#but honestly you brought up a good counterpoint

[goingbuggy]

I NEED YOU TO DROP EVERYTHING! I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT SHANKS SCAR I FOUND OUT THROUGH SOMEONE TAGS BUT I CANT FIND IT ANYMORE

It’s about your great theory of speech bubble

Someone found another shanks panel like that, where it’s covering his scar

It’s when mihawk comes to him and greets him. They both have their eye covered like in your theory

I think it was 96 chapter? I’m sorry if I found the tag I will link it to you!

What do you think about it? I’m going crazy u thought there’s only the two you pointed out… what does that mean? What is shanks hiding there? Is he hurt mihawk ended the rivalry? What is going on?

This, right?

I feel like it's actually a good counterpoint to my interpretation, honestly -- there's not a lot to glean from the panel in terms of double meanings/hidden vulnerabilities. At least on Shanks' side with that dialogue bubble. It's a good panel to use to argue, "Hey, maybe this is just an aesthetic for pleasing visuals and balancing out a panel."

My interpretations aren't always 100% correct. There is a variety of reasons Oda could be hiding Shanks' scar in a panel, both meaningfully and non-meaningfully. Chapter 96 is the first Shanks appearance since chapter 19 and his third appearance overall, so his most recognizable feature might have been hidden for the surprise reveal. (Shanks is back again! That sort of thing.) That also explains why he is re-introduced by name.

I think it could still fit into my theory, though! Shanks is shrouded in shadows for all of his panels in this chapter, so it's possible there's something more going on emotionally, but I don't know. Sorry if you were expecting me to have an in-depth explanation. I'm only guessing at Oda's possible intentions, here, seeing what might fit and what might not.

[blade-liger-4ever]

Why Cody Burns succeeded where Rafael Esquivel failed

Honestly, Raf is one of those characters I never thought much of, in part because he was so forgettable. More often than not in Prime, Raf was just the sweet baby who everybody thought the world of and wanted to keep out of harm's way, even though the most he ever did in the show was provide technical help with Earth machinery or play the part of innocent child. This was not helped by the fact that he was buddy-ed up with the mute Bumblebee, who's sole contributions up until his two part arc and the series finale was additional man power and adorable mimic. While this was good for background humor, it ultimately did nothing to the overall storyline in the series, both for Raf and for Bee, and for the series itself.

By contrast, Cody Burns - the resident team baby, beloved by all and unwaveringly helpful in rescue missions - stood out far more than Raf. And what's more, is that he never had "his own" Autobot/Cybertronian partner, when literally his whole family had one of their own.

Allow me to delve into this, hopefully, final observatory post regarding the TFP kids.

Of all the humans, we quite frankly get the least out of Raf. We know he's a prodigy, given that he's twelve (and a quarter) and jumped straight into the same classes as Miko and Jack, the former of whom is no slouch as I've already covered. We're shown that his family allows him free reign of Jasper, as he's playing by himself near the road, although he's alone. That tells us that his family is either extremely lax in their attention for their youngest child, or that Jasper is an actually safe location for a kid who's barely filling out his shoes to be on his own. Whether or not either option is true, that's dangerous and shows that Raf goes unnoticed by his family. I'm not saying they're abusive or willfully neglectful of him, but this points us to the conclusion that Raf has a very lonely home life, and we already know that he's got zero friends until he meets the Autobots.

This could have been a great plot-point for the series: by giving Team Prime a small child with no one for company, the writers could have more clearly given the Autobots hope for the future of the War/after the War, while Raf could have gained confidence and security from having people who actually cared and listened to him. It could have been fun, having him be the human cycling through the Autobots for various needs. Imagine Raf going to Optimus for comfort after another day of feeling ignored, talking to Arcee for ideas on how to stand up to Vince (being the sole child in class makes you a target, after all), or coming to Bulkhead for how to struggle through the physical aspects of his school regimen (i.e. the time he brought up the rope climbing to Ratchet.) The possibilities were endless.

But instead, he's specifically handed over to Bee. Bee, who is the disabled child that is also largely forgotten, and who, while he does bond with Raf and provide him with much needed company, offers nothing else in the way of development or storylines. We got something marginally better when Raf started spending time with the grumpy grandpa that is Ratchet, which was great to highlight Ratchet's soft side that nurtures his own character progression, but it's not enough for Raf's development. I greatly prefer the company of the Autobots to the human characters in virtually every series, but there needs to be a noticable human presence to ground the Autobots' protective instincts toward Earth and to push along the story. Raf ended up being a token character not even halfway through the first season, which is a shame given his potential, especially since he and Bee ended up being background décor.

Now, as a counterpoint, we come to Cody Burns.

Like Raf, Cody is the youngest child of the Burns clan - and I say clan because his family has been the one providing Griffin Rock's safety and protection for about...roughly three hundred years? (Correct me if I'm wrong, but his family were the ones in-universe to discover the island. Thus, there's a large claim and respect to his family's name.) His father Charlie is the chief of police; his oldest brother Kade is the chief firefighter; his older sister Dani is the helicopter pilot and primary search and rescue operator; and his brother Graham, who's about eight years older than ten year old Cody, is already a chief engineer and inventor himself. Clearly, Cody has an impressive family. Clearly, they're the best of the best, and he couldn't be prouder of them.

And clearly, Cody feels the need to earn his stripes given their talents and the family's reputation.

A recurring subplot in Rescue Bots is how Cody is insecure about his role on the team, and that often leads him to attempt to provide help and find his place in life in the family. Sometimes, this works; although he's often left monitoring the situations across the island at home through the cameras, Cody finds ways of giving advice or pointing out a hazard that the others are oblivious to that would have likely killed them. And this is a noble occupation his fills, with his aid saving many lives and much trouble.

However, sitting around and merely being an observer wears on him. It makes him restless, and he often seeks aid from the 'Bots to figure out his problems before typical shenanigans ensue that rectify the current episode's dilemma.

This is an important part of Cody's characterization because while he does occasionally feel left out/ignored by his family, he understands it is because of their duties. Charlie has to daily wrangle different criminals and legal offenses while Graham is eagerly going to town on his latest project. Kade and Dani each have their own lives that are beginning and that they're pursuing, but additionally maintain an intense sibling rivalry due to them being not even three years apart. Thus, while they're seeing they're respective girlfriend and boyfriend, they're also competing in various childish ways that, sometimes, result in massive fights. It's no small wonder Cody rarely goes to them for advice.

For this, he's left with the 'Bots, and because they view him as their darling little brother who inspires them every day to give the humans of Griffin Rock and Earth a chance, they listen and advise him. Heatwave is the oldest of the 'Bots, and thus more experienced; additionally, Heatwave more than once nearly threw in the towel in the early days, but only relented due to Cody's convictions and virtues. Therefore, while they have a special bond without it being the sole focus, Cody tends to run to Heatwave the most when emotionally unwell and Charlie is unavailable. Heatwave in turn gives him comfort and advice, and backs him up in most situations. Chase is one he less often seeks help from, mostly due to Chase's nature of being a rigid rulebook. Most times Cody helps Chase understand human expressions and terms when Charlie is busy or otherwise engaged, with both their efforts helping the police 'Bot to loosen up. There are times when he needs Chase's input, as strange as that aid might be, and Cody doesn't hesitate to seek it.

Boulder he goes to almost as regularly as Heatwave, and the two get along fantastically. Boulder provides him with loving company he's hungry for, and sound advice without being overbearing. Blades sometimes needs more encouragement than anything, and thus Cody plays the rare part of helping guide someone through their numerous fears. Because of that, the 'copter 'Bot is extremely loyal and protective of Cody, and when Cody does ask for his help or companionship, Blades readily gives it. Sometimes, Blades will even go above and beyond what is asked, and never asks for anything in return.

These are healthy, constantly growing relationships that Cody develops with the 'Bots, as well as magnificent characterizations that are always expanding. While the focus tends to be shown through Cody's eyes or centered around him, it never fixates on him more than is necessary. Rather, by setting him up as the show's heart, the writing team is able to stretch out towards arcs related to other characters, both the 'Bots and their specific partners, and the other human cast members who interact with the 'Bots on a less frequent basis.

This is how Cody takes the potential of Raf from Prime and not only runs with it, but builds up countless heartwarming moments and strong characterizations over the course of Rescue Bots' run. Cody is positively and rightly shown as the glue of the family element of the show, and is given the autonomy to maintain his own personality and growth without being forgotten like Raf consistently was. That's why Cody stands out, and poor Raf is left hanging.

Well, that's my thoughts on the matter. I felt I should tackle Raf, given I covered his two peers, and Cody is a cute, fun, and constantly evolving counterpart to Raf that explains much of why I feel the poor baby of Team Prime was ultimately misused and unnecessary. I hope you enjoyed this, and that it got some gears turning in your heads.

I'll be seeing you guys!

"Rescue Bots, roll to the rescue!"

[blackjackkent]

As I mentioned in my previous post, it's very interesting to me that Durge gets custom dialogue about how they really want to kill Minsc, but never got any similar dialogue about Jaheira.

Honestly, this whole next cutscene (besides being my one of my favorites in the game and one of my favorite Jaheira moments in general) is just deeply interesting to me with Rakha specifically...

Narrator: Against the darkness swarming his senses, a single light glows - rage, flaring brighter every moment.

Minsc, in person and up close, is terrifying. He is the largest human Rakha has ever met, a hulking behemoth of a warrior, and even battered almost into unconsciousness by Minthara's sword and Jaheira's claws, he still curls his limbs under himself and tries, again and again, to rise.

His head lifts. Blood drips from his nose and his mouth. Pain stabs in Rakha's temple as his tadpole, lashing out wildly, connects with hers. Unlike so many past first connections, this one carries no images, no history, no information at all - just a growling flare of blind and agonized fury.

~Killed... her...~

"He won't stay down for long!" Jaheira shouts, the words tumbling over each other before her wildshape has even finished fading. The tension in her voice splits the air like a knife. "Tell your illithid to protect him from the elder brain's influence! Quickly!"

Another twinge, another voice breaking through the static of Rakha's mind - the Emperor this time, its ice-cold baritone a sharp counterpoint to Jaheira's shrill urgency.

"No," it says flatly. "This one will not aid our cause. Get rid of him."

And then the deepest and darkest voice of all, the beast in her head, rising into the milieu and roaring hungrily, the scent of blood from the dead Bhaalists, from Minsc, from her own wounds all combining into a nearly blinding temptation to simply strike, to pull her dagger and sink it into the tempting solidity of the Rashemaar's shoulders and slide the blade all the way down his spine...

Narrator: This wretch has stood against your Father before. You tremble to end him, every part of your rancorous body yearns for it.

Rakha goes utterly still, squeezing her eyes shut. Her breath comes quick and shallow with the effort of keeping herself from moving. It is too much, too many voices, all pushing and pulling at once, and the urge to kill - to kill this man in particular - is stronger than she has ever experienced before. She is almost salivating with it, hungry and eager.

She struggles desperately to shove back the feral instincts and think.

The beast wants Minsc dead.

Jaheira wants him to live.

The Emperor does not care - but does not want to waste resources on protecting him, and with the tadpole in Minsc's head, that is also a death sentence.

What do I want?

The Emperor's guidance has been good thus far, has been a central pillar of her fractured decision-making process. By all logic, perhaps she should listen to it, turn her back on Minsc, or even assuage the terrible hunger in her head by killing him after all.

But it would be a betrayal of Jaheira. A terrible one, one that there would be no coming back from. She made her position perfectly clear before the fight began. Lay a hand on Minsc with murder in your mind, and I will not stay my hand in answer.

She's known the Emperor longer, though only by a few months, and it has brought her peace in dark moments. But Jaheira has sat by Rakha's bunk through all hours of the night, protecting her from herself. If it is merely a question of where she owes most, she is not sure where the scales fall.

But in the end it is not the Emperor or Jaheira that tips the scales most. It is Minsc himself, and the tenuous connection between his mind and Rakha's.

"Killed... her..." Again that rumbling growl of pure grief and rage. The image of Jaheira flashes between them like lightning, along with an impression of friendship and loyalty so deeply entrenched that even the tadpole could not tear it out.

Ever since Jaheira first told Rakha of Minsc, Rakha has suspected that there were similarities between herself and the berserker. And these suspicions are now proved true, for she sees inside his mind and what she sees looks very much like her own. An off-kilter view of the world, something not quite madness but not quite sanity, and underlaid with a hunger for violence.

A hunger to do good with that violence, in spite of the rage.

To kill with purpose.

He is no Bhaalspawn, but he is like her. And yet Jaheira loves him with the same ferocity that Rakha sees in his mind for her.

Try to protect him. I must defy my Urge.

Roaring with pain and fury, Minsc makes it to his knees. "AAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHH!" His fists clench, ready in another moment to lurch up, to lash out--

"Don't be foolish," the Emperor growls. Its disdain is obvious. "He is too unpredictable. He will only be a hindrance to us."

And I am not? Rakha thinks - and for the first time a flash of anger at the Emperor shoots through her. To her mind, the similarity between herself and Minsc is obvious, and therefore the Emperor's underlying message is equally clear. It protected her on the nautiloid because it needed her - but if it had met her now, it would discard her as a useless threat.

(A/N: This is another one of those thought processes that didn't occur to me until just this moment as I was writing it, but oh man! Did not have Minsc's arrival being the first chink in Rakha's trust in the Emperor's good will towards her on my bingo card.)

Her jaw sets and her head lifts, her eyes narrowing. You will do as I command, she snarls inwardly.

I have followed your guidance all this time. Now you will follow mine, if you know what is good for you.

"No." The Emperor's voice is flatter even than usual. She can feel a sudden straining tension in her connection with the Astral Prism that she has never felt before; it sends an unpleasant streak of ice down her back. "I will not be coerced into protecting him. You do not see what I do. His thoughts, his mind. Pure chaos."

I do, Rakha thinks bitterly. I see it in him - and in myself. If it is worthless in him, it is worthless in me too.

Jaheira has been watching the subtle twitch of muscles on Rakha's face with increasing concern. Her eyes narrow into slits, and she wipes rapidly at a trickle of blood moving down her cheek. "The mind flayer pours poison in your ear, I think," she says coldly.

Stepping forward, she squares off with Rakha, and despite their difference in height she might as well be staring directly into the half-orc's eyes.

"Tell it I will tear the Prism from your grasp," she growls, sounding more wolf than woman now in her furious desperation, "and throw it in the deepest lava pit I can find. Long after our bones are dust and ash, the walls of its prison will still be burning!"

The Weave flares around her; Rakha can see every bit of magical energy inside her drawing itself up in preparation for a final, furious stand. "NOW HELP MY FRIEND!" she thunders, her voice echoing to the cistern ceiling.

Rakha's head spasms. The beast is still scrabbling furiously at the inside of her mind under the surface of this conversation, and she catches herself reaching unconsciously for her dagger, shoves her hand behind her back with a quick, spasmodic motion.

"She bluffs," the Emperor hisses. "Surely she would not risk the fate of all for one simple life..." But she can sense the flicker, almost imperceptible, of its uncertainty.

Rakha draws a hoarse breath, clenching her fists to steady herself. Perhaps Jaheira is bluffing, and perhaps she is not. In truth, Rakha doesn't know. But it doesn't matter - her decision is made already, and after everything, it has turned out to have nothing to do with Jaheira at all.

It doesn't matter, she tells the Emperor - and she's surprised at the sense of certainty that she's not sure she's ever felt before. Help him.

There's a long, strained pause, while Rakha struggles as the beast tries again to rise into the silence. Then the tension with the Prism eases.

"Fine," the Emperor mutters - just a touch petulantly. "Have it your way."

Sudden pain. Familiar pain. The tadpole connection clicks into place in earnest now, the binding Rakha has experienced with all of her infected companions, a view straight down through Minsc's mind into his soul.

Narrator: His mind unfolds beneath yours. A still lake pulls you down into its depths. Images flash by - battles fought and friends fallen. His rage grows colder, burrows deeper, as a familiar face crystallizes before you.

Again the image of Jaheira passes between them, saturated with grief and fury. Minsc rises to his feet, fists clenched, eyes wide and starting from his head. Though he is only human, he towers over Rakha by several inches, something she has rarely experienced.

"Jaheira!" he roars, and for a moment Rakha finds herself reckoning with the fact that all the magic in the world will not protect her from the impact of one of those massive fists. "You killed her!"

"You are being dramatic," Jaheira says matter-of-factly at his side.

Minsc's head snaps back and he blinks rapidly at Jaheira's voice. He turns, meeting her eyes, and--

Narrator: The instant's hesitation is enough. With a sensation of terrible rending, something vast and nameless falls away from his mind.

"There," the Emperor mutters. "It is done."

Minsc's body spasms and he clutches at his temples with both hands. Rakha watches dispassionately as the transition passes and the Prism's protection takes hold. She knows the pain he is undergoing - but also knows it will pass, and she can see the moment where the rage drains away in favor of confusion.

"...Jaheira?" he mumbles shakily, staggering backward a few steps. Instead of rage or grief, his eyes take on a bewildered air, a pleading question which he waits expectantly for Jaheira to answer. "I... do not understand."

Jaheira laughs - and the sound takes Rakha a little by surprise. After so many days of increasing tension, it is a sound of wild relief. "Good," she says dryly. "That means you're back to your old ways." She shoots Rakha a look. "We have a lot to discuss, but first - you have someone to thank."

Minsc turns towards her with guileless, wide eyes, opening his mouth to speak, when--

WHAM.

The tadpole connection slams through them again, and this time Rakha staggers with the impact of it.

Narrator: In the sudden silence, your minds merge once more. More memories, sensations, but passing too quickly for you to track. In the same breath, you share everything that happened to you - the nautiloid, the Absolute, the Chosen of the Dead Three.

Rakha is, by now, no stranger to sharing all her memories with others. It's a small enough collection, after all. But the connection is a different experience with every person, and with Minsc it is... particularly unique.

He rolls through her like a wave, a strange thundering avalanche of personality and perception and instinct. And there are familiar notes in that avalanche, more than with any other connection she has yet experienced.

She sees him on the forefront of an adventuring party, veins bulging from his forehead and vision reddened with rage, tearing apart foes in his path. And she sees quiet nights in a camp she does not recognize, a series of women's faces each marked with that bone-deep loyalty, camaraderie and warmth and joyful certainty. And she sees a faint, skittering form, a constant presence, wise and unwavering, crawling up his leg and into his pocket.

The images fade. Her vision clears to find Minsc looking at her with deep curiosity.

"You," he murmurs wonderingly. "You saved Minsc while he danced like a mind flayer's meat-puppet. Why?"

Rakha considers trying to explain her standoff with the Emperor. The way she saw her own instability and rage and struggle for purpose in his own, and realized that the Emperor would gladly thrown Minsc aside for those same qualities. But she barely has the words for it to herself, let alone to this man who - in spite of the mental connection - is still ultimately a stranger.

"Jaheira insisted," she says gruffly.

Jaheira snorts softly. "Suggested," she murmurs, with heavy irony.

Minsc brightens. It's clear that, as far as he sees the situation, with the threat past and his friend at his side all is well, regardless of what lies ahead or behind. "You do well to heed her," he says earnestly, with a broad smile. "Jaheira was very wise even *before* she was very old."

He reaches in a casual gesture towards his shoulder, a movement clearly so natural as to be completely unconscious. "There is someone you must meet," he goes on eagerly. "He is--" He breaks off. Whatever he was reaching for at his shoulder is not there, and he begins to paw frantically at the rest of his clothes. A new agitation is in his eyes - not the same grief-filled rage as before, but a sort of anxious panic instead. "He is..."

"Where is he?!"

Moving far faster than his enormous bulk should make possible, he spins and darts away, barreling unhesitatingly through the solid brick wall at the end of the room.

[genderkoolaid]

That's the problem though, nonbinary identities are always seen as "academic" and not casual. Cis people love to say that we're too complicated and only academics understand us, trying to turn nonbinary identity into a classist thing, when nonbinary people need to be included in casual things too. Saying "nonbinary inclusion is only important in academics and not casual stuff" is the real classism here because it keeps people from understanding us. And you do that too, by saying "transfems don't experience higher rates of violence" but only bringing up transmasc as a counterpoint, ignoring all other trans and nonbinary people. We exist outside of adademics, and to say that non-binary inclusion doesn't really matter outside of that is exorsexist and actively plays into the narrative that nonbinary inclusion is hard or impossible. like other queer people get to exist and be recognised in casual too but non binaries are confined to university

Waist why are nonBinary less casual than transmasc or transfem? Exist as casual and lower class as trans mascs and femmes. Are you really saying nonbinary inclusion is more important in colleges than in casual social media like... you don't need a degree to not be exorsexist. sincerely an agender who never seen a college from the inside. Sad seeing you get more more exorsexist.

These asks were all sent very close to one another, so I'm responding to them all as if they were one ask.

I never said that nonbinary identities are "academic" or "less casual." Also, I rarely ever see anyone use "academic" to describe nonbinary people- maybe in relation to queer theory, but honestly? It feels like you are stretching here to try and conflate me saying "I don't feel like its worth getting angry about binary language in people's casual Tumblr posts that aren't meant to be in-depth analyses of gender" with "nonbinary people are too complicated" by acting like I was talking about nonbinary people in academia?

When did I say nonbinary inclusion is more important in colleges than social media? Where did I say that sentence?

If you are referencing that recent reblog of the baeddel-txt post, that was specifically in reference to anti-transmasc violence, which is why I only brought up anti-transmasc violence. But additionally, It is frankly quite hard to find good studies focusing on abinary experiences transphobia. Very often, nonbinary people are just grouped into "transmasc" and "transfem," and other times nonbinary people are separated in data by AGAB. I have never seen a study or paper focused exclusively on exorsexism. This sucks! I know it sucks, because a lot of my life has been negatively affected by exorsexism and its very frustrating how little in-depth discussion there is of exorsexism. But honestly when it comes to data around the violence experienced by trans people, the conversation is binary because so much of the data is binary. And, to a certain extent, a lot of nonbinary people's experiences are colored by the binary; exorsexist violence is very real, but a lot of nonbinary people's experiences are anti-transfemininity or anti-transmasculinity or both, even if their experiences can also be different than binary people's generally are with those forms of violence. It is important to be inclusive of nonbinary identities in the discussion of transphobias but frankly there's a lot more nuance when it comes to nonbinary people and transphobic violence, not to mention how a lot of exorsexism (like attacking a person for not being obviously male or female) is seen as synonymous with "general" transphobia, so it gets discussed without being named as exorsexism or misandrogyny.

Anyways. Idk. I think maybe you are reaching a bit with your interpretations of what I'm saying. I said it in that other ask but online communities are pure communication, so language-as-activism is the most obvious and easiest thing to focus on. But I am in fact a nonbinary person who Does Things In Real Life that you do not see. If you are really getting this hanged up on me not caring that much about the language people use in Tumblr posts maybe like. get some perspective?

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

What documentaries on Disney have you watched so far?

I sat down and watched Animat's 12-hour documentary on Disney as a whole, I have sat down and watched the documentaries on Disneyland, I and now am binge watching the Wonderful World of Disney

Oh and then the Mickey Mouse Documentary Mickey the Story of a Mouse,

And then the countless hours I do on my own making sure sources are correct ect because I care that much about accuracy and respecting the sources

I'm not like modern Hollywood writers that will see oh we're handling this famous celebrity and not do any God damn research and butcher them as a result...

From watching everything I have gathered Walt Disney was a very complex individual he definitely deserves the respect and renown he does and yes I get pissed off at people picking on Walt for his actions because nobody brings in mental illness as in big issue,

I really do think Walter Elias Disney had PTSD as a result of events in his life and possibly a reactive problem as a result of things in early childhood this is why he was known to be hard to work with and incredibly stubborn

Doesn't give him an excuse but it should be brought into the arguments of people trying to slander his name as a counterpoint here,

It's like a lot of people don't realize he practically had no hand in Animated movies from 1941 all the way up until the Jungle Book and he didn't even get to see the success of that movie he was that traumatized over the Strikw deal I really do think there was a lot more going on there than has ever been publicized.

Especially since it led to him getting more and more paranoid about communism like he was looking for an escape and reason, it's honestly heartbreaking. He literally practically gave up animation because of what had happened.

Again I can't tell you the amount of Disney documentaries official and unofficial I have watched

But I do applaud animat on being the absolute insane motherfucker to decide hey I'm going to cover the entirety of the Disney repertoire

12 freaking hours long from 1928 to Frozen 2 good god somebody get an honorary award for Animat over that one please,

And that's not even the only one he's covered the man's insane and I say that with all respect!

[number-1-kuaidul-fanboy]

Yugioh Best Friends Ranked

So YugiohEverything did this recently and I’ve ranked both the protags and the main girls so I figured, why not? I need something quick and easy to write this morning. Also, since there’s some debate on who counts as the best friend character in each show and I have some notably weird opinions on this, I’ll say right out of the gate which characters I’m including: Joey/Jonouchi, Sho/Syrus, Crow, Shark, Gongenzaka/Gong, Soulburner, and Luke. (Of whom I’m going to use whichever name I’m more to used to using.)

7 Gongenzaka

Honestly, Gongenzaka being the lowest here isn’t a slight against his character at all. There isn’t a bad character from this set to me. Gongenzaka is definitely the weakest but I’ve actually really grown to respect him. I think his style of duelling was really cool, especially the growth of him learning synchro summon despite it being against the traditions he was brought up with. That’s really neat. And the one time he ever did use an action card was against Z-Arc, in an attempt to save his friend, which is a really compelling moment. The only reason he’s the lowest is because I don’t feel like his personality is all that interesting, I definitely like him more for his duelling. He is a very good friend to Yuya though, as I’ve also come to appreciate in my most recent watch of Arc V. So just know, I respect Gongenzaka, I just like these other characters more.

6 Sho Marufuji

Betcha didn’t see this placement coming. I go on and on about how much I love GX and for every other character ranking, GX’s pick would be near the top, if not the top. Sho meanwhile… I do really like him, especially his relationships with Judai and his brother, Ryo and his growth in the series, especially season four but I like the other characters much more.

Still, people dunking on Sho is news to me. People really hate this guy?! Jeez, what did the dub do to him to make him deserve this? (Okay, maybe it is based on the sub but considering how the GX dub is and that it’s one of the more watched dubs, it definitely stands to reason that the dub just screwed him over.)

5 Luke

Luke is a weird one because I feel like he’s probably more like the rival character but out of the main friend group, Yuga undeniably has the closest connection to Luke. So I’ll count him as the best friend. Luke is a lot of people’s favourite character from Sevens and while I do prefer Yuga and Romin, I do enjoy Luke’s dorkiness and even some of his more arrogant moments when they’re done right. It is annoying that he basically never loses but I guess it’s to counteract Yuga, who loses and wins quite evenly. So overall good character.

4 Shark

Yeah, I’m counting Shark as the best friend instead of Bronk. Because Shark is far more prevalent, far more interesting, has more development and purpose in the narrative, and it’s his connection with Yuma that’s given the most focus in the climax of Zexal II. In my mind, Kaito is the rival, he just got screwed by part two. And you know what? I think Shark is a really neat take on the best friend character. He’s definitely Yuma’s friend, and shows that care often, if begrudgingly or in a strange gruff way and that’s really fun and a great counterpoint to Yuma. Also, do I even need to talk about their final duel? Feels out the wazoo.

Honestly though if “main girl” wasn’t a stupid arbitrary category for these shows, I’d argue Kotori is Yuma’s best friend because they actually have a really good platonic dynamic and they make a point of her mere presence boosting Yuma up in the final part of the Barian arc. But for this list, I say and argue Shark.

3 Joey Wheeler

Man, how I’ve grown. Once upon a time, a young man was in quarantine with his younger sibling and, being very bored and needing a distraction, the man agreed to watch a few episodes of this show his sibling liked, of which he’d only ever seen memes of and thought sounded stupid as shit: Yugioh Duel Monsters. On that first watch, the man could not stand Joey, due to his voice, inflated ego, and lack of duelling skills and while the man did grow to respect Joey as a duellist later in the show, he could never bring himself to like his character. Now, two years later, I question what the hell I was thinking because Joey is easily one of the most compelling characters from the original series. Out of everyone on this list, he’s easily the most supportive as a friend. He always has Yugi’s back, up to and including jumping off a cruise ship to save Yugi’s Exodia cards and sacrificing his life for Yugi’s after he breaks free of Marik’s mind control. Heck, he’s willing to die for Mai as well in Battle City and his whole motivation in Duelist Kingdom was to use the prize money to afford his sister’s eye surgery so she wouldn’t go blind. He is such an ideal best friend it’s hard not to respect him, especially my absolute favourite moment of his: surviving the full force of the Winged Dragon of Ra and coming out of it still on his feet. Joey is literally just an average scrappy guy with a deck he threw together and some street smarts and he is duelling on the level of gods. It’s hard not to admire that.

2 Crow

This one and the last one are honestly kind of interchangeable. I like Joey’s role in the narrative better than Crow’s as I will concede that Crow too often took the spotlight away from other characters. This didn’t really annoy me that much outside of WRGP which was just terrible on literally every front and either way. Personality wise however, I do prefer Crow. He is an absolute sweetheart and his backstory was honestly heartwarming, especially that part in the dub where it’s implied he didn’t have a name so one of his first friends named him after one of his cards. I know I’ve brought that up before but it honestly is one of my favourite moments from 5Ds, and Crow is one of my favourite characters in 5Ds. Heck, I even love him in Arc V, despite him being notably more aggressive there. I think it makes sense considering the change to his backstory, which is still really cute, though I will admit his 5Ds backstory is better. I might also be a little biassed because I watched Arc V before 5Ds so Arc V was my first exposure to Crow and I loved him there.

1 Soulburner

Hahahaha, I’m gonna get burned for this one :)

I’m so sorry.

I debated whether I wanted to include Soulburner or Kusanagi on this list because there are good arguments for either of them being the best friend. However, I decided to go with Soulburner since A) I prefer his character and B) 5Ds has been the top pick for one of my lists like this before. So here we go, Soulburner. The adorable sweet dorky bean who sucks at technology in a technology based show and is the one horrifically traumatised character in VRAINS that got proper closure and whose backstory was one of the biggest tearjerker scenes in VRAINS for me and that is saying something considering how much this show made me cry. I really love his dynamic with Yusaku, of being one of the first people Yusaku trusts and of course, Soulburner and Flame are adorable. I love their sassy back and forths and Flame’s death tore me to shreds partially because of just how hard Soulburner took it. Soulburner is just so… outwardly positive and sweet that seeing him break hurts me so deeply, and gets me more invested in his character. I relate to him in a lot of ways, from his little quirks to the way he reacts to those traumatising events he was put through. Also, I didn’t talk about it when I first saw it (because I was still so broken up over Roboppi and was anxious about Ai) but Soulburner vs Revolver is one of the best duels in VRAINS and was a really good resolution to Soulburner’s character arc. So overall, Crow and Joey are probably better best friends but I personally like and relate to Soulburner more so he gets the edge here.

[meant-to-be-a-hero]

Honestly with those titles I want to know whatever evey single one of youe wins is about ngl tellll meeeee pleeeeease

Ok, so uh.

Swing My Way is my Spider-Man Steddie fic. Steve is Spider-Man, Eddie is Venom. It's a little Enemies to Lovers, it's a little Save The World, and a lot of me making the Stranger Things characters fit in the Marvel Universe whether they like it or not. I've got like a chapter and a half left to write and then the first draft's done!

Also Swing My Way is a terrible pun because webswinging, and because Steve's bi.

I'd Let Hellfire Consume Me Before I Hurt You is, surprise surprise, also a Steddie fic because I am apparently incapable of writing anything else these days. I've not actually started it yet, but I have a vague plan written down.

It's kind of the magical counterpoint to the more sci-fi Swing My Way - Eddie gets killed and brought back to life as a Ghost Rider, and finds himself in the middle of a mob war that Steve is also somehow involved in (though Eddie's not quite sure how to start with). The closer the two of them get, the more weird shit starts happening, because there's an ancient prophecy that if the Ghost Rider ever falls in love, the world will end, oopsie.

It's about how like light can still be borne even surrounded by darkness, and how good people will find a way to be together even when they don't think they can.

The title is also a work in progress because I think it's a bit too long atm, but I like the double use of Hellfire because Eddie's in the Hellfire Club in the show, and like demons and hell and stuff.

And The Price Of Victory is actually a novel I'm 1/3 of the way through. It's the third part of a triology I've written, after The Depths Of Despair and The Heights Of Insanity, which are my attempt at a horror/Cthulhu mythos type story.

They follow Alex Valmont, a woman who finds herself targetted by the Elder Gods as a vessel to bring Cthulhu through to our dimension once and for all. She and her boyfriend end up fighting his minions no matter where they go, and it starts to take its toll on her mind.

It's what I was writing before I got hit with the Steddie Brainrot like 8 months ago. I will go back to it, because I wanna finish the story, but...not yet.

This is probably more than you wanted to know, but hey.

[certifiedskywalker]

Breathing Room - Bucky Barnes

Thanks to Sharon’s new profession, you have a chance to catch your breath in Madripoor. Though, Bucky never fails at stealing it away.

WARNINGS: drinking (?) and tensiooooonnn

“I’ve never seen him look at anyone like how he looks at you. Except for Steve.”

“It’s not like that,” you persisted as you shook your head.

Ready to prove your counterpoint, you traced the path of Sharon’s pointed gaze. It landed on Bucky who, amidst the party of stiff art connoisseurs and writhing criminals, looked strangely at ease. When you let your gaze linger, you saw him shift against the far wall he was leaned on. His eyes found yours in an instant as if he had been glancing in your direction before. As if he already knew where you were stood.

Under the colored lights that seemed to flash in tune with the music, Bucky’s eyes, once bright and blue, were dark as he focused on you. Despite the heat of all those that danced, you found yourself frozen. A chill rolled up your spine and threatened to overtake you, thrust you in the depths of Bucky’s stare. Only the sound of a knowing, humming sigh freed you.

“Uh-huh, sure. It’s not like that,” Sharon echoed sarcastically. You glared at her as she moved out from behind the bar. She passed a glass of dark liquor over to you with a grin. Gently, you nudged the drink back across the counter and shook your head.

“I’m on a mission.”

“So is he,” Sharon quipped as she tipped her head towards Bucky. Steaming embarrassment rose along your skin as you glanced back over towards the super-soldier. He was no longer fixed on you. He instead squinted at Zemo as the Baron broke it down in the most awkward, display of dance you had ever seen.

“Yeah, and I’m not it.”

“You are, you just won’t admit it,” Sharon sipped at her drink before she continued. “The way he watches you...he’s ready to take a bullet for you.”

“He already has,” you sighed, gesturing to your left arm. “Vibranium, remember? He’s covered me more than once.”

“Couldn’t forget it.”

“Also, he stares at everyone.”

Sharon scoffed, a light laugh slipping from her lips. “Sure, but not like that.”

“Do you really think...he’s hard to read. I don’t know if he really means to…”

“You’re right, he might not mean to look at you like you’re his lifeline, but it doesn’t change the fact that he does.” Sharon downed the rest of her drink and rested the empty glass on the counter. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on a mission too: to sell some art and information.”

With a wink, she sauntered away, towards a group of individuals clad in formal wear. You watched her go for a moment longer before you shifted your gaze to sneak a glance at Bucky. When you did, you found he was already looking at you, dark eyes fixed on your face. It was tough to tell in the red tones that shone down on him, but you thought you saw Bucky’s mouth quirk the slightest bit upward. Though, you did not stare long enough to see if it morphed into a full-fledged smile.

You were too aware of how your chest tightened to let yourself linger on him. Especially with Sharon’s teasing, her insights, you could not find it in yourself to stare back. Not then, not when there was a chance Bucky felt the same as you had for years, which meant both of you were too stubborn, or too wary, to say anything about it. Even the thought of it knocked the air from your lungs. You eyed the liquor Sharon had poured out for you, considered downing it to distract yourself from the new wave of nerves that washed over you. Before you stretched your fingers out towards the glass, a sudden warmth brushed against your left shoulder.

“You gonna drink that?”

You turned and saw Bucky, his side nearly pressed against yours. The scent of the cologne Sharon had forcibly sprayed on him before the party filled your nose. Fragrant balsam and clove: warm, welcoming, and enough to numb your racing thoughts. When you didn’t respond to his question, Bucky leaned in closer to you with furrowed brows.

“Y/N?” Up close, you noticed just how clear his eyes were, how wholly focused on you he was. Silently you hoped he didn’t detect the shuddering breath you took.

“Yeah,” you said as tipped your head towards the drink, “it’s all yours.”

Bucky nodded at you as he reached for the glass. As he moved, his gaze remained fixed on you and you could not tear your eyes away. The moment the lights flashed an almost natural white, you swore you saw hints of pink on Bucky’s cheeks; but before you could truly tell, the fixtures flickered between blue and red. As Bucky brought the glass to his lips, you forced your eyes to the granite countertop.

To busy your mind, distract yourself from the lure of Bucky’s presence, you traced your fingertips along some of the natural patterns on the stone’s smoothed surface. It was only when you heard the clinking of glass against the countertop over the music that you felt enough courage to face the man stood at your side. Bucky’s eyes were still trained on you when you looked back up at him, full of that same attention Sharon had noted earlier.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink before,” you remarked, “or relaxed.”

“I’m not relaxed,” Bucky said, shouting slightly to be heard over the music. You smiled as he leaned in closer to add, “I don’t think I’ve ever been. Not since….”

“The forties?”

Bucky averted his eyes from you at your teasing question and turned his gaze to the floor. “Well, yeah, honestly.”

The smallness of his voice made your heart ache. Without a moment’s thought, you reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. At your touch, Bucky met your eyes again, and then you saw it. It must have been the glint that Sharon picked up on before. A ferocity, but not one that frightened you. It was a ferocity born of passion, the same, deeply rooted feeling that forced the air from your lungs when you let yourself stare at Bucky for too long.

The passion that you had kept bottled in your chest since you met him, the real Bucky, not the Winter Soldier. It had taken so long for you to truly see him and he was just finally seeing himself. Until the party and Sharon’s observations, you hadn’t realized that maybe he was seeing you too. How long had you been blind to each other, giving each other breathing room when all you wanted was to be close?

“Honestly, I think you look good,” you said, with a confidence that surprised you.

Bucky cocked his head to the side slightly, with the faintest hints of a smile on his lips. “Really? I don’t...it’s been...I haven’t been to a party since the forties. I haven’t danced…”

“You look great, Bucky,” you pressed as you let your hand fall from his shoulder. Bucky blinked at you a few times as if trying to compute your compliments. You gave him a soft smile, an expression that he, shockingly, returned.

“So do you, Y/N.”

The way he said your name sent another chilling shiver down your spine and tightened your chest. Your breath grew ragged and you became suddenly self-conscious about the volume of your breathing. Though, when you noticed how Bucky’s chest rose and fell a bit more rapidly than before, your worries faded. They melted into the music and the smell of his, Sharon’s, cologne until all you felt was warmth and light.

“Do you want to danc-”

Before Bucky could ask his question in full, a drunken party-goer knocked into your back and sent you leaning off your stool. As you tipped forward into him, Bucky opened his arms to catch you. The cool metal of his left arm dug into your waist as your hands braced against his chest. Once you found your footing, you glanced up at Bucky.

“Are you alright?” His eyes scanned over your face as he asked. Yet, all you really heard was Sharon’s voice: he’s ready to take a bullet for you. Ready to fight for you too.

“I’m fine.”

Despite your assertion, Bucky looked past you and towards the person that had nearly knocked you over. For a moment, you saw the man that Zemo had ordered around in the Power Broker’s bar. He wasn’t your Bucky. The passion had turned to anger in his eyes. Quickly, you trailed your hands up from his chest to cup the sides of his face.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” you forced Bucky’s face to turn until his eyes found yours. “I’m fine. Are you fine?”

Bucky didn’t respond. Instead, he just stared down at you, his eyes flickered from your eyes to your lips and back again. Gently, you rubbed the pads of your thumbs along the peaks of his cheekbones. At the contact, eyes glinted and you knew he was the Bucky you loved again. The scruff that lined his jaw and grew up the sides of his face prickled and tickled the skin of your palm as he drew in closer.

Suddenly, there was no more breathing room; but you were so wonderfully okay with that. Each breath you each took mingled between you until there was no space at all. Bucky’s lips brushed softly against yours, a tentative ask for permission before you closed the gap. He tasted like whiskey as you kissed and, when his arms tightened around your waist, you felt that you might drown in him.

You were prepared to do just that when you heard someone loudly clear their throat. With a small gasp for air, you and Bucky parted and turned your attention away from the other. Sam, clad in Sharon’s spare turtle neck, stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a knowing grin on his lips. Your hands slipped from Bucky’s face and the super soldier’s arms went a little more slack around your waist.

“So, if you two are done, Sharon found Nagel.”

“Y-yeah,” you stammered, “we’ll...follow you.”

Sam glanced at you then Bucky and back again. “You really gotta work on your timing. We’re on a mission, guys. Seriously.”

Before you or Bucky could comment, Sam started off towards Zemo and Sharon. You glanced up at Bucky who seemingly sensed your eyes and looked back at you.

“He’s not wrong.”

“Don’t tell him that.”

[the-english-student-studyblr]

Writing a dissertation: topics

So one of the most important parts of the whole process is choosing a topic. There's like a million and one guides on the internet on how to do this (I know, because I looked) but the truth is, it has to be something you choose for yourself. Most guides will tell you what topics are easiest to research, or what ones are the most 'prestigious', but none of that's really useful if you don't find it interesting (yes, this is aimed at every advice column that told me to write about Dickens).

Ease of research, or how much research has already been done, is important, of course, but that shouldn't be the first thing you consider. And 'prestige' is a stupid concept anyway so ignore anyone who mentions it.

The first thing you should probably think about is what modules/classes you enjoyed most. These may give you an approximate idea of the area you want to explore. If, for example, you loved your module on Medieval poetry, this might be your field. If you really hated post-modernism, don't try and write about Virginia Woolf.

If that worked, then try and consider what specific topics piqued your interest. If you did a week in an American lit class about Native American literature and thought it was the coolest thing, take a closer look at that. If someone brought up an ancient folktale that inspired lots of writers and that's a topic you find fascinating, go do some reading.

If looking at your current academic journey hasn't helped, consider what you read for pleasure. (To clarify: this advice is for English lit students, unless you do outside research on your own field of study). If your favourite book of all time is a well-known and highly regarded fantasy or sci-fi novel you can write about that. I have read an article about Misty of Chincoteague. I have seen countless articles about Ursula K. le Guin. I have seen entire books about Tolkien and Lord of the Rings. The truth is, no topic is too obscure really, so long as the interest is there.

THAT BEING SAID, the amount of prior research is important. If you really want to write about a specific text, and there's very little research, don't let it stop you (certainly hasn't stopped my teachers setting texts published in 2019 for essay work) but do consider it when planning your dissertation topic. Is it something that can be worked around? Is there a grounding in literary theory that you could use to pad out your argument? Are there other relevant texts by that author with more academic interest that you could tie in?

As a counterpoint, if there's loads of research already, that actually can be quite limiting. If you're writing about Romeo and Juliet, for example, someone has probably written almost exactly what you wanted to say already. You have to be very original to write a good dissertation about a well-known text. It can be very hard to do something new with a text like that. Honestly, though, as long as it's something you're passionate about, you'll find a way to make it work.

As a final thing to consider, if you get the option to choose your own supervisor, think about what lecturers you like, or would enjoy working with. There's that joke about uni students imprinting on teachers like ducklings and following them around the department, but it's not baseless. If there's a teacher you really like, and share interests with, you can try and guide your research towards something they would be able to help you with, or that you could work together on. It's something you have to be careful with, and you can't force it, but it's something to consider when all else fails.

[darriness]

Klaine Fic - July Heat Wave - Day 2 - Jerk

Author: darriness

Word Count: 1068

Rating: Explicit

Summary: An experiment

Author's Note: For the Tan Hands and Tan Lines Track B Event! I could only incorporate the one word today!

AO3 Link

Blaine feels more than sees the jerk of Kurt’s body on his stool next to him. He won’t lie and say the action doesn’t cause him to smirk...just like it has the other eight times it’s happened in the past twenty minutes. Not that Blaine’s counting…

...okay he’s totally counting.

Kurt lets out a puff of air and Blaine turns to watch his boyfriend lift his glass of ice water toward his lips. He takes a shaky sip and then puts the glass back down near, but not exactly on top of, the condensation ring it had previously left behind.

Blaine leans an elbow onto the counter in front of him, rests the side of his head on his hand, and smiles sweetly at Kurt.

“You doing okay, baby?” He asks.

Kurt’s eyes squint into a glare and he looks side long at Blaine next to him. Blaine is only peripherally aware of the noises of the diner around them.

Kurt’s glare doesn’t hold long before he sighs and presses his hands against the counter, pushing away so his arms are straight and tense, “I know I agreed to this, but...I honestly didn’t think it would be this hard.”

Blaine takes a quick look around the diner to make sure no one is watching them - it’s New York City, no one is watching them - before he slides his hand onto Kurt’s thigh. He can’t help but smirk when Kurt’s body jolts again.

“Was that you making a corny pun? Those are usually my department.” Blaine says.

Kurt huffs out a humourless laugh, “Forgive me.” He says, “I’m not thinking straight.” He licks his lips before dropping his voice slightly, “I currently have a rather large plug in me. It’s causing my attention to drift.”

Blaine bites his lip at the mention of the plug he remembers inserting into Kurt not even thirty minutes ago now. They’d decided to try something new, something a little daring, something a little more spicy. And while Blaine had been fully prepared to be the one on the receiving end, he’d been pleasantly surprised when Kurt had said he wanted to. Blaine shifts in his seat at the memory of Kurt’s gorgeous ass stretching to accommodate the plug.

“You’re doing...really well.” Blaine whispers, not realizing how much hotter it would make him to give the praise.

If Kurt’s eyelashes fluttering is any indication, he finds receiving the praise just as hot.

“Oh God, I don’t think I’m going to last much longer.” Kurt whispers, staring at the table.

Blaine squeezes the thigh still under his palm, “What do you need?” He asks.

Kurt blinks a few times before looking at Blaine with wide eyes. He slides off the stool and grabs Blaine’s hand. Blaine goes willingly, figuring he’s being led home, but instead Kurt takes him through the diner and down the staircase where the bathroom sign points.

The further they go, the quieter the sounds of the diner become, until it’s just the two of them and the hum of some sort of machine in the basement of the building. Kurt tugs Blaine into the single person washroom, locks the door, and turns to Blaine whose eyes are now just as wide as Kurt’s.

“Are you serious?” Blaine asks.

Kurt tugs Blaine toward him and gives him a kiss that is dirty from the start, “I need you to get me off. I’m not going to last until we get home.”

Blaine is nodding, dumbly, before Kurt is even finished talking. He reaches between them and makes short work of Kurt’s button and fly. When he reaches inside to palm Kurt as best as he can, Kurt’s head thumps back against the wall as he groans.

The room is barely big enough to fit them both, but Blaine doesn’t care as he tugs Kurt’s pants and briefs down around his ass and positions himself to start jerking Kurt’s cock in his fist.

Kurt’s feet almost slip out from under him as he moans and closes his eyes. Blaine pulls his hand away to quickly reach into his pocket for the small packet of lube he’d brought with him in case they’d need more (always be prepared). He coats his hand and then it’s back on Kurt’s cock, tugging and twisting the way he knows Kurt likes.

One of Kurt’s hands reaches up to fist Blaine’s shirt at his shoulder and he whines, “Already close.” He says and Blaine redoubles his efforts, “Please...the plug…” Kurt pants.

Blaine doesn’t slow his hand, but reaches with his other to grasp the base of the plug. He pulls it out, in counterpoint to his hand on Kurt’s erection, and then pushes it back in.

Two thrusts is all Kurt needs. He comes with a long drawn out moan and Blaine pants as his fingers are coated.

Kurt slumps against the wall and brings a hand up to cup Blaine’s cheek, “You are...amazing.” He says with a dreamy expression on his face.

Blaine, who is almost vibrating with need, gives a shaky smile, “I would disagree. YOU are the amazing one.” He surges forward and kisses Kurt’s slack lips. Kurt responds lazily, too satiated to put any real effort into it.

“Do you think you can wait until we get home?” Kurt asks when Blaine pulls away, “I’d like to...take my time with you.”

Blaine bites his lip. He’s honestly not sure.

“I can try.” He says.

Kurt pats his cheek before pushing off the wall. The movement causes him to groan, “Oh, I actually forgot that was there.” He says, gesturing behind himself.

“Do you want me to take it out?” Blaine asks.

Kurt considers for a moment before shaking his head, “It’s not that far until we’re home. And I don’t think I’m ready to be the couple that carries a sex toy home in plain sight.”

Blaine smirks, “Good point.”

He helps Kurt right his clothing, even though that action alone is enough to leave Blaine tense and panting, before the couple makes their way up the stairs and out of the diner.

“I can’t believe I just jerked you off in a public washroom.” Blaine whispers.

Kurt smirks as he grabs Blaine’s hand in his and lets their joined hands swing between them, “I may have to burn these clothes now but...totally worth it.” He winks.

[greentrickster]

Counterpoint: Villainess is overcoming all of her ‘challenges’ with equal ease, such as her struggles to write a poem that’s romantic from his perspective or gathering unicorn hair when she’s really unqualified. As I said, the overcoming of challenges isn’t the main point, the main point really is cute couple stuff and aesthetic. But also they’re not interfering with each others’ moral code or forms of worship beyond drawing the occasional line. Ex: the Prince laid down a very clear ‘no human sacrifices’ and the Villainess, while she’s willing to wear white for that ritual she attended with him, also stated clearly that it was moving, but not for her (in other words, “I’m happy to attend the ones that are important to you, but I’m not going to convert.”)

One of the big things that’s keeping any major ‘conflicts’ out of this is that they do both already have a general idea of each others’ cultures (they’ve been clashing for centuries, after all, and it’s the same for political parties in this day and age), and both are aware of the general hard lines that the other won’t be willing to cross. He’s not going to go around asking her to perform blessings, she’s not going to ask him to kill innocents, that sort of thing. They’re entering into this relationship with the intent to make it work, and that means not only respecting the lines the other draws, but taking the time to figure out what some of those lines are without being told. 

They’re both okay with their ‘challenges’ because they’re challenges that they can work with and allow themselves in regards to respecting the other’s culture. Prince knows the assassination attempt is simply meant to be an attempt, it’s never meant to succeed, he nudges Cathulhu very gently with his foot because he’s seen Villainess punt the thing across the room and out the window to no true ill effect, and he’s okay being a bit of an ass at her family’s court because, from his interpretation of things, that’s what good manners look like over there, so he’s being respectful (one of Villainess's friends even complained about him being so sensitive to her needs by doing this). Villainess is being polite at his court with the smug thought of just how many people she’s pissing off by being able to play their ‘game’ as well as they do, and also spends a good deal of time plotting to herself about things she could do, and everyone knows she could do, but she’s choosing not to and it’s driving the people who care a little crazy. She also has the benefit of being able to do all this stuff to REALLY piss off her own parents, who would super like her to just stab him and claim his kingdom as your own already, no don't go making friends with the court ladies-!!! And, as shown with the dragon form conversation, they just talk through potential conflicts when they come up, calmly and respectfully.

It’s not a big, dramatic part of the setting because it’s not meant to be a big, dramatic part. Nothing’s been ‘removed,’ just left unsaid or done in understated ways. And a lot of the people who read it seem to pick up on that, especially the readers who take one look at this setting and go “Addams Family origin story.” Which, honestly? Really good take, really captures the idea that I was going for with this! Not only with the aesthetic, but with the idea that, like the Addams, a lot of this is left unexplained in the exact details of how everything works, we’re mostly just here to see the Addams be quirky and wholesome and happy with themselves and each other, even as they do things the majority of watchers would agree are socially unacceptable. Another person recently brought up ‘The Schools of Good and Evil,’ which, from what I understand of the books, is also a good comparison.

TL;DR: I am actually showing what the Prince and Villainess’s conflicts look like, but not in a way that’s typically shown in these situations. We’re in and coming from an era of media where ‘conflicting sides realize that the system creating the sides is actually the real villain’ is very popular, so I think people jump to that interpretation pretty easily, even if it’s not written into the text. Also, a lot of the time when you get ‘evil’ protagonist characters like Villainess these days, it turns out that they’re actually the good guys and the ‘good guys’ are actually the bad guys. But this is a setting where everything really is what it says on the tin, and that’s what makes it fun!

I've seen a number of people on my Beloathed and Darling thread go on tangents in the tags where the Villainess and Prince's parents are both bad actually because it turns out the whole system is corrupt/cultish/evil and the kids, by breaking free of it, are actually the good guys. And, I'm gonna be real... I always hide those reblogs. Because 1) I don't want to see them built on (and it's my thread, so I'm allowed) and, more importantly, 2) ...it completely misses the point of the concept.

Yes, the main purpose of Darling and Beloathed is 'aesthetic' and 'cute fun couple,' but, at a slightly deeper look, it's also a story about two people with extremely conflicting world views and moral codes deciding to not only be together, but figuring out how to be together in such a way that neither of them has to truly compromise their beliefs in order to do so. It's about two people, one who is undeniably a good person and the other who is unapologetically evil, deciding to make it work without anything like a redemption arc or the discovery that actually both sides are wrong and they need to find a new, third way to exist. Because if the system itself is evil, then it kind of undermines all the work they've put in to find the pre-existing places of overlap and figure out what parts of their lifestyles they're willing to compromise on to make their partner comfortable without making themselves unhappy.

And that, to me, is a far more interesting concept overall, because it's something we're much more likely to encounter in real life. None of us are ever going to tear down an entire government's worth of systems with the help of love and a couple spunky friends; it's fun to read about, it has its place in literature, but it's not gonna happen. In contrast, there's a very good chance that one day we'll meet a person whom we really like, really enjoy spending time with, but whose views on religion/politics/sports/character ships/whatever are completely at odds with our own, with neither of us willing to change our opinions, no matter how much we like that person in other regards.

And that's when we'll have to decide whether we're just going to stop hanging out, or whether, like the Prince and Villainess, we can find a way to make it work while respecting both ourselves and each other. Sometimes reality isn't about redemption, systemic change, or harsh, gritty truths. Sometimes it's about having the breathtaking courage to acknowledge that a person will never be like you, but being able to love them anyway.

[cruelfeline]

Same Anon, sorry to bring this up again since you've stated your discomfort with it but I really feel the need to point things out

One counterpoint about Glimmer's character being sacrificed or whatever you said. We literally had an entire season dedicated to Glimmer, one where she could've brought up Angella's "death" to C*tra, but they didn't (also wasn't she left to die in that burning hideout? Plus didn't Glimmer came close on killing her again) Glimmer's forgiveness cuts trough because she too was driven to the point of making a grave mistake resulting into a near catastrophe like C*tra did, (who then sacrifices herself, and dies ) The Portal Machine. Wow, okay it honestly seems to me you only hold her accountable for Angella. Yeah Hordak and Entrapta started to get second thoughts, but they've been working on this since season 2 they ultimately built it with the intention on making it work "till its perfect", after failed trials. shouldn't all three be held accountable actually ? Shoving the blame entirely only on the mentally ill teenager who takes it a step further (As N*elle said too) seems unfair, this isn't about age differences by the way before you come to me with that meta. But from a way to emphatize what this show seems to revolve around. Your response is exactly what I mean by you woobifying Hordak=garbage C*tra But yeah I know what blogs to stay away from now. Sort of bummer cause I love Entrapdak too.

Bye 👋

The only answer I have for you, anon, is that you are exactly the sort of Catra stan that makes people dislike Catra.

You have gone ahead and ensured that I enjoy her just that little bit less. Be proud; you did that! All by yourself! Good work!

And that's the only response you're worth.

Oh! Save for this, because yikes: yes. I absolutely hold solely Catra accountable for Angella. Because she was the one who pulled the lever after attempting to kill Entrapta for trying to stop her from doing just that. And lying to Hordak about the whole thing.

Blaming all three is like... blaming a car manufacturer in addition to blaming the drunk driver who ran someone over.

also also the whole "til it's perfect" bit was their way of saying "work on it indefinitely and pretend to never be satisfied with it so that we have the excuse to be together forever" but that clearly just *whoosh* over your head

Your using her mental illness as a way to excuse this: peak Catra stan.

Just. *chef's kiss*

Magnificent.

[blackjackkent]

Cultist battle report: Bhaal cultists are scary. This has been the cultist battle report.

Hector and co are also scary at this point and Hector basically evaporates people once he manages to get close to them; the scary thing about these cultists, primarily, was that they all got to go first, strike from stealth, and have about 50 attacks each. But once Hector and Karlach are allowed to do the NINE ATTACKS they do between them per round, anyone in the immediate vicinity is toast. Jaheira has also been spending a lot of time in sabertooth tiger form (particularly now while she is very clearly in the mood to rip someone's throat out) which also gets like 2-3 attacks and can cleave off AC levels. Shadowheart is honestly pretty low-key by comparison, but she mostly stands at the back with a bless and a spiritual weapon up and keeps everyone feeling as badass as possible. So we've got a pretty good group going.

(It occurs to me that if I do slot Minsc in for Shadowheart we'll be losing our healer; I think I'm starting to do well enough at this difficulty level that it won't be TOO much of a problem but it will definitely add complexity. Hm. We shall see!)

But eventually we won. Several ambient comments from the thieves/bank employees we saved in the process, of which this was obviously my favorite:

Hell yeah - Jaheira's a badass. ^_^

She's also having a very, very, VERY bad day and showing it.

"I grow tired of these false faces. Every corner we turn, another - and now it is my face they use to turn Minsc against us."

Her voice cracks and she looks away from him towards the floor. "I am sorry," she mutters. "But... I am just... *tired*."

:( :( :(

I really, really wanted Hector to be able to answer something here along the lines of "Oh, gods, me too, you have no idea," but sadly this was one of the points where none of the available options really seemed particularly Hector-ish.

2 is the only one that seems remotely reasonable as an answer, but it's WAY more optimistic than Hector feels about this situation. He suspects at the very least Minsc is tadpoled, and there are a lot of potential worse-case scenarios piled on top of that.

But... he is tired too. Perhaps too tired to try to explain all the ways this could go wrong when Jaheira is no doubt just as aware of them as he is.

"Why?" he says gently. "We know Minsc is alive. Now we just have to find him."

"It is some defect of the mind, I think," Jaheira snaps bitterly, "to stubbornly insist you are following the light, even as you blunder through the darkness."

(It is, perhaps, a defensive reaction, a cry of pain for those she has lost - so many who brought the light wherever they walked. Caden, of course - the boy from Candlekeep who carried Bhaal in his blood but Selune in his soul, who opened his heart to everyone without reservation even when times were darkest. And Rasaad, whose faith wavered but whose striving for the light never did, who stood at her side and held her hand and searched for purpose along with her when all direction seemed to have faded.

Imoen, always quick with a joke, never phased even by the things that faced them in the most horrible corners of the world. Aerie - young, innocent, a beacon of kindness that smoothed some of the rough edges Jaheira would have presented in her worst moments. And Minsc himself, always joyous in combat and out of it, gleeful always as long as he was among friends and on the path of right.

And farther back still, Khalid who she carries always deepest in her heart, his light voice always a counterpoint to her caution, brave and ferocious in defense of the good but always finding the softer note to strike even when all seemed lost.

What good, she wonders, to carry such light on my own, when all those who carried it with me have slipped beyond my reach?

But they are not all gone. She has new companions now - this new monk of Selune with his pale, sad eyes, who has shouldered her burden alongside her without regret or question - who stands looking at her now and offers an optimism that carries echoes of those who came before him.

The light may be hard to come by. But she is not alone in the dark, if she has the courage to face what is lurking there...)

"Or perhaps the defect is mine," she goes on quietly after a short pause. She swallows, draws a shaky breath and lets it out heavily. "When I left Minsc to this fate... I believed I had no choice. I believe it still; we were ignorant of our enemy, unarmed against the cult. I made the right decision. But I do not like how easily I made it."

Her voice has grown flat, wearier than Hector has ever heard it, full of grief and regret. This is, he realizes, a moment of trust; she is taking him as a confidante, speaking of all that has weighed on her. And so he remains silent and very still, as if any movement might break the fragile moment.

"Minsc would never have left me behind," Jaheira goes on heavily. "No matter what happened." A pause, and then her eyes flash with muted frustration. "That is his problem entire. The past century left Minsc unchanged. And so he believes the world has never changed - that *I* have not. You saw the fool... hanging on the doppelganger's every word, for no other reason than that it wears my face."

He hears the anxious catch in her voice, the note of guilt, and the urgency to explain herself, as if it could push the feelings away from her physically. He shakes his head.

"You don't have to explain, Jaheira," he says gently. "You're worried for your friend. It's not a crime."

She looks at him for a moment steadily, and then a slight smile tugs her lips. He can see the visible shift that he is all too familiar with in himself - putting the feelings aside to be dealt with later, or ideally left behind entirely. "No," she says with sudden briskness. "But snotting into my sleeve while there is still work to do is." She turns away, looking out over the blood-smeared vault. "Come, then. We need a lead. And bullying this banker ought to make me feel better."

[deathonyourtongue]

Sanguine Nocturnus | 3

Summary: Even after 2000 years, the world can still surprise you. Pairing: AU!Henry Cavill x OFC Word Count: 1.6K Warnings: It’s a vampire fic. Death. Blood. Gore. Sex. Horror. Not for the kiddies or the squeamish. I mean it. A/N : Thank you to everyone who’s been so excited and supportive of this one. I can’t even begin to tell y’all how much good stuff is in store for y’all!

The sun seemed different in Rome. Brighter, more nourishing somehow. Carla watched how the early morning light played against the soapy bubbles she brushed along her skin, smiling at the oil-slick colors and the sharp bursts of white whenever one popped. Even plain water looked different as it flowed over her, Carla admiring the little sunbursts that topped her pert nipples as the water brought goosebumps to nearly every inch of her. 

The water, so far, was her only complaint. Harder than what she was used to in New York, it had forced her to switch from her favorite shampoo to an Italian brand that promised to work even with the most mineral-deposited water; it was no wonder the locals preferred to drink bottled spring water wherever they went. Even her apartment’s size didn’t bother Carla. What her unit lacked in space, it more than made up for in natural light, French doors opened out to small verandas on each side of her corner unit, and medium-sized windows next to her front door gave Carla a scenic view of her building’s courtyard.

Stepping out of the shower, Carla took a moment to look at herself in the mirror, her smile growing in excitement as she thought about what the night would hold. Having been kind enough to give her a week to acclimate, Romulus’ owner had asked that she work her first shift on Friday the 13th. Far from being leery of the date, Carla found it only fitting given the atmosphere of the bar. Remembering she had all day to play sightseer again, she padded into her room to get dressed, only to find a big, near-blinding ray of sun sweeping across her bed. 

Dropping her towel, Carla crawled back into bed with a grin, intent on enjoying the sun for just a moment longer while the residual water dried on her legs. There was something daring about being nude just inside a second-story window, and while back home she would have drawn a crowd of gawkers in the building across the street, her view now held only the Palazzo Borghese, the blue sky, and the tans and terracottas of Rome. In short, she was in heaven. 

Since landing in Rome and settling into her apartment, Carla had decided that each day, she would pick a direction, and walk, intent on simply seeing the city as organically as possible. Some days she ended up at the Colosseum, marveling over the ruins, and others, in a little bookstore that specialized in first editions and rare finds. It kept the lonely and restless nature of her mind at bay, and in her opinion, was the best way to honor her mother’s wishes and heritage. 

Carla’s walk took her to the ruins of the Stadium of Domitian, and for the first time since arriving at Rome, her fascination for history was paralleled by an anxiety that she was wasting her degree. Having studied History at NYU, she’d always banked on getting a job at a museum or a library, but with each rejection, that dream had become further and further away. Now, with an opportunity to start anew, she wanted to try that path again. The more she walked through the ancient archways and old relics, the more confident she became that she would make something of herself, even after all this time.  

After a light lunch in the nearby piazza, Carla made her way home, stopping to grab a few things at the pharmacy and the little market near her apartment. One thing was certain, the pace in Rome was far more to her liking than home had ever been, and though the city was bustling, she didn’t feel the constant rush to get everything done like she had in New York. It eased her stress in a way she hadn’t even considered, and by the time she was back in her apartment, Carla felt light as air. 

Unsure of whether Romulus allowed their employees to eat dinner on-site, Carla made an early plate of pasta and readied herself for work. Donning black jeans, a black t-shirt, and her most trusted pair of boots, she added a deep red lip, feeling as though the color would not only act as a counterpoint to all the black, but that it would suit the mood of the bar. Nervous butterflies flitted through her stomach as she threw on a black motorcycle jacket and headed for the door, hoping she’d done enough to impress her new boss. 

Romulus’ owner, Fredo, was just as warm and complimentary in person as he’d been over the phone, and in no time, Carla had made herself at home behind the bar, grateful not only for the job, but for the fact that she had full control of her space. There were no other bartenders to contend with, no toes to step on. She was given free reign to do things her way, and that was more than enough to set her at ease. The only thing she’d been warned not to do was get rid of a drink called Sanguinem, one Carla had honestly never heard of. 

Coming in an ornate deep blue bottle with a crystal stopper, it looked like the design and marketing hadn’t changed since its inception. Curious, she’d poured herself a half shot of the stuff while on her first break and swirled it around in her mouth, spitting it out just as fast as she’d drank it. Sharp and metallic, she’d barely been able to pick up hints of blackcurrant and cherry before her mind had told her to eject the liquid. Intensely interested in finding out what kind of person would order such a foul-tasting concoction, Carla spent the first half of her shift hoping someone would order it. 

It would be two weeks before anyone did.

Despite having spoken Italian with her mother all her life, Carla had found herself freezing when she had to converse with native speakers, her mind tongue-tying her to the point where those she was speaking with often took pity on her and switched to English. Still, despite the occasional language barrier, Carla found Italians, as a whole, far more agreeable customers than their American counterparts. People were simply happy to be out and enjoying themselves, and they couldn’t be bothered to berate someone who was plying them with drinks. The laid back attitude helped her settle at Romulus, in much that same way she’d eased into Italian life in general and though there were times when her anxiety about the future still plagued her, most nights, she was too busy to even give it a second thought. 

On the first Saturday in December, Carla’s routine set of faces and orders changed, anxiety once more taking a back seat to the group of three stunning creatures that walked into Romulus unannounced, but very much known by the other customers. Carla watched, fascinated, as some of the patrons all but threw their money at her in their haste to leave, while others moved tables and seats closer to the semi-circular booth the group had chosen at their location for the night. Those who left seemed disturbed, and those who stayed, entranced. Without even needing to think about it, Carla knew she fell into the latter category; the two men and one woman all looked like demigods. 

Dressed almost too formally for the bar, the tallest of the three caught her eye first. Dark curls hung just to his brow, framing a jaw that seemed cut from marble and was nearly the same color as the statues of old. It was his eyes that took Carla’s breath away however, their shade reminiscent of tropical waters, their intensity almost neon. Wearing an all black suit with the shirt unbuttoned to reveal a thick thatch of hair, Carla was certain he could have any woman in Romulus that he so much as looked at.

His friends were no slouches either, the other man wearing a navy suit with a cream turtleneck, and the woman wearing a dress that had all the hallmarks of being couture and vintage. All three were brunettes of differing shades, their hair color setting off the pallor of their skin and the alien-like brightness of their eyes. They were, in short, immaculate. 

When the man in the turtleneck rose and made his way over to the bar, Carla forgot where she was. She watched his lips move, not hearing a word of what was said, too caught up in his overall presence to pay any attention to what was happening. It wasn’t until she realized he was waving his hand in front of her face that Carla came to her senses. Blushing, she shook her head and gave him her best smile. 

“What can I get you?” She asked, stumbling over her Italian and feeling the temperature in the room go up several notches as the man smiled back. 

“Two bottles of Sanguinem, and three chilled coupes, please.” The man’s words felt like they were coming from inside her own head and Carla was once more left rooted into place, unable to process how he could make himself be heard so clearly over the din of the music and other patrons. 

Blinking hard, she moved to grab the bottles, glad that she’d done her prep work prior to opening and that she had several of each kind of glass in the chiller, ready to go. Carla made a mental note of the type of stemware that paired with the drink, wondering if there’d be any variation in how it was taken; straight, on the rocks, or with a twist. 

The man in the turtleneck nodded his thanks, tapping one long finger against the list next to the till,  on top of the name Vinicius. Nodding her understanding that he had a tab with the bar, Carla watched as he headed back to the table and began to serve the other two, her glance quickly moving towards the dancefloor when all three of them turned to look at her with their piercing gazes.

[paragonrobits]

today’s ATLA idea!

The actual character and mannerisms of the spirits is not something often brought up in fandom debate, but when it does, Koh is usually singled out as an extreme of spirits at their most malicious, but i suggest a counterpoint:

spirits are not human. They certainly have ideas and feelings, but their own codes of conduct and moral definitions may be very different from humans, and would present the most difficult aspect of the Avatar’s role in maintaining harmony between the selfish short-term perspective of humans, and the demands of the spirits.

we don’t honestly know enough about the spirits in the ATLAverse, but it stands to reason that they work by the standards of an animistic setting; its a common assumption that the spirits embody specific concepts or places (as Hei Bai certainly seemed to, as do Tui and La, and I like the idea that Koh is actually a spirit of empathy), though it’s not actually stated anywhere. If so, it stands to reason that what a spirit mainly cares about is its domain, and it tends to not understand or care about human distinctions.

for example, Hei Bai had its forest burned down by Fire Nation soldiers. he then took his revenge out on a nearby village. the villagers were not responsible, but he does not care; humans did it, and humans needed to pay. consequently, the distinction of nations do not matter to the spirits (though this is probably a not to the idea that the nations are ultimately a false divide; the spirits see truly).

So, let’s go to Koh again. Is he evil?

I submit that as far as spirits are concerned, ‘evil’ is a human distinction that does not have much relevance for a spiritual entity that simply does what is in its nature to do.

would a spirit of love be more ‘good’ than a spirit that brings floods, as a basic consequence of their nature? It’s not really a moral decision, anymore than humans breathing is a moral decision. So, with Koh, his stealing of faces is frightening, sure, but does this actually make him evil?

As far as we can tell, it simply is him just being him. Its what he does, its what he is. Hence the idea of him being related to the idea of empathy; he is quite literally looking at things through the perspective of someone else.

Raava and Vaatu from LOK also deserve this kind of mentality; rather than order vs chaos, or good vs evil, it should probably be presented of them as existence vs dissolution. Vaatu need not be malicious, or empowered by hate, but simply doing what is in his nature and purpose, with as much malice in it as a plant growing. Sure, it might be bad if he fulfilled that function, but you might say the same thing about preventing a flood. The ground is shaped perfectly to allow waters to build up, and waters smash buildings and humans alike without mercy when they come crashing down, but you don’t say the flood is evil on its own.

Genuine malice is a very human thing.

[sunsetcurve]

I would like to hear the why you hate dr essay, if you don’t mind

buckle up everyone. i’ve been enabled and now you’re never going to get me to shut up.

warning: this is about to get super long, because i have a lot of thoughts about this, and this might be my only opportunity to just...go off. so here’s my whole ass thesis on why i hate dr. colosso. keep in mind that this is the product of several rewatches and a lot of character analysis on my part, because i tend to do that frequently. also, i’d like to start this off with a quick disclaimer: i do think colosso’s role in the show is very important; if you asked me if i’d get rid of him completely i’d say no, but there are definitely things i would’ve done differently with his portrayal, and we’ll get into that later.

when i watched the show for the first time i really didn’t like colosso, but i kind of chalked that up to the fact that he was annoying and left it there. there’s always been something about him that rubs me the wrong way, though. i’ve been doing a rewatch recently (as you’ve probably gathered from my posts) and that combined with talking to @ciara-knightly about it for a while helped me understand why i find his presence to be genuinely problematic.

i’m gonna start with the most obvious thing: he’s a bad influence on max. they of course directly address this in the show, but what i feel like is important to understand here is that colosso’s influence isn’t like “oh he’s max’s troublemaker friends who eggs him on to do bad stuff sometimes haha”. colosso, despite being a bunny, is still actually a supervillain max’s father’s age, and he uses that to manipulate max a lot. talking about it with shona made me realize that especially early on, max really didn’t have anyone else in his life who was willing to listen to his ideas or encourage his skills, specifically inventing gadgets. in canon his parents almost never praise his work, even when he’s not using it for evil (see: phoebe’s a clone now), but colosso is shown to be someone who both helps him with his experiments and keeps him going at them. i’m dipping into character analysis instead of straight up canon here, but it’s pretty clear to understand the impact this would’ve had on max—he’s a kid who wants approval and colosso gives it to him, and in turn max listens to colosso’s ideas and often does what he tells him. i’m not saying that max is completely at colosso’s will, of course—max is very self-driven and that wouldn’t be giving him enough credit, but at the same time, we know very little about the actual process of max’s decision to be a villain, and i really don’t doubt that colosso had a lot to do with it. in the show we see colosso frequently urging max to leave his family behind, and there’s an arc where we literally see max starting to become a better person because of his friends and colosso telling him to ditch them (see: exit stage theft). we also see colosso preying on max’s insecurities, specifically his comparison of himself to phoebe, in order to further his descent into villainy.

the reason i prefaced this by saying colosso’s role in the show is important is because i genuinely think max’s villain arc would’ve been closed much sooner without colosso’s influence. colosso was a huge factor in not only exposing max to the world of supervillains but also in deepening the rift between him and his parents. so everything i said above does actually make sense, writing-wise, within the context of the show—colosso is a supervillain, he’s supposed to be manipulating max, and he is the main factor driving the progression of max’s villain arc.

but now i’m going to get into why i think that from a writer’s standpoint, his role in the show is problematic, especially post-season three.

a lot of it has to do with the fact that none of what i said above is ever really addressed in canon. there are throwaway lines about how colosso was a bad influence on max but there was no recognition of the fact that without colosso, max likely wouldn’t have strayed as far into villainy as he did. more importantly, though, the main issue i had with the writing of max’s arc was that there was no discussion about why he felt so strongly about colosso, and what colosso’s presence said about his relationship with his parents.

like i said before, max needed someone in his life who was willing to give him the approval and validation that he was looking for. in the show his redemption arc comes down to his relationship with his family, but at no point in the show did he actually want to harm his family, so i think there’s a bigger picture here—i honestly think that a big part of it was that at that point in his life, max had sort of grown past the need to be told his worth; he clearly still had his insecurities, but having friends, a girlfriend, and a life outside of his family (where he felt unseen) gave him a more concrete role. the point here that i’m trying to make is that max’s arc essentially came down to his own perception of his self-worth. the reason colosso was able to influence him so strongly was because as i said before, he was the one who gave max the validation he wanted. and this is why i felt like max’s arc was really one-sided—his parents’ lack of attention towards him and pretty blatant favoritism towards phoebe was clearly a huge factor in max’s arc that was never brought up again. the reason that i say i would’ve changed colosso’s role after max’s redemption is because until that point, colosso had been sort of a stand-in for max’s parents in his life, but one who took advantage of him. i wish the show had gone towards a more well-rounded reconciliation between max and his parents, and an acknowledgement of their mistakes and the fact that max was able to be so strongly influenced by colosso because he didn’t feel like he had anyone else. instead, they pretty much glossed over and trivialized max’s reasons for wanting to be a villain in the first place, and the dynamics within the family didn’t actually change—his parents still showed pretty clear favoritism towards phoebe (see: thundermans: banished!) and max still went to colosso for approval and advice. i think the only really central thing that changed was max’s relationship with phoebe, and that was incredibly important for max’s development and i liked the way it played out, but i still would’ve had more conversation between max and his parents about how things went down.

(also, i think hank and barb’s decision to let their supervillain-turned-bunny bunk with their teenage—possibly preteen at the time—son is a little bit sketchy. that’s all i’m saying.)

and now comes the counterpoint that max and colosso are best friends. which—that statement in and of itself has always rubbed me the wrong way. i’m not here to argue whether or not colosso loves max; he very clearly does (see: a hero is born, the thunder games), but it’s a selfish and possessive sort of caring. colosso doesn’t actually care about what’s best for max, or whether or not he’s happy. he hated allison, he didn’t want max to reconcile with his family, he tried to separate max from his friends. he essentially just wants max for himself, and that sort of dynamic is incredibly toxic no matter how close they are. there’s also something to be said about the age difference between them: max is a teenager and colosso is at least his father’s age, and this is not me trying to dismiss the relationship that kids can have with important adults in their life—i, personally, have had really strong relationships with teachers and mentors to the point where i consider them good friends—but the issue is that with those sort of relationships there is always a sense of the older person being like a mentor and influencing the younger one, and while that can often be a really good thing it can also, like in colosso’s case, be a bad thing.

and going off of the age difference, let’s get into the final and most prominent reason that i hate colosso. the show pretty frequently makes jokes that mirror romantic partnerships when it comes to max and colosso. i can cite so many instances when colosso calls max pet names or the situation is modeled after a marriage or colosso makes sort of flirty advancements towards max, but it’s fine because it’s all for humor, right? and colosso’s a bunny, right? except he’s actually a fifty-something year old man, and max is a teenager. and while those jokes have always made me superbly uncomfortable, my general rule of thumb during my rewatch has been “if colosso was human right now, how creepy would this be?” and the answer is almost always very. very very creepy. i don’t think i need to go into too much analysis on why i hate this so much but colosso’s “flirting” with max is just genuinely disgusting and is the main reason i can’t stand him as a character.

this is veering into 1.6k territory so i’m going to try and wrap it up here. the tl;dr for this is that while i think colosso played a pretty pivotal role in the show, i wish in the end part of max’s arc would’ve been about breaking away from him instead of remaining in a very toxic dynamic with a supervillain his father’s age. i think colosso could’ve eventually been redeemed if it came down to it, but overall i wish there had been more acknowledgement of exactly how colosso affected max before they became “friends” again, and especially hank and barb’s failures when it came to max feeling unheard. if you actually read this all the way through i’m applauding you, and thank you for asking to see this essay because i love doing character/writing analysis stuff like this. until next time!