#cool excellent teamwork

[geekwiththegoggles]

Jerky coworker won't let anyone help with the TEAM gingerbread house decorating competition so I went into Turbo Crafting Decoration Mode and now I have Regrets™... and a lot of snowflakes

[beneathsilverstars]

You've established that Odile has rather unhinged taste in people. Do you have further headcanons on that topic?

Hm... Most of the adjacent headcanons that I could talk about here would require a lot of psychological and cultural context. So let's just talk about that context!

As a child, Odile was disconnected from her peers due to heritage, temperament, and latent transgenderism. As lonely children sometimes do, she decided that she didn't need or want friends anyway, and even if she did, it wouldn't be any of these losers! They were always wasting their time on fun and social useless things that she was too weird smart and special to be invited want to do. She studied very hard and excelled in school, did a couple extracurriculars that didn't require much teamwork, and at some point during adolescence realized that unfortunately the Vaugardians were correct about the changing genders thing.

Ka Buan philosophy encourages people to understand themselves, refine themselves, explore different facets of themselves — but not change themselves, because fundamental characteristics simply cannot be changed. Accordingly, gender-noncomforming fashion and binding/padding and nicknames are fine, hormones and surgery/bodycraft and declaring yourself a different gender are not. But Odile wasn't one to let social mores stop her, so once she reached adulthood, she left her hometown and showed up at the city as Odile. And not just any city, but one with a reputation for cutting-edge craft research and certain countercultures.

You can't just show up and ask around for where the illegal bodycrafting is, though. You have to meet people, win their trust, let them introduce you to other people, repeat. Odile... honestly wasn't that great at it. She hadn't had much cause to practice social skills, so she wasn't very friendly or persuasive! But she was determined, thorough, confident, passionate, genuine in her intentions, and newly hot — and you can get away with a certain amount of blunt arrogance when you're hot. You just have to let people assume you're too cool and busy for humble niceties, which Odile did quite easily, because she's always thought of herself as such. So she found her way through the right queer punk circles eventually and completed her physical transition!

And she liked those circles. The people she met and the topics they discussed and the things they did were all so much more interesting than she had assumed any peers of hers could be! But she still considered herself more competent and correct than anyone else around her, because why would that change just because she moved? Her success in transitioning just further proved that she could do anything if she tried hard enough, that she was right all along in assuming her social failures were due not to lack of skill but last of interest. So she ended up in this dynamic where she was impressed by the people around her and wanted to have fun with them and learn more about them, but also thought herself better than them and above such things as kindness or friendship.

And she was in that "holy shit I'm surrounded by dykes and I'm a dyke now too" stage that some queer people experience after they come out.

So, she wasn't interested in boring. She wasn't interested in nice. She wasn't interested in regular people with regular concerns, like the peers who excluded her in her youth. She wasn't interested in romance or committed relationships or being emotionally vulnerable.

And, she wasn't put off by annoyance, because people annoyed her as a whole anyway. She wasn't put off by danger, because she was sure she could handle anything. She wasn't put off by clashing personalities, because it wasn't like she was planning to go on long walks on the beach with any of her partners anyway.

Thus, she found herself drawn to the most exciting people in the room. Interpersonal drama, emotional outbursts, poorly-thought-out-choices, intense obsession, risky hobbies... it was all oh-so thrilling! Of course, she did realize that the people she was attracted to had major, glaring flaws. But Odile was determined, thorough, confident, passionate, genuine in her intentions, and newly hot. If she couldn't fix them, who could?

We know from Odile's optional sidequest that when she sees something suspicious, she dedicates herself to solving the mystery. We know from her presence at Mirabelle's side that when she sees a problem, she steps in to help, because if you want something done right you do it yourself. The one major exception? The topic that has her backing down, giving up, confessing incompetence?

Emotions.

She has long since learned that she is not actually very good at fixing those.

[mya-valentine]

Hi! I was wondering if you can do platonic headcanons with reader that has hooves? :>

Headcanon: Class 1A With a Classmate With a Demon Quirk

A/N: I had way too much fun writing this😂😩

The students of Class 1-A are fascinated by your demon quirk and hooves. Mina and Kirishima, especially, are always asking about your abilities, wanting to know more about the demonic traits you possess.

Your hooves make distinct sounds when walking, so whenever you're approaching, everyone knows it’s you. Kaminari always jokes that it sounds like a mini stampede, while Jiro finds the rhythm of your steps oddly soothing.

Thanks to your hooves, your balance and agility are unmatched. You easily excel in physical activities like obstacle courses. Sero admires how quick you are during training sessions, often joking that you’ve got "devilish reflexes."

Knowing that your demon quirk gives you a lot of energy, Sato bakes special high-calorie snacks to help you recharge after using your powers. He says the extra sugar will keep your "demonic strength" going strong.

Class 1-A is protective of you. If anyone from outside the class makes fun of your hooves or demon appearance, the whole class stands up for you, led by Iida with his stern lectures about respect.

Your hero costume is tailored to accommodate your hooves and demonic features. You designed it with help from Hatsume, who added enhancements to make it even more functional, like special gripping soles for extra traction.

You occasionally use your demon quirk for harmless pranks—like making your eyes glow or showing off your sharp claws. This either scares the daylights out of Mineta or amuses people like Kaminari and Ashido, who are always up for a good laugh.

Bakugo has taken to calling you "Hoof Head" or "Demon Feet" in his usual blunt fashion. It’s more of a teasing term of endearment, but he respects your strength and teamwork, especially during battle.

Aizawa sees potential in your quirk, particularly your demon transformation abilities, and encourages you to control it better. He’s always on the lookout for ways to help you improve your techniques while keeping your wild energy in check.

When everyone’s hanging out, you’ll often get questions about your demonic ancestry or if your hooves give you any cool powers. The class loves learning about your background, especially Midoriya, who diligently takes notes on your quirk.

During combat training, your hooves give you an advantage in close-quarters combat, and Aizawa often pairs you up with students like Tokoyami or Ojiro, who can challenge your agility and raw strength. Tokoyami thinks your demonic traits complement Dark Shadow’s abilities, leading to friendly rivalry.

Every now and then, you have to take care of your hooves, and Jiro and Momo always offer to help. They’ve turned it into a relaxing self-care session where they bring out files and polishes, chatting away while you all take turns maintaining your gear (and hooves!).

Kirishima absolutely loves your hooves and demon features because they scream "manly" to him. He constantly talks about how your hooves are a symbol of endurance and wants you to help him with "toughness training," where the two of you push each other to the limits in intense workouts.

You and Kaminari are notorious for leaving mysterious hoofprints around the dorm or during class trips, spooking the more easily scared classmates like Mineta or Tsuyu. You love the mischievous fun of it, and Kaminari always backs you up with some playful electric sparks for added effect.

When playing sports or any sort of team game, your powerful legs make you an absolute beast. Bakugo always wants you on his team for dodgeball, and you’re often the MVP for your speed and strength. Kaminari calls you the "devil’s ace."

Your hooves sometimes attract attention from animals. Koda is always curious about how animals react to your demonic presence. You find that certain animals are drawn to your hooves or are intimidated by them, which amuses the class during nature hikes or field training.

Midoriya frequently consults with you on how to adapt your demon quirk for battle scenarios, while Ochaco helps brainstorm ways to lessen the weight of your hooves to improve your jumps and kicks.

In battle simulations, you’re famous for using your hooves to land powerful kicks that can knock enemies back or break through solid walls. Bakugo and Todoroki acknowledge your strength and occasionally team up with you, using your kicks for explosive combos.

Mineta often tries to make jokes about your demon features in a way that annoys the class. Whenever this happens, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, or even Aizawa quickly shut him down, with Bakugo sometimes telling him to "quit being an idiot" while Sero distracts him with tape.

Even though Bakugo gives you tough nicknames and acts gruff, he actually respects your demon quirk and hooves more than he lets on. He secretly appreciates how your strength complements his explosive combat style, and he counts on you to back him up during intense missions.

During class trips or outdoor activities, your hooves sometimes make hiking or walking long distances easier. You end up helping your friends navigate tough terrain, carrying or supporting them when they need it. Kirishima always calls you the "ultimate hiking buddy."

During sleepovers in the dorms, your hooves are always a topic of conversation. The girls especially love asking about how they work, and Mina tries to convince you to paint them a fun color for pajama parties, even if it’s just temporary for fun.

There’s a running joke that one day Bakugo and you will have an epic battle between his explosions and your hoof kicks. Even though you’re always joking about it, everyone kind of wonders who’d win in a true "explosive vs. demonic" showdown.

With your demon quirk, your classmates sometimes see you as a natural leader, especially in difficult or intimidating situations. When tensions are high, they trust your strength and decisiveness, relying on you to push through challenges with your hooves pounding forward in determination.

.

.

.

Masterlist

[bethanydelleman]

Ranking Jane Austen heroes/men on how good of a father they’d be?

I have faith that all of them would be good fathers. After all, Jane Austen clearly knows what bad fathers look like and she is pretty harsh about them (rightfully). I think all of them would be good in different ways, so instead of ranking, here is their dad type:

Fitzwilliam Darcy: Providing dad, his love language is buying his children expensive toys and praising their accomplishments to relations. He is definitely involved in education and discipline. Wee bit overprotective of his daughters, but you get it, he has valid reasons. Gives his sons handshakes instead of hugs.

Charles Bingley: Fun dad, he's not sure about this whole 'parenting' part... but Baby Charles, did you see this cool rock? Do you want to go up on Daddy's shoulders so you can see the elephant? Do you want to see Daddy's fencing swords? (Oh, good point Jane, we'll put those away for a few years...)

Frederick Wentworth: Teamwork dad, he knows that Anne could totally handle everything herself, but he's not afraid to help. He feels confident removing a toddler from someone's back after all. Occasionally cannot figure out what to do and stares helplessly at his wife.

George Knightley: Nurturing dad DOES BABY GEORGE NEED ANOTHER BLANKET? DOES HE NEED A SNACK? BABY GEORGE, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOUR PRESENT COMFORT??? (No, Mr. Knightley, he's fine.)

Colonel Brandon: Affectionate dad, he cries when any of his children hits a major milestone. He feels the need to constantly hug and kiss his children. They are miracles, all of them are miracles, and he is going to make them happy and what happened to him and Eliza will never happen again! They need another hug

Edward Ferrars: Thoughtful dad, constantly thinking about what will make his children feel happy and loved. Encourages them to follow their dreams. Has minor panic attacks if he says or does anything that remotely reminds him of his own mother. Elinor assures him regularly that he's doing an excellent job (because he is).

Edmund Bertram: Interactive dad, takes time to discuss their lessons and answer questions. Very anxious about his children's moral education. Will take the time to draw lines on their letter paper. Will never admit he's wrong even when he makes a mistake.

Henry Tilney: Perfect dad, like honestly, have you met him? He's a 10/10, all the best parenting traits rolled into one man. AND YET, his oldest son thinks he's totally lame.

Bonus: Frank Churchill left his child at Kensington Gardens once twice, but Jane never found out so it doesn't count.

Bonus bonus: Robert Martin totally has a mini-me son who rides beside him on a pony.

[zarvasace]

Four and Shadow, but in Pathfinder!! :D (last one!) I also redid this art and it looks so much better. Four is so colorful and so much fun to draw. ...even if I did accidentally switch up the red and purple panels on his tunic.

Pathfinder Chain Masterpost

All details and notes under the cut!

Honestly, I almost made Four a summoner with Shadow as his eidolon, but it doesn't fit as well. That would be hilarious, though. They're set up as separate PCs.

FOUR

Ancestry: Halfling! He be short and appreciative of nice things. And the Minish give off halfling vibes, don't they?

Heritage: Suli. Sulis are element-touched, but with all four elements rather than just one. It's a bit less obvious visually than the other one-element-touched heritages, but they have some element powers. Their eyes can also change color according to the element they're attuned to (which is so fanon of Four) and often they have metallic skin. So his here is extra-shiny!

Background: Artisan, specializing in metalcraft. He probably has some feats like Quick Repair.

Class: this one was a bit harder to figure out, but I'm going with an Outwit Ranger. They're rangers, so martially inclined with both melee and ranged, and they have the ability to track prey and deal some extra damage under the right conditions. Outwit rangers specifically focus on being smart to figure out weaknesses and set traps. They're very smart and use that rather than brute force. If I decided to build each of the colors separately, I could make them all different flavors of ranger.

Archetype: perhaps alchemist, like Wild, so he can make things. That's a bit strange, though, so maybe he'd better benefit from a teamwork-type archetype like Marshal or Bastion?

SHADOW

Ancestry: also halfling! Shadow is also small.

Heritage: Reflection. This heritage's whole thing is about being a direct copy of someone else and how angsty they might be about it. There are also some cool feats related to mirrors and traveling through them or storing stuff in them!

Background: Discarded Duplicate. This background mentions that the duplicate was used to stand in for the original before being "decommissioned," which isn't quite right, but there aren't any unusual abilities to the background, so I'd waive that particular little flavor in favor of an excellently named background. Four didn't discard him. Vaati did.

Class: Sorcerer! There are a lot of caster types I could have chosen, so I feel a bit bad about using sorcerer twice (the other one is Hyrule), but a charisma caster that isn't a psychic just works so well for Shadow. I'd give him the Aberrant bloodline so he has access to the occult spell tradition. Perhaps he'd get the Cathartic Mage alternate rule on there, too, so he can use his angsty emo-ness to cast spells.

Archetype: Shadowcaster. Impossible for him to not take this one, with all the shadow manipulation abilities!

[tobiasdrake]

Days of Future Past opens with a hell of a fight scene, debuting the Foxverse's official take on the Sentinels. This was a shocking battle to kick things off with.

Largely because the Sentinels aren't... really... Sentinels? XD They're basically Adaptoids from the Avengers comics, moreso than Sentinels. They were going for Nimrod, I think, but they landed at Super-Adaptoid.

The main ability Fox's Sentinels have is superpower mimicry. Whatever the Avengers X-Men throw at them, they can absorb and acquire the ability to do it themselves. This is conveyed excellently through a quick exchange with Colossus.

Colossus goes in for a left hook, but the Sentinel catches his fist. First, it twists his hand painfully aside, demonstrating for the audience how strong these things are.

But then we watch its scale-plates flutter and change to a metallic sheen matching Colossus's own metal exoskeleton. After catching his punch, the Not Adaptoid steals his powers for itself.

Visually, their design takes after Nimrod. Nimrod is also adaptable, but these Sentinels are a lot weaker than Nimrod on account of the fact that his adaptation doesn't require him to copy powers. He can just decide to be invulnerable to whatever your powers are. What a dick.

They dialed down his powerset to make a more interesting fight and that's how we ended up accidentally stepping on the Super-Adaptoid's toes. Because copy/pasting mutant powers at each other is a lot cooler and makes for a more interesting fight than just becoming invincible whenever you want.

Colossus is the setup. He introduces this ability that the Sentinels have, for the sake of this next exchange that follows.

God, this is just so well-paced. This other Sentinel closes in on Sunspot, forcing itself through his flames. To resist his power, it encases itself in ice armor. Now that Colossus's exchange has informed us the Sentinels steal powers, the natural question is where it got that ability.

A question immediately answered by this cut.

To another frozen Sentinel, this one losing a fight with Iceman. The Sentinels are networked - which is a Nimrod ability - and this one transmitted Bobby's cryokinetic abilities over to the other.

And the other repays it in kind.

The Sentinels turn Sunspot and Iceman's abilities against each other to push through and overcome.

Fucking. Brutal.

This fight has one job: To demonstrate that the Sentinels are unstoppable killing machines that the X-Men could never hope to defeat. The world is doomed and we're forced to resort to time travel because there can be no hope of actually winning fights like this.

With that in mind, it would be easy to just have one Sentinel march in as an invincible monster that shrugs off all attacks. But I like the direction they took here. It allows the Sentinels to not only demonstrate power, but tactical problem-solving and teamwork.

They aren't just strong. They're as smart as they are strong and they have numbers and they work cohesively as a team. There are no weaknesses here to exploit.

And this fight pulls no punches in shattering hope, either. One of those guys fighting up there is Bobby "Iceman" Drake, who was a significant character in the original X-Men trilogy. He got in love triangles with the other girls at his school and had a falling-out nemesis rivalry with his bro Pyro.

They want you thinking about that. There's this moment where Bobby passes Kitty Pryde and they just. They give each other this look. This silent look of mutual concern.

They want you thinking about the original trilogy. Thinking about the friendship these characters shared the last time we saw either of them.

AND NOW HE'S DEAD

HE'S FUCKING DEAD

They just casually killed off the love triangle dreamboat! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IS SAFE.

The one person who actually manages to outfight the Sentinels is Blink, who can throw pop-up portals wherever she wants.

She is so fucking cool. But even she can't hold up forever against the relentlessness of these things. This fight is so imaginative.

She shows up near the end of the fight to rescue Warpath, whose superpower is stabbing things really hard with knives so you know he was fucked from the get-go.

This Sentinel hurls him across the room and moves in for the kill.

Then, out of goddamn nowhere, Blink is there with the portal parry.

That should buy her enough time to get Warpath up and get to safety. But these things are fucking smart. Once again demonstrating their tactical cleverness, rather than try to close the distance, the Sentinel sacrifices its own arm to stab Blink through her own closing portal.

It's perfectly shot, too. It doesn't cheat with camera tricks. The Sentinel remains fully onscreen for the entire duration of this action. If you're watching the Sentinel, you can see this all play out.

But Blink and Warpath are in center-frame and, emotionally, you're more likely to be focused on them and what they're doing anyway. There's a strong chance that you, like Blink, will get lulled into a false sense of security by the temporarily disoriented Sentinel up until the moment this happens.

God, this first fight scene is so fucking good.

And then they rip off the Destroyer from Thor while they're at it. XD

Shooting eye-lasers is completely normal for Sentinels but peeling back faceplates to reveal an empty head full of laser cannon is 100% the Destroyer.

This fight had one job: Demonstrate, without having to tell us in words, that these things are unstoppable even by fictional "He can't be beaten OH YOU BEAT HIM" standards.

It succeeds to an incredible degree. By the end of this fight, I fully believe that these things were the doom of mutantkind.

Of course, the film can get away with killing all these characters because it Reset Buttons the entire fight via time travel. Kitty gets the last word on this fight.

That fucking transition as the camera rotates around and the future fades out of existence revealing an untouched, ordinary room.

This opening scene is art. This might be the best fight scene that the X-Men filmography has had up to this point.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

I'm Sorry, What The WHAT Was That Twist?

Ok, so I know I said I bogged down with the witches last book and that the pacing was a little off. Those were NOT problems with this book! The pacing was good, the twists were interesting, and honestly Aelin has sheer chaos energy married to extreme competence in a combination that I am just enjoying the hell out of. I have...thoughts about how the witches are being handled and some of the underpinning themes in their storylines, but we'll get there. Overall, this was a fun read, so let's talk Queen of Shadows.

This is both your SPOILER WARNING and CONTENT WARNING. I'm going to spoil this book. A lot. I'm also going to discuss topics including forced pregnancy, stillbirth, gender essentialism, and abuse of mothers who have stillbirths.

So...the big twist. The thing with the King of Adarlan and Perrington. Perrington, who has been largely absent for two books now. I'm fine with Erawan being secretly in play with whole time, but for the King of Adarlan to have gone full anti-magic fascist out of an attempt to protect Dorian and Rifthold because he is the only one who knows about Erawan...I was not amused. This is likely a "your mileage may vary" thing, but after four books of the King of Adarlan being the big baddie, I was legitimately irked that he went out like a punk trying to tell Aelin that he was a secret good guy.

Now the "destroy the glass castle" setpeice was overall EXCELLENT and I appreciated the teamwork and sheer badassery. I also appreciated how protective Aelin is of Dorian in the aftermath, because our poor boy spent a rough book being possessed by a Valg prince. She gave him cover, time, and at least a tenuous amount of order in Rifthold. And the heartbreaker is that she has some idea of what he's going through on multiple levels. She knows what it's like to be possessed by a Valg Prince, she knows what it is to have her home and parent killed, and she knows what it is to have responsibility thrust upon her. She's so, so soft with Dorian. Real big sister vibes that I adore. Especially since she has spent most of the book going "murdering him is a kindness."

All of that was wonderful, and I even like the reveal that our heroes are behind the curve with the bad guys in play. But the whole "Duke Perrington is Erawan" felt...like SJM wrote herself into a corner with the King of Adarlan and had to pivot and Perrington made the most sense. And it just didn't land for me. But let's talk about our protagonists for a while.

I don't have much beyond sitting with a delighted smile on my face as Aelin Chaos Energies her way through rescuing Aedion, setting up and murdering Arrobyn, getting herself funding for an army for Terrasen, and rescuing Dorian/bringing down the King of Adarlan. Literally I never do not enjoy Aelin being herself and kicking unreal amounts of ass. I also enjoyed her taking moments out of all of those jobs to absolutely rattle Rowan. Mostly because it's very fun to watch Mr. Cool as a Fae Cucumber absolutely lose his shit mid-mission because Aelin isn't wearing any underwear.

Also really interesting to watch are Aelin's dynamics with Chaol and Aedion. She and Aedion squabble like siblings in the best way possible, and she and Chaol have a lot of bitterness that colors their interactions in ways that neither necessarily MEANS, but are nonetheless there. It really makes their relationship prickly despite their best efforts and adds a level of difficulty to their relationship that feels really natural. I'm...perhaps not thrilled with Chaol getting pseudo paralyzed and having to go off on a healing mission, but I'm willing to give that the benefit of the doubt because I haven't read that book yet and maybe we don't slide hard into bad disability tropes.

Aelin getting some closure on the Arrobyn stuff was also excellent, and it introduced us to Lysandra, who is an absolute TREAT and I adore her. I'm also fairly sure she and Aedion are going to be an item at some point, and I am HELLA here for that. Those two are adorable.

Now, as for our witches. I'm going to start with Dorian and Manon because as an internet denizen, I had seen "I'll bleed whatever color you want me to" in memes before, but I kind of assumed it would be more romantic in context. While yes, it did happen in the context of some tentative, exploratory flirting, I...would not call it romantic. Dorian isn't even sure how to exist as himself at the moment, so he's falling back on the flirty thing he's been doing forever. Now, he and Manon had undeniable sparks. I was here for it. But that was the weirdest, most tense flirting I have ever seen. And I wanted to see more without the Valg Prince getting involved and hissing at the witch like an angry cat. Because Manon unlearning the "no feelings" thing that her matron and the rest of the witches have going on is an interesting arc.

What I was absolutely disappointed in was Asterin's backstory. When the witches went hard in on "Witchlings are the next best thing to sacred and must be protected at all costs," I was here for it. We protect kids and ensure they get the chance to grow up. And then they absolutely went full on psycho about it. The way the Blackbeak Matron treated Asterin after what reads like a no-fault stillbirth is absolutely hideous and it stops being "we protect kids and the people who can have them" and becomes weirdly gender essentialist in that "we must punish the useless non-breeders" way that is so toxic and weirdly prevalent in American conservatism. And y'know...I get that that's an easy way to go "Look, Grandma Blackbeak is evil!" but I am so tired of being able to successfully give birth being the measure of a "successful" woman. And I don't think we necessarily needed Asterin to have a traumatic birth backstory to hammer home to Manon that letting Perrington and whosehisface Elide's uncle forcibly impregnate witches--even Yellowlegs--was deeply deeply uncool. Especially when OF COURSE it was never going to be just as simple as "let us put pebbles under your skin" and Elide herself finds out how bad it actually is.

Manon absolutely needed to be called on the carpet for letting that fly, but it could have been about empathy and autonomy, not about forced pregnancy and gender essentialism. Which like...it's an easy way to go "Grandma Blackbeak and Perrington BAD," but we could have gone another way and still gotten there.

That said, I did really love Manon losing control over her 13 because they were all on the same page about Manon not turning into her grandmother. And I loved that Asterin and Sorrel were negotiating their roles and relationships with Manon to get her to a place where she could hear "Girl, this is wildly uncool and we can't stand behind you on this" without getting too murdery. Those dynamics were a lot of fun to watch.

Manon and Elide was...a weird dynamic though. Elide felt a little underwritten and underused this book, and I hope in the next few we develop that a bit, especially given Aelin's relationship with her mother.

I also want to just...take a sec to talk about Kaltain. Because DAMN she got a raw deal for basically just being a petty bitch and gold digger. The self-immolating to destroy the base was a weird combination of badass and tragic. It was a good way to keep the wyrdkey in play and away from Perawan. However, in a context where the bad guys are treating women as annoyingly autonomous reproductive machines, blowing it up instead of trying to liberate it irked me because we didn't have confirmation that the Yellowlegs witches were beyond saving. Or anyone else in there who might be a victim. There's a "better off dead vibe" with that that I don't love.

I know I seem to be taking a lot of issues with this, but I really did enjoy the book. The character dynamics are largely well done, and the plot stuff was FUN. I'm psyched for the next book, and I can't wait to see what Aelin and Manon get up to next.

[ecargmura]

Pokemon Horizons Episode 53 Review - How To Annihilape The Conflict

Man, last week and this week’s episodes were back-to-back greatness! I really liked this one from how it started to how the conflict was resolved. What’s cool is that the plot of this episode was due to something Ryme had said to Roy last episode, so they decided to check it out for a report! Best of all, it’s a Hatenna-focused episode!

I love that the plot of this episode is a bit of continuity. Last episode, Ryme had told Roy about the mysterious “one not of this world” in the forest, so the kids decide to search for it as it is potential report material! I love that all three of them are eager to look for it! It shows that they get along very well! Their teamwork is impeccable in this episode. They eventually meet three kids who look very similar to them, practically doppelgängers. I know that people speculate that they’re alternate reality versions of the main trio, but they’re not; they’re just lookalikes who happen to be taking the Terastal Course like they are. However, what’s clever is that their similarities to the main trio is the cause of conflict.

The mysterious figure in the forest happens to be an Annihilape. It lives with a group of Mankey and Primape who are very upset that the vine they use to swing over to their food source have been cut. It’s actually due to the Liko lookalike who tore a piece of vine to fix her bag strap. Since the three look so similar to the main group and even have similar looking Pokemon, the wild Pokemon believe they were the culprit. There is a saying that those who meet their doppelgängers will have an unfortunate end. While nothing too tragic happens to the kids, they did have to resolve the conflict because of their lookalikes. Meanwhile, there are several Primapes that look identical to each other and they kept fighting until they evolved into Annihilape. The game Pokedex entry says that Annihilape came to be because Primape was too angry to die. Yes, folks, we have confirmed death in Pokemon—or, at least it could be taken that way.

I do like how involved the group’s Pokemon are in this episode. While their starters do their fair share of battling, they also use the second Pokemon to help out the Mankey herd. Dot uses Tinkatink to help create a bridge for the herd to cross and climb to get to their food. Roy uses Kilowattrel to cross the lake and complete the bridge. However, the star of this episode was Liko’s Hatenna who had more involvement other than helping out with the bridge. She was trying to resolve the Mankey’s herd’s conflict and when the Primape turned into Annihilape and started fighting with each other, their excessive anger caused Hatenna to evolve into Hattrem and she violently stopped their fight by using Brutal Swing. As they are Ghost types, the attack seemed to be super effective as all three are knocked out with a swing each. After they calmed down, Hattrem used Heal Pulse to heal them. Hattrem is setting herself to be a very violent healer and I’d love for this to be a thing.

The saddest thing about this episode is that Hattrem can no longer fit inside Liko’s hoodie. That’s quite unfortunate for her as she always loved being inside the hood as a Hatenna. She has to be a big girl now. Other than that, I think this was an excellent way to help progress with Hattrem’s character as she is an empath like Liko. I can’t wait to see what future episodes hold in store for Hattrem now that she is capable of fighting. Right now, Liko is the only one with two middle-staged evolutions and Roy has one fully evolved Pokemon. Dot is lagging behind in terms of evolution, but it makes sense as she became a trainer later than the other two. I feel like Quaxly might evolve first and then Tinkatink. I also have this feeling that Fuecoco might evolve soon too. What do you think about this episode and what are your predictions for evolution timing?

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Ghosts of Geonosis"

Packaging this two-parter as one big episode because shut up, you're not the boss of me.

I could have sworn I had a live reaction version of this already, but I can't for the life of me find it. Oh well.

This cue here sounds like it comes from TCW, maybe Saw's theme if he had one, anyone wanna confirm that for me?

This whole opening interaction between Ezra and Sabine is cute, she watches him as he plops down into her seat, gives a long-suffering eye roll, and dope slaps him across the back of his head for asking a stupid question and aside from a silently-mouthed "ow" he doesn't object to any of it lol.

Sign of the tightly-written continuity, we are returning to Geonosis to check out the missing populace and also pick up a Saw Guerrera guest appearance post his prominent role in Rogue One. (Out of text-wise that is.)

Empire cleaned up their mess pretty well.

Early establishing of the plot complications of the underground tunnels blocking comm signals, which features throughout the episode as a major element. The GFFA equivalent of establishing "no cell service", essentially.

The sandstorm also obscures things, visually and sensor-wise. And provides us with much humor as Sabine complains about it frequently.

Ho man, I remember how much I loved the banter and dialogue this episode, it was so much fun. Felt like a return to the early days of the show.

This episode was another really great one for subtly showing off Kanan's blindness. He mentions the stillness of the air, his hearing picks up on Klik-Klack before anyone else does, Saw has to let him know to watch his step...

As we already know, abandoned helmet = they 100% dead. The showrunners would use this visual shorthand very effectively in the promo image they did for "Heroes of Mandalore", with a whole pile of empty Mando helmets littered across a scorched landscape.

Kanan plays the voice of caution here, almost like he's the genre-savvy one in a horror movie, lol. Fitting, some aspects of the episode are played up like one. (We got the "Monster POV" shots, we got the cryptic remains left behind, we got no cell service, we got a storm.)

Badass boys shot. <3

Unlike Kalani's decrepit troops, these B1s and Destroyers have been better maintained and repaired, and give the group a bit more of a hassle until Saw shows up.

There's excellent teamwork between all the hero parties involved, Kanan and Ezra work smoothly as oil to slice up the Destroyer once its shield is gone, recalling Obi-Wan and Anakin from TCW.

Something I loved about this season was that characters would offhand mention, "Oh, we don't have this." or "The Rebellion really needs this." and then a couple episodes later they would manage to either acquire them or have them come into play.

Some examples: Proton bombs, this shield generator, spacesuits...

Ooof, was I the only one who caught the similarity between Saw urging them forward to satiate his obsession, Ezra agreeing, and Kanan choosing to trust him and, well... [gestures vaguely to the whole Malachor thing with Maul].

The tension this episode is great, the communication problems lend a sense of urgency and anxiety during both groups' separation and you get a feeling like the messages are coming almost too late to save them.

The Zeb and Sabine banter. <3

Kanan asking Ezra to look for him. <3

There he go, lol.

Kanan is really impressive, Force-wise, this episode, tossing Ezra aaaaaall the way across that chasm, separating and levitating that bridge for Saw and Rex to cross, and still somehow having enough energy and stamina to leap across himself.

And the Force theme that accompanies said above is lovely. <3

Ezra's pretty cool himself, using Force sense to find Klik-Klak when it seems like the bug has given them the slip. His theme is even excerpted a bit.

(Possibly he actually forms a connection, because he's very empathetic towards Klik-Klak after this and defends him from Saw repeatedly.)

Already having some Concerns about Saw's methods lol.

I love how this show depicts Ezra's compassion as one of his major strengths. It's natural for most Jedi and combined with Ezra's natural affinity for connection it's practically a superpower. Ezra's really sweet with Klik-Klak. :)

DEATH STAR-SHADOWING. Oh man the Dramatic Irony was painful, like any time TCW alluded to or called forward to Order 66 and a mental scream rings in your head and you want to yell at the characters and shake them as if that can somehow help them avoid the inevitable doom. Same feeling.

Saw, those binders do NOT have a tracker in them, don't lie.

Obligatory "Stab the TCW fans in the heart" moment.

Ezra seeing shades of himself in Saw's grudge against the Separatists, god his face this whole scene.

Once again touching on those Star Wars archthemes about breaking the cycle of revenge, about not turning your internal pain outwards on the rest of the world, no matter how righteous your cause, about not becoming a monster in your efforts to slay the dragon, about showing compassion to everyone, even your enemies. Saw is representative of the Well-Intentioned Extremist, and even though his ultimate goal is noble--destroying the Empire, exposing their secret superweapon so that the galaxy will finally wake up and deal with the tyranny they've come to complacently accept--Saw loses parts of his humanity in the process, emotionally and ultimately physically. He becomes almost like Vader in the bitter end, for his efforts. (And he's also a shadow of Thrawn.)

Brunsen! I love her.

Saw's personal grudge against the Separatists in general for killing his sister and his squad is blinding him. Ezra points out that Klik-Klak is basically the only survivor of a planet-wide massacre and is understandably a little defensive about invaders, trying to live up to his name again and "bridge" the differences between the two factions, only it doesn't work this time because Saw is too fanatic.

"Saw, we had this argument back at Command." Oh DID YOU now, Rex? Really could have forewarned the team that Saw might get a little deranged in his quest for truth.

I love Saw, he's the best example of an actually Morally Gray character in Star Wars. Unlike Thrawn, his "greater good" reason for going to such extremes, doing whatever it takes to achieve the goal, is actually directed outwards towards the whole of the galaxy, he doesn't selfishly focus inwards on his own interests. Part of it is of course that Saw has already lost his people and planet, so there's nothing left for him except to prevent it from happening to other people. We're encouraged to sympathize with his pain and sense of loss, but not necessarily be comfortable with his actions.

The narrative both condemns his extremism and, ultimately, vindicates him in regards to the Death Star. There's the same sense of futility about him in that neither he nor the Senate and Jedi before Order 66 could uncover the plot quick enough to avoid their fate.

Back to the action, though. Love how the Ghost is so infamous now that their capture/destruction leads to big promotions lol.

This music cue sounds full of adventure, I like it. :)

Klik-Klak trusting Ezra because Ezra was nice to him aww.

"Neither have yours." Saw has a reputation, oof.

It's cute how Klik-Klak keeps tugging on Ezra's wrist.

Yeeeeeeeah I don't think we're supposed to sympathize with Saw in this moment. It's very deliberate, they even have him throw Ezra across the room.

"Your methods are soft, Jedi." Shades of Tarkin much, Saw? I know this annoys people to hear but even if you're fighting fascists, there are lines you don't cross. Saw points a blaster at a baby for heaven's sake. You do not become like your enemy in order to destroy them, because then you're just taking their place, exchanging one kind of cruelty and violence for a different one, for your particular flavor of one.

War is hell but you don't have to become a demon.

Saw's long hesitation after Ezra uses the word "family", Ezra got to him a bit I think, lol. Rex reinforces that tactic, ha ha.

My only minor nitpick this episode, the show once again using the Empire as a Diobulus Ex Machina to make Saw play nice with the others. One more Persuasion Check would have done it I think.

Cue a very excellent action setpiece.

IIIIII think I heard this cue before, back in "Imperial Supercommandos" when Rau ambushed Ezra and Sabine in the shuttle. Interesting choice.

A nice little badass moment for Ezra. :)

And a hero shot for Sabine as we prepare to show off her new jetpack.

He adores her.

Kanan's the only one who can't see how awesome she is. :(

Her little "That's cute." shoulder pat when Ezra says he wants a jetpack too. <3

Love how this Imperial's hat gets sent askew slightly from Brunsen's slap.

HHHHHNNNNNN ONCE AGAIN THE DRAMATIC IRONY IS MENTALLY SCREAMING IN MY HEAD, NO NO THAT'S NOT WHAT HE MEANS.

Saw listens to Ezra this time, next time we see him he's even more apathetic towards the beings in front of him who need help now.

HOW AWESOME WAS IT FOR HERA SLICING THROUGH THIS LIGHT CRUISER? Eh? Eh?

You get such a sense of the speed here.

Ugh, the pictures of the canisters aren't enough, ow, that feels like some kind of Politically Relevant commentary.

And as I said before, the narrative lets Saw get off (this time) with some stern looks from the others, but it's still not completely approving of his actions. He's not the Empire, yet, but he'll come closer and closer to their tactics and methods.

This two-parter episode is almost perfectly paced and it's really well-written. Everything about it works so well.

Solid Rebels content. <3

[quarktrinity]

quark watches star trek season 2 episode 17 (CW: firearms)

the camera continues to be obsessed with kirks ass

this guy doesnt even know about subspace communication

kirk cant bother to exposit about space stuff

mccoy and spock walk in and immediately leave

mcspirk bickering

epic background music as if weve never seen them beam down before

so crazy how this planet looks like earth in the 60s. theyve never done that before.

why are there guns in star trek

the. mafia???

mafia guy thinks mccoy is flirting with him

jesus christ so many guns

these white girls talk like the street rats from little shop of horrors

The Pool Table of Business

kirk doesnt know how to play pool

...does this planet have countries that function like businesses? thats horrifying

yeah theyre basically the mafia

...OH THATS COOL

the "contamination" on the planet is books that made their culture Like That thats awesome

mafia boss getting touchy with kirk. okay

oh so NOW kirk cares about the "dont mess with alien cultures" rule now that the alien culture is asking him to mess with it

...is this about the cold war? it may vaguely be about the cold war.

mafia boss casually initiating a hostage situation with the enterprise.

scotty doesnt speak mafia

kirk invents space mansplaining

kirk dismisses spock like an annoying dog. i love this show

kirks incredibly good at bullshitting. charisma stat off the charts, expertise in deception

that was incredible

kirk carrying a gun just doesnt look right

kirk assumes that every mafia phrase he doesnt know just means murder

spock and mccoy make out NOW!

this dude talks like his throat is coated in rocks

yes background music we get it shes sexy

kirk isnt even fazed by the sexy lady massaging his shoulders out of nowhere

it has been 0 episodes since kirk has been imprisoned

this scene is like a click point adventure game

I Wonder If This Obvious Trap Is A Trap

Surely Not

oh my god i dont think ive ever heard kirk yell

he sounds like a videogame pain sound effect

goofy fight choreo improved by goofy background music

Wow So Crazy How It Was A Trap

I Cant Believe It

spock says why not try teamwork

hi kirk

mcspirk bickering

kirk literally told these guys to take off their clothes. i just.

damn kirk looks good in a suit

kirk cant drive

spock knows how to drive a stick shift but only in theory

worst driving ive ever seen

i love this show

"captain, you are an excellent starship commander, but as a taxi driver, you leave much to be desired" make out

kirk talks business with a child

this child is amazing

is this the first time theyve actually used the phasers when theyre on stun

kirks using mafia-speak, accent and all. i love it

kirks such a slut

get beamed up idiot

"are you afraid of cars?" "not at all, captain, its your driving that alarms me"

kirks mafia-speak is so cute

kirks standing on a pool table

these guys cant even learn teamwork

"this is koik"

Space Lasers, Activate!

wait are they dead

oh ok theyre unconscious. good

we have solved the space mafia by conflating all the space mafias

yeah so this is definitely breaking the "dont mess with alien cultures" rule

alright bye

[mysterycharacterbracket]

Round L7, Poll #6

Remember, this is the losers bracket. The winner of this poll will advance to the 8th round, and the loser will be revealed and eliminated.

Character 162: Image a character who is powerful, intellegent, and feared by the most powerful entities of the world. They trade tales with each other of a powerful hunter that would wipe them from existance with a flick of his finger. Now imagine that he's a middle school teacher and his students think he's a cringefail manbaby. This character has some of the most OP powers of his series and uses them to give himself theatric lighting and cast shadows over his own face for dramatic effct. He wears sunglasses at night and footie pyjamas to important business meetings. He thinks he's so cool. And he is! But, quote, "his favorite meme is teamwork" and he's gay for a man who sleeps in rivers fully clothed. He's supposed to be a wise mentor figure but his students and subordinates do not respect him at all, even though they have enemies that are terrified of him. He's 26 years old and the story is supremely excellent at writing him as a young, unsure, not-very-good-at-adulting adult. I love this guy. He sucks. He's excellent. Please vote for this guy.

Character 292: hes the most unhinged 13 year old youll ever meet. hes shot a man before. a gambler who doesnt care if he lives or dies, which makes his various matches against the yakuza very stressful for them. at 19 he went up against a man who had been responsible for the murders of many via blood loss, and has the absolute audacity to raise the amount of his blood drained 10x just so he could drain the old man of all his wealth, which he later gambles away again after he wins. he died during the game but he got better. he got dementia in his 50s and arranged a fake funeral for himself, invited his friends to it to tell them he wasnt actually dead yet, and then died in front of all of the for real. in a tiger print button up and white suit. an irl funeral service is held for him yearly on the date of his death and he has a physical grave.

[thoughts-of-loyalty]

So, here's something i feel rather funny about: for all my various faults with the show, RW/BY really tended to have solid action more often than not. I mean, not at all surprising in the first few volumes, because Monty Oum was a genius with combat scenes, but even after his unfortunate passing, I think the show could genuinely pull off excellent fight scenes when it put in the effort. If you'd ask anyone I've spoken to about fights, I'll easily admit that Volume 4's Qrow vs. Tyrian is one of my favorite fights in the whole dang show; and I do think that there's some decently solid action in Volume 6 and beyond, despite my general reticence with the series after Volume 6.

But I think many could probably agree that Volume 3 was one of the apexes of RW/BY, and that did tend to include fight scenes. The fights were pretty well animated and dynamic, we were graced by the excellent Qrow vs. Winter, the Mercury effect was in full throttle for his fights... it was just as memorable of a season for the battles as for anything else.

... but it didn't have it all handled there, which is where we get to my Nitpick November today: A lot of the Vytal Festival Tournament's 4 vs. 4 matches were pretty weak.

Of course, we all recall the inaugural fight of the season, RW/BY vs. ABRN! There was some pretty solid teamwork in effect on both sides, Reese had a pretty okay bout with Blake that had some degree of clever fighting on both sides of their fight, and Arslan was definitely the toughtest of her team and doing the best. Even after Reese was out, how would our heroines take out the remaining trio?

Oh... Yang's just going to punch all of them once as the one hit in a big combo move, and that's enough to defeat all of them.

Well, that's fine, I guess! There was a whole lot of buildup from RW/BY's side, had Yang side on a ice ramp to build up speed and get extra speed from Blake swinging her at the team, so it was a pretty big hit! Okay, what's next?

Alright, Team JNPR vs. BRNZ! We saw that JNPR was pretty on par with RW/BY back in Volume 2 during their food fight, Jaune had been noticeably improving during the past Volume, and Pyrrha was being hyped ever since the first Volume as of of the best fighters in her age group. Maybe we'd get to see Jaune barely squeeze in a win against one of them as a sign of his progress, or Ren and Nora tag team to show they've got synergy as teammates, or maybe Pyrrha will show off her skills by taking out two of BRNZ at once! Let's see how this goes!

O-oh... they're going to make a painfully long joke about them arguing about tactics in the middle of a fight, and then it's Nora - not, y'know, real standout of her year Pyrrha- who takes them all out in one attack. And she just hits all of BRNZ at once with one swing, too...

Well, now we've got SSSN vs NDGO! For some of us fans, this is what we've been waiting for! Finally, we get to see Sage and Scarlet in action, we've been seeing them in the openings for two whole Volumes! Let's see SSSN show us what they're made of!

Oh, uh, Sage gets sent flying out of the ring in seconds of the fight beginning? Well, that's okay, Scarlet's staying in, Sun just brought it down to 3 vs. 3! Their teamwork isn't exactly great, but Scarlet's doing a good job fighting the girls coming after him! ... oh no, wait, he gets taken out by an attack Sun did getting redirected into him. Well, that's okay, I mean, Sun and Neptune are close friends, right! Surely they'll pull off a cool win together to show their teamwork!

Oh, wait, no... Neptune is just gonna stick his electrical trident in the water and take out all the girls in... *sigh* one singular attack.

Yeah, Volume 3 just did not do the 4 vs. 4 fights well at all. Like, there's this whole emphasis on teamwork in the show, and we've seen these characters work well together as a team, so there's so much potential for cool fights where we see what they're all capable of... but the fights we do get are pretty small bouts where the opponents honestly spend more time working as a team than our heroes do, and because they couldn't think of a better way to end the fight, they just contrive a way for them to win the fight in one big hit.

It was an annoying trend for Volume 3's opening fights, and really got it started on a weak foot. At least when it got to the 2 vs. 2 fights and beyond, the fights got better and the endings to those fights more dynamic, but man...

[narutocharacterpolls]

ROUND ONE

UCHIHA OBITO vs OMOI

Reasons for submission under the cut

Obito

his mental breakdown was cool when he killed the kiri-nins

he looks more beautiful with his scars

the most tragic complexly developed character in the entire franchise

he's an example of how Naruto could have gone if he had all the love and hope twisted out of him

he turned evil because of all of his goodness was manipulated, and he comes out the other side, redeeming himself

Naruto says he's the coolest guy he knows (or something along those lines)

he's silly

his war crimes were funny

he's so misinterpreted, nobody gets him

Obito v Kakashi in Kamui was the best fight in Naruto not only because of the beautiful animation but also the composition and the use of flashbacks…

Tobi was funny and a great bit

Omoi

he has anxiety - is shown to have actual reservations and fears about the world he lives in, which is honestly horrific and terrifying. Everyone elses' lack of worry in the War Arc is more unrealistic

his fears may sound outlandish and they may be played for laughs, but nothing he says isn't unreasonable given the universe he exists in

his teamwork with Karui was great

shown to be very capable and was instrumental in defeating Sasori and later Deidara in the War Arc. If given more opportunity, he could have shined bright.

very handsome. Adorable, even. 10/10

funny. He is usually played for laughs and it works. He plays off Karui and B really well.

is from the Hidden Cloud, the best village. Excellent representative.

was a representative of the Shinobi Union before his promotion, working with and no doubt influencing the direction of the novel organization as it was developed in the fallout of the Fourth Great Ninja War. Trusted to advocate and make decisions on behalf of his village in a time of unprecedented change.

[beevean]

Favorite Dracula fight from a gameplay standpoint?

Simon's Quest because Simon is so pissed at being cursed that he kills him in 5 seconds. True gameplay and storytelling integration

Portrait of Ruin, because fighting Dracula and Death together is so cool! And their combined form has also some memorable attacks, like when he attempts to crush Jonathan and Charlotte with his wings and you need to use the Super Power of Teamwork to free yourself :D

Order of Ecclesia has excellent bosses, and Drac is no exception. He's excruciatingly hard (fitting as he was toying with poor Shanoa), but fair in that way that you can memorize his pattern to try a damageless run: his first phase is as always rather predictable, but the second one really testes your reflexes

[acoldsovereign]

I'm glad to see you back! I have a question, if I may ask. What inspired you to make (Ancient) Saiyan Culture? And would you say Maiz is a good example of it?

Subject Matter: Lore & world building // sender: anonymous // status--always open!

{{ This is so freaking old, like MONTHS old, dear stars above. I don't know who you are but whoever sent this, I hope you're still around! 😭 My bad--

Anyhoo!! Yes, you may! And thank you for your question(s)! What inspired me to create ASC/Ancient Saiyan Culture is a long story (one that I've shared I think about twice on here?) but the short of is this: I wanted to explore why Maiz (before I completely revised her for RP purposes, she was basically a fanfic/lore study OC for Saiyan lore) was the way she was. To do that, I strived to make an antihero character with some sympathetic undertones. Which meant that I had to explain her culture, the way she thinks, why she had troubles with Turles (the version I wrote), how Paragus was important to her as a makeshift father figure despite her initially disliking/hating him for personal reasons (PLEASE someone ask me about this, it was so sweet and heartbreaking. Can you tell I love the Saiyans so MUCH AUGH--) what foods she was used to, what made up her nightmares, fears, hopes, etc.

In a way, I started cooking up Saiyan Culture around her and then around the other Saiyan characters I was writing. Somehow though, I ended up with a vast world that eclipsed them.

And well, my best friend brought me to RP and the only character I thought about constantly was Maiz, so I broke her down and did my creative thing according to the needs of the RPC (basically I stalked/lurked on a lot of the accounts that I interact with these days--the same ones that I'm proudly mutuals with 💙). I noticed there was a lack of female Saiyans and a lack of particularly vicious Saiyans in general too, so Maiz ended up becoming this really cool and complex villainous/antagonistic/aggressive character who has little to no redeeming traits, funnily enough--though "redeeming qualities" depends on who you ask, I guess. (She's actually a good mom and an interesting romantic partner to have ) In the end, she ended up being a hit with everyone that's seen/read her stuff/interacted with her.

But speaking of her and the culture that surrounds her, you know what? Ironically enough, she is a decent example but at the same time, not the best even if she's an expert on it. (And yes, the hypocrisy is intentional on my end. Sometimes Maiz comes close to realizing it, and other times it goes over her head. She does deny things to rationalize her actions occasionally. Make of that what you will).

Ahem.

Ancient Saiyan Culture, at its core is all about community and teamwork--albeit taken to dark extremes due to Saiyan tribalism.* (And no, not all of it is dark, I digress).

(We see aspects of this in the franchise all throughout, sadly only in flashbacks or filler or whatever, but that's neither here or there. Again, I digress).* Individuality is celebrated but it wasn't emphasized because it didn't NEED to be, pre-Cold Family. Maiz excels at being an individual, but her main problem is that she denies personhood and understanding to other Races. Unless she likes them, or likes an individual from that Race. And even then, she's liable to treat them as a "token" until she gets better. (She does with long term exposure, but she'll still be Permanently Weird because she is a Stubborn Alien Lady™ with a Petty Streak).

The plot twist is: this line of thought + behaviors would be considered the Saiyan equivalent of 'sympathy'. Because the way she was taught was to spare nobody. Not even a child. But Maiz post-Genocide will spare people--but only if they are a nuisance that she thinks lowly of ( it's kinda how her and Jay's Future Trunks got started; the slowest burn in the universe / @burnxngslash), someone that she thinks is interesting or could be useful to her long term (the majority of her slaves and how she got her kingdoms/twelve planets), or because they amuse her in some way that she can't exactly put her finger on so it forces her to think further on if she really wanna kill them or not. Spoiler alert: She Does Not and Reasons May Vary (basically her and Thane's Future Trunks' dynamic right now / @hopefromadoomedtimeline. Listen they're complicated okay but they're working it out. Just know that she is Not Normal™ about him. He Makes Her Heart Nervous and She Doesn't Like It).

Point is: there are some aspects of the culture that Maiz doesn't exactly live up to, but it's her choice. Other times, it's because it's too painful (what community can you have when the only survivors of your Race are half breeds and some spread out males that are so far removed from the culture that it feels like you might as well be the only true survivor left?), or because it's something she doesn't agree with: killing off the weaker partner after reproduction for example.

Fun fact: For a very long time, Maiz dreaded the idea of being in an intimate relationship because she was afraid that a potential mate would see her blind eye as a defect and kill her off after having a baby with her. Weakness of any kind was ingrained in her at birth to be an unsavory thing, which partially fueled her viciousness as a childling. She wanted to live to adulthood. (She doesn't know that this is the main reason why she denies herself romantic and sexual feelings as an adult. All of this got repressed and forgotten about, post Genocide).

Also--this may come as a shock to you all--but Maiz, for all her high self esteem, doesn't actually see herself as super attractive. It's because back on Planet Vegeta, the beauty standards revolve around health, intelligence and physical ability. Her eye is more than enough to dock off several 'social'/beauty points even if her strength more than makes up for it. That, and even though she's a taller and more muscular version of her mother, she was indirectly taught that there are more 'beautiful' people out there. You'd never know this though because of how arrogant/rude/cruel/mean, etc she is and how she carries herself. (She forgets she's her mom spitting image too).

She also isn't deprecating about it (nor does she think about it so it wouldn't even make sense for me write it out unless I'm in a scene where that's the topic). Like, she's not UGLY, but she's not mid either? She sees herself as in between these two things.

I wanted to write more but you know, avoiding the whole "making her too sympathetic" thing is still going strong over here. Hopefully this paints a clear enough picture for you! Thanks again for the question anon!

[thegirlking]

Occasionally, I've seen people complain that Inosuke never got his "big moment" in the manga (as in no epic power-ups, no big feats, generally playing a supporting role in others' battles rather than getting one of his own). And I get this, because those things tend to be very important in battle shounen, but I honestly think that it kinda works for his character development?

Inosuke was introduced as this reckless, foolish boy who is fixated on being the strongest and extremely battle-hungry to the point of cruelty - he was willing to hurt and even kill Zenitsu just to slay another demon, not even because it's the right thing to slay demons but because it's fun for him. Even after befriending Tanjirou and Zenitsu and softening up a bit, during the Mount Natagumo arc he's still prideful and wants to do things on his own in order to show off his abilities, he rushes to fight on his own without thinking and that ends up almost costing his life.

But after that arc and the crushing defeat he experienced there, you can see him beginning to accept (even if he doesn't admit it out loud and tries to keep his "I'm the boss" act) that there are stronger people than him and that he can't always win on his own. He learns to work with others, rely on others and becomes an excellent battle partner to have - for Tanjirou and Zenitsu and also for Kanao in the final arc. He fights at his best precisely when he's fighting together with his comrades.

Learning friendship and teamwork is such an important, defining aspect of Inosuke's character. That's why I think him being more of a support fighter in the battles works and it's meaningful in its own little way, it shows the strong friendships he's built with others and the lessons he's learned thanks to his friends and mentors. In many ways it benefits his character more than some "cool" battle feat or power-up would.