#and even then we didn’t have any profound interactions

[quibbs126]

Also, I just want to show you this conversation in the game because I think it’s pretty interesting

[too-antigonish]

Morse and drinking in the 70s...

Long....because I can't write short. And obviously, a lot of you will already know this stuff...

Just want to take a moment to talk about alcohol and alcoholism in the context of the early 1970s and remind folks of how totally and completely different it is from how we see it today.

Drunk driving had not been outlawed in most countries. Not only that, it was widely regarding as funny—funny enough to be used as a regular “gag” in movies. Problem drinking was also seen as funny. There were regular cartoon strips about it. The “drunk” was a funny stock character in all sorts of plays and movies.

Alcohol was ubiquitous. We’re not just talking liquid lunches. We’re talking drinking at work, while you work—just as you see in Endeavour. Think about that for a second.

And politely saying no wasn’t something you did without social consequences. It wasn’t just seen as a personal preference. Unless you had a specific, acceptable reason, turning down a drink was often seen as stand-offish and judgmental or as a social snub. Teetotalism was regarded as rather naive and ridiculous—not something any man or woman of the world would embrace.

In the early 1970s, there was no widespread understanding of alcoholism as a disease. It was still seen very much as the consequence of personal weakness—still a matter of “If you cared enough or tried hard enough, you wouldn’t do this so it must be a character flaw.”

Plus, most people, “normal” people don’t have problems with alcohol, so if you do then there’s something abnormal and defective about you—most likely something you brought upon yourself.

And as a “personal weakness” and a “defect,” the shame around it was profound and the secrecy matched. If someone went away for treatment, it was very much akin to an unwed mother going off to have her baby and then returning without the child. You never spoke of it. You pretended that it had never happened.

If you were a kind person, you also didn’t go out of your way to parade babies in front of her or talk constantly about children when she was with you. But refer to it directly? Never. Ask for help? Never. It was always something to be hidden. Everyone did their best to forget that it had ever happened and saw this as the "kindest" thing to do.

When Morse returns from his “cure,” it would simply be assumed that everyone would pretend that nothing unusual has happened. Why he’s  just been off on a tour of the West Country and nothing else! Hope you had a lovely time! That sort of polite fiction was exactly what he would have expected upon his return. Anything more direct—at least in a public setting—would have been shocking to him and everyone else.

Where things break down, however, is in the more personal interactions. His relationship with Thursday is such that they can at least broach the topic of drinking. When they do, my impression is that Thursday is well-aware that Morse not “cured.” However, in the context of the time, saying this would be akin to saying, "You failed," because there was no disease model of alcholism in widespread use. You went to be cured and it worked or it didn't.

However, I'd also add that Thursday is almost to the breaking point with the cumulative strain he is under. He can’t cope with the “burden” of Morse being in a precarious state and he knows it. He feels desperately guilty about that—as well as about other things like Strange and Joan or about life having moved on so much while Morse was gone—and so he just shuts down. 

Shutting down is Thursday’s go-to strategy when he’s overwhelmed. We’ve seen him do it many times before. And part of that for him, is that he pretends that the people around him are ok—even if they are anything but ok. Not surprisingly, he does it the most with the people he has the closest emotional ties with—Win, Joan, Sam, and Morse.

So the only way that Thursday can cope is by having Morse be perfectly fine. Conveniently, his preferred coping strategy fits exactly with his society's expectations about how alcoholism works. If Morse is "cured," you don’t need to worry about sparing him the constant offers of alcohol in the same way that the young unwed mother might hope to be spared babies. You certainly wouldn’t embarrass him (especially after he’s been through the humiliation of rehab) by drawing attention in any way to a possible to the idea that he still has a problem. 

And finally, a last note on time context. The scene in the pub where Morse has that first drink after finding out that Joan is marrying Jim is utterly heartbreaking for so many reasons. One of those reasons, however, is that we know it’s the first drink—and that the first drink leads to the second, and so on and so forth. Then Morse says to Thursday, “They said the, the odd beer, the odd shot, does no harm…"Everything in moderation," they said,”  and we automatically assume he’s lying.

I’m fairly sure that those scenes were meant to be interpreted through our modern viewpoint. However, it’s worth noting that again, the model of alcoholism in the 1970s was nothing like what we have today. The idea that someone with a drinking problem/addictions needs to abstain entirely was not even close to universal at that point. It’s perfectly possible that the advice Morse is quoting is the advice he received!

[oneofthecacti]

S2 Thoughts: Izzy and Lucius

(Spoilers below the cut)

So I could definitely be wrong about this, but I’m putting it out here anyway:

I have this little itch in my brain that’s telling me Lucius and Izzy will have some sort of significant (positive) development in their relationship throughout the rest of s2. Could be platonic or romantic (I’d be happy with either), but I think it’s already been catalyzed through Lucius’ not-so-secret resentment towards Stede/Stede’s incompetence, and Lucius’ difficulty connecting with Pete post-reunion (due to Lucius’ acquired trauma post-shove + Pete’s aversion to what Lucius tried to recant of said traumatic events). I love both Pete and Lucius, and their relationship during s1, but the vibes I was getting from their interactions after their initial reunion felt off-kilter (could they be the couple that parts amicably? I didn’t miss the lukewarm reunion/interactions between Jim and Olu, but Jenkins is a crafty mf, so… Also to be clear, I am 100% in favor of healthy polyam relationships, so shhhhhhush).

Now that The Revenge Crew (including Ed, but minus The Swede) are all back together, Lucius is going to be looking for that sense of security he’d found on The Red Flag and under the command of Zheng Yi Sao. From Lucius’ perspective as of s2e3, Stede doesn’t currently spark confidence (and may not even after Izzy whips him into shape), Ed is a definite “hell no” for obvious reasons, and both have either failed him or outright tried to murder him. So who is left, really?

Izzy.

From what we’ve seen in s2e1-3, Izzy displays profound competence that results from his decades of pirating, as well as his genuine concern + care for the crew under his charge (and their care for him in return) + the ability to keep his head/make logical decisions under extreme emotional AND physical duress (s2e2 will be forever burned into my brain /pos). We even see that while he and the remainder of “Blackbeard’s” Crew are being held on The Red Flag, Fang, (especially) Frenchie, Jim, and Archie all seem to be (subtly) deferring to Izzy as if he were acting captain (even if not in title and despite how at least 2/4 mutinied against him in s1). While Stede (and later, Ed, as co-captain (maybe)) will likely resume command of The Revenge and her crew there is no denying that Izzy has earned the trust, respect, and care of those he had been sailing with during the time-skip. He’s an old salt—has seen a lot and been through A LOT—and it definitely shows now more than ever (despite sucking at being a captain in s1) that he can and will keep them alive if he has any say in it. I feel that Lucius will inevitably be drawn to Izzy for that reason, and then (through plot shenanigans and tears) go on to develop a healthy relationship (don’t ask me for details my brain hurts).

Anyway, what did y’all think of S2? because so far I’ve eaten three of my toes and am even more besotted with Izzy and Con O’Neill than I was yesterday (like that’s even possible)

10/26 me @ today me:

[verdantcrimson]

Heaven and Earth / Epilogue

(Unproofread )

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[A few days later. During the filming of the ending video for ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth R’]

Keito: “♪~♪~♪”

Keito: Phew… Somehow, we managed to cross that precarious bridge.

Kuro: Still too early to be gettin’ complacent, danna. What we made this time was just a prototype.

Kuro: The real show starts now. If anythin’, things’re only gonna get tougher.

Souma: Hehe. Somehow, before any actual running has occurred, one already feels exhausted.

Keito: Things were truly very difficult this time around… However, it’s a relief that everything has fallen into place somehow.

Keito: All of the ‘Three Sages’ were convinced of the plan we presented and were happy to cooperate.

Keito: With the support of senseis, ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ will continue to be— No, it will become, more than ever, a show that viewers will want to watch. 

Keito: An educational show beloved by all that allows you to learn history in a fun way.

Kuro: That’s the thing though. Even though ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ s’gonna stay on, and it’ll probably be a great show that the viewers love—

Kuro: Oogami said it too. In the end, we ended up completely changin’ the contents of ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’.

Kuro: It’s like we’re tramplin’ on the wishes of Ieyasu-sensei, who said he didn’t want ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ to change. I feel kind of bad about it.

Keito: You still understand nothing, Kiryu. You’ll have to continue your studies.

Kuro: Now why am I bein’ criticized outta nowhere?

Souma: Hehe. The person Ieyasu-sensei had the most profound interactions with was Kiryu-dono, who had been put in charge of him.

Souma: And so, from Kiryu-dono’s vantage, what has Ieyasu-sensei’s attitude been? Has he perhaps been lamenting the changes to ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’?

Kuro: …… No. In fact, he was so happy that the other sages were stunned.

Kuro: I get it. Seems like I was only lookin’ at the surface of things again.

Kuro: Suppose that’s the downside of havin’ been a delinquent.  People kept their distance from me ‘cause I intimidated them, and I used to keep my distance from them ‘cause I didn’t want to get involved.

Kuro: We haven’t changed ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ at all.

Kuro: No, we haven’t changed what Ieyasu-sensei found most valuable, the essence.

Kuro: Sensei loves history. That’s why for all these years, even though he’s become a dodderin’ old man, he’s still researchin’ it intently.

Kuro: Sensei wanted to share that love he felt with everyone. So when he was younger, he made up his mind and teamed up with his buddy from the TV station to create ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’.

Souma: Indeed. It is just as what we discussed in depth during the prototype edition of the show.

Kuro: Haha. It was pretty interestin’, seein’ how the outrageous old man was outrageous when he was younger too.

Keito: Yes. People have history. And those myriad histories, that don’t appear in any textbooks, are just as worthy of love.

Keito: They are fascinating and brilliant stories that mustn’t be ignored.

Keito: We will continue to watch over them, as ‘Spirits of Light’. And we’ll learn all sorts of things through our amusing investigation and interpretation. 

Keito: What is history? What is life? Does good and evil, right and wrong, truly exist?

Keito: We are still young and inexperienced, so we can’t draw any conclusions yet. We don’t know what the right answer is.

Keito: The aged Ieyasu-sensei, and the talented Hideyoshi-sensei and Nobunaga-sensei, none of them would ever triumphantly claim to have “understood”.

Keito: We know very little about this world— about the heavens, about the earth, and about people. 

Keito: That is why we research, we learn, and we discover. With care, perseverance, bit by bit, step by step.

Keito: It’s what Ieyasu-sensei and his colleagues have done, and it’s what we will do from now on as well.

Kuro: That’s right. The reason Ieyasu-sensei was convinced was ‘cause we didn’t change the most important aspect.

Kuro: Even if everythin’ might’ve changed on the surface, the soul is the same.

Kuro: We’ll make the ‘soul’ we inherited from our senseis shine too.

Souma: Indeed. Let us shine so bright that even the sun would envy us!

Keito: Yeah. We’re AKATSUKI, after all.

Keito: Life is about learning everyday. Graduating from school doesn’t change that.

Keito: So we’ll keep learning, keep growing, and become fine adults.

Kuro: Followin’ in the footsteps of those senseis?

Keito: To learn from their good qualities, you know? There’s no need to imitate their flaws.

Keito: No. A lotus blooms from the mud, swallowing all purity and impurity.

Keito: Let us create an innumerable amount of such flowers, and make this world into something even more beloved. 

Keito: A hundred flowers, blooming in profusion.¹ That’s what AKATSUKI is.

Keito: “♪~♪~♪”

Kuro & Souma: “~......♪”

[END]

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Translation Notes:

百花繚乱 (Hyakka Ryouran) is a phrase that, while literally meaning 'A thousand flowers blooming in profusion', is also used to refer to a period of time, or space, where many talents 'bloom'. A familiar example of this would be the Renaissance era. It is also in the title of AKATSUKI's first ever song, 百花繚乱、紅月夜 (Hyakka Ryouran, Akatsukiyo).

[sasukeless]

The most jarring thing with SS is that they dont even have platonic chemistry. So when I read a sns fanfic that write them as friendly, it seems so ooc. In canon, Skra look so shy in Saske's presence. They dont have this "we have known each other for awhile, we are confortable with each other" vibe. Its weird.

I read a fanfic recently and they were having a heartfelt platonic conversation and the only thing I could think of was "Wow they never spoke so much word to each other in canon, nor said anything with this much substance to each other."

People love to say we, as sns, are biased so thats why we ignore ss bond but I have shipped a lot of pairings and I could always recognized when the rival pairings made sense and had chemistry even tho I didnt ship them.

lmao yeah ss always try to say everyone is biased if they don’t like their ship tbh even to people that don’t even ship sns, it’s just their only defense if we are honest. and yeah i have tons of ships i hate and i still can admit they make sense as much as i want to pull my hairs out wishing they didn’t

i never deny that sasuke cared for sakura in part 1 because he did, she was his teammate and he grew into her that way but when people claim they have a deep profound bond it’s so ? because there’s not a single interaction that indicates such. her crush literally creates a giant gap because sakura reduces herself to a shy super femenine girl when she’s directing herself towards him and represses her actual personality, despite how clear it is that sasuke doesn’t like her back and rejects her.

and even if ppl love to claim that he always loved her/had a crush on her, sakura can’t even move sasuke with his words and i’m not making this up even SHE admits it when she runs to ask naruto to bring sasuke because only he can and in his second confession when she herself declares that all she can do is beg and cry because she’s unable to get close to him. i mean one of the most jarring things to me is how sasuke despite being decided to leave the village he evolved his sharingan anyway when he heard naruto’s feelings. if he and sakura share such a profound bond why didn’t he upgrade his sharingan when she was begging him to stay and telling him she loved him? hell why does sasuke sharingan NEVER upgrades for sakura when we are told the sharingan is tied to love? he didn’t even blink while trying to kill her at the bridge yet each time at vote sasuke has to make sure to tell naruto why he HAS to kill him.

but anyway i’m gonna be honest, i believe post war sasuke would’ve been fine being on friendly terms at least but sakura deciding to keep pursuing him romantically and chasing him in his travels like gaiden stated is what ruined any possibility of ever being truly close completely that even in gaiden we are shown sasuke didn’t even stay long enough to take a picture together in almost a decade

[beigetiger]

I could do some analysis on Valkyrie and Mevolent’s dynamic Or what about Valkyrie and Nefarian’s friendship? I can think of stuff to talk about there

I would laugh manically about either of these things. Your SP posting is amazing, I really enjoy it even as a casual reader of the series!

Valkyrie’s dynamics with random people who’ve tried to kill her are all absolutely gold lmao

Starting out with Valkyrie and Nefarian, their friendship is the most unlikely thing ever. They met when Val was seventeen, didn’t see each other again until Val was twenty-five, and then had to spend a number of months on a team together. And during that time, they came to a sort of understanding of each other through Nefarian trying to piss her off in the most platonically flirtatious way possible and Valkyrie not taking ANY of his bullshit.

And then when Valkyrie goes missing, Skulduggery becomes a lot more unhinged and ends up cutting up Nef’s hand. And when Valkyrie makes it back, she manages to not only kill Lord Vile but also successfully regenerate Nefarian’s hand, which pulls him closer to her since she’s capable of shielding him from people like Skulduggery. And her surprising amount of patience for him that she shows in SoW and UtE probably doesn’t help either.

I really want his arc to be learning to care about other people/learning to be a semi-functional human being, because I think it would be sweet to watch. I also think Landy should give him a boyfriend for the funnies, because he already hates the idea of caring about people in a platonic sense so much that him realizing “oh shit I like this person romantically” he’d break down then and there. Also you cannot convince me that Valkyrie wouldn’t offer to wingman him.

As for Mevolent and Valkyrie, their dynamic is a bit odd but it’s so interesting to see them together. Mevolent is a weirdly polite, eight-feet-tall fascist while Valkyrie is a much more emotionally straightforward freedom fighter. But there’s a constant sense in SoW that they hate each other, yes, but also have a profound respect for each other that makes their interactions so fun. They aren’t degrading each other, they’re kind of just…talking. While trying to kill each other.

And Mevolent actually trying to comfort Valkyrie right before he was going to kill her was honestly great?? That whole interaction was gold from start to finish, but “it’s ok to lose” was such a fascinating line, especially coming from an older sorcerer who managed to conquer the world to a younger sorcerer who earned his respect and who has the potential to one day be as great as him. And Valkyrie’s “I think we could have been friends in another life” seemed actually legitimate. Yes, she was trying to stab him with a god-killer, but there still is a general vibe that she meant it, and that Mevolent actually agrees with her. And then he helps her get to her feet to he can kill her with dignity, and she just accepts her fate without showing any real resentment towards him.

I am FULLY convinced that Mevolent sees a younger version of himself in a lot, because I honestly don’t think he was always evil. I think that came around simply as a result of him living so long and being so successful, especially in defeating The Unnamed. And Valkyrie is really similar to that, and I think that’s a big part of why he respects her so much (and why he registers her as such a threat). I REALLY hope that Mevolent and Valkyrie get to have an actual conversation in phase 3, because Landy has the opportunity to pull some emotional gut-punchers with them, and also we don’t get to see them interact a lot and that is a travesty.

[redfish-blu]

An Open Letter to the Danger Days Tumblr Community:

Now that you’ve read that overdramatic title and are wondering who fucked up, I have something to say about the Danger Days Tumblr community: I Love You.

Danger Days was the first fandom I ever posted for on any site. All the way back in middle school (ho-ly shit). And let me tell you what I found out even way back when: this is not an easy fandom to be in.

For one, most people don’t even know it exists. For two, even less know it in the way it’s been cultivated on Tumblr. Almost every single person has such a niche interpretation of every little detail, that it’s impossible to draw a line through any two versions of the story. Which is a fact I personally love, but I also think it scares a lot of people away. You have to work to be in this fandom. Both as a passive and active fan. It requires patience and tolerance for disappointment.

But that’s exactly why I want to encourage everyone who creates and everyone who listens to Keep Doing That. Like I cannot stress this enough, that is what keeps this fandom and IP alive. Danger Days as a universe would be absolutely nothing without fan work (re: the California Comics), especially a decade later. Without fans who care about this story way more than it has warranted us to care, it would be six feet under. And sometimes I really think that’s what it deserves (and maybe the writers think that as well), but for the life of me I just can’t let that happen. I’ve tried to let this fucking thing go, believe me.

And funny enough, that exact feeling is evidenced by the community on this site too. Which has changed faces almost completely from what it was three years ago for better and less better in some cases. And it’s something I still struggle with adjusting to, but I look at the tag daily. I look everyone’s posts and blogs and art and effort. If you have posted even once in the dd tag my eyes have 100% seen it. So even if I still feel a little out of place, like a ghost of fandom’s past, at least I know everybody. And I know people feel the same way: No rest for the wicked.

When I reanimated from my fandom coma I was fully expecting to find that the community had gone extinct. Partially because all the blogs I used to frequent had straight up died in the three years I was gone. But I pulled up to the gates of the Danger Days tag like Rick Grimes outside of Alexandria, fully expecting to be devastated, only to find New People tilling the fucking field. And it didn’t matter that I now had no idea who any of you people were, it was The Most welcoming thing ever.

I’ll be the first to tell you this fandom bares almost no resemblance to the one I left, and I’m not going to lie and say it’s better now, but the foundation didn’t get blown away in the storm. That’s what I find uniquely profound. That everyone here still wants to try. And that makes me really want to try. And I’m sure everyone would agree that there is often little reward for the effort; but that’s precisely my point in saying all this shit. That even despite the not fun aspects, we all still clock in; and there’s a new post, headcanon, drawing, or fic every freaking day. It’s commendable, really.

If you’re lurking, or post sometimes but feel afraid to actually take a leap here because (the fandom is comparatively tiny to the greater MCR fandom) you’ll be way more out there, and the already established figureheads of the fandom will definitely see your stuff: post post post. This is my formal endorsement to Just Post That Shit. And Interact With That Shit. I spent a year gathering the courage to publish the tiniest thing while behind the scenes I literally wrote about 60+ works. You have to respect your own creativity and trust that other people will give it the time of day.

So do not feel crazy or discouraged about your ideas here! Like we literally need them to function, I would not be here if it wasn’t for all the people three years ago who just posted all their thoughts about Danger Days. About everything. Obscure or not. It’s truly a gift that this fandom has attracted people who are willing to work their brains because the original creators let it fall flat. I cannot tell you how much being in this fandom has actually helped me out in my writing and analysis skills.

So yeah. I fucking love this fandom, I love being in it and I love seeing that people are still stoking the flames. I wanted to say all this crap because I knew I’d be able to articulate it for the people who can relate but don’t want to be the first to say it. Which is okay, understandable. As I said earlier this fandom is like yelling your thoughts out into a very echoey room that only has a few people in it. So I’ll shout first and maybe it’ll make other people more comfortable to shout back.

[gleefulpoppet]

For the prompt game: 6 - 8 - 27. Coffee shop - exes - “that was a very bad idea. 0/10 would not recommend.”

For this ask/prompt game [X]

Kurt sits at a small table near the window of the bustling coffee shop, engrossed in a book, enjoying the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a rare lunch break from his unbelievably stressful job. Unbeknownst to him, a stranger walked in and took a seat at the counter having an incredibly difficult time keeping his eyes to himself; his thoughts running wild: Damn, if that man isn’t the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen! Be still my heart! Is he reading about Gene Kelly? 

As Kurt turned a page, he looked up, met the man’s gaze, and smiled when the other man looked flustered and blushed, biting his lip shyly but didn’t look away. Kurt could swear he was saying, “Hi. How’s your morning?” with his eyes alone, and when he nodded at Kurt with that head of perfect curls, Kurt took it as confirmation that was precisely what he was asking. So he said, “Hi. I’m doing well. Come here often?” with his own, adding an infinitesimal wink, and felt a blush race against his cheeks.

The bell chimed, and they both looked toward the door. Kurt’s heart dreadfully skipped a beat when he spotted his ex-sort of-boyfriend, Fisher, entering the coffee shop. Of course! Of course, he’d show up now! Panic set in as he realized Fisher hadn’t seen him yet. Desperate to avoid an encounter, Kurt frantically looked around, searching for an escape route. Damn! Fisher was headed for him. He looked back at Blaine, who scrunched his eyes in concern, clearly picking up on Kurt’s distress. “He’s a jerk! You wanna help me here?” Kurt said with his eyes and a slight shake of his head, having absolutely no idea what he meant by that or how he thought a stranger could help.

“Kurt,” Fisher sneered much too loudly, towering over him. “Shocking. You’re not working?”

“You smell like desperation,” Kurt says as calmly as he can, turning a page in his book he hasn’t read.

“What the hell is your problem? What? We can’t even be civil in a coffee shop?”

Kurt’s head snaps up. “Civil?” 

“Hello, love,” The stranger says, kissing Kurt on the top of his head and squeezing his hand. As he moves a chair closer, he says, “They were out of your favorite, so I ordered our backup.”

“Thank you,” Kurt says wide-eyed. He should be surprised by the whole interaction, but mostly, he’s wondering how his entire body can tingle from a stranger kissing his head and brushing his fingertips over his hand. 

The stranger looks over at the man who is seething at him. “Hey! I’m Blaine. And you are?” He offers his hand. 

“Fisher.” He shakes it, gripping Blaine’s hand, not in a friendly way.

“Ah! Fisher. That explains a lot.” Blaine laughs and shakes his head. “Quite a grip you have there. Trying to prove something?” He asks as he finally sits down, his shoulder touching Kurt’s and intertwining their hands.

Fisher huffs. “Since when have you two been together?”

“Can’t figure how that is any of your business. Unless…” Blaine turns to Kurt. “Is it any of his business?”

“Absolutely not, honey.”

“Thought not.” He kisses Kurt’s cheek and then looks up. “Can we help you? You’re blocking the precious sunshine.”

Fisher studies them, scrutinizing their hands.

“I’m not going to tell you again to leave me alone,” Kurt says.

“Kurt! I said I was sorry. I don’t understand why you’re being such an ass about all this.”

“Sorry?” Kurt laughs in disbelief. “Like that changes anything about the way you treat me.” He huffs an exhausted sigh and instinctually turns toward Blaine, getting lost in the warm, golden-brown hues that seem to hold a universe of emotions, creating an irresistible magnetic pull. Kurt is sure it would take a lifetime—maybe more—to explore the profound depth of Blaine’s soul staring back at him. He realizes he’s leaning forward, and his eyes dart to Blaine’s lips and then back up again. “Blaine…”

Blaine’s hand, not holding Kurt’s, reaches up to cradle his jaw, brushes his thumb over his cheek a few times, and nods, telling Kurt with his eyes, I feel it, too. “Want to go somewhere else where there isn’t a dark cloud hanging over us, and you can tell me all about your book?”

“Yeah.” Kurt nods and then gasps, surprised when Blaine leans over and gives him a peck on the lips. “Yeah. I’d like that.” He leans in and kisses Blaine again, grins spreading across their faces. Without a word, they’re standing, still holding hands.

“Disgusting saps,” Fisher growls and turns on his heel to order his coffee.

“That,” he tilts his head toward Fisher as they walk out, “was a very bad idea. Zero out of ten. Would not recommend!” 

Blaine chuckles as he opens the door for Kurt. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Before you have to ask, he was one of those blind date situations. Perfect gentleman. Wined and dined me for a few weeks. And then… Well, his true colors showed up all too soon, and he didn’t take it well that I wanted nothing to do with him.”

“Ugh. I dislike him more by the second.”

“Good. That’s good. It should be a nice oozing loathing soon.”

Blaine laughs and squeezes Kurt’s hand.

“Thank you,” Kurt says. “You know, for all that back there.”

“Mmm...” Blaine simply hums and then looks at him with a mischievous grin, bumping into his shoulder. “Where are we going?”

“I have no idea. I thought maybe you knew.”

“Not a clue,” Blaine teases. “I only know I’m not ready to let go of your hand.”

“Well, that’s good because I’m pretty sure I’m never saying goodbye to you.”

Blaine beams and notices how the sunshine feels as warm as his heart. 

[weirdocat83]

I think discourse between people on any topic is just… so uniquely interesting. Everyone has their opinion and although we all get mad and sad or really really excited, I like to just enjoy it sometimes. Because yeah, it’s upsetting and awful sometimes but sometimes it can be really really beautiful and fun. “It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all” right?

Granted, I am not a people person. I have my own opinions and get riled up easily. Most people wear me out to the point where I don’t want to spend more than an hour interacting with anyone. But observing humanity is one of life’s greatest pleasures and it is a shame that many of the truly intelligent and kind people don’t talk to others or even go outside because not many others do. It is a shame that most talk of series you’ve watched and enjoyed for “x” reason or talk of music and how profound it can be is often only found on the internet. It is a shame that most people never show who they truly are for fear of judgement.

Most people who tend not to be as weird as me and my friends are, tend to talk about whatever drama is happening in their social circles every day and I wonder if it ever gets tiring for them. Sure, it keeps things interesting. Even from an outside perspective! But at the same time I was once somewhat part of a friend group like that and personally I prefer discussing personal stories of funny things that happened to us at some point or another and random questions or fandoms we think each other would like or are just obsessed with for the time being as opposed to who is in an argument with someone else creating tension within the group. I feel like many of those people would be better off just finding new friends or talking about their interests. Many people consider it very strange or annoying when you go on and on about your hobbies but if we all look and act as strange as we actually are then nobody is strange. We’re all just… us.

Sometimes I wonder… if the internet didn’t exist how different would myself and the people around me be? I grew up with it existing but also didn’t have much access to it when I was little aside from watching tv even when most of my peers did. I wonder what we’d all be like if it didn’t exist at all. Would we be better people? Would we communicate better?… would I still know and hang out with my current friends? That isn’t to say the internet is all bad. The people just here on tumblr definitely make me smile quite a bit from how fun and nice they can be. Heck, I made a drawing for someone and although I was anxious of their reaction, when they get excited I was on cloud nine for the next couple days! But I do think that more of us need to check how online we are.

[k-s-morgan]

Why do you think Alana so easily believed the worst of Will? aside from the encephalitis. She claimed to be his friend again and again but believed the best of Hannibal saying she knew him longer even though, as far as we know it was in a professional capacity, before he got involved with her. If my friend and someone I cared about was accused of what Will was framed for, I mean I would question it at least even a little! especially if said friend had an incredibly gift which he used to help so many times. I would at least stop and think “hmm Hannibal does fit the profile of the Chesapeake ripper to a T” It always bugged me about Alana. I’m rewatching the series and it she irks me all over again haha.

While Jack isn’t perfect, at least he gave Will the benefit of the doubt and did end up believing him and started investigating Hannibal further. Beverley went out on a limb for Will, too! someone who knew will for less time than Alana gave him more consideration! even Zeller later says Beverley believed in Will and that they should have as well bc if they did, she might still be alive

Thank you for an interesting question!

I think the problem is that Will and Alana were never friends, not really. We know they never even talked one on one before the start of the show. He referred to her rather impersonally and she admitted she didn't want to be alone with him because she felt intense professional curiosity toward him. That doesn't count as friendship.

They began to grow closer throughout S1, but even then, few of their interactions had depth. They flirted at times, discussed crimes, and talked about Will being unstable. Almost all of their interactions were colored by this last nuance, which had its impact. S1 starts in autumn that eventually grows into winter, so Will and Alana had just a couple of months where they talked occasionally and kissed once, with Will's jerky mental state haunting them on a constant basis.

As a contrast, Hannibal has been her mentor for over a decade, maybe more. He's always been stable and upfront; he helped numerous people and had a brilliant reputation in their circles. Since he kept beer specifically in stock for her, I think they shared a semblance of friendship for years. I also believe Alana has always been interested in him romantically. It wasn’t strong enough to encourage her to make her move, but it was simmering there and eventually culminated in the start of their ‘romance’.

Alana doesn’t know Will at all when it comes down to it, but she does know Hannibal. There was a lot of evidence against Will and nothing against Hannibal - it's logical of her to trust a well-known stable person over a basically stranger with severe problems. She knew Will's unstable from the start, she knew he’s struggling with something, but she didn’t know much of anything else. 

Alana supports Will up until the moment he gets treatment and stops playing in vulnerability. When he tries to kill Hannibal, Alana is horrified. She sees a dark and manipulative person, not a vulnerable soft man who needed help. She also starts feeling protective over Hannibal because Will hurt him. This is the only evidence she sees: Hannibal not hurting anyone, almost dying, and Will being a killer. She really has no reason to believe Will over Hannibal. 

I agree about giving Will the benefit of the doubt because of his work, but the situation was very complex: with all the evidence against Will, his abilities are exactly what potentially makes him a perfect killer. He could make up any profile and stick to it to confuse others.

I don't think Beverly went out on a limb for Will - initially, she seemed disgusted with him, but she wanted to use him for the greater good. Will blackmailed her into helping him, and once she began to see proof of his words, she got genuinely invested - not because of Will but because of justice. Will’s disappointment and loneliness in those scenes are profound. 

I can't blame any of them, to be honest, with all this evidence and the kind of personality Will had. I do wonder how come they believed Will swallowed an entire ear without chewing it, but that's probably a question for writers :D

[tinkertechy]

I'm getting in on this butterfly wing Shenanigans even if I can't draw.

The symbiotic relationship between the people known as ‘Hermits’ and those across the rift known as ‘artists’ has stupefied and befuddled researchers for years. While it is known that the Hermits themselves are people, whole and solid, they have a profound impact on these ‘artists’ who only have interacted with the Hermits through their automated transmissions. What is curious is that, in turn, the Hermits are often influenced by the media that is transmitted back. This varies from Hermit to Hermit, but has led to anything from different wings to wild transmogrification in the shape of the Hermit’s Body. For those more wildly affected by these changes, it is unknown how much control they have over how their body shifts.

~Pixlriffs, Archaeological Forays into Unknown Lands

***

Doc glowered as he stared at the button.

“Oh, come on, they don’t look that bad.” Xisuma tried to say cheerfully. “I’m sure they’ll forget about this soon enough.”

“But they won’t!” Doc threw his hands in the air in frustration. “When it comes to side comments like this, they have a photographic memory!” He looked over his shoulder at the newly-shifted wings. “I’m going to look like this forever.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic.” Cleo sighed, shaking her head. “You can put your foot down at any time and go back to normal elytra.”

“Can he, though?” Xisuma asked, tilting his head. “I mean…”

The thought trailed off. Doc was one of those Hermits whose appearance was very…strongly influenced by his fans. The butterfly wings were only the latest addition.

“Look, do you ever actually see Grian with parrot wings?” Cleo asked. “He never lets himself get influenced by what the fans draw.”

“Ah… He has been running around with a chicken head again…”

There was the thunk of an arrow hitting the ground in front of Doc’s feet, who didn’t flinch as he eyed the button like a hawk. This was followed by the sound of its unfortunate archer crashing into a wall behind them. The only reason Xisuma and Cleo turned to look was to see if there was a person or a pile of possessions scattered in the grass.

Luckily for Scar, his landing was not at terminal velocite. The gangly archer clumsily pulled himself from an upside-down position to brush dust off his legs. “Man, you would not believe how hard it is to hit a stationary object these days.” He said as he tried to brush off the failed attempt at unnecessary assassination. “I can’t even hit a… butterfly…”

Scar paled as he realized just who the ‘butterfly’ was. “Oh hi Doc! Fancy running into you here-“

“Scar. Not a word.” Doc said shortly.

“No no, not at all, not a peep out of me!” Scar said quickly. He tried to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in, but his shovel was pointed in the wrong direction. “I will say those look absolutely fantast-“

“Scar, now really isn’t the time.” Cleo said, resting a firm hand on Doc’s shoulder before he turned around. “Don’t you have more of Scarland to build?”

“Nah, I’m taking a quick break, building towers for hours can really take it out of you.” Scar strolled forward to look at the button, stretching his arms. “Is this Mumbo’s new button-thingamajiger?”

“Yeah.” Xisuma said, calmly grabbing Scar’s wrist as he reached out to push the button. “The longer you let it go, the nicer a crown you get.”

“Ooooh, that is so cool!” Scar’s eyes sparkled. “Where’s it at now?”

“It’s juuust about to turn red, we think.” Xisuma said, pointing up at the readerboard. “Doc’s been watching it for hours.”

“Oh, do you think his wings will turn red to match the crown?” Scar asked, his curiosity and imagination getting ahead of his common sense. “That would be so cool looking! And fear-inducing. Like an evil overlord.” He said quickly, eyeing Doc out of the corner of his eye. “Xisuma, did I hear you set up a boss arena for TCG?” Scar continued, quickly changing the subject. “You have to let me try it!”

“You still haven’t beat Cub!” Cleo protested.

“Who still hasn’t beat me?” Cub asked, appearing out of nowhere behind them. “Oh cool, it’s in the yellow.” He reached around Doc and pressed the button, allowing a small crown and a few diamonds to spill out of the machine. “Nice, now I just need to-“

“CUB!”

Cub turned around. Doc was a good foot taller than him, at least, And could be intimidating on the best of days, even when he was in a good mood.

Doc was not in a good mood.

Cub never knew that butterfly wings could be so fear-inducing.

“So…. Why butterfly wings?” Scar asked as Doc chased Cub up and down the shopping district.

“Playtime with Doccy.” Cleo explained. “They’re in the ‘pretend animals’ phase.”

“Aww, that’s adorable.” Scar smiled.

“And then Doc told his fans about it.” Xisuma added.

“Is that normally a problem?” Scar asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It is when he finishes the story blatantly telling the artists not to draw it.”

“Ah, yeah, that would do it.” Scar nodded. “Never dare your artists, they will take it and run. Just like Cub did!”

“I’m amazed he’s keeping ahead of Doc.” Cleo said, impressed. “Scar, do you have any of that Scarland popcorn on you?”

[hyuccubus]

Writer Q&A Tag Game!

Tagged by the cool+radical @cheetoflavoredpasta!

1. What motivates you to write?

I'm in a unique position to answer that with a snippet from Target Practice, because it's practically what keeps me going.

People in things I like always have something to say. Profound, deep things that make me think about how I live my life, or change how I make decisions, or what I do, or even how I think. They don't need big words to move me. I want to say something like that before my life is over. I want someone to hear it, or read it, and their life to change because of me. I want to be the first domino that crashes right through the life of someone who needs it, so they can pass it on to someone, and they might pass it on to two people, and then I'll have been something.  I'll have a whole pile of people that I changed, in a good way.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

This comes after a particularly harsh twist that closes out Book 1. I am so proud of what is said here that I can't help but want to share it, though:

“Love?’ she croaked, her voice hoarse from screaming and then saying nothing.

“Huh?” I managed to mutter, confused at that being what she’d taken away.

“That’s what you think you felt for her? Love?”

“Ira, I don’t-”

“Let me tell you something." When she spoke that threatening line, she was up on her feet with the agility years of martial arts had granted her, those strong hands that had saved me from drowning now gripping my shirt with white-knuckle fury. She yanked me close, so close that my eyes couldn’t possibly avoid those hazel irises, smoky in the dusk sun. “You don’t know a fucking thing about what it’s like to love a woman who didn’t birth you, you dense motherfucker. You wanted someone to validate you. Someone to help you believe that you have value, that you matter. You wanted to use her, and who was I to say anything? Doing something physical to a woman without her consent isn’t the only way you can use her, so you can feel bad about what I’m saying all you want, but you can’t pretend I'm wrong. I could see it in your eyes, Swift. I could see it in the way you let her walk behind you, in the way you didn’t make sure she was eating well, in the way you tried to impress her before you really knew her. You didn't care how she was feeling, you just wanted to know how she was feeling about you. And if you had the chance to go through with what you felt for her, maybe act out your little fairy-tale romance, she would have gotten sick of you always wondering how she felt about you, always absorbed in your own impossible fantasy. And you would have had the nerve to tell her she broke your heart when she told you so. That’s all men like you do, before you know any fucking better. You think you’re so special, so unique, that you’re above making a juvenile mistake like that. All we can do is hope you learn something when it does happen, rather than hoping it doesn’t happen at all. All you’d do if I told you was rebel against me, and then end up hurting her anyway. So don't say that shit to me. Don't talk about love. Just don't.”

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Definitely dialogue. I don't do much worldbuilding in the way so many of my peers that write fantasy do, and settings end up being the backdrop for the character interactions that really satisfy my writer's itch. I do take pride in the way my prose flows sometimes, I've developed a style I'm quite proud of, and I think I can only get better with time.

6. What do you enjoy most about the Writeblr community?

Everyone seems equally as invested in the art of creation as the results of that passion. It's a unique perspective I really value, as well as it feeling a little more tight-knit than Twitter, where I immigrated from.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I'm gonna cheat here, I couldn't write without a music player, silence is like kryptonite for my flow. I will say, I switched to Obsidian, and it's really helped my focus, since I was using Google Docs before that and the urge to click off to another piece of internet was always high. ... that still happens when I'm doing research, though...

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

This is such a silly, inconsequential detail, but idk I love it

...There was a boy playing NavBall with another friend of his, pinching his fingers together over the display of his NavWrist and letting the projected ball fly as if out of a catapult, disappearing outside the radius of his unit to land in a projected target on his friend’s.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

The bad feelings always go away. Whether it's a battle with impostor syndrome you feel like you can't win, or a fear that your writing will never be noticed, nevermind hated, or a block you can't seem to escape from, it all goes away if you give it time. If you give up, if you ball up that paper or delete that file in an impassioned moment of despair, you don't get that time back. You don't stop caring about it. So take a breath, have a snack, take a walk, grab a shower, and let the bad feelings see themselves out. And then, keep trying 💜

Tagging some new folks I've gotten to know at the writblr-cafe! @the-down-upside-finch @hippiewrites @lexiklecksi, and anyone else who wants to participate, feel free to use this!

[thepixarau]

My little review of “Elemental” (spoilers!)

Imma be honest my expectations weren’t insanely high. I wasn’t expecting it to be fantastic but I didn’t think it would be bad (Pixar movies almost never are) so I just went in neutral. I saw it with my friends and before we went in they kept bashing it solely bc of how bad the promos are—and honestly they’re right. The marketing for this movie sucks. Do not let any of it fool you, please watch this film. I guarantee you will end up enjoying it.

Now I know everyone was making fun of the character designs since the first teaser was released. I’ll admit some of the background characters are a little lazy and while the designs could’ve been better, the animation made up for it because holy shit is it beautiful. The visuals are absolutely stunning, and I just love the way the characters move and interact with each other and their environment. I can’t imagine how tough it was to animate all of that, especially when your main protagonist is made of fire and therefore is always moving in some way.

I won’t go too much into the whole interracial relationship/struggles of multicultural families aspect because I feel like other people reviewing this movie can explain it so much better than me, but I gotta say really appreciate the fact Elemental had a romance plot but still focuses on the values and importance of family, especially because in most kids films they choose to solely focus on one or the other. I’m glad media is showcasing familial love but not completely abandoning romantic love either.

I’ve seen a lot of people try and compare this to Zootopia, I guess cuz it takes place in a metropolis city and features a mixed ‘race’ main duo and racism/oppression allegories. Honestly tho a lot of movies do this, it’s not a “rip off” of Zootopia cuz it takes place in a city. In Zootopia the city is a prime focus, it’s almost like it’s own character. The whole point is that it’s a place special to mammals because it’s where dreams can come true, where all animals live in harmony together. It’s a dream home for its main character who has to come to terms with the fact it’s not a perfect place. Elemental isn’t as focused on its location and that’s ok. It’s a sanctuary for Ember’s parents when they first arrive, but overall the story isn’t about the city.

Ok now I’ll get to the part you’re here for; Ember and Wade’s story. Wholehearted truth; I love their dynamic and development so much. I definitely felt like they needed more screentime at first (to me the pacing in general was a little rushed in the beginning, then slowed down towards the middle). Call me a hopeless romantic but I’m just sucker for that forbidden love type shit. I’ve seen people try and call this a Romeo and Juliet romcom but I didn’t personally get that from them. I can see why some might interpret it that way cuz they were hiding it from Ember’s dad, Bernie. But really, I wish we’d stop comparing every forbidden relationship to Romeo & Juliet cuz A. that play is so fucked up and is barely a love story and B. there are a million tales of forbidden love out there, it’s intriguing. It sells well for a reason and if you do it right it makes an amazing story!

Anyway, I really adore their dynamic. It’s so refreshing to see a non-married couple say “I love you” in a Disney movie. It’s a simple yet deep, beautiful expression of one’s feelings, I was not expecting them to go that route but I’m so happy they did. I’m even more happy they kissed (I was trying so hard not to squeal at that part, you don’t even know)

I’ll be going on and on about how cute Ember and Wade are on this blog. I’m super excited to add them to the Pixar AU, can’t WAIT to write all kinds of one shots about them tehe.

Sorry if you were expecting a more deep and profound review, I’m just here expressing my thoughts five hours after leaving the theater. I plan on going to see it again sometime so maybe I’ll have more to say after that.

Overall I definitely recommend giving this one a chance. Don’t listen to critics or dumbasses on tik tok, go see it! For me this movie already has a special place in my heart and I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I did!

[cynic-spirit]

The unwanted woman

The opulent ballroom of Wayne Manor was bustling with Gotham’s elite, but Bruce Wayne found little joy in the gathering. Parties like these were always more bearable with Yn by his side, her presence providing a sense of warmth and grounding amidst the superficial chatter. But tonight, Yn was attending to other matters, leaving Bruce to navigate the evening alone.

As Bruce stood near the bar, sipping a glass of whiskey, he became acutely aware of a woman approaching him with a determined look in her eye. She was striking, dressed in a figure-hugging gown that left little to the imagination, her confidence palpable as she sidled up to him.

“Bruce Wayne,” she purred, her voice dripping with familiarity as she leaned in close, her hand lightly grazing his arm. “The infamous Gotham playboy, all alone at a party? I never thought I’d see the day.”

Bruce’s eyes narrowed slightly. He recognized the type—someone who saw him as a trophy to be won, another notch on the belt. In his younger days, he might have played along, but those days were long gone, especially with Yn in his life now.

“I’m not the man I used to be,” Bruce replied coolly, taking a step back to put some distance between them. His tone was polite, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.

The woman, undeterred, gave him a coy smile. “Oh, come on, Bruce. Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft. Everyone knows you’re still Gotham’s most eligible bachelor.” She leaned in even closer, her fingers now trailing up his chest. “Why don’t we sneak away and have some fun, just like old times?”

Bruce’s expression hardened, and he gently but firmly grasped her wrist, removing her hand from his chest. “I think you’re confusing me with someone who’s interested,” he said, his voice dropping to a cold, dismissive tone. “Let me make this clear: whatever you’re offering, I’m not buying.”

The woman’s smile faltered, her eyes widening slightly in surprise at the brusque rejection. She had clearly expected him to be more receptive, to play along with her flirtations, but Bruce was having none of it.

“Maybe you should spend your evening somewhere else,” Bruce added, his gaze icy as he looked down at her. “Preferably far away from me.”

Stunned, the woman quickly withdrew, her face flushing with embarrassment and anger as she muttered something under her breath and stalked off into the crowd. Bruce watched her go, his jaw tight with irritation. The interaction left a sour taste in his mouth, only reinforcing his distaste for these gatherings.

As he turned back toward the bar, he found Alfred standing nearby, having witnessed the exchange from a respectful distance. The older man approached, his expression a mixture of approval and amusement.

“Well handled, Master Wayne,” Alfred said, his voice carrying a hint of pride. “It seems your days of entertaining such advances are well and truly behind you.”

Bruce allowed himself a small, wry smile. “I’m not that person anymore, Alfred,” he replied, his tone softer now. “Yn has my heart. I’m just not tempted by these social butterflies anymore. She’s brought something into my life I didn’t realize I was missing—a sense of family and home.”

Alfred’s eyes twinkled with understanding and admiration. “Quite right, sir. It’s clear that Miss Yn has had a profound impact on you. She’s helped you find a sense of contentment and belonging that was elusive before.”

Bruce nodded, his expression reflecting the depth of his feelings. “Exactly. I don’t need the distractions or the games anymore. What I have with Yn is real, and it’s more fulfilling than any of these superficial interactions.”

Alfred smiled warmly, his respect for Bruce evident. “Gotham’s playboy has matured into a man of substance. I dare say Miss Yn would be proud of the man you’ve become.”

Bruce chuckled softly. “I hope so, Alfred. I truly do.”

[night-faye]

OHO YOUR'E ON THAT BANGER EPISODE. Apparently I really love the trope because how I got into this show was all my friends freaking out about how I wrote this episode for another fandom while having NEVER SEEN IT LOL. It was super funny, like frame by frame for details. (The start in ep 6 with the ink demon.) It’s 100% my jam as far as tropes go, I also give my OCs the Wukong treatment 😂 He’s so fun here I adore it, StarBurst Duo makes me so insane ESP IN S5 you WILL have a breakdown I freaking PROMISE YOU. It will be your Macky S3 Breakdown but for them. Anyways. Ooh, Wukong just HEARS MK and the way he crashes the party, he’s always going “kid!!” and rushing for him in this show. I love that the writers didn’t make him actually retire lol, he stuck around and it was a pleasant surprise and they even share the staff sometimes. Wukong still takes charge and haunts the narrative LOL. “Not really, but I like the energy.” Crying we NEED Wukong interacting with the gang more. Shout out to Mei’s “you're not looking very immortal yourself Mr. King.” I love her I love them we need more sob. And MY FAVORITE SCENE OF ALL. Bro is sweating a bit like Macky did when LBD showed up. “Enough! I’ve never let anyone dictate my destiny in the past and I’m not about to start now. None of us are! We can’t change who were yesterday or in a past life or a hundred lifetimes ago. We live with the choices we make, but what matters is the choice we make. Right. Now. Only we decide who we are and what we do with the power we have.” “Nice hero speech bud. But I know better. Deep in your heart, you don’t believe a word of that.” SO EVIL. Literally SO EVIL to make THIS GUY aka secretly depressed monkey give a motivational hero speech, bc you don't think there's anything wrong with that at first. That it's anything BUT Wukong to ~ not ~ be the happy guy. But then THIS happens pulling an unexpected thing every character analyst could ever want. He's struggling and trying and fighting the emotional turmoil within, barely holding on, and Inky calls him out with SUCH AUDACITY while wearing Wukong's clothes from the past AND TWIRLING THAT CIRCLET even the screen slows and pauses for emphasis. Suddenly, there's a dark cloud hanging over our idea of this monkey. Our naive illusions shatter as a deep profound thing beneath it all is revealed. This story will not go how we think. It's not all sunshine, there is something wrong. Yeah somebody did dictate your destiny with that circlet eh? And just those words ugh if you know JTTW you know how heavy his past actions are also killing Macky but wow he's fighting, he's trying so hard but NOBODY lets him live down the past. Always the same monster. *chefs kiss* gorgeous voice acting, the strained emotions are beautiful.

“I won’t let some curse bully me or my friends a second longer!” Sure bud, sure. I mean, I like how he glows here and the images of his old friends is DEVASTATING. It hurts to be the mentor character in any piece of media. But don't think we didn't notice the deflection there, the pause and tight grip on the staff as you turned around. You can't look us in the eye eh? the windows to the soul. It's also nice how he does the "special teamwork move" and calls everyone his friends :') shout out to Nezha and his "Wukong is not the loner he pretends to be." At long last, he's finally opening up to others rather than his smiley distance. They look so much like your old companions. Don’t you love how the tension builds up with Wukong’s confusion over Azure’s name and think innocently of it until he’s stepping forward to protect MK? Hehe.

>*shaking you*< I need to make it clear to you that while I love my macky's of the world so much. my second fave character dynamic is "Sunshine on the outside. deep withering depression on the inside"

I am getting the sense these monkeys (MK included) are going to fucking destroy me. help. (You won't and you shouldn't)

[pumpkincarriage3]

Epel Felmier Character Analysis

Epel is a fun character. For most of the characters in the cast, we don't really get to see character development. We see it with Ace, Deuce, and Grimm because they interact with Yuu so much, but we don't get to see it with anyone else. Except for Epel. Epel, through chapter five and chapter six had clear character development. Which is a first, because the other characters didn't show a whole lot of it in the chapters they starred in. Except for Epel, in my personal opinion.

We first meet Epel officially, by him running into Deuce while he was crying. And while this did give the impression, and with his general appearance, that Epel was rather dainty, I think most people know that's false. These weren't tears of sadness. These were tear of frustration and anger, he was sick and tired of Vil pushing him into something that he didn't want.

It's why he applied for the VDC. Clearly, Epel's way of going about things wasn't helping his situation, so he went about it at a different angle. He decided he was going to beat Vil at his own game, that way Vil would finally leave Epel alone.

And while Epel got chosen to be apart of the group, he was still struggling. Because even though he decided to beat Vil at his own game, Epel is still Epel. He's defiant and doesn't want to bend for anyone. Not for something that he sees as "girly".

And lets talk about the reason why Epel probably hates being associated with "girly" things so much. Epel himself grew up in a small town, that mainly had elderly people. Epel himself says that he never really interacted with people his own age, so why would he hate the idea of appearing feminine so much? I can think of a few.

First, he mainly lives around elderly people. This is probably the main driving reason behind his reactions behind being viewed as feminine, rather than his own appearance. Vil himself calls Epel's views outdated. Those very same views are probably the ones that Epel has grown up around. He acts and believes the things he does because he was never taught any different to him.

The people he grew up around, the people he cares for deeply, are the very same people that would have told him being viewed as feminine is a bad thing because he's a man. And it doesn't help that he was probably teased a lot growing up because he looks so much like his grandmother when she was younger. Which is someone that people around him would remember seeing as they grew up, so he would constantly be called "girly" while also being told it's a bad thing. Which is why Epel has his toxic masculinity mindset. He's never been taught any different. Not until he came to NRC and he's shoved face-first into the deep end of everything he was taught to avoid. It's no wonder he's so defiant and frustrated by the situation.

Because, he did have the freedom to act however he wanted before NRC, and he suddenly can't do that anymore. He can't talk in his normal tone, can't eat what he'd normally eat, can't stand how he'd normally stand, he can't do anything that he'd normally do! So, to Epel, Vil is the bad guy deserving of all his ire.

And then he applies for the VDC to prove Vil wrong and try to get him to leave him alone once and for all, in the hopes that he can go back to his normal, and Vil gets even harsher than normal. It's because of emotional weight that Vil put behind the VDC, but Epel doesn't know that. He just knows that Vil is even worse than usual.

It's why he runs off in the middle of practice. Why what happened at the beach had such a profound effect on him. He was finally able to yell out his frustrations and act the way he wanted to act. And then he gets a call from home, talking about how there is a sudden boom in business. And the person behind that is Vil.

And Epel realizes what Vil was getting at. Just what Vil meant by his words. How beauty holds power. Because it is that same beauty that is helping his family, the people that he grew up with and loves. And now Epel can't say that it's all bad like he's been taught, because now there's a contradiction. A contradiction that continues to grow when Epel uses his appearance to fight those people on the beach. He finally understands what Vil is getting at. That he might have to consider beauty as a positive asset instead of a demerit.

Of course, this is still Epel. He doesn't want to be viewed as dainty or feminine and never will. That's just not who he is and he never will be. But he also knows that beauty can help people. That its something he can use to his advantage, to manipulate people if he so needs to. And it's an ability he will shamelessly use if he needs to. Because if Epel can't escape from his appearance, he can at least use it to his benefit, even if he doesn't like it. And that's how Epel grows as a person.