#and the other has a character who has a big moment coming up

[gumisbwunni]

Satoru is soooo friends to lover

tysm for the support, i want to start writing other characters so lmk who i should write! ps. ignore any typos :/

───────────୨ৎ───────────

just think about it, that disgusting slow burn, like as you gradually grow with him. he knows you like the back of hand, he knows you.

he knows when youre upset, or when youre uncomfortable because you bite the inside of your cheek, and your eyebrows slightly furrow.

and he knows when he should step up and back down. He'll let you have your space if you ask for it but he also knows you need someone to lean on, and if thats hititng his chest angrily, crying on his shoulder, ranting your ass off, hell be there.

Satoru took a liking to you because, for once in his life, someone saw him. Not the prodigy, not the heir to the Gojo legacy—just Satoru, your best friend.

you never treated him any differently, even when everyone else put him on a pedestal. You were the one person who kept him grounded, and he didn’t even realize when he started falling for you.

maybe it was the way you’d laugh at his stupid jokes, or the way you’d roll your eyes at his antics but still always have his back. Maybe it was the way you challenged him, called him out when no one else dared to. Or maybe it was just… you.

and how could you not fall for him, too? He’s Satoru, your best friend who defends you no matter what, who lets you see parts of him no one else does. The one who’d do anything for you—even if you told him to jump off a cliff, he’d probably ask, “How high?”

but there’s always been this line between you, this unspoken agreement to keep things platonic. Until… it starts to crack.

it starts with the little things—like the way his jaw tightens when you talk about your dates, or how he goes suspiciously quiet when you get dolled up for some guy he already knows is a waste of your time. He hates seeing you walk out the door, knowing the night will only end with you disappointed yet again.

and when you come storming back, heels in hand, muttering, “You would not believe the nerve this guy had,” Gojo’s sitting on the couch, grinning like he knew it all along. Of course he did. The guy probably asked to split the bill or talked about himself the whole night. Gojo always hated the way these guys never saw you the way he did.

because if you were on a date with him, you wouldn’t need to bring a purse. He wouldn’t even let you think about paying. He’d take care of everything, because he’s just that guy.

but he knows he can’t—he shouldn’t. It’s a line he’s not supposed to cross, no matter how badly he wants to.

and yet… he catches himself thinking about the way your eyes light up when you look at him. Those big, doe eyes that make his heart stutter in his chest.

he hates when you’re mad at him, but at the same time, you look so cute when you’re all fired up that he can’t help but push your buttons, just to see you pout.

he'll beg for your forgiveness afterward, of course, but there’s a part of him that loves how your attention is all on him, even if it’s because you’re annoyed.

his feelings are a fragile balance, always sitting just at the edge of his tongue.

it only took one moment—one crack—and it all spilled out. He told you everything. How much you mean to him, how the thought of a life without you is unbearable.

and now that you’re officially his girlfriend, it’s like a dam has broken. He wants to spend every waking moment with you, like he needs you to fill his lungs, his thoughts, his everything. He needs you bad.

and, it’s no surprise to anyone—not Shoko, not Geto, not Nanami. They all saw it coming from a mile away. Everyone knew. Everyone but you.

[thewisedoge]

Jim Carrey's performance as Gerald Robotnik. (A short analysis)

After like a month of Sonic 3 being out and seeing all the love that everyone is throwing at it. (Including me)

I think we're overlooking how good of an actor Jim Carrey really is in it... Specifically with how he played Gerald.

I think the big part of why I think his performance worked so well was the buildup to the reveal of his true intentions and what he really thinks about Ivo as a grandson.

Once they're at the ARK and arrive at the Eclipse Cannon... You can't help but notice the classic Jim Carrey snark and insanity in his voice... is gone. Not only that, if you look closely at how he acts, his entire demeanor has changed.

Specifically you can notice this when the ARK is released and starts rising up into space, Ivo raises his hand for a high five, y'know from his good old grand genome. But... Gerald doesn't notice or is outright ignoring it.

I know this scene is mainly played for laughs but I really think it was smart to have Gerald become cold hearted and stone faced once he's SO CLOSE to achieving his goal. To avenging his dear granddaughter.

Now throughout the films its basically a big joke that the Eggmen is basically insane. Not only that, they're both AWARE they're insane. But in those films it felt more like an obligation for both Eggman's character and the fact he's played by Jim Carrey.

But once Gerald reveals the true power of the Eclipse Cannon and what he plans to do with it. Even EGGMAN of all people is shocked.

I mean, look at the stark contrast of expression between the two.

DOES THIS LOOKS LIKE THE FACE OF SOMEONE WHO IS OKAY WITH THE EVENTS THAT ARE UNFOLDING?

It's a running theme in the games that Eggman wants to rule the world, not destroy it, so it's really cool to see them adapt that into the film as well.

Speaking of adapting things from the games. It's very well known that this game is based on Sonic Adventure 2. But what I didn't expect them to do was to adapt a lore detail that was introduced in the RECENT games... and that is the extra depth added to Eggman.

In Sonic Frontiers, it's revealed in one of the many Egg Memos you can buy from the fishing minigame that once Maria was killed by the GUN soldier on the arc, everyone was mourning the loss of her life... Neglecting young Ivo in the process.

Now I know the Sonic fandom is divided on Ian Flynn as a writer for the franchise, but this has got to be one of the funniest but saddest things he's written for a character.

Like, it'd be natural to assume a character like Eggman to have daddy issues, but if you made it work alongside but emphasizing the sheer weight and impact of another one of the saddest moments in the series. It's really good writing.

In the movie, they basically take inspiration from this and adapt it to work with Gerald's villainous breakdown. Not only that. They casually just write one of the most heartbreaking and shocking scenes to come out of these movies.

It's kind of hard to explain so I'll just write it out using screencaps from the scene lol.

"WHAT!?!"

(laughing) "WE CAN'T ANNIHILATE THE EARTH!"

(this reaction shot SEALS it. It's like Gerald's admiring that despite his grandson's intellect. He's still incredibly naive and blinded by sentiment.)

"By combining our genus we can rule humanity! Together!"

"Humanity is a failed experiment! If anyone should know that it's you."

"All your life you've been rejected by this world. You have nothing down there. No one who cares about you."

"..." "... But I have you now."

"..." "... We're family. We have each other!"

"Oh Ivo..."

(Once again I have to praise Jim Carrey's acting in this scene. Look at the body language, how his eyes move. He looks at Ivo up and down... As if he's reminiscing. Stuck between that state utter comparison and grief. Standing in front of him is someone of his own flesh and blood. Someone who loves him... But Gerald is too overcome by his own insanity, grief and hatred towards humanity. He can't see that anymore. All he can see anytime he looks at Ivo... is her. So he then utters. By far the best line in the movie.)

"You're no Maria."

I mean...

LOOK. AT HIS FACE.

LOOK AT IT!!

Imagine being Ivo in this moment, after years of being neglected, belittled and bullied by schoolmates. You finally find someone who seems at first to genuinely care about you... Only to find out he... Was just like everyone else.

"The moment I lost her my family was GONE FOREVER."

Okay, my one big criticism with this movie is the fact Gerald doesn't see Shadow like a son to him. I can see why they made Gerald the big bad of the movie so Shadow could come back in future installments as a protagonist. So I guess Gerald having to be a manipulative POS will have to do.

"The only way to give Maria's life meaning is to destroy the world that took her from me!"

"SO I'M BURNING IT ALL DOWN!!!"

It's criminal how most of the criticism and the division on this movie comes from the amount of Eggman shenanigans in it. But I can't help but love it since the emotional core becomes strong near the end and has been built up between the love fans have for Eggman in the movies and it was interesting seeing an Eggman centered character arc of him having to choose between blood family or... uh.

His boyfriend. I'm sorry.

There's literally no other term for a relationship like this. "Henchman" my ass. THEY SWAPPED SALIVA I JUST KNOW IT.

Anyway. Yeah. Sonic 3 is really good not just from a game accurate or a fan pleasing perspective, but from a writing perspective as well. Jim Carry as Gerald needs more recognition.

[bluebirdsfeathers]

Corporate Life

──────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────

Relationship: Ceo!Wanda X Butch!Loser!Reader

Summary: The disappointment of not being picked to be Wanda’s intern wasn’t going to stop you from settling into corporate life. Especially since you were assigned to work with her brother, Pietro, and she always found excuses to visit.

Words: 2.4k

Warnings: age gap relationship (R is early 20s, W is like 40), no smut here but we might get there later (no promises tho).

A/N: I have an essay due that is less words than this and yet here we are. I’m going to introduce more marvel character each part. I have no idea how many parts this will end up being, but I know how it will end.

Part 1

──────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────

──────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────

The subway on a weekday morning was something you knew you’d never get used to. Everyone in a rush to get somewhere yet somehow nobody was moving even remotely fast. It was a miracle you’d gotten on a train and not just swept away by a mudslide of office workers. Heading into work you made you was straight to the elevators and back up to the third floor. Today you would be assigned to a department of the paper, and the anticipation was making you nervous. Unlike yesterday you were slightly early and where shocked to find you were the first one there. Taking a seat inside the conference room you were told to meet at, you pulled out your phone and began scrolling Instagram.

“I’ve never understood the obsession with social media,” A unfamiliar voice broke the silence, and you jumped slightly putting your phone down, “My apologies I thought you heard me come in.” Wanda smirked walking towards the other end of the long table, placing down some files, before walking back towards you. “I thought the paper was branching out into social media content?” Your voice came out a little higher than usual. Wanda stopped behind you placing a hand on your shoulder and giving it a light squeeze “We are… but that has nothing to do with me.” She said with a laugh before leaving the room.

It wasn’t long before the rest of the interns showed up along with Dr Banner, as he told you to call him, who you’d met yesterday. He looked to be around fifty with greying hair and a permanently sad expression. One of the first things he’d done was list his multiple degrees and explain how he’d ended up working here as an environmental science editor. The Westview Paper was one of the oldest most prestigious news sources in the country, maybe even the world. It had been in the Maximoff family since the 1950s, now being run by Wanda since her father’s retirement. Today you would find out what department you would be interning in for the next six months. Dr Banner handed out an envelope to each intern, rambling on about how pointlessly dramatic this all was and how he had other more important things to do than this. Everyone was quick to open their envelopes, the wait was just too much.

Your file read ‘Sports and Fitness’ in bold at the top. You’d been on the women’s basketball team in college and had spoken about it in your interview, you loved sports so this should be a perfect fit, but you couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed, she hadn’t picked you. “Lads look, I’m Wanda’s intern!” You turn to see Theo, who in this moment you decided you hated, holding up his file to the room looking far too smug. “I guess that proves I’m the alpha here.” You didn’t even entertain him with forced laughter like the others, you simply grabbed your bag and file and left to find a quiet spot to read. You discovered you’d be working for Pietro Maximoff, a quick google search told you that was Wanda’s brother and the head of that department. The file told you everything that would be expected of you over the next few months, some big and small goals as well as a weekly schedule that by the look of didn’t have you meeting with Pietro for a few hours.

To kill time, you decided to have a wonder around the building, the tour yesterday had given you a better understanding of the layout, but you still weren’t confident you could get from a to b without getting a little lost. Round every was another impossibly long corridor lined with doors and window into almost identical rooms that occasionally showed signs of life. As you rounded what must have been the fifth corner you saw a now familiar red head seemingly yelling at a room of men in suits. You stopped walking unsure whether to turn back or keep going like you hadn’t seen anything but before you could react the door to the room opened and the men hurried out, their heads held low like children after being told off. Your eyes went back to the room where Wanda stood, eyes closed, taking several slow deep breaths. Deciding it would be best to leave before you stumble upon something else you weren’t meant to see you turned around only to be stopped by Wanda calling your name.

“Y/n, what are you doing here?” It was hard to read her tone, and a pit formed in your stomach worried you’d upset her. “I was just… familiarising myself with the building. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.” You stumbled all over your words. “I should go I need to meet Pietro soon and I…” Wanda’s eyes lit up and a smile graced her face “Of course you’re his intern, why don’t I walk you?” You tried to politely refuse her offer, not wanting to be a bother, but she out right refused to take no for an answer, especially after you let it slip you didn’t know where his office was. Turns out it wasn’t far, one floor down and across the walkway and you where there.

The sports department was unlike the other places you been shown so far. It was lively with open plan desks, no cubicles or grey walls, instead hanging around the room was a variety of different countries flags and sports team memorabilia. The staff talked freely amongst themselves; you expected the noise to die down when Wanda entered but it didn’t. You watched her talk with them and share a joke or two, a stark contrast to the rage you’d seen her display moments ago. “Now where is he?” She asked the man she’d been talking to.

“Wanda!” You heard an excited voice call from across the room, “Wands! I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about this side of the building. We’re still being published right?” Pietro’s smile was the same as Wanda’s, warm with a slight hint of mischief. He was much taller than her, with bleach blonde hair and light stubble. “This must be y/n? Great to finally put a face to the name.” He said giving you a playful tap to the arm. “Look Wands I would love to catch up, but I need to get y/n settled.”

“Actually, there is something I need to talk to you about, but we need to discuss that in private. Can I steel you at some point tomorrow?”

“Yeah sure, you have my schedule so let me know when you are free.”

With that Wanda gave you both a smile and left.

Pietro made fast work of the power point he has prepared, and you were glad to hear business wear wasn’t mandatory in his department. Which was a relief as you only had two formal shirts and you’d already worn both. He sent you home early after reassuring you the missing hours wouldn’t come out of your wages and any disappointment over Wanda not picking you was gone. You were going to really enjoy having him for a boss.

The rest of the week went by quickly, you had so much work to be getting on with and so many people to get to know. Your desk was right by Pietro’s so he could keep an eye on you and help you when you needed it. You looked at the clock, it was quarter to five already, almost time to go home for the weekend. That was something you were excited about. This internship only had you working Monday to Friday, that meant you had the whole weekend to yourself. As you hit save for the last time on what you were working on you heard the door on the far end of the room open and looked up to see Wanda followed closely by Theo.

“Hi, Pietro, this is Theo, Theo this is my brother, Pietro. Y/n, you remember Theo, don’t you?” You nodded and watched as the two men shook hands. Yes, you did remember Theo, how could you forget a man that reminded you of all your high school bullies rolled into one and served with a silver spoon. “What do we owe the pleasure?” Pietro asked playfully.

“Oh, you know, just making the rounds, checking on all the new recruits at the end of the first week.”

“We are? I thought you said you needed to check on something important?” Theo said obliviously and Wanda gave a nervous laugh. “The wellbeing of my employees is important Theo. Now y/n how have you been?” You tried and failed to meet Wanda’s eyes as she gave you her full attention. “Good.” Was all you could squeeze out; you didn’t understand why she still made you so nervous. “He hasn’t been working you too hard has he.” Her voice was light and had the same playful tone as Pietro’s. Finally, you found it in you to look her in face and were surprised to see a slight blush that almost matched your own. “No, he hasn’t.” you said leaving an awkward silence in the air. “Well, we better head off, enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you Monday.” Without another word Wanda left, Theo once again following closely behind.

It wasn’t long before the excitement and novelty of your new job wore off and all you longed for was the weekend. You’d gotten to know lots more faces around the office, even the lady at the front desk. You learnt her name was Pam and she wasn’t a huge bitch like you initially thought, she was just going through a divorce and her ex-husband, Jerry, was the worst. Somehow, you’d managed to develop a sense of normalcy working in this place. The only thing that kept you on edge were the surprise visits Wanda would do to the department; she was always finding a reason to come down here. Most made sense, like visiting her brother, checking on what stories were being published, but other times it felt like she was going out of her way to poke her head in seemingly just to talk to you, which hadn’t gotten easier yet.

Earlier today, while waiting for a copy of an article she’d tried to start a conversation with you. “I like your t-shirt.” Wanda said as she sat on your desk. “t-thanks, I like your blouse it’s… pink?” You said in return, unsure what to say. “What does it say? Radio head? I didn’t think young people listened to the radio these days.” She said lightly grazing her fingers across your arm. “Oh, Radio Head are a band… like music and stuff.” You shifted awkwardly in your chair, turning back to focus on your work. Pietro returned with the article and Wanda got up and left, giving you a light pat on the back as she walked past you.

The memory of that encounter played on your mind as you got ready to leave work for the day. “Y/n! Hey, I need to head to a meeting, I know you’re about to go home but can you go upstairs to Wanda’s office and drop this off? She needs to approve it before it goes to print.” Pietro handed you the latest copy of the sports news magazine, Wanda was big on seeing the final product physically before it was sent of to print so you agreed to drop it off in her office. She was never there anyway, far too busy to sit down with the election cycle going on. You headed to the lift pressing the very top button to take you all the way to the thirteenth floor, Pietro had given you his ID to get clearance to do so. Once the elevator doors opened, you walked into what looked like a living room, but what was just a very fancy looking wating area. There was a door to the left you assumed to be a bathroom and two large doors straight ahead that must lead to her office. You thought about whether to just leaving the magazine on the coffee table but before you could the large doors swung open.

“I don’t care who his father is! I’ve had enough of him! Who does he think he is anyway selling information to…” Wanda stopped her tirade when she saw you standing there with an expression of shock on your face. “Y/n? What are you doing up here?” She slightly snapped at you.

“Pietro told me to give you this.” You held out the magazine visibly trembling. “I’m sorry Ms Maximoff, I didn’t know you’d be here.” You voice shook slightly as you tried to stay calm while rapidly pressing the elevator button. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I’m leaving now.” The doors finally opened, and you hurried inside. “Y/n wait I didn’t mean to…” Wanda’s words were cut off by the doors closing as the lift took you back to the second floor. Breathing heavily, you tried to calm yourself down. You should have just dropped of the magazine and gotten out of there. Why must you always get yourself in these types of situations? You hoped it would be a while before you’d next see Wanda, maybe she would have forgotten all about it by then. Realising you were still clutching the magazine; you headed back to the sports department. Placing it on Pietro’s desk, along with his ID, you wrote a post-it note apologising, hoping he wouldn’t be too disappointed with you. All you could think about on your commute home was how angry Wanda looked over whatever it was she was yelling about. It scared you how she can be so warm and friendly one second then completely switch the next. Sometimes you forgot how rich and powerful she really was.

Once inside your apartment you kicked off your shoe’s and sat down on your mattress now being held up by your nice new bedframe. The money you’d earned from this job was improving your life greatly. You’d bought a new pair of trainers without having to wait for your current ones to be falling apart. If this mistake today ended up costing you your job, you’d never forgive yourself. Taking out your phone you decided to take your mind off things by clearing out some work emails you hadn’t gotten around to today but at the top of your inbox was a new message sent only five minutes ago. It was addressed to all the interns and marked urgent.

The subject read: ‘Meeting tomorrow 9am, Floor: 3 Room: 24B’. A new wave of panic washed over you when you saw it was sent by Wanda.

──────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────

inspired by this post by @wandaslittlehorns

[moonshinesonic-moonstarslight]

More Tiny Cumplane!

Og Mobei Jun: *stares down at tiny Qinghua. Wonders if Qinghua got cursed. Sees wide excited eyes staring back at him. Really wonders if his human got cursed* Hm.

Airplane (currently the size of a 3yold): *beaming smile, not worried at all about getting killed by his favorite character* Hi! You are very pretty, my king!

Og Mobei Jun: *knows Qinghua only calls him that to others when questioned on why he supports the 'weak' fourth prince. Also knows that Qinghua only talks about his looks when drunk or drugged. Worry increases* Oh? Is he now?

Airplane: *nods happily, gesturing wildly* Of course! My king is the best after all!

Og Mobei Jun: *flattered even if his concern has skyrocketed. Plotting on finding out what happened to his human* Hm.

Og SQH: *rushes into the room* Xiao Yi! I told you to go to Qing Jing! Why are you still... *Sees Mobei Jun* My Lord!!

Og Mobei Jun: *two Qinghuas? One big? One little? Yi? As in one? Stares at his human searching for answers*

Og SQH: *panicking because the child was not supposed to meet the demon he works for! The little brat will share with his friend no matter what. And while Shen-shixiong will not be told anything, the disfavored disciple will be* This lowly one apologizes! Aiya! Aiya! Xiao Yi get over here right now.

Airplane: *skips over, enjoying this immensely. Has a horrible idea mid-skip. Grinning as he continues over* Okay Mama!!

Og SQH: *keeps his annoyed expression without faltering, but now silently screaming and wondering if he was actually his much of a menace as a child (yes), pulls the child out of the room* Excuse us my lord, I need to talk to my child for a moment.

Airplane: *seeing that this is backfiring quickly, tears up* I'm sorry Mama. Xiao Yi just wanted to see 'your king' as he's Xiao Yi's king too!

Og SQH: *finish dragging the child out of the room, silently wondering if killing his 'younger self' would be worth it* And Mama did not think it was safe for Xiao Yi to do so yet. That is why Mama told you to go play with A-Yuan and Bing-ge on Qing Jing. *Tightens hold on child's wrist slightly* You are very lucky my lord is feeling merciful at the moment Xiao Yi.

Og Mobei Jun: *listening in, wondering when his human had a child and more importantly with who. He could have sworn he ran off all the others eyeing his human. Did Qinghua go behind his back even with this? ... Was his human so desperate for a child that he wouldn't wait for Mobei Jun to propose? He had been waiting for Qinghua to respond to the courting attempts... Had he missed something? Did Qinghua respond and he just went along like nothing happened? If so did his sneaky human take matters into his own hands as usual?* Hm. Mobei Yi then.

(Yes, Mobei Jun has come to the conclusion that Airplane is his and Qinghua's child. That SQH went out of his way to have out of frustration of their courtship going nowhere. He is never corrected on this. Airplane finds it hilarious and Og SQH is blind to this conclusion.)

[allastoredeer]

[cupping my hands like a starving victorian orphan]: Please m'lord, more dark Lucifer?

Just any random thoughts or half formed ideas you'd be comfortable sharing, I'd eat up with a spoon! Like, do you have any headcanons you're going off of?

Hush, poor wretched child. I have scraps upon which I may bestow.

The big parts of Lucifer's character in this AU is his abandonment issues, touch-starvation, loneliness. From those, comes a heaping of protectiveness and possessiveness.

For now, Charlie is the focal point of his attention. He's protective of her, and, yes, a touch possessive of her. He doesn't want to share, least of all with Alastor.

But if someone were to, say, garner his interest, while he wouldn't just forget Charlie, some of that attention would turn to his person of interest. He lost his family in Heaven, he lost his wife, for a while he lost his daughter, if he loses one more person, he is going to snap. He can't handle another loss.

He craves care, love and connection. He wants it with every part of his being. Getting a taste of it after who-knows-how-many years is addicting and he has no intention of stopping.

Alastor, on the other hand, is too curious for his own good. He started picking up strange vibes from Lucifer the moment they met. He already didnt have the best opinion of him when they first met, but that dislike turns into unnerved curiosity.

He's also not scared easily. He's too prideful to admit when he is. The closer Lucifer gets, the more determined he is to meet him head-on. And maaaaybe he gets in a littttle over his head. But he's a manipulative little shit, and just like he did with Charlie, he can use Lucifer's insecurities against him.

[squish--squash]

on the topic of this post I made I also wanna talk about how nii satoru utilizes giving us, the readers, characters' backgrounds as a whole.

So far the characters we've seen flashbacks of/gotten backstories of have been Umemiya, Choji and Togame, Tsubaki, Hiragi and Sako and Kaji, Endo and Takishii, suzuri, and Sugishita (give or take a few more characters).

This might seem like a lot of characters, but the thing is, we're always given these flashbacks and backstories because we need them, or because they parallel to Sakura in one way or another.

Us getting Umemiya's backstory gives us a very big opening into learning WHY he is the way he is and why he does everything the way he does. It reveals to us why he focuses so much on eating with people and gardening, when it wasn't something we might've been wondering in the first place. As such a monumental guide and positive role model for Sakura, learning about Umemiya's past and how those key moments have effected him today allows us to realize just how much growing up Sakura still needs; while Umemiya's seemed to have completed his own journey in a way, Sakura is still leaps and bounds away from completing his own.

Choji and Togame and their history together with Shishitoren gives us more perspectives. With Togame, it gives us reasoning behind why he'd been choosing to act the way he'd been when we first met him, and creates depth by having us learn that he's not just some crazy evil guy who wants to stomp on people just for fun, he's been in agony for years. With Choji, it gives us another perspective on what it might look like for someone to find their way to the top with no further purpose, which is what Sakura's original goal was. He didn't want to be at the top so he could be a leader, he wanted at the top to prove himself and nothing more. With no further goal in mind, he could easily fall into a similar path as what Choji was walking down before the duel with Umemiya.

Tsubaki gives us hindsight and details on his own past and why he's so loyal to Furin and Umemiya, and why he is the way he is, which is important due to the themes surrounding his character involving self-acceptance and identifying with something outside of the norm. Both of those things are important to Sakura, with his unique looks and his overarching story revolving around the acceptance of others and himself. It was a backstory he, as well as us, needed to hear.

Suzuri's story rings similar to Sakura: both had upbrings that scarred them and let them down (as it's implied a LOT that Sakura's own past hasn't been nice to him in the slightest, and has given him below the bare minimum), but while Sakura ultimately chose to join Makochi, and later Furin, Suzuri did not have that grace of choice and instead could only choose what he could, which was leading his own gang through desperate measures. Like Choji, Suzuri's story can be real as a possible parallel to what Sakura could have been, but it also shows as a way to humanize Suzuri, who up until that point we saw as nothing but a mindless enemy.

Kaji's backstory and his mentorship to Sakura is important to us too, because we learn how far Kaji has come himself with the guidance of Hiragi that he uses to then help guide Sakura. It establishes a connection and bond between more of the Wind Breaker characters that makes them feel more fleshed-out and three-dimensional, and gives more depth to the world they live in.

etc etc... I'd add more but this post is getting too long. The point is, we're getting the backstories to our supporting cast and enemies because they build an increased depth to the overall story or increase our perspectives on characters that would otherwise remain flat or just simple. And we only get it when it matters, such as keep moments in the middle of an arc, or at the beginning to help. nii satoru isn't just throwing out information to us all willy-nilly, there's thought and care behind all of this.

This all comes to a head with the question, "why haven't we gotten a certain someone's backstory yet?" and that answer is very, sweetly simple. Because we don't need it. Because Wind Breaker is about him. We're getting backstories of other characters because Wind Breaker ISN'T ABOUT THEM, not as its core. We need backstories from other characters as a way to learn about them and their reasonings/motivations so we have complex and well-rounded characters, but without them needing a novel each, so we get stories that they relay or flashbacks to give us that information without taking a hit to the flow of the plot.

Plus, the series is ongoing. Who's to say we won't get an arc down the line that'll reveal a certain someone's backstory in a very important, key moment that'll make the entire wait worth it?

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 MEDICINE POCKET - General Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis on Medicine Pocket as a character and other related things.

started going thru my askbox, saw there's an insane amount of medpoc prompts, and then realized I haven't thought that deeply about this feral dog so here we are!

I missed doing analysis like this oooo the feeling of neurons making connections as I go thru the character's entire page oooo. since I still don't have them, screenshots and examples will be taken directly from the fandom wikia as usual!

On the subject of intersex identities, Medicine Pocket's mother and their gender identity.

It's worth noting that as of the time writing this (with GL currently in 2.2 and CN having just released 2.5) the game still has only two characters who have been confirmed to live outside of the gender binary, both released during launch; The Fool, who uses male pronouns but states that he has no gender, and Medicine Pocket, who couldn't care less about pronouns and explicitly mentions being intersex in one of their voicelines.

The game is consistent with this, as Medicine Pocket is often referred to with "they/them" pronouns, and occasionally "he/him," such as a daily tidbit from November 18th 2024.

As far as I know, they've yet to refer to Medicine Pocket with female pronouns.

While Medicine Pocket seems to approach the subject of gender identity as an afterthought at best and a nuisance at worst, never stating which labels they identify with, it's important to note that they're still openly queer. Upon a first reading, I didn't think much of them, but now I realize that a big chunk of their character does focus on their queerness in ways that are just as unconventional as they are.

Their 01 Story allows us to learn about Medicine Pocket's background, namely their mother, as it focuses on her for the most part. This is also the second instance of Medicine Pocket's status as an intersex person being brought up.

While I'm not intersex myself, I'm a nonbinary queer person who is fully aware of the many, many convoluted and cruel ways society has enforced in order to "correct" and assimilate us into the norm, such as conversion therapy and intersex surgeries, all done with the pretense of "helping us adapt." Medicine Pocket seems to be an example of this.

One may interpret this as a misguided but well-meaning attempt from a concerned mother, but I interpret it as a heartless moment of dehumanization.

In this Story, there is a very clear parallel being drawn between the dogs at the kennel she owns and her own child, between money as her only source of happiness and the necessity to pay for her child's operation.

Her entire world and business revolves around the kennel, it's stated to be a family business with good reputation, and the dogs are described as a positive thing--"man's best friend," and friends who can keep you company--but her reaction to both is of indifference and, at worst, contempt.

The priority here isn't the thriving family business, nor the dogs she's selling to the University of Utah, nor what will come out of the experiments they will go through; the priority is the money.

And what is this money for? Her own child's operation, with the specific intent of helping them become "an ordinary person." Not for their health, not because they asked for this--because she wants them to be normal, thus highlighting the themes of assimilation within society.

As seen before, Medicine Pocket confirms they lack any reproductive organs. I don't know enough to speculate or research what sort of medical condition they have, but the fact that they say "I just don't have any reproductive organs" could imply they did not receive that operation in the end. After all, becoming "ordinary" would imply living within the binary of female or male genitals exclusively.

With the lack of information about their childhood, I personally like to headcanon that this is when the parallels between Medicine Pocket and dogs continues from their mother's perspective; maybe the cons outdo the pros, maybe the procedure was too expensive, maybe she didn't feel like nurturing this specific puppy anymore, regardless of the reasoning, Medicine Pocket's mother simply chose to give them away to someone else who had a use for them. Exactly like the previous batch of puppies.

As agile as usual, her child got into the white van without looking back. That van had taken away countless almost-weaned puppies from their mothers, and on this day, it was doing the same thing to her.

Another personal headcanon I have following that one is that Medicine Pocket was given away for experimentation purposes given their uniqueness--an intersex arcanist child. It certainly lines up with other darker themes within the game, such as the treatment orphaned arcanist children receive within SPDM, the ableism and bigoted mindsets towards arcanists that parallel real issues in real life, and the appropriation of arcanist culture into human society, etc etc.

Of course, in retrospect, there is also something bittersweet in the way that the only thing Medicine Pocket seems to have inherited from their mother is the aspect of money, as a big part of their character is based around finding ways to receive funding for their experiments. Money is the focus of their Insight voiceline, their First Encounter voiceline also involves finding new investors, and there is a distinct focus on how much Medicine Pocket's actions COST Laplace overall, even in the Main Story. Their Story 02 is literally named "The Wrecker of Laplace" and involves their expenses report. This is a very small detail and connection, but I found it quite interesting!

The last thing I want to bring up for this specific bullet point is how Medicine Pocket grew up to be exactly everything their mother did not care about.

The opposite of an ordinary person; they are considered an unconventional albeit irritating genius within Laplace, as seen in their Storyboard.

They are a noisy dog who went out and pioneered an abundance of inventions and research, such as the development of Picrasma Candy shown above, their study of arcanist bloodlines and an arcanist's arcanum that later helps Enigma during Chapter 7 "Vereinsamt," and more. They are a team leader and a renowned, published biological researcher, as seen in the LSCC trailer and another voiceline of theirs.

It is a testament to Medicine Pocket's determination, stubbornness and self-centered personality, the way they were able to thrive in life and in every aspect that their mother did not care about nor support. And this aspect relates heavily to their Beast Afflatus and animalistic themes!

On the subject of Medicine Pocket's self-experimentation, animals and Laplace

We already discussed the way Medicine Pocket has been compared to the kennel dogs sold for experimentation, but we only explored this from their mother's perspective. On a general level, we can understand that Medicine Pocket's animalistic and dog-like behaviour exists because they were raised alongside these very same dogs, and their affinity for Beagles is a direct reference to the "Beagle Club" radiation experiments--it's a very clear motif within their character, but I would still like to expand on it a little!

First of all, we need to talk about Laplace, its ethics and practices. So bear with me!

Over the course of the recent patches, we have seen certain members of Laplace being shown together for most promotional material; this is later on confirmed within 37's Anecdote as a "friend group" consisting of 37, Mesmer Jr, X, Medicine Pocket and Ezra. For this discussion, we are going to set aside 37, an outsider to Laplace, and Ezra, a human character.

Both X and Medicine Pocket both have animals commonly used for experimentation as their Udimos; X has a Laboratory mouse, and Medicine Pocket has a Beagle puppy. On the other hand, we have Mesmer Jr. whose Udimo is not an animal, but a representation of the Artificial Somnambulism Therapy machine. With this, we can trace a pattern within the arcanists of Laplace, which paints them as not only expendable resources, but as something a little more tragic considering their respective themes--X, who harbors a deep-seated hatred for authorities that abuse their power (as seen in his own Anecdote), Medicine Pocket, who is based on the "Beagle Club" radiation experiments, and Mesmer Jr., who carries internalized bigotry for her own kind and is treated as nothing but an extension of her family's legacy.

While I won't be discussing the broad history of animal rights and ethics in experiments from real life, there are lines to be connected between these specific themes and the dehumanization of these characters--which also extends to the rest of members of Laplace like Lucy and Ulrich, by virtue of being Awakened and not being able to comply within the expected "norm" of humans, nor arcanists (the main theme of "Vereinsamt"). As players, we understand Enigma's reaction to Lucy being demoted, and there is a nuanced conversation to be had about the consequences of Lucy's orders even if they led to a great outcome; it is both tragic and inspiring.

But we must also understand this: Lucy's actions are still objectively within the scope of the Foundation's own history and ethics as I've mentioned them before, she is merely being used as a scapegoat due to the visibility of these casualties, which causes the Foundation to lose face.

And how does this relate exactly to Medicine Pocket?

Because their work ethic of self-experimentation follows this very same pattern. In the trail "Experiment Record" from Chapter 6 "E Lucevan le Stelle" Stage 19, which details the process of making Picrasma Candy safe for consumption, the extra addendums indicate that the one consuming all this candy during the experiments is none other than Medicine Pocket.

Their self-experimentation is only considered an issue and a nuisance because they are loud, reckless and take up space and resources. Because this is a coworker who canonically runs on all fours when excited, bites furniture and chases after frisbees, exactly like a dog.

Out of the three characters discussed before, only two are able to subvert the expectations of their respective Udimos: X and Medicine Pocket. The former by putting on an innocent and obedient act while doing whatever he wants behind the scenes, and the latter by being so shamelessly disobedient and self-serving that it is near impossible to stop them.

After a quick and surface look into why beagles were used for the experiments, some articles mention their docile and compliant nature, the total opposite of Medicine Pocket's personality. The subversion is clear there. Rather than being someone else's guinea pig, Medicine Pocket happily uses their own body as their main playground to test their experiments and research; look at their third item, "Beagle 0-1 Fluid Analysis Apparatus," which quite literally turns their own blood as a weapon, aside from monitoring their vitals. They have voicelines urging Vertin to give them a full dose despite the potential dangers, or noting the effects of another self-inflicted experiment--both their "Sleeves and Hands" and "Clothing and Torso" voicelines respectively.

Rather than assimilating within "proper" lab etiquette and polite society, Medicine Pocket is shamelessly themself above all, doing the things they want to do whenever they want to. There are many ways to read their character; perhaps, because their mother took away their bodily agency, they can now reclaim power over their identity by being as chaotic as a feral puppy or by using their body for self-experimentation. Perhaps they have a special connection with dogs because of the way they were raised and thus actively chose to act like one, since they felt more like family than their own mother, etc etc.

This aspect of reclaiming power over their own body and identity, alongside the way others openly disapprove of them for various different reasons, can be seen within the Beast Afflatus--which focuses on the focus of the individual, one's survival and struggle against traditions or systems that aim to contain them, the power and freedom to choose and carve a way for oneself. It's the struggle of one person against the majority. All of these things can be seen in Medicine Pocket!

Round of extra headcanons I didn't have the energy to fit anywhere else

I like to think Medicine Pocket's hair is white (simply because their eyebrows also seem to be white in art) so the brown parts are dyed specifically to look more like a beagle.

Alongside being intersex and nonbinary, they also couldn't care less about conventional romantic relationships--while uninterested in sexual relationships overall, I can see them having meaningless one-night stands for research specifically. They're shameless and very open about it. The only type of serious commitment I can see them having are QRPs, but their partners get bullied even harder by them so no one is sure if this is a good thing or not.

Medicine Pocket has one voiceline which states that they do even more fucked up experiments in the suitcase; I like to think they're the equivalent of the ThoughtEmporium over on Youtube, doing things like getting rid of their own lactose intolerance, creating meat grapes and such.

They just happen to be allergic to most things that dogs are allergic to. In the same vein, they bark but it sounds nowhere close like a proper dog's bark and everyone thinks its sort of cringe, but saying this out loud within their vicinity will only earn you One Huge Fucking Chomp from them.

Unlike Pavia, who does not quite keep track of the names of the wolfpack, Medicine Pocket can tell apart every single dog they meet, no matter how identical or how long it's been since they last saw them. They have a lot of knowledge on how to care for animals from their childhood, and often bring back all sorts of dogs; from rescues to literally stealing someone else's dog just be cause they thought its owner was being a shithead. It's usually a problem, because they often just sneak them into their office without telling anyone and suddenly it's Barbie's Great Puppy Chase Adventure in Laplace.

I also like to think that the dogs they're not allowed to truly keep are given away to people Medicine Pocket personally checks and makes sure will be a good fit for the dog.

[antispopausandstuff]

what's bothered me for a long time is that stans praise SPOP for supposedly being a subversion of the self-sacrificing hero trope, when it's not the first, or last, piece of media to do so.

technically, the "i killed Gwen Stacy" trope ( it's a real trope, i'm not just pulling this out of my ass ) can be considered a subversion of the selfless hero, as, most of the time, the hero eventually has to come to terms with the fact they can't save everyone.

it's the first time for queer media, maybe ( though, even then, i kinda doubt it, since queer media's lived far longer than SPOP ever has ), but it's not the first to ever do so.

and this isn't to criticize the trope. it's actually one of my favorites to consume and write, as i usually relate heavily to the characters that represent this trope, and can be used as a metaphor for so many things, including the tragedy of martyrdom in marginalized communities.

but not only is SPOP not the first to do this, they didn't even subvert it in a way that's satisfactory or healthy.

for one, Adora was already on the path of healing when she stepped away from the Horde, the nest of her Atlas complex. however sloppily written it was, she was on her way from recovering, discovering her true self, realizing she's not responsible for everything, and learning to rely on others rather than using herself as the weapon the Horde envisioned her as.

and, though she didn't know it at the time, stepping away from Catra was good for her, too. healthier.

s3 was the strongest Adora's character was, because she stopped blaming herself for Catra's actions, and was done with someone she once called her best friend, her family, constantly trying to hurt her and deny who she was to control her.

there's multiple points in the story where Adora is in the midst of being controlled, whether through manipulation or magic, and it should've been written as huge steps for her character every time she was broken out of it and stood up against her abusers.

we could've really gotten into her psyche, how traumatized she really is, and how difficult her actions that aren't just habit, but a distinct part of her person, are to break. burnout, health issues as a result of stress, lack of sleep, and never knowing peace. we get crumbs of these, but the show is so focused on Catra and making the series as unseriously serious as a possible, that Adora hardly gets the time of day, even when it's at the peak of importance.

she could've been so incredibly realistic, wanting more than anything to have a choice, but being uncomfortable the moment she has it, because then that could mean disappointing or betraying everyone. exhausting herself so much that she's entirely broken down. a self-destructive cycle created by the people she loved so much that she was willing to die for them when she was just a child.

SPOP is not the first to subvert this, but it might've been one of the first to really nail on how completely and utterly damaging it is to constantly give everything you have to everyone around you.

i remember, at one point of my life, where i considered ending my life because i felt absolutely worthless in school. i related to Adora so much, because i could see myself in her, only putting value in myself to what i could provide, to what i could achieve, to what i could do to make everyone happy or proud.

which is why, even if there's weeks or months i'm not actively pursuing it, i'm still invested on rewriting her story. because i, honestly, feel betrayed.

Adora wasn't subverted. she was submitted. her psyche wasn't in the process of recovery, it was returning to square one, because Catra's desires were more important than hers, while the show painted it as a big choice she made.

her story didn't end in sacrifice, so everything's good, right? no.

even if she did make the choice, even if Catra wasn't a terrible person, that's not how it works.

one scene i really like in TLOK is the talk between Korra and Asami at the end of the series. they're acknowledging Korra's trauma, even if it's not directly said, and Asami doesn't blame her for being gone for so long. because healing isn't linear. she's just happy Korra is here.

Catra doesn't think like this, at all. she's still stuck on a promise she had broken years ago, and still insistent on blaming Adora, even in her confession of love.

people say she was ready to die, but she obviously wasn't. she's not happy that Adora is alive, she's happy that she had importance.

far above being a hero, Adora is a victim. and her "happy ending" isn't nearly as happy as people make it out to be.

so, if // when i have more people telling me to move on, i won't. they don't understand how much she means to me. maybe i'll never get to the point of completely rewriting her story, but i don't want to let it go. not yet, anyway. and maybe not for a long time.

she matters to me.

[gamerbot-22]

Whenever you have time, and of course if you’re comfortable, I’d love to hear some yandere headcanons for Trigun characters!

And if you want my help 👁️👄👁️ you know where to find me

Oooo this is so exciting! I had my first time writing Intentional Tsundere a little while ago, and now we got Baby's First Yandere Rodeo!

Trigun Characters as Yanderes

TW/CWs: Yandere (but you knew that already <3), mentions of stalking, no explicit details about any damage done to "the competition,” maybe a bit OOC but fuck it this is the space we ball in, Nai talks some shit in a backhanded compliment way, written with no specific versions of these characters in mind, barely proofread but I appreciate spellchecks!

Characters included: Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Millions Knives/Nai

A/N: Please let me know if this is any good! I've been spinning the yandere concept in my mind for a good while, being someone who already adores a protective LI, but I've never actually kicked back and played in the space outside of a few concepts with you lol. And I feel very clever for using a GIF of flowers in a vase for this instead of a field to highlight the possessive/protectiveness of our lovely subjects towards their Darling <3 Also, I have some suggested listening for this post, if you so choose :3c

Likes and Reblogs appreciated, Requests are Open, and it’s all under the cut!

The dividers in this post were made by @/strangergraphics ☆

🥀 Vash the Stampede

Oh honey. Oh baby. The clingiest yandere out there. Like you’re never more than a couple feet away from each other at all times.

And I do mean all times. Vash likes keeping tabs on his Mayfly. I do think he tries to be like… “polite” about the stalking keeping tabs, but however you slice it it’s still an invasion.

Like you’ll think you’ve said goodbye for the night and will go to sleep on your own but he’s already in the process of scaling the nearest building so he can watch you through the window.

You’re just so cute and he knows you aren’t going to be around forever so he wants to make the most of the time you do have. Ain’t that sweet?

He still holds to his no-killing rule and generally tries not to hurt anyone, but oh god, does he feel like it sometimes.

Like if you’re traveling with him and you catch a stray? Even if it just grazes you or doesn’t hit you at all, there’s a dark part of him that, for the briefest of seconds, considers sending a bullet of his own right back. See how they like it, huh?

But no. He doesn’t give in like that. Besides, if your attacker was dead, there would be no way to spread the word about the Stampede’s Darling, would they? They have to know you’re off limits! That you’re protected! That if anyone comes close to hurting a hair on your precious head again, everyone will know why Vash is called a Stampede.

🍭 Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Okay so Vash is decent at covering for himself. Wolfwood is too but it’s in. A different way?

Vash will fall over himself with excuses. Wolfwood makes it sound like he has a point. And to an extent, he does. He knows better than most just how goddamn dangerous Gunsmoke is if you’re not ready at every single moment to fight for your life. And he’s lost enough.

You don’t get the illusion of privacy here. It’s like you’ve got a leash on him, keeping him at least five feet from you at any given moment.

And he looms over you, regardless of the height difference (The Punisher makes up for it anyways,) staring down anyone who looks at you for even a second too long.

He insists you share rooms when you stay at inns, and if you’re slumming it out in the desert, he’s either in the same tent or has his right next to you all night. He insists on keeping watch, too. Big guard dog energy.

A lot of the danger comes from him, he knows that, but he can make it up to you more than twice over if you’d just let him. He’s good for it. You’ve seen him fight.

Hell, he can be gentle too. He’s not used to it, but he can learn. For you. If you ask. If you’re patient. And you should be, because again, look at all he’s done for you. Because of you.

🔪 Millions Knives/Nai

Oh you’re not allowed to do. Anything. Like even a little bit I don’t think—

Like if we’re gonna play in this space of Nai being a yandere, you look me dead in my fucking eyes and tell me he doesn’t treat you like some china doll he wants to keep perched by his piano at all times.

He pampers you but it’s very much part of like. A flex in a weird way? Like the doll thing is barely a simile, he idolizes you so hard that you best keep your mouth shut for risk of disappointing him.

But don’t you dare think he neglects you. You’re always in finery, and you’ll never want for anything. And if you’re ever bored, he’s more than happy to play you music. And he even has a little shelf of books for you to read!

He talks about how his Darling is almost entirely perfect. You’re the closest thing to an angel a human could possibly be. Your spirit is too divine for your body! If only you weren’t so fragile as to break if he tried to free you.

If anyone so much as looks at you for too long he gets very defensive. His most devoted followers know to avert their gaze, and newcomers learn fast or are never seen again.

Honestly, he should be grateful. Those with wandering eyes… they’ll make good offerings for Good Doctor Conrad’s experiments.

[mistressoftherant-blog]

Fandom Whataboutism

Well, it's been a fair bit since I've written a rant, but this one has been growing inside of me for a while, so I'm going to get this off my chest. To flag, this is an issue I've mainly been seeing on TikTok, but it is starting to creep into other fandom spaces, and I'm more comfortable posting on Tumblr, so here we go.

For anyone unfamiliar with how the term 'whataboutism' is currently being used on TikTok, it essentially boils down to people in comments bringing up random things in regard to someone making content to either discredit them or to make the original post about themselves (e.g. the infamous bean soup idea where someone has a recipe for bean soup and someone in the comments says that they don't like beans so how can they make it, or someone saying that they like dogs and immediately get hit with a 'so you hate cats?').

From what I've seen, the phrase has essentially expanded to encompass a growing behavioural trend where people seem to think that everything they see should be specifically catered to their personal taste and that, if it isn't, they need to speak up about it instead of using critical thinking or realising that they can move past content that doesn't apply to them.

And that is something that has also been rife in multiple fandom spaces that I've been in.

One general issue I have seen is people commenting on art/vids/fics and demanding that people recreate them with their fave character, or make something of their fave character/ship/fandom. This just seems rude to me. People are not obligated to create content for your favourite things. If they've created something, it is usually because they wanted to put their passion into it and share it with people who also like the same things as them. They don't owe you anything, so if their content isn't of your fave, it's best too move along as you will.likely be able to find similar content that's more to your preference elsewhere or, if you want to see your own fave reflected in it, maybe reach out and ask if you can do a version with credit to the original.

Now on to some specifics.

I'm going to use some examples here to illustrate my point, but I already know that some people may get heated if they see this post so, general disclaimer, I am not bashing anyone for having any of these characters/ships as their favourites.

I just want to highlight a certain type of behaviour, and these are some of the examples I have personally been seeing lately.

First is the TMNT fandom, which will surprise absolutely no one familiar with this account. I may be going over old ground here but, if you see content for a version of the TMNT you don't like, you don't have to engage! And swooping in with a comment about how much better your preferred version is is annoying. Why would you feel the need to say something snide about one version to big up your fave? Rise fans are especially notable for doing this, but they definitely aren't the only culprits.

Last Ronin fans are another large example of this. When someone is comparing the strengths of the turtles in a particular version, jumping in to say that Mikey is the strongest because he is the Last Ronin is irritating as all hell. Last Ronin is an entirely separate thing (and Mikey living longest is more due to luck/coincidence than him being so much better than his brothers anyway, but that's a rant for another day). And making these comments on a post about a specific turtle is a whole spit in the face. There was a cool edit of Donnie in 2012 in some of his angry moments, and so many comments were about how either Mikey or Leo were so much better than him when angry. To be blunt, if you do this, you're an asshole. There is no need to be so incessantly vocal about your personal fave on a post that is entirely unrelated to them, except to be self centred and you come across as an antagonising prick.

And then there is the Bat-fam fans who are notorious for using fanon to try and make everything about their faves. I saw a post the other day that was an animation of Dick Grayson interacting with the JL, particularly Wonder Woman that had in the description that it was about Dick Grayson. The way it was drawn and the behaviour of everyone in the vid clearly pointed to it being Dick. Yet there were a flood of Jason fans saying that it must be him because of how much he loved Wonder Woman, which is fanon? It got to the point where the poster had to update the description to say they supposed it could be Jason because his fans were being so aggressive.

Or the amount of people who try to say that the Teen Titans cartoon Robin or first season Young Justice Robin are Tim rather than Dick, despite ample evidence otherwise? And then they say that they are characterised more like Tim, as if the two don't share traits? As if Dick can't be angry, or snarky, or good with tech, so if he is, then it must be Tim instead? I've also seen people saying Teen Titans Robin is Damian, even though Damian wasn't even properly in the comics then? It doesn't hurt to do a little research, yet I've seen people try and blatantly argue against canon facts, or the words of the people creating the fan content, to try and make everything about their fave.

Last up is Shadow the Hedgehog. This bit will discuss the wider fandom, but will have some spoilers for the third movie, so please skip to the conclusion or turn back here if you don't want to risk spoilers.

It is not hard to see that Shadow is a popular character, and I can understand why he is. He's cool and he has an interesting back story and interesting powers. But some (key word, some, definitely not all) of his fans take it too far. I watched a great edit of Knuckles from the SCU and, when I opened the comment section, one of the first comments I saw was someone typing in all caps asking why no one was talking about Shadow dying. This was an edit entirely of Knuckles, yet someone was still screaming about Shadow, as if A). the majority of the fandom aren't constantly talking about him, B). Shadow wasn't completely irrelevant to this post and C). Shadow wasn't actually dead.

Likewise, there was an edit of SCU Tails, Sonic and Knuckles to Brother by Kodaline, and people in the comments were asking why Shadow wasn't included. As if Shadow hadn't been an antagonist to them for most of the film. As if Shadow had had a genuine conversation with any of them bar Sonic. Honestly, how did they think he was going to be included in a sweet montage around brotherhood when the only current clips of him are of him fighting/scaring/being a dick to them, with the Robotniks and/or Stone, and then one nice scene with Sonic and a fight montage before he sacrifices himself? He's not their brother. Frankly, I don't think it would make much sense for him to be adopted by the Wachowskis as he's always been his own separate thing, and is more likely to end up with Team Dark if they are introduced rather than having another bed crammed into the attic like he would be crammed into the Team Sonic dynamic.

Or whenever someone talks about how strong Knuckles is, and you get the 'erm actually' bros out in force to talk about how Shadow is the most powerful as he is the Ultimate Lifeform and yadda yadda yadda. And it's just, like, give it a rest already. I'm on a Knuckles post to talk about Knuckles. If you want to hype up Shadow, you genuinely have no shortage of spaces to do so.

There's also the whole matter of shipping. I feel I need to reiterate this, but I don't mind people shipping whatever they like. But I also would like to see that same courtesy extended to others.

For example, there was a post talking about canon Sonic love interests, and half the comments were saying 'what about Sonadow?' I was genuinely concerned that these people didn't understand what the term 'canon' means.

It's the same with any Sonknux or Knuxouge posts, there is always an influx of comments under them saying that they prefer Rouge or Sonic with Shadow. And I'm stuck thinking, that's great, but why don't you use some of that love you have for them to interact with posts about them, rather than engaging with content you don't like, which will inevitably end up with you seeing more of this and upset the people who do like it, especially the creator who worked hard to make something that you feel the need to shit on because it's not exactly to your tastes?

Another issue that I've seen, that isn't related to a specific fandom, is the rise of 'oh, that's just like my OC!' (And this is done with canon characters as well tbh). Although OCs aren't usually my cup of tea, I have enjoyed many stories that have OCs, and I am obviously happy for people creating content about their own characters outside of fandom spaces as well. And I have no issue with people saying that songs/memes/character dynamics etc remind them of their OC.

It is when people jump on a post of someone talking about their personal issues, or an issue that is harming people, to associate it with their OC, that it becomes insensitive. I saw a post the other day about a person who had been affected negatively by a very real issue, and one of the comments was about how this reminded someone of their OC because their OC had experienced trauma in their past. Like, do you not see how this maybe isn't the right place to bring up your fictional character?

I get that some people project their own trauma onto characters, but a post where someone is describing something that is still having a massive effect on their life because of how horrible it was for them to live through is a terrible place to bring up a character, and shows a disturbing lack of empathy or understanding of etiquette. If someone posts about something traumatic and your first thought is about a character if any kind, that's fine, but if you then hop into the comments to type about a character, you need to understand that this is how you sound: 'oh, your horrific experience and daily struggles remind me of a very not real person. Sucks to be you, but my character got awesome powers out of this situation, and the thing that scarred you physically/mentally makes for a great tragic bakstory for them. Doesn't my character sound cool guys? Let's speak more about my character and not the very real person whose story I am completely talking over in order to make everything about things I like to talk about.'

There is a time and a place to talk about your OCs, and when people are trying to educate on a topic or find a community of people who understand them, that is not your place to interject. If you are giving your character these issues in order to raise awareness/education, make a separate post.

There is definitely more I could say on this topic, both in general and in fandom terms, but this is already a pretty long post, so I am going to call it here for now.

Thanks to anyone who stuck around until the end!

[spaceorphan18]

The Lady Whistledown Papers : 2x04 Victory (Part 4)

Welcome back, Gentle Readers, to The Lady Whistledown Papers, where I’m taking an in-depth look at Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s character arcs and romance within the show Bridgerton!

For previous issues, follow tag : The Lady Whistledown Papers

Bridgerton Ball

The Bridgertons are hosting a ball in their very large country home. (It's kind of amazing they can accommodate for the nine hundred families attending - just how big is that mansion??) And Penelope and Eloise remain the wallflowers that they are.

It's a shame Colin decides to sit this one out -- look how gorgeous this girl is! Her hair is beautiful in this scene, and her dress isn't that bad. I'm really appreciating Season 2 Penelope a lot more through doing this meta. The dresses might still be not the greatest, but her hair and make up have been A+. Colin is a dope for not seeing her sooner.

Anyway, one detail I love about this scene is how much Penelope and Eloise are close physically. They're literally clinging to each other for support.

Violet is on her way, bringing over a suitor for Eloise, and Eloise begins freaking out. Penelope is rather calm -- wanting Eloise to dance because she (sadly) knows she's not going to. (And, the girl really would love to dance.) I do love that Penelope teases her a little -- wanting to hear gossip about a possible love life for her friend instead of Eloise going on about pamphlets.

I also kind of love that she slips in there a question about Colin - and if she's heard about his trip to Marina. Like, girl you are not subtle in your inquiries. If Eloise hadn't been so wrapped up in her own, little world, there's no way she couldn't have noticed Pen's Colin obsession. But Eloise doesn't get to answer - her new suitor awaits.

I love that during this awkward exchange between Eloise and the guy, Penelope's off in the background, pretending to mind her own business while secretly listening in, and giggling about how terrible Eloise is with a suitor. Honestly, Penelope isn't much better but at least she's getting amusement from Eloise's antics.

There's this cute little moment, as Eloise goes off to dance... Eloise sarcastically jokes that Penelope is going to get that entertainment she asked for, as Eloise is dragged onto the dance floor. But then Violet looks back at her, and they share a knowing grin. I said it last time but -- man, I do wish Penelope and Violet had had more interactions. But there is some small groundwork here that Violet is comfortable with Penelope, and seems to enjoy her presence.

Well... so much for Eloise dancing with some guy. He turns out to be an asshat, and Eloise won't stand for it! Penelope is worried for her friend as things heat up. Penelope does run after her, but Eloise wants to be alone... Which gives Penelope plenty of time, now, to watch everyone else -- including her own family, where things are going to get a bit screwy.

Penelope has her own little perch to watch the entire ball -- surely there's some Lady Whistledown noteworthy things going down... But she's distracted by the fact that her mother is pushing Prudence out of the ballroom. Penelope isn't dumb, and she's well aware that Portia has been up to things -- what, she doesn't know exactly, but she's definitely aware that something doesn't feel right.

Well, Portia, upon freaking out that Jack is interested in Cressida, puts her plan into action and has Prudence go out into the garden when she just sent Jack out there. And then has everyone come out and catch them... not doing a thing. Penelope is scandalized!

And, I mean, I realize they need this for plot purposes (and - in a way, this is a nod to the Viscount Who Loved Me, in which Kate and Anthony are forced into marriage because of a beesting), but it feels so forced. Just, Idk. With the amount of shenanigans that Colin and Penelope get into... (I mean, does anyone care that Colin is off visiting a married woman, and she had been alone for some time?). And for the amount of 'alone' time both Simon and Daphne and Kate and Anthony have managed thus far, this whole sequence is so farfetched.

Whatever, they need it for plot reasons.

Anyway, while Prudence is thrilled about being married, and Jack is horrified, Penelope is simply perplexed. She knows a set up when she sees one, and she knows things are right about this. On top of that, she absolutely is going to have to report this as Lady Whistledown, and while her column may have started out to throw shade at her own family, she isn't really interested in getting them into scandal -- especially when her family doesn't need the extra drama in their direction.

Later, Penelope confronts her sister (I assume on their way back to their rooms?). Prudence tells Penelope not to be jealous, and I love how dismissive Pen is of it -- like, god, no, totally not jealous of you marrying someone actually related to us.

Quick sidebar, look at the detailing of Penelope's necklace and hairpiece. It's absolutely gorgeous. Shame Colin wasn't there to see that...

Anyway, Penelope wants details and gets confirmation that Portia had set it all up. Prudence is thrilled that Lady Whistledown has something to write about concerning her, but Penelope is fearful of that. Whatever the gossip may be -- it'll be a scandal, and that could ruin their family, and be a huge ordeal. Prudence accuses Penelope of being jealous of her, to which Penelope is deeply offended. (Penelope could never imagine being jealous of Prudence -- but it's another thing her sister can attempt to rub in her face)

Prudence goes on to say that there's no possible way that Lady Whistledown would know that it was a set-up, and will just report the basic news of the engagement. She also takes a moment to throw in Penelope's face that she is now engaged, and Penelope is still... Penelope. Also, Prudence can't help but throw at her that she is now going to be the new Lady Featherington, a fact that does grate on Penelope. She's left there to stew as Prudence marches away, seeming victorious.

Stairway

I wanted to include this shot from farther away just to see their full profiles. He's standing four steps down to meet her eyeline. Yes. I counted. I just had to point that out. Also, oooff, that unflinchingly hard yellow is back. But most importantly -- can we talk about the fact that they all spent the night at in the same house? Where are my Season 2 AU fics, they've got to be out there, right??? I mean think about the shenanigans.

Alright, so let's dig into this one. Penelope is thrilled to catch him. What an odd coincidence that there are, like, 500 people in that house and the two of them cross paths without anyone else in sight. (I mean, I know, I get it, I understand how filming works, I just think it's funny - especially after all of the shenanigans with Jack and Prudence.)

Anyway - she completely lights up when she sees him. This is one of the few times, however, that Colin doesn't light up when he sees her. (I'm going to have to go back and take a look - because he usually is just as happy to see her whenever their paths cross.) But Colin didn't go to the ball for the same reason he's in a morose mood at the moment. He's lost in his own thoughts and emotions, and he's still kind of dealing with the aftermath of his time with Marina.

Colin says he stayed in because he wasn't feeling up to the ball, and I do have some questions -- like, Violet is insistent on Eloise being there, but doesn't seem to push Colin in the same way (the difference between sons and daughters? and, btw, was Benedict there - where is Benedict, he always seems to be getting out of these things). But I also wonder -- I assume Colin just left for Marina's without telling anyone (except El and Pen). Does no one care what he's up to? Colin honestly could get away with murder based on how little anyone pays attention to what he's up to. (I feel the same way about Benedict.)

Penelope asks how Marina is doing. Colin simply responds that she's content. Which isn't wrong. Penelope takes it as a good thing, and it's a nice reminder moment that Penelope does and did care for Marina's well being. Penelope wasn't set out to ruin anyone's life. She just wanted Colin to make decisions on all the facts, and not have his own life ruined by a lie.

Anyway... while Penelope is glad to hear of Marina's contentness, it's clear that Colin is, I suppose, unhappy that Marina is doing fine. It's clear, really, that Marina didn't need Colin's help - and he's still rectifying that in his head.

Penelope goes on to say that maybe seeing Marina is what he needed, for closure... She states specifically 'to leave the past behind' which is an echo of what Marina told him. Colin, however, has a hard time letting things go... but first, Penelope, not really reading him in the moment, goes on to suggest that maybe he doesn't really need to swear off women. It's a slightly sad attempt to get him to notice that she is a woman.

The two of them, however, are really not on the same page. Penelope's somewhat missing the fact that there's more going on with Colin than just his sense of heartbreak -- that Colin's still trying to figure out what his place in this world is. Meanwhile, Colin is truly missing that the answer to that question is standing in front of him.

Next we get a section that... does feel a little like clunky writing. Colin's next thoughts are that he still feels bad about how everyone, including himself, was hard on her for hiding her pregnancy, and chastises Lady Whistledown for printing the gossip. And that if LW hadn't, things would have turned out differently (and in Colin's mind - for the better).

The purpose of the statement, I believe, is less about Colin (I'll get to that in a sec) and more about making Penelope feel guilty for being LW and having that happen. It's a moment that's supposed to add tension to the Polin narrative -- reminding us that even if we do want these two together, there is something that hangs over them... the LW secret, and the fact that Colin does not have a high opinion of her.

But the way Colin presents it makes it seem like he thinks that had LW not printed, he'd be happily married and so would Marina. Which... just would not be true. In fact, Colin, babe, you'd be miserable because your wife would not love you and she'd be merely 'content' with you. And, honestly, her life is for the better after the LW reveal, because Sir Philip respects her back but isn't in love with her -- and Colin would be miserable being in love and not feeling it back, so Marina kinda lucked out there. It's kind of weird that Colin doesn't seem to recognize it.

Also, as an aside, I kind of, sort of wonder if any of this was/is supposed to be a small set up for things to come way down the road. Were they trying to acknowledge things that happen in Eloise's book, with the mental health issues, etc? Idk - I just don't think they were thinking that far in advance, but still.

Anyway, Penelope looks understandably guilty about it -- though Colin doesn't notice this at all.

He does go on to say that there is no use dwelling on the past -- echoing Marina and now Penelope. And I do get a sense that Colin is trying to move on and forward, even if he doesn't know what direction that might exactly be. (Despite might stern looking screencap) Colin is actually a bit lighter when he says he's thinking of the future. It's such a subtle facial shift, where he slightly smiles when he thinks about it. He may be in a mood about Marina but I think he's okay, and genuinely open to pursuing the next phase in his life.

Penelope is left on the stairs with the weight of her secret and how it effects other people's lives hanging over her.

And, I mean, now that I've sat and watched this scene closely about fifteen times - I don't necessarily think that Colin is still stuck in his broken heartedness about Marina. I think this scene is more about Penelope, and having to face consequences for being Lady Whistledown. But also, to a lesser extent, that she just can't wishful think Colin into liking her back. There's still very much distance between them that isn't going away any time soon.

Proposal

As the episode closes, we get the Lady Whistledown narration stating that there is a tiny bit of gossip she can speak about that not everyone knows... And, I mean, had everyone else left already? why is Penelope there but not the rest of the ton - or even her own family? Idk, I shouldn't think too hard about logistics here. The point is that Penelope has a front row seat to Anthony's actions.

I want to mention the scoring here, which is kind of interesting. I do believe the music was heard in Season 1 (though I can't remember when). But... a shorter version of this material will be used in 3x04... at the end of the carriage scene... when we get another proposal. But more on that later...

Okay, so Penelope is waving to people as they leave. Also, it seems like Prudence, Jack, and Portia are all in a carriage - so is Penelope dragging her feet getting in? Oh, the logistics!

Meanwhile, the Bridgertons are all standing in one pack as they are the hosts. It's very Christmas Card-ish of them.

Anthony runs out to go propose to Edwina. The Bridgertons look on shocked at the development. Colin and Benedict share a great look of -- wtf, Anthony?? They... really haven't been a part of the plot lately. At all, lol. None of the Bridgertons really seem like this is a good idea. (And we all know it's not...)

Okay, so Pen was dragging her feet getting into her carriage...

Unlike the Bridgertons, half of whom had an inkling that there are Kate and Anthony shenanigans that are unresolved, Penelope had not been around, and has no idea. She just gets to witness a proposal, and omg does her romantic little heart get caught up in it -- not to mention that she'll have this salacious detail to write about later. She is probably the happiest person there, after Edwina.

Victory indeed, the narration ends with. Meh, Pen, i don't think anyone has won here...

We still have four more episodes of Season 2 left!! ;)

[vidavalor]

Hmm! Quite intriguing. I can see where you're going with that and I love how we all can have such different ideas and sometimes arrive at similar conclusions, like the trial bit. Shows how varied the paths in a story can be & how imaginative we all are. 😊

If you'll humor me, I think there's at least two reasons for the flipping back and forth between Aziraphale recapping the offer and the offer scene. We'll have to see what ends up coming of it in The Finale but you've got me musing on that scene & the memories aspect a bit. One reason is the language reason I went into in The Kiss, if you're interested in that. The other one's below.

The other reason could just be that it's actually a screenwriting/story technique to build & maintain tension in a scene. To see what I mean by that, imagine for a moment that everything in The Final 15 happened the same way that it did happen but, instead of having the back-and-forth flipping between the offer scene and Aziraphale recapping it to Crowley, we had two, separate scenes.

When Aziraphale left the bookshop with Our Villain, we then had the Crowley & Muriel scene, and then jumped over to Marguerite's, where we watched the offer scene unfold in its entirety. We would then know what was happening in the plot when we followed Aziraphale back into the shop. We'd know what it was that he'd have to recap to Crowley. The entire season is building towards this scene between our two, main characters and us knowing what Aziraphale has to tell Crowley would have zapped all the tension and all the energy out of this entirely.

There wouldn't have been any surprise for the audience here, if we knew this in advance. We already know that Crowley isn't going to love what he hears here because we know Crowley so his reaction wouldn't really be surprising and our engagement would waiver. While the actors involved here could make watching paint dry interesting, this scene would not have worked this way because it's not just any scene but the big scene. It's the one that needs to be firing on all cylinders because the whole story is riding on it.

Recapping dialogue is really tricky in a tv series because there's nothing that can make the audience start to zone out more than this. Even the least complicated plot has to have some scenes where characters are learning information that the audience already knows from other scenes but the way to deliver this to the audience is to deliver the recap in the midst of other things happening. The recap can be one reason why the audience is watching the scene but it cannot be the sole purpose for the scene in the story.

An absolutely excellent example of recapping dialogue in tv is actually in Good Omens earlier and it's this:

From a technical standpoint, this line of Crowley's is serving the purpose of explaining to the audience (or reminding them of) what the conflict over Gabriel is. Maybe they only casually saw S1 and can't remember what the deal is with Jon Hamm's character or maybe they stumbled into S2 without having seen S1. Most of the angel and demon stuff can be understood by just watching the rest of the plot unfold but there needs to be some kind of context for some viewers to explain the Gabriel situation, which is the big source of tension in the episode.

To do this, they have Crowley recap Gabriel's prior plot from his own perspective so we can remember or learn enough about Gabriel to get the gist of what's going on. But look at where they put this line-- in the middle of an absolutely pivotal scene.

There is so much happening in this argument scene in 2.01 that the recap line doesn't stand out to anyone who doesn't need it. It doesn't even stand out to those who do lol because they get the necessary info but there's so much else to engage with here that it doesn't feel awkward. This is very good technique-- the opposite of what we're saying would have happened if they had done the offer scene reveal differently in 2.06.

If you ever watch a detective series, for example? You know how you never have a pair of scenes where the lead detectives show up at the crime scene, gather all the clues there is to gather about the murder, learn what the pathologist knows... only to then have a second scene shortly thereafter in which they repeat every detail of that information to their boss when she arrives on the scene.

She's forever showing up with 1-2 questions, tops, about the info the audience just learned alongside the lead detectives. It's always something like "Frank got me up to speed on the phone on the way over here. Do we have a time of death yet?" because the audience is going to mentally check out from boredom when there's nothing happening but scene after scene of repeating facts.

Later on in the detective series, once stuff has actually started to happen in the mystery, there are definitely scenes the ultimate purpose of which is to recap for the audience what's going on. When all the detectives and the big boss are at the murder board and doing things like moving pictures of the suspect around while repeating their names and their actions, they're really helping remind the audience of what's going on in the story to keep them engaged with it.

A scene like that doesn't need to exist in The Final 15, though, because we're not midway through a crime drama, we're in the final act of a season finale that is actually unfolding basically in real time. All of the suspense is derived from how fast everything is moving and how that's impacting everyone's ability to communicate. All of the tension is from the fact that our main characters are trapped and trying to communicate while being stalked and watched by Our Villain. All the scenes from The Meeting Ball forward are going up the rollercoaster towards the top before we crash it entirely down in the final moments so if the audience already knew in full what Aziraphale was about to say to Crowley, the bottom would have fallen out of all of the tension in the most pivotal scene in the series before it even got rolling.

But, if we're then taken in and out of the scene and treated to more Derek Jacobi and watching the offer unfold at the same time that Aziraphale is recapping it, as we were? It has the opposite effect. It's now really engaging and helping to up the tension even more and we're now on the edge of our seat. It's a more interesting scene-- as we can probably see, since we're still looking at it ages later. 😊

As for the filters in the Job minisode and stuff-- doing things to homage to different periods of time or different bits of cinematic history doesn't seem indicative to me of narrative shenanigans. It's just another way to allude to films like The Ten Commandments that inspired things. It also allows them to do a couple of things visually that are interesting that they couldn't otherwise do, like the dust. There's a whole dust thing happening in S2-- to bite the dust (some Queen for you lol) is to die but to kick up the dust is to cause an uproar/start a revolution. And what's our guy doing in the bookshop?

They get to play with that visually in the Job minisode group scene where Gabriel is with Crowley and Aziraphale in a flashback in a way that's tied to the story in the present and they're all surrounded by the visible dust particles that used to be a more common aesthetic feature of some kinds of films.

We have a lot of focus on memory happening, for sure, and we have a new way of viewing the past in S2 a bit, with memory often prompting the flashbacks being shown. I'm not sure that the flashbacks are exactly meant to be considered 'untrue' or 'not real' or especially subjective more than usual because of that, though. I think it's more just the conceit that helps explain to the audience why were just in the present and now we're in the past.

The Ineffable Bureaucracy flashback, for example, might be using the conceit of Gabriel's memory to show the scenes to us but the perspective of each of those scenes is more-- heh-- fly on the wall than actually being his direct memory. The C&A flashbacks play out like this too to me but who knows. We'll have to see how it all comes together in The Finale. In the meantime, I enjoy reading all the different ideas people have as there's so much fun stuff to think about! 😊

The Trial

Short thoughts on how Gabriel & Beez could fit back into the story in The Finale & on how Aziraphale's fall would lead to the collapse of the current Heaven/Hell system, as requested by @zenkitty714.

Whoever the guy with the coffee in The Final 15 is, he didn't exactly say that there was a Supreme Archangel job vacancy because Heaven was down for giving Gabriel a watch and telling him to bugger off and go tend to his marigolds. At no point does Our Villain ever actually express one shred of intent to leave Gabriel alone. He simply says that he feels there's a job opening... which all feels a bit sinister since it suggests that there is one because our villains still plan on trying to kill Gabriel.

The Metatron's response to Gabriel mutinying on Monday morning was to try to murder him and we saw exactly nothing in the course of S2 that would indicate that his plans have changed where that is concerned. In order to get Aziraphale into the lift, Our Villain had to lead him to believe that there was a chance-- a remote chance but a chance-- that The Metatron was willing to change and let Heaven reform. Letting it seem like Gabriel and Beez were safe was part of that deception.

Gabriel and Beez were only safe for the brief moment until Aziraphale got into the elevator because our villains needed to pretend like they didn't care about revenge against them in order to sell the idea that Heaven could reform to an understandably doubtful but desperate Aziraphale. Now that they have Aziraphale, though, and have accomplished their goal of going after him first to divide and conquer our main characters, our villains have no need to keep up this charade.

That's why it's a damn good thing that Uriel is on our main characters' side now because she'll be there when Aziraphale falls. She won't be able to stop it without following him to Hell, which wouldn't help either of them or anybody else. What she can do, though, is then be the one to go get to Gabriel and Beez and tell them what's happened to Aziraphale. Uriel on the run from Heaven as a result of this and the need to find Crowley will then give them all reason to go to the bookshop, where Muriel will serve her purpose of having witnessed basically all of The Final 15. They'll be able to tell Ineffable Bureaucracy what they missed, with Uriel confirming the bit of what she herself saw before the angels left whom they're now realizing was Satan's command to leave.

Wherever Crowley is at the start of The Finale's story in the present, I bet hard that it's going to be Gabriel who goes to get him. It's going to be Gabriel who tells Crowley that the reason why he can't feel Aziraphale anymore isn't because Aziraphale was Book of Life'd-- that's not a real thing. (Notice how the one character who could have answered that question in S2-- Gabriel-- is prevented from even knowing it's a question for the entirety of the season.) It's going to be Gabriel who tells Crowley that he can't feel Aziraphale because Aziraphale fell and Gabriel who talks Crowley off a metaphorical and possibly literal ledge when, at some point, Muriel confirms that Crowley sat there in a chair and told Aziraphale to go alone with a being they all will by then realize was Satan.

What our working-together-on-this-one villains of The Metatron and Satan haven't counted on is that the revolution they're trying to nip in the bud has actually already started. They have overlooked Uriel entirely and didn't anticipate that her response would be to side with Gabriel and help him and Beez over Heaven. They didn't count on Gabriel and Beez helping take care of Crowley. They didn't count on Muriel agreeing to help by giving the bookshop to the revolutionaries. They didn't count that it wouldn't take much for the rebelling angels and demons to get Furfur and his miracle blocking skills involved or Dagon and her Dark Council power on their side.

What our villains really haven't counted on is that Aziraphale is the bridge too far. The angel whose life taught all these other angels and demons how to live is going to be the one to break the system oppressing all of them by having inspired in his own struggles everyone to come together and fight Heaven and Hell for him.

What kind of fight, you say?

One of the Powell & Pressburger films referenced a bunch in S2 and playing on the tv in The Resurrectionist Pub behind Gabriel during the Ineffable Bureaucracy flashback is A Matter of Life and Death and I think a plot like this film is basically where The Finale is headed. You can see it on the tv here as Gabriel does the "Everyday" miracle:

The basic plot of that film centers around a trial where a man who has been outrunning a clerical mistake that caused him to live when he should have died fights to stay alive on Earth to be with the woman he fell in love with. He was a RAF pilot during WW2 whose plane went down. He was supposed to die but a mistake had him live and he fell in love with the air traffic control operator he was talking to on his way down-- the character of June, whose look in the film is the inspiration for Crowley's look in the Before the Beginning scene.

Our hero in the film gets some help from someone who knows how to wrangle Heaven, launch a trial, and who acts as a defense lawyer-- something that I think sounds a lot like a perfect role for Gabriel.

There's also that we now have that we know that Gabriel knows for sure about the body swap in S1 which means he knows that, technically, Aziraphale did get a trial because that's really who Hell put on trial. We had the scene of a drunk Crowley telling Jim this in S2 to show us that Gabriel knows beyond a shadow of doubt that Aziraphale kind of already had a trial so that we can appreciate it when he then lies his ass off to The Metatron for his friends and claims they never gave Aziraphale a trial. 😉

Trials are a big thing in Good Omens' Heaven & Hell and in its finales in both seasons so far... even if they've been sham trials so far... but there's one of our main characters who hasn't gotten one yet, right?

Gabriel's trial was shown in the S2 finale and, back in S1, Hell gave whom they thought was Crowley a trial. However, Heaven never actually gave who they thought was Aziraphale a trial in S1 and they won't before sending him to Hell at the start of The Finale, either.

Gabriel and Beez know how to work the system and I think that they are going to lead an effort to challenge Aziraphale's status as a demon by filing a challenge to it that forces Heaven to give Aziraphale a trial. (Aziraphale is going to insist as this goes on that he goes nowhere without Crowley and it might result in them both being on trial.)

What will really be on trial, though, is the system of Heaven/Hell itself because, if our characters can win the trial, it will mean that they have proven that Heaven isn't infallible in their assessment. That would collapse Heaven and Hell because all the demons would challenge their own statuses and all the angels would realize that Heaven can make mistakes and this is all bullshit, which is likely what happens when all is said and done.

One part of the film is that one of the lawyers also demands a trial by jury with a diverse jury pool to ensure a fair trial, which would be very different from what we've seen happen with the characters in Good Omens so far. It would have to happen in The Finale for this plot to exist.

I think one of the results of the trial is that this group of angels and demons challenging Heaven here wind up demanding that The Metatron produce God and exposing him as a fraud when it's revealed that he can't, actually, because he doesn't speak for God and all of Heaven and Hell is a sham.

Satan figured it out long ago but cut a deal with The Metatron to stay quiet in exchange for having his own kingdom down there in Hell. The two of them are in a bit of a mutually-assured destruction pact where they co-exist to use the threats of one another to control the angels and demons they're oppressing.

When the trial leads to the overthrowing of The Metatron, the demise of Satan might be an actual battle of sorts but the end result is that both of them will be gone by the end and the angels and demons will be set up to form an united, more democratic form of government. The threat of Armageddon will be over, allowing for Crowley and Aziraphale to South Downs Cottage it in peace.

That's how Aziraphale's fall can be the thing that brings down the whole house of cards... as S2 seemed to possibly be suggesting:

[brittlebutch]

sonic and snufkin actually kind of feel like very similar characters to me. holding hands over “my personal sense of freedom and dedication to making decisions based on what I think is right is what matters most, and if you’ve built some idealized version of me in your head then that’s none of my business and it’s not my responsibility if the reality of who i am lets you down in some way”. also the deep connection to nature and all.

[mariocki]

Another guest spot for Jacqueline Pearce (and in very fashionable form), as British agent Ruth Klinger - or is that double agent? - in Man in a Suitcase: Somebody Loses, Somebody... Wins? (1.19, ITC, 1968)

[jackass-jones]

The way akishinji and ashbella both have dramatic coma scenes and dramatic shot through the heart scenes like we’ve gotta stop meeting like this 😩

[olis-inkwell-symposium]

Developing Backstory: Bringing Characters to Life

1. Where It All Started: The Character’s Origin

Place of Birth: Where did your character first see the world? Think about the impact of this place—was it a busy city where they had to fight for attention or a quiet village where everyone knew everyone’s business? This location doesn’t just say where they’re from; it shapes how they see the world.

Family and Upbringing: What was their family like? Were their parents loving or distant? Maybe they were raised by someone other than their parents—a mentor, an older sibling, or even alone. Family (or the lack of it) is usually one of the most significant factors in shaping who someone becomes.

Society’s Expectations: What was expected of them when they were young? Possibly, they were born into wealth, with all the pressure to continue the family legacy, or maybe they were raised to be invisible in a world where survival mattered. How does this influence who they are now? Do they accept or reject those expectations?

2. Childhood Events That Left a Mark

First Taste of Conflict: Think about the first time the character realized the world wasn’t a perfect place. Maybe they witnessed violence or faced betrayal. What was that moment, and how did it stick with them? This moment usually lays the foundation for the character’s emotional landscape—fear, hope, ambition, or distrust all come from these early life lessons.

Childhood Dreams: When they were young, what did they want to be? Every child has dreams—did they want to be a knight, a scholar, or even just someone who could travel the world? Did they have to give up these dreams? How does that lost dream shape them now?

Formative Relationships: Who was their first best friend, mentor, or enemy? Childhood friendships and relationships often create deep bonds or wounds that last into adulthood. Did they have a mentor who taught them everything, only to betray them? Did they lose a childhood friend that still haunts them?

3. The Teen Years: Where They Start to Become Who They Are

Trials and Tribulations: What’s the biggest challenge they faced as they grew up? Was it losing a loved one, failing at something important, or maybe being forced into a role they didn’t want? These teenage years are where the emotional armor starts forming—how did the difficulties they faced shape them into the person they are now?

Education or Training: How did they learn what they know? Were they formally trained by an institution, learning everything by the book, or did they learn through experience, like a street-smart survivalist? What impact does their education or lack of it have on how they interact with others?

Teenage Bonds: Did they have a first love or a first major falling out with someone close to them? These experiences often create emotional scars or connections that they carry with them into adulthood. How does that past friendship or romance influence their behavior now?

4. Key Life Events: The Big Moments That Define Them

Trauma or Loss: Was there a moment that changed everything? Think about a significant loss—maybe a loved one, their home, or a sense of identity. How does this event affect their worldview? Do they build walls around themselves or dive into relationships with reckless abandon because they fear losing more?

Victory or Failure: Did they experience a moment of triumph or devastating defeat? Success and failure leave their marks. Were they celebrated as a hero once, leading them to overconfidence, or did they fail when everyone was counting on them, leading to crippling self-doubt?

Betrayal: Was there a betrayal that shaped their adult relationships? Whether it is a friend, family member, or lover, betrayal often changes how we trust others. Do they close themselves off, constantly expecting betrayal, or try to rebuild trust, afraid of being left alone again.

5. Where They Stand Now: The Present Moment

What Drives Them Today: What’s the one thing pushing them forward now? Is it revenge, the need to restore their family’s honor, or maybe even just survival? Whatever it is, this motivation should tie directly back to their experiences.

Emotional Baggage: What unresolved emotional wounds are they carrying? Everyone has scars from their past—some are visible, others not so much. How do these emotional wounds affect how they treat others, how they react to conflict, and how they move through the world.

Current Relationships: Who’s still in their life from their past, and how do they feel about it? Did they reconnect with someone they thought they’d lost, or are they haunted by unresolved issues with people from their past? Do they have any ongoing tensions or regrets tied to these people?

6. Tying Themes to Their Backstory

Cultural or Mythological Influence: How does their personal story tie into the larger world’s mythology or culture? Do they carry a family legacy, a curse, or a prophecy that hangs over them? How does this influence their interactions with others and their perception of themselves?

Recurring Symbols: Are there objects, dreams, or people that keep showing up in their life, symbolizing their journey? Perhaps a recurring nightmare haunts them, or they carry an object from their past that’s both a source of comfort and pain

7. Character Arc: The Journey from Past to Present

How Does Their Past Shape Their Growth?: Every character has emotional baggage that needs resolving. How does their backstory drive their arc? Do they need to forgive themselves, let go of the past, or accept who they’ve become to move forward?

Unanswered Questions from the Past: Are there any mysteries in their backstory they need to solve? Maybe they’re unaware of their true parentage, or maybe there’s a forgotten event from their childhood that will resurface and change everything.