#I feel that time and again bb has proven itself to be a story that sets out a lot of hints and clues that can't be taken at face value

[mizukagami-takamagahara]

I personally don't want to make any assumptions, between things like the current situation of the BlazBlue series creating a high chance that Mori may end up parodying his work to continue his story, or the history of the BlazBlue series with Fans Jumping To Conclusions Too Soon (people thinking Hazama and Terumi were the same person, people thinking Sechs and Izanami were connected, people thinking Ripper and Terumi were the same person, people thinking all PFDs were Noel, people thinking BBDW was some kind of Phase Shift expansion, people thinking Juusan was a Nu-Ragna fusion, people thinking Tsubaki was in the Susano'o... I could go on forever.)

That said, I'm so excited to see where this goes. I mean, there's obviously a connection, the only question is what that connection will turn out to be.... and whether or not this will be revealed to be a project Mori is working on, or if it will be stuck forever in "fanart" limbo hell, depending on whether or not he'll legally be allowed to publish it.

For some additional observations; The Ragna-face I think I'll help myself to Typemoon fandom terminology until we have names for these two has a scar in the same place that Ragna's mark is, as mentioned in this post. To me, it seems to parallel Juusan's 'removed' mark. I wonder if Juusan and this Ragnaface were in development/being designed around the same time.

Honestly, now that I think about it, both of these characters have design aesthetics that fit with the BBDW original cast. I'd been thinking for a while that they don't fit the aesthetic of the BlazBlue (C-Series) cast, but the Ragnaface's design seems to follow the same guidelines as Juusan's, and the Rachelface's are similar to Tokiwa Camellia's non-combat attire.

I'm not saying that I think these would have been BBDW characters- now that I think about it, they definitely could be part of whatever story was intended to be told in that game... but for whatever reason I personally wouldn't bet on it. The ribbon on Aramasa does make me really think that whatever story this is, it takes place chronologically after the C-Series and the rebirth of that world.

I would love to see something of the world before the C-Series, where the Prime Field War took place and the Origin, well, originated, but I'm almost positive this isn't going to be it.

Lastly, an observation one of my associates made was that the Rachelface here also really resembles Celica. My friend mentioned her facial expression specifically, but taking a look at her clothing/silhouette and even her pose, I'm actually seeing a lot of parallels.

Whatever this is, I hope we get to see a lot more of it!

PS: I mention it in the tags, but there's another thing I am willing to bet on- the Rachelface in this image is almost definitely the same girl that features as the mascot of Studio Flare. So the odds of us seeing her again are pretty damn high.

New Mori pic

Not a fan of Ragna(?)’s look here. Looks very generic.

Rachel/Raquel(?) looks cute though

Text translation

[gmariam19]

Hi, friends! I hit a follower milestone not too long ago - thank you thank you thank you! Like I did for some other milestones, I wanted to share some of my writing. So here is the first chapter of my big WIP, the one I laid out almost a year ago, the one where Big Things Happen to Poe and Finn Does Big Things, the one that got stuck several times but is now moving nicely thanks to NaNoWriMo. (I’ve added another 10k already - and it’s only halfway through November! Yay!) It’s not much--a long introduction, really. But there is so much going on in this story, I can’t wait to finish it and share it!  So thank you - and enjoy! There is more below the break - and more to come! :) EDIT: This story is now posted! It is called Reclaim the Stars and can be found on AO3 HERE! Thank you for reading!

Chapter One  

Poe Dameron is bored.

There are at least a dozen different things he should do, from reviewing the latest intelligence data to the briefing with Connix he keeps putting off; from going over the maintenance specs on the two Y-wings they'd found abandoned on Dantooine (and wouldn't he rather be working on ships instead of always reading about them) to the tactical, medical, and supply reports for their new base of operations. And that doesn't even include the constant stream of communication with the New Republic and various other planetary governments that Poe dislikes because he's terrible at it, lacking the patience and tact necessary for sensitive diplomatic discussions.

There is always something to do now that the war is over, and yet sometimes Poe wants nothing to do with it. It had been good at first, in the heady days after Exegol when they'd been so relieved to finally stop fighting, ready to move on and rebuild the galaxy they'd fought so hard to preserve. The galaxy had believed in them, had listened to them, because they'd destroyed an entire Sith Fleet, hadn't they? Leia Organa had been telling them for years that they were in danger; she'd been more right than anyone could have possibly imagined, and it was her Resistance that had saved them.

And yet, six months later, it's as if the galaxy has already forgotten the lessons of the past. After skirmishes with both the Resistance fleet and the New Republic, the First Order finally surrendered, and every day it seems a new treaty is being signed somewhere to ensure peace.  In most parts of the galaxy, planets are rebuilding, and that peace seems to be slowly settling. Yet the one thing they need most now is the one thing no one will even consider. They don't need more diplomats, or treaties, or promises to sign more treaties with more diplomats; they need security, and no one will listen to him.

Poe isn't bored; he is frustrated.

The New Republic is still slow in pulling itself together, has been since the destruction of the Hosnian system. The fall of the First Order has splintered it even more as some systems call for a more central government to bring stability to the galaxy, while others maintain they will remain independent. It's the same argument, the same players; an endless cycle, it seems, of war and peace.

The galaxy doesn't need a central set of governing principles—recent history has proven the near impossibility of such a thing.  Better to step back and let memories of oppression fade. Yet the discord between so many opposing philosophies after the fall of the Empire had allowed the First Order to settle in the Unknown Regions and slowly build its fleet, as well as its power. That can't be allowed to happen again.

Poe believes more than anything that now is the time to put in place new organizations to maintain security in the galaxy. He isn't calling for a governing military power; both the Empire and the First Order showed that military strength could be defeated. No, they need people in the Outer Rim, and the Unknown Territories, even Wild Space, guarding them against another Exegol, another Sith Fleet. It had been too easy for Palpatine to disappear into deep space and spend decades rebuilding. The New Republic needs to make sure it never happens again. Poe has been suggesting it for months, has volunteered to lead a division of the New Republic Navy devoted to patrolling the borders of deep space and gathering intelligence. Yet no one bothers to listen anymore, and they’ve found little support outside of a handful of allies who scraped together a few starfighters and a small cruiser for them.

It will happen again if there is no one to stop it. They know that something is happening out there already. They are rumors of entire villages being wiped out on distant worlds, and Poe had hoped that after Exegol, their word would be taken seriously. Apparently, that isn't the case; the New Republic is turning a blind eye yet again. Small villages on backwater planets apparently aren't worthy of concern.

It has been weeks since Poe has been up in his X-wing, and he misses it, wishes he was back in the cockpit making a difference, even if it's only recon and intelligence gathering. But more than that, he wishes the Senate would listen to him before another First Order springs up from the birthplace of the old.

Poe spends the morning helping set up more rooms in their new base, an impersonal prefab monstrosity some Senator had sent over as a thank-you gift to the freedom fighters who had saved the galaxy from a fleet of Sith Star Destroyers. Sure, they aren't sharing quarters in a cave any more, or sleeping in tents, but there is something about it that feels different, almost wrong. Maybe he isn't used to something so permanent, this symbol of victory— or of life moving on when he feels stuck.

Maybe it's too much like a consolation prize, a way to get them to stop talking about new threats when the galaxy wants to forget the old. The building reminds him of everything that needs to be done but isn't, everything that is happening and yet being ignored, and sometimes he is tempted to go back to the cave. He needs ships and people, not bricks and mortar.

After lunch Poe forces himself to find Connix and Kin and sit through the briefing. There is no news on Poe's latest appeal for funding the proposed Sentinel program. The criminal gangs that have grown in the vacuum of the First Order's sudden withdrawal are growing bolder and the Senate doesn't seem to be doing anything about them either. The New Republic is still a struggling morass of governments who can't agree on a damn thing, other than the Resistance is getting mouthy and needs to step back and let them handle it now. Some days it feels as hopeless as fighting the First Order. How had Leia done it, after the fall of the Empire?

Kin starts to go over his intelligence reports, but Poe stops listening and stares out the window, his leg bouncing restlessly. He tosses a speeder bolt from his pocket up in the air and resists the urge to spin around in his chair like a cadet. He thinks he hears something about another village attack, about Vi Moradi, about something going down on Nar Shadda, but he is too distracted.

Connix begins to go over the state of their new headquarters—it has only been a week since they moved in��and says something about a volcanic eruption on the other side of the moon that is threatening to rain down fire monkey piss. Poe frowns, wondering if he's heard her right. "What?" he asks. "Did you say fire monkey piss?"

"Yes, General," she replies.

"Is that a real thing?"

"Of course it is. From the volcano."

"What volcano?"

"There is no volcano," she tells him, shaking her head with a smile. "But it got your attention, didn't it?"

"Sorry," he says. "Kind of distracted, I guess."

Connix exchanges a look with Beaumont Kin, who shrugs and goes back to his datapad. She smiles, which Poe knows is her way of softening the coming blow. "Why don't you take a look at the Y-wings, sir? Commander Pava said she's making good progress. The Falcon should be back soon."

Damn, she knows him too well. He jumps up with a sheepish grin and leaves as fast as he can. Only to be kicked out of the landing area by Jess, then the maintenance area by Rose, and even the medical area by Dr. Khurana. So he finds BB-8 and goes for a walk, trying to work off the restless energy that is plaguing him that day. If he's honest, it’s been building for weeks, and it started not long after Finn left.

Finn is currently on his way back from an extended mission with Chewbacca, their official goal to search for other Stormtroopers who defected from the First Order after the surrender. In truth, they are the Resistance's unofficial eyes and ears at the borders, making contacts with every operative they can, gathering the intelligence they need to maintain the borders when the New Republic won't. They are the beginning of the proposed Sentinel program. Poe did the same thing before Finn had left, and Finn before him; they agreed to take turns, alternating their time away so that one of them is always around to deal with the New Republic.

Unfortunately, it also means they have barely seen one another for the last six weeks, and Poe misses Finn—going out on missions with him, leading with him. They make a good team, and in the weeks and months since Exegol, they've grown even closer. Not as close as Poe would like, but maybe someday. He thinks about it more and more, wonders if Finn feels the same. Of course, they’d have to be on the same planet at the same time.  And one of them would have to work up the courage to say something to the other. Poe’s still too scared to lose what he does have, so it probably won’t be him.

At least Finn finally told Poe that he is Force sensitive. It makes so much sense—so many things had clicked into place—that Poe often wonders how he hadn't figured it out himself. Finn is a natural leader, a brilliant fighter, and so in touch with his sense of self that of course it is the Force guiding him. He will be a great Jedi—maybe not a warrior, as Finn seems less interested in fighting now, but he could be a teacher, a leader.

Rey is training him, to help him understand his powers and learn some basic techniques. He trains in addition to his duties with the Resistance, and Poe worries about him. He feels like sometimes Finn struggles to find a balance between the two and hopes Rey isn't pushing him too hard. She went with Finn and Chewie, to continue working with him.

The Falcon has been gone for two weeks. They ran into a few remnants of the First Order, but nothing major, and Poe isn't sure if they've gathered any important intel other than what they felt safe transmitting.  They are returning several days early, and Poe is glad. He's missed them all, though if he admits it to himself, he's missed Finn more than anything, maybe even flying. He's grown so used to having Finn by his side over the past year, through the mission to Exegol, and as co-Generals, that he's felt almost incomplete the last six weeks.

And that’s the real problem: Poe is distracted. Finn is coming back, and Poe can't concentrate. It probably doesn't say a lot about his leadership skills, or his emotional state, but it's definitely the issue, and he continues around the lake again, talking with BB-8 about Finn and Rey and how much they have to catch up on when they return. If he complains about the New Republic and their lack of organization and support yet again, BB-8 has the good grace to listen and agree when he's already heard it a hundred times.

He goes around the entire lake a second time, ignoring the sun and the heat and the need for some water, and is about to start a third time when the little droid beeps excitedly and tells him that the Falcon has landed. Poe can't hold back a grin, and they hurry to the landing area as fast as they can.

The Falcon is in its usual place, and Chewbacca is coming down the ramp with some bags. Poe greets him warmly while BB-8 asks impatiently about Finn and Rey. Chewie tells them Finn's gone to find Poe.

"Only Connix said she kicked you out of your own briefing," says a voice behind them, and Poe turns to find Finn standing there, hands on his hips and a crooked grin on his face. "Because you couldn't concentrate."

Poe grins in response, closing the gap between them to pull Finn into a warm embrace. Maybe they aren't reuniting after a battle, but it has been a long time and Poe can't help it. He missed Finn and is relieved to see him—and Chewbacca, of course—unharmed when he knows anything could happen along the borders of unknown space. And he likes the feeling of Finn in his arms too much to resist holding him for a little longer than he probably should.

"Welcome back, buddy," he says, finally stepping back, but still holding onto Finn's arm.

"That's General Buddy," Finn laughs, and Poe rolls his eyes.

"That joke is getting old, you know," he tells him. "How are you? Where's Rey?" Apparently, that is the wrong thing to ask, because Finn's smile immediately disappears. Poe feels his stomach drop; has something happened to her? Why haven't they said anything?

"She's fine," Finn says, relaxing as he shakes his head. "You don't have to panic. She…well, she left. Went off on her own. Again."

Poe doesn't need the Force to know that Finn is upset about it, and in a way, he understands. Rey certainly does her fair share of running off by herself,  headlong into danger, and often without saying anything. Having worked many solo missions himself, however, Poe can also understand why. Sometimes working alone is easier, with less responsibility, less chance of getting someone hurt or killed. Get in, get it done, get out.

And Rey had grown up alone, abandoned on Jakku for years, until Finn had appeared and quite literally dragged her out of her solitary existence. It makes sense that after so many years on her own, sometimes she needs to be by herself. And Poe understands that as well: though most people wouldn't believe it, he needs time alone almost as much as he needs to be with people. It is one reason why he's such a good pilot, because he likes spending time in the cockpit with his own thoughts. And BB-8, of course.

Finn, however, had grown up surrounded by other Stormtroopers, never having a minute to himself yet always alone in a system that discouraged individuality and attachment. Finn seems to crave contact and companionship, and though he understands when someone like Poe needs their space for a little while, Rey's stubborn desire to go off on her own without warning—or protection— is still something Finn finds frustrating even after all this time.

"I see," says Poe, though he doesn't know the first thing about it, other than Rey is gone, he hadn't got to say goodbye, and Finn is upset. "Well, I'm damn glad to see you, and I have all sorts of questions, but I won't bother you yet. Want to see your new room?"

Finn’s eyes light up and he smiles gratefully at Poe. "Yeah, I would. I'm sorry you had to handle the big move without me."

"It's not like we had a lot to move," Poe points out. "We were living in a cave, remember?"

Poe leads him down the path to the new building, set in a clearing not far from their expanded landing area. It is a large, three-story building, housing offices on the ground floor with crew quarters on the upper floors. Finn and Poe, as co-generals, have two of the larger rooms on the second floor. Poe guides him upstairs, shows him the code for the door, and motions him inside.

Finn stops a few steps into the room, gazing around with his mouth literally hanging open. They are in a large open area, with a sofa and chair along one wall, and a desk opposite. There is a small kitchenette tucked into the corner with table for eating, and a door leads to the single bedroom and private refresher. It is clean and new and bright, unlike any place they’ve ever lived. There is both wonder and gratitude in Finn’s eyes, and the look on his face right now is one Poe wishes he could see more.

“Are you serious?” Finn asks as he starts moving around, examining his new home. “This is all mine?”

“I’m not going to show you someone else’s room,” Poe laughs. “It’s all yours. it’s not much. It’s just a lot better than—”

“Living in a cave,” Finn finishes. “Or a ship. Or a tent. Poe, we’re in an actual building!”

“I know, buddy. It’s taken some getting used to, but it’s good.” He glances around and smiles. “And I’m right across the hall, if you ever need anything. Like a lesson how to use some of this stuff.” He gestures toward a small communications panel set into the desk.

“It’s perfect,” Finn says. “I can’t wait to get a good night’s sleep in here!”

Poe nods. “You’ll sleep like a baby—or you’ll miss the jungle so much you won’t sleep at all. I’ll let you get settled, maybe try out the fresher—it’s private, all yours.” Finn pumps his fist and Poe laughs again. “Think you’ll be up for a debrief later?”

Finn nods. “Yeah, give me an hour. Where should we meet?”

“Command center is on the ground floor, we either pull up chairs or move to the conference room. Is an hour enough?”

“More than enough,” Finn tells him. He turns and walks back to Poe, pulls him into another embrace. “Thank you,” he says quietly. Poe breathes him in, his heart skipping a beat at their closeness. It seems Finn being gone has definitely had an effect on Poe.

“You’re welcome,” he finally says. Finn steps back and Poe thinks the other man glances down at his lips before ducking his head with a smile. It’s probably wishful thinking, though. Poe has to deliberately look away from Finn’s mouth.

“It’s really good to see you,” Finn says.

“You too, buddy,” Poe says. “I’m glad you’re back. I’ll see you in an hour?”

Finn nods and Poe turns to leave. He really is glad to see Finn. He’s just not sure how to move forward now that Finn has returned.

[badlydrawndrawnings]

atwq book two thoughts

i know from a search online there’s a supplementary book (kind of?) published between the second and third book, and i saw the news netflix is like, probably developing an atwq series? i love reading supplementary material, but i currently have no way of reading it, and netflix for all i know, could adapt it and i can be ‘uh....what the hell is this?’. so i’m gonna take a break from reading the atwq series (idk how long) to figure out what i’m going to do. like, i may jump into the third book and save the supplementary book for last to make myself feel better about the possible bittersweet ending this series is gonna have. 

as a kid i did not take lemony’s warning into consideration, so the me now knows better and realistically readjust ending expectations. good thing too, considering this book reveal a lot more than i thought. i guess it’s a given due to the fact it’s a four-book series and not thirteen-book series like asoue.

more of the review under the cut. i also have some asoue rambling opinions -one is which related to some atwq/tua things in regards to lemony and his family, and some thoughts on the possible netflix!atwq series.

so before going to the plot, i want to talk about kit and lemony’s last conversation for the time being. actually, i want to talk about the snicket family in general. 

teen!kit took what is probably the biggest risk for their plan to steal...whatever they wanted to steal from vfd (so it’s important enough for kit to deciding to continue the job solo but not important enough for lemony deciding to not send in a replacement despite probably the one who came with the idea; will talk about that when i get to lemony). it’s a big risk on kit’s end, and it hurts lemony is more than willing cut short the conversation. i don’t blame him for it, not really. there’s the matter of people overhearing and hiding it from their chaperones.

but teen!kit getting caught by the police makes me think of the end with kit thinking both of her brothers are dead. obviously teen!kit will have her breaking out of their custody and meet lemony and jacques again because clearly she’s not in prison by asoue (unless she actually served time, but i doubt it; adult!kit broke taxi laws and safety and got away with it) or something akin to it. now, kit in some parts of tua knew lemony was alive. she did recommended the asoue books after all. but when was the last time they talk to each other? i presumed lemony was on the run for the last 15 years since olaf pinning lemony for crimes sort of corresponded with beatrice and bertrand getting married. in their what turn out to be their last conversation (probably right before it all went to crap for lemony or before lemony’s mistaken death), did lemony cut the conversation short? or was it kit who cut the conversation short?

like maybe kit could be comparing lemony’s situation to her and thought it would end the same way, only for her to proven wrong in the worse possible way.

while kit is the important snicket that is the protagonist of her own story told in the illustrations (adult!kit confirm to have worsen eyesight as an adult), it’s nice to see jacques get a name drop. i suspect he has no clue what his younger siblings are planning or does knows, but is too far away, even father than lemony and his resident in strain’d-by-the-sea (sbts) to help out (i’m thinking the latter like the way lemony wants kit to send his regards makes me think jacques has some idea the younger siblings are planning). with the last snicket sibling out of way, i need to talk about their family.

i think i should have mention this in my review of the first atwq book, but it’s more noticeable here. lemony seems to have some memories (the hike is what i want to talk about that’s the flag that made me go ‘uhhh’ out loud and got some glances; also my headcanon about e snicket enjoying camping and nature feels more sensible now) of his parents. but in tua, lemony most likely/confirm to be taken as a baby and still crawling. with lemony’s comment about his mother and father on the day he and his siblings got taken in the tua, i assumed that at least all three or one of the siblings were able to meet up with their parents again as teenagers/young adults before their death and told their grief on that day. 

yet in this book and the last book to some minor degree, lemony talks about his parents as if he reunited with them before atwq series started. i’m not going to lie, and i should have brought it up in my last review, but i went ‘wtf’ at the first chapter of the first book i almost bought the fake parents act and the fact s. theodora markson figured it out made me go ‘oh thank good so lemony haven’t reunited with his parents yet” (s. theodora markson looking past the act means she is more competent than she looks, so i’m wondering why she’s...that with the main case she’s working on). i also made a note in my last review kid!lemony uses his imagination for familiar comfort and joy from out of his loneliness, so i’m wondering that’s the case here. i think while mentions of his parents is lemony thinking of what he wants to think, the ones with more details are ‘real’, in a sense jacques and kit told lemony. like the hike.

jacques and kit could actually remember that day and told lemony because they remember most of the events even if some parts are fuzzy. i say this because i was five and ran into traffic and almost got ran over. the memory of the incident itself is fuzzy, but i remember most of it to where i know it really did happen.

with some sad feelings of the snicket family situation out of the way, i get to talk about the atwq characters. i only know jake hix and cleo knight for one book, but i love them and i hope they become high school sweethearts (like they exist and those who are devoted to one another have great happiness with one another).

jake is honestly that meme of that guy going ‘i’ll feed you all’. i don’t want to call jake team (food) mom yet because i have a semi-bad experience of another fandom with a male character who cooks and is call ‘team mom’ due to the early parts of the fandom going out of control with it (it chilled down now hence ‘semi-bad experience’). but seriously, jake is going to care for the kids and he’s gonna feed them all and no one can stop him. no one will also stop him when he learns cleo isn’t actually okay and got kidnapped (he’s so devoted to her and her goal this is why i say i hope they become high school sweethearts) to where he was willing to crash her car in the clinic but didn’t because the car is like, non-destructible. i thought with his character description he would have like, bangs. the illustration shows that’s not the case. his bowtie is very dapper.

cleo really only showed up close to the ending so i kind don’t have a good grip of of her character like jake. but my goodness, i love her illustration (the full one that has her looking menacingly not the poster of her face). cleo’s outfit screams rich kid vibe (granted she is one) + late 1970s clothing with the future flair (cleo being ‘modern’ as she can be is helping my headcanon the vibe of the asoue world is like, slowly rebuilding and getting dominated by the world in first 20th century due to rose tinted glasses). the black and white motif her family has going on screams ‘in theory, we could order a hit man but we choose not to’ and that’s because they decided to drain the sea instead. that’s how rich they are. anyway, i doubt cleo wants to kill a person. she has to create a formula and save sbts. i don’t want to call her team (chemistry) dad just yet, because i don’t have a good grip f her character. but i like how she help moxie with her injury, and how goal driven she is to save her town from her family’s mistake.

since cleo and ellington were able to make their plan work to a degree, ellington is probably older than lemony and not just taller than him (i know 12-13 years old can look older than their real age, but people i know those age when i was in middle school only got mistaken as a freshman). also, the kid friendly noir vibes are now getting stronger. ellington just pretended to be someone else and like, it’s raising the red flags in my mind and i’m the eye emoji now i am on my guard i may be under attack. however, i still have my heart on my sleeve for her and have hopes of her reuniting with her father, who I now really think he’s a good dad and was specifically targeted (like cleo) due to being a naturalist.

it helps hangfire really shows how terrible he is. he tried to pretend to be her father! i know his voice mimicry is basically akin to juni cortez’s mimicry, but this is just cruel had ellington been there.

whatever hangfire’s group is doing, i’m not seeing how this relates with the BB statue and the people he kidnapped. we got a chemist who does things with tubes and bunsen burners and dangerous chemicals that makes one wear goggles, and a man who likes the natural environment. the tadpoles that bites are confusing me more though. why would someone create tadpoles that bites? still, with more detail of what hangfire is part of and with parts of his plan known at last, the plot is picking up speed. i’m scared, intrigued, and excited to read what will happen next, especially since hangfire is like, now going to be active in his own plan + group. they’re clearly not giving a damn about human life given their name of the inhumane society. whatever they’re planning and with the people they kidnapped so far, it has to do with the BB creature itself. is this going into the supernatural realm? is this connected to possibly the great unknown? am i overthinking connections?

i don’t have too much to say for most of the other secondary characters. i hope qwerty deals with his moth problems (so if moth balls stop moths from eating clothing, can they work in libraries? can qwerty even afford some non killing month repellent with his sub-librarian salary?), pip and squeak need to stop working and go be kids (their dad must be close to death if he’s that sick and they have to work), and prosper lost can tone down the watching. also, i think the mitchum parents don’t really love each other or not as much as before and need a divorce or couple counseling (their bickering is making me concern), and stew...still can’t find any pity or anything to find him a character i love to hate.

in regards to moxie, she is honestly the best friend lemony needs. she’s sticking her life to helping lemony with his case and while having opinions at the end of the day she just wants to help her friend in need. she puts up with so much give her an award like she got ditched at the library and stay to give lemony a piece of her mind before going all ‘okay so what we gonna do next’. she also gave him a dumb haircut. that is best friend material and i want their friendship to go into their adult years (yes i still think she’s the kind editor).

also, LEMONY CANONICALLY HAD A BOWL CUT HAIRSTYLE. he now has reasons to wear a hat and hide his face for the time being.

i said most things in regard to lemony in the snicket family situations paragraphs at the beginning of this post, so talking about kid!lemony as a solo character is not going as wordy. in this book kid!lemony could have died several times, one time by hangfire’s hand! he’s a kid, and this is really something a 17 or 18 should be in (even then i don’t want a 17 and 18 year old, or anyone of any age, be in his situation). he’s risking so much of his life for sbts and the people living there, all without knowing his sister is also in trouble as well until the final chapter. with lemony learning what happen to kit, i can’t help but wonder his worry for family will affect his actions in the next two books. though now i am question is actions pre-atwq like lemony almost got thrown out of vfd?? shoot lemony, i didn’t think he like vfd a lot as an adult ‘active’ member of vfd  but he was still loyal, but this is new. i also don’t want to say he’s staging a coup but he and a whole other sbg members -kit is obvious- are clearly doing something that’s totally a coup? was being frames for crimes he didn’t commit, living on the run, and losing everything (fiancee, friends, and family) broke adult!lemony so much it made him  ‘passive’ (i don’t think it’s the right word but it’s the one i can think of now)?

my feelings on s. theodora markson are the same as before, but i think she may be smarter than she looks given a re-think of the last book. her current behavior makes me think she is ‘warming’ up to lemony, even in the last book. she took him off probation was being ‘nice’ and when teasing lemony about his not-crush on ellington (i legit don’t know if lemony has a crush on her or is really wanting to help her out). that’s something an adult does to a child who may or may not have a crush on someone. theodora still treats lemony like she did in the previous book, no doubt due to vfd rules and her upbringing in vfd. 

i only have read two books of atwq, so i probably don’t carry too much weight on my two cents of a netflix adaptation. but i am thinking of the changes netflix asoue made with hector and kit, and vfd as a freaking whole. hector is not part of vfd the organization anymore, but he can be replaced with larry-your-waiter (just got to rewrite the balloon stuff with something else). kit is giving me a headache because i still can’t figure out if she was retcon into the youngest snicket in netflix show, and excluding that netflix!kit’s change of personality/character makes me think netflix!kit would not have gotten caught and like, kit needs to get caught it’s important for her off screen story and kid!lemony story as a side thing. because it’s the books, vfd is still the ‘old. old as balls’ conspiracy secret organization, while netflix is the ‘hey let’s make our (book) club be something more to change the world’ secret agent organization made by ishmael. well, netflix good luck with the hole you dug that is possibly kit and vfd.

it’s now round two of asoue character cameos (kit doesn’t count she’s a protagonist of her own off-screen story), and widdershins is a surprise. before i get into his atwq cameo and my opinion of the character, i want to copy-paste something from my first atwq review: asoue was one of my first fandom i entered via me me and my sister. no one else read the books or weren’t fans of them, so we turn to each other to talk about them. i began lurking pre-atwq books, but gave up after several months due to being in more active fandoms and i had bad timing to join when it was basically dead, and i outgrew the target demographic when atwq came out and i had no chance to read the books. i only made the decision to re-lurk (sparingly i am still in more active fandoms) and make and share content in 2016 (and i’m too used to lurking for this fandom. i can reblog for fandoms, just not for this fandom and i’m trying to overcome whatever is making me not do it).

so, i’m a fandom hermit living in the woods away from fandom society and i suddenly decided to enter fandom society, and all of my opinions are free of influences and other fan opinions (sans my sister but we talk more about the plot and story than characters). my opinion of widdershins is a dislike-neutral-*thinking emoji*. i dislike him, but i don’t hate him. and if i have to make a tier list of all the important and semi-important  asoue characters from favorite to hated, widdershins would actually be lump in the middle with the other true-neutral characters i have.

disliking widdershins should be obvious. with a most likely vfd upbringing, he probably thinks his actions are acceptable and the norm but they blur a lot with his parenting to where his actions are just plain awful. the big one is him throwing fernald under the bus or allowing jacques to throw fernald under the bus when it came to the anwhistle aquatic fire (i’m not sure what happen here). don’t get me started with the talk of arranged marriages and willingness to send fiona and the baudelaires -which is basically two teens, a teen i call a kid, and a baby- into a life or death place (and sunny almost died) and left without instructions and maybe no note (with the reveal of violet’s fifteenth date i wonder if widdershins and phil were putting up decorations and when they had to leave, widdershins went ‘the balloons will do’ because they spell out vfd and somehow thought he was killing two birds with one stone; it’s still bad as no note).

the whole *thinking emoji* came from the happy family photo. it got me asking ‘what the heck is up with this guy’ and a fascination on trying to figure out how he ticks. with re-reads, i got the impression widdershins was a normal and calm person/vfd member as can be. fernald clearly liked widdershins before the anwhistle aquatic fire. widdershins being fernald and fiona’s stepfather is proof mrs. widdershins loved him -flaws and all- and accept his proposal in spite of the age gap that went over my head as a kid. the way he speaks of josephine, kit, and jacques means he has friends who like him. i sort of came to the idea his level of jerkass and awfulness gradually build up over time post anwhistle aquatic fire (being its worst by tgg), and i took his off-screen actions in the end based off the photo and my impressions of pre-fire widdershins that widdershins realized what he become -probably when he got the news fernald and fiona double cross olaf- and clean up his act to be with them again, even if it kills him. 

so i’m kind of please teen!widdershins (that tiny as hell illustration makes me think he’s a teen okay) is calm and normal? he’s not screaming ‘aye’ every other sentence. he’s more considerate to others. he’s nice as he can be to kid!lemony when breaking the news teen!kit got caught (widdershins breaking the news makes me think kit and him are friends). he even complimented kid!lemony for the not coup kid!lemony is planning (he’s probably going along with the not coup he’s clearly not stopping it; and i want to say their friendship ended when widdershins believed a certain daily punctilio story and showed it everyone- including beatrice- which lead to widdershins forgetting lemony’s name, yet lemony was part of the crew of two after jacques, so something else must have been the cause?). teen!widdershins has his philosophy of not hesitating, but it’s not consuming his life. from what i read, teen!widdershins is someone (kid and teen) fernald would and probably did got along with: it’s the older big brother (figure) who has cool stories to tell while also being sensible with kind words and advice when the younger sibling feels down and needs help and probably let said sibling do whatever they want. it perfectly lines up with my messed up widdershins-caliban theory headcanon holy ****

with the cameo now in mind, i can’t help but wonder if teen!widdershins would hesitate -or not hesitate- to punch his adult self for becoming radically different. 

[siobeachfikel1988-blog]

Viva is a tricky one for me! I find it nauseating in any kind of hot weather but once those temperatures drop it becomes something completely different on me. I hated it when I first tried it and then a friend wore it last winter and I was shocked when she said viva la juicy. I tried it again in cold weather and it was great! It's not a perfume that's in heavy rotation but I picked up a very small bottle and do enjoy it from time to time. Same. I went to bed with the watch at 80%, woke up and it was at 20%. When I woke up, the watch face (Step Counter) was reading 8967 steps with 100 bpm (I only had a few hundred steps at that point), and the watch was warm to the touch. I'll get back to 영덕출장안마 it when I feel emotionally ready. In the meantime I am trying to cultivate hobbies (like cooking which is actually really fun) and just being myself. Weird, but I feel happier hibernating in my cozy apartment with just my dog and some shepherds pie than I have in a long time.. Mine was in Indianapolis for over a week and I had to call FedEx and ask them what the heck was going on cause my delivery date changed to "pending". When they it finally left Indianapolis it was suppose to get delivered a week and a couple days ago then it changed too this past Wednesday, then it got moved to today, and I just checked again and it's pushed back til Tuesday. It was in Indiana, then went all the way to Washington. We ended up watching the whole set from the stairs in between aisles. Literally entire rows of seats empty. Who you saving them for?? If they aren't here in the middle of nectars set, they aren't coming.. Tallahassee was the first tMG album I ever listened to, so it has a special place in my heart. But AHWT's songs feel like a short story collection every song a brightly polished gem, evocative of whole lives and worlds. We all know JD is a hell of a wordsmith, but AHWT does scene setting and character development and sheer big feeling in these perfectly turned phrases and guitar work that almost feels like a character in itself. BB/CC creams are all made differently and some offer more coverage than others. I have no idea what brands you looking at so I can help you there. But provided the red marks aren terribly pigmented, you can build up the coverage and even things out or even fully cover them with a BB cream. Selena has 2 less Spd and more balanced defenses, so that exact weapon would not be as effective (though I run Flashing Blade as my seal, but Summoner Support and +Spd Wo Dao refine give her +5 speed). Clair is also very similar in stats, only having +1 Spd and +1 Atk, with the same weapon. Unlike those two, Selena doesn get Hone Fliers.Something that benefits from her mixed defenses and/or her good speed would be great, but it has to give her more damage. I'm in recovery from opioids and if you just detox and think that's enough it won't be. Look into post acute withdrawal syndrome and work a recovery program please, I want to see you beat this. Look into young peoples meetings in your area.. I looked his name up and seriously wanted to yell about how ridiculous they were being. I guess they're going for 'innocent till proven otherwise' but to the 'oppa couldn't have done it!!!' extent? 영덕출장안마 Especially after what he has done? Fucking yikes. I sympathise that it is probably hard to have found out your fave is not the decent guy you thought he was, but there should really be a line between loyal and delusional.

[panda-noosh]

“God Bless You, Ryuzaki.” {Death Note} L x Reader.

This has no plot. I just got very bored and felt like writing something with L. Enjoy!

   Y/A = Your Alias.

   The door couldn't open fast enough.

   As the sunlight scorched against your sweat ridden neck and shoulders, your body throwing itself inside of the hideout, you can't help but let out a groan of appreciation at the sudden familiar surroundings. The array of security screens, the wires which always litter the floor in a heap, the coffee cups strewn everywhere . . . And most important, the man sitting on the chair with his legs bunched up to his chest.

   You had hoped L wasn't here. You knew it was a long shot – it was rare that L had even moved from the position  he was sitting in, but the hope was still there. It was crushed the moment L hummed at the loud noise you were making, his version of a disapproval sound.

   “You know I'm working, right?” L said as you slide down the door, letting your breath escape your lungs in deep pants, desperate for some form of release. A glass of water, a soothing word. Anything.

   You don't reply as L turns to look at you, his eyebrow raised in what you were calling concern. It most likely was just a vague imprint of annoyance, but you would take it as you had seen it. It kept you comfortable.

   “What's the matter?” L asks. “Did Matsuda try to feel you up again? I promise I told him to-”    “L,” you growl. “Shut your mouth.”   L narrows his eyes, suddenly seeming interested. His entire demeanour changes, his back straightening a little as he pushes hair from his eyes, folding his arms over his knees. For once, there is no sugary snack in his hands, nothing he is fiddling with. His fingers are intertwined and set on top of his knees as if he is waiting for you to further your argument.

   You don't.

   For months, you and L had been pondering the idea that Light Yagami was Kira. All of it made sense when you looked over the evidence, though the two of you had only been looking at the evidence in private. Everybody else on the team assumed you had dropped the assumption, but you and L were much smarter than them. Being Wammy kids, you had to be. You had the brains of masterminds, meaning you didn't let something so precious go so easily.

    So being trapped in a room with a very angry sounding Light wasn't how you had wanted your day to go. He didn't know your full name – only your alias – but that had never stopped Kira before. The force had ways, ways which had been proven before with the unrhythmic patterns Kira had been attacking at.

   Panic had gripped you before you could even stop it. With Light yelling and shouting at the rooftops, gripping his hair and making a big deal out of everything, you had turned and fled from the scene, completely abandoning the teenage boy in his own anger. You had ran all the way back to the headquarters, looking behind you on a constant look as you did so.

    L sighs when you don't speak up. You two had always been close, growing up alongside one another in the Wammy orphanage. He knew when you were upset.

   “Can I offer you a hot drink? Four sugars?”

   You shake your head. “I'm good.”    “Then perhaps it's time you tell me what's wrong,” he hums. He stands up now, approaching you with those soft and pittered steps he had always taken. He startles you when he reaches out, beckoning for you to let him help you up. Sheepishly, you slide your hand into his and let him help you up, pulling your body off of the floor despite your shaking knees protests.

    You tell him, because you know you barely have any other choice. He sits down across from you, now replacing your hand with a Rich Tea biscuit, nibbling on the same one throughout the entire story. You tell him of how Light had been punching things, yelling into nothingness as he completely lost control, showing colours he had been clearly trying to hide for months now. L listens with an intensity only L can listen with, nodding whenever you look to make sure he's listening and grinning whenever you hiccup over your own words.

    You had never been one for fear. You wouldn't have joined L's task force if you lived in fear of everything. Growing up with Beyond Birthday had also set you up for things like this – you just kind of knew when fear was meant to be placed, and a lot of the time you were able to control it.

   But Light had always creeped you out, and L knew that. He never spoke about it, but he saw the way you would shift away from Light's side whenever the Yagami boy would stand beside you, how you would dunk his tea out whenever he was due to make the beverages for everybody, how you very rarely spoke more than two words to him unless absolutely necessary. The detective couldn't say he agreed with your way of action. Ignoring the boy could be just as fatal to the case as actually getting involved with him, but seeing you scared was always a sight L had tried to avoid.

   Listening to you speak now, the way you hobbled over your words and apologised profusely every three seconds, told him just how scared you actually were of the teenage boy. It made him angry, though he wasn't sure why.

   After you were finished speaking, you duck your head down to look at your hands, squeezing your eyes closed. No tears fall – you couldn't remember the last time you cried. It almost looked like you were in mourning, refusing to look up at L's prying eyes.

   He claps his lips together loudly, savouring the final crumbs of his biscuit. “That would have been much better with a cup of tea.”

   You roll your eyes behind your eyelids. “That's all you have to say, Ryuzaki?”

   L shrugs. “I don't know what more you want me to say. You're intimidated by Light Yagami – there's nothing I can do about it.”    You open your eyes and send him a small glare. You notice the way he turns back to the security screens, gently humming to himself.

   “Give me advice!” you nearly exclaim. “I can't be scared of him forever. I can barely be in a room alone with him. How the hell am I meant to do this case with you if you won't-”    “Us Wammy kids aren't scared of anything, Y/N,” L interrupts and your breath hitches at his use of your real name. You had been instructed firmly to only use alias, and not once had you broken that rule.

   You tug your hands into your hair and sigh. “Well, I guess I'm breaking that mould, because I am scared to hell of Light Yagami.”

   “There's nothing to be afraid of, Y/n-”

   “Call me Y/A,” you growl. “We don't know who's listening.”    L rolls his eyes, turning to look at you again. “You're being over dramatic. In these circumstances, it's understandable why you might have a fear for the boy, but you've got to understand that he is a teenage boy who we don't even have direct evidence for yet. You know just as much as I do that a single rage fit in the middle of nowhere is nothing if not normal for teenagers his age. You've just got to relax.”

    “That's easy coming from you,” you scoff. “Remember that time in Wammy's when BB nearly cut your finger off and you were the one telling everybody else to relax? That's always been who you are, L. A relaxed, calm person who can look at crime in the face and-”

   “And tell it to relax,” L finished. You purse your lips when he turns to look at you, now holding a plate of chocolate cake which you had barely noticed before. “Honestly, you're meant to be my right hand man here. I could very easily call up Near or Mello now and get them in if you don't feel up to the job.”

   “Don't even joke about that.”

   L smiles. His smiles are never noticeable – a mere shadow on his face, but you had spent enough time with him in your lifetime to know when he is showing such an emotion.

   “When Light comes in, I won't leave you alone with him. That sound better?” L inquires, finally.

   You let out a breath of air you didn't even know you were holding in, slumping down against the sofa. L always did that – calmed you down. He calmed everyone down, his cool demeanour and the way he spoke being something that many people took in well.

    “God bless you, Ryuzaki.”

   L chuckles, turning back to the screen before him. “Of course, Y/A.”

[aimmyarrowshigh]

I'm down with Rey experiencing temptation and making tough choices, even wrong choices- and learning from them. As long as she doesn't choose the side of genocide and fascism and/or double down at every chance she gets to correct her path in order to continue to pursue power at great cost to others. Kylo being tempted by the Dark Side or "making tough choices" isn't why he's reviled in the way of villains. It's because he's a fucking villain. (Who mind rapes people.)

Exactly. We’ve SEEN Rey make tough choices already, and we’ve seen her tempted by the Dark side! But being tempted and choosing not to give in is what makes her Rey. It is the essential difference that is what Star Wars is ABOUT. 

I feel like one of the big schisms in SW fannish interpretation comes down to whether you think Star Wars is “ultimately about” redemption or choice. I think it’s about choice. I might disagree with the idea that Vader was redeemed in the moments before his death – and that disagreement is shared by every character except Luke, js, which I think is canonical evidence supporting the idea that even in canon the idea of “redemption” is about interpretation – but he absolutely made a CHOICE in those moments, and that choice affected his destiny.

Choice is the through-line of all of the big narrative-changing/“galaxy-changing” storylines in SW. Luke chooses to return to Bespin rather than stay on Dagobah. Han chooses to return to the Battle of Yavin. Leia chooses to trust Lando to devise the plot to save Han. Ben Solo chose to turn his back on the ideals of the Light, and he chose to become Kylo Ren, and he chose every action he’s taken as Kylo Ren – including the massacre at Tuanul, the forced and painful penetrations of Poe and Rey, and the murder of Han Solo. Will he make different choices in TLJ? I mean, yeah, given that it’s a sequel and his storyline is ongoing. But if they want to make it believable that he’s choosing the side of the Light again, they’re going to have to work HARD. And I still will fight tooth-and-nail for Rey, Poe, Leia, Chewie, and Finn to have the dignity of being allowed NOT to forgive him.

We’ve seen Rey wrestle with choices, both before and after she was aware of the Force. Like, TFA wouldn’t even have happened if she had made the choice to put herself and her own well-being above BB-8 when Plutt offered her a month’s worth of food. Especially since we know in her backstory from BtA that she’s having a particularly lean time at the moment since the closest thing she’d ever had to a friend just swindled her out of 10,000 portions and fled Jakku, leaving Rey with no portions and out several weeks’ worth of salvage! It would have been SO much more beneficial to Rey, in the immediate moment, to trade in BB-8 and take the portions.

But the Light guided Rey. That’s one interpretation. Another is that Rey made the choice to trust her own skill – she’d find more salvage and be able to earn some portions, even if it took a while again – and have mercy on this little being that was left behind on Jakku. It was important to her to give someone else what she never got, and that was more core to who she was than the temptation to be selfish and have something come easy.

Now: I absolutely can see how that same reading of her personality could lead to the idea that she’ll have mercy for Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. If that’s how the filmmakers go with it, then it’s not out of the blue, or anything, and I can rationally understand the argument that it would be logical. I just think that it would be boring as fuck reductive storytelling to once again make the female lead character have to put herself aside for the benefit of the male villain, even at the expense of herself, and I think it would be… Frankly, I think that showing narrative empathy for the First Order, in the climate that we live in in 2017, is insulting and dangerous and would be an unforgivable, for me, choice for Lucasfilm as a company to make. Not that that means I don’t think they MIGHT, because like, lbr, Disney has always been antisemitic as fuck and racist as shit, but. 

Here’s what I was thinking about last week: the entire neo-Nazi crowd at Charlottesville? They see themselves as Kylo Ren. They see themselves the way he sees himself, as the lone warrior strong enough to see through the lies of the Jedi and the New Republic, to turn his back on the teachings of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, to find a wiser teacher in the deification of a long-dead fascist who sought to kill all of those who would challenge him. And they also see themselves as Kylo Ren, the white male major character who by Rights and Logic deserves to win in the end and get the girl and defeat his enemies and be proven to be the Most Human Of All and definitely, definitely get his due over anything that the Black or Latinx or Asian main characters could ever earn. If Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy does give Kylo Ren forgiveness, redemption, a win over Finn or Poe or Rose, the trophy of having Rey love him? Lucasfilm and Disney are giving those neo-Nazis their stamp of approval. They’re saying, yeah, you’re right, we let Black and Latinx people and antifascism have one movie, but in the end, it’s all about you. You get to win, again. You are the chosen ones.

And I think that’s literally nauseating to consider.

And granted: TLJ was written and filmed before the election, but not before all of this shit was brewing. I absolutely don’t think that any media creator is BEHOLDEN to be morally and socially responsible, because media creators are human and as long as there are repugnant people, there will be repugnant ideals in media. But I do think that Star Wars, so far, as a franchise, has been clear that they don’t side with the Empire. I don’t think they’ll give the First Order any quarter of empathy or forgiveness or “redemption” that they didn’t give the Empire. But, I also think that there’s absolutely the chance that they’ll execute the story in a way where they try to make Kylo Ren some kind of outlier who can earn his way back into the Light. I don’t personally think he can; I think he’s too far gone. But I do, in a lot of ways, expect for them to try. Some of that, too, I think is because of the prominence of shitty-ass neo-Nazis in Star Wars’ viewing audience: either they’ll be trying to say, it’s not too late for you (sorry fuckos, it is) or they’ll be trying to say, just keep reaching out and maybe they’ll listen (they won’t; they’re fuckos). But, again, I think that execution would be irresponsible at best, actively harmful at worst. 

I want Kylo Ren to go unredeemed because I’m absolutely sick of the coddling of men who make the active, agential choice to harm people and are told they can come back from that choice. 

Kylo’s victims can’t come back from what he did to them. So neither should he.

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, right, Rey’s other moments of choice and Dark side temptation in TFA. There’s the obvious one, which I see most commonly as the one that Reylo shippers use as evidence that they’re connected more deeply than Heroine and Villain, which is the moment Rey chose not to kill him. 

I feel like it shouldn’t NEED to be explained why the hero chooses not to kill, morally/ethically speaking?

But the other is one that I haven’t seen a lot of people talk about as being a moment of Dark side temptation, and that I think is up there with the BB-8 choice as being one that’s particularly interesting: her choice to flee on Takodana. First off, you wanna talk mirroring, that’s her mirroring moment with Finn. Both of them are trying to get away from Takodana, away from their destiny, away from the Force itself, even if they don’t necessarily know it yet. 

Rey succumbs to the temptation, on Takodana. That’s her Moment of Refusal when it comes to her Hero’s Journey, and in Star Wars, that’s classically because of temptation by the Dark. If you want to look at it in terms of “the Force creates Rey’s destiny,” she has to succumb in that moment so that she’ll be taken to Starkiller Base and be able to witness the murder of Han, get the lightsaber in the snow, be able to open herself up to the Light to defeat Kylo Ren. But I think that reading of the choice strips Rey of her agency. (As does the whole “the Force is in charge of all choices” in general, but whatever.) 

In choosing to flee, Rey CHOOSES the Dark. She chooses selfishness. She chooses her own needs above those of the Galaxy. She chooses, maybe, in that moment, Finn, running through the forest to try to find the ship he’s leaving on. She chooses fear. Fear, passion, selfishness, the self above others – it’s a classic, perfect Dark side choice. And again, BB-8 brings her back. She stops running to give BB-8 cover to make it back to Han and the Resistance. She is again brought back to the Light by BB-8, and her empathy for this little being who trusts her. The key to Rey’s moral compass is compassion. That is a Jedi belief, not one of the Dark. (And I think it’s interesting that two of the three major choices she makes wrt Dark temptation in TFA, she chooses the Light because of BB-8. BB-8 is shaped like a friend.)

So when it comes to TLJ? I absolutely expect to see Rey wrestle with the Dark side. Just like Luke did. Just like Leia does. But that doesn’t mean that I think Rey will choose it in a way that READS as Dark, per se – her flight on Takodana IS Dark, but doesn’t Read as Dark, yk? You wouldn’t look at it and think, “evil.” I don’t think that it serves Rey’s character to make her choose EVIL even if, and when, she chooses Dark. I don’t think she’ll be willing to give up her selfhood, and I really hope, more than anything else in TLJ, that the writing team gave her enough respect to allow her that continued selfhood. I absolutely expect for Rey to be tempted by selfishness; I think that as far as the Dark side goes, that’s kind of her achilles’ heel – Rey getting to have something and not wanting to give it up would be very in-character, IMO, and I totally expect to see that. I also expect for her to be tempted to give into her very real anger and confusion at the death of Han Solo and how she (selfishly!) wanted to keep him and be kept by him. Same with Finn; she wants to keep him, dammit, he came back for her and the First Order cannot have him back. I’m anticipating her being tempted by her hatred of Kylo Ren, too, and to be tempted by the Dark whispering that she should have killed him in the snow. I don’t think that Rey is the Perfect Encapsulation of the Light insofar as being only compassionate and selfless, because that wouldn’t allow her the breadth of agency and selfhood that she deserves. And that she’s already shown.

In a meaningful way, Rey has to be tempted by the Dark to NOT forgive Kylo Ren. Forgiving him would be being that Mary-Sue-perfect-Light that people accuse “antis” of seeing Rey as, because it would be putting him and his feelings and his needs above her own. I want Rey to be selfish as FUCK and say NO. He doesn’t get that Light and Good part of her. He doesn’t get her compassion. Rey owns herself. And she’s not giving that up.

Forgiving Kylo or Rey somehow putting Kylo Ren on a path to redemption would not show Rey’s compassion, it would be subsumption of her Self. It would say to the audience that he had a right to use her body, mind, and soul to gain his own personhood back, and that’s fucking disgusting.

[totesmccoats]

Batman: White Knight #1

We open on a familiar scene. The Batmobile races towards Arkham Asylum, the driver hops out and goes inside to meet an inmate. Only the inmate is Batman, and the person in the Batmobile is Jack Napier, the Joker.

Flashback to Batman chasing Joker though Gotham in the Batmobile, careening over rooftops and through active construction sites until he corners Joker at an FDA facility. And, as Nightwing, Batgirl, Gordon, and the GCPD watch in protest, Batman – seemingly snapped – forces unknown pills down Joker’s throat until he stops breathing.

Batman’s gone too far; and Joker, having survived and now seemingly sane, plans to sue Gotham for letting the Batman continue to operate despite the damage he causes.

It’s a familiar meta-textual idea, “what if Batman is truly to blame for the chaos in Gotham?” done with impeccable execution by Murphy and Hollingsworth.

Murphy introduces his conceit very carefully, showing us a more Miller inspired rendering of Batman in the cold open that will remind those familiar of the decidedly more fascist Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, and impress a brutishness even on fresh readers. And during the chase, Murphy pointedly shows how much more dangerous the Batmobile rocketing through Gotham is compared to Joker on a hoverboard, and even has Batgirl and Nightwing comment on how Batman is being more reckless than usual. As we later discover, there’s a reason he’s on edge.

And when he’s finally caught Joker gives an actually convincing monologue regarding his relationship to Batman; that he allows Batman to exist by continually providing Gotham with a bigger threat than Batman himself. That, if it weren’t for Joker, Gotham wouldn’t tolerate Batman’s reckless vigilantism. And in universe, even Batman supporters don’t have many better arguments for his continued acceptance other than Joker being worse.

Its an interesting experiment for Murphy to finally put to paper, to say the least. Can Batman exist without his villains?

  All-Star Batman #14

Briar and the Black Knight have defeated Batman, and it’s up to Alfred to rescue his son.

This is the comic that Alfred has deserved for the longest time. A comic that shows us what the man who raised the Batman is truly capable of, and oh my goodness does he shine! It’s an issue where Alfred gets to scare Batman for once, shooting down planes and dueling a better-equipped man who managed to outfight Batman. Any time anyone tries to convince you that Alfred isn’t the MVP of the Bat-family, just show them this issue.

The backup pulls its weight too, delivering striking visuals of Batman running through explosions, his silhouette cast against red and yellow flames – again, recalling Mazzucchelli and Lewis’ art in Year One. And the story wraps up with a final twist of the knife and a neat tie into the main arc. This is the final issue of All-Star, and it ends with a bang.

  Batman #32

The War of Jokes and Riddles ends with Batman, Joker, and Riddler in a room together, and Batman making a decision that could cost him his soul. And Selina finally answers Bruce’s proposal.

This is a two beat issue, and to discuss either one of them in more detail than I already have would be spoilers. But, as promised, a still young-ish Batman is pushed to a breaking point; and the War does end with him having gazed into that abyss. There is also, maybe surprisingly, a clear winner – ideologically if not materially, one of the villains gets a win over Batman than he can never reverse, one that haunts Bruce to the present day.

If anything, King has proven that he’s great at dismantling his characters. If Snyder gave Batman depression and made him face existential crisis after existential crisis; then King gives him a massive case of PTSD and makes him face all he’s done, or almost done, in the name of his war on criminals. Thankfully though, he’s not cruel or torturous about it.

And Janin illustrates this perfectly, with Bruce Wayne, a huge man made of rippling muscles, who is nonetheless vulnerable, sitting in his underwear, clearly broken, and hoping that the love of someone he loves can somehow redeem him.

  Superman #32

This issue has an actual “faster than a speeding bullet” moment in the first two pages, and it almost immediately won me over. I love anything that reminds me of what makes Superman such an important figure – he can do the impossible, and he can save everyone. I’m a sucker for it.

And the rest of the fight between Superman and Deathstroke is great, too, which each testing the other’s limits; Deathstroke testing how far he can bend Superman’s moral code, while Superman is careful not to break the limits of Deathstroke’s tech and accidentally kill him. And that tension, the pushing of Superman’s limits, becomes the main focus of the story as Deathstroke continues to put Lois in danger and offers Superman the choice to end his life to save hers and thousands of others.

Unfortunately, the issue weakens Lois in order to tell that story. She’s still nominally strong, choosing again to run towards danger rather than away from it, but it still results in her needing to be saved by Superman. And I get that that’s how Superman has worked for the past eighty years give-or-take, but the last issue was so good at having Lois be the agent of her own story, and I just wish this issue followed through on that instead of damseling her.

  Black Bolt #6

Black Bolt leads his new friends to the heart of the living prison they’ve been trapped in, but will even the full strength of his voice be able to defeat such a powerful foe?

Leave it to Ahmed to find a way to add a wrinkle to the trite “the ghosts of your loved ones are just illusions” trope by having the characters own guilt be what the villain is after rather than to trick them. Because all you need a reminder that you did something wrong to feel guilty about it, it doesn’t have to be a believable recreation of events. And after the heartwarming reunion between BB and Lockjaw last issue, this one finds one last heart-wrenching sacrifice before letting our heroes loose. Don’t worry, the dog lives.

Ward goes all out with the colors in this issue, delivering an explosion of cosmic psychedelic energy on every page, as though Black Bolt’s voice were tearing reality itself asunder. He really was an inspired choice of artist for this series, allowing a character who cannot speak in words to speak in shape and color instead.

  Hawkeye #11

Kate confirms some bad news before the breaks out of Madame Masque’s prison, that her father is to blame for her mother’s death. However, that gives her enough rage to knock all of Masque’s guards unconscious and make a beeline for Masque herself, still in a clone-Kate body.

I think that “cathartic” is the best way to describe this issue, if bitterly so. Kate finally gets closure from her father, and gives Masque the beating she’s been asking for since 2012. And when Masque tries the “we’re alike, you and I” shtick, Kate has none of it. Kate puts another solid win in her book, defeating Masque, proving she’s not destined to become a villain like her father, and even getting a really good mini-donut joke in for good measure.

But as one chapter ends, another begins, and Hawkeye is starting this one with a new ripple in her friend group, and a promise to find her mother – if she’s still alive to be found.

  Paper Girls #16

ALERT! ALERT! PAPER GIRLS HAS GONE FULL EVA! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THAT WOULD BE GURREN LAGANN!

Tiffany is separated from the group as the girls all warp from the stone-age to the distant future, the year 2000. Tiff immediately gets picked up by a cop, who gives her a ride back home; and the other girls follow the only lead they have to someone who may be able to help them – the funnies. Oh, also, the future people (who may be from the past) resort to the nuclear option to take the girls out, resulting in the town is being attacked by giant robots – hence the EVA warning.

The series is as much as a nostalgia trip as it’s ever been, with this issue crammed full of references to Y2K and 5-inch deep flat-screen TVs, and balances it with the novelties of a giant robot fight looming over small-town Ohio; but doesn’t naturally find a place for it’s emotional hook, wedging it in as a flashback. But, as incongruous as it is with the rest of the plot, it is effective, showing us a young Tiffany on Christmas receiving a gift from her adoptive parents on her first night with them. And as they tell her that she’ll likely never hear from her bio-parents again, she sinks into her new game of Asteroids on the Atari 2600.

Lastly, the girls seemingly begin this arc with the best idea of the plot they’ve got themselves wrapped up into yet, actively taking steps to find their way back to normalcy by working on the information they’ve already gathered. They’re growing from delivery girls to reporters, yet – and it’s also goes some way to showing us how Erin becomes who we see her as in 2016.

Comic Reviews for 10/4/17 Batman: White Knight #1 We open on a familiar scene. The Batmobile races towards Arkham Asylum, the driver hops out and goes inside to meet an inmate.