#and i will NOT be lectured on how to be a fan by someone shipping harry styles and louis tomlinson in the year of our lord 2023

[jakeperalta]

not to bring up the taylor discourse again but I think it's an extremely shitty take for non-fans to respond to fans saying "yeah I'm disappointed and do not condone this and it sucks" by being like "well ACTUALLY she's always been a horrible bitch and her fans are all just too ignorant to see it and it's their own faults for being a fan of someone so awful" like ok congratulations! good for you for never having enjoyed a single problematic thing in your life! but you're annoying and I hate you

[deadsetobsessions]

Sea Cryptic! Danny Pt.9

[Pt.1] [Pt.2] [Pt.3] [Pt.4] [Pt.5] [Pt.6] [Pt.7] [Pt.8] [Pt.10]

"Fan-sea meeting you here. You must be Phantom!"

Danny slowly turned around, grin blinding. "I shore am. Who's asking?"

Danny knew exactly who was asking. Bludhaven's vigilante, Nightwing. If the giant dark blue bird emblazoned on the front of his suit didn't give it away, the friendly demeanor and the puns would have. Plus, now that Danny's figured out who Tim was, the rest were pretty simple dots to be connected.

"Hi. I'm Nightwing. Thanks for saving Batman."

"I am Phantom. You are welcome. Please lecture him on the necessity of keeping the waters clean."

"Uh, I think he knows," Nightwing grinned. “So, why are you cleaning Gotham’s bay? I heard the Atlantic is nice this time of year.”

“Exactly. This?” Danny flapped a gloved hand around them, specifically at the moldy docks and the paint scraped board. “This is not nice. If it were nice, I wouldn’t need to be cleaning it. Look at that paint! It’s flaking off into the water! Does Gotham not have proper boat maintainance? That’s dangerous for the waters and seafarers!”

“Woah, you know a lot about boats,” Nightwing commented, crossing his arms and leaning back. What the hero didn’t know was that he knew more about boats than Danny did, as Danny’s hyper fixation was more focused on space ships and Dick had education à la maison de Bruce Wayne which usually meant an absurd amount of information for someone who doesn’t actually use boats as a regular mode of transportation.

“Rust! Rust is very much a thing!” Danny ranted, using his ice to scoop up water and using it like a makeshift filter. “It weakens bonds! It’s a tetanus hazard! And oh, don’t even get me started on how you people mutated the ocean life!”

“Mutated ocean life? I’m pretty sure we hadn’t. It’s just a little weird, right?”

Without another word, Danny dove into the weird ecosystem that was the Gotham bay. He came back holding a wriggling green thing the size of a worm.

“Do you know what this is?” Danny demanded. The thing flopped around on his gloved hands.

“A sea monkey?”

“They’re brine shrimp. Brine. Shrimp. Do you know what regular brine shrimp look like???” Danny shoved the thing at Nightwing, who took a step back.

“Not like that?” He replied, a quizzical look on his face.

“No, not like that! What in the ancients is this?!” Danny waved the weird sea brine that had started glowing faintly, like Danny’s natural ectoplasm glow. “Far be it from me of all people to judge evolution but this was all man made!” Danny gently tossed the brine shrimp back into the bay. “Brine shrimp is staple food for the ocean! You’ve got weird brine shrimp? You’ve got weird fish! Why is it impossible for this place to, for even one day, refrain from dumping hazardous chemicals or dead bodies in the water?”

“Ooookay, how about we take a breather?” Nightwing quickly glanced around, trying to find something to change the subject, feeling oddly guilty at the earnest expression on the kid’s face. “Uh, I was actually wondering if you’d swing by the waters near Blüd?”

Danny crossed his arms. “I clean the waters as a past time because you humans don’t know how to keep it clean. I am not a personal, on call, seakeeper.”

“Batman will pay you for your time,” Dick offered. Danny straightened. Amity didn’t actually cost that much to live well, but Gotham was a whole other ball park. The rent might be dirt cheap for a city, but the special pricey little add ons such as gas masks and space level insulation on top of the sky high insurance policies were draining what’s left of his half dead soul. As they say, Danny was a city dweller first and Phantom second.

“How much, when, and I won’t fish up the bodies unless he pays me extra.”

“Four thousand base pay, extra one hundred per identity, fifty for bodies with no shades, and on the weekends.”

Danny straightened as his mother’s steel spine, Jazz’s whip sharp wit, and his own craftiness made their appearance as he bargained. “Five thousand. Rate agreed, but I can only do every other weekends and I’ll have to call out some days.”

“Okay.” Nightwing rocked back on his heels with an affable smile. It’s Bruce’s money and it’s going towards his probable future baby brother, after all, even if said baby brother is a dead immortal Atlantis founder. Or something.

Danny groaned. “You are supposed to bargain back. But I’ll take it.”

“Great! Who do we got tonight?” Nightwing looked down at the plastic/burlap wrapped person Danny dragged onto the shores a bit ago.

“The lake kept the body cold, so it should be preserved adequately if you want to examine him,” Danny tilted his head to the side, the flames of his hair tilting with him. “He said his name is Gorganzo Bean.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s a nickname he got for eating a whole can of beans straight.”

“Yeah, that’ll do it. Any more details?”

“Sure.”

When Danny reached to take the money from Nightwing, he found that the hero had tightened his grip on it.

Danny pointedly dropped his gaze from Nightwing’s face to the money.

“Wait. I- I heard from a source that you could possibly smell souls.”

Danny yanked the cash out of Nightwing’s hand and shoved it into his shoulder. If that didn’t confirm Nightwing’s identity, he doesn’t know what would other than the guy telling Danny who he was. “You’ve been speaking with Danny. Yes, I can.”

“Can you tell what’s wrong with my brother?” Nightwing blurted out.

Danny stared at him, his legs flickering in and out to his tail form. “…Other than dressing in probably leather or Kevlar and going out to beat criminals with his bare hands?”

Nightwing opened and closed his mouth. He coughed awkwardly. “Other than that. Why is he- um, stinky? Soul-wise,” Nightwing added, clearly humoring the tinny little voice at the base of his temples that was an annoyed Red Hood saying that he showered. “He showers often. And is definitely not stinky body odor wise.”

“I am not a doctor. Well, not now anyways,” Danny said, thinking about his future PhD. “But he’s got a… soul infection. His natural immunity- all souls have a natural immunity against regular outside influences- is working hard to repel the equivalence of chronic bronchitis.”

“There’s… no way to help him?”

“I never said that,” Danny tilted his head. “Bring your brother to meet Danny. He could probably handle it.”

“The civilian?”

“His parents hunted my kind, once. He helped protect me and my people. If anyone knows how to cure it, it would be him.”

Phantom could not afford to deal with this right now, because Danny had a presentation tomorrow that he needed to finish.

“Oh. Thank you, Phantom.” Nightwing said, looking relieved and pensive. Danny decided right then and there that was Future Danny’s problem.

Danny nodded distractedly, blinking out.

He blinked back in. Nightwing jerked back. “Do you happen to have any examples of corrupt politicians in Gotham?”

Nightwing blinked before laughing. “It’d probably be easier to name the ones that aren’t.”

“Good to know. Thank you!”

——

A couple of days later, Tim and two older guys ambushed him in the quad.

“Hi! I’m Dick! This is my brother Jason! We’re Tim’s older brothers!”

Danny looked down at his hand- trapped in an overexcited handshake- and back up at Dick.

Whatever expression he was making, it must have been ha-fucking-larious because Tim and Jason burst out into laughter. Danny cursed his past self.

“Yeah?” Danny blinked. Wait. His smile grew and he made a face like he just realized something. “Oh. So you’re Nightwing?”

The laughter cut off.

“Haha, what?”

“Phantom told me you’d be coming but I, uh, thought you’d be in gear. Not… straight up telling me who you are?”

“You’re in regular contact with Phantom?” Tim demanded.

“Yeah, dude. After you- wait, you’re Red Robin!” Danny whispered.

“Oh shit, B’s gonna be pissed,” Jason drawled, looking mildly amused and hiding an extremely cautious, possibly lethal (if it weren’t for the fact that Danny’s pretty much impossible to kill with regular weapons) reaction.

“You’re one to talk. I’d smell your soul no matter what your disguise was.”

“…About that.”

——

You might be wondering: wouldn’t Dick know not to show up in civvies?

Yes. Except for the fact that Tim stalked Danny for weeks after he met Phantom and Danny hadn’t hung out with (himself) at all. They think Danny doesn’t know Phantom well enough to even talk to him much, despite being from the same town because: they’re all big city kids and have never experienced small town solidarity and, more importantly, gossip grapevines + they have no idea these two are the same people.

A deleted scene:

“When did you have time to talk to Phantom?” Tim demanded. Jason nudged Tim. That had hinted too much at what Tim was doing on his off hours and stalking was usually frowned upon.

“When I wasn’t talking to you, duh.”

[blacktofade]

Gemtho Fortnight Day 4

Prompt: rpf with the hermits talking casually about fics and someone (maybe bdubs) is like "man there's barely any fics about me and etho anymore they're only writing about him and gem" (or whatever. just so the topic comes up) but gem has such a hugeeee crush and she's so flustered and embarrassed and doesn't want etho to be uncomfortable and meanwhile etho's worried about /gem/ being uncomfortable

cw: rpf

“You know,” Bdubs starts, and Gem can almost picture his expression behind his computer screen — thoughtful, a little sly. “I don’t think they ship me and Etho like they used to.”

Gem’s elbow slips off her desk, her character in-game suddenly looking straight down at the ground, and she can hear the soft exhale of laughter Bdubs lets out, like he’s noticed.

She wonders if she can get away with pretending she never heard, if she can say Winnie got loose and distracted her and, oh, look at the time, she has to go for a thing she promised someone else —

“What are you saying about me?” Etho suddenly asks, his voice in her left ear as he moves closer, and Gem takes her hand off her keyboard to cover her eyes with one palm, face burning as she tries her best to silently beg the universe for mercy.

There’s no such luck.

“Do you remember that lecture I gave you about Dark Twitter?” Bdubs asks, and she can hear it in his voice, how he’s almost laughing, delighted at the opportunity to shit-stir. “Y’know, the shipping stuff that fans do? Pretending that we’re in love.”

Gem’s next best hope is that the ground will open and swallow her. 

“Bdubs,” she warns, because she might not be streaming, but that doesn’t mean that no one else is. Anyone could fly by and catch a snippet of what he’s saying, and she can only imagine the fallout online if that happens.

“It’s fine, Gem. Etho knows all about it, don’t you?”

She’s not worried about Etho.

“I, uh,” Etho starts and she can tell by his tone that he already regrets showing up and interrupting them.

“It’s okay,” Bdubs interrupts. “All you need to know is that Gem’s your new love interest.”

“Gem’s my new what?”

The head of Etho’s character swivels to stare right at her and Gem suddenly finds herself needing to pace in-game, her fingers tapping at the keys nervously as she parkours across the terrain around them.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Gem lies and now Bdubs is staring at her too.

“I mean, it’s not surprising with the amount you two hang out together now. I happened to think the footage of you both digging the tunnel between your bases was cute.”

“Was it?” Gem questions, hoping that acting clueless will save her instead, but Bdubs hums quietly, like she won’t like what’s about to come out of his mouth.

“You keep saying you’re an Ethogirl, right? That you grew up watching him. It’s a cute match-up.”

Gem thinks about pulling the ethernet cable straight out the back of her desktop. It would be easy to blame it on a power-outage.

“I think you’re confusing fact and fiction again,” she mutters and Bdubs laughs.

“Oh, you’re right!” he says, too chipper for his own good. “It sounded like I was suggesting you two date in real life.”

Etho makes a noise, like a grunt of surprise, and Bdubs finally turns his view away from her to stare at him instead.

“Though, I mean, you’re both in Canada, right? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility.”

Bdubs apparently doesn’t know when to quit.

“Have you thought about dating Impulse?” Gem snaps, and Bdubs laughs before she even finishes the thought. “You’re both in the States. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility.”

Even Etho joins in, almost like his laughter slips out without permission. “She’s got you there, Bdubs.”

“If Impulse asked me out, I would be a perfect gentleman,” Bdubs tells them, and Gem has a headache brewing that might put her on the couch for the rest of the day. “How many bases do you think he’d let me round after one date?”

“I’m going,” Gem says suddenly, because if there was ever an out, that’s it. “You two can talk about Bdubs’ romantic exploits, but I have stuff to build.”

Bdubs laughs, but doesn’t try to argue, apparently done with his teasing, and Gem can almost taste freedom.

Until Etho says, “I’m sure a date with Gem wouldn’t be the worst I’ve been on.”

And Gem logs off.

[flower-boi16]

sorry for the incoming rant.

(cw for: mainly arophobia but also mentions of acephobia and mentions of people shipping an abuser with their victim)

praying for the teens and pre teens who think hazbin is *the* show for queer rep or progressive in any matter. it scares me immensely. not only the blatant fetishism and sex negativity and whatnot, but the fact people are being taught that labels *don't mean anything* and that they can do whatever they want (with a character).

yeah, "i gave my characters labels but fuck those labels ship whatever you want" is SURELY a great sentiment to leave behind. surely nobody would erase or discriminate against labels and identity, right? surely people WOULDN'T repsect labels and identities, right?*COUGH* *COUGH*

seriously the amount of ace- but more aro-phobia in that cult/clusterfuck in that fandom is insane. i hate how the aro tag has been poisoned/infiltrated by red twink no. 45 because of shipping discourse, and these people are being enabled by their "leader", never being lectured correctly. these people will ONLY listen to anyone who either agrees with them or isn't part of said label/identity. im so pissed. aros have little to none rep AT ALL and even then people will erase existing rep or come up with shitty excuses (if i hear the phrase "b-but aros can still date!!" one more time im breaking something. you dont care about the AROMANTIC dating experience, you only care about your stickmen kissing. period.). its more than exhausting.

i am not the only aro and aro-ace severly pissed off by this but im afraid there's nothing we can do. these people ship a severly traumatized victim and their assaulter together so im not suprised. at all.

all i came to know is that nobody actually fucking cares about representation or labels- they're all hopping around in fanfiction-shipping wonderland and bullying people relentlessly if they DARE to think otherwise. and they're being enabled.

-an exhausted and "done" aromantic. (i'm also on the ace spectrum but that's not as important to me right now- even though striker- the only one that's not horny 24/7 and clearly sex-repulsed or at least disgusted, is played as a big joke, but i believe someone else already said that. but that alone should raise eyebrows.)

Honestly, I don't even know what to add other than...this fandom kinda sucks. Like first bullying someone into killing themselves over shipping stuff and now this? And the fact that Viv doesn't call out ANY of this shit at all makes it worse.

Look, I'm of the opinion that we should not blame a creator for having a shitty fandom, HOWEVER, Viv needs to stop enabling her fans and say SOMETHING about this behavior.....but she isn't. Like, she could just say "hey guys stop doing this pls" buuuuut no. She's too busy whining about people criticizing her shows to actually do that.

Alastor is aroace guys, stop trying to erase that part of him just so you can drool over him. Just do that for LITTERALY ANY OTHER CHARACTER. It's that simple.

[sheischerrybomb]

Sitting here thinking about Micah Bell, thinking about Micah Bell in a relationship and what that would mean. Plenty of character analysis on him proves he is someone who did want proper companionship. There's the number of times he's referred to Arthur and others in the gang (sometimes mockingly) brothers or family, there's him being drunk with Javier laughing with him and saying he loves the gang, and the biggest one to me is Micah trying to ask Mary-Beth to dance with him. The man was stuttering and acting nervous, which is something he never displays with anyone else in the entire game. He never trips on his own words outside of that moment, and when Mary-Beth turns him down he definitely seemed genuinely rejected and hurt (the whole 'I'm not a monster, miss' line also sticks out to me) Micah is someone twisted and rotten down to the core on account of how his criminal family line was with his father no doubt being an abusive monster and his grandfather likely being just as bad if not worse. Micah likely never saw a kind day or a gentle hand in his life from anyone. Which gets me thinking that the kind of person Micah would like, be it a friend, a partner in crime, or a romantic/sexual relation, would be someone who is ride or die with him. Someone who'll stick by him no matter what. All of that makes me think of how I want to portray Delilah with him. Personally, for me, I'm not a fan of the 'I can fix him' mentality with Micah per say. That specific mindset to me makes me think someone is acting more like his therapist or life coach rather than someone who is with him, y'know? For me I don't want Delilah to 'fix' Micah, she's fully aware he's a criminal and not a good man by any means. This is also Low Honor Delilah specifically so she has blood on her own hands as well. What I view specifically with Micah is that one person who he can trust, that one person who is genuine with him, someone who responds in kind to what he does without lecturing him like some teacher slapping a ruler on his wrist. I think if Micah had that one person a softer side of him I do believe he holds (waaaaay way WAY deep down inside him) would arise, but not with everyone around him. It would just be with that one person. Micah is someone who is definitely hardwired into who he is by now with just that one glimmer of desire for a true companion of some kind. Who knows, maybe if he did have that one person things would've changed for him. Not at all thinking he'd just cut the outlaw life and go be a rancher or something but I do think maybe he could get that touch of humanity he sorely needs, that gentle hand, genuine kindness. And if it's a ship, then love as well. It's interesting to think about with someone like Micah Bell. Micah will always be an outlaw, but the idea of him and his partner being Bonnie and Clyde before the actual Bonnie and Clyde were a thing is chef's kiss to me. Obviously I have a lot of thoughts about this right now, both the concept in general and pairing him with Delilah is just very interesting to think about.

[lovecolibri]

Am I a loser for fearing that this will be like BT 1.0 in that it is dragged out and remains stale and chemistry-less and harmful to Buck's character (for being with a not good person and not caring about said person's bad deeds) and the twist will be that it doesn't end 😭 Don't hate me for being negative...I was not negative until today, seeing that gremlin in the promotions and Tim showing favoritism to anti-Buddies yet again on FB.

And it's so funny that all my concern stems from social media activity and nothing about what I'm seeing on the show itself. Because the show has shown he is a non-entity - giving him and Buck no development, HIM no development, no evolution, no appeal, since last season. Yet maybe the writing and producing IS just that bad now.

Sorry to be a bit of a pessimist. I just feel like the vibe shifted dramatically over the past day and I'm in my feelings, I guess.

First of all, you're not a loser! There is a long history of TV shows NOT following through on things for fans of a popular fandom ship, including this one, back ins season 4, leading to that godawful BT 1.0 mess in the first place!

There is a lot of reasons this gets compared to the OG BT, because the show seems to be giving them no development and he's so clearly WRONG for Buck and seems to enjoy talking down to him and watching him deflate a little each time, and also it makes Buck look kinda shitty for dating someone who purposefully hurt, and delighted in hurting people Buck loves. I have said multiple times I wasn't ever worried about tay kay as a LI in s4 because she called him "needy" in that nasty voice on the heels of the audience seeing how absolutely shit his parents were and where all those issues came from, so I was sure that was the narrative telling us she wasn't going to work out. Only to get slapped in the face with an entire fucking season of Buck looking miserable with her, which was never addressed, him trying to talk about their issues and the firefam lecturing HIM about HIS failings instead of ever being allowed to talk about how they felt about her given their past (you can't tell me back in s4 Athena would EVER willingly let that woman in her and Bobby's home, much less feed her), and then watch her nearly get Chim and Hen killed and STILL get a fucking "amicable" breakup of the "oh no one was really to blame, it just didn't work out" variety. So like. Yeah, sometimes the writing is just That Bad 🤷🏻‍♀️

What I will say about all of that though, is we now have information we didn't back in s4. Information like, we weren't seeing things and there WAS a set up planned, and discussed with Oliver (at least, likely Ryan too since the shooting was Like That and what the fuck other bi realization was Buck gonna have, or gay realization was Eddie gonna have after his breakup with Ana was Like That), but the network forced the changes. Tim fucked off to go smash other dolls together (and lost his mind a little bit over on LS, probably because he leveraged that shit into getting to do whatever he wanted, plus the whole RL effect), and the story got changed and, as Tim pointed out, it made the show markedly worse. I'm not putting all my faith and trust in a network, but I will say ABC knows what kind of accolades, awards, and hype this kind of story will bring them and that is something I DO trust.

8x01 might be fluke like the handful of watchable episodes in s5-6, but it truly felt like the Buck we know and love was back, the focus was on the core four and on the emergencies, there was *heart* in the emergency, we got dispatch properly involved, and even the Athena stuff took a turn for a more rescue-focused adventure than the Con-Air prison transport plane mishap I was expecting. The bees sounded ridiculous and like they could be one emergency, like freeway shark my beloved, or *maybe* hold a whole episode, but I was NOT expecting much for a disaster opening and was fully prepared for s5 levels of zoo animals promotion vs actual 3 episodes of creeper being creepy cop storyline. But they actually...kinda pulled it off?? It's no tsunami or earthquake by a LONG shot, and I'm still reserving judgment until the arc is over (I enjoyed the cruise ship disaster but it needed more core four on sight helping with rescues which make it drag a little being so separate from everything else), but it felt like a season 2 or 3 episode at heart!

All this to say, *EYE*, notorious salt gremlin and hater (because trying for low expectations is what works for me!), am feeling more hopeful about the show as a whole than I have in awhile. And I'm going to hold your hand so gently when I give this advice, you can take it or not (for some people, needing to know everything is what works for them, so you do you!), but do not listen to that middle-aged white man and what he does on facebook. Or anywhere. Do not listen to that man! He is a shit-stirrer, and he is a liar! They all are in interviews! Him and Oliver both said "hardly any time skip" and then they did the exact same 3 month time skip they have ALWAYS done between the spring season ending and the fall premier! He lies! He interacts with shit he probably doesn't even read, just promotes his show! He does not care about upsetting us because people shouting over each other about the show just reads to him, and the people above him to let him do things, as the show having enough impact to be talked about! I personally have good feelings because he likes to get his way and ABC gave him something in 4 episodes he'd been trying to do since s4. And they originally green-lit it being another character so it feels like there were plans for both and timing just got switched.

DO NOT LET THAT MAN STEAL YOUR JOY!

I'm not going to tell you that of course it's all going to work out and be perfect and everything we wanted, but I WILL say, we all saw how fucking miserable Oliver was in s5 and 6, how checked out and disengaged he was (he was SO CLOSE and they TOOK IT from him! Fuck FOX forever!), and we saw how he was/is in interviews with or about that man, vs how happy and excited he was/is when talking about Ryan/Eddie/Buddie right now, how much he's engaging and sharing, and WHAT he is sharing. We saw the shift from filming episodes 5-6 to the back half of s7 for both him and Ryan. It's very loud, and while some kinda similar vibes have come through before, we have knowledge now we didn't before about why we kept getting those vibes and then having them pulled back. We know WHO was standing in the way and it wasn't Tim and it sure as fuck wasn't Oliver or Ryan, and that doesn't appear to be an issue anymore. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I hope my rambling incoherence was helpful, Nonnie!

[blazinghotfoggynights]

It could be cool if season 8 began this way.

Warning: This is buddie endgame, critical of Gerrard, Kinard, and those who who let Kinard slide after what he did. If that isn't your thing, move along.

If you are a BuckTommy endgamer, a Kinard or Gerrard fan, or like the councilwoman, you should turn around. You won't be happy with this headcanon.

Please do not reblog this to share with BuckTommy or Tommy related fandoms or tags. Please do not add tags. I understand those who are BT and Tommy fans won't like this, so I have chosen to not place it in their fandom.

I don't participate in ship wars or character stan fights. I just block.

Episode 1

Eddie's house : Christopher yells, in that annoyed, moody tone only teens can muster, that he will be out when he finishes this round. Eddie goes back to washing and drying dishes, looking depressed and tired.

Buck let's himself into the house and calls out. Eddie calls back, saying he is in the kitchen. Buck makes his way to the kitchen, wordlessly picking up a towel and getting in place to dry the dishes as Eddie washes them.

Christopher eventually calls from the living room, saying he is ready now. Buck puts the last dish on the rack, folds the towel, and turns to walk away. He's only a step away when Eddie's arm appears in the frame, turning him and pulling him back quickly. The shot quickly shifts to Eddie rising up on his toes to take Buck's head between his hands as he kisses him like a drowning man who has found air.

When they separate, Buck chuckles, then kisses Eddie almost chastely and says something half-dazed but loving.

The first episode then shifts to a flashback mode. We watch from the end of season 7 as Eddie slowly spirals down. Buck refuses to let him just get lost in his misery. Chim and Maddie are the only ones in the 118 who are not in turmoil, too, so they help as much as they can, but it is Buck who provides the growing pinpoint of light in Eddie's dark world.

We see Eddie cry, enter catatonia more than once, be forced into a mental health leave after Bobby is captain again. We see him lose it, destroying his kitchen. That's when we see the kitchen from the first, and present, scene doesn't look exactly like it used to.

We also see Tommy and Buck fighting. There are scenes of Tommy telling Buck he has a boyfriend who should be his priority, Eddie did this to himself, and he's a grown man who has to deal with the consequences of his actions on his own.

It's over a lasagna that Buck finally has enough. Tommy is lecturing him about how much time he spends with Eddie. "He's a mess, Evan. It is always going to be something with him. Do yourself a favor and cut him and his handicapped son loose. If you were smart, you would let go of the 118 completely and go solo. How far do you think you will get in the LAFD with that poster child for a DEI hire team you are on? You can have a top career if you don't continue letting them hold you back. I dodged a bullet with that one."

Buck asks Tommy what he means that he dodged a bullet. Tommy chuckles, "I went all out trying to win Eddie over, but he wasn't biting. He really is straight."

Buck quietly rises, grabs Tommy's stuff, opens his loft door, and before throwing the items and their owner out, Buck says, "My name is Buck."

It's three weeks later Eddie gets the call from Christopher that he wants to come home. After Christopher is asleep in his bed for the first time in months, Buck is helping Eddie by drying the dishes after a dinner of lasagna. Eddie thanks Buck for not giving up on him. Buck says he never will. Eddie asks isn't that what they always do, have each other's backs no matter what. Buck affirms that.

"Isn't that what we've both been looking for? Someone who loves us and understands us even when no one else can?"

Buck looks up but says nothing. He's stunned and confused. He thinks they've been dancing around something but he's too scared to assume or make a move.

Eddie isn't. He pulls the towel out of Buck's hand, before turning to him. Buck unconsciously mirrors his best friend.

"I don't know a lot right now. I know I am a mess and it will take time to get better. I know everyone else has probably told you to let me deal with this alone but you didn't listen. I will be grateful for you forever and," Eddie's facade of courage cracks, "I want to show you every day for the rest of our lives...if you will let me"

"What?"

"I don't know much, Buck, but I know I am crazy in love with you."

"What?"

"Oh god! I thought...I'm sorry! We can just forget this happened and I swear I won't ever do anything again!"

Buck grabs Eddie and kisses him.

Ep ends.

Episode 2 could be Hen and Karen focused. I'd love to see the stress of the councilwoman's vendetta straining them and their relationship, only for that evil witch to have an epic downfall and Hen and Karen to rise like a phoenix.

Episode 3 could focus on Bobby and Athena and Bobby's fight to get back to the 118. Gerrard's firing, and even his demise, would be a great storyline.

Episode 4? How about an episode in which Chim, Hen, and Bobby finally tell the whole story of the original 118, which uses flashbacks to build the story. As they tell the story, Karen, Maddie, Athena, Eddie, and Buck are horrified and tell them that everyone who followed Gerrard is trash and question them as to why they had anything to do with Kinard ever. Buck is angry they told him Tommy was good people when he engaged in hateful behavior willingly. I think this would be an opportunity to have those from groups considered racial minorities: Karen, Athena, and yes, Eddie, women: Karen, Maddie, and Athena, and an ally: Buck, explain to Chim, Hen, and Bobby that regardless of what he wants people to believe he is now, it doesn't absolve Tommy of his immoral, unethical, and illegal in many places now, actions. There is no excuse for him being openly racist and misogynist and anyone who excuses his actions is saying what he did was okay.

What is your headcanon for season 8?

[rsatoru]

© art credits @qmthtdy on twt ! >^<

Fans consider the 25th of July to be a "SatoSugu day": the ship's name in Japanese (条五, pronounced "natsu go") means 725 — 07/25. The ship name GoGe literally translates to "five summers".

Anyway, it should be okay. We’re the strongest.

SATORU TO SUGURU, CHAPTER 66

Satoru – “You scared?”

Suguru – “Not really. We should be fine. We’re the strongest.”

— Chapter 72

Yaga – “Why did you let him go?”

Satoru – “Are you... really asking me that?”

Yaga – “No, you’re right... I’m sorry.”

— Chapter 78

There’s no way I would mistake his residuals.

SATORU TO YAGA, CHAPTER 0.3

It was my best friend. My one and only.

SATORU TO YUTA, CHAPTER 0.4

Satoru – “Now, now, don’t be spouting crazy talk to my students.”

Suguru – “Satoru! It’s been so long!”

— Chapter 0.3

Suguru – “Sorry, Satoru. The girls want to try the crepe shop on Takeshita Street. I’ll be on my way.”

Satoru – “Leaving? Not on my watch.”

— Chapter 0.3

Satoru Gojo is Master Geto’s one and only best friend, after all.

MIMIKO AND NANAKO, CHAPTER 112

My six eyes tell me you’re Suguru Geto. But my soul knows otherwise!

SATORU, CHAPTER 90

“I could't follow him. I couldn't stop him.”

GOJO THINKING ABOUT GETO[4]

Someone who doesn't want to be saved is like the setting sun sinking into the mountains. No matter how you hold out your hand, there's no way to reach them. There was no way to reach him.

GOJO THINKING ABOUT GETO, JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[5]

Gojo Satoru. His appearance meant that this was the end. Or rather, to Geto — there was no other way this could end. In that way, it was easier to accept that this was his fate.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[6]

The strongest sorcerer; the wickedest curse user. Now they were mortal enemies, as irreconcilable as oil and water. Yet now, as they chatted on this little road by Jujutsu Tech, it was hard not to remember. To remember the past, when they laughed together. Idly chatting in the classroom, getting lectured by Yaga, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. What they were doing, what they wanted to do, what they wanted to make of themselves — as long as the two of them were together, none of that was ever in doubt. Days like that, long ago.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[7]

Gojo felt like he didn't know what face to make. His words, his every expression, even his bad habits — they made Gojo feel like each one was full of nostalgia, to the point of fond annoyance. A conversation between the two of them alone, ten years separated. Before it became a curse, Gojo opened his mouth.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[8]

To live for the purpose of being yourself. And for that goal, Geto could only continue to pursue his twisted dream, drowning himself in the curse that lies in the gap between ideal and reality. This was the final confession of a man who could only choose to warp himself, who had erased himself in pursuit of his goals. The only person who could bear such a curse was Gojo Satoru. Where did it go wrong? And how could they start over again?

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[9]

Moments * After Toji’s death both Satoru and Suguru inherited what was left of him: Satoru took in his children, Megumi and Tsumiki, while Suguru got posession of his another “child”, worm-like cursed spirit that called Geto “mother”.

* Geto’s execution order was issued right after the village massacre; Gojo has been postponing the task for 10 years after that.

* In a private conversation with Yuta Okkotsu, Gojo admits to his student, that he has a personal theory about love being the most twisted curse.[10] The only known negative incident in Gojo's personal life was caused by Geto, who betrayed Gojo and became a criminal.

* In their final scene together, Geto tells Gojo that in this world he cannot really laugh from the bottom of his heart. Gojo's final words to Geto are unknown, but whatever he said made Suguru laugh for the last time in his life.

* In chapter 0.4, Gojo tells Yuta that Geto is the only close friend he’s ever had. It is notable, that Gojo uses the present tense in the original Japanese panel, even though Geto’s life has just ended.[11]

* Gojo refused to send Geto’s body to Shoko Ieiri for an autopsy (and subsequent cremation).[12]

* While discussing their strategy to immobilize Gojo in order to seal him, curse Jogo says, “Even a thousand measly human lives wouldn’t be enough to distract him!”[13] It turns out to be true; Gojo mercilessly kills a thousand mutated people, but Geto’s appearance stupefies him and leads to his defeat.

* During the battle with Hanami and Jogo, Satoru deactivates his Limitless Cursed Technique, and fights the curses only using his cursed energy and physical attacks. A mere hour before Gojo is successfully sealed by an imposter wearing Geto’s body, Jogo notes that nothings seems to be able to stop Gojo (“Is there anything you don’t have?!”).

* When Geto’s body reacts to Satoru’s words adressing him, Geto’s imposter notices that it is the first time when it disobeyed him.

* When Mei Mei meets Pseudo-Geto, she wonders why he is still alive and whether he and Gojo have been conspiring and working together all this time (although, she discards that thought).

* The Jujutsu Kaisen 0 light novel mentions that the events that happened to Geto and Gojo's inability to help his only friend led Satoru to choose his path as a teacher.[14]

* In the same light novel, when Geto leaves the college after notifying everyone about The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Gojo watches him go and sees the "shape of his soul" (夏油の魂の形 in the original text).

Behind the Scenes

Gege – “How to put it, through making it Satoru (and) Suguru—”

Interviewer – “[You wanted] to get it to feel duo like.”

Gege – “Also meaning wise... a natural born genius and a genius through effort — well, not exactly — but I kind of wanted to have that difference in nuance.”

— Gege Akutami about choosing Suguru's name.[15]

The kesa... I may be mistaken but the kesa here is most likely called "gojou-kesa". When I was researching kesa, there were several different ones and this one was apparently called gojou-kesa, so I recall figuring "oh isn't this just right".

GEGE AKUTAMI ON GETO'S WARDROBE.[16]

I was lectured by director Park and the sound director before recording [the scenes] where Geto talks to Gojo, since the relationship between those two is special.

TAKAHIRO SAKURAI, GETO'S JAPANESE VA[17]

Lines they exchange often have a different distance from the others, and there are words that can only be understood between the two of them.

TAKAHIRO SAKURAI EXPLAINING THE PARTICULARITY OF GETO AND GOJO'S RELATIONSHIP.[18]

The last [scene with] Gojo and Geto... no, it might be better to describe it as Satoru and Suguru's back and forth banter along with their expressions. That scene lingers in my ears.

TAKAHIRO SAKURAI ON SCENES FROM THE MOVIE THAT LEFT AN IMPRESSION ON HIM.[19]

Interviewer – “Do you see any difference between Gojo from the anime series and the movie?”

Nakamura – “I could really feel a big difference between Gojo from this two hour movie and the anime that had been on air for six months. In the TV anime Gojo didn't talk about himself, so you couldn't see his human nature, but in the movie, the way he interacts with Okkotsu, and emotions he has when facing Geto help to show his own human nature.”

— Yuichi Nakamura (Gojo's Japanese VA).[20]

Interviewer – “What do you hope the audience will pay extra attention to?”

Park – “I hope people will watch it with Gojo and Geto's relationship in mind.”

— Sunghoo Park, director of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.[21]

Last scene between Gojo and Geto is the best scene. Whole team worked hard to create a better atmosphere and tempo. It brings tears to my eyes when I watch it.

SUNGHOO PARK, DIRECTOR OF JUJUTSU KAISEN 0.[22]

I think the main topic of [Jujutsu Kaisen 0] is love. Okkotsu and Rika's story is a story that's based on love. Aside from that, although it's not exactly the same love, I think there's still a kind of heart-to-heart understanding between Gojo and Geto. They were once good classmates; now their relationship has turned upside down. Okkotsu and Rika, Gojo and Geto: they're all cases where love could've helped them grow, but instead it became a curse. I think this detail is one of the special points of the movie.

SUNGHOO PARK'S THOUGHTS ON THE CORE OF JUJUTSU KAISEN 0.[23]

The pairing attracts a lot of people due to the characters’ connection they formed as young adults and the sorrows that followed. Their contrasting aesthetics, personal views, and eventually their opposing positions in the jujutsu world make them a fascinating dynamic to explore. Another thing that sparks interest in the fanbase is that despite Gojo’s omnipotence and absolute invincibility, he has one weakness, which turns out to be the memory of his dead friend.

Many fans view Gojo and Geto’s falling out as a break up or divorce, there are a lot of fan works (art and fanfiction) made surrounding the theme of ex romantic partners. One of the most popular concepts is Geto and Gojo breaking up in front of KFC, which leads to humorous fan arts like this or this and even playlists (for example). A great amount of works focuses on the time period between Geto’s turn and Volume 0, when Gojo and Geto are considered to be on the opposite sides of the law (fulfilling the trope Love Across Battlelines). Given Satoru and Suguru’s story is undoubtedly tragic, many fan works on AO3 are dedicated to studying such emotional states as heartbreak, loss, grief, e.g.

Another trope explored in fanfiction and fan arts is found family, considering Gojo became Tsumiki and Megumi’s guardian, while Geto took responsibility of raising two girls — Mimiko and Nanako (like here, here, or here). Some AUs include Suguru being mentally stable and becoming a teacher at Jujutsu High along with Satoru (and getting to know Satoru’s students). This inspires many artists to come up with different, often comical, ideas of what their day-to-day life would be like. While some prefer to reminisce on the sorcerers’ youth, others like to explore what their life could be like if Geto came back and took control of his body (like depicted in this comic or in this AO3 work). Often SatoSugu feature works dedicated to other pairings as a background couple, especially in ShokoHime fanfiction and artworks.

One of the most occuring motifs that artists tend to use in their works is a dragonfly (like here or here). Both Satoru and Suguru have connection to that insect: in one of the interviews, mangaka Gege Akutami admitted that now that Geto is dead with his body still automatically reacting to Satoru, his physical state could be compared to a dead dragonfly with its head ripped off: technically it is dead, but it keeps twitching post-mortem.[27] Some fans hope Gege was joking, and still belive in the possibility of his consciousness (or soul) coming back to him. In a flashback scene from manga, young Satoru can be seen wearing a dragonfly patterned yukata.

[28] Another thing about dragonflies that unites both Gojo and Geto is its Buddhist meaning. In Buddhissm, it represents the joining of Heaven and Earth as the dragonfly is one with the air and with the water at the same time. Famosly, Gojo quoted Buddha ("Throughout heaven and earth... I alone am the honored one") when he overcame his struggle and was symbolically reborn to join the fight against Toji. Artists mainly use the dragonfly as a symbol of the tragic turn the relationship between Satoru and Suguru took, and the unavoidable nature of fate.

There is another symbol. In the second opening VIVID VICE, Gojo can be seen walking in rain with a bouquet of white and blue flowers in his hand. Judging by the size, shape, and petal edges, these most likely are white calla lilies, gysophilia, and blue roses. White gypsophila from his bouquet, or baby-breath, is used for funeral flower arrangements and farewell ceremonies[29]; white calla lilies symbolize rejuvenation of the soul, love, and grief (often chosen for weddings and funerals).[30] Blue roses do not grow in nature, but can be hybridized or dyed; among other things, they signify unattainableness, a never-to-be-fulfilled wish, and impossible love.[31] Gojo is dressed in all black and is wearing his black shades, meaning he is on his day off, and chose to dress like that for some occasion.[32]

The fandom has taken liking to this interpretation, thus, flower bouquets comprised of blue roses often feature SatoSugu art pieces. Since blue roses are hard to produce, cosplayers (and some artists, too) tend to opt for blue hydrangea, flower that was first discovered and cultivated in Japan.

In Volume 0, Geto takes Mimiko and Nanako to a famous crêpe shop on Takeshita Street.[34] In the first light novel, months after Geto’s death, Yuji and Megumi wander somewhere in the Akihabara area (9 minutes from Takeshita Street by taxi) and see Gojo; they lose sight of him, and when they find him again, he is eating crêpes bought, judging by the package, in “a popular crêpe shop”.[35] Most popular crêperies in both areas belong to the same brand called Marion Crêpes. Fans believe that Gojo and Geto visited crepe shops when they were students, thus, in fan works they are often depicted getting crepes together, sometimes accompanied by their “children”.

The ship’s popularity reached the cosplayers, too. For example, in 2021, married couple from China with almost 7,5 million followers combined on Chinese social platform Weibo cosplayed the characters during CP28, Chinese Comic Con held in Shanghai. As seen in the video the couple posted, they were extremely popular, as the crowd of fans kept following them wherever they went.

this is a special repost to my past satosugu analysis

posted last 07.25.22 by @seouci only on tumblr.

[thedailydescent]

I think last week has just kind of proved that iwtv fandom "allyship" is all really a performance for many at the end of the day. I get this sense that a lot of people who pride themselves on taking Louis's abuse in the show seriously and call out fandom racism are really just in it for clout and to show off they can quote high school level reading material or something. Because if your allyship only extends as far as when Black people agree with you on a vampire show; the instant they disagree with you releases a flurry of seething anon hate, days of passive-aggressive posting, and patronizing lectures on "how to watch a show properly", if not just straight up blocking, then you don't really see Black people as people, only fodder to prop yourselves up.

I'm only exposed to a tiny section of this fandom. I'm not on twitter, only follow like 50 iwtv blogs, avoid shipping-focused blogs just out of preference, yet since the season finale, out of all the people I've seen express some level of discontentment with how 2x10 went and/or how Lestat/Louis/Armand was portrayed, either by the show and/or by fans, it was the ~10 Black people + 1 South Asian that got the most backlash for it. And wasn't just from racists, which, unfortunately, this fandom was already riddled with; a significant chunk was also from the ones who supposedly cared about calling those racists out. It is definitely curious how racism is suddenly acceptable when a poc, usually Black, dares to push back on someone who considers themselves an advocate, who has previously reblogged posts on how unfortunate it is that so many Black people are made to feel unwelcome in a fandom and eventually shoved out, then proceed to encourage calling Black people stupid who find something distasteful and racist, and in one case, imply that they are not really Black. Not to mention, a disproportionate focus on them, too. It's like non-Black people were so angered that someone Black could be so ungrateful as to not agree with them, The Vehement Antiracist, they couldn't wrap their heads around it, then came to the conclusion that they were the ones being racist and they weren't, therefore required an instant and rampant dress down. The audacity of it all.

[zaebeecee]

Hi Zae! Okay, so like ... I'm only saying this because it's been on my mind for a while ... And I just saw something, and it just hit me, and I'm on anon because like, I just have something to confess and it has something to do with Hazbin Hotel's voice cast and it's kinda harsh and I don't want people to think I'm mean, but like ... okay. So? That whole like sketch about "How Allosexuals treat Alastor" and your post about "Allosexuals breaking in and knocking over the plants? I can't stop thinking about it because I've felt like this is *EXACTLY* how Alastor's own (Allosexual) voice actors tend to treat him and talk about him though? And like, they maybe even set a precedent for this behavior? And it's annoying? Like, I love Amir but one thing I will say in Bosco's favor is that Bosco seemed to lean into to the "fan service" aspect a bit more than Amir does and I even noticed that like, um okay so like, in the little clip that goes around of Blake discovering RadioDust for the first time, Amir just kinda gives off this little "disappointed parent oh no no face"? Like he doesn't even wanna entertain the thought? But then he kind of gives in and is like "okay, I guess...:" when other cast members started talking positively about it, but he originally looked for a split second like he was about to scold someone or give a little lecture or something and to me that was just like: "My guy, I love you but at least Half of this fandom was built on RadioDust fanservice for the past five years, know your history! What are you doing???" Anyway, what I'm getting at is that sometimes, when I see the "allosexual breaking into your house and knocking over plants post, I want to reblog it and just be like "This is Amir Talai, though." And then I feel sort of bad. Should I feel bad? I don't think I can watch any Hazbin Hotel Cast clips on youtube without being lowkey annoyed anymore. Like, of course I still love them but I don't know...

Oof. Yeah, my friend, I totally get where you’re coming from. And this is just my personal opinion/reflection on the topic, but I feel like this is a case (with Amir personally) of having absolutely zero fandom experience of any kind before taking on the role that he did, as well as what happens when an allo who knows nothing about being ace tries to stay true to an ace character.

tl;dr because I kind of tend to ramble: I really think all we can do is speculate, since we don’t actually know Amir; but also, I don’t think you should feel bad about having a negative reaction to an allosexual speaking over ace people about an ace character, even if he is the voice actor and seems to be a decent person.

First off: no. I don’t think you should feel bad about looking at that and going “Amir Talai though”. It’s the energy he’s putting off, and it’s not your fault that it’s his actions that are pulling that response out of you.

I think Amir has, ultimately, good intentions when it comes to portraying Alastor as accurately as possible. But judging by his past tweeting and the (admittedly hilarious) list of things he’s had to Google since becoming Alastor’s voice, it’s very clear that he does NOT understand what fandom is all about. And he does seem to genuinely be trying! The Zoom call with Blake is particularly telling for all of them, because Amir was very “oh fuck” and Blake was very “OMG DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS AN OPTION??? :D” when, like you said, RadioDust kept the HH fandom alive for four years. Clearly, none of them actually dove into the fandom prior to the project, and I’m hoping that further exposure to the fans might help. As long as they’re not the same as the “we’re going to bully Joel Perez because we hate Valentino” people.

(Also, on Amir’s reaction there, I have no idea if it was “but Alastor is asexual and shipping him is BAD” or if it was “Blake what are you doing bringing this up now people are gonna get mad”, which… with certain people, particularly that very mean vocal minority in the HuskerDust community, is a valid concern. But he and Blake seem extremely close, so I’m not sure Blake would have put him on the spot publicly if he knew Amir would have a genuine negative reaction. But idk, this is all speculation on people I’ve only seen in panels and stuff like that.)

With Amir being allo… I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, because he has publicly apologized for misrepresenting Alastor’s ace spectrum in the past which does suggest that he’s listening to people, but it’s really on him to actually talk to asexual people so he has examples of real experience to draw from. So many people think that asexual automatically means sex repulsed and aromantic automatically means romance repulsed, and because of that, I can understand why Amir came into this with those assumptions. But since he IS so dedicated to the fans and he genuinely loves playing Alastor and wants to be as true as possible to him, he needs to stop looking at asexuality from an allosexual perspective. I haven’t seen anything at all recent from him on the subject, so his perspective could have changed?

But I don’t think you should feel bad about having a negative reaction to the way he’s choosing to react to ships. He is speaking over ace people, whether he realizes that he’s doing that or not, and that isn’t okay. And honestly, having that negative reaction is a good way to call attention to the problem, because if he knows the ace umbrella community has a problem with his black and white perspective on this, I think he’s more likely to listen to us. If part of your hesitation is that you like Amir (which, admittedly, is part of mine), it’s genuinely okay to like a voice actor in general and still be mad at them/criticize them for an aspect of their character interpretation, because ultimately Alastor is our representation, not his. And it matters more if a demisexual/grayaro wants to depict Alastor as their type of aspec than how an allosexual thinks asexuality should be.

On a related note, my husband and I are taking a RadioDust cosplay to a convention later this year, and both Amir and Blake are going to be there, so we’re hopeful we can tell both of them that we’re both aroace spectrum, married, and huge devotees of the ship (both because we’d like to help reinforce the fact that Blake himself is on board the ship and because Amir desperately needs help). idk if it’ll do anything but maybe it’ll at least get him thinking more critically about it.

[darklinaforever]

Not someone in real life coming to lecture me because I hate and criticize the character of Aegon II and more particularly Criston Cole from HOTD and Fire and Blood but love the character of Adam in Hazbin Hotel ?!

I'm not kidding, a guy literally barged into a discussion I was having with a friend at university to try to judge my fictional tastes. That’s crazy.

Also, a guy being a greens stans ? How surprising (#irony) !

Also, sorry not sorry, Adam from Hazbin Hotel is a much better villain / antagonist, and even just character, than Aegon II will ever be !

Already, he has the class of the designer, his dubbing is also perfect, his lines are hilarious, his song is great, he has a real relationship that is appreciable for the fans, clearly based on true affections / love (platonic I mean, even if I ship) with his female lieutenant Lute.

Without forgetting his whole rather vague past in the series, in particular with the story of the apple allowing us to know the difference between good and evil, of which we actually have no idea if he bit it like Eve did it in this version.

I certainly won't apologize for liking a character like Adam.

I even hope that he will return as a fisherman in season 2 with a little hope !

Adam is a thousand times better than Criston Cole in every sense of the word. It's just a fact.

[daisies-daydreams]

Office Hours - Chapter 8 (Professor!Miguel O’Hara x F!College-Student!Reader)

Category: Fluff/Angst Warnings: Self-Doubt/Self-Deprecating Thoughts, Implications of Depression

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this far into the story. I’m planning on ending it soon (possibly before Christmas - but we'll see).

Ch. 7 <- -> Ch. 9 (WIP)

MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS DNI

You bounced your leg as you twirled your pen between your sweaty fingers. You stared at the wide, empty desk stationed at the front of the room, it's presence making a sickening knot of dread tighten in your chest. You imagined...him walking through that heavy, oaken door, his heavy footsteps reverberating across the lecture hall. The thought of locking eyes with Miguel made your stomach drop. Those same eyes that looked at you with passion...no. No, it wasn't you.

It was someone you reminded him of. A carbon copy of someone who was adored with every fiber in his being.

"And what does that make you?" the venomous voice in your head quickly spat. A lump swelled in your throat at the notion.

“Do you think something happened to him?” a girl named Julia whispered behind you, pulling you from your spiraling thoughts. You stopped twirling your pen. 

“Last I heard he was in the hospital,” another girl, Cindy, replied in a hushed voice. Your eyes widened. 

“Really? How do you know?” Julia asked. Your heart thumped against your sternum as your mouth grew unbearably dry. 

“One of my friends works as a nurse in the ER. She said some woman brought him in,” the other young woman explained. You felt your heart plummet into the dark pit of your stomach. 

“Who do you think it was?” Julia asked with a bit too much excitement. You bit your lip as you bounced your leg even faster, nearly shaking your desk.

“Dunno,” Cindy shrugged.

Everyone in the room flinched when the door suddenly burst open. You gripped your pant legs as a few beads of sweat drenched the creases of your hands. This was it. Your eyes would meet, his dark, terrible-

“‘Sup,” Miguel's TA, Lyla, said before popping a huge, pink piece of bubble gum. Your brows furrowed as the young woman sauntered up to the large desk. She rested her hands on the wooden surface, her puffy, white coat billowing around her like a lion’s mane. She tilted her head down, scanning the classroom past the rim of her pink sunglasses.

“Alright, kiddos. Here’s the deal: O’Hara’s still out sick for the next few days, so you’ll have to listen to none other than yours truly,” Lyla said with a dramatic bow. Your shoulders slumped as relief washed over you.

"God, are you actually happy that he's sick?" the voice hissed. You squeezed your eyes shut for a brief moment.

“Alright, let’s see what good old Migs has for us today,” Lyla said as she cracked her knuckles. Her voice began to dissipate as your mind slowly drifted back to Miguel like a ship caught in a violent whirlpool. You felt yourself grow more and more sick as everything about him bombarded your mind: his face, his touch, the low timbre of his- 

You flared your nostrils before shaking your head. You turned towards Miles desk, only to not find him there as well. Right - he was visiting family in Puerto Rico for a few extra days. You sighed as you glanced back down at your laptop, the cursor lazing blinking up at you. You rested your fingertips on the keyboard, ready to take your notes with a bitter taste lingering in your mouth.

+++

By the time you finished your last class of the day, you were a frazzled mess. You just barely passed your quiz in Dr. Ohnn's class, you spilled your coffee all over your pants, and you've only had a granola bar to eat. You shuffled towards your dorm before hastily yanking your keys from your pocket. You groaned when a loud 'rip!' rang in your ears.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," you huffed.

You nearly jumped when your roommate opened the door. 

“Hey sis!” Gwen said with a bright grin. You gave a small smile before she stepped to the side. You blinked when you saw two more of your friends lounging in your living room. You locked eyes with one in particular, a shorter girl with a black bob cut and a pink hair pin.

“(Y/N)!” your friend Peni squealed as she hopped off the couch and rushed over to you. You felt frozen to the rug as she flung her arms around you and pulled you into a tight hug. “It’s been so long!” she beamed. You brought your heavy arms up and patted your friend’s back, your heart glowing ever so slightly.

“I thought you were with your dad in Japan,” you breathed before she pulled back. Peni’s eyes lit up even more. 

“Welp, he moved back to America for his job!” she cheered. You couldn’t help but smile at her bubbly demeanor, her bright smile stretching ear to ear and brown eyes glistening.

“That's awesome, Peni," you said as you turned to take off your coat and slip off your shoes. You sighed as you flung your bag over one of your kitchen chairs and tilted your head side to side.

“Hey girl," Gyatri said from couch, a plastic container of ramen nestled in her lap. You smiled before stepping over and carefully giving her a hug, not wanting to spill any of her dinner.

“Peni convinced you to watch anime?” you laughed as you glanced up at your TV. Gyatri reluctantly nodded.

“It wasn’t easy, but I eventually got to her,” Peni winked. 

“She bribed me with food,” Gyatri answered as she held up her container. You giggled while Peni playfully rolled her eyes. She soon plopped down on the couch and wrapped a fuzzy blanket around her thin shoulders. 

"I think you'll like this one, (Y/N)," she grinned.

"You say that about every anime you show me," you replied with a giggle.

"And?" she hummed. You opened your mouth, only to close it a few seconds later. "Mhm," Peni hummed triumphantly.

“Peni actually got some ramen for us, too,” Gwen interjected as she held a plastic bag towards you. You gazed down to see a bowl of ramen packaged nicely inside a plastic container.

“You’re welcome!” your dark-haired friend said while dramatically waving the remote. Your eyes softened as you took the bag into your hands. 

“Hey, you okay?” Gwen asked. You sniffed and nodded. 

“Yeah, just a rough day,” you said before wiping your eyes.  

“Welp, nothing a little shonen can’t fix!” Peni chirped. You cracked a smile as you turned your attention back to the TV, your friend flicking through the variety of titles that popped up. You sat yourself down at the end of the couch before cracking open the lid of your container. You sighed as the steam rose up and caressed your exhausted features.

“Peni, this isn’t going to be a scary anime like the last one you tried to make me watch, is it?” Gyatri groaned. Peni gasped. 

“Kimetsu No Yaiba isn’t that scary!” she said as she clasped her hand over her chest. Everyone giggled before Peni turned back to the TV with a small pout. “To answer your question: nope! It's not scary. Just a bunch of people in robots fighting aliens,” your friend shrugged before pressing play. Peni's eyes were instantly glued to the screen as she leaned forward. You watched as you ate your savory, hot meal - the ramen warming you from head to toe.

It wasn’t even a few episodes in before Peni and Gyatri were passed out, their soft snores echoing inside your small living room. Your own eyelids began to grow heavy before your roommate gently nudged your shoulder. 

“Psst, hey,” Gwen whispered. You grunted before letting out a small yawn. 

“Yeah?” you whispered back. Your roommate smiled as she pulled her knees up to her chest. 

“Hobie and I are doing a show at Montey’s this Friday. You wanna come?” Gwen asked with a tilt of her head. You bit the inside of your cheek as your heart sank. You barely had the energy to make it through today - how could you manage to make it to Friday?

“I don’t know,” you murmured before glancing back at the screen. Gwen nodded slowly. 

“You like him, don’t you?” she asked. Your eyes widened. 

“What do you mean?!” you whispered harshly. Her smile fell at your sudden burst of tension. You parted your lips as you sank back into your cushion. “I’m sorry,” you said. 

“It’s okay,” Gwen reassured you. Your shoulders sank as the ‘Are you still watching?’ screen popped up on your TV. You sucked in a sharp breath. “(Y/N), are you sure you’re doing okay?” she asked. You clenched your fists under your blanket. 

“I’m. Fine,” you said with a tight jaw. Gwen blinked as she let her feet sink onto the cold, hardwood floor. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you want, but I’m worried about you,” she confessed. You felt something sting into your heart as your body sank deeper into the couch. You squeezed your eyes shut as you dipped your head into your knees. Before you could even stop it, your shoulders began to shake as you stained your blanket with hot, heavy tears. Gwen gently placed a hand on your upper back as you quietly sobbed. 

“It’ll be alright, just let it out,” your roommate whispered. And you did - crying for what felt like hours until you had nothing left.

————

Thank you for reading! ❤️

Taglist: @maybethatfanfictionwriter @depressesoespressorat @yuhhtricki999 @sebinis-musings @lavenderbabu @tayleighuh @thedevax @famouscattale @spktrgantenk @zombieblogx @mrswhitethornbelikov @galaxy-dusk @samanthashadowriley @theloneshadow24 @xxkay15xx @inspace1 @manlikemilesmyguy @ghostslynx @synamonthy @oharasfilipinawife @scaleniusrm @jotarossshark @acotarobbsessed @8xbygirl @blueapplesiren @catchmeupimgettingoutofhere @lyrasdrawer

Want to be a part of my taglist? Comment down below!

[skateboardtotheheart]

in every fandom, I see a lot of posts that are always like "if you don't like this character you're wrong" or "you just don't understand them" and seeing those kinds of posts just makes me so frustrated???

most recently I've seen a lot of those posts about the cat king from dead boy detectives (just because it's my latest hyperfixation), and frankly, yeah, I don't really understand. and I will read your entire long post explaining why he's got all these little nuances or subtle tones or genuineness that I missed and I can grow a little more understanding about him. but hey- when I'm done reading your post? unfortunately I still do not like him. I can appreciate him and what he brings to the show, but I just don't like him. it's not because I think he's creepy or gets in the way of a ship or anything most people automatically assume - he's just not my vibe. he simply doesn't fit in the scope of characters I enjoy.

and why is that wrong?? why do I need to be lectured at because of that?? when did fandoms get to a point that people aren't allowed to have differing opinions on a character or dislike a character just because? yes, a lot of the time it is, but it doesn't always need to be deeper than that.

YOU relate to that character on a deeper level, YOU understand their intrinsic motivations, or at least what you perceive them to be, and YOU love that character. fantastic!! I'm happy for you!! enjoying media in a way where you can do that is how it is meant to be!! but in absolutely no universe will everyone ever have the exact same interpretations of a character or piece of media. we all see different aspects of people and relate to things/characters differently. I've been on both sides of things! sometimes my favorite character in a show is someone that everyone else hates or doesn't care for, but I'm okay with that! if they disagree with me, then they disagree with me. I've done the deep dives into why I think the character acts the way they do and taken time to devote myself to better understanding them.

but some people just don't do that. you can be a fan of something without doing that with a character. hell, you can be a fan of something by only ever consuming the source material at its surface level and NEVER going deeper if you do not want to do so. it's allowed.

maybe while you're interpreting a character to have a deeper trauma that results in them acting the way they do, they're reminding someone else of trauma they went through and that character makes them feel bad. maybe you see someone trying to help, but someone else sees it as manipulation. maybe you see someone cold and bitter while someone else sees the kindest person with years of walls built up around them. maybe what someone else interprets as funny, you have never laughed at.

((if we're keeping with the dbd example, think about when the Night Nurse watched Charles' death. what she saw was the quick and utter devotion that Charles developed for Edwin and how deeply he cares for him; she's seeing that Charles will truly not give up in getting Edwin back from hell. what Charles saw was the pure kindness Edwin had done for him even after all those decades in the worst place imaginable; he's seeing who Edwin is on a deeper level. neither interpretations of the memory are incorrect. but after watching the exact same thing, they are thinking in two entirely different directions))

so why does everything seem to start off with "you're wrong" and "I'm sad for you because you just don't get it"? we should be HAPPY that there are people out there who take different approaches and have different interpretations. that is how media is meant to be consumed. and I'm not saying that you shouldn't make your long posts explaining why you love a character- by all means do that!! you understand something that others don't and that should be put out in the world!! but if you're going to do that you also need to understand that there are a lot of people who you WILL persuade, and there are a lot of people who you will NOT. don't be upset about that and certainly do not put down or lecture anyone who doesn't agree with you. it's OKAY. it is not the end of the world just because someone doesn't like a character you like.

everyone interprets media differently. and that's amazing.

[quixtrix]

Ngl, did NOT have this scenario on my metaphorical bingo card for insane shit that has happened in this fandom. Infighting and discourse? Yeah. Fighting over ships? Yeah. Main character getting sidelined? Unfortunate but also yeah. Someone making essentially a fan theory about the creator's personal life, getting mad that people are telling them that's creepy, then turning around and calling others CREEPS for 'being entitled to personal info' even though they started it in the first place? Wow, most of those types back off and put out a shitty apology to try and get people to back off, but this mf doubled down and hit it with a double whammy of 'well you should've expected it, don't want your work to be known, don't create', what the actual fuck is going on here.

i dont even know man. i think i shouldnt have engaged further after the initial villain monologue bro pulled on me, but i digress. it was also very weird to me how they were lecturing me on how to analyse media and digest it but couldnt register that i was using a basic example in my initial explanation on why writing about dark topics does not necessarily equal having the trauma those experiences give.

tbf i looked at their blog and theyre a zionist so

[motheatenscarf]

I'm a notoriously slow RPG player and have had kind of a busy day besides, but I have made it as far as the Grove and doing most of the side quests there, and man, they've changed a LOT from early access!

I like Gale a LOT more this time around, they really toned down his superiority complex, he seems more excited to explain things because he's special interest infodumping, rather than like, lecturing you because you're stupid and you need someone to explain these very simple things to you.

I also like that they shortened up the Nautoloid section in the tutorial, they messed up the ship a lot more and cut out the thralls running the cannons. Really added to the stakes that you had to RUN to the bridge.

The camp clothes are adorable and apparently because I was an Early Access player, I got the digital deluxe version for free! So I got lots of fun DOS2 themed clothes and gear and whatnot. Look how cute Rose looks in it!

Things I'm less sure on are Wyll's recast and retooled story. I think it's very compelling to make his goal a conflicting one with one of the other origin characters/companions, but it makes him less personally endearing for him not to care as much about the tieflings in the Grove. The new VA is great, he does sound like nobility this time around, less cocky and self aggrandizing, but I also liked how forced and put-on his bluster felt. You really got the impression before that nobody bought his hype, least of all himself as the man selling it. Idk. I guess I have to put that version of Wyll out of my mind because he seems like a VERY different character now.

I googled why the VA was recast, wondering if he'd gotten canceled for something or other, but apparently they completely reworked Wyll because he just "wasn't connecting with players." Which... is disappointing for a number of reasons.

I'm not very far in, but I'm already wishing they'd just stuck to their guns because we all

KNOW

WHY

players were having a "hard time" """"connecting"""" to Wyll over any of the other characters, and it had nothing to do with his story or his VA. He worked fine as a character, he was internally consistent with plenty of plot hooks into the main narrative with an overarching mystery that would be solved by progressing his story. I'm sure this new version will work too, and he's far from the only character they've retooled personality-wise.

Shadowheart was kinda snide and hostile at first, now she's almost playful if still secretive. Gale was arrogant and condescending, now he's eccentric and excitable. Even Astarian who started out much more overtly salacious and cruel has been toned down to just, general hedonism and selfishness. Lae'zel has always been Lae'zel tho lol.

So like. Idk, I want to take it in good faith that Wyll's actual story has been the most noticeably retooled since his was the most complete narrative we got out of Act 1 from early access, but also, I can't NOT be suspicious when I've seen it happen so many times where devs will "rework" a black character who isn't "connecting" with fans.

[heinzpilsner]

Tadadada! Here's the epilogue to my 'Overanalyzing beach Maiko' series.

Firstly, let's list some main conclusion theses:

1) Mai became interested in Zuko's problems after he directly mentioned his scar and his relationship with Ozai for the first time, so her final change of attitude does make some sense.

2) The basis for Zuko's irrational jealousy was Mai's annoyed facial expression after he criticized Ruon-Jian.

3) The context of Zuko's jealousy rampage actually leaves a loophole for not-possessive interpretation (yay).

4) Despite how badly Zuko screwed up, Mai somehow managed to screw up even more (yep, still sounds contr-intuitive).

5) Mai actually expresses herself all the time and her "childhood trauma" is a big bullshit.

6) Apart from his inner crisis, Zuko has to fix many problematic attitudes and personality settings before he'll become a decent romantic partner for anyone.

7) So does Mai.

Something like this.

And now, a bit of old good boring and inaccurate psychology lecture mistake correction.

I think that I misinterpreted Zuko's side of "bring me food" scene, actually. You see, I saw it as conscious submission in order to avoid conflict with Mai, but...

It actually looks more like Zuko genuinely didn't realize that Mai's demand was not okay. He wasn't exactly eager to please her*, but he also didn't see her attitude towards him as problematic.

(*Not catching Mai's "I'm hungry" initial hint is kind of an indicator of Zuko's cool-off towards her. I mean, acts of service is his typical way of showing affection, which makes his sudden cluelesness pretty notable.)

Basically, Mai and Zuko in this scene demonstrate opposite facets of locus of control problem. Simply put, they both believe that Zuko is responsible for something he really isn't - in this case, satisfying Mai's hunger.

Later, though, it's Zuko who believes Mai owes him something - namely, to give him affection and meet his emotional needs. In his head, he gives responsibility for his emotional well-being to Mai and scolds her when she "ignores her duty" by not being "passionate" enough.

(But while Mai doesn't owe Zuko anything formally, she made a mistake of severely underestimating Zuko's contribution into relationship and his real value for her. This resulted in her coldness and lack of gratitude in response to his affection, which is quite a big relationship screw-up.)

Okaaay, and with that part out of the way, it's time for my final personal reflections.

In general, I have no doubts I made lots of other mistakes during my analysis. I tried my best, but to dissect relationship conflicts correctly, you need to have good feeling of personal boundaries and empathy of your own. And... Well. It's not exactly my forte.

I compensate for some things with theoretical knowledge, but my mind is a mess, so... Yep.

I feel like I have to go and read more psychological theory after this.

Also, I kinda tried to do an entertainment out of this, and roasting format doesn't exactly mix good with being objective. So, yep. It seems I got some kind of useless Frankenstein monster in the end, lol.

And finally... Perhaps I had to make it clear much earlier, but...

I have nothing against Maiko shippers or Mai fans. Ta-da!

I'm sure they have a lot against me now though, pffft.

I realize what I wasn't exactly restrained in my roasting, so it's natural for you to dislike me. But my goal wasn't to tell you what your preferences are inadequate or something. I mean, I myself ship much more toxic problematic shit (and have a weak spot for all sorts of flawed characters). It isn't supposed to be about being rational. You like it, I don't, it's ok.

Dunno, maybe someone needed to hear this.

That's all, I guess. If you were reading this series - thanks for your attention. Despite everything, it was a rather interesting experience for me, and I hope you found something useful for yourself too.

I wonder what I should analyse next >:D

I ignore all notifications, but maybe I'll make an exception soon. Ta-da! What a cliffhanger.