#because there is something about life/death relationships that seems really neat

[astersatdawn]

a companion💀

[yanderes-galore]

A romantic concept of Darth Maul (Star Wars) if you will?

Sure! I think he's a neat (and tragic) character within the universe he's in. Although at the same time... his motivations are rather simple.

Yandere! Darth Maul Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Isolation, Biting, Marking, Forced relationship.

Maul, like Vader, is another apprentice manipulated by the Sith.

Except his manipulation came first.

From a young age he was fed the seeds of being a Sith due to his fighting prowess.

Nowadays all he really knows is hate.

There's just... so much to hate.

Especially after Kenobi sent him into exile.

Maul, despite having his mind put back together, probably never recovered from his thirteen years of isolation on a trash planet.

Maul is described as obsessive already in canon.

He's this way towards power, revenge, hatred, and rage.

He embodies so many negative emotions due to the Sith who manipulated him.

Using his training, Maul survived death through hate and became ruthless and manipulative.

He's not afraid to use fear to make others obey him.

Although... He is not devoid of care.

Maul is shown to care for his mother and brother(s).

So if he found interest in someone to be his partner, that care is shown even if he's mostly intimidating.

Although, his behavior isn't going to change much just because he cares about you.

Maul is the type of person to murder innocents to lure Jedi out to kill.

Naturally Maul will also want to isolate his obsession.

He feels you're all he needs and you're one of his obsessions.

I can see Maul breaking a Jedi in to corrupt them if he likes them romantically.

It would drive him insane at first as he's supposed to kill Jedi.

But the idea of breaking this specific one in, of corrupting them, making them his...

He'll let that slide.

Other alternatives include you not being Jedi or Sith, probably still Force Sensitive but you haven't chosen a path.

That or you're an adult Sith he found a way to manipulate into listening to him. (Like an apprentice or something after your own master was slain....)

Regardless, as expected of a Sith like him, people will die.

Maul has been shown he's capable of kidnapping if it aids him, and obviously murder is instinct.

That alone makes him terrifying.

But when he takes over Mandalore?

Even worse.

Maul does anything for power... and with that power he plans to make you obey him too.

Maul seems like he'd break you down just to build you back up.

He enjoys obedience, be that willingly or through fear.

The love of a Sith is twisted, especially with Maul.

While Vader has loved once and would seem more "caring" to the one he adores.

Maul has always known being a killing machine.

His love for you would be more rough, maybe primal in a way.

He's possessive, I can see Maul nibbling on his obsession's neck or shoulder to vent that.

Maul doesn't plan to attack you or hurt you physically (much).

It's those around you who are in the most trouble.

Normally, in Maul's culture, the female chooses the male.

However, it's obvious he's playing the rules differently here (especially if you aren't even female or a different race)

You can't choose any other partner if they're dead, right?

Even then I imagine Maul still tries courting you, it's just you... don't have much of a choice but to accept him?

You can barely even speak to others without hearing that signature noise of a saber being activated.

You and his family are what he cares for other than revenge and power.

Although, in Maul's life, he loses his family eventually.

When left with nothing else, Maul becomes even more suffocating.

He hides you away, and as much as he'd rather not, restrains you.

You're the only person he has now, the only one he needs.

To him, you should feel the same way.

He's your partner, your mate, you'll need him as much as he needs you if he isolates you

Maul is a yandere who would force you to need him.

He'll force you to be addicted to him, to give into desire and have him as yours.

Why fight him when he can give you all you want?

He can read you, he can give everything...

Just give in to him...

You're his to corrupt, his to have, his love... and ultimately, his to own.

[cassofnowhere]

Feel like Maria as a unexplored in general, in the fandom and in the shows.

Not her character per se, but what she represents to Frank, in opposition to Karen. Not as a way to pitch them against each other, but what Frank feels for them and how he organizes it in his mind.

Of course it is quite normal for someone to fall in love again after the death of a spouse, but with Frank and Kastle is a little different because of how integral to his character that death is, and more importantly, his grieving process. It quite literally made him into the character we know, and continues to be, to this day, his main motivation for being The Punisher. Part of his thing is how he can’t never truly get over the death of his family. So like…Maria will inevitably hang over them like a ghost, at least in the beginning.

The Punisher (the show) made this a lot more likely to me bc of how season 1 handled Kastle. Frank and Karen are very clearly in love, or deep in the process of being in love. Nonetheless, it’s something so clear, even the characters themselves can’t deny it, I think. But in the same season, Frank is still deeply grieving Maria. He has dreams about her and the promises he couldn’t keep, he thinks about her daily, damn, the climax of the entire season is a flashback to one of their last conversations. Maria is very much alive in season 1.

So, how is Frank dealing with this? I bet to him it feels like loving two people at the same time, even if one of them is dead. And I know Frank would feel conflicted about it. He seems like the type of guy who believes in One True Love, and more than that, that he found it with Maria and that part of him would die with her. So what does it means that he is falling in love again? And so soon after his wife’s death? How does he deal with that? ITS SO INTERESTING!! ITS SO ANGSTY!!

And I don’t think it’s the same with Beth, for exemple. First of all, he met her way after Maria died. Second of all, I don’t think he loved Beth. He liked her, for sure, he could’ve grown to love her, but that didn’t happened. But he does love Karen.

It’s a shame that the show could never explore their relationship properly. All those questions would rise up and it would be delicious to follow the conflict. It’s really a question of: who is Karen Page in Frank’s life? A question that the show is very careful not to answer, but I wish I could see them diving into it more. But I understand they just couldn’t.

It’s even more of a shame how little fanfics will dive into this too? Most fanfics just treat Maria as dear, dead wife (which is fair), but sometimes Maria will be alive and married to Frank, and he will meet Karen and….nothing comes from that because Maria and Frank divorce off-screen and then he and Karen can be together guilt free. Which is again, a shame.

There was only one fanfic, I think I read who delved into this. I don’t remember the name, but Frank and Karen had gotten together after The Punisher season 1, but then Matt comes back to life and Frank spirals over what he feels for Karen and her place in his life compared to Karen. It’s was pretty neat.

[iceprincessviviane]

Chapter 1 - Surprise.

Heritage series.

Paring: poly!BTS x Female!Shy!Skinny!Chosen!Reader.

Type: dark romance, horror au, soulmate au, poly relationship, slowburn, yandere.

Warnings: Horror themes, some religion themes (mostly demonic), gore, blood, manipulation, witchcraft, magic themes, death (side characters), mentionings of forced marriage, mentioning about past, loss, yandere, obsessive, possessive, swearing, low self-esteem,dealing with grief, sugestive content and silly jokes created by me. (If there is more to add let me know.)

Previous chapter. Next chapter.

Summary: The life can be suprising. Sometimes it comes out with an sudden love, some struggling or you can inherit something from a very distant family.

Author's note: so we are beginning. This chapter will be a little longer, if it is going to get out of hand, I'll divide it. This is a made up story, fiction so please don't take some information seriously.

MINORS DNI

The small casket was standing peacefuly on coffee table, three pairs of eyes observing it carefuly. With it came a letter in neat envelope, with smell of lilacs.

"Are you going to open it?" The girl with black hair asked crushing the silence.

"I don't know... suddenly I get to know that I had distant living family."

"Well not family but a family member to be accurate." Third one said with a little frown.

Y/N and her friends - Blanca and Kate were staring at it around five minutes. The casket seemed like a item from another era. It was wooden with metal decorations and lock. The key was visible inside the envelope.

"You always stated that you like those old things, but now you are hesitant."

"Because it looks so unbelievable. First the letter with casket then call to the court in case of inheritance which I had never known from family which I had never met." Y/N said with little gruff.

"Isn't that your chance to have an adventure? Like the trip to another continent isn't a big of a challenge." Blanca said confidently.

Well maybe for her because in fact she was confident and sure aboit herself. Usually they were travelling in trio, but working on different fields made them seen each other less often. Last year they had wonderful trip to the Rome and before to Stambul.

Y/N bite a little lip, then reached for a casket and envelope. Her friend put head on her shoulders on each side. She opened first letter, as they could see the small key was there. There was a decorative paper, text was written by ink, person had a very old syle of writing, but Y/N liked it and even found some similarities.

Dear Y/N,

I'm sorry, that we are never going to met each other. I didn't know that I have even a distant family, as much as I know the officials from Grand Hillsam will contact you about the mansion. It's an old, neglected building which I was keep paying for because I had some family sentiment, not mentioning I was quite rich. Please keep this part of the pendant, that belonged to my grandmother, which was in our family for ages. I believe you have the second part. Let it protect you from bad things.

Aunt Lizzie

After reading letter aloud the silence has fallan upon them. Y/Ns eyes went immediately to casket. She picked up small key and opened it with small 'click'. Inside really was a pendant, small solar disk, currently below her sweater was a necklace with small cerscent moon.

"It' looks like separate part." Blanca frowned.

Y/N took them both and looked closely. It turned out the these could be combined and now the sunshines were going out of moon part, which was silver and sun was gold.

"It's beautiful." Kate summed up looking at it.

"I agree." Y/N admired completed piece, then put it on her neck.

"Did you talk with the boss? He'll allow you to go?"

"We kinda have no option. Luckily we've finished big project and I can do home office. I'll focus on daily tasks and small project, which don't need to a lot of communication with a team." She explained with little sigh.

"But where are you going to stay?"

"I received a call after submiting all files in court. I just need to pay for a flying ticket, then they'll pick me up from airport and drive to Grand Hillsam, there I am going to met all necessary officials." Y/N said furrowing her eyebrows.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? And besides that you are sure that'w not a scam?"

"Well the court checked all info for me and confirm it's all correct. The town is actually very nice to allowing me pay only for ticket. I will stay in the motel till the case will be solved. And well, I am kinda scared to go alone, but it's mine heritage and you are busy that time for first and second we don't know how it'll take, so I asked a boss for homeoffice."

"Well let's see at good points. You are going to see very old mansion and probably have time to wander around after work." Kate smiled trying to improve friend's mood.

"Thanks God it isn't winter. That season can be really harsh in those town." Y/N muttered.

"Oh yea you mentioned that it's kinda small town deep in the forest and mountains."

"That's right, I hope the net will be all right."

"Let's not worry too much. We'll help you pack and go to the airport, also you have to keep us updated." Blanca said pointing her finger at Y/N.

The trio smiled and conversation went on and on about the case, then about casual things. She wanted to leave in a week, so they wanted to spent all the time they could.

}*{

Jimin stopped in front of neglected garden, which was in left part of whole mansion field. The grass was too high and stone path was now cracked and dirty. Trees has grown too much, no flowers in sight and vines on all stone walls, and some untreated big bushes. He frowned looking at all those mess and his chest tightened. How long this place was abandoned? Once beautiful now dewastated? Jimin narrowed his eyes and the plants started to disappear, like the life was escaping from the ground, unwanted vines were dying, grass cut itself and few branches fell from the trees then perished into dust. Some flowerbed formed with each kind of flowers, bushes shaped into tidy hedge. Fountain without the water got cleaned from moss and vines, path was now neatly lead into it. Behind it and where the mansion final wall was protecting the garden from outside wild forest submerged the sun clock from the ground. Jimin was content with his work, now the place was more familiar, more welcoming. He eyed the garden once more, when his eyes suddenly shone with crimson colour, black rose appeard almost under the behind wall. Jimin smirked and transformed into nightingale, then left the garden in a hurry, his job there was done for now.

Next chapters will be longer 💖

[grrrasya]

My take on Luca Balsa

so i finally wrote down everything I think of him!

disclaimer: everything stated here is not canon nor do i claim it to be. it's just my interpretation, so if you hate it or don't agree please just keep scrolling, thanks!

When Luca arrives to the manor he is in his late 20s / early 30s. He's also a Balkan (Serbian) man.

Timeline: He leaves his home around 17–18 years old, joins Alva's research around 19-20, the incident happens, after being postponed with his death sentence a lot, he spends several years in prison, then he's bailed by the Baron, then he spends some time in the outside world, trying to survive (all of this to make him desperate to join game) and then he gets his invitation.

Appearance + body: he's 5'8, has dark green eyes, coarse straight dark brown hair, sometimes put in a neat ponytail (on his good days) or messy almost loose one (on his bad days), and tan skin (idk how it's properly called in English). His hands are rough from working with electricity. His injured eye is bloodshot, the surrounding bruise never seems to heal. He can see with his injured eye, but it's pretty useless. His body is littered with scars, malunion fractures and lichtenberg figures. On his bad days he needs to use a wheelchair or not move at all, and sometimes even on his good days he has to use a cane alongside his leg braces. He suffers with tremor, hyperkinesia and sometimes migraines. Because of his time blindness and poor hygiene, he usually has stubble. He tries really hard to maintain his neat appearance, but it's usually too much for him. His voice is quiet and hoarse after the incident, his screams are silent, his vocal cords are damaged. He is underweight and quite malnourished because of his lack of awareness of his health, his life in and after prison etc. Also, he has issues with his digestive system due to extremely sudden shift from nobleman to prisoner lifestyle.

Episodes - there are times when his body "malfunction" so he gets amnesia again, pretty bad migraines and cannot control his body properly. It's hell for him.

Character: he's extremely academically smart. He's naturally intelligent, well-educated (not only in engineering, but generally in natural sciences), enjoys art and literature. He's trying to be energetic, optimistic and extraverted, but it's just a mask from his life as a nobleman. Without it, he's quiet, focused on his work (sometimes to the extreme), doesn't require any human company, most likely uninterested in any romantic/sexual relationships, closed off and prefers to keep personal stuff to himself. He likes to help other people, he's kind, yet he does not trust people easily after all that went through. He doesn't feel guilty about Alva's death. He does not consider himself in the wrong or even think it all happened because of him, he thinks he might be wrongfully accused, and even when he thinks he might really be guilty, he does not feel any repentance. He was right, he could never be wrong.

He's extremely proud and thinks of himself highly, although it doesn't help him with self-loathing. He's better than most in the manor, he thinks, but still worse than himself in the past. He idolizes his past self a lot. He has violent outburst when something does not go his way (only when it's about his research) or he's getting closer to one of his episodes. Deep down he knows, that his research is doomed, and he cannot invent a perpetual motion machine, but he still continues, because he is too proud to admit that he's wrong and was wrong all of this time.

Some random hcs:

He HATES his in-game name. He sees it as extremely disrespectful. Everyone outside matches call him "Inventor".

He keeps a journal about everyone's "betrayals" (even if it was the most miniscule situation possible) as he turned extremely vengeful after the accident and is afraid he'll forget everyone's "misdeeds" if he doesn't write them down.

When he just got stuck at the manor, he avoided everyone. Several months later he became more used to people and even more social.

He remembers even the smallest details about everyone in the manor, because of his documentation in journals.

After Frederick's arrival in the manor, Luca refuses to play piano for others, as he was too annoyed with attention Frederick got with his first "concert" for them.

Luca's plush rat (from Identity V x Sunshine City Prince Hotel collab) was bought by him to sooth his anxiety and nightmares post-prison. He did bring it to the manor with his other belongings. It doesn't have a name, because Luca feels that it would be pointless to name an inanimate object. Andrew gave her a name later - Sabine.

That's pretty much it! Thank you for reading my ramblings. Stay tuned for Andrew + Lucadrew!!!

[coff-in]

BUNNY ANON'S GENIUS ASK GAVE ME T H O U G H T S god all the big-brainers are coalescing at coff-in's huh. Love it. As Devious Little Sis's brain-mother, I must chime in :D Brocon reader is SO up devious little sis reader's ally! Devious little sis who is so attached to Andrew (honestly though I think deep down she still loves Ashley and represses *hard* after her death), she just happens to love Andrew way more because Andy's the one who's been holding her hand since she's been toddling around, the one who coddles her to sleep and buys her snacks and makes her food. There's also the possibility that Devious little sis had a kind of rivalry with Ashley back in the day that was eventually resolved because devious little sis is, well, devious, and coddles up to Ashley enough to the point where Ashley stops seeing her as a leech for Andrew's attention (but reader still kinda holds a grudge against Ashley). I think the emotional aspect of it is so interesting too because something I can see devious little sis doing post-Decay is if Andrew seems a little too fixated on Ashley, devious little sis starts her social butterfly ways again. It's toxic, but Andrew realizes that he still has one more little sister to lose, right? She wants him to get even more possessive, even more territorial, more and more jealous each time she talks to another man or woman, because if he's worried about losing her then he won't have time to think about Ashley. She's smart enough to keep it controlled enough so Andrew doesn't also start having murderous thoughts about her ("If I can't have you, then no one should") but she just wants her older brother to realize that he should focus on what he has and he shouldn't take it for granted. Andrew has such a shitty time emotionally in this version. First he kills his sister, who he still loves. His pain is temporarily given a balm when reader soothes him, loves him, being the only good thing left in his life. But then reader starts up on her mind games and now he has to worry about losing her too and his only source of love is threatened and aggggh. In conclusion, I love you coff-in! Mwah mwah.

-Devious Anon <3

notes from coff-in: AAAAHHH I LOVE YOU TOO DEVIOUS ANON!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS-- every ask, message, request, and note you guys send mean so much to me :3 i also don't know if i can add anything else to this dish, you seasoned it perfectly!

devious little sister [reader]

i really wanna into the thought process of devious little sis because it's just so neat to me. the way these thoughts and feelings developed and how they reflect and impact their relationship and codependency with ashley and andrew. it should be like a three strand braid, you need all three for it to work and stand. without on of the strands it just wouldn't work or be the same, it'd be something different.

i kinda wanted to lean into that with the request. ashley impacted both [reader] and andrew so even after her death she still sort of dictates their actions, you know?

devious little sis playing her silly tricks and games to keep andrew's eyes on her is just AUGH so so true of her. i personally see devious little sis being a theatre/acting kid, treating every social interaction as a play on stage; she's just playing a role and speaking her lines, she doesn't care about them or what they have to say. she cares about the audience, andrew and ashley. she wants their eyes on her... they're the only people she doesn't have to act for.

poor andrew. it must be such a struggle dealing with his uncomfortably. unreasonably big and need endowments two manipulative sisters. do you think he'd try to push the responsibilities of his action onto [reader] too? like he did ashley? when he looks at [reader], does he see ashley? a reflection of her that he helped raise when she was still alive? it's hard on [reader] too, i think. trying her best to fulfill that vacant role that ashley left in andrew's life and her's too. she can't stop performing though, because it keeps andrew's eyes on her doesn't it?

ahhh i'm losing track of my thoughts now. but it's honestly such a cool idea to think about. if i was better at analysis and had a better reading comprehension i would cook up so much, i bet. i love devious little sister so much, thank you for birthing her on my blog devious anon <3

----

coff-in

[chickenstrangers]

Intertwined Discoveries in He's Coming to Me

I keep coming back to the theme of discovery in He’s Coming to Me.

The series’ murder mystery storyline is intrinsically connected to the coming-of-age/coming out narrative. Med and Thun both spend the course of the series discovering their identities. The driving plot of the show is the mystery of Med’s death, because if he finds out how he died, he will be able to move on, but further to that, at the start of the show Med doesn’t even know who he is. He does not know his full name, he doesn’t really remember his family, he doesn’t know what he studied in school or what he was planning to do with his life before he died. He learns more and more about himself with Thun’s help.

Thun undergoes a different sort of self-discovery. His journey is one of coming to understand his queer identity. Med also helps him in this discovery, like Thun helps Med, as Thun realizes his feelings for Med, and also sees a gay man who appears more settled in his identity, perhaps acting as a role model. Even though Med has forgotten a lot, it does not seem like he ever forgot this fact about himself.

This isn’t to say that Thun had no knowledge of his sexuality before meeting Med. The show doesn’t fully delve into this, but I read Thun as having suppressed some internal understanding of who he was, but he wasn’t ready to come out and fully grapple with it. He expresses discomfort with the other guys on the basketball team, discomfort with himself. He keeps up a light-hearted joke with Praifah that they’re dating, which helps evade further questions and speculation (and mirrors in some ways Med’s relationship with Kwan, which allowed him to maintain appearances and fulfill his family’s expectations, up until the point where Med realized how much he was hurting Kwan, the same as Thun realizes that he’s hurting Praifah). The subtleties of Thun’s self-knowledge also read differently to me than Ohm’s acting as Pat, whose realization is much more sudden. Thun has been feeling something for Med for a while, but is still uncertain about it: “I feel good about you, but I don't know what to call it.” Even if Thun doesn’t really know, and cannot begin to describe it, that doesn’t mean the feeling isn’t there.

This also mirrors Med’s self discovery. Both characters have this knowledge of themselves to varying extents already, but it is buried, and they need to dig to find it. The show has both of them helping each other to do this. Thun especially is so determined to find out who Med is, to help him with this discovery, in a way that feels like outsourced desperation related to his own journey of understanding himself, as @ranchthoughts said. In some ways, it is easier to search for clues about Med than to acknowledge truths about himself. He needs to help Med learn who he is, and in doing so he slowly comes to terms with who he himself is.

Thun’s mother Kwan plays a vital role in both of their stories of self-discovery. Kwan is the first person Med came out to, back when he was alive. Even though he feels guilt over hurting her, she is still incredibly supportive, and helps him move on from that guilt. Kwan also helps them make the final connection about who Med’s family is, connecting the past and the future together.

Then, of course, we have Thun’s coming out, which is one of the most powerful scenes in the show. Again, Kwan is one of the first people Thun comes out to. I made a separate post after watching this scene, but immediately preceding Thun’s coming out, Kwan pokes fun at him for suddenly having such a neat room when he’s normally so messy, saying “Give me my son back” jokingly. This doesn’t feel like a coincidental throwaway line to me.

Put in direct relief with Thun coming out, it could be read in two ways. “Give me my son back” could mean give me back the son I thought I had, before I knew you were gay. Even if that son never really existed. As if the act of coming out, or being gay, fundamentally robs the parent of the child. The idea that Kwan might no longer see Thun as her son once he comes out. @waitmyturtles also connects this scene with Love of Siam, viewing HCTM (like many other series) as a responding to LoS. In LoS, the Tong's mother equates Tong and Mew being together as losing her son. This is a recurrent theme in queer media, and in real life. It is one of the worst-case scenarios for Thun in coming out, and something he is clearly worried about (“I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you if I tell you”).

But then there’s the other possible meaning of “Give me my son back.” Give me back, give us back the relationship we can have with each other if we’re able to be open with each other. Give me the son you really are. Taking his sexuality as part of his identity, and respecting and loving that part of him. This is the more optimistic reading, but it is the one that proves true in this scene. Kwan responds to Thun’s fear of disappointing her by saying, ��You’re still you, right?” So Thun discovers this part of himself, and his mother discovers it as well, and even though it is new and important information, it doesn’t fundamentally change who he is. Thun’s queerness was always there, like Med’s own identity.

Kwan acts as a cornerstone for both Thun and Med’s self-discovery. She offers them support and love. Crucially, Kwan is one of the only people who can see Med in his ghostly form. She recognizes Med, as he is, just as she recognizes Thun. She sees them as they really are.

Kwan connects Med and Thun coming out to her directly in episode 6. She tells Thun about her friend, and how much she cared for him, signalling that Thun is safe with her. It’s also a way of connecting two queer stories, separated by a generation. I often think about @wen-kexing-apologist’s writing on generations and community in Our Skyy 2 [x, x] in relation to this theme in Aof’s work, alongside and in conversation with @waitmyturtles writing, and I think these themes are present in He’s Coming to Me as well, if a bit less overt.

Med came out 20 years before Thun does. He is more settled in his understanding of his sexuality, he doesn’t show the same overt anxiety that Thun shows, but at the same time he is quieter about it, perhaps in a similar way to Uncle Jim and Phupha. In some ways, the series demonstrates that a lot of society hasn’t changed: Thun has to deal with homophobia from the boys on his basketball team; he feels the pressures of heteronormativity that gives rise to his friendly/flirty relationship with Praifah. But some things have gotten better: Thun gets so much support from his mother after he comes out; his friends all support him as well. He’s Coming to Me demonstrates an incredibly empathetic and loving coming out scene, a hopeful one. And Thun recognizes this part of himself in Med as an older queer person, and perhaps this helps him understand his own identity, in addition to his feelings for Med.

Thun and Med discover their own identities and each other's in parallel. There’s a clear line between both of their discovery of their sexualities, separately from each other, and together, especially through the coming out scenes to Kwan. They help each other learn who they really are, both Med’s true identity and history, and both of their relationships with their queerness. They recognize themselves in each other. Their mysteries are intertwined.

[While writing, I was reflecting on fantastic HCTM posts such as @miscellar's writing comparing the supernatural and queer storylines in HCTM, @waitmyturtles' essay covering many of the show's themes, and @ranchthoughts' discussion of the role of inevitability.]

[littlerosetrove]

I really enjoyed this episode! Without spoilers, it felt like the 911 that we all love a-la season 3 kinda feeling. The characters felt connected rather than disconnected like they were in season 6 and some in season 5. The 911 calls were the perfect length, nothing lingered unnecessarily, again unlike in season 6 where that was an issue. And I really enjoyed the theme of relationships, romantic relationships in particular, and examining if the relationship is healthy or perhaps going stagnant.

🌟 Now on to my Spoiler Thoughts for 7x1 in no particular order. 🌟

-Marisol was legit on screen for maybe 3 seconds, and Eddie even mentioning her was to say “oh I’m dating a woman.” We really got nothing from it beyond, to me at least, some cringe. That’s it. 😆 Bruh, this is really giving “yeah she won’t be around that long,” cause she wasn’t presented as particularly important. 

- Marisol was helping chaperone Chris’s date? Ngl that’s a bit weird if she and Eddie haven’t been dating long, but perhaps that’s just me. I’m so curious how Chris even feels about Marisol. Does he think, “Doesn't matter, she probably won’t stay”?? Does Chris only like Marisol because it seems to make Eddie happy, but that’s the extent? So curious.

- Omg Eddie wants Bucks to talk to Chris, a player apparently, because at one time Buck was one. Like father, like son. 

- Again loved this theme of couples just seeing if they’re doing well, are they stagnant, and just what’s important to them. 

- Oh gosh, Chris sees that no matter how nice or good you are, he thinks the girl will still leave. Like his mom. Godddd. </3 And this also shows that Chris still thinks highly of his dad. He sees that his dad is a good guy, but women in his life still leave. Goddddddd.

- Bye Natalia, you will not be missed. Buck and Natalia broke up off screen because “all she wanted to talk about was death.” And thus I liked Eddie’s comment to Buck, “Welcome back to the living.” Indeed!

- I’m into this exploration of Bobby and Athena seeing what they are “without all the chaos.” Poor Bobby he was trying so hard with Athena on this cruise, being so patient. And don’t think I didn’t miss his heavy implication of, “we can just stay in bed the rest of the time ;)).”

- Soooo much Eddie on my screen THANK GOD. 💕💕💕

- Sooo much Buck and Eddie! Together! Being friends and helping each other out in parenting!!!

- Hen being one hell of a captain. 💕

- All three parents - Eddie, Buck, and Shannon - sitting in the same spot on Chris’s bed. 🫠

- I’d been wondering for so long about Chris’s thoughts about Shannon. So he did recognize that she left. Based on him reading the letter and standing the picture back up, I’m guessing…. he’s at peace now about his mom? Or getting there??

- Honestly I loved the hot tub 911 call where Eddie was so compassionate about calming down the woman. It was a funny scene, but not cringey. Ryan and the actress played it with such sincerity that it worked. 

- This episode was definitely a good intro for new viewers. It shows the Buckley-Diaz family of it all, Buck and Eddie with a very close friendship, Hen in a captain role, Chimney and Maddie and their upcoming marriage talk, Shannon and who she is to Eddie and Chris, Buck is single, Eddie is dating but you really don’t need to know more about the who fghjhkb, and how close the 118 are. 

- There were quite a few callbacks to episodes in seasons 2 and 3, which was so neat to see. 

- Shirtless Eddie….  🫠 Buck saw it too mmmmm.  🫠 - Maddie and Chimney were so cute. =)))

- This whole pirates or whatever they are taking over the cruise ship story is fun! Can’t wait to see how it continues to play out.  - Eddie is a nester. Hmmmm. And Buck pointing out - something about he and Shannon barely dating before she got pregnant and boom! Marriage.

- Buck and Eddie being battle boyfriends. 😌💕

I think I got everything haha. Again, what a great start to the new season! I'm feeling good about what's to come. =D

[koicrimes]

yall, this game is SO good. it had me cryin and shit. had me doubting myself. had me fucked up-- i highly recommend it. truly. best game i've played in a while.

major spoilers below

first game i played since the rgg craze that left a deep impact on me. i think i'll be thinking about this one for a while. i might go back and play from the beginning and make tyler and alyson raise hell with all their choices next time hahaha. gahhh so much fun. all the characters felt so believable!!! ALL OF THEM! and even though i didn't like that michael kept coming onto to tyler even tho i politely brushed him off once before, he still felt human to me as well. sometimes dudes just can't fucking take a hint- no matter how nice and cool they are.

what was so crazy to me was how he was talking about how tyler was 'sooo special' and blah blah blah but just 6 months later this mf already taking photos with someone else with a pet talking about 'the new addition to our family'. like bitch if you want me so bad--????? THAT'S WHY I SAID MICHAEL GAVE ME UHAUL VIBES!!!! eehhhhh- like, no, give a mf some time to know you my guy. shit. idk maybe that's just me. (6 months is a while but im just saying)

but anyways, so.

i loved alyson and tyler's relationship so much. tyler is so fucking 😩😩😩😩🥰🥰🥰🫦🫦🫦. he's so hot. the amount of screenshots i have of that man is abysmal. he and alyson does this thing with their mouth but idk, i feel he does it alot more than she does, where he kinda bares his teeth-- sometimes it's a smile but not always. unff. LOVE! i love minor mouth ticks. i have one and i always notice when other people have one- aizawa has one (he chews at his inner lip). nish seems like he would kinda does the same thing tyler does now that i think about it but anyways im getting side tracked~~~

i loved their relationship! the bond thing was sooooo neat- being able to share memories and inner thoughts. HELLA NEAT! i love that so much.

UGH the writing here was so fucking phenomenal.

all of the townspeople: tessa, tom, sam, eddy-- they all had their parts and they were all believable flawed. the only person who i think i'd consider a villian, really would be tom. because fuck that guy- you cheated on your wife, let her raise your kids on her own, watched her fall apart, watch her get stabbed, allowed her to drown to death, allowed two kids to make decisions about something that fucking major when you saw what happened and then you got the audacity to try to blackmail them for your shitty ass campaign???

i rate his bald score a -8 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾 he doesn't deserve that shiner. for shame.

more importantly, the one thing that i wish that we got to see was the perspective of mary-ann from that night. but i guess that's the beauty of the story. no one will ever truly know what was going through her head. everyone has their speculation but no one knows for certain and they sort of have to live with that in order to survive... ughhhh (i am relieved that ty can live his life potentially at peace believing that his mother would see him as her son- her SON- see him for who he is. i know that had to eat away at him while he was at fireweed.)

11/10

honorable mention for my girl denise, she didn't really have shit to do but she was there and i was happy she was. i was happy to see them braids too. like they kinda ate. ngl. i was like okaaaaaay. it makes me really happy. like someone trully put in effort on them! anyway, her and tyler are best buds now. i call it. it is my headcanon. <3

[revoleotion]

Tell me about 6 and 14 (and then 1 for personal reference)

WILL DO!! 💞 [rubs hands]

6. What nasty/evil/maladjusted character traits do you enjoy exploring in your little meow-meows?

I have a few favorites but the ones I find myself exploring the most probably are:

loss of self/identity and how the characters are grasping for any hints of their "old self" still in reach (ignoring those around them in the process)

the desire to feel safe slowly spiraling into paranoia where they start lashing out at anything they perceive to be a (possible) threat

being willing to sacrifice the world/reality/universe for That One Person (or to avenge their death)

characters claiming they are not worth the same as those around them, either because they are worth less ("I'm just a tool") or because they should be held to higher standards (because they're supernatural beings/have powers etc). bonus points for when it's a weird mix of both that leads to the most frustrating double standards

... looking at those and my current/past blorbos of the month, really have a type.

14. What's your favourite way to emotionally destroy your favourite character?

Okay. Heh. That's a fun one. So here's the recipe for disaster: You make them feel a certain emotion/have a certain thought. And then you make it so that they can't ever say it out loud, having to suffer with it alone. Either because they don't want to burden anyone, don't want people to be involved or hurt or simply because they want to seem more put together than they actually are. It's fun!!

Or you can like. Kill someone they love and watch them as they realize that they do not get to die and have to live with that loss now. Heh.

I just think characters with this very heavy, horrible, unspeakable weight on their shoulders are neat.

1. Have you written scenes (sex or otherwise) that actually made you feel uncomfortable, and how did you deal?

I have!!! For the most part, I stopped writing and when it was something I was not doing for myself (like a request I could just drop), I never returned to the wip afterwards. It took me a long time to be comfortable both reading and writing NSFW(ish) scenes in the first place, and I still reach moments where I'm like "okay! I thought I was ready for this but this is actually horrible, let's leave!"

... and then I leave.

But this mostly applies to things I was already unsure about in the first place, so let me think about scenes that I actually wanted to write and did write that made me really uncomfortable...

I do remember a text written from Barbatos Obey Me's pov where I detailed how he ends up in a relationship with MC against his will. I think back then I was very mad about how some people in the fandom had takes like "It's a dating sim so the fact that Barbatos isn't super romantic and doesn't prioritize my MC over the man in his life who is the most important to him is actually a personal attack towards me", so this is what I did to cope with that frustration.

The setup wasn't too uncomfortable, although I did have some problems with writing a nuanced portrayal of MC where I make it clear that their desires aren't a problem in itself but it's not what Barbatos wants. I dislike few things more than character bashing where a character is turned into a predator to show how ~horrible~ they are. If you can't show that a character is flawed without making them look 2-dimensional and cartoonishly evil... maybe you're just bad at writing.

The real discomfort started when I wrote that Barbatos starts lying to MC about his discomfort. I actually used lines from the game itself to make it clear how Out Of Character the fanservice dialog seemed to me, and how the character had turned into this twisted, unrecognizable version of himself, simply to satisfy fans (using MC as a stand-in). I really had to force myself through the scene where MC uses Barbatos' physical response to their advances as proof that he has to like them romantically too (and while Barbatos doesn't agree with that, he doesn't dare to disagree either).

Also, the scene afterwards where the other characters congratulate Barbatos and tell him he's basically won in life, all while Barbatos sits there and stops talking and just lets it all happen to him in order to please MC, feeling like his own comfort doesn't matter. And after all that, I sort of... made it better by giving him a little moment of being noticed? By Asmo? Even if they don't talk about it (yet).

I think what really helps with scenes that just fuck you over is sprinkle in some hope to change the atmosphere from unbearable to more... melancholic? And easier to handle.

[vinxwatches]

watching disenchantment season 3

big spoilers. i recommend it a lot. it can be harrowing, but the ending is so worth it. if you might watch it i recommend you do. otherwise, lets delve in.

the intro promises the love pendant to be broken and the screwed crown to be bloodied. those are very bad signs even with the better ones. a book that on a page is a stairway down? holy shit stealing that for my DND campaign. was that a visual gag, or what that more future plot points? and Bean has the endless conflict between the life she wants and the people she cares about. too good of a person to have a simple easy life.

on the one side Mora is being more rude then usual. on the other her girlfriend did just say no to running of with her over friends she doesn't know. damn, with a girlfriend like that Bean with have powerful AF muscles in no time, truly hope that's the way they're taking this. beating her mom with the strength literally gained from her girlfriend would be just so beautifully cheesy. satan is going to become a goodguy just to get rid of his wife isn't he. damn, that 3d was pretty good. i mean if you know what to look for you notice that it's not the 2d models, but you need to know to look for it. there are definitely some potholes in this one. like the conflict between Bean and Nora if you think too much about certain events does not line up, but when you just take it like a normal person it really works. don't know if i like the people constantly splitting up, but it does allow for more things to happens. it's simply hard to have too many people act at the same time and certain people make others largely useless. Elfo doesn't have a lot do to when Bean is around. he fits in small things and can be easily motivated, but that's it, any other activity Bean is simply better at. he works as friend of Bean of course, but she's less reliant on others to take action now. split apart there are just more conflicts that can be interesting.

yea, ok, this conversation is painful. i mean i get that that's the joke, but it's painful because it seems like a stupid way i could come across if i stopped worrying about how things i say come across, something i in general worry too much about making friendships incredibly hard. "it's like they took a nunnery and made it awesome", ah, a lesbian bar. oh, how odd that they did the same thing twise. first with lucy and now with bad beans body. of all parts of the body that you should not be hanging from THE HEAD IS NUMBER ONE! but the overall plan makes sense, i wonder if it'll come to fruition in a more willing manor. also pretty avatar legends of Korra. oh those are working together, that's not good. that means Bean is really running out of allies. fucking hell, i'm trying to watch this while doing something else. i end up just watching it. and then it comes with these strong cliffhangers meaning that stopping to watch is also really hard.

oh... he's just dead... fuck... that... sets stakes. i mean Elfo and Luci will probably be fine, but this may be the death of Miri. well, that's one problem... delayed some more, and another... solved, and replaced for getting lost.

ok, so yes, Elfo's death set a lot of bad things into motion, undoing it also removed Mora and the great relationship Bean has with Zog, if you could ask Bean it would be a hard question. OH, that's a fun plot twist. Miri isn't human? oh. that... well it explains nothing, but it's neat.

oh, she's finally allowed to start seriously winning. it really feels like an earned powerup. in part because it has been set up well, in other because FUCKING HELL LET HER BE HAPPY DAMNIT. oh. i thought they were allowed to get away to, idk, be a minibos later. nope, instead killed to set up some evilness.

oh. making her sound mad. yea, not a joke i think works in universe. like there's one fuck setting with a non mechanical function metal prosthetic. yes i know my immersion is broken by the strangest things but it's bugging me. damn, setting up something heavy, destroy yourself the saves the ones you love? i mean media in general says "do it and for your good deed you'll survive", but i'm afraid they won't do that here. it's either better, or much, much worse. maybe a reset and you get to rebuild your life, but i'm not fan of those endings either. don't undo everything we've grown to care about, even if it can be rebuild. one is planning to kill, the other is planning to delete.

everyone's coming together for (hopefully) the final finally. oh, the tune return. i wonder if there's a meaning to it or if it's just creepy for creepy sake. fuck this battle has some epic moments. i mean there's only so much you can do with the animation style, but fuck they truly do everything possible with it. NO, you can't do that. healing magic? not real? i was fearing that, the scene seemed awfully similar before. DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE END IT LIKE THAT!

yea, no, obviously there's no care left. for episodes it was set up she cared most for Mora. the show has struggled at times to set things up, Beans magic, was probably the only thing set up more. the only motivation could be the same as Dracula in the castlevania show: a long suicide. a rocket, to the moon? why though? well fuck, now everyone is dying. i'm hoping not permanently, but i don't trust it isn't. :O he killed god "love conquers everything, and anger helps"

goodbye Bean is not a promising title, especially after the last episodes cliffhanger. AND NO i will not be ok with Bean and Mora being together in heaven. oh, magic came from the tears of joy of angers mixed with steam from hell. what will tears of sadness do? i just realized what i want: i want dangmar to have a third act breakdown finally. i love Luci's arc. it has totally nothing to do with that i wrote his speech multiple times already in less elegant words. "i've always hated weddings, especially my own" the show has such good lines. not the gay wedding i was expecting, but still one i'm very happy about. i love an overly happy ending. finally a happy ending, it was such a long wait, but it was worth it. YES, finally the third act breakdown.

wait... but the world is flat. so how it it on the other side of the moon? also what a random reveal. it adds nothing, it takes nothing away. it's "what a twist!"

incredibly unbelievable happy ending. I LOVE IT!!! literally every plot point is is resolved, even the ones even i forgot about.

seriously the show had a lot of frustration to it, victories often fell flat, setbacks and defeats were often and big, and as someone who likes happy endings it was often dreadful. honestly i don't know why i kept watching. i guess just something made clear they had plans. sure, details about people plans seemed often not fully planned out in advance, but the arcs of characters? those were old, and they revealed they were working up to the happy ending i was after for so long. Really good series, highly recommend, fuck me if it can't be harrowing, which is why i'm writing it at 2 am because i needed to get to the end.

and i finally got the best way to describe it: the show is cynical, but not pessimistic.

[mymistakewriting]

The 118, weddings, and curses

I know this post is about to ruffle some feathers. I've seen a lot of takes that I really don't like in the last 24 hours on here, though, and I just need to point out something.

As usual, if you read this as character bashing, it's not. I adore these characters. I just also have a lot of opinions. You don't have to read my posts if you don't like them.

To start this off succinctly: the 118's A-Shift is cursed.

Now, to go into this thought process: we do see glimpses of other shifts and other houses in the show. Not much, but enough to get a general feel that things with them and things with the team we follow in the show is different. 118's B-shift with Captain Mehta doesn't seem to experience the same level of life-threatening events. We see a decent amount that suggests that - his reaction at the shooting being confusion first and then reactionary, the fact that Ravi always looks wildly lost when working with A-shift after a stint working with B-shift. Even the few people we've seen fro Harbor this season seem to have it a hell of a lot calmer.

This curse does, unfortunately, extend to the extended families of the team. And it does play a big role in a lot of the major life events.

Now, for the real reason I'm posting this. I've seen a lot of takes in the last 24 hours being upset that a lack of communication on the production team's end meant that content was cut from the new episode - this isn't new. Every episode certainly has scenes that got redone or cut, it's just how the film industry works. That said, I've also seen a lot of "Madney deserve a proper wedding" comments circling.

While yes, I agree that not getting to see such a beautiful thing in full sucks, weddings take HOURS by themselves. And a wedding isn't big enough for two episodes, I'm sorry. Especially because it being chaotic and rushed is a theme with the 118. That curse that I keep saying they have? Yeah, it definitely does show up on events like this. It's MEANT to.

We all joke, as a fandom, that the 118 experiences the highest number of near-death experiences in LA. So why are we ever so surprised that it follows the team? Because you don't get to just hang that stuff up when you clock out as a first responder, stuff like that DOES follow you.

So sure, it sucks that the curse shows up for weddings and makes things a little less neat. But nothing in Maddie and Chimney's story has been neat, their wedding going smoothly and running the course of an entire episode wouldn't make sense for them. I think it makes perfect sense for the wedding to feel a little rushed, a little urgent - because that's the story of their entire relationship. It doesn't make it any less special. It doesn't make Maddie's dress any less gorgeous, it doesn't make their love for one another any less.

For better or for worse, that's what the vows are in a marriage. And these guys work in a career where there's a hell of a lot of for worse - just being able to get married is a pretty good thing. And if that rush was good enough for Bobby and Athena, or Hen and Karen, why are we throwing such a fit as a fandom about it for Maddie and Chimney? Especially when you know damn well that they'll do a vow renewal down the line that's going to be SO much more beautiful than the wedding itself because they'll manage it better now that they know how?

Regardless of what comes of the new episode, I'm thrilled to know that Maddie and Chimney get their happily ever after wedding. And you know what, I'm even MORE thrilled that it's a true-to-fashion 118 wedding. We've needed one.

And I think Oliver said it best already: if you don't like the stories being told this season, you're not required to announce your departure.

Some of us are just happy to see what stories we get with characters we love.

[dark-night-star-light]

Spirit Animals: The Burning Tide (Reread pt. 12)

DISCLAIMER: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN FIRST SERIES AND BOOKS ONE THROUGH EIGHT.

Masterpost

Chapter 1

“It had started seven moontides before” (1). The Wyrm fell for seven months???

“ . . . signing the question with her black gorilla hands” (1). Do gorillas sign to communicate?

How exactly did the Wyrm fall out of the stars anyway?

Kovo’s relationship to his mom is so sad . . .

 “The world was a vast continent that contained jungles and dunes and mountains and snowfields, all connected together” (3). Canon Pangea equivalent? Also, I love how one continent had every kind of habitat.

“There were thousands of animals, all different species . . . ” (3). So how come there are only fifteen Great Beasts, then?

Oh, so the rest fled when they saw the Wyrm coming.

I love how the Wyrm split the continents. That’s a neat little Easter egg (oh no, a pun).

If only Kovo and the other Great Beasts survived, how did life start again on Erdas?

Chapter 2

“ . . . Hazeel’s spirit animal, Poe. His only friend” (9). That’s so sad . . . 

Hazeel knows the Greencloaks aren’t themselves. He knows that the spirals are controlling them and that they are now slaves. Doesn’t that mean that when the Greencloaks overran Erdas, the people they killed and plundered should’ve also been able to figure that out? That means the last arc is kind of wonky . . .

“‘But I already have a guide’” (11). Uraza hates water??? And also how can she be a guide on a ship? She’s a leopard. 

 . . . Can she still feel Abeke even though their bond is severed?

Chapter 3

“‘I set Kirat to swabbing the latrine’” (14). Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular-

“‘I tried bringing her into passive state . . . ’ . . . ‘At least you have a spirit animal’” (16). Rollan cannot take the hint.

“The boy’s crocodile tears had once convinced her to lead him . . . ” (17). This is such a great, loaded line.

“‘He needs us for something . . . ’” (18). Yeah, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. 

Chapter 4

“In reply, the lion bared his white teeth and growled. Kirat showed his own teeth, which were chattering in the cold” (20). That’s such a funny image to think about.

Why were the other kids that bonded to Great Beasts willing to leave home to go with the Redcloaks? Is it because they were told they could get their animals back?

“‘King . . . ?’ Abeke said. ‘That’s what you call Shane?’ Stead nodded. ‘He tells us not to, but . . . old habits die hard’” (24). Shane literally introduces himself as King in The Return, though?

“The Shane they knew probably would have forced people to call him king on punishment of death” (24). Not really, in my humble opinion. He tried to make sure that the people he conquered had adequate food and shelter, remember? And also he literally pretended he wasn’t the true Devourer for most of the war, so . . . 

“Karmo’s wide brown eyes were on Abeke, who glared right back at him” (25). This is ironic, because last time they met, Karmo was assuring Abeke that he was on the correct side of the war . . . wow.

This book seems to really hate Rollan in particular. He’s been the butt of the joke at least four times already.

“‘One day I awoke to find I couldn’t summon Grahv from his passive form . . . ” (29). But Shane was released from the Bile by Tellun, so how did this happen to him??? Plot hole???

Chapter 5

Even Shane finds Kirat annoying . . . we stan a king (oh horror, I just made a pun). 

“Yumaris guided the group, running her hands along the walls, sniffing the air, and getting into arguments with the stones” (35). Yumaris: Listen here, you jackass. The ocean is a soup, and I will not tolerate your slander towards the truth! The stone:

“‘He’s clearly got his own way of tracking the Great Beasts . . . ’” (36). Because the Wyrm whispers to him, right? But where does the Wyrm get that information? From the tree?

“‘All I know is what these carvings tell us. They say that the Wyrm’s egg fell from the stars and landed in a place called Sadre, deep under the Earth . . . ’” (39). So the Hellans were told that by Kovo, right? It’s mentioned that some Hellans “exiled” themselves to the Place of Desolation (37). Was that when they created the trap? And why did they create it at the “bottom of the world” (37) instead of near the Evertree???

Chapter 6

Kind of a weird thing I’ve started to notice with this series . . . whenever the authors have a chance to pull an end-of-chapter cliffhanger, they do it so weirdly, because instead of a cliffhanger, then switching to the other plotline, they instead do a cliffhanger, then stay on the same plotline. It’s so strange. 

“ . . . Shane would never change” (42). Shane and change are so close to rhyming that it makes this sentence feel really nice when read.

“ . . . inching away from Shane, who was watching her intently” (43). I love how when Shane drops bombshells he only cares about Abeke’s reaction.

“‘ . . . Shane said, stepping toward [Rollan] . . . ‘Stop fighting,’ Abeke said. She pushed both boys apart” (43). Girl, you literally started them fighting.

Mulop-Niri relationship is severely underdeveloped, in my opinion.

“Even knowing that the leopard was under Zerif’s control, she still wished she could see her spirit animal once more” (46). Foreshadowing?

Abeke and Rollan suggesting Mulop talk to Briggan and Jhi instead of Kovo . . . aww.

Chapter 7

“Meilin dipped a moss sponge into a stone basin filled with stagnant water” (48). Is that what they’re drinking, too? Because that’s not good . . .

“Sacrifices to the Wyrm” (49). Why would the Wyrm sacrifice its own followers??? It needs them to conquer? And fight???

Jhi is barely in this arc at all . . . Not a fan of that.

Chapter 8

“Kovo was almost fanatical about the glowstones. He spent every day maintaining them, searching for new stones to replace those that had begun to dim” (51). Kovo the glowstone guard dog.

“‘You don’t know how important sunlight is until it’s gone’” (52). They could have Vitamin D deficiencies.

“Takoda had always argued that he thought Kovo’s reasons for trying to take control of the Evertree were more complicated than just world domination” (53). Yes, but at the end of The Evertree, it never suggests that. All Kovo talks about is the power he wants for himself and the other Great Beasts. He never even hints at deeper motives. 

“‘We can’t have you pining at the window for your lost crush’” (55). Why do I not remember Meilin referring to Xanthe as Takoda’s crush??? Why???

“‘With a catapult we could launch some kind of missile at the egg . . . ’” (57). That would crack it further, though, wouldn’t it.

Chapter 9

“Meilin nearly choked on her spit . . . If Shane was with them, it could only mean that they were in trouble” (59). The differences in the amount of knowledge each group has is one of the reasons I think the group should’ve spent some of the arc together.

“‘Rollan would like me to ask Jhi what it’s like being bonded to a snotty general’s daughter. Also, he wants to know if stubbornness is a skill you picked up from your fancy tutors’” (60). Love that the inside jokes become plot-relevant. That’s just. I adore that.

Chapter 10

“But before Rollan could say anything, Shane spoke up . . . Rollan gritted his teeth. ‘Why does he get to do all the talking?’” (62). Because the connection is weak and he’s asking the important questions??? Honestly love Shane for that.

“Rollan had trouble imagining a world without humans or spirit animals or Great Beasts. The thought of a world without Essix saddened him” (63). Oh, Essix was there, she just wasn’t a Great Beast.

“‘When the Wyrm landed, it caused great destruction - storms, floods, and earthquakes - that wiped out nearly every living thing for miles . . . ’” (63). At the end of the first arc, the weather was really weird because of something to do with the Evertree, right? So can the Evertree impact the weather or something?

“‘The Evertree is the source of the spirit animal bond. And the Wyrm is the source of that power . . . ’” (64). But isn’t the Wyrm taking from the tree, not giving?

“‘The corruption that fueled every spirit animal bond . . . ’” (65). So Kovo hates humans and spirit animals . . . because the Wyrm?

“‘I would gather the talismans and wrest control of the Evertree, by force if necessary . . . ’” (65). How will that help the Wyrm situation? The tree can’t contain it . . . 

“‘Zerif thinks he’s in control, but he’s being manipulated . . . ’” (66). Zerif can be controlled by a not-yet-hatched Wyrm? Also wow, that is pretty much exactly what happened during the Second Devourer War, with the Bile and Gerathon. 

Chapter 11

“A part of her feared what she would learn if she could hear Jhi’s true opinion of her” (69). Didn’t this get resolved in the first arc???

“She didn’t know how things went in southern Nilo, but in Zhong, people didn’t believe that plants had feelings” (70). But this is the Evertree, not an ordinary plant.

“‘So all we have to do is set it off. How do we do that?’ ‘Kovo won’t say . . . it was clear he wanted to keep that knowledge hidden’” (70). Why, though?

“‘I think he’s afraid of one of us becoming infected by the Wyrm’s parasites and betraying our plan’” (71). He doesn’t, but what if Kovo becomes infected? Then they would all be doomed.

“‘If the Wyrm learns of our plan ahead of time, it might try to destroy the tower before it can be activated’” (74). Not five pages ago, Kovo was refusing to tell them the plan, but then he immediately does???

“ . . . she could see the rotting purple spiral of the parasite . . . ” (76). Isn’t it black? Maybe a lighting thing?

Chapter 12

“He didn’t understand how he knew this. He only knew that anything that tried to stop him would fall at his hand” (77). So when victims fall to the Wyrm, they don’t remember anything about their old lives except things that pertain to the Wyrm? Does this mean Conor overheard Meilin and Takoda talking?

“Truly it was a feeling of peace. The calm that comes from one finally accepting his place in the world” (78). This reminds me of something a Conqueror says to either Abeke or Rollan in the first arc, something like, joining our side is the true right and you’ll feel at peace here.

“He had a vague unease echoing in the deepest parts of his mind. A mournful baying . . . ” (78). I know it’s impossible to fight off the Wyrm’s effects, but I wonder if people with a spirit animal take longer to succumb?

“Conor thought her name might be Meilin, and then he wondered how he knew that” (79). So they remember things from their old life, but feel no connection to it emotionally???

Chapter 13

“He knew her weaknesses . . . he could certainly exploit them” (80). Meilin knows his weaknesses, too, though.

“The red light opened, like an eye . . . ” (81). Red eyes on a villain? That’s so stereotypical.

I feel like in this fight, Meilin should’ve struggled with the idea of fighting the Many, because now that Conor is one of them, she has to hurt him, too. This might lead to an epiphany where she sees that, in this moment, Conor and the other Many are the same. If she isn’t willing to hurt Conor, despite the fact that he’s gone, why is she okay with harming these other people? But there isn’t anything resembling that that ever goes to Meilin’s mind. 

“ . . . Jhi appeared at her side, soaking wet and looking quite proud” (83). Proud Jhi reigns supreme.

“ . . . he was now directing the rest of the Many like a general - pointing straight at the bell tower” (84). They didn’t have a “general” before him, did they? Why do they now?

“But Meilin’s sense of triumph was over as soon as it had sparked when she looked to the bridge where Conor had been standing only a moment before - now a pile of burning rubble” (85). It’s honestly unclear to me whether this is because she thinks Conor died in the fire and is grieving, or whether she thinks Conor escaped and is alarmed.

“‘Conor,’ she whispered, for indeed it was” (86). This kind of “and so it was” type of line has been used so much in this book. It’s such a jarring difference from the last few books.

“It was coming from the direction of the water . . . ’Screamers’” (87). Did they have screamers on the ships? And why? Screamers don’t actually do anything, they’re just a warning mechanism . . . 

Chapter 14

“ . . . using her crystal spear to impale the Many who got in her way” (90). I know that crystal would probably normally be such a poor choice to make a weapon, but like, it just fits with the vibe of Sadre so well.

“There was something about the way Xanthe had said this that made him think maybe she felt the same way about him as he felt about her” (90). I like that this series makes only a half-hearted effort to pair characters into romantic relationships. It’s very funny to me.

“His fingers found what he realized too late was Xanthe’s hand” (90). I don’t remember these tiny Takoda-Xanthe moments at all. 

“The Many were defenseless against the glowing crystalline blades of the Sadreans. Every cut seemed to scald the very flesh of those infected by the parasites . . . ” (91). What are these blades made of??? Pure light itself???

“Conor, who had fought even more fiercely than the other Many, had finally been restrained by two burly Sadrean shieldwardens” (92). For some reason, I seem to remember them fighting all the way until the Wyrm was defeated. Also, did he fight harder because he took longer to succumb? And why did the Sadreans spare him in particular?

“The boy fell back to the ground - unconscious but otherwise unharmed . . . ‘ . . . Tell him if he touches my friend again, I’ll make sure he lives to regret it’” (94). But that helped??? And also, Abeke does the same thing at the end of the first arc to Meilin, so . . . 

Chapter 15

“Meilin started at the Wyrm, unable to look away . . . Takoda could see dark and slimy tendrils . . . Meilin heard a groaning sound . . . ” (96). This chapter had a clear lack of editing. It switched perspectives twice and the first line isn’t in all caps like the rest of the chapters.

They made the Wyrm such a stereotypical monster . . . I don’t know what to think about that.

“ . . . the Many grabbed hold of Sadrean soldiers and dragged them to the Wyrm as live offerings” (98). Would they offer themselves, too, or not? Probably . . . 

“ . . . she knew what had stopped Kovo and Xanthe . . . ‘The Wyrm,’ Meilin whispered. ‘It’s got Takoda’” (100). But wouldn’t hitting the bell stop the Wyrm and save Takoda anyway? Why didn’t Kovo just hit the bell?

Chapter 16

“When Xanthe had been lost in the burned-out remnants of the Arachne Fields, alone and defenseless, it had been Takoda who kept her alive” (101). Ironic, considering he blamed himself for that incident.

“It was as if she could see all of Erdas - the aboveground world she had only dreamed of - shining in his dark eyes” (102). They really amped up the Takoda-Xanthe romance in this one.

Wow, Kovo really showed the Wyrm who’s boss.

“Her voice was cold and without emotion, and Xanthe wondered just how much war this girl had seen in her lifetime” (104). But she’s right? The bell is the only way to stop the Wyrm and help Takoda . . . 

Chapter 17

“The floor in the center of the city was drawing back like the folds of a paper fan . . . ” (105). I don’t remember this plotline at all . . . 

“The snare had stopped” (107). Yeah, I remember nothing about this climax, wow.

“ . . . the Wyrm slithered forward and melted into the darkness” (107). What??? Into a bottomless hole???

“’Still. Thank you. Leaping out from the tower to save Takoda . . . I didn’t think you had it in you’” (109). Kovo-Meilin bonding(?) moment!

“’Do they know about the bell?’ . . . Kovo lowered his hand, shaking his head . . . ‘ . . . let’s hope they figure it out fast . . . ’” (109). That’s what they bank on??? Hope? doesn’t sound like Meilin at all . . . 

Chapter 18

SHANE CHAPTER, CAN YOU HEAR ME HOLLERING.

“It wasn’t a fist that had won him the Greencloaks’ talismans. Sacrifices had” (110). True . . . 

“He was gratified to see Abeke purse her lips in an attempt not to laugh at her friend” (111). That’s cute.

“‘You can hear Meilin?’ . . . ‘Is she talking about me? . . . ‘Or, um, Abeke? Any of us really? Forget I asked’” (111). What is this . . . while I don’t like it, I have to admit that’s pretty realistic for the age group.

“Shane knew it was a mistake to give someone like Rollan direct orders . . . ” (112). Why’s that?

“He slowed, fixing his eyes on her. ‘I promise.’ Abeke sighed, not meeting his gaze. ‘I’ve heard that before.’ Shane nodded, feeling the sting of her words” (112). I like Shane, but he deserved that.

“He wondered how many times he would have to save her life before she began to believe that he was truly changed. As many times as it takes, he silently promised himself” (113). This is so sad . . . 

“And somehow these two sets of ruins contained enough power to stop the Wyrm” (113). So they have an inkling of an idea how . . . interesting.

“Shane gave her a smile that he could only hope looked herolike” (115). Pfffffffft, this will never not be hilarious. He’s actually such a golden retriever. 

“ . . . javelins made of ice . . .” (115). Bro, what??? Those are gonna shatter . . . 

“Why did this kid have to question his every order?” (116). Rollan is, like, a few months younger than Shane . . . also Shane himself is a kid. Also, can you imagine being an adult Redcloak being bossed around by this thirteen-almost-fourteen-year-old child. Just. Wow. 

Chapter 19

“ . . . some of them sounding more animal than human when they spoke” (118). How would that even sound??? Probably a lot like a Great Beast . . . 

“‘I tried to tell them they had to stay, but . . . but he wouldn’t listen’” (119). So she cried??? I know they tried to make Tasha seem younger and less mature than Abeke and Rollan, but that seems too far. Why didn’t she just get them?

“‘They only care about our precious spirit animals’” (121). This is ironic, considering Rollan was exactly like this in the first book, but less spoiled.

“‘I don’t need a spirit animal anyway - all he did was lie around and take up space’” (121). Giving major first-book-Rollan energy.

“‘If Zerif wants Great Beasts, he can have mine. I’ll turn Cabaro over myself in exchange for my life’” (121). Zerif will just immediately infect him . . . also wow, this guy is spoiled and stupid.

Cordalles’s main argument is that Abeke and Rollan have spirit animals, but Abeke doesn’t and Kirat does . . . how come she’s still willing to side with Kirat after that???

Also, after Kirat carelessly says he’d turn Cabaro over to Zerif, why do the other kids still side with him??? That’s so dumb. They should feel betrayed.

“‘He was not raised to take orders, he was raised to lead . . . ” (123). This is so dumb. In an earlier book, didn’t someone tell Meilin that the best leaders know when to follow??? Wasn’t that a crucial part of her arc??? Why are we throwing that theme away for one incredibly spoiled kid??? I don’t like Kirat, and one of the main reasons is that he was a massive waste of potential.

“‘We owe you an apology’” (123). I hate this will all my heart and soul . . . no, they don’t. Kirat owes them one, and he never delivers.

“‘These others won’t listen to us - we’re wearing the same cloaks as the army that’s coming this way . . . ’” (124). What makes them think that Kirat will listen to them?

“‘ . . . watching your father build and protect the greatest fortress in all of Nilo by inspiring thousands of subjects . . . ’” (124). If by “inspire” they mean “abuse”, sure. 

I think it’s dumb that an amulet changed Kirat’s mind, even if it was his mom’s. Like . . . of all things??? Really???

This whole chapter . . . just . . . ugh.

“‘Better to live a coward than die a hero,’ said Dawson” (125). In the last book, the opposite is said by Atalanta and I thought it was said by Devin in a previous book . . . well, I was wrong.

“‘How can we possibly fear a thing like death, when we’ve nothing to live for?’” (126). I have to admit, the line hits hard. It hits less hard when you realize that everything Kirat says is a direct contradiction of his two-minutes-ago self. 

“This was a whole new Kirat” (127). Yeah, his development happens way too quickly . . . but whatever.

Chapter 20

“He . . . wondered what it would feel like to be so high above the world” (128). Convinced this is the moment the authors came up with the ending of the third arc. Foreshadowing???

“Rollan, Abeke, and Howl all looked at Kirat, who blushed” (130). Well, that’s new, at least.

“She always had more of a killer instinct than he did” (131). Does Abeke really??? Does she???

Chapter 21

“ . . . she had been afraid that Howl would insist that she belonged with [the other Great Beast summoners]” (133). She can just . . . disobey him. Shane is in charge, and Shane would no doubt back Abeke up.

“‘Who died and put you in charge?’ Talon said . . . ‘No,’ Shane said, stepping to Abeke’s side. ‘It’s a good plan’” (134). Talon appears to be jealous of Abeke already. Also, what’d I tell you? Shane will side with Abeke.

“Shane’s astonished smile at this meager paise sent a tremor of guilt through Abeke’s chest. He looked like she'd just kissed him on the cheek” (135). I’m telling you, Shane isn’t gonna cross Abeke. Also, wow, no need to feel guilty. He’s still the (former) Devourer.

“ . . . Abeke watched as the Expiator burst into splinters and sank into the cold water” (135). I genuinely cannot remember how they get out of this place.

“‘I’d hate to have you as an enemy,’ he said weakly. ‘Again’” (136). I love this line. It perfectly encapsulates Shane-Abeke relationship in this moment. 

“But whatever anger she felt toward Shane ws tempered by her memory of their time together among the Conquerors” (136). I have found an even better line. What interests me so much about this line is that it mentions that Abeke’s reason for trusting Shane was not that he had changed, but because of their time together when he was knowingly deceiving her. In other words, her positive past memories of him outweighed his present redemption arc, and I think that’s such an important piece. Deep down, Abeke truly enjoyed her time with Shane, so she wants to forgive him. And here, she slips and mentions it.

“The icy tower in the middle of the volcano was slowly rotating . . . ” (137). So it’s clearly the same trap. Did the Hellans just duplicate the traps wherever they could?

“ . . . Shane, who was staring at her, his expression unreadable. ‘I . . . can’t breathe,’ she said” (138). Ten out of ten answer right there. Also, all these Abeke-Shane moments went right over my head during my first time through.

“And somewhere in that horde was Zerif himself. She adjusted her grip on the end of her arrow” (140). I know Zerif dies to stop the Wyrm and that’s significant or whatever, but our girl Abeke has been trying to shoot him dead since Against the Tide and I, for one, believe she should’ve been the one to do it.

“ . . . fifty Greencloaks huddled on the eastern shelf . . . The entire shelf splashed into the ocean . . . they had reduced its numbers by a quarter” (141). There are only two hundred Greencloaks??? But there were six ships, each of which carried more than a hundred Greencloaks each, and Mulop only destroyed two ships, so there should be at least four hundred . . . 

Chapter 22

“‘How much stronger?’ Shane said, readying his bow” (147). Since when does Shane use a bow???

“He had cast aside his bow and drew his saber” (148). Oh, thank goodness.

“ . . . the sight of her former comrades fighting tooth and claw against Shane’s desperate forces stole her breath away” (149). Imagine if this line was like “the sight of her former comrades against her former enemies” . . . would’ve been better, in my opinion.

“‘Meilin will love it.’ . . . ‘Who said anything about Meilin?’” (149). I have simply passed away.

“Abeke remembered how the rotating tower had stopped abruptly. ‘It got jammed’” (150). Okay. So. This sentence implies that the snare under the Evertree’s roots and the snare in the Place of Desolation are connected somehow. But . . . why??? Like, the Wyrm can only be in one place at a time, so why is that useful???

“Kirat really did sound like his uncle . . . ‘He’s been like this since you left’” (152). Yeah. He did a complete one-eighty and it feels like it came out of nowhere.

Chapter 23

“‘Deep down, I know you don’t want to hurt-’” (153). I get that Abeke has emotional stakes in this, but I gotta say, that was pretty dumb. Understandable, but dumb.

Shane-Cabaro parallels: both saving Abeke from Uraza. Except one dies . . . 

“The arrow plunged straight through Uraza’s leg” (154). I mean . . . better late than never???

“She had been summoned into passive state by her new master” (154). From that distance??? The Wyrm is that powerful?

“He did not move again” (155). Despite being emotionally prepared for this, it’s still breaking me. Noooooooo . . . Shane . . . 

Part of what makes Shane’s death so meaningful is that Abeke’s own spirit animal kills him. Like. Uraza. Uraza does that. And the other part is Noooooooo, Shane.

Shane dies in Abeke’s arms . . . in front of a whole-ass group of people.

“ . . . but I could sense - deep down - that you had the instincts of a killer” (156). Didn’t Zerif say that Abeke was the most pathetic person ever (or something like that) in a previous book???

“‘A creature of raw and infinite power - power that will soon be mine’” (158). I think this is the heart of my problems with this arc. There’s no motive at all. It’s just “oh, there’s this ancient power that’s pure evil that fell from the sky and now wants to devour the world, and this guy with no motives is trying to control it”. Like, it’s so cartoonish??? Where’s the reason??? The backstory???

“‘The parasites . . . ’. . . ‘They’re part of the Wyrm’” (159). Did they just figure that out??? I thought that had been established? Wait, maybe that was just in the underground plotline.

“‘This is not what was supposed to happen!’ Zerif screamed, kicking out his legs. ‘I command you! Let go!’” (159). Love Zerif’s little temper tantrum. Also, wow, this man is so stupid. He really didn’t even think about where the parasites had come from before using them???

“‘I am fully borrrnnnn.’” (160). So to be fully born, the Wyrm had to . . . pour itself into Zerif??? 

Chapter 24

They just described Raisha’s hands as “scaly” . . . what.

“ . . . holding them both aloft over the gaping pit” (163). Genuinely can’t remember how Rollan and Essix escaped.

“Hanging from the ancient rafters was something dark and heavy and made of iron- A bell” (164). Okay, normally, I’d be so pissed off that the bell appeared conveniently when it was needed, but it had the appropriate amount of foreshadowing and we’re even told why: because the ice melted away to reveal it, so I’m okay with it.

“And quick as a flash, she raised her bow over her head and let fly” (165). Giving Katniss-Everdeen-kills-Coin energy.

Chapter 25

“ . . . struck the edge of the bell with a light ting!” (166). So, I apparently didn’t read very well the first time so I didn’t realize the bell was a huge bell, I had been picturing it as a small baby bell and the “light ting!” didn’t help my visualization.

“Redcloaks and Greencloaks alike scrambled to find stable ground around the perimeter” (167). This line mirrors another line: “The Sadreans and the Many screamed, running to safety around the edges of the town” (105). I don’t really have anything to say except the parallels make me happy.

I like the perspective shifts within the chapter. Very neat.

“This is what people must mean by an out-of-body experience, he thought” (168). Foreshadowing bond token plotline in third arc???

“For the first time in his life, he felt truly free” (169). Yeah, definitely foreshadowing him bonding further with Essix.

“She felt an overwhelming desire to care for every person suffering . . . ” (169). More bond token foreshadowing?

“The wriggling parasite no longer burrowing into his flesh. The Wyrm’s voice no longer hissing in his mind” (170). Does that mean Briggan-in-Conor’s-body will be affected by the parasite?

“ . . . she caught a slight flash of hazel” (171). Zerif has hazel eyes???

“What was a hero but someone who had chosen one time to do the right thing?” (172). I hate this line. It implies that you can do one right thing and still be considered good.

There are so many italicized words in this book.

“The Wyrm was truly gone” (174). Huh. It just fell in lava and died??? Interesting.

Chapter 26

This book has been from Abeke’s perspective since Chapter 21 (with the exceptions of the short passages from each of the other three’s perspectives for a few paragraphs in Chapter 25). And this last chapter is also from her perspective. It’s just. It feels. So strange. I don’t like it.

“Every blade of grass and flower and tree became a smaller version of the Evertree” (176). This needs to be explained in more detail.

“For the first time in centuries, the Sadreans and the people of Erdas met and communed with one another” (177). Wonder if any Sadreans besides Xanthe decided to stay topside.

“When Abeke finally saw Conor and Briggan waiting for them at the shore, she leaped clear off the edge of her ship onto the decks and sprinted toward him at a full run” (177). Based. Also, her leaping overboard is iconic and I can’t believe I missed that the first time.

“Rollan and Meilin were surprisingly awkward upon seeing each other again” (177). Maybe they didn’t meet again during the course of the entire arc so the writers could give us this gem.

“The eyes held her gaze for a moment, and then a sleek golden leopard poured out from between the leaves” (180). Poured out . . . like soup. (Sorry, my brain has shut down from the Uraza-Abeke moment.)

Final thoughts and rating:

The tiny Shane-Abeke moments live rent-free in my head, and while I’m sad about Shane’s death, from a writing standpoint, it had to happen. The only way for Shane to redeem himself was to give his life for Abeke, and it was done beautifully, not only giving his life, but giving his life for their bond, which he helped foster. It’s an amazing end to his arc and I will talk about it more during my Shane analysis. I absolutely adore Kovo jumping from the tower to save Takoda from the Wyrm without a single thought for his own safety. I also love that the inside jokes were plot-relevant, what a fantastic way to tie that in. I also like what I’m going to interpret as the slight foreshadowing of the bond token plotline when the spirit animals and humans switch bodies. During the next paragraph, I really, really go hard on this arc, but the emotional moments in this book were just. Some of the greatest ones in the entire series. The Shane-Abeke moments and Meilin-Kovo bonding and Xanthe returning and Shane’s death and when the group reunites and Uraza and Abeke “rebonding” . . . all of these tiny moments were just. So well done. So despite what I’m about to say in the next section, I would say this book was a positive experience overall for me. 

Starting with the elephant in the room, I have to talk about Shane a bit. While I love the reintroduction of his character, his entire existence is a plot hole. Tellun frees Shane from the Bile at the end of The Evertree, so how could he have merged with Grahv? There are two things that could’ve happened: Shane’s bond being severed completely or Shane’s bond being turned natural. Exploring the first option, Grahv should’ve been unable to go into passive state from the moment Tellun freed him. Now, delving into the other alternative means that Shane shouldn’t have merged with Grahv at all, because his bond would be a Nectar bond now. Between these two alternatives, it is impossible for the events of this series (with Shane) to occur. Ignoring that, this arc in general was a bit of a hot mess. We’re told the Wyrm sucks power out of the Evertree. Then, we’re randomly told it is the heart of the spirit animal bond and that it provided the Evertree with the fuel necessary for that. How is that possible? Is it taking or giving? It feels completely all over the place and threw me for more than a couple loops. I haven’t talked about this much in my other rereads, but I absolutely despised Conor in this arc, aside from the first book. He doesn’t do anything! He displays none of his changed personality, does nothing to further the plot, just gets sicker and sicker (which I’m not blaming him for, by the way). What was the point of having him in the story in the first place? Because fans would want him there? Instead, they should’ve made Takoda be the infected one. This opens up quite a few opportunities the writers could’ve taken advantage of. First of all, Kovo and Xanthe are the two people that are least opposed to leaving Conor behind because of the infection. They also happen to be the two people that are closest to Takoda. There could’ve been an arc of them getting over that to show Takoda they loved him, but it’s completely wasted on Conor. Think about that scene where Kovo jumps from the tower and single-handedly takes on the Wyrm in Takoda’s defense. Now imagine if that scene had taken place after Takoda had been infected by the Wyrm. Kovo has a love-hate relationship with Takoda, made worse by the fact that Takoda is infected, and it climaxes when he fights the Wyrm. It would’ve been so powerful. Conor’s presence in this arc is pointless and I hate it. The last five chapters are all from Abeke’s perspective, and the staggering of the climaxes just. Got to me. The point of having multiple perspectives is to use all of them, and this book severely lacked Conor, cementing my point about Conor’s uselessness. The Wyrm being a literal power-hungry monster that is just there to consume the world and enslave everyone with no motive or thought is just. So dumb. I hate it. It has no substance, no emotion, no point. Same thing with Zerif. Literally just wants power. Why? We don't know. My last gripe: Kirat. I hate him. His character development is so sudden and out of nowhere and he was so spoiled that it’s impossible to like him. His arc feels like such an afterthought. 

Rating: 8/10

[anisecandy]

I have a my headcanon of Eddie when he was a kid:he was the total opposite of what he’s now as an adult so small,skinny,shy talk and a bit of a crybaby,he was a gentle,curious kid who loved to read,write and learning new things.Unfortunately he was a lonely kid,who was bullied by many cause they say “he’s a freak” “they don’t want him”or even because Eddie doesn’t talk to much,since Eddie was pressured to get attention from his father many adults viewed him as the epitome of perfection but that drove more Eddie to feel not good enough and even as a teen while he appeared more muscular and bigger than many classmates he was still bullied,until one guy pressed him so much that Eddie bursts and basically that led that guy at the hospital and now more people are afraid of him,his father hates him more and now Eddie feels more isolated than before

That's a neat headcanon! Incidentally, aside from the fact that I do believe Eddie was definitely a peculiar kid (probably a scrawny one too) it's also nearly the total opposite of mine on that matter 😅

(note: I'm ignoring everything and anything Cates brought to the canon. To me, this man is dead.)

I think it's because one of the things I like the most about Eddie is that he doesn't have confirmed some big, tragic event in the past. Something instantly recognizable to everyone as trauma, like physical abuse, or death of a close relative, or being bullied. I like that. And I don't imagine anything of this type happening to him. You see, there's a lot of stories that talk about how these kinds of massive events ruin people's lives and mental health. And that's great! We need stories like that! But I think it's also important to remember that things aren't always this simple. That sometimes there's no one massive bad thing happening. That sometimes, it's a multitude of smaller, invisible ones.

I don't imagine Eddie ever being particularly shy. But to me, he's still a person that was always more or less lonely. Aside from Anne, we know of no friends of his from before Venom, no people he would seem to trust and confide in. Along with that, comes the way he acts around people; he's socially awkward, but not in a particularly "shy" way; he's witty, can be pretty friendly and very straightforward, you never catch him overthinking what to say or how to act. Rather, he doesn't read social cues well and has difficulties recognizing boundaries, or what's appropriate in any given context. That strikes me as somebody who, despite having certain confidence, never really developed good social skills.

That's why, with what we know about him, I've always assumed that up until college, when he started pursuing a career he chose for himself, Eddie focused solely on getting his father's recognition. He had no time for making friends, he wasn't very good at it anyway, coming off as unapproachable and arrogant, so he didn't really bother. We know that Eddie excelled in school, which, considering that while he's certainly not dumb, he's no genius either, probably meant he was pouring all his efforts in. The only thing he did aside from learning was probably playing for sports teams in his school, in hope that maybe if excellent grades didn't get him his father's love: the trophies would. That, and reading. I imagine him always being an avid reader.

Still, all of that amounted to nothing. Nothing he did could get him the attention and approval of his father, and in his chase after it, Eddie didn't have time for any hobbies, for socialization, for actually living his life. He didn't develop any other meaningful relationship. From the outside, nobody would really notice anything was wrong, but it was only when he met Anne and then became a journalist that he finally had something that was his. He failed at everything else. But at least, now he had those two things that he could devote the rest of his life to.

Right?

[variousqueerthings]

watched happy death day and happy death day 2u

I am not big on time loops, simply because they stress me out, but I'll watch them. and I very much enjoyed the way this conceit allowed an analysis of the final girl trope, in that she occupied several types of roles within the narrative -- both initiating the horror and being affected by it and being turned into a different being by it. she is haunting herself!

the tension is at first that she cannot escape the same fate, no matter what she does, which changes the contexts of various characters and scenes as you go along (making previous "normal" scenes seem sinister, simply by how she reacts differently to them), and then that there is a tangible physical effect that is in fact killing her, so she really can't continue this forever. she is dying, bit by bit

the sequel is kind of messy, but with a lot that I like --

the bad is that it did a genre change, or rather, mixed and matched several genres in ways that weren't always totally coherent, either in terms of plot or character. it veered from ya scifi comedy to sincere drama about grief to slasher horror, which didn't always work and made most interactions pretty shallow (the main exception is how Lori's and Tree's relationship is re-contextualised, that was pretty great).

I also think it could have benefited from shifting the motivation from romantic to being about a greater understanding of herself (similar to what the first one was doing). there was a brief moment that did suggest that motivation was also there -- when her mother asks her if she remembers the way they spent their last birthday and she understands that this isn't her mother or her life. it belongs to another version of her, who's trapped in her world. if it could have been about doing a kindness towards that other self, whom she's never even met, but who is now suddenly living a reality in which her mother is dead, I think that would have been interesting development for Tree.

lastly, it of course didn't need to be explained. adding a gizmo in there distracted from the plot that mattered.

so onto the good is how it reframes parts of the first one, especially in the horror slasher parts of the plot. again, Lori is given a depth that was kiiind of a disappointment to me in the first movie once the reveal came. now there is something more tragic to her and Tree's failure to connect with her in the other world. it retroactively makes me think more about her perspective in part 1. it's interesting how this horror story isn't really about Tree -- it's about Lori. a small shift here and there and one can become a different Type of character in a well-established story.

I also think Tree is still a delightful character, especially once she discovers that she's back in the loop after having just escaped. that's messed up horror, and again plays with the final girl trope, in that horror sequels do often bring back the same final girl over and over without ever letting her escape (scream, halloween, chucky, evil dead). horror movies with multiple installations already are time loops, this one is just more explicit about it.

overall, anything that stuck to playing directly with the slasher horror was neat, bits of the grief narrative were interesting, if at times a bit cloying, but that was because the romance plot got stuck in it like chewing gum - to be clear, I think the romance itself is fine, it just shouldn't have been the central part of her motivation, even in her reality of having died x amount of times she didn't know him thaaaat long and he barely knew her at all -- and the sciency geeky parts were mostly a miss.

the lead actress was absolutely stellar, she ought to be in more horrors (maybe she is, I haven't checked yet). she had a wonderful range of despair and exhaustion and -- later on -- relief.

also this:

[beauzos]

humbly pitching in bronson for the meme

Send me a character and I will tell you my:

First impression: I wish I could remember, honestly. I don't remember what I thought about a lot of the characters, including main characters really, when I first started. If I had to guess, I didn't think much of him-- not that I disliked him, though. He always seemed like a nice guy with an occasional case of foot in mouth disease, though I look back more kindly upon that line in ch1 knowing that was originally meant for Jonel. (Though in general, I don't really blame Bronson, he had no idea what to do and was probably panicking)

Impression now: He's not one of the ones I focus on a lot but I do really like him! I appreciate that he's a character who moves onto modern life but stays a really decent guy. He's always in your corner and I love that. Bronson really seems like one of the chillest villagers overall. Never has a bad thing to say, good-natured, and loyal. He clearly feels a lot of love for his community and cares about people deeply. I should think about him more.

Favorite moment: There aren't many in the game, so... I don't know, I like the scene after the funeral in chapter 1 where he doesn't even really say much because he knows what Flint is thinking and that nothing he'll say will change Flint's mind. Like you can tell that he sympathizes with Flint so deeply then that he aids Flint, yet you can also tell he feels like he has no choice and it makes him so, so uncomfortable. All he can do is warn Flint to be careful about what he does. It's good shit.

Idea for a story: I like the idea of Claus befriending Bronson post-M3. Like, my Claus has a lot of unresolved anger/emotional issues, and frankly, the kid could use an outlet for coping with it. Bronson could take Claus under his wing and teach him some blacksmithing so Claus has a positive, creative outlet. Something nice for him to focus on and get good at. Claus also needs some good, positive male role models in his life. Flint is there, but it's complicated, and I think Bronson's kindness and patience would suit Claus well. So just them bonding over an activity Claus gets good at and Bronson is so, so proud of this kid.

Unpopular opinion: Are there Opinions about Bronson in general? I don't think so. But I don't think he's an asshole for how he handled Hinawa's death. Like I said, he was probably panicking and he's never dealt with this before, so he fumbled it. What people could really say they handled announcing someone's death well, y'know? Like yeah he could've done wayyy better but I don't blame him. To me, part of the tragedy of Tazmily is just how utterly clueless people are to the harshness of the world at the start.

Favorite relationship: I think his friendship with Flint is a great, if underutilized, element in Mother 3. I feel like there's parts of it that must have been cut from earlier drafts, albeit nothing huge. I know he was supposed to be a temporary partner at some point, and so that indicates he had a slightly larger role that was diminished a little in the final product. But he's still loyal, still asks how Flint is doing, cares about this guy even though they probably haven't spoken in months. Bronson doesn't give up on people. I don't know if Flint realized that there were people out there who still supported him to the end-- or if he cared in his kind of descent into obsession-- but I think it's important.

Side bar, I also like the idea of Bronson and Jackie because of that one cutscene where they talk in chapter 4. I'm always a sucker for outgoing/friendly and quiet/shy friendship dynamics. It's a bit of an odd couple thing with Jackie being pretty judgmental, but I think Bronson could reel that in. Kind of a neat potential relationship there.

Favorite headcanon: I used to have this headcanon that Claus loses his prosthetic arm due to some roleplay stuff I did years back, and although that canon doesn't really exist anymore, I still like the idea of Bronson creating prosthetics and adaptive devices for Claus so he can do different tasks. Hell, it could even be some of the stuff Claus learns to make with him, too. It's just a nice idea.