#THE WHOLE BETRAYAL STORYLINE MAKES NO SENSE

[milesplayshu]

actually despise star wars jedi survivor

[aventurineswife]

So, reader decided to play mouthwashing due to its positive reviews and how it became popular enough to gain fandom. Maybe Ratio, Aventurine, Kafka, Blade, Silver Wolf, Jing Yuan and Jade decided to watch reader as they play? How would they react to this game's plot, it's characters and opinions?

HSR Characters Reaction On Mouthwashing

Tags: Kafka x Reader, Silver Wolf x Reader, Blade X Reader, Psychological Horror(not the actual fic but the game), Character Study, Game Reactions, Manipulation, Redemption, Survival, Dark Themes, Self-Destruction, Fractured Minds, Immortality.

Warnings: Strong Language, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Mentions of Mental Health Issues, Psychological and Emotional Distress, Dark Themes of Suffering and Redemption, Self-Harm (Implied, Related to Destruction and Pain), Death and Death Imagery.

A/N: I haven't fully watched the whole gameplay, so this might a bit ooc but I do know some basics of what happened and all I gotta say is: I hate Jimbo‼️🧍‍♀️ also shortened this to three characters because tags won't take the others and I probably would've to write each characters individually for their reactions on each characters so sorry if this disappoints you :')

Kafka lounged gracefully on a velvet chair, her fingers tracing the rim of a crystal goblet filled with a dark, undisturbed liquid. The soft glow of the screen reflected off her red wine-colored hair as she observed the game unfolding before her. Mouthwashing, a psychological horror game that had garnered significant attention, was the latest entertainment distraction.

The game's plot piqued her interest immediately—stranded in space with dwindling supplies, a mutilated captain, and a fractured crew. Kafka found the dynamics between the characters fascinating. The tension, the fractured relationships, and the slow unraveling of sanity… it was like watching a perfectly woven web fall apart. She couldn’t help but admire how the developers had manipulated the player into becoming complicit in the escalating violence.

Her eyes narrowed at the unraveling storylines. "So, it’s a game of power and survival," she mused, sipping from her glass. "But with a touch of madness, I wonder if the creators intended to turn the player into the true villain. The emotions on display—guilt, betrayal, desperation—can only lead to one outcome: unraveling."

Kafka's attention shifted to the player’s choices. The tension between the crew members, the twisted relationships, and the manipulation—it felt familiar. She was a master of persuasion, a manipulator of emotions, but this game was something different. It made her wonder how the player would handle the sense of culpability for the crew’s inevitable downfall.

"I suppose," she mused, "this is what makes games like this addictive—the slow collapse, the control one has over others... It’s almost poetic, in a sense." She couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen as the final moments played out. Jimmy’s tragic end, believing he had redeemed himself by placing Curly in the cryopod, was something Kafka could relate to—a misguided belief in redemption after irreversible actions.

Turning her attention back to her glass, she smiled softly. "I would have handled it differently, of course. But I suppose that’s the beauty of these games—they allow us to explore paths we’d never dare take in reality."

Silver Wolf sat cross-legged on a low sofa, her sharp gaze fixed on the screen as the game's opening scene began. Her fingers twitched in a restless, almost instinctive motion—an impulse to hack, to break the system and rewrite the story as she often did. But she forced herself to focus, her curiosity about the game's mechanics outweighing her usual inclination to manipulate.

The dark and gritty atmosphere of Mouthwashing quickly drew her in. The world-building was minimal, but what Silver Wolf found compelling was how the game subtly forced players into moral corners with each choice. The crew’s personalities were rich with flaws, and the tension between them was palpable. Her fingers flexed, itching to dive deeper into the psychological undercurrents, analyzing each interaction like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

"Not bad," Silver Wolf muttered, studying the way the plot twisted and turned with each new revelation. The complexity of the relationships, particularly Jimmy's unraveling sanity, fascinated her. "It’s like hacking a system, but instead of codes, it’s the characters' minds. The more you understand them, the more control you have over the outcome."

She watched intently as the player made choices, her eyes narrowing when the characters’ fates grew darker. “Hmph, some people just can't handle the game. They don’t see the bigger picture. It’s all about the challenge, about beating the odds. It’s not just survival—it’s about making it through with your mind intact. The chaos is part of the fun.”

Silver Wolf tilted her head as she saw Jimmy make his fatal choices, his mental state breaking down under the weight of guilt and fear. "That's one way to go out," she muttered. "Pathetic, really. I would’ve used that moment to break free, to rewrite the whole scenario. But I suppose that's why it's not me playing."

She smirked, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Still, I can appreciate the game's challenge. It's not about winning, it's about seeing just how far you can push the boundaries before it all collapses. Just like the game of life." Her fingers idly tapped against her knee. "Maybe I’ll try a new strategy next time."

Blade stood motionless in the shadows, his piercing eyes fixed on the screen as Mouthwashing unfolded before him. The plot resonated in ways that few things did—survival at any cost, fractured relationships, and a constant drive toward self-destruction. His cracked sword, an eternal symbol of his fractured existence, almost felt lighter as he watched the characters’ struggles.

The captain, Curly, with his tragic fate, reminded Blade of his own cursed immortality. Mutilated, unable to speak or act, yet still alive—trapped in a state of perpetual suffering. Blade’s gaze lingered on the screen, his mind replaying his own endless cycle of death and rebirth. He saw in Curly a reflection of his own fate: an unending existence that could only end in violence and ruin.

"What a pitiful display," Blade muttered, his voice low and cold. "Surviving only to slowly lose everything—your sanity, your humanity… That’s what this game is, isn’t it? A slow descent into madness, with no way out."

He watched as the crew's relationships deteriorated, one by one. Jimmy’s spiral into madness, his attempts at redemption, and the eventual tragic end... it all felt too familiar to Blade. "How weak," he whispered, his fingers twitching at his side. "No honor, no purpose. Just mindless survival."

Yet, there was something in Jimmy's desperate final act that resonated with Blade. The desire to find release, to end it all after causing so much destruction. It was the same goal Blade had sought for so long: an end to the suffering, an escape from the endless pain of immortality.

As the game neared its conclusion, Blade’s eyes narrowed. "They think they can redeem themselves," he mused. "But redemption is a lie. There is only the inevitable conclusion—endless destruction." His hand brushed the hilt of his broken sword. "This is the true path. There is no escaping it."

The game ended, and Blade remained silent, his expression unreadable. "A fitting end," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "But not my end."

[pendragonsclotpole]

help, i just got slapped in the face with the existence of WILL. be still my beating heart as i write an essay on this man, will of ealdor

firstly, i adore the silent and implicit trust hidden in the first joke that introduces will’s character. like merlin’s been aware his whole life that if his secret is ever found out, he will be hunted down and persecuted, but here comes will with a jab that they both inherently understand is a joke in the macabre style only true friends can lovingly master. the smile they share almost immediately gives me ned stark and robert baratheon meeting again in the courtyard of winterfell in season one of got. there’s also something so normal in their interaction that speaks of a familiarity borne from their equal status and years of friendship. i know merlin’s friends in camelot tend to skew to the non-royal/non-noble, but when you tally it up, those closest to merlin often hold some title that’s greater than merlin’s role as arthur’s servant. gwaine is a knight implied to be of noble blood; lancelot, percival, and elyan are also knighted and esteemed members of arthur’s court; gwen is the lady morgana’s maid and close companion long before she is ever queen; gaius is a physician and long time member of camelot’s court; morgana before her betrayal is literally uther’s ward. i feel like when placed among them all, merlin has a tendency to fade into the background offscreen. obviously the audience knows how important merlin is to the overall story given how much of the storyline focuses on him, and the characters regularly acknowledge merlin’s importance to them or arthur, but all of them still regard merlin as merlin the servant from camelot and few of them are privy to the plots we as the audience see firsthand. and even when they acknowledge him for his merits, his role as arthur’s close friend and confidante takes precedence. look at leon’s reaction in the later seasons when merlin is bewitched by morgana. merlin literally makes a comment about plotting to kill arthur and leon barely even blinks before quipping back, “driving you mad isn’t he?” or something along those lines. except for a few instances with even fewer characters, they never get a chance to know him as merlin the sorcerer from ealdor.

will does! and more than that, he got to know merlin as he is without arthur. we all hype up their status as magical soulmates but damn if i wasnt living for how jealous of arthur will seemed to be in this episode. call me crazy, but it makes me desperately headcanon a realistic past in ealdor for merlin, full of hardship and strife, but never without it’s moments of happiness. furthermore, will’s lone appearance in season one shines some real light on the unfairness of the fate that has been bestowed on meelin. the moment that will points out why he’s been so obstinate with arthur really strikes a deep chord. sure it could be just jealousy, but more compellingly, i choose to read it as a deep sense of care for merlin. everyone merlin has met within camelot, (or reunited with in the case of his own mother) has continually pushed him closer and closer to arthur. will presents a crucial exception. he knows exactly who merlin was before camelot, and who merlin is completely separate from arthur.

will is staunchly in merlin’s corner, and that position allows him to identify a key characteristic of merlin’s series’ long arc: his complete devotion to arthur. will even points it out himself: merlin could singlehandedly defend their home if he just used the full extent of his power. merlin doesn’t, and actively chooses not to because of his desire to stay close to arthur. it’s such a small moment, but i think it demonstrates how much of merlin’s decisions become motivated by his desire to stay close to arthur and to always put arthur first, even at a detrimental cost to himself. merlin understands and readily accepts arthur as his destiny, but this acceptance does not come about independently, instantly, or of merlin’s own volition. it does so eventually, but initially merlin sticks by arthur’s side because of the encouragement of everyone around him. “arthur needs you, merlin” or “arthur is your destiny, merlin” or “arthur is a good man, merlin. he has the potential to be a great king, he just needs the right people, merlin.” its codependent as hell.

sure, merlin originally does not tell arthur about his magic because they do not know each other and as far as merlin knows revealing his magic would lead to his death, but eventually the reasoning changes and becomes so focused on doing what’s best for arthur. merlin can’t tell arthur because then arthur would have to kill him and then who would look after arthur or ensure his fate? merlin can’t tell arthur because if arthur chooses to defy uther’s law, merlin is then forcing arthur to turn against his father and how could he look after arthur then? merlin can’t tell arthur because another betrayal from magic would ruin everything and truthfully, he wonders how would arthur react? merlin comes to fear what his magic might do to arthur and what it’s reveal might mean for his place in camelot more than the laws of camelot and their verdicts.

by this logic, merlin is a magical solar system orbiting entirely around the celestial body known as arthur pendragon. eventually merlin cared more about his relationship with arthur and what arthur thought about him than his own life. in retrospect, it’s so sad that will died so early on, because it strips merlin of a person solely in his corner. will’s death is the first in the series’ long pattern of loss that merlin endures and that eventually comes to define him because people either find out about his magic and their knowledge is directly tested against his loyalty to arthur, or he cannot allow them to know about his magic because it will unravel his relationship with arthur.

will, freya, balinor, morgana, mordred, arthur.

also the fact that will covered for merlin’s use of magic in his last moments just adds to the tragedy AND the growing pile of moments merlin could have told arthur about his magic but didnt. and also the fact that will literally died to save arthur. like tell me that just doesn’t prove my point. tell me. will never stood a chance. tell me every aspect of merlin’s life does not get consumed by arthur pendragon.

i’m all for merthur being soulmates, but god the original series is rife with the unbalanced mess of merlin being wholeheartedly aware of arthur’s great potential and destiny leading to some intense devotion and faith that yes, arthur earns and pays back in full measure but can never fully reciprocate because he just does not know anything. by the triple goddess, it can get so toxic. i wish will had lived if just for that. and like the jealousy arthur gets whenever merlin has other people. because i 100% live for possessive arthur and protective merlin dynamics.

[the-way-astray]

wait explain why you hate the alden is part of the neverseen theory

because it’s bad

alden shattered because he accused prentice, then later found out the black swan were the "good guys". this is also confirmed to not be a misunderstanding of any sort since sophie heals alden by telling him she can fix prentice. so we know for a fact that that is the reason he broke. so then. why would he break from accusing prentice if he was part of the neverseen the whole time? he wouldn't feel guilty over getting a black swan member shattered. he would be fine

it would be boring after alvar. we already have a vacker from the main vacker family as a traitor. it would be repetitive for it to happen again, especially since the implications are exactly the same as with alvar. it would be the same story again: wow, he's a vacker, i didn't know vackers could commit crime -> they're ruining our family -> oh, shit, he had access to so many important documents and was one of the council's most trusted nobles -> oh shit, he was close with black swan members -> fitz and/or biana and/or della spiral -> the rest of the vackers blame them for bringing shame to the family. boring. repetitive. we did this already. the only difference would be that sophie was a lot closer to alden than she was with alvar, and even then in later books you can see that their bond has rusted a bit

alden is not some master manipulator. he has not manipulated or meddled in a single affair the entire length of the series up until this point. yes, even in the short story. yes, even with telling sophie not to worry all the time. he's literally just a guy. now, if he was revealed to be part of the neverseen, that would speak to his manipulation abilities. but like. i feel like people who believe this theory think that because alden has supposedly already proven to be so manipulative, it's proof that he could be manipulating everyone into thinking he's good. and he is not some master manipulator, guys. he's not even a manipulator. he's just some dude

motive: why the hell would alden want to join the neverseen. tell me why. he's a high-ranked emissary. he's a telepath. he's privileged and a vacker. and yes, he sees the world is unjust. but he's also affiliated with the black swan already, and he can see they're trying to make a change? like. where is the motive here. especially since the neverseen carved up every single one of his children to the point where all of them have permanent scars. i guess the people who believe this theory would argue he doesn't really care about his kids, even alvar, but sophie brought back alden partly by showing him how much his family needs him. so he must truly, genuinely care about his family. and it would be boring for him to be a purely evil, cackling villain anyway. so like

at this point in time i truly don't think shannon has the ability to pull off another betrayal storyline and have space to work through the complications and implications because that would have to be something she follows through on. there will only be a maximum of two more books in this story. she needs to get around to answering actually important questions, not meandering around shoving a betrayal that fully doesn't even make sense in our faces out of nowhere for shock value and shock value alone

also a couple of things would become plotholes. if alden is part of the neverseen, why would they need alvar to go through that entire intricate scheme to get into everglen? they could just have alden open the gate for them, even without revealing his identity; he could "accidentally" leave the gates open before going to the festival or give them his dna or do something that could make it so that the neverseen could get into everglen easier than the way they actually did. if alden is part of the neverseen, why would gisela, brant, and alvar talk about being scared alden will find sophie before them in a memory she erased out of keefe's head (and was shattered, so you know they didn't want keefe seeing that)? it only makes sense if they were truly worried alden would find sophie first

quite literally nothing about this theory makes any logical sense with the canon we're given. i swear i’m not saying this on account of being an alden defender, i’m saying this because it doesn’t make any sense . . . i hate the della is part of the neverseen theory as well but at least the theory is plausible and makes sense . . .

[monabee-draws]

You know what would have made the Crow storyline better? If Governor Ivenci was right.

Have the traitor who sold out Treviso to the Antaam be Illario from the start, but have the Butcher's well-organised influence somehow continue even past Illario's incarceration/exile. Why? Because despite House Cantori and House De Riva (and arguably Dellamorte) buying into the whole 'liberation' narrative, the Antivan Crows are not freedom fighters. Have the Talons who stand outside of Teia and Viago's freedom fighting cause actively aid the Antaam - per Ivenci's offhand comment that they 'wouldn't be surprised if it was the Talons fighting again' that does Treviso in. Most of the Talons and their underlings probably don't even believe the whole 'ancient gods are also part of the problem' schtick because why would they? The qunari? A relatively known enemy whom most Thedosians only know as one unified conquering army. Ancient elven gods come back to end the world? Uh, yeah sure buddy. We still have to put food on the table on Sunday, and the rest of Antiva is not under occupation, actually, and devoting two entire houses to repelling an occupation which could arguably be exploited for monetary gains (a la, Zevran's contract in Ferelden) is a massive waste of resources. Considering all their general infighting and power grubbing, the Antaam presence in Treviso may in fact be a boon for those Crow houses outside of it. After all, if House Cantori and Dellamorte fall entirely, and the House De Riva Talon goes with them, more power to them.

I think this would help the Crow narrative in two ways:

One: The ruthless version of the organisation we come to know through DAO and DA2 (and most non-game lore sources) is maintained. They are an assassin's guild. Those at the top are very, very rich and powerful, and their underlings are mostly just scraping by. Politics and infighting are common. Even if a few might be swayed to a more altruistic cause, most remain loyal to the original tenets of the organisation (a juxtaposition similar to Zevran and his Crow friend Taliesen.) The writers can have their cake - a somewhat morally balanced faction from which the protagonist can still be proud to originate - and eat it too - maintaining the storied and well-trod history of brutality, neglect and coldness the Crows are known for.

Two: Illario's writing automatically improves. He's a very obvious villain character from the start, and Ivenci js essentially just a mirror of him who becomes so laughably maniacal at the end that neither can be taken seriously. Within the context of the Crows being divided on the Antaam issue, Illario choosing to side against Teia and Viago makes more logical sense. He's not just a stupid power grubbing villain. He's simply playing the game the way any self-respecting Crow would. Not only that, but his plan may still work even with Lucanis being back because he has genuine support from the remaining Houses, even if its the kind of support that will fizzle once Illario weakens his own position by killing Lucanis and Caterina, leaving the remaining houses to sweep him up in the power vacuum.

Illario being a more competent villain also deepens Lucanis' situation. In the side stories he has no interest in becoming First Talon, but his bleeding heart is also a mark against him. The Crows are ruthless and methodical, and Lucanis is emotional. Maybe Illario WOULD be a better First Talon (in this new version.) Perhaps it is not Lucanis who calls for Illario's freedom at the end of his quest/chooses incarceration over execution, but the other Talons. It always sat badly with me that none of the other Crows even suggests execution after the multiple betrayals Illario commits. Not even Teia or Viago. But perhaps they COULD, and what saves Illario is not Lucanis or Caterina's authority, but the quiet rumble of general dissent amongst the Crows. One that complicates Lucanis' transition into the new role of Talon, and which prompts him to maintain the older more ruthless ways largely out of appeasement. This also explains away the plothole that is the complete lack of discussion of Lucanis' future role as Talon, whether he intends to/how he would alter the abyssmal training system. He won't because he can't because the Dellamortes are on thin, thin ice.

[slippersmoo]

So... Dom's reasons for betraying Rhea are bullshit

This is coming from someone who doesn't have a particular alliance to RheaDom or LivDom btw, I just like a good story

I think it would've been even better if he adopted the whole 'you guys were acting different after becoming champions' thing that Finn is talking about (which doesn't even make that much sense considering Rhea had been champ for so long)

He absolutely shouldn't have denounced all his Mami stuff from before with Rhea because it puts everything he's done in the past 2 years into question and makes it look like a waste. And why was he so passionately defending Rhea in his match against Jey Uso if he was just gonna betray her anyway?

He should've talked about how with Rhea being gone, he wasn't distracted anymore and he could see the flaws in the Judgement Day more and more. Maybe Finn and Liv convinced him that the terror twins were going to start controlling him the way his dad used to. Maybe he felt like Rhea and Damien were starting to pander to the audience more (because they were slowly becoming babyfaces) which he thinks goes against everything the judgement day stands for and Damien actually found enjoyment in Dom being in the doghouse with Rhea when she returned, idk. Literally anything is better than 'Liv gives me chicken tenders' for gods sake.

Rhea's vibe has been weird too. Why is she going on about 'wanting Dom to win on his own' when the Judgement Day's entire thing was being meddling heels. I get that she's transitioning to being a good guy but all she had to do was go 'I just never thought you would do it to me.' Getting mad at Dom for the concept of meddling in matches is a bit OOC for her I think.

And on that note, why didn't we have at least one week where Rhea is actually hurt by the betrayal? Actually embarrassed for letting her guard down and trusting Dom. That could've added more complexity to the breakup, Dom and Liv could get even more heat by rubbing it in while Rhea gets more sympathy and adoration from the crowd. Now her image is back to being this indestructible being that can't be stopped by anything. She really could've benefitted from that internal conflict because her overcoming it would've been that much more badass.

I'm still gonna let the storyline cook and for what its worth I think all the performers are doing an incredible job, I just see the potential for more

[disheveledtranquility]

The Venom Movies and their connections

Rewatching the first two Venom movies, and it really seems like they DID plan to make three movies from the start, while also leaving everything absolutely open for another company to pick up and choose however they wanted to go with it.

It's actually a really smart thing to do, especially since the movies made so much money. It would be stupid for someone not to play with the storyline later.

Fair warning: Sleeper + a possible pregnancy arc thoughts included under the cut included.

Also, I talk too much.

They really included everything that anyone could use, from the dark and scary, to the silly, to the whole ass pregnancy arc. There's sprinkles of a lot of different scenarios spread out through the three movies, but none of them are directly addressed in a specific way.

There's instances of seriousness and fear in the first movie where it could be taken in a horror movie/thriller kind of way if someone wanted. This also ties back to Knull being introduced, where someone could easily make movies off Venom going under Knull's control like in the comics and become 'evil' in a sense. Having Venom rebel against Eddie would be a great betrayal (no romance needed). They could have Venom even destroy the codex itself, choosing to coin the meaning behind the codex as an ultimate bond. Because they are soulmates and soulmates can be friends. They can be family. They can be lovers. A soulmate can be anyone.

There's bits of romantic tidbits in the second movie that feels a lot like Eddie and Venom are a married couple, if you choose to see it that way. That story arc is playable. It's also a good arc to write as platonic friends because of how the writing is. It's heavily doused with humor to mask any real intent, which is great for any new person to pick up and choose which to follow.

I feel like the third is where the thread ends. It adds the depth needed to answer any questions from the first two movies while giving more ideas for future movie writers.

I remember I didn't understand why Venom was trying to tell Eddie the symbiotes 'found' them, because it was only talking to Eddie.

"You didn't find us, we found you."

That and that they needed Drake's rocket. Even though, through Venom and Eddie's conversations it's revealed the symbiotes were going to use the rocket to bring other symbiotes to Earth, the reason still didn't feel complete. I was so confused but I ran with it because ok, whatever you say. I forgot about my confusion by the end of the movie and completely lost that train of confusion when the second movie hit because the plot was different.

Since the third movie, we learn the symbiotes were 'running'. They were trying to break free from Knull. They probably didn't have a plan initially, just to float in space until they found a planet that could sustain them.

By chance Drake discovered them, and the symbiotes realized these 'aliens' could potentially be a key surviving tool. So they let themselves be captured, thinking they would lead them back to their planet, where they would surely find a way to escape. The plan then was to stay on Earth, steal the rocket, and bring back other symbiotes who wished to deflect.

Since humans reproduce and there's already billions of them on the planet, it probably seemed like a miracle planet to them: a perfect place to hide while being able to eat what they needed.

Only they realized late that the simple confines on Earth would prove to be difficult for them to escape without the help of a host. They were too weak in their natural forms to free themselves. They underestimated humans.

So it makes sense why these big and bad beings seemed so weak until they got a decent host.

Then there's what I call the 'pregnancy arc', or the third movie. Again, no writer in the future has to write a movie that way, because there's enough in that movie to pull from for a different storyline. I just love Sleeper and choose to hope for this particular arc.

It makes sense even though it's never explicitely called out.

In the comics, Venom's seeds/spawn are taken from it in a lab. The last time it is able to spawn is after all that, when it's completely comfortable and completely synchronized with Eddie. It feels safe, and decides it wants to raise it with Eddie (even though symbiotes hold no emotional attachment to their offspring). Sleeper can be a symbolic reference to their symbiosis in a way.

If you follow the thin line of this arc from the first movie, Venom knew it was a death sentence reviving Eddie when Riot and Drake killed him, because it would create the codex (maybe this is the 'symbolic reference here).

But finding a host capable of sustaining them long term was a challenge, and Venom had grown fond of Eddie. There was too tight a window of time to make the decision.

I imagine for Venom it was like a ticking timebomb from then on. But it decided not to tell Eddie what had happened.

After watching the third movie the idea of this Codex kind of felt like the gestation and birth of Sleeper, from the comics.

Venom didn't tell Eddie initially until it had to, until it was close to spawning Sleeper. It kept the knowledge from Eddie, even though he was having "pregnancy" symptoms (which was odd and unexpected as hell to read in an American comic let me tell you).

The same thing happens in the third movie, mostly. Just different symptoms. In the comics Eddie has lucid and detailed dreams while suffering from morning sickness, whereas in the movie my man is super moody and in a constant state of being "hungover".

Venom, like in the comics, didn't inform Eddie something was different until it absolutely had to. In the case of the movie, it was because they were being hunted.

The reason why they weren't discovered during the second movie is, again using my 'codex is actually code for spawn that's connected to them both', the 'codex' was still developing. It didn't have the power to be found then.

Also in the second movie, Venom was also super moody, even going as far as being petty and lashing out like a scorned lover. Now, I've never been pregnant, but my cousin was twice and during her first pregnancy she was over emotional in the first trimester. She was a nightmare.

When I rewatched the 2nd movie this time around it made more sense to me, and less of a simple funny scene. Because the spawn would be from Venom, and simply just connected to Eddie as a growing parasite attached to his spine. It makes sense the symbiote would be outraged about being so hungry, while still keeping the secret, but not willing to share why.

So, the end of the 1st movie is the beginning of the pregnancy, 2nd movie is the early gestation period, and the 3rd movie is nearing the end of that pregnancy where instead of Venom feeling like shit it's Eddie because the spawn is taking so much from him without his knowledge. He already has to account for Venom. His everything is constantly in overdrive.

Also the longing scenes and the Moon family read like nesting to me in a weird way. Eddie giving off paternal vibes and Venom being a gentle noodle is everything to me. By this time they've spent a year with this 'codex' growing inside them. It's a long time to be connected to something.

And this idea, as well as the timeline for how long this has taken, can be a decent story. It can be the reason why Sleeper would choose to stick with them, fight with them. Maybe a spawn created in this particular way is the reason why it's so powerful right out the gate.

You also technically wouldn't need romance to go this route. It could be dark, it could be funny. Having Eddie go through all this just to later be revealed as second-hand pregnancy symptoms would be funny as well from a non-romantic standpoint. No sex needed. Just Venom spawning inside Eddie and Eddie having to carry the little leech is comical, especially when he finds out and loses his shit.

It could be written as romantic, it could be written as normal and funny. The symbiote doesn't need Eddie to spawn, but a perfect symbiosis that created a perfect symbiote? Kick ass story.

All of these different scenarios are 'could be's peppered throughout the movies, and it's really brilliant.

[730spitz]

So I'm going to go in depth about the amazing rivalry of Mariah may and Toni storm with my thoughts on it, haven't done a analysis in awhile (I'll be doing the don callis family thing after grand slam, with Kenny and will also. And their whole character turns and such). Sorry if it's messy, I made this at like 4 am.

Mariah may joining aew and being the happy, perky, go lucky girl who looks up to timeless Toni storm, idolizing her and just wanting to be her. Which overtime goes great except she's getting nothing out of it, and I think Mariah truly did care about Toni though her desire to have the title and have everything was getting in the way, and this desire only gets messier once Mina is involved because suddenly Toni has gotten everything Mariah wants, which essentially is sending her into this rage over the fact Toni has everything she desires, which soon enough she gets everything Toni has that she desires. Mina and the belt and the fame, while mocking the timeless Toni storm gimmick wanting to make a fool out of it, though she herself is starting to act like this person she hates in reality the two of them aren't that different though she won't realize that even though Mariah may is becoming what she betrayed and hated which is timeless Toni storm. After awhile of having the belt and being with Mina, she betrays Mina though Mina was expecting it, considering toni storm didn't have allies she was by herself only with Luther in some sense Mina was essentially Mariah may's Luther though treated a lot better. The difference is though Mina expected the betrayal and fought back though it meant essentially Mariah may was alone and on her own, as timeless Toni storm went about life in cmll and new Japan, only to at some point claim that timeless Toni storm is dead and her return to aew is Toni storm, this fresh perky, happy, go lucky rookie in aew, a lot like Mariah may. 

toni was mocking Mariah may while playing her old self, she was simply wanting to remind Mariah may of what she was like. Which is also probably why Mariah still hated Toni so much, or even more with the whole thing because amnesia Toni storm was like Mariah may, and if anything it was very much so timeless and Mariah may for awhile where Mariah didn't care she didn't acknowledge this person with amnesia who believed they were a newbie, though everything snapped tonight as timeless Toni storm was revealed after saying the words of how she looks up to Mariah may which made Mariah probably sick at the thought of Toni was just her. It was this sick way of repeating history, a sick way for timeless Toni storm to get back at Mariah may and even maybe make her have a taste of her own medicine, what it feels like for such a thing to happen. And to be made a fool out of in such a way which timeless did very well as she had her homecoming wanting Mariah may to feel ashamed especially because I really don't think Mariah hated Toni, I think she saw herself in Toni storm when she had amnesia, I think before the title she wanted to be like Toni and ended up being like her. in reality in a sick way it was history repeating itself on purpose as timeless Toni storm wanted to play this sick twist of betrayal to remind Mariah may she can't keep doing what she is doing forever.

In the end it is two of the same people fighting in some ways, they're so similar they are eating each other alive. Though I think timeless Toni storm just wanted to mock Mariah may to bite back in her own crazy way in response to Mariah doing that since she's been gone, and its honestly such a good storyline. The amount of deja vu, and history repeating almost even if simply a act, as Toni storm was hugging and clinging to Mariah may similar to how Mariah was with Toni something that specifically disgusted Mariah may so much so she beat Toni storm up. And I believe this will be wrapping up this long term storytelling with either way one winning it's plausible both make sense, Mariah may the rookie wanting a name for herself fighting her mentor, the mentor who's completely lost it after the betrayal from her apprentice unable to cope with the monster she herself created so she has to put out of her misery.

either way whoever wins this storyline will be amazing, though I love the idea of the mentor having to end what they've created and that's exactly what Toni storm is doing because realistically Mariah may is the monster she has created.

@punk-o-ween

[gofancyninjaworld]

The OPM Manga in 2023

By the numbers:

23 updates (most 14 days apart, shortest interval: 9 days, longest: 33 days).

662 pages (range 12 - 41 pages, mean page count: 29 pages).

Volumes published: 2 (Volumes 28 and 29). 1 bonus chapter included in Volume 28 -- Olfaction.

By the story:

Psychics and Temper Tantrums (chapters 176 - 184)

Well, the Monster Association is behind us but the fallout from it is slowly beginning to settle. Most of the heroes are now back at work and some of the consequences of a world that's increasingly scared of monster attacks are beginning to show up. The first quarter of the year was taken up with Tatsumaki's temper tantrum -- and Saitama once again daring a strong person to do their worst -- it's like he didn't learn his lesson with Garou, which disappoints me. [I love Saitama, but when brains were being handed out, he was not at the front of the queue.]

That said, even though I did not care one whit for Tatsumaki throwing Saitama around (it wasn't terrible, but really it could have been condensed into 1-2 chapters), the start of the Psychic Sisters arc was fantastic, and its ending was very interesting. I made a nuisance of myself at the start of it, pestering everyone in earshot with my excitement that Tatsumaki was taking Fubuki into her confidence to try getting Psykos out rather than trying to do everything herself.

Her complex feelings of disappointment, betrayal, and the sense that she'd made a mistake were some of the most complex and nuanced we'd seen in the story. She may be paranoid and misanthropic, but she's not crazy: there's a basis for her actions, and being knocked back just when she'd taken the risk of opening up was harsh. Unfortunately, Tatsumaki's default response is rage.. and I'm not going to waste time on recounting what happened then.

I felt pain for her here.

The end as well, expanding as it did on Tatsumaki's thoughts about how she'd accidentally woken Fubuki's psychic powers by scaring her so badly and the guilt she felt at having made her sister a target, was great. Her feelings about Blast are great, as this is the first time we get what she actually thinks of him. I still want her to learn that Blast doesn't work alone -- it'll blow her mind. The session ending with her giving the Fubuki group a chance to grow stronger and prove themselves is a fantastic development.

Even when she's giving someone a chance she still has to be scary.

Schemes (chapters 184, 187 - 191)

I really love how seamlessly the Psychic Sister arc flows into the next big theme: that of schemes and threats to the Hero Association's future. ONE has done a lot of work reworking the webcomic story so that the storyline is a coherent whole rather than two-three apparently unrelated storylines. Fubuki taking advantage of the chaotic aftermath to extract Psykos while securing immunity for her sister, and Tatsumaki brazenly using the HA's need to keep the rich clients sweet to scupper an investigation into Psykos's whereabouts was all clever. However, they're just amateurs and their antics played beautifully into McCoy's hands, who leveraged the crisis to make himself appear indispensible to the HA, thus making it very hard for him to be removed, even as he works to implicate the Hero Association in scandals (many of which he's running).

You can't call McCoy hasty: this guy has played a good long game.

The Hero Association is already having issues recruiting new heroes as they're going to Neo Heroes, which is also pinching existing heroes. However, it's not 100% going McCoy's way. Something I started praising in my review of chapter 173 is the greater self-efficacy of the characters in the manga. Sekingar and Sicchi haven't just been sitting on their hands watching McCoy sell the HA down the river. They've teamed up with Child Emperor to find out what he's really up to.

I think that this is the best cover of 2023: a collection of individuals who embody heroism, whether or not they're recognised as such or work in 'regular' ways. Well, there's one impostor…

Critically, they're not assuming that the Neo Heroes are necessarily evil: they want to understand what this outfit is actually doing. After all, heroism is heroism, no matter what guise it takes. To see that Sekingar has so earned Metal Bat's respect that the latter follows him into the heart of danger did my heart good [1].

Please, my poor heart, it'll burst if things get much more awesome.

Ninjas, Ninnies, Nintendos (193 - 199, ongoing)

That Blast has some connection to the ninjas from Sonic's Ninja Village has been clear for a long time in the webcomic. [2] However, it is only here in the manga that we're getting a full explanation of what that connection is.

Yes, yes, my partner may be a monster but he's a useful monster.

The intertwined story of Blast and his attempts to reach his former partner, Empty Void, who was also running a horrifying 'school' for grooming boys into assassins, and that of Flashy Flash and Speed o' Sound Sonic isn't done yet, but it looks to be reaching at least one turning point. It's a pity that the fan translators stopped translating the cover text because that for chapter 199 was incredibly pertinent: 'Staring at the back of a friend you used to stand shoulder to shoulder with.' Sonic has so much to process.

And like that, Sonic's world has been turned upside down.

Since Blast has an ongoing relationship with Empty Void, we get troubling questions as to how long Blast had known about the Village and whether he disapproved, or had been content to ignore it as long as he had his partner by his side and found his talents indispensible. It's going to be interesting when those two meet! Also, if Blast is hoping to reverse Empty Void's monsterization, he'd better hope that the guy isn't like most people who became monsters. Most ex-human monsters *want* to be that way and there doesn't seem to be a good way to undo it. Well, maybe if you chop them up, have Phoenixman (oops, he seems to have lost his powers) resurrect them, then shock them incredibly hard, that might work. It's unlikely that anyone present can deduce what happened to Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame, much less put all the working parts of that together.

Still, they're going to try. This *is* going to be interesting. Also, potentially heartbreaking.

Reappearances

Genos: the disciple returns to his duty

Unlike the webcomic, Genos has not been completely absent. He's been quite busy: helping Saitama recover their apartment, meeting the Hero Association to discuss important matters, and also, hanging out with Saitama as a friend rather than as a disciple. It's been fun to see that he's finally ditched his flip phone for a smart one, heheh.

Nevertheless, it's not until Dr Kuseno finishes his new upgrade that Genos sets foot in Saitama's house, formally reporting for duty, so to speak. I praise Saitama's self-discipline and good sense in not breaking eye contact and in politely ignoring his disciple's new-found exhibitionism until he had the sense to put a shirt on [3].

Less positive, it's been painful to see that Genos is frustrated at how he doesn't seem to have grasped the kind of growth he's looking for and is unsure whether Saitama truly sees him. It's not been helped by Saitama trying to reassure him, pulling his best 'Reigen' face and instead made everything worse. There are two interesting shames, which will surely be built on at some point. 1: We see Saitama seeing Genos's strength but he doesn't say anything. 2: Genos is right that the strength that comes from within is different from that granted to one by upgrades. We see in another chapter from Nichirin, that having artificial parts is no hindrance to pulling out that great inner strength. The funny thing is that Genos has shown that kind of strength before, when he was fighting Elder Centipede, but he doesn't know it.

Ah, despite everything, those fools are no better at speaking to each other than they were before! It'd be hilarious if it weren't so tragic.

Rarely have the words 'open your mouth and solve your problems' been more apposite. Sadly, that's exactly what they don't do.

Garou: the other disciple tries to learn duty

Now this really threw a lot of fans for a loop -- ONE making clear that he's aware of how young Garou actually is. It was very easy to read Garou as a guy in his early twenties, but strip away the pretensions and he's really young. His over-simple understanding of what was wrong with the world and his over-large sense of responsibility to fix it are thoughts of a teen. It's just a good thing that teenagers don't have world-shattering power, and so can be extreme and wrong without hurting anyone. But it has really jarred with a lot of fans.

I may be giving Bang the side eye as he implements his idea of reformation (apparently, it involves hitting Garou over the head often), but the sense of lightness Garou feels at having a reliable mentor, the relief he undoubtedly feels at having a way to work his crimes off -- being a social outcast may seem cool in a 'reject-the-corrupt-world' way but it gets old fast -- and being able to contribute meaningfully to the dojo's re-establishment is palpable.

His life is sure to start sucking again soon, but for now, it's a joy to see him.

Let him gambol for now. Go Garou!

King: ugh

Sorry, King just irritates me some days and this was one of them. Not because he was running around trying to find someone who could help him: that was fine. But because, unlike the webcomic, once Saitama told him to work out, he's continuing to stick around and play videogames. In a world where everyone is trying their best to make sense of their world and help themselves in some way, however imperfect, the sight of this poster child for mediocre white men overpromoted for looking the part continuing to laze about just pisses me off.

Let him start helping himself and I will praise him.

He's been told what to do but he's not doing it.

GAY!

This year, ONE said: here, my children, I have brought you a pint of homo milk. Drink. What else are we to make of Fubuki triumphantly cradling Psykos as she makes a clean getaway?

This has to be the smuggest 'got the girl' face I've ever seen.

Or Blast continuing to call Empty Void his partner, despite everything that the guy has done, including turning into a monster? He wants him back so badly, and though he says it's strictly professional interest, we think the man doth protest too much.

And then whatever's going on with these two:

Flashy Flash, you ain't got no business calling Blast soft when you're handing Sonic tissues and smiling at him.

Fandom Follies

Do we need to do this? Yup! This year, we discovered that a lot of dudebros who have been against the idea of romance in OPM have just been shippers afraid to come out and own it. The sheer number of Saitama x Tatsumaki fans has been incredible. Nothing wrong with SaiTatsu but the obnoxiousness of fans new to shipping has been hard to tolerate. Learn some manners, folks!

Asides

[1] I think this is great foreshadowing of something Forte says later in the webcomic to paraphrase, risking your life for another hero is something you do as a favour for a friend, not because someone's declared themselves the boss of you and ordered it. It's nice to see Sekingar embodying that ideal.

[2] It's hard to believe it, but to this day (chapter 149), Blast is not yet seen in the webcomic. At this rate, he'll show up at the very end to get jobbed by God (no ID), but not before giving an over-long exposition about what he's been up to. That is, if he's not already dead, only nobody knows yet.

[3] I can see SaiGenos shippers worried that my saying that it's good that Saitama isn't taking Genos up on his obvious attraction means that I might be disapproving of the ship. That is not the case. I'm going to assume that most of us here are old enough to vote, enter into contracts, and pay taxes and so can think of things with nuance and context. A fandom that needs the reassurance of canon to decide what's permissible is a weak, timid, and pallid imitation of one, and one I want no part of. For certain, we're here to discuss the story as it exists, but please, we're also here to consider and explore scenarios and make works that cannot and often should not exist in the canon because they are FUN. Even more pertinent, ONE is on record as LOVING that fans spend their time and creativity doing things with his stories. So please, don't allow any in-universe discussions on what is helpful or unhelpful in the story affect what you draw and write! PLEASE SHIP! Gimme!

[alinaastarkov]

Just some speculation. I think it's possible that George is positioning Arya to be the person who helps Jon deal with the post-resurrection period and will be the one who will bring hope and warmth back into his life. Jon already associates many positive emotions with her, such as warmth, home, love, and happiness. He smiles a lot in her presence. And wish to meet and comfort her in adwd, the desire to save her ended up leading him to death, etc. Since their relationship is built on mutuality, he could help her to restore herself definitively. And welcome her after all the odyssey (They maybe have some Odysseus and Penelope themes, right?) to get to him. And it makes sense that this would happen between them because there is no greater or more unconditional love than theirs in asoiaf. Their reunion will be a cathartic event. And it will bring peace of mind to both of them. Considering that undead characters in the narrative so far have shown a certain type of hyperfocus or even obsession. It's fair to assume that he may also suffer from something similar. The revived Jon will be a darker character and potentially with his flaws amplified, like his anger, stubbornness, and his ambitious side. I believe to emphasize the impacts of the resurrection, Grrm will extend moral questions to him as well. Jon exhibited some fits of blinding rage, and after going through betrayal, death and resurrection, he’ll be more ruthless and imo obsessed with saving Arya. He makes multiple plans for her during adwd, even before he finds her, so I think she’ll live in her head 24/7 bc he died with her in mind. On the other hand, her biggest loyalty is to him. And, as much as she exhibits protective behaviors with her pack. Jon is a special case; above all, he is her pack. She wouldn't betray him, not even to Ned, whom she also loves deeply; she doesn’t accept him being insulted either. When she finds out he’s alive and after almost losing Jon. She’s going to be so fiercely protective of him too. No matter what, I feel Arya will play a crucial role in his life/resurrection. I also don’t think that he scrapped Jon and Arya’s storyline, since it’s essential and very groundbreaking for their arcs (and a plot twist that most readers will not see coming or think was discarded lmao). This could also bring some drama with the dynamics of the Starks and even fuel some bitterness between Bran and Jon. Also, it parallels with the accident. I always wondered if the whole: having paths in institutions that expected them to be detached from the past was part of the setup for them to be even more attached to each other. By making Arya a almost faceless men, and resurrecting Jon, Grrm puts both characters in very vulnerable positions, where they would be even more afraid of losing each other, and at the end of the world, this would only increase feelings and theirs are already too intense... Since after all they’ve been through, they will have only a little. Maybe Grrm just tones it down. It was supposed to be a tortured romance and not necessarily something initially happy. That's exactly why I feel like he's still going in that direction. It's the kind of controversy that he prefers to explore. Twisted, complicated, messy romances, where ppl don't have the luxury of choice; they're put up against the wall, and it happens: inevitably and irreversibly. It's irrational. And most of the romances he favors and romanticizes are those anw. Not cute stories that make sense or are comforting, easy to digest or arranged marriages. A big chunk of fandom simply underestimates the themes he enjoys exploring and why would he come to this, but that's their fault for refusing to engage with the text presented and distorting dynamics to favor other characters.

I think you are absolutely right, anon, and this scenario has already been set up and foreshadowed. We know from Beric and Lady Stoneheart that people who die come back changed, find it hard to settle or find peace until they have achieved the last goal they had in life. This goal becomes a fixation, an obsession: Beric's was to help the Riverlands smallfolk and bring the Mountain to justice; Catelyn, her and her son murdered and betrayed, is one of revenge and finding a head for the northern crown she has in her possession. And Jon Snow's?

You know nothing, Jon Snow. He thought of Arya, her hair as tangled as a bird's nest. I made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell… I want my bride back… I want my bride back… I want my bride back… "I think we had best change the plan," Jon Snow said. Jon fell to his knees. He found the dagger's hilt and wrenched it free. In the cold night air the wound was smoking. "Ghost," he whispered. Pain washed over him. Stick them with the pointy end. When the third dagger took him between the shoulder blades, he gave a grunt and fell face-first into the snow. He never felt the fourth knife. Only the cold… — ADWD, Jon XIII

His last goal was Arya. I think it's safe to say he won't slow down or stop until she's back with him again. George has said all the main characters will be getting darker in TWOW, and unlike some fans selectively believe that will include Jon. Though I think both will reunite with others before they return to each other (Bran, Sansa, Rickon are all options for Jon, Catelyn and Gendry for Arya) neither will be fully reconciled with themselves until they see the other. Here is where the original outline could come into play too, as Jon's behaviour may alienate his other family members (not permanently and probably not fully) but not Arya. We know both also think of the other as their home, her laughter warmed him on the long ride north. There's only one person who can help him find peace (and if we follow the rule of three and George's outline then unlike Beric and Stoneheart it won't be death that grants that for Jon) and it's Arya. And I love that you mention Penelope and Odysseus cause that's a perfect example. Jon isn't the only one finding peace here, Arya needs it after her time wandering. She needs to find her home again and that's with him (also the image of Jon battling off suitors until Arya shows up on a wolf wearing a crown like a typical fantasy prince is just too good).

I am also of the mind that he has not scrapped the outline. A lot of it has still happened in the series, even if the exact details have changed. Though Bran has fewer chapters, he is the main magical hero and the most magical character in the series, and the other 4 of the key 5 all have the most chapters. He's definitely struggling with the lack of 5 year jump, but nothing's impossible and you're right, it's one of the twists that most people won't see coming (cause they're wilfully blind imo) but which is clear if you look at the signs. I am also of the mind that wargbowl and a Stark succession crisis is still coming and Arya's divided loyalties (as the de facto Lady of Winterfell, possible de facto QITN and with her own faction of supporters) will be key. By all accounts, she will probably be looked to by the northerners and whoever she supports they would through their weight behind and no this is not just me begging george not to waste this chance and give her a taste of the political power she could have as a lady.

As for their respective institutions, that's absolutely why, emphasising their attachments to their friends and family as a whole but also to each other. For a start, their vows are extremely similar:

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come." (AGOT, Jon VI) "The price is you. The price is all you have and all you ever hope to have. We took your eyes and gave them back. Next we will take your ears, and you will walk in silence. You will give us your legs and crawl. You will be no one's daughter, no one's wife, no one's mother. Your name will be a lie, and the very face you wear will not be your own." (ADWD, The Ugly Little Girl)

But ultimately, they cannot stick to these. Arya has been given chance after chance and still refuses to give up her whole self. Jon's third and final test came and he failed, choosing Arya over his vows. GRRM definitely has a message of people sticking together in the face of the ultimate threat. I agree that nothing will happen, at least not without some kind of time jump/epilogue situation, but their bond is there and will be a focus and you're right, they are the exact kind of tortured romance George loves. They are a resurrection of Rhaelya, Bael the bard and the Winter Rose, Aemon and Naerys, even Jaehaerys and Alysanne (as much as I hate the man). It is irrational and will cause controversy, but they won't care and that's the point. George hates soft and easy, sensible, practical (NedCat is his only exception). Most theories for *cough* other ships rely on "well, they didn't really think of each other as siblings (not true) and weren't close so it'll be easy for them to get together" and that's apparently why it will happen. This is actually the very reason it will not happen; George wants his characters to struggle against themselves and decide to go for it anyway. And he doesn't just turn around 6/7 books in to invent a relationship when there are ones that have been set up the whole of the previous 5. Besides, George already told us how he writes:

“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.”

He may have just spoiled the ending for us right there.

[ty-bayonet-betteridge]

I agree with your takes on the finale, I feel that the stakes weren't that high and by the end people just killed each other bc they were supposed to, with no further motivations.

I will say that Ren's pov made me laugh a lot. He is so weird/ aff

And tbh, I do like Joel having a win after so long, and I adore when people just go on a rampage and murder everyone else, so that last scene was admitedly pretty epic

So I would say that I was entertained, but compared to ther finales, especially the long narrative of 3rd and Double Life and the betrayal of Lim Life, there is not that sense of being the end you know?

i still haven't seen Ren's POV but seeing him in other people's made my goddamn day. Martren freak that you are.

i like the idea of Joel winning, but it doesn't feel like this win means anything to him emotionally. i can clearly see the ways in which the other winners have had their characters retroactively and continually defined by their wins - Grian and loyalty, Scott and devotion/obligation, Pearl and isolation, Martyn and lies, Scar and... also isolation, and Cleo and reluctant betrayal - but I can't honestly pinpoint what themes Joel is coming out of this win with, or how it can be used to color his character. so because of that lack of a central unifying theme I don't think I'm going to be coming back to watch his POV of this every few months like a favorite movie and tearing up the walls with how much it Means the way that i do with the other six.

i think this is honestly my least favorite of the seven finales. yes, i liked Wild Life more than this session. my ranking of the finales (with the Whole episode in consideration, not just the final fight) is as follows:

Double Life (this is probably biased because it was my first season, and because I'm a Pearl stan and a Majormoon shipper, and because I'm part of a system thats like 70% Pearl introjects by volume, but it's a great fucking conclusion to a great fucking season)

Secret Life (the season as a whole is good (i was a little harsh on it in that other post) but the finale goes so fucking hard. it drops the gimmicks and zeroes in on some of the best character interactions in the series. this is one of the few finales where no matter who you watch it feels like their themes get tied up in a way that makes good dramatic sense for them

3rd Life (not everybodys POVs feels as meaningful, but its hard to beat the betrayal carousel at the very end climaxing in I Literally Cant Do It.)

Limited Life (the session in general is very meh but this is my favorite Final Moment of the entire series so it gets the points for that!)

Last Life (the session has some amazing moments!!!!! Pearl boogying in the boogie room! GGG killing each other to be together again! confronting Martyn on top of Magical Mountain! but its all brought down by what is definitely my LEAST favorite final fight in the series. covering it in the fucking ooze)

Real Life (it's constrained by what it is, but it's still a shockingly good continuation of so many storylines, especially around Cleo and Pearl.)

Wild Life (in addition to my other complaints, it didnt even seem like the players were having fun.)

[swanhookheart]

I finished with Bridgerton season 3 earlier today, and it left me feeling a little icky.

Spoilers ahead. Reader beware.

We've been given hints - some subtle, some less so - about sapphic Eloise for four years. Hell, we got more "Eloise might be a lesbian!" articles this season than ever before thanks to her closeness with Cressida. The groundwork has been laid for three seasons, the hints have been dropped, and with the Cressida "friendship" (which is giving "and they were roommates!") AND bisexual Benedict confirmed canon, it seemed like maybe now was the time to get her wlw storyline that the show has been teasing since the pilot on the road.

And instead of doing anything with that, which was out there on a silver platter for the writers to work with, they introduced a whole new, totally canon-divergent plotline with no warning, in the last five minutes of the season.

Let's be so for real; they're probably not going to make THREE of the siblings queer. Meaning it is highly unlikely that we'll ever get to see a sapphic Eloise. And if that's the case, why tease it? Why all the PR articles talking about it and interviews with Claudia Jessie where she's like "hmm, maybe" if they're not going to do anything with it? That feels a little queer-baity. They've been teasing for years, and this is the third season in a row where they've done nothing with it. If they continue to do nothing with it and don't make our girl El a little fruity, then that'll feel like a betrayal. Don't hint at stuff you don't intend to explore further.

Bi Benedict made total sense. All the signs were there. It tracked. Sapphic Eloise would make total sense. This??? I mean, yay for rainbow representation on the tea party dancing show, but shoehorning Michaela into the very last few minutes of the show while again doing nothing to act on any of the El queer hints feels... well, it feels like a bait and switch. With so much PR and so many articles and videos and speculation about Eloise being a lesbian this season, that was a big part of what lured me in. We kept getting "Eloise might be gay" and "looks like there's an LGBT character this season!!!" teasers back-to-back. They 100% knew what they were doing with that. So, to then be given Michaela is like "oh... umm, okay." It's great, but it's not what was teased at all and so that is disappointing.

But if I, a sapphic, claim it is disappointing, I am called homophobic. Can't win out here.

There was also no reason to introduce Michaela so early, unless the writers were setting that up to be THE wlw storyline among the Bridgertons.

And that is what is pissing me off. Like, we know that you were drawn in by our hints at an LGBT love story, and we know that a bunch of the teasers and PR we put in front of you made it seem like that would be Eloise. But we're not doing that, actually. Here's something we just pulled out of our asses with minimal to no foreshadowing instead. Happy pride. uWu🌸

Can you blame me for feeling a little led astray by that?

I want to be abundantly clear: I am not knocking the fact that we are getting representation in the first place. There is so little sapphic representation to begin with! That is not my issue. It's the implicit promises, made and broken, both in all three seasons and particularly in the promo for this specific season, where everything pointed to a queer Eloise and then it was all "haha, just kidding, but here's your consolation wlw".

[val-of-the-north]

While I was drawing the stupid Aldrich meme things I made some time ago [x], I was researching his Archdeacons as well, since I wanted to picture at least two of them... and this led me to think about McDonnell quite a bit ahah.

His introduction of sorcery among the clergy was already seen as kind of blasphemous on its own.

But then he surpassed himself by delving into the Deep for darker sorceries, outright reveling in said corruption.

He is also explicitly from the Boreal Valley like Aldrich...

This led me to two potential storylines for him: he is either one of Aldrich's closest friends since the very beginning, or (the option I find most compelling) he could have been sent there by Sulyvahn to oversee things and ensure they remained under control.

Sulyvahn is the biggest sorcerer bastard hiding in the clergy, and his sorcery is only barely masked to look like Gwyndolin's moon powers and not his own magic arts.

So a sorcerer from the Boreal Valley getting into the Cathedral of the Deep as a sort of mole for him would make sense. Only, Sulyvahn did not anticipate that McDonnell would grow to become fond of Aldrich and the whole Deep thing, leading him to betray the Pontiff later on.

Or maybe he still acted in Sulyvahn's stead and was the one who even allowed Aldrich to be sacrificed initially, which is something the Saint wouldn't have wanted to do himself since he had gotten visions of an Age of the Deep Sea.

But maybe it had been something he had always regretted and was only pressured into allowing by Sulyvahn. This may be why he forsook his white crown and later joined Aldrich in his march towards the Boreal Valley. A sort of fuck you to his former master.

Of course, the Pontiff would not let his betrayal slide, which is why he is found dead, hidden by an invisible wall, and guarded by two of his beasts, even after what appears to be a truce between the two warring sides...

I assume it happened afterward because he can be found after Sulyvahn's cathedral, so they had to have already gone through it. He also looks like he has been cast aside there to rot, as opposed to having died there during the struggle. Why would he need to go down here anyway? I like to think the Pontiff would be petty enough to still have a traitor killed and disposed of, even when he isn't totally in control.

[edennill-archived]

Dior is weird because he's a child of so great a mother and father... and he just is. Does no great deed. Rules as king for like 3 years at most and then dies tragically young. I've heard people say they find him perplexing for that reason and yeah. It's all so. normal. (if horrible).

The whole storyline between the two latter Kinslayings is strange when compared with the rest of the Silm. All that came earlier has such a symmetry to it. Patterns and archetypes; a tapestry with not a thread out of place - the fairytale of B&L and the tragedy of Turin - the Kinslaying, the Prophecy (one that resonates through all latter deeds); the betrayal, the rescue. The many characters' deaths come as climaxes of their arcs. And Dior's does not. He doesn't have an arc; it's just senseless violence. What's more - the Kinslaying hardly even has a clear outcome. Doriath is destroyed but the Silmaril remains out of the Fëanorians' reach and passes on to a frightened girl, who will later be threatened by her parents' killers. The only clear result is death.

This may have something to do with how this part of the Silmarillion had been more incomplete than the rest when Tolkien passed on (and arguably, the whole debacle with the dwarves and the Nauglamir is even more like that - though not the tale of Eärendil), but it's not even that I'm here to criticize it. It actually makes sense to me - here we have plain war. Not a somewhat symbolical conflict with evil, not young Tolkien sitting in the trenches and trying to find a framework for writing about heroic deeds when the war he knows is so pointless. It fits that the deaths are sudden and part of no preconceived pattern. That's what war's like. But all the same - the case of Dior is interesting. Not even because of what was, but because of what wasn't.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

🪷 :

Now that we know that in omnb we will have mc and the bros have just fallen from grace , i can't stop thinking about the fact that belphie canonically hated humans and that led to lesson 16 betrayal ☠️

But originally in normal om that (lesson 16) was like a very long time after the fall and war . In omnb the hatred towards humans by belphie must be very recent and strong and Lucifer hasn't 'restricted' belphie from not hurting humans

So will we experience another lesson 16 moment?

Thoughts?

MC, knowing exactly what Belphie thinks about humans and trying desperately to hide the fact that they're human:

* S3 revealed that MC cannot be clocked as a human (pretty sure it's because they're not fully human -> evidence). And even when they outright say they're human it's not fully accepted?

* at this stage the the three realms are in a really bad place with each other, even if there isn't a war actively going on. The three main species are 100% not allowed to be in each others' realms. Even in present om! humans & angels aren't 100% accepted in the Devildom, though the exchange program has worked to help mend bridges, between it's start in S1 and the present day in S4. So there's a chance MC will have to hide the fact that they're human.

*But the brothers will need to know they're human when they make the pacts to go back home.... so maybe once MC has earned their trust and vice versa they'll reveal they're human right before making each individual pact?

*Given what has just happened (The Fall + Lilith's involvement with humans eventually leading to her death) they may have to work much harder at winning this trust and making a pact.

*Plus this time around I don't know how possible it will be for them to pull out the "Lilith's descendent card" because if The Fall & Lilith's death happened very recently then it won't make sense for Lilith to already have descendents. Unless MC eventually reveals the whole time travelling thing which they might have to do. I talk about the roads solmare may take to explain the time travel and how it affects the main storyline in this post

At least those are my thoughts🐸

[the-kipsabian]

He doesn't really need a tag partner (I'm sure there are people he trusts enough to team with) but if Chuck is out forever can we have Kip step in and be a person for OC to lean on? I mean we could get him on TV possibly weekly (win win in my book) plus maybe we can get OC corrupted and boom it helps push the storyline with Trent? IF Chuck is able to come back, maybe he uncorrupts him? Thoughts?

SO. im sorry ahead of time that this will get longwinded and probably not gonna make a lot of sense but i have A LOT of thoughts regarding this whole situation

so this has been a very common thing to discuss in my dms ever since the shades of the best friends betrayal started when trent and oc entered into the tag team tournament (also shoutout to bugs for dealing with my shit constantly cause i know i can be unhinged ough), and what we dubbed as savior!kip has become a very intense hope in this storyline so... yeah ive been thinking about this possibility a lot ngl

im gonna put the rest of this under the cut cause lmao yeah. im gonna go off the rails

i wanna start this by saying that while i do want chuck to come back, im specifically hoping that he'll come back to team with trent again and to torment oc, that all of this has been one big ruse to see if oc really is their best friend or not (spoilers: hes not. trent is right about everything he said dont @ me). and oc is slowly starting to lack friends; seeing how things are going, things with kris arent that great. shibata and hook have their hands full with so many other things. rocky is obviously siding with trent, even if he doesnt say it directly out loud but roppongi vice forever basically, and the rest of chaos is mostly in japan (and okada is evil now so...). danhausen basically doesnt exist anymore. everyone oc has had around him has slowly disappeared, for one reason or another

so where does that leave us, exactly? you turn to the other side (or more in this case, the other side turns towards you to help out)

kip has been critical on twitter about the don callis family, and basically saying he would never join them due to disrespect from don. and we all know how much kip loves and cares about oc (i dont have to proof this to you you have seen all the sweet tweets and other stuff. this man used to use the kissy face emoji frequently while tweeting at or about oc come on now), so seeing these two words colliding would probably not sit very well with him, i'd imagine. while someone could argue that kip has lost interest in oc since he has dropped the title and thats all that was ever about...

first of all, the "sweet little clementine" nickname has been used multiple times throughout the timeline. this wasnt just a mind game trick to get into ocs head during the title feud, it was in there way way before that ever happened (i believe we are talking about full gear 2020 if i recall my timelines right [its around 3 hours and 9 minutes]); he has always been affectionate about oc in a really weird way (hes british tho so thats probably why). second, how many times has kip been after anyone else between ocs title reigns and after? exactly zero. when mox and fenix were champs, he didnt say a peep (he did, whoever, put out my favorite tweet of all time when oc lost the title to mox). after oc gained the title, he started tweeting again about it. and again when oc lost it, not a word. kip hasnt said anything about the international title or rodney since then; the only time he did post, he told rodney to fuck off cause clementine was his. and since then? kip has been keeping an eye on the best friends feud so... do whatever you wish with that information (1, 2, 3)

the point is, the obsession was NOT with the title; hes just always been affectionate about and towards oc, but in a really weird and obsessive, kind of a destructive way

why is this necessary to bring up? well...

do you really think he would stand idly to the side to watch oc align himself with someone like don callis when all his other friends have abandoned him, all these things considered?

do i need to remind you of something? cause i will remind you of my favorite post

throughout this entire time, kip never gave up (im aware this is technically non-canon as this is a quote from stream but. if you know their history over on twitch, it counts. the feud bled over there during its prime too). yes this technically had everything to do with him tearing ocs friends away from him when this was posted, but.. dont you think its fitting tho? considering the situation oc is in now? and while yes it might seem that kip is taking the side of trent in this whole thing, this was specifically before don callis inserted himself into the situation by whispering whatever the hell into ocs ear

and what better time and way for kip to insert himself back into ocs life as the one person he can still rely on than right here and right now, when oc is so desperate for a connection and friendship that he'll take don callis of all people?

if we want to dig more into my personal observations, kip has never felt as respected or perceived as he did/does when hes across the ring from oc. this feud was the highlight of his career since the comeback (and arguably, his [and miros] feud with the best friends ending with arcade anarchy was the other, so these two have always been connected more or less), its the one thing people keep talking about in reference to him apart from the box; how he should have been the one taking the title from him, how kip should have been elevated from that point forward too. how people talk about him almost only when he has faced oc in the ring afterwards (which has been at least three times if i recall right from the top of my head) or had a chance to challenge again for that title before oc lost it entirely

so what is the conclusion i wanna draw from this? kip keeps bringing him up. he keeps on leeching on him. he wants that attention off of oc, but also from oc. and what better way to do that than to now befriend him, show him support, be there for him when everyone else has abandoned him?

except its not entirely malicious. it might start as such, but its definitely mutually beneficial, more so than intended; sure maybe kip takes the chance to get to oc when hes down and vulnerable, but theres also that high chance that he'll see he can actually help. kip can help pull oc back up and help rebuild him. kip can be useful and important in this equation too, not just oc (which.. its gonna show kips true colors tbh. considering how kip treats oc as a whole, but he was taking trents side earlier about everything when best friends broke apart so...)

i think this is enough of me rambling, so im gonna get to the point of the ask lmao; but yeah, while i'd love for chuck to come back, i dont think he needs to be the one to uncorrupt oc from under kips spell. cause there wont be a spell to begin with. while yes it might start more or less as a corrupting relationship if they got to tag together with oc, i dont think ultimately it would be harmful to him. just like kip would be there to be supportive of oc, eventually he would return the favor by helping kip flourish, like he has done more indirectly in the past. they are mutually beneficial to one another, for better or worse maybe, but its not going to lead oc down a dark path in my opinion. if anything, oc is uncorruptable at this point (especially without the belt but i feel like that story has completely died by now with roddy holding the title so im not going to touch that rn), and him getting love and support from someone genuine, although surprising in this case, it would just make him more likely to return that favor than to turn against it. what i mean is, oc would be the one to uncorrupt kip, if anything

thank you for coming to my tedtalk and im soooooo sorry for all of this