#and the story they just did doesn't make sense???

[ramshacklefey]

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The Things They Carried rewired parts of my brain. The Odyssey was a real treat. (Especially when some of my classmates who found the language rather opaque started gathering around me at morning homeroom to hear my retellings of last night's reading assignment.)

But I know some of you probably have or had a miserable time in English class, and that may have been partly because your school didn't properly prepare you for reading the books ahead of time, so you were just totally at sea all the way through.

If that's the case, here are some tips for getting more enjoyment out of a book you're struggling with!

Look up summaries of individual chapters (CliffsNotes usually has these). Then go back and read them. Having an idea of what's happening might help you follow along with language or writing styles that you're struggling with.

Let yourself skim over particular passages you're baffled by and latch onto the ones that make sense. Finding points that you can follow might help you make sense of the trickier ones by providing context.

If you don't understand a character's motivations, especially in older books and books that take place in a foreign country, it might be because you're missing context. That's okay, and your teacher isn't expecting you to have encyclopedic knowledge of the historical and cultural context for a book.

But also, even in the most unfamiliar circumstances, you can look for things that make sense to you. The characters are still people, and regardless of context, people are still people.

But also, sometimes you just can't relate to the character. That's ok. "Well I would never ____" Yes, but this person did. And here's why. In the world they live in, it made sense or it was the only thing they could do. And there are people in real life who do that. Now you've seen a little bit of why.

You don't have to like all the characters. Some characters (even the protagonists) you're supposed to hate. Sometimes that's because the author is saying, "This bastard is fucked up, but do you see how he got that way?" Sometimes it's, "This bitch made every wrong choice possible, but damn if it didn't make some wild drama."

Remember that sometimes the author may not explain exactly why something happens because it's supposed to be a bit of a mystery at first! Keep reading and see if it gets explained later!

Look up words in the dictionary!!

If you're having trouble keeping a lot of characters in your head, make a cast list. "John is Mary's brother and he's a bit of a dick."

It's okay if there are books you simply do not vibe with. Give them a fair shake, but really, even the kids who love English class are gonna have books they hate. I despised a few of the books I read for school. But remember that struggling with a book and not liking it aren't the same thing!

And for the love of everything holy. Ask. Your. Teacher. Questions. Write them down while you're reading and ask! If you're scared to ask in class, talk to them at another time! But I can guarantee that if you didn't understand something, some of your classmates didn't either. If your teacher is remotely competent, they'll be delighted to answer your questions.

And there are no questions too simple to ask in class!! "Why did this character do this thing?" "What's up with this sentence?" "I tried reading this, and here's what I think the events of this chapter were. Is that really what happened?" "What the heck is a ____?" "Why was this bit in here? It doesn't seem like it's important to the plot." "How do we know that ____ theme is in here?"

Yes, there are themes and symbols and motifs and whatever else in books. Your teacher isn't just making it up. People tell stories for a reason. The author is trying to communicate something to you. "Well why didn't they just say that?" Because saying it in a story shows you something about it. I can tell you, "Love isn't always enough to save you." or I can show you that by telling you a story about two people who fall in love and then get their shit wrecked. I can tell you, "This war happened and it was awful," or I can show you the people who were in it and what it did to them. I can tell you, "The government is a corrupt pile of festering feces," or I can show you what might happen if we keep going on the path we're on.

And you might not agree! You can say, "No, it wouldn't happen like that." You can say, "But this war was worth it because it resulted in this." You can say, "Actually, this particular social outcome seems pretty rad to me." That's okay because stories are a conversation, not the word of God from on high. But again, give the author a fair shake.

The most important thing is that you don't just give up if you're struggling. You're in school to learn! So accept that there are things you don't already know.

I straight up do not trust you if you did not enjoy a single book you had to read for English class. I know they assigned some real stuffy stinkers and the curriculum varies across districts but not one? Not The Outsiders? Not The Picture of Dorian Gray? Not Fahrenheit 451? Not even Frankenstein? Damn. That’s crazy.

[noxiousgrace]

The funniest thing about cale going "i should have just let choi han beat me up" is that he could've just,,,, not said anything to choi han and let him bury the bodies and sent him on his way. It's a novel, the hero always ends up saving the world anyway, right?

That's the thing tho, the only reason tcf ended up going the route it did was because of Cale henituse as a person, this is his life and not just a narrative (if that makes any sense 😭). Sometimes characters get botched because of plot in other stories, but tcfs plot happens because of the characterization and that's beautiful

Tcf is a guidebook like TBOAH was

But it's not to save the world or something crazy like that

It's a guidebook to living and growing as a person

The characters learn to forgive themselves but take responsibility for what they've done

They experience loss and realize the importance of connection

Their ideals are different but they're still able to come together for an overarching goal

They respect who deserves to be respected, and return disrespect in kind

The characters value being alive, nobody wants to die unless they're in a situation like DBH where he thinks he don't deserve to be alive anymore

And even then DBH is given the right to live because his past doesn't have to dictate what he does for the rest of your life, he can change but he cannot erase his past.

GAHSHSHAUSJY i love this novel so much man

[pompomchihuahua]

Gyomei's Influence On Genya

So, a question I've seen posed, is how did Genya go from this

to this

Well! The corps record book outright answers this: "Meeting Himejima helps to pacify Genya."

But that in itself isn't very descriptive. So, it's left up to interpretation how Himejima went about "pacifying" the boy who went around punching little girls. How did he do it? Did he "slap" some sense into him?

Personally, I don't think so.

Genya has lived a life surrounded by violence, from his father beating him, his mother, and his siblings when they were young to their mother turning into a demon and killing his siblings in cold blood. To an unknown amount of time doing god only knows what, we see Genya is a character that was born and raised in violence. Plus, we see first-hand how he reacts to violence when Tanjirou breaks his arm; in ssv, despite his softened edges he still remains bitter and defensive toward Tanjirou.

We know that Genya doesn't respond well to violence, he shuts down and closes himself off or lashes out just as good as he gets.

So, if not a firm slap, then what can Gyomei give to Genya?

Patience and compassion. We see from the extras and his main story that while Gyomei doesn't view children in the most positive light, he does still consider them as innocent and that is what causes them to be liars and cruel; because they don't know any better.

It says in the book that Genya's honesty is why they get on so well: "He doesn't put on fronts and he's never calculating. Thus, he and Himejima take well to each other." And while Himejima reprimands and rejects Genya over and over at first, he does eventually take him in with the book saying "However, once the Hashira sees the boy's determination, he accepts him."

For, perhaps the first time in Genya's life, someone sees something in him and acknowledges him. And I believe it's this that restores Genya's "gentle nature."

Then there's this part: "He was a gruff boy, but interacting with the Stone Hashira and others softens his edges."

Who are the others? I believe the book is referring to Sumi and Tanjirou! Tanjirou, during the fight with Hantengu is exceedingly patient with him and supportive and Sumi reminds him of his little sister of the same name, to the point he even tells his entire backstory to her.

There's a consistent theme where, the more supportive and patient you are with Genya, the more he opens up and softens his edges, whereas violence makes him clam up.

I've seen the idea of Gyomei "slapping" sense into Genya compared to Sabito's slap, but you have to remember that the context behind Giyuu's backstory and the person doing the slapping is completely different.

[shatcey]

Mirror event (Victor)

Now it becomes clear why Vivi looks so much like hemself in this story. Because it wasn't a dream…

I look at this men standing next to each other, and think… I… belong there. Literally. Right there, between them. I've never felt like I belong to any place, perhaps because I really need to be there.

Okay...

And now Vivi's thoughts. As always, they made my brain explode a bit.

He was ready to kill her if something went wrong, because his children are at the top of his list of priorities (after the queen, of course), but… He still wants her to stay. I'm surprised… Is this a contradiction? Or does he just want to add another seed to his garden of children? Or… she is any different?

This… It's terribly sad. Does this mean that no one will ever want to take care of him? Maybe were afraid to do it? Didn't think of him as a person? It's become a painful topic for me lately… Could it be related to his abilities? Or his status? He is a man who stands firmly on his feet, who achieves a lot, who is the second person in the country. Maybe… No, I'm probably imagining…

Victor often talks about light and darkness. What if it's not just a metaphor… What if he really can see the color of the soul? He's a grim reaper after all. What would make so much sense… He can tell who deserves to die and who deserves to be saved. This makes him the same judge as William.

Sure… Victor drops such a bomb… I'm not even surprised. Bound… He's bound… trapped… restricted. Maybe he just phrased it that way, after all, they all have a grim fate. But… What if it's literal? What if… his fate not allow him to get to close to people? I don't like where this thought leads me to…

You're breaking my heart! Why??? What can't he do? Follow his desires? Or… being too close to someone? He doesn't allow himself to do this because he had some experience in the past… What was that? What happens to the other person? Why did he decide never to do it again? I have… so many questions.

No, don't you dare say that was the last time! I'm going to punch you, painfully….... on the shoulder. You look like a teddy bear, and I love hugs! You got the point, right?

Why is it in quotes? Who told you that? This person was lying! They can, and they will come true. Ally is proof of that. He didn't dream, but his dreams came true. Don't ask me how this is possible! It defies logic…

So… It was a very short story, but it managed to give me a headache. I'm… not surprised at all.

Now I'm curious to know what was in the other stories. I remember reading Ellis' story a year ago, and in the end he killed her. So… It was definitely a dream! If so… how can we read the story from his POV???

Don't tell me… Ally, don't let these guys exploit your abilities!!!! You are not a tool! I'll really going to punch Victor if that's the case.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🔝 𝕊𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕋 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 🔝

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[anidala-for-ever]

#the complete inability to engage with a character the moment the character is a bit too conplex beyond 'absolutely good' or 'very bad'...

#understand why people wouldn't like anakin i mean look at all what he did!

#but then you realize he's being hated for the wrong reasons ans being treated as if he was The Antichrist from day 1

#as if he was completely fully sane by the moment things took a badly turn in ROTS

#the window between 'he made his choices' and 'the circunstances were pushimg him to the edge' are very narrow here

#rots is the dramatically and horrible combination of years and years of systematic abuse and grooming and maladaptative trauma exploding

#sorry that explosion isn't pretty or tasteful or less terrible but it wasn't supposed to be it is supposed to be ugly and upsetting!

#from every angle! it hurts from his POV it hurts from Padme's it hurts from Obi's it hurts from every angle you can get but Palpatine's

#no one is asking you to forgive him or excuse his crimes no one is doing that! But the prequels sre meant to tell the story of why

#Why he fell? Well thats your answer and is not pretty but by god it does make sense doesn't it? but no you all just wanted a slasher villai

#humanizing someone that commited crimes shouldn't be that hard especially bc we're talking about a Spacial Wizard Monk guys he's fictional

#the way fans IGNORE completely Palpatine's part and Anakin's constant misery in life just to act like he's just Space Fascist Guy is just..

#idk astounding because how can you look at TPM and not think 'that poor kid'

#or watching AOTC and only getting from it that he's a brat or something

#also let me say it again He's Fictional even if storywise he didn't like yknow get stripped off basic human rights and tortured and burned

#and disabled and forced onto a medical horror (because narratively that was his punishment which is another can of worms)

#he wouldn't have to be held accountable in the way some talk about him like...he's fictional

#ppl 'ld be up applauding other villains that do the same or worst with less of a reason and but it suddenly isnt the case with anakin

These tags are amazing, so I'm reblogging them

i hesitate to use the term victim blaming in relation to anakin because at the end of the day he's a fake guy whose crimes range from domestic violence to genocide but people's obsession with holding him "accountable" (let me reiterate, fake guy) and emphasizing how much choice he had starts feeling like that! cuz yeah ultimately his actions are his own, the narrative tells you this as much as very annoying fans who love stating the obvious do, but it feels rather insane to me to act like he was making choices under normal circumstances. like, at the end of the day he was being groomed and later on horrifically abused by palpatine and it feels like a lot of people really want to pretend that it’s his fault for not catching onto it as a traumatized child. he didn’t randomly switch loyalties bc he was hungry for power or whatever, his entire sense of reality was very meticulously broken down by a man who has been preying on his vulnerabilities since he was a child! and i just think people should maybe think about that before making arguments that sound dangerously close to “well why didn’t he just leave his abuser”

[aishangotome]

Luke & Gilbert's Story of Reminiscence [The Day We Became a Fake Family] - Part 1

Luke: Hey, Emma. There's a new shop in town, wanna go with me?

Emma: Sure, but it's rare for you to invite me somewhere.

Luke: It's a shop for women. I'm interested in their limited-edition honey candy, but I'd stand out going alone, wouldn't I?

Emma: Hehe... In that case, I'd be happy to.

Lately, with Prince Gilbert of Obsidian staying at the Rhodolite castle, there's been a constant tension, and it often feels suffocating.

So when he invited me to town, I immediately accepted, but—

Gilbert: Oh, are you two going out?

Just as we were about to reach the exit, where a clear blue sky spread out before us, we bumped into Prince Gilbert.

Luke: Yeah, it's a date, so don't get in the way.

Gilbert: Oh? Sounds interesting. Makes me want to play a game of follow the leader.

Luke: Are you a man of leisure or something?

(I've been thinking this for a while, but Luke is amazing because he doesn't change his attitude at all, even with Prince Gilbert.)

Unlike me, with my body stiffening with nervousness, or the servants who hurried past, Luke is a valuable presence who can face Prince Gilbert and exchange words with him confidently.

Wanting to learn from him, I mentally chided my unconsciously fearful heart.

Gilbert: If you're going to town, I'd like a souvenir, okay?

Luke: What? No way.

Gilbert: I'm a state guest. ...Right, little rabbit?

Emma: What kind of souvenir would you like?

Gilbert: Hmm...

Luke: If you're going to think about it that hard, don't ask.

Gilbert: Rhodolite is a country of gourmet food, so it can't be helped, can it?

Gilbert: Ah, that's right. I'd like a sandwich from the bakery that little rabbit always goes to.

Emma: ...How did you know that I frequent the bakery...?

Gilbert: Want to know?

(No way... he's not saying I have a spy on me, is he...?)

(...That's plausible and scary.)

Luke: Don't bully her.

Gilbert: Bully? That's harsh. I actually like little rabbit, you know?

Luke: That's what bullying is.

Gilbert: Ahaha, that's true. But I'm genuinely interested in the sandwich.

Gilbert: Is that a no?

Emma: ...I'll do my best.

Gilbert: Thank you.

Luke: You really only bring trouble, don't you?

Luke: Emma, let's go.

Perhaps noticing my stiff expression, Luke took my hand and started walking.

His large, dependable hand brought a sense of relief before any embarrassment.

Gilbert: See you later, you two.

Luke: ––...!

At his casual words, Luke, who hadn't reacted to anything until then, slightly trembled his fingers.

(...Is it my imagination?)

Luke didn't say anything, and just pulled my hand to led me into town.

-

---...Ten years ago, in Obsidian.

Gilbert: Luke, how do you feel about starting military school today?

Luke: Huh? I don't really feel... anything.

Gilbert: You can't be feeling "nothing." An exciting youth awaits you!

Luke: There's no such thing at a military training facility.

Gilbert: Aww.

Luke: But hey, thanks. ...For arranging for me to attend.

Gilbert: You're welcome. I hope you can learn what you desire...

Luke: .............

Gilbert: But before that, let's make one promise.

Luke: A promise?

Gilbert: As long as you keep this promise, I'll always be on your side.

Luke: ...Is it that important of a promise?

Gilbert: Yes. Precisely because you'll have more opportunities to go out, it's a promise you must never break.

Luke: What is it?

Gilbert: When I send you off with "see you later," you must always come back and say "I'm home."

Luke: Huh?

Gilbert: If you don't say "I'm home," I'll consider it a betrayal and kill you.

Luke: The price is too high.

Gilbert: That's how important it is. Conversely, if I don't welcome you with "welcome home," you can kill me.

Luke: ...That's stupid.

Gilbert: But I'm serious.

Gilbert: Well then, Luke. See you later.

-

Gilbert: Ah, there you are. Welcome home, Luke.

Luke: You... were you waiting here the whole time for me to come back?

Gilbert: We made a promise, didn't we?

Luke: ...Even though you're not a man of leisure.

Gilbert: Being busy isn't an excuse to break a promise. ...Here.

Luke: What are you doing with your arms? Absolutely not.

Gilbert: Oh, have you already forgotten?

Gilbert: When you break the promise—

Luke: We didn't make a promise to hug.

Gilbert: You're so shy, Luke.

Luke: ...Anyone would hate that.

Gilbert: So, come on?

Luke: ...Something about...

Luke: It's hard to say when you're being rushed.

Gilbert: Are you sure? It's a choice between life and death.

Luke: Why do I have to risk my life for something so stupid?

Gilbert: It's not stupid. It's just that there was someone who didn't keep this promise once.

Gilbert: It was very unpleasant. So unpleasant that I almost killed everyone in the castle.

Luke: ..............

Gilbert: You won't betray me, will you, Luke...?

Luke: Alright, alright. I understand there are circumstances.

Luke: Fine, I'll say it.

Luke: .............

Gilbert: To think you'd be so shy about something like this, how youthful.

Luke: Shut up—it's a phrase I rarely say!

Luke: ……………… I'm home.

*back to present day*

Emma: Mmm, that was fun! I was worried when Prince Gilbert found us, but...

Emma: Luke, you're a genius at entertaining people.

Luke: Really?

Eating delicious food with Luke in town, going around shops, buying souvenirs, the casual time we spent together after so long had lifted the suffocating feeling from my chest.

(Luke is so considerate, he really spoiled me.)

Luke: Well, I'm glad you haven't forgotten how to smile.

Emma: Huh?

Luke: Lately, you've been pretty stressed because of him, right?

Luke: Let's ditch him again and go on a date.

(...He did it for me. Luke is really kind.)

Emma: Thank you. I'm looking forward to it.

???: But it's not good to come home so late.

(Oh...)

Luke: Ugh, were you waiting for us?

With the distinct sound of his cane, Prince Gilbert emerged from the darkness.

Gilbert: I have to receive my souvenir, don't I?

Gilbert: Besides, promises must be kept.

(Promises?)

Gilbert: Welcome home.

Luke: ...............

Luke, with a bitter look on his face, suddenly turned away from Prince Gilbert.

Gilbert: Huh? That's strange. Did you not hear me?

Luke: ...Are you still doing that?

Gilbert: Ahaha, complaining to a state guest?

Gilbert: Little rabbit, what do you say when someone says "welcome home"?

Emma: I... I'm home... I've returned?

Gilbert: Yes, you're a good girl.

(Is that something to be so happy about...?)

Gilbert: Little rabbit can do it, but Luke can't? You wouldn't say that, would you?

(Luke... he looks embarrassed when you look closely.)

(Maybe he's not used to saying it.)

Luke: ––...Home.

Gilbert: Oh dear, the Rhodolite castle might be stained with blood.

Luke: ...I said "I'm home," okay!

Luke: Emma, let's just ignore him. He's annoying.

Emma: That's a bit—wait, Luke, I haven't given Prince Gilbert his souvenir yet...!

Before I could hand over the sandwich, Luke, just like in the morning, pulled my hand and started walking.

I turned around anxiously towards Prince Gilbert, and contrary to my expectations, he was waving with a cheerful smile.

Gilbert: Hehe, well done.

.

.

.

Part 2

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[theamityelf]

Hey! I love your descendants fic so fucking much I think I’ve read them all (The Worst Is Now The Victor is like one of my all time favorite fanfics of all time), I was wondering if you had any recs for fics like yours? Specifically sea three fics that don’t villainize the sea three? Thank you!

First of all, thank you so much!

As for recommendations:

Mysterious Fathoms Below, by MissKate. This one has a really broad focus on lots of the characters and locations and concepts, but as someone who pretty much refuses to read almost anything that doesn't heavily feature Uma, I was satisfied with how much emphasis she got. The storytelling and the magic are really the star of the show, for this fic. I think probably all of the fics on this list do a really great job of bringing canon Disney characters in who don't have an established role in the Descendants movies and doing great things with them. This one did a REALLY cool thing with the Disney princesses. I made a TV Tropes page for this fic, so if you read it, you can check that out and maybe add to it, if you want.

We'll Light the Fuse, by evanescentdream93 (@edream93 on Tumblr). After D2, Ben keeps his promise to give Uma a chance. Very fun fic, and it explores the characters and world in a way I really enjoy. The elements of it that I remember most are ones I don't want to spoil, so I encourage you to read it. It's discontinued after Chapter 21, but the author provides an outline for the rest. I also made a TV Tropes page for this one, so feel free to add to that.

Til the Storm Comes and the World is Quiet, by elphaba_swan (@kindofchaoticgood). Okay, so this one is BRUTAL towards Auradon in a way I really like. The inherent violence of the situation is really interrogated, but the story starts very shortly before things are about to change, so you're not just immersing in how bad things are, if that makes sense. It's cathartic. And focuses a lot on Uma and her crew and how much they love and care for each other. I had to check to see if I made a TV Tropes page for this one, and I guess I didn't. It deserves one, though!

Without Crowns, Without Borders, by StainedGlassSpecs (@stainedglassspecs). Okay, I remember this one for having great character moments. I think the plot is that Uma and Ben are trying to open a community center on the Isle. I remember really liking it a lot and obsessing over the minor details; highly recommend! And give the author some love, because I think I got too busy to keep reading this one, and I feel bad about that. Also deserves a TV Tropes page.

Something About Her, by generic_epiphany. I'll be honest, I remember this one being DARK, but also I was definitely subscribed to this one. As I recall, it's very Huma-centric but also rather anti-Audrey. So, you win some, you lose some. But it's a good time, if you can handle some grim subject matters. (I don't know how hard to endorse this one, because I don't remember how grim it gets. As I recall, it didn't go into too much detail, but it did establish some very unpleasant things about some of the characters' pasts.)

Compound Interest, by TrueColours (@trueishcolours). Huma-centric, Harry and Uma growing up together, I won't spoil it, but it's seriously, seriously great. One chapter, over 10,000 words, really good.

NocturnaIV (@nocturna-iv) has a bunch of fics; just go ahead and check those out.

Same deal with the-knight-of-the-stars (@the-knight-of-the-stars). In particular, Children of the Reign is a cool reimagining of the characters and premise.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

If you gave Chloe a redemption how would Zoe fit? Not Vespera just Zoe...

I discussed this in more detail here, here, and here, but canon Zoe has all the hallmarks of a Mary Sue. She shows up out of nowhere in the middle of the show and immediately becomes close to the main cast. She has no real flaws. Everyone loves her. She gets a romance arc with the main character. She's the only person other than Adrien to wield the black cat miraculous. You get the picture. She's the kind of character I expect to see as an OC in a fanfic, not an actual character in canon.

While I will defend the rights of Mary Sue's in a general sense, a Mary Sue has no place in Miraculous canon. It's the wrong type of story for an idealized self-insert that the audience can project themselves onto for many reasons, chief of them being that those types of characters only work as main characters. This makes it impossible for me to use Zoe as-is. I'd have to completely redesign her character so that she had depth and flaws and I have no interest in doing that.

It's not that I hate Zoe, it's that she has no reason to exist outside of being Chloe's perfect replacement. Take away that role and what is she even doing here? What purpose does she serve that you can't give to one of the twenty other teenage characters that canon already introduced!!! And that's not even counting the specials which introduced another three for some reason. Writers, what are you doing? Stop adding characters!!! You need depth, not breadth!!!

In theory, Zoe could be used as part of Chloe's redemption, but that would require them to have an actual bond. As best I can tell, in canon, Chloe and Zoe didn't meet until the start of season four. They're sisters in the biological sense, but that's about it. This once again makes it hard to see Zoe as value added.

If the Kwamis didn't exist and Zoe was Chloe's cool older sister, then she'd have some potential as Chloe's mentor, basically taking on the role I see Pollen in. She'd also have potential as a significantly younger sister who adores Chloe, making Chloe act nice because she wants to keep that adoration. But Zoe is none of those things. She's basically the same age as Chloe, Chloe doesn't care about her, and Adrien already fills the role of Chloe's same-age sibling who grew up in a different home, so why would she need another one?

Another theoretical path for Zoe would be to let Chloe redeem Zoe. We know that Zoe was a massive liar in the past. If she was introduced while still in that phase, then redeemed Chloe could show off her new skills by helping her sister. It would even give you a nice way to address how messed up their mother is.

As nice as that may sound, I still wouldn't go there unless Chloe was my main character. Zoe's redemption just eats up way too much screen time as you have to establish who she is, give her a relationship with Chloe, and so on. Not a quick little addition to the script and not worth the time when her only purpose is fleshing out Chloe. There's also the Sabrina issue. If Chloe is going to redeem someone, it feels silly to add a whole new character when you have an established character right there, ready and waiting. Writing wise, Sabrina feels way more like Chloe's sister than Zoe ever did so why add Zoe?

No matter what way you look at it, canon Zoe just isn't needed. There are no missing roles that she's ideally suited to fill. You'd have to totally redesign her to make her work and, at that point, you're not using Zoe, you're using an OC with the same name.

[arc-misadventures]

Hmm... Let's link this to the, Blood Mage story.

///

Dr. Arcula

Jaune: Okay... this finishes my report on coffee consumption, and it's effects on blood vessels. Gods, Ozpin... You've totally fucked up your blood with all that caffeine you've had, that I got to right a medical report on it...

Jaune: ...?

Jaune: Come on out, Team RWBY... I know you're there.

Yang: What?!

Blake: How did you know?

Jaune: Haa... I can sense people by 'feeling' their blood. Ruby, and Weiss may be the same height, but I can tell them apart because of all the blood in, Ruby's veins. I'd tell you to cut back, but your semblance burns off to man calories...

Weiss: I'm just short to you...?

Ruby: I don't have that much sugar!

Jaune: I can tell it was, Blake because the blood in a faunas flows differently in then in humans, and I an feel the blood in her ears. Cat faunas I assume?

Blake: You know?!

Weiss: You're a faunas?!

Yang: Show me the cat ears...

Jaune: And, I can tell it's, Yang because I can feel all the blood in her chest.

Yang: You can feel my boobs~?

Jaune: Don't think of that as sexual; I can feel men's junk just as much as your chest. It's not a pleasant feeling.

Yang: Ohhh...

Blake: That doesn't sound pleasant...

Jaune: Okay... unlike most of the time you've come here, I can tell you're hurt... that being said: Yang, why is your hand broken...?

Yang: I uhhh... I punched concreate block...

Jaune: How many did you punch?

Yang: Just one.

Jaune: One? I've seen you be punched through a wall before, and shrug it off. How did you break your hand by punching on concreate block?

Yang: I was angry...

Jaune: At a concreate block?

Yang: Yeah...

Jaune: ...

Jaune: Okay, give me your hand...

Yang: Oh, are you going to give me a kiss to make me...?!

(Crack! Cer-rack! Ca-Crack!)

Jaune: There fixed it. Feeling better?

Yang: Y-Yes...?! T-Thank you sir...?!

Jaune: Good. Next!

Ruby: I scrapped my knee.

Jaune: Trip on your feet, again.

Ruby: Yes...

Jaune: Okay, bloody, but not bad... Give me a moment.

(Squish, clissh, blegsh.)

Jaune: There we go all better. You feeling better, Ruby?

Ruby: Y-Y-Yes... all better, Sir...

Jaune: Okay. Next!

Blake: I got a papercut.

Jaune: Wash your hands, and apply disinfectant. you should be healed in two to three days, if it gets worse come, and see me. Next!

Blake: Dammit...

Weiss: ...

Jaune: What's wrong, Weiss?

Weiss: I.. I want a hug...

Jaune: ...

Jaune: Okay.. come here.

Weiss: Yessss!

Jaune: There, there... feeling better>

Weiss: Much!

Jaune: Good girl, here have a lollipop.

Weiss: Oh, cherry!

Ruby: I want a lollipop...

Jaune: Alright, is that all, or...?! Oh gods what happened...?

Yang: What? Nothing...?

Weiss: We didn't do...?!

Velvet: Dr. Arc! Coco cut off a guys hand for dissing her shirt! We need you to reattach it!

Jaune: Haa... The fuck is wrong with the people here...?

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Do you think of Ginny as a “pick me girl”? Some of the things you say in your post makes her come across as that, which is sad since she is a strong female character and there’s so many m|m bloggers who shitting on strong female characters these days.

I don't know if you're just looking for a fight or if you're genuine, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt about this subject once.

Yes, I think Ginny comes off as a bit of a "pick me" which I already wrote about here, which I don't think was intentional on JKR's part. I don't think Ginny was intended to come off the way she did.

Like, Ginny in the early books is just, really boring, in my opinion. and I think Ginny in book 5 had the potential to be an interesting character. She had a good sense of humor and she seemed somewhat in line with the twins (though on the crueler side), but I despise Ginny of books 6 and 7.

Like, all power to you for like Ginny and her romance with Harry. Truly, have fun with your canon pairing, I wish you the best and that you find many fics that portray them just as you like to see them.

But I don't see them that way. I think Ginny is a badly written character, and I think her romance with Harry is similarly badly written. It has nothing to do with gay ships. Trust me, if Harry was written into a compelling romance with a well-written female character, I'd be all over that. But he wasn't.

I mean, hell, I don't even ship Drarry, which is the most popular gay ship for Harry because I don't like Draco much. I think he's written well for what he is in the story, but I just don't vibe with him.

Becouse I don't need an excuse to dislike a character or a pairing. I can give my reasons, I have them, but I'm (and anyone else is) allowed to say I just don't vibe with a character. Even if Ginny was the best-written character in literature (she isn't) and her romance with Harry was perfectly written (it isn't) I could still shit on her as much as I want to, you know why?

Becouse she's fictional.

Fictional characters can't be offended. You can't be mean to a fictional character. Because fictional characters don't have feelings. They're not real.

You can say you personally find it sad people don't like Ginny the way you do, and you can be personally disappointed — but it isn't objectively sad. It isn't sad for Ginny becouse Ginny isn't real and only real people have feelings. It's sad to you, that's your opinion.

I love Harry, he's my favorite and I made it no secret, but I have good irl friends who shit on him in casual conversation and I can laugh with them when they make a funny joke about him even when we disagree, you know why? — we agree to disagree. We know Harry is fictional and that he doesn't care. Because he isn't real, he can't care.

So, for me, it doesn't matter if you shit and hate on fictional characters and fictional relationships as long as you're decent to real people.

You aren't a misogynist for disliking a female fictional character. She's fictional. She isn't real. You would be a misogynist if you mistreated irl women because they're women. In the same vein, you aren't a homophobe for disliking a popular gay ship. You would be a homophobe if you mistreated irl gay people because of their sexuality. You aren't wrong for disliking a fictional character or ship for any reason, even if the reason is just "vibes". You would be a dick if you mistreated irl people because they don't think the same as you about a fictional character or ship.

I personally find it sad that fandom seems to have lost the ability to say "agree to disagree" and move on (if the ability ever existed in the first place). I follow some blogs who shit on HJP himself because they post other stuff I find compelling. I follow blogs that post a lot of Drarry because I like how they write Harry even if I don't really care for Draco. You can like someone and enjoy their writing and be friendly with them even if you don't agree with them on some fictional characters and fictional relationships. And if it really bothers you, you can block and move on as many of us do.

So yeah, I think Ginny comes off as a "pick me." I think she's a badly written character, and you can disagree with me on that, you can think she's a strong female character, but that's your opinion, not an objective truth. And I dislike her for being a badly written character, which, I assure you, is gender-natural.

I also think it's important to remember that at the end of the day, we're all just playing with dolls, and the only feelings that matter are those of real people.

[tartppola]

https://www.tumblr.com/nyxiie/771808977557258240/twisted-wonderland-whos-the-best-boyfriend

Are you voting for Ace or Deuce? I think Deuce should win, just to roast Ace. The guy who cannot talk to half the population (girls) is better than him lololol

omg another TWST boyfriend poll... awahwghgghf HONESTLYYY the ratio 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 my vote ain't gonna do anything BUTTTT but but but but I must put on my nerd glasses... the propaganda!! being spoken about my boy Ace Trappola!!

He's obviously got his own issues, he's mean, he's a tease with no filter w his words, he disregards authority figures etc. etc. but i feel the fandom exemplifies his negative traits and doesn't take into account his character growth throughout the game

Main Story Spoilers for : Book 4, Book 6, Book 7

Event Story Spoilers for : Ghost Marriage/Phantom Bride, Spectral Soiree, Fairy Gala IF, Lost in The Book with Stitch

He's a ride or die!! It's shown time and time again that despite the persona he puts up he cares SO much for his friends, throughout the main story, events and vignettes. He took the long trek back to NRC in Book 4 because of the prefect's SOS message!! In Fairy Gala IF he brought the whole first year squad together when Ortho was struggling to find his own image/sense of style unique to himself, in Spectral Soiree he told off Malleus, which ends up leaving an impression ( btw everyone this is a sign to read the Bloom Birthday Malleus vignette or get him on his birthday on EN ). In Book 6 he and Deuce patched the prefect up and stuck by them when Grim's nature as a monster came into question, fought against the STYX to defend the Prefect even though he was scared, and he scolded them when they basically left with no warning.

Don't get me started on him with the prefect OUYGHGHGHhghgh if what I yapped in the first paragraph and the number of home screen lines he has of them across all of his cards do not convince you that he's soooo attached to them, then the way he sticks to the Prefect in Lost in the Book with Stitch because he's concerned abt them being magicless & stranded with him in a deserted island, and the way he noticed Yuu not feeling well in Lilia's farewell party should prove it.

He's so dishonest with his feelings and with others but like deadass. it's so obvious to everyone else. A lot of characters always say how he's always with Deuce and the prefect a lot, like Ortho outing him to Kalim in Playful Land, Silver and Epel making comments about how Deuce and Yuu being close to Ace when they were finding a gift for him, even Malleus and Lilia teased him when he was in denial about being best friends with the prefect and Deuce.

The culmination of this in the latest ( as of now ) Book 7 update in Cater's segment, where he decided that the next destination is Ace's dream, to reunite!!! the mabutrio!! LIKEEEEEE DO YOU SEEEEEE HHGFGJGJGGRGHGHH

He's rising up the ranks in a lot of popularity polls whether against other TWST characters or against other media. He went from 41st in 2023 to 27th in 2024 in the yumejoshi survey!! He's very beloved!! A lot of people being up his past relationship in middle school, they forget his speech to Eliza about finding the perfect/his ideal partner, someone he can laugh and cry with and stick through hard times with!! The old ace who callously left his ex girlfriend would not have these beliefs, it's a sign of his growth!!! To even top it off Ortho did an analysis on him to prove his sincerity in that moment! ( and to rub it in his face bcs d'awwww ace is saur sappy ghhgsghff )

IG what I'm trying to say is!! He's definitely a lot, he's not everyone's cup of tea, but he's a lot more than what the fandom makes him out to be, and if Ace Trappola is your boyfriend he'll definitely cherish you lots ❤️

[mgghoney]

pairing// matthew gray gubler and reader || wc// 801

summary// what happened to kissing the homies happy new year?

"I heard you kissed a fan for the new years kiss."

You look up at your phone when Matt doesn't respond, and you slide open your drawer when you notice he's thinking.

"I did. On the forehead."

You rummage through your desk, blinking quietly when you realize you can't find what you're looking for.

"I saw photos... of her, I mean. Not of the kiss." You hum. "Every now and then the fan in me kicks at my rationality."

"Did you want one?"

"Don't go asking me that." You slide your hand to the parts you can't see, frowning when it isn't there either. "I don't know how you manage to be simultaneously the sweetest celebrity I know yet lack so many typical boundaries."

"I don't think it's a lack."

"I know it isn't. The universe returns the kindness you show others tenfold." You finally look up at the call, and Matt's got a brow raised as you huff at what he's holding. "I left it with you?"

"On accident. I've been making full use of the camera." He hums. "I'll return it to you with a new roll of film as long as you develop it for me."

"Of course." You nod. "That makes a lot more sense, actually."

"Oh, and another thing. Don't go—"

"sending them to other people. I know."

"No, I was gonna say you can post most of them except one."

"Will you tell me which one?"

"You'll know."

"I'm bracing myself for unsolicited dick pics right now." You roll your eyes, finding another camera as you dig through your tote. "H...uh? Oh, you swapped cameras with me!? I didn't even notice."

"I bought it back when it was newly on sale. Mine's all beat up."

"That means it's well loved." You hum, fingers smoothing over the yellow of the camera, raising a brow at the screen as Matt locks eyes with you.

"I'm excited to see what you do with it."

You laugh, tugging the drawer back open as you toss out a handful of folders, tweezers in hand as you raise a brow at him. "Yeah?"

"Expect a bit of love on yours too."

"Like biting or photos wise?" You pause to stare at the camera. "A 2016 model is kind of rare."

"I found it in Japan while out."

"Ah." You hum. "I should make you get me one next time you're there."

"You won't come with me?"

"Studying abroad is gonna cost me an arm and a leg. I'm already barely grazing by with my aid right now. Well, if you even count that as aid. My fault for picking New York." You huff, finger smoothing down the color on the dents.

"I suppose." Matt taps at the screen to get your attention, and you look up from the sheets strewn around you. "When do you fly back?"

"Why? You won't even meet up with me at the airport since we're in different cities."

"So I know when to send you stuff."

"Don't you have more recording in LA?"

"Mm, you never know where the wind brings you."

"I hope the wind blows me to early retirement." You mumble. "Doing what I love for a living would be nice too. Maybe I should mail Anderson some fanmail and beg for an internship."

"You want a call?"

"It'd be unfair to do that." You tap your desk, glancing at the tweezers. "Well, not unfair. I'll see where the wind takes me too."

"Is it sunny?"

"Here? Always." You pull the shades and let the sun spill in, humming quietly to yourself as you laugh. "Is it sunny there?"

"You know it is." He picks up his phone to walk you over to the back door, stepping out to stand in the sun.

"I bet the film will turn out super nice." You hum. "Stay still. I want a photo."

"Still thinking about starting that fanpage for me?"

"You want me to? The twitter fanpages but for you? A "what's MGG up to today?" account?" You look at the photos on your phone, and you hum. "You already have an update account. I don't need to use our friendship to tell others."

"I respect their dedication." His lip quirks upwards, and you laugh.

"I do too."

"So? I'm sure you're not just calling to talk to me about my new years kiss."

"Oh, yeah. I had a couple of questions for the story."

"I'm more than willing to answer them. I respect the dedication."

"What are we all if not dedicated to the bit?"

"Is this where the wind is taking you?"

"Yeah." You turn on the camera to snap a photo of him, humming quietly as you beam at him. "What am I if not living to entertain?"

"Living to enjoy, perhaps."

"Always."

[ahsoka-in-a-hood]

Crawling out of my cave for one more round.......

Eh, for that I'd have to subscribe to the idea that they didn't work at all in the outer rim as hard canon, which I don't. See I'm far too fond of Quinlan Vos. A character that has grown across multiple continuities from a random tall dark and handsome guy in the background on Tatooine in the phantom menace to beloved star of my heart. What exactly was he doing on Tatooine? Who knows, he is mysterious as the dark side of the moon. He works in the shadows. Why did he not interact with Qui Gon in TPM? Aside from the fact that he wasn't really a character then… maybe he was in deep cover. Maybe he had whole networks of lives on the line. Maybe he was helping an underground railroad. Maybe he was rescuing toddlers from the jaws of death while I Need A Hero played in the soundtrack

(it's not like there being no activity in the outer rim is an unfair extrapolation from just the film, mind, it's not just not a given. "the republic doesn't exist out here"- Shmi. "i didn't come here to free slaves"- Qui Gon. But Shmi did say the republic and can hardly be omniscient, and Qui Gon was talking about himself, as a guy on an entirely different mission with a ship full of political refugees being actively hunted down who ended up stranded entirely by accident on random planet number however many thousand that he nevertheless knew enough about to be the giver of exposition to the literal ruler of a neighboring planet and now that I think about it, that's sort of funny. The film is pretty clear on the jedi not being able to maintain justice across the entire galaxy, for sure, but it also doesn't argue that they don't do anything at all, and there's a pretty big difference between doing nothing and doing a bit, in my book.)

Anyway, on Mandalore. Is there an implication that Mandalore at that time wasn't worthy of aid? Obi Wan is sometimes loose with the truth, but even if he was exaggerating when he said that most of Satine's people were killed in the civil war, that's still a major level of brutality and civilian death. If more than half a world's population is getting killed, that's a huge crisis and tragedy. Is that alone not enough of a motive?

And then let's consider Deathwatch, the major faction that was active at that time. We get to know deathwatch in tcw. We see how they operate- they conquer a settlement, steal all their resources, kidnap all the young girls as hostages and force them to serve them. It's dark as shit. And they are explicitly imperial revivalists. I'm going to make a silly comparison, but imagine if like. Britain was in a civil war, and there was an army of far right extremists who were gaining ground in a reign of terror under a banner of rebuilding the british empire, with like maps of imperial britain on their flags and plans to take back the colonies etc etc. Would it be politically motivated to protect the leaders of the opposition to that when they were in exile with assassins after them? Sure. But like. Maybe the rest of the world doesn't want to have to deal with an attempt at british empire number 2.0, if they won their internal war. And I would say that's fair enough, actually. So maybe the "potential resource" they would gain is not having an army of mandalorians trying to invade planets and enslave people in 10 years time.

Intervention is a tricky thing though. We're all familiar with the damage missionaries can do, and with how 'soft power' is often exploitative. If this were a history book, the basic assumption would be that there's very little altruism in politics. But this is a story. The thing about Satine and Obi Wan is that we get a strong sense, from the very first arc about them, that Satine is not a client queen/puppet/corrupt and Obi Wan is not there to manipulate her on the chancellors behalf. This is, in fact, the plot of those three episodes. Satine is fiercely protective of Mandalorian independence, does trust the jedi as long as they're acting as an independent body, and Obi Wan actively helps her thwart not only deathwatch, but also Chancellor Palpatine's scheme to get Mandalore under his control. He explicitly does not subvert Mandalore on behalf of those controlling the republic.

And now I'm going to invite you to imagine Quinlan again. Standing on a sand dune, a breeze ruffling his hood, gazing out into the soft light of dawn, with a face that could have been chiseled by the gods,

Okay so I’m thinking about how Satine’s initial reaction to Obi Wan’s visit is really hostile until he explains he’s there on behalf of the jedi council, not the republic, causing her to immediately relax. How that whole arc is about her resisting republic attempts to encroach on Mandalore and the neutral system’s sovereignty and independence, and how she is so consistently insistent on that. And I’m thinking about Obi Wan’s description of his year on Mandalore during their civil war- how they were ‘living hand to mouth,’ aka they had little to no funding or resources for the mission, and also just the simple fact that… as far as I know Mandalore isn’t in the republic so how they operate there is fundamentally different to how they would operate on a republic planet?

So anyway I’m now convinced that that mission was not affiliated with or funded by the republic. This was a jedi operate independently sometimes sort of situation.

[jejelovescats]

My (probably inaccurate) analysis on Spy x Family chapter 109

From what we currently know, Melinda clearly has some kind of hatred towards her husband, now we can say this is because of a potential mental illness (or physical damage that led to a mental illness) OR the (probable) abuse taking place, physical/psychological.

Now, we don't have a proper backstory on Melinda to say that there was any physical damage that took place, especially something so severe to the point it caused her a mental illness. The likelihood of abuse taking place is much more likely since we DO know that she has visited the psychiatry department in some point in the past, somewhere around when the war took place. Now, off the top of my head, there are a number of reasons why she could have visited, first being the pressure and stress of being a first lady, especially in the war period, or is it because she reached a point where she wasn't able to handle her emotions BECAUSE of the abuse?

I would like to focus on the latter since I find it much more probable. Now I did say earlier that physical damage could cause mental illnesses, the phrase "physical damage" doesn't exclude abuse. Maybe the abuse reached a point where it caused her mental distress.

Now I would like to discuss Melinda's relationship with her family, starting off with her children (this will be more focused with Melinda's relationship with Damian since we don't know what she thinks of Demetirus yet)

Now Melinda's relationship with her family is uhhh, complex to say the least. In the bus hijacking arc, Melinda refers to her son as "my treasure" while simultaneously referring to him as "my curse". Now what we can note is that everything was fine up until Damian asked her not to tell his father that he cried, that's when her thoughts started to go haywire.

Now at this point we ask ourselves, "Why are Melinda's thoughts towards Damian like this?" in my opinion its either because he's Donovan's child (which explains why she refers to him as a curse) or that she's afraid he'll be just like his father?

Now the answer to both of these questions crawl back to Donovan. Now we also need to ask ourselves "Where did Donovan and Melinda's relationship stand before they got married?" If it was an arranged marriage, the (probable) abuse would make more sense but if they were originally in love, that's a WHOLE other story. if so we would need to ask

-"what happened to turn their relationship into this?"

-"why did Donovan start treating his wife that way?"

I honestly really do believe that they were originally in love hence Melinda's mind trying to look for any reason why her husband turned into something that brought her so much distress (ergo the "My husband is an alien)

It would make more sense if they were previously in love

Or at least, Melinda was tricked into thinking he loved her

If so, then he had to have an ulterior motive maybe he took advantage of the fact he knew she cared about him?

If Melinda cared so much about a man to the point of risking her mental and (potentially) physical health, then there has to be some kind of history on why she fell in love with Donovan in the first place, why she (probably) never questioned his (probable) abuse , blaming it on the fact that "My husband is an alien" it's like she doesn't want to believe that her husband (a man she loved) would abuse her, although I would really love to know what Melinda thinks of Demetrius, I'd assume something similar what she thinks of Damian.

"Why can't they divorce or why can't she report him?" Well there are a number of possibilities including the fact that if she loves him, she wouldn't want to divorce him and it is evident that she loves him so much to the point she never questioned his abuse hence the "My husband is an alien" since she doesn't want to believe that a person she loved so much would hurt her (again, Donovan abusing her is NOT confirmed yet I'm just saying what I think if it were true) OR she doesn't want to tarnish her reputation because even if she did report him, he could make up a lie for people not to believe her "would you really believe a woman who's convinced her husband is an alien?" since he does have more power over her. That being said, people are more likely to believe Donovan since they only see Melinda as "the former first lady" not a mother nor a wife. As well as the fact that when she reports him with no success, the abuse will most likely get worse.

And I also noticed in her list of symptoms that she had insomnia, is it caused by the fact she thinks husband is an alien? That her mind is trying to block out the fact that her husband is abusive? There's just so many possibilities! I can't wait to see what endo has in store for us!

conclusion: Melinda has a crappy husband and needs a better one bc that's what she deserves and also get her a better therapist this woman is mentally ill you don't wanna make it worse by getting her an unlicensed and inexperienced fake therapist 😭😭

[petalkitshadow]

Talking About: Appledusk

So, Appledusk is a character who my interpretation of probably gets questioned the most by readers. Which is understandable! He's not really an antagonist in MV; or, at least, the reader is supposed to understand in MV that while Mapleshade views him antagonistically, the narration is biased into her favor due to the story being from her POV. But the role he takes on in PkS is quite actually antagonistic to Petalpaw and her struggles.... so I thought it would be interesting to dive into it and explain my thoughts behind why I wrote him the way I did!

So - I want to start out by saying that Appledusk is a fictional character. It doesn't bother me if you like Appledusk, or view him differently than I do. I just happen to dislike him, which I think is pretty clear from how he fits into Petalkit's Shadow, lol. But even if I dislike him, I still wanted him to play an interesting role and serve his purpose, which involves making him as frustrating as possible!

When coming up with ideas for how characters will be in PkS, I often don't have much to go on. Mapleshade is really the only character from the cast who has a ton of focus in the canon books. Appledusk is one of those characters who falls a bit in a middle ground. He has enough going for him in MV that you can get a basic idea for how he is, but you still gotta do a lot of legwork on figuring out deeper aspects of his character. for PkS, I look at the characters' actions and go, "what kind of person would do this?" and then write the kind of person who I think would do that, basically.

Appledusk, he struck me as being very focused on self preservation. When he's with Mapleshade in private, he has no problem being loving to her and the kits. But the moment he might face repercussions - repercussions Mapleshade is already facing, he becomes detached and cold. What stuck out to me is how Mapleshade kept thinking that Appledusk never asked the kits' names. Now, Mapleshade as a narrator is biased. But she's right - Appledusk never asks what the names of his children are. He gives no outward signs of grief when faced with their death, and he makes no attempt to speak privately with Mapleshade after the kits drown. Of course, anger is a very valid form of grief, as we all know from Petalpaw. but Appledusk then going on to throw Mapleshade under the bus, and not show her a shred of sympathy even though he is currently suffering from the exact same prejudice that cost Mapleshade everything, speaks to me a lot about his values. When faced with his supposed loved one at her lowest, with nothing left to lose, his reaction is to distance himself from her as much as possible in the hopes that he will be punished less. It's cowardly, it's infuriating, and makes him seem so, so cruel to me.

And then, there's Reedshine. Reedshine in canon irks me a lot, in a meta sense. She's been hurt in similar ways as Mapleshade. Appledusk cheated on her too! But she immediately forgives him, and shows no conflict about Appledusk's actions. She's given no room to grieve or to hurt, she has to immediately come to Appledusk's defense. Reedshine and Mapleshade were both made to bear pain that Appledusk had no interesting in helping them shoulder.

To me, it really felt like Appledusk took the women in his life for granted. Why else would he have an affair, and not confess to it until literal, physical, damning evidence was put on display for everyone to see? Did he consider his own feelings, his own wants and desires, to be more important than that of Mapleshade, or Reedshine's? Mapleshade, with her penchant for cold-blooded murder, is definitely a worse person than Appledusk. But Appledusk's cruelty, I think it gets more under my skin because it feels real. How many serial killers do you know? probably none. But how many indifferent men who think women are just too emotional do you know? how many half-rate, self-absorbed fathers do you know? probably a small selection, at least.

So, when coming up with the basics for PkS, I imagined in the wake of this fiasco, Appledusk would be most focused on his own image, like he seems to be in canon. He wants to go back to being an esteemed, respected warrior. What's the best way to do that? Is it to step up, and be there for his traumatized daughter, offer her guidance and try to to fill the void left by losing her other parent?

No, of course not. Because to Appledusk, his daughter is a constant reminder of the mistakes he's made. He doesn't want to reckon with those mistakes, and he doesn't want to consider that he did something wrong.

In a way... he is a lot like his daughter. (Petalpaw would kill me if she could read me typing this, lol). They both are set in their ways, and very, very stubborn.

So, tl;dr... Appledusk in PkS is an extrapolation based on what I interpret from his character. But he's a character with so little to go on I think there are many ways to interpret him. This is just my thought process about him!

[halfbaked00q]

Is there a fic where, like, Bond and Q are together but maybe not TOGETHER-together, and Q says something one day that is like flippant or dismissive and accidentally hurts Bond's feelings slash lowkey breaks his heart.

But like Bond doesn't get all stormy and angry about it, he gets kind of. like still and quiet and seems to accept it but then clearly Q has fucked up because going forward Bond is perfectly cordial, but markedly more... impersonal. And Q realizes oh, shit, he fucked up. And has to try to make things up to Bond, so he sets off on courting Bond- basically, he has to put the work into winning Bond back and convincing him he's serious and sorry for breaking his heart and won't willfully do so again

If not, then, man, I want a fic where Q and Bond are together but like Bond is rather serious about it and Q thinks it's casual, and makes some unintentionally cruel comment about their thing dismissing its seriousness, the concept of Bond being serious about it, Bond's capacity for seriousness and/or etc. It's a very *gets quiet* is that really what you think about me? kind of moment.

And when Q realizes he blunders he expects James to push back or even get angry and verbally retaliate, but instead he gets very quiet and puts his agent face on and is like, my apologies Quartermaster it seems like I was the one here who didn't quite understand what was happening, if you will excuse me- and then leaves before Q can tell him to wait or call him back.

And then Q kind of waits for the other shoe to drop or like, what if Bond will try to avoid him- but he doesn't, it's as if nothing had happened between the two of them. The next time they run into each other at Six it's maddenly normal and casual, but impersonal, exactly like what an encounter with a familiar and friendly - but not intimate - work colleague would be like at work.

Q finally is like. Wait, Bond. James. Do you want to... go back to my place after work? To which James pauses, but gracefully and noncommittally demurs, like. well I'm not sure about tonight, perhaps some other time. And bows out of the encounter smoothly and seamlessly (maybe they were in an elevator or something and oh ah this is my floor, have a good day, Quartermaster.)

Q abandons whatever he was doing and beelines it to Eve's desk for a crisis talk and she takes one look at him and drags him to some empty conference room or sth. And the whole story comes out. Can't decide if Bond would have talked to Eve about it or not- I'm kind of inclined to say no. But maybe this has been going on a while at this pt and she's noticed the weirdness between the two of them.

Anyway Q knows he's fucked up but he doesn't know how to fix it, and Eve is like, well what do you want out of all of this, do you really want to fix it? And I think Q should realize no yeah I do want something serious with Bond and also I did take him for granted/as a sure thing but really I should be doing more proactively to show I want to be serious but also to make up the ground for how I hurt him. (And I think there should be a moment where Eve tells him just make sure to be careful with Bond, don't hurt him more, and Q is like yeah no I realize that now and I fucked up and that's on me and I don't want to hurt him, I want to be careful with his heart and his trust (distinction made here that this trust is like, trust with his heart, cuz like they still work great together like they still trust each other professionally- it's the matters of the heart that got tricksy).

And so he sets off trying to woo Bond. First off they probably need to talk so Q probably is like, hey can I talk to you. And then lays out that he's realized some things and he realized he blundered and he may not have meant to do it but he did hurt him and in a sense violated a sort of implicit trust Bond entrusted to him, and that he wants to make things up to Bond. So he's gonna properly woo him. (which I'm thinking will leave Bond rather bemused but he's like, well all right) (but like yes, just saying sorry is not enough, whether he intended to or not his actions broke Bond's trust so now he has to show that he IS serious about this and will take it seriously and etc)

So then cue all of the corny romantic gestures that Bond maybe isn't used to experiencing but which are, like, those little gestures of love. He plans a series of thoughtful and lovely dates, gives him meaningful little gifts and treats, maybe some lovely bouquets of soft fragrant flowers, that kind of thing. Just like, all sorts of thoughtful careful tenderness that I think Bond wouldn't have had much occasion to experience or indulge in in his life. And Bond does go into it rather bemused and thinking it's not necessary, but then part way through he's like oh no yeah this really is really nice and it IS healing the part of me that had been kind of emotionally at arm's length waiting for the sort of return to form.

But yeah lol I am wanting something were, like, Q is the one who fucks up emotionally and then is the one to woo Bond, and Bond gets to experience some love and tenderness and be the one pursued romantically for a change.