#bro has a very dysfunctional family.

[cr1ms0nesp3ra-ac3]

And are you really...

Okay.....?

[ Fun Fact: Are You Really Okay symbolized Ace/666 to Vessel. Because of all the issues he encountered from the past and the present. ]

( Looking at you Sleep. 👀 )

Doing this trend thingy btw.

[mariocki]

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

"You don't look so good, Mom..."

"Oh, nothing a big old hug and kiss from you won't fix. Open up now. Like a good girl."

[sharkneto]

So. Season 4.

Let’s start with the good. In no particular order -

The road trip. Loved the energy of them all together again and suffering mildly and looking terrible. I appreciate we didn’t waste a bunch of time with them without their powers.

Gene and Jean were great. Loved their energy, the right level of weird. Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally were perfectly cast for the roles.

Liked the idea of the Keepers, the consequence of all the timeline meddling leaking through.

Loved the concept of the subway-between-timelines. That aesthetic slaps for the map alone.

 The Truman Show Christmas Town. They nailed the creepy energy, I liked how ridiculously well-armed it was, I liked that they all died badly, I liked that the Umbrellas got to flex their powers. Diego’s flipping and bullet-mancy was fun, as was him cheating at the axe game to win his kids toys. Luther finally being properly bulletproof was also nice.

Ben Doc-Ock-ing around on the Horror. And the Horror dragging behind him while powers were booting back up. Silly fun.

Loved that Viktor dated and was unable to hold on to every eligible woman in Halifax. Daddy Issues strike again and again, poor guy.

It makes no sense for the level of tech in the show, but I did laugh at Ben being a Crypto Bro. That is the exact way in which his personality sucks.

Jerome and Nancy. If they had left Diego being suspicious of Lila seeing that “little Greek guy” as a “haha it’s just Five!” joke, it is very funny. But they didn’t. Alas.

I didn’t hate the ending! I will always think redemption through living is a better and more powerful conclusion, but them all dying to save the world because they’re the force causing repeat apocalypses was always on the table as an option. I thought they did a good job hitting emotions, them all snarking together until the end felt in character and heartfelt; if other writing choices didn’t happen before it, I think they could have really stuck that landing. I thought the easter eggs of characters from earlier seasons was fun, I hope the Handler still sucks as a regular person.

Overall, I was vibing for the first four episodes. Was it perfect? No. It was never going to be, but I could overlook the usual UA cringe and plotholes because my favorite guys were back on the screen and having good character moments together and fumbling along to save the world. I don’t usually care about spoilers, but I worked hard to avoid S4 spoilers specifically because I didn’t want expectations. The show was going to do what it was going to do, and I didn’t want to judge it for things it was never going to be. And that strat worked well for the first half of the season! It was on par with S3, which I’m an apologist for – had stuff I liked and stuff I was going to be happy to ignore, but overall we’re having a good time! My favorite dysfunctional family is here, I had missed them!

Then Ep5 hit. And we’re onto the problems and things I would change (under the cut --)

The biggest problem of the season is that the pacing was wack, in both an internal time-frame and technical-writing frame.

Internally, media for some reason has no idea how long a year is. Some of the Hargreeves’ problems at the beginning of the season would have worked much better if we were jumping in at year two or three of being in the new timeline, six years is a long time. Diego and Lila’s growing pains at being parents and living a domestic life, how to balance having kids makes more sense to be at this point. And the first couple years of adapting to no-powers-new-universe is way more interesting that hopping in once they’re all settled into mostly-sad patterns (which is in character for them all, they’re disasters). Why not an opening montage of them in their active struggle? Why are we picking up six years later? Unfortunately, because of Ep5, it does feel like the whole point of such a long time jump was to get Five’s body to a legal age and not just so Aidan wouldn’t have to pretend he’s physically a teen anymore (even though we have 30-year-olds playing teens all over other TV shows).

From a technical writing standpoint, for a show that only has six episodes to bring about a satisfying conclusion to a plot as convoluted and bonkers as UA has, they squandered Episode 5. The first four episodes we were moving along, finding plot points, getting Umbrellas in position to move things forward, and then Ep5 hits and is anyone except Viktor and Ben doing something for the plot??? The show is at its strongest with the Umbrellas are together, and it went out of its way to split them up. I also usually love character time, but we had no time to spare! We spend most of the episode either with Five and Lila in the subway, or with Klaus in the world’s most fucked-up situation. And neither do anything to build meaningfully towards the final episode! A weird choice to have your show screech to a halt in its penultimate episode.

Usually, Klaus’ side adventures loop in some important detail that pushes things forward in an unexpected way – he destroys Hazel and ChaCha’s briefcase because of Vietnam, he finds the Kugelblitz, he puts Reggie in position to use Oblivion. This time? He’s getting used and abused by a gang and buried alive to be reunited with Allison so that we… gain nothing? Except Klaus and Allison have made up from their fight? Why did I have to watch Klaus get possessed and fucked for that to happen? Why did they do that to him and me. I don’t mind angst and the incredible fucked-up situations, but it has to be earned and the story didn’t gain anything from it. Klaus just had a horrific time because that’s what he gets, I guess.

And now we get to Five and Lila. Five and Lila, Five and Lila, Five and Lila. The thing is – I don’t hate the idea of them. Obviously, it’s not anything I was ever going to ship on my own, but if they’re going to do it, I can see how and why. They even set it up in a way that I go “yeah I get it.” The thing is, after setting it up, they completely forgot what makes either character themselves or compelling so that they could be shoehorned into Cottagecore Bliss in the greenhouse and the most boring romance possible. If we're committed to doing this, I wish they’d had a weird trauma-bonded relationship in the rat pits of the subway, I would have understood that. Supported it even, tbh. Let them be weird and feral together, yelling and emoting at each other over eastbound vs westbound trains. Instead, Five, who for the past three seasons has been driven by his need to save his family, is happy to delay returning and give up on them to keep very quietly playing house with Lila. What the fuck. Lila, who cannot handle domestic life with Diego and her three children, can handle being a housewife with Five and wear soft sweaters and dresses. They didn’t try to kill each other once! I said way back after S3 aired that I didn’t like Lila’s pregnancy plot because it was going to tie her down in weird ways, and lo and behold! UA writers cannot write women, and it sucks that Lila was yet another casualty of that.

And then the whole thing shafts Diego. I know Diego and Lila don’t have a particularly healthy relationship, but he’s an Umbrella and Lila’s mom is the Handler. I think they do pretty well for what they’re working with, they have a fun chemistry, and it seemed (before this season) they really loved each other. Why did Steve write them off instead of letting their arc be them falling back in love (well, I guess that was Diego’s arc. Wasn’t Lila’s)? Now the three of them get to spend the final episode of the entire show in an unhappy, unnecessary love triangle instead of us getting to watch the Umbrella Academy fully join together to save the world one last time.

After all of that, the rest of my complaints feel like small potatoes. Why don’t we do another numbered list to round out this essay. In no particular order –

It sucks Ben was the plot driver of the season and then doesn’t even get to die with his family, just melted and turned into mindless Cleanse Goo. I was excited for him to get to do more, was excited for a payoff for Viktor trying to return the favor of Umbrella Ben sacrificing himself for him. I wish the Cleanse was more squiddy because it was made out of the two squiddiest characters.

UA has gotten more and more flexible with powers as the seasons have gone, but I straight up do not know what Allison’s power was at the end. Was she telekinetic? Was she Rumoring reality? Why did we have to use that to graphically crush a man’s balls in front of Claire? I liked that the powers got an upgrade and a twist, for the most part, but that only works if we know what they are. Lila has laser eyes and I thought that was it until they needed her to mimic powers again in the last episode. Five can’t blink anymore because he now just goes to the subway (still an aesthetic that is cool, and a cool way to have it tied in a different way to time), unless he’s doing it with Lila? Viktor just has energy now, I guess, sound doesn’t seem to be part of it.

Abigail. I did not fully follow what her motivation was. I wanted her to be comically evil, worse than Reggie, but – again- UA writers can’t write women so I guess she was just a good guy benevolently taking skin suits so she could get the world to end to save the world. Boring. Reggie also should have recognized his wife even if she was wearing Gene and kissed Nick Offerman.

Why didn’t Five have a reaction to his Apocalypse? He had PTSD flashbacks in S1! He was trapped there for four decades! It’s been six years but it’s not like he was working on his mental health during that time. No reaction???? Don’t even get me started on Delores and his “Good thing I’ve never been married” comment.

I’m not usually for fan service, but it felt like the season was actively trying to avoid fan service. Was Gene and Jean’s dance really the only dance party of the season? Five doesn’t have a single fight scene to fun music? Five doesn’t kill anyone all season??? What the fuck.

I wish the Fives in the Five Diner were Sean Sullivan. Bring back Old Five, why would Five fuck up his jump back in every timeline.

The gratuitous fat shaming. It’s always been bad with Luther, but absolutely ridiculous the comments made about Diego.

I don’t particularly like Sloane but where the fuck was Sloane. And I hope Ray not being in the show was a scheduling conflict, because that was tragic that he off-screen left Allison with no further explanation or context. Didn’t feel very Ray.  

A lot of character arcs from over the whole show stagnate or go backwards. Luther is back at the Academy after working to build his own identity. Klaus I guess has to be on drugs if he has his powers. I don’t know what’s going on with Allison and Claire’s relationship – it seems bad at the beginning but just sort of fixes itself when they go rescue Klaus? Diego tries to have an arc to understand how much good he has with his family, but the writers won’t let Lila be part of that. Don't get me started on Five.

I wish the writing team cared enough to actually know the characters. Luther’s powers aren’t tied to him being gorilla’d – that was a separate event, why would the marigolds re-gorilla him. Lila likes bracelets, one of the very first things she did in the show was take and keep the one Diego made. It’s little things, but they go a long way in making us know the creative team cares, rather than just jerking around these characters because they have an idea the think is funny or shocking and requires characters to go against their established personalities and motivations to pull off.

Overall – it was fine, which is not the energy you want when finishing one of the most popular shows on one of the biggest streaming platforms. I get why people are upset, I get a lot of mourning is happening, but I hope we can find a spot where we can enjoy what we have and play in the space again.

It was always going to be a rough goodbye. This show, as cliché as it is, changed my life. I started writing because of it. I’ve made some incredible friends because of it. It helped me figure out I was trans, because of Elliot Page. I’m going to miss it. I’m going to keep hanging around here having fun with the characters, but I’ll miss the fandom, too, as people move on to whatever the next new thing is.

It's been a ride, everyone!

[flyingwargle]

bokuaka fanfic recommendations!

i am uncharacteristically nervous about posting this haha i read a lot of fanfic and always enjoy looking at other people's recommendations, so i thought, why not share some of my favorites?

all these recs are sfw!

oneshots!

banana bread by leuralo_1 gen. 2.1k words. bokuto pov. bokuto and his roommates have too many bananas and akaashi takes the train overnight to make banana bread with it. that's it, that's the fic. it's so cute, i'm begging you to read it.

spending all, spending all my time (loving you) by hyeyu gen. 3.4k words. bokuto pov. akaashi is a dimension traveler and gets nailed in the head by bokuto's serve, so he stays until he fixes his dimension travel device. one of my first bokuaka fics that i read, very cute and the pining is palpable.

in the same room, at the same time by quel_nightmare teen. 21.5k. alternating pov. marriage proposal fic! i read this all in one sitting and my heart was ready to burst by the end. very cute, i won't spoil anything other than that <3

astronomy in reverse (it was me who was discovered) by flumes teen. 22.1k. akaashi pov. a non-linear narrative about akaashi pining over bokuto from high school to the future. very poetic and lyrical, with the boys discovering their feelings for each other in the end. i also read this all in one sitting.

longfics!

background check by ghostystarr gen. 2 chapters, 8k words. msby4 changes bokuto's lockscreen picture for fun since he doesn't lock his phone, but the game changes when he changes it to a picture of akaashi. a very fun and cute fic with the msby4 gang helping their bro out.

truth is such a violent force by inaminute teen. 8 chapters, 41k. it starts with akaashi's 1st year at fukurodani and explores his dysfunctional family, growing relationship with bokuto, and deals with homophobia. i love the fukurodani boys in this, and how supportive they are of one another. there's also a sequel that is just as heart-wrenching as this one! (both have happy endings, don't worry)

flightless owl by volleydorkscentral teen. 31 chapters, 57.6k words. bokuto gravely injures his leg and has to sit the rest of his third year out. this fic focuses on his recovery, his relationship with akaashi developing, and overcoming the pain of his injury. has a happy ending, as well!

the way you look at me by mocaw teen. 36 chapters, 79.2k words. bokuto sees train guy every night on his commute after practice until he decides to take the first step and introduce himself. this fic is the reason why i ship bokuaka. it's slowburn, deals with anxiety and ptsd, developing relationships, and is just beautifully written (i am also extremely biased because this shaped my undergrad years). please read it, i'm begging you.

the death of our hands by bershlate teen. 25 chapters, 109k words. this longfic explores akaashi's ocd, his dysfunctional family, and an amazing oc older brother, along with his relationship with bokuto. i read this recently and finished it in a few days because of how gripping the story is <3

i'll let you shatter me with your pain by kuromantic teen. 23 chapters, 160.4k words. akaashi is an empath and when he brushes against bokuto, he gets the biggest shock of emotions of his life. this fic is very heavy, dealing with abuse, malnutrition, trauma, and homophobia. it has a happy ending, and our boys do get together <3

i'll reblog this from time to time to add more recs as i keep reading! of course, feel free to check out my own bokuaka fics >:3 i might post more?? for other pairings and general recs?? and for genshin too since i have a lot there haha okay enjoy bye!

[narwhalandchill]

spicy take incoming but i kinda wish ppl werent so desperately attached to and protective of this moniker of Great Big Brother 100% Perfect So True And Real when it comes to childe bc honestly. he really isnt (perfect or even that good at times) and to me acknowledging the ways both he and his family (for enabling him) are in some ways kinda just. doing teucer incredibly dirty in the long term but only with the best of intentions in the short term is so much more interesting than just pretending hes a flawless brother?? like it only adds to the drama and irony of it all man like theyre rly so dysfunctional as a family unit its great. even if hoyos likely never exploring that shit in its true depth it still lives rent free in my head for sure lol

like. you rly dont have to turn ajax into some sort of unfeeling uncaring monster of a shit brother to acknowledge that he does, in fact, repeatedly make incredibly reckless and selfish choices during his SQ with teucer and in general by choosing to obstruct the truth of who he is from lil bro so completely?

like this stuff can be nuanced and coexist with his absolutely 100% genuine commitment to protecting teucers bubble of a worldview (and w the theme of childlike dreams and wishes being so prevalent in general who knows what could be cooking w that one in particular) and his loyalty and love for his family without just having to whitewash the dumb shit he does lmao

like just bc hes capable of and willing to face the potentially grave repercussions of absolute bangers (🙄🙄) like teaching an actual fucking child to consider ruin machines fun besties and 100% insta ready to fuck himself up by protecting teucer at the cost of aggravating his still-unhealed injuries from the liyue AQ when dottores abandoned lab turns out to be more lively than expected doesnt. make that choice not a very irresponsible one yall im begging 💀

like. hes the adult here . the entire situation unfolding as dangerously as it does in the factory is Absolutely all on HIM for not being able and/or willing to disappoint teucer by just . Doing the mature thing and sending him away to safety because HES gotten too attached to this idea of being his lil siblings' loyal knight and perfect brother that Always finds a way to surpass the expectations no matter the cost its a role HE wants to keep playing despite the risk

like its So obviously a pride thing for him too and thats so fucking interesting because Of how flawed and questionable the logic is!! like yes he truly cares about teucer and ensuring he has a great unforgettable time during this impromptu escapade in liyue like thats not up to debate but the point im trying to make is that the choices he makes are Still very much intertwined with his ego and overconfidence and not really based all that much on Whats Actually The Best Approach Here. he improvises a way to give teucer the best mr cyclops outing he has ever seen bc HE wants to be the one offering him that experience and ends up biting off a bit more than he can chew and he can only blame himself for that one and This Isnt Fucking Sustainable

like i dont think that makes him evil but i do think it showcases his arrogance and flaws in a very concrete way and is a part of why calling him a perfect brother or at least one without an asterix just. rubs me off wrong lmao

like idk feel free to keep calling him that if its important to u and all if u want idc (and i do to some extent get why this defensive narrative of insisting hes great no issues at all emerged bc i remember 1.1 some ppl acting like hes childcare satan for how he treats teucer lol) but. at least like . Be willing to chip in to fund the therapy teucers going to need for those lifelong trust issues in the future man 💀

Bc Thats The Other Thing. now tonia and anthon i dont consider a part of this bc at least they Know hes in the fatui and hiding the gory details of ur harbinger job from ur baby sibs is like. fair enough and reasonable. but. crafting an Entire different AU version of yourself and feeding it to your baby brother as what constitutes actual reality surely is a choice of all times like ajax ily but genuinely . What the fuck if you were real id throttle you

AND HIS FAMILY ENABLING IT THE ENTIRE TIME ITS CRAZY LIKE. As a person with multiple siblings both older n younger with some similar age gap cohorts involved. God id snitch so fucking fast i dont think ppl rly stop and think much abt how objectively horrifying this shit is from teucers long term pov 😭 in the best way obviously given its fiction like its so scrumptiously awful and dysfunctional .

(& just in general man im just so obsessed with the way ajax 14 basically broke the eggshell of his past life and emerged to rise towards his destiny drowned in the guts and gore of the place and people and community he once called home unconditionally. Bro he fucked that town UP and now his family relations will never ever be the same its so fucking Delicious. those 3 days missing and what followed are just Actually a literal fucking horror movie when you stop blindly stanning our ginger menace, forget ajax' side and take the pov of his family and morepesok in general Why Are People Not Talking About This)

like. its not that i dont understand Why this is sth childe ended up doing as i said Thats The Point. its human. teucer is the only one in the family who wasnt there during that fateful 3 days/months . Like yea anthon and tonia were prolly sheltered from most of the carnage back then too but they still Know where he was sent when he became literally uncontrollable and almost killed the neighbors (everybody & their mom loves demonizing his parents as if his demon spawn ass left them a fucking choice JFEJSJSJSKDKS) . like its at least Known.

but then theres teucer.

And like. teucers the Only one with whom ajax can even pretend to have that delusion (ha) of normalcy and a family that hasnt seen him gaze into the abyss and stare back bloodied and grinning ear to ear . like. hes the only shot childe can have at even playacting some crude imitation of normalcy before Everything and even That comes with an expiration date hes fully aware of. so theres just lies after lies after lies and the fact that even his family just. if not actively partaking in the charade then at least silently allows the entirety of it to happen to teucer whos the Only fucking one out of the loop is just..... dude its not fair on him At All

Misleading teucer THIS much is just. its fucking horrible man but i GET it. thats why its so delicious man i GET it but god its just . imagine being teucer in this situation.... thats his entire fucking World shattered once the truth comes out. Everyone close to him has been lying to him his entire time. They all knew and they let him be misled. Like sure he might be happier Now with ajax dutifully protecting that childhood dream of his but after that. Just. sit on this for a bit. after everything do we Really think teucers just going to understand why it came to be and see it as worth it???? Will he really????

yet at the same time as awfully cruel it all is its just So human!!!!! Its so human of both ajax and his family to use the innocence of the only child that was spared the aftermath of worlds best/worst 3 month abyss training camp to indulge in this flawed false reality where their third son didnt walk into the void and come back hungry for More until only the fatui could take him and even then it only spurred him on further on that path. Like its all an act and a lie and its just. Not fucking fair on teucer but hes still doing it and theyre letting him even tho they Know it wont last theyre all looking teucer in the eye every day and letting him believe like man....

like in both the entire ruin factory sequence And in general hiding the truth from teucer as extensively as childe does hes being incredibly selfish but at the same time its selfishness only rly in the way all people are when it comes to Wanting to be seen a certain way by the ones they love and care about. and thats what makes it so interesting. bc as much as the choices he makes are dubious (or like. this decision makes sense to him. a morally bisexual total omnivore ethics-wise narwhalpilled since 14 who sees exclusively in abyss shrimp colors and acts accordingly) both they and the motivations behind them are also just. So very human ones . as terrible as the implications and eventual inevitable downfall of those choices can (will) be.

like. is it not that much more fascinating to consider all the ways that childe is neither a particularly exemplary nor an egregiously bad brother just one that. Happens to be wired weird in the head and proud and flawed and with a track record of heavily suspect decision-making but that also very much genuinely loves his family man. Like i can love that about him without dismissing the fact that theres parts to how hes treating teucer that 100% can and imo rly should backfire horrifically bc. It really just is that fucked up

hes not a good brother hes Worse AMD better than that and also not alone in this like. his family is an active fucking part of this . But like still . Is he trying his best with his abyss shrimp colored vision ? Yes. Is his love genuine? Absolutely. What are the marks? 3/10 meet me in the office after class mister youre just actually horrible (affectionate) 😭

A perfect brother? Not My Ajax man 🗣🗣 and like theres SO MUCH to explore in that it makes me so sad you just. Never see any of it p much in fanworks bc we all just call him best bro and whatever and thats that like its so sad. this family is terrible horrible awful and no good and they deserve it but also didnt deserve it it was misfortune it was fate it was inevitable . justice for teucer man i need to get him in therapy asap

[moronkombat]

Yo glad you're back!! Platonic hcs on being the Lin kuei bros youngest sister who's a cryomancer? How likely will the line blur to being your older brother to father figure with Bi-han? Kuai feeling alienated to their bond as siblings due to being a pyromancer. Tomas feeling more left out even when we try to

As much as I love fun healthy family dynamics, the dysfunctional fits more for them.

you have no idea how badly i had to resist making this dark and nasty

Bi-Han:

Although he knows he is your elder brother, he treats you more as someone to lead and guide

His resentment for his father burns far too brightly for Bi-Han to sit idle and let him father you

He often speaks for you when it comes to interactions with your father and once your father dies, Bi-Han takes it upon himself to mold you into the perfect Lin Kuei

Very harsh and critical of your cyromancy and will have you train relentlessly until the technique is perfected

This is done not out of cruelty but out of concern for you and the desire for you to be strong and capable

Bi-Han plans for you to be part of his elite along side Sektor and Cyrax and so he needs to to be able to take care of yourself and have strength that can match his own

Kuai Liang:

Kuai Liang is the only one of his siblings that knows the kiss of a flame and when you were born, he was hopeful that you would too

Alas, you did not. You a cryomancer just like his elder brother but for a long time he held out hope that perhaps you'd be gifted with both abilities. This was wishful thinking

Still, this did not stop him from forming a close relationship with you. He's a protective brother but not overly so

Although he knows you will never wield fire, he still teaches you some of the skills he has in the hopes you can adapt them to your cryomancy. The results are mixed

Upon his departure from the Lin Kuei, he pleaded for you to join him but you refused to leave Bi-Han

Kuai Liang was absolutely crushed and even thought about stealing you away but what would that accomplish? You'd only hate him more

Now he must settle with the fact that you two will one day clash blades. It is no easy task for him

Tomas:

You were but a small baby when Tomas was accepted in your family and so you grew up knowing him as a brother

Tomas enjoyed playing with you when you were younger. It seemed he finally had someone to connect with, someone who wasn't so naturally gifted in elements

It did not last. Your cryomancy manifested and Tomas felt disappointed but kept it to himself. He told you he was happy for you

But the discovery of your abilities meant less time together. You needed to train and master your abilities

This left little time for you and Tomas to play like you always used to. That chapter of life so harshly closed and naturally you drifted apart from him

Tomas missed you horribly and felt even worse when you spent more time with Bi-Han and he often caught himself wishing things were different

[scatteredskittless]

so this is a half-joking request but can i req a vox x reader who watches skibidi toilet and uses gen alpha slang LMFAO also just in case you don't know gen alpha slang but it's like the 'caseoh fanum tax ohio mogus livvy dunne rizzing up baby gronk' things can you make it fluff hcs?? i just thought this would be funny asf lol (idk what to do for the relationship thing you can make it romantic, platonic, familial, literally anything i cant think of anything rn) alright tysm in advance i hope you have a good day :D - (can i be gyatt anon)

Vox x Gen alpha having humour! Reader

A/n: Never did I ever think I’d be writing headcanons with vox that involve SKIBIDI TOLIET. This is humiliating…………. I’m doing it (And sure you can be gyat anon 😭)

Warnings: gen alpha slang/j, you’re also a crusty little iPad kid lol so this is familial

Fluff✔️ Comfort❌ Angst❌ Smut❌

📺☆ The first time you ever used gen alpha slang around Vox he was… very confused to say the least.

📺☆ I mean, this guy literally died in the 1950’s bro would have ZERO clue what you’re talking about 😭🙏

📺☆ but he’d probably laugh at how dumb what you’re saying sounds sometimes

📺☆ Like who are these people? Who is caseoh?? Livvy Dunne??? Baby gronk???? Might ask Velvette if she knows about it to try and understand you better

📺☆ She’d probably end up laughing at him. Especially after she was informed you told him he has “zero rizz” (Radiosilence is so funny to me lmfaoo)

📺☆ Tell him about “skibidi toliet” lore and he’d disintegrate on the spot.

📺☆ I can’t stop imaging reader as like... an iPad kid Vox scooped up off the street after an extermination or something and brought back to the Vee tower. (Haven’t figured out the logistics as to how this would go down though)

📺☆ Originally he wasn’t gonna keep you but one thing led to another and now you’re basically his kid lol

📺☆ And as much as you confuse him and the other Vees with your sense of humour and the slang you use, they still love you ♡

📺☆ Oh and if you headcanon that they’re a polyamorous couple?? Congrats, now you have THREE parents (Highly dysfunctional ones yeah.. but still parents)

Please do not repost, translate, or plagarize any of my fanfictions/headcanons/writing without permission ◟( ˃̶͈◡ ˂̶͈ )◞

ᯓ★ Scatteredskittles

[yugiohz]

i love this blog because most of you don't care about or follow bnha so i can vent here without getting dogpiled by other readers. also, everyone is welcome to comment, disagree etc. as long as you're respectful, what i don't like though is when people who haven't read bnha in years add comments/speculations ike bro you weren't there!!! anyway i put this rant under a read more ^-^

to preface this, I don't want to bitch and moan too much about this epilogue, Horikoshi seems to have given up and tbh we don't know what drove him to this point of resignation (probably overexertion).

I've made around 50 posts about the todoroki closure and what kind of ending they received, but i think there's one thing that bothered me that i never menitoned; I have a bone to pick with class 1A being granted immunity to everything while the villains have to bear the brunt of horikoshi's questionable decisions.

while i never really cared about class 1a, i've always respected that class 1A's community is a focal aspect of horikoshi's storytelling. In that regard, I wasn't surprised that Shoto would be okay with the dysfunctional state of his family because they've never been a support system for him , class 1A is his support system and where he first builds his genuine relationships and that's cute. I also think Shoto's shouout to class 1A in the epilogue tied rlly well into his fight with Dabi (the anime made it even nice imo), like i can't deny that shoto's 1st year of high school helped him so much on so many levels!

that being said, that transition from family to class 1A still left a bitter taste in my mouth because, to me (!!!!!!!!), it just felt emblematic of the ignorance and shortsightedness that permeates horikoshi's writing, especially coupled with these recent chapters; this epilogue enforces bnha's ignorant belief that as long as deku's immediate cirlce (class 1A) is fine and trying their best, we don't have to worry about anything else; Class 1A get to have their corny moments, survive heart attacks & open heart surgeries, their arms grow back, but NONE of that suspension of disbelief that it takes to accept this make-belief story is granted to the villains. The juxtaposition between how class 1A was handled vs. how the villains were handled is too jarring. This epilogue cemented to me (!!!) that heroes and villains seem to abide by 2 separate sets of diegetic rules/logic, which is just bad writing to me because there is no coherence behind it beyond the "good people deserve good endings and abjects of society deserve bad endings". you really can't be mad at "villain stans" for being incredibly frustrated when we SEE that horikoshi can very well bend some rules and make characters survive (which in itself isn't even my main gripe) and grant them kinder endings.

I love tragedies and I would be fine with some not so great outcomes (dabi) if the asymmetry between heroes and villains weren't to jarring. This epilogue made it very clear whom horikoshi deems worthy of kindness & dignity and whom he doesn't.

Class 1A getting to live in their little microcosm where they get rewareded for mere effort & can sing and dance all kumbaya while every single villain (VICTIM) dies is just insane. It feels perverse to me. and while i do think that shoto's love for class 1A is convincing and fits his arc, I also think that it's a bit ridiculous that horikoshi always emphasizes that love when shoto doesn't form significant relationships outside of the main boy circle, how come ochako is also part of that circle but he doesn't talk to her once (misogyny), horikoshi talks an awful lot about this particular bond when shoto has like 3 friends in that class, which is fine but you can't be mad at me for wanting him to put some effort into how shoto deals with his BROTHER like they should've gotten a bigger moment..........

I can come to terms with dabi's ending tbh. while i wouldn't have written it like that, he's always been a dead man walking so whatever, i can see the tragic value of it in some grotesque way even though i'd love for a victim to survive this violence. But shigaraki's ending is extremely insulting and leaves a very questionable message like what's the point of this.

whatever this epilogue is beyong ridiculous to me & horikoshi is tired so i will let this rest and not waste my time being any more upset about it hopefully. most of bnha has been very fun and the bakudeku plotline was handled beautifully imo, you can tell horikoshi put effort and love into that and for that i'm grateful <3 don't ask me anything about the villians tho

i wrote this at 7am on an empty stomach so feel free to comment/correct/remind of sth i love talking about this :)

and as much as i appreciate the much more positive reception of these recent chapters I read those posts too, I don't think it's wrong to say that, on a very basic level, bnha is extremely disappointing for failing its biggest victims

the only thing that could make me take back all of my criticism would be bnha 2.0 in which horikoshi would actually make his characters reflect onn whatever happened lmaoooo

[alexandraisyes]

What do you think about each Celestial family member having their own villain arc?

In theory? Yeah that's an interesting concept

With the show's canon? No. That sounds like a total disaster when the only person they really have left is Earth.

Sun: Killed the original bm, Tried to kill Eclipse, Purposefully scared Lunar, broke Moon's computer in anger, blah blah blah. Honestly, he hasn't done anything that bad past those things. And he tried to fix things afterward, but I'd still call that his "villain arc" because he was acting downright vile. And yes I know it's because he was dealing with a psychotic breakdown, which is why I'm not being that hard on him. But also he spent months pushing Nexus away and then was upset that Nexus wasn't like old Moon when he never really made an effort to get to know who Nexus was, he just assumed he was like Moon.

Old Moon: God I could literally go on all day. He's a villain in his own right. Abused Sun physically, mentally, and emotionally for years. We still haven't seen a proper apology or acknowledgment of that. Friends with Monty, which should be a crime in itself. He's literally done whatever he wants whenever he wants the entirety of his existence and blown up at people when they try to tell him no. He's only bothered to care when things are out of his control, he's been known to be a control freak and borderline obsessive.

Lunar: Killed Eclipse, loves to threaten to shock people for pissing him off, plus he's always been a very morally grey character. He does what benefits Lunar and doesn't care about what other people think or how it will affect them. He's a little bit narcopathic, to be honest. He lied about Eclipse abusing him for over a year just to get sympathy points, and it's only been in the past few months that he's come clean about the fact that Eclipse never abused him. He's two-faced and immature.

Nexus: Currently going through it, someone send him cookies, please. Bro is dealing with a virus and psychosis and is not having a good time, and I'm honestly slightly upset that they're actively villainizing him when he's quite literally mentally ill. Especially since he's more or less dealing with the same thing Sun was a year? Two years? ago.

Eclipse: I know he's not a part of the celestial family/related to anyone anymore, but he literally made the purpose of his existence into being a pain in the ass three separate times.

Ruin: Also not in the family but we all know his crimes (being too silly)

Solar: I don't consider him as part of the family the same way I don't consider Ruin or Eclipse as part of it. However he's cold and calloused in his own right (he is an Eclipse after all, even if he's supposed to be a "nice" one) and has been known to have something of a temper. I wouldn't say he's ever had a villain arc, but also he's a very morally grey character (again, he is an eclipse). I feel like if he had any less restraint we would have an entirely different view of him.

Killcode: Not part of the family but bro literally started as a cannibalistic freak like-

So of all the "positive" characters that leaves us with Earth. And so far she's managed to be angelically (this is a compliment to her self restraint) composed and hasn't caused any damage. So far. I really hope they don't give her a "villain arc" because she's like a breath of air in the dysfunctionality. Like yeah, she's dysfunctional and fucked over in her own right, but she hasn't tried to kill anyone. She hasn't tried to hurt anyone (besides bm but that was a security/defense protocol and they lowkey deserved it). I like Earth, I hope they just keep doing what they're doing with her.

I know a lot of people don't like Earth and call her a "Mary Sue" or some shit but I think that just comes from a lack of media literacy because she's a very detailed and complex character who's more than just "a pretty face and kind personality with daddy issues". Y'all who say that are just being offensive and rude, and it comes off as extremely misogynistic. Yes she has her flaws, but I don't see people hating the rest of the cast like they hate her.

[mylifeisfruk4ever]

Group Project has been created

Patroclus has added Achilles, Odysseus, Menelaus, and Diomedes to Group Project.

Patroclus's name has been changed to Baby

Achilles's name has been changed to I'm sexy and I know it

Odysseus 's name has been changed to SmartAss

Diomedes's nickname has been changed to Fight me

Menelaus's nickname has been changed to Himbo

 

Baby: I'm starting to regret it.

I'm sexy and I know it: If you want, you can change your nickname.

Baby: Nope, I'm Baby and I know it.

Himbo: Did you just…did you just mention LMFAO?

Baby: Achilles' nickname is the fucking song name. I stated a fact.

SmartAss: Guys, this is ridiculous. It should be a science project group.

I'm sexy and I know it: do you want to change and become Gayleo?

SmartAss: Gayleo never existed.

I'm sexy and I know it: Speak for yourself. He is my guide and inspiration!!!

Fight me: Are you making gay jokes without me?!

I'm sexy and I know it: Never, bro!

SmartAss: guys, we should get organized for the project! The professor gave us carte blanche!

I'm sexy and I know it: we have time!

SmartAss: Three weeks!

I'm sexy and I know it: at worst you enter the professor's house and change your grades. It would not be the first time.

SmartAss: hth yu know?

I'm sexy and I know it: Gays know everything.

Baby: we saw you come out of Professor Nestor's window. You fell and rolled a few feet. Then you got up and pretended you were there for a walk.

SmartAss: You have no proof.

Himbo: I'm starting to think that maybe it was better to be in a group with my cousin.

 

6pm.

I'm sexy and I know it: so, I have a scientific headcanon…

SmartAss: Please say theory! You have a scientific theory!

I'm sexy and I know it: Anyway, I have a scientific headcanon. But I need Hector in a locked room and a gun.

Baby: Achilles, we will not use Russian roulette for our project.

I'm sexy and I know it: But it's for science! Probability theory! It's brainy.

Himbo: Still no. Let's use Paris.

Fight me: what if we put Paris and Hector in a room with only one gun? What would happen?

SmartAss: Bold of you assumes that Hector doesn't strangle his brother after five minutes.

Himbo: mood.

 

8pm

SmartAss: We need an idea!

Fight me: I think using Hector and Paris would solve our problems.

SmartAss: but it's illegal!

Fight me: and since when do you worry?

SmartAss: Since there might be evidence that can frame me, or too many witnesses. I have nothing against you guys, but I would kill you and hide your bodies so I don't end up in prison. No offense.

Himbo: We already knew that

Fight me: That's why Ajax hates you.

I'm sexy and I know it: doesn't Ajax hate him because Odysseus stole his job as captain of the rugby team?

Fight me: Also.

SmartAss: Some don't know how to lose.

Himbo: You weren't even on the team.

SmartAss: and now I'm captain. Your point?

Baby: Forget Hector and Paris. I want to study Odysseus.

I'm sexy and I know it: are you cheating on me for the dwarf?!

SmartAss: Hey!

Fight me: don't listen to him, bro. It is known that dwarves have something else that is very great.

Himbo: And how do you know?

Fight me: you'd like to know, huh?

 

8.45pm

SmartAss: studying the dysfunctional relationships of Ettore's family is not a bad idea...

Himbo: What changed your mind?

SmartAss: I went to take out the garbage…

I'm sexy and I know it: it's not nice to talk like that about Diomedes.

Fight me: Fuck you

I'm sexy and I know it: Baby already takes care of it.

Himbo: gross

I'm sexy and I know it: you're just jealous. You and Helen never like us.

Fight me:  I would kill them myself.

SmartAss: guys, focus. Social experiment. Relationships between brothers, and we use Hector and all his brothers.

Fight me: how many are there again? Twelve?

Himbo: now nineteen. Hecuba has just given birth.

Fight me: Nineteen?!

Baby: they should have stopped with the twins. It was enough. Hell, they should have stopped at Paris. They had to understand that it would only be worse later.

Himbo: but what job does Priam do? There are twenty-two people, two dogs, a cat, and Paris. How can he live in such a big house?

SmartAss: doesn't he work for the government?

Fight me: no government job pays this well!

Himbo: unless you're the president. 

I'm sexy and I know it: what if he is the head of the CIA?

Baby: Sure, and the head of the CIA came to this city to check out a high school and a very dangerous Blockbuster. Never mind that they sell DVDs of terrorists.

Fight me: But it would make sense because he has so many children. They are all future Spy Kids!

Himbo: if the fate of my country is in the hands of Paris, I will expatriate and change my name.

I'm sexy and I know it: Cassandra knows things. It's clearly spy training.

Fight me: Cassandra talks bullshit.

Himbo: You're only saying that because she told everyone that you had tea dressed as a fairytale princess with your six-year-old cousin.

Fight me: this has never happened! Cassandra is a liar!

Himbo: and where did the glitter in your hair come from?

Fight me: it wasn't glitter.

Himbo: And what was it?

Fight me: heroine

SmartAss: It was glitter.

SmartAss: Anyway, social experiment. We will observe Ettore and his family, thus describing their social dynamics.

Baby: Isn't that stalking?

SmartAss: no, it's science.

 

 

8am

I'm sexy and I know it: Outside school Cassandra came up to me and gave me a card with her family's schedule.

I'm sexy and I know it: she told me since you want to spy on us, better know when you will find us all.

I'm sexy and I know it: then she disappeared

Fight me: every time. Wtf.

Himbo: Am I the only one wondering how she knew or…

Baby: Dude, the fewer questions you ask, the better.

Fight me: this proves nothing! she just got lucky!

SmartAss: send nudes!!!

Fight me: I would love to do it but I'm almost at school.

SmartAss: No, idiot! No nudes. Dudes

SmartAss: Come help me! Ajax is chasing me! With a car!

Himbo: What did you do to him this time?

SmartAss: nothing!

Fight me: liar.

Fight me: give me a minute and I'll be with you.

 

8.30am

Fight me: RIP Odysseus

Fight me: he's not dead, but as soon as Ajax gets out of the hospital, he'll definitely kill him.

SmartAss: in my defense, he wanted to do me worse than send me to the hospital.

Himbo: Aren't you two supposed to be in class?

SmartAss: what part of Ajax wanted me dead wasn't clear to you?

Baby: How the hell you are alive? Ajax is twice your size.

SmartAss: If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

Baby: the alarming thing is that I never know when he's joking or serious.

Himbo: you guys scare me.

I'm sexy and I know it: you still have time to do the project with your cousin.

Himbo: better not

Himbo: I don't know if he would try to kill me, steal my girlfriend or sleep with my brother

Baby: i'm starting to think that it's not just Hector who has a dysfunctional family

Fight me: why don't I have sexy cousins who want to sleep with me?

I'm sexy and I know it: Thersites wants to fuck you.

Fight me: but he is not sexy!!!

Baby: If I have to go to therapy one day, I'll show these chats.

SmartAss: this should be a serious group chat...

I'm sexy and I know it: dude, did you see us?

I'm sexy and I know it: nobody here is normal. except Pat, but  he is perfect, so...

SmartAss: ...

SmartAss: we are doomed.

Fight me: prepare the copy of Nestore's house keys.

Fight me: you will need it

[acourtofquestions]

For being a “romance” writer I actually think the best love stories shown in the Maasverse are not romantic:

The platonic & “found family” storylines; Primarily the SISTERHOOD is what I think lands next level.

*stay with me here*

The Archeron Sisters: dysfunctional — YES — but aren't siblings always?🤣 They however, not only carry the plot; (example) THEY kill Hybern. But, they ALSO carry the greatest character development; (ex.) NESTA! And in that propel the two; (ex-LITERALLY the BEGINNING of the ENTIRE series) why does Feyre go with Tamlin to Prythian in the first place? — to protect/save her sisters. The 3 of them serve as a key to the heart of the story. Their dysfunction as children (reminder: they were children) revolved both around carrying the weight of their parents mistakes, a village that abandoned & scorned, and their failures to themselves & each other; but in the end, they are redeemed. At the end of the day, they ARE sisters, & they love each other; they will go to the grave for that, they will come home to that, and they will keep trying & surviving, fighting with & for that… Without them there is no story… it ends long before it begins; the high lady dies with her child, the man of shadow never laughs, the son of autumn stays in suffocating spring, the blood letter bleeds to death, no ships appear in the war, the mortal world is forgotten falling to ruin unseen & unspoken, the world crumbles under the mountain as violet eyes go out, no paint coats the cabin, the eldest daughter freezes in her barren bitter cold, the flower child wilts in the bereavement of once being beloved, the girl stays alone never knowing more never feeling love never having a thing to fight for; she never kills the wolf. The story is untold without the Archeron Sisters.

The Valkyrie: beyond the Archeron sisters we have a sisterhood that was built out of shared trauma & shared strength beyond blood-bound; a storyline that I found quite literally healing to read (especially for women who have lived through trauma and abuse; a group that’s voice is not often heard enough) & hitting home dearly for any woman who has experienced found sisterhood; you know, it is a different kind of love; one that would go to war for each other, a love that knows more, adores wholly (seeing & knowing better, more, deeper, further; unconditional). Their friendship is very VERY powerful; from the quite literal physical sense, and the greater sense of empowerment (both to the characters, storyline/plot & the readers); plus extra props to being able to change Nesta’s mind (that alone is a feat worthy of godesshood😂). And the heroine’s of the storyline; one that exceeds a singular book & enters the real world; almost becoming an entire series of a new world (even without the tale to read; though I hope for more someday).

I can’t speak of Valkyries & Archeron Sisters without speaking to our other ancient brethren of heroes; THE BAT BOYS: I feel like another group in contrast that is not always given a voice that allows emotion is friendships among men (they are either acceptable by “bro” codes with a double-back-pat ONLY, or demeaned as for showing normal human emotion) so, I appreciate that here we have powerful & strong heroes (that are portrayed as such) while having platonically loving friendships/found family (that does not revolve around demeaning women). And what a powerful/beautiful century spanning tear-jerking true-love showing story it is; one that is a key to the heart & psyche of these characters; & that I think the story would not exist without. They have loved each other through everything; from start to end, they have fought side by side, they were the heart before there was a story. They were what they were fighting for… you could say the true treasure was the friends they made along the way… like 500 years ago… & I mean doesn’t that say enough? — Who would you spend 500 years with? — Well, whatever the answer is: THAT is true love.

[navarice]

my dearest fellow mdzs stans, i really don't want to spoil anyone's fun but sometimes some things must be said. please do NOT mistake fanon characteristics for canon characteristics because by GOD is it frustrating to dissect a character when all anyone wants to do is blindly turn away from the very vivid and metastasizing flaws.

jiang cheng is an extremely complicated character, and that's why we love him. but by god, he is a jealous, self-victimizing asshole with a massive inferiority complex who likes to torture (probably) innocent look-a-likes of his (as far as he knew) dead adjacent family member. jesus christ this isn't some simple case of miscommunication (well it is but, you know no amount of communication will ever mend the giant chasm that developed between them. especially not with asians raised within the most classical case of asian parenting, i mean come on now) but a matter of deep and intense self-loathing developed since early childhood projecting violently outwards. let me be clear. he hates wei wuxian. he loathes him. he wants to kill him with his own hands again and again so some part of his convoluted sense of justice and superiority will be fulfilled. he's a classist, a bully, and abusive to everyone around him. ong at the end of mdzs, i was nearly crying tears of joy when jin guangyao flayed him flat on his ass bc that man needed to hear it. he needed to feel it. he needed to stop blaming others and blame himself.

and!! he's homophobic!! the entire cultivation world is, yes, but he's the only one we see give wei ying and lan zhan active shit for it!!

point is...his complexity makes him interesting. as a child, he was pretty alright tbh. he was understandably upset when three of his dogs got taken away and he saw his dad give a completely random kid such a gentle hug when jiang cheng never received one so far. he was a kid, and it was sad and helped the readers get a glimpse at the already dysfunctional family dynamics before wei ying came into the picture. as an adolescent/teen, yes he had a lot of unresolved rage and inferiority issues building up when he was constantly being compared to wei wuxian by his mother and not given enough reassurance from his father (once again, all present before wei ying...everyone just likes to dump the shit on him bc it's easier to point fingers at others than at yourself). perhaps he could have turned out differently if literally either of his parents stepped up and took accountability. however, after the burning of lotus pier? after the golden core transfer? after wei ying stuck around as his subordinate just as he promised, and protected jiang cheng like he promised, and defected just to save the yunmeng clan's reputation so jiang cheng doesn't have to put up with the other clan's shit, still continuing to keep his promise? after wei ying's death? idk abt y'all, but all bets are off bro.

mxtx makes it a point to make him so irredeemable. he's an exploration of what can go wrong if you let your traumas, self-hatred, and revenge fantasies blind you. he has the worst traits of his parents for a reason, directly contrasting with the other sibling, who is a perfect picture of eldest daughters born into a dysfunctional family. jiang yanli has the best traits of her parents (in terms of compassion and standing up for her family), but the family dynamics also made her the way she was. the responsible, the mediator, the occasional mother, stepping in where madam yu cannot.

there's just so much potential to hold him accountable buried under the pretense of misunderstandings and kinnie moments. he just had so many chances, more than any other character, to make a different choice. to actually look past his misgivings and unlearn the bad habits he used to protect himself as a child. i'm not saying he has to magically heal from all his traumas, but at the very least know not to be like his parents. but he wasn't written that way. because that is what happens when you give into your insecurities and generational trauma.

bottom line: jiang cheng is a fantastic archetype that needs to be explored in all his authenticity, including his moments of loyalty and cruelty.

[rubykgrant]

(The Freelancers are just there and OK, don’t worry about it, everybody is alive and friends in this scenario, it’s fine)

-Florida makes everybody Uncomfortable... plus, he and Sarge start this REALLY awkward flirt-fight thing, where maybe they’re dating Romeo/Juliet/forbidden-love-style, maybe they also wanna stab each other, maybe both (this is the equivalent of two single dads that get together, and it embarrasses the heck of the kids “Gross! Old people love”)

-Florida also keeps halfway flirting with Church (like maybe not, but also kinda yes) in his very specific creepy way, and Church is just like “Uh... no thank you???”, and then Sarge calls him a home-wrecker

-York vibes with Grif, and keeps helping him rig snack machines to spill free goodies. Also, he intentionally sets-up Donut to say all kinds of innuendos. York totally encourages the bad puns and double-entendres (if it makes everybody else groan, that means he won)

-Flowers and Donut are a whole SPECTACLE for the others to hear

-South and Kai become this unstoppable FORCE OF CHAOS, and their bros are over there begging them to be normal for 5 minutes

-South also gets along with Donut, she likes that he knows all the drama, and he likes how mean-funny she is

-North and York both LOVE being overly-supportive of Wash, he’ll be doing something normal like getting a bowl of cereal or whatever, and they’ll be cheering “Look at our boy gooooo!” etc like embarrassing parents at a soccer game

-Wash loves hanging out with the Triplets again, and people start calling them the Quartet

-Everybody gave Wyoming the silent treatment for almost 2 whole months, which drove him crazy

-When they finally acknowledged his existence, he started having all kinds of arguments with Sarge (it is a nightmare to listen to them; Sarge is a yee-haw and Wyoming is like the evil-version of Bert from Mary Poppins)

-Other people keep taking the “Grifshot” and hiding it somewhere Maine can find find it, and he ALWAYS gives it back to Grif... who is like a timid little bunny rabbit in that situation

-Maine will also just stand around and watch Tucker do stuff. Tucker feels like this is some kind of INTIMIDATION act, but Maine literally just thinks Tucker is cool

-Lopez was initially indifferent to all these extra morons he has to hang out with, but Connie actually pays attention to him and is the only one who knows how to chill, so they get along really well

-People were surprised that Tucker wasn’t immediately flirting with the new girls, but he honestly assumed that South and Connie were a couple and he was trying to be a good ally-bro (they start playing it up, and... maybe they ARE a couple???)

-He DID try to hit on Ohio, which everybody thought was hilarious

-Kai is less subtle; who’s single and what are you into?

-Iowa for some reason decided Simmons is the coolest dude and always wants to know what he’s doing and help with projects (he messes things up a lot, but Simmons enjoys the attention)

-Idaho is a naturally good helper for Doc, they both like assisting with bandages and what-not, and they’re both “list-makers” (they make categories and lists for everything, from important supplies, to favorite movies). Idaho also is a great friend to O’Malley; whenever he speaks up, Idaho instantly plays up the role of “evil assistant” and goes along with the bit (they don’t do anything actually “bad”, they just like. sneak all the ice cream and them blame it on somebody else)

-Grif and Simmons get really into playing word-games with the Triplets, they have endless conversations about nonsense

-Carolina had to try REALLY hard to convince them “No seriously guys, I can relax now!”

-Tex, Carolina, and Church have their own weird little dysfunctional-family thing going on; whenever they get snippy with each other, he tries to be the peace-maker, and it ticks them both off. If they ignore him for too long, he starts bothering them until they finally crack to yell at him (and that means success). Sometimes Carolina and Tex will whisper to each other while glancing at Church and giggling, so he KNOWS they’re talking about HIM, but when he asks they just go “Nothing~”. Carolina is a total enabler when it comes to Church mouthing-off to somebody (she just encourages him to rant more). Tex will throw Church over he shoulder like a sack of potatoes sometimes and just walk away with him. He likes it

-Tex just kind of decided that Locus is going to be her friend, and while he doesn’t understand why she even likes him, he enjoys her company (still thinks he doesn’t “deserve friendship”, but he’s getting better). They like going to events like motorcycle races together

-Whenever Caboose asks a question, North takes the time to explain stuff to him (so does York, but York doesn’t know what the fudge he’s talking about and just makes stuff up. not in a mean-lying-way, he’s just a dink)

-Iowa and Caboose will wander off to look at rocks or whatever, but also just have a whole ADVENTURE (they might have accidentally gone to Narnia at one point)

-Kai and York are united in a “f*ck the law” attitude, and will engage in some “creative vandalism” from time to time (they wreck advertisements all over the place)

-Doc and Maine hung out together for several days before even discussing stuff about O’Malley and the Meta... nobody is entirely sure what was said (which is fine if they want to keep it private), and this seems to have resulted in Doc having absolutely NO fear of Maine (even when other people still get intimidated), and Maine has all these inside-jokes with O’Malley

-Sarge called dibs on Maine, South, and York. He truly feels like they are integral to some kind of grand scheme that makes no sense to anybody else. Maine is fine with it, he likes the Reds. South immediately jumps on the SUCK IT BLUES band-wagon (because guess which side her bro got absorbed into). York hams it up, like woe is me, I am on the opposing side of a feud from my dear friends, knowing full well this does not matter

-Locus is one of the few people who kinda just has default respect for Flowers? It seems as if he genuinely doesn’t notice how weird Flowers is (he does, Locus just likes the way this messes with everybody else). Meanwhile, Flowers is at least nice enough to avoid giving Locus “orders”, and instead invite him to join activities like baking or knitting/crochet

-South scares Simmons to death, she’s everything that terrified him about Carolina times a thousand, but she loves listening to him when he snaps and gets all uppity

-Tex and Connie have their own chill moments together, kind of reconnecting their friendship, and sharing stuff they have in common (they like similar books and what-not)

-North started having a whole control-trip, not intentionally trying to be a jerk exactly, but he doesn’t know how to NOT be the one who takes care of everybody else, and if nobody listens to him, he kinda has a panic attack and becomes insufferable... as a result, Tucker gets into arguments with North, kind of a LOT. They don’t “hate” each other or anything, but North makes a lot of incorrect assumptions about how immature Tucker acts (not fully realizing how capable and clever Tucker can be), so Tucker feels the need to one-up North and take him down a notch. Tucker finally made North see there are different ways to care for people. They eventually are on better terms, and can jokingly argue without it being a whole thing, because North genuinely respects Tucker

-When Maine seems to be getting especially “isolated”, it’s actually Locus who knows how to gently approach him and pull the guy into a different train of thought (both having once felt like they were “just weapons”, and learning how to be people again). Maine returns the favor, but with a different method; when Locus is in a self-destructive and depressed mood, Maine will just pick him up, then go pick up somebody else, like Wash or Caboose or whoever might be right for the moment, and they have a Friendship Adventure (which usually involves watching cartoons)

-Kai gets all the ladies together for a PARTY NIGHT! Sometimes it’s just them staying in, eating their favorite food and watching TV, sometimes it’s going to a club for dancing, sometimes they have an entire action movie adventure that results in a show-down with some bad guys at an abandoned amusement park. You know, fun stuff

-Connie and Wash like going out for friend lunches together, they enjoy a lot of the same kinds of food. They also both dress like dads on vacation to the beach, and will complete the fun with bowling

-York doesn’t get totally DRUNK like he used to, but he’ll get a bit buzzed occasionally, and while he’s up for hanging out with anybody, his favorite person to be around like that is Lopez. The robot might sound “stoic”, but he’s clearly amused by loopy York... who speaks Spanish, and catches all the funny comments Lopez makes (Lopez will also help steer York when they walk around so he doesn’t trip and fall)

-Church personally gives Wyoming a reality-check whenever the guy gets too full of himself, and it’s weirdly not with his usual explosive fury of swears; it will be very quiet and kind of chilling. Wyoming is genuinely unnerved, and tries in vain to win Church over with compliments (Simmons calls him a loser and a suck-up). Doc joins in, being a mean little smart-mouth with Church

-Ohio is the only one who isn’t afraid of Carolina’s hyper competitiveness when it comes to video games, they’re BOTH super headstrong about playing

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. Hi! For the next in the mood for can I ask for some fics where wwx finds out about the 33 whips punishment?? Preferably just after it’s happened (so he didn’t actually die during the siege) please?? @iyo-luv

Ghosts Shouldn't by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 15k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

lost whenever you go by wanderingflame (M, 31k, WangXian, Vampire, Canon Divergence, Soft vampire hours, Love Confessions, Conversations about Feelings, Light Angst, Slow Burn, Getting Together, Blood Drinking, Pining, Happy Ending, Vampire WWX)

Into the murk by MissCellophane (G, 1k, WangXian, inspired by a tumblr post, Light Angst, Canon Divergence, POV LWJ, POV WQ, Wēn Remnants Live, WWX Creates a Sect | Yílíng Wèi Sect, WWX Lives, Blood and Injury, LWJ's 33 Lashes Punishment, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, WWX finds out about the 33 whips punishment, Protective WWX, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, POV WWX, [Podfic] Into the Murk by Rendition (TuerShen)) (I actually wrote a fic inspired by this idea not too long ago! ^^ - Mod C)

~*~

2. Hey, thanks for all you folks are doing! I was wondering if you could help me find a fic I read a year or two ago - where Jiang Yanli was engaged to LWJ but loved JZX so WWX crafted a talisman that made him look like her so he could take her place. Which led to love and also gender. I've been in the mood for "wwx has feelings about gender" and haven't been able to find that fic to add to my reading (re-reading?) list. Thanks!

You Free Your Mind In Your Androgyny by misbehavingvigilante (E, 368k, WangXian, JC & JYL & WWX, NHS & WWX, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bodyswap, Crossdressing, Dysfunctional Family, Gender Dysphoria, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Porn, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Transphobia, Self-Worth Issues, Suicidal Thoughts, Trans WWX) (fic anon was looking for)

~*~

3. Are there any Bunji fics where Lan Wangji is a very large rabbit, like a Flemish Giant? I think it would be hilarious for Wei Wuxian to assume Lan Wangji’s rabbit form is surely small and cute, only for him to actually be confronted with an enormous rabbit. It’d be especially funny if Wei Wuxian had his own fox form, and had previously assumed that if they were both animals he’d get to be the bigger one for once, but no… Wangji is at least as big as he is! The largest and yet most elegant of bunnies. 🐇

~*~

4. Hi!!! For next ITMF can you recommend me a fic where wwx and jzx are friend or a relucant ally or a least admited that the other is a good person? I prefer canon era but it's okay too if you have a modern era. No bashing please, except for yzy, jfm, jgs, and wc but i prefer no character bashing. Thank you!!!

watch what we'll become by glitteringmoonlight (T, 59k, WWX & JZX, WangXian, Background JZX/JYL, WWX & JZX are married but completely platonically, featuring my let WWX and JZX be bros agenda, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

5. For the next ITMF do the mods have any fics with

A) Canon-compliant fics with fem!Sizhui or just LWJ having a raise a girl alongside LSZ

B) WWX, LWJ, LSZ bonding post-canon

5B)

like a folk song by norgbelulah (G, 4k, WangXian, Napping, Family Feels, extremely soft, Post-Canon) Short and sweet

~*~

6. Hello! For the next itmf, I have a need for lwj pov and him just pining after wwx (any setting, age, or plot is fine)

kiss with a fist by daltoneering (E, 23k, WangXian, Modern AU, Secret Agents, Enemies to Lovers, Rivals to Lovers, Enemies With Benefits, Mutual Pining, Light Angst, Action & Romance, Action movie-typical violence, A HEIST, james bond inspired, Blood and Injury, Shooting Guns, please read a/n for further warnings!)

symmetry by bleuett (M, 44k, WangXian, Space, Science Fiction, Happy Ending, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Holding Hands, Blow Jobs, Hand Feeding, Cultivation in Space, Yearning, Reunions, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Injuries, Grief/Mourning, Unconventional Time Travel, Burial Mounds)

💖 Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 73k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, art conservation, museums, pining, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending, misunderstandings, smut, major character injury, hospitalization, hurt/comfort, past incarceration, forgery)

(Planning the Day) To Meet You by Bettydice (E, 61k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Mutual Pining, WWX raises A-Yuàn, minimum angst, MAXIMUM GAY, Self-indulgent fluff, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, POV LWJ, Happy Ending, Getting Together, Falling In Love, Masturbation, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Anal Sex, Intercrural Sex)

Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 108k, wangxian, modern, angst w/ happy ending, romance, persuasion au, separations, pining, miscommunication, depression, self-harm, reconciliation, smut)

undone (the spreadsheet song) Series by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 282k, WangXian, XiYaoSang, LWJ/OMC, Modern AU, Artists, Communication Failure, Mutual Pining, mutual obliviousness, Demisexual WWX, Eventual Smut, Getting Together, Mentions of Past Lan Wangji/OMCs, Crack Treated Seriously, Friends to Friends With Benefits to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Linear Narrative, Established Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Separation Anxiety, Family Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Self-Worth Issues, Casual Sex, College/University, Temporary Long Distance Relationships, Relationship Pressures and Stresses, Insecurity) (link in #7) This fic can fit both 6 and 7 first fic is wwx being sort of a disaster and very nervous about dating lwj (not shy exactly but definitely not flirty) and the 2nd fic is all about lwj pining for him for years

you’ve ruined my life (by not being mine) by cicer (E, 132k, WangXian, Modern AU, Developing Relationship, Idiots in Love, Awkward Flirting, teenage romance, Shameless WWX, slowburn, Demisexuality, references to lqr’s a+ parenting, references to jfm’s a+ parenting, but we’re gonna get a happy ending ANYWAY, references to yzy’s a+ parenting, Background NMJ/LXC, hints of nmj/lxc/jgy, bottom LWJ in chapter 15)

~*~

7. hi, do you know any fics where Wei Ying is shown to be shy, and everyone is shocked by it. It can just be in front of a few people or just Lan Zhan himself. I'm just in a mood for where people see there is more to Wei Ying than his shameless flirty self.

undone (the spreadsheet song) Series by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 282k, WangXian, XiYaoSang, LWJ/OMC, Modern AU, Artists, Communication Failure, Mutual Pining, mutual obliviousness, Demisexual WWX, Eventual Smut, Getting Together, Mentions of Past Lan Wangji/OMCs, Crack Treated Seriously, Friends to Friends With Benefits to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Linear Narrative, Established Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Separation Anxiety, Family Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Self-Worth Issues, Casual Sex, College/University, Temporary Long Distance Relationships, Relationship Pressures and Stresses, Insecurity) This fic can fit both 6 and 7 first fic is wwx being sort of a disaster and very nervous about dating lwj (not shy exactly but definitely not flirty) and the 2nd fic is all about lwj pining for him for years

~*~

8. Hello, would you happen to be able to direct me to fics where Wei Wuxian makes a paternity test or something showing lineage?

Like in All Things Belong by kuroi_atropos.

Please and thank you 😊 @myblurryreality

You're My Dad (Boogie Woogie Woogie) by Eternal_writes (T, 6k, WWX & WRH, Canon Divergence, Good Person WRH, Sort Of, WRH POV WRH gets a Redemption Arc, again sort of, he sees wwx and decides that maybe world domination is a no, Qíshān Wēn Sect are Good People, Good Parent WRH, No war AU, OOC WRH, OOC WX, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously)

And Time Is But a Paper Moon by sami (M, 138k, WangXian, XiChengQing, Time Travel, Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Healing, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Depression, BAMF WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, BAMF JYL, Getting Together) For the paternity test one: it's not a huge part of the story, but it's a plot point in And Time is But a Paper Moon by sami

~*~

9. This is very specific to my likes, but I'll give it a go. Are there any fics that go into WWX's proclivity to faint: maybe he has anemia or low blood pressure? Or he just overextends himself continuously? Other reasons? I love to see caretaking. Can be canon, but I'd like to see modern. I've already looked at the "fainting" tag. Thanks, I have no expectations! @kesterling

let the sun go down on your anger; let it burn you to sleep by enbysaurus_rex (Not Rated, 79k, WIP, WangXian, Narcolepsy AU, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, YLLZ WWX, Oblivious WWX, Sleeping Beauty Elements, Sleeping Beauty Fusion, tags at the beginning of every chapter, Body Horror) he’s got narcolepsy and it is a WIP

like mayflies wandering Series by RoseThorne (M, 12k, NHS & WWX, wangxian, post-canon, assassination attempts, introspection, regret, travel, WWX pov, ghosts, reconciliation, exhaustion, pining, feelings realisation, illness, found family, hurt/comfort, emotional manipulation, manipulative NHS, friendship, qi deviation, resentful energy, WIP) this is addressed in the second fic in the series

~*~

10. hi!!!! so i’m being overrun by the idea of wwx holding children… for the next itmf would you guys be able to find fics with that concept as a big part? Like just wwx interacting with children basically but i’d especially like ones where he’s holding them. Thank y’all!

and having a marvelous time by varnes (E, 108k, WangXian, Yúnmèng Siblings, Sound of Music AU, (i know!!! i know. stay with me on this.), Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Family Feels, spies to lovers???, Protective Siblings, Sometimes You Just Want Your Dads To Admit They're Your Dads, Angst with a Happy Ending) lots of baby holding in this one!

The Trouble with Espionage: A Treatise on the Role of Wit in Matchmaking by Grandmaster Lan Qiren by stiltonbasket (G, 13k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Matchmaking, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Good uncle LQR, Happy Ending)

❤️ Seen and not heard by eatmyass (E, 51k, wangxian, case fic, no sunshot, kid fic, dadxian, strangers to lovers, found family, LWJ pov, pining, fake/pretend relationship, first time, falling in love) link in #11

~*~

11. itmf kid fic!!! (i prefer ones with single dad wwx more than lwj) ive read tons esp the more popular ones and i want MOREE. some hidden gems or smaller fics would be great as i probably have read all others 😆 thank youuuu🫶🏼

❤️ Seen and not heard by eatmyass (E, 51k, wangxian, case fic, no sunshot, kid fic, dadxian, strangers to lovers, found family, LWJ pov, pining, fake/pretend relationship, first time, falling in love)

🧡 your heart, two doors down by ghostsgf (G, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pining, Parenting)

Tired of the Sunset by julomaiboulomai (M, 55k, WangXian, Modern AU, Superheroes/Superpowers, Identity Porn, Secret Identity, Parent-Child Relationship, Grief/Mourning, Unreliable Narrator, superhero fights, Major Character Injury, Major Character Undeath, Slow Burn, But also somehow, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, JC-LWJ Mutual Hate Society, Domestic Fluff, Co-Parenting, Fade to Black, Brief mentions of suicide, Angst with a Happy Ending, Art Embedded)

my little love by mellowflicker (T, 54k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Parent WWX, kindergarten teacher!lwj, Kid Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Pining, Background SongXiao, background ChengQing)

Single Parent Wei Wuxian Comp

~*~

12. [jumps up and down raising hand] I got a request for the next itmf, please!

Are there any fics where the yiling population stands up for the wens when the sects come for the siege? Either stopping them before they enter the burial mounds or shaming them when they come out? The YLLZ had been good to them, those people were innocents, and apparently the only valid cultivator rn is hgj. Something like that. Thanks!

~*~

13. ITMF Wei Wuxian being awake and aging through the years he is "dead." Not actually alive and running around, but lost in a cosmic soup or something where he can think and his mental state still ages. So when he comes back to life he is older and wizened. Thank you!

~*~

14. For the next itmf… wei ying wearing glasses? Thanks!

KILF (Knits I'd Like To Fuck in) by ScarlettStorm (E, 168k, WangXian, Modern AU, Established Relationship, Porn, like in the writing and also as a plot point, onlyfans aus, ex worker WWX, Fashionista LWJ, Fluff and Smut, therapy is good actually, Domestic Bliss, tender kink, Fiber Arts, autistic LWJ, neurodivergent WWX, switch rights, Nonbinary NHS, a soupçon of gender, Genderfluid Character, Gender Exploration, perhaps slightly more than a soupçon of gender, Hurt/Comfort, past trauma) glasses are very minor in this and wy only gets them in like. The last chapters. But they are very nice glasses!

~*~

15. Hi! I'd love if you could help me find fic that might or might not exist. I don't know if i imagined it myself somehow or i actually read something similar but it was about how wangxian were getting frisky and ayuan finds them and gets mad at wwx because he thinks wwx is hurting rich gege. That's it, that's all i remember. I have found fics where it's the opposite and ayuan is mad at lwj instead but that is not what I'm looking for. Is there a fic like that? Or fics similar to that premise? It can be canon or modern timeline. I just need something where ayuan throws a fit because he thinks wwx was trying to hurt or fight lwj, poor wwx. Thanks. 😊 (also in a FF)

No Talk of Milky Thighs by DeviyudeThoolika (E, 87k, WangXian, ChengQing, XiYao, MingLi, past WWX/others, past LWJ/others, Bickering husbands, Modern With Cultivation, Pining while fucking, BAMF WWX, Arranged Marriage, YLLZ WWX, BAMF YLLZ, Protective WWX, Protective LWJ, Good Sibling JC, exes to married, Exes to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Loves WWX) although it doesn't fully fit what you're looking for, a fic that i recommend is No Talk of Milky Thighs by DeviyudeThoolika. Specifically, Chapter 28: Sex Education. Sizhui sees WWX push LWJ, then LWJ tackles him to the floor hehe. But Sizhui doesn't get mad, instead, he and Jingyi try to uncover, analyze this case of rough physical interaction between his parents 😅 The fic is funny, hot, and exciting especially the wedding 😁

~*~

16. Hey there 👋 so, for an IITMF, anyone wanna rec me some newer wangxian mpreg fics from Canon verse? I've pretty much burned through all the fics on the preg comps and don't know what's good among the more recent fics out there. I don't care if it's ABO or not, nor who gets pregnant, just not modern setting.

~*~

17. ITMF for some enemies to lovers wangxian where they call each other nicknames.

Like " sweetheart (mocking/agressive) to sweetheart (adoring/endearing/loving) " @whateverweilanlovechild

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what  you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack,  whatever - it’s all good!***

[sokkastyles]

What do you think of the argument that Zuko was hurting/abusing Azula by making her speak with Ozai in The Search? Obviously she shouldn't be near him or speak to him, but it's being used as an argument to "prove" that Zuko is abusive to Azula, so I'd love to know what you think.

I agree that she shouldn't be speaking to him, but Zuko didn't "make" her, he told her openly and honestly why he wanted her to, and she agreed to it. He even asked her what she wanted as a reward, and she refused that. Of course she's being sarcastic when she says helping the "firelord" is reward enough. She agrees because she wants to speak to Ozai.

Now, just because she wants to speak to her father and is still loyal to him doesn't mean Ozai isn't abusing her, but Zuko is not abusing her. Ozai is the one who is using Azula's continued loyalty to him for his own selfish gain. Zuko wanted her to get information from Ozai about their mother, who he also thought she cared about finding because Azula told him she wanted to find Ursa, too. He has no idea what's really going on because 1) Azula lies to him about it, and 2) Ozai is still controlling Zuko, too. He's just using Azula to do it.

Zuko doesn't have any control over Ozai's psychological hold over Azula, especially when Azula can and does manipulate Zuko in order to get closer to Ozai.

And that last panel of Ozai tells you all you need to know about who has the power in this situation. Zuko may be firelord but he's also still a kid, and the psychological effects of being made to be the scapegoat in his family don't just go away because he has that hair piece.

And from Zuko's perspective, this is just how Azula and Ozai always made him feel, like they had this secret relationship that he isn't in on. And Azula acts like he's mistreating her by denying her that. Notice what Zuko says about how they haven't seen each other in a year and it's "not the best of circumstances." He expects them to be happy to talk to each other, because he knows they've always had a close relationship that he hasn't had with either of them. He apologizes for the fact that they aren't meeting under the best of circumstances and haven't been able to talk to each other for a year, like it's his fault. The irony should not be lost on us, especially considering how he's been personally victimized by them. This is such a heartbreakingly realistic picture of how hard it is for an abuse victim to break out of that cycle of blame, even when they know on an intellectual level that it isn't logical.

Azula wants this. Not that what Azula wants is the same thing as what she needs, but Zuko can't be a good judge of that, either, when he's still trying to come to grips with how they were raised himself. Just because Azula loves Ozai and, like him, blames Zuko for her current circumstances, doesn't mean that Ozai isn't abusive to her, that's true, but Zuko isn't privy to that, he only sees his sister and father making him feel bad for separating them. Think about Zuko's headspace here, how he says he feels disconnected from his family, and now Azula is telling him he should let her and their father, who in his eyes have always had the loving relationship he craved, talk alone, with dignity. That he's wrong to deny them that. Cruel, even. Of course Zuko, who has always wanted his family's love, whose father and sister have always been able to blame him for the family's dysfunction, is going to believe it and take responsibility for it, even though part of the reason they've been separated is for his own protection.

There's actually multiple layers going on here. Ozai is manipulating Azula but he's manipulating Zuko, too, and getting Azula to manipulate Zuko for him, which is also how it's always been.

Zuko is not a psychologist, he's a traumatized teenager whose abusers still very much have that hold on him. And he can't save Azula from Ozai when Azula doesn't want to be saved and is still perfectly willing to hurt and manipulate her brother for her father's favor.

I often see Azula stans engaging in this fantasy where they insist Azula is actually much more self aware than she is, that she hates Ozai and would never go back to him willingly, even though she continually does. And, I mean, I get where the desire for that comes from. Of course we want to see an abused kid be free from their abuser, and it's painful to see Azula acting like she's won a victory when we know she's just letting Ozai pull her deeper into his web, and that this ultimately will not give her the happiness she wants and needs. But the utter contempt that these stans will show for Zuko at the same time just shows a stunning lack of empathy or understanding for abuse victims. I have seen many, many posts about how Zuko is so awful and stupid for even thinking that Azula and Ozai have this great relationship when that is what Azula thinks, too, and wants Zuko to think. Posts that paint Azula as the only one who truly understands how awful Ozai treated her, when she's the one who understands it the least. Posts that act like she'd be over here telling Zuko off for thinking she's got the perfect life, when canon Azula would heartily agree and then belittle her brother for not being as good as her. It is, ironically, another way that they need her to be the smartest and bestest at everything, and it's completely missing the point of Azula's entire narrative again.

And the thing is, this isn't just about having empathy for Zuko. If you so desperately need Azula to realize that Ozai abused her in order to feel sympathy for her, if you need her to be the hero who punches her abuser, then you don't have real empathy for her as a victim, either. So of course you don't have empathy for Zuko when he can't save his sister from his father.

The other thing is that Azula not realizing that Ozai abused her is also the reason why she doesn't realize her own behavior is a problem, either. Of course she doesn't realize that she needs to change in any way when she modeled her behavior off of Ozai, who she thinks is great.

[randomalistic]

🎬 MY 2023 MOVIE LIST

THIS YEAR I WATCHED:

44 DIFFERENT MOVIES

30 NEW MOVIES 17 REWATCHES

28 ANIMATED MOVIES 16 LIVE ACTION MOVIES

I’ve also linked a few posts with my initial reactions/discussions

MUST-WATCH LIST: at least imo. teehee.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Labyrinth (1986)

ParaNorman (2012)

The Last Unicorn (1982)

Nimona (2023)

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

Wreck-it Ralph (2012)

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Megamind (2010)

Coraline (2009)

Kung-Fu Panda (2008)

The Book of Life (2014)

Corpse Bride (2005)

Isle of Dogs (2018)

Tangled (2010)

I hope I keep this up !!! Maybe I can watch more TV shows or play more games next year :)

+ SOMETHING COOL TO TRY: Watch 2 similar movies back to back more often. You’ll be able to make interesting connections between them and it's fun!

-- Extended list below --

———————

ABSOLUTE FAVORITE

Watch it!!

Good but had some problems

———————

1-12-23: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) ACTUALLY PEAK FILM. AMAZING VISUALS, EPIC FIGHT SEQUENCES AND VERY HEARTFELT . I love piss in boots. MUST WATCH.

3-9-23: The Steven Universe Movie (2018) (rewatch) Spinel is in this. The songs are amazing. Fun to revisit !!!

3-24-23: Labyrinth (1986) DAVID BOWIE AND INTRICATE PUPPET CREATURES 80s FANTASY MOVIE I AM IN LOVE. Must watch

4-8-23: ParaNorman (2012) hit me harder than I was expecting, really subverts your expectations. AMAZING. MUST WATCH.

4-28-23: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) I watched this on my birthday :) It made the child in me so happy

5-8-23: Tinker Bell (2008) (old rewatch) Pixie hollow is a legitimately communist society. Fun to revisit !!

6-18-23: The Little Mermaid (2023) ew live action remake lol. But it’s one of the better ones. ok honestly i'm mad that i sorta liked it upon initial viewing. maybe its just cuz i havent seen the original (WHAT ARE YOU DOING!????? oh mygod please watch the original one OK FINE I WILL........)

7-17-23: The Last Unicorn (1982) really a product of its time. So beautiful and unique in its own way. Must watch

7-28-23 Run Lola Run (1998) Indie german crime/thriller film that was fun and experimental, I loved the late 90s trance soundtrack and had a good time, it went by quick!

8-3-23 Barbie (2023) ITS BARBIE !

8-19-23 (Most of) Aladdin (1992) (old rewatch) gGenie………. The animation is GODLY. the early CG is a bit rough but hey it was 1992

8-25-23 Nimona (2023) MOST QUEEREST COOLIEST MOVIE I SEEN HITS VERY HARD AND ITS SUPER GOOD OHHHH…. PLEASE MUST WATCH!!!

9-8-23 Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) finally got around to this one, what a special experience. MUST WATCH

9-15-23 The Road to El Dorado (2000) White savior movie but otherwise fun characters. Tulio and Miguel are the gayest straight guys I’ve ever seen

9-15-23 The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) GENUINELY HILARIOUS AND SO GOOFY. It was fun seeing this right after el dorado.

9-21-23 Wreck-it Ralph (2012) (old rewatch) brooooo this moviie sucs I hate it so much i. please watch

9-22-23 How to Train Your Dragon (2010) very powerful music and showcases a very touching relationship between humans and nature/the unknown, must see !!!!!

9-29-23 Little Miss Sunshine (2006) dysfunctional family road trip with chaotic/dark humor. ITS FUNNY I LIKED IT

10-1-23 Elemental (2023) REALLY didn’t deserve the hate, it’s a sweet romance/immigration story. A little cheesy but it’s charming. The visuals are a feat to behold

10-4-23 Napoleon Dynamite (2004) some outdated language/humor but otherwise a Very specific brand of silly/charming

10-5-23 Marcel The Shell (2021) unexpectedly touching and unique movie presentation style - I may have cried

10-7-23 Megamind (2010) (old rewatch) ICONIC and hilarious supervillain film and aged very well. MUST WATCH!!??

10-21-23 Coraline (2009) (rewatch) this movie has such a distinct, creepy identity and it’s enthralling each time. MUST WATCH

10-27-23 Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) has tonal problems and it wasn’t confident enough to go all out all the way through, which is so unfortunate… But AMAZING otherwise. The architecture ??! And Frollo. Evil priest characters you are so cool

10-27-23 Kung-Fu Panda (2008) (old rewatch) Legitimately amazing animated martial arts movie and embraces self love. we all know this. It’s even better on rewatch. MUST WATCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10-27-23 Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) (old rewatch) SURPRISINGLY POWERFUL AND A REALLY GOOD SEQUEL. Hi shen blushes

11-4-23 The Book of Life (2014) this film is such an UNDERRATED TREAT. Absolutely gorgeous celebration of Mexican culture. Incredible world and characters and the style is so distinct. Must WATCH !!!???

11-5-23 Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023) :) I’ve been waiting for this ever since I was 13 and I had so much fun watching it. This was a highlight of my year!

11-12-23 Corpse Bride (2005) Really really good Tim Burton Halloween movie with so much stylization. So much fun to watch!!!! And so ethereal at times. MUST WATCH

11-12-23 Frankenweenie (2012) Very cute but disappointing ending, too safe. It could have been more impactful if they pushed it further. Watched this after corpse bride and the parallels were FUNNY.

11-18-23 The Wizard Of Oz (1939) (old rewatch). The real life abusive filming process makes this movie Hard to Enjoy with peace of mind- but the finished product is truly groundbreaking and whimsical

11-20-23 The Bourne Identity (2002) AWESOME THRILLER ACTION MOVIE EHEHE

11-21-23 Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) unpopular opinion - the movie suffers when you don’t see it in its original intended form (in a movie theater . In 1977.) I SWEAR. I STILL ENJOYED IT THOUGH. ….

11-22-23 Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me (1998) SO SILLY but mean spirited/offensive humor at times. ITS AUSTIN POWERS…

11-23-23 Monsters University (2013) (rewatch) MOST UNDERRATED DISNEY SEQUEL/PREQUEL. FUN AND IMPACTFUL COLLEGE FRIENDSHIP MOVIE

11-25-23 Wreck-it Ralph (2012) (rewatch AGAIN.) haha

12-1–23 Isle of Dogs (2018) Incredibly unique/distinct presentation style. My friend who’s a Japanese major loves this movie. MUST WATCH

12-1-23 Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) another silly goofy little dysfunctional family unit, a bit yikes at some parts but overall pretty lighthearted. It was cool seeing this immediately after isle of dogs cuz you could see the inspiration in the visuals between the two

12-8-23 The Mitchell’s vs. The Machines (2021) silly robot apocalypse family road trip movie with AMAZING visuals (everyone in the family is autistic)

12-17-23 Prancer (1989) Unexpectedly heartwarming movie about a little girl helping an injured reindeer. VERY SWEET and great message about the impact of kindness and the wonders of being a child. MADE ME CRY.

12-18-23 Wreck-it Ralph (2012) (3rd REWATCH) get a hold of yourself oh my god ‼️

12-19-23 The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) (rewatch) classic muppet Christmas movie :)

12-22-23 The Muppets (2011) (old rewatch) SURPRISINGLY CATCHY SONGS and a silly muppet movie. Fun to revisit. Tex Richman my beloved

12-23-23 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) Mediocre writing and mean spirited at times <3 BUT ITS A CLASSIC. so ofc i liked it

12-24-23 Tangled (2010) (old rewatch) I forgot how good this movie was. ACTUALLY PEAK and so fun to revisit. Such a fresh take on a fairytale story, great songs, amazing romance, and also empowering about overcoming an abusive parent … MUST WATCH!!!

12-26-23 Klaus (2019) (rewatch) it’s so great to see a new 2D animated movie come out, and such a great story too. Cute origin story of Christmas and POSTAL WORKER APPRECIATION!!!!!

12-31-23 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) (rewatch) started off the year with this movie and then ended with it! What a treat!! I even wrote a short essay about it 1 semester ago :)

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In conclusion, I love movies !!! But my favorite movies are those that are confident in their identities and don’t hold back. Like share your message to the fullest !!!!

I watched a lot of stop-motion movies this year. I wanna watch more studio ghibli movies next year

And maybe I should purposefully try watching bad movies… it might make me appreciate good ones more and easier see what they do right. But also. I really dont wanna watch ralph breaks the internet.