#I'd also like to apologize for showing their work (which may lead to them being identified)

[angelsdean]

ruthlessly deleting old 2021/2022 posts (not by me) from my dean studies tag like *click* un-incorporating that from my beliefs system! also the way SO many posts have me like ok uh-huh good aaand then say one completely wrong thing that loses me. it's so many posts.

[nem0-nee]

On "heavy inspiration"

First, I'd like to apologize for the contents of this post. I do not wish to be a blog that just complains about matters, but I feel like I need to say this at least once.

If you don't agree with what I say, that's perfectly fine. We can agree to disagree, that is all.

It never fails to anger me when I see any issue related to tracing and "heavy inspiration." These are definitely tools when it comes to learning more about art, but there's definitely a line that dictates whether the use of those methods are acceptable or not.

I will not be naming names, but back then there was a blog which was "heavily inspired" by me. I'm flattered that I inspire people out there, but this case was truly something else.

[NOTE: If you recognize the account I'm referring to, please don't bring them up. I don't want this to escalate, nor do I want to stir up any issues. This is just to discuss what happened.]

There was a time where I've made a character sheet/template for one of my OCs, intending it to be for her specifically; every element about it reflected her as a character in general. A few days later, I see that a certain blog had done the same with their own sheet. The only difference was that it was all mirrored. I commend them for giving me credit, however I was not on board with what they did.

DISCLAIMER #1: Yes, I am aware that I may sound like a whiny baby for being possessive over a character template. It truly sounds absurd, and even now I don't know if what I felt was valid. But my reason for it was that I had specifically designed that sheet for THAT character. It was completely original, as I had made it all from scratch. It took me a while to conceptualize it all. Then someone comes along, taking and running with it without asking me? Can you blame me for being upset?

I didn't want to cause an issue, so I privately settled this issue with them. I made it clear with them that they should've asked me first before doing it, but also added in that they don't have to take the post down. I may be protective of my works, but I'm not a jerk to force someone to take down their own hard work. Plus, I didn't want to cause any drama nor controversy over a character sheet, so I just kept my mouth shut.

Additionally, I made a post as a measure to make sure this incident doesn't repeat.

You'd think this would all stop, but it surprisingly didn't! A few months later, I released a Birthday Union Card for one of my characters. I took some creative liberties with it and added my own twist to things. So, I gave my OC a different kind of bow and nail polish. A few weeks later and what do I see? The same kind of bow and nail polish are on their own birthday card too!!

DISCLAIMER #2: I am aware I don't own these "creative liberties" or certain aspects of design. I would've brushed this off as a coincidence if they hadn't taken "major inspiration" from me before, but this was the second time it all happened. I was beginning to get paranoid; I felt like they were keeping note of everything I do so they could do the same. damn. thing. Plus from what I know, I don't think anyone has done this before? Maybe that's just me...

Don't get me even started with the post formats! I did things a certain way back then, mixing up the font styles, incorporating colors, cringeworthy quotes- you name it. Would you believe me that they got inspired by me to this degree? That they would format posts that contained similar content as me IN A SIMILAR WAY?

DISCLAIMER #3: I am aware that I don't own post formats. My point here is that they were truly coming across as a copycat. I believe they could've changed things up for the sake of originality. But I suppose you can't have everything nice in life.

Every time they post something, the first thing that comes to mind is "what did they copy from me this time?" And it's truly a shame. Any slight resemblance or similarity to what I did stirred panic within me. It wasn't healthy, and I felt like I couldn't do anything about it.

Though, I must admit I'm not entirely in the right for this. Thinking about it, I may have enabled them due to my lack of communication.

FAULT #1: I must acknowledge my fault for not telling them off enough. I really thought they'd just eventually stop and learn from their mistakes. I just didn't have the heart to tell them any more. Being accused of copying is not a great thing, and I didn't really want to be that person. Unfortunately, look where that got me.

FAULT #2: It's also my fault I decided to follow them back despite the first instance and didn't block them. Admittedly, I have a bad habit of wanting to see the good in people. So I assumed that they would change in the long run.

Things only stopped when I finally blocked them and notified them about it. I don't think they're active on here anymore, and sometimes I worry if I was the reason for that. I wished it didn't come to this point.

This is a cautionary tale for fellow artists out there. Please, don't take things without permission. This whole incident took a toll on me for months, and I still fear instances of these. Some artists may be more lenient and wouldn't mind, but there are definitely others who are not okay with "heavy inspiration." Always, ALWAYS ask.

[oldmanjenkins985]

So, I wanted to talk about something since MD Twitter in particular seems to be having some issues with a current trend in the MD fandom. That being the Panic AU by @candyasbestos (apologies in advance for the ping, just felt like maybe you'd wanna see this)

So I'd like to start right off the bat by saying anyone who is uncomfortable with this AU is completely reasonable for being that way. It's more so that uncomfortableness leading to disdain for the AU that I wanna talk about.

So, I'm a horror fan. I watch plenty of things on horror movies and play plenty of horror games. And what exactly does horror media try and do? Make the player horrified and uncomfortable. Seeing grotesque imagery which may make you wanna vomit. One of the games that comes to mind for something that's definitely meant to make people uncomfortable and not just scared is Fear & Hunger. It's a game with incredibly uncomfortable imagery, sometimes due to gore and other times due to sexual themes. And it's perfectly reasonable for that to turn people off, yet I've never seen anyone have the kind of reaction to stuff like that compared to the reactions some people have had to the Panic AU

And that's the thing with the Panic AU, it makes *N* uncomfortable. Uncomfortable with himself due to Nyx's influence on him. That is the entire point of the AU it seems. And Nyx himself seems to be some kind of representation of mental illness (pretty standard horror trope, I know). I'm not an expert in the subject despite dealing with it quite a bit so I won't name any specific mental illnesses it could be, but it's clear to me Nyx is some kind of urge of N's.

I've made plenty of characters like Nyx for my original works that are also meant to be representations of mental illness. Voices that whisper to you to do terrible things, creatures that make you feel worthless and shut down, etc. I make these not only because I find them scary but also as reflections of my own experience with mental illness. And it's that first point again that makes me question people's reactions to it.

People have said "It's grossly out of character for N" and stuff like that which...honestly that makes me think they only saw the initial wave of art and don't really know how N feels about the whole situation. But the other thing is that so many AUs have intentionally mischaracterized N because of what the AU is. And I'm not talking just swap AUs, I've seen plenty where N's character is wildly different because of the circumstances of the AU. And I see the Panic AU no different.

I also saw another comment of someone saying "We shouldn't normalize behavior like this" and again, I question whether the person has actually researched the thing they're talking about. Nyx, the thing that makes everyone uncomfortable, is very clearly the *villain* of the AU. He killed Uzi, he wants N to kill Thad, he's a horrid little creature. Are villains not meant to do things we disdain? Murder, torture, etc. It's prefectly understandable these things would make people uncomfortable, but isn't that what many villains do? There's plenty of media with torture scenes in them which make people uncomfortable, but that's the point! Hell, some kid shows have torture scenes. What about the Lich's design from Adventure Time? He's a rotting corpse! In a kid show! His design is clearly meant to make the viewer uncomfortable.

So again, while I don't think anyone is in the wrong for being uncomfortable due to the AU, I think many of the criticisms are unfair. A piece of media which is specifically designed to make people uncomfortable should not be criticized for that very reason. Avoid it all you want, that's completely reasonable! Never feel like your reasons for being uncomfortable are unwarrented. But I'm just saying that if you were to critique Silent Hill because it's themes of mental illness and character depictions made you uncomfortable, and that was a *negative*, it just seems a little weird to me.

This is all just my opinion, obviously I'm not THE definitive person on the matter. And I'm not saying anyone who has the AU blocked or anything should check it out. I'm just saying, many people seem to be judging it unfairly.

[warblogs17282]

The more I think about it, the more that I think that Blitz is gonna hit a mental rock-bottom in ghostfuckers.

So, let's start off with the first clue: Millie being very consistently annoyed/angry in the scenes where we see her in ghostfuckers.

Why could this be? My theory is that it's because Millie is starting to suspect that there's something going on with Blitz, and she tries to figure out what this is exactly, but Blitz just keeps brushing her attempts to do so off, or just straight up won't tell her, leading to her slowly getting more and more frustrated at Blitz.

Another thing of note within the gif is that we see Millie shouting something, I can't read lips, but I'd wager that it's something along the lines of 'ENOUGH!', which could potentially play into what I mentioned in the last paragraph.

And it makes complete sense if Millie is the one to pick up on the fact that there's something going on with Blitz, considering she appears to be rather supportive/comforting to Blitz, with a major example of this being s2 e4, where Millie was the one to break the news to Blitz that Stolas got badly hurt. So it'd make sense to me if Millie is the one to see that Blitz is going through something, and wants to try and help him by making him feel better or something, but Blitz's tendency to push others away just ends up annoying and angering her.

Clue 2: 'Blitz is coping with what happened in apology tour in a not so healthy way.'

Assuming that this comment ends up being true, it tells us that Blitz is employing unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to cope with the events of Apology Tour, and we know that Apology Tour hit Blitz hard, just look at his face when he sees Stolas really enjoying himself with the BTB guy.

So, what method could Blitz be using to cope? A common theory during the mission shorts is that Blitz is purposely overworking himself/throwing himself into work because of the events of Apology Tour, and I personally agree with it, at the moment, it's the one that makes the most sense to me.

Another theory of what this could be was drugs/alcohol because of Blitz's past and previous relationship with them, but that theory doesn't really hold much water to me, mainly because we've only seen Blitz drink in social settings throughout the show, after the events of s1 e7 we see Blitz on the couch asleep after binge eating ice cream, and because Blitz said "oh thank Satan." when Barbie Wire said that she wasn't back on the drug named H-8.

Clue 3: Blitz's literal mental breakdown.

Blitz - "I destroy everything, I make everyone's lives worse!"

During the trailer, we see Blitz having what appears to be a literal mental breakdown, and I'd wager that this is the point where Blitz hits mental rock-bottom for two huge reasons.

1: Blitz's skull necklace that came from his mother that he normally always wears appears to be missing looking closely at this scene within the trailer.

2: A combo of all the other points I've listed in this post.

Truth be told I am not looking forward to seeing Blitz hit mental rock-bottom, but the only potential silver lining I can think of here is that it may make/force Blitz to actually be vulnerable in front of Millie and/or the others, which would allow them to actually be able to give Blitz some support, which it does look likely that Millie is trying to offer Blitz some support in that scene.

Plus, not to mention literally everything else that's gonna happen in ghostfuckers as well, like Blitz talking to his mother, and that hallucation with Millie, with "You always take from those around you, leaving them worse and more broken than you found them.", those are also 100% gonna fuck with Blitz's mental state a lot.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Silver - Ceremonial Robes Vignette

"I want to repay that debt of gratitude"

[Courtyard]

Idia: Ugggh～～～ Nope, nope, nope! Why's the Spelldrive Tournament have to be broadcasted on TV, anyway?

Idia: Just thinking of showing my face on TV feels like I've gained some kind of embarrassment debuff. I have to figure some way around this…

Idia: It's 19:00 right now… The Mystery Shop should still be open.

Idia: I just gotta buy a welding mask and hide my face all day tomorrow, if that's what it takes…!

[rustle, rustle]

Idia: Waah!? S-S-S-Something definitely just moved―

Silver: WHO GOES THERE!? IDENTIFY YOURSELF AT ONCE!

Idia: Eeek!? I-I-I-I-I'm definitely not s-s-s-s-suspicious at all…!

Idia: I'm I-Idia Shroud!!! F-F-F-From Ignihyde!

Idia: So, please s-stop pointing that baton at me…!

Silver: Ah… I see, it was just you, Idia-senpai. Which means it was not some dubious presence.

Idia: I-I feel like you're the more dubious one, jumping out of a bush like that and brandishing a baton in someone's face…

Silver: Why are you wandering around at this time of night, anyway? Most folks around this time are partaking in dinner back in their dorms.

Idia: I-I was off to buy a welding mask…

Silver: Were you planning on using it for some sort of engineering experiment?

Idia: Urgh… Well, what about you, wh-wh-why're you running around in your ceremonial robes?!

Silver: That is because this attire is perfect for blending in during dusk.

Silver: It is a little difficult to maneuver around in, but at present time, due to an incident, I don't currently have my dorm uniform.

Idia: H-Huh? So, why're you in stealth mode, then?

Idia: S-Silver-shi, are you actually some sort of ninja?

Silver: Hm… What is a ninja?

Idia: Rumored to hail from a far eastern country, they are a people who covertly work to uncover intelligence or do other dirty jobs.

Idia: Haven't you ever heard of shurikens, or fire breath jutsu or whatnot?

Idia: You'd find them in a bunch of animes, and in video games the ninja is a super popular class, on par with samurai!

Silver: Idia-senpai… You're suddenly very loquacious.

Idia: Ah… My bad, went full on geek there…

Silver: I understand your explanation… However, I am not a "ninja."

Idia: When you shoot me down without sparing any emotion like that, I feel even more embarrassed now…

Idia: So… Why were you wandering around the courtyard at night then, Silver-shi…?

Silver: Tomorrow is the Spelldrive Tournament. The academy will be open to the public, and people from all walks of life will have gathered here, from the common folk to foreign dignitaries.

Silver: I was on the lookout for any possible assassin that may have chosen to take advantage of the bustling crowds.

Silver: It would be a disaster if something were to happen to Malleus-sama.

Idia: You're definitely thinking too far! Malleus-shi's got some OP cheat codes, don'tcha think you're being too overprotective?

Silver: My lord and master Malleus-sama will one day be king of the faefolk and rule over Briar Valley.

Silver: Before coming to this school, he would be surrounded by his guards if he ever took one step outside the castle for any reason.

Idia: Uh-huh…

Silver: If something were to ever happen to Malleus-sama, it could lead to an international incident.

Silver: Therefore, I do not consider this as being overprotective.

Idia: Wh-Wh-What's with this epic tale…?

Idia: I've only ever heard of assassins and international incidents ever happening in games, though…?

Silver: This is no game. This is our reality.

Idia: W-W-Woooooah…! I wish I could say a line that cool, too…!

Silver: …? If you wish to say it, you should.

Idia: Nah, it only sounds good coming from you, but if I tried saying that I'd just get ROFL'd at.

Silver: I see… I don't truly understand, but I apologize.

Silver: Well then, I will be going back to my rounds. Take care to not be mistaken for someone suspicious.

Silver: Both Sebek and Lilia-senpai are also patrolling the school grounds as well, after all.

Idia: G-Got it… I'll up my stealth modifier just like you did, then. B-Bye.

Silver: Right, see you.

Silver: I should link up with Sebek and Lilia-senpai and let the know that Idia-senpai is wandering around the courtyard.

Silver: It could be disruptive to others if Sebek were to encounter him and cause an uproar.

[Courtyard]

Idia: Whew… Done with class, finally. But, ugh, the sun's so bright today… This is the worst AoE for a shut-in…

Idia: On days like these, I just wanna hole up in my room and just lose myself in my dailies.

???: …

Idia: …Hm, is someone there?

Idia: S-S-S-S-S-Silver-shi!? Why're you collapsed dead in the courtyard!?

Silver: Zzz… Zzz…

Idia: Oh… Is he just sleeping…? The shock made me think the worst…

Idia: …But, dang, he sure has a handsome face. I bet everyone flocks to his good looks～

Idia: He looks all sparkly and princely when he's sleeping, to the point where even small, wild animals would gather around him…

Idia: He's completely different now than the guy I encountered right before the Spelldrive tournament.

Idia: It was scary having him point that baton at me…

Idia: He's the type of guy I never woulda gotten involved with if that'd never happened.

Silver: Mm… Rrhn…

Idia: Eek! H-H-H-He's w-waking!?

Silver: [yawn] Oh… I had a fleeing suspicion someone was there. Hello, Idia-senpai…

Idia: N-N-N-N-Nuh-huh!! I definitely wasn't staring at your sleeping face, Silver-shi!!

Silver: Hm? Please, calm yourself. You seem to be startled and tense whenever we meet.

Idia: Th-That's just a normal introvert reaction, though…

Idia: A-A-A-Anyone'd be jumpy, anyway, if they got a baton swung in their face, like last time.

Silver: You may be right… I apologize for what occurred then.

Idia: Urgh… Now I feel bad that you're apologizing so sincerely.

Idia: Silver-shi, you're pretty strange… Not only are you way more straight-forward than any of my dorm students, but also pretty loyal…

Silver: …Is that so?

Idia: Y-Yeah. There's no way anyone in Ignihyde would patrol after dark just to keep their Housewarden safe…

Idia: …Ah! O-O-Or maybe, does Malleus-shi rule through fear to keep the Diasomnian in line?

Idia: Th-That would make more sense… So, you were forced to do those night patrols, then?

Silver: He has no need to rule Diasomnia through fear. Even our patrol the other night was done of our own volition.

Silver: I do not know the relationship between you and the other Ignihyde students, but I would do whatever I can for the one I have sworn allegiance to.

Silver: The fact that I am here today is all thanks to my father and Malleus-sama.

Silver: Simply put, I want to repay that debt of gratitude to the both of them.

Idia: Wow… You may have kept a cool face throughout that speech, but that was just as passionate as any nerd infodumping…

Idia: Maybe we're just two peas…

Silver: In addition, I would like to prevent any sort of conflict between human countries and Briar Valley, if some trouble were to befall Malleus-sama.

Silver: I may not have much power, but I would like to do as much as I can.

Silver: My father always said while I was growing up that fighting was not the answer.

Idia: Woah… That's pretty deep.

Idia: Sounds like that father of yours is one of those charas with muscles of steel and an indominable will.

Silver: Yeah. My father was a member of the royal guard who served the royal family of Briar Valley.

Silver: I hear not only was he a renowned warrior, but the Queen herself trusted him personally.

Silver: He may be retired now, but back then, he was a soldier who had put his life on the line in battle and gained much accolade.

Silver: I'm sure he's had many a harrowing experience that I cannot even begin to imagine…

Idia: Y-You serious? This sounds like something out of an open-world RPG or something…

Silver: "Open-world"?

Idia: It's a type of online game. Yeah, sorry, I know a normie wouldn't know that. Sorry I'm such a nerd.

Silver: No, I know of online games. My father often stays up all through the night playing those sorts of games.

Idia: HUH!? Your pop just went from hero to zero in one go!?

Silver: My father has always loved keeping up with whatever is currently all the rage. He recently got a Magicam account, as well.

Idia: Huuuuh!? The image of a battle-hardened general of an elite royal guard is crumbling before my eyes…!

Lilia: Heeey, Silver. Why're you just shooting the breeze over here?

Lilia: You promised to help me out with that extra hard quest after classes.

Silver: Fa… Lilia-senpai. My apologies, I'll be right there.

Lilia: Hm…? Oh hey, it's Idia. Didn't expect to see you here with him.

Idia: Ah, uh… L-L-L-Lilia-shi. This is, uh…

Silver: He just happened to encounter me sleeping here.

Silver: Idia-senpai, see you later.

Idia: Y-yeah, later…

Idia: …It was kinda cool hearing about Silver-shi's dad.

Idia: He's a decorated soldier from Briar Valley, but also is really into video games and is a Magicammer lol.

Idia: If a guy like that really exists somewhere out there, even someone who hates people as much as I do would probably enjoy meeting him…

[Diasomnia Dorm – Hallway]

Lilia: I need to grind to prepare for the new items that are dropping soon. There's going to be a seasonal event next week, too. Ah, so busy.

Silver: You seem to always be in good spirits when talking about your games.

Lilia: They didn't have these newfangled online games when I was younger, you know.

Lilia: People from around the world can now enjoy playing with each other without worrying about physical borders. Society truly as gotten so blissful.

Silver: You're absolutely right. And when it comes to the world in which you are able to enjoy gaming so much…

Silver: I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I must protect it.

Lilia: …You've grown to talk pretty big, it seems.

Lilia: Well then, let's put money where that mouth is and start our marathon of gaming! I be letting you sleep on me tonight～!

Silver: P-Please, anything but that, Father…

Requested by Anonymous.

[pettyprocrastination]

Abby x reader head canons?

I will say may not be the best representation for her character because I've only watched (many) play troughs and not played the game yet cause I no longer have my play station :( but I am absolutely horrendously down bad for her ngl so here we go (also abby is closeted wlw in this sorry guys)

warnings: repressed sapphic feelings, gets a little sexual at the ending but nothing major, jealousy, mostly just fluff here cause im easing myself into her character

I feel like she's not particularly into pda? not anything egregious but she'll have an arm around you is enough, maybe a hand in the back pocket to give you a lil bum squeeze but even that's pushing it. She doesn't want to be obnoxious like *those* couples (she does actually) but she wants people to know your hers.

connecting to this I feel like she gets jealous pretty easily. Not from a place of seeing you as property but from her own insecurities and worrying that you'll find somebody "better" which means sometimes she'll give a snide little comment when you've been hanging out with somebody else that makes you pull back and go "excuse me?" often leading to her either talking herself into a corner or going silent and passive aggressive until your able to pull the truth out of her, often times after the anger has fizzled out hours later and she slips into your room with a soft mumbled apology when you tell you that you love her and only her but that doesn't mean she gets to be an asshole to you for it. (she makes it up to you though. all night long in fact)

braid her hair. please braid her hair. It's a small sign of love that makes her go absolutely crazy. The feeling of your nails gently scritching her scalp has her stretching out like a cat in a sunbeam on a lazy sunday afternoon. She'll set her head in your lap while you undo the braid and run your fingers through her soft locks until she slowly drifts off to sleep because she just feels so at peace with you that she's comfortable letting her guard down and falling asleep

even if you have very short hair, you probably end up wearing one of her hair ties on your wrists because she tends to lose them + its a little part of her to keep by your side :') (i will say its interesting that in the show, it seems like ellie keeps her hair tied back with a hairtie that seems to have been cut, so she has to wrap it around and then tie a knot which makes sense because i'd gather that elastic isn't that easy to come across post apocalypse yknow. I think it'd be cute if you like. found a scrunchie or smthn for her that even though its not her style she's still wear it cause its a gift from you :'))

that being said? i imagine after everything she's been through she's a pretty light/paranoid sleeper so if you slip from the bed for any reason be ready to see her padding after you, squinted eyes and grumbling with sleep still in her voice as she mumbles 'where you goin'?' because babygirl woke up without you by her side and it caused her to panic :(

confident in her body. She's worked hard on her physique and she knows you enjoy it, so don't be surprised to see her not-so-subtlety flex if she catches you eyeing her up. You'll roll your eyes at her peacocking but it doesn't stop that lovesick smile from growing on your face that makes her feel all giddy. Bunch of goofballs in love right here <3

idk why but she gives me a bit closeted energy growing up. I feel like she probably got plenty of shit for being a tomboy and she gives me the energy of those girls who are like "women can be masculine and straight you know >:(" but so incredibly gay lmao (knew countless gals like this god bless them all) but yeah she'll huff and puff because just because she's not girly doesn't mean she's gay but also likes it when you sleep in her bed and you guys tell stories and fall asleep in eachothers arms, sometimes she'll stay awake so she can watch how peaceful you are and maybe maybe think about kissing you and how soft your body would feel in her hands and the little noises you'd make and that makes her feel something owen never did. but yknow. she's still super straight

[lunar-years]

I could possibly have stomached James being back and forgiven apparently, if it wasn't for the casually dropped in statutory rape, what on earth?? The writers were probably trucking along with their "everyone deserves forgiveness" train, meanwhile anyone with a jot of common sense had air raid sirens screaming "DO NOT LET THAT MAN NEAR JAMIE". I'd have been angry with the forgiveness side anyway (we see no signs that James is trying to be a better person or even that hes not going to try and beat the shit out of his son again, for all we know thats a court mandated rehab), but I could have sort of understood it. Adding in that fun little fact made James go from terrible horrific abuser to just completely unforgiveable.

honestly i completely agree with you. I know this is a very divisive arc and there were people who genuinely loved where they took it because it resonated with them in some way, especially for some people who have been through similar experiences and appreciated the recognition that someone like James could successfully change. I really try to accept and understand fans who have that opinion and I want to be very clear that I both recognize addiction is a disease and think there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to or actually forgiving your abuser. Each situation is different! People suffering from addiction can absolutely recover! Individuals need to do what is right for them in their real actual lives, etc.

That said, the parts I loathe about the Jamie & James arc, from my own personal opinion, are:

any sort of relationship Jamie and James may have moving forward post-canon is inherently a complex one, but the writers did not address the conclusion of the arc complexly. At all. Instead it was "oh everything conveniently worked out and here they are happy and together" wrapped up in a 10 second flash-forward which is just...no.

there is absolutely no evidence that James' violence stems directly from his addiction. there is nothing to say a sober James isn't every bit as abusive as a drunken James. There is no indication that Jamie isn't putting himself back into a situation that is downright unsafe, or that he isn't at risk of coming into harm and being deeply hurt all over again. there is nothing to say James hasn't tried rehab before, and relapsed.

James never apologizes or owns up to his actions onscreen.

Jamie's decision to forgive his dad comes at a time when he's in a very vulnerable place mentally, having just come off a canonical depressive episode. He consults no one about forgiving his father apart from Ted, who is quite literally the worst person on the show he could have consulted (no offense, Ted, it's just that the man is incapable of being objective when it comes to Jamie and the father&son of it all). The decision isn't being made in a healthy state of mind and Jamie hasn't rallied a support group around him before taking the leap. From what we see on screen, he seemingly doesn't tell anyone that he's going to visit his dad in rehab.

there's a way that all of this can make sense. I can make sense of why Ted, with his own heaping helping of daddy issues, would give Jamie the advice he does. I can see why Jamie (again, in a vulnerable place) would take it! why he decides the right thing to do is to reach out to his dad! I can see him going to visit. I can imagine that visit going well or going poorly, can see James' stint in rehab being mandated, or also him checking himself it. But at the end of the day, those scenarios are all imagined! none of that nuanced context is provided on the show. Rather, the presentation and messaging are hasty and in my person opinion, flat-out dangerous. They lead the casual viewer to read Ted's advice as good (it categorically isn't), and Jamie as Doing the Right and Responsible Thing, when it's a hell of a lot more complicated that that.

it is also weird and complicated to have Jamie take Ted's advice over his mum's, who in the same episode, mind you, told him James was never ever going to change. again, we can jump through hoops to make sense of it, but we shouldn't have to.

there's absolutely a pattern of abuse being weirdly minimized on ted lasso/victims forgiving their abusers and i think that's gross. you can't claim to be a comedy show that dares to tackle real, tough issues in one breath and then expect us to laugh off abuse (Jane/Beard) in the next. Sometimes it's like they change what kind of show they want to be scene by scene, lol.

as you point out, in my opinion it is completely batshit on the writer's part to have introduced "btw Jamie's dad, who we've previously established beats him and verbally abuses him, ALSO proxy raped him when he was 14!" in the same season in which you plan to have Jamie forgive said father (with next to no buildup or context) just a few episodes later. Like, yes, let's add even deeper layers to Jamie's tragic backstory before we wash it away in feel-good reunion tosh! just, ew. what on earth were they thinking.

So all in all, I think the arc could have been successful if the writers had known where they were going with it from the beginning of the season and given it the kind of care that sort of storyline demands. However they didn't do that, and the end message is incredibly harmful as a result.

[shrinkthisviolet]

So I noticed your tags on a reblog a while ago about how you had a problem with The Flash - and I'd love to know more about what you thought of it overall (as I understand that the later seasons took something of a nosedive in quality.)

Oh boy 😅 I could go into depth about my problems with each of the seasons, but honestly, for the sake of brevity, I’m just gonna abbreviate the major problems I have for each season:

Season 1

—Iris should’ve been looped in sooner, especially given how many times she was put in danger by not knowing

—The waterfront kiss and the lightning psychosis bs is stupid—I’m glad the first thing was erased, and I try to ignore the second thing. There’s nothing romantic/funny about cheating or justifying it

—Eowells should’ve been killed off normally, not by being erased from existence (because?? How does the timeline still exist??)

Season 2

—Zoom’s motives were incoherent, and he’s only a good villain because of his menace factor

—Wally and Jesse should’ve both gotten powers from the accelerator, not just Jesse

—Jesse should’ve had Zoom-related trauma that impacted her ability (and desire) to be a speedster in s3

—Eliza Harmon should’ve been a WOC like in the comics, and she deserved a better storyline and she deserved to live, yes I’m still mad about this.

Season 3

—Savitar. In general. Wtf (existence makes no sense, him being a wannabe god instead of just Future Barry is boring, and also he was only interesting in the finale. By which point he should’ve been dead anyway. Also there’s no mf way he could’ve actually killed Iris bffr)

—Killer Frost. Incoherent—her siding with Savitar makes sense with the s4/s5 retcons, but those are from seasons when she regressed as a character imo. Also I never liked the split personality idea

—Iris being the only one at risk means there are no stakes because she’s the main female lead and would never really be killed off. All of Team Flash should’ve been at stake, with the possibility teased that they might disband permanently.

—Flashpoint was wasted potential and tbh should’ve happened after s1. Or at least it should’ve been more deeply explored here. But in any case, it feels cheap to have this after Barry already fully came to terms with his mom’s death in s2 (I know, it was grief over his dad, but still. It undercuts a fantastic episode)

—The time loop setup is nonsensical and impossible. Breaking it means that s3 never happened. No one should remember anything that happened this season.

—Caitlin and/or Frost never apologized to Iris for being an accessory in her attempted murder (and in s4, Frost threatens her life again!! Yay!! Friendly bonding!!)

Season 4

—Can someone tell me why tf Team Leader suddenly became a thing? I swear the closest the Team ever had to a Team Leader was Eowells, way back in s1. The idea of a Team Leader after that feels too hierarchal for them, idk why that was introduced

—Caitlin worked with a human trafficker of her own volition (and Frost too, this was presumably a decision made by both of them) and yet she is only held accountable in one line (“Where have you been the last 6 months again?”) and it’s quickly swept over by making Amunet into a ditz and ignoring the fact that she is a human trafficker

—Bodyswap plot was weird, DeVoe should’ve just taken their powers

—Marlize never had any clear motives after she gave up her ideals to side with her husband.

—The Thinker in general is just stupid tbh

—Caitlin and Iris barely got to be friends, and after this season, they may as well not have been. Caitlin was also unnecessarily snippy to Iris this season too (“we will, Caitlin” “no. I will” + “I’m your friend, Caitlin” “work friend”). This is a general problem with this show—female friendships are given lip service at best and no room to grow

—Barry and Iris deserved a proper wedding that wasn't interrupted

—Thawne did not hate every minute of pretending to be Harrison Wells, that is garbage writing and fundamentally misunderstands his character

—Barry should've killed Thawne in this crossover. He was so close!! WHY (and they still could've brought him back later if they really needed to)

Season 5

—Both Cicadas sucked, and the father-daughter Orlin-Grace/Barry-Nora parallels fall flat when you remember a) Dwyer literally hates Grace until she’s comatose and b) those parallels only get mentioned in one conversation

—I wasn't too fond of Cisco giving up his powers, it felt like a strange decision, especially since he gets them back briefly in Crisis and somewhat permanently in s7. I've talked about that more here (definitely read all the additions too!)

—Iris’s angle in the argument with Barry should’ve been “no one works with Thawne, they’re manipulated by him” not “it doesn’t bother me that our daughter worked with the man who half-orphaned you, threatened my life, hurt everyone on this Team, and killed my fiancé”

—Nora acts wayyy too young for being 25-28. She should’ve been 18-20. She very much gives off the vibes of a young adults who’s newly independent (and this further ties into the themes of legacy, which is a theme usually present in YA stories, with teenage/young-adult protagonists. Obviously the theme of legacy can be present in any story, but this presentation of it is usually prominent in YA stories)

—Nora having the NSF should’ve occurred at the end of s5, not during 5x20. Would’ve been more poignant if she had to choose between keeping it and becoming Thawne, or giving it up and dying a hero 😭 and her having the NSF in canon came across more as a temper tantrum than her being corrupted by a destructive force.

(Hey also why tf do people remember Nora after she’s erased—)

Season 6

—Loved Iris having a fleshed-out journalism arc, especially going forward, but her journalism career should’ve been reintroduced a while ago. Possibly even in s4 (beyond just a scant mention of her writing an article about DeVoe)

—Thawne should’ve been in Crisis. Especially over Lex mf Luthor

—The Mirroverse arc is…ugh. I don’t love the idea of Iris being replaced with an evil alter and no one noticing for an entire half-season. And an important Westallen conversation about Iris’s agency happening with Mirror Iris, not real Iris!

—Mirror Iris had sex with Barry under false pretenses. And gloated about it. But five minutes later, we’re supposed to feel sorry for her?? Yikes

And now we’re on to my least favorite seasons! Not a lot of points here, but that’s because out of all the bad stuff, I’m just picking the egregiously bad stuff:

Season 7

—Iris being saved by an emotionless Barry is weird and they both deserved better than that

—Chillame is the worst character this show has ever made. Or at least the top 5

—Eva is a dumb villain who wasn’t even compelling to watch. She was very one-note and…I don’t even remember her motive??

—The Forces arc is bizarre. I don’t like how they personified literal forces of nature, it’s dumb. And them calling Barry and Iris “Mom” and “Dad” is worse

—Frost’s arrest storyline was bs. I was honestly kinda excited, because I hoped she’d face some consequences for the stuff she did in s3 and s4, but…nope!! Kramer’s a bad guy who hates all metas!! And Frost (a white woman) gives a speech modeled after the BLM movement!! It’s gross.

—idk much about Godspeed in the comics, but he was definitely done dirty here. And that’s not even mentioning the stupid lightsaber fight…and the fact that Barry just…lets Thawne go?? And says “yeah, he’ll be back one day, but that’s Future Us’s problem.” Speaking of which…

Season 8

—Well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequence of Barry Allen’s actions. We get Armageddon, which is compelling for the first half and drops off in the second half. The logic is faulty (how is Barry the RF when Thawne killed him as a kid? Why does Iris love Thawne just because he’s the Flash?), some of the stuff in this arc is arophobic (“why don’t you love love?”) and tbh the Chester/Allegra romance is very forced, I’m not a fan. Cecile trying to one-up Iris regarding grieving Joe was also very gross

—Iris’s time sickness is so ridiculous. It started back in s7, but the show acts like it started in s8 because of the Negative Forces. It’s awful and it’s another excuse to rob Iris of agency. It should’ve just been a pregnancy…or scrapped entirely

—So regarding Caitlin's grief and Barry's response...honestly, so many problems would be solved if these characters consistently went to therapy, especially Caitlin. She always reacts to grief destructively. Barry, however, shouldn't have responded by destroying everything in her lab instead of...idk relocating her and having a talk somewhere else??

—No, Barry would not be a bad person for killing Thawne after he thought Iris was already dead. Personally, I think he should've killed the mf ages ago

Season 9

—Red Death was underwhelming, that’s all I have to say about it

—why tf is Chillame still here

—Khione deserved to make her own decisions and not be forced to die for Caitlin and/or Frost to live…but also, as a character, she’s very bland. I also skipped any episode where she and Chillame were even remotely romantic, mostly for my own sanity

—I was so excited for the finale arc and it did not deliver!! It flopped real hard!! Eddie is turned evil so fast it made my head spin, the return of prior villains was underwhelming (including their defeats...why tf did Allegra defeat Thawne?? Why did Cecile defeat Godspeed?? Why did Nora defeat Savitar with one stab wound not even piercing the armor??), and the resolution is just...hugging it out?? I guess??

And that's about it as far as major critiques go 😅 if anyone wants me to expand on any of these points, I'm happy to!

(Except the s7-s9 stuff, which I don't even plan on including in my Morgan AU because those seasons are honestly so bad that I'd rather forget about them entirely. I don't like s3 much, but at least it has potential that I'm interested in revamping/exploring)

[chirpsythismorning]

hi! i’ve been reading your analysis/theory posts and i love them all! i had a question about your will being twelve theory, i definitely see how he could be, the only thing i don’t really get is how he would be at the lab and have a life outside the lab? like mike said the first day of kindergarten will was on the swings by himself and they’ve been best friends ever since, and joyce talked about the crayons for his eigth birthday and how his friends all got him star wars toys, so we know he was friends with at least mike and lucas (i think dustin came in the 4th grade so it’s possible he was also friends with will at this point) and possibly other kids when he was younger, so how would he be able to have this whole life outside the lab while also being a kid at the lab?

Hey! I’m so glad you love reading them!! And also apologizes for taking so long to reply!

I don’t think, based on any fandom-wide consensus of the events on the show, as of now, that I'd be able to provide a definitive answer?

Like there has to be pieces missing, which have been left out for a reason, and those are the details that I think will be necessary to fully transcribe to this theory. Until then, there's too much missing for even me to believe it fully.

However, if twelvegate is real, or at least close to what’s going down, then even despite the entire audience missing it, I do think there are probably hints in the details connecting Will to Hawkins Lab, that were either missed or not pinpointed properly, which may or may not hold some answers.

I do have a of couple theories about where some pieces of the twelvegate puzzle might be hiding in earlier seasons. Although, I think beyond pointing them out and talking about them, it will only lead us to more questions!

TBH, most of this post will just be me trying to come up with some possibilities. While I don't fully believe all the observations I've came across are leading in every direction I speculate them to be, I do think the answers for the ending have to be in the show. There are only so many options to work with here... And so, whatever. I'm going for it.

To start things off, a wise man once said:

I always wondered if this could be a hint to the audience that the answers to some major questions are hidden in some sort of papers we've seen/heard of throughout the show? Newspapers, documents, drawings perhaps?

This then reminded me of the newspaper clipping(s) they showed at the end of s1 related to Will's disappearance:

Hawkins Lab Blocks Inquiry (left)

Coroner Arrested For Falsifying Autopsy (middle bottom)

More Heads Roll in Ongoing State Trooper Scandal (right)

The Boy Who Came Back To Life (middle)

The former missing child Will Byers has been found after a week of searching. He is presently in stable condition in Hawkins General Hospital. Byers' mother, Joyce Byers, alleges Will was the subject of a secret government program run by the Hawkins National Laboratory. The allegation comes amidst a massive investigation into the hidden organization and its elaborate experimentations in perusal of mind control. — The abuse detailed in the first report includes prolonged physical duress and psychological interrogation. This [gove]rnment sanctioned torture has [prov]oked outrage amongst the American . . . In a statement issued yesterday . . . Ives mentioned her "disgust" . . . the organization saying, "our own [Ame]rican people are being treated like . . . we should be directing our . . . to the real target, the Soviets, not . . . own daughters and sons." Under legal . . . Brenner has issued no comment on . . .

An article by that same title resurfaces in s2. However, it seems to have changed some of the details about what happened, in an update of sorts.

The Boy Who Came Back To Life (s2)

"In a recent statement, the state coroner's office has admitted to misidentifying the body recovered from the Sattler Quarry as twelve year old Will Byers. Will Byers had gone missing two days prior, inspiring the town of Hawkins to form a search party in the hopes of finding him. When a boy's body was recovered from Sattler Quarry, the case seemed solved. Six days later local police, lead by Chief Jim Hopper, found Byers alive in an abandoned cave a few miles outside of Hawkins."

Obviously, the update of this article had to do with the State coming in and covering things up.

I've read up on it, but all I can find from the ga's consensus back then, is there was some confusion over the fact that the article went from being about Will and his disappearance being connected to Hawkins lab and experimentation and mind control, only to switch in the next paragraph to Terry Ives report on Jane's abduction. A lot of people speculated that it was probably just a copy paste error, where like the Duffers were too lazy to put something relevant there, and so they slapped on a random paragraph and called it a day?

Now, to be real with you, even if the Duffers themselves said this was the case, that it was just an error on their part, I would not believe them...? Because rewatching that shot, you can tell it's important? Like what else is the point of it, if not to hint at something? And then why have it return in the following season (literally one episode later?), with an update, that clearly covers up most of the details, if there's no deeper reason behind it?

One thing from the s1 version that has me side eyeing is, 'our daughters and sons' (Willel s1 crumbs?).

I also find it interesting that they refer to the quarry as Sattler Quarry, twice? It doesn't seem that important on the surface, but from what I remember Sattler Quarry was really sort of sus in terms of what they were up to and the way they were talked about, in connection to Hawkins Lab and them scrambling to cover up Will's disappearance by planting a fake body there? Idk it just feels weird...

Which brings me to this next small detail I haven't heard anyone talk about before, but I have a feeling it could be part of this, or perhaps part of something that is still yet to be revealed.

The night they find Will's body, Karen and Ted are watching the news. We hear the reporter talking about Will's body being found at the quarry. Though the audio is loud enough to hear at the beginning, the newscast shifts to quiet background noice as Mike's parents begin talking.

White text is easy to hear/red text is a little difficult to hear:

"Byers' body was found in the water of this quarry by state police earlier this evening. He was discovered by state trooper David O'Bannon, just after dark. The state police are mounting an investigation to determine Byers' cause of death. But an initial inquiry... *few indistinct words* suggests that foul play was involved. Will Byers was a 7th grader at Hawkins Middle School. He was reported missing on Monday morning by his mother. Now, Byers isn't the first person to drown in Sattlers Quarry, if you'll recall, only 7 years ago--"

Now, I have tried and tried, but even still now, I cannot discern what was said after "But an initial inquiry...", because Ted interrupts and it muddles up his words with the reporter's, to the point where I can't discern it well enough. I think I hear the word media somewhere in there?

As far as I know, no one has talked about this, at least not enough for it to even be mentioned on the Stranger Things Wiki timeline.

I legit checked the timeline while making this post, hoping to find it, and hopefully anything else that might have occurred that year.

TW: byler

Okay. Cool. It appears, according to Wiki at least, nothing substantial happened in the year 1976, other than the fact that it was the year Mike and Will met on the swings in kindergarten. I assume that would've been in August/September of 1976? Then this drowning at Sattlers Quarry would've been on Nov. 7th, 1976, a few months later (and 7 years before Will's 'vanishing')?

I always thought it was interesting that they said kindergarten specifically. Like kindergarten? That's such a cliche in and of itself. But what if that was the point? To make it something we heard and then just went with, but in reality they're giving us a hint? (Will and Mike would've been five years old in 1976).

I do think that the mention of something happening, exactly 7 years prior, to the day...? Like that's really odd? Not only is it connected to Will because it's the day he went missing, but also... 'it was a seven'?

Though, I feel like if it had to do with Will specifically, they would have included that (which reminds me, if anyone can transcribe that indiscernible part of the newscast, LMK!)? Also if it was another child even, wouldn't they have mentioned that too? That seems like it would be an important detail?

But then the scene cuts off right there. Like the second the word 'ago' leaves the reporter's mouth, we're suddenly in Mike's basement (interesting...). And so, apparently they were willing to mention this anniversary like event, with the infamous number seven, only to cut it short without any further context for what actually happened 7 years prior?

I guess I would have to rewatch and pay attention to see if there are any other hints that could somehow relate to this occurrence that happened in 1976, but since like I said, no one's really talked about it (correct me if i'm wrong pls!), there isn't anywhere for me to really go from here in regards to that.

But it does make me wonder if this was one of the easter eggs David talked about being all the way back in s1, because like? I just really don't see a reason for it be there at all unless there was a reason?

Specifically in combination with Twelvegate it interests me because, Sattler Quarry was the place that Hawkins lab decided to put Will's fake body (why did they need to go all out in the first place in Will's case??).? Is it possible they were doing something there 7 years ago, related to the lab?

Like this does make me wonder about the whole Will created the upside down theory? I've read some crazy theories over the years about how a lot of what occurs with the supernatural happenings going on in Hawkins, aligns with Will and his emotions at times? For example, there's quite a few times Will sensed the mindflayer before/after something occurred, often related to Mike, and then we'd see Will touching his neck. But it wasn't always like that from what it seemed, and so I never really thought anything of it.

And then s4 happened, and this theory has sort of slowed down after it was 'confirmed' Henry got banished to the upside down by El after the massacre at Hawkins Lab, presumably encountering the mindflayer, before Will?

However, in combination with twelvegate and everything, what if Henry getting banished there also had to do with Will? Because I mean technically speaking, if Will is Twelve, that would mean he was right there in the rainbow room with El that day, only like a few feet away...

What if they were doing wonder-twin shit? Will creation powers combining with El's destruction powers?

It's still unknown why Henry would target Will in the first place, like could it be because it was all Will's creation to begin with?

This also reminded me of the constant imagery of Twelve playing with the red tower in the rainbow room. We see this repeatedly, like a lot. We even see El hung up a drawing of said tower in her room at the lab... Twelve building that red tower reminds me of Flayed Billy's 'we've been building it!'...

TBH I had no idea what the red tower in s4 could possibly mean up to this point. But in the context of Will being Twelve with creation powers, it makes a whole lot more sense. (Is the upside down stuck on the day Will entered it, because the creator showed up and now it's just stuck on create mode? LOL... Wait, but actually???).

I think the only way it would work, is if Will was a unique case, which obviously he would have to be if he created the upside down? Though I'm not so sure I think that Hawkins Lab knows this? Or maybe they do?

TBH I think it's a lot more likely Will has been able to predict some things, for example, Owens keeps talking about how this has been a long time coming, they've been preparing for this. And that took me back to s2 when Will was at Hawkins Lab talking about a storm...? Could that have been Will sensing what was still to come? And was Owens taking notes? Because in the past he had been able to predict some things based on what he saw/how he captures what he sees in his drawings?

I mean Owens was literally rewatching Will's tapes. And there are moments with him that just feel like there's something deeper going on there that we're missing. Quite frankly a lot of the scenes with Will at Hawkins Lab are missing answers, so that in and of itself is, very weird to brush off.

Eery to say the least.

These scenes also remind me of the onlookers El was met with when she arrived at Nina:

I've said recently that Owens and Brenner give off good cop/bad cop vibes, and I still feel that way. However, what I think at this point is that Owens is more focused on the 'cause' aka the US military having the upper-hand against the Soviets aka what he could get out of this monetarily/reputation wise, as like a patriot/war criminal. This would also parallel quite nicely with Paul Reiser's character in Aliens, which is a movie that's heavily inspired ST since the beginning.

Yeah, Owens would rather not hurt people if he doesn't have to, especially if he's not even getting any results out of it. But even still, I think Owens would choose to exploit anyone if it meant getting the results that he is expected to be getting, in the position that he is in.

In contrast to Owens, what Brenner gets out of it appears to be some weird father/daughter bond, manifested from raising El in the lab, which was also manifested by Brenner's weird familial bond with Henry as well.

Notice how Owens refers to Brenner as Martin, like, twice...? He even refers to them as an us? These dudes are colleagues, they are equals. The only difference is Brenner has this weird familial lens guiding his actions, whereas Owens actions are all keeping the goals for their cause in mind. And what even is their cause exactly?

We basically get Owens revealing that Brenner convinced him this was the ONLY way they could do this. Which means there were arguably other options, though this was the plan they went with because Brenner insisted it would work, and now they're having to stick to it.

El was a unique case compared to all the other kids presumably, who were brought there at some point in their childhood. From what I recall, Kali (008) for example, was discovered in London, then abducted and brought to Hawkins lab at a young age, but not infancy. Even in her case, she managed to escape Hawkins Lab before the massacre. And so, it's not like every scenario has to look identical El's in order for it to work, though in Will's case, it would definitely need to be explained in a way that fits with what they've told us so far. Which I agree, would be hard to do.

My guess as of now, is that they came across Will's powers via him being able to predict things with his drawings (rainbowshipgate), and that might have inspired part of Hawkins Labs efforts in the year 79. That scene with Ten and Brenner drawing felt very much like this was their first time doing this, and so it must have been a recent disovery at the time?... Hawkins lab wasn't always like that, even when El was a kid growing up there, like SUPER young, it was a little bit different than the numbers 1-19, shaved head, nightgown 24/7 vibes. That version of Hawkins lab required them gradually getting to that point over the last decade, making discoveries as they went. As far as I could tell, they used to be kind of accepting of letting families in there back in the day, because they came off as more lenient in those times, before they cracked down and started being a lot more secretive, resorting to covering things up almost entirely.

Although I think it's likely they're unaware Will made the upside down itself (if he even did), they know something... There's something about this scene with Brenner and Owens in particular, that's just so downright suspicious, to the point where I don't understand why it's not talked about more.

This scene is from 4x07, right after Owens bitched Brenner out for not getting them any results. And so, what is being alluded to here, is that EVERYTHING we saw in 4x07, essentially what was presumably being presented to us as the real truth, after 6 episodes of us watching everything from El's confused POV, isn't even the whole truth???

Also, notice the tapes. Brenner takes the tape labeled with the day of the massacre, Sept 8th, 1979. However, the shot makes a point to show him almost hesitating. We see like 4 tapes from the month of August, and like 7 tapes already for the month of September, with no more tapes to follow after the 8th (obvs bc the massacre). Apparently it was a busy September. What I find weird is that there were two tapes for the day before the massacre, Sept. 7th, 1979.? There's nothing else I find too suspicious about this shot, besides that, and so I am curious about what this could possibly mean.

"How much time did you skip?"

Why not let the audience see what was skipped? It's almost like whatever they skipped over would be a major spoiler to us? And combined with everything else, I would not be surprised if whatever they didn't let us see had something to do with Twelve aka Will...

I understand your doubt with this theory, because I too struggle with figuring out how exactly it would overlap with our understanding of the story and the presumed timeline that's been presented to us thus far.

However, again, I think that there has to be small details in the story, which are essential to un-cracking this, even despite what the overarching narrative has been leading us to believe and assume up to this point. I also think it requires us being misinformed about some things, because otherwise it would be too easy to figure everything out. I mean look at us rn? They don't want people getting too close to the truth and so they need those barriers in the way stopping people from getting to close to the surprise. They literally depend on us assuming they are stupid to achieve all of this.

And even still, the Duffer's themselves have said that the final season will circle back to s1 to answer things that were never answered, along with David saying there's easter eggs from s1 that will make the ending wonderful, and Noah himself saying the show started with Will and will end with Will... And so, there's gotta be something here.

And honestly, upon some casual rewatching since coming across twelvegate, I've noticed a lot of details that connect Will to Hawkins Lab...

One in particular, is the fact that it's established within the first 5 minutes of the series, that Will lives near Hawkins Lab:

So there are arguably places for this theory to build off of, which already exist in the show...

One explanation in particular that I've seen a lot of fans use as a possibility to explain all of this, is Lonnie.

In s1 he showed up after Will's body was recovered, and he made a remark about how Sattler Quarry had no warning signs around it, and that they should be held accountable. Joyce grew suspicious of his behavior and went through his stuff, discovering that Lonnie only came to sue Sattler to receive a big sum of money.

And so within the context of the show, right off the bat, they are saying that not only did Lonnie make homophobic remarks about Will, treat Joyce like she was crazy, but he also apparently only came back after Will was dead, so that he could get a bunch of money out of it...?

There's been theories about this for years, but this could fit into Will, and now even Henry potentially, being brought to the lab, on the front that it would be treatment for conversion therapy.

The parallels between Will and Henry could be entirely related to the upside down/powers, but I just think the wording of those parallels between them, being tied mostly to Will's queer-coding, makes me very skeptical there's nothing more to it?

And like I said, Hawkins Lab was looking for any excuse to not only find kids with natural powers, but to also exploit anyone that posed as an opportunity to them.

Terry Ives for example, wasn't one of the numbered kids in Hawkins Lab, but she was still involved with others who literally volunteered there, and were put on experimental drugs (also another way Lonnie could have been involved with the Lab), which led to El being abducted with the guise that she died during a miscarriage.

People forget that mind control is Hawkins Labs' specialty. And that they used it for more than just studies and experimentation...

The lab did everything they could to cover up what's happened over the years, when it came to El and Terry especially from what we saw. And so, why wouldn't this apply to other kids?

I remember in s2 when Brenner got replaced, Owens said the everyone involved with the lab previously, was gone, with him insisting he was one of the good ones, practically begging Joyce (and Hopper) to trust him... And yet not even a few episodes later he was telling Jonathan and Nancy that he would stop at nothing to keep the truth from spreading... Nothing.

Which then brings us to the most complex of it all. Memories.

I think that it's possible that memory stealing could be a thing that spans multiple characters, and with an organization that specializes in mind control, with us literally seeing that play with Terry Ives in earlier seasons, and also with El's repressed memories in s4 (with the lab having tapes to bring back those memories), I'm gonna presume it's not out of the realm of possibility that there's more to all of this.

Not saying that it's going to be memory stealing in the most generic way possible. Same with the whole time travel debacle. I don't think how we understand these concepts, based on what we've seen in other media, is going to apply exactly in every shape/form for ST. I think it's going to be a lot more complex and have to fit somehow into our understanding of things in this universe already. Do I think it will be easy? No. But the Duffers have surprised me before so I do think that they are capable of doing it again.

And even still, I only feel comfortable speculating about this, in the cases of the kids and the parents, aka Terry and El, Will (Jonathan?) and Joyce, Hopper and Sarah...

And that's about where my theory starts to get kind of stupid.

If you remember, there was a theory way back in s2, that El, Will and Sarah could have all possibly been connected to Hawkins lab. And it's because they all 3 had similar stuffed animals.

Hopper is also shown to be at Hawkins lab in his flashbacks around the time of his daughter's death in 78 (1 year before the massacre). We also get a parallel shot of this, with Sam Owens in s2 (s/out Sam Owens is evil truthers)

BONUS: Shot of El in s4, in this same staircase in the flashbacks of the lab massacre in 79.

Back in the day, there were theories Sarah's death could've been a cover up, and that perhaps she was targeted by the lab similar to other test subjects. It just so happened that for whatever reason, her case ended differently than the others? Or so we think...?

Now you might be wondering, what could have possibly connected Hopper to Hawkins Lab?

Vietnam.

This is another avenue I could totally see Hawkins Lab recruiting test subjects. I mean, it's not like it's one of the most well known tropes in comic books for a person whose encountered radiation to gain super powers or anything...

I also find it interesting that Hopper’s daughter died of cancer, after having an episode quite similar to Will's, which lead her to losing all her hair. And this happened at Hawkins lab (what we can presume based on the setting), a little bit before the labs whole weird shaved head, crayon drawing renovation..?.

Interesting...

In all honesty, Hopper himself has been keeping secrets. This is something that David Harbour has alluded to since s2, when there were boxes from Hoppers cabin shown, with the one El went through literally being labeled Hawkins Lab.

Not to mention, s4 finally explored and introduced to us how Vietnam affected him and his family, sort of building up this storyline, with flashbacks of Sarah, which we’ve been seeing for like season upon season now? They really like showing us these flashbacks with Sarah for some reason… and I can’t help but feel like that storyline isn’t over. So considering some of the evidence, it feels like there could be something going on there.

Not to mention, at the end of s1, we get this moment where Hopper goes in a government vehicle and what happened is only really alluded to. But why not let us see what they talked about?

It does beg to question, that if a lab managed to convince Hopper his daughter died of cancer... Anything is possible.

I also think Joyce being referred to as crazy/out of her mind by herself, Lonnie, Jonathan and like everyone in town in s1, does make me intrigued by the prospects of s2 sort of covering up whatever facts they gave to us back then, bc like.. idk. There's room there for something to have happened I guess. Like the fact that she even felt an urge to check to see what Lonnie was up to, and found out he was trying to get a bunch of money out of Will's death? Like, was history repeating?

I also love that you mentioned the crayons for Will's birthday, because I actually came across Twelvegate when I was reading about another theory, Rainbowshipgate.

If you haven't read it, RUN!

Basically what it boils down to is how the story about Will getting crayons on his eighth birthday, using those crayons to draw a rainbow spaceship, which Joyce then hung up at Melvald's, even going as far as to apparently show it to every person that came in, saying her son drew it... could have been a hint that connects Will to Hawkins Lab.

In fact, this is something several casual fans have observed and talked about on reddit since s2, comments about how ironic it was that Will drew a rainbow spaceship, when we all know there's another major significance to rainbows in the show, ie the rainbow room at Hawkins Lab...

So it's like, are these the easter eggs David was talking about, or??..

I shit you not, reading everything I could about rainbowshipgate, I got curious and decided to rewatch the Hawkins lab scenes from s4.

I was thinking like, hypothetically, if rainbowshipgate was on track in some way? Couldn't Will be a lab kid?

And so I literally went into rewatching those scenes, looking for a lab kid that could be Will-coded. And I was not disappointed. There Twelve was, giving off major Will Byers vibes, and that's when everything sort of clicked for me and I started posting about it.

Also, for those that don't know, there were theories back in the s3 era at least, where fans were already speculating that Will could be Twelve... Though those same theorists haven't returned to update their observations for s4 (meaning all their evidence predates s4 evidence).

However, what I now personally am leaning towards, is that they are connected.

Because if Will's birthday is March 22nd, then it's possible that anytime throughout that year, someone from Hawkins Lab could have stumbled into Melvald's, observed the drawing, and told other higher ups at the lab about it. Upon a little bit of digging, they discovered this kid lived right in their back fucking yard?? I would not be surprised what lengths they would go through to get that kid. Like come on man, that's too easy!

That's another thing, the Byers' home being like right next to Hawkins Lab is just weird in and of itself? So that could be an easy explanation for how Will attended the lab. It would have likely required it being a secret between Lonnie and maybe Jonathan who found out and had to stay quiet. It also could have played a role in their divorce? Who knows. I do think that they're consistent mention of Will's sexuality/queer-coding as the main topic to come up whenever they talk about Lonnie is really suspect. But that's just a theory for now.

Personally, despite all the evidence, because there is quite a lot, I'm still not entirely confident in regards to all this.

It does make me feel more intrigued by other theories though, like birthdaygate and will having powers. I am like 99% confident in those theories, and so there is this element of appeal in that I feel like stuff we've already speculated about in the fandom before, fits quite nicely into twelvegate.

What I'm honestly excited for is ST5 promotion to start rolling out. As early as production starts, we should start getting some crumbs, and it will only grow exponentially from there!

And that's when all us theorists will have more to work with. Because they'll definitely leave easter eggs and hidden messages within the major promotion they drop. And this time a lot of us will actually be paying attention!! Whatever they leave here and there could have the potential to prove/disapprove theories we've been compiling for months before all of this.

Thank you for the ask!! And sorry again for the delay!

[sparkyblizz]

Sherlock Gnomes: The Movie About Gnome Johnlock (No, Really)

I really genuinely like this movie and its predecessor, Gnomeo and Juliet, and I call them cinematic masterpieces. While they may be silly movies, they're also charming, have a great soundtrack, and the sequel has a surprisingly impactful story, I feel. In regards to the title of this post, the plot of the film revolves around the dynamic of the two main partnerships—Juliet and Gnomeo, and Sherlock and Watson. Their relationships are even paralleled, as Juliet has become neglectful of her partner in the face of her newfound responsibilities, just as Sherlock has become neglectful of his partner in the face of his work. A very important part of this movie is both of these people (or rather, gnomes) must learn that they've made their partners feel underappreciated, and they must fix things and make amends. I'm not kidding.

This movie begins with the human characters, Mr Capulet and Miss Montague moving into their new house in London. the previous leaders of each garden, Lord Redbrick and Lady Bluebury name Gnomeo and Juliet the new leaders of this new garden. Juliet now takes on the responsibility of getting the garden ready. the conflict with our main couple is set up pretty early, when Gnomeo tries to obtain a Cupid's Arrow Orchid (the flower they both tried to get in the first movie, both put their hands on, and had their love at first sight moment over) and Juliet is mad at him. This is when this exchange occurs:

GNOMEO: Unbelievable! What do you care more about, the garden or me?

JULIET: Oh, you're being ridiculous!

GNOMEO: That is not an answer.

JULIET: The garden can't wait and you can!

Immediately after this, they discover that all the other gnomes have been kidnapped, and this is when they meet our other leads, Sherlock Gnomes and Dr Watson. Sherlock believes Moriarty, an ornamental mascot for a pie company, is responsible, even though Watson and Sherlock saw him get destroyed. Sherlock believe's he's lived, and the clues are his calling cards.

Throughout this movie, we see Sherlock belittle and disregard Watson, as well as being curt and dismissive to everyone. You also see that Sherlock's general lack of care or tact means that Watson has to clean up after him, apologising for him and being the more friendly of the two. This is especially exemplified when we are introduced to the Empress Dowager Pom-Pom, who Sherlock offended, and Watson sent a bouquet of orchids as an apology gift, but as he wasn't the one that offended her, they are not forgiven.

During their investigation, our two pairs split up, Gnomeo siding with Watson, who wants to go investigate the museum, while Sherlock wants to go meditate at the modern art gallery so he can crack the latest clue, and Juliet agrees with him. Gnomeo runs off, upset with Juliet, and when Sherlock shows no care, Watson lets out a wistful sigh, saying, "Sherlock Gnomes," and assures Juliet that he will go after Gnomeo, which leads to this exchange between the two at the museum:

WATSON: Look, I know you're angry.

GNOMEO: How would you feel? It's like she doesn't even care about me!

WATSON: A partner who takes you for granted. Can't think of what that's like.

GNOMEO: I don't know how you put up with that gnome.

WATSON: If we had six months, I'd list all his faults. But despite them, he is a brilliant detective. We all have our good and bad sides. Sherlock, Miss Juliet... me.

GNOMEO: D'you know what, mate? You're right. I shouldn't have left her. I need to go back. I need to make this right.

This is obviously a very good example of the parallels between the two relationship conflicts and shows us how Watson feels underappreciated, just like Gnomeo. In the next scene, Gnomeo is kidnapped by one of the gargoyles that kidnapped the others, and Watson falls from a great height, and you hear a smashing noise. Juliet lets out a cry, and this is the first scene you see Sherlock show emotion. His eyes widen, he looks horrified and saddened. He whispers "Watson" in disbelief. Crucially, Juliet is behind him, and cannot see his face. She is crying, and for the first time, he shows a gentleness, softly urging her to keep going with him. I think this is especially important because this is the first time we've seen him show care towards anyone, and we see he truly cares about his partner.

In the next scene, Sherlock is trying to keep up his composure, not acknowledging the events that have just happened, instead focusing on the case, which leads to this interaction:

JULIET: Gnomeo got taken. He is gone! And Watson just got smashed. Why aren't you sad or angry?

Once again, she is stood behind Sherlock, unable to see his face, as we can see he's struggling to keep face, his expressions wavering.

SHERLOCK: Sadness and anger will not help me save one single gnome. Emotion is the enemy of logic.

JULIET: That is not an answer.

SHERLOCK: The case can't wait. You can.

This is a parallel to the earlier argument between Juliet and Gnomeo, where she has her words parroted back to her, and realises how in the wrong she was. She leaves, and we once again see Sherlock look saddened. He's clearly a man that hides his emotions and doesn't want to be seen as vulnerable.

I did want to note that part of the ballad I Need You to Turn To by Elton John plays over a scene of Sherlock and Juliet in the gallery, each ruminating on their sadness, in which the lyrics heard are:

And I wonder sometimes and I know I'm unkind, but I need you to turn to when I act so blind

And I need you to turn to when I lose control

You're my guardian angel that keeps out the cold

Which I think is fitting lyric choice for two people who lost their partners in different ways, struggling to cope with it, knowing that they've not treated them the way they should.

Another thing that makes this movie great to me is Irene, Sherlock's ex-fiancee, who is voiced by MARY J. BLIGE. She is mad at Sherlock for ending their engagement in a letter. She is a doll, and she sings Stronger Than I Ever Was, a Mary J. Blige song, to Sherlock and Juliet, and this song is a banger. I was obsessed with it, and when I was binge reading a fanfiction series over 2-3 days, I listened to this song on repeat. (Said fanfiction series is called Phantoms and Mirages, a series on AO3 that is about Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies and is a Simon Blackquill/Bobby Fulbright fic series. This will mean nothing to you if you're not an AA fan, but this movie and this pairing are inextricably linked for me, as it was looking this movie up on tumblr that led me to this fanfiction. But I digress.) Irene throws Sherlock and Juliet out, and Juliet storms back into the doll museum that Irene is the boss of. Irene proceeds to sling passive-aggressive insults at the gnome, thinking that she's Sherlock's new girlfriend, which leads to this exchange:

JULIET: Sherlock didn't "choose" me.

IRENE: And he never will. With Sherlock, work always comes first. There's always another case to crack, another mystery to solve, another backyard of gnomes to rescue.

This shows that there's precedent to Sherlock's neglect of the people he's close to. I also want to add this interaction, after Juliet talks about how wonderful and caring Gnomeo is:

IRENE: A man doesn't make you strong.

JULIET: You're right, a man doesn't make you strong. But the right partner can make you stronger. But I've let mine down, and now I need to make it right.

This convinces Irene, who hands over the clue that Sherlock and Juliet came for, and she requests that Juliet come back to tell her about saving the day, cementing their newfound friendship. Love these ladies, queens, I tell you! I also want to note that there is a poem on the final clue (the clues are cards with an M on them, for reference): "You already know it's all about you. What is the pattern in the final clue?"

Another great thing to note is that the final clue leads them to Traitor's Gate, which Sherlock says is where he and Watson solved their first case. This is amazingly poetic, as once they enter Traitor's Gate, they discover Watson, who survived.

SHERLOCK: Show youurself, Moriarty!

WATSON: No, Sherlock. Not Moriarty.

JULIET: Watson?

SHERLOCK: But... that's impossible.

WATSON: Not impossible. Merely improbable. [Here he holds up the calling card with an M on it, and turns it upside down.] It wasn't an M. It was a W, for Watson. But I knew you'd miss that, because it had to do with me.

Watson revealed that he did not intend to hurt the gnomes, and apologises to Juliet, saying it was only to challenge his partner. He enlisted the help of his friends from Traitor's Gate, the gargoyles, for his plan.

WATSON: Miss Juliet, I am sorry I had to involve your garden. But this was the only way to get through to Sherlock.

SHERLOCK: You did all this? But why?

WATSON: Because we used to be a team. Sherlock and Watson, friends, partners in crime-solving. But over time, you stopped respecting me. The only ornament you respected was Moriarty. There was only one way I could prove myself to you: I had to pretend to be Moriarty. I orchestrated this game. I challenged you to a battle of wits.

SHERLOCK: And you won. You beat me.

WATSON: That's all I wanted to hear. And now you and I are finished. Maybe you'll treat your next partner a little better.

The gargoyles turn on Watson, imprisoning him, Sherlock, and Juliet on a boat, and it is revealed that Moriarty really is alive and sent the gargoyles to deceive Watson. He took the gnomes and plans to have them smashed by way of the counterweights of a bridge crushing them as the bridge moves to make way for the boat Sherlock, Watson, and Juliet are trapped on.

MORIARTY: In that moment I saw how I could finally bring you down, Sherlock. I saw how you treated Watson. Poor old miserabubble Watson. He looked so sad. So I thought, I'll use that. I sent the gargoyles to you, Watson, and they let you think you were in charge. As if! You know what your problem is, Watson? You're too nice, too trusting.

I think it's ingenious that Moriarty saw the failings of his nemesis and the mistreatment of his partner and orchestrated this plan to take advantage of it. Poetic. This leads to this next exchange:

SHERLOCK: So, Watson, on a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you think this is going?

WATSON: I never meant for any gnome to get hurt. You know that.

JULIET: Hey, knock it off, both of you. Watson screwed up, but you did, too.

SHERLOCK: What did I do?

JULIET: The same thing I did. We took our best friends for granted, we stopped listening. They were the last thing we were thinking about and they should've been the first. [She leaves.]

SHERLOCK: I suppose somewhere within that haystack of emotional twaddle there may lie a thin needle of truth.

WATSON: One last case.

SHERLOCK: One last case.

Juliet's speech to me is one of my favourite things about this movie, and how even though Sherlock is still putting on his facade and not being vulnerable or showing his emotions, he manages to somewhat acknowledge her point.

Juliet and Gnomeo are reunited, and as they go to deal with the gargoyles, we get this next interaction that's important to me.

SHERLOCK: I'll draw his fire, you rescue the gnomes.

WATSON: You trust me to save the gnomes?

SHERLOCK: Well, of course. You're Watson.

Previously, Sherlock has saddled Watson with the dirtier work, even using him as a punching bag to practice his fighting moves on (albeit Watson was wearing padding). Now, this shows growth, in him acknowledging Watson's worth, and showing him respect again.

Moriarty next threatens to throw his hat at the drone Watson, Juliet, and Gnomeo are on, and Sherlock, next to him, knocks into him to stop him, but the hat still knocks into the drone, causing it to fall out of the air. Moriarty then steps on Sherlock's leg, injuring him, and goes to finish the job. Moriarty knocks Watson off the bridge, and as he holds on with one hand, Moriarty steps on his fingers, trying to get him to let go. Sherlock tries to come to his aid, albeit being unable to walk, begging Moriarty not to hurt Watson. He throws himself at Moriarty, knocking them both off the bridge as Watson cries out his name, and uses his cane, which has a grappling hook function, to catch his partner as Moriarty falls into the river below.

WATSON: You'd give your life for me?

SHERLOCK: Of course.

WATSON: Because you're the sworn protector of London's garden gnomes.

SHERLOCK: No. Because we are the sworn protectors of London's garden gnomes. Watson and Sherlock, partners and friends. And I promise to treat my partner a lot better. That is, of course, if you'll have me back. [He holds out his hand.]

WATSON: Watson and Sherlock. I rather like the sound of that. [He takes Sherlock's hand.]

I love the noble self-sacrifice or attempted self-sacrifice as a trope, it often makes me emotional, and I love this reconciliation. Sherlock pledges to treat Watson better, if Watson will give him a second chance, and he will. After this, Watson and Sherlock and Gnomeo and Juliet are paralleled, Gnomeo and Juliet standing hand in hand, and Sherlock with one hand on Watson's shoulder and the other on Watson's cane, for support for his injured leg.

The last scene of the movie is in the garden in spring, as Lady Bluebury and Lord Redbrick proclaim Gnomeo and Juliet the new leaders of the garden. Irene shows up, slaying, makes a minor passive-aggressive comment to Sherlock while greeting Watson happily, and Sherlock acknowledges that he deserves that. Sherlock and Watson say that Juliet and Gnomeo have a 0% chance of breaking up, and as they turn to leave, Sherlock puts an arm around Watson for support once more, and Watson puts his arm around Sherlock once more, and they walk off together as the movie fades to black.

This was mostly a plot summary, or rather, a character arc summary, but I just think the movie speaks for itself, and that it's genuinely amazing that the relationship between these two incarnations of famous characters is compared with the relationship of the romantic leads, and that they both have the same lesson to learn. To me, even though it is canonically platonic and can obviously be read as platonic and still be just as powerful, I feel like you can also analyse this through a romantic lens, which is one of the things I love about this movie. But ultimately, the story of this movie and of Juliet and Sherlock having to learn the error of their ways and to respect and appreciate their partners is just wonderful to me.

[dravo-carolus]

Okay! Saw Arcane finally, just this past weekend. And I just watched the season 2 trailers, so I have some THOUGHTS

So! First off, loving the Goth Vi here, wonderful, the pain she is in is Visceral and ohhhh Boy I'm here for the arc.

Loving Jinx's new makeup. The cloak is Very cool, the pink cheek paint is also Amazing. Very pretty paints by the artists, seriously skilled!

But I actually wanted to get some thoughts out about Victor and how the HexCore is gonna go.

So! They kept saying the hex core was an "Evolving" set of magic runes!! Magic AI anyone?

So season 1, He gets some shimmer that'll help him "Survive a volatile change" afterward he carved runes into his leg brace and skin. He reached to the hex core, it changed his leg into some form of blue magical flesh, allowing him to run afterwards.

Then he attempted another experiment into changing himself more, via carving more runes all over himself. But critically, he didn't have any more shimmer, so he was just kinda stuck screaming in pain with his hand on the hexcore. Until! Until Ms Young (assistant researcher) ran up and attempted to help him, at which point she was devoured by the (demon)hexcore. She was dusted, some of her clothes and her notes on that project she was working on survived. Victor is distraught, and attempts to destroy the hexcore, but wilts at trying to destroy his life's work.

He drops the stool he lifted to break the core with, THEN! The core sparked, and his new leg suddenly wasn't working.

Next we see him, he has visibly limped his way to a lil nook in the wall, and spreads Ms Young's ashes, apologizing for not knowing her prefered location. Then he steps up as if to throw himself off, but Jayce interrupts him. Victor says "you have to destroy it (the hexcore)"

Now I'm just spitballing a bit

But!! I'm thinking, that Jayce and Victor are gonna survive (maybe, the trailers CONSPICUOUSLY DIDNT SHOW THEM OFF (or at least, not that was obviously and unambiguously them) so they may just be dead. Unlikely, but a possibility!) And Victor is gonna be way worse off. So!

Either we're gonna see them immediately post explosion, jayce pulls Vic outta the rubble, notices he is Very badly wounded, and ALSO!! His Leg!!•

(Or they'll wake up in the hospital, doesn't really matter. But I'm thinking it'll be the first, because Warlord Madarda says "Your Council is Dead" in the trailers. So I think they are either dead or at option 1•)

So he notices his leg, and remembers the HexCore! And so jayce drags his almost corpse friend to the hex core, and kinda throws him at it, at which point it heals Victor up into a magical blue corpse that walks. (Critically the hexcore is an evolving thing. And it has Already Eaten a smart young woman.) So! Hexcore has a "Healed" Victor, walking around and being a wealth of distracting joy (meanwhile the hexcore is in control because THAT would be the sick nonsense that I'd expect from what they were foreshadowing! The evil plants, the arcane being malicious (probably), and also how it punished Victor for trying to break it. Also. It'd let the showrunners have a nice lil inner POV of Victor's head, and they could have him react to what the hexcore is having his puppet of a body do. Because that'd be just Sinfully delightful, the pain of the guy that was dying because his body was poisoned, then finally he found a cure that was SO MUCH WORSE!) oh I'm living for this.

It'd also lead into the "Jayce and Victor are enemies because Victor is a cartoon supervillain that committed "crimes against Science!" (BTW the dumbest thing I've ever heard. The only crime against Science you could commit would be a complete destruction of knowledge and ways to find knowledge. But other than that it's not a crime *Against* *Science*) so they're now enemies.

Because Victor is a puppet in the control of the Hexcore~

Idk if it's likely, but eh, fun idea either way.

[beardedmrbean]

Yeah I got the obvious ones

Tbh I got…nephews (cousins sons that shit how) and when I was building up my anime collection I went

“Oh shit, I need some kid friendly stuff!”

So I got digimon, the pokemon movies, and studio ghibli movies. Still building it up

Also from ac red, idk wth is their pr department doing. During black history month, I suggested to a friend that Ubisoft could have down a post at the end of month like

“Thanks for the Amazing Black History month…but there are more black stories to tell”

Cut to a quick gif of Yasuke putting on his ONI mask (very likely to be in game) and flicking his hidden blade and then say “Full Trailer Reveal In May”

Twitter a shitshow about Yasuke being a lead mainly because of Afrocentrism

But I would tell the executives, to just fucking rip off the bandaid and let people get used to fact Yasuke is the second playable character

I would have done a reveal trailer like this Viking game https://youtu.be/L0Fr3cS3MtY?si=xrkk3hycjg3ksxUs

Basically it start out with the two protagonists childhoods. Naoi being trained by her father while kid Yasuke is on slave ship.

Than cut to Yasuke washing up on Japanese shore (they change his past for the narrative) where you see his samurai training and Naoi more depth ninja

While show they will fight each other

Then show the tragedy of the hojo incident and Naoi father who will be killed by the Templars

And cut to Yasuke nearly being killed by the Templars only for Hattori Hanzo (who part of the brotherhood) to save him and offer him a chance to join the order

Then the final part of the trailer is Naoi in her marking outfit on a mission being cornered, but cute to Yasuke now in his assassin outfit helping her

Then Yasuke and Naoi standing side by side to symbolize their understanding that they must work together to unify Japan

Sorry for the fanfic, but the issues with non white characters especially black ones is the EXECUTION

If red acknowledged that Yasuke is a outside and DO point out the no gain rule that the Tokugawa established it might be good

Still don't think I've ever even seen a whole episode of Pokemon, Ghibli movies I know and love tho so that's stuff I can approve of at least. Pokemon is fine too, they've been bringing smiles for a insanely long time.

Also from ac red, idk wth is their pr department doing. During black history month, I suggested to a friend that Ubisoft could have down a post at the end of month like

ect.

That actually could have been cool, don't need much footage to make it work either even just a few drawings could do it.

Twitter a shitshow about Yasuke being a lead mainly because of Afrocentrism But I would tell the executives, to just fucking rip off the bandaid and let people get used to fact Yasuke is the second playable character

Personally I'd tell them these are people that will never be happy so listening to them is pointless, not like they're gonna buy the game anyhow either.

They can make their own if they're not happy.

Which is a attitude I wish more creators would adopt, don't like it don't buy it but we're not going to custom tailor our products to cater to your narcissism.

Sorry for the fanfic, but the issues with non white characters especially black ones is the EXECUTION

FanFic is always good, no need to apologize.

I hope the game meets to your expectations when it comes out finally.

[in-inertia]

Apologies for the delay in the response. There were a combination of professional and personal affairs that kept me. This response got a bit long, so I've placed a cut here.

If it's pronounced like Alexandre Dumas, I can sympathize. I was unfamiliar with Gallic pronunciations as well, and made an ass of myself when I attempted it. I didn't have the luxury of an IPA key at the time.

I apologize ahead of time for the length of my explanation. I've attempted to keep it concise, but not too stringently. I've included it as an aside, if only because it was grating on me aesthetically.

Ægir is a nation—one whose cities once spanned the ocean floor. I'd like to remember it as the sole place I've seen where the love of arts and beauty isn't marred by the pursuit of capital. I should curb my praise before it gets too lofty, lest I seem ignorant of its many faults. But there are things in this world I desire to protect, and Ægir is their home. The Academy is Ægir's chief political body, and the central axis of its technical education. The Consuls are its policymakers and the directors of its scientific research and development, divided into technicians and scientists—engineers and theorists. I was the former. The Abyssal Hunter Battalion is, or perhaps was the principal guardian of Ægir against the Seaborn, a hivemind colony of organisms ranging from microscopic to colossal scales which knows only growth, evolution, and endless consumption. Some volunteer to become Abyssal Hunters, others are chosen. I was the latter. For my experience, I was made into the Captain of the Second Company, and the Battalion's Chief Designer of Warfare. The Battalion is almost entirely gone, now, and its remnants are stranded from Ægir, but the Seaborn have only been set back some time by the blows our sacrifices made. I lead what remains. I cannot know for sure if the Battalion was re-established, or dissolved. I may not even have any authority anymore, but I will not allow something like that to stay my hand.

Ah, my apologies—ballet. I was trained in ballet and theater, and then applied those skills to a number of styles. I've done what I can to ensure that I'm a proficient guide and instructor, but part of it is also simply being flexible when it comes to the needs of my dance partner. If they're stumbling, then I'll hold them steady. If they're uncoordinated with their steps, then I'll ensure there's nothing in their way. If they cannot walk, then I'll show them what it's like to fly. I am honored to be the first to show anyone the beauty and passion of dance, and there is no accommodation I will not make.

I respect someone who likes to take matters into their own hands. Even beyond that virtue, that you enjoy making anything is good. We live in what we make—not in the permanence or utility of our creations, but in the tangible impact we can see ourselves have on our surroundings. It is how we know we exist, and it does not always have to be deep or meaningful to satisfy us.

I've recently occupied myself with more literature, after many years spent not reading anything but records, charters, and intercepted communications. A former colleague of mine would scoff at me for that lapse. I'm still working through the 'literary canon' of Ursus, at the moment. Do you have a genre you like more than any others, or are you simply not picky?

That seems to be true. It does get a little easier. Yup.

That definitely would've not been how I have pronounced it if I didn't know. I am super glad I asked like there was the one time where my English professor was named Dumas. Oh. Hm. Yeah. You could probably guess what happened. Eheh.

So Ægir is an Academy or is the Academy sorta a separate thing? And being both an administration and a technical worker sounds tiring, though I guess you at least understand what your subordinates are going through unlike management I've seen and experienced. And what exactly do you hunt as a Hunter now, like it sorta sounds like soldier and also not?

That's pretty cool - I don't think I'll ever get coordinated not to trip more than a couple steps. The whole having two left feet thing sadly. Oh, what's the difference between a classically-trained dancer and one that's not classically-trained? Like style or something? And I guess if the skill of the partner doesn't matter, you must be good at doing the whole "follow my lead" thing.

Interests as of late, I've been a bit interested in Do-It-Yourself projects, mostly furniture. My second bedroom has a workbench and a bunch of tools for that purpose. I don't really invite people to my home, so I kinda learned how to take care of a lot of common home problems like a clogged drain or fixing my water heater, and it kinda balled up from there . I also like music too and I can pretty much read everything - probably because if I bother to actually start reading it, my brain automatically tells me I'm enjoying it in a sort of self-hypnosis sorta way,- so books almost always entertain me.

[inkrabbit]

Hello!

First I'd like to say that I love your writing! Also I'm still a bit new to Tumblr so please forgive me if I'm doing this wrong or don't explain something well lmao.

I was wondering if it would be possible to do headcannons on how any of the Papas would react to finding out their s/o is incredibly strong? And they can pick their Papa up and carry them around with no problem? I imagined that and thought it was hilarious :D

Thank you and please feel free to ignore this if it is confusing or overwhelming at all <3

you're so sweet omg ty <3333 but bb don't you even apologize. so long as anything is within my rule set, anything goes. requests can literally be like Primo x reader and I would be fine with that xD

hcs below the cut. if anyone's wondering, I'm keeping Rob Zombie's version of Michael Myers in mind as a sort of "base". and, as always, it's GN

Primo:

he's surprised at first

like really surprised

he knows the ghouls are pretty strong, but someone who had originally started out as a sibling??? it catches him off guard

bonus points if you worked under him and one day just casually show off your strength

mans has never been so confused in his life

but you know what? he absolutely loves it

his ghouls get a little jealous since he starts asking you for extra help with anything

but he's also gonna worry about you

"Girasole, are you sure you're not straining yourself? You know you need to take breaks."

pls don't pick him up. he might not like to admit that he's old, but he's decently frail and he's a little scared of heights

Secondo:

he knew something was up when you didn't back down from one of his ghouls that was getting a little snippy with him

and it may or may not have turned him on watching you quite literally throw said ghoul across the church

"Minga! I knew you were the one when I laid my eyes on you, uccello canoro."

starts calling you "mia guerriera/mio guerriero" which just means "my warrior"

but pls don't try picking him up around people

or doing anything to even hint that he's weaker than you (even tho we all know he is)

he still likes to appear as though he's "top dog"

100% changes behind closed doors tho

he turns into such a sap in your hands, and when he's feeling extra stressed, he'll happily let you lead

he trusts you, with both his mind and body. and he especially trusts you know how to keep your strength in check

Terzo:

"MY S/O CAN BEAT UP YOUR S/O!"

often gushes about you to anyone who's unfortunate enough to be within earshot

and he won't shut his mouth, even if you pay him

has his absolute favorite stories about you showcasing your strength

but don't let his enthusiasm about everything fool you. he is a little weary around you

sure, he trusts you. but it's not 100% and he unintentionally walks on eggshells around you

"I'd rather take a fall on stage any day than fight you, amore."

he still spoils you with whatever you want, even if you don't want him to go through all the trouble. he's just that type of lover

if you train/spar, know full well he's gonna be your personal cheerleader. you might make him a little hesitant, but you're still his number 1, and he's gonna remind you that

congratulations, you're also one of his bodyguards whenever he goes out. and it's totally not an excuse to spend all of his time with you

Cardinal Copia:

have you always been this strong??? was he blind???

Lucifer below, he doesn't remember you being able to pick everything up like it was nothing before you two started dating

okay, yeah. it's hot to him. but he's too embarrassed to say anything

who wouldn't want you? you literally make him feel so safe, like nothing could ever hurt him

well... whenever you're not zoning out

Copia's a naturally shy guy, maybe a little too pampered growing up. but he's seen the horrors of the world and of people. he's scared you're only dating him out of pity, or simply you'll simply just one day and snap and show him how strong you really are

don't be offended, but he's also hesitant to let you hold his rats

not many people like them. it's fine, but he's just being extra careful. they're like his children they are

still makes all the time in the world to be with you tho, and he showers you in affection

and it's not just to stay on your "good side". he's just a naturally loving man, and he's gonna make sure you get all of his love second (Sister Imperator comes first)

Papa Emeritus IV/Popia:

any worry he had about you? gone. doesn't exist anymore erased like his older brothers

brings you everywhere with him and shows you off, especially during rituals because, yes, you're either gonna be off to the side of the stage, or down on the ground in front

and expect him to trot on over while he's singing to interact with you

has he cirice'd you during a ritual before? yes he has. does he plan on doing it again? 100% and you can't stop him. he loves telling stories about how "Papa cirice'd the strongest person in the abbey and got away with it"

feels safest when he's with you, especially if you're holding him

pls give his forehead a little kiss. he loves having you pick him up while he's on stage just to show off, but he also craves gentle affection

"Ah, not even my own ghouls give me a sense of security like you do, mio roccio/mia roccia!"

he doesn't look at just your physical strength, but also taps into your mentality

and you're also the first person he goes to whenever he's worried about something

all he'll want is to lay in bed with you, cuddle with you and his rats and talk about anything that comes to mind. nothing else matters

Papa Nihil:

gives you increasingly heavier things to see what your limit is

is a bit scared when nothing bothers you and you're lifting everything up like it's a feather

nearly had a heart attack when you lifted him up as a joke

saw his life flash before his eyes and cowered behind his ghouls for a bit

dw he's fine. he's just being the drama queen that he is

congratulations, you now get all of the heavy-lifting jobs, especially the ones he doesn't feel like doing

he's praising you all the way tho, very supportive

"I know I can be a little... overzealous, especially on stage. But you, mio piccolo diavolo/mia piccola diavola, will always be the one I want."

give the idiot a chance. and then a couple more after that. he's a little dense and lives in the moment, but he's trying his best... and he might like being able to gloat that his S/O could probably lift a train

you'll never know it, but several songs he's written (and eventually scrapped) were all about you and how amazing you are. there was only 1 that ever mentioned your strength

[sunarintoes]

Pretty Setter Squad Boyfriend Headcanons

part one can be found here II wc: 2.4k II includes: kageyama, suga, kenma, akaashi, semi and oikawa II atsumu and shirabu 

rewriting because i cringe at the old hcs 😭

✗ Kagggggsss

✗ The emotionally constipated blueberry <3 oh yeahh 😎

✗ Okay well first off he can barely process his emotions (*cough* evidently *cough*)

✗ When you two first started going out he was quite shy and unsure of what to do so you may have had to guide him a bit, but if youre equally shy then it just would have taken longer to get to where you are now; oh and if that was the case it probably took some random burst of energy/confidence from either one of you to make the first move. 

✗ He will buy you milk but uf you hate it (like me 🤢) he will buy you another drink - like juice :D

✗ I dont think he will be the most affectionate, it’s not his love language - and neither are words haHAH. His love language is most likely quality time and gift giving.

✗ He does like to cuddle though 😳

✗ In fact he really likes to :D his favourite is when youre sitting in his lap while he watches a volleyball game (at home - he hates pda). 

✗ This brings us to our next, short point. Kageyama absolutely despises pda, he just thinks its something meant for closed doors and he does not believe that he has to display his relationship for the whole world to ogle at. The most he will do is light hand holding - mostly just linking your pinkies though.

✗ When it comes to height he does not care if you're smaller or taller than him ← but bb, please don't tease him about his height if he’s shorter because he will blow a fuse.

✗ He alternates between small spoon and big spoon, kinda depending on his mood. 

✗ BOY O BOY does he get jealous. Uh please reign in your setter >:( 

✗ Its mostly due to the fact that he’s insecure about himself - he thinks you will leave him like everyone else (in middle school - yes, he is still traumatised from it.)

✗ When he does get jealous he might be snappy to the other person and glare at them or be snappy at you and glare at you. When this happens please give him space because he needs it to clear his head. When he feels better he will come up to you and hug you into his chest so that he can’t see your face and you cant see his, then he will mumble an apology.

✗ Ever since you two began to date he has practiced apologising and getting better at apologising, this is because his inability to admit to his own mistakes was a sour patch in your relationship that almost ended it but he really did not want to lose you so he sucked up his pride and worked on what he had to; of course you also worked in what you had to. God I love character development 😩

✗ Dates are mostly at home dates or dates revolving around volleyball. If you're not into volleyball, Kageyama would not date you, it's something he is so passionate about and loves with every breath he takes (like you) and he refuses to compromise one love for the other. 

✗ ooooh he likes arcade dates a well! He thrives in a competitive environment. If you're not competitive and don't want to compete against him then he’ll compete for you - against the machines lol. Of course you play as well! But i doubt youre as competitive as this blueberry, and if you are - well i guess at the end of the day youll both be stacked in tokens 🤠

✗ Sugawara my beloved <33

✗ He. Is. So. Affectionate! 

✗ Mans loves skin on skin contact ykwim?

✗ He is down for pda and does not care what others think - only what you think <3. 

✗ I mean he might make out with you in public if you ask nicely 

✗ Dates are very fun with him, he’ll take you to cafes, to amusement parks, to carnivals, to movies and all the like. He’s a cliche lover and he’s proud of it.

✗ Your first kiss happened on New Years Eve/Day. The two of you sat on the roof of his house and watched as the fireworks lit up the starry sky of Miyagi and chanted the count down together. The second ‘one’ left your lips he grabbed your face (softly!!) and pulled you in to crash his lips against yours. 

✗ Suga loves to cuddle, preferably face to face because he just thinks you're the most beautiful person in the world. 

✗ He is not the most jealous person, he definitely does get jealous but never of strangers. It's more when his close friends or your close friends get a bit too comfortable if that makes sense? He normally plays it off with humour and messes around because he acknowledges that he is insecure and that it is most likely him thinking of the worst case scenario; however if he really does start to worry and get jealous then he will sit you down and talk about it with you. To him, communication is key. 

✗ Ngl Kenma is definitely in my top 3 favourites. 

✗ I may or may not be a Kenma kinnie 😳🙈

✗ i love my non-toxic gamer boy <33 anywho: no matter what ANYONE says, kenma is definitely affectionate. In fact I'd say he’s one of the most affectionate boyfriends. As we all know, he is shy and introverted but he likes to hang around and spend time with people he likes. He also talks a lot to them. So I hc that he’s a bit of a chatterbox with you and it makes him really happy when you let him talk about a game or a theory he has. He’s a great listener so you can count on him to pay attention to what you say.

✗ if you didn't already have one, he bought you a switch. He loves video game dates especially when he can't see you in person (*cough* lockdown *cough*) 

✗ he loves when you sit on his lap when he plays video games. I know everyone talks about sitting on their partner’s lap as some sexual thing and yeah that can happen but most of the time he’s really soft with you and just enjoys being close to you. Loves when you cuddle into him while he plays so that he can place his head on yours or your shoulder. 

✗ i think he is a bit shy when it comes to kisses but definitely warms up after a while. He absolutely refuses to sleep if he doesnt get your goodnight kisses. He loves to kiss you on your nose and your cheeks the most. He loves when you kiss him on the forehead and the nose <3

✗ kenma is not one for pda, it's just not his vibe. He prefers intimacy and privacy; his relationship is not a movie for the world to watch and gawk at. Especially timeskip!kenma. Though that does not mean he wont ever show you skinship in public, occasionally he will softly hold your hand and maybe press a light kiss to your cheek. 

✗ in terms of jealousy, he is moderate. Kenma, as we all know, has incredible people reading skills, so he understands the situation pretty clearly and knows when you’re uncomfortable/what you think of the situation. Most of the time you can deal with the unwanted attention and he doesnt get jealous, but he does get insecure. He shows this by going quiet and looking away when you look at him, you can cure this by giving him hugs when you get home. 

✗ Akaashi my beloved <3 he’s so pretty i can't even-

✗ ugh! Just imagine him in a dark/light academia aesthetic. 

✗ perfection. 

✗ akaashi is the sweetest most attentive boyfriend, he loves you to pieces and never fails to let you know. He tells you he loves you every morning and every night. He probably makes meals for you and leaves notes in that have a sweet comment like “i love you, you're the best <3” 

✗ he love back hugging you BUT also receiving back hugs 🥺✨

✗ akaashi is a booknerd and an introvert. Please cuddle up to him and let him read his book to you. 

✗ there are only 2 things that can restore his social battery: sleeping and you.

✗ which means he wants cuddles when he’s tired 😊

✗ he is not jealous. He just doesn't get jealous, maybe annoyed if the third party is being a bit too pushy and you're clearly uncomfortable, but he just never feels jealous. No matter how hard you may try to make him jealous (plz dont cause that's kinda toxic imo) he just won't feel that way.

✗ definitely the ‘mom/dad’ as he carries sinister, pads, bandaids → a whole first aid kit basically, everywhere. Bb must be prepared. 

✗ dates are so sweet with him, cute niche cafes and dimly lit libraries. Maybe the occasional abandoned building. He loves spending time with you, so really he's happiest whenever he’s with you; having coffee at McDonalds or a niche cafe won't change anything. 

✗ he’s hard to pinpoint for pda. I feel like he’s indifferent about it. He probably prefers to keep it indoors or to just small and sweet gestures (no making out in public sorry-). It definitely comes down to your preferences, if you don't like it then he won't and vice versa.

✗ semi semi semi semi semi semi

✗ omg mr musician 

✗ he definitely plays guitar - lead guitar and bass guitar. 

✗ skilled fingies for sure 😗

✗ boy why are musicians so hot???? 😫😫😫💦💦

✗ he writes songs about you. Semsem has a bit of trouble saying exactly how he feels, so he writes it and sings it to you with a small little smile and eyes full of love. 

✗ off topic but Semu has the best music taste in haikyuu

✗ he loves hugs so much <33 please hug and cuddle with him 24/7

✗ very affectionate, he’s always touching you someway. Loves kissing your forehead. 

✗ he is jealous. Yeah definitely. He writes songs about being jealous 🗿 not that you mind of course ‘cause they're bangers. I think he might get snappy when he’s jealous, not directly at you but at the other person. He definitely gets a bit bitchy. Sometimes he acts that way to you so you've just gotta slap some sense into him. Say something like “what's your problem?” or “tell me what your problem is so i can help fix it.” ← that's probably the best thing to say. 

✗ afterwards he’ll just snuggle with you until he feels better. 

✗ he asks for your opinion about his songs all the time, please be honest (but also praise them if you like them lol)

✗ he takes you to niche spots he finds, like hidden concerts and stuff. Loves when you come to his gigs <3 oh and when you scream for him (in more ways than one). 

✗ dates are cute and fun. Mostly walking around together → carnivals, main street, farmers market. Those kind of things. 

✗ when it comes to pda he loves it. Loves being able to show the world who his s/o is. If you don't like it then he will tone it down and only do what you’re comfortable with. If you're also into pda then he will happily make out with you anywhere (you're one of THOSE couples 🤢 /j) 

✗ all round best boyfie <3

✗ oikawa 😳 have i told y'all how much i love him? Oikawa is the best written character, no cap, he is so complex and real it's crazy. It's so fun to write about him because you can pick him apart, you know his flaws, his weaknesses, his nightmares but also his strengths and dreams. Anywho i'll stop ranting now but i just love writing for such a perfectly imperfect character-

✗ he puts up a cocky exterior but thats all false. He's as scared as you are, he's scared that you'll leave him like his exes because of how obsessed and focused he is on volleyball. However he is a changed man, he's learned to balance his priorities. If you ever feel like you're being sidelined please communicate with him. 

✗ he values communication above all else and wants nothing more in a partner than for them to also value communication.

✗ back to the point → if you feel insecure of your relationship and that volleyball is taking too much of his attention let him know. He will change that. To an extent → he may have an important game coming up which is why he is focusing more, but he will always find time for you. 

✗ he never forgets to text you good morning and good night. He also sends you wholesome memes and makes sure you're taking care of yourself - they're like reminders for him to also take care of himself. 

✗ he is both jealous and insecure. Everyone who gets too close to you or spends a lot of time with you, he is jealous of. Jealous because he wishes he could spend more time with you but he knows he can't - not without jeopardising his volleyball career. He's also insecure, because he knows you could just leave him for a more fulfilling, more attentive, more balanced relationship. You know that too, I mean, of course you could leave him but no one would be as good as him. No one could match up to your beautifully flawed boyfriend.

✗ he is affectionate, very, very affectionate. He loves you so much. And because he spends so much time on volleyball, anytime with you he's touching you - memorizing every dint, every curve, everything about you so that he won't ever forget. 

✗ Oikawa has trouble sleeping unless he's with you, he wants to sling to you in his sleep and be grounded and remember that he is loved and cherished and appreciated y'know?

✗ pda is not an issue for him. He doesn't care what anyone else says or thinks :P in this relationship the only opinions that matter are his and your’s. Tell him you're uncomfortable with something and he won't do it, and vice versa. But otherwise, like Semi, he won't mind having a good makeout session with you in the middle of the street ;)

[sh3llysh00]

Hetalia: America/Alfred Headcanons (Updated: Sep 17th 2022)

Okay okay, so since I think most people has this headcanon/fanon version of America, I thought I'd give mine since I lowkey disagree a lot with how he's portrayed in both funimation's dub and how fanfics generally perceive him <3 I am big brain

.

Okay so first of all, I don't think Alfred is a downright idiot, but he is naive and young. He means well and is always curious about other Countries and their cultures. That does sometimes lead him to asking some Countries millions of continuous obvious questions that he may have already asked before, which obviously gets very annoying after a while. He may be uneducated, but he's trying his best, leave him be, he's baby :')

Alfred loves his people and his country. He is patriotic, but not a full on nationalist. "Anti-governmentism" and general distrust towards both political parties has never been higher in American history than it currently is today. Alfred has never in any aspect represented the government, only the people. That doesn't mean he's immune to the manipulation and propaganda tho, much like American citizens. Alfred knows that people no longer feel free in the Country he calls home. It tears him apart, but he's definitely not some soft pathetic depressed kid that many fanfics portray him as. He'll be damned if any of those Europeans insult or belittle his people. He's strong and optimistic. But he also naively just hopes things will work out and get better. His people come before any billionaire politician.

Alfred might eat a lot of junk and fast food, but he doesn't believe it's a bad thing. When he does have chub on him, he doesn't see it as a bad thing at all. He owns it. He's not insecure about his eating habits. He just loves eating food. Rather it's cheap fauthentic imitation of foreign food, or it's a classic big Mac, he'll eat it with joy. He has no sense of taste afterall, it's all just food to him at the end of the day! He doesn't apologize for his eating habits or his body.

Alfred does have his insecurities, though. He doesn't show it because of his pride and his hero complex. Heroes are strong, brave, and fighting warriors that protect their nation. He's supposed to be the world superpower for a reason, he doesn't need anyone else pitying him! It already took so long to convince the other Countries that he really was worth something, despite being so young. He wasn't going to have them babying him more than they already do just because he gets a little sad sometimes.

Adding to that, he takes being comforted as pitying him or even personally insulting. He knows its a problem of his, but he'd be damned if he let anyone comfort him, a hero who needs to put others before himself. Alfred will comfort and protect others, but he'd feel bad and selfish if he'd let anyone do the same for him.

Some extra lil' hc's:

- Alfred is fluent in a handful of languages, and understands a plethora when he hears them. He chooses to keep it a secret. For war tactics? Personal reasons? Only he knows.

- Alfred cannot learn how to use chopsticks to save his life. He's asked Kiku to teach him, asked some of his citizens to teach him, but he never has been able to do it.

- Alfred longs for a family. He can handle not being the center of attention for a few hours, but he literally cannot be alone for more than 10 minutes.

- Extremely extroverted, obviously. He has been compared to a golden retriever puppy on a multitude of occasions.

- Alfred has ADHD and takes medication for it. Well... when he remembers to take it.

- Kicks his feet like an ecstatic kid when he's excited or enthusiastic about something he's talking or hyperfixiating about.

- Best friends are definitely Matthew and Kiku :]

- His States and territories all have personifications of their own, and he loves them all like a father. He likes being the "cool dad that let's you have ice cream for breakfast."

- Actually has an amazing skin and hair routine. He's a hero, he needs to look good while he's saving the world!

- Captain America is the best one, obviously.

- Very Pansexual. Goes to pride parades around the Country every year.

.

That's all I've got for now. Feel free to share your thoughts and headcanons! <3