#because relationship anarchy for the win

[bambeliowon]

working on my third draft of an aromantic mermaid story and i got this paragraph:

"The mermaid grew to hate marriage, whatever it was. They started to hate the waiting, the false comforts, the lack of true care, and the imaginary savior who would be their everything. They hated him the most, that imaginary prince charming. The one that everyone promised would come one day and make them forget everything that hurt. They hated him for taking so long, for expecting them to love him just because he would show up eventually. They hated him for his impossible promises, for thinking he alone was enough to block out the memory of all the people in their life that they held dear even if their grip was slipping. They hated him for existing, for making everyone think it was alright to leave them behind because he would be there. They hated him and they hated everyone who believed in him. Everyone who would only love them temporary because they didn’t think it was important to invest their time into them because he would be there. They hated him for isolating them from everyone they could have loved and received love from. They hated him for thinking he ever had a right to. They hated him for being allowed to exist. They hated so much that it was getting hard to remember how to love when all they could feel was this choking despair and anger and disappointment at this land they saw as lovely."

and i didn't realize how much i was hurting from amatonormativity until i put the mermaid's feelings into words. because their friend in leaving them behind because he feels like he has to if he is getting married. and it doesn't matter it they still live in the castle because they will still be alone with people who only pity them and hope they find a new prince to sweep them away and make it all better. but he won't and he can't and he isn't fucking real and maybe this is why dreams are made for sleeping and where better to sleep than with the fish. stay tuned for the happy ending :D

[electraslight]

fave bevin headcanons ??? ik u probably have answered this and dgaf but I love them and love hearing ur ideas and opinions they're always so great ☹️❤️‍🔥( im a lurker so I apologize for the lack of interaction !!!!! )

hiii taking a break in my no tumblr run to prosteleytize abt bevin, here are some loose headcannons

-kevin had a running joke going for a bit where he would not let ben out of the car until he gave him a kiss on the cheek aka Kiss Tax especially when people who weren't ben gwen and kevin were also in the car. he thinks the way ben gets mad about it is very funny, but it kind of backfires on him because ben stops getting mad and just does it and now every time he drives ben somewhere he gets a kiss. hes considering making the ride tax something more embarassing, like kissing with tongue.

-kevin sleeps with such a wide berth that he will somehow be on top of someone during any nap, even if the person is sitting feet away. the only one who's ok with being snored and drooled on is ben, because he is constantly cold and appreciates a bro snuggle

-ben and kevin do that scoobly do shit when theyre scared (a la jumping into each others arms n high pitched screaming)

-u may at this point be like 'hey these aren't bevin headcannons this is just them doing mildly gay best friend stuff' and to this i raise u this: i feel like, if ben and kevin were to ever aknowlege their feelings for each other, they wouldn't be the type of ppl to 'date'. theyre kind of beyond dating at this point, arent they? their relationship isnt really defined by human terms, as theyre both distanced from a lot of human social norms (kind of teetering on the brink of human and alien) and also theyve been through so much shit it would be weird to suddenly go through the human rituals of 'hold hands and go to resturants and introduce him to the parents blah blah blah'. they're more than that, and the way they go about being in love is kind of the same way they're friends, still joined at the hip and ragging on each other, still getting into fights and willing to kill and die for each other. its like being best friends and being 30 year married people at once. theyre sure theres some alien word for it, but they dont really care. ben is kevins and kevin is bens, and thats how they roll. and they make out with tongue. duh.

(clarifying for ppl w no reading comprehension: they are in gay homo love but they dont put labels like 'boyfriend' or 'dating' on it bc once youve held another boys hand and made the choice to destroy your body to save him twice + your lover learned what it meant to be a hero from u and you are a symbol of hope for him and he is for u you cant really just be like 'heres my bae' now can you. relationship anarchy win.)

[kittycatcomander]

AU where SBI are villains, and Kristin is the villain wrangler making sure all the kids who get counseling in her office get a chance to meet who ever they want, even if they’re wanted dead by the hero commission.

Cue meet-cute(?) between Kristin and Phil, where she spends weeks tracking down the infamous “ Crowfather, killer of heroes and hater of the system” because some little kid wanted see him, and she stands tall and totally not terrified (/s) on a rooftop waiting for him.

And Phil is faced with this woman who spent hours and hours researching his routines not to arrest him but to let a little kid meet him, and he just falls for her.

So they exchange numbers, and everytime from there on out when Kristin has a kid who wants to meet The Blade or Orpheus or Nemesis she just casually shoots THE TOP VILLAIN a message, internally screaming, while Phil is kicking his feet on the air like a stereotypical teenager everytime his phone dings with a personalized ringtone.

Hero!Dream: I have finally confronted you, doer of evil! Today, our fight will be legend-

Crowfather!Phil: wait pause mate- OMG ITS HER 🥰🥰

Hero!Dream: wait wha-

Technoblade: I’ll take it from here

And so begins her getting really casual about the fact she personally texts the top villain.

I’m imagining some side stuff where she meets Tommy, a sidekick in desperate need of help (which she’s happy to provide), and a few others who’s relationship evolves with her over time.

Kirstin when first meeting the Blade: hooooooly smokes this guy is Dangerous, but if the kid wants to meet him… I’ll be prepared

Techno: uhhhhhh (struggling to interact with the receptionist, holds kids and swings them around gently like planes, lets them win fake fights)

Kristin: ok wait he’s like seven shaking puppies built like a brick house

She and Phil talk more and more as the arrangement continues, about everything and eventually life, and things shift from there. The first time that a villain tries hurting one of the kids also shifts their relationship…. especially since Kristin handles it as efficiently as she does.

There’s more, but in this AU I imagine Kristin to have a super dangerous power of her own (unregistered because teehee) that motivated her to work with troubled youth in need of help and kids working with a limited lifespan. I want her to be OP but just friendly and downplaying her ability since she was never in a situation to use it to the full extant.

Also there’d obviously be a CrimeBoys plot and adoption of Tommy into the family (bye bye Dream) which leads to her getting invited over to like. Family dinners and stuff, where the interactions are all completely cute and normal but undercut by her perspective reminding her of crimes they’ve all committed. Like-

“Phil, who had the most beautiful eyes but hands stained with the blood of approximately 3,791 people, passed her the salad with a bright smile. His son(?) continued the story of how he met a new friend. Kristin wasn’t sure if the story was in or out of masks, and she was scared to ask at this point.”

I especially want her to and Phil to reflect the two main approaches to changing the world, where you could either completely destroy the system in place (villains, anarchy) and forcefully restart, or you could tackle an issue at its lowest (if the world is full of corrupt people, change the people from a young age)

[eldelasuerte]

B..ba..baffy..?

(I'm so srry if I'm like spamming ur asks but I hope u don't mind)

Nah I'm open for asks ☺️ you're fine dude dw 🫶

Oohh I love this concept but it hits different for baffy

Bear with me

Daffy might not be exactly soft but he IS more open than bugs

On everything lol

This Is why Daffy is a rock, hes way better at managin his emotions than bugs

AND also why you could pair Daffy with any other character without resulting on him feeling wattered down

At their core all looney Tunes have a soft heart, thats what looney Tunes are about, about portraying intense emotions in a humorous light AND also anarchy lol, theres no situation that has no silly side

Baffy hits different because bugs and Daffy BOTH navigate violence separate and together

But whereas Daffy has to more often take the L bugs has to ALWAYS win (most of the Time)

Whereas Daffy is able to lose and still gets to keep his core intact

Bugs prudence, wit and stoickish (when used right hilarious) nature Is the thing that separates him from other characters

This is what makes modern bugs who he is, and while both parts (bugs and Daffy) are to blame on their eggshellish relationship bugs fault is this facade that keeps him from being authentic and forming a true connection to Daffy

And we could excuse it with hipothetically saying that if bugs, used to being the "bigger person" were to put his fear to vulnerability aside and actually reciprocate Daffys affection in a decent attentive way a partner does Daffy would still choose himself over it

BUT Heres my hc with Daffy, hes emotionally intelligent

he knows bugs well enough because theyve both been on the same situations, he knows how bugs responds to feeling cornered, he knows the facade, so when bugs does this thing of acting nonchalant he calls him on his bullshit, he knows bugs biggest pet peeve is his unability to let things go, he's obssesive and just as intense as he is and his efforts are not to bring the softness but the intensity out him, and bugs just wont give in because he cannot let Daffy get a rise out of him, that would mean he wins and bugs cant loose

Thats why theyre like that, they like eachother authentically

Daffy is constantly (alledgely subconciously) looking for the part of himself that he recognizes in bugs (bugs started as a copy of Daffy) but if bugs gives up on his facade, not only loses what makes him unique but also bc of the misscomunication usually present in their relationship, could be thinking on losing Daffys attention

Even tho Daffy is open and better at managin his emotions, he still has a looong way to go to be comfortable with normal affection even moreso with bugs

BUT theyre both also naturally sweet, this is where their passion comes from, so theres still hope for them, the thing with them is just how well balanced their dysfunctional relationship is, like you could think bugs Is the most "mature" but is actually Daffy who Is better at managin emotions as a normal individual, also the one whos open for the other one to be himself Is just bugs has layers and layers of repression for being put against the eraser so many times

And despite everything you cant really say bugs doesnt accept Daffy for who he is, he has limits with him, which yes make Daffy be better but heck you could say he is aware of his emotional walls that Daffy wants to tear down and this Is the reason he spoils him so much lol

theyre both soft with eachother in a way the other needs

Theyre both selfish in a way that doesnt help the relationship

[inf1nyxw0rlds]

this might just be me talking nonsense but i was chatting with my bestie about this and. you really can get a good chunk of insight from the illusion that the phantom ruby cast when infinite touched it. we know that it essentially shows what a person desires, and what infinite desires... is just a wasteland.

infinite does not want to rule the world, at least from what i take from it – he wants to destroy it, to return it to barren earth and rebuilding it in his image was never even a consideration; while he wants his name to be known, leadership was never his intention. he wants to bring society down, to level everything and plunge things into a state of anarchy where there are no rules, no dictators, nothing. it's not so much that he wants to be the only one in control as he wants control to cease altogether, from my perspective.

i have a lot thoughts on as to why; his relationship with power is a complicated one and i love talking about it. for starters, i doubt he had a good life prior to becoming a mercenary – that isn't something people just do for fun, and while i won't go into too much of my own backstory for him, i think that would play a big role in his view of the world. he's seen more of the bad than the good, experienced it firsthand, fought tooth and nail and bled in the sand and built his name in theft and bruised knuckles. the world he sees is injust, unkind, survival of the fittest, and that has to be him.

to me, i think power itself isn't what drives him, which i know is a controversial take; it's not that i don't think he enjoys it, but that it's... complicated. infinite chases strength because he feels he has to – at least, to me, that's what i take from it. the world has said you're not enough, you have to be stronger, time and time over and infinite has burned that into his mind. he resents his weakness, he resents the status quo, but he abides it because he has to by way of pursuing strength.

he likes control in the sense that it makes him feel secure, i think, and comes to enjoy it because it's him spitting in the face of the world that tried to smother his fire. that satisfies him, being the one people fear, having the ability he once envied. but it wasn't power he wanted, at least originally, i think. it was freedom.

infinite shows not so much of a desire to rule as he does a desire to eradicate the system of rulership completely. society, money, law, leaders, and on a more personal level, responsibilities and expectations of him; he even states as much in that he is tired of the world as it is. he wants to prove himself worthy, and this is a win win, simultaneously showing he was always capable while tearing down all the things that bound him.

i've seen discussions on his freedom before and this is no shade to them whatsoever, but i don't think he's free; he's a wanted a man, and sure, he and his team can roam the regions but there's a target on his back at all times, he's responsible for not just himself but his squad, and... for him i don't think that's free. he's also trapped in his mind, by his mindset, but that mindset was formed by experiences, by his reality, so it's not like it's based in nothing, he can't argue or discard it.

if he wanted to quit being a mercenary, could he? has he ever had much choice? will he ever be able to rest without fear of ambush? to let his guard down knowing that with just one wrong move, he could die, or his teammates? when he fights, is he thinking about how he could easily be rendered completely blind, the first scar indicative of a weakness so blatant that his other eye is always where they aim? what is freedom? a feeling of safety, contentment, the absence of fear? what freedom means to him, i think, is a desire for total autonomy.

the thing is, to achieve autonomy, you need power, and in pursuit of power, you lose autonomy. to be powerful enough to be free, or to create a blank canvas wherein power doesn't matter. that's what i see in him. because maybe, if he strips all of this stuff away, he'll finally be able to breathe. to exist without fighting, or fulfilling expectations, not needing to be anyone or anything because he's tired. it's sort of like an escapism power fantasy. i don't know.

his name is infinite but he's always bound. by his allegiances, by wanted posters, by what he's supposed to be and especially by himself.

[knifearo]

bro amatonormativity and relationship anarchy needs to be like common knowledge for shippers because I literally got like drawn and quartered for critiquing people for shipping a certain ship romantically when it was closer to a qpr. lemme tell u. i awoke some DEMONS. and the responses I got were allos but also OTHER aromantic/aroace people telling me I was 1: making a qpr romance-lite. or. 2: them just saying "oh but.. they had a kid! they said I love you." like HUH

MAN. fandom culture is kind of uniquely intolerable for all the focus on shipping and for all the ways that people invent to get people together they never seem to get around to anything aspec... genuinely you cannot win. if you're romance-repulsed you're inundated with it and if you're romance-favorable you get erased and if you're just trying to aro-fy it you get yelled at by everyone... i stand with you i hear your struggle 🫡

that's so wild though. i will personally say that i have not particularly liked the way that qprs have been framed/discussed in the popular conversations around relationships because of the way that it's usually presented as "you can have a romantic relationship OR a qpr!" which is what i think is people presenting them as romance-lite (the aspec alternative to a romantic relationship rather than something entirely different that exists outside of those frameworks). saying that a romantic relationship should be/is a qpr is. not that. i feel like a lot of this results from the fact that other people's understanding of our community's terms is so limited, so every conversation we have for allo benefit is baby's first relationship anarchy, and then well-meaning aro people jump into conversations with an understanding that's borne from a very basic set of concepts and definitions that isn't equipped to engage with more complex conversations. which isn't their fault really but. imagine a beautiful world where we all actually knew what a qpr was...

anyway i think we have to start eating people. and then we can have the real actual cool conversations about relationships and the different ways in which they appear without people popping up to add unhelpful and uninformed comments </3

[senstrike]

— BASICS.

▸ IS YOUR MUSE TALL / SHORT / AVERAGE? 6’ or thereabouts. ▸ ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT? he wouldn’t mind an extra inch or two. ▸ WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE? sandy brown, with a bit of a curl when it starts to grow out. it’s thick + can get quite fluffy. usually he keeps it cut short, + styled carefully. he’s not above lessening the appearance of grey hairs. a barber is an essential expense no matter what stage of life one is in. ▸ DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR / GROOMING? more than you might think, yes. it’s part vanity, part … ▸ DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE / WHAT OTHERS THINK? he is very aware of how appearance affects perception. it’s not so much that he cares what others think of him — for better or worse, he’s gotten to where he is in life because he doesn’t give a shit what people think of him — but he presents himself the way he wants to be seen: what he considers masculine, attractive, in control, etc.

— PREFERENCES.

▸ INDOORS OR OUTDOORS? outdoors. ▸ RAIN OR SUNSHINE? sunshine. ▸ FOREST OR BEACH? beach. ▸ PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS? metal. ▸ FLOWERS OR PERFUMES? perfume. ▸ PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE? personality. he himself is fairly domineering ( understatement ) + will only able to properly bond with, or even truly respect, someone with a strong personality who will push back. ▸ BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD? in a crowd, but apart from it. ▸ ORDER OR ANARCHY? order. 🫡 ▸ PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES? painful truths. ▸ SCIENCE OR MAGIC? science. ▸ PEACE OR CONFLICT? conflict. he doesn’t know what to do with peace. ▸ NIGHT OR DAY? day. ▸ DUSK OR DAWN? dawn. ▸ WARMTH OR COLD? warmth. ▸ MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS? few close friends. ▸ READING OR PLAYING A GAME? playing a game, but it depends on the game. ( he does like to read. )

— QUESTIONNAIRE.

▸ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS? LOL. um well. general arrogance and selfishness. a disinclination to listen to anyone’s advice, as mentioned. he refuses to acknowledge in any real way that he’s mentally ill + needs help, so he’ll often spiral. he’s such a schemer, too. he ruins pretty much every relationship ( romantic + otherwise ) that he has bc of these things. he’s overly comfortable with resorting to violence to “solve” problems. + he smokes cigars fairly frequently. ok who wants him? ▸ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM? his mother took her own life when he was eighteen, which set his views on mental illness / healthcare for the rest of his life. he feels a sense of abandonment + anger, justified or not, although in later life he’s come to better understand what she was going through. when he was in vietnam, he watched many of the men he considered his friends die violently, but the death that affected him the most was betsy’s, the woman he loved back home. it’s impossible to succinctly convey just how fundamentally her loss, + the traumatic circumstances in which he found out, affected him. fifty or so years on, he is homesick for an idealised version of the past he cannot ever return to. ▸ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS? playing outside as a kid. classes in high school with a teacher who really believed in him. his relationship with betsy, rose-tinted as it is. earning his black belt. winning. winning. winning. getting to be fully insane + fully understood with his best friend ( shoutout terry ). the success of cobra kai. getting to know johnny. getting to know tory. ▸ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL? when he believes it’s justified, yes. an enemy deserves no mercy. ▸ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN? it’s ugly + you know it. he lashes out + isolates himself. ▸ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE? he’s a solider; yes, although now there is no one left he trusts. ▸ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE? fiercely protective of his partner; dedicated almost to the point of obsession. love for john is a very you-and-me-vs-the-world thing. with his capital-p person, he can be softer + more vulnerable than you might expect — more romantic, too. BUT. instead of communicating his need for attention + affection, he has a tendency to withdraw, becoming cold + distant until his partner has “worked hard enough” to earn him. ( so … who wants him? ) he’s only fallen in love twice — once if you ask him — + being obsessive + unable-to-let-go-of-anything-ever as he is, he’s never fallen out of it.

TAGGED BY: dick handler @detectivechandler TAGGING: @asprinkle @defenseonly @lovehurried @hailsaved (ur choice) @dumbthink @becoach

[fountainpenguin]

"But does he know you call me when he sleeps? Or does he know the pictures that you keep?" (x)

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New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 36 - “Watcher 2 (BigB)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

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With Bdubs and Martyn missing in action, drama goes down at the phantom flock. BigB listens in. He and Grian discuss their relationship… and Grian's new "necklace."

Also, several people beg Scott's blessing to go aboveground. It's like they've forgotten it's anarchy out there…

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

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bigbst4tz2 - Moth (Ex-Illusioner)

Status: Always listening

City inspector, private investigator, and town crier

🖤  🖤  🖤

This is a flock dynamic BigB's never seen before. He sits on the coffered beams of the pergola, watching the empty dance floor and two distinct groups below with his chin cradled in his hand. Antennae lifted, of course, because there's a lot of yelling going on and BigB always listens. Jimmy sprawls across the beams beside him, chin cupped in his hands, feet swinging back and forth in the air. "I hope our side wins," he whispers, and BigB gives him a glance without comment.

The phantoms are pushing the line. Bdubs lost his rank. Martyn lost his life. False is acting captain right now, shirtless and everything to flaunt the places her wing muscles meld with body, but that's not going over well. No surprise, when you think about it. It's a full moon night and New Star Station's hosting refugees. Once the Fox Dragon's captain caught word their flock dropped down to the third in line, she just did what any cap' would do. She's getting them under her wing. She might even think of moving in.

He can see Pixlriffs and iCam from here, standing with False as she tries to shepherd the lower-ranked flockmates together. There's a lot of pretty words spilling from the foreign captain's mouth. BigB never did get her name, but she last respawned as the red variant… and those bright wings are attracting a lot of attention. "Down here, you're bound by contract," she's saying, and phantoms are listening with pricked-up ears. "If you follow me, you can try all the flavors you want. No more waiting for online activity to tick low just to find out these guys are logging off with portals. Up there, we eat like royalty. In fact, with illagers on the menu, we might BE eating royalty!"

Hmm. This should be interesting…

"HEY! HEY, break it up!"

BigB flicks up his antennae. That's Bdubs. So he did get off the farm server before the hub's core went down. When BigB turns his head, there he is- Here comes Bdubs tearing through the streets, face flushed blue and mossy shawl flapping at his neck. The hood's fallen back. A rush of white sparks stream from the back of his neck and wrists. Grian's right beside him, looking startled and lost. He's got a green sweater on and a funny cap with a bill on both ends. Is that some kind of cosplay? The sight's a bit much. BigB glances off, fighting down the blue sparks crackling up his own skin. He bends one antenna and chews the fluffy end.

"What's THIS? HEY! Stop charming my flock!"

"I mean, it's her right," Jimmy murmurs, lips squished in his hand. "She may not have a banner, but she's the captain, y'know?"

"I guess?" It's easier to look with the F5 eyes up. BigB stays where he is atop the pergola, hidden above the hanging lanterns. No one's really glanced at him or Jimmy yet, or at least not called him out as being here. He didn't exactly draw attention to himself. And Jimmy's only here because he followed BigB from movie and macaroni night at Ren's. Not much point in sticking around once Ren slipped out. Not with four foxes who only want to watch cartoons and slasher stories.

Jimmy looks up then, his eyes dark brown without their online glow. He's smiling without a care. BigB gazes back without twitching so much as a wing. Does Jimmy know how many people envy the private world he lives in, with his quiet thoughts? Somehow, despite dating Scott years ago, he dodged around politics and charmed everyone with words and deed. Jimmy just gets people. He draws them into his parties, greets them warmly, and introduces them to all his other friends. And he talks, and he laughs, and he lights every room.

What I wouldn't give to talk to people like you can. I just… They tire me out. And it's so hard to get excited about New Star Station and its messy politics (its rules) when your days are long and you've been flying back and forth and you are so, so tired… and there are Roblox hubs to slip away and rest in instead.

Bdubs slows to a jog, taking position next to False, iCam, and Pixlriffs. False holds up one hand, trying to move back in front. Bdubs pushes her back with a hand on her bare flesh, growling low. "Rosejoy, stand down. MY team."

"Have you been drinking invisibility potions? You're missing some wings, 'Captain.' And eating out of turn, by the looks of it."

Jimmy chuckles. Bdubs grits his fangs. He's definitely twitching, rolling his shoulders in imitation of the wings he doesn't have. He's letting off thick waves of white sparks. Even his own flock are staring. Grian's off on the side now, resting his hands on his waist as he surveys the whole thing. BigB knows he shouldn't look. He doesn't really want to know. But he does check. And Grian's not wearing any courtship favors.

Huh. Does Bdubs not actually have a claim on him?

Never mind. It's not important. There's a whole argument breaking out now. False is mortified, struggling to pull the last shreds of respect she has together, pushing Bdubs out of the way. Martyn's not around. Bdubs is pushing- breaking rank. Rosejoy watches this, loosely swinging her tail and showing her wings, as the rest of her flock watches in silence behind her. Everything's a mess right now.

And Rosejoy's anarchy. Phantom hybrids don't really need portals- if a hub starts going under, the phantoms are the first to ditch. And it goes the other way, too- a hub without a phantom flock to break up fights, clean people's code, or feed energy through the system and into the hub flower can go real bad real quick. You gotta watch for warning signs. BigB knows this because he always listens.

What a mess. Shirts are off. "Where is Martyn?" BigB murmurs against his knuckles. Rosejoy definitely pushed at him on Monday, basically sniffing the edges of his turf and nipping to see how hard she could bite before he lashed out. From what BigB heard, Martyn held his own.

But Martyn isn't here right now. So Rosejoy is testing False.

And Bdubs isn't letting False stand her ground.

[Full chapter on AO3 - Link at top]

[crimeronan]

Squealing and kicking my legs reading your post about the prev gg fic... i bet it'll be great...

teeheehee. the thing about me is i spent seven straight years writing and reading fanfiction about the signless from homestuck, who's a doomed rebel whose family has some of the worst storylines possible.

so when canon owl house is like "this guy was murdered by a terrible emperor," i'm like. interesting! i think that guy had a rebel family made up largely of older witches who remembered pre-empire days and the same-aged rebellious 20-year-olds who supported them and worked on secret anarchy. and i think all of those people loved him like a son or a brother or a lover (non-traditional-relationship found family polycule RIGHTS) and that he would have done anything for them and that he was putting himself in constant danger doing anti-empire things right under the emperor's nose. and then i think that the emperor killed him but what matters MORE is that the emperor killed his entire family too out of rage and used the deaths to kickstart a wave of political fascism DIRECTLY contradicting gg's values. and i think that in the end the world was a thousand times worse than it was when the wild witches started the work because sometimes that's how things go. sometimes you don't win and sometimes every horrible thing Does happen.

and i think the love mattered still. i think darius is the only one left who still remembers all of this and that he and eber are the only ones left to carry on what his mentor was doing, in terms of protecting people from the inside.

darius in wwaitsoal has said a lot of things about how his coven has the most opportunities because he leads it in a really hands-off way because he's lazy. which in some ways has been a bad thing (capitalism is hell. darius regulate your shit) but in other ways... well. if there happen to be wild witches with fake coven sigils in darius's or eberwolf's covens, they surely don't know anything about THAT, right?

[teanderthalrex]

I finished reading the egalley given to me of Children of Anguish and Anarchy, the third and final installment of the Orisha trilogy, by Tomi Adeyemi.

It's no secret that I was disappointed by book two. I thought a lot of Zélie's actions seemed out of character from who we met in Children of Blood and Bone. I also didn't like Amari's storyline but I was willing to go with it in hopes it would have some kind of redemption or doubling down or any kind of payoff in this book. That cliffhanger was not something I thought we'd have to wait this long to have not-really-resolved.

So, was all that waiting worth it? Sadly, not for me. I loved parts of the world-building in Children of Anguish and Anarchy. I did. But other aspects, which I will discuss below, left me underwhelmed. The final book gets a 3/5 (2.5/5 really but rounded up bc I love these characters and I was just happy to see them again.)

Content warnings: Obviously, the usual violence, abuse, and death but also specifically at the beginning there's a lot of this Atlantic slave trade allegory and imagery, so be ready for that.

I wanted more interpersonal stories between the characters we already had and to deal with the outcome of the civil war from book two. So much of what happened in Children of Virtue and Vengeance is brushed aside in this book to make room for a new epic tale spanning three different empires. Zélie and Amari do NOT actually talk about what Amari did in book two, Amari and Tzain don't really talk either. Zélie and Inan are the only two that still vaguely kept the tension they had in CoVaV but again, it barely has the time it needs between everything else going on. We never find out what happened to Roen, nor do we really get any true discussions about how Orisha is going to recover from the political repercussions of the civil war. At the end of the book it's treated like people forgot all the prejudices they held for decades just because the skulls tried to invade and now that the skulls were defeated, everything is great and perfect and wonderful.

Tomi Adeyemi has a strong writing style when it comes to creating compelling fight scenes or describing new locations with gorgeous and lush visuals. And because so much of this book is spent outside of Orisha, battling a new enemy, you get a lot of that. We get introduced to two new empires in this book, that of the skulls and King Baldr, vaguely based on vikings, and New Gaia, which is based on South America and Indigenous peoples (although I think they are speaking Spanish or something close to Spanish and that's the colonizer's language and that kind of bugged me but it's also true to real life current South America so idk). And we meet a LOT of new characters.

Amari finally gets to be gay, so that's a win. There's a background thing going on with her and the hierophant of New Gaia. Woo! A queer relationship made it into this book, if you squint. But honestly that's the extent of what Amari does in this book.

I truly believe we could have pared down the slave boat thing at the beginning and replaced it with Zélie and Amari really talking to each other and maybe Nehanda and Inan making amends publicly or something. Then we could have seen the healing get started and I could have at least liked this book.

I will say I did like Tzain's story. His chapters were the highlight of the entire book. He gets his hands on one of the skull's weapons, which use blood magic and essentially make warriors into dnd barbarians, rage and all. Tzain uses that weapon to help save his people but he comes to realize hate and rage aren't how he wants to fight, that it doesn't make him strong really, and he finds a new source of energy for the battles ahead. You really see him dealing with the death of his mother, which he always felt helpless and guilty about, and accepting he couldn't have saved her.

The villain of this book, King Baldr, felt a tad cartoonish to me. He had this textbook skivvy-ness about him that just reminded me of a crappy MCU villain. I don't have much to say about him. For being the primary motivator of nearly every action the main protagonists make in this book, he is devastatingly underwhelming. It sucks we really had to wait until the last ten or so pages for Zélie to get her reaper powers back. That man could've easily been taken out by book one Zélie.

Despite Children of Anguish and Anarchy disappointing me, I would still recommend the entire trilogy. The world-building is phenomenal and its a great addition to any Young Adult collection. I do think that every single book in the series feels pretty disconnected from the others, but what can I say? The first book got me attached to the characters and part of me will read anything with them in it.

[comradeboyhalo]

I want skeppy on the island (unstoppable force) vs (immoveable object) I don't want bbh as president because I want to see him go on a different direction with his character (not saying that I would hate seeing him win, it's just not somethin that I would prefer even though I would be okay with it)

ARE YOU ME ANON? i want skeppy soo badly but i want him introduced in a different way. i think qskeppy has a lot of potential, and honestly i would rather have him come to the island without qbad's will, as a surprise. it would be so much more interesting.

and i agree about the character direction too. i have faith bad will make anything interesting bc he loves improv rp, but if his anarchy plans dont work out, i dont really want him tied down to a position like that. ive said this a lot, but i find his relationship with the code really intriguing and i think that would be more original than him being another federation puppet (we've had so many so far).

[winderlylandchime]

Okay so i did explain to him that the uk version was the original and his comment to that was a very simple ‘not to be a bitch to the tea people but Brian is better’ and then I told him that Charlie Hunnam aka the hot guy from Sons of Anarchy was actually in it and i wish you could see his face! Literally jaw on the floor/wide eyed and he sat like that for a good minute. But that lead to him then going on a 5-10 minute rambling about how Charlie and Aiden worked together in the movie King Arthur so now Gale and Randy have to reunite as well. And i fully agree with him.

Listen, it’s been days since he found out about Gale being straight and he’s still shocked. We did watch the Prom episode and he literally paused on him and went ‘come on..he can’t…man’ he’s literally having a similar reaction as Mikey did to Hunter. It’s kinda funny ngl. As for his ‘i think’ moment, I honestly have no clue what Gale did to him. Our uncle did say to our mom that if this is how he comes to a certain type of realization that he will never let him live it down because my brother made fun of him for realizing he was gay due to young Hugh Grant. So i think out of everyone, my uncle is the only one who is actually hoping my brother had an awakening through Gale.

I have a love hate relationship with the proposal (my brother only has like 2% love for it, the rest is hate but whatever) but the ‘my prince’ thing started a fight in the house when we watched it. Cause to me it was a cute moment but for some reason is felt a little awkward to me. I think cause the whole thing felt out of character, idk how to explain it. But my brother while having an ‘awww’ type of reaction, swears that Brian would never and that the reason for Brian’s expression afterwards is because Gale was trying not to laugh. So his hatred for the proposal is insane.

As for the B99, both of us have seen in multiple times and he put it on last Saturday because he wanted to watch some comfort shows. And then on Wednesday we were watching the Halloween II episode and when the episode ended with Holt winning the heist that’s when my brother got a text from his friend about Andre. It was the worst timing ever. So for the past few days B99 is the only thing we’ve watched.

Btw our family has this tradition where for Christmas we give each other 3 presents. 2 that are good/useful and 1 that’s something random/weird/sometimes bad. And last year he gave me 2 different photos of himself as a present and the 3rd one was a box of condoms (that was his ‘bad gift cause lesbian ha ha and photos of him are always a good gift duuh’- this was his actual explanation). So I’m genuinely considering giving him your blog and the knowledge of the fandom/what i did :/ as the 3rd gift. I told my uncle and cousins and they all think this is a great idea, which leads me to believe its a bad idea BUT i guess we will find out. He does know fandom exists because he’s been watching edits but he doesn’t know about fics and tumblr. So I’m going to slowly let him him know this week. Wish me luck even though i think he’ll handle it okay…ish

UH YES GALE AND RANDY NEED TO REUNITE IN A FILM. Your brother is so wise about this.

I’m lmao literally about his reaction to Gale being straight is Mikey’s reaction to Hunter being straight. So he’s being half drag queen half Italian about the news.

Your uncle realized he was gay to a young Hugh Grant? I’m dyinggggg! My spouse came out to their parents in their bedroom which was papered floor to ceiling with magazine cutouts of Sandra Bullock. And I had Jennifer Anniston all over my room. I guess my point is, we all have the celebrity that makes us go Oh. Oh.

I do think Gale was trying not to laugh, I mean he really looks like he’s about to crack up. The for my prince line is the worst. And if I was Justin — well a lot of things if I was Justin, but I would say no on the basis of that line alone and make Brian go get assessed for a stroke or something.

I watched Halloween II the night I found out about Andre! I watch B99 every night as I’m falling asleep. ACAB and all that but it is my comfort show.

One year my in-laws did a white elephant gift exchange and my BIL thought we were all doing gag gifts so he got boxer briefs and socks printed with his face on them. My spouse “won” them and they’re now in our sock and underwear drawer. All this to say, I think your brother gets to learn about his tumblr fame for Christmas. This year is an in-laws year for Christmas (we alternate, my parents are still salty about 2020 being their year) so if you want to send me updates, I will welcome the distraction. I love my in-laws (and especially my niblings) but I am an only child and my parents are quiet and visiting my in-laws is 8 adults, 3 children, and one dog under one roof and no one is quiet and it is A LOT for me.

I think he’ll handle it okay. Just make sure he doesn’t let the fame go to his head.

Also, Brother Anon if you’re reading this because your sister revealed that she’s been sharing your reactions with the internet - HELLO! YOU ARE VERY POPULAR IN A TEENY TINY FANDOM ON TUMBLR WHICH IS A VERY PARTICULAR TYPE OF FAME.

[my-strange-attraction]

Man people really do be straw-manning you and then interpreting all of your arguments in the worst faith possible and acting like that makes them So Smart And Correct. I’m sorry you gotta deal with all these bozos with zero reading comprehension or critical thinking skills. Just wanna add because it’s been seriously bothering me and I don’t remember you ever bringing it up: one of the core tenets of the original op’s post that you responded to was basically ‘this identity is bad because I’m a lesbian and those people aren’t lesbians in the exact same way as me so they’re hurting the lesbian community because I don’t want to see them when they don’t share all of my experiences and (gasp!) talk about men and their relationship to men sometimes because *I* don’t want to hear about men’ and I just. Idk man if that’s what his argument boils down to its kind of a shitty argument. Even ignoring all of the terf rhetoric (which you correctly pointed out) I can’t even begin to understand why someone would want to be in a queer community where everyone fits into neat little boxes and everyone with your label experiences their orientation exactly like you. Aren’t they forgetting that the whole point of the queer community is that larger society attempted to put us in boxes we didn’t want to be in and categorize us into labels and lifestyles we didn’t want? Why would someone ever parrot the actions of our oppressors and do that to other queer people, when they know what it feels like? I can’t even fathom being that selfish and closed minded

>your argument is chock full of straight up lies  Love how this was said in response to your rebuttal of an argument that CONTAINED ITS OWN “STRAIGHT UP LIES”!! Like pot meet kettle lol. Specifically referring to that one bit that was like “uwu bi women tried really hard on purpose to distance themselves from the lesbian community” because that is straight up not what happened!! I haven’t said anything yet but it’s been bothering me for a while and that one ask has so much fucking Audacity that I couldn’t stop myself from Pointing It Out this time. Ahistorical bullshit and they’re accusing YOU of lying. The audacity of it all I can’t

Anyway these guys are just mad that bi lesbians get more bitches than they EVER will. I heart bi lesbians I love you bi lesbians I hope y’all stay winning mwah <3

I'm assuming these are all from the same person because of the timing? If not, sorry for not doing separate responses.

Yeah, this whole thing has been pretty frustrating to be honest. In a way it's even worse than actual terfs, because these are people who are philosophically not that different than I am, and if we met in real life we probably wouldn't even know that we disagree. I mean, I do talk sometimes about label anarchy with some of my friends, but we have to be close and you have to get me in a philosophical mood. It's really frustrating to be openly disrespected as a person for one opinion that, though it does happen to be really important to me, doesn't come up in my everyday life (or, likely, theirs either).

The whole pronoun thing really got to me too. I KNOW they were just strawmanning, and I KNOW it wasn't really a valid critique of anything I said, but the suggestion that I would even consider purposely using the wrong pronouns for someone is upsetting. I don't think he even noticed before an anon pointed it out as a way to invalidate my argument. I don't think it upset him (or the anon) as much as the anon said it did. I still apologized though because I'm not going to not apologize for using the wrong pronouns.

Also I know jack shit about history because it doesn't stay in my break but yeah actually I do remember reading about that! That's crazy, I can't believe they called me a liar when they don't know their history. I mean, I don't either, but at least I'm honest about it.

Thanks so much for sending these messages! Not gonna lie, I was going a bit crazy with all this and the only anons I was getting until now have been the hate ones that I've shared and a few hate ones that I just outright deleted. I know people agree with me because I've seen the likes on my posts, but it's nice to have someone defending me as well, so thank you <3

[notsuchasecret]

Suga & Asahi - “Why is arson always your first answer?”

Hey look, Ezzy, I got you Karasuno relationship anarchy. Featuring a bonus Noya and bonus (implied) Daichi, for you. As a treat. You're welcome.

"Why is arson always your first answer?"

Koushi looked up at the sound of Nishinoya's voice, a response poised on his tongue, only to sputter and stop short at the realization that Nishinoya wasn't talking to him, but to Asahi.

"Because arson is both crime scene and clean up in one," Asahi replied. "So long as your target is inside whatever building you burn down when it burns down, it's a win-win."

"Are you two plotting a crime spree without me?" Koushi gasped, vaulting up off the couch.

"Oh, hey, Suga," Asahi greeted, smiling. "We didn't know you were home. And it's more of an assassination than a crime spree, but yeah."

"Is it an assassination?" Nishinoya argued. "I feel like an assassination target should be, y'know, politically significant. This is more of a murder."

"A hit?" Koushi suggested.

"A hit!" Nishinoya crowed. "See, this is why we shouldn't be planning our revenge without Suga-san involved."

"That is one hundred percent correct, Noya," Koushi laughed. Asahi shook his head fondly. "Who are we putting a hit on?"

"That old crackpot at the boba house who wouldn't give me lavender syrup in my drink," Nishinoya answered. "He kept saying that lavender wasn't on the menu, and wasn't even a flavor. It's a flower, not for food."

"What a dumb bitch," Koushi hummed. "He definitely needs to be put out of your misery."

"I knew you would understand," Nishinoya cooed. Koushi nodded solemnly and hooked an arm around Nishinoya's shoulders, pulling him close.

"Unfortunately," he said, and Nishinoya groaned. "Stop that. Unfortunately, Asahi's right. About the arson, anyway."

"Told you."

"Arson is a very good first answer," Koushi continued. "And if you do it well enough there will be nothing to trace it to you. No fingerprints, no dna, just cinders and sadness. Exactly as we like it."

"Man, the two of you have a fucked up sense of humor," Nishinoya said. Koushi and Asahi answered him in perfect unison,

"Daddy issues."

Nishinoya squinted at them for a moment, then his eyes went wide with realization. "Nope," he said, breaking free of Koushi's hold to move to the kitchen. "I don't want to know anything about what the two of you got up to with Daichi-san in high school. Or before Suga-san moved to Tokyo. Or ever."

"You sure?" Asahi asked while Koushi cackled. "Because there was this one time, with the ice—"

"Ooh! And the one with the rope and the nipple clamps, the one where he—"

"Yeah! That one was great! But don't forget about the—"

"Stop!" Nishinoya cried. Koushi leaned in a little to make sure he wasn't genuinely distressed, then grinned.

"Why? Jealous?"

"Aww, Noya, we can make sure the next time we get up to anything with Daichi that you're there too!"

"I’m sure he'd be happy to have you along," Koushi agreed.

Nishinoya grumbled something under his breath, but he couldn't hide the blush creeping up the back of his neck. Koushi glanced at Asahi and winked, laughing at the eye-roll he got in response. No matter what did come of this conversation, arson or orgies, it was sure to be a fun ride either way.

[ao3feed-crimeboys]

Ground Zero

by EmmaSmoke

Red is a weapon made by the Superhuman Safety Commission. He has a mission, and he follows his orders.

It all falls apart when he is put on probation. Now using the identity Tommy Innit, he’ll have to survive as a discarded weapon.

But just because he isn’t with the commission anymore doesn’t mean he’s safe from the world of heroes and villains. He has his own stakes in this game, and he starting to discover that he wants to do more than survive. He wants to win.

Words: 3308, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Dream SMP, Origins SMP, Afterlife SMP

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot, Phil Watson | Philza, Kristin Rosales Watson, Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Brendan Thro | Sneegsnag, Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), DreamXD (Dream SMP), Prime Gods (Dream SMP), Niki | Nihachu, Jack Manifold, Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Shelby Grace | Shubble, Joey Graceffa, Scott Major | Smajor1995, Bryce | fWhip, Sam | Awesamdude, Hannah | Hannahxxrose, Noah Brown | Foolish Gamers, Eret (Video Blogging RPF)

Relationships: Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit & Phil Watson | Philza, Shelby Grace | Shubble & Joey Graceffa, Jack Manifold & TommyInnit, Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap, Clay | Dream & TommyInnit, GeorgeNotFound & Tommyinnit, Sapnap & TommyInnit, Brendan Thro | Sneegsnag & Phil Watson | Philza, Sleepy Bois Inc. & Kristin Rosales Watson, Kristin Rosales Watson & Phil Watson | Philza, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Dream SMP Ensemble are Superheroes, Superhero Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Superhero GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Superhero Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Superhero TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Supervillain Wilbur Soot, Supervillain Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Supervillain Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Anarchist Syndicate on Dream SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Supervillain Niki | Nihachu, Supervillain Jack Manifold, Supervillain SneegSnag, Superhero Captain Puffy, Vigilante Toby Smith | Tubbo, Vigilante Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Child Abuse, Clay | Dream is Not Evil (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream and DreamXD are Different People (Video Blogging RPF), Anarchy, Assassins & Hitmen, Murder, Guardians of the Afterlife (Afterlife SMP), Hybrids, Discrimination, Mentioned Business Bay Faction (SMPEarth)

[lorz-ix]

Time for another "I was bored this summer so I binged an entire horror series" post

As with the Saw one, I'll keep my thoughts on each entry as brief as possible, since these tend to take a while to write. Also trying to avoid spoiling stuff as much as I can, since that would ruin the point of making recommendations.

The Purge (2013)

When discussing this series, this is pretty much the only one people broadly tolerate. The premise is very easy to understand: the very conservative US government has instituted a "yearly national holiday" during which all crime, with a few extreme exceptions, is made legal for 12 hours. The subtext isn't subtle at all, it's obvious that the government is using this event as a scapegoat to avoid addressing broader social issues. Violent crime is supposedly kept under control because people "relieve their violent feelings" once a year, they don't have to care about poor people and welfare since they're massacred during every purge, as the primary targets of the violence.

It's a very clear satire of how conservatives turn a blind eye to these issues in real life, how they justify violence when it benefits them and the gun lobby, how they're classist as hell, how this classism manifests as racism since it disproportionately affects minorities. You might think the messaging isn't that smart, but I think it's neat, and it's used as pretty cool background for a decent thriller here.

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Extremely simple. Do you think you would enjoy some worldbuilding after watching the previous movie? Do you care about the plot of the movie itself, "lore" aside, being super generic? Do you want the political messaging to get even more explicit? Then you might enjoy this.

I really mean it, it's a very nothing movie unless you're the kind of fan who cares about questions being answered rather than following an interesting story.

A nugget of worldbuilding I really like though? The government knows most people don't want to go out there and kill each other or commit crimes for fun, so they manufacture violent incidents to make it look like the purge works. Really makes you think...

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

Hmmmmmm I wonder if the year this came out and that subtitle are related...

A slightly more interesting affair than Anarchy, they at least have some strong stakes in this story. We mainly follow an opposition candidate to the presidency who's rising in popularity and wants to get rid of the purge. We understand that the holiday, despite everything, is very unpopular, but the current government will enlist the help of neo-nazis to get rid of the opposition. The satire is reaching new levels of unsubtlety and I honestly kinda love it.

What I don't love is the implication that winning an election is all it takes to get rid of the problem, along with other milquetoast soy latte liberal takes. Black liberation groups are generally painted in a positive light in the series, but it feels somewhat dishonest when the savior is a white girlboss. Truly a very 2016 movie.

The First Purge (2018)

That first teaser poster was somehow even more 2016 than the previous flick, holy Jesus Christ this is very funny.

I feel pretty much the same as I did with Anarchy. Generic flick, focuses a lot on disadvantaged, african american communities, makes very similar points to the ones we saw before. If again, the "lore" is your thing, this prequel might be of interest, otherwise you can skip it.

The Forever Purge (2021)

Shit, finally something interesting, I thought. This story starts off in a previously unseen setting, a southern town. We get to see the prejudiced relationships between mexican immigrants and wealthy white americans. The premise said "the purgers want to keep the massacre going after it's over", so I thought it meant "banning the purge didn't work", which is the point I wanted to see. But no, we learn very early on that the original party simply won the elections and re-instated the holiday, which is a way more underwhelming way of getting there. The purgers simply don't want the holiday to be over after 12 hours, and somehow things devolve into an uncontrollable nation-wide riot.

Is it more interesting and a bit scarier than most previous entries? Yeah, a bit. Does it bring new possibilities to the table? Yes, sure. Are the added analogies for immigration in this franchise's universe kinda neat? I guess. Does that make for a good movie? Not really. It's, once again, rather generic and forgettable once the actual conflict fully explodes. I really do like these for what they try to say and how explicitly they do so. I wish more movies had these levels of ridiculous, yet more or less adequate political satire.

The Purge (TV series, season 1, 2018)

10 episodes, lads. They're 1 hour long each. Watching this thing would take you longer than all of the movies combined, and let me tell ya, it's not worth it.

Starts off promising enough, it shows us more insight into the religious cults that grew around the purge for example, and that's properly disturbing, but after a while the story stops being intriguing. You quickly realize you're watching another generic bunch of characters go through a mostly forgettable series of perils. Yet again, an interesting world did not make for an interesting story in the slightest. These things aren't even that awful, they're just painfully bland.

The Purge (TV series, season 2, 2019)

Just like S1, it's 10 episodes and they're all one hour long. But thank god, finally this time they had a set of ideas that felt worth watching.

For the first and only time, the story focuses on what happens after the purge is over. How people get traumatized by the violent events. How pro-purge nutjobs eat up and spread propaganda all year round. What happens if shocking acts of violence do happen outside of those 12 hours? What happens if someone tries to kill you during the purge and they fail? How do you cope with the idea that someone wants you dead and no one would do a thing about it because it would have been legal and normal to kill you?

I think that focus on trauma and how the purge affects the psychology of every single person makes for some actually compelling characters for once. Finally, we get a story where we're not completely sure of what will happen next. It's probably not that great in the grand scheme of things, but god dammit, they finally made something remotely worthwhile with this franchise.