#This got REALLY long

[sheepheadfred]

Ectoberhaunt Day 13: Isekai: Old Hero New World

Summary: Danny doesn't know how he got here, but science seems to have advanced a lot... and gotten very animal focused?!

(cw: alternating pov)

Ao3 link

An explosion in the lab and a tumble through a random portal inside the realms later, Danny has no idea where he is.

Blue skies, green plants. He knows he must be on Earth, but where?

Doesn't help that the green is getting closer as he moves upwards. Oh, he's going down!

Are those trees?

Oh yeah, he also seems to be falling!

Danny sure hopes he's in ghost form. Not looking forward to if this is how he kicks the bucket for real. Either way, this is gonna hurt.

No energy to scream and barely conscious as it is, snapping branches snuff out any awareness he momentarily had.

The Wild Kratts crew are relaxing in the Tortuga when Koki gets an alert by some Wild Kratts Kids. It was Aiden! Something strange happened in the forest near his home.

Something had a big crash in the woods and it seems to have scared the animals near by and the kids are worried.

Could it be one of their usual villains? Maybe, but they tend to be more subtle than this. Hopefully it's not a new villain they need to worry about.

The crew packs up and heads to the North American Eastern Woodlands, full of concern and mounting dread.

Danny wakes on a bed of broken branches and is surrounded by trees walling him in, the sun shining through the canopy. A squirrel napping on him scurried away as he sat up to take in his surroundings more clearly.

How long was I out?

He's not Sam and can't identify plants on sight, but he's pretty sure this forest is local or at least similar to what he's used to. He thinks these might be oak trees but don't quote him on that. It just seems likely that he at least stayed in the U.S. is all.

It'd be easier to find out where he is if he could check the stars but, sadly, it's the middle of the day. No stars for him. A shame.

Checking himself for injuries, he finds that he must have changed back after crashing. The timing for it makes the most sense for one.

Hoping he doesn't have a concussion or any broken bones that he can't feel, Danny starts to walk through the forest. Too worn out to fly for now.

That and he doesn't know if its safe to risk it or if someone would see Phantom and call the GIW or something.

Danny limped forward in the direction he chose randomly and saw the sun peaking brighter through the trees. Hoping that it means there's a clearing, he speeds up as much as he can.

The closer he got, the louder and more distinct voices became in that direction.

They sound young.

Once he reached the edge of the forest and into the clearing, his legs gave out. He has been walking without rest since he woke up and Danny can't even remember when he last ate.

As he blacks out, his only thought was how he must look to the kids who had to be nearby.

Hope this doesn't traumatize them.

The crew arrives on scene. The clearing near the beaver pond seems undamaged but they know better than to just judge without investigating.

The area is eerily quiet, especially for this time of day.

Jimmy pulls them in for a landing and the others get ready to disembark. Kratt brothers Martin and Chris make their way to the concerned children first thing when the Tortuga landed.

"Ok, just to be clear. What did you hear?" Martin beat Chris to the punch in asking.

"There was a big crash deep in the woods. And then the whole forest went quiet. We haven't seen almost any animals since." The older of the two brothers answered, the younger one nodding to confirm he heard it, too.

After deliberating with the others, the Kratt brothers were about to venture into the woods to investigate. About to.

Because right before they could, a boy, early teens at oldest, stumbled out of the forest looking like he had been through a very rough hike.

Meanwhile, miles away but in the same forest hours ago:

The whelp didn't notice him?! What an insult. The halfling is quick to notice the presence of a ghost, even if due to that 'ghost sense' of his. To not be noticed means it was on purpose or something is wrong with his prey. Yet he seemed to be functioning like usual!

Skulker hovers above the treeline, watching Danny plummet into the leafy abyss.

"Pathetic. The whelp really must be slipping if he failed to notice me. Although his parents were right there and disrupted the sanctity of my hunt! They have no respect for actual hunters. Closer to savages who target indiscriminately than a hunter who can tell which prey is worth the effort and which are bottom feeders best left alone. Even the whelp knows that! They are more akin to Plasmius and his cruel experiments on the recently dead and never born than true hunters." The ghost thought out loud to himself, mentally marking his observations down as he flew. Grumbling along the way. "It should not matter where the hunt took place, even inside the cursed residence."

He left to find something more fun to hunt in the meantime. The whelp was no fun when he doesn't bring a challenge!

And he didn't have to search long.

He didn't happen upon a creature catching his eyes but another hunter! One with a different style and class than he's seen the human world have before! Even if he hasn't really seen most of the human world. He won't stay, of course, but he can observe these new methods and see if he can add them to his own style. The possibilities are endless.

Coming into consciousness was never fun as he was forced to take stock of what is wrong. Danny is sure more damage to his person happened since the last time he did so. A few hours ago. He thinks.

He has never been good at telling time on a good day, let alone on a day where he hasn't been aware of time's passing.

Sitting up, he realized his burns he can now feel have fresh bandages on and that he is not alone or surrounded by trees this time.

He seems to instead be in some kind of medical room. Not professional and it lacks the smell of antiseptic and buzzing of florescent lighting of a hospital. One less thing to worry about, he supposed.

I am getting real tired of not knowing what's going on.

A young woman poked her head in the room. She had a tan complexion, neatly tied back hair, and a bright yellow jacket. Her face lit up once she saw him, kind brown eyes landing on him.

"Hey, we were worried about you!"

Danny doesn't know this woman nor why she'd be worried. Sure he was hurt, but he got hurt all the time!

In lieu of answering with words, he used his very confused expression and pointed to himself to ask and make sure.

"Yes, you! What kind of kid goes hiking in the middle of the woods without any gear or ways of communication?"

Oh yeah, my phone should still be in my room. Haven't had the chance to tell anyone something happened. That and something was in the lab, of course I went alone!

"Someone who woke up there and just started walking." Danny was still groggy having just woken up, his mouth moved before his thoughts caught up with him.

"Just woke up there?!"

Ooops, guess that was the wrong thing to say.

"Sorry? It was the middle of the night when someone broke in and the sun was up when I woke up in the middle of all the trees."

Her face looks sickened.

SHIIIT. WHY CAN'T I SAY THE RIGHT THING?!

"What I meant was 'Hi, my name is Danny, what is yours?'!" he near panic shouted out of sheer embarrassment.

Taking a second, the woman in yellow tried to get her thoughts in order while making sure her mouth worked. Hopefully better than his as he keeps putting his foot in his mouth.

"R-right, I'm Aviva and you're on the Tortuga. The headquarters of the Wild Kratts crew."

"That was a lot of words that you said. I don't know what a 'Tortuga' or a 'Wild Kratts' is but it's nice to meet you, Aviva." Danny answered her with a polite smile and an attempt at a handshake which she thankfully returned.

"Well, it seems we both have questions. How about I get the others so I'm not the only one trying to clear this up with you? Or you can move to the main area when you're ready. Ayaiyai, I am not the team medic. I think I'll grab someone else to clear you and get you something to eat and drink. They'll want to know you're awake, anyway."

All he could do was not as she left the room muttering to herself like mad with a dazed expression.

Great, more strangers. At least I can get answers soon. Hopefully.

Martin and Chris were investigating the forest. Something mysterious is happening and they don't like what they've been seeing.They found the spot of broken branches a good ways in like something fell from way up high.

They sure hope it wasn't anything alive because they doubt whatever it was would have survived the fall. But given that there are nothing but broken branches, either an animal dragged it off or the fallen object got up on its own.

It wasn't just that. If it was just whatever fell, the forest wouldn't be as silent as it is. It's giving them an eerie feeling.

Chris searches for clues from the trees as the climbing brother while Martin checks from the ground.

Heavy boot prints and purposefully damaged plant life hints at someone dangerous out here. They worry about the kid they found who came from this direction and woke up here according to him if Aviva's report is accurate.

They decide to continue investigating a bit longer before heading back. Their animal friends could be in danger and a kid has been targeted!

Only, they didn't need to continue looking. The air grew colder when before the sun kept them warm and now it's like the sun can't reach them. A deafening silence even more noticeable over the lack of forest noise, and a new sound of the whine of small rockets like a jet pack.

Out of the corner of their eyes they could see a silver suit of armor and flaming green hair. A net suddenly sprung out at them and they barely managed to dodge!

The only thing they heard from this new villain was him calling for a 'whelp' and that nothing else in the area would be worth his time, but that they would do for now.

Danny made his way to the main area of this building he woke up in, having gotten tired of waiting, when he heard an alarm. Still exhausted, he braces against the wall after the noise assaults his ears.

What the?

Now fully awake, he tries to understand what has everyone in such a tizzy.

Two men were on a video call on the big screen talking to Aviva, a ginger, and a black woman he has yet to meet. Talking about a new villain searching for some rare creature he called a 'whelp' while stomping around in a metal suit.

A new villain? Wait... 'Whelp'? Oh no.

Danny is now glad no one noticed him because now he can sneak out as Phantom. His reserves are still low but if Skulker is here looking for him, then he's gonna get him!

Not gonna let some innocent civilians get hurt because he's too tired. He never let that stop him before!

... Though, he will have to be smart about his powers. They don't know about him, maybe even ghosts in general, and he doesn't want to ruin a forest because a ghost followed him all the way out here.

On his way out, he got to see the place from the outside and he just knows his friends would be jealous once their worry moves out of the way. A turtle ship! Not too unbelievable from what he's seen but it's amazing. A combination of both Sam and Tucker's passion!

Well, I can always be fascinated later.The dead never rest, after all.

He snaps out of his momentary awe and leaves towards where he first woke up. Following the now twice over haunted forest trail.

Further into the forest, the brothers were dealing with this guy. Or trying to at least.

It's like this anything they do goes straight through him!

Don't get them wrong, they are glad they are being targeted instead of some poor animal but c'mon! This guy has to be getting tired at some point! Even if it's just his suit getting overused.

He kept demanding information of where whatever creature he was looking for was. Which, even if they got what he meant specifically by 'whelp' and 'half ghost' they'd never rat out any creature to someone who'd want to hurt them, anyway!

And then, he decided since they aren't helpful, they might as well be target practice! Who does this?!

They're on the back foot, trying to get away when suddenly a blast of green energy comes from behind. Shooting right in between the brothers and hitting the suit or armor guy square in the chest. Pushing the villain back a few feet and leaving a strange, charged smell in the air.

Whatever that was, the new villain grinned at the arrival.

The crew back at the Tortuga scrambled.

A new villain, a hunter by the sounds of it, is looking for a creature he calls 'whelp' or 'halfling'.

And to make matters worse, when Aviva went to check on the injured kid and he was gone. He vanished as if he was a ghost!

She was the one to check on him because he already met her and now she's even more worried about him! She's glad they already sent the Wild Kratts kids who called them here home. It wouldn't do to worry about their safety, too!

He said he just woke up in the middle of the woods and some of his wounds are older than just the last few hours he has to have been hiking for. More like stumbling! He's lucky the direction he picked led him to other people!

How did he up and leave without anyone noticing, anyway? Even if they were busy, someone should have heard him leave! Right?

No! Don't beat yourself up for this, Aviva! Focus on the task at hand for now! A new villain is in these woods now and the injured kid disappeared! They could be connected somehow!

She jumped on a Buzz Bike after letting the others know she was on her way, and left towards the action.

The brothers Kratt only had a moment to turn their head to see the newcomer before things started happening again. The world felt like it was on pause between the blast and the newcomer floating in there, feet off the ground, as they gave a sassy and confident smirk.

Whoever this was had the physical appearance of a young teenager with snow white hair and glowing green eyes, shining the same color that is lighting up his outstretched fist. He seemed to be glowing the same white as his hair and off-putting aura that the man before them was. An aura that wasn't that noticeable before now is amplified. The rest of him was in black and white like a strange bodysuit with a stylized D on his chest. An emblem like their paw print ones on the power suits.

The power suits!

That gives them and idea.

Before they left to find some creatures, they could hear the robotic armor and newcomer exchange banter like they knew each other.

"Ah, so you finally show yourself!"

"Skulker, you asshole! First you broke into the lab and shot me in the back and now you are just throwing a tantrum because I'm not here to entertain you! What the hell!"

"You know full well how this goes, ghost child."

"But at 2 AM?! I just managed to pass out. And because you attacked in the house, the house's defenses activated! I am so tired of you and I'm running on negative sleep!"

Wait... the 'whelp' was this KID?!

The newly dubbed 'Skulker' refuted the accusation that he blew up whatever lab the kid was in. Then shouting about some kind of 'Frootloop' was the last they heard before they made a retreat.

Who that kid is doesn't matter right now, it's time to find some creature powers to help him out. They don't want to leave the kid alone with that guy for long, he looks and is acting like he can handle it but he's clearly very tired. Skulker is very clearly armed and dangerous!

Aviva made her way to the boys, having no idea where Danny wandered off to and only able to focus on one thing at the moment, when the brothers quite literally crashed into her. Leaving them all sprawled on the ground for a hot minute before picking themselves back up.

"Guys?! What is going on?"

"We wish we could tell you." Martin replied first, taking a second to process things.

"What we do know," Chris chimed in, "is that what we need is some creature power. There is a dangerous villain farther in and we need to help that mystery kid fighting him!"

"What? Is there someone else out there? Did you say 'kid'?"

"Yeah, and we need to help them. They showed up out of nowhere to help fight off Skulker, that's the villains name apparently by the way, but they seemed really tired just after one hit!"

"What?!"

"Yeah. We need to help them! Hopefully after we can learn who this person is, too!"

"Well, more than being the 'whelp' Skulker was searching for!"

The boys ran off in different directions, finding a different creature to transform into.

Aviva was left there, stunned.

Today has been so confusing.

And not the fun way.

She's going to help even if she doesn't know everything that's going on or so help her!

Aviva gets back on the Buzz Bike and heads for the action.

Danny has less energy than he thought!

One blast and he's already struggling to not change back again.

Damn Skulker! First his ghost sense wakes him up and then he comes at him from behind, pushing him into this mess!

Sure, maybe the lab explosion was probably not entirely his fault but there's a whole lot else from that night that was.

Danny is pretty sure adrenaline and rage are all that's keeping him moving, but what else is new?

Having to doge and weave through the trees while Skulker can go right through them, apparently finding it fun to have trees as obstacles. Frustrating but he knows the alternative is the fight above the trees and he's not sure he could stay in the air long enough for that.

Exhaustion dragging through him, right to his bones even in this form, is his body's payback for not resting enough even if he never really gets to.

One wrong turn and a failed dodge later, and he slammed into a tree. Winded, tired, and in a daze. Struggling to catch his breath, all he can do is lean on this tree that caught him mid-flight. Collapsing under his own weight.

He was sure that this was it for him, when suddenly a large green bird and a human sized bipedal blue wolf, he thinks, started attacking Skulker from two different sides.

It wasn't until they spoke did he realize that they were the two men Skulker was fighting earlier! At least Danny thinks so? Today has been wild for him. But he is pretty sure he at least heard their voices back at that giant mechanical turtle.

The green bird man took the fight to the sky, Skulker following him. The ghost is curious and confused, yet intrigued. He hopes they aren't some rare creature for him to hunt, too!

While one went off to take the fight out of here, the blue brother stayed behind. The man came up to him, concern etched onto his face.

"Hey, kid. Are you alright? Standard question, I know, but a response would be good." This was said in a light tone but caution was in his voice.

Shit, is he talking to me? Great, hope my mouth works properly this time.

"Yeah", a groan escaped him as he tried to stand while the world spun, "Just trying to find the bus that ran me over."

"Buddy, I can say with certainty that getting up right now is not a good idea for you."

"But if I don't fight him, who will? He could hurt someone! Besides, I'm used to this."

The man frowned, looking a bit heartbroken. Danny didn't understand why, especially while in this state. No one else minded he did all this stuff. Danger is the price to pay for living in Amity Park, let alone being a Fenton!

"How about this, you tell me what you usually do when fighting him and we can let my brother know? He's the green bird you saw earlier."

Danny wanted to protest but he could barely see straight. Can he really trust these guys? He wants to but his head is pounding too much to think clearly.

"I don't even know your name, wolf-man."

The blue wolf man paused, before chuckling a bit, "Oh, right! I'm Martin and my brother is Chris. We're the Kratt brothers! Most people we run into are able to recognize us so I forgot you probably wouldn't know."

"Huh", Danny's mouth tried to work as he processed this. Martin and Chris are apparently big names here! But all he could say was, "Didn't know a bird and a wolf could be related like that, are you adopted?"

"Wha-", he looks at himself and realizes he's still transformed, " Oh! No this is from my creature power suit! Our friend, Aviva, invented them. Programming and form and everything! Animal DNA and nature know-how takes care of the rest!"

Huh! Technology sure can be impressive! Especially when it's not centered on his and other ghosts' destruction!

"Oh." Apparently he cannot talk today, "I'm Phantom."

While trying to remember what else he was asked, an explosion shook the trees, stopping any further conversation.

Coming back down through the trees was Chris, plummeting right on top of them, screaming.

Martin moved to catch his brother. To keep him from getting more hurt and to keep Phantom from being directly impacted. A glow of green and blue signifying the crash to cause their deactivation.

The light from their de-transformations caught Phantom's eye. They can change just like him! He thinks he can trust them with this, after all.

Oh, no! But that could be bad if Skulker decides to want them for that!

Wait... Skulker!

"Ya gotta remove his head."

The now human looking brothers look at him in disbelief. Chris showed confusion as well as only Martin had context for that.

"Oh, right! Chris, this kid is Phantom! Phantom, this is Chris!"

"Bro, that only answered one question."

Danny just realized they are both looking at him.

Right, it's not obvious. Forgot.

"The head of his suit. It comes off," Danny tried to explain while his head and mouth were not working right, "then ya gotta use this."

He hands them the Fenton Thermos.

"For soup?"

"Nooooo, ya gotta uncap it and just point it at him once the head is off. It'll get him to stop."

Dannys instructions were not as clear as they should be but they had no choice but to try it.

Able to get around the trees better and with Skulkers attention back on Phantom, they managed to knock his head off.

And they were really not prepared for what happened next.

With the head now off, the body just went limp.

Like no one was inside.

Then they looked at the head in their hands and tiny, green feet were sticking out of them. Kicking wildly.

"Use the thermos!"

Phantom's strained yell startled them that they dropped the thermos and almost dropped the head.

Only to be picked up by Aviva, coming in clutch.

Danny tried to explain what to do, but he's unsure if what came out made sense.

Well, either it did or she was able to intuit what needed to happen, as she did exactly what she needed to do.

She pointed the thermos and aimed it at the knocked off head. Skulker finally was able to force himself out of his robotic head right before the beam hit him.

His booger-y form is visible for all to see and cursing them all.

Danny laughed at his small form, feeling good about this.

"Hey, guess what! I can transform like you guys!" Danny exclaimed, impulse making an executive decision.

And Danny let his transformation rings wash across his body, passing out again for the second time that day. Oblivious to the three adults' shocked faces.

Back in the Tortuga, hours later:

"...And that's what happened. I'm pretty sure that the portal spit me out somewhere completely different or even a different dimension. I don't have time to keep up to date on most news usually, but I'm pretty sure either of my friends would be raving about you guys. One's an extreme activist and the other is a tech nerd who'd totally geek out about this ship."

Danny, bandaged and rested up, explained all that happened leading up to here since he was last home. He slipped in some things about his home and his friends and family. Even ending with what he thinks is a lame smile and jazz hands.

"Everything I learn about you makes me more concerned." One of them said. Danny thinks her name was 'Koki'.

"Yeah, dude. That is seriously messed up," JZ chimed in, "This guy wasn't even one of the more dangerous ones? Are you sure you should even go back?"

"Speaking to the choir, dude. I'm well aware how messed up my half life is. But it is my life, y'know? I need to be able to get back."

Despite the adults' clear hesitation about sending him back, they don't want to trap him here away from the people he loves. That's what their villains try to do when they kidnap baby animals! With what they old him, he can at least trust them to help him get home.

Somehow.

"How will I get home, anyway? I can do some basic engineering from being around my parents' stuff my whole life but I'm not sure where to start!" Danny had to ask. He feels like he can ask them despite the uncertainty. It's not often he comes across adults he can feel this way about.

"Oh, I can help with that!"

"Aviva? I thought you did animal based engineering and inventing?"

"Si, I am. But if I managed to crack time travel, even just a bit, then I don't see how I can't do this, too!

"Now, that is some confidence! Time travel? Do tell!"

"Oh!" The brothers simultaneously looked at her and Danny, "She invented a time trampoline!"

"We went back in creature time to meet extinct animals!"

They practically talked over each other out of excitement.

"A trampoline?!" Danny could hardly believe that human made time travel existed here, let alone one that functioned like a trampoline!

The group laughed good naturedly at his reaction, as understandable as it was.

"I think we all agree that you can stay with us until a way home is secured. Bet you never got to fly in a giant turtle ship, before?" Jimmy casually tells him in his usual, laid back tone.

"You bet I haven't! I did successfully land a NASA shuttle once, though. That was a story and a half for sure. I've done a lot of flight simulators in preparation to be an astronaut!"

It felt good to be able to passionately talk about what he loves with others who can share back different passions.

"Ah, a future space boy, huh?," JZ responded, "Thinking about life on other planets?"

"One of the many things to think about regarding space!" Space talk really brought out Danny's energy.

"Oh,"Koki added, "bet he doesn't know about tardigrades!"

"What are those?"

"Tardigrade, or a water bear, is a small creature, usually only visible with a microscope that can survive in even the harshest environments. Creatures like the tardigrade show us that life could be possible out there in ways we never thought possible." It's like all of them took turns infodumping that he wasn't able to discern who said which part as he took in the information.

"Those things sound so cool! How do we find them?"

"I guess we can show you. You are staying until you can go home after all!"

He's looking forward to future adventures while they last. To learning about animals he never once though twice about and giving their villains a good scare.

"Oh yeah," a thought just occurred to him, "what does 'tortuga mean? Like why did you make that the name of your giant turtle ship?"

"Danny," Aviva said with a smirk,"'Tortuga' means 'turtle' in Spanish!"

Danny's face lit up red in embarrassment and everyone laughed at his expense. He felt warm and welcome here, a way he hasn't back home in a long time if ever.

If animals and how they work were taught anything like this, I don't think I would have failed that class as badly. I think being here will be fun while it lasts!

Sam and Tucker are gonna be so jealous!

[petit-papillion]

Anyone who thinks Charles would be crazy to sign for 5 years with Ferrari, have you considered:

There are only 20 spots in Formula 1. Even some of the world's most incredibly talented drivers can't get a seat. And most drivers whose Dads don't own an F1 team are happy to get a 2-year contract. 5-year contracts are a rare occurrence. Ask Valtteri what it feels like to drive for years for a top team on 1-year contracts.

10 teams to pick from, with the top 5 claiming all but 2 podiums this past season. So if Charles were to leave Ferrari and not take a step backward in his career, he'd have to go to one of the remaining top 4 teams: RBR, Merc, AM, or McLaren. At Red Bull, he could get podiums and occasionally win races, but he'd never be number 1 while Max is there. Lewis could unexpectedly retire, but until he does, Merc is locked in with him. And while i think Toto would totally want to snap Charles up, if the opportunity arose, not sure I see this happening any time soon. McLaren have a pretty good lineup with both drivers having contracts past 2024. Finally, AM will only have a spot available if either Stroll Sr sells the team or Alonso is forced into retirement. Neither of which seem likely to happen before Charles's contract is up.

Charles lives and breathes Ferrari. He is a tifosi at heart. He loves driving for Ferrari for all its faults and shortcomings. He doesn't just say Forza Ferrari Sempre, he says it from the heart. He wears his Forza Ferrari bracelet until it breaks. He dedicates his end-of-season helmet to all the Ferrari team members. He points to the Prancing Horse on his suit with passion. He wears so many Ferrari clothes outside of work, we are shocked when he doesn't wear them for a while. He spends hours signing autographs for tifosi. And when they ask him if he will ever leave Ferrari, he immediately and confidently responds with, "Never."

Tying in with the previous point: the tifosi adore him. We have a priest praying for him. Grown men getting his name and/or number tattooed next to the Ferrari logo. Italian journalists waxing poetic about him. Fans singing for him under his hotel window. And a single hand gesture from Charles is enough to stop a crowd from booing Max. He gets showered with a 1,000 bracelets, and he accepts (and often immediately wears) them all with a grateful smile. This kind of adulation from the tifosi is not something he will automatically get elsewhere, and I am sure he would miss it dearly if he went to another team.

Charles has said over and over again that he wants to become WDC with Ferrari. Yes, he has mentioned that if he no longer believes in the project, he will look elsewhere. But Fred is only just starting. This year's car was inherited from Binotto. It takes a while to replace staff and to implement new procedures. Where it was possible to make quick changes, we have already seen improvements - most notably with the pit stops, but also with them bringing that meaningful floor upgrade in Suzuka. Fred has said some staff will not even work on next year's car, but on the 2025 car. Changes take time and we are not privy to as much information as Charles is. He has said he believes in Fred and what he is planning.

So to have job security for the next 5 years (btw equaling the number of years Michael Schumacher drove for Ferrari...) with a team he adores, whose fans worship the ground he walks on, working with a team principal with whom he not only has a fantastic working relationship with but who seems to share his vision for the future - it doesn't get much better than this. Yes, I can see that keeping your options open would be good, but I'm sure there will be clauses built into the contract to allow both parties a way out if things don't pan out the way they envision.

In the meantime, if the article in La Gazzetta Sportiva is true, Charles would be the definite N°1 driver for Ferrari. And with Fred also seeing him as the leader of the team, and the car being more developed to suit his driving style, without a doubt his confidence would grow, which in turn would help him become an even better driver and lead to more podiums and wins.

[drumcanister]

okay so im doing it anyway and this is about djevel's post kinda but im also just kinda talking out my ass about my opinion on cupanny (I LOVE U MOOT BUT I NEED TO LET THIS OUT IM SORRY 😞)

(to be clear im not attacking the person who made the post im just putting my opinion and thoughts here or else i might start eating the furniture)

The question about why can't colly just stay friends , especially coming from someone who ships cupanny is just,,kinda?? idk

The whole thing with cup and fanny is that he just wants to be friends , nothing more so why use that argument with a ship that clearly has more to offer?

I personally groan out loud when any mention of cupanny being together is mentioned purely because their dynamic is NOT going to benefit either of them at all. Neither respect eachothers boundaries and personally it feels like watching a really bad situationship unfold. (still love them being sillies tho)

They know barely anything about eachother and honestly in my eyes they dont have enough of a connection to really be anything more than friends. the "flirting" is just really stale in my eyes and lacks depth. Plus shes exactly the kind of girl hes dated like 3 times before , it's just going to be a cycle of him getting hurt again.

Cupanny is obvious , it's predictable and literally everyone and their grandma is expecting it to happen. Colly (if its done right) has the potential to be a really good slow burn. It has everything cupanny lacks in my opinion.

Holly has seen everything cup is afraid to show and she doesn't judge or get disgusted , she knows what kind of person he is which is the entire reason she didn't trust or like him at first. He can be himself around her , his childish self , without the fear or uncertainty. He can be open and honest , he can cry and be scared around her.

Fanny hasn't and she never will because he doesn't trust her enough to tell her that like he does with holly. Theres a clear lack of connection and trust with them.

Considering fanny's situation as well i don't think she should be dating anyone for a long time , she needs to heal from this and being with someone like cup isn't going to help that at all. Same would apply to him as well , he needs that genuine love and understanding and unfortunately , in my opinion , i don't think fanny can provide that for him.

honestly all in all idgaf who bro dates (if anyone at all) just get him a cat , heaps of candy and a goddamn vacation.

(once again this isn't an attack i just wanted to share my thoughts on this whole thing , its my personal opinion so if you don't agree then don't read it lmao)

[somesmartsmarties]

Oooooh I wanna make a comic about Morro discovering his true potential so bad

But brain small and smooth and can’t think of what his obstacle to overcome could be

Like yeah obviously, it would be learning that he wasn’t meant to be the green ninja and he won’t be able to get that title, and that’s okay! But it’s very similar to what Kai’s potential was (which btw side note, after seeing other people share their interpretation and thoughts on Kai, I too like to believe that the true meaning behind his potential is “I am enough, and I won’t be seen as any less if I don’t become the green ninja”), and I really want to tie in to how he could’ve still had a good life if only he hadn’t been so hellbent on finding the realm crystal

So maybe it could be something like “I am imperfect, I am broken, I have been hurt by others and I too have hurt others, but longing for something that I cannot achieve will not fix me or anything else; I took for granted what I had, I left the one person who truly cared about me, I sought out what I thought would fill the cracks that have formed throughout the years, but it only broke me further. I cannot change my past, I cannot go back to what I had, nor can I go back to who I was. But I can try and build a better future for myself. Despite all the pain, anger, fear and loss, I can still rebuild myself, and perhaps someday, these old scars will fade, and I will feel a little more human. Despite it all, I can still heal.”

Maybe idk, I’d love to hear what everyone else has to say <3

[amethystina]

Hi!

I’m curious as to why u didn’t like The Glory. It’s not my cup of tea but I’ve watched only the first season and it was intense as hell😖

Hi there!

Well, it's a bit of a long story, really. To be honest, I don't blame people who like it and it's far from the worst drama I've seen. It's just that certain aspects of it make me so goddamn angry I am legit seconds away from throwing a chair across the room when I think about them.

Again, that's not to say that I can't understand the appeal but it is, without a doubt, Not My Cup of Tea. It has too many inconsistencies, plot contrivances, unnecessary plotlines, wonky characterisation, and the aforementioned infuriating aspects for me to like it. And the more I think about the drama, the more I dislike it.

But that's a personal thing. And while I can agree that there was some intense build-up in the first season, it fell apart in the second one.

That said, I think the actors did a good job! Many of them were great, even! My main issue is with the writing choices and stuff like that.

If you want a longer explanation, feel free to look under the cut. But do be warned: it's going to be long, vicious, and perhaps a little nitpicky at times. I'm also a petty bitch, so there's that. Most of you have only really seen me discuss and pick apart things I like, but I'm just as detailed when I criticise things I don't like. But, usually, I save that for conversations with friends or when I rant for literal hours in front of my poor, suffering wife.

Anyhow.

If you like The Glory, please DO NOT read this. This isn't me trying to ruin the drama for anyone or start some beef — I just want to explain why it didn't work for me. This is my personal opinion, nothing else.

And if you still decide to read it and get angry — don't blame me xD

Also, obviously: Major spoilers for both seasons of The Glory.

(And to those of you who haven't seen the drama and might, for some reason, want to read this anyway, warnings for: mentions of bullying, violence, murder, rape, non-consensual filming of sexual acts, alcoholism, suicide ideation, suicide attempt, domestic abuse, and domestic abuse involving a teenaged child)

This is by no means a complete list of grievances, but rather the big ones that I can still remember. Because I haven't really been trying to retain the details given that I didn't enjoy the drama all that much.

First: You Can't Plan For Shit

The drama pretends that Dong Eun has spent years planning her revenge but when she actually shows up to put it in motion, she doesn't actually have a plan. The drama will tell you that she does, but if you look at her actions you soon realise that her only real plan was to start working at the school that Yeon Jin's daughter attends. Everything else — and I do mean almost everything else — is handed to her through convenient coincidences or because people suddenly decide to help her simply because she's the main character. She does almost nothing to actually plot and execute her revenge. She orders Hyun Nam to spy on her bullies, sure, but their meeting is a coincidence. How was Dong Eun planning to handle that if they hadn't met? Do it herself? Not gather the information? Wait for a convenient miracle?

She's also determined to make Yeon Jin's husband leave her so that Yeon Jin becomes as lonely and abandoned as Dong Eun feels, but she has no plan for how to do that, either. Aside from playing Go with him? Ma'am. That's not a plan — that's sharing a hobby. But then, conveniently, she discovers that Yeon Jin's husband isn't the father of their child! Because of infidelity! And lying! How convenient! Yeon Jin's husband definitely won't like that!

And yes, that is, in the end, what makes the most impact on him but, again, no thanks to Dong Eun. She didn't plan that.

Maybe Kang Yo Han from The Devil Judge has spoiled me but if you're going to tell me that a character has been plotting her revenge for 10+ years, you better show me A Plan. And "she studied to become a teacher, learned how to play Go, and stalked her bullies' social media" is NOT a plan. Because that is, in the end, the extent of Dong Eun's preparations. Her master plan.

I'm sorry, what?

And this isn't a case of "I am adjusting my plan as I find new allies and information" but a "I had absolutely no plan to begin with and am flying completely blind, waiting for a new ally to pop up to conveniently give me exactly the information I need at exactly the right time so that I can overcome this very specific obstacle." In the end, Dong Eun's revenge is executed through a series of convenient events that, for the most part, have nothing to do with her. She has some moments when she has the final hand in what happens — like leaving drugs for Sa Ra to find, or giving Hye Jeong the eyedrops that will blind Jae Joon — but they're so minor it's laughable.

The majority of the events are caused, orchestrated, planned, handled, and perpetrated by someone else.

Which leads us to:

Second: Cool motive — but where's the fucking murder?

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't need there to be murder in a revenge story. It doesn't matter if it takes the forgiveness or avenger route — as long as the conclusion is satisfying, I'm happy. But when a drama keeps building up the main character as someone who has nothing left to lose and is willing to do everything for her revenge, I'm going to expect her to do something morally questionable before the story is done.

Like, the drama keeps telling me, over and over, that she's going to forsake her humanity for this revenge. She's going to go as far as she has to — it doesn't matter what it'll cost her or her conscience. Just you wait for it, she's gonna go dark side! We promise! There will be blood! And death! And destruction!

But, in the end, all the murders and violence are committed by someone else. At most, she's the accomplice who hands over the weapon and, sometimes, not even that. There are times when she's literally just a spectactor, watching the events unfold. And not in a clever "I will make them destroy each other without dirtying my hands" sort of way. Which, to be honest, I would have loved to see? There would be something truly poetic if she managed to trick her bullies into destroying each other.

But considering what I mentioned earlier — about Dong Eun having no plans and only having a very small part in executing each revenge — that falls apart. It's not so much "I made them hurt each other" as "they probably would have eventually anyway and I just happened to be standing next to the action when it happened."

Again, too much build-up and no satisfying resolution. This drama promises so much but never delivers.

And I honestly don't know why? It could just be bad writing, or maybe they weren't comfortable actually making her as morally grey as they alluded to? They want her to seem like a badass but murder is bad so while they'll tell the viewer that she might kill someone, she never does. Because then maybe people won't like her.

Though trust me when I say that there are a lot better reasons for not liking Dong Eun — but more about that later.

I think the part about murder that bugs me the most is that Dong Eun never commits any (despite how many times the drama hinted at her maybe doing it) but Yeon Jin's husband — who was noticeably shaken and appalled at the thought of his wife being a murderer — apparently changes his mind on a dime and is one of those to commits a murder Dong Eun should be committing. I get that it was meant to be a "I will do this to stop this maniac from stealing my daughter" kind of decision, but it just felt insulting to his character. He was one of the few people with a sense of morality in that drama and, in the end, they made him forsake it.

To kill someone that Dong Eun should have killed? Why couldn't she? When she's been bragging about how vicious she is the entire drama? Why force that nice man to carry the burden of that murder?

I genuinely don't get it.

Like, there's no satisfaction, whatsoever? Sure, Dong Eun's bullies are punished, but she didn't do anything. She can't actually take credit for most of what happened. It was always someone else's actions and decisions that led to their demise. And that feels like such a letdown after the drama kept hyping her up, preparing us for something spectacular.

She literally just stood there and took credit.

Third: Plot Armour Thicker Than the Earth's Crust

Aside from the abuse Dong Eun suffers at the hands of her mother and bullies at school, she is impervious to damage or harm. She has some of the thickest plot armour I have ever seen, especially in a drama that includes a fair share of violence and murder.

That's not to say that I want her to get hurt, of course, but it's ridiculous how no one even tries to hurt her when she shows up again when they're all adults. Like, these people have done some terrible shit over the years but they never — not once — attempt to stop Dong Eun through violent means. It's downright bizarre that Dong Eun can supposedly trick them into hurting and killing each other (though, again: debatable), but no one stops to go: "hey, should we maybe do this to the woman who's threatening to ruin our lives instead?"

Not. A. Single. One.

And that just becomes comical after a certain point? These people could violently torture and rape young girls when they, themselves, were kids but once they're all grown up they're too scared to even slap one of said girls? Why? What is going on?

Again, I don't want that to happen, but it makes no goddamn sense that they wouldn't at least try. Jae Joon is the only one who was a bit menacing at times, but not even he seemed to consider the option of punching Dong Eun in the face. If only just for the satisfaction of having done so. And sure, maybe some would argue that they're grown up now and have more control over their emotions etc. etc.

Except they're willing to kill EACH OTHER.

So, clearly, not much growth has happened in that regard.

They're just not allowed to kill or hurt Dong Eun. The woman who's supposedly the mastermind behind their lives falling apart is not to be touched. But everyone else is fair game.

Because that makes sense.

The most laughable example of this is when Yeon Jin's mum decides to run a man over with her car — with the clear intention of killing him — to stop him from blackmailing her about the murder her daughter committed as a teenager. An overreaction, I would argue, but at least someone is making good on their threats.

I'm looking at you, Dong Eun.

And I absolutely fucking lost it when Dong Eun then blackmails the mum with the murder she just committed to hide the murder her daughter committed and the woman just... does nothing. She lets herself be blackmailed. Like, if I were her, I would just have taken that car for another spin, if you know what I mean. Or perhaps used my vast fortune to hire a hitman to kill Dong Eun.

Especially since this mum knows who Dong Eun is — and that Dong Eun is currently the one trying to ruin her daughter's life — and also knows that Dong Eun has no relatives who would care if she died. It would be so easy to kill her. And, clearly, this woman is capable of murder. Both committing them and trying to cover them up. And has the means to do it. But as soon as Dong Eun is the one who should be the next victim, the drama and all the characters completely forget that murder is an option.

And no, I am not going to accept the argument that maybe the mum realised that it would just become an endless cycle of more murders to hide the murders because she's gotten this far, why stop now?

Again, it's not like I want Dong Eun to die, but it makes no sense that no one even considers that an option? They can kill each other and several extras, but not Dong Eun. They can't even threaten her with violence. The writing won't let them.

And I honestly get why because, if they did let people want to kill Dong Eun, she would die. Because her enemies are genuinely too powerful for her and the only reason why they don't win is because they're not allowed to because Dong Eun is the main character.

Simple as that.

In the end, the worst thing the bullies did to Dong Eun when they're all adults was to get her fired.

The scoundrels!

Fourth: Character consistency? Don't know her.

A minor gripe in the grand scheme of things but still annoying as fuck. A lot of characters had sudden personality changes depending on the scene and what was expected of them.

Like Yeon Jin's mum who could kill one moment but stopped the next. Or the Yeon Jin's husband who was horrified by murder but then committed one himself. Or Dong Eun being really inconsistent with when her PTSD will show up. And all of the villains suddenly turning into panicked, hysterical messes at the end despite being portrayed as bordering on psychopaths up until that point.

The drama also tried to sell Dong Eun as very cold and unapproachable — which I think makes sense considering all her trauma — but also shoehorn in the obligatory moments when her humanity shines through. Which I usually love but fell flat this time because those moments were rarely because of something she did but rather something others did with, for, or to her. Like, they want to show that she's bonding with Hyun Nam but it's all Hyun Nam's doing. And they want Dong Eun to have a romance with Yeo Jung, but that's also all his doing.

And no, it doesn't come off as "I am traumatised and reluctant to form bonds and am therefore stilted but deep down I'm a good person." She offers the other person nothing in return but they still keep coming back to her, care for her, try to make friends with her, and want to help her. And I genuinely don't know why.

I'm no stranger to an antihero or difficult characters being loved despite their flaws, but she gives literally nothing. She's flippant, uncaring, and curt to the point of impoliteness. And that in itself is fine. Characters don't have to be warm and likeable. But you're at least going to have to explain to me why the people around her are so determined to love her despite all this. And the drama never does.

It's just one of those "because she's the main character" things again.

Or, alternatively: because he's too unhinged to know better.

Which brings us to:

Fifth: Twilight Is a Better Love Story

I fucking said it and I stand by it.

The love story was painful to watch. Now, don't get me wrong — I love me a woman getting herself a younger boyfriend who worships the very ground she walks on. I also love him falling first.

But this aint it, fam.

Partly because the chemistry was lacking between the actors (Dong Eun honestly had more chemistry with Yeon Jin's husband) but also because of the plot in general. I don't see why a romance was even necessary? It doesn't feel like Dong Eun was anywhere near ready for that considering where she is in her recovery. Not just because she's so cold and unapproachable, but just... disinterested? It doesn't seem like she wants a romance with this man? Until she suddenly kisses him at the end?

I honestly had to hold back a wince when they kissed because, to me, it felt so terribly awkward.

I also want to mention the fact that Yeo Jung's attachment to Dong Eun is bordering on an obsession brought on by his trauma and the obvious mental health issues he has. Now, that in itself isn't the problem — I would be a hypocrite if I said that considering some of the dramas I've written for — but I can't help but feel sorry for him? Because, as mentioned, Dong Eun gives almost nothing back. Which she's not obligated to! But, like, it doesn't exactly help the already awkward and unbalanced romance?

A romance which, again, didn't even have to happen? If it's a way to symbolise Dong Eun moving on, then a friendship or platonic partners in crime would have sufficed. And they definitely shouldn't have added the bit about them getting revenge on the dude who killed Yeo Jung's dad if they wanted it to symbolise her moving on. Because, clearly, that's not a step forward so much as an awkward crab shuffle to the left down another rabbit hole of revenge.

I just didn't like it. And even more so because the shitty love story is a key component in the biggest and angriest issue I have with this drama.

Which is:

Sixth: Justice For Kang Hyun Nam

I'm going to attempt to convey my opinions on this as calmly as I can but, let me tell you, I've been kind in my arguments up until this point. This is where the gloves come off because holy fucking shit I am so unbelievably angry.

I love Hyun Nam. I love her so much.

And I will never forgive Dong Eun for the shit she put Hyun Nam and Hyun Nam's teenage daughter through.

NEVER.

Because, sure, the two of them agreed to help each other out — Dong Eun needing help with her revenge and Hyun Nam wanting to get rid of her husband — and there was technically no time limit. But I cannot — and will not — accept the fact that, apparently, that meant that Dong Eun was going to draw out fulfilling her part of the deal. All while the drama tries to portray her as a semi-sympathetic character who somehow manages to build a friendship with Hyun Nam.

Dong Eun literally left this woman and her sixteen-year-old daughter to get abused by their alcoholic husband/father for fucking weeks.

WEEKS.

When she could have stopped it at any time. She literally just stood there and personally watched them get beaten at one point.

And sure, maybe you'd want to argue that she didn't want to kill Hyun Nam's husband too soon since that might mean Hyun Nam would stop helping her. Turning it into a selfish thing to prove how cold and calculating Dong Eun is. But that just brings us back to the problem that then the goddamn drama shouldn't have simultaneously tried to make me like Dong Eun and her relationship with Hyun Nam. You can't expect me to watch this woman and her daughter get brutally beaten — because, yes, they forced us to, more than once — all while knowing that Dong Eun can make it stop but she doesn't, and then also want me to conveniently forget about that cruelty and betrayal so that I can coo over their friendship.

Fuck you, drama. Sincerely, FUCK YOU.

I am fucking livid.

Now, I know that ending situations of domestic abuse aren't easy. That's not what this is about. Because you gotta remember that the drama has hyped Dong Eun up as a mastermind who can plan and execute fantastic revenge plots. So, clearly, it should be a breeze for her. The man is a fucking alcoholic gambler! South Korea has very firm laws concerning gambling so all Dong Eun had to do was tip the police off and he'd be whisked away to prison for the foreseeable future.

But oh no, we can't have that. We have to watch this abuse continue and see bruises on this woman and her daughter for almost the entire drama. Because Dong Eun just... doesn't care? Fucked if I know to be honest. The drama never gives a good reason, to the point where it just feels like torture porn. Especially since the writers are simultaneously trying to sell me a wonderful friendship between these two women.

When one of them is just standing by watching the other get brutally beaten on the regular.

And this alone would have been enough, to be honest, but this drama is the gift that just keeps on giving, let me tell you. And I'm now going to have to focus real hard not to devolve into incoherent cursing because rarely — if ever — have I seen a plotline in a drama that has made me as fucking pissed off as this one. Is it the worst that can happen to a person? No. But the insincerity and stupidity of the writers just add salt to the wounds in a way that turns my anger into blood-boiling rage.

Basically, there was a time when Dong Eun wanted to use Yeo Jung for her revenge too, yeah? Aside from asking him to teach her how to play Go, she wondered if she could maybe turn him into an ally similar to what Hyun Nam became later. But then she explains to him that she changed her mind and decided not to get him involved because it's dangerous and he's suffered enough.

Because he was a victim.

Because he was so terribly sad after having watched his dad get murdered.

And yes, definitely. BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

The pretty boy toy is too much of a victim for you to use, but the abused mother that you're watching getting bludgeoned on the regular is fair game? She's not a victim at all?

WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING FUCK?!

Please take a moment to let that sink in. Because I need you to understand just how fucking stupid and insulting that is.

Now, I know that probably wasn't the message the drama was trying to send but that's what I mean with insincerity. The writers don't even realise the implications of what they're writing. They'd so focused on "oh, she made an exception for Yeo Jung and that'll prove she loves him" to notice what that means for Hyun Nam. Because Yeo Jung was precious enough to save from any kind of damage, but Hyun Nam and her daughter had to live through weeks of continued beatings because Dong Eun was dragging their feet.

They want to portray Dong Eun as compassionate for sparing Yeo Jung, which only makes what she puts Hyun Nam through all the more horrifying.

And I'm going to have to assume that's because Dong Eun doesn't have a romance with Hyun Nam. That's the only plausible explanation at this point. There's nothing else that sets these characters apart so much that Dong Eun would choose to spare one but not the other. Arguably, she has more reasons to help Hyun Nam, even, since there's a child involved. But oh no.

And no, I am not going to accept the argument that Dong Eun is supposed to be ruthless because then the fucking drama shouldn't also try to build a cutesy friendship between her and Hyun Nam to humanise her again. And they portray it as a good thing. As something that brings Hyun Nam purpose and happiness. Hyun Nam is grateful that she gets to be friends with Dong Eun.

I'm not saying that it's impossible to build a relationship between two people with this dynamic, but it's done so clumsily that it feels like an insult. Not once does Hyun Nam ask why Dong Eun hasn't helped her yet. She just accepts it and continues trying to befriend Dong Eun. There's no doubt or animosity or hints that, maybe, Dong Eun is being a bit cruel when she's letting this continue. The drama doesn't hold her accountable in any way and just brushes it aside.

She is, once again, excused because she's the main character.

And the cherry on top of this goddamn mess is that one of the themes of the drama is — and I shit you not:

"What if someone had helped me when I needed it the most? What could I have become then? Would I have been happier? Think of all the suffering I could have avoided. Some kindness might have saved me :C "

OH.

YOU MEAN LIKE HOW YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HYUN NAM AND HER DAUGHTER BUT CHOOSE NOT TO?

I wish I was joking.

I fucking wish I was joking.

But I'm not. This drama is so fucking stupid that one of its main messages is completely ruined by the main character's actions towards one of the other characters.

And no, Hyun Nam's situation is in no way a part of Dong Eun realising this. She doesn't reflect on the fact that she's also guilty of just standing by and watching people suffer. That's never addressed. It's not some kind of lesson Dong Eun learns and decides to do better. Because Dong Eun is the main character and how she treats Hyun Nam is perfectly fine. Nothing to see here.

I cannot with words express just how angry this whole thing makes me.

I mean, yes, in the end, it's just a drama and no real people were harmed, but it infuriates me when media does this kind of shit with subjects that are as serious as domestic abuse. When they make it so obvious that they don't care. They don't care about Hyun Nam or her daughter. They put both of them through so much unnecessary pain and then belittle that pain by instead saving the pretty love interest because oh noes, imagine if he had to suffer! D:

Again: SINCERELY, FUCK YOU.

And I also hate the fact that, in the end, Dong Eun didn't even kill Hyun Nam's husband. She let Yeon Jin's mother do it. Which, I will point out, wasn't some masterplan of Dong Eun's, either. The fact that Hyun Nam's husband found information to blackmail Yeon Jin's mother with was a coincidence. And there were no guarantees he would choose to blackmail her with it. And Dong Eun couldn't know that Yeon Jin's mother was going to murder him for it.

Honestly, in the end, Hyun Nam herself did more to get her husband killed than Dong Eun did.

So, when you think about it, Dong Eun used Hyun Nam for weeks and didn't even really fulfil her part of the deal. The drama tries to tell me that Dong Eun did because Hyun Nam's husband died, but she had no part in it.

I hate it here.

(And I'm almost done, I promise)

Seventh: Pick n' Mix (a.k.a. a collection of smaller stuff that annoys me)

It made no sense for Yeon Jin's mom to save the nametag because the only ones who might get hurt by her doing so were her daughter and herself. But of course she did it so that Dong Eun could use it for plot-convenient purposes later.

Why, exactly, couldn't Hyun Nam follow her daughter to the US? Her husband died in a car accident and no one suspects she might be involved. Why does everyone act as if it is now impossible for her to ever see her daughter again? Dong Eun has enough money to give her a plane ticket. I am genuinely confused.

How did Dong Eun know that Yeon Jin wasn't the one who dealt Myeong Oh the killing blow? Did she base that assumption on the fact that Gyeong Ran moved out of the storage space the day after? Because, ma'am, that could just as easily have been because Gyeong Ran witnessed the murder and fled. But no, turns out she was the actual murderer and Dong Eun apparently deduced this from some very telling fact I must have missed.

I know that Sa Ra was one of the villains and they were supposed to be punished, but to have a group of people film — possibly livestream — her as she's pleasuring herself while she's high as a kite made me nauseous. But that could be because I have triggers involving sexual abuse/violence and I don't enjoy watching anyone get that kind of "punishment."

The sheer number of unnecessary plotlines, like the whole thing with the teacher at her school. Did not need to be there. At all.

I was confused by the rather random inclusion of the supernatural in this drama. Not saying I'm necessarily against it, but it took me out of the experience to suddenly be told that, apparently, ghosts are real in this world and one of them just possessed and killed a shaman. Who knew?

Hye Jeong suddenly showing her naked boobs was completely unnecessary and added nothing — and I do mean nothing — to the plot, scene, or characterisation. It was a moment of nudity for shock value alone because omg bewbs!

Yeo Jung's mother stopping Dong Eun from committing suicide at the end by essentially emotionally blackmailing her because if Dong Eun dies, Yeo Jung will kill himself, too. Now, I obviously don't mind that Dong Eun was stopped — people with suicidal thoughts deserve all the help and compassion they can possibly get — but the way it was handled felt clumsy and insulting. And, admittedly, I didn't buy Dong Eun's desire to die. Which is a horrible thing to say, I know. I just mean that it felt forced and contrived for the plot — like something she had to do because the writer told her to. It was just a mess in general.

Related to that: Yeo Jung, sweetheart? Get therapy. Please don't decide to kill yourself because someone you know is also having those kinds of thoughts.

In conclusion:

Thanks, I hate it.

[spoiler-alert-andabunchofnumbers]

Let's talk about Tidus and Yuna, shall we?

As someone who enjoys FFX, this probably should have come a long time ago. Tidus and Yuna's characters in the original Final Fantasy 10 are excellent.

Tidus successfully portrays a seventeen-year-old boy in this fantasy situation - slightly annoying, slightly arrogant because of his famous father and his own famous Blitzball career, and utterly overwhelmed by being thrust into an entirely new world without knowing if he can go home.

While FFX tries to fake you out into thinking it's a time-travel story where he has been thrust 1000 years into the future, the city of Zanarkand is a physical location in Spira that just requires you to be made of pyreflies to enter (aka dead or a summon). This makes Tidus essentially a summon, which is an interesting theory for another day. This means Zanarkand is just a place that hasn't changed in 1000 years, likely in some infinite loop imagining and reimagining people who had once lived there - warping them slowly over time, but ultimately just trying to keep the city alive (which is how we got Tidus from Shuyin, I think, idk I really don't care for 10-2's plot). The fayth were trying to imagine what would happen if Zanarkand was never destroyed, but I think they simply would have started running out of ideas for new people who lived there, so it did end up looping old characters into slightly newer forms. Like fanfiction characters, honestly.

But it's so great to see Tidus's journey. He starts the game a confused outsider just trying to survive, someone who doesn't mind speaking up about how he feels and what he believes. His outsider perspective provides a means for the audience to be introduced to Spira's world building as well, and we also get to see an unbiased point of view to Yevon's religion - and not necessarily a disrespectful one. Tidus, though he doesn't preach Yevon as a devout follower for his entire life, still tries to make an effort to be respectful of the good parts. When Shelinda corrects him, "That's MAESTER Seymour, or LORD Seymour", he says "Sorry, I'll be careful."

He dashes into the Cloister of Trials to save the summoner who might be in danger, regardless of the rules or presincts, because he's got a childish outlook life and a good heart despite his many inital arrogant qualities. He wants the best outcome, he's willing to believe in doing the right thing even when it's hard, and yeah it's unrealistic at times, but it's a breath of fresh air for the people of Spira who live rather docile lives always in fear of Sin and dedicating themselves to the kindness of Yevon's teachings. He admits "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea" after he breaks the rules for the first time, and watching Yuna on her pilgrimage and how she interacts with the people who admire her for her father and her own summoner status allows Tidus to humble himself while still remaining fundamentally defiant to anything he doesn't agree is right - aka Yuna sacrificing herself.

Religion isn't always a bad thing, and FFX makes a point to emphasize this. The people of Spira are kind and respectful, banding together in the hard times and unting together to have hope. Yuna is initially a beacon of hope - all summoners are - making people smile and flock to her wherever she goes, and she gives people respect and encourages them to have faith not only in her, but in themselves as well. Even when she's branded a traitor, a significant number of people recognize Yuna's dedication to the people and immediately believe the next tale about it all being an evil Al-Bhed rumor.

Yevon's corruption is just a few people abusing their power, twisting a good message into a cult-like dedication. Wakka is the most notable case, but technically all of the characters go through a period of blindly believing in the teachings and Yevon and eventually finding their own path. Even Tidus, who didn't grow up believing in Yevon or knowing its teachings, finds that the people's way of life living in rightful fear of Sin has them NEEDING Yevon and the messages of kindness and compassion it preaches. Maybe they shouldn't believe in everything the Maesters say Yevon is, but he can understand the intentions behind it and how the regular, uncorrupt people just live their lives trying to be good.

Now that I think about it, the parallels between Yevon and Blitzball actually make a lot of sense - Blitzball is the entertainment people go to in order to forget about the fears of Sin, and Yevon is the religion people worship in an effort to band together and have hope against Sin. Huh. No wonder a Blitzball sign for victory became a religious thing.

Anyway, Wakka eventually apologizes! He recognizes that the Al-Bhed are just people. They don't believe in Yevon's ways BECAUSE they care, just from a different perspective. Just because they don't believe in Yevon doesn't mean they're savages, and when their Home is destroyed by merciless Guado, he hears them singing the Hymn of the Fayth to respect their fallen as well. Wakka admits he didn't want to hear anything he didn't agree with, that he was a jerk, and Cid agrees that he's hated Yevonites just for being Yevonites too.

Here's a Wakka glare just for our collective amusement.

Who were we talking about? Ah, Tidus.

Tidus is indeed a whiny character, childish, toeing the line between humor and annoyance. But he matures throughout the course of his journey, caring for the entire crew but Yuna especially. When they reach Zanarkand and learn the truth about the Final Summoning, Lulu tells him, "If you want everything, you'll end up with nothing," and he replies, "But I want everything!" His unwavering hope and optimism even when everyone is telling him it's impossible is necessary for the story, to tell the characters that yes, your sacrifices will be pretty and give temporary relief, and you'll be dead and martyred and remembered - but how can it be right? It's not.

From his basic, outsider, new perspective on this world he only just joined, it's not right. He didn't grow up with this being normal, so even in comparison to the Al-Bhed, he knows that it's not.

There's a saying somewhere that I forget the source, but basically it goes like "Children are raised to believe the world is good and fair but are outraged when they grow to learn it is not." Tidus asks what an ADULT would do, sacrificing a summoner and just moving on with their lives like it was fine to give one life for many, just happy it wasn't them. Adults are indoctrinated into a way of life and a way of thinking, and it's extremely hard to get people to change their minds - but not, as FFX proves, impossible. Both he and Yuna are still kids, kids who are still able to grow up to see the world for what it truly is.

Yuna was betrayed by Yevon, all her beliefs torn down and the hope she had placed on the system shattered. But she continued her pilgrimage. She dreamt of all the fun things she could do if she quit, knew that all of her friends and Guardians would accept her choice, but she knew she could never let it go. She stood up to the Ronso saying that she was fighting for the people, not the temples or Yevon - impressing Kelk Ronso who says she has an iron will that towers over Gagazette's peaks.

She has given her everything to this trip, but it's not fair. Just because it's the right thing to do doesn't mean it's right - and you need a character like Tidus to put his foot down and say no. Everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves, everyone is willing to be the one to die so that others can be happy. But it's not fair. It's not right to let anyone die, even if they're willing, even if it's one for many. It's a temporary fix, it's feeding an endless cycle of lies and false hope. It's not real.

But it is YUNA who ultimately makes the choice to say no. All this time, she's been insisting she keeps going despite both Rikku and Tidus's protests and desperate attempts to get her to change her mind. She's been the most resolute out of all of them to go through with this, but in the end, it's not Tidus or Rikku who kill Yunalesca before she can get the chance or present her a stirring enough argument or some alternative. No, it's Yuna who asks directly what the cycle of the Final Summoning and Sin mean, hearing that the hope they offer is false, and when asked who will be her fayth, everyone is silent, waiting for her answer - because it is Yuna'a choice, Yuna's pilgrimage, Yuna's story. And she says, "No one."

She would have gladly died for the people of Spira, but she is done. She isn't going to join into this cycle of death and lies. Her father chose to become a summoner and defeated Sin, but it was because he truly believed that it would make a difference. He died because he had hope, and maybe it was indeed false hope, but somewhere deep down, he really did want to find a way to stop Sin for good. He and Jecht went into that battle hoping that Jecht and Auron would find a way to break the cycle. And let's be honest, they did. Tidus and Yuna were brought up differently, but they end up seeing each other's sides of the story and agreeing on so many things. The people are worth fighting for even when they're being misled.

Yunalesca's argument is that sorrow will always exist, and false hope is all anyone can offer to soften the blow. But Yuna is ready to live with her sorrow and brave whatever comes from it. She will find her own hope, even without knowing there will be another way, and she knows she will conquer it. She proved it long before she reached Zanarkand, after enduring Yevon's betrayal; now her methods have changed, but her end goal is as resolute as it's always been. She's going to defeat Sin, and she's going to give people REAL hope, even when it's hard.

Yuna says no to Yunalesca. She joins in the fight to destroy the Final Summoning forever, and slowly she learns that she can function beyond Yevon's teachings. The team who made 10-2 seemed to think that Yuna needed to toughen up and become some kind of badass (which they failed at portraying, Yuna is an utter wreck in that game and let's not talk about how Rikku devolved), but she was already a freaking strong character! She stood up for herself the entire game as a strong-willed summoner willing to give her life for the cause, but she also stood up for herself by declaring she would LIVE. It's entirely in character for her, even when she's changing her mind and broadening her horizons. Yuna was the character who smiled even knowing she was on a long, slow journey that would end in her death, who was willing to do it if it would make others smile too. That is a strong character right there.

I do agree that she might not know what to do with her life now that she doesn't plan to die, but come on, don't make her into a wanna-be who tries to pretend like she doesn't care only to reveal yup she cares, what a pushover. Her caring nature is what makes her great to watch! Frustrating when she tries to do everything on her own with the Seymour thing, but entirely in character. Empowering when she makes her own choices and decides for herself. I don't know why she does nothing for two whole years during Eternal Calm but okay maybe I can see it. But for her to try doing a 180, respecting no one and no one respecting her even though she DEFEATED SIN was such a mistake. Plus the mini games in 10-2 are utterly atrocious. Anyway, tangent over.

But then the script has flipped at the end of 10. Tidus is the one that realizes Zanarkand is what Sin is protecting, that defeating Sin will make the whole city and everyone made from the dream disappear. He is the one who has to sacrifice himself for Sin to be defeated. Unlike summoners, however, Sin won't come back if he does this. He's grown across the journey just like Jecht did, following a summoner and learning what it means to want to give your life living in hope that it'll save everyone else.

Yuna has to sacrifice the Aeons she's forged her own bond with - which, remember, every summoner makes a unique bond with the aeons. She has to say goodbye to Auron, see Sir Jecht only one more time as he gives his life as an Aeon and uses the last of his power to give his sword for the final battles to fight on (did ya notice that?). Then, in the final tragic scene, Tidus becomes intangible and tries to say a cheerful goodbye, apologizing for not being able to show her Zanarkand like they had pondered when Yuna was dreaming of the things she'd do if she abandoned her pilgrimage and lived. Now, Yuna is the one having to say goodbye to the one sacrificing their life. The soft piano, the wailing of the colorful pyreflies as they disperse with all the dead, it's freaking beautiful man.

Yuna's final line hits hard too, her speech about how everyone has lost homes, dreams, and friends. They can build new homes and new dreams, even if they can't get back lost friends. "The people and the friends that we have lost...or the dreams that have faded...never forget them." Get it? Be...Because Tidus is a dream that faded? Anyway I'll just be crying in the corner over here don't mind me.

In the end, it's sort of understandable why Yuna just sits around in Besaid after the end of 10 during Eternal Calm. Maybe. Not only did she have no plans for her life after Sin was defeated (thinking she would be the one to die), but she lost her entire purpose in life AND she's reeling from the fact that even though she made the choice not to sacrifice herself just for everyone else's false hope, someone still had to give their life - Tidus. Someone still ended up dying for the cause, even after all she went through deciding to live.

The ONLY moments I actually respect Yuna from 10-2 is during the end, when Nooj volunteers a plan to give his life to win the battle (which was already stupid even before Yuna's speech because we're talking about an Unsent, Nooj your plan does nothing to stop someone who's already dead, idiot). Yuna's lines are extremely good and well voice acted too: "'We had no choice.' Always 'We had no choice.' Those are our magic words. We repeat them to ourselves again and again. But you know... The magic never worked! The only thing we're left with is regret. No. I don't want this anymore. I don't want friends to die...or fade away. I don't want battles where we have to lose in order to win."

It also demonstrates better than that stupid minigame how difficult it was for Yuna to have destroyed the aeons she had forged a bond with. What I'm saying is, fuck Beclem and everyone else who dares disrespect Yuna, summoners, and everything they went through. Even though that time and age in Spira might be over, that's NO reason to immediately scoff in the face of everything all those people went through - everything YUNA sacrificed and endured for the sake of these ungrateful whelps.

Both Tidus and Yuna were excellent protagonists of X, despite both of them having a lot of growing to do. In conclusion, let me make use of this fun poll feature if you made it this far down:

[louferrignojrofficial]

@ annoyed anon. sorry i answered this late, i’ve had a busy day today and i wanted to write a good response.

i’m so sorry someone would do that, someone did it to me and it genuinely pissed me off because i already knew my thing wasn’t the best i could have done and it made me feel worse. i’m not saying you did badly, but it’s shitty for people to say things like that for no reason. you’re right people don’t need to criticise. if people don’t have something nice to say, they shouldn’t say it!!! it’s literally one of the most basic things.

anyways. you asked how do i deal with it? i get angry at the person mostly. i vent to someone, and i try to move on. i remember multiple people tagged something i made saying ‘this should have included this’ and i felt so MAD. who the fuck are you to tell me what i should do??? why can’t you keep your opinions to yourself?

and yeah, i’m clearly still pissed. so i guess i don’t have sound advice. ☹️ but for the one person who criticises you, there’s always more people that praise you. that are happy with whatever you’ve made, who it brings joy when they see it, when they see it is by you. those are the people i make my things for, and of course, me. i make what i make because it makes me happy.

it’s easy to say ‘ignore them, ignore what they say, and just be happy with what you made’ but the negative comments do get you down. they make you doubt yourself and your talent and your abilities. they are annoying and give their unwanted negative opinions to ruin your whole perception of what you’ve made. but they aren’t worth anything. they don’t take away from the beauty of your creation.

also, the ignoring your humour thing- some people either don’t get it, or are just straight up annoying. that’s literally it. i totally get wanting to avoid confrontation, the internet is a place people can say whatever they want and be anonymous, but it does feel like a clique sometimes.

whoever this is about, if i were you, i’d consider blocking them, muting their url, something. maybe not actually do it, but the idea of it is nice sometimes.

and just remember, make what you make for YOU. and make sure you cherish all the people who reblog and leave nice comments and make you feel good. live in those feelings. that’s how i deal with it.

[internetgiraffekid1673]

I Had Miraculous Ladybug Thoughts, Specifically the Chloe Lila Alliance Situation, and I'm Making It Your Problem! I am So Sorry!

Just. Read the title of this post. I am the most biased person you could have on this topic. You've been warned.

Okay, so. Chloe. If you are in the ML fandom, first off, my condolences, we shall suffer together. Second off, you know that Chloe is incredibly divisive. On the one hand, she's an absolute a**hole to everyone around her at any point in the series that is not season 2 and parts of season 3. On the other hand, it is clear that she has no adults teaching her how to not be an a**hole or regulating her behavior because the only people who have the necessary authority should not have ever been parents.

And then you have that whole thing in season 2 where they started to explain her awfulness and gave her the bee miraculous and she started getting better and developing a support structure, and then she stopped being allowed to have the bee miraculous and dove headfirst off the deep end. This frustrates pretty much the entire fandom. On the Chloe hate side, you wonder why they were wasting time with this. On the Chloe love side, you just got baited, and you're annoyed as heck, and you also are wondering why they wasted your time with this.

But fine, okay, it's dumb, but whatever, the fanfiction can work with this. What the fanfiction has a MUCH harder time working with is Chloe and Lila forming an unholy alliance over their mutual hatred of Marinette and Ladybug. Because the problem here is, it's redundant, it doesn't make sense, and makes Lila even more of a Mary Sue.

Tangent warning: YEAH I SAID IT! I think Lila is a Mary Sue. You don't have to think that. My definition of a Mary Sue is "a character that warps the fabric of the story around them without it making any sense because the author likes/hates/pities/has other strong emotion about this character/ too much to care about a coherent narrative." Not everybody defines a Mary Sue this way, but by this definition, Lila is a Mary Sue. Everyone immediately loses their brain cells around her despite being compassionate and sometimes intelligent individuals who will kill for Marinette in most other scenarios. Nonsensical story warping just because the author said so. Tangent aside:

What this alliance does is it gives you two manipulative lying b*tches who willingly get akumatized to further their petty schemes and are out to destroy Marinette and Ladybug and are weirdly possessive of but don't actually seem to care for Adrien. There's really no point in having two. They occupy the same narrative niche and it is awkward and stupid and I DO NOT LIKE IT. Neither does most of the fandom it seems, because this alliance rarely appears in fanfiction.

There are a couple default solutions in fanfiction:

1. Redeem Chloe. I like this solution. I like Chloe, I think she's entertaining, and I think her interactions with other characters as a good guy are especially entertaining, I think she brings a lot of valuable skills and perspective to the cast as a good guy, I think she has a lot of reasons for being an a**hole that should be properly addressed, and I think the reasons her redemptipn arc got aborted were stupid. Most fanfiction goes the route of having redeemed Chloe viscerally hate Lila too, because Chloe goes after enemies with passion and her whole heart. This is a clean solution, but not great if you don't like Chloe all that much or are trying to make it canon compliant (best of luck to you, canon is all over the place).

2. Only focus on one as a villain and yeet the other out of the story. If Chloe is the villain, set the story during the time that Lila was off being Cerise or wandering around Paris or whatever, or before she showed up. If Lila is the villain, give Chloe an unrelated reason to decide she's not dealing with that today, thank you very much. Usually used in salt fics to dunk on whichever character grinds your gears more without unwanted interruptions. I like salt fics, and this is also a good clean solution. Having both of them is redundant, so just remove one. For Lila, it makes sense because she's a Mary Sue and writing her is annoying, so pretending she never existed is a great fix to that. For Chloe, it makes sense because "lying manipulative ladybug hating b*tch" only really starts being her archetype after the writers screwed up her character with a million inconsistincies. Before that, she was more of a "comically loud, bossy, really obssessive fangirl b*tch," so Lila just works better for certain plots. Downside is that you can't focus on Chloe-Lila interactions, and you sometimes have to do a bit of finagling to figure out how to remove them from a situation they would ordinarily be VERY invested in.

3. Make them hate each other. This is one of my favorite solutions because I have a weakness for villain rivalries that are equal parts comedic and dramatic, but bias aside, this absolutely works. They both want Adrien's sole, undivided attention, and, prior to aforementioned screwing over of Chloe's character, Chloe is the world's biggest Ladybug stan, and Lila is her number 1 hater. They also both have a weird power over the adults in the story that two 14 year old girls really shouldn't have. All these factors make it very easy to guess they would clash. Watch as they try to destroy each other! This plays into the "they both suck, but it's different flavors of suck," and makes those flavors mix BADLY together. The one downside is that it is hard to not make this the central focus of the story, because both of them are so over the top that they're absolutely going to drown out most other going ons, and this is technically supposed to be about Marinette and Adrien. It also erases some of the storylines you can get from an actually thought out alliance.

4. Redeem Lila. I have only seen this in one place, but it is a prominent place and that's more places than my suggestion on this whole ordeal. The prominent place being the Scarlet Lady AU by the very talented and lovely ZoeOneesame. Her take on it was basically:

"Chloe in this AU has the ladybug miraculous, and Chloe sucks at her job, so Lila's ladybug hatred is justified. Marinette is in love with Chat and isn't involved in the ladybug drama, so Lila has no reason to hate her. Adrien is both much smarter and much more active in this AU, so he wouldn't deal with Lila in the same hands-off way. Everybody else is also smarter in this AU and would probably know Lila was lying and also not care because they are forgiving and compassionate. So Lila's lies would most likely get called out, she would have the freedom and desire to figure out who she is beneath the lies, and she would have a justified hatred of Scarlet Lady matched by other characters in the AU, and would probably band together with them."

And thus, no filter, vindictive good guy Lila was born! Again, I have only seen this in Scarlet Lady, but it is amazing over there, so I had to talk about it. Redeeming Lila is an unconventional choice for sure, but I think if you arrange for circumstances where Lila would rather ally with the heroes than the villains, then you can get a lot of mileage out of her people-reading/manipulation skills helping out the heroes while possibly scaring the crap out of them at the same time. This has basically all the same downsides as the Chloe redemption though. It's not fun to do if you're here for Lila salt, and it's ABSOLUTELY not canon compliant.

Now. You may have noticed that nobody who writes fanfiction for this show does the canon Chloe-Lila alliance. This is for a myriad of aforementioned reasons: it's redundant, it continues the confusion of Chloe's character arc, and Lila is a Mary Sue, so anything that involves her tends to be frustrating. But, I think there is a way to make it work, so I'm writing about it.

First of all, don't do what canon did where 6 just have Lila teach Chloe how to lie. Take full advantage of the fact that they are two very different types of a**hole. They can ally for the same reasons: they both are super possesive of Adrien and are raging about him getting together with Marinette. And while I don't like the arc of Marinette being a trash and controlling guardian who shows inordinate favoritism to Alya and Zoe and literally nobody else because she's gay for them, you can still do that and have them both hate Ladybug too. I don't like that plot beat, mostly because it's never really addressed that Marinette is in fact a bad guardian outside of some light sulking from Chat, but it can work. She's a 14 year old girl in way over her head with no adults left to help (except the kwamis, but they don't really count because they are very unhelpful). It makes sense that she wouldn't do a good job at first. But whatever their reasons for teaming up, lean into the fact that Lila is a two-faced secretively awful person while Chloe is an in-your-face publicly awful person. From there, it depends on the tone you're going for.

Chloe is a great villain for humor because she's so loud and dramatic. She can get away with saying and doing really insane and rude stuff on the grounds that she's insane and rude (and also rich and powerful). People don't have any expectations for Chloe to be nice or rational, so she can do stuff like try and write a Queen Banana character into the class film and be met with annoyance and frustration rather than outrage and shock. So if you're going a lighthearted route, let Chloe be the one who does all the public legwork for their schemes, and let her be absolutely over the top about it.

On the other hand, Chloe can also be threatening in a far more tangible way than Lila. Lila can make people think you're a bit of a jerk, but it takes a lot of work for her to come close to getting Marinette expelled, even with all her Mary Sueness to help. Chloe can just look at the principal and say "My dad will fire you and remove all school funding if you don't expel her." Chloe won't make people dislike Marinette because nobody likes her, but she can physically hurt Marinette in ways that Lila can't. So if you're going for drama, you can lean into that. Chloe is in a completely different social class than everyone else and has actual power.

Either way, let Chloe be a complete drama queen who is publicly out to get Marinette, because there isn't anything anyone can do about it.

Meanwhile, let Lila work in the background. Lila has never been a comedic villain, only getting introduced after the show had taken a turn for the more dramatic, so don't bother. Leave that to Chloe's antics. Let Lila be the actual threat who is driving their plans. A lot of the reason Chloe was manageable while Lila never was is because Chloe's rage tends to be directionless and impulsive. She has a short temper that can easily be triggered, but also easily soothed, and she doesn't have any thought out plans or long form schemes. She just does whatever she thinks will make her happy in the moment. Have Lila be the one who convinces her to think in the long-term, and who comes up with an overarching plot to get rid of Marinette, adding a sense of real tension to the situation. Sure, before Chloe could have you expelled on a whim, but she also would have stopped bothering the second Adrien paid attention to her. Lila will help Chloe drop that boundary.

Lila also has the advantage of people actually liking her and being willing to do things for her without threatening or bribing them. Lila can do things like make it so Marinette doesn't have any of her friends around to help in an emergency. She can make it so people believe Chloe might actually be justified in her crusade against Marinette this time. She can plant seeds of doubt and distrust and she can socially isolate Marinette in ways Chloe can't. Make people love and believe in her instead, slowly destroy Marinette's support system, and so on. It not only is really dramatic and upsetting, it basically leaves Mari with just Adrien and Chat to rely on, which is FANTASTIC ship fuel if that's your jam. This can also let you have some other prominent characters come to the fore. Have some Kagami focus. Have some Luka focus. Bring in Socqueline and Felix and see how that changes things.

Point is, between these two, you could have a genuine, non-redundant threat that you can get emotional mileage out of. Lila is on one side turning all of Mari's friends against her and scheming to destroy her in the long term. Chloe is on the other side threatening Marinette's lifestyle---her bakery, her school, her fashion career, her public image, her existence in Paris---anything that can be damaged by the Mayor and the Style Queen is under attack. And then you have Hawkmoth on the other end, throwing akumas in her face and forcing her to make impossible choices. I would imagine Lila also gets akumatized on purpose whenever she needs a little extra help, while Chloe just gets egged on and pushed off the deep end by Lila whenever Lila thinks it'd be advantageous. So that trifecta is super genuinely threatening. But you can also have Chloe being a really stupid drama queen whose fits of rage can still be silly and poorly thought out, even with Lila helping her. And you can have some really heartwarming stuff as the people left in Marinette's support system band together and become even closer to get rid of these two once and for all. I just think this plot beat has a lot of untapped potential if the writers didn't make then fulfill the same narrative role, and I haven't really seen it explored yet.

Feel free to use this idea in fanfic, tell me that it sucks and would be bad, or ignore me, I mostly just needed to write this down!

If the mood strikes me or multiple people express interest (yeah right), I will make a (probably much shorter) post explaining how you can redeem both of them effectively and also why I think that would be bad in most circumstances.

Congratulations if you read this whole rant, now please go to sleep. Please. So much please.

[balladoffairytales]

I really like how the pjo tv show built up Poseidon's character. From the very first episode to he actually shows up on screen in episodes 7 and 8, we hear a lot of conflicting information about him. The show does a good job balancing between validating Percy's deadbeat dad feelings and setting Poseidon up to be an actually good person, so that when he surrenders to save Percy's life it doesn't surprise anyone.

We first hear about Poseidon from Sally. In her whole telling Percy his dad is a god speech she describes him as wise, brave, kind and noble. all good things. We then get Medusa who at first seem to be corroborating, she says "he told me he loved me, I felt as though he saw me in a way i had never felt seen before". Before she switches it up and calls him a monster. A thing to note here is that Percy defends Poseidon here he says "my mom never talked about my dad that way".

Then we have the arch and the Nereid, which is the first time Poseidon directly intervenes to save Percy's life and at the same time sends someone to talk to him. While we do not get the whole conversation we do hear that Poseidon does care about Percy and is proud of him. And next episode we learn that Poseidon does want to meet Percy and help him. Its also here Percy's feelings toward Poseidon change from bad to good.

But its also the episode where Ares says Poseidon loses interest in his kids and stop caring about them. Then we get Hermes and his parenting speech and them missing the deadline. and we meet the Nereid again (or another one?) who again talking on behalf of Poseidon says he is proud and it isn't Percy's fault he failed and tries to get him to get back to camp where its safe.

At the end of this its leaning pretty heavily toward Poseidon being a good person now, but because of all the negativity thats been thrown around. it isn't until he shows up in the flashback scene that that gets firmly established. I really thought before then that the first we would see of Poseidon would be on Olympus but im really happy to be wrong because this set things up in a really nice way for it all to culminate on Olympus in the finale.

[itsmiyamore]

tell us about your cd collection!!! :3 which are your favs?? which were the ones you fought tooth and nail to get??

OH BOY Koi beloved I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into but if you insist I will oblige 👹👹

OK so the CD collection started in 2021 when Maisie Peters released her debut album YSUFT and I wanted some merch, but it only came in bundles, so I ended up acquiring 2 CDs of the album that way. About half a year later, I went into Half Price Books (a second hand book/record store) and hit the jackpot with 4 Taylor Swift CDs! I was just getting fully into Taylor's music and I thought it would be fun to try and collect CDs from her other albums!

Now at this point I have 6 CDs and no way to play them, they're just on display, so that Christmas my parents got me a CD player and that honestly just fueled my fixation lol. I went from "1 CD from each album" to "the standard edition, deluxe edition, and rerecorded edition of each album" (Taylor Swift). I also figured I might as well collect CDs of other albums I like as well, which is how I can to aquire SOUR, GUTS, emails I can't send, and a random classical music CD i bought from a lady I took a masterclass with (Zoya Shuhatovich).

When Maisie released her sophomore album, naturally I bought the standard CD + 2 of the collectors editions CDs. However, one of the collectors CDs came in wrong (there were 3 editions and they sent the wrong one) and I couldn't buy the one I wanted bc it was sold out. I tried like 3 times from a different website but I got THE SAME WRONG ONE EACH TIME and recently she released a 1 year anniversary merch drop and now the CD is sold out on that website too (but I'm kind of convinced it was sold out to begin with and mislabelled). So to answer your second question that would be my answer. Another answer would be Tortured Poets Department! I was in line when she first announced it and snagged a Manuscript Collector's Edition haha. I snagged the other collector's editions too but this was by far the hardest one I was in line for like an HOUR.

With Taylor's most recent albums, she's been doing like 4+ variations of each album and I am crazy and buy most of the variations so I have 5 Midnights variations, the 4 deluxe versions of 1989 TV (I didn't buy the Target ones) and the 4 collectors editions of Tortured Poets Department (also didn't buy the Target ones). I try to limit myself by only having 1 CD per cover art lol

During this year's Record Store Day, Maisie released a deluxe vinyl and of course I wanted it SO BAD so I went and I ended up also buying the Olivia Rodrigo/Noah Kahan RSD vinyl, a standard emails I can't send vinyl, and The Tortured Poets Department Bolter edition vinyl. I also already had a vinyl of Maisie's sophomore album bc that cover didn't have a CD version but I did not intend to end up with so many 😭 I wanted the Sabrina RSD Feather vinyl but they were sold out in my whole city :( I regret not asking about a Chappell one since it was before she got huge after those festivals and I might've had a chance 😔

But anyway, now I have 6 vinyls and no vinyl player, so I buy one for 20 bucks at a flea market (it works) and now I also have an Espresso vinyl, I preordered a Please Please Please vinyl, and also preordered 2 picture disks of Short n' Sweet (the standard picture disk and the Spotify exclusive one)

My fav CDs are my signed Maisie one (she wished me a happy birthday), my YSUFT CD (bc it was my first), and then probably emails I can't send (bc I just like the album lol). My fav vinyls are my two Maisie ones, one bc it was my first RSD buy and the other bc it's signed. They're both also really pretty.

The price of each CD has varied, I've bought some off eBay for less than 10 bucks and some for more than 20. I'm currently looking into an emails I can't send fwd Japan exclusive CD that's about $30 and I'm sooo close to buying it but I kinda don't have a job rn and I preordered a lot of Sabrina records sjxnjsjdns

Unfortunately, I was stupid during the Midnight release, and when she released signed versions I didn't buy one "because I already bought that version and it wasn't my favorite" and I cannot tell you how much I beat myself up for it bc now it's literally impossible to get a signed Taylor CD. I also missed the sale for signed Sabrina CDs by like 10 minutes and they were all sold out. I didn't buy a signed YSUFT CD bc I wasn't used to online shopping and was scared to, but I did get the signed TGW CD and she wished me a happy birthday teehee

I have a bunch of other signed merch (mostly Maisie) in form of posters, art cards, and T-shirts lol but that's a separate post

So yeah! That's my CD collection :) I will reblog this with a picture of what it looks like currently! (Or a video if that's what I find instead)

[probablyfunrpgideas]

Idea: A lighthearted oneshot where the players interact with low level minions, like kobolds! However, if they purposefully kill a minion, then all the minions will attack the party, except for one, who lets out a wail of despair and runs off. Turns out, the minions have a similar relationship structure to humans, and you just killed that one's significant other! So the party follows the minion, barely missing them each time due to encounters with strange creatures. Then, when they catch up to the minion, they see them as they finish a ritual with an effigy that looks extremely out of place, yet looks oddly familiar to the party... And then the DM swaps bodies with the minion, so they have to reverse the ritual and make sure the DM survives. Though they do have to wait through a bit of monologuing until they find out, and they might kill the DM themselves before they find out... and that's when you (the actual real DM) ask how to contact the authorities, and when you find out, you threaten to call the cops on your players for murder I they don't revive the DM quickly. And then if they don't you fake calling the police.

Thanks @dartp for the submitted idea! You know, I haven’t ever tried to swap bodies with an NPC. Maybe I haven’t played Dungeons & Dragons long enough to learn real magic.

[ceneunderscore]

I really think abjurers are unfairly maligned. A lot of it is probably residual disdain from Tsukinogi being bad on launch (at least I think that was a thing, I wasn’t playing when she came out) but I still feel like they’re just generally misunderstood. It’s understandable when their role on the team is somewhat muddy considering their dual nature, but in using them extensively on an account that isn’t allowed medics I’ve come to understand them and how best to utilize the strengths they bring.

First of all, the elephant in the room: sanctuary. I honestly don’t disagree with the sentiment that it’s not a very effective mitigation tool. I myself hardly even notice it, though I will admit I haven’t really gotten to play around with the main skills that enhance it’s capabilities very much, since I just barely e2′d 9CD and only got Tsukinogi recently and haven’t had the time to build her. generally, I would consider it a bonus minor effect instead of the main reason you would deploy an abjurer. it’s unfortunate it usurps the position of the operator’s talent like the musha guard ASPD thing, but there’s not much I can do about that except silently pine for a rework that includes it in their branch trait. At the end of the day, it does more than nothing at least, but it’s definitely the weakest aspect of the branch.

Where I think abjurers shine is in fact as your team’s main source of healing. a misconception that I used to fall under, and I’m sure others do as well, is that you need healing out all the time. It certainly feels safer to have S1 Warfarin tucked neatly behind Hoshiguma or something, but when the mission ends and that defender never even approached the health threshold to need the bonus heal from Warf, not much was really gained there (except for the battery potential but that’s a different thing). Simply put, a big chunk of the game does not have enough constant and threatening damage to require full time medic coverage, which is where abjurers come in. you get a handy dandy little friend pinging targets for some bonus arts damage, and then when your blockers are looking a bit scraped up, you switch em on and you’re good to go.

Abjurers are good healers too. It might seem that with them only healing for 75% of their attack, they’d perform poorly, but I’ve certainly found the contrary to be true. Their initial attack values are on par with the lower half of medic medics, and most of their skills either increase their attack or ASPD, mitigating the penalty entirely. There’s another thing, by the way: attack speed. All medics (except incantation medics) have a default attack interval of 2.85 seconds, which is on the slow side of things, up there with besiegers and splash casters. our little Abjurer buddies, on the other hand have an interval of 1.6 seconds, just like their more offensive-focused older siblings the hexers (and also incantation medics, conveniently). This lets them put out small bits of healing much faster, which is definitely preferable in some situations. One final point on their healing effectiveness is their range. just like with therapist and wandering medics, those extra tiles can really open up some maps to placements you never would’ve been able to cover with a single healer, leaving a slot open for another dps unit or something.

Now that I’ve given my thoughts in broad strokes, let’s talk about each one of them and their strengths.

first: Tsukinogi. While I do love her equally among her sisters, I must admit that she’s the worst of the three. you all know what I’m getting at here, say it with me: bad skill cycles. they really hamper her cycling ability, often requiring you to rely on another abjurer to cover the time she can’t. However, don’t let that take away from the fact that what she does bring to the table is quite valuable. S1 gives dodge. Dodge is both funny and stackable, and one of the better defensive effects in the game which really helps out in tense moments. Additionally, her decloak is just as valuable as it is on the other units that offer it, which is to say situational but pretty good. hers lasts quite awhile and covers area nearly as good as Scene can, so it’s quite nice to have. Her S2 does the best of any of the abjurers at making the sanctuary effect truly powerful, and I haven’t really gotten the chance to truly explore the depths of what that entails. what I will definitely say about this skill is that regen effects are awesome and pair really well with huge chunky healthbars that don’t need too much upkeep. for me and my niche account this is mostly just ling summons, but most defenders could really use this treatment.

Nine-Colored Deer is certainly the simplest of the bunch, but I don’t think it’s to her detriment. Her S1 has a really useful skill cycle that allows it to be there when you need it but not overstay its welcome and waste a bunch of uptime on a field of full health operators. The actual effect of the skill, while boring, is certainly potent. Her S2 requires a bit of forethought if you’re going to use it properly, that being that you place her down last so that she actually gets shot at. This could potentially require you bring a bard or something to keep her topped up during her offtime, but that’s perfectly fine and will help your other ops too. The uptime isn’t the greatest and it’s unfortunate that you need to M1 it to make it viable but like, can’t win em all. oh also ASPD is awesome. Also also, Nines is really loud for some reason, all of her attack sounds are very noisy. I kinda like it though.

Finally, Quercus. If you couldn’t tell, I’m arranging these worst to best. First of all, her talent applies at high health rather than low, which is certainly more useful overall since it’ll never not have some sort of effect. her S1 literally just makes her a medic, and it’s quite nice. If you can actually use a normal medic, this skill is quite weak, since all you’re really gaining is four extra tiles of range where you could be getting any number of effects on top of healing all the time. the biggest thing I’ll give this one (for the average player at least, not me with my weird account) is that the skill animation is the silliest shit. no flashy lights, no big animation, she just puts the staff in the other hand. It’s great. Her S2, however, is the pinnacle of the class’s capability. It has the shortest skill cycle of any of their skills, which is really nice to have. The ASPD she gains is even better, allowing for some really potent healing, especially considering she’s got the highest attack of the three. But it’s the SP. Her battery potential is so much fun to use, especially when you use it to battery other abjurers. Use Quercus to get S1 9CD back in action way faster, and then Nines can cover the healing for the entirety of Quercus’s skill charge. It’s real nice. Plus, putting SP into your damage units is literally never not a good thing.

Look at the end of the day? are they gonna perform like a top tier medic? No, of course not. There’s no way two weird deer and a funny cat are gonna stand up to the followers or Warf or Lumen or Ptilo or any other super strong medic, but honestly, do you really always need all of those strong medics? Maybe not. Give em a try, test em out, see if you like em and maybe an abjurer will find a place on your team and spruce up your day. or not, It’s your account. Have fun!

[heroictoonz]

I want. To use the men’s bathroom so bad.

It’s like, almost silly how much this weighs on my mind. Like honestly I think I’d be chill to just pick a bathroom based on cleanliness not on gender. Like it’s not that important I just gotta piss, you know?

But sometimes when I’m out with friends wearing a binder and all jeans hoodies and snap backs I look longingly at the men’s room. Sometimes I even reach for the handle but I stop myself. Cause like? What if there’s actual people in there? What happens then? What if they try to tell me I’m in the wrong bathroom thinking it was an honest mistake? What if they Know and something Worse happens?

But then when I’m at work where everyone he/hims me and I wear pants instead of skirts and dresses like the other girls/fem presenting coworkers, and have he/him on my name tag what if people see me in the women’s room. What then? Why would I, a man, who uses masculine terms openly, be in the woman’s bathroom?

I don’t wear a binder at work cause my breasts are too big and I already have to stand and deal with frustrations for eight hours I don’t want uncomfortable chest compression on top of that. I like wearing my binder. Some days it’s a comforting feeling. But I’m still autistic and I still struggle with textures and sensations that will randomly just send the signal of BAD to my brain. And I don’t wanna deal with that.

And even when I’m wearing my binder, I like skirts. I like heels and bows in my hair and pretty jewelry. Even with a flattened chest how can I walk into any bathroom.

I live in a blue state right now but that wasn’t always the case. I use to live in NC and I was so used to hearing stuff about the bathroom bill. When I was a kid, not even in highschool, I still to this day remember our local news reporting how a trans woman was beat within an inch of her life for going to the McDonald’s bathroom. I remember the next few times, long before I even knew I was trans or even gay, going to McDonalds with my mom and grandma and looking at the bathrooms like they would rear back and bite me if I got too close.

People always try to help my fears with the words “it’s a blue state”. Which, does help some. But not enough to really break me from whatever fucked up fear I have of just being a man. The first time a guest at work asked me about why I had pronouns on my name tag I remember I laughed it off. I told my friends like haha what a weirdo. But in the moment I was so scared. I felt like I was about to cry.

It’s pride month and I’m 24 and I own a binder and everyone in my work and personal life refers to me as a man and I’m away from my family in a blue state where I can be free and honest and true to myself. So then why the hell do I still feel like I’m lying? Why do I still feel trapped between a rock and a hard place?

Why do I feel like I’m doing something wrong when I walk into a women’s bathroom but then freeze like a deer in headlights when I reach for the men’s room.

[spoiler-alert-andabunchofnumbers]

Look, I love the Castlevania series and the Netflix adaptation made 3 great seasons ("Um there are 4 seasons" LIKE I SAID, 3 GREAT SEASONS), but we have got to talk about how disappointing it is that the main trio never met or even knew the existence of Hector and Isaac - or honestly, that entire half of the plot. I will forever find it weird that the show set up two related but never intersecting plot threads (and arguably a third, go figure during the worst season).

It's sweet and empowering that both of them found their own ways to live before and after Dracula's death, with Isaac being a total badass and even progressing to a better person despite seeing how unfair, cruel, and rude the world is - to the point that he defeats Carmilla not JUST because she was partly responsible for Dracula's death but because he actually wanted to make the world a better place. But even though Isaac could arguably be founding an entire empire and generation of peace, he and Hector don't even seem to know about Alucard's existence or contributions, let alone Trevor and Sypha.

We can debate Hector and Lenore's fucked up relationship all day, but in the end the two of them DID end up bonding through all the lies and deceit. They were able to actually talk to one another and have the other listen; in the end, both of them were just born in different worlds on different sides. Lenore genuinely seemed to want to settle things peacefully, but she got left behind in a world that valued only overwhelming strength; she decides she can't live as a prisoner even though Hector was no doubt stronger than her for enduring his own imprisonment and subjugation, but I think Lenore was already on her way to losing herself. Despite what she did to Hector, she wanted to at least believe she understood him; even though she was a sympathetic vampire, she still believed knowing enough to control someone was the only way they could be friends - so when it turns out Hector was plotting the downfall of Carmilla and her buddies, unfortunate Lenore had to be betrayed as well. Even if Hector wanted her to live, she was a living contradiction. A vampire who is physically very strong and intimidating, but a woman who other male vampires have looked down upon, and even male humans. A creature who feeds on humans, but one who wants to settle things peacefully. She absolutely had a role in Carmilla's gang of women just surviving, but in Carmilla's mad conquest, she was useless at best and a hindrance at worst.

In the end, Lenore was one of the few vampires that might have been sympathetic to the human side of the argument, but she physically couldn't live like that. I believed Lenore genuinely wasn't capable of turning her whole worldview upside down and aiding humanity in any way - being beneath them. Dracula opened himself up to one human and it destroyed him; he saved Hector and Isaac, but he also sacrificed himself and forced Isaac away, that was the extent of his personal affairs with them. I think it's fundamentally difficult for vampires to adopt human ideologies and empathy, making Alucard the only vampire ally we really have in the series - because he's only half. Unlike Alucard, she is a full vampire. She has a divide that she can't just bridge like he can.

Imagine if Alucard got to meet the only other humans beside his mother who genuinely looked up to and cared about his father. What would Isaac and Hector have to say to the son of the man they had admired and then lost as well? Imagine Alucard meeting another human who may have even fallen in love with a vampire, but who understands how far their worlds pulled each other apart. Or maybe Sypha can relate to having her eyes opened to a world outside her Speaker family. Imagine a discussion with Lenore about what it means to be caught between wanting to make peace with humans and knowing how much harm they cause - her actually getting a sympathetic vampire perspective from someone like Alucard who wouldn't look down on her.

Imagine the tension that could come from Trevor meeting a Forgemaster, Isaac trying to explain his control over Night Creatures and his ability to even make them fight for a sympathetic cause. Both Isaac and Trevor have experience being the outcasts, understanding how awful humans can be, but they both found their way to still fighting for the right thing. Trevor understands why killing Dracula's wife would make him want to purge the world in retribution, but he still knows humans are worth fighting for. Isaac fully abandoned his faith in humanity and believed in Dracula completely, and even THEN he managed to find the good amongst the rabble. Is it right to make Night Creatures from the dead, even if they were bad people? Even if it's to champion a good cause? Even if Hector and Isaac have full control over them without a potential for any sort of rebellion?

What I'm saying is, I love the idea of a new Castlevania series, but nothing will beat the OG season 1 and 2, and season 3 should have been answering questions and tying up loose ends - not going off on at least 3, 4 tangents that were just meant to come out of nowhere and make things shitty again after our happy ending and I guess they're kinda related but not really, so now we can fix the new shitty stuff and have ANOTHER happy ending and avoid showing anything resembling resolutions, just teaser after teaser for the fanfics to finish up.

Anyway so I'm going to the fanfics and if I don't come back, tell the Final Fantasy rants I love them-

[gildedcaqes]

🍍🍒🍐🍊🥝

Very long post, under readmore.

🍍  :    how comfortable is my muse in their body?  how do they feel about their height,  weight,  strength,  and body type?  how important is being attractive to them?  

Char:

He's considerably comfortable with himself in terms of whether or not he finds himself attractive. Such a thing is important to him—arguably one of his most favored traits. If he had one complaint about himself, it would be his almost required usage of his mobility aids. He doesn't necessarily find it unattractive to be disabled - but signs of weakness aren't favored.

Kamille:

Decently comfortable with his body. Being trans gave him trouble as a kid, but he finds himself content with how he looks now. The hormones did their job, and he's not very bothered by himself in the present day. Being attractive is unimportant to him. For the most part, he seems a bit put off when people compliment his appearance...

Amuro:

Amuro, point blank, hates himself. It's not that he's really bothered by how he looks, or his body type—truthfully, he couldn't care less about that. It's the scars. The constant reminders of what he's gone through. He hates the idea of someone finding him attractive, he doesn't care about the concept at all.

Banagher:

He doesn't think about his body much, he doesn't care for it. Doesn't feel connected to it. Being attractive is the lowest priority on his list. Audrey likes him... that's all he cares for.

🍒  :    how much does my muse value companionship?  do they constantly keep people around them,  or do they prefer to be alone often?  do they have or desire to have many friends?  do they see every meeting as an opportunity to make a new friend?  

Char:

Char doesn't exactly value platonic companionship. He hates being alone, and will take anything just to keep people around him—but his true ideal is romantic company. He takes every opportunity to sway someone to stay with him. The only non-romantic companions he cares for are Kamille, Amuro and Banagher - his unhealthy obsessions go beyond descriptors.

Kamille:

Kamille is terrified of companionship. Everyone he's ever known or gotten close to is dead or a horrible person—he's not even aware Amuro is alive. He has a fear of getting close to people, because he worries that he'll wake up one day and they'll be dead—or having been ripped away from him again.

Amuro:

Amuro refuses to get close to anyone again. There's a reason why his house is barricaded so strongly—he'll be damned if he lets anyone in. It's unclear if this is because he's afraid of his companions not living long, or if it's because he knows he won't.

Banagher:

Banagher loves company—a bit too much. He tends to be a little too trusting, to quick to get attached. It seems like his response to loss is to quickly replace what's been taken from him, despite how unhealthy that might be. He loves his family. He loves his friends. Everyone is a friend to him—no matter what they've done. (To his detriment.)

🍐  :    how intelligent is my muse overall?  are they smarter than the average person,  or less than?  are they primarily self-taught,  or did they acquire most of their knowledge in school?  are they more street smart or book smart?  

Char:

Everything he knows was taught to him by Jimba Ral, or learned in the Zeon academy. He's book smart—but it could truly be argued that his street smarts are more prevalent in his behavior. His intelligence could technically be measured as above average due to his combat and tactical skills.

Amuro:

Undoubtedly above average intelligence. Having graduated at 16 kind of solidifies you as an intelligent person, but he's so humble and casual about this that he doesn't really come off that way—unless you've mentioned a topic he's particularly interested in, and he starts info dumping. His general knowledge was mostly gained from going through school—but his more advanced robotics knowledge is either mirrored from copying his dad's work, or self taught.

Kamille:

Despite his awful tendency to skip class, he could also be considered above average intelligence. He's smart, but only book wise. His street smarts—survival instincts and decision making skills—weren't really the best growing up. Though, perhaps that's changed now that he's constantly in survival mode.

Banagher:

Jumping grades and being in your second year of college at 18 is self explanatory—just like his dad, he's designing mobile suits as a hobby like it's a normal thing to do. He's a robotics kid—and compared to his book smarts... his "street smarts" aren't that great. He doesn't have the best instincts.

🍊  :    does my muse desire romance?  is it something they would actively seek out,  or prefer to happen more  ‘  naturally?  ’  what is their love life like?  do they have any exes or past flings,  or crushes?  

Char:

It's literally almost all he cares about. He's not one for "natural" romance, unfortunately. Most of his relationships are artificially generated through his toxic charisma, or just straight up taking hostages. He has plenty exes. (real) Char Aznable, Garma Zabi, Reccoa Londe, Margaret Ring Blair, Lalah Sune—he has far too many. He's bisexual. In denial. Really hard denial.

Amuro:

He's terrified of romance. It's Char's fault, really—he's terrified of most, if not all personal interactions as a result of his treatment, and romance is the worst of it. Almost everyone he's ever been interested in has been the subject of a threat from Char. He doesn't have many exes. Lalah doesn't count, she was more of a fleeting crush because he didn't know her well or long enough. Fraw Bow, potentially, and he had a huge crush on Kai for some reason—but Beltorchika Irma was his only real relationship. He's bisexual with a lean to men.

Kamille:

He's been horrified of romance since his fiancé, Banagher's other father, died. Growing up, he had a deep love for Fa Yuiry. One could argue that love is still alive today, and they were both aware that they felt for each other romantically - but moves were never made out of respect for Kamille's late partner. Convinced that she's dead as a result of Full Frontal manipulating him out of any reason to escape, he regrets never telling her that he loved her. He's bisexual with no lean.

Banagher:

His first relationship was with Audrey Burne—Mineva Lao Zabi. They're still together today, but he's incredibly unsure about the concept of romance—and he hasn't seen her in forever, anyway, because of Char... He also has a slight crush on Marida Cruz. Romance isn't something he really seeks out - but if it happens, it happens. He's bisexual with a lean toward women.

🥝  :    does my muse have any  ‘  unusual  ’  habits,  interests,  and  /  or talents?  do they hide it,  or are they proud of it?  

Char:

He doesn't really have any "unusual" habits or interests—unless you count torture and being obsessed with the same two men, one for the past 17 years of his life, and the other for the past ten? Or the woman he's been obsessed with for the past ten years as well? ...No, he doesn't think he's into anything unusual.

Amuro:

He's had a fixation on "vintage" and gas powered cars for a while, perhaps that might be considered unusual? Or maybe his knife collection? He has an apron collection, as well. He doesn't really hide, most of these things—mostly because no one ever sees the inside of his house. Amuro also has a slightly off-putting fixation with having mostly white furniture. He sleeps with knives and various weapons for protection - most of his paranoid tendencies could be categorized as strange.

Kamille:

Some of his stims from Gryps still remain. For example, he definitely still meows—but it's much quieter and less frequent than it was when he was in his 20s and had less of a bearing on himself. Nowadays, he has stranger sensory habits. He doesn't bite his nails anymore, unless in times of extreme stress—but he does have a habit of playing with the still-warm wax of his candles after he puts them out. He can't feel it. Even if it was hot, he has no pain receptors. He really only does it because it's an interesting texture. He doesn't hide any of it. Why should he? Fuck it, he has nothing left to lose.

Banagher:

He has a habit of... making himself dissociate. He'll stare off into walls in silence on purpose sometimes. It's a stress habit—he usually does it when he's stuck on the Rewloola, and is getting too stressed about his surroundings - or when Bright Noa is talking a little too much about Kamille Bidan and Amuro Ray during his weekly check-ins, and his head starts hurting.

[spoiler-alert-andabunchofnumbers]

Not to mention Jin Ling then trying to turn all of his hatred onto Wen Ning afterwards. He's a kid who's been reminded of his parents' deaths with every breath he takes, only having stories about them and being fed Jiang Cheng's unhinged hatred for all the love that was lost. If Wei Wuxian turned out to not be the monster he thought he was, then he...he has to hate someone else!

But then Wen Ning turns out to be even MORE gentle than Wei Wuxian, filled with guilt for what happened, flinging himself in front of Lan Sizhui and saying "I won't fight back, get your anger out on me if it'll put you at ease!"

That scene had me crying too yo. Everyone rallies behind Lan Sizhui and calls Jin Ling out for being too aggressive - no one takes his side, no one understands how much he's been affected by his life. Jiang Cheng's solution is to tell him to get angry, but now that's just turned all of his peers against him and calling him violent and unreasonable. So he just breaks down sobbing saying "Yes, I'm a horrible person!" even though NONE of what happened is his fault and he has a right to be angry and trying to find an outlet for his emotion. He just doesn't know HOW. No one ever taught him, everyone ridicules him for crying and distances themselves from his anger. People treat him delicately yet say he needs to toughen up.

I think the worst part is that Wei Wuxian's first scathing (accidental) comment, "Your mother never taught you any manners" is kinda really true. He never had a mother to teach him to express himself, to support him and be vulnerable with him. We joke about how many uncles Jin Ling has but I mean how many AUNTS does he have? How many mother figures does he have? Qin Su is basically traumatized by the death of Jin Rusong so is maybe not the motherly type. Nie Huisang, Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng - unmarried, unmarried, unmarried.

Wei Wuxian is really the first one to A: tell Jin Ling to get over himself and doesn't treat him like some untouchable young master who no one has the right to lord over, B: openly admits when he's sorry and apologizes and teaches Jin Ling the concept of emotional vulnerability, C: stands by Jin Ling's side to teach him to be himself rather than scolding or threatening or guilting him to fit in better. The fact that Wei Wuxian is NOT a woman may even be better because Jin Ling is seeing that men don't have to fit into the unyielding mold of tough guys but can still have fun without being a pushover.

Jin Ling is such a tragedy because there really is no one left to blame. It's not that easy. Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning are responsible, but they're not maniacal villains laughing at the top of a mountain without a care in the world for the consequences. They cared, they had family who were lost, they suffered before and don't want anyone to suffer again - they hate themselves just as much for their part in what happened.

Even Jin Guangyao is such a complicated case for Jin Ling. It's the uncle who was always nice to him, who gave him his spirit dog, who was always putting on a smile. In comparison to Jiang Cheng, Jin Guangyao was a lifeline. And then Jin Guangyao turns out to be a villain who doesn't bat an eye at killing and threatening...but who also didn't WANT these bad things to be "necessary." He too was wronged by the world and lashed out at its unfairness.

This fifteen year old kid has gone through so much, simultaneously pampered into a spoiled brat and utterly isolated from his peers, filled with vengeance for his entire life but also trying to love and be loved. He learned from Jiang Cheng to pretend to be above it all, and he learned from Jin Guangyao to be kind and forgive, but all of it was lies and unhealthy coping. Jiang Cheng essentially taught him to argue with anyone who disagrees with him or looks down on him to assert his dominance, and Jin Guangyao taught him to suppress his desire to speak his mind and never start fights because of etiquette and self-preservation - to the point that he rejects who he is and wants to be.

At this age, Jin Ling's already having to learn the lesson that everyone's going to be throwing opinions around, no one is perfect, you can't easily sort people into categories. In the end, he can take advice from others, but it's up to him to make the choice of who he wants to be. And he's learned that unrelenting resentment makes for an easy path to walk in life, but it's not actually how life works. The cultivation world can turn on someone they worshipped unconditionally. That included Wei Wuxian, that included Jin Guangyao, and even to an extent Jin Ling himself.

He has to take over the Jin Clan after all these scandals and atrocities, but he's become the kind of kid who will answer an insignificant man's plea for help, who is making friends who won't judge him and will stand by him even when he makes mistakes, and by the end of the story he's matured, yet also finally learned to be a kid. Nothing's perfect, none of the tragedies of the past can be reversed (and Jiang Cheng's still gonna get into fights whenever he accidentally runs into Wen Ning), but at least now Jin Ling can choose how he decides to live, who he hates and who he forgives.

while reading the books, i remember wei wuxian’s relationship with jin ling hitting me especially hard. i was crying when the whole stabbing thing happened. but i truly adore what becomes of them and do you know why? because jin ling does something the others could never, something miraculous really––he actually unlearns the prejudice he’s been taught to hold against wei wuxian. he meets wwx, full of disdain, slowly learning about who wwx really is and it has nothing to do with wwx’s outward appearance. and when the truth is revealed, the internal warring for jin ling is plainly portrayed and even if he does give in to a hate intermingled with grief that he has internalised towards this one entity (wei wuxian was never a person in his mind, just the ‘killer’ of his parents, a phantom, before the events of the book happened), you can tell his heart has already turned, that it will keep turning and that’s what happens. you have jin ling, an orphaned child, who hated someone whom his mother loved dearly, because that man caused his parents’ death but it is such a commendable thing that wei wuxian was able to create a space in jin ling’s heart and jin ling was able to accept it. it’s the way both jin ling & jiang cheng blame the death of their parents on wwx but only the former was able to see wei wuxian clearly and actually forge a bond of love with him.

it’s the fact that if ANYONE in this story can actually rightfully hold a grudge against wei wuxian, it’s jin ling, but instead this teenager decides that wei wuxian is much too good and that having him as an uncle is lovely, after all.