#but he gets a lovely villain arc and a beautiful redemption

[sur-i-ki]

10/20

At the end of the day

it's fluff. Tooth-rotting, sweet, domestic fluff. Redemption arc core before going back to the villain arc

The house felt quiet when he finally pulled into the driveway, exhaustion settling into his bones with every step. His feet ached, his mind ached. It had been another long week, and he was drained. The weight of work had been pressing on him so heavily that even the thought of his family had begun to feel distant. There was no holiday for him this year—no time away to unwind in the mountains as he’d hoped. Deadlines, meetings, emergencies had all piled up one after the other, each time a reason to stay just a little longer, to push off the time he so desperately needed to be with them.

But as he stepped inside the house, that overwhelming sense of exhaustion began to fade.

Laughter. A soft, familiar sound—his child’s giggles. His heart did a little skip at the sound, and curiosity tugged at him. Something was different.

He set his bag down by the door, and his eyes scanned the room, immediately drawn to the living room. It was transformed. The floor was covered in blankets—thick, colorful sheets draped over the furniture. Pillows were scattered everywhere, and a lopsided blanket fort stood in the middle of the room, held up by every chair, every couch cushion, and even a few kitchen chairs hastily shoved together.

And in the center of it all, there they were.

You, sitting cross-legged on the floor, grinning up at him, your face lit by the soft glow of a lantern inside the fort. His child, barely able to contain his excitement, jumped up from the fort’s entrance, his little eyes wide with glee.

“Daddy, look!” he shouted, waving their hands. “We made a fort!”

His chest tightened at the sight. A lump formed in his throat as he stood frozen for a moment, taking in the beautiful chaos before him.

You stood, walking toward him with a smile that said everything. “Welcome home,” you said softly, the tenderness in your voice wrapping around him like a warm embrace. The exhaustion in his body melted a little more at the sight of you.

He couldn’t find the words at first. His eyes flicked between you, the fort, and his little one who was now eagerly tugging at his hand, pulling him toward their creation. There was so much love, so much effort poured into this little thing, and his heart ached with it.

“You guys… did all of this?” he asked, his voice soft with awe. “Just for me?”

You nodded, that same smile never leaving your face. “You’ve been working so hard. We knew you didn’t get your holiday, so we decided to bring the camping experience to you.” Your voice was playful, but there was something deeper behind it. Something warm and knowing. “We thought this would be a fun way to spend the evening.”

His heart swelled, emotions bubbling up. He had been so caught up in work that he hadn't even realized how much he needed this—how much he needed them. They had taken the time to bring a piece of joy into his life, something he thought he had lost. He had missed seeing his family like this—happy, carefree, together.

His child tugged harder on his hand, pulling him toward the fort, his tiny face glowing with excitement. “Come on, Daddy! Come inside!”

With a soft laugh, he followed them, crawling through the opening of the blanket fort. The inside was warm and cozy, scented with the familiar smell of lavender and vanilla. The soft glow of the lantern flickered in the corner, casting gentle light on the mismatched blankets and pillows.

His kiddo had drawn mountains on paper with crayons, had hung them up on the "walls".

“This is amazing,” he murmured, his eyes flicking over the little space they had made. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

His child scrambled onto his lap once everyone was settled, curling up against him, his small body pressing into him like he couldn’t get close enough. He wrapped an arm around his child, his heart, instinctively, pulling him closer. He glanced up at you, who had settled next to them, and he meets your eyes.

“We wanted to make sure you knew that even though you didn’t get your break,” You said softly, “we’re still here. Together. It’s not the mountains, but… it’s something. And it’s ours.”

His throat tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t speak. The overwhelming weight of your words hit him hard. His family had thought about him, had made something to give him comfort, even when he hadn’t realized how badly he needed it. The quiet, tender love in their eyes made his chest ache, and he pulled them both closer without a second thought.

“This…” He swallowed hard, his voice rough. “This is exactly what I needed.”

You smiled gently, your hand resting on his, fingers intertwined with his in a simple, comforting gesture. “You’re more than enough. You do so much for us. We just wanted you to have something special.”

He pulled them all into a hug, holding them close. The small space of the fort was tight, but it didn’t matter. It felt right. It felt home. He didn’t care about the unfinished projects at work or the endless emails that waited for him the moment he stepped back out of the house. In this moment, with them—his heart full, his family by his side—nothing else mattered.

His little one was looking up at him with bright eyes. “Daddy, can we sleep in here tonight?” he asked, excitement still bubbling in their voice. “We can make s’mores!”

He chuckled, the sound light and free. “We can definitely make s’mores.”

You gave him a knowing look, eyes shining with love and a little mischief. “You know,” You said, voice teasing but soft, “we could even do the whole camping experience. Blankets for sleeping bags. Flashlight stories. Maybe we’ll even have some real camping in the future.”

His heart did a little flip at the thought. “That sounds perfect,” he whispered, squeezing both of them tighter. “We’ll make that happen. Together.”

For the rest of the evening, his family stayed in the fort, the three of them bundled in blankets, sharing stories, laughing, and simply enjoying the warmth of each other’s company. The world outside, with its demands and stresses, felt like it didn’t exist anymore.

In the dim light of the fort, surrounded by the people he loved most, he realized something he hadn’t fully understood before. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how many holidays he missed, it was moments like these that would stay with him. They were the moments that mattered most.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, he could finally relax, finally feel like he was home.

It's all he needed.

And he wouldn't trade it for the world.

⇝ 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥! 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

[ak1ra-lovely]

Joe: He's just such a sweetheart (he's not in general but like...the most sweetheart of them) he and Rozetta had the redemptions that convinced me the most! At least he has some good qualities like admiting when he's wrong and being a good bestie (NOT LIKE CENTRAIN SOMEONE WHO IS IN LAST PLACE)

Rozetta: Out of everyone she did the most unhinged stuff, yeah, but her arc was so beautiful AAAAAAAAA I know the female villain with mom issues trope is really overused but it just gets me everytime and I adore it, she also took the blame and decided to do something right which I love.

Julia: Uhhh she was just there ig??? The case 59 plot was to redeem the ad astrans that were left but Julia didn't had a single dialogue about the redemption thing??? Like, it just felt like she did it just to follow the others and I dont' think that was the objetive???? I WANT THE WRITERS IN CHARGE OF JULIA'S CHARACTER BECAUSE I NEED TO DO A SERIOUS 5 HOUR LONG TALK WITH THEM/hj but she's in 3rd cause she seems like the kind of person who would redeem itself after facing a lot of karma (cough cough case 57 beat her very badly cough cough)

Louis: Well...He seemed remorseful after Zoe's death ig??? But I love that my guy was risking his life by making an investigation alone on the dome to get the serum, it shows how much he cares about the safety of others, he's so cutie patootie/j

Christian: What did you expect y'all???? I love his character, he's insanely funny but as a person...a BIG nono. I don't think he's reedemable at all, if the other ad astrans insisted maybe he would do a little exception just to go along but by his own he would NEVER redeem

Poll: Which member of Ad Astra is the MOST redeemable?

A sister poll to this. Title is pretty self explanatory--which of the five members of Ad Astra is the most redeemable in your opinion? The least evil, the most capable of changing, all of that kinda stuff that redemption entails? This isn't asking who your favorite member of the group is, just who you think is the most redeemable.

[mothymayhem]

ABYSS!!!!!!

[autism-autobot]

LMK'S "REDEMPTION ARCS"

I like Lego Monkie Kid's "redemption arcs", and that is a hill I'm willing to die on.

It's no secret that the 'redemption arcs' in LMK aren't your stereotypical redemption arcs, AND THAT'S OKAY!!!!!

I think that it's very nice to have evil/villainous characters have a moment of "It was at this moment that he knew... HE. FUCKED. UP." and then doing a 180 from their original plans.

The Demon Bull Family's arc is a great example of this. Heck, Princess Iron Fan and especially Red Son might not have even been antagonists if it wasn't for Demon Bull King wanting to take over the city/world. They love him so much that they were willing to follow him to the ends of the universe if that's what it took to help him fulfill his goals and dreams.

Then came their run-in with the Lady Bone Demon. That's when the Demon Bull King realized just how much his plans could cost his family if he chose to continue down this path. IT COULD COST THEM EVERYTHING

Everything that he just got back. The family who freed him from captivity, likely in spite of having been told that it would be a fruitless endeavor. His family: a beautiful wife and intelligent, innovative son who love him so much that they'd lay down their lives for him in a heartbeat. His plans could cost them their lives and almost did. While under LBD's influence, he attempted to strike his son... and Red Son didn't even try to move out of the way. He had no reaction period. DBK is absolutely strong enough to kill his son. Had his wife not stepped in, Red Son might have been killed by his own hand if the blow was hard enough. That realization alone of what LBD almost made him do could very well be the thing that made him turn back on the idea of world domination.

It makes total sense for a man who's number one priority is his family (even if he doesn't always show it) to give up on all else if his family is the price he has to pay.

It's just not worth it.

He later lectures Azure Lion on this topic of "The price is worth more than the payoff" when he says in season 4:

"This pursuit of yours has warped your mind, brother."

The exact same thing happened to him. DBK tried to warn him to turn back now.

But he didn't.

And now he's dead.

Doing a 180 saved the Demon Bull King's hide and it works so much better for the story overall than a long fleshed out redemption arc.

The villain getting a reality check is in my opinion a much better storytelling device than a redemption arc and is criminally underrated.

A metaphorical (lego) brick to the face is much more powerful in my opinion.

[theerurishipper]

Part 2 of my Paris special commentary (Part 1 here) because Tumblr is an ass and has a word limit.

Disclaimer: This is long asf.

Marinette here playing 5D chess, queen shit.

The most important thing the special confirmed is that Gabe added the word "dark" to his transformation phrase on purpose cause he's a dramatic bitch.

I am here for Claw Noir mocking Gabe. Go off, king.

"Oh nO, iT WAs aN IlLusIon!" That giggle is adorable. She's so cute.

Ladyfly is an ass name, but she looks so great.

Not Gabe getting annoyed at Claw Noir's teasing. See, now this is why we stan Claw Noir on this blog.

Gabe's plan isn't half bad, actually.

Symbolism? In my children's cartoon? It's more likely than you think.

They're having a pun-off.

RIP Chat Noir's ear.

Gabe got feathered lmao

Monarch dipped like a little bitch.

A mirror, I called it. It'll make for some nice symbolism.

"Let alone a calm and gentle mom" I wonder what Sabine is like in their world to make Emonette feel like she's so alone.

I like how they handled the villains tbh. I wasn't a fan of making it seem like Marinette was one step away from becoming a supervillain at all times, but it seems less like that's the case and more like The Supreme took advantage of her suffering and vulnerability at her lowest moments.

It's also nice that they established that Shady and Claw weren't the actual big bads and are just hurt kids who got recruited into a fight they weren't ready for. Their motivation isn't some rehash of Gabriel's, they are literally trying to survive under the rule of someone who will kill them if they don't do his bidding, and because of whom they're dying. Their life is literally full of suffering and they're trying to find something that'll give them a way out. Shady wants Marinette's life, and Claw Noir wants his mother back.

Like, it doesn't excuse their actions, but it does add a more humane element to them that lends itself better to the kind of redemption Miraculous likes to do, which is to fix things with a speech. That's why this redemption works, and Gabe's doesn't.

Anyway.

The back and forth between Chat Noir and Claw Noir was pretty funny ngl.

And we discover that Claw Noir wants his mother back. Of course.

MY POOR BABY

When Marinette was talking about how she was also angry and hurt, but chose to love herself and the world around her and chose to try and fix it... that hit hard. Honestly, it did. It's everything I love about Marinette in one speech. I love it.

And then onto my personal favorite scene in the entire special, possibly in the entire show.

That whole conversation was powerful. "I'm as well as I can be anyway," that's so profound. Like, of course you aren't going to be 100% okay after losing someone you love, but Adrien wants to move on and be happy like his mother would have wanted him to. This scene really showcases Adrien's empathy and his strength, when he acknowledges that having no friends can make it harder for Claw Noir to move on, and then he tells him that only he can make the choice to stop being alone. And that's really true. This scene really showcases everything amazing about Adrien, his hope and optimism, his empathy and his strength. How he finds the strength to keep going by choosing to not be alone. It's beautiful.

Like, it could have been so easy for both Marinette and Adrien to give into their darkest impulses, and Shadybug and Claw Noir really are just representations of how letting your hurt overpower you can lead you down a dark path, and it really highlights their strength, that they choose to make the right choices everyday, despite everything. It really highlights their characters and their arcs. And they're able to take everything they've learned, and look at what they could have been in the eyes and help them change too. It's so poetic.

It would have been a little more impactful if the show had spent more than 10 minutes out of 5 seasons focusing on Adrien's grief and how it has impacted him, but whatever.

Anyway, it also had some Adrien and Nino friendship crumbs, and I'll be darned if I didn't gobble it up like a starved animal. Also, we have confirmation that "Space Mutants vs. Ghost Shark" is Nino's favorite movie, so Nino stans please say "thank you Paris special."

And they are REDEEMED.

Shadybug fixes everything with her Lucky Charm after spending the whole special making destructive ones. My heart.

Shadybug and Claw Noir stop being evil and immediately go from hating each other's guts to flirting shamelessly. They just speedran enemies to lovers in a matter of seconds. They literally just defaulted to flirting. Truly, the natural state of Ladynoir in any universe. We stan.

Gotta be honest, I'm not a fan of the new designs. Wish they had kept the old ones. I'm one of those people whose toxic trait is liking Claw Noir's design, so I'm a little unhappy with it, but hey, it's a sweet scene.

Also, Claw Noir's hair went from the color of rotten bananas to ripe bananas. If that was intentional, I applaud the writers for being both profound and funny as hell.

Aaaaaaand Gabe is back, because we can't have nice things.

The montage going through different realities was great, it was small but I enjoyed it.

They're literally so cute omg. Couple behaviors fr. I'm so obsessed with them.

HUGS

POUND IT

They're holding hands... already... like they're in love... I'm so emotional... I WILL NEVER GET OVER THIS

And they're gone. But their adventures will continue forever in my mind and in my fanfics. And in other people's art that I will ravenously consume.

Cute Alya and Marinette scene. This is really sweet, I love the exploration of the impact Alya has had on Marinette's life.

And now, I'm not an Alyanette shipper, but I think they should kis- oh, wait, never mind, they did it.

And thus, the endless night comes to an end (it happened a while ago but that's just semantics).

Final thoughts

I really loved this so much. Sure, there were some exposition dumps that probably should have happened in the actual series, but that's not the fault of this special. This is probably my bias talking but this is the best special and it's literally perfect, no I will not take any constructive criticism on that. This, this special and everything in it, this is what Miraculous is all about. This is exactly what I wanted, this is what I signed up for. It's literally the best thing ever to come out of this entire show.

[vladdyissues]

I like the idea of "halfa's ghost form changes with their personality". First of all, it looks the age halfa feels himself/herself (so, yes, I doubt that Phantom is forever 14). I guess, Danny will get a full knight armor and, maybe, some stuff like a cape.

As for Vlad, I have more headcanons (but I should warn you, I see his hair as long and loose which is better for bitter broken lonely soul). The first change should has happened after "Masters of All Time": Vlad was at full force all the time to heal yourself, preventing ecto-acne symptoms, but since he is cured, his ghost form is in normal state, Plasmius' eyes aren't the whole red anymore, it's human-alike but still red, maybe, there're some pink inclusions.

At the start of Vlad's redemption arc he must develop his creative skill (ecto-constructions, weapons that works on his pink ectoplasm), trying new forms. Slowly but surely he will approach to his dream - to raise a child - he will learn how to create a life. It will take decades or even centuries but soon he will learn to make something beautiful and durable. Something like this will add to the ghost form, something like a… pink rose's tucked behind the ear.

And the last change in Plasmius' look I see is breezy hairstyle which is formed after the mutual love confession of Vlad and Danny.

I'm sorry if these hcs sound too corny for Vlad but after all I see the bitter broken lonely man who develops by love and the young halfa into the beautiful burning soul but still bitter-sweet because he can't forget what he comes through. (I love him)

No no no, these headcanons are great! Beautiful, actually. (I firmly believe there's no such thing as a "corny" headcanon. That's like saying only certain hopes and dreams have value while others are worthless—and what are headcanons but our hopes and dreams for stories and the characters within them?)

Evolving ghost forms, especially for halfas—who, unlike spectral entities, are still changing and aging—makes a lot of sense. And the idea of Vlad having long, flowing biseinen hair is very appealing 🌹

You also brought up a fantastic point about Vlad's ecto-acne being cured in Masters of All Time and how that would affect him going forward. I have a pile of headcanons about that myself but I'll make a separate post about it since it's more general meta.

But yes, imagine if Vlad was allowed to be more than a 2-dimensional cartoon villain, and curing his ecto-acne removed a terrible, irritating thorn from his side. When one is no longer suffering or in chronic pain—or living in fear of the next flare-up—imagine the difference that would make mentally and emotionally.

How could Vlad possibly be unchanged after that? The Fentons cured him. (Okay, it was more Danny discovering the cause and Maddie developing the vaccine, but still, it was their combined efforts that ultimately saved him.) If there was going to be a turning point for Vlad's character, that would have been the place to start, just like you said.

And hey, we can still dream that's what really happened, right? 🔮

[bougiebutchbitch]

I'm not in the ofmd fandom but I am intrigued by the drama. spill the tea?

OH GOD OKAY

Where do I begin lksdlgkfds

Okay so

There’s this nasty little gremlin-man in ofmd called Izzy Hands. He’s a sour, mean, skrunkly, disabled little cunt who is a firm believer in Respect and Discipline (in a very queer subby way).

This is to say: he is. Explicitly. Queer. He does drag on the show, and has a whole coming-out scene. He is a kinky masochist. He confesses his love for another man, and basically ruins his own life & everyone else's, because he is sooooo pathetically jealous about this man (his captain!) falling for some milquetoast loser white rich guy, when Izzy, a badass leather-wearing working-class sword-swinging swashbuckler, is right there making puppy-eyes at him.

He's wrong! He's horrid! He's a bastard, pickled in piss and vinegar! He's five-foot-nothing of spite and gay self-loathing! He's very fun to watch, and very, very queer.

People still insist that he’s straight. And racist. Despite there being 0 textural evidence to support this, and the creators of the show repeatedly saying that this is absolutely not what they wrote.

Why do people hate him so much? Simple! Because he ‘got in the way’ of the main ship.

Yup. It’s basically ‘bash the girl who gets in the way of our m/m otp’ only the girl is a grizzled 50-something year old pirate.

The main ship, btw, is between Ed Teach, an awesome complex flawed hopeful beautiful character of colour; and Stede Bonnet, another awesome complex flawed character. Who is a white guy. And who happens to be a rich plantation owner from the 1700s. Based on A LITERAL SLAVE OWNER. Who is explicitly shown to be a Problematic White Guy with fucked-up racist views.

Like. He’s not a perfect guy. The show makes this very, very clear - to the point where Stede pushes Ed into sex super-fast immediately after Ed says he wants to go slow, and this makes Ed run away and freak out.

But somehow, Certain Fans still insist that Izzy is to blame because :checks notes: he makes one cheeky, friendly joke about them finally getting together that is clearly given & received in good spirits.

Yeah.

There's a lot of this cognitive dissonance going on. And it's very, very wilful.

Basically: a certain subset of people who ship Ed and Stede refuse to exercise the slightest bit of critical thought of Stede’s views and actions (which are a representation of the white landed gentry!) but insist on maliciously twisting literally everything Izzy says or does to cast him as The Ultimate Villain. Whereas anyone watching the show can tell that he starts off as an antagonist-with-a-deeply-hidden-heart-of-gold, whose entire arc is about growth and redemption.

I think 99% of this is projection. Stede and Ed are not perfect by any means, but these people are so dead-set on shipping a Cute Fluffy Romance (when that. Really isn’t what the show gave us) that they have to create a villain out of Izzy and blame all of Stede and Ed’s fucked-up choices and actions on him, in the most contrived ways. Which has the added bonus of them deciding that Izzy, a white guy, is somehow responsible for literally ALL of Ed’s genuinely awful, abusive, and interesting choices in S2, where he went on his villain arc. Even though Izzy was the main victim of this villain arc. Rather than, y’know, giving Ed the agency to make his own damn decisions and acknowledging that he is a flawed and fascinating character who Hurts People but still deserves a happy ending, like literally every other main character on ofmd. Nope. Gotta infantalise that man of colour and pretend he has no control over his own life and his morality is goverened by the white men around him!

Then, they get to portray Stede as his white saviourTM who swoops in and saves Ed from ‘his own darkness’ with the power of love. 😊 because that’s not Problematique in the slightest 😊

It’s… fucked up, to put it plainly. But honestly, as much as there is a problem with their dogged insistence that Izzy is the root of all iniquity on the show, and that Ed and Stede are pure perfect angels who never did any wrong... what was worse was the relentless harassment enacted by that side of the fandom against anyone who dared show a liking for Izzy’s character. Like, it’s not the worst fandom out there by any means, but it really did make the fandom feel hostile to anyone who didn’t ship the main ship.

SO - yeah. That's the tea! OFMD was a fun show with lots of cool flawed characters. But the fandom was a cesspit, fuelled mostly by a Certain Group Of Fans' desperation to make their ship Perfect and Morally Pure - which resulted in them throwing an interesting, well-rounded, morally grey queer disabled character under the bus, and harrassing anyone who enjoyed him.

[crooked-wasteland]

I just saw your essay on the codependency of FizzOzzie and it cleared up a lot of things I've been thinking about this ship and to be honest, I myself thought it was the most healthiest ship in the whole show even better than the trash that Stoliz is but well... (btw, I was trying to scroll through tumblr to find it but can you just link it for me so I coud read it again)?

It also brings me to an idea of the possibility brung up in two fics each with different ideas:

#1 if Hazbin's events every leak in Helluva's since they're the same universe, there's a possibility that Lucifer would want to have precautionary heirs for the defense of Hell and outright force Ozzie and any other relationships with lowerclass apart since it's "not compatible with angelic DNA" or some thing, so Ozzie could in fact leave Fizz because of his status

#2 Ozzie getting tired of Fizz... Ozzie is the sin of Lust after all and Lust can be ever-changing and capricious in its nature as a sin. Ozzie’s character, embodying Lust, might lead to a fluctuating commitment level, influencing his interactions and relationships. In biblical lore, he did end up causing a lot of sinful things like fucking a human named Sarah or so I remember?

Again this is the same guy who humiliated Blitzø in Ozzie, S2 just rewrote him completely (btw, in my rewrite I'mma change him to be more evil and instead give the whole "lovey-dovey Sin" idea to Satan who is female and thinks Asmodeu's "fake-love" is like a slap in the fact to her idea of realistic and true romance)

I'd just feel like Fizz would be better off with Blitzø tbh or Striker or all in a threesome... the possibilities are endless, and why is the show making love seem too fairytale and unrealistic?! Like Blitzø shouldn't have to fuck Stolas just because he was his arranged playmate for just one day??? The show did the childhood friends trope dirty and would be better if Stoliz was a thing until mid-teens broke up for [insert reason] and reconnect but honestly, Stolas should've had his own seperate season/arc dedicared to himself if HB was an anthology show

Also the fact that Asmodeus couldn't just burn the contract, one-shot the lawyer and go on a rampage to save Fizz is just beyond me... the Sins are supposed to be these scary demon lords so why aren't they, hm?

Sorry for rambling and what do you think or want to add?

Absolutely here you go.

The consistent failure of Vivziepop is to commit to a mature story. She describes her own protagonists as "Deeply flawed but understandably traumatized people who just need love to fix them" while the villains of her shows are "irredeemable" (and women, but that's a tangent).

I mentioned before that trying to use the excuse of the setting being Hell and playing that out to the logical conclusion would end up exactly like Good Omens. The whole moral of said show being that imperfect humanity is worth saving, that life is worthy and beautiful for its own sake of existence. That is why the story of Good Omens uses the Bible, angels, and demons to tell it's story, to make that point.

Why is Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel set in Hell? What is being said by the plot, themes and story? So far we have that demons are better people than the Angels in Hazbin. That sacrifice is the only virtue worthy of redemption and thus reinforces backwards Christian ideals of penance.

Personally, I would have made Hell less absurd. Less a place of debauchery and chaos and more a mere continuation of life. We see in the Hazbin Pilot a character falls from the sky and says "I'm alive?" Before being hot by Travis' car. The point being that people just transition from one life to the next and in that they keep living life the way they always have.

My personal criticisms of the series' use of Hell is that it established this idea that people only behave if they have a god to fear. Once in Hell, there is no salvation, so why bother. It's like a Christian asking an atheist why they wouldn't commit murder if they don't believe in God. The answer is that people like order and security. People dying would seek to maintain their status quo from life. A lack of salvation wouldn't change that for them.

And frankly, I wouldn't have redemption be a thing. This story and its messages are actively devalued by the act of redeeming sinners when the Angels are just the same as them. By having Hell just be a warped continuation of life on Earth, it makes the message more universal: Life is Hell. Life is suffering in a way Hell can never hope to be. Physical anguish and torment for all eternity can never amount to the pain of the fleeting and the terror of change and uncertainty.

I would have made it impossible to be redeemed because the fact is, regardless what you believe happens after death, what we know we have is life. We fear death so much we have created salvation throughout history, the wish to keep living forever in some way. But, especially for young people, life is harder now than ever before. It's more terrifying and uncertain and cruel and uncaring.

So if life is Hell, how do you be happy?

That would have been my thesis for the show. The message underneath is all about finding happiness in the absence of salvation. Even the idea that maybe salvation is something we should reject to really feel what it means to be alive. Giving up on our deaths and seeking our own fulfillment, and in that finding community, love, and hope. To see true humanity as something selfish and kind at the same time.

That's how I would have taken the concept.

[writingquestionsanswered]

With enemies to lovers (especially for Hero x Villain who actively want to hurt and thwart each other), how much can they hurt each other before it crosses the line from enemies to abusive? Beast imprisoned Belle's father, and Belle volunteered to take her father's place, and the internet won't stop screaming toxic love. Meanwhile Catra tried killing Adoras friends, nearly destroyed the universe, and used Double Trouble to try and destroy the rebellions friendship from the inside out, and nobody seems to call Catradora toxic the way they do for Beauty and the Beast. Where's the line, and how do I make sure I don't cross it?

Worried About Toxicity/Abuse in Enemies to Lovers, etc.

I'm not a psychologist or otherwise an expert in toxicity and abuse, and I'm also not familiar with the storyline of the 2018 She-Ra, which was bit different from the version on TV when I was a kid-ish. That said, I'm not really qualified to do a deep dive on this, but I strongly suspect one major difference is in how Beast's actions were portrayed versus how Catra's were portrayed. Beast was seen as a villain by the villagers, but he was never really the villain of the story. His actions were therefore not due to his goal being in opposition with the protagonist (Belle), but rather due to his bitterness and anger. In other words, he was just being a jerk. He does have a redemptive moment when he saves Belle from the pack of wolves. He's harmed in the process, and could have been killed, but it's not a sacrifice that really represents a change of heart or major character growth, because even in his bitterness and anger, he wasn't the sort of guy who would stand by and let this innocent woman be mauled by a pack of wolves.

Catra, on the other hand, was an actual villain in the story. Her goal was in direct opposition with the protagonist's goals, so we expect her to do things that will be harmful to Adora and her friends. Unlike Beast, who makes a split-second decision to rescue Belle in an emergency situation, Catra goes through a growth arc where she begins to question her motivations and see the ways that her choices and actions harmed people. She made an active choice to do better and did the hard work of redeeming herself, changing sides and fighting for the good side. The romance, as I understand it, doesn't really get underway until Catra is already redeeming herself. So, it's quite a different situation. Something else I think, too, is initially Beast's motivation for being nice to Belle was a selfish one--he needed Belle to love him in order to break his curse. So, even once he makes the shift from bitterness and anger toward kindness and compassion, it's not motivated out of a selfless desire to do no harm and be a better person. The opposite is true for Catra.

As stated in my ask policies, I'm not going to talk about how to portray toxicity and abuse (there's plenty of info out there). However, I will say if you want to do something like Catra and Adora--or even something like Belle and Beast, but done right--it's all about why they did the bad things, why they decide to do better, how the bad things are framed/portrayed (never romanticized or swept under the rug), and about making sure the character's growth and change is an intentional choice and something they work hard at.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[readingrynbow]

a little httyd & rtte rant:

[gif from google]

ok watching race to the edge for the 1 millionth time and i’m doing some thinking.

first of all:

this is still one of my favorite shows ever and it’s an underrated masterpiece—every story beat is so well crafted.

if you watched the httyd movies and asked yourself: ok, how did we get here? what happened in those 5 years? why are hiccup and astrid suddenly in a long-term relationship, who are gobber and stoic’s dragons, why is berk so different, why does he have a flaming sword and flight suit?

well—they made a show abt all of that.

secondly:

i like the way the main cast is portrayed in this show WAY more than in the movies.

i just did a marathon of the movies and toothless and hiccup are really the only two to have ample screen time—i get it, they’re the main characters that’s the point—but the beauty of rtte is that with six seasons they are able to feature everyone equally and do.

i love the relationship development between hiccup and astrid too ofc!!!!

the twins, snotlout, and fishlegs are fully fleshed out characters and i’m reveling in it. they all have such great chemistry with each other and it’s so fun to watch.

thirdly:

i think the villains in rtte are farrr more compelling than the movie villains.

vigo is one of the best tv villains ever imo and the twists and turns the show takes when he is in power is so entertaining and engaging (he's literally a cockroach and won't leave/die). i love and hate him and you never know if you can trust him or not!!!! GAH THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD

lastly:

[gif from google]

holyyyy shit why isn’t heather in the movies?? her and dagur making a cameo would’ve astronomically altered my brain chemistry—mae whitman deserved to be in the movies. heather as a character is so interesting--as well as her and dagurs’s relationship (what a redemption arc holy shit). their character development is impeccable. + fishlegs and heather are so made for each other that deserved to have made it into at LEAST one movie (and let's be real her and astrid def were a thing at one point).

closing remarks:

WATCH THIS SHOW WATCH THIS SHOW!!!!!

tuff and ruff are slowly becoming my favorites tbh

i miss this show!! watching it as it came out was so fun.

hiccup and astrid have my heart

david tennent you are everywhere

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Hey, i follow your blog for several weeks now and think you make some fresh of breth air.

What is your opinion on aang and his arc in general ? Are you critical of the lion turtle at the end and think it was a selfish moment when he did not redirect lightning back at ozai?

Despite of all the shipping wars :)

Let's make a distinction clear here: the lionturtle was poorly set up, that is a totally valid complaint. Claiming that a traumatized 12-year-old, who as a bonus was raised to be a pacifist, is being selfish for not wanting to be people's assassin for hire is complete lunacy. He's a child, a person. He's not your super weapon/soldier, and his responsibilities as the Avatar don't change the fact that what people are expecting of him is unfair and deeply traumatizing.

And actually, Aang's role as the Avatar and the way people misunderstand it ties into why I think his arc was great: he has a duty to the world. The WHOLE world. Fire Nation very much included.

He isn't there to wipe them off the face of the Earth in retaliation for what they did to his people. He isn't there to have them be ruled with an iron fist for the crime of being born in the wrong place/culture, regardless of how complicent every individual was, or wasn't, in the war. He isn't there to disregard anyone's humanity and inherent right to life and dignity, not even Ozai's, for "the greater good."

He is there to bring back harmony. To help put the Fire Nation back on the right path. To make them stop being a threat, yes, but through REDEMPTION, not violence.

That's why he learns that the kids were taught lies basically from birth, and that any form of self-expression, and even old Fire Nation traditions, are being suppressed. Why he turns to Iroh for advice in Ba Sing Se even though the old man was constantly helping Zuko. Why he could see the lonely, angry, sad child hiding behind Zuko's hostile behavior. Why he too needed to see that fire could be both life and death, and thus should not be hated but also not used caressly, because even though he is an air-nomad before anything, that is still his element too.

The Fire Nation's original culture might not be his primary identity, but it is part of him, and he's one of the few people alive that were there to witness it in it's true glory - and the only one who hasn't had time to get used the idea of them being nothing but a threat now. That's why Aang is the perfect guy to save the day. He won't let them do evil, but he won't let their potential for good be ignored.

And it's sooooooooooooooooo satisfying to see the Fire Nation needing to rely on Aang's air-nomad culture to help. To see him prove Ozai was wrong to think they were just dead-weight in the world, that they had nothing of value to offer (and grabbing the fucker by his stupid beard).

To see Aang, who lost his people, saw sacred temples and relics destroyed, and that even had to hide his arrow, screaming to the whole world that the wisdom of the airbenders was the one hope for a brighter future and being validated by the narrative for it was fucking beautiful.

Aang was a child that was constantly told he had to sacrifice everything, his beliefs, his peace of mind, his culture, his attachment to the people he loved, what was left of his childhood and potentially even his own life for everyone else's sake, and that he was selfish if didn't like that shitty deal the universe offered him. And in the finale he said "FUCK THAT NOISE!" and that was thing that ultimately saved everyone, not just himself.

He is the poster boy for "Fuck you! It's real easy to talk about sacrifices for the greater good when you're not the one who'll have to sacrifice anything!" and I love him for that.

Seriously, it's crazy how fans that go "Urgh, just betray your beliefs and traumatize yourself for everyone else's sake already, you selfish asshole" don't realize they're unironically talking like an actual cartoon villain that is know for being cowardly and cruel.

[maul-of-shame]

Galadriel is not in love with Sauron and i hate that people say this all the time because Sauron clearly only wanted to turn one of the more mightier elves dark. He would do that to anyone, he is an ass and tries to manipulate each and everyone if he could. And i wish people would see him for what he is; Just a power greedy bad guy! And that is okay because Vickers absolutely smashed this role and i am here for hit. But he has never been and will never be in love with Galadriel nor will she be in love with him. She never was, never will be and I will die on that hill lmao, sorry for the ramble i just wanted to point out that Sauron x Galadriel does not make a lot of sense to me personally.

Oh, I am right there with you!🙌

[TW: rant and mentions of dark subjects, abuse]

I’ve probably blocked at least 30 people myself recently because I just cannot deal with this take that Sauron and Galadriel are in some kind of twisted romance. Like, to me, this isn’t a dark, forbidden "love story": it's a classic tale of a power-hungry villain trying to manipulate one of the mightiest elves to his side for his own ends.

Galadriel deserves so much better than that nonsense.

And let’s be real: Charlie did such a phenomenal job bringing Sauron to life that I actually love to hate the guy!XD😂 He absolutely crushed it. Sauron’s a villain through and through, and it was so satisfying to see him make that manipulation so terrifyingly convincing.

But romantic? Nope, nope, and nope again, for me at least!

Sauron isn’t exactly giving “star-crossed lover” energy here; he’s serving straight-up “I’ll take anything I can get” vibes. The guy literally realized Galadriel wasn’t interested in his dark side, so he turned around and tried to replace her with Mirdania just because she vaguely resembled her. That’s not love—that’s classic rebound behavior with a side of desperate manipulation. If this is what people are calling “true love,” I’d love to know what media they’re watching because that’s a massive, skyscraper-level stretch.

Sauron’s not looking for a partner; he’s looking for a pawn, and Galadriel sees right through it now.

He’ll manipulate anyone, play any role, and whisper any sweet nothings necessary to get what he wants.

And that whole “woe is me, I’m just misunderstood” speech? Only goes so far, folks. Galadriel literally told him to heal himself because she could see his whole “tragic dark lord” act was just another trick and she had enough of it.

She literally fell of a cliff trying to un*live herself to AVOID dealing with him.

Yet somehow people are still, “No, but he just needs love to be saved!”

Why don’t people want her to heal and find peace? Genuinely, why? Galadriel choosing to stand her ground, taking steps to block out the abuser, and seeking her own peace is beautiful. It’s powerful and strong in its own right, and yet people tear it apart just to force this "star-crossed lovers" narrative, when it’s not even close to that trope.

The fact that Sauron has shown time and time again that he’s NOT interested in healing—he’s interested in control, manipulation, and his own power—doesn’t seem to get through to these people. It’s not about saving him here, it’s about letting Galadriel reclaim her own strength and make decisions for her own life.

But no, apparently that’s not "romantic enough", so they would rather have her broken down and emotionally abused so they can cheer for this toxic, unrealistic idea of “love conquering all” when it’s clearly not that.

It’s so frustrating to see this idea that the only way Galadriel can truly be strong is by enduring more pain, that somehow she must be this savior who accepts the worst of people just for the sake of growth or “character development.” But no, she’s not some sacrificial lamb for Sauron’s redemption arc—she’s a woman who’s been through enough already, and the moment she stands up for herself, says “no more,” and blocks the abuser, that is the real strength. People don’t realize that true peace and strength come from walking away from toxic situations, not fighting to be “the one to fix” someone who is intentionally hurting you.

It’s frustrating, because by promoting this idea that Galadriel should be in constant turmoil for the sake of someone else’s redemption, they strip away the real, necessary healing she needs. It’s not just about “moving on” in some perfect, romantic way—it’s about healing from abuse and manipulation, and no, she doesn't need to go back into that toxic cycle in the name of “love.”

It doesn’t have to be some grand, tragic narrative for it to be powerful. And it certainly doesn’t need to involve her emotionally sacrificing herself to save a villain who clearly has no intention of changing.

Newsflash: Obsession isn’t love. Manipulation isn’t love. He doesn’t need love to be redeemed; he needs accountability and probably a few millennia in elf therapy! Galadriel doesn’t owe him an ounce of her loyalty or affection, and I’ll proudly die on that hill with you.

Galadriel is not Sauron’s therapist—she’s got her own epic destiny to fulfill.

The guy lied to her, betrayed her, actively manipulated her trust, hurt/killed her closest friends, tried to un*live herself to avoid him, and made a power grab right under her nose. And after all that, we’re supposed to believe she’d just sigh and say, “Oh, that’s alright! Let me just go ahead and reserve us a table for a cozy little date night”?

People keep acting like Galadriel’s got this endless capacity for forgiveness where she’d just brush off everything Sauron’s done—right down to being like "If I can't have you, no one will" and STABBING HER/TRYING TO KILL HER.

She’s wise enough to know the difference between a wounded soul worth saving and an outright power-hungry villain who’s only ever been out for one person: himself.

Did she make mistakes? Sure, like anyone, she’s had moments of pride and impulse—but that doesn’t mean she needs to endure abuse to be seen as a “strong character” or some kind of “redeemer” for him. That whole “taming the bad guy” trope just doesn’t work here, especially when the guy in question has manipulated her trust, endangered her life, tried to kill her, and taken advantage of her vulnerability time and time again.

Being a strong character doesn’t mean she has to sacrifice herself to “save” someone who’s shown again and again that he’s willing to hurt others for his own gain. Galadriel’s strength is in her resilience, her wisdom, and her fierce loyalty to those she loves, not in playing savior to a lost cause.

If anything, her strength is in recognizing when someone isn’t worth saving and standing her ground against them.

[luneemeritus]

Love Never Dies slander because I can (it's ok if you like the show, I'm just giving my personal opinion)

The wasted potential of Love Never Dies haunts me.

Because a sequel to the musical is not a bad idea, actually. But writing an adaptation of "Phantom of Manhattan" (very famous for being horribly written) was definitely a terrible one.

Andrew basically wrote a bad E/C fanfiction that ignores completely Erik's redemption (and obviously, his past terrible actions) and Christine's arc of empathy and indepedence. Meg Giry and her mother became villains for some reason? And they have the worst swerfy slutshaming against Meg, really disgusting. Gustave is a useless character, he only exists to bring Erik and Christine together (Beneath a Moonless Sky woulndt exist without him, I don't know if that's a bad or a good thing). And, even though I heavily dislike Raoul, I agree that it's pathetic what they did to him. Raoul became an alcoholic caricature of himself that mistreats both Christine and his son for no reason other to make Erik look better. Again, I don't like Raoul, I also think he's toxic and he could be portrayed REALISTICALLY as a bad husband. But not like that lol

And, like. What is the purpose of erasing Erik's redemption and giving him Christine's (and Gustave's) love as a prize if you make him even worse? This Erik abandoned Christine after FUCKING HER. He and Raoul make a bet over owning Christine like if she is some kind of object. This Erik is horrible to Giry, which makes no sense, he even creates a freakshow and exploits disabled people??? Literally what has done to him in the past??? Also, Erik being a rich business man with little to no social struggles is so ridiculously out of character lol. "Mister Y" doesn't act like Erik himself.

The ending is straight up bullshit. It's too ridiculous and irritating to be tragic. Christine has absolutely no agency in LND, her entire arc is choosing between her boring alcoholic husband or the teacher that abandoned her after fucking her 10 years ago (not to mention that Erik's past mistakes, like, idk, maybe KIDNAPPING HER, killing Piangi and Buquet, is not even mentioned. No one remembers that). And then she sings a pretty song, chooses Erik, and dies. Wow. Amazing. She dies by accident by the way, because Meg shot her... unintentionally? Depending on the actress, I think. I won't even talk too much about Meg's character assassination because it just frustates me. "Oh the deranged sex worker that is punished with abandonment and pain by the end". Ugh.

The songs are amazing though. This I can't deny, even like, Bathing Beauty, it has nothing to do with POTO but it's a good song honestly.

Love Never Dies could be a good sequel. Erik trying to make amends for his mistakes, having terrible coping mechanism (as always), maybe they could explore his relationship with Madame Giry (even if she is depicted as a morally grey character). Christine realizing that she and Raoul were too young when they made the decision to marry, and that she has much more potential than what the victorian patriarchal society has to offer her. It could even end with E/C being canon, but like, with actual development??? Him learning how to behave apropriately, actually healing and being a better partner? (because he doesn't grow in Love Never Dies, he just gets Christine for sometime before she dies, he learns nothing, he just becomes an asshole that is portrayed as the good guy 'cause "Raoul is worse")

[blueopinions49]

Healthy/Unhealthy Type 8

Healthy Social 8

Poe Dameron (8w7 so/sx)- His desire and devotion for the rebellion makes him a bit impulsive but well meaning. Eventually throughout the last Jedi he learns when not to fight and retreat.

Mileena MK1 (8w7 so/sx)- Her struggle to come to terms with her being the heir to the throne made her disintegrate towards 5 a bit eventually accepting her role.

Tsunade (8w7 so/sx) - She lost her way due to all her personal loss and eventually rediscover what made her gifts important. Eventually deciding to become the Leafs 5th Hokage.

Unhealthy Social 8

Negan (8w7 so/sx)- Due I have to say much? He conquered and tortured almost all of the cast in the show. Caused an unnecessary war. But ig he deserved a redemption arc.

Kuvira (8w9 so/sp)- While her frustrations where valid she decided to conquer and take over other territory's.

Killmonger (8w9 so/sx)- Similar to Kuvira it's understandable grievance but wrong path to take.

Healthy Self-preservation 8

Jay Pritchett (8w9 sp/sx)- Close off a bit emotionally in the beginning of the show but he got better as time goes on.

Selina Kyle (8w7 sp/sx) - Her decision to be herself main priority and live life helping people makes her more of a hero than a villain. Also she robs rich people so...

Number 5 (8w9 sp/so)- His love and devotion to his family is felt throughout show and while he can be stubborn he doesn't let that blind him from being logical.

Unhealthy Self preservation 8

Billy Butcher (8w7 sp/sx)- He is constantly in the verge of danger and his impulsive decision making gets the Boys in trouble constantly.

Cersei Lannister (8w9 sp/sx)- Her desire for autonomy and control of her own decision gets unfocused on controlling others and using violent ways to get what she wants.

Lisa Rowe (8w7 sp/sx)- Similar to Cersei she doesn't want to control. However, she also doesn't seem to want to get better and accept herself. Eventually ending up void.

Healthy Sexual 8

Santana Lopez (8w7 sx/sp)- While she can be rude her struggle to accept herself in early seasons had a beautiful resolution and finding love with Britney.

Michelle Mallon (8w7 sx/sp)- A bit reckless but her heart is always in the right place. She pushed her friends to always explore and live more. Even if she got them in trouble.

Damon Salvatore (8w7 sx/sp)- Starts the show angry and frustrated but eventually he integrates towards his 2 and becomes more calm and less impulsive.

Unhealthy Sexual 8

Nate Jacobs 8w7 (sx/sp)- Pure disintegration towards 5. He is paranoid how people will feel about him once they discover who he truly is.

Claudia (8w7 sx/sp)- Sad and lonely due to the age in which she was turned she desires autonomy and love. Constantly trying to find that in Louis.

Villanelle (8w7 sx/sp)- Trying to find someone who loves her she purses Eve. The moment she doesn't have her attention she becomes violent and angry.

[number1rizgukgakstan]

FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR FINALE PART 2 LIVEBLOG: SPOILERS AHEAD

ITS GAME TIME BABY! :D I'm so ready for this. LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOO

Spoilers Under The Cut!

GOD their outfits are so fucking cool. I love their bullying of Brennan. it's so great I love it. I CANT BELIEVE THEY DIDNT TELL HIM thats so funny.

"I spent 217 dollars at Hot Topic" Real for that Siobhan.

I would have KILLED for Brennan in Emo Kid Clothes but alas. Some other time.

FABIAN'S ABOUT TO DO THE COOLEST FUCKING THING :DDD

MIRRORS??? MIRRORS?? ROMAENCE PARTNER APPEARANCE MAYBE??? MAYBE??? MAYBE??? It'd be so funny

That dice span for SO FUCKING LONG oh my god. The dice are FEELING IT today.

Fabian pushing Jace into the lava is maybe the funniest use of Brennan's own fucking encounter design against him. I love it.

18 D10???? EIGHTEEN??? INSANE.

"I served Rueben up a plate of redemption arc and he fucking cast a ninth level spell on it" is great.

"AHHH I SHOULD HAVE STUDIED A LITTLE BIT" beautiful final words for the duplicate

Ohhhh Jace is being HIVE-MINDED. He's just a minion. Damn.

WAIT. SO ONCE THE RAGESTARS ARE GONE, THEY COULD PROBABLY BE SAVED RIGHT??? Ratgrinders might get to go away, maybe?

Oh god if Kristen gets rage-starred they're seriously fucked,,, thank god it didn't happen.

MAZEY NOOOOOOOO.

"I mean I don't Hate it" NOT THE TIME FABIAN

They're already two people down [sobs]

OH MY GOD PORTER REALLY FUCKING HATES GORGUG HOLY SHIT. He's so fucking scary actually.

Oh god I'm so worried ANKARNA NOOOOOO

RIZ'S FUCKING PLAN IS INSANE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. Murph the GENIUS YOU ARE. The fact that it did ONE HUNDRED AND SIX DAMAGE is absurd.

"VERY GOOD ON PAPER BUT NO PRACTICAL APPLICATION" OUCH!

SHE'S NOT EVEN RAGE-STARRED??? SHE WAS DOING THIS WILLINGLY?? HOLY SHIT MOST COMPELLING VILLAIN EVER. SHE REALLY IS JUST THAT FULL OF HATE. #1 HATER. I LOVE IT.

Mary-Ann CHOOSING to take the damage is absurd. We stan a dedicated queen.

Oh god three people down is worrying. I'm sure they'll pull through.

ANOTHER CLUTCH SCATTER FROM ADAINE!

God, Brennan's homebrew spell coming back to bite him is SO funny.

GET FUCKED JACE YOU LITTLE BITCH!

ARTHUR AGUEFORT'S CONTINGENCY MEASURE IS SO FUNNY.

Killing KLCK fucking over Jace and Porter is incredibly funny. Turns out Rage does not make for Good Planning.

LOWEST INT BITCHES AS YOUR LEADERS IS SO FUNNY

"I really can't I tried" GOD jace is such a stupid fucking sorcerer I love him.

Jace failing to Bigby's Hand Adaine into the lava and then fighting with Porter is amazing. Peak. ANOTHER CLUTCH NAT 20 FOR GORGUG! The gym really is pulling things off for them.

"He just rolled a 4" in the most defeated voice ever is so fucking funny. This is what happens when half your villain party has shitty strength.

"eat this gizard and get the fuck up" God I love Brennan's random ass magic items. It's great.

"You might still be trapped in a Burning Elmville with a raging giant" So an average Tuesday in Solace?

Honoring the Cock and Getting a Nat 1- the Dimension 20 Way

Fig's tricky little Shatter is my favorite tactic in her toolbox. And her getting 40 damage of shatter is ABSURD, even if her rolling them one by one is nerve-wracking.

SIXTY-NINE FIRE DAMAGE :D

SO IF BUDDY COMES BACK HE JUST FUCKING DROPS STRAIGHT INTO THE LAVA??

BAKUR BABY!!!!!!! LET'S HOPE HE'S NOT EVIL!

He doesn't have his own mini so he's basically just That Guy

Bakur might choose to join either side so let's see :eyes eyes eyes:

GOD I love Fabian and his clutch rolls. BAKUR and ALLIES!

SQUEEEEEEEM!!! FUCK YEAH!! SQUEEM! AND HE BROUGHT THE CORTADOS. BALTHAZAR'S BACK!!!!! HOLY SHIT??? I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU BUT I LOVE YOU!

YOU GOT YOUR HEALS! GET A CORTADO AND JOIN THE PARTY SQUEEEEM!

Mary-Anne rolling a nat 1 is so funny i'm losing it. Clutch ass cutting words. The Hangman is winning!

Fabian and Mazey are SO cute. They deserve the fucking world. ITS ALL LOVE NOW!!!!

The value of protective anger,,,, the strength of love and light and the desire to combat those who would hurt the ones you love,,, Brennan Lee Mulligan you are a genius

ANOTHER K2 BLIMEY NAT 20??? THE DICE ARE THE REAL HEROES OF THIS STORY. It's fucking. It's so fucking funny. I'm literally crying.

Zac in the DM's seat again is making me laugh so hard.

Brennan actually packing up behind them is so funny. He's really committed to the bit.

"She's about to become a normal person" this is actually tragic when you think about it. Luckily, K2 is in a comedy show, so it's going to be funny instead.

"This spell is MEANT to be comedic" yeah it's literally a fucking snowman.

OH MY GOD. CASSANDRA MADE K2 A REAL PERSON???? HOLY SHIT THIS IS SOME PINOCCHIO LEVEL BULLSHIT IM ECSTATIC. OR LIKE, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN???

"Unsleeping City K2???" I WANT THIS

K2 is now a human cleric and she's fucking real. Holy shit she's fucking real.

GOD THE MOMENT WITH CASSANDRA AND BAKUR IS SO FUCKING COOL.

BALTHAZAR GOT FUCKING DISINTEGRATED [sobs] GOODBYE SWEET MAN WHO NEVER DOES ANYTHING. THE MOST CRINGEFAIL MAN EVER

Oh god the Bad Kids are fucking down again :sobs:

"We're just collecting Barbarians" I love that <3 Barbarians Only

Mazey is definitely an honorary bad kid <3 Epic crits and clutch heals for all!

Fabian and Gorgug have gone down SO MUCH. It's incredible how they keep fucking pulling themselves back up. They are truly living on the edge.

We're halfway through the episode and I am very excited and also a little nervous.

OH THANK GOD SANDRA LYNN'S FINE! :D It's also nice to see Lydia and Ragh! :D

I love how Fig immediately calls back to her mom to help. They're the family ever.

GOD Jawbone's full mini is so fucking cool.

BRENNAN YOU CAD WHERE'S AYDA???????

"All I have to do is be dead and I can roll anything" should be printed on a dice holder FOR SURE

THE FUCKING AGENT IS HERE??? IM LOSING IT

BAXTER IS FIGHTING PORTER??? OH MY GOD

Lydia's wheelchair sliding is actually so fun. I love Brennan taking into account wheelchair physics for his combat. It's always nice to see.

GORGUG HAS A FUCKING FLASHBANG?????? ONCE AGAIN GORGUG'S ABILITIES COME IN CLUTCH.

"is this Justice? Is this a New Dawn?" GOES SO FUCKING HARD???? ADAINE YOU ARE THE COOLEST

BAKUR BACK TO HIS HIGH ELF SELF!!!!

EVERYONE'S GETTING A DIVINE INTERVENTION????? HOLY SHIT.

HOLY SHIT FABIAN DID IT???? FUCK THATS SO COOL. FABIAN, A PROTECTOR, ALONGSIDE ADAINE. THEY ARE THE BEST FRIENDS!

Mazey and Fabian are so sweet. I want them to be in love forever do you hear me???? YOU HEAR ME???

"All the ways you've protected people is what makes you cool" GOD MAZEY GETS IT. FABIAN HAS SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVE.

Ankarna, sitting in the bottomless pit; THAT BOY DESERVES TO BE WITH HIS FUCKING GIRLFRIEND. LET ME RISE UP!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH ANKARNA LIVES. SHE FUCKING SLAYS!!! SHE SLAYYYYYYYYYS

Jace getting fucking arrested is the funniest ending for a villain in this show. ITS NOT EVEN THE REAL JACE.

"I WAS HILDA HILDA THE WHOLE TIME!" EMILY THE COMEDIAN THAT YOU ARE!

God this battle was so cool it really did a lot for the Bad Kids as characters.

All of the scenes in the ether were SO GOOD. They really show how strong they've grown, and the strengths of their heart. Their desire to look ahead is built into them, and I love it.

"rebellion without a new dawn to look forward to is just cynical"

"where's the fucking cat" KRISTEN YOU'RE SO FUCKING FUNNY

SQUEEM AND BALTHAZAR HUNTING KALINA IS GREAT

"bring back everyone but Kipperlilly"

"No, just Mary-Ann"

The Bad Kids are great, Funniest people ever, 10/10

"Juicy God Gossip" is such a funny line. Another t-shirt I want.

GOD DAMN IT ARTHUR AGUEFORT WHY ARE YOU JUST NOW SHOWING UP

FORGIVEN, HE BROUGHT AYDA BACK, WE ARE WELL. God their reunion was perfect it was so sweet. And Adaine and Ayda also had a really good moment.

Arthur Aguefort is the single funniest character Brennan has ever written.

Kristen Applebees is going to be the president! HOLY SHIT!

YOLANDA AND LUCY ARE BACK!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!

RATGRINDERS REDEMPTION ARC!!! So they were ALL just possessed. This is a good ending.

Oisin and Ivy should hopefully have a terrible senior year :3

Mary-Ann is so funny and earnest and sweet and I seriously love her. I hope she has a wonderful senior year and nothing bad ever happens to her ever again. ENEMIES TO LOVERS GORGUG AND MARY-ANN WAS NOT ON MY BINGO CARD

Is Gorgug's type just barbarians who can kill him????

GOD all of them are so fucking funny.

Kristen as a Pantheon Type Cleric makes SO MUCH SENSE!!!

Riz switching to tea and embracing change is beautiful. He's so fucking strong. "whatever you choose to do, you're going to be good at it" I love his relationship with his mom so much.

Adaine's mom is being a little bastard in the Nightmare Forest? That's going to be fun to follow up on if they ever do.

"i'd take them to get you" made me SOB. They're THE SISTERS EVER.

"we know what its for, we don't have to talk about it, it wasn't great" IS SO FUCKING FUNNY. Realest teenager moment ever.

HIS MOM SHOWS UP??? CRYING LAUGHING

HOLY SHIT FABIAN'S GRANDAD IS BACK!!

FABIAN's MOM IS ACTUALLY PREGNANT [screaming] THATS SO FUNNY

HIS INFANT SIBLING IS LITERALLY THE NEWEST NEMESIS IM CRYING

"Do you ever talk to Jawbone about any of this?" Mazey's gonna learn her new boyfriend has NO CHILL.

FOUR GOD PANTHEON???? That's going to be SO FUN!!!

Tracker and her girlfriend broke up I'm losing it.

GERTIE DECLARED KRISTEN HER NEMESIS I'm SCREAMING thats so funny. I mean it was intensely funny. It is a bit fucked up she led Gertie on, but that's teenagers for you.

GORGUG AND FIG ARE SO SWEET I'M SOBBING. GORGUG'S GIFTS ARE ADORABLE. THEY ARE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER.

The Thistlesprings are the Most Adoring Parents Ever I love them so much. PROFESSOR THISTLESPRING ARC???? I REALLY HOPE THAT HAPPENS.

"maybe next year i'll be the bad guy?" ARTHUR AGUEFORT I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD.

AYDA AND FIG MOMENT. I LOVE HOW INTENSE AYDA IS. THE GIRLFRIENDS EVER.

Oh my god the Complicated Women Podcast I'm screaming. I love how Sandra Lynn talks about it.

Fig's going to be SUCH a good big sister. Hopefully Fig can help Fabian handle things.

GOD the Hunter's Mark from Sandra Lynn to make sure she can always find her daughter is so sweet. They're the cutest ever.

"Maybe she can just trust that they'll be friends outside of school" GOD I LOVE THAT. Fig is THE BARD EVER.

THE AUTOMATONS HUNTING FIG IS SO FUNNY.

Ayda connected the Bottomless Pit with Leviathin and I'm just sobbing. Her point about learning was so strong and brilliant I love it.

"it's hot tub time!" - GOD THATS SO FUNNY

OH MY GOD BAKARATH IS REAL???? AND KALINA???? THATS SO FUCKING FUNNY. IS BAKARATH GOING TO BE THE FINAL BOSS OF A FUTURE SEASON???

That ending was amazing and I had such a good time. It's bittersweet, but I'm happy I was here. GO BAD KIDS!!

[redwolf17]

So i'm curious why did you decide to kill Tyrion at the Blackwater. Don't get me wrong I despise Tyrion and he deserves all the humiliation and rejections he gets in Storm. I was just asking because I wondered how Tyrion would have reacted to Sansa calling Tywin a cowardly oathbreaker in public.

Hi anon! Totally a fair question. Someone else also asked about Tyrion recently over on Ao3, so I'm gonna copy/paste my answer.

GRRM loves Tyrion so, so much.

I… do not. While Tyrion is a very well written character, I do not enjoy him. Yes, Tyrion has his moments of kindness and generosity, he has some witty lines and compelling scenes... but I just cannot get over how vicious he can be. Yes, he suffered horrific abuse from Tywin which informs his determination to punch down against others. Yes, the ableism he faces sucks, and no one should have to endure it. That informs his actions; he is not cruel solely for the sake of being cruel.

But. But. This is a man whose reaction to Tywin's slaughter of Masha Heddle for the crime of being a hepless bystander was to reproach her pitiful corpse for events completely beyond her control. This is a man who sent Bronn to grab Shae (or rather, the prettiest whore he could find) like he was shopping for a carpet; Tyrion's chapters are steeped in some of the worst misogyny of any POV. Yes, Cersei is an incompetent asshole, but Tyrion constantly antagonizes her to his own detriment (just as he antagonized Catelyn and Lysa previously), and his contempt for Cersei and his "jokes" about wanting to rape her are disgusting. This is a man who creeped on the "beautiful" 12 year old Sansa throughout ACOK and BARELY managed not to rape her during ASOS.

I swear, the show whitewashes Tyrion so aggressively, people forget that in the books Tyrion made Sansa strip naked, HE stripped naked, he groped her breast, he made her look at his naked, erect penis, and only then, when he saw how terrified/repulsed Sansa was, did he finally stop. Not because he suddenly grew a conscience, but because he resented Sansa for not wanting him, for not pretending to want him, and blamed it on his looks/dwarfism rather than acknowledging she would have likely been just as terrified with ANY Lannister, because she's a 12 year old hostage facing imminent rape!

Tyrion murders Shae for the crime of being in Tywin's bed, as if she had any choice about being there. He resents her for testifying against him, as if Shae, a random sex worker, could have said no to Cersei and refused to bear witness. He wants to burn the whole Vale of Arryn in retribution for Lysa being a dick which, yes, she was, but his desire for retribution is outsized to say the least). Tyrion consistently resents the smallfolk for not worshipping him even though he puts 0 effort into PR whatsoever. He threatens the bedwarmer in Illyrio's house with rape and murder; he DOES rape the poor "sunset girl" later at a brothel.

GRRM loves Tyrion as a grey-and-getting-darker villain, and gives him some of the most unnecessary, bloated chapters throughout the series. GRRM sees Tyrion offer crumbs of kindness to Jon, to Bran, and thinks that somehow tips the scales against all the terrible things Tyrion does. But what other good things does Tyrion do? Like, I'm not giving him a medal for not raping Sansa, not raping terrified 12 year old girls is a LOW bar to clear! What other good deeds has Tyrion done?

Aaaaanyway, after all that rambling, here's my thoughts on Tyrion in TWQ. I really, REALLY had no interest in doing a twist on his book canon arc, which meant my options for what to do with him were pretty open. I could have done a redemption arc, but frankly, I didn't want to. It would require a LOT of time and effort to do it properly, and plenty of other fics have "redeemed" Tyrion (although usually by ignoring his vicious misogyny rather than by confronting it; or they just depict him as heroic from the start because the show nuked his characterization).

And I had zero interest in making Tyrion an ongoing villain, which is the approach some other fics have taken. Reading his ADWD chapters is punishment enough, let alone trying to write something that grotesque. Not to mention the... uh... not so great history of fiction often ignoring disabled people except to depict them as villains or helpless, agency-free pawns like poor Lollys Stokeworth. GRRM... sorta tries to handle disability with nuance, but I don't think he always hits the mark. Side note, Paul the Pious, Edythe, Bran, Jaime, and a plethora of disabled side characters both good and bad are my effort to push back on that trend.

So, by Part II, I already had a vague idea that TWQ was going to spiral into a larger tale, and I knew that doing anything with Tyrion after Part II would require a LOT of work I wasn't interested in doing. So... I decided not to do it. Writing fanfic is a hobby for fun, and developing an entire Tyrion arc I found worth telling did not sound fun. Especially since I knew I was going to force myself to tackle both Dany in Essos and the Others, which were/are a headache and a half but essential to the overall story. So... karma bit Tyrion in the ass, and a combo of his wildfire (which he used on his own men!) and Cersei (maybe breaking her arm was a bad idea?) finished him off.