#and i love them both. but joining up those backstories now???? i'm. we're not even twlking

[notasapleasure]

Sjdjdjff wow, so many details about Cassian that had already supposedly been established (his birth-father's death on Carida etc) that I'd forgotten about, and I'm looking at his Wookiepedia page for details Andor supposedly gives about him and imagining the editors having to be like

I'm. Really going to have to come down on the side of the folks who are like 'wow cool two guys called Cassian Andor who look like That existed simultaneously in the SW universe at the same time with totally different personalities and backstories!'

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch 1x4: the dragon reborn

spoilers for s1 of the show plus the s2 teasers and trailers, plus through The Dragon Reborn ish in the books. And one casting spoiler for S3.

I really do love the cold opens. This one tells us so much! We're introduced to Logain but we're also introduced to the corruption on saidin, to how much power can be wielded by users of the One Power, and to how the corruption can both influence someone but Logain still has the choice of whether or not to listen to the voices talking to him.

We see the madness in Logain but also his own strength of character and ability to show mercy even when he's hearing whispers that he should just kill those opposed to him. Great preview of the future for Rand. Especially since Moiraine is going to later on believe that Logain hearing the voices of 'the previous Dragon' to be a sign that he isn't the Dragon Reborn, but it's another thing that she's got her wishful thinking goggles on for.

"There's a place for anyone at my side, even my enemies." ; "The last Dragon broke the world; I plan to bind it." I feel like we're seeing the seeds of some of the choices that Rand will also make in the future here, already being set up (the benefits of being able to tell the story knowing the ending). Logain understands the assignment... he's just not the actual rebirth of the last Dragon.

So we go from Logain at the height of his strength to Nynaeve looking over the camp where he's captured. Having the Greens join the Reds on this hunt makes a lot of sense -- we know that this specific one was requested for by the White Tower, and we can see the difference between this approved hunt to take down a false Dragon (where he gets shielded and put in a cage to stand trial back in Tar Valon) vs the Red-only "gentle ASAP" approach from the cold open of the first episode. Authorized vs unauthorized hunts.

It makes a ton of logistical sense for them to scale down the number of people required to hold the shield on Logain. Just from a 'how many characters we're going to have in this scene' standpoint. Jordan could have as many characters in a scene as he wanted, because he didn't need to have any actors playing them. Plus, this way, we can focus more on the characters that do exist and really get to know them better.

So we already have two factions set up -- Kerene supporting the Amyrlin and Tower Law, and Liandrin arguing that they have the right to administer 'field justice'. Will the fault line of the coup fall along similar lines? I also think it was a good idea to have the Vileness currently happening rather than having happened in the past.

I love all the insights we get in these episodes about Warders, and Warders having their own subculture within the White Tower. And the fun confirmation that Moiraine and Lan are Just Like That and are closed off even to other Aes Sedai and Warders.

Also love all the Lan & Nynaeve build-up that we get as well. <3 a lot of good bonding time and banter and I love that she just clicks with the Warders.

The time that Egwene and Perrin spend with Aram & co is very lovely and charming. Removing Elyas from the equation and putting the hesitation on Perrin was a good move, because it lets the Tuatha'an explain themselves rather than having them explained by an outsider who disapproves of their ways.

Everything about Rand and Mat's roadtrip with Thom is so great. 10/10 would have loved another episode of it but since Amazon didn't let them have one, I do think they did a great job of boiling the trip down to both the narrative and emotional essentials. It really does make me curious about how Thom will be weaved back into the story because he only has connections to three characters now (I'm assuming the backstory with Elayne is intact), rather than knowing the whole troupe, so it feels like it needs to be Rand or Mat that bring him back into the story, but we'll have passed the canon moments when that happens.

There is so much useful lore information in Alanna and Moiraine's convo that show haters just flat-out ignored because it didn't fit their narratives - Alanna straight-up talks about not being able to see Logain's weaves!

Protective!Rand really begins to peek out in this episode, even here at the start with the farmer but more and more as Mat gets worse. Also poor Rand and Mat are covered in mud.

13. Mat and bonding with little girls! If we do get Olver, I hope we get a young girl instead of a boy, to keep on theme. And Birgitte namedrop, still exciting to hear.

14. Last episode, Thom bonded with Mat and, this episode, he bonds with Rand (over concern about Mat). Thom also helpfully puts the idea into Rand's head that Mat has 'all the signs' of being a male channeler, accidentally enabling Rand's massive case of denial that lasts until Moiraine heals Mat and tells them it was the dagger causing his issues. Oh, Thom's story is so heartbreaking here. And Thom promises here to try to keep the two of them safe, and away from Aes Sedai. Really really curious how this setup will play out when Thom returns in s3.

15. Nynaeve getting through her moment of poly confusion now is a great little moment of setup for the viewers too -- showing that this can be acknowledged as a valid relationship in this world. And we will maybe get a hint about Aiel culture next season as well.

16. Poor Moiraine and her pangs of uncertainty over Logain. Uncertainty that will only grow once Nynaeve's power is revealed.

17. Last episode, it was Rand's turn to remind us about his relationship with Egwene -- this episode, it's Egwene's turn, during her private conversation with Aram. I do love Egwene falling into a new culture and immediately finding things about it to love and appreciate. And Perrin is taking the Tuatha'an more seriously than in the books, because it's so much more grounded in the reality and the faith of their world and culture.

18. Rand trying to comfort and reassure Mat, I'm fine. Totally fine. Not emotional at all. And even before they know that the Fade is there in the farmhouse, Thom and Rand are just wanting to get Mat out and safe. Thom is ride or die for these kids after knowing them for a handful of days.

19. Nynaeve is SO curious about Lan and so hesitant to admit to it. You are not intruding! He already has a big crush on you! It's such a lovely moment between them.

20. Moiraine taking advantage of the attack to interrogate Logain... Lirandrin taking advantage of the battle as a reason to justify gentling Logain... they get to be shadows and mirrors of each other too. (Did Liandrin let her part of the shield drop to try to manufacture an excuse, once she realized that his army was attacking or was it just her genuinely taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity once she's able? If Liandrin is being sincere then that lends weight to the speculation that she isn't Black Ajah yet and we'll see her wooed into it over the early parts of S2)

21. I do think it was, again, very smart of the show to actually show us the effects of an Aes Sedai and Warder's bond being severed before it happens to any main characters. And we actually get to see Greens being the Battle Ajah here too.

22. Nynaeve's power burst here really creates another point of uncertainty for Moiraine about the identity of the Dragon Reborn. If Nynaeve is stronger than Egwene, then Egwene cannot be the Dragon. But Nynaeve is too old to fit the prophecy. So now Moiraine has some thinking to do.

[trollol360]

396, 397, 399

398

"Toshinori Yagi: Rising/Origin" Just that title. Embrace it. Take it in.

"Let me be your pupil." He doesn't even have a quirk and he wants to train under Nana's wing. Also, the multiple flashbacks throughout the fight are amazing (plus, the people have been wanting to know Toshi's backstory for ages!!)

"Superacid Injection: Pinky" Eighth move; Mina.

"Aw, just after rewinding some damage... You're dissolving away now?!" Toshinori literally injects acid into All for One. It's a brutal way to do damage; get him from the inside out. Toshinori is a just person, and he doesn't kill, but it seems like All for One just tips him over the edge just a little. He lets his attacks be a bit questionable because it's fucking All for One. Who the hell would defend his ass? Toshinori has smashed his skull to pieces and now injected acid into his body to dissolve him inside out. Both attacks are villain-esc, but that does not make Toshi a villain.

"All Might..." Again. All Might, not Toshi.

"I'm 'trash,' right? So much for that theory!!" Despite All for One being so damn certain he could get rid of Toshinori so easily, he keeps on getting proven wrong (and I live for it).

"Let me assist you." "Without a quirk? Ridiculous. (Quit following me)" "Please, I mean it." "Go defend a three-meter radius with that rusty pipe of yours. Good luck." A three-meter area is another way of saying home/loved ones. Nana's using her quirk right in front of him, because not only are they physically apart, but biologically as well.

"My family was killed a while back." ORPHAN TOSHI. Also, he says a while, not long ago. Chances are that it was recent, but he didn't feel entirely loved by his own family.

"Mine too. But I don't have the luxury to join your little quest for vengeance." Nana's too busy working as a hero to get revenge (something Toshi deals with later on).

"I just can't accept a world... Where those who take from others come out on top. And then those who've had everything stolen... Their grief turns to hatered, in an endless spiraling cycle." Toshinori could've very well become a villain, but he doesn't. He's not bitter or resentful. Yes, he's upset at All for One for bringing up Nana during Kamino, but he doesn't let him/it overwhelm him (with sadness).

"Yeah? And what's your solution?" Nana seems to lose hope for society, but then Toshi shows up.

"I want to make the world a place where everyone can live with a smile. And for that... The world needs a symbol." "A symbol of what?" "Of peace. Even with plenty of new buildings... And visible restoration efforts... People have been living in fear for a while now. Their hearts and minds are shrouded in darkness." The shot doesn't change until Toshi says peace. We don't see how fucked up the world he grew up in is until he talks about wanting to bring peace to everyone.

Nana looks at her hand. She knows she can pass One for All down.

"So you would put on a grand display of power?" "Everyone's got a tough enough time with their own three-[meter] radius. So yes. I would step up. A quirkless guy like me... Has no role otherwise." Toshinori was quirkless. He would've been ignored or killed, and he probably knows/knew that. Yet, he still wants to protect everyone. To be kind to them and provide the safety that he never had.

"All for One is even closer to U.A. now!! But he's veered off course!! He's pursuing All Might instead!!" We're shown why All Might put himself up and in the way of All for One. He wouldn't have chased anyone else, but he's fixated on Toshinori right now that he's lost sight of his actual goal.

"Fractured ribs. Full-body contusions." If his rib fractures are severe, the can cause breathing issues (like Toshi doesn't struggle with that already). When untreated, rib fractures will lead to serious short-term consequences (severe pain when breathing, pneumonia), but rarely death. Full-body contusions are bruises by direct and/or multiple blows (no doubt from Toshi flying through the air and some buildings).

"Respiratory malfunction." The one time Toshi has lost his smile (so far) throughout this fight. No doubt he's remembering the damage All for One did to him. Malfunction means it's failing to function in a normal or satisfactory manner (but, it can be fixed).

"I, too, was once brimming with youth." "The man we knew as All Might... Could not live his life any other way." Toshinori is out looking the very same rooftop where he talked to Deku. While Toshinori and All Might aren't directly the same, they're still part of on another. There's Toshinori in All Might and there's All Might in Toshinori.

"Is he even younger now? Maybe he's not aware of it? Better not probe or he might come to his senses. He had to use quirks to expel the Pinky Superacid from his body, but the strain is hurting him. Does taking damage speed up the rewinding process?" Toshi is still figuring out how to better fuck up All for One, not just emotionally, but far more physically too. It's similar to the Nomu incident at the USJ; when it got dire, All Might figured out how to distribute the force of his punches to override shock absorption. He's analyzing the changes in All for One because of him.

"Haha... Hahaha. Hahaha. HAHAHA! Don't stop now, Hercules! Keep it coming!!" Every. Single. Flashback. Is. Toshinori. Not All Might. But Toshinori.

"To be of service to others... What a joy! Fight on! Together!!"Toshinori bases himself on how useful he is to others. He doesn't say it's a joy to help others but to be of service. He still views himself below everyone else, like the same quirkless boy with no other role or place in the world. While All for One is physically de-aging, Toshinori is mentally, getting back in the mindset he had pre-One for All. He's selfless to the point that it's damaging (literally). His own life, his health, and his happiness aren't considered (rarely even by his friends). Because, to him, it's not important. It never has been. Toshinori has always had this sacrificial mindset. He's always been like this and now he seems worse than ever. He's happy, yes, but his own self-worth is at rock bottom because he isn't fighting for himself. He's fighting for everyone once again.

"Thrusters: Uravity... And Ingenium! Full throttle!!" Ninth and Tenth; Ochacko and Iida.

"You hear me?! To victory!" Not to the end. To victory. Toshi's victory. Everyone's victory.

"... He's fighting!" Aura Might is so pretty, and he senses that Toshinori is in battle. Not Deku, but Aura Might.

"All Might!!" "Midoriya, kid!!" It seems like they're able to communicate, or at least sense each other. Toshinori is still smiling (despite the fact that he's spitting out blood). He won't choose to give up. He won't give up. HE WON'T FAIL.

[sinbrook]

Who is the muscluar big guy from trigun that I keep seeing?

BLESS BLESS BLESS thank you for asking me about Trigun!!

So I think you probably mean Livio?

Livio and Razlo are my BOYS man, they're my guys. OUGH.

Usually I am Not A Fan of characters being added to the main cast super late in the game, but I think him being introduced a little earlier as a villain superrrr helped me accept him as Part of The Gang. Ya know? He's one of my favourite characters and I just adore him. That being said, it's really hard to talk about him without spoilers. Like, really hard. Actually Trigun is hard to talk about without spoilers! So I'm gonna shove this long ramble nobody is gonna read, under a read more. I'm a kind soul, I'm protecting your dash.

Also total warning, this isn't like... legible, this is the worse way to learn about the character cos im just going "wow it was cool when he did this thing... and also this thing... hes so cool i love him" for too many words.

So I'll address his main sort of... thing, first off. So Livio has dissociative identity disorder, and like, for a lot of it, it's quite clear that Nightow didn't exactly go in with a heap of research on the subject. However, I wouldn't call it a negative portrayal at all. Ofc its not really up to me, but like, he wasn't really portrayed as dangerous because of his disorder. He and Wolfwood have the same backstory, they're dangerous because of The Eye of Michael and those dudes have always been explicitly condemned in-narrative as, y'know, the baddies. It's less "he's bad because he's bad" and more "he does these things because he's been conditioned by a cult from a young age to do these things". His disorder is like... not even a factor. The Eye just likes stealing kids and training them for bad stuff, man. And like, you do feel sorry for them. Both Livio and Razlo have been hugely manipulated by Chapel in particular, who positioned himself almost as a father figure, and certainly led them to believe he cares about them. So like, it's not really surprising he does everything he's asked to, he hasn't really had anywhere else he's felt cared for. Anyway I LOVE Livio's intro in the manga. We're told two guys are coming, Livio the Double Fang, and The Tri-p of Death.

Then these two dudes show up:

And like... you make the obvious assumption that those are the guys, ya know? Sure looks double-fangy to me. They're then shown tearing through a bunch of intimidating looking dudes to sort of, hype up how strong they are, right? But nuh cos see.

Livio just comes in and wrecks their shit, picks them both off as though they were nothing.

and to be fair, they are! He's a very high-level eye of Michael dude ya know?

So yeah, that's our introduction to Livio, fantastic way to show that he's just, like, strong as hell. We learn he's joining the Gung-ho Guns, so y'know, oof, he's now in direct opposition to our heroes, supposed to make you nervous and all. Anyway he and Chapel show up every now and then to just be... y'know... annoying. Try and kill him a lil y'know... that sort of thing.

It's these fucked up family reunions that we love ya know. This is totally me at Christmas.

Anyway this time was rlly funny because Elendira rlly said "you three are so annoying pls leave your drama at the door"

And they DID hahaha. I don't blame them, she's scawy.

Anyway what I think I like most about Livio is how like... y'know, sweet he is. He's kinda like Wolfwood in that he's a total sweetheart at his core but life just hasn't let him be sweet, ya know?

When Jasmine was in trouble, baby Wolfwood didn't even hesitate to run out and save her.

And Livio was the same, you know? And after The Couch, Livio even says, he wants to live his life like Wolfwood so like, we've got these two dudes with near identical journeys.

From orphans, to initiates, to assassins, to good guy with a gun lmfao. Despite what Livio does, it's really hard to ever hate him, and Razlo, too is extremely sympathetic...

Like he's got his own motivations and shit he's working through, man.

Anyway I really love during the Elendira fight when hes like, struggling to beat her, how Razlo gives Livio his own sort of hype man experience like the manga flashes back to how hard Livio worked to keep up with Razlo and the Eye, and Razlo is like hyping him up the whole time. It's really nice and wholesome :)

Anyway his journey from emo cult man to himbo cowboy was fantastic and I love Livio so much, he's a sweetheart.

And I loved his appearance at the end of the manga, like, showing he was looking after the orphanage and stuff.

And also this whole scene where he and Vash ate together made me cry.

[cowboyhorsegirl]

Cybersix character ranking?

this is simultaneously so much easier and so much harder than trying to rank the succ characters bc there are so many characters in cybersix who I genuinely love and my ranking is literally just all my faves are number 1 and everyone else is number 2 😅

But if we're being thorough about it (and by thorough I mean just the characters I remember off the top of my head), then I think my ranking would go something like this:

Tie between Adrian/Cybersix & Lucas: I simply can't choose between them, I tried and I can't. They're both so good and such wonderful characters and I love them and their love for each other with all my heart <3

Dataseven: the existence of Dataseven appeals very specifically to the part of me who gravitated towards all the animated cat characters I grew up with and whose first favorite animal were snow leopards. Also he's cool as fuck with a great backstory. The realest catboy.

Lori: controversial take perhaps?? That Lori is so high on this list?? But idk I like that Lori is the person who Cybersix reveals their identities to, I like that Lori instantly hops on that motorcycle with Lucas and goes towards the bomb in an effort to try and help and/or save Cybersix without thinking twice about it, and I personally like that Lori has a crush on Adrian. Which is not to say that I like Lori x Adrian as a ship, but it feels very real for what reads to me as a closeted/repressed/unaware queer kid to have a crush on the most androgynous teacher in school you know? I think there's probably more depth to Lori than the show had time to explore.

Griselda: episode 12 ahhhhhhh!!!!! First of all I just have to say that my feelings towards seeing Griselda & Cybersix on screen together are exactly the same as my feelings towards Madame Hydra & Black Widow in EMH. Two extraordinarily pretty women who represent opposing ideals having a power struggle!! I mean not to be a lesbian but— Aside from that though, I think it's so interesting how Griselda seems to be an upgraded version of Cybersix, and one of the only villains who actually stood a real chance at beating him. I would have loved to see more of her character, more interaction between her and Cybersix. It's heartbreaking that the moment she seems to decide that Cybersix needs to be the one that lives, she resigns herself to being the one who has to die to allow that to happen. It makes sense to me why Griselda would think that in the narrative as I imagine that binary response may have been a holdover of her conditioning at the hands of Von Reichter. She's been ordered to capture Cybersix by any means necessary, so even though she's now realized that Cybersix is not her real enemy, she still can't let go of the notion that in order for one of them to live, the other must fail. Personally, I don't think she's really dead (and I also don't think either Cybersix or Dataseven are dead either) so I hope they all find each other post-canon and become a bad bitch triumvirate. My only gripe with Griselda is why is she named that?? Why isn't she also called a Cyber or a Data or some other type of Technocreature? Why does she get a real name??

Elaine: hot werewolf lady, what's not to love? I think Elaine should get to join the bad bitch triumvirate too (maybe the triumvirate is cybersix, griselda, and elaine instead of cybersix, dataseven, and griselda who knows we're just having fun with it). I like that she both bewitches Lucas body & soul and also that she indirectly turns him into a werewolf, like what can't she do! She has the range. I like her hair. I am a big fan and honestly I do support women's wrongs xoxo

Terra: 😢😢 I'm very sad about his story. Unlike Griselda, Cybersix, or Dataseven, I really do believe that Terra is dead. I love how many villains are redeemed because of Cybersix's kindness and compassion, and I believe Terra was the first of those villains (save for Dataseven who I think is in a category of his own because of his & Cybersix's shared history). And the way Terra was animated just lent to such an expressive character that made his death hit even harder, even though he isn't as human in his appearance. In any case, I'm pretty sure that he and Griselda are the only villains to sacrifice themselves for Cybersix, and the show did a good job of conveying the emotional weight of those moments for both Terra & Griselda.

Julian: I didn't mean for julian to be this far down on the list lmao i just kept forgetting to add him and now he's down here. But tbh he belongs in this spot, I like him but I'm just not as interested in him as a character. I do really like that his sleight of hand recurs throughout the series in the form of multiple different skills like his ability to pickpocket, do card tricks, and make string figures. I think that's a cool bit of character building and I love how they all consistently incorporate his dexterity. I'm very concerned about his living situation. I guess he's just a little subway boy now?? I also like that it seems as though Dataseven is his main pseudo parent figure lmao (if anything Cybersix is the cool aunt to Dataseven's exasperated guardian wrt Julian)

Yashimoto & Ikiko: ugh these two... Aside from the racist caricatures, I really did like these characters. I respect how Yashimoto doesn't take Jose's case at first and that he doesn't fold to Jose's initial intimidation tactics. It's endearing how much Yashimoto cares for his little sister and it's fun to see how clever he is when he realizes he can work together with Cybersix to get Ikiko & Julian back instead of carrying out Jose's wishes completely. Plus I think Ikiko is cute! I like her friendship with Julian!

Enrique: he's a cop (boo!) but Julian needs all the help he can get so I'm glad there's another adult around who cares about him (yay!). Anyone else think it was weird how Jose (& I assume by extension Von Reichter) both brainwashed Enrique and the other cops and gave them military-grade weapons, but after Enrique shed the mind control he still held on to the military-grade weapons? Just me? There's a not insignificant chance that I'm overthinking it.

The Tentacle Creatures: I don't actually feel any strong type of way about the various tentacle creatures in Cybersix, but if I had a nickel for every tentacle monster in this kids show, then I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice in the space of only 13 episodes🤨🤨🤨

The Fixed Ideas: cool name, cool concept. I feel as though these guys were probably more redeemable than Cybersix gave them credit for lol. I especially kind of like the Fixed Ideas as maybe a commentary on the way fascism packages up complex societal issues as an oversimplified and uncomplicated 'us vs. them' framework, which makes it easier to get people to follow along with your ideology (read: easier to follow your orders 👀). I'm not entirely sure if that metaphor was intentional in either the comics or the tv show (I'm not even sure if the Fixed Ideas were in the comics at all though I imagine they probably didn't make them up solely for the tv show), but that's how I read them and I think it's an interesting way to view those characters.

The Eye: I did not like the eye, I do not like eye gore, I am very squeamish about eyes, overall I was not having a great time in the episode (but that's more a me problem than a That Episode problem). I will give props to the episode for that one moment where Cybersix makes the eye hypnotize itself by holding a mirror up to it because that was both a cool lil moment of creative on-the-fly problem solving on her part and also bc it was animated exceptionally well. And I'm giving myself a pat on the back because I saw the scene of Lucas demonstrating how liquid nitrogen works and immediately was like 'Oh I know exactly where this episode is going' (yes I know it's a kids show but I still felt Very Smart for picking up what they were so obviously putting down).

Jose & Von Reichter: literally Nazis. Also Jose is annoying.

[vertigoambrosia]

rewatching some of jjk first season because i miss nanami

it's so funny that human earthworm is inspired by human centipede

aw junpei

you deserved better

hah i didn't notice until now that in the opening he's in a jj tech uniform

they straight up liiiiiiiieeed

'let's go all out!' 'no.' is so fucking funny. nanami's basically like, no we're not doing that shounen protagonist stuff right now

nanami kento-kun deeesssssu ~~~~~~~

work is shit but i have to admit that, not having any, i could use a big pile of shit right now so it doesn't hit quite as hard

BUT I DO NOT RESPECT HIM also kills me every fucking time

aww nanami we know you do actually care

it's funny that the anime staple "explaining your technique to everyone around you" is actually a stat buff in this series

like, why?

and don't tell me the 'binding pact' explaination makes sense because it doesn't

"seems like we've discovered an arc villain. well itadori-kun, it's time for shounen mode."

ughghggh watching junpei and mahito in retrospect is so unpleasant

grooming isn't quite the right word i'm looking for, but....it has that feel

in the end, nanami did not, in fact slap yuji, even after he screamed NANAMIIIINNNNNNN from an actual rooftop

why tf did they make ichiji supposedly in his early 20s. that man is canonically younger than nanami

is there actually a scary movie 7?

man junpei's clubmates really fucking abandoned him like that

this conversation about "the opposite of love is indifference" and how it's (arguably, apparently?) mistranslated is actually really interesting

"~~i'll murder youuuuuu~~~ <3" is even funnier when you remember that it's a nanami thought

god how fucking stupid is this teacher

tbh he deserved to die. not transfigured, but to die

stole those pants like ryuji goda

GET THAT TIME AND A HALF NANAMI

i love chibi sukuna in juju stroll he's so cute

"if we both manage to survive, let's meet again" is so painful now

'was that an earthquake?' no it was just the best man being strong af

yuji itadori: world's worst interrogator

apparently these opinions about the human earthworm series are what gege actually thinks about the human centipede series

i had no idea there were more than like, two

apparently there are 3

aw yuji is so sweet

:( junpei's mom

how can they tell which arm it's from when sukuna has four arms?

nanami trying to protect yuji from having to kill a human ;_;

"being a child is not a sin" hits me right in the heart

ugh fucking mahito continuing to manipulate

i do not understand mahito girlies in the slightest

i love how nanami tells yuji not to go and then is immediately like "he probably won't fucking listen tho"

i don't have anything funny or whatever to say about this whole thing except that obviously i wish junpei could have joined the main cast

and that this is all emotionally done really well

junpei didn't deserve this :(

sukuna is such a dick; he could have just said that he can't (or doesn't) heal, but no

he had to taunt yuji

it does make it funny that any of the villains think they can convince sukuna to join them

or do anything that sukuna doesn't want to do

i forgot that sukuna only let mahito get away with touching his soul the first time because they had shared a nice evil laugh at yuji's expense

NANAMIIIII

jump his ass!!

this juju stroll is absolutely baffling

man seeing the double beatdown is so satisfying...but then of course mahito has to pull a new technique out of his ass

i knew nanami died at some point the first time i watched this so when his backstory flashback started i got real nervous

(little did i know we would get something even more painful before his actual death)

you think nanami would be a special grade sorceror if he could do a domain expansion?

aw nanamiiii <3

yuji is dying and i'm sitting here like 'god nanami is so handsome'

nanami is such a good mentor <3

[c-is-for-circinate]

post-ep reaction time! 3.10

Well that episode was a delight.

--This is the team's fourth b&e in ONE DAY. One day!!!!!

--SUCH tasty Ashton backstory, oh man. It makes so much sense? And oooh there's so much space for feelings in there. Catch me having thoughts about how Taliesin is constitutionally incapable of building a character who doesn't live and breathe setting, who isn't part of a place and a family -- except that joining a D&D party generally means leaving your setting behind, and so we have yet one more different character who's lost a family, in a new and different way, with new and different emotions about it. (It's what you do for family, Ashton as the guy whose morals begin and end with loyalty, who was left behind and is glad of it, oh yes there's some tasty tasty nuance to dig into there.)

--Also, as an aside, I really want to know more about Milo Krook, who is apparently an artificer with no real medical training who was willing to roll up their sleeves and try brain surgery on someone who probably would've been dead without them anyway, and then somehow managed to pull it off, who patched up a sentient automaton and tosses jobs at local gangs and owns/manages/in some way oversees a queer punk group home in the slums. I want their story. (Also Pumat Sol's. I still want Pumat Sol's backstory, damnit.)

--I am so into the way this team is becoming Team Mindfuck. So absolutely into it.

VM and the M9 were very straightforward, in their own respective ways. We saw the M9 lie, certainly, but it was generally very much 'okay we're going to attempt to adopt these personas of respectability/allegiance to this stronger force, and bide our time until it's safe to play both sides against the middle'. Thinking about it now, when the M9 tried to read/predict/manipulate people, they did it almost the way an adult survivor of childhood abuse might find themselves hypersensitive to the emotions and reactions of those around them, trying to anticipate and defend. (Which: yeah, that tracks.)

This crew, and they really need a name damnit, are a very different kind of mindfuck. There are at least two people within the group who can, with magic, see into your thoughts and read your intentions; there are multiple people who can speak into your head; they are excellent liars and illusionists and ghosts; they throw around Charm Person and Calm Emotions as a first line of defense. The M9 were never built for that kind of work (Jester could have, did exactly once and never again, but then all of their heads had been fucked with enough times by enough people not to want to try), and VM definitely weren't (Scanlan did a bit, tried a bit, fucked around with Modify Memory, but it broke the group and broke him to do it, and the rest of them never even tried). But this team, still slinking around in the shadows, still nervous about full confrontation, they're built different. And I love it.

They have, almost by accident over the course of two or three minor interactions (except they are going to grab it and run with it), managed to convince a major government official and several guards that the place is legitimately haunted. They are going to gaslight so many people. They are going to fuck around with the insides of so many people's brains. I love it.

--It's interesting, actually, because I'm thinking about the b&e and the brain-bending, the mindreading and the eerie whispers and the fae charm and the therapist robot and all, and I do think it's a little bit related to the setting (in a completely different way than all the CLASS WARFARE CAMPAIGN stuff I keep screeching about over here). Jrusar is a city, is the most city, and hungry walls aside, there's a lot less to kill in highly urbanized cities than out in the wilderlands where monsters live. There's a lot more opportunity to get caught when you're in an area of high population density. There's a lot more needing to lie, to sneak, to hide, to break in and find things, when you can't just murder-hobo your way through. And some of this is Matt building challenges appropriate to the kind of party with the kind of skills the team's put together, but some of it is simply the kind of scenarios that are likely to come up in a city like Jrusar, and some of it is the way the party chooses to handle those scenarios when they appear.

Anyway I need to think on it more, and I really want to see more of this party to go on about it at all, but I think there's something there, how being integrated into a highly urbanized setting might affect the choices that players and characters see open to them, impact what they tend to do in the end.

--It was a short and early episode this week and as much as I really want to see what they do with the Nightmare King (that man in the dungeon is deeply, deeply fae, and if he's not the Nightmare King then I don't want to know who is), I'm very grateful, because I slept for shit last night and I have a work meeting at 9 tomorrow. Bed for now and thoughts later and fuck no it's not Thursday yet but I sure can't wait until it is.

[linkspooky]

The Hands that Will Save the League

In chapter 321 we're reminded once again of the reoccurring motif of hands reaching out to save someone in need, especially with the double spread close-up of Iida's hands reaching for Deku's hands. I couldn't help but think how this could apply to the league of villains. Hand symbolism has always been associated with Shigaraki (duh), both in the fact that his hands destroy everything they touched, and also his reason for being a villain stems from the fact that not a single hand reached out to save him that day. However, we've also had another character in the league with hands drawn up close and personal reaching out to save the others: spinner.

1. Just an Empty Cosplayer

I'm not the first one to make this observation. @codenamesazanka pointed this out long before me, especially in regards to Spinner's importance to the league, but basically, Spinner's role is that despite being a teenage mutant ninja turtle he's also the everyman of the league. He's not connected to the main conflict of the story by bloodline or legacy, the way Shigaraki, Dabi, and Compress are. He's not someone with an incredibly powerful or deviant quirk like Twice or Toga. He is a victim, but he doesn't have the elaborate villain backstories of Twice, Shigaraki, Dabi, and Toga.

He literally is just some guy with a lizard quirk. He has the weakest quirk in the league and the weakest reason for why he joined the league. Spinner faces societal abuse because of his quirk, but what spurred him to action was seeing Stain appear on TV, and a desire to be a less empty person than he was before. Spinner was pushed, he was rejected by society, but I would say as an inverse to the league who are driven by extraordinary circumstances, Spinner is basically an every man who drives himself to keep up with the rest of the league despite seemingly lacking everything "special" they have.

And I believe this every man quality, and this drive Spinner has is what's going to be the key to piecing the league back together. It's because Spinner sees himself as so far behind the rest of the league, and so much less special than they are, that he's driven to try to understand them.

Not only is Spinner a member who has tried to understand every member of the league in one way or another, Spinner is also someone who similiar to Sihgaraki foils every single character in the league despite just being an everyman.

2. Spinner and Toga

While Spinner and Toga may not have the same level of development to their interactions as Twice and Toga, Spinner reaches out to her once but not twice, and there are a lot of parallels you can draw between the characters.

Both Spinner and Toga joined the league for the same reason, an empty admiration for Stain, without really caring about Stain's ideals. Toga admires Stain because he's covered in blood and fighting for something and she wants to become more like the people she admires, Spinner because he saw himself as pathetic for hiding in his room all day and when he saw Stain taking a stand trying to change the whole world on his own he wanted to become that way too. Which means both of them have a tendency to want to become more like the people they admire, because their own sense of personal identity is so weak.

Himiko and Spinner both define themselves by the way society has rejected them. Spinner has internalized the idea that he's an empty person who can't accomplish anything on his own, every terrible thing other people said about him due to his heteromorph quirk he accepted it. At the same time, Toga was somebody born with a "dangerous quirk" who was told to repress it and then did that living under a fake identity as a normal school girl that would please her parents and the people around her for as long as she could. Both Toga and Spinner are taught by the society around them to be self-loathing and to repress themselves because of their quirks. They're also characters who are both defined by a desire for release.

When Spinner asks if Toga still wants to be in the league because of Stain and she responds, Now I wanna become everyone I love. Spinner comments, "You're so free."

Spinner and Toga both claim they joined the league because of love for another person, they both loved and admired some aspect of Stain, but their real reason for joining, or at least the reason they stay is that deep down both of them desire the freedom to be themselves. Toga wrapping her desires up in language like love for other people, and wanting to become them, is because deep down she believes because of her quirk there's no one who would accept her for herself, as the normal girl she believes she is, no one will let her live as Toga thus she tries to become other people. It's the same for Spinner, who believes he can't be anything other than the Lizard Freak, so he too tries to dress himself up and become a Stain Cosplayer. It's only through the league's acceptance that Toga and Spinner slowly begin to learn that they are good enough on their own, just as themselves, and their priorities begin to shift.

3. Spinner and Twice

Twice and Spinner have several backstory parallels already. They are both characters affected by poverty, Spinner lived in a backwater town plagued by old views of heteromorph quirks, Twice lost his parents and began working to support himself at a young age before becoming homeless. Spinner and Twice were also both labeled in a way that stuck with them, after Twice got a criminal charge in an accident on his permanent record he couldn't find another job after being labeled deviant. Spinner was labeled as a deviant because of his quirk and the idea that he's a lizard freak has always stuck with him the same way that Twice has internalized the idea that "bad people don't get saved."

They also both chose to isolate themselves because of the circumstances they faced. Twice's first response to homelessness was to decide to never trust anybody but himself, and he became a criminal who pulled off heists with only clones of himself as team members until that stopped working for him. Spinner's response was also to shut himself away in his room and become a NEET. They both cut themselves off to the society that labeled them as unacceptable, but in the process they also cut themselves off from other people and became unable to trust others.

While they have major backstory parallels, I believe the greatest parallel between them is going to be that Spinner will inherit that role that Twice had for the league. While Shigaraki is the leader, Twice more than anybody else believed the League to be a family, and encouraged everyone to be friendly with one another.

It's Twice more than anyone else who emphasizes the bond of the league, that they're all strays, that they need to take care of each other and save each other. It's Twice who urges Shigaraki to save Giran because he's one of them. He makes the unspoken bond of the league as a group of miscreants into a spoken one, because Twice wants those things, he's well aware of the fact that he wants trust and acceptance and came to the league to find those things. This is the greatest thing that ties Spinner and Twice's characters together, because they both view themselves as worthless, they define themselves by how they help the other members of the league.

Twice's death so far isn't something that has been really capitalized on by the plot, Hawks has yet to face consequences, we haven't gotten to see much of the league's reaction because they were scattered soon afterwards. However, if Twice's death is going to cause development eventually I believe it will be in the vacuum in the league created now that Twice is gone. There is no longer someone who is urging all of them to be together. Twice's death causes most of the league to become less stable. Toga goes on a killing spree, Dabi attacks Hawks, Compress tries to kill himself in a heroic sacrifice, Shigaraki hasn't gotten the chance to react yet but he's also gotten worse considering he's currently possessed. You could even say that Twice's death has caused other characters to double down on their worst habits.

Dabi's worst habit is that he acts separately from the league and refuses to participate in the group dynamic, believing himself to be a solo avenger. Dabi not trusting or telling the league what he was planning on doing with Hawks, as a consequence of his decision to play solo avenger, caused Twice to trust Hawks which led to his death. Hawks was the one who killed him but Dabi played a part, and when Twice dies Dabi obviously reacts to it, but also his decision is to double down on his bad habit, insisting he's only using the league and he doesn't care about the rest of the group. Toga also doubles down on her bad habit, she runs away from the rest of the league and insists she's only doing this for the freedom to do whatever she pleases, not because you know Twice got killed right in front of her. Compress's arc is less pronounced, but he also does, in fact, try to kill himself in a grand heroic sacrifice for the rest of the league.

When twice dies the league begins to fall apart and everyone acts on their individual worst flaws, ignoring that they were always stronger together as a group. However, there is still one person who wanted the exact same thing Twice did, to be trusted, to belong to a group. This is most likely the role that Spinner is going to grow to, someone who is trusted by everyone in the group.

Notably, when Toga is about to run away it's Spinner who reminds her that the league is a place for them to come back to. Toga who was probably the closest to Twice and spiraling the worst because of his death, and Toga and Twice's friendship was the first time we really saw how much of a "bond" the league had formed with one another, because in the camp arc they barely cooperated, only begrudgingly. It's Spinner who who emphasizes that even though everyone in the league is doing this for individualism "doing what they want" that they are also together as a group. Spinner is set to inherit Twice's role as the heart, because one he tries to understand other people in the league making the effort to reach out, and two Spinner is aware of what he wants just like Twice he wants to be trusted by the rest of the group.

4. Spinner and Dabi

This one is a little bit harder because Dabi's character arc really hasn't started yet. We have just now gotten to the reveal of who he is and what his motivations are, after it being a mystery for so long. However unlike the rest of the league, we haven't really seen how Dabi has reacted and changed by becoming a part of the group. Even if his motivation isn't "I'm only using them" and deep down he really does care, I don't think he's even realized yet that he does care or that he's not just using them. Dabi still believes himself to be alone, and therefore he's still isolated from the rest of the league and flying his revenge quest solo even though he's really not.

In that case, the biggest parallel between Spinner and Dabi is that they both had to be won over by the league. They both joined because of admiration for Stain, probably because Dabi genuinely believed in Stain's ideals of taking down impure heroes because it fit his own agenda so well, whereas Spinner is a self-proclaimed empty cosplayer.

Spinner, however, has already gone through an arc where he was dissatisfied with his reasons for joining the league and didn't believe he belonged with the rest of the group. He didn't have anything to love like Toga. He didn't know yet he wanted friends he could trust like Twice already did. He doesn't have a strong backstory motivation like Compress, or Dabi or even knows what he wants out of society. However, the entirety of MVA is Spinner letting himself be changed because of his interaction with the group.

Spinner failed at life, his quirk is worthless and only good for sticking to walls. He also internalized the idea that he himself was a failure, and locked himself inside believing he couldn't accomplish anything on his own. Spinner says he has nothing he loves, and nothing he wants to do. Not only that he feels unloved and unwanted. However, Spinner finds something to love in Shigaraki, even if he can't find a strong sense of individualism and still believes himself to be worthless he becomes motivated to help others. Spinner, the most normal person in the group with the most worthless quirk, becomes the greatest help to Shigaraki, basically once he gets over himself and his preconceived notions of himself. Because, you don't actually have to be a special person or have a strong quirk to be a hero, you have to reach out a hand.

The same way Spinner was won over by the League, Dabi has yet to be won over. However, if that does happen, it's probably going to look like Spinner's arc. Dabi antagonizes Spinner a lot, but they actually have more in common than they do differences. They both have failure quirks, while Dabi has an overwhelming fire quirk he wasn't allowed to use, Spinner is literally just a gecko. They both also were labeled as disappointments and given up on, Enji gave up on Touya, Spinner never had any potential from the start and locked himself away in his room. However, their paths so far have been opposites, Spinner let Shigaraki reach him and became a part of the group, Dabi at every possible opportunity insists he's doing this all alone. He takes every chance he can to separate himself from others. If Dabi's arc is going to be a mirror to Shoto's arc eventually, then someone has to reach him and convince him he can't do this all on his own, and Dabi can only truly find himself when he's part of the group once more. After all, so far Dabi is the one most resistant to change. Toga's goal has changed, Shigaraki's changed, Spinner has changed, even Compress now admits that while they're just a gang of thieves that he cares more about everyone else's dreams than his own. Dabi is still nursing a ten-year grudge against Endeavor and doing everything he can to take him down on his own because he hasn't let the group in. And he won't improve or change until he does let others in.

5. Spinner and Shigaraki

I love Compress but I'm skipping over him because his arc hasn't been elaborated on yet. If you want a quick summary though, both Spinner and Compress didn't believe the group to be anything more than a gathering of selfish criminals, however, both of them changed because they wanted to see Shigaraki's dream come true. Not only was Shigaraki the one who inspired both of them to change, but also Compress is the one who first sees how close Spinner is to Shigaraki more than anyone else in the group was.

He also sacrifices himself BECAUSE he's come to realize that what he wants more than his own dreams is to see everyone else's dreams come true. I know Compress's backstory is rushed as all hell, but it almost... almost... works because Compress isn't actually doing this because he's Oji Harima's grandson. His motivation changed a long time ago, he just didn't realize it until he was about to lose the league.

There are a few more parallels, they're both dropouts. It's implied that Compress was literally just a retired and failed stage magician before he decided to become a villain. Hopefully we'll become more on that later because the idea of Compress sucking in showbiz so he decided to follow his grandfather's legacy is really awesome. Spinner was a Neet before he saw Stain on television. They also both have more minor quirks, Compress just shrinks people, Spinner sticks to things. They both also are characters who don't seem important at first, but consistently hover around in the background constantly making sure everyone in the group is okay. Compress calls to check up on people, he talks to Dabi a lot, he tries to keep up with everybody in a melee, it's the little things he does that make Compress same for Spinner. They're both cosplaying as legendary villains who are greater than they are, Stein is cosplaying his grandfather, Spinner is cosplaying Stain, but it's unknown whether Compress really cares that much about his grandfather's ideals, I think he cares about the league more. Compress and Spinner are also people who question and try to understand things, Compress lectures the kids that they had their ideals handed down to them for adult, Compress realizes Spinner's importance to Shigaraki before Spinner even did, Compress and Spinner also both try to understand other people's dreams because they're lacking in their own. Spinner doesn't even have a dream, but he's the one who listened to Shigaraki's dream first.

Now it's been directly said by canon that Spinner and Shigaraki's connection is the most developed, and they are the closest to one another. By developed I mean, it changed over time, when it started out they had almost nothing to do with one another. Spinner was just a rank and file league member that Shigaraki used on the hideout raid. They didn't even get a character introduction scene like Shigarki did with Dabi and Toga.

However, Spinner and Shigaraki's characters are extremely closely tied together. Shigaraki's like the main character of the league, his backstories parallel everyone else's, including the main character of the entire story Deku. He's the one who makes the plans, goes through training arcs, he's the one who the league unites around. However, Spinner actually has all of that too. I just spent a very long time showing how Spinner despite not having an overly complicated backstory has strong parallels to everyone in the league. If Shigaraki is the main character, then Spinner is the everyman / the perspective character, hence why he's the narrator of MVA. Shigaraki is a person of extraordinary circumstance, the symbol of society's oppression who everyone in the league deepy relates to because he's suffered the same way that they have and he accepts them. Whereas, Spinner has suffered because of Hero Society too, he's more like a normal guy who makes an effort to understand everyone around him.

However, Deku wasn't saved by his love interest, or even his childhood friend who is apparently his destined rival, he was saved by Iida trying his best to keep up with him.

Spinner and Shigaraki are both the emotional core of the league in different ways. The league all respects Shigaraki, they rally around his ideas, his dreams are what inspire everybody. However, more and more it's looking like Spinner, ordinary, average, Spinner is working to build emotional connections to everyone in a much more normal way. He talks to Toga and tries to understand her love. He even consoles Toga when twice is gone. He challenges Shigaraki directly to his face. Compress who is always sort of watching the league in the background and checking up on them in little ways notices how hard that Spinner is trying to take care of Shigaraki.

Shigaraki accepts people at their worst and gives them a place to belong, but I think by Spinner's efforts to get to know and understand others, we as an audience are shown how humanizing of a presence that Spinner is on everyone else. Spinner, just being a normal guy, brings out the fact that the rest of the league despite their extraordinary circumstances are deep down just normal people to, who want to be loved normally, and live normally. Spinner literally wakes up Shigaraki, because he remembered the one time that he opened up in front of all of them, and cares enough to try to understand Shigaraki's hurt feelings and what he cares about.

If anything from the last arc in the manga, we're shown at great length, how understanding, reaching out, it all takes effort and it's not as flashy as defeating a villain or rescuing someone from a natural disaster.

Spinner is so important to Shigaraki, because while Shigaraki has given everyone in the group a place where they can be individuals, Shigaraki hasn't realized he himself can be an individual yet. He ultimately, shares the same character flaw as Deku. It's because he's decided that he's going to carry out his dreams for the sake of the league and to create a better future for them, that Shigaraki no longer cares what happens to himself, or about his own future. Everyone talks about Dabi's suicidal nature, but this is something that Shigaraki is challenged on over and over again. What are your motivations. What are your reasons. What do you want to accomplish. He always responds with nothing. There's nothing that he wants, there's nothing worth living for, he only wants to destroy and make a better world for the people who are around him. Shigaraki is the most thoroughly dehumanized character, to the point where he just straight up accepts "god of destruction" because that is at least an identity. Shigaraki needs Spinner and his normalizing influence, because Shigaraki can't see himself as a normal person.

Shigaraki shares the same character flaw as Deku, he does everything for the sake of others, with no regard to himself, which leads to extreme bouts of self-harming and fighting alone. Shigaraki faced off against Endeavor, and basically all the heroes alone even though he did call for backup. However, even before that Shigaraki made the decision to get dangerous risky surgery that would be like hell, because he believed deep down he wasn't good enough alone. Shigaraki just does not care about himself and is unable to see himself as an individual, which is exactly why he needs someone to care for him and see him that way.

Shigaraki's greatest challenge to date is that he's been dehumanized so thoroughly, and lost sight of himself to the point where he's lost even his own body autonomy. When Shigaraki is battling for possession of his body as AFO attempts to take total control and make him into a symbol again, denying him his personhood, we're set up directly with Spinner being the one who reminds us that Shigaraki is just a person, who likes video games, and gets along with his friends. It's Spinner who notices right away that AFO is different from Shigaraki and challenges him the same way that he challenged Shigaraki directly in the My VIllain Academia arc. This is all set up most likely, for Spinner being the one to reach out a hand the same way IIDA did, because what Shigaraki needs the most right now, is not a hero who will save him, but rather a normal person who will understand him and remind him that deep down he was just a normal kid too before all of this happened. What Shigaraki is most in need of is a hand that will reach out to him, and Spinner has already done this once putting Nana's hand back on his face when he couldn't wake up, but what he's failed to realize is that it's his own scaly lizard hands that should be doing the reaching out.

[sophsicle]

What are your thoughts on those who romanticize Snape, specifically his actions with the Death Eaters, and the way he treated the Marauders and (eventually) Harry?

(Yes, this is me hoping for a rant. I just love hearing your thoughts!)

Listen, LISTEN, You don't even understand how like 85% of my personality for so long was ranting about how garbage Severus Snape is. My best friend could tell you horror stories about being at parties where someone casually mentions him and I just go off . I kinda covered a lot of my thoughts about why Snape is ultimately irredeemable here (specifically more irredeemable than Regulus and Draco so I'm not gonna address that in this rant, tho I still definitely repeat some of this stuff, but if you're interested it's there) Okay, lets get into it. Snape falls into this weird trope in Western literature where a male character being in love with a woman somehow redeems him of all his past wrongs. Like the bar is so low for men that a man has one feeling one time for someone who isn't himself and we're all like "aw, how can you be mad at him, he loves her?"

First and foremost, I don't believe that Snape loves Lily, I think he's Jay-Gatsby-levels obsessed with her, but I don't think he loves her. None of his actions signify love. Especially, and I cannot stress this enough because I just feel like this moment tells you everything you need to know about Severus Snape, when he goes to Dumbledore and asks him to save Lily and doesn't give shit what happens to James and Harry. And I know, people are like, "Well, that's understandable, he hates James" which, sure. It is understandable, if all he cares about is himself. But Lily loves James and Harry, and it just shows how little thought he puts into her wants and needs and desires. His "love" for Lily actually has very little to do with her. Now, on the one hand, you can't really blame people for romanticizing Snape because JKR romanticizes Snape so they're just feeling what the narrative is telling them to feel. On the other hand, we spend six fucking books watching Snape abuse children, children who, I might add, are already traumatized. Now we can argue all you want about how he's a kid when he's running around calling Lily slurs and joining the Death Eaters and him coming from an unstable home and eventually switching sides, because sure, as may be evident from the fic I'm writing, I think you could present that in a way that is mildly understandable and sympathetic (could but don't necessarily have to, that goes for Regulus too). But for me, it is the way he treats Harry, Neville, and Hermione after the war, when he is a full grown ass adult, that makes him truly abhorrent.

And I will never understand why finding out he was friends with / pined after Lily makes any of that better? Like people go on and on about that Chapter in Deathly Hollows (The Prince's Tale??) but like, tbh that backstory is irrelevant to me, besides maybe the stuff about his home life. Setting up his villain origin story to be Lily Evans and James Potter getting together is the least effective way JKR could have tried to make me feel sorry for him. He treated Lily like shit, she called him on it, he did not want to change, she walked away. She got with James, who yeah, was an entitled prick sometimes but did want to change. I always think the best way to compare James and Snape is by looking at Snape's friendship with Lily and James's friendship with Remus. Both Snape and James had friends facing bigotry and who were vulnerable in the Wizarding world and James moved heaven and earth, broke laws, performed wildly advanced magic, shared his time and shared his resources, to help Remus in every way he possibly could. And Snape joined the bigots. And y'all know I love a complicated character, but Snape literally isn't complicated. He has one motivation for everything he does and that's his obsession with Lily. I hate when people defend the way he treats Harry by saying "well, Harry reminds him of James" or the way he treats Hermione by saying "well Hermione reminds him of Lily" or the way he treats Neville because "if Voldemort had just killed Neville instead Lily would still be alive" like what. What. What are those justifications? You don't get to take out your anger on these children. You just don't. Like I don't care that you have feelings you're still a gross guy. I think in order to see Snape as anything but a sad little man you have to ignore six books worth of actions. Actions perpetrated by an adult with full knowledge of what these children were going through. Romanticizing Snape requires signing off on child abuse and that's the most fucked up bit for me. And all of that is just what we see. Snape fans love to gloss over the time Snape very willingly spent as a Death Eater. But he is not just a casual supporter of Voldemort (which would still be bad!), he is in his inner circle, he has the Mark. And unlike Draco or Regulus who have family involved with Voldemort and therefore pulling strings to get them into the inner circle, Snape doesn't have nepotism to fall back on here. He gets that close to Voldemort through his own hard work (like credit where credits due booboo) and he doesn't switch sides in the end because he has a "come to Jesus" moment about blood supremacy, he switches because he wants to get with Lily Evans. All of that suggests he was doing some pretty terrible things for a while there that you can't just ignore. I think, as a general rule, it's best not to romanticize anyone, like I do my best not to romanticize Regulus, not to pretend that he was perfect. Because he wasn't. But the thing with Snape is there is just so much canon content where he is indefensibly terrible that I don't understand how we let JKR convince us that this man is some kind of unsung hero? Like okay, he's not a monster. Sure, I guess. Fine. But shit, if the best thing we can say about him is he's not a monster maybe we should stop sticking "Always" on everything like Lily and Snape were some sort of love story because they absolutely were not and pretending otherwise completely denies Lily of all her autonomy. That's like watching the Sound of Music and thinking Rofl and Liesl should have been end game like bish??? are we watching the same movie????

[enixamyram]

Since I am now up to date with the anime, I figured I might as well update my:

Ranking Naruto's Next Gen Kids

(Previous Ranking)

1. Shinki - For all the same reasons as before. I have a soft spot for his story, his relationship to Gaara and feel he could be such an interesting character if the series just gave him the screen time he deserved.

2. Himawari - For all the same reasons as before. She's sweet, she's fun but she's also got skill to one day being a total Kunoichi Goddess. (You know, if that's what she wants to do as a career, of course!)

3. Kawaki - In a short space of time he definitely pushed his way high up my list. Like Shinki, part of this is because of my love for adoption stories, but also because he just in general is such an interesting character. He has a tragic backstory that reminds me a lot of Gaara and I'm not gonna lie, I was just so happy to see Naruto giving him a hug. The boy needs it. The only thing that kept him from over taking Himawari is actually the flashforward we saw in the first episode. I'm just not that great a fan of it and it does sour my enjoyment just a tiny bit. That said, I'm still very excited to see more of him and truly hope he gets a happy ending otherwise I'm gonna be pissed.

4. Wasabi - Same as before. She doesn't get as much focus as other characters, but all the episodes with her in are always enjoyable to me and I'd love the chance to see her grow and build as a character.

5. Yodo - Same as before. My obvious bias for the Sand influences me a lot and so do my own headcanons that I make - you know, those essays we're all writing that read way too much into the two seconds of screen time she got.

6. Araya - Same as before and same as above. Now I just need this whole team to at least get one episode where we can properly see them show off and prove they are strong in their own right and not just hanging off Shinki's coattail.

7. Inojin - The episode where Inojin used his Sensory Perception really pushed him up a spot for me. I liked seeing how great a mum Ino was to him, and it was refreshing to have the kid characters be their own person rather than constantly copying their parents. I look forward to the kind of man Inojin could grow into.

8. Sarada - I still very much enjoy her! ... But she did drop a bit in my list. I just didn't like how she's become kind of stuck up with Kawaki, constantly nagging and moaning at him. I wouldn't mind if she did this at first and then relaxed a bit, but even after she literally saw him have an episode of PTSD, she still complained about his attitude. Like the dude's been through hell. Maybe let him mope and heal a little first before you expect him to act like everyone else.

9. Tsubaki - So, a big big big reason I like this character is because of how different she is. It's just so interesting to bring in a samurai character to join in on a ninja team. The personality isn't entirely original (the whole too-strict-for-her-own-good) but at the same time it works in regards to her story so I don't mind it so much and I'm looking forward to seeing her continue to grow and accept new things around her.

10. Metal - For all the reasons I put last time. Even if his design is lazy, I like his personality and I think it would be interesting to further develop him in a way that separates him from his dad.

11. Sumire - She has dropped a bit and that's just because she hasn't really done anything lately. Having her join the Ninja Tec Team was a cool change, but unless they actually do something with that, it isn't that attention grabbing and now I could take her or leave her either way.

12. Shikadai - Same as before. Due to his lack of having his own character or story, I don't really feel anything for him. He's just kind of these and it's disappointing in a way and I'm still just gonna be hoping they do something different and interesting with him later on.

13. Boruto - Same as before. I just don't personally care for him and while he's not a bad character, I do not find him all that interesting to watch. The only moments of him I truly enjoy are when he's being an adorable big brother to Himawari and just honestly want to see more of that more than anything.

13. Chocho - Same as before. Not a bad character but her personality is a little off putting and I'm not bothered about her. I feel like one way that could make her more interesting would be if they actually showed more of her relationship with her mum since we really don't know anything about them really.

14. Namida - Same as before. A good episode here and there but a lot of that is due to Wasabi more than it is her. I feel like she - and a lot of characters - biggest problem is a lack of screen time and build. Maybe if we saw more of her, I might change my mind but so far she still doesn't really impress.

15. Iwabee - Same as before. Not a bad character, just not interesting to me. The reason he's dropped down a spot is more just because Namida is just slightly more interesting to me than he is the more we see of them both.

16. Denki - Same as before, however I will say I don't necessarily feel an urge to skip his scenes. Now he's more on the line of Iwabee in the sense that I have no feelings what so ever and just barely react to him being on screen.

17. Mitsuki - Same as before. I don't like him. He's more annoying to me than anything and I feel like he's the most unoriginal character related to an already existing character. I don't even know how I'd improve him because I honestly would just rather getting rid of him somehow if I didn't know it would make him a forced martyr for the other characters.

[purplerose244]

My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (2/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

For now, nothing to complain about! We got Nya, we got MAYA AND RAY, we got GILES PANTON BACK A LEGO SHOW!!! 😍😍😍

Of course now I'm definitely curious about what the story is really about, like I'm guessing Wojira will wake up at some point so... Great Devourer all over again maybe? 😅 Idk, for now I just wanna enjoy Nya having her moment 🥳

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

New alert for reader, during the Nexo Knights period I was and still am the hugest Clay fan. Now that his voice is in this season I might scream more than necessary... keep that in mind 😅

I love the humor in this, all random but still kinda clever 😂😂 Maybe I'm biased because I love Jay but still 🤷‍♀️

I really like the design of the marine world, very cool!! 🌊🌊🌊

I guess I'm not really seeing any big plot twist moment for now? Ninjago seasons have history of basing seasons on a "we need to prevent this event from happening but it will happen anyway", so I can see Wojira waking up no matter what 🤷‍♀️

I wonder if that will be shocking? Usually when this situation happen, someone makes a major sacrifice (Zane with the Overlord, sensei Garmaron with Chen, again sensei G with the Preeminent...). Maybe Maya? I DON'T WANT THAT 😭 But I am curious, everything is going nicely and I'm not sure what it will bring! 🤩 I'M EXCITED SO LET'S GO!!!

THE WRATH OF KALMAAR

So this is the name of Clay's new incarnation, neat! 👍

Okay really, for having a season lately the main character just can't help but be trapped by the villain: kinda Zane in the ICE Chapter, Jay in Prime Empire, Cole in Master of the Mountain... we can call it a tradition at this point 🤷‍♀️

Giant serpent, yadda yadda, I wonder if we're gonna address the Great Devourer at some point? Not mandatory, but the reference would be very cool 🤩

Clay's new incarnation is a prince I- *hyperventilates in awe*

Nya playing dumb lol, I don't know if that's personal experience as she used to get kidnapped a lot in the past or she just have too many idiots in her life 😂

ALSO ANOTHER BEST GIRL'S SMIRK

NYA YOU'RE TOO MUCH ILY ❤💙❤💙

Jay I love that you're so worried about Nya but maybe try NOT TO DIE? YOU'RE WITH LLOYD AND ZANE YET YOU'RE THE ONE GOING FOR THE SACRIFICE WTH?? 😱 But he's worried about his cool GF I kinda get it, also he didn't do it so good...

WHAT. THE. HECK.

WHO ARE YOU OH MY FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER YOU'RE ADORABLE I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU YOU ABSOLUTE CUTIE 🤩🤩🤩

So Giles is doomed to voice LEGO characters with daddy issues 😂 That being not having a dad at all or having one that is... a good guy? Idk he seems chill with the surface at first glance, I wonder what's the story of this family

Maya reminds of my mom, she also mentions her work a lot and I study the same thing. But she doesn't want to brag, it gets annoying but she just wants to give me advice. It's nice to see actually 👍 Also Ray reference NEAT ��❤❤

Wow, if any child-parent couple of this show was doomed at going semi Emperor's New Groove style, I would've bet on Ed and Jay honestly 😅

Oh HECK yes I knew that with my water girls things were BOUND to get cool 😎 ... yeah I know where the door is *goes away*

JAY NO WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TRYING TO DIE STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! 😱😱😱

My GOSH that scared the crap out of me 😅 Jay honey we have too many deaths in this team, you're not helping... BUT YOU POWERED AN ENTIRE SHIP BECAUSE YOU LOVE NYA AND YOU DIDN'T DIE AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BLUEBELL 💙💙💙

They were all so worried, I love this ninja family so freaking much 💜💜💜 Also better not tell this one to his GF 😂

And Bluebell?

Welcome to the "change eye color because of elemental power" team! WE GOT ANOTHER ONE I LOVE WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! 😍😍😍

Awww, Zane letting Jay be the captain, that was so cute of him 💕

Another great episode! Doing great so far but I still wonder if we got into the main story. Feels like there should be more, well we got time! Next one! 😊

LONG LIVE THE KING

Sooooo... that's one very telling title 😅 If we're going full Lion King on this one, I think I know where this is going 😵

Maya: Don't they know that metal taste terrible?!? (Again feels like Kai could say something like this 😂)

FINALLY NYA USING FREAKING WATER POWERS UNDER THE SEA!!! Thank you Maya for saying out loud what we were all thinking 👌👌

NINJA TO THE RESCUE!!!

Pff, okay, the fact that Kalmaar is all evil and cruel and then he gets startled like that, it's kind or adorable! 💕 Honestly Giles got such a deep voice, with Clay it was firm warm and reassuring, here we got plain devious and I ADORE it 😍😍😍

Maya come on don't doubt your daughter 😅 But I like her, and if she knew Nya they way we all do she wouldn't doubt that she could make it every time 😎

Yeah I was right, the king seems chill... oww I fear what's coming then 😳

Okay, so Kalmaar thinks that the world should go back to be lead by them like in the past, while the king just wants peace with the surface. And as we know, no drama no season so...

Yep, saw the death coming 😅

WHOA DID NOT SEE THAT LITTLE BLAME ACT COMING KALMAAR IS SO EVIL!!!... with a glorious voice but still (Rose focus on something that is not that godlike voice, you can do it 💪💪)

THE OLD ONE TWO I LOVE THIS SO MUCH COMBO ATTACK!!! 🌊❄🌊❄

Awww Benthomaar is actually really cute, he's so worried about his father 😢 And he's adopted apparently? I wanna know the story!!! 🤩🤩

Yep, there's the reason why Zane got a mask even though he doesn't need one, it completes his attire 😂😂😂 My gosh how I love this nindroid ❄

Did... did Jay just say phooey? Dude Ducktales ended a while ago but I'm still not over it 😭

I said it once before I'll say it again, Ninjago is really REALLY good at making death scenes. Like, omg, I genuinely felt sorry for them 😢😢 I also really liked that the king didn't ask to be avenged, he still wanted peace and he asked his son to protect the ninja and he cried actual tears...

MY HEART WTH 😭😭😭 So we're adding this to the real tears moments of the show, with Jay crying over pie, Zane with the flashback of his dad, Jay crying over Nya and Lloyd thinking the ninja are gone... my world this show is angsty 🙂

Third startle for prince Kalmaar, I love the gag 😂 Oh wait, king Kalmaar 🤷‍♀️

Okay, we got a coup, the ninja running away because they got framed, Benthomaar is most likely going to join them or at least help them, I guess Wojira will come out at some point while... Kai, Ray and Cole are still playing videogames? 😅

THIS IS GETTING COOL I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT AAAAHHH HECK YES THERE IS THE HYPE!!! 😍😍😍

Although I hope we get more stuff with Nya and Maya, that's what I like 🤩

ESCAPE FROM MERLOPIA

I'm good at English and I can follow most of it, but the fantasy names are tricky so I didn't get before that this was the name of the place 😅 It's nice, at least it's not another Atlantis 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

LLOYD I SWEAR TO YOUR GRANDPA IF YOU TRY TO DIE AGAIN 😱

NYA YOU ARE NOT A GOOD SUBSTITUTE NONE OF YOU ARE OMG 😱😱

Ah, there he is, my new son Benthomaar 💙 He is so lovable already, I know nearly nothing about him and I like his character already a lot! He could relate with all of the ninja really, but maybe with Jay the most? They were both adopted after all 🤔🤔

*scribble note for a fanfic for later if this doesn't come up in the season*

Alright moving on 😗

I am so happy Nya gets a season, Kelly got a great emotional range that doesn't come out often in my opinion, but with a full introspection of water goddess we are all blessed by her voice acting 😍

Gotta say, admitting that Bentho didn't have to help them to answer the usual 'Can we trust him' question is pretty reasonable, like, better than other stupid answers 😅

Also don't mind me

Just screenshotting by ship 💙❤💙❤

Somehow lately we are letting Jay do the talking and I both hate and LOVE the fact 😂😂 Plain Bluebell nonsense, heck yes that's my jam👌👌

MAYA IS SO COOL OMG 🤩🤩

I literally can't not laugh at the startle gag with Kalmaar 😂

LLOYD WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT SELF SACRIFICING!! PLEASE IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR SEASON!! 😱😱😱😱

Aww Jay is still the Captain, nice! Wonder if it's giving him Skybound flashbacks... I hope not considering all he went through that time, poor Sparky 😅😅

ARE THOSE LITTLE WU ROCKETS?? 🤯

Can we skip a season and hang out with Pixal one time? I really wanna know how she organizes her free time to create these things 😍😍😍

THANK YOU LLOYD FOR NOT DYING ONCE AGAIN, MUCH APPRECIATED!!! 💚💚💚 My green bean needs a vacation... they all do 😅

THEY ARE

SO BEAUTIFUL 💙🌊💙🌊

Alright, back to the island hoping Kalmaar will not track us and follow us so he can get to the place and discover the amulet 🙂

Are we not calling the others? I miss my flame babe and Rocky ❤🖤❤🖤 Also RAY WATCHA DOIN I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING 🤩🤩

THE TALE OF BENTHOMAAR

Wait what? Shark boy backstory? SHARK BOY BACKSTORY?!? 👀👀👀

Wow, I see that Kalmaar didn't change a thing growing up, still the same gonna-be-a-villain 😂 Of course his voice got a lot deeper and cool and okay you know I love his voice moving on

I find it kinda funny that Kalmaar is so focused on royal blood and superiority, while Clay was basically a farm boy who worked his way up. Giles knows how to get the character no matter what 😍

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

BABY BENTHOMAAR AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

The king seems like such a good pers- fish- creature 😅 Now I'm double sad that he died, my world, why do I always care so fast, it's not healthy in this show where everyone could die 😰😰

I'M SORRY IS THAT KAI'S HAIR??? 😂😂😂 I LITERALLY CAN'T LOOK AWAY WTH I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS

Literally every frame of Benthomaar makes me love him even more 😢

Interesting that we got an academic villain, he kinda reminds me of Clouse in a way, maybe even Harumi since she studied her way to her plan as well? I like that we got a bit of personality too!

Using your little bro for your own purpose... it's very evil but kinda also brotherly like 😂

Benthomaar really gives me that very PRECIOUS vibe, kinda the perfect son but also a naive and unaware BABY 💙

LEGO HUG 🤩🤩 Not exactly reciprocated but still 😅

Ooohhh, so this is how he found the temple! I like this, it shows that Bentho is most likely physically stronger than Kalmaar, while evil brother is focused on brain and studies. They are planned differently, I like it! 😚😚

Ouch, peer pressure... sibling pressure? Eh you get what I mean 😂

POOR BENTHO 😭😭😭 YOU GOT THE NINJA NOW DON'T WORRY WE'RE NEVER GONNA LEAVE YOU ALONE YOU PRECIOUS SHARK BABY!! 🦈🦈🦈

Bentho: will I really fit in with you guys? Do you really understand how I feel?

Lloyd: Jay was adopted, Nya's parents were gone most of her life, Zane lost his father while mine turned evil

Bentho(tearing up): yeah that can work

Okaaaaayyyyy, I like that we got a bit of backstory for Bentho too! We didn't get much for Vanya in Master of the Mountain, which is the only thing I was sad about (very little detail, AMAZING season 🖤🖤🖤), nice to see it here!!

But I really want more Nya and Maya interactions, I hope we'll soon get to them again!! 😍😍😍

Alright, getting somewhere here! I'm very curious about what's next 🤩🤩

[vic-chaos]

I’m curious about this vampire au 👀

Oooohhh yes!!! OK imma put this one under a readmore because I already know it's gonna get long as fuck sjjsfjsdf

So @dusksmote is actually my really good friend and we've developed a totally ridiculous number of aus together (mostly my fault bc I'm like addicted to making elaborate aus and he indulges me every time I come up with some random idea for one lmao) in some alternate timeline we're both superpowered writing machines and they all exist as full fics 😭

But this was one of the first ones we came up with, so it has a TON of backstory and detail by this point... And also unfortunately since its pretty old, I have forgotten some bits and pieces as well.

To try and get the basics out though, Kyle and Butters are both vampires and they're both semi runaways from abusive families/institutions. Butters was training to be a priest back in like the early 1900s or something, he left the day he was meant to be ordained (hence the cassock) because the church and his parents were suffocating him, and was then turned into a vampire the same night. He's obviously not a priest - or even a catholic - anymore, but he still wears an adapted version of the outfit he "died" in purely for the theatrics jdfjsjds

Kyle is much older, and much more powerful too. He's also very tall and strong in this au. He comes from a super old lineage of "high society" vampires who would hold him to a very high standard, he was like their golden child before he left. The main reason he split away from them was over a big scandal involving Stan, who he was secretly sheltering and then fell in love with. His family were super unhappy about this and considered it him dishonouring their name and whatever else because Stan is a ghoul (he needs to drink vampire blood to survive and is very sickly when he hasn’t fed, Kyle feeds him with small doses of his own blood) and ghouls are thought of as inferior and corrupted monsters.

Stan was originally human but did have some vampire bloodline from his father... Randy is from one of those same high society families, but was exiled a long time ago. He's also the one who turns Stan into a ghoul. I won't go into details rn but this is one of many kind of "side stories" that also have a whole bunch of details in themselves jsdjsjdsd

So anyway Kyle left and took Stan with him, eventually they join with and sort of adopt Butters... Originally, the plan was to have Kyle be the one who turned Butters into a vampire back when he was still living with his family (and then he'd also take him along when he left since Butters would essentially become his responsibility). But we were uncomfortable with the implications of having a jewish character turn a white/aryan christian into a vampire, considering blood libel and all that. It's kind of bad enough having him already be a vampire, but vampire Kyle is inspired by his halloween costume from the show and we both love it too much to resist jgdhfsjfd. So we were considering other possibilities instead.... like maybe it being someone else who turned Butters, and Kyle just finds him wandering alone not knowing what happened to him or what he is now. After trying to help he ends up taking him under his wing, and Butters has nowhere else to go so he just never leaves lmao.

This is all like the long ago backstory...... can't believe I've typed this much and I'm only here LMAO 😭 At least I warned you guys sdfjsjdfsfd

Now we're at the present day (and if this was a fic it would start around here too). Cartman is a human, who Butters turns into a vampire by accident. He climbs into his bed at night with the intention to kill him and bring him back home as food for him and Kyle, but he had already started developing a little crush from following him around when he was trying to find a good target. He's super repressed as I'm sure you can imagine, and stops halfway because he starts having a gay crisis over how intimate it feels (this scene of course is based on the one in the ungroundable ajhsbfjsdf) then Cartman wakes up pushes him off. But because Cartman was bitten and not killed, he turns.

Butters actually panics and runs away after this, but he comes back the next night and Cartman manages to grab him and make him explain what the fuck is going on. After a bumpy adjustment period Cartman does eventually come to terms with it and the fact that he can’t really be a part of human society anymore, so he leaves to go live with Butters. Though he will always come back to visit his mom of course.

There is a whole complex worldbuilding thing around the types of vampires that we based off what I think was a book Dust read, I can’t remember for sure? But essentially there are like “pure” vampires who were never human and just manifested out of the darkness eons ago or something (pretty sure grandpa marsh was one of these jdhfbjsdbjsdhb), anyone turned by them is true blood, anyone turned by a true blood is mid blood, and etc. down the ladder.

So since Cartman is like 3....4....?? steps removed, his vampiric traits are all very weak. Vampire high society would regard him as very inferior as well, not much better than Stan. He does need blood occasionally but he can survive off of mostly human food, and of course he’s never going to give up KFC and junk food even though the others all think its disgusting sdjsdfshs. Since his blood is closer to a human-vampire mix, he offers to Stan once when Kyle is gone for a long time and Stan immediately throws it all up 😭

I just want to say...... Butters basically bringing home the worst stray of all time and the mental image of him standing in the doorway with Cartman behind him trying to bashfully explain what happened like “so ummm.... 🥺👉👈” (as well as Kyle’s face) is so eternally funny to me and one of my fav things about this whole au honestly.

Cartman of course was already not exactly a normal person, when is he ever 😂 and he comes with some really unusual baggage... and YES... I finally got to Kenny.

Kenny is a ghost in this au. He was Cartman’s childhood best friend who died, but his soul got attached to Cartman after he accidentally drank his ashes (lmao) and now he’s the only person who can see and hear him. He continued to age alongside Cartman too, and then also stops when he does.

Butters believes he’s real and tries to talk to him, even though he can’t see him so he’s usually speaking while facing the wrong direction jdfgjdgjsd, but everyone else just fully believes Cartman is insane. On Cartman’s part, he’s been haunted by Kenny for so long that he completely gave up trying to act normal years ago and just walks around openly talking to himself sdjfsjhfdsfjd. Kenny has been in love with him for a long time too, but never said anything because his situation made it seem futile to try when they can’t even touch each other. Actually, Kenny is my favourite part of this whole au because his storyline is both extremes of really funny and really heartbreaking, and I do love that combo......

Kenny will eventually start to slowly become corporeal, first being able to move small objects like make pieces of paper flutter or blow out candles, after a while the others will start to catch fleeting glimpses out of the corner of their eyes. Stan is the first one to see and hear him in full when he walks into the kitchen one day and Kenny is standing there, though he vanishes quickly after. Stan describes him as a “tall, skinny blonde guy who looked around our age, wearing a dirty orange parka”, and it completely freaks him out. (When Dust and I were first coming up with this part he made a joke abt Kyle later that day just sighing deeply like “Kenny’s not real Stan, go back to sleep” and I’ve been laughing about it so much recently I needed to include it here somehow jsjfhsjdhsdjsd)

They will eventually also find a way to cure Stan so that he goes back to being human, then after a few months of enjoying human life and eating junk food with Cartman, Kyle will turn him into a vampire too.

Most of what we talk about with this au is just the 5 of them living together as this really weird mix of supernatural beings, and all of the various shenanigans that come along with this. Though we did have some vague plans for a big ending involving Kyle going back to his family and bringing the others, and them all rightfully fucking up vampire high society (who are honestly just evil and deserve it) and using whatever method they found to cure Stan to do the same to all of the other ghouls who are imprisoned there.

It’s also style and bunnyman, which I somehow forgot to mention until now gjsfhsdjs but most of our aus are since we’re both obsessed.

[omegangrins]

The Hateful 8: Chris Mannix was made the Sheriff of Red Rock by his siblings so they could kill him from a distance.

Tl;dr: Due to his intelligence, mouth, and aspirations, Chris Mannix "was" appointed Sheriff of Red Rock via a sham election organized by his siblings so they could kill him anonymously from a distance.

I love the ambiguous nature of Walton Goggin's character Chris Mannix in The Hateful Eight. A man who joined his father and family to ransack towns in order to inspire fear for the Confederacy, dying by the side of the type of person he hated most. All whilst claiming to be a lawman. And it's always made me wonder if he was telling the truth or.... not really actually. I always thought he was telling the truth. Cause he never lies throughout the whole movie. In fact, he catches several people in lies (Marquis, Gage, Daisy). There are even several times where he refers to himself as a Sheriff believing that he will live to carry out his threats. He's either an excellent actor with his own side game in this movie, or he truly believes what he says is true.

Here's where things get subjective and I don't have a lot of information on (Part of why I'm putting it out to the world.). There's a line by John Ruth where he says that Chris is Erskine Mannix's youngest boy. Now here's where you can imply a few things. We know he's not an only child definitely not one of two sibling, or Ruth would refer to Chris as "the other one" or some such. And he says youngest boy so we can infer that Erskine had daughters. Meaning that if this is a regular Carolinan family from the 1800's, they would have as many kids as possible. Low ball estimate of 2 girls and 4 boys. But enough of them to dislike the little one.

Now let's look at Chris. If he's the youngest of the family then one could infer that he's had the hard life. Almost a runt in the litter type. But he's a man who values dignity and true leadership. Both traits of honest men. Then if we take what he says about being Sheriff to be true, he also never tells a lie, makes a deception, or attempts to hurt/kill anyone preemptively (at least any one that hadn't already tried to kill him 😄). He even realizes his tongue is getting him into stupid trouble on the stagecoach so he shuts down the conversation and apologizes for his getting riled up. Clearly a man that understands the rules of society and is happy to play by them. Yet still an honest man nonetheless.

His honesty can even be seen in his dissemination of other people's lies. It takes him less than 15 minutes after learning of Marquis' letter to realize it was a fake, and he didn't even have to read it. All he did was add up the pieces of Major Marquis Warren he knew. Joe Gage he more or less guessed/used instinct. But, he figured out that all of what Daisy Domergue said was bullshit the same way he figured out Warren's letter was shit: character context clues. So, he's great at spotting lies. This will come in later with the family bit.

This is what makes me think about this the most though. He always refers to himself as the new Sheriff of Red Rock. Not just in greetings but in negotiation stances and regular interactions. When Mannix meets John Ruth and Co. and Ruth asks for his badge, Chris tells them that if they're bounty hunters, it's him they're taking their dead bounties to. And when John Ruth refuses to let him board without manacles, Mannix tells O.B. that he will be legally obliged to inform the Marshal at Red Rock that Ruth left the new Sheriff to freeze without assisting him. A similar thing happens when they reach the Haberdashery. When Marquis draws his weapon on Sanford E. Smithers, and Oswaldo Mobray's reminds him that he'll hang in Red Rock if he does. Mannix steps next to Smithers and reaffirms that he will make sure that Marquis will hang, seeing that he is the new Sheriff and all. In fact, one of the first things that Chris does is interact with the person he believes to be Red Rock's new hangman. Going so far as to ask if he can see the hanging papers for the man who shot the Sheriff that Chris is replacing. He even cordially chats up with Oswaldo, reasoning they'll be working together soon.

And finally, near his deathbed, with no one to care, he declares his "first and final act, as the Sheriff of Red Rock" is to have Domergue hanged. A rather strange moment to commit to a lie, if it were one. Especially considering Marquis lets him read the faux Lincoln letter minutes letter. Sure seems like the perfect opportunity to confess all of one's lies and yet Chris stays quiet. So we can assume that he meant what he said. Or at least, he thought it was true....

This is where the Mannix family comes back into play. We learn during bits of dialogue throughout the movie that Erskine Mannix led a team of Confederate rebels known as Erskine's Marauders during and after the Civil War. It can be implied that the entire Mannix family was apart of this, since it's said their numbers reached around 400. So of course Erskine's kids would hop on this hate train. Chris says as much when talking about fighting under his father's command. Erskine Mannix held the Marauders together after the war with nothing but his command and respect. In fact, it's one of the things Chris most admired about his father. You can tell he looked up to his daddy.

Now I get into the extrapolating subjective era. Remember what I said about the number of kids? Call it 6 kids for Erskine with Chris being the youngest but probably smartest. Several characters also bring up that Erskine died recently. So this leaves a power vacuum. It's probably one of those situations like in the stagecoach where he can run his mouth a bit too much, or like he does with Ruth and Warren, use legal leverage to gain an upper hand. (If this was Game of Thrones, Chris would be a Tyrion type character. Good natured, hated, but bloody good at playing the game.). He's a player that needed to be shut up. I'd wager there came a time after/before Erskine died where Chris wanted more power in the family. He started to exert influence and amass bits of power, becoming more politically dangerous. Sort of like Fredo.

Seeing this, his brothers and sisters decide to hatch a simple scheme to kill him one of three ways. First, they pay a man to kill the Sheriff in Red Rock (I imagine as Marauders they would have plenty of cash. Look at Chris, he ain't dressed in rags.) and bribe public officials to rig the election so Chris becomes Sheriff. They do this in order to make it seem authentic to the already established sharp-eyed Chris Mannix. With the hard part done, next comes the killing. The first death they set up in Red Rock along with the previous bribing. All it takes is finding someone else *also* willing to kill the Sheriff. That way when Chris comes to town, he suffers the same fate as the Sheriff before him. Second way is by horse. This is closer to conjecture but Chris doesn't seem to have the attachment to his horse that Marquis did. Meaning either that it wasn't his horse, it was but he didn't care, or that no one asked him so that's something about him we'll never know. What it could mean though, is that he was given a lame horse without his knowledge. Third thing is the blizzard. It's a long distance from Wyoming to Red Rock. And a blizzard that large would have signs that would be spottable even back then. So he was sent into a white hell on a lame horse heading to an eventual bullet. Sounds like a plan that we're not seeing all the pieces of. So if his family was planning to get rid of him and his overly smart and mouthy ways, they had set up several opportunities to have it done.

Final weird thing to think about. There is a complaint that The Hateful Eight title doesn't work numerically with the characters we are given and their backstories. To that I would add that it does. I think O.B. and Mannix are the two odd "good" guys out, either with integrity or by not trying to actively hurt anyone in the story. Everyone of the main characters tries to kill other people in cold blood, and only O.B. and Mannix shoot no one, or wait until they are shot at. And if you include his telling the truth to himself that he is Sheriff, then he and O.B. are the only "pure of heart" ones.

In the end, Chris was telling the truth and also unknowingly lying. True that he'd been made Sheriff, and a lie that he would stay that way for long. He's the best of both worlds. The greyest of grey characters.

[punkscowardschampions]

Bea & Ro

Surprisingly productive argument/turned actual conversation, about Drew, Ro’s self-loathing, sister issues and their parents/going to London soul-searching.

Bea: Back with him then? I thought you'd learned your lesson (finally) last time...Well? Ro joined the chat 3 hours ago Ro: Yes, it was rather unexpected, and sudden I suppose, hence I didn't get a chance to let you know individually Ro: Well, actually I have learned a lot. As has Drew. Bea: That's always good, rushing into commitments, being at his beck and call... Bea: And obviously he has, how else would he deceive you, again. Got to have new tricks. For goodness sake! Bea: What does he actually do with his time, Ro? What do you think? He isn't in Schooling, fine, but where's his REAL job? Bea: What are you getting out of this? Except heart-ache and being made to look a fool at the end of it, every month or so Bea: I thought you were in a good place? Ro: That isn't at all what I meant. There was a lot going on with my birthday celebrations and everything as you yourself know. Ro: Oh Bea that's just uncalled for! He's changed and with is finally being more truthful with me. Ro: I thought you, out of everyone, would understand standing on your own two feet and making a living for yourself your own way. He didn't enjoy school but he's using the skills he has to support himself Ro: What is so wrong with that? Ro: I am in a good place now. With him. He loves me. What more could there be to get 'out of it' Bea: Wait, he didn't try all this AFTER you read the letter, did he? Bea: It's always an emotional time for you, regardless if it was before or after anyway; it's wrong for him to exploit that for his own gain Bea: No, he hasn't! If he had, he'd leave you alone, or at least let you come back to him. He hasn't changed at all. Bea: So tell me what he does, if it's so admirable, tell me right now what you think he does, what has him out all the odd hours Bea: I, out of everyone, know where dealing in the things he does, can get you. You don't remember what it was like for Tess and Fearghal back then, you were too young, but they've told enough war stories for you to know better! I know you do, so why are you choosing to ignore what you know to be true for his sake? Bea: He isn't worth it. For God's sake, being associated with him could risk your career before its even began. Is that what you want? Think on! Bea: Oh, Ro. There is so much more than those words, even when they're not empty. Ro: Why must you take something so nice and twist it into something HORRIBLE! I hadn't even opened your gift when Drew and I reconciled. Mum and dad have nothing to do with this and he would never do anything to involve them after everything he has been through with his own family. Ro: You don't know anything about him. Or us. You barely know me. Ro: He does all kinds of things, odd jobs, fetching and carrying for people that sort of thing. I didn't need all the ins and outs because I trust him and honestly it hardly matters if you don't. Ro: I've also been told enough stories to understand that people deserve second chances, as have you. He isn't as lucky as I was. He remembers every struggle before Caleb's family took him in and he does what he has to do to make sure he and Meena will have a future whatever happens next. I can't blame him for that and you shouldn't. Self reliance is the opposite of a risk and I'm proud and lucky to know him, thank you very much. Ro: You clearly have no idea what he's worth so you'll excuse me if I don't bow to your 'wisdom' on the subject. Ro: Besides, it's my career. Not yours. You've made your own choices why can't you let me make mine? Ro: How can you say that Bea! You live by them. Fraze is everything to you and you've never listened to a word against him, have you? Bea: You're just seeing it as it actually was, and not through rose-tinted fairyland glasses. Bea: I know enough. More than you, as you continue to choose ignorance over swallowing the bitter pill and moving the fuck on. Bea: And there is no 'us' as in 'you and him'. There never will be because that is not what he wants from you. Bea: You are ridiculous. This is not 1950s America in a cheesy movie...He isn't a fucking boy scout doing bob-a-job. Listen to how stupid you sound, for what? He doesn't defend you, or do anything that inconveniences him, in fact, for you. Its one-sided and unfair and you deserve better, I know you think otherwise, and that you won't get better but its true, and possible. Bea: Boo fucking hoo. He doesn't get to use his sad backstory to be a criminal. All that will happen is that he'll end up in jail, leaving his wittle sister alone. And Meena will be just fine without him, because she's got a fucking brain in her head. God, I wish I could say the same for you. Bea: I don't care to know any more about him that is plainly evident for all to see. You're not going to get a doctorate for giving a shit about him. He isn't special. He's not intriguing. He's a waste of your time and energies. Bea: Don't even bother going to Cambridge if you're going to throw it all away on him. Save the country the debt, get yourself knocked up now and waste away waiting for him to love you back. Bea: Because we have common interests, goals, and you know, we make each other's lives better by being in them? And we've always both been willing to put our money where our mouth is, in terms of love and working together to get what we want and need. So please, don't ever try and compare this teenage infatuation of yours to my relationship with Fraze again, it is just laughable in the saddest way. Ro: Stop. You don't know half as much as you think you do and frankly what information you're working with isn't correct anymore if it ever has been. You're the one being ridiculous, not me. Ro: Not to mention judgmental! You don't get to tell him how to act or what his future may or may not be because you aren't a monopoly on tragedy. Ro: I wish you'd stop pretending to have any stake in my own future either. It isn't so and I'm not going to do as you say just because you say it. Not that it's any of your business but getting pregnant is the last thing I intend to do but if I did it has nothing to do with you and there is no reason I'd have to choose regardless. You didn't and Ali isn't. Ro: I've already told you he does love me and he does make my life better but since you clearly need to hear it, we also have plenty of things in common. Bea: No, I won't. Because someone needs to tell you, and it will go in. And one day, you will see sense. Bea: Yeah my judgment is the least of his worries, try the judgment of the fucking law because did you forget, its illegal? Bea: He's a moron, everyone in Dublin knows he's dealing, he'll be lucky if the police find him before rivals do and break his fucking kneecaps. Bea: I do, I'm your sister, you don't have to like it for it to be reality, you can't write me out of your fucking fairytale, Ro. And if you want anything to do with your niece or nephew, I'd reconsider the path you're going down because fat chance I'm letting them near that scum, or near you when you're behaving so irrationally. Bea: All you have in common is co-dependency on toxicity and fucking up your lives and your poor attempt at trauma-bonding. What fun! Ro: We're sisters when it suits you, Bea. I'd be surprised you have time for this conversation except I'm well versed in the fact that you live to berate me. I thought things were getting better between us but apparently I'm wrong about that above all. Since we've come to what is really, and consistently, the heart of the issue once again, I won't try and change your mind or apologise, once more, for not being good enough for you. I'd hate to sound even more like an irrational teenager when you read back this conversation to bask in your superiority. Ro: What's fun are these constant fights and reminders of what a failure you believe I am. Ro: If you don't want me around Nancy and Buster then fine, they are your children. I don't feel the need to tell you what to do or you're doing wrong. Bea: So you want me to leave you alone? But are also so sad about the fact I'm never there for you? Sounds like someone's confused! Unsurprising when you believe lies and won't see or hear anything real. Bea: And I haven't berated you, I've berated him; you are not one. Which is the real heart of the issue, you taking responsibility for and internalising all his bullshit. Bea: And I have bad news for you on that front, except you sound like what you are, a child. Bea: I've never been ashamed of you. Until now. Bea: You won't be in and out of their life when it suits you, just an Auntie when he leaves you, AGAIN. So, you've made your choice. I sincerely hope you can live with it. Goodbye, and good luck, Ro. Ro: I must take after you what with you contradicting yourself so heavily. If Drew and I aren't one, as you're so keen to stress then why are you so quick to try and tell me that I'm not separate from his choices or mistakes. Ro: Sadly you're too late as well because I'm not a child anymore. However my relationship continues or ends I'm living my own life. I didn't expect to have to do so without you but I fine. Ro: As for the kids, I wouldn't do that when I know how much it hurts. Ro: For the record though, this is the choice you made. It's been forced upon me but I guess I will have to live with it all the same. Bea: No, Ro. You chose to make the wrong decision. Bea: You love getting a chance to be the victim. Well, be his victim. But you're not mine, you did this to yourself, I gave you the choice. Ro: There shouldn't have even been a decision to be made but you need me to be wrong so badly don't you? In every way you can. Forgive me for being sick of it. Ro: No Bea, you love me to be a victim so you can heap your scorn on me. It's not the same thing. Just like a choice isn't the same as a ultimatum which is what you've thrown at me. Bea: No, I need you to fucking love yourself! Maybe you're sick of feeling wrong, feeling like you're never enough. That is coming from you and you alone, so don't you dare try to push your self-loathing onto me and say that's how I feel about you, because it isn't, never has been, and it never will be. I love you. Bea: I pity you, it hurts you like scorn because you've still got an ounce of pride left in you somewhere. I'm just asking you, begging you, to hold onto it and make use of it. Ro: Then just love me! Let me be happy without trying to ruin it and be cruel all the time. That hurts me and it does, and is, coming from you. I can't keep having the same fight with you. It's more exhausting than anything Drew's done. Pity me for saying so if you want. I can't control that either. Bea: If I have to be cruel to be kind, then that's the role I have to play. I hardly enjoy it, it hurts me too, Ro! But I'm not going to lie to you, to pretend something is okay when it isn't, just because that's what feels best to you at the time. Because its not going to feel good when you look back, for me or for you. I'm not prepared to wrap you in cotton wool. You're an adult now? Then I'm treating you like it, no coddling. Ro: But you don't have to! You don't have to like him but why can't you accept that I do? I love him. Why can't that just be okay? Nobody else is lying or pretending, I mean look at Tess, but she's not being like this. Like you. Ro: You're my sister but you don't have to be anything to him, I'm not asking for that. We aren't married, Bea. Bea: Because I AM your sister! They're all family, but they're not; there are boundaries. And Tess is a parental figure, parents let you make your own mistakes. But I am your sister and I happen to think you've made the same mistake enough times now. There's nothing more to learn from this, from him. Nothing of worth for you and your personal growth. Bea: But I know you're not going to stop, so, there we go. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try, it will help one day. Ro: But maybe it isn't a mistake this time. Or maybe I am just tired of always having to think in terms of what I can learn or take and want to just have what he can give me... Ro: why can't this be worth a try? Bea: Because you're worth more than just taking what you can get from someone who isn't giving enough, nevermind their all. Ro: You're just saying that because you don't like him. Bea: No, Ro, I am not. And you know that. Ro: I know I'm not you. Or Ali. And I know what people say about me. Why they bully me. I'm not stupid. Bea: You're socially awkward, that's all. People with competent enough social skills themselves can easily get past that. And you're clever, all that just combines to make people feel insecure so they project that onto you, make you feel the same. Bea: Its not as if I had any real friends at School either. There's a whole world out there, Ro. Filled with people who will like and love you, will get you. Bea: And you have Ali, and Meena, don't you? Ro: No you're clever, I just work hard. Try harder. Ro: You don't get it, he's not the one who's wrong, I am. Ro: He loves me, why can't I have that? Ro: And yes, of course, but it's not the same Bea: But what's not admirable about that? Being 'clever' innately (which in School just means having a decent store and recall memory to pass tests) isn't anything to shout about particularly, but putting in the work is. Bea: What's wrong with you? Different is not wrong. They're all the same, it makes it feel wrong to be different, but do you want to be like all the other girls in your School, really? Bea: You're better. Bea: Don't make me say it, Ro... Ro: In theory yes but in practice it's simply exhausting and frustrating and anything other than admirable. Or likable. Ro: I just don't want to be this. It isn't about comparison Ro: He makes me happy that's all. Bea: It feels like it when you're there, but School isn't a popularity contest. Its to get you to where the fuck you actually WANT to be, that's all. You don't want the only place you ever wanna be to be the School playground 'cos you've peaked, 'cos you're leaving in a year's time and there is no going back. Bea: You're going to have a life that is more than just nostalgia Bea: That's all this is, that's all I'm trying to prevent here, don't fall into the trap, okay? Ro: I know that. Ro: But this isn't just nostalgia though, I know that as well. Bea: Okay, but one day it will be, and I want you to be able to look back at this time with more than just regret Ro: And I want a chance to be in the moment, for once, instead of constantly looking back or worrying about the future Bea: Then go for it, like I said. But 'living in the moment' doesn't magically absolve you of making choices that will affect your present, your future, and how you look back on it as the past one day. You can not think too much about it when you're in it, sure. But you will have to live it and re-live it. That's just life, baby sister. I know it better than most. Ro: Okay, so what you have me do, leave him because of how he might behave and how he has in the past, in spite of his apologies for it? That isn't right. Bea: The past has a habit of not staying in the past...It creeps up on you, and on him, no doubt, old habits dying hard. If you can live with how he treated you, how everyone knows he treated you, the cheating and lying and just cruelty, he threw your way- then, well, I can't stop you. I wasn't trying to, I was only ever telling you how it is, how I see things. Bea: Is sorry enough? Because you know, it can't fix everything, don't you? Ro: I have to believe it can Bea: Then...I wish you luck. Ro: Is that all? You don't hate me again, do you? Bea: I never hated you, Ro, and I don't Ro: I hope so. I'd like to come and see you. I've been thinking about the woman that wrote you the letter a lot and was wondering if I should send her one back or something. Bea: You could- Or we could go visit her, she did offer Bea: I have been pondering what to do too Ro: Oh, that's an even better idea, if a scarier one.... Bea: Yeah Bea: We'll be okay. I'm certain she's legitimate, as in she was a true friend, not just someone who went to the same School and had a vague recollection and some old photos. I did a lot of digging before I reached out and she'd done Facebook posts on mum's Birthday, and the anniversary of the crash, year upon year, and she had more photos on their too. Bea: She could probably give us a real sense of who they were, and the area, she's still there...Its not somewhere in London I'd been previously and I haven't gone without you Ro: I don't doubt that or you, it's just...what if I'm not how she expects. Ro: The whole thing could be a huge disappointment Bea: It's not an audition. We're their daughters and that isn't up for debate, nor judgment. Who would she be to do that? Not that she sounds like that but you know, fuck anyone who would, they don't know us, what we've been through. Bea: It could be, yeah, but we've not got anything to lose, have we? Ro: You're right. Okay let's do it. When? Bea: Well, its a pretty good season to do it in, I think. Goodwill, being with new friends, reminiscing on old, reaching out to your fellow man and all that. We can get her something, to say thank you... Your last day is the 21st, right? So, if we do Sat 22nd, you can come back to Cambs with me for the Sunday and we'll all go back to Dublin together on the Monday, for Christmas Eve. Bea: Is that too soon for you? Its a few weeks but if you need longer, we can do it AFTER Christmas. I just think the festive season is as good an excuse as any, it'll make us all for more comfortable, I feel. Ro: No no I agree. That's a perfect time. Bea: I'll talk to Tess but I know she'll be fine. Bea: I'm really looking forward to this Ro: Anything to distract her from it being Caleb's family's turn to have Ali and the kids for Christmas, bless her. Ro: Me too. Thanks again, Bea. I know I've said it a hundred times already but Bea: Oh dear, I better catch up with her so she can rant, save your ears from it for the hundredth time, especially Ferghal's! Bea: Its okay, hopefully we'll get even more from this visit, fill in the blanks once and for all Ro: I really hope so, yes. Bea: I better get on, lots to do. We'll talk soon. x Ro: Okay. Kiss the twins for me 💕 Bea: Will do 💞