#because it would make a LOT of sense for their situation

[lakesparkles]

thngyu headcnaons???

Of course!! Most of these I wrote for Instagram some days ago but I just added some more:

- Starting with this one because I already drew it, but Nam-gyu calls Thanos "Su-bong" everytime he's upset. Thanos knows why he does it and Nam-gyu knows that he knows.

- When they're sleeping together, Thanos needs to hold Nam-guy all the time or he just moves too much. It's like he can't calm down.

- I drew this one already too, but they would totally tattoo each other's name. Somehow they will never regret it (if Thanos would tattoo "Nam-gyu" or "Nam-su"... It's a good question)

- Nam-gyu will never not be insecure in their relationship. His mind translates Thanos talking to someone else to Thanos inevitably abandoning him. He would always be looking for a proof that Thanos actually enjoys being around him. No matter how much Thanos shows it, Nam-guy would need more reasons. And what doesn't help is that Thanos likes to show his affection being very mean.

- Nam-gyu is very jealous, we know this. But listen, Thanos is too. A lot. Nam-gyu would loooove to know this.

- One of my biggest headcanons about them is that "Thanos thought dating Nam-gyu would be different - and easier - from dating a woman but later he found out he was wrong". But like, I can't fully explain it right now in a way that makes sense. Maybe I'll draw it to express my thoughts better.

- Coming back to the name thing: they could be together for ten years and Thanos would still be calling him "Nam-su". He only calls him Nam-gyu in very serious situations that only make sense in his mind.

- Thanos is not very good with the "feelings stuff" so his way to deal with it is trying not to take it too serious. So he mostly jokes when he needs to comfort Nam-gyu and this works half of the time.

- I like to think that, if they ever have a pet, it would be a black cat. It would be Nam-gyu's idea.

- For some reason I think both of them have bad relationships with their parents and that they would never aprove their relationship.

[gotigersiguess]

So I've seen a couple of posts about the possibility of Will having a new love interest in season 5 and I have some opinions. I feel like people saying that Will can move on and fall in love with someone else don't take into account the simple fact that this is a TV show and not a real life situation. Will is a fictional character with a specific arc that should end in a more or less satisfying resolution. ST is not some gritty drama, it's a coming of age story with nostalgia and eldritch horror sprinkled in for some funsies. Every character should finish the story with lessons learned. So, what kind of resolution should we expect for a selfless queer boy who has to understand that he is deserving of love he so desperately wants? That he's not some mistake that should settle for less?

Also, that Chekhov's gun painting has to be addressed because it still didn't serve it's purpose in the story. It's a plot device. It's introduced for a reason.

So, here are our options:

The painting lie is revealed, the conflict that follows ends in Mike accepting him and Will moving on. No new romantic interest is introduced. Will is proven right. He is the only character without any romantic prospects for him in the main chunk of the story. Maybe a guy will wink at him in the epilogue. Why would we need to bury our gay if can just make him miserable (but not like all the way and overtly miserable). He has a future, see! He's fine! It's just a devastating real life lesson! That's what Stranger Things is about after all /s.

The painting lie ends the same way as in option 1. Will's coming of age arc ends in him moving on and falling in love with a random plot device character introduced at the start of the season. Somehow, among the horrors and monsters, Will has time to hook up with a random guy. They live happily every after. Rushed and badly written ending for one of the main protagonists, but I guess you tried? Could work if that plot device character was introduced very early on (like season 4) and given depth. Could also work if we resolved the painting situation in season 4. Otherwise, wild choice, but it's better then the first option.

The painting lie ends in Mike understanding and accepting Will while simultaneously propelling Mike's arc of self-acceptance. Climactic! Lot's of fun choices here. Then, follows the falling action. Characters grow, fun stuff. We finally reached the resolution of their arcs. This time it leads to Will being proven wrong. The person he loves and tries to let go off, reciprocates his feelings. Makes sense. Makes for a satisfying ending, happy one on the love-interest front. We've being through hell and can finally be together in the end. Love conquers all, yadda yadda.

I really don't see any other way this could go, honestly. Maybe some very clever and secret option 4.

Would option 3 happen? I sure hope so, otherwise I would question screenwriter's choices. Why put themselves in a mess if you don't want to resolve it in a satisfying way? There was no need for Will to be in love with Mike. Does it help Will's arc in any way? Sure, it ties in with his sexuality stuggles and helps him feel less like a mistake because loving Mike feels natural for him. But this also hinders his arc and creates a whole lot of problems if not resolved properly.

There's also a burning question of Mike's character arc and how much the choice of roping him into a love triangle helps in pushing him towards self-acceptance. Let's face it, Mike's resolution has to be him accepting himself and maturing. Whether it is his struggles with sexuality or his issues with pretending to be someone he's not because of his insecurities. How does Will's love tie into this? How does the painting tie into all of this? Would Mike finding out that someone loves him for who he is end in him...

1. Being with that person and coming to terms with his sexuality because of that

or

2. Understanding that he should be himself around his girlfriend, that he should be communicating his needs and listening to El's needs, that he should stop idolizing El and start seeing her as a real person and not some hero from his comic books.

The second option puts Will once again into position of a couples counselor for the straight main couple of the show. That's the highest level of friendzoning known to man (not to mention what a weird writing choice this is).

[hailturinturambar]

Deep down, have you ever stopped to think that it was at that specific moment that Adar understood what he had really done?

Because you can spend a lot of time with an idea in your head, thinking about countless possibilities. But you never know how you'll react when it actually happens.

And I actually think a lot about Adar's reaction during the whole situation. How he attacks Sauron first, and so the Uruks follow his lead. But he keeps his distance, almost refraining from violence. Was he giving this moment of revenge to the Orcs, or was he unable to kill Sauron alone?

And when Adar awakens, surrounded by death and snow, I think that's when he really understood. Because maybe he didn't believe that Sauron was capable of actually dying. He was very powerful, it makes sense to think that way.

Or he thought that something would be left when Sauron was gone. But that's not what happens. Because when Adar awakens, Sauron is gone and all that's left are his clothes, nothing of his essence (that Adar knows of), nothing of who he once was.

Obviously, it might not mean anything, but I think a lot about Adar's reaction when he realizes Sauron is gone. Very emotional, you might say.

These emotions can be many things. Relief, that he is finally free from someone who has done him and the Uruks so much harm. Knowing that they can now start over in peace.

Sadness, that Sauron is gone and now Adar is alone. He only has the Uruks and nothing else. The world of darkness has gotten a little smaller.

Or, the option I like the most. Relief mixed with horror. Because you are relieved to be free, but the loss has its weight. Because freeing yourself from someone who has done you harm is good, but if you have any attachment to that person, that loss can terrify you for the rest of your life.

But in the end it doesn't matter. Does it? Because once you make a choice, you have to live with it. Live with the consequences, no matter what.

[glitchinginthegarden]

Woke up with thoughts so here we go:

Johnny’s behavior early in the game makes 100% sense and I support it because it fits his character writing and situation.

I've been seeing a lot of newer cyberpunk players getting onto the "Johnny is an absolute piece of shit" / "why would anyone do anything for this douchebag" soapbox and they're entitled to that opinion BUT...

Coming from the perspective of having completed the game multiple times and done plenty of digging into the ttrpg stuff, it fits. We also have to keep in mind the unreliable narrator factor but that's another thing all together.

In the beginning (after the nightmare night), Johnny is playing the face of cool dude who's suddenly on V's side while actively attempting to manipulate them. This tracks for his character, yes, but also for Night City.

If their positions were swapped, I know for a fact my V would be doing the same exact thing to her unwilling host. Which, when you break it down, is simply an attempt to regain control over a situation where she has none.

I don't blame Johnny in the slightest for that at that point in the plot. It's in human nature to fight tooth and nail for survival. Why would that not extend to someone who's been trapped in soul prison for fifty years too?

He's just "escaped" Mikoshi only to wake up imprisoned (again) in the mind of a complete stranger. Can you blame him for trying to find an angle he can work there?

Because I don't.

Everything tells us yes, Johnny is an asshole who historically has generally only looked out for himself. But not that he's been actively or maliciously intent on causing harm to the people around him. He doesn't behave the way he does for the hell of it, he does it (in my opinion) because in the past, his flavor of manipulation has worked and usually gotten him what he wants.

Which brings me to another thing: I've also seen some comments about how he doesn't tell V certain things depending on how you talk to him. That he withholds more if V is nice than when they're more mean to him. And that also tracks for his character.

Now, I will say that I haven't played a lot of "be mean to Johnny" runs, but if he does drop more info for that, I'm not surprised. Case and point: the oil fields.

Johnny is a person who won't take shit seriously unless he gets a kick in the ass for his behavior. V has to call him on his bullshit to get that sweet approval boost for Don't Fear The Reaper. So, it ultimately it makes sense for him to cough up more information along the line if V isn't being nice about getting it or calls him on being a dodgy fuck. Johnny doesn't fuck with weak people unless he can use them, that's not a secret.

He's playing his cards close to his chest for the most part and it makes sense. He has sparingly few hands to play after 50 years in soul prison. Why would he show his spread to someone who, depending on where you are in the plot, ultimately wants to end him again and scrape him off their brain? He's trying to survive.

He's a disabled man with a grand total of eighty something years of untreated ptsd and people wonder why he's not forthcoming with what he knows? Of course he's not. It's unreasonable to expect that, and especially from a character like his.

The point I'm trying to get to here, I suppose, is that I support Johnny’s wrongs because they're in line with his character and that's part of what makes him so well written. Yes, he's an asshole. Yes, he manipulates and lies and cheats to serve his needs. But, c'mon, look at the whole picture. Look at the setting and the other players on the board, and tell me it doesn't make perfect sense.

[jimxnslight]

The Odd One Out

Summary: When BigHit faces financial struggles, the unthinkable happens: a girl is added to BTS. For the seven members, the change is unsettling, especially for Namjoon, who doubts her place among them. But for Y/N… it's a chance to finally be seen.

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Genre: idol au

Word Count: 3.7k

A/N: I randomly got the urge to write but wasn’t really feeling any of my wips at the moment, so tell me why I opened a new doc and then 3 hours later this appeared? Like damn, I’m not used to this kind of motivation lmao

“This is a joke, right?”

A heavy silence followed Namjoon’s words, the band’s leader the only one with the guts to voice his mind. But really, someone had to point out how ridiculous the plan being proposed to them was. 

“Now I know it’s not very traditional-”

“It’s not breaking tradition that we’re concerned with,” he countered instantly, “it’s the fact that you’re proposing to bring a girl into the group.”

“I think we all just want to know where this is coming from,” Hoseok offered, inquisitive eyes traveling from Namjoon to their longtime friend and producer now sitting before them. 

Beomgyu sighed, taking in the small recording studio packed with the bright and young members of Bangtan. He had half a mind to call Sihyuk and give him hell for making him be the one to propose the solution they’d spent months coming up with. It was more than clear that the members weren’t on board with the plan, some outright rejecting it while others reluctant, which was a problem because only Beomgyu knew that they didn’t really have a choice in the matter. 

“Look,” Beomgyu raised his hands in surrender, not wanting this to fester into something dramatic, “I get it. The thought of someone being added into the group this late is a bit wild, especially that someone being a girl, but that’s exactly why we’re doing it.”

“So it’s a move for attention?” Yoongi commented, unimpressed. A single brow disappeared behind his light grey hair as he leaned back into the small sofa, arms crossing over his chest. Beomgyu could only purse his lips.

“The company’s been facing a lot of financial issues, especially ever since the girl group prior to your debut disbanded. They had hoped that perhaps your last album could have done well enough to keep us afloat until your popularity increases, but even I knew that was a long shot.”

“Then we’ll make a better album,” Namjoon said, determination making his voice firm, but Beomgyu shook his head.

“You guys don’t get it, do you?” 

The boys all gave Beomgyu a curious look, heads tilting and murmurs rippling amongst themselves. Beomgyu watched them all, feeling sympathy for the boys that deserved so much better.

“The Big Three companies have been buying up slots in awards shows and TV programs. They’ve been booking interviews everywhere - anywhere they can get their hands on. There are no places for us to market your group, nothing we can buy up because BigHit has no money. We’re lucky enough that the sales you guys make cover the production costs and some debts, which is way more than what we anticipated.”

He leaned forward in his chair, fidgeting with a stray pen, “you guys have made so many songs that should have been absolute hits, but they never did. Why? Because they can’t gain that kind of trajectory in a company so small. The only realistic thing to expect is to gradually gain popularity - but that takes time. Time we don’t have considering the fact that BigHit is sinking.”

The room was silent, everyone processing the weight of the situation. It made sense, as much as the boys hated to admit it, they were tired of putting all their blood, sweat, and tears into making their albums, only for them to gain minimal traction. They tended to put the blame on themselves most of the time, feeling as though they weren’t good enough, but Beomgyu knew the truth. Had they been in a bigger company, their songs would have been sellouts.  

“Come on, talk to me. You guys are my friends first, and I don’t want you to feel like we’re forcing a horrible decision on you,” Beomgyu begged, especially taking note of how quiet the younger members had been this entire time. 

He was relieved when Jimin sat forward on the couch, running a hand through his black hair slowly, “it’s just… this is weird. Not only for us, but what about the girl too? I can’t imagine she would feel comfortable being in a group with seven guys.”

“And doesn’t this decision seem a bit… permanent? Why not do something more temporary?” Yoongi piped in. 

Taehyung laughed, shaking his light brown hair, “what? Like dating rumours?”

Seokjin grimaced, as though the idea left a bad taste in his mouth. 

“Things like this tend to get a bigger reaction when the consequences are more permanent, or at least that’s what I was told,” Beomgyu offered. He was only a producer after all, most of the hard work had been done by the management. 

“And to answer Jimin’s question… well, the girl has already signed the contract, so she must be fine with it.”

That had all the boys’ heads snapping to Beomgyu.

“She’s already been picked out?” Jungkook asked, doe eyes wide in surprise. They widened even more when Beomgyu nodded, causing a frenzy amongst the boys. 

“You wanna meet her?” He asked with a relieved smile, glad to be out of the danger zone. 

Taehyung was the first to jump from his place on the couch, his leg accidentally bumping into Jungkook who had been sitting on the floor at his feet. He mumbled something in annoyance as his dark brown hair was pushed into his eyes.

“Okay, hold on.” Beomgyu’s words made the boys pause, “technically you’re not supposed to meet her until next week, but she told me she’ll be in the studio to record something for your next album today so I don’t think it’ll hurt to pay her a small visit.”

“You’ve met her already?” Hoseok asked, his tone slightly surprised. So much seemed to have changed in the span of 20 minutes. 

Beomgyu nodded, ushering everyone out of the recording studio to begin their journey to the one down the hall. Taehyung was right behind him, a boxy grin gracing his features. 

“So if you’ve met her, what’s she like?”

He seemed to have been the only one excited by the odd plan from the start, much less skeptical compared to his bandmates. But then again, Beomgyu wasn’t surprised. Taehyung seemed to have a natural liking for anything unusual. 

The other boys didn’t seem to share his enthusiasm, but he could see the hints of curiosity in their gazes. Even Namjoon trudged behind everyone reluctantly, though notably still skeptical of the plan. 

Once they had reached the door, Beomgyu knocked on it twice and then turned around to give them a look. 

“Regardless of your feelings towards this situation, let’s not try to overwhelm her, alright?” He said, his gaze then straying to Taehyung, “she’s a nice girl and she doesn’t deserve to be treated badly.”

Beomgyu didn’t actually believe any of the boys would be rude, he knew them better than that. He just hoped they also understood how nerve-wracking this would be for you, because he hadn’t lied, you really were a nice girl. 

The door behind him opened to reveal another producer.

“Alright then, let’s meet your new member.”

-

-

-

“God, you have no idea how much I’m enjoying this right now.”

Your head tilted in question at the comment, hands coming up to steady the headphones encasing your ears. This was probably your third hour in the recording booth, Hyowon seeming to want to make sure your voice didn’t work before he let you off.

“You enjoy getting rid of my voice?” You asked with an amused smile, the comment making him shake his head with a laugh.

“No, no, that’s not it, I swear. It’s just your vocals,” he explained, “I’m sure you already know we don’t get a lot of high notes around here - I mean don’t get me wrong, Jimin and Seokjin do an incredible job, but there’s nothing like a female high note.”

“I’m assuming you’re a fan of high notes?” You asked, almost bursting into laughter when he nodded instantly. 

“You should ask the guys, they’re sick of me telling them to sing one every two minutes- oh my god,” he exclaimed suddenly, a thought evidently coming to him, “please tell me you can do a whistle.”

You chuckled shyly, a bit embarrassed by your answer, “my vocal coach doesn’t want me to do it much until I get the proper technique down, but I’ve done it a few times.”

“Oh, Y/N. You’re gonna get so sick of me.”

You laughed, beginning to take a liking to Hyowon. It was nice to know there would be at least one person so easygoing and friendly in this company. It was going to make these next few months a lot easier if the other members decided they didn’t like you.

You knew technically it didn’t matter, but that thought had been playing around in your mind a lot lately. The entire situation was weird, even you had to admit, but the moment BigHit had given you a call and proposed the idea, you knew you’d have to be crazy to turn something like this down, especially considering how difficult it’s been trying to stay afloat as a solo artist from a small company.

Unlike what the company had in mind, however, you weren’t planning on staying in BTS forever. Your plan was to just join the group for about a year, ensure your name got out there while you and BTS grew in popularity, and then announce your disbandment from the group with a heartfelt goodbye. Rest assured if any of the guys weren’t a fan of your presence, they would only have to hold out for a few months.

Still, the people pleaser in you was hoping they didn’t hate you immediately. 

“Okay, I think that just about wraps up-”

A knock suddenly sounded from the recording studio’s door, causing the two of you to eye it curiously. 

“I thought there was still 20 minutes left until my fried chicken came, it must have come early…” Hyowon muttered, getting up from his seat to get to the door. 

You slid the headphones off your head with a relieved sigh, satisfied with the work you put in today, though your mind was already racing with ways to improve for next time. You let them whirl as you strolled out of the recording booth and gently placed the headphones back on the table. But when you turned around, you were surprised to find a number of other men in the room.

Not just any men too, but your soon-to-be bandmates. 

And all their eyes were trained on you, making your own widen. 

You’d technically seen them all in photos from the research you’d conducted after BigHit’s call, but those didn’t seem to do them justice at all. They didn’t capture the tender look in Yoongi’s eyes, or the pretty accents in Hoseok’s features. Jin, who you had already thought looked straight out of a k-drama, somehow looked even better in real life, while Namjoon’s aura seemed to exude the feel of a leader. Even though the rest were sort of hidden behind the older members, you could tell they were all attractive; it was so intimidating.

Before you could say anything - or sprint out the door like you really wanted to do right now - you caught sight of Beomgyu in the lineup of men, a friendly smile gracing his lips as he made his way to your side. 

“Hey guys,” he greeted, clapping Hyowon on the back before placing a more gentle hand on your shoulder. It was difficult to meet his eyes when your gaze kept flickering wearily to the boys surrounding you, “we thought it would be nice to drop by and see how the recording was going.”

Hyowon leaned a casual arm on Beomgyu’s shoulder, a testament to their evolved friendship over the years.

“It’s going very well,” he answered, excitement radiating off him in waves, “the high notes in your next album are going to be incredible.”

A series of groans rose from a few of the boys, only two of the seven harbouring amused smirks. It took a moment for you to place their names: Jin and Jimin, Bangtan’s main visual and lead vocalist. 

The latter accidently caught your gaze, black hair and sharp jawline giving him an almost charismatic intensity. But before you could quickly look away, his face broke into a warm smile, soothing a few of your nerves instantly. 

At least one of them didn’t seem to hate you. 

“Well, then…” Beomgyu began, catching everyone’s attention, “Hyowon and I have a couple things we need to work on, so… um, we’ll be right here if you need us?”

Hyowon snickered at the awkwardness before Beomgyu grabbed his shirt and dragged him to the computer across the room, which of course wasn’t that far with how small the studio was. You still missed the comfort of his hand on your shoulder, now feeling very alone while facing people that may potentially hate your existence. 

Still, you had to make at least some effort, right?

“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you offered, voice smaller than you meant for it to be. 

A series of greetings sounded from them, some softening at your tone, while others were unmoved. It was difficult to gauge their general feelings on your presence, which only seemed to make you more nervous. 

Taehyung broke off from the group to stand closer, a boxy smile aimed right at you. You tried not to, but even you couldn’t stop yourself from ogling his almost perfectly structured face and the tousled hair that fell so effortlessly across his forehead when he moved.

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N,” he said, and you couldn’t help but smile shyly at his excitement. If you hadn’t been so timid, you might have noticed his lingering gaze on your features, “this is all so cool, isn’t it?”

You’d never really thought about it like that, your views on the situation being controlled entirely by your nerves up until now. But when he put it that way… you supposed he was right, it was kind of cool. 

“I guess so,” you admitted, slowly warming up to the idea. 

“I mean, seriously, this is so crazy!” He continued on, facing the other members,“it’s not everyday a group gets a new member three years in - and that too a girl! This is kinda uncharted territory, you know?”

“That’s what makes it a bit scary,” you admitted with a chuckle. You noticed Jimin’s eyes soften at your words and his lips part to say something, but before he could, Jungkook piped up from behind Seokjin’s broad shoulders.

“You wouldn’t happen to be Y/L/N Y/N, would you?” He asked, his tone almost as shy as yours. You honestly hadn’t even realised he was there, but now that you had, you took in his doe eyes and ruffled dark brown hair. He kept having to push the silky locks out of his eyes, a motion you found insanely distracting. 

You nodded mindlessly, distantly surprised that he knew your last name without offering it. 

“Oh. Cool,” he nodded. Then he noticed your questioning look and quickly rushed to explain, “I think I’ve, um, heard your name somewhere.”

Seokjin’s gaze narrowed as he looked back at the younger boy, “hey, wait. Isn’t that the artist Jungkook listens to like all the time-?”

“So what’s your position?” Jungkook interrupted quickly, a bright shade of pink engulfing the sides of his neck. 

You blinked at Jungkook’s sudden change of topic, though you didn’t miss the slight panic in his expression. A small smile tugged at the corners of your lips, slightly amused by his reaction. Seokjin’s comment had not gone unnoticed by you; the fact that Jungkook liked your music was a comforting thought. 

“Vocalist,” you replied, deciding not to tease him over it, which elicited a look of relief on Jungkook’s face, “though Hyowon has said I’ll be doing so much harmonisation work with Seokjin and Jimin that it might as well be my actual position.”

Seokjin chuckled quietly, his plump lips spreading into a charming smile, though his gaze didn’t meet yours. In fact, you started to notice that he was keeping his gaze strictly on the other members even as you spoke. 

“Good, it’ll finally get him off our backs,” Yoongi muttered, revealing a much more laid back personality instead of the cold persona he seemed to emit on camera, “I’m a rapper and that man still tries to get me to put in a couple high notes.”

Hyowon turned from the mixing desk to face the group with an evidently offended huff, reminding you of the producers’ presence. 

“You all complain now, but just wait until you hear the final product. You’ll be thanking me.”

“Sure,” Yoongi deadpanned, turning to you once again, “can you rap?”

You tilted your head in thought. 

“I think I can hold my own if I had to, though it’s not really my style.”

“That’s fine, you’re one of us vocalists,” Taehyung waved his hand around dramatically, throwing a possessive arm around your shoulder as he eyed Yoongi, “no one wants to be one of the rappers anyway.”

“Weren’t you just yesterday begging Namjoon to let you on Cypher?” Jimin raised a brow.

“No.”

“Do you dance, Y/N?” Hoseok asked, interrupting the ridiculous conversation before it turned into a fight, though the way he leaned forward made it clear he was very interested in your answer. 

That question had you nervously rocking against your heels, a hesitant breath escaping your lips before you replied, “definitely not as good as you guys, but I’m ready to put in a ton of work to get better, I swear.”

Unlike the look of displeasure you expected, Hoseok nodded in your direction with a satisfied smile. It was a relief that he was willing to at least give you a chance before jumping to disdain. His gaze lingered as he scanned you from head to toe, assessing your potential with intensity.

“Hard work is a must,” Namjoon emphasised, the first time he’d spoken since walking into the room. Even though no one had been speaking, it felt as though a hush had washed over the group, a testament to the weight of his words as a leader. You’d been noticing Namjoon staring at you from the beginning, the look not exactly scorn, but not very inviting either. It made you squirm in your spot, doubt creeping into your thoughts, “being a soloist is pretty different from being in a group, which means you’ll have to put in a lot of hard work - it’s not going to be easy.”

You straightened, feeling as though you were being tested, “I understand completely. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m ready to put in the work. You don’t have to worry about me being a drain.”

Namjoon’s hard gaze flickered before he regarded you for a moment, no indication as to whether you had passed his mini “test” or not, “alright.”

A soft hand squeezed your shoulder gently, belonging to none other than Jimin. The proximity of his warm eyes made your face heat, something Jimin seemed to notice. His smile became teasing, “don’t say that, no one here thinks that you’re a drain. I think you’re going to do great. And if you have any questions don’t hesitate to-”

“I have a question actually,” Namjoon’s voice sounded once again, gaze still trained on you. You couldn’t help but feel a wave of tension run through you every time he spoke, “I’m curious to know why you agreed to this whole thing.”

You pursed your lips, not entirely sure how to reply. On one hand, you didn’t mind telling them about your plan, in fact, you bet they’d be relieved to hear it. But on the other hand, you were slightly afraid that they might think you were using them - which technically speaking you were, but also technically speaking they were using you too. It was an odd predicament.

“My solo career wasn’t doing as well as I had wished it would - plus, the excitement of something new mostly,” you offered. Only half the truth, but just enough to relieve you of your guilty conscience. 

“Well, the contract’s been signed and you’re here now, so you’re one of us,” Taehyung exclaimed, and you couldn’t help but be grateful for how welcoming he’d been since the start. Not that the others haven’t, Jimin’s presence had been like a warm blanket while Jungkook’s secret admiration had been an honour. And you completely understood everyone else’s hesitation, you’d be weirded out too if someone was randomly added to your group three years later. Still, the warm welcomes had made you insanely grateful. 

Taehyung steered you towards the door of the studio, “and what better way to celebrate than to eat some steaming barbeque and noodles.”

“Oh oka-” You barely had time to answer before you were being steered out the door by an enthusiastic Taehyung, the rest shrugging before following behind with casual chatter and mumbles. Soon the studio was empty, no one but Namjoon, Beomgyu, and Hyowon left. 

Namjoon stood with his hands crossed over his chest, gaze fixed on the door when he spoke.

“The contract’s already signed, huh?” he repeated, gaze shifting to the other two men in the room, “and what if we had said no?”

“Namjoon,” Beomgyu pleaded, his face falling, “please don’t make this harder than it has to be…”

Namjoon’s gaze softened, realising that he was directing his anger onto the wrong people, “sorry. I know this isn’t on you, man.”

“Come on, Joon,” Hyowon said, feeling bad for his friend, “she seems nice, and she’s got an incredible voice. You may not like the situation, but at least she’ll be a good addition to the group, no?”

Namjoon’s gaze strayed back to the open door, letting his thoughts whirl around in his head. He didn’t want to voice them out loud because, technically speaking, he didn’t really have any tangible evidence that went against what Hyowon was saying yet.

He uncrossed his arms with a sigh.  

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

[deswhomst]

i once heard someone say andromeda almost made it out unscathed (in the sense that her family survived the first war & ted and tonks only died near the end of the second war) but, honestly, she had already lost one family before all this even started.

i think sometimes people see andromeda as another version of sirius, but their disownments were not the same to me at all. from the top, andromeda was sorted into slytherin. sirius would have spent all his time with the gryffindors and there would have been barely any interactions with regulus while at hogwarts but andromeda was in the same house as both her sisters, and since she was the middle child, there wasn’t even one year where she didn’t have either bellatrix or narcissa at hogwarts with her. i imagine them to be more like weasleys in terms of hanging around the common together & seeing each other a lot throughout the school year. i also imagine that bellatrix showed andromeda around when she started school. point beinggg, andromeda was probably not rebellious by nature and spent all these years close with her sisters.

we know that she was disowned because she married ted, so she didn’t run away while still at school or anything like that. which makes me wonder a lot … when did ted & andromeda start talking? andromeda probably took measures to hide it because it wasn’t acceptable for her to do so … but then i think about if bellatrix caught them meeting up, she would have been disappointed and lectured andromeda but probably wouldn’t have told their parents … like, in bellatrix’s mind, she probably handled the situation herself and andromeda knew bella was clever so either she did stop seeing ted for a while or became extra good at hiding … or maybe bellatrix had already graduated, and it was narcissa who caught them. she would have kept the secret. it would have been quiet disapproval but solidarity nonetheless … just the sisterhood of it all is special to me. another important detail to me is that she was disowned after marriage, so i do imagine a part of her might have hoped they would accept her still. i mean, she was one of three girls, & the other two made respectable marriages so maybe it was fine if she didn’t? and she probably cared more about bellatrix and narcissa accepting her than their parents. but we know they didn’t accept her.

& then obviously she was cast out by everyone she knew and loved </3. she built a new family with her husband and daughter … had them for years but then, eventually, lost them to a war about the same blood purity she first lost her family to. having lost ted & the tonks dying in the span of a few months. bellatrix killing tonks. teddy being an orphan … and !! i also think about how the wizarding war finally ended that day so everyone else would have been celebrating because they were finally free of voldemort and all the death and destruction but andromeda had just lost her twenty five year old daughter, courtesy of her sister.

anyways LOL sorry for rambling i just had too many thoughts and found an excuse to share them.

just thinking about how harry freaked out when he saw andromeda because she looked insanely similar to bellatrix, and then at the battle of hogwarts, bellatrix is the one who ended up killing tonks. the last face she saw, the face of the person who casted the killing curse on her, was her mother’s. just thinking about how narcissa almost lost her son that day but andromeda did lose her daughter, and they both lost their sister. wishful thinking, maybe, but my personal headcanon is that narcissa reached out to andromeda after the second war. she could sympathize with her pain because she had spent the last two years fearing that that would happen to her.

[radioactive-earthshine]

Hi! Im sorry if this is a silly question but I was wondering if you know what the Flash diabetes thing is? I've seen it around occasionally but never found out if it was a canon one off thing or a fanon group theory because on one hand I can kinda see it making sense although it would probably have to be re-worked to fit a speedsters bodily profile (in terms of their hyper-metabolism and all) but then on the other hand I'm reminded of the times I've read YJ fanfic and out of nowhere Bart is taking ADHD medication and I'm like.. he would not be able to take ADHD meds and actually feel a difference for more than maybe 3 seconds as seen with general painkillers and medication when he had the knee surgery with nothing. I just can't help but feel like, in canon, neither of these theories/situations would be possible but then again fanon is meant to be fun,, not serious etc. How do you draw the line?

Hello!

I have NEVER heard of it phrased as "Flash diabetes" but looking over the meat of your question it appears this is more about their metabolism, so I am approaching this as a metabolism question rather than a blood-sugar question.

When it comes to speedsters and their metabolism in the comics, it is very inconsistent and it honestly depends on the writer and what would be most exciting or inconvenient the most in any given scenario.

On one hand, the prevailing canon is that speedsters heal FAST. Their metabolism is so high they can get over broken bones, lacerations, even gunshots very quickly. We even have instances of them getting over drugs very quickly or drugs just not impacting them the way they should, because they metabolize them too fast for them to work.

The biggest in-comic example of this is Bart's famous knee surgery in Teen Titans v.3 when they were unable to put him under ANY anesthetic because his metabolism would negate its effectiveness.

Teen Titans (2003) #3

(Side note, the amount of laws broken in this scene would have probably shut that entire hospital down, licensees would have been lost, and Cyborg probably should have done jail time or at least been kicked out of the tower because holy shit the ethics.)

Teen Titans (2003) #4

This scene is one of the more poignant and famous examples of speedster metabolism being a medical foil as much as it is an advantage in combat and it is extremely dramatic.

We also have a more recent example of drugs just not working properly on speedsters, from Bart yet again in more recent publication history.

Young Justice (2019) #16

Sedatives or maybe even some sort of anti-psychotics only stayed in Bart's systems for so long before they wore off well before they should have and he was able to just leave.

If these are pushed out of his system prematurely, then it is extremely unlikely any ADHD medication would work on him unless they were specially made for speedsters which is not outside of any realm of possibility in a comic.

However... because these are comics and because these sorts of foils are variable and depend on whoever is writing them we also have some evidence that certain things do work on speedsters... but in heightened ways such as caffeine which makes no sense and yet...

The Flash (2011) #3

Barry had an espresso and got so hopped up and jittery he lost control of his vibrating for a while and ended up through multiple floors. How caffeine works on them, and in extreme ways, but other drugs don't, is something maybe a biochemist can answer which I am not.

We also have decades of publication going back to the silver age of Barry and other speedsters interacting with drugs, poisons, alcohol and them not working or not working properly and the above examples are just those I knew I could cite easily because I think about them a lot.

So returning back to the question of if ADHD medication would work... I feel like again in the comics they wouldn't work how they are supposed to unless they are specialized because even the caffeine did not work how it is supposed to.

But again this is fanfic and fanon so anything is possible and with this particular subject it wouldn't be too outside of canon to have ADHD meds work. Again any writer could also explain them as special speedster-strength medication then it is good to go.

I hope this sort of answers your question?

This is for the comics and the comics alone, no other form of media.

[cute-little-fly]

Is there any good reason why Stolas didn’t divorce Stella after they had Octavia?

There are a few reasons I can think of.

First, we know the marriage was loveless and bad from the start, arranged since they were kids and forced. But I don’t see why Stolas would think that he should divorce from the start, since that is not common for their social class and society (Andrealphus mentioned this when they are signing the divorce, that this is a very uncommon case in the Goetia family).

Marry for love is a concept that hasn’t been present in all ages and in all societies as it is today in the western world. Some people have ended up loving the person they are arranged with, or they have managed to have a happy life with them, even if there is no love. Others have ended up marrying not the person they love but someone else they have a good relationship with (like lavender marriages), and they are not 100% happy… but they manage to live a peaceful and good life with the other person. Some of them even negotiate seeing other people outside of the marriage, others don’t and perhaps they always silently carry a cross. Some arranged or forced marriages end up being a nightmare too. But they just keep appearances.

Where do I want to take this? That Stolas trying to make the marriage work at the start is not a uncommon or ilogical thing. Is the thing that would carry less issues to him, the family and his daughter. You can see that when Octavia was little they even shared a bed. So, maybe the marriage wasn’t as hostile as it is now since the start. But the issues where already there… we can see Stella far away from Stolas, taking all the sheets for her and leaving him colder.

In this same scene Stolas tries to make Stella more involved with Octavia’s raising. But Stella doesn’t want to, and he sighs like this is a common thing. He wants her to be with him in those moments, because since he didn’t had a present father and seemingly his mother wasn’t there (for some reason we don’t know), probably he wanted Octavia to have both of her parents present.

So, basically here we are seeing what Stolas says here:

Probably Stella started to turn more and more difficult with the years. Eventually they stopped sleeping together, or trying to have the family. Now, why Stolas didn’t divorved when things were more worse? At the start he tried to give Octavia a normal family life. But now, why?

Well, this might be a case when things start to get slowly worse and you just accept it as part of things, slowly normalize it even if it starts to harm you (like the analogy of the frog in the slowly heating water). At the same time Stolas started to get his depression, because all the abuse endured; and when Blitzø comes into his life, again he has given up happiness as a possibility for him. At all.

If you think about it, the reason why he ends up divorcing Stella is when he sees that the situation makes Blitzø feel bad and impedes them to be able to pursue something beyond the deal they have. He does it more for Blitzø and the possibility of them having a relationship than he does for himself. He wouldn’t have done it if Blitzø didn’t came into his life, because he had already accepted that was his reality.

This is why he says Blitzø is his light. Because it made him feel strong after a lot of time of feeling powerless. He made him feel alive after a lot of time of being dead in life.

I don’t know if these count as good reasons, but, they have been the ones the show have given so far and for me they make sense enough.

[arcane-ish]

So, my new fandom is real life politics or how Silco and Vander sort of changed my life

I actually wrote this back in the fall of 2024, before Arcane season 2 aired. I thought about posting it like … the week of Arcane premiering but it felt odd because the US election was around the time and in that context… it just felt wrong.

Anyway, you probably don’t know me, but it was like this: Back when Arcane originally aired for a while posted slightly crazy amounts about it. I’m the kind of person who loooooooves long philosophical and analytical exchanges and collecting information.

And then I dropped out cold turkey.

This is not unusual for me, I’m a fandom switcher. Except in this case the new topic I switched to, the two “fandoms” were somewhat oddly related.

I love the concept of Arcane and the themes and dualities it portrays. I love many facets of it, but a major poison of choice for me was Silco x Vander, followed by Timbomb aka Ekko x Jinx. And a big part is pondering the conflicts and different politics of their world view.

And just one major factor was imagining what the politics and lives of the young Vander and Silco looked like and why they fell out. I’m not a fic writer but I’ve tried to dabble (usually too scared to post stuff or too waffly to finish stuff). I thought a lot about what their younger lives might be like (inspired by some fanarts) and doing a litte bit of research into other political figures and how their political movements started out, just what the dynamics in a group like that might be, or just what kind of plots would make sense.

This kind of crossed into my genuine dissatisfaction with real life politics. And now, it’s not the big one that affects the most people, the US, with Trump and everything. I’m from a small European country, our elections already took place and the also sucked (and though it’s probably hybris a lot of the time it feels like we started it or at least were very early). I think a lot about the rise of the global right and how to oppose it, how it interlocks with and blocks so much having to do with climate change, how modern technology promotes radicalism in various shapes, how the right is straining for culture dominance again and is building its own ideology and whether or not the fracturedness of of public and cultured life influences this.

The main reason why I wanted to get involved is … I just really, really hate the guy who leads the way too successful far right in my home country. I hated all the ones before him too, but for various reasons this one feels even worse and not just because of the global influence of Putin. I just didn’t want him getting into power and me wanting to do something to help the opposition to him. I just felt that there was something bad in the air and I wanted to get involved even though the next election was quite a bit away at this time.

And yes a tiny bit was thinking of it of fic research of what discussions and relationships in small pub backroom political groups actually feel and work like. Like even if I washed out of the scene again, at least I would have fic idea, no?

I feel like I’m kind of lucky because my home country actually has some deep old political structures and it’s been kind of interesting trying to navigate through them.

To be honest: trying to get involved was a huge leap. If you try to look at it as a “fandom” it’s just so unfamiliar that it’s just all in real life, giving tons of real life people your phone number. Especially since I’m a person who has always tried to stay deeply pseudonym-based in fandom and never attend any fandom events, I always tried to keep real life and fandom life very separate and to now have a hobby, a “fandom” that doesn’t allow it, was very harrowing. But I decided I wanted to do, because I think the situation is serious and it’s worth it.

One thing that I found interesting how in some parts, the kind of low level politics I do actually does remind me a ton of fandom. To have those low level, normal people sitting around and trying to organize a party or a march or a discussion event and advertise it, form or revive a club, it reminds me so much of fandom and all the fandom weeks and zines and big bangs and art contests and fanfic gift exchanges that people are doing. Fandom I think has taught me a lot about people’s generosity and what people are willing to do just for passion and community. Fandom actually is a good example of something great and amazing that doesn’t run on straight self interest logic. And if it works in fandom, why shouldn’t that work in politics as well? I certainly know that I want more of that out there in real society.

I’ve always felt a little bit on the margins of fandom, because in the end I’m not a fanfic writer, I’m not an artist. But I’ve found my niche I feel in mostly writing long rambly metas and identifying the people who also do that and who like me get joy from gabbing on like that. And by cheerleading and encouraging the talented people in fandom and maybe trying to connect then, carry together and compile information. This is ultimately what I kind of hope to do in politics as well. I don’t want to get elected for anything. I don’t want to stand in front and give speeches. But I do want to identify the people who do that and who I like and believe are well meaning and encourage them and help them be more well known and maybe try to carry out some of the ideas that I think are important. And maybe on occasion find some people to have the real world version of the long fannish conversations with that I enjoy so much in fandom.

So yeah, because of Zaundads, and the fannish encounters and discussions I had because of them, I asked myself a lot of question, about myself, about sexuality, about organizing, about good and bad and what I believe in.

Generally, my plan was to just take a short break from my political stuff doings just long enough to watch season 2, shout about it like maybe till the end of the year and just like before dip out. I fully blame the @zaundadsbigbang for forcing me to stay in at least till that is done. XD

Right now I try to juggle both.

It’s funny. I was hoping to also do politics like I do fandom, where I dip out after a certain amount of time. Ideally, after “the job is done”, where I have encourages the local opposition parties to suck less so they can stand on their own.

But yeah, now with Trump in office, it sure looks like the job isn’t going to be “done” any time soon or just bewhere I think I can just let it slide and trust other people to handle it while I do nothing.

I dunno, I’ve been thinking on whether I should post at least some of my politic-y thoughts to tumblr. Or at least share some real life stories/historical stuff that I think kind of fits Arcane.

Like, one thing I have been thinking about a lot in regards to Arcane (and how it wasn’t a story concerned with politics and revolution in the end) how exactly how we tell those stories and how we can forge them and make them be appealing and believable. And I think Arcane is just a very good sample or jumping off point in that regard.

I dunno, I haven't decided yet.

[iscdisc]

The Farmhouse Arc should've been the most significant character growth period for 2012 April as a character, and I kind of wanted to talk about that- Lmao

I apologize for not for recalling the user who's post I saw talking about this (I'll definitely @ them if I end up finding them / their post again-), but I recently came across somebody mentioning how they felt 2012 April should have experienced some self-loathing during The Farmhouse Arc given the whole Irma / Kraang Invasion situation-

I completely agree ! But that made me want to expand on that in my own way, because this is something that I genuinely enjoy getting into since there was so much potential (As most things in 2012 have-) that just didn't used,,

Since we've already established time and time again with this series that the writing is not as good as it could be, it "makes sense" that April barely felt any guilt outside of the initial S2 finale and the mistakes that she made don't even get brought up during the aftermath that is the Farmhouse Arc (If we're really being honest, they don't even really get brought up during the initial Season 2 finale- 💀). But if the show had better writing, April should have and would have felt more guilt / had that guilt be very apparent throughout the Farmhouse Arc in how she moves and talks to the Turtles + Casey during their stay there. Not to say that everything was entirely her fault, such as Irma being Kraang Subprime in disguise (She didn't ask for that nor did she cause that to happen-), but it should be acknowledged that their lack of an upper hand feels attributed to her actions the most in this particular Season finale.

I mean, honestly what was she even doing-?? I'm not trying to necessarily give a pass to Casey here, since I know that he was also goofing off / not taking things as seriously as he should have been even though he technically was helping Raph search for Karai- But at least he was with Raph, you know what I mean? Raph and Casey (technically) were searching the city for Karai as it means of protecting her and keeping her safe from the imminent Kraang Invasion (They were also looking for her post her mutation in general, but it was especially dire now-), Leo and Donnie (and Mikey technically-) are in the Lair deliberating on courses of action (Both on options to confront the incoming Kraang Invasion but also means of a safety net, something that Leo in particular was stressing they have outside of the city-). What is April doing during this time? What was her big contribution to this incoming threat? Hanging out with Irma. Like what- Lmao

I understand that like a lot of things that this show has 2012 April do or say, it's just used as a plot device or something to push the narrative that they're going for (Which is incredibly irritating, since it basically sacrifices any good character writing for her so that they can just move the plot along- Regardless of whether or not it makes sense for her as a character to do or not do- But I digress.), and this is just another example of that. But I would be lying if I said this particular aspect of the S2 finale has never made a lick of sense to me, even to this day. A second attempt at a Kraang Invasion is literally on the horizon, and instead of being with her team + actively helping / contributing in some way to this inevitable issue, April's hanging out with Irma-? The writers don't even give any context prior either, like the two of them coming from the movie theater or April's home or something. They provide no explanation as to why April's even spending her time with Irma in this moment.

Which, just like most things in this show, I'm not even saying that that had to have been a poor choice? This is why context is important- If they had shown April clearly stewing over the incoming Kraang Invasion as she's on her way to meet up with everybody else to discuss their options and Irma "just so happened" to essentially ambush April with her presence, thus making April feel obligated to entertain her for the time being? That would have made a lot more sense. It also would have been a great way to foreshadow the events to come in relation to Irma, since there would have been a clear atmosphere change and some unspoken reason as to why Irma wants her attention so badly right now- It also wouldn't have taken up a lot of runtime in my opinion, so I don't understand why they didn't do something like that? 💀

But to not derail from the initial point, (Given the poor writing, I know-) April basically brings a bunch of chaos to the Turtles (and Casey) and quite literally does the bare minimum about it. When she (unintentionally) reveals their home to the enemy, what does she do throughout that entire ambush? Hide. She doesn't even make any attempts to fight off the Kraang that are flooding into the Liar and essentially destroying their home.

What did she do after they escaped the sewers? Take them to her apartment, which initially was just meant to help Donnie get patched up before revisiting the chaos she (unintentionally) created, but instead April ends up staying in her apartment with her cowardly Father-?? For way longer than she should have. I understand that April does not control Donnie and it's not / shouldn't be her role to influence his decisions, but it was also upsetting to know that she was basically the reason Donnie was so inactive (Since he refused to "leave her side" or whatever-) and this in turn caused Mikey to also be inactive because (Rightfully so??) he's not going to go out there by himself- So April (more or less) was the reason why the three of them did nothing but wait around in her apartment until Raph and Casey arrived. She technically "did something" during the fight (more or less) with Kraang Prime in the Turtle Mech, but that only partially counts to me because that was more of a group effort (Since it's ideal for four people to be working the robot and she pulled like one lever or something like that- Lmao).

And of course, there was that psychic freakout that she had at the end of the S2 finale, but those never count to me because that's not something that she's consciously making an effort to do- If that makes sense? If April wasn't this special Human + Kraang Mutant Hybrid, she would just be freaking out like a regular person, and that would have done nothing for them- You know what I mean? (I really loathe these psychic freakouts that the writers have April do for this very reason-)

If you really pick apart April's role in the S2 finale, she mostly escalates the situation and does very very little to alleviate any of it or contribute positively in some way. Again, I acknowledge this is a poor writing decision and most likely influenced by their want to move the plot along and make this season finale "really dramatic"- But that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to acknowledge it for what it is. Lmao

That being said though, I can now circle back to the topic at hand, which is that the Farmhouse Arc should've been a huge growth period or her as a character. ESPECIALLY in regards to her relationships with the Brothers and Casey.

The S2 finale should have been a situation that caused the group to view April differently. Not in the sense that they view her as an enemy or something of that nature, more that they're finally more openly acknowledging that she makes a lot of mistakes. Mistakes that they (More so the Brothers than Casey-) usually suffer the brunt of the consequences of. This is something that I feel is very apparent with her character (S2 the most-), and while that isn't a bad thing since a lot of characters in 2012 make mistakes, it's very obvious that the main group responds incredibly differently to her mistakes than any other character's mistakes. She's never forced to dwell on her wrongdoings or missteps, nor does the group ever harp on them or make her feel guilty for a prolonged duration of time like they do with other characters. We see this constantly throughout the series. The Brothers and Casey are always quick with their reassurance and understanding, always quick to tell her it isn't a big deal or that they got it handled, etc.

While it's not necessarily a bad thing to support her or make efforts to prevent her from developing a lack of self confidence, there's a fine line between giving support and coddling a person. Oftentimes, I feel like this teeters into the coddling side of things rather than genuinely supporting her. They essentially treat her like a child (so to speak), in the sense that they'd rather her believe that she "didn't do anything wrong" and that *everything's okay" instead of being honest when she makes mistakes or acts in ways that genuinely upsets them or off puts them.

THIS?? The S2 finale / Kraang Invasion?? This 1000% should have been the boiling point, and Raph in particular should've been the one to tip over the metaphorical pot. A theory that I have for the S2 finale going into the Farmhouse Arc that I believe holds up very well is Raph and Casey not being privy to the fact that April caused a lot of the chaos that they experienced during that finale. Of course, once they initially left New York City, their priorities were more focused on getting to safety (the O'Neil Farmhouse) and helping Leo in some way / shape / or / form giving his uncertain condition health wise. So it makes sense that this wasn't a topic of conversation immediately. However, it would not surprise me in the slightest if Donnie had made the decision to not tell Raph and Casey about what had transpired in the Lair that day (Or at the very least not the whole story, which would include April's involvement-). Convincing Mikey (And somewhat April-) to do the same. Because why wouldn't he? April's always been his top priority, and if not telling Raph and Casey the truth means protecting her, then he most likely will do that. Because I'm sure he knows Raph would be pissed beyond belief.

AND AS HE SHOULD BE- Hello?? If Raph found out that the reason why the Kraang Invasion began sooner than they planned thus causing them to be incredibly unprepared / their Lair got discovered and destroyed by said Kraang Invasion / Leo got separated from the group (And took on Shredder alone, but I fully acknowledge that that wasn't April's fault, I feel like that was a really stupid call on Leo's part during this finale-) / Splinter got separated from the group and this causing a domino effect that led him to confronting Shredder and being thrown further into the sewers and Raph ( + Donnie / Mikey / and April-) witnessing that horrific event was because of APRIL -?? Regardless of whether or not it was an accident, I think he would have a right to be upset with her. Because like I said before, she's had a lot of accidents that they've had to clean up before.

So just picturing Raph chewing her out at The Farmhouse and finally addressing how upset he's been with her in the past but bit his tongue so many times because she's supposed to be their friend?? That's "Chef's Kiss" tier conflict in my opinion. I genuinely feel like something of this nature was meant to happen and should have happened. A mistake of this caliber should have affected her relationships with them. Of course, Raph is the only one that I truly see being so unapologetically upset with April over this. Casey and Mikey would probably fall under some kind of murky mix of emotions, where they understand why they should be upset with her and to a degree they are, but they don't necessarily want to isolate her or cut her out of their lives- You know? I feel like their body language around her would be the biggest tell though, especially Mikey's, which I think would hurt April a lot (But it's not like she's really in a position to argue against it,,). I also think it would hurt Mikey a lot too, since being in this kind of position would make him incredibly uncomfortable for sure and I'd imagine he wouldn't like the way he's instinctively reacting to her presence nowadays,,

Donnie, of course, would be the only one "acting the same" towards April / around April. But deep down I think even he knows that something has changed between them, something that he would be in denial about for a majority of their stay there. I think this would have been a really great way to progress their relationship though- Both in the context of pushing for their romantic relationship (Which again, I personally am not a huge fan of 2012 Apritello, but I also don't want to exclude these things-) but also dismantling it entirely. On one hand, I think this would have been a really unique way to finally get Donnie to view April as an individual rather than simply the "object of his affections". Fully allowing those rose-colored glasses to be put aside for a second, you know? This should have been an event that tested his (so called) love for April in my eyes. Because if he doesn't love her and value her as a person, especially when she's at her lowest or has made some of her biggest mistakes (Ones that directly affect him-), then can he really say he loved her at all? I also think this should have been a great arc for Donnie as far as not making excuses for April anymore, since this is a bad habit he's (seemingly) nurtured. Learning that it's okay to be critical of her and these criticisms not drastically influencing their relationship or his affections towards her. But I can also see this skewing the complete opposite direction, and this finally being the event that ends the crush saga all together-

I personally felt like this was a very realistic possibility, since Donnie's crush on April is very surface level (He only "fell" for April because she was the first girl he witnessed upon leaving his home for the first time + he thought she was very pretty. He never makes any genuine attempts to get to know her as a person, and this feels very apparent given his behaviors and actions towards her. When he made his chart to "successfully get April to hang out with him" back in S1, everything that he listed had everything to do with himself and nothing to do with her or her interests. He didn't even try to guess or do any kind of process of elimination for her interests through his conversations / interactions with her. Also during S1, Donnie makes the bold assumption that April will like him simply because her Father is also a scientist- Which has absolutely nothing to do with April as an individual and there's no real correlation as to why she would "like him more" simply because he's similar to her Father / Father's profession? During this exact Season, when we see him gift her the music box that he made for her in, "A Foot Too Big" / S3 EP 2 /, April clearly looks uncomfortable for very obvious reasons but another thing that comes to mind is whether or not she even likes music boxes-?? There's no real explanation as to why he thought this would be a good gift for her- 💀). So to me, it makes sense that having his Rose colored glasses shattered / having a situation that practically forces Donnie to truly see her as an individual who's flawed and makes mistakes like this one would cause his crush on her to essentially evaporate instantly. Because what was his crush / infatuation founded on in the first place-? You know what I mean? I can also see his crush dissipating because of April and how she's handling this entire situation. I can see her handling it poorly in two different senses, the first being that she becomes very overly sensitive and defensive (Since Raph blowing up on her would be a massive hit to her pride, and as we've seen throughout the series, she's built up a pretty big ego just as much as the other characters have-) or she becomes very detached and blunt. Something that would cause her to become more openly honest with Donnie about how she views him and their relationship, that being that they just don't really have one- Finally being able to speak on how his advances make her feel and how they aren't necessarily wanted a majority of the time. :/

But now that I've established how I feel the other main characters should've responded towards April post the S2 finale / entering the S3 Farmhouse Arc (Minus Leo whose in a coma-), it's finally time to talk about how I feel April should have carried herself during this arc. Which would be BUILDING / REBUILDING HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM (Minus Leo, but also technically him to just after he wakes up from his coma-). One of my biggest gripes with 2012 April in relation to the group as a whole is her lack of proper dynamic with most of her teammates. Casey is honestly the only exception to this, since we do see her get more significant bonding moments with Casey / she does get a lot of one on one screentime with him on particular- But even that could use some work too. April doesn't feel like an actual friend to any of them, and that's always been something that bothers me considering how highly they regard her as a person and how much they trust her / how much they put their faith in her. It would make sense to properly establish where that trust and praise even stems from, you know what I mean? But since the writers suck ass, you can essentially just chalk this up to her being the titular girl character and therefore she "deserves this treatment" canonically. I hate that reasoning and think it's really dumb. :) Lmao

I'm not saying the entire Farmhouse Arc needed to be so April centric (Since 2012 already feels like the Leonardo and April O'Neil show a majority of the time- 💀), but I don't think it could have hurt to have a majority of those episodes have significant moments between April and a particular Brother / Casey. With Mikey and April, I think it would have been really great for April to validate his feelings and reinforce the fact that it's okay for him to be upset with people. That doesn't mean that he has to hate them forever or hold grudges like a lot of people in his life do (I can also imagine that's the biggest reason why he's so uncomfortable with the possibility that he's holding a grudge against April, since his entire life revolves around this stupid grudge between his Father and his Uncle- Because Shredder basically is their uncle and I hate that that isn't acknowledged more?? That's like top tier family drama angst right there- Lmao). But it's also not healthy for him to essentially pretend as though he doesn't feel emotions like anger and frustration and disappointment. I think it would have been really cool for April to validate his thoughts and opinions, with this being used to build a better relationship between them and result in Mikey learning to trust April once again (Not that he necessarily lost his trust in her but it felt complicated for a while-). We can also get more screentime of April loosening up and doing fun / silly things, since I'm sure Mikey would bring out that side of her ! I also think Mikey should have been the one to help her with her psychic abilities instead of Donnie, I don't know if that's a hot take but- LMAO

Like I said earlier, I don't think April didn't have a relationship with Casey but I think this situation would help strengthen it for sure. To be honest though, I don't see April necessarily needing to make a lot of amends with Casey (Aside from his Father and younger Sister getting abducted as well, and maybe this could be a good way for Casey to be able to actually talk about his family with someone onscreen-). But I do like the idea of April going to Casey a lot during the situation for advice- To have an outside looking in perspective, you know what I mean? Especially with Raph and how to fix that mess,, But this would be a great way to show how much April values Casey as a friend and respects his opinion / appreciates the fact that he's always been a shoulder for her to cry on or vent to. I also want Casey to reinforce this idea that she doesn't need to be this "perfect person". This whole character development period for her should be about that in general, but I feel like Casey / her interactions with Casey should highlight this theme the most. I think April should be able to express how difficult it's been to come to terms with the fact that she's not where she wants to be or who she thought she was, with Casey throwing out the idea that maybe that was never who she was meant to be. That it's never too late to reinvent yourself or be a different person, one that you better reflects who you are. I basically just want Casey to reinforce her individualism the most !

I'm biased, so I prefer the situation dissipating Donnie's crush on April, and for that to build a new foundation for a relationship. A platonic relationship. Donnie never truly interacted with April as a friend, always interacting with her as his crush or infatuation, you know what I mean? He read into every interaction they had, everything he did felt as though it had some romantic strings attached or implications. He needs to let that go, for sure. I think they could have had a really cool dynamic if this had happened. The writers also could have better explored April's intelligent side, the one that they constantly like to associate with her character but I feel doesn't always hold up (Not only because a lot of her "character traits" feel reliant on the plot of an episode, making them incredibly inconsistent, but I've always compared April's intelligence level to Leo's rather than Donnie's. You know what I mean?). If April actually has an interest in S.T.E.M. the way the writers like to imply that she does, then this would have been a really good thing for her too ! I honestly don't have much to say aside from this though, because I don't necessarily see a lot of friendship scenarios for April and Donnie-? I know that's kind of sad, but I've personally never envisioned them being super close-? 😭

Raph is my favorite aspect of this entire hypothetical concept though. Not only does it include the satisfaction (For me, yes-) of a character rightfully telling April off for once and April actually having to face the repercussions of something that she's done for an indefinite amount of time, but this also simultaneously feeds into my take that April and Raph should have been a lot closer than they actually were- To talk about this a little better, I'm including some old WIPs of a comic I made exploring this idea (I guess technically I'm still making it-? I haven't worked on it in a while,, 😔) !

I'll do my best to not infodump about the entire story that I envisioned for this comic (Cause it's a lot and this post is already lengthy enough- Lmao), but to provide some context for these specific panels: After Raph explodes on April after finding out what actually transpired during the S2 finale / takes the time to throw in the fact that she's pretty incompetent a majority of the time and it's upsetting the constantly have to clean up after her, April (somewhat understandably) gets in her feelings and it's pretty upset about the situation overall. She ends up running into a conflict with some people by herself in the woods while taking a walk to get some fresh air (It was over a missing mutagen canister and I kind of envisioned these people being similar to "The Finger" from the Bigfoot episode- Like, just weirdos- Lmao), and as you can tell from the comic she pretty much gets her ass handed to her. This is when Raph's words really started to set in for her and she felt honestly disappointed with herself. But instead of kicking her while she's down or fanning the flames, Raph opens up to her instead-

With that little bit of context out of the way, I really love this idea that seeing April like this would result in Raph wanting to open up to her. Why? Because he sees himself in her. Especially right now. Seeing her so frustrated with herself, April wanting to do more than she's physically capable of doing as she is now, feeling weak and helpless ,, He's been there. Many many times. So he starts to empathize with her and his anger simmers a bit.

He opens up about his role in this team, and how a majority of the time he only feels good for punching and hitting people. Like that's all he's capable of. He talks about how he feels so insignificant when the solution isn't hitting people, or even if there is someone to hit that doesn't change anything or resolve the issue. He's not smart like Donnie, he's not warm and compassionate like Mikey, he's not a symbol for people to follow like Leo. In these ways, he understands wanting to do more and being so angry when facing the reality that you can't. Or rather, as you are right now, you can't.

This is more of a personal headcanon for me, but I'd imagine that it took rough a lot of effort and dedication to get the build that he currently has / maintains. I wouldn't be surprised if it took him quite some time to build up that body mass, you know what I mean? So I was also going to reference that at some point in relation to Raph talking about not being where you want to be yet- How for years, he felt so weak compared to Splinter and that upset him,, But it also motivated him to be the person that he currently is + why he takes training more seriously than everybody else. Because he was tired of feeling weak.

This basically segways into Raph helping April with her training during the Farmhouse Arc and this being the most significant way in which they build their new relationship with each other ! He's a little impressed with April's dedication to improving too, which also helps him view April differently / give them something in common. When they return to New York City, I'm sure April would want to feel confident in herself and capable of fixing this mess- Raph getting her there feels like a no brainer to me. I'd also include moments where they're not training and just hanging out regularly during their stay at the Farmhouse ! Something that admittedly would've taken some convincing on April's part, since even though I said Raph's anger simmered, that doesn't mean that it completely vanished right away. But eventually he'd agree to it and slowly let April in again. Maybe not even again though, since they didn't really have a relationship prior to this in my eyes (Nor do they interact a lot canonically as it is-). So this would honestly feel like Raph letting April in for the very first time-! 😭

Also, of course I'm going to be throwing in some hints of 2012 Raphril here and there within this comic- This is me we're talking about- LMAO 💛❤️

I also totally address Donnie's behaviors towards April / his (Most likely unintentional?) misogynistic tendencies. How his coddling of her harms her rather than helps her. His lack of respect for her choices and her autonomy (Specifically referencing, "Within the Woods" where he blatantly acknowledges that April is interested in Casey but instead of respecting that, he feels the need to "prove to her" that she's wrong-?? For not choosing him, basically- 💀). His unhealthy possessives over her as a person. Etc. ! 😔👍

Sorry this was another lengthy yap post-! Basically I agree that April should've had more focus in relation to the S2 finale aftermath like that person was talking about, but I also think the Farmhouse Arc should've better established April's relationships within the group- Idk- ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ Lmao

[goldenlikedayl1ght]

Blurb Countdown To Daredevil: Born Again

2 Days: Dress - Taylor Swift "say my name and everything just stops/i don't want you like a best friend/only bought this dress so you could take it off."' NSFW You pick out a dress just for Matt. note: okay i was worried about this but i actually really like the way it came out, and its an epilogue ish of this other fic i wrote, also called dress, BUT you dont have to read it to enjoy this one! ya hooked up at foggys wedding thats all the background ya need okay sorry im gonna stop yapping now countdown masterlist

It’s been over a year since you slept with your boss at Foggy’s wedding.

You’ve learned a lot since then.

You’ve learned how difficult it is to be with the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, how many sleepless nights it comes with, how many arguments it comes with, how much anxiety it comes with.

You’ve learned how good Matt is at eating you out.

You’ve learned how easy it is to love him.

You've learned how easy it is to be loved by him.

And on the first spring day in New York, you put on the dress that you accredit your relationship to, and the two of you go out for a romantic dinner, enjoying champagne and relaxing together.

But when you get to his apartment afterwards, Matt’s lips do not leave your skin, and his hands roam your—Well, I could lie and tell you his hands roam your skin, but Matthew is obsessed with this dress.

He had been ever since it destroyed the last bit of his willpower.

“I’m gonna fuck you in this dress,” He mumbles against your skin. You let out a giggle as your fingers tangle in his hair.

“What?”

“I changed my mind,” His mouth finally pulls away from your skin, so his forehead can rest against yours, “I’m going to make love to you while you wear this dress. I’m going to fill you with my cock, ruin that pretty makeup and make you cry with this dress on,”

Your breath hitches in your throat.

He chuckles.

“Devil got your tongue, sweetheart?”

Then, before you can respond, Matt picks you up by the back of your thighs, your arms wrapped around his neck. He gets to your bed and sits you down on it, and his lips are immediately back on your skin, pulling you in for a deep kiss.

He inhales deeply, his tongue slipping past your mouth. He has this moment of Déjà vu, of this exact situation in this exact dress. And he remembers what happened that night, so he pushes his tongue further into your mouth, exploring every crevice he can—Like he’s mapping it out, memorizing it.

His hands wander up your thighs as his kisses grow sloppy, his hands dipping under the silk fabric. He’s pulling your panties down, and he stretches them right over your heels.

Here’s something else you’ve learned in the past year or so: When Matthew decides what he wants, he doesn’t stop until he gets it.

“Are you going to be good for me and let me fuck you?”

Now here’s something Matt learned in the past year or so: You love to have the last word. You love being the one who wins an argument. You love being right.

“I thought you were going to ‘make love’ to me.” He shakes his head, before dropping your legs to start to unbuckle his belt, but you quickly sit up and begin to do it for him. He smiles once he realizes what you’re doing. You tug his belt away and throw it somewhere across the room.

But before you can unbutton his pants, Matt tilts your head up, cupping your cheeks. Your eyes stare up at the face you fell in love with much longer than just over a year.

“Can I ask you something?”

His voice is raw. Tender. You sense this is a moment separate from the one you were just in.

“Anything.”

And he knows you mean it.

“You can’t say yes just because we were about to fuck,” He says softly.

You smirk.

Your need to be right has followed you into this next moment.

He smiles and rips off his glasses, not feeling the need to hide from you, across the room somewhere.

“Right. But promise?”

“Promise.”

“Would you marry me?” He wonders.

You blink.

“What?”

“Would you? If I asked?”

“You want to marry me?”

“Do I want to marry you?” He then falls to his knees, his hands curled around yours. You tilt his head up to look at you. “I don’t just want to marry you,” He starts, “I want to make you breakfast every morning, I want to fuck you in a house we own, I want to spend my life with you.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I promise I’ll say yes.” You grin.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Matt brings your hand to his chest. You giggle gently.

“Your heart is beating so fast.”

“That’s how badly I want to spend my life with you.” You grin, pulling him in for another kiss. You only deepen it, sinking deeper and deeper into him as his hands finds your thighs, sneaking their way up, when he pulls away, “So you’ll say yes?”

“Yes!” You laugh, “Swear to god, hope to die!” You beg.

“Good.” And he kisses you again, just to make sure.

[digital--devil]

Torbek - Bearcat

Almost an AllWing

-mostly MudWing, also quite a lot of RainWing

-mix of a few tribes, a bit of a mutt in terms of heritage, hard to tell what he has

-very tall, towers over normal-sized dragons, and most large dragons too, even slightly taller than Coal

-jagged uneven teeth with tusks

-tail is half-paralysed, he can’t move it very well and doesn’t have any feeling in certain spots

-while most dragons have their tails in comfortable resting positions when not intentionally moving them, his just drags on the floor behind him.

-has broken shackles around his wrists/ankles

-dislikes fighting and confrontation, something that most dragons find him pathetic for

-despite being physically massive, is intimidated easily by others, even dragons who are much smaller and weaker than him

-MudWing instincts means he craves companionship, he doesn’t remember his parents or if he has any siblings

-Acts most like a RainWing, which he and Gecko have in common, they often go climbing together (Gecko is much better at him)

-can eat most things due to his mixed heritage

-gets drunk from eating rotten fermented fruit

-used to be a vagabond, he had no home and most climates feel uncomfortable to him due to his mixed heritage conflicting with itself

-cannot remember anything about his past or childhood

-used to work at Gator’s travelling carnival as a carny, which employed mostly hybrids who often struggled to get work and so would work for cheap

-was experimented on in an attempt to a dragon with the abilities and powers from all the tribes, and he was chosen because he was already a mixed dragon

-has various abilities and traits from different tribes

-when too stressed or scared, he enters a state where he becomes completely feral with a single-minded focus to hunt his enemies down. Only the death of his target or utter exhaustion will trigger him to come back to his senses.

-After the experiment, a prosthetic tail stinger was added to his tail, which did actually slightly improve his ability to move his tail, and he can more easily move it to stab things in short bursts of movement

-He typically only uses his new abilities when in this state, such as his venom and tail stinger, he’s scared to use them normally

-grows temporary gills during his fight against Agdon (a RainWing/SandWing hybrid)

-the experiments performed on him heavily messed with his mind, including his perception of time, making him believe that it had been years since he had seen the rest of the group, even though for them it had only been a few months

-(the aim of the experimentation was essentially to create a ‘perfect’ dragon, with all the tribes abilities, that could be used as a powerful weapon. However, even after everything that’d been done to him, he remained mostly docile and non-aggressive. He hates fighting, and in combat situations will just freeze up, something that is very abnormal for dragons, and it utterly baffled the dragons who did this to him, as it was expected that the perfect dragon would be violent, ‘as dragons should be’)

Visible Tribe Features (ones in bold are the ones that only appeared after he was experimented on)

MudWing: Size, brown scales, need for belonging, face shape, firebreath when hot enough

NightWing: Black scales, ability to blend into shadows

RainWing: Climbing, need for suntime, long fangs (tusks), corrosive magenta venom

SeaWing: magenta glow scales, gills

SandWing: tail stinger with acidic magenta venom

SilkWing: underdeveloped wing buds

IceWing: icicle spikes, poor circulation, long serrated claws

Skywing: much larger wings

[spark-river]

Demons

Headcanon:

Imagine demons having their own gestures for communication and own moral code. As in, they do kill people and it's survival of the strongest, yes. But they also operate on honor. In this case, honor isn't saying you won't kill someone and actually not killing them. No, demons will do that. Honor is sticking to certain things to keep an advantage.

Families will be tight and help each other for their mutual benefit. Honor is having a role and actively doing it. The brothers grew even closer due to this moral view in the Devildome. (And, of course, because they were close in the Celestial Realm and felt outcasted in the Devildome.)

Another thing are deals. While some people don't operate on keeping deals, they often don't get good connections. Having a lot of connections is typical when you're the same strength. People will make deals with you for mutual advantage if you're known to keep them. Meanwhile promises are often bound to magic since demons try to limit being betrayed.

Now to what I actually wanted to talk about. Lust demons that have the same pact human might need to feed on him (physical contact; not necessarily sexual) at the same time. It would make sense for there to be a gesture to signal they're not fighting over 'prey' but instead can feed at the same time. Maybe just an arm tap by the stronger of the two demons. The one that could actually claim the 'prey' for themself if they chose to but instead allows someone else to feed aswell.

This would be especially interesting with Asmo. I can imagine him scaring off a lot of lower demons he doesn't like. But if they're pretty enough or he decided they need to feed (and he feels responsible for them since they're under his domain) he'll tap their arm to allow for simultaneously feeding. That would make for interesting situations. It would even be possible to happen when Solomon introduces his other pactmates to Asmo.

[halogenwarrior]

Reblogging this last post for an addition: There’s also something to be said about Cassie and Marco’s similarities as opposed to differences when contrasted against Jake and Rachel, what makes them “the only survivors”, and I think that comes down exactly to their visions of the world, their mirroring drives of “selfish selflessness”. Rachel and Jake, in contrast, are the most straightforwardly selfless in the sense that a soldier is, willing to sacrifice themselves mentally and physically out of duty and kindness in a way that means neither survives and/or survives “intact” after the war. But this also comes with a narrowness of vision, an acceptance of the soldier paradigm that leaves one, however brave and sacrificial, unable to defend against the possibility of sacrificing oneself for no reason, of one’s virtues being manipulated for a war machine. Jake stays sane by only focusing on his family and saving them rather than a larger awareness, Rachel is impulsive and becomes fully involved with battles in the moment. I think there’s a connection to be made to them living the USA and Marco and Cassie being the only non-white members of the team; being a minority thus and born fundamentally isolated from the mainstream American vision of what being a self-sacrificing hero means, and thus being more aware and cynical of the flaws in this vision and how it doesn’t apply to everyone, forces one to be both more attuned to one’s survival (physical and emotional) over devoting oneself fully to the socially acceptable cause and giving that up, but also forces one to think and build one’s own vision of what selflessness and sacrifice mean from scratch, which both Cassie and Marco do in opposite ways. 

Indeed, both Marco and Cassie have a moment of complete self-sacrifice that shows that their views and visions of the world are very capable of such a thing – Cassie being willing to spend the short rest of her life as a caterpillar to persuade one Yeerk and save one child, Marco being willing to sacrifice his mother’s life knowing it will destroy him to gain the objective of taking down both Vissers. The difference that leads to them surviving emotionally and physically while Jake and Rachel in their own ways do not is not that Marco and Cassie never sacrifice, just that they do it a little less, are aware of their own survival a little more. If every risk they take is a dice roll, they were all willing to play, but Rachle and Jake just rolled the dice a few more times, had just that much less concern for making it out, and while Cassie and Marco were lucky enough to be saved the one time they willingly threw it all away, Jake and Rachel couldn’t end up as lucky when they did it persistently every day of their lives.

And here I’m going to go on a bit of a tangent. I feel like a lot of the times when Animorphs is talked about in other parts of the internet, people tend to go to extremes in declaring “these children are psychopaths”, declaring them horrible people, and emphasizing how hurtful and abusive their least favorites are to their favorites. As a result, Animorphs Tumblr has, mostly to good effect, emphasized that these are just children in an impossible situation who actually have incredible resilience and selflessness compared to how many other children would act in such a situation. Like I said, this is mostly a good attitude, as your takeaway from the series should not be that bad things only happened because these were a horrible bunch of children and people who were not inherently “sociopathic anti-heroes” would just win the war and maintain their morality and friendships with each other easily, it’s the annoying “well if I were in this situation I would” attitude. Nonetheless, I feel Tumblr sometimes overcorrects, and tries to downplay the extent with which, (however understandable it is given the horrible crucible they were put into, the decisions they had to make, and the way they had to form themselves into a working fighting force, however much you can’t reasonable blame them much or say they are horrible for it), the Animorphs psychologically damage each other with the pressure they put on one another and the roles they force each other into, and this isn’t 100% just a projection of the aggrieved party’s insecurity onto people who are perfectly well-behaved and unfailingly understanding. For instance, I don’t think Tobias is entirely making up being put into the “object of pity” box/role due to his insecurity (see how the other Animorphs’ narrative perspectives refer to him as if he once had an individual personality but now he’s just The Bird, entirely defined by how he was the first to suffer and sacrifice and now he’s sad and trapped). David, without downplaying his own cruelty, was failed by the Animorphs as well, in how they had become so used to constant fighting and the cohesive unit they have become that they were unsympathetic to the suddenness and horror of the situation he was thrown into, or the reasons behind relatively minor crimes of his like breaking into a hotel, all of which fueled his preexisting insecurities about being the “new kid”. And, of course, the parallel dynamics between Jake and Marco, and Rachel and Cassie, which both consist of the “good soldier” friend betraying the “selflessly selfish” one by acting wed to their soldier role beyond humanity, which leads to a betrayal in the other direction while the ”selflessly selfish” friend turns away from supporting the “good soldier” friend as they become suffocatingly trapped in the role they had taken on out of self-sacrifice.

So what does selflessness mean to Cassie and Marco? Cassie concludes it means “not acting like an animal” and dressing up violence, even self-sacrificing violence, as noble, or being partial to humanity and the cause of advancing its survival like an evolutionary imperative but seeing a goal and compassion beyond that, and in her thoughts on that draws parallels between racism amongst humans, which she herself has had experience of, and those dynamics (i.e saying the Howlers can’t be inherently evil because every time someone has claimed that about a group of humans it has been only bigotry). In doing so she becomes horrified with Rachel seeing heroism only as violence, that she has so embodied the ideal of the soldier as to lose the thought that makes her human. But this initial emotional “betrayal” leads to an emotional “betrayal” in return, as her wish to step out of the battle in #19 out of horror for the moral implications leads to Rachel realizing, as she says in that book, that Cassie’s worst fear is becoming like her, that she is horrified about her, and ultimately by the end of the series to (as I discussed in my long post on Rachel) being convinced in #54 from Cassie’s anger at her in #52 that Cassie won’t care about her death, only Jake’s reaction to having to order it. 

Marco concludes selflessness means being motivated by the ruthless logic of survival for all of humanity. He breaks from the typical model that Jake follows of being the everyman who is not motivated by a utilitarian calculation but by ideas of duty and basic goodness, his greatest ambition being to just live his life and “not be a jerk” or however he phrases it, and instead takes a larger view of exactly what sacrifices are rationally logical to make. This is a view that starts out as being more aware of the dangers of the war to their survival and the lack of logic in just being heroes, and ends up as seeing the illogic in fighting only for one’s personal connections when the stakes are so high. His dynamic with Jake parallel’s Cassie’s with Rachel’s, as I discussed in my earlier post on Marco and Jake here https://www.tumblr.com/halogenwarrior/755926554224345088/i-find-marco-and-jakes-relationship-dynamic-very – the initial “betrayal” comes from Jake in how his soldier/general like persona denies his friendship with Marco and treats him as just another tool, even as Marco is well aware of the silliness and falseness of such a thing and wants Jake to drop the act and reveal he knows too. And the reversed betrayal comes as Marco retaliates by pushing Jake further into the leader role “if that’s truly what he wants”, taking the lead when he messes up and sniping at him when he’s less than superhuman. 

In the end, both pairs’ tragedy is about this disconnect about what selflessness and survival really mean, and they make great mirrors for each other.

This is somewhat of a continuation of the post I made recently: but I think Marco and Cassie’s relationship dynamic is a very interesting one. They are on the surface of it the advocates of opposing ideologies, and the closest emotionally to Jake so that he is always feeling the contrasting pull of both. And by connection they are the resident “smart ones” of the group, the ones that tend to notice things others don’t and make the most cogent intellectual arguments. Except that (in a running theme of the series of the contrast of how each character is viewed by others vs. reality, and how those roles they are stereotyped into in the pressure cooker of war affect them) only Marco is really acknowledged and named by the others as “the smart one”, as an appellation constantly referred to them when they are being introduced (Rachel is the brave one, Jake is the leader, Tobias is the one who is a hawk, etc.). Yes Cassie will sometimes get a shout out as being deep or emotionally understanding, but never “smart”, even if she has about as many moments of finding the intelligent solution or realizing something as Marco does. And I think this speaks to how Cassie’s ideas seem too out-of-left field, she thinks “differently” and is likely to be dogpiled by everyone as a result, while as noted in one of the books (can’t remember which) Marco’s complaining and cautiousness (and by extension his ruthlessness) says what everybody thinks but doesn’t want to say, just on a more intelligent and insightful level, it’s the same “genre” but with more insight. Even Cassie herself internalizes it, referring to Marco as the smartest one and herself as a dumb tree-hugger.

Interestingly, the only time I can think of she is referred to as “the smartest one” the way Marco often is by Marco himself in #45. In this book, Marco wants to rescue his mother but, from his position of logical ruthlessness, thinks it would only harm others for his own personal benefit. And then Cassie is the one who is able to come up with an objective reason why saving her would benefit them and their cause, and Marco responds by thinking that “I just wouldn’t again forget that, in some ways, Cassie is the bravest and smartest of my friends”. He appreciates Cassie and her intelligence because when someone else, like Jake, tries to tell him do act with his heart, there’s not much of an argument to it and it is something he can easily debunk, it’s all just foolish and not pragmatic. But Cassie is smart enough to actually make him believe, by his own logic, that he can dare to hope for himself.

There’s also the dynamic between them of selfishness/personal gain vs. selflessness, where it quickly becomes unclear who is supposed to represent what. But just a recap if you haven’t read that: I talked in my earlier post about how Cassie’s fundamental drive/motivation is that the animal world is cold, running on just survival, of oneself and those genetically close to oneself (as she realizes in #9 and has a bit of a breakdown about), and to prove there is something more and the world is not senseless, every sapient being has to use their ability to morally reason (as she articulates in Megamorphs #2) to do whatever an animal wouldn’t. Marco starts out as the opposite, the one out of all the Animorphs who is most associated with personal “survive and protect one’s family” goals. In the early books, he is the most concerned about the risk of death they run, for himself and how it would emotionally crush his father, and often points out that the people they are helping are not people he personally knows or is related to, so why should he risk his life for them? When he decides to fully commit himself to the war, it’s not out of some far-reaching altruism but because he now knows his mother is a Controller and he might be able to rescue her. Contrasting Cassie’s desire to transcend the reasoning of an animal, the ruthlessness that Marco desires is “animal-coded” in #15, where he loves the shark morph for giving him the simple and ruthless animal instinct that allows him to escape his uncertainties and insecurities. 

But something strange happens along the way. Step by step, Marco transitions from using the shark’s logic, the animal ruthlessness, for its typical purpose of survival of one’s genes to expanding it to the whole planet, being willing to appropriate that animal instinct for the benefit of all of humanity even at the expense of his personal benefit (being willing to sacrifice his mother no matter how much it emotionally destroys him) – appropriating the logic of selfishness for a selfless cause, and taking the same risks even though he’s given up on saving what personally matters to him from it. And Cassie’s fundamental driving principle of avoiding that self-serving logic also means avoiding the “animal’s action” even when it would have a great utilitarian benefit, which gradually starts to look an awful lot like selfishness. In #19, Cassie is willing to risk her friends’ torture and death, and in the long run the enslavement of humanity, so she can convince Aftran that there is another way besides parasitism. This makes perfect sense with her convictions, as the animal logic would say the Yeerks are biologically forced to be humans’ enemies, and humans for their own survival must see them as enemies to kill, but her beliefs means she must try to find a way that they can use their sapience to transcend that, otherwise what would be the point of living and winning in the first place? But it’s still a different kind of selfishness; not a selfishness for one’s own preservation, but that of potentially causing much suffering of others so one can personally feel morally sound and avoid despair. And I just love that dynamic where it quickly becomes unclear within the character foil relationship who is supposed to be the selfish or personally driven one and who is supposed to be the selfless, caring for everyone person. Just a fascinating dynamic.

[skyward-floored]

In iAU, It seems Legend and Wind are going to public school in the AU, are any/all of the other Link kiddos going to public school?

Everyone except Hyrule goes to public school! Hyrule had to catch up a little, and school would just be... a lot for him, so he's homeschooled for now. He prefers being home anyway. He'll probably go to public school when he's a bit older, maybe high school? haven't decided yet. He's also home because there was a little plot hole I needed to fix and that fixed it nicely heh

And actually, in the period of time where Four's powers show up and he's adjusting to them, he joins Hyrule with the homeschooling since splitting into four people in the middle of math class would be pretty problematic. I think I have him do that for just a school year before going back though.

[businesstiramisu]

there's also guys like Dave Green and Therin of Andor who started as one fan's creation but got picked up by canon. exciting!

Where it gets tricky is where the character in some sense "existed" in canon first.

In visual canons you've got characters like Tumbler (Newsies) or Figwit (LOTR) or Tanabi (Lion King) that appear in the background of scenes with no actual information, so fans made up their own. And sometimes the Powers That Be filled in canon info later ("Figwit is actually an elf named Aegnor"; "that lion cub fans started calling Tanabi is actually Kopa...or Kion... or Kiara") -- but sometimes fans ignore TPTB and stick with the fanon-- or develop new fanon ("Figwit, you mean Melpmomaen?" or "Brett MacKenzie later played Lindir in The Hobbit movies, so maybe Figwit and Lindir are the same guy").

in written canons, you get characters like Musichetta from Les Mis or Daphne Greengass from Harry Potter, where they get mentioned by name and there's *some detail* (Musichetta is so-and-so's mistress; Daphne was a Slytherine at Hogwarts, probably in the same year as Harry) but fandom has invented SO MUCH MORE. These are usually called blank slate characters.

then of course in video games, player characters usually are this by design. I think this generally leads to less cohesion within the fandom because every player is more or less makign their own version of the character, but sometimes you still get trends -- e.g. I've heard that in BG3 there's some popular Fanon Tavs that have fandom followings in their own right.

(what about podcast fandoms, where characters might have very extensive canon backstories and characterizations but visual discriptors, so fans have to make up their own headcanons there?)

Where is the line between "blank slate" and "fanon character"?? How much "prior canon content" disqualifies a character from being "fanon" (what about characters like Draco Malfoy who have quite a lot of canon info & characterization, but sometimes fans make up something else entirely* -- see also Dark!Harry or TINO, plenty more examples of course). What about characters that were initially blank slate but get more canon filled in by later installments, like Hux, who now stars in his own novel, or MCU MJ, who became a much more prominent character in the sequels to Homecoming? (Frankly, taking a look at our list on fanlore I think you could argue a lot of these.) What about situations like Matt the Radar Technician, where an SNL skit about Kylo Ren got spun off by fans as a character in his own right?

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Fanlore unofficial policy is that Blank Slate characters don't go in the Fanon category (so Musichetta or Daphne Greengrass or Marlene McKinnon are not in there**). But you'll notice that's not followed by everyone -- e.g. the category currently contains ton of Newies characters or Wes (Danny Phantom) who have as much canon content as Figwit.*** So, uh, make your best judgement, I guess, and put a note on the Talk page for help if you want second opinions.

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*Incidentally, I was aware of this TVTropes page looong before I got into FF7, and now that I've gotten into reading fic (and also watched a letplay of the entire OG game) I am confused by the demonstration image with Sephiroth. Like okay maybe I just haven't seen much of what the pink image is gesturing and I'm substituting what I've mostly seen in fic but it doesn't seem that far outside plausible based on what little we see in the OG game. Well mostly it's the OG game barely does give him any characterization outside of "ominous laughter" and "enjoys tormenting Cloud". Is... is Sephiroth a blank slate character?!?! Surely not.

**Not sure what it says (if anything) that all my examples are female here -- probalby only something about me. I considered mentioning some of the men from that Fanlore list but it's mostly either fandoms I'm unfamiliar with or characters that I would contest (Otabek Altin?!?!? REALLY?!)

***okay i just added Figwit to the Fanon Characters category on the basis of writing this argument lol

Are ocs made for peoples fanfics allowed to be on fanlore?

((im writing one on here//a03 and ill tag u if you want heh))

Not generally no. The only exceptions is if an OC becomes so well known or influential in a fandom that they appear in several fanworks by several people, and knowing that context would be important for that fandom's history.