#but understands less how power struggles play out since that’s not what we see with Calla and Persephone

[cabeswaterdrowned]

There’s something about Adam defending Gansey to Blue while also kind of defending him from himself, but also he’s probably glad to have Blue there partly because she’s like him enough to share some of his criticisms of Gansey and Ronan but because she’s less encumbered by performance she’ll just say these things and he gets to kind of play the opposite role while taking satisfaction that someone is saying them if that makes sense. Kind of goes along with him relishing Ronan’s shock when he invited her, yes he wants to go on a date with her regardless but like I said he could choose to do something else with her, but as someone hyper aware of power dynamics he wants her here to sort of be a barrier that keeps him from giving into being ‘one of Gansey’s things’ (him tightening his grip on her hand when Gansey’s looking is so. interesting) while also making himself seem more similar to / equal to them by comparison to her. There are posts I’ve seen mostly in older fandom that took Blue to task for kind of using Adam as an in to the group while also a barrier between her and Gansey / the fate she’s resisting and they aren’t incorrect that it’s unfair of her but I never find the sentiment of ‘pwoor Adam being used by Blue’ sympathetic because like, they’re pretty equal in that regard consistently. For reasons that make perfect sense for two inexperienced teens with a lot of baggage in their first relationship + … unconventional complications lol. 

[sanjisblackasswife]

Could you please write how the monster trio would react if they swap bodies with their s/o?

Monster Trio Swaps Bodies With You (NSFW-ISH)

Black Fem Reader in Mind

CW: Mentions of smut, Also crack, Luffy and Sanji are a bit OOC

Luffy

“Y/N LOOK! IF I HAD MY POWERS I’D DO GUM GUM PISTOL WITH YOUR—“

“PUT A SHIRT ON LUFFY!”

He couldn’t care less about being it in your body, he treats it the exact same way as he does his body so please WATCH HIM

“How do i pee. Y/N. Y/N I have to pee how do I pee—“

“Sit down.”

“No I don’t have to take a dump I have to pee—“

“GIRLS SIT DOWN WHEN THEY PEE—“

He is laughing at it at first, but he doesn’t care too much

Up until he realizes he doesn’t have his powers anymore

He spends all day trying to teach you how to use his stretchy powers especially since you kept accidentally doing it to your arms

“You’re so bad at controlling it. Don’t worry i was that way at first too.”

“SHUT UP AND FIX MY ARMS!”

It’s fun to see him struggle with managing your breast whether they are big or small though.

He’d get so frustrated on how to properly lay down he starts to whine

(a bit NSFW) While in your body, he got aroused and didn’t understand how the hell he got so wet, you explained it to him awkwardly and when you gave him permission to “relieve” himself he demanded that you watch him.

Play with himself

In your body.

It was a pretty fun thing to watch, because he knew the exact struggle of why you always ask him to use his fingers instead of yours.

“How the hell do you masturbate with these short fingers? I see why you always ask me.”

Zoro

Freaking out because he woke up to himself.

“WHO ARE YOU!?”

“I AM YOU!”

“YOU ARE NOT WHO ARE YOU?!”

“YOU DUMBASS WE SWITCHED BODIES I AM YOU AND YOU ARE ME!”

“WHO THE HELL IS ‘ME’”

So after an hour of unnecessary screaming Zoro is pissy all damn day about the situation, especially since he can’t train nor fight like he usually does

“You are weak as all hell, Y/N. I can’t even hold my swords in your body.”

“Oh shut up you ass. AND DO NOT PUT YOUR SWORDS IN MY MOUTH THAT THING IS HEAVY!”

“Oh but you can hold it just fine when I put it in your mouth as I fuc—“

“SHUT UP!”

He actually gets upset about your breast.

“…seriously.”

“What? They’re heavy.”

“YOURS ARE BIGGER THAN MINE?!”

You on the other hand—

“Where are you going?”

“I wanna…I wanna ….play with it.”

“….with what.”

“Your dick.”

“…”

“..”

“….please:”

“No.”

“PLEASE ZORO THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.”

You do but it’s not something he necessarily was happy about.

Sanji

(If you watched Punk Hazard then you already know how he’s ganna act.)

…..

You woke up and he was gone.

In the bathroom.

Taking pictures.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

“BABY PLEASE—“

He was such a giggly mess all day.

His hand was constantly in your shirt, squeezing your breast. He tried not to smoke but you allowed him to so he switched between lolipops and his cigarettes to make sure he doesn’t harm your pretty lungs.

Sanji is so happy to be in your body he spent about 45 minutes trying on outfits to wear

and yes

he picked the tiniest

skimpiest

outfit

You had to actually watch him get dressed. Not because you didn’t trust him but he just wouldn’t hurry up. He kept standing in front of the mirror in y’all room ….naked. Just staring.

“Can you….”

“Your body is so beautiful Y/N…!!”

He was literally living his dream.

Even though he was a pervert for most of it he did take care of your body. He made sure not to bruise it when fighting, he kept you hydrated, and even made sure you kept up with your hair and skin routine.

You however kept looking at yourself in Sanji’s body and got semi-hard.

It felt…weird?

“Sanji…”

“Yes, my love?”

He turns to see you in his body, pointing at his dick and if you had any color on your face it was now gone due to embarrassment.

So

Sanji suggested something

“….How about…we..y’know…”

“…with our bodies switched?”

Sanji nods, and it seemed weird but the thought of feeling a male orgasm interested you

So you agree

Long story short you both do it and from that point on Sanji has a new appreciation for a woman’s body and now he tries EXTRA harder to make you orgasm more AND faster

so

Win/win?

[witheredoffherwitch]

I can't help but cringe when I see some people trying to push Aegon v. Aemond or Helaena v. Alys in these online spaces. Each character in the show has their own role in the storyline--and it's absurd to think they could be pitted against each other. It's just too weird.

Aegon v. Aemond isn't a thing because despite these two hating each other's guts, they fight besides each other till their last moment. Aemond fights this war in Aegon's name -- and despite him thinking his brother is nothing more than a drunken wastrel, this fool still offers this challenge to Luke by asking, "did you really think you could just fly about the realm trying to steal my brother's throne at no cost?" In F&B, the conflict is mainly panned out between Aegon v. Rhaenyra and Aemond v. Daemon. Helaena's role is much more passive all while being extremely crucial to how the Dance ultimately ends. Many are quick to point out that Lucerys' death was the catalyst that jumpstarted this whole civil war (even though in truth, it had been simmering since that Driftmark incident) but fail to notice that Halaena's end is what cements the final conclusion of the war.

I have acknowledged my hesitation in discussing Helaena-centric topics on my page because I have always felt like I understand her the least out of all the Green characters. But the way some of y'all go ahead and make assumptions about her relationships with her family -- and make up fake conflicts to justify your own crackship is truly bizzare.

I cannot even comprehend how stupid this forced competition between Helaena and Alys is. People really need to stop injecting Aemond into Helaena's storyline. Her loss, grief and trauma is separate from her brother's struggles -- and Helaena's tragic end is one of the turning points that change the tides against Rhaenyra. Infact, I suppose in this Aegon v. Rhaenyra clash (where Rhaenyra is unbashedly favoured in the show), Helaena's presence might be offered as a false positive for Team Black after the fall of King's Landing. Helaena's death comes right before the Storming of the Dragon Pit that ultimately sealed Rhaenyra's fate -- what remains to be seen is how the show is going to depict the events leading up to that point? In the book, Helaena is more or less a passive figure who is reduced to a grieving queen after the culmination of B&C. I had previously suggested that Helaena's role is going to be bigger than what was depicted in F&B - and given the fact that she has prophetic powers in the show, I assume she will be playing a much bigger role! Helaena is a seer who can see into the future -- and since the show is already exploring the 'song of ice and fire' (a la the long night), it needs to be seen how else are they going to use Helaena beyond season 1. Does she see her line ending after the Dance? Is she aware that dragons might cease to exist after the war? Does she see the eventual demise of her house? Does she see the Dance's conclusion as some sort of inevitable truth that must follow to achieve Aegon's dream?

Alys on the other hand has a completely different role all together. She is either Aemond's high-calling or his partner in chaos. Much of her story is shrouded in mystery. We don't even get a full account of how her story concluded; what happened to her and her child during Aegon III's reign. She becomes the witch queen of Harrenhal but for the next thirty years, we do not know what happened before the castle was eventually given to Lucas Lothston.

In conclusion, I will once again remind folks that each character serves a distinct purpose in this war. The common denominator between these character is unfortunately their father, Viserys -- and this story is essentially a run-down on how the prophetic king himself dooms his entire family (and eventually his house) into the path of self-destruction. For most of his life, Viserys' main aim was to ensure both stability and longevity for his line, and despite his efforts, he failed at that task quite remarkably. Each one of his kids possessed that distinct Targaryen 'trait' and yet this is a king who places his oldest daughter above the rest out of the guilt for killing his first wife. In the end, it was his choice that ultimately doomed his own house.

[aliliceswonderland]

The Answer differences - Keys discussion (Part 3)

Read Part 1 Read Part 2

I said I would do it "tomorrow". How many tomorrows has it been? Sorry, hahaha... So we left it after Metis skipped dialogue, when it's time for Aigis to state her (non-)opinion.

The differences here are interesting. Again, Reload!Yukari avoids saying Aigis is running away. I think it's to show her as less confrontational, but I also think it's a little loss, since, actually, Aigis IS running away from her own feelings. And confronting those feelings is an important point in The Answer, in Aigis' arc and in the general themes of Persona. It's what Yukari's position is supposed to represent on a metaphorical level, even if she cannot find the balance necessary not to get stuck in the past.

Then there's the erasure of the promise. It could be a localization thing again, I don't know. It feels weird.

Yukari's jealousy on the subject of the wild card inheritance is also toned down. "Why were you..." in FES suggests "instead of me", which is supported by the competitiveness of the erased dialogue "I'm not going to lose to someone like you". Yukari in Reload doesn't seem to be angry at Aigis inheriting the power by itself, but rather at her not living up to it.

Yukari's new line is both a call for compassion and an offer of it to Aigis. I think this is good, since it shows her pain (albeit not in such a nuanced way as her erased lines way before), and gets rid of female competitiveness for sorority and empathy. She understand that Aigis is also hurting. That she's struggling to face the protagonist's death. Which, as I said before, it's the whole point.

I skipped some FES dialogue here. It doesn't line up one-to-one and it's not that important. If you've read Part 2, you may recall that this happens earlier in FES, more precisely between Yukari calling everyone cowards after fighting Junpei and before the Metis' lines that completely disappeared. You can see how this last Metis line is leading up to that. It's only after that that we hear about Aigis' indecision.

Instead, Reload puts the proposition to fight after Aigis' part, towards the end of the sequence. I think this is a good decision, if you ask me. That way the dialogue ends up with the stakes getting higher, rather than doing that earlier and going back to the debate with Yukari yet again. And she does hear Aigis out before taking the decision to fight too. The next dialogue section is kind of long but I want to make it all together and guess what it hits the image limit again. Thanks, Tumblr. To think I wanted to end this in two parts at one point... A disclaimer of sorts: even if I'm trying to make this in a way that anyone can easily compare the texts, this is just a small part of a DLC I haven't played nor I intend to, even if I'm interested on the changes that were made. I state this because if some dialogue is not in the scene, but it's been moved to another one or to the dungeon dialogue for example, I just don't know, and in the latter case, I'll most likely never know. So maybe that part wasn't really lost and the nuances were kept. These is more like some field notes rather than a coherent text with complete vision over the subject, so... Take that into account when forming your own opinion. Anyway... Til the next time I have the mental energy to do this, I guess.

[raayllum]

it’s high key really annoying the attention toh gets on this website while no one acknowledges tdp exists

Yeah, sometimes I wish TDP got more recognition and appreciation in a fandom space for its storytelling (the parallels, the worldbuilding, the mature theme explorations) simply because we haven't had a western kids' show go this hard since TLOK (even if I think Korra stumbles in a lot of ways) and arguably ATLA in its explorations of war and morality, two things that TDP is obsessed with, as well as a sometimes overwhelming discussion of Grief.

However, to be frank, while many teen and adult fans of kids cartoons say that they want darker themes and storylines, what that usually means, I think, is more akin to something like TOH or She Ra, in which you know 1) your favourite characters will always typically survive with maybe one or two minor parental or villainous exceptions, and 2) one or two characters in an otherwise fairly cookie cutter 'good guy' cast will have a redemption arc or be quirky morally dubious in a way that's played for comedy, and there will be a handful of significantly "Oh Shit!" darker or creepier moments. The characters are mostly teenagers, the heavier plot stuff is regulated to a few standout episodes, with most of the other conflicts being things like figuring out how to make friends or struggling with not fitting in or deciding what you want to do with your life. And those are all good explorations, and it's not as though TDP doesn't touch on some of that (Callum is finding his place in the world, Rayla is 'changing careers', Ez struggles with his new responsibilities and not fitting in, Soren - like Hunter - leaves an emotionally abusive relationship with a parental figure).

But I think it's TDP's attachment of all of those things to morality that makes the emotional stakes higher and less comforting and/or comfortable for people who are, likely, going to fiction for escapism rather than exploration. (To be clear: one is not better than the other, I just know what my personal preferences are.) Rayla's 'career/schooling' change is whether she's going to kill people for a living; Callum deciding what sort of mage he's going to be is rooted in deciding how much he's willing to either slowly destroy himself or take on the impossible, both with some dire consequences; Ezran not fitting is is also tied to having mysterious, unknown magical powers the story still hasn't fully explained the root cause of. Yes, the three main kids are typically good people who want to do the right thing, but that's much easier said than done (Ezran burning the monster soldiers, Callum's ruthlessness, Rayla's self sacrificial tendencies manifesting in destructive ways). TDP is never going to have an episode of "I lied to my friends because I wanted them to think I was cool or not a nerd" or "I'm scared of them preferring someone else over me" or "I need to learn how to be a good friend" (hi TOH with like 5 episodes and She Ra).

Like Rayla lies to the boys, but that's because she isn't sure how to tell them that her father murdered theirs and made them orphans, and she's worried it will accordingly be a wedge between them.

Like, there's hardly any episodes of TDP that don't talk about grief or death or both in some manner. The show consistently explores unreliable narrators across all sides of its ethical spectrum(s). S4 has a subplot regarding religious traditions and the ethics of the death penalty. Most of Arc 1 and now into Arc 2 sees good people with good intentions or understandable motivations doing pretty terrible things to either themselves, the people around them, or both. The death and body horror imagery aren't one offs, but consistent series defining elements that are always treated seriously. Villains aren't people who don't love their families (or anyone) and good guys aren't good because they're good friends to one another. It's more complicated than that, from the body swap and discussions of the soul in S1, to the cycle of violence laid out explicitly in S2, to explorations of punishment and exile in S3.

Overall, I'm fine with the success and appreciation that TDP gets; some of my students watch it, actually, which makes it useful in some of our lesson discussions. Because TDP is a good show for kids, yes, but it certainly never pulls its punches in forcing all of its ensemble cast through the wringer.

TLDR; due to age demographics and tonal differences, particularly in character conflicts, themes, and amount of Lore, I'm not surprised at all that TDP is pretty underrated on tumblr. Again, doesn't mean these elements of 'maturity' make it Better (although I do think it's written more cohesively than She Ra and more consistently than TOH in its set up and payoff), I just know where my (and many other's) preferences lay accordingly, and am not surprised at the split.

[animentality]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm curious. How much of a part do you think ketheric played in durge's downfall? I recently replayed moonrise and ketheric is smirking and gloating and the narrator even mentions he knows exactly who you are but will never tell. Gortash's memoirs indicate that they learned about the elder brain after visiting moonrise, and the warden says that durge only ever visited once and never left. Maybe durge and Gortash learned about the brain then just ran off to conspire together, giggling and plotting, and ketheric was just done? Especially since Durge and Gortash came up with the plan without him - leaving ketheric out while in his own domain. Plus, how did orin know they were even there? I can't see durge telling their underling about their plans. Did ketheric somehow find out about her and contact her like "I know how you can remove durge. Btw pretend to be Gortash, trust me"? She had no reason to be there. Plus the way ketheric smirks at durge, commenting "treat me like you would any other chosen" when it had been just him, durge, and Gortash previously, which is basically him saying to give him the respect durge gave Gortash. I feel like ketheric probably played a major role in it and I'm interested in your take on it. Thanks so much!

I never considered the double entendre of "treat me like you would any other chosen" and that was DEFINITELY Ketheric being a little cunty elf, like ok queen, I see you, I hear you, I feel that.

EDIT: Ok, I just checked, and he apparently says, "Obey me like you would any other chosen."

Which is less iconic. But still. Have a cookie for writing that little double entendre better than Larian.

Not so sure on the "obey" part in terms of durgetash though. I highly doubt the Dark Urge ever "obeyed" Gortash just, without question.

But as for if Ketheric was involved...I don't know.

He didn't seem particularly happy to have Orin on board. The plan really started unraveling when the Dark Urge was deposed too. I doubt he liked the power struggle. I don't think he really had a huge issue with the Dark Urge, all my joking aside, only because the plan was going along well when the three of them were working together.

Him smiling and being coy could just be him being amused at their state, since he's an asshole, and the last time the Dark Urge was at Moonrise, he was mad at them about something...

Although...to be fair...I guess we never did know why he was angry at them.

The Dark Urge specific scene says that the Dark Urge was "demanding" something from Ketheric.

But I don't think we ever really know what?

Like they were working together on their brain thing...the fuck were they annoyed about? What were they demanding?

Also...in the timeline where the Dark Urge just dies...Orin hikes their body all the way back to Baldur's Gate, fully intact?

She went all the way to Moonrise, then lugged it back?

I guess that's just nitpicking, but it doesn't totally make sense to me because, first off, I don't understand if Orin tadpoled Durge at moonrise or somewhere else. secondly, I just don't see why Ketheric would support an usuper instead of the Dark Urge.

Ketheric being a smug little bitch only because he hates you on principle would make SENSE. Because he definitely knew you got fucked, since Balthazar is his advisor, and he knows what happened to you. There's no way Balthy wouldn't have told Ketheric, right? So Ketheric just straight up didn't tell Gortash because he's an ass.

And he smirks at you because he's remembering how annoying you are, and he's glad to see that arrogant bhaalspawn put in their proper place.

But the story in terms of how/when the Dark Urge got tadpoled is very scattered! I am not the only person who's noted this. It's a MESS in terms of timelines. Especially where the Dark Urge is concerned.

I really don't know how involved Orin was in the Absolute Plan before she usurped the Dark Urge.

Was she their right hand, and thus, well known? It might make sense for Ketheric to hear her out...but again, I don't think he'd be fond of a power struggle?

Also.

You get tadpoled in the opening...but the Dark Urge is the first tadpole victim.

So I guess you had the misfortune of being tadpoled twice (ahaha, just kidding, this is a nitpick, I know it's the same for everyone).

More seriously though...so the Dark Urge seems to know Enver Gortash is the Chosen of Bane BEFORE they did their little Hall of Wonders date.

But Gortash says that their gods came to them in a dream? And named them as Chosens together, and to seek out Ketheric Thorm?

But then...then they didn't come up with the plan...they got sent to Moonrise...

"Together?"

But...the Dark Urge only went to Moonrise ONCE?

So????

It's CONFLICTING information! It gets even worse when you realize ok, so they went to Moonrise together (maybe?), found the mindflayer colony, realized they could enslave an Elder Brain, then decided to seek out Helsik to steal the Crown...but when they stole it, it's mentioned by Gortash that they "crowned" the Brain and THEN started the cult of the Absolute?

So the Dark Urge would be running through the streets murdering people????

So...where in the plan did the Dark Urge go missing?

So in short.

I really don't think Ketheric was involved in the Dark Urge disappearing...and insofar as, when and how did Orin kill them...

I don't know, but their body is literally in her bedroom if the Dark Urge dies in that timeline.

So...she never tadpoled them...then...who was the first victim?

And also. WHEN DID SHE DO IT?

AAAAARGH.

Anyway.

The wiki conflicts with info in the game, Gortash is a lying slut, the Dark Urge only has three notes and two of them are just thirsting over Gortash, and the other is inviting Orin to split their skull open...

We don't have any correspondence with Ketheric on the Absolute Plan because it's too early to find that out in act 2...

It's a mess, my guy (gn).

I don't even try to piece it together most of the time.

If anyone knows...dm or anon me, and we'll figure this out.

[that-ari-blogger]

So, You Have an Exam Tomorrow (Boys' Night Out)

It’s ok to not like something.

In terms of fiction, something not working for you is not a cardinal sin on either your part or the part of that story. Art is, by definition, subjective, so having a preference is the point of all this.

I take issue with the idea that someone might have “bad taste” in music or stories, defined simply as being contrary to the general consensus. Because, since when is being unique an inherently bad thing? If someone enjoyed the Percy Jackson movie, more power to them. If someone didn’t like Bloodborne, that doesn’t make their preferences any less valid.

But, this does provide an interesting conundrum for analysis that you will probably be familiar with already. How do you analyse something that you found uninteresting or unpleasant?

In short, you focus on the things that you like.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, The Great Gatsby)

If you hadn’t guessed by my extremely subtle implication, I dislike Boys’ Night Out, and that is putting it mildly. But this isn’t a review blog, it’s an analysis, which means the framework is slightly different.

The point of analysis is to explore what the text is communicating to its audience and to justify your own reading of that. It is to create an argument based off evidence provided.

So, I could talk about the reasons for my hatred towards this episode, but that doesn’t really help anyone. I’m not trying to convince you whether or not to watch this episode, I’m presenting a theory for what it means.

The issue here, is that if a work of fiction doesn’t work for you, there is a disconnect between it and yourself. This means that you are less likely to enjoy analysing it, hampering your ability to engage with it.

This is one of the larger issues that I take with how the school curriculum in my country. It explores themes through texts, with preset ideas and steps for getting there.

This is fine. Stories have been used as a vehicle for understanding since the birth of humanity. But, come on. Australian students don’t need to learn exactly what F. Scott Fitzgerald thought about the American Dream. They need to learn about how to recognise what a person is talking about, and how to infer from what has been left out, or when someone is projecting. Crucially though, they need to learn how to better communicate their own ideas.

If you give someone a green light, they’ll see the future for a moment. If you teach them to make their own, suddenly their whole world has been illuminated forever.

Which brings me to Boys’ Night Out, and if you allow me, I’d like to show off what I mean and maybe help out some people who are struggling with this kind of thing.

I am a visual learner, so let’s examine a few shots from this episode and see if they convey a theme we can look for.

A group of people cheering and having fun. Not much at the surface value, but if we dive a little deeper, this is in Salineas. This is people who are under siege, whose homes are under threat, whose lives have been made better for the moment through the camaraderie of the tavern.

For the first time in the episode, the one true queen looks happy. Specifically, because she has been given something to do. That joy is actively interrupting an argument going on between Glimmer and Adora, keeping that friendship from falling apart for just a while longer.

Which means that we have a theme to work with. This is an episode about finding happiness in the dark times, and specifically the importance of doing that. According to this episode, joy is what keeps you going.

The princesses are fighting to protect the wonder of those in their kingdoms, and there’s more than one way to do that. You can stand in the way of those trying to destroy it, or you can cultivate that emotion and allow it to grow naturally.

Notably, Sea Hawk is a bard, he plays support and inspires people. The episode opens with Sea Hawk trying his hardest to lead people to safety, and when that option has failed, he stands resolute between the cannon and its targets. He’s reassuring and real, and his smile is constantly on display.

Even when Glimmer saves him, he has a joke to make to lighten the mood.

Later on, the episode explicitly positions Sea Hawk and Mermista growing closer as an opposite to Adora and Glimmer. The one true queen is looking constantly to her bard, while Bow is left staring at the sunset, watching the best friend squad go their separate ways.

Here comes step two of this master plan, diversity of evidence. If you are writing an essay for an exam, this is one of the things that will get you marks. If not, it's still useful. Once again, analysis is about communication, and that takes multiple forms.

In this case, I think the most important dialogue of the episode contrasts with the thing about joy and camaraderie, in that it’s about the Best Friend Squad falling apart.

“Well, maybe your best isn’t good enough. If it was, my mother would still be here.”

If a piece of evidence doesn’t work with the individual theme you are going for, maybe don’t use it. Not everything will work on that, maybe there are other ideas being explored at the same time. Alternatively, just slap the word “contrastingly” at the start of your paragraph and you’ll be fine. Talk about how different the themes are, and how they don’t work together at all. Maybe that’s intentional, who knows? You do.

And in your analysis, Fitzgerald contrasts the repeated metaphors of light and dark with the crowded party spaces to draw on biblical ideas of space most used in gothic cathedral designs.

Here, for example, I can draw this line in particular to my overarching theme of the cycle of abuse. Specifically, how trauma causes itself in others.

This isn’t a callout post. Being traumatized and being a bad person are not synonymous. I’m saying that trauma responses are often selfish, that’s part of why they are so insidious. Trauma has a habit of making you self-centred and defensive, to the detriment of those around you. In this case, Glimmer’s trauma response has been to blame Adora.

Glimmer has grown up as a rebellious princess, and she has kept that as she became queen. She never really found closure, so the anarchistic habits have been translated over to Adora, who in turn has taken an authoritative role in an attempt to protect everyone.

The difference here, is that this is so out of left field. We see why Glimmer would think that. She has naturally sought someone to blame and the only person who came within 100 miles of Angella’s “death” was Adora, but that doesn’t make her responsible.

I’m going to side with Adora here and say that Glimmer is entirely in the wrong for this, and it is this outburst that will cause the rest of this season to go as it does.

This contrasts with the theme of camaraderie and joy to imply a sense of directionality. Being together lifts you up, while the trauma keeps you apart, and makes you fall together.

Final Thoughts

Ok, biases. I detest this episode because of how jarring the tone is. Specifically, Sea Hawk tries to make everyone feel better by turning the war story into a musical, which I find takes me out of the story. I can feel the hand of the author so heavily in this episode, especially because of how much Sea Hawk warps the setting.

Show me an episode of things going bad and the bard with no braincells going all out with the support and momentum. Show me a plan that nearly fails but is saved by moments when this dumbass manages to keep his smile through utter disaster, and that inspires others to push forwards and succeed.

That is the premise of Sea Hawk’s role in No Princess Left Behind, and he isn’t any smarter in that episode, the show is just less embarrassed by him.

I do hope my complaints about this episode haven’t pushed you away, I did try to say something interesting other than that.

Next week, however, I will be talking about hero, one of my favourite episodes of the series. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[picturejasper20]

Peridot and Lapis Lazuli´s relationship in Steven Universe: An analysis

Lapis Lazuli and Peridot's relationship is, as many relationships from Steven Universe, quite messy and complex and changes throughout the series in more than one way going from somewhat enemies to friends and companions and even then, later gets explored how that dynamic wasn't in balance, showing there how doesn't always have the full idea of the nature of the relationship between two people.

To say that Lapis was upset with finding out that Peridot living in the old barn would be putting it lightly. Peridot was partially involved in keeping Lapis prisoner in the spaceship that brought them to Earth as well as interrogating her. She had more than one reason to not be fond of Peridot and want to avoid her.

In most of ¨Barn Mates¨ Peridot tries to be nice to her to make amends and Lapis turns down everyone of them. While it is understandable the reason of why Lapis acted this way, she went a little to out of the line when she destroyed Peridot's gift, which was a tape recorder, something that was personal for her.

Peridot gets frustrated with this and then goes off about how she gets why Lapis feels this way: She can't never go back to Homeworld, Earth doesn't feel like a home yet and she feels alone in this. ...But she later adds that this is one of the reasons of why she wants to make amends with Lapis, because she gets what Lapis is going through since she is going through the same issues.

Lapis demands for Peridot to leave, to which Peridot does, giving up on trying to make peace with Lapis. That's when even Steven gets tired of Lapis's behaviour and points out that she isn't giving Peridot a chance and is not right to be so mean to her.

Some minutes later Peridot comes back running, being chased by the Roaming Eye Homeworld spaceship that is, of course, looking for her. Lapis sees that Peridot is in danger and decides to help her by taking down the Roaming Eye using her water powers. While it isn't said, her actions indicate that she was trying to make up for how she was so mean to Peridot earlier. Some seconds later she asks to Peridot if she was okay, showing that she was willing to give her a chance now.

In the episode that followed, Hit the Diamond, Lapis helped by distracting the ruby squad to protect Peridot from being taken away. I wouldn't say they were friend at that point but that Lapis seemed to like Peridot at least enough to care about her well being.

For a while we didn't see too much of Lapis and Peridot until Amethyst's arc in the episode ¨Beta¨. In this episode we see them being friends and hanging around. They got into human things. They like watching shows together, they like playing music and making art things with junk they find lying around in the barn.

So for some time it seemed like everything was going more or less well between them. In ¨Gem Harvest¨ they are growing together crops. Peridot believes that they work like gems in the kindergartens but she is dissapointed to learn that crops work differently from that.

So Steven ends up bringing up a dog like pumpkin to life using his gem powers and Peridot and Lapis end up adopting her.

Some fans have described Peridot and Lapis Lazuli's relationship as a queerplatonic relationship, considering that Peridot was written with the intention to be aro-ace. This interpretation could apply as in some ways their dynamic can be read as a ¨old married couple�� for the way they interact and are living with each other. Pumpkin could be seen somewhat as their daughter with Peridot and Lapis being her ¨parents¨.

Moving on, their relationship seemed to be going well until ¨Room for Ruby¨ showed that Lapis was still struggling a lot to adapt to Earth because of her own trauma. Most of the episode she felt really down, specially by seeing how Navy was supposely adapating so quickly to Earth, making Lapis feel jealous. At the end of the episode it was revealed that this wasn't the case and that Navy was faking it to get her spaceship back.

"Raising the Barn" acts a bit of followed up to ¨Room for Ruby¨ by revealing that well, Peridot often has to walk on eggshells around Lapis and there are things she avoids telling Lapis to not upset her. Peridot has been negleting her own feelings in the relationship, for the sake of ¨being there¨ for Lapis. She tells to Steven that she wants to stay on Earth, that she doesn't want to leave, but she still has ¨to go¨ with Lapis.

The thing with Lapis Lazuli is that while she isn't a bad person... she can be a lot to deal with. From what it was said by Peridot, she felt that she couldn't be fully honest with her more often than not and she was losing herself in their dynamic, having to sacrifice quite a lot to make it work.

So Steven suggests to Peridot to be honest with Lapis about wishing to stay on Earth. Peridot does this and Lapis gets in part upset that this was brought up in the last minute and hurt because Peridot hasn't been completely honest with her. The two have a bit of a fallout that ends up with Lapis abruptly leaving Earth out of fear of ¨getting caught up in another war¨ again and taking the barn along with her. Leaving Peridot and Pumpkin on Earth.

The consequences of this fallout get explored in the following episode ¨Back to the Kindergarten¨. In this episode Peridot, Steven and Amethyst try growing a garden in the Prime Kindergarten. The whole episode acts as a metaphor for Peridot and Lapis Lazuli's fallout in ¨Raising the Barn¨, how Peridot misses Lapis and the barn and how she has been feeling down lately. The story ends with the idea that while her relationship with Lapis didn't work out, she can still try making connections with other people and start new elsewhere, finally seeing the possibility of moving on from the events of ¨Raising the Barn¨.

On the other hand, from Lapis Lazuli's perspective there is the episode ¨Can't Go Back¨ which explores many aspects of her character but mainly the guilt she feels about having left Earth so abruptly and taken the barn with her, feeling that she can't go back after the way she left. There is also her huge anxiety and fear of getting caught up in a war again due to her own traumatic past. Lapis explains to Steven how she is scared of having to go through the same situation again, believing only bad things are going to happen, something that Steven answers with ¨what if something good happens?¨

Steven's words seemed to have some effect on Lapis because in ¨Reunited¨ Lapis shows up in the battle against Blue and Yellow Diamonds and drops the barn on Blue to distract her for some moments. She has a brief exchange with Peridot, who is glad to see that Lapis came back and is helping them to fight the Diamonds.

It isn't clear what happened between Peridot and Lapis Lazuli after the events of Reunited and during the time skip after Change Your Mind. However, based on some hints and their interactions in the Steven Universe Movie, they seem to be in better terms now.

It's very likely that they had some conversations about what happened in ¨Raising the Barn¨, Lapis apologized to Peridot for the way she left and eventually Peridot forgave her for that. In addition to this, they likely established some boundaries between them and found other social circles to be in during Era 3. In that way they stayed as friends but also avoided going back to their previous status of their relationship by being in more equal (and healthy) terms.

In all, i think what can be taken away from their dynamic is that relationships can be messy and how it is important to avoid losing yourself in a relationship if you are trying to help someone who is going through a lot of problems in their life. You can support someone while establishing boundaries for yourself and being able to be honest with them. And, in part is how about how things don't always work out and people can go through fallouts. That doesn't mean that the two parties have to hate each other and then can even remain friends, accepting that their previous relationship didn't work as they wished.

[trashyvanillabean]

I just realized, I don’t think we see enough of “absent-minded scientists” being played seriously. At least for me personally, I think Ruan Mei is the first character I’ve come across that plays the trope seriously — with potentially dire consequences.

(On the off-chance someone actually decides to read this mental trash bag, please bear with me. I have a lot of trouble articulating myself. Also, it’s been a while since I completed the quest. 😅)

Interest in the Aeons and trying to understand human nature aside, Ruan Mei didn’t seem like she considered some laboratory protocols and backup plans for her experiments (at least, she never told us if she had any backup plans, which is…really bad for a scientist, all things considered).* All she said was that she would step in if things with the Propagation Emanator became too much for the Trailblazer to handle. What’s the criteria for that? How does she decide if things become too dangerous? What exactly was her plan if she did decide to step in? What was her plan if the experiment managed to break out of the Seclusion Zone entirely? A behemoth of that size, with that kind of power and aggression could have still caused massive damage within that minute before it finally died. At no point during the boss fight did she step in to give us a hand, nor did she bother asking about our condition after we managed to “kill” it (more like just watching it die).**

She does have the decency to try to apologize when we meet her again afterwards, but it felt more like a lab protocol with the whole “Time and again, my experiments have fallen short, and they’ve always yielded predictable results,” instead of, “I recognize that I have put you in danger, and I am sorry for that.” So it comes across as more “I’m sorry that my experiments are often failures,” and less “I’m sorry that I almost got you killed by my experiments.” (A good example of her mentioned communication struggles.)

What I’m trying to say is that I would not have minded if Ruan Mei was another example of the absent-minded scientist/professor I have seen before in other media (although, she would have been the rarer calmer ones), but instead she and her actions are actually played seriously. The whole Mission is played seriously (and quite scarily, even — slightly similar to Alien: Isolation).

There is no, BOOM followed by “lol your hair looks funny after that explosion!”

There is no “Oh, oops, teehee! I forgot~”

There is no burst of visible enthusiasm when seeing something fascinating and ensuing wackiness of trying to stop her.

Ruan Mei is instead quiet, reserved, and quite calm, either giving a false sense of security with her very basic display of social etiquette in offering us snacks, or perhaps seeming slightly unsettling for some others.

There are also potentially several laboratory violations, very dangerous if not critically dangerous research being conducted, and countless lives at risk if things went horribly wrong.

That kind of writing and thinking about the what-ifs, future encounters and potential payoffs are what fascinate me. Ruan Mei’s character still fits the mad scientist type of character to a T, without any of the villainy like with Genshin Impact’s Dottore or hyperactive eccentricity like with a few other characters (from different media I’m familiar with).

Now, we have Firefly, who has a history of combating the Swarm as part of Glamoth’s Iron Cavalry. It makes me wonder if there will be some kind of clash between her and Ruan Mei in future versions, considering that Ruan Mei is bringing the Swarm to life, even cloning an Emanator.

(I’m also wondering just how sturdy the station is. There is no way vibrations were not felt during that boss fight and someone would not think to ask around and investigate. 😆 There’s just no way.)

My only gripes have to do with how the Trailblazer seems to lack a little agency here. We have the option to refuse to eat her cakes, but we are still made to eat them anyway. We could have replied with “I don’t really accept food from strangers” if pressed, and it would have been interesting to see how the mission played out without being drugged (or maybe Ruan Mei could have attempted again with another method, and succeeded).

Trailblazer doesn’t even think to contact the Crew to let them know that they are doing something solo in case something happens (and oh boy, did something happen). Even if the drug only affects what they say, what is stopping them from using text messages?

When we were texting her after the mission, the Trailblazer straight up says, “I look forward to experiencing new stories with you.” It’s not even an option. We don’t get the chance to instead say something like, “After something like that, I don’t feel safe around you,” or “Please leave me alone and don’t contact me or ask for me (ever) again,” both of which would have been very understandable things to say after being put in a life-or-death situation. We don’t even have the option to give a blunt “I don’t like you.” 😂

For those moments, the Trailblazer’s writing was…almost kind of like how Genshin Impact’s Traveler is sometimes written (very limited dialogue options with a limited range of reactions), the operative word being “sometimes.”

Some (Probably Pointless) Notes:

*I will say, she did at least seal off the whole Seclusion Zone (which was definitely the right step given that we see Swarm enemies in the halls). What nags at me is that we don’t know what her plan could have been if the Trailblazer failed (and maybe even died) and those things had managed to get out.

**As for her being stuck in that meeting with the other geniuses, she could have said, “I’m sorry, but I just remembered something that I need to check on. I’ll try to be back asap. No, I don’t need any assistance, but thank you for offering.” Hell, she could have used the super basic bathroom excuse (the aftermath of which I think could have been a potentially comedic moment when asked why she took so long).

I’m curious: Of all the Paths that she could have chosen, why the Propagation? Obviously human experimentation is highly unethical, but has she already tried and failed to search for Emanators of other Paths to contact for various reasons? (Diamond, who works for the IPC, could be unsuitable, and the Xianzhou’s Arbiter-Generals would certainly be a no-go, but now we have Acheron.) Or was it because of her struggles with people and working with an animal was easier for her? (I’m gonna guess it’s the second one…)

Whenever people talk about her flaws, it’s most often about her drugging the Trailblazer and tampering with our memories in the process, or it’s about her neglecting and leaving behind the cat cake critters she created.

I have yet to see someone cite her, oh, you know, BREEDING A GIANT MAN-EATING ALIEN BEETLE IN HER COLLEAGUE’S BASEMENT.

ONE THAT COULD HAVE GOBBLED UP AT LEAST A FEW HANDFULS OF RESEARCHERS IF IT MANAGED TO DEFY RUAN MEI’S EXPECTATIONS AND LIVE LONGER, AND/OR BREAK COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTAINMENT.

It’s insanely dangerous (and irresponsible) no matter how you look at it.

(Yet the most common reasons are still either the cat cakes, or the nonconsensual drugs…)

Also, I know we all love our parental stand-ins (like Welt, who is an actual father, and who I feel definitely lets that play into how he handles March and our trash panda) and found family concepts and projecting them onto some of our favorite characters who fit those roles. I myself am guilty of fantasizing over the father-son relationship vibes between Jing Yuan and Yanqing. (It’s cute and hilarious to me.)

But isn’t it a little bit strange to get upset when that character, particular if they’re a female character, coughruanmeicough does not fit that role and has not expressed any desire to?

Heaven forbid women do anything? More like heaven forbid women refuse to do anything.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

"And I genuinely don’t think either of you understand HOW Zelda turns back to a Hylian at the end of the game.

I’m sorry but these are exceptionally poor analysis and criticisms of the game and it’s cut scenes." As the anon who wrote the ask who started this, I'll just say... nah. Also, pro-tip, don’t be angry, eat a banany. 🍌 You say that all the elements give a lot of insight into Zelda, her relationship, and all that… and then just explain it in the most barebones accusatory way possible, instead of just giving a polite counter and constructively explaining WHY you disagree. Since you apparently just wanna be angy that someone doesn’t like what you likes, and explains why they criticise it, I don’t think there really is a point to argue.   Honestly, my best tip is: Eat nanner, shhhhhhh, touch grass, go sleep. Move on. Ps: Banana’s are the worst.

Also, lemme add, add some spice to your salt: “It reveals Zelda’s feelings for Link which have clearly significantly changed since Breath of the Wild.” I did not feel like they changed much at all, Zelda still feels like she’s simping for Link hard, it's just a few years later now. 😜 Extra bonus: Yeah we know why Zelda got turned back into a Hylian with no repercussions. Bc it had to happen, bc reasons-McGuffin.

Hey!

Yeah, sorry this thing escalated on your ask anon. It got significantly worse after that, so I did block the person because at some point it becomes clear they were having an argument with someone who was simply not in this virtual room and might probably not exist at all anywhere, so there was no point in engaging with a brick wall who was hurling insults based on half a paragraph taken out of context. Pretty sad way to use your free time or deploy love for the media you enjoy, but! To each their own I suppose.

But yeah, I did look it over to see if I missed something, because somebody's tone being inacceptable doesn't mean their arguments also are, but. Yeah. Zelda had her arc of going from being cold and angry with Link to learning to rely on him in Breath of the Wild already, and then literally holds the fort for a hundred years just holding on to the desperate trust that he will arise and become a hero and be capable of defeating the scourge if only she can buy him as much time as she can, which is *crazy* devotion-wise (and also active! in TotK she mostly talks about how much she trusts Link --I guess she turns into a dragon to restore the Master Sword for him, but again I don't believe she really has any other choice and it's not a struggle she must maintain over a hundred years always relying on her own resolve all the way through, so it doesn't translate as hard in my opinion). It's literally her affection for Link and her urge to protect him that awakens her powers! This arc worked great in Breath of the Wild! But TotK loves nothing more than to rethread every character's arc, except again, but less compelling and complicated and without emotional rises or character changes.

Also: a kind tumblr user out there who did not play any game but TotK, believing the marketing that you could basically jump in blind, pointed out to me that there is *no way* to catch onto any of that complexity of their relationship if you haven't played BotW (not that I think it particularly helps). Same deal with the parental thing: they did not bring up the relationship between Zelda and her dad at any point, which makes it a non-information for newcomers. While it is fine to lose some degree of nuance and be a little confused if you jump in a second videogame after the first videogame, you still need to provide something for people to hang onto, and, as I feared, the refusals to expand on BotW backstory didn't seem to help the newcomers familiarize themselves with Hyrule particularly well. Even in extremely well known IPs, it is important to re-establish the bases: jedis are sensitive with the Force, the Ring corrupts its bearer, etc etc. And this was not particularly well done here (for example: it is never explained that Ganondorf is a sorcerer on top of being a Huge Guy that will break your spine with a punch, which makes the appearance of Puppet Zelda *before* he grabs the stone extremely confusing --this relies on pre-assumptions about Ganondorf and a familiarity with the series and its tropes to make any sense, and this is yet another example of what I mean by: this game is awfully self-referential while not really standing on its own two feet).

As for the argument that Zelda was returned to a hylian because of Rauru's arm, Rauru again but ghost (??? hello again?) and Sonia (??? WHY are you here) are actually using recall on the Secret Stone? It's a cool headcanon, and honestly that would have been great and made sense (I mean, a little empty thematically again but at least a cool setup and payoff), but I see nothing that supports that in practice beyond that the power deployed is the color of gold, which, yes, is the color of Recall, buuuut it's also the color of Light and good things and the Triforce and divinity and a billion other things.

If this was what we were meant to take away, then: 1) the actual particles and sound effect of Recall should have been used instead of a vague halo of magical sparkles and 2) the Secret Stone should have hovered and glowed above her chest Laputa-style (thinking of Sheeta from Castle in the Sky, which I'm 99,9% sure was the visual inspiration anyway).

This does not happen. If them using Recall was the intent, then it's badly conveyed. But I see no textual reason to believe this is what's going on.

[theunkn0wn-0]

The Gift of Immortality DRAGON BALL STORY: Insert Reader

GENDER-NEUTRAL READER ✕ DRAGON BALL CHARACTERS

╰➤ ⌈ 𝑰𝑵𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵… ⌋ ╰┈┈➤ This is a FIRST PERSON POV story for the reader, Y/N, M/C. ╰┈┈➤ Instead of (Y/N), I use [First Name] for your name. ╰┈┈➤ Enjoy the story, have fun.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑶𝑮𝑼𝑬 — 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑹𝑨𝒀𝑨𝑳 | 4 FIRST CHAPTER: 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑶𝑮𝑼𝑬 — 𝑩𝑰𝑹𝑻𝑯 | 1

[TRIGGER] WARNINGS: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF GORE, BLOOD, & MURDER!!! Mentions of DEATH/DYING & SWEARING!!!

Prologue - HUMANITY | 5

❝Sympathy, affection, fear—feelings can be very powerful weapons of persuasion.❞

•◉◓☆◓◉•

        It has been a few years since I had thought of my plan; specifically, it has been five years, nearly a decade communicating with Lascell, and the experiments were less severe, only testing out chemicals or medicine to see the symptoms I would show. It wasn't too much since my immortality; I would recover from anything poisonous or that would damage my body, although I was immune to sickness or diseases.

To be frank, as much as I despised being a lab rat, I would instead be tested for chemicals or medicine than the ones I had been to test out the limitations of my immortality.

"[First Name], you're spacing out again."

Lascell's voice resonated through the room, pulling me from my reverie. My eyes, drawn to Lascell's magenta eyes, I couldn't help but admire the depths hidden behind those irises, even as I struggled to suppress the unsettling emotions that clawed at the edges of my consciousness.

"Sorry, lost in thought. Did you say something?"

I replied. The room hummed with the soft hum of fluorescent lights overhead, and the antiseptic scent of the laboratory mingled with the faint traces of chemicals.

"Yes, I asked what the best time of your life was?"

Lascell's questions had evolved from casual banter to delve into my memories. I tread carefully, revealing fragments while guarding the secrets of my age and experiences. His question hung in the air, a bridge to deeper conversations. Memories, ancient and vivid, flickered in my mind like candle flames, casting shadows of long-forgotten companionship.

"It's a difficult one... but I believe it is when I had a group of friends, and we had our first drink together."

I began, a wistful smile tugging at my lips. Lascell's eyes gleamed with curiosity, pulling me deeper into the past with every passing word. "It was a fun night, wild," I reminisced, meeting Lascell's warm smile. His presence ignited an unfamiliar warmth within me, a sentiment I tried to suppress.

"I bet it was," he responded, his voice a soothing melody that resonated with the unspoken connection we were forging. "Now it's my turn to ask a question. What do you like most about yourself?"

Lascell's smug grin surfaced, and a chuckle escaped his lips. "So many things, such as being intelligent and how handsome I am."

His pride was palpable, and a smirk played on my lips as I rolled my eyes in mock exasperation; however, I let out a snicker. "Of course, you would say that."

For a moment, the tension between us dissipated, replaced by a shared understanding laced with humor. Lascell's confidence hid layers of complexity—cunning, intelligence, dare I admit it to myself, captivating, and his kindness.

However, the word that echoed in my mind—kind—veered my thoughts in uncharted directions. Before I could delve deeper into the labyrinth of my conflicted emotions, Lascell's voice broke the silence, becoming stern.

"Listen to me, [First Name]. I know we have been talking for a long time, but..."

Lascell's gaze bore into mine, his voice a gentle breeze that brushed against the barrier of the bulletproof glass. "I want to help you. To escape here." My eyes widened, and my heart leaped in my chest, a mixture of hope and disbelief swirling in the depths of my soul.

This was not the outcome I was expecting.

Thoughts clamored for attention in my mind, and fear and uncertainty gripped me, rendering me speechless as Lascell continued, his voice tinged with sincerity.

"I may be a scientist, working under Agent Ethan Kane's employ to earn a living. But I am not a monster, can't you see? I do what I can to delay the experiments, to lessen the brutality Victor wants to test out."

His words struck a chord within me, igniting a spark of hope amidst the darkness of my confinement. I was on the verge of protesting, of pointing out the flaws in his reasoning, but Lascell preempted me.

“If I were to halt the experiments altogether, it would only enrage Victor. You know how obsessed he is with you. And Ethan craves results, not setbacks. He'd resort to any means necessary to extract the answers he seeks."

The truth in his words resonated deep within me. Victor's obsession and feelings were a force to be reckoned with, fueled by unchecked ambition and boundless desire. Ethan, on the other hand, was a slave to logic and pragmatism, his pursuit of knowledge blinding him to the human cost.

“Do you trust me?” Lascell's question sent me recoiling instinctively, my skepticism boiling to the surface that lay bare in the furrow of my brow and the curl of my lip.

“How can I trust you? How do I know you wouldn’t be like one of them? You want to use me.”

My words dripped with suspicion, each syllable a testament to the walls I had erected around my heart. Lascell's sigh was almost imperceptible, and his magenta eyes softened with understanding.

“I understand, but [First Name], please, allow me to help you, trust me, allow me the chance to prove myself to you," he implored, his voice a soothing balm against the raw edges of my doubt.

“I've seen the results of your blood tests, and nothing has worked for the answers he seeks. I'm warning you, Ethan won't hesitate to explore other avenues and will stop at nothing to extract the answers he seeks from you, even if it means...”

His voice trailed off, as I swallowed hard, the reality of my situation settling like a lead weight in my stomach. “As a breeding stock... for immortal beings,” I finished, the words tasting bitter on my tongue—a chilling reminder of the fate that awaited me if I remained trapped within the confines of BioThera.

My breath came in shallow gasps, my pulse thundering in my ears like a war drum. I clutched the soft fabric of the blanket Lascell had provided me, a tangible reminder of his small acts of kindness amidst the disarray.

"Take deep breaths, [First Name]."

Lascell's voice cut through the turmoil, a beacon of calm amidst the storm raging within me. I followed his guidance, the rhythm of my breath gradually steadying as his calming presence enveloped me like a shield against the encroaching darkness. But even as my panic subsided, the seed of doubt remained.

"Will you ever trust me? If you stay, there... you know what happens."

His words cut through the silence like a knife, exposing the raw vulnerability that lay beneath the surface. I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze. But Lascell pressed on, his voice laced with determination.

"I'll do everything in my power to earn your trust, [First Name]. I understand that trust is earned, not given freely. I'll buy you as much time as I can until you're ready to take that leap of faith. I will wait, [First Name]. As long as it takes."

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

As the days bled into weeks and the weeks melted into months, with each passing moment, I found myself drawn to him, drawn to the possibility of escape that he offered. 

Perhaps it was his unwavering determination or the kindness that lingered in the curve of his smile. Maybe it was the way he listened, truly listened, to the echoes of my fears and hopes, or the quiet strength that emanated from him like a beacon in the darkness. Or maybe it was simply the desperate longing for salvation, the yearning for a glimmer of hope in the suffocating depths of despair.

Which is why I trusted him enough to allow him to help me.

Lascell was risking everything for me – his career, his integrity, even his life. He laid the groundwork for my escape long before I had even entertained the notion. He knew the security codes, the patrol routes, and the blind spots where I could slip through unnoticed.

But it wasn't just my freedom he was fighting for. Lascell needed to disappear, to vanish into the wilderness where government surveillance couldn't reach. He was moving his own home, preparing for the inevitable backlash that would come once I was gone.

And yet, despite the gravity of our situation, I couldn't shake the nagging doubt that lingered at the edges of my consciousness; I found myself torn between gratitude and suspicion.

What if this was all a trick? What if Lascell was leading me into a trap, using me as a tool?

The thought twisted my stomach into a knot and gnawed at the edges of my sanity, a relentless whisper that refused to be silenced. And yet, amidst the cacophony of doubts and fears, a quiet voice of reason urged me to take a leap of faith, to trust in the flickering flame of hope that burned within me.

But despite my doubts, despite the whispering voice of paranoia that echoed in the depths of my mind, I couldn't deny the strange warmth that blossomed within me whenever Lascell was nearby.

And so, with each passing day, we worked in secret, laying the groundwork for my escape. Months passed in a blur of whispered conversations and stolen moments, each step bringing me closer to freedom and yet further into the shadowy depths of uncertainty.

But as the final pieces of our plan fell into place, I knew that there was no turning back. For better or for worse, Lascell held the key to my salvation – and I could only pray that he wouldn't be the one to betray me in the end.

Nearly a year had passed since I entrusted Lascell with my hopes of escape, and with each passing day, his presence became an anchor in the tumultuous sea of my existence.

He was more than a scientist; he was the flicker of humanity in an otherwise cold and clinical world. He was the calming force that quelled the storm raging within me, his words a soothing balm for the wounds of my past.

With each delay of the experiments, he offered me a respite, a fleeting glimpse of freedom amidst the suffocating grip of captivity. In his presence, I found a semblance of home, a sanctuary where I could shed the shackles of my past and embrace the fragile hope that blossomed within me.

He became my reason to hope.

But when Lascell failed to visit as usual, the air in my cell grew heavy with a sense of foreboding, gnawing anxiety clawed its way into my heart. Each moment without him stretched into an eternity, leaving me adrift in a sea of uncertainty. The blanket draped over my shoulders offered little warmth against the chill that permeated my soul.

The absence of his presence left a void—a hollow ache that echoed in the depths of my being. Without him, the walls of my cell closed in, suffocating me in a blanket of silence. I longed for the sound of his voice, the way his magenta eyes gazed at me, anything to dispel the emptiness that engulfed me.

It was then, in the midst of my despair, that I confronted the whirlwind of emotions swirling within me. Was it love that tethered me to Lascell's side, or merely the desperate longing for companionship in a world devoid of kindness? The answer eluded me, lost in the labyrinth of my own doubts and insecurities.

But it was more than just his absence that unsettled me; it was the gnawing fear that gripped my heart.

What if Ethan had uncovered our plan? What if Lascell got caught and was fired? Or worse... he was punished for his actions.

The possibilities loomed before me like specters in the night, haunting my every thought. With each passing moment, the tendrils of worry tightened their grip around my heart, threatening to suffocate me in their embrace. 

With each passing moment, my mind conjured nightmares of betrayal and punishment, each more vivid than the last. I feared for Lascell, and for myself. And then, like a beacon of hope in the darkness, Lascell returned. His presence was a balm to my fractured soul, a ray of light piercing through the shadows of despair that had threatened to consume me.

The sight of him, standing before me behind the bulletproof glass wall with his familiar warmth and gentle smile, washed over me like a wave of relief. In that moment, the weight of my fears lifted, replaced by the overwhelming flood of gratitude and joy.

"Now where have you been? Leaving me here without a warning?” I quipped through the relief of seeing Lascell's return softened my tone. His smirk hinted at his awareness of my desperation for his presence as he approached the bulletproof glass, mirroring my steps.

“I’m sorry,” his voice, laced with sincerity, tugged at the strings of my heart. His eyes, once alight with mischief, now bore the weight of the world, and my smile faltered. “But I had to address some issues concerning the government and Victor.”

With each step, the sound of his shoes on the linoleum floor echoed in my cell, merging with the mechanical beeps of the keypad. With a hiss, the door slid open, marking the first time he stepped inside my confinement. Lascell's presence inside my cell sent a jolt of anxiety coursing through me, the weight of the risks he bore for my sake pressing down on my chest.

“The government is onto you now. Ethan is growing impatient with my lack of information, and Victor is becoming increasingly agitated by the delay in his experiments.”

As he spoke, his voice threaded with concern; I couldn't help but feel the gravity of the situation sinking in. The government's awareness of my existence spelled danger, not only for me but for Lascell as well.

Victor and Ethan were monsters, devoid of humanity, driven only by their insatiable greed for knowledge and power. In their eyes, I was nothing more than a means to an end. And now, with the government's scrutiny added to the mix, the stakes had never been higher.

They know my immortality... would they use me? Fuck!

“Cell—” I began, my voice catching as I stumbled over my words. The nickname slipped out involuntarily, a remnant of our shred time and company. But as I steadied myself and closed the distance between us, resolve blossomed within me, fueled by the emotions I had long suppressed.

“Lascell, what about the plan? We still have one thing left to do, we can figure this out later,” I insisted, desperation tinged with determination lacing my words.

“No, we can’t—”

“Yes, we can!” I interrupted before he could protest further, desperation fueling my words. 

“Please, just... let them continue! I can stall for time, providing Ethan with the information he seeks without raising suspicion. I'll tell Ethan everything he wants to know about me, about my immortality, and my experiences. Let Victor continue the experiments so he wouldn’t do anything drastic. Just... let me help you.”

I blurted out, my voice edged with urgency as I grasped at Lascell's lab coat, my fingers trembling with desperation. Lascell's expression flickered with disbelief, his eyes widening in shock as he absorbed the weight of my proposal. His voice, tinged with a hint of frustration, cut through the air like a blade.

"Are you hearing yourself?"

"Yes, I am," I replied, my voice trembling with emotion. “I know what I am saying. Just please do it. I said before I would buy you as much time as you did for me. I… I just… I don't want you to get hurt.”

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I confessed my fears, my vulnerabilities laid bare before him. The thought of returning to Victor's experiments filled me with dread, but the idea of Lascell suffering because of me was unbearable.

"[First Name]..." Lascell's voice softened, his features softened with a mixture of concern and affection.

"No, no, just please do it. And get it over with. We're close, we need time, and I can give it to you. Please, let me help you like you have helped me—"

Suddenly, his arms enveloped me, pulling me into a tight embrace that stole the breath from my lungs, his arms enveloped me in a comforting embrace, his warmth seeping into my bones like a soothing balm. His hand found its way to my head, gently patting me, his reassurance washed over me like a gentle tide, erasing the doubts and fears that had plagued my mind.

"No," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. "I won't allow that. You're not going back."

At that moment, I realized the depth of his care for me.

“Don’t worry about me,” he continued his voice, a soothing melody that echoed in the recesses of my mind. “I don’t have the heart to allow you to do those experiments. Your mind is fragile, I have seen how your emotional state was, you're not going back. I have seen how insane you were when we met. Your body may heal your wounds, but not the wounds of your soul.”

His words washed over me, soothing the turmoil within. Slowly, tentatively, I returned his embrace, the unfamiliar sensation of human touch grounding me in reality, a sense of warmth and belonging washed over me, filling the void that had gnawed at my soul for so long.

"I promise you that you’ll always be safe in my arms. I’ll get you out of here… tomorrow we will execute the plan, I have everything ready."

His sincerity was palpable, his commitment unwavering. And as he spoke, a warmth spread through my chest, filling me with a sense of belonging I had never known. I knew that I was not alone.

“I… want to go with you,” he confessed. “We’ll both escape from here; would you believe it if I told you I loved you? I could live alongside you; you don’t have to be alone when you’re free.”

In his declaration of love, I found the courage to believe in a future where we could be together. And as I gazed into his magenta eyes, I knew that I was truly in love with that man.

And the next day we escaped together.

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We found refuge in an abandoned house nestled behind forgotten train tracks, their steel is now rusted and overgrown with weeds. As Lascell pushed open the door, its hinges groaned in protest, releasing a musty scent mingled with the earthy aroma of moss and vegetation.

The interior revealed itself as dimly lit, the feeble glow of moonlight filtering through cracked windows casting eerie shadows across the worn floorboards.

My eyes swept across the dimly lit interior, taking in the worn walls and creaking floorboards, signs of age and neglect softened by Lascell's efforts to make it habitable for our escape.

“It’s not much, but this is as far as I could prepare for us,” Lascell's voice broke the silence, tinged with an undercurrent of uncertainty. I offered a reassuring nod, acknowledging his efforts. Despite its dilapidated state, it held the promise of safety and freedom, a sanctuary away from BioThera, away from the government.

As night descended upon us, we found solace in each other's company, our voices mingling in the darkness as we shared tales of our pasts. My words spilled forth, recounting tales of lifetimes past, while Lascell listened intently, my life being immortal who has lived in the Paleolithic Age, according to Lascell’s hypothesis.

With each tale I recounted, the friends and comrades I have lost, Lascell offered solace amidst the echoes of my sorrow. In a moment of vulnerability, I reached out for him, seeking comfort in his embrace, only to be shattered by the deafening roar of gunfire, ripping through the air like a thunderclap.

Before I could react and comprehend the horror unfolding before my eyes, Lascell had been shot in the head; his head burst as a balloon that popped, blood splattered onto my face and attire, bits of pieces of his brain splattered on my hair and face. Lascell's lifeless body slumped against me, a grotesque tableau of violence and despair.

The jarring scent of blood mingled with the acrid scent of gunpowder, staining my skin and clothing in a macabre tableau of death, feeling the warm thick liquid of blood seeping from his head that dripped onto my body, mingling with the rancid sound of my own ragged breaths.

Shock and horror held me in their icy grip as I struggled to comprehend the nightmare unfolding before me. Before I could comprehend the enormity of the tragedy unfolding before me, another gunshot pierced the silence, sending searing pain lancing through my skull.

Darkness descended, enveloping me in its cold embrace and swallowing me whole as I plummeted into the abyss of unconsciousness. But even in death, there was no respite, no escape from the torment.

With a gasp, I awoke to a world bathed in shadows, my vision clouded with a haze of confusion, and my body wracked with agony as life surged back into my veins. Before me stood a cadre of armed men, their weapons trained on my trembling form.

With a surge of primal fury, I unleashed hell upon them, my hands stained with their blood as I fought for my revenge upon those who had dared to take Lascell from me. Their screams pierced the air, mingling with the staccato rhythm of gunfire. But amidst the chaos, a nagging realization came.

My hands closed around a syringe, its familiar label a grim reminder of the horrors that awaited me. Dread coiled in the pit of my stomach, mingling with the swirling maelstrom of emotions that threatened to destroy me.

This is from BioThera... they... found us.

Yet, amidst the carnage, a realization dawned upon me, a chilling revelation that sent shivers down my spine. I battled with pure rage, my emotions would blind me and my actions, these syringes are capable of making me unconscious for hours.

Who knew what would happen if I wasn’t careful? I could have been captured. I need to get the fuck out of here.

I can destroy and defeat an entire army without a sweat; however, an army that knows something can defeat me, but in a way, I would be apprehended instead of leaving me alone on the battlefield. This was different…

I was fighting for survival.

For my freedom, and my life from being exploited and tormented again. I fought not just for my own survival but for the memory of the man who had sacrificed everything for me, who loved me, who treated me as a human being, my safe place.

For Lascell.

Why did they have to kill him? Why take him? Why is my life like this?

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

YEAR: 2074 2 YEARS LATER | AGE: + 1 MILLION YEARS OLD

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        Lascell's sudden departure left me adrift in a sea of grief and unanswered questions. Why was he taken from me? Why was he killed? The weight of uncertainty pressed down on my shoulders, threatening to drown me in despair.

I could only speculate that BioThera and Ethan had discovered his involvement in my escape, branding him a traitor for aiding their "experiment" in breaking free. Perhaps Lascell knew too much, a dangerous liability that had to be eliminated to protect their secrets.

So, in the end... he was killed.

Yet, even as I grieved, I could not afford the luxury of peace. The government, relentless in their pursuit of power, hunted me down with a fervor born of fear and desperation. Their knowledge of my existence, fueled by Ethan's machinations and Victor's twisted ambitions, turned me into a target—a weapon to be controlled and used.

In the depths of the night, I walked alone, my senses on high alert, every shadow a potential threat, every sound a harbinger of danger. Paranoia clung to me like a second skin, a constant reminder that nowhere was safe.

But just when I thought I had reached the limits of despair, the world spiraled further into chaos. Outbreaks of monstrous beings ravaged cities, leaving a trail of destruction and death in their wake. The governments of different countries and their military futile attempts to stem the tide of terror only served to fuel the flames of panic and despair in people.

The once bustling streets became battlegrounds, I found myself ensnared in the chaos, face-to-face with these creatures. Monstrous creatures, their green scales glistening in the moonlight, towered over me. With wings outstretched, they cast their ominous shadows upon the world below.

One of them descended upon me with a ferocity that stole the breath from my lungs. Instinct took over, my hand reaching for the cold steel of a pistol, and my finger pulled the trigger. But when the bullet struck, it merely bounced harmlessly off the creature's hardened skin, shattering my illusions of control in an instant.

Caught off guard and reeling from the revelation of their unparalleled durability, I grappled with the stark reality of my predicament. These creatures' existence defies logic and reason.

Claws like sharpened steel ensnared my face, the crushing pressure sending shockwaves of pain coursing through my body. The stench of gunpowder mingled with the acrid tang of smoke and the bitter bite of ashes, assaulting my senses as the world around me descended into chaos—buildings crumbling, explosions reverberating, the desperate cries of the wounded and screams piercing the night, and the staccato rhythm of firearms echoing in the distance.

With a brutal toss, I was hurled aside like a discarded plaything, my body colliding with the shattered remnants of a once-proud structure, the jagged edge of a pipe tearing through flesh with ruthless efficiency, impaling me.

Agony lanced through my body, every breath a struggle against the suffocating weight of pain. But a spark of determination flickered within me.

With gritted teeth and trembling limbs, I clung to the blood-slicked metal, each movement sending waves of nausea crashing over me. As I fought to pull myself from the wreckage, my mind raced with desperate questions.

How can I kill things that aren't even human? Whose durability is beyond that of an average human, not even bullets are helpful, or even anything?

Eventually, I managed to extricate myself from the wreckage, my body pulsing with the rhythmic cadence of my regeneration. As the city continued to crumble under the onslaught of the creatures, the realization stuck within me.

But maybe... maybe I can outsmart them. Exploit their weaknesses and turn their own powers against them.

As chaos reigned and monsters roamed the streets, I did what I could to save as many people as possible; each encounter was a dance with death, a fleeting moment of victory before I was struck down, only to rise again before ushering me back into the fray.

Soon I fled once I had no one to save, I observed the creatures; I learned more about them—their unearthly speed and ability to conjure orbs of light that seared through their hands. I figured out they were controlled or served by someone named King Piccolo.

I could tell he was no mindless destroyer, but a cunning strategist whose thirst for power knew no bounds. As I pieced together fragments of information, a grim realization settled in the pit of my stomach—King Piccolo's ambitions extended far beyond mere conquest. He sought dominion over the entire world.

The realization struck me like a thunderbolt: if King Piccolo discovered my existence, my immortality, I would be a tool to be wielded in his insatiable quest for power. The prospect of falling into his clutches filled me with a cold dread.

I refuse to be a plaything.

But the more I pondered ahead if King Piccolo succeeded in ruling the world, I would eventually be found. The last remaining person, and possibly be used by him once he found out about my immortality, maybe just a toy for entertainment to be killed and die over and over again for the rest of eternity, or until he dies.

If I could vanquish King Piccolo, I would not only ensure the safety of the world but also secure my own freedom. With the governments preoccupied with rebuilding in the wake of his devastation, I could slip into the shadows, a phantom of myth and legend.

It would be a gamble, a high-stakes game of survival, but the promise of freedom beckoned like a beacon in the dark.

It was as if the universe had heard my silent plea for a fresh start when I stumbled upon Mutaito, an old man on a solitary quest to vanquish King Piccolo. At first, Mutaito rebuffed my offer of assistance, claiming that he must reclaim his honor alone.

But I knew the futility of such solitary battles. I reasoned with him, knowing if we continue to stand idly by while innocent lives fell victim to the terror wrought by King Piccolo's tyranny. We would have only saved a few, maybe even by hundreds. Mutaito, once resolute in his solitude, relented to my persuasion.

And so, our unlikely partnership was born.

Under Mutaito's tutelage, I honed my skills, absorbing his teachings with a hunger born of necessity. His concern for my well-being was palpable, and his wisdom flowed like a river, shaping me into a warrior capable of facing King Piccolo's minions.

Though I harbored secrets of my own of my skills, I embraced the opportunity to learn from a master of his craft as I did from my other teachers over my life.

Through Mutaito's guidance, I discovered the untapped potential within myself—the power of ki, a life force energy that coursed through my veins. With each passing day, I delved deeper into its mysteries, determined to wield it as a weapon.

And then, the moment of reckoning arrived.

I ventured forth alone while Mutaito continued his preparations. Days blurred into nights as I scoured the land, my senses attuned to any sign of the demon's presence.

Finally, I stumbled upon his lair as I ventured into the heart of King Piccolo's domain, my senses heightened, every nerve tingling with anticipation. With practiced stealth, I slipped past his guards, my heart pounding in my chest.

Face-to-face with the creature, I refused to yield to fear. King Piccolo's malevolent gaze bore into mine, but I met his gaze with steely resolve, refusing to back down in the face of his power.

"You have the nerve to face The Demon King with such confidence? You must be delusional, you're no threat to me," he sneered, his voice a venomous hiss that echoed through the chamber.

"Who said I am a threat?" I retorted, my voice steady despite the rapid thud of my heart against my ribcage. A smirk twisted King Piccolo's lips, a mocking sneer that almost made me lash out, yet I held back. Despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I refused to let fear or anger dictate my actions.

"I am [First Name]."

With arms folded, King Piccolo closed the distance between us, each step reverberating through the cavernous lair like a death knell. Yet, I refused to flinch, meeting his gaze with unwavering resolve.

"So tell me the truth. What is your motive behind invading my lair?" His voice cut through the silence like a blade, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that bordered on primal.

"I am aware you have subordinates, guards, or an army," I began, my words a calculated gambit to sow doubt in his mind.

"Though I managed to slip past them, it makes me wonder if your army is truly formidable enough to aid you in your conquest. You seek to rule the world, correct? But are you prepared for the possibility of a greater threat beyond this planet? In the vast expanse of the universe? What if there were a threat beyond our world, beyond even your comprehension? Would your army suffice then?"

A snarl twisted King Piccolo's lips, but beneath the facade of rage, I glimpsed a flicker of doubt. It was a delicate dance, a battle of wits and wills, and I refused to falter.

"There is no being who can defeat me," he finally spoke, his voice dripping with misplaced confidence. "Even if my army were to fall, I possess the strength and power to prevail."

"But what if there is?" I countered; my tone laced with a subtle hint of persuasion.

"What if there exists a force capable of demolishing empires and conquering entire galaxies? Would you still cling to the illusion of your own supremacy? The universe is vast and unpredictable. Who's to say there isn't a force out there capable of toppling even the mightiest of rulers?"

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the faint echo of our breathing. I held my breath, waiting for his response, knowing that I had struck a nerve. King Piccolo's gaze bore into mine.

His response was hesitant, his words tinged with doubt. "I have never considered such a possibility...to face a threat beyond the scope of my power... But it would be foolish of me to dismiss it outright."

Seizing the opportunity, I pressed forward. "You have the power to conquer a planet, yes. But what if there exists a being who seeks dominion over entire galaxies? Your rule over Earth would pale in comparison. And you, of all people, should be prepared for whatever may come."

King Piccolo's gaze bore into mine, searching for any hint of deception. "Why are you telling me this? What do you hope to gain?" His voice held a note of suspicion, but I met his gaze with a calm resolve.

"I want to help you," I declared; my words echoing with sincerity. King Piccolo's incredulous scoff echoed through the chamber, a testament to his disbelief at my audacity.

"What could a mere human offer to a being such as myself? I doubt that you could provide me with any meaningful help." he sneered; his arrogance a shield against the possibility of vulnerability. I stood my ground; I knew that my plan was in motion.

"You can die, correct?" I continued to press on, my voice steady despite the tremors of uncertainty coursing through my veins. "You may have power, strength, skill, and speed... but you can be killed."

Silence hung heavy in the air as King Piccolo processed my words. Slowly, the mask of arrogance crumbled, replaced by a simmering rage at the mere suggestion of his mortality.

"What are you suggesting? That there might be someone out there that can kill...me?!" he growled, his fists clenched in barely restrained fury.

"I mean... you're not immortal, right?" I ventured cautiously, probing the chinks in his armor with a calculated risk. His admission confirmed my suspicions, laying bare the vulnerability that lurked beneath his prideful exterior.

And so, the seeds of doubt took root within his mind, paving the way for my ultimate gambit. "No... I'm not truly immortal. Technically, I can still die," he conceded, his admission a crack in the facade of invincibility he had constructed.

"What if you have a weapon?" I proposed; the tremors of fear and dread barely contained beneath the surface. "A weapon that can kill entire armies without breaking a sweat. A shield that will never falter. And you will use it if such an occasion arises."

The words spilled from my lips, laced with trepidation and resolve. Inside, fear gnawed at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the endgame that loomed on the horizon.

I was willing to be King Piccolo’s weapon... but the weapon that would destroy him.

As the conversation unfolded, I revealed the extent of my abilities and knowledge, each revelation drawing him further into my web of deceit. As the truth of my immortality unfolded before him, King Piccolo's demeanor shifted, a newfound curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

"You are quite the fascinating human," he mused, his gaze piercing through the layers of deceit to uncover the truth buried within. "So, tell me, what exactly do you hope to gain from me if I accept you as my weapon?"

"...Train. I would like to learn your abilities. Teach me the secrets of ki energy, and in return, I will serve as your weapon. I may be knowledgeable at warfare and have many ways to kill, but I'll be even more useful to you if I learn ki," I proposed, my words a carefully calculated gambit to glean information about his powers and weaknesses.

King Piccolo's smile was a testament to his approval, a silent acknowledgment of our newfound alliance. With a nod of assent, he agreed to my terms.

"You have presented to me a reasonable offer. I will teach you the secrets of using ki. You will learn how to create your own energy blasts, as well as how to fly and sense ki. Seems that we have come to an agreement," he remarked, his voice laden with newfound respect, belied the fact that he believed he held the upper hand; unknowingly, I was the one pulling the strings.

As I trained under his watchful gaze, I endured his ruthless tutelage, each lesson a grueling test of my endurance and resolve. As I delved deeper into the art of ki manipulation under his tutelage, I played the role of the dutiful student, ally, and tool, all the while weaving a web of deception that would ultimately lead to his downfall. Each lesson, each training session, brought me closer to my goal, yet further entrenched me in a world of brutality and abuse.

King Piccolo was ruthless in his methods, his training regimen designed to mold me into the perfect weapon. But beneath his watchful gaze, I bided my time, patiently awaiting the opportunity to strike back against the tyrant.

Amidst the whirlwind of training and abuse, I danced on the razor's edge, balancing between obedience and subversion. When tasked with missions of destruction, I subtly manipulated the circumstances, buying precious time for those in harm's way to flee to safety.

And when failure inevitably came knocking, I bore the brunt of his wrath, enduring punishment after punishment in silence, dying over and over again, my mind tortured by the extreme pain. Yet, with each blow, I gritted my teeth and endured, knowing that the pain was a small price to pay for the greater good and to get what I wanted.

A restart of my life.

For every wound inflicted, every blow, every time being killed, and coming back to life endured brought me one step closer to victory. With each passing day, I grew stronger, more resilient, and more prepared to face the ultimate showdown that awaited.

Mastering my ki was like unlocking a dormant power within me, each surge of energy coursing through my veins a testament to my growing strength. I felt myself transforming, not just on a spiritual level, but on a physical one as well. My muscles rippled with newfound power, and my reflexes honed to a razor's edge, and my endurance seemingly boundless.

I never thought I felt so... powerful.

Yet, beneath the veneer of power, my plan continued to unfold. My plan, carefully crafted and executed with precision, relied on a delicate balance of trust and deception.

As I fed Mautaio morsels of information about King Piccolo's impending attacks, abilities, and skills, I trod carefully, ensuring that I revealed only what was necessary to further our cause.

But the stakes were high, and the consequences of betrayal weighed heavily on my mind. If Mautaio were to discover my allegiance to King Piccolo, our fragile alliance would crumble, leaving me vulnerable to the demon king's wrath.

Over the months, I was careful with my actions, doling out morsels of information like breadcrumbs to lead Mautaio to the truth while keeping King Piccolo in the dark about my true intentions.

I continued to play my part, a pawn in a deadly game of chess played across multiple dimensions. With each move, I walked a fine line between loyalty and betrayal, my every action calculated to ensure the success of my mission.

I was basically playing chess in 4D at this point.

I walked a tightrope between two worlds, providing Mautaio with carefully curated information while feeding King Piccolo morsels of intelligence to earn his trust. It was a dangerous game, one where a single misstep could spell disaster.

After two long years of relentless scheming and clandestine maneuvering, Master Mutaito finally found a solution to defeat King Piccolo, thanks to the information I had provided. The fruits of my labor had borne fruit, yet the cost had been steep.

he physical abuse inflicted upon me by King Piccolo served as a grim reminder of the risks I had taken and the sacrifices I had made in pursuit of my goal.

Each punishment, each death, was a testament to the lengths I was willing to go to see my plan through to its bitter end. But as I stood on the precipice of uncertainty, the specter of doubt loomed large in my mind.

Was it worth it? Would I make a difference? Was this a waste?

The physical and emotional toll weighed heavily on me, but I knew that I had to see it through to the end. With a leap of faith, I plunged headfirst into the unknown, trusting that in the end, my actions would lead to justice and redemption.

Mutaito laid out our plan to defeat King Piccolo. But as he spoke of seeking aid from his former students, I nodded in agreement, knowing he wanted to make sure nothing went wrong in the end.

My mind is already racing with plans and strategies. Yet, before I could voice my intention to accompany him, King Piccolo's voice slithered into my thoughts like a venomous serpent, his telepathic message a reminder of my allegiance to King Piccolo and the consequences of defiance.

A soft sigh escaped my lips as I grappled with the dilemma before me. On one hand, I desired to join Mutaito in his search for his students, to get away from King Piccolo, for a moment of rest, and to help him. But on the other hand, I couldn't afford to arouse suspicion by defying the demon king's orders.

With a heavy heart, I assured Mutaito of my commitment to continue my investigation, to serve as a distraction, and to buy us precious time.

He accepted my decision with a solemn nod before setting off on his own path, leaving me to face the daunting task ahead.

As he set off to rally his allies, I made my way to King Piccolo's side, my heart pounding with the weight of my deception. Weeks passed in a blur of servitude and fear as I continued to play my role as King Piccolo's unwitting pawn.

Each day brought fresh torment and anguish, the weight of my deception threatening to crush me beneath its suffocating grasp.

I felt like going insane if I kept this up...

But as Mutaito finally returned, hope flickered to life within me. By his side stood a young man, tall and formidable, with a bald head and a steely gaze. Mutaito introduced him as Roshi, the only student he had managed to find.

With everything in place and our plan set in motion, we embarked on our journey to confront King Piccolo. As we neared his lair, Mutaito instructed us to hide, and we obeyed without hesitation, ducking behind piles of rubble from the destroyed buildings, my heart pounding in my chest.

Quietly slipping away from my hiding spot, I crept towards a nearby vantage point, my senses alert for any sign of movement. From my new vantage point, I could see King Piccolo approaching outside. As he drew near, I prepared myself in case things went wrong, my resolve to protect Mutaito at all costs.

"Ceasefire and surrender, King Piccolo. Or face the consequences."

Mutaito's voice sliced through the tension like a blade, his words a defiant challenge to the demon king. With a flourish, he placed an object—a rice cooker—on the ground, standing tall and resolute.

In response, King Piccolo's laughter sliced through the tension, a cruel symphony of mockery that reverberated through the air. His grin, a twisted visage adorned with sharp fangs, spoke volumes of his disdain for Mutaito's ultimatum.

"Oh, I prefer to watch you dance," King Piccolo taunted. As tension crackled in the air, Mutaito's body tensed, a coiled spring ready to unleash its power.

With a fluid motion, he raised his arms, hands crackling with a radiant energy. The air hummed with anticipation as he began to channel his power, the luminous glow enveloping his form in a shimmering aura.

Meanwhile, King Piccolo's voice pierced the silence, a sinister command that resonated within the depths of my mind. His orders were clear—to eliminate a human and ensure their demise was wrought with agony. Which was Mutaito.

A surge of defiance surged within me, mingling with the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was my moment to betray him, to turn the tables on the tyrant who sought to bend me to his will. A bitter smirk twisted my lips.

I emerged from the shadows behind King Piccolo, his attention consumed by the confrontation unfolding before him. With a swift motion, I unleashed a surge of energy, a ki blast hurtling toward King Piccolo with deadly precision.

Surprise flickered in his eyes as he turned to face the unexpected attack, his reflexes barely fast enough to deflect my attack, as he registered what was happening, looking in my direction. His fury was palpable, a tempest of rage that threatened to consume everything in its path.

"You little-!" King Piccolo's voice was a snarl of indignation, cut short by my retort.

"Oh, shut up," I spat, defiance fueling every word as I launched another volley of energy toward him. His movements were swift, evading my onslaught; his fury was noticeable, as he realized the extent of my betrayal. In that moment, I felt a rush of exhilaration—a twisted sense of satisfaction at the sight of King Piccolo's mounting frustration.

I played him like a fucking fiddle.

As Mutaito unleashed his special technique, the Evil Containment Wave, I watched with grim satisfaction as King Piccolo's screams pierced the night sky. I had played him, manipulating his every move to orchestrate his downfall. I watched as his form disappeared into the confines of the rice cooker, sealed away for eternity as Roshi closed the lid.

But victory came at a heavy cost, as Mutaito's strength waned with each passing moment until he collapsed into my arms; his final breaths were his farewells and his final wish to hide King Piccolo in the depths of the sea where no one would find or he would escape.

His life slipped away like grains of sand through an hourglass, and he died in my embrace—a teacher, a mentor, a friend. My heart ached with the weight of his loss, a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. His passing served as a stark reminder of my immortality, the weight of outliving those I held dear.

As Roshi cast the rice cooker into the depths of Isuri’s Lake, the final resting place of King Piccolo's lair, a sense of closure washed over me. The world was safe once more, free from the tyranny of a demonic threat.

I don't have to endure his punishments any longer...

The government would be preoccupied with rebuilding, allowing me the chance to have a new life, no more being hunted down... just known as a mere fairy tale and nothing more.

I had hoped for peace, but little did I know that my journey would lead me down a path of tragedy and despair—a road paved with false hope and shattered dreams.

For this is my reality I cannot escape.

•◉◒☆◒◉•

END OF PROLOGUE!!!

Finished: February 19, 2024

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑶𝑮𝑼𝑬 — 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑹𝑨𝒀𝑨𝑳 | 4 NEXT CHAPTER: 001 - 𝑯𝑶𝑷𝑬

LINK TO THE BOOK [WATTPAD]: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 — 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝙱𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 If you're interested in stories like these, here is my 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

[itsblasttothepast]

It's the song anon again! HIIIIII!

So I was writting and listening to a random YT playlist (I'm too poor for Spotify and addblockers are free) and Gossip by Maneskin came up and I just thought 'it's so Checo in RBR god damn it' and I had to share with you.

"Welcome to the city of lies/Where everything's got a price/It's gonna be in your favorite place

Sergio getting a seat in the most unexpected way, from a team that was going through second seat drivers faster than the speed of light AND from a team who is known to not like 'older' or 'not-from-our-academy' drivers was something like a fever dream - he was ready to be out of the sport and boom, there's a lifeline from a team aiming at the top. Of course he only got the seat to help Max, that was obvious from the start and there was no lies in the way he was hired to help them with the WDC and WCC if possibe BUT I doubt he though the #2 driver would be a permament spot, I think they promised him wins and podiums but never a chance to get the WDC, thereby making him 'pay the price' by indirectly asking or rather forcing him to change his goals. I don't need to touch on the RBR shaky reputation topic to explain why it IS 'the city of lies', it's more or less obvious.

"You can be a movie star/And get everything you want/Just put some plastic on your face"

Again, they gave him a chance in the top team but it became clear in 2022 that he will absolutely not have any backing if he even thought about fighting Max for the WDC. So yeah he could be 'the star' and 'get everything he wanted' but only as the second driver, he could get podiums and wins but not too many - they again forced him to change his dream and 'put the plastic on his face' - to pretend it was what he wanted (sorry, he might say winning WCC and the #2 in WDC is enough but I won't believe it's true coming from a guy who sacrificed so much to get where he is and said so many times he wants to be a Champion - reality aside, no one in F1 wants to be second and I won't believe Checo is entairly happy with that either).

"This place is a circus, you just see the surface/They cover shit under the rug"

RBR is a weird place, with weird mechanisms working on the inside and outside of the team, negative PR (that they seem to like????), debious contacts with FIA and strange internal structure. It doesn't make sense to fans so I can assume it is even worse when you are in the middle of all the power plays and struggles and you need to play nice to get by. I have no idea how RBR works but many drivers said it's not a good place to work in and I can understand the pressure and I really wonder what Checo's take on all this would be, especially now after the team made him a scape goat for the performance fall (when we know now it was the car mostly) and tried to overshadow the Horner scandal thing with rumours about him.

"You can't see they're faking, they'll never be naked/Just fill your drink with tonic gin, this is the American dream, so"

The fake belief that being in a seat of a top team is easy somehow fits with this line. RBR was lying about the issues, trying to deflect the blame and put on a mask of normality when we knew the team was shaking at it's core (more and more people are leaving and I don't believe it is entirely by chance, it has to be cause even if only a little by the struggle between Horner and Marko and well, Jos too). Sergio went through a team downfall once, doing everything to save it and getting kicked out in return so I doubt he wants a reapeat of that, he can only sit back and try to survive.

"Sip the gossip, drink 'til you choke/Sip the gossip, burn down your throat" Sergio is somehow entangled with the whole mess in the team because well, since he joined almost every news connected to the team circulates back to him and creates another rumour about his life, his career etc., he is part of the whirlwind not by his own choice and he can only endure - no matter what the media say.

"You're not iconic, you are just like them all/Don't act like you don't know, so"

I think this line would be Marko's, something said to make Checo realise he is in the web of the 'cursed seat' and he is just like any other second driver in the team and that he is just as replecable as any of his predecessors were (be it Mark, Alex, Pierre or even Daniel, when he tried to get the #1 spot); maybe it's true maybe it's not, maybe all drivers are the same and only sometimes an extraordinary talent pops up but I think when you work among people who smile at you and then say shit behind your back it feels more lonely and more helpless.

"Keep drinking and acting cool/Don't care if your day is blue/Nobody loves a gloomy face, just"

Sergio only recently started to fight back with the media, before he took the abuse with a smile and a graceful avoidance but it is still true - when he was taking it without a complaint people talked shit, when he spoken against the hate, he got even more of it, when he said how hard the months were for his mental health he was laughed at and called weak - only when he smiled at the cameras it was somehow okay and even quiet (not completly but quieter then now for sure). For three years it was like that and now it is worse - did RBR care? Nope, they threw him to the wolves and acted as if nothing was happening - they need Sergio for PR, he has a large fanbase (maybe not in Europe but thankfully we aren't the only ones watchiing this sport) but the won't help him in any way.

"Take your pills and dance all night/Don't think at all, that's the advice/So c'mon, let's try, it's just a taste"

He is the second driver, there is no way RBR will ever let him try the #1 spot (maybe, just maybe if Max quits but that's not really likely to happen), he is there to help them get points and keep the media entertained and nobody in the team cares about his health or feelings or anything really, they need him so they use him and he is doing what they ask quietly, agreeing to the fate or rather to the reality forced on him.

I know it was quite depressing but it's the vibe of this song (it's only my imagination so it is very unrealistic and dumb but I like to create stuff like this)

(Also would you like a little Taylor Swift song with chestappen analysis?)

Oh song heacanon anon, I had the crappiest weekend, so your ask really cheered me up!!

I hadn't heard that song, which is why I love your asks, I discover amazing groups/singers.

You know? When I heard 'welcome to the city of lies', my mind screamed 'RBR all the way!'... Checo isn't RBR family, they see him as the pawn in this weird power game, and the fact that they just admitted Checo is never going to be a WDC, at least not over one of their RBR academy drivers.

I don't know if Ford being involved with RBR will help Checo, certainly they support him (do you have a song for this? Like returning from the ashes or something, because I think it could happen if Ford keeps pushing). But right now, RBR is pure chaos. People keep living, Marko keeps thinking he has some control over things, Horner trying (and failing) to keep some structure while everything keeps exploding in his face.

The whole song applies so much to RBR and everything that is going down; maybe I'm too optimistic, but seeing Checo being outspoken (like he hasn't been since Brazil 2022) and giving zero fucks makes me think that the whole new contract comes with stipulations from Ford (I'm putting Ford like the White Knight here, but I'm just a dreamer!), and maybe 2025 could be Checo's year.

Anon, send me that Chestappen song! Maybe we can get fluffy! You know what song I heard and thought of Chestappen? They don't know about us, from One Direction! What do you think?

[henrysglock]

He's Dead, Jim.

Okay so. Forewarning. This theory is probably one of my least canon-based ones. And yet...it would make sense sense, and it would provide an MO for certain things.

I was thinking about Natalie's post regarding the intricacies of blood splatters, especially as that post may pertain to a faked massacre in 1979 à la Fringe Subject 13...or an actual, physically committed massacre (as opposed to One's psionic killing).

Like...a couple things I've been struggling with are:

The "why" of it all re: a no-powers massacre. Why do that, if you've got a whole raft of kids, all of whom display useful talents? All that for one girl that you suspect might be stronger than the others?

If Brenner was yeeted, then what happened to One? Where's he in all this?

Now, we know we have a good deal of evidence that certain crucial parts of NINA are missing (for example: "I meant what I said when I called this place a prison", meanwhile One's never mentioned the lab being a prison before then) or spliced in from other versions of events, which brings me to something that's always fucked me up:

Why the hell does One look so distinctly normal after having the every loving fuck tortured out of him?

He goes from being so injured that he can't even stand up. He has to be dragged out on the floor...

With, it seems, a skull fracture bad enough to cause his face to swell and make him bleed fairly heavily from the ears...

(since the only other thing that can do that seems to be overusing powers, which doesn't seem likely given that he's still chipped at this point)

To this, supposedly within the next day-ish:

He looks startlingly normal. Tired and upset, yes (as usual, and understandably so), but unharmed.

In fact, shortly after that, both versions of this guy are not-concussed enough to play chess?

(see: the change in hairstyle)

Like. I know characters aren't real, but for reference: I smacked my head on the ice two years ago and got a moderately bad concussion from it. I was stuck in bed for 2+ weeks because I couldn't function (in like...multiple ways).

But somehow this guy is well enough to play chess and formulate an escape plan within a day or so? I don't buy it.

In fact, based on the visible symptoms and likely point of impact...

That injury puts him at risk of death:

And you'd probably go "Oh but James, One chats with El about Papa hurting him, though, so those two ought to be the same guy" to which I'd go "This guy? This guy shouldn't be able to do that". Regenerative healing or not, he should be knocked on his ass for a while (see: Two after the shock collar incident, which was arguably a less severe injury), especially with a device like Soteria in him inhibiting only Papa knows what.

Actually, given that we supposedly start NINA on Sept. 4th, 1979 and the massacre happens on Sept. 8th...I'd say, if we're being shown things even somewhat chronologically, he shouldn't come back at all. If he's not dead, then he should be down for the count.

And here comes the tentative theory bit:

I wonder if he doesn't come back. Can we say for certain what happened to this version of One? He's likely not the One playing chess or asking El if she wants a challenge. He clearly isn't even well enough to be standing anytime soon.

And so, in a sort-of backtrack-y topic-shift way, I want to address the scene that we know directly precedes the plinko/torture scene.

Now...I know I, personally, have always wondered why they kept One around for so long when he's practically useless to them. What if they were just waiting for the next One to pop up? Something about Sith always coming in pairs, master and apprentice...Brenner's got a fair bit of Palpatine coding, after all.

And Brenner knows One isn't loyal to him. Brenner knows One is making moves in silence or whatever. So, like I said (except in SW terms), how improbably would it be that he was just biding his time with One until he could find a new "apprentice" and discard him, someone to replace his first, failed "student"?

I have more to say about Brenner and Palpatine (and William Bell, for that matter), but that's a matter for another post (I can only fit so many pictures, and it would be a real tangent anyway).

All this to say:

With One proving himself disloyal and a threat to Brenner's authority, which Brenner is clearly shown to be aware of:

And with El having defeated Brenner's current most promising student:

Only to immediately follow up with this torture/injury scene...

I think there's a fair chance that this version of One may have died or been killed.

Which would, then, be sufficient motivation to prompt a massacre scenario to both paint Brenner in a trustworthy light/re-center El's loyalty and get El to step into her full powers/take One's place as Brenner's most powerful test subject, much akin to Sith apprenticeship turnover.

This would solve not only the question of why this type of scenario might happen, but also the question of where One, in this version, might have gone.

[housewarningparty]

What's your top 5 impactful artists? Impactful is up to interpretation here. Or top 5 impactful albums. You get to pick 😁

ooh i think i'll go chronologically here

linkin park - i was like? 12 when meteora came out? it was a life changing record. that was the age i was truly starting to get into music and meteora was the first CD i picked out for myself that i became properly obsessed with. i had a burned copy of hybrid theory i got from one of my friends but though i loved it, nothing compared to the blissful angst of laying in bed listening to "somewhere i belong" on repeat

nevermore - this whole band but specifically the album dead heart in a dead world really were life-defining albums. they were my favorite band for many years. this band made me a metalhead. i grew up listening to them (my dad was always a big fan) but that never made them feel any less like a life changing discovery i made for myself. i used to listen to their music and read the lyric booklets with a pocket dictionary in my lap so i could look up the words i didn't understand. i got one of my cousins around my age really into them at the same time and that became this massive thing we bonded over for years. i feel like i owe every good thing in my life that came out of my relationship to metal to this band specifically. hugely, hugely important.

american football - the next biggest band to mark a massive change in my life and my music taste was probably these guys. they were my jumping off point into emo, which marked a major expansion of my music taste and interests after a solid few yeas of just being a metal guy. THE record would be the self titled, of course. nothing since they've reformed has hit quite as well. there are other emo bands that had a huge impact on me, but the fact is i wouldn't have gotten into braid or rainer maria or whoever else if amfootball hadn't opened that door for me first, so they're the band that gets to go on this list.

amanda palmer/dresden dolls - trust me i'm well aware of the problems associated with these guys but it doesn't change the fact that they were, at a time when i really needed a reason to live, artists with a life-saving impact on me. if that's a hyperbolic statement, then it's only barely so. i was truly obsessed. went to every show i could. went to coachella for the AFP set, met amanda after, teared up telling her how much her music meant to me when i was struggling with the aftermath of coming out to my family and her kindness to me in that interaction helped motivate me to come out on the drive home to the person i went to the festival with. sometimes the right band at the right time in your life can really be a life preserver. despite everything else, i'll always feel grateful for that. so glad i didn't get the tattoo i was contemplating at one time, though

screaming females - in terms of impact i couldn't write this list without including this band. literally, tangibly changed my life to be a fan of theirs. back in 2015 i posted some fanfic for this video game i liked, got a nice message from someone complimenting my work, clicked through to their blog and immediately see a photoset of marissa paternoster playing a bloody guitar and immediately messaged them back to talk about music and life is strange. we had an immediate, profound, and powerful connection. 8 years on @holdsteady is STILL my best friend. i wrote a story with her. we've been to shows together. we ate street hot dogs together. i taught her to make potato wedges. she introduced me to some of my favorite bands. i made chili for her dad. i lived in her basement for a month. i literally don't know what kind of person i would be or what my life would look like if we never met. and we owe it all to the fact that we both fuckin love tiny lesbians that shred on guitar.

this was such a great ask! i'd love to hear your answers. actually, i'd love to hear from a bunch of different people. soooo

@necrotic-biotic, @angrypedestrian, @holdsteady, @nataliving, @uneasyhearts33, @gothprentiss, @100percentdirtball, @shewhosleepsalotincemeteries, @morhdd, @chaseprice if any of you guys wanna do this too i'd love to see it (but no pressure)

[scoobydoodean]

as a long-term cas girl and heller i want to say i am living for your destiel takes. the way some fans woobify cas drives me insane though i do think it's influenced by how the show treated him at the end. but i strongly agree cas needs to be dean's saviour and pre-decided a romantic relationship was impossible. people don't talk enough about the fact there's a massive age/culture gap between them in which cas has more power in virtually every way (if this were a m/f pairing with a human woman there would be more discourse about this imo, destiel is the m/m version of this very popular interspecies romance trope). anyway as someone who is not even a dean girl it's apparent to me that castiel is NOT a safe person for dean to love since EVER (if one interprets dean as repressing romantic feelings it's because that'd cause him even more pain than cas has already brought him).

🙏 The show absolutely treated Cas terribly, and one of the most frustrating things for me is the lack of resolution to his need to fall on a sword—how he is always trying to martyr himself and that... isn't resolved. Leaving that character note—letting it stand—is very much like letting Dean die young and bloody. Like. They both got ends they predicted in some sense, coming from a part of themselves that thought very lowly of their own worth as individuals? And I think that's extremely sad. Like. He got to confess his love and I love that, but at what cost, you know? I would absolutely love to see a canon resolution to that storyline that's satisfying and allows Cas to heal and grow out of the unilateral, lone wolf decision-maker situation.

Yeah Cas literally beat Dean bloody in an alley using his superior strength, and large swaths of destiel fandom think that's hot and it's just a big joke, but then loose their fucking minds with rage when Dean in season 10, under the influence of the MOC which is actually altering his personality, beats Castiel up using his now superior strength. The whole thing is just stupid. I actually think the age and cultural gap is something Dean struggles with a lot, and uses to excuse Cas's actions a lot, thinking he just can't understand him. Like. Dean knows Cas cares about him. The rest? It's just confusing. Like. I don't accept the actors feelings as being established canon or as forcing certain interpretations, but Jackles kind of implied he plays Dean this way—that Dean isn't sure what the things Cas does mean because he doesn't know if Cas is coming from things at the same frame of reference as him or if Cas is thinking about things from some weird angelic perspective... and Cas's actions give Dean a lot of reasons to be confused. He gives Cas a LOT of leeway over things I would have made a way bigger deal out of I think partly because of this.

It is sad that Cas isn't a person Dean could confess romantic feelings to if he has them (which—I think he does?), though I think another issue is just that. They are all always doing things. Like. They are CONSTANTLY busy with one thing after another. When would Dean ever have the space to even evaluate that, much less choose if he trusts Cas enough to tell him. Even Cas, on his side, only confessed because it presented an opportunity to save Dean (and die in the process jfc). Otherwise, it seems like he was probably cool with just... keeping silent about it forever? And I think one of the other things we don't talk about enough, is that these dudes are like... fucked up. They have PTSD. They have severe trauma, and there are a lot of emotional issues they are trying to contend with, so when exactly are they supposed to figure out whether they want to be open about romantic feelings and how? They are trying to deal with trauma from being lobotomized and tortured and possessed etc etc etc.

[nick-close]

i think a lot of current discussion and enjoyment of the fandom is s2 centered? so more s1 stuff is slightly less usual in the show now (despite still having a lot of references lol)

Nothing hurts more than the fact I spent like literally half an hour on a reply and the power went out as I went to post it- but fuck it! We try again. I’ll try to make it shorter this time. (I failed sorry.)

I totally understand that the current fandom is more s2 focused and want different things. But I don’t think that means it shouldn’t be viewed from a s1 lense. The first season set the foundation and appeal of the show as a comedy. Though I do think the fandom is genuinely a lot younger rn and focuses more on ships, character moments, story beats, etc- which is totally fine! I’m not trying to dismiss critiques or say these wants are stupid because of the younger fanbase- I was in this fandom since I was 15. I do think it plays into the wants and appeals of the show though.

And here’s really the thing. S1 is the basis of the show- it should’ve set the expectations for how the podcast goes. Where I think the divide comes from, is that the younger audience usually means people binged s1- rather than listen episodically. Binging it, you don’t have to wait between the stupid five footers and nonsense to get to character beats and emotions because you can just go and go and go to the next episode.

This is why I think people are so impatient in s2. I see people writing their own fanfiction ideas about how the next episode is going to go, spending 2 weeks building up an expectation that is never actually going to meet the show. If they were binging through this, I don’t think anyone would have this strong of a reaction to this episode because they’d just go to the next one to try and get what they want. People love the characters and plot so much they tend to forget the podcast has always been a rowdy comedy podcast at its core.

I actually think one of the reasons s2 struggles so much is because of the huge expectation to live up to the emotional beats of s1 without realizing the stupid moments are the reasons they WORK. You need Henry’s hippie jokes to make Oakvale hit. You need Glenn’s weed joke to Erin so it can come back at the trial. We make jokes about how ‘I’m crying over Glenn Close in Meth Bay lol!’ But that’s why the emotions hit so heavy. They are not SUPPOSED to be every episode.

The podcast is founded on the jokes and the stupid shit- if you want cool dnd shit.. like, this isn’t your podcast. That isn’t me gatekeeping or saying people can’t enjoy it if they come for those moments- but genuinely telling you to remember what you’re coming to. If you love the characters and the story, that’s great- but the comedy and bullshit episodes are always the core of the show for the story to build around. If you’re not gonna like them, that’s okay- but you will only disappoint yourself if you keep coming expecting something else.

You can watch it and hate these episodes. You can feel disappointed or upset something didn’t happen. That���s totally fine. But I really draw an issue with people viewing it as an error on the show’s end. Your personal preference not aligning with the show all the time is cool! But the show doesn’t pretend to be anything but stupid. It’s not bad storytelling to make the comedy show funny. The episode after the Grant Yeet scene, a huge part of it is them looking at Darryl’s shit in the toilet and getting eldritch trauma. You can’t really pick and choose Imo. But hey, do what you want, I’m just some guy! And ultimately if complaining is how you have fun (I get it, I love talking shit) then enjoy fandom however you like.