#also why are they treating drunkness like in real life humanity

[superloves4]

Sooooo, the first three episodes have not yet changed my mind on the rings of power show

[hankacadew]

A copy/paste of a very early morning Reddit essay on Hans’ influence in Henry, aka why I’m a die hard supporter of Hans despite his flaws. Please forgive all typos and grammar issues, it’s literally 3am for me.

Alrighty. Here you have Henry, a survivor fresh from Skalitz. A probable young teenager (I’m in my thirties, all teens are young) who just saw his parents, his girlfriend and his home all taken away from him in one horrible day. He’s fixated on revenge and THE SWORD (a representation of his dead Pa’s honor - getting it back to Sir Dadzig). At this point, his identity is wrapped up in all dead things - his dead family, dead home and people to make dead. Dead dead dead.

Enter a young noble brat who to Henry’s knowledge has suffered no real tragedy but is clearly in need of a good trouncing. His first encounter has Hans cast question on his honor and who he is as a man (see the meeting where Hans butts in). Still sore from this meeting and focused on his quest for the dead, Henry encounters the brat once again while training.

(I’ll be honest, I reloaded a save in my first playthrough just to make sure I beat Hans at bow and sword because my Henry was not gonna let some brat beat him regardless of the lack of player skill)

Hans taunts stir up a bunch of negative emotion targeted at the living - Henry may feel strongly but he doesn’t want Hans dead. He just wants to punch the stupid smirk off his face and after besting him at bow and sword (or after getting his ass kicked by the noble who’s been in training for both most of this life) he finally gets a chance to that evening.

Henry outright ignores what he’s been taught his entire life about the superiority of nobles. Here’s a chance to do something, to vent out all the emotions that are surely beating around in his head, finally a target! My Henry kicked Hans’ ass fair and square until Hanush spectacularly arrives on scene to address the madness and restore a semblance of normal standards.

Henry has no choice but to do what Hanush orders him and clearly the brat isn’t happy either. Cue Henry trotting behind Hans like a somewhat grumpy dog (I think it’s fair to argue canonically, Henry is poorly trained and lacking a horse). Amazingly, the good noble brat gives Henry an unprovoked apology that addresses the proper behavior of a peasant with a noble but has Hans admit his fault. The brat turns out to be someone who has a sense of honor, someone who treats Henry as a little more like an equal than every ounce of training has taught Hans about their relative status.

This is the first time ingame that Henry has a chance ti open up somewhat about Skalitz to someone without the same open wounds and how he feels and Hans is pretty decent about it (if still kind of a dick, classic Hans). They get drunk together and Henry has some real human contact.

Cue the next morning of a much more friendly rivalry, culminating in Hans being dead wrong about boar hunting. He disappears and Henry once again has lost someone….BUT he finds him again. THIS TIME he’s able to do something despite it being terrifying as fuck and he still has very little training. Henry is still bitterly angry and disappointed that he ran away at Skalitz and Hans is the first person he saves.

For the very first time since his world was torn apart, Henry has achieved something very real by himself and Hans is damn grateful. At this point, Hans becomes a living symbol that Henry has a very real impact on the world. Hans would likely be dead without Henry at this point.

I think it’s also worth noting that when Henry finds Hans again, Hans is being brave and defiant and quick witted (I absolutely adore the horrible insults he’s giving to the Cumans). This is the person that Henry rescues. My personal interpretation is that this is the moment that Henry imprints on Hans and the point where Henry is elevated above the rank of peasant in Hans’ eyes.

Henry gets Hans home and is recognized as a HERO by Hanush and the rest of Rattay for saving their bratty lord. He’s gone from being the coward of Skalitz (in his eyes, see how often he talks about not running again). This is a shift back towards the living being a reason for being.

This rescue marks the point where Henry stops being a passive object to be done unto and starts being an active participant influencing the world around him. He receives a horse, he embarks on missions to help people. He’s empowering himself and Hans is the springboard upon which he started this path. He’s still obsessed with revenge but it’s no longer the only thing in his life.

When Hans recovers, he pretty much immediately seeks out Henry for the bath shenanigans. Cue a night of fun and the first time in what will probably be a long series of times humoring Capon’s bullshit (I love all the eye rolling you can hear in Henry’s voice in both games). Next To Godliness is a FUN quest. It’s not about murder or revenge - it’s just you and Hans playing together and getting in trouble together.

This time in the meeting with Hanush, you and Hans were working together, not fighting against each other. It’s a whole shift from the first yelling session. Once again, Hanush assigns you to work together but both of you approach this very differently to the first time, you’re a team this time. It’s also another goal you’re set with Hans that isn’t all about Skalitz and the sword.

This is the quest that unlocks the Hans DLC and you know that’s a whole bunch of fun quests working with Hans that ends up with Henry, tooooootally coincidentally of course, getting a love letter from Hans. I do consider these main quests since you’re required to do them to complete the game (funny how it’s the only required DLC *coughcough* Hansry *coughcough*).

I forgot to mention Capon’s Champion but you can technically skip this one. I do see it as an important part of the relationship too - Henry represents Hans and also gives Hans the opportunity to look good to Hanush.

The next time you see Hans in an official main quest is Night Raid. Once again, you have a goal that is about the living and Hans is right there besides Henry. Once again, Henry saves his noble arse - reinforcing how important Henry is to him. Sure the mission is a failure but Henry gets Hans out alive, again. Henry is a real player on this stage.

Throughout the first game, Hans is a consistent and positive (if occasionally irritating) presence in Henry’s life. He plays a significant role in Henry taking the wounds of Skalitz and rebuilding himself into a real man, a warrior - someone in control of their fate. Hans is his friend, his lord - a living symbol of being alive and living life - it’s commented on in the interviews how Hans brings out the lighter side of Henry.

End the first game.

[hephanna]

On the Cat King, Edwin & Charles. [And David the Demon + Crystal, and Jenny + Maxine & Niko].

Not to unnecessarily pipe in my two cents when it hasn't been asked for, BUT I just wanted to mention some of my thoughts on The Cat King, Edwin, Charles (and Crystal + David the Demon) sometimes fantasy shows use supernatural elements as allegories for real life situations (this is seen with Buffy, Supernatural, and yes Dead Boy Detectives) and therefore just because it's supernatural/fantasy, it cannot immediately be dismissed as 'not needing to follow real life moral rules' For example in Dead Boy Detectives, David the Demon, despite being a demon, is clearly an allegory for an abusive ex-boyfriend - Jenny even points this out on-screen. David is in Crystals' head, harassing her and tearing down her self-confidence (telling her she isn't worth anything) the way an abusive ex-boyfriend may linger in their victim's mind even after breaking up. He takes away her memories (and therefore her identity) the same way an abusive boyfriend takes away the identity of the woman he is abusing, her sense of self, her connections. And Crystal must take her sense of self, her memory, her confidence back by defeating David. Although David is a demon, he is still meant to reflect a real-life abusive ex-boyfriend, even a human one. The same thing is true with the Cat King - not saying he's an abusive ex-boyfriend - but his behaviour cannot be justified by the fact that he's a supernatural creature. The audience is still meant to reflect, to make connections via the supernatural on real-life situations. Now, I'm not saying the Cat King was wrong for trying to shoot his shot with Edwin, or that Edwin wasn't attracted to the Cat King, HOWEVER, Edwin's attraction doesn't mean the Cat King is entitled to his time or affection - nor does it mean the Cat King has a right to disregard Edwin's boundaries. Disregarding their introductory meeting, and discussions about whether or not it was morally correct of the Cat King to ask Edwin to have sex with him after putting a magical bracelet on his wrist, several incidents after that also demonstrate the Cat King taking away Edwin's choice from him (such as using a truth spell on him to force Edwin into confessing why he's a detective in hopes of not being sent back to Hell) - regardless of the Cat King's response "I like your secret parts" you shouldn't force someone into being vulnerable for you before they are ready - the same way it would be wrong to read someone's private journal, or get someone drunk with the purpose of asking them invasive questions you know they wouldn't answer sober. The Cat King views himself as entitled to the 'real' Edwin, regardless of whether Edwin feels comfortable sharing that with the Cat King. This is also seen when the Cat King saves Edwin from Monty, and then gets upset when that doesn't get him what he wants (a kiss, sex, whatever) and Edwin gets frustrated with the Cat King, reminding him he's a person, not a toy. The audience is meant to emphasize with Edwin, and understand the situation he's in and how it parallels real life situations. (i.e., someone thinking you owe them sex because they bought you a drink at a bar) Edwin forgives the Cat King at the end, because a part of Edwin's character journey, along with self-discovery, is also forgiveness. He understands the Cat King is also struggling, in the same way he understood Simon was struggling, but there struggles do not mean the way they treated Edwin was acceptable. That doesn't mean the Cat King can't grow from this, and learn to respect Edwin and his boundaries. That also doesn't mean you can't still ship the Cat King/Edwin and enjoy an unhealthy power dynamic, boundary pushing, etc., this is still fiction after all, and I'd be a huge hypocrite to say that all my ships are morally good and acceptable. But I just also think "it's a fantasy show! it doesn't need to follow our morals!" is a flimsy understanding of the text - just acknowledge that something doesn't have to be morally correct for you to enjoy it, but don't remove the morals altogether.

There is a reason, after all, as Edwin accepts his sexuality, he realizes he is in love and wants Charles, not the King Cat. There is a reason (I think, at least) that the show creates obvious parallels between Charles & the Cat King - and shows Charles very obviously not liking the Cat King. Also, just another little thought, this is also demonstrated with Jenny & Maxine. Maxine seems 'innocent' because she's a sweet, blonde librarian who is writing Jenny Love Notes - and the Love Notes are even acknowledged, as creepy from the get-go, but then it's like "oh, but it's just a sweet, innocent woman who's writing them, it's actually super romantic!" And then the twist is, no, actually, it still is creepy. Maxine was literally stalking Jenny for possibly months, watching her through her window, and as we saw: not accepting Jenny's boundaries when it became clear Jenny was uncomfortable. Like the Cat King got upset and mad with Edwin, saying he wasn't going to 'play nice' anymore, Maxine got upset with Jenny and then tried to kill her, yelling 'why won't you let me love you.' Again, just because you like someone, and even if that person was initially or still is attracted to you - like Jenny was initially attracted to Maxine - that does not mean you are entitled to their love, their privacy, or their body. Everyone still have free choice. There is a reason Jenny did not immediately forgive Niko for pushing her to go on a date with Maxine, and why Niko felt so guilty - it wasn't Niko's fault, at all, because Maxine made her own choices, but Jenny had been uncomfortable with the situation from the get-go, and she was proven right - and put into extreme danger because of it. This isn't to say the Cat King is terrible - again, I enjoyed the Cat King character. I liked his interactions with Edwin, his sarcasm and tricks. But his behaviour towards Edwin went beyond flirtation and wanting to be with Edwin, and at times was coercive, manipulative, and toxic. Which is okay! As we learned during the end, Crystal was also toxic during her life and then wanted to change and become a better person. The Cat King can also be toxic, and then learn and want to change and better himself. I just personally think that's an important aspect to acknowledge of the Cat King's journey - instead of sweeping it under the rug, or telling other fans they're "reading too deeply into it" and "just don't understand what demonstrating sexual interest in someone is." Or "it's fantasy." Because there's demonstrating sexual interest in someone, and then there's routinely and purposefully bull-dozing over someone's boundaries, which we see the Cat King to do Edwin. Anyway, apologies for my huge ramble, I am not trying to be mean to anyone or say anyone cannot ship the Cat King/Edwin (and I am admittedly biased - Edwin/Charles holds my heart) but I enjoy show analysis, healthy debate, etc,. and just really wanted to share my thoughts and engage with the community. All my love, Hephie.

[nonpracticinghumanbeing]

So Izzy said a thing.

The thing seems to be a part of a redemption arc and makes him sound like a human rather than a monster.

The Canyon went wild with joy and jubilation. The haters are doing everything they can to rationalize the thing in a way that would fit their point of view. One of these things makes me feel like a part of a wonderful, welcoming, and very queer community. The other makes me perplexed, annoyed, and sad at the same time - in a way that feels very personal.

OFMD is an explicitly and unapologetically queer show. And not just that, it shows a variety of non-normative behaviors (Jackie’s polyamory, Geraldo’s humiliation kink, Lucius and Pete’s penchant for “having an audience” to say nothing of Izzy’s masochistic tendencies) in a completely non-judgmental way, making the viewer feel like all ways of performing one’s sexuality are valid.

Izzy wants to be a part of this world. For all his anger and manipulations, and (yes, let’s call him out for the sake of fairness) his abusive behaviors, he desperately wants to be a part of the world where he is free to love who he loves, in whatever way he is capable of doing so. No matter how much the haters don’t want to acknowledge it, this is ultimately a story about love. Both Con and Daddy Jenkins admitted Izzy is in love with Edward and the fact that the antis are willing to contradict not only the actor (who, may I remind you, was instrumental in shaping Izzy’s character) but also the showrunner is very symptomatic of the larger issue of how queer people have been treated in society.

No one in their right mind chose to become a pirate unless they had no other option. Piracy was fraught with constant danger and meant being an outsider everywhere. The only place one could be more or less safe was between people in the same lifestyle. In OFMD that is represented by the Republic of Pirates, where not being a pirate would get one in trouble. Sure, there is some violence but it comes with the territory and - much more importantly - it’s never motivated by someone being a pirate.

Izzy claims to hate the Republic - and for someone as repressed as him it makes sense. There are people being a different kind of a pirate than Izzy would like there - drunk, rowdy, and undisciplined. He clearly takes great pride in his work and has built his whole identity around being Blackbeard’s first mate. Seeing people be pirates while taking their responsibilities lightly doesn’t fit his worldview because he’s been taught that all of his energy should be spent protecting whatever freedom the pirates managed to carve out for themselves.

Someone once wrote that despite what the popular meme says, Izzy isn’t a real pirate dropped into The Muppet Treasure Island, but rather a hard boiled queer-coded character from a 50s noir movie dropped into today’s Pride. He’s had to keep vigilant against any threat for so long he hasn’t noticed that there was a way to be a pirate/queer and still enjoy one’s life. That one can like frilly robes and be a somewhat competent sea captain. That it is possible to pine for one’s boyfriend and keep one’s crew safe. That being soft doesn’t necessarily mean being weak.

He’s willing to do whatever it takes and sacrifice whatever has to be sacrificed (Stede’s life, Edward’s happiness, his own status of the loyal first mate) to keep his little pirate/queer world safe. It’s this conviction that puts him in the way of Ed and Stede’s relationship and makes him an antagonist. But - and it’s something the haters seem to be incapable of grasping - an antagonist doesn’t have to equal a villain.

Why does Izzy react so violently to Stede, exactly? Why is he willing to go against his captain's wishes in challenging Stede to a duel? Why does he sell Stede out, making a deal with the enemy in the process? Because Stede is a stranger infiltrating Izzy’s safe space. The English are a huge threat, sure, but they are easily identifiable from a distance. Stede seems to Izzy to be something far more dangerous - an outsider worming his way into the heart of Izzy’s world, where he can do truly irreparable damage. The English are cops who chase gay boys around the park. Stede has the potential of being an undercover cop sent into a queer bar in the 1930s to get the dirt on the patrons so they can be blackmailed and arrested.

Of course, he may not be that, but it’s a risk Izzy can’t allow himself to take. With his vision of what it means to be a pirate/queer he's sure he sees through Stede’s ruse. Now, I’m not trying to excuse abusive behavior, as some of Izzy’s choices were hurtful to everyone around him. But as a queer person I do have sympathy for someone (grossly) overreacting in defense of their safe space. Constant vigilance is an inherent part of the queer experience, especially for those living in conservative countries or remembering the times before the Pride.

Like, for example, Con does. Con, who - yes, I will repeat this because it’s super important here - played a huge part in shaping Izzy’s character. Con, who despite having a decades-long career where he often clearly gravitated towards queer characters, only got comfortable enough THIS YEAR (and thanks to this show and this fandom) to publicly come out. Con, who - as a friend wonderfully phrased it - is queer as in start a riot, not as in love wins.

And Izzy is the same. He is a start a riot pirate/queer in a show full of love wins pirates/queers. His way of being what he is is so totally different from everyone around him that it makes him an antagonist. (Sure, there are other start a riot queers in the show - Jim literally kills a man who wronged them and Lucius is very outspoken about his opinions in a way that makes him somewhat radical, but neither of them is as extreme in their ways as Izzy is and neither goes against the main characters’ romance thus becoming an antagonist.) But. The thing is, when you are a part of a minority, when you are being prosecuted and targeted for who you are, you need safe spaces. And those safe spaces need protection, because every freedom can be taken away if wrong people come to power. No doubt the queer movement would look much more tame and palatable to the bigots if we were all the love wins queers. But we desperately need the start a riot queers if we are to survive.

So yeah, you can say Izzy said what he said because he needs a structure and clear hierarchy in his life. He absolutely does. Some of it comes from his submissive and masochistic tendencies, sure (I wrote a lot about that, including a piece for the Above All Else zine). Some of it may come from neurodivergence (some people read Izzy as autistic, I’m not going to discuss this because as a neurotypical person I have nothing of value to say about it). But it also ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY comes from the desperate need to protect his safe space from outsiders.

And there is one more thing the haters conveniently forget about: OFMD is also a show about growth. It’s about Stede turning from a wooden puppet into a real boy and then into a man. It’s about Edward learning there is a life beyond the legend of Blackbeard and peeling off at least some of the leather. And judging from the trailer, it’s about Izzy learning you can be a start a riot pirate while being accepting of the love wins pirates in your life. 

The more I think about it, the more likely I find it that Stede’s “I don’t care what anybody says, he’s actually a good guy” line from the teaser refers to Izzy. But even if it doesn’t, I am 100% sure the haters will be proven wrong. This show never relied on stereotypes and cliches. In fact, it actively does everything to break them (from Jim’s sacred quest for revenge ending up with them befriending Jackie to the only names that get mispronounced being those of white characters) while killing off the real enemies of the pirate/queer crew (Badmintons, Jack, Geraldo) and giving all its characters place to grow.

So, maybe one day we will all learn to love Izzy? 

[ronearoundblindly]

i believe johnny needs some attention 🤭 A, B, C, & D?

Prompts from this dirty ask game, and the answer is my general impressions of canon Human Torch. Note at the end explains why it can't be my Johnny Storm AU in the works.

MINORS DNI. This is not for you, kiddos. Sorry.

A - Alone Time

He's not a man of finesse, that's for sure. Johnny doesn't consider or analyze anything long enough to know what his preferences are--

(unscented lotion and BBW porn)

--and he also isn't consistent. He's too young to need to think of a self-care routine and spends almost no time alone.

When not training, away on mission, or doing PR--a big job as the bad-boy of the astronaut program and the most charismatic of the Four,--he goes out a lot.

He feeds off the attention (and approval) of others, and therefore masturbation...does not fill that void.

B - Bondage

Johnny doesn't have that kind of forethought, and if Sue ever heard one fucking whiff of him restraining someone...she'd use magnetic fields to squish his testicles into oblivion.

If him being tied up is what gets him laid for the night, then strap that puppy down already! Only improvised stuff, though, like scarves, neckties, fuzzy cuffs, or whatever.

Johnny is a speed demon in every aspect of life. Bondage takes time, limits sex positions, slows him down (when moving others), and just...yeah, not appealing.

C - Crying

What type of crying we talking? If he's just met you, and suddenly, you're blubbering about how your boss treats you or some deep-seated family trauma, Johnny will jump out the window to get away.

Now, shedding tears because of how amazing his cock feels stretching you out and because he's the best fuck you've ever had...well, he can understand that. You go ahead and cry. The only soothing he'll be doing is to keep going.

Otherwise, he's got nothing.

No sweet words. No compulsion to talk about it. No intention of diving deeper and getting to know you.

Johnny is a one-trick pony in this department (sex); there's rarely a second hookup.

D - Dominance

His existence feels like a perpetual game. Johnny is always leveling up after a boss battle, and his life--his real life--amounts to nothing more than side quests.

Naturally, he's a take-whatever-he-wants and do-whomever-whenever-he-pleases type of guy. It's not dominance or submission.

He's amused when his bed partner shows some initiative or control, but he doesn't need them to. He is used to taking over, thinking on his feet, and finishing a job.

He's what we might call a 'practical dom.' He takes over out of necessity. If Johnny slowed down enough to really listen to and bond with someone, he'd have and existential crisis and fall apart.

That's why he's only alone when passed out drunk or exhausted. He won't survive self-reflection.

Thank you for asking!

[Main Masterlist; Dirty Asks Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

A/N: I couldn't answer almost any of these using Johnny from Phantom Pleasure because that's ghost!Reader. Bondage? Of a ghost? Probably not. Crying? Eh, long story, but unlikely. Dominate a non-corporeal entity? Yeah, no. And, weirdly enough, being alone? When a ghost could be there but not visible? Oops! (Yes, reader gets to see Johnny's alone time routine in that tale. Teehee. It's the opening scene lol.)

[autumnmobile12]

I’m hoping that as Nocturne continues, that there might be some eventual parallels between Alucard and Richter.

I’ve mentioned in another post I don’t really like Richter.  I’m not going to reiterate the entire thing, but the long and short of it is I found his character unnecessarily mean-spirited.  Some of his dialogue really rubbed me the wrong way and I didn’t find his lines all that funny.  But it’s this specific line to Tera that sealed the deal with me disliking him.

“And you just happened to stumble upon it one day while you were out picking flowers?”

Um, what the fuck?  She raised you, gave you a safe place to grow up, has been a surrogate mother to you, and has shown you nothing but kindness and support, and you’re going to talk to her like that?  What an asshole.

And this is the difference between Richter and Trevor’s characters.  Trevor is an asshole, but did he ever talk to Sypha or her grandfather this way?  No.  Did he talk to Alucard this way?  Well…yeah, but also observe Alucard also woke up snarky and began insulting him from minute one, so we can argue they are delightfully matching each other’s energy with a vengeance.

But I’m not gonna lie…for the first two seasons, I also didn’t like Alucard’s character all that much and for the same reasons.  I’m a little biased as I generally don't like protagonists who are just mean for no reason.  We all know someone like that in real life, whether they’re a relative or a co-worker or a boss, so why deal with it in fiction?  Okay yeah, I get that it’s often part of a character arc and symbolism for growth and finding maturity.  I understand why storylines like this are necessary, but I’m still gonna hate the little shits for the duration they’re assholes.

So Alucard…the way he treats Trevor in the first two seasons is also pretty crappy behavior.

“I imagine one sacrifices a chicken, and divines the location of the book you want from the intestines. Maybe Belmont has a crystal ball in here you could ask. ….  Your ancestors were apparently mentally ill hoarders.  I fully expect to find family cats mummified under some of these shelves.  Unless your family preferred to eat them.”

You’re gonna talk to your comrade like that…in his own home…where his entire family was brutally slaughtered by a mob....possibly right in front of him?  Yeah, real charming, Alucard.  And this is the tone for his character in the beginning.  There is the point where Sypha calls him out and tells him to stop testing Trevor, but I think there’s another element at play.  “…and he’s a drunk and he’s self-destructive and anyone trying to hold on to him may as well be dragged down with him.”  He isn’t just testing him, he’s judging him and he’s already decided he’s a useless drunk who got lucky and happened to win a few fights.

All right, now that I’ve dragged him through the mud, I’m going to pull back and assess the wider perspective of Alucard’s full character arc.  Alucard’s growth follows the line of the spoiled brat who experienced hardship and had to grow up because of it.  I think Alucard lived a very sheltered life before his mother died, and his actions and dialogue in the Belmont Hold are the strongest indicator to this.  We clearly see he’s disgusted by the trophies and the history of murder against the vampires, and he is not shy about voicing his contempt towards the family’s entire purpose.  He’s right, though.  With the presence of the infant skull in the display case, we do get the very subtle nod that the Belmonts, for all their claims of virtue and protecting humanity, have also committed atrocities.  He does have a right to his anger against Trevor and his family.

But what’s absent from Alucard’s character here is the fact he doesn’t seem to consider the atrocities the vampires have committed against his mother’s people.  To the vampires, humans are food, livestock, and a lesser species.  Godbrand brutally murders several humans in his flashback with no clear intent on actually eating them, so he kills for sport.  Cho torments the humans in her court by amusing herself with duels to the death that only she can win.  Not a humane way to treat the vampire equivalent of livestock.  And exactly how long does Erzsebet Báthory keep those girls chained up while she drains them of blood?

Why does Alucard condone what the vampires do to humans and at the same time condemns the Belmonts for hunting the vampires?

The answer:  I don’t think he did because I don’t think he was fully aware of these scenarios.  Think about it, he had no knowledge of Dracula’s Generals and the only thing he talked about regarding his father was the tragedy of his madness and how killing him would be destroying centuries of knowledge.  I think Dracula wanted him to have a peaceful life and fed him the more rosy-colored version of their history.  Maybe he intended to tell him one day, and that day kept being put off by the sentiment,  “He’s a boy.  Let him continue to be a boy.”

Alucard lives his peaceful childhood until it comes to a screeching halt when Lisa is killed, so I honestly think there is an innocence behind his upbringing that gave him a very clear bias against the Belmonts that was completely justified in some elements and not so much in others.  There’s also the point that he keeps referencing Trevor as a drunk, which is very much condescension.  It’s not until Season 3, after he’s experienced his traumas and has fallen into his own slump of grief that his attitude towards Trevor changes.   There’s still ribbing between the pair, but it’s not the same cutting remarks that we saw back in Season 2.  Alucard walked a mile in Trevor’s shoes, and that mile was bitter.

...

So where I stand with Nocturne:  Richter has started off in a way similar to Alucard.  He lost his mother at a young age, but aside from that, he grew up safe and loved in a stable home, has a good relationship with Tera and Maria, and has otherwise led a relatively peaceful life. Even in the midst of the French Revolution, they don't seem like suffering peasants.  Like Alucard before his world truly went to hell, Richter also didn’t have a full concept of what real hardship looks like.  This is apparent when he’s all confidence and bravado, going around and yelling he’s the ‘last of the Belmonts’ and he ‘kills vampires’ and “Who’s next?”  And then Olrox shows up and he cows him right back into the scared, little boy he’s pretending he’s not.

And so not only is there a parallel between Richter and Alucard, but there is also a big one between Trevor and Annette.  Both of them have suffered through their own individual hardships, both losing their loved ones in some of the most brutal ways imaginable, but those same hardships gave them their pride and their poignant maturity and cynicism in how they see the world.  Granted, the difference between Trevor and Annette is she never lost her purpose or her will to fight despite having been dealt the worse lot of having been born a slave, but still…Trevor never ran away from his nightmares like Richter did.  Even though Annette and Trevor have their moments when they are scared, both of them stood up and said,  “Fuck it, I have a bastard to kill and if I die killing them, so be it.”  They don’t give an absolute damn.  They took their pain and they wore it like armor.

“Killing you was the point.  Living was a luxury.”

“If I let my past terrify me, I’d never be free of it.”

…

Compared to them, Richter is a spoiled brat who has yet to grow up.

And I think Alucard’s going to be right there with him saying,  “Don’t worry.  I was like you once and we’ll get there together.”

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

A new law is introduced banning wheelchairs. Since both the able bodied and the disabled can use wheelchairs this law is fair and equal. Sure the disabled are far more affected than the people who can just walk instead but it is applied equally to all. In your eyes making things equitable for everyone would involve chopping off everyone's legs so they can't walk. In my eyes making things equitable would be removing or changing laws that disproportionately affect one group over another.

You can shove your dumbass hypothetical up your ass, buddy. In practice, there is no way to give everyone an equal outcome without tearing everyone down to the lowest level. And to do that, you need to give the government the power to violate basically every human right there is. This right here is actually a perfect example of why I fucking hate hypotheticals. You bring up a situation that would never happen, then act like that made up situation has any correlation to things happening in the real world. You want me to argue the hypothetical, because you know deep down that what you claim to want is a fantasy land.

Equal protection under the law means the law applies to everyone equally. That's equality. That's what the goal should be. What you want is insane. You want everyone to be effected equally, which is impossible. There will always be laws that disproportionately effect some people more than others just by virtue of people being different. That's not a bad thing if the law is applied equally.

To use a real life example, laws against public drunkenness don't effect me at all because I don't drink at all, let alone in public. But if did decide to get drunk, I would be treated the same way as anyone else who is also drunk in public. That's how an equally applied law works. But what you would do is look at that law and see that it only effects people who get drunk in public, and say "that's not equitable, that needs to be changed". So we're left with a situation where all laws against public drunkenness need to be rewritten to apply to everyone at the same time to be "equitable", or we need to get rid of those laws all together. And you want to do this to every law.

That is insane.

Equity is wrong. I'd even go as far to say that it's evil, because it's impossible without violating the rights of others.

[utah-werewolf]

Warning: long post ahead

Why is Koba likely my favourite villain ever?

I've been rewatching the new Planet of the Apes movies and I think Koba might remain my favourite villain, if not one of my favourite characters in general.

Proximus Caesar is a strong contender, too, but I think two factors make him less fascinating to me - firstly, he is actually a very human character, which takes away some of the fun, and secondly - I don't think they gave my man Kevin Durand enough screentime. I can see he had a lot of fun acting as Proximus and he was perfect for the role, but he could definitely use more exposure. I think it's likely Proximus will return in the future and I sure hope he will, because I think this character has a lot of potential. Potential that - so far - has been wasted.

The colonel - great villain as well. You want to hate him, because he is so cold and cruel after all, but also you can't help but wonder what you'd do in his place. How can you be sure you'd be compassionate towards another species, one that is clearly about to become dominant over your own? Is morality stronger than survival instinct? Because in the long run, it's all about mankind's survival. The colonel is desperately grasping at the last options to ensure that humans survive, and even though his actions are objectively terrible - I just don't have the audacity to say I'd be a noble hero when the world I know is about to be lost forever.

But Koba, holy shit. Koba is on another level for me. First of all, I don't think Toby Kebbell gets enough credit. While Caesar is an amazing character and Andy Serkis plays him masterfully, I think it was actually Koba that was harder to play, at least in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Koba is wild, he's completely unhinged, so you have to find that balance of an insane, animalistic character that is as smart and complex as a human. Basically the wildest, most violent chimpanzee (yes, I know he's a bonobo), but add to this intelligence and motivations only known to humans. I have no idea how I'd do that, but I know Toby's Koba would be a perfect example for me to learn from.

He is both irredeemably evil and very easy to empathize with. Real life stories show that if you put the nicest, most peaceful human being through continuous abuse, they'll likely turn into a monster, or become extremely unstable at least. As much as it's not an unbreakable rule, it's perfectly natural.

Koba was abused for many years, in ways we can't even imagine. And initially when we see him, there isn't much about him to show the damage done to him. Sure, he's scarred and clearly doesn't like humans, but that's about it.

But oh boy, by the time he attacks the human colony, he goes completely downhill. This character becomes absolutely terrifying. You've seen him do "civilized" things, such as speaking, helping his friends etc. So you subconsciously start to treat him like a fellow human. But then he becomes increasingly vicious and animalistic, while still just as smart as before. You see that Koba can be pretty charismatic when he wants to. His hatred and determination will push him to do borderline suicidal things, such as charging at a tank through fire while blasting two machine guns at the same time. It's scary, incomprehensible and - let's admit it - a bit badass. You wonder how someone this insane can also remain cool-headed enough to plan this cunning scheme. There is so much poison and determination in the way Koba speaks it's crazy.

By the end of the movie you know he's too far gone and there is no redemption for him, at least not in this story. But it doesn't feel particularly satisfying to watch him die. It's a well-deserved end to his life, but everything that led to this moment was started by some abusive, power-drunk human. And also, you can't say Koba was entirely wrong about us - many of us are kind people, but as a collective we are truly a destructive, pointlessly cruel and incredibly selfish mass.

As they say, the end justifies the means. But only when it benefits OUR people.

[quibblet21]

My Headcanons For BLU Scout

This is a follow-up to "My Headcanons For BLU Sniper," which I attempt to characterize over two fanfictions, 'Bubo' and 'Dichotomy.'

While BLU Scout is a secondary character in those stories, it's sometimes fun to write him. There are many fans who have headcanons for the TF2 team and several are quite interesting to the point that I adopted some of them.

So, this is just from my point of view. Anyone who finds these ideas dumb or absurd, oh well, can't please everybody :)

Like with the rest of BLU Team, he's a clone, supposedly created by TF Industries. In reality, aliens did the work and supplied the clones to the human scientists.

Since the clones don't have given names, he calls himself Billy, after the historical outlaw, Billy The Kid. An earlier concept version of the BLU Scout resembled the outlaw, so this is what I based it off of.

He tends to be of a cheapskate with money.

Despite appearing to have the same cockiness and mannerisms as RED Scout, he can sit still longer during 3 hour films and quickly gets over bad things, holding only a few grudges in his life.

He's not as hotheaded as RED Scout, so it takes a bit more to really anger him, despite his violent actions in matches.

He still retains the warfare skills, speech, learning and muscle memory of how to fight from his RED counterpart, despite being a clone.

He is more naive about things, as he lacks RED Scout's street smarts. This is due to barely having any memories of the latter growing up in Boston.

He gets along with his clone dad, BLU Spy. Both love playing pranks on the other teammates and strangers sometimes. This is nearly opposite to RED Scout and RED Spy's antagonistic relationship.

He finds it cool when he discovers BLU Spy is his dad. They still treat each other like teammates as Spy lacks the paternal instincts and views Scout more like a cousin since neither have solid memories from their RED counterparts.

Unlike RED Scout, who has dyslexia, he tends to get words mixed up that he hears. While RED Scout can occasionally have this problem, it's more chronic with BLU Scout.

Despite his naivety, he did inherit both Spys' ability to be sneaky in matches, so he's not as direct in offensive as RED Scout is, preferring to fool the enemy into thinking what his next attack will be. He'll also eavesdrop on conversations.

He named one of the base's guard dogs "Jerkwad" since the dog barks alot and is the meanest of the three. The other BLUs just accepted the name.

His bird friend is a Blue Jay, while RED Scout's is a Cardinal.

Like RED Scout, he hates spiders.

He likes Tom Jones music, but tends to branch out in other genres like classic rock, funk and ballads.

One of his favorite stock weapons is the Nail Gun, which the mod game "Team Fortress 2 Classic" features. It was scrapped from the game's debut, though its a primary weapon for Classic Scout from the first "Team Fortress" game.

He doesn't get along with BLU Demoman at times since the bomb expert picks on him, like an older sibling would with a younger one. BLU Engineer usually has to stop their fights like a distressed dad.

His ADHD is not as bad as RED Scout's, so he tends to listen a bit more when someone is talking to him.

He still retains some of RED Scout's characteristics, like talking too much and wanting to get the glory in a match to later brag about.

When not having fun with BLU Spy, he hangs out with BLU Pyro and BLU Sniper. He has outside friends, but keeps quiet about his mercenary role.

He has his dumbass moments like RED Scout.

When drunk, he starts blurting out his real name in public until the other BLUs have to gag him or knock him out from revealing more secret information. This is why he's never allowed to go drinking alone.

He does better in hot, dry environments since he was "born" in the Badlands and used to its arid weather. RED Scout fares better in the cold since he grew up in Boston and hates the heat.

He's one of the first to be open to a truce with RED during Mann vs. Machine. While some of the BLUs aren't happy about him being so accepting and berate him for it, he tends to forget what happened during most of the matches. In contrast, RED Scout remembers nearly everything bad done to him and holds a grudge longer, refusing at first to work with a former enemy.

Like with the other clones, he was designed to last 10 to 12 years. He's the last BLU to go and makes it one more year, dying in November 1981. RED Scout outlives him by six more years (going by the comics).

His sexual preference can go either way.

He befriends a Scout bot who abandons Gray Mann's army, and convinces BLU Engineer to hide it. RED Scout hates mockeries of himself, including mechanical machines, so he's hellbent on destroying the robot. He accepts clones though, as he finds them cool and sympathizes with them being persecuted, treated like lab experiments and forced into slavery by their benefactors.

[notnun]

Villain’s Strategy (反派攻略) | Raddish Flower Rabbit (萝卜花兔子)

Also known as: The Villain's Attack Strategy

Links: Novelupdates | Infinite (Chrysanthemum Garden)

Tags: Transmigration, Comedy, Drama, Psychological, Romance, School life, Slice of life, Yaoi

Chapters: 98

Read on: 03/21/2025 to 03/23/2025

Time to read a few of this author's novels! A friend on discord also said it was pretty good, and I agree~ This is a light and funny read, even if it gives in to some common BL tropes in the end.

In a show of great heroics, Wen ZhiChu dies saving two elementary school students from getting run over. Upon opening his eyes again, he is greeted with neither heaven nor hell, but.... A dirty, run-down house with little critters to keep him company.

The newly bound system in his head pipes up to establish a sense of existence: The Main God has deemed your death rather pitiful and has selected you to complete Villain missions. To get trampled under the protagonist's feet, to end up on the streets in the end! Each completed mission will give you a monetary reward.

With his body's original saving being.... zilch, and not wanting to sleep on the streets any faster than he has to, Wen ZhiChu strives to complete his villain missions (despite being terrified of the protagonist, Qin JiaShu).

Scattering skittles in the Qin JiaShu's lunch to ruin it, trading mocking words about Qin JiaShu with one of his rivals in a way that ended up actually defending him, giving Qin JiaShu a shock by cheering for him at his debate, destroying his love prospects by clearing out Qin JiaShu's locker and placing his own love letter in instead....

Wen ZhiChu: Wait, how did I end up in a relationship with the protagonist??

I liked this novel a lot. The main appeal is the conversations between Wen ZhiChu and his system Skycat, they're both really funny and its some of the only times you can really see how abnormal Wen ZhiChu's braincells are..... Seeing Qin JiaShu's slow change of mindset about Wen ZhiChu and life in general was also pretty rewarding, especially as he tempers himself so as to not scare Wen ZhiChu off.

Wen ZhiChu is so... Little blorbo. He's got a lot of issues himself, but pushes forward as he gains more confidence through the novel. He has no confidence, he has no self-esteem, and he can't figure out why anyone would like him when he can't even like himself.. I kind of wish that last part was explored a but more, but with Qin JiaShu's support and his own efforts to improve himself he gets to the point where he can stand on his own. And I enjoy that.

His brain circuits are a little off, and I was always looking forward to his solutions to the various Villain missions. The second hand embarrassment was often overpowered by just how funny the situation ended up being 👍 Somehow it didn't end up feeling torturous like a lot of these novels can end up. He definitely ended up liking Qin JiaShu a long time before actually realizing it himself, as he's denser than a brick when he wants to be. I love him.

Qin JiaShu is an ass. He's constantly supressing himself in his daily life to show off the facade of a perfect human, while his real personality is much nastier. He shows this side of himself to Wen ZhiChu a lot, and is surprised that he keeps assuring Qin JiaShu that he's still his number 1 fan. Qin JiaShu's initital interest is more physical than not, but he really then falls head over heels in love with ZhiChu. Unfortunately he is the normal overbearing, deep minded, and jealous type of male lead who slowly lays out bait to get Wen ZhiChu to stay with him forever. Thankfully Wen ZhiChu is. into that? Wen ZhiChu is more concerned with dating early than Qin JiaShu seducing him..

I do like Qin JiaShu. He's a darker character that's trying not to ruin the one person who treats him the way he's been looking for his entire life. He does takes advantage of Wen ZhiChu and kisses him while drunk, and their first time is the trope-y "Wen ZhiChu inititated, released the beast, and regretted it" so ehhh. He does leave going all the way up to ZhiChu, and everything he initiates before that he does after Wen ZhiChu starts looking for it from him- ZhiChu likes it and says he feels safe so I don't personally mind it much but my boy deserves better u_u

The side characters were fun! While the focus was definitely on the main characters, the side characters added to the fun. There were a lot of little jokes started early in the novel, and then sprinkled throughout and maintained for the rest of the novel that were funny every time they were mentioned! I love Wen ZhiChu's relationship with his System and I'm glad that Skycat has visitation rights after everything is over fhfjdn

Overall, its a light read with hints of a darker undertone that I wish had been addressed a little more.

How was the translation? Great! Infinite always does really well with their translations. I believe terms for Skycat (specifically miao-laoshi) get mixed up a little and aren't super consistent but I only noticed a few instances of it.

Would I recommend this novel? Sure! Its written well and I like the author's style, its a good time passer.

Would I reread it? Maybe? I'd have to really want to read this specific novel though.

Trigger Warnings: Bullying, Vehicle accident, Corporal punishment (mention), Child neglect, Fatphobia (mention), Dubious consent*'**

*The previous host for Skycat is stuck in a traditional wife-chasing crematorium BL novel, Skycat only briefly mentions his experiences and I would avoid the last chapter if you don't like those novels because Ming Yi has sex with his protagonist to try to 'commit a crime' (it was consensual) and land himself in jail to get away from him... As is the common theme in crematorium novels (constantly running away from the love interest that broke ur heart)...

**Qin JiaShu takes advantage of Wen ZhiChu being drunk and kisses him (and takes a photo..... Wen ZhiChu remembers the kiss). He then gaslighted him about who inititated the kiss after. Wen ZhiChu is more hung up on not dating in high school (and not believing he deserves Qin JiaShu's affection) than actually hating the attention he's getting from him..... Qin JiaShu is still deeply possessive and easy to provoke jealousy even in the extra set 15ish years later. Again Wen ZhiChu seems to not mind it after, but protests a lot during it. Common trope..

No readmore this time! Thank you for reading my review 💜💜

[dystopianam]

Headcanons about VV's ADULTS premades!

⚠️ Since these are my personal headcanons, I don't take responsibility if someone gets offended by the way I interpret the characters or if you don't like certain couples. I don't like perfect life stories, I like DRAMA, not all characters are good people, there are even villains among them!

If you like these let me know if you would also like to know my headcanons on the elders, teenagers and children of Veronaville!

P.S: In the post I refer very often to "historical times". By historical times I mean an AU where the characters live in a very ancient year instead of modern times. In this case I am referring to the year 1300+, because these were the years where the real Romeo & Juliet is set. (For those who say no, the years where the story is set are conflicting in many versions of the story, but here in Italy they say it is 1300+ because the real Romeo and Juliet lived in that period)

To start without do favoritism, let's start with the Summerdreams!

Titania Summerdream

She's a fairy (obvs). Very tall, chaotic, lover of alcohol and umh...something else that Lazlo loves too. Very extroverted, loves to party and watch real life dramas but doesn't like it if happen in her family. For a long time she tried to make a baby with Oberon but never succeeded. After a while she understood that one of the two was sterile, but not knowing human medicine they never knew how to find out which of the two, and that's why they adopted Puck and Bottom.

She loves her adopted children immeasurably, but without wanting to, she often finds herself favoring Puck, making Bottom jealous.

She is the kind of mother who treats you like you are a child even if you are 54 years old, hugs and cuddles you in front of anyone and embarrasses you in front of anyone, expecially in front of your friends.

Being of a mischievous and perverse nature, she often finds herself saying embarrassing things in any situation, often risking killing Puck of embarrassment.

She thinks that anyone the same age as her kids are their boyfriends/girlfriends and torments they by asking if they are. In front of them.

She constantly smiles mischievously, calls everyone "dear" and "darling", and often speaks vaguely, as if doing riddles.

She calls Puck with lots of embarrassing lovely nicknames. She does the same with Bottom.

She often finds herself feeling neglected by Oberon because of his work, but they both love each other a lot.

Not knowing technology, being a fairy, she began to learn about it recently. Her favorite things about that are 10 year old boomer memes and taking boomer photo montages with the sunset behind her.

Often she texts her kids and replies to her own messages thinking they were the ones who responded, thus creating an entire conversation with herself.

Her movements are slow and elegant. But she burp a lot, and loud, when drunk.

She often behaves inappropriately with everyone and everywhere.

Oberon Gossamer

Oberon is also a fairy. Like Titania, he's very tall. He is the serious person of the couple. He loves theatre, writing scenes for films that only exist in his head, the sea and... he has a small, dangerous, attraction to black magic. He is calm and of few words, often speaking only if asked, but being the serious parent of the couple, he is also the one who listens to his kids's problems, try to help them and attends school meetings (Titania is not reliable).

He drinks, but a little, he is not a lover of alcohol like Titania, but he likes it. And...as for the hobby that Titania shares with Lazlo... let's say he likes it but with moderation.

Oberon learned to use technology much faster than Titania and therefore loves do video editing. Once he even tried to be a Youtuber but he had to close the channel because people in the comments told him that he was hot and Titania didn't like that.

Unfortunately he often gets lost in overworking and neglects Titania a bit.

Also, since he learned youth slang he uses it a little too often and inappropriately.

Now let's move on to the Montys!

Bianca Monty

Bianca has an average height. She is neither tall nor short, and has a decisive, stubborn, intelligent personality. She is honest, direct, she always says what she thinks, she doesn't want to please anyone, but she's also very very closed emotionally. She often hides that she has negative emotions and memories created by the family situation and pretends that nothing harms her. Often, this inability to let off her sad thoughts and show weakness makes her appear grumpy or unpleasant, but that is not her intention.

Bianca left home as soon as she turned 18, tired of hearing about the feud with the Capps, but that's no secret. She has a good relationship with her mother, her brother and her nephews, but is on bad terms with her father.

Once she started living on her own, Bianca tried to figure out what she wanted from her independence: did she want to study? Work? start a family?

Having always had a difficult situation in the family, as she had no use as a daughter, that couldn't be the heir, Bianca has always wanted to have a family of her own but...noticing that taking care of her brother Antonio's twins created difficulties for her, discouraged her very much.

"Maybe I'm not ready yet." Bianca thought, and then she decided to concentrate on her studies. She often frequented a library and there she met Kent.

The two immediately became friends, but Kent was afraid to tell Bianca that he was a Capp. But when Bianca found out, their relationship became even closer, because both were against the feud.

At one point, Bianca had a crush on Kent, but when he came out to her as gay, she felt the world fall on her. Disappointment hit her in the chest and when she finally thought she had found her place in the world, her man, the father of her future childrens, her dreams became illusions.

Bianca never confessed to Kent, so she silently accepted it, once again hiding another pain of which she could never talk about.

However, after that discovery, Bianca, appreciating the trust that Kent had felt towards her, finally began to open up and tell him all the bad things that she had always kept inside. Kent was the only one who could listen to her. No one before him had ever been willing to listen to her.

From that even more intimate approach, Bianca also began to become very interested in the LGBT+ community, after listening to Kent talk about it, and sincerely tried to explore herself a little. But noticing... how the crush for Kent doesn't seem to want to pass, leaves little doubt to herself.

Antonio Monty

Antonio, as a man, is short, like his father's height, when Patrizio was young.

Like his sister Bianca, he also moved away from his parents' house, but this happened after his wife Hero's disappearance, following a big verbal fight with his father.

Antonio has always endured his father's hatred for the Capps in silence, but when the feud led to his brother Claudio and his sister-in-law Olivia losing their lives, and the disappearance of his wife Hero, the limit was reached.

Antonio loved Claudio very much, and after his death, his relationship with his father ended to a point of no return, accusing him of being the cause of his death.

He decides to earn a living without his father's monetary support and starts working as a cook (in my headcanons, in modern times he and Claudio had a restaurant, in "historical" times, instead they have an inn).

Antonio loves cooking, food is literally his whole life and he hopes that one day his passion will allow him to leave a good legacy to his twins, so that he doesn't have to worry about leaving them with nothing.

Antonio is a perfect father, he always puts his children as priority over everything and would prefer to starve to feed them. He is sweet, patient, tries to treat both twins the same but often forgets that Benedick is also a child and entrusts him with too many responsibilities such as checking on Beatrice while he is at work or helping him at the restaurant/inn after school.

He is often very strict regarding education and good manners and this is why his children are so polite, but the stress of being a single father often leads him to become excessively angry. The twins know that their father isn't really as angry with them as he seems, but other people might think of him as an exaggerated father.

After Claudio's death, Antonio also tried to be a father to Mercutio and Romeo, loving his nephews very much, but living away from them is a bit problematic, even though he himself had proposed to them to live with him.

In any case, Antonio made a promise to Claudio that he would protect Mercutio and Romeo at all costs, and for this reason he still does not lose sight of them, with one excuse or another.

From time to time Mercutio helps Antonio at the restaurant/inn as a waiter or cook, but Antonio doesn't let Romeo into the kitchen because Romeo doesn't know how to cook and would make everything catch fire.

Hero Monty

Hero is of average height, has a strong, determined, stubborn and courageous personality but unfortunately she comes from a very, very poor family.

She doesn't know how to cook, she is very clumsy in doing everything (but in historical times she would have known how to use a sword even if she is a woman) and Antonio is often the one who has to cook her food and help her around the house, but... it is precisely her defects that have made him fall in love with her despite their very different social statuses.

Patrizio never accepted Hero, he never accepted Antonio marrying a woman who was so poor, but Antonio decided to disobey his father and married her anyway.

After their marriage, despite the tensions in the family, the two were happy, but unfortunately, as often happens, not everything can be perfect, and Hero also ended up falling in love with her husband Antonio's younger brother, Claudio.

The two had a secret relationship even though Claudio was also married to another woman, Olivia, and Hero only decided to tell him to stop when... she discovered she was pregnant.

She never told Claudio about the pregnancy, but pretended that the child was Antonio's. And so Antonio also believed that it was his own.

Hero gave birth to Viola, but full of shame for the daughter who was the result of her love affair wich Claudio, she decided to pretend that the baby had died during childbirth and gave her to the care of a maid.

Antonio was devastated, Viola grew up with that maid and ended up working as a maid herself but without ever knowing who her real parents were.

Hero never spoke to Claudio again for fear that she might fall back into temptation, and after a few years, she had the twins Benedick and Beatrice with Antonio.

Hero loved Antonio very much, and what had happened with Claudio had only been a huge mistake, but somehow, Patrizio had discovered the truth about Viola, perhaps thanks to some maid present at the birth who had acted as a spy.

Patrizio threatened Hero that he would tell Antonio everything if she didn't start respecting and obeying him, doing as he wanted. Hero was very stubborn, she hesitated, she didn't want to lose her pride in the face of a threat and... it was there that she was killed by a man paid by Patrizio himself. And Benedick, peering through the half-open door, saw everything.

Patrizio blamed the Capps for Hero's death and made his entire family believe that they were the ones who killed her. A short time later, Viola mysteriously disappeared.

Claudio Monty

Claudio is on average tall, taller than Antonio but shorter than Olivia. He is the choosen heir after Patrizio and before Romeo.

He is what can be called a good son par excellence. Respectful of his parents, he has never disobeyed his father's orders. He always studied what Patrizio had forced him to study and in his free time he practiced his passion for cooking by working in the restaurant/inn with his brother Antonio.

Claudio and Antonio bought the restaurant together and are both the owners, but in historical times, the two of them bought the inn secretly from Patrizio who did not accept that his sons worked like any other commoners, to the detriment of their high social status.

Claudio doesn't want to disappoint his parents and in front of them he is the perfect son, but when they don't see him, he...shows his slightly more libertine personality. In fact, he loves to appear youthful, and (according to my headcanons) he has Romance as his second aspiration, and for this reason, unfortunately, despite everything, he is not very faithful to Olivia, and this is why he ends up cheating on her with Hero.

Antonio often finds himself scolding him and blaming him for everything, arguing just like any pair of brothers, and unfortunately, that "libertine" side of Claudio's personality was also inherited by his sons: Mercutio and Romeo. Mercutio is in fact very rebellious, while Romeo is studious but a womanizer.

Despite everything, he is a good father, and although he is very serious when he wants, most of the time he is also the most permissive and the one who allows his sons to do stupid things while covering them up from their mother Olivia. He's also the kind of father who gives his sons advice about girls and then wants to know every detail and gossip about the girls they've dated.

Often ending up, however, "punished" together with his sons by his wife herself, with flying slippers.

After the fire at the Capp mansion, he and Olivia were kidnapped by the Capps, locked in a secret room in the mansion and left to starve to death despite Olivia also being heavily pregnant.

Olivia Monty

Olivia is tall, and there's not much I can say about her. Like Claudio she is also quite serious and a good daughter and daughter-in-law, but unlike Claudio, she behaves much more seriously and with maturity.

Coming from a family of doctors, she could have become a doctor, but she abandoned her studies to pursue a more homely life.

In her husband's family she doesn't have much freedom of speech. Patrizio is very tough, he feels like the master of everyone, so, in order not to argue she prefers to remain silent, unlike her sister-in-law Hero who instead responded badly to her father-in-law when she sees things that are not right.

She's a good wife and a good mother, but she is much stricter with her sons unlike Claudio who lets them do a bit of everything, even what they shouldn't.

She doesn't know that Claudio cheated on her with Hero, and that's why Olivia sees Hero as a good friend and is on good terms with her. (In historical times, I imagine that Olivia knew that Claudio had cheated on her with Hero, but that she couldn't say anything because at the time wives couldn't really have the right to speak. Men had the right to have as many women as they wanted, but since Hero was a married woman, she could have been accused of adultery if Olivia had wanted to be vindictive.)

While Mercutio got his rebellious spirit from his father and Romeo his studious, womanizing attitude from his father, both brothers got their vivacity and sloppiness from their mother. Claudio on the other hand is quite clean.

If she had been alive, she would most likely have helped Romeo to be with his Juliette and... she would have accepted Mercutio's relationship with Tybalt (I ship them) as a very open minded person. While, maybe, Claudio would have been a little more reluctant.

Now let's move on to the Capps!

Goneril Capp

Goneril is very tall, first of the four children of Consort and Contessa Capp.

As the first daughter, she has always been convinced that the role of heir would be given to her by right, but the decision of her mother Contesaa to make her younger sister, Cordelia, the future heir of the family, created envy and jealousy between the sisters.

Goneril is serious, ambitious, elegant, clever. She tries to be perfect in everything but that doesn't seem enough to please her parents.

Although she was the first daughter to get married, the fact that her younger sister, Cordelia, had become pregnant before her created great anxiety for her. The anxiety faded when she saw with great satisfaction and malice that her sister's firstborn was a boy, Tybalt, and therefore that he would never enter the line of succession, and the relief was stronger when she gave birth to her firstborn, Miranda, but...even so, her parents didn't seem to change their minds. The heir was and continued to remain Cordelia.

Relations with her family are very tense. She is resentful towards her parents for not choosing her, with her second sister, Regan, the relationship is very "at convenience", sometimes they hate each other, sometimes they love each other, it depends on what the plans are. She can't stand her third sibling, Kent, finding him too strange and disrespectful to the family's honor, and hates her fourth sister Cordelia's entire family, especially Cordelia herself and her nieces (Cordelia's children) Tybalt and Juliette. With Hermia she is indifferent, as Hermia doesn't seem like a threat to the role of heir as she doesn't seem interested

It's no secret, at least to us players, that she often feels paranoid about her husband Albany and believes that Albany only married her for her money. But another of her problems is that although she loves her family very much, she is incapable of expressing affection, due to her harsh personality which leads her children to disobey. Especially with Miranda the relationship is very tense, but losing her trust is not what she wants. Goneril isn't a bad mother, even if her moral isn't exactly good.

Albany Capp

Albany is very tall, but not so much taller than his wife Goneril.

Even though Goneril is paranoid that he only loves her for her money, the truth is that Albany has been madly in love with Goneril since they were teenagers. He immediately saw in her the mother of his future children, and it's also true that he likes money very much, but his love for Goneril is sincere. He's basically a simp for Goneril. He doesn't mind at all that she has control over everything, even his person.

Although his canonical personality indicates that he is a very serious and grumpy person, for my personal headcanon I instead think that he is serious regarding the rigidity that his wife Goneril herself requires for his family (in short, he obeys her like a dog) and for the grumpiness...he just doesn't really hate anyone, but growls at people his wife doesn't like.

Albany actually has no interest in the feud, to tell the truth he doesn't even know why it started and often tries not to make enemies of any member of his wife's family.

He loves his children madly and is able to demonstrate it very well, unlike his wife. Being a father has always been his greatest desire! He often finds himself crying alone at the thought that sooner or later all his daughters will get married and leave home and this is why he always walks with an enormous handkerchief in one pocket, ready in case he feels like crying thinking about it.

Although he has a goofy face and seems calm, he would be capable of beating you very badly if you dared to harm his children.

But isn't the same for Goneril. Goneril is capable of defending herself, in truth Albany is a little afraid of his wife.

Regan Capp

Regan is tall, but shorter than her big sister Goneril. Second of the four children of Consort and Contessa Capp, she also aspires to the role of heir but like Goneril she found herself usurped first by her younger sister Cordelia and then by her niece Juliette.

Ambitious, clever and stubborn, she too would do anything to get that role (in historic years she would even have tried to kill the competition by poisoning the food, drinks or who knows what else!) but she has two big problems: she is much more emotional, more impulsive than her older sister Goneril, who is instead more thoughtful, cold-blooded, and...has a great inferiority complex due to the fact that she is the the only one of the sisters not to have children yet.

She doesn't even know if she wants a child that much, but the fact that after many years she still hasn't been able to have one worries her enough.

The marriage to her husband Cornwall is an arranged marriage, a marriage of convenience. The two never liked each other but...they're trying to like each other now.

The relationships with her family are very similar to those of Goneril, but with the difference that Regan feels much more resentment towards Cordelia and that... she doesn't know how to feel towards her brother Kent. She is sorry that he doesn't have a family of his own, that he is lonely, but at the same time he is... so intrusive into her married life with Cornwall that she can't stand this situation so much anymore.

Cornwall Capp

Cornwall is on average tall but shorter (slightly) than Regan.

He is greedy, has a bad temper and his world revolves solely around money. He married Regan for social convenience but despite seeing her efforts to try to be a couple in love he can't really like her. He pretends to like her.

He is envious, he is envious that a woman has so much more power and control over her life than he does. Envious because he doesn't even have a job.

And, he also hate very much his brother in law. Not only because he is intrusive and doesn't want him around, but also because... let's say I have always seen Cornwall as a very homophobic person? Male chauvinistic and homophobic, a perfect picture! ✨👌🏻 (I apologize to Cornwall fans (do they exist?) and to those who really like the Regan-Cornwall couple, I know they love each other very much in game but this is my personal headcanon, I ask for forgiveness 🥺)

Although it was clear to him from the beginning that in the Capp family it was the women who were in charge and had the power, Cornwall NEVER accepted this. For this reason he argued very often with Regan, ending in mutual agreement that they would both have the same right of ""command"" at home.

Kent Capp

Kent is VERY TALL, taller than his father Consort and his sisters. As a man, his role in a matriarchal family has always been very complicated and for this reason he has always been isolated from many things.

He is the favorite uncle of his nephews because he is the only one in the family to bring a bit of joy and madness among many long faces, his personality is both chaotic and very calm and lovely depends the situation, but both for this and for his hatred for the feud, he is called the black sheep of the family.

He misses his younger sister Cordelia very much, and has a lot of resentment against Patrizio Monty for it, but that doesn't mean he has to hate all the Montys for just one bad apple. Right?

Kent loves reading and studying and it's precisely his passion for studying, his ambition to become a teacher, that made him meet his now best friend Bianca Monty, in that library. The first person he came out to about his homosexuality.

His relationship with his family is very tense. He would like to remain on good terms with everyone, but it's difficult when his father doesn't know how to approach him without arguing over their very different views on the feud. Consort loves him but... it's just complicated, also because he knows that Kent is gay, but he doesn't know how to deal with him about it.

Goneril snubs him, so Albany does, Regan isn't sure how to feel, and Cornwall hates him with all his heart.

As I said, his nephews love him. When they were little, he babysat each of them at least once, but the children he babysat most frequently were Tybalt, Miranda, Juliette, and Hermia. Now he loves to babysit little Ariel (and that's why Ariel is bisexual, he spends too much time with uncle Kent)

For a short time, Kent helped Tybalt, Juliette, Miranda and Hermia study, but as I mentioned in anothet post, Tybalt was very stubborn, hard to understand the things he studied and the stress of tutoring him led Kent to lose all his hair (partly I think this is also the cause of the early hair loss of Caliban, Tybalt's father).

Among all his nephews, there is one in particular with whom he has a very particular relationship: Tybalt.

Tybalt initially hated his uncle Kent. He loved him as a child, but started to hate him after the fire, when he learned that his uncle was not against the Montys despite what they had done to their family. The two later became closer when Kent realized that there was something between Tybalt and Mercutio that was apparently not the hatred shown. He helped Tybalt understand why he felt so strange, opening him up to the possibility of thinking that perhaps he was homosexual and that he actually liked Mercutio.

Obviously Tybalt denied everything and reacted angrily and embarassed like a perfect tsundere but from that moment... it also gave him a lot to think about.

Kent realized he was gay when he lived in Roaring Heights. As a teenager he fell in love with a boy but their love story ended in fear that his family might find out. He only had the courage to come out to his family as an adult, returning to Veronaville.

In historical years, however, he hides it, for obvious reasons.

Cordelia Capp

Cordelia is short, the shortest among her tree big siblings. She is sweet, naive and couldn't stand the feud, she would have wanted peace instead of seeing all that hatred between the two families. Having been chosen as heir by her mother herself, this brought upon her the hatred of her sisters and to lose their affection for a horrible question of power.

She had a wonderful relationship with her parents and her older brother Kent, but unfortunately she never managed to regain the affection of her sisters Goneril and Regan, no matter how hard she tried.

Cordelia was...even quite friendly with Olivia Monty when Tybalt and Mercutio were children, but the feud then prohibited them from seeing each other.

Cordelia never wanted to use her authority as the future heir, she had never taken a stand on anything, she was a bit cowardly in some ways. She rather let her husband Caliban speak for her, let him manage everything alone, but she couldn't stand it when he scolded Tybalt without sufficient reason to make her son deserve that reproach.

Cordelia loved art, music, she played the piano, and she taught Tybalt to play that. She often lost herself thinking about things that people thought were banal, that they never stopped to observe because certain things had always existed: she loved the sea, she loved the night sky, its stars. She loved the color white, because it was purity, calm, tranquility, a blank canvas to paint on.

She was very young when she had Tybalt, but despite her young age she was a wonderful mother to her three children and wife to her husband.

And it was until the end. Because that night, when the fire had taken her husband's life, she could have easily escaped, there was time. But she didn't. Instead she took Juliette and Hermia and with her last strength she left them in the arms of their older brother Tybalt, and then returned to her husband's side, deprived of strength and oxygen, dying with him but reassured by seeing all three his children run out of that house. Away from the fire. But close to the man she loved.

Caliban Capp

Caliban is tall, but not taller than any Capp, in fact his son Tybalt, now that he has grown up, is much taller than him, having taken after his maternal grandfather Consort.

Caliban literally has two faces, and one of them is false. (And corrupted *badumtss*}

Lover of money, good at business, he immediately persuaded his father-in-law, obtaining his trust and thus the hand of his daughter, Cordelia. Cordelia was the heir, she studied to understand how business was managed, but the truth was that it was Caliban who helped his in-laws manage business. Cordelia had never lifted a finger, she didn't even know how things were going.

He comes from a... particular family. In fact, Caliban is actually a sorcerer and has often used his magic to manipulate things in the family to his liking.

As I have already said, Caliban is liked by Consort for his good business skills, but all his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law can't stand him, they are envious of the flattery that Consort gives him. Cordelia loved him a lot, and he...he...who know. He was once jealous, thinking that Claudio had tried to charm Cordelia.

Juliette loved him, Hermia was too young to express herself and Tybalt...he had a mixed relationship with his father. Because Caliban was gentle with his daughters, but harsh and more authoritative with Tybalt. Tybalt never dared to answer him badly or disobey him, however, but he often ended up getting so nervous that he ran away nervously so as not to insult him. Tybalt loved his mother far more than his father.

Caliban showed himself as a gentleman always ready to help everyone, but his nature was much more evil, much more manipulative than... anyone could have ever imagined. And perhaps, if he hadn't died in the flames, this would have been discovered sooner or later. Perhaps, sooner or later his mask would finally fall, showing the monster he really was.

He had so many secrets.

[maks-punchout-hyperfixtion]

I'm board af so here's a minor fact about each women's league oc

Delilah: Delilah absolutely hates box mixes, she'll still use them in recipes but she absolutely despises having to use them to make full cakes unless she's in a rush or something is to complicated and she's not wanting to put the effort in it.

Vicky: vicky occasionally does archery or things that require eyesight and coordination. Granted this was only found out after someone challenged her drunk.

To this day cherry owes her ten bucks that nobody ever told Vicky about.

Deedee: deedee is the wvbas "HR", welll not exactly HR she does more duties then a typical human resources person does but it's just nicknamed that.

Manatee: oddly enough despite how she got her injury she absolutely loves swimming or being around water in general. Aquariums are her favorite spot!

Cherry: cherry has an absolute sweet tooth, partly because she never had sweets growing up, but trust to everyone who bakes has come to acknowledge she will successfully steal a treat if she sees it.

This also where half of her paycheck goes

Zoid: zoids hair isn't actually naturally spikey, she just does it like that because it reminds her of her mom. Her actually hair style goes down to her elbows when straight and barely pass her shoulders when it curls up after its been dried.

Lion: iconically dispite having similar powers to great tiger lion can't make decent clones that can actually help her, she can make them they just can't do much outside a signed task.

Carmen: carmen doesn't actually like the smell of rose scented things in this universe, rather she goes for the fruity smells like cirtus (i actually have a candle like that and it smells so good)

Ardin: it's common knowledge that ardins paranoid just doesn't show it but what nobody actually realizes is that she somehow got ahold of ALL the video boxing associations boxer infos. Honestly it's impressive since she's only in New Yorks wvba.

Caff: caff's name is a nickname, her actually name is asya, which was shown a couple months back in a fake Twitter post, it's kinda unclear why she went by caff but honestly knowing her she probably just assumed everyone went by their boxer name only with the expectation of Amelia

Raven: raven is considered the "mother figure" because she will go out of her way to make sure the other boxers are safe and ok from fans and paparazzi. It's one of many reasons she doesn't go out the side door like vicky does dispite a hate for paparazzis

Amelia: in canon nobody even says her boxing name outside the announcer. Ironically Amelia also hates it but she hates super macho man too (he insulted Oranges just once and that set the fuse)

Dream Lander: nobody knows alot about dream, and only few actually knows her real name. Shes a mysterious person.

And finally

Clara: actually this may be risky but a good portion of her story is actually referenced off of my own life, now in not gonna say what is and isn't based off me so you have fun with that ;)

Ight toodles i just needed to post something :v

[youregay]

just finished fleabag and I ended up watching it with the lens of fleabag being a trans woman

it started because phoebe waller-bridge looks and sounds a bit like abigail thorn of philosophytube and from there it kind of stuck in my mind and things started coming together

she's a completely normal, beautiful woman who people treat like a freak: she's kind of tall (bridges is 5'10") and people act like she's giant, she's lanky and thin but people act like she doesn't have a feminine frame whatsoever, she's constantly being mistaken for a man or being described as manish, people who know her are constantly surprised when she looks nice and are often reticent to give her conpliments, her having small breasts is a huge focus, etc. in specific, a parter of hers doesn't understand/is surprised when she says she 'carries her vagina around with her everywhere', her father compliments her by calling her 'strong', multiple characters react to her saying she miscarried as if she was lying/that it wasn't possible, and a drunk woman thought she was a man when fleabag was helping her into a cab, among other things

none of these things reflect the reality of how she looks, but how people view her and reminds me of the experience of many trans women who—regardless of how they look—still deal with this kind of scrutiny over normal human variation

further, I think it gives more depth to several aspects of her life; for starters, her relationship with sex. sex is a place where she can consistently get validation that people find her attractive and see her as a woman. her motorcycle bf in particular was very focused on her having small breasts and having anal sex with her, this lends itself to a more sinister reading of him fetishizing her and plays into the theme that men want to fuck her, but don't ultimately want to be with her. it also gives depth the business woman monologue, which I've seen people call bioessentialist (rightly so but I don't think the audience is supposed to view it uncritically). the business woman talks to fleabag about women's inherent depth due to their built-in pain, she is relating to fleabag. reading fleabag as trans makes the rejection of fleabag's advances all the more painful; does the business woman not see her as a real woman after all? it puts the whole rant in a different light and gives more voice to fleabag's feelings of distance from other people throughout the series. this also adds to fleabag's trepidation of starting a relationship with boo despite obviosuly being in love with her: she's afraid of being veiwed as predatory and doesnt know how to approach women. it also explains why people find her overt sexuality so much grosser than her godmother's or martin's, despite both of those characters using their secuality as tools of harassment

this reading also gives an interesting perspective on her relationship with her family. her family treat her like she's doing everything for attention, even when she's literally not speaking, which is reminiscent of the ways families treat transitioning as a grab for attention. additionally, it lends a new angle to her relationship with her sister. her sister views her as stronger and ignores martin's sexual advances on fleabag because she doesn't see them as damaging, something that makes sense if she has unconscious transmisogyny she hasn't worked through fully

lastly, fleabag being trans adds an interesting look into the way she views herself. despite looking very similar to her sister she feels uglier, more manish, and fater than her. she wishes she could have the 'perfect body' and is highly focused on a sculpture of a woman's body throughout the series—completing it with her own head in one of the final shots. in addition, she consistently feels a sense of distance from those around her: she doesn't have friends, she struggles with romantic relationships, it seems like there's some invisible force that makes her different from other people that's making connections impossible, which is something I find relatable as a trans person. being trans can make you feel like an alien, like an outsider in society who's only being politely tolerated (which is sometimes true and sometimes self-afflicted)

[ambrossart]

It feels wrong to say “the girl who SA’d Henry” is my favorite character as if I’m like “yeah it rocks that she did that” but I just find her to be one of the most compelling characters in the story so far in the same way that people tend to find Henry sympathetic and compelling despite him doing literal hate crimes. Especially when her classmates were badmouthing her and even Evelyn couldn’t help gawking at her body, you get the idea that she is really messed up but the way she’s treated by others doesn’t help. The scene where you really humanized her and has her humming that melancholic song and being very compassionate toward Evelyn, sandwiched in between the rest of the story driving home that she’s just a lying creep and a loser and a predator, hit me in the gut. She reads as being so lost and in over her head. I do think there’s a trauma to being seen as a sex symbol as a minor (and this being the 80s I realistically can imagine how resentful other girls are to her) and I’m always filling in my own headcanons about how warped her relationship to sexuality is, and the long distance college boyfriend (who she probably had to grow up quick for) probably doesn’t help. I think the story of a girl trying to fill a role that’s expected of her and then regretting it when she’s shamed for it immediately after is so real. You don’t excuse her making false reports but you can understand why she thinks that’s the only way to salvage herself after she’s shamed for giving into the pressure people put on her to do it. Feels sad that she’s so desperate for anyone to sympathize with her or see her as a person with feelings that she’ll lie about it, and even then she’s just further hated for lying. I don’t know. I’m always so fascinated by more problematic characters, especially when it’s a female one. (I’m one of the assholes who voted Steph in the last poll so I guess I have a type! (Also to the other person who voted Steph: YOU’RE A REAL ONE)). Anyway! I love that you don’t write all characters as two-dimensional mustache twirling villains or Mary Poppins clones with the kind of boring character flaws that you say on a job interview. At first I was worried that Evelyn’s only faults were being TOO CARING or TOO PERFECTIONISTIC, but I think the tiny glimpses of selfishness she’s showing and the big reveal that she’s physically forced herself on Henry before have me more on board with this story than ever. 👀 I love watching the perfect “mommy gf” type character get deconstructed. I think everyone is in this fandom because we like how dark and inexcusable but still sympathetic the male bullies are in IT, but I think seeing female antagonists (or better: female protagonists doing meaningfully problematic things and having to atone for it) feels even more unique and interesting. Ok thank you, happy writing, queen, I am so excited for the next chapter 🙏

Don't worry, you're not gonna get any judgment from me for voting for her. Voting for her doesn't mean you condone her actions. Besides, Paper Men is a story full of problematic characters, so it would be hypocritical for anyone to judge you when they're probably thirsting for Patrick Hockstetter, the most problematic character of all. 😂

Your headcanon is honestly pretty similar to the official backstory I have for her. Unlike Evelyn, Manda Bosch blossomed at a very young age and has been sexualized her entire life. She lost her virginity in middle school. A lot of her early relationships were with older men. Her current boyfriend, Matt, is not significantly older than her, but he is older than her, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's only with her for the sex, and he probably cheats on her while he's away at college. Despite what Liz says, Manda is not a "dumb, drunk slut" who's out to steal everyone's boyfriends. That's just Liz being a mean girl. I think Manda's true self is actually very kind, flawed but kind. She offered Hannah-Beth some gum in class. She was very sweet to Evelyn when she had no real reason to be. These are sophomores and Manda is a senior. She should be ignoring them like everyone else.

But sometimes Manda gets lonely (especially with her boyfriend away), and she relates to men the only way she knows how: through sex. She knows that's what men want from her because that's what they've always wanted from her. Then you add way too much alcohol to the mix and it's just a recipe for disaster. She does falsely cry rape occasionally (out of shame), but I guarantee not all of those accusations are false. Manda has definitely been assaulted more than once, probably by men like Martin.

I think the situation with Henry was a very unfortunate mistake. Manda was at the party with her boyfriend. He drank too much and passed out. Manda, drunk herself, wanted to be close to somebody—anybody—and she chose Henry because she assumed he would want it like all men want it. Henry, it should also be said, does project a lot of false bravado. Although he's not flirty like Patrick, he tends to make some pretty inappropriate and sexually aggressive comments to women. He did this with Evelyn when she was asking for the shirts back. He did this with Beverly in the movie. So Manda had every reason to assume that Henry would be fully on board. To be clear, I'm in NO WAY blaming Henry for this situation. It doesn't matter how he acts at school. Obviously, he wasn't comfortable and Manda should have respected that and backed off immediately... but she didn't. Then Henry got triggered and he got violent and things got way out of hand.

Fast forward to school on Monday, now all the senior girls are shaming her for sleeping with a SOPHOMORE, and not just any sophomore—HENRY BOWERS, who is not popular at all. If it were Patrick, the girls would slap her on the back and congratulate her, but Henry? Nobody wants anything to do with Henry. He's not the fun kinda dangerous. He's just plain dangerous. He's radioactive. Everybody knows to steer clear of him (everyone except Evelyn, apparently). And I think Manda felt embarrassed and ashamed and panicked. Plus I also think she doesn't remember a lot of what happened that night apart from him suddenly freaking out on her. If she did, she would feel extremely guilty and horrible for putting someone in that position because that's not who she is. She's not Martin. She's just someone who made a mistake... a very big mistake.

Lastly, to speak on Evelyn's situation with Henry a little bit: I wouldn't say she "forced" herself onto him. I do think she made a huge mistake in her timing. Henry was in a very fragile state that day. He was upset and in a lot of pain. That was NOT the time for her to put the moves on him. She was being very selfish and got caught up in her own feelings and that was wrong of her, but she didn't force him to do anything. He was a fully willing participant... until he wasn't. Henry withdrew consent and left because of his own issues. It had nothing to do with what Evelyn did. Her timing was awful, but she didn't sexually assault him or anything.

I know the details surrounding that situation are still a little fuzzy. They will be explained clearly because she and Henry will discuss it at some point. Until then, we'll leave it as it is.

Oh my god, I wrote way too much. I'm so sorry 😂

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

EVERY WEEK I WILL POST VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.

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147. Megumi & Tsugumi Vol. 4 by Mitsuru Si--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

LISTEN. I thought this manga was only four volumes long! Imagine my heartbreak when we are left with that damn cliffhanger and nothing else because volume five isn't even available to order in English.😭😭 This is why there was a slight delay between when I started this and when I finished it. I put the book down and stared at it with anger and sadness for a few days before finally picking it up to finish the side story.

I loved that in this one, everything seems to be coming together! There is more understanding between the MCs and their love is more clear to one another than ever before. Communication levels are high! But then THAT conclusion. Screw Megumi's father. Seriously, screw him.

Also, the side story was adorable as always. I love that couple!

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148. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the things I will always enjoy in Rebecca Serle's books is the magical aspect weaved into the contemporary and otherwise women's lit genre. It's just the barest touch of what-ifism that makes one wonder if people out there in the real world are getting to experience this magical realism.

In EXPIRATION DATES we get an MC who carries more than just her magical secret, but whereas the ability to see how long your romantic relationship is going to last is in the synopsis, the other is a spoiler that I will let you experience blind. The expectations and pressure every time the MC gets a new relationship deadline was enough stress without knowing the other thing.

I knew immediately who the MC's true love interest was going to be, but I enjoyed the journey for what it was. Sure, this wasn't my favourite Serle novel, but it was still fun and full of depth. I like that EXPIRATION DATES begs the question of "what would you do if you knew the end-date of a relationship? Would you simply go along until it's over, or would you ignore it and try to make it last as long as possible?"

Relatively short, surprisingly insightful, and with a very unique approach to love, Serle's newest novel was a quick and heartfelt read. Despite the heavier undertones, I think this would make a great summer read to carry in that beach bag.

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149. Run Away with me, Girl Vol. 1 by Battan--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While the artwork made me a little wary, the synopsis fully pulled me in!

Reading the story from both perspectives was so sad, especially because it's so obvious that there are feelings there between the two MCs, but that societal expectations to have the husband and the kids is overriding the pure love.

While I first thought that the one character was cruel for the way she was treating the other MC, I later came to realize that it was her own form of escapism. I think this brings into focus the idea that we sometimes do need insight into both perspectives before coming to any conclusions.

Also, screw the fiancé. What a horrendous human being. He's a bully and I can't wait to see him fall on his ass.

This felt like such a nostalgic read, especially when the story starts with the life-changing line about growing up and being adults, instead of letting their love blossom beyond high school. I need more, especially after that ending!!!!

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150. Punch Drunk Love Vol. 1 by Moscareto,Okdong(Illustrator)--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listen, one of the funniest things we could have gotten with PUNCH DRUNK LOVE is the dual perspective. I LOVED watching these two characters playing off each other without knowing.

I was genuinely laughing through a good chunk of this manhwa, especially because of how ridiculous the characters were. Plus, the classic "take off the glasses" trope where the character is suddenly way more attractive without the glasses.

It was spicy, of course, but the story around those scenes and even during them was hilarious. I'm very much looking forward to reading more of this, especially to see how the manager falls for the MC.

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151. You, With A View by Jessica Joyce--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had heard great things about this book, so I went in wary. Expectations can sometimes be a silent killer. BUT. BUT. Joyce's YOU, WITH A VIEW was such a happy surprise (despite it being a heavier read exploring the process of dealing with grief and the bigger changes in life.)

From the very beginning, I loved the interactions between the MC and the love interest. That animosity that carried over from their teen years was GREAT. Especially because it's so obvious that it's not as reciprocated as the MC once believed. Also, the meddling, adorable grandfather? *Chef's Kiss*.

I love stories with road trips because we know we're going to get the "one bed trope" and the character growth that can only really happen in close proximity. Watching these two fall in love was perfect, especially as we also learn more about the MC's grandmother along the way.

And you know, despite the secrets living between these two characters, I DID love their communication when they had finally had it. It was honest and raw.

I also may have cried with this one because man, I never thought I'd be relating to the grieving a grandmother theme. Which I know sounds ridiculous, but I honestly thought my grandma would be around for a lot longer. And you think that you're fine, until that one moment where you're not because you're remembering again that they're not just in another country but they're actually gone. Grief is a wild process and Joyce does a beautiful job of it in this--especially because of just how important the MC's grandmother was to her. Joyce treated the topic with the gentleness and honesty that it deserves.

The love interest was also such a great character because he's dealing with his own version of grief. Life is ever-changing and it's not always for the best and these two characters show us this in their journey.

Definitely a new fan here. Will check out her next book!

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152. Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CANTO CONTIGO was such a beautiful ode to not just music, but also to family and the Spanish language. The amount of Spanish in this book made me so, so, so happy--especially because it wasn't translated right after it was used.

I admittedly know close to nothing about Mariachis, but I LOVED learning more about them in this book. I didn't know there were competitions in the US between schools. That was freaking cool.

The MC had such great character growth, especially when one considers that a lot of his flaws were stemming from the pressure and grief he was still trying to overcome. I think the biggest blessing for him was being moved to a different school, simply because of how open-minded the new environment was and how it forced the MC to face the less than great parts of himself.

The representation in this book is beautiful. Not only in how much queerness lives in these pages, but in the exploration of what it "truly" means to be Mexican. I read a really great essay collection about identity and how racism seeps into what it means to be a latine person. When the love interest's identity in CANTO CONTIGO is questioned because he's Black, it reminded me of that collection. I think this was an important addition to the story because those who ignorantly assume that being Latine means you fit one specific aesthetic will have an opportunity to be thoroughly corrected.

Also, phew, that enemies to more trope? Yes, please. The tension between them was incredible, but I also loved that the love interest inspired the MC to be a better version of himself. Their love was the perfect backdrop to this story, since it pushes forward so much positive change and self-love. And please, the Trans-rep! LOVED.

I highly recommend CANTO CONTIGO. You may cry, but hey, sometimes the best books make you want to cry. Also, it might make you want to create a playlist.

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153. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have FINALLY read this book. I have had this on my shelves for over a decade.

While this wasn't what I was hoping it to be, I can definitely see the appeal. It's got some scary aspects and interesting moments, but it all kind of passed by in a blur and it took me a while to truly find my way in this story.

I am intrigued, however, to see where it goes. You know that past me collected the whole series. And if the rest books are like this one, I know I'm in for a wild time.

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154. How to Say I Do by Tal Bauer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

HOW TO SAY I DO was pure romantic magic. I don't even know how else to write this review.

The way my heart beat for these two characters. The romance, the heartbreak, the yearning, the realizations, the communication--please, this book is a pure gift and Tal Bauer is a romance god. HOW TO SAY I DO was so exquisitely beautiful that I felt my heart beating for these two long after the final page.

And the way Bauer writes the ending? Please, I could feel the waves of love and respect weaving through the words.

I wish this book was available as a physical book so I could proudly put it as a trophy on my shelves. I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of my favourite books of this year.

I want to ask Bauer who hurt him because the way he wrote the yearning in this book is so beautiful and I felt it deep in my bones. Ugh.

Okay, I need to stop. But this book. THIS BOOK. Pure magic.

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Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

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Happy reading!

[devotedmimic]

You know, Jimmy? While I can't say that you have never been responsible for helping out the town you also created or influenced the vast majority of major threats in the first place. The Yolkians only came to Retroville because of your signal. The same goes for Meldar Prime. The Nanobots, Shirley, and Evil Jimmy were all your creations. You caused the ice age. You created the sentient pants. You made the sick patch, you turned your teacher into a fifty-foot monstrosity, and you injured Santa Claus, almost ruining Christmas. The vast majority of this town's problems are caused, at least indirectly, by you. And you know what? In all honesty, that would be fine. You are very intelligent and you almost always do fix it, and in the end it's extremely unlikely that you won't end up benefiting the world a lot more than you will damage it. My children and my children's children are probably going to live in a world free of war and disease, and I'll have you to thank for that.

But fuck, dude. You can't keep using your intelligence as a way to escape your humanity. I didn't ask you to say salt because I thought a customer would seriously care or because I was insecure, I did it because it made you look weird and I was trying to get you to adopt behaviors and use language that makes you come across like a normal fucking person. Everyone knows what sodium chloride is, but calling it that outside the context of a chemistry class makes you seem like someone who defines themselves solely by their intelligence, which is undeniably who you are. I know you think that there's nothing wrong with being that person, dude, but there is. Taking your IQ and deciding that it elevates you above the rest of the planet is an awful decision that will lead to a life filled with misery and alienation. It will color every interaction you ever have and make it impossible to have real friends or relationships. I'm not saying that you won't have any. But they won't hold any meaning to you, and they certainly won't bring you any happiness. Sure, you'll probably manage a pity-fuck or two your sophomore year of college after giving some drunk sorority girl a jetpack ride, but it'll bring you nothing but emptiness. Maybe you'll eventually abandon women altogether and decide that "your true love is science", secretly seething inside whenever you see a guy like Nick or Bolbi getting married to someone he really cares about, who cares about him. You'll say I'm exaggerating, but dude, look at how you treat the people in your life now. Carl and Sheen, quirks aside, really do see you as a friend, and they'd go through some serious shit if it meant helping you out of a scrape. Can you say that you see them the same way, as anything other than the only two kids your age willing to put up with your ridiculous ego? What have you ever done for them? Inventing doesn't count, dude. Even when you build something for someone else, you're really doing that for YOU.

Every llama-bot or Ultra Lord simulator is only created with the expectation of further praise. They're not friends to you. They're worshippers. And your parents? Lord, the way you treat them. You think I've got folks that care about me the way your mom and dad do, working in a shithole like this? I wish. Everyday your dad watches you scarf down the dinner your mom slaved to make for you and prays that you might think about spending some fucking time with him instead of disappearing into your lab to do god knows what. They watch you toy with dimensional-warping science that they can't wrap their minds around on a daily basis and you laugh at them for worrying about you. Have you ever played catch with your dad, Jimmy? Ever asked him how his day at work was? You don't have a clue what l'd do for a dad like yours in my life, dude. What about your mom? Why not invent something that'll make her life easier instead of gallivanting around the Bermuda Triangle to play with fucking seaweed? We both know the reason. She would thank you for it, she'd be happy to imagine a version of you that thought for an instant about the needs of another person, but she wouldn't call you the greatest thing in the universe for it like your friends do. And in Neutron's world, whoever doesn't do that might as well not exist.

Ignore me if you want. Keep going the way you're going, and I'll see you in thirty years, lugging around sixteen Nobel prizes in your pockets as if they could substitute for a lifetime's worth of human love and interaction. You've always mocked Calamitus for his inability to finish what he started, but the man had a wife and a daughter that tolerated him enough to want to stay in his life through everything, and at the rate you're going I'd be amazed if you could manage the same with Goddard. The rest of Retroville, Jimmy, they'll never be able to do what you do. They'll never be able to invent rockets or solve cold fusion or add three numbers together. But they will find genuine friendship and love, and they will call it salt, and despite everything you accomplish you'll only be remembered as nothing more than the man who wouldn't. Who couldn't, perhaps. Get out, dude. You're fired. Big McThankies from McSpanky's.

ah yes the jimmy neutron salt vent copypaste from 4chin