#despite having literally zero source material

[the-redacted-of-all-time]

its so over

no way am i slowly falling head over heels for a macdonalds mascot for a seasonal burger that will probably only be used ONCE- and the reason is because his design has a sniff of idv merc bro

like LOOK

YOU CCAN SEE THE SIMILARITIES C'MON (my friend called me insane over this btw)

im tweaking out man,,, ugh

[punkeropercyjackson]

Nonblacks in fandoms are literally brainwired to not care about black characters.When it comes to Disney Princess ship aus it's always Ariel and Eric or Rapunzel and Eugune but never Tiana and Naveen or Brandy's Cinderella and Paolo's Prince Charming.Hazel is a trio with Nico and Percy but is always replaced with Jason for 'The Big Three Boys' despite Percy being closer to her and Jason only becoming friends with Nico being used as a pity case for him by witnessing him being force outed and is defanged even though she's on par with Percy and her design whitefeminized because Pjo fans can't comprehend black girl features as feminine.Allura was the only good part of Voltron but she was bashed for daring to be the love of the lives of the two fan fave male characters instead of them realizing they only 'think' they hate eachother and applied every misogynoir stereotype to her under the guise of progressiveness

Duke is forgotten as a Batkid,Robin and Batboy based off a requirement rule that's never been said in canon or even joked about by official sources and Kory and Tam are shoved out of their romantic narratives with Dick and Tim to fit the 'redheads and blondes' rule even though Dick's dated more black women than redheads and Tim's first girlfriend dyed her hair blonde because she thought that's why he liked Stephanie more and he made a twisted expression of horror as his thought box said 'I...hate it'.Luz has her blackness invalidated almost always by NONblacks only,Gus is a canon black4brown mlm in a teenage romcom-esque ship but Toh fans ignore him and Mattholomule to obsses over Hunter and Edric as they 'roast' Huntlow too when Edric might as well not exist in comparison to Willow's depth and abundance of screentime,Camila was never given a chance and branded an abusive mom or spicy latina armcandy for Eda and Darius gets jackshit despite Hunter's whole ass entire dad and having a canon backstory with Eda,Raine and Lilith as classmates

Gumlee and Bubbline have much less content than completely noncanonical white gay ships and even after we saw Elise Marceline still wasn't popularly drawn black as human despite her being confirmation for Marcie and by extention Marsh being biracial.Oscar is said to have no personality by the same people who run blogs dedicated to fucking JAUNE AND SUN and his importance to Ruby downplayed for a mean white girl who bullied her for being a younger autistic girl and Emerald is easily the most deep and prettiest antagonist but hardly anybody hardcore stans her or ships her even including Mercury

Miles has zero crossover genres and i mean GENRES a la Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons not the occasional one-off fanart and niche fic despite everything about Spiderverse being prime crossover material especially now that we have Atsv yet Danny F/P gets in on all of them including being JASON'S COUNTERPART when MILES is exactly like him while Danny's literally just ghost-themed and has nothing in common with Jason including being different flavors of deaths and ressurections and Margo is made out to be a desperate loser over Miles even though he showed even MORE more interest in HER and Hobie is passiveaggressively turned into Gwen's 'canon brother figure' despite the FIRST thing we learned about him is that they were gonna be a thing and it made it into the final project as confirmed by the creators who said the viewers can choose if they were dating or not and Jessica did nothing but be a good adoptive mom to Gwen after her cop dad kicked her out,have chemistry with Miguel,her own inner turmoil too and serve cunt and y'all either hated or ignored her for it BECAUSE she's a black woman but not a m*mmy or a minstrel show,don't even lie

And they notice NONE of this despite it happening every.fucking.time.They never prioritize or treasure black people in their lives if they even have any and they smacktalk black celebrities for the same reason they worship nonblack ones too.They make a mockery of black culture with butchered aave and whitewashed black aesthetics and calling our food disgusting and our romantic tactics inherently perverted(see the oversexualization of 'babygirl' when just means 'sweet black girl' and is meant to be comforting and can even be used platonically by older male relatives).They don't see color.They don't see us at all.They deliberately turn a blind eye to all the nonstop microagression they do towards our representation which they've NEVER limited to fictional characters-see how every black actor ever gets harrased!!!-yet act all 'woke' because they unlearned queerphobia and ableism.Yeah?Unlearn THIS propaganda too snowroaches

[shirubae]

WHY was Blaze in Sonic 06?

In my analysis of Sonic 06 I promised not to touch lore or canon. But this single question has plagued me for years, and I can't run from it any longer: why was Blaze in the future with Silver in Sonic 06? It literally keeps me up at night. It is a core moment in her identity, yet it remains one of the biggest unaddressed mysteries in the series.

To answer this question, we must also answer: who is Blaze? She's a princess from another world. Easy, right?

Buckle up. Forget everything you know. This is a long one.

Blaze's Debut

Let's step back in time. The year is 2005.

Blaze debuted in Sonic Rush, which released on November 15, 2005. She was created by the game's writer and director, Akinori Nishiyama, as a contrasting character to Sonic. It introduced Blaze as a cat from another world who is the guardian of the Sol Emeralds.

Fun fact: this game never even implies that Blaze is a princess. Not once. In the game, the manuals, and any promo material I can find, she is only called the guardian of the Sol Emeralds. Maybe it was a note in her file at Sonic Team HQ, but at this point, her royalty simply was not a thing. If someone can prove me otherwise, bob's your uncle.

This is the first example of Blaze's identity being in flux.

Blaze Returns

Blaze's next appearance was in Sonic 06, which released on November 14, 2006, exactly one year later. This game depicted Blaze as the curt companion of Silver, fighting Iblis in a destroyed future of Sonic's world. Huh? Yes. The game never mentions her alternate dimension nor the Sol Emeralds. Blaze is Silver's well-dressed friend now. You think that's confusing today? Try being a kid who just got to know her in Sonic Rush a year prior.

Because of how the game treats Blaze, some fans assumed that Sonic 06 was a reboot of the series, or that it was at least retconning Blaze's backstory into her being a denizen of the future alongside Silver. There are zero official sources to support this rumor, but it gained traction anyway, and people started citing it as gospel. It's wrong.

Blaze's official Sonic 06 backstory can be found in other sources, like the official websites and the Japanese manual. They are pretty consistent with Rush: she's from another dimension and guards the Sol Emeralds (despite their total absence in this game). None of them say she was born in the future.

The English website calls her a "queen". As far as I know, this of all places is the first public source to reveal Blaze's royalty!

However, there's also some odd details, like her wearing a cape, so it may come from an early draft of Sonic 06's plot and not be entirely accurate. Maybe they were planning on her royalty being more important than it ended up (I theorize that it's why she could absorb Iblis where Silver failed).

Let's wrap up the princess thing. The first game to really make Blaze a princess was Sonic Rush Adventure, which released another year later on September 14, 2007. It's an important plot detail, which is likely why they decided to officially solidify it.

But that means for the entirety of Sonic 06, Blaze may not have been "out" as a princess. Did Sonic Team really plan for everyone to go read her bio online in order to know this? No, but the game didn't mention it either. So her identity was still being sorted out on the public stage.

It got worse when fans noticed that Blaze doesn't seem to recognize Sonic at all in Sonic 06. In their only scene together in Kingdom Valley, she doesn't say a word. If this is the same Blaze from Rush, why doesn't she know him? (Mind you, Sonic doesn't acknowledge her either). This discrepancy only fuels the "future Blaze" rumor, and it's still never been properly explained. Despite being discussed again and again, we haven't had a clear answer. So, let's at least go over the answers that we have received.

Takashi Iizuka at Sonic Boom

Takashi Iizuka is the current (2024) head of Sonic Team. He's worked on many games in the series, though notably not Sonic 06 nor Rush. Still, during the Q&A panel at the live event Sonic Boom 2012, one of the many fan-submitted questions requested he clarify some lore regarding Silver and Blaze.

Here's a transcript, since the crowd in the video is pretty loud:

Speaker: "Iizuka-san, can you please clear up the story of Silver, Blaze, and Eggman Nega? Are they from an alternate dimension, or the future? Not to mention, in Sonic Rush, Sonic Rivals, and Sonic 2006, they all know each other, but in Sonic Colors, they've never met?"

Takashi Iizuka (via translator): "So, everyone probably already knows this... but Silver and Eggman Nega are from the future, and Blaze is from an alternate dimension. That's the official story. But in 2006, basically what happened was everyone kind of had like, amnesia. That's how that kind of played out."

The guy was put on the spot to answer a big question regarding two characters from games that he didn't even work on, plus the translation barrier! He handled it well, all things considered. This at least debunked the "future Blaze" rumor, but it didn't answer why she was in the future in the first place. Let's check another source...

Shiro Maekawa on Twitter

Shiro Maekawa is a former Sonic game writer who worked on the Shadow and Silver Episodes for Sonic 06 (but not Rush). This means he wrote for Blaze; naturally, some curious fans have reached out to him with questions. His responses may give us some insights into what was intended with her in 06.

First of all, Maekawa confirmed that he intended to connect Rush to 06. He's said this in multiple tweets. What exactly he means isn't totally clear.

A fan once made a neat tumblr post delving into this connection; I don't totally agree with everything said, especially the "future Blaze" stuff, but it's definitely a valuable perspective (unfortunately the author has deleted their blog after harassment... good job guys).

He also says that he intended for the place that Blaze gets sent to in Silver Episode to be her alternate dimension. That makes sense; just sending her home! But he admits that his ideas are not official, so it's up to Sonic Team to decide.

Furthermore, Maekawa supports the theory that Iblis remains sealed within Blaze's soul to this day. Fans have taken it a step further by theorizing that the reason Blaze can become Burning Blaze is because of her connection to Iblis - this makes sense, given the fiery aura and the fact that Blaze briefly goes Burning in the cutscene when she absorbs it.

If that theory is true, and she goes Burning in Rush, then it would force 06 to be a prequel to Rush.

Since it's confirmed Blaze isn't from the future in 06, she must have gotten sent there somehow - maybe by the Sol Emeralds? They do teleport her on their own in Rush. That would mean Blaze hasn't met Sonic yet, so she has nothing to say to him. Then in the ending, she forgets everything and goes home, later meeting Sonic for real in Rush. Boom, easy! For a long time, this placement in the timeline seemed fair.

There was a tiny hole: an unused audio file of Blaze dialogue in 06.

Blaze says: "Sonic... the Iblis Trigger... a blue hedgehog... can it be true?", expressing familiarity with the blue blur. So she did know who he was...? Then why did she not say anything? Well, it's unused so it shouldn't count. But the fact that it's recorded at all means it got far enough into the script to be voiced...

On the other hand, this game also has the "Book of Darkness" flub and the "head to Wave Ocean" blooper, so maybe its audio files aren't to be trusted. Problem solved?

No. Not until a certain someone speaks...

Ian Flynn on Bumblekast

Ian Flynn went from writing the Archie Sonic comics, to the IDW comics, and now the games. He's been working on Sonic properties for a very long time, and is even consulted as part of the mythical "Sonic lore team" at Sega-Sammy. Those folks work on piecing together the canon, including the chaos of 06's timeline placement (imagine being paid to write stuff like this lmao).

This means he receives lore knowledge from on high, from the top dogs at Sonic Team. At the moment it's fairly secretive, but on Ian's Q&A podcast, the Bumblekast, he often lets fans in on tidbits.

What Ian has shared so far supports a lot of theories discussed with Maekawa. He has entirely confirmed that Blaze went Burning Blaze as she absorbed Iblis and went home, and has dubiously confirmed that she still has Iblis in her soul (he doubts it will ever be brought up again).

But the prophet has spoken: Sonic 06 is officially set after Rush in the timeline. Say what you will about Ian's writing or understanding of the characters; like it or not, he's received this info from Sonic Team. So, our timeline theory is debunked.

Ian even acknowledges that there are plot holes with this timeline placement, like why Blaze and Sonic ignored each other in Kingdom Valley, and why she didn't think to find her old friends for help. But he has no say over it. He'll just have to find a way to write around it, I guess.

He also acknowledges that Blaze's presence in the future and partnership with Silver are still completely unexplained, and he hopes to eventually touch on it... But he also states that there is an official reason why Blaze was in Silver's future. I'll write his quote here for reference:

Ian Flynn: "Here's the thing: working on something else, I actually did get a straight answer, and it was frustratingly simple. And it's like, 'that works, okay.' No, I can't get into it, that's all private work stuff but maybe it'll come to light, eventually. But there is an answer, and it works, and I kinda feel dumb for not thinking of it."

So it's currently classified. Where does that leave us? "That greedy Ian is selfishly sitting upon a hoard of gold, hiding his secrets from us!" "There must be a secret scroll sitting in the depths of Sonic Team HQ, emblazoned with the truth!" "Ian is a filthy American, he has no idea what he's talking about!"

Well, we can guess to our heart's content. There are a few theories:

Maybe the will of the Sol Emeralds sent Blaze to help Silver. The strings of fate pulled her so she could help guide him and eventually absorb Iblis. This one is the most sentimental, so I like it...

Maybe Blaze got caught time-traveling during a fight with Eggman Nega, and was flung into the future. This would explain why Ian found it "frustratingly simple" (he hates Eggman Nega lol).

Maybe at the end of Rush, Blaze couldn't get back home from the Exception zone; instead, she ended up lost in Silver's future due to space-time shenanigans. Nothing in her ending truly confirms that she ever made it back home. Pretty simple.

These still don't explain why she and Sonic didn't recognize each other, but we have to just let Ian deal with that one lol.

Conclusion

Our best course of action is to wait. In many of the clips I've linked, Ian regularly expresses interest in addressing Blaze's mysteries in an issue of IDW comics or a TailsTube episode. We also know that Evan Stanley, a fellow comic artist-turned-writer, is a big fan of Blaze and Silver (check out her "Ghosts of the Future" fan-comic). Our cries for the truth do not fall on deaf ears.

Ultimately, Sega-Sammy will choose whatever is most profitable. They are a business operating in capitalism. If revisiting Silver and Blaze's backstory is somehow a good business decision, they will allow it. If it's not... they won't.

The "Fearless: Year of Shadow" campaign has given me hope. Its success is hopefully proving to Sega-Sammy that fans do care about characters besides the main Team Sonic, and that mysteries and lore of the past can be addressed in games like Sonic X Shadow Generations. Whether it results in more leniency with using the extended cast in future games, such as Blaze and Silver, remains to be seen. Maybe the two need to be teased in a movie before they can get more attention lol. But I have hope that one day, my patience will have paid off, and I can update this article with the official truth of the matter.

Patience and hope: that's what Blaze offered Silver in Sonic 06. She supported him through his recklessness, stabilized him, and reminded him of what he was fighting for. But she also loved his passion, his drive for peace, and value of the truth. She loved how "naive" he was in the face of his seemingly impossible mission.

We fans are all a little naive. So for now, let's just wait and see.

[nekropsii]

I’m curious which M/M alpha troll ships you’d put in the case study tier - who is in the Petri dish?

These aren’t ships to me, just dynamics I think are interesting for narrative reasons, but… Putting this under the cut since it's a little long. I got into some detail.

Content Warning: Long, Discussions of Abuse.

These are the top three things that come to mind on the subject. They're in no particular order, though!!

Cronus and Kankri’s… I can’t earnestly call this a friendship, that implies some kind of mutual genuine attachment, trust, and respect. This is more of an… Alliance, if anything. Their relationship is solely grounded in Kankri’s bootlicking, hemoloyalist pick-me horseshit, and Cronus gravitating to anything that can give his pathetic, sad, over-inflated ego a boost, whether it be through him tearing them down for no reason or, in Kankri’s case, enabling him for no reason. It’s worth pointing out that Kankri was outright against Cronus taking any steps towards any self improvement, so Kankri is absolutely partially at fault for Cronus being as brazen about his abuse and manipulation of others as he is. Kankri is at fault for Cronus’s manipulation tactic of adopting random minority identities, and faking suicide for pity points. We literally see Kankri backing Cronus up about these things. They are in the worst cahoots I’ve ever seen. Hitting people who “ship” them with a rock because none of them have ever read anything in their lives and it’s honest to god one of the most consistently, disgustingly out of character things I’ve ever seen. Zero understanding of the source material. Kankri’s always made into a Catholic Whore, Cronus is always wildly defanged and woobified. Completely unrecognizable. Jail.

Rufioh and Horuss’s… Already failed relationship. This thing started as a tryst while Rufioh was dating Damara before the game even fucking happened, so this thing has been going on FOREVER. Rufioh had been cheating on that poor girl for YEARS before she finally snapped, and Rufioh has the fucking audacity to call her crazy and paranoid?! I’m sending him to The Hague. Anyway, Horuss has that Zahhakian quirk of being very violently stuck in his ways as far as the caste system goes, and it’s interesting watching how smitten he is with Rufioh despite this (and, I’d argue, because of this, to an extent,) and how not into it Rufioh is. It’s interesting watching how Horuss clearly knows what Rufioh is getting at, he knows that Rufioh is trying to break up with him, he’s just incapable of letting go. And Rufioh is incapable of growing a fucking spine and communicating with people normally, instead of just immediately giving up and then turning around and talking major shit about people he presumably cares about behind their backs. As if that’s a normal thing to do. Asshole.

Cronus and Mituna’s… This isn’t a friendship, this isn’t a relationship, for the love of fucking god this is NOT a Kismesissitude, this is just undeniable extreme abuse we see on screen, constantly. Above everything else, if you ship this, I’m going to kill you with hammers and then shoot you with a gun. The thing is, though, you cannot separate these characters from each other’s writing. You cannot write a Mituna that has never been abused by Cronus and a Cronus that has never abused Mituna, because that dynamic there is so important to both setting up and understanding these characters as both characters and as people that they’d be completely unrecognizable without that element. You need to understand that you can make this shit become symbolic. Mituna is Cassandra. Cronus is both Apollo and Ajax the Lesser. Please understand the vision. It’s right there. It’s so easy.

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 2

Propaganda Under Cut

Iris West

Treated terribly by fandom because of racism and misogyny

Iris is one of the oldest Flash characters (well, oldest by measure of the Silver Age Flash) and despite the show's problems she was adapted pretty well. Her being pushed aside 100% has to do with her being Black in the adaptation. The most popular ship on Ao3 for that show is her white husband x a white passing supervillain clearly intended to be read as actually white who has been in LITERALLY ~SIX EPISODES. He DIED IN 2016. THEY ARE STILL DOING THIS

Gets mom friended like you wouldn't BELIEVE. People hate her because she was childhood best friends with The Flash and has chemistry with him :( like it's her fault she's sweet and smart and not the male blue coded villain to the red hero. I am so tired

Stephanie Brown

Literally my best friend ever!!! Every time she shows up in a comic I point at her and smile!!! She’s the vigilante known as spoiler & batgirl & was a robin before getting fridged because of editorial mandate and misogyny she deserves so much better @_@. The m/m that some people hate her for is timkon; like they ARE very gay but people are genuinely insane about hating her instead of also realizing that she too is gay (insane amount of subtext w her bff cass). Basically she was Tim’s girlfriend for a long time on and off. People will literally call her abusive for no reason they’ll be like oh but she didn’t apologize for starting a gang war accidentally and faced no consequences for it :/ as if she wasn’t literally KILLED OFF BRUTALLY. And although hate is rarer for her nowadays from what I’ve seen she’s also a victim of Background Lesbian Syndrome. And also a victim of Woman Not Allowed To Have Ocmplex Feelings in the source material itself (tim is canonically bi now yay but like steph wasn’t allowed to have any complicated feelings at all at her on again off again ex breaking up with her for good???). Anyways she’s the light of my life.

she’s the light of my life my baby girl my everything. she canonically dated tim drake, but people love to ship tim with his male friend kon or his male brothers (🤢🤮) and so they constantly sideline her, making her the quirky wingwoman or sometimes even villainizing her by trying to claim she was abusive to tim. i don’t know why so many people hate her my girl will literally just be standing there and people will hate on her.

Stephanie was first introduced in the 1994 Robin series as a side love interest for Robin, but when she turned out to be really popular she became the main love interest. Because of this, she was fully fleshed out as a vigilante calling herself Spoiler to try and take down her villainous father, the Cluemaster. She later grew a lot closer to other cast members, such as Batgirl and Oracle, to get herself a firmly established place among the bats. Then, she dies in a gang war after taking up the Robin mantle. Eventually, in 2009, she was brought back from the dead and took on the Batgirl mantle. Her and Robin get back together sometime around ~2010 and they are solidly together until 2021. Then, Robin breaks up with her off panel for zero reason in canon, only to date some really boring guy named Bernard. By fanon, she's often demonized and turned into an abuser to make either this ship, or a lot of other mlm ships happen. Either that or things are mysteriously set in the time she's dead despite characters who were not yet introduced until she returned appearing. strange.

[whomst-the-hell]

i have so many thoughts abt colin provolone gradually turning out to be a hero despite it all because it irrevocably changed the feeling of the campaign, at least to me. imo, if all the scrumptious scoundrels had been morally bankrupt and self serving to the end, it would have just been tone. if everything is bad, then really nothing is. karna kills without remorse for her own gain, deli is ambitious above all else, raphaniel is a fucked up little freak, and even amangeux, who is ostensibly the most sympathetic and the most compassionate, cares more for the few than the many. at least to me, these traits would all have had net zero moral impact because its sort of what i expected, based on the setting and the source material. but colin broke all that by being kind, by doing what he could for the banana kid and by leaving deli and by doubling back and by dedicating the rest of his life to tracking down the sanctus putris and destroying this small piece of evil from an overwhelmingly evil world. suddenly there was this strange bright spot in the narrative and suddenly everyone else was so very dark. before ep4 some part of me kind of thought that, in a lot of ways, the characters were doomed by the nature of their story — the setting, the tone, the fact that its a prequel. so many characters were dead from the beginning. destiny has been designed. — and because of that the main characters almost didnt have a choice but to be cruel. they had to be selfish and violent. its what the story demanded. and then it was kind of like colin fucking provolone looked at the camera and said fuck that, i choose to be kind in whatever way i can, i choose to help in whatever way i can, i choose to atone in whatever way i can. and i sort of felt like yelling ‘have you all been able to do that this whole goddamn time?’

also theres something abt the fact that his secret, the thing that brought him into this narrative, the reason that he is there at all, isnt even really about him. he says it himself -‘i dont think i even really did anything’. everyone else is being blackmailed by the skeletons in their closets. their own actions. karna killed the spymaster, raphaniel poisoned the king, amangeux had a bastard child then killed the father, deli was trying to fuck his aunt. truthfully, i dont think any of these things (except maybe raphaniel’s) make them bad people (karna and deli were both literal children, and amangeux was grieving then trying to protect her baby) but they are still Main Character Moments. colin provolone was just some guy, who had the misfortune of being born a fontina. and then he killed a god.

[pinkrose787]

Regarding Creek's character in Trolls: A Twist in Time, I don't really want to portray him as malicious. Which I know is a wild thing to say after Chapter 2 lmao, but hear me out.

Creek is a self-serving jerk. There's no denying that. The whole fic is built on the premise of him altering the timeline, because he doesn't like the way his life has gone.

I want to go back to the source material real quick. The most obvious thing is that he literally sold everyone he knew and loved out to be eaten, just so that he himself would not die.

Is that a super messed up thing to do? Yes.

The thing is he did it out of survival, not malice. He didn't sell everyone out, because he wanted them all to die. He sold everyone out, so that he wouldn't have to die.

Something else notable both in the betrayal scene and his introduction, is that he generally frames what he does as helping. He framed his condescension towards Branch as him giving Branch advice. He framed the betrayal as him selling everyone out as being a good thing, because they wouldn't have lived very long.

In fact, in that scene, he tries portraying himself as some sort of martyr. "I'm going to have to live with this for the rest of my life."

I think that Creek genuinely believes what he says. He truly sees himself as a good person, despite all the evidence to contrary.

This continues in the AU. Creek thinks a world where Branch could end up being king, while he is an outcast is a dark timeline. In his mind, everyone benefits from his advice and presence. Whereas, everyone would only suffer with Branch as a king.

So, when he "fixes" the timeline, he believes that he is helping everyone by preventing such a world.

Something else that cannot be forgotten about is that he is intensely egotistical, and his life pre-Trolls 1 did not help with that. For years, he's been seen as one of the top troll gurus in all of Pop Village. Pretty much every troll saw him as someone to be admired. This fed his ego.

Which is part of the reason why he's so offended at everything that happened. His life was by no means horrible. He was still accepted back into the village. There were still many trolls willing to be friends with him. Most trolls

But his status had been lost. He was now an ordinary troll. No one looked up to him. When he spoke about peace and zen, most trolls either ignored him or rolled their eyes.

This was an intense wound to his pride. One that he could not stand.

In the fic, this ends up manifesting as him seeking out social status. When he altered the timeline, he did not intend to make himself king. What he meant to do was get back to where he used to be, but being king is promotion. One that he relishes.

Now, I do need to go onto what occurred in the new timeline. In Chapter 2, I explained that Poppy started the relationship and he went along with it. This was a version of Creek that had no memory of the previous timeline. He only gained those memories when the new timeline met the point of the previous timeline. (That isn't confusing, right?)

So, this new timeline Creek, never betrayed anyone nor does he have any memories of doing so (until later). As such, he never lost his status or his relationships. But he has a very strong desire to keep them.

Which is why when Poppy asks him out, he doesn't say no to her. Rather than looking at it as going on a date with Poppy, he sees it as going on a date with the Queen. Not only that, but he he feared that rejecting her would harm his status, especially since she's not only the queen but a hero as well. (Which I think he's wrong btw.)

Now, going back to old timeline Creek, he does feel some guilt about his marriage to Poppy. He did not mean to alter the timeline in such a way that they got married. In fact, he had zero clue she ever had a crush on her until the new timeline.

He has always thought of her as a great friend. The two of them had known each other since they were both kids. Even though the whole betrayal occurred, he never stopped thinking of her as a friend, though no longer a close one.

The thing is he has never loved her in a romantic capacity. Not even a slight crush. So, to him his relationship with Poppy is merely a way for him to gain social status.

Still, he views him being married to Poppy as being better for her than Branch dating her. (Which is insane. Would you rather be married to someone who only cares about the social status that comes from being your spouse or date someone who genuinely loves and cares about you so much that they'd accompany you to a land of giants on what they believe is a suicide quest?)

Going onto his relationship with Branch. As stated in a previous ask, Creek did have a crush on Branch way back when they were teens. Though he later abandoned said crush when it seemed like being around Branch would make him a social outcast. (Again, wrong. I'm sensing a pattern where Creek is never right about anything.)

Despite his efforts, his feelings never truly went away for Branch. His crush wasn't overwhelming like it was as a teen. It was more so passive, and would only show up if he talked to Branch.

Now, I think part of the reason that he had a crush on Branch was an "I could fix him" mindset. He saw the sad state Branch was him, and thought that he could be the one make Branch happy. And when he did everyone would see him as a hero, especially Branch.

Which is why he despises the fact that in the original timeline Branch was happy, because it wasn't Creek who made him happy. In fact, because of the fact that they pretty much switched places in society, he built up resentment.

This resentment dissipates shortly after seeing Branch in the new timeline. He's reminded of his crush, but more importantly he's reminded of just how much he used to pity Branch for being the way he was.

This also ties into why he was the way he was at the end of the second chapter. He knows that Poppy was the one who made Branch happy, and he doesn't want that to happen in this timeline. He wants to be the one who helps Branch and become the one who Branch loves.

So, he does pretty much everything he can to dissuade her from being around Branch. He pulls out pretty much every manipulative trick he knows. Does he feel great for this? No. But he feels like it must be done.

I won't say much more for fear of revealing spoilers, but there's a lot more to come.

[cienie-isengardu]

Why should Kuai Liang even try or want to lead the people who: 1. Ran him and Tomas out of their home 2. Tried to kill him in his wedding 3. Attempted to or killed many of his friends?

Kuai has no footing there in Lin Kuei. They blindly followed Bi-Han to commit crimes in a cowardly ambush and most don't regret what they did after all if the dialogues are any indication. They're as bad as the old timeline Lin Kuei.

While Kuai Liang has to eventually unite both clans, now can't be the time. They've hurt and abused him too much.

Before I answer your very good question, let me preface it by saying this: I do not have a habit to base my judgment on source material I’m not familiar with, especially when the source in question is not even officially released yet. Thus I can’t and at this moment won’t address the Lin Kuei attack on Kuai Liang at his wedding, because - again, officially - it did not happen yet and so far beside spoilers and leaks I DID NOT READ, there is only Kuai Liang’s ending hinting at this upcoming confrontation that hardly looks like cowardly ambush, as both forces face each other while preparing themselves for fight.

Not saying leaks won’t turn out to be true, but I wish to see the storyline and examine source material to get the whole picture before leaping to any conclusion. The fandom is already emotionally explosive as it is and I do not wish to add fuel to it based on things I heard so far from other fans. So you need to forgive me skipping this certain part - once the NRS releases the expansion story mode we can happily come back to the matter.

Now, for the rest of your question, Lin Kuei hurting Kuai Liang is nothing new. His character arc in original and alternative timelines walked this road already. 

His own father, a Lin Kuei warrior himself, kidnapped Kuai Liang and Bi-Han, presumably killing the boys’ mother and younger sister in the process. He and his brother were forced into a clan that trained them into merciless assassins, taking away any chance for normal and safe childhood. After Bi-Han’s death, Kuai Liang was hunted down, his friends turned into soulless machines, or in an alternative timeline he himself became Cyber Sub-Zero against his will. And he still fought tooth and nail to take over this morally corrupt clan - a clan that hurted him emotionally and physically, a clan that exploited him and Bi-Han for literal decades. All to set Lin Kuei on a (more) righteous path. Because despite what happened, or how cold-hearted over the years Kuai Liang became, he cared for Lin Kuei. If not for people itself, then for principles like honor, legacy and duty. His dedication to the clan, the desire to reclaim lost honor and build a better future for his people overcame any other senses. 

Is that a realistic choice to make? In real life most likely not. If Kuai Liang was a real human being, then absolutely his safety and emotional peace of mind should come above any duty or responsibility to the family that on purpose hurted him and his friends. And the safety and people who deeply and sincerely care for him would be the thing I wished for him. But since Kuai Liang is fictional character and as such represents specific archetypes and themes that are part of bigger worldbuilding, I do think Netherrealm Studio’s eventual choice to remove Kuai Liang from his own legacy will simply not work. Not just from the perspective of the story but also from the perspective of MK1 Scorpion’s character arc. 

(And yes, I said I won’t judge characters and events on source material that isn’t even released yet and maybe the expansion story mode will provide rational and sensible reasons behind NRS’ choices. So this is less judging Kuai Liang as character for his (authors’) choice and more explaining my own feelings on the matter.)

I assume the question "Why should Kuai Liang even try or want to lead Lin Kuei" comes from my previously posted statement:

“But if Kuai Liang decided to not replace Bi-Han as Grandmaster and fulfill his duty, then half of the intros will sound very hypocritical of him, I think? Original/alternative Kuai Liang dedicated his life to reforming his clan because he cared for Lin Kuei. Scorpion!Kuai Liang appointing someone else to rule it is, wow, weird as hell. ”

and I stand by it. We all may argue over this or that character’s choice, but there is no doubt that Mortal Kombat has a certain theme assigned to each character. Kuai Liang’s from the start is “Honor” and “Duty”, be it to Earthrealm or father’s teaching.

A trait he shares with original/alternative Kuai Liang and ironically, the strong sense of duty is what he and MK1 Bi-Han have in common too. Their sense of duty is currently contradictory, but both brothers put duty to clan (Bi-Han) or to Earthrealm/tradition (Kuai Liang) over their own blood ties. Now, the thing with Scorpion is that available source material clearly states Kuai Liang:

Always wanted to be Lin Kuei and nothing else

Did not give up on Lin Kuei and is willing to battle with Bi-Han for control over the clan and brings it to its original purpose

This was established in

Scorpion’s Bio before the game even came out

Like his cherished father, Scorpion is dedicated to the Lin Kuei and its defense of Earthrealm. When his father died, Scorpion was bereft. Though he took pride in knowing that his brother, Sub-Zero, would succeed their father as the Lin Kuei's grandmaster. But Sub-Zero's unprecedented moves to cast off the Lin Kuei's traditional duties have frozen Scorpion's enthusiasm. He fears that one day he may have to battle his brother for control of the Lin Kuei's legacy.

hinted/ mentioned in the story mode itself

Kuai Liang: "I knew Bi-Han's frustrations ran deep. But I never thought they could inspire such madness. We can't let his corruption spread."

&

Tomas: "That the Lin Kuei won't aid us is unforgivable. Bi-Han has corrupted them totally." Kuai Liang: "When this crisis ends, we will deal with that one."

repeated in intro dialogues:

Raiden: Did you ever want to be an Earthrealm champion? Scorpion: I have only ever wanted to be Lin Kuei.

or

Geras: Your brother's Lin Kuei are an obstacle to peace. Scorpion: It is *my* duty to deal with them.

or

Scorpion: I fear the Lin Kuei is beyond redemption. Scorpion: Together, we will restore its honor.

or

Scorpion: From the ashes, the Lin Kuei will be reborn. Sub-Zero: Do not presume you can burn it down.

and again stated in Scorpion’s ending:

"No sooner had Titan Shang Tsung been defeated than Bi-Han and his loyalists hunted us down. Outnumbered, we fled to Japan. There we sought refuge from an old family friend. As children, we played together. But Harumi Shirai was a woman now, the head of her clan. Her strength, beauty, and intellect awed me. Also incensed by Bi-Han's betrayal, Harumi agreed to help me forge a new clan. One that would stand against him and defend Earthrealm. Her aid proved invaluable. And as time went on, we grew closer. To honor Harumi and pay respects to my new bride, I named the clan after her, calling it the Shirai Ryu. Now the battle against my brother begins in earnest. The Shirai Ryu won't rest until Bi-Han is defeated and the Lin Kuei's honor restored."

Current version of Kuai Liang is a mix of his original and Hasashi Hanzo’s traits, however despite the differences between MK1 and previous timelines, he never truly gave up on Lin Kuei. Shirai Ruy is a means to both protect Earthrealm and to bring back his original clan to its honorable roots. Even if we may argue Kuai Liang doesn’t care anymore for his rebellious brother or Lin Kuei warriors that hunted him and Tomas, Lin Kuei is still his rightful legacy - abandoning it completely, giving up on centuries old tradition would mean abandoning his cherished father and the man’s teachings. Something Kuai Liang refused to do repeatedly and was catalyst for the conflict between brothers.

So though it is understandable that Kuai Liang (and Tomas) may not wish to live with people that turned against him and brought so much misfortune - something that most sane humans would choose - he is still a Grandmaster’s son and pragmatic leader. The same as Bi-Han, Kuai Liang is a dutiful man that puts duty above personal feelings. Him letting Lin Kuei to be ruled by themselves (and in case of Cyrax, by one that once was Bi-Han’s absolute loyalist as stated by him in story mode) won’t resolve the conflict. The risk to Earthrealm will be still there, and any new conflict between Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei will be in great part his fault. Because he had a chance to unite two clans into even greater power for Earthrealm’s sake yet choose the “easy way out” by putting someone else in position of power, I presume hoping said person will share his mindset. Not to mention that with Smoke and Harumi at his side, Kuai Liang has a trusted family to either entrust the new clan under their care or be protected by them while he is cleaning up the mess created by his brother. 

For me, Kuai Liang rejecting his duty as rightful heir (that allows him to actively control and redeem Lin Kuei), also rejects his loyalty and duty to late father, Liu Kang and Earthrealm’s safety. But above everything else it put the whole Scorpion’s character arc into question - what was the point of all of this if ultimetaly he did not fulfill his goal of bringing Lin Kuei back to its honorable ways and ensuring personally it stays the way for good? A goal so clearly established in source material? Does that sounds satisfactionally to anyone? To be invested into the crusade against corruption of cherished tradition and father’s teaching only for character to ditch the responsibility like it never mattered in the first place?

Of course, this is just my speculation and personal feelings. Maybe the expansion story will lay out a well-thought-out, logical course of events that will perfectly excuse the change in Scorpion’s character arc or what will be the final deal between Lin Kuei, Shirai Ryu and Liu Kang. I’m holding back my final judgment over it as much as I can, but to be honest, I’m a bit worried at the prospect that Kuai Liang can be removed permanently from his Lin Kuei’s Legacy.

In regard to: “They blindly followed Bi-Han to commit crimes in a cowardly ambush and most don't regret what they did after all if the dialogues are any indication. They're as bad as the old timeline Lin Kuei.” The same as withholding my judgment over the attack during Kuai Liang’s wedding, I have nothing to say at this moment about your statement. I did not read leaks and so far people threw spoilers at me that I have no will to research for confirmation, because again, I would like to experience the story mode as it is in the final form. Maybe the leaks provided enough data, but at this moment I personally did not read anything from Lin Kuei’s perspective that didn’t come from Bi-Han, Tomas or Kuai Liang. Still, I doubt MK1 Lin Kuei are even close to being as bad as the original clan. From what I know so far, Sub-Zero does not sell their skills for the best bidding the way assassin Lin Kuei did, so there is a reason to assume MK1 Bi-Han does not exploit its people the way original Sub-Zero brothers were. 

Though I think we could also argue that what people call “blindly following Sub-Zero” is less about enjoying the criminal activity on their part and more about fulfilling their duty, as Lin Kuei pledged to obey their leader. Which raises an interesting question, if personal morality should stand above one’s duty the way Kuai Liang and Tomas rejected Bi-Han, or it is the other way. I assume the answer will vary from one person and culture to another but the game most likely won’t explore this sadly.

Once the story is out, I’m more than happy to come back to discussion about Lin Kuei’s morality if anyone will be still interested 🙂

[mostmagical]

nicole my love will you rank your top three or top five or top ten video games… whichever number you wish to gush about… i love you…

hi sunny..... oughh I have a tough time picking favorites.... I looked at this question like a homework assignment.. I did a top 10 and I put reasoning even though you did not ask for that but I'm putting it under this read more in case you want it... you don't have to read more though... but you can... i love you...

Top 10

Kingdom Hearts - Obviously of course. I don’t always even rank KH1 as my favorite KH game but basically this was my “oh games can be like that?” game. Until I played this, I mostly played simulator games and movie tie-ins and Barbie games, and I loved those but this one had a STORY I could bury myself in. I forced the friend I played this game with to sit and wait while I read through every journal entry and character file looking for MORE, because I was so immediately hooked on everything.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories - This one always ranks high not just because of the story, which I love, but because this was the first game I ever beat entirely by myself. A lot of people skip or can’t stand this game so I’m extra proud of myself tbh. But this is the game where one of my favorite characters became one of my favorite characters, so it’ll always have a special place.

Ōkami - I love this game so much… It’s so visually stunning, I love the unique game play, and Amaterasu is such an amazing protagonist despite the fact that she does talk outside of barking and howling and also she is literally a dog. But she’s so good. There’s a dedicated bark button, which is important. AND THERE’S FISHING!

Final Fantasy X - I’ve literally never sobbed more over a piece of media in my entire life. The game wasn’t even over yet. I had to fight a boss with tears in my eyes. This was my first FF game and oh my god. Oh my god. I can say no more.

Horizon Zero Dawn - I got so sucked into this game. It was all I could think about for months. I love the environmental storytelling and the world-building and Aloy is a female protagonist WITHOUT a love interest in this game and it’s so huge to me and ugh. UGH.,

Hades - This game is so fun… I usually don’t like games that make me feel like I’m struggling but they somehow made it such a joy to die over and over again and see what’s up in the house. The sheer amount of unique dialogue makes it impossible to get annoyed. And it’s just FUN. Full of complicated family dynamics and Greek mythology… Collectibles… WOO (also has fishing)

Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - This is a really sentimental add, but it’s genuinely one of my favorites. I have so many memories of me and my childhood best friend staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing this game, only to go to bed and set an alarm to get up and play it again. AWL has some of the best NPCs of all HM/SOS games, and also the cutest cows. Ever.

Final Fantasy XV - FISHING. And also stories about bonds we build… friendship… ough.. I love sitting in the back of the car and letting Ignis drive and feeling like we’re all on a friendship road trip together. Random stops for pictures and bathroom breaks included. Luna deserved better but the hours I spent fishing made up for that.

Persona 5 Strikers - It probably seems silly to put this here and not Persona 5, but I really loved Strikers so much. It had such satisfying gameplay, completely different from the source material, yet still somehow felt like such an homage to the classic movesets. It was a really good adaptation to a new genre. I loved the story and the new characters, who MADE ME CRY! and I think it’s such a shame, because a lot of Persona players skipped this one!!! Ryuji gets to say fuck. Come on, people.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles - I love the characters in this game so much… I miss them… I love the original AA trilogy, but this one was so much fun for me. I love Herlock Sholmes… I love him so much I forgot that his real name is not Herlock Sholmes. All the characters are so dynamic and the cases are so fun… That was a game I wished never had to end.

Special mention to Animal Crossing: Wild World, Barbie Horse Adventures Mystery Ride, Secret Agent Barbie, Ni No Kuni, God of War (2018), Gris... I love video games. Damn.

[thephantomcasebook]

How much do you wanna bet Alys is gonna be girlboss #2 of the show behind Rhaenyra lord help us all I have zero faith in the writers of the show anymore.

I mean, I don't know ...

I heard that the first drafts of Season 2 were really terrible and ultimately rejected by the Studio because it was clear that Condal and the writers were injecting themselves into the narrative by writing characters as their avatars.

Alys was basically a vessel for Condal's frustration at Team Black fans for woobifying Daemon. Also both Blood and Cheese were written very meta and almost fourth wall breaking as the writers room commentary. And at one point, in several drafts, Blood supposedly rapes and sodomizes Alicent, while basically gloating about how Alicent could never act "Righteous" again, and the person that peeped it, said it read a lot like the writer was self-inserting to revenge rape Alicent and basically all Conservative women. Apparently this is the rumored scene that Olivia Cooke reportedly threatened to walk off the project if they didn't change.

The real issue is that the writers, apparently, did such a shitty job, that Warner Brothers went out of pocket to hire the head writer for "The Crown" to come in third party as a ringer and fix the scripts and stay on as a script editor on-set during shooting.

So, the advantage is that they have an award winning drama writer who is an expert in portraying historical royal intrigue and personal politics in a place of power. However, the problem is that he is not familiar with the source material and he only has the show bible to go off of for characterization - which means that Aegon of Season 1 will probably stay Aegon of Season 1.

Also, with Gayle Rankin being so last minute a replacement - literally - I'm not sure what will be done with Alys character or characterization. The early drafts reportedly weren't very good. But from what I understand she wasn't written as a girl-boss for political or social reasons, but as a mouth piece for Condal to humiliate Daemon to take out his frustrations on his fans.

My hope is that as someone who isn't a fan of "The Crown" but have seen a good chunk of it, the writer is superb at really good and relatable female characters that are flawed and vulnerable despite their high station and political power. I think that he could do very well with Alys if given the chance. But how faithful would she be to Book!Alys, I couldn't say.

There is a lot of parallels between "The Crown's" portrayal of Princess Diana and "House of the Dragon's" portrayal of Alicent and even Helaena. So, even though I couldn't speak to Alys. I think that we might get some good content with Alicent and Helaena from the guy.

[theweeklydiscourse]

If the “fanboys” can use fanfiction published books to back up their claims and arguments for what they support, why can the opposite group (who supports the sequel films and the actors who play those characters) not use the books written about the sequel characters for their own evidence? Since Ben Solo is the character of the moment, his earliest moments were documented in detail in books that are essentially published fanfiction by contract. Those books talk about how Palpatine groomed him in the womb and Leia felt darkness that she couldn’t get rid of, and how as a toddler Ben wanted to a pilot like his father but both of them prioritized their own careers instead and he nearly died by the household droids. It’s not in the films or comic books so it’s not valid. Really? That’s the argument against creators invested in his character and backstory? There’s also the comic book writer Charles Soule who made an attempt to cover the backstory featured in the Last Jedi film, and claimed that Adam Driver was his ghost writer. Considering that comic storyline took a left turn into a dozen different galaxies and is still traveling, it’s impossible to rationalize that any film arc would be parallel to the equivalent dumpster fire that the comics turned out to be. Because at the time that was released, the episode 9 script was not available to anyone including actors.

It’s okay to have a head canon that fills in the gaps between what a film shows and what it doesn’t. But when the head canon goes completely off script to become the opposite of the film information, that’s when there is a problem. It doesn’t benefit anyone when fans (not the narcissist fanboys) are attacked, by the same people who say they share beliefs, for defending head canons and source material that runs parallel to the films and what we are given of specific characters and their dynamics, instead of an idea that is 3 million separate solar systems away. At the same time, alot of the struggles that Ben Solo went through are not unique because it follows all of the textbook definitions and levels of abuse. People who have never experienced any of them firsthand literally are unable to empathize with his character. Luke has zero use for Ben. His own parents don’t understand him because he is so different. Leia is Force Sensitive. Han is not. Even books that describe how the Force works say that every Force Sensitive has different abilities. That easily explains why Leia can’t help him, Luke refuses to unless it benefits him, and Han can’t. Don’t forget that Palpatine is PuppetMaster over everything.

Then you have the narcissist fanboys who were so angry that Ben Solo existed that they were the ones who rewrote every single facet of lore and science within that universe. To the point where a Force Sensitive is not even allowed to become a Force Ghost. If that ability is removed by the writers or anyone else, then that person cannot be revived later for another story. Same for the World Between Worlds. You can’t have two people in the same lineage in the same inter dimensional space have different rules, when the rest of who visits doesn’t have those same restrictions. Therefore a Ben Solo resurrection film is impossible for the future.

The rage that Ben Solo evokes from SW fanboys is something that needs to be studied. Their efforts to erase him and write him off into oblivion is a clear example of the petty spitefulness that broke the myth for good. He’s been hated by the fanboys since TFA (despite what people might try to have you believe) and it all comes down to them hating the idea of his character being taken in a sympathetic direction. They don’t care about the themes or coherence of the myth, all they really want is an empty and badass spectacle that’ll momentarily satisfy them, but isn’t what they need.

The foundation of people’s inability to empathize with Ben’s character was laid way back in the TFA era. Since then, the half-baked headcanons that circulated around the fandom have morphed into an unrecognizable mass of unexplained problems people have with him. TLJ shows us evidence of the abuse he experienced and actively characterizes Ben Solo as a victim in a way that no one had expected post-TFA. He’s overtly sympathetic and his character serves as a reminder that it was a fanciful idea to think that someone would just spontaneously become evil because of their heritage. TLJ makes it so that he can’t be written off as the kid with perfect parents who just went crazy one day, instead he’s more than that.

Also, on the topic of the “Jedi prerequisite” for becoming a force ghost makes me quake with rage. It’s a bullshit rule that only exists to exclude certain characters from coming back and is used arbitrarily. The rules are constantly being rewritten and revised to suit whatever narrative the person making those rules wants to enforce. For the time being, DLF is averse to anything Ben related (even though he was wildly popular and mostly well-received) and given that Adam Driver isn’t coming back, I’ve lost all hope for a potential resurrection.

[musicallisto]

✨🌈💋 for the writer asks?? ily ily

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit) zero hesitation about this one: the door to heaven and hell! it's one of my favorite things I've ever written for this blog, probably because it's so personal and also explores one of my favorite fictional characters (matthias helvar). the whole time I was writing it I was just in such a peculiar zone that I haven't encountered since. I get why it didn't blow up like my kaz fics did (kaz is much more popular, and that fic is Weird and has no reader), but if you're looking for a truthful representation of my prose, my prefered themes, and my ~vibe~ when writing, I'd strongly advise reading that one over anything else.

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with? ok it's time to let you all in on musicallisto's biggest secret... i used to write for marvel for a little while,, despite having seen exactly 1 marvel movie (avengers 2) and like 3 episodes of tfatws, and having zero interest whatsoever in the mcu. literally the only reason I wrote for that fandom is bc it was so wildly popular, I knew it'd get me requests and traction, and I am nothing if not a little bit of a gold digger. so yeah anything marvel was soooo painstaking because a) i had no emotional attachment to the source material, so no motivation to finish a piece other than just posting new content on my blog, and b) i constantly had to check events and plot points on the mcu wiki so people wouldn't notice I was full of shit. whenever people would tell me "omg the characterization is so good!!!! you write him so well!!!!" it would always make me laugh bc girl i literally just read the "personality" paragraph on marvel cinematic universe wikia dot com... the only reason you think theyre written well is because they're so unidimensional their personality over the course of a 10+ year saga can be condensed in 4 lines it's actually quite tragic

💋when you leave comments on a fic, do you want to hear back from the writer? not necessarily? oftentimes there's not much the writer can add other than thank you, glad you liked it. i'm just happy leaving my little comments for the writer to enjoy and carry with them <3

*ੈ✩‧₊ writing asks!

[pumpkinstrawbrew]

how do you feel about nolan’s batman/scarecrow?

i’m not fully sure what you mean here. like, as in how i feel about the characters in that movie or that version of the pairing? 

but either way, i don’t hate it! i don’t hate any of batman movies tbh. no matter, how different or hella campy they are compared to source material, i still can see smth redeeming in them. i’m generally somewhat lax n’ chill with superhero movies/games. in most cases, i’d be more nitpicky toward cartoons/newer comics, than i’ll ever be toward cinema or video games. nolan’s batman falls into that category too. it’s not my fav batman movie by any means, but it has its moments.

besides, i believe that it was the first dc’s newer *2000 era* cinematic project back then, n’ i happen to watch it as a kid, so i have somewhat nostalgic memories about it as well. i also must say, that the tone of nolan's dark knight was very different compared to more campy, playful batman movies till that point. so it was nice change too. very unexpected turn in a way.

personally, for me it was hit in some places n' a fairly big miss in the others. for one, i get why a lot of people were annoyed with who nolan chose to play the scarecrow, since yes, it is strange to see a character, who canonically was considered to be far from pretty *to put it mildly* suddenly becoming basically an opposite of it. but tbh, i usually not very sold on who they pick to play characters in those movies. so it’s not like i tend to be 100% pleased in that aspect. n’ i do find it somewhat amusing, that for once, jonathan can be a real ‘princess’, both in manners n’ looks. it took some getting used to for sure, but i’m not super-duper upset about that change! i feel like i would have more inner dissonance if that batman movie, where nicolas cage was about to play crane had actually happened lol. i mean, it could have been interesting tbh, bc i cannot imagine cage being tame in his performance, esp back then. so maybe it's actually too bad that it didn't happened, bc we might have gotten the most over the top jonathan crane, who ever existed. like, you see jim carrey's riddler n' there is still no riddler to this day to top his exaggerated, campy performance lol. n' i have this vibe here too. i can bet 10$, that nick would have improvised in some scenes, n' like licked batman's face or smth. .... ah man, now i kinda wish that it had happened, dang.

but uh err, back to nolan's movies. if i’m being completely honest here, my main pet-peeve with nolan’s scarecrow wasn’t his looks per say, but rather how little he was presented in those movies in itself, and how nothing was really going on there for him. it really rubs me the wrong way, that he wasn’t even his own thing, just a pawn for another batman villain to use. he was never allowed to play a major role in anything, despite *might be wrong here tho* how nolan said that he considers the scarecrow to be batman’s real arch-nemesis not the joker, so this is why he used the scarecrow first. the scarecrow being batman's real fuel is smth i’m 100% sold on, and it all considering, that i actually love the joker as character. but like, the clown gimmick is basically antipod to literally everything lol. him being batman's 'fuel' always felt kinda idk, a bit lazy to me. at least, make the black mask or two-face his arch-enemy, this would be way more nuanced vs the clown, who's just hella insane n' have zero morals. so if nolan was also one of those people, who felt that the joker can be put aside for a moment or two, n' let another old batman's rogue shine, welp, he didn't implemented said sentiment very well in his movies.

there was a lot of room to do smth with crane’s character. to flash him out in newer ways or craft him more specifically for the setting, that they had going on. batman 2022 actually got this bit right. their edward was still very riddler-like, while also possessing enough ‘original’ elements to make him exist within the movie’s narrative/tone perfectly. he felt like that movie's main villain specifically n’ he played the part. n’ it all considering how he also was on the screen for idk, 20 minutes at max. but his presence was important n’ left an impact. not hannibal lector from silence of the lamb level, of course, *you cannot beat a suspense masterpiece after all* but still, it was smth. n' it was one of those things, that made me like the movie way more, than i expected.

with this in mind, now compare it to how we had to sit through a long ass movie, where we were teased with the scarecrow being the main antagonist. only for it to turn out to be a lie. instead, crane was taking the back seat to ra al ghul. just degist this sentence. he wasn't even bested by the joker or bane. but by ra flipping al ghul. like out of curiosity, i asked a couple of people, who have very limited n' slight knowlege of batman's media as whole, but who watched nolan's movies, n' i asked them who was the villain in the first movie. and they all were like 'the scarecrow'. no one even remembers ghul. an' it's not bc crane did smth big in the movie, but it's bc no one really cares about that past lore, where ghul was bruce's teacher. everyone only remember, that he kinda died or smth, when the cave/building collapsed lol. granted, i’m also bias here, bc ra al ghul is one of those batman’s villains, who personally bore me. and naturally, him stealing the spotlight from crane doesn’t win him any brownie points with me. but like, idk. this is just so unfair to the scarecrow. i mean, his iconic fear toxin wasn’t even released by him or on purpuse, which had me like ??? as a kid. bc it just made zero sense. it would have been the same, if i dunno, a clock king in btas had released joker’s laughing gas, all while the joker himself was just sorta/kinda there. just idling in the background without any proper input, aside from being the one who created the said gas lol. this is what had happened there. so yeah, it was a very awkward way to make bruce's old asshole teacher revelant again. also jonathan being a drug dealer *kind of* an' having a 'business plan' is so hiliriously opposite of what he usually did in the comics/btas. maybe, he could have shared his knowlege of how to make money with other cranes, who are usually broke as hell lol.

n’ well, if i had to be nitpicky here, i also was disappointed with how little thought they put into crane’s scarecrow costume. the excuse of ‘they tried to make it more realistic’ doesn’t work on me, bc catwoman in burton’s batman was designed with the same idea in mind, n’ her costume was freaking awesome n’ creative. but oh well…it is what it is.

as for nolan’s scarebat version, well, i don’t mind it. i love comic/btas crane n’ bruce the most. love jon as that socially inept, unsightly, closeted gremlin, n’ bruce as a low-key emotionally stunted, but still sympathetic hero. but aside from that, i can see an appeal in a good-looking scarecrow, who might have the power to sway batman with one smokey look. granted, jonathan already acted all whorish around the bat in the movie, so it’s not hard to picture him trying to seduce his way out of an encounter with batman just bc he feels that he can do it. so just this one time, crane can have it ‘easy’, when it comes to wooing the big bad bat. there is also smth funny about people expecting the fearsome scarecrow to look literally anything, but how nolan’s one looks. an' i also must add, that i've read a few of nolanverse scarebat fics an' usually the authors doing a better job at flashing out crane, than the movie did lol. so props to them for that!

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 1

Propaganda Under Cut

Stephanie Brown

Literally my best friend ever!!! Every time she shows up in a comic I point at her and smile!!! She’s the vigilante known as spoiler & batgirl & was a robin before getting fridged because of editorial mandate and misogyny she deserves so much better @_@. The m/m that some people hate her for is timkon; like they ARE very gay but people are genuinely insane about hating her instead of also realizing that she too is gay (insane amount of subtext w her bff cass). Basically she was Tim’s girlfriend for a long time on and off. People will literally call her abusive for no reason they’ll be like oh but she didn’t apologize for starting a gang war accidentally and faced no consequences for it :/ as if she wasn’t literally KILLED OFF BRUTALLY. And although hate is rarer for her nowadays from what I’ve seen she’s also a victim of Background Lesbian Syndrome. And also a victim of Woman Not Allowed To Have Ocmplex Feelings in the source material itself (tim is canonically bi now yay but like steph wasn’t allowed to have any complicated feelings at all at her on again off again ex breaking up with her for good???). Anyways she’s the light of my life.

she’s the light of my life my baby girl my everything. she canonically dated tim drake, but people love to ship tim with his male friend kon or his male brothers (🤢🤮) and so they constantly sideline her, making her the quirky wingwoman or sometimes even villainizing her by trying to claim she was abusive to tim. i don’t know why so many people hate her my girl will literally just be standing there and people will hate on her.

Stephanie was first introduced in the 1994 Robin series as a side love interest for Robin, but when she turned out to be really popular she became the main love interest. Because of this, she was fully fleshed out as a vigilante calling herself Spoiler to try and take down her villainous father, the Cluemaster. She later grew a lot closer to other cast members, such as Batgirl and Oracle, to get herself a firmly established place among the bats. Then, she dies in a gang war after taking up the Robin mantle. Eventually, in 2009, she was brought back from the dead and took on the Batgirl mantle. Her and Robin get back together sometime around ~2010 and they are solidly together until 2021. Then, Robin breaks up with her off panel for zero reason in canon, only to date some really boring guy named Bernard. By fanon, she's often demonized and turned into an abuser to make either this ship, or a lot of other mlm ships happen. Either that or things are mysteriously set in the time she's dead despite characters who were not yet introduced until she returned appearing. strange.

Selina Kyle/Catwoman

She's a badass and a complex character. She's awesome regardless of her relationship with Batman. Still, she's often called a b*tch by the fandom and villainized for the sake of their m/m ship.

You should see the way she’s completely ignored in favor of people shipping Batman with the Riddler. You’d think she’s not in this movie at all from the fic / art some people make.

Literally has suffered more than Jesus, reduced to a sex object by so many writers and then completely discarded by fanon for the sake of Bruce’s so called boyfriends again and again even though she’s so much more than those most reductive portrayals. Robs the rich to give to herself. Definitely had a threesome with Harley and Ivy at least once. Too good to be bad, too bad to be good. 

[fantrolloftheday]

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS TUMBLR

I (@nnugatoryextravagance) used to run a twitter account under the same name as this blog, but now I refuse to use that horrific bird app for the sake of my health, BUT also really missed doing this, So now here we are

There is technically speaking only one blog admin (Me, Sludge!) but I am the host of a multiple system, so others might post as well (we will use emojis to identify ourselves, mine is 💊) ((please be respectful, we will not engage with syscourse so dont bother))

[Also I know the name implies this is daily, but honestly dont hold your breath on that.]

ANYWAY YEAH onto the rules and other stuff

(keep reading)

Prepare necessary info about your Fantroll (Minimum info is at least Name, one SAFE FOR WORK photo, gender and/or pronouns [either one or both], caste, and sign)

Optional info is Age, Classpect, Lusus, Sign (if its not from the Extended Zodiac), and whatever else you'd like to add, (thanks to being freed from twitter's character limit, I encourage you to tell me as much as you want about them!)

Meme/Shitpost characters are totally okay! as long as they meet the minimum req above and are a troll I dont care! On the og account I literally posted an edit of the fucking Scout from tf2 as a Rustblood

We will OCCASIONALLY do little silly events that may change some of these rules, however wait for me to announce those dont just jump in early that'll get annoying

The admin(s) running this blog is/are bodily 16 years old, sending anything nsfw will be 100% ignored. [Characters from more mature source material ARE allowed however, but again, do not send directly send me images of said mature content]

If you did not make the character PLEEASE tell me where its from or who did make them. (on or off site I don't care), the whole reason I even started this originally was to share the work of others in this fandom I love to more people. Not telling me who made the character defeats the whole purpose [Similar applies if you include art of the character NOT drawn by you please just give credit to people I beg of you]

We understand that Homestuck as a whole is a very... Interesting series thats made VERY fucking poor choices, but any sort of intolerance or shitty behavior will NOT be tolerated here. We have Zero Affiliation with Hussie nor do we endorse their past behavior or very questionable writing decisions, any unfounded accusations of such towards me or anyone else over enjoying the comic will be thrown straight in the bin, blow me. (If there are any ACTUAL issues however, please respectfully send a pm about it, Random shit in the askbox will likely be either ignored or buried)

HOW TO SUBMIT

Ironically, I'm not doing this through tumblr's built in post submissions feature. But this is because I honestly still don't know how the damn thing works yet despite being on this site so long, So submissions will be taken through our inbox or PMs.

(Not to sound rude but I'd really much prefer to not be forced to message back about needing more info, PLEASE PLEASE include it the first time around or it'll take so much longer for yours to be posted (if at all) because I have a very hard time talking to internet strangers due to reasons I'm not obligated to tell you)

[Bear in mind though Anon is currently OFF, although this may change eventually]

[ultraericthered]

Anime Update

Finished AIR. As I've said before, Jun Maeda has an "ending problem" and this was sadly no exception. I knew Misuzu was going to die and I really don't think she needed to die in order for this story to work, but strangely enough that wasn't what bothered me most about this ending (I mean, at least it made for hilarious parodies in Eternal Fighter Zero and Kaginado!): it was the literal last minutes that really took me out of it. Yukito/Sky flying off to find Kanna's next and possibly final reincarnation would've been a good enough note to close out on. I could not make any sense of what came after that. What was even being talked about there? Who was that boy and why did he and that one girl go off for their own story while Misuzu and Yukito were on the beach? Why did we need to see any of that???

Started the final arc of Hunter x Hunter, and you can tell it's the final arc because Ging is there and finally getting present day exposure. He's one of the members of the Zodiac Council even though he physically doesn't match his Zodiac animal, but then again neither does Pariston Hill, and can I just say how hilarious I find it that the Zodiac Rat in this equation is a genderbent Paris Hilton? Quite the inspired choice on Togashi's part! The special election for Chairman has begun, but more crucially, Hisoka and Illumi have returned!

And I've watched through the first 7 episodes of Black Cat. Gotta say that I totally forgot how ridiculously, shamelessly Early 2000s this anime was. There is zero tonal consistency in this work, and you get the sense it's not even trying to reign itself in enough to have it to start with. It just does whatever it wants to do, living up to its ideals of freedom to live by how your heart compells you to live, even if it has to do so by coming off-script from the source material. And that last part has kind of a 50/50 chance of working out, I've observed.

Other stray observations:

It's sort of hilarious how different a character Train is when we first meet him versus how he is for most of the remainder of the story. He's this super stiff, cold-blooded, no-nonsense edgelord assassin who gives off so many Cloud Strife vibes and wears a black coat to go along with his nickname and number. It's so not what we get from him once he defects from Chronos, joins up with his new friends, and even stops wearing black despite still being the titular "Black Cat."

Sven and Rinslet are the consistently amusing characters here, but I'll admit to getting a bit distracted by the amount of times Sven brings up coffee while speaking with Brandon Potter's voice in the dub - it kept making me think I was watching Godot all of a sudden!

While Saya was a genuinely charming and likable character, I'm not a fan of how completely straight she plays two common sexist tropes - Manic Pixie Dream Girl and Stuffed In The Fridge respectively. I'd have liked for us to have gotten a little more of out of her before she got murdered, and for who she was and what she was doing with her life to matter for much more than just Manpain even afterwards.

Also hate to say that, as enjoyable as he is to watch, Creed Diskenth is a pretty weak antagonist here. His design and fashion sense is unremarkable, his screentime is fairly sparse, we have so many more prominent antagonists like that "Tyrant" guy, Preta Ghoul, Torneo Rudman, No. 1 and her Chronos superiors that he's lost in the shuffle for a good while, and there's not a whole lot of character and motivation to him except for "Jealous Gay Villain Trope". The one really interesting thing done with him is his betrayal of Chronos and ambition to lead a revolution upon the world, but in execution that comes right out of nowhere, being revealed to us in a hastily dropped "We live in a society" tirade. We at least could've seen him and Shiki conspiring together earlier on! It's only at the very end when he comes to kill Saya that Creed suddenly becomes terrifying, setting the tone for him to become Sephiroth-looking Apostles of the Stars leader Creed when we next meet him, who is absolutely amazing.

Eve is adorable and precious. That's all that needs to be said on her.