#and i want to be proven wrong btw i want to know that sense of community can still exist

[aggressionbread]

ok i feel like the thing about dashcon 2 is that the camaraderie just wouldn't be there anymore. the community's changed so much over the last 10 years and i think the thing that made dashcon what it was, was the community and willingness to band together? and the website just isn't that anymore

[rottenr0ckets]

hi! im a sss, but i think other sss can learn a thing or two.

first of all, dont fucking send death threats or wishes of death, sss. its fucking weird??? second, dont be such a stuck up bitch if people support wilbur. there has literally been no proof yet (im supporting shelby because i go by support victims until proven wrong, but you guys do you!:3) third, dont post nsfw of TEEN WILBUR or wilbur at all?? thats fucking gross. dehumanizing a man for alleged abuse is gross and makes you just as bad if hes guilty. fourth, sending hate and rape threats is also gross. what the fuck?? so apparently its okay if you do it but not when wss do it back? hows that make any sense. fifth, and i know this one is hard to understand guys, BUT PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. crazee ik. sixth, if you are mad about someone listening to lovejoy and saying "their music sucks" save it. because didnt you like it not even a year ago? are you admitting you were a fake ass fan? like, im a shelby supporter but even i still listen to lovejoy because their music is good. just because i dont particularly like the guy who is the lead singer for his actions, A; theyre in the past and hes getting therapy. B; i still like the music. and C; as much as i dont like to admit it, their music and his streams saved my fucking life. so quit being stuck up assholes about this. the sss is honestly looking worse than wss because of how blatantly toxic it is here. if you have even the slightest doubt for even one fragment of shelbys story youre told you are a fake supporter and told to kys. if you believe it all, youre told you are so easily gaslighted and told that you shouldnt trust everything on the internet. if you dont believe any of her story, youre told to kys, support victims, and that they wish you were raped.

SHELBY SUPPORT SQUAD, YOU GUYS ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, YOU ARE CAUSING MORE UNNESSASARY HARM. DO BETTER. SHELBY WOULDNT WANT THIS.

anyways, i hope you guys (wss) have long and happy lives even if i dont agree with supporting him:) btw can i be 🍊🦢 anon?:3

-🍊🦢

THANK YOU OH MY GOD

They need to be sat down and told this in loop so they understand this shit. Most wss I've seen also used to support shebly or be sss until they were given reason to turn to wss (which is our case) I wish they'd realize as a fandom they represent shebly and her as a CC and that their actions can have effects on shebly. From how people view her to how in some places its by law, ccs gave to take responsibility for their fans' behavior if it gets out of hand and they haven't done anything to try and stop it. I barely see any sss actually supporting her. Barely any veiws, no happy birthday wishes no nothing. They just either made caput edits then tell tell wss to kys

It's always nice to have nice sss come on every now and then feels refreshing^^

[yuseirra]

I went out for a walk and it helped me organize my thoughts, let me be bold about my theories/assumptions because I CAN and it's a now or never thing till it's proven wrong. But when I write these, I am confident to a degree. I get worried later, but I feel sure when I write them.

I believe Kamiki lied to Aqua to save him the pain of feeling sorry for him, the way Ai was very harsh when she left him.

Also, I believe Ai picked the right guy to love. This guy has a really tender soul. Or at least used to be, I think. He's very gentle in nature. Uh huh, he'd have been really good with their kids if he had the chance to raise them, him and Ai would have made a sweet family the way Ai pictured it to be. This guy's polite and sweet. Let me explain, okay?

I looked back at those segments in 154 when there's a flashback of Ai leaving Kamiki and Kamiki talking about Ryosuke, and the way things are laid out looks really similar to each other. I'd say it actually looks like parallels to each other. The sides of their faces appearing(and we don't see their eyes) and then their backs turned at the viewer. When expressions are concealed like these, you can't read what the characters are actually feeling. And this comic has really powerful expressions that are very on point and let the reader "understand" and feel what the characters are going through.

that entire page where Kamiki talks to Aqua about having wanted to scare Ai? I think 80% of it would be all lies. The only part that I believe is the actual truth would be that he did give Ryosuke the address and he didn't know that he'd kill her, but that's probably something that's slipped out by mistake. The explanation he brings up for having done such an action is utterly ridiculous and dumb. There are so many ways to "make someone despair", and needless to mention that it's so wrong and terrible to do, its also not something that's guaranteed to work, nor is it practical in the first place. It's an action that has really low probability to achieve the said desirable effect. That's why I keep making speculations about this, it does not make sense. I bet most of the fandom would have felt the same way about what he's said as well, saying stuff like: "How could he have never seen it coming?" Yeah, right?? I think he isn't responsible for this happening to begin with. Any person with a sane mind would feel this way, and he doesn't seem that insane. I think Nino could be irrational to some extent but not this guy!!! That's why I'm convinced that it wasn't this guy who could have done this, but Nino after she's been thrown into the picture.

Kamiki would know what he's saying doesn't make quite a lot of sense himself. He's a fully-grown adult!! Over 30 now, and he should know enough to realize what he's talking about. He's just trying to push through because he's been used to lying for other people's behalf and he's pretty confident that he can fool people, the way he used to be ever since he was so little.

What he's saying is just a flat-out lie to save his son from feeling the slightest amount of guilt for having to socially kill his own dad. I think so. Him and Ai are a liar couple. Ai lied and made it really harsh, I think, in order to save her boyfriend from feeling too terrible about the breakup, she wanted him to hate her for it and move on from her quickly and save himself. What Kamiki's doing here's similar. He doesn't want someone he cares about (he does care about his children btw, gonna discuss about this later) to have any remorse or concern over him. He'd feel better if his children just plain wants him dead, that's his way of loving them, the way Ai was for him.

Aqua's reaction towards Kamiki's ridiculous claim is so blank and unmoved, he should have been ANGRY, grabbed him by the collar, scold him, make inquiries, but Aqua just moves on to ask if Kamiki believed Ai's words. And then we see Kamiki's face with eyes, in acceptance, saying he did, continuing to say "everything Ai's said is the norm." That's a totally different approach to the claims he's made earlier, it contradicts it, because just a second ago he claims he wanted to have Ai feel the same despair as him and scare her for having claimed she can't love him, but then, he says what she's said (the fact that she can't love him) is understandable and right. Those two reactions, I believe, can't be simultaneously established at the same time. What he says later is how he truly feels about the situation. He just plain accepted that he was never loved. It wasn't something so surprising for him.

I said this in another post yesterday but he's as much as a liar as Ai is, they both constantly smile to pretend they're all right.

That smile he floats is consistent through the entire time he's shown in the story and the only times it breaks is when it has to do with Ai and when she sees him through. And it starts to break the moment he sees her talking about him. Every expression he makes when he sees Ai in the video are his true feelings. His smiles, on the other hand, are his coping mechanism and are all masks.

If you see his behavior patterns, Kamiki smiles when he's in distress, that's his way of coping when something he can't fully comprehend happens. He cries as he smiles as he seeked for Ai's help in a flashback in 153, and he tries to float a smile when Ai says she's going to leave him. And the way he responds to these tough situations, when he faces them, are... soft. He tries to calm himself down and inquires Ai "Why.. is that so?" and his reactions after that too.. are very far from aggressive. He was always far from being so during the times we actually see him do things.

I don't know how his way of speech is in Japanese, but I have a feeling he'd be the type that speaks in a very polite way. When him and Ai meet for the first time, I think he used honorifics to her and attached a -san to her name? He was pretty polite when he talks to Yura, too, and I mentioned this once but he EVEN ADDS A -KUN AND -SAN TO TRASH LIKE RYOSUKE AND AN ABUSER LIKE AIRI. The guy killed the love of his life and the woman.. I don't even want to bring up what she did to him, he has all the right to show signs of bitter hatred towards them, but.. he doesn't... This attitude of his is also consistent of how he was as a child. As a little boy, he was mistreated but he tried to endure it thinking 'but they're happy'. I don't think that part about him has changed so much. He finds it really hard to hate on people, even when it can be justified. That's why, I don't think he would have harnessed any hatred towards Ai. He didn't even do that to Ryosuke and Airi!!! They're terrible people!!! If he can't do that to those scumbags of individuals, would he to Ai?? Would he?? There are people who are selfish and are strong towards the weak and weak towards the strong but I don't think that would apply to his case. Nope, I don't think Kamiki originally has it in him to harm ANYONE at all.

I wholeheartedly see why Ai really wanted to protect him. He's just so.. vulnerable and maybe even too kind for his own good. Ai has a lot of protective instinct and she's really caring towards others in the ways she could. Seeing a guy like this.. would have really made her wish 'oh, I really want to help him.' AND that's exactly what she does!!! She's even left a message to her kids about this!! Help this guy with me, she says.

Continuing on with the polite and kind bit, this characteristic of him is ACTUALLY THERE in his interactions with his children. He didn't get to be with them, but I think he was happy he got a chance to approach and talk to them, he probably wants to give them their mother back with everything he's got from what I'm guessing. I think he may have just wanted to pet Ruby's head that one time his eye sparkled white and smiled. He could have been a proud dad, he praises his kids every time he meets them, says they're pretty, they made a good movie, congratulates them, says they shine. He understands Aqua's character and pays attention to Ruby when her career soars.

It's similar to how Ai was really proud of her children and wanted to spend more time with them but couldn't. I feel they would have been loving parents if they had raised their children together. It's just as how Ai's pictured it. She knows what kind of guy her boyfriend is. She's the person who'd understand him the most out of anyone, ever in the world and she wanted to be with him while being aware of it. He says he is willing to give his life for her, he STATES that as a quote. So, she did find someone who's pretty good! The guy had sweet nature, is good with kids, also had good looks(she had to mention that as she left lol.. that too is also what hurt him though, she knew exactly which strings to pull to render him speechless), doesn't have that much aggressive tendencies, is polite, a good actor, shares a similar past and could relate really well to her,

he did suffer a lot and that made him a bit insecure but he genuinely loved her and she did too, and if things brightened up a bit.. if he could have been lifted of those burdens he had..they really could have had a future together. The important thing here is that HE is the one she wants. Ai is very serious about love, and she's intelligent, I feel. She figures what's good for her and she gets what she wants. And she wanted to be with him. I don't think her being with him would be concluded as a mistake. There's been so many horrible things that were thrown to the both of them but, they were both essentially good people who found each other and wanted to love. I want the story to end with that sentiment. The more I try to analyze the guy, I feel he may not been that bad... he actually seems to be a pretty tender person inside. If only they could have been happy... idk how, but maybe they can still, you know? Because as they say in the first chapter, this story is fiction, but most fiction has a happy ending. Also, what I could infer from the movie arc when that was brought up again was that "love" isn't fiction. It's something very real that can't be brushed off as fake. Kamiki knows Ai's always loved him now, and he'll try to do something from his end. Love goes both ways and theirs will too, in the very end.

[sgiandubh]

Little sparrow

One tiny thing went, I think, totally under the radar in that morning story that swept the fandom from Paris to Vegas and back.

This (with credit and thanks given to @margareth-lv, who captured the reference in her screenshot: my laptop is not that intelligent):

Famously sung by Edith Piaf, you couldn't imagine something more endearingly cliché, when it comes to immediately suggest being in the City of Love - ooh là, là, Paris (and then some more, as rightfully pointed out by other fandom historians and archivists).

La vie en rose (Life in Pink - nope, you can't be more cheesy, I am afraid) is iconic for a reason. It speaks about attraction (yes, that attraction), about whispering sweet nothings, about giving in but not quite yet. But then everything suddenly makes sense and things are being said and sworn, for life.

This is, in fact, a very serious song about a love covenant of sorts. But then, many French things look damn light, but are dead serious.

I know it by heart, of course, and if drunk enough (almost never) and prompted (almost always), I can deliver a decent version. But for the sake of science, I wanted to hear Emily Watts' version (by now, if you follow my #sundaysounds, you know how impossibly exacting I am).

I imagined it as a clean, nice and pretty version, not unlike what Emily in Paris is to... well.... Sgian-dubh in Paris, for example 🙃. And I wasn't disappointed: it's light, it's unbearably tidy and it totally lacks Little Sparrow's (piaf means 'little sparrow', in French, btw) canaille erotic tension (for a comparison, if you feel brave: https://youtu.be/sKJ9bvdgNvk?si=zPs2H1vTCJm6Ilum):

No terribly plucked eyebrows and no lipstick overdose, here. Everything is impeccable and very, very, tame, in a non-existent Parisian summer afternoon, where the Seine never stinks and all the parks are carefully propped for the right artistic impression. Well, then - must be some random choice, I told to myself.

And then, I saw this:

And, being deranged, I immediately thought of this:

Forget me not.

For all of you who get my gist and perhaps even for Those Two, wherever they might be, I raise you one true Little Sparrow:

And for once, don't ask me to translate the lyrics, please.

This is Paris, fandom. And let it be my mistake and my sin, then, if I am proven wrong (I won't). I don't really care.

[lukolabrainrot]

I know you've put some of your theories out there about A, but does it really make sense to you? And, do you think N could also be in a relationship perhaps?

I just can't reconcile what's happening with L & A with the press tour. And I find it hard to believe that A is a crazy manipulator, when she seems to be fully integrated into L's friend group. Don't get me wrong, his friends don't seem like my cup of tea, but I think some of the fandom has gone a bit far with the negative assumptions made.

I wonder if he's just biding time with her atm, as if they break up it makes this awkward with his close group of friends?

LOVEEEEE this blog BTW

Xx

Thank you for the compliment and glad you are here!!

I will agree that a lot of the negative comments and theories around A have been really uncalled for! And it's never appropriate to go to someone's SM and spew hate. However, with the optics of everything since Papgate, and the more evidence that is coming out (especially this last week), I think it is becoming more clear that she IS a bit of a wild card on a PR level. That doesn't really have anything to do though with how well she integrates with his friend group. I think she does get along really well with R & S (particularly S), and that may possibly add an extra layer of complication for L when/if he wants to unravel from this situation. Lastly, and this is just an observation, but I think some of the adjacent people in L's life (like S/R/A) like to poke the bear, because some people in this particular fandom have proven easy to poke. They WANT a reaction, which I think explains some of their SM activity lately. Which is why I personally choose not to follow them and kind of just ignore them lol. Because at the end of the day, they really have nothing to do with L's skillset and his career.

This might be an opinion that a lot of people don't agree with, but I personally don't think N is in any type of romantic relationship rn. I think that rumor sprouted on SM and was further fueled by the DM narrative about N & JD (which I don't believe at all). I think she's busy with work, hanging out with FRIENDS, and MAYBE casually dating (but we don't really have any concrete proof of that one way or the other). I personally think (and this is just an opinion), that she is just focusing on herself and waiting for L to clean up the mess he made 👀

I still stand by my theories though that I made about A here. I also acknowledge that I 100% believe L/A are still in some type of relationship. I don't think they are in a super happy place though and madly in love. BUT I could also end up being wrong. However, the public optics of everything around L/A the last few months don't signal to me that everything is hunky dory with the two "lovebirds" (and hasn't been for a while I believe) 🤔

[velvetandcandles]

“Just a little tipsy.” pt 1

Anime: Jujutsu kaisen 呪術廻戦

Character(s): Toji Fushiguro 伏黒甚爾

Summary: Reader comes home drunk and clumsy after celebrating her friends birthday party and Toji decides to help her settle down.

🌊🌀💦🔹

6:29pm

The silence of your empty home was abruptly interrupted by the front door swinging open with you stumbling your way inside. The sound of your keys jingled in your hand and your heels clacked against the floor while you tried to find something to support your poor balance. You managed to kick the door shut with the back of your heel before it could fully open, letting your keychain fall out of your hand and onto the floor. “Shit,” you cursed under your breath. Trying to collect yourself was useless - the alcohol had fully taken its toll on you at this point.

You tried your best to remember how much you drank at your best friend’s birthday party, but gave up as your head was way too static to even process anything. Since your boyfriend, Toji, was still out, you thought you’d try to get unready and be fast sleep by the time he got home. You had forgotten to mention anything to him and just knew you wouldn’t have the energy to explain everything later on.

You would have been able to tell him if he didn’t beat you to leaving the house.

You sighed before attempting to take a step toward the bathroom, only for your hands and knees to meet the cold hard floor with a loud thud. Your eyes squinted and you pursed your lips trying to ignore the pain and decided it’d be best to crawl your way there.

:::

The night before…

It was 10:42pm and you sat comfortably with your legs folded across the couch, mindlessly scrolling on your laptop while speaking with your long-time best friend on the line. Toji was fast asleep in the bedroom, and you didn’t want to wake him.

“..I don’t want to see you dressed like your boyfriend, y’know.” Your friend laughed. “There’s gonna be lots of people, alright? So I want you to come looking prettier than ever.”

You paused to think of anything in your closet that would be appropriate to wear. It’s been a while since you’ve went to any large events or parties. You thought that those days were over, honestly. Thinking of every piece of cloth that you owned, it made you realize how much you’ve adapted Toji’s style. She was right.

“I just don’t know what to wear.” You said.

“If you don’t have anything sexy to wear, I can let you borrow one of my dresses. I’ll do your hair too, if need be. Do you like makeup?”

“No, no, it’s alright. You don’t have to worry about me. You’re the birthday girl after all so- just focus on getting yourself prepar-“

“Nope!! You’re coming and I’m not going to let you ruin our group photos. I’ll be picking you up tomorrow morning and we can get ready together!”

That was the last of the exchange before you heard a click and the sound of ringing in your ear.

Then, a text notification popped up at the top of your phone.

‘btw your boyfriend can come if he wants✌️’

::::

After what felt like years of dragging yourself, you finally made your way to the entrance of the bathroom. Just as you were about to lift yourself to reach for the light, the switch had already been flicked on, revealing not only you, but the person who had been there the entire time.

“..you alright..?” Toji asked, visible concern on his face. “And where have you been all day?”

It sent your heart into your stomach as you weren’t expecting him to be there. He stood behind you, waiting for an answer. You slowly turned yourself around and slumped yourself against the doorway, feeling defeated. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or if he should laugh at how stupid you look. You thought you had gotten used to him sneaking up on you like this and was proven wrong in an instant. He makes it impossible for you to be able to sense his presence at all - it’s like he has some sort of gift or something.

You did your best to gather your words.

“Yeahh jus’was gonna..get unready here.” You lazily pointed to the shower. Realizing how slurred together your words came out, you looked down and chuckled to yourself in embarrassment. Toji hummed and squatted down next to you to observe the obvious state you were in. He sat there, waiting for you to give a better answer, wondering if you actually thought he was stupid.

“Fine. I’m..just a little tipsy..” You shrugged. Before he could open his mouth to ask any more questions, you scrambled for something else to talk about.

“I thought you had a bunch of errands to run? How are you back at this time?”

“Finished early. Here.” He stood up and put his hands out. You take his large hands and push yourself up with your legs. He keeps a tight hold on you and watches you get up to make sure you don’t fall. Once you’re fully up, he gets a better look at you:

He noticed your hair had been nicely styled. It was beautifully curled, and the way those curtain bangs covered your face when you turned your head a certain way almost made him sway. Toji’s eyes couldn’t help but wander. He looked you down and noticed you had on a dress that stopped just a little below your rear. He’s never seen you in that before, let alone all ‘dolled up’ and ‘girly’. He was so used to seeing you dress comfortably. How could such a small dress hug your body so perfectly? He was impressed at how it even managed to not ride its way up, as if it were made and tailored specifically for you. Still, he stared as you pointlessly tugged at the bottom of the dress to lower it, his eyes now shamelessly traveling down your exposed thighs. He’d be lying if he said you didn’t look amazing right now, even in the drunk state that you’re in. Hell, he thinks it’s a plus.

He was snapped out of his trance when you patted his chest and smiled, not even realizing you had let go of both his hands. “Thank you.” You said.

He stood there and watched as you made another feeble attempt to walk on your own, ultimately tripping over a floor tile - only this time, your fall was completely halted by his arm wrapping around your waist. It made your heart flutter.

He let out a low laugh. “..’Just a little tipsy’?” You laughed sheepishly in response before your feet were suddenly lifted off the floor and your stomach was placed over his shoulders. You suddenly felt so much relief in your toes after Toji took it upon himself to remove your heels and toss them to the ground.

“Let’s get you all settled down.” He said. You jolted when you felt his hand strike your butt and the sting shot up your back, making you suck your teeth. “Ow- Toji, I told you not too hard!” You frowned and slapped his back as a warning. To him, your small hands felt like pillows. He always thought your small fits were cute.

He began to make his way toward the bedroom with you bent over his right shoulder. Even though you couldn’t see his face, you just knew he had a stupid smug look plastered across his lips.

🔹🌀🔹🌀

Toji carried your limp body to the dimly lit bedroom you both share. The trip on the way there wasn’t a good one. Having to watch the ground move with your stomach pressed against his shoulder while drunk was so uncomfortable. You almost felt yourself throw up twice.

He lifted you off his shoulders, carelessly plopping you on the bed. “I’ve got a lotta questions for you.” He paused, unsure of where to even start. “..How the hell did this happen?”

You tossed your forearm over your forehead feeling nothing but dizziness from the impact. “Was with friend, birthday celebration, prolly drank too much, forgot to tell you.” That was all you managed to get out.

“Was it her who dropped you off?”

“Mhmm.” You weakly nodded.

Toji let out a small puff of air and rubbed the back of his head. He was just relieved that at least you returned home safely - and thank goodness it was with another woman. On the other hand, he was still a little frustrated. A little..jealous.

He loves you regardless of how you choose to present yourself, but he’s so used to seeing you in sweatpants, a T-shirt and a ponytail. How come your little friend got to see you all dressed like this before he did? Not only that, but there might’ve been other guys at that party too. Toji could only imagine how many of those animals likely attempted to shoot their shot at you. They always do. And you shoot them down every time, which is why he loves you. Still, it’s the simple fact that other men even think they have a chance with you in the first place that brings Toji to disgust. He didn’t want to think too deeply about it though. It’ll ruin his mood.

Hearing how half-assed and blurred your speech sounded, he figured he’d save all his questions for later and focus on getting you comfortable first. ~ part 2 🌊

[randombrambles]

Okay...going to wade into the Sabezra discussion. May the flying spaghetti monster in sky have mercy on my soul...

I guess you could call me a "causal viewer" because, despite being a life long Star Wars fan, I'd never watched an episode of Rebels before watching Ahsoka. I just never got around to it and I've only watched a handful of eps of The Clone Wars too. But anyway once I started Ahsoka I was like "this show will clearly make more sense if I watch Rebels" so I started. I'm almost done season 3 of Rebels as of writing this post. And really loving Rebels btw. Part of me of like "why didn't I watch this earlier?" but on the other hand I don't have to wait for the next episode and I know the major spoilers already so I'm not going to get the rug yanked out from under me.

So back to Ahsoka and Sabezra...the big questions. Did I see the romance "coding" (not sure I agree "coding" is the right word but whatever, that's semantics) in Ahsoka? Yes. Sabine's actions definitely come across as her being in love with Ezra to me. That said I can also see the platonic angle, especially after having watched some of Rebels, so I'm not going to tell anyone they are wrong for viewing Sabine and Ezra's relationship as platonic. These things are subjective and open to interpretation until anything definitively romantic or definitively not romantic happens on screen. And at this point nothing definitive has happened either way on screen. Nobody has been proven right and nobody has been proven wrong yet. Sabezra is basically schrodinger's cat right now.

Next how did I interpret the "like a sister" line in Ezra's holo. Um...full disclosure the first time I viewed that scene I didn't even register that he'd said she was "like a sister" to him. I'd never even seen Rebels at that point so I didn't know Ezra yet. So as a causal viewer my take away from that scene was Ezra meant a lot to Sabine and Sabine meant a lot to Ezra. And I'd be wiling to bet that that was the takeaway for most causal viewers.

So on rewatch do I think the "like a sister" line means that Ezra truly sees Sabine as a sister? No. On rewatch, paying close attention to the body language, and after having watched some Rebels, I think Ezra is both struggling to find the words to tell Sabine how important she is to him and telling her what he thinks she needs to hear in that moment. The problem is that in English we don't have a word to describe someone isn't technically family but who isn't a lover either but who's also way more than "just" a friend. Sister is the best word Ezra can come up with in that moment but you can tell from his awkward body language and his literal scoff as soon as he says it that its not the right word. And yeah I think Ezra thinks that Sabine sees him as a brother so he tells her what he thinks she wants to hear right before he heads of on what very well could have been a suicide mission.

Do I think Sabezra is going to be made canon on Tuesday's final episode of Ahsoka (of season 1 at least). No, but hold on nobody panic!!! I also don't think that means Sabezra is dead in the water either. And frankly I'm kind of mystified as to why Sabezra shippers seem to think that the next episode is make or break for Sabezra when its clearly not? If there isn't a love declaration or a kiss or both (which is what I'm assuming people would interpret can them being made canon) its not like either Sabine or Ezra are going to marry someone else on Tuesday either. And since much of Ahsoka has been set up, meaning not much is actually going to get resolved in the next ep (Thrawn hasn't even left Perida[?] yet! I fear we are ending on a cliff hanger), we'll be seeing Sabine and Ezra again. There's no rush for them to get together romantically (and I know that's hard to hear for people who've been shipping for years but its true).

And further to the "there's no rush" point I actually have to say I that I think its WAY too soon for anything definitively romantic to happen between Ezra and Sabine yet (and again I get how hard that is for those who've been shipping them for a long time). And I say that as both a "casual viewer" and someone who's also watched a good chunk of Rebels now. For the causal viewer who hasn't watched Rebels, which is probably a big chunk of the audience for Ahsoka, they barely know Sabine, have just met Ezra and have only seen them interacting for ONE episode and don't know any of their history. A kiss or a love declaration would seem out of the blue at this point I think. And as someone who's getting into Rebels I still think its too soon. While I agree that Sabine is very likely in love with Ezra I don't think she's admitted to herself yet (that's why Baylan used the word family when he was getting her to hand over the map thingy imho) no way is she ready to tell HIM. And as for Ezra...dude is clueless that Sabine might might have non platonic feelings for him so no way is he going to risk ruining their friendship by blurting out that he's in love with her. And not only that they've been separated for 10 YEARS ffs. They need to get to know each other again before anything romantic can happen, again imho. I want Sabezra to become canon but I want it done WELL. Sabezra is a friends to lovers ship, they are still firmly in the friends stage right now, it needs to be a sloooooow burn.

And finally do I think Sabezra will become canon? Honestly...I don't know. I'd like it to, it would be really nice to have a non problematic ship, especially after the sequel trilogy robbed us of FinnRey and tried to force freaking r*ylo. But I think Filoni and the other powers that be over at DLF (he is NOT the sole person calling the shots here, keep that in mind everyone) are probably testing the waters right now and waiting to see what the audience reactions are like before they make any decisions. I'd be wiling to bet that by the end of Tuesday's episode the door will be left wide open for pretty much anything to happening shipping wise. So we'll just have to wait and see. Time will tell, it always does.

[depressed-teacup-inc]

At this point, I am literally just trying to see this season to an end

Hi hello, yes I’m late, time to review Revolution! Let’s go because at this point I’m getting tired of this show.

So basically the entire episode is Adrien’s trying to tell Marinette that he’s leaving Paris and trying to stop it, but Marinette doesn’t really listen, and is focused on stopping Chloe, who’s now mayor/dictator??? Yeah trust me the logic of this show is gone, somehow people are ok with the super demonized caricature Chloe being mayor like everyone didn’t hate her already (my guess is that this is supposed to be alluding to the current state of world and politics and lack of trust people hold in the government)? Love the lack of consistency and logic.

Now. I don’t want to criticize Marinette too much, because technically, yes, she was busy trying to handle the Chloe situation (which in itself makes absolutely no sense and by all accounts shouldn’t be possible) but I will note that despite Adrien clearly telling her something was wrong multiple times, she never seems to care or understand? Like he told her multiple times that there’s something wrong, but she never seems to care or do anything about it until it actually affects her (which is unfortunately in character)

But apparently people are criticizing Adrien?! Saying how he’s awful for lying to marinette about having to leave and left it for the last minute? And frankly, the show kinda does it too (in the next episode, many of Adrien’s classmates discuss how awful it is Adrien didn’t say anything and how could he keep this from them like that)

LIKE??? BITCH??? Two points:

1. Adrien’s dad is Gabriel fucking Agreste?!

Like wow what a shocker the child of a man that has proven to abuse and isolate his son on multiple occasions has a fear of asking others for help in his situation because he worries nothing can truly beat this actual billionaire who’s also his legal guardian? And also is implied to have legit magic control powers over him, sentimonster style?

2. This really isn’t that of a big fucking deal

Like I do not get why this show keeps saying how “Adrien lied to marinette!!! He didn’t tell her he’s moving away!!!! How could he!!!” And how literally everyone and their mom is seeing this as an awful situation for marinette, when in actuality, all she knows is that Adrien will now be living a couple of hours away from her (due to the bullet train between Paris and London) and that he won’t literally be with her every second of the day.

Like I get it for a 14 year old yes this might be a huge fucking deal, but Alya even says so herself! Adrien is in London, they’ll just get a couple of tickets for the train and figure it out from their! And even in the worst case scenario where Adrien stays in London, there’s the option of a long distance relationship (that’s just as valid a relationship as any and would be a refreshing take on how not every relationship is super conventional and in person)

I just really don’t understand why the show shows Adrien genuinely going through some horrible shit from his father (like full on white room torture in the episode after) and then all the show focuses on is how this affects marinette and how sad she must be rather then the genuine psychological damage this must be doing for the kid! Like no one in this show remembers the amount of control Gabriel has on Adrien or something.

Anyways rant aside, before the entire going to London thing happens (btw congrats adrienette shippers for the kiss) there’s a whole thing where Chloe makes a deal to be akumatized by Monarch so she can send people to detention (it’s painted as a torture chamber but it’s literally people walking around with a video of Chloe saying they’re ridiculous, so basically P.E. Class), and then there’s a big fight where Ladybug and Chat Noir almost detransform because they used up their lucky charm and cataclysm and are trapped (btw the lucky charm had no fucking point to the story, why was it underwear? Frankly it was kinda creepy if the writers to have panties as the lucky charm for nothing but a weird joke, and not even connecting to the messages of unity and everyone taking action but ok)

But like… they just don’t?! Like I swear to god this show makes no sense anymore, Ladybug and Chat Noir just say they’ll never give up and fully transform and recharge again, and now they have no time limit and full powers?!

Like, the entire principal (just like Gabriel said) of the miraculous time limit, is that Kwamis need to recharge after one use, and that adults can lend some of their energy and power to Kwamis and therefore have them last longer to the point they don’t need to detransform, hence “only adults don’t need to detransform”

But now it’s apparently a purely emotional thing and not physical? Ladybug and Chat Noir somehow grew up by saying they’ll never detransform again (I do not at all see how this is a moment of growth to them) and now they just don’t detransform, despite the fact they are physically still kids?

Like by the shows logic of emotional maturity, Gabriel shouldn’t be able to hold a transformation at all then, because he’s the farthest thing from emotionally mature.

And also, it kinda makes all the stakes in fights now null and void? The biggest stake and challenge in each fight from day one of miraculous was “there’s this bad guy, you guys have one chance to use your special powers to beat them, think smart and solve this puzzle” but now it’s just gone??? It would have worked if the akumas overtime became more intense and hard to beat but clearly that’s not the case as even akumas powered up with actual miraculouses can be beat by a normal ladybug and chat noir.

The best thing the show could have done here is rather then make the becoming adult thing emotional maturity, have Ladybug and Chat Noir notice their transformation seems ti be slowly lasting longer as they age (have it be a metaphor for puberty and growing up or something) and then actually make the fights and villains more difficult and compelling so by the time Ladybug and Chat Noir no longer transform back, the priority isn’t for them to keep their secret identity (which sucks and anyways doesn’t matter) but to stay alive!

But anyways I digress, when has this show ever pulled a logical move?

Which speaking of…

I have no fucking clue what they’re doing with Chloe anymore.

They spent. Entire SEASONS! PLURAL! SEASONS! After the introduction of Audrey Bourgeois, telling us how “no Chloe is irredeemable her actions are never justifiable she’s just evil and bad and she has no other reason for doing anything and she’s so bad she’s cooperating with monarch and Lila look how evil she is hate her so marinette looks better in comparison”

To now… suddenly pulling this scene?!

Like. WHY??? Why would you purposely demonize Chloe despite the very real opportunity she had to get better and be complex, only to now pull a “whoops wait look guys deep compelling character!”

And while I heard people say this is the show maybe finally making Chloe get her redemption arc after hitting rock bottom, I can’t agree? The show is known for its repetitive nature, and if the show is to redeem Chloe and suddenly make her a good person or give her a compelling reason for acting the way she did, marinette looks bad in comparison, for not having as compelling reasons to do just as bad things:

Example? Marinette and Chloe in season 3’s Animaestro, trying to sabotage Lagami and publicly humiliate her in front of Adrien so she won’t “win him over”.

If Chloe has an explanation for this behavior (she’s taught to be cruel and mean from a young age by an abusive and neglectful mother, and because of her equally neglectful father, she learned the only way she’s heard and anyone cares for her is if she lashes out, and someone will just throw money on the problem) what reason does marinette have? She was raised by perfectly loving and doting (maybe too doting) parents, who from day one have taught her to be kind to others, and to do good.

Both characters did an awful thing, just one character has a genuinely compelling explanation for said behavior, while the other is pure jealousy and wanting the guy for herself by all costs.

So no, I don’t think the show will redeem Chloe for that reason: because it would force marinette to admit her wrongdoings and therefore force the plot to develop!

So this just makes no sense? It feels like a case of the show wanting to have its cake and eat it too, wanting the show to remain the same, Chloe to remain awful for no reason, and for marinette to stay the hero by comparison, but also have the bragging rights to say “we write complex character you guys!”

It makes no sense is my point.

Anyways besides these huge inconsistencies, leaps in logic, and bad writing, I don’t really have anything else about this episode to say? This show has officially come to the point for me where I genuinely think nothing will ever change or be able to fix how wrong everything is (from characterization of everyone except for marinette, the plot, the rules of miraculouses, the LOVE SQUARE)

[good-beanswrites]

🎬: About Es being a past prisoner and the secret 11th prisoner in your AU. But advance apologies if I'm overstepping into your AU!

I had this idea from a story that pretty much did the same thing. Going off there are novels/manga on Milgram and there being another Es and their own prisoners running another Milgram (but differently) I imagine this Milgram projects has been going on for a while, and our Es was from a previous project who might have gotten the worst verdict (or the most spared out of everyone), and was given this final task as a warden for the next group of prisoners. This is why they so readily agreed and had their memories wiped for this Milgram project instead of being weary on a shady project on judging an almost crime, they've already been through this.

(BTW is it bad and worrying for one of our ten fav prisoners to be the next Es if this is legit...)

Anyway, that's why Es is in Milgram in your AU, I guess? And the lore drop that Kotoko picks up on them being the 11th prisoner, I can imagine her also talking to Kazui since he's a policeman to see if she could cross out any theories on who Es is (Did they look familiar. Possible missing child. Any cases to do with an almost crime by a child other than the 10 of them here). Kazui knows Kotoko wants to investigate, but reminds her that, like in their prison while the trial is on, the facilities they're in have high security too. They do have the freedom to move about, but still limited.

If they're trying to investigate Es, maybe Fuuta, Kotoko and Mikoto can try to do the hacking on the comp Mikoto's allowed to use to Photoshop some shots for the MVs and photos (Fuuta and Kotoko seem to be able to search up info they need I think...). Yuno, Mahiru and Muu can work on charming the staff to see if they can spill more deets on Milgram. Not sure how much the group can gather, but oh boy fun times in Milgram can turn into another sort of stress in this AU...

No worries!! Like I said before, this whole au has been a fun collaborative project, so there's no overstepping :) I am sorry I won't be writing a lot on the ending until we get more info, but that's just the perfectionist in me who doesn't want to be proven wrong 😅 Still, I love tossing around and digging into ending scenarios, I really love this!

Because that would make a lot of sense why they're so willing to subject themself to the whole experiment! They remember how tough their experience was, and are confident they can care for the new set of prisoners while doing their job. I'm imagining they get the opportunity to return as guard, and get to have a nice talk with their own guard first. Once they fully understand what it's like, they're know they can handle it and sign up. It adds a bit of drama, too, since they must have been really young committing their crime in order to complete a years-long experiment prior to this one. They would have been like 10? Oof. (Now I wanna see their three trial songs 👀)

And like you said, that also brings up the question of the new warden. Though I think it's based on verdict results, I can just picture Jackalope keeping an eye on everyone during filming. He studyies their interactions and personalities, keeping his own set of notes on who would make a good successor. (I'm not going to go through every character but there are pros to any choice, it's very fun picturing them all taking the job.) Haha, on the other hand, maybe the reason Kotoko keeps bringing up her role as Es' partner/bringer of justice is because she did discover the truth. She drops as many hints as possible so she can be chosen next 😅

Ooh, I love her working with Kazui on an investigation! The fact that eh may know details on recent crimes (and almost-crimes) is super fun to work with. He's the last person who's going to spill a secret, so the group could go several trials without realizing Kazui had actually heard all about their situation this whole time.

(Getting sidetrack for a sec, I'm suddenly realizing that he and Kotoko may have heard things about the crimes in canon, too. They're a bit unclear about how much time passed between the murders and arriving to Milgram, so maybe he heard some things. I don't know how well-connected Tokyo police departments are, but Yuno, Fuuta, Muu, and Shidou are all nearby. There's definitely a chance he caught word of the vigilante nearby, and she heard about the odd policeman's suicide. Both of them could have heard about the tragic housefire, the disgraced doctor, or horrible schoolgirl murder nearby.)

Anyway, I like that idea of Kazui wracking his brain for any similar cases. Though, if he had, Milgram may have had the foresight to wipe parts of his memory, too. Maybe he does end up using his call to reach out to Hinako and have her look into it from the outside. Sadly, Kotoko seems the type to sacrifice her personal call to reach out to a connection who can help as well. I'll have to think about how closely Jackalope monitors those calls, hm.

I'm going crazy over prisoner investigation team !! Kotoko and Fuuta had the online knowledge to find some good info, and Mikoto and Kazui seem like they'd have a huge network of people they can ask for info and favors from. Haha, I'm torn whether Mahiru would have flirting down to a science or if she'd refuse to do it since it wasn't real love 😂 Still, she's very good at reading people and could definitely help the others charm and bribe their way into some restricted areas. Amane and Haruka can also charm with their innocence/cuteness (though I'm not sure Amane would). Shidou seems very organized, he'd have a plan and backup plan and backup-backup plan ready, no matter what happens. I think it's even funnier, then if Milgram had run several experiments prior. Jackalope would think this was just another runthrough, and for the first time the ten subjects decided to organize together and Cause Problems.

I think there's a beautiful irony in a story featuring ten prisoners planning a jailbreak to save the prison guard...

[taylortruther]

ok so i just read your original thoughts on hoax (absolutely brilliant btw!) but i just have some questions. if joe didn’t believe in their relationship, why would he stay so long? why would he stick through and go through so much with her for six years if he didn’t believe? i wasn’t really sure if the faithlessness you mentioned was coming from a place of manipulation and deceit or if she just felt he didn’t put as much care into the stability and seriousness of the relationship (possibly without even realizing.) i honestly don’t know much about him but from her music i don’t get the sense that he’s purposefully cunning or cruel towards her in the way that some of her other exes were. while i’m sure he knows everything about her and her triggers etc, i’m not fully convinced he would use them against her in such a conniving and mean way? open to being proven wrong and open for discussion 💘

well, i can't prove you right or wrong, because we weren't in the relationship! but you can be in a serious relationship, and still have doubts for various reasons. you might stay because you're in denial, or afraid of change, or want to try and work things out, or because you're afraid of hurting the other person (and yourself.) it's not necessarily an intentionally manipulative or cruel act. people often stay in relationships even when they're uncertain about the outcome lol i'd actually say most people have had at least one experience being with someone they knew was wrong for them. knowing doesn't always lead to action though. it's scary to leave someone you love!

but so much of hoax reminds me of these verses in so long london:

My white-knuckle dying grip holding tight to your quiet resentment And my friends said it isn't right to be scared every day of a love affair Every breath feels like rarest air when you’re not sure if he wants to be there You swore that you loved me but where were the clues? I died on the altar waiting for the proof You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days So how much sad did you think I had, did you think I had in me? How much tragedy? Just how low did you think I’d go ‘fore I’d self implode? ‘Fore I’d have to go be free?

doesn't this tell us a similar story to hoax? as she said in lpss, love is staying with someone through gray skies, for months. and in the song itself, she sings, "no other sadness in the world would do."

[avaisnerdytoo]

RICK AND MORTY SEASON 7 FINALE

*I TYPED THIS WHEN IT CAME OUT AND NEVER POSTED IT CAUSE PERFECTIONISM IM SORRY BUT IT'S KINDA COOL ALTHOUGH ITS BEEN LOW KEY SAID ALREADY

Read Chapter Titles for Easy navigation:

There is a lot to unpack, I want to cover some character insights, some connections to philosophical concepts I found neat, and some implications I feel the show gives regarding future seasons!

I'll write a lot, so I recommend reading the chapter titles to see if something catches your eye, I understand why you may be less interested in reading a whole thing.

Let's jump in.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION:

This has the foundations to be one of my favorite episodes they have ever made. It is like a therapy session made an episode.

I feel this single-handedly pays for the lack of Morty we saw in other sections of the season.

I think even with most of it being a simulation, the episode still has a lot to say about other characters too. Even if it was all through Morty.

Nevertheless I won't drop the fact that this is an episode of Morty, where his mind, his feelings, and his unconscious are the narrators, which means that the way it speaks of Rick may not be quite accurate, but I'll get there*

Cause I do think the writers are still consistent with Rick for a good portion*

MORTY'S DEFENSIVE LAYERS: short chapter

Dr. Wong once pointed out that the whole Smith family uses rationality to avoid emotion (a fact I sometimes really identify with btw), and this is best shown here, where the layers of Morty's ability to resist the simulation and to place protective barriers over what he feels, is a lot stronger than we realize.

You coooould argue that's simply the way the hole works, but I personally interpreted it as more...

I think we are being told that Morty has also learned (if not mastered) the ability to build the same protective walls as the rest of the family, however his ability to defeat the simulation is also not to be understated, especially if only like 3 people have survived it in years.

RICK AND DIANE (WHAT IS A REAL DIANE LIKE?): Short to Medium Chapter*

It is made clear that this representation of their relationship is not to be taken at face value, but I somewhat doubt the writers are interested in truly making Diane a part of the show. I hope I am proven wrong, but if I assume this is one of the very few instances of her we will see, then I am willing to take a leap and assume some of what we saw, could make sense within their relationship.

Diane was shown as fun, decisive, adventurous and challenging, to me, she showed a lot of Summer traits, which fits right in line with Rick's observations of her.

On the opposite end, I do think there is a big layer of Morty's own bias regarding how he'd assume someone capable of keeping up with Rick's style of character should be, and with the rest of the episode in mind, it is of no surprise he followed them across the main montage.

I feel Diane was an enabler to Rick, I doubt young Rick could be described as pathetic though, more like responsible. And Diane would probably be as well, but I do see a scenario where someone that grabs Rick's attention and respect has the resourcefulness of Summer and the courage to jump into action.

MORTY IS ALONE ALONE, A-FREAKING-LONE + an observation for Evil Morty* Long Chapter*

We know this already of course, Morty is a kid neglected by his parents pretty much, not out of malice but out of immaturity and naivety. The bond between Summer and Morty is good, and has improved, but I do not think there is a world (nor there should be), where Summer should take care of Morty more than how a sister can. (In another dimension bro would be a strong candidate to get Fairly Odd Parents)

This evidently leaves Rick as the only figure in his life with any room to provide protection, love, advice and all the things adults should do.

Which is a very shitty deal... Because Rick is far from equipped at any of these.

His experience, even in the crazy sci-fi multiverse he lives in feels very real, I consider Morty as the most complex character, and he was designed from the start to be the closest thing we -as the audience - can have to a surrogate.

It hurts to see him so adrift, of realizing day by day that there are a lot of challenges he will have to conquer alone, we know he can, but it doesn't mean it is nice to have to do so. (I may be half projecting here though cause I big time identified with him here).

It is clear Morty is really holding back to the scary world out there, he wants Rick to protect him, he wants to be looked after, he wants what we all do, to be loved and heard. Acceptance is necessary for growth, and at this moment, it is clear Morty believes no one will be there for him. (Hopefully that is proven wrong but more of that below).

I think I may now understand what Evil Morty argued when he sympathized with Rick over achieving his goal of ending Rick Prime, and still feeling unsatisfied. (that's a theory*).

MORTY'S PERCEPTION OF RICK

+ the struggles of adapting to a changing family member or friend

+ will it have an impact on the next Season?

Long chapter

Actions speak louder than words, but words matter too, and when those necessary actions come sparingly, expecting anything from the person who's bringing you conflict becomes harder.

That's the best way I can describe how Morty feels about Rick, I'm sure he values that time in Season 2 when Rick sacrificed himself for him, but there are also hundreds of variations of that event where Rick belittled Morty, and that has pretty much been the pattern since then, there are objectively worse things Rick has done than good ones...

It's unfortunate this is all Morty has, he clearly genuinely loves Rick, but I feel this episode, if followed upon through the Canon is a big eye opening for Morty.

This whole episode was a therapy session, like any process, it has to be explored through analysis, brought to the conscious mind, and peeled slowly across the stages of grief...

...

Actually, this episode was more like an Ayahuasca Trip, because it surfaced key aspects of Morty's psyche and feelings, but it only did that, unlike therapy which would keep exploring them to find how to coexist/diffuse.

There is soooo much left on the table, and the worst part is that I think this realization is incompatible with who Rick is becoming, which is reallyyyy unfortunate timing.

But completely understandable, and arguably real, on Morty's part, I feel they are being set up to be on distinct emotional paths which WILL require Rick to take more direct action.

If the idea that your closest family member can shatter the illusion of reality by saying that which you want to hear... Fuuuuck

If you ever watched Lucifer (the TV Show) there's a similar moment there that reminds me to this 🤔

SIMULATION THEORY MADE FUNNY, BUT STILL VEEEERY REAL

not character exploration just a comment on the episode

As a small comment one of my favorite tropes explored in the episode is the whole looped, "Are we out of the hole yet?", because that is the very foundation of the paradox of simulation theory, they technically explored it back in Season one, but the weight of it felt more significant here.

If you're told you live in a simulation, and then given the option to escape, all Matrix style, you don't become Neo, you instead become eternally unaware of when you're in the real world, you aren't shown the truth, it shatters your perceptions completely.

It's not that kind of show of course, but imagine the weight of experiencing, in this case, growing up, going to college, possibly losing a family member (with the worrying lack of Jerry in those scenes), getting a job, forming a life that is ripped away...

I love the running gag at this point of this occurring... The Roy Game, The Vat Of Acid Episode, The Beth and Space Beth Lesbian Simulator (my fav), and now this.

Only this one is given that weight though, even Morty begins to wonder whether he was just outright born there...

---

NO WAY I WAS DONE ALL THIS TIME

I'm sorry I didn't post this when I typed it, I had more ideas and I wanted more photos but I maxed out what I could use and my perfectionism got the better of me.

Hope there is still something here for you all 🥺🥺🥺😖

[horizon-verizon]

I'm confused about something so I thought maybe you or even someone else could clear it up for me.

Maybe it's because I didn't like any of the characterization, themes, and lore that were handled in the first season of hotd - so I gave up on it completely and basically view it as a bad fanfic adaptation - but I genuinely cannot understand how everyone suddenly pull out the pitchforks over that clips with daemyra and the most likely DV scene that will follow.

Daemon was never a "great" guy in the show. He abandoned rhaenyra in the brothels, dragged her reputation to his brother, choked her after her miscarriage because his ego got bruised, wasn't honest with mysaria, dismissed Laena when she expressed being unhappy, was a deadbeat father to his daughters etc

The only "good" scenes he had with Rhaenyra were in the driftmark trial episode because that was the closest to seeing him and rhaenyra acting as a united front, so I can't understand the sudden outrage when from s1 his character was already setup to being a scumbag.

And don't get me wrong, I know he isn't like this in the book. I know the show suffers from a horrendous writing. My surprise is people needing a new 2 seconds clip to have the epiphany

The only "good" scenes he had with Rhaenyra were in the driftmark trial episode because that was the closest to seeing him and rhaenyra acting as a united front, so I can't understand the sudden outrage when from s1 his character was already setup to being a scumbag.

I have been speaking about how I prefer bk!Daemyra over show!Daemyra for months (bc both are written in so much bad faith to diminish female agency and ambition) and I was shocked at the video not bc I don't expect the abuse from episode 10 to get worse or continue but because all of a sudden I was publicly proven right when I have been screaming for months!

But you asked about why some people were totally taken aback. That's because there was still a lot who bought into the whole "the two sides are evil, it doesn't matter why the war began" shit. Truly and duly. Some assume that the writers of the show were always acting in good faith while writing their version of the story just because they said they were trying to not be like GoT and make a feminist retelling. Because they don't understand the principle of benevolent sexism or try to. They didn't take Condal that seriously that first time, connect it to how it was only possible bc Rhaenyra or subscribed to it and never thought he'd write Daemyra "that far", esp with how many more tender and violence-less/stress scenes the two had together on screen.

Like if you count how many scenes Rhaenyra has with Daemon that are purely tender or self affirming, it'd be a little more than with either Viserys and Alicent while making sense (bc Alicent with Rhaenrya at the Sept didn't make any sense to be called "positive"). Or consistently leaning positive before epi 10. Some already knew and acknowledged that Daemon was not a "great guy, but" sat in their comfort zones, seeing that these two seemed to be each other's "haven" of sorts, not paying attention to much else and misunderstood these two. It's like when people ship show!Louis and Lestat so hard they forget that these two made a vampire child to fix their relationship or sense of selves and are angry, surprised and shocked when that vampire child begins to act out, go on a rebellious killing spree, resents them for it, and tries to kill one of them. And I ship bk!Dameyra, btw...just not at the expense of Rhaenyra or even Daemon, bc she was def in the wrong for trying to kill Nettles & misjudged Daemon. And if Daemon had doen anything to Rhaenyra, the greens, septons, maesters all would have broadcasted that shit...yet we get silence...

They understood the "twin flame"-y, they-understand-each-other-and-are-the-same aspect of the orig story and those scenes...so after epi 10, they also hoped the choking scene was a fluke of sorts. Bc reasons below.

Others don't want to think much about these characters and either use this as an excuse not to, they they just want to consume the story thorough the show, or have read the books and just wanted to maintain their joy levels with how much they loved the show.

Some wanted to really give the show the benefit of the doubt so they can continue watching it, some don't want to know/brianwashed out of knowing what DV looks like, or undermines it anyway.

Some argue that because Daemon has an ego issue and so he's always going to blow up on people. true to an extent--no canon proof of it affecting Rhaenyra or his girls, though...so...HotD did cross a boundary.

Some refused to think about why people hated episode 10, some have even said it was just part of Daemyra's semi-erotic back-and-forth dynamic (even thought Rhaenrya was clearly not ready or expecting Daemon's choking her out and tried to get herself out of it). Same people might also say that Rhaenyra "giving it back to him" with rubbing it in his face how he didn't know abt the prophecy was "enough" to invalidate the domestic abuse of the scene.

Some were really caught up in Daemon's idgaf attitude. Don't get me wrong, i love a character like this...but if they have the stuff to back it up and have a line.

Some "pulled out the pitchforks" to say, "I told you so" about how the show is writing against Daemon [✋🏿guilty] and Rhaenyra sexistly, but that comes with no real surprise on their part. Others to say they always knew Daemon was the devil and how tb or Rhaenyra defenders are stupid idiots for saying the greens had no right to the throne, how Rhaenrya was "weak", etc.

I'm sure there's more, but i forget.

[izanyas]

Hello!! this is the anon who asked to know more abt the atc world, thank you so much for replying to my ask :)) could you please tell me more about the anatomy and more about the betas cuz in many of the traditional a/b/o verses I've read betas are kinda discriminated. also does the concept of mating and bonding apply for atc?

hello! :) the anatomy in atc isn't really a part of the status separation. i made a point not to focus on that. you can have people of any body sort in any of the three statuses, the main "difference" is in the scent (which can actually be inaccurate from birth—see: meng yao) and the fever cycle (which isn't always present either, or not always in the same way—see: wen ning), the perceived general outside traits... but like with gender irl those traits are way overstated (like women being shorter than men—tons of women are taller than the average man, it's not even uncommon). wei wuxian in standards of beauty doesn't conform to a lot of these assumed traits, and some others don't either (wen yueying, wen qing...).

wei wuxian is intersex and able to become pregnant, but i won't be developing overly much on how that presents itself for him appearance-wise because i think it's rather in bad taste to obsess over that. he has a vagina and a womb, if that's what you're desperate to know. his being intersex manifests in other visible and invisible ways in his body and i've decided on all of it, i did so from the beginning, so i know what they are, but i don't think the readers need to know. there are cis kunze (wen ning, xue yang, meng yao, etc) and trans kunze (luo fanghua, wen yiqian) but gender isn't an actual point of discrimination or differentiation in atc. the whole concept of gender has been replaced by the concept of statuses. so gender is kind of like just another physical trait, like hair color or height or just clothing choices i guess. it doesn't mean anything wrt discrimination, and biology doesn't either.

i'm not gonna pretend it's a super well-developed and failsafe AU in that regard because frankly it's impossible to just completely rewrite gender-based discrimination with fantasy gender-based discrimination. but i didn't want to focus on genitalia because 1) genitalia isn't all there is to gender-based discrimination irl, far from it, 2) i find it weird and i don't want to do it. this way i get to allow trans and non-binary(*) characters to exist within any status. win-win.

therefore, kunze aren't all able to become pregnant and their role in society isn't to provide children anyway, since a child born of a kunze will be considered a bastard. they're seen as rare tradable goods. having kunze concubines is like having anything else that is expensive or rare. it's a statement of wealth and prestige as well as a personal pleasure.

as for zhongyong, it's not discrimination per se, but they are exempt from usual positions of power or notoriety. so they usually don't become heirs unless there aren't any qianyuan to pick up the mantle (nie huaisang). well ig it is discrimination when i say it like that. but the real divide of oppression is between kunze and the rest.

if you think all those assigned traits are stupid then you are right, they are, they are completely man-made and easily proven wrong/inaccurate and far from affecting everyone the same. just like gender irl. that's the point.

no mating or bonding in atc :) and no knotting or self-lubing assholes either afgdjhsksdf. i know a/b/o was created with fantasy/animalistic traits like those specifically in order to spice up smut fic, but since then a lot of ppl have added a social commentary to it, and since i wanted to write about the social aspect and not the smut, i decided not to include the sexual behaviors. this isn't judgment on my part btw. i just wanted to try writing an a/b/o social commentary fic that i thought would make as much sense as possible bc all the ones that i tried reading didn't satisfy me. but like... omegaverse isn't real anyway. there's no rules or anything. everyone go write your mating bonding knotting smut and have fun. that's what the bonding knotting smut was made for in the first place.

(*) i'm using "non-binary" loosely here because considering the setting i don't believe the vernacular can be so directly translated or assimilated to what we see as non-binary today. but yeah just know there are people in atc who are neither man nor woman, or not exactly, or a bit of both, or something else altogether, etc etc

[multiversal-pudding]

HEY WANT MY CURRENT HCS-UNTIL-PROVEN-WRONG/ “THEORY” IN THE SENSE OF “Source: It would be dope?”/ MESSY MAD RAMBLINGS RELATED TO MURDER DRONES?

TOO BAD YOU’RE GETTING IT ANYWAYS

(Btw this is like. Mostly based on other people’s theories and stuff- also this is going to be basically the opposite of something polished and readable? Think of this less as “prediction looking to be accurate or logical” more “these thoughts have been rattling around in my head and I want to unleash them”)

I Feel like given Liam’s previous stuff like Internecion cube, there’s a damn good chance Absolute Solver is basically an Eldritch entity, be it some kind of super-ai that spiralled past any of the designers wildest intentions to the point of basically becoming a god, or possibly the other way around with JcJenson maybe having done a “humans gonna human” in deciding to mess with the forces Beyond Human Understanding, then try to sell it/utilize it in making stuff to sell (IE using some kind of “entity of growth” to make a repair program that. Seemed like a good idea at the time). Either way, As someone who likes that freaky kinda cosmic horror bodyhorror entity stuff, I’m down for it-

Honestly, I think I kinda like the idea of Absolute Solver not being spread from the Disassembly Drones, but rather the other way around, with them having it loaded but mostly disabled outside of regenerative capabilities specifically to protect them from the Worker Drones from using it (directly) on them (granted as V learned rather painfully, this does not exclude them from throwing various pointy objects at you, it just keeps them from pulling that *snaps your head backwards and crushes you into blood* thing Doll pulled)??

Somehow, with its dialogue implying it knows something bigger about Uzi’s Mom/the world as a whole with its “cute little puppets” comments, J’s specific wording of telling N “the worker drones are corrupted” (which. Granted could’ve also been talking about them being deemed “Rogue AI”, but still-), the strange organic elements and extreme power associated with it? (Which. If the DDs are built with containing a neutralized version version of it in mind. Is this connected to the fact they have literal human organs stuffed inside them??)- this doesn’t feel like a tool. This feels like some underlying element at play, and probably one of the main suspects explained so far that could either be A) something that’s strong enough to make Copper 9’s core collapse, B) could be something that would want and have the power to collapse the core of a planet, and/or C) could be a reason why something/someone may have considered it worth wiping out humanity just to try to kill it

As for where it came from in the first place/how it spread- again, maybe the humans dug too deep, accidentally released something but only realized it was a problem later or. Hell, maybe part of it was that the WDs did some digging/experimenting of their own on top of it- we know that two of the main AS-related characters other than the DDs, Doll and Uzi, both have a running theme of nametags/ associated numbers with their mothers, plus the fact that robot babies exist as is in the first place is confirmation they have been trying new things on themselves already

If WD experimentation with AS started before the Murder Drones Arrived/the possibility of it was present- Given the extreme power of AS we’ve seen, it could be possible that the drones starting to unlock this power could be a reason other than paranoia that JcJenson considered it worth the time to exterminate them (though. TBF I I think they might just be callous jerks anyways, semi-reasonable underlying logic or not-)

If experimentation with AS started/continued after the Disassembly Drones arrived- Judging from the fact that Khan already had a closet labelled “Nori’s Kooky Insane Stuff”, iiits possible Uzi might take after her mother in terms of “maniacal engineer”-ness… who’s to say Nori didn’t decide to pull some Sci-fi bullshit of her own of a more “human experimentation” direction? Like. Hell, Uzi made a huge frickin’ gun as her “maniacal engineering” moment- If the parents help construct the baby, technically Nori also built a gun-

Sidenote- like. It might just be a “make the MC more visible” thing, but- as someone else already pointed out, it would be interesting if it turned out the reason why Uzi was short and didn’t have a hard hat was related to her not being a normal Worker Drone/in some way built to have some kind of adjustment made with this element present in mind, something the AS may or may not already know while Uzi doesn’t (there would be a lot of horror to be found in that idea… and also maybe a little dark-humor? In a “ARE YOU KIDDING?! THAT’S WHY I’M SO SHORT??!” Way?)

So- maybe the experiment was what introduced it into Doll and Uzi/their mothers? That is, if it isn’t already present on some level in all the drones as is and the experimentation only brought the existing potential to the surface- imagine finding out everyone was born pre-infected with some crazy eldritch horror woven into their brains, and that what at first appeared to some spreading parasite was simply some people being able to tap into what’s already present in everyone one way or the other…

CONCLUSION?!

…I’m running out of red string and pushpins :|

(but I do have some potential AU fodder maybe should Episode 4 come out and completely change everything maybe?)

TL;DR: talk to me about Murderdrones I am sooooo normal I promise :) <- Lying

[fmkkennedy]

idk if you want it sent here but BAYLIV

listen the FUCK here, am i EVER TRASH for f/f royalty shit!!! and the idea that they'd be two girls from opposing families who were raised to despise one another, and yet they fall madly and deeply in love!??!? that despite their families wanting them to marry off to ignorant men and to provide them with dowries, they'd much rather just run off and be happy with one another-- even if that means giving up every comfort that they know?? WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

bayley comes from a family that's far more prestigious. don't get me wrong, liv's family has some pull, but bayley is a pretty big fucking deal. she comes from the Hunter side of the family, meaning that her father (aptly named Hunter) was the lead on any and all trips. he came back with the big game. he was the king's right-hand man. he was his advisor. bayley was raised to be incredibly self-sufficient, a warrior in her own right, someone who could step up and take her father's place if absolutely necessary. she was gnarly with a bow and arrow, she could toss throwing knives with such ease and grace that it was almost poetic. despite being a woman, she was still invited on hunting trips and expeditions of that nature that weren't inherently dangerous. which is where she met liv. liv was the daughter of a bureaucrat. liv was raised to be Perfect. a perfect image of what a woman should be, an ideal. however, she fucking hated it. she was the eldest girl in her family, that was mostly made up of boys, and she wanted to be just like them. to hunt, to get dirty, to ride horses and make changes in the world, rather than sit in a court and be pretty and petite. eventually, her brothers would make her over into a guy setup and bring her on a hunt. liv's gay ass fell in love at first sight. bayley had no fucking idea who she was, she had a point to prove-- not only for herself or her family, but to prove that women deserved to be on the hunt just as much as any man.

liv, in her boyish get-up, saves bayley's life. it's in private. bayley had run off to catch a kill, but liv trailed after her, insistent that no one should be alone. liv was right, and bayley's senses were blinded by her desire to prove herself and led her into a dangerous predicament with a pack of wolves. unfortunately, in the process, the golden deer that bayley had managed to sink an arrow into is lost to the wolves, but liv ran in on her horse at the exact right moment to pull bayley up and onto the back to ride off. bayley is not pleased, btw. not pleased at all because that deer could've proven so much for her, for her family, for women, and there was this fucking weird little man running into the scene and fucking everything up. TYPICAL.

they meet again at court. or well, liv as liv and bayley as bayley meet at court. liv is dressed up like a little perfect cupcake, and bayley looks stunning and far more herself-- her family a little bit more accepting that she isn't what the ideal princess would be. once again, liv is fucking shooketh. bayley and her family are introduced to liv's, and bayley's spending the whole time trying to find the brother who fucked up her Moment. bayley eventually settles and talks to liv, first trying to find out information, but they eventually keep talking. and keep talking. and keep talking. and keep talking.

it's from there, there's the moments that they steal. liv begs her parents to allow her to engage in swordplay, to learn to defend herself and their people if it's absolutely necessary, and that's a way to get closer to bayley. liv sneaks out to see her. bayley finds herself in court far more often than she'd ever want to be previously. it's so much stealing glances and soft looks and gentle caresses of the hands and :) their first night together happens after bayley gets injured during a hunt, and liv exposes herself as The Brother Who Saved Her, which leads to a spat and then making up Quite Nicely.

they're both set to be married off. bayley because her family needs the influence, and liv because it's what's entirely expected of her. they're both with sheepish, loser men whose royal parents babied and coddled up until the moment they sent them off to be with their wives. unsurprisingly, they both run. liv steals her childhood horse and meets bayley in the woods where they first met, and they run off together. they live in the woods, primarily, and become a sort of Robin Hood Couple situation after seeing the lives that other people in the kingdom of had to live. ~THE END~

---

"Mi'lady, are you hurt?" The sheepish voice came from the young gentleman guiding the steed out of the dangerous scenario. Wolves howled hungrily, licking at their chops for a larger meal than the one that was provided, but the rider was well-practiced, experienced enough to bob and weave himself and the one known as Bayley saddled up behind him, frustration etched on her face.

"What was that about?!" Bayley let out, glancing behind her at the scene at which they'd left. That deer could've changed things. Not only for her, not only for her family, but... "I had it sorted!"

She was met with silence, before the sheepish voice spoke up again.

"Mi'lady, I do not believe being cornered by a hungry pack of wolves is 'sorting it.'" They replied calmly, looking briefly over their shoulder.

Blue eyes met brown, a flash of ... something behind ocean eyes before the rider looked forward again, tugging on the reins to signal for the horse to slow down.

"I. Was. Fine." Bayley insisted, her tone insinuating that she was not willing to argue. The rider simply nodded their head once, clicking their tongue as they motioned for the horse to go back to where the hunting grounds were situated.

"I'm quite sure, you were." The rider replied, nodding once again. "My apologies. I shall let them know that your loss of prey was of my doing. Will that be enough?"

Bayley scoffed, eyes now meeting the upcoming camp where her father stood, panic-stricken. Swinging her legs off the horse, she jumped off nimbly before shaking her head, moving onward without looking back. "No. It won't."

The rider's brothers swarmed over, applauding the rider who hopped off calmly, eyes never leaving the back of Bayley's head, a frown etched onto their face. The rider sighed, sadly, eventually turning with their brothers to discuss exactly what had happened-- the falsified version.

With a hum and a nod, the eldest brother looked down at her, eyebrow raised as the other brothers departed to break up into groups to continue the massive hunt: "She's got you quite. Love at first sight, no?"

[lunar-lair]

Oooh, can I hear about "Note: Hands and Heart Required for this Recipe"?

figured id answer these at the same time since you both asked! also hi charlie lmao @teenagemutantninjatrauma dw the masses will get to see the donnie madness. also adding a read more bc frankly this got LONG i really like this wip so i ended up talking abt it WAY too much alkfsdj

this is a little baking fic ive been putting together! the idea is that donnie starts out being offended that people in baking videos say macarons are hard and tries to make them with a stand mixer he made himself. he Fails Horrifically. then he goes back to brownies, and is Instantly compelled by the kind of science that baking entails. the thing as a whole is kinda of...it turns into a coping mechanism, for him to say, i have something other than tech, another way for him to be useful, a way to support emotionally as well as physically. hell make muffins when leo seems crabby, hell make bread when mikey has been down, hell make cake when raph's smile is straining, and hell smile the whole time, hell put his weight into kneading that dough, hell put his heart into this. thats why its called that! its kinda like those notes at the beginning of recipes like 'btw youre gonna need a stand mixer and a springform pan for this' but saying 'welcome to baking! pick up your heart and hold it close, and make sure your hands are ready, because while machines can do what we can, whats the point? dont give me that look, youll understand soon enough.'

initially this was going to be a oneshot but it QUICKLY evolved. i havent even finished writing the brownies part and its already about 4k. also leo appeared and made himself Known as he always does, so its a lot of disaster twins so far. i do have some of this one written though, so i can find a snippet! lemme see, uhhh...ok you guys are getting at LEAST two i cant choose. here, this first one is from earlier on, it points out the earlier reasoning/the theming kinda well:

He finally threw his hands in the air after an hour of this, giving a loud ‘UGH!’ and pausing it, setting his work aside. “Fine!” He huffed, stomping over to his blueprints table. “If you’re so insistent that it’s so difficult, I guess I’ll have to prove you wrong!” He’d already been proven wrong so many times that his tech, his projections, his work couldn’t stand up to a challenge. That it would crumble under the grasp of the sharp claws of a demon, or the megaton punch of a battle suit.  He was 15, and he was sore, and he wanted to prove himself.   Well, he’d thank himself later, but for now, he pulled out the blueprints and called, “Shelldon, pull up schematics for commercial stand mixers.” He’d proven he could do better, with Shelldon and with Raph’s eye and his shells.  He could do something as simple as this. 

dont ask me how shelldon is alive i didnt think that hard abt it. just . the robots alive get used to it. this next snippet is later on, and is more on the disaster twins/donnie knowing his family kind of side

Leo leaned back and curled into himself, hand rubbing at the back of his neck, eyes averted. Jeez, he really felt bad, huh? Well, in that sorry, man way and not I’m sorry I’m not good enough way, but still. “But this seems like you’re really getting into, you know? I didn’t wanna criticize you right when you started out. “ Donnie thought, for a moment.  A lot of times, Leo did things because he was projecting.  This was, often, perfectly fine. He rarely did it in a bad way, but in this sort of sense? When he was saying, I didn’t want to criticize you right when you’re starting out? Leo knew Donnie could take criticism.  It’s Leo who can’t.  And Donnie can still remember Raph asking if Leo could really memorize all that medical knowledge, and Mikey asking for Raph instead, and Donnie having to guide him through a lot of the bigger words, getting frustrated now and then.  Or when he started drinking tea, and they all called him an old man, because they expected him to bounce back, to bite back, to be fine with it.  Or when he got his first scarf from April and Donnie asked him why he was still wearing it around 2 days later. (Hypocrite.)  And he wondered why they rarely saw him drinking tea even if the bags dwindled, why those scarves disappeared for a year or two. 

ok i was lying take ONE more snippet. i really like this doc it all came together pretty well even if it isnt quite finished yet/i wrote it at 8-10 pm the night after an all nighter

The whole time, Leo had this smile on, a little childish and fun. Not…not quite as blinding as it had been in the past, or as blinding as it might ever be again, but big and bright and simply excited. Like eating the brownies his brother made by hand was the only thing on his mind.  It settled something worried and loving and warm in a corner of Donnie’s heart, the same something that settled when he made machines and modified security and kept careful watch when he noticed something amiss.  He let it happen, let it settle, let this be warm.  Leo was the one who was sent to tell the others there were brownies, because he was excited and Donnie had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to sit still around them while they cooled for longer than the two minutes he had already been sitting there.  Donnie only chuckled something fond under his breath as he gathered up some small plates. 

my favorite thing about this doc is just. leos so excited the whole time and its this part of him i dont get to discuss NEARLY enough when i write. hes so bouncy the WHOLE time and its genuinely perfect. donnie agrees, too, so it all works out, hehe.