#but i also don't like endgame so. you know. maybe i can't be trusted

[allygatoor]

i think it's time that we as a society realized that actually eternals wasn't bad it was just not standard marvel fare and that's okay

[coffee-fueled-cookie]

Do you think each of the members of the club have a certain "type" or preference in women?

While canonically in the comic, they're blatantly leaning towards being heterosexual, I am gonna answer this kinda gender neutral leaning, or mayhaps a little more broadly. If you don't end up liking it or would rather something specifically for women then my inbox is always open :)

(Also! Unless you ask for otherwise, I usually write for the boys' pre-epilouge)

Bill Dickey

What he thinks his type is, is someone that'll lean on him and rely on him, he thinks what he wants is a partner that doesn't just see him as some immature dork but rather a dependable person, a macho guy that can lead the way

But that's because that's how he always sees himself, leader of the club, leader of the daily itinerary, all of it

Except that isn't it at all, he's just bitchy and whiney enough that things go his way

So REALLY his type, if he ever got some, would be someone that doesn't let him just do whatever he wants

Does that mean he's gonna lay on his back and just take being pushed down? No, not really. He'll honestly even expect them to play sweet and subservient until provoked

But trust he's red-faced, flustered, and enjoying it the whoooollee time

As for looks, his judgemental attitude and prejudice would really limit his ability to enjoy himself and have a partner that's genuine

I'm gonna be honest though, if he were chill, he'd probably like someone tall and broad

Josh Levy

I'm biased. His type is Becca/j

Jokes aside, Josh's type would genuinely be someone who drives him crazy, a person that can stick in his head late at night

Someone who wants him badly, he doesn't even care

Someone who is self-assured and confident but not entitled or bossy (cough, bill, cough)

A person that knows what they want and when they want it, but isn't putting other people down to get it

That being said... put him down

He, for sure, doesn't strive to be the dominant one

Yeah, he is the house wife, sorry guys

If anything, he'll probably care more about anniversaries, holidays, gifts, being sweet, more than his own partner

Then again, he is a yearner

so maybe it's just built into him

I've got the headcanon that even though both of his parents are happily present, he's always been a mama's boy

So... do with that what you will, idk

Jerry Stokes

Seeing as Jerry is literally the only one with two love interests mentioned (Agnes and Mandi), we can already see what type be has

While with Agnes, she was this shy, sweet girl (I'm reaching, she was only mentioned in one panel) it aligns pretty well with who Jerry was at that time

Shy, maybe sweet?, softly spoken, the works

But with Mandi, who is outspoken and confident, Jerry looks to be adopting those traits as well, especially when he walks out

But consistently, we can see one common thing

He wants someone who has the same passions and interests as him

Sometimes opposites attract, you don't have to have the same interests as your partner

But for Jerry, I believe it's something he ultimately aims for. He wants someone who understands him and can talk with him, especially because his own friends won't bother to understand

He doesn't care so much about the external personality. Whether you're shy and soft or confident and loud, it's that inside. That passion, especially in similar interests and wants, is what attracts him

Pete Dinunzio

I truly believe the relationship won't work unless you guys actively enjoy the same things

Like, could he date someone who doesn't like what he likes? Yeah, sure, of course

But it probably won't be endgame because horror and gore and makeup sfx is his life

The zombie crawl would be a date. If you can't handle that, then oh man, he's hanging up his hat

DOESN'T HELP HE'S SO HEATED ABOUT IT

Like, omg, you have a singular differing opinion on monster or gore culture, then it's gonna drive him nuts

Aside from that, he'd also like a partner that can joke and be goofy or enjoy when he's goofy (even if it's at your own expense sometimes 😒)

His type consists of people more his style, grungy, gothic, alternative

Battle broads/j

Someone with tattoos, piercings, he's all for it

I would say a simple guy but... mmm, idk

[firewasabeast]

I 100% agree with you that that was lazy writing. What was the point of deliberately picking someone the audience (and the 118) were familiar with to be Buck's LI when they could have picked some random. What was the point in delving into Tommy's history and his feelings, what was the point of showing him head over heels for Buck in the last ep, of getting a gift for their 6 month anniversary only to say "oh well, I figured we wouldn't last, so I'm gonna get out now before you break my heart". Why let him get that involved if Tommy's ideology was to never allow himself to move forward in the relationship because ultimately he thought it wouldn't last? It's whiplash for the audience after you saw how INVESTED Tommy was in the last ep! And how exactly is this Buck getting off the hamster wheel? This relationship has ended pretty much exactly like all his others - he gets invested, they leave! They had so much potential as a couple - seeing what it's like for two fire-fighters to date knowing they're both in risky jobs, maybe Buck having to meet/deal with Tommy's homophobic father, getting to explore a "new" character's back story instead of rehashing the same story lines from the mains as well as seeing more of how Buck deals with being in a same sex relationship. All wasted.

And since they referenced Glee, if the plan is for it to echo the Kurt/Blaine relationship in that show where they broke up so they could "explore" before getting back together, by doing so they ruined that relationship so much that by the end it wasn't satisfying that they WERE endgame - they weren't the couple we fell in love with. (And also, way to reinforce the negative stereotype of "you can't ever be long term with your first". I should let my sister, my cousin and my aunt know even though they've all been married for years to their husbands - all their first.) Even if they do decide to bring Tommy back down the line, would it even be the same relationship we fell in love with? Would we even trust the writers to stick with it and treat it well? Or if they did a final episode reunion so Buck doesn't end the series alone, how is that satisfying for the audience?

I have been watching 911 since it started, and I have always been part of the general audience up until S7 where I joined the fandom because I thought Buck/Tommy were adorable. It's the first time in years I've become invested in a couple on a show. It's the first time in years that I've dipped my toes back into a fandom. Like you, this ship inspired me to write fic again. I have a bunch of wip's waiting to be posted on ao3 and I honestly don't know if I'll finish them now. And if they have broken them up for Buddie to get together I think I'll stop watching. And not just because I never saw them as a romantic couple (I only ever saw a deep friendship) but because logistically I don't see it working. Besides the fact that I think that while they work as friends, they probably wouldn't gel as a couple, two people on the same team in a relationship? That will screw up the 118 dynamic, especially as this show looooves relationship drama. If they get in a fight, or worse, break up, then what? How would that work within the 118, unless someone transfers out, but then it's bye bye the 118 we love. And not to mention, in the only 4 months I have been in this fandom I have seen some VILE crap from the buddies, and from what I understand it they've been like that for years. And the show runners know about it, so if they go with Buddie, congratulations, you've rewarded toxic behaviour and given them a license to be worse (look at them already, going in the bucktommy tags and gloating).

I told myself after Glee ended and they royally screwed everything up that I wouldn't watch another Ryan Murphy show because he has a history of doing that sort of thing. When 911 came along I was cautious, but it looked like it would be different - more grown up if you will, especially since Ryan Murphy hasn't really been involved since season 1. I should have just gone with my gut. I just hope that, knowing these last two eps were filmed weeks before they aired, the showrunners see how popular they were and realise crap, we've made a BIG mistake. (Everyone should flood instagram and especially Facebook, whoch is more GA than most social media platforms, with RESPECTFUL comments about how devastated they are, and who knows, it might make them consider bringing Tommy back sometime in 8b - I believe they're still writing the back half of the season.)

Side note, I feel really sorry for Lou. Yeah he's going back to SWAT, and I love him in that (even though his character can be a dick sometimes) but he's said in interviews how he's tired of always being cast as "the muscle" due to his size and he seemed genuinely happy to get this role, which was exactly what he was looking for - the sweet, caring, romantic love interest role where he could show some depth, and they screwed him over (sounds like he even thought Buck and Tommy were doing well and wasn't expecting the break up until the end).

(Apologies for the long rant. But what you've been saying really resonated with me and I needed to share your sentiments.)

.

[lemotmo]

wanted to get you and Ali's thoughts on this. I don't understand the crashout from Buddie fans post episode about how BT is gonna be endgame and Buddie is dead. Like Tommy was literally just there in the episode and if they wanted this to be about BT reuniting there's os much they could have done. For one they could have Buck loudly say Tommy is Bucks ex. The scene in the helicopter could have been so much more, to me they just came off as exes on good terms especially after episode 11. And ultimately they would have written some way of Tommy comforting Buck after Bobby's death. Instead they made it so Buck was alone sobbing and no one was there to comfort almost as if that role is taken by someone whom wasn't there. And at the funeral we know now Tommy is seated nowhere close to Buck so he can't even offer him comfort there especially when Eddie the competition is back. Eddie is seated next to Buck and once again Tommy is quite literally on the outside looking in.

It's almost as if the show is saying that the role Tommy was trying to fill while Eddie left has been taken back by Eddie. But I digress, Tommy was literally just there and that plus Bobby's death and Eddie not being there(which is a plot point) caused Buddie fans all over social media to crash

I don't get that one either Nonny. Bobby's death literally has nothing to do with Buddie. 🤷‍♀️

I've picked up a few things on Twitter though and some people seem to think that, after the Bobby death mess and the way they handled Eddie's storyline, they can never trust Tim again with any other storyline. So they have concluded that he probably lied about Buddie as well and that he is stringing us along. Something like that.

I'm sure there are other reasons as well why some people have lost hope.

The episode itself didn't give any kind of indication that BT will get back together. Hell, Buck called him an EX! They put their differences aside to help out Chimney. That's all.

And yes, the man was there at the end when Bobby died. This is the one thing I'll never get over to be honest. Eddie didn't get one single reaction scene, but Tommy did. Still pissed about that.

But ultimately, he was just there to help out. He could fly a helicopter, so they used his character to fly it. Tim said it in an interview after 11. Something about that Tommy was good for more than being Buck's bed buddy and that he had certain skills that could still be useful. And BAM, here he is using his skill to fly a helicopter in 15.

I also think that Buck needs one more little push to pull him over the edge when it comes to his feelings for Eddie. Tommy might still be sticking around to give him that push in episode 16.

Or alternatively, Tommy could be there to nudge Eddie into the right direction and make him see Buck in a different light.

After all... plot devices need to plot device. 🤷‍♀️

But I do think that episode 16 will give us some more insight into why Tommy is still around. He hasn't fulfilled his purpose yet. I think that is what he is there for and then he'll leave again.

We already know that Lou's current stint on 911 is over. He has stopped filming for the show. This means that he is probably only in 16 and maybe a scene in 17. But that's where it ends.

Then the spotlight will be back on Buck, Eddie and the Buddie of it all.

I cannot wait!!! 😋

[longbobmckenzie]

Things I'd do...

... if I were a Fusebox writer. Fusebox, if you're reading this, feel free to take these into consideration. I know you won't though because it would require more work on your part.

(note: this ended up being a lot longer than I expected, but I probably should have expected that)

5 girls, 5 boys

Let's go back to the early seasons when we started off with a full lineup of 5 couples to start off with. Like I said, this means more work, more characters. But it also allows for...

More unromanceable characters

Hear me out. The last truly unromanceable male character was... Toby? I think? But for the most part, all the male characters from S6-S9 are available in some way (even if it's only at the finale/reunion, which is really just a copout from FB because they don't want to branch routes but still want to be able to say that everyone's romanceable).

Here's the thing. Everyone wants to romance their favourite characters, nobody wants to meet a character and really love them only to find out you can't have them. Trust me, I've been there. But it's also not the end of the world, and it means you can read/write fanfics for that character, pine for them from afar, etc etc. Maybe it's my sadism talking, but it kind of makes things more interesting in a way? To me it's kinda boring to have all these guys in the villa who would get with me at the drop of a hat (obviously excepting the slow burn LIs).

But the thing about unromanceable characters is that you NEED them in order to write a realistic season with distinct characters who aren't just interchangeable with one another based on MC's choices. Those characters can help drive the plot, they can have canon storylines, they can be friends, they don't have to share dialogue, etc etc.

First coupling

So with those first 2 points out of the way, here's what I'd like for the first coupling:

Of the 5 guys, 1 is completely unavailable to be chosen, and another is not an endgame LI. Think Noah and Rocco in S2 - one can't be coupled up with but is still a slow burn LI, the other CAN be coupled up with but is always going to be dumped. I think this formula from S2 works so well because it still means you have 3 OG guys to be endgame LIs but also allows for the other 2 to be part of fixed plots.

I want the boys to choose instead of the girls. HOW HAS THIS NOT BEEN DONE YET?!?!?! On the show, the girls only picked on day 1 for the first... 1 or 2 seasons? and then it was always boys choosing until they started messing around with other options. But this could work SO WELL for the game! MC has the choice for each guy to step forward or not. If she steps forward for the unromanceable guy, he picks someone else. If she doesn't step forward for someone, he won't pick her. If she steps forward, gets picked, and then steps forward again for someone else, that person steals her and it gets acknowledged throughout the game a bit (minor branching!) If she doesn't step forward for anyone, she ends up being the last picked. IT WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN

Couples/Sneaking around

You shouldn't be able to do bits with someone you're not coupled up with except under certain circumstances:

Casa Amor

You're developing a relationship with someone but not able to couple up with them (or one of you gets stolen) and you're upfront with your partners about going to the daybeds together

You're sneaking around behind people's backs but there WILL be consequences

Just honour the couples, that's the point of the game. Stop letting people go to the hideaway with people they're not coupled up with.

Consequences/Drama

Further to the above, there should be consequences for BOTH parties if you sleep with someone you're not coupled up with. Even if you go to the daybeds and your partners know about it, they should be able to say how disrespectful that is to them.

Sneaky kisses always have a way of coming out on the show, so the same thing should be done in the game. It's harder to branch because some players may choose not to kiss anyway, so those people shouldn't be attacked for something they haven't done. But if you kiss someone and your partner finds out and breaks up with you because of it? And the partner of the person you kissed also dumps them? That would be fun!

Female villains

Just stop with the whole thing where one girl constantly gets up in MC's face. Whether it's because the girl is gunning for the same guy or for other reasons, it's so tired and annoying. Or a girl being a bitch for absolutely no reason.

And especially stop making them WOC!

More filler scenes

This has been one of the big complaints over the last few seasons, and that's the lack of filler scenes. There needs to be a balance, obviously, because you don't want too much filler - but this is how we learn about the characters' personalities. Let us be involved in fun chats, give our MC a personality other than "everyone loves me except that one bitch who hates me for no apparent reason," let us chill with the other islanders instead of constantly being involved in drama, eavesdropping on conversations, investigating who slept with who, and doing a million challenges

(Slightly) Longer season

Season 2 is the only deviation from the typical 13-14 "day" season (S1 is technically 7 weeks squeezed into 14 days, later seasons use volumes instead of sticking to a morning/afternoon/evening format but they fit so much into them that they just feel chaotic). Adding a little filler and stretching the seasons out a bit (5-7 volumes seems reasonable?) should make them more enjoyable to play (and replay?)

Cliffhangers

I love cliffhangers (insert joke about all the LIs I like who do rock climbing), but not every episode/volume needs one. It's perfectly fine to find a natural ending to an episode (like going to bed at the end of the night, which was common in S2), and save the cliffhangers for when they really matter

Make the challenges make sense

I didn't play S8 and I'm not playing S9, but I've heard some complaints about the order of challenges - playing Mr & Mrs in Casa Amor, etc. And I saw that today's volume included the Excess Baggage challenge, which is fine, but that one should always be near the beginning

Have the 'get to know people' challenges (kissing challenges, truth/dare, never have I ever) in the first few volumes. Once people are coupled up and relationships are developing, hit 'em with the snogathon to maybe create some drama (and do it when new bombshells have just come in so you get a chance to kiss the new guy). After Casa Amor, you can do Mr & Mrs, any other couple compatibility challenges (or do one of these just before Casa Amor to create some drama just before splitting up the couples), and of course Snog, Marry, Pie.

Have a few of the random obstacle course challenges, food challenges, building tents/sandcastles/whatever challenges interspersed throughout, but make them mean something.

And for the love of donuts, make the challenges in Raunchy Races objective - none of this 'coolest person' or 'hottest person' or whatever, just stick to tallest/shortest/oldest/etc or 'one person must snog the person they fancy the most' or whatever like in S2

Casa Amor

I think CA is a great plot device, but there's a fine line between 'too long' and 'not long enough' that's hard to figure out. But either way, let's stop with the hideaway and sending couples on dates, because nobody's coupled up in CA. Give everyone a chance to get to know everyone. Have a couple guys who aren't interested in MC. If MC is wlw, give some scenes with her LI where they can talk about the future and wanting to couple up when they have a chance, etc.

WLW Routes

I don't do WLW routes in the game so I don't know exactly what the experience is like, but I know that it's not great - carrying on a romance with someone with no consequences but also not being able to couple up with them and sometimes watching them also be carrying on a relationship with whoever they're coupled up with.

I don't have any brilliant solutions, but why not spend every night on the daybeds together until being able to couple up? Why not have two guys who couple up together on these routes, like in S3? Or bring in another character like Sammi in S1 to even out the couples? Or an NB/bisexual character who could couple up with a girl or guy depending on what MC does?

Ultimately, the show and the game are extremely straight-coded, and it's not easy to account for players being able to couple up with female LIs early on, but every option should be explored instead of just doing what they're doing every season.

[huggingtentacles]

Alright you just beat Elden Ring. Congratulations! You're now one of the cool folks who can actually beat the game, and you're not ready to put it down yet.

Maybe PvP intimidates you and you just wanna explore the world again. You may try a new build sure, but now that you know more about the game, you might wanna try something different, like a challenge run.

"huggingtentacles I am trash at the game there is no way I could do any of the cool runs, I died to Radagon a bazillion times"

Most people are good enough to beat a challange run. You can define what a challange is for yourself! There is no need to jump into something insane like a rune level 1 run or a torch only run. You can set any restriction you want, and completing the game with an additional challange is immensely more satisfying (and gives you bragging rights)

There are many different challange runs all varying in difficulty. Here are the runs that I've done personally.

Easy:

Region Lock Run — the premise is simple, you can't leave the region you are in unless you best the major boss(es) of that region. You can't go to Liurnia untill you beat Margit, you can't go to Altus untill you beat Rennala, etc. This run is fun because you can't skip over progression (like killing the Caelid dragon early with bleed to be overlevelled for Limgrave) which makes every fight feel appropriately difficult.

Starting Class Run — Only use the gear you start the game with. You can level up and upgrade your weapons and flask, but you can't use any other consumables and talismans you didn't start the game with. This run is quite flexible in difficulty because whether you choose to, say, use ashes of war or different spells or even golden seeds is ultimately up to you. All of them count.

No spirit summons — for some this is just the normal Elden Ring run, but for most it's a challange. While it can be somewhat difficult, not having spirit summons still leaves you with enough options to steamroll through the game if you need to. The challenge comes from actually learning the bosses and their patterns and engaging with combat more.

No status effects — As simple as it sounds. Perhaps you used to crutch on bleed, frost, rot or poison, now you can't. There are plenty of other very powerful damage options in the game, so the run is definitely not very hard, it only limits your arsenal somewhat.

Spells only/melee only — depending on what your previous run was. If you're used to standing behind and throwing pebbles, picking up a weapon might be a fun new challenge. And if you are used to your Big Sword, it's gonna be kinda hard to adjust to managing your FP and putting together a build.

Medium:

Spirit Summons Only — moderately difficult because it requires rather extensive knowledge of the game's mechanics. The basic premise is that you can only deal damage using spirit summons. You can restrict it to bosses only or to the whole run in general. It's an absolutely hilarious run. The AI built into the game can beat the entire game for you. Including the hardest endgame bosses like Malenia. Also playing as a support, healing and buffing your summons is really fun :)

No Crimson Flask — LISTEN. I swear it's not that hard. Yes it sucks a bit in the early game, but there are so many tools and options available to completely replace your flask with regen and heal spells. Just level up your vigor. This run is incredibly fun and it's good if you are aiming for harder runs in the future but aren't sure if you have it in you. I know you do ;)

Taunter's Tongue Run — Definitely my FAVOURITE of all of them. Its incredibly simple: you get Taunter's Tongue as soon as you get access to Roundtable Hold and you turn it on forever. Fight invaders alone or with a friend in 2v2s. If you don't have any PvP experience, this is one of the ways to learn. By the end of it, you won't be half bad at PvP, trust me (unless you just run away all the time which is also an option)

Hard:

Rune Level 1 is such a difficult run to do, but the cultural legacy of Fromsoft "no leveling up" runs makes the completion of it so desirable. Completing this run basically makes you part of the small section of people who actually know how to fight every single boss without relying on cheap tactics and cheese. You learn how to counter every move most enemies make because of how unforgiving it is.

But what's more fun is the sheer variety. Stat boosting gear is so common in this game you can literally use almost anything you want as a weapon.

Permadeath — If you die, you restart. Use any tools at your disposal to survive, play it safe, level up your vigor. But most importantly, brace for setbacks. Restarting because of a dumb mistake sucks, but that's why it's such an impressive run to complete. If you can take a loss on Elden Beast and make it to the inside of the Erdtree again, you will achieve one of the hardest challanges ER has to offer.

An easier variation of Permadeath would be "no rune loss" run. There are tools the game gives you to avoid losing runes, but it's still a very difficult run.

Torch Only Run — You pick up a standard torch from Church of Elleh and you use it to Kill God.

An easier variation would be Torches Only run which allows you to use the entire arsenal of torches. Still a very difficult run that requires a lot of skill to beat.

Impossible:

No Thinking About Kissing Malenia run — still working on this one. Can't figure it out. If you have advice please DM me

Feel free to add more challange run ideas!

[herestomyhaters]

i have remained silent for too long. i forgot to post this so here are my thoughts on 2x06/2x07!! as always brought to you by a bisexual black girl 🫡

i understand it's a teen drama so cheating is bound to happen but lorddd i was really hoping they wouldn't do that w/ noa cause i hate that bi stereotype. atp it's just bad writing bc why would she want to be w/ jen after all the batshit crazy things she's done ???

call me crazy but i Do Not think shawn punched that whole in the wall and even if he did i still don't trust jen (why would anyone 💀)

also were they expecting him not to react after noa's been cheating since JUVIE, all the lying and the stealing ???

hope i won't need to backtrack here (that'd suck) but why are ppl so obsessed w/ christian being evil/related to bloody rose somehow?? like besides being too obvious i really don't think they would do that to tabby again. also it feels jarring that ppl want to assume the black guy is the threat

i want more 1:1 moments between the girls!! the only dynamic that's been explored so far is tabogen (we got faran/imogen crumbs last week). praying for that in s3

is it me or are all of imogen & johnny's scenes just her trauma dumping myyy god. don't get me wrong i like them together but it just sends me, i also wish they'd explored the whole "player" trope a bit more it could've been interesting to see. i just don't know how believable it is to go from THAT to loverboy in the span of an episode but i guess we have the 8-episode season aspect to blame

redemption house was CRAZY. it was giving "is this fucking play about us?" tbh it ate

speaking of crazy kelly has fully lost it. imogen clocking her was one of my fave moments in the episode. looove imogen she's easily become my top 3

there is also no way kelly's dead

"HENRY, you're a dancer. most of your friends are GAY"

faran and greg: where to even start. i saw this ship coming before the season even started and (hear me out) i do not think they'll be endgame. i personally don't hate greg (maybe it's just elias' charisma) but it feels very contradicting to the show's values to pair faran & greg together. still, it is a semi-realistic situation. i just hope they proceed with caution & are smart about whatever happens next. i do not want faran to be babysitting him into becoming a decent human being

just need to bring up the "my cousin kevin, who lives in riverdale" moment cause i was crying w laughter. this show is so unserious sometimes (shoutout kevin keller tho)

speaking of gays i was quite surprised bi noa wasn't canon already?? might be bc maia has spoken about it many times but i always assumed she was already out 😭

besides that, the fact that NONE of them called noa out for cheating??? they were like "yesss queen slay 😍". i can't, feeling so sorry for shawn atp

also imogen bursting out laughing when noa brought up the "throuple" thing even she was weirded tf out

bloody mary playing while they raided redemption house was ICONIC

that bloody rose reveal was INSANE. imogen tearing the mask off??? bailee's emmy worthy scream queen moment (AGAIN)??!

do y'all have any theories for tabby's final girl moment/who br is? how are u liking the season so far? lmk your thoughts and we can kiki 🫶🏽

[fakesmileinalllive-blog]

I may get so much hate for this but I need to say it.

Percabeth ended in Tartarus.

Hear me out. So far they were cute and lovely (maybe aside from first book where Annabeth was unnecessarily mean to Percy) so for me it would be an endgame. Even if I were a little concerned about the fact that their feelings might be based on mutual trust in eachother and their abilities and not necessarily love or some other positive emotions/feelings that are not connected to the fact that they were constantly fighting for their life together (something like relationships of convenience if you know what I mean).

So it was all fine until the Tartarus part.

I admit it was straining for both of them physically, emotionally and mentally. They went through so much that it still amazes me that they were ready to continue the quest. But in Tartarus they also reached their breaking point for example Percy's fight with Achlys. This is the part that bothers me the most. To protect himself and Annabeth (but mostly her, let's be real) he was fighting goddess of misery while being hurt, tired, hungry and thirsty. He gave his everything to make sure that they'll stay alive and I feel like Annabeth didn't appreciate it as she should. I get it she was scared of him, was overwhelmed from everything. I really do. But after it she made him promise to never again take control over poison DURING WAR. It might have been some slip or bad choice of words on her part but the fact that she didn't stop to think about it later really bothers me.

Girl you're in middle of war and hell and yet you make your protector promise to not use a power that may save ton of lifes. Why didn't she make him promise to not use it unless to protect himself or someone else? Why take away from him one of the means of protection?

And the worst of it is fact that Percy kept his promise during fight with Polybotes or while freeing (dunno if it's a right word) infected Nymphs. Those were situations in which his and other people's life were in danger and yet he consciously chooses death to breaking his promise.

Such thoughtlessness from Annabeth is what broke this ship for me. She ignored that he saved her (and it's somehow valid when I think under how much stress she was), made him make a promise that endangered him and other people AND later on while talking with Piper (who she knows didn't have high or positive opinion on Percy) agreed that he need to be controlled.

Just thinking about it makes me sick and I can't look at them (at her) the same. If they at least at some point came back to this promise and reworded it or something then it would be different. But they didn't. And it hurts.

If you don't agree with my opinion and want to discuss it or anything please stay respectful💜

Have a nice day everyone

[lovemyromance]

I was on reddit, and I feel like the mods are Biased towards gwynriel but also saw a post where the person said something about Azriel's heart glowing of Gwyn? and him thinking about her smile? and them claiming its canon, when did that happen? but I'm a little scared what if they don't happen? I love them too much, saw a lot of support for Gwyn and Azriel? I feel like if Elain and Azriel don't happen my heart will break. What is happening ?

I have literally no idea what's going on on Reddit, I've never been on that platform 🤷🏻‍♀️

But fear not, regardless of how loud Gwynriels are and how much they love to gaslight others and straight up distort the truth sometimes, Gwynriel is a made up ship. Elriel is actually on the page.

Azriel's heart does not glow for Gwyn. He did picture his re-gift bringing joy and a beautiful smile to Gwyn's face. Now, if you ONLY read that part, I could see why you could be led to believe Azriel might have feelings for Gwyn.

However, that's not how we read books is it? We don't swipe through individual discrete sentences like flashcards.

We read things in the context of a greater narrative. A lot of other things happened in that BC, and in ACOSF that makes it clear that it wasn't ROMANCE on Azriel's mind.

If Azriel hadn't just been fantasizing about Elain, and then continued to be in a bad mood even after solstice and changed nothing about his interaction with Gwyn (who he sees every day) - then maybe I'd be more open to thinking he had feelings for Gwyn.

He's not someone who switches up on LIs that fast. He pined over Mor for 500 years for gods sake.

I could see the argument that he would immediately fall for his mate, but WHERE IS THE PROOF THAT GWYN IS HIS MATE. The mating bond would've likely snapped for Azriel in Sangravah 2 years ago when Gwyn was in danger and about to be violated - but clearly it didn't.

That should've been enough to prove they're not mates.

But then again - as if to drill down that point - Gwyn is again put into grave danger when she gets taken for the BR. And Azriel wants to go save ERIS instead.

And people can argue blah blah Azriel admires Gwyn so he wasn't worried - nope. That's not how a mate reacts when his mate is in grave danger.

See: Cassian.

Cassian also admires and respects Nesta's abilities. He also goes batshit crazy when Nesta got taken for the BR.

You also can't even say that Azriel is just calm. Because you know when he did show that batshit crazy same reaction?

When Elain was taken by Hybern.

Trust me, anon. Elriel is happening, whether they like it or not. Their theories and headcanons cannot change what is in the books. ELs ONLY have the mate thing, every other interaction of Elain & Lucien since ACOMAF is a NEGATIVE, a point against them.

Gwynriel has maybe like 3 interactions - and NONE of them are romantic. Not a blush here, no mention of Gwyn even receiving the necklace, no charged glances or touches.

They are desperately trying to turn a platonic friendship into something more - all because they

A) don't like Elain

B) Like Lucien more than they like Elain

C) Like Azriel but not Elain

What they don't seem to understand is that that no matter how hard they try to twist words and perform an honestly impressive level of mental gymnastics to invent this ship - it's not going to change what is in the books.

So rest easy, anon. Elriel will be endgame.

[shipmistress9]

For the Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game

🛼🥑🍬🌿🪲🌸🧩

(I know I'm late sry. hope you have a fantastic day)

Aww, thank you so much! 🥰 Don't worry about being late, I always love receiving asks. And I thought this list drowned back there, so this was a nice surprise to wake up to. 🥰

Okay, let's see...

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

Uhm... 🫐🍪🥰🤰🏼😱

probably? 😂

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

Haha... ha.. erm.. probably @athingofvikings because he's a fantastic friend, probably knows stuff about how to hide the body or cover up evidence, and also lives close enough to lend practical help if needed. 😂

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

I don't trust Ridoc. 😶

Don't get me wrong, I really like him. He's funny and has some great growth in Onyx Storm. But I'm also having a bad feeling about him.

First, there was the scene right at the beginning of OS, where Aotrom nearly landed on Violet&Tairn. What was that for? As a hobby writer, I can't help but wonder why RY chose to write and keep this scene. Just to highlight how Ridoc and Aotrom are both young and inexperianced? Unreliable and a bit foolhardy? Or... was that maybe a hidden attempt to kill Violet and make it look like an accident? 👀

Then there's how insistant he is about joining the Quest Squad. Okay, maybe this is really just him trying to keep his promes to Liam, to guard Violet as if Ridoc was him. But it feels off to me. Like he's having an ulterior motive, that for some reason he MUST accompany her to fulfill another task.

The worst bit is when they're in Deverelli though, at the 'Tomes and Tales'. Where Violet tells him to stay outside with the horses and he replies with "I'll be nearby." As if he'd not staying with Cat and Drake, but has something else to do?

I don't know what it is, and maybe I'm completely delusional, since everyone else in the fandom loves him. And I kinda hope I wrong, too. But I don't trust him.

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

Accept it. Don't fight it.

Try to set a low goal, like work on your WIP for 5 min every day. Don't give yourself a word count goal. Maybe just edit. Maybe reread bits. Maybe cut out parts or rearrange them. And once the five minutes are up, allow yourself to do something else. Play a video game, watch a move or a show, go for a walk, read a book, meet with friends.

Don't force yourself to write when it doesn't feel right. Maybe you need the break. Maybe your creative mind needs to refuel. And that doesn't happen when you get frustrated by staring at your WIP for hours on end.

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

Oha... well, let's see... 50 words for Blueberries & Chocolate Chips 11

She'd held a tiny bit of hope that his words about "maybe, some day, when the circumstances have changed and with the right partner," could one day apply to her. That all the talking about an IVF treatment might eventually lead to them starting their own little family. But even...

😇

🌸 ⇢ do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them

No, I don't have any pets unless you count the army of spiders I keep around to eat all mosquitos that dare enter my rooms.

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

Erm... So before I even try to read anything, I need to be in the right mood and have the free time and energy, especially when I'm trying something new. So that alone is already rare.

But once I'm past that threshhold, I usually stick around. I don't mind different characterisation, everyone has their own spin on the characters we love. And I'm not squeamish about content, am okay with a lot of stuff. But what makes me click out immediately?

I need it to be about my ships and very specifically NOT about them breaking up and finding other partners They're endgame or I'm out. I hate jealousy in 95% of the cases, there's very few situations where I can stomach it, so if that's a big point, I'm out. I am okay with darker content, but not when the line between D/s and dub-con gets blurred. And sometimes, it can be a completely random thing or topic, some deail in the background that rubs me the wrong way. Which I know is a horribly vague point, but I can't explain it better or give examples without being mean. 😅

....

Phew, that took quite a while to answer. 😆 Thank you so much for this ask, anon! It was a lot of fun. 🥰

[lover-of-mine]

Lady Whistledown.. Gossip Girl. Yep, we have been talking about the same people!! I honestly was just coming to say the same thing. The BT HQ is on fire. I saw you said you were getting shade about if we were all real. Today is the best example of yes we are. GG is the cool one, but I'm clearly the dramatic one. If anyone goes back, they will see that I mentioned multiple times what they wanted that Henren scene to be. Basically, Hen tells the audience shhhhh, we like this guy. If I'm being really honest, it would have been more kind if they never aired because it was one of the last ideas they had...

So let's step into Narnia.. They ended the season thinking BT were each other's people, they finally found safe space, they were comfort. Then Lou ditches them, Oliver ignores them, and that little hope they had for Hen, giving her mother Hen approval is snatched. They are battling back and forth with having to acknowledge this relationship is completely undefined. Every opportunity they had at the medal ceremony to somehow make Tommy a part of the family is gone. They had Maddie and Athena there, nothing. They wanted Tommy at the table with Chris and Eddie, nothing. (Dont let them fool you they wanted Chris and him to interact to show dad vibes). Now they really have to settle into the fact that at best they are fuck buddies and Tommy can't keep up with Buck. Expect them to romanticize or make the idea cool BT content.

Now we leave Narnia

Also, expect some shade is brewing for Hen. Apparently, she wasn't supporting her queer elder. Did you fall over when you felt my eye roll? Its honestlybaffling to me how quick they are to turn on an OG character for this man. It's like Stockholm Syndrome was invented for this moment.

Lastly, weird thing. They aren't sure what to do with Ryan's workout story. This may seem weird, but they kind of cling to Tommy is husky, and Buck is just as "husky." So there is a weird gumbo of where they are trying to land on how they view their bodies. Like they don't want Oliver working out with Ryan and them pulling the S Sex (6) interview scene, you know. I can't tell if they are going to land on body shaming yet. Maybe they are just terrified both will bulk up for a shirtless scene like we expected that season. Also the fact they think it makes Tommy seem older.

Anyways... It's definitely a dumpster fire over there.

Hello my love.

This is... Damn. Honestly, yeah, this scene is a nail in the coffin. It makes him somehow even less likable. It doesn't do Tommy, or bt for that matter, any favors. The relationship is not that serious, Tommy does not care for approval, Hen clearly does not trust him. It crushed so many narratives in 36 seconds it's kinda impressive.

There's so much going on here I don't even know where to start. Considering how they are treating real life wlw people, I have been fully ready for them to turn on Hen and even Aisha since I saw the clip, so I'm already expecting that.

The Ryan thing tho. The obsession with Ryan makes me want to fistfight people. If bt is so perfect and real and endgame, then why the fuck does anything Ryan does matter? And bodyshame the dude? Have they seen him? The dude looks like he stepped out from a catalog. I feel like my brain is melting. The mental gymnastics involved here, man. Crazy. I am happy it's a dumpster fire tho. I feel vindicated.

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

The C person's dark side

Behind that innocent face, there's a woman who maybe subconsciously, or maybe not so subconsciously, manipulates situations to get what she wants.

Of course, this doesn't diminish Carmy's free will, as I mentioned here. But that's the whole point, she doesn't really respect his free will, she manipulates it or maneuvers around it, she tries to, in some way, control it and cries when she can't. She got her own 💔 in the process but she will continue doing it even now that she knows better, because it's in her nature. It's IC for her.

So we will unfortunately and surely see a lot more of that this upcoming S3. Claire's dark side will be out in the open, this time perhaps it will be more explicit and not so subtle. I'm not sure how it will be played out bc I gave up on trying to figure Storer out, I just let him be and trust him as much as I can, which is not much at this point, tbh...

But back to Claire, that is my main problem with her, not only because in IRL I hate manipulative people, even if they do it unconsciously, even when I know that someone who resorts to manipulations, especially emotional manipulation tactics, is someone deeply insecure and it's usually not their fault, as insecurities are typically rooted in early childhood and you can't hold a child responsible for anything or sometimes are linked to unsolved trauma, which clearly, you can't blame on the person either. But, here's the catch: I'm a person too, hi, hello! I have issues too, etc, and I don't manipulate shit! I respect people's free will to a fault even if it fucking kills me, and usually it does as a matter of fact. But I suck it up and move on like a pro, I just bounce back and heal without trying to manipulate anyone into acting the way I wish they fucking did. And I certainly don't take it out on others. I go to therapy, blow steam up at the gym till I have to pop painkillers to keep functioning, I skip town for a few days and re-connect with nature, I write FF, I journal, I read, I go to my BBF's house, and cry while she feeds me foods I don't even know how to cook, I swim, I walk my dogs, and lay on the floor with them till I feel better and when none of that works, I occasionally go back to boxing, I try not to bc it's not healthy for me. But I NEVER FUCK WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S FREE WILL, I DON'T CONDONE THAT BEHAVIOUR IN OTHERS IRL AND I HATE THAT MY FAVEST TV SHOW GOT RUINED WITH A CHARACTER LIKE THAT, I DON'T WANNA WATCH THAT. I mean, I will, sure, bc IK Sydcarmy is endgame, but I don't wanna.

Claire embodies everything I hate in people, everything I run away from IRL, her character represents all I think is toxic and should be avoided at all costs, all I consider ethically wrong in the most basic aspects of life because what makes us humans is our freedom and IK this sounds dramatic 🙄 but I believe that who doesn't respect our freedom, free will, etc, is trying to rob us from our humanity, sometimes inadvertently, which I think might be her case most of the time, but some other times they do it on purpose. They know what they are doing and do it anyway, they are willing to outsource and pay others to help them, etc. They know they are trying to force an outcome, which in business might be OK, seeing as at work we may find ourselves in these kinda situations more often than not and we don't really have a choice as to whether we put up with them or not, especially if we work in certain industries, however, we are NOT our jobs! When it comes to human relationships this M.O. goes against my whole belief system. Can't do it. Nope. It's not fair and fairness is where I draw the fucking line!!!

And no, I'm not a Sydcarmy soldier because of that, but yes, I'm ALSO a Sydcarmy soldier bc of that, for sure!

But on a deeper level, and this is actually what I hate the most here: I'm mad at Storer, whom I learned to love and hate in equal measure by now. You'll see, he allowed this character to happen. Either he created it or signed off on it if one of his other writers wrote Claire into existence. WHY!?!?! THERE WERE OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS, CHRIS!

I previously mentioned how shady Claire's behavior was from the beginning and how it probably wouldn't have been tolerated or woulda been flagged as a clear 🚩if a man woulda acted that way with a woman. I go over it in my response/rb to this comprehensive (just the way I like it) post by @damnikindadontcare

So summing up, I don't hate C, I hate Storer and what Claire represents. I hate that I will have to continue putting up with her and her dark side for who knows how many more eps, and every time I look at her all of this goes through my head, it kills the whole watching experience for me but if this is the price I have to pay to see Sydcarmy unfold and Claire eventually walk into the sunset defeated and not getting her way, I will pay it. Fuck it!

YOU WON STORER, NOW GIVE ME WHAT I WANT AND NO ONE GETS HURT (it's a song, not a threat, relax).

[rookinthecrownest]

DESPERATE to hear your fenrook thoughts what are the vibes do they have a soundtrack or song, do they have longterm endgame plans, what do they feel for each other early on and do u have an arc in mind for how that changes for them both?

HELLO HIII

OkOk so I'm working on building a playlist for them now and the only two songs I have right now are Daylight by David Kushner and Once Upon a Dream by Lana Del Ray, not necessarily for the lyrics but for ~ the vibes ~

I have to do a bit more research on this, because it has been SO long since I read Fenris' Blue Wraith/Dark Fortress comic series. From what I vaguely remember, since the time of DA2 he doesn't seem to fuuuully trust mages but he's more chill about them than he was in DA2 (someone who's read the comics more recently please feel free to chime in because it has literally been YEARS). The Hawke in this universe was not a mage (they were a rogue) but sided with the mages.

So early on I imagine, even knowing that Varric trusts Rook, the fact that she's an assassin who kills people for money and uses her magic to do that puts him off/makes him distrust her at first. Mages doubling as assassins is probably not a very common occurrence outside of the Antivan Crows/Antiva. I don't think he'd very much approve of anyone who uses magic to kill for profit.

But, as Val explains her story (eventually), maybe he comes to realize that it was either join up with the Crows and work within that system as much as she could (trying to minimize the death of innocents, much like her buddy Lucanis), or live as a prisoner in the Circle. Not sure he'll ever really be fine with it, but he at least understands why. And if Varric vouches for Val/Rook, then he's willing to give her a chance and work with her.

Early on I think Val wants to know more about Fenris, more than Fenris wants to know about Val. She's been alone most of her life and her closest friends in the Circle were.... the rats, tbh. And she mostly kept to herself in the Crows, mostly interacting with Viago (king of the social butterflies). But Fenris has a certain je ne sais quoi about him that makes her curious about him in way that she's not really experienced with anyone else. I am so certain Fenris thinks she's weird as hell at first. He's convinced she can't actually understand animals like she claims and she's just fucking with him. But maybe seeing the way she cares for her lil animal pals? Well, once you've seen a girl go on a side quest to help a bird rebuild its nest after it was knocked down during a fight it's over for you buddy....

The arc, in my head, is like...

Okay, she's a mage. Will keep my guard up, but Varric trusts her so she must be ok.

Ok, she's a mage... kills people for money, don't like that, but we need to find/stop the Dreadwolf so I'll put a pin in that for later.

Alright, this weirdo thinks she talks to animals. She's rebuilding bird nests. She's talking to the rats. Why is she talking to the rats. Ok, she's a rat now. Where the fuck did she go. I have to find the rat-girl before Varric accuses me of killing her and dumping the body.

Why does she want to know about me. Fine, I'll tell her. Oh no, she's not just weird, she's cute and weird. And off-putting. Why do I feel like I can tell her my entire life story and she will actually care.

Oh no, I love this pathetic wet rat girl maybe. And said wet rat girl who previously didn't show much interest in human companionship, who's been alone for most of her life, is curious about the guy who's also spent the last 10+ years alone fighting for what he believes in and is drawn to that.

But like..more drawn out than that obviously. That's the vibe the pairing gives me. It's reluctant at first. There's distrust. She's a mage who kills for money, he's a mage-killer. They form a tenuous connection at first, and for long time they don't really know how deep that tenuous connection really is.

Long term goals... I don't now if I've gotten that far. Like, one idea I was floating around was Lucanis, as first talon, coincidentally giving Val contracts for evil mages/venatori remnants in Tevinter so she can stay and help Fenris.

That's all I have so far but I'm going insane over it lololol

[ultimateplaylistmaker]

Someone else posted one of these with pictures so I'm stealing the pictures for my own ease to make my own first thoughts on the characters based purely on the demo

Darumi is my GIRL, she's very much the random XD girl who helps connect danganronpa fans to the game but by god is it WORKING I was SO SCARED with her fakeout kinda not really but also yes death. She's so cooky I love her so much. I want to play weird fucking eroge with her.

This is my autism son Eito, I love him, but am very worried about his medical condition, I love his little character arc in the demo and I'm VERY curious to the religious theming to his attacks. I also love his mindset, his utter refusal to play along for rather logistical reasons for so long was really refreshing, love me a tactical soft boy who doesn't take bullshit.

Gaku's a little shit, and while he's def not top tier, I do desire to put him in a drink mixer and shake him around, very wet puppy you kinda wanna kick vibes, going to torment this man in aus

Haruka is very fun, I love her attitude and I love her bloodlust and no nonsense behavior. I do not trust her one bit though, she gives me such antagonist later on vibes, I love her, but you're going to kill someone I just know it

Ima! I like Ima, I know a lot of people don't but his relationship with his sister is already quite comical to me and outside of one or two lines seems to be mostly Ima being overprotective in a very dramatic way and the two being kind of codependent. I have high hopes for him, maybe that's foolish, but he made me laugh too much I can't help it

Kako is pretty but she's left pretty much zero impact on me so far. Her slightly annoyance with Ima is fun, but overall she just..hasn't done anything yet. I do like her design though and I hope we get more time with her later on

I wasn't expecting to like Karua this much but I really do, I love her mysterious pasts, I love the cute little flashbacks, I love her whole demeanor. She's just sweet and interesting and she has a cool scar! I hope we get to see her be cool later on and not just be confined to flashbacks and a potential endgame damsel role

The fact you were around for two days Sirei before being killed? Hysterical. Still not a fan of the design but I'm curious about the future for Used Car Salesman Kyubey

Takemaru! Funny as hell, I love his egg joke, we love a softhearted punk around these parts, I love that his main concern at the smart was getting back to where they had been to help people after the battle he was in, sweetheart who needs some anger management.

Takumi! Cat, he's a kitty cat. So kitty cat coded I love it. I find it interesting that his special power is directly tied into him being the protagonist, like retrying battles isn't just the fourth wall, its directly his unique power, I'm super curious about the implications.

Tsubasa! Again, barely done anything yet, kinda cute I suppose, need more time with.

Shouma is so far the one character I probably actively dislike and hate when he's talking, just oh my god, we get it, you hate yourself, now actually shut up and stop taking up screentime you are so annoying and "weh im so terrible and worthless" like good GOD get a HOBBY

Also this guy, no clue who you are but I kinda hope he's morally dubious so I can have toxic yaoi with him

[katoska]

https://www.tumblr.com/katoska/766652146419646464/i-keep-rotating-this-thought-and-it-wont-stop?source=share

If I understand your thoughts about B's motivations back in the first Beetlejuice movie correctly, then a simple marriage to a Breather - sans murder and soul stealing - wouldn't truly do anything for Betelgeuse, right?

Wouldn't Lydia be suspicious of that, assuming they did get married in a third movie? Or do you think marriage would still have some effect that B could point to and frame as "getting out"?

Cause I always headcanoned the effect from marriage on Betelgeuse to be a bit like Beauty and the Beast. Lydia probably expects, like, thunder and lightning or something impressive and scary, so if nothing happened post-wedding it would be a bit... well, disappointing. And worrying (to me), in context of your theory, but Lydia would probably just be like "Uh, so... are you free now? Are you 'out'? Cause you still look dead." How do you think B would explain that?

Yeah. The way I see it, the immortality ritual in BJBJ introduces the possibility for a retcon of Betelgeuse's full - much more evil - plans wrt his marriage to Lydia in Beetlejuice. And yes, if Betelgeuse and Lydia did get married and it did not set B free or revived him or anything like that, it would look suspicious, or at least be confusing, to Lydia. It sure would look suspicious to me.

It would make me smug though. Cause I like some sincere darkness with my horror-comedy, and I like being right. Not that it would prove anything conclusively if the marriage had no magical outcomes; it'd just further cement my personal interpretation of his motivations in the first movie. The only thing that would conclusively prove me right is if in BJBJBJ he'd try to kill her and steal her soul post wedding night to become immortal (I would not like that. I don't enjoy being right that much, and I want them to be endgame), or actually killed her and became immortal (ditto, also never ever gonna happen), or pulled a Basic Instinct where we clearly see him consider killing her after their wedding night - Beetlejuice's rating is unfortunately too low to have it be during the wedding night - and then change his mind because he wants to keep her forever (tbh I'd be into that. It is after all a horror movie. Just cause B curtails his evilness when it comes to Lydia doesn't mean he can't contemplate evil thoughts).

As to how he'd explain the marriage not freeing or reviving him as she expects... good question! I don't know. I believe marriage might give him some freedom to haunt Lydia and their home even when not summoned, rather than just the model, but he made the marriage of inconvenience sound far more impactful than just that, so I'm not sure that would be good enough. Then again, I don't see Lydia finally marrying Betel unless she trusted him and his sincere love for her. Maybe she'd believe a simple "my sources on Deceased-Living marriages were bad" from him, and leave it at that. She has no reason to be overly suspicious, after all, cause it's not like she knows what Delores tried to do to him after their marriage (yet. though that... would be interesting, and I hope Delores comes back).

I also don't think Lydia would mind too much if Betel remained a ghost or could still be banished or any of that. Having a magical spouse whom you can send home when he gets to be too much sounds awfully convenient, if you ask me. So she'd be, if anything, sad for him that the marriage didn't do what he said he believed it would do.

[whywasthissohardtomake]

okay. time for the romantic entanglement analysis thingymabobber. I'm using my laptop so you know things are serious (and also that my grammar and typing will be better lmao).

okay. this is becoming really long, so I'm gonna put one of those keep reading barriers.

So, the thing is, is that I like Cassandra and Asiao. Like I like them as characters and they are also likable. Fun to read and pretty well-rounded for side characters. They don't have as much depth as like, Jason or Sophie or Farrah, but they're not as important to the narrative as those three are, and they're characterization is on par with other characters of their same importance, like Danielle Geller. Amy is a good character but I don't like her on a personal level due to my extreme bias towards Jason. I like her, but also like what the fuck Amy?? why would you do that? (I know why but it's still a dick move.)

So, we have established that I like all of Jason's current and past romantic entanglements (girlfriends as they are usually called lmao). But I don't necessarily like them with Jason. This isn't because I ship him with someone else, but because I feel that they are not really great matches with him. and also that he really shouldn't be dating anyone.

They are all clearly not endgame, and I find their dynamics to be relatively... not shallow, but not emotionally vulnerable to the extent they should be. Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart, but for romantic partners of the kind Jason seems to be seeking out, they do not have the depth of bond that is wanted in those relationships. And I feel that they never would have them.

I just realized this whole thing is gonna be so rambly oh my god. I'm so sorry in advance.

but anyway, Jason doesn't trust a lot of people. He may seem to, but he doesn't. not with himself. His reaction to emotional upheaval is still to run away and hide his pain, as shown in the aftermath of Makassar (I think this is the right city. Unlike character names, I can actually look up cities in Indonesia and how to spell them. Yay!!). he may trust Asiao with the secret of the door and of saving the world, but he would not so readily bare his heart. And I know I'm contradicting what he does in canon. Because he often talks about how bad he's doing, but that's because he's doing so bad. I firmly believe that if he were given moments to rest he would downplay things. WAIT NO HE STILL DOES THAT. JUST NOT IN THE WAY IM THINKING. I FUCKING KNEW I WAS RIGHT. he is downplaying his experiences!! but not by not acknowledging them but by comparing them to others and finding his own trauma wanting!!

what's so surprising about that though is that in the aftermath of the torture he was all about getting the healing he needed, and yet he still doesn't seem to have the coping mechanisms that he should. I don't know, he's both aware that he's doing poorly, has skills to work on it, but still downplays his own pain but only when comparing it to others.

waiiiiit. I think I'm figuring something out here. If Jason and someone else were tortured together, he would be more worried about them than himself even if he was worse off. or he'd feel guilty that he didn't get them both out sooner. He doesn't downplay his pain as much when he can't find something to feel guilty about or when it only affects him. I think I'm getting more of a handle on Jason's responses to trauma and stuff.

FUCK THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT HIS GIRLFRIENDS OH NO. tangent over. back to romance!!

okay! so! what's interesting is that Jason is more willing to be vulnerable with friends than he is with his romantic partners. Farrah knows him best and while she also has waaaaayyyy more knowledge about Jason and has seen him through more things, I can't imagine him having the easy kind of trust between him and Asiao. Which Farrah even acknowledges. that these are two different kinds of trusts, and it's not surprising Asiao can't trust him completely yet.

but the other thing is, is that both of his relationships that develop within the series start immediately as romance. Well, I mean Asiao starts as high school acquaintances, but when he comes back their relationship develops quickly to romance. Cassandra was immediately romantic. I feel that Jason would have a better relationship, a deeper one, if they started as friends and developed more into romance over time. But I wonder if he'd ever be willing to do that again due to what happened with Amy. If he'd be willing to pursue a friend romantically when the last time that happened she married his brother.

What's also interesting is in who pursued who in his relationships. He wanted Amy first and (from what we are told) seemed to... not pressure, but something less manipulative in the same vein, her into a relationship. We are also told that she only accepted his advances when he started taking an interest in Asiao. As this is all told from either perspectives too close to the relationship at hand or too far, I'm taking all of that with a heaping spoon of salt.

With Cassandra, he started the flirtation, but it seems to have been mutual in its growth. To be honest, Cassandra has been my favorite of Jason's love interests, though Asiao might be my favorite of the three women as characters if we ignore the romance-Jason aspects.

With Asiao, she basically pursued him. Yes he was open to it, but he wasn't seeking it out. If he was really invested in trying to date her, he might have tried to get the bracelet and see if she'd be willing to wear it try some dates. But he didn't. he even says that he's not as emotionally invested in the relationship as she is, though he feels he could become more invested. (If my theory is true, he is becoming more invested only to BE FUCKING STABBED IN THE BACK.)

anyway, I don't know if the above means anything, but eh.

OH!! as to why Jason shouldn't be dating anyone: he has so much unresolved trauma surrounding romantic relationships. He has said over and over that he does not have to get over Amy and Kaito's betrayal, that he hasn't gotten over it, and that he doesn't plan on getting over it. I honestly believe this man should not be dating anyone until he works through that. I don't care that I haven't seen any noticeable trauma responses when it comes to his relationships. He may not be hurting anyone due to his unresolved trauma, but I doubt it's healthy for him. I need this man to go on vacation with his friends and just chill. No dating. no monsters. no nothing. just him and his family and his friends who are family.

anywho, this is the post! as always, pls no spoilers