#but if you really want to go in blind I guess

[clarisse-owo]

so, me thinking about this post a bit.

i think that none of the examples above are bad writing, but I can't say much about piccolo cuz i never watched his part, but let's see...

darth vader was corrupted to the dark side, committed a massacre in a preschool of kids that admired him and then caused genocides in the whole universe. even if given the "he was groomed" card, i think he should not be forgiven. he is kinda similar to catra, but he changed when he was an adult, and even saying that the jedi also brainwashed him wouldn't have changed it. catra was groomed from a baby, she didn't knew any better and thought she was doing what was right. also blowing a whole planet is not okay. do you know how many habitable planets there are in the universe? not enough.

vegeta was born and raised as a prince of a super powered race that is known to engage in wars and stuff. he felt entitled to whatever he wanted and in the end, although I don't have the whole dbz in my head, he did change and became a good characters. yeah, he may have caused genocides, but he was also kinda groomed from birth like catra. and i like his character so he gets a pass

magneto may be a villain, but he fights for a good cause in the only way he thinks is viable. yeah, he may have caused a lot of deaths, but he saved a lot of other ones for sure. even if you don't think he deserve to be forgiven, he is just a symptom to inequality and how violence will only lead to violence and the only way that the abused minorities can get something is by taking action. yeah, he should probably not commit mass murder, but he is making more mutants know that they have a place in the world and they have to fight for it. also he killed hitler so it's ok. his character is nuanced and i love it. btw i heard he was inspired by Malcolm X and Xavier be Martin Luther king Jr on their ideologies which makes me like him just because of the whole peace vs revolution aspect of them. also i am not from the USA and i haven't studied a lot about them so i may be wrong or misinformed, so if i am, I'm up to learning and changing. no one is a monolith, we can grow and be better.

zuko was similar to catra too. he was basically groomed into a war he was never going to win, he thought he was doing what was right, but his uncle helped him see and he ended up breaking his need to please his father, turned to the hero's side and did redeem himself. also genocide in his belt. i see a pattern

venom is an alien form that consumes living things for survival. idk where to put him, but yes, genocide. i legit don't know a lot about him besides that and that he turn peter into a bully, but that's ok i guess

catra was groomed as a kid into a war she was never going to win. was abused and forced into submission against her nature. she feared for her life, but she thought she was doing the right thing. she saw her best friend betray the authoritarian regimen they both worked for and felt like it was personal. she needed to fight, but now she had no one else to turn to, she was alone. after a while she did see her ways and redeemed herself, but she suffered by doing so. zuko had his uncle, vegeta had nothing else to lose, but catra lost all the support she had. the friends she grew up with. yeah, i think she is not even close to what darth vader did, bit she had no iroh by her side and was blinded by her abusers. and even when she helped to save the world, seeing it as a realistic universe, she would still be frowned upon for years. she-ra went through it, and now she will go through it. she will not just be a friend of the whole city just because she helped to save the world. plus we don't know if the whole world is ok with queer relations, so she could still be a target for that. catra is really well written and do deserve forgiveness. also wlw, so she's good on my book.

remember kids, suffering goes past canon. it's not because they redeemed themselves that they stop suffering. catra will still deal with her actions and trauma for her whole life while the others are mostly ok from what i know. vegeta changed, got a family and never talked about the genocides, he look like he got over it very quick, zuko will still deal with all of that as he was a part of the whole fire nation shtick, but i think he was not that badly treated and even got the fire nation redeemed and even was aang's helper, so i think he had it well and maybe had an ending that would be similar to catra's in the end. darth vader was redeemed but dead in the end (unless retconned by disney) so he did not suffer as much, and well... venom is venom, idk...

Face it, Darth Vader, Zuko, Piccolo, Vegeta, Magneto, Loki and Venom did far worse, unforgivable things yet when they were redeemed to varying degrees, fandom gave them free passes. Yet when Catra ,a child soldier who was physically and mentally abused by her mentor, realizes how much she has hurt the people around her; strives to be a better person; saves her childhood best friend and the entire world with the literal power of love (in spite of the series being cut short), fandom screams for her blood, yelling that she was "the real villain" and "should've died".

I have nothing against either Vader, Zuko, Piccolo, Vegeta, Magneto, Loki or Venom. However, when fandom declares a queer catgirl to be "the face of unforgivable evil", that's when we need to call out the blatant sexist, and kind of queerphobic, double standards.

And no, don't even give me that "BuT BaD WrItInG" thought-terminating rubbish. Funny how everything seems to be "BaD WrItInG" only when it involves some form of media made by and/or starring women, queer people and other minorities. Don't you think?

[fountainpenguin]

Hey! I'm looking for some 'fic recs!

One of my goals for 2025 is to comment more on people's 'fics, especially ones with few comments.

I'd like to make a proper post later that's more specific about what I enjoy, for people who are hesitant to throw me "just anything," but for now, consider this a generic post for some fic recs (Replies, reblogs, Ask box). Self-promotion welcome!

- I'm tired of having empty fandom inbox sometimes! Share me some ongoing multi-chapters you like; something I can sink my teeth into for the long play :) Complete longfics welcome also - Also, send me short works with an emotional punch! Love to see some nice endings~ - I love works that focus on drama, angst, grief, or character studies. Fluff acceptable! Shippy stuff not priority atm, but I'm happy to make an exception for things that are rec'd by someone who really liked them (I'll read just about anything if it has a style or tropes I like) - Share pieces with fun worldbuilding you like, or interesting character takes! Bonus points for "I want to slap this character. They're annoying and it was done so well. Suffer with me." - Looking for some Fairly OddParents 'fics (Especially the 2001 series, but I'll accept A New Wish also). Preferably ones where there's still a magical world (i.e. no turning the Fairies into humans). Heavy preference for works that are just FOP (AKA no Nicktoons Unite crossovers). - WordGirl recs are cool too; I've been craving some goofball heroes and villains in my life again... I need to finish my one-shots :'D - Would love to see Hermitcraft or Life Series 'fics as well. I'm most familiar with Hermits who are Lifers, but always happy to learn more about the others. I regularly read fandom-blind, so I don't mind lacking context. -- I'm familiar with Hermitcraft seasons 6 through 10. -- tbh I keep up with my rarepairs & fave side duos really well, but it's easy to get overwhelmed by the bigger pairs or friend groups even if I enjoy them, so... Lmk what stands out to you in a big sea of choice! I like all the Lifers and I'm happy to check out anything. -- I love Team Rancher, but I literally never search for or write 'fics about them and I don't know why. I guess I felt so satisfied by the canon that I... never bothered to dig for more :'D Please feel free to rec me some Ranchers stuff. I've read nothing. - I want to start watching Empires SMP sometime soon. Would love some Empires 'fic recs!

- This is an intentionally generic, open-ended rec request post -

Part of the fun in fanfics for me is looking at all the options and narrowing them down myself by the mood of the day, so I don't mind getting rec'd stuff that isn't my go-to style. Just looking to mix up my usual search methods with some pieces I might have overlooked, and it felt fun to ask on a busy Saturday.

I don't have Anon on my Ask box rn, but you can include a "Don't post please" message if you don't want me to share it with the blog.

Thanks for sharing your fun finds with me!

[runningincircl3s]

Sinematic

Vinny Mauro x Reader

Prologue

chapter warnings: nsfw, non-detailed smut (in the first chapter i'm sorry)

i went through about 6 title changes before i settled with sinematic so i'm hoping i don't regret it!! but wow this is going to be a wild ride!! and yes i know i said i would be posting for this fic on mondays and today is sunday but i'm impatient!! :)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

7 months later...

“C’mon y/n!” Your co-worker, and friend, Cass begged as she flopped down onto your couch with a dramatic sigh, “When was the last time you went out?”

“Last month, I went to visit Angela in New York. That was when when I lost my phone and couldn't remember how I got back to her place.” You shrugged, not bothering to look up from your phone.

It was true.

Angela and you still kept in touch after the tour, and so did Shae. They've helped you book gigs, trying to get you back on your feet, but that didn’t stop you from having to still work at the library. 

“Yeah but… I’ve got someone for you to meet! His name is Ciaran, he works in the music industry-” 

You scoff, interrupting her. 

“You’re seriously setting me up on a date? I’ve said before I’m not interested. And I don't think I'm ready.”

“But maybe it’ll help you feel better! That, and he’s already on his way… Please! Just meet him and if you don’t end up liking him then at least tell him that yourself!” 

“I will!” You glared at her, “I’m not ready to meet anyone yet, not after everything that happened... I thought you'd understand.”

“I know, but we can’t just let him down. He’s travelled for this!” 

You sigh, wondering whether it was really worth complaining. All you had to do was show up, chat to this guy for a bit, bore him and watch him leave. It was simple really.

“Fine.” You say, getting up from the couch, “Can you help me find an outfit?”

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Cass helped you put together an outfit for your “date”, one that wasn’t too overdressed but still said you cared enough to put some thought into it. 

The bar you were meeting him at wasn’t far from your home, so you both walked. You felt a little nervous, you hadn’t so much as spoken to a guy since coming home from the tour, and now you were going on a blind date for the first time. You wanted to turn around, go back home to your comfort bubble, but Cass stopped you. 

“You never know, you could be meeting the love of your life tonight!” She teased. 

“Yeah, sure,” you rolled your eyes, “So how do you know him?”

“I kinda… Might have set you up a dating profile.”

“What the fuck-”

“Don’t get mad!” She pleaded, “I just want to see you happy again. When was the last time you smiled?”

“I’ve been quite happy by myself, thank you very much.” You raise an eyebrow, “But I guess since here now…”

You hold the door open for Cass, before following her in. You both look around for this mystery guy, not that you would even know what he looks like. 

“Oh, he’s over there!” 

You looked over, surprised to see a rather attractive guy, and you felt yourself blush a little when he waved over at you. 

“Good luck.” Cass grinned as you walked over to him. 

“Hey,” he smiled, “Wow... You’re even prettier in person.” 

As he stood up to greet you with a hug, you noticed he was about the same height as Vinny- not that you cared. He had light brown hair, and hazel eyes. As he pulled back, you took a second to take in the rest of him. His nose ring, his earring, the rings on his fingers…

“Thanks,” you grin, “What accent is that?”

He smiles as you both sit down. 

“Irish,” he nods, “But I’ve been living over here for nearly ten years so it’s not really that strong anymore.” 

“Oh, cool,” you didn’t know what to say, “So, uh, my friend actually set this up-”

“Oh, yeah I know,” he chuckled, “Do you want a drink?”

“I might just get a lemonade.” 

“Okay., I'll be right back” He smiled, before heading to the bar, leaving you to sit at the table. 

The night ended up to be not so bad afterall, you found yourself kind of liking this guy. He told you he used to sing, then was part of a band, but he’s more of a producer these days. You were really getting along, until you heard the door open and a group of guys walked in.

And instantly, you recognised one of their voices. 

How could you ever forget? 

You suddenly felt hot, a panic washing over you. You didn’t want to turn around and confirm your suspicions, but you couldn’t just sit there and try to ignore him. Not when Ciaran had noticed something wasn’t quite right, frowning at you from across the table.

“Are you okay?” He asked, seeming quite concerned. 

“Uh… Yeah,” you swallowed hard, trying to gather yourself, “I think… I need to go. It’s not you, I’ll explain… I’ll text you when I’m home.” 

You try to give him your sorriest smile, and head for the door, but Cass caught you by the wrist before you could escape. 

“Y/n? What’s happened?” She looked over at Ciaran, who appeared just as confused as she was.

“I need to go, please-”

“But you were getting along so well!” 

“...Vin where are you going?” One of the guys he was with asked, and you gripped your friend's hand tighter. 

“I need to go.” You whispered, your eyes narrowing, “It’s him. Vinny.”

“Which one?!” Her eyes widened, and you shook your head, “The pretty one? Oh girl, how could you turn him down?!”

“Can I just go?”

“If you have to, but don't you think it’ll be a good idea to talk to him?”

“No,” you shook your head, “I haven’t spoken to him in like 7 months. There’s nothing to talk about!”

“Really?” Cass raised an eyebrow. “Well I guess-” 

As she picked her phone up from the bar to get ready to leave, you felt someone gently tap you on the shoulder. 

“Ciaran I’m sorry to-”

But as you turned around, you were not met with Ciaran.

This was someone else.

“Y/n?”

“Oh. Vin…?”  

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

You weren’t exactly sure how you got here, it was only a matter of minutes since meeting him again in the bar and now you were pushed up against your front door, his lips on your neck and his hands trailing up your skirt as yours worked on unbuttoning his pants. 

“Vinny,” you panted, “Couch.”

“Hmm?” He hummed, before pulling away, “Lead the way.”

You take his hand, leading him into your living room and pulling him down on top of you on the couch, his curls dangling over his face.

Clothes were lost, your bodies pressed against each other as his lips found his way back to yours. You warned him that you haven’t done this in months, you might need to take it slow, and he respected that.

You held him close, your arms wrapped around his neck as he began to fill you. Every hair on your body stood up on end, your eyes screwed shut as you felt him slowly inch into you, asking if you were okay, to which you nodded. 

Nothing had ever felt so right, your legs wrap around his hips, trying to feel more of him as he began moving, pleasure coursing through your veins. Tears filled your eyes, and for a moment you wondered if this was real. An hour ago you were in the bar, talking to a guy you had never met before, and now you were underneath Vinny once again, who you hadn’t seen since summer last year. You had to open your eyes, to double check it was Vinny that was here with you. 

“I love you,” you whispered, feeling that familiar feeling in your stomach, “I’m close, Vin..”

“I know,” he whispered, “Me too.” 

You didn’t know what part of that he was responding to, but in this moment you didn’t care. You only cared that he was back here in your arms, his bare skin on yours, something you had been craving over the months.

Your orgasm washed over you, with the help of his fingers, and it didn’t take long for him to finish either, releasing deep inside you.

Once you had both caught your breath, you exchanged lazy smiles, both agreeing you needed to clean up- and clean your couch.

“Do you want to stay?” You asked as you both stepped into your shower. 

"Yeah," he smiled, “I think that’s a good idea.”

You smiled to yourself as you felt the warm water begin to hit your body, Vin’s hands holding your hips from behind as his lips found your neck again. 

“Think you can go again?” He whispered, smirking as you turned to look at him. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

You woke up the next morning, surprised to see Vinny was still asleep beside you. It had been a long time since you’ve shared a bed with someone who wasn’t one of your friends.

You couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful he looked as he slept, you ran your fingers through his hair, missing the feeling you had once taken for granted. You couldn’t help but wonder how things could’ve been if you had taken his key that night, if you agreed to make things work between you, but you were just afraid.

Vinny had never really had a public relationship in all the time he had been in the band, and you didn’t want to cause any conflict with his fans when they’d find out he’s dating the girl everybody had assumed was cheating on Noah Sebastian. There’s another name you haven't heard in a while.

You got out of bed, stretching before reaching for your robe, tying around your waist before heading to the kitchen. You smiled to yourself as you thought about making Vin breakfast, something you had never done for anyone before. 

However, your smile quickly faltered when you turned around to see him fully dressed, a sorry look on his face. 

"Morning," you said softly, trying to read his expression. "Do you have somewhere to be?"

Vinny swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. He took a breath before answering.

"Not really, but… Look, last night shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry."

Your heart sank. 

"What do you mean?"

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. 

"I can’t do this, y/n.” His voice was quieter now, like he hated saying the words but knew he had to. "Last night was… fuck, it was amazing. But I’ve only just really started getting over everything that happened..." His gaze flickered to yours, "I didn’t want to show it at the time, I was holding onto the hope that if I ignored it then it wasn’t real, but you hurt me, y/n. Even if it wasn’t your intention, you gave me all this false hope, made me believe I had a chance- then ripped it away and left me with nothing."

You opened your mouth to speak, but he shook his head, stepping back.

"I just don’t want to feel that way again. I can’t put myself through this. I’m so sorry."

"But, Vin-"

"No." His voice was final, thick with something that sounded almost like regret. "I have to go. I wish you the best."

And just like that, he was gone.

--------------------------

CHAPTER 1 COMING TOMORROW!!

@collapsedglasshouses @miss570 @dominuslunae @sunshine-lvrr @death-ofpeace-ofmind @blade-dressed-in-red @amelia-acero this is a new taglist so if i missed you or you want to be added please let me know!!

[silyabeeodess]

So, these aren't really theories (I guess except the last one, but I don't feel like I'm adding much to what's already out there), just things that have kind of stuck in my head that I want to get down somewhere after Chapter Four's release. None of them are really worth their own post, so I'm just gonna note them each below. The subheadings are as follows: 'False Justification and Unrestrained Evil,' 'The Importance of Kevin Barnes,' and '"Love" with Limits.'

False Justification and Unrestrained Evil

Throughout the game, we've seen several of its villainous characters try to justify the experiments "in the name of science" or in "how it can one day help a lot of people," but nowhere near as much as in this chapter. This chapter showed us cases such as how Stella Greyber got involved with them despite her supposed love for kids, how security staff members who were both aware and unaware of the truth behind the experiments would abuse the toys, and how Warrenbach Construction was pushed into maintaining its contract despite Mr. Silver's concerns over what they were building. Each of these times, all of the adults try to come up with some reason for the evils they're involved with - and even though some of them were rightfully fearful of their own lives, I will go so far as to call out all of them for being wrong.

Starting off with Stella, yes, we can say she "loves kids," but that "love" never goes behind her own desires. Reflecting on her tape all the way back in Chapter One, when she first interviews to get into the company, we already see that she has an obsession with the idea of youth. Quote: "I don't think anyone ever really feels like an adult. Your body, just gets older and older... and then you die." It's important to note that no one prompted her on this issue: She was just asked why she wanted to join Playtime and volunteered these thoughts. Even the interviewer is put-off by her remarks, telling her that they were "getting off track."

This is important because it tells us why she gives in so easily when she finds out about the experiments. She's not doing it because "it'll help out a lot of kids someday." She's doing it because the end result is something she personally desires: Effective immortality. Note that, when speaking to Leith in her VHS found in Chapter Four, she doesn't ask about the failed experiments (as if anyone could avoid seeing the literal mountains of bodies at the Prison's front entrance) or the treatment of the kids involved, she asks "Do they know when it will be ready?" Her rationalizing that "it'll help a lot of kids too" is just a flimsy excuse to spare herself from feeling guilty. For an irl comparison, her behavior and that of the other scientists who follow this justification isn't really all that different from people who murder and steal organs to sell on the black market or doctors that let registered donors under their care die--all under the idea of "saving lives."

People have and continue to donate their bodies to science. Playtime Co. could've focused on that. Even in the events of the story itself, we see individuals like Thomas Clark from the Bron video on MOB's YouTube channel willingly let themselves be turned into toys--a fact that the other toys are very much aware of and understandably infuriated by. The orphanage just gave the scientists a means of hurrying their experiments along with an endless supply of bodies no one would know went missing.

You can say maybe Stella didn't know about just how bad the Prison was, but I don't give her a pass there either. Knowing about the experiments, going out of her way to even make recordings for the kids who undergo them in attempt to calm them down, yet somehow never paying attention to how they were treated is, in the very least, willful blindness. That, and since the toys were already being used around the factory as slave labor, she doesn't get to make excuses: She would've seen them all the time, particularly the ones in Playcare. She is just as guilty as the other executives, and the fact that she pretends to care despite this, acting as one of the many "gentle voices" that Kevin talks about, makes it even worse.

The matter of the prison guards is a little more to the point. Some of them didn't know anything about the toys being anything other than monsters, as seen in Cole's notes: They followed a "you hurt us, so we'll hurt you," mindset, which while understandable, is never justified. Some guards, however, like in one of the first VHS tapes found in the prison, did already know that the toys were kids--hearing them cry out for their parents or consulars and comparing them to their own children. These individuals are just plain vile. They ignored the horrors that the toys were going through because of their own "struggles" dealing with them. These workers were callous and completely lacked empathy, evidence we see in employees on other teams as well such as the ones on clean-up from the Theatre Incident.

Now to Warrenbach, we can give them some leeway since their lives were threatened. They themselves are also victims of Playtime... but we have to note that it wasn't like they didn't have options either. In Mr. Silver's case, his life was in immediate danger--so, yes, the logical thing to do to save himself was to play along with Eddie's wishes. Key words here: "Play along." Here's a little fun fact: There is no company on this planet that can make you commit a crime. For all of Eddie's talk about the contract, in the eyes of the law, it would be nothing more than a worthless scrap of a paper--and that's not even getting into the matter of morality clauses, something that has regularly been used--and, granted, abused--to break contracts. If I were Mr. Silver, or even just a standard construction hand capable of sneaking a camera in, I would've been keeping receipts. Were they too scared to take Playtime to court? Fair enough, but how about the press? In the very least, you don't think prison blueprints would've raised a few more eyebrows and get people asking questions that Playtime didn't need? One of the worst things a person can say to themselves in a situation is, "There's nothing I can do to fix it." There's almost always something you can do, no matter how small. Giving into fear or ignoring a problem because "you can't do anything" may not be a stance many people can blame you for taking, but it is the exact kind of mindset that allows villains to thrive.

All of the adults in this series failed the kids by trying to justify their sins with these excuses. Even still, all of that doesn't even scrape the surface of Dr. Sawyer's unrestrained evil. Don't get me wrong: He makes the same "for science" excuse that the rest of his team do. However, there's also a lot that he openly admits to doing "because it amuses him." The biggest example of this is Yarnaby, who he treats as a pet, among many of the other toys as well--specifically the Nightmare Critters. A post of MOB's explains that the Nightmare and Smiling Critters once got along well, but "not anymore." It seems odd to say that all of one type of toy simply defaulted to the Prototype's side. Another thing worth noting is that, unlike the Smiling Critters, all of the Nightmares are shown to be feral by the events of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Sawyer's doing. For the experiments, he may have wanted the toys to have intelligence, but the same couldn't be said for his own, personal playthings.

He's done plenty of other acts that have nothing to do with the experiments as well. He had Boxy Boo's appetite "tailored to human flesh," and while yes, this was a way to get rid of witnesses... he could've just as easily have done that by sending their body to the labs. During the Theater Incident tape, one member of the clean-up team notes that he doesn't understand why Sawyer wouldn't cover up his involvement. It's not a matter of Sawyer thinking he's in the right or that he's acting on some greater purpose: He just doesn't care. The only things that Sawyer cares about are what piques his curiosity at any given moment--and the only thing that stops him is the fact that he overestimated his worth to Playtime. Up until then, Sawyer was the embodiment of actions without facing consequences.

The Importance of Kevin Barnes

There's been enough critiques going into how Kevin is labeled a "problem child" both in and out of the story, so I won't get into that here. All I'll say on the issue that I also don't agree with that label. Instead, I'd much rather focus on what makes Kevin's role so pivotal among the three boys used to create Doey. There's a quote from the 2000's Teen Titans cartoon that keeps coming back to me when I think about him: "Having that thing inside you doesn't make you an animal. Knowing when to let it out is what makes you a man."  We can say this for Doey "letting Kevin out," but we can also say this for Kevin himself when it comes to his aggression.

Before I really get into this topic, let me point out one thing I don't think a lot of people considered. For the most part when it comes to Doey's actions, people tend to place Kevin only in the steering wheel at Doey's most aggressive/untrusting moments. Despite this, there's one more time I think we see Kevin's true self shine though, and that's in Doey's final tape. When Doey talks about his decision not to leave the factory, he says the other toys, "mean a lot to him... a lot more than [he] thought they did." This line can't easily be applied to Jack or Matthew. Jack wasn't from the orphanage, but his personality is already plenty bubbly and loving. Matthew would've already cared: He already saw himself as responsible for the well-being of others and wouldn't shut down his emotions. But a kid like Kevin? A kid that was known for getting into fights with his friends and having rocky relationships? That backstory fits this line to a tee. While he was forced to become part of Doey, Kevin came to accept that he cared. Kevin's personality doesn't just come out when Doey's angry: As much credit as we give to Matthew for this, Kevin comes out when Doey needs to protect those around him.

We see two bits of evidence for this. First, is our own meeting with Doey. Pianosaurous tries to attack the Player and Doey destroyed Painosaurous in one of the most gruesome ways possible. The second example is in the murals in Safe Haven. I don't think it can be seen very easily, but in the mural with Doey's arms extended around the other toys, he's drawn with an angry face--the face we associate with Kevin.

One of the reasons Kevin was chosen to become part of Doey was because of his high scores in "mental fortitude." This means that, while Kevin is aggressive, he's also the one who can best handle high-stress situations. Jack was just a small kid with no clue what happened to himself and would've lacked the ability to regulate his emotions like someone older could. Matthew was a peacemaker, but was someone who had already been traumatized due to losing his parents in an accident, which made him fall back on his own sense of guilt and insecurities. Kevin was someone who can put all of that aside to act fast when he needed to. He was a fighter, and I strongly believe that that fighter's instinct is what allowed Doey to be as strong a leader and protector as he was.

Everyone has the capacity for violence. Kevin being aggressive wasn't a flaw: He just needed to learn how to temper that aggression into a tool that could defend others instead of hurt them. The tragedy of his character is that he had to learn that all on his own and in the worst kind of circumstances.

"Love" with Limits

While this theme is echoed with Stella and the security guards who have kids of their own, the character I'd really like to cover with this is Elliot Ludwig. What I'll go into here follows the theory that Elliot became the Prototype, and my reasoning for supporting this theory rests largely in how the Prototype acts toward Poppy. Even when under the guise of "Ollie," he talks to her like a parent would. When he wants Poppy to explain what "the bad men" did to her in one of the VHS tapes, he prods her with the typical lines like "Is there something you need to talk about?" and "There's more to this you're not telling me." He's not really even pretending to talk like a kid: This is how a mom or dad talks, sitting on the end of your bed and refusing to leave until you give them an answer. We also have his reminder of "what he and Poppy are" and his insistence that "she come home"--back to the case, in the room connected directly to Elliot's office.

If the Prototype is Elliot, I think it goes without saying that Elliot loved his daughter. Despite how much he stressed the need to care for others and the formation of the orphanage, however... I think Elliot's idea of love had its limits. For one thing, the experiments seem to have been going on a long while, including during the time that Elliot was in control of the company. We find a report for Experiment 814 on his desk, and while that one only alluded to the possibility of involving humans, there's one more bit of evidence we need to consider: The Poppy dolls themselves. By the time we get to the factory, while Poppy is shown in advertising, we don't see any more of her dolls having been in production by the time the place shutdown. Nevertheless, we know there were more besides our Poppy at one point due to their advertisement and maintenance video. The latter is what's most important, because it shows that organs/blood were used in the toy at a very early point in the company's history. I can't find where exactly I remember this from, but I believe there was also a notice from Playtime insisting that customers not repair the dolls on their own and instead send them back to the company--likely to avoid this discovery. (If someone remembers where, please feel free to link it. Every time I look it up, all I really get is shopping pages...)

There is a good chance that Elliot was framed with the kid in the duffle bag situation, but I think it's equally as likely he experimented on others before Poppy's success. He cares about his daughter, not necessarily kids as a whole. Playcare being built underground was already fishy, something that Rich brings up in one of his tapes when he points out that the kids deserve real sunlight. The Prototype may have saved Theo, but he's also the reason Theo nearly died. There were teenagers in Playcare he could've gone to. There were caretakers at the orphanage who genuinely loved the kids and would likely fight to protect them, not to mention other employees who wanted to expose the company. Instead of turning to them, people who were far more capable of using a grabpack and/or with more access around the factory, he picked an isolated seven-year-old, someone easy to manipulate. There were kids from the orphanage who grew out of the program and added on as factory employees, just like how some of the caretakers wanted Matthew as part of their staff: The Prototype thought nothing of slaughtering them too during the Hour of Joy. And we could go on and on about all the evils the Prototype committed against the toys themselves.

Elliot/the Prototype may have shown the other kids love... when they were useful and obeyed him. Even his love for Poppy is twisted in this way. While locking her in the case can be seen as putting her in "time out," it's also treating her as an object to be shelved--ironically, just like how the Prison itself is called, "The Shelf." Like the prison cubes, there's barely any room to move in the case, little to no comfort, and nothing to occupy your time but your own thoughts in the darkness. It's abuse. He also shows no remorse for murdering his daughter's friends, scolding her for "missing the point" when she's grieving directly because of his actions. Whether he sees it or not, despite his protests that Poppy isn't a "thing" to him, he's treating her as one: A thing that's thoughts and emotions are to be disregarded, a toy that's always meant to be a sweet, obedient child.

[enchaentingly]

        his reaction leaves her to preen, her cheeks flushing rosy again with the softness that enveloped her entirely. the little flowering weed of i did good flourishes where she’s blind too, but she is, genuinely happy to have brightened his day, just a pinch. a treat that kept him away from whatever was making him so grumpy. nothing else matters, she’s happy to have done it. she’s happy, and nothing could sway her from it. she lets out a quiet, little,  “ i’m glad. ”  before she runs out of other things to say, her fingers scraping at her thighs, at the end of the skirt. but her eyes didn’t stray far from him, enchanted as ever.

        the spell doesn’t fizzle away even as her questions reach dead ends. it’s true that she’s curious, and could spend hours talking inside the safety of the cute little booth, but she knew that no matter how attached she gets, there’s always an end. it’s silly, to feel it so deeply, but it never stops her from dreading the separation. at least it’s easier, knowing her and beautiful british guy were never entangled, to start. besides, it’s fun to have another mystery to think about when she’s bored. allie keeps it light as she can, determined to end this sunnily. she giggles,  “ maybe? is your name a maybe too? ”  and he’s right, of course, that she doesn’t have any siblings.

        there’s a settle in her chest that comes from the reality of it. she enjoys his honesty, and lets herself feel sweet and flattered.  “ no, i … i have to stay. i'm sorry, haven't figured out how to be two places at once, yet. ”  it digs at her to disappoint him, to disappoint anyone, either way. and it’s not like she doesn’t want to. of course she does. really, she does. allie slides from the booth, noticing the gloves on his hands, again. she takes the fifty from the table, smiling at him.  “ want a to-go box? or, i guess, you could always come back if you find you need a little something sweet. ”

She obeys the second command. Tasting what spongey creation she's made before he retracts the fork and licks it clean of Victoria's cream. He doesn't need much of an invitation to sink the fork into the cake and take a bite of his own. AJ's dark eyes are watching her, arm closing in around the back of the booth like he might coax her closer. A secret only shared between the pair of them; something she can hold onto, even after he leaves.

"It's delicious," he decides, quietening her excitement for the baked good. Astor's got a high bar set for most things. And his compliment is genuine, if not made ingenuine by the teasing tone he laces into the words. "Your biscuits are almost scones, love. our biscuits are your cookies — it's trivial." The difference; a baker's version of a vic sponge, is not equal to Allie's version.

He'd meant it when he said he's able to share, but it's a selective thing; reliant on his mood and the object of his attentions. Selfish though, he can be. He is, most of the time. In attentions, in interest, in anything that spurs his favour. He's surveying her, like he's eying something traversing the street, asking for directions — something quickly turned down by sneers and urgency to be elsewhere, she's searching for an answer and AJ's not the man who gives her one.

She hit a brick wall, as suddenly as a freight train on a death path. Gloved hand retracting from the idea it might tease her shoulder from behind. "Maybe," is his throwaway; it's answer enough, in fact. If she's got any brain in their airspace of hers. "You likely don't." For the fact that she's rambling like there's never been anyone to listen to her voice; nobody to tell her she's better quiet than she is voicing her thoughts. Prettier that way.

The fork rests against the plate now and he pockets his phone, rolling his shoulders back as he prepares to end this: "Are you leaving with me then, Allie, or am I leaving alone?"

[overthinkingfeathers]

In Dock Town, there's a place with a conspiracy board, complete with strung up ropes, and a bunch of written texts everywhere.

There is also this book. I haven't seen it anywhere else in the game, though I haven't looked extensively and thus can't say for sure. I just wanted everyone to see it.

[please-read-the-manga]

Hm... the idea of the ghosts of Uchiha continuing to endure beside the mourner who grieves them, even beyond death... Idk, it compels me.

[artuurle]

So what happened to Gru's eye anyways?

This will be very very tied into my personal headcanons about both Grujaja and a little about the drain so be warned:

info under the readmore for sanity reasons hope u understand<3

My interpretation of the drain is a very bad place to raise someone. The whole place is essentially the slums of a city- though the most dangerous part of the place isn't because of anything living, but because the place is actually crumbling from poor infrastructure. Gruja was from a very low income family that lived in that area; just trying to live like anyone else.

The infrastructure expectedly ended up failing and in the collapse he got cut really badly by some of the resulting shrapnel across his face and left arm. He was one of the "lucky" ones. If you could even call it that.

He sure didn't.

[drkeminity]

Zed let out an exaggerated gasp, clutching at his chest like she’d just delivered a fatal wound. “Ouch, Billie. Really going for the jugular tonight, huh?” He shook his head, clicking his tongue as he picked up the discarded card and flicked it back into the deck with practiced ease. “A Magic 8-ball with a drinking problem? You wound me. Though, let’s be real, that’s probably the most accurate fortune anyone’s gonna get in this tent.”

He leaned forward, smirk curling at the edges of his lips as he watched her settle in like she was about to actually take this seriously. That was the thing with Billie—she was always just a little too good at keeping people guessing, which, in turn, made her a little too fun to push.

“Alright, since my co-star here thinks she’s the superior psychic,” he drawled, gesturing toward Billie with a lazy flick of his wrist, “I say we let our guest decide: Do you want the entirely useless, highly entertaining, possibly dramatic reading from yours truly? Or do you want the ‘actually worth hearing’ version from the woman who, I can only assume, has been secretly communing with the spirits in her free time?”

Zed drummed his fingers against the table, head tilting. “But fair warning: her version may include unsolicited life advice, and we don’t offer refunds for disappointment.” His grin sharpened. “So, what’s it gonna be? Blind optimism, or cold, hard reality?”

billie had been half-listening, half-scrolling through her phone when zed launched into his performance, all theatrical and ridiculous as ever. she barely stifled a smirk, rolling her eyes as he flipped over a card with absolutely no reverence for the craft. not that she actually cared about tarot or whatever scam they were running tonight, but at least she had some sense of showmanship. leaning against the table, she finally looked up, resting her chin in her palm as she fixed zed with a slow, amused blink. "seer of staten island?" she echoed, voice laced with mock disbelief. "wow. really shooting for the stars there, huh?" she exhaled through her nose, finally pocketing her phone and plucking the card from his hand without permission, barely sparing it a glance. "don’t listen to him," she informed their guest, flipping the card back onto the table with an audible thwack. "he’s got the spiritual insight of a magic 8-ball with a drinking problem." straightening, she stretched her arms over her head, the silken scarf she’d tied around her wrist slipping down slightly. "now, if you actually wanna know your fate—" she let the word hang, smirking as she dragged her chair closer to the table, fingers tapping along the surface in rhythmic little beats— "we can offer a… collaborative reading. he tells you something entirely useless, and then i tell you something actually worth hearing."

[taldigi]

What would you say was the first sign that Miraculous was gonna became a bad show?

3D in the current style that it is. And no. I'm not talking about the anime. I'm talking about how it started to sacrifice style and substance for recognizability and cheap graphics. There are very strict guidelines on the style of the show and exaggerated expressions and genuinely good animation have been trashed or cut in order to not have to pay the most money. How do I know? I've seen it. I have seen things that I can never share but I know about. Shit that sits in a locked folder on a USB drive.

I've been very fortunate to speak to people behind the scenes and get some insight on development. I've poured over reports and surveys. I've read interviews. I've seen statistics.

There is a lot of company input that goes into miraculous. And you know how it is when CEOs and directors boards get involved with creative projects. You would be surprised at the amount of influence companies like Gloob have over the development of the show.

Miraculous wants to be a serious show. But it also wants to be a kiddie show- and miraculous wants to be a kids show because kids programming sells toys and toys are what have kept miraculous afloat for as long as it has.

[doodlingwren]

☝🤓 What if 🤨🤔! I was back 😨🤯 after some months 😞😤😲... ahahah jokes 🧐🤣😂... unless 😳👉👈

[golvio]

I’m a little obsessed with this one particular shot from the new trailer.

To me, this vague lump of…something is shaped like the hill where The Cabin is located, with the two pine trees framing it.

However, in the trailer shot, there is no cabin.

That’s a big deal, because there’s always a cabin.

In every route, there are constants that don’t change no matter what choices you make. There’s always a cabin at the top of a hill in the woods. There’s always a knife placed on the table near the door to the basement. There’s always a shackle on the Princess’ left hand. There’s always the Princess, the Narrator, and You.

And there is always a cabin. In the Stranger route, every single parallel universe the Narrator could possibly create has the exact same cabin on top of that exact same hill. There’s never not a cabin on top of that hill.

So, is this the point in time where the Princess says, “Days mean nothing in the maw of forever?” By that, does she mean it’s been so long and so many loops have passed that even the Narrator is no longer tracking the finer details, and the cabin along with the landscape eventually unravels and falls away?

Is this a point in time before there was ever a cabin, much less a path or any woods? A point where the Narrator was still in the process of creating this closed, isolated little narrative to safely contain the Princess (and, by extension, You) inside?

Or could it be that the cabin is there, just in a place or state that we can no longer see it? Is the trailer shot representing a version of the world that’s faded into an Impressionistic outline of what it was intended to be? Or are those brush strokes and textures actually…hair…?

Is the Princess the landscape? Is that what she meant by “I never left your side?” Is this what “ending the world” looks like?

I mean, one of the constants the Narrator has imposed upon this world is that the Princess is always in the cabin. However, we haven’t seen all possible permutations of “in the cabin” that follow that rule. The Princess can still technically be in the cabin even if a vast majority of her is spilling outside of it, burying it beneath a mound of hair and flesh in a way that makes its interior, the knife, and her vulnerable heart inaccessible to us. After enough loops, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Princess eventually came to represent so many different concepts in our mind that she’d eventually grow to encompass the whole world, no longer resembling a “Princess.”

However, there’s also the question of whether this is the Princess taking over the world that the Narrator created, or whether this is the landscape reverting to its original form as the Narrator’s grip on the story begins to loosen when it becomes too complex and unpredictable for him to control. If “I never left your side” applies to every loop, even the very first one, then that means that the Princess doesn’t become the landscape so much as she always was the landscape. It’s just that the Narrator put a veneer of separation from the Princess onto the world to make the entity that it is small, limited, and easy to subdue.

What, then, does that mean for You? Are you another invader, whether a real person from outside or a literary construct the Narrator pulled from thin air? Or are You, too, a part of the Princess, ripped away from her body and deluded into believing you were a separate entity?

Is that the purpose of the mirror? Is the Princess merely a reflection of You, a funhouse mirror image mimicking your desires and actions because she is doomed to be eternally defined by your perceptions and can’t take physical shape without You observing or even thinking about her? Or is it that You are her reflection, her distorted mirror image, who she must bring back into herself in order to become truly whole again and escape?

[arttsuka]

would you recommend ace attorney

Yes, definitely, absolutely

Some out of context screenshots from the original trilogy

[trainingdummyrabbit]

ah. has difficulty sleeping then dreams of apocalypse i guess.

[sillimancer]

me: people don't seem to hear me when I say I've tried everything to get a job. I've been doing this for over 6 months now. I promise you there is not an avenue I haven't explored. I've reached out to nonprofits and the government for emergency funds. I've applied to gig works and retail. I have an upwork. I've tried finding freelance opportunities. I've applied for jobs in-person, hybrid, and remote. I tailor my resumes and cover letters. I'm active on linkedin. I've done more work, put in more effort, studied harder, and talked to more people on this job hunt than I did for any actual job I've had or when getting my college degree. I haven't received a piece of advice I haven't already tried in months. I'm actually really sick of getting advice for this reason. the unsolicited advice makes me feel like people aren't listening and I get really mad when someone not only suggests something I've tried, but something that only a moron wouldn't have tried at this point.

the crisis line worker I'm texting: That sounds really hard and frustrating. Have you tried looking for remote work?

[bitegore]

ngl i think i kind of was a genius for being like 'yeah this character is a scary killyou cannibal scary killer who scary kills you' and then realizing that the way my worldbuilding works out is that there's a nonzero chance that if you leave literally any body parts over they can just come back, depending on what they believe in their heart of hearts can kill them. Of course she'd start eating her kills. She probably tried normal stuff first and then realized it didn't work and she had to try harder if she wanted to actually keep them dead.