependent relationship that she couldn't let go to the point where she's fucking up reality by creating yet another parallel world. Either Deck Nine is entirely unoriginal or Max didn't learn a damned thing

That is not Max. If your defense is "she grew up" I got news for you. I've looked the same for nearly a decade. I've had friends while changing their aesthetic, they look the same. you don’t look like an entirely new person when you age, the new model looks nothing like max there’s barely even resemblance. Also I know, we all change our style as we get older, but Max's style was unique and it made Max Caulfield who she is. It didn't need to change. Deck Nine just Stephified Max. Was it really that hard to give Max bangs? Not just that. No freckles, eyes and eyebrows look completely different. This is not Max Caulfield.

4. No one from Arcadia Bay returned. It's pretty obvious Deck Nine is either keeping Chloe's fate a secret, but it's also clear they are trying to skirt around the issue of the endings without pissing everyone off. Feels like a copout to whatever ending you chose to give a new cast of characters. For the fans who wanted more time to play as Max and Chloe, I feel bad for you, I especially wanted to see Chloe again. So what the fuck was this supposed to be for then?

Though another point; why the hell are we supposed to be okay with the fact that Max is using her power again to save this brand new character we have zero previous connection to? Especially if the game’s gonna try to straddle both endings to LiS 1; seems very insulting to have Max be okay with doing it for a character we have no previous attachment to, but she’s left her girlfriend to die alone, thinking nobody loved her?

Also you had the perfect chance to make a fucking game that has Max save Rachel. I know I just did a tangent about Max not learning anything, but if you were just going to have Max use her powers again, why the fuck didn't you do it to save Rachel from a fate she never deserved? Godfucking forbid you give attention to Warren, Kate or Victoria. I just wanted to see these characters get some screen time, make cameos or give us SOME hint to what they are up to after the events of the first game. But no, we can't have that. We can't be given anything of substance for Warren, Kate or Victoria. Can't learn anything about their fates in the LIS 2 Save Arcadia Bay ending, can't find out Warren or Kate survived the storm in Wavelengths via talking to Steph during the storm anniversary and we can't see them again in DE. I know it's just a teaser, but seriously why even do a new Max game if we don't even get cameos from these characters? Knowing how Deck Nine is, they are just gonna find a way to demonize Warren to paint him like Eliot, regress Victoria's character and not even give Kate the time of day to mention. Jesus fucking christ, I just wanted to see Max and Warren Go Ape, fun Max and Victoria photodates and to see Max and Kate have one fucking Tea date. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR???

5. Deck Nine are literally just swiping DontNod’s characters for the purposes of chasing that brand recognition. It's just copy pasting lighting in a bottle and milking a cow out of this franchise. BTS was remotely successful because of Chloe and Rachel's relationship. True Colors is fun at first, but realize it's just a hollow imitation of the first game. DONTNOD's story was original, fun and unique. I had problems with it but it was still THEIR story on their terms and not developed from a place of corporate cynicism asking for preorders ASAP that come bundled with a box of tissues and bobbleheads of dead teenagers. Read recent interviews from DONTNOD and you can TELL they got burned by SquareEnix over this. I hope they can channel that into something with Bloom and Rage because I’d love to see them recapture that magic again.

I had fears of what would happen if Deck Nine ever got their hands on Max. And looks like I was right to be worried.

To be clear, I think making stories with someone else’s character is great and cool and it’s literally what fanfiction is and technically, MUCH of mass media now IS “fanfiction”. The difference here is DONTNOD deliberately wanted LIS 1 canon left alone, near as I can tell. But no, Square Enix wanted a franchise and Deck Nine was more than happy to milk the cow for all it was worth and Deck Nine has shown they don't understand DONTNOD's characters

The game looks like it's repeating everything about the first game, but none of the charm that made it great. It's beat for beat the same fucking game. Dead friend, murder mystery, but without the ambiance, charm or magic that made the first game good. Deck Nine is completely unoriginal, DE is a soulless cashgrab and their hyperrealism killed the entire essence of the game and its characters.

It's quite literally a copy and paste of True Colors, but with Max.

And when we just look at this. Double Exposure is just soulless. It's style over substance and I knew. I just KNEW that if Deck Nine got their hands on Max it would be half-assed and soulless shit like this. They dared to slap Max's name on a Steph lookalike and then just do True Colors again, but more hollow.

There's something just so disappointing about the change in art style over the years. The art direction in the first game was charming and now it just feels kinda soulless. The awkward chunkyness of the models really made it stand out but now it feels way too smooth

life is strange going from one studios passion project to another’s cashgrab is one of the biggest modern tragedies in the world deck nine they could never make me like you. All the charm of the franchise from the cartoonish artstyle to the episodical releases has been completely stripped away it’s just very disappointing to see.

This meme is literally Double Exposure.

[starsfic]

Protective Rose

Rose was loving.

It was part of her nature. "I would think the world would end if you ever stopped loving," Juleka had said once, soft and gentle. Rose knew that if one of her friends asked, she would try her best to snuff out the sun or rearrange the stars. It was silly and ridiculous, but Rose loved.

She loved Juleka. She loved her friends.

That was why she didn't say anything when Alya brought Adrien to the modeling shoot. She loved Adrien and Marinette, and both of them deserved good things. Would it be bad if that good thing was each other?

Then she had looked at Marinette's face.

Marinette couldn't hide the stress the moment Adrien appeared. Rose wasn't sure when it started, but at that moment, the time limit was being presented, and she had a feeling that she was looking at ancient stress. Stress that couldn't be easily scraped away.

The modeling shoot was fun, but Alya's behavior wasn't. Even though this shoot had been for Juleka to start modeling, Alya shoved Marinette in front of the camera. Even as she plastered on a smile, the stress never faded from her eyes.

Rose had looked at the others behind Alya's back. Mylene looked uncertain, Alix had looked so annoyed that she was honestly surprised she didn't throw something, and Juleka was gone. The next few minutes, the akuma and sentimonster had appeared and Rose was left to scramble.

Thankfully, Lady Noire and Mister Bug had saved Juleka. Rose had figured things would be better now. Marinette apologized for Juleka for ruining her first modeling shoot, even though it wasn't really her fault. Rose waited for Alya to apologize too.

And waited. And waited. And waited.

Alya never apologized. As Rose waited, she started to think.

Alya was the catalyst for Marinette to start reaching out again. The rest of the class tried their best to avoid Chloe's attention, meaning she had retreated into herself. Before Alya came, Rose could count the times that all the girls had hung out together on one hand. She had Alya to thank.

But...Alya never really let them talk. Not unless it was about getting Marinette and Adrien together. To be fair, Rose liked the idea of Marinette and Adrien getting together. They were so sweet, with sunshine pouring from them, and Rose knew they would be happy together. But, no matter what the conversation started as Alya would divert it back to Adrien.

They tried to talk about more than Adrien. Marinette tried the hardest of all. Alya didn't seem to care.

And Rose wondered if Alya's help was really just a deal with the devil.

She didn't notice the black butterfly settling onto the bracelet Marinette had made her, which matched Juleka's mirror. She did notice the familiar sensation of a hand reaching into her mind, prying it open.

"Roseheart, I am Shadowmoth..."

-_-

"CESAIRE!"

"What did you do to make her angry?"

"I have no idea!" Alya admitted, her voice nearly lost in the rush of wind. Ladybug held her tight, yoyoing from building to building, all trying to outpace the latest akuma.

Roseheart looked like a living rose, with green clothes leading into petal pink curls. Rose's usually friendly blue eyes were clouded with yellow, matching the roses blossoming on her vines and the roses her minions gave people. The person would be entranced with one smell of the flower, accepting more flowers to hand out. That, at least, meant that only Roseheart was actually chasing Alya.

"Are you sure?" Ladybug landed on a roof, yanking Alya out of sight. "I'm not saying I don't believe you, but your friend Rose seems willing to bottle things up. Can you think of anything?"

Alya scrunched her face up in thought, trying to think. "Ugh, no," she finally said. "Last time I saw Rose, she was happy. The girls in our class were planning a sleepover to make a plan to help my best friend confess to her crush."

Okay, so Alya was willing to talk about Adrien to Ladybug. Good to know.

"AAAAAAALLLLLYYYAAAA!" Roseheart's screech interrupted her thoughts. "COME OUT! YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE!"

"For what?!" Alya's screech was just a touch too loud. In the next second, Ladybug found herself knocked off her feet as the chimney exploded, revealing Roseheart. The heroine landed on her feet on the other end of the roof, looking in time to see Alya scooting away from Rose. "Whatever I did, Rose, I am so sorry, okay? But I need to know what I did wrong before I do!"

Roseheart's already furious expression darkened further. "You don't know what you did?" she growled. Alya, realizing that her words might've not been the best, shook her head slowly. The akuma raised her hand above her head. Vines started to collect and grow, creating a makeshift club. "You hurt Juleka, you put Adrien above us, and you don't know what you did?"

Hurt Juleka? Put Adrien above?

Was she talking about when Juleka got akumatized during that first modeling session? That had been months ago, to the point that Ladybug had almost forgotten that it happened. Based on Alya's blank stare, so did she.

"Marinette apologized," Roseheart growled out, lifting the club higher. "But it wasn't her fault. It was yours. You were the one to push Juleka out, even though that modeling session was for her. And..." Bigger. "...you..." Bigger. "...never..." Big.

Ladybug yanked out her yo-yo.

"APOLOGIZED!"

Before the club could slam into Alya, her yo-yo wrapped around her best friend's waist and yanked her back. As Roseheart struggled to lift up her club, she scooped up Alya and made a run for it.

"I guess that explains that!"

"...yeah..."

If she looked down, she would've seen Alya's eyes widen, thinking. Right now, however, her focus was on running.

[lilacs-stars]

the rise of red ending we deserved…

okay so hear me out, I was thinking of an alternate ending to rise of red, since the one we got was highly questionable (at best)

so red and chloe go back in time, stop bridget from turning evil, all that stuff right. and then once they come back to the opening ceremony, the queen of hearts does her little card trick and up to this point, everything’s the same.

then red approaches her, happy that their mission worked, and she’s like “mom?” and the queen of hearts turns around to face her, crinkles her brow and goes “oh, I’m sorry, have we met before?”

at the same time, chloe sees her mother’s still alive so she runs up to her to give her a hug. but cinderella turns around, confused, and says, “excuse me? do I know you?” chloe is like “wait what do you mean, I’m your daughter.” and cinderella is obviously shocked, and she’s like “I don’t have a daughter.”

AND THEN the queen of hearts walks over to cinderella, holds her hand, and says, “darling, do you know these two?” to which cinderella shakes her head no.

so basicallyy, since the prank never happened, bridget and ella went to castlecoming as planned and everything. I mean sure, ella danced with charming, but because bridget didn’t get cold and angry and never pushed ella away after that night, like she would have in the original timeline, ella and bridget remained close friends. they relied on each other, with bridget helping ella through her tough family life and ella protecting bridget from uliana.

so they grew up super close and finally, when they’re adults, got married. the movie ends with the realization that now that the prank never happened, neither red nor chloe were ever born.

and then this perfectly sets up the next movie, because red and chloe have to decide what to do. I mean they don’t even exist in this timeline anymore, their own mothers don’t remember them. but the only other option would be to go back in time and make sure bridget becomes evil, but then would it be worth sentencing her to a miserable life of hatred and loneliness, when she has everything she wants now with ella?

guys disney should have done this if they WERENT COWARDS, I mean c’mon it would’ve set up the perfect plot for d5. anyways this is just a silly little headcannon of mine hehe :))

(can you tell I absolutely love this ship? like glasshearts is good, but bridget x ella [is there a ship name for them? if there is please tell me I need to know] will forever be my otp in this fandom. like they would’ve been so good together, ella would have given bridget the world 😭 I actually NEED a scene of the queen of hearts and cinderella singing and dancing to “so this is love” like ella and charming did in the beginning of the movie. disney PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU—)

[caliburn-the-sword]

I need the tlc movies to all hurry up and come out so that I can enjoy the following edits:

• Winter to mad hatter by Melanie Martinez

• boys will be bugs by cavetown wolf edit

• baby one more time Britney Spears thirst edit of scarlet shooting people. Just cause I think it would be really fucking cool

• line without a hook by Ricky Montgomery kaider/jacinter edit because I think it would be really sweet

• michelle by sir chloe winlet edit

• womanizer x pony edit of Thorne. Yeah I hate the bastard but I think it would go extremely hard

•sixteen by ayesha erotica cress edit cause I think it would be really fucking funny

• your best American girl by mitski kaito edit because I think it works really well with the whole “who could ever love a cyborg” thing she had going on

• vigilante shit by Taylor swift edit of cinder because she’d eat that shit up

• oh no! By marina edit of cress specifically “I always feel like I’m the worst so I always act like I’m the best” because that’s literally so cress

• all American bitch by Olivia Rodrigo would would for almost every girl in tlc

• run the world (girls) Beyoncé edit of iko because I KNOW she’d eat that shit up

• I’m just ken edit of all the tlc boys. Because to ME. They are all ken. They exist to be love interests and helplessly obsessed with the girls and I am completely okay with that

• genie in a bottle iko edit because again I think she’d serve cunt

• hot to go winlet edit frankly cause I deserve it

[ineedtherapydesperately]

I'M BACK ON MY SONG FIC PROMPT THINGO BULLSHIT 🫶

dear theodosia ella thoughts inspired by the idea @strugglingsapphic added to my crack hamilton post :D

the theodosia part is dedicated to chloe purely so ella sings "loOK aT mY sON" at chad. this is canon and I don't make the rules. ( @bigmilk-13 please make it a presidential decree or smth)

*father's name

but like ughhh chloe is ella's BABY, her little pumpkin, and ella will do ANYTHING to keep her from witnessing the horrors of the real world. every time chloe cries, ella can feel her heart break a little more. she'll make sure that her little chloe NEVER has to want for anything, that she NEVER has to experience the way ella grew up. and if chloe ends up a little too spoiled, a little too opinionated, well, that's okay—as long as she doesn't have to face a dark and lonely and cold world. as long as she has people around her who love her for who she is, who support her and who would never abandon her.

ella does it for chloe, maybe a little bit for herself, but also for bridget—bridget, her once bright star and first love, the one who grew cold and callous and jaded because she was betrayed one too many times, and it's all ella's fault goddamnit. but she can't change the past, so she'll make sure that history isn't repeated through her daughter. for bridget.

domestic life really never was ella's style, not with the way she grew up. she hates it, hates the false pretense of 'family', she hates the pain, the terror and the utter helplessness she was made to suffer through daily. but for chad, for chloe, ella is willing to put her reservations aside. she's willing to be as domestic as it gets, to be the mother she never had. and, well, if her thoughts sometimes stray to a younger bridget, crying in ella's arms after another harsh few days spent with the queen of hearts, well, nobody needs to know. but know this. ella vows to be a better mother than the ones she saw growing up.

and god, whenever ella sees chloe smile?? she falls apart, overwhelmed by the love and protectiveness she feels. this is who she's fighting for, this is who she's protecting from the world. this is her little girl, her baby, and she will always fight to protect that smile. ella thinks back on her younger self, so determined to avoid domesticity and family and commitment. she was so stupid, back then. she won't make the same mistakes again. she can't make the same mistakes again.

ella and chad feels 🫶

this is ella's firstborn, her first attempt at breaking the cycle. chad is ella's everything, her little prince, her baby boy. every time she looks at him, she can only feel an immense surge of pride—something stronger than pride, even. he's so charming, that chad, even as just a mere baby. every smile, every giggle, undoes ella and she's so, so enchanted with her baby.

she's going to give him everything she possibly can, all the opportunities she missed out on growing up. the friends, the food, the money, the material goods—anything and everything. chad will NEVER be left wanting for anything, he'll always be warm and well fed and have a place to sleep. ella vows this. and if he ends up growing up a bit too spoiled, like all the royalty she hated back in the merlin academy? ella ignores it, because he deserves the chance to just be normal and have a normal childhood, without the pressure of anything else. because chad is the crown prince, and ella has seen first hand what that pressure can do to someone. ella has seen just what happens when someone succumbs it, and she has seen the ramifications of not having someone to lean on when it happens. so ella makes sure that chad has a strong support system, because this is her damn son and she's going to make sure that history never repeats itself again.

daddy issues!! (no but fr a few days ago I very loudly whispered 'daddy issues' during the part in hamilton when he says 'don't call me son!' the silence was palpable and I'm still embarrassed bc it wasn't supposed to come out that loudly)

but wow, look at ella go, breaking the cycle once again! she'll always be there for her babies, because she grew up lost, with an absent father who was never there when she needed him the most. ella refuses to let this be reality for her children, and if she has to break into the council room to steal christopher from the meeting so that he can say goodnight to their babies and tuck them into bed with her, she fucking will. the council is used to it by now, and are no longer offended—it's hard to be, when christopher drops his charming demeanour and threatens the first and last person to complain about ella, at sword point. he leaves a small, barely noticeable but definitely present scar as a reminder.

and sometimes ella sits in on those very meetings as well, because she's determined to change the very foundation of cinderellasburg, to keep her children safe, to make sure that nobody else ever has to grow up like she did. and the council doesn't protest, which probably has nothing to do with the way christopher casually twirls a dagger between his fingers, eyeing each and every one of them with a pleasant smile and a threatening gleam in his eyes. and ella can't help but feel a bit bittersweet, because finally, she's changing the system, the way she and bridget had always dreamt about back in the merlin academy. but there is no bridget by her side, not anymore. and ella can't blame her for that.

chad and chloe are the new blood, the next generation. the united states of auradon has been around only slightly longer than they've been alive—it's literally a new nation, and they're the future leaders. ella will make sure that she hands down a good kingdom to them, and if she has to bleed for it, she doesn't care. if she has to die for it, so be it. cinderellasburg will uphold it's damn morals and convictions, even if it's the last thing she ever does. because her children, her little prince and her little pumpkin, deserve nothing less. she raises them to be good people, to have strong morals, to always, always, do good.

which is why ella refuses to kneel. she holds her head high, and accepts the face of death, staring the consequences of her mistakes and inaction in the eyes, and she does it for her children. for chad and chloe. for chloe and chad.

this accidentally turned too angsty but I just had to slip in some bridgella oops 🎀 doomed wlw you have my heart

this has been marinating in my drafts for several days now I have so many songs in my drafts but none of them are comprehensible so. they might get released in the future who knows

edit bc i forgot auradon prep didn't exist yet :D if you came from a repost mb g

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Different nonnie from the Tikki-Xuppu person, but what you said about Tikki’s personality fitting Order better than Creation made me think about how Pollen would’ve be a better fit for Creation symbolism-wise over Tikki given how much bees better fit that image over ladybugs with their beeswax, honey and hive-making, not to mention the intimate relationship humans of various cultures have had with bees for literal millennia. Even the restoration of Miraculous Ladybug fits bees better due to the connotations of pollination and how essential bees are for the world’s ecosystem. In a universe where Pollen was the kwami of Creation with Tikki’s canon powers (though with bee-theming of course) to Plagg’s Destruction, how do you think things would’ve gone with Marinette and Adrien while having their canon personalities? How do you think they would have played off of each other with their canon personalities?

(Post that spawned this ask)

Before we begin, I want to note that my answer is probably going to be at least a little biased by @zoe-oneesama Scarlet Lady comic because Pollen has a big role in that and Zoe's read on Pollen pretty closely matches mine. Do with that what you will.

This is the first Kwami swap that I could see working. Plagg's personality is so iconic that it's hard to imagine anyone being an improvement, but Tikki is pretty generic. While she has a clear personality, she has no real interests or hobbies that make her stand out. She's mostly just here to be cute and act as the writer's mouthpiece. While I hate that for her and think she deserves better, it does mean that booting her and replacing her with a different Kwami doesn't feel like you're breaking a core element of the show so long as her replacement plays off the other characters well.

We don't see much of Pollen in canon, so it's hard to get a great read on her, but she her love of calling Chloe "my Queen" and the fact that Pollen is a bee give me vibes of a loyal, devoted Kwami who thinks that her Chosen is the best thing ever no matter what. Compare that to Plagg who delights in tormenting his Chosen and there's major potential for some excellent banter and fun contrasting moments, which is what Tikki's replacement would need to be able to do. Tikki and Plagg's contrasting dynamic is a lot of fun and you wouldn't want to lose it. Pollen and Plagg's dynamic would be different, but in a similar enough vein that I think it could work. Which is actually a point in Pollen's favor. If she was just another Tikki, then there would be no point in making the switch.

While Tikki is often dishing out lectures, her most valuable role is building Marinette up in moments when Marinette is feeling down. Pollen should be able to do that no problem. If anything, Pollen may be a little too zealous in supporting Marinette, but since Marinette isn't often shown to listen to Tikki's advice, that's not really an issue. It could even be a new source of comedy where Marinette comes up with insane plans and Pollen hypes her up while the audience watches in fascinated horror. It could be a lot of fun and also give Alya a better chance to fill the voice-of-reason role that she's occasionally allowed to have. That's one of the many awkward things about Alya knowing now. Her and Tikki often fill the same role on the civilian side since Tikki isn't presented as a wise, ancient mentor who knows things that these kids don't.

I especially love the idea of a Kwami swap where Adrien is praised to death and then refuses to give Pollen back because he needs this right now, okay? His lady can have the cheese loving gremlin for a few days while Pollen floats after him, calling him a Queen and praising his every move. Maybe Pollen even starts sneaking into his backpack and leaving him whatever her favorite treats are as a little sign that he's appreciated, leading Plagg to get all territorial, which further validates Adrien. (I just really like comedy that has a sweet undertone, okay?)

Since we don't have a full understanding of Pollen's personality, I won't speculate further than that as I'm trying to avoid getting too far into the realms of headcanon, but I do really like this idea and think it could be a lot of fun. I even like the idea of Pollen as Creation because bees do make more sense than ladybugs from a theme perspective. Plus Ladybee was such an iconic look, one of the few good unifies, and a version of that without the red would still be fabulous!

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

I can see the inconsistency of Felix character is because he actually a character for there "Fans demand" :

Sooo you prefer 2D-Catnoir/Felix rather than our angel Adrien ? Here Felix ! He official debut in "Felix" ! He is Adrien cousin and a big jerk ! Hate him just like how I hate him too !

Wh- What ? You like him ? Fuck ! So you feel he is more competent that our pure evulz bitch teenagers ? Fine ! Here's Felix who manage to trick Gabriel in "Gabriel Agreste" ! Now He is as dangerous as Gabe

Oh Fuck ! You still like him and feel he is more "relevant" than our angel Adrien and my sweetie Marinette ? Here's I present YOU Felix join Miracuclass as "Dog Hero" and then sell all the Miraclouses to Gabe ! He is Evil ! EVil ! EVIIIIL !

What ? You asking me why he want Peacock Miraculous so much ?! Here I present you Felix as Argos ! He wiped humanity out-of-spite and try to create the Utopia for his own freedom ! He is misanthrope !

What A second ? Why... You... STILL.... EXPECTED... CHLOE... TO BE REDEEMED.... why she already... has many traits... to be put in "Complete Monster" territory ? Why YOU keep want her to be redeem like Zuzu and Pacifica just because having shitty parents ? FINE ! Here's Felix to be our Zuzu ! He is tragic little peacock... has tragic backstory.... shitty dad... and a handsome teenager.... pretty much like Zuzu right ? Now shut up and Go simp on him and Feligami already !

Proper redemption arc ? Who hell need redemption arc as long as he is "tragic and handsome" ? Don't worry... we will make Kagami as "senti" out-of-nowhere aside she wear different ring as excuse and a "horny possessive girl" who still can't move on from Adrien and make her Simp felix because he smell and looks like Adrien RIIIIIIIIIIIGHHT LOL

Honestly, it is pretty hilarious that Felix was meant to be seen as the actual character who went through a serious redemption arc compared to Chloe, when the writers pretty much speedran through every major part of it in time for the finale.

Like, say what you will about Chloe and whether or not you think she deserved to be redeemed, but at least the arc leading to her betrayal was spread across three seasons. Felix's redemption arc only lasted three episodes.

Because of the poor pacing, this is the character journey Felix goes through during the latter half of Season 5.

Emotion: "I'm going to wipe out all of humanity and create a better world! Wait, you think I'm insane for erasing your friends and family from existance while essentially committing mass genocide? WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

Pretension: "Even though I've spent almost no time with you, I think I'm falling in love with you because you may be a Sentimonster person with strict parents like me. Of course, I don't love you enough to break my new moral code against using Sentimonsters or even answering for my betrayal of Ladybug."

Representation: "I'm finally going to do something to help Ladybug because her arch-enemy is getting in the way with my week-old relationship, and that moral code against Sentimonsters? I don't want to use Sentimonsters to fight, but using Sentimonsters to put on a play to convey information I could easily tell Ladybug myself, since my new girlfriend conviently learned her identity over ten episodes ago? Perfectly okay. And since I have a personal stake by wanting to protect both my cousin and girlfriend, surely, this means I'll get to play a big part in the season finale instead of just letting Ladybug do all the work, right?"

Conformation and Re-Creation:

[amber-jinx]

This question has been weighing heavily on me, and I need your advice.

Has anyone made you feel bad for being a huge fan of Rachel? Or have they made you feel guilty for choosing the Sacrifice Chloe ending? For me personally, I get more people looking at me as a bad person for choosing to save the town :/ Your girl is struggling and thinking about leaving the fandom because of these things.

Omg, thank you for asking this. No. Despite all the hate Rachel gets I know that it all stems from a place of misunderstanding/blindness towards who she really is, ignorance of the context of her circumstances and/or just pure biasness against AmberPrice. I'd say that choosing to save a town shows that you're a person with a big heart that cares for a greater number of people, which in a way is doing the right thing morally. It's actually a + point in my eyes. (Lmao I love Chloe but she literally said maybe it's her destiny and wants to save her family too, are they deaf for not hearing that part?? Let her be a hero and do what she wishes to do, is that so wrong? People be like nah imma save her cuz *I* love her and *I* care about her the most. Where's the altruism?) but still, I respect both decisions and choices.

As for those people that guilt-trip you or make you feel bad for liking the sweet girl Rachel and choosing a morally sound ending, best thing to do is to ignore them or stop talking to them specifically. (Blocking helps, too) There's more to the LiS fandom than those people, like I've met people who chose bay and love Rachel as much as I do as well, or good people that respect your choice because they also value you as a person. I'd say stick around with those people and this part of the fandom that you resonate with / don't have to feel bad about, and leave those that makes you feel bad for doing absolutely nothing wrong/liking a well-deserved character for her humanity, behind.

So yeah no one could really change my opinion much 😂 I wouldn't feel bad because I'm liking a lovable character! HAHAHAH idk if it's just cuz I'm stubborn, but finding the right people and those that respect you is also important. To quote a friend, it's 'AmberPrice against the world' really.

Hit me with those bastards that dare to make you feel bad or guilty for these things. We'll show them some true colours. (Pun unintended?) Their arguments are literally not sound and can be broken with some logical reasoning 😂

I hope you never feel that way. Know that I and those who love Rachel and AmberPrice have got your back girl!! 🧡🩵

Source: @erudapyon

And to the haters, You Need to Calm Down 😑 respect that people have their own opinions, shh, it's okay. This fandom should be a wholesome place instead of being divided by the choices in the game.

[kaileedraws]

*+ Ships +*

So that there’s no surprises, here’s a running list of ships in this AU - it’s pretty much the same as canon and I’ll mention which ones end / what will be the endgame ships!

Main Characters ——————///

Ladybug & Adrien

Brief and innocent

Comfort and fluff

Not endgame nor dating - occurs briefly

Marinette & Chat Noir

Angst and rebellion (and more angst)

comfort/hurt

Heartbroken babies find unsuspecting comfort in each other

Always gave off “best friend” vibes — someone they can talk about their relationship problems to

Not endgame, nor do they date, but they have a sort of healing situationship for awhile

Marinette & Adrien

Sweet and healing

Forbidden love - it’s like the world doesn’t want them to work — especially because they have to lie to each other constantly.

Not endgame, but they do date for a while until they mutually agree, painfully, that it’s not in the cards for them - more angst

Ladybug & Chat Noir

Forbidden, secret love

Comfort/hurt

Endgame - they realize that the only people they can trust is each other

Adrien & Chloe

Trauma bond, emotional instability, situationship

Chloe craves the attention that her mother never gave her, Adrien is trying to escape from the grief of his mom’s death.

Ends early on: Adrien tells her that everything he was doing was just to make her happy. Chloe becomes upset because she wasn’t trying to take advantage of him and his emotional state, as she is broken too.

They both don’t have romantic feelings for each other and stay close friends. Chloe becomes protective of Adrien since she doesn’t want that to happen to him again.

Turns into a sibling-like relationship

Adrien & Kagami

Rebellion, understanding

Adrien is trying to run away from his feelings for Ladybug; Kagami finally finds the first person she can relate to and mistakes it for love.

They date for a little bit but Kagami is hurt about Adrien’s avoidance in the relationship. Kagami ends things but eventually returns in friendship once she figures out that she only loved the idea and perfection of Adrien — not Adrien himself (this would explain how she falls for Felix genuinely without it appearing like a rebound)

Marinette and Luka

Comfort/hurt

Marinette is running away from her feelings for Adrien, and Luka is there to catch her.

They date casually for a little bit, before Luka becomes concerned with Marinette’s avoidance in the relationship.

They mutually end things, and Luka tries to be okay with this. He’s secretly hurt, but more than anything, he just wants Marinette to be happy. Marinette wants Luka to be with someone who deserves him, and she knows that in her state, she can’t be that person.

Felix and Kagami

Enemies to lovers to partners in crime

Yeah Kagami falls for the antihero because she admires how bold and rebellious he is. Felix falls for Kagami because he admires how ruthfully truthful she is

Endgame ship

Gabriel x Nathalie

All of the freaking angst

Nathalie devotes her life to him, his cause, and his son

Gabriel finds comfort in Nathalie as he goes through the grieving process

Don’t ask them, they’ll deny it (probably endgame but we’ll see)

Other Character Ships ———///

Ivan & Mylene

Power couple that’s going to make a greener earth

Juleka & Rose

Gave off a sister vibe at first and then figured out they were actually in love

Marc & Nathan

Will make a husband and husband’s comic book about Ladybug and Chat Noir

Kim & Ondine

The mermaid couple

Not endgame - Ondine deserves better

Luka & ??? — leaning towards Chloe

I really want this good lad to be happy because he deserves it, but I can’t figure out who he’d be happy with.

The ship Chloe/Luka is kind of growing on me — post-Chloe’s character arc of course. I kind of like the thought of him being the calm to her storm, and her aggressively sticking up for him because he’s too chill to correct the mistakes of others. Ie she would call over the waiter and complain they got his order wrong and he would just be in the corner like “hey I said it was fine you don’t have to do that for me.” And with her, she would be about to get super angry and frustrated, and he would just be like “shh, listen to the music in the room” or some shit, or even just grab her hand and ground her, helping her arc. She needs someone to calm her and give her affection, and he deserves a woman that’s going to fight for him.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Zoe & ????? — leaning towards Ondine (or Aurore)

I want to establish a side character for Zoe, leaning toward her having a relationship with Ondine just on the basis of listening to the song “boyfriend” by Dove Cameron—

Ondine saying “fuck you” to Kim and running away happily and gay. Fuck Kim lmao

[that-random-outsider]

OKAY HEAR ME OUT CREEP IS SO RED CODED

Chloe to Red is like everything good in the world combined. She loves her so much it hurts because how could she ever be worthy or someone as good as her? She sentenced Chloe’s mom to death, she watched her own mother stage a coup and Chloe still looks at her as if she's worth all the love in the world and it hurts because Chloe deserves so much better than a VK who has no place in this new world they created together.

Chloe belongs here. She's everything Auradon had pretended to be. She's kind and smart, and stands up for everything she believes in no matter what. Red adores Chloe but she wishes that she could be like that. That she could be one of those kind and open Auradon kids that could deserve someone like Chloe. But she'll always be that weird girl from Wonderland

Red doesn’t belong there. Everything that happened to her, her entire life was erased from existence. She was never "the daughter of the Queen of Hearts" she's the daughter of queen Bridget a woman who loves her rose so fiercely and with everything in her heart. the bruises, the threats, None of it happened. Red wasn't even Red anymore. Her entire life was wiped from existence and she seems to be the only that survived. She didn’t belong there, she didn’t belong anywhere. Not even Wonderland was recognizable anymore, it was all gone.

All Red has ever wanted was control of her own destiny. A chance to live freely from her mom's expectations. She just wants to be normal, she wants to be good. She sometimes doesn't even feel like her body is her own. I could honestly see her developing different habits to remind herself that it is. Anything to make her feel like she has some semblance of autonomy some sliver of a line that could be drawn between the real Red, and the one her mom forced her to become

Chloe is the thing in Red’s heart. The one person that can recognize her for her. The one person that got to know Red beyond the walls Red had put up for protection. She's scared that one day Chloe will realize what Red is already so sure of that Red will never be good enough for her.

Red never feels like she fits anywhere, she's not a VK anymore, but she's not the princess of hearts everyone seems to remember, and she doesn't think she ever could be. But if she could be maybe then she could be the person Chloe deserves. Someone more like Bridget was when she was younger, someone who could be good

Red would do anything for Chloe. She'd do anything to make her smile. All she wants is to see Chloe happy even if she’s not the one that could do that for her. Because if someone as special as Chloe can look at her and smile, what more could she ask for.

[seecarrun]

My pal!!!!!! My friend!!!!!!! I'd like to tell you a beautiful little secret!!!!!! You want to know what that.....

Domesticabuseshipping is dead you genwunners!!!!!!!!!

Amourshipping is canon losers!!!!!

Ah man. Normally I would just delete this and go on with my day, as I am a whole ass adult with like, a husband and child and career and mortgage and shit, and I haven’t seen childish fandom bullshit like this since literally the 1990’s, and I have better, more important things to do with my life and you are just going to respond to this with the same repeated thing over and over again.

But luckily for you, said career is actually a kindergarten teacher, so I like working with sad and upset children.

Because honestly? I think that’s what this is all about. I think you are sad and mad and upset about how Serena’s character was wrapped up on the anime, and I think you have every right to feel that way.

I’m not a Serena fan, myself, but I have no ill feelings towards those who are. Love what you love, I say! I actually couldn’t get into the BW or XY anime, just not my thing, but I did start rewatching again at Sun Moon, and I can absolutely see why a Serena fan would be frustrated at how they ended things for her. Literally all the other traveling companions (save for May and Max, for obvious reasons with May’s Japanese VA) had a more significant wrap up with Ash than she did in the last season.

Misty and Brock both got the whole Aim to be a Pokemon Master thing, Dawn came back to watch Ash complete during the World Coronation and cheer him on, Iris was IN the World Coronation thing as a gd champion!!

Serena got an episode, and she didn’t even interact with Ash in it hardly at all. She spent the whole time with Chloe, and only saw him in passing when he walked past her to get on the boat at the very end. There was no blushing, no love confessions, neither the kiss nor Sarena were eeever talked about again. She got a non speaking cameo watching him against Leon along with the others and that was it. I have my own opinions as to why the writers did that, but that is neither here nor there, that’ll be a post on it’s own.

But that’s frustrating! I totally get that! She was the only traveling companion to kiss Ash, surely that means something and she’ll be brought back or brought up and she and Ash will be together forever!

But nope, pokemon isn’t that kind of anime. It and Ash’s journey ended with just him and Pikachu running off into the sunset, with Gary, if we’re being honest, as probably the most significant human to him in the end (as it should be, my old ass genwonner heart LOVES how Gary was there at the end living in Ash’s head rent free lol).

So I do get why you are upset and lashing out. I think it’s dumb and immature and annoying, but I get it.

My parting wish for you is hope that you’ll realize that literally no Ash ship is canon; his time in the anime is done and he ended up with no one, and that is simply okay because it’s pokemon and romance in that show has literally never been the point. I hope you keep on loving your favorite characters and ships and that you let everyone else enjoy their’s.

Buuuut let’s be honest, I know that you are just going to ignore everything I wrote and keep doing this same shit, but it was worth a shot, right? :P

I hope you have the day you deserve. <3

[sheenashifts1217]

oh lol I forgot to ask for a message haha I’ll redo it

I’m Chloe (she/her)

I’m shifting to the vampire diaries

and I’d like a message from my s/o, Stefan Salvatore please 🙏 thanks

A message from Stefan

First song

Lyrics standing out:

“You don’t remember me but I remember you

If we could start a new

Tempt the hand of fate

Pain in my heart

You

Love is not a gadget

I wouldn’t hesitate”

Alright, first off, random thought, he wants to dance with you. Stefan wants to show you love, but he also wants to protect you. He’s known you longer than you’ve known him. Or that you realize. He wouldn’t hesitate to put his life on the line for you, but he doesn’t want you to do the same. He feels like he has to earn it. He feels bad for hiding things from you and he wants to say he’s sorry. He’s needing you to forgive him.

Second song

Lyrics standing out:

“Pushing down on me

Pressing down on you

People on streets

Splits a family in two

The terror of knowing what this world is about

Watching good friends

Can we give ourselves one more chance

Care for the people

Edge of the night

Change our way

This is our last dance”

He hates that you found out whatever he was hiding, the way that you found out. Since it’s in the open now, he’s at your mercy and just hoping you’ll give him a chance. He doesn’t want to stop dancing with you. I heard him say “sway with me” “let’s play”. He’s changing for you and wants you to accept him. He understands if you don’t, but know that he tried. (I feel like this has to do with him being a ripper) He can’t get you out of his mind.

Third song

Lyrics standing out:

“He’ll look around the room

Cowboy kid

He’s coming for you

All the other kids

Better run

Faster than my bullet

Reason with my cigarette

You’re hairs on fire

Lost your wits”

Does Alaric mean anything to you? I feel like he could be a father figure to you.

Again, he doesn’t like for you to be in danger. He thinks you must be crazy for putting up with him. He can self isolate and wants you to know that it’s not your fault. I feel like this could be for you as well if you tend to self isolate. Whatever you’re going through he says it will be okay. Stefan wants you to take better care of yourself. Put you first and don’t let him or others drain you because you deserve the world. I heard him ask, “have you eaten?”. He cares Cary deeply for you and just wants to be there but he may need some help to accept himself. He wants you to accept yourself aswell.

Happy shifting, love. I hope this helps and resonates. Please let me know ❤️❤️❤️

[ionizingdotjpeg]

Be more chill characters but as littlest pet shop figures

Aka “how i would cast the bmc characters if I was making a lps remake on youtube”

Jeremy

First off, Jeremy. I chose the giraffe because they are lanky and tall and awkward looking and basically just jeremy. look at that thing. look into it’s soulful blue eyes.

Rich

a close runnerup for for him would be the rooster lps refrencubg his red hair streak however this little ferret guy spoke out to me.

Micheal

Looks chill but also friendly, very nice looking young man.

Christine

now, to the untrained eye, this might look like a regular picture of christine, however upon further inspection it’s a joyful looking mouse.this mouse has big dreams and a big heart full of love and joy and its quite literally her.

Brooke

do i have to explain this. like at all?

Chloe

a bit mean looking, a bit of a diva, but thats okay because its chloe. quite literally wearing a tiara because of course she is.

Jake

i cant quite explain this one. he just looks so kind.

Jenna

LOOK!!! ITS HER AGAHAJABAGGAHAHA!! she has a cute big bow and 8 legs and js bright purple and despite that nobody pays attentuon to her… she looks so sweet and kind and deserves the world shes doing her best PLEASE (guess my favorite character)

Squip

Only fitting that the cool computer is played by the stereotypical cool boy lps. i do not trust those eyes.

Mr Heere

do not ask him why his son is a giraffe. he does not know either. not a singular thought behind those eyes.

[herpartnerintime]

Before you say Chloe is a bad friend...

Play Farewell again. Look at how happy Chloe was. She had the perfect life, perfect family, perfect best friend. Pay attention to how she looks at Max with such adoration and love. The way she hugs Max out of nowhere and tells her she's the fricken best, pay attention to how she comforts Max about the move and isn't worried about anything changing. She trusted Max with ALL HER HEART.

And Max betrayed that. When she needed it most, when her dad died, Max broke the promise she left on that tape (that Chloe clutched to her chest as she fell down crying, that meant the world to her, that recording...) Imagine what that would do to you. Listen to Max's tape... listen to it.

Max: I guess I just wanted to leave you one more message. Because I know this was the absolute worst time for me to go. I thought maybe if you heard my voice it could be a little bit like I was there. I don't know, maybe this was a dumb idea. I would give anything to be there with you now. It's so hard, trying to say what I'm thinking. If I could just see you... But we'll get good at it—great at it! We'll write and talk all the time. And then you'll come visit and it'll be like I never left. I mean it, you don't have to worry about anything changing. You're dealing with so much other stuff. You don't deserve any of this. Max: Chloe, listen. Even if I never—even if we're moving for good... We're always together, okay? Even when we're apart. We're still Max and Chloe. I will always, always love you. Goodbye.

Think of how Chloe is curled in a ball on the floor of her room clutching that tape like it's all she has left because it IS all she has left but she is also left with the promise Max is going to write and talk with her all the time, the promise they are still Max and Chloe, that Max will always love her, that nothing will change. Chloe is clutching to the tape, holding it to her chest, she's clutching on to Max. And Max? She doesn't write. She doesn't call. She doesn't text. In bts she maybe responds once or twice but otherwise no. She's not there at all. Things do change. Chloe's alone... everything on that tape... feels like a lie.

Everybody lies remember? A statement 16 year old Chloe believes in Before the Storm. Who do you think taught her everybody lies? Then my dad died, and her dad got some job up north and she moved away to Seattle. It was probably the moment when I needed her most, and she bailed. Thanks, Max, for teaching me that I can't rely on anyone. I mean it. Life lesson learned.

Tell me you wouldn't be just as broken as Chloe losing your dad and then your best friend who you loved so much and then your mom gets a new boyfriend (and marries him) who treats you like you're just a problem and your mom is okay with it. Justifies his treatment of you. He's not your fucking dad. Your dad was perfect. This guy is nothing. It feels like your mom is trying to replace your dad. He's telling you that you've had enough of a vacation from a father figure as if your dad being dead for two years is a 'vacation' you wanted. Joyce has a right to move on, but her boyfriend treats and talks to Chloe horribly, and Chloe is 16. She's a teenager. She hasn't moved on from her dad's death, not even close. She hasn't moved on from Max either. Max and her dad were her fucking world. Think about the Junkyard scene in Before the Storm. The one where Chloe is smashing things in the junkyard. The way she sees the camera and goes... Chloe: I've never understood your hard-on for cameras, Max. You took a million pictures of us, and not one of them showed that you were gonna leave when I needed you most.

Chloe smashes it.

Chloe: Fuck cameras. She says fuck you David. Fuck off Rachel. But she can't say fuck you Max.

I feel the need to say what she wrote in her journal about taking Max back in a heartbeat at 16 stayed true even at 19. She took Max back in a heartbeat. The worst part is that even though we haven't spoken in months, even though she habitually ignored my texts so much that I just stopped trying, even though I know, deep down, that she doesn't care about me anymore and that she probably has all new friends up in fucking Seattle... I still miss her. If she came back tomorrow and said "hey Chloe, want to dress up like pirates and be stupid together?", I would take her back in a heartbeat. And as we all know, she does. I want you to think of the scene where Chloe finds her dad's car and breaks down, smashing her fists against the car screaming and crying until she falls down to the ground, crying and sobbing, curling up into a ball as she cries, all alone in that Junkyard, alone because not only did her dad die, but Max left, and she didn't keep her promise on that tape that Chloe had also curled into a ball with. She doesn't even have that promise anymore. She has nothing. But wait, that's not all, because as soon as Rachel leaves I find a car. My dead dad's fucking car. The twisted, shattered, ugly reminder of what used to be my life.

I think most people would never want anything to do with people who hurt them like Max. But Chloe took her back, still loved her, still treated her with love and still considered her her best friend. Look at how special their scenes are. The way they walk on the train tracks, the way they touch and Max worries her powers won't last forever. Guess what? Chloe doesn't care. She says WE WILL. Forever. She doesn't care if Max loses her powers because she LOVES Max, not her powers.

Now was Chloe angry at times in the game? Yes. And she had a right to be. Honestly, I'm surprised people seem to be under the impression you should just be okay with your best friend ghosting you after promising you she would be there for you when you desperately needed her and never be a little angry about it (and let's not forget Max returning to Arcadia but still not contacting Chloe). But with that said does Chloe act selfishly with Max at times? Yes she does.

Let's talk about the weed in Chloe's room. My favourite thing to do is hide and then burst out of the closet and take the blame for Chloe, which touches Chloe that Max throws herself out of the closet to protect her and feels like a huge show of love to Chloe that Max wanted to protect her. But if you don't hide and David catches you? Chloe will throw the blame on you and say it's Max weed. If you refuse to take the blame, Chloe is hurt and angry at Max.

It was a test when she throws the blame on Max. Does Max care enough about me to protect me? Think of how as kids Chloe protected Max when Max broke one of the stair posts as kids Max thinks in Farewell, "I slipped and broke this post a few years ago. But Chloe insisted on taking the blame. Even after she got grounded, she never squealed. What a friend." Chloe was willing to take the blame for Max as kids and protect her. Would Max do the same for her? Protect her?

And if Max does, or if you come out of hiding and take the blame without prompting think about how much that MEANS to Chloe. How loud that action speaks to her seeing Max wanting to protect her. And watch how protective she is of Max when David gets in her face about it. If Max is taking the blame, that doesn't mean Chloe is going to let David get to close to her. She says this if you do not take the blame and is then hit by David.

Max: I'm sorry, Chloe... I didn't know what to do...

Chloe: Whatever. Everybody bails on me. Even my "best friend" Max... Don't you? I'm so done with everyone in this town... I wish I hadn't even seen you. As if you care. Color me outta here... Keep in mind too, before this dialogue when they were talking about Rachel, this exchange happens.

Max: And you haven't heard anything from her since?

Chloe: Like everybody in my life. My dad, you...and Rachel. Gone... Can you put on some music now?

Max gets up. She inserts the CD into the stereo. "Santa Monica Dream" by Angus and Julia Stone begins playing. Chloe lies down on the bed, a sad expression on her face, and she begins to smoke.

Chloe: Anyway... You can find tools to fix your camera in the garage...

Max: Chloe, are you okay?

Chloe: Sure, I'm awesome. I just want to blaze and be alone for a moment...

Max not taking the blame and standing up to David as he harasses Chloe and eventually hits her has Chloe feeling deeply hurt and thinking about how everyone in her life hurts her and this is no different, changing her earlier happy mood at seeing Max and bringing this feeling back we saw earlier that had her distressed. Everyone lets her down, everybody leaves her, of course Max didn't stand up for her, why would she even have expected her too? Don't forget how in Before the Storm Rachel even told Chloe this... Rachel: Sometimes, I feel like I've got no reason to stay. Don't be surprised, Chloe, if one day, I'm just out of here. Chloe goes back and forth between thinking Rachel is missing and in danger to thinking I imagine to this moment and wondering if Rachel abandoned her too. Like Max did. She's come to expect the ones she loves leaving her and disappointing her. Look at how happy she is if you take the blame.

Chloe: Thanks for taking the heat. We totally smacked his punk ass down, Max. He's no match for you and me now...That was an epic win. Anyway. Let's sneak out the window...there is one cool place we can hang in this hickhole Chloe: Isn't this awesome sauce? Totally reminds me of when we were kids... (waves to Max.) Come on, slowpoke! Chloe is practically high with the happiness of Max taking the blame, not because she wants Max in trouble but because the act of Max looking out for her makes her feel loved, makes her feel like this is real, Max is really back and is to stay and she really does care again.

Max's inaction or her choice to take action have powerful affects on Chloe. Come out of hiding or take the blame and she feels loved, don't take the blame and she feels uncared for from a friend she fears may not truly care for her like she cares for her. The same can be said of shooting or not shooting Frank. Let's talk about the dialogue Shoot Max: Sorry.

Chloe hugs Max.

Chloe: You were awesome. Thanks for standing up for me...Let's blow. My secret lair didn't feel secret today. At least Frank is gone; he won't fuck with us again. He just wants his money. Don't shoot Chloe: You really stood your ground. Don't shoot

Max: I freaked. I don't like guns.

Chloe: It'll be hard to keep Nathan off my ass... My step-shit will have his other guns sealed in an electrified bunker by now.

Max: Sorry, Chloe. I've never held a gun on a human being before. Not cool.

Chloe: I know, Max. Really. I'm actually relieved it worked out this way instead... And there are more guns out there...Let's blow. My secret lair didn't feel secret today. At least Frank is gone; he won't fuck with us again. He just wants his money.

I know her reaction of you didn't stand your ground when you don't shoot is hurtful and unfair, Max was pointing the gun at Frank, she was scared in this scenario to pull the trigger and possibly kill him. Chloe acknowledges she knows, signaling she does understand this was a hard situation for Max and it's not fair to place that expectation on her. I think the reason her reaction if Max shoots is moving to hug her when Max says sorry is because of how deeply moved Chloe was by what Max did. Max saw her in danger and was willing to pull a trigger to protect her. That's an act of love and a powerful one and Chloe knows that. I think if Max doesn't shoot, even if it's unfair, a part of Chloe feels like she's not loved enough to have someone go that far to protect her, but she can acknowledge it's not fair of her to feel that way. Let's talk about these lines too..

Chloe: I still can't believe you pulled a gun on Frank. That was epic.

Max: It felt awful... I'm glad there was no bullets in there--

Chloe: You can just rewind time in your hand and stick that barrel right up Frank's ass! You have the power!

Max: You're gross. Don't fall. Max and Chloe briefly hold hands, then let go. vs

Chloe: I can't believe you basically gave him my gun. "Here ya go, Frank."

Max: You can't keep getting mad at me. Especially for stupid shit.

Chloe: I'm not mad. It adds up in my mind as people letting me down. And I just liked having that gun, man.

Max and Chloe briefly hold hands, then let go.

Max: Now you have me to protect you. Now again, Chloe is being unfair here, but she is upset her protection was taken from her as she is very anxious I think after almost being shot earlier (and knowing she also died in one reality) also now anxious from Frank threatening her with a knife and anxious even from being drugged and from her step father's abuse, that losing her means of protection because Max wasn't willing to pull the trigger I think has her upset, and she sees it as being let down. It's not fair at all, but that's why she feels that way. When Max does shoot, we can see what an impact this has emotionally for her. She's all excited and happy, and I think she's kind of high off the act of love that was pulling the trigger from Max. She now knows Max loves her so much she'd kill for her, and it's hard for her not to be thrilled by that realization, that Max loves her so much. I think this is why she soon after texts Max this... max the boss with the gun marry me Illegal in Oregon. For now. fuq that shit elope Chloe was truly touched and moved and high off the love displayed in Max 'shooting' Frank. When you think of how Chloe has been feeling for so long, so unloved and abandoned you can see why this act of love really took her by surprise and furthered her love and adoration of Max. And it's also worth mentioning Chloe can also shoot Frank, for real, killing him when he threatens Max. Making it clear if your Max 'shoots' that their love is so powerful they both pull triggers to protect the other. Now let's bring up the Kate call. People get very nasty on Chloe on this one. We're all protective of Kate. It's important to know Chloe did not realize how serious the call was.

Think about it. How would you feel if your bestie broke her promise to you and hurt you so deeply, cut you so deeply, for five years, nothing, silence, nothing when she knew you had just lost your dad, when she was your fucking WORLD, when she PROMISED you to be there for you, REPLAY FAREWELL AND imagine how much it would CUT LIKE A FUCKING KNIFE to see your bestie drop everything to pick up the phone for someone she knew for only a month when she ignored every single one of your calls? I have no doubt Chloe called Max in tears and broken many times wishing more than anything she would pick up the phone, or stared at her sent text waiting for a reply. There may have been times Chloe was on the brink of considering suicide (Rachel saved my life suggests to me she didn't want to live anymore) and needed to talk to Max, but she never answered. Max was never there for HER. Imagine how deeply that HURT. How much it hurt to watch her be there for someone else without hesitation.

It was still selfish, but so REAL, so RAW. Of course Chloe was hurt and lashed out at Max. If you don't answer the call, Chloe is happy. She can be very possessive of her loved ones, and given her abandonment issues, caused most heartbreakingly of all by Max - that she can't help but feel possessive. She loves Max, she has missed Max for five years and wants Max's attention all to herself. Selfish but REAL.

And she apologizes. Later she admits it was selfish and apologizes to Max. She feels fucking awful about it. Chloe: I was a... I was a total dick for blowing a fuse when Kate called the other day. I had no idea what shit she was going through. I stopped you from being her friend. But you saved her... like me. / If Max ignored call

Chloe: I was a total dick for blowing a fuse when you answered Kate's call the other day. Good thing you ignored me. I had no idea what shit she was going through. And you saved her... like me. / If Max answered.

Some other things people get mad at Chloe over, of course stealing the money. But let's consider a few things. Chloe right before finding the money, on the computer: "Nathan Prescott the Third." Oooh, he's so money. And you know the Prescotts dropped major bank to bury Nathan's real file... Look, it reads like a rap sheet---bad grades, teacher complains, secret probation... But I was expelled? She then finds the money right after guessing the Prescotts were dropping major bank to bury his files. Where did such a large amount of money come from? It doesn't feel like a coincidence. Max: Wowser, that's a lot for the "handicapped fund." You can hear in Max's voice she's making a similar connection to the Prescotts dropping bank, but she's anxious because she does think it could possibly be used for the handicapped fund. If you watch Chloe's face when Max says handicapped fund, she barely even seems to hear Max, all she is thinking about is Rachel and how that money can help them find more information from Frank and get Frank off her back. We know Chloe has been desperate to get money to pay off Frank and get out of Arcadia but now the money has even more importance - to get him to tell them anything he knows about Rachel since he's not likely to talk right now when she owes him and their last encounter had him threatening her for his money. Frank came seeking Chloe out and pulled a knife on her and said, "You want me to cut you, bitch?" I imagine this has Chloe anxious too as she's never seen Frank this aggressive with her and wants him off her back and is scared he might pull a knife out on her again and hurt her. This is yet another reason having a gun is a comfort to her she is distressed if she loses. She's had a lot of men threating her recently. You can even find in episode 3 Chloe's bedroom on her phone has messages from Frank threatening her for his money. He texts the following "Chloe. Money. Now. Chloe: I have your money asshole. Frank: When? Chloe: i'll text you before the end of the week. Frank: Or else. DO NOT FUCK WITH ME WHORE! Max: Jesus. Now I am glad Chloe took that money. This guy is serious. And Scary! Max herself can see how important stealing the money was in keeping Chloe safe from a man who physically threatened her and is continuing to threaten her. Allowing the money to be stolen in the office is also another show of loyalty and showing her desire to help find Rachel and keep Chloe safe from Frank's anger and aggression, given the money really calms Frank down and gets him off her back and helps him open up more about Rachel. Max's thoughts show she's doing it to protect Chloe from Frank and find more about Rachel and Max's willingness to do so much for her and helping her means a lot to Chloe, it onces again touches her that Max wants to protect her and help keep her safe from Frank and also help her find Rachel, whereas Max refusing to take it feels like Max isn't as determined to find Rachel and help her and protect her from Frank, though she accepts Moral Max's choice, even if she is upset if Max refuses to let her take the money. I've also seen others bringing up how she parked in the handicapped spot and I think while Max herself at first thought this was intentional of the driver, I think it's clear once we know it is Chloe that she was coming to Blackwell to confront Nathan for drugging her and to put up Rachel posters, so I think she was driving into the parking lot distressed and upset and also angry at Blackwell, not paying attention to where she parked and wanting to park improperly just as a fuck you to Blackwell, angry for not only them expelling her but I'd even imagine for not putting up Rachel missing posters themselves and hell, why was Nathan not expelled and she was with all the shit he was pulling? She had lots of resentment for that school. She does face consequences for selfishly not paying attention to where she was rebelliously parking and for taking the money though as we know.

Even in episode 4, Chloe we see in texts apologized for getting so upset after finding out about Rachel and Frank and taking it out on Max in the car.

hey man i suck again

sorry i got in your face today and took out my bullshit rage on my best friend

- Here we have Chloe owning up to her behaviour. She knows she hasn't been fair with Max, more than once *I suck again', and she apologizes.

And again please remember the game takes place in less than a week, not in a year.

October 7 - 11 is literally the Life is Strange 1 timeline. LESS THAN A WEEK. For Max with her powers and alternate reality I suppose it’s technically a little longer for her. But yes, timeline is less than a week.

Back to the text, she's already apologizing and changing her behaviour to be less selfish with Max and the game again happens in less than a week. If Chloe was rubbing her anger into Max for months or a year or years and never letting it go how Max wasn't there for her yeah that WOULD be a toxic friendship. It would be a toxic friendship if Chloe always held it over her head and was always 'testing' Max's loyalty. But the game takes place in days, and Chloe lets out some anger, has some tests like the weed 'will she take the blame', but overall is loving and supportive and apologizes and owns up to her selfish behaviors and does change and by the end of the 11th of October is willing to die for everyone.

I also see people occasionally bringing up her bossiness to say she's a bad friend to Max, like how she goes boo hoo Max is afraid when wanting her to practice with the gun. I do agree that yeah, she shouldn't have been like that about it but Chloe was trying in her way to be encouraging to get her to give the gun a go, since she had fun with it and Max as we see, seemed to enjoy it too, they even happily high five after. Also consider how she offers Max beer and when Max turns it down she doesn't push it at all (she even think this is cute Max thinks beer is gross). She's not going to pressure her into drinking. She cares about Max and really likes encouraging her, and in the case of the gun practice, maybe her over excitement made her push a little hard in this case.

I see people sometimes saying to that she pushed Max with her powers. Chloe was excited to see more of the powers in action (who wouldn't be really?) but she freaked out in a panic when Max passed out. She was scared as fuck for Max. Neither of them knew at the time how serious things could get, they were just having fun testing things out. Max enjoyed showing off too, look at the diner scene. She loved wowing Chloe with them. In the junkyard Chloe wants Max resting after she passes out.

The game takes place in less than a week and I wish people would understand Chloe obviously is dealing with very real and understandable hurt at Max but over all is supportive and encouraging to Max. That pool scene is just beautiful, the way Chloe encourages Max. Max doesn't just get braver in the game from her powers, but Chloe being in her life again brings out her bravery and courage to live life and not just observe it. Whatever ending you pick, Bae or Bay, I know Max will go on to pursue her dreams and her week with Chloe is going to be a huge part of that. Just a few moments of encouragement in the many she gives... Chloe: Stop being so goddamn humble. You're like the smartest, most talented person I've ever known. Max: Ew! I don't want any Blackwell bros over me. There's a couple cute guys there but they probably think I'm a total nerd.

Chloe: Uh, nerds are hot. You just don't have any confidence yet.

Max: Unfortunately, that didn't come with my rewind power... Chloe: No worries. Once you get over yourself, you're going to make the world bow.

Max: As long as you're there with me...

Chloe: Don't look so sad. I'm never leaving you... Max: I'd rather be a good photographer...

Chloe: You are. You just have to stop being afraid... (said gently) Chloe: Since you're the mysterious superhero, I'll be your faithful chauffeur and companion.

Max: My powers might not last, Chloe...

Chloe: That's okay—we will. Forever.

These are just a few moments in the many where Chloe is encouraging Max in different ways, and offering her unconditional love, loyalty and support. Chloe's negative behavior we see in less than one week isn't going to be reflective of forever, and by the end of the game/week Chloe is willing to sacrifice her life for Arcadia and acknowledges the ways she has been selfish and acknowledges how Max has shown her love and loyalty and friendship in every way. Max: Fuck that! No... no way! You are my number one priority now. You are all that matters to me.

Chloe: I know. You proved that over and over again... even though I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish... not like my mom... Look what she had to give up and live through... and she did. She deserves so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner. Even my step... father deserves her alive. There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live... way more than me... Chloe: Max, you finally came back to me this week, and... you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years.

In Lis2 we learn Chloe's new look "is from a combination of mixed feelings, such as angst, remorse, guilt, to not forget who died in the storm, to grow up, to advance in her life, and to never forget' It's obvious what happened changed Chloe forever and I think it's very clear after that those days she had with Max she's let go of her anger about those five years of silence. She knows Max loves her. She's more at peace now.

I feel sad when I see people hate Chloe because I feel like people want to take a real character and make her fake. I like real characters. I love that Chloe isn't perfect. I love that she loves Max so fucking much, in spite of everything, she takes her back and loves her and encourages her and supports her and offers that unconditional love. I love how when I play, her hurt and anger she lets out at times cuts me like a knife.

There's art of Max looking at Chloe and goes 'how long are you going to be mad at me?" And Chloe goes 'ten minutes' which feels very accurate. She takes little digs at Max here and there for not being there, but her anger doesn't last long. Most of the game is spent with Chloe being supportive, encouraging, loving, protective and just so happy to be around Max in spite of what Max did.

I think Max had a lot of anxiety. She cared for Chloe, didn't mean to hurt her, but she didn't know how to be there for her and was so overwhelmed by her grief she just wasn't there and eventually convinced herself Chloe would hate her. I think it means the world to Max after what she did, Chloe still loves her.

Five years apart and they were still Max and Chloe. If you go back to episode 4 where Max is forced to stand there and let William leave knowing he will die, she faces what this game is also about. Max Caulfield facing the consequences of not being there for her best friend when she promised she would be. She finally understands it, hearing Chloe has no belief that Max would ever abandon her. Chloe: She's never leaving me!

William: That makes all of us. (William walks out the door)

(Max leans against the wall with her head in her hands)

Chloe: Max, you are being so fucking strange, like you're never going to see us again.

Max: Chloe, I'm so sorry... I tried to make things different for you... I...I did try...I'm sorry.

Chloe: I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but come on. (Chloe holds Max's hands, then lets go) You have made things different, like my whole life. You're my best friend. I've got you and a great family. What's to be sorry for? We'll be best friends forever. And when we grow up we're taking over the world.

Max: Listen, whatever happens, I want you to be strong. Even if you feel like I wasn't there for you...because I will never abandon you, Chloe. (Max holds Chloe's hands) I'll always have your back. Always. If Max can understand, then I hope you all can too. Max truly is hit by the full weight of what she did and the consequences, and her attempt to fix it brought only pain to this alternate reality Chloe and Max as she faces 14 year old Chloe fully comprehending now what she did. How this Chloe has no idea she will abandon her, because she doesn't think Max would ever do such a thing to her, it's not something even in this Chloe's mind that could be a reality. So Max cries and tries her best to comfort Chloe from something Chloe doesn't even know she did yet and doesn't ever believe Max could do to her.

Chloe in Lis1 lets out her anger at Max at times, and sometimes she was selfish and toxic about it. What makes the ending of Farewell and that episode 4 moment so heart wrenching is that we the player and Max herself know Max breaks her promise. She won't be there for Chloe for five long years. They won't write a lot, Max won't be there for her for years. We know this, and Max faces the consequences of what she's done when she returns.

And I love how Chloe is hurt and is allowed to show it. And I love how in spite of everything, they still really are Max and Chloe. They still both love each other. Honestly, play Farewell, play Before the Storm, and then play Life is Strange and Chloe isn't even as angry as she ought to be, as most people would be. Most people would never accept a friend back like that. That's just the truth. Most people aren't so forgiving. But Chloe was. She really did take her back in a heartbeat. And again, that means the world to Max. Max, who when she looked at a picture of her and Chloe in their pirate outfits in her dorm in episode 1, wondered if they were even BFFs anymore, because she knew she hadn't been there for her and was scared Chloe might not forgive her and want to see her, which made her to scared to reach out when she returned. Chloe still seeing her as a BFF meant the world to Max.

I feel like Chloe 'haters' and those who only rant about how she was a toxic awful friend are so caught up in their dislike they stop thinking critically. Sometimes the opinions feel misogynistic or of internalized misogyny when you see people tearing apart a woman for not being the perfect embodiment of a 'girl with a bad past' they wish she was.

I think of Daniel from Lis2. A lot of people hate him because they play as Sean and again, feel defensive of Sean. And I think some people, they don't get as into the game as deeply and so play on more a surface level, more a 'Chloe blamed me for the weed, she's a toxic awful friend' kind of level as opposed to a deeper level, 'Chloe blamed me for the weed, which was really selfish, but I get she is hurt I ignored her for five years and she's trying to test and see how much I care.. I, Max, was her best friend and I hurt her deeply."

I know some people will say I'm making excuses but I'm trying to empathize and help people understand Chloe by detailing how some of her actions were wrong, but WHY she made them. She isn't perfect, she's hurt, she's allowed to be, she's allowed to be angry, who wouldn't be honestly? You can't tell me she's a toxic monster of a friend because she shows her hurt at Max sometimes during a less than 1 week period. I encourage players to replay Farewell to understand Chloe even more when you see how happy she was and how much she loved Max and how much Max leaving and breaking her promise broke her fucking heart and left her broken and yes, makes her angry and does cause her to show it at Max at times. And Max calls her out on it in the game even, pointing out how Chloe is always on her about not being there for her but this is how she's there for her (when she tries to spook Max in episode 3 when Max is shaken up over the events of episode 2, not considering Max's feelings) and Chloe apologizes at once. She owns up to her actions, and she doesn't hold things over Max the entire game.

I just hate seeing people hate on Chloe so hard. She's loyal AF to her friends and in spite of five years of silence loves Max no less and yes she shows some anger, sometimes she makes her expectations of Max selfishly high, but she was hurt deeply by Max and again, the game takes place in a less than a week and she's overall loving and supportive to Max and super protective of her and doesn't spend the entire game holding it against Max. She apologizes for her shitty behaviour, she grows.

She loves Max, she takes her back in a fucking heart beat. She helps Max be brave and helps Max see how talented she really is. When you also have played Before the Storm and seen how lonely Chloe was, read her journal entries, consider the fact she was called 'mute' by Drew because she was so lonely and depressed she never spoke, when you see how she jumped away from the train at the last second because she was so depressed and needed to feel something, maybe didn't care if the train did hit her... and consider she wouldn't have been like that if Max had been there for her... I think you can understand Chloe a lot more. And also understand how amazing she is for taking Max back and loving her and by October 11 after reuniting on October 7, fully forgiving Max. And how amazing Max is too for overcoming her social anxiety to be there for Chloe in every way she could be, even by changing time. Max: Fuck that! No... no way! You are my number one priority now. You are all that matters to me Chloe: I know. You proved that over and over again... even though I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish... not like my mom... Look what she had to give up and live through... and she did. She deserves so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner. Even my step... father deserves her alive. There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live... way more than me... Chloe: Max, you finally came back to me this week, and... you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years. Wherever I end up after this... in whatever reality... all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours. No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision.

Chloe: Max... it's time...

The song Obstacles begins to play.

Max: Not anymore.

Max tears apart the polaroid and it blows away in the storm. She watches the tornado.

Chloe: Max... I'll always be with you.

Max: Forever... Don't tell me Pricefield is toxic. Don't tell me Max and Chloe's relationship will be toxic in Bae. Because if you do, I know you don't really know them at all.

[f1stan]

We are friends - part 4

Eva sat in her room, she felt numb to any emotion. Not upset about her boyfriend cheating on her, but more upset that she's put up with this for too long.

'Please drop my keys at Laura's house, we are officially done.' She typed out the text but needed that bit of extra courage to press send. She sat and looked at it.

'Am I throwing away potentially the love of my life because I'm embarrassed?' She thought to herself.

In the living room, it was silent.

Nobody knew what to say, Lewis held his head in his hands, 'guys why did nobody stop me?'

'Bro I tried but you kept going, she'll be fine let her think it out and it'll be all good tomorrow she's a strong one. Does anyone want to volunteer to go and see her?' Connor asked while looking around the room everyone kept their heads down until Lewis looked up

'Maybe I should go, I suppose I added to the hurt'

The girls furrowed their eyebrows and shook their heads , eventually looking at Miles.

'Miles you know her best, she's most comfortable with you why don't you go?' Jenny suggested.

Miles looked up, not happy that she volunteered him.

'I mean, you are her ex and you've been best friends for years' Chloe added.

Lewis looked around confused 'ex boyfriend?'

'Oh yeah you won't know cause you was away winning championships! Eva and miles used to date it lasted a few months before they finally admitted they're more like brother and sister' Chloe added.

Liam burst out laughing 'I remember her telling me you kept going in to kiss her but she couldn't kiss you anymore cause it was like kissing her brother!'

Everyone giggled thinking back to the time that they gave it a shot. It was worth a shot it's brought out a beautiful bond between them.

Eva heard a knock on the door and then it creeped open, she didn't know who she was expecting to come through, she was hoping to be on her own.

'Hey sweetie I brought wine...'

He came in and sat beside her on her bed, she lent his head on his shoulder and he put his arm around hers.

'Miles, tell me the truth, is that what you have all been thinking this entire time?'

'Eva Lewis didn't know' he replied not answering her question. She didn't need an answer, him avoiding it told her enough. She hadn't aged a year until now.

'I'm embarrassed that I've put myself through this, that people think of me like this' she said following it up with a gulp of wine.

'Love makes you blind Eva, we've left you to your own mistakes, that's the only way to learn we all love and support you, you know that. You're an amazing person that deserves the world it's a shame it didn't work but don't put yourself through this we can see you're hurting'. Miles was stroking her shoulder he could feel his sleeve starting to soak in her tears.  She didn't respond.

They sat in silence for another 15 minutes before picked up her phone and pressed send on the text.

'I'm done with him'

'You'll be better off trust me, you never know you might ignite a romance this vacation.' He wiggled his eyebrows at her following it up with a wink.

'Miles we tried and it couldn't work, it felt so weird kissing you, I had to start making up excuses' she laughed. It was nice to see her smiling, that's when she looked her best.

But miles didn't have himself in mind when he said it.

She soon picked herself up and left her room going into the kitchen. Everyone had gone into their own rooms although she was sure she seen Connor sneaking into Jennys, oh well it's not her business.

She turned the light on and saw Lewis sitting there. He looked up at her. She could see the wheels turning in his head, not knowing what to say to her.

'Lewis it's okay, I'm not mad at you I'm just a little embarrassed, that's the second time you've caused me to feel like this' she let out a small laugh.

'I'm so sorry Eva, I don't think that about you I just wasn't thinking about how what I say could have affected anyone around me.'

'Lewis its okay honestly, I'm getting some snacks and watching a movie feel free to join if you want to.' She said walking off into the living room with her popcorn crisps and bottle of wine. She would usually go for a glass but after the last 2 days a bottle was what she needed.

He was surprised at how well she has handled this, she wasn't angry and she was forgiving. He didn't understand how, he knew he wouldn't have been able to stay in the same house if someone brought some home truths to him like he did her.

He finally came over to her she was under a blanket watching black panther, he came and sat next to her with his arms spread out for a hug.

'Fresh start?'

'Most definitely' she replied with a mouthful of popcorn giving him a hug.

She was watching her favourite movie Coming to America, he was so excited when it came on and told her it was also his favourite, maybe they are more alike than what she thought.

The next morning Miles walked into the kitchen which overlooked the living room and seen two people sprawled on the sofa as he walked closer he had to take a picture of this site. Eva's leg was hanging over Lewis' check with her hand over his face almost like she was slapping him. He took the picture without realising his flash was on which woke the two.

'What on earth is going on' Eva hadn't yet opened her eyes properly having almost been blinded by the flash.

'Erm excuse me' Lewis said with a small cough looking at her leg over his chest. She quickly moved it and moved to the other end of the settee.

'You guys looked cute, anyone want coffee?' Miles laughed while walking back to the kitchen.

They both answered no. Eva was just about to get up to go back to her room when she saw Lewis looking at her.

'What?' She asked, it was more of a stare down rather than a look which made her stomach turn a little bit, was it a feeling of vomiting or was it butterflies she didn't know, but she quickly rushed off before he could give her an answer.

Down the hill from the house was a beach, it was always relatively quiet, so this morning everyone decided they would spend the day together over there.

They had some water sports equipment in the garage, some surf boards, paddle boards and some lilos.

Eva thought she had all the time in the world to get ready, not realising it had been over an hour since they decided that they would all get ready and go as quickly as possible to make a good day of it. She heard a knock on the door , then the door crept open.

'You're still led in bed? girl we are about to go!' Jenny said as she was threw her hands in the air.

'I'll meet you there it's all good, I'll get ready quickly now I'll be less than 30 minutes I promise' Eva said with an apologetic tone. she hated being late but also hated rushing, especially when she was on vacation, she wanted to take this 4 weeks slowly and as she wanted, not listening to everyone else's schedules. Jenny raised her eyebrows as she peeked back through the door 'better be quick girl!' at that, she left.

Eva heard the main door closing, it was a huge door so the slam could be heard through the whole house. 

Eva got ready, she put on a black bikini that had some gold jewels around it. It fit her curves perfectly, but she didn't have a cover up to match for the walk down to the beach. 'Oh Well' she thought, she would just walk down in her bikini.

She grabbed her bag with all her essentials in it and opened her bedroom door, as she walked out putting her sunglasses on she slammed into someone

'Jesus Eva, you need to look out' Lewis laughed.

She gave him a scolding look and she bent down to pick up her bag that she dropped. She could feel his eye's following her down and taking in her body, and couldn't help but grin hoping he wouldn't notice.

'Why haven't you gone with the rest?' she asked as she rose back up, somehow they were now considerably closer. 

His was staring straight into her eyes, like he was looking into her soul. His eyes looked as though they were devouring every inch of her.

'I thought I'd wait on you so you didn't have to go on your own, you know, be a gentleman.' he said as he touched her waist, spinning her around to head out of the door and join the others. At that moment she felt as though electricity ran through her body. His touch now felt different than any other time they had hugged and messed around together during this holiday, but it was all in her own head, 'he behaved the same with all of the girls in this house' she thought to herself.

They walked down to the beach, out of no where she felt shy, around him. The dynamic had changed between them and from being friendly and comfortable around each other these past few days, she was now withdrawing from their situation. Almost as if it was a self defence mechanism, but she kept wondering what she could have been defending herself from? she barely knows the guy, and they have proven that they are able to be friends.

'How are you feeling the last few days? You know after the headlines, the break up?' he asked looking at her intensely.

'I'm fine' she replied looking down, 'I guess it's easier being out here with you all, it's helping me forget' she smiled at the ground, she could feel him looking but for some reason she could not bring herself to look back at him.

'I'm here if you need to talk, or even just to sit together with someone, sometimes being on your own during difficult times just doesn't cut it, I've had my fare share of heart break over the years, most recently 2021, big turning point for me in my life' he was opening up to her though she never asked him to. Lewis felt he could be vulnerable with Eva, she had this warm and inviting aura about her that just kept drawing him in, he was confused by it. He hadn't spoke to anyone about the last few years. 'It wasn't a heart break within a relationship, but a heart break within my career, and the last few years getting back on my feet after it has just been so hard for me, and I've realised withdrawing just hasn't been helping me, but just feeling someone's company, not even being in conversation has helped lift me up.' he smiled at her and she looked up admiring that how he has just opened up to her. She smiled back at him. Not knowing how long they stayed looking at each other for, they heard a cough.

'Okay love birds, I'm going to take Lewis away now to get some surfing done' Miles said while looking at Eva as if he was waiting for her permission to take Lewis from her.

'Yeah go ahead have fun' she replied.

They ran off into the water with their surf boards, Eva settled on the beach slightly further from everyone. She had put recent events to the back of her mind, trying to be in the moment with her friends rather than worrying about what her life was to become without Ashton in it, but Lewis didn't fail to remind her of that. Maybe he had a point she thought, maybe she should deal with this now so she doesn't have this dark cloud hanging above her head.

Eva settled on the sun lounger that she asked Connor to bring over to her along with a small umbrella giving her some shade. She took out her book and began reading. As she flipped to the next page of her book, she noticed something in the back ground, it was Miles waiving at her from the sea, she looked for Lewis but he was nowhere to be found, so she just waved back at Miles.

Out of nowhere she was lifted out of the sun lounder and was hanging over someone's back, as she's kicking and screaming to be let down she's noticed the tattoos and immediately recognised them.

'Okay, okay I'll let you down' he shouted while they were still running, then all of a sudden he threw her into the water. Lewis and Miles thought this was hilarious how they had planned this whole thing out and how they've managed to pull this off. Eva had a plan in her own mind to get the last laugh.

As she came up to the surface struggling for breath she started splashing around.

'I can't swim' she started shouting with shortness of breath, 'HELP!' She could see the panic fall on their faces, Lewis quickly swam towards her to hold her up and make sure she's okay. As he got to her, she grinned and grabbed him down under water with her. They soon broke into the surface and now she was laughing. Miles still stood there in shock. 

'You should have seen your faces' Eva was laughing ' I saw the panic set in! You absolutely shit yourselves' she continued to laugh at the pair. Miles breathed a sigh of relief, his friend was not going to die today.

Lewis splashed her with some water 'I can't believe you would do that, I though you was about to die' he said while swimming closer to her. 'One thing abut me Lewis, I always get the last laugh in every situation I'm in' she smirked proudly.

'Oh yeah?' he asked. He took her by the waist and pulled her closer, staring into her eyes. She couldn't understand the feeling that she got when he did this, it was like he was searching for something, staring straight into her soul. Their bodies were now touching and now she was sure it was definitely butterflies she was feeling. She was looking back at him, trying to find an answer as to whether he felt the same thing as she did.

They're bodies were now touching as he took her legs and wrapped them around his waist. That's when she felt it, her question answered. He definitely was feeling something, but it didn't seem to be butterflies. He knew what she had just felt and he grinned. 'Sorry about that, it just happens' he said, trying to make a joke out of the situation that they have now found themselves in. 'it's a natural reaction when I've already seen what's under the bikini' he was grinning like a Cheshire cat, referring back to the night they first ever saw each other. Eva's cheeks flushed red, but the colour left the rest of her face from embarrassment. 'don't worry, I haven't and won't tell the others, we wouldn't hear the end of it.' he said, still intently staring into her eyes.

'I think it's time for me to head back to the beach' she said unwrapping her legs from him and brushing past the situation in his swimming trunks. She was now smiling while his face dropped. she started slowly swimming away from him. 'Come on Eva, you can't leave me here like this, give me ten minutes' he pleaded but she was already swimming away. 'I told you I always get the las laugh Lewis!' she shouted back at him. Just to rub salt in the wounds, she got out of the water and stood at the edge, looking towards Lewis, who didn't look anywhere near as amused as she was, and squeezed her breasts together, excusing it to herself as she was squeezing out the water from her bikini, but they both knew she was just trying to make him suffer.

She headed back to the beach and told everyone she's going to head back to the house and she was starting to feel hungry, she took her stuff and off she went.